A pleasaunt disport of diuers noble personages: written in Italian by M. Iohn Bocace Florentine and poet laureat: in his boke vvhich is entituled Philocopo. And nowe Englished by H. G.

¶ The thirde Question, pro∣posed by a yong Gentlewoman.

ON the right syde of Longano sate an excellent faire Gen∣tlewoman and verie pleasant, who as she perceiued that Que∣stion by the Quéene determined, thus be∣ganne with a swéete talke to say: Most renoumed Quéene, your eares graunte hearing to my wor∣des: And first by those Goddes whome you worship, and next by the power of our pastime, I pray you that ye will giue to my demaund profitable counsell. I as you know, being descended of noble Parentes, was borne in this City, and was named with a very gra∣cious name, although my surname (being Cara) pre∣senteth me grateful to the hearers, and as by my face it may appeare, I haue receyued from the Gods and Nature a singuler gift of beautie, the which (in folo∣wing my propre name more thā my surname) I haue adorned with an infinite pleasauntnesse, shewing my selfe benigne to whom that is delighted to behold the same: by occasion whereof many haue endeuoured themselues for their pleasure to occupie my eyes, a∣gainst al whom I haue withstode w^t strong resistance holding a stable heart agaynst their assaultes: but bi∣cause it séemeth to me vnléefull that I onely shoulde

pretermit the lawes kept and obserued of all others, that is, not to loue being loued of many, I haue de∣termined to become enamored, and setting apart ma∣ny séekers of such loue, whereof some do excell Midas in riches, some other passe Absalō in beauty, & other some in curtesie (according to the common reporte of all) are more splendent than any other. I haue of al these chosen thrée: Of whom eche one pleaseth me a∣like. Of the which thrée, the one of bodily force (as I beleue) would excell the good Hector, hée is at euery proofe so vigorous and strong. The curtesie and libe∣ralitie of the seconde is such, that (as I thinke) his fame doth sounde thorowe eche pole. The third is al full of wisedome, so y^• he surmounteth all other wise men aboue measure. But for that (as ye haue heard) their qualities are diuers▪ I doubt whether of them to take, finding in the antique age ech one of these to haue diuersly the courages of women, and of yelding men: as of Dianira, Hercules, of our Clitemnestra, Aegistus, and of Lucretia, Sextus▪ Counsel me ther∣fore, to whether of them sonest with least blame, and greatest suretie I ought to giue my selfe. The plea∣sant Quéene hauing heard the purpose of this Gētle∣woman, thus made answere. There is neuer a one of the thrée, that doth not worthily merite the loue of a faire and gracious Lady: but bicause in this case I am not to fight against Castels, or to giue away the kingdomes of greate Alexander, or the treasures of Ptholome, but that only that Leue and Honour are with discretion a long time to be kept, the which are maintained neither by force nor curtesy, but onely by wisedome: We say, that both you, and euery other

woman ought rather to giue hir loue to a wise man, than to any of the rest. Oh how diuers is my iudge∣ment from yours, answered the propoūding Gentle∣woman. To me it séemeth, that eche one of the others were sooner to be taken than the wise, & this séemeth to be the reason: Loue (as we sée) is of that nature, as multiplying his force in one hearte, euery other thing he banisheth out thence, retaining that for hys seate, and mouing it after according to his pleasure, wherevnto no foresight is able to resist, but that it is cōuenient for them to folow him, by whome it is (as I haue said) gouerned. And who doubteth that Biblis knew it not to be euil to loue hir brother? Who wil gaine say that it was not manifest to Leander, that he mighte drowne in Helespont, in his fortunate time, if he cast him selfe therein? And none wyll deny that Pasiphe knew not a man to be more faire thā a Bul? and yet they & ech one ouercome with an amo∣rous pleasure, r••••••••ting all knowledge, folowed the same. Then if it haue power to take knowledge from she learned, takyng away the witt•• from the wyse, they shall haue nothing lest: but if from the strong and curteous, it shall take away the little witte they haue, it shall yet increase them in their vertues, and so they shall become more than the wise enamoured. Further, Loue hath this propretie, it is a thing that can not long be hidde: and in reueling himself, he is wont oftentimes to bring greuous perils, wherunto what remedy shall the wise giue that hath nowe lost his witte? He shall giue none at all, but the strong that vseth his force can helpe in a perill both himselfe and others. The curteous thorowe his curtesie shall

with grateful beneuolence winne the myndes of ma∣ny, whereby he may be both holpen and considered, and others also for his sake. Sée now what it is to be of your iudgement. She was by the Quéene answe∣red vnto, thus: If ther were such a one as you speake of, who shoulde then be wise? not one. But if hée, whome you propounde wise, and enamoured of you, shuld be made a foole, he is not to be takē. The Gods forbid, that that wherof you speake, shoulde come to passe. And yet wée will not denie but that the wy••e know the euill, and do it: but for al that we wil say, that they thereby lose not their witte, forasmuch as what time it pleaseth them with the reason thei haue to bridle their willes, they will reduce them selues to their accustomed witte, guiding their motions in a due and straight ordre. And in this maner their loue shal be altogether, or at the least, a long time kepte se∣crete, and that without any doubtfull diligence, the which shall not happen to one of little witte, be he ne∣uer so strong or curteous. And yet if perhappes it do happe, that such loue be discouered, a wise man will with a hundred foresightes, shut vp the eyes and vn∣derstanding of the tattlers therof, and shal prouide a safetie both for his owne honour, as for the honour ••f his loued Lady▪ And if néede of safetie be, the helpe of the wi••e can not faile. That of the strong becom∣meth lesse. And the friendes that are gotten by Libe∣ralitie, are accustomed in aduersitie to sh••••ke a∣way. What is she of so lyttle discretion, that is brought to such a iumpe as hath néede of manifeste helpe? o•• that if hir loue be disclosed, séeketh fame in hauyng loued a Strong or Liberall man? I beléeue

there is none Rich. Let the wise then be soonest loued, ••oping that he must be in eche cause more profitable than any of the rest.

Notes

• The Gentle∣woman prai¦eth to be re∣solued whe∣ther ought sonest to be loued, eyther the Strong▪ the Liberal, or the Wise.
• The queenes aunswere.
• The reply of the Gentle∣woman.
• Biblys.
• Leander.
• Pasiphe.
• The quenes last sentence▪ to the thirde question.