The Palace of Pleasure | Page 6

repository of

all the chief MSS. of the Greek and Latin classics. Thither, therefore,
went all the young Englishmen, whom the influence of Erasmus had
bitten with a desire for the New Learning which was the Old Learning
born anew. But in Italy itself, the New Learning had even by the early
years of the sixteenth century produced its natural result of giving birth
to a national literature (Ariosto, Trissino). Thus in their search for the
New Learning, Englishmen of culture who went to Italy came back
with a tincture of what may be called the Newest Learning, the revival
of Italian Literature.
Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Earl of Surrey "The Dioscuri of the Dawn"
as they have been called, are the representatives of this new movement
in English thought and literature, which came close on the heels of the
New Learning represented by Colet, More, Henry VIII. himself and
Roger Ascham. The adherents of the New Learning did not look with
too favourable eyes on the favourers of the Newest Learning. They
took their ground not only on literary lines, but with distinct reference
to manners and morals. The corruption of the Papal Court which had
been the chief motive cause of the Reformation--men judge creeds by
the character they produce, not by the logical consistency of their
tenets--had spread throughout Italian society. The Englishmen who
came to know Italian society could not avoid being contaminated by
the contact. The Italians themselves observed the effect and summed it
up in their proverb, Inglese italianato è un diabolo incarnato. What
struck the Italians must have been still more noticeable to Englishmen.
We have a remarkable proof of this in an interpolation made by Roger
Ascham at the end of the first part of his Schoolmaster, which from
internal evidence must have been written about 1568, the year after the
appearance of Painter's Second Tome.[8] The whole passage is so
significant of the relations of the chief living exponent of the New
Learning to the appearance of what I have called the Newest Learning
that it deserves to be quoted in full in any introduction to the book in
which the Newest Learning found its most characteristic embodiment. I
think too I shall be able to prove that there is a distinct and significant
reference to Painter in the passage (pp. 77-85 of Arber's edition,
slightly abridged).

[Footnote 8: See Prof. Arber's reprint, p. 8.]
But I am affraide, that ouer many of our trauelers into Italie, do not
exchewe the way to Circes Court: but go, and ryde, and runne, and flie
thether, they make great hast to cum to her: they make great sute to
serue her: yea, I could point out some with my finger, that neuer had
gone out of England, but onelie to serue Circes, in Italie. Vanitie and
vice, and any licence to ill liuyng in England was counted stale and
rude vnto them. And so, beyng Mules and Horses before they went,
returned verie Swyne and Asses home agayne; yet euerie where verie
Foxes with as suttle and busie heades; and where they may, verie
Woolues, with cruell malicious hartes.
[Sidenote: A trewe Picture of a knight of Circes Court.]
A maruelous monster, which, for filthines of liuyng, for dulnes to
learning him selfe, for wilinesse in dealing with others, for malice in
hurting without cause, should carie at once in one bodie, the belie of a
Swyne, the head of an Asse, the brayne of a Foxe, the wombe of a
wolfe. If you thinke, we iudge amisse, and write to sore against you,
heare,
[Sidenote: The Italians iudgement of Englishmen brought vp in Italie.]
what the Italian sayth of the English Man, what the master reporteth of
the scholer: who vttereth playnlie, what is taught by him, and what
learned by you, saying Englese Italianato, e vn diabolo incarnato, that
is to say, you remaine men in shape and facion, but becum deuils in life
and condition. This is not, the opinion of one, for some priuate spite,
but the iudgement of all, in a common Prouerbe, which riseth, of that
learnyng, and those maners, which you gather in Italie:
[Sidenote: The Italian diffameth them selfe, to shame the Englishe
man.]
a good Scholehouse of wholesome doctrine, and worthy Masters of
commendable Scholers, where the Master had rather diffame hym selfe
for hys teachyng, than not shame his Scholer for his learnyng. A good

nature of the maister, and faire conditions of the scholers. And now
chose you, you Italian Englishe men, whether you will be angrie with
vs, for calling you monsters, or with the Italianes, for callyng you
deuils, or else with your owne selues, that take so much paines, and go
so farre, to make your selues both. If some yet