Corinne; Or, Italy. Volume 1 (of 2)Staël, Madame de (Anne-Louise-Germaine)
History
Corinne; Or, Italy. Volume 1 (of 2)
Staël, Madame de (Anne-Louise-Germaine)
Italy -- History -- 1789-1815 -- Fiction; Nobility -- Scotland -- Fiction; Women poets -- Fiction
When Romeo approached to address to her in a low voice, the lines, so
brilliant in English, so magnificent in the Italian translation, upon
her grace and beauty, the spectators, charmed to hear their own
sentiments so finely interpreted, joined in the transport of Romeo; and
the sudden passion which the first look of Juliet kindled in his soul,
appeared like reality to every eye. Oswald from this moment felt
disturbed; it appeared to him that all was near to being revealed, that
Corinne was about to be proclaimed an angel among women, that he should
be forced to reveal his sentiments, that his claim would be disputed and
the prize ravished from him--a kind of dazzling cloud seemed to pass
before his eyes--he feared his sight might fail him--he was ready to
faint, and retired for some moments behind a pillar. Corinne, uneasy,
sought him with anxiety, and pronounced this line,
"Too early seen unknown, and known too late!"
with such a tone of voice, that Oswald started as he heard it, for it
seemed to him to be applied to their personal situation.
He could never feel tired of admiring the grace of her actions, the
dignity of her motions, and the expression of her countenance, in which
was painted what language could not reveal, all those mysteries of the
heart which cannot be reduced to words; but which, nevertheless, dispose
of our life. The accent, the look, the least gesture of an actor, truly
inspired and influenced by genuine emotion, are a continual revelation
of the human heart; and the ideal of the fine arts is always mingled
with these revelations of nature. The harmony of the verse and the charm
of the attitudes, lend to passion that grace and dignity which it often
wants in reality. Thus every sentiment of the heart, and every emotion
of the soul, pass before the imagination without losing anything of
their truth.
In the second act, Juliet appears in the balcony to converse with Romeo.
Corinne had preserved, of her former ornaments, only the flowers, and
those were soon to disappear: the theatre half-lighted to represent
night, cast a milder reflection upon the countenance of Corinne. There
was now something more melodious in her voice, than when surrounded with
the splendour of a _fete_. Her hand lifted towards the stars, seemed to
invoke the only witnesses worthy of hearing her, and when she repeated,
"_Romeo! Romeo!_" although Oswald was certain that she thought of him,
he felt jealous that these delicious accents should make the air resound
with any other name than his. Oswald was seated opposite the balcony,
and he who performed Romeo being a little concealed by the darkness of
the scene, Corinne was enabled to fix her eyes upon Oswald when
pronouncing these lines:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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