Spenser's debt to Castiglione runs through the whole of The Faerie Queene; there is hardly any portion in which the influence is not visible but we may especially observe a few points. Castiglione took his general framework from Aristotle's Ethics and Spenser was, no doubt, impelled by his example to do the same; this does not mean that Spenser took his Aristotelianism at second-hand, for certain portions of his work1 show that he had studied the Ethics itself very carefully and deliberately, but the general use made of Aristotle resembles Castiglione's. Both lay stress on the virtue of Magnanimity which Spenser embodies in the character of Arthur2. Castiglione describes it as being the soul of the Courtier," since it prevents him from laying too much stress upon trifles and concentrates his attention upon the end rather than upon the means. Castiglione attaches much importance to gentleness of birth and its inspiration : "For noblenesse of birth is (as it were) a clere lampe that sheweth forth and bringeth into light, workes bothe good and badde, and explaneth and provoketh unto vertue, as well with the feare of slaunder, as also with the hope of praise." This is almost always the attitude of Spenser. Again Castiglione says that the principal and true profession of a courtier ought to be in feats of arms: "which above all I will have hym to practise lively and to be known among other for his hardenesse, for his acheving of enterprises, and for his fidelitie toward him whom he serveth." So Spenser represents feats of arms as being, in one manner or another, the chief profession of all his knights and they are all most perfectly loyal to the service of their queen. Another noticeable point in Il Cortegiano is the author's praise of the genuine old Tuscan speech. The whole question of the fit and proper language for literature is extensively discussed; one of the speakers argues that the literary language should be modernised and indeed identical with 1 Bk. II. 2 See Faerie Queene, Bk. II, Introduction IV. the spoken language, but the weight of authority is against this ; it is decided by common concurrence that it is well to keep to the great literary tradition, to the tongue of Petrarch and Boccaccio, and that words employed by them should be considered as always admissible. This dictum had, probably, a considerable influence upon Spenser's practice. Just as in Castiglione's court of Urbino the writer might employ either contemporary forms and local dialect or the classical Tuscan of Petrarch, so in sixteenth-century England the writer might boldly adopt the modern speech or else keep to the great literary tradition already established by Chaucer and employ as many as possible of Chaucer's words and phrases. The latter is what Spenser actually did and he was probably quite consciously and deliberately following the methods which had made Italian literature so great. Castiglione says: "Therefore in writing I houlde opinion it is necessarie for a man to use the Tuscane wordes, and only such as have been used among the auncient Tuskans : for it is a great testimoniall and approved by tyme, that they bee good and of pithie signification in that they be applyed to. And beside this they have that grace and majestie that antiquitie giveth not only to wordes, but unto buildinges, ymages, peinctinges, and to everye thyng that is of force to preserve it. And many times with this onely brightnes and dignitie they make the fourme of sentences very fair, and through the vertue and elegancie thereof, every matter how base soever it may be, maie be so decked out, that may deserve verye great commendacion.” It is easy to see how excellently a precept of this kind is illustrated by Spenser's special vocabulary1. Castiglione continues : "Me semeth then who so wyll be out of doubte and well assured, it is requisite for him to determine with hym selfe to followe one, that by al men's accorde is judged good, and to take him for a guyde alwaies ...and that I thinke ought to bee none other but Petrarca and Boccaccio: and whoso swarveth from these two, goeth at all aventure." 1 See Faerie Queene, Bk. II, Introduction III. Spenser, of course, followed Chaucer and, as a matter of fact, when we examine into his vocabulary, we find that most of the words in it which seem strange and obsolete are really Chaucerian. Castiglione gives excellent reasons for his precepts, the chief being that a great literary language ought never to be suffered to decay but should be kept alive by deliberate tradition. Another matter worthy of attention is the enormous stress which Castiglione, like Spenser, lays upon friendship and upon love. Castiglione considers that a really romantic friendship between man and man is one of the chief inspirations of life: he says: "And albeit some wicked and prophane taste of this holye name of friendship, yet is it not for all that to be so rooted oute of mennes mindes, and for the trespasse of the yll, to deprive the good of so great a felicitie. And I beleave verely for my parte, there is here emong us moe than one couple of friends, whose love is indissoluble and without any guile at all, and to endure untill death, with agreement of will, no less than those menne of olde time, whom you mentioned right nowe." This is exactly the view of friendship that is developed in the fourth book of Spenser's Faerie Queene1. "Such ones ill judge of love that cannot love ...Forthy they ought not thing unknowne reprove, For fault of few that have abusd the same; For it of honor and all vertue is The roote, and bringes forth glorious flowres of fame, Which who so list looke backe to former ages, And call to count the things that then were donne, Again, in Castiglione as in most of the Italian humanists, love and friendship are interpreted very largely through 1 See also The Foure Hymnes, Introduction I, "Spenser and Plato." 2 Bk. IV, Introductory stanzas. the medium of the erotic dialogues of Plato: the Phaedrus and Symposium. Both love and friendship are regarded as being essentially emotional crises in the soul, leading to inspiration and to a high standard of life; friendship is entirely spiritual and love mainly spiritual. Here again Spenser adopts the method of Castiglione though he probably knew Plato far better than the Italian author himself, and nothing could well be more direct and immediate than the Platonic influence in The Faerie Queene. The Platonic theory of love also assists to a special and very fine estimate of women. Castiglione has a noble ideal of womanhood and argues for the essential equality of the sexes; one of the courtiers disputes it but his opinions are refuted by the rest. Castiglione declares that a woman should have, first and foremost, the great masculine qualities: "staidnes, noblenes of courage, temperance, strength of the minde and wisdome"; moreover a great lady should possess a certain sweetnesse in language that may delite " ; she is ever chaste, wise and courteous," she must also be well-educated, skilled in letters, music and painting as well as in dancing and conversation. 66 It can easily be seen how well this corresponds with Spenser's portraits of women; they have sweetness and courtesy but they are all heroic; they do possess, besides their feminine graces, the great masculine qualities of staidnes, noblenes of courage, temperance, strength of the minde and wisdome." Una is especially distinguished by her wisdom, her sweetness and fortitude; Britomart is all strength and courage and retains her nobleness and vigour of mind under the most terrible circumstances; Florimel and Belphoebe are heroines of the same cast. As Ruskin puts it: the soul of Una is never darkened and the spear of Britomart is never broken." 66 Spenser's ideal of womanhood is not only a fine one in itself; it is also remarkable as having so greatly influenced Shakespeare. The truth would appear to be that the position of women in the sixteenth century was in many ways more honourable than their position to-day. The chief power in Europe lay in the hands of its dynasties and reigning families; it not infrequently happened that the heir was a woman; it still more frequently occurred that a woman played the part of regent in the absence of her husband or during the minority of her son. Castiglione refers to the great princesses in the Italian houses of Montefeltro, Este and Gonzaga and, above all, to the magnificent statesmanship of Isabella of Spain. In the same way Spenser is always claiming his own queen as one among a number of great women rulers1. Another great educator whose works Spenser quite probably knew was Juan Luis Vives. Vives was a Spaniard but his influence had been very great in the household of Henry VIII and the Princess Elizabeth was brought up largely upon his methods. This fact might easily move Spenser in his favour: at any rate there are many affinities. Vives was a Catholic Puritan and the Protestant Puritanism of Spenser's day really carried over the same principles into another sphere of thought. Like Spenser, Vives is severer and sterner than Castiglione; he believes much more in the ascetic element in life. His work was translated into English by Hyrde. Spenser appears to have taken a good many hints from Vives' Instruction of a Woman. Vives believes in the heroic character in woman and quotes as an example Caia Tanaquil, wife of Tarquin Priscus, an Etruscan ; "after her death, she was worshipped for a goddess, and her image set up with a cock, as a token and a sign of chastity and labour." Tanaquil is one of the names Spenser bestows upon Elizabeth. Vives praises virginity as the holiest estate of woman; "Also Cassandra and the prophets of Apollo... were virgins Bk. In ii, iv, etc. |