Epistula 16

Advice to a young noblewoman: study Latin and the liberal arts carefully, behave humbly with the learned, and do not become distracted by court gossip and frivolity.

The letter was written in Valladolid, frequent place of residence of the Spanish Royal Court at this period, and is addressed to Magdalena de Padilla, a girl Luisa Sigaea had met, presumably at the court. It dates to the summer of 1558.

Manuscript: Biblioteca Nacional de España MS 18672-98, pp. 37-40. 

The manuscript has the following preface: Ad dominam Magdalēnam ā Padillā, virgunculam nōbilitāte et aliquantulā ērudītiōne ōrnātam, quod inūsitātum esse solet, eōque nōmine plūris faciendum. ("To mistress Magdalena de Padilla, a young girl of noble birth and possessed of a little learning, a thing which is unusual, and for that reason to be thought highly of.")

notes on this preface

Magdalēnam ā Padillā: In Spanish, Magdalena de Padilla. The surname was an old and famous one, borne for example by María de Padilla, queen of Castile (c. 1334-1361).

virgunculam: diminutive of virgo "little maiden," "young girl," in apposition with dominam Magdalēnam.

nōbilitāte et aliquantulā ērudītiōne ōrnātam: “decorated with nobility and with a little erudition.” Nōbilitāte and  aliquantulā ērudītiōne are ablative of means with ōrnātam.

quod inūsitātum esse solet: “which is accustomed to be unusual,” i.e. “which is unusual.” 

eōque nōmine: “and for that reason.” 

pluris faciendum: pluris is genitive of value (AG 417). facere aliquem pluris = "make more of one," "esteem more highly" (LS multus II.A.2).

1

Solet: looks forward to the complementary infinitive metīrī > metior, "to evaluate," "to judge."

nempe: = sine dubiō, "without a doubt," "as is well-known" (LS nempe I.3).

dē … experīmentum ... facere: "to make a trial of," "to test." 

tirunculō: "a young recruit," diminutive > tiro. 

oblātō sibi: “presented to him” > offero.

animī vim atque sollertiam: “the force and skill of his mind.” 

robore: "by the strength" (LS robur II.B.2) + corporis, “of his body.” 

velutī: "as it were," signaling, along with quasi and quaedam, a bold metaphor.

trānsenna: a trānsenna or trāsenna is literally a net used to catch birds. Here it is used metaphorically of some kind of test the veteran soldier can use to see if the new recruit has adequate mental or physical acumen. The metaphor is borrowed either from the Roman comic writer Plautus or from Cicero (see OLD transenna a), where it carries a notion of deception.

per quam: “through which,” the antecedent of quam is transenna.

possit facillimē perspicī: “can be observed more easily.” 

sitque utrumque: potential subjunctive, softening the statement, "(on the view that) both are." utrumque: "each (of two)," "both things," explained in the following clause.

ad exanclandōs mīlitiae labōrēs: “for enduring the labors of a soldier.” exanclo is a rare and poetic synonym for patior. LS exanclo II.

perquam: "especially," "absolutely," + necessārium.

videlicet: “namely.”

bene composita symmetria: “a well composed symmetry,” + genitive. 

nōn vulgārīs: “uncommon.”

2 

This long periodic sentence cautions Magdalena against adopting the contempt for learning fashionable in some court circles. It has the following basic structure: ego, dum tē … cōnspicerem, … tē ... cōnsīderābam, eaque mihi vidēbāris, ac … vidēris, quae … obtineās, et … foveās, sī tamen … persuāsiōnem … nōn ēbibās, quae … invāsit: aut nōn esse … attingenda aut … dēlībanda (esse).

clausulated version

Ita ego in Mūsārum castrīs iam fermē ēmerita, 
dum tē nūdiustertius in Serēnissimae Prīncipis cubiculō cōnspicerem 
latīnae linguae tīrōcinium, 
modo negantem, 
modo aliquantulum fatentem,
ac lepidulīs tuīs salibus amouson tē plānē esse simulantem, 
mēcum tē intus et in cute cōnsīderābam, 
eaque mihi vidēbāris, 
ac in diēs magis vidēris, 
quae litterārum perītiam, 
sī vīxeris, 
fēlīcissimē obtineās, 
et 
dum vīxeris, 
foveās perhūmāniter, 
sī tamen exitiālem illam et mōnstrōsam persuāsiōnem aulicō convictū nōn ēbibās, 
quae mentēs hominum iamdiū invāsit: 
aut nōn esse studia nōbilibus attingenda 
aut summīs labiīs 
ad pompam potius ingeniī quam animī cultum dēlībanda.
 

ita: "in the same way," pursuing the analogy proposed in the previous section, and looking forward to the main clause tē ... cōnsīderābam.

in castrīs Musarum: "in the camp of the Muses," soldiering in the literary world, as it were. Sigea extends the analogy. 

iam fermē ēmerita: "(being) now practically a retired veteran," and thus in the position of the veteranus miles mentioned in the previous section. 

dum tē … cōnspicerem: "while I was observing you." There follow three participles agreeing with tē: negantem ... fatentem ... simulantem. 

nudiustertius: "three days ago."

tirocinium: "first campaign in," i.e. early study of. The military language continues.   

salibus: "witticisms," "jokes" (LS sal II.A).

amouson: "crude," literally "without the Muses," "tasteless," "unmusical." Greek feminine accusative singular of the two-termination adjective ἄμουσος.

tē ... cōnsīderābam: "I was observing you closely" (OLD considero 1).

intus et in cute:  "deeply and internally,” modifying cōnsīderābam.

eaque mihi vidēbāris ... quae .... obtineās: "and you seemed to me (to be) that (sort of person) who would obtain." Relative clause of characteristic (AG 534).

in diēs: "every day," "daily."

litterārum perītiam: “expertise in literature.” Peritia is knowledge acquired by sustained study and experience. 

sī vīxeris: “if you should live," i.e. persist in your studies (?). The use of this rather dramatic verb seems calculated to set up the emphatic repetition in dum vīxeris. Future perfect indicative in a mixed conditional. This protasis (vīxeris) is future more vivid, while the apodosis (obtineās) is future less vivid. See AG 514.

fēlīcissimē: "very successfully," superlative adverb > feliciter (LS felix II.B.2.b).

dum vīxeris: "as long as you shall live," "during your whole life," emphasizing the need to develop the habit of reading. Fut. pf. indic.

foveās: "foster" by continued study. The direct object is peritiam. For the application of this verb to literary study, see OLD foveo 5.a.

sī tamen ... nōn ēbibās: “provided that you do not imbibe.” si tamen = dummodo is rare, but see Columella On Agriculture 2.10.10.

persuāsiōnem: "popular belief" (OLD persuasio 3.b). 

aulicō convictū: “in the courtly retinue,” "in court circles." 

iamdiu: "for a long time now." Often written as two words.

nobilibus: "by nobles," dative of agent with attingenda. 

nōn ... attingenda: "must not be taken up" (LS attingo II.B.2).

summīs labiīs ... dēlībanda (esse): "ought to be (merely) tasted by the tips of the lips,” i.e. studied only briefly and superficially.

ad pompam ... ingeniī: “for a parade of intellect,” "for show." Ingenium can refer to natural mental ability, literary talent, or cleverness in general (OLD ingenium 4-6). 

potius … quam: “rather…than.”

3

Cave … tibi: “watch out for yourself.”  

venēna: "(cups of) poison," "cups containing poison," as is made clear by the participle circumlita, "daubed around the rim."

incluta: "illustrious," "celebrated," indicating Magdalena's noble lineage.

ad plēnum: “fully,” “to the full.” 

quī sit Musārum fructus: indirect question after percipere, "what the profit of the Muses is." fructus designates the useful produce of a plant (as opposed to the flower), hence the profit, gain, or advantage from something. But it also carries the idea of pleasure and satisfaction, as in the English expression, "the fruits of your labor." Literary study, though difficult, yields both profit and enjoyment.

vīs: "you wish" > volō. 

percipere: "to grasp (with the mind)" (OLD 7), but with the ancillary meaning "harvest" (OLD 1) suggested by fructus.

illārumque aditūs ... ingredī: "go to their entryways," as if the Muses were nobles with grand houses to which one must apply for admission. ingredī, is complementary infinitive with vīs.

nōn omnium prīncipum aulīs postpōnendōs: "(entryways which) must not be treated as inferior to the courts of all the princes." Magdalena should prioritize study over spending time in court. aulīs is dative.

ac cum illīs versārī familiāriter: "and to spend time in close friendship with them," i.e. the Muses, as opposed to mingling with members of the court. versārī is complementary infinitive with vīs, middle voice (see LS verso II).

exue fastūs: “shake off your pride,” "put down your arrogance." The metaphor of shaking off pride like a garment comes from Ovid (Ars Amatoria 2.241, exue fastūs). The phrase suggests that Luisa interpreted Magdalena's disclaiming of expertise in Latin and her lepidulis salibus (section 2) as contempt for learning, rather than modesty. The plural fastūs is normal and poetic.

imprīmīs: (adv.) "especially, chiefly." This is the central message of the letter.

supercilium: “haughtiness,” literally "(raised) eyebrow." 

perbenignae: "more than kind."

quidquid ēlātiōnis olfēcerint: “whatever (of) arrogance they smell,” fut. pf. > olfaciō.  

4

doctōs quōsque: "each and every learned person," i.e. "all your teachers." quōsque is acc. masc. pl. > quisque, "whoever."

fovē suscipe: the lack of a connective (asyndeton) indicates urgency. The verbs seem to suggest that Magdalena was (or might someday be) in a position to dispense patronage to scholars. She is to "cherish" them and "take them up," with the possible nuance of "support." 

tractābilem ... tē praebē: "show yourself manageable," "behave amenably," not implying blind obedience, but rather due humility, as is shown by what follows.

addubitāns aliquid: “doubting something,” i.e. hesitating over a difficult point. 

eōs scīscitāre: "question them," 1st conjugation deponent imperative (paradigm). The verb suggests asking for information, rather than challenging authority, so perhaps "ask them questions."

minimum quemque: "each smallest one," i.e. the least distinguished among scholars. Accusative subject of posse. quemque > quisque. 

tē vērō nēminem: supply credēns posse docēre from what precedes: “but (believing) that you (can instruct) no one.” Adopt a humble attitude. vērō is a strong adversative, "however," "but indeed." 

Cum īnsciīs: “with those who are ignorant,” a reference to Magdalena's unstudious friends at court.

vērō: “however,” "but indeed."  

nōn dē litterārum perītiā agās: “do not discuss expertise in literature.” For agere dē = "discuss," "speak of," see LS ago II.D.9.b. nōn would normally be nē in a prohibition (AG 450 note 3).

floccī faciunt: "they consider of (the value of) a tuft of wool," i.e. "they don't care about at all." The idiom is common in Latin comic writers (LS floccus II.β). floccī is genitive of value (AG 417).

quod ignōrant: “(that) which they do not know.” 

5

Cum, velutī solent ... integunt: cum governs integunt. "Just as (people) customarily do when they cover...."  cum + pres. indic. = sī (LS cum I.A.1.a). The word order is unexpected, but the syntax is clarified later by ita facitō.

nōn datur: impersonal, "it is not possible" (LS do II.B.2).

rūderibus: "trash" > rūdus, rūderis n.

ut praetereuntēs nōn dēprehendant: “so that people passing by do not discover it.” ut ... nōn (rather than nē) suggests that the ruse of covering cash with trash is successful (AG 537).

nisi quōs: "except for (those passersby) whom ..."

dignōs ... eō mūnere: "worthy of that gift" (ablative after dignus as usual), the gift in the simile being literary fellowship. 

cēnsuerint: “they have reckoned,” pf. subj. The verb censeō means to value, estimate, or rate, and evokes the considered judgment of an assessor or censor. 

ita facitō: "act in this way," rounding off the simile that began with velutī. The so-called future imperative (AG 163.b) is more solemn and archaic than the present imperative.

6

faciēs: “you will do ...,” if you follow my advice.

illud magnī ingeniī opus: "the work of a great mind." illud implies that this is a well-known piece of conventional wisdom (LS ille II.A), a nuance reinforced by quod aiunt, "as they say" (LS aio II.D).

hoc est: “that is,” explaining llud opus.

sēria facere quae sunt ridicula: “to lend seriousness to those things which are amusing,” lit. "make serious (those things) which are amusing." But the point is not to become a complete killjoy. This is explained in the next section.

et quae sunt austērula … dulcia: supply facere “to lend sweetness to (those things) which are rather dry” and serious.

superinductō lepōre: ablative absolute, “with a little charm having been added,” i.e. with a little charm sprinkled on top.

7 

dē rēbus aulicīs ēgeris: “you deal with matters of the court.” agere dē = "discuss," "speak of," see LS ago II.D.9.b. Fut. pf. indic., as normal in a termporal cum-clause referring to the future (AG 547).

nōn dē Mūsīs agās: “do not engage with the Muses,” i.e. "do not talk about literature." nē would be expected with a prohibition.

nec cum dē Mūsīs (ēgeris) rūrsum dē aulicīs (agās): supply the verbs from the previous clause: “and by the same token (rursum) when you engage with the Muses, you should not discuss courtly matters.” 

quīn ... dē ūnōquoque: supply agās from what precedes: "indeed, (discuss) each topic." The emphatic adverb quīn introduces a statement that corroborates and amplifies what went before (OLD quīn 2).

perhūmāniter: "very kindly," a rare word, borrowed from Cicero (Letters to Friends 7.8.1 scripsit ad me Caesar perhumaniter).

prout expedit: impersonal, "just as it is expedient."

sēria: “serious subjects,” moral and philosophical problems, art, literature, and the like. 

naeniīs: "with frivolous subjects," jokes and gossip. 

eō ōrdine eāque arte: "in that order and with such skill that," setting up a result clause. ordō involves a system or regularity of conduct (OLD 14), ars a deft social intelligence.

et ... et: "both ... and."

illa: "those things," the naenia, subject of lucrīfaciant, "gain," "acquire." The result clause continues.

hinc: "from that source," serious subjects. 

haec: "these things," the serious ones, also, like illa, subject of lucrīfaciant "gain," "acquire." The result clause continues.

hilaritātem grātiamque: "humor and charm." An educated person can combine a joke with a serious point in a way that is charming.

8

tandem: "finally," summing up the advice.

tālem tē praebē: "behave yourself in such a way," setting up a result clause.

dēgenerēs: “fall off from the standard of” + ā + ablative.

parentibus: "from your lineage."

indigna: "unworthy of" + abl.

convictum habeās: “become intimate,” an unusual expression evidently borrowed from Columella, On Agriculture 1.8.1. Pres. subj. in a result clause.

tēque: object of ēdoceant.

illam ... nōbilitātem: illam implies that the topic is well-known (LS ille II.A).

numquam emorituram: "undying," "immortal." The nobilitās the Muses can grant is potentially immortal, via the preservation of literary fame. A contrast is implied with the nobilitās of social standing, which is inherited and perishes with its possessor. Magdalena already has the latter. She needs to work to acquire the former.

ēdoceant: the subject is the Muses. The prefix suggests thoroughness and completeness. Subjunctive in a result clause, continuing from above.

quae sit: "what it (nobility of mind) is," indirect question after ēdoceant.

ut illa possideās: “in order that you may possess those things,” the qualities of character she has been discussing. 

9

oblongā epistolā: ablative of means, "with a long letter."

obtundam: the verb obtundō literally means "to beat" or "pommel" a person physically, but is often used of belaboring a subject or assailing the ears with repeated demands or assertions. Perhaps, "wear you out." Subjunctive after nē in a negative purpose clause.

dē hīs satis: "enough of these matters," bringing the letter to a close.

dum memineris: a proviso clause, “provided that you remember,” introducing indirect statement. 

nōn ab rē fuisse: "it is not irrelevant that," introducing further indirect statement (illam fēminam velle). ad rem = "to the point," ab rē = "beside the point." (DMLBS res 11). This phrase acts as the predicate of fuisse, which is impersonal. Literally fuisse = "it was." The perfect tense indicates that her advice is over, and suggests that the two might not have any further correspondence or contact.

dē hīs ... fēminam: order: illam fēminam velle tē admonitam reddere dē hīs, "that that woman wants to advise you regarding these matters," speaking of herself. illam fēminam is made emphatic by being placed last in the clause. It is the subject of the infinitive reddere in indirect statement and tē is the direct object of reddere.

admonitam reddere: = admonēre.

quae ... docuit et ... nōn exhorruit: the antecedent of quae is illam fēminam, Luisa herself. 

et ... et: "both ... and."

Prīncipēs: princesses, such as Luisa's patron the Infanta Maria, Maria of Portugal, the Duchess of Viseu (1521-77). See Syntra 44 and note.

rēgīnīs: "queens," presumably referring to Mary of Hungary. See Letter 15.

studiōrum ratiōne: "the course of study," the curriculum. Luisa establishes her bona fides to discuss the education of royals.

liberē agere nōn exhorruit: "did not shrink from speaking freely." For agere = "discuss," "speak of," see LS ago II.D.9.b. 

Vallisoletum: a place in Spain, modern Valladolid.