the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第59部分

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！


　and　society。　The　introduction　to　the　'Cento　Novelle　　Antiche；'　which　were　put　into　their　present　shape　before　l　300；　avows　　this　object　openly。　Language　is　here　considered　apart　from　its　uses　in　　poetry；　its　highest　function　is　clear；　simple；　intelligent　utterance　in　　short　speeches；　epigrams；　and　answers。　This　faculty　was　admired　in　　Italy；　as　nowhere　else　but　among　the　Greeks　and　Arabs：　'how　many　in　the　　course　long　life　have　scarcely　produced　a　single　〃bel　parlare。〃　'

But　the　matter　was　rendered　more　difficult　by　the　diversity　of　the　　aspects　under　which　it　was　considered。　The　writings　of　Dante　transport　　us　into　the　midst　of　the　struggle。　His　work　'On　the　Italian　Language'　　is　not　only　of　the　utmost　importance　for　the　subject　itself；　but　is　　also　the　first　complete　treatise　on　any　modern　language。　His　method　and　　results　belong　to　the　history　of　linguistic　science；　in　which　they　will　　always　hold　a　high　place。　We　must　here　content　ourselves　with　the　　remark　that　long　before　the　appearance　of　this　book　the　subject　must　　have　been　one　of　daily　and　pressing　importance；　various　dialects　of　　Italy　had　long　been　the　object　of　study　and　dispute；　and　that　the　birth　　of　the　one　ideal　was　not　accomplished　without　many　throes。

Nothing　certainly　contributed　so　much　to　this　end　as　the　great　poem　of　　Dante。　The　Tuscan　dialect　became　the　basis　of　the　new　national　speech。　　If　this　assertion　may　seem　to　some　to　go　too　far；　as　foreigners　we　may　　be　excused；　in　a　matter　on　which　much　difference　of　opinion　prevails；　　for　following　the　general　belief。

Literature　and　poetry　probably　lost　more　than　they　gained　by　the　　contentious　purism　which　was　long　prevalent　in　Italy；　and　which　marred　　the　freshness　and　vigor　of　many　an　able　writer。　Others；　again；　who　felt　　themselves　masters　of　this　magnificent　language；　were　tempted　to　rely　　upon　its　harmony　and　flow；　apart　from　the　thought　which　it　expressed。　A　　very　insignificant　melody；　played　upon　such　an　instrument；　can　produce　　a　very　great　effect。　But　however　this　may　be；　it　is　certain　that　　socially　the　language　had　great　value。　It　was；　as　it　were；　that　the　；　　of　eager　language　the　crown　of　a　noble　and　dignified　behavior；　and　　compelled　the　gentleman；　both　in　his　ordinary　bearing　and　in　　exceptional　moments　to　observe　external　propriety。　No　doubt　this　　classical　garment；　like　the　language　of　Attic　society；　served　to　drape　　much　that　was　foul　and　malicious；　but　it　was　also　the　adequate　　expression　of　all　that　is　noblest　and　most　refined。　But　politically　and　　nationally　it　was　of　supreme　importance；　serving　as　an　ideal　home　for　　the　educated　classes　in　all　the　States　of　the　divided　peninsula。　Nor　　was　it　the　special　property　of　the　nobles　or　of　any　one　class；　but　the　　poorest　and　humblest　might　learn　it　if　they　would。　Even　now　and　　perhaps　more　than　ever　in　those　parts　of　Italy　where；　as　a　rule；　the　　most　unintelligible　dialect　prevails；　the　stranger　is　often　astonished　　at　hearing　pure　and　well…spoken　Italian　from　the　mouths　of　peasants　or　　artisans；　and　looks　in　vain　for　anything　analogous　in　France　or　in　　Germany；　where　even　the　educated　classes　retain　traces　of　a　provincial　　speech。　There　is　certainly　a　larger　number　of　people　able　to　read　in　　Italy　than　we　should　be　led　to　expect　from　the　condition　of　many　parts　　of　the　countryas　for　in…　stance；　the　States　of　the　Churchin　other　　respects；　but　what　is　more　important　is　the　general　and　undisputed　　respect　for　pure　language　and　pronunciation　as　something　precious　and　　sacred。　One　part　of　the　country　after　another　came　to　adopt　the　　classical　dialect　officially。　Venice；　Milan；　and　Naples　did　so　at　the　　noontime　of　Italian　literature；　and　partly　through　its　influences。　It　　was　not　till　the　present　century　that　Piedmont　became　of　its　own　free　　will　a　genuine　Italian　province　by　sharing　in　this　chief　treasure　of　　the　peoplepure　speech。　The　dialects　were　from　the　beginning　of　the　　sixteenth　century　purposely　left　to　deal　with　a　certain　class　of　　subjects；　serious　as　well　as　comic；　and　the　style　which　was　thus　　developed　proved　the　equal　to　all　its　tasks。　Among　other　nations　a　　conscious　separation　of　this　kind　did　not　occur　till　a　much　later　　period。

The　opinion　of　educated　people　as　to　the　social　value　of　language　is　　fully　set　forth　in　the　'Cortigiano。'　There　were　then　persons；　at　the　　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　who　purposely　kept　to　the　　antiquated　expressions　of　Dante　and　the　other　Tuscan　writers　of　his　　time；　simply　because　they　were　old。　Our　author　forbids　the　use　of　them　　altogether　in　speech；　and　is　unwilling　to　permit　them　even　in　writing；　　which　he　considers　a　form　of　speech。　Upon　this　follows　the　admission　　that　the　best　style　of　speech　is　that　which　most　resembles　good　　writing。　We　can　clearly　recognize　the　author's　feeling　that　people　who　　have　anything　of　importance　to　say　must　shape　their　own　speech；　and　　that　language　is　something　flexible　and　changing　because　it　is　　something　living。　It　is　allowable　to　make　use　of　any　expression；　　however　ornate；　as　long　as　it　is　used　by　the　people；　nor　are　non…Tuscan　　words；　or　even　French　and　Spanish　words　forbidden；　if　custom　has　once　　applied　them　to　definite　purposes。　Thus　care　and　intelligence　will　　produce　a　language；　which；　if　not　the　pure　old　Tuscan；　is　still　　Italian；　rich　in　flowers　and　fruit　like　a　well…kept　garden。　It　belongs　　to　the　completeness　of　the　'Cortigiano'　that　his　wit；　his　polished　　manners；　and　his　poetry；　must　be　clothed　in　this　perfect　dress。

When　style　and　language　had　once　become　the　property　of　a　living　　society；　all　the　efforts　of　purists　and　archaists　failed　to　secure　　their　end。　Tuscany　itself　was　rich　in　writers　and　the　first　order；　who　　ignored　and　ridiculed　these　endeavors。　Ridicule　in　abundance　awaited　　the　foreign　scholar　who　explained　to　the　Tuscans　how　little　they　　understood　their　language。　The　life　and　influence　of　a　writer　like　　Machiavelli　was　enough　to　sweep　away　all　these　cobwebs。　His　vigorous　　thoughts；　his　clear　and　simple　mode　of　expression　wore　a　form　which　had　　any　merit　but　that　of　the　'Trecentisti。'　And　on　the　other　hand　there　　were　too　many　North　Italians；　Romans；　and　Neapolitans；　who　were　　thankful　if　the　demand　for　purity　of　style　in　literature　and　　conversation　was　not　pressed　too　far。　They　repudiated；　indeed；　the　　forms　and　idioms　of　their　dialect；　and　Bandello；　with　what　a　foreigner　　might　suspect　to　be　false　modesty；　is　never　tired　of　declaring：　'I　have　　no　style；　I　do　not　write　like　a　Florentine；　but　like　a　barbarian；　I　am　　not　ambitious　of　giving　new　graces　to　my　language；　I　am　a　Lombard；　and　　from　the　Ligurian　border　into　the　bargain。'　But　the　claims　of　the　　purists　were　most　successfully　met　by　the　express　renunciation　of　the　　higher　qualities　of　style；　and　the　adoption　of　a　vigorous；　popular　　language　in　their　stead。　Few　could　hope　to　rival　Pietro　Bembo　who；　　though　born　in　Venice；　nevertheless　wrote　the　purest　Tuscan；　which　to　　him　was　a　foreign　language；　or　the　Neapolitan　Sannazaro；　who　did　the　　same。　But　the　essential　point　was　that　language；　whether　spoken　or　　written；　was　held　to　be　an　object　of　respect。　As　long　as　this　feeling　　was　prevalent；　the　fanaticism　of　the　puriststheir　linguistic　　congresses　and　the　rest　of　itdid　little　harm。　Their　bad　influence　was　　not　felt　till　much　later；　when　the　original　power　of　Italian　literature　　relaxed　and　yielded　to　other　and　far　worse　influences。　At　last　it　　became　possible　for　the　Accademia　della　Crusca　to　treat　Italian　like　a　　dead　language。　But　this　association　proved　so　helpless　that　it　could　　not　even　hinder　the　invasion　of　Gallicism　in　the　eighteenth　century。

This　languageloved；　tended；　and　trained　to　every　usenow　served　as　　the　basis　of　social　intercourse。　In　northern　countries；　the　nobles　and　　the　princes　passed　their　leisure　either　in　solitude；　or　in　hunting；　　fighting；　drinking；　and　the　like；　the　burghers　in　games　and　bodily　　exercises；　with　a　mixture　of　literary　or　festive　amusements。　In　Italy　　there　existed　a　neutral　ground；　where　people　of　every　origin；　if　they　　had　the　needful　talent　and　culture；　spent　their　time　in　conversation　　change　of　jest　and　earnest。　As　eating　small　part　of　such　　entertainments；　it　not　difficult　to　keep　at　a　distance　those　who　sought　　society　for　these　objects。　If　we　are　to　take　the　writers　of　dialogues　　literally；　the　loftiest　problems　of　human　existence　were　not　excluded　　from　the　conversation　of　thinking　men；　and　the　production　of　noble　　thoughts　was　not；　as　was　commonly　the　case　in　the　North；　the　work　of　　solitude；　but　of　society。　But　we　must　here　limit　ourselves　to　the　less　　serious　side　of　social　intercourseto　the　side　which　existed　only　for　　the　sake　of　amusement。

Social　Etiquette　

This　society；　at　all　events　at　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　　was　a　matter　of　art；　and　had；　and　rested　on；　tacit　or　avowed　rules　of　　good　sense　and　propriety；　which　are　the　exact　reverse　of　all　mere　　etiquette。　In　less　polished　circles；　where　society　took　the　form　of　a　　permanent　corporation；　we　meet　with　a　system　of　formal　rules　and　a　　prescribed　mode　of　entrance；　as　was　the　case　with　those　wild　sets　of　　Florentine　artists　of　whom　Vasari　tells　us　that　they　were　capable　of　　giving　representations　of　the　best　comedies　of　the　day。　In　the　easier　　intercourse　of　society　it　was　not　unusual　to　select　some　distinguished　　lady　as　president；　whose　word　was　law　for　the　evening。

Everybody　knows　the　introduction　to　Boccaccio's　'Decameron；'　and　looks　　on　the　presidency　of　Pampinea　as　a　graceful　fiction。　That　it　was　so　in　　this　particular　case　is　a　matter　of　course；　but　the　fiction　was　　nevertheless　based　on　a　practice　which　often　occurred　in　reality。　　Firenzuola；　who　nearly　two　centuries　later　（1523）　pref…　aces　his　　collection　of　tales　in　a　similar　manner；　with　express　reference　to　　Boccaccio；　comes　assuredly　nearer　to　the　truth　when　he　puts　into　the　　mouth　of　the　queen　of　the　society　a　formal　speech　on　the　mode　of　　spending　the　hours　during　the　stay　which　the　company　proposed　to　make　　in　the　country。　The　day　was　to　begin　with　a　stroll　among　the　hills　　passed　in　philosophical　talk；　then　followed　breakfast；　with　music　and　　singing；　after　which　came　the　recitation；　in　some　cool；　shady　spot；　of　　a　new　poem；　the　subject　of　which　had　been　given　the　night　before；