A Renaissance Courtesy-book: Galateo of Manners & BehavioursDella Casa, Giovanni
Philosophy
A Renaissance Courtesy-book: Galateo of Manners & Behaviours
Della Casa, Giovanni
Courtesy -- Early works to 1800; Etiquette -- Early works to 1800
You must smell, neither of sweete nor of sower: for a gentleman would
not savour nastily like a begger: nè del maschio venga odore di femina
o di meretrice. I doe not by this forbid, but you may very well use
some sweete smelles of sweete waters.
Your apparell must be shaped according to the fashion of the time, and
your calling, for the causes I have shewed you before. For, We must not
take uppon us to alter customes at our will. For time doth beget them,
and time doth also weare them out.
Every man may applie those fashions, that be in common use, y^e 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. But, whatsoever it be thou wearest, let it be fit and
well made for thy bodie: least thou seme to brave it, in another mans
cloathes.
But with all, thou must in any case respect thy condition or estate.
For, A man of the Clergie, must not be attired like a Souldier:
nor a Souldier goe like a Player. When Castruccio was in Rome with
Lodovico Bavero at a greate Pompe, and triumphe: who was both Duke of
Lucca and Pistoia, and Count of Palazzo, and Senatour of Rome: this
Castruccio, being Lorde greate Maister of the saide Lodovico Bavero his
househoulde: for his bravery, made him a coate of crimsin, uppon the
brest wherof, there was this devise, in letters of Golde
It is even as God will.
And uppon the backe behinde.
And it shallbe as God will.
I beleeve, you thinke this garment, would have become Castruccio his
Trumpeter better, then it could become him.
And although Kings be free from checke, and may doe what they list:
Yet, I could never commend King Manfrede, Whoe ever more used, to suite
him selfe in greene. Wee must then have a care, that our apparell be
not onely wel made for the bodie: but that it be meete for our calling.
And withall, it be suche, as the countrie doth use, where wee live.
For, As in divers places be divers measures, and yet bying and selling
every where used: So in sundry landes be sundrie customes, and yet
every where a man may behave him, and apparell him selfe, soberly and
comely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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