The Book of the Courtier |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alexander ancient beauty befit believe BERNARDO ACCOLTI Bibbiena body born brother Cardinal Castiglione Cesare Borgia Cicero Count Ludovico Court Lady Courtier d'Este daughter death desire died Duchy of Urbino Duke errour esteemed evil excellent eyes famous father favour Ferrara Florence Francesco Fregoso French Frisio gentle gentlemen give grace Greek Guidobaldo Hence honour husband imitate Isabella Isabella d'Este Italian Italy Julius king lady Duchess lady Emilia Latin laughing Leo X letters lord Gaspar lord Magnifico lord Morello lord Ottaviano Louis XII lover Ludovico Sforza Magnifico Giuliano Mantua Marquess matter Medici messer Bernardo messer Cesare messer Federico messer Pietro methinks Milan mind Naples nature noble Note painting perfect Petrarch Pietro Bembo pleasantries pleasure Plutarch Pope praise prince reason Roman Rome seems Sforza sometimes soul Spanish speak tell things true truth Tuscan Urbino Venice virtue wish woman women words worthy
Popular passages
Page 293 - The soul, — freed from vice, purged by studies of true philosophy, versed in spiritual life, and practised in matters of the intellect, devoted to the contemplation of her own substance, — as if awakened from deepest sleep, opens those eyes which all possess but few use, and sees in herself a ray of that light which is the true image of the angelic beauty communicated to her, and of which she then communicates a faint shadow to the body.
Page 329 - The essence of humanism consisted in a new and vital perception of the dignity of man as a rational being apart from theological determinations, and in the further perception that classic literature alone displayed human nature in the plenitude of intellectual and moral freedom.
Page 293 - ... as these, in his thought he will little by little add so many ornaments that by heaping all beauties together he will form a universal concept and will reduce the multitude of these beauties to the unity of that single beauty which is spread over human nature at large.
Page 49 - ... written therein. Let him be well versed in the poets, and not less in the orators and historians, and also proficient in writing verse and prose, especially in this vulgar tongue of ours; for besides the enjoyment he will find in it, he will by this means never lack agreeable entertainment with ladies, who are usually fond of such things. And if other occupations or want of study prevent his reaching such perfection as to render his writings worthy of great praise, let him be careful to suppress...
Page 16 - ... predecessors have done; while to the nobly born it seems a reproach not to reach at least the goal set them by their ancestors. And thus it nearly always happens that both in the profession of arms and in other worthy pursuits the most famous men have been of noble birth, because nature has implanted in everything that hidden seed which gives a certain force and quality of its own essence to all things that are derived from it, and makes them like itself: as we see not only in the breeds of horses...
Page 288 - Think now of the shape of man, which may be called a little world, in whom every parcel of his body is seen to be necessarily framed by art and not by hap, and then the form altogether most beautiful...
Page 3 - ... ordinarily used, — such as silver vases, hangings of richest cloth-of-gold and silk, and other similar things, — but for ornament he added countless antique statues in marble and bronze, pictures most choice, and musical instruments of every sort, nor would he admit anything there that was not very rare and excellent. Then at very great cost he collected a goodly number of most excellent and rare books in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, all of which he adorned with gold and with silver, esteeming...
Page 290 - ... of the body than in that of the soul; while the rational lover perceives that although the mouth is part of the body, yet it gives issue to words, which are interpreters of the soul, and to that inward breath which is itself even called soul. Hence a man delights to join his mouth to that of his beloved in a kiss, not in order to arouse any unseemly desire in him, but because he feels that bond to be the opening of a passage between their souls...
Page 286 - Hence, just as I deem those youths divine who control their appetites and love in reason, so I excuse those who allow themselves to be overcome by sensual love, to which they are so strongly inclined by human frailty: provided they show therein gentleness, courtesy and worth, and the other noble qualities of which these gentlemen have told; and provided that when they are no longer of youthful age, they abandon it altogether, shunning this sensual desire as it were the lowest round of the ladder...
Page 55 - ... and ornament to his fame by leaving a memorial that he had been a painter. Nor is there lack of many other men of illustrious family, celebrated in this art; which besides being very noble and worthy in itself, is of great utility, and especially in war for drawing places, sites, rivers, bridges, rocks, fortresses, and the like; since however well we may keep them in memory (which is very difficult), we cannot show them to others. "And truly he who does not esteem this art, seems to me very unreasonable;...