Memoirs of Goldoni - 1814 Author:Carlo Goldoni Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 1 CHAPTER IV. The clever Wait ing-Maid, a Comedy of three Acts, in Prose —Its indifferent Success—The English Philosopher, a Comedy of five Acts, in Verse,... more » without Change of Decoration—Its brilliant Success—The Tender Mother, a Comedy of three Acts, in Prose—Its Success—The Cook- Maids, a Comedy of five Acts, in Verse—Letter from my Brother—His Arrival at Venice with his Children—My Illness at Modena—My Fits of Spleen a( Milan—The Country Excursion, a Piece of three. Acts, in Prose— Its Success—Tiie Strong-minded Woman, a Piece of Jive Acts, in Verse—Its fortunate Success—The Amiable Old Man, a Piece of three Acts, in Prose—Its Failure— Malice of my Adversaries—The Citizen's Ball,-a Piece of five Acts, in Verse—Admirable Effect of this Comedy. I Must return to the year 1753, from which I was induced to wander, that I might not interrupt the continuity of the Three Persians.- After the first of these oriental pieces, I gave a low comedy, in three acts, and in prose, under the name of the Cameriera Brillante. The adjective brillante is variously employed in Italy ; it signifies in French, la Soubrette Femme d'Esprit (the clever Waiting-Maid). The comedy was very gay, and very amusing, and highly applauded; but the verses of the Persian Spouse had turned every body's head. The public demanded verses: there fas no alternative; and in the ensuing Carnival, I gave il Filosofo Inglese (the English Philosopher). The theatre represented a street in the city of London, with a coffee-house and a bookseller's shop. At that time a translation of the English Spectator, a periodical work, was in the hands of every body at Venice. The women of Venice, who till then were no great readers, began to relish that work, and to become philosophers. I was delighted to see criticis...« less