the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第86章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　of　the　youth　for　his　great　excellence；　　and　she　perceived　that　a　noble　woman　may　love　a　man　of　merit　without　　loss　to　her　honour。'　But　the　way　is　short　from　such　a　distinction　to　a　　complete　surrender。

The　latter　seems　indeed　as　good　as　justified　when　there　is　　unfaithfulness　on　the　part　of　the　husband。　The　woman；　conscious　of　her　　own　dignity；　feels　this　not　only　as　a　pain；　but　also　as　a　humiliation　　and　deceit；　and　sets　to　work；　often　with　the　calmest　consciousness　of　　what　she　is　about；　to　devise　the　vengeance　which　the　husband　deserves。　　Her　tact　must　decide　as　to　the　measure　of　punishment　which　is　suited　to　　the　particular　case。　The　deepest　wound；　for　example；　may　prepare　the　　way　for　a　reconciliation　and　a　peaceful　life　in　the　future；　if　only　it　　remain　secret。　The　novelists；　who　themselves　undergo　such　experiences　　or　invent　them　according　to　the　spirit　of　the　age；　are　full　of　　admiration　when　the　vengeance　is　skillfully　adapted　to　the　particular　　case；　in　fact；　when　it　is　a　work　of　art。　As　a　matter　of　course；　the　　husband　never　at　bottom　recognizes　this　right　of　retaliation；　and　only　　submits　to　it　from　fear　or　prudence。　Where　these　motives　are　absent；　　where　his　wife's　unfaithfulness　exposes　him　or　may　expose　him　to　the　　derision　of　outsiders；　the　affair　becomes　tragical；　and　not　seldom　ends　　in　murder　or　other　vengeance　of　a　violent　sort。　It　is　characteristic　of　　the　real　motive　from　which　these　deeds　arise；　that　not　only　the　　husbands；　but　the　brothers　and　the　father　of　the　woman　feel　themselves　　not　only　justified　in　taking　vengeance；　but　bound　to　take　it。　Jealousy；　　therefore；　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　matter；　moral　reprobation　but　　little；　the　real　reason　is　the　wish　to　spoil　the　triumph　of　others。　　'Nowadays；'　says　Bandello；　'we　see　a　woman　poison　her　husband　to　　gratify　her　lusts；　thinking　that　a　widow　may　do　whatever　she　desires。　　Another；　fearing　the　discovery　of　an　illicit　amour；　has　her　husband　　murdered　by　her　lover。　And　though　fathers；　brothers；　and　husbands　arise　　to　extirpate　the　shame　with　poison；　with　the　sword；　and　by　every　other　　means；　women　still　continue　to　follow　their　passions；　careless　of　their　　honour　and　their　lives。'　Another　time；　in　milder　strain；　he　exclaims：　　'Would　that　we　were　not　daily　forced　to　hear　that　one　man　has　murdered　　his　wife　because　he　suspected　her　of　infidelity；　that　another　has　　killed　his　daughter；　on　account　of　a　secret　marriage；　that　a　third　has　　caused　his　sister　to　be　murdered；　because　she　would　not　marry　as　he　　wished！　It　is　great　cruelty　that　we　claim　the　right　to　do　whatever　we　　list；　and　will　not　suffer　women　to　do　the　same。　If　they　do　anything　　which　does　not　please　us；　there　we　are　at　once　with　cords　and　daggers　　and　poison。　What　folly　it　is　of　men　to　suppose　their　own　and　their　　house's　honour　depend　on　the　appetite　of　a　woman。　The　tragedy　in　which　　such　affairs　commonly　ended　was　so　well　known　that　the　novelist　looked　　on　the　threatened　gallant　as　a　dead　man；　even　while　he　went　about　alive　　and　merry。　The　physician　and　lute…player　Antonio　Bologna　had　made　a　　secret　marriage　with　the　widowed　Duchess　of　Amalfi；　of　the　house　of　　Aragon。　Soon　afterwards　her　brother　succeeded　in　securing　both　her　and　　her　children；　and　murdered　them　in　a　castle。　Antonio；　ignorant　of　their　　fate；　and　still　cherishing　the　hope　of　seeing　them　again；　was　staying　　at　Milan；　closely　watched　by　hired　assassins；　and　one　day　in　the　　society　of　Ippolita　Sforza　sang　to　the　lute　the　story　of　his　　misfortunes。　A　friend　of　the　house；　Delio；　'told　the　story　up　to　this　　point　to　Scipione　Atellano；　and　added　that　he　would　make　it　the　subject　　of　a　novel；　as　he　was　sure　that　Antonio　would　be　murdered。'　The　manner　　in　which　this　took　place；　almost　under　the　eyes　of　both　Delio　and　　Atellano；　is　movingly　described　by　Bandello。

Nevertheless；　the　novelists　habitually　show　a　sympathy　for　all　the　　ingenious；　comic；　and　cunning　features　which　may　happen　to　attend　　adultery。　They　describe　with　delight　how　the　lover　manages　to　hide　　himself　in　the　house；　all　the　means　and　devices　by　which　he　　communicates　with　his　mistress；　the　boxes　with　cushions　and　sweetmeats　　in　which　he　can　be　hidden　and　carried　out　of　danger。　The　deceived　　husband　is　described　sometimes　as　a　fool　to　be　laughed　at；　sometimes　as　　a　bloodthirsty　avenger　of　his　honour；　there　is　no　third　situation　　except　when　the　woman　is　painted　as　wicked　and　cruel；　and　the　husband　　or　lover　is　the　innocent　victim。　It　may　be　remarked；　however；　that　　narratives　of　the　latter　kind　are　not　strictly　speaking　novels；　but　　rather　warning　examples　taken　from　real　life。

When　in　the　course　of　the　sixteenth　century　Italian　life　fell　more　and　　more　under　Spanish　influence；　the　violence　of　the　means　to　which　　jealousy　had　recourse　perhaps　increased。　But　this　new　phase　must　be　　distinguished　from　the　punishment　of　infidelity　which　existed　before；　　and　which　was　founded　in　the　spirit　of　the　Italian　Renaissance　itself。　　As　the　influence　of　Spain　declined；　these　excesses　of　jealousy　declined　　also；　till　towards　the　close　of　the　seventeenth　century　they　had　wholly　　disappeared；　and　their　place　was　taken　by　that　indifference　which　　regarded　the　'Cicisbeo'　as　an　indispensable　figure　in　every　household；　　and　took　no　offence　at　one　or　two　contemporary　lovers　（'Patiti'）。

But　who　can　undertake　to　compare　the　vast　sum　of　wickedness　which　all　　these　facts　imply；　with　what　happened　in　other　countries？　Was　the　　marriage…tie；　for　instance；　really　more　sacred　in　France　during　the　　fifteenth　century　than　in　Italy？　The　'fabliaux'　and　farces　would　lead　　us　to　doubt　it；　and　rather　incline　us　to　think　that　unfaithfulness　was　　equally　common；　though　its　tragic　consequences　were　less　frequent；　　because　the　individual　was　less　developed　and　his　claims　were　less　　consciously　felt　than　in　Italy。　More　evidence；　however；　in　favour　of　　the　Germanic　peoples　lies　in　the　fact　of　the　social　freedom　enjoyed　　among　them　by　girls　and　women；　which　impressed　Italian　travellers　so　　pleasantly　in　England　and　in　the　Netherlands。　And　yet　we　must　not　　attach　too　much　importance　to　this　fact。　Unfaithfulness　was　doubtless　　very　frequent；　and　in　certain　cases　led　to　a　sanguinary　vengeance。　We　　have　only　to　remember　how　the　northern　princes　of　that　time　dealt　with　　their　wives　on　the　first　suspicion　of　infidelity。

But　it　was　not　merely　the　sensual　desire；　not　merely　the　vulgar　　appetite　of　the　ordinary　man；　which　trespassed　upon　forbidden　ground　　among　the　Italians　of　that　day；　but　also　the　passion　of　the　best　and　　noblest；　and　this；　not　only　because　the　unmarried　girl　did　not　appear　　in　society；　but　also　because　the　man；　in　proportion　to　the　completeness　　of　his　own　nature；　felt　himself　most　strongly　attracted　by　the　woman　　whom　marriage　had　developed。　These　are　the　men　who　struck　the　loftiest　　notes　of　lyrical　poetry；　and　who　have　attempted　in　their　treatises　and　　dialogues　to　give　us　an　idealized　image　of　the　devouring　passion　'l'amor　divino。'　When　they　complain　of　the　cruelty　of　the　winged　god；　　they　are　not　only　thinking　of　the　coyness　or　hard…heartedness　of　the　　beloved　one；　but　also　of　the　unlawfulness　of　the　passion　itself。　They　　seek　to　raise　themselves　above　this　painful　consciousness　by　that　　spiritualization　of　love　which　found　a　support　in　the　Platonic　doctrine　　of　the　soul；　and　of　which　Pietro　Bembo　is　the　most　famous　　representative。　His　thoughts　on　this　subject　are　set　forth　by　himself　　in　the　third　book　of　the　'Asolani；'　and　indirectly　by　Castiglione；　who　　puts　in　his　mouth　the　splendid　speech　with　which　the　fourth　book　of　the　　'Cortigiano'　concludes。　Neither　of　these　writers　was　a　stoic　in　his　　conduct；　but　at　that　time　it　meant　something　to　be　at　once　a　famous　and　　a　good　man；　and　this　praise　must　be　accorded　to　both　of　them；　their　　contemporaries　took　what　these　men　said　to　be　a　true　expression　of　　their　feeling；　and　we　have　not　the　right　to　despise　it　as　affectation。　　Those　who　take　the　trouble　to　study　the　speech　in　the　'Cortigiano'　will　　see　how　poor　an　idea　of　it　can　be　given　by　an　extract。　There　were　then　　living　in　Italy　several　distinguished　women；　who　owed　their　celebrity　　chiefly　to　relations　of　this　kind；　such　as　Giulia　Gonzaga；　Veronica　da　　Correggio；　and；　above　all；　Vittor