all these horrors with the utmost calm.  When a performer uses much action, they say he conducts himself like a preacher; for in truth, there is more acting in the pulpit than on the stage.  It is very fortunate that these actors are so moderate in their pathos; for as there is nothing interesting, either in the piece or its situations, the more noise they made about it, the more ridiculous they would appear:  it might still be endurable, were there any thing gay in this nonsense; but it is most stupidly dull and monotonous.  There is in Italy no more comedy than tragedy; and here again we stand foremost.  The only species of comedy peculiar to Italy is harlequinade.  A valet, at once a knave, a glutton, and a coward; an old griping, amorous dupe of a guardian, compose the whole strength of these pieces.  I hope you will allow that Tartuffe, and the Misanthrope, require a little more genius than such compositions.”

This attack of the Count d’ Erfeuil was sufficiently displeasing to the Italians who were his auditors; nevertheless they laughed at it.  The Count was more desirous of showing his wit than his natural goodness of disposition; for though this latter quality influenced his actions, self-love guided his speech.  Prince Castel-Forte and the rest of his countrymen present, were extremely impatient to refute the Count d’Erfeuil; but as they were little ambitious of shining in conversation and believed their cause would be more ably defended by Corinne, they besought her to reply, contenting themselves with barely citing the celebrated names of Maffei, Metastasio, Goldoni, Alfieri, and Monti.  Corinne began by granting that the Italians had no drama; but she undertook to prove that circumstances and not want of talent, were the cause of it.  Comedy, which depends upon the observation of manners, can only exist in a country where we live in the midst of a numerous and brilliant society.  In Italy we meet with nothing but violent passions or idle enjoyments which produce crimes of so black a hue that no shades of character can be distinguished.  But ideal comedy, if it may be so termed, that which depends upon the imagination, and may agree with all times and all countries, owes its invention to Italy.  Harlequin, punchinello, pantaloon, &c., have the same character in every different piece.  In all cases they exhibit masks, and not faces:  that is to say, their physiognomy is that of some particular species of character, and not that of any individual.  Undoubtedly, the modern authors of harlequinades, finding every part ready carved out for them like the men of a chess-board, have not the merit of inventing them; but their first invention is due to Italy; therefore these fantastic personages, which from one end of Europe to the other afford amusement to every child, and to every grown-up person whom imagination has made childlike, must certainly be considered as the creation of Italians:  this I should conceive ought to give them some claim to the art of comedy.