Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/377

 THE THIRD BOOK OF THE COURTIER My lord Gaspar replied: " I believe nothing more is left to say; yet if you think that my lord Magnifico has not adorned her with enough good qualities, the fault lay not with him, but with the one who arranged that there are not more virtues in the world; for the Magnihco gave her all there are." My lady Duchess said, laughing: "You shall now see that my lord Magnifico will find still others." The Magnifico replied: " Indeed, my Lady, methinks I have said enough, and for my part I am content with this Lady of mine; and if these gentle- men will not have her as she is, let them leave her to me." S3 — Here everyone remaining silent, messer Federico said: " My lord Magnifico, to spur you on to say something more, I should like to put you a question concerning what you would have the chief business of the Court Lady, and it is this: that I wish to hear how she ought to conduct herself with respect to one detail which seems to me very important; for although the excellent qualities wherewith you have endowed her include genius, wisdom, good sense, ease of bearing, modesty, and so many other virtues, whereby she ought in reason to be able to converse with everyone and on every theme, still I think that more than anything else she needs to kno^y that which belongs to discussions on love. For as every gentle cavalier uses those noble exercises, elegances and fine manners that we have men- tioned, as a means to win the favour of women, to this end like- wise he employs words; and not only when he is moved by pas- sion, but often also to do honour to the lady with whom he is speaking, since he thinks that to give signs of love for her is a proof that she is worthy of it, and that her beauty and merits are so great that they compel every man to serve her. " Hence I fain would .know how this lady ought to converse on such a theme discreetly, and how reply to him who loves her truly, and how to him who makes a false pretence thereof; and whether she ought to feign not to understand, whether to return his love or to refuse, and how conduct herself." 54 — Then my lord Magnifico said: 221