is required. In her gestures, particularly before she begins to recite, she
reminded me of the description given of the priestess of. Delphi. She walks
along the stage for four or five minutes in silent meditation on the
subject proposed, then suddenly stops, calls to the musicians to play a
certain symphony and then begins as if inspired. Among the different rhimes
in _osco_, a gentleman who sat next to me proposed to her _Cimosco_. I
asked him what _Cimosco_ he meant; he replied a Tuscan poet of that name.
For my part, I had never heard of any other of that name than the King
_Cimosco_ in the _Orlando Furioso_, who makes use of fire-arms; and Rosa
Taddei was, it appears, of my opinion, since this was the _Cimosco_ she
chose to characterise; and she made thereby a very neat and happy
comparison between the gun of Cimosco and the arrow of Cupid. This talent
of the _improvisatori_ is certainly wonderful, and one for which there is
no accounting. It appears peculiar to the Italian nation alone among the
moderns, but probably was in vogue among the ancient Greeks also. It is
certain that Rosa Taddei gives as fine thoughts as are to be met with in
most poets, and I am very much tempted to incline to Forsyth's opinion that
Homer himself was neither more nor less than an _improvisatore_, the Greek
language affording nearly as many poetic licences as the Italian, and the
faculty of heaping epithet on epithet being common in both languages.

The other genius in this wonderful art is Signer Sgricci. He is so far
superior to Rosa Taddei in being five or six years older, in being a very
good Latinist and hi _improvising_ whole tragedies on any subject, chosen
by the audience. When the subject is chosen, he develops his plan, fixes
his _dramatis personae_ and then strikes off in _versi sciolti_. He at
times introduces a chorus with lyric poetry. I was present one evening at
an _Accademia_ given by him in the Palazzo Chigi. The subject chosen was
_Sophonisba_ and it was wonderful the manner in which he varied his plot
from that of every other dramatic author on the same subject. He _acted_
the drama, as well as composed it, and pourtrayed the different characters
with the happiest effect. The ardent passion and impetuosity of Massinissa,
the studied calm philosophy and stoicism of Scipio, the romantic yet
dignified attachment of Sophonisba, and the plain soldierlike honorable
behaviour of Syphax were given in a very superior style. I