IHUM 201 Final Exam
Canzoniere
A songbook.
Autobiography excerpt
Benvenuto Cellini Making a bronze bust and arguing with a nobleman about how to do it Medusa involved Artist and Creator
"When I see the Skylark Moving"
Bernart de Ventadorn Skylark represents hope taking wing because the bird sings as it takes flight Troubadour and courtly love
"I Love the Glad Time of Easter"
Bertran de Born Troubdour and courtly love Minor nobelman whose livelihood depended on the spoils of war Against foolish heroism and Richard the Lion-hearted Malcontent (joined a revolt, imprisoned, pardoned) Dante mentions him as one of his "sowers of discord"
"My Heart is Heavy"
Betriz de Dia She was married to one troubadour but fell in love with another
The Decameron
Boccaccio Also called the "Human Comedy" Greek for "10 days" Plague setting - dark intro Group of young men and women flee to Florence and the plague and share lighthearted stories
As when some poor old man, grown pale and gray, Sets out from where he lived his whole life-tide, And from his little household terrified, Foreseeing their dear father's quick decay, Whilst his last time elapses, day by day, He still drags on from home his ancient side As best he can, with strong will fortified, Broken by years and weary of the way, And following to Rome his guiding love Sees there the holy countenance of One, Whom he hopes yet to see in heaven above. So I, outworn, hunt round at ties to view, Lady, elsewhere, so far as can be dome, The very features, that I love in you
Canzoniere Sonnet XIV Petrarch
Ashamed at times, that your fair qualities, Lady, are still unsaid by me in rhyme, I think of when I saw you first, yon time, Such that from thenceforth none beside can please, But find the weight too heavy for my knees, The work for my poor brushes too sublime; Therefore the mind, that knows its power to climb, In trying at the task, begins to freeze. Of times ere now, I oped my lips to say, But then my breath stopped short without effect, Indeed, what voice could rise to such a height! Of times I have begun to write some lay, But then the pen, the hand, the intellect Stopped, conquered at the entrance on the fight
Canzoniere Sonnet XVIII Petrarch
The Courtier
Castiglione Book is a conversation among friends A true courtier should be a person of humanist learning, impeccable ethics, refined courtesy, physical and martial skills, and fascinating conversation
I had cast the Medusa [whose severed head is held high by the victorious Perseus]—and it came out very well—and then very hopefully I brought the Perseus towards completion. I had already covered it in wax, and I promised myself that it would succeed in bronze as well as the Medusa had. The wax Perseus made a very impressive sight, and the Duke thought it extremely beautiful. It may be that someone had given him to believe that it could not come out so well in bronze, or perhaps that was his own opinion, but anyhow he came along to my house more frequently than he used to, and on one of his visits he said: "Benvenuto, this figure can't succeed in bronze, because the rules of art don't permit it." I strongly resented what his Excellency said. "My lord," I replied, "I'm aware that your Most Illustrious Excellency has little faith in me, and I imagine this comes of your putting too much trust in those who say so much evil of me, or perhaps it's because you don't understand the matter." He hardly let me finish before exclaiming: "I claim to understand and I do understand, only too well." "Yes," I answered, "like a patron, but not like an artist. If your Excellency understood the matter as you believe you do, you'd trust in me on the evidence of the fine bronze bust I made of you: that large bust of your Excellency that has been sent to Elba. And you'd trust me because of my having restored the beautiful Ganymede in marble; a thing I did with extreme difficulty and which called for much more exertion than if I had made it myself from scratch: and because of my having cast the Medusa, which is here now in your Excellency's presence; and casting that was extraordinarily difficult, seeing that I have done what no other master of this devilish art has ever done before. Look, my lord, I have rebuilt the furnace and made it very different from any other. Besides the many variations and clever refinements that it has, I've constructed two outlets for the bronze: that was the only possible way of ensuring the success of this difficult, twisted figure. It only succeeded so well because of my inventiveness and shrewdness, and no other artist ever thought it possible. "Be certain of this, my lord, that the only reason for my succeeding so well with all the important and difficult work I did in France for that marvelous King Francis was because of the great encouragement I drew from his generous allowances and from the way that he met my request for workmen—there were times when I made use of more than forty, all of my own choice. That was why I made so much in so short a time. Now, my lord, believe what I say, and let me have the assistance I need, since I have every hope of finishing a work that will please you. But if your Excellency discourages me and refuses the assistance I need, I can't produce good results, and neither could anyone else no matter who." The Duke had to force himself to stay and listen to my arguments; he was turning now one way and now another, and, as for me, I was sunk in despair, and I was suffering agonies as I began to recall the fine circumstances I had been in [when] in France. All at once the Duke said: "Now tell me, Benvenuto, how can you possibly succeed with this beautiful head of Medusa, way up there in the hand of the Perseus?" Straight away I replied: "Now see, my lord: if your Excellency understood this art as you claim to then you wouldn't be worried about that head not succeeding; but you'd be right to be anxious about the right foot, which is so far down." At this, half in anger, the Duke suddenly turned to some noblemen who were with him and said: "I believe the man does it from self-conceit, contradicting everything." . . . Seeing that the work was so successful I immediately went to Pisa to find my Duke. He welcomed me as graciously as you can imagine, and the Duchess did the same. Although their majordomo had sent them news about everything, it seemed to their Excellencies far more of a stupendous and marvelous experience to hear me tell of it in person. When I came to the foot of the Perseus which had not come out—just as I had predicted to his Excellency—he was filled with astonishment and he described to the Duchess how I had told him this beforehand. Seeing how pleasantly my patrons were treating me I begged the Duke's permission to go to Rome.
Cellini The Autobiography
The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer Pilgrams exchanging tales
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye . . . In the springtime people long to go on pilgrimages, and . . . to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blissful martir for to seke That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Middle English
When that April with his showers soft The drought of March has pierced to the root, And bathed every vein5 in such moisture By whose power is engendered the flower; When Zephyrus6 also with his sweet breath Has inspired in every hill and field The tender crops, and the young sun Has in the Ram7 his half course run And small birds make melody, That sleep all night with open eye . . . When these springtime events are afoot, people long to go on pilgrimages. . . . to Canterbury they travel, The holy blessed martyr there to seek Who had helped them when they were sick.
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Modern English
The Book of the City of Ladies
Christine de Pisan Similar in structure to Augustine's City of God Stories of famous women Early feminist
Brother, the power of love, which is our bliss, calms all our will. What we desire, we have. There is in us no other thirst than this. Were we to wish for any higher sphere, then our desire would not be in accord with the high will of Him who wills us here; and if love is our whole being, and if you weigh love's nature well, then you will see that discord can have no place among these circles. Nay, the essence of this blessed state of being is to hold all our will within His will, whereby our wills are one and all-agreeing.
Dante Divine Comedy Speaker: Piccarda Donati
"On a day for dalliance we read the rhyme of Lancelot, how love had mastered him. We were alone with innocence and dim time. Pause after pause that high old story drew our eyes together while we blushed and paled; but it was one soft passage overthrew our caution and our hearts. For when we read how her fond smile was kissed by such a lover, he who is one with me alive and dead breathed on my lips the tremor of his kiss. That book, and he who wrote it, was a pander. That day we read no further." As she said this, the other spirit, who stood by her, wept so piteously, I felt my senses reel and faint away with anguish. I was swept by such a swoon as death is, and I fell, as a corpse might fall, to the dead floor of Hell
Dante's inferno
And watching their shadows lashed by wind, I cried: "Master, what souls are these the very air lashes with its black whips from side to side?" "The first of these whose history you would know," he answered me, "was Empress of many tongues. Mad sensuality corrupted her so that to hide the guilt of her debauchery she licensed all debauchery alike, and lust and law were one in her decree. She is Semiramis of whom the tale is told how she married Ninus and succeeded him to the throne of that wide land the Sultans hold. The other is Dido; faithless to the ashes of Sichaeus, she killed herself for love. The next whom the eternal tempest lashes is sense-drugged Cleopatra. See Helen there, from whom such ill arose. And great Achilles, who fought at last with love in the house of prayer. And Paris. And Tristan." As they whirled above he pointed out more than a thousand shades of those torn from the mortal life by love.
Dante's inferno
I AM THE WAY INTO THE CITY OF WOE. I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN PEOPLE. I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL SORROW. SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ARCHITECT. I WAS RAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE, PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT. ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR WERE MADE BEFORE ME, AND BEYOND TIME I STAND. ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE.
Dante's inferno
My tranced being stared fixed and motionless upon that vision, ever more fervent to see in the act of seeing, Experiencing that Radiance, the spirit is so indrawn it is impossible even to think of ever turning from it. For the good which is the will's ultimate object is all subsumed in It; and, being removed, all is defective which in It is perfect. Now in my recollection of the rest I have less power to speak than any infant wetting its tongue yet at its mother's breast
Dante's paradiso
In Praise of Folly*
Erasmus of Rotterdam Christian Humanist, against corruption in religion Seems humorous, but below the surface there are strong denunciations of corruption, evil, ignorance, and prejudice in society
"A New Song for New Days"
Guillem de Peiteus Troubadour French nobleman Excommunicated twice from the church
And I love just as much the lord, When he is first in the assault Astride his horse, armed, unafraid; Thus he emboldens his vassals With valiant and lordly deeds. And then when battle is joined, Each man must hold himself ready And follow him with a light heart, For no man is of any worth, Till he's given what he's received. When the battle has been engaged, Any truly noble man Wants only to cleave heads and arms, Better off dead than caught alive.
I love the Glad time of Easter Bertran de Born
Letter to Bibulus Sempronius*
Laura Cereta Early feminist When 9, sent to convent to be educated (support of father) Responses to male and female critics
Letter to Lucilia Vernacula*
Laura Cereta Early feminist When 9, sent to convent to be educated (support of father) Responses to male and female critics
On the Death of her Husband*
Laura Cereta Early feminist When 9, sent to convent to be educated (support of father) Responses to male and female critics MARRIED at 15, husband died 18 months later Softer, more vulnerable side
My ears are wearied by your carping. You brashly and publicly not merely wonder but indeed lament that I am said to possess as fine a mind as nature ever bestowed upon the most learned man. You seem to think that so learned a woman has scarcely before been seen in the world. You are wrong on both counts, Sempronius, and have clearly strayed from the path of truth and disseminate falsehood. I agree that you should be grieved, indeed, you should be ashamed, for you have ceased to be a living man, but have become an animated stone; having rejected the studies which make men wise, you rot in torpid leisure. Not nature but your own soul has betrayed you, deserting virtue for the easy path of sin. . . . Only the question of the rarity of outstanding women remains to be addressed. The explanation is clear: women have been able by nature to be exceptional, but have chosen lesser goals. For some women are concerned with parting their hair correctly, adorning themselves with lovely dresses, or decorating their fingers with pearls and other gems. Others delight in mouthing carefull composed phrases, indulging in dancing, or managing spoiled puppies. Still others wish to gaze at lavish banquet tables, to rest in sleep, or, standing at mirrors, to smear their lovely faces. But those in whom a deeper integrity yearns for virtue, restrain from the start their youthful souls, reflect on higher things, harden the body with sobriety and trials, and curb their tongues, open their ears, compose their thoughts in wakeful hours, their minds in contemplation, to letters bonded to righteousness. For knowledge is not given as a gift, but [is gained] with diligence. The free mind, not shirking effort, always soars zealously toward the good, and the desire to know grows ever more wide and deep. It is because of no special holiness, therefore, that we [women] are rewarded by God the Giver with the gift of exceptional talent. Nature has generously lavished its gifts upon all people, opening to all the doors of choice through which reason sends envoys to the will, from which they learn and convey its desires. The will must choose to exercise the gift of reason.
Laura Cereta From Letter to Bibulus Sempronius
I thought their tongues should have been fine-sliced and their hearts hacked to pieces—those men whose perverted minds and inconceivable hostility [fueled by] vulgar envy so flamed that they deny, stupidly ranting, that women are able to attain eloquence in Latin. [But] I might have forgiven those pathetic men, doomed to rascality, whose patent insanity I lash with unleashed tongue. But I cannot bear the babbling and chattering women, glowing with drunkenness and wine, whose impudent words harm not only our sex but even more themselves. Empty-headed, they put their heads together and draw lots from a stockpot to elect each other [number one]; but any women who excel they seek out and destroy with the venom of their envy. A wanton and bold plea indeed for ill-fortune and unkindness! Breathing viciousness, while she strives to besmirch her better, she befouls herself; for she who does not yearn to be sinless desires [in effect] license to sin. Thus these women, lazy with sloth and insouciance, abandon themselves to an unnatural vigilance; like scarecrows hung in gardens to ward off birds, they tackle all those who come into range with a poisonous tongue. Why should it behoove me to find this barking, snorting pack of provocateurs worthy of my forbearance, when important and distinguished gentlewomen always esteem and honor me? I shall not allow the base sallies of arrogance to pass, absolved by silence, lest my silence be taken for approval or lest women leading this shameful life attract to their licentiousness crowds of fellow-sinners. Nor should anyone fault me for impatience, since even dogs are permitted to claw at pesty flies.
Laura Cereta Letter to Lucilia vernacula
We have soiled our grieving faces enough. Enough has the sickness of a grieving heart afflicted this mournful life. And although no one can escape the ineluctable law of death; although she, the avenger, strikes down even the Gods; and although all things grow old and die, nonetheless it is not wrong to mourn the things we love, nor does the reason for mourning easily leave the heart. I know: he had lived on the brink of dying, for death— the end of nature—unmakes all things. We are all dust and shadow, but the days of men are unlike one another; unlike are their misfortunes, and unlike their ends. While I have lived, my prayers have come to naught. This life will ever be the nurse of my misery, I believe. But let the injury, forgotten for a short while, be restored to its place in history—the injury which, because of one man's death, has cruelly and unjustly pried up, lacerated, and dismembered my life, once quiet as though selected in safety. Surely my husband's spirit now lies among the shades; and now unspeakable marble kisses his limbs. Now that ashy dust sighs in my ears, now one cave awaits me who lives among the living. For the dead, this life is a dream, whose course hangs over all humans like a brief watch in the night. And so, if I thought that it was completely unclear how the events of my life would proceed and in what order, and if you cared about these things, I would describe them more fully and at greater length—if my mind should ever become conscious of itself.
Laura Cereta On the death of her husband
Letter of Application to Ludovico Sforza
Leonardo da Vinci Wanted to work for him Kind of like a resume Inventor (especially to make war easier) How this show that Leonardo da Vinci is a Renaissance Man
The Prince
Machiavelli Treatise on politics Dedicated to Giuliano de'Medici First purely secular study of political theory in the West Believed the church's role in politics destroyed the power of the state to govern Okay to borrow money to fund things
"Launfal"
Marie de France Courtly love Launfal is a forgotten knight Powerful, wealthy woman provides everything Launfal could ever want as long as he is loyal to her He refuses to love her His lady is a secular version of the Virgin Mary, she saves him
The master-craftsman hath no thought in mind That one sole marble block may not contain Within itself, but this we only find When the hand serves the impulse of the brain; The good I seek, the harm from which I fly, Lady, divinely proud and fair, even so Are hid in thee, and therefore I must die Because my art is impotent to show My heart's desire; hence love I cannot blame, Nor beauty in thee, nor thy scorn, nor ill Fortune, nor good for this my pain, since life Within thy heart thou bearest at the same Moment as death, and yet my little skill Revealeth death alone for all its strife.
Michelangelo
Oh noble lover, most courtly knight, If but once I could hold you as my jewel, Lie with you just one night, Share with you a single kiss- How I long to be with you Lying in my husband's bed; If only you would promise me this, That you would grant my heartfelt wish
My Heart is Heavy Beatriz, Comtessa de Dia
Avignon papcy
Period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (now in France) rather than in Rome.
In view of these considerations, I have ventured to bring together various dicta of the holy fathers, as they came to mind, and to formulate certain questions which were suggested by the seeming contradictions in the statements. These questions ought to serve to excite tender readers to a zealous inquiry into truth and so sharpen their wits. The master key of knowledge is, indeed, a persistent and frequent questioning. Aristotle, the most clear-sighted of all the philosophers, was desirous above all things else to arouse this questioning spirit, for in his Categories he exhorts a student as follows: "It may well be difficult to reach a positive conclusion in these matters unless they be frequently discussed. It is by no means fruitless to be doubtful on particular points." By doubting we come to examine, and by examining we reach the truth.
Pete Abelard Sic et Non
Sic et Non
Peter Abelard Combined conflicting opinions concerning theological matters with contradictory passages from the Bible, then tried to reconcile the divergences Scholasticism Similar to Thomas Aquinas (balanced view of religion)
But an explicit exception must be made in the case of the Old and New Testaments. In the Scriptures, when anything strikes us as absurd, we may not say that the writer erred, but that the scribe made a blunder in copying the manuscripts, or that there is an error in interpretation, or that the passage is not understood.
Peter Abelard Sic et Non
The Canzoniere
Petrarch "Songbook" More than 300 sonnets and 49 canzoni (songs) Most of these are about the love of his life, Laura
"It would seem that man cannot attain happiness. For just as the rational is above the sensible nature, so the intellectual is above the rational, as Dionysius declares in several passages. But irrational animals that have the sensitive nature only, cannot attain the end of the rational nature. Therefore neither can man, who is of rational nature, attain the end of the intellectual nature, which is happiness"
Speaking: Thomas Aquinas Work: Summa Theologica Author: Thomas Aquinas
"The Canticle of Brother Sun"
St. Francis of Assisi Really holy person who loved nature and animals Followers were "little brothers" Wanted his followers to sing this on their preaching journeys One of the earliest poems written in Italian Love for nature
It was necessary for man's salvation that there should be a knowledge revealed by God besides philosophical science built up by human reason. Firstly, indeed, because man is directed to God, as to an end that surpasses the grasp of his reason: "The eye hath not seen, O God, besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that wait for Thee" (Is. 66:4). . . . Hence it was necessary for the salvation of man that certain truths which exceed human reason should be made known to him by divine revelation. Even as regards those truths about God which human reason could have discovered, it was necessary that man should be taught by a divine revelation; because the truth about God such as reason could discover, would only be known by a few, and that after a long time, and with the admixture of many errors. Whereas man's whole salvation, which is in God, depends upon the knowledge of this truth. Therefore, in order that the salvation of men might be brought about more fitly and more surely, it was necessary that they should be taught divine truths by divine revelation. It was therefore necessary that besides philosophical science built up by reason, there should be a sacred science learned through revelation. Reply to Objection 1: Although those things which are beyond man's knowledge may not be sought for by man through his reason, nevertheless, once they are revealed by God, they must be accepted by faith. Hence the sacred text continues, "For many things are shown to thee above the understanding of man" (Ecclus. 3:25). And in this, the sacred science consists. Reply to Objection 2: Sciences are differentiated according to the various means through which knowledge is obtained. For the astronomer and the physicist both may prove the same conclusion: that the earth, for instance, is round: the astronomer by means of mathematics (i.e., abstracting from matter), but the physicist by means of matter itself. Hence there is no reason why those things which may be learned from philosophical science, so far as they can be known by natural reason, may not also be taught us by another science so far as they fall within revelation. Hence theology included in sacred doctrine differs in kind from that theology which is part of philosophy.
Summa Theologica Thomas Aquinas
Centering (also called scaffolding)
Temporary structure on which stones or arch or vault are laid during construction.
This Sappho had a beautiful body and face and was agreeable and pleasant in appearance, conduct, and speech. But the charm of her profound understanding surpassed all the other charms with which she was endowed, for she was expert and learned in several arts and sciences, and she was not only well-educated in the works and writings composed by others but also discovered many new things herself and wrote many books and poems. Concerning her, Boccaccio has offered these fair words couched in the sweetness of poetic language: "Sappho, possessed of sharp wit and burning desire for constant study in the midst of bestial and ignorant men, frequented the heights of Mount Parnassus, that is, of perfect study. Thanks to her fortunate boldness and daring, she kept company with the Muses, that is, the arts and sciences, without being turned away. She entered the forest of laurel trees filled with may boughs, greenery, and different colored flowers, soft fragrances and various aromatic spices, where Grammar, Logic, noble Rhetoric, Geometry, and Arithmetic live and take their leisure. She went on her way until she came to the deep grotto of Apollo, god of learning, and found the brook and conduit of the fountain of Castalia, and took up the plectrum and quill of the harp and played sweet melodies, with the nymphs all the while leading the dance, that is, following the rules of harmony and musical accord." From what Boccaccio says about her, it should be inferred that the profundity of both her understanding and of her learned books can only be known and understood by men of great perception and learning, according to the testimony of the ancients. Her writings and poems have survived to this day, most remarkably constructed and composed, and they serve as illumination and models of consummate poetic craft and composition to those who have come afterward. She invented different genres of lyric and poetry, short narratives, tearful laments and strange lamentations about love and other emotions, and these were so well made and so well ordered that they were named "Sapphic" after her. Giovanni Andrea, a solemn law professor in Bologna not quite sixty years ago, was not of the opinion that it was bad for women to be educated. He had a fair and good daughter, named Novella, who was educated in the law to such an advanced degree that when he was occupied by some task and not at leisure to present his lectures to his students, he would send Novella, his daughter, in his place to lecture to the students from his chair. And to prevent her beauty from distracting the concentration of her audience, she had a little curtain drawn in front of her. Not all men (and especially the wisest) share the opinion that it is bad for women to be educated. But it is very true that many foolish men have claimed this because it displeased them that women knew more than they did. Your father, who was a great scientist and philosopher, did not believe that women were worth less by knowing science; rather, as you know, he took great pleasure from seeing your inclination to learning. The feminine opinion of your mother, however, who wished to keep you busy with spinning and silly girlishness, following the common custom of women, was the major obstacle to your being more involved in the sciences.
The Book of the City of Ladies Christine de Pisan
A young student from Oxford rode with us too, Who'd begun his study of logic long ago. As lean was his horse as is a rake, And he himself was thin, I undertake; He looked emaciated, burdened down with care, His outer jacket was shabby and threadbare; For he had not yet obtained a pulpit, Nor for a worldly job would he be fit. For he would rather have at his bed's head Twenty books, each clad in black or red, Of Aristotle and his philosophy, Than rich robes, or fiddles, or gay psaltery. Above all he was a philosopher; With little money and abiding hunger. But all that he might borrow from a friend On books and learning he would surely spend. And busily he'd pray God to keep the souls Of patrons who supported him in schools. Of study took he the utmost care and heed. Not one word spoke he more than his need, The style and reverence of his diction turning Dignified, commanding, fraught with deepest meaning. Thus flowing with moral virtue was his speech, And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach
The Canterbury Tales Chaucer
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord To you alone belongs praise and glory, Honor and blessing. No one is worthy to breathe your name. Be praised, my Lord, for all your creatures. In the first place for [per] the blessed Brother Sun who gives us the day and enlightens us through You. He is beautiful and radiant in his great splendor Giving witness to You, most omnipotent One. Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars Formed by You so bright, precious, and beautiful. Be praised, My Lord, for Brother Wind and the airy skies so cloudy and serene. For every weather, be praised because it is life giving. Be praised, My Lord, for Sister Water so necessary yet humble, precious, and chaste. Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire who lights up the night. He is beautiful and carefree, robust and fierce. Be praised, my Lord, for our sister, Mother Earth who nourishes and watches over us while bringing forth abundant fruits and colored flowers and herbs. Be praised, my Lord, for those who pardon through Your love and bear witness and trial. Blessed are those who endure in peace for they will be crowned by You, Most High. Be praised, my Lord, for our sister, bodily death. Whom no one living can escape. Woe to those who die in sin. Blessed are those who discover Thy holy will. The second death will do them no harm. Praise and bless the Lord. Render Him thanks. Serve Him with great humility. Amen.
The Canticle of Brother Sun Saint Francis of Assisi
Perhaps it would be better to pass silently over the theologians. Dealing with them, since they are hot-tempered, is like . . . eating poisonous beans. They may attack me with six hundred arguments and force me to retract what I hold; for if I refuse, they will immediately declare me a heretic. . . . These theologians are happy in their self-love, and as if they were presently inhabiting a third heaven, they look down on all men as though they were animals that crawled along the ground, coming near to pity them. They are protected by a wall of scholastic definitions, arguments, corollaries, and implicit and explicit propositions. . . . They come forth with newly invented terms and monstrous sounding words. Furthermore, they explain the most mysterious matters to suit themselves, for instance, the method by which the world was set in order and began, through what channels original sin has come down to us through generations, by what means, in what measure, and how long the Omnipotent Christ was in the Virgin's womb, and how accidents subsist in the Eucharist without their substance. . . . And furthermore, they draw exact pictures of every part of hell, as though they had spent many years in that region. They also fabricate new heavenly regions as imagination dictates, adding the biggest of all and the finest, for there must be a suitable place for the blessed souls to take their walks, to entertain at dinner, or even to play a game of ball.
The Praise of Folly Erasmus
Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word. You must know there are two ways of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. . . . A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimate reasons to excuse this nonobservance. Of this endless modern examples could be given, showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best. But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.
The Prince Machiavelli
I've lost all my hope in women; I'll place my faith in them no more; Just as I used to support them, From this point on I'll let them go. Since I see none to help against The one who ruins and confounds me, I'll disbelieve and fear them all, For I know well they're all alike.
When I See the Skylark Moving Bernart de Ventadorn Women are ruinous and impossible for men to understand
Canto
A principal division of a long poem.
Chiaroscuro
An artistic technique in which subtle gradations of value create the illusion of rounded three-dimensional forms in space; also termed modeling (from Italian for "light-dark").
The Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise)
Dante Journey through hell
Midway in our life's journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood. How shall I say what wood that was! I never saw so drear, so rank, so arduous a wilderness! Its very memory gives a shape to fear.
Dante's inferno
Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secrets, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below. 1. I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridge, adapted to be most easily carried, and with it you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy. 2. I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions. 3. If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock, etc. 4. Again, I have kinds of mortars; most convenient and easy to carry; and with these I can fling small stones almost resembling a storm; and with the smoke of these cause great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion. 5. And if the fight should be at sea I have kinds of many machines most efficient for offense and defense; and vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes. I have means by secret and tortuous mines and ways, made without noise, to reach a designated spot, even if it were needed to pass under a trench or a river. I will make covered chariots, safe and unattackable, which, entering among the enemy with their artillery, there is no body of men so great but they would break them. And behind these, infantry could follow quite unhurt and without any hindrance. In case of need I will make big guns, mortars, and light ordnance of fine and useful forms, out of the common type. Where the operation of bombardment might fail, I would contrive catapults, mangonels, trabocchi, and other machines of marvelous efficacy and not in common use. And in short, according to the variety of cases, I can contrive various and endless means of offense and defense. In times of peace I believe I can give perfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings public and private; and in guiding water from one place to another. I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may. Again, the bronze horse may be taken in hand, which is to be to the immortal glory and eternal honor of the prince your father of happy memory, and of the illustrious house of Sforza. And if any of the above-named things seem to anyone to be impossible or not feasible, I am most ready to make the experiment in your park, or in whatever place may please your Excellency—to whom I commend myself with the utmost humility, etc.
Leonardo da Vinci Letter Application to Ludovico Sforza
The Magnifico Giuliano at once replied: "The poor creatures do not wish to become men in order to make themselves more perfect but to gain their freedom and shake off the tyranny that men have imposed on them by their one-sided authority."
The Courtier Castiglione
"Leaving aside, therefore, those virtues of the mind which she must have in common with the courtier, such as prudence, magnanimity, continence and many others besides, and also the qualities that are common to all kinds of women, such as goodness and discretion, the ability to take good care, if she is married, of her husband's belongings and house and children, and the virtues belonging to a good mother, I say that the lady who is at Court should properly have, before all else, a certain pleasing affability whereby she will know how to entertain graciously every kind of man with charming and honest conversation, suited to the time and the place and the rank of the person with whom she is talking. And her serene and modest behavior, and the candor that ought to inform all her actions, should be accompanied by a quick and vivacious spirit by which she shows her freedom from boorishness; but with such a virtuous manner that she makes herself thought no less chaste, prudent and benign than she is pleasing, witty and discreet. Thus she must observe a certain difficult mean, composed as it were of contrasting qualities, and take care not to stray beyond certain fixed limits." . . . The Magnifico laughed and said: "You still cannot help displaying your ill-will towards women, signor Gaspare. But I was truly convinced that I had said enough, and especially to an audience such as this; for I hardly think there is anyone here who does not know, as far as recreation is concerned, that it is not becoming for women to handle weapons, ride, play the game of tennis, wrestle or take part in other sports that are suitable for men." Then the Unico Aretino remarked: "Among the ancients women used to wrestle naked with men; but we have lost that excellent practice, along with many others." Cesare Gonzaga added: "And in my time I have seen women play tennis, handle weapons, ride, hunt and take part in nearly all the sports that a knight can enjoy." The Magnifico replied: "Since I may fashion this lady my own way, I do not want her to indulge in these robust and manly exertions, and, moreover, even those that are suited to a woman I should like her to practice very circumspectly and with the gentle delicacy we have said is appropriate to her. For example, when she is dancing I should not wish to see her use movements that are too forceful and energetic." . . . The Magnifico Giuliano . . . remarked: "It appears to me that you have advanced a very feeble argument for the imperfection of women. And, although this is not perhaps the right time to go into subtleties, my answer, based both on a reliable authority and on the simple truth, is that the substance of anything whatsoever cannot receive of itself either more or less; thus just as one stone cannot, as far as its essence is concerned, be more perfectly stone than another stone, nor one piece of wood more perfectly wood than another piece, so one man cannot be more perfectly man than another; and so, as far as their formal substance is concerned, the male cannot be more perfect than the female, since both the one and the other are included under the species man, and they differ in their accidents and not their essence. You may then say that man is more perfect than woman if not as regards essence then at least as regards accidents; and to this I reply that these accidents must be the properties either of the body or of the mind. Now if you mean the body, because man is more robust, more quick and agile, and more able to endure toil, I say that this is an argument of very little validity since among men themselves those who possess these qualities more than others are not more highly regarded on that account; and even in warfare, when for the most part the work to be done demands exertion and strength, the strongest are not the most highly esteemed. If you mean the mind, I say that everything men can understand, women can too; and where a man's intellect can penetrate, so along with it can a woman's."
The Courtier Castiglione
Black death
The epidemic form of the bubonic plague, which killed as much as half the population of Western Europe in the mid-14th century.
Summa Theologica
Thomas Aquinas Wanted to reconcile human learning with supernatural truths revealed by God
Ars Nova
A 14th-century style of music characterized by freedom and variety of melody, as contrasted with stricter 13th- century music.
Such sweetness spreads through these new days: As woods leaf out, each bird must raise In pure bird-Latin of its kind The melody of a new song. It's only fair a man should find His peace with what he's sought so long. . . . That morning comes to mind once more We two made peace in our long war; She, in good grace, was moved to give Her ring to me with true love's oaths. God grant me only that I live To get my hands beneath her clothe
A New Song for New Days Guillem de Peiteus Troubadour
Cantus firmus mass
A cyclical mass where all the movements are based on a single Gregorian chant.
Chanson mass
A mass written using a common/folk song as the base Used by Dufay primarily.
