The Diary of an Ennuye (1857) Book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: over the whole building, and afterwards saw the scholars, two hundred and eighty in number, sit down to dinner. Every thing appeared nice, clean, and admirably ordered. At the mint, which interested me extremely, we found them coining silver crowns for the Levant trade, with the head of Maria Theresa, and the date 1780. We were also shown the beautifully engraved die for the medal which the university of Padua presented to Belzoni. The evening was spent at the Teatro Re, where we saw a bad sentimental comedy (una Commedia di Caraterre) exceedingly well acted. One actor, I thought almost equal to Dowton, in his own style ;?we had afterwards some fine music. Some of the Milanese airs, which the' itinerant musicians give us, have considerable beauty and character. There is less monotony, I think, in their general style than in the Venetian music; and perhaps less sentiment, less softnsss.' When left alone tonight, to do penance on the sofa, for my late walks, and recruit for our journey to-morrow.?I tried to adapt English verses to one or two very pretty airs which Annoni brought me to-day, without the Italian words; but it is a most difficult and invidious task. Even Moore, with his unequalled command over the lyric harmonies 'of our language, cannot perfectly satisfy ears accustomed to the " Linked sweetness long drawn out " of the Italian Towels, combined with musical sounds : fancy such dissonant syllables as ex, pray, what, breaks, strength, uttered in minim time,? hissing and grating through half a bar, instead of the dulcet anima mia, Catina amabile?Caro mio tesoro, andc. STAXZAS FOR MU8IC. All that it hoped My heart believed, And when most trusting, Was most deceived. A shadow hath fallen O'er my young years; And hopes when brightest. Were quen...Read More