THE LIFE OF VICTOR EMMANUEL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume X, Issue 571, 21 August 1880, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LIFE OF VICTOR EMMANUEL.

It is not to be doubted that'the condition of ali Italy; after the fall of the Venetian Republic; was a piteous one. Her commerce was destroyed,, and the"great ■religious reaction of the 17th; century, which had been stayed' for a time,'-was revived with singular energy. . The Governments (that of Tuscany under Leopold I f. alone excepted) gave themselves up to the strange task of crippling tlie intelligence of the people and to materialise their religion. The Italians might do what they chose, provided they did' not think'. Education, especially" female,' was at a discount; and even iiow there are to be found in/many Italian cities aged noblewomen who cannot write their own names. All they were taught in their youth was the catechism, to read a little and to play upon : the■ spiriette: The men' learnt.. a vast amount of Latin and of classical literature;'- and that the more they were seen in ciiuxch;.the"better.,it would be for their : spiritual;a's weJIW material—above all, forth eir material—welfaiy. But the Italian people;'were too intellectu-, ally strong not to .chafe 1 under this systematic policy of degradation. Earlyinthe century they began to form secret societies and to associate with a view of overthrowing Governments, which were' less cruel than puerile. None can question, however, that when the Carbonari,' or Liberals, were captured and imprisoned they were subjected to thel same treatment which in. /those! days was meted out to, hardened criminals all oyer the world Touching instances occurred of heroism and suffering, such, : as.that of Silvio Pellico and of the Count Gonfalonieri and a hundred others, which command sympathy and respect,- and make us marvel at the. blindness of the European. Governments and the rude ignorance of their chief. Few families iti Europe have flourished so' long as the Saband. Legendary records of this ancient house reach back as far as the tenth century!' Old chronicles relate that in 998 a prince of northern;extraction exiled from his own land, settled in Burgundy, where, by his military prowess and administrative ability, lie rose to power and renown; : This prince is said to have been of Saxon origin, a nephew of the Emperor Othq 111.,/ banished from his native 1 soil for having slain" the Empress, his 1 ' unfaithful wjfe. ; ' In' the annals of the House of Sayby' this prince is called 'Humbert!of.the./White Hand.-. He settled at/Moriaha, on the frontier of Savoy, and hls-'desceridants assumed the title of .COunt Mdriani.7 1n,1238 they became Dukes of,' Savoy. They subsequently, annexed- tPiedniont; to their dominions, but it was not until 1703 tlia L they : styled themselves kings. Victor Amadeus was the first : bf the family to Use the royal title. He married the niece of Louis XIV., but it was .an alliance which wasrather.disastrpus than otherwise, since/ it afforded L 3 Grand Mbnarque ah excuse t«i meddle in the affairs of his son-in-law, an ' interferance . which -'. ; snbseqnei?tly brought about a series of disastrous wars. The father of Victor Emmanuel, ..Charles Albert, was. a prince who: had received, for education. His political principles,were the times ho lived 'in, a very liberal liberal and generous/ his love of country sincei'e. His' chivalrous character make him personally more interesting 'than his successful: son, whose /strong and/ i bugher fibre was able ;to boar the strains"which broke his /father's .. heart. Vittorio. Eminanuele Maria .., Alberto : : Eugenie Fernapdq. Tpmmasq,,. was born Marchl4, 1820, in the /Carignano Palace,: Turin. His youth, was spent for the mast part; at a villa, the -Pbggio Imperinle, Florence, arid wheri :; he was two years ; old-, the life on-which Italy's ..destinies 'b/iing were all ;but/ extinguished. His nurse, Teresa- /Bacca, a Turin ! woman, haying accidentally set; fire to his bedcurtains, ~only'."'with" difficulty saved him frorii the flames. He was slightly burned, arid the unfortunate nurse died a few days after of the,injuries she received. Miss Gqdkin introduces in her chapter on the,youth of the King some letters from his mother, riot the least remarkable of which is the following : 'My littlo Victor is Very docile ; I have, eyer, some difficulty. in teaching him, for he always wants jumping; but when.lie once learns a thing he rarely forgetu if!' ' The future King of Italy, as a child, delighted in playing at war, .constructing armies of little 'wooden soldiers, and putting them through military evolutions. After his exile, and when he returned to Piedmont, Charles Albert devoted himself to. the mental and physical training of his sons. When. Victor was only fifteen his father succeeded to the Throne, and just at about this time he wrote a life of one of his ancestors, Amadfns VI., surnairied Conte Verde! This j ivenile production is dedicaied to 'Papa.'oti one side of the page, and ' Au Hoi'en the other, and signed 'P. Victor de- Savoie' ina bold, clear hand. The education of the Prince together with that of Iris was exceedingly stern and strict. '. Their moral and religious training was entrusted to Mgr. Charvaz, afterwards Archbishop of Genoa ; and the military to Colonel Dabovmida. .But' for all their care and zeal, they did not

] succeed m making the Prince a Lamed | man. He never cared for letters, but he | was passionately attached to military i matters, and doubtless it was this, warlike spirit which induced him. to_. sacrifice his family traditions and principles to espouse the cause of /Young Italy.'. In he married the. Archduchess /'Adelaide- of- . Austria, and' when : she / qUed,./aftir /presenting him- -with ■ five, .children;' thesincerity of his grief proved' the/iritensity 'of his passion'- "arid'depth;6f feeling:;' He was-,, however,\guilty; of. gaUairtriesduring"her her. "When 'the' ..news arrived! of //the rising! of" Milan,'Marchi 18, Victor, like all pi her young- Italians,.;. Was seized -with a : burning desire -to fight. His first taste, of war was at Santa Lucia, ..May 6, when he behaved:so well that he was awarded a silver medal for valour. In 1848, "when Pins IX. blessed the national movement, the wildest enthusiasm prevailed"in every part of Italy ; the great sacrifices/that made by; the poor :as well iisthU.rich 'attesfce'd'the: sincerity of "the sentiment which/prevailed! The ; young . ,' sold' their tresses - to con-

tribute to the expenses of the; volunteers. ; How the Pope found himself face to face with a power which, asked mpre : than he could give ;' how it resulted in preparing the way. for a united Italy, and finally to the : exile of Charles' Albert,' are; facts which tire as familiar as household words! The populace of .Milan .were saved, from the disgrace of personal -outrage towards !the! King by -the .daring;fiat of ayoung Piedinontese; captain, -.who,• with ar few followers, came urider his balcony:at-mid-night and carried him off. :'This young man: was La Marmora; subsequently One of :the ■■ bravest of - generals.' C harles Albert;"whose destiny it was 'to .be misunderstood, recrbssed tlie Ticinb with the firni intention of resuming the war. .The advice of England arid France was strongly agairißt. a renewal of the contest, as was that of many .brave, wise men..in Italy. But the populace :demanded,it, arid called everybody a-A traitor who opposed it, and. the King, -feeling his honour and-the honour of Piednierit;to b'e : at stake-,- went almost "hopelessly ; tahis" doom. On; renewed, and in three daye'ended' in the! total overthrow of the Italians at.Noyara;' Prince Victor "at Nartara, distirig'uished himself by his; yery great bra very;:;-; and when he: wentto/announce to his■ father; the/victory he. had won," great as were, its -costs, it ; was with' a'feeling of pride;npt uhmingled with grief, Jor! the Italian armywas almost shattered. The King embraced his son-with, for: him; exceptional'display of emotion. But he never raised his head againi- Iti all history there is rio'more" pathetic; picture'th'aii this of the Piedinontese King going 4 to> No vara, muttering' as : hf doe 3 so, tout firii pour mpL' General Perron, heading/ a/ desperate; assault, had his skull brol;on. He begged the men .who supported him to lay him.at his. King's feet; and: with his lastcorivulsiye breath he said,,' Sire/;I offered to you and my country the last days Of niy life.; my duty is-accb nplishiid.':' A young boy : pointing; a cahuori had his- hand taken away. 'His 'father^Seeing hithvlbok pale asked him whether hel wasi-wouiided.'/'He/! raised the 'bleeding"stump / and cried, 'Viva il'Rev r This heroic Carlo/di/ Rbbilionte by name, is now Italiari ; Am^ ' bassadbr at Vienna../ . .!"•-" I,'.'."'. :'■!",'

: Despair, of Charles; Albert. -'These .deeds ; pf . vain/; herosihi only, wriirig the/ heart/of .the unhappy / King, who, wherever, he turned his eyes, saw his' brave people overwhelmed by fresh reinforcements falling thick and;fast upon the. field. -- He sought in the -thickest fire to meet;the death for which he longed. But the ballsv.passed, him by- as if by-a miracle;: Indeed]' :the ; ' Savoy family; seeriied • on that day to\ have charriied lives; The T)uke ; of Genoa;had three' horses killed Vmder liirii;/ The Diike ; bf: Savby, having p erf omed deeds /of yalciur greater far .than ati the famous victory of. Gorti, ..covered .the,,"slb\v! retreat !qf- ; ,the Italian fqi'ces; when night put a stop .tp ; the vain combat.' A. flag- of. truce was -sent to .the Austrian■ : -;cimp-..;t0. demand: an armistice ;.;but the conditions: offered by the marshal were only, top 'dishonourable to .accept e'ven : then ;" the : --first" beirig" the immediate expulsion' of all' the; Italian exiles from the State of /Piedmont.' "The King refused to capitulate; All he could now I'do was/ tq abdicate iri'ffavour'-'of, his son Victor/Ehimanuel and proceedim.nediately to! Oporto .in/ voluntary exile,, where/he died, broken-hearted.. - ;.