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    DES IDEBS NAPOLEONIENNES.*

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    names belonging to an epoch within the memory of many living , , form an array sufficiently illustrious to vindicate the Italian poetry of our age from the imputation of sterility or decadence . Even in that form of poetic creation feast popular or adapted to modern ideas and tastes—the Ep ic * one cannot deny that it lias maintained the traditions of greatness by recent achievements deserving to class with the best of recent date in this peculiar province ; one cannot but give due praises for vigorous imagination and sustained majestic harmony to the " San Benedetto" and " Italiade" of Angei . o Ricci , —epics produced in 1819 and 1824 , each in twelve cantos and the long octave stanza—in the first of which is worked up the story how the Eenedictine Orobe was founded by its patriarch ; in the second that of GffABXEMAGNJB and the fall of the Lombard Kingdom in Italy , with much admixture of the fictitious and supernatural , but general adherence to historic truth , many graphic and glowing descriptions , and , pervading the whole , a tone of religious earnestness , a tempered enthusiasm that arrests interest , notwithstanding defects and exaggerations . Nor can a distinguished rank be denied to the epic on the Crusades by Tommaso Geossi ( deceased 1853 ) , the " Lombards of the First Crusade , " a poem in the same forms and metres as those of Ricci , but much more generally popular , and indeed more of a character to attract general readers . In the lyric form , including the ballad and canzone , since Manzoni has remained silent , after Monti and Pindemonte had been removed by death—both in the same year , 1828—beyond comparison the highest powersthe most spontaneous vigour and

    but still preserving fidelity to manners and social aspects at the epochs in which scenes are placed . It is observable that Milan and its vicinity , or the Lo-nbards and their enterprises , have supplied almost exclusively the ground and subject for the works , both in prose and verse , of this author , still one of the most popular in Italy . Mabchetti of Bologna , recently deceased , respected in the career of the public character as well as men of letters , belongs to the class of less widely popular , but esteemed and highly finished writers ; pleasing from the flow of graceful versification , elevated and devout , he attained a degree of excellence in the terze rime , which rises to a tone of the prophetic , with bolder eloquence , in his Notte di Dante , a poem describing the immortal exile at the Monastery of Avellaiio on the Apennines . It must be owned that much of the best in recent Italian verse impresses far more by execution than

    conception , by the diction than by the thought ; and the very suavity of this idiom , that offers so many advantages , has proved a source of dangers , an incentive % o jejune efforts , supplying unfortunate facilities or contenting with mediocre achievements . Count Terenzio Mamiani had acquired fame as a philosophic essayist and poet long before he became celebrated among statesmen of liberal principles ; and it is remarkable how many leaders in the recent public events have belonged to the distinguished ranks in the literature of this country—Massimo d'Azeglio ; Fakini , Cibeaeio , GtTEEEAZzr , M 6 ntanei . li , and others . Rather didactic and metaphysical than lyrical or impassioned , MamianiV poetry has not the qualities to ensure extensive popularity , but will continue to charm a more select class—the meditative and earnest ;

    like the thoughtful Pindemonte , his is a genius that revolves upon itself , marked strongly by individuality in its productions , preferring the depth to the tumult of the soul , and commanding admiration by beauties of highly-finished style , as well as originality in meaning . He has given a form that reminds of the Greek ; and his pecifliar treatment of the hymn , rendered , indeed , a meditation in blank-verse , addressed to and invoking the memory of some sainted being , earthly martyr , or angelic cbampion--ST . Geoege , the Archangel Rapitaei ., St . Teeentlus ( patron of liis native city , intellectual si of the times

    Pesaro ) . But inore interesting , as . ghs ^ are Mamiani ' s half-historic , blank-verse pieces on the " Primitive Church / ' which ,. ¦ while expressing the sincerity of his own religious convictions , eloquent ! v attest the persuasion , now shared by almost all superior minds in * Italy , respecting the profound corruption of C atholicism , and deeply injurious scandals to the religious interest from the worTdliness and secular pomposity , still more from the anti-national policy of Rome , the effects of whose procedure and pretensions within recent years have been alienating and irritating to a Vatican

    deo-ree that" might- alarm any counsellors at the capaoieoi reading what is actually the state of minds in Italy . Since the versatile and acute but sometimes very gross satiric poems of the Abate Casti ( 1803 ) , whose " Ahimali Parlanti" so admirably castigates the errors and vices of despotic government ; whose " Poema Tartaro" holds up , so profoundly ironic , a picture of politics and society in Rusrfa under Catheeine ; no writer in the same walk had appeared equal to Gitisti ( 1809—50 ) , whose pieces , mostly brief , and in various metres , were long eagerly sought in MS . before their publication , under any existing government , was possible ; the stern ^ ewouncei ^ tf ^ yiutuny- ^ -hypocrisy ^^ aiuLsocial falsehood of every _ affectation

    kind , often exquisitely humorous in his exposures ot and pretension , Gitjsti could strike higher chords .. with-more thrilling effect when the wrongs of Italy , the false systems of her governments , the subjection of religion to worldly interests , were the themes of his indignation . Yet ,, with his keen sense of the ludicrous , and impatient resentment of wrong , there is a vein ot deep melancholy , ' a sad reflectiveness , that seems to throw its shadow over all life ' s picture , like Hamlet ' s , leading to the conclusion that all is " weary , stale , flat , and unprofitable , " whence an undermirthfulness his writings

    tone , the most opposite to , pervades , better understood and more distinctly pronounced in his lite , prefixed to th « first complete edition of these poems , at Florence . Ihis volume contains matter ascribed to , but never acknowledged by him , which must qualify our estimate of Giusti , if admitted to be indeed his , being unfortunately open to the gravest objections tor blasphemous levity—a fault not found in any avowed productions by this admired and dreaded satirist , who habitually maintains respect for silent , unaffected virtues , and , though severe against the abuses , nllmvs himself no licence implying hostility against the principles

    or doctrines of Christianity . I" 1840 , a volume ot lyrics ftrsc attracted more permanent attention to a poet already known tor the ephemeral successes of improvisation—Regoldi , who has since continued among the popular writers of Piedmont ; and having travelled much over Italy and the East , has taken his themes , like another Childje Harold , from various sites and local memories , not without fervour of feeling » " »<* language , sometimes rising into harmonious grandeur . But two years previously had appeared the first volume , " Cunzone and Idylls , " from one destined , to outshine all living competitors ( Manzoni certainly excopted ) , ami assume Incontestable rank as the poet of the day in this countryr-GiovANNI Pbati , native of the ltuliun Tyrol .

    , vibrating harmony of diction distinguished the effusions of the unhappy and prematurely-removed LeOpaedi ( deceased 1837 ) , the restorer of the canzone on the perfect model left by Peteaech , the poet of meditative philosophy , but at the same time of scepticism , whose extraordinary classic learning , enthusiasm in study , and refinement of character in no way counteracted the withering effects of a cheerless , hopeless speculation , that rendered the most gifted imaginative writer belonging by birth to the Papal States ( a strange coincidence !) the representative of a school the most negatively infidel , anti-Christian without philosophic sectarianism , to be found in the whole ranjre of modern Italian letters . Yet who can read his Canzone , particularly those to " Italy'' to Angelo Mai on his discoverv of the lost " Republica" of ClCEBO , without

    recognising in Leotaedx the best title to the heritage ot and FiLrcAJA in that grandly comprehensive , peculiarly . Italian , but most difficult class of compositions , in which , indeed , since early death cut short that brilliant but mournful career , no master of song has succeeded to Leopaedi with effects that have maintained Italian supremacy in themusic of thaTtyre . Angelg ^ VIazza ( 181 /) contributed , with more Celebrated concurrents , to raise the Italian lyric above that ; character of fantastic exaggeration and frigid pedantry which had been successful with the false taste of a previous «„»« . .. „ , } ., .., » , » , * ,.,. * ; , »> fr > iifitnivi !> nrl simnli « itv mav be indicated as

    the special ' merit of the Italian muse in the present century , to be estimated bv the comparison between her gifted cultivators of recent dates with s ' uch poets as FitUGONi . METASTASio , Gozzi ( considering the latter merely as the lyrist , not in his superior aspects as the essayist and satirist ) and the Jesuit Bondi , who indeed reduced the once fervid utterances of their country ' s lyro to the extreme of frigidity by their academic polish , tasteless embroidery , andtnea ^ sured uses of Ptigan imagery—showing the fullest results , or influences springing from that Academia , the widely ramified institut ion which ,, professing to foster , has been in reality the bane , of Italian irenius . : . .. Italian genius . ¦ ¦¦ ¦¦ ¦ .. ¦¦¦ . .

    , The great revolution shook and overthrew not only powers m the Government , but schools in the literature of this country ; and Monti , Foscolo , Manzoni only expressed the moral result of those momentous events , as contemplated and interpreted by genius . The last and greatest of these poets may be said to have founded the modern school of the Italian Lyric , rendering it the vehicle for thoughton high subjects , moral , patriotic , religious , aud forconvictions on truth connected with destiny lind duty , in accordance with the lessons of experience , the teacl-ing of realities . The founder al ^ so of the historic romances—Manzoni—has , in this walk , had few to rival , none to equal him ; but in the character of the purely sacred poet , a place beside him seems due to Bobghi , one of the most gifted contributors to Italian hymnology , who raises his voice in strains , lervent , harmonious , ecstatic , borrowing his themes directly from revelation , but without the least touch of the dogmatic or sectarian narrow-mindedness . He is surpassed by Silvio Pellico

    in fulness and breadth of treatment , in the largeness of mind that apprehends the religious meunings of life and sorrow without confining itself to abstract contemplation ; and that true-hearted , meekly-suffering poet sought in the annals of his own country tfie groundwork on which to weave a tapestry of incidents and P »' , " nges in those blank-verso romances , where the outline is for the most part historic , events and reflections made subservient to the illustrating 1 of principles ever the best and purest . Montanelli , Ubbrtiv DhlIi ' Onoaro , Oabbeb * Pobbio , wore . minor poets , he

    enuring public favour after the tjecond period of ( present century had opened ; but nmotu ? those whose light nhone more briMiimtly were two others- —Beuohet , of wiiom it is said by Cbsabe Cantc that . he proved poetry may sometimes dejnaud instead of the lyre the trumpet $ and Tommaso Grossi , whose reputation was founded not only on hiH more ambitious enio and a historic romance , Marco Visconti , one of tho most brillinnt and vivid in this language , but on a aeries of Novelle , tales in rhymed stanzas , exhibiting superior powers in the pathetic and picturesque combiuiugs of incident , presonted with fascinating sweetness of language , less dependent on hibtoric fnot than the metrical lomnncesof Peixico ,

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    rilHAT " tho ideas of Napoloonism" deserve peculiar attention J- nt tho present time we readily concede to the editor , who Has been careful to supply us with a-London edition of tho work ot J ^ ouis Napoleon which he issued from Carl ton Terrace in the year 183 ^ .

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    3 ^^ 26 , 1860 . ] Tkel ^ deriMid&a ^ 4 ®

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    * Des IdSis NapoUoniennea . Par Louis Napolkon Bonapabth . Aycc un Avertisaemcnt tie l'KUitcur . Londrce : W . Jeffa .

    Des Idebs Napoleoniennes.*

    DES IDEBS NAPOLEONIENNES . *

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 26, 1860, page 497, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2349/page/13/