inferior to the Austrians in
discipline. When the allies had won the hard contested fight of
Montebello it was good to think of that band of 3000, singing as they
marched, "_Addio mia bella, addio_," like the knights of legend. They
crossed Lake Maggiore into the enemy's own {202} country, and took all
the district of the Lowland Lakes.

In June, the allies won the victory of Magenta, and on the 8th of that
month, King and Emperor entered Milan flushed with victory. The
Austrians had fled, and the keys of the city were in the possession of
Victor Emmanuel.

The Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph, had assumed command of the army
when the great battle of Solferino was fought amidst the wondrous
beauty of Italian scenery in an Italian summer. It was June 24th, and
the peasant reaped the harvest of Lombardy, wondering if he should reap
for the conqueror the next day. The French officers won great glory as
they charged up the hills, which must be taken before they could
succeed in storming Solferino. After a fierce struggle of six hours,
the streets of the little town were filled with the bodies of the dead
and dying. By the evening, the victory of the allies over Austria was
certain.

Napoleon III had kept his promise to the Italian people, who were
encouraged by a success of the Piedmontese army under Victor Emmanuel
at San Martino. But he disappointed them cruelly by stopping short in
his victorious career and sending General Fleury to the Austrian camp
to demand an armistice. Europe was amazed when the preliminaries of
peace were signed, for it was generally expected that Austria would be
brought to submission. Italy was in despair, for Venetia had not yet
been won for them.

Cavour raged with fury, regretting that he had trusted Napoleon and
trusted his King, Victor Emmanuel, who agreed to the proposals for an
armistice. Now he heaped them with reproaches because they had {203}
given up the Italian cause. He resigned office in bitterness for it
was he who had concluded the alliance of France and Italy.

Napoleon returned to France, pursued by the indignation of the country
he had come to deliver. He complained of their ingratitude, though he
might have known that Lombardy would not accept freedom at the cost of
Venice. He was execrated when the price of his assistance was
demanded. France claimed Nice and Savoy as French provinces
henceforth. Savoy was the country of Victor Emmanuel, and Nice the