having surmounted the heroic resistance
of Bologna, have advanced into Romagna, and are now marching on
Ancona.

"We have beaten and driven out of our territory the forces of the king
of Naples. We believe we should do the same by the Austrian forces, if
the attitude of the French here did not fetter our action.

"We are sorry to say it, but France must be informed that the
expedition of Civita Vecchia, said to be planned for our protection,
costs us very dear. Of all the interventions with which it is hoped to
overwhelm us, that of the French has been the most perilous. Against
the soldiers of Austria and the king of Naples we can fight, for
God protects a good cause. But we _do not wish to fight_ against
the French. We are toward them in a state, not of war, but of simple
defence. But this position, the only one we wish to take wherever
we meet France, has for us all the inconveniences without any of the
favorable chances of war.

"The French expedition has, from the first, forced us to concentrate
our troops, thus leaving our frontier open to Austrian invasion, and
Bologna and the cities of Romagna unsustained. The Austrians have
profited by this. After eight days of heroic resistance by the
population, Bologna was forced to yield. We had bought in France arms
for our defence. Of these ten thousand muskets have been detained
between Marseilles and Civita Vecchia. These are in your hands. Thus
with a single blow you deprive us of ten thousand soldiers. In every
armed man is a soldier against the Austrians.

"Your forces are disposed around our walls as if for a siege. They
remain there without avowed aim or programme. They have forced us to
keep the city in a state of defence which weighs upon our finances.
They force us to keep here a body of troops who might be saving our
cities from the occupation and ravages of the Austrians. They hinder
our going from place to place, our provisioning the city, our sending
couriers. They keep minds in a state of excitement and distrust which
might, if our population were less good and devoted, lead to sinister
results. They do _not_ engender anarchy nor reaction, for both are
impossible at Rome; but they sow the seed of irritation against
France, and it is a misfortune for us who were accustomed to love and
hope in her.

"We are besieged, Monsieur, besieged by France, in the name of a
protective mission, while some leagues off the king of Naples, flying,
carries off our hos