Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish in the United States of North AmericaRocchietti, Joseph
General
Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish in the United States of North America
Rocchietti, Joseph
American literature; United States -- Social life and customs
We feel the blows of others, but, we are not conscious of those we give
to our christian neighbors. I, on the contrary, wish not to be blinded
by my patriotic feeling, as italian, in judging Mr. Headley; as he
judged Mr. Dickens with his patriotic feeling. I look to his ‘Italy
and the Italians,’ as being a production of a gentleman who wrote for
the only impulse of writing, without thinking that, while he wished
to exhibit his wit on the shoulders of those who had kind feeling for
him, his expressions did unjustly cut quick flesh, as quick as his
own; without thinking, I say, that the feeling of the italians is not
inferior to the feeling of the americans. Travelers may come here, or
go to Italy, and spend their wit as much as they please. Man is man in
every part of the world: and to dishonor a nation with the purpose of
praising ours, shows either a poor heart--a bad, or hasty judgment. As
I think Mr. Headley a gentleman with a good heart, had he not already
published his letters by the newspapers, he would have altered the
expressions of his pamphlet; I have no doubt of it.
In his twelfth letter, Mr. Headley, writing of Byron, says, that
Byron had always on his table the bible, Machiavelli, Shakspeare,
and Alfieri. “Byron,” says Mr. Headley, “loved Machiavelli for his
contempt of mankind, making them all a flock of sheep to be led, or
slaughtered at the will of one haughty man.” Had Mr. Headley read
all the works of Machiavelli, the master of statesmen, and so little
known, or disregarded by the american senators; he would not have
repeated with the english, such an unjust slander against Machiavelli.
_Il principe_ is but a long irony. And here, let me be permitted to
say, that the word Machiavelism should be taken off from the english,
and american dictionaries, unless such a virtuous italian, who took
off the mask from the face of tyrants, and showed to nations how ugly
they are, be still thought by the english, and american literati, as
a writer, who intended to favor arbitrary power. Machiavelli was as
noble, and sincere in his sentiments of republicanism as Brutus, or
Cato themselves. The english, and american lexicographers had been very
much mistaken in saying that the word Machiavelism is synonymous of
political cunning, and artifice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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