Giovanni Della Casa

“ Personal cleanliness, because of its complete acceptance as an individual necessity, has virtually ceased to touch the problem of social manners at any point; and cultivated society simply acts from time to time by formulating new delicacies of neatness and cleanliness, makes them the habit of life, and, forgetting them completely, passes on to new trifles of perfection. ”

“ In order to give pleasure, we are told, it is essential to pay heed to the way a thing is done as well as to what is done; it is not enough to do a good deed, but it must be done with a good grace. That is to say, good manners are concerned with the form which actions take, as morals are concerned with their content ”

“ To read a letter or to fall asleep in company, to turn your back to your neighbour, to be careless about one's way of standing or sitting, to be absent-minded or touchy about trifles, are social sins of this second kind. The art of conversation was the mainstay of social life in the Italian Renaissance, and to it Della Casa naturally, at this point, devotes most of his attention. ”

“ Children and novices and immature societies may obtain practical guidance from the empirical observations of those who have had experience, but in order to create a real life of their own, a real social atmosphere, they must reach the point where the very rules that nurtured them no longer apply. To disregard every rule of good breeding is the symbol of real attainment in the creative art of living. ”

“ And, finally, if the desire to please is the aim of good manners, the guide, or test, or norm is common usage or custom, which no less than reason furnishes the laws of courtesy, and which in a sense may be said to be the equivalent in manners of what duty is in morals. ”

“ A modern idealist sums up this newer attitude when he says of the old code that it asks us "rather to let a million pine than hurt the feelings of a single man." But wholly apart from this, codes and rules have no more justification in the art of life than in the arts of poetry and painting. Each individual soul must express its past and its present, its inheritance and its aspiration, in its own way ”

“ And therfore, you must not do so, with all your acquaintance generally: but only with your very friendes, or suche whom you are to governe & rule: or els, when a man hapely standes in daunger & perill, how muche a straunger so ever he be. But in our common Acquaintance and conversation, Let us not busy our selves, and medle to muche with other mens doings. In which fault many doe fall: but most of all, the men of least understanding. For, Men of grose capacities consider but litle: And they take no longe time to debate with them selves, as men that have litle busines to doe. ”

“ In speach a man may fault many wayes. And first in the matter it selfe that is in talke, which may not be vaine or filthye. For, they that doe heare it, will not abide it: as ye talk they take no pleasure to heare: but rather scorne the speache and the speaker both. Againe, a man must not move any question of matters that be to deepe & to subtile: because it is hardly understoode of the moste. And a man must warely foresee, that the matter bee suche, as none of the company may blushe to heare it, or receave any shame by the tale. ”

“ It was first felt there that in such matters as yawning or coughing in another's face, carelessness and greediness in eating, and other annoying traits, there could be only one standard for both sexes and for all ages. ”

“ And the Nature and effect of a scorne, is properly to take a contentation and pleasure to do another man shame and villany: thoughe it do our selves no good in the world. So that, good maner & honesty, would us beware we scorne no man in any case: wherin they be much to be blamed, that reprove men those blemishes they have in their person, either in woords, as Master Forese da Rabatta did, laughing at the countenaunce of Master Giotta: or in deeds, as many doe, counterfeting those that stutter, haulte, or be crookte shoulderd. ”

“ Among all these the "Cortegiano," one of the earliest, stands out preëminently, just because it is the spontaneous product of the age of which it is also a reasoned expression; that is to say, because it is a work of art of the Renaissance rather than a mere scholastic treatise of the Catholic Reaction. It is in no sense a courtesy-book; it is concerned with principles of social conduct rather than with details of etiquette. But of all the mere courtesy-books, the "Galateo" alone survives; its name is current coin in Italian speech to-day ”

“ On the basis of such ideas,—to please others; to win their good graces and one's own ultimate success; to be sweetly reasonable in conforming xvto custom; to perform every act with an eye to its effect on those about us,—on the basis of ideas as elementary yet appealing as these, he formulates in detail the precepts of conduct for daily human intercourse in a refined society. ”

“ A man must neither embase, nor exalte him selfe to muche out of measure: but rather bury in silence some parte of his merits, then arrogate to muche unto him. Bycause Goodnes it selfe, when it excedeth muche, is ever envide of some. And you may be sure, they that embase them selves thus beyond measure, refusing that worship and honour that is but duely their owne of very right: shewe more pride in this contempte, then they that usurpe those things, that are not so due unto them. ”

“ When Della Casa calls good manners "a virtue, or something closely akin to virtue," he is making a mere concession to the ideals of his day. The moralists of the later Renaissance, or Catholic Reaction, felt it necessary to defend every social practice on the ground of its real or imaginary relation to virtue, as the only thing which can ever justify anything to a moralist. So the sixteenth century theorists of "honour" called honour a form of virtue ”

“ And by this meanes, they also shake of Reason, and thinke her unpleasant, forasmuche as she sets before them, not pleasure, many times, hurtfull: but goodnes and vertue, ever painfull, sower and unsavoury in taste. For, while we live according to the Sense, wee are like to the selly sickman, to whom al cates never so deinty & sweete, seeme untoothsome: and he chideth still with his Cater and Cooke, in whome there is no fault at all for it. For, it is the Nature of his disease, and the Extremitie of his sicknes, and not the fault of his meate, that he doth not savourly taste what he eates. ”

“ Every man may applie those fashions, that be in common use, ye moste to his owne advantage that he can. For, if perchaunce your legges be very long, and men use but short garments: you may use a meane, not to long, nor to short. And if your legges be to small, to greate, or crooked: make not your hosen of to light and garishe a colour, that it may not call men to looke and to gawre uppon your deformitie. Thou must weare no garment that shall be to light, or overmuche daubde with garding; that men may not say, thou hast Ganymedes hosen, or wearest Cupides doublet. ”

“ The "Galateo" deals solely with those little concessions to the tastes and whims of those around us which are necessitated by the fact that cultivated gentlemen are not hermits, and must consider the customs and habits of others if they wish to form part of a smoothly organized and polished society. ”

“ He has written a book that touches on the essentials of good manners as they affect all classes and groups which aim at individual perfection,—not merely the young, but the mature; not merely men or women, but both sexes ”

“ But, we see that Learned men have suche art and cunning to persuade, and such filed wordes to serve their turne: that wrong doth carry the cause away, and Reason cannot prevaile. And therefore let us give them no credite in this point. And what can I tell, if they have a secret drift herein, to excuse and cover the fault of their countrey, that is corrupt with this vice. But it is daungerous, perchaunce, for a man to reprove them for it: least asmuch happen to him, as chaunced to Socrates him selfe, for his over lavish controuling and checking of every mans fault. ”

“ It is very true, that With muche greater pleasure we harken and better beholde (as it were with our eyes) what soever is told us of men of our acquaintance, if the matter be suche as toucheth their maners: then what we doe heare of straungers and men unknowne unto us. And the reason is this: when wee doe knowe, that suche a man is woont to doe so: we doe easily beleeve, he hathe doone so indeede: and wee take asmuche knoweledge of him, as if wee were present: where it chaunceth not so with us, in the case of a straunger. ”

“ But those other dreames, without shape, fashion or sense: (which the moste parte of suche men as we are, bee wont to have) would be forgotten cleane, and lost with our sleepe. Howbeit, I doe not deny but the dreames of good men and learned, be better and wiser than theires of the wicked and more unlearned sorte.
And albeit a man would weene, there can bee nothing in the worlde more vaine then Dreames: yet there is one thing more light then they, and that are Lies. For there is yet some shadowe, and, as it were, a certaine feeling of that which a man hath seene in his dreame. ”

“ We are not only to avoid indiscretion in such matters, but we are to refrain from mentioning in conversation whatever might be indelicate as a physical act. In the second place, there are other indiscretions that have no such basis in the mere senses, and refer solely to the mental attitude or to the mere personal pride of our neighbours. ”

“ But our concern is only with secular society, and there we find that cleanliness was considered only in so far as it was a social necessity, if indeed then; as an individual necessity or habit it scarcely appears at all. ”

“ We say then, that every act that offendeth any the common senses, or overthwarteth a mans will and desire, or els presenteth to the Imagination and conceite, matters unpleasaunt, & that likewise, which ye minde doth abhorre, such things I say bee naught, and must not be used: for we must not only refraine from such thinges as be fowle, filthy, lothsome and nastie: but we must not so muche as name them. And it is not only a fault to dooe such things, but against good maner, by any act or signe to put a man in minde of them. ”

“ Neither must wee refraine those things alone, but we must also beware we do not sing, and specialy alone, if we have an untuneable voice, which is a common fault with moste men: And yet, hee that is of nature least apt unto it, doth use it moste. So there be some kinde of men, that in coffing or neesing, make suche noise, that they make a man deafe to here them: other some use in like things, so little discretion, that they spit in mens faces that stand about them: besides these there be some, that in yauning, braye and crye out like Asses. ”

“ For mens minds and fansies doe like it, & take a pleasure and delight in those things. But I thought it good to apply & speake these matters, rather under ye badge, as it were, of the Senses and desires: then properly assigne them to the minde: that a man may the more easily perceive them: bycause It is a naturall thinge, for everie man to feele and desire: but every man cannot so generally understand, and especially that, whiche we call bewtie, gallantnes or entertainement.
It is not inoughe for a man, to doe things that be good: but hee must also have a care, hee doe them with a good grace. ”

“ But time, in the ende, discovers suche pelfe: that liers, not only doe gaine no credite, but no man vouchesafes to harken unto them, in otherwise (as the men that carry no substaunce in their woordes) then if they had saide nothing or blowne a litle winde. And you shal understand, ther be many yt use to lie, not minding any ill purpose in it, or to make their owne peculiar proffit by it, to hurt other men or shame their neighbour: onely they doe it, for a pleasure they take to tell a lie: as men that drinke 43not, all for thirst: but for a pleasure they take, to taste of the wine. ”

“ And bycause Jestes do geve us some sporte, and make us merry, and so consequently refreash our spirits: we love them that 68be pleasaunt, merry conceited, and full of solace. So that a body would thinke, I should rather persuade the contrarie: I meane, I shoulde say: It is convenient and meete in company, to use prety mockes, and otherwhile some Jestes and taunts. And without doubt, they that can stint after a friendly and gentle sort, be muche more made of, and better beloved then they that cannot skill or have no wit to doe it. ”

“ Wherfore we must not trouble men with so base and absurde matter as dreames bee: especially suche foolishe things, as most times men have. Albeit I have heard say many times, that wisemen in times past, have leaft in their bookes many sortes of dreames, conteining matters of deepe knowledge and understanding: it followeth not yet, that wee, the unlearned and common sorte of people, should use it in our familiar and common talke. ”

“ In Silence too, after a sorte, without speache, a man may tell a lesinge: I meane with his gestures and grace: as some you shall see, that being of meane, or rather base condition and calling, use suche a solemnitie in all their doings, and marche so stately, and speake with suche a prerogative, or rather discourse like Parleament men, setteling them selves, as it were, in a place of Judgement, proudly prying about them like Peacockes: that it is a very death to behold them. ”

“ So that wee are to noate, that Ceremonies are used, either for a Profit, or for a Vanitie, or for a Duetie. And every lie that is told for a mans private profit: is a deceite, a sinne, and a dishonest parte: for, in what so ever it bee, A man can never honestly lie.
And this is a common fault with flatterers, that counterfet them selves to be our friendes, and apply them selves ever to our desiers, what soever 50they be: not bycause wee would have it so, but to the ende wee should doe them some pleasure, for it. ”

“ He is interested solely in the superficial aspects of life, and an intricate or consistent philosophy would have served no other purpose than to alienate or confuse minds concerned, like his own, solely with life on its superficial side. ”

“ I beleeve, they could not lightly tell a more fowle & shamefull tale then this. We should be children still all the time of our riper yeares, & in our extreame age: and waxe as very fooles with gray hoary heads, as when we were very babes: if it were not that reason, which increaseth in us with our yeares, subdueth affections in us and growen to perfection, transformeth us from beastes in to men. So that it is well seene, shee ruleth our senses and bridleth our willes. And it is our owne Imperfection and not her faulte, if we doe swarve from vertue, goodnes, and good order in life. ”

“ But you shall finde some suche good men, as will flie asmuche as the plague, the company of such as talke so unreverently, and without respect, of the incomprehensible Majestie of God. And wee must not alone speake religiously of him: but in all our talkes wee must avoide what wee may, that our wordes may not witnes against our life and our workes. For men doe hate their owne faultes otherwhile, when they see them in another. ”

“ And you must understand, that he is pleasaunt and courteous: whose manners bee suche in his common behaviour, as practise to keepe, and maintaine him friendeship amongst them: where hee that is solleyne and waywarde, makes him selfe a straunger whersoever hee comes: a straunger, I meane, asmuch as a forreigne or alienborne: where contrariwise, he that is familiar & gentle, in what place so ever he comes: is taken for a familiar and friend with all men. ”