at_ would not be a
satisfactory opinion in France of the Head of the State, would it, do
you think? It was obviously his duty not to be negligent of certain
eventualities in the case of his own country, to be a 'Frenchman'
_there_.

Oh, Savoy has given me pain: and I would rather for the world's sake
that a great action had remained out of reach of the hypothetical
whispers of depreciators. I would rather not hear Robert say, for
instance: 'It was a great action; but he has taken eighteenpence for it,
which is a pity.' I don't think this judgment fair--and much worse
judgments are passed than that, which is very painful. But, after all,
this thing may have been a necessary duty on L.N.'s part, and I can
understand that it was so. For this loss of the Italians, _that_ is not
to be dwelt on; while for the Savoyards, none knew better than Cavour
(not even L.N.) the leaning of those populations towards France for
years back; it has been an inconvenient element of his government.
Whether there are or are not natural frontiers, there are natural
barriers, and the Alps hinder trade and make direct influence difficult;
and what the popular vote would be nobody here doubted. Be sure that
nobody did in Switzerland. The Swiss have been insincere, it seems to
me--talking of terror when they thought chiefly of territory. But I feel
tenderly for poor heroic Garibaldi, who has suffered, he and his
minority. He is not a man of much brain; which makes the subject the
more cruel to him. But I can't write of Garibaldi this morning, so
anxious we are after an unpleasant despatch yesterday. He is a hero, and
has led a forlorn hope out to Sicily, to succeed for Italy, or to fail
for himself. It's 'imprudence,' if he fails: if otherwise, who shall
praise him enough? it's salvation and glory.

* * * * *

_To Miss E.F. Haworth_

[Rome], 28 Via del Tritone: May 18, 1860 [postmark].

My dearest Fanny,--It seems to me that you have drunk so much England,
which cheers _and_ inebriates, as to have forgotten your Italian
friends. Here have I been waiting with my load of gratitude, till my
shoulders ache under it, not knowing to what address to carry it!
Sarianna sent me one address of your London lodgings, with the
satisfactory addition that you were about to move immediately. You
really _might_ have written to me before, unkindest and falsest of
Fannies! Or else (understand) you should not have sent me those gr