The life and correspondence of Sir Anthony Panizzi, K.C.B., Vol. 2 (of 2): Late principal librarian of the British museum, senator of Italy, etc.Fagan, Louis
History
The life and correspondence of Sir Anthony Panizzi, K.C.B., Vol. 2 (of 2): Late principal librarian of the British museum, senator of Italy, etc.
Fagan, Louis
Panizzi, Anthony, Sir, 1797-1879
But the calls of patriotism were altogether too urgent on Poerio
to allow him to spend very much of his time in London society.
About the middle of May he left for Turin, where he entered on a
long correspondence with Panizzi. Here, for the first time in
these volumes, we are able to present the reader with a
comprehensive letter from Poerio, although short extracts from
others have been given above. His letters are, both in language
and style, the acme of combined nervousness and elegance, and we
can only express our regret that, to meet the exigencies of the
general reader, we are compelled to give this in English, feeling
that by translation the beauty and force of the original must
materially suffer. Most interesting in themselves, but of still
greater value as throwing light on contemporary history, are the
accounts of the sad continuance of disorder and misgovernment in
the administration of Naples; of the various other complications
in the affairs of the Peninsula; the course of action adopted by
the French Emperor in connection with the attitude of the
Sardinian Government, (which last, Poerio seems to consider
occasionally as somewhat hesitating and undecided); and the dawn
of the first possibility of effecting the union of distracted
Italy, in the achievement of which, however, a thousand
difficulties seemed yet to be overcome. Some few necessary
excisions of matter of little importance have been made, but this
has not materially reduced the bulk of the correspondence. Of
Panizzi’s share we unfortunately possess nothing. A good notion,
however, of his opinions on Italian, and (as connected with
Italian) of European politics, as well as of his unwearying
efforts in the cause, and the confidence that his compatriots
rested in his exertions and influence here, may be gathered from
the communications which he received from his friend and others
who had suffered from or witnessed the revolting cruelties
committed for so many years in Naples and elsewhere; but there is
no querulousness, no recalling of the past; every energy, every
aspiration, is devoted to the one glorious object—the unity and
independence of Italy:—
“Turin, 21st of August, 1859.
“My dearest Panizzi,
I send you my ideas respecting your project, which would
be excellent if it were only practicable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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