Page:Rolland - A musical tour through the land of the past.djvu/160

148 A contemporary writes: "It is said that the Didone abbandonata is largely the story of Metastasio and La Romanina. Metastasio feared that she might cause him annoyance in Vienna, and that his reputation would suffer thereby. He obtained an order of the Court which forbade La Romanina to enter the Imperial domains. La Romanina was furious, and, in her rage, attempted to kill herself by stabbing herself in the breast. The wound was not mortal, but she died shortly afterwards of misery and despair."

Some letters written by her to the Abbé Riva, who served as intermediary, display the unfortunate woman's passion. Here is a peculiarly moving passage, written at Venice on the 12th of August, 1730, doubtless after her attempted suicide, when she had given her promise to behave sensibly:

"Since you still retain so much friendship for my Friend, keep him safe for me, stand by him, make him as happy as you can, and believe that I have no other thought in the world; and if I am sometimes disconsolate it is because I am only too conscious of his merit, and because to be forced to live apart from him is the greatest grief than I can suffer. But I am so determined not to forfeit his esteem that I will patiently endure the tyranny of him who permits such cruelty; I assure you that I will do everything that I am allowed to do to please my dearest friend and to keep him; I will do all that I can to keep myself in good health, simply in order that I may not grieve him. …"

She lived a life of misery for four years longer. Metastasio replied to her impassioned letters with