the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第78章

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　the　plan　and　arrangement　of　the　house　is　great；　durable　and　　costly；　but　the　daily　life　within　it　is　as　simple　as　possible。　All　　other　expenses；　from　the　largest　in　which　the　family　honour　is　at　　stake；　down　to　the　pocket…money　of　the　younger　sons；　stand　to　one　　another　in　a　rational；　not　a　conventional　relation。　Nothing　is　　considered　of　so　much　importance　as　education；　which　the　head　of　the　　house　gives　not　only　to　the　children；　but　to　the　whole　household。　He　　first　develops　his　wife　from　a　shy　girl；　brought　up　in　careful　　seclusion；　to　the　true　woman　of　the　house；　capable　of　commanding　and　　guiding　the　servants。　The　sons　are　brought　up　without　any　undue　　severity；　carefully　watched　and　counselled；　and　controlled　'rather　by　　authority　than　by　force。'　And　finally　the　servants　are　chosen　and　　treated　on　such　principles　that　they　gladly　and　faithfully　hold　by　the　　family。

One　feature　of　that　book　must　be　referred　to；　which　is　by　no　means　　peculiar　to　it；　but　which　it　treats　with　special　warmth　the　love　of　　the　educated　Italian　for　country　life。　In　northern　countries　the　nobles　　lived　in　the　country　in　their　castles；　and　the　monks　of　the　higher　　orders　in　their　well…guarded　monasteries；　while　the　wealthiest　burghers　　dwelt　from　one　year's　end　to　another　in　the　cities。　But　in　Italy；　so　　far　as　the　neighbourhood　of　certain　towns　at　all　events　was　concerned；　　the　security　of　life　and　property　was　so　great；　and　the　passion　for　a　　country　residence　was　so　strong；　that　men　were　willing　to　risk　a　loss　　in　time　of　war。　Thus　arose　the　villa；　the　country…house　of　the　well…to…　do　citizen。　This　precious　inheritance　of　the　old　Roman　world　was　thus　　revived；　as　soon　as　the　wealth　and　culture　of　the　people　were　　sufficiently　advanced。

Pandolfini　finds　at　his　villa　a　peace　and　happiness；　for　an　account　of　　which　the　reader　must　hear　him　speak　himself。　The　economical　side　of　　the　matter　is　that　one　and　the　same　property　must；　if　possible；　contain　　everything…　corn；　wine；　oil；　pastureland　and　woods；　and　that　in　such　　cases　the　property　was　paid　for　well；　since　nothing　needed　then　to　be　　got　from　the　market。　But　the　higher　enjoyment　derived　from　the　villa　is　　shown　by　some　words　of　the　introduction：　'Round　about　Florence　lie　many　　villas　in　a　transparent　atmosphere；　amid　cheerful　scenery；　and　with　a　　splendid　view；　there　is　little　fog　and　no　injurious　winds；　all　is　good；　　and　the　water　pure　and　healthy。　Of　the　numerous　buildings　many　are　like　　palaces；　many　like　castles　costly　and　beautiful　to　behold。'　He　is　　speaking　of　those　unrivalled　villas；　of　which　the　greater　number　were　　sacrificed；　though　vainly；　by　the　Florentines　themselves　in　the　defence　　of　their　city　in　1529。

In　these　villas；　as　in　those　on　the　Brenta；　on　the　Lombard　hills；　at　　Posilippo　and　on　the　Vomero；　social　life　assumes　a　freer　and　more　rural　　character　than　in　the　palaces　within　the　city。　We　meet　with　charming　　descriptions　of　the　intercourse　of　the　guests；　the　hunting…parties；　and　　all　the　open…air　pursuits　and　amusements。　But　the　noblest　achievements　　of　poetry　and　thought　are　sometimes　also　dated　from　these　scenes　of　　rural　peace。

Festivals

It　is　by　no　arbitrary　choice　that　in　discussing　the　social　life　of　this　　period；　we　are　led　to　treat　of　the　processions　and　shows　which　formed　　part　of　the　popular　festivals。　The　artistic　power　of　which　the　Italians　　of　the　Renaissance　gave　proof　on　such　occasions；　was　attained　only　by　　means　of　that　free　intercourse　of　all　classes　which　formed　the　basis　of　　Italian　society。　In　Northern　Europe　the　monasteries；　the　courts；　and　　the　burghers　had　their　special　feasts　and　shows　as　in　Italy；　but　in　the　　one　case　the　form　and　substance　of　these　displays　differed　according　to　　the　class　which　took　part　in　them；　in　the　other　an　art　amid　culture　　common　to　the　whole　nation　stamped　them　with　both　a　higher　and　a　more　　popular　character。　The　decorative　architecture；　which　served　to　aid　in　　these　festivals；　deserves　a　chapter　to　itself　in　the　history　of　art；　　although　our　imagination　can　only　form　a　picture　of　it　from　the　　descriptions　which　have　been　left　to　us。　We　are　here　more　especially　　concerned　with　the　festival　as　a　higher　phase　in　the　life　of　the　　people；　in　which　its　religious；　moral；　and　poetical　ideas　took　visible　　shape。　The　Italian　festivals　in　their　best　form　mark　the　point　of　　transition　from　real　life　into　the　world　of　art。

The　two　chief　forms　of　festal　display　were　originally　here；　as　　elsewhere　in　the　West；　the　Mystery；　or　the　dramatization　of　sacred　　history　and　legend；　and　the　Procession；　the　motive　and　character　of　　which　was　also　purely　ecclesiastical。

The　performances　of　the　Mysteries　in　Italy　were　from　the　first　more　　frequent　and　splendid　than　elsewhere；　and　were　most　favorably　affected　　by　the　progress　of　poetry　and　of　the　other　arts。　In　the　course　of　time　　not　only　did　the　farce　and　the　secular　drama　branch　off　from　the　　Mystery；　as　in　other　countries　of　Europe；　but　the　pantomime　also；　with　　its　accompaniments　of　singing　and　dancing；　the　effect　of　which　depended　　on　the　richness　and　beauty　of　the　spectacle。

The　Procession；　in　the　broad；　level；　and　well…paved　streets　of　the　　Italian　cities；　was　soon　developed　into　the　'Trionfo；'　or　train　of　　masked　figures　on　foot　and　in　chariots；　the　ecclesiastical　character　of　　which　gradually　gave　way　to　the　secular。　The　pro…　cessions　at　the　　Carnival　and　at　the　feast　of　Corpus　Christi　were　alike　in　the　pomp　and　　brilliancy　with　which　they　were　conducted；　and　set　the　pattern　　afterwards　followed　by　the　royal　or　princely　progresses。　Other　nations　　were　willing　to　spend　vast　sums　of　money　on　these　shows；　but　in　Italy　　alone　do　we　find　an　artistic　method　of　treatment　which　arranged　the　　processions　as　a　harmonious　and　significative　whole。

What　is　left　of　these　festivals　is　but　a　poor　remnant　of　what　once　　existed。　Both　religious　and　secular　displays　of　this　kind　have　　abandoned　the　dramatic　elementthe　costumespartly　from　dread　of　　ridicule；　and　partly　because　the　cultivated　classes；　which　formerly　　gave　their　whole　energies　to　these　things；　have　for　several　reasons　　lost　their　interest　in　them。　Even　at　the　Carnival；　the　great　　processions　of　masks　are　out　of　fashion。　What　still　remains；　such　as　　the　costumes　adopted　in　imitation　of　certain　religious　confraternities；　　or　even　the　brilliant　festival　of　Santa　Rosalia　at　Palermo；　shows　　clearly　how　far　the　higher　culture　of　the　country　has　withdrawn　from　　such　interests。

The　festivals　did　not　reach　their　full　development　till　after　the　　decision　victory　of　the　modern　spirit　in　the　fifteenth　century；　unless　　perhaps　Florence　was　here；　as　in　other　things；　in　advance　of　the　rest　　of　Italy。　In　Florence；　the　several　quarters　of　the　city　were；　in　early　　times；　organized　with　a　view　to　such　exhibitions；　which　demanded　no　　small　expenditure　of　artistic　effort。　Of　this　kind　was　the　　representation　of　Hell；　with　a　scaffold　and　boats　in　the　Arno；　on　the　　1st　of　May；　1304；　when　the　Ponte　alla　Carraia　broke　down　under　the　　weight　of　the　spectators。　That　at　a　later　time　the　Florentines　used　to　　travel　through　Italy　as　directors　of　festivals　（festaiuoli）；　shows　that　　the　art　was　early　perfected　at　home。

In　setting　forth　the　chief　points　of　superiority　in　the　Italian　　festivals　over　those　of　other　countries；　the　first　that　we　shall　have　　to　remark　is　the　developed　sense　of　individual　character…　istics；　in　　other　words；　the　capacity　to　invent　a　given　mask；　and　to　act　the　part　　with　dramatic　propriety。　Painters　and　sculptors　not　merely　did　their　　part　towards　the　decoration　of　the　place　where　the　festival　was　held；　　but　helped　in　getting　up　the　characters　themselves；　and　prescribed　the　　dress；　the　paints；　and　the　other　ornaments　to　be　used。　The　second　fact　　to　be　pointed　out　is　the　universal　familiarity　of　the　people　with　the　　poetical　basis　of　the　show。　The　Mysteries；　indeed；　were　equally　well　　understood　all　over　Europe；　since　the　biblical　story　and　the　legends　of　　the　saints　were　the　common　property　of　Christendom；　but　in　all　other　　respects　the　advantage　was　on　the　side　of　Italy。　For　the　recitations；　　whether　of　religious　or　secular　heroes；　she　possessed　a　lyrical　poetry　　so　rich　and　harmonious　that　none　could　resist　its　charm。　The