66 angel lord. I once thought of convey"ing the lovers to the moon, or one of "the planets; but it is not easy for the imagination to make any unknown world more beautiful than this; besides, I did "not think they would approve of the moon as a residence. I remember what 66 66 "Fontenelle said of its having no atmo "sphere, and the dark spots being ca 66 verns where the inhabitants reside. "There was another objection: all the "human interest would have been de stroyed, which I have even endeavour"ed to give my Angels. It was a very "Irish kind of compliment Jeffrey paid to "Moore's Lalla Rookh,' when he said "the loves were those of Angels; mean 66 6 6 ing that they were like nothing on "earth. What will he say of The Loves "of the Angels?' that they are like "I wrote The Prophecy of Dante' at "the suggestion of the Countess. 66 I was at that time paying my court to the "Guiccioli, and addressed the dedicatory sonnet to her. She had heard of my 66 66 66 having written something about Tasso, and thought Dante's exile and death "would furnish as fine a subject. I can 66 66 never write but on the spot. Before I began 'The Lament,' I went to Ferrara, "to visit the Dungeon. Hoppner was with 66 me, and part of it, the greater part, was composed (as The Prisoner of Chillon') "in the prison. The place of Dante's fif"teen years' exile, where he so patheti 66 'cally prayed for his country, and depre cated the thought of being buried out "of it; and the sight of his tomb, which "I passed in my almost daily rides,-inspired me. Besides, there was some"what of resemblance* in our destinies"he had a wife, and I have the same feelings about leaving my bones in a strange land. * "The day may come she would be proud to have The dust she doom'd to strangers, and transfer Of him whom she denied a home-the grave." Prophecy of Dante. "Where now my boys are, and that fatal 66 she" Ibid. They made an exile, not a slave of me." Ibid. 66 66 "I had, however, a much more exten sive view in writing that poem than to "describe either his banishment or his grave. Poets are sometimes shrewd in their conjectures. You quoted to me “the other day a line in Childe Harold,' "in which I made a prediction about the "Greeks*: in this instance I was not so "fortunate as to be prophetic. This poem 66 was intended for the Italians and the 66 Guiccioli, and therefore I wished to "have it translated. I had objected to "the Versi sciolti having been used in Fourth Canto of Childe Harold; "but this was the very metre they adopt 66 my 66 ed in defiance of my remonstrance, and * "Will Gaul or Muscovite redress ye? No!" Childe Harold, Canto II. Stanza 75. "in the very teeth of it; and yet I believe the Italians liked the work. 66 It was looked at in a political light, and they indulged in my dream of liberty, "and the resurrection of Italy. Alas! "it was only a dream! 66 "Terza Rima does not seem to suit the genius of English poetry-it is certainly “uncalculated for a work of any length. "In our language, however, it may do "for a short ode. The public at least thought my attempt a failure, and the 66 public is in the main right. I never persecute the public. I always bow to "its verdict, which is generally just. But "if I had wanted a sufficient reason for 66 my giving up the Prophecy-the Prophecy failed me. R |
