The Venetian patrician humanist Francesco Barbaro in his treatise on marriage of 1416 added a third consideration
威尼斯貴族中的人文學者Francesco Barbaro在1416年的著作中論及婚姻,他對此提出第三點
The authority an older husband should impose on his young wife
丈夫對少妻應施加權威
Brides should be like soft wax Barbaro said
Barbaro說新娘應像柔軟的蜂蠟一樣
The better to bare their husband's stamp
能打上丈夫的印記
impressions stamped previously are difficult to efface from hardened wax
蜂蠟變硬后先前的印記已難抹去
These are the reasons parents felt compelled to put their daughters on the marriage market by their mid-teens
這些使父母確信女兒應在十幾歲時就出嫁
Giovanni Bondimier married his wife whose first name was not recorded as usual
Giovanni Bondimier娶的妻子名字照例不詳
In 1449 the marriage took place in 1449
這對夫婦在1449年結婚
And the couple quickly produced three daughters
很快便有了三個女兒
Just how quickly appears from those daughters' marriage dates
一切都進展得很快,從女兒的婚期就看得出
The first married in 1461, the second in 1462, and the third in 1466
第一個在1461年結婚,第二個是1462年,第三個是1466年
which means the first two must have married around age 12
這說明大女兒和二女兒在12歲左右結的婚
And the third no later than age 15
第三個不超過15歲
We don't know how old their mother was when she started getting pregnant with these daughters
我們不知道她們的母親在什么時候受孕
But it must have been right after her wedding in 1449
但肯定是在1449年婚后不久
These were exceptionally young marriage ages for girls in the 15th century
15世紀女人們就是這么小就結婚的
Though less unusual in the plague ridden 14th
但在瘟疫橫行的14世紀已不再罕見
More characteristic was Francesco Valier in 1492
1492年的Francesco Valier更加典型
He wanted his daughters to marry at age 16 at the latest he said though earlier
他說希望女兒16歲前出嫁,也可更早
If my executors think it more appropriate to their honor
如果執行人認為此事更合乎他們的榮譽
Alvis Ezzani in 1485 wanted his daughter Michella married between the ages of 14 and 16
Alvis Ezzani在1485年的時候希望女兒Michella在14到16歲間結婚
Mothers were just as insistent
母親們也有同樣的堅持
Orsa Da Canal in 1440 threatened
Orsa Da Canal于1440年威脅道
that if her daughters weren't married by age 17 they were to get nothing from her estate
如果女兒17歲還沒結婚,就得不到她的遺產
Petronella Morazzini in 1464 conditioned her request to her daughter Paulina
Petronella Morazzini于1464年要求她的女兒Paulina
on the girl's marrying as soon as she turned 14
在14歲就結婚
and if the girl's father wanted to delay Paulina's marriage
如果孩子的父親意圖拖延女兒成婚
He was to be removed from the administration of Petronella's estate
他將不能享有Petronella財產的管理權
As it happened Paulina was married two years later when she was no older than 15
如她所愿,Paulina在兩年后結婚,當時未到15歲
Petronella Orsa Da Canal and other mothers could influence the marriages of their daughters
Petronella Orsa Da Canal和其他母親們能夠影響女兒的婚姻
Because their wealth was an essential component
因為她們的財產就是必要的保證
In some cases the crucial component of the dowries the girls' fathers hoped to offer prospective sons in law
在某些情況下,嫁妝這一重要的組成部分是岳父為準女婿準備的
Once they were married most new brides moved in with their husband's family
婚后大部分女人便搬到夫家
beginning their wifehood in an alien space they had never seen before
在一個陌生的環境中開始了作為妻子的生活
Often under the authority of their new spouse's father
通常處于公公的監管下
Or sometimes his widowed mother
或丈夫寡母的監管下
For most teenage brides it must have been intimidating even frightening
對很多年輕的新娘來說,這使人害怕甚至感到恐懼
To leave their sheltered life at home or in a convent
要走出閨閣或修道院
To now find themselves in the home of strangers
然后在一群陌生人中生活
And in the bed of one of them
并和其中一位同床共枕