the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第70章

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he　'Nencia'　and　this　　'Canzone　zingaresca'　mark　a　new　starting…point　in　the　history　of　　poetry。

Here；　too；　we　must　briefly　indicate　how　culture　prepared　the　way　for　　artistic　development。　From　the　time　of　the　'Nencia；'　a　period　of　eighty　　years　elapses　to　the　rustic　genre…painting　of　Jacopo　Bassano　and　his　　school。

In　the　next　part　of　this　work　we　shall　show　how　differences　of　birth　　had　lost　their　significance　in　Italy。　Much　of　this　was　doubtless　owing　　to　the　fact　that　men　and　mankind　were　here　first　thoroughly　and　　profoundly　understood。　This　one　single　result　of　the　Renaissance　is　　enough　to　fill　us　with　everlasting　thankfulness。　The　logical　notion　of　　humanity　was　old　enoughbut　here　the　notion　became　a　fact。

The　loftiest　conceptions　on　this　subject　were　uttered　by　Pico　della　　Mirandola　in　his　Speech　on　the　Dignity　of　Man；　which　may　justly　be　　called　one　of　the　noblest　of　that　great　age。　God；　he　tells　us；　made　man　　at　the　close　of　the　creation；　to　know　the　laws　of　the　universe；　to　love　　its　beauty；　to　admire　its　greatness。　He　bound　him　to　no　fixed　place；　to　　no　prescribed　form　of　work；　and　by　no　iron　necessity；　but　gave　him　　freedom　to　will　and　to　love。　'I　have　set　thee；'　says　the　Creator　to　　Adam；　'in　the　midst　of　the　world；　that　thou　mayst　the　more　easily　　behold　and　see　all　that　is　therein。　I　created　thee　a　being　neither　　heavenly　nor　earthly；　neither　mortal　nor　immortal　only；　that　thou　　mightest　be　free　to　shape　and　to　overcome　thyself。　Thou　mayst　sink　into　　a　beast；　and　be　born　anew　to　the　divine　likeness。　The　brutes　bring　from　　their　mother's　body　what　they　will　carry　with　them　as　long　as　they　　live；　the　higher　spirits　are　from　the　beginning；　or　soon　after；　what　　they　will　be　for　ever。　To　thee　alone　is　given　a　growth　and　a　　development　depending　on　thine　own　free　will。　Thou　bearest　in　thee　the　　germs　of　a　universal　life。'

Part　Five

SOCIETY　AND　FESTIVALS

Equality　of　Classes

Every　period　of　civilization　which　forms　a　complete　and　consistent　　whole　manifests　itself　not　only　in　political　life；　in　religion；　art；　　and　science；　but　also　sets　its　characteristic　stamp　on　social　life。　　Thus　the　Middle　Ages　had　their　courtly　and　aristocratic　manners　and　　etiquette；　differing　but　little　in　the　various　countries　of　Europe；　as　　well　as　their　peculiar　forms　of　middle…class　life。

Italian　customs　at　the　time　of　the　Renaissance　offer　in　these　respects　　the　sharpest　contrasts　to　medievalism。　The　foundation　on　which　they　　rest　is　wholly　different。　Social　intercourse　in　its　highest　and　most　　perfect　form　now　ignored　all　distinctions　of　caste；　and　was　based　　simply　on　the　existence　of　an　educated　class　as　we　now　understand　the　　word。　Birth　and　origin　were　without　influence；　unless　combined　with　　leisure　and　inherited　wealth。　Yet　this　assertion　must　not　be　taken　in　　an　absolute　and　unqualified　sense；　since　medieval　distinctions　still　　sometimes　made　themselves　felt　to　a　greater　or　less　degree；　if　only　as　　a　means　of　maintaining　equality　with　the　aristocratic　pretensions　of　　the　less　advanced　countries　of　Europe。　But　the　main　current　of　the　time　　went　steadily　towards　the　fusion　of　classes　in　the　modern　sense　of　the　　phrase。

The　fact　was　of　vital　importance　that；　from　certainly　the　twelfth　　century　onwards；　the　nobles　and　the　burghers　dwelt　together　within　the　　walls　of　the　cities。　The　interests　and　pleasures　of　both　classes　were　　thus　identified；　and　the　feudal　lord　learned　to　look　at　society　from　　another　point　of　view　than　that　of　his　mountain　castle。　The　Church；　　too；　in　Italy　never　suffered　itself；　as　in　northern　countries；　to　be　　used　as　a　means　of　providing　for　the　younger　sons　of　noble　families。　　Bishoprics；　abbacies；　and　canonries　were　often　given　from　the　most　　unworthy　motives；　but　still　not　according　to　the　pedigrees　of　the　　applicants；　and　if　the　bishops　in　Italy　were　more　numerous；　poorer；　　and；　as　a　rule；　destitute　of　all　sovereign　rights；　they　still　lived　in　　the　cities　where　their　cathedrals　stood；　and　formed；　together　with　　their　chapters；　an　important　element　in　the　cultivated　society　of　the　　place。　In　the　age　of　despots　and　absolute　princes　which　followed；　the　　nobility　in　most　of　the　cities　had　the　motives　and　the　leisure　to　give　　themselves　up　to　a　private　life　free　from　the　political　danger　and　　adorned　with　all　that　was　elegant　and　enjoyable；　but　at　the　same　time　　hardly　distinguishable　from　that　of　the　wealthy　burgher。　And　after　the　　time　of　Dante；　when　the　new　poetry　and　literature　were　in　the　hands　of　　all　Italy；　when　to　this　was　added　the　revival　of　ancient　culture　and　　the　new　interest　in　man　as　such；　when　the　successful　Condottiere　became　　a　prince；　and　not　only　good　birth；　but　legitimate　birth；　ceased　to　be　　indispensable　for　a　throne；　it　might　well　seem　that　the　age　of　equality　　had　dawned；　and　the　belief　in　nobility　vanished　for　ever。

From　a　theoretical　point　of　view；　when　the　appeal　was　made　to　　antiquity；　the　conception　of　nobility　could　be　both　justified　and　　condemned　from　Aristotle　alone。　Dante；　for　example；　derives　from　　Aristotle's　definition；　'Nobility　rests　on　excellence　and　inherited　　wealth；'　his　own　saying；　'Nobility　rests　on　personal　excellence　or　on　　that　of　forefathers。'　But　elsewhere　he　is　not　satisfied　with　this　　conclusion。　He　blames　himself；　because　even　in　Paradise；　while　talking　　with　his　ancestor　Cacciaguida；　he　made　mention　of　his　noble　origin；　　which　is　but　a　mantle　from　which　time　is　ever　cutting　something　away；　　unless　we　ourselves　add　daily　fresh　worth　to　it。　And　in　the　'Convito'　　he　disconnects　'nobile'　and　'nobilita'　from　every　condition　of　birth；　　and　identifies　the　idea　with　the　capacity　for　moral　and　intellectual　　eminence；　laying　a　special　stress　on　high　culture　by　calling　'nobilita'　　the　sister　of　'filosofia。'

And　as　time　went　on；　the　greater　the　influence　of　humanism　on　the　　Italian　mind；　the　firmer　and　more　widespread　became　the　conviction　that　　birth　decides　nothing　as　to　the　goodness　or　badness　of　a　man。　In　the　　fifteenth　century　this　was　the　prevailing　opinion。　Poggio；　in　his　　dialogue　'On　nobility；'　agrees　with　his　interlocutors　Niccolo　　Niccoli；　and　Lorenzo　Medici；　brother　of　the　great　Cosimo　that　there　　is　no　other　nobility　than　that　of　personal　merit。　The　keenest　shafts　of　　his　ridicule　are　directed　against　much　of　what　vulgar　prejudice　thinks　　indispensable　to　an　aristocratic　life。　'A　man　is　！111　the　farther　　removed　from　true　nobility；　the　longer　his　forefathers　have　plied　the　　trade　of　brigands。　The　taste　for　hawking　and　hunting　saviours　no　more　　of　nobility　than　the　nests　and　lairs　of　the　hunted　creatures　of　　spikenard。　The　cultivation　of　the　soil；　as　practiced　by　the　ancients；　　would　be　much　nobler　than　this　senseless　wandering　through　the　hills　　and　woods；　by　which　men　make　themselves　like　to　the　brutes　than　to　the　　reasonable　creatures。　It　may　serve　well　enough　as　a　recreation；　but　not　　as　the　business　of　a　lifetime。'　The　life　of　the　English　and　French　　chivalry　in　the　country　or　in　the　woody　fastnesses　seems　to　him　　thoroughly　ignoble；　and　worst　of　all　the　doings　of　the　robber…knights　　of　Germany。　Lorenzo　here　begins　to　take　the　part　of　the　nobility；　but　　not　which　is　characteristicappealing　to　any　natural　sentiment　in　　its　favour；　but　because　Aristotle　in　the　fifth　book　of　the　Politics　　recognizes　the　nobility　as　existent；　and　defines　it　as　resting　on　　excellence　and　inherited　wealth。　To　this　Niccoli　retorts　that　Aristotle　　gives　this　not　as　his　own　conviction；　but　as　the　popular　impression；　in　　his　Ethics；　where　he　speaks　as　he　thinks；　he　calls　him　noble　who　　strives　after　that　which　is　truly　good。　Lorenzo　urges　upon　him　vainly　　that　the　Greek　word　for　nobility　（Eugeneia）　means　good　birth；　Niccoli　　thinks　the　Roman　word　'nobilis'　（i。e。　remark…　able）　a　better　one；　since　　it　makes　nobility　depend　on　a　man's　deeds。　Together　with　these　　discussions；　we　find　a　sketch　of　the　conditions　of　the　nobles　in　　various　parts　of　Italy。　In　Naples　they　will　not　work；　and　busy　　themselves　neither　with　their　own　estates　nor　with　trade　and　commerce；　　which　they　hold　to　be　discreditable；　they　either　loiter　at　home　or　ride　　about　on　horseback。　The　Roman　nobility　also　despise　trade；　but　farm　　their　own　property；　the　cultivation　of　the　land　even　opens　the