£8 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 18l6. 



united to the power of Rome, has 

 been in a short time entirely de- 

 stroyed by the flames. There was 

 last night a general concert, of 

 which the representation was to 

 follow in a few days. The work- 

 men employed in the illuminatioi\ 

 having ])repared in a magazine 

 the lamps necessary for the spec- 

 tacle of this day, had left there a 

 lamp lighted, by which the grand 

 saloon was in general illuminated : 

 the windows were open, and the 

 wind blew strong from the north- 

 east : hence it happened that a 

 spark carried by the current of 

 air fell into a prodigious cpjantity 

 of combustible matter. In an 

 instant the whole saloon was in 

 combustion : tlie beams from 

 which the lamps of the stage 

 were susjjended, serving as con- 

 ductors to the flame, had already 

 conveyed it to the roof, v.hence 

 from the smoke which burst out 

 in a torrent from every part, the 

 danger of those was discovered 

 who were present at tiie concert. 

 The utmost consternation was 

 created : every one took to flight ; 

 but all were not yet safe w hen 

 the flames reached tlie ample 

 architrave of that vast theatre. 

 Vesuvius, in its gjandest erup- 

 tions, never presented a more 

 terrible spectacle ; and, in spite 

 of tlie S])]endour of the moon, the 

 flames diffused themselves in the 

 most lively mannei' over the whole 

 horizon, as is tlie case in the most 

 splendid Anroia lioiealis. The 

 roof fell : the royal palace, the 

 neighbouring edifices, and the 

 pia/.zas, ^^ere in i moment covei- 

 ed with liuruiiig ashes. So gieat 

 a calamity was the work of a few 

 minutes. Had the progress been 

 a little slower, the theatre aiigtit 



have been saved, such was the 

 enthusiasm, the anxiety, the in- 

 telligence, the activity, with which 

 people flocked from all parts for 

 the preservation of that edifice, 

 and of the contiguous palace of 

 the king. But if the national love 

 could not be gratified by the pre- 

 servation of the first theatre of 

 the world, that loyalty which is so 

 lively in the heart of every Nea- 

 politan received a grateful recom- 

 pense in stopping the course of 

 the flames, and putting the king's 

 jialacc in security. The troops of 

 Ids Imperial INIajesty of Austria 

 have acquired a fresh title to the 

 gratitude of the Neapolitans. Ge- 

 neral Nugent has covered himself 

 with glory, and all the other Aus- 

 trian generals, officers, and sol- 

 diers, have shared in the zeal of 

 their chief. The troops of his 

 Neapolitan Majesty also have 

 given the strongest pi;oofs of cou- 

 rage, of devotion to the King, 

 and of patriotism. In the midst 

 of the danger, his Majesty and the 

 ministers attended to aff'ord their 

 assistance in extinguishing the 

 conflagi-atioH ; and his royal high- 

 ness Prince de Leopold was ia the 

 midst of tlie flames, giving the 

 most brilliant example of courage. 

 At four in the morning all was 

 Siife, and the ruins glowing in tlie 

 centre of tlie theatre presented a 

 lively image of the crater of a 

 volcano during the explosion. 



lt». In the contemplation of .-ui 

 important muiriage, the following 

 pedigree of the Hou-e of Saxony 

 was ]jublished : 



Alberthw Br.onji, Catholic. 

 Frederick .A-Ugustus, King of 

 Sax<»ny. 



Erncatine Brancli, Luiheran. 

 Saxe-A\'eimar Eisenach-^Duke. 



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