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seut to graze in the plains of Puglia , and in summer returnedto the cool and shady pastures in the mountains of the Abruzzi.

Notwithstanding all this, the Marsi were neither an agricul-tural nor a pastoral population, in the strict sense of the terms,they were only robust and hard working labourers, who, havingno market at home for their labour throughout the year, wereobliged to seek employment elsewhere.

A deplorable military and political idea prevailing in thegovernment, had powerfully contributed to dictate this policy ofsystematic neglect which left the country of the Marsi and partof the Abruzzi in a state of complete isolation, in which it re-mained until about twenty five years ago. The idea was that asthose districts formed the greatest part of the frontier borderingon the Pontifical states, they were to be left without roads, inorder to render them as inacessible as possible to an invadingarmy. This ridiculous idea was so rooted in the highest militarycircles of the Neapolitan government, that the latter preferredbreaking its word, given, we believe, to Pope Gregory XVI ,rather than give up its pet theory. It had been agreed , at acertain epoch, to make a carriage road from Rome to Naples,along the valley of the Anio as far as Arsoli, across the fron-tier at Carsoli and then, passing by the plateau of Fucino , descendto Sora and Naples, by the valley of the Liris. The Pope causedthat section of the road which lay in his states to be made ,but the Neapolitan government would never do anything forthe road which it had promised to make, putting forward thepretext that it was necessary in the first place to erect a firstclass citadel on the boundary. This system which seems tobelong rather to the barbarism of the middle ages , than tomodern civilization, kept thus the country of the Marsi incircumstances exceptionally unfavourable for its economical deve-lopment, and condemned those among its inhabitants who wishedfor work throughout the year, to leave their homes in order toseek it elsewhere.

Besides all the serious consequences arising from the wantof means of communication , and of easy intercourse with the