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CHAPTER III.

1798.

Fervour of the young Neapolitans for the republican maximsThe Conte de Ruvo, Duca d'Andrea proposes to my brother to fly with him from the Castello de St. Elmo-The Conte escapes with Lieutenant Aprile-Fear which the Government conceives on seeing the Expedition of Bonaparte for Egypt pass in sight of Sicily-The remoteness of Bonaparte from Italy encourages the Court of Naples to ally itself with Austria-Levy of forty thousand troops of the 2nd of September, 1798-Short and shameful campaign of the Neapolitan army, on account of its bad organization and of the incapacity of the General-in-chief, Mack-Timid and foolish conduct of King Ferdinand in that campaign-Precipitate flight of the King and his Court to Sicily on board the ship-of-war of Admiral Nelson-His arrival in Palermo-Various events in the capital after the flight of the Court and the Royal Family.

IN 1798, the French Republic had existed five it had awakened in the minds of the youth years: of Naples the most ardent sympathy for its institutions, and a no less ardent desire to realize the possession of a like form of Government in their own country. The influence of such a feeling was almost universal, but it was more particularly indulged by those who really designed the national welfare, and by the unfortunate beings languishing in the State prisons.

The enthusiasm for the French Revolution and the knowledge of our own military capacity, of which the conduct of the Neapolitan troops, both at Toulon and in Lombardy, had given undoubted evidence, served to inspire our officers with the most warlike sentiments, and awakened within their breasts the most unqualified contempt for the weak and ill-advised policy which prevailed throughout the kingdom. I had myself scarcely attained my fifteenth year, but my heart already throbbed with the most enthusiastic feelings of republicanism.

The regiment of Rifles, of which my brother Ferdinand was lieutenant, furnished detachments to guard the Castle of St. Eramo, and he was often entrusted with the safe custody of the State prisoners. Amongst these was Ettore Carafa, Count Ruvo, of the family of Dukes of Andria, with whom my brother soon formed a close friendship. The Junta of State had already begun the trial of Medici and of several of the principal (so called) conspirators. The Count Ruvo, who not only indulged small hope of the result of his trial, but even expected to be condemned to death, one day confided to my brother his intention of making his escape from prison. His plan was to join the French army then stationed in Rome, which he regarded as being upon the very point of marching on Naples. Ferdinand, who in common with all the young men in the army, felt the warmest sympathy for the martyrs of republicanism, promised him to give all the assistance in his power towards the furtherance of his project. Fortunately, he revealed his intended imprudence to my brothers Giovanni Batista and Florestano. They were both greatly shocked at the rashness of which he had

VOL. I.

so nearly been guilty, and gave him to understand that inevitable disgrace would have attended such a breach of military honour, in conniving at the escape of a prisoner especially committed to his charge. Giovanni Batista, who possessed a most excellent nature, was however utterly without a particle of enthusiasm; but I wondered greatly at the opposition of Florestano to this plan. He was a liberal in the widest signification of the term, and was often heard singing the inspired strains of the Marseillaise hymn. For my own part, I thought that in the holy cause of liberty, and to save its votaries from danger, it was our duty not only to dare every ordinary peril, but even to brave infamy itself. Such was the effervescence of my youthful feelings in behalf of freedom. Fortunately, Florestano calmly and sensibly combated them, and succeeded in annulling the rash promise which Ferdinand had made to the Count Ruvo. I continued firm in my opinion, although experience and reflection caused me subsequently in a great measure to modify it; and then I felt convinced that although every thing, even disgrace, may be hazarded for the love of country, it is by no means to be courted for the salvation of an individual; and the Count Ruvo was not, in point of fact, in any imminent danger of his life.

The attempt to escape from prison to which my brother refused to lend his assistance, was, however, put into execution. Lieutenant Aprile, a native of Caltagirone, in Sicily, was the person who abetted it, and who accompanied Count Ruvo in his flight. The Count was fortunate enough to succeed in reaching Rome, but Aprile was taken and condemned to death. This sentence was subsequently commuted into that of detention for life in the Fossa del Marittimo. I shall

have occasion at a later period of this work to recur again to the Fossa del Marittimo, Lieutenant Aprile, and the Count Ruvo.

In the month of May of the same year, 1798, the Court of Naples was greatly alarmed at the unexpected appearance in the Mediterranean of a powerful French fleet, carrying forty thousand soldiers under the command of General Buonaparte. The first impression created by the appearance of such a force was that the French were about to land in Sicily. Such a fear was, however, soon dispelled by the certainty that it was proceeding towards Egypt, and that as soon as the troops could be landed, they were to march against Alexandria. A little later, we received intelligence of the battle of Aboukir, and that Nelson had blown up the French ships, which after disembarking the army had anchored in the bay. This victory, combined with the absence of Buonaparte from Europe with his warlike army; the dispersion of the French troops in Lombardy sent to reinforce the army on the Rhine; the expected movement of a powerful Austro-Russian army, and the new confederacy against France formed by the rest of Europe, conspired to increase the desire of the infuriated Queen to injure France. She exerted herself so strenuously with the Neapolitan Government, that she succeeded in bringing about the rupture of the treaty of peace entered into a year before. Appearances, however, were in some measure preserved. The war began with the invasion of the Roman States, then forming a Republic, under the protection of the French legions.

The impatience of the King and his consort to begin hostilities was so great, that they would not await the arrival of the expected Austro-Russian army in Italy;

nor even allow time for their own troops to be put into a proper condition for war.

Towards the early part of September, sealed despatches were forwarded to every part of the kingdom by order of Government, with strict injunctions that they should all be opened on the same day, and at the same hour. These despatches contained a decree authorizing a levy of forty thousand men. The mysterious secrecy with which this levy had been ordered, caused a universal feeling of mistrust; and the precipitancy with which it was put into execution gave rise to some acts of injustice, and consequently produced a general feeling of dissatisfaction. These forty thousand men, just taken from the plough, were sent to the capital in the month of September, and there were mingled with twenty-five thousand old soldiers, few of whom, however, had ever faced the enemy. These men were destined to begin the campaign in the following month of November. This new levy of troops, utterly ignorant of everything approaching military discipline, and with only thirty days of hasty instruction, were sent to oppose the best-trained soldiers in Europe. It is thus that sovereigns delude themselves into the belief that their illusions can be realized. In the anxiety to bestow the necessary instruction upon the newly-raised army, even such youths as 'myself were summoned from the military schools to drill these unfortunate novices. The poor fellows inspired all who beheld them with compassion, for instead of making up for their want of knowledge by any feeling of national ardour, they showed no other sentiment than one of unmitigated aversion, disgust, and contempt for the career they were entering upon. These evils were increased by the fact, that few amongst the foreign

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