the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第74章

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o　all　its　tasks。　Among　other　nations　a　　conscious　separation　of　this　kind　did　not　occur　till　a　much　later　　period。

The　opinion　of　educated　people　as　to　the　social　value　of　language　is　　fully　set　forth　in　the　'Cortigiano。'　There　were　then　persons；　at　the　　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　who　purposely　kept　to　the　　antiquated　expressions　of　Dante　and　the　other　Tuscan　writers　of　his　　time；　simply　because　they　were　old。　Our　author　forbids　the　use　of　them　　altogether　in　speech；　and　is　unwilling　to　permit　them　even　in　writing；　　which　he　considers　a　form　of　speech。　Upon　this　follows　the　admission　　that　the　best　style　of　speech　is　that　which　most　resembles　good　　writing。　We　can　clearly　recognize　the　author's　feeling　that　people　who　　have　anything　of　importance　to　say　must　shape　their　own　speech；　and　　that　language　is　something　flexible　and　changing　because　it　is　　something　living。　It　is　allowable　to　make　use　of　any　expression；　　however　ornate；　as　long　as　it　is　used　by　the　people；　nor　are　non…Tuscan　　words；　or　even　French　and　Spanish　words　forbidden；　if　custom　has　once　　applied　them　to　definite　purposes。　Thus　care　and　intelligence　will　　produce　a　language；　which；　if　not　the　pure　old　Tuscan；　is　still　　Italian；　rich　in　flowers　and　fruit　like　a　well…kept　garden。　It　belongs　　to　the　completeness　of　the　'Cortigiano'　that　his　wit；　his　polished　　manners；　and　his　poetry；　must　be　clothed　in　this　perfect　dress。

When　style　and　language　had　once　become　the　property　of　a　living　　society；　all　the　efforts　of　purists　and　archaists　failed　to　secure　　their　end。　Tuscany　itself　was　rich　in　writers　and　the　first　order；　who　　ignored　and　ridiculed　these　endeavors。　Ridicule　in　abundance　awaited　　the　foreign　scholar　who　explained　to　the　Tuscans　how　little　they　　understood　their　language。　The　life　and　influence　of　a　writer　like　　Machiavelli　was　enough　to　sweep　away　all　these　cobwebs。　His　vigorous　　thoughts；　his　clear　and　simple　mode　of　expression　wore　a　form　which　had　　any　merit　but　that　of　the　'Trecentisti。'　And　on　the　other　hand　there　　were　too　many　North　Italians；　Romans；　and　Neapolitans；　who　were　　thankful　if　the　demand　for　purity　of　style　in　literature　and　　conversation　was　not　pressed　too　far。　They　repudiated；　indeed；　the　　forms　and　idioms　of　their　dialect；　and　Bandello；　with　what　a　foreigner　　might　suspect　to　be　false　modesty；　is　never　tired　of　declaring：　'I　have　　no　style；　I　do　not　write　like　a　Florentine；　but　like　a　barbarian；　I　am　　not　ambitious　of　giving　new　graces　to　my　language；　I　am　a　Lombard；　and　　from　the　Ligurian　border　into　the　bargain。'　But　the　claims　of　the　　purists　were　most　successfully　met　by　the　express　renunciation　of　the　　higher　qualities　of　style；　and　the　adoption　of　a　vigorous；　popular　　language　in　their　stead。　Few　could　hope　to　rival　Pietro　Bembo　who；　　though　born　in　Venice；　nevertheless　wrote　the　purest　Tuscan；　which　to　　him　was　a　foreign　language；　or　the　Neapolitan　Sannazaro；　who　did　the　　same。　But　the　essential　point　was　that　language；　whether　spoken　or　　written；　was　held　to　be　an　object　of　respect。　As　long　as　this　feeling　　was　prevalent；　the　fanaticism　of　the　puriststheir　linguistic　　congresses　and　the　rest　of　itdid　little　harm。　Their　bad　influence　was　　not　felt　till　much　later；　when　the　original　power　of　Italian　literature　　relaxed　and　yielded　to　other　and　far　worse　influences。　At　last　it　　became　possible　for　the　Accademia　della　Crusca　to　treat　Italian　like　a　　dead　language。　But　this　association　proved　so　helpless　that　it　could　　not　even　hinder　the　invasion　of　Gallicism　in　the　eighteenth　century。

This　languageloved；　tended；　and　trained　to　every　usenow　served　as　　the　basis　of　social　intercourse。　In　northern　countries；　the　nobles　and　　the　princes　passed　their　leisure　either　in　solitude；　or　in　hunting；　　fighting；　drinking；　and　the　like；　the　burghers　in　games　and　bodily　　exercises；　with　a　mixture　of　literary　or　festive　amusements。　In　Italy　　there　existed　a　neutral　ground；　where　people　of　every　origin；　if　they　　had　the　needful　talent　and　culture；　spent　their　time　in　conversation　　change　of　jest　and　earnest。　As　eating　small　part　of　such　　entertainments；　it　not　difficult　to　keep　at　a　distance　those　who　sought　　society　for　these　objects。　If　we　are　to　take　the　writers　of　dialogues　　literally；　the　loftiest　problems　of　human　existence　were　not　excluded　　from　the　conversation　of　thinking　men；　and　the　production　of　noble　　thoughts　was　not；　as　was　commonly　the　case　in　the　North；　the　work　of　　solitude；　but　of　society。　But　we　must　here　limit　ourselves　to　the　less　　serious　side　of　social　intercourseto　the　side　which　existed　only　for　　the　sake　of　amusement。

Social　Etiquette　

This　society；　at　all　events　at　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　　was　a　matter　of　art；　and　had；　and　rested　on；　tacit　or　avowed　rules　of　　good　sense　and　propriety；　which　are　the　exact　reverse　of　all　mere　　etiquette。　In　less　polished　circles；　where　society　took　the　form　of　a　　permanent　corporation；　we　meet　with　a　system　of　formal　rules　and　a　　prescribed　mode　of　entrance；　as　was　the　case　with　those　wild　sets　of　　Florentine　artists　of　whom　Vasari　tells　us　that　they　were　capable　of　　giving　representations　of　the　best　comedies　of　the　day。　In　the　easier　　intercourse　of　society　it　was　not　unusual　to　select　some　distinguished　　lady　as　president；　whose　word　was　law　for　the　evening。

Everybody　knows　the　introduction　to　Boccaccio's　'Decameron；'　and　looks　　on　the　presidency　of　Pampinea　as　a　graceful　fiction。　That　it　was　so　in　　this　particular　case　is　a　matter　of　course；　but　the　fiction　was　　nevertheless　based　on　a　practice　which　often　occurred　in　reality。　　Firenzuola；　who　nearly　two　centuries　later　（1523）　pref…　aces　his　　collection　of　tales　in　a　similar　manner；　with　express　reference　to　　Boccaccio；　comes　assuredly　nearer　to　the　truth　when　he　puts　into　the　　mouth　of　the　queen　of　the　society　a　formal　speech　on　the　mode　of　　spending　the　hours　during　the　stay　which　the　company　proposed　to　make　　in　the　country。　The　day　was　to　begin　with　a　stroll　among　the　hills　　passed　in　philosophical　talk；　then　followed　breakfast；　with　music　and　　singing；　after　which　came　the　recitation；　in　some　cool；　shady　spot；　of　　a　new　poem；　the　subject　of　which　had　been　given　the　night　before；　in　　the　evening　the　whole　party　walked　to　a　spring　of　water　where　they　all　　sat　down　and　each　one　told　a　tale；　last　of　all　came　supper　and　lively　　conversation　'of　such　a　kind　that　the　women　might　listen　to　it　without　　shame　and　the　men　might　not　seem　to　be　speaking　under　the　influence　of　　wine。'　Ban…　dello；　in　the　introductions　and　dedications　to　single　　novels；　does　not　give　us；　it　is　true；　such　inaugural　discourses　as　　this；　since　the　circles　before　which　the　stories　are　told　are　　represented　as　already　formed；　but　he　gives　us　to　understand　in　other　　ways　how　rich；　how　manifold；　and　how　charming　the　conditions　of　society　　must　have　been。　Some　readers　may　be　of　opinion　that　no　good　was　to　be　　got　from　a　world　which　was　willing　to　be　amused　by　such　immoral　　literature。　It　would　be　juster　to　wonder　at　the　secure　foundations　of　a　　society　which；　notwithstanding　these　tales；　still　observed　the　rules　of　　order　and　decency；　and　which　knew　how　to　vary　such　pastimes　with　　serious　and　solid　discussion。　The　need　of　noble　forms　of　social　　intercourse　was　felt　to　be　stronger　than　all　others。　To　convince　　ourselves　of　it；　we　are　not　obliged　to　take　as　our　standard　the　　idealized　society　which　Castiglione　depicts　as　discussing　the　loftiest　　sentiments　and　aims　of　human　life　at　the　court　of　Guidobaldo　of　Urbino；　　and　Pietro　Bembo　at　the　castle　of　Asolo　The　society　described　by　　Bandello；　with　all　the　frivolities　which　may　be　laid　to　its　charge；　　enables　us　to　form　the　best　notion　of　the　easy　and　polished　dignity；　of　　the　urbane　kindliness；　of　the　intellectual　freedom；　of　the　wit　and　the　　graceful　dilettantism；　which　distinguished　these　circles。　A　significant　　proof　of　the　value　of　such　circles　lies　in　the　fact　that　the　women　who　　were　the　centers　of　them　could　become　famous　and　illustrious　without　in　　any　way　compromising　their　reputation。　Among　the　patronesses　of　　Bandello；　for　example；　Isabella　Gonzaga　（born　an　Este）　was　talked　of　　unfavorably　not　through　any　fault　of　her　own；　but　on　account　of　the　　too…free…lived　young　lad