CHARACTERS. 



783 



ties, and displayed the solidity of a 

 philosopher, without his solemnity 

 and reserve. " He could concern 

 himself with trifles at intervals, and 

 . converse among the vulgar, with- 

 out taking off his thoughts from 

 higher matters, or interfering with 

 the proper functions of his station." 

 With his great predecessor, Locke, 

 he was probably of opinion, 

 " that in order to employ one part 

 of life in serious and important oc- 

 cupations, it was necessary to spend 

 another in mere amusements." 

 But, unlike the great mass of man- 

 kind, his hours of recreation were 

 not idly wasted ; and the innocent 

 pleasures, in which he then in- 

 dulged himself, were frequently 

 conducive to some important end. 



■■ Thefomoiis Victor Alfieri's Passion 

 K Jbr Music, Abhorrence oj Dancing, 

 H and Aversion to the French Na- 

 H tion. [^Extracted from Memoirs 

 ^ of his Life and Writings. Writ- 

 ten by himself. "^ 



He was admitted to an opera, for 

 thefirst timeiuhis life, when he was 

 only about twelve years of age. 

 " The varied and enchanting mu- 

 sic, " he observes, " sunk deep 

 into my soul, and made the most 

 astonishing impression on my ima- 

 gination ; it agitated the inmost re- 

 cesses of my heart to such a degree, 

 that for several weeks I experienced 

 the most profound melancholy, 

 which was not, however, wholly 

 unattended with pleasure. I be- 

 came tired, and disgusted with my 

 studies, while at the same time the 

 most wild and whimsical ideas took 

 such possession of my mind, as 

 would have led me to pourtray them 



in the most impassioned verses, had 

 I not been whollyunacquainted with 

 the true nature of my own feelings. 

 It was the first time music had pro- 

 duced such a powerful effect on my 

 mind. I had never experienced any 

 thing similar, and it long remained 

 engraven on my memory. When I 

 recollect the feelings excited by 

 the representation of the grand 

 operas, at which I was present dur- 

 ing several carnivals, and compare 

 them with those which I now ex- 

 perience, on returning from the 

 performance of a piece I have not 

 witnessed for some time, I am fully 

 convinced thatnothingactsso pow- 

 erfully on my mind, as ail species of 

 music, and particularly the sound 

 of female voices, and of contro-alto. 

 Nothing excites more various or 

 terrific sensations in my mind. 

 Thus the plots of the greatest num- 

 ber of my tragedies were either 

 formed, while Hstening to music, or 

 a few hours afterwards. 



" To the natural hatred I had to 

 dancing, was joined an invincible 

 antipathy towards my master — a 

 Frenchman, newly arrived from 

 Paris. He possessed a certain air of 

 polite assurance, which, joined to 

 his ridiculous motions and absurd 

 discourse, greatly increased the 

 innate aversion I felt towards this 

 frivolous art. So unconquerable 

 was this aversion, that, after leaving 

 school, I could never be prevailed 

 on to join in any dance whatever. 

 The ver}' name of this amusement 

 makes me shudder and laugh at 

 the same time — a circumstance 

 which is by no means unusual witli 

 me. I attribute, in a gi*eat measure, 

 to this dancing-master the un- 

 favourable, and perhaps erroneous, 

 opinion I have formed of the 



French 



