The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-01 00:00:00

CHARLES ALBERT AND NAZZINL

Charles Albert is dead, and we raay now appreciate the
true bearings of his character, and ascertain the glaring

inconsistencies of his conduct.
lie had high.minded, generous impulses; but • limited
understanding; a facile, yielding disposition; he was, above
all things, irresolute and uncommunicative ; almost help •
Italy swayed by all around him.
The errors of his youth, in 1821, must be attributed to
infirmity of purpose and inexperience. The cruelties of
1833 find an easy solution in the crafty suggestions of a
Jesuitical camarilla, who pointed, and not without reason, to
the members of young Italy as the king's own ruthless, per-
sonal enemies. But his campaigns of Lombardy, but the
fight of Novara, were the spontaneous outbursts of his own
nature. There, he not only surprised, but widely outstripped
his well-meaning advisers.
Bad he ever been able to make himself understood, or
had the Italians seconded without understanding, nay, even
without trusting him, had they accepted his atonement, they
would ultimately have learned to acquit him of the fatal
past; to do him justice, in the hour of victory, as they do
now, in his grave.
But—sad to say ! the blood of Jacopo Ruffini choked him.
The man who was, to the last, the king's evil spirit—
and the evil spirit of Italy, at Milan, was liuffini's bosom
friend in early youth. Ruffini's blood rose indelible between
Charles Albert and fdamini..

This latter, who deemed himself entitled to withhold his
love and esteem from his fellow•beinge indiscriminatsly—
who counted all divergence from his opinion as treason and
apostacy, who despaired of men's fitness for liberty, because
they wavered in their submission to the dictates of one
mind—llezzini—had raised, or affected to raise, a shrine to
the memory of hie lost friend—of the only man, he said, from
whom he had suffered no diem:Khania:nests no dereliction.

fdauini, however, toque that Ma friend died young, and
before his own narrow theory of God and the people" had
come to maturity.

The Year Book of Facts in Science and Art. By JOHN
TIMM Bova'.

A compendious resume of the discoveries, inven-
tions, and improvements which mark every hour of this
busy age, has become absolutely essential to all who
would take part in its progress. Such a compilation
is this by Mr. Timbs. The feats of engineering
skill, the discoveries of chemistry or astronomy, the
extension of natural history and improvements in the
useful arts, find here a concise and yet sufficient re-
cord. The variety of subjects brought together is
almost grotesque. Dr. Scoresby's observations on
Atlantic waves, and Visot. Serrione's improved button',
earthquakes, and egg-heaters, gl ass-pens,and the glacial
theory, corns an for common notice, and lend their va-
rious aids to mark the physical, social, and intellectual
advance of the present time. Mr. Timbs announces
a special record of the Great Exhibition, to be pub-
Salmi about the middle of the year, as as "extra
volume of the Great Book of Facts."

Tin Pocket Pserago of Great Britain and Ireland. By
}leery it. ronter. Bogus.
The special recommendations of this peerage are
its portable form and accessible price. It does not
appear that the editor has sacrificed any essential
revisits in fulfilling these two conditions ; whatever
is interesting in the origin and history of each family
in the peerage is given in a concise form, and the
introduction of a personal anecdote often gives addi-
tional interest to what would otherwise be
a dry detail of facts and dates. Although abaronetage
is not mentioned in the title, the volume contains a
list of all who have attained that dignity in England,
as well as another list of honourable permissive' and
individuals bearing titles of courtesy. With these
advantages, it cannot be doubted that Mr. Forster's
will boon= an extensively popular work of reference,
and in Its own sphere prove not lean useful than the
more portentions work' which have preceded it.