continue to write, awakened his paffion for poetry, which he had flattered himself was wholly fubdued. He now began to feel, that by the narrow and contracted study of the law, his genius could never expand in his own original ideas, but would be conflantly tied down to thofe of others. His reflections upon the fordidncfs of facrificing his whole life to a diftafteful bufinefs, for the mere hope of acquiring wealth (as he afterwards confeffed to his confidential friends), joined to the harsh treatment of the old advocate, which became more intolerable in proportion as the affiduity of Metaftafio diminished, entirely determined him to quit both him and his profeffion. "His female friend perceived the conflict and internal war; and in order to ftimulate his courage and refolution, fhe and her husband invited him in the most preffing manner to refide under the fame roof, and affured him that they would contribute every thing in their power, to render his life as eafy and comfortable as poffible. He remained feveral months in a state of uncertainty; but at length determined to accept their offer, to return to poetry, and to enjoy the pleafures of fociety in full liberty. Yet he did not feem infenfible of the apparent indecorum and want of fortitude which he manifefted in quitting, with fuch feeming levity, the purfuit of ftudies which had been recommended to him by his deceafed patron; nor was he quite at his eafe on the fide of delicacy, as to appearances; the obligations to the Bulgarini, under which he was loading himfelf, frequently oppreffed his mind. And yet fo limited is our power of penetrating into future events, that the meafures which he now purfued, far from impeding either his fame or fortune, were the foundations of all his fubfequent celebrity." "Sig. Saverio Mattei relates a curious anecdote which he had from the prince's Belmonte, concerning the power of our young author's extemporaneous poetry, during his refidence at Naples, after the deceafe of Gravina. The poet having a lawfuit on his hands, for part of the poffeffions bequeathea to him in that kingdom by the civilian, applied to this princefs for her intereft with the judge (an iniquitous practice in almoft every country but England), and fhe told him, if he would first make, her miftrefs of the fubject, by pleading his own caufe himself, all improvista, and convince her that juftice was on his fide, fhe would ufe her utmoft influence in his favour. He at first excufed himfelf, on account of want of practice, in a faculty which he had difcontinued for many years. But the prince's perfifting in her wifh, as the only condition on which the fhould intereft herfelf in the bulinefs, he at length begun; and pleaded his caufe iu a fong, with fuch lively and infinuating expreffions, that he foon drew tears from his patronefs. while he was in the act of incantátion, other company came in, who were equally affected by his enchantments. The next day. princefs Belmonte applied to the judge, begged, prayed, and related, not only the merits of the caufe, but the extraordinary talents of her client; intreating him to be prefent at a fimilar exhibition. A day being fixed, and Metaftafio defired to repeat his pleadings to a new audience in the princefs's palace, he confented; and without repeating a fingle verfe of what he had fung before, fuch were the fire, And elegance, elegance, and touching enthufiafm "We will fuppofe from the inrate probity and honour of Metaftafio, that he had juftice as well as poetry on his fide; but when eloquence, or a firen voice, is employed to confound right and wrong, facts, which fhould alone determine legal right, are fo concealed, difguifed, and perverted, that juftice, which fhould be not only blind but deaf to all but facts, is totally banifhed the court. "The Bulgarini was engaged to fing in the theatre of Naples, during the carnival of 1724; and being very ambitious of appearing to as much advantage in the next opera as he had done in that for the birth-day of the emprefs, fhe preffed the poet to write a drama, in which, as first woman, fuch a character might fall to her fhare, as would give her an opportunity of difplaying all her powers, both as an actress and finger. It is eafy to imagine with what zeal the abate went to work, in order to gratify her wish. After many heroines had paffed in review, Dido was at length chofen, and the drama entitled Didone Abbandonata produced; in which he chofe the period of the hero, Æneas, quitting the Carthaginian queen; as it furnished fcenes of the greatest force and paffion, as well as more expreffion for his pen, and more abundant opportunities for the difplay of the Romanina's abilities, than any other. This was the first perfect mufical drama, perhaps, that ever graced the Italian ftage. The applaufe it obtained, was equal to that of the Orti Efperidi; and though the story was fo well known, that no effects could be produced by furprise, yea the pleasure of the audience wa exceffive. The different editions circulated in a fhort time, were inof the refurrection of their drama, numerable; and the Italians, proud began to challenge all the rest of Europe, where their theatrical productions were thought fuperior, to fhew any one, originally written for mufic, equally perfect." "Didone, which had produced of two hundred ducats, was thought our poet, at Naples, another fum to him, than the conftant increase a much less confiderable advantage Romanina; who is faid to have exof the regard and affection of the ulted extremely, as well as her hus, band, in the fagacity with which they had made choice of fo dear and valuable a guest." fulfilled all her theatrical engage"In 1727, the Romanina having ments at Naples and elsewhere, prepared to return to Rome, yet declared at the fame time, that the would never fee her native city again, unless in the company of her dear friend. He remained for a while irrefolute; but, at length, the warm affection he retained for the place of his nativity, in spite of the neglect and disappointment which had heightened perhaps by his regard driven him thence, for the Bulgarini, and fortified by the defire of feeing his father, and the rest of his family, determined him to quit Naples, in company with his benefactrice; but not before he had obtained a promise from her, that, in return for the hofpitality which he had received under her roof at Naples, fhe and guefts, at Rome. To this propoher family fhould become his fition all parties having acceded, he wrote to his agents, to provide a houfe fufficient for the two fami lies of Trapaffi and Bulgarini. And from the time of his arrival in that city, till his departure for Germany, they all lived under the fame roof, and conftituted one family. The Romanina, as more rich, and accuftomed to the management of a family, was invefted with the fuperintendance of all household concerns; the reft had nothing to do, but to attend their own purfuits; while Metaftafio received vifits, wrote verses, improved his circumftances, and encreased his celebrity. "The firft drama which he produced, exprefsly for Rome, was Catone in Utica, which was fet by Vinci, and performed in that city, 1728, and in 1729, at Venice, to the mufic of Leo. He chose the fubject purposely to please the Romans, fuppofing that he fhould gain both applaufe and gratitude, by difplaying the virtue of one of their own heroes. But as it feldom happens that a prophet or a poet (which in ancient times were united in the fame perfon) receives due honour in his own country, particularly at Rome, which is proverbially called the refidence of ftrangers; in fpite of the excellence of this drama, which abounds with fublime, as well as tender fentiments and delineations, of the paffions of glory, ambition, anger, and love; and in which the conduct was natural, and catastrophe happy, it was inftantly attacked by the fatirical genius of the Romans, and the performance fufpended. The frivolous fcenes, and feeble poetry to which they had been long accustomed, had corrupted the tafte of the Roman public in general; and except a few learned men, lefs invidious than the reft, who, if they knew of no modern Cato, had read, at leaft, about the ancient, this piece was at firft very coldly 1796. received; though afterwards, when their minds and taftes were enlightened and refined by other original and beautiful works of our author, this drama was treated with more juftice. "The next opera which our author produced, was Ezio, fet by Porpora, in 1728, and Semiramide Riconofciuta, fet by the fame compofer, 1729; but though both these dramas were received in the most favorable maimer, and the praises beftowed upon the poet were unbounded, his fortune was not greatly improved by their fuccefs. Poetry has more frequently enriched the bookfeller, than the author, in every country; but at Rome, it is a drug of lefs value, even to the bookfeller, than elfewhere; and Metaftafio's mufe, however chaste, was but little better treated for not being meretricious. If Metaftafio had been a mere pfalmodift, or hymnologift, his monkih rhymes might have obtained him fome ecclefiaftical preferment; but the poetry which he produced on pagan and fecular subjects, precluded him from every avenue to the church. He was, however, far from neceflitous, and with the affiftance of the Romanina, whose purfe was always at his fervice, his fortune and fituation were tolerably eafy. But the being fometimes obliged to avail himfelf of the liberality of his generous friend, was a circumftance which humbled and mortified him beyond any other. He could not bear to reflect on being a burthen to her for whom chiefly he wished to be rich, not only to exempt her from the expences which the incurred on his account, but to manifeft his gratitude for the benefits she had already conferred on him. "His amiable friend tried every B means means in her power, to fet his mind which will be fixed and invariable. at eafe, concerning his obligations Sig. Apoftolo Zeno defires no to her: affuring him that he had ' other colleague than yourself, not contributed much more to her pro knowing at prefent any one so fit feffional fame than it had been into ferve fuch an enlightened moher power to do to his fortune; narch. Upon your answer and that he was in fuch circumstances requifition, will depend the reas rendered the fmall friendly of-mitting a fum of money necessary fices which he had been able to per- to defray the expences of your form, more a pleasure than an in- journey. I am happy in this opconvenience; and preffed him, inportunity of manifefting, with the most urgent manner, to tranquilize his mind on that account, and to believe (which the affured him was the truth) that he was doing her the greateft favour when he afforded her an opportunity of dividing with him her poffeffions. "The afflicted poet drew fome comfort from thefe declarations, but it was of fhort duration. He was perpetually convinced of the ingratitude of his pretended Roman friends, and the duplicity of his protectors; and having nourished in his foul an ardent paflion for general esteem, refpect, and admiration, his narrow circumftances threw him into fo profound a fit of melancholy, that he became, incapable of receiving confolation. "Such was his ftate of defpondency, when, to his great aftonifhment, he received the following letter from prince Pio of Savoy, infpector of the imperial theatre at Vienna. LETTER I. YOUR dramas and other poetical compofitions, which have acquired you fuch univerfal applaufe, have been fo far approved by his ⚫ imperial majesty, that he is defirous to engage you in his fervice, on fuch conditions as fhall feem 'most worthy of your acceptance. It will be therefore neceflary for 'you to mention, in your anfwer, fome fpecific annual appointment, how much efteem and zeal, I am your • vant, · fincere and affectionate fer Luigi Principe Pio di Savoja. Vienna, Aug. 31, 1729.' "Metaftafio was infinitely more furprised and flattered, by this unfolicited and fplendid offer, from finding himfelf recommended to the emperor's notice, by the celebrated and learned Apoftolo Zeno, who was himfelf at this time laureate to the emperor Charles VI. a prince, who had long fupported his Lyric theatre with the greatest magnificence, Zeno had enjoyed his office in this court, from the year 1718, where his chief employment confifted in furnishing dramas for mufic, which had long been juftly thought the best of which the Italian language could boaft. "And yet the offer of this employment to Metaftafio, however dazzling, was not long productive of joy without deduction. The quitting Rome, for which he had always a filial fondness, as well as leaving his family, friends, and perhaps, more than all, the Romanina, impreffed his mind with a forrowful allay to his happiness. But he was too well read in his friend Horace not to know that Nihil eft ab omni Parte beatum. "Upon confulting with his family, they inftantly conceived fuch • ufual allowance to the poets who have been in the fervice of the ' court of Vienna, and that which Sig. Apoft. Zeno receives at pre magnificent hopes of his future ag-fumption. It is faid, that the grandizement, as contributed much to their confolation at lofing him; and the Romanina was fo generous and difinterested, in fpite of fecret affliction, as to use her utmost elofent, is four thousand florins per quence in removing his doubts, and diminishing the caufes of his repugmance, at quitting Rome and his friends. "After many confultations, and difcufions, of the feveral arguments amical and inimical to the accep tance of the unexpected propofition from Vienna, the following is the anfwer which he fent, and which contains fo many characteristic traits of modefty, propriety, and annum: fo that, regulating my expectations by former ufage, 1 'fhail confine them within the fame • limits; humbly requesting it may be remembered, that in quitting my country, I am obliged to leave a fufficiency, for the maintenance of an aged and helpless father, and 'for others of my numerous relations, who have no fupport, but the fruits arifing, in Italy, from my feeble talents; I must live in delicacy, that it deferves to be pre-the most splendid court of Europe, served, as a model of conduct under fimilar circumstances. LETTER II. TO PRINCE PÍO OF SAVOY. THE hafte with which I am ob liged to anfwer the letter, that your in fuch a manner as will not difgrace the monarch whom I shall have the honour to ferve; and laftly, weighing the poffibility that my abilities may fall fhort of expectation, and be inferior to the talk with which I fhall be ho excellence has deigned to write tonoured, I fhall live in perpetual me, will not allow time fufficient for my recovery from the furprise which the unexpected honour of his imperial majefty's commands muft neceffarily have produced; an honour to which I had never • dared aspire, even in my vaineft ⚫ moments. The doubt of my ⚫ flender abilities, would make me accept with extreme timidity the 'glory of fervin his majefty, if his own moft animating and au-. 'gust approbation, had not depriv terrors of impending poverty, and paternal wants. I have thus ventured to comply with your excellency's injunctions; but beg that my franknefs may be regarded as an act of obedience; and whatever my circumftances may be, I fhall, with the utmost ala crity, execute thofe orders which it fhall please my auguft patron to enjoin me. I am fully fenfible how much is due to the incomparable fignor Ap. Zeno ; therto protected my writings, thus generoully honours me with his beneficent recommendation, for ' which I fhall retain the moft lively gratitude, to the end of my existence. ed me of the liberty of felf-diffi-who, not content with having hidence. I fhali therefore only wait ⚫ for your excellency's orders, which ⚫ will be executed as foon as re'ceived. Your excellence has repeatedly prefcribed to me in your ⚫ letter, to mention my wifh, as to an annual appointment. This law weakens my repugnance, and • will be an excufe for my pre 'I have the honour to be, &c. Rome, Sept. 19, 1729.' B & The |