ALABAMA CLAIMS. 70 



Gralaii Alps, and of tlie Gallic tciTitory on botli 

 shores of Lake Leinan, and at length to the possession 

 of extensive Italian territories, denominated Piedmont 

 by relation to the Alps and the Apennines, the 

 nucleus of the present Kingdom of Italy. 



It needs to conceive and picture to the mind's eye 

 the Alpine cradle of this adventurous and martial, but 

 cultivated race of Italianized Savoisian princes, noljles, 

 and people, — the fertile, but ravaged valleys of the 

 Rhone, the Arve, the Albarine, the Arc, and the tvro 

 Doras ; the castellated heisihts of L'Ecluse, ]\[ont- 

 mclian, and La Brunnetta ; the vine-clad hill-sides and 

 the lofty cols dominated by the giant peaks of ^Mont 

 Blanc and ]\[onte Rosa; the sepulchral monuments of 

 Ilaute-Combeand of Brou, and the rich plains along 

 the Italian foot of the Alps, — in order to oomjirehend 

 the growth to greatness of sovereigns such as Vittorio 

 Emanuele, supported by such generals as ]\[enabrea 

 and Cialdini, and statesmen and magistrates such as 

 Azeglio, lialljo, Sclopis, and especially Cavour. 



Like his compatriot, the ]\lar(piis d'A/eglio, Count 

 Sclo])is is eminent as an authoi'. Of his published 

 M-ritings, some arc in French, such as " Marie Louise 

 Gabriellc de Savoie" and "Cardinal ]\[orone.'' But 

 liis most important woi'ks arc in Italian ; and above 

 all, the learned " Storia della Legislazione Italiana," ^*r-. 

 the last edition of which, in five volumes, is a most in- 

 teresting and instructive cxhil>ition of the successive 

 stages of the medi;eval and modern legislation of all 

 the different States of Italy. 



Such was the eminent personage who presided over 



