By these words the grandson of the first King of Italy
not only paid a grateful tribute to his grandfather's great
minister, but bore Royal witness to the essential truth of a
great historical fact. The architect of United Italy was, in
truth, one of those statesmen who have impressed their
personality very deeply on the destinies of their country and
their age--one of those who have shown themselves the most
startling exceptions to Tolstoy's brilliant paradox, by revealing
in everything they undertook in the realm of politics a rapid
and lucid intellect, a balanced reason, and a powerful and
steadfast purpose.

It is from this standpoint that the following portrait of
Cavour has been painted. A rough sketch--nothing more
--in which it is sought to delineate the most original and
individual traits in this remarkable character, to reveal the
inner man, to lay bare the sources of his inspiration, the
mental processes by which he came to his decisions, and the
manner in which he worked.

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