A Decade of Italian Women, vol. 2 (of 2)Trollope, Thomas Adolphus
History
A Decade of Italian Women, vol. 2 (of 2)
Trollope, Thomas Adolphus
Italy -- Biography; Women -- Biography
These and a crowd of other strangely nick–named gentlemen and ladies
contribute to fill the superbly printed pages of a book, which, it
may be safely asserted, no human eye has ever perused in its entirety
since it was printed. The Custos–General of Arcadia himself would
probably have been unequal to the task. But the more strictly official
documents of the ceremony contained in the volume have, with toil and
much suffering from nausea, been read by the present writer. And it is
certain that no remotest hint of the difficulties that lay in the way
of this desirable recognition of merit, as mentioned above, is to be
discovered. The "Conservatori" of Rome, we are told, having "specially
observed the transports of affection demonstrated by La Corilla for
this favoured city, the seat of Religion and Virtue, and hearing the
praises into which she continually broke forth in her extemporaneous
songs, of the pacific and well–regulated government, of the greatness
of mind, the invincible justice, and rare piety of the sovereign
recently seated on the throne of St. Peter, on occasion of whose happy
exaltation she had frequently improvised, and finally seeing her so
much honoured, praised, visited, and distinguished by many noble and
conspicuous personages,"—the Conservatori of Rome, duly rating all
these meritorious circumstances, having first presented her with a
diploma of Roman nobility, thought fit to make application to the papal
government for permission to crown her on the Capitol. A most gracious
and benign answer was returned, forwarded to the Custos–General
of all Arcadia; and the whole matter is made to assume the aspect
of a spontaneous homage—if not exactly to merit—at least to those
unpremeditated lays in favour of papal government, and virtue. Pius
the Sixth is touched by the enthusiastic and ingenuous tribute of the
inspired singer, and at once falls in with the wishes of his subjects,
Arcadian and other, to award the laurel to so deserving a shepherdess.
Where is there any difficulty in the matter? Is it to be found
in the shrinking modesty of the poetess? Has any envious brother
shepherd;—(for Arcadia itself was not free from such passions);—raised
an opposing voice to the general wishes?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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