Retrospect of the last Twenty-five Years: 
there are, in effect, no more electors, 
princes, prelates, or nobility; — there 
are no longer any rights to protect; and 
Germany has ceased to be a nation. 
The princes, weak and feeble, totter on 
their thrones, in the sight of their sub- 
jects and their neighbours; and the 
land of jurisprudence and tactic disci- 
pline bas no Jonger any importance in 
the eyes of Europe. 
ITALY. 
Italy has been still more unfortunate 
than Germany. During the space of the 
last twenty-five years, she might have 
been justified in founding the most 
splendid hopes. Having roused herself 
from the indolence and effeminate cor- 
ruption which had caused her sens, so 
long, to forget their slavery, she was 
re-assuming her military virtue, and that 
generous patriotism which elevates a 
national character, and leads to every 
other virtue. In the cultivation of the 
science of government, she had begun to 
feel again the value of intellectual 
pursuits; and the genius of a people, 
eminently endowed by nature, began, 
once more, to manifest itself. 
This, we are aware, is saying some- 
thing for the memory of Napoleon; 
and Italy, there can be little doubt, 
bitterly laments the assistance she lent 
in effecting his overthrow. Napoleon 
was indeed to Italy, as to all that he 
could bring within his grasp of power, 
sufficiently despotic. He was a despot 
in the very constitution of his mind 
and character. How should a military 
ambitionist be any thing else? His 
despotism had, however, in many re- 
spects, a liberal cast. He was the best 
master Italy is ever likely to have; 
and his government was doing some- 
thing towards enabling it some time or 
other to become its own. He awa- 
kened its mind; he called forth its 
military and its intellectual energies. 
He madeit, in some degree, a nation. 
It had been, and it is again, more com- 
pletely than ever, a chaos of fractions 
—of dependant provinces ; and the very 
means of concentration seem to be de- 
stroyed. Alas! for poor degraded Italy 
in the present blessed Settlement of the 
Peace of Europe. 
But let‘us return to the season of 
her now dissipated aspirations. 
In.the midst of this period, her go- 
yernment became changed, without ex- 
tinguishing her hopes: for, in order to 
obtain the eo-operation of the people, 
591 
the powers in alliance against Napoleon 
had promised most solemnly, that Italy 
should participate in the advantages 
of the struggle, and be encouraged in 
the establishment of such institutions 
as were accordant with the advance- 
ment of knowledge, and the improved 
spirit of the age. These promises, how- 
ever, being forgotten as soon asthe new 
rulers found themselves established in 
their power, and the people being not 
only disappointed in their aspiring 
hopes, ‘but goaded and trampled by 
every degradation and oppression, two 
revolutions burst forth at the two ex- 
tremities of Italy. 
But even in the midst of these fevers 
of popular eruption, heretofore always 
so terrible, we may trace the evidence 
of the improved character,of the Italian 
people. These revolutions ended with- 
out bloodshed, pillage, insult, or vio- 
lence. In each, the hereditary prince 
placed himself at the head of the re- 
formers (and, it might be added, in 
each, cajoled their partizans, secured 
the objects of their.own ambition, and 
betrayed the confidence reposed in 
them); and, if this double experienee 
warn the people from trusting to royal 
revolutionists, it also proves that the 
Italians knew how to join gratitude for 
the past with hope for the future. 
The retrograde system, however, pre- 
vails: outlawries, confiscations and pro- 
scriptions have followed; and Europe 
is inundated with the exiled talents and 
virtues of Italy—with those, in fact, 
who hazarded the sacrifice of fortune, 
station and privilege, for the happiness 
of their fellow citizens. Military com- 
missions, and, still more to be dreaded, 
commissions of police, have annihilated 
all legal process, and spread terror 
through all classes; morality has been 
attacked, by the example of the neglect 
of oaths, and the encouragement of ca- 
lumniators or informers; and by leay- 
ing no refuge from the recollection of 
public misfortune, but in idleness and 
vice. Knowledge has been interdicted ; 
instruction:impeded; the studies of the 
Universities suppressed, by the pro- 
scription and destruction of foreign 
books. War has been declared as openly 
against intellect as against freedom; 
and the liberal Arts and Sciences have 
partaken of the proscription which sup- 
pressed freedom of -thought. Never 
theless, M. de ‘Sismondi still believes 
Italy to be in a progressive state; and 
that, in spite of corrupted institutions 
and 
