ITALY. The Sette Communi.-On the Italian side of the range of mountains which separate the Tyrol from the Vicentino, I met with a race of men whose language, habits, features, and manners evidently bespeak their origin to be Teutonic. They are the descendants of the German mercenaries who were introduced into Italy during the middle ages; though they are themselves anxious to make you believe that they are the genuine posterity of the Cimbri, who made an irruption into the Roman territories in the times of Marius-the remnant of that swarm, of whom the sword of Marius cut off 140,000 in the 653d year after the building of Rome. These German settlers at present occupy a sterile tract of land between Vicenza and Scio; and where they do not earn a livelihood as mechanics, hire themselves as herdsmen and drivers in the plains of Upper Italy. Their indigence has been stamped, under their own hand, in the following passage of an address to the Archduke John, when he paid them a visit some short time since. The quotation may likewise serve as a specimen of their existing dialect, and of its close kindred with the German. Hia schaughen sich net Aeffele Nor apples here are seen, Nor may our niggard board E'er sight of fresh-caught fish afford. Their numbers amount to about 30,000, and their principal residence is at Asiago, a town upon an acclivity which it took me five hours to mount. Its environs are studded with lofty forests of oak. Straw platting is the principal employment of its inhabitants; the roofs of their houses are finished with saddles of wood, and in other respects they assimilate closely with their neighbours, the Styrians. I shall close these short notes with an extract or two from their catechism, for the exercise of the inquisitive in etymology. 6 The Seven Sacraments.-' De Toofe-de Cresina-d'Eucaristia― de Paichte-z'Orgöl-dar Uardo-dar Matrimonia.'-The Lord's Prayer. Unzar Vater vön me Hümmele sai gaéart eür halga Namo: kemme dar eür Hümmel; sai gataant allez baz ar belt iart, bia in Hümmel aso af d'Earda. Ghetüz heüte ünzar proat von altaghe; un lácetüz naach ünzare schulle, bia bar lácense naach biar den da saint schullik üz. Haltetüz gehütet vön Tentaciún ; un hévetüz de Uebel. Asö saiz.'-On making the Sign of the Cross. In Namen vön mè Vatere, un vön mè Suno, un vön mè Halghen Spiriten. Asö saiz.'-The language has obviously retained its original syntax, derivations, and inflexions, and here and there only adopted a Latin or Italian expression for lack of a native one.-J. K. SARDINIA. The education of the great mass of the community is wholly in the hands of the Jesuits; nor can science or learning be said to have taken deep root, though there is no want of institutions, which, with intelligent and fostering management, might have ensured a far richer produce. In a population scarcely exceeding 4,000,000, we have for instance no less than four universities, (Turin, Genoa, Cagliari, and Sassari,) 41 high schools or gymnasia, 64 civic schools for the middling classes, 39 seminaries, an academy for the nobility, a school of commerce, and a military as well as a naval school. The national or elementary schools are at a very low ebb indeed, with regard both to the system and the quality of instruction. The Mariner's Compass.-It can scarcely be doubted that the Chinese made use of an instrument similar in construction to the compass several centuries before it was known to the Arabians: nor would it seem to admit of a question, that the latter greatly im proved upon the invention, and brought it into use among other nations, particularly their European neighbours. It remains yet to be ascertained, why a lily is figured on the ground of old compasses: though we are aware that this circumstance has occasioned the invention to be attributed to Gioja d'Amalfi, and its first practical application to the Neapolitans. The world has long been at a loss to explain the words Zoron and Aphron, which were used to designate the powers of the magnet; but, as Andrés and Casiri justly observe, they are merely a corrupt substitute for the Arabic expression of north and south. It is the received opinion, too, that no nation in Europe made use of the compass before the thirteenth century; and yet it cannot be denied, that long before this date it was in common use among the Arabians, who were engaged in constant journeys to the various quarters of their extensive dominions, carried on an extensive trade by sea, and wrote the first works on navigation and geography. We find Edrisi, an eastern writer of the twelfth century, speaking of the compass as being in general use amongst his fellow-countrymen; and Tiraboschi, himself an Italian, is scru. pulous of contesting the merit of the invention with them. This opinion is strikingly corroborated by the avowed use which the Arabians made of the compass when travelling through the desert. Chalcondylas, the Greek historian, records in his book 'De Rebus Turcicis,' that the caravans employed certain magnetic instruments, 'directing their course in conformity with, and by the help of, the assured indications they possessed of northerly regions.' Nor was the compass without its use to the Arabians under their very roofs; for it afforded them an index to that quarter of the heavens towards which they were to address their prayers*. And why should we be so jealous of awarding the palm to Arabian ingenuity, when it seems more than probable that the use of the pendulum clock, a subject of so much controversy between Galileo and Huyghens, was an invention proceeding from the same quarter? Father Sarmiento, indeed, assures us that he had frequently found mention made of automatonclocks in Arabian MSS.; and Josef Conde speaks of one Abu * Herbelot, under the word 'Keblah.' Abdallah Ibn Arrakam, who was tutor to Al Masser, king of Granada, about the year 1314, and had acquired great celebrity by the invention of very ingenious clocks*, and astronomical instruments. MILAN.-Maria Cosway, who is at the head of an establishment at Lodi, where young women are educated, and for the foundation of which she has not only contributed the building and furniture, but a capital of 4000l. sterling, has been permitted by the Austrian government to found a religious endowment for English females, who are to take the future charge of the seminary. Mrs. Cosway has purchased a house for the purpose, and settled a capital of 15001. upon it. ROME. The sum which the Papal treasury applied to the purposes of public education in 1822, was 66,900 piastres, (about 14,700. ;) but in 1831, when the grant included an appropriation for the fine arts and museums, it amounted to 125,000 piastres, (about 27,500l.) But as popular education in Rome depends upon the zeal of religious communities, and is only partially provided for out of the Pontifical purse, neither the budget of the one year nor that of the other afford a correct index to its progress. The labour bestowed upon it by such associations as the 'Brethren of Schools of Piety,' the Somaschi, and the Jesuits, infinitely exceeds either sum in value. At all events, there is great injustice in taxing the Papal government with a desire to prevent the spread of education; and the following facts will refute the calumny. Rome contains sixty district schools (regionarie), which are directed by laymen, and attended by about 2000 pupils, who are admitted upon a monthly payment, varying from two to four shillings. There are also seven parochial schools with 500, and seven other schools, conducted by the regular clergy, with 2000 children, all of whom are taught gratuitously. It is impossible for any elementary school to be better organized than that of St. Nicholas in the Strada Giulia, where 80 mechanics' children are received on their return from work in the evening, and instructed in reading and writing, as well as supplied with materials, without any charge whatever being made by the kind-hearted ecclesiastics who have opened it. In the three parochial schools, conducted by the Ignorantine brotherhood, lessons in drawing are added. The regulations which they have laid down are excellent, and one of them is probably without a counterpart in any other quarter of the globe: it is, that no individual who has any bodily defect or infirmity shall be allowed to act as teacher in the school, lest he should become an object of ridicule to his pupils.' FLORENCE.-The Florence periodical, the Antologia, has been lately stopped by an order from the Tuscan government. The Antologia was one of the best Italian journals, and the most independent in its spirit, for the Tuscan censorship had been, until lately, remarkably mild and liberal. This freedom, however, did not please * Muy ingeniosos reloxos.' some of the neighbouring governments. The Modena journal, called 'La Voce della Verità, made repeated attacks on the Antologia, especially on account of an article which appeared in the latter journal for December last, in which there was a sort of parallel drawn between the condition of Greece, after the Roman conquest, and the present state of Italy. The article had duly passed the Tuscan censorship, and the number which contained it was freely circulated all over Italy, and at Milan among other places, without having attracted any reproof, except from Modena. Soon after the appearance of the strictures in the Modena journal, however, the Editor of the Antologia was taken to task by the Tuscan government for the said article, and the result has been the suppression of the Antologia. In a literary and scientific point of view this is a loss to Italy, as this journal was the chief medium of information concerning the literature of the central and southern parts of the Peninsula, and was especially supported by the Tuscan literati, who are authorities in matters of language. The Biblioteca Italiana, which is published at Milan, is now the only Italian journal of an established reputation. GERMANY. The latest intelligence we have of Prince Maximilian of Neuwied, who is engaged in a scientific journey through North America, is dated from St. Louis, where he was present at General Clarke's reception of an embassy from the independent Indian tribes, who had sent it for the purpose of effecting a change of prisoners, and offering their submission. Prince Maximilian was so much pleased with the frank and gentle deportment of these Indians, that he had embarked with them in a steam-boat, with the intention of proceeding up the Missouri to their home-quarters. Several consignments of specimens in natural history had already reached Neuwied. The Prince contemplates a journey through the Mexican States, and will return to Europe in the autumn of 1834. Fichte's Early Years.-This eminent philosopher was born in a village in Upper Lusatia about the year 1762, and, if report be true, his childhood was a series of wonders. He had scarcely come into the world when one of his uncles, a man in years and highly esteemed for his virtues and superior understanding, is said to have dropped upon his knees by the cradle-side, and predicted that he would one day become a great man. The sudden death of the prophet, which occurred immediately afterwards, gave increased effect to the prognostic; insomuch so, indeed, as to deter his father from thwarting him even in the most trivial of his inclinations or pursuits. In his infancy he was singularly given to musing; and was frequently found standing alone in the fields, with his eyes raised upwards, in profound contemplation of the heavens. At first he had no teacher but his father, who was a poor husbandman; and that was a fortunate chance for him which led Baron de Miltiz to pay a visit to the village in which he resided. It happened that the baron had a particular fancy for hearing sermons; but, on this occasion, he arrived at too late an hour to hear the parish minister's discourse. Young Fichte, however, had heard it, and offered to repeat it to Miltiz; this he did in so admirable a manner as to make a future patron of his hearer. The latter undertook the whole business and expense of his education, and having given him a preparatory course at the grammar-school at Pforta, sent him to complete his studies at the universities of Leipzig and Jena, in the latter of which he afterwards lectured in philosophy. Kant's system, and the French revolution at that time, set all men's brains in motion; and Fichte took so warm a part in espousing both, as to expose himself to enmities of no ordinary kind. In the end he was obliged to resign his professorial functions, and seek an asylum at Berlin, where he wrote the larger portion of his works. He died in that city in the year 1814, having filled the professorship of philosophy in it for ten years and upwards. PRUSSIA. BERLIN. According to the official enumeration for the present summer session of this university, the number of students who have matriculated has been 1801, of whom 588 entered for theology; 611 for jurisprudence; 341 for medicine; and 261 for philosophy. Independently of the regular students, 527 individuals, being surgeons, apothecaries, pupils of the Institute of Frederic William, and the Academies of Architecture and Woods and Forests, &c., attended certain lectures, and thus raised the entire number to 2328. The beginning of the year brought with it a species rather of Saturday,' than 'Penny,' Magazine, in the shape of the Sunday Guest.' It partakes more of a religious character than either of the English weekly publications just mentioned, and invariably opens with a meditation on the gospel for the Sunday of publication. Like the Saturday Magazine, it avails itself largely of the writings of the old divines of the Protestant Church. The price, inclusive of delivery, is a dollar per annum, which is less than three farthings for each paper. It has obtained extensive circulation, and the founders intend to apply the profits in circulating it gratuitously amongst the most indigent classes. BONN.-The number of students has much declined of late; this summer it does not exceed 774, of whom 310 entered for divinity. The students who are not subjects of the Prussian crown amount to 97. MUNSTER. In the course of last year, a seminary for educating school-mistresses and governesses (Schul-lehrerinnen Seminar) was established in this province. Four ladies are admitted every year for a two years' course; so that eight at least are constantly under its roof. The first year is employed in general tuition; that is, they are familiarized with the higher class of studies pursued by the pupils who resort to the school, and at the same time receive such special instruction as may better qualify them for their vocation. The latter is continued during the second year; but as many hours |