Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/444

460 republican virtues. Cotemporary with Alfiere—that is to say, at the close of the last and the beginning of the present century—was Betta, also a Piedmontese, who wrote his Storia d'Italia, and awoke through it, a new love for the country, and new interest in its destiny The lucid and fervent manner in which he presented his facts, has made his work, in the best sense, popular.

After Gioberti's Primato and Balbo's Speranze d'Italia, a legion of young writers arose, as combatants for the freedom of their country. Tragedies and novels emulated each other in calling forth the great memories and virtues of the fatherland. Azeglio, Nicolini, Guerazzi, stand high amongst the authors of the present time in this respect. (Manzoni's Promessi Sposi is a charming novel, but it cannot be said to belong to the fatherland's literature of liberty, of which I am now speaking.) A number of poets and prose-writers united themselves to them, and the Princess Belgiogioso,—who, by her personal influence and wealth supported, unquestionably, the patriotic movement,—had their works printed in Paris, in a paper devoted to this purpose; for the censorship did not allow of their publication in the Italian States.

The hour came when this blossoming in the realm of word and spirit should produce its fruit. A circumstance now occurred which made it hastily ripen—alas, ripen too soon!

It was in 1843 that Gioberti's Primato d'Italia came out and made its round of Italy. In the year 1847 died Pope Gregory XVI., and the electoral-conclave came together to choose a new primate over the Catholic World.