The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-26 00:00:00

(4.414 -

1600
ITALY.
.4. V
vei,ok TUSCANY.

(FROM OUR SPICIAL

FLORENCE, Aria 20.

The weather, which hitherto has been most pro-
pitious, changed yesterday afternoon, and the rain
fell in torrents, putting a stop to the eochi
_or . cha-
riot races iaE were to have come off in the
Piazza Santa' Maria Novella. In the evening
all the facade of Thrones was at the Per-
golo. This beautiful theatre was brilliantly
illuminated, and densely crowded, notwithand&
the high prices at which tickets were solid.
the acoommodation been doubled, story place
would have been oocupied. His Majesty, hearing
that Prim:ern Bonaparte, wife of Prince Canino,
had been unable to procure a box, sent her the key
of one of the royal boxes, with a magnificent
bouquet made expressly, surrounded by a wreath of
violets, the flower of the Bonaparte,. He also
sent moot choice bouquets to the Countess Caselli,
Marchionesses °inert, Lajatico, and Ricci, the last
the mother of Madame Walewaii, and also noticed
the Countess Valentini, a sister of Prince Canino.
On his Majesty's appearance the applause was
immense. For more than ten minutes the cheers
were deafening, and from all the boxes the ladies
waved their handkerchiefs and bouquets. The
King during all this time stood in front of his
box, returning the salutations of the audience. As
soon as tranquillity was in a measure restored a
patriotic hymn was sung. Again and again during
the time his Majesty remained the cheers burst
out. The King, though made of stern stuff, was
much moved b 7 this display, and continually ex-
pressed his delight. It wag indeed, a magnificent
sight, such as cannot readily be forgotten by any-
one who witnessed it. The blaze of light from in-
numerable wax candles, the gorgeous decorations,
and crowds of handsome and elegantly dressed women,
formed a coup d'cril that cannot be adequately de-
scribed. Cavour's countenance showed the intense
delight he felt in the reception of his Sovereign.
Go where be will, amongst whatever class of the
people, no sooner is Victor Emmanuel •
than the rises are most enthusiastic. His
open bearing contrasts strongly with the down-
looking shuffling gait of the members of the late
dynasty.

PIS Arm 21.
I came here yesterday morning, after writing my
short letter to you, being anxious to see how the
King would be received. We started at half-past
eight o'clock by the royal train. The dense masses
of clouds which hung heavy over our heads began
to disperse as soon as the train reached the smiling
hills which crown the lower valley of the Arno.
Once arrived at the station, the King, who was
accompanied by Count Cavour, Ricasoli, Buon-
compagni, Commendatore trballino Perurzi, and
about sixty deputies, alighted from the royal
carriages, and were received, as usual, by
the gonfaloniere and town councillors with an
address. After this ceremony, the royal procession
began to move through a dense crowd of peo-
ple, who thronged the right quay of the Arno
towards the royal palace. The rain, which had
copiously fallen during the previous night, had
much swollen the noble river, which was crowded
with boats. Two boats of the Racoon had come
from Leghorn, carrying some British naval officers,
amongst whom I recognised Captain Blackburne.
The drive of the King from the station to the
palace was a continuous triumph. Thousand,' of
citizens and of country people had gathered in the
Inoble streets of this historical city to cheer the
I King of their choice. The balconies of the palaces
and the spires of the churches had been elegantlyde-
corated with rich draperies, flags, and inscriptions.
When the King appeared at the balcony of the
palace, where his Majesty had been called by the
enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, six musical bands
filled the air with the national anthem, which had
been composed at the beginning of the war. I
cannot describe the exciting spectacle which ap-
peared on the Quays of Pisa at that moment. On
account of the high wind which was blowing we
missed the splendid illumination which had been
prepared, and which is now postponed till the
29th, when the King will come here to pay a
second visit. The uncertainty of the weather de-
prived us of the other amusements which had been
arranged. The boat race was the only oue we were
permitted to enjoy.
Subsequently the King left the city for Flo-
rence, amidst the roars of artillery and the
cheerings of the population, but his Majesty re-
turned to the neighbourhood this morning, having
gone to San Salvatore, about five miles from Pisa,
on a shooting excursion. During his short stay
in this city, Victor Emmanuel did not fail, of
course, to pay a visit to the famous cathedral, the
leaning tower, and the Campo Santo. His Erni-
menoe the Cardinal Archbishop, a Florentine of the
name of Corsi, did not miss this occasion of show-
ing his dislike to his new sovereign. He ordered
his canons and priests to leave the church as soon
as the excommunicated monarch had set foot upon
its pavement. This foolish demonstration roused
the indignation of the people, and had it not been
for the express order of his Majtsty, and the exer-
tions of the local authorities, the cardinal would
have been called to a strict account by the popula-
tion of the city.
Yesterday the deputation from Rome, charged by
their compatriots to present a sword of honour to
the King, arrived at the palace. At 2 p.m. the
members were presented to his Majesty, and deli-
vered this noble present into his hands. The sword
is, viewed alone as a work of art, most splendid.
The hilt is of golds the work of Castellani, the most
Celebrated goldsmith of the eternal city ; the scab-
bard, crimson velvet, elaborately ornamented in the
same metal. The cost of it was raised by subscrip-
tion, and I am informed that the names of the con-
tributors exceed 10,000. It is made in the model
of one in the possession of the Barberini family.