The Book of the Courtier
Apelles without hesitation:—munificence truly worthy of Alexander, to
sacrifice not only treasure and states but his very affections and
desires; and sign of exceeding love for Apelles, in order to please the
artist, not to hesitate at displeasing the woman he dearly loved, who
(we may believe) was sorely grieved to change so great a king for a
painter. Many other signs also are told of Alexander’s favour to
Apelles; but he very clearly showed how highly he esteemed the painter,
in commanding by public edict that none other should presume to paint
his portrait.
“Here I could tell you of the rivalries of many noble painters, which
filled nearly the whole world with praise and wonderment. I could tell
you with what solemnity ancient emperors adorned their triumphs with
pictures, and set them up in public places, and how dearly bought them;
and that there were some painters who gave their works as gifts,
esteeming gold and silver inadequate to pay for them; and how a painting
by Protogenes was prized so highly, that when Demetrius[136] laid siege
to Rhodes and could have gained an entrance by setting fire to the
quarter where he knew the painting was, he refrained from giving battle
so that it might not be burned, and thus did not capture the place; and
that Metrodorus,[137] a philosopher and very excellent painter, was sent
by the Athenians to Lucius Paulus[138] to teach his children and to
adorn the triumph that he was about to receive. Moreover many noble
authors have written about this art, which is a great sign of the esteem
in which it was held; but I do not wish to enlarge further upon it in
this discussion.
“So let it be enough to say that it is fitting for our Courtier to have
knowledge of painting also, as being honourable and useful and highly
prized in those times when men were of far greater worth than now they
are. And if he should never derive from it other use or pleasure than
the help it affords in judging the merit of statues ancient and modern,
of vases, buildings, medals, cameos, intaglios, and the like,—it also
enables him to appreciate the beauty of living bodies, not only as to
delicacy of face but as to symmetry of all the other parts, both in men
and in every other creature. Thus you see how a knowledge of painting is
a source of very great pleasure. And let those think of this, who so
delight in contemplating a woman’s beauty that they seem to be in
paradise, and yet cannot paint; which if they could do, they would have
much greater pleasure, because they would more perfectly appreciate that
beauty which engenders such satisfaction in their hearts.”
53.—Here messer Cesare Gonzaga laughed, and said:
“Certainly I am no painter; yet I am sure I have greater pleasure in
looking upon a woman than that admirable Apelles, whom you just
mentioned, would have if he were now come back to life.”
The Count replied:
“This pleasure of yours is not derived wholly from her beauty, but from
the affection that perhaps you bear her; and if you will say the truth,
the first time you saw that woman you did not feel a thousandth part of
the pleasure that you did afterwards, although her beauty was the same.
Thus you may see how much more affection had to do with your pleasure,
than beauty had.”
“I do not deny this,” said messer Cesare; “but just as my pleasure is
born of affection, so is affection born of beauty. Thus it may still be
said that beauty is the cause of my pleasure.”
The Count replied:
“Many other causes also inflame our minds, besides beauty: such as
manners, knowledge, speech, gesture, and a thousand other things which
in a way perhaps might also be called beauties; but above all, the
consciousness of being loved. So it is possible to love very ardently
even without that beauty you speak of; but the love that springs from
the outward bodily beauty which we see, will doubtless give far greater
pleasure to him who appreciates it more than to him who appreciates it
less. Therefore, to return to our subject, I think that Apelles enjoyed
the contemplation of Campaspe’s beauty far more than Alexander did:[139]
for we may easily believe that both men’s love sprang only from her
beauty; and perhaps it was partly on this account that Alexander
resolved to give her to him who seemed fitted to appreciate her most
perfectly.
“Have you not read that those five maidens of Crotona, whom the painter
Zeuxis chose above the others of that city for the purpose of forming
from them all a single type of surpassing beauty, were celebrated by
many poets as having been adjudged beautiful by one who must have been a
consummate judge of beauty?”[140]
54.—Messer Cesare here seemed ill satisfied and unwilling to admit for a
moment that anyone but himself could taste that pleasure which he felt
in contemplating a woman’s beauty, and he began to speak. But just then
a great tramping of feet was heard, and the sound of loud talking;
whereupon everyone turned, and a glare of torches was seen at the door
of the room, and soon there arrived, with a numerous and noble company,
my lord Prefect,[3] who returned from attending the pope part way on the
journey. At once on entering the palace he had asked what my lady
Duchess was doing, and had learned of what manner the game was that
evening, and the charge imposed on Count Ludovico to speak about
Courtiership. Therefore he came as fast as he could, so as to arrive in
season to hear something. Then, immediately after having made his
reverence to my lady Duchess and bidden the others to be seated (for
everyone had risen when he came in),—he too sat down in the circle with
some of his gentlemen; among whom were the Marquess Febus di Ceva and
his brother Gerardino,[141] messer Ettore Romano,[142] Vincenzo
Calmeta,[143] Orazio Florido,[144] and many others; and as everyone
remained silent, my lord Prefect said:
“Gentlemen, my coming here would be indeed a pity, if I were to
interrupt such a fine discussion as I think you were just now engaged
in; so do me not this wrong of depriving yourselves and me of such a
pleasure.”
Then Count Ludovico said:
“Nay, my Lord, I think we all must be far better pleased to be silent
than to speak; for this burden having fallen more to me than to the
others this evening, I have at last grown weary of speaking, and I think
all the others are weary of listening, for my talk has not been worthy
of this company or adequate to the lofty theme that I was charged with;
in which, having little satisfied myself, I think I have satisfied the
others still less. So you were fortunate, my Lord, to come in at the
end. And for the rest of the discussion, it would indeed be well to
appoint someone else to take my place, because whoever he may be, I know
he will fill it far better than I should even if I were willing to go
on, being now tired as I am.”
The Magnifico Giuliano replied:
55.—“I certainly shall not submit to be cheated of the promise that you
made me, and am sure my lord Prefect too will not be sorry to hear that
part of our discussion.”
“And what promise was it?” said the Count.
“To tell us in what way the Courtier must make use of those good
qualities that you have said befit him,” replied the Magnifico.
Although but a boy, my lord Prefect was wise and sensible beyond what
seemed natural to his tender years, and in his every movement he showed
a loftiness of mind and a certain vivacity of temper that gave true
presage of the high pitch of manliness that he was to attain. So he said
quickly:
“If all this is to be told, I think I have come just in time; for by
hearing in what way the Courtier must use his good qualities, I shall
hear also what they are, and thus shall come to learn everything that
has been said before. So do not refuse, Count, to fulfil the obligation
of which you have already performed a part.”
“I should not have so heavy an obligation to fulfil,” replied the Count,
“if the labour were more evenly divided; but the mistake was made of
giving the right of command to a too partial lady;” and then laughing he
turned to my lady Emilia, who quickly said:
“It is not you who ought to complain of my partiality; but since you do
so without reason, we will give someone else a share of this honour,
which you call labour;” and turning to messer Federico Fregoso, she
said: “You proposed the game of the Courtier, hence it is right that you
should bear some share in it; and this shall be to comply with my lord
Magnifico’s request, by declaring in what way, manner and time, the
Courtier ought to make use of his good qualities and practise those
things which the Count has said it is fitting he should know.”
Then messer Federico said:
“My Lady, in trying to separate the way and the time and the manner of
the Courtier’s good qualities and good practice, you try to separate
that which cannot be separated, because these are the very things that
make his qualities good, and his practice good. Therefore, since the
Count has spoken so much and so well, and has touched somewhat upon
these matters and arranged in his mind the rest of what he has to say,
it was only right that he should continue to the end.”
“Account yourself to be the Count,” said my lady Emilia, “and say what
you think he would say; and thus all will be right.”
56.—Then Calmeta said:
“My Lords, since the hour is late, and in order that messer Federico may
have no excuse for not telling what he knows, I think it would be well
to postpone the rest of the discussion until to-morrow, and let the
little time we have left, be spent in some other quiet diversion.”
As everyone approved, my lady Duchess desired madonna Margarita[145] and
madonna Costanza Fregosa[57] to dance. Whereupon Barletta,[146] a very
charming musician and excellent dancer, who always kept the whole court
in good humour, began to play upon his instruments; and joining hands,
the two ladies danced first a basset and then a _roegarze_,[147] with
consummate grace and to the great delight of those who saw them. Then
the night being already far spent, my lady Duchess rose to her feet, and
so everyone reverently took leave and retired to sleep.
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER
BY COUNT BALDESAR CASTIGLIONE
TO MESSER ALFONSO ARIOSTO
1.—I have often considered not without wonder whence arises a fault,
which, as it is universally found among old people, may be believed to
be proper and natural to them. And this is, that they nearly all praise
bygone times and censure the present, inveighing against our acts and
ways and everything which they in their youth did not do; affirming too
that every good custom and good manner of living, every virtue, in short
every thing, is always going from bad to worse.
And verily it seems quite contrary to reason and worthy to be wondered
at, that ripe age, which in other matters is wont to make men’s judgment
more perfect with long experience, should in this matter so corrupt it
that they do not perceive that if the world were always growing worse,
and if fathers were generally better than children, we should long since
have reached that last grade of badness beyond which it is impossible to
grow worse. And yet we see that not only in our days but in bygone times
this failing has always been peculiar to old age, which is clearly
gathered from the works of many ancient authors, and especially of the
comic writers, who better than the others set forth the image of human
life.
Now the cause of this wrong judgment among old people I for my part take
to be, that the fleeting years despoil them of many good things, and
among others in great part rob the blood of vital spirits; whence the
complexion changes, and those organs become weak through which the soul