cally
from Mantua, where it was exhibited.

I shall now have to describe the debut of this young artist at Venice,
the difficulties we met with, the triumph which finally confirmed my
prophecies, and the friendship which I maintained with her for the space
of six years. Many of my friends have asked for the real history of this
friendship. It was always my habit to waste no breath in talking, but to
use up several pens without fatigue in writing. I shall, therefore,
very likely be too long and prolix in my narrative of a friendship,
which folk are quite at liberty to call love if they like. Since it
occupied six years of my life, I cannot omit it; but every one is at
liberty to skip the following chapters if they find them tedious.[39]

XLVII.

_Teodora Ricci makes her debut at Venice without marked success.--My
reasons for feeling engaged in honour to support her_.

My histrionic phalanx returned to Venice, and took possession for the
first time of the theatre at S. Salvatore, deprived of one of their best
actors, Derbes. The managers of the company wished to keep the public in
suspense about the new actress for the first few nights. This is the
common policy of such people. They reason thus: "We are all of us
novelties at the beginning of the season. Let us keep the new actor in
reserve to stimulate the public when our own attractions fall off. Come
what may, we are sure to have our purses full that night at least."
Desire of gain is their only motive principle.

At last the time came for poor Ricci to be exhibited. The flaming
announcement of _new actress_, _new play_, _La Innamorata da Vero_, drew
a full house. My piece was well received; but the Ricci was voted a
barely tolerable artiste. This pleased the other actresses of the troupe
and amused me, who had formed a very decided opinion of her real
ability. She next appeared as the Queen of England in the old play of
the _Conte d'Essex_. Poorly dressed, she raised no applause, although
she acted well; and her capital sentence seemed to be irrevocable.

About this time Sacchi asked me to translate a French play called
_Fajel_,[40] in which he proposed to give the part of Gabrielle to the
debutante Ricci. I remember that I scribbled off this version in the
small rooms of the theatre while my friends were acting; an earthen
pipkin with some ink in it and a dirty stump of a pen, supplied by the
green-room man, helped me through it in a few evenings.

Be