writers were lamenting that the tendency of modern civilization was to sink individual character to the dead-level of general society. Yet one man, under circumstances far from propitious, has succeeded, by his personal vigor, in concentrating upon himself the attention of the civil ized world, and has led his undisciplined ranks to victory over the well-trained soldiers of an old established monarchy. We are not about to enter into a detailed account of the steps by which Garibaldi's army has successively subdued all Sicily. The various battles, from his landing to the final victory at Melazzo, have been abundantly chronicled by Our own correspondents." But we think that, at such a period, our readers will thank us for presenting them with a rapid sketch of the island itself. 66 It is strange that so few, comparatively speaking, of our countrymen visit Sicily. It would be impossible to find a spot uniting in itself more of interesting association. Every portion of it is crowded with memories that carry us back to the earliest period, through a series of events that reach down to our own day. It was the scene of many a story of early mythology; it was the battle-field of the Phoenicians and the Greeks, of Carthage and Rome, of the Saracens and the Normans. To recount at full length the stories with which it is connected would fill the pages of a cyclopedia. The rape of Proserpine, the victory of Hercules over Eryx, the story of Acis and Galatea, the wanderings of Ulysses, the flight of Dædalus, the voyage of Æneas to Italy, all find their fabled scene on shores or valleys of this island. What a mass of literature is interwoven with its history! The mas ters of Greek and Roman song-Homer and Virgil-sang its adventures; Theocritus described its pastoral life; Pindar wrote his noblest odes to commemorate the victories of its rulers. Sophocles was born in it, and Eschylus retired to it to die. Plato spent a portion of his life at the court of Dionysius, and Cicero not only filled the office of Questor on the island, but composed his Verrine Orations in its behalf. It was the birth-place of Empedocles and Gorgias. Fragments of its annals were written by Diodorus, Polybias, Livy, and Thucydides. We scarcely venture to touch upon the military events that have been the crises of its varied fortunes; we should be only able to give a list of most noted names, some of which will recur as we proceed. Enough has been said to point out how vast a field of inquiry and of interest lies open to any travelers that visit its shores. As might be supposed, when such a mass of incidental information is required, it is not very easy to find a guide-book to Sicily. Of the works named at the head of this article, that by Mr. Bartlett, the author of Forty Days in the Desert, is decidedly the best. Probably the best English book on Sicily is the description written by Admiral Smyth, of scientific renown, and issued in 1824. The traveler in Sicily must not expect to find those items of comfort and luxury to which he has been accustomed in England. Every where are to be met with the signs of a tyrannical government, and of a poor, neglected people. This is true, to some extent, even of Palermo, the capital city, and the port by which the island is most commonly reached from Naples. Yet it would be difficult to find a more magnificent site than that on which Palermo stands. A marine walk. stretches along the shore, bounded on the right by the rock of Monte Pellegrino, which rises abruptly to the height of two thousand feet out of the sea. Two long streets, with a handsome circus at their intersection, form the principal portion of the town, which is shut in behind by an amphitheater of hills. You land and are at once in that strange mixture of squalor and splendor, dignity and dirt, which so astonishes the English in Southern towns. Like every other locality in Sicily, Palermo at once reminds you of the varied fortunes of the island. The name of the principal street, the Cassaro, carries you back to the Saracen occupation, being derived from Al-Cazar, the bazaar of the Moslems. The chapel royal and the cathedral present a strange blending of the mosque and the church. The language of the people is corrupted by the introduction of Greek and Eastern terms. And the Monte Pellegrino was the scene of an obstinate resistance by the Carthaginian Hannibal, who had intrenched himself upon it, against the arms of Rome. Modern Palermo, however, seems to trouble itself very little with such antiquarian reccollections, and Monte Pellegrino is best known as the shrine of their patroness, "Santa Rosalia." We commend the relics of this lady to Lord friends from purgatory, but that they do not hesitate to quicken their zeal by exposing representations of the dead liquefying in the flames. The morning at Palermo is spent by the men in their business, if they have any, or in lounging about idly. Ladies set out for their devotions to the churches, and cross over very muddy places in the pavement by a sort of iron bridge on wheels-a substitute for improved paving, provided by Sicilian refinement. Long lines of convicts, chained together, and in yellow dresses, march along to their appointed tasks. Young gentlemen start forth on their morning ride, and scholars to their class; beggars abound as usual. The sun reaches the meridian, and the thoroughfares are deserted. You might fire a cannon through the streets without injuring an inhabitant; all are in-doors; they dine and take a siesta. The cool of evening returns, and the fashionable world comes forth; and now appears one of the striking anomalies of life at Palermo. At the gateway of some large mansion stands an elegant equipage, and a well-dressed couple come forth and enter it. Look at the filthy staircase by which they have descended, and the dirty entrance through which they pick their way to the carriage! They let the best part of the house, and live in discomfort in a small back room, that they may keep up the appearance of this handsome equipage. Such is fashion at the Sicilian capital. The Marina is thronged with carriages and pedestrians, and hour after hour is passed on the shore of its beautiful bay. Fielding, as worthy to rank with the blood of Januarius. Flying from the brutality of a Saracen warrior, (so runs the legend,) Rosalia concealed herself on Monte Pellegrino, and died there in retirement and the odor of sanctity in the twelfth century. Her burial-place was unknown until the plague of 1624, when she appeared to a soap-maker named Bonelli, and directed him to announce that as soon as her body should be carried in procession through the city the pestilence would cease. Of course her instructions were obeyed, and the anticipated consequences followed; and ever since the city of Palermo has remained under the patronage of Santa Rosalia. Like all the cities under Neapolitan rule, Palermo abounds in ecclesiastical establishments. The Unprotected tells us that there are three hundred sacred edifices to be seen. Monks and priests throng the streets, and the monasteries supply, each day by day in turn, a meal to the beggars who swarm on every side importuning for charity, to be invested in a lottery ticket. Young girls, with pale faces and the conventual head-dress, look down upon you from the upper stories as you pass by, with a glance that hardly betokens a heartfelt separation from the world. But the laws of Sicilian social life are stern in one respect. The nobility are more numerous than wealthy; the eldest soon carries off the property; and the rest are bound over to a forced celibacy, with the usual evil consequences of so monstrous a violation of the laws of nature. A curious custom prevails in some of the monasteries and cemeteries, of It would be giving a false impression of preserving the dead bodies by carefully society in the capital to represent it as drying them, and then placing them in contentedly acquiescing in so unprofitable cells, in an upright posture, clothed as and vapid an existence. The revelations they were wont to be when alive. Thus made after the capture of the place by the remains of a soldier may be seen Garibaldi's forces, and particularly the dressed in his military uniform, or a condition of its prisons-now so widely female in fine garments and white kid known-show how deeply the iron of desgloves-the grinning skeleton, in such potism had eaten into the heart of the Siarray, presenting a ghastly picture. In cilians. Ever since the revolution of 1848 contrast to this treatment, the Campo the tyrant of Naples has exerted all his Santo contains a number of large tombs, ingenuity to crush the spirit of his peoone for each day in the year, into which ple. Their constitution was suppressed, the bodies of the poor are thrown pro- and the various offices of government in miscuously; quick-lime is then cast upon the island were filled by Neapolitans, in them, and the grave is not reopened for defiance of express and repeated pledges. a twelvemonth. Mr. Bartlett assures us Spies swarmed in every rank, and all the that the priests not only endeavor to ex-foundations of social intercourse were unact money from the survivors in payment of masses to relieve the souls of their lost dermined. By a system of restriction commerce was fettered and the nobles were encouraged to absent themselves | two hundred thousand pounds annually."-Unfrom their estates, and so to become in-protected Females, etc., pp. 23 25. different to the condition of their tenants. By these means, systematically pursued, Among other notable objects in Palerevery species of enterprise was crushed, mo, we may mention the clubs, or casinos, and the fertility of the country, and its to which strangers are courteously admitfine harbors, became useless and unpro- ted on the introduction of a member, but ductive. Nothing could exceed the ha- which rarely used to contain more in the tred with which the islanders regarded way of newspapers than the official jourtheir continental fellow-subjects; and be- nal of the government. The various exneath the outward gayety of the hour, amples of Norman architecture, of which curses, muttered and deep, told how glad- the older churches in the city afford some ly they would seize an opportunity to remarkably fine specimens, are also well shake off the yoke. This detestation of worthy of a visit. The by streets are the Italians will help to explain the won- plentifully adorned with linen hanging derful success that has attended Garibal-out to dry; and Mr. Bartlett says: di; but it may also be the cause of no small difficulty in the endeavor to consolidate the free states under the scepter of Sardinia. One enterprise has consistently received the royal sanction-that of the lottery. "The traveler will notice in all towns certain parts of the street where it is impossible to pass, such is the dense und ragged crowd that sends him into the gutter. The rabble is besetting the office for lottery tickets. There, for one grano (less than a half-penny) can be purchased the chance of a fortune. Who would drudge at work with such a possibility flashing on his imagination? On the Piazza, where stood the Inquisition up to the end of the last century, now stands the Temple of Fortuna; on Saturday afternoon her devotees can be seen nibbling lettuces, and looking vaguely up at plastered pillars, between which is a balcony hung with red, supporting an urn, beside which stands a child in white. A polite ragamuffin showed us the way through a file of soldiers to a staircase leading behind this frontage, where were seated the judges in their robes, before large volumes on decorated tables. A crowd of priests and devotees (to fortune) of the upper classes stood around; at the sounding of a bell, the white-clad child put its hand into the urn, held up the ticket to the crowd, then to the judges, who inscribed the number in their book, and sent a herald forward to proclaim it to the excited people, who roared in chorus, as if all had won; while a fat rosy monk next to us was the real winner, and, as such, warmly congratulated by his attendant acolytes. One of the judges came in for the next piece of luck. Five prizes in all were drawn; a small number considering the whole scum of Palermo seemed floating below. Some hollow-cheeked idlers had gained the remainder, enough to feast their fellow-lazzaroni for a month, then carry them off to the fever hospital; or else to invest (often the case) in other tickets, and fill up the time in nibbling more lettuces, or assassinating the latter occupation always following these edifying weekly events, by which the government clears "The shirt scenery of Palermo is quite unique, arranged on lines and poles, with a picturesque intricacy of effect and play of light and shade and color, which in its way is remarkably striking." This style of ornamentation is not confined to the back streets, the balconies of the noblest houses being not unfrequently employed for the same useful purpose; whilst elaborate gateways, emblazoned with coats of arms, are stuck over with bills. Once beyond the precincts of the capital, and these hinderances to the effect of the coup d'oeil are no longer seen. The views in the neighborhood are magnificent, especially that from the Convent of Santa Maria de Gesu. The building is buried amidst the most luxuriant vegetation; cypresses of immense growth, with their dark foliage, masses of deep-toned pines, olives and oleanders, aloes and vines, clustered together in rich profusion; whilst a few palm trees still survive to remind the spectator of the Moorish rule. A ridge of mountains incloses at each corner the beautiful curve of the bay on which the city reposes; while behind it lies an amphitheater of unusual fertility, bounded by its girdle of hills, and before it sparkle the "countless dimples of the ocean's cheek," as it waves beneath the bright sun of the south. Messina is the most important town in Sicily after Palermo; and the excellence of its harbor, combined with superior accommodation for trade, has rendered it a place of more bustle and activity than the capital. Immediately without the projecting point which bounds the harbor lies the far-famed whirlpool of Charybdis. Its fabled terrors have long since been fully appreciated; and it has been acutely remarked, that as the Greeks did not hes poets. itate to fight in the Straits, they could not | nor the promise of ample rewards, could lead to have been considered so fearfully horrible by ancient sailors as they were by ancient In certain states of the current Charybdis possesses sufficient power to endanger small craft, and will whirl round a seventy-four gun ship. Within the harbor there is magnificent anchorage, and a noble quay has been built at its brink. The resemblance to a sickle is plain enough to recall its Greek name of Zancle. The view from the heights above Messina is at once striking, and characteristic. The port, like most of those in Sicily, lies embosomed in a circle of hills. Across the bay are seen the jagged and rugged cones of the Lipari Islands, whose fantastic forms, from Stromboli to Alicudi, rise in marked outline against the sky; their tossed and broken sides and smoking summits revealing their volcanic origin. Across the Faro the stern mountains of Calabria seem a fit emblem of the dark Italian tyranny under which the Messenians have so long groaned; whilst the environs of the city are broken into conical hills and deep ravines, that bear testimony to the mighty agencies at work beneath the surface. A city thus situated must have been in all ages liable to earthquakes. The most disastrous of these occurred in 1783, and its influence extended over a space of twelve hundred square miles. Colletta has given an animated description of the terrors that accompanied it: "Whirlwinds, tempests, volcanic fires and conflagrations, rain, wind, and thunder, accompanied the earthquakes; all the powers of nature were shaken; it seemed as if her bonds were loosened, and the hour had arrived for the commencement of a new era. On the night of the fifth of February, whilst the earth was still convulsed, a meteor burst, and swept away the highest part of several buildings; a.bell tower in Messina had the top carried off, an ancient tower in Radicena was cut across above the base. Many roofs and cornices, instead of falling upon the ruins of the buildings to which they belonged, were carried away by the whirlwinds, and fell in distant places. Meantime the sea between Charybdis and Scylla was raised several braccia, (Sir C. Lyell says more than twenty feet,) invaded the shores, and, in retreating to its own bed, swept away with it men and cattle. Thus perished about two thousand persons in Scylla alone, all of whom had fled to the sandy beech, or had taken refuge in boats, to escape the dangers of the land. The Prince of Scylla, who was amongst them, disappeared in a moment, and neither the efforts of his servants and relatives, the discovery of the body, which they wished to honor with a tomb. Etna and Stromboli matter than usual; but this calamity did not emitted a larger quantity of lava and inflamed excite much attention at the time, from being far the least disaster. Vesuvius remained quiet. Conflagrations worse than any fire from the volcano were the consequence of the earthquake; for, in the fall of houses, the beams came in contact with the burning stoves, and the flames, fanned by the wind, spread so vast a fire around, that it appeared to issue from the bosom of the earth, which gave rise to false stories, and the belief in subterranean heat. This was confirmed by the loud noise and rumbling sound, like thunder, which was sometimes heard preceding, and sometimes accompanying the shocks, but more frequently alone, and very The sky was cloudy, yet serene, rain falling, the weather variable, and there were dications observed one day were missing on the no signs of the approaching earthquake; the inmorrow, and others were discovered, until it was found that the earth shook under every aspect of the heavens. A new calamity appeared; a thick cloud, which dimmed the light of day, and increased the intense darkness of night, which was pungent to the eyes, oppressive to atmosphere of Calabria for more than twenty the breath, fetid, and motionless, hung upon the days, and was followed by melancholy, disease, and shortness of breath, felt by man and beast." —Colletta, vol. i. pp. 151, 152. terrific. Whilst such were the physical concomitants of the earthquake, its moral consequences were far more poignant. The cries of the dying, the shrieks for help of those who were half-buried beneath the ruins, the wailings of friends at the loss of those dearest to them, the terror universally inspired, combined to form a scene of horror such as seldom marks even the direst calamities. Some who escaped from the fallen dwellings, after a long agony of suspense, were never known again to smile. As is invariably the case at such periods of dire and universal suffering, human nature came out in its strongest contrasts of dignity and degra dation. Self denying love in many instances exhibited the noblest heroism in behalf of others, and rushed into seeming destruction to save a wife or child. Some betook themselves to devotion, and in the agony of their panic called on their patron saints to save them. With others rage followed upon despair at the loss of their whole fortune; they betook themselves to plunder, or abandoned themselves to lust. Murder, rapine, and lawless pillage reigned among the smoking ruins. "Were I," says Colletta, "to relate all the instances of kindness and savage cruelty, of gratitude and ingratitude, which occurred, I should fill many pages, merely to prove the truth of the old adage, that man is the best and worst of created beings." The year 1783 had hardly closed when the shocks were once more renewed, and destruction again ravaged the miserable land. Such was sentenced summarily to death, and more than a "On his return to Naples, the minister of Police was rewarded by the order of St. Jannarius. He declared Sicily to be in a state of barbarism, and unworthy of free institutions; every trace of Sicilian privileges was accordingly effaced, the taxes were increased, and every thing centralized in Naples, while the administration within the island was entirely confided to Neapolitans. A system of espionage was organized, the principal management of which was intrusted to bishops, priests, and Jesuits. Any person denying an accusation, or offering resistance the gendarmes, was scourged, hung up by the when dragged to the police-office, or barracks of arms, or tortured still more frightfully to extract evidence against himself or others; while all found carrying arms were publicly flogged by the hands of the executioner, which punishment could be inflicted at the pleasure of the police. Such continued to be the state of Sicily from 1837 to 1847."-Colletta, supplementary chapter, vol. ii. pp. 493, 494. The modern town of Messina presents an unimposing appearance, as, through dread of future earthquakes, many of the houses are built but one story high. Its bitterest sufferings have been, however, endured at the hands of its late monarch, who thus showed his gratitude for the asylum afforded to his race whilst the French overran the peninsula. It would be too long a story to relate how the Neapolitan King was welcomed in Sicily after his flight from the continent, and how our greatest naval hero sullied his fair fame by consenting to become the instrument of Ferdinand's despotism and revenge. We can not recount how the King swore to observe the old Sicilian constitution, and to maintain the government of the island separate from that of Naples; and how he then violated all his pledges without symptom of scruple or remorse. We are led to speak of these things only by our recollection of the bombardment of Messina in 1848; and shall take advantage of this point of contact with the political history of the isl and, just to glance at the treatment it has Under such a system it is no wonder experienced at the hands of the Bourbons, that the revolution at Paris, in 1848, and then pass on to more pleasing topics. touched an electric chord in Sicily, and The irritation excited in the minds of once more the flame of rebellion burst the Sicilians by the repeated perjury of forth, to be again extinguished in blood. their monarchs came to a crisis in the year But there was to be the usual prelude of 1837. Ferdinand then revoked the last a pretended conciliation by the King in remnant of the conditions enforced upon the hour of danger. Ferdinand swore to him by the English in 1816, "by which observe, and cause to be inviolably obpublic employments of the country were served, the constitution of the monarchy; reserved for Sicilians; and the plague fol-nay, in his hypocrisy, he feigned a special lowing quickly on the heels of this outrage induced the people to break out into open rebellion. The attempt at revolution was soon suppressed, and then the fitting hour of vengeance was deemed to have arrived. Del Carretto, the Neapolitan Minister of Police, came to Sicily in person, and, although order had been restored before he touched its shores, "He immediately instituted court-martials to try the offenders. A thousand of the Sicilians were placed under arrest; most of them were VOL. LI.-No. 1 interest in the progress of liberal views; and when Barbarisi told him that his sincerity was questioned, the King raised his arm as high as he could, and, with a look of virtuous indignation, replied: "Had I not been anxious to give the constitution, I would not have given it." The Sicilians, however, distrusted these protestations, (how justly, the event proved,) and elected the Duke of Genoa for their King; but the complications of European politics induced Charles Albert to refuse 2 |