In the Second, he expatiates “On the question which doth give the more content in love, whether touching, seeing or speaking;”
In the Third, he speaks “Concerning the Beauty of a fine leg, and the virtue the same doth possess;”
In the Fourth, he discourses “Concerning old dames as fond to practise love as ever the young ones be;”
In the Fifth, he tells “How Fair and honourable ladies do love brave and valiant men, and brave men courageous women;”
In the Sixth, he teaches, “How we should never speak ill of ladies,—and of the consequences of so doing;”
In the Seventh, he asks, “Concerning married women, widows and maids—which of these be better than the other to love.”
This list of subjects, displaying as it does, all the leading ideas of the book, leaves me little to add. I have no call to go into a detailed appreciation of the Work under its manifold aspects as a gallery of portraits; my task was merely to judge of its general physiognomy and explain its raisin d’être; and this I have attempted to do.
I will only add by way of conclusion a few words to show the especial esteem we should feel for Brantôme on this ground, that his works contain nothing to corrupt good morals. Each narrative is told simply and straightforwardly, for what it is worth. The author neither embellishes nor exaggerates. Moreover the species of corollary he clinches it with is a philosophical and physiological deduction of the happiest and most apposite kind in the great majority of instances,—some witty and ingenious remark that never offends either against good sense or good taste. If now and again the reader is tempted to shy, he should in justice put this down to the diction of the time, which had not yet adopted that tone of arrogant virtue it nowadays affects. Then there was a large number of words in former days which connoted nothing worse than something ridiculous and absurd.
Then as to beauty of language, we must go roundabout ways to reach many a point they marched straight to in old days. Brantôme at any rate is a purist of style,—one of the most striking and most correct writers I have ever read. It is a great and genuine discovery readers will make, if they do not know him already; if they do, they will be renewing acquaintance with an old friend, at once witty and delightful. In either case, ’tis a piece of luck not to be despised.
H. VIGNEAU.