Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/354

 THE THIRD BOOK OF THE COURTIER themselves pleasure, and in satisfying as far as they can all their appetites." The Magnifico Giuliano said: " You always wish to go beyond bounds, Frisio ; but if there are some Cleopatras to be found, there is no lack of countless Sardanapaluses, which is far worse."*"" Then my lord Gaspar said: " Do not draw these comparisons, or imagine that men are more incontinent than women; and even if they were so, it would not be worse, for from women's incontinence countless evils result that do not from men's. Therefore, as was said yes- terday, it is wisely ordained that women are allowed to fail in all other things without blame, to the end that they may be able to devote all their strength to keeping themselves in this one virtue of chastity; without which their children would be uncer- tain, and that tie would be dissolved which binds the whole world by blood and by the natural love of each man for what he has produced. Hence loose living is more forbidden to women than to men, who do not carry their children for nine months within them." 38.— Then the Magnifico replied: " Verily these are fine arguments which you cite, and I do not see why you do not commit them to writing. "But tell me why it is not ordained that loose living is as disgraceful a thing in men as in women, seeing that if men are by nature more virtuous and of greater worth, they could all the more easily practise this virtue of continence also; and their children would be neither more nor less certain, for although women were unchaste, they could of themselves merely and without other aid in no wise bear children, provided men were continent and did not take part in women's unchastity. But if you will say the truth, even you know that we men have of our own authority arrogated to ourselves a licence, whereby we insist that the same sins are in us very trivial and sometimes praiseworthy, and in women cannot be sufficiently punished, unless by shameful death or perpetual infamy at least. / " Wherefore, since this opinion is prevalent, methinks it were a fitting thing to punish severely those also who with lies cast 206