The Book of Courtesans
A Catalogue of Their Virtues
C 2001 Susan Griffin
Broadway Books new York
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "MISTRESS" and A "COURTESAN?" Susan Griffin is a wonderful author, her language lyrical, as she displays for us the VIRTUES.
Page 4
"And unlike the mistress of a married man, who is often kept hidden, just as the courtesan was proud of her jewelry, she too was proudly displayed. She was expected to accompany her various lovers to public places and events, cafes, restaurants, balls, parties, the theatre, the opera, even hosting gathering of her lover's friends at her home..... During the Belle Epoque in Paris, among the wealthy playboys, aristocrats, and businessmen who belonged to the exclusive Jockey Club, it was considered de rigueur to keep a courtesan - so much so that even homosexual men felt they had to do it for show.
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