THE DANTE CELEBRATIONS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Those who took some part in the tributes rendered to Dante in the earlier part of the year, which have been renewed in the Press during the recent Dante celebrations in Italy, may like to know of the whole-hearted gratification felt and ex- peessed by Italians at this homage to their immortal poet. A distinguished writer has declared that while the whole world united (how that word strikes on the ear as new and blessed!) in a single hymn of praise, yet the homage of England is what touches the Italian heart most deeply, and the reason he gives for this is suggestive and original. England, he says, is the mother country of Shakespeare, the only one of modern poets who can stand beside Dante, " so that the present effusion of the English people seems to us like a fraternal embrace, free from jealousy, between the two giants of poetic might." For the rest, the strongly "Risorgimento" character of the English Dante festivities could not but wake an echo from Alps to sea. Did not our hearts burn within us as we heard Sir George Prothero tell how the Eton boys nearly wrung off Garibaldi's hand when his carriage halted before their famous school? What had this to do with Dante? It had a great deal to do with Dante.
" Inestinguibile era la sua speranza nee sorgere di una nova Roma . . . the sarebbe destinata a diventare la Rome degli Italiani, it punto da cui irradierebbero la Ince a it genie del popola d'Italia; net risorgimento di questa, egli credeva con un sentimento piu assoluto della fade perche la sue, era certezza."—" Atti del Congresso Internazionale di Scienze Storiche," Roma, 1903.
Perhaps I exceed the limits of discretion in recalling these words spoken by a very humble member of the Historical Congress at Rome. At any rate, the concluding sentence of that short paper on the " Forecasting of History " has a meaning now which then the speaker could hardly foresee:—
"La nazionalita Italiana a lottato ed a trionfato. L'Italia e divenuta unit grande nazione e sopratutto s'e mostrata ricca di una stirpe d'eroi, Twining memories of old time,
With new virtues more sublime.' "—Shelley.
38 Elraston Place, S.W. 7.
Previous page
