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March 17, I860.] The Leader and Saturday...
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Flobence, March 5, 1860. When this reach...
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* Wo apponU a translation pi tho Aaaroeu...
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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Transcript
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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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Rome, February 25, 18c0. Papat ^ Lotteri...
suppose . In spite , however , of these abstract considerations , the ¦ virtue of the Papal lotteries , unlike that of Caesar's wife , is not above suspicion ; and I have heard sceptical inquirers demand-what the reason can be for having- one blank day between the closing- of the lotteries and the drawing , except the obvious one of calculating-, from the state of the stakes , what combination of .-winning- numbers will be most beneficial ,: or least hurtful , to the Papal pockets . Whatever mathematicians may assert , your regular gamblers always believe in luck ; and therefore it is not surprising that a nation whose great excitement is the lottery , should be devout worshippers of the blind goddess . It may be that i-ome memories of the Pythagorean theory still exist in the land of its birth ; but , he the cause what it may , it is certain that in the Southern Penin ^
¦ s . ula a belief in the symbolism of numbers is a received article of faith . Every thing-, name and occurrence has its numerical interpretation . Suppose , for instance , a robbery occurs . Forthwith the numbers or sequences of numerals corresponding- to the name of the robber or his victim , the day and hour of the crime , the articles stolen , or a hundred other coincident circumstances , are eagerly sought after , and staked upon . , in the ensuing- lottery . Then there s \ ve the memeri simpatici , or the numbers in each month or year which are supposed to be fortunate , and lists of which are published in the popular almanacs . That , for instance , for the present month is eighty-eight , why or ' wherefore I have never been able to discover . We will assume now that , having dreamt a dream , or heard of . a death , or I care not- what , you wish to stake your money on its ¦
arithmetical signification . You will have , no difficulty in discovering' a lottery office . In every street , there are one or more Preiulitovia di Lolti . Jn fact , begging and gambling are the oiily two trades that thrive in -Rome , or are pushed with enterprise and energy . When the drawing-takes place in Tuscany , the result is commun . icat . ed at once by electric telegraph , a fact unparalleled , in any other branch of Roman business . Over each office are placed the Papal arms , the crossed keys and tiaras . Outside , their aspects differ according to the quarter of the city . In the well-to-do . street ? —if such an appellation to any street here be not an absurdity—the exteriors of the lottery offices are neat , but not gaudy . -A ,-notice ,, " printed in large black letters on a whitei placard , that this week the lottery will be drawn for Jit Rome or wherever it n . ay be ,, and a glass ' frame over the door in which arc slid the winning numbers of lost week , form the whole external ¦'• adornment . In . thy poor anil
populous . parts , flie lotteries flaunt , out in all kinds of shabby finery , The wall about the door is pasted over with puffing inscriptions . From stands in front of the shop flutter long 8 > lripcs of gay particoloured p ; iper , inscribed with all sort of cabalistic figures , If you like you nisiy try . the Terno delict Furtuna , Which is morally certain to ' turn up this ' week—or next . IT you arc of a philosophical disposition , you niiiy slake your luck on the ¦ numbers nineteen and forty-two , which have no ! been . drawn for twelve months , and must therefore he drawn sooner or later ; of , if you like to east in your lot with o -. hers ,, you may back that toiiho which has " sold " marked against it . At ' arty rate , you will not be the only fool who stands to h . se or win on f ' l ' iat chance , which , sifter till , is '' sonic , . consolation . If none , of these . inducements are sutticient . you may fix on your choice by spinning round the index cm the painted plate , sine ! choosing ' the numbers opposite to which the spin stops , thus making chance iletcr-mine chance . Having then selected your combination
somehow or other , you enter in . The inferior of these offices is the piunb throughout . A low dark room , with a long ink-stained desk at one side , behind which , pen in ear , is seated an official , more grimy ami more snuffy even than the run of his tribe . Opposite the clerk , the . ro is sure to bo a picture of the Madonna , with a small g-lnss lamp before it , wherein a feeble wick floats nnd flickers in a pool of rancid oil . Indeed , thy lottery throughout is conducted on u religious footing . The fmpic ' c / a / i , or officials , who keep them are all men of sound principles and devotiomil habits , fervent adherents of the spiritual government by which nncl under whieh they live . Lotteries , it is said , encourage a simple faith in Providence , while they dispel any overweening confidence in your own iniHiinctifiyd exertions , and muy
therefore bo defended on abstract inornl grounds . When you have reflected on sill this , you simply tell tljo clonk what sum of money you want to stake , and on what numbers , The smallest contributions ( from eleven bjiioeclii , or about' "sixpence upwards ^ will bo thankfully received , A long whitey brown slip of paper is given you , with ' the above numbers written on it , and tho sum you nuvy win marked opposite 3 No questions whatever about wimo or residence , or papers , arc naked , an thoy arc whenever you want to transmit iiny other piece ' of business in Eomo : and nil . you . have to do is to keep your nlip of paper , and conio back on tho Saturday to lonrn whether your number *) have been drawn—or not . There in , in truth , a ludicrous side to tho Pajiul lotteries j but
tlioro is also a' very sad one . It in sad to wee the offices on n , Thursday night , when they are kept open till midnight , hours after ovory other * hop is closed , ancl to wnl eh the crowds of couimon , humble people \\ ho crowd in , one after the other—servants nnd cabmen , and clerks and beggars , nnd above nil , wonion of the poorer class , to alake their small saving !*—too often theirwmnll pllferingp —on tho hoped-for number , When one speaks , of tho disgrace and shamo that tb , is authorised system of gambling-confera on tho Papal Government } of the improvidence and dishonesty and nnuory it creates , too certainly , aniongst the poor , one is always told by tho advocates of the I > apacy , that tho people are bo passionately attached to tho lottery , that no Government could run the risk of aboliHtnng St . If thia be true , which I do not boliovo , I can only B « y—slmmo to tho rulers , who have so demoralised their subjects . Of late days ,
however , the . liberal party have attempted to hinder their fellow citizens'from taking lottery tickets * with a view of stopping this source of the Papal revenue . Be their motive what it may , I say heartily , God sjieed them ! for their work is good .
March 17, I860.] The Leader And Saturday...
March 17 , I 860 . ] The Leader and Saturdayr Anafy > st . 261 ¦ ¦ . r , ¦
Flobence, March 5, 1860. When This Reach...
Flobence , March 5 , 1860 . When this reaches you , we shall be in the midst of the bustle and excitement attending the fresh appeal to the populace to decide upon annexation to Piedmont , or a separate Tuscan Government . I feel neither doubt nor fear as to the result of this second experiment of universal suffrage , and am quite convinced that it will confirm'the acts of lust April , and contradict the assertion , that . the former votes failed to represent the spontaneous expression of the -popular will . The strictest honesty will be observed by those who have the
superintendence of the votes , and , whatever may be the final decision , it will be respected and ^ ncted upon . Great efforts have been made throug-h the press and the communal authorities to make the lower classes understand what it was they would be called upon to vote for , and the difference between union with Piedmont and a separate kingdom . With this object , voting- papers have been freely t-irenlated with the newspapers , both in tho towns and the country . It is not to be denied that the present moment-is felt by all here to bo an important crisis in the destiny of the country . If the vote for annexation is carried , it is true all Uncertainty will be at an end with reference to Piedmont ; for we now know that Vic ^ oi ? E . ) nLix . rEJ ., our chosen king , will-accept-our vofos at smy hazard to himself , and that our independence will- bo secured , to us . But then .,
who can calculate the dangers we nisi )' 'have to face- sis the price of our adherence to our new lung ? If , in opposition to all our hopes and wishes , the vote for a separate kingdom should emerge from the electoral urn , then all would , bo problt'inal . ic , -dark , and threatening-. " VVe ' aknes ' . s , division . Austria , ancl servitr . de would soon again be our lot . In the union . with'Piedmont ; on the Contrary , we-should enjoy strength , liberty . and progress : and we must trust to Providence to help us safely through the perils . which ¦ dim . this , brig-lit and liappy prospect . It has been , « aid " that Piedmont has sought . 'to absorb . the States of Italy for her own aggrandisement , ancl that the desire manifested by Tuscany-for annexation was incited , by hatred agiiinsfc Austria ,-Koine , nnd Naples . Every net of Tuscany during" the past few-months--hsts been such , as to show that if is her own strong and
spontitneous -desire to Identify herself " with Piedmont m order to cresrte Itiily . The strcnigly-felt .-nec-e . ssity vt' becoming . . Italian and . getting- rid of foreign . interfere ! . ct , has urged Tuscany LownrcLs Piedmont , not Piedmont towards Tuscany , Forsom-u thnr aflerthe flight of the Grand Duke considerable disinclination existed on the part of the Tiiscaiis to give tip their separate identify , anil merge their traditional glories , in those of the House of Savoy . JJ-ad jiflairs been immediately arranged niter- the Peace of Vilhilrancu , it would not have required much persuasion to induce Tuscany , to listen to proposals for-any Government" short-of receiving back her former ' sovereign .. Uut in the long delay which has intervened , every nil . nth has-been drawing eloper the bonds between Tuscany and Piedmont , and the desire to form nn Haliiin kingdom has now attained a power and development which , . 1 . doubt , not ,
will effectually overcome all obstacles which may bu placed in the way of annexation . Every day ' affords some fresh instance of the general desire for fraternity and nuMil . ynniution . The other day tlic students of Pisa and'Turin interchanged addresses , wliich attest tho strong sentiments of union and patiioliain with which they are mutually peiietrnted . A far more remarkable address has sjneo beun issued . The clorg-y are now giving inf heir adherence to Yictou jK . \ i m a n y k i , ; and an address , ' signed by a large portion of thu Pisloioso jiriojits , Iuik been sent lo tho King of Piediuoiil . Tin ' s L » , p « rhaj ) s , tlm first eonibined uianifo . stntioa of rcKpoct ancl devotion to the prinoiplcs of liberty made by tho s . nerdolnl mules in Tuscany , and may ho looked upon us a demonstration equally remarkable and gratifying . 'Hie numerous signatures appondod to tho suldreSH were obtained ueitlicr by request nor by command , but wero freely nnd spontaneously oflercd by the individuuls ntinied . I send you a copy of tho
Address . * It in Ktrango to . see two inon of such opposite stamp n » Lord NojiMANBY and Signov CJtTKjiicA / , / , 1 rise up . at the- Hume moment . to enter the lists against Tuscany and Piydinont . QvunUA ' AXi , as you well knowi" was dictator of this Tuscan republic in livl'J , nnd ut . ilie restoration , pi the Grand Duke sought an asylum in ^ Piedmont . ] fj ' 8 name is famous in modern Italian HliTiituro , and it Is deeply lobe deplored that ho should have broken tho hilenco of yearn , In declare that the national assembly of Florenco acted indopendinifly . *> l' f-ho wihheN of the people in voting for iinnoxntion' with I'iv dnionf , iinrt Inn
to vilify tho acts of tho temporary ^ \ k ) unicnt n ^ ho done . Though disappointed hopes and want « f noH ' control Imvu IIiiih iiiii - tially olm .-urod his judgment and piiiii .. si / in , I tji'iik it n » iiHt [ mvo boon equally to his surprise and annoyance that bin woi-ds have boon quoted in confirmation of Iho calinaiiloH of your JGng . liHh Lord hy tho public press , and -particularly tlmt of ( Jeriniiny . Lord Nnumandy has never had any opportunity of knowing what wan tho real stuto of Tuscany , and the views and wishes of tho JiiHwina . louinliMt and miu
Thonffh ho lived hero for so many years an a , dip n » a Thontth ho lived hero for so many years an a , tupiomiiiiMi- »« u private gentleman , ho ltrio \ v , i « i . reality , an little of public feeling ns if ho had reniainod in lii « ancestral lialln , or been residing- in Uniin , or any of tho . Uritinh colonies . Ilia most ; intimate fi-iendH woro persons of no consideration among uh , and if any of tho Uiwt <¦ ¦« ' *« " » by chance appeared in his saloons ho took no pai »» H lo icnrn iiwn opinions . H h knowledge «>> ' Floroafi . * and / IWnn . v wiih ( U'nvod
* Wo Apponu A Translation Pi Tho Aaaroeu...
* Wo apponU a translation pi tho Aaaroeu .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1860, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17031860/page/17/
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