terprise,
were forced to agree to this view of his character. Some of those
intimate with him went so far as to whisper that he was threatened with
lunacy. He was the Hamlet of Monarchy.

A characteristic passage of the volume has relation to

LAMARTINE'S VIEWS OF ITALIAN INDEPENDENCE.

The war between the two principles was general in Europe--the enthusiasm
excited by the movements in Italy, especially the Lombard insurrection
and the prodigies of the five days, was immense; and Italy could, had
she willed it and known how, have drawn thence sufficient force to
counterbalance all the strength of hostile reaction. But to do this, it
was necessary, whatever the mean policy of the _Moderates_ might fear,
to give to the movement a character so audaciously national as to alarm
our enemies, and to offer the most powerful element of support to our
friends. Both felt the time was ripe, and began to believe that Italy
would be but _Italy_, and not _the Kingdom of the North_. I remember the
consoling words Lamartine addressed to me, at his house, on the eve of
my departure for Italy, and in presence, amongst others, of Alfred de
Vigny, and of the same Forbin Janson whom I was afterwards to meet
preaching the papal restoration, and getting up various petty
conspiracies and ridiculous intrigues at Rome.

"The hour has struck for you," said the minister, "and I am so firmly
convinced of it, that the first words with which I have charged Monsieur
d'Harcourt for the Pope are these; _Holy Father, you know that you ought
to be the President of the Italian Republic_." But Monsieur d'Harcourt
had quite other things to say to the Pope, on the part of that faction
which involved Lamartine in its snares whilst he imagined that he could
control it. For myself I attached no importance, except as a symptom, to
these words of Lamartine, a man of impulse and of noble instincts, but
unstable in belief, without energy for a fixed purpose, and without real
knowledge of men and things. He was indeed the echo of a tendency
all-powerful, in those moments of excitement, upon the French mind; and
every re-awakening nationality, every political programme, which, if not
absolutely republican, was like that, at least, of the Italian
constituent, would have compelled the support of the most hesitating
government in France.

From great things great things are born. The _dwarfish_ conception of
the _Moderates_ froze up all souls, and imposed an utter c