很多人看到過這幅世界名畫： 《馬背上的葛黛瓦夫人》一個赤裸的女人， 卻不知道她背後的故事！ 1040年，英國考文垂市的利奧夫裡克伯爵迎娶了葛黛瓦為妻。
葛黛瓦夫人貌美如花，氣質端莊典雅，人們都對她十分傾慕，可她卻整日悶悶不樂。
伯爵看在眼裡疼在心裡，有一天，他終於忍不住問她：「您為何如此憂鬱，難道奴僕們待您不好嗎？」 葛黛瓦搖搖頭，說：「這裡的百姓臉上都寫滿了怨忿，我哪裡高興得起來？」 伯爵生氣地說：「您為了一群賤民而憂愁，真是有失體統。」
葛黛瓦哀求道：「可他們都快活不下去了，您能替他們減輕一點稅負嗎？」 原來，伯爵為了支持英軍出徵，下令徵收重稅，百姓為此怨聲載道。兩人因此爭執起來，伯爵語氣堅決地說：「我是朝廷重臣，理應為國家分憂。」 葛黛瓦針鋒相對：「您從他們身上榨取的已經夠多了，這次就放過他們吧。」 伯爵氣急敗壞地說：「放過他們可以，除非您赤身裸體地騎馬在城中大街上轉一圈，我就宣布減稅。」
第二天清晨，葛黛瓦夫人果然脫去睡袍，一絲不掛地騎上馬，離開官邸。伯爵想上前制止，卻不敢開口，只好也騎著馬，跟在她後面。葛黛瓦光著身子在街上轉了一大圈，但所有百姓卻都像事先商量好了一樣，始終關閉門窗，大街小巷都空無一人，沒有一個人趁機窺探她的隱私。
伯爵問：「您怎麼知道他們值得您這樣冒險相助？」 葛黛瓦笑了笑：「如果真心想幫助他人，就不該去想他人將怎樣回報自己，難道不是嗎？」 伯爵點了點頭，立即宣布全城減稅。多年後，英國著名畫家約翰·柯裡爾聽說了此事，隨即畫下油畫《馬背上的葛黛瓦夫人》。 《馬背上的GODIVA夫人》
柯裡爾說：「真正的高貴，是心中明白自己該去救濟他人時，就勇敢去做，而不會過多考慮他人是否會因此而感恩，更不會因他人的回應而改變初衷。」
時至今日，這幅名畫仍被考文垂市博物館珍藏，這幅油畫和葛黛瓦夫人，已經成為考文垂市的「名片」。
偽善即使在高明 也敵不過時間的考驗 在事實和危機面前總會真相大白 真善不需要裝，退去浮華也會一直永遠美麗。
「只有真心為人，才會獲得別人的真心。」
You might associate the name 「Godiva」 with a brand of Belgian chocolates, but it was first popularized as part of a 900-year-old English legend. The original Lady Godiva was an 11th century noblewoman married to Leofric, the powerful Earl of Mercia and Lord of Coventry. As the story goes, Godiva was troubled by the crippling taxes Leofric had levied on the citizens of Coventry. After she repeatedly asked him to lessen the burden, Leofric quipped that he would lower taxes only if she rode naked on horseback through the center of town. Determined to help the public, Godiva stripped off her clothes, climbed on her horse and galloped through the market square with only her long flowing hair to cover herself. Before leaving, she ordered the people of Coventry to remain inside their homes and not peek, but one man, named Tom, couldn’t resist opening his window to get an eyeful. Upon doing so, this 「Peeping Tom」 was struck blind. After finishing her naked ride, Godiva confronted her husband and demanded that he hold up his end of the bargain. True to his word, Leofric reduced the people’s debts.
While most historians consider her nude horseback ride a myth, Lady Godiva—or 「Godgifu」 as some sources call her—was indeed a real person from the 11th century. The historical Godiva was known for her generosity to the church, and along with Leofric, she helped found a Benedictine monastery in Coventry. Contemporary accounts of her life note that 「Godgifu」 was one of only a few female landowners in England in the 1000s, but they make no mention of a clothes-free horseback ride. That story appears to have first cropped up some 100 years after her death in a book by the English monk Roger of Wendover, who was known for stretching the truth in his writings. The legend of 「Peeping Tom,」 meanwhile, didn’t become a part of the tale until the 16th century. The Godiva myth was later popularized in songs and in verse by the likes of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who wrote a famous poem called 「Godiva」 in 1840.