is generally to be found in other authors.
Nevertheless his comedies are monotonous, and we meet with the same
situations in them, because they contain so little variety of character.
His numerous pieces seem formed upon the general model of dramatic
works, and not copied from real life. The true character of Italian
gaiety is not satire, but imagination; not delineation of manners, but
poetical exaggeration. It is Ariosto, and not Moliere, who can amuse
Italy.

Gozzi, the rival of Goldoni, has more originality in his compositions;
they bear less resemblance to regular comedy. His determination was
liberally to indulge the Italian genius; to represent fairy tales, and
mingle buffoonery and harlequinade with the marvels of poetry; to
imitate nothing in nature, but to give free scope to the gay illusions
of fancy, to the chimeras of fairy magic, and to transport the mind by
every means beyond the boundaries of human action. He was crowned with
prodigious success in his time, and perhaps there never existed an
author more congenial to an Italian imagination; but to know with
certainty what degree of perfection Tragedy and Comedy can reach in
Italy, it should possess a theatrical establishment. The multitude of
little cities who all wish to have a theatre, lose, by dispersing them,
its dramatic resources: that division in states, in general so
favourable to liberty and happiness, is hurtful to Italy. She must needs
concentrate her light and power to resist the prejudices which are
devouring her. The authority of governments often represses individual
energy. In Italy this authority would be a benefit if it struggled
against the ignorance of separate states and of men isolated among them;
if it combated by emulation that indolence so natural to the climate;
and if, in a word, it gave life to the whole of this nation which now is
satisfied with a dream.

These ideas, and several others besides, were ingeniously developed by
Corinne. She well understood the rapid art of light conversation, which
does not dogmatically insist upon any thing, and also that pleasing
address which gives a consideration to each of the company in turn,
though she often indulged in that kind of talent which rendered her a
celebrated improvisatrice. Several times she intreated Prince
Castel-Forte to assist her with his opinion on the same subject; but she
spoke so well herself, that all the audience were delighted in listening
to her, and would not s