was destined to deliver Frasinare from Zucche's volunteers who were then infesting it.

It was thus the enemy escaped us, and that a day which might have given us a decided victory afforded only a simple success.

There were four things which, that day, could not be done :

Reinforcements could not be sent to me when I demanded them.

An assault could not be given, when the body of the army had joined me.

The retreat of the Neapolitans could not be prevented.

The fugitives could not be annoyed!

CHAPTER LIV.

THE THIRD OF JUNE.

I RE-ENTERED Rome on the 24th of May, amidst an immense crowd, which hailed me with cries of wild joy. In the meanwhile the Austrians were threatening Ancona. A first body of four thousand men had already left Rome to go to the defence of the Legations and the Marches. There was a talk of sending a second, but before ordering it to leave Rome, General Roselli thought it his duty, and for the safety of Rome, to write the following letter to the Duke de Reggio :— "CITIZEN GENERAL,

"It is my perfect conviction that the army of the Roman Republic will one day fight side by side with the army of the French Republic to maintain the most sacred rights of peoples. This conviction leads me to make you proposals which I hope you will accept. It is known to me that a treaty has been signed between the government and the plenipotentiary minister of France-a treaty which has not received your approbation.

"I do not enter into the mysteries of politics, but I address myself to you in quality of General-in-Chief of the Roman army. The Austrians are in march, and intend to concentrate their forces at Foligno; thence, with their right wing inclining towards the Tuscan territories, to advance by the valley of the Tiber, and effect a junction with the Neapolitans by the Abruzzi. I cannot believe you would see such a plan carried out with indifference.

"I think it my duty to communicate to you my suppositions relative to the movements of the Austrians, particularly at a moment when your undecided attitude paralyses our strength, and may assure success to the enemy. These reasons appear sufficiently powerful to lead me to demand of you an unlimited armistice, with a notification of fifteen days before the resumption of hostilities.

"I believe this armistice, General, necessary for the safety of my country, and I demand it in the name of the honour of the army and of the French Republic.

"Should the Austrians present their heads of columns at Civita Castellana, it is upon the French army that history will throw the responsibility of having compelled us to divide our forces, at a moment when they were so valuable to us, and with having thus secured the progress of the enemies of France.

"I have the honour to request a prompt reply, General, begging you to accept the salutation of fraternity. ROSELLI."

To this the French general replied:

"GENERAL,

They

"The orders of my government are positive. prescribe to me to enter Rome as soon as possible. I have denounced to the Roman authorities the verbal armistice, which, at the request of M. de Lesseps, I consented for a time to grant, and I have, in writing, sent word to my advanced posts that the two armies were at liberty to recommence hostilities.

"Only, in order to give your Nationals, who would

wish to leave Rome, and at the desire of M. the Chancellor of the French Embassy, the possibility of doing it with facility, I defer the attack of the place until Monday morning at least.

"Receive, General, the assurance of my high consideration.

"The General-in-Chief of the Corps de l'Armée of the Mediterranean,

“OUDINOT, DUC DE REGGIO." According to this assurance, the attack would not commence before the 4th of June.

It is true that a French author, Folard, has said in his commentaries upon Polybius: "A general who goes to sleep upon the faith of a treaty awakes a dupe." On the 3rd of June, about three o'clock, I was awakened by the sound of cannon. I lodged in the Via Carozze, with two of my friends, Carezeni, of whom I have already said a word, I believe, and Baverio, of whom I had occasion to speak as commanding the company of boys at Velletri.

At this unexpected sound, both they and I sprang out of bed. Baverio was suffering from an abscess; I ordered him to remain quiet in the house. As to Carezeni, I had no reason to prevent his coming with me. I jumped upon my horse, leaving him at liberty to join me when and where he could, and galloped off to the St. Pancrazio gate.

I found everything on fire-this is what happened: Our advanced posts of the Villa Pamphili consisted of two companies of the Bolognese Bersaglieri, and two hundred men of the 6th Regiment. At the moment midnight was striking, and consequently we were entering the day of the 3rd of June, a French column glided through the darkness towards the Villa Pamphili.

"Who goes there?" cried the sentinel, warned by the sound of footsteps.

"Viva l'Italia!" replied a voice. The sentinel, thinking he had to do with compatriots, suffered them

T

to approach, and was poniarded. The column rushed into the Villa Pamphili. All they met with were either killed or made prisoners. Some men jumped through the windows into the garden, and when once in the garden, climbed over the walls. The most

forward of them retired behind the convent of St. Pancrazio, shouting "To arms! to arms!" whilst others ran off in the direction of the Villas Valentini and Corsini. Like the Villa Pamphili, these were carried by surprise, but not without making some resistance.

The cries of those who had taken refuge behind St. Pancrazio, and the report of the guns fired by the defenders of the Villa Corsini and the Villa Valentini, had awakened the cannoneers. As soon as they ascertained that the Villa Corsini and the Villa Valentini were occupied by the French, they directed their fire upon those two country houses. The noise of the cannon aroused the drums and the bells.

Allow me to give an idea of the field of battle where the destiny of the day was to be played out. From the St. Pancrazio gate there is a road leading directly to Vascello; this road is about two hundred and fifty paces long. At the end of that, the road divides, the principal branch descends to the right, along the gardens of the Villa Corsini, surrounded by walls, and joins the high road to Civita Vecchia. The second branch, ceasing to be a public road to become a garden path, leads directly to the Villa Corsini, distant about three hundred metres. This path is flanked on each side by high and thick hedges of myrtle.

The third turns to the left, and, like the first, keeps close along the opposite side of the high wall of the Corsini garden.

The Villa Vascello is a large massive building of three stories, surrounded by gardens and walls. Within sixty paces of it is a small house, from which firing can be directed against the windows of the Villa Corsini.

On the left-hand road, at a hundred paces from its

separation from the main road, there are two other small houses, the one behind the garden of the Villa Corsini, and the other twenty paces forwarder. The Villa Corsini, placed upon an eminence, dominates the whole neighbourhood. The position of the villa is very strong, as, if attacked simply and without making any works of approach, it would be necessary to pass through the gate which is at the extremity of the garden, and to undergo, before reaching the villa, the concentrated fire which the enemy, sheltered by the hedges, the vases, the parapets, the statues, and by the house itself, could make upon the point where the walls of the garden meet at a sharp angle, leaving no other opening between them than that of the door.

This ground is everywhere very uneven, and beyond the Villa Corsini presents many places favourable for the enemy, who, couched in these inequalities or sheltered by clumps of trees, can plant reserves screened from the fire of the assailants, supposing he was forced to leave the house.

When I arrived at the St. Pancrazio gate, the Villa Pamphili, the Villa Corsini, and the Villa Valentini were all taken. The Vascello alone remained in our hands. Now the Villa Corsini being taken was an enormous loss to us; for as long as we were masters of that, the French could not draw their parallels. At any price, then, that must be retaken; it was for Rome a question of life and death. The firing between the cannoneers of the ramparts, the men of the Vascello, and the French of the Villa Corsini and the Villa Valentini, increased. But it was not a fusillade or a cannonade that was necessary; it was an assault, a terrible but victorious assault, which might restore the Villa Corsini to us.

1 sprang into the middle of the road, heedless whether my white puncho and plumed hat might make me a target for the French tirailleurs, and with voice and gesture called the dispersed men around me. Officers and soldiers seemed to rise out of the earth.