recollection of various French
tragedies. On the other hand, he was almost entirely ignorant of the
rules of tragic art, and understood his own language most imperfectly.
The whole was enveloped in a thick covering of presumption, or rather
petulance, and a violence of character so great as to render it most
difficult for him to appreciate truth. He considers these elements
better adapted for forming a bad monarch than a good author.

He began by studying grammar vigorously; and his first attempt was to
put into Italian two tragedies, entitled _Filippo_ and _Polinice_, which
he had some time before written in French prose. At the same time he
read Tasso, Ariosto, Dante, and Petrarch, making notes as he proceeded,
and occupying a year in the task. He then commenced reading Latin with a
tutor; and shortly afterwards went to Tuscany in order to acquire a
really good Italian idiom. He returned to Turin in October, 1776, and
there composed several sonnets, having in the meantime made considerable
progress with several of his tragedies. The next year he again went to
Tuscany, and on reaching Florence in October, intending to remain there
a month, an event occurred which--to use his own words--"fixed and
enchained me there for many years; an event which, happily for me,
determined me to expatriate myself for ever, and which by fastening upon
me new, self-sought, and golden chains, enabled me to acquire that real
literary freedom, without which I should never have done any good, if so
be that I _have_ done good."

Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, was at that time residing in
Florence, in company with his wife, the Countess of Albany, whose maiden
name was Louisa Stolberg, of the princely house of that name. The
following is Alfieri's description of her:--

"The sweet fire of her very dark eyes, added (a thing of rare
occurrence) to a very white skin and fair hair, gave an irresistible
brilliancy to her beauty. She was twenty-five years of age, was much
attached to literature and the fine arts, had an angelic temper, and, in
spite of her wealth, was in the most painful domestic circumstances, so
that she could not be as happy as she deserved. How many reasons for
loving her!"

Her husband appears to have been of a most violent and ungovernable
temper, and to have always treated her in the harshest manner.--No
wonder, then, that an impassioned and susceptible nature like Alfieri's
should have been attracted by such charm