Up at a Villa—Down in the City

As distinguished by an Italian person of quality. ( Men and Women , 1855; Lyrics , 1863; Dramatic Lyrics , 1868.) The speaker likes city life: it is expensive, he admits, but one has something for one’s money there. The whole day long life is a perfect feast; but up in the villa on the mountain side the life is no better than a beast’s. In the city you can watch the go ips and the pa ers-by; whereas up in the villa there is nothing to see but the oxen dragging the plough. Even in summer it is no better, and it is actually cooler in the city square with the fountain playing. He hates fireflies, bees, and cicalas, about which folks talk so much poetry: what he prefers is the ble ed church-bells, the rattle of the diligence, the ever succeeding news, the quack doctor, the fun at the post office, the execution of “liberals,” and the gay church proce ion in the streets on festivals, the drum, the fife, the noise and bustle. Of course it is dear; you cannot have all these luxuries without paying for them, and that is why he is compelled to live a country life; but oh, the pity of it,—the proce ions, the candles, the flags, the Duke’s guard, the drum, the fife!— “Oh, a day in the city-square, there is no such pleasure in life!” Notes. —Stanza ii., “ By Bacchus ”: Per Bacco—Italians still swear by the wine-god. Stanza ix., “ with a pink gauze gown all spangles, and seven swords stuck in her heart! ” The “seven sorrows of Our Lady” are referred to here. They are (1) Her grief at the prophecy of Simeon; (2) Her affliction during the flight into Egypt; (3) Her distre at the lo of her Son before finding Him in the Temple; (4) Her sorrow when she met her Son bearing His cro ; (5) Her martyrdom at the sight of His agony; (6) The wound to her heart when His was pierced; and (7) Her agony at His burial. The contrast of these sorrows with the pink gown, the spangles, and the smiles, is an exquisite satire on some peculiarities in Continental devotions, very distasteful to English people. Stanza x., “ Tax on salt ”: salt is taxed in Italy; the salt monopoly, the lottery, the grist tax and an octroi are the more important items of Italy’s immoral system of taxation. “ what oil pays pa ing the gate ”: the octroi or town-dues have to be paid on all provisions entering the cities of Italy. yellow candles : these are used at funerals, and in penitential proce ions in the Roman Church.