The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-03-03


TIE ROMAN CARSIvAL--He who desires
to discover a secret, to unite or intimate an
intrigue, ask an explanation, or make dec
laration, &C., and cannot find time and op-
portunity in everyday life. counts upon the
Carnival IL that week tradition grants alb
solute liberty and independence Of the sex
to which the hypoeritical adjective Of weak
Is coupled / assure You that those who are
then at Rome may Judge whether IL deserves
the appellation. Ladies and friends meet to-
gether, and utterly refuse to be either assist
ed or watched. do not speak Of husbands,
for they cannot even be mentioned; but
lovers themselves are carefully discarded.
The former submit patiently to their fate;
and / have known some who go to bed aud
sleep through the lively hours of the Corso.
For the latter, on the contrary, 1t Is the mo-
meut to be awake, and all eyes, If possible.
But the second and seldom-used title of the
d" Barber Of Sevillen must not be forgotten.
The more precautions are justified, the less
they are of use. The way in which these
masquerades are arranged almost entirely
preeludes the possibility of discovering what
is going on. The idcG is generally entertain
ed that when a woman DISCUSSES herself, she
still tries to appear to the very best adyant-
age. 1t is not necessary to have either
hump, or the foot of a Chinese beauty, to
escape recognition. But at Rome during
the Carnival things are understood other
wise. woman transforms herself into
bundle; and she must literally have no hu-
man shape when she goes Tor when she
went to sit on the step of Palazzo Ruspoli
during the Corso. This step, which has now
disappeared, was a footpath running all
along the Cafe Nuovo, about Oft. above the
level of the Corso. Upon 1t there was a row
of straw chairs, which were occupied by
ladies In masks. The people who walked
in front of the step thus found them at
very convenient height for carrying on a
more or less intimate and secret converse
ton, according to the mutual inclination Of
the parties. 1t is obvious, however, that
there was one obstacle to be overcome by
those who wished to talk with lady who
was invisible for the rest of the year-namely,
that of recognising her as she sat on that
famous step. / recollect, on certain oc-
casioh, having performed real diplomatic
tour de force. 1 longed anxiously to speak
with a little freedom to lady to whom
had not been introduced. l succeeded in
learning that, wanting TO 90 to the step the
last Thursday of the Carnival, she was in
search of one of those round capes without
sleeves, then worn by men; and l managed
so adroitly that / sent her mine without her
knowing whence it came. The difficulty of
recognising her thus fell TO the ground.
This step is the neutral ground upon which
the thousand mysterious interests of amorous
life are founded, destroyed, or restored.
But TO terminate the exposition of its sta
tutes, should add that lovers were not al
ways allowed to enjoy this step, or any other
of the Carnival revels. If the divinity is
obliged to stay at home, either by eonfine-
ment or indisposition, or any other motive
whatsoever, her adorer must not amuse him
self either. Whilst the fun is running
highest between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza
di Venezia, he may take a walk at Campo
Vaccine, San Pietro, or the Villa Borghese.
And in the evening, in society, when it is
bruited about that X-,whose lady-loye is
in bed with slight cold, was seen riding
alone outside the Porta Angelica, forinstance,
during the Corso, all the ladies exclaim
What q nice fellow K is J he indeed
is a good friend'' And If their own
happens to be present, with conscience
not quite so spotless, he is sure to receive a
glance which plainly says-Take example
Another statute declares that, in case of
misfortune of any kind happening TO her
family or that of the husband, the other
must sacrifice everything-lfe itself, if need
be-to repair it. All this forms a whole
which seems and is in reality, one of the
strangest, and contrasts singularly with the
usuages Of the present day. Still nobody
think, will prefer the actual system to that
then In vigour. The love which, while see
ing its own satisfaction, also accepted sacri-
fees and endured unspeakable torments for
the inefiable happiness of one moment, is
noble and sublime; it possesses in itself, |
might almost say, something virtuous, like
every other voluntary suffering manfully
borne.