to a young man, Alucius by name, Prince of the Celtiberians, to whom
he did give her up and to her father and mother, without ever laying a
hand on her. By which conduct he did lay the said lady, her relations
and her betrothed, under such obligation that they did ever after
show themselves most well affectioned to the city of Rome and the
Commonwealth.
Yet who knoweth but in her secret soul this fair damsel had not rather
have been assailed first of all by Scipio,—who, remember, was young,
handsome, brave, valiant and victorious? It may well be that if some
bosom friend, male or female of the girl’s had asked her on her faith
and conscience whether she had not wished it so, I leave it to the
reader to suppose what she would have answered, and if at the least she
would not have made some little sign or gesture signifying what her
real wish had been. For think how the climate of her country and that
westering sun of Spain might well have made her hot and keen for love,
as it hath many another fair lady of that land, as fair and gracious as
she, in our own day, as myself have seen many an one. It can scarce be
doubted then, if this fair and honourable maid had but been asked and
courted of the young and handsome Scipio, but she would have taken him
at the word, yea! even on the altar of her heathen gods!
Herein hath Scipio doubtless been commended highly of some for his
noble gift of continence. Yet hath he been no less blamed of others;
for wherein may a brave and valorous gallant better show forth the
generosity of his heart towards a fair and honourable lady than by
manifesting to her in deeds that he doth prize her beauty and highly
admire it. Better this than treating her with that cold respect, that
modesty and discretion, the which I have heard many good gentlemen and
honest ladies call rather by the name of silliness and want of spirit
than of virtue? Nay, verily! ’tis not such qualities at all a beautiful
and worthy dame doth love in her heart of hearts, but rather good love
and service that is prudent, discreet and secret. In one word, as an
honourable lady did one day exclaim a-reading of this tale, Scipio was
a fool, valiant and noble captain as he was, to go out of his way so to
bind folk to him under obligation and to the Roman side by any such
silly ways, when he might have done it just as well by other means more
convenient. Beside, ’twas booty of War, whereof a man may take his joy
and triumph as legitimately as of any other thing whatsoever in the
world, or more so.
The great First Founder of Rome did not so, on occasion of the rape of
the fair Sabine women, toward her which fell to his share. Rather he
did to her according to his good pleasure, and paid her no cold respect
whatever. This she did relish well enough and felt no grievance,
neither she nor her companions, which did very soon make accord with
their new husbands and ravishers. The women for their part did make no
complaint like their fathers and mothers, which did rouse a fierce war
of reprisals.
True it is, folk be of different sorts, and there be women _and_
women. Some are loth to yield to any stranger in this sort, herein
more resembling the wife of King Ortiagon,[139*] one of the Galatian
monarchs of Asia Minor. She was of a perfect beauty, and being taken
captive on the Kings’ defeat by a Roman Centurion and solicited in her
honour, she did stand firm in refusal, having a horror of yielding
herself to him, a man of so low and base a station compared with
herself. Wherefore he did have her by force and violence, whom the
fortune and chance of War had given him by right of conquest to make
his slave of. But ’twas no long while before he did repent him, and
meet with vengeance for this offence; for the Queen, having promised
him a great ransom for her liberty, and both being come to the
appointed place for him to receive the money, she did have him slain,
as he was a-counting of the gold, and did carry away it and his head to
her husband. To this last she did confess freely how that the Roman
had indeed violated her chastity, but that she had taken her vengeance
of him therefor in this fashion,—the which her husband did approve and
did highly honour her for her behaviour. And from that day forth, said
the history, she did faithfully keep her honour unsullied to the last
day of her life with all scrupulousness and seriousness. Anyway she did
enjoy this good treat, albeit it did come from a low-born fellow.[140*]
Lucretia did otherwise, for she tasted not the pleasure at all, albeit
solicited by a gallant King. Herein was she doubly a fool, first not
to gratify him on the spot and readily enough, and secondly to kill
herself.
To return once more to Scipio, ’twould seem he knew not yet the ways
of War concerning booty and pillage. For by what I learn of a great
Captain of our troops, there is no such dainty morsel for loot as a
woman taken in War. The same good soldier did make much mock of sundry
others his comrades, which were used to insist above all things, at
assaults and surprises of towns, on the saving of the women’s honour,
as well as on divers other occasions and rencontres. This is sheer
folly, seeing women do always love men of arms more than any others,
and the very roughness of these doth give them the better appetite.
So who can find aught to blame? The pleasure is theirs; their honour
and their husbands’ is in no way fouled; and where is the mighty harm
and ruin? And yet another point,—they do oft by this means save their
husbands’ goods and lives,—as did Eunoé, wife of Bogud or Bocchus, King
of Mauretania, to whom Cæsar did give great possessions and to her
husband likewise, not so much, we may well believe, for having followed
his side, as Juba, King of Bithynia did that of Pompey, as because she
was a beautiful woman, and Cæsar did have the enjoyment of her pleasant
favours.[141*]
Many other excellent conveniences are there and advantages of these
loves I must needs pass over. Yet, this same great Captain would
exclaim, in spite of them all would other commanders, his comrades and
fellows, obeying silly, old-fashioned laws of War, be fain to preserve
the honour of women. But surely ’twere more meet first to find out in
secrecy and confidence their real wishes, and then decide what to do.
Or mayhap they be of the complexion of our friend Scipio, who was worse
than the gardener’s dog, which, as I have before said, will neither
himself eat the cabbages in the garden, nor yet let other folk taste of
them. This is the way he did treat the unhappy Massinissa, who had so
oft times risked his life for him and for the Roman People, and so sore
laboured, sweated and endeavoured, for to gain him glory and victory.
Yet after all he did refuse him the fair Queen Sophonisba and did rob
him of her, seeing he had chose her for his chiefest and most precious
spoil. He did take her from him to send her to Rome, there to live
out the rest of her days as a wretched slave,—if Massinissa had not
found a remedy to save her from this fate. The Conqueror’s glory had
been fairer and nobler, if she had appeared at Rome as a glorious and
stately Queen, and wife of Massinissa, so that folk would have said,
as they saw her go by: “Look! one of the fair vestiges of Scipio’s
conquests.” Surely true glory doth lie much rather in the display of
great and noble things than of mean and degraded.
In fine, Scipio, in all this discussion, was shown to have committed
grievous faults, whether because he was an enemy of the whole female
sex, or as having been altogether impotent to satisfy its wishes. And
yet ’tis said that in his later years he did engage in a love intrigue
with one of his wife’s maids,—the which the latter did very patiently
endure, for reasons that might easily be alleged to account for the
said complaisancy.
_4_
However, to return from the digression I have just been indulging in
and come back into the direct course of my argument, I do declare as my
last word in this discourse, that nothing in all the wide world is so
fair to see and look upon as a beautiful woman splendidly attired or
else daintily disrobed and laid upon a fair bed, provided always she be
sound and sweet, without blemish, blot or defect, as I have afore said.
King Francis I. was used to say, no gentleman, howsoever magnificent,
could in any better wise receive a great Lord, howsoever mighty and
high-born, at his mansion or castle, than by offering to his view on
his first arrival a beautiful woman, a fine horse and a handsome hound.
For by casting his gaze now on the one, now on the other and presently
on the third, he would never be a-weary in that house, having there the
three things most pleasant to look upon and admire, and so exercising
his eyes right agreeably.
Queen Isabelle of Castile was wont to say, there were four things did
give her very great pleasure to behold: _Hombre d’armas en campo,
obisbo puesto en pontifical, linda dama en la cama, y ladron en la
horca_,—“A man of arms in the field, a Bishop in his pontificals, a
fair lady in her bed, and a thief on the gallows.”
I have heard the late Cardinal de Lorraine,[142*] a short while since
deceased, relate how on the occasion of his going to Rome to the Court
of Pope Paul IV., to break off the truce made with the Emperor, he did
pass through Venice, where he was very honourably received, we cannot
doubt, seeing he was so high in the favour of so high and puissant a
King. The most noble and magnificent Senate of that city did set forth
in a body to meet him. Presently, passing up the Grand Canal, where
every window of all the houses was crowded with all the fairest ladies
of the place, who had assembled thither to see the state entry, there
was a certain great man of the highest rank which did discourse to him
on the business of the State, and spake at length of great matters. But
after a while, seeing the Cardinal was for ever casting his eyes and
fixing them on all these beautiful dames, he said to him in his native
Venetian dialect: “My Lord Cardinal, I think you heed me not, and you
are right enough. For surely ’tis much more pleasure and diversion to
watch these fair ladies at the windows and take delight of their beauty
than to listen to the talk of a peevish old man like me, even though he
should be talking of some great achievement and success to redound to
your advantage.” On this the Cardinal, who had no lack of ready wit and
memory, did repeat to him word for word all he had said, leaving the
good old man excellently well pleased with him, and full of wonder and
esteem, seeing that for all his feasting of his eyes on the fair ladies
of Venice, he had neither forgot nor neglected aught of all he had said
to him.
Any man which hath seen the Court of our French Kings, Francis I.,
Henri II., and other Sovereigns his sons, will freely allow, whosoever
he be and though he have seen all the world, he hath never beheld
aught so fair and admirable as the ladies which did frequent their
Court and that of the Queens and Princesses, their wives, mothers and
sisters. Yet a still fairer sight would he have seen, say some, if only
the grandsire of Master Gonnin had yet been alive, who by dint of his
contrivances, illusions, witchcrafts and enchantments could have shown
the same all undressed and stript naked, as they say he did once in
a private company at the behest of King Francis. For indeed he was a
man very expert and subtile in his art of sorcery; whose grandson, the
which we have ourselves seen, knew naught at all in this sort to be
compared with him.
This sight I ween would be as agreeable and diverting as was of yore
that of the Egyptian women at Alexandria, on occasion of the reception
and welcoming of their great god Apis, to greet whom they were used to
go forth in great state, and lifting their gowns, bodices and shifts,
and tucking up the same as high as ever they could, did show the god
themselves right out. If any will see the tale, let him read Alexander
ab Alexandro, in the 6th book of his _Dies Joviales_.[143*] I think
such a sight must indeed have been a right agreeable one, for in those
days the ladies of Alexandria were exceeding fair, as they are still to
this day.
Doubtless the old and ugly women did in like wise; but there! what
matter? The eye should never strain but after what is fair and comely,
and avoid the foul and unlovely all it may.
In Switzerland, men and women do meet promiscuously in the baths, hot
and cold, without doing any dishonest deed, but are satisfied with
putting a linen cloth in front of them. If this be pretty loose, well!
we may see something, mayhap agreeable or mayhap not, according as our
companion is fair or foul.
Before ending this part of my discourse, I will add yet one word more.
Just think again to what sore temptations were exposed the young
lords, knights and nobles, plebeians and other men of Rome, and what
delectation of the eye they did enjoy in ancient times on the day when
was kept the feast of Flora at Rome. This Flora, ’tis said, was the
most engaging and successful courtesan that did ever practise harlotry
at Rome,[144*] or in any other city. And what did yet more recommend
her herein was the fact she was of a good house and noble lineage; for
dames of such high sort do naturally please the more, and to go with
such doth afford greater gratification.
Thus the lady Flora had this excellence and advantage over Laïs, seeing
the latter would give herself to any like a common strumpet, but Flora
to great folk only. And indeed she had this writing put up at the
entering in of her door, “Kings, Princes, Dictators, Consuls, Censors,
Pontifices, Quæstors, Ambassadors, and other the like great Lords,
enter; but no other.”
Laïs did ever ask payment beforehand, but Flora never, saying she did
act so with great folk to the end they might likewise act by her as
great and illustrious men should, and also that a woman of much beauty
and high lineage will ever be esteemed as she doth value herself. So
would she take naught but what was freely given her, declaring every
gentle dame should do pleasure to her lover for love’s sake, and not
for avarice, for that all things have their price save and except true
love alone.
In a word, she did in her day so excellently and sweetly practise love,
and did win her such gallant lovers, that whenever she did quit her
lodging now and again to walk abroad in the city, there was talk of
her enough to last a month, as well for her beauty, her fair and rich
attire, her gallant bearing and engaging mien, as for the ample suite
of courtiers and lovers and great lords which went with her, and did
follow and attend her like veritable slaves,—an honour she did take
with no ill grace. And ambassadors from foreign lands, when they did
return to their own country, would ever find more delight in tales
of the beauty and wondrous excellence of the divine Flora than in
describing the greatness of the Roman State. And above all would they
extol her generosity, a thing contrary to the common bias of suchlike
dames; but then she was out of the common altogether, seeing she was of
noble origin.
Eventually she did die so rich and opulent that the worth of her money,
furniture and jewels were enough to rebuild the walls of Rome, and
furthermore to free the State of debt. She did make the Roman People
her heir in chief; and in memory thereof was erected at Rome a very
sumptuous Temple, which was called from her name the Florianum.
The first Festival ever the Emperor Galba did celebrate was that of the
fond Flora, at the which ’twas allowed all Roman men and women to do
every sort of debauchery, dissoluteness, abomination and extravagance
they chose and could imagine. Indeed _she_ was deemed the most
religious and most gallant dame, which on that day did best play the
dissolute, debauched and abandoned wanton.
Think of it! Never a _fiscaigne_ (’tis a lascivious dance the loose
women and Moorish slave-girls dance on Sundays at Malta publicly
in the open square), nor saraband did come near these Floralia for
naughtiness; and never a movement or wanton posture or provocative
gesture or lascivious twist and twirl did these Roman dames omit. Nay!
the more dissolute and extravagant the figures she did devise, the
more gallant and gay was deemed the performer; for the Romans did hold
this creed that the more wanton and lecherous the gesture and carriage
wherewith a woman did approach the Temple of this goddess, the more
like was she to win the same charms and opulence Flora herself had
enjoyed.
Verily a fine creed, and a fine mode of solemnizing a festival! but
remember they were but Pagans. Well! little doubt there was never a
sort of naughtiness they did fail to bethink them of, and that for long
beforehand these worthy dames would be a-studying of their lessons,
just as our own countrywomen will set to work to learn a ballet, and
would devote all their heart and soul to these things. Then the young
men, and the old ones too, would be no less eager to look on and behold
their quaint grimacings and wanton tricks. If such a show could be held
in our days, folks would be right glad to profit by the same in every
sense; and to be present at such a sight, the public would verily crowd
itself to death!
Further details let each imagine for himself; I leave the task to our
merry gallants. Let any that is fain, read Suetonius, as also Pausanias
in Greek and Manilius in Latin, in the books they have writ[145*]
concerning illustrious, amorous and famous ladies, and he will learn
the whole in full.
This one more story, and then an end. We read how the Lacedæmonians set
forth once to lay siege to Messené; but the Messenians were beforehand
with them. For they did sally out upon the enemy, some of them,
whilst the rest did make all haste and away to Lacedæmon, thinking to
surprise their town and pillage it, while the Spartans were occupied
before Messené. They were however valorously repelled and driven off
by the women which had been left behind. Hearing of their design, the
Lacedæmonians did turn about and make their way back toward their own
city. But from a long way off they did make out their women all armed,
who had already driven off the enemy whose attack on the city they had
dreaded. Then did the said women straightway inform them of all, and
relate their victory,—the news whereof did so delight them they did set
to on the spot to kiss, fondle and caress the victors. In such wise
that, forgetting all shame and without even waiting to take off their
harness, neither men nor women, they did gallantly do the thing with
them on the very spot where they had met them first. Then were things
to be seen not usual in War, and a right pleasant rattle and tinkle of
arms and armour and the like to make itself heard. In memory whereof
they did have built a temple and statue to the goddess Venus, under the
title of the _Armed Venus_, unlike all other images of the goddess,
which do always represent her naked. A merry tale of a merry encounter,
and a happy idea to depict Venus armed, and call her by that title!
’Tis no uncommon sight among men of arms, especially at the taking of
towns by assault, to see soldiers fully armed enjoying women, having
neither the time nor patience to disarm before satisfying their lust
and appetite, so fierce and eager are they. But to see soldier and
woman both armed in cohabitation together is a thing seldom seen.
Well, well! enough! we must needs make an end,—albeit I could have
filled out this discourse to more ample length by not a few other
examples, had I not feared to seem over wanton, and incur an ill repute
of naughtiness.
However, after so much praise of fair ladies, I do feel me bound to
repeat the words of a Spaniard, who one day wishing ill to a woman, did
describe her in very proper terms to me thus:
_Señor, vieja es como la lampada azeytunada d’iglesia, y de hechura del
armario, larga y desvayada, el color y gesto como mascara mal pintada,
el talle como una campana o mola de el andar y vision d’una antigua
fantasma de la noche, que tanto tuviese encontrar-la de noche, como ver
una mandragora. Iesus! Iesus! Dios me libre de su mal encuentro! No se
contenta de tener en su casa por huesped al provisor del obisbo, ni se
contenta con la demasiada conversacion del vicario ni del guardian,
ni de la amistad antigua del dean, sino que agora de nuevo ha tomado
al que pide para las animas del purgatorio, para acabar su negra
vida_;—“Sir! look at her! She is like an old, greasy Church lamp. Form
and shape are those of a great aumry, all mis-shapen and ill made;
complexion and features like a badly drawn mask; figure as shapely as a
monastery bell or a great millstone. Her face is like an old idol; her
look and gait like an antic ghost that walks by night. I should be as
sore afraid to meet her in the dark as to face a horrid mandrake. The
good Jesus keep me from such an encounter! The Bishop’s Ordinary is
her constant guest, but she is not satisfied; the garrulous Vicar and
the good old Dean are her oldest friends, but she is not content. She
must needs entangle now the Pardoner for poor souls in Purgatory, to
complete the infamy of her black and odious life.”
Observe how the Spaniard, which hath so well described the thirty
beauties of a fair lady (have I not quoted them above, in this same
Discourse?), can, when he so wills, abuse the sex with the like gusto.
[Illustration: Decorative scrollwork above chapter start]
THIRD DISCOURSE
Concerning the beauty of a fine leg, and the virtue
the same doth possess.
1.
Among many and sundry beauties the which I have at divers times known
us courtiers to praise, and which are right well adapted to attract
love, one of the highest esteemed is a fine leg on a fine woman. Many
fair ladies have I known take great pride therein, and use great pains
to have and to keep the same beautiful. Amongst others I have heard
tell of a noble Princess[146*] of the great world, and one that I did
myself know, which did cherish one of her ladies above all the rest,
and did favour her beyond all, for this only because she could draw on
her mistress’ hose so close and tight, and arrange them so cleverly
to fit the leg, and fasten the garter so prettily,—better than any
other. For this only reason she gat great preferment at her hands, and
even did win considerable wealth. Now in view of all this care she
took to keep her leg in such good trim, we may be very sure ’twas not
to hide the same under her petticoats or under skirts or frock, but
to make display thereof at whiles with fine drawers of cloth of gold
and silver, or other the like rich stuff, very prettily and daintily
made, which she did commonly wear. For verily a woman taketh not such
pleasure in her body without being fain to give others a share also in
the sight, yea! and the enjoyment thereof.
Moreover this lady could not make excuse, saying ’twas all done to
pleasure her husband, as the most part of women, and even of old women,
will ever declare, whenas they do make themselves so seductive and gay,
though they be quite elderly; for she was a widow. True it is in her
husband’s lifetime she had done the same, and would not leave off the
habit afterward, merely because she had lost him.
I have known many fair and honourable ladies, both wives and maids,
which are no less painstaking thus to keep their fine legs in well
cared for, seemly and attractive guise. And very right they be so to
do; for truly there is more wanton seduction doth lie therein than you
would readily suppose.
I have heard speak of a very great lady, of the days of King Francis,
and a right fair dame, who having broken a leg and had the same set,
did after find ’twas ill done, and the limb was left all twisted. So
stout of heart was she, that she did make the bone-setter break it
afresh, for to restore it to its right shape as before, and make it as
fine and straight as ever. Hereat a certain lady did express no little
surprise; but another fair lady, and a well experienced one, did answer
thus and said, “Ah! I see plainly you know not what amorous virtue a
fine leg hath in it.”