[De duobus amantibus Euryalo et Lucretia]

She possessed a masculine mind within a female body. She wore many garments; no necklaces, no brooches, no belts, no bracelets were missing. The ornaments of her head were wonderful: there were many pearls and diamonds, both on her fingers and in her crown. I would not believe that Helen was more beautiful on the day Menelaus received Paris at the banquet. Nor was Andromache more adorned with the deeds of Hector at the wedding i.e., of the nuptials. Among these was also Katherina Pruchia, who shortly after the day had the Emperor at the funerals, who even gifted her son to the military at the sepulcher, for he was an infant. The beauty of her wonderful form also shone forth, yet Lucretia was inferior to none. All conversation was about Lucretia; Caesar commended her, and others stared at her. Wherever she turned, eyes followed her. One among them, however, was drawn to her more than was right: Eurialus the Frank, whom neither form nor wealth contradicted in love. He was twenty-two or twenty-three years old. He was not of towering stature, but of a pleasant and graceful habit. He was illustrious, with black eyes and cheeks blushing with grace. His other limbs corresponded to a certain majesty of beauty in his stature. The rest of the courtiers were all weighed down with gold because of the long military campaign. He, because he had abundance at home and was more admired because of the friendship of Caesar,

was rendered more and more the object of people's sight. He was able to lead a long line of servants. His horses were such as are in the fables to have come from Troy, belonging to Memnon. Nothing was missing in him to excite that gentle heat of the soul that they call love, except that he was not yet burning. But youth and luxury and the good gifts of fortune with which he was nourished conquered him. Eurialus could not control himself when he saw Lucretia; he began to burn for the girl, and, clinging to her face, he thought he had seen her many times. Nor did he love without cost. It is a miserable thing. Many youths of outstanding form were present, but Lucretia singled out this one man; among the women, she singled out Eurialus. Nor did Lucretia know on that very day that the flame of Eurialus was for her, nor did he know that of Lucretia; each thought they loved in vain. Thus, when the ceremonies of the sacred head of Caesar had reached their limit and she had returned home, Lucretia was entirely set on Eurialus, and Eurialus was entirely set on Lucretia. Who now can remove the sad tale of Pyramus? Among them, proximity made the first acquaintance and the first steps, for they had contiguous houses. In time, love grew, where they had nowhere else seen each other and had not known each other by fame. He was a Frank, she was an Etruscan, and no commerce of language intervened, but the matter was done only with the eyes, once each had pleased the other. Wounded, and thus therefore, by heavy care and fire, Lucretia