The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-13 00:00:00

RECOVERED MANUSCRIPT OF

ARIOSTO.
We mentioned, some weiks ago [ante, 993], on the
authority of the Italian journals, that Signor Innocenxits
Giampieii. Conservator of the Palatine Library of the
Grano Duke of Tuscany, had diseolfered the manageript
of a large portion of an unpublished epic poem by
Ariosto, entitled "Rinaldo Ardito " (Orlarkf:' the Bold).
Signor Giampieri has, since, published a notice (7! WI
manuscript, from which we extract the following de—
tails :

"The manuscript in question," he says, " bears the-
title of Rinaldo Ardito.' It was in July last that r
discovered this precious manuscript in a village of the
Ferrarese; and I was fortunate enough immediately to
effect its purchase. The manuscript is incomplete ;
but there is every reason to suppose that it is
entirely in the handwriting of the illustrious author
of the Orlando Futioso;' for it resembles in its most
minute particulars the autographs of Ariosto which are
preserv( d at Ferrara—and with which I have carefully
compared it. It appears that, on the death of Ariosto,
in 1533, his relations and friends were wholly ignorant of
the existence of the 'Rinaldo Ardito,' for his son,Virginio
Ariosto, makes no mention of it in his Memoirs of the
Ariosto Family,' published at the time, and in which he
gives the most circumstantial details relative to his
father's works. It was only so long after as 1551, that
a Florentine biographer, Antonio Francesca Dona, in a
sort of catalogue, entitled Liberia, mentioned it in these
terms:—' Lodovico Ariosto, Rinaldo Ardito, dodici
canti.' But shortly afterwards Giovan Batista Pigria
and Girolame Garolfo, historiographers to Al-
phonso 11., and two distinguished literary men,
Muzzuchelli and Barotti, denied the existence of
the Rinaldo Ardito,' and accused Dona of havilag
wantonly invented the title. Girolamo Baruffaldi, in his
Biography of Ariosto,' published about the middle of the
last century, cites the work in question, and says that he
has himself seen a manuscript which contains 244 stanzas
—some of which he transcribes. There is every reason to
suppose that the manuscript which Baruffaldi mentions is
the very one now in my possession, for the number of
stanzas is the same, and those quoted by him are word for
word in my copy. The 244 stanzas now found form the
third, fourth, and fifth cantos complete, and portions of
the second and sixth. The remainder of the poem is want-
ing. It appears, from the fragments of the sixth canto,
in which the author speaks of the battle of Pavia and
the capture of Francis the First, that the Rinaldo
Ardito was composed by Ariosto in 1525, nine years
after the publication of the earliest edition of the Or-
lando Furioso,' and eight years before the author's death
in 1533. The manuscript in my possession has been
written very rapidly, and is full of erasures and correc-
tions in every stanza, which made its reading very diffi-
cult. But I have succeeded in perfectly deciphering it,
and have made a copy, which will be immediately sub-
mitt( d to publication. '—Ather.ceurn.

MORTALITY IN THE 87TH FUSILIERS.—We have
been much concerned to observe the unusual number of
deaths which have lately taken place in the garrison of
this city. The gallant 87th have been the chief sufferers.
Since their arrival here fever and pulmonary complaints,
we understand, have carricd off about 14 or 15 of them.
Indeed, for the last two months, few days have paised
without the solemn and affteting spectacle of a soldier's
funeral. It is truly melancholy to see so many of these
gallant fellows dropping, "in life's morning march,'' into
the silent grave. A finer or a Letter behaved body of
men we have not bait in this city for many a day.—
Aber*en Journal.

THE SOUTIIAMPTON ANTI-CORN-LAW MEMORIAL.
—The may-or has received the following reply to the
memorial forwarded bt his wor,hip, as agreed to at a
pubiic meeting of the inhabitants two or three weeks
•

" Whitehall, January 5, 1846.
" Sir.—l am directed by Secretary Sir James Graham to
inform you that he has not failed to lay before the Queen the
address of the inhabitants of Southampton, praying for the
immediate opening of the ports for the admission of foreign
grain and provisions, and for the early repeal of the corn
and provision laws.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
"GEORGE PHILLIPS."

—Hampshire Independent.
SINGULAR ROBBERY.—At the Essex Quarter Ses-
sions, George Firmin, aged twenty, labourer, was
charged with stealing he sum of 95., a tobacco pouch,
and half an ounce of tobacco, the property of John
Warner, at Great Horkesley. The principal witness in
the case was Eliza Bacon, a good-poking young woman,
who it appeared, was, on the evening of the 20th of
December, in company with the prosecutor, at Bruce's
beer-shop, in Great Horkesley. The prisoner was also
amongst the company, and having aroused the jealous
ire of the prosecutor by paying what he considered undue
and unsolicited attention to the damsel, he proceeded
to avenge it on the person of his rival ; a fight took place
until the parties were placed hors de c&mbot by the pro-
secutor being dragged away and locked in the cellar
for such time as to enable his irritation to subside.
Miss Bacon, about whom the disturbance originated, was
for a similar period safely deposited in the brewhouse.
Eddenee was given that the tobacco-pouch, which con-
tained the money, was seen in the prisoner's possession,
and he had been heard to say the tobacco would do for
him to smoke on the following day. Mr. Marsh, for
the prisoner, contended that there was no felonious in-
tention, and that as the transaction had arisen out of
a " squabble " as to which of the parties had the
greatest claim upon the young woman's attentions, in all
probability he took the tobacco and tore the coat in a
spirit of revenge, and with no intention to appropriate
the money to his own use. The jury appeared to fall
in with this view of the case, and returned a verdict of
Not guilty.

WEST-RIDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LEAGUE
FUND. At the West Riding dinner to be held in Leeds
on Wednesday next, we hope there will be the announce-
ments of most liberal contributions to the Great League
Fund of 250,0001. The crisis of the free-trade cause,
and the noble example of the sister county, Lancashire,
both demand a spirited effort. Messrs. Cobden and
Bright, who have devoted not only money, but their
strength, heart, soul, and whole time to this
cause for years, will expect to hear of worthy
doings in Yorkshire. Each town, of the West
Riding challenges the other, and we expect from
their generous competition a splendid result. The Leeds
subscription at present promises well. It is headed by
the munificent firm of Messrs. Marshall, with 1,0001.,
followed by others not less munificent, to the means. At
this time the subscription exceeds 5,0001., and we hear
that a much larger amount is to be attained. The Hud-
dersfield subscription up to Thursday had reached 2,7001.
The Bradfcrd subscription exceeded 2,0001. on Wednes-
day. Each of these spirited towns is likely to attain is
far higher figure before Wednesday next. The people
of Halifax, Sin ffield, Wakefield, Barnsley, Dewsbury,
Keighley, Cleckheuton, Heckmoudwike, Hebdenbridge,
&c., &c., may be expected to subscribe with correspond-
ing liuerality, in proportion to their wealth and num-
bers. Let every ton n and every man now act and give
under the conviction that this is likely to be the crown- .
ing and decisive Effort,
I'HE LATE MEETING AT CHICHESTER.—A cor-
respondent in the neighbourhood of Chichester writes as
follows Your observations on the meeting at the.
Corn Exchange at Chichester, on the 31st tilt., are true
enough : it is useless to give the details of such meet-
ings upon a subject on which the monopolists have been
refuted again and again, and where the labourers were
brought by their masters. But you ought to have stated
that an order was given for each man to be paid Is., in
adtii Lion to his day's wages, and that a person was planted
at St. Pancras toll bar to give the shilling ticket to every
labourer who had signed the petition—the question being
first put ; and that the ticket had to be spent either—.ust
at
the Swan ; at a public-house—I forget
wte the sign jea's, at Halnaker
along-
side
through the
Goodwoodtol ] toll-bar
0: u atse ;or n
Wood's,
—all houses of the Duke."—Brighton Herald.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Wednesday last a' man
tcaotbdnrbeac
named Themes Fletcher, living at Brockworth, went to
the Victoria Anna, on ti e road between Whitcombe and
Gloucester, where a pigeon-match was to take place. While
produced hemorrhage, which terminated lf
one of the party (Mr. Chapman, the landlord of the house)
was shooting, his gun burst, and a portion of the barrel
81,i,xasoc'call?ecdk sabumt
struck Fletcher on the thigh and perforating the femoral vein,
medicalnig t
assistancellir . C l utt eprrbouivsceked, oi tn
Gloucester,
about
Cheltenham Free Press. existence
RnertulTAIENT IN SWITZERLAND.—According to
the ilea:die, M. Gonzales Bravo has been replaced by
M. Aylton, in Switzerland, and a rumour is afloat that
among its cantons the Narvaez Ministry is anxious to
muster 100,000 recruits, with the assistance of which
the counter-revolution in Spain may be completed.
Lucerne, Friburg, aui Valais, however, are more readily
inclined to supply mercenaries to the Sovereign Pontiff,
or the King of the Two Sicilies. If these reports be cor-
rect, the new hidalgo will find his schemes somewhat
frustrated, and the continuance of his government over
the Peninsula not quite so firmly established as he has
hitherto imagined.
A GREAT CHANGE AT HAND.—A very signifi-
cant circumstance occurred on Tuesday, the 6th inst., at a
meeting of the Gloucestershire magistrates in the county
tov‘n. A proposition having been made for the erection
of additional lodgings for the judges, the Hon. Craven
Berkeley objected to it on the plea that " the country
was on the eve of a very great change with regard to the
agricultural interests, and they were bound to defer ex-
pending such a sum (7,0001.) until they knew what
course would be taken." These remarks were backed
by the acquiescence of Mr. Berkeley's brother, the Earl
Fitzhardirg, who observed that though that court (the
grand jury-room) " was not precisely the place for poli-
tical discussions, they could not shut their eyes to the
fact that some great change would take place which
would affect the agricultural interests very much in-
deed." These expressions are, however, only in ac-
cordance with the language used by one of the principal
opponents to the Anti-Corn-law League three days
id
af-
terwards, to the effect that a more perfect enig
not exist, at the present moment, than the Feel
and die futurity of the agricultural
interestsouc
Ministry,
was cave
and obscurity,
of thethe approaching strug-
gle, the landlords
will be astir, lien are astir —and as-
suredly not without reason.
NEW Sour" 1, ALE • r
s rorn a return of all sta-
tistical !ravers of any importance in connexion with
our Australian possessions, we glean the following
facts :—The population in 1836 was 77,096, consisting
of 49,265 free, and 27,831 bond persons. In 1844 the
pqmiati, n tiqd increased to 175,377, numbering 154,202
free, and 19.175 Loud persons. The revenue of the
colony in 1836 was 183,218/ , in 1843 it had amounted
to 322,5881. The ntunber ef emigrants who arrived at
the public expo rise in 1844 was 4,139, and in 1843 the
amount paid by the Government towards they
maintenance of convicts was 63,046/. In 1843 the
im-
ports of trade were 1,550,5441. ; in 1844 they diminished
to 931,2601., whilst the exports in the latter year were
1,128,1151. In 1843 there were 145,653 acres in culti-
vatien, and the live stock in the same year was as fol-
lows :—Horses, 62,017 ; horned cattle, 1,017,316 ; and
sheep, 5,055,337.