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: