494 Modern Italian Comedy : [MAY, 



the very small number of German or Italian works of fancy which ever 

 become popular in England, would of itself be sufficient to leave little 

 doubt that a translation is attended with equal loss and difficulty into our 

 own. The reception of Da Rossi's plays upon the Italian stage, taken 

 upon the whole, was favourable. One or two he speaks of as having 

 failed ; and, with the feeling sworn to dramatists in all countries, it 

 invariably appears that it was the actors, or the audience (sometimes 

 both) that were to blame. The titles of the plays are In the first 

 volume 77 Sccondo Giorno del Matrimonio (a Day after the Wedding). 

 // Cortigiano Honcsto, ovvero i Cambiamenti di tin Giorno (The Honest 

 Courtier, or the Changes of a Day). 77 Calzolajo Inglese a Roma (The 

 English Shoemaker at Rome). And La Fawiglia dell' Uomo indolenie 

 (The Family of the indolent Man). The second volume contains Le 

 Sorclle Rivali (The Rival Sisters). L' Astratlo Geloso this is a com- 

 bination not easy to render (The jealous and absent Man). II Maestro 

 di Cappclla (The Chapel Master). And La Commedia in Villegiatura 

 (Private Theatricals). The third consists of// Podesta di Bicenzo 

 (The Magistrate of Bicenzo) this is a melo-dramatic play. La Prima 

 Sera dell Opera (The First Night of the Opera) again a comedy. La 

 Consequenze di una imprudcnte Risoluzione (The Effects of an imprudent 

 Resolution). And // Presuntuozo (The Insolent Man). The fourth 

 has three comedies, and an interlude in a single act Le Lagrime della 

 Vedova (Widow's Tears). L' Officio della Posta (The Post-Office). // 

 Soverchiatorc (The Despot). And La Bottega ddl' Caffe nel Fcstino 

 (The Refreshment-Room at the Ball). These are almost all good Eng- 

 lish titles : affording a second example of the aptness of different men, 

 in thinking on the same subject or for the same purpose, to think in 

 the same way. 



The drama, out of all this list, most approaching to that which would 

 be actable put into an English shape, is the second in order in the last 

 volume Le Lagrime della Vedova, Sismoncli, in his " Litterature du 

 Midi/' notices the comedy, as one of great credit to the dramatic tact 

 of the author ; and a tale founded upon the incidents of it, with some 

 additions, and a good deal of alteration of character, appeared, about 

 two years since, in a periodical publication, called the Parthenon, 

 under the title of " A Soldier's Fortune." The plot of the play, as it 

 stands in the Italian, turns upon the regret exhibited or feigned by a 

 young widow, the " Baroness Aurelia," for the death of a husband, who 

 was old and unpleasing, and to whom she had been married against her 

 inclination. Notwithstanding these unpromising circumstances, the 

 Baroness exhibits the most poignant distress at the death of her lord ; 

 and retires (with a large fortune) to the chateau of a relative, " the 

 Marquis Anselmo," where she erects, among other works of piety, a 

 shrine to the memory of her husband, in the centre of a walk of cypresses; 

 and waters the rose-trees that surround it, at intervals, with her tears. 

 While matters are in this condition (by a tour not ill arranged on the 

 part of the dramatist), a former lover of the lady, " Captain Erminio/' 

 having killed the major of his regiment in a duel, and fled for fear of 

 being hanged for the exploit, comes to the chateau with his confidential 

 servant (both in the disguise of peasants) : and they obtain employment 

 as gardeners, knowing nothing of the nobleman into whose family they, 

 have come, nor of the Baroness's residence there, nor of the farther fact 

 that the " Baron's" death has left her ladyship at liberty. In the course 



