"The Ende Therfore of a Perfect Courtier" in Baldassare Castiglione's the Courtier

Modern critics have attempted to fit Baldassare Il Cortegiano into a single classification or genre.(1) Wayne Rebhorn has argued very persuasively that: Ultimately, book lives not in its ideas, but in complex dialectical play of ideas and reality, precept and example, an imagined ideal and real men replete with their petty vices, defects and limited points of view.(2) He urges us to recognize that Castiglione's Cortegiano declares itself from start to be neither a treatise nor a handbook, but a dialogue, a symposium; and its essential unity derives from utter consistency with which Castiglione maintains distinctive form and distinctive fiction of this work (197-98). There are two difficulties with such a view of Courtier. First, it does not allow for variety of perceptions that in fact occurred, and second, there is closely related problem that early modern texts are often not so single-minded as earlier twentieth century critics would like them to be. While is widely praised in England throughout last half of century, it is praised for different reasons and used to support divergent positions.(3) Roger Ascham in Schoolmaster (1570) would rather English youth read than travel to Italy. Ascham has supported traditional ideals of learning, virtue, and service to commonweal as proper functions of gentry. He enlists Castiglione in his cause when he says, To join learning with comely exercises, Conte Baldassare Castiglione in his book Cortegiano doth trimly teach; which book, advisedly read and diligently followed, but one year at home in England, would do a young gentleman more good, iwis, than three years' travel abroad spent in Italy.(4) quite different reference is made to Castiglione in a little book called Cyuile and vncyuile life. discourse very profitable, pleasant, and fit to bee read of all Nobilitie and Gentlemen, published in London by Richard Jones in 1579. Jones uses Castiglione as source of a detailed knowledge of court life which he says he will leave to Earle Baldazar, whose Booke translated by Sir Thomas Hobby I think you have, or ought to have reade.(5) William Segar in Booke of Honor and Armes (1590), offers a third perspective and seeks support of Castiglione for importance of honor and dueling code which supports it.(6) There can be little doubt that book was widely known and frequently invoked, but apparently for different purposes. Even question of form is open to differing interpretations. While dialogue is clearly containing form of book, one should not overlook assimilative tendencies of early modern writers and readers. There is evidence that admirers, followers, and imitators of Castiglione apparently saw as a handbook as well as a dialogue. In succeeding editions text accumulated paratext, that is marginal glosses, tables, summaries, etc. As Peter Burke points out the paratext helped transform from an open dialogue, probably designed to be read aloud, into a closed treatise, an instruction manual, or one might even say a `recipe-book.'(7) Sir Thomas Hoby's 1561 translation of provides at conclusion of text A breef rehersall of chief conditions and qualities in a courtier.(8) similar list is then given for gentlewoman. Other help includes marginal references and a table of contents to identify topics. Newberry Library copy of Hoby's translation includes handwritten notes of Gabriel Harvey, Cambridge scholar and friend of Edmund Spenser. Harvey's notes are largely summaries of content, as when he reinforces printed marginal comment on Book Four. marginal comment of edition says The of a Courtier opposite text's The therefore ... (sig. Mmiiii). Harvey writes in: The supplement of former discourses of his souerain ende (sig. …