But, as afterwards appeared, when he said this to me he had already enjoyed the peasant girl under the title of husband, and was waiting for an opportunity of making it known with safety to himself, being in dread of what his father the duke would do when he came to know of his folly. It happened, then, that as with young men love is for the most part nothing more than appetite, which, as its final object is enjoyment, comes to an end on obtaining it, and that which seemed to be love takes to flight, as it cannot pass the limit fixed by nature, which fixes no limit to true love—what I mean is that after Don Fernando had enjoyed this peasant girl his passion subsided and his eagerness cooled, and if at first he feigned a wish to absent himself in order to cure his love, he was now in reality anxious to go to avoid keeping his promise.
Ya cuando él me vino a decir esto, según después se supo, había gozado a la labradora con título de esposo, y esperaba ocasión de descubrirse a su salvo, temeroso de lo que el duque su padre haría cuando supiese su disparate. »Sucedió, pues, que, como el amor en los mozos, por la mayor parte, no lo es, sino apetito, el cual, como tiene por último fin el deleite, en llegando a alcanzarle se acaba y ha de volver atrás aquello que parecía amor, porque no puede pasar adelante del término que le puso naturaleza, el cual término no le puso a lo que es verdadero amor...; quiero decir que, así como don Fernando gozó a la labradora, se le aplacaron sus deseos y se resfriaron sus ahíncos; y si primero fingía quererse ausentar, por remediarlos, ahora de veras procuraba irse, por no ponerlos en ejecución.