Eminent literary and scientific men of Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Vol. 2 (of 3)Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
History
Eminent literary and scientific men of Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Vol. 2 (of 3)
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
Authors -- Biography; Scientists -- Biography
these disgraceful circumstances came out on the trial. Alfieri, maddened
and enraged, was yet unable, at first, to separate from his treacherous
mistress. They travelled together in England, he furious at his own
weakness, and perpetually struggling to vanquish it; till, seizing on a
moment when shame and indignation were stronger than love, he left her
at Rochester, on her way to France with a relative, and returned to
London. In after times, the chief impression left on his mind from this
adventure was, a feeling of mixed respect and gratitude towards her
husband, who spared both his life and his purse, neither killing him,
nor demanding damages: the first the English noble, apparently, had at
his mercy; but it is unlikely, under all the circumstances, that the
latter should have been awarded him, to any great extent.
After tempests like these, it was long before the impetuous and
sensitive soul of Alfieri settled into any thing like calm: paroxysms of
rage, love, grief, and despair succeeded one to the other, and his only
relief was derived from locomotion. He left London, and after visiting
his friend Alcunha at the Hague, he hurried on to Paris; he traversed
France, and entered Spain, struggling with the passion that warred
within him, and devoured by the gloomiest melancholy. At Barcelona he
bought two Spanish horses, and with these resolved to proceed on his
journey to Madrid. His carriage went on first, under the care of the
servants and muleteers; and he followed, chiefly on foot, his beautiful
Andalusian trotting beside him with the docility of a dog. This mixture
of idleness and change--of solitude and independence--soothed his
disturbed mind. He was given up to endless reverie, now engrossed by
melancholy and moral trains of thought; now possessed by images wild,
terrible, or gay. He knew no language, and could express nothing that he
felt--all was confused and vague, and mingled with violent transports of
grief and despair. He spoke to no one; and his taciturn, self-devouring
misery irritated him almost to madness. His faithful servant, Elia, who
followed him during all his journeys, had nearly become the victim to an
explosion of the pent-up volcano. In combing the count's long
tresses,--which it was the fashion then to wear,--he accidentally pulled
one hair; and Alfieri, starting up like lightning, hurled a candlestick
at his head, which struck him on the temple and inflicted a wound.
Elia's Italian nature was roused, and he flew on his master. Other
people interfered, and no more harm was done. Alfieri told his servant
that he might kill him if he chose: he deserved it, and would take no
precautions against his vengeance; and he praises his own courage in
thus exposing himself, and the magnanimity of the man for not rising in
the night and murdering him as he slept. The whole scene is inexplicable
to our northern imaginations, and borders on the excesses of savage
nature. "It would be difficult for any one," says Alfieri, "to
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