Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/295

THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER free living is in us neither vice nor fault nor disgrace, while in women it is such utter infamy and shame that she of whom evil is once spoken is disgraced forever, whether the imputation"" cast upon her be false or true. Wherefore, since speaking of women's honour brings such risk of doing them grievous harm, I say we ought to attack them in some other way, and to abstain from this; because to strike too hard with our pleasantries and practical jokes, is to exceed the bounds that we have before said are befitting a gentleman." 91 — As messer Bernardo paused a little here, my lord Ottaviano Fregoso said, laughing: " My lord Gaspar might answer you that this law you refer to, which we have made unto ourselves, is perhaps not so unreason- able as it seems to you. For since women were very imperfect creatures and of little or no worth in comparison with men, and since of themselves they were not capable of performing any worthy act, — it was necessary by fear of shame and infamy to lay upon them a restraint that might impart some quality of goodness to them almost against their will. And chastity seemed more needful for them than any other quality, in order to have certainty as to our offspring ; hence it was necessary to use every possible skill, art and way to make women chaste, and almost to permit them to be of little worth in all things else and to do constantly the reverse of what they ought. Therefore, since they are allowed to commit all other faults without blame, if we taunt them with those defects which (as we have said) are all permitted to them and therefore not incongruous in them, and of which they take no heed, — we shall never arouse laughter; for you said awhile ago that laughter is aroused by certain things that are incongruous." 92 Then my lady Duchess said : " You speak thus of women, my lord Ottaviano, and then you complain that they love you not." " I do not complain of this," replied my lord Ottaviano, " but rather thank them in that they do not, by loving me, force me to love them. Nor am I speaking my own mind, but saying that my lord Gaspar might use these arguments." Messer Bernardo said: 163