When you want to court a woman, court her sister first
I see but one rule: to be clear.
I love her beauty, but I fear her mind.
At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.
Because one has little fear of shocking vanity in Italy, people adopt an intimate tone very quickly and discuss personal things.
If you want to be witty, work on your character and say what you think on every occasion.