The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-20
SOME NEW BOOKS
oiinpses or EisAteenth Century Italy.

SOME NEW BOOKS
oiinpses or Eishteenth Century Italy.
It IL long vanished state Of things which
depleted In the extracts from the so-calle
Journey OF Mrs. Plozzi which have bee
published by tho Scribners In an attractiy
little volume entitled Giinpses of Natiaa So
otstv In tho Eighteenth Century. Tho excerpt
from this journal OF wedding tour have bee
skilfully made by the Countess EVELYN CESAR
Hsoo. who has added useful and sympatheti
Introduction. Tho lady. whom DIR. johnson
knew as Mrs. Thrale and regarded with SINGER
affection. bad exceptional advantages for OBJ
serving the ways Of tho Italian people. Sh,
had become tho wife OF an italian who. oil
though he had boon n music toacher In Eng
land. was OF respectable Lombard family
Tho principal aim OF her Journey was t.
raise Piozzi In the eyes OF her English
friends BY showing that he was cordially well
coined In his own country. bho departed
smartinC under an outburst OF indignation
which had no rational ground. The cause ol
the attack lay in the foolish caste prejudices
OF persons who were by no means rs we'll born
% PiozEi. but then they were Britons and had
mover taught music, which. OF course. proved
their responsibility. Such prejudices die hard.
and the Countess Ccsaresco reminds us that
IN tho present century 1n lullhH Oh lu iluStTl-
Gus Neapolitan house. who. like Piozzi had
made fortune by teaching music In England.
had no end OF difficulty in persuading a
worthy English wine merchant to become his
fsther-in-law. tho objections being expressly
based on rank.
The extracts from tho species OF diary kept
By Mira Piozzi begin with her arrival in Turin.
She calls the Pcdmontese capital "a lovely
little city" and she had reason to like 1t for
she was we'll treated there. Hero she first saw
an opera presented in an Italian theatre. q
boz having boon lent to her by Prince Della
CisternA. one Of whose descendants wa sto wear
for while the crown OF Spain. In Turin. as
everywhere in Italy. questions OF rank and
position wore Waived in her favor. She con.
fdsd. indeed. to her friends on her return to
England that the Italians could nevor quite
make out how she could be lady when her
husband was . brewer. The perplexity. how
eyex,I did not Interfere with the attentions
paid to the witty and agreeable visitor.
TLoceeding from Turin TO Genoa she
losas, no time in setting down something
about eating. declaring that there is no
wretched hut in the Sandman dominions that
does not afford better soup than one tastes
In England. even at magnificent tables. There
tlculsr. and SO large that she could not be-
lievS them to be woodcocks till the birds
long bill convinced her. She noticed that
the italians retained the Roman taste for small
birds. md considered becaflcoes and ortolans
- the most tempting dalnties On the other
hand. the sheep. Us abe observed. were few
and lean. fact which she attributed to the
scarcity OF grazing land in o country whore
every inch seemed turned to profit in olive
yards and vineyards.
Itwas in Milan that Mrs. Plozzi made her
longest stay. because her husband had been o
protsge Of the Marquis d'Aracielli. a noble
man Of Spanish extraction. who lived in the
Lombard metropolis. Under these circum-
stances shs saw great deal of Milanese So
ciety. and was much perplexed by some OF its
institutions, especially the cavalier serrsnte.
Some Of the comments on what she saw are.
It seems. hasty and misleading. for the COM
piler Of this volume Is at much pains to cor
rect them in the Introduction. Thus, she
says that whom young matron OF the
bourgeoise class announces that her oar-
alier sorrento pays her bills. Mrs. Piozzl !
IL wrong in jumping at the idea that this |
was q common practice. She might have |
learned from the old rhyme Cavalier SER |
vente. cavalier del dente." that the knight |
ofthe tooth" was reputed to receive more |
favors than he conferred. He was frequently |
. humble relative, a. In every family there
were cadets too poor to marry they were |
not allowed to work for their living). and on |
the other hand. too worldly or sincere to become
priests. To such mon cavalier servitude ST.
eured dinner. At any rate. II they wanted ono. |
It Was the custom for everybody In society |
TO- gS}tos tn. theatre avery evening. box |
atb abe bepera i, heipgs an essential part Of
thse dhousshold arrangements. and so to
nj I'M u Ar ~ In ali ThA
boSStwhHWeHer. could not be reached by
attasg without an" escort. The chaperon
did ,'not exist. because q woman. how
sveI cd. was no escort for another woman.
nor could the elder woman herself dispense
With nattsp dant Of the other sex. dowager
81 6i4tNaEd bride 81 sixteen had equally to
Itsy at home II there was not q man to accom-
pany them. Besides although the cavaliers
service was particularly In request at the the
ltre, he was more or less on duty when his
ady left her house for any purpose. with the
doubtful exception Of going to church. No
husband after the honeymoon could be ex-
,ected to perform all these functions: he
therefore, appointed or accepted the APP
,olntment Of somebody else to act as his
substitute. This. according to the Coun-
eAs Cesaresco. was In nine cases out
u ten the emnently unromantic cava-
Ter seryltude Of real life. The high-hown
language. the profound bow
Nc and hand kissing OF the period. COM
,lned to mystify strangers as to the true Sig
lincance Of the institution. When there was
real lover In question the cavalier sorrento
must have been serious impediment, for he
vas always "pia,lts Ia a conheca,rer' in paurre
iera" 10 the words OF tho President de
3rosyes, Who though he did not wholly credit
he assurances rs to the invariab!e innocence
Il the relation. was yet far from passing on 1t
nd 1Haaping judgment pronounced by most
oralgnars. The Countess Cesaresco heri.,lf
losS not deny that habit aud opportunity did
,oE And them provo too strong for two indlvld-
lalI ASawn constantly together. but shs In
istsithat such lapses represented the excep-
Ion rather than the rule.
aisut 10 ggf ----.
klGsilp aE'ss -,
bio tlogi,isi -.
WhilS Mis-. Ptozzi was inclined 10 criticise
10Th tlispry Rpd practice In the matter OF con-
uga( relations. she observed with surprise
md appreciation the extreme respect paid to
arppy ten She records In her diary that even
lfoAA mi LtnAv rIk Hal l