NOTES TO THE FIRST BOOK OF THE COURTIER Castiglione's day. Varchi (1502-1565) informs us that the vernacular was generally despised in the Florence of that time, and adds: "And I remember, when I was a lad, that the first and most important command Avhich fathers usually gave to their children, and masters to their pupils, was that they must on no account whatever read anything in the vulgar tongue." Note 117, page 59. In the Vita Nuova (c. 25), Dante says: "And the first who began to speak like a native poet was moved thereto because he would have his words understood of woman." Note 118, page 59. ARISTIPPUS, {flor. 400 B.C.), was a Greek philosopher, whose school took its name from his birthplace, Cyrene in Africa. He was for some time a follower of Socrates, and afterwards lived at the court of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse. Diogenes Laertius relates that when Aris- tippus was asked what was the greatest thing he had gained from philosophy, he replied: "The power to meet all men with confidence." Note 119, page 60. Among Plutarch's works is a tract entitled "How to Tell Friend from Flatterer." In 1532 Erasmus published a Latin version of it dedi- cated to Henry VIII of England. Note 120, page 61. The first quatrain of a well-known sonnet by Petrarch: Giunto Alessandro alia famosa totnba Delfero Achille, sospirando disse: O fortunato , che si chiara tromba Troztasti, e chi di te si alto scrisse! of which Mr. John Jay Chapman has kindly furnished the following translation: W^hen Alexander reached the sacred mound "Where dread Achilles sleeps, " O child of Fame," He sighed. " Thy deeds are happy that they found Old Homer's tongue to clarion thy name." In his oration Pro Archia, Cicero describes Alexander as exclaiming: "O for- tunate youth, who found Homer as herald of thy valour!" {O fortunate, inquit, adulesceus qui tuce mrtutis Homerum prceconem inveneris/). Note 121, page 62. In an earlier version, this passage reads: "Grasso de' Medici will in this matter have the same advantage over Messer Pietro Bembo that a hogshead has over a barrel." Bembo was slender, while Grasso (fat man) was probably the nickname of a corpulent soldier in the service of the Medici, possibly identical with a certain Grasso to whom Bembo desired to be commended in a letter to Bibbiena, 5 February 1506. Note 122, page 63. The instrument used in Socrates's time (KiOdpa) was cer- 348
