Book One, Introduction to the Treatise on Love, Chapter 6, Dialogues 1-3 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 6 covers the ways in which love can be acquired, attempting to give an exhaustive list. Love can be acquired in five ways: a beautiful body, good character, ready speech, riches and generosity to expressed needs such as promiscuity. Love can only truly be achieved by the first three. The latter two causes cannot produce love worthily.

Beauty wins love with little effort, particularly with respect to simple forms of love. However, such love rarely lasts. Wiser lovers seek those with good characters instead of beauty. Andreas encourages Walter to be careful not to be taken in by beauty or excellent talk. Only good character is worthy of love. Andreas lists dialogues between men and women of different classes. He notes...