J794. Jdciety of Arcadia. 333 



order to enable him to have the Latin comedies repre- 

 sented with the necefsary decorum. The theatre 

 got the name of 5«/a Latina } and the cardinals Gentili 

 and Corsini were declared protectors of it. 



The public afsemblies for the rehearsal of composi- 

 tions in the Serbatojo, are no lefs frequented than at 

 the Bosco Parrasio y but it is extraordinarily so when 

 it is known that there is Vimproviso or singing po- 

 etry, extempore, a prerogative which I believe is pe- 

 culiar to Italy. Sometimes the poets will challenge 

 one another in rhime, and find out reciprocally a sub- 

 ject ; at other times any of the company is invited 

 to give a subject, which, if there be two or three im- 

 provisatori, is generally of the problematic kind, that 

 each may choose an opinion, and thus form an 

 agreeable contention. Two or three different sub- 

 jects have been given by diiferent persons at the same 

 time to Abate Serio, a Neapolitan ; he makes one of 

 them the principal subject, and introduces the others 

 as episodes ; and thus goes on for an hour or two sing- 

 ing poetry fArff7;z/)orf. Among the old Arcadians were 

 famous for improvisare, Tirsi, the (^Avvocato Zappi,~) 

 Benaco, (^Conomco Grazzini,^ Fedreo, (^Giuseppe Vac- 

 cart,) Eulibio, (Paolo Rolli,) Fausto, (^Paolo Vannini,) 

 Eniso, (Domenico Ott^vio Petroselhm,) Artino, {Pietra 

 Metastasio,) from his younger years, and Alauro. 

 (^Cavalier Perfetti,) who at the request of the princefs 

 Violante of- Bavaria, dowager of Tuscany, then in 

 Rome, got the laurel crown in the Capitol ; which 

 coronation was very much opposed, as it was al- 

 - VOL. xi. G G ^ 



