The Book of the Courtier
known to have been a zealous cultivator of astrology. By some writers
Duke Federico (the circumstances of whose birth were not free from
mystery) was believed to have been an Ubaldini, and this Ottaviano was
openly regarded as his brother.
Note 274 page 147. ANTONELLO DA FORLI was a soldier of fortune who died
before May 1488, and of whom little seems to be known apart from this
anecdote. It is found also in two other books, where the witty
Florentine is named as Cosimo de’ Medici.
Note 275 page 147. San Leo was a fortress perched on an almost
inaccessible crag eighteen miles north-west of Urbino. It is mentioned
by Dante (_Purgatorio_, iv, 25) and also by Machiavelli (Art of War, iv)
as a place of great natural strength. When in the spring of 1502 Cesare
Borgia disclosed his hostile designs against Duke Guidobaldo, the
latter, knowing that he could not hold out at Urbino, retired to San
Leo, but soon afterwards fled in the garb of a peasant, and the castle
was surrendered. In the same year, however, it was recaptured by
stratagem. In the spring of 1503 it was besieged by the adherents of
Borgia, and bravely defended for six months by Ottaviano Fregoso and the
castellan Lattanzio da Bergamo (referred to in the text), in the hope of
succour from Guidobaldo, who had taken refuge at Venice. Cian says that
the place at last fell and was not again recovered by Guidobaldo until
after the death of Alexander VI. On the other hand Dennistoun (ii, 13)
asserts that by a reinforcement of twenty-five men the castle was
enabled to hold out until Guidobaldo’s restoration; he assigns the
incident in the text to the first capture (1502), gives the name of the
castellan as Scarmiglione da Foglino, and affirms that the surrender was
treacherous.
Reduced from Alinari’s photograph (no. 13438) of the portrait, in the
Correr Museum at Venice, formerly ascribed to Leonardo da Vinci, but
recently attributed by Berenson to Francesco Beccaruzzi.
Note 276 page 147. DUKE VALENTINO, i.e. Cesare Borgia, Duke of
Valentinois, (born 1478; died 1507), was an openly acknowledged son of
Cardinal Roderigo Borgia (afterwards Alexander VI) by Rosa Vanozza, who
was the mother also of Cesare’s sister Lucrezia. Created a cardinal on
his father’s accession, he procured the murder of his brother Giovanni
in 1497, resigned his cardinalate the same year, was given the French
duchy of Valentinois in 1498, and married Charlotte d’Albret, daughter
of the King of Navarre, in 1499. Having been created Duke of Romagna by
his father in 1501, he proceeded to reduce the various fiefs comprised
within his intended domain, including the duchy of Urbino. After the
death of Alexander VI, Cesare was held in captivity by Julius II and by
Ferdinand the Catholic, escaped to his father-in-law’s court in 1506,
and fell in battle the following year, the very day after the close of
the Courtier dialogues. Handsome, accomplished and subtle, he was a
patron of learning and an adept in the cruel and perfidious politics of
his day. Upon his public career is founded the famous _Principe_ of
Machiavelli, who says: “If all the duke’s achievements are considered,
it will be found that he built up a great superstructure for his future
power; nor do I know what precepts I could furnish to a prince better
than such as are to be derived from his example.”
Note 277 page 148. Literally: “It must be believed to have been in
despair.”
Note 278 page 148. PUBLIUS CORNELIUS SCIPIO NASICA (Scipio with the
pointed nose), was an eminent Roman jurist who was Consul in 191 B.C.,
and own cousin of Scipio Africanus the Elder.
Note 279 page 148. ALONSO CARILLO is said by Cian to have been one of
the many Spaniards who lived at Rome in the service of popes and
cardinals belonging to that nation. The Spanish annotator Fabié
identifies him as a son of Don Luis and Donna Costanza de Rivera.
Note 280 page 148. MY LADY BOADILLA. Cian’s identification of this lady
as Beatriz Fernandez de Bobadilla, Marchioness of Moya, is confirmed by
the fact that Boscan’s translation (1534) gives her name as the
Marchioness of Moya instead of ‘my lady Boadilla.’ She and her husband
are warmly mentioned in a codicil to Isabella the Catholic’s will, as
being among that queen’s most dear and faithful friends.
Note 281 page 149. In this passage, Antonio Ciccarelli’s expurgated
edition (1584) substitutes “a painter of antiquity” for Raphael,
“certain Roman senators” for the two cardinals, and Romulus and Remus
for St. Peter and St. Paul. The picture in question has been identified
as one painted by Raphael in 1513-14 for the church of San Silvestro.
Note 282 page 149. ‘Aught else ... upon thy shoulders,’ i.e., a head.
The Cato referred to was probably MARCUS PORCIUS CATO UTICENSIS, (born
95 B.C., died 46 B.C.), the Roman philosopher and patriot who espoused
the cause of Pompey, and committed suicide on hearing of Cæsar’s victory
at Thapsus.
Note 283 page 150. This queen must have been Isabella the Catholic; see
note 391.
Note 284 page 150. RAFAELLO DE’ PAZZI, (born 1471, died 1512), was a
native of Florence, but was bred away from his home, doubtless owing to
the proscription of his family for participation in the Pazzi conspiracy
against Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici. Having fought for Cesare Borgia
and later for Julius II, he was captured by the French in 1511, and was
slain the following year in the battle of Ravenna.
Note 285 page 150. THE PRIOR OF MESSINA is now identified by Cian as a
Spanish soldier, Don Pedro de Cuña, who was killed at the battle of
Ravenna in 1512.
Note 286 page 151. Of PAOLO TOLOSA nothing more is known than is
contained in the text.
Note 287 page 151. Like purple in Roman times, rose was the aristocratic
colour at this period. Cosimo is reported by Machiavelli (_Storia
Fiorentina_, vii, 6) to have said that “two ells of rose-coloured cloth
make a man of quality.”
Note 288 page 151. GIANOTTO DE’ PAZZI is regarded by Cian as possibly
identical with a certain Florentine, Giovanni de’ Pazzi, who was born in
1476 and died in 1528.
Note 289 page 151. Of ANTONIO RIZZO nothing more is known than is
contained in the text.
Note 290 page 151. ‘The renunciation of a benefice,’ i.e. the notarial
deed or testament by which a priest resigned his benefice or prebend in
favour of someone else.
Note 291 page 151. ANTONIO TORELLO, (died 1536), was private chamberlain
to Julius II and Leo X, who conferred a canonry and several prebends
upon him in 1514. In the briefs he is designated as a priest of the
diocese of Foglino, and is given certain benefices there, which had
fallen vacant on the death of another priest. We thus infer that Torello
must have been familiar with the subject referred to in the text. He was
made a Roman citizen in 1530.
Note 292 page 151. These two hunchbacks have not been identified. “The
Wheel” (_la Ruota_ or _Rota della Giustizia_, or simply _la Rota_) was
the highest civil and criminal court of Rome prior to 1870. Its name may
have originated in the circular arrangement of the judges’ (auditors’)
seats (compare the _hemicyclium_ of Cicero’s time), or possibly in a
wheel-shaped porphyry figure set in the pavement of the hall where they
sat. The play is of course on the double meaning of the word _torto_,
crooked, wrong.
Note 293 page 151. LATINO GIOVENALE DE’ MANETTI, (born 1486; died 1553),
was a native of Rome, and a canon of St. Peter’s, but being of minor
rank he had a wife and children. He held various offices, including that
of Commissary General of Roman Antiquities, and was employed in several
papal embassies. A writer of Latin and Italian verse, he was a friend of
Castiglione, Bembo and Bibbiena, and is mentioned in the autobiography
of Cellini, who says that he “had a pretty big dash of the fool in
him,”—apparently because he presumed to improve one of the sculptor’s
designs for a crucifix.
Note 294 page 152. PERALTA is regarded by Cian as probably identical
with a certain Captain Luijse Galliego de Peralta, who bore a letter
(1521) from Castiglione at Rome to the Marquess Federico of Mantua, then
fighting against the French. In this letter Castiglione speaks of having
known Peralta for years as “a man of character and a valiant.” Cian
regards him as identical also with a certain Colonel Peralta, whose
death at the battle of Frosinone is mentioned (in a letter of 1526)
among those of other Spaniards.
MOLART is identified by Cian as the French soldier of fortune, “Molard,”
who commanded a battalion of Gascons at the battle of Ravenna (11 April
1512), and who fell there bravely fighting by the side of Gaston de
Foix.
ALDANA afterwards served under the Marquess of Mantua at Pavia in 1522,
having been summoned (as was Castiglione also) from Rome at the head of
his company.
Note 295 page 152. The duel in question is thus described by Branthôme
in his Discourse on Duels: “The Grand Master de Chaumont, the King’s
Lieutenant in the State of Milan, also allowed a duel to two Spaniards
who had asked it of him. The name of one was Signor Peralta, who had
formerly been in the King of France’s service, ... and the other
Spaniard was called Captain Aldana. Their combat was on horse, _à la
genette_ (jennet), with rapier and dagger and three darts to each man.
Peralta’s second was another Spaniard, and Aldana’s was the gentle
Captain Molart. It had snowed so much that their encounter took place in
the Piazza at Parma, from which the snow had been cleared, and there
being no other barriers than the snow, each of the two combatants did
his duty right well. And at last my lord de Chaumont, who had appointed
the ground and was umpire, caused them to retire with equal honour.”
Note 296 page 152. Cian inclines to regard this Master MARCANTONIO as
identical with a certain eccentric physician of the same name, who lived
at Urbino and was the author of a fantastic law book and a long comedy.
Of BOTTONE DA CESENA nothing more is known than is contained in the
text.
Note 297 page 152. ‘Three sticks,’ i.e., the gallows.
Note 298 page 152. Of the three persons bearing the name ANDREA COSCIA
and known to have lived at this time, it is uncertain which one is here
referred to.
Note 299 page 152. A MS. copy of THE COURTIER contains the following
passage: “Again a Venetian (forgive me, messer Pietro), coming to visit
my lady Maddalena, sister to my lady Duchess,—as soon as he was near he
offered her his hand, but without removing his cap. My lady Maddalena
drew back a step, and drew back her hand too, saying: ‘Gentle Sir, put
on your cap; cover your head.’ He still advanced and offered his hand;
whereupon she replied: ‘I will never do it, unless you cover.’ Thus the
poor man was so put to shame that he at last removed his cap.” Under
similar circumstances Madame Bernhardt is said to have reproved Edward
VII (then Prince of Wales) by feigning not to recognize him with his hat
on.
Note 300 page 152. MY LORD CARDINAL, i.e., Giovanni de’ Medici,
afterwards Leo X, (born 1475; died 1521). He was the second son of
Lorenzo de’ Medici and Clarice Orsini, and an elder brother of the
Magnifico of THE COURTIER. Made a cardinal at the age of thirteen, and
exiled from Florence with the rest of his family in 1494, he was present
at the election of Alexander VI, of whose character he is said to have
shown true appreciation at the time by remarking: “We are in the wolf’s
jaws; he will gulp us down, unless we make good our flight.” During the
reign of Julius II, he seems to have been subservient to that pontiff,
and in 1511 was a member of the court of six cardinals which acquitted
the young Duke of Urbino of the charge of murdering Cardinal Alidosi.