These
declared that it was, and still is their sole pleasure and delight to
commit whoredom with the wives of others; and that they look out for
such as are beautiful, and hire them for themselves at a great price
according to their wealth, and in general bargain about the price with
the wife alone. I asked, why they do not hire for themselves unmarried
women? They said, that they consider this would be cheap and worthless,
and therefore undelightful to them. I asked also, whether those wives
afterwards return to their husbands and live with them? They replied,
that they either do not return, or they return cold, having become
courtezans. Afterwards I asked them seriously, whether they ever
thought, or now think, that this is twofold adultery, because they
commit this at the time they have wives of their own, and that such
adultery deprives a man of all spiritual good? But at this several who
were present laughed, saying, "What is spiritual good?" Nevertheless I
was still urgent, and said, "What is more detestable than for a man to
mix his soul with the soul of a husband in his wife? Do you not know,
that the soul of a man is in his seed?" Hereupon they turned themselves
away and muttered, "What harm can this do her?" At length I said,
"Although you do not fear divine laws, do you not fear civil laws?" They
replied, "No, we only fear certain of the ecclesiastical order; but we
conceal this in their presence; and if we cannot conceal it, we keep
upon good terms with them.
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