being a little girle howe one day I with my brother who was a propre yong man and of ripe yeres abode all alone in a garden without other company and in tarying there together it happened that two yonge Damselles of noble bloud abounding in riches and borne in this our Citie who loued this my Brother very well and perceiuyng him to be in the sayde Garden came thyther and began a farre off to beholde hym that was altogether ignoraunt of theyr purpose And after a while séeing him al alone sauing for me of whome they reckened not bicause I was but a little one thus the one began to say to the other We loue this yong Gentleman aboue all others neither do knowe whether he loueth vs or no yet is it méete that he loue vs bothe so that nowe it is léefull for vs to satisfie our desire and to knowe whether he loue eyther of vs or whether of vs he best loueth to the ende that shée whom he shal best like of may after remaine his without being hindred of the other wherfore since he is all alone and that we haue a méet time offred let vs runne vnto him and eche one imbrace and kisse hym that done he shall take whether of vs best pleaseth him These two yong gentlewomen being thus determined vpon this resolution began to run their race towardes my sayd brother Whereat he maruelled greatly espying them and seing in what sort they came but the one of them or euer shée came at vs by a good way stayed all bathful and almost wéeping ripe the other runne thorowe and came vnto him whom she imbraced and kissed and so sate hir downe by him recommending hir selfe vnto him And he after y admiration conceiued of hir boldnesse was somewhat ceassed prayed hir as euer shée loued him to tell him truely what moued them thus to do Shée concealed nothing from him the which hée hearing examining wel in his mind that which the one other had done knew not how to persuade himself whether of thē best loued hym neither yet whether of them he might best loue And so hapning at that time to depart from them he after prayed counsel of many of his frends touching this matter neither hath any one euer satisfied his desire touching that demaunde For the which cause I pray you from whome I assuredly beleeue to haue a true definition of this my question that ye will tell me whether of these two damsels ought soonest to be leued of the yonge man. To this Gentlewoman the Quéene thus made answer Truely of the two yong womē shée as it séemeth loued your brother best soonest ought to be loued of him again that doubting bashfully abode without imbracing him why I thus thinke this is the reason loue as we know maketh those alwais fearful in whom he doth abide and wher he is of greatest force there is like wise the greatest feare and this hapneth bicause the intent or consent of the person loued can not be fully knowne And if it could be knowne many things shoulde be done that in fearing to offend are left vndone bicause the one knoweth that in displeasing is taken away euery occasion to be loued And with this feare and loue shamefastnesse is alwayes accompanied not without reason Returning then to our question We say that it was an act of one vnfainedly enamored that of the Gentlewomans wherby shée shewed hir selfe both fearfull and bashfull And that of the other was rather the part of one both loud licencious And therefore he being of hir best beloued ought the rather according to our iudgement to loue hir best Thē answered the gentlewoman Most curteous Quéene it is true that where loue abideth with moderation there feare and bashfulnesse dothe altogether frequent but where he doth abound in suche quantitie as he taketh away the sight from the most wise as is alredy said I say that feare hathe there no place but that the motions of him that feeleth the same are according to him that vrgeth them forwards therfore that Gentlewoman séeing hir desire before hir eyes was so hotly kindled as all shamfastnesse abandoned shée ranne straight to him by whom she was so vehemently pricked forwards as till then vnable to abide The other not so muche inflamed obserued the amerous termes being bashfull and remaining behind as you say So that then shée that ran loued most and most ought to be loued again Discrete gentlewomā said the Queene true it is that excessiue loue taketh away the sight euery other due perseuerāce in things that are ought of his nature but not in those that belong vnto hym the which as he increaseth so grow they Then how greater quantitie of Loue is found in any one so much the more fear as we said at the first is there also foūd And that this is true the cruell heart of Biblis dothe manifest the same vnto vs who howe much shée loued was séene by the sequele therof For shée séeing hir self abandoned and refused had not the audacitie to discouer hir selfe with hir propre wordes but wryting shée disclosed hir vnfitting desire Likewise Phedra many times gaue the attempt to goe to Hippolito to whom shée thought boldly to speake and to tel how much she loued him but the wordes shée had to vtter no sooner came into hir mouthe but they stayed vpon hir tong and there died Oh how fearfull is the persone that loueth Who hath ben more mighty than Alcides to whome satisfied not the victorie of humain things but also he gaue himself to beare vp the heauens and not wythstanding was lastly so enamoured not of a womā but of a yong wench a slaue which he had gained as fearing hir cōmaundements did like an hūble subiect or seruaunt euen the very basest things Also Paris in what he durst not attempt neither with eye nor tong with his finger in the presence of his loue wryting first hir name with wine that had bene spilt wrote after I loue thée How farre passing all these doth Pasiphe bring vs a due example of feare the which without any reasonable intendemēt yea without vnderstanding durst not so much as expresse hir desire to a beast but with hir propre handes gathering the soft grasse endeuored hir self to make him benigne vnto hir oftētimes decking hir self at the glasse for to plese him to kindle him in the like desire that she was in to the end he might attempt to séeke that which shée durst not demaund It is not méete for a womā enamored neither for any other to be prompt and ready forasmuch as y great shame fastnesse onely which ought to be in vs doth remaine as the guarder of our honor We haue the voyce among men and the trouth is so to know better how to hide the amorous flame than they doe nothing else engendreth this in vs but the
guided Aeneas out of the darke wayes fléeing the perilous fiers may appeare to vs and guide vs to his pleasures ¶ The eyght Question proposed by a fayre Gentlevvoman named POLA. ON the right hande of Galeone was set a fayre gentlewoman whose name was Pola pleasaunt and yet vnder an honest couerture who after the Quéene blent thus began to say O noble Quéene ye haue domed at this present that no person ought to follow this our lord Loue and I for my part consent thervnto but yet since it séemes to me impossible that the youthfull race both of men and women should be runne ouer without this benigne Loue I gather at this present setting apart by your leaue your sentence that to be enamoured is lefull taking the euill doing for due working And in following the same I desire to know of you whether of these two women ought rather to be loued of a yong man bothe two pleasing him alike either she that is of noble blood and of able kinsfolke and copious of hauing muche more than the yong man or the other that is nether noble nor rich nor of kinsfolkes so abounding as is the yong mā To whome the Queene thus made answere Faire Gentlewoman admitting the case that both man and womā ought to follow Loue as you haue before affirmed we giue iudgement that in howe much the woman is richer greater and more noble than the yong mā of whatsoeuer degrée or dignitie he be of euen so she ought to be rather preferred to the loue of a yong man than ought shée that hath any thing lesse thā he bicause mans mind was created to folow high things And therfore he must seeke rather to aduance than any ways to imbace himself Further there is a common Prouerbe which sayth The good to couet better t' is Than to possesse that bad is Wherefore in our iudgement thou art better to loue the most noble and wyth good reson to refuse the lesse noble Thē said pleasant Pola noble Queen I wold haue giuen an other iudgement if it had bene to me of this Question as ye shall heare We all naturally doe rather desire short and bréefe than long and tedyous troubles and that it is a lesse more bréefe trouble to get the loue of the lesse noble thā of the more noble is manifest Then the lesse ought to be followed for as muchè as the loue of the lesse may be sayd to be alredy won the which of the more is yet to get Further many perils may folow to a man louing a woman of a greater condition than him selfe is of nether hath he lastly therby any greater delight than of the lesser For we see a great woman to haue many kinsfolks a great family and them all as diligent héeders of hir honour to haue an eye vnto hir so that if any one of them happē to espie this loue therof may folow as we haue already sayd great perill to the louer the which of the lesse noble cā not so lightly com to passe and these perils ech one as he is able ought to flée for as much as who y receiueth harme is sure therof and who that hath done it laugheth him after to scorn saying he spéedeth wel where he liketh there let him loue yet dyeth he more than once But howe that once happeneth where and for what occasion besides eche one ought to take good heede it is very credible that a Gentlewoman will lightly esteeme of hym for that shee will desire to loue one more Noble or greater than hir selfe and not one inferioure to hir self wherby soldome or neuer he shall attaine his desire But of the lesser shall happen the contrary bicause that shee will glory to bée loued of suche a Louer and will endeuour hir selfe to please hym to the ende to nourishe Loue and yet if this were not the power of the Louer onely myght be able wythout feare to bryng to passe to fulfill his desire Wherefore I gather that the lesse Noble oughte to bée preferred in loue before the more noble Your iudgement deceiueth you said the Quéene to the fair Gentlewoman bicause Loue is of thys nature that howe muche the more one Loueth so muche the more he desireth to loue And this may be séene by them that thorowe loue féele the greater gréefe the which although it trouble thē not a litle yet loue they continually the more Neyther doeth any one from his heart althoughe he make great apparance in wordes desire thereof a spéedie end Then as small troubles are sought for of the slouthfull of the wise things that are attained with most trouble are helde most deare and delightfull And therefore in louing the lesse woman to get hir should be as you say little trouble and the loue both litle and short should be folowed as though one in louing would desire to loue lesse and lesse which is contrary to the nature of Loue as we haue sayd But in louing the greater that is gotten wyth trouble happeneth the contrary bicause that as in a thing dearely gotten with trauaile is reposed all diligēce to the wel héeding of the gained Loue euen so is shée euery houre the more loued and the lōger doth continue the delight and pleasure therof And yet if ye will say that all the doubt is of theyr kinsmen we wil not denie it for this is one of the occasions Wherefore it is a trouble to haue the loue of one of these great women but not withstanding the discrete in suche cases procéede by a secrete way And we dout not but that the honor bothe of the greatest and meanest woman is by some of their kinsfolkes according to their power loked vnto in such sort as a fole may come to an euill aduenture louing aswell in a base as in a noble stocke But what shal he be that wil passe Pisistrato in crueltie hauing offended them which loued hys without forethinking that which he should afterwardes haue done to those that had had the same in heart In saying also that louing a greater woman than himself he shall neuer be able to come to the ende of his desire bicause the woman coueteth to loue one greater than hir selfe and therefore will make of him no estimation at all ye shew your self to be ignorant that the meanest man in what belōgeth to naturall vertues is of greater and better condition thā the noblest woman of the world Whatsoeuer man shee then desireth shée desireth him that is of greater and better condition than hir selfe bicause the vertuous or vicious life maketh many times the meane great and the great meane In as much therefore as any woman shall bée solicited by any man in due sorte euen so wythout doubt shée shall yeld to his desire though the great with more trouble thā the mean. For we see the softe water with a continuall fall to breake and pierce the harde stone and
sight suche pleasure is confirmed in the minde as therof is ingendred loue and those pleasures that spring from him No beautie is so muche loued neither for any other occasion than to please the eyes and to content the same Then in séeing they ar contented and in thinking to sée the desire increaseth so that more delight feeleth he that is cōtented than doth he that desireth to content himself We may sée and know by Laodomia how much more the present sight than the absent thought doth delight bicause we are to think that hir Prothesilaus neuer departed from hir thought neither yet was she euer séene disposed to other than to melancolie refusing to decke and apparel hir self with hir costly garments The whiche thing in séeing him neuer happened For what time she abode in his presence she was mery gracious and alwayes ioyful and trimly attired What more manyfest testimonie will we haue than this that the gladnesse is not greater of the sighte than of the thought Bicause that thorow the exteriour doings that may be comprehended whiche in the hearte is hidden The Quéene then thus made answere Those things bothe delightfull and noysome that approche most néere to the minde bring more annoye and more ioye than doe those farre off from the same And who doubteth but that the thought abideth in the mind and that the minde is not from the eye although thorow the particuler vertue of the minde they haue their fighte and that it is conuenient for them by sundry means to render their proportiōs to the animate vnderstanding Hauing then in the minde a swéete thought of the loued in that acte which the thought bringeth in that togither with the thing loued it séemes the louer to be Then he séeth the same with those eyes to whome nothing no not of a long distance may be hidden Then he speaketh with hir whō he loueth and peraduenture with piteous stile telleth the annoys sustained for hir sake Then it is lauful for him without feare to embrace hir Then dothe he according to his desire maruelously glad himselfe with hir Then doth he hold hir wholly at his pleasure the whiche in beholding happeneth not bicause that sight onely at first taketh pleasure without passing further And as we say Loue is timorous and fearefull and in beholding dothe make the heart tremble in suche sorte as it leaueth neither thought nor spirite in his place For many with the long beholding of their ladies lose those their naturall forcas and remayne vanquished and many not béeing able to moue stande like postes other some in tangling and trauersing their legs fal to the grounde Others thereby lose their speache by sight we know many other like things to haue happened the which all shoulde haue bene very acceptable to them to whom as we haue sayde they haue happened if they had not happened at all how then bringeth that thing delight that shall willingly be fled We confesse that if it were possible to behold without feare it shoulde be a great delight But yet little or nothing without the thought the which without the bodily sight pleseth very much And that that whereof we haue may spoken come to passe through the thought it is manifest that yea and muche more For we finde that men with thought haue passed the heauens and tasted of the eternal peace Then more delighteth the thought than the sighte And if ye say that Laodomia was melancolie with thinking we doe not denye it but yet it was rather a dolorouse than an amorouse thoughte that dyd trouble hir She as it were a diuiner to hir owne harme alwayes doubted the death of Prothesilaus and stil was thinking theron contrary to those thoughts wherof we reason which thorow that doubt could not enter into hir but rather sorowing through this occasion as reason was she shewed a troublesome and heauy looke ¶ The twelfth Question proposed by PARMENIO PArmenio sat nexte to this gentlewoman and without attending further as the Quéene had left thus beganne Moste mightie Quéene I was of long time companion with a yong gentleman to whom that happened which I intend to shew He as much as any man could loue a woman loued a fayre yong gentlewoman of our citie gracious gentle and very rich both of wealth and parents and she eke loued him for ought that I to whom his loue was discouered could vnderstand This gentleman thē louing hir in most secrete sort fearing that if it shuld be bewrayd that he should no ways be able to speake vnto hir to the ende therfore that he might discouer his intent and be certified likewise of hirs he trusted no one that shold attempt to speake of this matter yet his desire inforcing him he purposed since that he could not bewray him self vnto hir to make hir vnderstand by some other that whiche he suffered for hir sake And bethinking him many dayes by whom he might most closely signifie vnto hir that his intent he saw one day a poore olde woman wrinkled and of an Orenge tawnie colour so despitefull to beholde as none the like the whiche being entred the house of the young woman to aske hir almesse followed hir foorthe of the doore and many times after in lyke sort and for like occasion he saw hir returne thither In this woman his hearte gaue him to repose his whole trust imagining that he should neuer be had in suspicion and that she might fully bring his desire to effect therfore calling hir to him he promised hir greate gifts yf she would helpe him in that which he should demaunde of hir She sware to do hir endeuour to whom this gentleman then discouered his minde The olde woman departed and after a while hauing certified the yong woman of the loue that my companion bare hir and him likewise ▪ how that she aboue al other things of the world did loue him she deuised how this yong man shoulde be secretly one euening with the desired woman and so he going before hir as she had appoynted ▪ she guided him to this yong Gentlewomans house wherein he was no sooner entred than through his misfortune the yong woman the olde and he were all thrée found and taken togithers by the brethren of the yong woman cōpelled to tell the truth of that they made there who confessed the whole matter as it was These brethren for that they were the friends of this yong gentleman and knowing that he as yet had attayned nothing that might redound to their shame woulde not doe him any harme as they might haue done but laughing sayd vnto him in this sorte Thou art now in our hands hast sought to dishonour vs and for that we may punish thée yf we will of these two wayes sée that thou take the one either that thou wilte we take thy life from thée or else that thou lie wyth this olde woman this our sister either of them one yeare
hir and among the other wordes that I vnderstoode of their talke was that eche one said that he was hir best beloued and for proofe thereof either of them alleaged in the furtherance of himselfe diuers gestures then before done by the yong woman And they thus remaining in this contention a long time being now thorowe many woordes at daggers drawing they acknowledged that héerin they did very euil bicause in thus doing they wrought hurt and shame to themselues and displeasure to the woman Wherefore moued of an equall agréement bothe two wente to the mother of the mayd who was also at the same feast and thus sayd vnto hir That forsomuch as aboue all other women of the world either of them best liked hir daughter and that they were at contention whether of them was best liked of hir it woulde therefore please hir to graunte them this fauor to the ende no greater inconuenience might spring thereof as to will hir daughter that she either by word or déede would shew whether of them she best loued The intreated gentlewoman smiling thus answered willingly And so calling hir daughter to hir sayd My fayre daughter eche one of these preferreth the loue of thée aboue the loue of him selfe and in this contention they are whether of them is best beloued of thée and they séeke of me this sauour that thou either by signes or words resolue them herein And therefore to the end that loue from whom all peace and goodnesse oughte alwayes to spring brede not now the contrary content them in this and with semblable curtesie shew towards which of thē thy minde is most bent The yong damsell sayd It liketh me right well And so beholding them bothe a while she saw the one of thē to haue vpon his head a faire garlande of fresh floures and the other to stande without any garlande at all Then she that had likewise vppon hir head a garlande of gréene leaues firste tooke the same from hir head and set it vpon his that stoode before hir without a garlande And after she toke that whiche the other yong man had vpon his head and set the same vpon hirs and so leauing them she returned to the feast saying that she had both performed the commandement of hir mother and eke their desire The yong men béeing thus lefte returned also to their former cōtention eche one affirming that she loued him best And he whose garland she toke and set vpon hir head sayde Assuredly she loueth me beste bicause she hath taken my garlande to none other ende but for that what mine is pleaseth hir and to giue occasion to be beholding vnto me But to thée she hath giuen hirs as it were in place of hir last farewell vnwilling that like a countrey girle the loue which thou bearest hir be without requitall and therfore lastly she giueth thee that garlande thou haddest merited The other replying with the contrary thus answered Truely she loueth that thine is better than thée and that may be séene in taking therof And me she loueth better than what mine is in as much as she hath giuen me of hirs And therefore it is no token of hir last deserued gift as thou affirmest but rather a beginning of amitie and loue A gift maketh the receiuer a subiect to the giuer and bicause she peraduenture vncertane of me to the ende she might be more certayne to haue me hir subiect will binde me if perhaps I were not bounde vnto hir before to be hirs by gift But howe mayst thou thinke if she at the first take away frō thée that euer she may vouchsafe to giue thée And thus they abode a long time contending and in the ende departed without any definition at all Now say I most puissant Quéene yf you shoulde be demaunded of the laste sentence of suche a contention what would ye iudge The faire Lady somewhat smiling turned towards Philocopo hir eies sparkling with an amorous light and after a soft sigh thus made answere Moste noble youthe proper is your Question And truely as very wisely the young woman behaued hir selfe so eche one of the yong men right well defended his cause But bicause ye require what we lastly will iudge therof thus we make you aunswere It séemeth vnto vs and so it ought to séeme to eche one that taketh good héede that the woman had in hate neither the one nor the other but to kéepe hir intent couert did two contrary acts as appeareth and not without occasion And to the end she might get more assured the loue of him whom she loued as not to lose the loue of the other whome she hated not it was but wisely doone But to come to our Question whiche is to whether of the two greatest loue was shewed We saye that she loued him best and he chiefest in hir fauour to whome she gaue hir garland and this semeth to be the reason Whatsoeuer man or woman that loueth any person ech one through force of the loue they beare is so strongly bound to the person loued that abou◠all other things they desire to please the same neither to binde him or hir more strongly that thus loueth néedeth either gifts or seruices and this is manyfest And yet we sée that who so loueth though he endeuour him selfe sundry wayes is not able to make the person loued in any sorte benigne and subiect vnto him wherby he may bring it to his pleasure and so with a more bolde face demaund his desire And that this is in suche sorte as we say the inflamed Dido with hir doings dothe very well manyfest the same vnto vs who burning in the loue of Aeneas so long as it séemed hir neither with honours nor with gifts able to winne him had not the courage to attempt the doubtfull way of asking the question So that then the yong woman sought to make him most beholding vnto hir whom she best loued And thus we say that he that receiued the gifte of the garlande was hir best beloued As the quéene became silent Philocopo answered Discrete Lady greatly is your answere to be commended but for all that you do bring me into a great admiration of that ye haue defined touching the propounded question bicause I wold haue iudged rather the contrary For so muche as generally among louers this was the wonted custome that is to desire to beare vpon them some iewell or some other thing of the persons loued to the end that most times they might glorie them selues more therin than in all the remnant they had perceiuing the same about them therwith to glad their minds as ye haue heard Paris seldome times or neuer entred into the bloudie battailes against the Greekes without bearing some token vpon him that had béen giuen him by his Helene beléeuing better to preuayle therewith than if he had gone without the same And truely in mine opinion his thought was not vayne
suretie I ought to giue my selfe The pleasant Quene hauing heard the purpose of this Gentlewoman thus made answere There is neuer a one of the thrée that dothe not worthily merite the loue of a faire and gracious Lady but bicause in this case I am not to fighte agaynst castles or to giue away the kingdomes of great Alexander or the treasures of Ptholome but that onely that Loue and honour are with discretion a long time to be kepte the whiche are mainteyned neither by force nor curtesy but only by wisdome we say that both you and euery other woman ought rather to giue hir loue to a wise man than to any of the rest Oh how diuers is my iudgement from yours aunswered the propounding Gentlewoman To me it séemeth that eche one of the others were soner to be taken than the wise and this seemeth to be the reason Loue as we see is of that nature as multiplying his force in one heart euery other thing he banisheth out thence retayning that for his seate and mouing it after according to his pleasure wherevnto no foresight is able to resist but that it is conuenient for them to follow him by whom it is as I haue sayde gouerned And who doubteth that Biblis knew it not to be euill to loue hir brother Who will gaynesay that it was not manyfest to Leander that he might drowne in Helespont in his fortunate time yf he caste him selfe therein And none will deny that Pasiphe knew not a man to be more faire than a Bul and yet they and eche one ouercome with an amorous plesure reiecting all knowledge followed the same Then if it haue power to take knowledge from the learned taking away the witte from the wise they shall haue nothing left but if from the strong and curteous it shall take away the little witte they haue it shall yet increase them in their vertues and so they shall become more than the wise enamoured Further loue hath this propertie it is a thing that can not long be hidde and in reueling him self he is wont oftentimes to bring greuous perils whervnto what remedie shall the wise giue that hath now lost his witte He shall giue none at all but the strong that vseth his force can helpe in a perill bothe him selfe and others The curteous through his curtesie shall wyth gratefull beneuolence winne the minds of many whereby he may be bothe holpen and considered and others also for his sake Sée now what it is to be of your iudgement She was by the Quéene answered vnto thus If there were suche a one as you speake of who shoulde than be wise not one But if he whom you propound wise and enamored of you should be made a foole he is not to be taken The Gods forbid that that whereof you speake shoulde come to passe And yet we will not deny but that the wise know the euill and do it but for all that we will say that they thereby lose not their witte forasmuche as what time it pleaseth them with the reason they haue to dridle their willes they will reduce them selues to their accustomed witte guyding their motions in a due and strayght order And in this manner their loue shall bée altogither or at the least a long time kepte secrete and that withoute any doubtfull diligence the whiche shall not happen to one of little witte bée he neuer so strong or curteous And yet if perhappes it do happe that suche loue bée discouered a wyse manne will with a hundred foresightes shut vp the eyes and vnderstanding of the tatlers thereof and shall prouide a safetie bothe for his owne honour as for the honour of his loued Lady And if néede of safetie bée the helpe of the wyse can not fayle That of the strong commeth lesse And the friendes that are gotten by Liberalitie are accustomed in aduersitie to shrinke awaye What is she of so little discretion that is brought to suche a iumpe as hath néede of manyfeste helpe or that if hir loue bée disclosed séeketh fame in hauing loued a strong or Liberall man I beléeue there is none suche Let the wyse then be soonest loued hoping that he muste be in eche cause more profitable than any of the reste ¶ The fourth Question proposed by MENEDON THe Gentlewoman by hir countenance seemed conteÌ„t wheÌ„ Menedon sitting next vnto hir sayd Most highe and noble Quéene now is it come to my turne to propounde my question here in your presence Wherefore by your lisence if in my talke I shal wade very long yet during the same I shall first of all of you and nexte of the standers aboute pray pardon Bicause ye can not be made fully to vnderstande that whiche I intende to propounde vnlesse a tale that peraduenture shall not be short do precede the same and after these words thus she began to saye In the countrey where I was borne I remember theÌ„re was a noble knyght surmounting riche the which loued in most loyall loue a noble gentlewoman borne likewise there whom he tooke to wife Of whom being as she was excéeding faire an other knight called Tarolfo was after enamoured and with so great good wil loued hir as he saw nothing he more desired than hir And in sundry sortes now with passing before hir house now iusting now at the barriers now with the often sending hir messangers peraduenture promising hir great gifts wherby she might know his intent and now with other like feats he endeuoured him selfe to purchase hir loue All which thinges the Lady closely supported without giuing signe or good aunswere to the knight saying to hir selfe When as this knight shall espie that he can haue neither answere ne yet good countenaunce of me perhaps he will forbeare any further either to loue me or to giue me these allurements Now for all this Tarolfo surcessed not following the precepts of Oâ—â—d who sayth that a man muste not throughe the hardnesse of a woman leaue to perseuer because with continuaunce the soft water pierceth the imbrued with Romayne bloud and hauing trauailed a long while vpon the same he sodenly espied before him at the foote of a mountayn a man not yong nor of to many yeres bearded small and very spare of person whose attire shewed him to be but poore who romed hither thither gathering herbs and with a little knife digged vp sundry rootes wherof he had filled one of the skirts of his cote whom as Tarolfo saw he maruelled not a little and doubted greatly least it had ben some other thing but after that his ayme did certainly assure him to be a man he drew nere vnto him saluted him and after asked him who he was of whence what he made ther at so timely an houre To whom the old man answered I am of Thebes and Thebane is my name and I go vp and downe this playne gathering of these herbes to the
to gainstande Cupide hauing taken heart to bring me into the number of his thrals was taken before I knew how For one day being allured abroade thorow the fresh renued time walking all merry and for my delight gathering of shel fish vpon the salt sea bankes it happened as I turned mine eyes towards the glittering waues I sodenly saw a little Barke comming towardes me wherein with one onely mariner were foure yong Gentlewomen so faire as it was a maruellous thing to beholde the beautie they séemed to haue They now béeing approched somewhat néere vnto me and I not hauing as yet turned mine eye frō them saw in the middest of them an excéeding great light wherin as my estimation gaue me me thought I saw the figure of an Angell very yong and so faire as I neuer behelde thing more fairer whō as I thus eyed me thought he sayde vnto me with a voyce farre discrepant from ours O yong foole persecuter of our power and being therwith arriued I am come hither with foure yong damsels let thy eye make choyse of hir for thy maistresse that best liketh thée I when I heard this voyce abode all appalled and deuised both with eye and heart to auoyde that which heretofore I had many times fled but al was bootelesse for the strength of my legges fayled me and byside he had bow and wings to ouertake me quickly wherevppon I in gazing among them espied one so faire so benigne of cheare and so piteous of semblaunce as I imagined to make choyse of hir as of a singuler maistresse saying to my self This damsell presenteth hir selfe so humble to my eyes as assuredly she wil neuer become enemy to my desires as many others haue ben to them whō I haue in beholding ful of troubles always scorned but she shall rather be a chaser away of my annoys and hauing thus thought I forth with answered The gracious beautie of that yong damsel that O my lord sitteth on your right hand makes me me desire to be both to you and hir a most faithfull seruant I am therfore redy to obey your will do with me as shall best like you I had not ended my tale but that I felt my lefte side wounded with a shining shafte shot from the bow which he bare as me thought the same was of gold And assuredly I saw him as he turned towards hir to strike hir with an other of leade And thus I being in this sort taken abode in the snares I had of long time fled This yong damsel hath doth so much content mine eye as all other plesure is very scarce in cōparison of this Which she espying of lōg time shewed hir self contēt but after that she knew me to be so taken with this delight as not to loue hir was a thing impossible incontinent she discouered hir guile towards me with an vndeserued disdayne shewing hir selfe in apparance a most cruel enemie always turning hir eye the contrary way as she happened to espye me and with words on my parte vndeserued alwayes dispraysing me by occasion wherof I haue in sundry sortes endeuoured my selfe both with prayers and humilitie to appease hir crueltie but being vnable I oftentimes bewéepe and lament this my hard fortune neither can I any wayes withdraw me from louing hir but rather how much the more I finde hir cruell so muche the more me thinketh the flame of hir pleasure doth set my sorowful heart on fire As I through these occasions one day being all solitarie in a garden bewayled my hap with infinite sighes accompanied with many teares there came vpon me a singuler friend of mine to whō part of my griefs were discouered who with pitifull words began to comfort me the best he could but I giuing thervnto no eare at all answered him that my misery excéeded all others Whervnto he made me this answere A man is so much the more miserable said he as he either maketh or reputeth himselfe a miser but assured I haue greater cause to lament than hast thou I then at angry turned towards him with a disdainful loke saying And how who can haue greater cause than I Do not I for good seruice receiue euil recompence Is not my faithfull loue rewarded with hatred So that any may be as sorowful as I but more he can not be Truely sayde my friend I haue greater cause of grief than hast thou and heare how It is not vnknowen to thee but that I haue of long time and yet vs loue a Gentlewoman as thou knowest neither was ther euer any thing that I thought mighte pleasure hir whiche I gaue not my selfe with all my witte and power to bring to effecte And truely when she vnderstoode the summe of that I desired she made me a gracious gifte the which as I had receiued and receiuing it at what time it pleased me me thought none by a great way to haue a life comparable to myne in gladnesse only one thing pricked me that I could not make hir beleue how perfectly I loued hir Further than this she perceiuing me to loue hir as I said passed lightly for me But the gods that will graunt no worldly good turne without some bitternes to the ende that the heuenly may be the better knowen by consequent the more desired to this they gaue me an other corsey without cōparison noisome that is that it hapned one day as I abode with hir al alone in a secret place seing without being againe sene who passed by espied a proper yong man of a pleasant coūtenance to come along by vs whom she behelde as I perceiued with a fixed eye and being past she fette a pityfull sighe the whiche I espying sayde Alas do you so soone repent as that ye now sighe for the loue of an other She whose face was throughe this occasion paynted with a new rudde swearing by the power of the high gods beganne with many excuses to endeuor hir selfe to make me beléeue the contrary of that which I had conceiued through the sighe but all was to no purpose bicause she kindled my hert with an anger so excéeding fierce as she made me then almost ready to chide with hir but yet I withhelde me therefrom And certainly it will neuer out of my mynde but that she loueth him or some other better than me and all those perswasions the whiche at other times heretofore she vsed for my helpe that was that she loued me better than she did any other I now esteme them all in contrary imagining that she hath fainedly sayd done al that she hath heretofore wrought whereby I endure intollerable griefe neither dothe any comfort at all preuayle therein but bicause shame oftentimes doth bridle the will I haue rather to sorrowe me than glad me I doe not continue my bitter grief so as I make any apparaunce therof but brieflye I am neuer withoute cares and cogitations the whiche bring me far greater
annoy than I willingly would Learne then to beare the lesse griefs since thou séest the gretest with a valiaunt minde borne of me To whom I answered that as it séemed to me his grief although it wer gret was no ways to be compared to mine He answered me the contrary and thus we abode in a long contention and in the end parted without any diffinition Wherefore I pray you that you wil say your iudgement hereof Yong Gentleman sayde the Quéene great is that payne of yours and great wrong doth the damsell committe in not louing you But yet at all times your griefe may by hope be eased the whiche happeneth not to your companion bicause that since he is once entred in suspecte nothing is able to draw it away Therfore continually whilest loue lasteth he soroweth without comfort So that in our iudgement greater séemeth the griefe of the iealous than that of the vnloued louer Then sayde Clonico Oh noble queene since you say so it playnly appeareth that you haue always ben loued agayne of him whom you haue loued by occasion whereof ye hardely know what my payne is How may it appeare that iealousie bringeth greater griefe than is that I feele forsomuche as the iealous possesseth that he desireth and may in holding the same take more delight thereof in one houre than in a long time after to feele any payne through want thereof and neuerthelesse he may through experience abandon such iealousie if it happen that this iudgement be found false but I being kindled with a fiery desire howe much the more I sée my selfe farre off from the attaining the same so muche the more I burne and consume my selfe assaulted of a thousand instigations neither is any experiēce able to help me therin bicause thorow the often reprouing hir and finding hir euery houre more sharpe I liue desperate Wherefore your answer séemeth contrary to the truthe bicause I doubt not but that it is muche better to holde with suspition than to desire wyth teares That amorous flame that dothe shine in our eyes and that euery houre dothe adorne our sight with the greater beautie doeth neuer consent replied the Quéene that we loue in vain as you affirme but for all that it is not vnknown to vs howe great and what manner of paine that is bothe of the one and the other and therfore as our answere hath bene confirmable to the truth one thing we will shew to you It is manifest that those things which moste doe hinder the quiet of the minde are cares the which are some of them come to a merrie ende so some we sée to end with great sorow wherof how much more the mind is repleat so much the more hath it of gréefe and chiefliest when as the same are noisome and that the iealous haue more store therof thā haue you is manifest bicause you héede nothing else but only to gette the good will of the dāsel whom ye loue the which not being able to attaine is to you a gréefe most gréeuous but yet it is certaine that it may easly come to passe to attaine the same at one instant not thinking therof forsomuch as womens heartes are inconstant bisides peraduēture she loueth you not withstanding to proue if you also loue hir shée sheweth the contrary and so perhappes wil shew vntil such time as she shal be wel assured of your loue so that with these thoughts hope can mitigate vnfained gréefe but the iealous hath his minde ful fraught of infinite eares against the which neither hope nor other delight can bring cōfort or ease the paine For he standeth intentiue to giue a law to the wandring eyes the which his possessor can not giue He wil and doth endeuour hymselfe to giue a law to the féete to the hands and to euery other acte of his Mistresse He will be a circūspect knower both of hir thoughtes of hir myrth interpreting euery thing in euil part towardes himself belèeuing that eche one desireth and loueth hir whome hée loueth Likewise he imagineth euery woord that shée speaketh to be twaine and full of disceit And if he euer committed any detraction towardes hir it is death to him to remembre it imagining to be by the like means deceiued He wil with coniectures shut vp the wayes of the aire and of the earthe And briefly the heauens the earthe birdes beastes and euery other creature that he thinketh doth hinder his deuises And to remoue him from this hope hathe no place bicause in this doing if he find the woman faithful he thinketh that shée espyeth that which he doth and is therfore héedefull therein If he findeth that he séeketh for and that he would not finds who is more dolorous than hée If peraduenture ye thinke that the imbracing hir in his armes be so great a delighte vnto him as shuld mitigate these pangs your iudgemēt is then false bicause such manner of colling bringeth him in choller in thinking that others as wel as he hath imbraced hir in the like sort and if the woman peraduenture doe louingly entertaine him he demeth that shée doth it to the ende to remoue him from suche his imaginations not for the true loue shée beareth him If he finde hir maliciously disposed he thynketh that shée then loueth an other and is not content with him And thus we can shewe you an infinite numbre of other suspitions cares that are harbored in a iealous persone What shall we then say of his lyfe but that it is farre more gréeuous than that of any other liuing creature He lyueth beléeuing and not beléeuing and stil alluring the woman and moste tymes it hapneth that these iealous persons doe end their liues thorow the self same malice wherof they liue fearful not without cause for that with their reprehensions they shewe the way to theyr owne harmes Considering then the aforesayd reasons more cause hath your frend that is iealous to sorrow than haue you bicause you may hope to get and he liueth in feare to lose that which he scarsly holdeth for his own And therfore if he haue more cause of gréefe than you yet comforts him selfe the best he cā much more ought you to comfort your self and to set aside bewailings that are méete for faint heartes and hope that the assured loue which you beare towardes your Ladie shall not lose his due desert For though she shew hir selfe sharp towardes you at this present it can not be but that shee loueth you bicause that loue neuer pardoned any loued to loue and ye shal know that with the fierce vehement windes are sooner broken the stubburne Okes than the consenting réedes The sixt Question proposed by a yong Gentlevvoman NExt vnto Clonico sate a faire Gentlewoman apparelled in black vesture vnder an honest veyle who as she perceiued the Quéen to haue made an end of hir wordes thus began to say Moste gracious Quéene I remembre that
great feare the which doth rather occupie our forces than those of men How many hath there ben of them peraduenture we haue known some which many times haue caused themselues to haue bene bidden to the ende therby they might haue atchéeued to the amorous effectes the which willingly would rather haue bidden the bidder before he them if due bashfulnesse and fear had not detained them and not only that but euery time that No is scaped theyr mouth they haue had in theyr mindes a thousand repentings saying from theyr hearts a thousand times Yea. There remaineth then the like scelerate fire on the behalfe of Semiramis and Cleopatra the which loued not but sought to quiet the rage of their wanton willes the same being quieted they after remēbred not them selues the one of the other Wise marchaunts vnwillingly do aduenture at one time all their treasures to the hazarde of Fortune and yet notwithstanding they care not to graunt hir some small portion the which if they happen to lose yet do they féele no gréefe of mind at all for the same The yong woman therfore that embraced your brother loued him but a little that little she committed to Fortune saying This gentleman if I may héereby get him it is wel but if he refuse me there shal be no more but lette him take an other The other that abode all bashfull forasmuch as she loued him aboue all others shee doubted to put so great loue in aduenture imagining least thys peraduenture should displease hir and he so refuse hir that hir gréefe should be then suche and so much as she should die therof Let therfore the second be loued before the first The seuenth Question proposed by GALEONE A Cleare Sunne beam◠piercing thorow amōgst the gréene leaues did strike vpon the aforesaid Fountaine and dyd rebound the light therof vpon the fair face of the adorned Quéene who was therby apparelled with that colour wherof the heauens maketh shewe when as bothe the children of Latona from vs hidden with their starres onely giueth vs light and besides the splendoure it brought to hir face it did so lighten the place as among the fresh shade it yelded a maruellous luster to the whole company Further what time the reflected raye did extend euen to that place wher the Laurel crowne on hir head on the one side and the golden tresses on the other dyd determine It so entermingled there amōg with twinings not artificiall as at the first fight one wold haue sayd that there had issued forth among the gréene leaues a cleare flame of a burning fire whych did spread in such sort as the aburn hairs were easily séene to the flanders about Galeone that was peraduēture sooner or better awares of this maruellous sight than any of the rest being set in circle ouer agaynst the Queene deuided only with the water did very intentiuely beholde the same almoste as though he cared for nothing else so that he moued not his mouthe to the question that was nowe come to his turne To whom the Quéene therefore hauing now both kept silēce a good space as eke contēted the wittie gentlewoman thus sayd The only desire peraduēture of the thing which thou beholdest stayeth thée Tel what is the occasion that holdeth thée thus appalled as in folowing the order of the rest thou spekest not It is only as we beleue the gazing at our hed as if ye had neuer séen the same before Tell vs first after as the other haue propounded euen so propoūd you At this sodaine voice Galeone lift vp his mind replete with swéet thoughts somwhat comming to him self at what time he is wont to doe that thorow a sodaine fear doth breake his golden sléepe thus sayd Most noble renoumed Quéene whose worthynesse it shoulde be impossible for me to declare my mind was so wrapped in gracious thoughts when as I did so firmly loke at your hed as in beholding the bright ray streming into the fresh fountaine and rebounding vpō your face me thought there issued forthe of the water a little sprite so gentle and gracious to sée vnto as he plucked my minde backe to beholde that whych he did perceiuing peraduenture my eyes altogither insufficient to behold so great a ioy he mounted by the cleare ray into your eyes there for a good space made maruellous myrth adorning the same with a new clearenesse And after moūting more high I sawe how he ascended by this light leauing his footesteppes in your eyes vpon your crown wheras he together with the ray kindled as it séemed vnto me a new flame such a one as was of yore séene by Tanaquil to apéere to Seruius Tullus a little boy whilest he slept and so wēt about your crowne leaping from sprigge to sprigge like a little amorous birde that finging dothe visite many leaues mouing your hearte with sundry iestures sometimes wrapping hiding himselfe therin being more merrier euery time he came forth thereof and therewith as it seemed vnto me so iocunde in him selfe as nothing more and that singing or with a swéete voyce he vttered these words Of the third rolling Skie the benigne babe deuine I am enamoured so to neast in these two eyne That doubtlesse dye I should were I of mortal routs From twig to twig I twine to feede this my delight These golden Tresses whirling in and out My selfe inflaming my selfe right So as with flame I shew theffect the potent might Of my darts deuine piercing where I goe Eche one wounding that with sweete sight Doth gaze hir in the eyes wheras eche houre loe If suche hir pleasure be I there discend adowne For of my kingdomes she quene is of great renowne And herewith he sayde muche more going about as at what time ye called me and ye had no sooner spoken but that he sodenly retired into your eyes the whiche sparkling like to the morning starre gaue a new light that made al the place to shine ye haue now heard with what ioy new thoughts haue stayed me for a time Philocopo and the rest maruelled not a litle hereat and turning their eyes towards their Quéene saw that whiche to heare séemed to them impossible And she that was attyred with humility listued to the words that were truely reported of hir and abode with a stable countenaunce making no answere at all And therefore Galeone speaking in this wise followed with his question Most gracious Quéene I desire to know whether a man ought to be enamoured for his delyght or no And to demaunde this many things moue me both séene heard and helde through the sundry opinions of many The Quéene beheld Galeone a good while in the face and afterwards after a certayne sigh thus made answere It is conuenient we speake agaynst that which with desire we séeke to follow And truely that which you in asking do propounde in doubt ought to be manifest vnto you In answering you therfore there shal
therefore let none despaire to loue For so muche goodnesse shall folow him that loueth a greater woman than hymselfe as he shall endeuour him selfe to please hir to haue decent qualities the company of noble personages to be ornate of swéete talke bold in enterprises and splendant in apparell and if he shall attaine to greater glory the greater delight shall he haue of minde likewise he shal be exalted with the good report of the people and reputed of a noble mind Let him therfore followe the most noble as we haue alredy sayd The ninthe Question proposed by FERAMONTE Duke of Montorio NExte vnto pleasante Pola sate Feramonte Duke of Montorio who after the Quene had said thus began I consent that it bée conuenyent to loue that ye haue alredy fully answered this Gentlewoman to hir Question And that a man ought to loue rather a more noble woman than a lesse noble than himselfe may very well be yelded vnto thorow the sundry resons by you shewed touching the same But forasmuch as there are sundry Gentlewomen of sundry sortes attired with diuersities of habites that as it is thought doe diuersly loue some more some lesse some more hotly some others more luke warme I desire to vnderstād of you whether of these three a yong mā to bring his desire to a most happy ende ought soonest to be enamoured of either of hir that is maryed or of the maide or of the widowe To whome the Queene made this answers Of the thrée the one that is the maryed woman ought in no wise to be desired bicause she is not hir owne neither hath libertie to giue hir selfe to any and therfore either to desire hir or to take hir is both to commit an offence against the diuine lawes as also against the lawes naturall positiue the offending wherof is to heap vpon our selues the diuine anger and by consequent heauie iudgement Howbeit who that gropeth not his conscience so farre inwardly dothe oftentimes spéede better in louing hir than of any of the other two either maid or widowe in as much as he althoughe such loue somtimes be with great peril is to haue the effecte of his desire And why this loue may diuers times bring the louer to his desire sooner thā the loue of the others this is the reson It is manifest that in how much more the fire is blowne so much the more it flameth without blowing it becommeth deade And as all other things thorowe muche vse do decay so contrariwise lust the more it is vsed the more it increseth The widowe in that shée hath bene a long tyme without the like effect doth fele the same almost as though it had neuer bene and so is rather kindled with the memorie thereof than with any concupiscence at all The maid that yet hath no skil therof neither knoweth the same but by imagination desireth as it were one luke warme and therfore the maried woman kindled in such passions doth more than any of the others desire suche effectes What time the maried are wont to receiue from their husbandes outragyous woords or déedes wherof willingly they would take reuenge if they might there is no way left more readier vnto them than in despite of their husbands to giue their loue to him by whome they are allured to receiue the like And althoughe it be expedient that suche manner of reuenge be very secrete that no shame grow thereby nethelesse are they yet content in their mindes Further the alwayes vsing of one kinde of meat is tedious and wée haue oftentimes séene the delycate meates left for the grosse turning afterwardes vnto the same again what time the appetite hath bene satisfied of the others But bicause as wée haue sayd it is not lawfull thorowe any vniust occasion to desire that which is an other mans we will leaue the marryed to theyr husbandes and take of the others whereof a copious numbre our Citie dothe sette before our eyes And we would in bestowing our loue rather seke the widowes than the rude maides grosse for suche a misterie and that are not without great trouble the which in widowes néedeth not made able to a mannes desire Further if mayds loue they know not what they desire and therefore they doe not followe with an intentiue mynde the steppes of the louer as do the widowes in whome nowe the antique fire taketh force and maketh them to desire that which thorowe long abuse they had forgotten so that to come to suche effecte they to late bewéepe the lost tymes and the solitarie long nightes the which they haue passed in their widowish beds These are therefore as it séemeth vnto vs rather to be loued of them in whom is the libertie to submitte them selues to others than any of the rest Then aunswered Faramonte Moste excellent Quéene what ye haue sayde of the maryed I hadde determined in my minde that so it ought to bée and now hearing the same from you I am the rather assured thereof But touching the Maides and Widowes I am of the contrary opinion bicause setting the maryed aparte for the reasons by you alleaged it séemeth vnto me very good that the Maide rather than the Widowe ought to be desired For as muche as the loue of the Maide séemeth more firme and assured than that of the Widowe For the Widowe without doubt hathe alreadie loued one other time before and hathe séene and felt many things of loue and knoweth what shame may folow thereof and therefore knowing these things better than the Mayde loueth faire and softely and doubting and not louyng firmly desireth now this and now that and knoweth not to whether for hir most delight and greatest honour to link hir selfe for sometimes shée will neither the one nor the other so that deliberation dothe wauer in hir minde neither is the amorous passion able to take there stabilitie but to the mayde these things are alltogether vnknowne And therefore as shée persuadeth hir self with good aduisement that of many yong men shée greatly pleaseth one so wythout further examination shée maketh choice of him as of hir louer and to him onely disposeth hir loue not knowing howe for hir pleasure to shew any contrary acte neither is there for the more sure tying of the Louer any newe deliberation by hir sought for the touching hir loue so that shée is then pure at the wil and pleasure of him that simply pleaseth hir quickly disposeth hir wounded heart him only to serue as Lorde The which thyng as I haue already sayd happeneth not of the widowe and therfore is the other the rather to be followed Further with more efficacie the mayde taryeth those things that neuer any one of hir sorte hath séene heard or proued And yet shée desireth more to sée hear and proue them than who that ha the many times bothe séene heard and proued them and this is manyfest Emong the other occasions for the which
through his stackenesse he had lost the loue of the loued Gentlewoman and that the other iustly had deserued the same and whilest he thus sorowed his missehap he bethought him that if he before any other shoulde go armed into the fielde saying that the Gentlewoman ought to dye and so suffer him selfe to be ouercome he mighte thereby cause hir to escape and so according to his deuice he put the same in effect The gentlewoman hereby escaped and was deliuered from perill So that then after certayne days the first knight went vnto hir and recommended him selfe vnto hir putting hir in remēbrance how that he to preserue hir from death had a few days paste offred him selfe to the perill of death and thanks be to the Gods and to his forces he had deliuered bothe hir and him selfe from so harde an happe Whervpon it would please hir according to his desert to giue hir loue the whiche aboue all things he had always desired Afterwards with the like prayers came the seconde knight saying that for your sake I haue hazarded my lyfe and bicause you should not dye suffred my selfe to be ouercome whervpon I haue purchased to my selfe eternall infamie wheras I contrarywise with incountring your suretie and willing to vse my force might haue bene able to haue gottē the honor of the victorie The Gentlewoman thanked ech one of them very benignely promising them bothe due recompence for the receiued seruice And now they being departed she abode in great doubt to whether of them she should the rather giue hir loue to the first or to the seconde and thereof prayeth counsell of you on whether of them ye would say that she ought soonest to bestowe the same We déeme sayde the Quéene that the first is to be loued and the last to be left bicause the first vsed force and shewed his assured loue in diligent sort giuing him selfe to euery perill that might happen through the future battaile euen vnto the death wherby it might very well haue folowed forasmuche as if suche a battayle to be done agaynst him had ben as lefull to any of the enemies of the Gentlewoman as it was to the louer he had bene in perill of death for his defence neither was it manyfest to him that one should come agaynst him that would suffer him selfe to be ouercomen as it happened The last truely went well aduised not to dye neither to suffer the Gentlewoman to dye Then forasmuche as he put least in aduenture he meriteth to gayn the lesse Let the first then haue the loue of the faire gentlewoman as the iust deseruer thereof Ascaleone sayde Omost prudent Quéene what is that you say Doth not not one time suffize to be rewarded for well doing without crauing further desert Truely yes The first is well requited with being of euery one honored for the receiued victorie and what greater rewarde néedeth he than honour the rewarde of vertue the receiued honour did suffise for a greater matter than he did And he that with all his witte came well aduised ought he to be vnrecompenced and further he to be of euery one euill spoken of hauing nothing lesse than the first holpen the Gentlewoman to escape Is not the witte to to foresée euery bodyly force How so If this man with all his witte came for the safetie of the Gentlewoman ought he for his desert to be reiected God forbid it should so be If he knew not the same so soone as the other this was not through negligence for if perhaps he had knowen it before the other he woulde haue runne to that whiche he tooke discretely for the last remedie whereof rewarde iustly ought to follow the which reward ought to be the loue of the Gentlewoman yf rightly she sée vnto him and yet you say the contrary God defende from your minde answered the Quéene that vyce come to a good ende merite the same rewarde that vertue done to the lyke end meriteth But rather in as muche as vice deserueth correction so no worldly deserte can iustly satisfie vertue Who shall denye vs to beléeue although we can not manifest the same with apparāt reason but that the last knight as enuious of the good turn he saw prepared for the other was moued to suche an enterprise to the ende to disturbe the same and not for the loue he bare to the Gentlewoman and yet his deuice failed him He is a foole that vnder the coloure of an enimie doth endeuor himself to the end to receiue recompence to helpe an other Infinite are the ways wherby it is possible enough for vs to shewe at the first with open frendship the loue that one of vs beareth towards the other without shewing our selues as enemies and after with coloured words to make shew to haue profited That whiche we haue sayd may now suffise you for answere whom old age more than any thing else ought to make discrete And we beléeue that when your minde shall haue duely digested these things ye shal not find our iudgement guilefull but true and to be folowed And so she held hir peace The eleuenth Question proposed by a Gentlevvoman named GARCE THere followed after him a gentlewoman of cheare very milde whose name was Grace and assuredly the name was consonant to hir nature who with an humble and modest voyce began these words It is come to my tourne O moste vertuous quene to propound this my question the which to the ende the time that now approcheth to our last festing may be swetened with the new beginning thereof be only spent in talke I shal briefly propound that whiche willingly if it were lefull for me I would passe ouer but yet not to pretermit the limits of your obedience neither the order of the rest I shal propound this Whether is it great delight to the louer to sée his loue present or not séeing hir to thinke amorously on hir My gracious Grace sayd the quéene we beléeue that muche more delight is taken in thinking than in beholding bicause in thinking on the thing loued all the sensitiue spirites do then graciously féele a maruellous ioy and as it were do content their inflamed desires with the delight onely of the thought But this happeneth not in the beholding bicause that onely the visible spirite féeleth ioy and the others ar kindled with such a desire that they are not able to endure and so remayne vanquished and that visible spirite sometime taketh so great plesure that of force he is constrayned to withdraw himselfe back remayning vile and altogether vanquished Then do we gather hereof that greater delighte is to thinke than to beholde That thing whiche is loued answered the Gentlewoman how muche the more it is séene so muche the more it delighteth and therfore I beléeue that greater delight bringeth the beholding than dothe the thinking bicause euery beautie at the firste pleaseth thorowe the sight therof and so after thorow the continuall
therefore I shoulde thus saye that as you sayde the yong woman did very wisely not defining it for all that as you haue don but in this maner She knowing that she was very well loued of two yong men and that she could not loue mo than one for that loue is an indiuisible thing she would rewarde the one for the loue he bare hir to the ende that suche good will should not be vnrewarded and so gaue him hir garlande in requitall thereof To the other whom she loued she thought she woulde giue courage and assured hope of hir loue taking his garlande and decking hir selfe therewith in token wherof she playnly shewed to be beholding vnto him for the same And therfore in my iudgement she loued better him from whom she toke than him to whom she gaue To whom the Quéene thus made answere Your argument should haue pleased vs right well if your selfe in your tale had not condemned the same Sée how pillage and perfect loue can agrée togither How can ye shew me that we loue him whom we spoyle better than him to whom we giue According to the Question propounded to the one she gaue a garlande and from the other she toke a garlande neither had she too whome she gaue ought giuen hir and that which we see euery day for example may here suffise as is commonly sayde They are of gentlemen farre better loued on whom they bestow fauour and gifts than those that are by them depriued of them And for that cause we lastly holde opinion concluding that he is better loued to whom is giuen than he from whom is taken We know very wel that in these our reasonings much might be obiected agaynst this our definition much also answered to the contrary reasons But lastly such determination shall remayne true And bicause time now serueth not to staye with this our talke vpon one matter only without moe we will giue eare to the rest if it please you To whom Philocopo sayd That it pleased him right wel and that very well suffised suche a resolution to his demaunded question and so helde his peace The second Question proposed by LONGANO NExte to Philocopo was placed a curteous young man and gracious to beholde whose name was Longano who no sooner than Philocopo had left thus beganne Most excellent Quéene so trim hath ben the first question that in my conceipte mine shall bring no delight at al. Yet to the ende not to be seuered from so noble a company foorth it shall and thus he followed saying It is not many dayes past that I abiding all solitarie in my chamber wrapt in a heape of troublesome thoughts sprong frō an amorous desire the which with a fierce battayle had assaulted my heart by happe heard a piteous plaint wherevnto bicause I iudged it by estimation néere vnto me intentiuely I layde mine eare and therby knew that they were women by occasion whereof I sodaynly rose to sée who and where they were and loking forth at my chamber window I heard ouer agaynst the same in one other chamber two yong women the same being sisters adorned with an inestimable beautie there abiding without any other company whom as I saw making this sorowfull plaint I withdrew my selfe into a secret place without beeing of them espied and so behelde them a long while neither was I able for all that to vnderstande all the words that they through griefe vttred in teares but that the effect of suche plaint according to that I coulde comprehende séemed to me to be for loue wherefore I through pitie and so swete an occasion offred being thus close as I was began to shead my trickling teres And after that I had in their gréefe perseuered in the same a good space forsomuch as I was their very familiar also their kinsman I purposed to vnderstand more certayne the occasion of their sorow and so went vnto them who had no sooner espied me but all bashfull they withhelde them from teares endeuoring them selues to do me reuerence To whom I sayde Gentlewomen trouble not your selues neither let this my comming moue you to restrain your inward grief for your tears haue bin now a good space apparant vnto me It shall be therefore needelesse to hide you either yet thorow bashfulnesse to hide from me the cause of thys your plaint For I am come hither to vnderstand the same And be you assured that ye shal not receiue by me either in word or déede any euill requitall but rather helpe and comfort in what I may The women greatly excused themselues saying that they sorrowed for nothing but yet after I had coniured them and they seing me desirous to vnderstand the same the elder thus began to say It is the pleasure of the Gods that to thee our secretes be discouered thou therfore shalt vnderstand that we aboue al other women haue alwayes resisted the sharpe darts of Cupide who of a long season in casting the same was neuer yet able to fastē any one of them in our hearts But now lastly being further inflamed and hauing determined to ouercome that his childishe enterprise tooke of newe with his yong arme of his best and dearest shaftes and with so great force wounded the heartes so sore infeebled through the sundry blowes before receiued as the heades thereof pierced deepe so as they made a farre greater wound than if resistance had not bene made to the other former had like to haue bene And thus for the pleasure of two most noble yong Gentlemen we are become subiectes to his deitie folowing his pleasure wyth more perfect faith and seruent wil than euer any other women haue done Now hath Fortune and the loue of them as I shall declare vnto you left vs both comfortlesse First I before my sister héere was in loue and through mine endeuor beléeuing wisely to ende my desire so wrought as I got the loued yong Gentleman at my pleasure whome I found as greatly enamored of me as I of him But truely nowe hath not the amorous flame through such effect ceassed neither hathe the desire lessened but eache one more vehemently increaseth and more than euer I doe nowe burne in hys fire And what tyme seeing howe I might best mitigate assuage the kindled flame thereof holding it inwardly secrete it after hapned that the horned Moone was no sooner come to hir perfect roundnesse but that he at vnwares committed a fault for the which was adiudged him perpetuall exile from this citie whervpon he dreading death is departed hence without hope euer to returne I sorowfull woman aboue all others more now enflamed thā euer am without him left both dolefull and desperate By occasion whereof I sorrow me and that thing that most increaseth my sorrow is that on euery side I see the way barde from béeing able to follow him Thinke therfore now whether I haue cause to playne me or no. Then sayd I and this other why
sorroweth she And she answered This my sister likewise as I is enamoured of an other and of him agayne loued aboue measure And to the ende hir desires should not passe the amorous pathes without taking some parte of delight many times she hath endeuoured hir selfe to bring them to effect and contrary to hir deuise iealousie hath always occupied and broken the waye and bicause she coulde neuer attayne thervnto neither saw how to be able so to do she thus distressed is thorough feruent loue consumed as ye may well thinke if euer ye were in loue Séeing we wer theÌ„ here al alone we began to reason of our misfortunes and knowing the same farre greater than these of other women we coulde not withholde from teares but with wéeping sorowed our luckleâ—â—e lottes as ye might well perceiue To heare this of them it gréeued me greatly so that I encountred them with suche wordes as séemed me most profitable for their comfort and so departed from them Many times after reuoluing in minde their griefes and sometimes bethinking me whether of the same shoulde be the greater at one time I agreed to that of the one and at another time I yelded to that of the other and the sundry reasons wherwith as it séemeth me ech one hath to lament hir will not suffer me to stay vpon any one whervpon I remayn here in doubt May it therfore please you that by you may be opened this errour in telling me whether of these two infortunate louers séemed to sustayne the greatest gréefe Great was the sorow of either of them answered the Quéene But considering aduersitie to be most greuous to hir that hath tasted prosperitie we estéeme that shée that hathe lost hir loue féeleth the greatest gréefe and is of Fortune greatliest offended Fabritius neuer bewept the chaunces of fortune But that Pompey did is a thing very manifest If swéet things were not tasted the soure should be yet vnknowne Medea neuer knewe according to hir own saying what maner a thing prosperitie was whilest shée was in loue but being forsakeÌ„ of Iason bewayled hir aduersitie Who will euer lament for that he hath not had not one but wil rather desire it It is demed therfore that of the two women the one wept for gréefe the other for desire It is very hard for me gracious Ladie to thinke that which you affirme sayd the yong Gentleman forsomuche as who that hath his desire of any desired thing ought much more to content his minde thaÌ„ who that desireth and can not fulfil his desire Further nothing is more light to lose than what hope promyseth not heereafter to yéelde There ought to be vnmeasurable greefe whereas the not being able to bring egall willes to effect doth hinder From thence lamentations take place from theÌ„ce thoughtes and troubles doe spring bicause if the willes were not egall of force the desire should want But when as louers see them selues in presence of that they desire and can not attaine thereunto then doe they kindle and sorowe them muche more than if that they wold haue were farre from them And who I pray you torments Tantalus in Hel but only the apples the water for that howe much more neere they bend and swell to hys mouth so much the more afterwards in fléeing the same they increase his hunger Truely I beléeue that who hopeth for a thing possible to be had and can not attaine thereunto thorow contrary resisting impediments féeleth more gréefe than who that bewaileth a thing loste irrecuperable Then sayd the Quéene your answere would haue followed very well where your demaunde shoulde haue bene of an olde griefe although to that also might be sayd thus to be possible throughe forgetting the griefe to shorten the desire in the desired things where as continual impediment is sens not to be able to attayn them as in those lost wherein Hope dothe not shew vs that we should euer haue them agayne But we do reason whether of them sorrowed most wheÌ„n you saw them sorrowing wherfore folowing the propounded case we will giue iudgement that she felt greater griefe that had loste hir louer without hope to haue him agayn putting the case that it be an easie matter to lose a thing impossible to haue agayne neuerthelesse it was to be sayd who loueth well forgetteth neuer than the other who if we looke well might hope to fulfill that hereafter that heretofore she was vnable to performe For a great lessener of griefe is hope It had force to kéepe chaste and to diminish the sorrowes of the lingring long life of Penelope ¶ The thirde Question proposed by a yong Gentlevvoman ON the right side of Longano sat an excellent faire Gentlewoman and very pleasant who as she perceiued that Question by the Quéene determined thus beganne with a swéete talke to say Most renoumed quéene your eares graunt hearing to my words And first by those Gods whom you worshippe and nexte by the power of our pastime I pray you that ye will giue to my demaund profitable counsell I as you know being descended of noble Parents was borne in this Citie and was named with a very gracious name although my surname béeing Cara presenteth me gratefull to the hearers and as by my face it may appeare I haue receiued from the Gods and Nature a singuler gifte of beautie the whiche in following my proper name more than my surname I haue adorned with an infinite pleasantnesse shewing my selfe benigne to whom that is delighted to beholde the same by occasion whereof many haue endeuoured themselues for their pleasure to occupie my eyes agaynst all whom I haue withscode with strong resistaunce holding a stable heart agaynst their assaults but bicause it séemeth to me vnléefull that I onely shoulde pretermit the lawes kept and obserued of all others that is not to loue being loued of many I haue determined to become enamored and setting apart many seekers of suche loue wherof some do excell Midas in richesse some other passe Absalon in beautie and other some in curtesie according to the common report of all are more splendent than any other I haue of all these chosen thrée Of whome eche one pleaseth me alike Of the which thrée the one of bodily force as I beléeue would excell the good Hector he is at euery proofe so vigorous and strong The curtesie and liberalitie of the second is such that as I thinke his fame doth sound through eche pole The third is all full of wisdome so that he surmounteth all other wise men aboue measure But for that as ye haue heard their qualities are diuers I doubt whether of them to take finding in the antique age eche one of these to haue diuerslye the courages of women and of yelding men as of Dianira Hercules of our Clitemnestra Aegistus and of Lucretia Sextus Counsell me therfore to whether of them soonest with least blame and greatest
be kept the begon order And he whose subiects we are pardon vs the words that we as coÌ„st rained through force of Iudgement shall more sooner than willing say against his diuine maiestie least thereby his indignation do fall vpon vs And you that likewise as well as we are his subiect with a bolde minde giue eare vnto them neither do you for all that chaunge your purpose at all And to the ende that so much the better and with a more apparant intendment our words may be receiued we wil somwhat digresse froÌ„ our matter returning againe therevnto as briefly as possible we may and thus we say Loue is of thrée sorts thorow which three al other things are loued some thorow the vertue of one some throw the power of an other according as is the thing loued and likewise the louer The first of the which .iij. is called honest loue This is the good vpright loyall loue the which of all persons ought to be receiued This the high first creator holdeth linked to his creatures them hâ—tieth therwith vnto him Through this the heauens the world realmes prouinces and cities do remaine in their state thorow this we do merite to be eternall possessors of the celestiall kingdome and without this is lost al that we haue in power of well doing The seconde is called loue for delight And this is he whose subiectes we are This is our god him we do worship him we do pray vnto in him do we trust that he may be our contentation and that he may fully bring our desire to passe Of this is put the question whervnto we shall duely answere The thirde is loue for vtilitie of this loue the worlde is replenished more than of any of the other thinges This is coupled with Fortune whilest she tarieth he likewise abideth but if they parte he is then the waster of many goods And to speake reasonably he oughte to be déemed rather hate than loue Now as touching the propounded question we néede to speake neither of the first nor of the last we will speake of the second that is of loue for delight to whom truely no person that desireth to leade a vertuous life oughte to submit him selfe bicause he is the depriuer of honours the bringer of troubles the reueler of vices the copious giuer of vaine cares and the vnworthy occupier of the libertie of others a thing aboue al things to be helde most deare What is he then regarding his own wealth being wise that will not flée suche a gouernment Let him that may liue frée following those things that doe euery way increase his liberty and let vicious gouernours gouerne vicious vassals I did not thinke sayde Galeone then to giue occasion through these my words to the lessening of this our disport nor to disquiet the regiment of our lorde loue neither yet to trouble the minds of any others but did rather imagine you defining it according to the intente of me many others that ye might therby confirme those that are his subiects with a valiaunt minde and inuite those whiche are not with a gréedy appetite but I sée that your intent is all contrary to mine bicause you with your words do shew to be thrée sortes of loue of the which thrée the first and the last I consent they be as you say But the second whiche answereth to my demaunde ye say it is as muche to be fled as I holde opinion it is as the increaser of vertue to be folowed of him that desireth a glorious end as I beleue to make apparant vnto you by this that followeth This Loue of whom we reason as it may be manyfest to all the worlde bicause we proue it doth worke this propertie in humayne hearts that after that it hath disposed the mind to a thing which pleaseth it spoyleth the same of all pride and of al fiercenesse making them humble in eche doing as it is manyfest vnto vs by Mars whome we finde that in louing Venus became of a fierce and sharpe Duke in battayle a moste humble and pleasaunt Louer It makes the gréedie and couetous liberall and curteous Medea the most carefull hider of hir arte after she felte his flames liberally yelded hir self hir honour and hir arts to Iason Who makes men more diligent to high attempts than he And what he can do behold by Paris and Menelaus Who furthereth forwarde the angry fiers more than doth he He sheweth vs how oftentimes the anger of Achilles was quieted thorowe the swéete prayer of Polixena He aboue all others maketh men couragious and strong Neither know I what greater example may be giuen vs than that of Perseus who for Andromaca made a maruellous proofe of his vertuous force He decketh all them that are by him aparelled with excellent qualities with ornate talke with magnificence and with pleasantnesse He I say bestoweth vpon al his subiects finenesse and gentlenesse Oh how many are the good things whiche procéede from him Who moued Virgill who Ouid who the other Poets to leaue of them selues eternall fame in those their holy verses the which if he had not ben shold neuer haue comen to our eares but he What shall we say further of his vertues but that he was able to giue suche a swéetenesse to Orpheus harpe as after that he had called to that sounde all the woods standers about and made the running streames to stay to come into his presence in milde peace the fierce Lions togithers with the faint hearted Hartes and all other beasts he made likewise the infernal furies quiet gaue rest and swéetenesse to the troubled soules and after all this the sound was of such vertue as he attayned to haue agayne his lost wise Then is he not the chaser away of honour as you say neither the giuer of vnsitting troubles nor the prouoker of vices nor the disposer of vayn cares nor the vnworthy vser of the libertie of others So that euery one of whom he maketh none accompt and is not as yet his seruaunt ought with all their wit and diligence to endeuour and to occupie them selues in the attayning the fauour of suche a Lorde and to become his subiect since throw him he becometh vertuous That which pleaseth the Gods and men of greatest strength ought likewise to please vs Let suche a Lorde therfore be loued serued and liue alwayes in our minds Greatly deceyueth thée thine opinion sayd the quéene and it is no maruell bicause as farre as we vnderstande thou art so farre enamoured as none the like and without doubt the iudgement of the enamoured is méerely false bicause as they haue lost the sight of the eyes of their minde so haue they banished reason as their vtter enemie And for this cause it shall be conuenient that we agaynst our will speake of loue the whiche gréeueth vs since we be his subiects But yet to pluck thée from thine error we shall turne our silence to
a true report and wil therfore that thou know that this loue is nothing else than an vnreasonable will sprong of a passion entered the heart through a wanton pleasure that is opened to the eyes nourished with idlenesse by the memorie and thoughts of foolish minds and many times in how much it multiplieth so much it taketh away the intent of him in whom it abideth from things necessarie and disposeth the same to things vnprofitable But bicause that thou through example giuing dost endeuour thy selfe to shew that all goodnesse and all vertue doth procéede from him we will procéede to the disprofes of thy prooufes It is no part of humilitie vniustly to bring to a mans selfe that whiche belongeth to an other but rather an arrogancie and an vnsitting presumption The whiche thing Mars whome thou makest throughe loue to become humble assuredly vsed in taking away from Vulcan Venus his moste lawfull wife And without doubt this humilitie that appeareth in the face of louers doth not procéede of a benigne heart but taketh roote from guile and deceipt neither makes this loue the couetous liberal but when as such abundance as thou laiest to haue ben in Medea doth abound in the heart and doth depriue the same of the sight of the minde and most foolishly is become prodigall of things heretofore duly estemed deare and not giuing the same with measure but vnprofitably casting them away beléeueth to please and displeaseth Medea nothing wise of hir prodigalitie in short time repented very muche without vtilitie and knew that if she had modestly vsed those hir dere gifts she should not haue comen to so vile an ende And that soliciting that purchaseth or worketh hurt to the soliciters as it seemeth to vs ought not any ways to be sought for for must better it is to stand idle than worke harme although that neither the one nor the other is to be praysed Paris was a solicitour to his own destruction if he beheld the end of his soliciting Menelaus as reson was became diligent not for loue but to recouer his honor lost as eche discrete person ought to doe Neither yet is this loue a meane to mitigate anger but the benignitie of minde the brunt being paste that induceth it makes it to become nothing and remitteth the offence agaynst whom it is angry And yet louers and discrete persons were wont at the prayers of the person loued or of some friend to forgiue offences to shew them selues curteous of that which cost thē nothing and to make the crauers thereof beholding vnto them And in this sort Achilles many times shewed himselfe to expell from him this congeled anger Likewise it séemes that this makes men couragious and worthy But therof I can shew you the contrary Who was a man of greater valour than Hercules and yet béeing enamoured became vile forgetful of his force so that he did spin thréede with the women of Iole Assuredly in things wherein occurreth no daunger a most hardy people are the enamoured and wherin daunger hapneth they shew themselues in apparaunce hardie and put themselues forwarde neither dothe loue but little wit allure them so to do to the ende they may after haue glory in the sight of their loues although it hapneth very seldome bicause they doubt so much the losing of the person loued that they are rather content to be helde vyle and of little courage than to giue themselues to perill And yet we doubt not but this loue reposeth all swéetenesse in Orpheus harpe We agrée that it is true that thou hast shewed that truly in generall loue ladeth the tongs of his subiects with such a swéetenesse and with so many enticements as they many tymes would therby make the stones turne vp side downe so that to entice is not onely the propertie of wauering and inconstant men but of vile men How shal we say that suche a lorde ought to be followed throughe the good propertie of the follower Assuredly he in whom he abideth maketh wise and profitable counsels to be despised For it was euill with the Troians that those of Cassandra were not heard of Paris He maketh likewise his subiects to forget and despise their good fame the which ought to remayne to vs all on earth after our deathes as an eternall heire of our memorie And how much these aforesayd did contemne the same Egistus may suffise for an example Although Scylla wrought no lesse hurt than Pasiphe Is not he the occasion that breaketh sacred bonds of the promised pure faith Yet truely what had Ariadna done to duke Theseus whereby contaminating the matrimonical bands and giuing himselfe and his promised fayth to the winds he shoulde abandon hir poore miser among the desert rockes A little pleasure in gasing in the eyes of Phedra was occasion to celerate so much euill and of suche requitall for the receiued honor In him also is found no law and that it is true may be séene by the doings of Tereus who hauing receyued Philomena from hir pitifull father and carnally knowen hir made no staye to contaminate the moste holy lawes matrimonially contracted betwéene hym and Progne the sister of Philomena This also calling and causing himselfe to be called a God occupieth the reasons of the gods Who coulde euer fully with words shew the iniquitie of him He to speake briefly leadeth them that follow him to all euilles and if by happe his followers do any vertuous acte whiche happeneth very seldome with a vicious beginning they beginne it desiring therby to come very quickly to the desired ende of their lothsome willes the which may be rather sayd vices than vertues forsomuche as that is not to be héeded onely whiche man dothe but with what minde it is doone and so according to the will of the worker to repute the same vicious or vertuous bicause that neuer of an euill roote sprang a good trée nor from an euill trée good fruite This loue then is leude and naught and if he be naught he is to be fledde And who that fleeth things euill of consequent followeth the good and so is bothe good and vertuous The beginning of this loue is none other thing than feare the sequels is sinne and the ende is griefe and noy it ought then to be fled and to be reproued and to feare you to haue him in you bicause he is violent neither knoweth he in any of his doings to kepe measure and is altogither voyde of reason He is without all doubt the destroyer of the minds the shame anguishe passion griefe and plaint of the same neuer consenteth that the hearte of whome that lodgeth hym be withoute bitternesse who will than prayse that he is to be followed but fooles Truely if it were lawfull we would willingly liue without him but of suche an harme we are to late awares and therefore it is conuenient for vs since we are caught in his nettes to follow his life vntil what time as that light which
our life doeth greatly delight vs and is desired to be long is for to sée newe thyngs suche as wée haue yet neuer séene before And also for to sée thyngs moste newe we haue a great delight to runne wyth a dilygent pace to that which we aboue all other things doe endeuoure our selues to flée that is Deathe the laste ende of oure bodyes The maide knoweth not that delyghtfull coniunction thorowe the which wee come into the world and yet is it naturall to euery creature thorowe a desire to be drawne thereunto Further shée many times hath heard from them that know what manner a thing it is howe muche swéetenesse doth consist therein the which wyth woordes haue giuen fire to the desire and therefore drawne of nature and of a desire to proue the thing of hir not as yet proued dothe thorow the woordes whych shée hathe hearde desire boldly with a kindled heart thys concourse And with whome is it presumed to be had but only with him whom shée hathe alreadie made Lorde of hir minde This heat shal not be in the widowe bycause hauing once proued and felte what manner a thing it was shée is thereby prouoked thereunto So that the Mayde then shall loue more and be more diligent thorowe the reasons aforesayde to the pleasure of hir Louer than the widowe To what ende shall wée then wade any further in séeking that the Maide ought not rather to be loued than the Widowe You sayde the Quéene reason well and very well you defend your iudgement But yet we wil shewe you with apparant reason howe you likewise ought to holde the same opinion that we holde of thys contention if wyth a straight eye ye looke to the nature of loue Thus in the Mayde as in the Widowe and so in the Widowe as in the Maide we sée him to be firme strong and constant and that thys is true Dido and Adriana with theyr doings haue left vs an example And wher as thys Loue is neyther in the one nor the other none of the aforesayde operations will thereof followe Then is it conuenient that eche one of them doe loue if we wil haue that to folow wherof bothe you and I haue already talked And therfore in louing eyther maide or widowe without going about to séeke whether of them is most discretely enamored as we are certain of the widow we shall shewe you how the widowe is more diligent to the pleasure of the louer than is the maide For doubtlesse among those things that a woman estéemeth deare aboue the rest is her virginitie and this is the reason bycause therein consisteth all the honoure of hir following life And without doubt shee shall neuer be so much vrged forwardes to loue as she shal not willingly be courteous thereof but yet to him onely to whome shee beléeueth to be coupled as wife thorowe the matrimoniall Lawe And therfore we go not about seking for this for there is no doubt but that who will loue to marry ought rather to loue the maide than the widowe bicause shée shal be slow and negligent in giuing hir selfe to hym that loueth hir not if shée know it to that effect Further maydes are generally fearefull neither are they subtile enoughe to finde the wayes and meanes whereby they may take the stolne delights But the widow of these things maketh no doubt at all bicause that shée already hathe honorably giuen that which the other taryeth to giue and being without the same doubteth not in giuing hir selfe to an other that token which may accuse Whereby afterwardes shée becommeth the more aduenturous bicause as is sayd the chéefest occasion that bringeth doubt is not in hir besides shée knoweth better the secrete wayes and so putteth them in effect In that which you say that the maide as desirous of a thing which shée neuer proued may be made more diligent to this thā the widow that knoweth what maner a thing it is therof the contrary Maides do not at the first time for their delight run to suche effect although the thing the delighteth the oftener it is sene heard or felt the more it pleaseth and the more carefull is euery one to folowe the same bicause it is then more noisom thā plesant vnto thē This thing wherof we reason doth not follow the order of many other things that once or twice being séene are afterwards no more desired but rather the oftener it is putte in effecte with so muche the more affection it coueteth to returne and more desireth he the thing whom it pleaseth than dothe he whom it ought to please and hath not as yet tasted therof Wherfore the widdow forasmuche as she giueth least and is best able to giue she shall be the most liberall and the more sooner than the mayde that must giue the dearest thing she hath Also the widow shal be sooner drawen as we haue shewed than the mayde to suche effects For the which occasion let the widow be rather loued than the maide ⸫ ¶ The tenth Question proposed by ASCALIONE IT was conuenient that that Ascalione who in circle sat next vnto the duke Feramonte shoulde nowe propound and therefore thus he sayd Most excellent quéene I remember that there was heretofore in this our citie a faire noble gentlewoman lefte the widow of a worthye husbande the whiche for that hir maruellous beautie was of many a noble yong Gentleman beloued And of those many there were two gentlemen coragious knights eche one in what he could did endeuor him selfe to attaine hir loue And whilst this cōtinued by chance it hapned that an vniust accusation was brought against hir by certayne of hir kinsfolks before the Magistrate after by false euidence proued thorow whiche vntrue processe she was condemned to the fire But bicause the conscience of the Iudge was perplexed for that it séemed him as it wer to know the vniust profe he was willing to committe hir life to the Gods and to Fortunes happe and so tyed suche a condition to his giuen sentence as after the Gentlewoman should be ledde to the fire if any knight coulde be founde the which would combate in the defence of hir honour agaynst him that would maintayne the contrary and shoulde happe to ouercome she shoulde then be frée and if the contrary to be burned according to the domed sentence As the condition was vnderstoode of hir two louers and by chaunce sooner knowen to the one than to the other He which knew the same soonest foorthwith tooke him to his armour mounted on horsebacke and came into the fielde gainsaying him that wold come maintayne the death of the Gentlewoman The other that somewhat later than the first vnderstod of this sentence and hearing how that the knight was alredy in field in hir defence neither that ther was then place for any other to go thither in that enterprise therefore not knowing herein what to do became very sorowfull imagining that
be presumed the if rest were as redy as if trouble but that he would sooner take that thaÌ„ this Neither is it to be thought that Leander if he had ben able to haue had Hero without passing the tempestuous arme of the sea wherin after he perished wold not rather haue taken hir thaÌ„ haue swom the same It is conuenient to take fortunes happes what time she giueth them For no gift is so small that is not better than a promised greater And as for future things let remedies be taken and the present gouerned according to their qualities It is a naturall thing to desire rather the good than the euil wheÌ„ as equally they concurre and who that dothe the contrarye followeth not naturall reason but his owne folly We confesse that after troubles quietnesse is more gracious and better knowne than before but yet not that it is rather to be taken than the other It is possible for wise men and fooles to vse the Counsels both of fooles and wisemen accordyng to their liking but for all that the infallible veritie is not altered the which doth giue vs leaue to sée that rather the faire yong woman than the lothsome olde is to be taken of him to whom was made suche a choise The thirtenth question proposed by MASSALINE MAssaline the whiche sate on the right hande of the Quéene and next to Parmenio performing the circle sayde in this wise It is méete that I lastly propound my question And therfore to the ende that I may make the pleasaunt tolde tales and the before propouned Questions to séeme more swéete I shall tell you a short tale worth the hearing wherein there falleth a Question very propre to make an ende withall I haue héeretofore heard say that there was in this our Citie a Gentleman who was very rich that had to wyfe an exceeding faire yong Gentlewoman whom he loued aboue al worldly things This gentlewoman was intierly beloued of a Knight of the fame Citie but shée loued him not at all neither cared for hym by occasion wherof the Knight was neuer able to get from hir either good wordes or curteous countenance and while he thus liued comfortlesse of suche loue It happened that he was called to the regiment of a Citie not farre distante from this of oures And accordingly he went thither hauing honorably gouerned the same all the time of his abode there during the which it happened that there came a messanger vnto hym who after other newes thus sayd Sir ye shal vnderstand that the Gentlewoman of our Citie whom you so intierly loued aboue all others this morning labouring with great griefe to be deliuered of child died not being deliuered and was in my presence of hir parents honourably buried The knight not without great sorrow gaue â—are to this tale and with a strong heart endured the telling thereof without shewing any alteration of countenance at all and to himself thus said Hawretched death cursed be thy power thou hast depryued me of hir whom I loued aboue all others and whom I desired more to serue although I knew hir cruell vnto me than any other worldly wight But since it is thus come to passe that which loue in hir life time woulde not vouchsafe to graunt me now that she is deade he can not deny me That assuredly if I should dye therfore I wil now kisse the face of hir béeing deade that liuing I loued so well And so staying vpon this determination he taryed vntill it was night and then tooke one of his seruants whom he best trusted with him and trauayled the dreadfull darke wayes till at the last he came to the Citie And being entred the same he went streight to the sepulture wherein the gentlewoman was buried and after he had comforted his seruaunt that he without any feare shoulde attende him there he opened the same went thereinto wheras lamenting with a piteous plaint he kissed the gentlewoman and tooke hir in his armes and not satisfied therwith he began to féele hir here and there and to put his hand into hir frozen brest among the colde dugs But afterwards being become more bolde than was méete to seke out vnder the rich attire which she had on the secrete parts of the body going féeling with a feareful hand hither and thither til at the last he spred the same vpon hir stomack where as with a féeble motion he felt the weak pulses somewhat to moue He then became very fearefull but yet loue made him bolde and therefore trying further with a more assured héede he knew that she was not dead and first of all with a swéete mutation he drew hir out of that place and after wrapping hir in a great mantell leauing the sepulture open he and his seruant caried hir secretly to his mothers house whereas he coniured his sayd Mother thorow the power of the Gods that shée neyther this nor any thing else should manifest to any person liuing He caused great fires to be made to the ende to comfort the colde membres whereunto the lost forces did not therby returne in due sort by occasion wherof as one peraduenture discrete in suche a case willed a solemne hotte house to be prepared wherein he caused first to be strowed many vertuous herbes and after placed the Gentlewoman therein causing hir as it was méete for one in that plight to be tenderly looked vnto In the which hâ—tehouse after shée had for a time made hir abode there the bloud coagulate about the heart began thorow the receyued heate to disperse by the cold vaines the spirites halfe dead began to returne to their places whervpon the Gentlewoman no sooner féeling the same begaÌ„ to cal to hir mother after to aske wher shée was to whome the Knight in stéede of hir mother made answer the shée was in a very good place and that shée should comfort hir self shée abiding in this sorte calling vppon the womaÌ„ Lucina for help was as it plesed the Gods aboue all expectation deliuered of a faire sonne therewith of great trouble and perill whereof remaining disburdened and being ioyful of hir new born childe there were out of hand prouided nourses bothe for the charge of hir as also of hir sonne The Gentlewoman now after all these heauie troubles returned to hir perfecte vnderstanding and the new sonne was also borne to the world before shée sawe either the Knight that thus loued hir or his mother who was prest to doe hir seruyce neither did she see any one of hir parents or kinsfolkes about hir for to looke vnto hir whereupon being come into a cogitable admiration as it were all amazed sayd Where am I what a wonder is this Who hath brought me hyther wheras I was neuer before To whom the Knight answered Gentlewoman maruell not comfort your selfe for that which you sée hath bene the pleasure of the Gods and I shall tell you how and