Even so late as 1859 the present writer has himself seen the eleven wire cages, swinging between the windows of the buildings, each containing human heads. The horrors of the _Vicaria_ have been fully dwelt upon here and elsewhere; but we may mention that, on the 22nd of November, Panizzi paid a second visit to the prison with the view of more fully examining certain matters which had either been omitted or superficially surveyed during his first inspection. We forbear, however, from entering further into the horrible details connected with the place, which deserved no better appellation than the one given to it by Mr. Gladstone—a very _hell upon earth_. In December Panizzi took his departure for England. He was accompanied to the last by his never failing followers, the spies, who had come to do him the final kind office of seeing him on board. Signor Lacaita, who was also present to bid him adieu, took the liberty of asking them what they wanted and whom they were watching? _Quel pezzo grosso_ (that big fellow), replied they, “and to see that he is safely off.” In conclusion, an extract from a letter of Lord Shrewsbury’s, after Panizzi’s return, may possibly be read with interest:— “Palermo, December 28th, 1851. “Dear Mr. Panizzi, ... What a blessed thing it is that the _Coup d’Etat_ answered so beautifully, and did not place you in the dilemma of either making an immense detour, or of journeying in the midst of those robbers and assassins, the Socialists and _Rouges_ Republicans. One sees _now_ why it was that Kossuth was so anxious to return in the Spring, and what sort of connection our friend Palmerston has made in his chivalrous efforts _in endeavouring to promote the cause of national freedom in those nations that stood in need of it_! Lamartine did not use a more revolutionary phraseology in his first address to the French Republic, when he announced that the Treaties of 1815 had ceased to exist, and that France “proclaimed herself the intellectual and cordial ally of every right, of every progress, of every legitimate developement of the institutions of nations _which wish to live on the same principle as herself_.”