Page "Italian literature" Paragraph 130

Vincenzo Monti was a patriot too, but in his own way.

He had no one deep feeling that ruled him, or rather the mobility of his feelings is his characteristic ; but each of these was a new form of patriotism that took the place of an old one.

He saw danger to his country in the French Revolution, and wrote the Pellegrino apostolico, the Bassvilliana and the Feroniade ; Napoleon's victories caused him to write the Pronreteo and the Musagonia ; in his Fanatismo and his Superstizione he attacked the papacy ; afterwards he sang the praises of the Austrians.

Thus every great event made him change his mind, with a readiness that might seem incredible, but is easily explained.

Monti was, above everything, an artist.

Everything else in him was liable to change.

Knowing little Greek, he succeeded in translating the Iliad in a way remarkable for its Homeric feeling, and in his Bassvilliana he is on a level with Dante.

In him classical poetry seemed to revive in all its florid grandeur.