Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Letters of Percy Bysshe Shelley

Percy Shelley expresses his disdain for Sgricci’s stories about the Neapolitans and their lack of nationalism.

Performer Name:
Sgricci
Performance Venue:
 
Performance Date:
 
Author:
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Date Written:
1821
Language:
English
Publication Title:
The Letters of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Article Title:
 
Page Numbers:
2:266, 268
Additional Info:
Vol. 2: Shelley in Italy; Ed. Frederick L. Jones
Publisher:
Clarendon
Place of Publication:
Oxford
Date Published:
1964

Text:

[266] I hate the cowardly envy which prompts such base stories as Sgricci's about the Neapolitans: a set of slaves who dare not to imitate the high example of clasping even the shadow of Freedom, alledge the ignorance {&} excesses of a populace, which oppression has made savages in sentiment & understanding. That the populace of the city of Naples are brutal, who denies to be {loyal?}? They cannot improvise tragedies as Sgricci can, but is it certain that under no excitement they would be incapable of more enthusiasm for their country?

[268]{P.S.} Keats is very ill at Naples—I have written to him to ask him to come to Pisa, without however inviting him to our own house. We are not rich enough for that sort of thing. Poor fellow!—I am provoked at Sgricci's assumption, & shall certainly never allow him to make the use {you allu}de to, of me.

Notes:

 

Collected by:
DP