Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/392

 THE THIRD BOOK OF THE COURTIER woman to love me;' and they do not perceive that those who hear them at once conclude that this can arise from no other reason than that they deserve neither love nor the water they drink, and hold them for men of slight account, and would not love them for all the gold in the world, thinking that to love them would be to stand lower than all the other women who loved them not. " Still others are so silly that for the purpose of bringing odium upon some rival of theirs, they say in the presence of women: 'So and So is the luckiest man on earth; for although he is not at all handsome, discreet or valiant, and cannot do or say more than the rest, yet all the women love him and run after him ; ' and thus showing themselves to be envious of the man's good luck, they incite belief that (although he shows himself to be lovable in neither looks nor acts) he has in him .some hidden quality for which he deserves so many women's love; hence those who hear him thus spoken of are by this belief even much more moved to love him." 71.— Then Count Ludovico laughed, and said: " I assure you that the discreet Courtier will never use these stupidities to win favour with women." Messer Cesare Gonzaga replied: " Nor yet that one which was used in my time by a gentle- man of great repute, whose name for the honour of men I will not mention." My lady Duchess replied: " At least tell what he did." Messer Cesare continued: " Being loved by a great lady, at her request he came secretly to the place where she was; and after he had seen her and con- versed with her as long as she and the time allowed, taking his leave with many bitter tears and sighs, in token of the extreme sorrow that he felt at such a parting, he besought her to keep him continually in mind; and then he added that she ought to pay his board and lodging, for as he had been invited by her, it seemed to him reasonable that he should be at no charge for his coming." Then all the ladies began to laugh and to say that he was 236