To intimate his secrecy in love-matters, he had an inkstand with a Cupid on it, holding a finger on his lips.  I believe it is still in existence.[36] He did not disclose his mistresses’ names, as Dante did, for the purpose of treating them with contempt; nor, on the other hand, does he appear to have been so indiscriminately gallant as to be fond of goitres.[37] The only mistress of whom he complained he concealed in a Latin appellation; and of her he did not complain with scorn.  He had loved, besides Alessandra Benucci, a lady of the name of Ginevra; the mother of one of his children is recorded as a certain Orsolina; and that of the other was named Maria, and is understood to have been a governess in his father’s family.[38]

He ate fast, and of whatever was next him, often beginning with the bread on the table before the dishes came; and he would finish his dinner with another bit of bread.  “Appetiva le rape,” says his good son; videlicet, he was fond of turnips.  In his fourth Satire, he mentions as a favourite dish, turnips seasoned with vinegar and boiled must (sapa), which seems, not unjustifiably, to startle Mr. Panizzi.[39] He cared so little for good eating, that he said of himself, he should have done very well in the days when people lived on acorns.

A stranger coming in one day at the dinner-hour, he ate up what was provided for both; saying afterwards, when told of it, that the gentleman should have taken care of himself.  This does not look very polite; but of course it was said in jest.  His son attributed this carelessness at table to absorption in his studies.

He carried this absence of mind so far, and was at the same time so good a pedestrian, that Virginio tells us he once walked all the way from Carpi to Ferrara in his slippers, owing to his having strolled out of doors in that direction.

The same biographers who describe him as a brave soldier, add, that he was a timid horseman and seaman; and indeed he appears to have eschewed every kind of unnecessary danger.  It was a maxim of his, to be the last in going out of a boat.  I know not what Orlando would have said to this; but there is no doubt that the good son and brother avoided no pain in pursuit of his duty.  He more than once risked his life in the service of government from the perils of travelling among war-makers and banditti.  Imagination finds something worthy of itself on great occasions, but is apt to discover the absurdity of staking existence on small ones.  Ariosto did not care to travel out of Italy.  He preferred, he says, going round the earth in a map; visiting countries without having to pay innkeepers, and ploughing harmless seas without thunder and lightning[40].