, 1859-05-20

Tic present governments Of Italy may be liz
ened to 4 TOW Of bricks standing on end. They
toppie over at Il very easy push and thu fall Of
one involves the fall Of others. The Grand
Duke Of Tuscany has been the first to b. over
thrown, aud though it may seen, ifnpolite to
make such comparison when Il lady is IN the
question, it is uouc the less true thut the Duch-
ess ef Parma is the second 'brlck' that has top
pied over.
Tic s;,unle announcement By telegraph was +:
'sThe Grand Duchess has taken her departure,
after having instituted Council Of Regency.
The ncw government has expressed its adhe-
sion to Piedmont" This movement may be
considered US fact Of Significance rather, than
Of actual importance; for, thongk the real n;'
terial aid that snail power like Parma, with
its army Of five Thousand men, can at1ord, is
not much vet the fact Of tue retirement OF the
Duchess is IN evident manifestation OF the c2.
tent to which popular feeling is aroused, anu
will have its effect upon the people of other Ital-
ian countricS.
Parma is IN independent dnchy, containing
all area estimated at two fho"sana sesen IVY,
<lrt,l square miles, with population OF llftle
orer half million souls, and, with its several
| dc1pndcncics, lies wholly between the Arqe-
mines anG the south bank Of the 10. The sol! Is
| fertile and weli cultivated, and great attention
is pald to the rearing Of cattv, both for feeding
anu for the milk, whence IS obtained the famous
| Par,resvn cheese. The country, after the de,
/
| Lombartv. and when that kingdom was con
| u,,ored. rarua was presented to the Pope. Fof
| centuries it has been thrown about like i shut
1le-cock, into the hands Of various masters.
| Though never nation Of even secondary IN
| portas,cc, it was always very des'fabie h's1e
nossrs,on. convenient for satisfying the grasp
| 1ur pnor relations Of various potentates. rope
Paut Ill made d,,c},y Of it fur one Of his sons
Or uephese, and Ut tue downfall Of Napoleon 1t
vas settled upvu poor Maria Louisa for lite. on
her death it came into possession OF the
Duke Of I.ucca, which latter province was an.
| ne1cd to Tuscany, the Lucchesaa duke cAan5'ns
his title with his dominions.
| Tie preeeut nou1inal ruler Of Parma is bog
the Duke Robert, who will be eleven years old
On thu ut, Of july next. His mnthcr, tue pdeA"
ess, since the death Of tue previous Duke. some
five years since, has acted us regent, and gov
| crncd The country in quiet way, without ex-
| citing :.,,v popular demonstrations either OF re-
gard or aversion. Personally the Duchess has
little to attract particular attention. She IS re-
sprctablc milde-aged lady, who means well
. but, as Mr. Micawber said Of his son Wilkins
has netcr carried out that meaningl in any gl7e1
direction wlsat-nyer.
The t}i.ht Of the Duchess WAS deliberate
rather ,ban precipitate. She seems to have de
ci1ed upon it for some time, and had forwarded
to Eenice Il large quantity Of her personal prop
ertv, war,lrobes, plate and money. 1layinY; Sc
cured These the sensible Duchess decided tt
leave the sinking ship, and, ,appoiIntin= Fssen zen
cv, started, as ii is supposed. for Venice, wfIrre
| likc Fanny tllsler, the Duchess dc Bcrri, ant
other Notable ladies' she possesses Il very com
:, | Portable and handsome palace. Her exile VII
, awaken little sympathy here. There is searce',
. ! :. European potentAte whose movements slaV
/. excited less attention in this country, and he
| downfall vas such ! necessary consequence .
the i1atlan troubles taat II Will e3eaae As'Ae SUI
i | prise. ~,
. As far as mere local surroundings 70. til
Duchess need have little cause Tor regsettlnE
cl,auge that sends hcr from the drcary ptalnS
Parma to the island queen Of the Adr!a1lc. ~
captai city of her little iuchy has little 10 III
terest the traveller bes1de the pictures .; ~ ~
q reggie aud Parmcggiano, and the eSlled lad
c will find her Venetian palace, With It's r:s
n Gothic windows its pleasant balconies an': j
n delicious prospect, far more agreeable than III
) dreary Farnesc palace Of f'ar1nar with lis rl''
j. urcades, its unfinished walls, and its stras@!i"
;; picture galleries. The dome Of inc fafha''s'.
d cathedral is adorned with one Of fCorregSl, 5 "
C blcst frcscoes; but in exchange for this n
q Duchess can admire the mosaics Of San Marco
i ! while the giea1ning canals ot Venice VIII reoS
q rastls more agreeable, especially IN the sun
d 1ncr. than the wide, dusty, and decnS1ns stree
ofParma.
f l,l seeking refuge in Venice the Duchc:
is places herself under the protection Of the -.u
u triap- and this course is by means caic;:a't
10 to excite the sympathy Of her former sn'ti'ts
'e whom We nla, suppose to he as eager in Il
d cause Of Italian independence Us t'cl7 ncis
Il bors. Placed. as they are, directly be'ws'
r Tuscany and Sardinia, it would seem lmpos,'b
4 | that tue enthusiasm now awakened III the IN
in o1ns Of tl1e Pie.ln,ontcse and Florentincs slou
s. now prove infectious to tho Inhabitants Of Il
is little Duchy of Parma, and. though no rartlc
Of lars are given in the meagre despatch that co
I'd yeys the information Of the recent change III Il
ID political affairs Of TINT State. it is but Eeason
" lie to surnuse that the Duchess had, before h
re Hight, .oi,l. intin1ution that her further tenu
st Of oilce was decidedly precarious