... was a factor in many people learning to read and write. Before printing, most people were illiterate and very few books were in existence, as they had to be hand-written. Often the only book available was the Bible, which was copied out over a long period of time by a member of the clergy. Mass production of books was a very important development during the Renaissance as it meant that all the new ideas were obtainable to many more people than would have been the case, had printing not been invented. Authors of the time include Dante (poetry) and Machiavelli (prose). The famous "Book of the Courtier" by Castiglione, goes into great detail about the attributes of the ideal courtier. Some of these attributes had only come to be regarded as important during the Renaissance, due to the sudden interest in, and ideas about culture: "he should have a knowledge ...

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