GENERAL HISTORY... [73 
CHAPTER VII. 
Proceedings of Joachim Murat, King of Naples.—His peculiar Situa- 
tion.—Suspicions against hin.—He blockades Rome.—His complaints 
against France.—Conduct on the landingthereof Buonaparte.—Arrives 
at Ancona, and attacks the Austrians at Cesena.—Proclaims the inde- 
pendence of Italy.—Advances to the Panaro, and the Austrians retire 
to the Po.—Neapolitans enter Florence, and follow the Austrians to 
Pistola.— Joachim reaches Ferrara,whence heis compelled to retreat.— 
Neapolitans fall back on all sides.— Armistice refused.—Action at To- 
lentino.— Battle of San Germano.—Flight of Neapolitans, and their 
army broken up.—English Squadron at Naples —Convention.— The 
_ City occupied by the Austrians—The Kingdom submits to. Ferdinand, 
who enters the capital—Murat’s attempts in Corsica.—Lands in 
- Calabria.—Executed by Martial Law. 
We ke nc we bring toa close 
J the narrative of the extra- 
ordinary events in France, and of 
the changes of fortune experi- 
enced by the prime mover in these 
transactions, it will be proper to 
interpose a few of the parallel 
proceedings, and the ultimate fate 
of that sovereign who owed to 
him his Crown, and had never 
ceased to participate in his coun- 
sels. 
It was observed in the history 
of the last year, that the King of 
Naples, Joachim Murat, appeared 
to beplaced ina peculiarly critical 
situation, His retention of that 
Crown was obviously an anomaly 
in the political system of restoring 
_ the former’state of things in Eu- 
rope: and although the service he 
had rendered to Austria bya pow- 
erful aid at the time it was en- 
paged in a hard contest with the 
rench arms in the north of Italy; 
had been returned by a treaty of 
friendship and alliance with the 
Austrian Emperor; yet the terms 
on which he stood with the other 
powers were far from satisfactory, 
The Bourbon Sovereigns had a 
family interest to replace the 
Crown of Naples on the head of 
the King of Sicily ; and the court 
of Great Britain, in close alliance 
with the latter, had never recog- 
nised the title of King Joachim, 
and had only agreed to a suspen- 
sion of hostilities against him, 
when his co-operation was of ad- 
vantage to the common cause. 
The British Cabinet did indeed 
consider that this was preliminary 
toa treaty with him, but: it was 
upen the condition that a com- 
pensation should elsewhere be 
found for the King of Sicily. 
Joachim. was long in anxious ex- 
pectation of the signature of such 
a treaty by the English minister ; 
and on December 29, 1814, bis 
ministers at-Vienna delivered te 
