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.[Love is infinite potentially—not in actuality—for it is impossible to love with an end in sight.In other words, the desires of people in love are infinite, and they can never settle down after achieving something.This is because after obtaining it, they long forsomething else, and something else again, and something more after that.And so it goes on, one thing after the other.They can never be satisfied.]124Tullia also notes that Boccaccio has proven the same thing in his Decameron.125 In other words, love itself is eternal and infinite, but human desires concerning love are inconstant and, thus, finite.More discussion follows in which Varchichallenges her conclusion, and both interlocutors bring up authorities such as Plato, Aristotle, Dante, Boccaccio, Ficino, and Petrarch, to support their ideas, provingthat Aragona read much, or at least picked up much from salon discussions anddebates, before attempting her own discourse.Aragona especially has Varchi praise “Filone,” referring to Ebreo’s Dialoghid’ amore, in which Filone debates with Sophia, a female personification of wisdom.126 Russell and Merry point out that Aragona dwells on this dialogue forthe ways in which its arguments counter those about love in Speroni’s, but Smarrargues that Aragona may emphasize her approval of this dialogue “even more—oralso—for the role it gives its woman speaker.” She points out that Sophia “readilyunderstands subtle philosophical analyses, does not balk at references to theancient philosophers, is frequently able to make rational objections to Filone’scomments, and indeed represents the very wisdom to which her lover Filone is sogrieving at the exclusion of women from intellectual love,” 210.121 Smarr,210.122 Aragona,210.123 Aragona,213–14.124Aragona, 216; Russell and Merry, 84.125 Aragona,216.126 Aragona,224–5.Tullia d’ Aragona, Sperone Speroni47devoted.”127 Aragona thus clearly models her Tullia on the figure of Sophia, inaddition to the figure of Diotima, to counter Speroni’s patronizing construction of his version of her persona.When the discourse ends, Benucci thanks them for their performance on behalfof the audience and points out that there were to be two more questions on whichthey would like to have Varchi’s opinions: 1) Is it true that whoever loves is moved principally to do so by his or her own interests, or is it rather that one may find those who love for the sake of others more than for themselves? and 2) Which loveis more powerful: that which comes from destiny or that which comes from one’sown choice?128 Varchi addresses the first question briefly, and, with the help ofBenucci, underscores the idea that the beloved and the lover are equals in love and that they ultimately love for self-interested reasons, even when one is willing to die for the other, because, ideally, the two really are one, when all is said and done.129Upon considering the second question, Varchi suggests that it needs much moreconsideration than they have time to give it, since it should involve a discussion of“fato” and “predestinazione,” fate and predestination.He suggests that they table it for another time.130 Aragona, thus, like Castiglione, makes use of the open endingfor her debate, a popular ploy that simultaneously opens the way for sequels andshows that the writer has more profound ground to cover, yet lets the writer off the hook for the moment.131 She, however, does not end her discourse here.She haspersonal promotion and one small vendetta to which she must attend.Near the end of Aragona’s dialogue, Benucci praises Tullia, remindingeveryone that she has been honored by many of the most esteemed gentlemen oftheir times, including aristocrats, princes, and cardinals, who have throughout the years have visited her home, and continue to do so, as they consider it “unauniversale ed onorata academia,” a universal and honored academy.He furthersuggests that it is her most noble and courteous, “nobilissimo e cortesissimo” soul that attracts them.132 Tullia tries to silence Benucci, but Varchi insists that he press on, for he is only stating what is common knowledge, what “tutta Italia” and even“tutto il mondo” already know.Benucci then posits that there are many whobelieve that Tullia is in love with them, but they are mistaken.He notes that earlier, he brought up the name of Bernardo Tasso and reminded her of the evidence oftheir love in Speroni’s dialogue, but Tullia replied that even though she loved127 Smarr,209.128 Aragona,237.129 Aragona,237–40.130 Aragona,241.131 At the end of the Courtier, the duchess desires that Bembo be the judge of“whether or not women are as capable of divine love as men,” but it is almost dawn, and they decide to postpone this discussion until the next evening
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