Le Mariage et l''amitié courtoise' dans le dialogue et le récit bref de la Renaissance (review)

Originally a dissertation at Princeton, this volume deals with, as the title suggests, the questions of marriage and "courtly friendship" as portrayed in the writings of Erasmus, Castiglione, Rabelais, and Marguerite de Navarre. Leushuis states that he will treat these subjects from a literary rather than a sociohistorical viewpoint, dealing exclusively with writings published before the Council of Trent. He devotes one chapter to each author under discussion.

In the introduction, Leushuis discusses the conflict between canon law and civil law regarding marriage. The major bones of contention between the clergy and the laity are the topics of clandestine marriages and the indissolubility of marriage. Leushuis also makes note of the three types of love: philia, agape, and eros, as they are portrayed by each writer.

In the chapter on Erasmus, the discussion is limited to his Encomium matrimonii (1518–19), Institutio christiani matrimonii (1526), and Coniugium impar (1529). Erasmus was opposed to clandestine marriages and desired to make matrimonial affairs more humane and better adapted to the social reality of the times. However, he recognized that marriage was preferable to celibacy. He gave status to women and their education, especially for those women who were married. Leushuis also discusses the role of marriage in four other writings by Erasmus: Proci et puellae, Virgo misogamos, Uxor mempsigamos sive Coniugium, and Virgo paenitens.

The chapter on Castiglione opens with the statement that this writer's role was different from that of his northern counterpart. At court, marriage was primarily for social connections, so that there was no conflict between secular and religious views and, thus, no need for reform. Here there is no discussion of marriage, but rather of "philia courtoise," stressing the role of the "donna di palazzo" and her role in relation to the "cortegiano" as Castiglione defines him. The amica of courtly love is no longer on a pedestal, but has been transformed into uxor, a wife. In Il Cortegiano, the final version of which was published in 1528, women are to be treated equally, but this means that they are worthy of equal textual importance only. The role of courtly friendship is portrayed in public, in the court and "l'amour entre cortegiano et donna di palazzo [prend] sa forme finale dans le marriage" (131).

Rabelais's treatment of marriage, according to Leushuis, occurs mainly in the Tiers Livre (1546), and emphasizes the erotic pleasure in marriage, as seen by Panurge. Leushuis believes that marital fecundity is reflected in Rabelais's linguistic fecundity, beginning with the prologue and continuing with the defense of "la braguette" and the praise of debts and debtors. He notes that, of all items of clothing that Panurge could have extolled, it is the one most closely associated with sexuality that he chose. Sexual health is seen as reflective of the health of the community, and "le mariage et la fécondité conjugale sont inextricablement liés à la question de la santé du corps" (194).

The tales of Marguerite de Navarre (written between 1540 and 1549) are of lesser importance to Leushuis than are the discussions which follow them: "Pour les devisants de l'Heptaméron en particulier, le défi consiste à réconcilier une institution humaine défectueuse et en pleine crise avec un univers sentimental exigeant" (209). The agape of the group is established in the prologue, and in general there is an atmosphere of equality, equilibrium, and exchange among the participants — no one story or dialogue is of more value than any other. Although Parlemente, usually considered the "porte-parole" for Marguerite, is important, there is no authoritative voice here, unlike in the works by the other authors discussed. The conclusion of the discussions seems to be that, despite its imperfections, marriage is a terrestrial practicality.

If there is a flaw...