Volume III Part 76 (2/2)
”Yes; if one can call it a ht into ht has to be fitted exactly into the fourteen lines”
”It is Procrustes' bed, and that's the reason you have so few good ones
As for us, we have not one; but that is the fault of our language”
”And of the French genius, which considers that a thought when extended loses all its force”
”And you do not think so?”
”Pardon , for exas to the doram”
”What Italian poet do you like best?”
”Ariosto; but I cannot say I love him better than the others, for he is h?”
”I think I have read thehts pale before Ariosto's Fifteen years ago I read all you have written against him, and I said that you, would retract when you had read his works”
”I a that I had not read the I knew Italian very i prejudiced by the learned Italians who adore Tasso I was unfortunate enough to publish a criticisht my ohile it was only the echo of those who had prejudiced me I adore your Ariosto!”
”Ah! M de Voltaire, I breathe again But be good enough to have the work in which you turned this great man into ridicule excommunicated”
”What use would that be? All ood proof of an to recite the two fine passages from the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth cantos, in which the divine poet speaks of the conversation of Astolpho with St John and he did it without ainst the laws of prosody He then pointed out the beauties of the passages with his natural insight and with a greatbetter from the lips of the most skilled coreatest attention, hardly daring to breath, and waiting for hi I turned to the co that I was more than astonished, and that all Italy should knohat I had seen ”And I, sir,” said the great reatest genius our continent has produced”
Greedy of the praise which he deserved so well, Voltaire gave ins thus:
”Quindi avvien the tra principi a signori”
At the end of the recitation which gained the applause of all who heard it, although not one of theht the passage her uncle had just recited one of the finest the poet had written
”Yes, but not the finest”
”It ought to be; for without it Signor Lodovico would not have gained his apotheosis”
”He has been canonised, then? I was not aware of that”
At these words the laugh, headed by Voltaire, went for Madahed except myself, and I continued to look perfectly serious
Voltaire was vexed at not seeing h like the rest, and asked ,” said he, ”of soe?”
”Yes,” I answered
”What passage is that?”