skirmishing with the irregular volunteers of Garibaldi's guerilla
force had now begun in earnest. To be confined to the city at such
a time was inexpressibly irksome to the gallant young Frenchman,
who had a genuine love of fighting in him, and longed for the
first sensation of danger and the first shower of whistling
bullets. But his inactivity was inevitable, and he was obliged to
submit with the best grace he could, hoping only that all might
not be over before he was well enough to tramp out and see some
service with his companions-in-arms.

The situation was indeed urgent. The first article of the famous
convention between France and Italy, ratified in September, 1864,
read as follows:--

"Italy engages not to attack the actual territory of the Holy
Father, and to prevent, even by force, all attack coming from
outside against such territory."

Relying upon the observance of this chief clause, France had
conscientiously executed the condition imposed by the second
article, which provided that all French troops should be withdrawn
from the States of the Church. The promise of Italy to prevent
invasion by force applied to Garibaldi and his volunteers.
Accordingly, on the 24th of September, 1867, the Italian
Government issued a proclamation against the band and its
proceedings, and arrested Garibaldi at Sinalunga, in the
neighbourhood of Arezzo. This was the only force employed, and it
may be believed that the Italian Government firmly expected that
the volunteers would disperse as soon as they found themselves
without a leader; and had proper measures been taken for keeping