Rhine and in Italy. Notwithstand- rals, who were not admitted into the fecret. ing the treaty of Campo Formio, the continued encroachments of French ambition provoked a war, in which it was almost certain that the houfe of Auftria muft fooner or later be involved. Championet, after the repulfe of the Neapolitan troops, encamped at Santo Germano, the fpot from whence his Sicilian majefty, but a few weeks before, had iffued his proclamations of deliverance from the French yoke to the Romans. The king and general Mack, as mentioned in our laft volume, had haftened back, with their defeated and diminished forces, from the Roman territories into thofe of Naples. The king, with part of the troops, repaired to his capital: the general, with the remainder, joined the garrifon, and undertook the defence of Capua; from whence, on the thirty-firft of December, 1798, he fent a letter to Championet, propofing an armiftice, limited or unlimited, on account of the feverity of the weather and the badnefs of the roads. The French general returned for anfwer, that, as his army had overcome the diffi culties of both the way and the weather, with their ufual patience, The courage, with which the king of Naples, after the naval victory of Aboukir, ventured to attack the French, on the Roman territories, was confidered, by many politicians, as a fpur to the emperor to depart from that myfterious inaction in which he had remained, after many provocations, on the one hand, and encouragements, on the other, to rejoin his former allies in an appeal to arms. By others it has been affirmed, that the Neapolitan court, as well as that of Vienna, with military preparations and precautions mingled political negociation. It was fecretly agreed on, they faid, and understood, between the prevailing party in the directory and thofe courts, that, after fuch a fhew of resistance, as might prevent murmurings or worse effects, on the part of the French nation, the ecclefiaftical ftates fhould be given up to the arbitriment of the court of Naples. The terms, on which this ceffion was to be obtained, were the fame with The left wing of the French arthofe on which a majority of the my, under Duhefine, in the midst individuals, compofing the direc- of repeated attacks, both by the tory, offered peace to the Ame- Neapolitan troops and large bodies ricans, the Portugueze, and other of infurgents, marching along the nations and it was determined, coaft of the Adriatic, through a according to this account of mat- country interfected with rivers, proters, by the directory, to facrifice ceeded towards Pefcara. A mafs the fall army, under Champio- of infurgents, to the number of fix net, to their private interefts. If thoufand, had taken poffeffion of Tethefe reports be well-founded, ano, in the rear of the French army, the felfifh views of the direc- and there mailacred every perfon be were counteracted and dif- longing to the French. Duhefme, appointed by the French gene. ftill continuing his march, fent back [L2] tors he fhould not halt until he had made his entry into Naples. Championet, in pursuance of his plan, moved his head-quarters from Santo Germano to Teano. detachments detachments to reduce the infurgents. Taking advantage of the impreffion that had been made on the Neapolitans, by the repeated checks given to their attacks, and particularly by a victory over them near the river Vomano, he appeared before Pefcara without artillery or ammunition, and by threats of a general fack on the one hand, and promifes of protection and favour on the other, induced the garrifon to open the gates of that important fortrefs, which was the key of the left fide, and all the fords of the Adriatic, and the poffeffion of which was equally fubfervient to the progrefs of the left wing of the army towards Naples, as that of Gæta, on the Mediterranean, already in the poffeffion of the French, under general Roy, was to the advance of the right. The centre of the army, under general Lemoine, having croffed the Appenines in one of their most difficult paffes, continually expofed to the maffacres of the infurgent peafantry, wherever they could meet with little refiftance, forced the poft of Popili, where the centre of the Neapolitan army was ftrongly entrenched, and thereby prevented the junction of the centre of the French army with its left. While the centre divifion formed its communication with the right by Venafro, general Roy, leaving a garrilon at Gæta, marched on towards Capua with the remainder of his column, and took his pofition along the Volturno, a river falling into the gulf of Gæta, which covered Capua, towards the fea. General Macdonald, who commanded the main body of the right wing, had fallen down from Calvi, and was marching onward, in order to reconnoitre the ground around Capua. A body of Neapo litans, routed in a close encounter with the French, found protection in their retreat from the artillery of that city. The French, who had purfued them to the very walls, were forced to retire with very confiderable lofs to Cajazzo, where Macdonald, having left a reserve at Calvi, in the Terra di Lavora, took up his pofition. This pofition, in the face of an army yet numerous, covered by a river, protected by a ftrong place, mafters of the Volturno, with the means of drawing confiderable re-inforcements from the capital behind: this pofition of Macdonald, in fuch circumftances, was daring and dangerous. It was, however, the refult of circumftances of which the generals in chief had not probably the command. His own plan was to have waited at Cajanello, to concentrate his armies, by the divifions of the left and centre, and not to have advanced into a country, every where in infurrection, until he had a force fitted to face the dangers to which he would be expofed. The precautions intended by Championet were juftified by the event. On his return to the head-quarters at Teano, from Venafro, whither he had gone to concert the operations of the fiege of Capua with Lemoine, he found difpatches from general Roy, informing him, that a pligious number of infurgents had affembled at Sofia, threatening to cut down the bridges at Garigliano, and even menacing the camp. Strong detachments were fent against them, in order to re-establifh the communication between the left wing of the army and the centre. The infurgents not only opposed the pallage of the French troops, troops, but beat them, after they had been reinforced, in fucceffive engagements, and at length forced them to retreat. Other bodies of infurgents, during thefe conflicts with the French troops, took poffeffion of the bridges on the Garig liano, which they cut down, feized the park of referve belonging to the army, burnt the ammunition waggons, plundered the baggage, and made themfelves mafters of all the pofitions that, had been occupied by the French. While thefe tranfactions paffed in the rear of the French army, commiffioners from the viceroy of Naples prefented themselves at the head-quarters before general Championet, offering to furrender the city of Capua, and to draw a military line, on which the oppofite armies fhould wait the orders of their refpective govern ments. Championet, though aftonified that fuch propofitions fhould be made to him in the present diftreffed ftate of the French army, refufed to enter into any difcuffion of them, on other terms, than the furrender of Naples. The fame propofitions were repeated the next day, and met with the fame refufal. But Championet, on returning from this conferrence to head-quarters, at Teano, found that the troops appointed to furround it had fallen back, and that the town was evacuated. The infurgents, having gained the heights, were preparing for an attack. Thefe bands were difperfed: but, on the fame evening, Championet received intelligence that the infurrection was general, that every part of the kingdom was in arms, and that the infurgents were commanded by experienced officers. Lemoine, whofe head quarters had been attacked, had crofled the Volturno. No farther intelligence could be obtained of the left wing- under Duhefme. It was believed at the time, that he had been furrounded by infurgents. The gathering ftorm of general infurrection gained on the rear of the French army more and more. The standard of revolt was raised in Santo Germano, and the whole of the adjacent country. Championet's baggage and equipage were pillaged. One of his aids-de-camps, it has been afferted, was burnt alive. Another was taken prifoner. At Tendi and Ihi, there was an indifcriminate maffacre of French, travellers, and all that were found in thofe places. The French troops, thus furrounded, were left without provifions, Their number was confiderably diminifhed, by the numerous detachments fent out against the rebels. The burning of the park of artillery and ammunition-waggons, left each foldier only a fingle round of cartridges. The communication with Rome was cut off. A junction with the left wing was become impoffible. The Neapolitans were making dif pofitions for a general attack. And a landing was expected, about this time, to take place, at the mouth of the Garigliano, of troops, that had embarked at Leghorn, and which were to fall on the rear of the. French, while general Mack made an attack in front. In this extremity of fortune, Championet had called in all his pofts, refolved to conquer or perifh, when a trum pet prefented itfelf, the third time, at the advanced pofts of the French army, announcing the arrival of the former deputation with more ex[L 3] tenfive tenfive powers. An armiftice was immediately concluded between Championet, and, on the part of Naples, the prince of Milliano. The principal conditions of this were, the furrender of Capua, with all its ftores and artillery; the poffeffion, by the French army, of the country as far as Acerra, before Naples; Benevento, and a tract from thence to the Adriatic, to ferve as a line of demarcation; the evacuation of the Neapolitan ports, by the fhips of hoftile powers; and the payment of ten millions of livres. This treaty was to be ratified by the respective governments of the contracting parties: and, in cafe of its rejection by either government, no hoftilities were to take place till after three days notice. The armiftice was concluded and figned, on the twenty-first day of January, 1799. The Neapolitans evacuated Capua on the next, and proceeded to Naples. They were, on the twenty-third, fucceeded by a French garrison. The reft of the French army encamped without the city. Championet, difembarraffed from a formidable oppofition in front, cleared the country of infurgents in his rear. The French directory, quickly informed, and before the arrival of any official dispatches, of the armiftice between Championet, and the government of Naples, was fo highly diffatisfied with it, that a letter, by their orders, and in their name, was written to Championet, in the most severe and infulting terms.* But when Championet had explained the reafons of his conduct, and which were altogether irrefragable, that letter was retracted. By the time that the armiftice was concluded, the king of the two Sicilies, with the royal family, had been for fome days, after a tempeftuous voyage, fafely landed in Palermo. It was not without much reluctance that the king quitted the feat of his government. Artifices were used by the party who urged his retreat, in order to bend him to fubmiffion; fuch as pretended confpiracies and popular infurrections. At length, having created the prince Pignatelli viceroy, he embarked on board the Britifh fhips, commanded by lord Nelfon, during the night of the firft of Jannary, with court, accompanied by the British, Auftrian, and Ruffian ambassadors. For the tranquillity of the city, a civic guard was formed: the officers of which were taken equally from the claffes of the nobles and private citizens. Large fums of money, as well as arms, were dis ftributed among the Lazzoroni, for the purpose of retaining and encouraging their wonted loyalty. his At Caferta, which Championet had now made his head-quarters, he received intelligence of the left wing of the army, which had been embarraffed, on all hands, by infurgents, as had been fufpected, in the provinces of the Arbruzzo, Duhefme, after the reduction of Pescara, extended his line to Ortona * According to what has already been briefly ftated, it was the wifh of the ruling faction of the directory to facrifice Championet and his army to a fecret treaty with the king of Naples On this point we have not learnt any thing that can be confidered as certain. It appears, that an animofity had been conceived by the directory against Championet on other accounts than his ignorant counter-action of their fecret defigns, if such really exifted, in favour of the courts of Vienna and Naples. and his march towards Popoli. After various dangers and efcapes, he reached Sulmona and Venafro, and finally joined Championet, at his head-quarters at Caferta. Macdonald, who, from fome difguft, had given up his commiffion, was replaced by the general Dufrefnc. and Lanciano, and then directed lity and generofity of the French army, began to declare their intentions more openly. General Lemoine was now fent to Paris, to receive inftructions from the directory, refpecting the nature and form of government to be given to the Neopolitans. The crifis expected, was precipitated by the following circumftance. A French agent had been fent from the general, under a fafe conduct, to Naples, to haften the payment of the money agreed on by the treaty. He was received very cordially by the viceroy: but his vifit and the object of his miffion were no fooner known, than a viðlent fermentation was excited among the Neapolitans. The French agent was in danger of affaffination, but faved by the French party. An individual of this party Championet, in a confidential note to the directory, accompanying his official letter, had ftated, that a fufpenfion of arms, with a government fo perfidious, was nothing more than a ftratagem of war; that fuch articles had been inferted in the treaty as would lead the Neapolitans to break it in various ways, and thereby furnish an oftenfible ground for the re-commencement of hoftilities when he pleafed; that, at the time in which they fhould receive the news of the capitulation of Capua, he fhould be mafter of Naples, having means of revolutionizing it, from his head-quarters, at Caferta, through the correfpondence which he was about to open with the difaffected party, and who, as appeared by their conduct towards the viceroy, had not been ftrangers to this ufeful treaty. In purfuance of the defigu he had intimated to the directory, Championet found means of opening a communication with the malcontents in Naples. For that end, a committee was formed, which received, from time to time, accounts of what was paffing in the city. The emiflaries, fent from thence, carried back inftructions to the revolutionary party, who, ha ving come to a determination to cooperate with the French, for the deftruction of the old government, and having received new allurances, which led them to rely on the fide was killed. Some abetted the deed of the aflaffins, others were eager to avenge the victim. From this moment the two par ties, the royalifts and revolutionifts, were at open war. The Lazzaroni, who were in the royal interest, took poffeflion of all the arms; and, forming themfelves into bands, ran through the ftreets, invoking the names of the king, and St. Januarius. General Mack was noted as a traitor, and the remains of the army which he commanded, as jacobins, corrupted by French gold. Even the viceroy was become an object of fufpicion, and, apprehenfive of the danger that awaited him from both fides, prudently withdrew to his barge, which lay in the bay, and fet fail for Sicily. The foldiers, terrified by the numbers and the menaces of the Lazzaroni, deserted to the French ranks, and in two days the Neapolitan army was quite diforganized and annihilated. Ge [L4] neral |