LONDON
SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE
1883
TO
HORACE SMITH,
WHO, THOUGH HE SUPPRESSES THE PASTORALS WHICH HE WROTE
IN HIS YOUTH,
WILL RETAIN AS LONG AS HE LIVES,
A HEART OPEN TO EVERY NATURAL AND NOBLE IMPRESSION,
THESE PAGES,
WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE, BUT CONFIDING IN HIS INDULGENCE,
ARE INSCRIBED,
BY HIS EVER GRATEFUL AND AFFECTIONATE FRIEND,
LEIGH HUNT.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| CHRISTMAS AND ITALY: or, A Prefatory Essay, showing the Extreme Fitness of this Book for the Season | [1] |
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| INTRODUCTORY. | |
| A BLUE JAR FROM SICILY, AND A BRASS JAR FROM THE “ARABIAN NIGHTS;” AND WHAT CAME OUT OF EACH | [25] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| SICILY, AND ITS MYTHOLOGY. | |
| ISLAND OF SICILY, AND MOUNT ÆTNA.—STORIES OF TYPHŒUS, POLYPHEMUS, SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS, GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA,ALPHEUS AND ARETHUSA, THE SIRENS, AND THE RAPE OF PROSERPINE | [34] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| GLANCES AT ANCIENT SICILIAN HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. | |
| VICISSITUDES OF SICILIAN GOVERNMENT.—GLANCES AT PHALARIS, STESICHORUS, EMPEDOCLES, HIERO I., SIMONIDES, EPICHARMUS,DIONYSIUS I., DAMON AND PYTHIAS, DAMOCLES, DIONYSIUS II., DION, PLATO, AGATHOCLES, HANNIBAL, HIERO II., THEOCRITUS,ARCHIMEDES, MARCELLUS, VERRES; AND PARTICULARS RELATING TO GELLIAS | [58] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| THEOCRITUS. | |
| PASTORAL POETRY.—SPECIMENS OF THE STRENGTH AND COMIC HUMOUR OF THEOCRITUS.—THE PRIZE-FIGHT BETWEEN POLLUXAND AMYCUS.—THE SYRACUSAN GOSSIPS | [71] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| THEOCRITUS.—(Concluded.) | |
| SPECIMENS OF THE PATHOS AND PASTORAL OF THEOCRITUS.—THE CYCLOPS IN LOVE.—POETICAL FEELING AMONG UNEDUCATEDCLASSES IN THE SOUTH.—PASSAGES FROM THEOCRITUS’S FIRST IDYLL.—HIS VERSIFICATION AND MUSIC.—PASTORAL OF BION AND MOSCHUS | [88] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| NORMAN TIMES—LEGEND OF KING ROBERT. | |
| HOW KING ROBERT OF SICILY WAS DISPOSSESSED OF HIS THRONE; AND WHO SAT UPON IT.—HIS WRATH, SUFFERINGS, AND REPENTANCE | [107] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| ITALIAN AND ENGLISH PASTORAL. | |
| TASSO’S ERMINIA AMONG THE SHEPHERDS, AND ODE ON THE GOLDEN AGE.—GUARINI’S RETURN OF SPRING.—SHEPHERD’S VISION OFTHE HUNDRED MAIDENS IN SPENSER.—“SAD SHEPHERD” OF BEN JONSON | [123] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| ENGLISH PASTORAL—(Continued); AND SCOTCH PASTORAL. | |
| FLETCHER’S “FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS.”—PROBABLE REASON OF ITS NON-SUCCESS.—“COMUS” AND “LYCIDAS.”—DR. JOHNSON’S“WORLD.”—BURNS AND ALLAN RAMSAY | [147] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| ENGLISH PASTORAL.—(Concluded.) | |
| PASTORALS OF WILLIAM BROWNE.—PASTORAL MEN: CERVANTES, BOCCACCIO, CHAUCER, COWLEY, THOMSON, SHENSTONE, ETC. | [162] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| RETURN TO SICILY AND MOUNT ÆTNA. | |
| SUBJECT OF MOUNT ÆTNA RESUMED:—ITS BEAUTIES—ITS HORRORS—REASON WHY PEOPLE ENDURE THEM.—LOVE-STORY OF AN EARTHQUAKE | [177] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| BEES. | |
| THE BEAUTIFUL NEVER TO BE THANKED TOO MUCH, OR TO BE SUFFICIENTLY EXPRESSED.—BEES AND THEIR ELEGANCE.—THEIRADVICE TO AN ITALIAN POET.—WAXEN TAPERS.—A BEE DRAMA.—MASSACRES OF DRONES.—HUMAN PROGRESSION | [198] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| MISCELLANEOUS FEELINGS RESPECTING SICILY, ITS MUSIC, ITS RELIGION, AND ITS MODERN POETRY. | |
| DANTE’S EVENING.—AVE MARIA OF BYRON.—THE SICILIAN VESPERS.—NOTHING “INFERNAL” IN NATURE.—SICILIAN MARINER’SHYMN.—INVOCATION FROM COLERIDGE.—PAGAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC WORSHIP.—LATIN AND ITALIAN COUPLET.—WINTER’S“RATTO DI PROSERPINA.”—A HINT ON ITALIAN AIRS.—BELLINI, MELI, THE MODERN THEOCRITUS | [211] |
OVERFLOWINGS OF THE JAR.
| PAGE | |
| THE JOURNEY TO THE FEAST (FROM THEOCRITUS) | [237] |
| ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF BION (FROM MOSCHUS) | [243] |
| THE SHIP OF HIERO | [248] |
| SERENADES IN SICILY AND NAPLES | [250] |
| SICILIAN BANDITTI IN THE YEAR 1770 | [255] |
| GOOD-NATURED HOSPITALITY, AND FACETIOUS IGNORANT OLD GENTLEMAN | [260] |
| OF HIGHER SOCIETY | [261] |
| POETICAL TURN OF THE SICILIANS | [263] |
| A MEETING OF ENGLISH AND SICILIAN DISHES ON CHRISTMAS-DAY | [265] |