1821.] 



VJpe Ilaliana. — No. XIX. 



119 



sfrength of thought, force and energy 

 of stj'le, and closeness of versification 

 amounting to harshness and obscurity 

 it is equal to some of the best pieces of 

 AlSeri. The opening and closing 

 scenes are written with admirable 

 spirit and dramatic skill ; but the in- 

 terest considerably flags in the inter- 

 Diediate acts, oiving to the simplicity 

 and uniformity of the story. We wish 

 we could give equal praise to the con- 

 ception as to the execution of the piece : 

 but the fable is too revolting, the plot 

 too apparent, and the incidents too 

 bare to awaken, even under the hands 

 of a master, the strong and mixed feel- 

 ings of legitimate tragedy, lathecom- 

 pression and terseness of his language, 

 ne nearly reminds us of Tacitus ; in 

 bis versification lie comprises, like 

 Pope, much meaning in a very little 

 sp.ice, though file antithetical and in- 

 volved manner in which many of his 

 sentences are framed, produce a de- 

 gree of difiiculty and disagreeable feel- 

 ing in the mind of the reader. His 

 defects, and he undoubtedly has them, 

 are fully redeemed by the power and 

 beauty of his poetry, in which he excels 

 Alfieri, by the originality and con- 

 disteucy of bis characters, and the 

 struggle of interests and passions, con- 

 ducted with dramatic skill. 



Guelfo is a terrible specimen of moral 

 guilt— an anonialy in principle and ac 

 tion, formed after the model of fa- 

 talism, so strongly insisted upon of 

 late by Schlegel and his German bre- 

 thren, and exhibited in the novels of 

 Fouqud, and some of tiieir most recent 

 tragedies. His life is thus involved in 

 darkness and siispicloH ; he has steeped 

 his soul in guilt, and, instead of in- 

 dulging the hope of pardon, hardens 

 himself against remorse or tears. Still 

 nature is not extinct within him, and 

 the watchful tenderness and unshaken 

 constancy of Ricciarda, steal across his 

 spirit and soften the sternness and terror 

 which they cannot quite subdue. Ric- 

 ciarda is a finely-conceived and ex- 

 quisitely delineated character through- 

 out. The struggle of variable passions 

 is boldly and delicately pourtrayed ; 

 this character alone is sufficient to call 

 forth our high admiration of the whole 

 piece. 



In thcConte di Carmagnola of Man- 

 £oni, we aie prcseiited with an irre- 

 gular historical tragedy, founded uj)oii 

 the unjust juxiisiition and death of the 

 iiero whose name it beiirs, from the 

 jealous suspicion and aristocratic ty- 



ranny of the state of Venice. It is 

 composed in a truly natural and free 

 spirit, despising the unities, and giving 

 bold scope to the genius and imagina- 

 tion of the writer, yet admirably and 

 skilfully adapted (o the truth and na- 

 ture of liistmic incident. AV'e congratu- 

 late him on having nobly accomplished 

 the freedom of Italian drama from the 

 shackles imposed upon it by Trissino 

 and Tasso, and rivetled by the narrow 

 criticisms of Bossu and Voltaire. If 

 Manzoni were not deficient in real 

 poetry, we should be .npt to consider 

 this production the best of the three 

 before us. The character of the Count 

 is drawn with a masterly and powerful 

 baud. There is a majestic simplicity, 

 and a soldier-like honour in his speech 

 and actions, so finely contrasted with 

 the cowardice and treachery of the Ve 

 netian senate — his ungrateful oppres- 

 sors, that not a little remind us of oc- 

 currences in the present day ; while 

 his unfeigned surprise at the nature of 

 the charges — his unalterable confidence 

 in his own integrity, surrounded by 

 baseness and vindictive cruelty, must 

 be equally felt and applied by those 

 who have learnetl tojudgeand feel the 

 effects of arisiocratical power. History 

 affords few instances of public injustice 

 and the abuse of power equal (in atro- 

 city and ingratitude towards the bene- 

 factor of the people) to the condemna- 

 tion of the Conte di Carmagnola by the 

 authorities of Venice, whose armies he 

 led through a career of victory, and 

 saved them, in the most imminent 

 hour of peril, from certain destruction. 

 His conduct as a statesman and ths 

 first captain of his time, is described 

 in a style of oratory and action which 

 gives full life and iutere;-t (o the drama. 

 The princi|)al events of his triumphs 

 and achievements are distinctly ar- 

 ranged according to historical records 

 in the seveial acts of the pieee, so as 

 to give an idea of a fine historic paint- 

 ing, just and beautiful in all its parts. 

 The sentiments are noble and reviving, 

 and worthy the spirit of a people now 

 struggling' for their rights and liber- 

 ties as men. In the proud tone and 

 elevation of mind which a few passages 

 exhibit, we perceive not unfrequently 

 gleams of that holy fire, and that might 

 of freedom, which breathe fhrougli 

 the pages of Saaason Agouistes. We 

 are sorry that our columns will not 

 now permit us to treat our readers with 

 some instances of this patriotic kind, 

 as well as the version of a lyric Ode, 

 aaaiiut 



