I have seen, at the Theatre of San Carlo, the Don Giovanni of Mozart; but
certainly, after being accustomed to the extreme vivacity of Rossini's
style, the music, even of the divine Mozart, appears to go off heavily.
There is too much of what the French call musique de fanfares in the
opera of Don Giovanni and I believe most of the Italians are of my way of
thinking.
We have just heard of the death of the poor Princess Charlotte. I am no
great admirer of Kings and Queens; and yet I must own, I could not help
feeling regret for the death of this princess. I had formed a very high
opinion of her, from many traits in her character; and I fancied and hoped
that she was destined to redeem England from the degradation and bad odour
into which she had been plunged by the borough-mongers and bureaucrats,
engendered by the Pitt system. She had liberal ideas and an independent
spirit. I really almost caught myself shedding tears at this event, and had
she been buried here, I should have gone to scatter flowers upon her tomb:
His saltem accumulem donis, et fungar inani
Munere.[108]
Has no royalist or ministerial poet been found to do hommage to her
manes? Had she lived to be Queen of England she would have found a
thousand venal pens to give her every virtue under heaven.
