noble: but (not to repeat what we have said already or the many other
arguments that could be adduced in praise of noble birth, which is
honoured always and by everyone, it being reasonable that good should
beget good), since we have to form a Courtier without flaw and endowed
with every praiseworthy quality, it seems to me necessary to make him
nobly born, as well for many other reasons as for universal opinion,
which is at once disposed in favour of noble birth. For if there be two
Courtiers who have as yet given no impression of themselves by good or
evil acts, as soon as the one is known to have been born a gentleman and
the other not, he who is low-born will be far less esteemed by everyone
than he who is high-born, and will need much effort and time to make
upon men’s minds that good impression which the other will have achieved
in a moment and merely by being a gentleman. And how important these
impressions are, everyone can easily understand: for in our own case we
have seen men present themselves in this house, who, being silly and
awkward in the extreme, yet had throughout Italy the reputation of very
great Courtiers; and although they were detected and recognized at last,
still they imposed upon us for many days, and maintained in our minds
that opinion of them which they first found impressed there, although
they conducted themselves after the slightness of their worth. We have
seen others, held at first in small esteem, then admirably successful at
the last.
“And of these mistakes there are various causes: and among others, the
regard of princes, who in their wish to perform miracles sometimes
undertake to bestow favour on a man who seems to them to merit
disfavour. And often too they are themselves deceived; but since they
always have a host of imitators, their favour begets very great fame,
which chiefly guides our judgments: and if we find anything that seems
contrary to common opinion, we suspect that it is we ourselves who are
wrong, and always seek for something hidden: because it seems that these
universal opinions must after all be founded on fact and spring from
rational causes; and because our minds are very prone to love and hate,
as is seen in battle-shows and games and every other sort of contest,
wherein the spectators without apparent cause become partisans of one
side, with eager wish that it may win and the other lose. In our opinion
of men’s character also, good or evil fame sways our minds to one of
these two passions from the start; and thus it happens that we usually
judge with love or hate. You see then how important this first
impression is, and how he ought to strive to make a good one at the
outset, who thinks to hold the rank and name of good Courtier.
17.—“But to come to some details, I am of opinion that the principal and
true profession of the Courtier ought to be that of arms; which I would
have him follow actively above all else, and be known among others as
bold and strong, and loyal to whomsoever he serves. And he will win a
reputation for these good qualities by exercising them at all times and
in all places, since one may never fail in this without severest
censure. And just as among women, their fair fame once sullied never
recovers its first lustre, so the reputation of a gentleman who bears
arms, if once it be in the least tarnished with cowardice or other
disgrace, remains forever infamous before the world and full of
ignominy. Therefore the more our Courtier excels in this art, the more
he will be worthy of praise; and yet I do not deem essential in him that
perfect knowledge of things and those other qualities that befit a
commander; since this would be too wide a sea, let us be content, as we
have said, with perfect loyalty and unconquered courage, and that he be
always seen to possess them. For the courageous are often recognized
even more in small things than in great; and frequently in perils of
importance and where there are many spectators, some men are to be
found, who, although their hearts be dead within them, yet, moved by
shame or by the presence of others, press forward almost with their eyes
shut, and do their duty God knows how. While on occasions of little
moment, when they think they can avoid putting themselves in danger
without being detected, they are glad to keep safe. But those who, even
when they do not expect to be observed or seen or recognized by anyone,
show their ardour and neglect nothing, however paltry, that may be laid
to their charge,—they have that strength of mind which we seek in our
Courtier.
“Not that we would have him look so fierce, or go about blustering, or
say that he has taken his cuirass to wife, or threaten with those grim
scowls that we have often seen in Berto;[65] because to such men as
this, one might justly say that which a brave lady jestingly said in
gentle company to one whom I will not name at present;[66] who, being
invited by her out of compliment to dance, refused not only that, but to
listen to the music, and many other entertainments proposed to
him,—saying always that such silly trifles were not his business; so
that at last the lady said, ‘What is your business, then?’ He replied
with a sour look, ‘To fight.’ Then the lady at once said, ‘Now that you
are in no war and out of fighting trim, I should think it were a good
thing to have yourself well oiled, and to stow yourself with all your
battle harness in a closet until you be needed, lest you grow more rusty
than you are;’ and so, amid much laughter from the bystanders, she left
the discomfited fellow to his silly presumption.
“Therefore let the man we are seeking, be very bold, stern, and always
among the first, where the enemy are to be seen; and in every other
place, gentle, modest, reserved, above all things avoiding ostentation
and that impudent self-praise by which men ever excite hatred and
disgust in all who hear them.”
18.—Then my lord Gaspar replied:
“As for me, I have known few men excellent in anything whatever, who do
not praise themselves; and it seems to me that this may well be
permitted them; for when anyone who feels himself to be of worth, sees
that he is not known to the ignorant by his works, he is offended that
his worth should lie buried, and needs must in some way hold it up to
view, in order that he may not be cheated of the fame that is the true
reward of worthy effort. Thus among the ancient authors, whoever carries
weight seldom fails to praise himself. They indeed are insufferable who
do this without desert, but such we do not presume our Courtier to be.”
The Count then said:
“If you heard what I said, it was impudent and indiscriminate
self-praise that I censured: and as you say, we surely ought not to form
a bad opinion of a brave man who praises himself modestly, nay we ought
rather to regard such praise as better evidence than if it came from the
mouth of others. I say, however, that he, who in praising himself runs
into no errour and incurs no annoyance or envy at the hands of those
that hear him, is a very discreet man indeed and merits praise from
others in addition to that which he bestows upon himself; because it is
a very difficult matter.”
Then my lord Gaspar said:
“You must teach us that.”
The Count replied:
“Among the ancient authors there is no lack of those who have taught it;
but to my thinking, the whole art consists in saying things in such a
way that they shall not seem to be said to that end, but let fall so
naturally that it was impossible not to say them, and while seeming
always to avoid self-praise, yet to achieve it; but not after the manner
of those boasters, who open their mouths and let the words come forth
haphazard. Like one of our friends a few days ago, who, being quite run
through the thigh with a spear at Pisa, said he thought it was a fly
that had stung him; and another man said he kept no mirrour in his room
because, when angry, he became so terrible to look at, that the sight of
himself would have frightened him too much.”
Everyone laughed at this, but messer Cesare Gonzaga added:
“Why do you laugh? Do you not know that Alexander the Great, on hearing
the opinion of a philosopher[67] to be that there was an infinite number
of worlds, began to weep, and being asked why he wept, replied, ‘Because
I have not yet conquered one of them;’ as if he would fain have
vanquished all? Does not this seem to you a greater boast than that
about the fly-sting?”
Then the Count said:
“Yes, and Alexander was a greater man than he who made the other speech.
But extraordinary men are surely to be pardoned when they assume much;
for he who has great things to do must needs have daring to do them, and
confidence in himself, and must not be abject or mean in spirit, yet
very modest in speech, showing less confidence in himself than he has,
lest his self-confidence lead to rashness.”
19.—The Count now paused a little, and messer Bernardo Bibbiena said,
laughing:
“I remember what you said earlier, that this Courtier of ours must be
endowed by nature with beauty of countenance and person, and with a
grace that shall make him so agreeable. Grace and beauty of countenance
I think I certainly possess, and this is the reason why so many ladies
are ardently in love with me, as you know; but I am rather doubtful as
to the beauty of my person, especially as regards these legs of mine,
which seem to me decidedly less well proportioned than I should wish: as
to my bust and other members however, I am quite content. Pray, now,
describe a little more in particular the sort of body that the Courtier
is to have, so that I may dismiss this doubt and set my mind at rest.”
After some laughter at this, the Count continued:
“Of a certainty that grace of countenance can be truly said to be yours,
nor need I cite further example than this to show what manner of thing
it is, for we unquestionably perceive your aspect to be most agreeable
and pleasing to everyone, albeit the lineaments of it are not very
delicate. Still it is of a manly cast and at the same time full of
grace; and this characteristic is to be found in many different types of
countenance. And of such sort I would have our Courtier’s aspect; not so
soft and effeminate as is sought by many, who not only curl their hair
and pluck their brows, but gloss their faces with all those arts
employed by the most wanton and unchaste women in the world; and in
their walk, posture and every act, they seem so limp and languid that
their limbs are like to fall apart; and they pronounce their words so
mournfully that they appear about to expire upon the spot: and the more
they find themselves with men of rank, the more they affect such tricks.
Since nature has not made them women, as they seem to wish to appear and
be, they should be treated not as good women but as public harlots, and
driven not merely from the courts of great lords but from the society of
honest men.
20.—“Then coming to the bodily frame, I say it is enough if this be
neither extremely short nor tall, for both of these conditions excite a
certain contemptuous surprise, and men of either sort are gazed upon in
much the same way that we gaze on monsters. Yet if we must offend in one
of the two extremes, it is preferable to fall a little short of the just
measure of height than to exceed it, for besides often being dull of
intellect, men thus huge of body are also unfit for every exercise of
agility, which thing I should much wish in the Courtier. And so I would
have him well built and shapely of limb, and would have him show
strength and lightness and suppleness, and know all bodily exercises
that befit a man of war: whereof I think the first should be to handle
every sort of weapon well on foot and on horse, to understand the
advantages of each, and especially to be familiar with those weapons
that are ordinarily used among gentlemen; for besides the use of them in
war, where such subtlety in contrivance is perhaps not needful, there
frequently arise differences between one gentleman and another, which
afterwards result in duels often fought with such weapons as happen at
the moment to be within reach: thus knowledge of this kind is a very
safe thing. Nor am I one of those who say that skill is forgotten in the
hour of need; for he whose skill forsakes him at such a time, indeed
gives token that he has already lost heart and head through fear.
21.—“Moreover I deem it very important to know how to wrestle, for it is
a great help in the use of all kinds of weapons on foot. Then, both for
his own sake and for that of his friends, he must understand the
quarrels and differences that may arise, and must be quick to seize an
advantage, always showing courage and prudence in all things.[68] Nor
should he be too ready to fight except when honour demands it; for
besides the great danger that the uncertainty of fate entails, he who
rushes into such affairs recklessly and without urgent cause, merits the
severest censure even though he be successful. But when he finds himself
so far engaged that he cannot withdraw without reproach, he ought to be
most deliberate, both in the preliminaries to the duel and in the duel
itself, and always show readiness and daring. Nor must he act like some,
who fritter the affair away in disputes and controversies, and who,
having the choice of weapons, select those that neither cut nor pierce,
and arm themselves as if they were expecting a cannonade; and thinking
it enough not to be defeated, stand ever on the defensive and
retreat,—showing therein their utter cowardice. And thus they make
themselves a laughing-stock for boys, like those two men of Ancona who
fought at Perugia not long since, and made everyone laugh who saw them.”
“And who were they?” asked my lord Gaspar Pallavicino.
“Two cousins,” replied messer Cesare.
Then the Count said:
“In their fighting they were as like as two brothers;” and soon
continued: “Even in time of peace weapons are often used in various
exercises, and gentlemen appear in public shows before the people and
ladies and great lords. For this reason I would have our Courtier a
perfect horseman in every kind of seat; and besides understanding horses
and what pertains to riding, I would have him use all possible care and
diligence to lift himself a little beyond the rest in everything, so
that he may be ever recognized as eminent above all others. And as we
read of Alcibiades that he surpassed all the nations with whom he lived,
each in their particular province, so I would have this Courtier of ours
excel all others, and each in that which is most their profession. And
as it is the especial pride of the Italians to ride well with the rein,
to govern wild horses with consummate skill, and to play at tilting and
jousting,—in these things let him be among the best of the Italians. In
tourneys and in the arts of defence and attack, let him shine among the
best in France.[69] In stick-throwing, bull-fighting, and in casting
spears and darts, let him excel among the Spaniards. But above
everything he should temper all his movements with a certain good
judgment and grace, if he wishes to merit that universal favour which is
so greatly prized.
22.—“There are also many other exercises, which although not immediately
dependent upon arms, yet are closely connected therewith, and greatly
foster manly sturdiness; and one of the chief among these seems to me to
be the chase, because it bears a certain likeness to war: and truly it
is an amusement for great lords and befitting a man at court, and
furthermore it is seen to have been much cultivated among the ancients.
It is fitting also to know how to swim, to leap, to run, to throw
stones, for besides the use that may be made of this in war, a man often
has occasion to show what he can do in such matters; whence good esteem
is to be won, especially with the multitude, who must be taken into
account withal. Another admirable exercise, and one very befitting a man
at court, is the game of tennis, in which are well shown the disposition
of the body, the quickness and suppleness of every member, and all those
qualities that are seen in nearly every other exercise. Nor less highly
do I esteem vaulting on horse, which although it be fatiguing and
difficult, makes a man very light and dexterous more than any other
thing; and besides its utility, if this lightness is accompanied by
grace, it is to my thinking a finer show than any of the others.[70]
“Our Courtier having once become more than fairly expert in these
exercises, I think he should leave the others on one side: such as
turning summersaults, rope-walking, and the like, which savour of the
mountebank and little befit a gentleman.
“But since one cannot devote himself to such fatiguing exercises
continually, and since repetition becomes very tiresome and abates the
admiration felt for what is rare, we must always diversify our life with
various occupations. For this reason I would have our Courtier sometimes
descend to quieter and more tranquil exercises, and in order to escape
envy and to entertain himself agreeably with everyone, let him do
whatever others do, yet never departing from praiseworthy deeds, and
governing himself with that good judgment which will keep him from all
folly; but let him laugh, jest, banter, frolic and dance, yet in such
fashion that he shall always appear genial and discreet, and that
everything he may do or say shall be stamped with grace.”
23.—Then messer Cesare Gonzaga said:
“We certainly ought on no account to hinder the course of this
discussion; but if I were to keep silence, I should be neglectful both
of the right I have to speak and of my desire to know one thing: and let
me be pardoned if I ask a question instead of contradicting; for this I
think may be permitted me, after the precedent of messer Bernardo here,
who in his over desire to be held comely, broke the rules of our game by
asking a question instead of contradicting.”
Then my lady Duchess said:
“You see how one errour begets many. Therefore he who transgresses and
sets a bad example, like messer Bernardo, deserves to be punished not
only for his own transgression but also for the others’.”
Then messer Cesare replied:
“In that case, my Lady, I shall be exempt from penalty, since messer
Bernardo is to be punished for his own fault as well as mine.”
“Nay,” said my lady Duchess, “you both ought to have double punishment:
he for his own transgression and for leading you to transgress; you for
your own transgression and for imitating him.”
“My Lady,” replied messer Cesare, “as yet I have not transgressed; so,
to leave all this punishment to messer Bernardo alone, I will keep
silence.”
And indeed he remained silent; when my lady Emilia laughed and said:
“Say whatever you like, for under leave of my lady Duchess I pardon him
that has transgressed and him that shall transgress, in so small a
degree.”
“I consent,” continued my lady Duchess. “But take care lest perchance
you fall into the mistake of thinking to gain more by being merciful
than by being just; for to pardon him too easily that has transgressed
is to wrong him that transgresses not. Yet I would not have my severity
reproach your indulgence, and thus be the cause of our not hearing this
question of messer Cesare.”
And so, being given the signal by my lady Duchess and by my lady Emilia,
he at once said:
24.—“If I remember rightly, Sir Count, I think you have repeated several
times this evening that the Courtier must accompany his actions,
gestures, habits, in short his every movement, with grace; and this you
seem to regard as an universal seasoning, without which all other
properties and good qualities are of little worth. And indeed I think
that in this everyone would allow himself to be persuaded easily, since
from the very force of the word, it may be said that he who has grace
finds grace.[71] But since you said that this is oftentimes the gift of
nature and of heaven and, even when not thus perfect, can with care and
pains be made much greater,—those men who are born so fortunate and so
rich in this treasure as are some we see, seem to me in this to have
little need of other master; because that benign favour of heaven almost
in despite of themselves leads them higher than they will, and makes
them not only pleasing but admirable to all the world. Therefore I do
not discuss this, it not being in our power to acquire it of ourselves.
But they who have received from nature only so much, that they are
capable of becoming graceful by pains, industry and care,—I long to know
by what art, by what training, by what method, they can acquire this
grace, as well in bodily exercises (in which you esteem it to be so
necessary) as also in everything else that they may do or say.
Therefore, since by much praise of this quality you have aroused in all
of us, I think, an ardent thirst to pursue it, you are further bound, by
the charge that my lady Emilia laid upon you, to satisfy that thirst by
teaching us how to attain it.”
25.—“I am not bound,” said the Count, “to teach you how to become
graceful, or anything else; but only to show you what manner of man a
perfect Courtier ought to be. Nor would I in any case undertake the task
of teaching you this perfection; especially having said a little while
ago that the Courtier must know how to wrestle, vault, and do many other
things, which I am sure you all know quite as well as if I, who have
never learned them, were to teach you. For just as a good soldier knows
how to tell the smith what fashion, shape and quality his armour ought
to have, but cannot show how it is to be made or forged or tempered; so
I perhaps may be able to tell you what manner of man a perfect Courtier
ought to be, but cannot teach you what you must do to become one.
“Yet to comply with your request as far as is within my power,—although
it is almost a proverb that grace is not to be learned,—I say that
whoever would acquire grace in bodily exercises (assuming first that he
be by nature not incapable), ought to begin early and learn the
rudiments from the best masters. And how important this seemed to King
Philip of Macedon, may be seen from the fact that he chose Aristotle,
the famous philosopher and perhaps the greatest that has ever been in
the world, to teach his son Alexander the first elements of letters. And
of the men whom we know at the present day, consider how well and how
gracefully my lord Galeazzo Sanseverino,[72] Grand Equerry of France,
performs all bodily exercises; and this because in addition to the
natural aptitude of person that he possesses, he has taken the utmost
pains to study with good masters, and always to have about him men who
excel and to select from each the best of what they know: for just as in
wrestling, vaulting and in the use of many sorts of weapons, he has
taken for his guide our friend messer Pietro Monte, who (as you know) is
the true and only master of every form of trained strength and
agility,—so in riding, jousting and all else, he has ever had before his
eyes the most proficient men that were known in those matters.
[Illustration:
GALEAZZO SANSEVERINO
Married 1489
]
Reduced from Anderson’s photograph (no. 11129) of an anonymous and
unfinished portrait in the Ambrosiana Gallery at Milan. By some
critics attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and by others to his pupil
Ambrogio da Predis, the picture was by Morelli regarded as having
nothing to do with either painter. It was formerly supposed to be a
portrait of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan; for iconographical
identification, see Paul Müller-Walde’s article in the _Jahrbuch der
Königlich Preussischen Kunstsammlungen_ for 1897, p. 110.
26.—“Therefore he who wishes to be a good pupil, besides performing his
tasks well, must put forth every effort to resemble his master, and, if
it were possible, to transform himself into his master. And when he
feels that he has made some progress, it will be very profitable to
observe different men of the same calling, and governing himself with
that good judgment which must ever be his guide, to go about selecting
now this thing from one and that thing from another. And as the bee in
the green meadows is ever wont to rob the flowers among the grass, so
our Courtier must steal this grace from all who seem to possess it,
taking from each that part which shall most be worthy praise; and not
act like a friend of ours whom you all know, who thought he greatly
resembled King Ferdinand the Younger[32] of Aragon, and made it his care
to imitate the latter in nothing but a certain trick of continually
raising the head and twisting one side of the mouth, which the king had
contracted from some infirmity. And there are many such, who think they
gain a point if only they be like a great man in some thing; and
frequently they devote themselves to that which is his only fault.
“But having before now often considered whence this grace springs,
laying aside those men who have it by nature, I find one universal rule
concerning it, which seems to me worth more in this matter than any
other in all things human that are done or said: and that is to avoid
affectation to the uttermost and as it were a very sharp and dangerous
rock; and, to use possibly a new word, to practise in everything a
certain nonchalance[73] that shall conceal design and show that what is
done and said is done without effort and almost without thought. From
this I believe grace is in large measure derived, because everyone knows
the difficulty of those things that are rare and well done, and
therefore facility in them excites the highest admiration; while on the
other hand, to strive and as the saying is to drag by the hair, is
extremely ungraceful, and makes us esteem everything slightly, however
great it be.