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Untitled Article
charities of life ; but there is nothing in our habitual reserve , in our national shame of being thought as good and kind as , at heart , we are , which can warrant our wishing to train them to our standard .
The narrative commences with the arrest of the author at Milan , on the 13 th of October , 1820 , on suspicion of connexion with those engaged in treasonable practices , doubtless , but not being informed of the nature of these , or the character of his different examinations , we can only follow him to the prison of Santa Margherita , which he was destined to inhabit until Feb .
1821 . To awaken , ' says he , * the first night in prison is a fearful thing . Is it possible , ( I said , remembering where I was , ) is it possible ? I here Is it no dream ! Did they arrest me yesterday ? Did they subject me yesterday to that long examination which will be renewed to-morrow , and who knows how often again ? Last night before I slept , did I weep so much when I thought of my parents ? The quiet , the silence ,
the short sleep that had restored my mental powers , seemed to have multiplied my sorrows an hundred fold . In the total absence of all distraction , the grief of my cherished ones , more than all of my father and mother when they should hear of my arrest , was painted in my fancy with incredible power . " Now , " said I , *• they are yet sleeping in peace ; or , if awake , they are thinking perhaps with pleasure of me , little dreaming of their son ' s present abode . Oh happy , if God were to take them hence , before the news reaches Turin . Who will give them strength to sustain such a stroke ?" c A voice within seemed to reply , " He whom all the afflicted invoke , He whom they love and feel to be with them—He who gave strength to a mother to follow her son to Golgotha , and stand beneath his cross , the friend of the unhappy , the friend of men V * This was the first moment that religion triumphed in my heart ; and to filial love I owe the blessing . * A cheerful tone of thought , and readiness to make the most of every little resource is the next amiable trait developed in the
narrative : — 4 here / says he , * I made it my study to complain of nothing , and to give my mind every enjoyment possible ; my favourite pleasure was in renewing my enumeration of the blessings which had gladdened my days . A good father and mother , excellent brothers and ' sisters , different friends , a good education , the love of letters , &c . Was there ever any one more largely blessed than I had been ? Why
not thank my God , although I might now be tried by misfortune ? While enumerating these things I was softened , and wept for a moment ; but courage and joy returned . In a few days I had made a friend . It was not the keeper nor any of the assistants , nor any one of my prosecutors , and yet I am speaking of a human being , of a deaf and dumb boy , five or six years old . His father and mother were thieves , and had suffered the punishment of the law . The poor orphan was maintained by the police , together with some other children similarly situated . They occupied a room opposite to my own , and at
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4 04 Silvio Pellico .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1833, page 404, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2616/page/44/
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