e too
famous part of Don Adone, had been assaulted by a ruffian one night,
going to or returning from the theatre. The fellow flung a huge bottle
of ink full in his face, with the object of spoiling his beauty.
Fortunately for Vitalba, the bottle, which was hurled with force enough
to smash his skull, hit him on the thickly-wadded collar of his coat. To
this circumstance he owed his escape from injury or death, designed by
the abominable malice of some unknown ill-wisher.

The peaceable character of this poor comedian, who lived retired and
economically, earning his bread upon the stage, and implicitly obeying
Sacchi's orders, was so well known that no one suspected the hand of a
private enemy. Suspicion fell not unnaturally upon Gratarol. For myself,
I may say with candour that I did not lend my mind to the gossip which
disturbed the town; but it is certain that this act of violence inflamed
Gratarol's political adversaries, and made them remorseless when he
applied for the ratification of his appointment to the embassy at
Naples.[82]

On my brother's return to Venice, I begged him to speak as warmly as he
could in Gratarol's behalf to the Procuratore Tron and his all-powerful
lady. Everybody knew that Gratarol was expecting a decree of the Senate
granting him some thousands of ducats for the expenses of his outfit; it
was also asserted that, having received the usual allowance for an
embassy to Turin, which he had not been able to employ upon that
mission, his enemies intended to make this a reason for cancelling his
appointment to Naples. I thought it therefore worth while to engage
Gasparo's influence with that noble couple for the benefit of my
would-be foe and rival in his present difficulty. What Gratarol may
think about my intervention, it is impossible for me to imagine. Not
improbably he will stigmatise it as an act of officious hypocrisy. Yet I
am certain that it was sincerely and cordially meant to serve him.

My brother punctually discharged his mission, and returned with a verbal
answer from the Procuratessa and her husband, to the effect that
"insuperable obstacles lay in the way of sending the Secretary to the
Court of Naples; Pietro Antonio Gratarol cannot and will not go; the
best course for him to take is to send in his resignation." That was the
ostensible pith of their reply; but the gist, if gist it was, lurked
from sight in a cloud of political and economical considerations,
anecdotes about Gra