170 The Austrians in Italy. [Feb. 



slaughter, or, if the w ord be prettier, for victory. Locli was almost the 

 earliest victory of that great captain, who afterwards carried his arms 

 over fom--fifths of the civilized world. It was in connection with Lodi, 

 that that name almost first became celebrated, which afterwards rose to 

 a fame greater, perhaps, than ever attached to one appellation : at 

 Lodi was one of the greatest displays of his personal courage, his 

 decision, and his impetuosity. 



As we passed along it, we saw two Austrian officers lounging over the 

 balustrades, after the approved manner of all " captains who dwell in 

 country quarters ;" and I could not help contrasting in my mind their 

 easy and nonchalant manner, with what must have been that of their 

 countrymen and comrades on the same spot some five-and-twenty years 

 before. Conflict, and carnage, and dreadful wounds, and death, were 

 then on every inch of this quiet and common-looking spot. The river, 

 which now flowed so peacefully, then bore with it the bodies of dead 

 men, and of more unhappy live ones, still struggling in the agony of 

 occasional "hope and prevailing despair. And here were these Austrians 

 now, who for their souls could not then have advanced one yard of the 

 passage, strolling as quietly and unconcernedly along, as if nothing 

 extraordinary or remarkable had ever happened there. I wonder the 

 natural pride of a soldier did not induce them to chuse some other place 

 for their morning walk. 



But the town of Milan itself has abundance of objects to remind its 

 inhabitants of the difference between the present and the former dynasty. 

 Every thing that is grand, or beautiful, or useful, ask when it was done : 

 <' during Napoleon's time," is the universal answer. The Simplon road 

 alone would be enough to immortalize any man who had not such nobler 

 claims to immortality. Tliis gigantic work would, of old, have been 

 esteemed one of the wonders of the world : it is one of the most 

 stupendous conquests of man over nature, and is, perhaps, the wor- 

 thiest physical monument which exists to its founder's fame. To the 

 Milanese, it is a gift of inestimable value : it renders their town the great 

 gate to Italy : it draws strangers thither, not merely from the conve- 

 nience of the passage, but to see the wonders of its formation : with 

 many travellers, it is not a means, but an end. Milan, before, was, as 

 I may say, comparatively insulated, equally ill adapted to commercial and 

 to general intercourse. Now, on the contrary, it has every capability, if 

 the government would allow them plaj', of easy and speedy communica- 

 tion; and in despite of the narrow and vexatious impediments (of which 

 I shall speak by-and-bye) which that government throws in the way, it 

 has considerably advanced in population, commerce, and civilization. It 

 is not an exaggeration, or the mere swelling of a sentence, to attribute 

 this, in great measure, to the formation of the Simplon road. The 

 passage of the Alps was formerly a matter of tediousness and difficulty, 

 and very frequently of danger ; in winter it was quite impassable ; and 

 even in the fair season, the numberless delays and vexations, attending 

 crossing the mountains at this pass, sent nearly every body by the other 

 far more circuitous but somewhat easier route. Now there is a road 

 very little more difficult than that from London to Salt-Hill ; not quite 

 so flat, certainly ; but, seriously, and without exaggeration, an English 

 mail-coach would trot up it the whole way, without ever checking the 

 horses' speed, and down it without putting on the drag chain. As it is, 

 with the inferior horses, and rude tackle of the country, the whole 



