Cum sic invicem fantur in thalamum pergunt ubi talem noctem habuerunt qualem credimus inter duos amantes fuisse, postquam navibus altis raptam Helenam Paris abduxit, tamque dulcis nox ista fuit ut ambo negarent tam bene inter Martem Veneremque fuisse. “tu meus es Gaminides, tu meus Ypolitus Dyamedesque meus” dicebat Lucrecia. “tu mihi Pollixena es,” Eurialus referebat, “tu Emilia, tu Venus ipsa;” et nunc os, nunc genas, nunc oculos commendabat. elevataque nonnumquam lodice secreta quae non viderat antea comtemplabatur, et “plus” dicebat “invenio quam putaram. talem lavantem vidit Acheon in fonte Dyanam. quid his membris formosius, quid candidius? iam redemi pericula. quid est quod propter te non debeat sustineri? o pectus decorum! o papillae praenitidae! vosne tango, vosne habeo, vosne meas incidistis manus? o teretes artus! o redolens corpus! tene ego possideo? nunc mori satius est, quando hoc gaudium est recens, ne qua interveniat calamitas! anime mi! teneo te, an somnio? verane ista voluptas est, an extra mentem positus, sic reor? non somnio, certe vera res agitur. o suavia basia, o dulces amplexus, o melliflui morsus! nemo me felicius vivit, nemo beatius. sed heu! quam veloces horae. invida nox, cur fugis? mane Appollo, mane apud inferos diu! cur equos tam cito in iugum trahis? sine plus graminis edant. da mihi noctem, ut Alcmenae dedisti! cur tu tam repente Citoni tui cubile relinquis Aurora? si tam illi grata esses quam mihi Lucrecia, haud tam mane surgere te permitteret. numquam mihi nox visa est hac brevior, quamvis apud Britanos Dacosque fuerim.” sic Eurialus; nec minora dicebat Lucrecia. nec osculum, nec verbum irrepensatum praeteriit. stringebat hic, stringebat illa. nec post Venerem lassi iacebant, sed, ut Antheus ex terra validior resurgebat, sic post bellum alacriores isti robustioresque fiebant.
(Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, De Duobus Amantibus Historia 132v-133r)

Speaking together thus, they went into her room, where they passed such a night as, I imagine, the two lovers spent, when Paris had carried off Helen in his tall ship; so sweet a night that both said Mars and Venus could not have been better together. ‘You are my Ganymede, my Hippolytus, my Diomedes,’ said Lucretia. ‘And you my Polyxena,’ he replied, ‘my Aemilia, Venus herself.’ And now he praised her mouth, now her cheeks, and now her eyes. And sometimes, raising the blanket, he gazed at those secret parts he had not seen before, and cried: ‘I find more than I had expected. Thus must Diana have appeared to Actaeon, when she bathed in the spring. Could anything be lovelier or whiter than your body? Now I am rewarded for all perils. What would I not suffer for your sake? Oh lovely bosom, most glorious breasts! Can it be that I touch you, possess you, hold you in my hands? Smooth limbs, sweet-scented body, are you really mine? Now it were well to die, with such a joy still fresh, before any misfortune could befall. My darling, do I hold you, or is it a dream? Is all this pleasure true, or am I mad to think so? No, it is no dream, it is the very truth. Dear kisses, soft embraces, bites sweet as honey! No one was ever happier than I, no one more fortunate! But woe is me! how swift the hours. Jealous night, why do you fly? Stay, Apollo, tarry a little longer among the dead. Why in such a hurry to yoke your steeds? Let them still graze. Give me such a night as you gave Alcmenus. And you, Aurora, why in such haste to leave Tithonus’ bed? If you were half as dear to him as Lucretia is to me, he’d never let you rise so early. Never have I known a night so short as this, although I have been in Britain and the land of the Dacians.’ Thus Euryalus, and Lucretia echoed him. She returned him kiss for kiss, and word for word. They clasped each other close; nor were they wearied by their love, but as Antaeus rose stronger from the earth, so they gained strength and energy from their strife. (tr. Flora Grierson)



Verbera servos decent, non liberos. nobilibus pueris et maxim regibus maiorum laudes ac vituperia quam verbera commoditatem magis afferunt. illae ad honesta concitant, haec a turpitudine cohibent; in utrisque tamen adhibendus est modus, ne quid nimis sit. pueri namque immodicis celebrati laudationibus intumescunt, nimiis autem affecti iurgiis franguntur animoque deficiunt. at ex plagis odia surgunt, quae ad virilem aetatem usque perdurant. discenti autem nihil magis adversum est, quam praeceptores odisse, quos tu, si recte facere volueris, non minus amabis quam ipsa studia, et parentes esse, non quidem corporis sed mentis tuae iudicabis. multum haec pietas studio confert.
(Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, De Liberorum Educatione 10)

Blows are suitable for slaves, not free men. For noble and especially for royal boys, the praise and blame of their elders are more serviceable than their blows. The former incites them to virtuous deeds, the latter restrains them from disgraceful behavior; yet in each case, measure must be applied lest there be excess. For boys honored with unmeasured praise become arrogant, but visited with too much criticism they become broken and low-spirited. Indeed from blows arises a hatred which endures even to manhood, yet nothing is worse for a pupil than to hate his teachers. If you wish to act rightly, you should love them not less than your studies themselves, and you will consider them as the parents, not of your body, but of your mind. This devoted affection is a great aid to study. (tr. Craig W. Kallendorf)