THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER "Verily it would be a great gain to women if they could con- ciliate two such great enemies of theirs as you and my lord Gaspar are." " I am not their enemy," replied my lord Gaspar, " but you are indeed an enemy of men; for if you would not have women taunted as to their honour, you ought also to impose on them a law that they shall not taunt men for that which is as shame- ful to us as unchastity is to women. And why was not Alonso Carillo's retort to my lady Boadilla (about hoping to escape with his life by being asked to become her husband) as seemly in him, as it was for her to say that all who knew him thought the king was about to have him hanged? And why was it not as allowable for Riciardo Minutoli to deceive Filippello's wife and get her to go to that resort, as for Beatrice to make her husband Egano'"* get out of bed and be cudgelled by Anichino, after she had long been with the latter? And for that other woman to tie a string to her toe and make her husband believe that she was someone else? — since you say that these women's pranks in Giovanni Boccaccio are so clever and fine." 93-— Then messer Bernardo said, laughing: " My Lords, as my task was simply to discuss pleasantries, I do not mean to go outside my subject. And I think I have already told why it does not seem to me befitting to attack women in their honour either by word or deed, and have im- posed on them as well a rule that they shall not touch men in a tender spot. " As for the pranks and sallies cited by you, my lord Gaspar, I grant that although what Alonso said to my lady Boadilla may touch a little on her chastity, it still does not displease me, because it is very remote, and is so veiled that it may be taken innocently, and the speaker might disguise his meaning, and declare he had not meant it. He said another that was to my thinking very unseemly. And it was this: as the queen "^ was passing my lady Boadilla's house,"*" Alonso saw the door all blackened with pictures of those indecencies that are painted about inns in such variety; and turning to the Countess of Cas- tagneta,'"* he said. ' There, my Lady, are the heads of the game that my lady Boadilla slays in hunting every day.' You see that 164
