N A P 
multiplicity of operations at that time undertaken by the 
French, did not permit them to exert feverity with a 
prince who w'as able confiderably to oppofe them ; and, 
about the middle of Goober 1796, a peace was concluded 
between the two powers. Naples, however, was required 
to pay the fum of eight millions, either in money or in 
naval ftores. 
Two years after this, however, the friends of the French 
republic were ordered to quit the Neapolitan territories. 
Nelfon’s viftory at Aboukir, in 1798, had raifed the fpirits 
of all the opponents of France, and had caufed luch a 
coalition againft the republic as was far more to be dread¬ 
ed than thole Ihe had already contended with. The king 
of Naples not only admitted rear-admiral Nelfon and his 
victorious fleet into his ports, in exprefs contravention to 
the third article of the late treaty, but alfo conferred 
honours and rewards on the hero of the Nile, fuch as 
never had been granted to a foreigner. His majefty alfo 
entered into frelh engagements with the courts of Vienna 
and London; from the former of which he expeCted a 
reinforcement of 16,000 troops, and from the latter, not 
only the protection of a naval force, but alfo a fubfidy. 
In the mean time, having obliged the convents and the 
clergy to furnilh him with money, he had recourfe to 
new levies, and foon obtained a numerous, rather than a 
formidable, army. But, as his own dominions could not 
fupply him with a commander, he applied to the emperor, 
and obtained the afliftance of general Mack; notwithstand¬ 
ing this, he determined to place himfelf at the head of 
his troops, and inftead of waiting for, march in quelt of, 
the enemy. 
The immediate objeCt of his ambition appeared to be 
magnanimous; for Ferdinand IV. who had hitherto re¬ 
clined on the lap of pleafure, was fuddenly fmitten with 
a paflion for military glory, and meditated the lplendid 
projeCt of relieving the people of Rome from the rapacity 
and injuftice of the invaders, avenging the caufe of the 
dethroned pontiff, and forcing the hitherto-viCtorious 
French to repafs the Alps as in former times, leaving the 
deftiny of Italy to be regulated by her own princes. His 
majefty accordingly publifhed a manifefto, dated at San 
Germano, Nov. 22, 1798, in which, after Hating to his 
fubjeCts “ that he was about to fet out at the head of the 
brave defenders of their country, full of confidence in 
the Lord of Hofts,” he intimated that he had left “ his 
dear and well-beloved confort regent during his abfence 5” 
and concluded with obferving, “ that it is better to die 
glorioufly for God and our country, than to live fliame- 
fully oppreffed.” The Neapolitan troops, accompanied 
by the king, accordingly marched next day ; and the 
epoch muft be allowed to have been peculiarly aufpicious, 
as Bonaparte and his veteran armies were no longer to be 
contended with, and the march of the Ruffians towards 
the frontiers of Germany occupied all the attention of 
the directory. 
On the approach of the Neapolitan army, confifting of 
60,000 combatants, general Championnet, being confcious 
that he could not defend Rome, placed a ftrong garrifon 
in the caftle, and immediately retired. He was followed 
by the confuls, the fenators, and the tribunes, of the 
new republic ; and they were, in turn, fucceeded by the 
king of the Two Sicilies, who took up his refidence at 
the palace of Farnefe. It was in this metropolis his ma¬ 
jefty learned the joyful intelligence that the French had 
been forced to evacuate Leghorn 5 and he now appeared 
fo confcious of the liability of his recent conqueft, that he 
invited the pope to return from Tufcany, and take pof- 
feflion of his capital; but his holinefs, although far better 
calculated for a cloifter than a palace, forefaw that the 
triumph of this monarch, who had not been able to fub- 
due the fortrefs of St. Angelo, would be but of fhort du¬ 
ration, and wifely determined not to expofe himfelf to 
new mortifications. 
No fooner had the French general colleCled a fmall 
body of forces, than he determined to advance againft 
Vol. XVI. No, 1J34. 
L E S. ML 
the Neapolitans, without regarding the fuperiority of 
their numbers. Nor was he miftaken in his opinion of 
the enemy ; for they were overcome in fucceffion by ge¬ 
neral Rufca at Porto Fermo, and by Kellermann at Mon- 
terofi. On this, general Mack concentrated all his forces 
in an entrenched camp, where he waited the approach of 
the republicans ; he was, however, unable to withftand 
the impetuofity of their attack, for his works were ilormed 
by general Macdonald, and his army fo completely routed, 
that no lefs than 11,000 prifoners were taken by the vic¬ 
tors, and nearly the whole park of artillery. 
This decilive adlion (Dec. 15, 1798.) produced the im¬ 
mediate evacuation of Rome, and Ferdinand IV. after 
endeavouring in vain to rally his broken and difpirited 
cohorts, was forced to fly in diforder along the banks of 
the Garigliano and the Volturna, happy to be able to re¬ 
gain his own dominions with the fcanty remainder of that 
numerous army which he had fo recently commanded. 
Shattered and difpirited, he retreated with precipitation 
to Naples. The king, with part of the troops, repaired 
to his capital: the general, with the remainder, under¬ 
took the defence of Capua; w'hence he fent a letter to 
Championnet, the French commander, propofing an ar- 
millice, “ on account of the feverity of the weather and 
the badnefs of the roads.” The Frenchman returned for 
anfwer, that, “ as his army had overcome the difficulties 
of both the way and the weather with their ufual pa¬ 
tience, he fliould not halt until he had made his entry into 
Naples.” 
Thus, in the courfe of a few weeks, that very prince, 
who w'as fo lately proclaimed a viftorin the capitol, and, 
although confidered as a vaflal of the Holy See, had ge- 
neroufly offered to reftore the popedom, w>as conftrained 
on the laft day of the year to abdicate all his continental 
dominions, and, taking refuge with his court 011-board 
an Englifh man-of-war, feek for protection in Sicily. 
While the king, on-board of a Britifh flag-lhip, com¬ 
manded by the gallant admiral fo lately viftorious at 
Aboukir, was fleering towards Palermo, to take refuge 
in the palace ufually allotted for the refidence of his vice¬ 
roys, the French were advancing with hafty marches to¬ 
wards the metropolis. 
But, although this prince had abandoned his fubjefls, 
a large portion of them were not only holtile to the re¬ 
publicans, but attacked and cut off" their convoys, feized 
on their baggage, and maflacred all the ftragglers. How¬ 
ever, the invaders ftill continued to advance in three co¬ 
lumns, under the generals Duhefme, Le Roy, and Mac¬ 
donald ; until Championnet, the commander-in-chief, 
having at length concentrated his forces, threatened to 
carry Capua, the laft refuge of the Neapolitan army, by 
affault. The foldiers, difeontented at being governed by 
a foreigner, and forfaken by the royal family, already 
murmured aloud ; and, notwithftanding the infurrection 
by this time appeared general, it w'as deemed prudent to 
negociate with the viftors. Accordingly, prince Pigna- 
telli, who had been appointed viceroy, fent a deputation 
to the head-quarters of the French, offering to furrender 
the city of Capua on condition that an armiftice fhould 
immediately take place. But, notw'ithftanding Champi¬ 
onnet was at this moment in want of provifions and am¬ 
munition, he infifted that the capital fliould alfo be deli¬ 
vered up as a pledge of the peaceable intentions of the 
Neapolitans. It was deemed prudent, however, to relax 
from fome of thefe pretenfions ; and a provifional treaty 
w'as at length concluded, in confequence of which he ob¬ 
tained pofleflion of Capua, one of the principal bulwarks 
of the kingdom. It W'as at the fame time flipulated, Jan. 7, 
1799, that the ports of the Two Sicilies fliould be declared 
neutral; that the fliips appertaining to the nations at war 
with France fliould be obliged to depart immediately ; 
that ten millions of livres fliould be advanced towards 
defraying the expenfes of the war ; and that the prefent 
agreement fhould be fubmitted to the approbation of their 
refpe&ive governments. 
Whea 
