Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

306 MILITARY LIFE.
"
sheet in a hundred pieces. But this is weak ;
heavens ! this is
"
cold ! And seized by a sudden poetic inspiration, I seated
myself at the table and began to write hastily. I will write an
article, I said ;
and instantly thereafter I threw away pen,
paper, and ink, exclaiming as I did so " : Every thing
is cold !
I am growing desperate. Tell me, mother, in heaven's name,
are there no verses in Italian literature which will express the
fever that is devouring me " " ? Berchet," she suggested
"
timidly, No, not Berchet," I replied in a dramatic tone ;
"Berchet is irate, Berchet hates, Berchet curses, and I love
in this moment, love intensely, love every one I feel like a
;
brother to all
;
I could throw my arms around all those whom
I meet in the street. I love even the Austrians, dear mother !
I would kill
many of them but I love
; them, because, thanks
to them, Italy is thus roused, raises her head, and shows herself
to be so powerful, dear, and beautiful, diffusing through
all her sons that inexpressible feeling of pride and joy
! Death
to the Austrians, but hurrah for them too ! I never felt so
"
much like a Christian before !
Then I dashed to the window and grew enraged at the stillness
in the street. Just see what a shameful quiet
"
! How
is
it
possible ? Why does not every one go down and make a
noise ? What sort of people are these ? . . . Let me overcome
this fever !
"
Then, shutting myself up in my room and
seizing my sword, I pretended that I had facing me an Austrian
officer, long and thin, with a pair of bushy moustaches and
protruding eyes. I put myself on guard, and down came the
blows, the parryings, leaps, and thrusts, until I fell quite exhausted
upon the sofa. In other words, I was crazy.
It is quite superfluous to say that the neighborhood were