HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
ples was incapable of assisting ef- 
fectually in the prosecution of the 
war, her breach of neutrality was 
sure to draw down ruin on her 
head, if France was victorious. 
lt was not long before the court 
' of Naples was made sensible of the 
full extent of its imprudence. On 
the morning after the signature of 
the peace of Presburg, Bonaparte 
issued a proclamation from his head 
guarters at Vienna, declaring ‘‘ the 
Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to 
reign,” and denouncing vengeance 
against the reigning family, in 
terms, that left no-hope of pardon 
or accommodation, Hardly had 
this threatening proclamation reach- 
ed Naples, when the allies, who 
had brought the Neapolitan govern- 
ment into these difficulties, set the 
first example of flight, and aban- 
doned to their fate the royal per- 
sonages, whom they had so inexcu- 
sably involved in ruin. A courier 
arrived at Naples, with orders 
from the emperor Alexander, for 
the Russian troops to re embark 
and return to Corfu. The retreat 
of the Russians led necessarily to 
that of the English. Had the Rus- 
sians remained, who formed the 
greater part of the allied army, 
there is a strong position on the 
road from Rome to Naples, hav- 
_img the mountains of Abruzzo on 
the right, and the Ganigliano on 
the left, which might have been 
maintained against the French.— 
But, after the departure of the Rus- 
-sians, the English were too few in 
number for so extensive a line of 
- defence, and, therefore, sir James 
Craig determined on retiring with 
his troops to Sicily, without wait. 
ing for the arrival of the encmy.— 
This resolution, which seems, in- 
* General orders, head-quarters at Messina, April 6th, 1806. 
135 
decd, the only reasonable plan left 
him to adopt, he carried into exes _ 
cution without delay, and thus ce. 
cured Sicily from the French, 
which, had he attempted, without 
success, thedefence of Naples, must 
have fallen into their hands without 
resistance. ‘This hasty retreat of 
sir James Craig seems to have ex, 
cited murmurs among hi®soldiers, 
who, with the spirit natural to Bri- 
tish troops, were indignant at the 
appearance of flying before an e- 
nemy, distant from them many 
hundred miles.* It was still less 
acceptable to the court of Naples, 
which was unwilling to abandon its 
capital, and too weak, without as- 
sistance, te attempt its defence.— 
But, the British general, disregard- 
ing the murmurs of the one, and 
remonstrances of the other, per- 
sisted in his resolution ; and being 
convinced, that Naples could not 
be defended with the forces under 
his command, he wisely determined 
not to expose his troops to the con. 
sequences of their ardor and inex- 
perience, nor to sacrifice them to 
the wild and extravagant projects 
of the court of Naples. 
In the mean time a French army, 
under the command of Joseph Bo- 
naparte, assisted by Massena, Reg- 
nier, and other generals of reputa- 
tion, was advancing towards Na- 
ples ; and on the 9th of I'ebruary 
its head-quarters were at Ferentino 
on the frontiers of that kingdom. 
From this place a proclamation was 
issued by Joseph Bonaparte, threat- 
ening the court of Naples with the 
severest vengeance for its breach of 
faith, and violation of the treaty of 
Portici, but promising to the peo- 
ple, that if they submitted to the 
French arms, their religion, laws. 
K 4 and 
