Y ou think me frivolous; nevertheless I
bet you that my conduct shall be more rational than your
" re-
' ll
s nobility:-- in
?
bet you that my conduct shall be more rational than your
" re-
' ll
s nobility:-- in
?
Madame de Stael - Corinna, or Italy
CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
39
ask ed himself, who could ever become dear to her? W hat
single obj ect could ever concentrate so many rays, or tak
captive a spirit gifted with such glorious wings? I n truth,
he was alik e dazzled and distressed; nay, though, as he
took leave, she politely invited him to visit her again, a
whole day elapsed without his going to her house, re-
strained by a species of terror at the feeling which ex cited
him. S ometimes he compared it with the fatal error of
his early youth; but instantly rej ected such comparison.
Then it was by treacherous arts he had been subdued; and
who could doubt the truth, the honour of Corinne? W ere
e
her spells those of poetry or of magic? W as she a S appho
or an A rmida? I t was impossible to decide. Y et it was
evident, that not society, but H eaven itself, had formed this
ex traordinary being, whose mind was as inimitable as her
character was unfeigned. " O h, my father! " he sighed
" had you k nown Corinne, what would you have thought
of her? "
CH A PTE R I I .
The Count d' E rfeuil called on L o>> d N evil, as usual, nex t
morning; and, censuring him for not having visited Corinne
the preceding night, said gaily, " Y ou would have been de-
lightedifyouhad. " -- " A ndwhy? " ask edhisfriend. --
" B ecause yesterday gave me the most satisfactory assurance
that you have ex tremely interested her. " -- " S till this le-
vity? Do you not k now that I neither can nor will endure
it ? " -- " W hat you call levity is rather the readiness of my
observation: have I the less reason, because my reason is
active? Y ou were formed to grace those blest patriarchal days
when man had five centuries to live; but I warn you that
we have retrenched four of them at least. " -- " B e it so!
A nd what may you have discovered by these q uick ly
matured observations of yours ? "
love with you. L ast evening, when I
was well enough received, of course;
-- " That Corinne is in
went to her house, I
but her eyes were
fix ed on the door, to look whether you followed me. S he
d4
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? 40 corinne; or italy.
attempted to speak of something else; but, as she happens
to be a mighty natural young person, she presently, in all
simplicity, ask ed why you were not with me ? -- I said,
because you would not come, and that you were a gloomy,
eccentric animal: I ' ll spare you whatever I might have
further said in your praise. -- ' H e is pensive,' re-
mark ed Corinne: ' doubtless he has lost some one who
wasdeartohim:forwhomisheinmourning? ' -- ' H is
father, madame, though it is more than a year since his
death; and, as the law of nature obliges us to survive our
relations, I conclude that some more private cause ex ists
for his long and settled melancholy. ' -- ' O h,' ex
she, ' I am far from think ing that griefs apparently the
same act alik e on all. The father of your friend, and
your friend himself, were not, perhaps, men of the common
order. I am greatly inclined to think so. ' H er voice
was so sweet, dear O swald, as she uttered these words! "
-- " A nd are these all your proofs of her interest in me?
-- " W hy, truly, with half of them I should mak e sure
of being beloved; but since you will have better, you
shall. I k ept the strongest to come last. The Prince
Castel F orte related the whole of your adventure at A
n-
cona, without k nowing that it was of you he spok
told the story with much fire, as far as I could j
thank s to the two I talian lessons I have tak
e. H e
udge,
are so many F rench words in all foreign languages, that
one understands them, without the fatigue of learning.
B esides, Corinne' s face ex plained what I should not else
have comprehended. ' T was so easy to read the agitation
of her heart: she would scarcely breathe, for fear of
losing a single word: when she enq uired if the name of
this E nglishman was k nown, her anx iety was such, that I
could very well estimate the dread she suffered, lest any
other name than yours should be pronounced in reply.
Castel F orte confessed his ignorance; and Corinne, turn-
ing eagerly to me, cried, ' A m I not right, monsieur? was
itnotL ordN evil? ' -- ' Y es,madame,' saidI ,andthen
she melted into tears. S he had not wept during the his-
tory: what was there in the name of its hero more affect-
ing than the recital itself? " -- " S he wept! " repeated
claimed
"
en; but there
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? CO R I N N B ; O R I TA L Y . 41
O swald. " A h, why was I not there? " then instantly
check ing himself, he cast down his eyes, and his manly
face ex pressed the most delicate timidity. H e hurriedly
resumed the topic, lest d' E rfeuil should impair his sacred
j oy by one comment. " I f the adventure at A ncona be
worth the telling, its honour belongs to you, also, my dear
Count. " -- " They certainly did speak of a most engaging
F renchman, who was with you, my L ord," rej oined d' E r-
feuil, laughing; " but no one, save myself, paid any
attention to that parenthesis. The lovely Corinne pre-
fers you, doubtless believing that you would prove more
faithful than I -- this may not be the case -- you may
even cost her more pains than I should have done; but
your very romantic women love trouble, therefore you will
suit her ex actly. " N evil smarted beneath each word; but
what could he say? D' E rfeuil never argued; nay, he
could not even listen with sufficient attention to alter his
opinions: once uttered, he cared no more about them, and
the best plan was to forget them, if possible, as q uick ly as
he did himself.
CH A PTE R I I I .
That evening O swald reached the house of Corinne with
entirely new sensations. H e fancied that he might be
ex pected. H ow entrancing that first beam of intelligence
between one' s self and the being we adore! ere memory
contends the heart with hope, ere the eloq uence of words
has sought to depict our feelings. There is, in these first
hours of love, some indefinite and mysterious charm, more
fleeting, but more heavenly than even happiness itself.
O swald found Corinne alone: this abashed him much:
he could have gazed on her in the midst of her friends;
but would fain have been in some way convinced of her
preference, ere thus suddenly engaged in an interview
which might chill her manner towards him; and in that
ex pectation his own address became cold from very embar-
rassment. W hether she detected this, or that similar feel-
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? 42CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
ings made her desire to remove his restraint, she speedily
enq uired if he had yet seen any of the antiq uities of R ome.
" N o. " " Then how were you employed yesterday? "
she ask
S ince I
ed with a smile. -- " I passed the day at home.
came hither I have seen hut you, madame, or re-
mained alone. " S he wished to speak of his conduct at
A ncona, and began, --
paused, and then said, "
party have j oined us. "
" I
but I
L
learnt last night-- " here she
will talk of that when our
ord N evil had a dignity which
intimidated Corinne; besides, she feared, in alluding to his
noble behaviour, that she should betray too much emotion;
and trusted to feel less before witnesses. O swald was
deeply touched by this reserve, and by the frank
which she unconsciously disclosed its motive;
more oppressed he became, the less could he ex
self. H e hastily rose, and went to the window;
ness with
but the
plain him-
then
remembering that this action must be unintelligible to
Corinne, he returned to his seat, without speak ing; and
though she had more confidence than himself, his diffidence
proved so contagious, that, to cover her abstraction, she
ran her fingers over her harp, and struck a few uncon-
nected chords: these melodious sounds, though they in-
creased the emotions of O swald, lent him a slight degree
of firmness. 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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ask ed himself, who could ever become dear to her? W hat
single obj ect could ever concentrate so many rays, or tak
captive a spirit gifted with such glorious wings? I n truth,
he was alik e dazzled and distressed; nay, though, as he
took leave, she politely invited him to visit her again, a
whole day elapsed without his going to her house, re-
strained by a species of terror at the feeling which ex cited
him. S ometimes he compared it with the fatal error of
his early youth; but instantly rej ected such comparison.
Then it was by treacherous arts he had been subdued; and
who could doubt the truth, the honour of Corinne? W ere
e
her spells those of poetry or of magic? W as she a S appho
or an A rmida? I t was impossible to decide. Y et it was
evident, that not society, but H eaven itself, had formed this
ex traordinary being, whose mind was as inimitable as her
character was unfeigned. " O h, my father! " he sighed
" had you k nown Corinne, what would you have thought
of her? "
CH A PTE R I I .
The Count d' E rfeuil called on L o>> d N evil, as usual, nex t
morning; and, censuring him for not having visited Corinne
the preceding night, said gaily, " Y ou would have been de-
lightedifyouhad. " -- " A ndwhy? " ask edhisfriend. --
" B ecause yesterday gave me the most satisfactory assurance
that you have ex tremely interested her. " -- " S till this le-
vity? Do you not k now that I neither can nor will endure
it ? " -- " W hat you call levity is rather the readiness of my
observation: have I the less reason, because my reason is
active? Y ou were formed to grace those blest patriarchal days
when man had five centuries to live; but I warn you that
we have retrenched four of them at least. " -- " B e it so!
A nd what may you have discovered by these q uick ly
matured observations of yours ? "
love with you. L ast evening, when I
was well enough received, of course;
-- " That Corinne is in
went to her house, I
but her eyes were
fix ed on the door, to look whether you followed me. S he
d4
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? 40 corinne; or italy.
attempted to speak of something else; but, as she happens
to be a mighty natural young person, she presently, in all
simplicity, ask ed why you were not with me ? -- I said,
because you would not come, and that you were a gloomy,
eccentric animal: I ' ll spare you whatever I might have
further said in your praise. -- ' H e is pensive,' re-
mark ed Corinne: ' doubtless he has lost some one who
wasdeartohim:forwhomisheinmourning? ' -- ' H is
father, madame, though it is more than a year since his
death; and, as the law of nature obliges us to survive our
relations, I conclude that some more private cause ex ists
for his long and settled melancholy. ' -- ' O h,' ex
she, ' I am far from think ing that griefs apparently the
same act alik e on all. The father of your friend, and
your friend himself, were not, perhaps, men of the common
order. I am greatly inclined to think so. ' H er voice
was so sweet, dear O swald, as she uttered these words! "
-- " A nd are these all your proofs of her interest in me?
-- " W hy, truly, with half of them I should mak e sure
of being beloved; but since you will have better, you
shall. I k ept the strongest to come last. The Prince
Castel F orte related the whole of your adventure at A
n-
cona, without k nowing that it was of you he spok
told the story with much fire, as far as I could j
thank s to the two I talian lessons I have tak
e. H e
udge,
are so many F rench words in all foreign languages, that
one understands them, without the fatigue of learning.
B esides, Corinne' s face ex plained what I should not else
have comprehended. ' T was so easy to read the agitation
of her heart: she would scarcely breathe, for fear of
losing a single word: when she enq uired if the name of
this E nglishman was k nown, her anx iety was such, that I
could very well estimate the dread she suffered, lest any
other name than yours should be pronounced in reply.
Castel F orte confessed his ignorance; and Corinne, turn-
ing eagerly to me, cried, ' A m I not right, monsieur? was
itnotL ordN evil? ' -- ' Y es,madame,' saidI ,andthen
she melted into tears. S he had not wept during the his-
tory: what was there in the name of its hero more affect-
ing than the recital itself? " -- " S he wept! " repeated
claimed
"
en; but there
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? CO R I N N B ; O R I TA L Y . 41
O swald. " A h, why was I not there? " then instantly
check ing himself, he cast down his eyes, and his manly
face ex pressed the most delicate timidity. H e hurriedly
resumed the topic, lest d' E rfeuil should impair his sacred
j oy by one comment. " I f the adventure at A ncona be
worth the telling, its honour belongs to you, also, my dear
Count. " -- " They certainly did speak of a most engaging
F renchman, who was with you, my L ord," rej oined d' E r-
feuil, laughing; " but no one, save myself, paid any
attention to that parenthesis. The lovely Corinne pre-
fers you, doubtless believing that you would prove more
faithful than I -- this may not be the case -- you may
even cost her more pains than I should have done; but
your very romantic women love trouble, therefore you will
suit her ex actly. " N evil smarted beneath each word; but
what could he say? D' E rfeuil never argued; nay, he
could not even listen with sufficient attention to alter his
opinions: once uttered, he cared no more about them, and
the best plan was to forget them, if possible, as q uick ly as
he did himself.
CH A PTE R I I I .
That evening O swald reached the house of Corinne with
entirely new sensations. H e fancied that he might be
ex pected. H ow entrancing that first beam of intelligence
between one' s self and the being we adore! ere memory
contends the heart with hope, ere the eloq uence of words
has sought to depict our feelings. There is, in these first
hours of love, some indefinite and mysterious charm, more
fleeting, but more heavenly than even happiness itself.
O swald found Corinne alone: this abashed him much:
he could have gazed on her in the midst of her friends;
but would fain have been in some way convinced of her
preference, ere thus suddenly engaged in an interview
which might chill her manner towards him; and in that
ex pectation his own address became cold from very embar-
rassment. W hether she detected this, or that similar feel-
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? 42CO R I N N E ; O R I TA L Y .
ings made her desire to remove his restraint, she speedily
enq uired if he had yet seen any of the antiq uities of R ome.
" N o. " " Then how were you employed yesterday? "
she ask
S ince I
ed with a smile. -- " I passed the day at home.
came hither I have seen hut you, madame, or re-
mained alone. " S he wished to speak of his conduct at
A ncona, and began, --
paused, and then said, "
party have j oined us. "
" I
but I
L
learnt last night-- " here she
will talk of that when our
ord N evil had a dignity which
intimidated Corinne; besides, she feared, in alluding to his
noble behaviour, that she should betray too much emotion;
and trusted to feel less before witnesses. O swald was
deeply touched by this reserve, and by the frank
which she unconsciously disclosed its motive;
more oppressed he became, the less could he ex
self. H e hastily rose, and went to the window;
ness with
but the
plain him-
then
remembering that this action must be unintelligible to
Corinne, he returned to his seat, without speak ing; and
though she had more confidence than himself, his diffidence
proved so contagious, that, to cover her abstraction, she
ran her fingers over her harp, and struck a few uncon-
nected chords: these melodious sounds, though they in-
creased the emotions of O swald, lent him a slight degree
of firmness. 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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