Excerpt from Baldassare Castiglione, the Perfect Courtier, Vol. 1 of 2: His Life and Letters, 1478-1529 The modern revival of interest in the Italian Renaissance has naturally led students to turn once more to Castiglione's Courtier, ' in whom they justly recognise the ideal representative of that great age. N 0 less than three new versions of the Cortegiano have appeared in English during the last few years. In 1900 Hoby's translation was reprinted in N utt's 'tudor Classics, ' with an excellent Introduction by Professor Raleigh, and another handsome edition, with woodcuts by Mr. Ashbee, was issued by the Essex House Press, to be followed in 1903, by a new translation, richly illustrated and carefully annotated from the pen of Mr. Opdyke. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ...whom Castiglione met at the court of Charles V., and who is often mentioned in Navagero's letters, was Soardino, the Mantuan envoy, with whom the Count had naturally much in common. Here, too, he found the Marquis Federico's youngest son Ferrante, who LETTERS TO ISABELLA 267 had spent the last year in Spain, and was a great favourite with the Emperor and the whole court, as Castiglione hastened to assure his mother. The Count had sent a letter to Isabella immediately after his arrival at Madrid, according to his promise. Now he wrote again from Toledo, reminding the Marchesa of her old wish to visit the shrine of S. Jacopo of Compostella, and telling her this was the moment to carry out her intention. 'I seem to hear you laugh, ' he adds with a spark of his old gaiety, ' and tell me that I wish to remind you of that accursed love of travel which a certain Prince of the house of Este bequeathed to all his race! But, honestly, I think the journey would please Your Excellency. I fear, however, that La Brogna will not approve of my suggestion, because she wishes to return to Mantua, and will count the pardon of Santa Croce more precious than that of S. Jacopo.'1 A few other letters which the Count addressed to different friends in Italy during this summer have been preserved. On his arrival at Madrid he wrote to Pescara's cousin, Alfonso d' Avalos, the young Marchese del Vasto, who was afterwards to become Charles V.'s favourite minister, and with whom he had made friends in Rome. Alfonso had expressed great admiration for the book of the Cortegiano, ' which Vittoria Colonna had lent him, and now the Count, whom he had lately met in Lombardy, hastened to congratulate him on the laurels which he had won at Pa via: My Dear And Most Iix'ustrious.

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