FERDINAND'S OUTRAGE ON MAZZINGHI.

93 sell his fish in real earnest, and haggle about a penny with the purchasers, in real love of the money thus collected.

The game of pallone, so general in Italy, is certainly a very manly, and also beautiful exhibition of strength, agility, and dexterity. One day, while thus engaged, the king remarked amongst the numerous spectators, a young man of delicate person, pale contemplative countenance, his hair precisely powdered, and clothed in shining black after the manner of an 66 abate" (abbé).

a

The temptation of having, what would here be called “ bit of fun," with this superior intellectual looking person, was too great for the coarse-mindedness of this "king" to overcome. He was seen to whisper into the ear of a courtier comrade, who then withdrew, but soon returned with a large blanket under his arm. This, four of the players, "his majesty" of the number, held out by the corners, and the Abate being seized by the servants and court minions, was placed upon it, and tossed many times into the air, amidst the shouts and laughter of the ruffians and blackguards of all classes, who assisted at the exhibition. It turned out that the gentleman who had thus been brutally insulted, was the Abate Count Mazzinghi of Florence, highly connected, and not less esteemed for his literary and moral worth. The Grand Duke of Tuscany made urgent complaints of the outrage committed on his friend and subject, addressed to the courts both of Naples and Spain. But nothing was done in the way of apology—the feelings or the life of an individual, being held as nought, compared with the ease of the governing, and the amusements of a governor. The unfortunate victim to kingly ruffianism, Mazzinghi, soon left Naples in despair of any word of reparation being offered to him. Feelings of wounded dignity and shame, although no shame was his, prevented him from returning to Florence; but remaining at Rome, overwhelmed

with indignation, disgust, and melancholy, after a few months he died.

Such was the early life of Ferdinand Bourbon, king of Naples, who was never known to read a book, or even a manuscript of any description. Not even a romance could tempt him. And as for writing-so arduous and unreasonable did he think the task of having to sign the decrees and acts of government, that he positively refused to sign any more "for want of time," and all royal visa's were suspended until a stamp was made, with which he could affix his name at a stroke, after it had been inked by an attendant.

I cannot well speak of Naples in 1804, without introducing my reader to several very important precedents, which are intimately connected with the diplomatic and military history of England.

I have given a sketch of the reforms of Tanucci, and of the character of king Ferdinand, who put a stop to them. The new ideas concerning social improvement and political liberty, which rapidly sprung up and flourished, with comparative harmony in France, until the intriguing leagues of despots, and the bad faith of Louis, stirred up the angry passions of the people, and gave power to bold bad men, spread far and wide amongst all the well-thinking and wellmeaning men of surrounding nations. The spectacle of a people coerced for ages by a strong and well-organised despotism-"well-organised," I mean for all evil to the people; a despotism supported by an army of priests—an army of "nobles”—and an army of mercenary soldiers, being suddenly overthrown and scattered to the winds by the force of public opinion, electrified all generous minds. The youth of Italy joined to every man of intellect, save the sharers in the public spoils ;— advocates, physicians, professors at the universities, architects, painters, and other members of the liberal professions, all joined in glee, and

PERSECUTIONS BY THE QUEEN OF NAPLES. 95

hope, and expectation of better things. The speeches of Gabriel, Honoré, Riquetti, Count de Mirabeau, were circulated in manuscript, and learnt by heart by thousands of Italians, well-wishers to their unfortunate country.

In the year 1793, a French fleet commanded by Admiral La Touche, arrived at Naples, and remained for several weeks, repairing, taking in water and provisions. Many young Neapolitans of ardent minds and patriotic feelings consorted with the officers of the French fleet, while, in turn, the latter were invited to frequent dinners and festivities on shore. This intimacy was observed by the Neapolitan government with fear and rage, but silence was preserved until the sailing of the fleet, which was as much as possible accelerated by every aid and supply.

The fleet departed; and then broke forth the cruel vengeance of Queen Caroline upon every man who had had any acquaintance with the French, or who was suspected of entertaining any liberal ideas. Seized in the middle of the night, and taken nobody knew whither, the friends and relatives of the unhappy victims lamented them for dead; but it was afterwards found that the greater part were buried alive in the subterranean cells of the Castle of Sant Elmo, without bed or chair, and only bread and water, so that very few survived such treatment many weeks, but by their deaths escaped the lengthened torments which the more robust of them endured. Every professor of the liberal arts, every scholar, most of the nobility, were looked upon as "jacobins" and conspirators by the suspicious and terrified court of Naples. Every prison, every dungeon, the barren rocks of Panteleria and Ventotene had their excavations filled with innocent victims to ferocious despotism. Few of these were ever brought to trial,- none ever convicted of any crime,-few also survived the horrors they endured.

The sanguinary queen, hoping to find some documents alimentary to her love of vengeance and of cruelty amongst the papers of Mackau, the French ambassador, induced, by means of a powerful bribe, a man, named Luigi Custode, a frequent visitor at the embassy, to steal the ambassador's papers. The thief was, however, discovered, and his being put upon his trial could not be avoided, but good care was taken that he should be acquitted by the corrupt judges of those "good old times;" so instead of condign punishment, he was amply rewarded by his worthy employers. No paper whatever was found that had any relation to plots or treasons; but there was a diplomatic memorandum in the hand of the ambassador, containing the heads of the many infringements by the Neapolitan government of their stipulated and pretended neutrality. Still further irritated by this disclosure, the weak and savage despots proceeded to increase the number of their victims. men of station, learning, virtue, and seized, and without any specific charge, some dungeons, would fill a pamphlet. Society appeared upon the verge of utter subversion.

A list alone of the science, who were immured in loath

The queen resolved on going to war with France. On the 20th July, 1793, King Ferdinand signed a secret treaty of alliance with England, Spain, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Porte, against France. The English admiral, Lord Hood, whilst cruising off Toulon, had, through the aid of emissaries, succeeded in bringing to a traitorous understanding the governor of that fortress, General Count Maudet, who basely delivered up the place to the enemies of his country and of her free institutions. This great act of treason occurred on the 24th of August, 1793, by which the English became possessed of twenty ships of the line anchored in the port; immense quantities of timber and other stores; artillery, arms, and ammunition to a vast amount.

OCCUPATION OF TOULON BY LORD HOOD. 97

The Neapolitan government now threw off the mask, and without any intimation of hostility to Admiral Mackau, then French ambassador at Naples, despatched an expedition to assist the British and her allies in the spoliation or defence of Toulon. Upon witnessing this breach of solemn treaty, Mackau demanded his passport, and taking with him the mourning widow and the daughter of Ugo Basville, who had recently been murdered by the papal myrmidons at Rome, returned to Paris.

The exploits of the Anti gallican allies in their occupation, defence, and disastrous expulsion from Toulon, derive peculiar historical importance from one name, which has since filled the world with awe and admiration, having been then, for the first time, sounded by the voice of fame. Napoleon Buonaparte commanded the artillery, which retook the place. The real character of that great man, as well as his real and ultimate views, have yet to be fairly portrayed. Had he ever had the fortune to read a few chapters of Bentham, he would have given liberty to Europe by a far briefer process than that which was interrupted by the frost of Moscow, and the apathy of his enriched marshals in 1814 and 1815. What ill-placed clemency, his re-establishing and forming alliances with those rotten despotisms which he repeatedly overthrew !

The Neapolitan contingent of troops, under the orders of Generals Fortiguerri and Pignatelli, arrived at Toulon about the 10th September, 1793. The Spanish General O'Hara, commanded in chief the allied forces, which occupied the city and the forts, and, in rotation, performed the service of defence.

From various parts of the republic, troops of the line, and national guards, arrived to besiege the intruders, and expel them from the soil. Four months had elapsed since the day of occupation; and although some partial attacks had been of