DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53553#0066
48
Donna Ginliana taught me not to make hypotheses too
rashly. The character of her lineaments approached nearest
to a Minerva, only the chin would have required an imper-
ceptible addition in point of rotundity and length. Her
feeq to pass from one extreme to the other, were adorned
with white shoes, silver spangled, and white silk stockings.
With these she wore a black silk o’own, and a Venetian
necklace of gold. I fancy I hear Miss-repeat my
words : “ Black gown and white shoes and stockings !’*
Aye, neither more nor less; and you may tell her, that it
looks infinitely better than black stockings, which are never
worn here by the fair sex. Unable to resist the temptation
once in a way to be bold, I approached to salute the classic
model; but should have met with little success, had not
the sapient Don Michele called out, good humouredly,
“ Fate pure, Donna Giuliana, e costume Inglese*.” Now,
if the Pozzuolians are at all initiated in the loMc of travel-
o
lers, they will set it down as the custom in England, to
kiss a lady when you first see her.
You may conceive my disappointment at missing this
lady when we proceeded to dinner; indeed, hungry as I
was, I peremptorily refused to sit down unless she joined
us ; and would have persisted in my determination, had I
not been assured, that she had dined before us. In the
middling classes of Neapolitan society, you must know,
the ladies hold but an humble station; so much so, that
when I informed our friends that in England the lady of
the house always sat at the head of the table, they con-
ceived I was joking: and Don Michele very drily asked,
whether they had not a seat in parliament also ? This hu-
miliation of the fair sex is however, perfectly classic. The
ancients,
Never mind, Donna G., it is the English fashion.
Donna Ginliana taught me not to make hypotheses too
rashly. The character of her lineaments approached nearest
to a Minerva, only the chin would have required an imper-
ceptible addition in point of rotundity and length. Her
feeq to pass from one extreme to the other, were adorned
with white shoes, silver spangled, and white silk stockings.
With these she wore a black silk o’own, and a Venetian
necklace of gold. I fancy I hear Miss-repeat my
words : “ Black gown and white shoes and stockings !’*
Aye, neither more nor less; and you may tell her, that it
looks infinitely better than black stockings, which are never
worn here by the fair sex. Unable to resist the temptation
once in a way to be bold, I approached to salute the classic
model; but should have met with little success, had not
the sapient Don Michele called out, good humouredly,
“ Fate pure, Donna Giuliana, e costume Inglese*.” Now,
if the Pozzuolians are at all initiated in the loMc of travel-
o
lers, they will set it down as the custom in England, to
kiss a lady when you first see her.
You may conceive my disappointment at missing this
lady when we proceeded to dinner; indeed, hungry as I
was, I peremptorily refused to sit down unless she joined
us ; and would have persisted in my determination, had I
not been assured, that she had dined before us. In the
middling classes of Neapolitan society, you must know,
the ladies hold but an humble station; so much so, that
when I informed our friends that in England the lady of
the house always sat at the head of the table, they con-
ceived I was joking: and Don Michele very drily asked,
whether they had not a seat in parliament also ? This hu-
miliation of the fair sex is however, perfectly classic. The
ancients,
Never mind, Donna G., it is the English fashion.