Sketches and Studies in Italy and Greece, Vol III | Page 6

shall be made a knight; hereof he fain would
be right worthy found, And therefore pledgeth lands and castles round
To furnish all that fits a man of might. Meat, bread and wine he gives
to many a wight; Capons and pheasants on his board abound, Where
serving men and pages march around; Choice chambers, torches, and
wax candle light. Barbed steeds, a multitude, are in his thought, Mailed
men at arms and noble company, Spears, pennants, housing cloths,
bells richly wrought. Musicians following with great barony And
jesters through the land his state have brought, With dames and
damsels whereso rideth he.
The subject having thus been introduced, Folgore treats the ceremonies
of investiture by an allegorical method, which is quite consistent with
his own preference of images to ideas. Each of the four following
sonnets presents a picture to the mind, admirably fitted for artistic
handling. We may imagine them to ourselves wrought in arras for a
sumptuous chamber. The first treats of the bath, in which, as we have
seen already from Sacchetti's note, the aspirant after knighthood puts
aside all vice, and consecrates himself anew. Prodezza, or Prowess,
must behold him nude from head to foot, in order to assure herself that
the neophyte bears no blemish; and this inspection is an allegory of
internal wholeness.
Lo Prowess, who despoileth him straightway, And saith: 'Friend, now
beseems it thee to strip; For I will see men naked, thigh and hip, And
thou my will must know and eke obey; And leave what was thy wont

until this day, And for new toil, new sweat, thy strength equip; This do,
and thou shalt join my fellowship, If of fair deeds thou tire not nor cry
nay.' And when she sees his comely body bare, Forthwith within her
arms she him doth take, And saith: 'These limbs thou yieldest to my
prayer; I do accept thee, and this gift thee make, So that thy deeds may
shine for ever fair; My lips shall never more thy praise forsake.'
After courage, the next virtue of the knightly character is gentleness or
modesty, called by the Italians humility. It is this quality which makes a
strong man pleasing to the world, and wins him favour. Folgore's
sonnet enables us to understand the motto of the great Borromeo
family--Humilitas, in Gothic letters underneath the coronet upon their
princely palace fronts.
Humility to him doth gently go, And saith: 'I would in no wise weary
thee; Yet must I cleanse and wash thee thoroughly, And I will make
thee whiter than the snow. Hear what I tell thee in few words, for so
Fain am I of thy heart to hold the key; Now must thou sail
henceforward after me; And I will guide thee as myself do go. But one
thing would I have thee straightway leave; Well knowest thou mine
enemy is pride; Let her no more unto thy spirit cleave: So leal a friend
with thee will I abide That favour from all folk thou shalt receive; This
grace hath he who keepeth on my side.'
The novice has now bathed, approved himself to the searching eyes of
Prowess, and been accepted by Humility. After the bath, it was
customary for him to spend a night in vigil; and this among the Teutons
should have taken place in church, alone before the altar. But the Italian
poet, after his custom, gives a suave turn to the severe discipline. His
donzel passes the night in bed, attended by Discretion, or the virtue of
reflection. She provides fair entertainment for the hours of vigil, and
leaves him at the morning with good counsel. It is not for nothing that
he seeks knighthood, and it behoves him to be careful of his goings.
The last three lines of the sonnet are the gravest of the series, showing
that something of true chivalrous feeling survived even among the
Cavalieri di Corredo of Tuscany.
Then did Discretion to the squire draw near, And drieth him with a fair

cloth and clean, And straightway putteth him the sheets between, Silk,
linen, counterpane, and minevere. Think now of this! Until the day was
clear, With songs and music and delight the queen, And with new
knights, fair fellows well-beseen, To make him perfect, gave him
goodly cheer. Then saith she: 'Rise forthwith, for now 'tis due, Thou
shouldst be born into the world again; Keep well the order thou dost
take in view.' Unfathomable thoughts with him remain Of that great
bond he may no more eschew, Nor can he say, 'I'll hide me from this
chain.'
The vigil is over. The mind of the novice is prepared for his new duties.
The morning of his reception into chivalry has arrived. It is therefore
fitting that grave thoughts