▁' Do ▁not ▁carry ▁any ▁rod ▁with ▁you ▁on ▁the ▁way ', ▁what ▁can ▁be ▁said ▁of ▁Our ▁Lord ▁and ▁Past or , ▁who ▁sc at ters ▁the ▁her d ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁with ▁s words , ▁guns , ▁arqu eb uses ▁and ▁can n ons ?" ▁ ▁Even ▁more ▁not orious ▁was ▁La ▁Ret or ica ▁delle ▁put t ane ▁(" The ▁Rh et or ic ▁of ▁Wh ores "), ▁which ▁Mu ir ▁describes ▁as ▁a ▁" sc and alous ▁anti - J es uit ▁work ", ▁which ▁" dem on str ates ▁why ▁Pal lav ic ino ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁Italian ▁author ▁of ▁his ▁epo ch ▁capable ▁of ▁a ▁coh er ent ▁vision ▁that ▁integrated ▁sat ire , ▁ske ptic ism , ▁and ▁natural istic ▁mor ality ." ▁La ▁Ret or ica ▁is ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁dialog ue ▁between ▁an ▁aged ▁prost itute ▁and ▁her ▁na ive ▁app rent ice . ▁The ▁older ▁woman ▁is ▁sick , ▁poor , ▁and ▁miser able ▁because , ▁she ▁explains , ▁she ▁" did ▁not ▁know ▁to ▁stop ▁at ▁r het or ic , ▁wanting ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁learn ▁philosophy ." ▁Mu ir ▁explains , ▁" By ▁' r het or ic ,' ▁she ▁means ▁the ▁arts ▁of ▁simulation ▁and ▁dis sim ulation , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁brought ▁her ▁pleasure ▁and ▁rich es , ▁without ▁danger , ▁while ▁philosophy , ▁with ▁its ▁pret ension ▁to ▁discover ing ▁truth , ▁has ▁brought ▁her ▁the ▁ru in ▁of ▁emot ional ▁authentic ity ."