Chapter I: Front Matter

THE WOMEN OF THE RENAISSANCE

A STUDY OF FEMINISM

OPINIONS OF THE FRENCH PRESS.

“M. de Maulde has exhausted the subject, and gives us a sort of bible of the feminine life.”—_Revue des Deux Mondes._

“Among the numerous writings on feminism which have appeared in these latter days, none is more complete and entertaining than M. de Maulde’s.”—_Journal des Débats._

“M. de Maulde has written a most captivating volume, which will remain a definitive monument henceforth indispensable to anyone who wishes to know the history of the French soul.”—_Revue des Revues._

“The question of feminism has been treated in masterly fashion by M. de Maulde in his fine book on _The Women of the Renaissance_. And while he draws the completest picture of French and Italian society in the 15th and 16th centuries, and groups his finished portraits with accomplished art, he at the same time marvellously depicts the charm and the influence of women at that curious epoch.”—_République Française._

“It is almost impossible to name a more fascinating book for anyone interested in history.... We have no idea of attempting to sum it up or condense it in a few pages; it would suffer too seriously in the process; we should merely like, without recommending it (which would be superfluous) to the attention of our readers, to indicate its merit, its charm, and its opportuneness.”—_Correspondant._

EXTRACT FROM A REVIEW IN _The Athenaeum_.

“M. de Maulde writes in great detail and with commendable erudition on the position of women and the feminist movement of the sixteenth century as it shaped itself in Italy and, later, in France. These studies of the woman of those days, in all her social relations and in all her activities, are illustrated with an unceasing flow of anecdote and citation, never more apt than when employed to characterise that remarkable group who were imbued with the so-called ‘idées platoniciennes.’... After a really interesting sketch of the composition of that curious amalgam which finds its complete expression in the harangue of Bembo ... M. de Maulde draws many inferences which have a direct application to the feminist movement of our own day; in contrast, for instance, with the mystical ardours of Renaissance platonism we hear of the naturalism of John Ruskin. For this reason the book will, we think, attract a wide circle of readers; many ... will be delighted by its store of lively and significant anecdote.”

The Women of
the Renaissance

_A Study of Feminism_

By
R. de Maulde la Clavière

Translated by
George Herbert Ely

“The path of a good woman is indeed strewn with flowers, but
they rise behind her steps, not before them.”—RUSKIN.

_With a Portrait of the Author_

New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Lim.
1900

To
WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY

EDITOR OF TUDOR TRANSLATIONS

THIS VERSION IS

INSCRIBED

CORRIGENDA

Transcriber’s Note: These corrections have been applied.

Page 8, line 21, _for_ Women’s _read_ Woman’s.

Page 39, foot-note, _for_ precèdent l’amour _read_ procèdent de l’amour.

Page 148, line 20, _for_ Saint-Marthe _read_ Sainte-Marthe.

Page 191, line 13, _for_ Joconda _read_ Gioconda.

Page 191, line 22, _for_ exuberance _read_ encumbrance.

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE

No mere translator can hope to preserve the style of his original, and herein M. de Maulde is bound to suffer more than most writers. There is no one to whom Buffon’s phrase, _Le style est l’homme même_, may be more justly applied. His work is absolutely himself; it derives from his original personality and his wide and sure learning an historical value and a literary charm almost unique. He is a wit with the curiosity and patience of the scholar, and a scholar with the temperament of the artist. The sparkle and humour of his conversation are crystallised in his letters, the charming expression of a large and generous nature.

Trained at the École des Chartes, M. de Maulde held for a few years an appointment in the prefectoral administration. But his tastes drew him rather to history than to politics. In 1886 he founded the Société d’Histoire diplomatique, of which he has been the life and soul, and which owes its success mainly to his activity and enthusiasm. He is the founder also of the Congrès internationaux d’histoire, of which the first was held at the Hague in the summer of 1898, when official delegates from all the great countries of the world met amicably to discuss international relations in the cold light of scientific history. For many years he has been a member of our Royal Society.

But it is above all as a student of the Renaissance that M. de Maulde takes high rank among contemporary scholars. He has made a close study of that great movement, in regard both to the internal politics of France and the origins of modern diplomacy, and to the general march of ideas and the evolution of manners. The results of his studies are embodied in a remarkable series of works, the earliest being a book entitled _Les Origines de la Révolution française au commencement du xviᵉ siècle_—a brilliant picture of French Society at that critical epoch. This was succeeded by the first part, in three volumes, of an _Histoire de Louis XII._, and this by the three volumes entitled _La diplomatie au temps de Machiavel_. Other works in the same series are two volumes on _Jeanne de France, duchesse d’Orléans_ and _Louise de Savoie et François Iᵉʳ_. In all these M. de Maulde shows the profound erudition and the just critical sense to be expected in an historian of the school of Fustel des Coulanges, together with a literary grace and a lightness of touch with which the scientific historian is too rarely endowed. His brief experience of official politics seems to have left him with an urbane scepticism, a benevolent irony, which serve only to set off his radical enthusiasm for great ideas and for the great conceptions of art. At bottom an idealist, he has interpreted with insight and humour the aesthetic and spiritualist revolution of the Renaissance, nowhere more characteristically than in the present volume.

With M. de Maulde’s consent the greater part of his footnotes are omitted—mainly references to authorities unknown or inaccessible to the English reader, and useless without the complete bibliography omitted by desire of the French publishers, MM. Perrin et Cie. A few notes are added within brackets: for these and for the Index the translator is responsible.

The translator is under great obligations to the Baronne Louise Dupont-Delporte, who, at M. de Maulde’s request, has compared the proofs of this book with the original text, and to whose watchfulness and friendly care heartiest acknowledgments are due. The same task of collation was undertaken by Mr. David Frew, whose frank, tonic, kindly criticism has been of the highest value. Thanks are also tendered to all who in various ways and with constant kindness have given their assistance in the course of this work, among whom M. de Maulde himself has laid the translator under a large debt of gratitude.

_August, 1900._

CONTENTS

PREAMBLE

Masculinism of Anglo-Saxon countries—Feminism of Latin
countries. Pages 1-5

INTRODUCTION

Italian origin of the Renaissance feminist movement—Protests
against war, force, the materialisation of the religious spirit
and the hollowness of learning—Recourse to the affections—Quest
of true happiness—Idealism: woman chooses the method—“Love
and faith”—Crusade of love—Worship of life and hatred of
death—Women the motive-force of life—Active and tranquillising
rôle of Italian women in the 16th century—Conquest of France
by the new spirit—General sentiment of the new society. Pages 6-20

_BOOK I. FAMILY LIFE_

CHAPTER I

MARRIAGE

Marriage, its realist character and its difficulties—The
aim of marriage not personal satisfaction—The girl married
blindfold—The father—Marriageable age—Interviews—Reflections of
the father—Ideas of the bridegroom elect—His physical and moral
criterion—His uneasiness—Final crisis—Ideas of Michelangelo
and Raphael—Marriage ceremonies and festivities—Weddings at
Naples, Florence, and Venice—Behind the scenes—Weddings in
France—Brides’ journeys—Moral aspects. Pages 21-44

CHAPTER II

THE MARRIED WOMAN

The genius of motherhood—Marriage a physical science—Domestic
difficulties—Platonism in marriage—Semi-wives—Wives in name
only—Vocation of women for medicine—Women as sick-nurses—as
doctors—Enfranchisement of women as regards medicine—Intimacies
between women and doctors—Women’s medical collections—Hygienic
rules—Neurasthenia—Woman as home-ruler—The châtelaine—Her
management of retainers—The science of charity—Principles of
great houses. Pages 45-69

CHAPTER III

THE CHILDREN

1. _Maternity._—Tendency to small families, its various
causes—Marital misfortunes—How new arrivals were
received—Unpopularity of feeding by the mothers—Children
educated by the mother till the age of seven—Old system
of hardening—New system based on reason. 2. _The
Boys._—Necessity of developing individualism among
them—Paternal education—Growing influence of the mother—College
life—Greatness and decadence of tutors—Understanding between
tutors and mothers—Excessive production of young men of
fashion—Influence of the new ideas—Decline of the spirit
of toil and discipline. Pages 70-85

CHAPTER IV

THE EDUCATION OF GIRLS

Girls brought up solely by their mothers—Old theory
of early marriage—Education, especially physical and
moral—Opinion of moralists and physicians: counsels of Anne
of France—Utilitarian system of Germany—The intensive school:
Vivès; St. Theresa; the Spanish system—The aesthetic school:
Dolce; the Italian system—Louise of Savoy—New theory of late
marriage—Protests against the realism of education—Tutors
of girls—Moral freedom of girls—Protests against what they
read—The story for girls, after Anne of France—The flirt—The
hunt for a husband—Various ideas on that matter—Coquetry,
intrigue, chambermaids—Jean Raulin’s sermon—Open-air life. Pages 86-108

CHAPTER V

THE HUSBAND, AND THE VARIOUS WAYS OF SLIPPING HIS YOKE

The husband lord and master: his absolute authority—The
stick—The wife’s insignificance—The husband’s grievances
against marriage—The wife’s grievances—Beware love!—_Modus
vivendi_—Women dowered or not: growth of women’s influence
on the dowry system—Practical philosophy—Unsatisfied
affections—Wives separated or divorced—Widows—Sentimental
finery—The wife of a dead husband—Classical widows: their
spirit of order and piety—Gay widows—Widows’ virtue—Advantages
and disadvantages of widowhood—Re-marriage—Sincerity of
women’s praise of marriage. Pages 109-135

_BOOK II. SOCIAL LIFE_

CHAPTER I

PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

Individualistic and anti-philosophic spirit of
France—Flourishing of the salons—Reign of money: legitimated
in Italy—The Roman programme—French society—Proposed remedies
against Christian socialism—Anne of France—School of Cardinal
d’Amboise—Principles of sentimental sociology—Social _raison
d’être_ of platonism—Its Florentine origin—Development
of the doctrine—Intellectual aristocracy—Platonism a
fashionable craze—Discussions on the real character of
love—Cataneo—Eloquent Bembo—Petrarchism—Elevation of
sentiments by platonism—Michelangelo—French opposition
to platonism—Triumph of platonism through Italianism and
feminism—Anne of France—Margaret of France and her general
philosophy. Pages 137-176

CHAPTER II

THE SCIENCE OF PLATONISM

Is platonism dangerous for women?—Double system for catching
men: passion and sensibility—To spread love the end of life
and the secret of happiness—Platonic virtue—Criticism of
this virtue in practice—School of Anne of France—Vittoria
Colonna and Michelangelo—Philosophic school—Multiplication and
withdrawal of favours—Love through duty—Love of princesses—The
veil of mystery—Practical recruiting of platonism—Sources of
love or second love. Pages 177-193

CHAPTER III

THE MISSION OF BEAUTY

Science consists in extracting the element of happiness
from everything, first of all from oneself—Beauty a social
duty—Charm has no physical rules—Women slight or the reverse;
blondes; the skin, the eyes—Corporeal beauty—Michelangelo and
Dürer—Portraits of women as Venus—Prudence of women—Artists and
their fancies—Jeanne of Aragon—Margaret of France—Receptions
in the morning—The ‘Innocents’—Art of retaining youth, or of
restoring youthfulness—A lady’s toilette—Fashion—Spiritual
significance of colours—Luxury—Architecture—Taste for fine
furniture. Pages 194-227

CHAPTER IV

THE EMBROIDERY OF LIFE

The science of dining—Table-talk—Balls and dancing: custom of
kissing—Protests of the Reformers—Church—Pilgrimages—Gardens
and country life—Flowers—Pugs and parrots—The horse—Hunting,
Roman and platonist—Hunting philosophised; Budé and Blondo—Park
animals—Nature—Life at watering-places; pure water; gravity
and fun. Pages 228-260

CHAPTER V

INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES

The library—Curiosity divided and dilettante in
character—Taste for tales, jest-books, romances—The old
poets—Music—Instruments, the human voice—Intellectual
music—Harmony—Sacred music—Chamber music—The
orchestra—Discussion on the abuse of music—The
theatre—‘Phaedra,’ Bibbiena—The _Calandra_—Opposition to
the theatre—French ideas. Pages 261-283

CHAPTER VI

CONVERSATION

Art of conversation: its supreme rôle—Women’s
triumph—Tone of conversation—Philosophical
spirit—Variety of form—Subjects of conversation—French
conversation—Quips and cranks—Conversational
dallyings—Stories—Dissertations—Gaieties—Correspondence,
its revival—Family letters—Letters in the grand style—Tone
of letters—Some Italian letters. Pages 284-310

_BOOK III. THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN_

CHAPTER I

POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Women remain strangers to the keener activities: war,
justice—Women, political in spite of themselves—Isabella
of Aragon—Jeanne of Aragon—Anne of France—Return from
ambition to love—Restless women—Renée of France—Purely
defensive heroism of women—Ladies of Sienna and
Pisa—Isabella the Catholic—Catherine Sforza—Woman
according to Michelangelo. Pages 311-324

CHAPTER II

MORAL INFLUENCE

The good old times—Moral degeneration—Ambition, money—Evil, to
be cured homœopathically as in Italy, or allopathically as in
Germany?—Virtue, must it necessarily be tiresome?—Raphael’s
embarrassment—The antiplatonists—Louise of Savoy, Rabelais—The
work of amelioration by two methods. (i) _The softening of
virtue_—Different systems in regard to marriage; free union;
system of contract; the double marriage—Firenzuola—Marriages
of affection—Secondary platonism, a compromise—Alms without
significance, to lure the human animal—Sipping at love, by way
of Italian dilettantism—The attack—Love a dream—Prayer. (ii)
_The ennoblement of vice_—Attempt at purification of carnal
love—The Italian courtesans, and their moral influence—Tullia
d’Aragona—Imperia—Venice—Francis I.—French system of the double
household—Diana of Poitiers—Bembo in tears—Infatuation—The
feminising of men—The question of the beard. Pages 325-371

CHAPTER III

INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCE

Conquest of men by mind—Army of intellectual women—Isabella
d’Este—Anne of France—Margaret of France: her theory—The
friends and guests of Margaret—Intellectual headquarters
of France—Egerias —Difficulty of this government—Vittoria
Colonna and Aretino—Flatteries and compliments—Supervision
of manuscripts—Affection—Pecuniary aid—Necessity of feminine
patronage. Pages 372-397

CHAPTER IV

INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCE (_Continued_)

Results of feminine influence—Literature in praise of
women—Pompeo Colonna—Two schools of taste: passion,
sensibility—Castiglione—Literature of conversation—Fugitive
poems—Temples of high poetry—Literature of poodles and
birds—The ancestor of Vert-Vert—Spanish women—France,
Lyons—Accusation of frivolity—German scepticism—The struggle
in France—For or against women—Timidity of Frenchwomen—Spirit
of the prelates. Pages 398-421

CHAPTER V

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

Progress of religious sensibility—Women compared to the
moon—Entrance of the sentimental spirit—Free enquiry at Rome
and in Italy—Philosophic religion—Entrance on the scene of
women as priests, as well as physicians—Religious traditions
of women in France—Decay of faith—Roman liberalism—Situation
of the French clergy—Alliance between women and the
aesthetic clergy—Liberal principles of this alliance—The
_bibliennes_—Aristocratic religion—Writings of the mystic
women: Gabrielle de Bourbon, Catherine d’Amboise—The mystic
writings of Margaret of France, her ideas—Her relations
with the _palinods_—The mystics—The mysticism of divided
application—Direct communion with God—Smiling character of
the new mysticism—Spiritual petrarchism—Correggio—Vittoria
Colonna—Vergerio. Pages 422-453

CHAPTER VI

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE (_Continued_)

Scorners of mystic liberalism—The savants—Reproaches
addressed to the liberal party: paganism, materialism—Women’s
struggle against these tendencies—The monks: the monastic
spirit—Struggle against the monks: the pros and
cons—Rabelais—Folengo—The German monks—Rising of the
lower clergy against liberalism and aestheticism: Luther,
Calvin—Struggle of the Reformers against women and liberty
of thought—Vittoria Colonna and Ochino—Direction of the
liberal and aesthetic party in France—Margaret of France
and her active rôle—Feminist theory of Postel—Replies of
Luther, the Sorbonne, the theological parties. Pages 454-474