The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-17 00:00:00

LORD DERBY AND MANZONI.

APROPOS of the quotation from an Italian poet, in a
recent speech by Lord Derby, a correspondent of
" Notes and Queries" communicates the following
anecdote :

1 cannot inform " Hermes " where Lord Derby delivered
the speech in which he is said to have quoted the lines
from Mazoni's " Ode to Napoleon," but 1 know that his
admiration of that ode dates from many years back. At
Rome, in the year 1821, when it was still in its first fame,
and a common topic of conversation, Lord Derby ex-
pressed his high opinion of its merits in the company of
English ladies, of whom one or two did not understand
Italian, and were a good deal chagrined to bo thus excluded
from the pleasure which its recitation appeared to convey
to the rest. Lord Derby took up the book and said, "Oh 1
I will try to give you some general notion of the matter of
the poem ; its fire and inspiration will all evaporate in
translation ;" and with a wonderful rapidity he struck off
an improvised paraphrase in English, which I well remem-
ber thinking at the time gave earnest of the talents which
his maturer years have so splendidly developed. lam not
sure that he translated the whole ode. I never possessed
a copy, but some passages have remained in my recollec-
tion, and, though the incident has probably long passed
from the memory of the distinguished author, I will vouch
for the correctness of mine fot a stanza or two :

O quanta yoke, al tacito
Morir d' un giorno inerte,
Chinati i rai fulntinei,
Le breccia al sen conserte,
Stette—e dei di the furono
L' assalse il souvenir.
E ripens() le mobili
Tends, et percorst valll
E t campi del manipoli—
E °Edit dei cavalli—
E it concitato imperio—
E it celere obbedir.

Ott, as in silence closed some listless day,
His eyeball's lightning ray
Bent on the tumbling flood,
With folded arms he stood—
Mid bitterly he number'd o'er
The days that had been—and that were no more.
He saw the quick struck tents again—
The hot assault—the battle plain—
The troops in martial pomp array'd—
The pealing of the artillery—
The torrent charge of cavalry—
The hurried word
In thunder heard—
Heard—and obey'd.

THE Slane announces that M. Meyer, of Olten,
has been nominated Colonel of the Ist. Regiment of
the French Foreign Legion. It adds that General
Ochsenbeiu wi3i establish his head-quarters at Be-
sancon.

1

F BBRUARY 17, 1855.

THE WAR.

Intelligence from the Crimea of the 6th inst. is
said to have reached Vienna by telegraph, according
to which nothing of importance had occurred up to
that date.
Advices from Yambsch of Feb. 3, received in Paris,
state that the Russians made sorties on the Ist and
2nd, but were driven back with great loss by young
French volunteers.

Everything was then prepared in the Crimea for
an approaching assault. Favorable weather was
anxiously expected. The French had extended their
position to the extreme right. The British army
and the Imperial Guard were to fotm the reserve
corps, and also to be charged with the defence of

Despatches of the 27th ult. have been received,
both from Lord Raglan and Admiral Lyons, and duly
published by the War-office and Admiralty. Lord
Raglan writes :

Before Sebastopol, Jan. 27.—1 have the satisfaction to
ssquaint your grace that the weather continues fine.
There are severe frosts at night; but the sun shines
brightly through the day, and there is an absence of wind,
which, while it continued, added considerably to the suffer-
ings of the troops.
Every exertion is making by public transport and indi-
vidually in getting huts up ; but this is a most difficult ope-
ration, and the ground is still so rotten that it is a most
arduous labour to pass along it.
The extremely confined space of Balaklava and the vast
accumulation of stores have obliged me to erect huts at
some distance outside the town fur their reception.
The Admiral's despatch runs as follows

Agamemnon, off Sebastopol, Jan. 27.—Since my last
general letter of the 23rd inst. the weather has been par-
ticularly fine. The health of the army has been much
benefited by the change. A good deal of progress has
been made in hutting the troops and distributing the cloth-
ing which has been so liberally sent out from England,
so that the men express themselves as being comfortable.
The health of the fleet and of the naval brigade is excel-
lent. The men are well supplied with fresh meat and
vegetables, and also with oranges, sent from Malta by Rear-
Admiral Stewart.

The fire from the batteries of the allies has increased
during the last week, and that of the enemy has not
slackened. New gun. have been mounted in our batteries
during the last four days.
On the 24th inst. I passed the day at Balakiava, to super
intend the service going on there, and to make inquiries
and examine into matters connected with the duties of the
port and the transport service. I met Lord Raglan there
by appointment, and we made some arrangements which
will, I trust, have a beneficial effect.
.. Later advices have reacheil,the Freuch Marine De-
partment from Admiral Brunt, and were published
in the Moniteur

Montebello, Kamisch-harbour, Jan. 30.
The General-in-Chief demands of me thirty fresh ship-
guns, and 15,000 charges, in addition to the 32,000
already required.
The Du,perre has just anchored in the harbour of
Kamisch ; she brings 950 military passengers, 32 huts,
1,000 bombs, and 320 barrels of powder.
The Panama brings 160 passengers, and army stores
(camp furniture and tools).
Feb. 2.-1,350 soldiers and a cargo of provisions have
arrived, as also changes for the fleet and camp articles for
the army.
Since the 31st January the Russians have recom-
menced their night sorties, but have been vigorously re-
pulsed.
The two Grand Dukes have entered Sebastopol.
The roads near Eupatoria, hardened by the frost, are
become in an excellent condition.

The Russians have received considerable reinforce-
ments.

Letters from General Niel, dated " Camp before
Sebastopol," have been received in Paris. They state
that the condition of the French army is satisfactory,
and that he had found the English army in a better
state than he had expected.
The Journal de St. Petersbourg of the 6th instant
contains a report from Prince Menschikoff to the
28th, in which he speaks of some shells of prodi-
gious magnitude thrown from the French trenches
into Sebastopol, but states that they did no harm.

The same paper reports, that on the 22nd a French
war transport, the Ajax, grounded on a shoal near
Eupatoria, and that, in spite of a steamer which
came to its assistance, the captain and six seamen
were taken prisoners by some Russian lancers, sent
to the place with two pieces of horse artillery. The
vessel itself, with its cargo of hay, was burnt.
From Varna, on the 4th instant, we learn that
30,000 Ottoman troops had landed at Eupatoria.
Others were on their march, and would be embarked
for Eupatoria as they arrived.
Omer Pacha was to leave Varna on the oth for the
Crimea, accompanied by Colonels Dieu and Simmons.
Intelligence is said to have been received in the
camp of a large amount of the Czar's property—it is
asserted to the value of 400,0031.—which had been
found in Eupatoria, and would be realised for the
benefit of tins allied armies.