The dialects, which we have fully listed, are all, except the Tuscan, sufficiently alive and im portant from the standpoint of culture, because in Italy even well-educated people usually speak the general dialect with their companions; but not particularly the local dialect, because each of the many small states into which the Penin sula was divided for so many centuries, or at least each of the principal states, developed to a certain extent a language particularly for con versation, which is at the bottom the dialect of the capital city; thus the cultured Piedmontese usually speak the language of Turin, the in habitants of Veneto, Venetian dialect, etc. And many of these dialects have had a rich poetical literature; although the writers in these dia lects were almost always conscious of having produced works purely local in character, and considered their own writings, in opposition to those in the literary tongue, almost as a jest, so that generally they wrote only in a facetious tone. None the less it should be advisable for us to make some distinctions; for instance, the Venetian, which was also the official language of the republic, was certainly in the mind of Carlo Goldoni something more important than a simple local dialect, since in this he wrote some of his best comedies; Sardinia and Sicily also show special conditions. On the other
hand, the tone and playful intention take away nothing from the artistic seriousness of a true poet; and Carlo Porta of Milan and the Roman Gioacchino Belli were certainly poets of the first rank, marvelously representing, with cunning satire, the life of their time in Milan and in Rome. To-day the flowery dialect continues; but the Venetian theatre has an importance more than local, and to-day is supported, both on account of the excellence of the dialect itself, easily intelligible to all, and because of the happy continuation of Goldoni's comedies, not to speak of the splendid acting. Little is heard of the Piedmontese theatre, which en joyed much favor at the time of the formation of the kingdom—and the theatres of Milan little depend upon Milanese actors. The Nea politan dialect is carried throughout Italy by the charm of its melodies and its voluptuous but sad little songs, but Roman poetry has acquired great popularity everywhere, and this is partly due to the ease of the dialect of to-day, and partly to the Roman poets, especially Belli, but above all to that great and noble artist, as rich in epic and lyrical powers as in popular and pleasing comedy — Cesare Pascarella.