‘the continent. 
1822.] 
capital. Being endowed by nature 
with great penetration of mind, and a 
bold character, he early became ambi- 
tious of fame, and zealously embraced 
the principles of political liberty, which 
may be said to haye been for many 
years the creed of the youth all over 
One day at dinner, 
and in presence of his uncle, young 
Pisa having happened to mention with 
seditious admiration, the deeds of 
Brutus, Cassius, and such like classic 
rebels, Vanni caused him to be appre- 
hended the following night by an officer 
of the state-inquisition, shut up in a 
coach, and removed to Rome, where 
he was to remain confined. But soon 
after young Pisa returned to his native 
country with the French army. Sub- 
sequently he enrolled himself in a na- 
tional regiment, ané served the repub- 
lic of the seven months ; and, under the 
command of the gallant chiefs Matera 
and Schipani, he often encountered, 
with more bravery than success, the 
numerous counter-revolutionary bands 
led by General Cardinal Ruffo. Being 
made prisoncr at Portici en the bloody 
fall of that republic, on the 13th of June, 
1799, a personage, then of some in- 
terest with the royalist party, interfered 
in favour of the nephew of Vanni, and 
saved him from the scaffold—the com- 
mon fate incurred or braved by all 
Neapolitans who chivalrously over- 
value the character of their own coun- 
try. After some months of imprison- 
ment young Pisa was banished to 
France. ‘There he served in the 
French armies as a simple volunteer ; 
till, by his gallantry alone, he made 
himself way to a lieutenancy in the 
dragoons of the Italic kingdom. We 
will scarcely mention his military 
achievements, which, though honoura- 
ble, must give place to his civic actions. 
Pisa served in all the campaigns made 
by the Italian dragoons. When the 
French occupied for a second time the 
kingdom of Naples under Joseph 
Bonaparte, February 1806, and orga- 
nized anew Neapolitan army, Pisa was 
called back from Upper Italy, and pre- 
ferred to the rank of captain of horse. 
In this capacity he went over to Spain 
with the Neapolitan troops, which 
served as auxiliaries to the French ar- 
mies in Arragon, Catalonia, and Valen- 
tia. Having there much distinguished 
himself by many hazardous deeds, 
and received several wounds, he was 
rewarded with the order of the Two 
Sicilies, Aflerwards he joined the 
4 : 
Account of Vincent Pisa. 
327 
grande armée in — with his regi- 
ment the 2d horse-chasseurs, and 
fought. at the battle of Iutzen, was 
wounded again at thatef Dresden, and 
graced with the order of degion d’hon- 
neur. Afterwards» his regiment. be- 
haved so brilliantly at the battle of 
Leipzig, as torecommend itself to the 
notice and eulogy of Bonaparte him- 
self. Pisa obtained then the post of 
major of horse. In the short campaign 
of the Austro-Neapolitans against the 
Viceroy Eugenius in 1814, Pisa well 
supported his military reputation, 
though now for the first time he felt 
reluctant to take the field against ene- 
mies by whose side he had heretofore 
fought in friendship, and with whom 
he had been trained to arms. Even 
better did he support it a few months 
afterwards in the rash attempt of King 
Murat in favour of Italian inde- 
pendence. 
At last the French empire and King 
Murat yielded to fortune, which they 
had so often abused. Now had va- 
nished the phantom of military glory 
that had so long seduced the armies 
both in France and-Italy from the pub- 
lic cause; and, all that remained for 
sO many aspiring characters, was, 
either to seek real fame through politi- 
cal liberty, or to serve as instruments 
to an obscure despotism. These, and 
Iess noble considerations, produced 
strong discontent in the Neapolitan 
troops soon atfier the restoration, 
and with them Carbonari priuciples 
began to creep in. Thus the enemy 
seized the very palladium of despot- 
ism! The greater part of the army 
haying been formed by the French, 
they knew how much they were mis- 
trusted by the prince, and that they 
were suflered to exist only through 
policy. Veteran officers found them- 
selves neglected, while inexperienced 
young neblemen, or impotent old mili- 
tary returned from Sicily, were placed 
over their heads; this was an invidious 
partiality, for which half of the army 
loudly complained against the other. 
At the restoration, indeed, it was 
decreed, that the new army should 
consist of sixty thousand men, and be 
organized on equal principles. But 
Italian forces were, and ever will be, 
suspected by the Austrians, who derive 
their main strength in Italy from her 
weakness alone. This military appa- 
ratus, therefore, displeased her. new 
masters. The penury of the finance, 
added to the foreign jealousy, and the 
malversation 
