A friend, who was at Florence last week, sends us
some gossip from the Tuscan capital : though his letter was only intended for our private benefit, we make free to print an extract. "Ilaynau is still here ; at least I saw him walking about a few days ago, and I believe him to be established here for the winter.
"I have several times attended the trial of Guerrazzi and his companions in misfortune, altogether eleven in number. There are twenty-four others, who are, luckily for themselves,. absent in foreign countries, and who, not baying surrendered to stand their trial, are denominated contumaci,' and a list of their names is stuck up accordingly in the vestibule of the temporary court-house. Guerrazzi's popularity is on the wane. The book he pub- lished in 1851, called Apologia della Vita Politica '—of himself—as well as an appendix to it last year, appears to have done him no good with the Grand Duke's party, whose approbation it was intended to obtain ; and it has made him appear a traitor to the revolutionary party of which he was the leader. He has had the folly in it to attack the political character of one of his quondam friends, Carlo Pigli, whom he himself appointed Gover- nor of Leghorn. Carlo Pigli who is one of the contumaci,' and now re- siding in France, has published a book to refute the accusations of Guer- razzi ; who, Pigli says, probably believed that he was dead, as reports had been circulated that he had died, having been in a very weak state of health. The purport of Guerrazzi's defence is, that he was always working under- hand to promote the return of the Grand Duke as a constitutional sovereign, and that in the mean time by his acts he saved society from the horrors of anarchy. This sort of defence only justifies the Italians in never having placed confidence in their leaders, whether military amen or statesmen : in fact, this want of confidence in one another is the cankerworm of society in this country, otherwise so favourably endowed with Nature's gifts. They do not understand the battle-cry of one of our gallant regiments— Shoulder to shoulder, boys ! aye shoulder to shoulder !'—which has a moral as well as physical meaning. "There are much fewer of our countrymen now residing in Tuscany than -there used to be before the revolution ; and there is every reason to suppose that the Grand Duke is as much disinclined to encourage their residence at Florence as formerly he was disposed to encourage it. This unfavourable dis- position towards foreigners in general is evinced by the Government in many little trifles; and somehow or other the hint is taken, for half the lodgings in the town are unlet. The Medial and Mather affairs have had their in- fluence in keeping away the English.
"With the exception of some rain during these last two or three days, the weather hitherto has been beautiful, with a brilliant sun shining over head ; in fact, there has been scarcely any cold weather at all this winter."
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