preparing to saddle us with the burden of our disastrous war, in the
name of justice and morality. And yet, once at the cross-roads,
there never was but one course for Italians, to choose defeat rather
than apparent victory by the side of the kind of allies whom
Mussolini had inflicted on Italy, when he sold Italy and its future
and co-operated in enslaving every one in Europe.

Rosati, Morelli and Parente over from Naples to ask me for some
suggestions and for a manuscript, even if already written and
printed for restricted circulation, or unprinted, but suitable for these
days. Other visitors also. In between, was able to revise some of
the proofs for the next number of Critica. I find the spectacle of
rapid political changeovers going on just now are not unexpected,
but always repugnant, and yet they also seem to have something
sincere and healthy, some expansion, a pleasure in the return of the
word and the appearances of liberty, and one feels that Fascist
oppression and corruption did not altogether succeed in driving the
memory of liberty from the hearts of Italians.

Wrote some brief notes of an appeal, to be published in a small
pamphlet, for the reconstitution of an Italian Liberal Party. ¹
Wrote several letters for friends who are going to Rome, Turin and
Florence. Corrected proofs of Storia di Napoli. Revised part of the
typed copy of other writings of Blanch, rewritten by me. Bombing
of Naples has started again, heavy yesterday and extremely heavy
now, as I write (about eleven p.m.). From here we watch anxiously.

Woke up, as often happens these days, after little more than four
hours' sleep, stayed in bed thinking, not pleasantly. This reduces
my alacrity for the rest of the day. Nevertheless, I finished revising
the extended Blanch and read variously. Vinciguerra, freed from
imprisonment, came to see me and we talked of current events.

Wrote an open letter to Bergamini for the Giornale d'Italia under

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