inghetti, &c., we knew
intimately, as well as Camillo Cavour, the greatest statesman Italy
ever produced. No one who did not witness it can imagine the grief
and consternation his death occasioned, and of which my mother
writes in a letter dated June 19th, 1861.]

FROM MRS. SOMERVILLE TO W. GREIG, ESQ.

FLORENCE, _May 5th, 1859_.

MY DEAREST W.,

Your letter of the 28th would have made me laugh heartily were we
not annoyed that you should have suffered such uneasiness on our
account; the panic in England is ridiculous and most unfounded. The
whole affair has been conducted with perfect unanimity and
tranquillity, so that there has been no one to fight with. The
Austrians are concentrated in Lombardy, and not in Tuscany, nor is
there any one thing to disturb the perfect peace and quietness which
prevail over the whole country; not a soul thinks of leaving
Florence. You do the greatest injustice to the Tuscans. From first
to last not a person has been insulted, not a cry raised against
anyone; even the obnoxious ministers were allowed to go to their
country houses without a word of insult, and troops were sent with
the Grand Duke to escort him and his family to the frontier. Martha
and Mary went all through the town the morning of the revolution,
which was exactly like a common festa, and we found the
tranquillity as great when we drove through the streets in the
afternoon. The same quiet still prevails, the people are at their
usual employments, the theatres and private receptions go on as
usual, and the provisional government is excellent. Everyone knew of
the revolution long before it took place and the quietness with
which it was to be conducted. I am grieved at the tone of English
politics; and trust, for the honour of the country and humanity,
that we do not intend to make war upon France and Sardinia. It would
be a disgrace and everlasting stigma to make a crusade against the
oppressed, being ourselves free. The people here have behaved
splendidly, and we rejoice that we have been here to witness such
noble conduct. No nation ever made such progress as the Tuscans have
done since the year '48. Not a word of republicanism, it has never
been named. All they want is a constitutional government, and this
they are quietly settling....

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