The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-14 00:00:00

ITALY.

OPILOY Ong c0aanerea0.........
itOME, Fes. 8.
It is the opinion of the best informed persons
here that in the event of a revolution which should
restore liberty of conscience, there would be a much
stronger reaction towards protestautism in Rome
than has yet been shown in Florence, or elsewhere
in Italy. They have here seen Popery in its
(groesest shape, and are doubtless heartily sick of it
in all cases where there is not absolute enslavement
to superstition. The "curses not loud but deep"
on the immorality of the clergy may be heard by
whomsoever will earn enough of the confidence of one
of the poor Roinans as to induce him to speak his
mind. Knowing what a dweller in Rome cannot
but know on this subject, it is not a little dis-
gusting to watch the prudery of these priestly
" whited sepulchres"—the banishment of Florentine
flower-women, the exclusion of English ladies from
dozens of places too holy for their desecrating feet, and
lastly,Lauch incidents as one which occurred to me
yesterday. I was visiting an infant school, admira-
bly managed by a most benevolent Italian gentle-
man. It consisted only of little boys, from three to
eight years old. "Why" said I, "do you not
adwit also little girls ft does them both good to
be mixed, and it is hard for the girls to be excluded
everywhere in Rome from these institutions." " I
know it, signora, I know IL But believe me we
have difficulties enough with the government
already. Were I to venture ou mixing boys and
girls, even under eight years old, I should have
my school shut up next week." The poorer classes
certainly manage to read a quantity of forbidden
literature, good and bad, in whatever way they
contrive to obtain the books. I have managed to
converse with a good many, according to the easy
courtesy of Italian manners, and have found the
knowledge of French novels alternate curiously
with that of the Bible. One poor young
woman, of the latter order of readers, con-
tided to me that she possessed a Bible ; and
oh, what a beautiful book it was ! Au Eng-
lish lady in her house had given it to her. " But
have you not to confess to your priest that you
have such a book I" "Oh, cars signora, he never
disarmer of asking me such a thing ; if he did I
should be obliged to give it up. I have a cousin, a
tine fellow, who bad a Bible last year, and a priest
came into his house and spied it ou a table, and put
it into his pocket and walked off with it." "Tell
me," 1 said, " supposing we were to have a change
here, would there be many, do you think, who
would become protestants 1" " Molti, molti,
siguora. oh, multi !"(navy, many). "And are there
many now who read the Bible ? " A compreasi
mile and a nod was the safe reply.
There is reason to hope that the Carnival, which
begins on the 22nd of this month, will produce
seine strong demonstrations. If the government
succeed in keeping all things quiet, it will be by
putting an extinguisher on the Carnival itself, or
(as Mr. Dicey well describes it) by leaving the car-
nival " awed moceo/0." Should this be done, it
may be doubted whether the much-enduring people
of Rome will suffer that particular straw to be laid
on the top of their load of grievances. Bread has
long been scarce ; such beggary and misery as
the streets display, all Europe cannot match. The
very chorus of Egypt and Syria for " backsheesh "
would be drowned by the outcry for bajocchi here.
But if the " circenses " be stopped as well as the
" pauem," what can the great Roman populace do
but mutiny at last

It has been suspeetel that the railway interpreter,
Ceccarini, who is accused of baring instigated the aarassina•
tion of the foreman, Smith, at Velletri, has owed the
immunity which be bas hitherto enjoyed to the cireum•
stance of his being • Bourbonic recruiting agent ; but,
whether this supposition is correct or not, th►t legitimist
rank bag not been allowed to stand any longer between the
offender and the ends of justice• The individual in quer•
tion has been imprisoned at last, ample time for escape
baring been allowed him if he had Leen so intentioned.