looming close at hand. Down below, along the shore, the highroad from Chiavari and Spezzia runs past old, dilapidated villas with painted fronts peeling in the blistering noontide, past Quinto with its Palazzo Spinola, past the beach and tiny harbour at Quarto, whence, nine years later, Garibaldi and his mille were to embark for the conquest of Sicily, till it reaches the gates of the proud city then still sullenly smarting under the recollections of its recent siege and capture. Six weeks spent among these scenes, and the quiet, even tenor of life beneath the hospitable roof of my chief, restored me to full strength, while the gentle influence of my hostess helped to calm down what feverish excitement I had brought with me from my winter round of gaiety. In June we all returned to Turin, and much of my time during the ensuing summer was again passed with the Abercrombys at a country house they had taken at Pessione, on the line of railway to Alexandria. I was soon to lose their kindly converse and friendly guidance. In November 1851, Abercromby, who had been made a K.C.B. and become Sir Ralph, was appointed to the Hague, and he and Lady Mary soon left Turin for their new destination.

1 After the disaster of Novara the city of Genoa was seized by insurgents who drove out the garrison and proclaimed the Ligurian Republic (April 3, 1849). A few days later Genoa surrendered to General la Marmora.

CHAPTER VII

FLORENCE AND PARIS, 1851-1852

I SHOULD not easily have consoled myself for the departure of the Abercrombys had they not been succeeded by that most genial of men and prince of chiefs, Sir James Hudson. Under this ablest, perhaps, and most successful of English diplomatists of our time it was my lot to serve for too short a period; long enough, however, to win my affection and make me look back to those few brief months with exceptional pleasure and gratitude. Sir James Hudson is too well known to require description, nor shall I attempt a task to which I could render but scant justice. An admirable portrait of him by a masterhand is to be found in "Tony Butler." It is sufficient for me to say that he was beloved by all who approached him, and that for sweetness and liberality of disposition, perfect charm of manner, playful— indeed boyish-humour, no man with whom I ever stood in official relations equalled him. Withal bold as a lion and "inflexible as steel." The magnitude of his share in the important transactions that led to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy is well known and generally acknowledged, although those transactions are perhaps as yet too

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near to us to be clearly and impartially judged. The skill displayed in them by Hudson will be better understood hereafter; in my belief he in a measure divides with Cavour the glory of Italian redemption. Indeed, he to a certain extent made Cavour, by giving him a lift into the saddle at the right moment. I can well recall to mind the satisfaction with which he announced to us that d'Azeglio was to be succeeded by Cavour as Prime Minister. He had largely contributed to the change, having, I think, no great liking for d'Azeglio, and having divined the genius and great statesmanlike qualities of the other man, and how admirably fitted Cavour was to carry out the policy they both had at heart.

But it is when considering the difficulties with which he had to contend that the work of Hudson can best be appreciated. As an instance of these I may mention what he himself told me shortly after his arrival at Turin in November 1851. On taking leave of Lord John Russell, then Prime Minister, who was hurrying him out to his post, he endeavoured to discover to what extent he would be justified in holding out to the Sardinian Government hopes of English support in case of emergency. For some time he could elicit nothing from Lord John beyond a general statement that he might assure the Cabinet of Turin of the sympathy of her Majesty's Government, of their "moral support." "But," said Hudson, "what am I to do if

"THE FLEET AT GENOA"

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Austria takes to coercing Sardinia, if she threatens her with invasion, and so forth?" "Well," was the reluctant reply, "then you might send for the Mediterranean fleet to Genoa." He could extract nothing further, nor was he told what he was to do with the "fleet at Genoa" when once he got it there, though of course it was something to have wrested thus much from official reserve. He laughed, with a joyous laugh peculiarly his own, when relating this, and I cannot but think that the circumstance goes some way towards showing how great must have been his weight and influence with the Piedmontese Government and people, since, with so slender and almost illusory a backing, he was able to persuade both them and also the world at large that England stood behind Sardinia and was prepared effectually to aid and protect her.

It seems to me that there are few instances on record of what I may call the personal initiative of a diplomatic agent achieving such success. Indeed, it almost puts Kinglake's "Great Eltchi" in the shade, for Lord Stratford de Redcliffe really had the might of England at his back, as the event most fully proved. No doubt Hudson had with him the cordial good wishes of Lord Palmerston and the vague sympathies of the British public (what the latter are worth Danish and FrancoGerman wars have since shown), but I cannot but think that he gave a body to them, as it were, and made them yield fruit beyond what could have been

expected from anything so shadowy and unsubstantial. My opinions on these transactions may be worth little, but they have at least the merit of impartiality. I am a Conservative by temper and conviction, and was at first an utter disbeliever in Italian unity. Even now, after its successful achievement, I regret and strongly disapprove some of the means by which that unity was brought about, but I cannot withhold my admiration for the skill, the boldness, the constancy of its authors, in the first rank of whom I would place my respected chief, Sir James Hudson.

The staff of the Legation was renewed at this time. Mad Dick was transferred to Naples, and was succeeded as Secretary of Legation by Edward Erskine, who later had to bear so terrible a load of responsibility in Greece at the time of the Oropos murders. Henry Capel Lofft came out as Unpaid Attaché with Hudson, and Barron was summoned from Florence to take up the duties of Paid Attaché in the place of Lettsom. He had been some months before lent to the Legation at Florence, which happened to be short-handed at the time, and had in fact never joined his proper post. He showed exceeding reluctance to leave Florence, though several times requested to do so, and I think the night of his arrival was the only occasion on which I saw Hudson thoroughly angry. We were all sitting at dinner with our chief at the Hotel Feder, when Barron was announced. "Show him in," said Hud