Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 1Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
History
Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 1
Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
Erotic literature
She was similarly attired as a nymph like the rest of her companions,
all being clad in cloth of silver and white, with hosen and shoes of
the same, and their heads decked with much wealth of jewels. But these
were all emeralds this time, to represent in part the colour of the
fruit they did offer. And besides the gift of fruit, she did make one
to the Emperor and the King of Spain of a Tree of Victory all enamelled
in green, the boughs laden with great pearls and precious stones, right
rich to behold and of inestimable worth; also to the Queen Eleanor a
fan, with a mirror in the mid thereof, the whole garnished with jewels
of great price.
Verily this Princess and Queen of Hungary did show right well that she
was an honourable lady in all points, and that her address and tact was
as admirable as was her skill in the art of war. And indeed, by all I
have heard said, the Emperor her brother did feel no little content and
comfort to have so honourable a sister and so worthy of him.
Now have I laid myself open to blame and might fairly enough be
asked why I have made this digression in the course of my Discourse.
’Tis to point out how that all these maids that did represent these
characters had been chose out and selected as being the fairest among
all the suite of the Queens of France and of Hungary and of Madame de
Lorraine,—being Frenchwomen, Italians, Flemish, German and Lorrainers.
In all the number was no defect of beauty; and God knoweth if the
Queen of Hungary had been painstaking and exact to choose such as were
fairest and most graceful.
Madame de Fontaine-Chalandry, who is yet alive, could give us good
assurance of this, who was at the time maid of honour of the Queen
Eleanor, and one of the fairest. She was known also by the name of “the
fair Torcy,” and hath told me the tale of all these doings. And I have
it for sure both of her and from other quarters too how that all the
lords, gentlemen and knights of that Court did take their diversion in
looking at and examining fine legs, limbs and pretty little feet of
these ladies. For attired thus as nymphs, they were dressed in short
gowns, and could make a very engaging display, more enticing even than
their pretty faces, which admirers could see every day, whereas ’twas
not so with their other beauties. And so sundry courtiers did grow more
enamoured by the sight and display of these same fine legs, than ever
of their pretty faces, seeing that atop of such fine columns there be
commonly found fine cornices with their friezes, fine architraves, and
rich capitals, smoothly polished and curiously carved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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