BOOKS.

MEMOIRS OF FELICg °DUNI. *

Tim escape of Felice Orsini from the Austrian dungeons at Mantua, about a year ago, and the volume he subsequently published descriptive of his captivity, have rendered his name familiar to the British public. In the autobiography before us he narrates the whole ot his career, from his boyish days until his last arrival in England. The story is somewhat curtly told, except in its political or conspiratonal details ; but there is a matter-of-fact interest in the pictures of Italian family life among what in England would be called the middle classes. There is something of a dramatic) character in the self-willed boy, struggling against priests, Jesuits, and the narrow studies they would impose upon him, but learning more willingly under a freer system of tuition., and stimulated to self-teaohing when contact with well-educated men excited his emulation. The groat feature of the Memoirs is its picture of the Italian Liberal conspirator and the modern Italian conspiracy. From his youth Orsini was engaged in plots and risings to free Italy from the foreigner; nor did he confine his aspirations to Italian freedom. On Louis Philippe's occupation of Rome after the Revolution of July 1830, Orsuu, then scarcely in his teens, ran away from school to volunteer in the French liberating army ; but was caught and brought back. In 1843, he started from Florence to join an abortive Spanish insurrection at Barcelona, which Espartero put down by bombardment ; but, luckily for Orsini, his scheme was stopped for want of a vise. Years afterwards when Rome had fallen before the French army and our hero had escaped to Nice, he and sundry other Italians were stimulated by Napoleon's coup d'etat to attempt an invasion of France. How far any one not a Frenchman could rightfully originate such projects, is a question • but certainly no one should attempt to overturn a man at the head of the French nation and armies, with such plans, means, and oonfederates as these. "The coup d'etat took place in Paris, and great anxiety was depleted in the

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countenances of the groups collected n the streets of Nice. I and many Italians there concerted with the French to pass the Var, and commence an insurrection among the mountains in a Republican sense, and consequently against the Government of Napoleon. The Committee of Draguignan, of Digne, of Antibes, &a., &c., showed themselves well disposed towards us. We sustained many fatigues with some brave Frenchmen : we were at the place of appointment on the frontier, and passed some nights contemplating the mountains and stars, with our ifieth chattering and limbs half-frozen ; and of all those Frenchmen who were to have joined us only one man came, a ooast-guardsman, who had deserted. Movements took place in France which were speedily repressed. After some months other revolutionary projects were concocted in London ; and, as it has often happened before, the plane were excellent upon paper, but could never be earned out, because the planner had the disadvantage of being several hundred miles from the scene of action. The ex-captain of the French army Ballet, who had gone through the African campaigns, was sent to me from London ; ho had instructions from Mazzini and Ledru Rollin. Ho sent for me in haste, and on consulting with him he exclaimed with much ardour, 'You will command the Italian column ; I will command the French ; in three days we must attack the Var—have you the guns and cartridges ? ' I replied it the negative, having had no instructions to that effect. Now be quick,' said he, prepare them, arrange them ! We shall want few cartridges,—we shall only fire once or twice, then attack the bridge over the Var with the bayonet. The brave fall, the cowards remain.' I could hardly help smiling ; nevertheless I arranged with my Italian companions, amongst whom was Joseph Fontana, a man of much practical sense. In a few &rya one thousand cartridges were prepared, and I knew where to get the arms. The captain after three days had no order to attack the bridge of the Var; Loden Rollin, who ought to have been in the South of Frsinoe, did not go ; all turned to smoke ; and the poor captain, who had left his MMus in London to command the expedition, remained penniless for some months in Nice, without the means of returmng. It seems that his chiefs in London had forgetters him ; and it would not have been surprising if the enthusiastic Frenchman had attacked the bridge of the Var to gain possession of the dinner of the sentry, so great was his misery."

The nature of our hero seemed to make him a Republican, as

much by physical constitution as mental reflection. Ho had, we conceive, an impetuous disposition, averse to authority and prompting him to independence. He had certainly a bodily conformation which rendered violent exercise or active employment of some kind a necessity, and therefore well fitted him for a life in which nerve, decision, promptitude, and the power of enduring fatigue and privation, were imperious requirements. He was oonneeted with abortive schemes before the grand year of 1848 • and as early as 1844 got arrested, and was the eause of his father's arrest owing to some plans of the son, which he allows "were perhaps somewhat violent, but that was caused by youthful ardour, and the enthusiasm which at that time reigned." Through his paper projects for liberating Italy he was condemned to the galleys for life, but was eventually: set free by the amnesty of the present Pope on his accession. It seems that a written undertaking was given upon honour, "never more [to] disturb public order, nor act against our legitimate sovereign." This pledge his induced some remarks upon those who took it and afterwards acted against the Pope ; to which Signor Oreini replies. "This declaration has drawn down upon us the ire of Signor Farini. Could we conscientiously make ouch a premise? Certainly ! We had begun to consider that government the only legitimate one, because it commenced by promising reforms, personal liberty, and satisfaction to the popular wants; by recognizing those who had taken part in the preceding revolutions as honourable men ; by giving an amnesty ; by confessing by facts that the former government was nought else but a despotism. New in 1848 and '49 • Memoirs'and Adventures of Felice Orsini, written by Himself ; containing uspublished State Papers of the Roman Court. Translated from the Original Mannscripts, by George Carbonel. Published by Constable, Edinburgh ; liamilton and Adams, London. have we broken our word of honour? Have we attempted to subvert public' order? Have we operated against the legitimacy of the Sovereign ? No ! We took up arms against Pius IX, because he turned round upon us, because he commenced to walk in the footmarks of his predecessors ; because he fled; because he betrayed his subjects and his country ; because he colleagued with foreign despots ; because he in the end ceased to be a legitimate sovereign." In the different Italian campaigns or wars that followed the French Revolution of 1848, Felice Orsini bore a part, including the defence of Venice and of Rome. Of these his account is brief, and without much of circumstance ; nor indeed does he appear to have been greatly prominent in the wars. His most remarkable pc salon was as a commissioner at Anemia ; in reality a species of local dictator, to restore "order," or more properly to uphold society, disturbed by violent men with Italian passions, who calling themselves Liberals assassinated their political and possibly their personal enemies, under the plea of punishing former offences. The proceedings grew to a head under the Republic ; but they originated with the Papal Government in its so-called Liberal days. The following exposition seems to show that Italian faction now is pretty much as it was in the middle ages.

"During the latter years of the Pontificate of Gregory XVI and the first years of Pins IX political homicides multiplied fearfully ; but as we always find it to be the case, when crime becomes habitual and the passions have full latitude, many innocent_persons were destroyed to gratify private hatred, or interest; persons who did not interfere in the least in political affairs. "During the months of January, February, and March of 1848, a society of young men in the towns of Imola and Forli threw many families into mourning; one day slaying a father, smother day a son or a brother. Their excuse was that they desired to eradicate every vestige of the PapalCenturioni,' and destroy all those who were unfavourable to the reforms of Pius IX and the other Italian Princes. But in reality these were cruel and ferocious men, who possessed that thirst for blood which they detested so much in the equally guiltyCenturioni,' so favoured by the Pope. Amongst these young men there were some who, from a wrong principle or from bad example, were induced to believe that they were only meting out the lex islimns to the Centurioni, who had carried misery and desolation into so many homes. Nothing was sacred in the eyes of these assassins ; neither liberalism, nor virtue, nor, innocence, nor childhood, nor old age ; and at last honest men began to make up their minds to put a stop to these atrocities, seeing that the Papal Government paid no attention to their remonstrances. Impunity from crime is encouragement to the wicked : Pesaro, Sinigaglia, and Ancona followed the example ; and assassinations were committed at the end of August ; and in the beginning of September blood was shed in a cowardly manner in the noble city of Bologna.

"The Government took no notice of these proceedings, or it would not have been difficult to seize the malefactors ; frac although its authority was much diminished, it would have found all honest men come to its aid; for we see that the good in all countries invariably lend a helping hand to the law when it is violated by the wicked and infamous.

"But the Roman Court was occupied with other matters i; it was plotting how it could most conveniently abandon that which it had itself evoked in Italy ; how it could destroy the national cause."

Orsini's success in stopping the disorders at Ancona by decisive methods, which some of the people might think almost as bad as the disease, induced the Triumvirate to send him to Asioli, where things were as bad or worse. An attack upon the Austrians resulted in defeat ; Orsini escaped to Rome ; and on the fall of the city retired to Genoa, and eventually reached England.

The subsequent career of Orsini strikes us as being the most remarkable part of his life. It exhibits a type of the Italian Republican of the extreme school; and we must confess, does not leave upon the mind a very favourable impression as to the political prudence not to say political conscience of the class. Becoming a confidential agent of Mazzini, the autobiographer was continually busy in plots and conspiracies. Sometimes these were mere abortions that perished with the effort to give them birth. Sometimes they failed egregiously, either from imperfect instruments, insufficient means, or the impossibility of carrying out even better-planned arrangements, when the plan must be settled by persons in uncertain communication with one another; and the execution depends upon the punctuality of men not trained to punctuality, upon the accident of winds, waves, and weather, and upon all the contretemps that mar clandestine proceedings, including the necessity of avoiding the presence of a superior enemy who was everywhere. One of Orsini's first efforts under Mazzini's direction was to attempt a revolution in Modena'; which, even had it succeeded so far as the Modenese were concerned, would at once have been put down by foreign forces. To accomplish this undertaking, they appear to have had a few arms and several leaders, relying upon what volunteers they could raise. Some dozen emigrants went by land to stir up the people. Orsini was to convey the arms by sea from Genoa. The first mishap was the weather. The wind blew, the sea was rough, and a common voyage of ten hours took five days. What follows is curtly and dryly told, but it only requires a little more lightness of manner to read like a farce ; when we remember that the business in hand was to revolutionize a state, with a view to liberate Italy from the Pope and the foreigner.

"It was arranged, that however long our voyage might be delayed, one of Ricci's men should every night be posted on the look-out for our vessel, and that the captain, according to a preconeerted signal, should sail to and fro with a light exposed, between Porto "loners and Fallon Bridge. This signal was made in going to and returning from Porto Venere. There should have been a similar signal-light from the shore ; but there was none. Fontana and my friend from the duchy of Modena should have gone ashore' but the captain refused to disembark them, fearing the Sardinian coastguardsmen. They then decided upon swimming; when the captain was prevailed upon to Rut them ashore by means of a small boat. I remained on board oil Porto Venere. The following morning the captain disembarked and went to Ricci ; and returned to me with the information that on the evening of the same day Ricci would come to take the arms to carry them to the destined spot, that Fontana and the others were at Massa making preparations, and that there was a public rumour of the movement. "In the evening we again put to sea, and saw two boats approach exchanging with us the signals agreed upon ; and in a moment the chests of arms were cast into them ; a third boat deserted which should have come to us. There were in the two boats some young men of the country, near Spezia. The captain and crew were so fearful of being surprised by the coast guard, that they threw over the chests with much precipitancy. The boats were few, the sea rather rough, and the men not accustomed to the water. Ricci fell into the sea, but saved himself by holding on to a cord by which the vessel had towed the boat some distance. In a moment the chests were opened and the muskets taken out : there were about two hundred muskets and carbines ; they were loaded with the little ammunition we had ; and the young men could not have been more excited even in presence of the enemy, notwithstanding my recommendations to coolness. Upon seeing the bridge of Valton, a man in the boat suddenly said, Where are we going ? ' I said, You know very well: to consign the arms to -the young men for the purpose .you are aware of.' The same voice, which appertained to Doctor Petricaoli de San Terence, rejoined, 'But neither the men nor the ammunition are there which should have arrived from Barsane." How is that?' said I.

"I then discovered that Ricci, without waiting for the news from Fontana, had decided upon taking the arms ; and at the representations of Petrice-Loll and others, that the arms ought not to be taken to the place, he replied, know what I am about.' All this irritated me much ; but no time was to be lost. I said, Never mind. Follow me, and we will attack the first brigade of carabineers we meet.' Then the same Petriccioli replied, We will not die as the Bandieras did ! ' The others all joined in the same chorus, ' No ! by Heaven, we will not die the death• of the Bandieras !' What was to be done ? I was no longer master of them ; they had me in their power. The sea rose ; the agitation was at its height; the shadows of the rocks were thought to be the Piedmonte-se coast guards ; they wished to fire with difficulty I restrained them, and cried out, 'Do not fire upon the Piedmontese ; they can only be small in number ; we have superior force, and they will fly.' No one appeared. We then sailed back, and with much difficulty approached the rocks near the mouth of the river Magra, a noted hiding-place for smugglers. We disembarked arms and men. I told them to wait my orders, and again departed with the boats. The sea was so high that it took me nearly three hours to advance a mile. I had four rowers, and there was no other person but myself in the boat. I got safe to land, gained the mountains, whence I sent a despatch to Fontana. I caused food to be prepared for lied and his companions; and I then hired a small vessel to bring the food, take on board the young men with the arms, and go out seven miles in the offing : my intention was to make the attempt in the evening. I paid Captain Calafatti beforehand two hundred francs for this service and he departed with the food at about eight in the morning. Half an 'hour afterwards he arrived at the spot where the arms were deposited, and witnessed the flight of the young men across the mountains. It happened in this wise. The Sardinian coast guards heard from some spy that smuggled goods were concealed amongst the rocks, and a corporal and two soldiers went thither in a boat. The young men who were there, seeing the coast guard, made a movement; and the corporal not knowing what to make of the affair, had recourse to a stratagem, and cried out, 'Rifles to the centre !' At these words the young men fled, and the coast guard landed. News was immediately sent to Spezia and Sarzana ; troops made their appearance on all sides, and the arms were carried off.

"The captain went off with two hundred francs, which he never afterwards gave any account of."

When MazzinPs projects were so far realized as to attain what the Americans call an "action," they involved the destruction of many concerned in them who, however rash, were at all events patriotic in their aspirations and enthusiastic in their sentiments. And this without any effect : the failure frightened some, the imprudence of the proceeding disgusted many ; while the necessity of acquainting numbers with some portion of the schemes entailed certain discovery. When Orsini was arrested the last time, he found that the Austrians were not only in possession of his plans but of his movements and proceedings. Allowance is to be made for high-spirited men smarting under the degradation of a foreign yoke and suffering from its tyranny, yet the projects of the Italian Republicans cannot always be justified. Orsini when at Vienna had a project of his own for entering the Austrian service, with the intention of using his position as an officer of the Austrians to get up "a propaganda in the Italian regiments." klazzini drew up the following scheme, which as it stands seems neither more nor less than a design for assassinating the Austrian officers.

"Organize a company of death, like our fathers of the Lombard League. Let eighty young men, robust and decided, selected from amongst yourselves, and the most prudent of the populace, vow with a terrible oath. "Let these eighty be separated, organized in groups of three, or at the most of five, under the orders of sixteen heads of groups known to you; let them promise silence, prudence, dissimulation ; let them avoid every occa sion of collecting together, of quarrelling, and let them be considered in Italy as wise men. Manage to arm them with daggers, not before the day of action; those who have arms should deposit them until that day ; some misfortune fortune unthoug,ht of might overtake them and reveal the weapon, which would suffice to raise suspicion. "Some safe man amongst you should consecrate himself to study, observe the habitation of the general, and of the principal officers, heads of the staff,

commandant of the artillery, die., and their habits, especially at the hours when the greater part of the officer's are thoughtlessly out, and the operation might happen simultaneously. Two or three decided men should serve for

each of these important officers twenty for all ; thirty for the and the other frequented by the Officers ; thirty for the . . . or for any other point to be selected, suggested by circumstances in the place. "When the Austrian army has lost its officers it is lost. "The people should be cared for, maintained well, kept in good-humour, and organized as much as possible; but the project of the officers' vespers must be kept entirely secret."

A variety of documents of the Roman Court, which "we became possessed of during the Roman Revolution of 1848-'49," are published in an appendix, with illustrative notes by Orsini. They throw some light on the Papal system of rule, and its methods of general and priestly espionage.