He had lately made some stay in Milan, where he had
arrived in time to see his Antigone performed before the vice-regal
court, and to be enthusiastically acclaimed as the high-priest of
liberty by a community living placidly under the Austrian yoke. Alfieri
was not the man to be struck by such incongruities. It was his fate to
formulate creeds in which he had no faith: to recreate the political
ideals of Italy while bitterly opposed to any actual effort at reform,
and to be regarded as the mouthpiece of the Revolution while he
execrated the Revolution with the whole force of his traditional
instincts. As usual he was too deeply engrossed in his own affairs to
feel much interest in any others; but it was enough for Odo to clasp the
hand of the man who had given a voice to the highest aspirations of his
countrymen. The poet gave more than he could expect from the friend; and
he was satisfied to listen to Alfieri's account of his triumphs,
interspersed with bitter diatribes against the public whose applause he
courted, and the Pope to whom, on bended knee, he had offered a copy of
his plays.
Odo eagerly pressed Alfieri to remain in Pianura, offering to put one of
the ducal villas at his disposal, and suggesting that the Virginia
should be performed before the court on the Duchess's birthday.
"It is true," he said, "that we can offer you but an indifferent company
of actors; but it might be possible to obtain one or two of the leading
tragedians from Turin or Milan, so that the principal parts should at
least be worthily filled.
Pages:
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467