The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-05 00:00:00

THE CAMPANA COLLECTION.

The Giornale di ..lionza has an article referring
to a correspondence in the Perseveranza. The
Milan journal has spoken of the recent sale to Russia
of part of the Campana collection, which it deplored,
declaring it to be a " Vandalic outrage on the
artistic genius of Italy." The Roman official
journal makes the following statement :—" It is
certain that the Monte di Pieta in Rome found
itself, two years ago, under the necessity of
receiving the collections made by Campana, and in
accepting them it certainly had not in view to
ornament with them the vast edifices in which they
are placed, nor any other palaces, but to compensate
itself for the large sums due to it from Cam-
pana. To indemnify itself, in part, for the losses
it had suffered, it did not hesitate to accept the offers
of Russia, which related only to the classes of sculp-
ture, vases, and bronzes; those of jewelry, terra-
cottas, glass, Etruscan paintings, works of the Re-
naissance, majolica, objects of curiosity, and almost
entirely that of pictures remaining untouched. It
is quite true that those collections comprise objects
of value, but, whatever that value may be, it can
never equal that of the masterpieces with which are
so abundantly enriched the Pontifical museums and
galleries, and those of private persons, which are the
artistic wealth of Rome and the admiration of the
universe. Moreover, in the condition to which the
Pontifical Exchequer has been reduced by the despo-
liation of the provinces, it is evident to all that
it would have ill employed the handsome sums
which the generosity of the faithful has put at its
disposal for the urgent wants of the Holy See,
had it applied them to the purpose of increasing
the number of the objects in its museums and gal-
leries. It is clear, then, that if the Campana col-
lections may redound to the splendour of foreign
cities, wh ere they will be placed to increase the
monuments of a grandeur which, proper to our
soil, is elsewhere the seed of civilisation and a spark
of that flame which feeds the arts, in this our
country already covered with more considerable
riches, they are, we will not say, useless, but
assuredly superfluous. Campana himself, who
well knew the value of the objects collect ed,
and on which he had lavished enormous sums
robbed from the Monte, looked to foreign countries
for a market for them. Moreover, these collections,
whether they belonged to Campana or belong to
the Monte which acquired them, constitute a
private prepsry ; and it is absurd to make their
sale a charge against the Government, as it would
be absurd, in presence of what has been set forth,
and inopportune also, in the actual circumstances,
to pretend that the Government ought to have
purchased them. Therefore neither has the Monte
di Pieta acted wrongly in endeavouring by this
sale to realise a part of the important credit for
which it became possessor of the Campana objects,
nor has the seat of the fine arts been a loser by it ;
in like manner it will not suffer in the least if the
whole of the collections should be sold."

PL .4 INTIFF AND D PIT ;V DA NT IN THE
YELV_ER7'ON CASE.

It is a duello between Madame Innocence and
Major Mephistopheles. Madame Innocence has
told her story first. Days ago, in the 'first act of
the piece, there had arisen a hum, a rustle, a
stretching of necks, as a small figure was seen
ascending into the awful pillory or pulpit reserved
for witnesses. S tra w-coloured hair, almost
golden, and folded back after that seductive
French fashion—soft and tender eyes—a small
round face, almost " babyish" in shape, and
size, and tinted with a delicate pink, yet with
a tint of suffering and faint lines of pain.
Such as have travelled so far as an Eternal City,
detect a likeness to the famous Cenci picture.
Hark ! All her simple story, detailed by the
golden-haired lady—in so musical a voice—so gra-
phically, yet so sadly, that we all (junior barris-
terial element) there and then enrol ourselves as
her knights, and are prepared to do something
frantic on the first opportunity. Letters ? That
thick octavo volume contains all those documents,
printed and set out for the common use of counsel.
Such tenderness, such wit—such graceful womanly
style—such playful dallying with his subjects !
Privately, we class them with Lady Mary's or
the ingenious French lady's; but we may be biassed.
Those more touching passages, where she pleads
against that desertion which she has an instinct is
overshadowing, wring our very hearts. We think
it no shame that rough impetuous Brightside read-
ing them aloud, should have that huskiness in his
throat, that unusual break in his voice; or that gentle
hearted Rhadamanthus-in-Chief, high in his green
pavilion, should be obstreperously busy with his
handkerchief, Elderly barristerial element, past
such thinks now, show signs of weakness and shake
heads mournfully. It is very sad. We are all verging
upon dotage. The golden-haired lady in the box is
fast turning us into fools. . . . A few days interval
—for this dramatic performance has spread itself
over a span of nearly 12 days—and Major Mephis-
topheles has appeared in the witness box to tell his
story. A haughty supercilious fighting man, beard-
ing the hostile population who hem him in on all
sides, with a defiant scowl. Unclean humanity in the
galleries hunger and thirst to have him away. Al-
ready they have fallen on some luckless might out-
side, whom they have mistaken for Mephistopheles,
and are hurrying him to a muddy bath in the river,
when he is rescued. Mephistopheles is driven to bay,
and will brave it out. He owns to everything with
a strange coolness, unfolds his schemes in a hard icy
voice,and proclaims candidly that Madame Innocence
was a poor common creature, of the earth, earthy, and
on the whole, no better than she should be. Our ears
tingle as we hear him. We are inclined—still the ju-
nior barristerial element, by this time infatuated—to
cast lots who shall wait for him outside. But there is
retribution at hand, for Little Sergeant, crackling,
detonating all over, is now at his throat. What
strange feats he performs with that hapless officer !
How he shrieks at him; what contradictions he
involves him in ; how he wrings from him—though
miserable Major strives to fence it off desperately—
a faltering confession of a debased morality ; then
lets :him go ! Unwashed humanity hiss and groan
each questionable sentiment, and hoot him loudly
as he fades out into Erebus.—Dickens'B "All the
boar Round."