Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 2.Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
History
Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 2.
Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
Erotic literature
These dames were of a different complexion from a certain Spanish lady,
whose life is writ in the History of Spain, and who, one day when
Alfonzo the Great, King of Aragon, made a state entry into Saragossa,
threw herself on her knees before his Majesty to ask justice of him.
The King signifying his willingness to hear her, she did ask to speak
to him in private, and he did grant her this favour. Hereupon she laid
a complaint against her husband, for that he would lie with her two and
thirty times a month, by day no less than a-nights, in such wise that
he gave her never a minute of rest or respite. So the King did send for
the husband and learned of him ’twas true, the man deeming he could not
be in the wrong seeing it was his own wife; then the King’s council
being summoned to deliberate on the matter, his Majesty did issue
decree and ordered that he should touch her but six times,—not without
expressing his much marvel at the exceeding heat and puissance of the
fellow, and the extraordinary coldness and continence of the wife, so
opposite to the natural bent of other women (so saith the story), which
be ever ready to clasp hands and beseech their husbands or other men to
give them enough of it, and do make sore complaint an if these do give
to others what is their share by rights.
Very different from this last was another lady, a young girl of a good
house, who the day after her wedding, recounting over to her companions
her adventures in the night just done, “What!” cried she, “and is that
all? For all I had heard some of you say, and other women, and men
to boot, which do boast them so bold and gallant, and promise such
mountains of wondrous deeds, why! o’ my faith, friends and comrades
mine, the man (meaning her husband), that made himself out so hot a
lover and valiant a wight, and so fine a runner at the ring, did run
but four all counted,—as it were the regular three for the ring and
one for the ladies.” We can but suppose, as she made such complaint of
scanty measure, she would fain have had a round dozen to her share; but
everyone is not like the Spanish gentleman of our last story.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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