What folly it is of men to suppose their own and their
house's honour depend on the appetite of a woman. The tragedy in which
such affairs commonly ended was so well known that the novelist looked
on the threatened gallant as a dead man, even while he went about alive
and merry. The physician and lute-player Antonio Bologna had made a
secret marriage with the widowed Duchess of Amalfi, of the house of
Aragon. Soon afterwards her brother succeeded in securing both her and
her children, and murdered them in a castle. Antonio, ignorant of their
fate, and still cherishing the hope of seeing them again, was staying
at Milan, closely watched by hired assassins, and one day in the
society of Ippolita Sforza sang to the lute the story of his
misfortunes. A friend of the house, Delio, 'told the story up to this
point to Scipione Atellano, and added that he would make it the subject
of a novel, as he was sure that Antonio would be murdered.' The manner
in which this took place, almost under the eyes of both Delio and
Atellano, is movingly described by Bandello.
Nevertheless, the novelists habitually show a sympathy for all the
ingenious, comic, and cunning features which may happen to attend
adultery. They describe with delight how the lover manages to hide
himself in the house, all the means and devices by which he
communicates with his mistress, the boxes with cushions and sweetmeats
in which he can be hidden and carried out of danger.
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