The Diary of an Ennuyee Part 18

[Footnote S: Corilla (whose real name was Maddaleno Morelli) often accompanied herself on the violin; not holding it against her shoulder, but resting it in her lap. She was reckoned a fine performer on this instrument; and for her distinguished talents was crowned in the Capitol in 1779.--ED.]

[Footnote T: Oth.e.l.lo--Thou mak'st me call what I intend to do A murder,--which I thought a sacrifice.--]

[Footnote U: Sestini died of a brain fever at Paris in November, 1822.--ED.]

[Footnote V: The allusion is to La Francia. When Raffaelle sent his famous St. Cecilia to Bologna, it was intrusted to the care of La Francia, who was his particular friend, to be unpacked and hung up. La Francia was old, and had for many years held a high rank in his profession; no sooner had he cast his eyes on the St. Cecilia, than struck with despair at seeing his highest efforts so immeasurably outdone, he was seized with a deep melancholy, and died shortly after.--ED.]

[Footnote W: Forsyth complains of some celebrated Madonnas being _unimpa.s.sioned_: with submission to Forsyth's taste and ac.u.men--_ought_ they to be _impa.s.sioned_?]

[Footnote X: Dr. Holland once told me, that when travelling in Iceland, he had heard one of Mozart's melodies played and sung by an Icelandic girl, and that some months afterwards he heard the very same air sung to the guitar by a Greek lady at Salonica. Yet the son of that immortal genius, who has dispensed delight from one extremity of Europe to the other, and from his urn still rules the entranced senses of millions--Charles Mozart, is a poor music master at Milan! this should not be.]

[Footnote Y: What Beccaria said in his day is most true of ours, "on paie les musiciens pour emouvoir, on paie les danseurs de corde pour etonner, et la plus grande partie des musiciens veulent faire les danseurs de corde."]

[Footnote Z: "With dagger's hilt upon the gate, Who knocks so loud and knocks so late?"--SCOTT.]