III Of examining the state of a woman’s mind
When a man is trying to gain over a woman, he should
examine the state of her mind, and act as follows. If she listens to him, but does not manifest to him in any
way her own intentions, he should then try to gain her over by means of a
go-between. If she meets him once,
and again comes to meet him better dressed than before, or comes to him in some
lonely place, he should be certain that she is capable of being enjoyed by the
use of a little force. A woman who
lets a man make up to her, but does not give herself up, even after a long time,
should be considered as a trifler in love, but owing to the fickleness of the
human mind, even such a woman can be conquered by always keeping up a close
acquaintance with her.
When a woman avoids the attentions of a man, and on
account of respect for him, and pride in herself, will not meet him or approach
him, she can be gained over with difficulty, either by endeavoring to keep on
familiar terms with her, or else by an exceedingly clever go-between.
When a man makes up to a woman, and she reproaches him with harsh words,
she should be conquered by patience, and by continued efforts as follows:
If she happens to go to sleep in his vicinity, he should
put his left arm round her, and see when she awakes whether she repulses him in
reality, or only repulses him in such a way as if she was desirous of the same
thing being done to her again. And
what is done by the arm can also be done by the foot. If the man succeeds in this point he should embrace her more
closely, and if she will not stand the embrace and gets up, but behaves with him
as usual the next day, he should consider then that she is not unwilling to be
enjoyed by him. If, however, she
doesn’t appear again, the man should try to win her over by means of a
go-between; and if, after having disappeared for some time, she again appears,
and behaves with him as usual, the man should then consider that she would not
object to be united with him. When
a woman gives a man an opportunity, and makes her own love manifest to him, he
should proceed to enjoy her.