speak more circumspectly on this subject. And that thou mayst not
think that we, who have spoken much at large of our wives, believe
that we have wives other or otherwise made than thine, but mayst see
that we spoke thus, moved by natural perception, I will e'en reason
with thee a little on this matter. I have always understood man to be
the noblest animal created of God among mortals, and after him, woman;
but man, as is commonly believed and as is seen by works, is the more
perfect and having more perfection, must without fail have more of
firmness and constancy, for that women universally are more
changeable; the reason whereof might be shown by many natural
arguments, which for the present I purpose to leave be. If then man be
of more stability and yet cannot keep himself, let alone from
complying with a woman who soliciteth him, but even from desiring one
who pleaseth him, nay more, from doing what he can, so he may avail to
be with her,--and if this betide him not once a month, but a thousand
times a day,--what canst thou expect a woman, naturally unstable, to
avail against the prayers, the blandishments, the gifts and a thousand
other means which an adroit man, who loveth her, will use? Thinkest
thou she can hold out? Certes, how much soever thou mayst affirm it,
I believe not that thou believest it; and thou thyself sayst that thy
wife is a woman and that she is of flesh and blood, as are other
women. If this be so, those same desires must be hers and the same
powers that are in other women to resist these natural appetites;
wherefore, however honest she be, it is possible she may do that which
other women do; and nothing that is possible she be so peremptorily
denied nor the contrary thereof affirmed with such rigour as thou
dost.' To which Bernabo made answer, saying, 'I am a merchant, and not
a philosopher, and as a merchant I will answer; and I say that I
acknowledge that what thou sayst may happen to foolish women in whom
there is no shame; but those who are discreet are so careful of their
honour that for the guarding thereof they become stronger than men,
who reck not of this; and of those thus fashioned is my wife.'
'Indeed,' rejoined Ambrogiuolo, 'if, for every time they occupy
themselves with toys of this kind, there sprouted from their foreheads
a horn to bear witness of that which they have done, there be few, I
believe, who would incline thereto; but, far from the horn sprouting,
there appeareth neit