he could do for me; I replied that my sole desire was to proceed to Egypt, and to be incorporated in the army stationed there.

Upon this, he gave me an order which would ensure my reception with the rank of Captain, and directed me to sail for Alexandria in the first French vessel which should quit Taranto. Who could then have foreseen that the vicissitudes of that brave warrior, those of my hapless country, and even my own, would one day be so closely connected, or would have terminated so disastrously!

I was now at the zenith of my wishes. I had already received another supply of money from my father, and a most affectionate letter from my brother Florestano, who languished at Naples in the hands of surgeons, still suffering from the dreadful wound he had received at the assault of Andria two years before.

CHAPTER IX.

1801-1802.

I arrive at Naples-See my brother Florestano-Pay a visit to my father-Return to Naples-Melancholy suicide of a friend of my brother and myself—I proceed to Taranto with the intention of sailing thence for Egypt-My return to Milan-Conspiracy to excite a rebellion in Naples-The Papal Government causes me to be arrested at Rome-I am set at liberty, and return to my family, where I remain some time, and then again proceed to Milan.

I STARTED upon my journey, and after crossing Tuscany and the States of Rome entered the Abruzzi, and reached Chieti, then the head-quarters of a French General. This General was in the habit of keeping open house during the evening, and a faro table, which was the chief amusement, generally caused his officers to leave with empty purses. It is truly surprising that in a well organized army, a General should have been allowed to follow such practices, which are in every respect subversive of discipline.

Although the ill fortune of Fabrizio Pocrio was still fresh in my mind, yet actuated by youthful vanity, I could not forbear risking a trifling sum. This was followed by another, and another, until I had lost all the money that I possessed. In this extremity I knew

not what course to take. Not only was I without funds to embark for Egypt, but I had not even wherewith to take me as far as Taranto. After turning over and over in my mind the means of unravelling the disagreeable perplexity in which I found myself, I decided upon proceeding to my brother Florestano at Naples. But how was I to defray the expenses of my journey? Young men soon become acquainted with each other. It was my good fortune to meet with a Captain of the Neapolitan staff, a Corsican by birth, of the name of Questa.

As he was about to start for the capital, he most courteously proposed that I should accompany him, offering to lend me whatever money I might require to defray the expenses of my journey. I accepted his kind offer, and we took our departure from Chieti, and on our route amused ourselves by discoursing on various topics. I was, at that period, extremely hot-headed, and my companion was of a quarrelsome temper, so that whenever we touched upon our political feelings, which differed in toto, we became so warm that several times we were on the verge of fighting. Fortunately, however, as we proceeded, we tacitly agreed to a calmer view of things, and ended our journey, as we had begun it, upon the best possible terms with each other.

My first step on arriving at Naples was to hasten to embrace Florestano. I was amazed when I was shown his chest, which had been cut completely open by the surgeon, that he might the better treat the wound my brother had received two years previously. In the centre of the gash was deeply inserted an indian rubber tube, through which the blood issued. Bruno Amantea, the most skilful surgeon in Naples, attended him, and

before beginning the dangerous operation which he had performed, he insisted upon the patient being held down by four powerful young men, so as to prevent the possibility of his struggling.

Florestano opposed this proceeding, and so great were his strength of mind and power of endurance, that he suffered all the anguish of the operation without the motion of a limb. The operator was so astonished at such dauntless courage, that he said to him: "You are made of iron, not of flesh;" at the same time adding, that nothing but the greatest care, and the utmost regularity of living could preserve him, for that if he pursued an opposite course, his days were numbered. Florestano replied that he preferred a month's life of freedom, to an age of solicitude about living.

Experience in this instance testified how erroneous are the precautions of medical men when they act upon a system, and without taking into account the strength of constitution in particular cases. During the space of fifteen years, and with his chest open, Florestano never ceased to perform all the arduous duties of an active military life.

My brother was very generally beloved at Naples, which was the chief place of resort for those who had been persecuted for their political opinions. The King, now become a dependant of France, whose troops occupied the provinces on the Adriatic coast, durst no longer molest the patriots. In the house of Florestano there resided a young artillery officer named Romanelli. He was a native of Aquila, of agreeable manners, and a very pleasant companion, greatly esteemed by my brother.

All Florestano's friends were eager to become ac

VOL. I.

H

quainted with me, a compliment which caused me great satisfaction. We should most probably have led a happy life enough, had not that accursed gambling fit which seized me at Chieti, and my brother at Naples, completely exhausted our resources. Finding ourselves in the predicament of a scarcity of cash, we resolved to extricate ourselves from it, by paying a visit to our father in Calabria and throwing ourselves upon his parental generosity to procure relief from the consequences of our youthful indiscretion. We put our scheme into execution immediately, and proceeded to our father's residence at Squillace. I leave the reader to judge of the joy of my father, and our other near relations at the unexpected arrival of two beloved members of the family whom they despaired of ever seeing again; one, because of the desperate wound he had received, and the other, because never having received any tidings of him, they had looked upon him as dead.

Their astonishment at the vicissitudes I had experienced, and the fatigue I had undergone, when scarcely past childhood, was unbounded. Our stay at Squillace was extremely short, for we both felt eager to return to the capital. Unable to alter my resolution of proceeding to Egypt, and touched by the deplorable state of Florestano's health, our father amply provided us with money; with more indeed than our necessities required. After taking a most affectionate leave of our family, we returned to Naples.

Many days had not elapsed after our arrival, before we were very painfully affected by a most tragical occurrence. I have already mentioned that our friend Romanelli was an inmate of my brother's house. One evening he expressed a desire that we should all sup