MARIELLO, _La Cronologia del Cortegiano_ (Pisa, 1895). JOLY, _De B.C. opere cui titulus Il Cortegiano_ (Cadomi, 1856). TOBLER, _C. und sein Hofmann_, in Schweizer Museum, 1884. VALMAGGI, _Per le fonti del Corteg._, in _Giornale cit._, XIV., 72. GERINI, _Gli scrittori pedagog. ital. d. Sec. XVI._ (Torino, 1897), p. 43.] The title _Il Cortegiano_,[*28] literally the Courtier, may be appropriately translated, "the mirror of a perfect courtier." The author intended it, to use the words of his preface, "as a portraiture of the court of Urbino, not by the hand of Raffaele or Michael Angelo, but by an inferior artist, whose capacity attains no further than a general outline, without decking truth in attractive colours, or flattering it by skilful perspective."[*29] But laying aside metaphor, he thus accounts for the origin of his undertaking. "After the death of the Lord Guidobaldo of Montefeltro Duke of Urbino, I, with several other knights who had been in his household, remained in the service of Duke Francesco Maria della Rovere, his heir and successor in that state. And as the fragrant influence continued fresh upon my mind of the deceased Duke's virtues, and of the pleasure I had for some years enjoyed in the amiable society of the excellent persons who then frequented his court, I was induced from these reflections to write a treatise of THE COURTIER. This I accomplished in a few days, with the intention of subsequently correcting the errors incidental to so hasty a composition." [Footnote *28: In the _Lettera Dedicatoria_. Cf. Ed. Cian, _op. cit._, p. 4.] [Footnote *29: This is the opening of the _Lettera Dedicatoria_ to Don Michel de Silva, Bishop of Viseo.] [Illustration: _Alinari_ PORTRAIT OF A LADY, HER HAIR DRESSED IN THE MANNER OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY _From the picture by ? Verrocchio [Transcriber's Note: now attributed to Piero del Pollaiolo] in Poldo-Pezzoli Collection, Milan_] The point which he undertakes is "to state what I consider the courtiership most befitting a gentleman in attendance on princes, whereby he may best be taught and enabled to perform towards them all seemly service, so as to obtain their favour and general applause; to explain, in short, what a courtier in all respects perfect ought to be."[*30] [Footnote *30: Opening paragraph of first book. Ed. Cian, p. 11.]