The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Lorenzo Benoni ; or, Passages in the Life of an
Italian. Constable and Co., Edinburgh.
The reader may form whatever opinion he
pleases as to the object of the author, for the work
may be considered a work of fiction, an auto-
biography, or, what it appears to us more strictly
to be, reminiscences of early days, written by an
Italian refugee. The thoroughly English style in
which the book is written proves beyond doubt
that the author must have lived long in this
country. The first half of the narrative is con-
fined to the childhood and school-life of Lorenzo,
which, but for the occasional introduction of

amusing anecdote and description of particular
character, and a brief sketch of the manner in
which Italian education was carried on some thirty
years ago, would prove tedious to the reader, if
his risible faculties were not awakened by the ex-
traordinary precocity of children of from ten to

thirteen years of age ; for certain Lorenzo Benoni
had an overweening self-esteem as a boy. On his
leaving college he becomes a great dandy, which,
however, he is soon ridiculed out of by his uncle,
a matter-of-fact Genoese merchant, who, in all his
after-troubles, is his staunch friend. His mode of
life is a sample of that of the generality of the
Genoese merchants at that time :

"Uncle John's style of living was, like that of the
greater number of the burghers of Genoa at that time,
simple, and even parsimonious. The house in which
he lived was situated in a narrow dirty street, as most
of the Genoese streets arc. It was choked up in front

_
by another mansion rising just before it at the distance
of a few feet, and at the back overlooked a filthy yard.
In buying this house, some twenty years before, my
uncle had been determined by the single consideration
that it was not above five minutes' walk from Banchi,

and that it was sure to let. As to air, open space, or
light, he had thought no more about them than if things
of the kind had never existed. Air, light, and prospect
were superfluities ; if you could have them into the
bargain, so much the better, if not, you did just as well
without.

" The suite of apartments which my uncle occupied on
the second floor—the other stories were let—was spa-

cious and lofty, but dark, and looked empty and cold.
It was, however, be it said to its credit, deliciously cool
in hot weather. _ The walls were whitewashed, and their

nakedness was rather set off to advantage, than con

cealed, by the half dozen or so of old family portraits
that hung here and there. Thinly scattered through
the apartments, at a great distance from each other,
there stood a few old-fashioned, heavy, dark pieces of
furniture, looking so lonely in their corners as to make
one feel sorry for them. An ancient Venetian mirror,
six feet in height, a dozen old chairs covered with faded
yellow velvet, and an enormous clock in tortoiseshell of
exquisite workmanship, constituted all the luxury of the
drawing-room. But the walls of this drawing-room,
which was very large and lofty, were, by a happy excep-
tion, filled to an inch by pictures of the best Italian
Masters. No arm-chairs, no sofas, no carpets, no lamps,
nothing of all that contributes to comfort. Uncle John
did not feel the want of it, or rather was not aware that
there was such a thing in the world. He had, in
common with most of his countrymen, a strong pre-

judice against fire, which he declared to be very in-
jurious to health, and the only chimney that existed in
his apartment had been accordingly walled up. His
only precaution against the cold, sometimes intense,
consisted in rubbing his hands, or, in extreme cases, in
going out to walk.
"His meals were of patriarchial simplicity. A cup of
coffee for breakfast. For dinner, soup, most frequently
the national minestra asciutta (that is, a pottage of

macaroni or other Italian paste, boiled for a short time,
then drained dry, and seasoned with gravy and par
mesan cheese), a dish of meat or fish, a salad, and fruit
or cheese. For supper, a dish of boiled vegetables with
oil and vinegar, and nothing more. Such was the fare,
from which he never deviated, but which he imposed on
no one else, for his guests—when he had any, a thing of
rare occurrence—always found an excellent table at his
house. And on state occasions, such as his own birth-
day for instance, Uncle John would give us a truly
princely dinner, both as to the profusion of choice dishes
and wines, and as to the luxuries of linen, china, and
plate."
Being destined for the law by his father (who,
be it known, was an affable and agreeable com-
panion to the world, but a sulky old bear at
home), lie enters the high college, of the manage-
ment of which, and the conduct of the professors,
the author's own words can best express :
"It was strictly required of the professors that they
should call over the roll of their auditors at the beginning
of the lecture, and mark down those who might be
absent. After three absences thus proved, the profes-
sor was forbidden to give his signature to the student's
card, which occasioned a loss of three months. No-
thing so provoking was ever invented—nothing giving
rise to so many acts of servility on the one side and of
gross partiality on the other, as this confounded system
of calling over the names. It was a sword of Damocles,
continually suspended over our heads, and really put us
at the mercy of our professors, for where was the student
sure of not being three times in three months a minute
after the hour, and who might not want a little in-
dulgence on this score ? For the youth of independent
character, who was above condescending to entreaty,
the fatal cross was scarcely ever effaced, whereas it
readily disappeared for one who could bow low, and
make himself acceptable by fawning.
"The letter was everything, the spirit nothing. The
student who showed himself assiduously at the lecture,
especially if very submissive, even although he never
looked at his books, stopped short at the most simple
question, and conducted himself in other respects no
matter how, fulfilled the letter of the law, and that was
sufficient—he was irreproachable. On the contrary, a
conscientious young fellow who was above cringing, let
him be ever so studious, ever so unimpeachable in his
morals, was unmercifully pounced upon at the least in-
fraction of the letter of the law. The aim was to form
machines not men. The University was like a huge
press destined to squeeze out of the rising generation all
independence of spirit, all dignity, all self-respect ; and
when I pass in review the noble characters which never-
theless have escaped from this bed of Procrustes, I
cannot help thinking with pride what strong moral ele-
ments our much-slighted Italian nature must possess, to
come forth pure and vigorous from such a deleterious
atmosphere.
" A kind professor, who might sympathise with us—
and. there were some such—dared not give way to his
good-will so much as he might have wished, for he knew
that he was watched as well as we, and that an unfavour-
able report might cost him his chair. The professors
and the students were equally subjected to the espion-
age of the servants of the University, such as porters,
beadles, janitors, watchmen, &c., &c., who were all in-
formers—informing being a condition, sine qua non, of
their obtaining and keeping their places. These wretches
did their best to overhear our conversations, which they
reported after their own fashion, sending up notes con-
cerning various individuals. They felt their power, and
used it like uneducated creatures as they were—that is,
by conducting themselves with rudeness and insolence.
And the student who might be tempted to makeolieof
these men know his place, entered upon a perilous un-
dertaking, for between the affirmation of a student and
that of a servant, the latter was sure to obtain cre-
dence."

During this part of his career, being about
twenty-three years of age, he, together with his
brother and some old college associates, begin to
take part in the political agitation which then agi-
tated Italy. The machinations of the Carbonari, to
which sect they belong, is, however, discovered,
and the little party is almost annihilated by the
sudden arrest of Fantasio, their leader, who is,
however, only banished from Italy ; and at Mar-
seilles again infuseslife and vigour into his party, and
organises another conspiracy, the fatal termination
of which took place in 1833. The tyranny exer-
cised over the inhabitants of Northern Italy, and
what the unfortunates suffered, is vehemently de-
picted, and many examples of injustice and oppres-
sion are given as examples, although the public
need. them not, for they have but to read the daily
accounts from Milan, or any of the Italian states,
to meet with parallel cases :--
"Piedmont lay prostrate under the worst of all des-
potisms, the despotism of the sword. Military gover-
nors and commandants lorded it over the
bceoluniTitrhyt,eraliiklye
true Pachas. The power of these men
unlimited, daily encroachments ot:ieenanjduriins‘dtiheetiono
the civil authorities became inevitable
inex-
tricable confusion and constalntstosftrsuageghlea forsta
which were the natural resu
knew neither where to seek
nor peaceable citizen,teeeoPfrethmianegYs',
nor to find justice,
idea of the dignity and mo-
was whoof course the sufferer. The fol-
lowing fact may give some
A gentleman no deration these high. functionaries displaytehdaviii.lngthreatsiesd-
chirge of their duties.
or of Genoa suddenly attacked
his hat as the carriage in which tbe king chanced to be
drove by, the
.Govern
him, and, loading him with the most virulent abuse,
It so chanced that this
knocked his hat off d htais head.
one of the first families of Genoa,
gentleman belonged
and was moreover personally known to, and highly
esteemed by, the Emperor Alexander of Russia, with
whom he frequently corresponded. To these circum-