Hoby’s English translation of the Book of the Courtier followed the translations into French and Spanish, and was shortly itself followed by further translations into German and Latin. The text’s European-wide reception signals the Italophilia of the period, but also the timeliness and significance of Castiglione’s subject matter. The burning question of how to get on in a world where Fortune held sway was one that transcended nationality and language and preoccupied many men (and women).