R egret and fear were lost behind the golden
clouds of hope; his heart, so long oppressed by sadness,
throbbed and bounded with delight; he k new that such,
a state could not last; but even his sense of its fleetness
lent this fever of felicity but a more active force.
clouds of hope; his heart, so long oppressed by sadness,
throbbed and bounded with delight; he k new that such,
a state could not last; but even his sense of its fleetness
lent this fever of felicity but a more active force.
Madame de Stael - Corinna, or Italy
H e dared to look on her; and who could do
so without being struck by the divine inspiration enthroned
in her eyes? R e-assured by the mildness which veiled their
splendour, he might have spok en, had not Prince Castel
F orte that instant entered the room. I t was not without
a pang that he beheld N evil tete-a-tete with Corinne:
but he was accustomed to conceal his sensations; and that
habit, which an I talian often unites with the most vehe-
ment passions, in him was rather the result of lassitude
and natural gentleness. H e had resigned the hope of
being the first obj ect of Corinne' s regard; he was no
longer young. H e had j ust the wit, taste, and fancy,
which varies, without disturbing one' s ex istence; and felt
it so needful for his life to pass every evening with Corinne,
that, had she married, he would have conj ured her hus-
band to let him continue this routine; on which condition
it would not have cost him much regret to see her united
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? O O B I N N E ; O B I TA L Y . 43
with another. The heart' s disappointments are not, in
I taly, aggravated by those of vanity. Y ou meet some men
j ealous enough to stab their rivals, others sufficiently
modest to accept the second place in the esteem of a
woman whose company they enj oy; but you seldom find
those who, rather than appear rej ected, deny themselves
the pleasure of k eeping up a blameless intimacy. The
dominion of society over self-love is scarcely k nown in the
land. The Count d' E rfeuil and Corinne' s wonted guests
having assembled, the conversation turned on the talent
for improvisation, which she had so gloriously displayed
at the Capitol; and she was ask ed what she thought of it
herself. " I t is so rare a thing," said Castel F orte, " to
find a person at once susceptible of enthusiasm, and capa-
ble of analysis; endowed as an artist, yet gifted with so
much self-k nowledge, that we ought to implore her reve-
lation of her own secret. " -- " The faculty of ex tem-
porising," returned Corinne, " is not more ex traordinary
in southern tongues, than senatorial eloq uence or lively
repartee in other languages. I should even say that, un-
fortunately, it is easier for us to breathe impromptu verse
than to speak well in prose, from which poetry differs
so widely, that the first stanzas, by their mere ex pressions,
remove the poet from the sphere of his auditors, and thus
command attention. I t is not only to the sweetness of
I talian, but to the emphatic vibration of its syllables, that
we should attribute the influence of poetry amongst us.
I talian has a musical charm, which confers delight by the
very sound of its words, almost independent of ideas,
though nearly all those words are so graphic, that they
paint their own significations on the mind: you feel that
but in the midst of the arts, and beneath a beauteous sk y,
could a language so melodious and highly coloured have had
birth. I t is, therefore, easier in I taly than any where
else to mislead by speeches, unaided by depth or novelty
of thought. Poetry, lik e all the fine arts, captivates the
senses as much as the mind. N evertheless, I venture to
assert, that I never act the improvisatrice, unless beneath
some real feeling, or some image which I believe original.
I hope that I rely less than others on our bewitching
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? 44CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
tongue; on which, indeed, one may prelude at random,
and bestow a vivid pleasure, solely by the charm of
rhythm and of harmony. " -- " Y ou think , then," said one
of her friends, " that this genius for spontaneous verse
does rnj ury to our literature? 1 thought so too, till I
heard you, who have entirely reversed my decision. " --
" I have said," returned Corinne, " that from this
facility and abundance must result a vast q uantity of in.
different poems; but I rej oice that such fruitfulness
should ex ist in I taly, as I do to see our plains covered
with a thousand superfluous productions. I pride in this
bounty of H eaven. A bove all, I love to find improvisatores
among the common people: it shows that imagination of
theirs which is hidden in all other circumstances, and
only developes itself amongst us. I t gives a poetic air to
the humblest rank s of society, and spares us from the dis-
gust we cannot help feeling, against what is vulgar in all
classes. W hen our S icilians, while rowing the traveller
in their bark s, lend their graceful dialect to an endearing
welcome, or sing him a k ind and long farewell, one might
dream that the pure sea breeze acted on man as on an
E olian harp; and that the one, lik e the other, echoed but
the voice of nature. A nother reason why I set this value
on our talent for improvisation is, that it appears one
which could not possibly survive among a community dis-
posed to ridicule. Poets who risk this perilous enterprise
req uire all the good humour of a country in which men
love to amuse themselves, without criticising what amuses
them. A single sneer would suffice to banish the pre-
sence of mind necessary for rapid and uninterrupted com-
position. Y our hearers must warm with you, and their
plaudits must be your inspiration. " -- " B ut, madame,"
said O swald, who, till now, had gazed in silence on Co-
rinne, " to which class of your poems do you give the
preference? those that are the work s of reflection, or such
as were instantaneously inspired ? " -- " My L ord," replied
Corinne, with a look of gentle deference, " I will mak e
you my j udge; but if you bid me ex amine my own heart,
I should say that improvisation is, to me, lik e animated
converse. I do not confine myself to such or such sub-
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? CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
45
j eets, but yield to whatever produces that degree of interest
in my hearers which most infects myself; and it is to
my friends that I owe the greater portion of my talent in
this line. S ometimes, while they speak on the noble
q uestions that involve the moral condition of man,-- the aim
and end of his duties here, -- mine impassioned ex citement
carries me beyond myself; teaches me to find in nature,
and mine own heart, such daring truths, and forcible ex -
pressions, as solitary meditation could never have engen-
dered. Mine enthusiasm, then, seems supernatural: a
spirit speak s within me far greater than mine own; it
often happens that I abandon the measure of verse to ex -
plain my thoughts in prose. S ometimes I q uote the most
applicable passages from the poets of other lands. Those
divine apostrophes are mine, while my soul is filled by
their import. S ometimes my lyre, by a simple national
air, may complete the effect which flies from the control
of words. I n truth, I feel myself a poet, less when a
happy choice of rhymes, of syllables, of figures, may
dazzle my auditors, than when my spirit soars disdainful
of all selfish baseness; when godlik e deeds appear most
easy to me, ' tis then my verse is at its best. I am, indeed,
a poet while I admire or hate, not by my personal feelings,
nor in mine own cause, but for the sak e of human dignity,
and the glory of the world! " Corinne, now perceiving
how far she had been borne away, blushed, and, turning to
L ordN evil,said," Y ousee1cannottouchonanyof
the themes that affect me without that k ind of thrill
which is the source of ideal beauty in the arts, of religion
in the recluse, generosity in heroes, and disinterestedness
among men. Pardon me, my L ord: such a woman little
resembles those of your country. " -- " W ho can resemble
you ? " replied O swald; " and who shall mak e laws for a
being so peculiar? "
The Count d' E rfeuil was actually spell-bound: without
understanding all she said, her gestures, voice, and manner,
charmed him. I t was the first time that any, save F rench
graces, had moved him thus. B ut, to say truth, the po-
pularity of Corinne aided and sanctioned his j udgment;
so that he might rave of her without relinq uishing his
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? 46 . CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
convenient habit of being guided by the opinion of others.
A s they left the house together, he said to his friend,
" Confess, now, dear O swald, that I have some merit in
not paying my court to so delightful a person. " -- " B ut,"
replied N evil, " they say that she is difficult to please. "
-- " They say, but I don' t believe it. A single woman,
who leads the life of an artist, can' t be difficult to please. "
N evil' s feelings were wounded by this remark ; but whether
d' E rfeuil saw it not, or was resolved to follow the bent of
his own inclinations, he continued, " N ot but, if I could
believe in any woman' s virtue, I should trust hers above
all. S he has certainly a thousand times more ardour than
were req uired in your country, or even in mine, to create
doubts of a lady' s cruelty; yet she is a creature of such
superior tact and information, that the ordinary rules for
j udging her sex cannot be applied to her. W ould you
believe it? I find her manners imposing: they overawe
me in spite of her careless affability. I wished yesterday,
merely out of gratitude for her interest in you, to hazard
a few words on my own account; such as mak e what way
they can; if they are listened to, so much the better, if
not, why that may be luck ier still; but Corinne look ed on
me coldly, and I was altogether disconcerted. I s it not
absurd to feel out of countenance before an I talian, a poet,
an-- every thing that ought to put a man at his ease ? " --
" H er name is unk nown," replied N
haviour assures us that she is highly born. "
only the fashion of romance to conceal one'
evil, " but her be-
-- " N ay, ' tis
real life, people tell every thing that can do themselves
credit, and even a little more than the truth. " -- " Y es,
in some societies, where they think but of the effect pro-
duced on others; but here, where life is more domestic,
here there may be secrets, which only he who marries
Corinne should seek to fathom. " -- " Marry Corinne !
peated d' E rfeuil, laughing vehemently, " such a notion
never entered my head. My dear N evil, if you will com-
mit ex travagances, let them be such as are not irreparable.
I n marriage one should consult nothing but convenience
and decorum. Y ou think me frivolous; nevertheless I
bet you that my conduct shall be more rational than your
" re-
' ll
s nobility:-- in
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? CO R I N N E ; O B I TA L Y . 47
own. " -- " I don' t doubt it," returned N evil, without
another word; for how could he tell the Count that there
is often much selfishness in frivolity? or that vanity
never leads a man towards the error of sacrificing himself
for another? Triflers are very capable of cleverly direct-
ing their own affairs; for, in all that may be called the
science of policy, in private as in public life, men oftener
succeed by the absence of certain q ualities than by any
which they possess.
A deficiency of enthusiasm, opinions, and sensibility, is
a negative treasure, on which, with but slight abilities,
rank and fortune may easily be acq uired or maintained.
The j ests of d' E rfeuil had pained L ord N evil much: he
condemned them, but still they haunted him most im-
portunately.
BOOKIV.
R O ME .
CH A PTE R I .
The nex t fortnight O swald devoted ex clusively to the so-
ciety of Corinne. H e never left his house but to visit
her. H e saw, he sought no more; and, without speak ing
of his love, he made her sensible of it every hour in the
day. ' . S he was accustomed to the lively and flattering tri-
butes of the I talians; but the lordly deportment and ap-
parent coldness of O
of heart so often brok
far greater power o'
swald, through which his tenderness
e, in spite of himself, ex ercised a
er her imagination. H e never related
a generous deed or a tale of misfortune, but his eyes filled,
though he always strove to hide this weak ness. I t was
long since she had felt such respect as that which he
awak ened. N o genius, however distinguished, could have
astonished her; but elevation of character acted deeply on
her mind. O swald added to this an elegance which per-
vaded the most trivial actions of his life, and contrasted
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? 48CO R I N N E ; O B I TA L Y .
strongly with the negligent familiarity of the R oman no-
bles. A lthough some of his tastes were uncongenial to
her own, their mutual understanding was wonderful. They
read each other' s hearts in the lightest alteration of coun-
tenance. H abituated to the most tempestuous demonstra-
tions of passion, this proud retiring attachment continually
proved, though never confessed, shed a new interest over
her life. S he felt as if surrounded by a purer, sweeter at-
mosphere; and every moment brought with it a sense of
happiness in which she revelled, without seek ing to define.
O ne morning Prince Castel F orte came to her, evidently
dispirited. S he ask ed the cause. " This S cot," sighed he,
" is weaning your affection from us, and who k nows but
he may even carry you far hence?
some moments, and then replied, "
never said he loves me. " -- " Y
"
Corinne was mute for
I protest to you he has
ou k now it, nevertheless:
he speak s to you by his life, and his very silence is but an
artful plan to attract your notice. W hat, indeed, can any
one say to. you that you have not already heard? W hat
k ind of praise have you not been offered? B ut there is
something veiled and reined in about the character of L ord
N evil, which will never permit you to j udge it wholly as
you do ours. Y ou are the most easily k nown person in
the world; but it is j ust because you voluntarily show
yourself as you are, that reserve and mystery both please
and govern you. The unk nown, be it what it may, has a
greater ascendency over you than all the professions which
could be tendered by man. " Corinne smiled. " Y ou
think then, dear Prince," she said, " that my heart is un-
grateful, and my fancy capricious? I believe, however,
that L ord N evil evinces q ualities too remark able for me
to flatter myself as their discoverer. " -- " I allow," rej
Castel F orte, " that he is high minded, intelligent, even
sensitive, and melancholy above all; but I am much de-
ceived if his pursuits have the least affinity with yours.
Y ou cannot perceive this, so thoroughly is he influenced
by your presence; but your empire would not last were
he absent from you. O bstacles would fatigue a mind
warped by the griefs he has undergone, by discourage-
ments which must have impaired the energy of his reso-
oined
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? corinne; or itaTly. ? 49
lutions; besides you k now what slaves are the generality of
E nglish to the manners and habits of their country. " These
words recalled to the mind of Corinne the painful events of
her early years. S he sighed, and spok e not; but in the
evening she again beheld her lover, and all that remained
as the effect of the Prince' s counsel was a desire so to en-
amour N evil of the varied beauties with which I taly is
blest, that he would mak e it his home for life. W ith this
design she wrote him the following letter. The free life
led at R ome ex cused her, and, much as she might be re-
proached with a too rash degree of candour, she well k new
how to preserve a modest dignity, even in her most inde-
pendent proceedings.
" ToL ordN evil.
" Dec. 15. 1794.
" I k nownot,myL ord,ifyouwillthink metooself-
confident, or if you can do j ustice to my motives. I heard
you say that you had not yet ex plored R ome, that you
k new nothing either of the chefs-d' osuvres of our fine arts,
or the antiq ue ruins that teach us history by imagination
and sentiment. I conceived the idea of daring to propose
myself as your guide through the mazes of long-gone
years. Doubtless R ome can boast of many men whose
profound erudition might be far more useful; but if I
succeed in endearing to you an abode towards which I
have always felt so imperiously drawn, your own studies
will complete what my imperfect sk etches may begin.
' ' Many foreigners come hither, as they go to L
Paris, seek ing but the dissipation of a great city;
it were not treason to confess themselves weary of R
I believe the greatest part of them would do so. B
ondon or
and if
ome,
ut it is
eq ually true, that here may be found a charm of which
none could ever sate. W ill you pardon me, my L ord, for
wishing that this charm may be k nown to you? I t is true
that you must first forget all the political relations of the
world; but when they are not link ed with our sacred
duties, they do but freeze the heart. I t is necessary also
to renounce what is elsewhere called the pleasures of
society; but do they not too freq uently wither up the
mind? O ne tastes in R ome a life at once secluded and
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? 50CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
enlivened, which liberally matures in our breasts whatever
heaven hath planted there.
" O nce more, my L ord, pardon this love for my country,
whichmak esmelongtok nowitbelovedbyamanlik e
yourself; and do not j udge with E nglish severity the
pledges of good will that an I talian believes it her right to
bestow, without losing any thing in her own eyes or in
yours. " Corinne. "
I n vain would O swald have concealed from himself his
ecstasy at receiving this letter: it opened to him glimpses
of a future all peace and j oy, enthusiasm, love, and
wisdom:-- all that is most divine in the soul of man
seemed blended in the enchanting proj ect of ex ploring
R ome with Corinne. H e considered-- he hesitated no more;
but instantly started for her house, and, on his way, look ed
up to H eaven, bask ing in its rays, for life was no longer a
burden.
R egret and fear were lost behind the golden
clouds of hope; his heart, so long oppressed by sadness,
throbbed and bounded with delight; he k new that such,
a state could not last; but even his sense of its fleetness
lent this fever of felicity but a more active force.
" Y ouarecome! " criedCorinne,asheentered. " A h,
thank you! " S he offered him her hand: he pressed it to
his lips, with a tenderness unq ualified by that afflicting
tremor which so often mingled with his happiness, and em-
bittered the presence of those he loved the most. A n
intimacy had commenced between them since they had last
parted, established by the letter of Corinne; both were
content, and felt towards one another the sweetest gratitude.
" This morning, then," said Corinne, " I
the Pantheon and S t. Peter' s, il trusted,"
smilingly, " that you would not refuse to mak
R ome with me; so my horses are ready. I
will show you
she added,
e the tour of
ex pected you
-- youarehere-- alliswell-- letusgo. " -- " W ondrous
creature! " ex claimedO swald. " W ho then are you? W hence
do you derive charms so contrasted, that each might well
ex clude the others? -- feeling, gaiety, depth, wildness,
modesty! A rt thou an illusion? an unearthly blessing
forthosewhomeetthee? " -- " A h! ifI havebutpowerto
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? corinne; or italy. 51
do you any service,"
ever renounce it. " --
hand with emotion ;
she answered, " believe not that I will
the possibility of a momentary lik
fancied that he perceived a fick
which piq ued him even to pain;
ing for him, yet he
leness in her manner,
and Corinne, as if she
"
" Tak e heed," replied he, seizing her
be careful of what benefit you confer
on me. F or two years an iron grasp has pressed upon my
heart. I f I feel some relief while breathing your sweet air,
what will become of me when thrown back on mine own
fate? W hatshallI bethen? " -- " L etusleavethattotime
and chance," interrupted Corinne: " they will decide whether
the impression of an hour shall last beyond its day. I f our
souls commune, our mutual affection will not be fugitive:
be that as it may, let us admire together all that can elevate
our minds; we shall thus, at least, secure some happy
moments. " S o saying, she descended. N evil followed
her, astonished at her reply: it seemed that she admitted
guessed this, said, when they were seated in her carriage,
-" I do not think the heart is so constituted that it must
? either feel no love at all, or the most unconq uerable passion.
There are early symptoms which may vanish before self-
ex amination. W e flatter, we deceive ourselves; and the
very enthusiasm of which we are susceptible, if it renders
the enchantment more rapid, may also bring the re-action
more promptly. " -- " Y ou have reflected much upon this
sentiment, madame," observed O swald, with bitterness.
Corinne blushed, and was silent for some moments, then
said, with a strik ing union of frank ness and dignity,
" I suppose no woman of heart ever reached the age of
twenty-six without having k nown the illusions of love; but
if never to have been happy, never to have met an obj ect
worthy of her full affection, is a claim on sympathy, I have
a right to yours. " The words, the accent of Corinne,
somewhat dispersed the clouds that gathered over N evil' s
thoughts; yet he said to himself, " S he is a most seducing
creature, but-- an I talian. This is not a shrink ing, innocent
heart, even to itself unk nown, such as, I doubt not, beats
in the bosom of the E nglish girl to whom my father des-
tined me. "
L ucy E dgarmond was the daughter of his parent' s best
e2
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? 52CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
friend; but too young, when he left E ngland, for him to
marry her, or even foresee what she might one day be-
come. *
CH A PTE R I I .
O swald and Corinne went first to the Pantheon, now called
S anta Maria of the R otunda. Throughout I taly the Catholic
hath been the Pagan' s heir; but this is the only antiq ue temple
in R ome which has been preserved entire; the only one
wherein we may behold, unimpaired, the architecture of the
ancients, and the peculiar character of their worship.
H ere they paused to admire the portico and its sup-
porting columns. Corinne bade O swald observe that this
building was constructed in such a manner as made it
appear much larger than it was. " S t. Peter' s," she said,
" produces an opposite effect: you will, at first, think it
less vast than it is in reality. The deception, so favourable
to the Pantheon, proceeds, it is conceived, from the great
space between the pillars, and from the air playing so
freely within ; but still more from the absence of ornament,
with which S t. Peter' s is overcharged. E ven thus did
antiq ue poetry design but the massive features of a theme,
leaving the reader' s fancy to supply the detail: in all affairs
we moderns say and do too much. This fane was con-
secrated by A grippa, the favourite of A ugustus, to his
friend, or rather, his master; who, however, had the
humility to refuse this dedication; and A grippa was
reduced to the necessity of devoting it to all the gods of
O lympus, and of substituting their power for that of one
earthly idol. O n the top of the Pantheon stood a car, in which
were placed the statues of A ugustus and A grippa. O n
each side of the portico similar effigies were displayed, in
other attitudes; and over the front of the temple is still
legible, ' Consecrated by A grippa. ' A ugustus gave his
name to the age in which he lived, by rendering it an era
* I n the original L ucile E dgermond; but as neither of these names are
E nglish, and the latter capable of a very ignoble pronunciation, I have tak en
the liberty to alter both. -- Th.
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? CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y . 53
in the progress of human intellect. F rom the chefs-
d' ceuvres of his contemporaries emanated the rays that
formed a circling halo round his brow. H e k new how to
honour men of letters in his own day; and posterity,
therefore, honours him. L et us enter the temple: it is
said that the light which streams in from above was con-
sidered the emblem of a divinity superior to the highest
divinities. The heathens ever loved symbolical images:
our language, indeed, seems to accord better with religion
than with common parlance. The rain often falls on the
marbles of this court; but the sunshine succeeds to efface
it. W hat a serene yet festal air is here! The Pagans
deified life, as the Christians sanctify death; such is the
distinction between the two faiths; but Catholicism here is
far less gloomy than in the north, as you will observe
when we visit S t. Peter' s. I n the sanctuary of the
Pantheon the busts of our most celebrated artists decorate
the niches once filled by ideal gods. S ince the empire of
the Cssars, we have scarce ever boasted any political inde-
pendence; conseq uently, you will find no statesmen, no
heroes here. Genius constitutes our only fame; but do1
you not think , my L ord, that a people who thus revere the
talents still left amongst them must deserve a nobler
destiny? " -- " I believe," replied O swald, " that nations
generally deserve their own fates, be they what they will. "
-- " That is severe! but, perhaps, by living in I taly, your
heart may soften towards the fair land which nature has
adorned lik e a victim for sacrifice. A t least remember,
that the dearest hope the lovers of glory cherish is that of
obtaining a place here. I have already chosen mine," she
added, pointing to a niche still vacant. " O swald, who
k nows but you may one day return to this spot, when my
bust-- " -- " H old! " interrupted he; " can you, resplend-
ent in youth and beauty, talk thus to one whom mis-
fortune even now is bending towards the grave f " -- " A h! "
ex claimed Corinne, " the storm may in a moment dash
down flowers that yet shall raise their heads again. O
dear O swald! why are you not happy? " -- "
me," he replied; " you have your secrets, and I
swald,
N ever ask
mine:
let us respect our mutual silence. Y ou k now not what 1
e3
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? CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
should suffer if forced to relate my distresses. " Corinne
said no more; but her steps, as she left the temple, became
slow, and her look s more pensive.
S he paused beneath the portico. " There," she said,
" stood a porphyry ur n of great beauty, now removed to
S t. J ohn L ateran: it contained the ashes of A grippa,
which were deposited at the foot of the statue he had
erected to himself. The ancients lavished such art on
sweetening the idea of destruction, that they succeeded in
banishing all its most dreary and alarming traits. There
was such magnificence in their tombs, that the contrast
between the nothingness of death and the splendours of
life was less felt. I t is certain, too, that the hope of aril
other world was far less vivid amongst them than it is
with Christians. They were obliged to contest with death,
the principle which we fearlessly confide to the bosom of
our eternal F ather. "
O swald sighed, and spok e not: melancholy ideas have
many charms, when we are not deeply miserable; but,
while grief, in all its cruelty, reigns over the breast, we can-
not hear without a shudder words which, of old, ex cited
but reveries not more sad than soothing.
CH A PTE R I I I .
I n going to S t. Peter' s, they crossed the bridge of S
t. A
ngelo
on foot. " I t was here," said O swald, " that,on my way from
the Capitol, I , for the first time, mused long on Corinne. "
-- " I do not flatter myself," she rej oined, " that I owe a
friend to my coronation; yet, in toiling for celebrity, I
have ever wished that it might mak e me beloved: were it
not useless, at least to a woman, without such ex pectation? "
-- " L et us stay here awhile," said O swald. " Can by-gone
centuries afford me one remembrance eq ual to that of the
day on which I beheld you first ? " -- " I may err," answered
Corinne, " but I think persons become most endeared to
each other while participating in the admiration of work s
which speak to the soul by their true grandeur. Those of
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? coriN N E ; oa italy. 55
R ome are neither cold nor mute; conceived as they were
by genius, and hallowed by memorable events. N ay. per
haps, O swald, one could not better learn to love a man lik
yourself than by enj oying with him the noble beauties of
the universe. " -- " B ut I ," returned O swald, "
listening beside you, need the presence of no other wonder. "
e
while gazing,
Corinne thank
the castle of S
most original ex
ed him by a gracious smile. Pausing before
t. A ngelo, she pursued: " This is one of the
teriors among all our edifices: the tomb
of A drian, fortified by the Goths, bearing a double cha-
racter from its successive uses. B uilt for the dead, an im-
penetrable circle enclosed it; yet the living have added
more hostile defences, which contrast strongly with the
silent and noble inutility of a funeral monument. Y ou
see, at the top, the bronze figure of an angel with a nak ed
sword (5); within are prisons, framed for ingenious tor-
ture. A ll the epochs of R oman history, from the days of
A drian to our own, are associated with this site. B elisarius
defended it against the Goths; and, with a barbarism
scarce inferior to their own, hurled on them the beauteous
statues that adorned the interior. Crescentius, A rnault de
B rescia, and N icolas R ienzi (6 ), those friends of R oman
liberty, who so oft mistook her memories for her hopes,
long defied their foes from this imperial tomb. I
stone connected with so many glorious feats. I
the master of the world' s lux urious taste --
love each
applaud
a magnificent
tomb. There is something great in the man who, while
possessing all the pomps and pleasures of the world, fears
not to employ his mind so long in preparations for his
death. Moral ideas and disinterested sentiments must fill
the soul that, in any way, outsteps the boundaries of life.
Thus far ought the pillars in front of S
such was the superb plan of Michael A
trusted his survivors would complete;
t. Peter' s to ex tend;
ngelo, which he
but the men of our
day think not of posterity. W hen once enthusiasm has
been turned into ridicule, all is defeated, ex cept wealth and
power. " -- " I t is for you to regenerate it," cried N evil.
" W ho ever ex perienced such happiness as I now taste?
R ome shown me by you! interpreted by imagination and
genius! W hat a world when animated by sentiment, without
e4
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? 56 CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
which the world itself were but a desert! (7) A h,
Corinne! what is to follow these the sweetest days that my
fate and heart e' er granted me? " -- " A ll sincere affections
come direct from H eaven," she answered, meek ly. " W hy
O swald, should it not protect what it inspires? I t is for
H eaven to dispose of us both. "
A t last they beheld S t. Peter'
ever erected by man: even the E
inferiors in height. " Perhaps,"
s; the greatest edifice
gyptian Pyramids are its
said Corirme, " I ought
to have shown you the grandest of our temples last; but
that is not my system. I t appears to me that, to perfect
a sense of the fine arts, one should begin by contemplating
the obj ects which awak en the deepest and most lively ad-
miration. This, once felt, reveals a new sphere of thought,
and renders us capable of loving and j udging whatever
may, even in an humbler q uality, revive the first impres-
sion we received. A ll cautious and mystified attempts at
producing a strong effect are against my taste. W e do
not arrive at the sublime by degrees, for infinite distances
separate it even from the beautiful. "
O swald felt the most ex traordinary sensations when
standing in front of S t. Peter' s. I t was the first time the
effort of man had affected him lik e a marvel of nature.
I t is the only work of art on the face of the globe that pos-
sesses the same species of maj esty which characterises
those of creation. Corinne enj oyed his astonishment.
" I have selected," she said, " a day when the sun is in
all his splendour; still reserving for you a yet more holy
rapture, that of beholding S t. Peter' s by moonlight; but I
wished you first to be present at this most brilliant spec-
tacle-- the genius of man bedeck ed in the magnificence of
nature. "
The sq uare of S t. Peter' s is surrounded by pillars, which
appear light from a distance, but massive as you draw
nearer: the sloping ascent towards the porch adds to the
effect produced. A n obelisk , of eighty feet in height,
which look s scarce raised above the earth, in presence of
the cupola, stands in the centre. The mere form of an
obelisk is pleasing to the fancy: it loses itself in air, as if'
guiding the thoughts of man towards heaven. This was
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? C0R I N N E J O R I TA L Y .
so without being struck by the divine inspiration enthroned
in her eyes? R e-assured by the mildness which veiled their
splendour, he might have spok en, had not Prince Castel
F orte that instant entered the room. I t was not without
a pang that he beheld N evil tete-a-tete with Corinne:
but he was accustomed to conceal his sensations; and that
habit, which an I talian often unites with the most vehe-
ment passions, in him was rather the result of lassitude
and natural gentleness. H e had resigned the hope of
being the first obj ect of Corinne' s regard; he was no
longer young. H e had j ust the wit, taste, and fancy,
which varies, without disturbing one' s ex istence; and felt
it so needful for his life to pass every evening with Corinne,
that, had she married, he would have conj ured her hus-
band to let him continue this routine; on which condition
it would not have cost him much regret to see her united
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? O O B I N N E ; O B I TA L Y . 43
with another. The heart' s disappointments are not, in
I taly, aggravated by those of vanity. Y ou meet some men
j ealous enough to stab their rivals, others sufficiently
modest to accept the second place in the esteem of a
woman whose company they enj oy; but you seldom find
those who, rather than appear rej ected, deny themselves
the pleasure of k eeping up a blameless intimacy. The
dominion of society over self-love is scarcely k nown in the
land. The Count d' E rfeuil and Corinne' s wonted guests
having assembled, the conversation turned on the talent
for improvisation, which she had so gloriously displayed
at the Capitol; and she was ask ed what she thought of it
herself. " I t is so rare a thing," said Castel F orte, " to
find a person at once susceptible of enthusiasm, and capa-
ble of analysis; endowed as an artist, yet gifted with so
much self-k nowledge, that we ought to implore her reve-
lation of her own secret. " -- " The faculty of ex tem-
porising," returned Corinne, " is not more ex traordinary
in southern tongues, than senatorial eloq uence or lively
repartee in other languages. I should even say that, un-
fortunately, it is easier for us to breathe impromptu verse
than to speak well in prose, from which poetry differs
so widely, that the first stanzas, by their mere ex pressions,
remove the poet from the sphere of his auditors, and thus
command attention. I t is not only to the sweetness of
I talian, but to the emphatic vibration of its syllables, that
we should attribute the influence of poetry amongst us.
I talian has a musical charm, which confers delight by the
very sound of its words, almost independent of ideas,
though nearly all those words are so graphic, that they
paint their own significations on the mind: you feel that
but in the midst of the arts, and beneath a beauteous sk y,
could a language so melodious and highly coloured have had
birth. I t is, therefore, easier in I taly than any where
else to mislead by speeches, unaided by depth or novelty
of thought. Poetry, lik e all the fine arts, captivates the
senses as much as the mind. N evertheless, I venture to
assert, that I never act the improvisatrice, unless beneath
some real feeling, or some image which I believe original.
I hope that I rely less than others on our bewitching
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? 44CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
tongue; on which, indeed, one may prelude at random,
and bestow a vivid pleasure, solely by the charm of
rhythm and of harmony. " -- " Y ou think , then," said one
of her friends, " that this genius for spontaneous verse
does rnj ury to our literature? 1 thought so too, till I
heard you, who have entirely reversed my decision. " --
" I have said," returned Corinne, " that from this
facility and abundance must result a vast q uantity of in.
different poems; but I rej oice that such fruitfulness
should ex ist in I taly, as I do to see our plains covered
with a thousand superfluous productions. I pride in this
bounty of H eaven. A bove all, I love to find improvisatores
among the common people: it shows that imagination of
theirs which is hidden in all other circumstances, and
only developes itself amongst us. I t gives a poetic air to
the humblest rank s of society, and spares us from the dis-
gust we cannot help feeling, against what is vulgar in all
classes. W hen our S icilians, while rowing the traveller
in their bark s, lend their graceful dialect to an endearing
welcome, or sing him a k ind and long farewell, one might
dream that the pure sea breeze acted on man as on an
E olian harp; and that the one, lik e the other, echoed but
the voice of nature. A nother reason why I set this value
on our talent for improvisation is, that it appears one
which could not possibly survive among a community dis-
posed to ridicule. Poets who risk this perilous enterprise
req uire all the good humour of a country in which men
love to amuse themselves, without criticising what amuses
them. A single sneer would suffice to banish the pre-
sence of mind necessary for rapid and uninterrupted com-
position. Y our hearers must warm with you, and their
plaudits must be your inspiration. " -- " B ut, madame,"
said O swald, who, till now, had gazed in silence on Co-
rinne, " to which class of your poems do you give the
preference? those that are the work s of reflection, or such
as were instantaneously inspired ? " -- " My L ord," replied
Corinne, with a look of gentle deference, " I will mak e
you my j udge; but if you bid me ex amine my own heart,
I should say that improvisation is, to me, lik e animated
converse. I do not confine myself to such or such sub-
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? CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
45
j eets, but yield to whatever produces that degree of interest
in my hearers which most infects myself; and it is to
my friends that I owe the greater portion of my talent in
this line. S ometimes, while they speak on the noble
q uestions that involve the moral condition of man,-- the aim
and end of his duties here, -- mine impassioned ex citement
carries me beyond myself; teaches me to find in nature,
and mine own heart, such daring truths, and forcible ex -
pressions, as solitary meditation could never have engen-
dered. Mine enthusiasm, then, seems supernatural: a
spirit speak s within me far greater than mine own; it
often happens that I abandon the measure of verse to ex -
plain my thoughts in prose. S ometimes I q uote the most
applicable passages from the poets of other lands. Those
divine apostrophes are mine, while my soul is filled by
their import. S ometimes my lyre, by a simple national
air, may complete the effect which flies from the control
of words. I n truth, I feel myself a poet, less when a
happy choice of rhymes, of syllables, of figures, may
dazzle my auditors, than when my spirit soars disdainful
of all selfish baseness; when godlik e deeds appear most
easy to me, ' tis then my verse is at its best. I am, indeed,
a poet while I admire or hate, not by my personal feelings,
nor in mine own cause, but for the sak e of human dignity,
and the glory of the world! " Corinne, now perceiving
how far she had been borne away, blushed, and, turning to
L ordN evil,said," Y ousee1cannottouchonanyof
the themes that affect me without that k ind of thrill
which is the source of ideal beauty in the arts, of religion
in the recluse, generosity in heroes, and disinterestedness
among men. Pardon me, my L ord: such a woman little
resembles those of your country. " -- " W ho can resemble
you ? " replied O swald; " and who shall mak e laws for a
being so peculiar? "
The Count d' E rfeuil was actually spell-bound: without
understanding all she said, her gestures, voice, and manner,
charmed him. I t was the first time that any, save F rench
graces, had moved him thus. B ut, to say truth, the po-
pularity of Corinne aided and sanctioned his j udgment;
so that he might rave of her without relinq uishing his
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? 46 . CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
convenient habit of being guided by the opinion of others.
A s they left the house together, he said to his friend,
" Confess, now, dear O swald, that I have some merit in
not paying my court to so delightful a person. " -- " B ut,"
replied N evil, " they say that she is difficult to please. "
-- " They say, but I don' t believe it. A single woman,
who leads the life of an artist, can' t be difficult to please. "
N evil' s feelings were wounded by this remark ; but whether
d' E rfeuil saw it not, or was resolved to follow the bent of
his own inclinations, he continued, " N ot but, if I could
believe in any woman' s virtue, I should trust hers above
all. S he has certainly a thousand times more ardour than
were req uired in your country, or even in mine, to create
doubts of a lady' s cruelty; yet she is a creature of such
superior tact and information, that the ordinary rules for
j udging her sex cannot be applied to her. W ould you
believe it? I find her manners imposing: they overawe
me in spite of her careless affability. I wished yesterday,
merely out of gratitude for her interest in you, to hazard
a few words on my own account; such as mak e what way
they can; if they are listened to, so much the better, if
not, why that may be luck ier still; but Corinne look ed on
me coldly, and I was altogether disconcerted. I s it not
absurd to feel out of countenance before an I talian, a poet,
an-- every thing that ought to put a man at his ease ? " --
" H er name is unk nown," replied N
haviour assures us that she is highly born. "
only the fashion of romance to conceal one'
evil, " but her be-
-- " N ay, ' tis
real life, people tell every thing that can do themselves
credit, and even a little more than the truth. " -- " Y es,
in some societies, where they think but of the effect pro-
duced on others; but here, where life is more domestic,
here there may be secrets, which only he who marries
Corinne should seek to fathom. " -- " Marry Corinne !
peated d' E rfeuil, laughing vehemently, " such a notion
never entered my head. My dear N evil, if you will com-
mit ex travagances, let them be such as are not irreparable.
I n marriage one should consult nothing but convenience
and decorum. Y ou think me frivolous; nevertheless I
bet you that my conduct shall be more rational than your
" re-
' ll
s nobility:-- in
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? CO R I N N E ; O B I TA L Y . 47
own. " -- " I don' t doubt it," returned N evil, without
another word; for how could he tell the Count that there
is often much selfishness in frivolity? or that vanity
never leads a man towards the error of sacrificing himself
for another? Triflers are very capable of cleverly direct-
ing their own affairs; for, in all that may be called the
science of policy, in private as in public life, men oftener
succeed by the absence of certain q ualities than by any
which they possess.
A deficiency of enthusiasm, opinions, and sensibility, is
a negative treasure, on which, with but slight abilities,
rank and fortune may easily be acq uired or maintained.
The j ests of d' E rfeuil had pained L ord N evil much: he
condemned them, but still they haunted him most im-
portunately.
BOOKIV.
R O ME .
CH A PTE R I .
The nex t fortnight O swald devoted ex clusively to the so-
ciety of Corinne. H e never left his house but to visit
her. H e saw, he sought no more; and, without speak ing
of his love, he made her sensible of it every hour in the
day. ' . S he was accustomed to the lively and flattering tri-
butes of the I talians; but the lordly deportment and ap-
parent coldness of O
of heart so often brok
far greater power o'
swald, through which his tenderness
e, in spite of himself, ex ercised a
er her imagination. H e never related
a generous deed or a tale of misfortune, but his eyes filled,
though he always strove to hide this weak ness. I t was
long since she had felt such respect as that which he
awak ened. N o genius, however distinguished, could have
astonished her; but elevation of character acted deeply on
her mind. O swald added to this an elegance which per-
vaded the most trivial actions of his life, and contrasted
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? 48CO R I N N E ; O B I TA L Y .
strongly with the negligent familiarity of the R oman no-
bles. A lthough some of his tastes were uncongenial to
her own, their mutual understanding was wonderful. They
read each other' s hearts in the lightest alteration of coun-
tenance. H abituated to the most tempestuous demonstra-
tions of passion, this proud retiring attachment continually
proved, though never confessed, shed a new interest over
her life. S he felt as if surrounded by a purer, sweeter at-
mosphere; and every moment brought with it a sense of
happiness in which she revelled, without seek ing to define.
O ne morning Prince Castel F orte came to her, evidently
dispirited. S he ask ed the cause. " This S cot," sighed he,
" is weaning your affection from us, and who k nows but
he may even carry you far hence?
some moments, and then replied, "
never said he loves me. " -- " Y
"
Corinne was mute for
I protest to you he has
ou k now it, nevertheless:
he speak s to you by his life, and his very silence is but an
artful plan to attract your notice. W hat, indeed, can any
one say to. you that you have not already heard? W hat
k ind of praise have you not been offered? B ut there is
something veiled and reined in about the character of L ord
N evil, which will never permit you to j udge it wholly as
you do ours. Y ou are the most easily k nown person in
the world; but it is j ust because you voluntarily show
yourself as you are, that reserve and mystery both please
and govern you. The unk nown, be it what it may, has a
greater ascendency over you than all the professions which
could be tendered by man. " Corinne smiled. " Y ou
think then, dear Prince," she said, " that my heart is un-
grateful, and my fancy capricious? I believe, however,
that L ord N evil evinces q ualities too remark able for me
to flatter myself as their discoverer. " -- " I allow," rej
Castel F orte, " that he is high minded, intelligent, even
sensitive, and melancholy above all; but I am much de-
ceived if his pursuits have the least affinity with yours.
Y ou cannot perceive this, so thoroughly is he influenced
by your presence; but your empire would not last were
he absent from you. O bstacles would fatigue a mind
warped by the griefs he has undergone, by discourage-
ments which must have impaired the energy of his reso-
oined
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? corinne; or itaTly. ? 49
lutions; besides you k now what slaves are the generality of
E nglish to the manners and habits of their country. " These
words recalled to the mind of Corinne the painful events of
her early years. S he sighed, and spok e not; but in the
evening she again beheld her lover, and all that remained
as the effect of the Prince' s counsel was a desire so to en-
amour N evil of the varied beauties with which I taly is
blest, that he would mak e it his home for life. W ith this
design she wrote him the following letter. The free life
led at R ome ex cused her, and, much as she might be re-
proached with a too rash degree of candour, she well k new
how to preserve a modest dignity, even in her most inde-
pendent proceedings.
" ToL ordN evil.
" Dec. 15. 1794.
" I k nownot,myL ord,ifyouwillthink metooself-
confident, or if you can do j ustice to my motives. I heard
you say that you had not yet ex plored R ome, that you
k new nothing either of the chefs-d' osuvres of our fine arts,
or the antiq ue ruins that teach us history by imagination
and sentiment. I conceived the idea of daring to propose
myself as your guide through the mazes of long-gone
years. Doubtless R ome can boast of many men whose
profound erudition might be far more useful; but if I
succeed in endearing to you an abode towards which I
have always felt so imperiously drawn, your own studies
will complete what my imperfect sk etches may begin.
' ' Many foreigners come hither, as they go to L
Paris, seek ing but the dissipation of a great city;
it were not treason to confess themselves weary of R
I believe the greatest part of them would do so. B
ondon or
and if
ome,
ut it is
eq ually true, that here may be found a charm of which
none could ever sate. W ill you pardon me, my L ord, for
wishing that this charm may be k nown to you? I t is true
that you must first forget all the political relations of the
world; but when they are not link ed with our sacred
duties, they do but freeze the heart. I t is necessary also
to renounce what is elsewhere called the pleasures of
society; but do they not too freq uently wither up the
mind? O ne tastes in R ome a life at once secluded and
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? 50CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
enlivened, which liberally matures in our breasts whatever
heaven hath planted there.
" O nce more, my L ord, pardon this love for my country,
whichmak esmelongtok nowitbelovedbyamanlik e
yourself; and do not j udge with E nglish severity the
pledges of good will that an I talian believes it her right to
bestow, without losing any thing in her own eyes or in
yours. " Corinne. "
I n vain would O swald have concealed from himself his
ecstasy at receiving this letter: it opened to him glimpses
of a future all peace and j oy, enthusiasm, love, and
wisdom:-- all that is most divine in the soul of man
seemed blended in the enchanting proj ect of ex ploring
R ome with Corinne. H e considered-- he hesitated no more;
but instantly started for her house, and, on his way, look ed
up to H eaven, bask ing in its rays, for life was no longer a
burden.
R egret and fear were lost behind the golden
clouds of hope; his heart, so long oppressed by sadness,
throbbed and bounded with delight; he k new that such,
a state could not last; but even his sense of its fleetness
lent this fever of felicity but a more active force.
" Y ouarecome! " criedCorinne,asheentered. " A h,
thank you! " S he offered him her hand: he pressed it to
his lips, with a tenderness unq ualified by that afflicting
tremor which so often mingled with his happiness, and em-
bittered the presence of those he loved the most. A n
intimacy had commenced between them since they had last
parted, established by the letter of Corinne; both were
content, and felt towards one another the sweetest gratitude.
" This morning, then," said Corinne, " I
the Pantheon and S t. Peter' s, il trusted,"
smilingly, " that you would not refuse to mak
R ome with me; so my horses are ready. I
will show you
she added,
e the tour of
ex pected you
-- youarehere-- alliswell-- letusgo. " -- " W ondrous
creature! " ex claimedO swald. " W ho then are you? W hence
do you derive charms so contrasted, that each might well
ex clude the others? -- feeling, gaiety, depth, wildness,
modesty! A rt thou an illusion? an unearthly blessing
forthosewhomeetthee? " -- " A h! ifI havebutpowerto
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? corinne; or italy. 51
do you any service,"
ever renounce it. " --
hand with emotion ;
she answered, " believe not that I will
the possibility of a momentary lik
fancied that he perceived a fick
which piq ued him even to pain;
ing for him, yet he
leness in her manner,
and Corinne, as if she
"
" Tak e heed," replied he, seizing her
be careful of what benefit you confer
on me. F or two years an iron grasp has pressed upon my
heart. I f I feel some relief while breathing your sweet air,
what will become of me when thrown back on mine own
fate? W hatshallI bethen? " -- " L etusleavethattotime
and chance," interrupted Corinne: " they will decide whether
the impression of an hour shall last beyond its day. I f our
souls commune, our mutual affection will not be fugitive:
be that as it may, let us admire together all that can elevate
our minds; we shall thus, at least, secure some happy
moments. " S o saying, she descended. N evil followed
her, astonished at her reply: it seemed that she admitted
guessed this, said, when they were seated in her carriage,
-" I do not think the heart is so constituted that it must
? either feel no love at all, or the most unconq uerable passion.
There are early symptoms which may vanish before self-
ex amination. W e flatter, we deceive ourselves; and the
very enthusiasm of which we are susceptible, if it renders
the enchantment more rapid, may also bring the re-action
more promptly. " -- " Y ou have reflected much upon this
sentiment, madame," observed O swald, with bitterness.
Corinne blushed, and was silent for some moments, then
said, with a strik ing union of frank ness and dignity,
" I suppose no woman of heart ever reached the age of
twenty-six without having k nown the illusions of love; but
if never to have been happy, never to have met an obj ect
worthy of her full affection, is a claim on sympathy, I have
a right to yours. " The words, the accent of Corinne,
somewhat dispersed the clouds that gathered over N evil' s
thoughts; yet he said to himself, " S he is a most seducing
creature, but-- an I talian. This is not a shrink ing, innocent
heart, even to itself unk nown, such as, I doubt not, beats
in the bosom of the E nglish girl to whom my father des-
tined me. "
L ucy E dgarmond was the daughter of his parent' s best
e2
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? 52CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
friend; but too young, when he left E ngland, for him to
marry her, or even foresee what she might one day be-
come. *
CH A PTE R I I .
O swald and Corinne went first to the Pantheon, now called
S anta Maria of the R otunda. Throughout I taly the Catholic
hath been the Pagan' s heir; but this is the only antiq ue temple
in R ome which has been preserved entire; the only one
wherein we may behold, unimpaired, the architecture of the
ancients, and the peculiar character of their worship.
H ere they paused to admire the portico and its sup-
porting columns. Corinne bade O swald observe that this
building was constructed in such a manner as made it
appear much larger than it was. " S t. Peter' s," she said,
" produces an opposite effect: you will, at first, think it
less vast than it is in reality. The deception, so favourable
to the Pantheon, proceeds, it is conceived, from the great
space between the pillars, and from the air playing so
freely within ; but still more from the absence of ornament,
with which S t. Peter' s is overcharged. E ven thus did
antiq ue poetry design but the massive features of a theme,
leaving the reader' s fancy to supply the detail: in all affairs
we moderns say and do too much. This fane was con-
secrated by A grippa, the favourite of A ugustus, to his
friend, or rather, his master; who, however, had the
humility to refuse this dedication; and A grippa was
reduced to the necessity of devoting it to all the gods of
O lympus, and of substituting their power for that of one
earthly idol. O n the top of the Pantheon stood a car, in which
were placed the statues of A ugustus and A grippa. O n
each side of the portico similar effigies were displayed, in
other attitudes; and over the front of the temple is still
legible, ' Consecrated by A grippa. ' A ugustus gave his
name to the age in which he lived, by rendering it an era
* I n the original L ucile E dgermond; but as neither of these names are
E nglish, and the latter capable of a very ignoble pronunciation, I have tak en
the liberty to alter both. -- Th.
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? CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y . 53
in the progress of human intellect. F rom the chefs-
d' ceuvres of his contemporaries emanated the rays that
formed a circling halo round his brow. H e k new how to
honour men of letters in his own day; and posterity,
therefore, honours him. L et us enter the temple: it is
said that the light which streams in from above was con-
sidered the emblem of a divinity superior to the highest
divinities. The heathens ever loved symbolical images:
our language, indeed, seems to accord better with religion
than with common parlance. The rain often falls on the
marbles of this court; but the sunshine succeeds to efface
it. W hat a serene yet festal air is here! The Pagans
deified life, as the Christians sanctify death; such is the
distinction between the two faiths; but Catholicism here is
far less gloomy than in the north, as you will observe
when we visit S t. Peter' s. I n the sanctuary of the
Pantheon the busts of our most celebrated artists decorate
the niches once filled by ideal gods. S ince the empire of
the Cssars, we have scarce ever boasted any political inde-
pendence; conseq uently, you will find no statesmen, no
heroes here. Genius constitutes our only fame; but do1
you not think , my L ord, that a people who thus revere the
talents still left amongst them must deserve a nobler
destiny? " -- " I believe," replied O swald, " that nations
generally deserve their own fates, be they what they will. "
-- " That is severe! but, perhaps, by living in I taly, your
heart may soften towards the fair land which nature has
adorned lik e a victim for sacrifice. A t least remember,
that the dearest hope the lovers of glory cherish is that of
obtaining a place here. I have already chosen mine," she
added, pointing to a niche still vacant. " O swald, who
k nows but you may one day return to this spot, when my
bust-- " -- " H old! " interrupted he; " can you, resplend-
ent in youth and beauty, talk thus to one whom mis-
fortune even now is bending towards the grave f " -- " A h! "
ex claimed Corinne, " the storm may in a moment dash
down flowers that yet shall raise their heads again. O
dear O swald! why are you not happy? " -- "
me," he replied; " you have your secrets, and I
swald,
N ever ask
mine:
let us respect our mutual silence. Y ou k now not what 1
e3
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? CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
should suffer if forced to relate my distresses. " Corinne
said no more; but her steps, as she left the temple, became
slow, and her look s more pensive.
S he paused beneath the portico. " There," she said,
" stood a porphyry ur n of great beauty, now removed to
S t. J ohn L ateran: it contained the ashes of A grippa,
which were deposited at the foot of the statue he had
erected to himself. The ancients lavished such art on
sweetening the idea of destruction, that they succeeded in
banishing all its most dreary and alarming traits. There
was such magnificence in their tombs, that the contrast
between the nothingness of death and the splendours of
life was less felt. I t is certain, too, that the hope of aril
other world was far less vivid amongst them than it is
with Christians. They were obliged to contest with death,
the principle which we fearlessly confide to the bosom of
our eternal F ather. "
O swald sighed, and spok e not: melancholy ideas have
many charms, when we are not deeply miserable; but,
while grief, in all its cruelty, reigns over the breast, we can-
not hear without a shudder words which, of old, ex cited
but reveries not more sad than soothing.
CH A PTE R I I I .
I n going to S t. Peter' s, they crossed the bridge of S
t. A
ngelo
on foot. " I t was here," said O swald, " that,on my way from
the Capitol, I , for the first time, mused long on Corinne. "
-- " I do not flatter myself," she rej oined, " that I owe a
friend to my coronation; yet, in toiling for celebrity, I
have ever wished that it might mak e me beloved: were it
not useless, at least to a woman, without such ex pectation? "
-- " L et us stay here awhile," said O swald. " Can by-gone
centuries afford me one remembrance eq ual to that of the
day on which I beheld you first ? " -- " I may err," answered
Corinne, " but I think persons become most endeared to
each other while participating in the admiration of work s
which speak to the soul by their true grandeur. Those of
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? coriN N E ; oa italy. 55
R ome are neither cold nor mute; conceived as they were
by genius, and hallowed by memorable events. N ay. per
haps, O swald, one could not better learn to love a man lik
yourself than by enj oying with him the noble beauties of
the universe. " -- " B ut I ," returned O swald, "
listening beside you, need the presence of no other wonder. "
e
while gazing,
Corinne thank
the castle of S
most original ex
ed him by a gracious smile. Pausing before
t. A ngelo, she pursued: " This is one of the
teriors among all our edifices: the tomb
of A drian, fortified by the Goths, bearing a double cha-
racter from its successive uses. B uilt for the dead, an im-
penetrable circle enclosed it; yet the living have added
more hostile defences, which contrast strongly with the
silent and noble inutility of a funeral monument. Y ou
see, at the top, the bronze figure of an angel with a nak ed
sword (5); within are prisons, framed for ingenious tor-
ture. A ll the epochs of R oman history, from the days of
A drian to our own, are associated with this site. B elisarius
defended it against the Goths; and, with a barbarism
scarce inferior to their own, hurled on them the beauteous
statues that adorned the interior. Crescentius, A rnault de
B rescia, and N icolas R ienzi (6 ), those friends of R oman
liberty, who so oft mistook her memories for her hopes,
long defied their foes from this imperial tomb. I
stone connected with so many glorious feats. I
the master of the world' s lux urious taste --
love each
applaud
a magnificent
tomb. There is something great in the man who, while
possessing all the pomps and pleasures of the world, fears
not to employ his mind so long in preparations for his
death. Moral ideas and disinterested sentiments must fill
the soul that, in any way, outsteps the boundaries of life.
Thus far ought the pillars in front of S
such was the superb plan of Michael A
trusted his survivors would complete;
t. Peter' s to ex tend;
ngelo, which he
but the men of our
day think not of posterity. W hen once enthusiasm has
been turned into ridicule, all is defeated, ex cept wealth and
power. " -- " I t is for you to regenerate it," cried N evil.
" W ho ever ex perienced such happiness as I now taste?
R ome shown me by you! interpreted by imagination and
genius! W hat a world when animated by sentiment, without
e4
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? 56 CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
which the world itself were but a desert! (7) A h,
Corinne! what is to follow these the sweetest days that my
fate and heart e' er granted me? " -- " A ll sincere affections
come direct from H eaven," she answered, meek ly. " W hy
O swald, should it not protect what it inspires? I t is for
H eaven to dispose of us both. "
A t last they beheld S t. Peter'
ever erected by man: even the E
inferiors in height. " Perhaps,"
s; the greatest edifice
gyptian Pyramids are its
said Corirme, " I ought
to have shown you the grandest of our temples last; but
that is not my system. I t appears to me that, to perfect
a sense of the fine arts, one should begin by contemplating
the obj ects which awak en the deepest and most lively ad-
miration. This, once felt, reveals a new sphere of thought,
and renders us capable of loving and j udging whatever
may, even in an humbler q uality, revive the first impres-
sion we received. A ll cautious and mystified attempts at
producing a strong effect are against my taste. W e do
not arrive at the sublime by degrees, for infinite distances
separate it even from the beautiful. "
O swald felt the most ex traordinary sensations when
standing in front of S t. Peter' s. I t was the first time the
effort of man had affected him lik e a marvel of nature.
I t is the only work of art on the face of the globe that pos-
sesses the same species of maj esty which characterises
those of creation. Corinne enj oyed his astonishment.
" I have selected," she said, " a day when the sun is in
all his splendour; still reserving for you a yet more holy
rapture, that of beholding S t. Peter' s by moonlight; but I
wished you first to be present at this most brilliant spec-
tacle-- the genius of man bedeck ed in the magnificence of
nature. "
The sq uare of S t. Peter' s is surrounded by pillars, which
appear light from a distance, but massive as you draw
nearer: the sloping ascent towards the porch adds to the
effect produced. A n obelisk , of eighty feet in height,
which look s scarce raised above the earth, in presence of
the cupola, stands in the centre. The mere form of an
obelisk is pleasing to the fancy: it loses itself in air, as if'
guiding the thoughts of man towards heaven. This was
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? C0R I N N E J O R I TA L Y .
