the face of Europe, by right and duty, by the interests of my house, of my people and of Italy.  My fate is joined to that of the Italian people.  We can succumb, but never betray.  Solferino and San Martino may sometimes redeem Novara and Waterloo, but the apostasies of princes are always irreparable.  I am moved to the bottom of my soul by the faith and love which this noble and unfortunate people has reposed in me, and rather than be unworthy of it, I will break my sword and throw the crown away as did my august father.  Personal interest does not guide me in defending the annexations; the Sword and Time have borne my house from the summit of the Alps to the banks of the Mincio, and those two guardian angels of the Savoy race will bear it further still, when it pleases God.’

The events in Central Italy to which the King alludes were of the highest importance.  L.C.  Farini, the Sardinian Royal Commissioner at Modena, when relieved of his office, assumed the dictatorship by the will of the people.  L. Cipriani became Governor of Romagna, and at Florence Ricasoli continued at the head of affairs, undismayed and unshaken in his resolve to defeat the combined machinations of France and Austria.  In August the populations of Modena, Reggio, Parma and Piacenza declared their union with Piedmont by an all but unanimous popular vote, the two last provinces placing themselves for temporary convenience under the Dictator Farini.  A few days later, Tuscany and Romagna voted a like act of union through their Constituent Assemblies.  The representatives of the four States, Modena, Parma, Romagna and Tuscany, formally announced to the great Powers their choice of Victor Emmanuel, in whose rule they recognised the sole hope of preserving their liberties and avoiding disorder.  Delegates were sent to Turin with the offer of the crown.

Peace, of which the preliminaries only were signed at Villafranca, was not yet definitely concluded, and a large French army was still in Italy.  The King’s government feared therefore to adopt the bold course of accepting the annexations outright, and facing the responsibilities which might arise.  Victor Emmanuel thanked the delegates, expressing his confidence that Europe would not undo the great work that had been done in Central Italy.  The state of things, however, in these provinces, whose elected King could not yet govern them, was anomalous, most of all in what related to defence; they being menaced on the Austrian side by the Duke of Modena, and on the South by the Papal troops in the Cattolica.  An armed force of 25,000 men was organised, of which the Tuscan contingent was under the command of Garibaldi, and the rest under that of the Sardinian General Fanti, ‘lent’ for the purpose.  Garibaldi hoped not merely to defend the provinces already emancipated, but to carry war into the enemy’s camp and make revolution possible throughout the States of the Church.  To the Party of Action the chance seemed an unique