offence at the supposition, and emphatically denied it ; he assured them that nothing was further from his wishes, nothing more contrary to the intentions of the French Government; that the Roman people might settle their own affairs as they liked, and in any manner which they deemed best; France would not interfere by word or deed; he would assure them of that, on his honour. Let them, then, return to Rome, quiet the troubled minds of the citizens, and incline them to receive his soldiers courteously as their friends. The next morning he repeated the same words, adding others more liberal still; nor was he wanting in any of the polite attentions due to the deputies, and at their and Montecchi's request, he permitted Manara to conduct his legion to Porto d'Anzio, on condition that he should remain neutral until the 4th of May; and lastly, he intimated that he would send Captain Fabar to Rome, to give assurance, as he said, of his liberal intentions.

But he had already sent thither Colonel Le Blanc, who had gone to the Triumvirs, accompanied by M. Forbin Janson, and had intimated to them that the Catholic nations, being unable to remain idle spectators of the exile of the Pope, were resolved to reinstate him in his chair and throne. Whereupon Mazzini went to the Assembly, and having recalled to mind the acts which had preceded and followed the occupation of Cività Vecchia, gave an account, on the faith of a letter from Rusconi, of the first interview which the deputies had had with General Oudinot, and compared what had passed on that occasion with the words of

Colonel Le Blanc, which had betrayed the real object of the enterprise. The Assembly then decided that it should be put to the vote, whether Rome should freely open her gates to the French, or resist every attempt to violate the independence and the rights of the people. Ten deputies having made the motion, after a short tumult and brief delay, the Assembly resolved itself into a Secret Committee, in which the following resolution was passed, that "the Assembly, after the communication received from the Triumvirate, charges it with the safety of the Republic, and commands it to oppose force to force." When this was made public, the popular cry was, "To arms!" national indignation, hatred of the clergy, Roman pride, and Mazzinian temerity boiled over.

At this juncture, Rusconi and Pescantini arrived in Rome, and Captain Fabar brought with him a fresh proclamation from General Oudinot, under date of the 26th of April, couched in the following terms:—

"Inhabitants of the Roman States! a French corps d'armée has disembarked upon your territory; it is not its intention to exercise an oppressive influence, or to impose upon you a government adverse to your wishes. On the contrary, it comes to preserve you from the heaviest calamities.

"Political events in Europe have rendered inevitable the appearance of a foreign standard in the capital of the Christian world. The French Republic, by bringing its banner hither before any other, offers a splendid testimony of sympathy towards the Roman people. Receive us, then, as brethren; we will show ourselves worthy of the title; we will respect your persons and your property; we will pay all our expenses in cash ; we will make arrangements with the existing authorities, so that our temporary occupation may not be a burden upon you; we

will guard the military honour of your soldiers-they shall be associated everywhere with ours, to assure the continuance of order and liberty. Romans! you may confide in my devoted affection. If you will listen to my voice, if you will have confidence in my words, I will devote myself entirely to the welfare of your beautiful country."

In the name of General Oudinot, Duke de Reggio, Captain Fabar announced to the Triumvirs the imminent invasion of the Austrians and Neapolitans. Rome, he said, without a French garrison, would fall helplessly into their power; they ought, therefore, gladly to receive them as the guardians of imperilled liberty, and not the precursors of a hateful restoration; they ought to devise some means of satisfying the Catholic nations, by making suitable provisions for guaranteeing the independence of the spiritual authority of the Pope; they should lay the foundations of the new Government by not violating the basis of social intercourse, or temporising with events. If they received the French cordially, they would not be disappointed or cheated out of those future benefits which they had promised themselves; but if, on the other hand, they should not meet the friendly advances of France, they would rush upon sure and speedy ruin, so great would be the number and strength of their opponents. At the same time, Colonel Le Blanc declared that he had spoken, on the preceding day, of the restoration of the Papal throne as a mere matter of conjecture, and not on the authority of the General, or from any knowledge that he had of the intentions of the French Government. On learning this, Armellini and Saffi were doubtful whether, before rushing into an unequal

struggle, it would not be wise to come to some accommodation with the French, as Pescantini had advised in a speech which he had not been able to deliver in Parliament, and had published in the Government gazette. But Mazzini, whether from his obstinate determination to maintain a contrary opinion, or from his greater penetration, put no trust in the proclamations of the French, and left his colleagues to explain to the Assembly the real state of the case. It was Saffi, accordingly, who spoke: he gave an account of the negotiations with General Oudinot at Cività Vecchia; of the speeches made by Captain Fabar, his envoy, and those of Colonel Le Blanc. He acknowledged the danger of an Austro-Neapolitan invasion, and stated that the French, in asking to be admitted into Rome, would promise not to oppose the people in their wishes to establish a liberal form of government. But the exclamations of the deputies, and of the public in the galleries, interrupted Saffi more than once; the narrative which Rusconi read of his conversation with General Oudinot was no better received; neither did Armellini produce any effect by his lengthy speech. Cernuschi, Sterbini, and Lizabe were of opinion that the Assembly should not enter into these intricate details that Rome should be closed against the French-and the determination be taken to oppose force to force; and thus in the midst of tumultuous applause, another vote was passed in conformity with the resolution of the preceding day.

Then followed proclamations, warlike preparations, and many and varied provisions thought necessary,

either to inflame the minds of the public, to procure money, to give a prestige of strength, or to keep up the courage of the people. The Triumvirs announced to the citizens the resolution of the Assembly, auguring victory; to the National Guard they commended the care of public order and the honour of Rome; and, inasmuch as a rumour was prevalent that they were not all of them inspired with a very martial spirit, not all devoted to the Republic, it was arranged that the deputies should review them in the Piazza a Santi Apostoli. A great concourse of the curious and of the people assembled on this spot, when Galletti pronounced a panegyric on the civic force, which he concluded by saying, that it was their office not merely to secure public order, but to fight in the defence of liberty. Then Sterbini exclaimed: "National Guards! will you permit a few thousand foreigners, who would invade our territory, to come and dictate laws in this city? Will you allow that?" And a chorus of voices shouted out, "No!" Sterbini continued: "We will maintain our liberties, and the institutions which we have formed with the consent of all the people; we will maintain them at the cost of our blood. Will you have it so ?" And the chorus shouted, "Ay, ay!" The spectacle had thus been presented, the end was answered; it was meant it should be said, that the National Guard and the people were resolved to fight to the last, and it was said; who believed it I cannot say; but I do not think Sterbini did.

The new Municipal magistrates who had been elected. by the people, with Sterbini, in virtue of his office, as