The Press.
London, England, 1854-02-11 00:00:00

fortis gttt, literature,

SILVIO PELLICO, well known to every English
reader of Italian literature by his " Le Mie Prigioni,"
died at Moncaglieri, near Turin, on the Ist of February.
He was only in his 06th year, but his sufferings had
long since exhausted both mind and body, and for
many years past he had been affected by a pulmonary
complaint. In early life Silvio Pellico wrote a
tragedy called Francesa di Rimini, which enjoys a
considerable reputation in Italy. In 1820 he was
tutor in the family of Count Porro at Milan, and the
following year was arrested as a carbonaro and
condemned to death at the same time as Count
Gonfaloniere and many others, which sentence was
commuted to imprisonment, and he remained in the
fortress of Spielberg until the amnesty of 1830. On
his release he sought shelter in Turin, and had
been almost ever since employed as librarian in the
house of the Marchese Barolo, where he died,
having completely separated himself from all political
connection after his arrival in Piedmont.
THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON has granted from his
privy purse a pension of 1,200 f. a yea to Mme. de
Monsigny, widow of the son of the composer of that
name.
THE STATUE OF JEFFERSON, third President of the
United States, was cast on the 25th ult. at the royal
foundry at Munich. It is 13 feet high, and has
taken 10 tons of metal. The model is by the Ameri
can sculptor, Hiram Powers. Mr. Powers resides
at Florence, but was present at the casting of
his work.
A FURTHER SUM OF Two MILLIONS has been
decreed in aid of public works in the communes of
France, in order to give work to the people.
THE SWEDISH CHAMBER OF NOBLES, upon the
motion of the Minister von Hartmannsdorff, have
declared railroads to be "things unfit for Sweden."
M. SAINVILLE, for twenty years a popular actor at
the Palais Royal Theatre, died at Pau on Jan. 31, in
his 48th year.
THE Bulletin de Paris announces a complete and
radical reorganisation of the Bibliotheque Royale in
the Rue Richelieu.
THE NEW CONVENTION between Spain and France
on literary property is almost universally condemned
by the Madrid journals. They contend that in reality
there is no reciprocity in it; that France has all to
gain by it, and Spain nothing; that whereas all
French novels, dramas, &c., of any note, are sure to
be translated into Spanish, there are none or few
translations of Spanish works into French ; that the '
real intention of the convention is in favour of
French and against Spanish and Belgian interests,
the effect of the eleventh article, which will exclude
French works published in Belgium from coming to
Spain, being that the latter will have to pay 100
reels for a work which now (the Belgian edition)
costs 20 rests, &c. The official Gazette publishes
some long articles in defence of the convention.
THE GREAT VERON CASE, concerning the late sale
of the Constitutionnel, was resumed on the 3d inst.
before the civil tribunal in Paris. The pleadings
were most voluminous, the entire day being occupied
with hearing different counsel on behalf of the several
plaintiffs, complaining of the treatment they received
from Dr. Veron. Their plaint chiefly regarded a sum
of more than 700,000 francs which the doctor bad
retained out of the gross purchase-money, and nov
claimed to belong to himself as the price of his rights
of management and editorship. When the court
rose the case was adjourned for a week, when Da
Veron's advocate will reply on his behalf.
THE DEBUT OF MADAME PETROVICH, gran-
,
, daughter of the celebrated Kara George, at the Pars
Italian Opera, raised extravagant expectations. Tie
lady appeared on Tuesday week as Lucrezia Borgia,
but is said to have been so overcome by emotion as
to have utterly lost the calmness and self-possessbn
indispensable for success. On the following Thursiay
a new basso, of high Italian reputation, M. De Arts,
appeared as the Podesta in La Gazza Ladra, Rid
completely succeeded. His voice is described is a
deep mordant bass, which he uses with much effet.

A SWEDISH GENTLEMAN has constructed a aew
compositors' machine, which is said to succeed )er
fectly. He has left for England, where he will
patent his invention. The name of the mechaneia
is Wiberg. In Denmark the printing-machine of
Sorensen (which was exhibited in the Crystal Paace)
has been perfected, and will now be used u the
establishment of the Foufrelandet.

SATURDAY,

THE ABBE DE LAMENNAIS is said to be recovering.
Several persons have endeavoured, during his serious
illness, to induce him to send for a Roman Catholic
priest, but in every case without success. A lady,
known for her devotion (Mme. Cottie), .succeeded in
getting into his room, and there, throwing herself
on her knees by the bedside, besought M. de Lamen-
nais to be reconciled with the Church ; but her pains
were all to no effect., the patient declaring that not
only would he not listen to any priest, but that his
body should not have the usual prayers of the Ca-
tholic Church said over it. _

Ma. SPENCE has completed, at Rome, the model
of a colossal figure, intended for the Sydenham
Palace, representing his native city of Liverpool. 'Jibe
figure is dignified and grandly draped, and will be
distinguished from her companions in the row of
cider by the commercial caduceus and the legendaiy
bird, the liver, which (according to some theorists)
was the origin of her name.
MLLE. CLAUSS, who on her way to St. Petersburg
has been giving concerts at Cologne, Dusseldortt;
Elberfeld, and Bonn, with great success, played
twice last week at the Court of Hanover. Alter the
second concert the Queen sent for Mlle. Clauss,
and conversed with her for a long time in her
private apartments. Before leaving she presented
her with a magnificent bracel. t set in ( i tmonds.

THE drama of La Jeunesse des Mousquetaires,
founded upon the first of the series of romances
written by M. Alexandre Dumas, of which these
gallant personages are the heroes, has b en brought
out at the Poi te St. Martin, with a success which
promises to renew the career of popularity it en;oyed
some years ago when first produced at the Theitre
Historique. It is written, or rather extracted, from
the pages of the original tale by the author himself
and M. Magnet. The principal character, D' Artagna,
is, as f rmerly, represented by Melingue.
Dn. LiszT has composed an opera, which will see
the light at the Court Theatre at Weimar in the
course of next month. The libretto is said to te
from the p, n of an eminent personage, whose name
is not given. The title is Faust.
JENNY LIND'S intention of visiting England, and of
giving a series of concerts in London and in the
provinces, has been nullified by recent occurrences.
A communication to this effect has been received from
her husband, Otto Goldschmidt._ _ _

VIENN Feb. 4.—Professor Dal Fuzz°, of Leg-
horn, has discovered a method of submarine naviga-
tion ; and, the same being now matured, he has en-
trusted it to an enterprising agent at Genoa, who
will convey it to Paris and London, in order to take
out the necessary patents, and then make experi-
ments.

MR. FAIRBAIRIL the eminent engineer of Manches-
ter. who is visiting Paris for the purpose of taking
his seat in the Academy, received on Saturday last
an imperial command to attend at the Tuileries, and
wa3 honoured with a lengthened interview. His
Majesty made minute inquiries as to the progress of
in3chanica: science in England, and at parting pre-
sented Mr. Fairbairn with a diamond box, marked
with the imperial initials, as a recognition of the
eminent services he had rendered to science.
THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND gave a grand
dinner on the 20th ult. at Serny's Hotel, in Rome, to
Cardinal Antonelli. Among the guests were M.,n-
Signor Medici, Monsignor Borromeo, the Pope's
Majordomo, Monsignor Macioti, and Monsignor
ralbot, Count Philip Antonelli, Prince and Princess
Doria, Duke of Sermoneta, Prince Massimo, Duke of
Zagarolo, Duke and Duchess of Wellington, Lord
Broughton, Lord Dungarvan, Sir John Ramsden,
Mr. Petre, and Mr. Edward Howard. The Duke
and Duchess of Wellington had arrived in Rome on
the 23rd ult.

GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.—A view of Sebastopol
has been added to the other attractions of this popu-
lar place of amusement. The order in which it
appears is immediately after Constantinople and St.
Petersburg. The spectator sees before him a land-
locked harbour, six miles in length, of a long oval
form, in every part of which, and especially close in
shore, ships.of-the-line are moo ed. The shores are
low, arid hills sloping steeply down to the bay. The
town is in front, but the famed batteries, four in
number, are far away at the narrow entrance, where
distance deprives them of terror, whilst between a
steamer, which imagination supposes to be the
Retribution, is securely making her way. The stone
of which these fortifications are built is light, friable
sandstone, interspersed with granite. Mr. Stoc-
queler made his descriptive lecture as pleasing as
usual. His allusions to passing events were suffi-
cient to satisfy the most patriotic without offending
against good taste.
THE ContaoE or 1853 at the Mint comprised 10,597,993
sovereigns, 2,708,796 half-sovereigns, no crowns or half•
crowns, 3,919,950 florins, 4,256,188 shillings, 3,837,930
sixpences, 16,038 fourpences, 36,168 threepences, 4,752
silver twopences, and 7,' 20 silver pence ( for Mannday
money), 1, 21,440 pennies, 1,559,040 halfpence, 1,028,828
farthings, and 955,224 half-farthings. The total valne of
the coinage of the year was 12,668,0001.; the average
of the previous five years was only 4,000,0001.

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