The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-01
THE IMPROVISATORE.
Italy the Fatherland of the Specios-A
Peculiar Italian Product.

Italy the Fatherland of the Specios-A
Peculiar Italian Product.
Nothing is more easy than to rhyme
IN ltalian-the difficulty is to abstain
from doing so. The absence of the
apparently inevitable jingle is one Of the
chief charms in the prose of such writer's,
as Dante, Boccaccio, and Machiavelli;
and its natural and easy recurrence was
probably one of the causes which rem
dered the earlier critics of the country
so exacting with respect to the external
form OF the verses they considered
worthy OF their attention. But what the
critic loathes the amateur loves. and the
half-cultured will often listen agape
with admiration to declarations that
are neither prose nor verse, and admire
the man who produces a torrent of un,
reasoned and badly-rhymed twaddle as
If it were work of art. though it has
neither the substance nor the form Of
poetry Thus Italy was for centuries
the fatherland of the improyisatore. He
has fortunately fallen with other anG
better things before the strong inflow Of
larger and healthier national life, and
like Prince Florizel, been compelled to
shift for himself; but, being unfor.
tunately without the genius, the force
of character, and the most admirable
moral sentiments of that inimitablt
prince, he has continued his old bust.
ness OF intellectual princelet, though on
sadly reduced scale.
[ Occasionally when you are seated in
the Villa before one of the cafes a mar
will appear, and glance furtively rounc
to see If Germans are present. His coal
is seedy and his air detected The
quick eye at once recognizes in him al
the tokens Of a misunderstood and some.
what damaged genius. He seems to be
note of Interrogation, a being who
passes his whole life in silently apollo
giving for his own existence. The Ger.
mans are supposed to be sentimental
they have certainly habit of being
kind to the man of talent whose ward.
robe is less perfectly adjusted and fully
furnished than his mind, and it is tC
them that the shabby genteel improvi.
satore makes his appeal. If he finds 6
company likely to recognize his merits.
at least to the amount of 1ivepence, he
steps forward hurriedIy, takes Il fitting
place, and begins to declaim a suitable
piece. He knows three or four of them
by heart One treats of the greatness
OF Germany, another of the unity 0.
Italy and the efforts by which it was ac.
ccmplished, generally with a passage
referring TO the speakers own real OF
imaginary deeds This is rather out Of
date now in Naples, but it is still effect.
i've in radical country towns, and otter
with Germans who are ENJOYING
their honeymoon, and sometimes
look as if gall had been substi.
tuted for the honey. The most
fOrcible of these introductions. however,
deals with the miSfortunes of geniu,
and the want of liberality in our owr
age. When his first part is finished he
moves round among the guests and re.
celVeS such solid as NAV not be wanted
for better purposes. If no one gives
him a comparatively large sum he
moves off in the same sad, undecided
way in which he came; if he receives
more than twOpence from any table, he
informs the occupants of his true char.
eNN"NA' ''N' CiiSLo " III hlC Oll SUI
jest they may suggest. If they accep'
his proposal, he expects Ira for the
first piece, and half one for each that
follows. If he gets more, he is pleased
if less, he is apt to become disagreeab}e
in his own shy, APOLOGIZE. manner. H.
thanks his patrons profusely for then
bounty, and then begs leave to add just
one more piece, not for any profit but
merely to amuse them. If the request
is granted, he ridicules every one at the
table, and concludes by an ironcai
praise of their generosity, announcing
aud showing the sum he has received;
If not, he moves to some table near, and
delivers the same address, after the
permission of its occupants has been
asked and granted, in voice loud
enough to be heard by all the guests
London SATURDAY Reriew.