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492 THE LEA DEE, " [No. 4/ g^^H:^Jjg9 ^
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wrote his autobiography ; but that work,...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Tuscany And Austria. Toscana . E Austria...
table and legitimate triumph . . .-..-. From the day on wiiich Austria declared Lombardy finally united to . the Austrian Empire , she was in a state of warfare with the Italians ; thus was created the necessity of violating the sovereignty of other states , and the princes of Italy were placed in a false and perilous position . To oppress and repress has been her rule of Government froiri that ' time till now . ' .. . . During twenty-five out of the forty-five years immediately succeeding the Vienna treaties , her troops ¦ were stationed beyond the limits assi gned them by these treaties , occupying first one and then another of the Italian States , with a view to stifling the manifestation of the just desires of the population expressed the more tumultuously , in proportion as Austria took every means to suppress their legitimate manifestation . "
' To this causs may be ascribed the revolutionary movements of 1 S 20 and 1830 ; and the disturbances and political sects arising out of them are to be placed to Austria ' s account . That the tyranny exercised failed of producing the effect desired , * vas abundantly manifested by the events of * ' 47 auid ' 48 . In ' 56 the Austrian occupation of Tuscany ceased after six years' continuance ; the Crimean war rendered Austria doubtful as to the course she should pursue , and the fate of Europe was uncertain and threatening . According to the authority from which we quote , after the . with-. tlrawal of the troops , Tuscany
remained" Miserable and comfortless in the present , hopeless as to the future . While suffering from evils common to all Italy , her injuries were embittered , 2 xer ills aggravated by the wound inflicted upon her strongest ^ most ardent and imperishable sentiment—Ther nationality . But these trials were not unprofitable . From them we learned and were enabled to testify to Europe that it must ever be fatal to us and perilous to her that foreign force should be implanted in our soil , ready to impose restraint upon the people and release governors from their duties . We learned that blood and sweat may be lavished in -v-ain in the struggle to . attain or retain internal rights ; nothing will be effected until we succeed in
¦ opposing that external force which undoes all that -we do . We learned that the prime necessity of a jpeople is to be ; that it cannot be unless it is independent ; that its independence cannot be maintained if it is not free ; otherwise we should constantly -witness the grievous spectacle of a slumbering people gratefully pressing the hand which pretends to remove its chains , and awaking under the increased pressure of that hand to find itself yet more heavily manacled . We learned and awaited , resigned ; resigned , because our sorrows and humiliations were maturing events ; resigned because we were secure in the justice of our cause and that of the whole nation . ..... But now that Piedmont has
proved , by the regular and wise exercise of liberty , that the . Italian people are worthy of liberty—are matured for liberty—now that , fighting for the . cause of civilised Europe by the side of the most valorous nations of the West , she' has demonstrated that the . Italian people merit independence , we raise our .-voices to declare that henceforth magnanimous Piedmont ought not to be left alone to suffer and combat for all i that when she has to flight the foreigner for Italy , Tuscany ought and will take her part , remembering that when she , shared not the honour of battle , she did not escape the humiliation of the conquered . . Downtrodden with Italy , with Italy will Tuscany arise . . . . . . If Europe is compelled to
declare war in order to obtain a stable and secure tranquillity founded upon justice ; if we again see ¦ our cause committed to the fortune of battle , as Italians wo must anil will take our part in . such enterprise , nor will wo lose confidence ; for even should fortune once more fail us , Austria wrill have » stro ' ngor and move invincible enemy in Italy than fortune , —the destinies which time is maturing , and the necessities which are becoming fulfilled in the progress of universal civilisation . " Signed—Cosimo Ridolfl , ISottino Iticasoli ,
Ubaldino Peruzzi , Tommaso Corei , Lcopoldo Compini , Colestino Blanchi . 41 Florence , March 15 S ' & uch is & general view of the treatment tliis subject lias received from the above grout men , Whose names oro all well known in the world of politics or literature . Though perhaps scarcel y pointed and practical enough to satisfy English Ideas qf utility and matter of fact , the object and . scope of the pamphlet will meet with the sympathy jmcf approval of thoso who wish to see Italy take her legitimate standing among tho nations ,
492 The Lea Dee, " [No. 4/ G^^H:^Jjg9 ^
492 THE LEA DEE , " [ No . 4 / g ^^ H : ^ Jjg 9 ^
Wrote His Autobiography ; But That Work,...
wrote his autobiography ; but that work , not having the benefit " of a diary or memoranda of any kind , ° was rather meagre in - . anecdote— -a want which his son , in these recollections , has endeavoured to supply . No need therefore exists for any tracings , by tis , of the events and accidents of Mr . Jay ' s life , the grand outline of which is l amin ar ¦ to-. the public by means of his own narrative . The son of an industrious mason , he was early taken by the hand as a precocious youth , and began to . preach that of ninete
at the age of sixteen years . By en , he had acquired metropolitan popularity , and continued to enjoy it during a long life . He belonged to the' church of Independents , by profession , but was the least sectarian of men , whether by the original bias of his mind , or his education . Ilis intellect , indeed , had all the free play of genius- ^ an attribute wholly incompatible with bigotry . Anecdotes are the desiderata of such a work as the present , and the compiler has been careful to collect what he could . The .. following may
amuse : — "In the year 1 S 03 Mr . Jay preached a sermon before the Correspondent Board in London of a society , incorporated by royal charter , for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland ; and the Duke of A thol and other distinguished individuals formed part of his congregation ori that occasion . At a meeting of the board , the noble duke being in the chair , it was unanimously resolved that their thanks should be given to Mr . Jay
for the sermon , and that he should be requested to permit the same to be printed for the use of the society . Such permission was given . The text was , ' Skin for skin ; yea , all that a man hath will he give for his life . ' When the proof-sheets of the sermon were sent to Mr . Jay for correction , he found that the printer had printed the text thus , ' Skin for skin ! yea , all that a man hath will he give for his wife . ' Instead of correcting the error in the usual way , he wrote in the margin , underlining the word ' wife , ' ' That depends on circumstances . ' " Another may likewise be ventured . "On the death of the Princess Amelia , the youngest daughter of George III ., Mr . Jay selected his text from the second of Kings , ninth chapter , thirty fourth verse : ' Bury her ; . for she is a king ' s daughter , ' Whilst , ftle preacher was in the midst of his discourse , a curious incident occurred . One of the fashionable visitors at Bath , attracted no doubt by his popularity and general repute , having overcome her scruples of entering a Dissenting place of worship , was of course accommodated with a seat in a conspicuous place of the chapel . Mr . Jay began by portraying the diabolical character of Jezebel , to whom the text
immediately referred . This was merely his dark background upon which he designed to bring out in strong relief a modern specimen of female excellence , also ' a king ' s daughter . ' The lady , however , would not wait for the cheeriug contrast of character ; but got up , jteft the pew , slamming the door , arid indignantly walked out of the chapel , the eyes of the congregation and preacher , who was nothing disconcerted ,, being fixed on her as an object to be pitied . She had come to hear of Amelia , she had only heard of Jezebel . Had she retained her seat but for a short period
longer , she would have been delighted by one of the most beautiful , affecting , and deserved eulogiums ever pronounced . But she left before tho preacher had turned the angle of his discourse : " If Jezebel , being ' a king ' s' daughter , ' was deserving of burial , rather than that her ignominious remains should bo mangled and desecrated by the very dogs in the street ; how infinitely more meritoriously entitled to sbpulehral respect , veneration , and a nation ' s mourning , was a princess , whoso greatest lustre was her piety , . her filial and domestic affection , and the unobstrusive and varied benevolence characteristic of her brief and sorrowing career . " Mr , Jay often related this circumstance , smiling at the folly of the lady , whoso name was duly reported to him , and thanked Providence that as he grew older a more tolerant spirit existed between the various sects of the Christian family . " Mr . Jay waa a great admirer of Cobbett ' e " Register ; " and , to his astonishment , found that Mr . W ilberforce agreed with him in the same taute . Tho following anecdote is capital : — " On one of my visits to Mr . Jay , when speaking of Cobbett , and his strong prejudice against many persons , especially Quakers , —Ibr whom Mr . Jay enteri ained great , respect , so much so that he sent me to a Quaker ' s bohool , where I was the only scholar not of that persuasion , — ! related to him tho following anecdote , which 1 had froin Cobbott ' e own lips , as illustrative of his prejudice ugainst Quakers , whom ho unjustly regarded as liars : ' 1 was , ' said he , while residing in X & ng Island , In America , acquainted with a WQll-disposoJ . young gentleman of large fortune .
LIFE OF WILLIAM JAY , Recollections of William Jay , c \ f Bath ; with Occasional Glancca at some of his Contemporaries and Friends . By his Son Oyrus Jay . Hamilton , Adams and Co . Xt will bo recollected that tho reverend Mr . Jay
whose only fault was the habit of swearing , --such a habit that . he often declared that he would give half his fortune to get rid of it . This desire canie to the ears of a Quaker , who thereupon had an interview with the young gentleman , and said , ' I can cure thee of that bad habit ; ' whereupon tho youth caught hold of the Quaker ' s hand and gave it a hearty shake , saying , ' How can you perform that miracle ? ' The reply was , ' I can tell thee . . I have heard that thou art going this day to travel for a period '¦¦ of six weeks tliou art just my size ; nobody will know tliee ; thou sha . lt come to my house , put on the cocked-h : it , the coat withoutbuttons , the knee-brecciies , and tlieshoebucklcs ; and thou wilt find that the strangeness of the dress will have such an effect on thee when thou
art going to talk , that it will restrain thee from swearing , —as thou perhaps knowest , my friend , that we Quakers never swear . ' The young man cheerfully assented to the proposal , and accompanied the Quaker to his house , where after changing his clothes lie took his departure in the garb of a Quaker , and went ' way rejoicing . The period of the young gentleman ' s , tour having elapsed , the Quaker all anxiety started on the road to meet him . Having met him , he said , ' Well , friend , how hast thou got on ? ' The reply Was , ' Very well . ' ' Hast thou sworn so much with , that dress on thee ? ' inquired'the' Quaker . The young man , rubbing the coat sleeves of his coat , replied . j ' Certainly not ; but I feel a d—d inclination , to lie . "' Mr . Jay had a horror of the narcotic weed i but . endured it ¦ in'the company of Robert Hall , who was a most inveterate smoker , and of John Newton , the rector of St . Mary , "Woolnoth . In factno preacher assumed less of the ' . ' The Reverend . " In the title page of his works he simply styled himself William Jay ¦;—not even adding D . D ., after having obtained the degree . When the diploma reached liis hands , we are told , his family described him as Dr . Jay ; but he forbade the use of the title . The same was the case with Hall , of whom we have here several anecdotes . The eccentricities of Rowland Hill also diversify these pages . As a specimen of Mr . Jay ' s manner of preaching we may give'the . following beautiful and striking excerpt from an ordination sermon . Pointing to the Rev . James Strctton , the subject of the discourse .-r" It is , my dear brother , the sublime ' and momentous end of your function that reflects such honour upon , it , and attaches so much importance to it . Things common or mean in themselves may acquire unspeakable excellence and grandeur by association and destiny . Your office is frequently hold forth , in the . Scripture by images derived from employments abstractedly considered rather humble than glorious ;
but the weight it acquires from relation -and design is never for r moment left out . You : vve a ' soldier , ' but it is in ' the good fight of faith ; ' you are a < fisher , but ' a fisher of men ; ' you arc a ' labourer , hut a labourer together with God ; ' are a ' builder , but it is in God ' s building ; ' you nvp a ' watchman , but you watch for souls . ' Thus a small insignificant piece of paper is converted into a bank-note , ami by a sovereign impression becomes current for a thousand oi
pounds . Thus Raphael took -a roll of canvas , which the' weaver thought nothing , and the vendor nothing ; but he threw down upon it his immortal tints , and bade it become the admiration of ihy worm . And thus , sir , your office rises into ineffable si-catnera by taking the soul of man for its subject , and eternity for its aim . " That was -true eloquence ; and also eloquence of the popular kind . It lived on illustrations rather than conceptions . Indeed Mr . Jny , never directed- metaphysics ; and , when asked about them , would reply— " Why , sir , I nm a Jay , and no owl , and therefore cannot see in the dark . Here mindand coi
Was undoubtedly a defect in his , a - reeponding one in his office , which , in tho wonls ca nn apostle , ought to have embraced the faculty oj " seeing things invisible . " He had according V little ideality , but much picturesque oxm-CHsion , anu a considerable amount of wit ? and tlioroforu accepted tho symbols of things for their inmost anu entire essences . Such symbols however , nre necessarily suggestive of the integrities that tuey represent and avail tho preacher or P" ) i 01 Jl * beyond hia own design . In this manner , ho may frequently communicate the truth of which ho w himself ignorant . In the faculty oi donluw * i » these symbols Mr . Jny was unnvailed ; ana « u . Foster , the groat essayist , was right vrliun o called him " the Prince of . Proftchove . ' A « buUi , this biography of him by his eon would bo vnluuwo , —but . it is especially bo , inasmuch ji * it >« wjj executed , and jfonno a book oi'inodoruJo toWM which may bo read with pleasure as well us piou * .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 16, 1859, page 12, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16041859/page/12/
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