The Book of the Courtier
degli Sposi_ of the Gonzaga Palace at Mantua, painted not later than
1474 by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). See Woltmann’s _Geschichte der
Malerei_, ii, 268.
“Now from this you can understand how many other women, who are not
known, perform acts most worthy of praise; for although this one gave
such proof of her virtue only three days since, as one may say, there is
no talk of her and even her name is unknown. But if the death of our
lady Duchess’s uncle, the Bishop of Mantua,[417] had not occurred at
that time, the bank of the Oglio, at the place where she threw herself
in, would have been graced by a very beautiful monument to the memory of
that glorious soul, which deserved so much the brighter fame after
death, because in life it dwelt in a less noble body.”
48.—Here messer Cesare made a little pause; then he continued:
“At Rome, in my day, there happened another like case; and it was that a
beautiful and noble Roman girl, being long pursued by one who seemed to
love her much, was never willing to favour him at all, even with a
single look. So, by means of money he corrupted one of her women; who,
desirous of satisfying him in order to get more money from him,
persuaded her mistress to visit the church of San Sebastiano on a
certain day of small solemnity;[418] and having made everything known to
the lover and shown him what he must do, she led the girl to one of
those dark caves which nearly all who go to San Sebastiano are wont to
visit; and in this the young man was already hidden secretly.
“Finding himself alone with her whom he loved so much, he began in all
ways to beg her as gently as he could to have pity on him and change her
former hardness to love. But after he saw all his prayers to be in vain,
he had resort to threats, which failing too, he began to beat her
cruelly; at last, although firmly resolved to attain his end, by force
if necessary, and therein employing the help of the infamous woman who
had led her thither, he was never able to bring her to consent. Nay,
with both word and deed (although she had little strength), the poor
girl defended herself to the last: so that partly from anger at seeing
that he could not obtain what he desired, partly from fear lest her
relatives might make him suffer for it when they learned the thing, this
wretch, with the help of the servant (who feared the like), strangled
the unhappy girl and left her there; and having fled, he took means not
to be discovered. Blinded by her very crime, the servant could not flee,
and being taken into custody on suspicion, confessed everything and so
was punished as she deserved.
“The body of the steadfast and noble girl was taken from that cave with
the greatest honour and brought to Rome for burial, with a laurel crown
upon her head, and accompanied by a countless host of men and women;
among whom there was no one who went home without tears in his eyes; and
thus was this rare soul universally mourned as well as praised by all
the people.
49.—“But to speak to you of those whom you yourselves know, do you not
remember having heard that when my lady Felice della Rovere was
journeying to Savona,[419] and feared that some sails that were sighted
were vessels of Pope Alexander in pursuit of her, she made ready with
fixed resolve to cast herself into the sea, in case they should come up
and there was no remedy by flight: and it is in no wise to be believed
that she acted in this from lightness, for you know as well as any other
with what intelligence and wisdom this lady’s singular beauty was
accompanied.
“Nor can I refrain from saying a word of our lady Duchess, who having
for fifteen years lived like a widow in company with her husband, not
only was steadfast in never revealing this to anyone in the world, but
when urged by her own people to lay aside her widowhood, she chose
rather to endure exile, poverty and every other sort of hardship, than
to accept that which seemed to all others great favour and blessing of
fortune;”[420] and as messer Cesare was going on to speak of this, my
lady Duchess said:
“Speak of something else, and go no further with this subject, for you
have many other things to say.”
Messer Cesare continued:
“Yet I know you will not deny this, my lord Gaspar, nor you, Frisio.”
“Indeed no,” replied Frisio; “but one does not make a host.”
50.—Then messer Cesare said:
“It is true that such great results as these are met in few women:
still, those also who withstand the assaults of love are all admirable;
and those who are sometimes overcome deserve much pity: for certainly
the urgence of lovers, the arts they use, the snares they spread, are so
many and so continual that it is but too great a wonder that a tender
girl can escape. What day, what hour, ever passes that the persecuted
girl is not besought by the lover with money, gifts and all things that
must please her? When can she ever go to her window, but she shall
always see her persistent lover pass, silent in word but with eyes that
speak, with sad and languid face, with those burning sighs, often with
most abundant tears? When does she ever go forth to church or other
place, but he is always before her, and meets her at every turn of the
street with his melancholy passion depicted in his eyes, as if he were
expecting instant death? I leave aside the fripperies, inventions,
mottoes, devices, festivals, dances, games, masques, jousts,
tourneys!—all which things she knows are made for her.
“Then at night she can never wake but she hears music, or at least his
unquiet spirit sighing about the house walls and making lamentable
sounds. If by chance she wishes to speak to one of her women, the wench
(already corrupted with money) soon has ready a little gift, a letter, a
sonnet or some such thing to give her on the lover’s behalf, and then
coming in opportunely, makes her understand how the poor man is burning
with love, and in her service cares naught for his own life; and how he
seeks nothing from her that is less than seemly, and only desires to
speak with her. Then remedies are found for all difficulties, false
keys, rope ladders, sleeping potions; the thing is painted as of little
consequence; instances are given of many other women who do far worse.
Thus everything is made so easy that she has no further trouble than to
say, ‘I am willing.’ And even if the poor girl holds back for a time,
they add so many inducements, find so many ways, that with their
continual battering they break down that which stays her.
“And when they see that blandishments do not avail them, there are many
who have resort to threats and say they will accuse the woman to her
husband of being what she is not. Others bargain boldly with the fathers
and often with the husbands, who for money or to get favours give their
own daughters and wives as an unwilling prey. Others seek by
incantations and sorceries to steal from them that liberty which God has
bestowed upon their souls: whereof startling results are seen.
“But I could not in a thousand years rehearse all the wiles that men
employ to bring women to their wishes, for the wiles are infinite; and
besides those that every man finds for himself, writers have not been
lacking who have ingeniously composed books and therein taken every
pains to teach how women are to be duped in these matters.[421] Now,
among so many snares, think how there can be any safety for these simple
doves, lured by such sweet bait. And what wonder is it, then, if a woman
(seeing herself thus loved and adored for many years by a beautiful,
noble and accomplished youth, who a thousand times a day puts himself in
danger of death to serve her, nor ever thinks of aught but to please
her) is finally brought to love him by continual wearing (as water wears
the hardest marble), and, conquered by this passion, contents him with
that which you say she in the weakness of her sex desires more than her
lover? Do you think that this errour is so grave that the poor creature
who has been caught by so many flatteries, does not deserve even that
pardon which is often vouchsafed to homicides, thieves, assassins and
traitors? Will you insist that this offence is so heinous that because
you find some woman commits it, womankind ought to be wholly despised
and held universally devoid of continence, without regard to the many
who are found unconquerable, and who are proof against love’s continual
incitements, and firmer in their infinite constancy than rocks against
the surges of the ocean?”
51.—Messer Cesare having ceased speaking, my lord Gaspar then began to
reply, but my lord Ottaviano said, laughing:
“For the love of Heaven, pray grant him the victory, for I know you will
profit little; and methinks I see that you will make not only all these
ladies your enemies, but the greater part of the men also.”
My lord Gaspar laughed, and said:
“Nay, the ladies have great cause to thank me; for if I had not gainsaid
my lord Magnifico and messer Cesare, all these praises which they have
bestowed upon women would not have been heard.”
Much enlarged from a part of Laurent’s photograph (no. 533) of an
altar-piece, formerly in the royal chapel of the Convent of St.
Thomas de Avila, but now in the Prado Gallery at Madrid. It was
painted about 1491 by order of the Inquisitor Torquemada, and has
been attributed to Miguel Zittoz.
Then messer Cesare said:
“The things that my lord Magnifico and I have said in praise of women,
and many others too, were very well known and hence superfluous.
“Who does not know that without women we can feel no content or
satisfaction throughout this life of ours, which but for them would be
rude and devoid of all sweetness and more savage than that of wild
beasts? Who does not know that women alone banish from our hearts all
vile and base thoughts, vexations, miseries, and those turbid
melancholies that so often are their fellows? and if you will consider
well the truth, we shall also see that in our understanding of great
matters women do not hamper our wits but rather quicken them, and in war
make men fearless and brave beyond measure. And certainly it is
impossible for vileness ever again to rule in a man’s heart where once
the flame of love has entered; for whoever loves desires always to make
himself as lovable as he can, and always fears lest some disgrace befall
him that may make him to be esteemed lightly with her by whom he desires
to be esteemed highly. Nor does he stop at risking his life a thousand
times a day to show himself worthy of her love: hence whoever could form
an army of lovers and have them fight in the presence of the ladies of
their love, would conquer all the world, unless there were opposed to it
another army similarly in love. And be well assured that Troy’s ten
years’ resistance against all Greece proceeded from naught else but a
few lovers, who on sallying forth to battle, armed themselves in the
presence of their women; and often these women helped them and spoke
some word to them at leaving, which inflamed them and made them more
than men. Then in battle they knew that they were watched by their women
from the walls and towers; wherefore it seemed to them that every act of
hardihood they performed, every proof they gave, won them their women’s
praise, which was the greatest reward they could have in the world.
“There are many who think that the victory of King Ferdinand of Spain
and Queen Isabella against the King of Granada was in great part due to
women; for very often when the Spanish army went out to meet the enemy,
Queen Isabella went out also with all her maids of honour, and in the
army went many noble cavaliers who were in love. These always went