the _OEuvres de Maistre
Alain Chartier_, Paris, 1617, p. 502.--L.

"Would to God, madam," answered Dagoucin, "that all the ladies in this
company knew how false that saying is. I think they would then scarcely
wish to be called pitiless, or to imitate that unbelieving beauty who
suffered a worthy lover to die for lack of a gracious answer to his
suit."

"So," said Parlamente, "you would have us risk honour and conscience to
save the life of a man who says he loves us."

"That is not my meaning," replied Dagoucin, "for he who loves with a
perfect love would be even more afraid of hurting his lady's honour than
would she herself. I therefore think that an honourable and graceful
response, such as is called for by perfect and seemly love, must tend to
the increase of honour and the satisfaction of conscience, for no true
lover could seek the contrary."

"That is always the end of your speeches," said Ennasuite; "they begin
with honour and end with the contrary. However, if all the gentlemen
present will tell the truth of the matter, I am ready to believe them on
their oaths."

Hircan swore that for his own part he had never loved any woman but
his own wife, and even with her had no desire to be guilty of any gross
offence against God.

Simontault declared the same, and added that he had often wished all
women were froward excepting his own wife.

"Truly," said Geburon to him, "you deserve that your wife should be what
you would have the others. For my own part, I can swear to you that I
once loved a woman so dearly that I would rather have died than have led
her to do anything that might have diminished my esteem for her. My love
for her was so founded upon her virtues, that for no advantage that I
might have had of her would I have seen them blemished."

At this Saffredent burst out laughing.

"Geburon," he said, "I thought that your wife's affection and your own
good sense would have guarded you from the danger of falling in love
elsewhere, but I see that I was mistaken, for you still use the very
phrases with which we are wont to beguile the most subtle of women, and
to obtain a hearing from the most discreet. For who would close her ears
against us when we begin our discourse by talking of honour and virtue?
(8) But if we were to show them our hearts just as they are, there is
many a man now welcome among the ladies whom they would reckon of but
little account. But we hide the devil in our natures unde