The Book of the Courtier by Count Baldesar Castiglione

CQJINELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Cornell University Library BJ1604 .C35 1901 3 1924 029 052 962 Overs^ olin Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029052962 THE BOOK OF THE COURTIER BY COUNT BALDESAR CASTIGLIONE (1528) TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN AND ANNOTATED BY LEONARD ECKSTEIN OPDYCKE WITH SEVENTY-ONE PORTRAITS AND FIFTEEN AUTOGRAPHS REPRODUCED BY EDWARD BIERSTADT NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS igoi I uajooufmg' l<f ' [\,\S^^'\\ Copyright, 1901, by Leonakd Eckstein Opdyoke THE BOOK OF THE COURTIER BY COUNT BALDESAR CASTIGLIONE BALDESAR CASTIGLIONE COUNT OF NOVILLARA 1478 -1529 Reduced from Braun's photogra'ph (no. 11.505) of the portrait in the Louvre, painted in 151G by Raphael (1483-1530). The original belonged to Charles I of England, after whose death it was bought by a Dutch collector and copied by Rubens. Later it became the property of Cardinal Mazarin, from whose heirs it was acquired for Louis XIV of France The medallion on the title-page is from a photograph, specially made by Mansell, of a cast, kindly furnished by T. Whitcombe Greene, Esq., of an anonymous medal in his collec- tion at Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. See the late Alfred Armand's Xetf MidaUleurs Italiens, ii, xoo, no. xo. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE The popularity long enjoyed by this old book, the place that it holds in Italian literature, and the fact that it is almost inaccessible to English readers, seem to furnish sufficient reason for a new translation. The art of the Italian Renaissance delights us by its delicate and gentle beauty, and yet we know that life during this period was often gross and violent. To understand this, we must remember that art is more the expres- sion of the ideal than of the actual, and that men's ideals are loftier than their practice. Castiglione gives utterance to the finest aspirations of his time. His pages will lack interest only when mankind ceases to be interesting to man, and will reward study so long as the past shall continue to instruct the present and the future. The few deviations that the present translator has ventured to make from the letter of the Italian text are merely verbal, and were deemed needful to render its meaning clear. The notes that he offers are intended to explain obscure passages and to relieve the reader from the tedium of searching in books of reference. Perhaps no one will regard it as inopportune to be reminded of what all may have known but few are able to remember with precision. Students who may wish to learn from what Greek and Latin sources Castiglione derived material are referred to Professor Vittorio Cian's admirable edition. The translator desires to express his thanks for the friendly encouragement that he has received from Miss Grace Norton, at whose suggestion his task was undertaken. He is indebted to Dr. Luigi Roversi and Signor Leopoldc Jung for their patient aid, and to Signor Alessandro Luzio and many other scholars, in Italy and elsewhere, for the kindness with which they have helped him to gather portraits and bibliographical data. He gratefully ackno\vledges, also, his frequent use of Professor Cian's erudite labours, of John Addington Symonds's Renaissance in Italy, and ofJames Dennistoun's Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino. The Book of the Courtier was written, partly at Urbino and partly at Rome, between the years 1508 and 1516, and was first printed at the Aldine Press, Venice, in the month of April, 1528. There have since been published more than one hundred and forty editions, a list of which \vill be found at page 417 of this volume. The first Spanish version, by JUAN BOSCAN Almogaver, was issued at Barcelona in 1534; the first French version, by Jacques Colin, was issued at Paris in 1537 ; the first English version, by THOMAS Hoby, was issued at London in 1561 ; the first Latin version, by HIERONYMUS TuRLER, was issued at Wittenberg in 1561 ; the first German version, by LORENZ Kratzer, was issued at Munich in 1566. The present edition consists of five hundred numbered copies, of which this is No.^<^ ^ :;: CONTENTS (The Arabic numerals given belo^v refer to the numbered paragraphs into which it has long been customary to divide the work) Page LIST OF PLATES xi INTERLOCUTORS xiv THE AUTHOR'S DEDICATORY LETTER i Reasons for writing the book, and for at iirst delaying and afterwards hastening its publication. Lament at the recent death of several persons mentioned in the book. Answer to three objections: that the book was not written in the language of Boc- caccio ; that, as it is impossible to find a perfect Courtier, it was superfluous to describe one ; and that the author presumed to paint his own portrait. THE FIRST BOOK OF THE COURTIER 7 I : The book written at the instance of Alfonso Ariosto and in dialogue form, in order to record certain discussions held at the court of Urbino. 2-3 : Description and praise of Urbino and its lords; Duke Federico and his son Guidobaldo. 4-5: The Urbino court and the persons taking part in the discussions. 6 : Circumstances that led to the discussions ; visit of Pope Julius II. 7-11 : Various games proposed. 12 : Game finally chosen : to describe a perfect Courtier. 13-6 : Canossa begins the discussion by enumerating some of the conditions essential to the Courtier,—especially gentle b irth. 17-8 : Arms the true profession of the Courtier, who must, how- ever, avoid arrogance and boasting, ig-22 : Physical qualities and martial exercises. ' 23 : Short bantering digression. 24-6 : Grace. 27-8 : Affectation. 29-39 Literary and conversational style. 40 : Women's affectations. 41 : Moral qualities. 42-6 Literary accomplishments ; arms vs. letters. 47-8 : Music. 49 : Painting. 50-3 : Painting vs. sculpture. 54-6 : Arrival of the youthful Francesco Maria della Rovere the evening's entertainment ends with dancing. THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER 75 1-4 : Reasons why the aged are wont to laud the past and to decry the present ; de- fence of the present against such aspersions ; praise of the court of Urbino. 5-6 Federico Fregoso begins the discussion on the way and time of employing the qualities and accomplishments described by Canossa : utility of such discussion. 7-8 General rules : to avoid affectation, to speak and act discreetly and opportunely, to aim at honour and praise in martial exercises, war, and public contests, g-io : Other physical exercises. 11 : Dancing and masquerading. 12-3 : Music of various kinds, when to be practised. 14 : Aged Courtiers not to engage publicly in music and da'n- cing. 15-6 : Duty of aged and youthful Courtiers to moderate the faults peculiar to their years. 17-25 : Conversation, especially with superiors; how to win favours worthily. 26-8 : Dress and ornament ; lamentable lack of fashions peculiarly Italian, 29-30 Choice and treatment of friends. 31 : Games of cards and chess. 32-5 : Influence of preconceived opinions and first impressions ; advantage of being preceded by good reputation. 36 : Danger of going beyond bounds in the effort to be amusing. 37 French and Spanish manners. 38 : Tact, modesty, kindness, readiness ; taking advantage of opportunities ; confession of ignorance. 39-41 : Self-depreciation, deceit, moderation. 42-83 : Pleasantries and witticisms expounded by Bibbiena. 84-97 ' Practical jokes; to be used discreetly, particularly where women are concerned; use of trickery and artifice in love ; dignity and nobility of women. 98-100: Giuliano de' Medici chosen to describe the perfect Court Lady. ix :: CONTENTS Page THE THIRD BOOK OF THE COURTIER 171 I : Excellence of the court of Urbino to be estimated in much the same way in which to the Pythagoras calculated the stature of Hercules. 2-3 : Bantering preliminaries to the Court discussion on the Court Lady. 4 : Qualities common to the Courtier and Lady. 5-6 : The Court Lady to be affable, modest and decorous ; to follow a middle her course between prudishness and over-freedom ; to avoid scandal-mongering; conversation to have variety. 7-9: Physical and mental exercises of the Court Lady; her dress. 10-8: Women's importance; certain aspersions refuted, ig-20: Examples of saintly women contrasted with hypocritical friars. 21-7 : Examples of women famous for virtue, manly courage, constancy in love, pudicity. 28-33 '• Exam- ples of women who in ancient times did good service to the world in letters, in the sciences, in public life, in war. 34-6 : More recent examples of women noted for their virtue. 37-49 : Chastity and continence. 50 : Dangers to which womanly virtue is exposed. 51-2 : Further praise of women. 53-5 : The Court Lady's demeanour in love talk. 56-9 : Her conduct in love. 60-73 ' The way to win and keep a woman's love ; its effects and signs ; secrecy in love. 74-5 ; Pallavicino's aspersions against women. 76-7 : Ottaviano Pregoso is deputed to expound the other qualities that add to the Courtier's perfections. THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE COURTIER 243 1-2 : Eulogy of several other interlocutors whose death had recently occurred. 3-6 Ottaviano Fregoso resumes the interrupted discussion, considers the Courtier's rela- tions with his prince, and urges the duty of employing his qualities and accomplishments so that his prince may be led to seek good and shun evil.

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