Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/368

THE THIRD BOOK OF THE COURTIER " The body of the steadfast and noble girl was taken from that cave with the greatest honour and brought to Rome for burial, with a laurel crown upon her head, and accompanied by a countless host of men and women; among whom there was no one who went home without tears in his eyes; and thus was this rare soul universally mourned as well as praised by all the people. 49 — " But to speak to you of those whom you yourselves know, do you not remember having heard that when my lady Felice della Rovere was journeying to Savona,"' and feared that some sails that were sighted were vessels of Pope Alexander in pur- suit of her, she made ready with fixed resolve to cast herself into the sea, in case they should come up and there was no remedy by flight: and it is in no wise to be believed that she acted in this from lightness, for you know as well as any other with what intelligence and wisdom this lady's singular beauty was accompanied. " Nor can I refrain from saying a word of our lady Duchess, who having for fifteen years lived like a widow in company with her husband, not only was steadfast in never revealing this to anyone in the world, but when urged by her own people to lay aside her widowhood, she chose rather to endure exile, poverty and every other sort of hardship, than to accept that which seemed to all others great favour and blessing of fortune; """ and as messer Cesare was going on to speak of this, my lady Duchess said: " Speak of something else, and go no further with this subject, for you have many other things to say." Messer Cesare continued: " Yet I know you will not deny this, my lord Caspar, nor you, Frisio." " Indeed no," replied Frisio; "but one does not make a host." 50 — Then messer Cesare said: " It is true that such great results as these are met in few women: still, those also who withstand the assaults of love are all admirable; and those who are sometimes overcome deserve much pity: for certainly the urgence of lovers, the arts they use, the snares they spread, are so many and so continual that it is 216