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1 . ' - ^^ ' 11 rTf- " --- _• - ;_ - _ - _— -- ^^^ -. z \ rr ^ C " -- " - — - —*»»«*—»«•» ' "f L "JUTn , * ' if ^**" = » . « Florentine . prospect is , man is the most pleasing part of it . I like a country -where the poor look prosperous and the people -look happy , and such a country is Tuscany at the present time . There must be good , too , about a people who have such a native talent for cooking . I have long looked on the French cuisine as a delusion and a snare . Italy is the only place I know where people not ^" a-. 'ay .-. ; .-. 1- * " -.- ; i ^ . —WC ^• . ' T ^ y- ¦— - —««——«•» - — f f L "Jft Ti ., V . 'T ' -= BtC 3 « M * ...
only know how to dine , but have victuals worth dining on . I contend that hig h moral qualities are required to produce a dinner which is at once clean , wholesome , and savoury ; and I can truly say that Florentine cookery possesses these three attributes to an extent I have never seen surpassed , or even equalled . It is a cruel fate that the Tuscans should not have had a king like Beranger ' s famous " Roi d'Yvetot , " of whom the poet sings ,
that although " Fort peu connudans l'histoirc , II buvait 8 « c , et niang-cait gros , Et recut fcien sans gloire . " The Grand Dukes of the Lorraine dynasty must have been a very ill-conditioned and cantankerous race not to succeed in ruling , with mutual content , so amiable and orderly a population . Their universal unpopularity is enough to condemn their conduct without appeal . If I believed that Tuscany would . be left alone , I should have no fear about the future of Florence .
The present Provisional Government appears to be an excellent one for all ordinary purposes , and , for all I can see and learn , might supply the place of established rulers for an indefinite period . Unfortunately , I "have little hope of Tuscany being left to itself , . and-1 see no preparation made for the inevitable struggle . The whole theory of constitutional government is carried out here with eminent success , but somehow the stern , rough reality seems wanting . We have a Dictator who has all the virtues of Washington , except his vigour . We have an Assembly , which copies with
wonderful accuracy the forms of Parliamentary debates , which scrutinises elections * and moves notices of adjournment with eminent success , " but sonifchow votes everything with unanimity , and never discusses anything . We have a free press and a cheap press , which contains most excellent essays on political liberty , but takes no trouble to report news or to spread intelligence . We have patriotic theatricals , patriotic melodies , and patriotic demonstrations , but we have not armies manning , or supplies collecting , or fortifications making , to oppose by force , any interference with our liberties .
It seems to me that sufficient importance has not been attached to the refusal of the proffered Regency by the " Prince de Carignan . " From different motives , both the French and the Italian journals have sought to conceal the real bearing of tb . e event . I own that , in my opinion , this refusal is the death-blow to the hopes of Central Italy . It is the first solemn , recognition of the fact , that the destinies of the Duchies are to be decided at Paris , and not in Italy . The proposal to elect a Regent was in itself a confession of weakness . The fact was thereby made patent , that the
incorporation of the Duchies with Sardinia , which had been solemnly enacted , could not be carried out . The only real / gain , in ohjctirig " Prince de Carignan" Regent / consisted in the circumstance that his relationship and connexion with the King of Sardinia involved the honour of that monarch , by implication , in the independence of the Duchies . By orders of the French Government , Victor Emmanuel was obliged to refuse to implicate himself further , even by proxy , in the affairs of Central Ilnly . The most that can bo said in favour of Buoncompagni ' s election as Re * gent is , that the cousin of " Victor Emmanuel " thought that this appointment would give satisfaction to the Sardinian Government . The now
Regent is , we believe , a man of high character and ability , but neither his name , his reputation , or his position , "confer strength on the Italian cause . If any event in the world could have aroused the Tuscans to a sense of their position—could have shown them that they must henceforth look to themselves alone—one would think that the involuntary refusal of the proflerod Regency , on the part of the House af Savoy , would nave done so , A . 8 yet I oan soo no sign of thia effect having boon produced . The Italian joumula utterly ignore the importance of the check tlioir oivusq has i'o ~ eoived . They profess to consider Buonoompugnl quite as good a choice us the Prirtco do Cnrigrmu ;
lav immense stress on a rumour that the Prince only deferred instead of refusing his acceptance ; and explain away the interference of the French Government on every hypothesis , except on the simple and obvious one , that the Emperor Napoleon neither wishes nor intends that Italy should be free , or united , or powerful . I suppose that we shall have a series of fetes shortly , to celebrate the inauguration of the Regency , fire you receive this the National Guard are to have new colours presented to them , and to swear fealty to the constitution .
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GERMANY . „ Hanovku , Nov . 30 tli , lti . ) tl . Tuuitia is very little to report this wouk tluit wouM prove in any dugroo interesting to tho outer world . The King of P . russia , if hia health uoniiiiuus us satisfactory ns At presunt , goes to tho Islo of Wight lor tho winter . Should tho King really talco up Ins abode there , thu lalo , which already stands iu high repute hero for its salubrity , will buuomo tlio habitual summer . resort of tho higher classes of Oortnany . Heligoland and JNordornoi , liilhurto tho luohion , will bo M ' fc to tho shopicoonurs of Hamburg and Bremen . Tho Austrian ua well us tho I'VuikjIi
Ambassador lms protested against thu further ro"' presentation of the luroo " Cliaar Bock , " and tl'Q piece has , In omisuquuiK . , boon strictly prohibited . Tho olliolal roport of tl » o transactions in tho
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26 th Nov . I have read , sonic where or other-r-I forget where —an old fantastic German story of some Faust-like sage , jrho sought to penetrate too closely into the secrets of the universe—to know * as Carlylc has it , " the very why of the why itself "—and who , for his sinful curiosity , was converted into the hands of a clock . Hour after hour , day after , day , his punishment went on , unceasing and unchanging . Endued with the faculty of observation he was conscious that he turned , and that by his turning he marked the passing minute ; but why lie turned , what made him turn , or by what laws he-turned , were all mysteries to which he had neither clue nor guest . Now it seems to me that Italy is mucli
in the position of the chronometrical philosopher . The clock face is at Turin and Florence . The hands vibrate , and move , and stop , with the most alarming excentricity ' j but the works are at Paris , and the hands know not how or why they move . They are only conscious—painfully conscious—of the fact that their . motion is erratic . The truth is , the public , here knows nothing but the fait accompli , and I much doubt if the rulers know much more . We know that the Prince-de Carignan has declined the preferred Regency , that Garibaldi has retired into private life , thafi Buoncompagni first accepted , then half resigned , and finally has half accepted , the post delegated to him as our ruler by Prince de Garignan ; but what is the real reason of these vicissitudes in our fate we are left
to speculate upon helplessly and hopelessly . ' Meanwhile * this much I can state from my own observation , that none of these events produced any outward manifestation of indignation or excitement . I know a man who went up in a balloon at a great cost and risk , and who , when he came down , was not able to produce any result of his expedition , except that he had observed a very peculiar chimney-pot- I am afraid that I might almost say , that I had lived for weeks among a nation in the throes of revolution , and had never observed any sign of a popular demonstration , except the other night , when I met four
men simrinir an Italian sonar about " Liberia" in men singing an Italian song about 4 t Liberia" in the streets , and they expected to be paid for it . The plain English is , that both Government ar \ d people have deliberately adopted , -whether rightly or wrongly , the policy of waiting upon Providence ; and , therefore , till Providence , in the . person of France , choo ' ses to interfere , there id nothing for it but waiting . For very decency's sake , however , a revolutionary Government must do , or suem to do , something ; so every day almost we
have some length y and unobjectionable decree published , with the now unmeaning heading , ' Rcgnando Vittorio Enunnhucli . " , One day we have a decree for a railroad to Grosseto , in order lo improve the cultivation of tho Maremxna ^ , marshes ; the next , there appears an edict instituting public classes in order to give gratuitous instruction to the poor in the use of the decimal system , which it is proposed to introduco into Tuscany ; and ^ so ori , day after day .
On Sunday , wo had a review of the Natjona . 1 Guard , in the Cascin , e gardens . There were some 1 , 500 men , fine able-bodied fellows , though not very military in appearance . It was a bright day , oven for Florence , and the gay tricolour flags , which hung from every window , gave a festive air to the atreets , which are wont to be somewhat gloomy . The whole city seemed to stream out
along tho Lungo l'Arno towards the gardens , whether out of curiosity or patriotism is difficult to learn . ^ There was a long row of carriages , with a good sprinkling of aristocratic onca , conspicuous ainongwt whom is an eccentric American , who drives a team of eight and sometimes twelve horses iu an English mail-coach , and as may easily bo supposed , bears a striking resemblance to tho Into IV ] r . Batty , except that lie is far fi * ou \ exhibiting tho same case or composure in his
elevated position . There was a considerable crowd of pedestrians , with a large proportion of-women and children ; altogether , I suppose , there may have been 5 , 000 persons present in all . The crowd was quiet and good-natured—as Italian crowds » enerally are . About the ceremony itself there was nothing peculiarly impressive . The National Guard was drawn up in a hollow square in front of the Cusciiie Villa Palace , where there was a high altar raised , and a number of stalls for the
members of the Government and their friends . The walls were covered with flags , about which the only fact I noticed was , that the French tricolour was , as Lord John Russell ' would say , conspicuous rather by its absence than its presence . There was a short mass , which fuw could see and nobody listened to . Then there was an address to the commanding officers of the four battalions of guards by the President , Ricasoli , which wass inaudible , except to- the immediate bystanders . After this address these officers brought the new
colours round to their battalions , and called u pon them to swear to the Constitution , on which the men lifted up their right arms and shouted "« Turo . There was a moderate cheer from the crowd at this moment , who then dispersed . ¦ ¦ Baron Ricasoli \\ ow mounted his horse and riding along was saluted by very hearty vivas us he passed . The National ( luar ' d marched into the meadow by the side of the Calcine and performed some military evolutions , with very indifferent success , in the presence of the Baron and his staff ' , and then everybody went home to dinner . The Baron Ricasoli is r . tall , fair man , very thin , and sickly in his look , -with blue . spectacles , and a good deal of fluffy straggling hair on his fhee , which does . not improve his personal appearance .
On the following evening there wa . i . a . 'great State ball at ' the grand ducal palace of the Poggio Imperiale , outside the walls . The ball itself was much like other balls . There was oin : circumstance , however ,-connected with it which struck me . curiously . Omnibuses were . advertised to run from eight tu ten to take guests to the palace for the moderate sum of two pauls , or tenpence , there and back ; ' and , so , sure , enough , at the app ointed hour , the streets of Florence were promenaded by little , dirty , one-horse omnibuses , plying ior passengers to the ball ; and , as soon as their seats were fullthey used to rattle off merrily , with their
lull-, dressed fares smoking as they went . When i . s the reign of good slmisc likely to be firmly established enough in my native hind for royal guests to be able to drive up , without shame , to an evening party at Buckingham Palace in a sixpenny 'bus ? This week has been a disastrous one in the newspaper world of Florence . The Sccolo , unworthy of its name , has conic to a premature end by absolute inanition , after about six months ' existence . The unfortunate subscribers wur « comforted by un announcement in the Jiinorgimento of the
that the good-will and stock in trade defunct Sccolo had been transferred to them , and that its subscribers would receive n copy of the Kisorgimcnto gratis for a wli < 5 le week , wlnuli , as tue Risorgimento was four times as large as the & < colo , would compensate for their pecuniary Iosjh . The next day , however , there wns a second notice ( hat the editor of the llisorgimeuto , having departed on a secret and important mission , only one page o £ the paper would be published for tho present ; and now the llisorgimanto has disappeared finally from its wonted haunts , and its place is known no more . Jiequiescut in pace .
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ut ¦¦ i ¦ t ?**«?—7 ¦¦»¦ twmi ? ¦ ¦¦ ¦ ¦•¦ ' , - ' ' ¦ ¦ ¦ 1324 THE LEADER [ No . 506 . Dec . 3 , 1859 . ¦ U 1 i ? iLT « iTT 7 MU *• ' - — --liWi U ¦ ¦ 4 i tf^——CaMKIh ¦ ¦¦¦ . ' !—SM » mfi * .. —^ ,, ¦¦ - ¦ - ¦ ----- -- ¦ ¦ i . iiii ___ ' " ' ' ... . . ' m m w t ^^^^ MO »^— ^^
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 3, 1859, page 1324, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2323/page/16/
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