Corinne, Volume 1 (of 2)
Page 8
Chapter ii.
The Prince Castel-Forte then rose to speak, and his observations uponthe merits of Corinne excited the attention of the whole assembly. Hewas about fifty years of age, and there was in his speech and in hisdeportment much deliberate ease and dignity. The assurances which LordNelville received from those about him, that he was only the friend ofCorinne, excited, in his lordship's mind, an interest for the portraitwhich he drew of her, unmixed with any other emotion. Without such asecurity a confused sentiment of jealousy would have already disturbedthe soul of Oswald.
The Prince Castel-Forte read some unpretentious pages of prose whichwere particularly calculated to display the genius of Corinne. He firstpointed out the peculiar merit of her work, and said that that meritpartly consisted of her profound study of foreign literature: sheunited, in the highest degree, imagination, florid description and allthe brilliancy of the south, with that knowledge, that observation ofthe human heart, which falls to the share of those countries whereexternal objects excite less interest.
He extolled the elegant graces and the lively disposition of Corinne--agaiety which partook of no improper levity, but proceeded solely fromthe vivacity of the mind and the freshness of the imagination. Heattempted to praise her sensibility, but it was easily perceived thatpersonal regret mingled itself with this part of his speech. He lamentedthe difficulty which a woman of her superior cast experienced of meetingwith the object of which she has formed to herself an ideal portrait--aportrait clad with every endowment the heart and mind can wish for. Hehowever took pleasure in painting the passionate sensibility which thepoetry of Corinne inspired, and the art she possessed of seizing everystriking relation between the beauties of nature and the most intimateimpressions of the soul. He exalted the originality of Corinne'sexpressions, those expressions which were the offspring of her characterand manner of feeling, without ever permitting any shade of affectationto disfigure a species of charm not only natural but involuntary.
He spoke of her eloquence as possessing an irresistible force and energywhich must the more transport her hearers the more they possessed withinthemselves true intellectual sensibility. "Corinne," said he, "isindubitably the most celebrated woman of our country, and neverthelessit is only her friends who can properly delineate her; for we mustalways have recourse, in some degree, to conjecture, in order todiscover the genuine qualities of the soul. They may be concealed fromour knowledge by celebrity as well as obscurity, if some sort ofsympathy does not assist us to penetrate them." He enlarged upon hertalent for extemporisation, which did not resemble any thing of thatdescription known in Italy. "It is not only to the fecundity of her mindthat we ought to attribute it;" said he; "but to the deep emotion whichevery generous thought excites in her. She cannot pronounce a word thatrecalls such thoughts without enthusiasm, that inexhaustible source ofsentiments and of ideas animating and inspiring her." The PrinceCastel-Forte also made his audience sensible of the beauties of a stylealways pure and harmonious. "The poetry of Corinne," added he, "is anintellectual melody which can alone express the charm of the mostfugitive and delicate impressions."
He praised the conversation of his heroine in a manner that easily madeit perceived he had experienced its delight. "Imagination andsimplicity, justness and elevation, strength and tenderness, areunited," said he, "in the same person to give incessant variety to allthe pleasures of the mind: we may apply to her, this charming verse ofPetrarch:
_Il parlar che nell' anima si sente._[4]
and, I believe, in her will be found that grace so much boasted of,that oriental charm which the ancients attributed to Cleopatra.
"The places I have visited with her, the music we have heard together,the pictures she has pointed out to me, the books she has made mecomprehend, compose the universe of my imagination. There is in allthese objects a spark of her life; and if I were to exist at a distancefrom her I would wish at least to be surrounded by those objects,certain as I am of finding nowhere else that trace of fire, that traceof herself in fact, which she has left in them. Yes," continued he (andat that moment his eyes fell by chance upon Oswald), "behold Corinne; ifyou can pass your life with her, if that double existence which it is inher power to give can be assured to you for a long time; but do notbehold her if you are condemned to quit her; you will seek in vain aslong as you live that creative soul which shares and multiplies yoursentiments and your thoughts; you will never behold her like again."
Oswald started at these words, his eyes fixed themselves upon Corinne,who heard them with an emotion that was not inspired by self-love, butwhich was allied to the most amiable and delicate feelings. The PrinceCastel-Forte was much affected for a moment, and then resumed hisspeech. He spoke of Corinne's talent for music, for painting, fordeclamation and for dancing: In all these talents, he said, she wasentirely herself, not confined to any particular manner, or to anyparticular rule, but expressing in various languages the same powers ofthe imagination, and the same witchery of the fine arts under all theirdifferent forms.
"I do not flatter myself," said the Prince Castel-Forte in concluding,"that I have been able to paint a lady of whom it is impossible to forman idea without having heard her; but her presence is, for us at Rome,as one of the benefits of our brilliant sky and our inspired nature.Corinne is the tie that unites her friends together; she is the movingprinciple and the interest of our life. We reckon upon her goodness; weare proud of her genius; we say to strangers, 'Behold her! She is theimage of our beautiful Italy; she is what we should be without theignorance, the envy, the discord and the indolence to which our fate hascondemned us.' We take pleasure in contemplating her as an admirableproduction of our climate and of our fine arts,--as a scion shooting outof the past, as a prophecy of the future. When foreigners insult thiscountry, whence has issued that intelligence which has shed its lightover Europe; when they are without pity for our defects, which arise outof our misfortunes, we will say to them: 'Behold Corinne! 'Tis ourdesire to follow her footsteps; we would endeavour to become, as men,what she is as woman, if man like woman could create a world in his ownheart; and if our genius, necessarily dependent upon social relationsand external circumstances, could be kindled by the torch of poetryalone.'"
The moment the Prince Castel-Forte left off speaking unanimous applausewas heard on all sides, and though towards the conclusion of his speechhe indirectly blamed the present state of the Italians, all the noblesof the state approved of it; so true it is that we find in Italy thatsort of liberality which does not lead men to alter institutions, butwhich pardons in superior minds a tranquil opposition to existingprejudices. The reputation of Prince Castel-Forte was very great inRome. He spoke with a rare sagacity, which is a remarkable gift in anation who exhibit more intellect in their conduct than in theirconversation. He did not in his worldly concerns shew that address whichoften distinguishes the Italians, but he took delight in thought, anddid not dread the fatigue of meditation. The happy inhabitants of thesouth sometimes shrink from this fatigue, and flatter themselves thatimagination will do everything for them, as their fertile soil producesfruit without cultivation assisted only by the bounty of the sky.
FOOTNOTE:
[4] The language which is felt in the depth of the soul.