d, for Armies and Supplies, out of Spain
or France.

The Savoy Passes are, in fact, the gist of the War; the insoluble
problem for Don Philip and the French. By detours, by circuitous effort
and happy accident, your troops may occasionally squeeze through: but
without one secure road open behind them for supplies and recruitments,
what good is it? Battles there are, behind the Alps, on what we may
call the STAGE itself of this Italian War-theatre; but the grand steady
battle is that of France and Don Philip, struggling spasmodically, year
after year, to get a road through the COULISSES or side-scenes,--namely,
those Savoy Passes. They try it by this Pass and by that; Pass of
Demont, Pass of Villa-Franca or Montalban (glorious for France, but
futile), Pass of Exilles or Col d'Assiette (again glorious, again futile
and fatal); sometimes by the way of Nice itself, and rocky mule-tracks
overhanging the sea-edge (British Naval-cannon playing on them);--and
can by no way do it.

There were fine fightings, in the interior too, under Generals of mark;
General Browne doing feats, excellent old General Feldmarschall Traun,
of whom we shall hear; Maillebois, Belleisle the Younger, of whom we
have heard. There was Battle of Campo-Santo, new battle there
(Traun's); there was Battle of Rottofreddo; of Piacenza (doleful to
Maillebois),--followed by Invasion of Provence, by Revolt of Genoa and
other things: which all readers have now forgotten. [Two elaborate works
on the subject are said to be instructive to military readers: Buonamici
(who was in it, for a while). _De Bello Italico Commentarii_ (in Works
of Buonamici, Lyon, 1750); and Pezay, _Campagnes de Maillebois_ (our
Westphalian friend again) _en Italie,_ 1745-1746 (Paris, 1775).] Readers
are to imagine this Italian War, all along, as a fact very loud and real
at that time, and continually pulsing over into our German Events (like
half-audible thunder below the horizon, into raging thunder above),
little as we can afford to say of it here. One small Scene from this
Italian War;--one, or with difficulty two;--and if possible be silent
about all the rest:

SCENE, ROADS OF CADIZ, October, 1741: BY WHAT ASTONISHING ARTIFICE THIS
ITALIAN WAR DID, AT LENGTH, GET BEGUN.

... "The Spanish Court, that is, Termagant Elizabeth, who rules
everybody there, being in this humor, was passionate to begin; and
stood ready a good while, indignantly champing the bit, before the sad
preli