Whenever I appeared, they broke into
exclamations of delight, and let the whole world know that I was the
propitious planet of their resurrection. They professed themselves
indebted to me for benefits which could not be repaid, except by an
eternal gratitude.

XL.

_The actors and actresses of Italy in general, considered with regard to
their profession, their characters, and their manners; written from the
point of view of a philosophical observer._

Among all sorts and conditions of human beings who offer themselves to a
philosophical observer, none are so difficult to know in their real
nature as actors and actresses.

Educated in deception from the cradle, they learn the art of masking
falsehood with an air of candour so completely, that it requires great
gifts of penetration to arrive at their true heart and character.
Journeyings from place to place, affairs of business, accidents of all
sorts, experience of common life, examples furnished by their commerce
with the world, the constant exercise of wit and intellect in rivalry,
wake their brains up, and subtilise their comedians' nature.

In another chapter I intend to paint a special picture of Sacchi's
company, with whom I fraternised, and whom I helped for about a quarter
of a century. At present I shall confine my remarks to Italian players
in general, who are, I think, in no essential points of moral quality
different from those of other nations.

It may be laid down as an axiom, to be accepted with closed eyes, that
the chief idol of all actors is their venal interest. Expressions of
politeness, acknowledgments of obligation, terms of praise, humanity,
sympathy, courteous welcome, and so forth, have no value among actors,
except as parts of a fixed system of deception which they consider
necessary in the worship of this idol. If that idol of pecuniary
interest is attacked (with justice it may be and the best reasons), you
will not find in them a shadow of these fine sentiments. The merest
scent of coming profit makes them disregard and blindly sacrifice the
persons who have done them good; the reputation of the whole world is as
nothing to them then; they take no thought of the damage they may have
to suffer in the future, blinded by greediness, lulled into security for
the time being, and hoping to avoid impending disasters by address and
ingenuity. The present moment is all that actors think of.

Hot and choleric temperaments reveal their t