. „ Francesco Crispi, the last of the great group
who en. franchised Italy, died in Naples on the 11th inst., being eighty- two years.of age. His death is of no political importanee, for he bad' retired from public life, but with him a great- figure disappears. . There, is probably no man of our time except Mr. Gla.detone who has inspired -more devotion, or more hate. He certainly freed. Sicily: and helped to make Italy, but he was. a ,Sicilian . by ;birth. with, we: believe; a trace of Greek blood, and with great powers' he' had the .volcank temperament athis-Conntry. He made enemies • by the huadrecl;_both for t.IA King and himself, and .his grand idea, that Ita..1Y 'ought_to be a great, if amt.". a world Power" was So premature that he overtaxed the strength of the Peninsula. As Minister he was devoted to Prince Bismarck, and .ha so irritated France-that there exultation in Paris at his death. We have discussed his career elsewhere, but we may mention here that be was very steadily supported by the late King. who had some of his father's faculty for detecting ability, and since his death 'all -parties, except the Sicilian Socialists, whom he once " repressed " with savage vigour, have joincd in doing honour to his memory. He died exceedingly poor.
