the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第85章

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o　turn　to　the　damnation　of　the　man　　who　should　break　it。　It　is　clear；　however；　that　such　a　ceremony　rather　　represents　the　despairing　mood　of　the　mediators　than　offers　any　real　　guarantee　of　peace；　inasmuch　as　the　truest　reconciliation　is　just　that　　one　which　has　least　need　of　it。

This　personal　need　of　vengeance　felt　by　the　cultivated　and　highly　　placed　Italian；　resting　on　the　solid　basis　of　an　analogous　popular　　custom；　naturally　displays　itself　under　a　thousand　different　aspects；　　and　receives　the　unqualified　approval　of　public　opinion；　as　reflected　　in　the　works　of　the　novelists。　All　are　at　one　on　the　point　that；　in　the　　case　of　those　injuries　and　insults　for　which　Italian　justice　offered　no　　redress；　and　all　the　more　in　the　case　of　those　against　which　no　human　　law　can　ever　adequately　provide；　each　man　is　free　to　take　the　law　into　　his　own　hands。　Only　there　must　be　art　in　the　vengeance；　and　the　　satisfaction　must　be　compounded　of　the　material　injury　and　moral　　humiliation　of　the　offender。　A　mere　brutal；　clumsy　triumph　of　force　was　　held　by　public　opinion　to　be　no　satisfaction。　The　whole　man　with　his　　sense　of　fame　and　of　scorn；　not　only　his　fist；　must　be　victorious。

The　Italian　of　that　time　shrank；　it　is　true；　from　no　dissimulation　in　　order　to　attain　his　ends；　but　was　wholly　free　from　hypocrisy　in　matters　　of　principle。　In　these　he　attempted　to　deceive　neither　himself　nor　　others。　Accordingly；　revenge　was　declared　with　perfect　frankness　to　be　　a　necessity　of　human　nature。　Cool…headed　people　declared　that　it　was　　then　most　worthy　of　praise　when　it　was　disengaged　from　passion；　and　　worked　simply　from　motives　of　expedience；　'in　order　that　other　men　may　　learn　to　leave　us　unharmed。'　Yet　such　instances　must　have　formed　only　a　　small　minority　in　comparison　with　those　in　which　passion　sought　an　　outlet。　This　sort　of　revenge　differs　clearly　from　the　avenging　of　　blood；　which　has　already　been　spoken　of；　while　the　latter　keeps　more　or　　less　within　the　limits　of　retaliationthe　'ius　talionis'　the　former　　necessarily　goes　much　further；　not　only　requiring　the　sanction　of　the　　sense　of　justice；　but　craving　admiration；　and　even　striving　to　get　the　　laugh　on　its　own　side。

Here　lies　the　reason　why　men　were　willing　to　wait　so　long　for　their　　revenge。　A　'bella　vendetta'　demanded　as　a　rule　a　combination　of　　circumstances　for　which　it　was　necessary　to　wait　patiently。　The　gradual　　ripening　of　such　opportunities　is　described　by　the　novelists　with　　heartfelt　delight。

There　is　no　need　to　discuss　the　morality　of　actions　in　which　plaintiff　　and　judge　are　one　and　the　same　person。　If　this　Italian　thirst　for　　vengeance　is　to　be　palliated　at　all；　it　must　be　by　proving　the　　existence　of　a　corresponding　national　virtue；　namely　gratitude。　The　　same　force　of　imagination　which　retains　and　magnifies　wrong　once　　suffered；　might　be　expected　also　to　keep　alive　the　memory　of　kindness　　received。　It　is　not　possible；　however；　to　prove　this　with　regard　to　the　　nation　as　a　whole；　though　traces　of　it　may　be　seen　in　the　Italian　　character　of　today。　The　gratitude　shown　by　the　inferior　classes　for　　kind　treatment；　and　the　good　memory　of　the　upper　for　politeness　in　　social　life；　are　instances　of　this。

This　connexion　between　the　imagination　and　the　moral　qualities　of　the　　Italian　repeats　itself　continually。　If；　nevertheless；　we　find　more　cold　　calculation　in　cases　where　the　Northerner　rather　follows　his　impulses；　　the　reason　is　that　individual　development　in　Italy　was　not　only　more　　marked　and　earlier　in　point　of　time；　but　also　far　more　frequent。　Where　　this　is　the　case　in　other　countries；　the　results　are　also　analogous。　We　　find；　for　example；　that　the　early　emancipation　of　the　young　from　　domestic　and　paternal　authority　is　common　to　North　America　with　Italy。　　Later　on；　in　the　more　generous　natures；　a　tie　of　freer　affection　grows　　up　between　parents　and　children。

It　is；　in　fact；　a　matter　of　extreme　difficulty　to　judge　fairly　of　other　　nations　in　the　sphere　of　character　and　feeling。　In　these　respects　a　　people　may　be　developed　highly；　and　yet　in　a　manner　so　strange　that　a　　foreigner　is　utterly　unable　to　understand　it。　Perhaps　all　the　nations　　of　the　West　are　in　this　point　equally　favored。

But　where　the　imagination　has　exercised　the　most　powerful　and　despotic　　influence　on　morals　is　in　the　illicit　intercourse　of　the　two　sexes。　It　　is　well　known　that　prostitution　was　freely　practiced　in　the　Middle　　Ages；　before　the　appearance　of　syphilis。　A　discussion；　however；　on　　these　questions　does　not　belong　to　our　present　work。　What　seems　　characteristic　of　Italy　at　this　time；　is　that　here　marriage　and　its　　rights　were　more　often　and　more　deliberately　trampled　underfoot　than　　anywhere　else。　The　girls　of　the　higher　classes　were　carefully　secluded；　　and　of　them　we　do　not　speak。　All　passion　was　directed　to　the　married　　women。

Under　these　circumstances　it　is　remarkable　that；　so　far　as　we　know；　　there　was　no　diminution　in　the　number　of　marriages；　and　that　family　　life　by　no　means　underwent　that　disorganization　which　a　similar　state　　of　things　would　have　produced　in　the　North。　Men　wished　to　live　as　they　　pleased；　but　by　no　means　to　renounce　the　family；　even　when　they　were　　not　sure　that　it　was　all　their　own。　Nor　did　the　race　sink；　either　　physically　or　mentally；　on　this　account；　for　that　apparent　intellectual　　decline　which　showed　itself　towards　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century　　may　be　certainly　accounted　for　by　political　and　ecclesiastical　causes；　　even　if　we　are　not　to　assume　that　the　circle　of　achievements　possible　　to　the　Renaissance　had　been　completed。　Notwithstanding　their　　profligacy；　the　Italians　continued　to　be；　physically　and　mentally；　one　　of　the　healthiest　and　best…born　populations　in　Europe；　and　have　　retained　this　position；　with　improved　morals；　down　to　our　own　time。

When　we　come　to　look　more　closely　at　the　ethics　of　love　at　the　time　of　　the　Renaissance；　we　are　struck　by　a　remarkable　Contrast。　The　novelists　　and　comic　poets　give　us　to　understand　that　love　consists　only　in　　sensual　enjoyment；　and　that　to　win　this；　all　means；　tragic　or　comic；　　are　not　only　permitted；　but　are　interesting　in　proportion　to　their　　audacity　and　unscrupulousness。　But　if　we　turn　to　the　best　of　the　lyric　　poets　and　writers　of　dialogues；　we　find　in　them　a　deep　and　spiritual　　passion　of　the　noblest　kind；　whose　last　and　highest　expression　is　a　　revival　of　the　ancient　belief　in　an　original　unity　of　souls　in　the　　Divine　Being。　And　both　modes　of　feeling　were　then　genuine；　and　could　　co…exist　in　the　same　individual。　It　is　not　exactly　a　matter　of　glory；　　but　it　is　a　fact；　that；　in　the　cultivated　man　of　modern　times；　this　　sentiment　can　be　not　merely　unconsciously　present　in　both　its　highest　　and　lowest　stages；　but　may　also　manifest　itself　openly；　and　even　　artistically。　The　modern　man；　like　the　man　of　antiquity；　is　in　this　　respect　too　a　microcosm；　which　the　medieval　man　was　not　and　could　not　　be。

To　begin　with　the　morality　of　the　novelists。　They　treat　chiefly；　as　we　　have　said；　of　married　women；　and　consequently　of　adultery。

The　opinion　mentioned　above　of　the　equality　of　the　two　sexes　is　of　　great　importance　in　relation　to　this　subject。　The　highly　developed　and　　cultivated　woman　disposes　of　herself　with　a　freedom　unknown　in　Northern　　countries；　and　her　unfaithfulness　does　not　break　up　her　life　in　the　　same　terrible　manner；　so　long　as　no　outward　consequences　follow　from　　it。　The　husband's　claim　on　her　fidelity　has　not　that　firm　foundation　　which　it　acquires　in　the　North　through　the　poetry　and　passion　of　　courtship　and　betrothal。　After　the　briefest　acquaintance　with　her　　future　husband；　the　young　wife　quits　the　convent　or　the　paternal　roof　　to　enter　upon　a　world　in　which　her　character　begins　rapidly　to　develop。　　The　rights　of　the　husband　are　for　this　reason　conditional；　and　even　the　　man　who　regards　them　in　the　light　of　a　'ius　quaesitum'　thinks　only　of　　the　outward　conditions　of　the　contract；　not　of　the　affections。　The　　beautiful　young　wife　of　an　old　man　sends　back　the　presents　and　letters　　of　a　youthful　lover；　in　the　firm　resolve　to　keep　her　honour　（onesta）。　　'But　she　rejoiced　in　the　love　of　the　youth　for　his　great　excellence；　　and　she　perceived　that　a　noble　woman　may　love　a　man　of　meri