“It is so,” said Saffredent, “that I understood your words, and I thence conclude that, whatever a man may do, he can commit only venial sin if he be deeply in love.  I am sure that, if Love hold him fast bound, Reason can never gain a hearing, whether from his heart or from his understanding.  And if the truth be told, there is not one among us but has had knowledge of such passion; and not merely do I think that sin so committed is readily pardoned, but I even believe that God is not angered by it, seeing that such love is a ladder whereby we may climb to the perfect love of Himself.  And none can attain to this save by the ladder of earthly love, (3) for, as St. John says, ’He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?’” (4)

     3 All this passage is borrowed, almost word for word, from
     Castiglione’s Libro del Cortegiano.  See ante, vol. i. p.
     10.—­B.J.

     4 i John iv. 20.—­M.

“There is not a passage in Scripture,” said Oisille, “too good for you to turn to your own purposes.  But beware of doing like the spider, which transforms sound meat into poison.  Be advised that it is a perilous matter to quote Scripture out of place and without cause.”

“Do you call speaking the truth out of place and without cause?” said Saffredent.  “You hold, then, that when, in speaking to you unbelieving women, we call God to our assistance, we take His name in vain; but if there be any sin in this, you alone must bear the blame, for it is your unbelief that compels us to seek out all the oaths that we can think of.  And in spite of it all, we cannot kindle the flame of charity in your icy hearts.”

“That,” said Longarine, “proves that you all speak falsely.  If truth were in your words, it is strong enough to make you be believed.  Yet there is danger lest the daughters of Eve should hearken too readily to the serpent.”

“I see clearly,” said Saffredent, “that women are not to be conquered by men.  So I shall be silent, and see to whom Ennasuite will give her vote.”

“I give it,” she said, “to Dagoucin, for I think he would not willingly speak against the ladies.”

“Would to God,” said Dagoucin, “that they were as well disposed towards me as I am towards them.  To show you that I have striven to honour the virtuous among them by recalling their good deeds, I will now tell you the story of such a one.  I will not deny, ladies, that the patience of the gentleman at Pampeluna, and of the President at Grenoble was great, but then it was equalled in magnitude by their vengeance.  Moreover, when we seek to praise a virtuous man, we ought not so to exalt a single virtue as to make of it a cloak for the concealment of grievous vice; for none are praiseworthy save such as do virtuous things from the love of virtue alone, and this I hope to prove by telling you of the patient virtue of a lady whose goodness had no other object save the honour of God and the salvation of her husband.”