tic life, not to be paraded at reviews, but to be
sent against the enemy. There are hundreds of these in the regular
army-in the cavalry especially, and the Aosta Lancers and the regiment of
Guides are half composed of them. If you listen to them, there ought not
to be the slightest doubt or hesitation as to crossing the Isongo and
marching upon Vienna. May Heaven see their wishes accomplished, for,
unless crushed by sheer force, Italy is quite decided to carry war into
the enemy's country.

The decisions of the French government are looked for here with great
anxiety, and not a few men are found who predict them to be unfavourable
to Italy. Still, it is hard for every one to believe that the French
emperor will carry things to extremities, and increase the many
difficulties Europe has already to contend with.

To-day there was a rumour at the mess table that the Austrians had
abandoned Legnano, one of the four fortresses of the quadrilateral. I do
not put much faith in it at present, but it is not improbable, as we may
expect many strange things from the Vienna government. It would have been
much better for them, since Archduke Albert spoke in eulogistic terms of
the king, of his sons, and of his soldiers, while relating the action of
the 24th, to have treated with Italy direct, thus securing peace, and
perhaps friendship, from her. But the men who have ruled so despotically
for years over Italian subjects cannot reconcile themselves to the idea
that Italy has at last risen to be a nation, and they even take slyly an
opportunity to throw new insult into her face. You can easily see that
the old spirit is still struggling for empire; that the old contempt is
still trying to make light of Italians; and that the old Metternich ideas
are still fondly clung to. Does not this deserve another lesson? Does not
this need another Sadowa to quiet down for ever? Yes; and it devolves
upon Italy to do it. If so, let only Cialdini's army alone, and the day
may be nigh at hand when the king may tell the country that the task has
been accomplished.

A talk on the present state of political affairs, and on the peculiar
position of Italy, is the only subject worth notice in a letter from the
camp. Everything else is at a standstill, and the movements of the fine
army Cialdini now disposes of, about 150,000 men, are no longer full of
interest. They may, perhaps, have some as regards an attack on Venice,
because Austrian soldiers are sti