In Sir James Hudson, who died on Sunday at Strasburg,
England loses a good servant and Italy the most devoted of friends. Familiar with Courts, an easy man of the world, and a finished diplomatist, Sir James had in him the passion of patriotism, but felt it for two countries. The friend both of Cavour and Victor Emmanuel, he gave both of them rough, plain counsel, and in 1860-61 he rendered to both material services. His counsel was always to dare ; and amidst the complex intrigues out of which Italy arose, his English directness and sense frequently lent to the great Italian a new strength. He was not quite popular at the Foreign Office, probably out of an idea that he was too Italian ; but Lord John Russell offered him the blue ribbon of his profession —the Embassy at Coustantiuople. Sir James Hudson accepted ; but in conversation with his chief found that their ideas on the true policy to be pursued differed so radically that he withdrew his acceptance, a change of mind never quite forgiven, and which had much to do with his ulti- mate retirement from the service. Theuceforward he lived in Italy, an Italian in all but his strong English feeling.
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