"This harmless drama, which hath won the grace
Of your most generous and kind applause,
Large-hearted men of Venice, at the prayers,
Repeated prayers, and not without effect,
Of him who wrote it, now has been withdrawn.
He knows not by what accidents or how,
The various characters, the actors too,
In this plain piece of stage-work, which he took
From an old Spaniard, Tirso da Molina,
Adapting it to our Italian taste,
Have lent themselves to satire, falsely felt,
On living persons whom the author loves.
Scandal, malignant rumours, which abuse
His frank and candid pen, incapable
Of setting snares for names whom all respect,
Have moved him to implore that from to-night
_Le Droghe d'Amore_ shall no longer run:
He meant it for amusement, not offence.
Warm thanks, dictated by his heart, he yields
To you, choice courteous public, who have deigned
To greet so poor a play with your applause;
And promises new works on other themes; and swears
That his sole object is to furnish sport
To you, dear countrymen, and keep your friend."
"Well, well!" cried Gratarol, rising from his chair with a contortion of
impatience: "all that is nothing but mere water, water, water! I
solemnly reject your prologue and your plan.[69] My cogent
reasoning upon the merits of the case has proved that you can and must
stop the play." On my replying again and again that I was impotent to do
so, his brows darkened, and he muttered with eyes wandering all round
the room: "I warn you, sir, that if the play comes on the stage
to-morrow evening, I shall not value my own life at a brass farthing.
Yes, yes, I mean what I am saying; I shall not care for my existence."
[Illustration: GRATAROL'S INTERVIEW WITH GOZZI
_Original Etching by Ad. Lalauze_]
The excellent Maffei was sitting all this while in a state of the
greatest discomfort and distress. Seeing how pale and wretched he was, I
rose to my feet, and addressed Gratarol in these words: "Sir, I do not
wish you to part from me under the impression that I am not your friend.
All I can undertake is to use my influence by prayers and entreaties to
prevent the performance of my comedy. This I promise to do. But I cannot
engage to succeed, for I am not the master in this matter. You shall
have a full and punctual report of my endeavours. Pray kiss me as a sign
that we do not part in enmity." The kiss was exchanged; and what I shall
have to relate shortly will enable my readers to judge which of us two
gave the kiss of Judas.