The Count d’ Erfeuil, hearing the French genius called in question, was induced to speak.  “It would be impossible for us,” said he, “to tolerate upon the stage either the incongruities of the Greeks or the monstrosities of Shakespeare; the French have too pure a taste for that.  Our theatre is the model of delicacy and elegance:  those are its distinguishing characteristics, and we should plunge ourselves into barbarism by introducing anything foreign amongst us.”

“That would be like encompassing yourselves with the great wall of China,” said Corinne, smiling.  “There are certainly many rare beauties in your tragic authors; and perhaps they would admit of new ones, could you bring yourselves to tolerate anything not exactly French on your stage.  But as for us Italians, our dramatic genius would be greatly diminished in submitting to the fetters of those laws which we had not the honour of inventing, and from which, consequently, we could derive nothing but their restraint.  A theatre ought to be formed upon the imagination, the character, and the custom of a nation.  The Italians are passionately fond of the fine arts, of music, painting, and even pantomime:  of every thing, in short, that strikes the senses.  How then could they be satisfied with the austerity of an eloquent dialogue, as their only theatrical pleasure?[24] Vainly has Alfieri, with all his genius, endeavoured to reduce them to it; he felt himself that his system was too rigorous.

“The Merope of Maffei, the Saul of Alfieri, the Aristodemus of Monti, and particularly the poem of Dante, although this last author never composed a tragedy, seem calculated to convey an idea of what the dramatic art might be brought to in Italy.  There is in the Merope of Maffei, a great simplicity of action, but the most brilliant poetry, adorned with the happiest images:  and why should this poetry be forbidden in dramatic works?  The language of poetry is so magnificent in Italy that we should be more censurable than any other nation in renouncing its beauties.  Alfieri, wishing to excel in every department of poetry, has, in his Saul, made a most beautiful use of the lyric; and one might with excellent effect introduce music itself into the piece, not so much to harmonise the words, as to calm the frenzy of Saul by the harp of David.  So delicious is our music that it may even render us indolent as to intellectual enjoyments.  Far therefore from wishing to separate music from the drama, it should be our earnest endeavour to unite them; not in making heroes sing, which destroys all dramatic effect, but in introducing choruses, as the ancients did, or such other musical aid, as may naturally blend with the situations of the piece, as so often happens in real life.  So far from retrenching the pleasures of the imagination on the Italian stage, it is my opinion, that we should on the contrary augment and multiply them in every possible manner.  The exquisite taste of the Italians