French fiction -- Translations into English; Italian fiction -- Translations into English
experience is well knowen and tryed amongs greatest princes,
notwithstanding we haue chosen for you a gentleman, that is not
inferiour to him, either in beautie, force, wisedome or valiaunce. And
we do verely beleeue, that if there be any man in this world, worthie of
admiration, it is Cyrus our Prince and Lorde, whose paragon wee haue
chosen you to bee.’ When the Lady hearde them saye so, she tare the
attirement from her head and body, she cried out, and all her maides
skriched with her. At which times the greatest part of her face
appeared, and so did her necke and handes: And assure your selfe (Cyrus)
to vs that viewed her well, it seemed impossible, that such a creature
coulde be borne of mortall parentes in Asia. Therefore sir, looke vppon
her in any wise.” To whom Cyrus said, “The more praise ye giue her, the
lesse minde I haue to see her, if shee be such one as you haue saide.”
“And whye so?” (quoth Araspas). “Because (sayde Cyrus) if I should go to
see her, hearing you make this reporte of her beautie (leasure not
seruinge me thereunto) I am afraide, lest she would sone alure me to go
many times to behold her. Whereby I might perchaunce, grow negligent in
my matters of greatest importance.” The yong gentleman smiling, said,
“Thincke you Cyrus, that the beauty of a woman, can force a man
vnwilling, to attempt a thinge that should not be meete for him. If
nature haue that force in her, she would compell all men alike. Do you
not see, that fire burneth all men after one sort, because it is his
nature? Beautifull thinges be not had in equall estimation, some be of
great price, some not so, some do regarde this, some that. For loue is a
voluntarie thing, and euery man loueth what he list. The brother is not
in loue with the sister, but of another she is loued. The father is not
in loue with the doughter, and yet she is beloued of another. For feare
and law are able enough to restraine loue. But if there were a law made
to commaund men, that they which did not eate, should not be hungrie,
and they that did not drinke, should not be a thirst, and that no man
should be cold in Winter, and hotte in Sommer, that lawe coulde not
compell men to obeye: for men by nature be subiect to those infirmities.
But to loue, is a thinge free and voluntarie. Euery man loueth thinges
that be his owne, as his apparell and other his necessaries.” Wherunto
Cyrus replied: “If loue be voluntary: how can it be that a man may
abandon the same, when he liste? But I haue seene men weepe for sorowe
of loue: I haue knowen them that haue beene slaues to loue, who before
they haue loued, haue thoughte thraldome, the greatest euill: geuing
awaye manye thinges, which had beene better for them to haue kept: and
haue prayed to God to be exonerated of loue, aboue all other diseases,
and yet coulde not be deliuered, being bound with stronger imprisonment
then if they had beene tied with chaines, yelding themselues to their
louers, seruing them with all obedience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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