“Naples, January 18, 1863.
“... So soon as I arrived here I found that the person who was at the head of the Commission for the suppression of convents, monasteries, &c., behaved with unjustifiable harshness and rudeness: the dissatisfaction and discontent his conduct caused cannot be exaggerated. I backed the representations made to the Ministers to put an end to this abuse of authority, and the fellow was recalled by telegraph.”
These honourable protests against oppression, and possibly others more openly made in language equally forcible, caused an abundance of silly surmises and talk of the conversion of Panizzi, and of his having become an adherent of the Pope and of the Bourbons, &c., &c.
Utterly unworthy as were these of being repeated, we should leave the subject unmentioned, did it not afford the opportunity of introducing a letter, dated Turin, the 2nd of April, 1863, too important to be omitted, from that distinguished diplomatist and most amiable of men, Sir James Hudson:—
“This is the first quiet moment I have had since I received yours of the 25th.
“How can you seriously pay attention to the chatterboxes of Naples, who had written here that you had gone over to the enemy? But, my dear friend, you don’t suppose that in Upper Italy anybody would believe such ridiculous gossip!
“I knew very well that you would have come here at once had I asked you to do so. But the necessity, the strait we were in, was not sufficiently great to require that sacrifice. I will tell you what it is when we meet.
“And now about meeting. I still say, ‘Don’t put yourself out,’ don’t come to Genoa merely to see Giacomino. If you come to Genoa, you must come here. It’s all very well to say, ‘I don’t want to see anybody but you.’ Well, that’s like you; but it won’t do. You cannot come so near Turin, and not come to Turin. You occupy too large a space in the Italian and European eye. Many people want to see you especially Minghetti and Amari, and doubtless Peruzzi.
“The journey is nothing now over the Mont Cenis. If you say positively you won’t, why I can’t help it; but I repeat, don’t come to Genoa if you won’t come to Turin. But if you do come to Genoa I will meet you there. We shall meet in July at all events, for I am quite serious in declaring my intention of residing with you at the British Museum, and am very grateful for the kind reception you have given to my proposition.
“I have read your letter three times, which is what I never did for a Foreign Office instruction.