THE MISSION TO ROME. 81 



has always relied. Such a cry of distress ill becomes 

 us. There is no such a thing as impotence for a 

 people which knows how to die, and it would be 

 ungenerous on the part of a great and proud nation 

 to misinterpret the sentiment which inspires us. 



" It is time, sir, that this state of things ended ; it is 

 time that fraternity ceased to be an idle word, with no 

 practical results ', it is time that our messengers, our 

 troops, and our arms should be able to circulate without 

 let or hindrance throughout the length and breadth of 

 our territory. It is time that the Komans should no 

 longer have to regard with suspicion the men whom 

 they have been accustomed to treat as friends. It is 

 time that we should be free to defend ourselves, with 

 all our resources, against the Austrians who are bom- 

 barding our city. It is time that there should be 

 no mistake anywhere as to the good and loyal inten- 

 tions of France. It is time that Europe should no 

 longer be able to say that she deprives us of our 

 means of defence, in order to force upon us by-and-bye 

 a protection which] would preserve for us our territorial 

 integrity without preserving for us what is dearer to 

 us by far, our honour and our liberty. 



" Do that, sir, and many difficulties will be smoothed 

 over, many sympathetic ties, now loosened, will be 

 tightened once more, and France will have asserted 

 her right of counsel amongst us far more effectual 

 than by the apparent state of hostility which now 

 subsists between us. 



G 



