The Book of the Courtier
have said all they knew, and I think that neither you nor anyone else
could add anything whatever), but because of the envy that you have of
women’s honour.”
77.—“Certain it is,” replied my lord Ottaviano, “that besides the things
that have been said about the Courtier, I should like to hear many
others. Still, since everyone is content to have him as he is, I also am
content; nor should I change him in aught else, unless in making him a
little more friendly to women than my lord Gaspar is, albeit perhaps not
so much so as some of these other gentlemen.”
Then my lady Duchess said:
“By all means we must see whether your talents are so great that they
can give the Courtier greater perfection than these gentlemen have given
him. So please to say what you have in mind: else we shall think that
even you cannot add anything to what has been said, but that you wished
to detract from the praises of the Court Lady because you think her the
equal of the Courtier, who you would therefore have us believe could be
much more perfect than these gentlemen have described him.”
My lord Ottaviano laughed, and said:
“The praise and censure that have been bestowed on women beyond their
due have so filled the ears and mind of the company as to leave no room
for anything else to lodge; besides this, in my opinion the hour is very
late.”
“Then,” said my lady Duchess, “we shall have more time by waiting till
to-morrow; and meanwhile this praise and censure, which you say have
been on both sides bestowed excessively on women, will leave these
gentlemen’s minds, and thus they will better appreciate that truth which
you will tell them.”
So saying, my lady Duchess rose to her feet, and courteously dismissing
the company, retired to her more private room, and everyone went to
rest.
THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE COURTIER
BY COUNT BALDESAR CASTIGLIONE
TO MESSER ALFONSO ARIOSTO
1.—Thinking to write out the discussions that were held on the fourth
evening, after those mentioned in the previous Books, among various
reflections I feel one bitter thought that strikes my heart, and makes
me mindful of human miseries and our deceptive hopes: and how fortune,
often in mid-course and sometimes near the end, shatters our frail and
vain designs, and sometimes wrecks them before the haven can be even
seen afar.
Thus I recall that not long after these discussions took place,
importunate death deprived our court of three very rare gentlemen while
they were in the flower of robust health and hope of honour. And of
these the first was my lord Gaspar Pallavicino, who being assailed by an
acute disease and more than once brought low, although his courage was
of such vigour that for a season it held spirit and body together in
spite of death, yet ended his natural course far before his time;[429] a
very great loss not only to our court and to his friends and family, but
to his native land and to all Lombardy.
Not long afterwards died messer Cesare Gonzaga, who to all those who had
acquaintance with him left a bitter and painful memory of his
death;[430] for since nature produces such men as rarely as she does, it
seemed only fitting that she should not so soon deprive us of this one:
because it certainly may be said that messer Cesare was carried off just
when he was beginning to give something more than promise of himself,
and to be esteemed as his admirable qualities deserved; for already, by
many meritorious efforts he had given good proof of his worth, which
shone forth not only in noble birth, but also in the ornament of letters
and of arms, and in every kind of laudable behaviour; so that, by reason
of his goodness, capacity, courage and wisdom, there was nothing so
great that it might not be expected from him.
No long time passed before the death of messer Roberto da Bari also
inflicted deep sorrow upon the whole court;[48] for it seemed reasonable
that everyone should lament the death of a youth of good behaviour,
agreeable, fair of aspect, and of very rare personal grace, and of as
stout and sturdy temper as could be wished.
2.—If, then, these men had lived, I think they would have reached such
eminence that they would have been able to give everyone who knew them
clear proof how worthy the court of Urbino was of praise, and how
adorned with noble cavaliers; which nearly all the others have done who
were reared there. For verily the Trojan Horse did not send forth so
many lords and captains as this court has sent forth men singular in
worth and most highly prized by everyone. Thus, as you know, messer
Federico Fregoso was made Archbishop of Salerno; Count Ludovico, Bishop
of Bayeux; my lord Ottaviano, Doge of Genoa; messer Bernardo Bibbiena,
Cardinal of Santa Maria in Portico; messer Pietro Bembo, secretary to
Pope Leo; my lord Magnifico rose to the dukedom of Nemours and to that
greatness where he now is. My lord Francesco Maria della Rovere also,
Prefect of Rome, was made Duke of Urbino:[431] albeit much higher praise
may be accorded to the court where he was nurtured, because he there
became a rare and excellent lord in every quality of worth, as we now
see, than because he attained the dukedom of Urbino; nor do I believe
that a small cause of this was the noble company in whose daily converse
he always saw and heard laudable behaviour.
However, it seems to me that the cause, whether chance or favour of the
stars, which has so long granted excellent lords to Urbino, still
continues and produces the same results; and hence we may hope that fair
fortune must further so bless these good works, that the welfare of the
house and state shall not only not wane but rather wax from day to day:
and of this many bright auguries are already to be seen, among which I
esteem the chief to be Heaven’s bestowal of such a mistress as is my
lady Eleanora Gonzaga, the new Duchess;[432] for if ever in a single
body there were joined wisdom, grace, beauty, capacity, tact, humanity,
and every other gentle quality,—in her they are so united that they form
a chain which completes and adorns her every movement with all these
qualities at once.
Reduced from the central part of Braun’s photograph (no. 34.106) of the
picture _Das Mädchen im Pelz_, in the Imperial Museum at Vienna, by
Titian (1477-1576).
Let us now continue the discussion about our Courtier, in the hope that
after us there ought to be no lack of those who will find bright and
honoured examples of worth in the present court of Urbino, just as we
now do in that of bygone times.
3.—It seemed, then, as my lord Gaspar Pallavicino used to relate, that
the following day after the discussions contained in the preceding Book,
little was seen of my lord Ottaviano; hence many thought that he had
retired in order that he might without hindrance think carefully of what
he had to say. Thus, the company having betaken themselves to my lady
Duchess at the accustomed hour, search had to be made far and wide for
my lord Ottaviano, who did not appear for a good space; so that many
cavaliers and maids of honour of the court began to dance and engage in
other pastimes, thinking that for that evening there would be no more
talk about the Courtier. And indeed all were busied, some with one thing
and some with another, when my lord Ottaviano arrived, after he had
almost been given up; and seeing that messer Cesare Gonzaga and my lord
Gaspar were dancing, he bowed to my lady Duchess and said, laughing:
“I quite expected to hear my lord Gaspar say some evil about women again
this evening; but seeing him dance with one, I think that he has made
his peace with all of them; and I am glad that the dispute (or rather
the discussion) about the Courtier has ended thus.”
“It is by no means ended,” replied my lady Duchess; “for I am no such
enemy of men as you are of women, and therefore I am unwilling that the
Courtier should be deprived of his due honour, and of those ornaments
that you promised him last evening;” and so saying, she directed that as
soon as the dance was finished, everyone should sit down in the usual
order, which was done; and when all were giving close attention, my lord
Ottaviano said:
“My Lady, since my wish to have the Courtier possess many other good
qualities is taken as a promise to tell what they are, I am content to
speak about them, not with any hope of saying all that might be said,
but merely enough to clear your mind of the charge that was made against
me last evening, to wit: that I spoke as I did rather for the purpose of
detracting from the Court Lady’s praises (by raising a false belief that
other excellences can be ascribed to the Courtier, and by thus artfully
making him her superior), than because what I said was true. Wherefore,
to adapt myself to the hour, which is later than it is wont to be when
we begin our discussions, I shall be brief.
4.—“So, to pursue these gentlemen’s discourse, which I wholly approve
and confirm, I say that of the things that we call good, there are some
which simply and in themselves are always good, like temperance,
fortitude, health, and all the virtues that bestow tranquillity upon the
mind; others, which are good in various respects and for the object to
which they tend, like law, liberality, riches, and other like things.
Hence I think that the perfect Courtier, such as Count Ludovico and
messer Federico have described, may be a truly good thing and worthy of
praise, not however simply and in himself, but in respect to the end to
which he may be directed. For indeed if by being nobly born, graceful,
agreeable, and expert in so many exercises, the Courtier brought forth
no other fruit than merely being what he is, I should not deem it right
for a man to devote so much study and pains to acquiring this perfection
of Courtiership, as anyone must who wishes to attain it. Nay, I should
say that many of those accomplishments that have been ascribed to him
(like dancing, merry-making, singing and playing) were follies and
vanities, and in a man of rank worthy rather of censure than of praise:
for these elegances, devices, mottoes, and other like things that
pertain to discourse about women and love, although perhaps many other
men think the contrary, often serve only to effeminate the mind, to
corrupt youth, and to reduce it to great wantonness of living; whence
then it comes to pass that the Italian name is brought into opprobrium,
and but few are to be found who dare, I will not say to die, but even to
run into danger.
“And surely there are countless other things, which, if industry and
study were spent upon them, would be of much greater utility in both
peace and war than this kind of Courtiership in itself merely; but if
the Courtier’s actions are directed to that good end to which they
ought, and which I have in mind, methinks they are not only not harmful
or vain, but very useful and deserving of infinite praise.
5.—“I think then that the aim of the perfect Courtier, which has not
been spoken of till now, is so to win for himself, by means of the
accomplishments ascribed to him by these gentlemen, the favour and mind
of the prince whom he serves, that he may be able to say, and always
shall say, the truth about everything which it is fitting for the prince
to know, without fear or risk of giving offence thereby; and that when
he sees his prince’s mind inclined to do something wrong, he may be
quick to oppose, and gently to make use of the favour acquired by his
good accomplishments, so as to banish every bad intent and lead his
prince into the path of virtue. And thus, possessing the goodness which
these gentlemen have described, together with readiness of wit and