‘Maister of al artificiall force and sleight’: Tempo and Dissimulation in Castiglione’s <i>Book of the Courtier</i>

Abstract

This essay explores a lost historical connection between literature and the fighting arts over the shared ground of tempo. I illuminate a historically particular model of tempo as antagonistic rhythm of movement, and show how it is central to Castiglione’s understanding of courtiership. Castiglione draws from contemporary fencing pedagogy such as that of Pietro Monte and Antonio Manciolino both on a thematic and a structural level. Thematically, Castiglione uses fencing to illustrate larger points about comely dissimulation. Structurally, the fencing technique of the feint drives Castiglione’s pacing and his conceptualization of sprezzatura as artful, practised spontaneity.