e very peasants here
are giving their crazie, the very labourers their day's work (once in a
week or so)--while everyone gives, and every man almost (who can go)
goes--the 'Times' says that Piedmont had derived neither paul nor
soldier from Tuscany. Tell me what people get by lying so? Faustus sold
himself to the Devil. Does Austria pay a higher price, I wonder?

Such things I could tell you--things to moisten your eyes--to wring that
burning eloquence of yours from your lips. But Robert waits to take this
letter. Penini has adorned our terrace with two tricolour flags, the
Italian tricolour and the French. May God bless you, dear friend. Speak
again for Italy. If you could see with what _eyes_ the Italian speaks of
the 'English.' Our love to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ruskin--if we may--because
we must. Write to us, do.

Ever affectionately yours,
R.B. and E.B.B.

* * * * *

_To Miss Browning_

Florence: [about June 1859.]

My dearest Sarianna,--There is a breath of air giving one strength to
hold one's pen at this moment. How people can use swords in such
weather it's difficult to imagine. We have been melting to nothing, like
the lump of sugar in one's tea, or rather in one's lemonade, for tea
grows to be an abomination before the sun. The heat, which lingered
unusually, has come in on us with a rush of flame for some days past,
suggesting, however, the degree beyond itself, which is coming. We stay
on at Florence because we can't bear to go where the bulletin twice a
day from the war comes less directly; and certainly we shall stay till
we can't breathe here any more. On which contingency our talk is to go
somewhere for two months. Meanwhile we stay.

You can't conceive of the intense interest which is reigning here, you
can't realise it, scarcely. In Paris there is vivid interest, of course,
but that is from less immediate motives, except with persons who have
relations in the army. Here it is as if each one had a personal enemy in
the street below struggling to get up to him. When we are anxious we are
pale; when we are glad we have tears in our eyes. This 'unnecessary' and
'inexcusable' war (as it has been called in England) represents the only
hope of a nation agonising between death and life. You _talk_ about our
living or dying, but _we live or die_. That's the difference between you
and us.

We shall live, however. The hope is rising into triumph. Nobody any more
will say th