The Life of Mazzini Part 16

DEAR CLEMENTIA,--

I am better, although not so much as my friends here suppose. I feel, from various little symptoms, as if I could any week have the complaint back. I may, and hope to be mistaken, however. So, let us accept what instalment is granted, and not think of the future. I might give myself an additional chance, if I could keep absolutely silent and motionless during one month. But I cannot. There is--at least--a possibility of the Republic being proclaimed in Spain; and if so, we must try to follow, a preparatory very complex work is therefore unavoidable. It is useless to tell me: "if you keep quiet now, you will be able to work better henceforward." The important thing is to work now.

Your cabinet[53] is a shameful contrivance.... It is an implement good for the conquest of the Irish measure, and soon after, I think, the majority will split into two or three fractions. As to your--quite forgotten--international life, the main thing about which, according to me, you ought to care, Lord Clarendon's policy will be a French and Austrian policy. What does Peter say? Is he still enthusiastic about Gladstone?

Your women-emanc.i.p.ating movement is fairly imitated in Italy. We have a central committee of ladies in Naples, and sub-committees here and there, and one or two members of our House pleading for them. All this is very right, and I hope that next year, European events will help this movement; but meanwhile, I should wish very much that, whilst you attack men with their gross injustice, you should teach women to _deserve_ their emanc.i.p.ation: nothing is conquered unless _deserved_. The poor working men _have_ deserved; they have for one century fought, bled, acted for _all_ the good causes in Europe: the majority of your women still fight almost entirely for a husband to be won by their personal genuine or artificial appearance; they wors.h.i.+p _fas.h.i.+on_ more than the Ideal. You ought to write one tract to men and one to them.

Try to be well: give my love to Peter and believe in the deep and lasting affection of

JOSEPH.

XIII

LETTER TO MR WILLIAM SHAEN [From Gaeta, Oct. 12, 1870].

DEAR SHAEN,--I know that a few words from me and from here will please you. You do not forget me, and you have never been forgotten: none is of those whom I loved in England. For many reasons, I cannot write to all my friends, and they know the general state of things concerning me from good, faithful, dear Caroline.[54] I am, physically, tolerably well; for the rest "fata viam invenient."

I know that you have been and are very active in the "Woman's Emanc.i.p.ation Movement." Every good cause has ever found you ready to help; and I had no doubt of your coming forward in one which ought to be a matter of simple duty for anyone believing that there is but one G.o.d--one Life--one Law of progress through Love, Equality and a.s.sociation for it. Still, it is comforting to hear of it. The movement has begun and with some degree of power in Italy too: it would rapidly and successfully increase had we not to complete, before all other things, our national edifice.

Ever and most affectionately yours,

JOS. MAZZINI.

28/9/70, GAETA.

This note was written, as you see, long ago: and through some reason or other, it did not go; and I am able now to add that to-morrow I shall be free, and the day after I shall leave Gaeta. The _amnesty_, of course, I shall refuse to avail myself of! I must be free of doing whatever I think right and without even the shadow of ungratefulness to any body--even to a King. After a few days I shall therefore leave Italy again. It may be that during next month I come--for one month--to see my English friends: I wish and hope so. Meanwhile: live and prosper.--Yours ever,

JOSEPH.

12/10/70.

FOOTNOTES:

[47] This is inaccurate. See Linaker, _Vita di Enrico Mayer_, I.

124-125.

[48] From Byron's Journal.

[49] See above, p. 168.

[50] Query. The word was illegible in the original.

[51] See above, p. 186.

[52] A favourite expression of Mazzini, as the equivalent of _quaggiu_.

[53] The Gladstone Ministry of December 1868.

[54] Mrs Stansfeld.

Appendix B

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAZZINI'S WRITINGS.

[The following is a list of the materials, which (with few exceptions) have been used in compiling this volume. It is, I believe, a complete list of writings of any importance by or concerning Mazzini, except some, which contain purely political references. For some of the minor references I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to Signor Canestrelli's bibliography, published with his translation of von Schack's _Giuseppe Mazzini e l'unita italiana_ (Rome, 1892).]

WRITINGS.

The bulk of Mazzini's writings have been collected in _Scritti editi e inediti di Giuseppe Mazzini_, 18 vols. (Milan and Rome, 1861-1891).

There is an excellent selection, edited by Madame Mario, as _Scritti scelti di Giuseppe Mazzini_ (Florence, 1901).

A good many of Mazzini's less important journalistic articles have not been included in the _Scritti editi e inediti_. There are several more notable omissions:--

_Una notte di Rimini_, said to be Mazzini's first strictly political writing, republished in Madame Mario's life.

_Due adunanze degli accademici pitagorici_, and _Di Vittor Hugo e dell'Angelo tiranno_, published in _Il Subalpino_, 1839, and reprinted in Donaver, _Vita di G. Mazzini_.

_Byron e Goethe_ (very important for Mazzini's literary views), published in _Scritti letterari d'un italiano vivente_ (Lugano, 1847), republished in Madame Mario's _Scritti scelti_, and badly translated in the _Life and Writings_, vol. ii.

_Sulla pittura in Italia_, published in _Scritti letterari_.

_Macchiavelli_, published in ditto.

_Victor Hugo_, published in _British and Foreign Review_, 1838, and republished in _Life and Writings_, vol. ii.

_Lamartine_, published in _British and Foreign Review_, 1839, and republished in _Life and Writings_, vol. ii.

_Letters on the state and prospects of Italy_, published in _Monthly Chronicle_, May-Sept. 1839.

_George Sand_, published in _Monthly Chronicle_, July 1839; extracts republished in _Life and Writings_, vol. vi.

_Thiers_, published in _Monthly Chronicle_, July 1839.

Review of C. Balbo's _Vita di Dante_, published in _The European_, Jan. 1840, and translated in A. von Schack, Joseph Mazzini und die italienische Einheit.