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
Suchlike dames ought surely to be esteemed, loved and treated like
men,—not as the Amazons did of old, which proclaiming themselves
daughters of Mars, did rid them of their husbands, pretending marriage
was sheer slavery; yet desire enough and to spare had they to go with
other men, for to have daughters of them, but killing all the male
children.
Jo. Nauclerus, in his _Cosmography_,[38*] relates how, in the year of
Christ 1123, after the death of Tibussa, Queen of the Bohemians, she
who did first close in the town of Prague with walls, and who did very
greatly abhor the power and domination of men, there was one of her
damsels, by name Valasca, which did so well gain over the maids and
matrons of that land by her fair and alluring promises of liberty,
and did so thoroughly disgust and set them against their servitude to
manfolk, as that they did slay each her man, one her husband, another
her brother, another her kinsman or next neighbour, and so in less than
no time were mistresses of the realm. Then having taken their husbands’
harness of war, they did make such good use thereof, and grew so
valiant and skilled in arms, fighting after the Amazon fashion, as that
they soon gat them several victories. Yet were they presently, by the
conduct and cunning wiles of one Primislaus, husband of Tibussa, a man
she had raised up from low and humble state, routed entirely and put to
death. This was sure God Almighty’s vengeance for so heinous an act
and dread attempt, no less indeed than to destroy the human race itself.
6.
Thus did these Amazonian dames find no other fashion of showing forth
their gallant spirit for fine, bold and manly exploits but only by
these cruel deeds we have named. On the contrary, how many Empresses,
Queens, Princesses and other high-born Ladies, have done the like by
means of noble acts, both in the governance and management of their
dominions, and in other excellent ways, whereof the Histories be so
full that I need not recount the same. For the desire of holding sway,
of reigning and ruling, doth lodge within women’s breasts no less than
in men’s, and they be just as eager after domination as the other sex.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account