The  marriage  of  the  Princess  Clotilde  following
close  on  the  warlike  speech  of  the  king  had  a  signifi-
cance which  the  diplomatists  were  quick  to  understand.
Austria  had  already  made  military  preparations  on  a
large  scale  ;  Piedmont  now  did  likewise.  The  volunteers
from  all  parts  of  Italy  hastened  to  the  Subalpine
capital ;  and  the  prince  of  volunteers,  Giuseppe  Gari-
baldi, put  his  sword  at  the  command  of  the  Sardinian
king,  whose  born  subject  he  was,  though  he  had  earned
his  great  military  renown  in  the  service  of  republics
in  divers  parts  of  the  world.  All  minor  differences  of
opinion  were  at  that  moment  forgotten  by  every  sincere
lover  of  his  country.  Lombardy  and  Venetia,  particu-
larly, were  in  a  state  of  wild  excitement ;  the  youth  of
every  class  in  those  provinces  flocked  in  great  numbers
to  the  standard  of  Victor  Emmanuel.  Ladies  of  rank
gave  their  money,  jeweller}',  and  articles  of  luxury  ;  poor
women  made  a  sacrifice  of  their  everj^  comfort  to  aid


142  LIFE   OF   VICTOR   EMMANUEL   II.
the  national  cause  ;  all  encouraged  and  animated  their
male  relatives  to  join  the  Sardinian  army.  And  it  was
marvellous  to  see  how  quickly,  at  the  first  scent  of  war,
the  luxurious,  pleasure -loving  nobles  left  their  palaces,
villas,  horses,  and  carriages  a  prey  to  Austrian  greed,
and  betook  themselves  with  cheerful  alacrity  to  the  life
of  privation  and  hardship  which  is  the  lot  of  an  Italian
soldier.
CHAPTER   XIII.
THE   FIRST   SOLDIER   OF   ITALIAN  INDEPENDENCE.
A.D.  1859.
