1800.] 
nament is like a promife unfulfilled. In 
, reprefentation, no bine the mufic might 
become relpo snfible for the pleafure that 
was wanting in the fenfe. But the rati- 
onality of an Englifl: audience has not yet 
taucht them to ‘tolerate an Alexander, a 
Celar, or a Cato, making their exit in 
trilling a ditty, We may be fallowed to 
fay of thefe airs in general, what Metattafio 
himfelf has faid of the Bravura in parti- 
Jar. <“* In thefe airs there ts no attention 
paid to characters. fituation, paflion, fenie, 
er reafon : without regard to-confiftency, 
they are folely employed to exhibit their 
own peculiar beauty, and, with the aid of 
certain trillings, to rival the nightingale, 
or violin, and excite that {pecies of plea- 
fure arifing trom wonder alone.”—[ Let- 
tere fopra la Mujfica.} ¥ 
His fimiles, which generally compofe 
the air, are, like the piece which they 
adorn (and where they «are rather ap- 
pended, than inter woven), regularly beau- 
tiful, and ingenioufly drawn (withoutever 
being boldly fnatched) from forne of the 
moft prominent features innature. I will 
‘here endeavour to give the Enelifh reader 
an idea of the fryle of thefe airs, which 
conftitute what may be called the pro- 
feffed ornaments of Metaftafio’s ee 
tions. 
In his Siroe (Atto. 3, Se. 14.) Medarfe 
thus foliloquifes on the nature of virtue 
and. vice. ghd Ab con mio danno im- 
pare, &c.””) 
Too late, oh Vice, thy votaries fee 
When all their pleafure flows from thee, 
On fortune hangs their whole : 
While Virtue’s fons, tho’ fate remain 
No longer kind, at leaft retain 
Inherent peace of foul.— 
While fummerfuns diffolve the fnows, » 
The turbid torrent proudly flows ; 
But comes the winter fro, 
Its courfe is run, its power is fhed, 
Defiruction only marks its bed, 
Its fowing treafures !oft. 
But be there to a ftreams pure courfe 
Some ever living, limpid fource 5 
And tho’ no longer fhone . 
The fummeriun ;—tho’ froft retains 
The mountain ttreams—its own remains, 
And flows fill purer on. 
T will give one moreas a fpecimen of his 
boldeit ftyle—it is in his ** Sogno di Sci- 
toue.” ’—[‘* In ogni forte, &c.—and again 
—‘* Bianchegsia in Mar lo Scoglio, &c.””) 
In all viciffitudes of fate 
Unaltered, firm, fee virtue reft, 
Or grow more firm with growing time; 
For, tho’ purfued by fortune’s hate, ’ 
We tee/it fhaken, not oppreft ; 
And, while lefs happy, more fublime. 
Ohfervations ov Metaftafio 
pr 
Thus ftands, on fome rude mountain’s fide, 
Expofed to all the winds of Heaven, 
Lhe monarchoak, from times of yore 5 
When winter ftrips his leafy pride,| 
His root ftrikes deeper, tempett-driven 3 = 
His beauty lefs, bis vigor more. 
Behold yon rock’s majeftic form, 
Whitening amid the foaming turge, 
And, fhaken, feem the aby{fs to glut 5 
Then rife fuperior to the ftorm ; 
Aebuked the waves in awe regurge, 
And fink fubmiflive at his foot. 
The courfe of a river, the growth of a 
plant, and the dangers of the ocean, are the 
ufua] {ubjects of Metattafio’s metaphorical 
allufion. Itis often oblferved, that poetry 
takes its character from the manners of the 
times, and the cuftoms and occupations of 
the country where it is cultivated. “It isa 
fingular exception to this, that the circum. 
ftances incident to a maritime life are the 
favourite fubjects of elucidation to Metaf- 
tafio, whofe hte was principally fpent in 
the court of a prince having but one tfea- 
port in the whole extent of his vaft domi- 
nions. But he was more the poet of cul- 
tivation than of nature; and literature has 
made her votaries the denizens of every 
foil. 
Tt would have been fortunate had Me- 
taftafio efcaped in other inftances, too, the 
contagion of furrounding circumftances. 
But the incenfed atmo{phere of a court has 
infeéted many of his pieces with flattery fo 
grofs, fo unveiled by delicacy or ornament, 
as to pleafe none but the vitiated ears of 
thofe for whom it was prepared. Such 
are always his licenza, his complimente, 
and too frequently his fonnetto, cantate, 
and canzonetta; written generally with 
the intention (and probably the fuccefsful 
intention) of pleafing an individual :— 
but, like family portraits, they are pleafing 
to none but thofe they Atte: De this, 
however, the air of ‘ IJ Sogno” is a 
pretty exception, particularly 4 in its open- 
ing. 
In dreams I fee my charmer come, 
In dreams to fmile away my gloom, 
And to her bofom take me 5 
Oh love, if thou a god. would’ feem, 
Orrealize this happy dream, 
Or never, never, wake me. 
[<¢ Pur nel Sogno almen talora,” &co— 
It is rather unfortunate that this prettieft 
part of the piece fhould be borrowed from 
Ariofi0, fi Furiofo, Cant. 25, St. 67—— and 
again, Cant. 33, St. ge wice claimed, 
and not once allowed !—Poor Ariofto!— 
fo feldom, too, that thos hatt oie claim te 
a beauty !] 
Os the ** Tempefta,”” the defign and ex- 
execution 
