Portrait of Alfieri
[Page 399]
PORTRAIT OF HIMSELF,(1)
BY ALFIERI.
SUBLIME specchio di veraci detti,
Mostrami in corpo e in anima qual sono.
Capelli, or radi in fronte, e rossi pretti;
Lunga statura, e capo in terra prono;
Sottil persona in su due stinchi schietti;
Bianca pelle, occhi azzurri, aspetto buono;
Giusto naso, bel labro, e denti eletti;
Pallido in volto, più che un re sul trono.
Or duro, acerbo; ora piaghevol, mite;
Irato sempre, e non maligno mai;
La mente e il cor meco in perpetua lite;
Per lo piú mesto, e talor lieto assai
Or stimandomi Achille, ed or Tersite.
Uom, se’ tu grande, o vil?—Muori, e il saprai.
THOU lofty mirror, Truth, let me be shewn
Such as I am, in body and in mind.
Hair, plainly red, retreating now behind;
A stature tall, a stooping head and prone;
A meagre body on two stilts of bone;
Fair skin, blue eyes, good look, nose well design’d;
A handsome mouth, teeth that are rare to find,
And pale in face, more than a king on throne.
Now harsh and crabbed, mild and pleasant soon;
Always irascible, no malignant foe;
My head and heart and I never in tune;
Sad for the most part, then in such a flow
Of spirits, I feel now hero, now buffoon;—
Man, art thou great or vile?—Die, and thou’lt know.
[BLANK PAGE]
[BLANK PAGE]
CONTENTS
OF VOLUME THE FIRST.
__________
__________
Page
Preface - - - - - 5
The Vision of Judgment, by QUEVEDO REDIVIVUS - 15
A Letter to the Editor of “My Grandmother’s Review” - 41
The Florentine Lovers - - - - 51
Rhyme and Reason, or a New Proposal to the Public respect -
ing Poetry in Ordinary - - - 81
A German Apologue - - - - 91
Letters from Abroad. Letter I.—Pisa - - 97
May-day Night; a Poetical Translation from Goëthe’s
Faust - - - - - 121
Ariosto’s Episode of Cloridan, Medoro, and Angelica - 139
The Country Maiden - - - - 161
Epigram of Alfieri - - - 163
Epigrams on Lord Castlereagh - - - 164
Heaven and Earth, a Mystery - - - 165
The Giuli Tre - - - - - 207
On the Spirit of Monarchy - - - - 227
The Dogs - - - - - 245
Letters from Abroad. Letter II.—Genoa - - 269
A Tale of the Passions - - - - 289
Les Charmettes and Rousseau - - - - 327
Longus - - - - - 347
On the Scotch Character - - - - 367
Virgil’s Hostess - - - - 377
The Suliotes - - - - - 385
Minor Pieces
Alfieri’s Benediction - - - 395
An Ultra License - - - 396
From the French - - - - 396
Song, written for an Indian Air - - 397
Martial—Lib. I. Ep. I. - - - 398
New Duet - - - - 398
Portrait of Alfieri(2) - - - - 399
ERRATA.
Page 6, line 6, instead of “a worse king never left a realm undone,” read
“a weaker king ne’er left a realmundone.”(3)
Page 7, line 16, instead of “a bad ugly woman,” read “an unhandsome
woman.”
Page 20, line 5, for “dwell,” read “well.”
Page 23, line 6, instead of “amidst the war,” read “amidst the roar.”
Page 38, in the note, for “body,” read “bottom.”
Page 62, lines 29 and 30—and page 68, line 15, for “Signora Veronica,”
read “Gossip Veronica.”
Page 109, line 10, for “about the size of Stratford Place,” read “about
half the size.”
_______
_______
LONDON:
Ultimo aggiornamento
02.09.2025