Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/361

 THE THIRD BOOK OF THE COURTIER away his success. Hence, for reasons thus many and important, he abstained from a light and harmful wish, displaying con- tinence and generous uprightness; which, as it is written, gave him the entire good will of those nations, and was worth another army to him, wherewith by gentleness to conquer hearts that perhaps would have been unconquerable by force of arms/" " Forgive me, my lord Gaspar, if I say the truth, for in short these are the miraculous continences that men write about them- selves while accusing women of incontinence, in whom we every day see countless tokens of continence ; for in truth, if you con- sider well, there is no fortress so impregnable and well defended that, if it were assailed with a thousandth part of the wiles and tricks that are employed to overcome the steadfast heart of woman, it would not surrender at the first assault. "How many creatures of great lords, — enriched by them and placed in very high esteem, entrusted with their castles and fortresses, whereon depend their whole state, life and weal, — have basely and sordidly surrendered these to such as had no right thereto, without shame or fear of being called traitors? And would to God there were so great a dearth of such men in our days, that we might have no more trouble to find a man who had done his duty in this regard, than to name those who have failed in theirs. Do we not see many others who daily go about slaying men in the forest and scouring the sea solely to steal money? " How many prelates sell the property of God's church! How many lawyers forge wills! How many perjurers bear false witness only to get money! How many physicians poison the sick to the same end! Again, how many do the vilest things from fear of death! And yet a tender and delicate girl often resists all these sharp and hard encounters; for many have been found who preferred death rather than lose their chastity." 47-— Then my lord Gaspar said: " These, messer Cesare, I believe are not on earth to-day." Messer Cesare replied: " I will not cite the ancients now; but I tell you this, that many would be and are to be found, who in such case do not fear to 213