ord John.[65]

The whole aspect of affairs gives cause for serious reflection and
great anxiety for the future.

The conduct of France as regards Italy shows how little the Emperor
Napoleon cared for, or thought of, its independence when he undertook
this war, which (though in the last instance begun by Austria) _he_
brought on, for purposes of his own.

The manifesto of the Emperor of Austria shows how unfortunate for her
own interests the policy of Prussia has been.[66] She had made herself
answerable for the issue of the war by restraining the minor states,
and stands now humiliated and isolated. Her position in Germany is at
present very painful, and may be for the future very dangerous.

The Queen feels strongly that we are not without considerable
responsibility in having from the first urged her to take no part in
the war, which certainly had great influence on her actions--and she
will very naturally look to us not to desert her when the evil hour
for her may come.[67]

[Footnote 65: These were letters from Lord Cowley and Sir
James Hudson in reference to the Peace of Villafranca. The
former announced, as a result of his conversation with the
Empress and other persons, that among the causes which induced
the French Emperor to consent to peace were his horror at
any further sacrifice of life and time, disgust at what he
considered Italian apathy for the cause which the French
were upholding, and distrust of the intentions of the King
of Sardinia and Count Cavour. Sir James Hudson described the
unanimous feeling at Turin that the Nationalist cause had been
betrayed. Cavour, he wrote, could obtain no further response
to his remonstrances with Napoleon than "Il fait bien chaud:
il fait bien chaud." Moreover, Napoleon knew (continued Sir
James) "that Mazzini had dogged his footsteps to Milan, for,
the day before yesterday, sixty-six Orsini bombshells were
discovered there by the chief of the Sardinian police, who
arrested the man (a known follower of Mazzini) who had them.
The story is that he brought them from England for the purpose
of using them against the Austrians!!" Count Cavour, who
resigned in disgust and was succeeded by Rattazzi, remained
out of office till the following January.]

[Footnote 66: He stated that he believed he could obtain
better terms direct from the French Emperor than those to
which En