The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-11 00:00:00

TIIE MILTON AID GALILEO LETTER%

A correspondent of the Daily News expresses his
conviction that the letters recently presented to the
French Institute, byM. Masks, professing to be
genuine correspondence between Milton, Galileo,
Louis XIV., and ot acrs, are audacious literary forgeries.
lle is convinced that no man, in the 17th century,
could have made use of such extraordinary French
phraseology. Ile- began by reading tho supposed
letter of Milton to Louis XIV., and ascertained that
all the facts concerning Milton's travels in France
and Italy had bccnb?rrowed from his own account
of them. The critic gives good reasons for his
incredulity as to the origin of the letters,
for he quotes a Passage in M. Villemain's "Notice
sur Milton," published in his " Melanges," and in
the new edition of Michaud's " Biographic Univer-
zelle," togetherwith a pa:ssago from . the letter
referred -to. The extract from the " Notice" is almost
word for word the same as the letter, only the
writer of the letter has endeavoured to make his
French a little more ancient by the use of such
~
amy,,, " allay,"
words as and " scavans." Every
name and incident mentioned is identical, and the
critic concludes his labours by hoping that M.
Chasles will profit by the lemon.

THE MAZZINIAN CONSPIRACY IN ITALY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
ROME, MAT 2.

The trial of the Roman subjects concerned in the attack
of the Gate of St. Paul, in October 1867, is now before the
courbo. Th“y will - pe.l)o.Lly h rviPsuied nn condition of
leaving the country.
Letters which I have received from undeniable sources
in Naples give details which fully account for Victor
Emmanuel's precipitate departure thence. His Majesty
was waited on by the Questors of Naples (or head of
police) to inform him of a most formidable and widely.
extended plot against his life, and that the police could not
be answerable for his safety if he remained. He, therefore,
left early in the morning, before Prince Napoleon's arrival.
He appeared at the races escorted by cuirassiers and in a
close carriage, and this most unusual proceeding caused
the worst possible effect. Had he not left Naples when
he did, there is reason to fear that he would have been
assassinated, so widely spread and so virulent is the new
Mazzinian organisation. It appears that the remonstrances
of Menabrea to the Helvetic Confederation have been.
greatly weakened by the fact that Signor Melegari, the
representative of Italy at Berne, is the same person who,
many years since, recommended Signor Gallenga to Mazzini
himself as a tool ready to his purpose when
the murder of Charles Albert was resolved on.
A letter from Mazzini, originally published in
the Poputo d'ltalia, and reprinted in the Unita of the 29th
of April, leaves no doubt on the matter ; and it is clear
that the very man now charged to demand Mazzini's
extradition was one of his most intimate associates and
fellow-conspirators. Coppi, in his " A nnali d'ltalia," calls
Melegari " the first rebel against Savoy, and one of the
founders of yotmg Italy ;" and it is scarcely from such a
man, whose antecedents are perfectly known, that the
remonstrance canes with the best grace.
_

For the present moment, all is exceptionally
quiet and prosperous here. An enormous quan-
tity of Pontifical money is being struck at the
mint, among others, some beautiful pieces of 100
francs in gold. The prices of labour are very high, and
there is abunclatt work, especially for building purposes,
the extension of the city going on steadily, especially in the
direction of St. Mary Major and the railway stations of
the terminus, valich is far the most healthy quarter of
-Rome, and pronises to become one of .the most fashion-
able, although for strangers it is a little out of the way.
The officers of the Zonaves are many of them going on
permission, whici does not give the idea of any immediate
danger to Rome ;and, save for the certainty that Mazzini
is now the life anl soul of a most; formidable movement,
there would be Little cause to doubt that the autumn