LITERARY NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2197, 7 August 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITERARY NOTES.

[I'UOM 01 II OWN COKUKsTOXPENT.I Paris, June 19. Vnini largely contributed to the composition of the plots of his opera?, to the vutmsr of the libretto. Not only did he wli'ct the subjects, but ho traced the skeleton outlines, indicated the situations, and I'ou-tnu-ted the general plan. Piave was his ohief assistant, or, as the lawyers would say, devil. He gave much practical help in the production of Rigolette, Traviata, Simon Boccanogra, &c. He WiW at best but a poor poet. On the other hand, Piave was an able librettist?. Ho had also the useful quality that to completely efface himself by following all the indications and desires respecting- cutting down aud stretching out, as requested by Verdi " The master bo wished it " was his stereotyped reply to his friends. When disease reduced Pmvo to inaction "\ erdi allowed lam a pension, and took chat go of his little daughter when he died. The subject of Aid.i was imagined by the Egyptologist Vuniette Bey. Verdi at ouco approved of it, M. do Locle wrote the libretto in French prose under the eyes -md with tho aid of Verdi. It was Verdi who exclusively arranged the final ide i of tho last act with its two superposed scone, 1 * from his own Rigoletto. M. Ghislau/ou ranslatxl the proso into the Italian verse, which was subsequently retranslated into French verse to suit the music. Verdi refused to go to Cairo to see Aida brought out. His horror of sea- j sickness, equal to that of Rossini's, prevented him crossing- the Mediterranean. Once in his life he voyaged from Calais to Dover to visit Loßdon, but he took ao Hannibal oath never to commit such rashness again. Victor Hugo objected to his dramas being transformed into operas. It is thus the Ernani was so altered in title, character and details that he could not recognise his owu Hernani at all. In 1857 Rigoletto was brought out despite Hugo's legal opposition — the author's right of protest having lapsed. M. Pougin, in his life of Verdi, declines to form a judgment on the genius and character of the composer, because he is still living. At what moment does prosperity commence for an illustrious man ? Is it at his death ? Clearly not, because those who praised or those who abused him will be of their own opinion still. After what lapse of time does prosperity really become an infallible or a good judge ? Gluck is a cvse in point. After his death in 1787 he influenced composers, but his partisans and adversaries retained their opinion. Did prosperity commence when the public abandoned his compositions ? Does it begin now, when like Mozart, Berlioz, &c, t'lste favours his works — though few know how to piny: his music ? The success of an opera must bo estimated by the receipts of the theatre ; universal suffrage experience proves is no test of its value. This difficulty of judging lies in our not being able to distrust our personal impressions and preconceived ideas, even while allowing for the historical development of art. France took possession of Canada in 1525 — twenty-eight years after it was discovered by Sebastian Cabot. In 1763 phe surrendered tho whole territory to England. Voltaire alleged it represented only "a few acres of snow." To-day Quebec, which was founded by Chan. plain in IGOS, is the head of that Northern Pacific railway, which stretches to Vancouver's Island, a line which is the shortest route to China and Japan, which will be a reserved military route for troops to India, and a serious competitor with the Panama Canal, in light goods and passenger traffic for the East. Viscomte d'Avenel States, that in IG'29, a royal edict gave the monopoly of the commerce of Canada to a private company. But no taste existed for emigration. No one cared to go to Canada — "not even the humble labourers and beg£*ar«s." In 1(56!), Louis XIV, issued a decree, to pay the expenses of 500 emigrants to Canada. In the same year, 1.30 girls Mere sent there from Paris, and who were bound to marry on landing. Colbert however wiote pi ivately to the Governor of Toulon, to take care and not allow so many peisons to quit tho kingdom for the iuture. A subsequent decree allotted j pensions, varying tiom ,300 to 400 fr, to : every Canadian settler having ten or ! twelve children living, but who were l[ neither priests, monks nor nuns, and 25 ! fr. was th^ pension accorded to every man who mairied at twenty years of age. In Ib'u'b', the population of Canada was 3,418 inhabitants ; in 1 COO, the number was r>,S7<», rcpicsenting 1,120 families — an augmentation that won a wars eulogium fiO'n Colbert. Today, the population of Canada piopcr, that is the piovinces of Ohtaiio and Quebec, is about 3!r millions. M. Carton lays down, that if woman possess in a lesser degree the gift of personal originality than man, on the other hand bhe is endowed in a superior degree with the gift of assimilation. Hence why her writings are almost always the most sincere reflection of the tastes, the common characteristics and the literary tendencies of the best minds of her timo. It may truly be concluded, that female literature is the history of the art and tho dominant tendencies of the periods in which woman had moved. The literary role of women in France, commences with the middle ages, although it is generally believed women then received almost no education at all. The extent of their knowledge was viewed as limited to a few medical prescriptions, and thec-ires of house- keeping. However, theie ib authentic evidence to .show, that from the eighth century there was a fair number of women— those naturally belonging to the higher classes, who devoted a considerable portion of their youth to studies. They acquired Latin in the convents, and learned to sing, to play the organ, and the harp. Now-a-days the piano replaces the two latter instruments — not as an article of household furniture, but as a lady-like accomplishment. The Duohesse de Septiraanie, who died in 812, composed a Manual of Conduct, being the counsels of a mother tv her son. It was of course written in Latin, then the only language iv vogue. Sin\;e there has been a rich harvest of authoressc, Tho Marchioness de Rambouillet, who it may not be generally known never wrote a book, united in her salons the most learned ladies of her tune. Thty weic not afc all "blue stockings ;" and to bo received at the R.imbouillot Hotel, was viewed as a diploma of honour, intelligence and moial piuity. That elite of intellect however went on so refining manners as to leave themselves open to tho shafts ot lidicu'e. VI. Carton believes the solid development at pre-cnt being given in ((.lieges and lyceums to the lamd of women must augment the number of feminine wiiters. Le Brun siid to ladies: — "Inspire, but don't wiitc/' Angra Paquena, which means in Portugese " little boy," .situated on the west coast of Atricu., may be considered as the " first take "of Germany for her colonial expansion. Dr. Canolle has lecently visited the region, and on the first French gnu-boat that has so debarked since oO years. He states that the country was little known, save as a guano district, till I lon- Ludcritz, on the invitation of some German uiissionaiio, founded there a commercial depot. It is a country ab-o'utely deserted— -without | water and devoid of life. j The Bay of Angra is five miles long, I but is only navigable for half that distance. Tre supply of drinking water nover very great — 1« now le-s. To secure some M. Luderit/ has to send a distance '• of twenty miles in the iateiior. It takes ox<'» h'vo da} s to accomplish the journey ; and tho cattle miht remain without dunking till they leliun. When they arrive hoim they become so fuiious tv reach the wells that it is impossible to unyokv them. Luderitz finds it cheaper to import diiniung water from the Cape at a post of o'Js per ton. It rarely rains j

'it Any ia, but the dews are heavy and the ro^ lull of humidity. A compared with the Gaboon the climate 19 health itself. The region of the interior produces cattle, ostrich feathers, ivory and skins, which the Germans purchase in exchange for common household European goods. No alcohol is sold to the natives. The latter Vesemble other negroes, save, that the muscles of the women are encased in enormous masses or natural fat. The huts are built with the bot.es of the seals, and the floor is covered with skins of various animals. By a sardine-box-plan ot packing, a hut which is built only for three persons, accomodates twelve. An agriculturist has been brought from Germany to instruct the people in the culture of the soil; he Jus commenced by sinking attesian wells. The doctor, who is a Frenchman, believes there is an excellent future for the Germans in their new colony, which is hxirly rich in mineral wealth, iron and copper especially. Children of European parents if born there, can also ba reared. Climate for a colony is almost everything, and the most powerful stimulant to tenacity. He does not believe in connecting Angra with the Congo, the distance, l.") 70 miles, being devoid of water, and full of obstacles. Nor can any great resources be expected from agriculture, owing to the wiuds and natural drought. By planting cypress trees as a protection, they would afford shelter for kitchen gardening. Germany could convert Angra into a coaling and victualling station for her navy ; it could be protected at a little expenditure. After the revocation of the Edict of ; Nantes, quite a colony of the Hugnenoti settled down in Brandebourg, and formed, till fifty years ago, quite a French colony in Berlin. Prussia was only too happy to receive, like other countries, the refugees, who represented the cream of the commercial and industrial intellect of France. The welcome made to the banished by the Royal Family of Prussia is one of the bi'ightest pages in the history of Fredericks. At present this French element is completely blended with the rest of the population, and can only be traced in a few remnants of traditions. The absorption has been slow, for the exiles being Celts had all the tenacity of that race, plus the severity of their own Calvinism. Up to 1813, the descendants of the French Pilgrim Fathers could be distinguished in the streets of Berlin by their small stature, brown eyes, quick and nervous movements—clearly indicative of their Provencal origin. At that epoch ' too, several families in Berlin spoke French as in the days of Louis XIV., | displaying that talent of conversation — half grave, half serious, which we call mnsrric. But similarly as in Canada and Louisiana, the French colony has been | absorbed in the nation by whbh it is surrounded. Several descendants of the Huguenots have inherited the special gift of their family, as the Ancillon, the Naude, the Achard, the Erman, &c, in the departments of theology, philosophy, the physical and mathematical sciences, Singular coincidence ; the conqueror of France in 1870-71, Kaiser William himself, has Huguenot blood in his veins. Louise, daughter of Coligny, was the fourth wife of William of Orange, and grandmother of the firbt wife of the Grand Elector, Louise Henrietta. The latter' s son was the first If ing of Prussia. Bcilin is not a pretty city, but its inhabitants love it not the less, as a mother doats most on a malformed child. Before the war nf 1870-71 made Germany an Empire, Berlin the Empire city on the Spree, was only viewed as the capital of Prussia. O^her cities were capitals and centres of attraction previous to 1866, as Hanover, Dresden, Darmstadt and Carlsruhe; now these have to hide their diminished heads, in presence of Berlin ; hence their hatred, their antipathy to that city, which has reduced them to inferiority, and cut out their traditions. Bismarck himself is suspected of sympathioing a little with these views ; at least he only resides in Berlin only during the timo necessary to govern Germany — and a little the rest of Europe also, after which he is as eager to decamp as a boarder for school vacation. i Signor Verpucci, of Turin, has just revisited Germany after an absence of twenty years. He finds Berlin so changed, as to be absolutely a new city ; Baron Haussmann's spirit has passed there ; new streets have been made, old ones improved, light, air, and cleanliness everywhere. True, its streets want animation ; all is us peaceful and as grave- as in the days of Frederick 11. In travelling through Germany, "We do not like Berlin !" is a household word. ''See Rome and Naples and then die;" " all good Americans go to Paris after death, 1 ' are proverbs. People will save up money to visit London, Paris, Rome, &c, the capitals of their native land ; but no such idea ever comes into the head of a provincial German respecting 1 Berlin. The vivacity of Paris cannot be expected certainly in Berlin ; the vivacita pangi, is a flower which will not bear transplanting. Happily the Berliners themselves are proud of their city, and believe their provincial fellow countrymen do not possess a tithe of their natural gifts, This affectation of superiority, is more highly resented in the case of Berlin, especially by the eclipsed rivals, than is generally done by provincials against the head centres.