Pietro Aretino

IN TRO DUC TION

RETINE . The name is infamous . Why Was the man really the monster he is universally represented to have been from his time to our own His legend, as the French

s a a f . y, would seem to ﬁrm it There we read

a of one who was born in a hospit l , the son of

a n d a courtesan, boasted of it ; who was without name , without family, without friends

e and protectors , without ducation ; who at thirteen y ears of age robbed his mother and ﬂed to Perugia ; who at eighteen ﬂed from Perugia to Rome, where he robbed his

a a m ster, Agostino Chigi, and presently ppeared ’ as the creature of Cardinal de Medici , whom h e a n supported with inﬁnite wealth of libel, calumny an d the most vile and shameless a buse of his rivals for the Papacy, after the death of Leo X who was kicked out of Rome

’ for writing the notorious Sonetti Lussumosi ’ for Raimondi s infamous engravings ; who

a e a s Va a a a w nd red a g bond over Italy, bl ck mailer and a beggar ; who became a friar in

A 2 x x PIETRO ARETINO

Ra e a v nn , but whom even the Capuchins were obliged to vomit ; who ﬂed to Venice a n d in the freedom of that great Republic lived like a prince on begging a nd threatening letters ; who kept a harem and worse in his

a a a pal ce on the Grand Can l, for no vice was stranger to him and no calumny too out rageous ; who hung a picture of the Virgin in his house and s aid it was a portrait of his mother a n d thus declared hims elf to b e ’ Antichrist ; who was the spy of Italy s worst

V an d a enemies , Charles Fr ncis I, and who died as a dog dies without a thought of repenta nce in the midst of a howl of blasphemy and laughter ; over whose grave was written

’ ui a e Ar etin oe a o s o Q gi c l p t t c , ’ Che s se mal o fuo r che Dio di d gnun, di ,

S s a os col non lo o os o . cu nd i dir, c n c

Was Aretino really the monster this legend

a he portr ys , or is now to be whitewashed

t he n ew with discovery of documents , on b etter evidence than our forefathers possessed to be at any rate excused with Alexander VI an d Lucrezia Borgia or acquitted altogether with Ma chiavelli

No . Modern scholarship should propose itself no such task in regard to Aretino . The INTRODUCTION xi

ma n a a was a monster : monster cert inly,

e only not a magician . To listen to som of his biogra phers one might think he owe d his

success to sorcery or magic . But the truth is that nothing was further from him than

a a m ench ntment . He was onster, it is true to deny that is to b elittle him ; but above all

was a ma n da a he of his y, perh ps the most free a n d complete expression of the a ge in — e . a which he liv d the sixteenth century Th t ,

a n d a th e his enormous bility, together with fact that he founded the modern Press an d used the hitherto unsuspected weapon of publicity with an incomparable a ppreciation

ar e c of its power, his hief claims upon our

M notice . Something evil an d corrupt ha d entere d

the all at e into civilisation of Europe this tim ,

and a A e not le st of Italy . The Middle g which

ha d a a a held out to hum nity so gre t promise, ha d in some inexplicable wa y an d for some i e a e a a e a a c e n xplic bl re son f il d, f iled in endur n an d in life . The ﬁfteenth c entury ha d been full of disaster almost everywhere s ave only

an d a in Venice , even Venice could not esc pe the spiritual disa ster which that century ma de a a pp rent . For with the sixteenth c entury w e are face to face with the spiritual break -u p of ii PIETRO ARETINO

Europe and European society . Something

a an d a . evil, depraved, ven l mean appe rs The

en an d a p is bought and sold, futile praise bl me ar e a an d a purch sed by popes , kings prel tes ,

a and we see a monster appear, monster of genius blackmailing and blackmailing success fully every authority, every power . That

at monster was Aretino, and he was home in Venice and in Venice passed no inconsiderable c portion of his days . For the Veni e of the sixteenth century was a promised land for

a a n such as he . A city of wealthy merch nts , aristocratic oligarchy fast degenerating into

a s as plutocracy, in which snobs abounded well

a a schol rs , Venice was then the gre test inde

in an d pendent metropolis Europe, insolent,

a rtistic , the great asylum for exiles , for the

a er proscribed, the ch nce poor scholar, the p f verted and the corrupt . For she could of er

to all of them alike this great gift : liberty . And it is in the letters of the very typ e an d paragon of all these together that w e ﬁnd perha ps the b est picture of the city at this

- in e e time the letters of Ar tino who, vil as he

w as et a man e , was y of g nius ; scoundrel

h e wa s as et a though , w y full of hum nity ;

a was wa s an d brut l though he , yet full of pity

a e a love for the miser bl , the unfortun te , the INTRODUCTION

t wa s a poor ; ignoble hough he , was yet ble to dominate the Italy of his time ; whom Fra ncis I

a honoured, Charles V spoke with famili rity,

l d e e a n d Ariosto surna med é i vi n o . Her in V nice

was he the friend of Titian , the correspondent

e of Michelangelo . Here in V nice he lived

e e lik a princ , though he had nothing solid under his feet ; he was as insolent as a con d ottier e , though he had rendered no service ;

a ma n he was the most f mous in the city,

s though his record wa merely infamous . An

had a epoch ppeared which was an anarchy ,

e in which everything was questioned, ev rything doubtful ; in which anything might happen a n d a nything might be thought to be true ; an epoch w without principles and without authority : in which a charlatan of genius might do anything, might destroy the unity of Europe or th e spiritual and philosophical

a b sis upon which Europe stood, by one

e a — multipl we pon calumny . This age— the age of Luther an d the revolt of the barbaria n— is in itself a dmirably summed

a n d . He r e up expressed by Aretino , too ,

“ fused authority and tradition and a pp ealed a only to priv te judgment . As a writer this a a is his v lue , in this resides his origin lity . ” am a I free man, he boasts . I do not ne ed xiv PIETRO ARETINO

to copy Petrarca or Bocca ccio . My own genius

e a is enough . Let others worry themselv s bout

an style d so cease to b e themselves . Without

a a e a e a m ster, without mod l, without guid , without artiﬁce I go to work a n d earn my

- a a . a living, my well being n d my f me Wh t do I need more ? With a goose -quill an d a few sheets of paper I mock myself of the ” universe .

It is because Aretino is a man of genius , and because he sums up and expresses that

a a e a e e a dis strous g of narchy , its compl t mor l

an d a disorder coll pse, its delight in insulting a n d a disreg rding the past, its repudiation of

a an d a every ancient uthority tradition, th t he

a d is worth studying . And if we d to this that he contrived a weapon for his own ends which has in our own day come to be more powerful tha n an y establishe d government or elected

a e a — p rliament or her dit ry monarchy publicity, the Press— there is more than sufﬁcient excuse for this book . ’ Ar etino s virtues as a writer ar e to be dis

a cussed there ; but we ought to note that, gre t a s r ar e ar e a a these vi tues , they lways those of

a a m an e . journ list, never those of of l tters His

a — a t gre t strength is his spontaneity, the bili y to write what is in his head almost without a INTRODUCTION xv

e second thought . This is the v ry life of his plays and the soul of his letters . If we ﬁnd something more thoughtful in the Ragi o n amenti an it is but illusion , those curious dialogues are the ﬁrst effort of realism in Europea n letters ; a n d ha d the great paper

a a e he in f ct conducted ever re lly xisted , would ha ve taken their place a s the feui lletons along with his letters which are the leading articles , his religious works which are the articles for

a n d Sunday, his verses whose only virtue is that they comment without scruple and in the most lively and unrestrained fashion upon the events of the day . In the face and the voice of Aretino we see

a a the f ce and he r the voice of that virile , mea n and irresponsible age in which Europe foundered , and, perhaps ﬁnally , broke up as

all an entity . It is an ignoble face for its intelligence, it is an uncertain voice for all its a ssurance . For Aretino lacked and sought his whole life long what the world has lacked — and sought ever since his day security .

Nevertheless , his qualities must not be

a obscured by their defects . He had very speci l qualities . His mind was not profound or

a distinguished, nor was his nature elev ted or

was a e e noble ; but it , though brut l, nerg tic xvi PIETRO ARETINO a n d a r emams a rdent, and his work perh ps the most signiﬁcant and certainly the nearest

e to life of any Italian writ r of his day .

far a How in his actu lity and realism , in the

e wonderful pictur of life he gives us, are we

the a from rom ntic stories of Ariosto, the

th e intellectual propositions of Machiavelli ,

a an d cour tli mere ch rm music of Tasso , the

a e a . ness of C stiglione , the p d ntry of Bembo His

has e work the odour of lif , the smell of the

a city , its confusion, r pidity, injustice , the dis

of e e e comfort its crowd d stre ts , the vehem nce

e a n d of its public life , its nois , its enormous and futile gestures which mean so much for a

a a moment . There lies his gre tness ; n d his glory a n d his shame are that if he was the

a he cre ture of his time, was the creature also of those who seemed to control it, that if he

as e spoke his mind, he oft n did, he more often

a i n f wned upon his patrons or spat their faces , a n d always for money . Even here we should distinguish and have

a compassion . We must gr sp the state of

e a a a soci ty and not It li n society lone , in his ” time . Everyone was on the make . Francis

I of Fra nce thought h e could be Emperor . Henry VIII of England thought he could be

Pope . Charles V thought he could be lord of INTRODUCTION xvii

a a n d a the whole earth . Both Fr ncis Ch rles thought they could swallow Italy . Force and fraud and intrigue and bribery were the means used by everyone without scruple . No more than these men was Aretino a parasite . It was an age when it was impossible to live by

Letters . The patron was necessary for a poor man, and as Aretino said, he lived by the 1 sweat of his pen . It might seem certain that the patron got what he deserved . And in a u society rapidly going to pieces , contin ally at the mercy of outrage and war, in the midst of whose futility even the Eternal City was

a a s cked, it is at least not surprising and perh ps not unnatural tha t an adventurer of genius like Aretino found the best weapon in his pen , which alone , whether of quill or iron, was the only weapon that was able to inspire

a respect, of which all men were fraid . And with what incomparable freedom and force he wielded that weapon his letters bear witness. c Such a man, living in su h a time, was

' bou n d to acquire a legend, and it is with the idea of establishing the facts in regard to his

e e a l gend, of drawing out of it som thing th t m ay pass as his biography that I have written

' 1 L ett II 5 8 er e, , . xviii PIETRO ARETINO

this book . I cannot hope to have been just, for too much is hidden from us for justice but at least I have hoped to Show that the

a a monster was hum n, though he remain monster to the end . C ONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

B I RTH AND EDUCATI ON ( 1492—1516)

ARETINO I N ROME UNDER LE O X ( 1516 1522)

ARETI NO AND PASQUI N ( 1522—1523) MANTUA ( 1523)

IN ROM E UNDER CLEMENT VII ( 1523- 1525)

IN LOM B ARD' WI TH GI OVANNI DELLE B ANDE NERE ( 1526)

VENI C E ( 1527—1531)

VENI CE ( 1531 THE HO USE OF ARETI NO

THE ARE TINE S

ARETI NO AN D F RANCI S I AND CHARLES V ( 1533- 1539 )

’ ARE TI NO S SEC RETARI ES

’ ARE TINO S FRIENDS LATER ' EARS

ARETI NO AS WRI TER

BIRTH AND EDUCATION (14 92—1513)

BIRTH AND EDUCATION

A REZZO A N D P ERUGIA

IE TRO ARETINO wa s born in Arezzo in the night betwe en Holy Thursda y and

— a 19 20 14 9 2 . Good Frid y, April , He himself 1 e a t lls us this in v rious letters , which to gether with the following sonnet from his

a a a h nd ﬁx the d te , since we know th t Easter Day in 14 92 wa s on April

In ques ta chiara s acro santa no tte la a s e e Ve e e il die A qu l gu di n r , Dalle fedeli creature pi e R e o con a m e o e iv rit l gri dir tt , Natura fuor delle materne gro tte T asse il mio s o n e le mem a mi c r pirit br , Diro con so rti pin buo ne che r ie Po i che a so ffr ir le o le o e o o e h v gli inc rr tt .

1 ’ In r efer r in g t o Ar eti n o s L etter e I u s e th e P ar is Edition i n 6 vols o f 1609 Th e s le n d id n e w e diti o n e dited . . p , by F TO NI LI I Later z a ar i 1913 i s as e t i n AUS CO N ( , B , y co m l p ete . 2 See l etter t o Gio vi o r tten i n Ma 1545 L etters P ar i i w i y , ( , g , 14 1 i n i c h e s a s h e was i n his ﬁft - ou r t III, , wh h y y f h ear an o t er r itten i n ul o f s am e ear i n y ; h w J y y (III , whi ch h e s ays h e h ad r eached th e age o f ﬁfty -thr ee year s an d a n o t er r itten i n No vem er 1552 VI i n c h e h w b , ( , whi h s a s t at h e h as as ed his s ixti et ir t d a y h p s h b h y . 3 4 PIETRO ARETINO

Pati Ges u p er la salute altrui ’ Nel pun t o che n e l alvo piu n o n giacqui E che d a car eer t al libero fui In quel che al m ondo a pparendo n on tacqui Quasi pi anges si la cro ce di lui 1 P er m e s m o i e o i O o r s a . Cri t r , p Cri t n cqui

All who have written on Pietro Aretino 2 until th e last few years have a sserted that he w as a b astard : that his father w as Luigi

a a e e a e a n d e a B cci , g ntl m n of Ar zzo , his moth r

a e a . e w as a n m less prostitute , Tit W ll, it

e a a e w as o n e c ntury of b st rds , but Ar tino not

e . e e e e of th m How did this l g nd , for l g nd it

a e is , ris It s eems to have aris en largely through ’ i e e e e e e Ar et n o s fault . His L tt rs v rywh re l nd

s e colour to his suppo d b astardy . I w as

a a e he a born in sped l , s ys , but with the ” 3 a . e s a he e soul of King Th y y, writ s in a e a e a a m a e a noth r pl c , th t I the son of court s n , ” it m ay be so .

1 R v o ti E cce lenti s s A u tor i e n i ce 1545 ime di ers e di m l l . (V , , et 211 I , . 2 P A P a d u a 1 4 1— Se c o n d A ZZ C HE L LI i a di . Se e M U , V t . ( , 7 Editi on Br e s cia r e er al a s to t i s s e co n d e d iti o n , , I f w y h , “ ” f CH Etu des s u i c i s r evi s e d an d e n lar ed . C . r wh h g ASLES , ’ ha kes ear e M ar i e Stua r t et L A r éti n P ar i s GA U W. S p , ( , ’ THI E Z L A r éti n P ar i s F . D E S TI Stor i a della L ett. , ( , ANC S ,

I ta l Mila n T r eves . 95 et s e . . ( ) , p q 3 ’ Ca i tolo a Cos i mo de M edi ci i n F . B R I e t c . O er e p E N , p bu r les che n e . 10. L etter e 67 109 (F i r e z , III, p , I , ; III,

VI , 261.

6 PIETRO ARETINO

e Ar chiv IO e docum nts of the di Stato di Firenz ,

e a z a e e a e publish d by Aless ndro Lu io , h v st blish d a this f ct beyond dispute . In one of them a certain Medoro Nucci whom we alrea dy know ’ from Ar etin o s Letters 1 suddenly quarrels with Aretino and directs an insulting letter to him

TO Of a Aretino Pietro , the son Luc the Shoe ” 2 maker . This Medoro Nucci was of Arezzo

—a a e a strange n d restless creatur . He c me to

a 1550 a n d a Venice bout , Aretino with his usu l imprudent generosity brought him an d his

a wife Angelic to his house . For some time their

e a an d a r lations were cordi l , Angelic expressed hers elf a s grateful to Aretino for his kindness

a 3 a n d an to her husb nd, Aretino wrote her a 4 ar e ffectionate reply . His letters to Nucci 5 those of an intimate friend ; but presently a quarrel breaks out in which the Duke Of ’ t Florence s a mb assa dor a Venice is involved . Aretino considered Nucci ungrateful an d

a a . e tt cked him He r plied in the letter, whose

e a a a e dir ction I h ve lre dy quoted, which b gins ”

B u one Cati vo . f ,

1 Letter e, V, 165 . 2 Allo Ar etin o Pi etr o d e Lu c a calz ola o . See L ZI h i U O , m i ro m th A ch v o 0 . ci t. 385 wh o r i n ts th e d o cu en t ts el e r i i p p . , p f f ’ mb Del P er o c l u c di Stato di F i renze Car teggio d ell a . o D a

Co s im o , Ven ezia , ’ 4 3 L ett r V 246 L ettere a ll A 11 199. e e . II , . , , 5 Letter e, V, 166, 239. BIRTH AND EDUCATION 7

This letter in which Aretino w as proclaimed a s Of a an the son a shoem ker by Aretine, who was a a a likely to know wh t he was t lking bout, wa s a grea t emb arrassment to the Scourge

Of all z Princes , then in the glory of his ama ing

a f me . At length he determined to make a clean breast of it . He sent the letter to Duke ’ Cosimo de Medici , with a covering letter from himself in which he confesses that he is the

a a a a son of Luc the shoem ker, and then ch r cter istically turns it into a boast I s ay that I glory in the title that he gives me to vilify me -inasmuch a s it should teach the nobles to procreate sons like him whom a shoemaker

has e e . b gotten in Ar zzo Yes , I am born ” 1 of a mende r Of shoes . Possibly Aretino wa s sur pr l s ed that the

a e as Duke m d so little , he did, of such tre

n e . V mendo s n ws For Cosimo replied , ery

e a a e s nsibly , h ving m ny very s rious things to think of just then , that Aretino who had grown Old in exp erience should not worry i ’ 2 a a a N cc s . l bout such tt cks as u That was al . ’ But this co nfession of Pietro s s ettles the

1 — D L ZI o . ci t. 386 7 co ch e m i lo r o d el tito lo che U O , p , i g i er avilir m i e li d am m i c on ci o s iach é a i n o ili i n e n a a r p g , b s g p o cr ear ﬁ liu o li s im ili a u ello che u n cal zo laio h a en er ato in g q , g ’ ” Ar ez z o . I O n ato ci d u n o a cc n ci tor i s car e o a d p . 2 L I o . ci t. 367 n . 2 UZ O , p , . 8 PIETRO ARETINO

a e e m tter . All his enemies use d the knowl dg

. o a a e without mercy Nicol Fr nco , for inst nc , says

’ Ch es ca da far s tivali agli Aretini E e o a o s e o o si fa e a v r nc r, c nd v ll Che il padre t uo sia un po vero calzolair o

a Of Vi ta di P i etr o A reti n o And the uthor the ,

a e e 1 a a e scrib d form rly to Berni, s ys th t Ar tino “ ”

w as th e a a e a e a a . son of f th r, vill no c lzol io But Aretino is not to be put out Of cou nt en

e e e a nce . I rec iv honour from b ing born of

a e e b se blood in Ar zzo , for non of my blood were wha t I am I can give nobility to ” 2 others .

a ar e a This being established , wh t we to m ke Of all those allusions to the B acci in his letters

a e S e a as This , th t wh n he p aks of the B cci his

e a e broth rs he does not me n his blood broth rs ,

Of e 3 an d but his fellow citizens Ar zzo , his

4 a t e a a e friends . As reg rds h f ct th t he writ s of the death of his father an d of his brother

a a the a e e e Fr ncesco B cci in s m s nt nce , it is to be explained by the curious coincidence that

1 E d . Milan o , D aelli : i n B ib . Rar a . 2 L etter e, VI , 134 . 3 u s h e calls th e Cam ai an i an d ar lato Vital r o t er s Th T i b h ,

z Va ar i h e calle d s o n s ee la ter . bo th o f Ar ez o . s ( ) 4 L etter e IV 66 . s l etter to Gian atti s ta acci i s ver , , Thi b B y i i i e n lighten n g o n th s p o n t . BIRTH AND EDUCATION 9

his own father Luc a a n d Luigi a n d Fra nc esco 1 B acci all die d about th e sa me time . We know thus that Aretino w as the son of

a e a e w e . Luc the sho m k r , of whom know nothing

a a ? e Wh t of his mother , Tit She too is nam less ; 2 but that he honoured an d loved her we

know . In 1548 Aretino applied to Va sari with the most ea ger prayers for a copy of th e portra it

a e e Of a e . th t xisted in Ar zzo Tit , his moth r

e a a e e e m e h e If your l tters lone h v r joic d ,

e a a a e e writ s , wh t consol tion I should h v f lt in my heart of hearts if with them I ha d rec eived the portra it of her of whom I w a s born

n a a a e e in Arezzo I beg, y I pr y you by wh t v r

a Of - a n d you h ve in you loving kindness virtue , to put a side every other business and to copy an d s end m e by the courier Lor en zetto in Florence the portra it of my mother which is ’ near th e door of San Pietro 'should be Sant

e e s he a e the Agostino], wh r st nds befor Angel

e Of in the liken ss the Virgin Annunciate . Your style is of so rare a gra c e tha t I shall ﬁnd

an ffe a s a e a e m e e ct so living lmost to p rsu d ,

1 — L I o . ci t. 375 6 Gu alti er o h ad d ed i n 154 1 cf UZ O , p . i , . ’

L etter e a ll A i 277. II , . 2 Ar in o h a r l i i Ni co le n F a i et d e at o n s n am e d B on c . a d b an o er e L etter e 158 h i s u n cles b u t w e d o n o t n o et w ( , II , ) k w wh her ’ ’ t e er e ita s r o r c h y w T b the s or Lu a s . 10 PIETRO ARETINO

u a saw a . in seeing the pict re , th t I her live And then witness is borne by the fa ct that she

a s a is represented M ry, Mother of Christ, to ” 1 the sa cred goodness of so modest a woman . ’ Vasari was slow to comply with Ar etin o s

an d a wishes , in nother letter Aretino em

hasis es a La oli p his need of a f ithful copy, for pp ,

a . though a poor rtist , had made a good likeness In 1549 Aretino writes to thank Vasari for the

a ha d a i an d portr it which rr ved, he tells him a midst his thanks how deeply he has b een 2 moved by the picture . He Showed it to his

1 L etter e V 66 r tten r om Ven i ce i n De cem er 1548 , , , w i f b , .

Cf. V RI Vi te e d Milan e s i Flor en ce 220 ASA , ( . , , III , . Vas ar i s ays Fr o m th e han d o f M atteo L app oli ther e i s i n an o ther chap el o n th e l eft a s w e en ter by th e s id e d o or of th e c ur c a r es co r e r es en tin Our Lad it the An el Of h h , f p g y w h g An n u n ciati on i n th e ﬁgur e O f the An gel i s the p o r tr ait o f iu ian ac ci A o e th e s am e d o o r o n th e o ut d e G l o B . b v s i i n u cia i i P M a tte o p a n ted an o ther An n t on w th St . eter an d i i M i S . P a s d e Th e ace o f th e ad on n a h t ul o n e ther . f s t e or tr a it o f th e m o t er O f Pi etr o Ar eti n o th e ver am o u s p h , y f ” oet . All t e s e or s ave er i s ed . Vas ar i w a s o f co ur s e p h w k h p h , , Ar z z Ar eti n o h ad r e eted him i n hi s ﬁr s t a t m t als o o f e o . g t e p s a s a ain ter s alu ti n h is s len did r o m is e L ettere p , g p p ( , II , He i n vited him to m ake the a pp arato fo r th e r e cit al Of La

Talan ta V RI o ci t. V a n d en co u r a ed him to ( ASA , p . III , g m ar r y Ni ccolo s a Bac ci thou gh s h e w a s n o ble an d h e ple bian ’ Letter e V 166 Vas ar i r etur n e d Ar eti n o s af e ction ( , , , f RI o ci t s er e him as i n m . v d an r i V . V te e d ar ( ASA , p III , y it hi s r elation s i n Ar ez z o V RI o ci t V an d w h ( ASA , p . . III , ’ d id him m an o o d O fﬁces it Du e Ale s s an d r o d e M e di ci y g w h k , an d w as able to p r o cur e him dr awi n gs by Mi chelangelo

V RI o ci t. V 266 ( ASA , p . III , 2 L etter e V 114 A r il , , ( p , BIRTH AND EDUCATION 1

a n d friends and visitors , Doni , hating him , makes ca pital for his hate out of it . You are

a r a . n Antich ist , limb of the Great Devil One sees the picture of the Vir gl n Annunciate that

the you have in your rooms , portrait painted by Messer Giorgio Vasari that he was made by you to copy because you sa id it was an effigy of your

all mother . So to you say This is my mother, showing the Ma donna . Thus you compare your ” 1 self to Jesus Christ , just like Antichrist .

e a It is c rt inly wonderful and very Italian , this a ffection and respect for his mother in a m a n a a like Aretino, lre dy old and insolent

a with successful blackm il and good fortune . And it is moving to see him with Titian trying

a l to ﬁnd ikeness in that portrait to Adria , his

a a n d little d ughter, ﬁnding that in the fore

ea th e h d, eyes and the nose the portrait is so like Adria that the child would seem rather to b e a a a 2 the d ughter of Tit th n of him , Pietro .

1 D I Ter remoto in o ci t F ER I M n . . . la o Daelli ON , ( p B N ( i , ,

i l . R ar a 204 B b ) , II , . 2 L ettere V 114 . Adr a w a s hi s d au ter Cater n a , , i gh by i San d ella er a s th e m os t im or tan t o f hi s Ar etin es , p h p p th e o m en who l ve d i n his ou s e s ee elo Of Adr a w i h ( b w) . i ,

M au r o o n e o f th e i n ter lo cu t er s i n the Vi ta di P A . the , . by - s e u d o er n i o . ci t. F er n i Daelli Milan s a s p B ( p . B , , , II , y ’ Go d kn o ws if s h e i s his la d ev e s s er e di p it album i che lo ” r ittate d e r ati f f . i s Vi ta i s an u n id en tiﬁed aut or an d was r tten in Th by h , w i

1538 . I t i s a ti s s u e Of calu m n i es . 1 2 PIETRO ARETINO

’ Of th e rest of Ar etin o s family w e know a

Ve e . a h a d a e ca ry littl Tit two d ught rs by Lu ,

t e but h na me of the elder ha s esca ped us . The

w a s a e a e a an d w as younger c ll d Fr nc sc , living with her father in 1536 when Duke Alessa ndro ’ d e e 1 e e M dici deigned to visit h er . Ar tino s nt

a e e 2 a n d her sm ll pr sents from time to tim , got

e e e w a s b e tog th r a dot for h er . For this h holden to the generosity Of th e Cardina l of 3 a e a e e e a n e . R v nn , B n d tto Accolti , Ar tine Fra ncesca wa s ma rried early in 1537 to Ora zio

Van otti a e 4 she e , soldi r, with whom liv d in 5 e a few ea . She e pov rty, but only for y rs di d

Ve . Her e e ry young in childbirth childr n, th y

at e e a were twins , born this time w re look d fter ’ e r eti 6 by fri nds of A n o s . ’ r i Of A et n o s childhood we know nothing . He hims elf tells us that he w as taught by his

e e e u 7 a n d a moth r in Arezzo, wh r he grew p , th t

1 L etter e 64 F er m o s s i la vos tr a alta er s o n a d in an z i , I , , p a la ca s a d o ve i o n ac u i i n c in an d o s i a la s o r ella m ia q , h

cf . ( III , 2 RI 0 c 4 m a ar i 15 h . i t L r V s t u l V . V 3 8 etter o ASA , p III , ( f , J y , 1534 » 3 ’ L etter e 14 3 See L etter e a ll A r eti no i . , I , . , I ,

. 60 67. pp , 4 L etter e 14 . , III , 5 L etter e 15 9 . , II , 6 L etter e 173 . , III , 7 L etter e 250 m i i n s e n o m i a m a d r e i n Ar ez z o , II , , g ’ i cr i d o ve n a cq u e e bb .

14 PIETRO ARETINO hims elf in fear in his little boat on th e s ea

h O e th e of poetry, moved to sing, not in p of

a e a on e e l ur l but only to s tisfy mor worthy,

B t em e 1 Fra ncesco de on pi of P rugia . This note lea ds us to b eli eve that Aretino w as at e a 15 11— 12 an d studying P rugi in , not

a a h e e a only literature but p inting . Th t kn w great deal about painting his letters would

a a n d e e e le d us to suppose , his knowl dg h lps to ’ e a e e a ar t a n d xpl in his compr h nsion of Titi n s , his appeal as a critic to Sebastia no del Piombo

e a e e an d other ma sters later . W h v oth r

a e a he ha d e a re sons to believ th t studi d p inting,

1 See A L I P A nei r imi s u o i a r mi a Ven ezi a o r i n o . UZ O , . , p (T , 109 et s e Ale s s an d r o Lu z io h as u t e ver s tu d en t pp . q. p y o f Ar etin o u n d er s o gr eat a d e bt by hi s e xq u i s ite an d p ati en t s c o lar s i a r i an n r e h e h as h h p th t n o g at tu d e c b e e o u gh . He ’ ’ wo r ked o u t D An con a s d i s co ver y an d i d en tiﬁe d th e P i e tr o Pi cto r Ar etin i th e Sc P r i Th e s n e t o f o w th o ur ge o f n ces . o n A r r e o c n i R . efer d t o t n u es thu s

M a s o l p er s ati s far qu el ch e p iu d eggio F r an ci s co d e B o n t emp i p er u s in o C i i it: n e io he p er altr o cch al m o n d o p n o v gg . E lu i ﬁa s co r ta co l 's u o ] ter s o lati n o E ﬁd a tr am o n tan a al p i c co l s e ggio

D el r u d e s o ci o s u o Pi etr o Ar etin o .

It i s p r o bable that thi s F r an ci s co B on tem p i i s the s am e a s t he Fr an ces co B u o n cam bi o f P er u ia o f L etter e 4 8 . P . A . g , I , him s elf tells u s i n that l etter that h e w as br o u ght u p (s ta to allevato i n P eru ia i c h e calls hi s o wn co u n tr 14 6 ) g , wh h y (II , “ V 278 304 an d th e ar d en er e ﬂ o er ed his o u t , , ) g wh w y h

(I, BIRTH AND EDUCATION 15 for a lampoon written aga inst him in 1532 when he w a s in Venice an d atta ched to a column of the Rialto makes allusion to the rumour

a 1 th t he h ad onc e been a p ainter . That is really all w e know about his a dvent to a n d his soj ourn in Perugia . There seems no

’ ea e Ma z zu chelli s r l ground for beli ving story, which dates from a hundred years after Ar e ’ ea a ha d e a e tino s d th , th t he to ﬂee thenc bec us , having seen in a public building a picture repres enting the Magdalen at the feet of Christ

h er a m a h e e holding up r s in supplic tion , w nt by night an d p ainte d there a lute that the

a a a er s int ppe red to hold in h ha nds . The only value this story would s eem to have is th at it b ears witness in a distorted fashion to th e fa ct that he ha d studied painting at

Perugia .

His e a lif in th t hill city , still one of the

e a e a a n d fﬁ lov liest of It ly , though unc rt in di cult a s e u s 2 the a he t lls , seems on whole to h ve

ea e . a n a e h e e a e pl s d him At y r t , oft n llud d

the a n d a a a e e a to city lw ys with ff ction . P rugi

1 A L I o ci t 111 Th e lam o o n r ead . UZ O , p . . p . . p

No n h av s s i las a i u n ll e s to l t o p en e o , ” Se n tor fu s tu u n tem o co m e i d o py p , o O .

2 L etter e IV 190 r itten r em in i s cen tl en il tem o m i , , , w y wh p car i cas s i d elle s u e i n fin i i — r s te g o r n ate a wo n d er fu l ph a e . 16 PIETRO ARETINO

ea a s h e e is d r to me my own country , writ s to the Priori of that cityﬂl an d a ga in ; Perugia is my true fatherland b ecaus e there I grew to 2 a - m nhood mi s orta allevato da gr a n dc .

1 2 L etter e 146 L ettere IV 183. , II , . , , II ARETINO IN ROME UNDER LEO X (1516— 1522)

ARETINO IN ROME UNDER LEO X ( 15 16— 1522)

NE day Aretino left Perugia and set out

w a for Rome . We do not kno in wh t

a a ye r this h ppened . If we wished to believe his enemies 1 he was taken to Rome by his

a e f ther, who , to give him employm nt , put him

the out to service in house of Agostino Chigi ,

He the rich and fa mous Sienese b anker . was

lOn a S e not there g, for having stolen ilv r cup ,

a San a he entered the service of C rdinal Giov nni , an d when he died found employment with Pope Julius II ; but having been dismissed he went o ff to Lombardy an d thence came to

a a e a e a a a R venn , wher he bec m C puchin fri r, but unable a n d unwilling to put up with such

h off a a life he t rew the h bit , returned to Rome

Leo and entered the service of Pope X, who had been elected to the throne of St . Peter in

1513 .

1 ’ - e . . the P E D ER I Vi ta dell A r eti n o r itte n to g S U O B N , , w d er id e e os e n m a d attac hi . , xp , k 19 20 PIETRO ARETINO

If there be a ny truth in this a mazing story we can know nothing of it ; there is nothing ’ in any of Ar etin o s letters to support a single

an conﬁrm a line of it , nor do we ﬁnd y other

tion for it . So far a s we know Aretino remained in Perugia till th e year 15 16 when h e was twenty

ea e a s e a s four y rs old , wh n , lik ly not , on foot , a n d only furnished with what he ha d on his ” 1 a h e a e . b ck , c me to Rom We ar e led to believe that it w a s in 15 16 that he ﬁrst ca me to Rome by more than on e

e a passage in his lett rs . He tells us th t he wa sted s even years in th e service of the two ” 2 e a e Medici popes , whil he m kes no m ntion of

e a e e e Julius II . W know th t h ﬁnally l ft Rom

X e 1521 a e 15 25 . h in Leo di d in , so th t would ha ve wasted four years with him if h e left ’ an d e th e e e e 15 18 Chigi enter d Pop s s rvic in , which lea ves him three years to b e thrown a wa y with Clement VII a s cardinal a n d pop e a n d a ea gives him just over y r with Chigi if,

a as we suppose , he c me to Rome in No doubt Aretino c ame to Rome to seek his

an a e fortune , pushed on by dv nturous spirit,

1 ’ L AM M IR AT O O us coli Flo r en ce 265 . , p ( , II , 2 L etter e 64 V 271 VI 114 . Se e als o th e s o n n et , I , ; , ; , A m 3 3 u o ted L I O P . . n ei ri mi s u oi a r i . n . q by UZ , p , p , 3 ’ F mm i n i n n n e o n Ar eti n o s tatem en t N . r an co co en t g a s o t s

22 PIETRO ARETINO

a d a a e . h Psyche which R ph el had d signed He ,

a a too, m rvellous collection of furniture , a mong which was a n ivory bed inlaid with gold an d silver and precious stones ; he h ad

a a fount ins and vases of silver, m de by the

a a an d most f mous cr ftsmen, marvellous

a t pestries . His stables were designed by

a an d an d R phael, held one hundred horses

a a e h rness of gold and silver . When these st bl s were newly ﬁnished Chigi used them as a banqueting hall and enterta ined there no less a Vicar of Christ than His Holiness Pop e

. was a Leo X Even Leo wa s a ma zed . I t my eas e in your company before this enter ” ta i e t DO a e n m n a the . , s id Pope not ch ng ” a e a your ttitude , repli d Chigi , this pl ce is humbler tha n you think ; a n d dra wing aside th e tapestries he discovere d the mangers which were hidden . When later he a ga in entertained the Pope in the Loggia of his

a e th e a an d g rd n by Tiber, the silver pl tes

as as ha d e dishes , soon they been us d, were

a thrown by his orders into the Tiber . We h ve

e e a a e a a h r , perh ps ex gg rated, the usu l ostent tion

e a of the parvenu . At the same tim Chigi w s

a a a a not fool, and the pl te thus ﬂung w y was carefully caught in nets stretched for the occasion beneath the water to be drawn in ARETINO IN ROME 23

a when the ba nquet was ended . On nother occasion when the Pop e dined with him ea ch guest was serve d in plate that bore his own a a t rms . This was the banquet which Chigi ,

ﬁft - a old e a then y four ye rs , gave to c lebr te his

a a m rri ge with one of his mistresses , by whom

e he ha d ha d several children . Th Pope himself

e a doiI bt at a join d their h nds , rejoicing no such triumph of religion an d morality . But Chigi was prudent to the en d ; ha ving thus pa id homage to the person an d prejudices of the

a a as Vic r of Christ, he re d his will to the Pope chief magistrate of Rome a n d thus registered ’ an d as h e e a hi i s a a . C , hoped, l g lised it g gre t riv l w as e a the Florentine Lor nzo Strozzi , whose t ste

a e s was all a n a a in b nqu t grotesque d m c bre .

He wa s e 1 nowh re beside Agostino Chigi . It wa s in this celebrated ba nker that Aretino found his ﬁrst protector in Rome . In what capacity did he enter the Chigi household His ca lumniators say that it was as a mere

a he a a e an d domestic serv nt ppe red ther , further that he wa s presently dismissed for

a i ste ling a silver cup . Knowing Aret no a s

1 Cu n on i i n the A rchi vi o Roma no 37 h as u l s ed g , , II, , p b i h th e i o r a of A o s tin o C i i r itte h is d e s cen d an t b g phy g h g , w n by F a i C i i o a ter ar d s P o e Al e an d er VII . b h g , f w p x 24 PIETRO ARETINO

a s a e e e we do, viol nt lib ll r who puts Berni a n d a e a e Fr nco quit in the sh de , it would se m

e a unlikely, if this w re true , th t he would not have covered the name of Agostino Chigi with

an d a . a a ridicule sh me Inste d of th t , whenever he speaks of him it is quite without bitterness . Writing of the difﬁculty of ﬁnding a friend in the merchant class he s ays I always hated

ea a the poverty of their w lth ; but my f te , to

a at e a a l ugh me , when I was littl more th n

a a youth, shoved me up g inst Agostino Chigi, where I might have die d if he ha d b e en a

e e e a th e m r m rch nt , but I revived my soul with

e the a spl ndours , b nquets , the pomp which often a mazed Leo the inventor of the grandeur ” 1 of the Popes . ’ Certa inly in Chigi s service he saw the whole life of Rome in the ci n quecertto pass b efore his

e . s aw a a a a yes There he R ph el, I copo S nsovino,

a a d el a an d Seb sti no Piombo , Giulio Rom no

a d a a an d Giov nni Udine , many poets , schol rs

B n g a e men of letters , g b , C sti lione th n a mbassador for Federigo Gm M u is of

a and a Giovio M ntua, Tebaldo , Accolti P olo , an d many too of those who pass before us so vividly in his letters . Probably when at last he left the protection

1 L ettere, I , 126. ARETINO IN ROME 25

of Chigi he w a s a lrea dy known a s a writer a n d

e a In th e ea e ea Leo a wit . C rt inly rli r y rs of X,

1 e Aretino w as a lrea dy writing . Rossi cit s a pastoral comedy in which after Sp eaking of

e the a a s e the po ts of Rom n Court such B mbo , d el Ca stiglione an d others the writer names Aretino

’ L altro Aretino el qual sol Si cognomina F r a pasto r To s chi in cantar do lce e libero a Che il bene e il m ale in lingua s ciolta do min .

It w as then with a n established reputation

a a e t e e th t he p ss d to h court of L o X . The golden age of Leo X w as to shine with so much lustre b ecaus e of th e a ppalling

a a n d a n d d rkness confusion which followed it,

had at ha d which it helped to produce , or least

a fe a done nothing to hinder . In w ye rs

was a e Europe to be split sund r, the most desolating revolu tion sinc e the fall of th e Roma n

an d a a a Empire , from the s me b rb rous quarter, was to overwhelm Christendom a n d civilisa tion ; and Rome itself was to b e taken an d

a s cked by the b arba rians . All this wa s to ’ e a T e b f ll within ten years of Leo s death . h

a e a a ch ng th t c me over the fortunes , not only,

a though especi lly, of Italy, in politics , in

1 V R o s r P - . s as ui nate di P . A . ed anoni me P aler m o ur n , q ( T i ,

. x ii an 11 pp x v d 7. 26 PIETRO ARETINO

a ar t an d e liter ture, in in soci ty, in life itself, wa s a a e an d e so pp lling, so sudd n so complet ,

a e a e an d th t it s emed inexplic bl , it is little to be

e at a e ontiﬁcat e wonder d th t , ever sinc , the p

as a a of Leo X h as been thought of golden ge .

a a man And the Pope , if he were not so gre t , so far -seeing a politicia n or so intellectual a ’ a s a e w as force his f th r Lorenzo de Medici ,

far a ffa an d a involved in gre ter a irs , if not equ l r e . s avoi r vi vr e e to them , seem d to be His n ve

w a s fa iled him . And in truth he entirely

a th e ea successful in this , that he m de Rome r l

a capital of Italy a n d perh ps of the world .

w as a an d a e This his great chievement , it m k s all a a e ee e a a th t comes ft r s m mor tr gic , if th t

b e a ea . Leo possible , th n it r lly was not only

e a an d m en ﬁlled Rom with rtists of letters , he

a th e e a a an d e m de it centr of It li n life soci ty,

a e a a of soci ty ch nging so r pidly, of which Agostino Chigi an d Lorenzo Strozzi were the portents . Such a chievements a s theirs w ould

e e have b en impossible till then . Leo nj oyed

all e a a n d it liv d in public , l ughed joked like a a a a a n d secul r mon rch , enjoyed the vulg r wit a ntics of buffoons an d the ridiculous sp ectacle

e e of human degradation . H liv d generously a n d on the whole nobly ; but his ta ste w as

a e insecure, though it may h v been his cynicism ARETINO IN ROME 27

a which encoura ged host of wretched poetasters , a n d it was certa inly a cruel wit which permitted the crowning on the Capitol of the ridiculous

e siﬁer a a a a a a v r B rb rell , priest of G et , an

man old of sixty, who , dressed as a noble of

a Imperi l Rome , declaimed his ridiculous verse to a mischievous mob outside the ” a a a n d w as back V tic n, then mounted on the of an elephant to ride in triumph to the Capitol .

a a But such pr ctic l joking, certainly rare ,

a though not r re enough , only shows us how

e e s ecure that world thought its lf to b . In such a world it was ea sy for our Pietro to keep his

e e e f et an d his he ad . H must have enjoy d it all a a immensely, though perh ps not without certain boredom in its best moments and a e e : the a chi v ments genius of R phael , for

a he a a inst nce , could h ve gr sped it, would have perished in his hands but it was far beyond ’ a his reach , with the l rk at heaven s gate . No doubt so physically sane a being as Aretino never failed to enjoy those papal

at a hunting excursions Viterbo, h wking for

a e a a p rtridg s , gorgeously ngling at Bolsen or hunting the wild - boar at Civita Vecchia or the stag at Magliana in the marshes of the Cam

a p gna . Truly might he say that he wasted four years with Leo in Rome ; but he wasted 28 PIETRO ARETINO

e e e th m well . He must have njoy d prodigiously

th e th e the e e the j ousts , hunting, com di s ,

e e th e a —a e a ll th e burl squ s , prodig lity bov

e ll th e a . h e a prodig lity If did not njoy it ,

e e e e Pop did . It is Ar tino hims lf who t lls us that Leo w as universal in his appreciation of everything that b elonged to his time from

ff m en ea 1 e e bu oons to of l rning, though som tim s it may have been diﬂi cu lt to distinguish b etween ’ e Ar etin o s e th m . And from point of vi w too there must have b een much to delight in it w a s just th e tim e a n d just th e pla ce in which to get o n — for a brillia nt an d quite

unscrupulous young m an . It is true that we have nothing of his b elong

s e a ing to thi time , but his writings w re prob bly s atires an d pasquina des by which he made hims elf feare d so that it came to be said that if you wished to attain anything at Rome it wa s necessary to ha ve the goodwill - or not to

a e t — e b a h v he illwill of Pietro Ar tino . A d enemy

’ F a sol che l Aretino ti sia amico ’ l em o Chi a uist Perché gli 6: ma n ic a l cq e .

‘ Io ho pi II volte vi ste le s u e rim e 2 i a D o n e guardi cias cun dalla sua lingu .

1 L etter e 25 . , I , 2 R o s s r o ci t. 15 1. Cf . , p .

30 PIETRO ARETINO

a an d great, he lso studied sympathised with an d the an d understood poor, the wretched

a n d e a the vicious , of this his t rrible Medus

Cor ti i an a a n d Ra i on amen ti works , the g the g ,

a are the result . He gr sped the whole of the

e m an life of his time , except the ﬂowers , if ev r did . It is a pity that his grasp was without delicacy or mercy . And if here in Rome he ﬁrst saw the luxury of life as well a s the most wretched a n d

e : was e horrible vic it her too , for the ﬁrst

e e a VISIOn ar t a time , he r ceiv d of , of be uty ,

all a w as above of ntiquity . And in this he more fortunate than he knew or p erha ps

e a all m a deserved . What h m de of it we y

e perhaps see in the course of his lif .

e But at this point two misfortunes bef ll him . The ﬁrst w as the death of Agostino Chigi in 1520 : the s econd th e death of Pope Leo X

e i e 1521 . th c n u in December, The glory of q cento wa s e an d a e ea e d parted , it is str ng to r lis that it really ﬁlled less tha n a quarter of thos e

the e ea . wa s a a hundr d y rs It str nge glory ,

a ea all glory of sunset but no one , l st of Pope

e the . Leo, regard d those clouds in north ARETINO AND PASQUIN

(1522- 1523)

ARETINO AND PASQUIN

OPE LEO X died in th e evening of 1 15 21 was December , His death so

e sudden that poison w as suspected . The whol City wa s in an uproar which was soon to involve

a s aw the whole world . In this upro r Aretino

T e a a n d the e e his chance . h Concl ve l ction of a new Pope in the uncerta in an d confus ed circumstances of the time offered Aretino full

e He scop for his peculiar talents . threw the immensity of his voice into the cause of his candidate as became the ﬁrst journalist of the

. a a modern world This c ndid te was , of course , ’ a th e his protector Cardin l Giulio de Medici , ’ bastard son of that Giulia no de Medici who ha d been murdered in the Pa zzi Conspiracy in

1478 . His journal w a s P as qu i n o .

Ma zo cchi a a According to , P squino was

a e had a e a n d schoolm st r who bitter tongu ,

e e . lived in Rom in the ﬁfte nth century But ,

a e a n d e e a by the end of th t c ntury, sp ci lly in D 33 34 PIETRO ARETINO those early years of the beginning of th e

a had e a e e sixteenth , this n me b en tr nsf rr d to an a ntique an d mutilated statue which h ad been recently excavate d an d set up at the

a corner of the Piazza Na vona . To this st tue it ha d become the custom to afﬁx learned squibs on the papal government and famous

e a a p rsons generally . P squin ha d lately t ken a partner in the form of another statue ex ca vat ed a a n d a in the C mpus Martius , popul rly

a s f r known Mar o io (a foro Martis) . The regular form of pasquina de now became that of a dialogue of question an d answer in

r i e which Ma for o was usually the question r . These pasquinades became famous all over

e Europe Pasquin, indeed, is of the mod rn

S th e ee a world and is a ign of return of fr s tire, anonymous an d violent a n d often as vulgar an d salacious as a nything in a ntiquity . He is not really of the people he is the creation 1 a an d . of the learned , of schol rs men of letters

a a an d a e He is p rt of the Renaiss nce , , in the g

was a e . of Aretino , bound to be bus d But he was alrea dy fa mous before Aretino transformed him for his own purposes during the election of Pope Adrian VI .

1 LI L o i n i d s o as u no i u Cf. GN O , e rig i mae tr P q i , n N ova A nto lo i a Ser Vol XXV g , III, , . ARETINO AND PASQUIN 35

a 1521 In the e rly months of , while Baldas sare Castiglione wa s a cting a s Amb assador

a a at for Federigo Gonz g the Court of Leo X, Federigo writes to ask him to obtain for him the verses that ar e used to be atta ched to the statue of Pasquino every year ; not only ” 1 those of last year but also of many years . Ca stiglione replies on the 9th April to say that the verses you ask me for are not to be had

until the second of May , for such is the custom . Of those of past years I have not found a single

a a n d one , for they ordinarily appear in a ﬂ sh are

an d written sent out and never seen again, for

they are usually almost like improvisations . These verses were even then distributed in

ﬂ - it y sheets , might seem , precisely as the

1 A L I P A e P as ui n o i n N u ova A ntolo i a Ser 111 . UZ O , . . q g , . ,

Vo l t . R I P as ui t d . V . 679 e s e V. na e i XX II pp q OSS , q ’ P A ed a non r i l onclav e E lezi one di A dri ano I . . . p e C e l V P al r m - i V R s i in s he r an s r m i e o o r n o . o s t t t o at o n ( T , h k f o f P as qu in o fr o m p ed an t to s atir i s t to o k place ear li er than 1521 A L I o ci t s u ra t in s it to o la c e at t is . UZ O , p . . p , h k k p h e lecti on o f Adr i an I It i s r o a le t at Ar eti o h ad V . p b b h n alr e ady tr i e d his han d an d begu n th e tr an s fo r m atio n o f P as u i n d ur i n th e li e o f Leo See th e lin e r o m a q g f . f as u in ad e r o a l r o m hi s en i n La Corti ia na 8 p q , p b b y f p g , II , , r e e r n to L e o . Th e es ta o f P as u i n was o n A r il 25 f r i g X f q p , ’ St . M ar s Da Th e as ui n ad es ic th e M ar u i s as ks fo r k y . p q wh h q er e n o t t o s e o f Ar etin o bu t o f th e s c olas ti c ed an ts wh o w h , h p h ad cr eate d th e cu s to m . It was n o t u s u al e o r e th e electio n , b f o f Ad r ian VI to u lis as u in ad es e ce t for the eas t o f , p b h p q x p f Ma es tr o P as u in o q . 36 PIETRO ARETINO

1 istorie ar e cried an d sold in La Cor tigi an a an d a s songs a n d verses ar e sold to - day on coloured single sheets of paper in Tuscany . These verses were not of the people at all but ha d a a literary n d scholastic character . The transformation of Pa squino from pedant to satirist seems to have been a ccomplished on the occa sion of the death of Leo X a n d w as the wor k of Pietro Aretino Aretino himself describes his Pasquino a s the Ma ster of

e e a a cl ar and fr e truth , the s lv tion of Rome ” 2 an d in L a C or ti i an a a for ever, g he s ys a ga in Who is Ma estro Pa squino ? On e ” 3 who caulked Lords an d Monsignori .

a a Aretino it is who tr nsforms P squin , turns “ ” him into his journal a n d furiously abus es

an d S the right of criticism , comment free peech , for his own purposes an d those of his protector ’ a a d e a a a a C rdin l Medici, c ndid te for the p p l

1 i i d La Corti i ana A ct So . 4 . F ur an te s ell n s to r e an g , I , ( f g I i Me s s er Ma co an d a S en es e . )

P u r . A le elle i s to r i e a ls elle i s tor i e . j b , b ’ M a c Sta c eto ch e r id a co lu i . h ; g en e e e s s er az zo Si . D bb p .

F u r . A le elle i s to r i e i s to r i e i s to r i e la u er r a d el ur co i n f b , , , g T Un er i a l o r ed i c e d i Fr a M ar tin o il Co n cilio gh , p h , , ’ i i o r i c n hil r r a o m a d e P a i s tor e , s t e , 1a o s a d I g te a , l p p l p a ’ e d e l Im er a d or e la Cir cu m cis ion d el Va vod a il s acco p , i ,

d i Rom a , etc . 2 L ettere 260. , II , 3 Corti i ana 1 Se . 22. Un o che ha s to ati Si n or g , , pp g i ” i r i m on s gn o .

38 PIETRO ARETINO

an d a a a energy perh ps wit , cert inly with a

a e a a we lth of p rson l buse , unknown to the English press of our day ; an d by this means he became famous through the world . He gathered about him all that w as most u n

an d scrupulous and irresponsible , libellous witty in the City a n d he certainly ma de no s ecret of the authorship of his work in that

a a am a a e gre t moment . Everyone s ys I m z d that the College 'of Cardinals] cannot silence ’ Pietro Aretino .

’ e o Io s s o che il o e o Dic gnun , tupi c c ll gi 1 on oss f r t acer e o o N p o a Pi tr Aretin .

In L a Cor ti gi an a he gives us the ﬁrst verses of several of the pasquinades he wrote at this time 2 when he atta cked every candidate except ’ a a an d C rdinal de Medici with the vilest buse,

a a h a he reminds his c ndid te later, when he d

1 S n n L o et X III . 2 La C orti i an a Act Sc . 8 . g , III ,

Da p o i ch e Cos tan tin fece il p r es en te p er levars i la le bbr a d a l o s p alle

’ ’ ’ Cu o co 6 San P er s e P a a u n d e tr e fr a I i , p t .

P acevi m on n a C es a ella e u o n a i , hi b b , ’ p er legittim o s pos o l Ar m ellin o

O Car din ali s e vo i o s s n o i , f i , ” ch e n o i er n ulla o r r emm e s s i p v o er vo .

V. R o s s i o . ci t. h as u l s ed a collecti n f , p , p b i h o o thes e p as qu in ad os . ARETINO AND PASQUIN @7 become Clement VII, of his services on this occasion ]1 ’ It is perha ps needless to add that Ar etino s work had no effect whatever upon the election . Did it then have no effect at all On the con tr ar all ff y, it fulﬁlled the mission of such e orts in our day a s in his ; it amused the cynical among the Signori an d it roused at once the

e a n d a an d int rest the nger, expressed the worst

a o olo. a instincts of the vulg r, the p p It lso

a e ma de him n imm nse fame . But such work ca n no more be excused

da a in his y th n in ours , when it is , though less ’ A eti a . r n o s violent, much more widely pr ctised u s e of Pasquin exceeded all bounds ; it con

o a an d a a sisted wh lly of c lumny person l buse . We look in vain in it for a ny sense of the enormous gravity of the situation or of the

e e sa credness of th work th n doing . Nor ca n

a we ﬁnd ny sense of responsibility . Aretino was working for personal ends at lea st as much

an a as were y of the Cardin ls he abuses . He

a a bl ckgu rded them one by one, revealing

a a wh tever he could le rn in regard to them , true

a or f lse , covering everyone of them, except

1 L etter e 20. u el u on s er vitor ch e vi fu i u an d o la , I , Q b , q m ia ver tu ch e s i p as ce va d e la lau d e vos tr a s i ar m o con tr a ” R o m a n el va car d e la s e d e di L eon e . 4 0 PIETRO ARETINO

’

a a e an d e . C rdin l de M dici, with contempt ordur He b ecame known as Ca ncelliere di Pa s ” a e a a quino , Ch nc llor of P squin , and his t vern ” as a e e e the Acc d mia di Pi tro Ar tino . The College of Cardinals did not silenc e

fa e a a w as him , r mor prob bly bec use it wholly indifferent to him tha n b ecause h e wa s pro t ect ed e e a e he by one of their numb r, or b c us a th e a mused a n d kept p op olo quiet . They h d more importa nt matters to think of tha n

Ma estro Pa squino . It was perha ps the most tragic moment in

e the modern history of Europe . It is possibl that ha d the right candidate been elected all

e a a e might ven yet h ve been s ved . If this w re so the whole future of Europe and the world lay at that moment in the ha nds of the m en s Aretino wa covering with offal . It is easy to b e e a e an d a a wis fter the ev nt , it is prob ble th t t he religious unity of Europe wa s irretrievably lost alrea dy an d that nothing could have then saved it . But of all this the Cardinals had no knowledge they were altogether una ware

at a what was st ke . They grasped the political

a a a situ tion , understood the riv l powers , Sp in a n d the Empire an d England arraye d aga inst Fra nce : Charles V a n d Henry VIII a gainst Francis I : they understood this an d in ARETINO AND PASQUIN 4 1 childish folly sought to u s e these mighty wea pons ea ch for his own persona l ends . Did they realise what these still half bar b arous masters were ? Here is Fra ncis I tellin g the m that if they elect Medici neith er I nor a n y man in my kingdom will obey the ” 1 e Church of Rome . Her is Henry VIII of

a e a ha d th e Engl nd , whos f ther usurped throne a n d who w a s later to thrust Engla nd hers elf

e out of Christ ndom , intriguing with the

Emperor to procure th e election of Wolsey .

a Here is Wolsey , who will not ccept the dignity unless the Emp eror a n d King deem it ex p edient and nec essary for their security a n d

a e . glory, my object being to exalt your M j sties ” “ a a an d Then , s ys Henry, like f ther son w e a will dispose of the Apostolic se t, its a a n d a s e uthority power, though th y were our ” a d l 2 n aw the . own , we will give to whole world There s eems to ha ve been no illusion a nywhere about the election the illusion was about the future .

a a a a The politic l b l nce in It ly, of course ,

a a e a f voured the Le gue , and it seemed nec ss ry to elect a Pop e favourable to Charles V an d

Henry VIII . This was done : but such were

1 Br e er Calen d ar No . 1947 Fit z illiam to W o ls e w , , w y . 2 L A N z M onu m H enta abs bu r i ca i 5 10. , g , II , . 42 PIETRO ARETINO the jealousies within th e Conclave that the tragic position of Europe a n d the Church wa s increas ed by the election of a Cardinal who w as abs ent from Rome a n d the Con

a : a h ad cl ve Adri n of Utrecht , who been the ’ Emperor s tutor a n d wa s then a cting as his Vic eroy in Spa in a n d who took the name of

a Adri n VI . There followed a universal b ewﬂ der m en t

t e a e which h C rdinals se m to have shared . Why ha d they electe d this unknown foreigner

They did not know . They stood dejected

e e t he a a a n d b for Rom n mob , which scre med

ea e cursed upon their tr ch ry for robbing Rome ,

n a a e . a y even It ly, of its Pop E ch slunk home followed by a howling crowd : but Ca rdinal Gonzaga plucked up coura ge an d with a smile thanke d his clamorous attendants for being content with abusive words : We ’ e the h e d serve most rigorous punishment ,

a a m a a s id, I gl d you do not venge your ’ ” 1 wrongs with stones .

a All this r ge, Aretino , like the true journalist

was a n d . u n he , interpreted expressed An

e known for igner from Utrecht, a foreigner incapable of understa nding the soul of his

1 Se e OVI US Vi ta Hadr iana VI 113 an d cf. CREI GHT J , , , , ON,

t o th P a ac VI 221. Hi s ory f e p y, , ARETINO AND PASQUIN 4 3

e a a a ha d ee own tim , or the l ngu ge of It ly, b n a made Pope by ina dvertence . The Rom ns exclaimed with Berni

Onde diavol cavo questo animale Quella besti accia di papa Leone Che gli mancodi fare un Cardinale and Aretino

o s é d el o o er I u o a C tui pur p p l , p p d gli Che alzando il dito con l a mo rte s cherza O o s o am o r io es o n tri d lci c pi , d tin

Unfortunately Aretino an d the Roma ns were justiﬁed in some measure by the hopeless

as a fi incapacity of th e Pope . It w very dif cult situation : the political situation w as in itself e e th e a n an d nough to t st genius of y Pope, then

e was a inﬁnitely more s rious the Germ n revolt,

e Of a an d the qu stion reform , the mor l philo sophical situation of Europe . Adrian certa inly seems to have perceived this better than a n y

a a was e a s of his C rdin ls but it usel ss , he was wholly incap able of doing anything or getting

a . a nything done He was not man of his time . He hated ar t and regarded even the Laocoon a s a n impious work . He loathed the splendour

th e i of c n qu ecen to . But such a bestia ccia would certainly

a a an d a h ve cl ws , Aretino ﬂed to Bologn , where he received a letter describing the arrival of 4 4 PIETRO ARETINO th e a e Pope in August , As M stro Pasquino ha d ﬂed the Pope turne d his wrath on the statue in Pia zza Navona an d wa nted

a to throw it into th e Tiber . But the Duc di ’ a a e a a a a Sess , Ch rl s V s mb ss dor to Adri n, told him tha t Pa squin could croak like a frog even “ ” under water . Let him be burned then ,

ia . Na was a a cried Adr n y, the nswer , burne d poet will not wa nt a dherents who will crown th e a shes of their Ma estro with malicious songs an d hold solemn commemorations on ” the place of his martyrdom .

1 R o s r O ci t. 164 . V. s , p .

4 4 PIETRO ARETINO th e a e Pope in August , As M stro Pasquino ha d ﬂ ed the Pope turne d his wrath on the statue in Piazza Navona a n d wa nted

a to throw it into the Tiber . But the Duc di ’ a a e a a a a Sess , Ch rl s V s mb ss dor to Adri n , told him that Pa squin could croak like a frog even ”

a . under w ter Let him be burned then ,

e i s a a . Na w a a cri d Adr n y, the nswer , burned poet will not wa nt a dherents who will crown th e a sh es of their Ma estro with malicious songs an d hold sol emn commemorations on ” the place of his martyrdom .

1 V. R I O . ci t. 164 . OSS , p IV

MANTUA (1523)

MANTUA ( 1523)

a RETINO ha d ﬂed . Before the dvent

of Pop e Adria n VI he w as far a way . It is prob able that he left th e City with his ’ a a a e the p tron , C rdin l de M dici ; but ﬁrst tra ce w e actually have of him is in the summer

1522 a e of when we ﬁnd him in Bologn , wh re

a e 31 1522 he received a letter d t d July , , and addressed To that Aretino who makes such ” a —i ed c be utiful sonnets n s i a va ante. It opens fantastically enough

a a I h ve not written you earlier, not bec use

had a a I done nothing, th nk God, but bec use I did not know what title to give you in super scription . Sp ectabi li Vi r o is convenient for Gismondo Chigi b ecause h e is a merchant ; E xcellen ti ssi mo on e says to thos e who bea r a a a rms like Ott vio Or sini , Signor Fr nco ’ Malatesta de Medici and Rienz o da Ceri ; ’ E cr egi o Is all right for on e like Moro de Nobili Cri s ti ani s si mo I was about to call you 47 4 8 PIETRO ARETINO a n d Cattoli co e e a , but I r m mbered you were bit of a heretic an d never went to Mass an d so I will keep that for Girolamo B eltra mi an d a e a for th t Fiscale . He nds by ddressing

a s Car s 1 him i s imo. This letter w as s ent to him in Bologna ;

a e wa s a e a 15 23 l t r he in Mil n ; in F bru ry , , he ’ was a a e in Florence with C rdin l d Medici ,

a but not for long . Did the Cardin l find his presence embarra ssing since Adria n w as Pope At a n y rate we soon find him on his first

a a a visit to M ntu , where M rquis Federigo

Gonzaga was to rema in his patron for so long . ’ On the 3r d February Cardina l d e Medici had written to th e Marquis of Ma ntua a s follows “ the a the e e Messer Pietro , be rer of pr s nt ,

a e a n d a e for his r re virtues , is so grat ful cc pt a m e a e a ble to , th t for no other p rson th n your Excellence should I have deprived myself of

. a him However, h ving sought leave from me to come to you I ha ve conceded it to him

e a an d m e fre ly . Pr y excuse both him if his

has a coming been t rdy, for neither of us is in fault but two not little in ﬁr mities which have

a come upon him . I am sure th t Messer

1 R o s r O i t iii 1 4 t i Fir z V s . c A 6 e s e Ar c . d en e . , p . pp . , pp . , q . h ,

Car te Stro z z F . 13 ia 133 c 255 F . 369 ia A . i x . 7, g , , . , , g , pp ,

0 . 114 , MANTUA 49

Pietro is not wanting in the desire to serve ” 1 your Excellence a s myself. Before the 24th February Aretino had a a a a da a rrived in M ntu , for on th t y the M rquis writes to the Cardinal in Florence . I do not doubt that the presence of Messer Pietro Aretino is an honour to the Court of

li a Your Excellence an d a de ght . The ch rm that I ﬁnd so copiously in th e aforesaid Messer ” e 2 Pi tro constra ins me to retain him .

Evidently Messer Pietro w as a success . But ’ it seems that Cardinal de Medici wa s not 12 prepared to Spare him for long . On March he writes to the Marquis a greeing to leave

e a Ar tino with him for a few more d ys , and then on Ma rch 23 Messer Abbatino informs the Marquis that it is sa id that the Pope an d certain Cardinals have written to Medici that he must deliver Aretino to them on a ccount of c ertain new things (alcun e n uove case) that have a ppeared in Rome and that Messer Pietro must return to Florence imme diat el e b i y . Mess r Ab at n o ha d ha d an interview ’ 3 with Cardinal de Medici at Careggi on the 21st .

1 S A HE T ee R SC , D oc. i nedi ti s u P . A . i n A rch . Stor . I tal. , S r i e e Vo l . P ii 11 t . 0 III, III , . , p . 2 I b . 11 i d , p . 0. 3 I — ’ bi d . . 111 12 fo r letter s o f L Abbatin o Of. A . L I , pp , , UZ O ,

o . ci t i ov . n N u a A ntolo i a Ser Vo l . V . 687. p g , . III, XX III , p 50 PIETRO ARETINO

15 It is not, however, till April that the ’ Marquis writes to Cardinal de Medici that

a Aretino is departing . He spe ks of his bitter regret at losing him I should not have

a a been ble to give him le ve , which he demanded a of me inst ntly, if he were not returning to

e your R verend Excellence .

Aretino ha d enjoye d his sta y at Mantua . On the ﬁrst of March h e h ad wr itten a long letter to Gualtieri Ba cci of Arezzo in which

a e e e h e a he bo sts of his succ ss . Th r s ys I ﬁnd mys elf at Ma ntua with the Signor Marchese an d so much in his good gra ces that he leaves sle ep a n d food to discours e with me an d says

a He h as th t he ha s no other plea sure in life . written things of m e to the Cardinal that ar e

e a very honourable . If I d cide to st y with him ’ e He h a m e 300 a ll en tr ata . will gr nt scudi , has given m e the very rooms tha t Francesco

a a ha d w as M ri , Duke of Urbino , when he

e a e a n d h as a turn d out of his St t , given me

e e ar e a a t a e ea st ward . Ther lw ys a my t bl gr t

an d e e a h e gentlemen , in ﬁne no g ntl m n , w oev r

m a b e e e all he y , could do mor . Henc the

a a a ea e Court dores me , and th t one pp rs bl ssed who has one of my vers es ; a n d however

a a has m ny I m ke the Signore them copied,

1 RA S HE T O c t 113. C . i . . , p , p

52 PIETRO ARETINO

a e e a e and Giov nni perf ctly und rstood one noth r,

e a a a for th y sh red the s me tastes , the s me love

a a a a a of dventure , the s me ud city, the s me

a a . e unscrupulousness , the s me prodig lity Th y

was were like brothers , as Aretino , in verse

wa s and letters , to bear witness later . It perhaps Giovanni delle Bande Nere who ﬁrst gave him the title of F lagello dei P ri n ci pi

e 1 w as (The Scourge Of Princ s) . And it in ’ Ar etin o s a s rms he wa to die . From Reggio On the Vigil of the Body ” an d a Blood of Christ , Corpus Christi th t is ,

15 23 a a a , Aretino writes to the M rquis of M ntu , cursing the Pope and send ing him as a present

a three ebony combs of which one, the bl ck

a h er e est , Venus must h ve used to comb gold n

a e e O . h irs . Howev r, ther are divers pinions Some say that it was the comb of the roya l

e a a a e e concubin of C rdin l di Gr ssis , oth rs oth r things ; but I a m of Opinion that this comb belonged to the most holy religious Laundress

I e a . of the Pedant Adrian . got it by n crom ncy The other three Maestro Pasquino gave ” me . The whole letter is a semi - Obscene burlesque a n d jest at the Pope a n d the Sacred College . It is not to be wondered at that Adria n

1 ’ R d o de M edi ci Milan 56. See G . o s s r Vi ta i Gi . G . , ( , MANTUA 53 suppressed the fea st of Pasquin on the 25th

1 e a ea . 4 April, th t y r But on the th S ptember

Pope Adria n VI was dea d .

a a a Almost lone in his l st d ys , deserted and

a despised by the whole College , when he c me to die the Cardinals hastened to him to demand

e e where he ha d hidden his money . Th y se m to have been quite ignora nt of the fa ct that the papal ﬁnances were alrea dy bankrupt before ’ a all Leo s death . The Pope told them th t he

e u poss ssed wa s a thousand ducats . Still n believing they rejoiced with the Roma n ’ populace when at on e o clock on the afternoon of the 14th September the last P onteﬁcc

B ba ar r a a . , the l st foreign pope, died The ’ people garlanded his doctor s house and above the garlands was wr itten LIBERA TORI

P A R A - T I E to the Liberator of the country . And Aretino wrote the Pope ’s epitaph and Pa squino gave it to Rome :

ui iace a s es o ho mo o Q Adri n t , divin Cio é e es o— lio a u t d c ﬁg n cimato re . ’ ’ Che l fe far Cardinal l Imperato re Perché gli insegno leggere a tozzino

and the rest of it .

But Aretino was in luck . In November ’ a a e C rdin l Giulio de M dici, his protector, became Pope Clement VII .

V IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII ( 1523— 1525)

IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII ( 1523— 1525 )

HE election of Clement VII by in spiration w as brought about by the intervention of the Ambassa dor of Francis I . Ca rdinal Medici ha d entered the Conclave a ssured of the support of Charles V and, he a all a lone of the Cardinals there, sure th t

Henry VIII would not oppose his election .

a an d Soder in i a Colonn , however, were ag inst him , and it was only when the intervention of the French Ambassador on his beha lf broke up

a the Colonn party, that he was elected by ” at inspiration . The French had seen this any rate — that Cardinal Medici was a weak m an inca pable of pursuing a determined policy though pledged to the Emperor he was not

a a likely to be loy l to nyone . They decided to a n d support him he became Pope . The choice was perhaps the best possible ’ a ha d in the circumst nces . Adrian s elec tion ’ made Wols ey s impossible and it was very 57 58 PIETRO ARETINO

a ea e the necess ry to pl s Romans . They r e

oiced e s ee j , xpecting to the good old times of Leo X return . But th e future is veiled from m a n a n d th e

a e a t e a Rom ns wer not more blind th n h C rdinals . It is true that Clem ent grasped something of the danger of the German revolt ; but the Italia n da nger w as nearer to him an d he must

a deal with it . The French n d the Germano Spa nish Imperialists were ﬁghting in Lombardy a n d Roma gna th e Ma rquis of Ferrara w as in

th e a e wa s possession of Reggio , Tempor l Pow r

e e e . ea a thr at n d He decided to d l with It ly ﬁrst . Th e two couns ellors of the new Pop e were Giova nni Matteo Giber ti an d Nicola s Sch om

e e b erg . Th y well r ﬂected the discord of

Gib er ti a a a m an Europe . , another b st rd, of

ea an d wa s a s ea some l rning piety, the son of ’ capta in who ha d entered Cardinal Medici s

e e a e s ervic e a s a boy . Pope Cl m nt m d him

Bishop of Verona ; his s ecreta ry w a s Berni .

e w as a a e a Schomb rg Germ n who, whil in It ly, ha d been converted by Savonarola an d h a d entered the Dominica n Order at San Ma rco

a a in Florence . L ter he had become an dherent of the Medici an d had been brought to Rome He by Leo X as a professor of theology . ’ Gib erti s was Archbishop of Capua . Now

60 PIETRO ARETINO

1524 h e e e a e a h e , is so secur ly st blish d th t writes to ask the Marquis of Mantua to come 1 a to Rome . The M rquis cannot make up his

e 13 mind to come , but on Nov mber he writes very fulsomely to Aretino to thank him for a a n d e a h ving everywhere , speci lly in the ’ e e a Pop s presence , spok n honour bly of him , He ha s a the Ma rquis . he rd this from his a Ambassa dor Messer Fr ncesco Gonzaga . He begs Aretino to continue to speak well of him and a sks for something he has lately 2 written for to be sent him . On the same day Francesco Gonzaga writes to the Marquis to s ay that he has oﬂi cially thanked Aretino for his kind words as h e had a n d a been instructed to do, dds , I told him how pleased you were to be prais ed by learned ” 3 persons like himself. Learned persons ' Learned indeed in the

a a a craft Of success . On the s me d y we h ve an I mperi o Ri cor dato to the Marchesa Isabella informing her that the Pope has made Aretino 4 a Knight of Rhodes . But Aretino was doing other things for the

Marquis besides praising him . On November 23 the Marquis writes to his Ambassador a instructing him to thank, in our n me ,

1 2 - i t 1 I . 116 A SCHE T o . c . . 16. bi d . 1 . B , p , p , pp 7 3 — 4 I . 11 18 . I bi d . . 118 . bid . , pp 7 , p IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 61

e Pietro Ar tino, not only for his so willing

a e a e a pr is , but for h ving procur d me things th t d elighted me and that I have so much desired

a a a to h ve , n mely, the portr it of Pope Leo, of

an d most happy memory, that of the present Pop e as Cardinal from the hand of Rapha el o of Urbin , which long since the Pope was approached about a n d which he has so will ingly concede d and so promptly Tell him we expect that picture with the greatest longing in the world, and if the commission to send it is not yet given, see that it be ” 1 done . On the 3oth Francesco writes to the Marquis that he ha s read his letter to Aretino an d that this evening Aretino will speak to the Pope

e of the picture . The correspond nce continues ,

e a as e a th e Ar tino cting int rmedi ry with Pope ,

a the C ied 2 e e who w nts picture Op . Ar tino s nds the a at e a a h e has M rquis , his requ st , C nzone

t e a a 3 an d written in praise of h D t rio , in 4 February he wishes to s end th e Marquis a

a ess o a a e e L ocoon in g , copy of th t in the B lv dere ma de by the ha nd of a very excellent

a a a an d a a M estro (J copo S nsovino) , s ys th t he will try to ﬁnd an a ntique Hea d for the

1 R — A SCHE T O ci t . 119 23 , p . . , pp . 2 3 4 Ibi d . I bi d . I bi d 62 PIETRO ARETINO

a 1 as M rquis . In June he is again writing p uin ades q and the Marquis wants them . Judging from these letters all might seem to have gone well with Aretino but this w as

a not altogether so . As I have said, he beg n ’ a i i . G b ert fortun tely , one of the Pope s

was e ha d counsellors , his friend . Ar tino written a a he ha d e sonnet in his pr ise , which s nt to Vittoria Colonna together with another in

a e e e 2 e all was a pr is of h rs lf ; but sudd nly ch nged , Gib er ti a n d Aretino became the bitterest

e e e ar e en mies . Of th cause of this quarr l we

a a w as e a ignor nt, perh ps it some p rson l question

l h e a wa s a . T of papal f vour, perhaps it politic former seems the more likely : a n d with his usua l impetuosity a n d irresponsibility Aretino immediately bega n to praise a n d support ’ Gib er ti s a a n d e th e riv ls enemi s , Archbishop

a a a n d a da of C pu Girol mo Schio , Bishop of

3 i i a e Va ison . G b er t w as furious but p ti nt

a a e . he w ited his chance . It c m Giulio Romano had employed Marcantonio 4 a th e a a e a a u s R imondi f mous engr v r, V s ri tells , 1 i i Th e Lao co o n w as abo u t a br a ce o h gh . 2 GI UL IARI L ett. di V 0 er o n a , . . (V , 3 a l etter r i en t o P A i o van n i d ei M edi ci See tt . . w by G , ’

tter a ll A eti n o B o i 1 . L e e r lo n a , , . ( g I j 4 RI Mil i F l r n Vo l V 4 18 . Th e V an e s o e c e . ASA ( , , , e n r avi n s n u m er e d s ixte en n o t t en t s ee ARETI g g b , w y ( NO ,

L etter e 258 u o t ed elo . , I , , q b w) IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 33

to engrave twenty (sixteen) plates of ﬁgures the chara cter of which w as highly Offensive ; and what was still worse Messer Pietro Aretino

a wrote most indecent sonnet for each , inso much that I do not know which was the more

e revolting, the sp ctacle presented to the eye by the designs of Giulio or the a ffront offered to the ear by th e words of Aretino . This work was a e highly disple sing to Pope Clem nt , who

e an d ha d a e censured it sever ly , if it not h ppen d that when it wa s published Giulio ha d alrea dy

a a a left Rome for M ntua , he would cert inly h ve been very heavily punished by the Pontiff. Ma ny of th ese designs were mea nwhile dis covere d in pla ces where they ought not to ha ve

e t a n d wa s been exp c ed , the work not only

a a a e e prohibited, but M rc ntonio , being rr st d

a a e wa s a for his sh re in the s m , c st into prison , a n d would ha ve fared very hardly if the ’ a a a n d a a e C rdin l de Medici B ccio B ndin lli , who w as then in Rome a n d in the service of th e ha d e e e e Pope , not int rf r d to procur his

e ea r l se . And c erta in it is that the endowments which God has conferred on m en of ability

b e a a s e e ought not to bused, th y too frequ ntly ar e th e f e the e a n d , to of enc of whol world , to th e promotion of ends which ar e disa pproved ” all m e by n . 64 PIETRO ARETINO

Giulio Romano in producing these Obscenities had a was broken a very noble record . It ly the Mother of the Arts and especially of the ar t a : a s of p inting and it is enough , evidence of the very noble and lofty use to which she ha d a all put her genius , to remember th t in the ar t of the fourteenth a n d ﬁfteenth centuries

- da there is not to be found to y, nor have we a n e a y r cord or rumour of, single obscenity or e e an v n indecency . Nothing can well excuse Giulio for degrading his ar t an d for the ﬁrst

at time . In his defence it might be urged that

ea h e e a a l st did not expos these works , if V s ri had not recorded that it w a s he who employed

a a a e M rc ntonio , the ﬁrst m st r of the day, to

a e 1 engr v them . ’ But what ar e we to say of Ar etin o s part in

as all this . First of all let us hear what he h to sa a y himself. In a letter written to B ttista 2 Zatti h e e affa a a d scribes the ir, sserts th t it ’ was h e who obta ined Ma rcantonio s relea se

a n d e . from prison , tries to defend hims lf Since I obtained from Pope Clement the

e a a a e was r le se of M rc ntonio Bolognes , who in prison for having engraved on wood th e XVI

e Modes , etc . , ther came over me the wish to

1 D E Di alo o della P i ttu r a Milan r e co r d s t at OLC , g ( , h 2 he e n r aved t em er tr ar n e u ti le L ettere 25 8 . g h p , I , IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 65 s ee the ﬁgures which had caused the querulous followers Of Giber ti to exclaim that this good

saw craftsma n ought to be cruciﬁed . When I them I w as Overcome by the spirit that caus e d

Giulio Romano to design them . And since the

a s poets and sculptors , ancient well as modern ,

an d used to write sculpture sometimes , to give vein to their genius , lascivious things , even as in Palaz zo Chigi the Satyr of marble bears witness — the Satyr who is attempting

a a to viol te a boy , I mused myself by writing

a a the sonnets th t are seen bene th the ﬁgures , the wanton memory of which I dedicate by

a a le ve to the hypocrites , out of p tience with their villa inous judgment a n d with th e hoggish custom that forbids the eyes what most delights them . What evil is there in seeing a man

a a possess wom n Why, the beasts would be more free tha n we It seems to me that that which is given us by nature for our own preservation ought to be worn round the neck as a 1 a pendant and in the hat for a med l . It is the very source from which gushes forth rivers of people . It is that which has made a you , th t are the ﬁrst of living surgeons .

a B emb os It is th t which has produced the , the

1 See B N V T C LLI I m N mm o Vi ta Tr s . S o n d e E ENU O E N , ( y i , 58 p . It was the cu sto m at this ep o ch to wear little 66 PIETRO ARETINO

Molzas Var chis th e , the Fortunios , the , Ugolino

a the th e Doleis M rtellis , Lorenzo Lenzis , , the

F r a B astian is a a , the S nsovinos , the Titi ns , the

e a an d a Mich l ngelos fter them the Popes , the Emperors a n d the Kings : it has begotten

th e a loveliest children , the most be utiful

San ta San torum a women , with so th t we should command Feasts a n d cons ecrate Vigils

an d Holy Days to it a n d not - shut it up in a

bit of cloth an d silk . The hands might well

a a be hidden for they pl y with money, swe r

a e at a r e a n d f ls ly, lend usury, contemptuous

e a ea e d ﬁ nt , t r, shoot, strik , wound, kill . As

a a for the mouth it bl sphemes , spits in the f ce ,

an d . devours , drinks vomits In ﬁne the lawyers ought

No , it will not do .

an d In this impudent letter, full of rhetoric

sophisms , Aretino does not defend his sonnets

e e e even though he tries to def nd hims lf. P r

e a e haps he realis d th t no def nce was possible . Let us s ay all that can b e said in reprob ation of ’ a a a a M rc ntonio s engr vings , still nothing th t Marcantonio ever did can have been wholly

ea a . without b uty, if only beauty of execution

go ld en m ed als u p o n whi ch e ver y n o blem an or m an o f qu ality h a d s o m e d evi ce o r fan cy o f hi s o wn en gr ave d ; an d thes e

er e or n i n th e ca . Of s u c ieces m ad e ve m an an d w w p h p I ry y, ” r fo un d them e xtrem ely difﬁcul t to wo k .

6 8 PIETRO ARETINO

a a ea a interest in M rc ntonio, whose rel se he s ys

a he obta ine d from the Pope . However th t

m a e e . y be , such an pisode is best forgott n Unfortunately it throws a sinister light upon

a e e cert in other works of Ar tino which , if th se

e a sonnets had n ver been written , it would h ve

a . a been e sier to defend Unfortun tely , too , these sonnets have become the most famous

e e obscene writings of th mod rn world . In the arrest of Ma r cantonio Gib er ti had ’ a e a a a as Ar etin o s e pl y d gre t p rt , lett r shows it is a stonishing that Since Ma rcantonio w a s im

e a prisoned , Aretino went fr e . Perh ps he ﬂed too

a e a an d a soon . Th t he ﬂed is c rt in so his bsence ’ a as a a s ved him , V s ri tells us Giulio Romano s

e ha d ib er i ha d saved him . Ar tino given G t his

15 24 ha d a . e . ch nce By August , , he left Rom

a a s He went to Arezzo . Wh t w his obj ect in so doing we do not know : p erha ps to s ee his

He w a s a a . an f mily f mous , but still without y certain future . In Arezzo he receive d a letter from Giovanni

e a e e e dell B nd Ner b gging him to join him . He crossed the Ap ennine to Fa no an d found the

1 T e e great Captain there . h mom nt was im porta nt . The vacillating Clement was deciding

1 He allu d es to t is i n a l etter to Ma o an d n i Lettere h ri B i ( ,

I , IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 69

a a th e a to join Fr ncis I of Fr nce , who , in utumn

ea a e a a a of the y r, c m into It ly to t ke Lomb rdy from the Imp erialists . No doubt Aretino was present in the campaign with his friend

a e a e e ha d Giov nni d lle B nde N r , who come

e an d a into the s rvice of Francis , he prob bly showed hims elf as valiant with the sword a s

w a s a a with the pen . It during this c mp ign tha t he ﬁrst m et th e unfortunate King of

a w as Fr nce, who to be one of his most powerful

e all h e e a fri nds . In spite of this se ms to h ve

a a e e h nkered fter Rome , whither he r turn d ; but Giova nni delle B ande Nere could not live without him 1 a n d once more he set out for the

1 wa s a North . Yet by November he b ck

a a as in Rome g in , we have seen , corresponding with the Marquis of Mantua . Pop e Clement had forgiven him h e w a s once more in favour

a e an d more powerful th n ver . In return

e Canzon i all Aretino publish d his , the ﬁrst in praise of the Pope .

Ne potea v eramente P er far viver su a s posa in li eto onore Farsi Cri sto un Vicario o ggi migliore

1 ’ L ettere a ll A reti no 1 3 Gi o van n i tells him th e ' n , I , , . i g then at P avi a d eplo r es that I d id n o t br i n g y o u with m e a s u s u al an d h e a d e m e r ite o u to co m e a n d h e b w y , ” m a d e m e r s wea y o u wo u ld o be y . 2 See L I i n Gi or n a le Stor . della L ett. It . 29 231 UZ O , n . 1. Th e li r ar at M u n i c o s s es s es a r ar e vo lum e i n 4to b y h p , 70 PIETRO ARETINO

a n d there too h e speaks of Giovanni delle Bande Nere the great Captain

E gia il Signo r Giovanni veder parmi Con l a mo rtal e imm o rtal s pada invitta ’ Statua nell infedeli o ss a intagliarsi E e e e o il m e a s v ggio o gnun t rn no f r i .

while in the second poem he exhorts the

e Emp ror to peace . Some sort of pea ce too seems to have been i i established b etween Aretino a n d G ber t . So far a s Aretino w a s concerned this Seems to

a a . an a h ve been sincerely m de At y r te , in

e a 15 25 h e a a a F bru ry, , writes C nzone in pr ise of the Datario which he sent to Mantua a s we h a ve seen

Ne potea Dio terreno ’ Ri tro var mai tr a l universa gente e 1 Miglio r Datario et ci miglio r Clem nte .

Then there fell on Rome the news of the im a a . 24 b ttle of P via (Feb , The p er ialists were victorious and the King o f

a as : a Fr nce a prisoner . All w confusion th t fa cile a n d ba nkrupt society ha d been suddenly

lighted up by a ﬂash of lightning . Perhaps

L au dc d Clement I I M ax t P com os i ti ons del di vi no i e V . Op . . p P octa M s r P i tr o A ti n I Roma er L odovi co i centi es e e r e o . n p V no L a u t e da i o P er ugi no n el 1524 di D ecembr e. 1 H 1 2 B A SC E T , i n A rch . St. , 111 Ser . , Vol . 11 , Pt .

D . o c XVII . IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 71 it wa s only summer lightning a s yet : at a n y

a e e a wa o ff. r t , in Rome , it s emed long y Aretino quite at home at the Pa pal Court takes up his pen to console His Ma jesty and to prove to him that his captivity instea d of 1 being a humiliation really does him honour .

It is a ﬁne letter in Spite of its sophisms . It may have been now in the rather uncerta in sunshine of the Papal Court that he bega n to

a the pl n , if not to write , one of best of his

— L a Cor ti i an a Comedies g , the only thing of

a a a l sting v lue , the only piece of liter ture he

a e h d yet set himself to compose . All the r st ha d been journalism : this should endure . 2 a a ﬁr st a a In this rem rk ble Comedy, the dr m tic work in Italian which completely disregards the claSSic Latin models of Plautus an d

e a n d a s the Ter nce sets life the writer saw it ,

e a th e life of his own tim , on the st ge we ﬁnd

a e a e a e re l Ar tino at last n d at his best . He d cl r s

e an d all a e hims lf once for , and we see r bel

a a e a yes , his p squin des might b en told us th t but a realist in th e modern sense of th e

a . word, the ﬁrst in European liter ture This

a a wa s e is the true v lue of Aretino , wh t b st in him . He continually a sserts even with regard

1 L etter s 4 . , I , 2 ’ P er a s s ou ld e ce t Mac avelli s M andra ol h p I h x p hi g a . 72 PIETRO ARETINO

to his most ephemeral work that he has tried

. h e a to tell the truth To Bandini s ys , for

a a a inst nce , I h ve told so m ny truths to my ” day . It is a justiﬁable claim which once and

all L 1 for a Cor ti gi an a a n d its fellows make good . Wa s that Comedy written now in the e arlier 1525 ? 2 months of It might seem so , for he

a i ti there pr ises both Pope Clement a n d G b er . In this case the ﬁgure of Flamminio must have

a a . been interpol ted l ter This may well be , for

a a a Fl mminio only ppears on three occ sions ,

V a none of them ital to the ction , throughout the play . As we Shall see Flamminio is himself but after his ﬁnal exit from Rome . If we must think of Aretino as writing La Cor ti gi an a after the battle of Pavia in the

1525 a e spring of , it by no me ns prev nted or

1 L a o ti i a na A S . H a s a a In C r ct e . 7 e s n g , III , y g i I s t o ive m s el th e tr ou le o f tellin the tr u t d o n o t wi h g y f b g h , I wis h to have th e pleas u r e o f t elli n g lies an d i s ans wer e d I t i s t is tellin th e tr u t t at d i s leas es t er e i s n o r eat er h g h h p , h g n u is an ce in th e eyes of the Sign or i than in thy telling o f the ” u tr th . 2 A L I P A nei ri mi s uoi anni a Venezia u r n . UZ O, . . p (T i , 2 n 2 s a s t at i n th e Co di ce M a liab ec ehian o p . , , y h g II n 84 I co n s r ved h e ﬁr s t r ed actio n o f t is com ed 01. V s e t , . , h y , whi ch m u s t have be en co mp os e d betwe en F ebr u ar y an d u l 1525 a ter th e Battle o f P avia an d e or e th e ou n din J y , , f b f w g ” Ar in o He co m es t o t is con clu s ion r o m the fa ct t at o f et . h f h la p r es a del r s i s m en ti on ed an d at th e s am e tim e th e P o p e r a m n is r e d a i n a n d th e Dat ar io ar e ho n o u bly en tio ed . Th ct o i a i n r m la w n o h as m an y au tho r t tive var a ts f o th e p y e k w. IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 73

interfere d with his journa lism . In June

a a ea a a an d P squino beg n to sp k g in , indeed the fes ta of Pa squino in that year was directe d by 1 Aretino . These squibs were written not of

a a a ai course gainst the Pope , but cert inly g nst

. affa the men who surrounded him Well, irs had come to such a pass that it was time some

a ibe i r s one spoke out . Not le st was G rt e p o n

sible not least was he attacked . He replied he did not a nswer or deny the a ccusations he replie d by attempting a ssassin

a e a ation . He h d Ar tino st bbed nearly to death on the night of July 28 by Achille della

was . wa s Volta , who in his service Aretino

a a s an d a ass ulted he rode home alone , Dell Volta attacked him with the intention of

killing him . By good luck and persona l coura ge a n d strength Aretino succeeded in

a a esc ping but he was very b dly wounded, his right hand was maimed and always rema ined

a e an d l m , he was wounded in the breast as it 2 was thought mortally .

1 A XX H B SCHE T o . ci t Do cs an d V e s en t o n e , p . , . XXIV . as u i n ad e to th e M ar u s an d lat er the M ar u i s r ites to p q q i , q w as k him h h as n o s en him o r a h e h a r o is e why e t t the s s d p m d . 2 I D m i bi d . ocs V an d V In a o e r tten , . XX I XX II . p w by ' Gio M au r o i d F B . o I l r i m l br o ell O er e u r les che di . ( p p b er n i , “ e t c . L on d o n 1723 Vo l . . w e r ead t at iu co l i , , I , p h p p ” h a ch e d ita i n u n m an Gib er ti e em e n tl d en i es e in a o . v h y b g r e s on s i le i n a letter to th e M ar u i s f M an tu a s e i n ra p b q o ( e f ) . PIETRO ARETINO

The report of this attempted ass assination of so famous a m an soon sprea d through th e City an d everyone guessed who was the author

. e e a a of it It ne ded xplanation . An expl n tion w as w as a a found an d put forward . It s id th t ’ Aretino ha d ha d a n intrigue with Gib er ti s

e a . cook, to whom he wrot sonnet This sonnet

a a e a a was c me into the h nds of D ll Volt , who a a n d an d lso enamoured of her, in his jealousy

e l ra ge he attempted to kill Aretino . Th on y truth in this story 1 appears to be that it con n ects Gib er ti with the assassination an d names

a a a a e the ctu l ss ssin , the wretched instrum nt ’ i a a a of G ber ti s hatred . Th t Dell Volt acted by order of Gib er ti an d that the cook ha d

a Sh e nothing wh tever to do with it, though ’ m a a e e Ar etin o s y h v be n one of inﬁnite women,

a 2 is pretty cert in .

1 Th e s to r y i s given by M azu cch elli an d by th e p s eud o ’ er n i Vi ta dell A reti n o E d . . 171. B , ( p 2 A L I P mi s u oi a nni i n enezi a o i n . . A . n ei r i V r o UZ O , p (T ,

. 33 s a s h e can ﬁn d n o r e as o n fo r the attem t o n p , y p ’ Ar eti n o s life h e p r in ts th e letter fr om th e M ar qu i s o f M an tu a i i 1 i i M a u i to Gu c c ar din i . 6 Do e . n c the r s s a s (p , I) , wh h q y , ” th e cau s o f h u ar r e l i s u l an d no n to e er o n e t e q g y k w v y e .

A a in Lu z io r in ts an o t er l etter . 90 Do c . V r om g p h (p , XX III) f th e M ar u i s to Gib er ti im s el i n i c h e s a s alt o u q h f , wh h y , h gh o n e m ight thi n k y o u have n o t d on e what you have d on e ” a ai n s t him it o u t cau s e . It i s tr u e Gib er ti an s ers . 90 g w h w (p ,

D o c . t at at was d o n e was it o u t m o r d er s it ' XXIX) h wh w h y , w h o u t m y c on s e n t an d witho u t m y kn o wledge bu t thi s o n ly M r u i w a in He p r o ves that he kn e w what th e a q s s allu d g to .

76 PIETRO ARETINO

’ t e i h . Ar et n o s wa s e a n d crime door besi ged,

Giber ti e e , no doubt to try to d ceiv public

a e e opinion, sent Dell Volta hims lf to nquire for his victim 1 Then Gib er ti set on his

e a e s cret ry Francesco Berni, the po t , to publish th e story of the cook and generally to abuse

e a e Ar tino , and when Aretino n med his en mies B erni wrote the fa mous Sonnet a gainst him . This Sonnet with others by Girola mo Ca sio ar e given in extenso by Ma zu cch elli

1— 3 a a e a e (pp . 3 4 ) n d r h rdly worth r printing

wit th e a s s is tan ce o f Go d o e t at w e s al s a e h im h I h p h h l v . ' o u r Excelle n ce o u ld a ve lo s t a d e vo ted an d oo d s er van w h g t . It i s n o t n o n e n ce ca m e s u c an a ccid en t fo r th e a s s as s i n k w wh h , ﬂ m a c a h e i n t n c f r B u e d an d u s t have ted t t s a e o o the s . t alr e a d t er e ar e n i n e er s o n s i n r i s o n o ver thi s a ffair a n d y h p p , I thin k that all i s kn o wn an d that th e P o p e will m ake s u ch i m a m a d em o n s tr a t o n a s o ught to b e d e fo r s u ch a an .

30 u l 15 25 . J y,

On Au u s t 3 F r an ce s c o o n z a a r ites th e M ar u is t a t g , G g w q h “

P A . i s ettin e tter o f hi s o u n d s s o t at n o tw ith s ta n d . g g b w , h i n t e ar e i n th e r eas t an d ver n o ta l d e e n o t l e s s g h y b y b y p , by th e vir tu e o f a d o cto r her e than by th e u s e o f an o il tha t i s er e ct fo r o u n d s h e i s n o t o n l o u t o f d an er bu t o es p f w , y g h p

im r e f illn s . a e i s i ed him i n a Sho r t t e to b e f e o e s I h v v t . On Au gu s t 11 th e M ar qu i s r epli es to F r an ces co that h e is

a P A . i s etter o f hi s o u n d s an d o u t o f d an er ple as e d th t . b w g i n tr u th hi s m i s for tu n e gr i e ve d m e m u ch for h e was o f th e m er o f m co r di al r i en d s am leas e d t at ou av n u b y f . I p h y h e vi i e d him s t .

en o n Octo er 14 th e M ar u is lear n s letter t at Th , b , q by h A h as l e t R o m e an d t at th e r iter Fr at e Ni cco lo t in s P . . f h w ( ) h k i o to M an tu a to a his r e e cts that h e w ll g p y sp . 1 A L I O . ci t. . 33 n . 2. . UZ O , p , p , IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 77 here }l They a r e full of calumny an d ﬁerce abuse an d they natura lly estra nged Berni

a nd e . Ar tino for life They prove the fury, the

a a n d Giber ti fe r the hatred of Cardinal , and

e a they succe ded to this extent , th t much of their calumny an d abuse ha s stuck to Aretino

SO a e ever since , th t it has app ared in his biographies as so much fact . We need not be too sorry for him . One may well ask where was the Pope in this

a fa . wa s a disgraceful f ir Clement VII we k , ib i G er t was his m an of affairs he did nothing . An unsuccessful a ssassination was perhaps not

a so r re a thing in Rome at that time . All the importance of the affa ir lay in the notoriety of Aretino .

1 I will give p ar t o f th e fam o u s So n n et

Tu n e dir ai e ar ai tan te e tan te , f , , Li n u a r a cid a m ar cia e s en z a s ale g f , , Ch e alﬁn Si tr o ver a p u r u n p u gn ale Mi ’ lior d i u el d Ac ille 6 in calz an te . g q h , p II P a a é P a a e tu s ei n u ur an te p p f f , ’ N u d r ito d el an d altr i e el ir m ale p , d d ’ Un ie h ai i n o r d ello e l altr o allo s e d ale p b , p Sto r iat a c ci o i n o r an e d ar r an e p , g t , e o g t . ’ Gi o v am m atteo e li altr i ch e li h a r e s s o g g p , Ch e p er gr a z ia d i Di o s o n Vivi e s an i ’ ’ a f o er an n o an co r a u n d i n n u ce s s o T f gh . B o j a s co r gi i co s tu m i tu o i r u fﬁan i ’ E s e ur u o i ci a i p v n c ar , d d i t e s te s s o , u ar d a ti il etto e la t e m i G p s ta e ls an .

An d s o o r t f h . 8 PIETRO ARETINO

Aretino ha d been wounded at the end of

July . He did not recover till October . What wa s he to do ? The Pope would do nothing for him : Giber ti a n d his tools were

a a e loudly calumni ting him , their d gg rs would

a a a a be re dy g in . Life in Rome h d become

ha d impossible for him . Pasquino , who

a had . e made his f me, now ruined him Th re was as at nothing for him to do . He w a loss . Was it in these moments of convalescence as a l a a e a he gr dual y c me to re lis the situ tion, that in turning the still unpublished pages of La Cor ti gi an a he interpolated p arts of that so slight portrait of himself under the

a a e n me of Fl mminio, with all his bitt r irony an d his disgust of the Court of Rome ? 1

F la mi a m n i o. Wh t are you doing in sending Camillo to Court ? 2

a all Sempr oni o . I am sending him to le rn good

hi an d a e a t ngs of life m nn rs , th t by this means he may come to have a certain

useful reputation .

1 Flam min io o n l a ear s i n t r e e s ce nes ic ar e y pp h , wh h o bvi ou s ly i n ter p olate d an d have n o thi n g t o d o with th e a cti o n A c 11 Se 6 o f th e la . Th e s ce n es ar e A ct So . 9 t . p y I , ; , ;

A ct Sc 7. Th e l as t s cen e w as cer tainl r itten i n Ve n i ce III , . y w s e e i n r a ( f ) . 2 m L a Corti i ana 6 . Sem r on io i s a n Old an an d g , II, p

Camillo i s his s o n . IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 79

F a n d e lammi n i o . Manners useful achievem nts

at ? ' Court Oh, oh

S a e an d e empr oni o . In my time m nn rs th se

good things were only to be had at Court .

F e a . lammi ni o . In your tim the sses kept school You old fogeys ar e a lways going ba ck to what was the rule in the old time : but

we ar e in the modern .

Se a m r oni o . a a p Wh t do I he r, Fl mminio F l amm . i ni o . The Gospel

Se a a mpr oni o . C n it be th t the world is so wors ened

F a as ea e l mmi ni o . The world h found it si r to get worse tha n better : that is all I can

tell you .

Sem r oni o . . p I am translated, I am astonished

F lam i e mi n o. If you wish to understand, t ll me of the goodness of your time and I will tell you part of the miseries of mine : it

a e e l would t k too long to try to t ll you a l .

Sem o e p r ni o . To it then . In my tim you ha d scarce arrived in Rome when you found

a an d a a e patron , , ccording to your g , your condition an d your wishes he gave you

f a a b ed a e a o ﬁce , room to yourself, , s rv nt ,

e a a k pt a horse for you , p id the l undress ,

the barber, the doctor, the medicine ,

e a a an d e clothes onc or twice ye r, wh n 8 0 PIETRO ARETINO

ben eﬁces fell va cant they were honestly

a was distributed mong us . Everyone rewarded in such a way that one never

ea h rd any compla int . And if you liked literature or music the master paid for

them . F lammi ni o . Really Se mpr oni o . We lived with so much a ffection a n d so much charity together that we knew no inequality ; it appeared that we were all children of one father an d one mother : an d each rej oiced in the happi

ness of his companion as it were his own . In illness ea ch served other as the Religious

do .

F la e . mmi ni o. T ll me more

Se . mpr oni o . That will be enough And the love of having served at Court is not

deceiving me .

F lammi ni o . Listen now to my experience,

courtier of Papa Janni . (Pope Leo X ’ e Giovanni de Medici) . In my time th re came to Rome one full of all t he qua lities that one can desire in a man that has to

an d serve at Court , before he would be ’ a a he accepted even in the serv nts h ll , might

e e return to Para dis e . In my tim th re was only one serva nt a mong two of us ; IN ROME UNDER CLEMENT VII 8 1

how is it possible that half a man can serve a whole one ? In my time ﬁve or Six persons were given one room ten

a a n d feet long and eight bro d , he who did ﬂ Oor not like to sleep on the , bought a

bed or took one on hire . In my time horses beca me chameleons unless you provided them with corn and hay from

your own purse . In my time you sold your household goods to dress yourself a n d he who had not any of his own went

poor a n d naked . In my time if you fell really ill in the service of your patron it wa s ma de a great favour to ﬁnd a pla ce

for you in Santo Spirito . In my time

a a l undresses and barbers were p id by us , and inmy time if any b en eﬁces fell va cant they were either given to outsiders or they were cut up into so many pieces an d each piece was only worth a ducat and it would have been better for the Pope if that ducat had not been lawyered about

e for ten years . In my time not only w re

a a a no masters p id to te ch us nything, but he wa s persecuted as an enemy who

a at his le rned anything own cost , for the Signori did not wish to have a nyone near

e them who knew more than th y . 82 PIETRO ARETINO

Sem r on i o . a a p If it is like this, Camillo sh ll st y

with me . F l ’ ammi n i o. Let him stay with you you don t wish to send him to Court to become a

rogue .

Se m r oni o . e p How, rogu F l a e . mmi n i o . Rogu is a n old story But

a after r ogue comes traitor . Wh t more With an incurable hypocrisy even murder

e a is not proceed d ag inst .

Se al Of e . mpr oni o . Let us t k som thing else

Just there we seem to see behind all th e anger

a n d a n d a irony of Aretino his person l grudge , the Rome of Clement fa c e to fa ce with the

T e a e w as Rome of L eo . h d rkn ss coming alrea dy a sort of twilight lay over the Eternal

e e e City . Well might Aretino wond r wh re h should go

am e e e die I d termined to go ls where to , h e says as Fla mminio in the third act of La

an d Cor ti gi an a . And I am Sick sorry at heart for that I ca me here young an d I go a way old ; that I c ame clothe d an d go away

a a e e a n d e a n ked, that I c m in hop d p rt in

despair . But tell me where will you go Valerio

a . a a sks him Into wh t country, with wh t

VI LOMBARDY WITH GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE ( 1526)

8 8 PIETRO ARETINO

a as a a e uncert in ever, hoped to form le gu of

e e a an d a a a th e V nic , Fr nce Engl nd g inst Imp erial power in Italy ; but the plan of

a a a Girol mo Morone , the Mil nese Ch ncellor, to

en d wa s a ea e a ll this , which , moreover , l gu of the Italia n powers to rescue Italy from th e ba rbarians and to pla ce th e generalship of the

a e a a a le gu in the h nds of the M rquis of Pescar , then in the Imperia l S ervice — th e man chieﬂy responsible for the victory of Pavia — failed ; for Pescara was not to be bought even with a e a a n d promis of the Kingdom of N ples , he ’ e a expos d Morone s scheme to Ch rles .

Still the Pope remained irresolute . Then in

a 1526 wa s at M rch , , Francis set liberty and at once b ecame the centre of n ew intrigues

a a a . a g inst Ch rles Fin lly Francis took the lead , an d Ma 22 1526 th e e a on y , , Leagu of Cogn c wa s published — the Holy League for pro m otin g the pea ce of Christendom in which the

a n d th e Pope , the French King, Venice Duke of Mila n joined forces an d invited Charles V

a a a n d Henry VIII of Engl nd to dhere to them . An army was to be formed to preserve the

a a peace of Italy . At l st Clement h d made

at ha d up his mind, or any rate committed himself. Now the success of the League — for Charles IN LOMBARDY 8 9

refus ed to join it a n d Henry only p assively

it — la a far a s protected y ltogether, so

a as e th e e a . It ly w concern d, in nergy of its ction Pope Clement w as a t last ra ising troops a s

a as h e a n d a e as e a f st could , ppoint d his G ner ls Giovanni delle Ba nde Nere a n d Guido Ran go n i Gu icciar din i the statesman an d historian went

a to Lombardy a s his p olitic l representative . Venice a ppointed as her commander the vacil

- n d a F r an ces co a . lating a ill st rred O Mari della

e . a e o Rov re, Duke of Urbino These rmi s f

a m en a e bout were dmitt d into Lodi , which gave them comma nd of the Adda a n d a strong position in the enemy ’s country from which they could operate with equal cas e

a a a n d a a . ag inst Milan , Cremon P vi The great object of the allies w a s necessarily to pr ev eﬁt Milan falling altogether into the

T e hands of the Imperialists . h town had a a e the lre dy b en occupied by the enemy , but

a e e C st llo still h ld out . Owing to the folly an d

a e 24 . del y of the Duke of Urbino it f ll, on July Now in all th e business a n d ﬁghting an d excitement of this new and la st attempt to save Italy from the barb aria ns and the

e ha d for igners Aretino his part , by the side of the only great soldier in the Italian Service

— a Giov nni delle Ba nde Nere . 90 PIETRO ARETINO

We see him under the walls of Milan with Giovanni : we s ee him conceive for himself a new

career . ’ So o a o e o a n on h un a tt Mil n di ci v lt , c sse : e o s e es a e a Mi di Pi tr , di qu t gu rr Mi s campa Iddio e la buona fortuna 1 T o o im adronir e a t u e i v gli p d ll a t rra .

Pietro Aretino Marquis of Are zzo ' It would

a a e h ve m d others beside the old Tarlati uneasy .

a Aretino, however, does not see its bsurdity, and when vac remember Sforza we are not

surprised . Still he seems to have seen that his

destiny was quite other .

Ma piace al destin ladro che io pur sia 2 o e o o ed ei mo o e so e P v r e vecchi rt tt rra .

a a was e But th t camp ign to end as it b gan, 1526 in misfortune In November, , while ’ a a skirmishing before Governolo , It ly s gre t ’ a a an d Ar etino s C pt in dear friend, Giovanni

a e e . delle B nd Nere , was kill d

s e Ed ci morto e ott rra . Aretino himself in one of the most wonderful letters he was ever to write tells us how it all 3 happened .

1 B e fo r e Milan no t On ce bu t t en tim es he (Gio vann i d elle Ner e s aid to m e Pi etr o co m e t rou t is war Ban d e ) , if I h gh h f Go d an d oo d lu c s to m a e ou lo r d by th e gr ace o g k , I wi h k y

wn co u n tr O . bu r les che Fir en z e 17 . O f your o y ( p ( , III, p 2 B u t it pleas e d th e r o gu e d es tin y that I Shoul d be p oo r

d h e d e ad an d u n der r o u n d O . burles che F r en z e a n d o ld an g ( p ( i , 3 L etter s 5 . III , p . , I ,

92 PIETRO ARETINO tions while th e snow fell blindingly about

e an d w a s e a a a a th m , he born w y to M ntu on a litter to the house of Signor Luigi Gonzaga where the same evening th e Duke of Urbino

a V e an d c me to isit him , for he lov d him , reverenced him to such an extent that he w as careful even of giving an Opinion in his pres ence ; a n d this w a s his merit . And h e as a s s a w w as , soon he him , much con

e sol d .

' Then seeing his case th e Duke sa id with much feeling It is not enough for you to b e

a a n d a f mous glorious in rms , if you do not support your name with the religion a n d ’ e Obs ervanc s in which you were bred . And he a nswered — for he understood that the Duke would turn his thoughts to confession As

all a e a a a e in things I h v lw ys p id my d bts , I ’ will pay this one also . And so as the Duke

e h e e a a m e a l ft him b g n to t lk with , spe king of

th e a e a Lucantonio with gre t st ffection . And ’ I said We will send for him . Do you wish that one like him should leave the war to see the Sick h e answered .

a e San a He rec ll d Conte Secondo , s ying At least if he were here he might take my ’ a e place . Sometimes he scr tched his h a d then laid his ﬁngers on his lips saying What IN LOMBARDY 9 3

’ will happen ? And often he sa id I have ’ done nothing amiss .

e But I, exhort d by the doctors , went to him

‘ a n d : S said I hould be doing you wrong if, c a with de eiving words , I tried to persu de you

a th t death was the cure of all ills , but since it is the greatest happiness to do all things freely let them cut away the h avoc of the gun a n d in e ight days you can make Italy Que en

a a e th t now is slave . And your l m ness will b e a a your order inste d of th t of the King,

a e which you never wished for, bec us wounds a n d loss of limbs ar e th e collars a n d th e me dals ’ e e a of thos who s rve M rs . ’ Let b e a . it done , he nswered me

th e a e an d a At this doctors c m in , , pr ising the

e a e h a d fortitud of his decision , did wh t th y

and e to do , , giving him some m dicine went out to put their instruments in order . At

e a a e supper tim he was ss il d with vomiting,

e and h said to m e : The omens of C aes ar . It is necessary to think of other things tha n of ’

. a a a life And th t s id , with h nds joined he vowed to go to the Apostle of Galizia (St . a ll J mes of Co mpost e a ) . But when the time w as come an d the skilful men were come in

with the instruments they needed , they asked for eight or ten persons to hold him while 94 PIETRO ARETINO

a Not the gony of the sawing should last . ’ a even twenty , he s id , smiling, would hold ’

. e me And collecting himself, with a perf ctly

a a a e a c lm f ce, he took the c ndl in his own h nd

e to give light himself to the doctors . I rush d a a a n d e w y, putting my ﬁng rs in my ears only

a e e e e e he rd two cri s a n d th n h call d me . Wh n ’

a e a am ea e . I c m to him he s id, I h l d And turning himself a ll about ma de a great r e

oici e d j ng. And if the Duk of Urbino ha not stopped him h e would ha ve ha d them bring

a le forw rd the foot with the piece of the g, laughing at us who could not bea r to see what

had ff e far he suffered . And his su erings wer greater than those of Alexander an d of Tra j an who kept a smiling face when he pulled out th e

- a tiny arrow hea d and cut the nerve . In f ct the pain which ha d diminished returned two

e hours b efore day with all sorts of torm nts . And I hearing him knocking feverishly at the

a was a the ea a w ll, st bbed to h rt and dressing in

. a s a s s aw moment ran to him And he, soon he

a s a me, beg n to y to me that the thought of the poltroons 1 distress ed him more than the

a pain , trying by t lking to me to forget his misfortune a n d to set free his spirit already

1 Pr o a l an allu s io n to th e P o e an d th e oliti cian s e . . b b y p p , g th e Datar i o .

9 6 PIETRO ARETINO

e e will bring you , not the love m r ly , but the a doration not only of mys elf but of everyone ’ e e ls . Finally h e turned to m e a n d ba de me to ask Ma donna Maria to send Cosimo (his son) to

. a w as a him At this , de th which c lling him

e a ea all e redoubl d his s dness . Alr dy the hous

a n e a e hold , without y r spect for r nk , w re push

th e b ed e an d ing round mix d with his ofﬁcers , ,

e e e e e ov rwh lmed by cold mis ry, we ping for th ir

ea e an d th e e h d , th ir hope service they w re

e a a a losing with th ir m ster, e ch trying to c tch

e e S fl his y to how him their sorrow a n d a f iction .

h e the a Thus surrounded , took h nd of His Excellency an d s aid to him You ar e losing to - day the greatest friend an d the best s ervant ’ you ever ha d . And his Most Illustrious

a a n d his a e Lordship m sking his words f c ,

e e e a e pr t nding to be joyful , tri d to m k him

e h e b eliev he would get well . And for whom

ea h a d h e w as d th no terrors , even though

e a e a S ea th e c rt in of it , b g n to p k of business of

w ar a e the , proposing things which would h v b een stup endous if he ha d be en going to live instea d of b eing alrea dy half dea d . So he remained working things out till the ninth

t e . e hour of h Vigil of St Andr w (Nov . And

e a ffe e a b c use his su rings w re not to be me sured, IN LOMBARDY 97

he begged me to rea d him to Sleep . And so I

did an d h e seeme d to pass from sle ep to Sle ep .

a ha d e a a an At l st when he sl pt qu rter of hour,

a he a : ea wa s a w king, s id I dr mt I m king

a e my will n d here I a m healed . I no long r feel an y pain ; if I ke ep on getting better like this I will Show the Germans how to ﬁght an d ’ a a a a how I venge mys elf. Th t s id d rkness fell upon him a n d he himself a sked for Extreme

a n d a r ecel v ed a a a Unction , h ving th t S cr ment he sa id I will not die in all these bandages so w e pla ced a camp b ed for him a n d laid him

a n d e e w as upon it , whil his mind sl pt he

e occupi d by death . There lay th e great capta in of Italy on the

ev e a e of the great disaster . In th t stup ndous letter we s eem to s ee his very self ; nor can anything else Aretino ever wrote give us a better idea of his own ability as a writer as

e a s w ll of such nobility as was in him . The

a a a e a a l st phr se , to spe k of nothing lse , is m ster

a e a an d a a stroke , gr v and l rge noble , yet pp r ently absolutely spontaneous —M en tr e i l s u o ani mo dor mi va u occu ato da la mor te. , f p So the last great C aptain of Adventure died in th e arms of the ﬁrst great Adventurer of the Press .

’ a a Salviat a a M ri , Giov nni delle Bande Nere s H 8 PIETRO ARETINO

e e a as wif , in a lett r to Aretino ddresses him the brother an d soul of him who had no equal ” a n d a an d in this world, sks counsel of him begs him to write the life of the great captain . Well might Aretino an d Italy with him mourn

a a s e . over th t grave . Night w com Within six months of his death Rome w as in the

a a a a a an d e h nds of the b rb ri ns , s cked loot d ’ and desecrated ; the Pop e a prisoner in Sant

e Ang lo . And what w as Aretino to do ? His b est

e e a e w a s ea . fri nd, p rh ps his only fri nd, d d Should h e ﬁnd a refuge a n d his brea d at th e Court of Ma ntua ? But he hated Courts a n d a e of 1 AS Rome w s not to b thought . for

a a w as a at M ntu , while he in f vour Rome , Mantua caressed him ; but now ? He ha d

i i e quarrelled with Clement an d G ber t . Th

e e a an d th e a tim s wer dis strous , while M rquis offere d him hospitality for a time while he

e e 2 w as tri d to r concile him with the Pope , it

e a e at only a temporary expedient . He r m in d

1 A L I P A n ei ri mi s u oi anni a Ven ezi a o r i n o . UZ O , . . p (T , 1888 ) 2 See th e letter fr om th e M ar qu i s to Gu i cciar din i o f Jan u ar y R m 23, 1527. P . A . d id n o t d es ir e to r e tu r n to o e a s w e s e e r o m t at letter Gu i cciar d in i h ad alr ead 14 No vem er f h . y ( b , ’ 1526 u n d ert a en to d o at h e co u ld L etter e a ll A . 1 ) k wh ( , I , , ’ Th e Mar u is s letter to Gu i cciar din i i s iven i n L I O o . ci t. q g UZ , p ,

Do c . 1.

100 PIETRO ARETINO tions put forward in a form more or less s billin e a as Old y , not unlike wh t we know ’ M oor e s A lman ac h as a , which still its popul rity a was mong the common people . But it not only to the people that these prognostications a pp ea led ; they found readers among the

an d a a highest , were especi lly popul r in the

Courts . These prognostications were known as gi u di zi a n d for th e mo st part were divided

a a a ca i toli ea into p r gr phs or p , d ling with the

a e th e a fe e a an d we th r, h rvests , the dif r nt St tes

e a n d war an d . th ir Signori, the so forth On all such subj ects they offered predictions in a vague language that general cre dulity delighted

e e . e e to d ciph r Sc ptics w re , of course , not wanting : they parodied thes e gi u di zi but this did not prevent their being very popular or stop the Signori from instructing their a mb assa dors to buy th em when they came out . Pietro Aretino with a consummate ability had used these gi u di zi for his own ends an d came to make something quite n ew of them . He discarded th e abstrus e charlata nism of the a strologers a n d repla ced it with a lively an d biting comment upon everything an d every body : in fa ct he produced a sort of review IN LOMBARDY 101

a a a a a n d a all or nnu l, s tiric l, humorous , bove

a e as a s w as cr mmed with lib l , which often not none the less libel for being true Not the

a a st rs , but his own br in , bitter, contemptuous ,

a r pacious , mercenary, his wide knowledge of

an d a n d ffa e men Courts a irs , his wond rful

a a a c p city, won in bitter school , of judging

e a . cont mpor ry life , found expression there And with his secrets of the a ntecha mber an d

at e e a e e his libel , he l ngth produc d r vi w which a fter all differe d funda menta lly very little from some of th e more scu rr i llou s periodicals

- a of to d y .

a s a e a And it is e sy to und rst nd, this review of his w as widely sought a fter an d even more ea gerly rea d in the semi - isolation of those Italian Courts tha n in the streets of Rome a n d not Ieast by those who desired to s ee their na mes mentioned with honour a n d those of

e e th ir enemies with cont mpt . ” an a a a a a. a But nnu l, ppe ring once ye r , wa s e soon not nough for Aretino . He began to issue gi u di zi whenever h e felt need of

e expression or money . His r view probably

e a e a e consist d of loose sheet , or p rh ps sh ets , such a s is sold in th e streets or on the country roa ds of Tuscany to - day an d indee d all over

e s m a Italy, ﬁlled with v rses . It w a thus we y 102 PIETRO ARETINO

” 1 a a e e e e think th t Aretino l t r issu d his l tt rs , thos e letters which in 1538 were collected a n d issued in book form by Mar colin i in

e V nice a n d were soon passed through the world .

e e e e a a a Th se l tters w r in f ct rticles , often d ily

—in a 1537 e e a f ct, in he wrot mor th n two hundre d an d twenty of them - th e work of a ma rvellous j ournalist in which w e see pass before us the whole life of the time ; of a

a e ea journ list too who kn w how to d l with , a ea an d e pp l to , impose himself upon , his tim at least as well as the most successful journalists

- e of to da y ha v known how to do . Thus interpreting an d expressing public

O e pinion Aretino won a gr at popularity . As w e have s een in L a Cor ti gi an a 2 these loose sheets were sold in the streets an d so were put into circulation an d distributed

the en d 1526 a e ea In of , ft r the d th of

a a e e e Giov nni delle B nd N r , Aretino , it seems , did not omit to put out his gi u di zi o for the

New Year . He signed it in the name of

1 A . L I o . ci t. . 7 n 1 t ells u s t at o n e o f t es e UZ O , p , p , . , h h L etter s t at to th e Ven etian s Letter s 269 e xi s ts to - d a , h ( , I , ) y i n th e o r i i n al fl - s e e t i n Co d Am r os ian a g y h . b H 2 See s u ra . 78 an d La Cor ti ia na A ct So . 4 . A . L I O p , p , g , I , UZ , 8 u o tes a di s at c o f s co o M alat e s ta M an tu an p . , q p h J p , “ a m as s ad o r a t e n i c e i n i c h e t ells o f at e ell i n b V , wh h wh b f thi s co u n tr y a poo r m an wh o wen t s elling th e gi u di zi thr o ugh ”

Ri alto .

104 PIETRO ARETINO

a e a e moment of extreme nxiety, his lif in d ng r

e e he turned to Venice . I will go to V nic

a e a n d e h er m yb , I will enrich my pov rty with

at a a liberty , for there le st is no f vourite to

e e a assassinate poor m n . C rt inly she is the

Holy City a n d the Earthly Para dise . ” Where is peace if not in Venic e 1

e To Venice he w nt .

1 La Cor ti i ana A ct Sc . 7. g , III , VII

VENICE

108 PIETRO ARETINO

a gre test metropolis in the world , the only city in Italy that was secure from war in the

a w as troubles of the time , the only city th t still rich where all others were poor an d

a a was e en b nkrupt, the only city th t fre wh

e e the rest wer in s rvitude an d danger . More

an d n o t e e a a e over, for th s re sons lone , V nice w as the one city in the world where he could

ea l at t e e r lly fee home . He needed h Pr ss ;

e e s He e e a s h r it w a . needed liberty ; h r w its nest ; the great independent metropolis of

ea a e . Europe , the gr t sylum for xiles A n d he loved the pla ce ; everywhere in his letters this eager a ffection, often almost

a a a . a p ssion te , bre ks through If he comp res Venice with his birthpla ce It is only to exalt

La a a é m atr i nia the city of his choice . p tri g ’ de la severita -one s n ative la nd is a cruel ’ stepmother —recalling De Quincey s repro ach ” - to London stony hearted stepmother . But at Venice the su n warms all men a an d all t h e like , the moon gives them light for stars shine forth ; our true fatherland is that ” s 1 O a which welcomes u . While how ften he s ys

Vi netia ch e e sara ed é s uta Il a em a d el o o e la e e a Di d M nd , b ll zz fa o uta La qual il ciel d el v r suo trib .

1 — L etter s 274 5 . I , VENICE (15 27— 1531) 109

’ Vin etia impressa da 1 alm a allegrezza De la s e a e o a a a tup nd pr vid n tur , Che e fas s la sua e e a g ntil i , in g ntil zz

Our true fatherla nd is that which welcomes

e was e a us . Well , Ar tino c rt inly known by

e a e e a ha d e r put tion in V nic , his f me preced d

an d h e wa s e e e a s a him , to be r c iv d a f mous ,

e a e e . m an . Moreov r he lready had fri nds th re Ha d he not known Sansovino in Rome ?

Immortal San so vin voi pur havete o s a o al mo o o m e a i o e m a m M tr t nd , c br nzi i r i 2 Non men s e so che mo o dar sa e e . n , t p t

Sansovino wa s a friend whom Aretino kept

the en d e a n d w as to of his lif , it to him he

e — ow d the most precious friend of all Titi an . Titia n a n d he seem to ha ve understood one another from th e ﬁrst ; they soon b ecame intimate and devoted gossips a n d nothing

e as a ever came b tween them . This w the f mous

a — a a triumvir te Titi n, Aretino , S nsovino an d the three s aw each other almost every

da . e fr ien ds hl a e e a y Th ir p bec m inde d f mous , an d Sansovino commemorated it on the doors

a San a e a of the S cristy of M rco , wher he pl ced

1 L etter s VI 177. Th e o r d s u ta i s tr u n cate d r o m ss s uta , , w f , an d i s th e s am e as B O I O o s tata cf D ecamer ne. , . CCACC , 2 “ L etter s 19 1. mm o r tal San s o vi n o o u ave o n , II , I , y h Sh w th e o rld h o w ell o u n o t o ive n o t o n l e eli n bu t w w y k w g , y f g m o vem en t to r on z e an m L ett s d ar le of . er b b ( , I , 110 PIETRO ARETINO

° 1 the heads of Titian , Aretino and himself a n d Aretino celebrated the a chievement in a sonnet .

e e v oi T a voi Sa so o M ntr iti n , n vin ’ In tele e in marmi afﬁcatieate 1 ar ts Accio ris plenda in riguardata p arte ’ ’ L essempio d o gni spirito pellegrino ’ IO 0 0 ] e o del cor con h o z l , cui l inc in Pingo e s co lpis co humilm ent e in carte Le gr ati e che in Lucretia h a infus e e s parte Na a ma ni cen ti e do n o ti g ﬁ a divin . B enche il mi o stil n on pu O fo rma e co lore Al buo n di dentro dar ; qual puote il vos tro Colorire e formare il bel di fore ’ Che s o es se nel su o o o h os o , ci p t pr pri inc i tr ’ ’ Ritr ar lei e a mo e l a o e di l ni v l r , ’ ’ Le s a a em o il s e o a i e l o s o 2 ri t pi c l d ltr n tr .

ul w e a It wo d be a mistake , as sh ll see , to

e a e a r g rd this friendship too lightly, to r g rd it a s arising merely in the usefulness of Aretino

a e to the two artists . It is true th t Ar tino a a e a dvertises Titi n on very occ sion , but this is the result of his enthu sia sm a s a critic an d

t e 3 He of his friendship for h pa inter . con

1 RI e d c i VI I 506 n 4 . V . t . ASA , , , 2 L etters 249 Wh ile o u itian an d o u San s o vi n o , II , . y , T , y , , o n can va s a n d i n m ar bl e d i s play yo ur ar t s o that it i s r e s plen d e n t ever ywher e an d th e e xam ple o f e ver y p ilgr im s p ir it I with z ealo u s hear t bo we d i n ho m age p ain t an d car ve hum bly n a e r o p p . 3 It i s o s s i l e t o u w e ave n o e v d en ce t at Ar e tin o p b , h gh h i , h go t a c o m m i s s io n o n the pr i ce o f th e pi ctur es h e arr an ge d for .

112 PIETRO ARETINO

an d e e now lost to us , Ar tino s nt it to the

a 1 a e a M rquis of Mantua . For wh t ver th t prince m ay have instructe d his Chancellor to write to the Pop e h e ha d certainly not yet

a e e d r d to quarr l with Aretino . A month

a e a a e e ft r his rriv l in Venic , Ar tino writes to Vincenzo d a F cr m o 2 an d sp eaks of the Splendid bounty of th e Marquis of Mantua a n d not long after in August 3 writes to tha nk th e Marquis hims elf for ﬁfty s cu di an d a

o e He as d ubl t of cloth of gold . h sent him

1 Thi s p o r tr a it p r o bably cam e to En gl an d whe n th e M n i ca n fin n a tu an c o lle ct o n p as s e d to Char les I . I d o t r a ce o f it at am to n Co u r t n o r i n th e Catalo u e s o f th e H p , g M an tu an al an d h l f h e R o al Co lle cti on I t u s e t e s a e o t y . o ght n o t t o b e d ifficu lt t o tr a ce a s Ar eti n o t en t ir t - fiv e e ar s , , h h y y O ld w a r e r es en e as d i s d ai n in th e laur el a s h i s s o n n , s p t d g , et , i c a c co m an i e d th e i ctu r e to M an tu a t ells u s wh h p p ,

To gli il lau r o p er t e Ces ar e e Om er o Ch e im r at o r n o s o n on s o o e ta p e n n , n p , E t l o s til d i e m m i i n s o r te il m i o pi an e ta

P ﬁn er m a er r e dir e il er o . er g n o , p p v ’ i m d o al er o So n 1 Ar et n , cen s o r d el o n t , E t d e l a ver ita n u n cio e p r o ph et a Chi a m a la ir tu c on a c ci a li et a V f , i i m li il m a i s ter o Di T t an co n te p g . ’ ’ E t q u el ch i d o l s h a fatto il Vi ci o ho rr e n d o C i d a er n on ve d er m i li o cc i s u o i h u p g h , ’ Ch e an c o r ch i o s ia d i i n to i o ar lo e i n te n d o h p p , F e d er i o o n z a a i o ad o r o v o i g G g , E t il Sign o r Gio van n i an cho r tr em e n d o ’ ’ ’ Ch altr i n on c e ch e l m er iti tr a n o i .

13 i M a r zocco u l I O ci t. . an d n Cf . L O . ( UZ , p , p , , J y , 3 2 L te 13 L etter s 10 . et r s . , I , , I , VENICE ( 15 27- 1531) 113 his portra it by Titian an d is arranging for ’ a a a a Titi n to p int the M rquis s portr it, for Seb astiano d el Piombo to pa int him an ea s el

a n d a a e picture , for S nsovino to decor t one of the rooms of the pala ce at Mantua with a Venus so true to life an d so living that it will ﬁll the mind of whosoever looks on it with desire .

a e Th t letter, so full of th se commissions an d a w as e th nks , writt n in August ; but in

Ma th e e a a a s a y most t rrible c l mity, m ny

a t a h ad thought the time judgment of God ,

a a . ha d e a f llen upon It ly Rome b en t ken , entered and sa cked by the Constable de Bourbon an d his b arb arous army of Spaniards an d Germans . The Pope was a prisoner in ’ a e S nt Ang lo . I suppos e the most famous a ccount of that

’ a e is fr o m the e e dis st r pen of B nvenuto C llini , but Aretino also describ es it in the second day

th e e a th e Ra i on amen ti an d of S cond P rt of g , w e have a letter to Aretino from S ebastiano d el a Piombo , who was in Rome, telling him th t the Pope had said : If Pietro Aretino h ad b een with us we should not be here worse tha n ” a prisoner .

a Ra i on amen ti The ccount given in the g is ,

e a an e a n d of cours , not th t of yewitness it is

a a e e . e too long to tr nsl t h re It is , n vertheless, 1 14 PIETRO ARETINO

extraordinarily vivid an d wa s prob ably given to

a e a a ha d e Aretino by Fr te S b sti no, who witness d

was the sa ck . The most pitiful thing it to hea r husbands all red with blood which ﬂowed from their wounds ca lling their lost wives those voices were enough to make the great

block of marble in the Coliseum weep . But who can tell the horrors of that night As darkness came on th e great pot -b ellies who guarde d Ponte Sisto took fright a n d the enemy

o er ﬂ o e v w d from Trastevere into Rome itself. a the Then rose voice of the City, enormous ,

a a e cl morous , the g tes went down, ev ryone

ﬂ e e d a n d hid himself weeping . The stre ts ran

e was with blood, everywher nothing but

e massa cre . Those th y were torturing were

ea e a a scr ming, prisoners wer m king supplic tion , while women tore their hair a n d the old trembled ; all the city was upside down a nd blessed were they who died at the ﬁrst blow or

e in their a gony found someone to ﬁnish th m .

a a a an d all th e e Fri rs , monks , ch pl ins r st ,

a a rmed or un rmed, hid themselves in the

e sepulchres more dea d than a live . Ther wa s

a a a a not corner, or hole , or well, or belfry

a a n - or a cell r, nor y the most tiny hiding place which was not full of all sorts of p eople . Reverend p ersonages were turne d to ridicule

116 PIETRO ARETINO

The e the air imm nse conﬁdence , impudent with which he writes both to Pope a n d Caesa r would seem to give us a very true impression of the position which Aretino conceive d for

. an d himself Secure in Venice , free his own

a e h e w r it es e a n d e a m st r, to Pop Emp ror lmost like a n arbitrator He ha s a lrea dy found th e “ ” an d a ir ea a e tone of the l ding rticl , which Jupiter To na n s has but to e cho centuries later . Quite a s noteworthy as these articles in the form of letters ar e his two compositions in

e a canzon e a r ottola a a v rse , and f , th t , on the s me subject - the Sa ck of Rome - Aretino sent to

a 1 a a th e Marquis of Mantu . These p ssion te la mentations stand qui te a lone in the literature

e e of th e Sa ck . They show us how de ply h

e e ffe e lov d Rome in spit of his su rings ther ,

e a an d how well he understood the stat of ffairs . What ha d befa llen wa s the slaughter of th e common fatherland more wretche d tha n ”

e a e a a . J rus l m , Troy or C rth ge The insolent pasquinade which he issued at

a a the s me time , in which P squin recounts to his gossip Mar for io the ugly quarter of an hour

1 A n i r imi s u oi a ni o r i n o 64— 0 L I P . . e n . 7 UZ O , p (T , pp , e s e ver s e s e r e r i n te d fo r th e ﬁr s t tim e V V. Do cs . I , Th w p by

M . i L c 282 t s e Lu zio r o m Co d . ar c . Cl t . No . V . e . f XI , X I , , q VENICE ( 1527— 1531) 117

the a wa s a e he had passed during S ck , ppar ntly

a a n d th e s aw printed in Sien , when Pope it

e ask e e e it mov d him to , v n in his mis ry , if it were possible tha t th e world could suffer a

Pop e to b e lash ed in so cruel a manner . W e ” e the conf ss wrong done to Pietro Aretino , h e is said to ha ve a dmitted . Yet Seba stiano

d el the Piombo, who was in Rome during ’ a e an d a Ar etin o s a tr g dy, is prob bly uthority

a a e for his ccount of what h ppened , t lls him that the Pope regretted the rea dy pen of Aretino when h e had to write to th e Emperor -1 If Aretino ha d been here we should not perhaps ” i a a 2 be in th s pl ce worse th n prisoner . For the year 1528 Aretino publishe d as usual his gi u di zi o which th e Marquis of Mantua 3 again found delightful . It was much more

. a respectful to the Pope Aretino , in f ct , seems to have been in hope of patching things up and

1 ’ L etter s a ll A . i 12. Se P . A . ci u s s e s tato a r es s o , I , , f pp , n o i o r s e n o n s ar emm o u i e io ch e r i i o n i er O ch i f q p gg p g , p e c i m io a vr e bbe d etto l ber a e n te c ch e Si d i c eva i n R o m a d e lo a c co r o Ce s ar e r a F m d o , t att to p er il er a os ca e il vi ce R e d i N ap oli ; t al ch e n o i n on avr em m o p os to la n o s tr a bu o n a m ” volon ta i n an o d e t ali . 2 A m on t later t an his l etter to the Em er o r Ar i h h p , et n o r o te an E i s tola i n terzi ne a ddr e s s ed to the ' n of Fr an ce w p , i g , i n i c h e cu rs e s th e Em er o r an d as s fo r th e aid o f Fr an ci wh h p k s . It i s it ou t li e an d ver r o li an d te dio u s s ee L I w h f y p x ( UZ O ,

o ci t. p . , p . 3 — L I O O . cit. D c X o s . V UZ , p , XII . 1 18 PIETRO ARETINO r e - e a a e st blishing rel tions with Clem nt . He e e a a v n sks the M rquis to intervene . His a ffa irs at Venice were not prospering ; h e w as in deep nee d of money an d in his difﬁculty he

e a e a e e a a e s ems to h v tt mpt d to est blish lott ry , for which th e Marquis ga ve him the necessa ry

a a a th e e p tent for M ntu , in hop of bringing

1 e in some thousands of ducats . This vidently

a e a n d h e a a e f il d, seems to h ve qu rr lled with

Ma ntua . The silence tha t fo llows between Aretino a n d th e a o e a e e M rquis is curi us , b c us in Sept m

1527 ha d e e a a ber, , Aretino b en ng ged on poem in th e manner of Orla ndo Furioso which w as to open with a n introductory an d dedica

tory canto in prais e of th e House of Gonzaga .

was L a M ar s a a n d at This poem ﬁ , the end of September the Marquis writes to tha nk him

e 2 for the opening which Aretino had s nt him . Federigo Gonzaga expected to b ecome im

a an d a s w e mort l ; indeed the poem which ,

a th e a e h ve it, opens with dventur s in Hell of Rodomonte a n d is thus designed a s a con

i u ation th e t n of work of Ariosto , in the ﬁrst edition published without the name of the

a 1532 author in Ancon in , still keeps the

1 — I O ci t. D o cs . . L . UZ O , p , IX XII 2 — X II V . I bi d . Do cs . V , IX, XI , XII , , XX

120 PIETRO ARETINO with Malatesta in th e pres ence of the French

a a e e Amb ss dor, in the cours of which , Ar tino ,

a e a e a h e with his usu l imp tuosity, ss rted th t

a e a a n d could h v s id, truly , much worse things

had h e a a . a a a wished , of M ntu But M l test so terriﬁe d him that he there an d then a sked pardon an d begged him not to inform the

a a a had M rquis , sserting th t he sinned through

a an d e a an d e j e lousy lov of th t prince , promis d ,

e h e a S a ev n should go to Fr nce , not to pe k evil

a a e an d e of M ntu in futur , und rtook to go on

th e M ar s a was a e with ﬁ , which to m k the

a a . a a a e M rquis immort l This is , l s , v ry good

a e a a e e portr it of Ar tino, which M l t sta giv s us w e a s wa s a see him he , petul nt, impudent ,

e mena cing an d th n abjectly colla psing .

e a Ar tino, however, seems to h ve kept his

an a a promise to this extent at y r te , th t he took up the M arﬁs a again and indee d a sks the

a a e at M rquis to obt in from the Pope , th n

a th e a ri vi le i o Bologn for Congress , p g for

printing th e poem . This w as refused . But the Ma rquis a ske d Aretino for a gi u di zi o on 1 t h e an d e e a Congress, wh n we rem mber wh t that Congress conﬁrmed —the Peace of Cam

a a a n d a br y, the s criﬁce of Venice the dict tor ship of Charles —it would be interesting to

1 ’ Letters a ll A . . 18 n d 42. , I , i a VENICE ( 15 27— 1531) 121 know wha t the trenchant pen of the ﬁrst of

u a ha d an a jo rn lists , who found sylum in

e had s a . V nice , to y of it

h e a at an a imm or T M rquis y r te, expecting tality from Aretino in the midst of the ruins

a w as e a of It ly, much more concern d with obt in ing the necessary pr i vi legi o from the P Op e tha n with anything else His Amb assa dor

an d is busy with it forces Aretino, in order to

a a a obt in it , to m ke his pe ce with his worst

e Giber ti a a . e en my, , the D t rio The terms w re too abjectly humiliating to ha ve s atisﬁe d

e : a e imm or Ar tino but the M rquis , exp cting

a e e a n d Gib er ti t lity, is d light d so writes to ,

e the a e e who in his r ply, referring to st t m nt of the Marquis to the effect that everyone knew who had stabbed Aretino in Rome in

1525 a e had e a , ss rts that he nothing to r pro ch

e e a ha d e hims lf with in r g rd to Aretino , who be n a a tt cked without his order, without his

e a n d e cons nt without his knowledg . The pea ce thus established for the sake of th e ’ a I a a as w a s M rquis s mmort lity, humili ting it

was e a for Aretino , quite insincer on his p rt, a n d a we c nnot wonder at it . AS soon a s Clement VII was dea d Aretino turned on

Gib er ti a n d a m , from uch stronger position

he et e e than y held, xpos d him to open contempt PIETRO ARETINO

h e in every Court could think of, covered him

e a n d a e with poisonous ridicul , b d the Bishop ’ rea d his (Ar etin o s ) religious works an d then judge for himself which of us two is the more

an d . a e at pious godly Fin lly he thr w him , And if what I s ay is not true you m ay

a a m e a a an d a ass ssin te g in I will p rdon you .

1530 wa s a However, in Aretino not in position to speak his mind . When the Carnival was h e e over in Venice , decided to spend L nt in a solemn penitence so that he might ﬁnally be reconciled with the Pope also . And to

en d a this we see , not only the M rquis , but the

i e a . Doge , Andre Gritt , interven

w as a a a at There , in f ct , good de l more

le i stake than the pri vi g o for the M arﬁs a .

Venice , which was giving asylum to Aretino, at a an d found it necessary to be pe ce with , to

f f had of er no cause of of ence to, the Pope who

Hence betrayed her . the intervention of the

Doge . In the life of Aretino this intervention of the Doge on his behalf with the Pope is a point ha d of capital importa nce . Till then he been living in Venice without any proof that he

a n S b eneﬁcen ce was welcome , without y ign of or support from the Serenissima . He himself tells us in a letter to the Ma rquis of Ma ntua

124 PIETRO ARETINO a democra cy or a highly centralised govern

e all e a m nt out of which the d mocr cies come . Aretino understood perfectly the importance of this a ct of the Doge a n d instantly dismissed all thought of going to France a nd leaving

e e e V nice . With an imp tuous nthusiasm very characteristic of him h e at once sent a long

a and fulsome letter to the Doge , full of th nks an d prais e of Venice . I who in the liberty of this State ha ve learned to be free intend to establish here my perpetual taber

a has a a n a cle . where tre son no pl ce , f vour

e e a do s not ncro ch on right, cruelty does not reign a n d the insolence of the effeminate is not to be found ; where there is neither robbery nor brutality nor murder ; in the mother city elected of God to make the world

a more f mous , to nourish other cities , to soften manners an d to give humanity to man . More remarka ble still than this hymn in

ar e a a a e prose cert in st nz s by Ar tino , which

the Signor Luzio printed for ﬁrst time , in pra ise of Venice . They ar e perhaps the best

e verses he ev r wrote , but are unfortunately

e 2 too long to quot here . The result Of a ll this is that Aretino promises

1 L etter s 2. Th e l etter i s u n dated , I , . 2 — L I O . ci t. 3 40. UZ O , p , pp . 7 VENICE (1527— 15 31) 125 to suppress a ll passages a gainst the Pope

M ar s a and the Datario in the ﬁ , to confess himself and to communicate like a good

Christian, which he had not done for some years a n d the ambassa dor describes him in a ﬁne letter 1 with his confession in ha nd and tears in his eyes we eping his sins a n d

th e e proposing to change his life . We see oth r Side of all this in a letter he receive d from

e e Ma 5 h ad Rom , writt n y , The Pope

a e s cu di promised him gift of ﬁve hundr d ,

e M an d the p r i vi legi o for printing th arﬁs a . On April 20 Aretino had written triumpha ntly to the Marquis tha t he had received from the Marquis of Monferrato a princely gift of more tha n one hundred s cu di 3 an d seems to hope to excite the Marquis of Mantua to send him like

e a presents in recognition of his r pent nce ,

at an a e a e or y r t to be littl more liberal . Towards the middle of S eptember th e Bishop of Va ison sent by the Pope to a ccompany ’ Alessandro de Medici to the Imperial Court

1 L I o ci t Do c UZ O , p . . , . XXXI . 2 ’ Letters a ll A . i 60 , I , . . 3 When th e Mar qu is o f M o n fer r at l eft Bo lo gn a aft er th e C or on ati o n o f C ar les V h e c am e to Ven i ce as P . A . s a s e s e h , y , p c iall to s e e him H r im h im len d id i ts . e ca es s e d h le t s y , f p g f , a n d an ted P A to b e al a s it him L etter e 18 w . . w y w h . ( , I , ; L ’ etters a ll A . i . 5 an d , I , 7 126 PIETRO ARETINO

a e e an d th e a e p ss d through Venic , in n m of the Pope in the house of th e Que en of Cyprus consigned to Aretino the p r i vi legi o for the M arﬁs a an d adde d on his own b ehalf th e gift

a a 1 an d e s a of coll r, se m to h ve proposed to procure for him a cavali er ato from the Emperor . But Aretino did not want this it w as worthless a n d could bring him nothing but honour . Instead h e desired a ﬁn e b en eﬁce in Arezzo

a a a an d he e worth four hundred duc ts ye r, tri d

za a t o a e through Gon g obt in it from the Pop ,

was a e a but was told that he too l t , but th t otherwise the Pope would have been delighted

a a a a a to ple se Gonz g , now Duke of M ntu , and

e 2 Pi tro Aretino . But the troubles of the M ar ﬁs a were not

t e 531 over . In h very beginning of 1 Aretino

e a a f ll into disgrace with the Duke of M ntu , who refused to be reconciled with him in Spite

e of his prayers an d excus es . W do not know what the cause of quarrel w as pre cis ely

a 15 40 but they were not friends gain till , just ’ b efore the Duke s death .

Aretino therefore wanted a patron . He ’ a d e e turned to Aless ndro M dici , to whom he propose d to dedicate the M arﬁs a an d to sing

1 L etters 20. , I , 2 L I O ci t Do c L L UZ O , p . . , . X II , X III .

VIII VENICE ( 1531— 15 33) HOUSE OF ARETINO

132 PIETRO ARETINO see a thousand persons an d a s many gondola s

th e t e a a at hours of h markets . The pi zz s opposite m e ar e the Beccarie and the Pescaria an d the a a B e a n d C mpo del M ncino , the ridg the a d ei e e an d e e Fond co T d schi , wh r both me et I have th e Rialto crowded with m en at

. e e a r e th e a a business H r gr pes in b rges ,

e e a e an d a o th r the g m pheas nts in sh ps , the

e a e t e e veg t bl s on h pav ment . Nor do I wa nt water mea dows when I s ee at dawn th e water

e covered with every kind of thing in its s a son . It is a delightful a musement to watch thos e who bring in their great plenty of fruits an d

a a herbs , p ss it to those who c rry it to the

e e e a ppointed pla ces . Ev rything is bustling xc pt the sp ecta cle of th e twenty or twenty - ﬁv e

a all o e e e bo ts full of melons , which , cl s tog th r, a e a n a an d bﬁs in es s lmost mak isl nd, there is the

e e e o an d of counting them , judging th ir p rf cti n

a smelling a n d weighing them . Of the be utiful

e e a n d young hous wiv s shining in silk, with gold

e a e e j ew ls proudly pl ced on th ir necks , in ord r

e e a not to less n the r put tion of so much pomp , S I do not speak . But who would not plit

at ee a a a e a his sides s ing bo t , l den with G rm ns

e a a e e e just com out of t v rn , wr ck d in the cold ca nal as the famous Giulio Ca millo an d I did He used wittily to s ay that th e entry from the VENICE ( 1531— 1533) 133

SO e a a s e land side of w ll built house mine , b ing

an d a a an d a obscure d rk , badly pl nned with

a a was a humble st irc se , like the horror of the n me I have a cquired by divulging the truth an d then he added that he who came to know

a a me found in my disinterested, str ightforw rd an d a a a a n tur l friendship , the s me tr nquil content that one feels on rea ching the portico an d in coming on to the ba lconies above . And

a b e a then , lest nything might w nting to my

V e e e a e n i w for d light , to one sid I g z upo the oranges that make gold the b as e of the Pa la zzo d ei Cam erlin ghi ; an d on the other I see the r i o an th e a d bridge of S n Giova nni Crisostomo . Nor ca n the sun rise shining in winter without

b ed e all touching my , my study , my kitch n , my rooms. But what I prize most is the nobility of my neighbours . This is th e house that Aretino calls his ” e e a e 2 e e e t rr stri l para dis . H r h live d for

e - 3 tw nty two years . Th e house soon became ’ known as the Casa dell Aretino a n d one of th e at e streets the sid Rio S . Giovanni) w as ’ a e e 4 soon c lled Rio d ll Ar tino . Where do you

a a th e e e a e live the inh bit nts of house w r sk d,

1 L etter s 169 . i s o u s e i s eli e ve d t o a ve s to o d a t , I , Th h b h the an le o f th e Ri o San i v i i i o an n n th e ar s o f SS A os to li . g G p h . p 2 3 L etter s 35 . L etter s VI 3 , II , , , 7. 4 L tt e er s 144 . , III , 134 PIETRO ARETINO

’ a n d e e e : a a e e th y r pli d In C s d ll Ar tino , in ’ ’ ” 1 a a a a e . C lle dell Aretino , ll Riv d ll Aretino

h e e a n d Here received his fri nds visitors , who

as included every sort of person . His house w

a a like n inn . So m ny gentlemen break in on me continually with visits that my sta irs a r e worn with their feet like the pavement of th e Capitol with the wheels of triumphal

e e a o e e as cars . I do not b li ve th t R m its lf h ever s een so grea t a mixture of nationalities

e e a s you m ay see in my house . To m com

a e a n Turks , Jews , Indi ns , Frenchm n , Germ s ,

m a a e a Spania rds . You y g th r how m ny ” 2 He e Ita lians I h ave . was ind ed one of the sights of th e city : when you could not s ee

e 3 e e him you felt lik Ta nta lus . So gr at w re the numb er of his visi tors that sometimes th ey drove him out of th e house an d he ﬂ ed to

e a e i i 4 Titia n an d to his fri nd n d print r Mar col n . But his hous e wa s not only thronged with e e V was all v ry sort of isitors , it full of his loot, his rich habits a n d gowns with which h e tells us not only Europe but Asia had furnished

e him . Th re , too, were his collections of pictures a nd curiosities . There were very

He ha d e a few books . p rh ps himself writt en

1 ’ 2 L etters a ll A . Vo l . ii 34 . L etter s 2 5 7 0 . I , , , I , 3 ’ 4 L etter s all A Vo l . 1 ii 262. L etter s 8 1. , , , III ,

136 PIETRO ARETINO

a an d a model, without guide , I go to work e rn

- an d a e . my living, my well being my f m So much for the house itself : of the View

e a of the world to be seen thenc , we h ve by good fortune a marvellous description in one 1 of his best letters to Titian .

Signore , my good gossip , despite my a a a a - da a dmir ble h bit I dined lone to y, or r ther I dined in company with the quarta n fever which serves me a s an eternal escort a n d which does not allow me to taste any food I cat . You see me then rising from the table ﬁlled

an d e a a ea a with ennui d sp ir, h ving ten lmost

a a e e nothing . I crossed my rms an d le n d ov r

- a an d the window sill, my he d shoulders outside

a a . to look on the f ir world there , my de r gossip “ s aw a e a e There I bo ts without numb r, l d n with strangers an d natives passing up an d down the a a a the a a a Gr nd C n l, spect of which lw ys delights thos e who go upon it an d seems in its turn to rejoice to bear a crowd of strangers .

a e There were two gondol s tilting, oth rs were

a an d a a h ving races , crowd of people w tching the sport ﬁlled the Rialto bridge overﬂowing

the a an d a a on to Riv the Pesc ri , ﬁlled the

a an tr aghetto of S . Sophi d the steps of the

e d da . a a an Casa Mosto Th y ppl uded shouted,

1 Letters , 111, 48 . VENICE ( 1531— 15 33) 7

a n d everyone going about his own a ffa irs threw a glance at the ra ce an d clapp ed his

a d a e a . n h nds I , tormented we ri d with my

e e e a . f v r, lifted my ey s to he ven “ ee a d a ea e Ind d , since th t y when God cr t d

a a a the he vens , never h ve they been so f ir, so

a . was a full of light , so f ir with clouds It sky

the ai Of a at a a ll o e for desp r p inters , le st for th s

e th e e who nvy you , gossip mine And hous s ,

the o e ee e a a a e h us s of stone s med lik f iry p l c s ,

e e e e a e a h re r ﬂ cting the pur cle r light , ther f ding

a e a a aw y into mist . Und r the w ndering sh dows

th e o a e o a of cl uds , gre t whit cl uds ch rged with

a th e o a o a n ew v pour, buildings t ok on th us nd

ea e e e b e b uties , th y se med no long r to just

a buildings but marvellous . To the right

a a e a e e the a p l c was lost ltog th r in deep sh dow, it might have been built of ebony to th e left th e marbles shone da zzling forth a s though th e very sun ha d left the ﬁr m am ent a n d w a s

m e e imprisoned there . Before th roofs shone

a V . a e with bright ermilion N ture , mistr ss

all a e a of m st rs How mir culous is her brush , how wonderful her pencil I know that your

a a a e a n d pencil, my Titi n , is the riv l of N tur you her most well belove d son : so I crie d

ee a a a e e out thr times , Titi n, Titi n , Titi n , wh r ar t thou 138 PIETRO ARETINO

e few e a e In thos lines writt n to ple s his friend, how wonderful a picture of Venice Aretino gives us ' This m an who live d on libel an d

a a a n d e e e ar t wa s bl ckm il r sp ct d nothing but ,

th e hims elf a n artist . He who h ad mercy on

th e a n d e a an d poor, wretched the mis r ble only

a a e ee showed his teeth to the rich , c nnot h v b n

b a d . e w as a wholly His lif sh meless , rowdy an d e e a a a e disord r d, so th t Titi n remonstr t d

an d e e a with him , t lls him his v ry serv nts mock him . Yet we know they mocked him b ecaus e h e treated them rather a s his own

a s He a e d ughters than a domestics . l ugh d ’ a t Titian s a dvice an d likened hims elf to

a e a e a Philip , f ther of Al x nd r the Gre t , who in t h e m idst o f his triumphs dema nde d of the

a e a . h e a gods littl humili tion As s ys , he whom prince s feared — what did he care though his

e s erva nts resp ecte d him not . ' t I think he who w a s called the scourge of princes was often s a a t e 1 d h art .

e e w a s e a e e Th r c rt inly pl nty to sadd n him ,

a ll e a n d for his growing succ ss , yet so robust w as a ffa his n ture that the most ghastly a irs , the

a worst betray ls scarcely seem to affect him .

1530 was In , there living in his house , perhaps

1 See als o the l etter h e wr ites in 155 1 when h e l eaves this o u s e L etters VI h ( , ,

14 0 PIETRO ARETINO

ee a 1531 a e a e It s ms th t in , c rt in young po t

a e a ha d a a e n m d Antonio Brocc rdo tt cked B mbo, who w as a p edant an d a rea ctionary if ever there

wa s : the a a one none worse for th t m ybe, but by nature designed to b e not the partner

e . e but the butt of Ar tino Howev r, Bembo

e e a e knowing som thing, c rt inly, of the w ight ’ Ar etin o s a e of met l, got Lodovico Dolc to

ask him to defend him . Probably h e thought

e e e Broccardo b n ath his own notice . Ar tino was delighted a n d seems to ha ve wr itten some

e e a s e e a e e v rs s , r qu sted, which h v not com down to us a n d were indeed probably never

1 h e e e e e e . T a print d controv rsy b c m bitt r, for those who ha d not cared to atta ck Bembo

e a a e a n d a rush d in g inst Pi tro Aretino, Brocc rdo e e e e a a e v n tri d to get B rn rdo T sso on his sid ,

2 e e a but in va in . Th n quit suddenly Brocc rdo

an d as th e a died , though to show unre lity of th es e extra ordinary cursing matches which

a a a e all disgr ced the Ren iss nc humanists , is

an d e forgotten forgiven, Aretino hims lf writing 3 four sonnets in praise of his a dversary .

e e a a Ar tino , how ver, whose blows were lw ys

e w as a a a t rrible , ccused of h ving killed young ’ a s E di n bur h Revi ew an d B lackwood s poet , the g

1 2 L etter s 98 L etter s del Tas s o P a d u a 86 , I , . ( , I , .

3 - L etter s 211 12. , I , VENICE ( 1531— 1533) 14 1

M agazi n e were later a ccused in the cas e of

ea a fa wa s a a e K ts . The whole f ir storm in v ry

a an d e e e a s old te cup , its chi f int r st for us , for 1 a a e . Aretino , is th t it m de Bembo his fri nd Aretino w as a lways throughout his life extremely shy of making enemies a mong m en of letters his attitude to them is alwa ys on e

a e an d of the most bj ct humility, this being

a a e e so , he was n tur lly delighted to s rv so

a e f mous a m an of letters as Bembo . Wh n B embo died he wrote sonnets on his death but these are not more touching or prob ably more sincere tha n those h e wrote on the death 2 of Broccardo . The grea t fact for Aretino w a s that in taking ’ up B emb o s qua rrel h e secured hims elf of his

e a n d w as a s ea a a fri ndship , this gr t g in to

w a a s w as th e th e o him in its y goodwill of P pe , with whom h e ha d ma de his peace in the

o e previ us y a r . ’ That Ar etin o s inﬂuence an d reputation

a m a were incre sing we y be sure , if only from the a a 1530 f ct th t in the Priori of Arezzo ,

a e e a e er at or e a his n tiv plac , n m d him S v d ll ” a a th e P tri , hoping to win his help for pro

1 P . A . o ten d e en d ed B em o s e e R HI P oes i s I ta li a n s f f b ( T UCC , Pr a to ‘III ( , , p . 2 L etter s IV 31 a n d V 4 1. Cf e B . t s e s o n n ets o n em , , , h bo t t os e o n r o ccar d o L etters 1 211—12 wi h h B , , , . PIETRO ARETINO

t ection a a of the city which , in the n rchy of

a a e the the time, was in consider ble d ng r from

a e t e Imperi l Army aft r h surrender of Florence .

was e e Arezzo r spected, wh ther or not by the

intervention of Aretino we do not know .

wa s ea the And Bembo by no m ns only, or even the most famous m an of letters who

e e e b came his fri nd in these y ars .

the Or lan do F uri os o a In of Ariosto, ﬁn lly

1532 a a published in , Aretino is n med in the l st

e ca nto among th most fa mous of his time .

h e a s Among these is greeted ,

E o il ﬂ a ello cc , g ’ il 1 De v e o e o . Principi , di in Pi tr Ar tin

th e a e r in ci u m Thus were two titles , ﬂ g llum p p , (scourge of princes) an d il divino con s ecr at ed for Aretino by the greatest poet of the da an d o n e ea e a y, of the gr t po ts of It ly ’ Aretino w a s immens ely proud of Ar iost o s friend ship a n d on his death in 1533 wrot e two ﬁn e sonnets in commemoration of his friend

’ L eterno s o nno in un b el m arm o puro ’ o m os o e l t uo a o m e es o D r i Ari t , gr n n d t ’ Col o o a a e e b el m a e n es o gi rn pp r in qu l cli , qu t , Di m ai sempre v egghi ar lieto e s icuro ’ ’ Ma 1 a ma h ai n el e dice i O n on e o l c ci l , ur Pregio si vile e il fulgido contesto

1 4 Or lando F ur i os o , Can to 46, St . 1 .

14 4 PIETRO ARETINO

for instance while he a ddressed Henry VIII of “ ” a as Engl nd Divo a n d D eita de . It m a y have b een written by Ariosto in irony ; but

it is unlikely . It has rema ined atta che d to ’ Ar etin o s name while other na mes have dropped

e a e e ao a u n ﬁt n ess it b c us of its xtr rdin ry ,

a mounting to irony . It w as th e fashion of

the e e tim to conf r such titles upon writers . ’ a w e a e L Un ico For inst nce , h v Accolto,

Ho n or atis s im o a an a Molz d m ny others . But Aretino needed something more tha n

e h e e e e titl s ne d d mon y .

e 15 31 e a as a e ee Sinc , his r l tions , we h v s n ,

th e e a a h a d ea e . He ha d with Duk of M ntu , c s d

ot a ea e a s e e g good d l out of the Duk , his l tt rs

h e ha d e a e prove , but not b en ungr t ful or

e He ad a e a ung nerous in return . h l vish d pr ise

a a e upon him a n d not praise only . He h d m d

a e ar t e him m ny pr sents of works of , pictur s , a n d 1529 a a a e an d , in , m gniﬁcent d gg r many

e 1 ha d the a oth r things . But M rquis been ten times a s rea dy to give as he was he could not

w as a have s atisﬁed Aretino . He bottomless di e . the a a s cu w ll All m ny thous nds of which,

a e by the wildest ﬂ tt ry, the most scurrilous a a a a buse, thre ts , bl ckm il, vile promises of silence or mere importunity an d shouting he

1 Cf. L ZI o ci t D o c 84 an d Letters 24 U O , p , . , XXII , p . , , I , . VENICE ( 1531— 1533) wrenched out of his correspondents or for which he returns thanks in his letters were not

enough for his expense . Nothing less than a State exchequer could have satisﬁed his

a prodig lity, his love of luxury, and, let it be

a a . a s id, his ch rity He was often so h rd up that it beca me notorious and this is perhaps not surprising if the wells of his prodigality

e as e e dri d up suddenly , they v ry likely us d to

. a 1532 a e a do In the ye r , for inst nc , column

“ of the Ri alto wa s placarde d with verses about it Non é banca Non é botiga a farti credenza

and a ga in

n on l oc o 1 Chi ha legna da scaldarsi a f h .

He seems to ha ve sp ent certainly not less than

s c 2 a u di in ten years . His liber lity to his friends an d his charity to the poor and

e e e a e an d a r e wr tch d w re more th n princ ly ,

a mong the ﬁner things in his character . Just

1 er e i s n o an t er e i s n o s o to ive t e e cr e dit . Th b k , h h p g h An d a ain Wh o h as n m im o o o d to ar l at the ﬁr e . g , w w h s e f es e r m es er e o s ted on th e Ven etian P as u n o at ﬁr s t Th hy w p q i , j u s t a co lu m n an d then afte r 154 1 the Go bbo d i Rialto a s t atu e S D D i ar i i Vo l . LV 102 NO Cf. ( ANU O , , II , ( . L I i n Gi or na le t X S or . della L ett. I t. IV UZ O , , , 2 “ L etters 1 100 : Ho s es o d i e ci m illi a s cu di d al XX I I , , p V ’ a u es to io r n o s en z a i d r a i d o r o e i s e a co ns u m ati n el q g , pp d t m i o d o s s o e n egli altr i ; e d u n a p en n a e d u n a fo glio gli h a ’ tr atti d el cu o r e a l avar itia 16 M a ( y , 46 PIETRO ARETINO

as he had ma de return with the greatest

e a gen rosity for the gifts of the Duke of Mantu ,

e a Mon fer r at ha d so he s nds the M rquis of , who

600 s cudi a e given him , spl ndid mirror of 1 Oriental crystal worth 300 s cu di ; but his letters ar e full of such gifts 2 As for the poor he not only kept practically

e e Mar colin i e a op n hous , but r cords th t when he passed by in his boat (i n bar ca) through out the whole fondamen ta an d over all the

an d an d bridges , boys girls and old men old women ran to him an d he handed each of them ” 3 a something for brea d . Fra ncesco Doni c lls

a e 4 an d him the b nker of the wretch d, Aretino

a e himself says , It h ppens that ev ryone runs

a e to me , not otherwise th n if I were the h ir

a ea e of the Roy l Tr sure . If som wretched poor

a a e girl give birth to child, it f lls on my hous if anyone is sent to prison I have to ﬁnd him

e a in ev rything ; soldiers in r gs , pilgrims in

a e all e . a e fﬂiction , rogu s , com to me If nyon falls ill in poverty they s end him to my hospital for th e medicines and to m e for my

1 L I o ci t 94 UZ O , p . XXXII, p . . 2 Letters 24 He s en d s a m e d al t an e fﬁ o f M ar s , I, . wi h gy Lu i i An i c in i o rn am en ted it Or i en tal cr s tal a m ir r o r by g h w h y , als o O f cr s t al an d a i ctu r e itian cf. L etter e 17 an d y p by T ( , I , ,

V, 3 ’ L etter s a ll A r eti no I I 354 et s e . , II , , , q 4 I bid . ii 34 7 , I, , .

4 8 PIETRO ARETINO

” a r emi o as with such p , he writes , no prince ” Off will er you . Aretino a ccepted the money 1 but did not go . ’ Then there w as Alessandro de Medici who

e 1533 a n d 1535 e twic , in , tried to induc him

f e to go to Florence , of ering to giv him the

a a S 2 e Strozzi P l ce if he would do O . Ar tino

e e a n d a s h e a e r fus d to go , could not cc pt the

a a e e e e p l c without going to Florenc , he r fus d

a a th t lso .

e e e e Ther was th Pop e also . Cl ment VII di d in 1534 an d Alessandro Farnese was elected

a n d t e He as took h na me of Paul III . w so

a e friendly, th t Ar tino thought of returning 3 th e e a as to Et rnal City . But in f ct he w too

a a a n d e free , too s fe , too h ppy too succ ssful

e in V nice s eriously to think of leaving it . His

e as s a as as a e succ ss w a stonishing it w sh m ful .

e e a His prot ctors wer always incre sing . If h e could boast on th e o n e hand of th e pro t ecti on a a e b e a of Fr ncis I , he soon c m to ble

e e a a a to prid hims lf on th t of Ch rles V lso , to

1 M A ZZ CHE L LI o ci t 4 t L tt r 1 26 an d 30 cf . U . . 6 e e e s , , , , p , , s eq. H a r r at h tim e Mis er o e ecc i o s o e w s ve y ha d u p t e . v h n o v a a r o ca c ci ar s i il an e in u r c ia . Cf. L a C or ti i a na p p T h g , m m i i i Sc . 7 er e Fla i n o s a s t at f t er e n o t for th e III , , wh y h w chai n th e ' i n g o f F r an c e h a s given him h e wo u ld go to Co n i L i i i i L a i 155 1 s t an tin o pl e to s er ve S gn o r e u g Gr tt . t er n h e r r t h e i n o t o L etter s VI eg e s d d g ( , , ’ 3 2 i 26 1 263 L ett r s A an . e 34 L etter s a ll . d . , I , , , I , VENICE ( 1531— 1533) sa t he a e d el a th e y nothing of M rches V sto ,

e a e Conqu ror of the Turks , c ll d by the time

an d e a the new Achilles , of Antonio De L yv ,

Ca pta in General of Charles V in Lombardy .

m en e a la All these , in whos h nds y the destiny

a n d a e e th e of Europe of the g , recognis d in him

a e a force , the sh meful forc , of new instrument

— — e e a n d engine publicity the Press . Th y wish d to use him a n d he w as rea dy to be used they were rea dy to buy him a n d he was for

a a e . s ale . Fr ncis I m d the ﬁrst serious bid In 1533 h e s ent him a magniﬁcent chain of

a e s cu di 1 e gold of the v lue of six hundr d , w igh 2 e . was a ﬁn e a rt ing ight pounds It work of ,

a e a n d a exquisitely en m lled, Aretino , there fter, was never without it ; he is wearing it in all his portraits . Upon it was inscrib ed : LIN GUA

E US L O UE TUR M E N D A CI UM a I Q , which ppar ently referred not so much to the lies which Aretino himself owns he told a s to th e ﬂattering epithets with which he ha d over

e e 3 wh lm d Francis .

1 D olce Di alo o . 55 . g , p 2 M a In th e r es ca lco A ct Sc . 5 Ar etin o s a s it ei e , III , , y w gh d

8 1b s . b u t i n Letter s 28 h e s a s 5 l , , I , , y . 3 L etter s 28 P er Di o ch e la u i a c am e ia c o s i , I , , b g p gg ben e ” i n o c ca a m e co m e Si ac cia la ver ita i n o c ca al c r b f b le o . B Go d a li e s its i n m m ou t as tr u t i n m ( y , y h h th e o u th O f th e

cler . Of c o u r s e m e an t s ar cas ti call s e e L etter e gy ) , y ( , I , I n L etter s 11 9 h e s a s it w a hi s C or ti i a na i , , , y s g wh ch won him 150 PIETRO ARETINO

e a th e th e ' This gold n ch in, gift of ing of

a e w a s as e Fr nc , it w re the crowning of his

e r putation . Henceforth he w a s a sort of institution .

i c i m F i A L I O P A i mi s u o t s o ld a n r o r an c s 1. . . . ne r i i h g h f UZ , p a n n i u r i n . 5 3 n 2 ar u e s t at th e i n s cr i ti o n o n (T , p , . , g h p ' th e c ai n w a s Li n u a s u s lo u stu r J D I I M r e er r i n to h g y q U C U , f g ’

P . A . s i u di zi i an d ive s a r e er e n c e t o an u n u li s e d le tter g , g f p b h

f P A i n i c th e i n s cr i i n i s u i en . To t i s r l o . . wh h pt o th s g v h I ep y that th e i n s cr ipti o n a pp e ar s as M E N D A C I UM i n th e ﬁr s t an d ’ all s u s e u en t e d iti o n s o f P . A . S u li s e d l etter s er e it b q p b h , wh i s p r i n t e d i n l ar ge capit als that Sign o r Lu z i o h as n o t s e en th e w it o f th e n o to r i ou s ly witty F r en ch ki n g ; an d ﬁn ally

at th e i n cr i ti i i n r m r m ia i x . 5 th s p o n s a qu o tat o f o Je e h .

THE ARETINE S

HAT cha in of gold marked the b eginning ’ of Ar etin o s Golden Age in Venice .

e a s a m an a n d a s a It crown d him both writer, a n d th e years which follow a r e ﬁlled with his

e a a a e works . W begin to see the m zing v ri ty of his genius an d the energy of th e m an when we note the books he published in the two

a 1533 an d 1534 . ye rs , Thes e begin with the two come dies I l M ar es calco I l F i los ofo then a La Cor ti i an a Th e nother comedy, g

e L a P as s i ons di Ges u a n d two r ligious works ,

I Sette Salmi a e e as , belong to the s m y ar, do the ﬁrst an d most Obscene of the Ragi on amen ti When we a dd that all th e time h e w a s writing what amounted to a humorous scurrilous politico - ﬁn an cial Review in th e form of Letters we may grasp something of the ’ extraordinary fulness of the man s life though

ea l by no m ns a l .

e e a r i Th r rem in th e A et n es . They ﬁlled his 153

154 PIETRO ARETINO

ov er ﬂ ow ed th e on damen ta house, on to f ,

a a ea e t lked , qu rrelled, scr m d, sulked, lounged,

e a e a e worked, produc d b bi s , dmired thems lves a n d a e all e a a a n d m de lov ov r the C s , inci

a e e a n d e e a dent lly lop d robb d, whil they dored ,

e e Ar tino . Ther were over a dozen of them whose na mes w e know . As for the na me

e l ss . I do not propose to deal in deta il with ’ Ar etin o s love affa irs — the cook of Gib erti

w e ea a a a a a whom h r of by ch nce , M donn P ol of Reggio under whose portico h e used to

a a e a a a a he w it, Is b ll Sforz of M ntu who told the Marquis ha d re deemed him from worse ’ a a e 1 the 0 things th n dult ry, or inﬁnite light loves that h e cha sed with Giova nni delle

a e 2 a e B nd Nere , though I must n m I think th e e a a littl Countess M drin , who forgot her sot of a husba nd for the young Pietro when he brought h er a letter from the Count whom he

h ad e a . ea l ft in Mil n After r ding this letter , the little Countess looked up at the bla ck

a e a a man be rded Pi tro, th t gre t , ﬂushed with his ride an d dressed in cloth of gold My ” a s h e a husb nd, s id, writes me to do for you all that I Should do for him so you can come

1 i t 22— L I O o c . 3. UZ , p . , 2 — L etter s 242 II 82 3. , I , ; , J THE ARE TINE S 15 5 ,

” e 1 e w a s a this ev en l ng to a mus me . Ther lso

a a a a th e Mo dan es e a a M donn M rt in f ct , lmost a s ma ny women a s you ﬁnd in th e e ight

e e Volumes of Ca sa nova . His lov s w re innu m er able ; I will not write of these I will write

t e r i e 2 of h A et n s .

a a a a a Zaffett a a a P ol , L ur , Angel , C terin

a a a a a a a a S ndell , Angel S r , Fr nceschina , P ulin , ’ e a e a a e a a a Ang l Sir n , M ri tt d Oro , Pierin Ricci ,

a a a e a La P o coﬁla a n d a Chi r , M rgh rit , , m ny

e 3 e e e ? oth rs . Who w r th se women His

e a a e a mistress s Perh ps , though Angel Sir n

e e w a s an d a a e e I think n v r , Pierin Ricci r fus d

e t e o a e e to b . But for h m st p rt they w r the

e e e a women who ﬁll d his hous , court s ns or others whom h e ha d ta ken in because they ha d

e e a e a nowher to go . He lik d to h v them bout

a e a e a as him . C t rin Sand ll w the mother of ’ a a e his two da ughters . M riett d Oro govern d

th e . at house But best they are only proﬁles ,

s mo t often little more tha n names .

a In fact they forme d a regular harem . H nd

e as was an d e a som he full of lif , more prodig l

a th e a n d a n e th n sun without aft rthought, his house was soon full of all sorts Of women

e a n d who loved him , who dep nded upon him 1 L etters 83 i m a c er e c o . , II , , g 2 ’ L etter s a ll A r ti o ii 14 e n 34 8 . L etters 5 . , I , , , III , 3 ’ B u t who i s iuli a o f th e s o n n et i n L etter s IV 122 i G , , 15 6 PIETRO ARETINO

a s e a s who, oft n not , without his protection,

a e e would h v b en homeless . Th e two more importa nt of these women in the life of Aretino were Caterina S andella an d

e a a e a e e s Pi rina Riccia . Caterin S nd ll r ign d a

. She w a s a a an d e a consort t ll blonde Ven ti n , ’ e o n e a a e quit of Titi n s women we g th r, the

e a a a s h e wif of cert in B rtolo , whom left for

e . h er 1537 ha d a Ar tino By , in , Aretino daughter whom he na me d Adria b ecaus e s h e

a s t e e 1 r w born in Venice by h Adrian S a . He godfathers were Sebastiano del Piombo the

a e a a Mar colin i p int r n d Fr ncesco the printer . To Fra te Seba stia no he writes on the occasion of her christening

a e n ew Although , F ther, ther is no need of ties to unite us two who ar e already like

et a brothers , y I h ve wished to bind us still

e a furth r with those of the ofﬁce of godf ther, that they m ay ornament with their b enign a n d sacre d customs the friendship which Virtue

e a itself h as established et rn lly between us . It has pleas ed God that th e child should be a

e a a girl ; whil I , in the usu l m nner of fathers , looked for a son : just as if a girl (always

1 ’ L etter s 114 . L etters a ll A . 11. 357. Th e ﬁr s t of , I , , II , P i m I t i m the s e l ett er s i s t o Se bas tian o d el o bo . s al o s t as e xqu i s ite a s that whi ch Bo ccac ci o wr o t e to P etr ar ch abo ut his little d au ghter .

158 PIETRO ARETINO

e a o hurri dly , bec use from h ur to hour we believed she would ﬂy a way to para dis e . But Christ h as preserved her to b e th e diversion of my later years a n d for a witness to the life which others gave to m e an d which I have

a e p ssed on to h er . For which I rend r Him

a a a He ma th nks , pr ying th t y continue my life until th e time that I shall celebrate her

a e m rria ge . Till th n I must submit to being h er plaything ; for what a r e w e fathers but the buffoons of our children They tra mple upon us in their innocence ; they pull a t our

ea a e a e b rds , be t with th ir ﬁsts in our f c s ,

ff e a a n d in th e ru l our h ir, such coin sell us

a kisses and embra ces which bind us . But wh t

b e a a e a a could comp r bl to these s tisf ctions , if only the drea d of some misfortune befalling them did not keep our minds uneasy from

ea e hour to hour . Every childish t r they sh d, e e e e e e v ry cry th y giv vent to , v ry sigh which

e a a a comes from th ir lips or bre sts , brings git tion

ea . a e a a ee to our h rts If l af but f ll from tr ,

a f a a ir at a ea or ﬂuf ﬂo t in the , once it pp rs to us to be a weight which must certainly fa ll on their hea ds to kill them ; a n d should Nature

e but disturb their sle p or dull their hunger, then at once w e ha ve apprehensions for their

e the e good health . In such wis is sw et THE ARETINE S 159

strangely compounded with the bitter . And th e prettier they ar e the more a cute is the

e e drea d of losing them . God pres rv to me my

e a e e a littl d ught r, for she is the most ng ging

a a a e an d a cre ture im gin bl , my life would f il

fe di e . me if she were to suf r , much more to

a a a n d s h e s o - a e Adri is her n me , is justly c ll d , ’ th e for was she not, by God s will, born in midst of its billows . And I glory in it ; for surely this pla ce is th e ga rden of Na ture ; a n d in these ten years that I have lived here

a e ea e e I h v experienced gr t contentm nt , wh re in Rome I should only have felt despair . And when fate ha s granted that I should be in your company then I have felt mys elf happy

e e e ar e a inde d , for ven wh n you bsent from me

a ea b e e I still hold it gr t gift to your fri nd , ” an gossip d brother .

a e a a an d e th e Her f th r dored Adri , ven birth

a a a 1 15 47 of second d ughter , Austri in , of whom

La a e a w as a a t h e e S nd ll prob bly lso moth r,

1 Sh e w as n am Au r i a i n n C ar l He e d s t ho o u r o f h es V. o as ted o f h er ir t a s e vid e n ce o f h i s e ter n al o u t L etter e b b h y h ( , IV Ar i i i A i et n o a d o r e d t s c ld a s h e h ad d n e d r a . , h h o A i i u s tr a s a s d e ar to m e as li e h e s a s L etter s V 4 5 c f . f , y ( , , , VI I n 1550 h e w a s i n e ar o f lo s in h er L etter s V , f g ( , , W at e cam e O f h er w d o n n o P er a s s h e en t i n to h b e o t k w . h p w a c o n ve n t . Cf . L etter s VI 112 121 fo r l a r er en ce to h er s t e . , , , , f W as s h e d ea d Ther e w a s a n o ther d au ghter o ld er I thi n k ’ t an Au s tr i a o f o m M ar c o li n i s ea i n L etter s a ll A h , wh p ks .

11 ii . 357 Sh e s e em s to ave d i e d er , h V y y o u n g . 158 PIETRO ARETINO

e a o hurri dly , bec use from hour to h ur we

sh e believed would ﬂy a way to para dis e . But Christ has pres erved h er to b e the diversion of my later years a n d for a witness to the life which others gave to m e a n d which I have

a e p ssed on to h er . For which I rend r Him

a a a ma th nks , pr ying th t He y continue my life until th e time that I shall celebrate her

a e m m rriage . Till th n I must sub it to being h er plaything ; for what a r e w e fathers but the buffoons of our children They tra mple upon us in their innocence ; they pull at our

ea ea e a e b rds , b t with th ir ﬁsts in our f c s ,

f e a an d th e ru ﬂ our h ir, in such coin sell us

a kisses an d embraces which bind us . But wh t

b e a a e e a a could comp r bl to thes s tisf ctions , if only the drea d of some misfortune b efalling them did not keep our minds uneasy from

e ea e hour to hour . Ev ry childish t r they sh d , e e e e e e v ry cry th y giv vent to , v ry sigh which

e a a a com s from their lips or bre sts , brings git tion

a . a ea a a ee to our he rts If l f but f ll from tr ,

a f a a ir at a ea or ﬂuf ﬂo t in the , once it pp rs to us to be a weight which must certainly fall on their heads to kill th em ; a n d should Nature

e e e but disturb th ir sle p or dull their hung r , then at once w e ha ve apprehensions for their

e good health . In such wis is the sweet

1 60 PIETRO ARETINO did not remove h er from th e ﬁrst pla ce in hi s a ff a ections . As w e have seen h e wrote to Va s ri

a th t she reminded him of his mother . ” a h e a e a e Titi n , s ys , that exc llent p int r a sserts that never was there so attra ctive a ’ fa ce a s Adria s especially in th e foreh ead a n d t h e eyes an d nos e w e ﬁnd her SO like Tita 'his mother] th at she would seem rather to b e her ” a e a e 1 o e h er d ught r th n min . His l v for is

e e touching . H h a d m dals struck in her 2 e e a n d e honour, forc d princ s duk s to contribute to h er dot 3 an d ﬁnally marrie d her to a rich 4 m an s Dio at elli a . wa v in Urbino This Rot , a n d so determined was he to have the dot thus

a a h e e e a obt ined , th t forc d Ar tino to p rt with the cha in of gold that Philip of Spain h ad given 5 him . He refused to go through with the

1 L tt e er s , V, 114 . 2 Th e m e d als r A s n i r ia On e h as th e we e by le s a d r o V tto . bu s t o f Ca ter i n a lo o ki n g to r ight with i n s cr ip ti o n CATERI NA M T R o n o ver s e an d o n r e ver s e u s t o f A d r ia lo o in to A E b , b k g l i i i i D A I I F I I eft w th n s cr p t o n HA RI A DI VI P ETRI RET N L A . An o t er w a s s tr u c h e s am e m a t r f Cat er i n a Bu s t t s e o . h k , by , l o o i n t o le i i n s cr i ti n T RI S D k g ft w th p o CA E NA AN ELLA . 3 A A r i tt H h r s t o d a s e e L e er s 5 8 an d 105 . e o t e , , II , , I , g ’ 1000 d u cats o f d o t b u Co im o e M e i ci d i n t a hi s , t s d d d o p y i P i A m r r i d ar t n o n th e e xtr ava an ce o f . A . t ll d r ia w a s a e p , k w g g , ’ L i h e etter e a ll A . Th e o t er co n tr i u to r s er e t ( , II , , h b w

Car d in al o f R aven n a an d M en d o z a am as s ad or o f C ar l e s V. , b h 4 H i i i I Of B er am o . e w as r e s d en t n Ur n o cf T g b ( . GUAS , a li u ola di P A i n A ch e t Un . . r . n e . l V Vo . . ﬁg , XXIX) 5 1 L etter s , V, 02. THE ARE TINE S 16 1

wa s an d marriage ceremony until this done ,

e even then, when he had obtained it, r fused ’ to leave Ar etino s house till the whole sum of 1550 the dot was completed . It was not till that Aretino conducted the young marrie d

a couple to Urbino, where the family of Rot 1 was established . To greet Aretino and the married couple on

a s ent a this occ sion, the Duke of Urbino guard of cava lry eight miles on the roa d

e w as beyond the gat , the city of Urbino

a e the a an d illumin t d for occ sion , the Duke 2 an d Duchess received them in person . ’ a o e But Adria s marriage was not a h ppy n . Her husband neglected a n d ill - treated her a n d 3 she ﬂed to her father who, with some

f a a n di ﬁculty, p tched things up , but without y

a e re l success , for we soon ﬁnd Adria living und r

the . protection of the Duchess of Urbino , who often had to interfere to restore a semblance

a a of pe ce between husband a n d wife . Adri died in ’ Ar etin o s 6 love for his children was exquisite .

1 L ett ers , V, 67, 68 , 71, 77. 2 ’ L etter s V 102 277 an d L etters all A 11. 33. , , , , II , 3 L tt e er s , V, 284 , 289 . 4 L etter s 1 , IV, 00, 190, 211. 5 L etters V 78 an d t e n VI 28 . , , , h , 0 3 Lett ers , IV, 202 an d 14 3.

M 162 PIETRO ARETINO

e e a he a e He , however, r fus d to m rry ; h t d 1 a a e e e . m rri ge, nor would h l gitimiz his childr n ” 2 e a e ea he a . Th y are legitim t my h rt, s id But from Caterina S andella and Adria he ha d all a e th t marriag can give . In the b eginning of the year 1537 Polo ’ a Ar etin o s a e e B rtolini , one of unfortun te s cr

a ha d a e e a a a n d t ries , m rri d Pi rin Ricci took h er e a e to liv in C sa Aretino . W do not know who she w as the ﬁrst mention w e have of her ’ Ar etin o s e a a a Ran o na 3 is in l tter to B rb r g , when she is a lrea dy the wife of B artolini ;

as but Aretino loved h er at once . Adria w not

' yet born an d he protested that Pie rina w a s to b e to him in pla ce of a daughter . This seems to have been his ﬁrst tho ught in regard

e a a n d th e a a e to Pi rin , birth of Adri soon ft r ha d put her out of his mind .

e the a a e a a e a Aft r birth of Adri , C t rin S nd ll ’ went to recover at Ar etin o s Villa a lla Ga m barare on the b anks of the Bren ta a n d took

e a Pierina a n d h er husband with h er . T n d ys later he writes to Pierina to recall them all to Venice an d he writes still in terms of paterna l

1 Se e le tter to Am r o i o d e li E u s e ii i n L etters 105 o n b g g b , I , , m ar r i a e o r t o f th e Bo ccaccio o f th e Corbacci o . g , w hy 2 L etter s , V, 165 . 3 L etter s , 1, 78 .

164 PIETRO ARETINO

e a with him to Venic , left his home by ste lth

a 1 with young lover .

Aretino was beside himself. After four

a e He an d ye rs she r turned . still loved her took

. e her in She gave him nothing . She f ll ill 2 a . He e ag in nursed her as before, but this tim 3 a . a nd in v in She died, he never got over this

loss it colours the rest of his life , everything

all an d . he does , his thoughts his work O

a t o f mous doctor in philosophy, he writes “ if Barbaro, only you could teach me to forget ” 4 i I think I died w th her, he exclaimed

a 5 m ny years later . Caterina Sandella and Pierina Riccia would seem to have been the two chief women in his

1 Letters 220 221 , II , , . 2 We s ee him i n an s co s tat on th E a Al ano the xiou n ul i wi li f , d o ctor o f Cas a A et n o who i n 1542 s aved the l e o f La r i , , , if San d ella Lettere He w as a Je w an d Ar et no s aid ( , II , , i t a n h t o ne co uld lear n o f him to b e a Chr is tia . 3 In 1545 s he d i ed i n his ar m s utter l as ted an d l e , , y w ik a s keleton i n th e s e ulc r e Letters p h ( , III, 4 ” a e lo ve d h er h e e claim ed . lo ve h er an d s all I h v , x I h lo ve her u ntil the Ju dgmen t o f th e Las t Day Shall j u dge th e van t o f the s en s es Letters She was t en t i y ( , III , w y ar ye s Old . 5 L 1 Wh tr u t t er m a be i n the dis etters IV 3 . at e , , 7 h h y gus ting s to r y o f th e ps eu d o -B ern i an d the s im ilar all us io n i n A the s o hn ets o f F r an co I am u n a ble to d e ter min e ( of. . ’ V L I L A . e i l F ran co i n Gi or na ls Stor . della L ett. I t. o l . UZ O , ,

24 7 et s e . a n d SI CA RDI in Gi or nale Stor . della XXIX , q ,

L ett I t Vo l . V . . XX I , p THE ARETINES 165

life ; but his lighter and more evanescent love Ar eti es affairs were innumerable . Among the n we may consider Angela Sara and Marietta ’O d r o : they are typical of the rest . He s aw Angela Sara ﬁrst as he passed under

a and her window in a gondol , was burnt

by her beauty, splendidly lascivious , proud a s nd pas ionate . He always compares her

to the sun or the moon . She was a Venetian

a Za ffetta courtesan , as was Angel , whom he

In praised as the loveliest woman Venice , and whom we often see sitting between him and Titian at dinner with musicians and other

painters . He seems to have ha d some sort

of respect for her . I gi ve you the palm among all those who have lived your joyous ” life , he says . Licence with you always ( wears a decent mask . Whoever spends his money on you is really persua ded that he is the

a g iner . How do you manage to make so many new friends without losing the old ? ' o u distribute so well your glances and your smiles and your nocturna l rendezvous that no

a one compl ins , and quarrels and curses never ” ea come n r you .

But he was sometimes deceived and betrayed . ’ a d Or O in Thus when M rietta , one of the

a a habitants of his h r em, wished to go aw y, 166 PIETRO ARETINO he persuade d her to stay by promising to get

. a a h er her married In f ct , he m rried to his

Eu s ebii a secretary, Ambrogio degli , young

1 th e a . man of twenty ye rs Then, to get rid of young husband Aretino sent him to Fra ncis I to fet ch some money that the king had pro mised him . Aretino accompanied him some of the way to make sure he would go , but when he returned he found that Marietta had looted

a e the house n d set sail for Cyprus . All V nice d mocked him . Meanwhile , the young husban ,

a having obtained the money from Fr ncis , on

ha d it all at a his way back , lost pl y, in the

a a . presence of C rdin l Gaddi, to Rohan Aretino did not despair ; he forced the Car

a a din l to m ke good the loss .

But these things meant nothing to Aretino . He could always defend himself aga inst the

s world . Where he fa iled wa in defending

e hims lf against himself. Perha ps the most amusing of these affairs was that which he ha d with the wife of Giovanni

a e e Antonio Sirena, whose d ught r he had h ld

a . at the baptism l font She was very pretty,

h r a n d wrote verses and loved e husband ,

Aretino wanted her platonic friendship .

He V wrote erses in her honour , in which she

1 On t i s o u n m an s ee i n r a h y g , f .

168 PIETRO ARETINO

There we have the authentic voice , the true

a ar e Aretino . And wh t we to say of it We can a only say that in his age as in this , wh t he there makes boast of was almost certainly l quite true . He was not only a part of the wor d he lived in the world he lived in was unhappily a part of him .

’ Su lem en t s r e vie Of th e Re i s ter Th e r iter s a s t at pp w g . w y h s o m e e l in a s all o u tli e m n er a i n p op e th k th t I h v y ge t o . I s u os e h e m ean s m Diar ' e s t at m a live if it i s tr u e pp y y . , h y t at veri tas revalsbi t A ter te n im r e s s io n s s o ld o u t o f two h p . f p , vo lu m es d eali n g d ay by d ay with th e m o s t d r am ati c an d co n te n tion s e o c o f all tim e ave n o t h a d a s i n le lett er to d en p h , I h g y a m a e i i ela in o h e w ar m co tem n y s tate en t m d n t r t g t t . If y n o r ar i es c ann o t r e u te m e h o w c an is to r d o s o A fe w O ld p f , h y c ats ave s u alled r ivatel . Ho w u n r ate u l en t en t h q p y g f , wh w y ears en ce t e ill m o s tl be d ead leavin n o m em o r y h h y w y , g y e ce t i n m a es an d o n a m ou ld an d n e lected r ave i n x p y p g , y g g ” s o m e O u e c ur c ard bs c r h hy . X ARETINO AND FRANCIS I AND CHARLES V

( 1533- 1539 )

172 PIETRO ARETINO

- and then as now they were well able to take care of themselves : the rich an d powerful ar e fair sport whether for saints or for sinners .

was an d It out of them , their money their folly that Aretino was to carve his livelihood .

a His weapons were ﬂ ttery and fear , and he

e knew how to us them . Francis I of Fra nce might have bound Aretino forever to his car and played upon him for his purposes very much a s one us es a motor horn — and it was a motor - horn of unheard of He depth and hoarseness it echoed . failed . He fa iled by reason of a very French weak

- e a a a ness m anness . He g ve him ch in of gold

a with ribald and witty motto upon it , but he

a a e f iled to give him a pension , he f iled to giv

as him security . Aretino w quits with him when he dedicated to mm his ﬁrst religious

P as si on o Chri s t a work , the f , in song full of

a a . praise . In return Fr ncis g ve him nothing Yet he could not have failed to see the pale

a e e star of Ch rles V rising high r and high r, dra wing up the sky below it the constellation

a a of the Empire as Sirius draws up C nis M jor . Disgusted by the silence and meanness of

e e Francis , who knew his ne d of money , Ar tino ,

a e e in two short ye rs , deliberat ly , step by st p , FRANCIS I AND CHARLES V 173

a a e an d 1536 turned from Fr ncis to Ch rl s , in 1 wrote him op enly prophesying his victory . Charles was quick to gra pple to hims elf a

a force so potent throughout It ly, and hurried to give him a pension of two hundred s cudi .

a e a e Such p nsion so rdently d sired by Aretino ,

a e being ﬁxed, g ve him the s curity he so much needed, which till then he had never enj oyed

sostentar e e mic s ese il ua o A d ll p q rt , as tolo a F r a ces co 2 he wrote in his Capi n .

a In cknowledgment of his generosity, Are tino s ent the Emperor an enthusiastic letter of thanks 3 a n d from then on to the end their

e a r l tions were always of the best . Charles held Aretino in the highest consideration an d gave him his pension without his having to ask h , muc less beg, for it , as he had had to do from the Frenchma n . Francis was soon regretful enough that he ha d let Aretino go : a n d not least in 1536 ’ e a t en d a e a wh n, his wits , he disgr c fully m de a lliance with the Turk to break Charles an d the Empire . Aretino then wrote him a tre mendon s letter which reverb erate d through

a n d a Europe , its entire sincerity may be t ken

1 L etters 49 . , I , 2 O . bur les che 21 of. Letters 62 p , III , p . , I , . 3 tt Le ers , 1, 5 1. 174 PIETRO ARETINO

’ a e a a ha d for gr nt d, for Fr ncis ction put his ” 1 m e a . a beloved Venic in d nger I sorry,

a m n ot a e a n a he writes , I bl y longer to c ll you either King of Fra nce or Francesco because one cannot truly call King a n d Fre e him who has sued for th e a id of th e e nemies of his

ee God . a n d h e proc ds to insult the Court of Fra nce by s aying tha t it w a s more ’ used to sweet perfumes tha n to a soldier s swea t .

e e wa s e Th r enough truth in the lett r, for the e a a w s en b tr y l of Europe a obvious ough , to give it enormous currency an d it ma de a very great impression ; so much so tha t Fra ncis ma de a re al attempt to get Aretino a a t e w y from h Emperor .

During the moment when, owing to the costs ’ Ar etino s was a of the war, pension not p id , the a e a French g nts pproached him, not with

2 e e e e a out hopes of success . For th r w r m ny

e a e who hoped to dismiss Ar tino from Ch rl s , such a s De Leyva a n d Albicante a n d others who s eize d this opportunity to forge letters

a a the . was in his style , g inst Emperor It even a nnounced to Aretino from several

1 i le tter h as e en u lis ed A . C P P E I P . A . Th s b p b h by A LL ,

M a Cf. L etter e s u na letter a i nedi ta a F r a nces co I ( o d e n , , 156 i c i s th e s am e i n co n ten t bu t i n mo r e r es e ct u l I , , wh h p f 2 t er m s . L etter s 101. , I ,

176 PIETRO ARETINO

e The full of irony an d insult an d cont mpt .

e a e po t replied with, Apologia del besti l ” a il Albicante contr Divino Pietro Aretino , a feeble attempt to match the irony of th e

a 1 2 a m ster . The unhappy forger was not v lid enough to outroar Aretino nor did he succeed in making a quarrel b etween Aretino an d the

s e Imperial Court . A ingle lett r from Aretino to Cardinal Caracciolo 8 was enough to clea r

a ha matters up . At the s me time Aretino d so handled matters that his relations with 4 a a . 1538 a Fr ncis did not ce se Indeed , in Fr ncis

s cu di 5 an d promised him six hundred , in the following year Aretino sent him that Capi tolo beginning

s a ss mo Re o o sa Cri ti ni i d p i luti ,

6 Pietro Aretino chi aspetta i contanti .

was e e Nor Aretino without oth r, if l sser,

t e e a the patrons . In 1537 h horribl tr gedy of ’ a a a ass ssin tion of Aless ndro de Medici , Duke

1 Cf. A . L ZI i n Gi ornale Star de la Lett. I tal . Vo l . U O . l , XXIX , 24 3 p . . 2 L etter s 69 , II , . 3 Letters 82. is lette r ou d es olute an d ev dent , I , Th r, p , r , i ly s i n c er e i s amon the es t o f the s or t he o te . , g b wr 4 Letter s 111 , I , . 5 ’ L etters a ll A . 40. II , i 3 u c 1 1 - 25 Op . b r les he, 11 , 7 . FRANCIS I AND CHARLES V 177

z of Florence , by Loren ino , which seemed to ’ Ar etino s 1 fulﬁl a prophecy of , was not without

e good r sults for Aretino , for Cosimo , son of

a e a Giov nni dell Bande Nere , bec me Duke

in pla ce of the murdered prince . Aretino

2 a a wrote to him at once , rec lling his rel tions

a imm edi with Giov nni , and the Duke replied 3 a e s a a t ly to y th t he would be his friend , not

e only for the lov you show me , but much more

a a a on ccount of the incomp r ble friendship ,

a or rather brotherhood, th t subsisted between ”

an d man a . you that incomparable , my f ther In fa ct Cosimo sent him many presents of

e a n d mon y other gifts , always writing to him

a fe a . e V e f ction tely And Aretino r plied with ers s , a n d ha d reproduced for him the death mask of Giova nni by Sansovino and the me dal by

il a D nese .

1538 a But he lost friends , too . In , the ye r of th e publication and success of his ﬁrst book

e a of Letters , of the reb llion of his secret ry a Fr nco, and of the horrible affair to which I a llude in the following chapter, which nearly e xiled him from Venice, he lost by death two va lued patrons in Andrea Gritti the Doge a n d

a a . was Fr ncesco Mari , Duke of Urbino It to

1 L etters 4 2 6 . L etters 1 92. , I , , , 3 ’ Letters all A 10. II , i , 178 PIETRO ARETINO these two men tha t the ﬁrst book of the Letters ’ wa s t e e dedicate d . Aretino celebrated h Duk s

a 1 de th in a long poem to the Emperor . Fortun a e the t ly for him, successor of Francesco Maria was his sincere a dmirer and often begged him to visit him and establish himself at his 2 Court .

a 1539 a In the following ye r, , Aretino reg ined

e e a a e the friendship of F d rigo Gonz g , Duk of

a had e e a M ntua, who b en str nged from him 3 for many years ; but Federigo died shortly

a . e e was an d fter His succ ssor, Ercol II,

a an d rem ined his friend, sending him money

a gifts . This friendship began In but h d a a fe e pp rently been broken when, of nd d by

e h ad e something Ar tino done , Ercole attempt d

He to have him a ssassinated in Venice . did

a e a not succeed bec us Aretino st yed indoors , a a e e e a lthough un war , b ing full of d bts ; but

5 Th e servant of Casa Aretino was wounded . trouble was soon over . In fact Aretino enjoyed a real golden a ge

e e during these years in V nic , a golden age that

1 L etters 59 . , II , 2 ’ L etter s 92 L etters a ll A . 11 ii . 5 s t s e . 12 32. , III , , , , q , 3 L etters 111 et s e . , II , , q 4 1 L etter s , 1, 38 an d 40, an d VI , 30 . 5 M v M od n s i e P ar P i A tti m . er ls P o e e cf. CA M ORI n e e p r .

mensi Vo l . V as c . i . . 29 . , f p

XI ARETINO ’S SECRETARIES (1536— 154 2)

184 PIETRO ARETINO but later wrote to Aretino to say he had lost

1 a S . He them in hipwreck went to Lisbon , whence he wrote to say he was going to the ’ Indies to carry Ar etin o s fame to the antipodes . He did a ctually write him from the Rio d e la ’ Plata sa ying he ha d prea ched Ar etin o s name there and that he repente d of his past sins ; but by that time Aretino was weary of him . Aretino was all his life peculiarly unfortunate

in his secretaries . The ﬁrst of these was

z a a Loren o Veniero, a young p trician who l ter became a public Ofﬁcial and of whom we have already spoken ; then NicolO Fr an co who utterly betrayed him an d became the fore most of his enemies and detractors ; then

a a a an d Leonardo P rp glioni , Lucchese , like

a e . a e Fr nco a po t He lso robb d his master,

s c d 2 of two hundred u i . He left Aretino in r 1537 to return to Lucca . A etino wrote him

a a e a ﬁne and ironic l l tter, telling him th t he would receive him into his house only if his life were no longer disordered ; an d later writes again telling him that his desire for fa me “ a the e e is vanity , for f me is st pmother of d ath ” a n d ambition the dung of glo ry . Finally there was the yo uthful Ambrogio

E e ii degli us b .

1 ’ 2 L etter s a ll A 11 i 4 1. et er s 1 80. , . L t , , ARETINO ’S SECRETARIES 185 But by far the most important of these

s lO 1 secretaries wa Nico Franco . Franco was

of obscure parentage in Benevento, where his

a 2 z f ther lived, his brother Vincen o being 3 maes tr o di Lati no there . Franco is by no means unknown among

ci n us cs nto . the writers of the q He is , what

an d Aretino called him , a typical pedant

a a p r site of Letters , imitating and trying

ea a has to st l wh t genius produced, full of

a n d a envy , hatred , malice c lumny ; without s ontan iet e p y, empty and vain , he is a v ry different being from Aretino . He came to Venice in ' the summer of 1536 and was imme diat el a a y taken into C s Aretino , poor and

1‘ without gear and in rags as he was .

1 See C RL SI M I ANI La Vi ta c ls O ers di N F ranco Roma A O , p . ( , ’ a n d m o r e e s e ciall A . L I L A reti n o e i l F ranco p y UZ O , i n Gi ornals Stor . della Lett. I tal . Vo l . 229 , XXIX p . , et s e q. 2 His at er was liv n i n 1546 s ee Letters f h i g ( , III , 3 See Ls Letters di M P i etr o A r eti n o Ve n ce Cur io ( i , t N O av e Fr atell . 183 s le tte d e i , p . Thi r o s no t app ear i n the P ar s e ditio n o f 1609 All th e e tter s i n i . l pr ais e o f Fr an co — wer e s u ppr es s ed i n th e e d itio n o f 1542 th e r eal s e co n d — ’ e d it ion s o m e ears a ter F r an co s u ar r el t P A is y f q wi h . . Th i le tter s repr in te d by Sign o r F au s to Nico lin i in his s plen did bu t as et n co m lete e dit o n of the Letters Later za ar i y i p i ( , B ,

Vo l . 34 8 I , p . . 4 ’ etter L s an d Letter s a ll A . 11. 2 The ﬁr , , I , 77. s t o f t es e Letters is a ver lon o n e to Lo d o vi co Do lce r itte n i h y g , w n ’ 1539 . It ives an im or tan t ac co u P n t o f . A S r elatio g p . n s with ’ Fr an co and o f his estima e o f the m an s a ilit and char acter t b y . PIETRO ARETINO

That a secretary was a necessity for Aretino

e a obV1ous e is not p rh ps , until we rem mber that Achille della Volta stabb ed him in

e a e 1 Rom h d grav ly injured his right hand . Perhaps this wa s the material fa ct at the bottom ’ of what presently ca me to be Franco s claim .

He ha d a e as a a , in f ct , act d m nuensis , but he claimed that h e rendered very serious s ervices

t e to Aretino in h way of composition . It is true he is not very pre cise in his claim 2 but the truth would seem to escape him in the following verses

’ Ar etin io ho a om ass o e , t gr n c p i n Che sia me o a s e e s ﬁdato ti c criv r , E t ho e o s e a e a o nn c n ci nz di p cc t , ’ ’ S io ho d ue m a e n o n hai o o e ni tu n , b cc n . ’ Di questo dico il vero et n ho ragio n e ’ Sai che t ho m e lo s crivere aiutato Haven do ti e o s o a o v dut tr ppi t , E t e che é e o o ffo e o a o e qu l p ggi g ign r nt n .

That I have two hands a n d you n o ne ” that you a r e an ignora nt dunc e .

The a a w as a e e th e ﬁrst ccus tion ltogeth r tru , ’ e a a e - a s cond true , too, prob bly, in sens Fr nco s

e e a d a e . a a a n e sens So, much pl s nt r m nli r

e a a e p d nt , Ben Jonson , might throw in Sh k

1 See s u ra 75 an d A . L I P A and N . F u . s . p , p . , UZ O , . . ,

232 et s e . pp . , q 2 N F s 236 . L I P A and u . . UZ O , . . . . . , p

188 PIETRO ARETINO

e in ev rything. All his best works were written

a a . before Fr nco appe red , except the Letters The publication of the ﬁrst book of these (1538 ) is one of the most important events in

a the life of Aretino, both on ccount of its enormous success , and because it set a fashion which was so extensively followed . He boasted rightly that the ﬁrst letters ” which had b een printed in the vernacular,

1 a he a were his . Th t felt the f tigue of the horrible manual labour of copying for the press , which every writer feels , we know from

a a 2 his letters to V s ri , whom he begs to send him the letter he wrote him describing the 1536 entry of Charles V into Florence in April , . He goes on to say I shall b e careful to place 200 it with the more than letters I am printing, but they would be more than 2000 if I had all those I have written without keeping copies ” a was a e of the origin ls . This fault of judgm nt .

a h e a 3 Vas ri sent him the letter sked for .

e e a It was a consid rabl work then , to ssemble the copy for the book which Mar colin i

1 Lettere 19 . See als o the letter to Mar co li n i his , III , r i n ter r in te d t i ce o ver i n the e ar lies t e d itio n L e L ettere p p w ( ,

96 d 225 n d A L I P A . an d N F . an a . . . a . s . pp , UZ O , . , , 239 p . . 2 L ettere 161 r tte n Se tem er 23 1537. , I , , w i p b , 3 L e L etter e . 20 . , a . s . p 7 ARETINO ’S SECRETARIES 18 9 wa s to print when he had ﬁnishe d printing 1 the A r chi tettur a of Serlio which was actually

a We s ee produced in J nuary, seem to Aretino an d Franco feverishly copying and collecting the material for the work all through the later months of 1537 . And they were not a a e e Mar colin i lone . In l tter writt n to , which does not a pp ear in the e dition of the Lettere of 1609 or in a n y after he sp ea ks of the letters a s having b een collecte d by the love ” a th t my young m en have for wha t I do .

the ee e No doubt, among k nest of th se young

w as a t men Fr nco , as the le ter written on the

18t e 4 h D cemb er shows . In Spite of their enthusiasm the arra ngement

th e a e 9 7 of 1539 edition is ba d . From p g to

a e e all a e a n d the end h v l tters of d t s , in 'we the 1542 a e a e e edition of , no doubt ft r hop l ss attempt to arrange everything in order of

a a ll e ar e e the d te , the l tters at the end giv n

a e 1537 d t of December, , which is confusion worse confounded .

o a In the earlier edition Nicol Fr nco, beside

a was the letter lready cited , honoured by the

1 L etter e 150. , I , 2 F T NI I I I l ri mo libro delle Lettere ar AUS O COL N , p (B i Later z a 19 13 4 1 ) , , p . 1. Se e L e L etter e 96 , a . s . p . . 4 S e e Le Lettere . . . 196 . , a s p 190 PIETRO ARETINO

splendid letter against imitative peda nts 1

s e 2 which later ﬁgured a writt n to Dolce . He is a lso referre d to in the letter written to

a 3 e ea as V rchi , in which Ar tino sp ks of him Nicolo Fra nco who after me will be a nother

an d il a I, goes on, quale non pur si degn scrivere le cos e mie ha composti cento sonetti dei quali i o vi mando i quattro qui

e e sotto scritti . Th r follow the four sonnets , which a r e not equal to th e prais e Aretino gives them ; but h e was making r éclame for

a e e a a 4 Fra nco a n d cert inly kn w th ir re l v lue . The success of the letters was followed in th e spring of 1538 by the greatest p eril that

had e e a a e v r bef llen Aretino , th t of b ing expelled for ever from the dominions of the

e a . R public, which meant bsolute ruin to him This was caused by a pr océs for the unnatural

ffe a t a e a . o nce , which I h ve hint d bove I do not propose to touch on the matter in this

e e u s 5 work ; it can have no int r st for . The

s only thing for him to do wa to ﬂy . This he

did . By May, however, the Duke of Urbino had

1 2 See L e L ettere a . s . . 98 . Lettere 122 , p , I , . 3 See L e L etter e a . 1 8 . , s . p 7 4 See L etter e 97. , II , 5 - i n ci L I P . A . a nd N . F . a s . 243 5 . It i s t o t s UZ O , , , p h i d en t that Fr an co r efer s i n a whole s er i es o f s on n e ts wr itte n in 154 1.

19 2 PIETRO ARETINO

a a i i n ever, gave every ssist nce to Ambrog o the

a a n d a a l n tribun l, m de him sw gger front of ’ Franco s house while the wounded man w as in

e bed . No wonder Franco turned on Ar tino a nd in his sonnets curs ed and calumniated

. was e e e him There little ls to do , xcept to

a e e 1 e e a le v V nice , which he did . His l tters w re failure they were directed to persons he most

an d e a often did not know, they were c rt inly

e nev r sent . His want of success did not

was a diminish his hate . It the very re son of

a a a e his c mp ign ag inst Ar tino . It is obvious that there must have b een some

a o as w as re l excuse for Ambrogi , he not

2 m a a e e punished, though it y h v be n to avoid

a e a s a e this th t Aretino s nt him , we h ve se n , to fetch him the money Francis I h a d promise d

3 e e him . But Fra nco rema ined the bitt r st of ’ Ar etin o s e e e an d a a a e n mi s , his ttempts to d m g 4 the man he hate d ﬁlled the rest of his life .

1 1 4 He le ft Ven ic e an d wen t to Cas al M o n fer r ato i n 5 0. 2 It may b e that Am br o gio w as vin d icatin g his o wn ’ on o ur and his e s Fr an co in all his attacks never h wif . a ccu s es P . A . 3 u a 1 S p r , p . 66. 4 N c k n P A he calum n ates his o t on ten t with attac i g . i r en d s P o e P a l C arles V V tto r ia Co lon n a an d f i p u III , h , i ’ Ja co o and Fr an ces co Sans o vin o all r en ds o f L n o r an te p , f i Ig ” m t an d c n Ar eti no c ur mato e P . A . tr eate d hi t o i r . wi h p i y

tem t . See Lettere 124 an d 362. And a ain 217 p , II , g II ,

242 326 V 312. III , , , ARETINO ’S SECRETARIES 19 3

1545 a e a n d In the unhappy Fr nco f ll ill, immediately Aretino forgot h1s 1nJur ies a n d

1 as as e w a s compassionated him . But soon h able he atta cke d Aretino aga in . Aretino

e an d e e r e however, took no he d of him v n p 2 e a a . e v nted his friends tt cking him How ver ,

a e e e in lett r written to his nemy in Septemb r,

1550 e the a , he tells him he is destin d for g llows ,

a a at a and this prognostic tion c me true l st, for in 1568 Franco was hanged by order of

. a P ri a eza St Pius V for h ving published the p , 3 an obscene work .

1 L t et ere 285 . , III , 2 L tt e er e, IV, 216 . 3 A I M M R TO 249 . Vo l . A , II ,

ARE TINO ’S FRIENDS

FTER Fra nco an d Ambrogio had b e en

e a the disposed of, in spit of the ttacks of

e e a e an d e e form r, Aretino liv d qui t cont nt d

e e e 15 42 M r colin i lif in V nic . In a published the true s econd edition of th e ﬁrst book of the

e - e e L tters with forty four new l tt rs in addition , a n d w as a a his glory m turing, lmost without e a 1 a n d ea ffort on his p rt , in the following y r

ea it r ched its z enith .

a e The Emperor Ch rles V, r turning into

e a a a e e a G rm ny from It ly, p ss d through Ven ti n

e . a e a e e t rritory Guidob ldo d ll Rov re , Duk

w as ee an d ei of Urbino, to m t him rec ve him

e a e e h e on b h lf of the R public of V nice , and invited Aretino to a ccompany him on this a occ sion . After a short hesitation Aretino a ccepted the honour an d a greed to leave

e his beloved V nice for a short time . He went to Padua 2 and on to Vicenza and

1 I n the e ar 1542 he lo s t his s is ter F r an c es ca i e o f y , w f 2 Or az o Vano tt i L et e 4 , ter 0 . i , III , 198 PIETRO ARETINO

1 1543 a a Verona where , in July , , he w ited the

a arrival of the Emperor, and he writes to Titi n

2 e thence of his homesickness for Venice . Wh n the Emperor was approa ching h e rode with Duke Guidobaldo as far as Peschiera to meet

a e h e him . Ch rles no soon r saw Aretino than

e e a a e spurr d his hors tow rds him , s lut d him a ffe e an d e e a e ctionat ly th y rod long togeth r , 3 Aretino on his right hand . Among tha t crowd

a e an d e of c valiers and lords , courti rs soldi rs

a n d th e bowing saluting, the son of Luca shoe

e a e u a mak r rode with his gre t h ad p , t lking to a an d the Emperor, the gre test, sovereign

e a m an e p rhaps the gre test in Europ , the last giga ntic ﬁgure of the old world that was so

e a a a rapidly a n d so sur ly p ssing w y .

e e For some mil s th y rode on thus together, Charles bending friendlily towards th e Scourge

e th e a e of Princes , r counting to him dventur s

e th e e had a of Algi rs , in which Emp ror lost

fin e ee a n d a a n d a e e fl t rmy , fl tt ring him by t lling him how all the gra ndees of Spain rea d his

an d had e . e works copies of th m Then , wher

wa s s et a ea the pavilion , surrounded by gr t crowd of his ofﬁcers a n d those who had come to e e receive him , the Emp ror listened whil

1 2 4 1 a n d 28 . Letter e 36 L ettere . , III , , III , 3 Letter e 37 an d 4 1. , III ,

19 8 PIETRO ARETINO

1 1543 a a Verona where , in July , , he w ited the

h e e a arrival of the Emperor, and writ s to Titi n

e 2 thence of his hom sickness for Venice . When the Emperor was approaching h e rode with Duke Guidob aldo as far as Peschiera to meet

a e e h e him . Ch rles no soon r saw Ar tino than

e a a spurred his hors tow rds him , s luted him a ffe e an d e e a e ctionat ly th y rod long togeth r, 3 Aretino on his right hand . Among tha t crowd

a a e an d o e of c v liers and lords , courti rs s ldi rs

a n d th e the bowing saluting, son of Luca shoe

a e a e u a m k r rode with his gre t h ad p , t lking to a n d the Emperor, the greatest sovereign

a a m an e perh ps the gre test in Europ , the last giga ntic ﬁgure of the old world that w as so

e a a a rapidly a n d so sur ly p ssing w y .

e e e e For som mil s th y rod on thus together, Charles bending friendlily towards th e Scourge

e e the a e of Princ s , r counting to him dventur s

e th e e ha d a of Algi rs , in which Emp ror lost

fin e ee a n d a a n d a e e fl t rmy, fl tt ring him by t lling him how all the grandees of Spa in rea d his

a n d had C e . e e e works opies of th m Th n , wh r

a wa s s et a ea the p vilion , surrounded by gr t crowd of his oﬁi cer s an d thos e who had come to e e e e rec iv him , the Emp ror listened whil

2 1 L et L ettere 4 1 a n d 28 . ter e 36 . , III , , III , 3 Letter e 37 an d 4 1. , III , ARE TINO ’S FRIENDS 19 9

a n d a a 1 Aretino read his long l ud tory Capi tolo .

a n d the Then they went in , Aretino Emperor ,

e o n a to dine tog ther, Aretino the right h nd of

Majesty .

da th e e a a Next y Emperor d p rted , fter in vain inviting Aretino to go with him ; 2 an d on his refusal recommending him to th e Venetian

e 3 ambassa dors as very d ar to himself. Aretino

e a n d as m a then return d to Venice , y be

was a e a e 4 a e a . im gin d , th t return v rit bl triumph It is an ama zing apoth eosis a ccord ed to such a ma n by th e mela ncholy Emp eror whos e mind was even then half pledged to

e d ath .

o e a e was an a o e But h w ver str ng , it p th osis

i e e B etu s si 5 e o a nd d . If r c rds his triumph nt

e e P ar ab os co 6 e entry into V nic , bears witn ss to th e a ma zing position he held in Venice a n d

Italy at this time . Every ca pita l in Italy

1 — L ettere 30 4 of. 29 cl s e . an d 37. , III , ; III , , q , 2 Lettere, V, 280. 3 L ettere 43 an d VI 37 E cco che il mio n o n es s er e , III , , , pu n to van o m i facea d im en ticar il s u o h aver e chiam ato a s e cavalcan d o i ven er a ili Ven eti imbas ciator i a le cu i s o len n i b , s e ttabilita i i p d d s s e O am i ci ho n o r a ti , c er to ch e n o n vi s ar a

r ave il dir e a la i no r ia ch e i o le c e io i n r atia il te n er g S g , h gg g r i s p e tto alla p er s o n a d ello Ar etino co m e cos a car is s im a alla m i ” a affe ti on e . 4 L ettere 44 , III , . 5 ’ B E TUSSI I l Ra verta di alo o d amore e n i ce , g (V , 6 ' P A RAB OSC O I Di or tr Ven i ce 1552 Fi e z , p ' , ] ( r n e , 200 PIETRO ARETINO

produced its Decamer one the Di por ti of

P ar abosco was one of those produced in Venice .

It consists of but seventeen stories , in which we see certain gentlemen of Venice discussing

e a e e togeth r . They m k Pietro Aretino th ir

e an d e a an d h ro guid , sking him questions turning to him for the solution of every

fﬁ e m . s a a di culty W ll might Aretino y, I affectionately regarded by th e most esteemed ” an 1 a d the most wise . This ssertion is entirely borne out by the position given him by

Parab os co an d was a , such the ttitude of all

e Italy towards him at this tim .

a d He had many friends n he kept them .

as the a e I keep friends misers their tre sur ,

e e because , of all things giv n us by wisdom , non ” a is greater or better than friendship . In th t

e sev nth scene interpolated, as we have thought ,

the L a Cor ti i an a we into third act of g , may ﬁnd

a e as w e m a the n mes of most of these fri nds , y 3 M ares calco an d has e too in the , he recount d them all over a gain in a dream which he tells

the a a to Leonardo, Amb ss dor of Urbino, in 4 the ﬁrst book of the Letters . Among the most famous of these friends of

2 1 L t e 129 L etter e 173. e ter . , I , , I , 3 I l M a r es ca lco A ct V Sc . 3. In the m o u t o f P e d an t e . , , h 4 L ettere 231. , I ,

202 PIETRO ARETINO

Ga mbara th e poetess whom Vittoria Colonna praise d A cui si inchina Chi piu di bello o ttiene an d e a f 1 who wrot to him most f ectionately . And all sorts of books were dedicated to him a n d e poems writt n in his honour .

th e a h e ha d a e e As for rtists , lmost mor fri nds a a a the m en mong them th n mong of letters .

a e w e e a At the he d of th m must, of cours , pl ce

Titia n an d Ja copo Sansovino . There follow

a da a e 2 Giov nni Udine , Sodom , L one Leoni , 3 o e e a a a d el M r tto , Tintor tto , V s ri , Seb stiano

a Piombo , Luigi Anichini the engr ver, Giulio

a 4 a a e an d Rom no , R imondi , R pha l Michel a e 5 He ha d a ae a a ng lo . known R ph l in C s

e an d a a 6 Chigi in Rom lways dmired him , a n d he of all m en dares to write to Buon a r o tti that his La st Judgment contained too ma ny nudes for the holiest temple in

the . a at e world Michel ngelo once r plied ,

1 ’ L t L etter e a ll A . i . 318 319 et ere 60 100 153 1 9 , I , , ; , I , , , , 7 ,

193. 2 ’ n 25 1 an d L ettere 189 H m L etter e a ll A . . e ad e at I , , , I , l ea s t o n e m e d al o f A r etin o . 3 L etter e 42 110 VI 22 bu t cf MA ZZUCHE LL I , II , III , , . , o ci t 64 p . . 4 L etter e 108 . , III , 5 L etter e 15 3. er e he s ea s o f th e Las t u d m en t . , I , H p k J g 6 t 86 L et er e, IV, . ARE TINO ’S FRIENDS 203 a sking Aretino to write as often as possible 1 to him . The ﬁrst letter Aretino wrote to Michelangelo

a e 15 1537 an d a s is d ted S ptember , , is follows

a e Man a a e As it is , Vener bl , sh m ful thing an d a e e sin in the soul not to r memb r God , so it a lso argues a contempt for wisdom an d a want of judgment not to feel for yo u that

e e a e e e v n r tion which you so highly d serv , sinc heaven has been plea s ed to shower upon you all n ll a its graces a d a its gifts . It is on th t a ccount that the idea of a new and perfect nature breathes though concealed under your

a an d a f h nds , th t the di ﬁculty of outlines (that great mystery of painting) is so ea sy to you that you reduce the extremities of the body within the bounds of ar t ; a thing hitherto looked upon by artists themselves a s impossible to b e brought to perfection ; because the extremity ought , you know, to bound itself and to end in such a way tha t while it makes itself apparent it should set o ff

as a other objects , in the ﬁgures in the Ch pel 'the Sixtine] which exercis e the judgment

e a no l ss th n they ca ll for a dmiration .

1 ’ L te et r e a ll A . 11 334 Se e al o Letter e 10 45 . s , I , . , II , III , , 122 131 , IV, 37, 86 . 04 PIETRO ARETINO

Now I who by praise or abuse have distr i buted the greatest quantity of merit or demerit to others in order not to change into nothing the a a m a little th t I , s lute you . I should

a a e h as not d re to do this if my n m , which

ea a e a r ched the e rs of all the princ s of the e rth , had e e not acquir d a certain degre of celebrity .

e e a t he I ought , inde d , to r g rd you with

ea e e th e has a gr t st resp ct, since world m ny

e o n e a . princ s , but only Michel ngelo It is a great miracle that nature can show

a nothing nywhere , however lofty , but you ﬁnd ft out a n d impress on your works the same majesty with the immens e power of your style a e e a e n d of your chisel . Thus h who se s you d r

e e a ee Ph eidias e e not r gr t not h ving s n , Ap ll s a n d e e th e a Vitruvius , spirits which w r sh dow of your spirit . I rather think it a ha ppy thing for P ar r has iu s an d th e e ea a e a a oth r gr t p int rs of ntiquity , th t time h as not p ermitte d their works to reach us : which is th e only reason that whatever

w e a a e a e credit llow to wh t history r l t s of them , we hesitat e to give them that decided palm of superiority which they th ems elves would

e th e giv you , calling you the only sculptor,

e a e only paint r, the only rchitect , if th y could

e can a . judg , as we , of your immort l works

206 PIETRO ARETINO

an d b e good a d . The s ky is ﬁlled with ineffabl light : Christ throned on clouds environed with splendour an d terror an d all the hosts

e . a e e of h aven His f ce is r splend nt with light, a n d his eyes shining with a soft yet terrible ﬁr e ﬁll the virtuous with a lively joy an d the

e s ee e wick d with immortal fea r . I the minist rs of Hell with 1nt oler able countena nces im

o e a n d a an d a pris n d, the glory of s ints m rtyrs , mocking th e C aesars and Alexanders who have conquered the world but who have alwa ys

a e s ee f il d to conquer themselves . I Glory

a n d a e with her crowns p lms trodd n under foot , thrown down beneath her own triumphal

chariots . “ I hear the Son of God pronouncing the

Last Judgment . “ At His voice the good are separated from the wicked ; the world crumbles to pieces in the

thunder darkness divides Heaven from Hell . “ In retracing thes e terrible images I have s a id to myself one could tremble as much at s eeing the work of B u on ar otti as at the Day

e of Judgment its lf. ‘ Do you think that the vow I made never to go a gain to Rome ca n hold good aga inst my desire to see such a picture I would rather be a liar than do so great an injustice to your ARETINO ’S FRIENDS 207

e e g nius . I entreat you will believe in the d sire ” I have to extol you .

In answer to that wonderful letter Michel angelo wrote as follows

A N F C EN I R A N D RO ER M G I I T S B TH , The r eceipt of your letter ha s given me a t once both joy and sorrow joy becaus e the letter came from you who ar e the only model of knowledge in the world ; an d sorrow that having ﬁnished part of my picture I am unable to avail myself of the treasures of your imagination which is such that if the Last Day itself had arrived an d you had a ctually witnessed its terror you could not have given a better description of it . But in answer to the good opinion you have

il a of me, I w l convince you th t your letter is a source of great satisfa ction to me by asking

a n d you to publish it, since Kings Princes esteem it a very great favour if your pen deigns to notice them . “ If I have a nything the possession of which

a a at would ple se you, it is most he rtily your service . Meantime I trust your resolution of not coming to Rome will not prevail over your wish to see the picture on which I am engaged : that would be very disagreeable to 208 PIETRO ARETINO

me . I en d my letter by recommending myself ” to you .

It is part of the fa me of Aretino tha t such

as a e e men Michel ngelo w r his friends .

a a w e e It is , however, in Titi n th t com upon ’ Ar etino s closest friend their friendship in

a was a a s a e a th e f ct f mous , and , I h v s id, three ,

a a s Aretino , Titi n and Sansovino, were known the triumvirate .

a can a We may, perh ps , ask what h ve been the attraction of such a m an as Ar et l n o for the noble Titian This certainly that Aretino

a s who respected nothing else, respected the rt . But to ask such a question is to misunderstand

a . not only Aretino , but still more Titi n himself A thousand things bound them together

a a e interest , for the great journ list of the g could multiply fa me as easily as infamy

Ar was then life , for etino undoubtedly one of the most living an d the most rich persona li ties o f his day he could give Titian as much

a as he took from him . All It ly was known to

h e ha d Aretino, been kicked out of every

: a e Court he knew everything bout ev rybody, he enjoyed enormously everything about every

body . His intellect , too, was of a high

e a order, he understood ev rything and perh ps

210 PIETRO ARETINO writes to Aretino Titian is to you more ” a e than brother . They w re not only con s t l a n t e e a e n . y tog ther , th y sh r d everythi g If Aretino receive d from o n e of his numerous

a e p trons , or more num rous victims , some

e a a e e at d lic cy for the t bl , he writ s once to

a Titian to come and sh re it with him , and invites Sansovino an d som e fa ir a n d fragile la dy

e was to join them . If Aretino , whose hous

a n e like inn , f lt the number of guests too many, h e ﬂ e d to Titian . We get a glimps e of the triumvirate at ’ dinner in Titia n s house in a letter of the

e tim . I was invited in the month of August to

e a Vecelli a a the house of M sser Tizi no , gre t pa inter a s everyone knows a n d the most

a e e a es ta ch rming of hosts , to c l br te the f known

e here as fer r ar e agos to . We were assembl d in a delicious garden situated at one extremity of Venice beside th e lagoon a cross which rises t e t e h little island of Murano . In wa iting for h

a e a e the ea t bl s to be l id und r trees , when the h t

th e da of y should be over, we visited the house of t he p ainter full of th e most marvellous

e pictures in the world . Th n in th e coolness of evening w e s aw the whole lagoon covered

n a a s a an d e with go dol s , c rrying mu ici ns sing rs ARETINO ’S FRIENDS 11

' e e e Ven et a n who, tog th r with the lov liest

a a e a e a girls , beg n s ren d which l sted till mid

t e e w as as e a e a s night . As for h dinn r it d lic t it wa s well ordered : the wines were ﬁne a n d th e a ccompa nying service la cked nothing ; at dessert they brought m e your letter in which you pra ise the Latin tongue to the detriment of the Tusca n . Aretino attacked your opinion

the a a n e a in most brilli nt d d lightful f shion , a n d I should like to ha ve in ink on pa per his

a a . discours e . All passed in delight an d g ll ntry The noble a n d gra ve Titian kept all the time a certa in restraint ; whilst his two friends a llowed themselves to be enticed by the

a As asias ch rms of the p of Venice , he con tente d hims elf with a ddressing them charm i ngly and caressing them ; but he only gave i ” them the k ss of Socrates .

frl en dshi This long p with Titian is , indeed, i ’ the noble side of Ar et n o s life . His friendship

ee a s ms disinterested and pure . In such fe sts a s that set out above we ever see Titia n a s

a e the gr ve observer . It is Ar tino who , delight ing not less tha n his friend in the beauty an d

a society of women , excites their l ughter, a a e ﬂ att er s a n d a nim t s their passions , muses them just a s h e ﬂattered a n d amused the

ea e a gr test princ s , but sking in return only 212 PIETRO ARETINO

e ee e a th ir friendship, which ind d th y g ve him i without reserve . We s ee at his own d nners a ll the most celebra ted courtesans in the city an d there were conceive d those Ragi on amen tt which have been the model of all the obscene works of the seventeenth and eighteenth

centuries . It might s eem certa in that what ha d ﬁrst ’ a ttra cte d Titia n to Aretino wa s the la tter s genuine understanding of painting a n d his

e gift for criticism . This is attest d in ma ny of

a an d an d ea his letters to rtists others , not l st in such a letter as this to Titia n upon his

a . picture of the Annunci tion, now lost to us

wa s a a ea It wise foresight on your p rt , d r

e the e th e e gossip , to s nd pictur of Qu en of

Hea ven to the Emperor of th e Earth . Nor

e a could your g nius , whence you dr w your

a a e e m rvels of painting, h ve put to mor spl ndid u s e the panel on which you have painted this

e z e Annunciation . On is da zl d in the blinding

a a a r ys of light which shine forth from P r dise , whence come those angels pois e d in divers

e attitudes over the clouds whit , moving and

the lucent . The Holy Spirit , surrounded by

’ light of his glory : so living does that Dove a ppear whose form He has taken that o n e ca n

a almost hear the beat of its wings . The r inbow

214 PIETRO ARETINO Virgin ﬁrst adored and then reassured by the

a messenger of God, because you have p inted her in such a fa shion -s o marvellously that

zz a our eyes da le in the light of her reg rd , so calm

can e and pure that one scarce me t her look . Just t here we seem to see the strength and ’ the weakness of Ar etin o s criticism a n d appr e e h n sio n of painting . Its strength lies in its force and in the fa ct that it is wholly and completely in sympathy with th e taste of that

a ba d y . A picture for him is good or d in so far as it is a good or bad representation of actual

a : things . He is a pure re list he has no con ce tion p , no suspicion even of any other aim in art . The work of the Sienese school, the

za e whole By ntine tradition, the xquisite work of the Greeks before Pheidias or of the Gothic sculptors of France a n d England in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries would have

e him a se med to merely barb rous , incomplete

f u . and ine fect al Well , he was nothing if not a ma n of his time , and we ought to remember that his taste has remained the ta ste of th e whole of Europe until within the last forty

He a s e e the a a a ea . y rs is true to mer lif , ppe r nce

e e an d a of lif , its en rgy , movement re lity in his

' cr it cis m ar t a s h e a of , is in his pl ys and

1 L etter e 180. , I , ARE TINO ’S FRIENDS 15

a o e a n d e e an d In a di l gu s l tt rs , gener l through all a the his writings . He is journalist to end : and like a true journalist he liked to

a a gossip about his friends , bo st of them , bl me

z e a them , critici e their work and ﬁnd in th m

He e contribution to his fame . found th m useful for advertisement : for his whole

a e existence , like that of the modern newsp p r

e an d e propri tor journalist , d pended upon publicity : the more the better .

Yet his friends were not all his fa me . The Aca demies honoured him : the Sienese ﬁrst

all a 1541 of , the P duan in , the Florentine m

1545 Well may he boast of his renown . You think you know all my glory ; an d

a a you do not know half of it . Med ls of me h ve

c l n been stru k in gold, silver , in lead , in copper,

a in bronze an d in plaster . My efﬁgy is pl ced

a on the fa ca des of palaces . My head is engr ved

as on combs , on plates , the ornament of mirrors

as e a ae a . that of Al x nder, of C s r, of Scipio Those vases they make at Murano are calle d a e e ft r me . A breed of horses has b en given

a e a o n e o my n me , mer ly because I ccepted fr m

e e e e . Pop Cl ment VII . I sent it to Duk Fed rigo The canal that washes one side of this hous e has a e been ren med Rio Aretino . My wom n like to be calle d Ar etin es : they even s ay 216 PIETRO ARETINO s A — ti lo r eti n o the style of Aretino . I have nothing to envy anyone . Nor can the breath of envy or the cloud of malice dim my renown ” 1 or diminish the glory of my house .

Anto n l o a had de Leyva, the f mous Captain , announced that Aretino was absolutely ” necessary to human life . The greater part

a e of Italy had come to gre with him .

1 L ettere 144 cf L ettere 89 an d IV 162. , III , ; . , III, , ,

XIII

LATER YEARS

’ HE last ten years of Ar etin o s life are an almost unbroken record of fa me an d

a e e e ar e a tra ns ﬁ u r atio n e s . Inde d , th y sort of g which s eems to have been broken by only o n e p etty episode which in the end turned rather to his credit . On the publication in 1542 of his Second

e e ha d e Book of L tt rs , Aretino d dicated it in his rather full -blooded style to Henry VIII of ’ ' ' a : I l Sa cr ati s si mo Re d I n ht lter r a . Engl nd , g In return Henry ha d s ent him a promise of three hundred scudi i n compen s o but money ' ’ sl pped through Henry s ﬁngers as wate r through a sieve ; nothing reached Aretino a t n d h e years went by . Rightly or wrongly - as it seems wrongly Aretino suspected th e English Ambassa dor

a e e e s cu di a n d e e of h ving stol n th s sp nt th m , n o r h e e a e a s wa s s a s o did h sit t his wont , to y an d e 1 to writ an d publish his a ccusation .

1 L etter e, IV, 94 . 220 PIETRO ARETINO When this came to the ears of the ambassador 1

e a he determined to give Ar tino lesson , and

a meeting him one day, he , with six rmed men , beat and wounded him . Aretino s ays that he could easily have

a s aw avoided his ntagonist , whom he coming 2 a e a . with his br voes , but pref rred to f ce him He was only slightly hurt 3 an d he refused to a e e v ng himself, as I suppose he might very e a a a asily h ve done on foreigner , but s id that

e 4 he wished to leave vengea nc to God .

a a e a e a 5 This aff ir m d gr t noise in Venice . The Englishman was universally denounced for ’ thus attacking an old man an d Aretin o s moderation ma de the best impression . Our a mbassador was not long in rep enting since he

a a e i saw he was wrong (which is very ch r ct r stic ,

6 a a e e too) . He did all he could to pl c t Ar tino even to getting him his money ; a n d h e also state d that he was ready to a mend his fault 7 e was a e . with his own blood . Peac soon m d

1 Lettere, IV, 283. 2 L ettere, IV, 112 an d 114 , 183. 3 “ Letter e I 94 n h a at o é m a n é H V o n t n l aur a . e , , f p s p eaks o f th e En gli s h n at io n as it i s s p o ken o f s till co lu i n o n fa u n to d i to r to alla i n s o le n za d e lla n ati o n e s u a IV p ( , 4 L ettere , IV, 111 an d 127. 5 1 L ettere , IV, 71. 3 L etter e, IV, 283. 7 13 14 4 L etter e, IV, 8 , 1 V, 3, s o n n et .

222 PIETRO ARETINO e e — l ction of Julius III Del Monte of Arezzo .

a ha d e i He h a d a a P ul III di d n 154 9 . lw ys bee e e w as n unfri ndly to Ar tino , which not to ’ Ar etin o s e a n d 1545 ha d ee discr dit , in b n a a e e tt ck d by him for n potism .

fi li dc s ua fi lia a e e o o Ai g g p dr n nn , a w olfis h at a ll Fa r n esi poem biting the , but now h e sang in another stra in

E o che r o o s o ha Dio o e so cc pur, in p n tr , c nv r , In Iull o Te o il li 1 G a Iu o Se o o . . rz , r n c nd

1000 e a n d He got gold crowns for this sonn t , ,

o ha d w m a no d ubt, it much to do ith king him

a e e a e w a s Gonf loni r of his n tiv city, which a a o f 2 o r th e lso th t th e Po p e h e pra ise d . N did

f e o e a . Pontif withh ld his p rson l gift In Jun ,

15 50 e e w as ea e a a e e , Pi tro Ar tino cr t d C v li r di

. e a n d a e e s cu di er S Pi tro ' p nsion of ighty p

w as e 3 annum giv n to him . Thes e honours s eeme d to Aretino to presa ge ’ a greater —the Very scarlet its elf — a Cardinal s

Hat .

1 L t et ere, V, 236 . 2 ’ L ettere V 28 1 an d L ettere a ll A . 11. 224 . er e th e , , , , II , H br o ther o f th e P o p e wr ite s to t ell him that his s o n n e t w as p r ai s e d abo ve e ver y o ther c o m p os itio n in th e vu lgar to n gu e ” o r i n L ati n th e P o e . , by p 3 ’ L t A ii 224 52 c and L ettere V 268 e tere all . . 33 3 e t . , II , , , , , , ,

VI , 114 . LATER YEARS 223

This w a s by no means an insolent drea m ’ o f Ar etin o s : e d e e e oth rs sir d it , oth rs found it a du e a n d commendable honour for th e

i e e e as e a s . a Div n Pi tro , w ll he Titi n hims lf 1 b esought Cha rles V for it on b ehalf of his friend . He was then in Vienna enjoying a wonderful

e e a succ ss . And having come to the Imp ri l Court with a letter from Aretino he did not hesitate to promote with Cha rles a n d th e principal p ersona ges of the Court this a ma zin g elevation of which very great hopes had a lrea dy been given Aretino by the p o ntiﬁcal courtiers . He writes to Aretino telling him of his gracious ’ reception a n d of Charles s intention of giving ’ Ar etin o s daughter Austria a dowry . In April he writes that the Emp eror ha s s at to him for the noble equestria n portra it now in

a a n d Ma a e M drid, in y sks Aretino to s nd him

2 a h e a a . colours , especi lly l ke It is in Julyth t

1 L ’ etter e a ll A . . 245 Se e ii . 99 cl s e . an d L ettere , I , i . II , , q , , V 289 an d VI 102 P A im s el s a s : Th e u li c vo i ce i n , , , . . . h f y p b R o m e s ays that th e Bles s ed n es s o f Giu lio III wis hes that I s ho u ld live with him i n the Cour t b u t s p ea ks o f thi s a s a ” “ mir acle A ain h u lis e s m e fo r . g e s ays : Th e cr y that p b h Car d in al alo u d i s a l in vo i ce A ain VI 293 h e s a s y g . g , , , y , wr itin g AI Siviglian o He wh o wis hes to s e e th e d iffer en ce be twe en yo u r M o n s ign o r an d m e (can c o n s id er ) that h e i s ” Car i d n al ile P . A . wh I ha ve n o t wi s he d to b e this I a fﬁr m . n e er s a s t at h i He s a s v y h e was o ffer e d a Hat an d r e fu s ed t . y ’ h e d i n d o t an t it . B w u t s e e Titia n s letter b elo w . 2 L etter e I 2 , V, 15 an d 252. 224 PIETRO ARETINO

e the a a a e ﬁrst gives Ar tino hope of C rdin l t , a n d 11 1550 a s on November , , he writes follows :

N O R E RO ON O URED O SS P SIG PI T , H G I , I wrote to Messer Aenea s that I ke pt your letters near my heart till occa sion should

fe e e a of r to d liv r them to His Ma j esty . The d y ’ a fter the Pa r m es an i s (Aenea s) departure His

a M jesty s ent for me . After the usual courtesies a n d examination of the pictures which I ha d

h e a e an d e brought, sk d for news of you wheth r

ha d e e th e a I l tt rs from you to deliver . To l st

e a a f an d e qu stion I nswered ﬁrmatively, th n

a pres ented the letter you h a d given me . H ving

ea the e ea e r d it , Emperor r p ted its cont nts so a s be ea e th e to h rd by His Highn ss , his son ,

e a a a a n d th e e Duk of Alv , Don Luigi D vil r st

t e e of he gentlemen of th e cha mb er . As th r

wa s e h e a a wa s a m ntion of me , sked wh t it th t

was . e e a at e required of him I r pli d th t Venic , in Rome a n d in all Ita ly the public assumed that His Holiness wa s well minded to make you upon which C aesar showed signs of plea sure in his fa ce saying he would greatly

at e a rejoice such an vent , which could not f il

an d e a e to please you, so , dear broth r , I h v done for you such service as I owe to a friend

26 PIETRO ARETINO

I think there is little doubt that he would have done so , though it would have cost him so much a to le ve Venice .

a a a This , in f ct, he ctu lly did, perhaps still tempted by the hop e of the Cardinalate . In

1553 the February, , Duke Guidobaldo of

a a e e a Urbino, who had been created C pt in G n r l

a e of the Church , bout to set out for Rom

e e to r ceiv the honour, begged Aretino to a a a n d ccomp ny him, sent him one hundred s cu di e 1 for his expens s . Aretino had indeed long contemplated this journey ; since 1550 c erta inly it ha d been in his mind to go to Rome 2 a n d only his love for Venice ha d prevented 3 d . an him The Pope himself had invited him, ha d said that if Aretino ca me to Rome it would be like a second Jubilee b ecause all the world

4 ha d would ﬂock to see him . But till now he

e a at refus d . Was it the hope of H that drew him In Venice h e ha d often discussed the possi bilit a the e 5 an d a y of m king journ y , now ﬁn lly ” e 6 h consented to kiss the foot of Giulio .

1 L ettere, VI , 166. 2 L etter e, V, 321. 3 L etter e, V, 28 1. 4 L etter e, VI , 113 an d 160. 5 L etter e, VI , 166, 167. 3 Letter e, VI , 170. LATER YEARS 227

Ma 1553 he e a In y, , left Venic , p ssed once 1 e e a a n d wa s e e e mor by P rugi , splendidly r c iv d ” a e a e 2 by the Pope with fr t rn l tendern ss , a n d everyone se ems to have tried to persuade him to take up his abode in Rome .

It wa s not to be . Perhaps he was too old to

a - ch nge and too comfortable nor, without the

Hat was e a — , the t mptation gre t enough to forsake Venice . By August he was in Urbino

a a . fter visiting Pes ro, on his way back home

a He rem ined some days in Urbino , recited there his Capi tolo in honour of the Duke and

an d the Pope then departed for Venice, where he arrived in September never to leave it a ga in . But it was not to the fa mous palace Casa

t was Are ino, which so full of memories , where Titia n ha d p al nt ed on the ceiling Marsya s ﬂaye d

a n d a n d by Apollo , Mercury and Argus , the

a a D nce of S lome , and which his innumerable 3 a e - on ha d a e e e h . h ng rs left ruinous , th t r turn d

ha d e He l ft that sorrowfully enough in 155 1 . Since then he had lived on the Riva del Carbin

1 L tt e er e, VI , 169 . 2 L ettere VI 174 . er e i s an o t er e xam le o f th e ter m , , H h p

r atello r ater n a e t c . It r e er s er e as e ls e er e it r e ar d f , f , f h , wh w h g to the Ba c ci t o the act o f c o m m n iz i z z c t f Ar e o . , f o i e n s h p o 3 L ettere VI 37 L I I ri mi s u oi a nni . 44 n . t n s , , UZ O , p , p , hi k t at he le t ecaus e he aid to o rr e ularl fo r o lan i his lan d h f b p i g y B , lo r d . 28 PIETRO ARETINO in the parish of San Luca in the house of

a a 1 Leon rdo D ndolo . It wa s thither he returned now to resume

a e e e e his usu l lif with his fri nds , living a lif v ry

a an d a e e tr nquil serene and h ppy, ev r rec iving

e an splendid gifts of mon y d goods which , with the p ensions from Charles V of 200 s cudi a n d from others - some 720 s cu di in all perha ps

— a 2 g ve him security . His mind was a s active

s e 3 an d powerful a ver .

a a n d a a e a e A l st , wh t must h v been bitt r dis illusion awa ited him . In 1556 one of his oldest

a a friends , Anton Francesco Doni, consider ble

za e e 1513 if bi rr writ r, born in Florence in ,

e m a a n d a a . n turn d on him tt cked him This , who had begun life a s a Servite friar under the

F r a a e ha d name of V l rio , then been priest,

law at a e za student of Pi c n , printer in Venice

1544 e e e in with Scotto , th n print r in Florenc , ha d e 1548 ha d e returned to Venic in , receiv d every sort of protection from Aretino who ha d

i i had Mar col n . interested in him Now, he who

1 TA SSIN I Cur i os i ta Veneztana Ven ce 1887 and A rch . , ( i , )

Ven et. 1886 L ettere VI 99. , XXXI ( ) , , 2 I n 1540 h e s a s h e h a d 600 s cu di o f in co me Lettere y ( ,

B ad o v in o d el Mon te ave him 120 s cudi . a . VI II , g p ( ,

n d m a e t er e er e o t er s . er e er e m an i ts a yb h w h Th w y g f , 1 4 D e f Ur no o f 200 cudi e . VI 0 o n e r o m the u k o s . . g ( , ) f bi 3 “ ‘ Io er m e u an to i u m an co la arba tan to i 11 p q p i bi b , p ” n i er r i ver dis co i p ens i .

230 PIETRO ARETINO

Finally in a letter to the Duke from Ludovico

a a a a at e e Nelli , amb ss dor for M ntu V nic ,

1 a published by Alessandro Luzio , d ted October

29 1556 I l over o e a , , we read p Aretino d p rted

a a to the other world and r ther miser bly, for one evening about the ﬁfth hour seated in a chair he fell ba ckwards . According to a popular tradition h e died in a great ﬁt of laughter . His tomb in San Luca no longer exists ° 2

' but tra dition ha s it that over it of old was written

Intactus e s est causam ue r o atus D u illi , q g H e I e in it n o n m o s e a . u h a . nc d dit ll , q , i i n tu r t

But it certainly s eems unlikely that such a n epitaph would have been permitte d by his very powerful friends or by the Church a e Maz zu ch elli a e uthoriti s . , his ﬁrst biogr ph r ,

a a a will h ve none of it , but sserts th t nothing

the wa a n a a in y of epitaph ppe red on the tomb ,

1 A . L I i n Gi ornale Stori co della Lett. I tal Vo l . 337 UZ O , I , ,

n A r ch Stor I tal . Ser ii . 18 : o ver o A s e n o a d . V . 1 . . , . , p II p ’ a n d o all altr o m on d o e t cer to mis er am en te , che s tan d o u n a ’ s er a Ver s o le cin qu e ho r e in u n a car ega a s ed er e cas co all ” i n d etro i . 2 Fr an ces co Sans o vino tells u s that Do lce was als o bu r ied i n San Lu ca i n th e s am e to m b wher e ﬁr s t wer e bur ied Pi etr o Ar etin o a n d er o m in o R u s celli s ee P r e ac e to D T r a s J ( f OLCE , ’ ’

o mazzom F . San s o i n o i ce f r , v , Ven , LATER YEARS 231 though all Italy was ﬁlled with scornful an d

t e ironical verses upon h Scourge of Princes . The j a ckals could howl at last for the old lion ha d made his last spring and would roar no more .

ARETINO AS WRITER

AD Aretino live d in our d ay he would

a e a a a h v est blished journ l , humorous ,

a a a a e as soci l , politic l , s tiric l , and , ven he did

e e a e a e a in the sixt enth c ntury, would h v m d

a a fortune out of it . But such st tement by no means sums up Aretino : it takes into a ccount less than half his a chievement an d largely disregards what he actually was .

e was e — I l Di vi n o Who , th n , this Pi tro Aretino

— F la ello dei r i n ci i 9 a a g p p . He was wh t Titi n

’ a e Con dottrer e a c ll d him , the of Liter ture

all ee and above a production of his time . Ind d , the spirit of that age of decadence and dis

all e solution , not of Italy alone , but of Europ

e e as Europe , is very complet ly repres nted in

a a e an d e — It ly by Ariosto , M chiav lli Ar tino the

e e a an d p rf ction of form , the h rdness security the of intellect, and the moral anarchy and complete egoism m which the soul is its own

r e prisoner co rupting its lf, and in which cynicism takes the place of that charity of which 235 236 PIETRO ARETINO

a S a St . P ul pe ks ; death , of life . And it is in

Aretino rather than in Ariosto or Machiavelli , for he is more complete than either an d

a more vital, that we can best underst nd that tragic and disastrous moment in which the destiny of Europ e was decide d : its

a a mixture of mor l depravity , intellectu l force and artistic sentiment . Any egoist can s ay with Aretino : If I was born to live thus , who will prevent me from living thus What are you going to do about ” it ? But few egoists have his enormous a ppetite : it is one of the really valid things

S e about him . Why do you p nd so much ,

‘ you say to me 3 I answer : Becaus e roya l souls show themselves in spending inor din ” a e t ly . But if he had a great and an omnivorous

h a d a e a appetite , he gre t nergy too , body of

a the a e an d iron , serene soul , hide of rhinoc ros

e at a . perfect h alth . Look his portr its by Titian

e l H is a l there .

It man is this who is a great writer , for it is as a writer that Aretino is really important and

e not merely interesting . He found l tters in

a e a a a It ly dying of p d ntry, wholly rtiﬁci l ,

d a a e an imitative of cl ssic l or Tuscan mod ls ,

a e e e a a a ; Virgil , Pl utus , Ter nc , P tr rc , Bocc ccio

238 PIETRO ARETINO b e e e a a a a writt n by p d ntry, by imit ting Petr rc

‘ a n d a a e e Bocc ccio O unst bl folk , I t ll you a n d e a a a e a a a I t ll you g in , th t po try is f ncy ,

a a e a e a n d whim , child of N tur in its h ppin ss , ,

e a e a a unl ss it is th t , it b comes tinkling cymb l ” 1 a n d a b ell without music . Just there we seem to perceive a critic dire ct

e a e a n d decisive a n d c rt inly uniqu in his da y . And this grea t gift of criticism w a s a pplied by him a lmost as s ecurely to t h e ar t of painting a s to th e ar t of litera ture . It is no doubt one

the a a a ha d a of m ny ttr ctions he for Titi n,

Mich elangelo a n d S ansovino .

e a e a e As for his lov of N tur , N ture mistr ss ” all ea e of masters , we have only to r d his lett r to Titia n describing Venice from his window 2

l it ee a a n d S n cer . ' et to f l its enthusi sm y , so great a critic as De S anctis can a sk why his a dmiration a n d love of Nature did not a wake ” e in him an y moral impr ssion or elevation . It certa inly did not : but why Should it ? It awoke in him a s in an y other a rtist a

e a e Sh eer delight . Sur ly th t was nough

e w as a a a e H not p ntheist to worship N tur ,

a a e nor, perh ps , would he h v cared for the

e Lesser Celandine . Let us l ave the moral

1 L etter e 123. , I , 2 s u r a . 136 l e . See p , p c s q ARETINO AS WRITER 239

a a a a elev tion to V sari, and only regret th t Vas ri ’ was totally la cking in Ar etino s critical judg ment an d artistic a ppreciation of pa inting ; a n d let us acknowledge l n Aretino the ﬁrst

e a critic of mod rn art, in p inting and letters , who refers us not to the classics but to nature a n d to life . This is his value ; and he realised what he preached . Every line he wrote came out of his

a n d a head his he rt, quite spontaneously, in its a a nger, contempt and derision , its enthusi sm ,

the greed and simplicity . If one feels much

a same in reg rd to Machiavelli and Cellini , e S th ir directness and implicity, one feels too a certain quality in their work not wholly their own they too seem to invoke the dead .

e a s a Ar tino invoked no one but himself. He w child of nature a n d of life ; he continually a a ppe led to them and to them only, and almost

was - far without culture as he , he makes up more tha n makes up -in spontaneity what he

a a l cks in schol rship . If his work is thus without urbanity and

a a cert inly without grace , he sought alw ys

e a e e — in a xpression , ction , mov m nt word,

. a e a life And with wh t swiftn ss , with wh t directness he a chieves his end ' He has so

an d c a o f much energy facility, su h wealth 240 PIETRO ARETINO ideas and feelings ; an d he pours them out with the freshness and the impetus of an inex hau stible an d a spring ; as with such source ,

an d the secret centre of the whole is in himself,

Pietro Aretino .

IS i n He seems too, enclosed as he the prison of his egoism, to measure all things by himself an d not to know that a nything can exist for him in itself or apart from its relations to him it only exists as he is aware of it .

And if this be so, those panegyrics of his ,

a n d are they panegyrics , or only furious

ass1onat e e subtle ironies , almost p in th ir

a ? cynicism and bsurdity It may be , he found

S a a it easier to pe k evil than to spe k good , to condemn than to praise ; and when we

a e consider the g he lived in, we need not wonder too much : he seems always to have come to bless and remained to curs e an d castigate . And everywhere in all his work the style is the man in its sheer genius for expression,

a and a n d a a its ﬁn l expressiveness , again g in

e a in its simplicity . He thanks his ben f ctors (who often go in fear of that winged p en ) for clothes , for food, for jewels , again and a a S a g in for money , with the implicity of

242 PIETRO ARETINO

we feel this quite a s much in what is perha ps

a a a his most important chievement, his dr m tic

Teatr o an d a works , his , his comedies tr gedy, as in the sonnets and pasquinades . He

a all all refuses here bove , where men were

imitators and copyists and pedants, to be anything but himself. Of all the writers of

da on e comedies in his y he is the only , except

a a a e a an d perh ps M chi velli , who forg ts Pl utus

a a writes wh t is in his he d . His comedies 1 ar e among the very best written in Italian before Goldoni ; an d his

z 2 e e l n Ora ia written in vers , the best trag dy

a the Italian l nguage . Spontaneous and full

a he s aw a of the life th t bout him, as works of ar t it must be confessed they are too volatile

e i lit an d spoiled by l vity and sup er ﬁc a y . If

ar e they full of life , the life he shows us is common and base an d his characters wholly

1 Th e p u blication o f th e co m edies was as follo ws

I l M ar es calco Ve n ce V t al 1533 F . Mar co lin i ( i , i i , ) ( , I F o Ven i ce Vitali l i l s ofo ( , , L a C or ti i ana Ven c e Mar co lin i g ( i , , L o I Ve n i c n n i 1540 F M r c in i p ocr i to ( e , B e d o , ) ( . a ol , La Ta la a ta Ven ce Mar co lin i ( i , , t C e I M ca C o t a T a nta and Qua tr o om di c ( l ar es lco, la r igi a na , l al L o I r oci to Ven i ce Mar co li n i am o r tu n ate p , , I f e n ou gh to pos s es s an o ther e ditio n ( 1588 ) witho u t n am e o f r n ter o r u l s e ro m th e l r ar o f F irm in Did o t it p i p b i h r , f ib y w h

i s wa r n ted o n W ol e in Lon d on . h s bo o kplate . Thi s p i by J h f 2 L H tia Ve ce G ol to a ora ( ni , i i , ARETINO AS WRITER 243

without nobility of any sort . They live while they move a cross the Scene but they leave us

' et can no memory of themselves . nothing be more lively an d vivid tha n many of his scenes .

a Cor ti i ana T ke this street scene from the g , for instance

FURFA N TE (Selling loose ﬂ y - sheets of storie s

a n E E C a n d a EN ESE . d verses) . M SS R MA O SI

c fS en e : a Street in Rome . F 1 ur . . Fine stories . Fine stories M a . c Be quiet . What is that fellow crying Si ene se. He must be mad .

F ur . Fine stories , ﬁne stories ; the Turkish

a e Fr a war in Hung ry , the s rmons of

2 3 Martino , the Council , stories , stories , the

ffa 4 English a ir, the Pomp of the Pope

an d the ’E m er or 5 p , the Circumcision of the

a 6 7 V ivoda, the Sack of Rome , the Siege of

1 A 16 elle s tor e . er e is n o E n l s or d but th e b i i Th g i h w , F r en ch o r d hi s toi r es tr an slates i s tori e er e l w v y w l . 2 Mar ti n Luther ; 3 Th e Cou n c l o f r en t did n o t m eet t ll 1545 but o m i T i , fr the beginn in g o f th e s ixteen th c en tur y a Co un cil Gen er al had een d e a e b b t d . 4 Th e En l s s c sm i n 1534 the d vor ce of Cat er n e o f g i h hi , i h i a Ar go n . 5 Th e E mp er or cam e to R om e i n 1536 to m e et P aul III but t s ro a l i hi p b b y r efers to s o m ethin g pr eviou s to th s . 3 o n Vaivo d a o r Du e o f r a n s lvan ia avi n e en J h , k T y , h g b d es o iled o f u n ar hi s co m etito r F er d n an d t r e p H g y by p , i , h w 7 ims el n to the a m s f Sul m an in 1529 1527 h f i r o i . . 244 PIETRO ARETINO

1 the e e e a e 2 Florence , Conf r nc of M rs illes

the c e with con lusion stori s , stories .

M ac. e e ' e a Run, ﬂy, hurry , Si nes Her is

i uli o m e e e a d ei g , buy the L gg nd Corti 3 1a a m a a e e e g ni, th t I y m k mys lf courti r ’ before th e master comes : but don t

a m e you m ke yourself courtier before ,

you know .

Si enes e th e e ' 0 e No , d vil ther , books ,

e a . He ha s speech s , c rds turned the

corner . I will run after him .

M . s ac a . 0 a a Run , I y run wh t streets , wh t streets 1 I see up there in that window a beautiful la dy She must b e the Duchess of

e . Rome . I feel myself falling in lov

e a a e If I b come C rdin l, if I become Courti r

She shall not escape me . She is looking

‘

1 at a . me , she is st ring at me

a Th t short scene , like so many others , is full of life an d altogether different from anything else written at this time it gives you

1 1529 u nder taken the Pr n ce o f Or an e at r e ues t o f , by i g q - i th e i c P o p e a n d E mp er or to r e es tabl s h e M d i . 2 r n c r o t th e P o e an d Fr an c s to et er This co n fe e e b ugh p i I g h , and its r e s u lt was th e m ar r ia e o f en r s on o f th e ' n g H y II , i g, ’ i Ca r in e M e ici w th the d e d . 3 i i s th e am o u s tr e at s e o f aldas s ar e d a Cas ti lio n e Th s f i B g ,

l - I l libr o del C or tegi ano- th e Boo k o f th e Co u r tier whi ch a i 1518 pp eared n .

246 PIETRO ARETINO into believing that the Duke of Mantua is going to get him married— with Malvolio ; and then to listen to an Italian critic telling you

a a a i that Shakespeare was a b rb ri n , and Engl sh

a a a unlike Italian , not hum nistic but com e i m r c al language . For the Cor ti gi an a and the M ares calco ar e probably the best Italian comedies before 1740 1534 Goldoni ( Though published in , the year after the publication not only of the

M ares calco the F i los o o t g g , f , w g rt but of b g g ig n m

M a es calco an d F i los o o r f , form a ﬁrst and distinctive

I ocr i to a n d th e Talan ta e a a n d p , writt n l ter 1540 an d 1542 ar e published in respectively,

a an d a a different in m nner perh ps less vit l ,

a a n d certainly less modern , origin l amusing . l Cor ti i an a ea without ot , , pw n ' The g r lly ea w of a series of scenes in which we are given a

co I have already Spoken Baha ma comedies have a passionate a n d

a th e p ers onal note which is l cking in rest , in which ar e to be found hints from Bocca ccio

F i los o o (in the two principal incidents of the f ) , ARETINO AS WRITER 247

. from Sacchetti in two incidents in the Talanta (those of Messer Necessita s an d of the Pizz ica

n olo an d g ) , from Boiardo, Terence and Plautus in both .

I ocri to a The p , as its n me implies , deals with

a fe a hypocrite and p rasite , indif rent alike to

and bad good , who only thinks of ﬁlling his pockets by the most servile subservience ,

a a cunning contriv nce and exploit tion of others ,

IS chieﬂy women . He not , however, the chief

: comic ﬁgure of the play this is Messer Liseo, an old man who , not knowing what to do to remedy the ills of his life in the person of a despotic wife a n d ﬁve daughters whom he

a c nnot marry, turns for advice and help to the

Ipocrito, who counsels him to resign himself and to comfort himself with philosophy . The wretched being ends by becoming utterly

ff todos es indi erent and stupid , exclaiming, ” 1 u ada n ada es todos . When Aretino was already an old man it is said he turned his mind to the production of a work of art for its own sake and wrote his only

1 ’ On e s min d tur ns in evitably to the gr eat s cenes with the Maitr e d e Philos o phie o f Le B ou rgeoi s Genti lhomme o f Mo lier e i c Ar etino o in ts to t ou he canno t c o m as s wh h p , h gh p t em B u i i er i hi h . t t s a ver y gr eat d eal h e an d n s o ther co m edies to ave r o es ied o f s u c or s o e talia h p ph h w k . N0 th r I n c m ie e t s a ue o ed s hav hi v l . 248 PIETRO ARETINO

a La Gr azi a . a tr gedy, This has been comp red with the work of Shakespeare by critics who ’ cannot have understood what Shakespeare s work really was . The only likeness in any sense to the work of Shakespeare lies in the

a choice of story of ancient Rome , the part the

an d crowd plays in the action , the fact that a

l a certain com e element relieves the tr gedy . This is very much but it is all merely

L G azi a S superﬁcial . a r hows nothing of

a the genius of Shakespe re , his poetry, his apprehension of life , his power of creating

. a living men and women It is , in f ct , ’ a Ar etino s less alive than nything else of , and certainly less characteristic and less within his reach than anything he set his hand to . It is strange to pass from the wholly

an d irresponsible comedies , often gross enough

e vulgar enough to have won inﬁnite applaus , to the religious works which he must have been writing much about the sa me time and which 1 were certainly not less popular . But even in his lifetime he was bitterly attacked for daring to use such a pen as his to write of divine

1 ’ L Humani tadi Chri s ta Ven ce N co lin 1535 Mar co lin i ( i , i i , ) ( , 1539t

La P as s i one di Ges zl Ven i ce Ant . d e N co lin d a Sa io ( , i i b , 1534 M r c i i ) ( a o l n ,

250 PIETRO ARETINO

Li e o Chri s t 9 f f . However, according to De

a s a a Sanctis he dr ws Christ a Knight Err nt . But was Aretino in these works really as devoid of sincerity as has been thought ? I think he was . He was trying to make a name and a fortune

a e a a a all in c rt in w y . We m y regard his

e a s a a a - a l tters journ l , humoristic soci l

-ﬁ i l n an c a a . politico journ l Well , these religious

a works were part of it .

We e hav seen the same thing in our own day . A man will make a fortune by running an d writing a paper which exists on a sort of libel

a a a a and abuse , politic l , person l , ﬁn nci l ; in which the people an d the poor and half educated — those who will buy his paper — are

a e a e c r fully c tered for and exploit d, their

e e as e int lligenc , such it is , exploit d without

a a e scruple . On Sunday, in a Sund y p p r he will write about Christ or the Sermon on the

a e a Mount . In It ly he would writ bout the

a a Blessed Virgin and th e Saints . Th t is ex ctly

e a e what Aretino did . W must reg rd thes

a religious works as articles in his journ l,

a a s in his review, which never ppeared such but which existe d none the less for that . His letters form the main part of this review ; c s they are the arti les . Well , the religiou ARETINO AS WRITER 251 works are the articles for Sunday as we

s a . a e a a should y They prob bly gull d l rger , and perhaps not less importa nt public and they no doubt impressed the princes

e whose screw he was , as w ll . They have ,

e a e a n howev r, their v lu , not indeed for y

a a s a religious qu lity , but mirrors of a p rt of that obscure soul .

Let » Ra i on amen ti us turn now to the g , those curious and obscene Di aloghi which app ea r to have been written at th e same time a s the

e e religious works , the ﬁrst b ing publish d in These strange works consist of two

a e e p rts , each divid d into thr e dialogues ﬁlling

ee thr days . The First Part contains the Dia lo u es of- N a e g on the Life uns , the Life of M rri d

1 Ra i onamento della N anna e della A ntoni a at o i n Roma g , f t tto u na icai a com os to da l di vi n o A r eti n o r s u o a c o a s o f , p p e C p r i i r e s ta ti delle don n e E li s i 6 at o a ta corr etti one de i t . g d t lle s mp e di ques te mes e di ap ri le M DXXXI I I I nella i nclyta ci tta di enez a P ar i gi 'V i ]. D alo o di M es s er P i etr o A r eti no nel u ale a a na i g q l N n , i l r imo i or no i ns e na a la P i a s u a li ola a es s er u tta n a p g , g p p , ﬁg p n el s econdo gli con ta i tr adi men ti che fann o gli hu omi ni a le mes ch n e che li cr edano nel terzo la N an n a et la P i a i g p p , o or to o a o a mar s edend n el , as c lt n l Co e et la B ali a che ragi on an o i in e i a de la r u anar i a . u r V n ez ﬁ (T ' ], L a P r i ma 'Se con d a ] p ar te de Ragi onamenti cogn omi n ato i l F la ello de P r enci i i l Veri ti ere e i l Di u i no Di vi s a i n tr e g p , , Gi or nate D opp o lequ a li habbi amo aggi un te i i p i aceu ol r agi on a to del Z o i no com os to da u es to edes i mo autor e er men p p , p q m p o i acer e — ommen to di er A r es to F i car vol o s a ra la s u p . C S g da , p

rima F i cata del P adre Si ceo C on la di cer ia de N as i . p . s as i d l e in Lon d o n 4 w r nte W o . B en odi 158 . o g , 'Thi p by J hn f ] 25 2 PIETRO ARETINO

Women , and the Life of Courtesans , and is wittily and maliciously dedicated by the author to his monkey . The Second Part contains the “ ’ ” “ a a dialogues entitled Pipp s Educ tion , The ” “ ’ a n d Wiles of Men The Bawd s Trade , and

e al is d dicated to Bernardo V dau ra . Two years after the publication of the Second

a Ra i on amen ti e P rt of the g , Aretino issu d , in

1538 Ra i onamento de le Cor ti h e , a g in which attacks the Court of Rome ; a n d in 15 43 he published the Di alogo del P i etr o A r eti n o nel

u ale s i ar la del i oco con mor ali ta i acevole q p g p ,

a 1 which has for its subjects g mes of cards . Neither of these two dialogues has anything to do with the Ragi on amen ti proper — the

Ca ri cci a p , as he sometimes c lls them in his

- letters , The Six Days . They do not form a third part to the Capr i cci as they a ppea r to do ’

Mela r ano s 158 9 . a e in g edition of B nd llo , in

N ovelle 2 a e a a a his , m k s simil r mist ke when he

e a e attributes the Raﬁaella to Ar tino . B nd llo ’ a Ar etin o s a was contemporary of and scholar, ’ yet he seems to have had no sense of Ar etin o s

1 Ra io nto l u a P r ti n o ur a u a g name ne q le . A e ﬁg q ttr o s u oi mi ci che avellan o de le cor de mondo e di uel a d c e o a f ti l q l el i l . N ova Ven ez ia ( ' ], Di alo o n l u a le s i ar la de i oco co a vo g e q p l g , n mor li ta p i ace le . Vin e ia er iovann i ( g p G , 3 B D N ovelle P t . i Ncv . xiv . AN ELLO , , , xx

254 PIETRO ARETINO

Shocks a n d disgusts us we cannot but be a stonished at the robustness of a world which

a a could survive such nim lism and confusion , which could not only indulge its appetites so

had a c unselfconsciously, but which such pp t it es a to indulge . There is something v lid there at an y rate ; an d if it is impossible for us to realise the scenes he gives us a s having a a a ar e ctu lly h ppened , though we obviously

a e w e ar e a the g in rs , losers , too, in th t we

a a a h ve lost something of th t energy, th t zest, which made such an abundance of life delight

e ful ven in its rudest expression .

all a e e For these di logu s , obsc ne as they are , ar e e a e not lascivious , th y h v the vigour of

e e lif a n d are ﬁlled with action . On could not ” a a a s ﬁnd work less cerebr l, the jargon of

- da a e a . to y has it, th n th se di logues Wholly

a a a without atmosphere , n ked and dr m tic in

e e e e ice th ir obj ctivity , th y l ave us cold as , a n d Si e e at nc they expos , and the top of the

V the th e — th e oice , brutal corruption of time

a -u time which saw the bre k p of Europe , the failure of that philosophical system which ha d

an d a built up Europe , the domin tion of the b arbarian— they may even have served a useful if not a moral purpose ; though it is the last thing their tone seems to hint at, at ARETINO f AS WRITER 255

a t least to modern ea rs . I h ve Spoken he ’ tru it is Ar etin o s continual cry as it wa s

’ a e d a Bocc ccio s , and now as in th ir own y

e no one can be found to believ them . It is perhaps unnatura l to love the truth for its

own sake . We think the truth , if it must be

spoken , should be uttered with more serious

a ness , more modesty and with less inordin te

: j oy not in a shout of laughter, but with

a severity and sorrow . It is not perh ps our

hypocrisy, but our nerves which insist upon this W W W as of ci m ge little. t enormous Me t re“

But we are still capab bt if there be a n y S as thing in, the ack of Rome described in the Second Day of the Second Part of the B agi o n amenti which we have not bed a n d over f a late war a m tched in the , we sh ll ﬁnd nothing in the sixte enth century to equa l in horror much that w as done quite coldly a n d as a matter of course in the last few years . 256 PIETRO ARETINO

But what is so a musing in th e Ragi on amen ti is the stra nge quality they se em to have ; a

e a a n d a e sort of devilish gl e , malignity m lic of observa tion which ﬁnd expression in a n

a a a exuberance of s rcastic p rticul rs , of pic tu r es u e a n d q expressions , of comic detail ,

a . a comp risons They are , too , ﬁlled with wonderful variety of people and of chara c

t er istic a . scenes , both dr wn swiftly from life

Decamer on an ec Like the , they are full of

an d dotes , witty sayings , noisy mirth enor

a a mous l ughs , so th t if their whole subject were not be come impossible to us they might

as i a e a e as P i ckwi ck be un vers lly appr ci t d ,

at a n e a or, y rate , as the books of Rab l is , for a s a product of huma n energy they ar e surely not less a stonishing or less true or less full of

e a lif or less in artistic chievement . In regard to the life -work of their author

ea they have their own place . In the gr t

e a he e e r view or journ l which ran , which n v r a a e as e n ever th e ppe r d such , but which exist d

if a r e a e less , the Letters the rticl s , the religious

e a Ra i on a works the articl s for Sund y, the g

a r e eui lletons a n d a s men ti the f , , must often

a ea a a th e be the c se , by no m ns the le st re d or

t e e least popula r part of h pap r .

e a a e Consid r the following p ss g , for instance ,

258 PIETRO ARETINO thee had I met him here the least morsel he would have left here would have been

his ear . ’ Now don t fancy because we Spoke like

a that , th t he would have kicked the back ‘ r i 1 s ide o f ( ast ucc o . On the contrary the threat being overheard by the hidden

painter and the courtier , who knew nothing

a of e ch other being there , both rushed out of their hiding -places to make this boastful last comer eat his words : who on behold

ing them tried to retreat , but on setting his foot backwards on the ﬁrst step of the stairs

tumbled down to the bottom, while they being blinded by their fury and unable to

see clear, fell over him . Then ensued a

triangular duel of a dreadful character,

bungled together as they were , between those three men who mortally hated one

another, so that a crowd of people ran up at the noise ; but they could not get in to

separate them , for they kept the door so well shut with their shoulders that it was

O . impossible to pen it The yells increased, the crowd also ; as chance would have it

1 Cas t ccio Cas aca S o e o f L cca a eat and r e ru tr ni , ign r u , gr d ou ta le ca tain o f the o u r teen t ce tu the er o o f b b p f h n ry, h ’ Mac iavell s essa ea his ame h i y b ring n . ARETINO AS WRITER 259

the Gover nour happened to pa ss that way .

had He got the door broken in , my three bullies seized all bruised and bloody a s they

a nd a were , ordered them to be cl pped into

the same prison . And they would never have come out of it if they had not made

e . peace among thems lves , which they did

n a ffa . A toni a . Certainly that was a ﬁne ir ll N anna . So ﬁne that I used to relate it to a

wa s a e the strangers , and I ne r g tting a

ew a a a . poem written on it by the J , Gi n M ri ’ However, I didn t , for fear of being thought

a vainglorious person .

A n oni . t a . May the Lord reward thee

N anna . Indeed, yes But if this story made

everyone laugh , the one I will now tell

a thee mazed them all . In the height of that favour to which my friends had borne me (thanks to my

being a dainty morsel) , I contrived to get

myself walled up in the Campo Santo . ’ ’

A ntoni a . Why not in St . Peter s or St . John s

N anna . Because I wished to excite more pity by burying myself in the midst of all those ’ dead men s bones . A n o t ni a . A queer idea '

N ann a . Once the news was Spread I began to

a le d a holy life . 260 PIETRO ARETINO

t A n on i a . e e e t B for you go on , ll me why this

e e folly of walling thys elf up had ta k n th e .

et e e e N ami d . To g mys lf d liv red by my friends

t e a n d a th ir expense .

A . s ee n ton i a . Ah , I

a e wa e . N ann a . I ch ng d my y of lif First I

e e th e a e r mov d h ngings from my room , th n

th e e th e a e . a a e bed, th n t bl s I put on co rs

e e e a gr y wooll n dr ss I got rid of my ch ins , h ea d - dresses a n d other useless ornaments I bega n to fa st every day (I used to eat in secret) ; I did not altogether stop

a a t lking, but s id next to nothing to my

a n d e ee a e e lovers , by slow d gr s I m d th m

m e e e m a d m e . go without , till th y wer for When I w a s sure that the news of my going to b e walle d up was sufﬁciently Sprea d

a a a e e w as a bro d, I took wh t v r worth t king

all a a e a e in the house , put it in pl c of s f ty, a n d distributed a few worthless tr iﬂ es ’ t e t e among h needy for h Lord s sake .

e the e a e a e e Wh n tim rriv d , I c ll d togeth r those who thought of themselves a s my widowers (it would have been much better for them if I ha d b een really lost to

a e them) , I m de th m sit down , and after a little Silence in which I wa s resolving within myself a few sentences which

262 PIETRO ARETINO

a for drink the w ter from heaven, for '” my golden robe , this I pulled from under me a hair -cloth of the coarsest

kind upon which I was sitting, and i showed it to them . If thou st ll remem berest the lamentations which the devout make when one shows them the Cross in

the Coliseum , thou seest and hearest even

here the lamentations of my adorers , who ,

smothered with grief, spoke but by their

a tears . When I dded Forgive me , my brothers it was an uproar such as would be raised in Rome were it to be sacked a f ' second time , which God orbid One of

a a them knelt at my feet, and , un ble to obt in

an d anything with his preambles , got up went to give about twenty raps to his head

against the wall .

A o n t ni a . What a shame

N ami a . e W ll, the morning on which I was to be placed between four walls arrived thou wouldst have sworn that all Rome

was in the chapel of the Campo Santo, and if you thought of all the crowds that ever came to see Jews baptiz ed you would not

be near a quarter of this . You may be

sure , too , that those who are about to be n x m a hanged e t orning, nd those who are ARETINO AS WRITER 263

f s going to ﬁght , suf er not more di tress than

my lovers felt . But why beat about the bush I was immured a midst the tumult

of the whole congregation . One would

say The Lord has touched her heart . Another : She is setting her sisters a ” good example . Others Who would have ever thought it There were some who would not believe even their very

s s tu eﬁed eyes ; other stood p , while several

a She l ughed and said Oh , if stands it a

e month let me be cruciﬁed . How I piti d ,

e but how I laughed to see , my poor dol ful

e lovers in the chapel , lbowing one another to watch who would speak to me . Nor did the Pharisees guard the Sepulchre as

as a well they gu rded me . At length I

th e en d an begun, at of a few days , to lend ear to the entreaties they were continually making me to persuade me to come out . ’ ” ca n One save one s soul anywhere , they repeated . To tell thee all in two words .

e an d Th y hired furnished all new for me, so that having left the cell (the walls of which they pulled down a s the Jubilee Gate is pulled down as soon as the Pope has knocked away the ﬁrst brick) , I z - e became more bra en faced than ver . 264 PIETRO ARETINO

S an d Everyone in Rome plit his sides at it, those that ha d foreseen the 1s su e would s a y to one another in a loud voice What did I tell you A ’ nton i a . I don t really know how it is possible for a woman to imagine all that thou didst

a im gine .

Hann a . e ar e Whor s not women, they are

whores .

a z Of such is this ma ing work . It is perhaps astonishing that the inﬂuence of Aretino upon Italian literature has been

e a e much l ss th n , seeing his en rgy and

a a vit lity , we might h ve expected : and

at a e this is unfortun e , for wh t ver we may

e - h e had think of his subj ct matter, the root

all e a of good lit r ture in him , in his free

a a e e dom from ped ntry n d his clos ness to lif .

f was a e His in luence in France much gre t r,

R ab elal s an d e a and both Moli re , to n me only

to the greatest, would seem owe him much . In England his work seems to have b een alto

e f e . a at g ther inef ectiv Perh ps that time , and

ee at an e a ind d y tim , we needed it less th n

a a a n y other people . The only tr nsl tion into The Cr a t Whore English of any of his works is f y ,

e 1658 ar publish d in London in , which is p tly

266 PIETRO ARETINO signiﬁcance of this robust and spontaneous writer has been understood . We ﬁnd in him

a among much else, not cert inly the ﬁrst obscene

the writer in literature, but ﬁrst journalist, the

ﬁrst writer to see and to use to the utmost the,

a n d ma Press, the power of publicity ; we y think of him as the ﬁrst of those Napoleons of the Press who so largely inspire and control

- public Opinion in the world to day . As such he has for us an unique interest , for it is well to

a stately and haughty s tyle ; ther e is no s uch tr ial o f a allant Dis c ur s e an d n o r i t r a g o gh O to r . ’ P . 13 e i i i i o f n ent o n and 7. Ar t ne s nﬁn te m n er al I v i

Am l ﬁcat o n : I n t anto et d ulci an m o o m nia d u lc ia . p i i , i ,

P . 14 M a l Ar in ne as ns and er e 7. chiave and et e k w f hio w ac a nted e in o e or ld q u i with y cunn g f y w . M a and n e n h ow to la t e ch . Ar etine wer e ot t o l ar p y h ir

ar ts but er e r ettil eaten t o e d o n s of e or ld . p , w p y b y i g y w ac and Ar tin e l s s ns ear t and er e n o t M h . e e kn w ye e o by h w

to s eek how t o u se e c ed or ld e ﬂ es and e Devil . y wi k w , y h , y They had learned cunni ng enough and had s een fas hi ons e o : and c ould and ould u s e o t t advanta e n ugh w b h , wi h g

e ou . Tw o ur es an oliti s n gh c o t p c . Sc holars and co m m o n youths even am ongs t ye lu s ties t and r avest c r t er are et t o learn e less on in e or ld b ou i s y y y w . ’ P . 156 A et na s lor t o e im sel t o s ea and . r i g y b h f p k wr ite like him s elf t o im it ate none but him s elf and ever to m aintain his o wn s ingularity yet ever with c omm end ation and com as s i n o f e s p o oth r . 'He s peaks of him as am ong the m os t ins pir ing author s with Luther : Machiavelli in p olitics and Agr ipp a in m athe i mat cs . ) ” ” P . 162 D v e A et e wor thie A o s to ex . i in r in , ri , ” cellent as s o s eet P et a ch o am o s e oic T , w r r f ur f u h r ” oets as valor ou sl r ave as d el catel ﬁne p y b i y .

P . 165 He o es at to co s the e ectat o is . n t th u in xp i n ( ) A RETINO AS WRITER 267

study any disease , anything that has become so

a . d ngerous , in its genesis

A great journalist of genius , then, is that e what Pietro Aretino com s to He was this ,

but he was more than this , as I have tried to i show . He seems , as I have said, w th Ariosto and Machiavelli to sum up the Italy of his time in a way that no other journalist has ever come to do for any other country at any other time .

o ne notable point in a Comedy : and on e of the s ingularities o Unic o A eti o in his cour t tal a comed es f r n ing I i n i . P 168 On o ld find s om e s u er at al ca s e . . I w u p n ur u ” e e m en m t alk the su e lat ve d e ee wh r by y p igh w in p r i gr . I n ho c genere Lucian us excellebat : et p os t eum pler ique Itali : m axim e P o e tae Ar etinu s v olu it albis e qu is pr aecurr ere e t es se on s suo u odam h erbolico e e e Un i in q yp g n r . P 196 Un on s Ar etinus er at s cr i tor is h er ole et . . i p yp b , act or is a ado um llins afl ectatis sim a fo eli citas u t p r x . I f i , o m nia s cr i titare h er b olice sin ula actitare ex o n ato p yp , g in pi . u i v elit U c m v ce e eum o or tet es se mir aculum Q ni u in r , p ” elo u en tiae o r aculum rudentiae Solem n d st as q , p , I u ri . P 199 N otes t at An elus F ur iu s was the m o st . . h g ( ) elo quent Discur s er and m ost active Causer not in thi s o ne t o n or t at o ne c t b ut all tal ea all Ch sten w in h i y in I y, y in ri d om ea eve e ole ve sal o ld S a sum , y n in y wh uni r w r . upr ip ” Un icu m . L odge d es cribes Thom as Nas h ( 1567—1601) as the True ” E n lis Ar etine and as he w as a ello that car ed the g h , f w ri d eadl sto c a e his en os e m u se w as arm ed th y k 'r pi r] in p , wh wi ’ a gag t ooth 'tusk] and his p en p os ses sed with Her cules furies he w as e a s n ot a tl s o am ed B ut i n ealit he , p rh p , in p y n . r y o es little to A r etin o o se fl uence is ou d c efl in his w , wh in f n hi y ec centr icities and i n his free u se of the vernacular for his c om ic “ effe cts ; and his u s e of b ois ter ou s wor d s coined fr om the r ee L atin talian or S an s o nt als o t o Ar etino N as G k , , I p i h p i . h , t o o w as a o u r n alis t or ou t of due t m e bu t not o f the , j b n i , c ali e o f P et o A et o br i r r in . 268 PIETRO ARETINO

a He is the utter end of the Ren issance , and in a its sense negation . He prophesies . He seems to dismiss the whole pa st of his country and of

z civili ation with contempt, he cares nothing for long tradition or gentle convention , but

a engulphs them all in a brutal , m licious and enormous laugh which only the universal

can all elements of life endure , in which the S ﬂowers of the pirit shrivel and perish . Is it the modern world he thus ushers in with all its

a more brutal realities , its contempt for be uty, its insistance upon mere life e see to thrust a ewspaper into our hands and there m n with to banish for ever all that was most “ ” m u n -m0 ,

e bﬁshmenm d succes s a , t , W i l s -a the ﬁrst glimpse of m a m 0 5 M m m m “ W

PLEASE DO NOT R EMOVE

C AR DS O R SLIPS FR O M THIS POC ' ET

UNIVER SIT' O F TO R O NTO LIB RAR'