THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER cleverness and good sense which I know are his) imagine the highest perfection that can be desired in woman, and will set it forth in beautiful language too; and then we shall have some- thing to offer against my lord Caspar's false aspersions." 100.—" My Lady," replied the Magnifico, " I am not sure how well advised you are to impose on me an enterprise of such weight that I really do not feel myself sufficient for it. Nor am I like the Count and messer Federico, who have with their elo- quence described a Courtier that never was and perhaps never can be. Still, if it pleases you to have me bear this burden, at least let it be upon the sstme conditions as in the case of these other gentlemen, namely: that everyone may contradict me when he pleases; for I shall take it, not as contradiction, but as aid; and perhaps by the correction of my mistakes we shall dis- cover that perfection of the Court Lady which we seek." " I hope," replied my lady Duchess, "that your talk will be of such sort that little may be found in it to contradict. So give your whole mind to it, and describe for us such a woman that these adversaries of ours shall be ashamed to say she is not equal in worth to the Courtier; of whom it will be well for mes- ser Federico to say no more, since the Courtier has been only too well adorned by him, especially as there is now need to give him a paragon in woman." Then messer Federico said: " My Lady, little or nothing is now left for me to tell about the Courtier; and what I thought of saying has been driven from my mind by messer Bernardo's pleasantries." " If that be so," said my lady Duchess, " let us come together again early to-morrow, and we shall have time to attend to both matters." Thereupon all rose to their feet, and having reverently taken leave of my lady Duchess, everyone went to his own room. 170
