
5d 
the age of six, in company with his mother, occurred an incident 
which is typical of his later life. Encountering a white haired 
beggar, he turned to his mother and said “‘ Give him something, 
give him something, mother.” The old man, touched with 
the boy’s instinctive compassion, turned to Madame Mazzini 
exclaiming ‘‘ Love him well, madame, for he is one who will 
love the people.” This prophecy proved to be marvellously 
true. 
When in due course he entered the University he brooded 
over the troubles of his beloved country, and though intended 
for the medical, and later for the legal profession, he found 
himself attracted more to general literature (of which he 
became in later life one of the ablest exponents) and the study 
of social and political questions, than to his more technical 
and academic course. On leaving the University he renounced 
all possibilities of a distinguished professional career and 
joined the Carbonari—the leading revolutionary Society of 
that time. Engaged on propagandist work for this society, 
he was arrested (1830), imprisoned, and though finally 
acquitted, was exiled, and spent the greater part of his future - 
life in France, Switzerland, and England. 
The attitude of the governors of Italy at this time is 
significantly expressed in the words addressed by one of its 
officials to Mazzini’s father: ‘“‘ Your son,’’ he was told,“ is a 
young man of talent, being fond of solitary walks at night, 
and habitually silent as to the subjects of his meditations,” 
and that ‘“‘ the government is not fond of young men of talent 
the subject of whose musings is unknown to it!” “ What on 
earth,” he continued, ‘“‘ has he at his age to think about ?” 
In prison he was allowed the companionship of the Bible, 
Byron, Tacitus and Dante, and out of these there sprang that 
combination of the youth of his native land, which under the 
title of ‘‘ Young Italy” was to direct the popular discontent 
into purer channels, to lift the struggle to a higher plane, and 
to promulgate the grand ideas symbolised in their watchword 
“God and the People.” 
The new party thus originated in 1831 differed from the 
prevailing revolutionary Societies in insisting on social reform 
as the immediate end of revolution, and faith in the possibilities 
of humanity as its inspiration. Mazzini was ever opposed to 
the appeal to men’s desire for material gain and personal 
happiness merely, the one great motive power with him was 
duty, brotherliness, self-sacrifice. “ Religion and _ politics,” 
he wrote, ‘‘ are inseparable; to pretend to separate entirely 
and for ever earthly things from those of heaven is neither 
moral, logical nor possible. For us life is an educational 
