The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-14 00:00:00

telligent Italian physician, when the conversation
turned upon the Algerine pirates and their cap-
tives. The Italian drew a painful comparison :
Who can count the political prisoners rotting in loath-
some dungeons in various parts of Italy at this moment ?
Your countryman Gladstone has laid bare the horrors of
the Neapolitan State prisons; but he did not tell you of
Mantua, of Ferrara, of Pagliano ! In the galleys of An-
cona, many persons, guilty of no other crime than the un-
guarded expression of their liberal opinions, are now wear-
ing the felon's dress and chain. I know of some young
men now languishing there, who, for having let off a few
fireworks on the anniversary the proclamation of the
Roman Republic, were sentenced by the restored Papal
Government to twenty years' companionship—daily and
nightly companionship—with the foulest murderers. I
could relate to you such stories of our prisons—of men worn
to premature dotage; of strong hearts crushed ; of noble
intellects palsied—as would make you own that a worse
slavery than that of Algiers exists for us!

Of the kindness, the hospitality, and generosity
of this long-suffering people the writer cannot
speak too highly. "In all scenes of distress and
affliction," she says, " their sympathy and charity
are very remarkable, and it is beautiful to witness
their untiring solicitude towards each other in sick-
ness." No Italian when ill is ever left alone. Ilis
friends devote themselves to him and divide the
hours of watching. She tells an. anecdote of a
young man of Bologna, who lingered for eight
months in agonies from an incurable injury to the
spine- His friends, who were other wise gay and
frivolous as himself, arranged their attendance no
that day and night two were always with him.
We must bear in mind the national love of socicta
and horror of solitude and silence, fully to appreci-
ate this kindness which, among ourstives, might
appear intrusive. Their delicacy towards the
poorer members of a circle, in matters of dress and
ostentation ; their kindness in always reserving
places at their feasts for tedious old friends
of the family, and those who cannot in-
vite them in return, are equally admira-
ble. It is impossible to lay down these volumes
without sharing in the writer's regret that
the Marches of Ancona, of whcse inhabitants she
has such kindly recollections, are so wretched in
the present, so full of uncertainty in the future.
We must, however, like the Italians themselves,
rest our hopes on that gallant little kingdom and
its " Re yalantuomo" wich has afforded the sole
ray of light in the dreary darkness of the last ten
years to the unhappy Peninsula. Everywhere was
the same enthusiasm felt, everywhere Piedmont was
spoken of as the anchor of hope. Only the codini
or Austrian retrogade party looked on with dis-
trust and suspicion, and it is very amusing to read
the author's account of the horror with which the
patriotic and enlightened statesman, Count Cavour,
to wh om the cause of Italy owes so much, is regarded
by this obstinate and bigoted party in his own
country. We take our leave of these interesting
volumes with the following tribute to the steady
courage and unswerving fidelity of Victor Em-
manual :L

The situation of the young King might well be termed
desperate. A victorious enemy on his borders, a shattered
army, an exhausted treasury, his clergy and nobility dis-
affected to the new order of things ; to crown all, absolutism
triumphant all over Italy, and the certainty that Austria
was only watching for a pretext for a fresh invasion. It
needed but for him to have annulled his father's conces-
sions, to propitiate a large number of his subjects, disarm
the hostility of his powerful neighbour and her satellites,
and possess himself of those privileges of which his prede-
cessor had stripped the crown. It will be registered in the
grateful hearts of millions yet unborn, that Victor Em-
manuel was proof alike to warnings, entreaties, and blan-
dishments. Through evil and good report, kinglike and
manfully did he uphold the constitution to which he had
sworn, till he met his reward in the wondrous confidence
and enthusiasm of which he is now tha object.
It is not a sudden impulse, this love of the Italians for
Victor Emmanuel. On the contrary, when he mounted the
throne, so great was the universal hair at for kings, gene-
rated by the perfidy of their own princes, that few reposed
belief in his assurances. It was only when he was seen
firmly contending with Rome against her encroachments
and intolerance; throwing open his States to the political
refugee without regard to his opinions, equally sheltering
constitutionist or republican; unflinching in maintaining
the liberty of the press, and the dignity of the country, de-
spite the menaces of Austria, and ever eager in promoting
national prosperity and enterprise ; that the prejudice
against monarchy was overcome, and the Italians, front
Venice to Etna, bestowed upon him the surname of the
"Iti galantuomo."
To the influence of Azeglio and Cavour, one or other
of whom has rarely been absent from his counsels since his
accession, much is no doubt due ; but while fully acknow-
ledging heir obligations to the patriotism, courage. and
intrepidity of these Ministers, as well as to the host of emi-
nent men they have gathered round them from all parts of
the peninsula, the Italians never forget to give the chief
glory to Victor Emmanuel. Without his steadfast ad-
herence to the Constitution, as to a trust bequeathed hint
by his father, Italy would not now be looking forward to
assuming her place among the nations.

The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer. With Notes,

&e. 3 vois.

T. Nichol. Vols. 1 and 2.

The father of English poetry is now appear-
ing in his place in Mr. Nichol's admirable
series of the British Poets. It will be remem :
bered that the works of Spenser have been recently
completed, and the great satisfaction expressed by
the public with regard to the method adopted has
encouraged the editor to continue his system. The
aim has been to render these great standard works
of English poetry comprehensible and attractive to
the modem reader without demanding for their
perusal a degree of erudition that is oniy possessed
by few. It is, however, impossible to modernise
the text of Chaucer in the same degree
as that of the " Faery Queene," but thanks
to the convenient arrangement of the mar-
ginal glossary, readers of ordinary intelligence and
acquirement will now be easily enabled to elucidate
any perplexing passages. The text is given entire,
and the dissertations and notes of Tyrwhitt,
" which have always," says the preface, " been re-
garded as a masterpiece of research and scholarship,
are added in full." The notes belonging to each
volume are given with it, which is a much better
plan than that of placing them altogether at the
conclusion, and greatly facilitates reference. Mr.
Cowden Clarke having allowed the publisher to -
make use of his " Riches of Chaucer" in modern-
ising the text, every assistance has been afforded
towards making the edition as complete as possible.
Mr. Gilfillan gives the life of Chaucer with the
second volume, and will add a dissertation on his
writincrs with the third r the introductory part of
the first volume being engrossed by Mr. Tyrwhitt's
essay and discourse.

Personal TI •ongs and Legal Remedies By 11.
Campbell Sleigh, Barrister-at-Law. Longman.

A more general knowledge of the laws that affect
us personally is being diffused among us, and the
little work before us appears to give a fair summary
of legal remedies that can be obtained for personal
injuries. Mr. Sleigh is the author of " A Handy
Book on Criminal Law as applied to Commercial
Transactions," and the success which has attended
that work encourages him to anticipate a similar
degree of public favour for the present volume,
which is of a similarly practical character. The
author quotes in support of his work the opinion of
Blackstone, who says that "it is incumbent upon
every man to become acquainted with those laws,
at least with which he is immediately concerned."
As a means of enabling the public to follow this
sages andoNuilede ime
ahga
isucoo mwp,
ome service hi
qrtusi.re a knowledge of
oiuleldd lit volume, which
enablingintricacies
t h e read
uerr law()clue

Say and Seal. By the Authors of " The Wide
Wide World," and "Dollars and Cents." Bent-

ley.
The announcement of a new work by these
authors will attract the attention of the large circle
of readers who recall with pleasure the perusal of
,4 The Wide Wide World," and its pleasanter,
though less didactic companion, the history of
the amily of Glen Luna. The work before us is
written in the same style, with a high moral and
religious tone, which, however, does not prevent
love and love-making from forming its principal
ingredient. The hero is a gentleman of unusual
excellence and great abilities, who, from °various
motives, has accepted the office of school-teacher in
a quiet little country town. He lodges with a
i
widow and her only daughter. Faith Derrick sa
charming character, and this Mr. Linden speedily_
discovers. Accordingly, he becomes reconciled to
ehsi min atshaelwmaoys t
.
superhuman, there are
the world, and as Faith
few
wokds
ifflupcuoniti
Various events and characters are introduced, pro-
minent among whom is Dr. Harrison, a physician,
a clever but sceptical man, who also acknowledges
the power of Faith's attractions. The characters
are distinctly yet delicately drawn, and the conver-
sations, if almost too numerous, are very skilfully
and naturally written. The chief fault of the
work is its diffuseness, for which the authors apolo-
gise in a quaint but somewhat mystical preface.
There is much true and simple feeling in it, and it
will no doubt ,be greatly prized by the lovers of
quiet and faithful pictures of domestic life. It is
not a work to be hastily skimmed for the excite-
ment of the plot, but to be read for the careful de-
lineation of character and the attraction of its
home scenes.

SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—HANDBO
itOUGII, Friday.—A sad accident occurred at the Hand-
borough station of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Railway, yesterday evening, arising through the
rashness of a passenger, who attempted to get into a train
while in motion. It appears that a farmer named Powell
alighted at the station for some purpose, the train exchang-
ing passengers here for Oxford and London. While on the
platform he observed that the train was moving, as if to re-
sume its journey, and Powell accordingly ran after, and
jumped on the step of one of the carriages, when he was
thrown down, and, falling between the platform and the
carriage, was fearfully crushed. One of his arms was nearly
turn from the socket, and he was otherwise injured. He was
removed to the infirmary at Oxford, where he now lies in a
dangerous state. His arm, and a portion of one foot has
been amputated,