hose who have less love conceal it in their desire to appear virtuous."

"It is true," said Parlamente, "that a heart which is virtuous towards
God and man loves more deeply than a vicious one, and fears not to have
its inmost purpose known."

"I have always heard," said Simontault, "that men should not be blamed
if they seek the love of women, for God has put into the heart of man
desire and boldness for asking, and in that of woman fear and chastity
for refusal. If, then, a man be punished for using the powers that have
been given him, he suffers wrong."

"But it must be remembered," said Longarine, "that he had praised this
gentleman for a long time to his sister. It seems to me that it would be
madness or cruelty in the keeper of a fountain to praise its fair waters
to one fainting with thirst, and then to kill him when he sought to
taste them."

"The brother," thereupon said Parlamente, "did indeed so kindle the
flame by gentle words of his own, that it was not meet he should beat it
out with the sword."

"I am surprised," said Saffredent, "to find it taken ill that a simple
gentleman should by dint of love alone, and without deceit, have come to
marry a lady of high lineage, seeing that the wisdom of the philosophers
accounts the least of men to be of more worth than the greatest and most
virtuous of women."

"The reason is," said Dagoucin, "that in order to preserve the
commonwealth in peace, account is only taken of the rank of families,
the age of persons, and the provisions of the laws, without regard to
the love and virtue of individuals, and all this so that the kingdom may
not be disturbed. Hence it comes to pass that, in marriages made between
equals and according to the judgment of kinsfolk and society, the
husband and wife often journey to the very outskirts of hell."

"Indeed it has been seen," said Geburon, "that those who, being alike in
heart, character and temperament, have married for love and paid no heed
to diversity of birth and lineage, have ofttime sorely repented of it;
for a deep unreasoning love is apt to turn to jealousy and rage."

"It seems to me," said Parlamente, "that neither course is worthy of
praise, but that folks should submit themselves to the will of God, and
pay no heed to glory, avarice or pleasure, and loving virtuously and
with the approval of their kinsfolk, seek only to live in the married
state as God and nature ordain. And although no condition be free from
tri