CORSICA. 



251 



Corsica, sumed the title and despotic authority of kings. A 

 TTT^""^ great part of the island was held at this time by the 

 '" Genoese. To deliver themselves, therefore, from all 

 other foreign authority, that of the Pisans and the Ar- 

 ragonese, as well as from the oppression of their own 

 petty tyrants, the Corsicans, by the advice of the brave 

 Sambuccio, requested the aid of this people, and associ- 

 ciated them with themselves in the sovereignty of the 

 whole island. This sort of mixed government was, 

 however, only of a few years duration. The Corsican 

 chiefs, weary of their state of subjection to a foreign 

 yoke, assembled privately in 1380, and having chosen 

 Henry de la Rocca to head them, they took, under his 

 command, several of the Genoese garrisons. But Rocca, 

 in the midst of these triumphs, having been killed in an 

 action, the Corsicans were obliged again to submit to 

 Genoa, in the fate of which republic they for a long 

 time participated, being subject sometimes to the French, 

 sometimes to the Milanese, and sometimes to the Nea- 

 politans. In the end of the 1 5th century, they submit- 

 ted to the lords of Piombino, by whom the island was 

 sold to the bank of St George. This occasioned new 

 stipulations with the Genoese ; but these were soon dis- 

 regarded, and the persons appointed to govern in the 

 name of the bank had recourse to the most oppressive 

 measures, subduing the opposition which they encoun- 

 tered by means of fire and sword. Eighteen parishes 

 were destroyed, more than a hundred villages were 

 burnt, and the chief men of the island were treacher- 

 ously put to death. By such violent proceedings, the 

 indignation of the people was roused. The French, 

 who were at that time enemies to the Genoese, assisted 

 the Corsicans to break their chains, and a most violent 

 and unrelenting civil war was set on foot. Neither 

 party gave to the other any quarter, and such as esca- 

 ped the murderous sword, were sold as slaves to the 

 Turkish corsairs who hovered about the island. In the 

 progress of this contest, various dismal catastrophes oc- 

 curred, and many examples were exhibited of a noble 

 intrepidity, of the most persevering fortitude, and occa- 

 sionally also of the milder though not less estimable vir- 

 tues. It was the policy of the state of Genoa to govern 

 entirely through fear. Corsica was considered merely 

 as a colony destined to enrich its capital. All the ex- 

 ports of that state were directed to Genoese ports ; 

 and, in years of scarcity, the island being stripped of 

 its provisions, the Corsicans themselves were frequent- 

 ly exposed to the horrors of famine, while their merci- 

 less and unfeeling tyrants lived in abundance. 



The deliverance which they could not themselves 

 effect, the Corsicans would willingly have obtained even 

 at the expense of becoming subject to another master. 

 They offered their island to Louis XIV. at the time that 

 he was engaged in the bombardment of Genoa ; but he 

 having declined their offer, they were forced to remain 

 in submission to their oppressors. Some incidental, and 

 apparently trifling circumstances, however, excited 

 anew a spirit of determined resistance on their own part, 

 which seemed to promise a complete emancipation from 

 the power of the Genoese. The latter people were obli- 

 ged even to have recourse to the aid of Austria. But 

 not with this accession of force coidd they terrify men 

 •who had resolved to be free. The Corsicans would lis- 

 ten to no proposals, but declared themselves willing to 

 submit to every evil, rather than stop short of the ob- 

 ject at which they had aimed. Necessity, however, 

 <jot the better of their resolution, and, after the contest 

 had been continued for 4 years, they entered into an 

 agreement under the guarantee of the emperor. But 



the troubles were by this means but incompletely allay- 

 ed, and soon revived. The Corsicans openly declared 

 themselves independent, and set about making suitable 

 preparations for supporting their pretensions. At this 

 critical juncture, a seasonable aid was brought them by 

 Stephen Theodore, son of Anthony, baron de Neuhoff. 

 After various adventures in different countries of Eu- 

 rope, this nobleman had got acquainted with the Corsi- 

 can malcontents confined at Genoa, and interested him- 

 self strongly in their behalf. Having, by persevering 

 exertion, obtained an ample supply of such things as 

 were most needful for a people circumstanced as the 

 Corsicans then were, he set sail for their island, where 

 ,he was received by them as a protecting deity. With- 

 out consulting the dictates of prudence, they conducted 

 him to Corte amidst universal acclamations ; and, in a 

 general assembly of the people, he was proclaimed king 

 of Corsica and ofCapraja, under the name of Theodore I. 

 Being well supported in the moment of enthusiasm, he 

 took some fortresses of the enemy, and under pain of 

 death, should they ever again set foot in the island, de- 

 clared the Genoese banished from Corsica. The Ge- 

 noese, on their part, by a policy too often resorted to 

 by republics, set a price on the head of the new mo- 

 narch. The baron, in the mean time, assumed all the 

 appendages of royalty, coined money, established tribu- 

 nals, and used every effort to maintain, and farther to 

 extend, the ground he had gained. But while by these 

 means he prevented or stifled discontent among his own 

 subjects, he was exposed to danger from abroad. As 

 he had at first landed on the island from an English 

 vessel, the French imagining that the British govern- 

 ment had some designs on Corsica, resolved to antici- 

 pate them. In the prosecution of the measures which 

 he thought it incumbent on him to take on this occa- 

 sion, the Corsican monarch was involved in difficulties, 

 of which the conclusion was, that, having languished 

 several years in prison for debts, he at last died in ex- 

 treme indigence on the 11th of December 1755. Some 

 time before the death of this prince, an accommodation 

 had taken place between the Corsicans and the Genoese 

 under the guarantee of France. A nobleman, however* 

 named Gaffori, having communicated to his country- 

 men the hatred which he himself felt towards the op- 

 pressors, the war was renewed, and though the fate of 

 the general was to be treacherously assassinated, it was 

 not till the signal zeal which he had manifested for the 

 welfare of his country had been crowned with some de- 

 gree of success. Pascal Paoli was now recalled from 

 Naples, whither he had gone for shelter, and when but 

 29 years of age was made head of the republic, in the. 

 government of which he was to be assisted by two 

 counsellors of state, and one of the most reputable per- 

 sons from each district, who were all to be changed 

 monthly. Paoli, who had often before been opposed 

 to the Genoese, conducted himself so well both in the 

 council and the army, as to give great uneasiness to that 

 people, who, in consequence, sent a deputation to a ge- 

 neral assembly convoked at Vescovato, to offer peace. 

 The Corsicans, however, would be satisfied with no- 

 thing less than a distinct acknowledgment of tliem as 

 a free and independent nation. In support of this de- 

 termination, the general enrolled all the inhabitants ca- 

 pable of bearing arms, disciplined his troops, caused 

 money to be coined, and made his administration at 

 once feared and respected. The Genoese were driven 

 from the open country, and shut up in the maritime- 

 towns. They again, however, obtained assistance from 

 France. In 176*, the French general Marboeiif, an 



Corsica. 

 History, 



