Damn England

Tuesday, April 12th., Pension White, Florence.

Recital of Monteverdi's "Orfeo" in the Salone della Pergola this afternoon. I shall write an article on it for the Nation. Astonishing that such a beautiful and obviously attractive thing is not given oftener. 

Then I took Mrs. Mock and a young woman from Chicago to have aperitifs at a cafe in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Much movement and great joy of the women in the sensation of sitting outside a cafe after all these days of rain. This is much better, and more amusing, and incidentally cheaper than having tea in one of those damned English tea houses.

Walking home you could appreciate the calm and easy life of the people: eg. saddlers in their shops, and all the tradesmen, work girls coming out of ateliers etc. No hurry. Very little ambition. Very few conveniences. Many conditions that would be hardships if they were perceived as such. And certainly a great deal more apparent happiness than in England, even if happiness in misery. You are apt to think that Italians don't care about the disadvantages of their condition, and then you see a sign 'Camera di Lavoro' and a number of working men hanging about. I suppose it is the equivalent of the Bourse de Travail.

Flaubert's correspondence is certainly very fine indeed; it is even sensationally fine. I got the first volume from the library, and much prefer it to Ruskin's "Mornings in Florence". Ruskin is just too serious! I don't think the great man would recognise a joke if one fell at his feet and cried to be noticed. No wonder Effie went elsewhere for some joy in life!

I was wondering today whether Florence is in fact a beautiful place, or if we have just come to regard it as such? Is it the association with all things Renaissance that pre-prepares one to 'see' beauty. Of course there are marvellous things to see, statues and such, but is there more intrinsic beauty here than in say London, or even the Five Towns? I am inclined to think that we see beauty where we expect to see it. Some artists of course have the gift of 'seeing' things as they are but most of us do not. I certainly don't most of the time.