shirts to be taken off again; and I think I may venture to say that not a single soldier took the trouble to replace his where he had taken it from.

I was riding on the flank of the Italian Legion, when some soldiers, who were carrying a ladder, passing by a villa, wished to know whether it was really as completely abandoned as it appeared to be, and raised their ladder against one of the windows of the first story; the regiment halted to see the result of the perquisition, leaving the vanguard to pursue their march. Five or six men mounted the ladder. All at once a step broke short under the feet of the topmost man; he fell upon the second, the second upon the third, and all, with a frightful crash, came down, tumbling upon each other. In the fall two guns went off. The vanguard, commanded by Hoffstetter and Sacchi, two of our bravest officers, fancied, on hearing the guns, they were surprised by the French whom they were going to surprise. They were seized with a panic terror, broke behind Hoffstetter and Sacchi, who were left alone with about a score of men, and came back upon us in a kind of despair, overturning all they encountered in their way with the shock. Manara endeavoured to stop them, but in vain. I threw myself amongst them, swearing and striking right and left with my gaucho whip; but it was all of no use, and I verily believe that all my fellows would, at the same pace, have run back to Rome, if the Bersaglieri, at the head of whom were two chiefs of battalion and Captain Ferrari, had not formed across their road with bayonets at the charge.

After the noise created by this disturbance, we could not expect that the French were not upon their guard, and the enterprise must be renounced. As for myself, I was fatigued with striking the cowardly rabble, and I returned to the city, saying to Manara, "How wrong we were, my friend, not to place your brave Bersaglieri in the van. In fact, those Bersaglieri were marvellous men, of whom Manara ought to be, and was, proud.

When I asked him for a detachment of his soldiers, Manara was accustomed to say

"Now, men, I want forty of you, with a good will, for an expedition, in which one quarter of you will be killed, and another quarter wounded." And in spite of the programme, the whole regiment would so completely present themselves, that, in order to prevent jealousy, they were obliged to draw lots.

On the 12th, at midday, a battalion of the Union were working to execute a counter-approach in the vineyard, on the left of the Via Velettra, when the French undertook to disturb them in their labours. Immediately Majors Lanzi and Panizzi called the workers; and a corps de garde to arms, and, with incredible rapidity, threw themselves upon the parapet of the French parallel. They were met by a terrible fire. Panizzi fell, mortally wounded; Pietro Landi placed himself at the head of his Bolognese; but, in an instant, he shared the fate of his companion, falling from wounds in the arm and breast. But the others, led by the officer Meloni, still stood their ground, unable to follow up the attack, but crying with all their strength, Viva l'Italia! and giving courage to their companions. This regiment fought that day with admirable courage. In order not to lose time in reloading, they struck sometimes with their bayonets, and sometimes with the butt-end of their guns, whilst others, like the Ajax and Diomede of the Iliad, tore up stones and hurled them at their adversaries. The exasperation was so great, that the Polish captain, Very, who wore several crosses on his breast, and amongst them that of the Legion of Honour, gained in Africa, standing on the barricade, struck his breast with his open hand, exclaiming, "Here! here! fire here, upon the Legion of Honour!" A ball struck him on the head. "Lower!" cried he, "lower! you're bunglers !" A second ball struck him, and he was carried out of the mêlée; but he recovered, and afterwards went to die in Greece.

I was present in my belvedere at this affair; although not very advantageous, my friends who know me will do me that justice, I thought it my duty to make a report of it to the Government.

On the 14th of May, in the morning-I think so at least, I write without anything I can refer to for the date—we were breakfasting at the Villa Spada, in a chamber of the third storey, with Sacchi, Bueno, and Cocculli. We were all in our shirt sleeves-I rather thoughtful, for I had just been obliged to condemn one of our officers to death, a Neapolitan who, seized with a panic, in the course of the night had abandoned his post-when we heard quick steps in the corridors; the door flew open, I uttered a cry; it was Anita, come to rejoin me, escorted by Orrigoni. The gentlemen, on recognising my wife, put on their coats and left us.

"Do you know how she has amused herself in coming from the Carozze here, General?" asked Orrigene.

"No; how?"

"In stopping all along St. Pietro in Montorio, to look at the French batteries. Look how we are both covered with dust! that was done by the bullets striking against the walls. Come along! come along!' I kept saying, 'it is of no use to get shot here.' As Catholics, how do you think the French treat churches ?""

Dear Anita ! I pressed her to my heart; it appeared that everything would now go on according to my wish. My good angel had returned to my side. I regretted I could not grant Anita the first request she made me, which was the pardon of the Neapolitan officer; but it was necessary to make an example. I had it not in my power to reward Medici for his admirable conduct at Vascella; I was obliged to bestow a punishment on a coward for his cowardice. He was shot.

CHAPTER LVII.

THE SURPRISE.

ON the 13th of June, the French had commenced a terrible bombardment; seven batteries, incessantly vomiting fire, battered in breach the right face of the third bastion; on the left, the curtain and the left face of the second bastion; the others occupying themselves particularly with the Villa Savarelli, which threatened every instant to fall upon our heads; so that, to my great regret, I found myself on the 20th, forced to transport my head-quarters to the Corsini Palace. It was impossible for me to remain there, I was too far from the walls. It is true I thought to be able to be quiet. Attacked every day, every day Medici, whom we called the indefatigable, repulsed the attacks and maintained his Vascello and his Cassini. I cannot say too much or too often, in his praise, that I know not how he succeeded.

On the 20th of June three breaches were practicable in spite of all Manara and I could do to oppose the effect of the projectiles. Otherwise the assault was quite a treat to me. The men we had to do with were adversaries worthy of us. We had already shown them, whatever General Lamoricière may have said, that the Italians knew how to fight; I hoped to have an opportunity of showing them what a contest with the knife and the poniard was.

On the evening of the 21st, the second battalion of the Union was on guard at the bastion of the left, and at the defence of the breach, as well as two companies of the third regiment which were to be changed; they prolonged their service, however, till day, for the better defence of the third bastion on the left. first and the fifth companies of the Bersaglieri were on duty at Vascello; the sixth and seventh on guard at the approaches of the left, outside the gate San Pancrazio, from which our sentinels extended to the

The

right, as far as the walls of the Cassino, and almost beyond the French parallel.

This duty was horribly dangerous; it was only performed at night, and a little before day all the posts were withdrawn and the night-guard came within the walls. Major Caloandro Baroni of the Lombard Bersaglieri, had the exterior surveillance of this line; Colonel Rossi, the duty of round-major in the interior.

After having placed all the advanced-posts, Major Baroni was occupied in giving his instructions to the Captains Stambro and Morandoli, when, towards eleven o'clock at night, a certain noise, like that of something breaking, was heard towards the bastions Nos. 2 and 3, A few musket-shots followed the noise, and then, again all was night and silence. What had happened? The French had quite simply presented themselves all at once before the breach, not like an enemy who mounts to the assault, but like soldiers relieving guard.

From whence did they come out? Which way did they come? What road did they take? All this it was impossible to learn. Many suspected treachery. The sentinel, on being questioned, only replied that the French had risen from out of the earth, and had ordered him to fly. In the course of the same night, the bastion, No. 7, and the curtain which united it to the bastion No. 6, fell, after an energetic resistance, into the hands of the French.

It was precisely the preceding day that I had transported my head-quarters from the Villa Savarelli to the Palace Corsini. Almost as soon as the event had taken place, I was informed of it by Adjutant-Major Delac, belonging to the regiment of the Union. I confess my surprise was great, and I was not the last to range myself with those whose opinion it was that there was treachery. Followed by Manara, and Captain Hoffstetter, I arrived at the place just at the moment when the Bersaglieri, always awake and always ready, had mustered in the street which leads to San Pancrazio. The Italian Legion, on receiving