24 FEBRUARY 1996, Page 25

Sir: Legend has it that when marching across Lombardy the

Grande Ann& was held up yet again by an improvised road- block, Napoleon shouted angrily at an old Italian peasant standing nearby, `Voialtri italiani siete tutti briganti!' To which the old man, bowing deeply, replied, `Tutti no, signore, ma buona parte si ' Francis Rentoul

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