542 
NAP 
When this was done, it appeared that the treaty was 
difapproved by both parties: by the French directory, 
who thought the terms too lenient, and by the king of 
Naples, who thought them too hard : he loudly con¬ 
demned the conduct of the viceroy; and accordingly 
tranfmitted a letter from his palace at Palermo, where he 
was exempt from the dangers, and removed from even the 
din, of war; in which he reproached Pignatelli for hav¬ 
ing made conceflions that mull lead to the irretrievable 
lot’s of the whole kingdom. Ferdinand alfo denied that 
he had entrufted the viceroy with powers to enter into 
fuch a negociation ; and concluded by obferving, “ that 
he mult either have forgotten that he had a majier, or 
only remembered it for the purpofe of impofing the moll 
fcandalous and difgraceful terms upon him.” A procla¬ 
mation was foon after publifhed, formally dilavowing the 
late armiftice, and calling on all the inhabitants of the 
different provinces to rife in defence of their country, 
their families, their property, and their religion. They 
were told, “ that cowardice and treachery alone had 
rendered the invation formidable,” and that “ the bra¬ 
very and attachment of the people to their fovereign mud 
fpeedily render their enemies contemptible.” 
In this Situation of affairs, Championnet had recourfe 
to popular arts, and determined to divide before he at¬ 
tempted to conquer. He well knew that a great number 
of the chief inhabitants of the city of Naples, were dif- 
gufted with the monarch, and dreaded the reftoration of 
royalty, which would be a fignal for their profeription. 
Inftigated by their fears of a prince whom they had of¬ 
fended, and attached to the French, whom they con¬ 
sidered as deliverers, many of the moft dignified, opulent, 
and refpefrable, had become defirous of eftablifhing a re¬ 
public, and abolifhing the kingly office for ever; nor is 
it a little remarkable, that they recurred on this occafion 
to the doctrine of abdication, employed with fuch fuccefs 
in England pofterior to the expulfion of James II. The 
Lazzaroni, on the other hand, who had been gained by 
donations and furniflied with arms, were determined to 
defend Naples, and to expel thofe who might be hoftile to 
their opinions. They took pofieffion of all the arms, and, 
forming themfelves into bands, ran through the ftreets, 
invoking the names of the king and St. Januarius. Ge¬ 
neral Mack was noted as a traitor, and the remains of the 
army which he commanded, as jacobins, corrupted by 
French gold. Even Pignatelli the viceroy was become 
an objeft of fufpicion, and, apprehenfive of the danger 
that awaited him from both tides, prudently withdrew to 
his barge, that lay in the bay, and tet tail for Sicily. The 
foldiers, terrified by the numbers and the menaces of the 
Lazzaroni, deferted to the French ranks; and, in two 
days, the Neapolitan army was totally diforganized and 
annihilated^ General Mack even demanded an afylum 
from Championnet. 
The Lazzaroni, exafperated at the efcape of their prey, 
collefted themfelves in a body, and rulhed, like madmen, 
on the French advanced polls at Ponte Rotto; routed 
the advanced guards ; and penetrated even to the line. 
Returning to the city, they put to death all whom they 
fufpe&ed of attachment to the French. The revoluti¬ 
onary party, headed by the prince Moliterno, now leized 
the cattle of St. Elmo ; intelligence of which was the fig¬ 
nal for Championnet to make the attack. He advanced, 
every thing; was ready for an aflault, and Naples was on 
the point of being given up to all the horrors of a (term, 
when Championnet, anxious to prevent fo great and fo un- 
neceflary a watte of life, addretl'ed a proclamation to that 
effedt, by the chief of a fquadron, to the magiftrates of 
the city. But Naples had now no magiftrates. Such of 
the inhabitants as had not taken up arms, had (hut them¬ 
felves up iu their lioufes, or concealed themfelves from 
the fury of the Lazzaroni, who, to the number of fixty 
thoufand, had (worn to defend themfelves to the laft. 
The mefl’enger of Championnet was received by a volley of 
nrtutketry. A ball broke the pommel of his faddle ; and. 
L E S. 
on his attempting to make them underftand the general's 
propolition, another volley forced him to retreat. The 
French, therefore, prepared for the attack. Orders were 
given for two battalions, ftationed on Capo-di-Monte, to 
march, in the fiience of the enfuing night, to join the 
patriots in St. Elmo, when the citadel was to open a ge¬ 
neral difeharge of all its artillery upon the city; upon 
which, alfo, general Elbe was to open all his batteries. 
The whole army, invefting the city, were to ruth for¬ 
ward, and bear down every thing that oppofed them. Co¬ 
lumns, armed with torches, were to carry fire and defola- 
tion wherever they could penetrate. The Lazzaroni, 
drawn up in columns, anticipated the attack with afto- 
nithing addrefs and courage. When repulfed, they re¬ 
turned again to the charge, and feveral times repulfed 
the French in their turn. At length, they were forced 
to yield tome ground, of which they difputed every foot, 
with part of their artillery. The French became matters 
of feveral ftreets. The Lazzaroni were harrafted and 
prefled, but not vanquished. Night overtook the com¬ 
batants, but the fire was ftill continued. The French 
troops, overcome with fatigue, divided themfelves into 
two equal portions. One kept up the fight, whilft the 
other lay down to reft amidft corpfes and ruins. At the 
dawn of day, the fury of the combatants redoubled, and 
final victory was yet uncertain. 
From the exhaufted ftate of both parties, a momentary 
ceffation took place from mutual (laughter. In this in¬ 
terval, Championnet fpoke to tome of the inhabitants who 
had crept forth from their lioufes, and afi'ured them of 
protection. He profeffed profound refpedt for St. Janua¬ 
rius, to whom he put up fervent prayers for the prefer-- 
vation of human lives, and the reftoration of tranquil¬ 
lity to the unhappy city of Naples. The report of the 
general’s refpedt for St. Januarius was carried into the 
ranks of the Lazzaroni. The cry of Vivent les Francois, 
Vive (a Rcpubiique, began to be heard. A guard of ho¬ 
nour was ftationed, by the French, at the church of the 
tutelary taint. The conftgn was, “ Refpedt for St. Ja¬ 
nuarius.” The general twice paid his homage at the 
thrine of the apoftle. His converfion flew like lightning 
through the city. Numbers of the Lazzaroni crowded 
round him as he rode on horfeback through the ftreets or 
fquares, and killed his boots. The avenues to the church 
of St. Januarius were filled with Lazzaroni, and other in¬ 
habitants of Naples : one of the chiefs of the Lazzaroni, 
placing himfelf at the head of the French, harangued his 
terrible foldiers, ordering them to ceafe their fire and 
ground their arms. He was heard refpeftfully and obeyed. 
A ftiout of general joy l'ucceeded to the voice of mourn¬ 
ing and the (hrieks of del'pair. The war w'as ended, peace 
reftored, and Naples reduced under the power of the 
French. 
The 23d of January, 1799, w r as the memorable day on 
which Naples l’urrendered. The neighbouring forts were 
now immediately garrifoned by the republican conque¬ 
rors ; and the Lazzaroni, to exhibit an unequivocal proof 
of their new-born zeal fora republican government, as well 
as their abjuration of monarchical principles, proceeded 
in a body to pillage the refidence of the abfent king. 
But they were prevented by the French, who foon found 
it necefiary, for their own lecurity, to difarm this motly 
and capricious race. Nor were the clergy backward, upon 
the prefent occafion, in paying their court to the vidlors ; 
for the cardinal archbitliop not only condefcended to fo- 
lemnize the entrance of the French into'Naples, but had 
aftually rCcourfe to a pious fraud to reconcile the people 
to their new deftiny. In confequence of long and earneft 
prayers, the phial that contained a precious portion of the 
patron-faint, fo much refpefted by the inhabitants, exhi¬ 
bited undoubted marks of miraculous interpofition; an 
event immediately communicated to the credulous and 
overjoyed multitude. After this a day was appointed for 
a folemn Te Deitm, on which occafion all the faithful 
citizens were invited “ to return thanks to the M'oft High, 
