the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第61节

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！


e　profile；　must　recede　gently　and　uniformly　　in　the　direction　of　the　eyes；　where　the　cartilage　ceases；　there　may　be　　a　slight　elevation；　but　not　so　marked　as　to　make　the　nose　aquiline；　　which　is　not　pleasing　in　women；　the　lower　part　must　be　less　strongly　　colored　than　the　ears；　but　not　of　a　chilly　whiteness；　and　the　middle　　partition　above　the　lips　lightly　tinted　with　red。　The　mouth；　our　author　　would　have　rather　small；　and　neither　projecting　to　a　point；　nor　quite　　flat；　with　the　lips　not　too　thin；　and　fitting　neatly　together；　an　　accidental　opening；　that　is；　when　the　woman　is　neither　speaking　nor　　laughing；　should　not　display　more　than　six　upper　teeth。　As　delicacies　　of　detail；　he　mentions　a　dimple　in　the　upper　lip；　a　certain　fullness　of　　the　under　lip；　and　a　tempting　smile　in　the　left　corner　of　the　mouth　and　so　on。　The　teeth　should　not　be　too　small；　regular；　well　marked　off　　from　one　another；　and　of　the　color　of　ivory；　and　the　gums　must　not　be　　too　dark　or　even　like　red　velvet。　The　chin　is　to　be　round；　neither　　pointed　nor　curved　outwards；　and　growing　slightly　red　as　it　rises；　its　　glory　is　the　dimple。　The　neck　should　be　white　and　round　and　rather　long　　than　short；　with　the　hollow　and　the　Adam's　apple　but　faintly　marked；　　and　the　skin　at　every　movement　must　show　pleasing　lines。　The　shoulders　　he　desires　broad；　and　in　the　breadth　of　the　bosom　sees　the　first　　condition　of　its　beauty。　No　bone　may　be　visible　upon　it；　its　fall　and　　swell　must　be　gentle　and　gradual；　its　color　'candidissimo。'　The　leg　　should　be　long　and　not　too　hard　in　the　lower　parts；　but　still　not　　without　flesh　on　the　shin；　which　must　be　provided　with　white；　full　　calves。　He　likes　the　foot　small；　but　not　bony；　the　instep　（it　seems）　　high；　and　the　color　white　as　alabaster。　The　arms　are　to　be　white；　and　　in　the　upper　parts　tinted　with　red；　in　their　consistence　fleshy　and　　muscular；　but　still　soft　as　those　of　Pallas；　when　she　stood　before　the　　shepherd　on　Mount　Idain　a　word；　ripe；　fresh；　and　firm。　The　hand　　should　be　white；　especially　towards　the　wrist；　but　large　and　plump；　　feeling　soft　as　silk；　the　rosy　palm　marked　with　a　few；　but　distinct　and　　not　intricate　lines；　the　elevations　in　it　should　be　not　too　great；　the　　space　between　thumb　and　forefinger　brightly　colored　and　without　　wrinkles；　the　fingers　long；　delicate；　and　scarcely　at　all　thinner　　towards　the　tips；　with　nails　clear；　even；　not　too　long　nor　to　square；　　and　cut　so　as　to　show　a　white　margin　about　the　breadth　of　a　knife's　　back。

Aesthetic　principles　of　a　general　character　occupy　a　very　subordinate　　place　to　these　particulars。　The　ultimate　principles　of　beauty；　　according　to　which　the　eye　judges　'senza　appello；'　are　for　Firenzuola　a　　secret；　as　he　frankly　confesses；　and　his　definitions　of　'Leggiadria；'　　'Grazia；'　'Aria；'　'Maesta；'　'Vaghezza；'　'Venusta；'　are　partly；　as　has　　been　remarked；　philological；　and　partly　vain　attempts　to　utter　the　　unutterable。　Laughter　he　prettily　defines；　probably　following　some　old　　author；　as　a　radiance　of　the　soul。　The　literature　of　all　countries　can；　　at　the　close　of　the　Middle　Ages；　show　single　attempts　to　lay　down　　theoretic　principles　of　beauty；　but　no　other　work　can　be　compared　to　　that　of　Firenzuola。　Brantome；　who　came　a　good　half…century　later；　is　a　　bungling　critic　by　his　side；　because　governed　by　lasciviousness　and　not　　by　a　sense　of　beauty。

Description　of　Human　Life

Among　the　new　discoveries　made　with　regard　to　man；　we　must　reckon；　in　　conclusion；　the　interest　taken　in　descriptions　of　the　daily　course　of　　human　life。

The　comical　and　satirical　literature　of　the　Middle　Ages　could　not　　dispense　with　pictures　of　everyday　events。　But　it　is　another　thing；　　when　the　Italians　of　the　Renaissance　dwelt　on　this　picture　for　its　own　　sakefor　its　inherent　interest　and　because　it　forms　part　of　that　　great；　universal　life　of　the　world　whose　magic　breath　they　felt　　everywhere　around　them。　Instead　of　and　together　with　the　satirical　　comedy；　which　wanders　through　houses；　villages；　and　streets；　seeking　　food　for　its　derision　in　parson；　peasant；　and　burgher；　we　now　see　in　　literature　the　beginnings　of　a　true　_genre；　_long　before　it　found　any　　expression　in　painting。　That　_genre　_and　satire　are　often　met　with　in　　union；　does　not　prevent　them　from　being　wholly　different　things。

How　much　of　earthly　business　must　Dante　have　watched　with　attentive　　interest；　before　he　was　able　to　make　us　see　with　our　own　eyes　all　that　　happened　in　his　spiritual　world。　The　famous　pictures　of　the　busy　　movement　in　the　arsenal　at　Venice；　of　the　blind　men　laid　side　by　side　　before　the　church　door；　and　the　like；　are　by　no　means　the　only　　instances　of　this　kind：　for　the　art；　in　which　he　is　a　master；　of　　expressing　the　inmost　soul　by　the　outward　gesture；　cannot　exist　without　　a　close　and　incessant　study　of　human　life。　（Cf。　Inferno　xxi；　1…6；　　Purgatorio　xiii；　61…66。）　The　poets　who　followed　rarely　came　near　him　in　　this　respect；　and　the　novelists　were　forbidden　by　the　first　laws　of　　their　literary　style　to　linger　over　details。　Their　prefaces　and　　narratives　might　be　as　long　as　they　pleased；　but　what　we　understand　by　　_genre　_was　outside　their　province。　The　taste　for　this　class　of　　description　was　not　fully　awakened　till　the　time　of　the　revival　of　　antiquity。

And　here　we　are　again　met　by　the　man　who　had　a　heart　for　everything　Aeneas　Sylvius。　Not　only　natural　beauty；　not　only　that　which　has　an　　antiquarian　or　a　geographical　interest；　finds　a　place　in　his　　descriptions；　but　any　living　scene　of　daily　life。　Among　the　numerous　　passages　in　his　memoirs　in　which　scenes　are　described　which　hardly　one　　of　his　contemporaries　would　have　thought　worth　a　line　of　notice；　we　　will　here　only　mention　the　boat…race　on　the　Lake　of　Bolsena。　We　are　not　　able　to　detect　from　what　old　letter…writer　or　story…teller　the　impulse　　was　derived　to　which　we　owe　such　lifelike　pictures。　Indeed；　the　whole　　spiritual　communion　between　antiquity　and　the　Renaissance　is　full　of　　delicacy　and　of　mystery。

To　this　class　belong　those　descriptive　Latin　poems　of　which　we　have　　already　spokenhunting…scenes；　journeys；　ceremonies；　and　so　forth。　In　　Italian　we　also　find　something　of　the　same　kind；　as；　for　example；　the　　descriptions　of　the　famous　Medicean　tournament　by　Politian　and　Luca　　Pulci。　The　true　epic　poets；　Luigi　Pulci；　Boiardo；　and　Ariosto；　are　　carried　on　more　rapidly　by　the　stream　of　their　narrative；　yet　in　all　of　　them　we　must　recognize　the　lightness　and　precision　of　their　descriptive　　touch　as　one　of　the　chief　elements　of　their　greatness。　Franco　Sacchetti　　amuses　himself　with　repeating　the　short　speeches　of　a　troop　of　pretty　　women　caught　in　the　woods　by　a　shower　of　rain。

Other　scenes　of　moving　life　are　to　be　looked　for　in　the　military　　historians。　In　a　lengthy　poem；　dating　from　an　earlier　period；　we　find　a　　faithful　picture　of　a　combat　of　mercenary　soldiers　in　the　fourteenth　　century；　chiefly　in　the　shape　of　the　orders；　cries　of　battle；　and　　dialogue　with　which　it　is　accompanied。

But　the　most　remarkable　productions　of　this　kind　are　the　realistic　　descriptions　of　country　life；　which　are　found　most　abundantly　in　　Lorenzo　il　Magnifico　and　the　poets　of　his　circle。

Since　the　time　of　Petrarch；　an　unreal　and　conventional　style　of　bucolic　　poetry　had　been　in　vogue；　which；　whether　written　in　Latin　or　Italian；　　was　essentially　a　copy　of　Virgil。　Parallel　to　this；　we　find　the　　pastoral　novel　of　Boccaccio　and　other　works　of　the　same　kind　down　to　　the　'Arcadia'　of　Sannazaro；　and　later　still；　the　pastoral　comedy　of　　Tasso　and　Guarini。　They　are　works　whose　style；　whether　poetry　or　prose　　is　admirably　finished　and　perfect；　but　in　which　pastoral　life　is　ideal　　dress　for　sentiments　which　belong　to　a　wholly　sphere　of　culture。

But　by　the　side　of　all　this　there　appeared　in　Italian　poetry；　towards　　the　close　of　the　fifteenth　century；　signs　of　a　more　realistic　treatment　　of　rustic　life。　This　was　not　possible　out　of　Italy；　for　here　only　did　　the　peasant；　whether　laborer　or　proprietor；　possess　human　dignity；　　personal　freedom；　and　the　right　of　settlement；　hard　as　his　lot　might　　sometimes　be　in　other　respects。　The　difference　between　town　and　country　　is　far　from　being　so　marked　here　as　in　northern　countries。　Many　of　the　　smaller　towns　are　peopled　almost　exclusively　by　peasants　who；　on　coming　　home　at　nightfall　from　their　work；　are　transformed　into　townsfolk。　The　　masons　of　Como　wandered　over　nearly　all　Italy；　the　child　Giotto　was　　free　to　leave　his　sheep　and　join　a　guild　at　Florence；　everywhere　there　　was　a　human　stream　flowing　from　the　country　into　the　cities；　and　some　　mountain　populations　seemed　born　to　supply　this　current。　It　is　true　　that　the　pride　and　local　conceit　supplied　poets　and　novelists　with　　abundant　motives　for　making　game　of　the　'villano；'　and　what　they　left　　undone　was　taken　charge　of　by　the　comic　improvisers。　But　nowhere　do　we　　find　a　trace　of　that　brutal　and　contemptuous　class…hatred　against　the　　'vilains'　which　inspired　the　aristocratic　poets　of　Provence；　and　often；　　too；　the　French　chroniclers。　On　the　contrary；　Italian　authors　of　every　　sort　gladly　recognize　and　accentuate　what　is　great　or　remarkable　in　the　　life　of　the　peasant。　Gioviano　Pontano　mentions　with　admiration　　instances　of　the　fortitude　of　the　savage　inhabitants　of　the　Abruzzi