is position had gained immensely in strength, both at home and
abroad. Yet the power of the Clerical party in Piedmont was still such
that, in the elections of 1857--the first that had taken place since
the legislation affecting the Church--they obtained seventy seats out
of a total of two hundred. Cavour did not conceal his alarm. What if
eight years' labour were thrown away, and the movement of the State
turned backward? 'Never,' he said, 'would he advise a _coup d'etat,_
nor would his master resort to one; but if the King abdicated, what
then?' Victor Emmanuel said to his Prime Minister: 'Let us do our
duty; stand firm, and we shall see!' He often declared that, sooner
than beat a retreat from the path he had entered on, he would go to
America and become plain _Monsu Savoia_; but he never lost faith in
the predominating patriotism and good sense of his subjects; and at
this time, as at others, he proved to be right. The crisis was
surmounted. On the one hand, some elections were invalidated where the
priests had exercised undue influence; and, on the other, Rattazzi,
who was especially obnoxious to the Clerical party, retired from
office. Cavour thus found himself still able to command the Chamber.

CHAPTER XI

PREMONITIONS OF THE STORM

1857-1858

Pisacane's Landing--Orsini's Attempt--The Compact of
Plombieres--Cavour's Triumph.

In spite of the accusation of favouring political assassination which
was frequently launched against the Italian secret societies, only one
of the faithless Italian princes came to a violent death, and his
murder had no connection with politics. Charles III., Duke of Parma,
was mortally stabbed in March 1854; some said that the assassin was a
groom whom he had struck with a riding-whip; others, that he was the
father or brother of one of the victims of the Duke's dissolute
habits. The Duchess, a daughter of the Duke de Berry, assumed the
Regency on behalf of her son, who was a child. She began by initiating
many reforms; but a street disturbance in July gave Austria the
desired excuse for meddling in the government, when all progress was,
of course, arrested.

In December 1856, a soldier named Ageslao Milano attempted to
assassinate the King of the Two Sicilies at a review. He belonged to
no sect, but he had long premeditated the act. A few days later an
earthquake occurred in the kingdom of Naples, by which over ten
thousand persons lost their lives. Ferdinand II. grew