Leon Battista Alberti - The Books on the Family
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BOOK ONE

FIRST BOOK OF THE FAMILY: ON THE DUTY OF ELDERS TOWARD THE YOUNG, AND OF MINORS TOWARD THEIR ELDERS, AND ON THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN Original Latin: Liber primus familie: de officio senum erga iuvenes et minorum erga maiores et de educandis liberis. Alberti uses Latin for his headings to signal the scholarly and moral weight of the text, drawing on the tradition of Roman treatises on duty (officium).

While Lorenzo Alberti, our father, lay in Padua, burdened by that final illness which took him from this life, he had for many days greatly desired to see Ricciardo Alberti, his brother. Hearing that Ricciardo would arrive soon to visit him, he took the greatest comfort in it and, more than was his custom, he sat up in his bed, showing in many ways that he was very happy. We, who were constantly by his side, together took comfort in his pleasure; it was a joy to have reason for the good hope that seemed to be offered to us, seeing Lorenzo more revived than usual. Present there were Adovardo and Lionardo Alberti, most refined and very discrete men, to whom Lorenzo spoke in words much like these:

— I could not show you with words how much I desire to see Ricciardo Alberti, our brother, both to arrange with him certain matters for the benefit Original: utilitadi. In a Renaissance family context, "utility" refers not just to money, but to the overall stability, honor, and practical advantage of the entire kinship group. of our family, and also to commend to him these two sons of mine here, Battista and Carlo. Indeed, they are no small weight upon my soul—not because I doubt that Ricciardo will be as wakeful and diligent as possible for their every good, but because it weighed upon me not to first settle this burden Original: soma. Literally a "pack-load" or "burden," used here metaphorically for the heavy responsibility of fatherhood. assigned to us fathers, and it pained me to leave behind any such just and pious task. I shall depart from life without that burden once I have entreated each of you greatly, and Ricciardo first of all, to guide these boys to become good men, and to do for them—so as to have them be virtuous—whatever would be necessary to do for one's own.

Then Adovardo, who was older than Lionardo, replied: — How much this talk of yours has moved me, Lorenzo! I perceive in you that love and fatherly devotion Original: pietà. This carries the sense of the Latin pietas: the dutiful respect and natural affection owed to family and ancestors. toward your children which often, in many ways, stirs—