and service.â
âWell enough, I can see that,â Wolfgang agreed. âThat was the same sort of contract that the Greeks and Romans recognized. Indeed, the ancient philosophers say very little about love for oneâs wife. â
Benno shrugged. âIn factâwell, itâs generally considered rather common and ill-bred to be in love with your wife.â
âAnd the woman you love isnât your leman eitherâyou donât necessarily lie with her.â That was Siegfriedâs contribution. He felt very sorry for Wolfgang; all the logic in the world wasnât going to make sense of the rules of courtly loveâbut it wasnât about logic, it was about the heart, after all, which knew no logic.
âNoâwell, sometimes you might have her carnally, if sheâs nobly born, but itâs best if she isnât actually your leman. Godâs breath, Wolfgang, how could anyone make songs to the beauty of a little peasant girlâs hands? If youâve got a serf girl or three tucked away, thatâs all very well, but you donât elevate her to lover. That would be sordid, demeaning.â Benno sounded very sure of himself.
âSordid for you, or her?â Wolfgang muttered under his breath. Then he raised his voice. âAll right, then, couldnât your lover be a maiden you aspire to?â
Benno shook his head. âWell, she can, but itâs better if sheâs already married if youâre going to lie with herâand really, itâs better even if you arenât going to lie with her. You donât want to ruin a maidenâs honor with your attentions.â
Wolfgang sat straight up. âYou mean to tell me that the fashionable thing is to make love to another manâs wife?â he yelped, actually shocked.
This from the man who has translated the poems of Sappho? Siegfried thought.
âYou still donât understand,â Benno complained. âYouâre not supposed to make love to her, youâre supposed to adore her from afar, do everything for her. This is Courtly Love, Wolfgang. It hasnât anything to do with lust, or marriage, itâs supposed to be utterly pure and above all that. Itâs supposed to be all-consuming, overpowering, like Lancelot, or Tristanââ
âLancelot bedded Guinevere, and Tristan ran off with Isolde,â Wolfgang pointed out with complete truth. âThat sounds like making love to another manâs wife to me.â
âWell, Lancelot and Tristan failed to reach the ideal, and that was why they came to tragic ends,â Benno explained earnestly. âThey werenât supposed to let lust get into it, you see? When Courtly Love is pure, itâs perfect, and you donât get into situations like that. Donât you see how liberating and glorious it is? You donât have to be in love with that doughball youâre wedded to, and you donât have to be in love with the pretty peasant youâre futtering in the barn. Love gives another person power over youâbeing in love with your wife could be trouble, because she could rule you, and being in love with your leman is degradingâhow could gentleman and a knight allow a peasant to have power over him? The proper person to give that power to is the kind of person whoâs either your equal or your superior, donât you see? Thatâs why you love a lady above your stature, and preferably a married one with a husband whoâs conveniently on pilgrimage, or at least disinclined to take exception to your attention.â
Wolfgang took a long pull off his wineglass and sighed. âThereâs no logic to this!â he complained plaintively.
Siegfried decided to put his own bit in. âItâs not supposed to be logical, Wolfgang, and the rules arenât logical, either. Itâs an escape from logic, I suppose.â
âExactly!â Benno beamed on his friend. âExactly!