From The Quarterly Review. SARDINIA: THE VERDICT OF HISTORY by a mayor of the palace in the Middle Ages. But the interest and importance of the historical episode to which we invite attention, will best appear from a brief outline of his career. THE domestic tragedies of royal and princely houses seem commonly endowed with Victor Amadeus, born May 1666, asan irresistible attraction for the historian. The summary exesumed the government of his hereditary cution of Don Carlos by paternal de- duchy, reluctantly surrendered to him by cree, the condemnation and punishment the regent-mother, in September 1684 of Queen Caroline Matilda and her The position of his dominions on the paramour, the last fatal meeting of the French side of the Alps placed him enPrincess Sophia Dorothea with the tirely at the mercy of his powerful neighdoomed Königsmark, the appalling catas-bour, and Louis le Grand treated him as trophe of the Kirk of Field, the "many a a vassal not entitled to a will or even an foul and midnight murder" traditionally opinion of his own. Sorely against the associated with our own fortress-prison, grain he obeyed a peremptory mandate to these have been one and all exhaust- Co-operate in the religious persecution which followed on the revocation of the ively discussed; and no false delicacy, no Edict of Nantes. Putting himself at the misapplied tenderness for the reputation head of an armed force, he made a clean of the living or the dead, has been permitted to suppress or mystify the motives Sweep of all the Huguenots and Waldenses within his territory; but his lukeor the facts. It is, therefore, the more remarkable that incidents of the stran- warmness in the cause was obvious, his gest, most startling, and suspicious char-secret communications with the Protesacter should have taken place in one of tants got wind, and Louis took the decithe most ancient and illustrious of the sovereign houses of Europe, without provoking investigation or protest: that events like the abdication, imprisonment, and death of Victor Amadeus II., occur sive step of sending Marshal Catinat, at the head of a French army, to bring matters to a point. The proffered terms were nothing short of unconditional submis sion. The castle of Verrue and the citadel of Turin were to be delivered up, and the whole Savoyard army was to be Driven to ex ring within the short space of two years, (1730-1732), should have been tamely recorded almost as things of course, with merged in the French. haply a passing comment on the fickle-tremities, the Duke at length resolved on ness of fortune: that the statesman, war- a measure he had long meditated. He rior, and legislator who had baffled and joined (June 1690) the famous League of humbled the Grand Monarque, won a kingdom, led armies to victory, framed codes and systems of finance that endure still, who was the grandfather of one powerful monarch and the father-in-law of another, that such a should be suddenly removed from the stage on which he had played so conspicuous a part, like a Sultan deposed by a Grand Vizier, or a roi fainéant set aside personage Memorie Aneddotiche sulla Corte di Sardegna del Conte di Blondel, Ministro di Francia a Torino sotto I Re Vittorio Amedeo II. e Carlo Emanuele III. Edite da Vincenzo Promis. Torino: Stamperia Reale. 1873. (Anecdotical Memoirs on the Court of Sardinia. By the Count de Blondel, Minister of France at Turin under King Victor Amadeus II. and Charles Emmanuel III. Edited by Vincenzo Promis. Turin: Royal | Printing Press.) Augsburg, thereby putting an end to the peaceful if humiliating relations which had bound Savoy to France for sixty years, and boldly challenging a prolonged contest, which, ominous and threatening at the commencement, left him the victorious monarch of an independent nation at the end. The announcement of the breach with France, which he made in person to his assembled nobles and justified in a manifesto, was received with enthusiasm by his subjects of all classes; and with the aid of volunteers the principal towns were supplied with sufficient garrisons, and an army more numerous than that of Catinat was got together for the defence of the capital. But the allies on whom the Duke mainly counted lost heart after the est daughter, that his ambassadors should battle of Stafarda, and remained inactive be received on the same footing as those whilst one after the other of his strong of kings at Versailles, and that France places was taken and his country overrun. and Savoy should join in compelling the The first campaign of 1690 was disas- recognition of Italian neutrality by Austrous; and that of 1691 was rendered tria and Spain; in which case it was to still more so by the explosion of a pow- be equally recognized by the French. der-magazine at Nice, which so weakened As this grand object was eventually the defences that a capitulation became effected, his reputation and consideration inevitable. This opened the mountain on the south of the Alps were materially passages it commanded to the French, enhanced, although it was literally true and after blowing up the fortifications of (as stated by Voltaire) that he was genAveillane, for which military reasons eralissimo for the Emperor and generalmight have been alleged, Catinat wan- issimo for Louis Quatorze within the tonly set fire to the Duke's favourite Villa month. His defection proved catching, at Rivoli; who, watching from the and led to consequences which, without heights of Turin the progress of the reference to the motives or precise qualflames, exclaimed, "Ah, would to God that all my palaces were thus reduced to cinders, and that the enemy would spare the cabins of my peasantry!" Like Turenne in the Palatinate and (we regret to say) like Victor Amadeus when his turn came, Catinat burnt and destroyed whatever fell in his way; and on one occasion some peasants, flying before him, threw themselves at the feet of the Duke to implore his help. After emptying his purse amongst them with the warmest expressions of sympathy, he tore off the collar of the Order round his neck, broke it into pieces, and flung them the bits. Traits of this kind abound. His brilliant courage enhanced the popular fondness and admiration; and he was hardly guilty of exaggeration, when he told M. de Chamery, a secret French agent, who warned him in 1692 that, if the war went on much longer he would be entirely denuded of troops : "Monsieur, je frapperai du pied le sol de mon pays, et il en sortira des soldats." Although he was beaten again by Catinat at Marsaglia, and underwent a variety of reverses, he inspired so much respect in his opponents, that it was deemed of the highest importance to detach him from the League, and such tempting offers were made to him, that, in August 1696, he signed a separate treaty with France, stipulating that all the territory taken from him should be restored, that the Duke of Burgundy (grandson of Louis) should marry his eld ity of his acts, have been set down as redounding to his credit by his biographers. Each of the allies hastened to open a separate negotiation: all the principal belligerents were parties to the Treaty (or Treaties) of Ryswick in 1697; and after the Treaty of Carlowitz in January 1699, it was recorded as an extraordinary phenomenon for that age - it would be no less extraordinary in ours that the whole of the civilized world was actually at peace for nearly two years.* This halcyon period was abruptly terminated by the war of the Spanish Succession in 1701, and Italy again became the battle-field, in open defiance of the boasted recognition of neutrality. Victor Amadeus, with the Savoy contingent, formed part of the army (French and Spanish) which was defeated by the Imperialists at Chiari, where he had a horse killed under him whilst covering the retreat, and is allowed on all hands to have displayed the most chivalrous bravery and given signal proofs of his good faith. But this merely excited the jealousy of Villeroy, who had superseded Catinat, and fought the battle contrary to the best military opinions, including the Duke's. "This Marshal," says Voltaire, "entered Italy to give orders to Marshal "Il fut glorieux pour un duc de Savoie d'être la cause première de cette pacification générale. Son cabinet acquit un très-grand crédit, et sa personne une très-haute considération." - Mémoires Historiques sur quis Costa de Beauregard, Quartier-maître-général de la Maison Royale de Savoie, &c. &c. Par M. Marl'Armée. Turin, 1816. Vol. iii. p. 55. us, I send my cousin, the Duc de Vendôme, to Victor Amadeus replied in the same number of lines: SIRE, Threats do not frighten me: I shall take the measures that may suit me best relative to the unworthy proceedings that have been adopted towards my troops. nothing further to explain, and I decline listening to any proposition whatever. I have de Catinat and umbrage to the Duke of Savoy. He made no secret of his absolute conviction that a favourite of Louis XIV., at the head of a powerful army, was far above a prince: he called him nothing but Monsieur de Savoie; he treated him as a general in the pay of France, and not as a sovereign, master of the barriers that Nature has placed between France and Italy." The effects of French arrogance were aggravated by the absurdity of Spanish etiquette. In pursuance of the policy to which French His people were as sensible of the statesmen of the old school are still slight put upon him as he could be. The firmly wedded, of having weak states on gallant little nation seconded him with their frontier, Louis had made up his such spirit and goodwill, that in an inmind to prevent, at any price, the ag- credibly short space of time he was in grandizement of Savoy; but as a cheap a condition to make the haughty despot mode of conciliating the Duke at a criti-feel the weight a Duke of Savoy could cal moment, the young King of Spain throw into either scale when European had been married to his second daughter. supremacy was wavering in the balance. Within a few months of this event, the The President Henault, writing from the father-in-law and son-in-law met, by ap- French point of view, distinctly states pointment, a short way from Alexandria that his defection was the principal cause Philip in a chariot or calèche, and Vic-of all the misfortunes of the war. The tor Amadeus on horseback. The obvi- art of changing sides, the policy of terous course was for Victor to dismount giversation, was certainly carried to perand take the vacant seat in the chariot; but here the Marquis de Lonville, the grand master of ceremonies, interposed, declaring that this seat was exclusively reserved for kings. He similarly decided that the Duke could not be allowed an arm-chair in the apartment of the King; and Victor, wounded to the quick, soon afterwards left Alexandria in a pet. fection by this Prince; but it is far from clear that on this particular occasion he stood in need of the rather compromising apology made for him by Voltalre: "If the Duke of Savoy was slow to consult the law of nature, or the law of nations, this is a question of morality, which has little to do with the conduct of sovereigns." The date of the Act of Confederation between him and the Emperor, January 5, 1703, proves that they had come to no definite arrangement for more than three months after the forcible disarmament of the Piedmontese troops by the French. At the battle of Luzara, in the ensuing campaign, the conduct of the Piedmontese troops was highly commended by King Philip, who presented a gold-hilted sword and a Spanish horse to their commander, the Comte des Hayes; but the absence of the Duke from his usual post The ensuing campaigns of 1703, 1704, at their head was the subject of invidious 1705, were an almost unbroken series of comment, and it speedily became known disasters for the Duke. There was that a German envoy had been in fre-time when his situation closely resemquent communication with his ministers. bled that of Frederick the Great in 1757; Louis acted with characteristic haughti- when Macaulay describes him as riding ness and promptitude. After sending about with pills of corrosive sublimate in orders for the disarmament of the Pied-one pocket and a quire of bad verses in montese troops and the seizure of the another: i.e., with the exception of the Duke's person, he wrote to him: MONSIEUR,Since religion, honour, and your own signature are of no account between a verses, for Victor Amadeus was never guilty of rhyme. But he resembled Frederick in intrepidity, in constancy of and re-entered Turin the same day on which M. de la Feuillade returned to his lines after a bootless pursuit of three weeks. The enthusiasm of the inhabitants rose in proportion to the call made upon them. It extended to both sexes and all ages; and many a prototype for the Maid of Saragossa might have been found amongst the damsels of Turin. Women to the number of three hundred (writes an eye-witness) were seen carrying earth-bags on their shoulders for the purpose, and in the capacity for bearing up against the strongest tide of bad fortune till it turned. In May 1705 he was fairly driven to bay in his capital, which was invested with an overwhelming force by the French. Its fall was confidently anticipated, and Louis gave out that he would be present in person to witness the crowning humiliation of the most hated and formidable although (in respect of dominion) most insignificant of his foes. The eyes of all Europe were fixed upon the siege as on a duel of life, and death between two redoubtable combat-repair of the breaches on the most exants; for if the immediate issue looked posed part of the defences, unmoved, or less threatening for one, the result proved at least unappalled, by the sight of the that it was equally a turning-point for bleeding bodies of their companions who both. It commenced like an affair of were struck down; whilst children of honour in the days of chivalry. Before tender years, employed in carrying mesopening fire on the town, a French officer sages or provisions under fire, met dancame with a flag of truce to offer pass- ger with a laugh. One act of heroism, ports for the Sardinian Princesses, if inspired by this exalted spirit of loyalty they wished to withdraw to a place of and patriotism, has never been surpassed safety, and to request on the part of M. in any age, ancient or modern. Pietro de la Feuillade, the French Commander- Micca, a private of artillery, with another in-chief, that the Duke would be pleased (name unknown), had charge of a mine to specify the locality he had selected for under a gallery which led direct into the his own head-quarters, a special order heart of the citadel. The enemy, by a having been given by the King that it night surprise, had reached the gallery should be spared. The Duke replied, door facing the counterscarp, and were that, till the siege was raised, his quarters thundering at it with their axes before would be everywhere where his presence the alarm was given. There was no time might be useful, and that, as for pass- to lay a train, and Pietro, seizing his ports, he most humbly thanked his comrade by the arm, told him to get Majesty for this most courteous proceed-away as fast as he could; then, after the ing, but as he remained master of one of pause of a few seconds, he applied a the gates of the city, the Princesses could match to the mine, which exploded, leave it whenever they thought fit. blowing himself with three companies The fortifications, including the out-of French grenadiers into the air.* works, covered too large an extent of ground to admit of complete investment, and hardly a day passed without a sally by the Duke at the head of a chosen body of infantry and dragoons, to cover convoys, or distract the attention and intercept the communications of the besiegers. Hoping to bring the war to a rapid conclusion by a coup de main, the French general suspended the operations of the siege to give chase, and on one occasion Victor was overtaken and surrounded by a superior force. The Prince Emmanuel de Soissons, his cousin, and the Count de Saint-Géorges, the captain of his guards, were wounded at his side; and he himself was unhorsed and thrown down under the horses' feet. But he managed to extricate himself, "Turin rendu, dit un écrivain politique de nos jours, le Piedmont est fini. Louis XIV. pour l'avoir manqué perdit avec lui l'Italie." - Beauregard, vol. iii. p. 405, note. A general assault was repulsed with great slaughter; but provisions began to fail, and the issue of the siege was still doubtful, when Prince Eugene, at the head of the relieving army of Imperialists, forty thousand strong, arrived under the walls, and had an interview with the Duke, at which it was agreed to turn the lines of the besiegers and give battle. In the French council of war, a party headed by the Duke of Orleans was for anticipating this movement by an attack. "If the battle is gained," they urged, "the place will fall of itself. If the battle is lost, there will be no alternative but to draw off." Marsin, the military govenor or dry-nurse of the Prince, overruled this opinion, and it was decided to await the enemy in the lines, which, *"Storia del Regno di Vittorio Amedeo II., scritta da Domenico Carutti." Torino, 1856. P. 268. It is added, to enhance the self-sacrificing character of the act, that he was a husband and a father. |