The deceived
husband is described sometimes as a fool to be laughed at, sometimes as
a bloodthirsty avenger of his honour; there is no third situation
except when the woman is painted as wicked and cruel, and the husband
or lover is the innocent victim. It may be remarked, however, that
narratives of the latter kind are not strictly speaking novels, but
rather warning examples taken from real life.
When in the course of the sixteenth century Italian life fell more and
more under Spanish influence, the violence of the means to which
jealousy had recourse perhaps increased. But this new phase must be
distinguished from the punishment of infidelity which existed before,
and which was founded in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance itself.
As the influence of Spain declined, these excesses of jealousy declined
also, till towards the close of the seventeenth century they had wholly
disappeared, and their place was taken by that indifference which
regarded the 'Cicisbeo' as an indispensable figure in every household,
and took no offence at one or two contemporary lovers ('Patiti').
But who can undertake to compare the vast sum of wickedness which all
these facts imply, with what happened in other countries? Was the
marriage-tie, for instance, really more sacred in France during the
fifteenth century than in Italy? The 'fabliaux' and farces would lead
us to doubt it, and rather incline us to think that unfaithfulness was
equally common, though its tragic consequences were less frequent,
because the individual was less developed and his claims were less
consciously felt than in Italy.
Pages:
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504