he heart is
plighted, nothing is impossible to the body."

"True," said Hircan; "to bodies which have become those of angels."

"I do not speak only of those," said Oisille, "who by the grace of God
are wholly transformed into Himself, but of the grosser spirits that
we see here below among men. And, if you give heed, you will find that
those who have set their hearts and affections upon seeking after the
perfection of the sciences, have forgotten not only the lust of the
flesh, but even the most needful matters, such as food and drink; for
so long as the soul is stirred within the body, so long does the flesh
continue as though insensible. Thence comes it that those who love
handsome, honourable and virtuous women have such happiness of spirit in
seeing them and speaking with them, that the flesh is lulled in all its
desires. Those who cannot feel this happiness are the carnally-minded,
who, wrapped in their exceeding fatness, cannot tell whether they have a
soul or not. But, when the body is in subjection to the spirit, it is
as though heedless of the failings of the flesh, and the beliefs of such
persons may render them insensible of the same. I knew a gentleman who,
to show that he loved his mistress more dearly than did any other man,
proved it to all his comrades by holding his bare fingers in the
flame of a candle. And then, with his eyes fixed upon his mistress, he
remained firm until he had burned himself to the bone, and yet said that
he had felt no hurt."

"Methinks," said Geburon, "that the devil whose martyr he was ought to
have made a St. Lawrence of him; for there are few whose love-flame is
hot enough to keep them from fearing that of the smallest taper. But
if a lady had suffered me to endure so much hurt for her sake, I should
either have sought a rich reward or else have taken my love away from
her."

"So," said Parlamente, "you would have your hour after the lady had
had hers? That was what was done by a gentleman of the neighbourhood
of Valencia in Spain, whose story was told to me by a captain, a right
worthy man."

"I pray you, madam," said Dagoucin, "take my place and tell it us, for I
am sure that it must be a good one."

"This story, ladies," said Parlamente, "will teach you both to think
twice when you are inclined to give a refusal and to lay aside the
thought that the present will always continue; and so, knowing that it
is subject to mutation, you will have a care for the time to com