Et je sçavois tellement éguiser,
Que rien qu’honneur ne sortait de ma bouche;
Sage au parler et folastre à la couche.
(Of virtue I knew how to discourse, and hold such fair language,
naught but honour did issue from my mouth; modest in speech, and
wanton a-bed.)
doth describe her as “modest in speech, and wanton a-bed,”[119] this
means of course in speaking before company and in general converse. Yet
when that she is alone and in private with her lover, every gallant
dame is ready enough to be free of her speech and to say what she
chooseth, the better to provoke his passion.
I have heard tales told by sundry that have enjoyed fair and high-born
ladies, or that have been curious to listen to such talking with
others a-bed, how that these were every whit as free and bold in
their discourse as any courtesans they had ever known. And this is a
noteworthy fact that, accustomed as they were so to entertain their
husbands or lovers with lecherous and wanton words, phrases and
discourse, and even freely to name the most secret parts of their
bodies, and this without any disguisement, yet when the same ladies
be set to polite converse, they do never go astray and not one of
all these naughty words doth ever issue from their lips. Well, we
can only say they are right well skilled in self-command and the art
of dissimulation; for no other thing is there which is so frisky and
tricksome as a lady’s tongue or an harlot’s.
So I once knew a very fair and honourable lady of the great world,
who one day discoursing with an honourable gentleman of the Court
concerning military events in the civil wars of the time, did say
to him: “I have heard say the King hath had every spot in all that
countryside broke down.” Now when she did say “every spot,” what she
meant to say was “every bridge” (pont);[120*] but, being just come from
her husband, or mayhap thinking of her lover, she still had the other
word fresh in her mouth. And this same slip of the tongue did mightily
stir up the gentleman for her. Another lady I knew, talking with a
certain great lady and one better born than herself, and praising and
extolling her beauty, did presently say thus to her, “Nay! Madam, what
I tell you, is not to _futter_ you,” meaning to say, _flatter_ you,
and did afterward correct herself. The fact is her mind was full of
futtering and such like.
In short, lively speech hath a very great efficacy in the game of love;
and where it is lacking, the pleasure is incomplete. So in very truth
a fair body, if it have not a fair mind to match, is more like a mere
image of itself or idol than a true human body. However fair it may
be, it must needs be seconded by a fair mind likewise, if it is to be
really loved; and if this be not so by nature, it must be so fashioned
by art.
The courtesans of Rome do make great mock of the gentlewomen of the
same city, which are not trained in witty speech like themselves, and
do say of them that _chiavano come cani, ma che sono quiete della bocca
come sassi_, that is, “they yield them like bitches, but are dumb of
mouth like sticks and stones.”[121*]
And this is why I have known many honourable gentlemen which have
declined the acquaintance of ladies, and very fair ladies I tell you,
because that they were simpletons, without soul, wit or conversation,
and have quitted them for good and all, saying they would as soon have
to do with a beautiful statue of fair white marble, like that Athenian
youth which did love a statue, and went so far as to take his pleasure
thereof. And for the same reason strangers that do travel in foreign
lands do seldom care to love foreign women, nor are at all apt to take
a fancy to them. For they understand not what they say, and their words
in no wise touch their hearts. I speak of course of such as know not
their language. And if they _do_ go with them, ’tis but to satisfy
nature, and quench the mere brute flame of lust, and then _andar in
barca_ (“away to the ship”), as said an Italian who had come ashore
one day at Marseilles on his way to Spain, and enquired a place where
women were to be found. He was directed to a spot where a wedding feast
was being held. So when a lady came up to accost him and engage him
in conversation, he said to her only, _V. S. mi perdona, non voglio
parlare, voglio solamente chiavare, e poi me n’andar in barca_,—“Pardon
me, Madam; I want not to talk, but only to do, and then away again to
the ship.”
A Frenchman doth find no great pleasure with a German, Swiss, Flemish,
English, Scotch, Slavonian, or other foreign woman, albeit she should
chatter with the best, if he understand her not. But he taketh great
delight with his French mistress, or with an Italian or Spanish woman,
for generally speaking the most part of Frenchmen of our day, at any
rate such as have seen the world a little, can speak or understand
these languages. And God wot, it matters not if he be skilled and
meet for love, for whosoever shall have to do with a Frenchwoman, an
Italian, Spanish or Greek, and she be quick of tongue, he must needs
frankly own he is fairly catched and conquered.
In former times this our French tongue was not so excellent and rich a
language as nowadays it is; whereas for many a long year the Italian,
Spanish and Greek have been so. And I will freely own I have scarce
ever seen a lady of these nations, if she have but practised a little
the profession of love, but hath a very good gift of speech. I do refer
me to them that have dealt with such women. Certain it is, a fair lady,
if endowed with fair and witty words, doth afford double contentment.
3.
OF THE POWER OF SIGHT IN LOVE
_1_
To speak next of the power of sight. Without a doubt, seeing the eyes
be the first part to join combat in love, it must be allowed that
these do give a very great contentment, whenas they are the means to
our beholding something fair and rare in beauty. And by my faith! what
thing is there in all the world a man may see fairer than a fair woman,
whether clothed and handsomely tricked out, or naked? If clothed,
then ’tis only the face you see naked; but even so, when a fair body,
of a beauteous shape, with fine carriage and graceful port, stately
look and proud mien, is presented to our view in all its charms, what
fairer and more delightsome display can there be in all the world?
Then again, when you come to enjoy a fair lady, thus fully dressed and
magnificently attired, the desire and enjoyment of her are doubled,
albeit a man doth see only the face, while all the other parts of the
body are hid. For indeed ’tis a hard matter to enjoy a great lady
according to all the conveniences one might desire, unless it were in
a chamber apart at full leisure and in a secret place, to do what one
best liketh. So spied upon is such an one of all observers!
And this is why a certain great lady I have heard speak of, if ever she
did meet her lover conveniently, and out of sight of other folk and
fear of surprise, would always seize the occasion at once, to content
her wishes as promptly and shortly as ever she could. And indeed she
did say to him one day, “They were fools, those good ladies of former
days, which being fain of over refinement in their love pleasure, would
shut themselves up in their closets or other privy places, and there
would so draw out their sports and pastimes that presently they would
be discovered and their shame made public. Nowadays must we seize
opportunity whenever it cometh, with the briefest delay possible, like
a city no sooner assailed than invested and straightway captured. And
in this wise we do best avoid the chance of scandal.”
And I ween the lady was quite right; for such men as have practised
love, have ever held this a sound maxim that there is naught to be
compared with a woman in her clothes. Again when you reflect how a man
doth brave, rumple, squeeze and make light of his lady’s finery, and
how he doth work ruin and loss to the grand cloth of gold and web of
silver, to tinsel and silken stuffs, pearls and precious stones, ’tis
plain how his ardour and satisfaction be increased manifold,—far more
than with some simple shepherdess or other woman of like quality, be
she as fair as she may.
And why of yore was Venus found so fair and so desirable, if not that
with all her beauty she was alway gracefully attired likewise, and
generally scented, that she did ever smell sweet an hundred paces
away? For it hath ever been held of all how that perfumes be a great
incitement to love.
This is the reason why the Empresses and great dames of Rome did
make much usage of these perfumes, as do likewise our great ladies
of France,—and above all those of Spain and Italy, which from the
oldest times have been more curious and more exquisite in luxury than
Frenchwomen, as well in perfumes as in costumes and magnificent attire,
whereof the fair ones of France have since borrowed the patterns
and copied the dainty workmanship. Moreover the others, Italian and
Spanish, had learned the same from old models and ancient statues of
Roman ladies, the which are to be seen among sundry other antiquities
yet extant in Spain and Italy; the which, if any man will regard them
carefully, will be found very perfect in mode of hair-dressing and
fashion of robes, and very meet to incite love. On the contrary, at
this present day our ladies of France do surpass all others. ’Tis to
the Queen of Navarre[122] they do owe thanks for this great improvement.
Wherefore is it good and desirable to have to do with suchlike fair
ladies so well appointed, so richly tricked out and in such stately
wise. So have I heard many courtiers, my comrades, declare, as we did
discourse together on these matters,
_De sorte que j’ai ouï dire à aucuns courtisans, mes compagnons, ainsi
que nous devisions ensemble, qu’ils les aimaient mieux ainsi que
désacoutrées et couchées neus entre deux linceuls, et dans un lit le
plus enrichi de broderie que l’on sut faire._
_D’autres disaient qu’il n’y avait que le naturel, sans aucun fard ni
artifice, comme un grand prince que je sais, lequel pourtant faisait
coucher ses courtisanes ou dames dans des draps de taffetas noir bien
tendus, toutes nues, afin que leur blancheur et délicatesse de chair
parut bien mieux parmi ce noir et donnât plus d’ébat.[122]_
There can be no real doubt the fairest sight of any in the whole
world would be that of a beautiful woman, all complete and perfect
in her loveliness; but such an one is ill to find. Thus do we find
it recorded of Zeuxis, the famous painter, how that being asked by
sundry honourable ladies and damsels of his acquaintance to make
them a portrait of the fair Helen of Troy and depict her to them as
beautiful as folk say she was, he was loath to refuse their prayer.
But, before painting the portrait, he did gaze at them all and each
steadfastly, and choosing from one or the other whatever he did find in
each severally most beautiful, he did make out the portrait of these
fragments brought together and combined, and by this means did portray
Helen so beautiful no exception could be taken to any feature. This
portrait did stir the admiration of all, but above all of them which
had by their several beauties and separate features helped to create
the same no less than Zeuxis himself had with his brush. Now this
was as good as saying that in one Helen ’twas impossible to find all
perfections of beauty combined, albeit she may have been most exceeding
fair above all women.
Be this as it may, the Spaniard saith that to make a woman all perfect,
complete and absolute in loveliness, she must needs have thirty
several beauties,[123] the which a Spanish lady did once enumerate to
me at Toledo, a city where be very fair and charming women, and well
instructed to boot. The thirty then are as followeth:
(Translated, for the reader’s better comprehension:)
Three things white: skin, teeth and hands.
Three black: eyes, brows and lids.
Three red: lips, cheeks and nails.
Three long: body, hair and hands.
Three short: teeth, ears and feet.
Three wide: chest or bosom, forehead and space betwixt the eyes.
Three narrow: mouth (upper and lower), girth or waist, and ankle.
Three big and thick: arm, thigh and calf.
Three long and fine: fingers, hair and lips.
Three small and delicate: breasts, nose and head.
Making thirty in all.
’Tis not inconceivable nor impossible but that all these beauties
should be united all together in one and the same fair lady; but in
that case she must needs be framed in the mould of absolute perfection.
For indeed to see them all so combined, without there being a single
one to carp at and find at fault is scarce possible. I do refer me to
such as have seen beautiful women, or will see such anon, and who would
fain be heedful in noting the same and appraising them, what they shall
say of them. But though they be not complete and perfectly beautiful
in all these points, yet will a beautiful woman alway be beautiful,
and if she have but the half, and those the chief ones, of the parts
and features I have named. For truly I have seen many which had more
than the half, and were exceeding fair and very lovable. Just as a wood
seemeth ever beautiful in Spring-tide, even though it be not filled
with all the little pretty shrubs one might wish for. Yet are there
plenty of fine, tall, spreading trees, which by their abundance may
very well hide the lack of other smaller vegetation.
M. de Ronsard[124*] must pardon me, if he will. Never did his mistress,
whom he hath represented as so very beautiful, really attain such
perfection, nor any other lady he ever saw in his day or did describe.
He calleth her his fair Cassandra, and sure I am she _was_ fair, but
he hath disguised her under a fictitious name. And the same is equally
true of his Marie, who never bore other name but that, as it is of
the first mentioned. Still it is allowed to poets and painters to say
and do what pleaseth them,—for instance you will find in the _Orlando
Furioso_ wondrous fair beauties portrayed by Ariosto, those of Alcina
and of many another fair one.
All this is well enough; but as I have heard a great personage of my
acquaintance say, never could plain nature make so fair and perfect
a woman as the keen and subtile imagination of some eloquent poet
might featly describe, or the pencil and brush of some inspired
painter represent. No matter! a man’s eyes are ever satisfied to see
a beautiful woman of fair, clear-complexioned and well-featured face.
Yea! and though it be somewhat brown of hue, ’tis all one; the brunette
is as good as the blonde many a time, as the Spanish girl hath it,
_Aunque io sia morisca, no soy de menos preciar_,—“Brown though I be, I
am not to be scorned for that.”[125*] So the fair Marfisa _era brunetta
alquanto_—“was something brown of face.” Still must not the brown
overset the white too much! Again, a beautiful countenance must be
borne by a body fashioned and built to correspond. This doth hold good
of little as well as big, but tall stature will ever take first place.
Well, as to seeking out suchlike exquisite points of beauty as I have
just spoke of, and as poets have of old depicted, this we may very well
dispense with, and find pleasure enough in our common and everyday
beauties. Not that I would say common in any ill sense, for verily
we have some so rare that, by my faith! they be better far than all
those which your fantastic poets, and whimsical painters, and lyrical
extollers of female charms could ever delineate.
Alas! the worst of it is this. Whenas we do see suchlike fair beauties
and gracious countenances, we do admire and long for the fair bodies to
match, for the love of the pretty faces. But lo! in some cases, when
these come to be revealed and brought to light, we do lose all appetite
therefor. They be so ugly, spoiled, blotched, disfigured and hideous,
they do give the lie direct to the face. This is one of the ways we men
are oft sore taken in.
Hereof we have a good example in a certain gentleman of the Island
of Majorca, by name Raymond Lulle,[126] of a very good, wealthy
and ancient family. This nobleman by reason of his high birth, his
valour and merit, was appointed in the prime of his years to the
governorship of the said island. While in this office, as will oft
happen to Governors of provinces and cities, he did grow enamoured of a
beautiful lady of the island, one of the most accomplished, beautiful
and ready-witted women of those parts. Long and eagerly did he court
her; and at length, seeing he was ever demanding the reward of his
exertions, the lady after refusing as long as ever she could, did one
day give him an assignation. This he did not fail to keep, nor did
she; but presently appeared thereat, more beautiful than ever and more
richly apparelled. Then just as he thought the gates of Paradise were
opening for him, lo! she stepped forward and did show him her breast
and bosom all covered over with a dozen plasters, and tearing these off
one after other and angrily tossing them to the ground, did exhibit
a horrid cancer to him. So with tears in her eyes, she did rehearse
all her wretchedness and her affection to him, and asked him,—was
there then such mighty cause why he should be so much enamoured of
her, making him so sad and dismal a discourse, that he did presently
leave her, all overcome with ruth for the grief of this fair lady. Then
later, after making supplication to God for her restoration to health,
he did give up his office, and turned hermit.
Afterward, on returning from the Holy Wars, to the which he had vowed
himself, he went to study at Paris under Arnaldus de Villanova, a
learned philosopher; then after finishing his course there, he did
withdraw into England, where the King of that day did welcome him with
all the good will in the world for the sake of his deep learning, and
seeing he did transmute sundry ingots and bars of iron, copper and tin,
scorning the common, trivial fashion of transmuting lead and iron into
gold. For he knew how more than one of his contemporaries could do this
much as well as he, whereas he had skill to do both this and the other
as well. But he was fain to perform a feat above the capacity of the
rest of alchemists.
I have this tale from a gallant gentleman, which told me himself had it
of the jurisconsult Oldrade. This author doth speak of Raymond Lulle
in the Commentary he made on the Code _De Falsa Moneta_ (“On False
Coining”). Likewise he had it, so he said, on the authority of Carolus
Bovillus,[127] a native of Picardy, who hath writ in Latin a life of
this same Raymond Lulle.
This is how he did rid himself of his craving for the love of this fair
lady. Other men, ’tis very like, had done differently, and would not
have ceased to love, but shutting their eyes would e’en have taken what
they did desire of her. This he might well enough have done, had he
been so minded, seeing the part he did aim at was in no wise touched
by any such disease.
I knew once a gentleman and a widow lady of the great world, which were
not so scrupulous. For though the lady was afflicted with a great and
foul cancer of the breast, yet he did not hesitate to wed her, nor she
to take him, contrary to her mother’s advice.
I knew likewise a very honourable gentleman, and a great friend of
mine, who told me that one time being at Rome, he did chance to love a
certain Spanish lady, one of the fairest was ever seen in that city.
Now when he did go with her, she would never suffer him to see her,
nor ever to touch her, but only with her clothes on. For, if ever he
was for touching her, she would cry out in Spanish, _Ah! no me tocays,
hareis me quosquillas_, that is to say, “Nay! do not touch me; you
tickle me.” But one morning, passing by her house and finding the door
open, he goes boldly in. So having entered, without meeting either
domestic, page or any living soul, he did penetrate to her bedchamber,
and there found her so fast asleep he had leisure to behold and examine
her at his ease, for that it was very hot weather. And he declared he
did never see aught so fair as was her body, excepting only that he
did discover how that, while the one thigh was fair, white, smooth and
well-shapen, the other was all dried up, withered and shrunken, so
that it looked no bigger than a young child’s arm. Who so astonished
as my friend? Who yet did not much compassionate her, and never after
returned to visit her, nor had any subsequent dealings with her.
Many ladies there be which are not indeed thus shrunken by disease, yet
are so thin, scraggy, withered and fleshless they can show naught but
the mere skeleton of a woman. Thus did I know one, a very great lady,
of whom the Bishop of Sisteron,[128] one of the wittiest men at Court,
did by way of jest and gibe declare that it were better to sleep with
a rat-trap of brass-wire than with her. In a like strain did another
gentleman of the Court, when we were rallying him on having dealings
with a certain great lady, reply, “Nay! but you are all wrong, for
indeed I do love good flesh too well, and she hath naught but bones.”
Yet to look at these two ladies, so fair and beauteous of face, you
would have supposed them both most fleshy and right dainty morsels.
A very high-born Prince of the great world did chance once to be in
love with two very fair ladies at one and the same time, as doth often
happen to the great, which do love change and variety. The one was
exceeding fair, the other a brunette, but both the twain right handsome
and most lovable women. So one day as he came away from visiting the
dark one, her fair rival being jealous did say to him: “Ah, ha! so
you’ve been flying for crow!” Whereto the Prince did make answer,
something angered and ruffled at the word: “And when I am with you, my
lady, what am I flying for then?” The lady straight made answer: “Why!
for a phœnix, to be sure!” But the Prince, who had as ready a tongue as
most, did retort: “Nay! say rather for a bird of Paradise, the which
hath ever more feathers than flesh”; casting up at her by this word how
that she was rather thin and meagre. The fact is she was too young a
thing to be very fat, stoutness commonly coming only upon such women as
are getting on in years, at the time when they do begin to lay on flesh
and get bigger in limbs and all bodily parts.
A certain gentleman did make a good reply to a great Lord I wot of.
Both had handsome wives. The great Lord in question found the gentleman
much to his taste, and most enticing. So one day he said to him, “Sir!
I must e’en sleep with your wife.” To this the gentleman, without a
thought, for he was very ready of tongue, did answer, “I am willing
enough, but on condition I sleep with yours.” The Lord replied, “Why!
what would you be at? I tell you, mine is so thin, you would not find
her to your taste at all.” To this the gentleman did retort, “Yea! by
my faith! _je la larderai si menu que je la rendrai de bon gout_.”
Many women there be whose pretty, chubby faces make men fain to enjoy
them yet when they do come to it, they find them so fleshless the
pleasure and temptation be right soon done away. Among other defects,
we do often find the _gridiron_ form, as it called, the bones so
prominent and fleshless they do press and chafe a man as sorely as
though he had a mule’s packsaddle on him. To remedy this, there be some
dames are used to employ little cushions or pads, very soft and very
delicately made, to bear the brunt and avoid chafing. I have heard
speak of many which have used these in such wise that lovers not in
the secret, when they do come to them, find naught but what is good to
touch, and are quite persuaded ’tis their mistress’s natural plumpness.
For above the satin, they will wear thin, loose, white muslin. In this
way the lover would leave the lady well pleased and satisfied, and
himself deem her a right good mistress.
Other women again there be which have the skin all veined and marked
like marble, or like mosaic work, dappled like a fawn’s coat, itchy and
subject to sores and farcies; in a word so foul and disfigured the
sight thereof is very far from pleasant.
I have heard speak of a certain great lady, and I have known her myself
and do know her still, who is all shaggy and hairy over the chest,
stomach, shoulders and all down the spine, like a savage. I leave you
to imagine the effect. The proverb hath it, no person thus hairy is
ever rich or wanton; but verily in this case the lady is both the one
and the other, I can assure you, and is well able to win admirers, to
please their eye and gain their love.