Part 19 (1/2)

Falconer, one afternoon, entering the inner drawing-room, found Miss Gryll alone. She was reading, and on the entrance of her visitor, laid down her book. He hoped he had not interrupted her in an agreeable occupation. 'To observe romantic method,' we shall give what pa.s.sed between them with the Christian names of the speakers.

_Morgana._ I am only reading what I have often read before, _Orlando Innamorato_; and I was at the moment occupied with a pa.s.sage about the enchantress from whom my name was borrowed. You are aware that enchantresses are in great favour here.

_Algernon._ Circe and Gryllus, and your name, sufficiently show that And not your name only, but----I should like to see the pa.s.sage, and should be still better pleased if you would read it to me.

_Morgana._ It is where Orlando, who had left Morgana sleeping by the fountain, returns to seek the enchanted key, by which alone he can liberate his friends.

Il Conte, che d' intrare havea gran voglia, Subitamente al fonte ritornava: Quivi trovo Morgana, che con gioglia Danzava intorno, e danzando cantava.

Ne pui leggier si move al vento foglia Come ella sanza sosta si voltava, Mirando hora a la terra ed hora al sole; Ed al suo canto usa va tal parole:

'Qualonque cerca al mondo haver thesoro, Over diletto, o segue onore e stato, Ponga la mano a questa chioma d' oro, Ch' io porto in fronte, e quel fara beato.

Ma quando ha il destro a far cotal lavoro, Non prenda indugio, che 'l tempo pa.s.sato Piu non ritorna, e non si trova mai; Ed io mi volto, e lui lascio con guai.'

Cosi cantava d' intorno girando La bella Fata a quella fresca fonte; Ma come gionto vide il Conte Orlando, Subitamente rivolto la fronte: Il prato e la fontana abbandonando, Prese il viaggio suo verso d* un monte, Quai chiudea la Valletta picciolina: Quivi fuggendo Morgana cammina.{1}

1 Bojardo: 1. ii. c. 8. Ed. Vinegia; 1544.

With earnest wish to pa.s.s the enchanted gate, Orlando to the fount again advanced, And found Morgana, all with joy elate, Dancing around, and singing as she danced.

As lightly moved and twirled the lovely Fate As to the breeze the lightest foliage glanced, With looks alternate to the earth and sky, She thus gave out her words of witchery:

'Let him, who seeks unbounded wealth to hold, Or joy, or honour, or terrestrial state, Seize with his hand this lock of purest gold, That crowns my brow, and blest shall be his fate.

But when time serves, behoves him to be bold, Nor even a moment's pause interpolate: The chance, once lost, he never finds again: I turn, and leave him to lament in vain.'

Thus sang the lovely Fate in bowery shade Circling in joy around the crystal fount; But when within the solitary glade Glittered the armour of the approaching Count, She sprang upon her feet, as one dismayed, And took her way towards a lofty mount That rose the valley's narrow length to bound: Thither Morgana sped along the ground.

I have translated Fata, Fate. It is usually translated Fairy. But the idea differs essentially from ours of a fairy. Amongst other things there is no Fato, no Oberon to the t.i.tania. It does not, indeed, correspond with our usual idea of Fate, but it is more easily distinguished as a cla.s.s; for our old acquaintances the Fates are an inseparable three. The Italian _Fata_ is independent of her sisters. They are enchantresses; but they differ from other enchantresses in being immortal. They are beautiful, loo, and their beauty is immortal: always in Bojardo. He would not huvu turned Alcina into an old woman, as Arioslo did; which I must always consider a dreadful blemish on the many charms of the _Orlando Furioso_.

_Algernon._ I remember the pa.s.sage well. The beautiful _Fata_, dancing and singing by the fountain, presents a delightful picture.

_Morgana._ Then, you know, Orlando, who had missed his opportunity of seizing the golden forelock while she was sleeping, pursues her a long while in vain through rocky deserts, _La Penitenza_ following him with a scourge. The same idea was afterwards happily worked out by Machiavelli in his _Capitolo del Occasion_.

_Algernon._ You are fond of Italian literature? You read the language beautifully. I observe you have read from the original poem, and not from Bemi's _rifacciamento_.

_Morgana._ I prefer the original. It is more simple, and more in earnest. Bemi's playfulness is very pleasant, and his exordiums are charming; and in many instances he has improved the poetry. Still, I think he has less than the original of what are to me the great charms of poetry, truth and simplicity. Even the greater antiquity of style has its peculiar appropriateness to the subject. And Bojardo seems to have more faith in his narrative than Berni. I go on with him with ready credulity, where Berni's pleasantry interposes a doubt.

_Algernon._ You think that in narratives, however wild and romantic, the poet should write as if he fully believed in the truth of his own story.

_Morgana._ I do; and I think so in reference to all narratives, not to poetry only. What a dry skeleton is the history of the early ages of Rome, told by one who believes nothing that the Romans believed!

Religion pervades every step of the early Roman history; and in a great degree down at least to the Empire; but, because their religion is not our religion, we pa.s.s over the supernatural part of the matter in silence, or advert to it in a spirit of contemptuous incredulity. We do not give it its proper place, nor present it in its proper colours, as a cause in the production of great effects. Therefore, I like to read Livy, and I do not like to read Niebuhr.

_Algernon._ May I ask if you read Latin?

_Morgana._ I do; sufficiently to derive great pleasure from it. Perhaps, after this confession, you will not wonder that I am a spinster.

_Algernon._ So far, that I think it would tend to make you fastidious in your choice. Not that you would be less sought by any who would be worthy your attention. For I am told you have had many suitors, and have rejected them all in succession. And have you not still many, and among them one very devoted lover, who would bring you t.i.tle as well as fortune? A very amiable person, too, though not without a comic side to his character.

_Morgana._ I do not well know. He so far differs from all my preceding suitors that in every one of them I found the presence of some quality that displeased me, or the absence of some which would have pleased me: the want, in the one way or the other, of that entire congeniality in taste and feeling which I think essential to happiness in marriage. He has so strong a desire of pleasing, and such power of acquisition and a.s.similation, that I think a woman truly attached to him might mould him to her mind. Still, I can scarcely tell why, he does not complete my idealities. They say, Love is his own avenger: and perhaps I shall be punished by finding my idealities realised in one who will not care for me.