Various - First Italian Readings

ne fa… sue, will be up to its tricks again .

dall'alto al basso, down upon .

si poteva… prenderlo, you need not to have taken it .

e, to be omitted.

quale e' si sia, whatever it may be .

all'atto pratico, in actual practice .

arnese galerabile, gallows bird ; lit., harness fit for a galley .

vale a dire, that is to say .

far fede, bear witness ; lit., make faith .

falla, make it . Consonant of pronoun is doubled.

Dimmi, Tell me of .

stato civile. The stato civile , or "social state" of persons is their condition as regards the principal facts of existence: birth, marriage, death, etc., and involves the recording of these events in the public registers.

Como, town north of Milan, near the Swiss frontier.

un ambrosiano all'antica, a Milanese of the old school .

va ronzando… figliuola, is hovering about your daughter ; ronzare , to buzz , hum , then to rove , ramble .

Brera, well-known picture gallery at Milan, open to the public gratis on certain days.

se la svignarono, disappeared , escaped .

agenti di questura, police officers .

Salomone di Caus, a celebrated French engineer, who died about 1626. There is a story to the effect that he was imprisoned on the charge of insanity.

Da qualche tempo, Some time before .

Ci si provò anche lei, eh, You also attempted it, did you?