beloved and respected for the worth of her private character, and for her generous disposition.  She has all the vivacity of intellect belonging to youth, tho’ now nearly eighty-six years of age,[111] and of a very delicate physical constitution; in short she affords, and I often tell her so, the most striking proof of the immortality of the soul.  There is a conversazione at her house twice a week, where you meet with foreign as well as Italian litterati, and persons of distinction of all nations, tongues and languages.  Her eldest daughter, Mme D’Orfei, is an excellent improvisatrice, and has frequently given us very favourable specimens of the inspiration which breathes itself in her soul.  I have likewise witnessed the talent of two very extraordinary improvisatori, the one a young girl of eighteen years of age, by name Rosa Taddei.  She is the daughter of the proprietor of the Teatro della Valle at Rome, and sometimes performs herself in dramatic pieces; yet, strange to say, tho’ she is an admirable improvisatrice and possesses a thorough classic and historical knowledge, she is but an indifferent actress.

It is a great shame that her father obliges her to act on the stage in very inferior parts, when she ought only to exhibit on the tripod.  I assisted at an Accademia given by her one evening at the Teatro della Valle, when she improvised on the following subjects, which were proposed by various members of the audience:  1st, La morte d’Egeo; 2dy, La Madre Ebrea; 3rd, Coriolano alle mura di Roma; 4th, Ugolino; 5th, Saffo e Faone; 6th, in the Carnaval with the following intercalario:  “Maschera ti conosco, tieni la benda al cor!” which intercalario compels a rhyme in osco, a most difficult one.  The Madre Ebrea and Coriolano were given in ottava rima with a rima obbligata for each stanza.  The Morte d’Egeo was given in terza rima.  Her versification appeared to be excellent, nor could I detect the absence or superabundance, of a single syllable.  She requires the aid of music, chuses the melody; the audience propose the subject, and rima obbligata, and the intercalario, where it is required.  In her gestures, particularly before she begins to recite, she reminded me of the description given of the priestess of.  Delphi.  She walks along the stage for four or five minutes in silent meditation on the subject proposed, then suddenly stops, calls to the musicians to play a certain symphony and then begins as if inspired.  Among the different rhimes in osco, a gentleman who sat next to me proposed to her Cimosco.  I asked him what Cimosco he meant; he replied a Tuscan poet of that name.  For my part, I had never heard of any other of that name than the King Cimosco in the Orlando Furioso, who makes use of fire-arms; and Rosa Taddei was, it appears, of my opinion, since this was