no steps which they will hesitate to take, | barrassing by far the wisest course which it even to the proclamation of a republic and is at present open to Italy to pursue. We the hazardous acceptance of the assistance must add, however, that he has given so proffered by the French." It is the inte- many proofs of repentance for the past, and rest of Austria, as well as of Italy, to set- so many securities for the future, that if a tle their differences without the interven-man can ever win back his way to fo givetion of third parties; to have a strong goness in private li e and confidence in pubvernment and a powerful state on the south lic, Charles Albert has entitled himself to of the Alps; and to make every effo t to the benefit of these presumptions. For secure the independence of such a govern- ourselves, if once the foundation is laid of ment, and consolidate its institutions a good government in the north of Italy, We offer this advice to both parties, with we are satisfied that the happiness of future the confidence of lookers-on, who certainly generations will be a very sufficient apology are not indifferent to the issue of the con--and that as such history will accept ittest, but who as certainly are in nowise for our having made use of the best instrubiassed by selfish motives. Lord Palmer- ments which were at hand at the present ston expressed the real feelings of this moment. It is undeniable, that an o'd, country on the subject when on the 6th of royal, and now constitutional kingdom in June, he said in his place in parliament, Piedmont, with a flourishing exchequer, a "The British Government, though con happy and contented population and a nected by ancient alliances and associa- brave army, affords the nucleus round tions of amity with Austria, cannot but which a powerful state can be concentrated feel the strongest sympathy with the peo- in the north of Italy. To bring accusaple of Italy in their efforts to gain a free tions of ambition and perfidy against constitution." We hope and believe that Charles Albert-himself an Italian prince the Italians will trust to the solemn de--because he has assisted his countrymen claration of an English nobleman, invested in getting rid of their foreign oppressors, is with a high and responsible office, rather to make an unfair and cruel use of the conthan to wicked and absurd inventions whe-tradictory, and so far unfortunate, position ther coming from republicans or from the in which he stood. His alleged ambition agents of the enemies of Italy (for, Italy principally affects Italy. If Italy adopts it, has enemies out of Austria), who attribute that fact should remove our fears for it, to England and to her government feelings hostile to Italy. No honest Italian of common sense can for a moment doubt that of the powerful nations in Europe, we alone feel a sincere and disinterested sympathy in the success of the Italians. supposing the charge to be true. Besides, his alleged perfidy may, after all, have been a choice of evils, and the least for what was the alternative? An Italian prince ought to be ambitious of freeing Italy from a foreign yoke imposed upon his countrymen The determination, almost unanimously by force of arms. It was force, and force adopted by the Lombards, by the Vene-only, which first made and has since kept tians, and by the populations of the other the Italians subject to Austria and force provinces which have risen against Austria delivers them. As M. Prandi says, unand Austrian influence-to unite with Pied-doubtedly expressing the feelings of all his mont under a constitutional king-is a countrymen, who have cherished them for proof of great political good sense on the part of the inhabitants of those provinces; and one which promises well for Italy in her new career. The attacks heaped on Charles Albert with the view of discrediting him, and thereby preventing this most desirable arrangement, are most of them calumnies. But, even if they were not so, the practical question now is,-what is best for Europe, for Austria, and for Italy, under existing circumstances. There is a great deal, we admit, in the past conduct of the Prince of Carignan of which we disapprove, at least as much as those can do who seek to use it for the purpose of em years: "the Italians have every reason to detest the treaty of Vienna, as well as those who made it; and they will certainly not neglect the opportunity which Providence has at last granted them, of trampling it in the dust." The King of Sardinia does not possess his kingdom by the right of the strongest, but by the free will of his subjects, the Genoese included: whose conduct has of late been admirable, in spite of many mischievous attempts to make them swerve from their loyal and patriotic path. These eminently sh ewd and practical men are well aware that it is more for their interest as Genoese and as Italians, to form part of a kingdom, along with Venice, than to constitute a republic at Genoa,-rivalling Venice, tearing Italy to pieces, and leaving it at the mercy of any foreigner who may be tempted to interfere in its unnatural hostilities. Thus much history has taught them for the rest they must trust to Providence, to their own wisdom, their own courage. Suppose Charles Albert to be raised by the politic necessities of to-day to the throne of the united kingdom of Lombardy and Piedmont, neither he nor his successors can hope to reign there long, unless what may be necessity to-day shall have become by to-morrow choice. On his part there must be firmness, and justice, and liberal opinions, and government by law: On the part of his subjects, there must be union among themselves, confidence in their new institutions, moderation in the use of their new franchises, and a loyal attachment to the sovereign under whom they are beginning one of the noblest of all experiments-the object of so many hopes, so many fears-a free Italian state. From the Westminster and Foreign Quarterly Review. EASTERN LIFE; PRESENT AND PAST. Eastern Life; Present and Past. By Harriet Martineau. brity in the Holy Land. The occasion was a visit to Liverpool, and an invitation, when there, to join a party about to make a tour in the East ;an opportunity of seeing objects of universal interest, in countries where ladies cannot travel without an escort, not likely often to present itself, and which was therefore eagerly embraced. RECENT political revolutions have so far grimage to every place of Scriptural celeexhausted our passion for the marvellous, that any equally sudden and unexpected change among individuals less noted than Louis Philippe or Prince Metternich, is apt to escape our attention. Yet, if after all that has happened during the last six months, the capacity of surprise at any new event were left to us, we might feel it on the appearance of three volumes of Eastern travel by Harriet Martineau. A few years ago, Miss Martineau and three companions (a and the public were informed by the press lady and two gentlemen), landed at Alexanthat the world would too soon be deprived dria in November 1846. After a brief deof the services of this popular and useful lay, they were towed to the Nile through writer, the victim of a lingering and fatal Mohammed Ali's well-known canal. A lardisease. This was followed by the publica- ger steamer took them to Cairo; which they tion (confirmatory of the fact) of Life in a soon left for Upper Egypt, in a boat with Sick Room,' perhaps the most gifted of Miss two cabins and a crew of fourteen men. An Martineau's works; in which, in a fine, interpreter, cook, and assistant completed calm, and philosophical spirit, she seemed the party. According to the invariable practo bid her friends farewell We next hear tice in the ascent of the river, they sailed of her improved health, and faith in mesme- when the wind was fair, and had the boat rism, the last remedy tried, and which (as towed by the crew when they could not sail. in the case of all last remedies) enjoys the Most of the sights were deferred until the credit of her cure: and before we have time return voyage should give the current in to inquire whether the cure has been per- their favor. On reaching the southern confected or not, we find Miss Martineau ad- fines of Egypt, at the first cataract, they dressing letters to her friends from the top hired a smaller vessel for the shorter voyage of the great pyramid, in Egypt,-smoking through Nubia to the second cataract; and a chibouque with the Arabs in the desert, returned to Cairo in the same manner, -ascending to the summit of Mount Sinai, stopping by the way to see the temples, -climbing the rocks of Petra,-bathing in caves, and pyramids. From Cairo they prothe Jordan and the Dead Sea, and per- ceeded, on camels, donkeys, or horses, forming a religious and philosophical pil- through the desert to Suez, Mount Sinai, Petra, Palestine, and Syria ; returning home from the port of Beirout, in May 1847. hammed Ali would not do, as no powers of persuasion short of those possessed by the Miss Martineau has a higher view than old Pasha could convince his subjects of the merely to make word pictures of foreign propriety of observing certain nice distincscenery, personal adventures, and peculiar tions of property, regarding which the Euromanners and customs. Her work contains pean traveller is as strongly prejudiced on a vast deal of disquisition, moral, political, the one side as the Arab is on the other. religious, and historical, which will proba- Nor would the Pasha alone be sufficient; bly be thought tiresome to those who read notwithstanding that he is an admirable for amusement only: still this class of read-subject for Mr. Bull and his brother Jonaers will find the greater part of the work than to growl at perpetually, because, with quite as entertaining as other voyages and all his sagacity, he has not yet discovered travels. The latter half strikes us as the that Cairo and Alexandria are London and most spirited; for more variety and novelty New York. are experienced in the desert, Holy Land, and Syria, than in the narrow valley of the Nile, of which the main features and objects are monotonous, in description at least. Of the disquisitions we must say, that, if they are occasionally somewhat forced, they are eminently characteristic of the writer, -always clever, and frequently eloquent, striking, and suggestive. The ground they go over is so vast, that it is impossible to characterize them otherwise than that they purport to give such historical notices of the countries visited, and such speculations on life, external and spiritual, as shall enable the reader, in some degree, to enter into the spirit of the ancient people and monuments, and the existing races; and to show the progress of knowledge and religion, through Egypt to Palestine, Greece, Syria, and Arabia. In truth, the old Pasha has not been Eufairly dealt with by these gentlemen. ropeans, as incapable of getting beyond the narrowest European notions, as they are of collecting evidence, or knowing it when they have got it, constantly judge him as if he were a European Prince, governing a civilized and long-established European community, according to fixed laws, and with the aid of a large body of well-trained European public officers. Nay, he has even incurred this obloquy in consequence of being almost the only oriental ruler whose dominions are so governed that Europeans can travel safely in them. Miss Martineau does not aspire to the intuition of many travellers, for she ends her chapter on the present condition of Egypt, by stating that," she feels that she knows scarcely anything of the modern Egyptian polity, but the significant fact that nothing can be certainly known:" ii. p 180. And she commences the chapter with the following remarks: Thus it is Miss Martineau has been preceded in her route through Egypt and Syria by so many recent travellers, not a few of whom have given their journals to the world, that the "One pregnant fact here is, that one can get no outside, at least, of the beaten track has reliable information from the most reliable men. been worn threadbare, and no common quaAbout matters on which there ought to be no diffelifications are required to throw freshness rence of statement we meet with strange contradictions; such as the rate and amount of tax, &c. over the scenes. As regards Egypt, the In fact, there are no data; and there is little free number of boats with the British flag which communication. Even a census does not help. ascend the Nile every season is now very The present census, we are told, will be a total considerable, and is always on the increase; failure-so many will bribe the officials to omit and French, American, and even Russian their names because of the poll-tax boats, are by no means uncommon. Since that neither I, nor any other traveller, can give Egypt has become the highroad to our dition of the people of Egypt. But we have a accounts of any value of the actual material conEastern empire, many of the civil and mili- substantial piece of knowledge in this very negatary officers of the Indian government de- tion of knowledge. We know for certain that a viate a little from the shortest route, to vi- government is bad, and that the people are unprossit the cataract and Thebes; and many perous and unhappy, in a country where there is other Englishmen, to whom travelling has a great ostentation of civilization and improvement, become a necessity, and who are tired of the side by side with mystery as to the actual working continent of Europe, seek regions where of social arrangements, and every sort of evasion nature, as well as man, offer novelty with- on the part of the people. We have a substantial piece of knowledge in the fact, that men of honout privation or danger. For such persons or, men of station, men of business, men of Egypt and Mohammed Ali seem to have courage, who have all the means of information been expressly created. Egypt without Mo- which the place and time permit, differ in opinion and statement about every matter of importance on which they converse with inquiring strangers. saw several such men. They were quite willing to tell me what they knew; and they assigned frankly the grounds of their opinions and statements; but what I obtained was merely a mass of contradictions, so extraordinary, that I cannot venture to give any details; and if I give any general impressions, it can be only under the guard of a declaration that I am sure of nothing, and can offer only what I suppose, on the whole, to be an indication of the way in which the Government of Mohammed Ali works."-vol. ii. p. 168. worn-out state from the fangs of Russia. Egyptian army (as we had previously deWe rescue his frail opponent-destroy the stroyed the fleet), and even turn the Pasha out of Syria. Yet he attempts no reprisals; though the destruction of his forces must cripple Egypt for many years: but allows us, all the while, free transit through Egypt, to our Indian empire, without even Observing that nations prosper through passports or custom-house examinations. We must decline drawing the conclusion he has made all creeds equal in law, and knowledge, commerce, and manufactures, that the affairs of a foreign country must be done his best for education, in spite of the going wrong because we can find out little hostile fanaticism of the most powerful porthat is certain about them. Miss Martin- tion of his subjects. Manufacturers will not eau might have discovered at home that settle in a country when everything depends men of honor, men of station, men of busi- on the life of one man; hence he becomes ness, men of courage, who have all the means the manufacturer of Egypt, and the priuciof information which the place and time pal merchant also; and, incited by Europermit, differ in opinion and statement about pean adventurers, and acting on imperfect every matter of importance on which they knowledge, no doubt commits many blunconverse with inquiring strangers." She ders. But be his conduct good or bad (and might obtain from any two politicians, re- it contains much of both), look at what he views, or newspapers, of different parties, had to do, at the horrid tools he was forced "a mass of contradictions so extraordinary," to work with, the deadly opposition he has &c., and she might even have heard that met with, and suspicion and evasion regarding the last would have acted better. say if any other eastern ruler But his country census were by no means uncommon in this is misgoverned! Possibly-though, after country. what we have done, it is not for us to speak of this: possibly-but we constantly say that all oriental countries are so. people have enough to eat. Having first ascertained the facts regarding Egypt and Mohammed Ali, we may either compare the country with some ideal state conceived to be perfect, or with some other Mahomedan countries. According to the first method we should doubtless find it low in the scale: according to the second it would probably stand high. But as the ordinary traveller knows no more of other oriental countri s than he knows of Egypt, he finds it easiest to draw on his imagination, and to vituperate rather than to inquire and discriminate. Yet his partisan of the Pasha, makes the following Miss Martineau, who is by no means a observations on Syra : "On our way out of Damascus we passed the great military hospital begun by Ibraheem Pasha, when he was master of the country. The works were stopped when he retired; and now the stones are taken, one by one, from the unfinished walls, by any persons who find it convenient to use them. come upon the deserted works of Ibraheem Pasha; From place to place, in Palestine and Syria, we and everywhere we found the people lamen ing the substitution of Turkish for Egyptian rule. The Turks, it is true, like the lightness of their present taxation, which is pretty much what it pleases them to make it; and every body knows the religious toleration which existed under Ibra+ that the rulers of Egypt impose high taxes; but heem Pasha, and his many public works, cause him to be fervently regretted chiefly by the Christians, and also by many others. If there is at present any government at all in the district we passed through, it is difficult to discern; and, of course, the precariousnes of affairs is extreme."— vol. iii. p. 304. What is the bare outline of the case? A Turk is nominated Pasha of Egypt, a country in the hands of an unprincipled aristocracy, and ruined by centuries of misgo vernment and oppression. A deadly contest for supremacy ensues: treachery and force are the weapons; and Mahommed Ali is the victor. Conspiracies, encouraged by his superior, always threaten him. In spite of these he reduces the country to order; conquers Nubia and part of Arabia; and acquires the government of Syria, where he puts down the sanguinary feuds that had long prevailed. The hostility of his nominal master places the Ottoman empire at people is so great, that, till of late years, no Chris"At Nablous, in Palestine, the bigotry of the his feet-the last chance of keeping thattan was permitted to set foot within the gates. Ibraheem Pasha punished the place severely, and | On two points, namely, the "food question," and personal security, we are able to confirm Miss Martineau's testimony, after more minute observation, between Alexandria and Nubia, than would perhaps be possible for a woman, even as active and enterprising as Miss Martineau. "We met fewer blind and diseased persons than we expected; and I must say, that I was agreeably surprised, both this morning, and throughout my travels in Egypt, by the appearance of the peo ple. About the dirt there can be no doubt; the dirt of both dwellings and persons; and the diseases which proceed from want of cleanliness; but the people appeared to us, there (at Alexandria), and throughout the country, sleek, well fed, and cheerful. I am not sure that I saw an ill-fed person in all Egypt. There is hardship enough of other kinds, abundance of misery to sadden the heart of the traveller: but not that, as far as we saw, of want of food I have seen more emaciated, and stunted, and depressed men, women, and children, in a single walk in England, than I observed from end to end of the land of Egypt. So much for the mere food question.”—vol. i. p. 9. In the winter of 1845, a traveller, in bad health, went from Alexandria, through Egypt, and the northern part of Nubia, and back, frequently landing from his boat and walking long distances through roads, paths, fields, villages, and towns, sometimes alone, sometimes attended by an Arab boatman; and he never received the slightest insult. The case of Miss Martineau,-that of a woman acting in defiance of the customs of her sex in the East, is still stronger. She notices one petty insult only, which she brought on herself by joining in a religious procession, certainly not a discreet act. Some years ago such conduct would proba- sult whatever was offered us; and our presence Alexandria is half European, half Mahommedan; and, neither element being good of the kind, it presents little to interest the passing traveller. Cleopatra's needle is the most remarkable relic. The fellow to it, once given to the British Government, now lies completely buried, not, as Miss Martineau says, in the sands, but in the rubbish of the ancient city, of which the patient pedestrian will find mounds extending mile after mile, until he thinks they will have no end. In 1845, many yards of this buried treasure were visible. The Mahmoodieh canal to the Nile (nearly 50 miles in length) is a great work for a small prince, and quite essential if Egypt is to be a commercial country; for old father Nile has now closed all those mouths from which wisdom and theology, arts and sciences, as well as produce and manufactures once went forth: and this Macedonian port is too far from the Nile to allow the profitable transit of goods by land. The haste with which the canal was executed (Miss Martineau also alleges the want of tools) occasioned great mortality among the workmen. We doubt if the number of deaths she puts down (23,000) can be ascertained, seeing that Mahommedan governments are not famed for statistics: and if she had wituessed Egyptians scooping soft mud into baskets with their hands, she would probably have doubted if any tools could be so efficacious. The Nile delta is seldom examined by Europeans, though it would afford much to interest and instruct the learned antiquary, A tuft of palms, and occasionally a minaret, a clay-built village and a sheik's lowly tomb, are the objects that strike the eye above the river's deep brown banks. These |