to introduce his terzets to my
notice. I gave it the following title: _Scrittura contestativa al taglio
della Tartana degli Influssi stampata a Parigi l'anno 1757_. After this
I set myself to examine his _terza-rima_ poem, and had no difficulty in
exposing a long list of stupidities, improprieties, puerilities, and
injustices. Without altering the low and trivial sentiments expressed in
it, I rewrote the whole in a style of greater elegance and elevation, so
as to prove that even the most plebeian thoughts may acquire harmony and
decent grace by choiceness of diction. Finally, I dissuaded him from
sending his unhappy pamphlet to the press, and concluded by addressing
some octave stanzas to the public, in which I begged them to set him
free in future from his self-imposed obligation of composing in verse.

I did not stop here. My _Tartana_ contained some satirical sallies
against the comedies in vogue upon our stage; and Goldoni had
appropriated these to himself. In his invective he inserted a couple of
forensic lines against me, which conveyed a kind of challenge. Here they
are:--

"Chi non prova l'assunto e l'argomento,
Fa come il cane che abbaja alla luna."

("He who proves not both theme and argument,
Acts like the dog who barks against the moon.")

This excited me to write another little book, in which I proved the
proposition and the argument, and at the same time afforded my readers
food for mirth.

I feigned that the Granelleschi were assembled one day during Carnival,
to dine at the tavern of the Pellegrino, which looks out upon the Piazza
di San Marco. My comrades gathered round the windows to observe the
passing masqueraders, when a monstrous creature, wearing a mask of four
strongly-marked and different faces, entered the inn. They entreated it
to come up into our room, in order that they might examine it at
leisure. This mask of the the four faces and four mouths represented the
Comic Theatre of Goldoni, personified by me in the way I shall explain.
As soon as it caught sight of me, the author of _Tartana_, it turned to
fly off in a rage, but was forced to stay and sustain an argument with
me upon the theme of its dramatic productions.

In the dialogue which ensued, I maintained and proved that Goldoni had
striven to gain popularity rather by changing the aspect of his wares
than by any real merit which they possessed. After scribbling plots in
outline for the old-fashioned comedy of