Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/459

THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE COURTIER prince, and perhaps children would mock at him behind his back, and women would get little pleasure from him except to deride him." Then my lord Ottaviano said: "As all the other accomplishments ascribed to the Courtier befit him although he be old, methinks we ought by no means to deprive him of this enjoyment of loving." " Nay," said my lord Gaspar, " to deprive him of love is to give him an added perfection, and to make him live at ease remote from misery and calamity." 50 — Messer Pietro Bembo said: " Do you not remember, my lord Gaspar, that although he is little skilled in love, yet in his game the other evening my lord Ottaviano seemed to know that there are some lovers who call sweet the scorns and ires and warrings and torments which they have from their ladies ; whence he asked to be taught the cause of this sweetness? Therefore if our Courtier, although old, were inflamed with those loves that are sweet without bitterness, he would feel no calamity or misery in them ; and if he were wise, as we suppose him to be, he would not deceive himself by thinking that all was befitting to him which befits young men; but if he loved, perhaps he would love in a way that would bring him not only no blame, but much praise and highest happiness unaccom- panied by any pain, which rarely and-almost never happens with young men; and thus he would not fail to instruct his prince, nor would he do aught to deserve the mockery of children." Then my lady Duchess said : " I am glad, messer Pietro, that you have had little fatigue in our discussion this evening, for now we shall with more assurance impose on you the burden of speaking, and of teaching the Cour- tier this love which is so happy that it brings with it neither blame nor discomfort; for perhaps it will be one of the most important and useful attributes that have thus far been ascribed to him: therefore tell us, on your faith, all you know about it." Messer Pietro laughed, and said: " I should be sorry, my Lady, that my saying it is permissible for old men to love should be a reason for these ladies to regard me as old; therefore please to give this task to someone else."*" 287