On this page
-
Text (3)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
suppose . Id spite , however , of these abstract considerations , the virtue of the Papal lotteries , unlike that of Caesar's wife ,. is not above suspicion j find I have heard sceptical inquirers demand what the reason can be for having ; one blank day between the closing- pf 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 ¦ tome memories of the 'Pythagorean theory still exist in the land of its birth ; but , be the cause \ vliiit it may , it is certain that in the Southern Peninsula a belief in the symbolism of numbers is a received article of ¦ fa ith . Every thing , name and occurrence has its numerical interpretation . Suppose , for instance , a robbery occurs . Forthwith the numbers '' or sequences of numerals c < rrospoudihg 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 are the v inner i simpat / ei , or the -numbers in each month or-year which are supposed to be fortunate ,, and lists of which are published in the popula . ralmana . es . That , for instance , for the present . month is ¦ eighty ' -eight , why or wherefore'I . have never been able to discover . Wo % \ ill assume now that , liaying 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 JPrcnditovia di Loiti . In fact , begging and' gambling are the only two trades that .. " thrive in . Rome , or are pushed with enterprise and energy . When the drawing ' takes ' place . in Tiis . cany , the result-is ¦ com . niunic . iiti .-d 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 . ti > the quarter of the city ... In the well-to-do streets — ' if such-an appellation to any street here be not an absurdity—t'He exteriors' of the lottery -offices" are . neat , but not gaudy . A notice , . printed ' in -hi . rg ' e black ' letters on a white placard' ; that-this . week the . lottery will be drawn for at Rome or wherever it bo , and a _ glass frame over the door in which are slid the winning numbers-of lust week , form the whole ' .. external ' . adornment .. ' ' In the poor and populous ' parts , the lotteries ' flaunt . oufrun till kinds of . shabby finery . The wall about the door is pasted over with . puffing in .-criptions " . From stands in front of the shop Uutfer . long strij . es of gay particolpiircd paper , inscribed with all sort of cnkiHstic figures . If you like you iiiny try tho 1 \ mo JclJa puri-it > ut , which is morally certain to tiirn up I his week—or next ,. 11 ' you are of a philosophical disposition ,-. you ihsiy stake your luck on the numbers nineteen and fi , rly-two / wbii-li have not been drawn for twelve months , and , must , therefore be drawn sooner or . Inter : or , if you like , to cast in your lot with o-hers , you nitty back that avtho which lias " sold " marked against it .. At any rate , you will not . be the only fool who stands to 1 < se or win on that chance , ' which , after . till , is some consolation . If none of thest itulucenienls aro •{•¦ utti . cient , you may fix on your choice by spinning round the index on the . painted plate , and choosing ' the mimlii-rs opposite to which the . " -pin stops , thus making , chance determine ! chance . Having then selected your combination somehow or other , you enter in . The interior of these offices is the same throughout . . A low ( lark room , with a ion ™ ink-stained desk at one side , behind -which , pen in ear , is . seated mi official , more grimy and more . snuffy even than . Hie run of Iris tribe . Opposite the clerk , ; 1 here is sure to be a picture of the Madonna , with a small glass lamp before it , wherein a feeble wick flouts and flickers in a pool of rancid- oil . Indeed , the lottery throughout is conducted on a religious footing ; Tho ¦> mmc (/ a //\ or ollicials , who keep them are all men of sound principles and devotional habits , fervent adherents of the spiritiifil government by which and under which they live . Lotteries ; it is s ? aici ; encourage a simple faith in Providence , while they dispel tiny overweening confnleiu'o in your own un . snnctifu'd exertions , and may tht > refore bo defended on abstract moral , grounds . When . you have reflected on all this , you simply tell the cltirk what sum of money yon want to stako , and on what numbers . The smalloNt contributions ( from eleven baiocohi , or about sixpence upwards ) will be thankfully received . A long uhitey blown slip of pnycr is jjivcu you , with ' I ho ahove numbers written on it , and tho sum you may win marked opposite No questions wliatever about name or residence , or papers , are nulled-, at * they nro -whenever you want to transact any other piece of liubiness in Rome ; and nil you have to do is to keep ' y < ur slip of paper , and conic buck on tho Su . tu . rday to learn whether ' your numbers have boon drawn- *—or not . There is , iii trulh , a ludicrous side to tli « Papal lotteries j but tlioro is also a very sad one . It in sad to see the offices on a Thursday ntyht , when they nro kept open till midnight , hours after every other fliop is closed , nml to watch Ilio crowds of common , hurnblo people who crowd in , one after tho other—servants and cabmen , und cleiUfl nnd bpggars , and above nil , women of the poorer cliiss , ( o stoke their small sayings—rloo often their small pilforhig-a —on tho hoped-for number . "When one speaks of tho disgnwo nnd eliamo tlutt this authorized NVBtom of { rumbling confers on tho Papal Government ; of tho improvidence and dishonesty and ruincry it cvpates , too certainly , amongfit the poor , 0110 is always told by tho advocates of tho Pupncy , ( hat tho people nro bo passionately attached to tho lotU-ry , that no Government cpuld run tho risk of abolishing it . J , f thiH bo two , whiqh I do not believe , I can only say—shiimo to tho rulers , who huve so demoralised their subjects . Of into 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 heartil y * God speed them ! for their work is good .
Untitled Article
March 17 , I 860 . ] TJie Leader and Saturday Analyst . 261
Untitled Article
Florence , March 5 , 1 SG 0 . Welex 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 nprrfear . as to the result of this ' second experiment ' universal suffrage , and am quite convinced ¦' that it-will confirm . the acts of last 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 bo the final decision , it will be respected and acted upon . Great efforts htive been made through 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 circulated with the newspapers , both in the towns and the country * It ; is hot to be denied that the present moment is felt by all here to lie 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 eiul with reference to . Piedmont ; for we now know that \ rcxo . it EiiMANt Er ,, our chosen king , will accept our votes at any hazard to himself , and that our independence will be secured to us .. Hut then , who can calculate the-. dangers . we may have to face ns the price of our adherence to our new . king ? If , in opposition to all our . hopes and wishes , £ he vote for a separate kingdom should , " crnorge from the electoral ' urn j tlten all would bo problematic , dark , mid threatening .. Weakness ., division .. Austria , and servitude would soon , again be uiir lot . In the union with Piedmont , on ( he 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 liaypy prospect . It'hiis been said that Piedmont , has souish . t . tO-absorb the States of Italy for her own ag-gniyidiseineYit , and that the "desire manifested by Tuscany for annexation was incited by- hatred against Austria , KoMie , and Naples . Kvery not of Tuscany during the p « st few montlis has been such as to show ., th . at'it is hcr ' .-ow ' n strong ; md . spontaneous desire to identify herself witli Piedinont in . order to create Italy . ¦ 'The ' strongly-ftjlt necessity of becoming Italian nnd getting rid of foreign intei ferei ce , has urged Tuscany towards Piedmont , not P . iedmont towards TiLst-any . For some lime after the flight of the-Grand Duke . Considerable disinclination existed oil the p : irt of the Tu . scans to give up their . •• epttrafe identity ,, an . d niciu-o their traditional glories iii thot-c of the -Ifoiii-c ' -of Savoy . Iliicl 1 affairs been iuiihediately iirranged after the EVnoe of ¦ Vil'hilranca , it would not have required much persuasion to induce Tuscany to listen to proposals for any Government short of- receiving Lai-k her .. former sovereign , IJut in the l < m , y : delay ' . which has intervened , every nwriith hti $ been drawing ¦ - closer the ' -bonds between Tuscany and Piedmont , and thu desire , lo form an Italian kingdom hiis i ; ow attiiincd a power and development which , , I doubt nor , will cflectually overcionic all . obstacles u . hii-h may be placed in the way of annexation . A 3 very day affords some fresh instance of 1 ho general desire for fraternity and amalgamation . Tin ; other day tlio students of Pisa and Turin inierchan ^ od addresses , which attest tho sirong sentiments of union . and pjitiiot-ism with which they are mutually penetrated . A far , more remarkable address has since ; been issued . The clcryy are now giving in ( heir adherence to Vir . Toj * Em . man uivi . ; and an addi-esa , signed hy a largo portion of the . I'Moioso . privs | fi , has been sent U > the King of Piedmont . This is , porliaps ,. tho Urst coiubiiied niaiiilostiition of respect and devotion to-lliu principles of liberty made by the s .-ccrdotal ranks in Tuscany , and may he , looked vipoii as a demonstration equally reniarkabli ! and gratifying . The numerous signatures appended to tho iuUlrcs » were obtained , neither by- request nor by command , but wo . ru l ' reoly and spontaneouwly oilored by tho individuals named . 1 send you a copy of the Address . * It is strange ( o sec two nion of such opposilo fltnui-p uh Lord NoitMANJJY niid Signor Gumuhaxki rise Up at tho ' Huuio inoincut to filter the lists agniiist TiiHcany and Piudinont . Uvk \ i \\ ax '/ . \ , a . s you well know , was dictator of the Tuscan republic in J * vl . l- > , ami tit tlio restoration of the Grand Duke sought an asylum in I'lcdinont . His name is famous in modern Italian literature , ^ aintl it in deeply to bo deplored thut . lie should liaVo brokon Ih-o tsilenoo of yours , to decluro tlint tho national assembly of Florenoy acted indepondoutly of tlio Wishes of tho ' people in voting for annexation with Piedmoni , and to vilify tho nets of iho temporary M-wnmiout »« J'o has done . Tljough disappointed hopes and want of self-control have t . hus partially obseurt-d his judgi . nent and jmliioiirtin , 1 thinlc , it ) nust . huvo boon equally to hia surpviKO and annoyance that ; his words have been quoted ' in confirmation of tlio calumnies of y < au-J ^ ng-lish Lord by tho publio preBB , and particularly thnt of Germany . Lord JSToitmanuy ban never had uny opportunity of knowing what was tho real state of Tuiuuuny , nuti ( he views and wishes of the Tuscans . Though ho Jived hero for so ninny years as a diplo . nuvtist and as u private gentlenmn , ho knew , in reality , ay little of public fooling an if ho had remained in his ancestral hulls , or been residing in Chum , or any of tho Jdvit ' ush colonies . Xlis inost intiinafo friends wero persons of no co »» idcratiou among us , und if any of tlio bent cltizeiiH by ehaneo appeared in his saloons ho took no pains to ieurn tnoir opinions . His Joiowlcdgo of Flon-noo and f l ' uwini , v wiib derived
Untitled Article
" """ * lVo append , ft tranfilwtton of tho Address .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1860, page 261, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2338/page/17/
-