ON THE STUDY OF ITALIAN. 147 



One however, for whom this, his own brief expression, is a striking and 

 sufficient eulogium. Our "northern grunting guttural" cannot ade- 

 quately express the praise of Dante. Strong and nervous descriptions 

 wonderful imagination deep feeling and pathos close observation 

 of nature high patriotism, with indignant satire against those who 

 oppressed and insulted the country which he so dearly loved if 

 these, expressed in language firm, mighty, energetic, are to be 

 admired, are to be received into the memory and the affections, 

 then is the laurel wreath that circles the stern, thoughtful, melan- 

 choly brow of the Florentine poet, rightly gained and rightly worn. 



It is not by mere extracts of Dante the Nyolino, Capaneo, Fran- 

 cesca di Rimini, &c. &c., that an idea can be formed of his powers. 

 Dr. Johnson said that a critic seeking to recommend Shakspeare by 

 mere citations, would be like a man who should endeavour to let his 

 house by carrying a few bricks in his pocket, as a specimen of it. 

 The Divina Commedia is a magnificent whole, and has been styled 

 by a modern noble critic " the most original poem in the world." < ' 



It may be allowable to remark that Villani's " Storia di Ferenze" 

 and Sismondi's " Histoire des Republiques Italiennes" throw much 

 light on the historical difficulties of Dante. 



But it is time to bring these desultory remarks to a close. Time 

 would indeed fail to tell of Ariosto with his interweaving episodes, 

 Alfieri, the Lord Byron of Italy, a noble mind misapplied, Monti, 

 renowned by his Aristodemo, and Sylvio Pellico by his genius and 

 misfortunes. As it is my wish to be useful to those who may be en- 

 gaged in the study of a language to which I have devoted some 

 attention, I add a list of Italian books suited to beginners : 



Lettere su Roma e Napoli. 



Ricordi d'un Viaggio Pittorico. 



II Campagno nel Passeggio Campestre. 



Racconti Istorici. 



Lettere Discrittive di Celebri Italiani da Gamba, 



Novelle di Polidori. 



Scelta di Lettere da Nardino. 



Scelta di Lettere da Gasparo Gozzi. 



To this is subjoined a list of Italian books in a good style, but 

 rather works of amusement than of serious study, under the impres- 

 sion that this is the most usual and natural means for reading a lan- 

 guage with fluency : 



Le mie Prigioni, da Silvio Pellico. 

 Dei Dovin degli Domini da. do. 

 Mauri Caterina Medici. 

 Manzoni I promissi Sposi. 

 Goldoni Le Cojnmedie. 

 Uberto Visconti. 

 Battaglia di Benevento. 

 Sacchi Zeodote. 



Varieta Litteraria. 



Varesi Fidanzata Ligure. 



