Having been married for 35 years, I was intrigued by the wisdom of Castiglione in The Courtier. He concludes that “it is not reasonable to argue that the old can love blamelessly and more happily than the young….”
Anyone who is young and in love would most likely be quick to argue this statement. He explains the fight within each of us between our senses and our reasoning. I think most of us would agree that when we are young, “the senses…are in full strength in youth” as Castiglione says. He explains that in our youth “the soul cannot of itself clearly perceive the truth when it is carrying out the duties of governing the body.” Therefore, the soul “must appeal to the senses for its first notions.” And as a result, young men are “rebellious against reason.”
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He argues that “lovers who are more mature in age experience the contrary; for in their case the soul is no longer weighed down by the body.” He says that “they are not deceived and they possess completely the beauty they love.” He finishes by saying that “the true love of beauty is good and holy and always benefits those in whose souls the bridle of reason restrains the iniquity of the senses; and that is something the old can do far more easily than the young.”
I have now lived long enough to realize that although young love is normal for all, and will never change its ways, relying mostly on senses, it is the reasoning of enduring love that is more precious. Love that endures overcomes all that we never believed would happen to us. The old achieve this reasoning love through much heartache and endurance. Ironically, that achievement is the beauty of love.
As is normal in this earth life of ours, it is usually through our tribulations that we achieve true joy and happiness; the joy and happiness that cannot be found in our youth because time has not yet been given to us.
I loved reading your perspective on Castiglione's "The Courtier." The topic of love has always been a very interesting one for me because it can be and is applied in all aspects of life. It is interesting to think that love is a topic we are discussing in a class on rhetoric and history. But at the same time, it makes sense! Love is the motivation behind all we do. In the renaissance love of self was the motivation for improvement, in the reformation it was love of God, and in our personal lives it is the motivation for how we treat others. I loved reading about your perspective and how it is the same love that Castiglione discusses.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is interesting because I find in our readings and historical review of the Renaissance, the humanist "sprezzatura" mindset is in conflict between love and reasoning. I feel perhaps the love that comes without reasoning and purely senses was sought after because it enabled man to do what he pleased. But the love with reason, the mature love, allows man to continue forward with something important and life defining, stretching on forever. I wonder what the majority of Renaissance society would think of love with reasoning vs. love with solely senses.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your perspective on love. One thing I have come to realize recently is that it is so easy to assume that the way one is doing something is the only way, and that one must be right. It's a kind of bubble if you will, that shapes how you see the world. I think far to often people look simply for this young love and never allow it to grow and become something more.
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