Volume III Part 78 (1/2)
I accoed his wig and put on another cap, for he alore one on account of the rheumatism to which he was subject I saw on the table the Su other Italian poets the 'Secchia Rapita' of Tassoni
”This,” said Voltaire, ”is the only tragicomic poeenius as well as a poet”
”I will grant his poetical ability but not his learning, for he ridiculed the system of Copernicus, and said that if his theories were followed astronomers would not be able to calculate lunations or eclipses”
”Where does he make that ridiculous remark?”
”In his acadeet them”
He took a pen and noted the name down, and said,--
”But Tassoni has criticised Petrarch very ingeniously”
”Yes, but he has dishonoured taste and literature, like Muratori”
”Here he is Youis immense”
”Est ubi peccat”
Voltaire opened a door, and I saw a hundred great files full of papers
”That's my correspondence,” said he ”You see before you nearly fifty thousand letters, to which I have replied”
”Have you a copy of your answers?”
”Of a good many of the else to do”
”I know plenty of booksellers ould give a good deal to get hold of your answers
”Yes; but look out for the booksellers when you publish anything, if you have not yet begun; they are greater robbers than Barabbas”
”I shall not have anything to do with these gentlee of your old age”
Thereupon I quoted a Macaronic verse by Merlin Coccaeus
”Where's that from?”
”It's a line from a celebrated poem in twenty-four cantos”
”Celebrated?”
”Yes; and, what iscelebrated; but to appreciate it one must understand the Mantuan dialect”
”I could etyou with one to-e me extremely”