an look as coldly on, as a statue!"

It is now nearly fourteen years, since I arrived in the United States of
North America; and were I, here, relating the wrongs, and injustice I
received from the hands of several americans--Mr. Headly, though I have
not the honor of his acquaintance, as I think him a gentleman, and a man
of feeling, in spite of his "Italy and the Italians," were he using the
same style in blaming his countrymen as he blames mine, Mr. Headley, I
say, would execrate all the americans! But, stop, my dear sir, I would say
to him; you ought not to execrate them all, because I had the misfortune
of having fallen among a few american rogues. If I met individuals, whom
Petrarca would call _gente cui si fa notte innanzi sera_, I have
nevertheless a high respect still, for the whole nation: and although in
this christian old, and new world it is difficult, very difficult to find
a friend, not only I have a friend in America; but, I know many whom,
though not my friends, I respect and esteem; and could I know the many
virtuous, who generally, and unfortunately, are always the most retired, I
am sure to find such a number in America--sufficient to shame those, who
spoke badly of the whole nation, from which they cannot deny a Franklin
received his birth. Still, Mr. Headley, who cannot ignore the many
virtuous italians, who accelerated the civilization of the two
hemispheres; and the last, though useless efforts made by italians for the
rights of a suffering plurality; Mr. Headly, I say, proceeds his foregoing
lines with the following: "How such things weaken one's faith in man, and
make him scorn his own nature, that is capable of such stone-like
indifference to human suffering! These italians, as a mass, I do not like.
They are exceedingly civil, but heartless--frank in manners, but capable
of great duplicity in action--fiery-hearted, but not steadily brave, and
selfish to any amount of meanness. In a word, you cannot trust them." But,
let us come to the point.

Genoa is a haven where the fourth of the population are strangers; and
those who go to the italian opera, are strangers. Without mistake we can
calculate that, in that theatre, more than the half of spectators must
have been strangers. Mr. Headly says in his pamphlet, that Clara Novello
was an english woman; and he does not know if the man who placed his hands
on the patient, was an italian or not. But, were such a man an italian, he
can no more disgrace