Scaliger and Castelvetro - Yavanika

Lodovico Castelvetro 149
clear horv they can correctlr be callcd 'iso;j, i.e., pleasure or delight. And
it must imnediatelr be dcscribcd as a utilitarian function, since thc soul
is made lrcalthv b\, ru."tn of vcn bitter medicinc. 'fhat pleasurc arising
frorn compassion and terror, rvhich is reallv pleasure, is that rvhich rvc
have earlier rcfcrred to as "ol)lique pleasure." At tirc time, ll'lrcn rve experience
displeasure bccluse others unjustlv sufier misery, wc acknoq'lcdge
that ne are good, bccarrse iljustice bothers us. Thc natural lovc that u'e
bring to ourselves is a ven great pleasurc for ulrich r,e are gratefnl. To this
pleasure is aclded still another that is rot at all small. Whcn we see othe$
being unjust'l\' opprcsserl and rcalizc that the sarnc could happen to Lts or
to peoplc likc us, rlc lcrrn gprc!,I1, and unconsciouslv that le are subject
to nany nisfortnncs, and that it is not lise to place trLrst in the tranquil
course of events. \\ic arc mnch more (e\hlgf !ylhjl!.It"!g1f!_]:ry1
than if enothcr, c.g., ir tcr(lrrr, *ere opcnh to lecture us on this same subject,-for
experienc_c of things thqt hg_r'c lalptncd-6rrrlr inrpresses undcr'
standing in our souls nrorc effectlgl) dr;rrr--ol bc aeeqry-TiiLad-!1 l!9
nere yoicc oi a leiincd authoritr'. And uc reioice more in thc littlc wc
learn for ourselics tlan in thc much \\'e lcarr from othcrs. for r\ie arc not
able to learn from othcrs unlcss lc adnit ignorance of that ulrich ue lelrn
ancl an oblisatiol to our teachers for uhat le learn fron tltem.
'fhosc
l'ho rnaintain that poetrl' \\as invcntecl essentiallt' for utilitarian
purposes, or for usefulness and dclight togcther, should bervare of setting
thcnrselvcs against .\ristotlc's ruthoritr. In this part of the Poetics and
elserhere, it docs not secm tlr:rt hc allorrs anv end othcr than delight.s
And if he incleecl grrnts somc utilitarian function, lrc conccdes it as ircidcntal,
as is thc pruification of tcrror and cornpassion bv means of traged). . . .
In traged-r', thc placc of thc action is restrictcd Dot onlr to one cit)
or house or coLrntrvsiclc, or siuril:rr site, but to that scenc rhich alone can
bc absorbcd bv the vision of onc rcrson.
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