er hereditary
enemy those portions of unredeemed Italy which still remained in
Austrian hands.

"These hopes have either been fulfilled or are in course of
fulfillment. United Italy is unitedly in the war, and, except among a
few political busybodies, who intrigue after the manner of their kind,
there are not two opinions about the war. There are many cases of
mothers compelling their sons to volunteer and other cases of fathers
insisting upon being taken because their sons are at the front. The
prefect of Friuli told me that nearly all the 24,000 men in his
province who were absent abroad when the war broke out returned home
to fight before they were recalled. The south and the island areas
warm for war as the north, and the regiments of Naples and of Sicily
have done very well indeed in the field. Some people think that
Piedmont is not quite so enthusiastic as other parts of Italy, because
she flags her streets rather less, but I do not think that there is
any real difference of feeling. In all the capitals of the Allies the
political climate has been a trifle unhealthy, and of Rome it has been
said that the old families of the Blacks have not taken a leading part
in the campaign. My inquiries make me doubt the accuracy of this
statement, and I think on the whole it will be found that, despite the
old and persistent divergence of opinion on certain topics, all ranks
and all classes are heartily for the war, and that an enemy who counts
on assistance from within Italy will be grievously disappointed.

"Italy is fortunate in having at her head, at this critical hour of
her destinies, a king who is a soldier born and bred.

"It is a common saying here that the King of Italy is homesick when he
is absent from the army, and it is certain that his majesty spends
every hour that he can spare from state affairs with his troops. He
wears on his breast the medal ribbon, only given to those who have
been at the front for a year, and, though he deprecates any allusion
to the fact, it is true that he is constantly in the firing line, has
had many narrow escapes, and is personally known to the whole army,
who love to see him in their midst.

"I have not found any officer of his army who has a better, a more
intimate, or a more accurate knowledge of his troops than the king.
His attention to the wants of the army is absolutely untiring, and I
fancy that his cool judgment and large experience must often be of
great service to hi