555 
NAPLES 
correfpondencewith thecommander-in-chiefoftheFrench- 
Italian army. The Neapolitan army did not fide with 
either party. Neither could count upon it, but neither 
had to combat it. For Auftria, this ftate of things was 
the lead detrimental. It could direct its chief force 
againft the common enemy without attending to Italy. 
“On the nth of January, 1814., the treaty between 
Naples and Auftria was at length figned ; yet the Nea¬ 
politan army remained long inactive, under the pretext 
that the ratifications were not yet exchanged. Written 
proofs which fell into the hands of the allies left no doubt 
that the king’s fecret connexions with the enemy ftiil 
continued: they ftiowed chiefly his intentions of de¬ 
ceiving the French emperor refpe&ing the acceflion of 
the king to the alliance of the powers which had already 
taken place. The victories obtained in France itfelf de¬ 
cided the part of the king. Paris was in the hands of 
the allies, and the Neapolitan army began its campaign. 
The convention of the nth of April, 1814, had ended 
the war againft Napoleon. The relations between all the 
powers were to 4 te fixed at the congrefs at Vienna. The 
branches of the houfe of Bourbon declared againft the 
recognition of king Joachim. The fituation of the latter 
was yet much changed by the return of the ancient royal 
family to the throne of France and Spain. An equitable 
policy could not but prefcribe to him to limit his future 
views folely to the retaining one of the fined kingdoms 
in the world, and wholly to renounce all conquefts; and 
the more, fince conquefts could not be made but at the 
expenfe of a neighbour, who, in a military point of view, 
was wholly inoffenfive, and, in a political point of view, 
of the higheft importance. Moderation and good faith 
are, however, words without meaning in the eyes of the 
princes of the new French dynafty. King Joachim, in- 
ftead of thinking on maintaining himfelf, formed in fi- 
lence extenfive profpefts for the future; he prepared the 
execution of them by taking advantage of all the ele¬ 
ments of a political and military revolution. None of his 
plans, none of his movements, elcaped the Auftrian ca¬ 
binet. This was not the way to bring over to his fide 
the opinion of the courts who oppofed the admillion of 
the king of Naples to a place among the fovereigns of 
Europe. 
“ As the burden of military exertions was too great for 
the kingdom to bear, the king refolved to take more de- 
cifive fteps. In the courfe of the month of February 1815, 
he exprefied his defign of fending an army to France, for 
which end he required nothing lefs than the pafiage 
through Middle and Upper Italy. Such a ftrange pro- 
pofal was rejected, with a fuitable reproof. On the 25th 
and 26th of February, his imperial majefty fent declara¬ 
tions to the French and Neapolitan governments, an¬ 
nouncing his irrevocable determinatio'n never to allow 
the tranquillity of Middle and Upper Italy to be endan¬ 
gered by the marching in or pall'age of foreign troops. 
His imperial majefty gave orders for the march of a large 
reinforcement of troops to his Italian dominions, to fup- 
port his declaration. This declaration of Auftria was 
anfwered on the part of France, with the afiurance that 
the king had no i'uch intention. King Joachim kept his 
declaration back; the time for the difcovery of.his real 
views was not yet come. 
“ On the 5th of March the news of Napoleon’s efcape 
arrived at Naples. The king immediately lent for his im¬ 
perial majefty’s ambafiador, and declared to him that he 
was and (hould remain inviolably faithful to the fyftetn 
of the alliance. He renewed the lame declaration to the 
cabinets of Auftria and England. At the fame time he 
fent his aid-de-camp, count de Beaufremont, to France, 
with the commiffion to look for Bonaparte, and to allure 
him of his lupport. Scarcely was the news of Napoleon’s 
entry into Lyons received at Naples, whenMie formally 
declared to the court of Rome, that he cov/idered the cavfe 
of JSapoleon as his oivn, and would now prove to him that it 
had never been foreign to him. He required at the fame 
time a paflage through the Roman ftates for two of his 
divifions, which, however, far from adding in a hoftile 
manner, fhould not difturb the holy father in his capital. 
The pope protefted againft this violation of his territory ; 
and, when it took place, his holinefs left Rome and re¬ 
paired to Florence. 
“ On the 8th of April the Neapolitan plenipotentiaries 
at Vienna delivered a note to the cabinet, which, with 
afl'uranees of the rnoft friendly lentiments of their matter, 
and of his unalterable with never to feparate from Auftria, 
announced that his majefty law himfelf forced, by the 
altered ftate of things, and for his own lafety, and in 
agreement with the military meafures which all the 
powers thought it neceflary to take, to give likewife to 
his military force, a greater development. This deve¬ 
lopment (hould, however, be within the line of demar¬ 
cation which was fixed for the Neapolitan army by the 
armiftice of 1813. Meantime the Neapolitan army, with¬ 
out any declaration, began, on the 30th of March, 1815, 
hoftilities againft the Auftrian polls in the Legations. 
“ His majefty the emperor and king, confiding in the 
perfect jultice of his caule, and relying on the valour of 
his army, on the tried loyalty of his people, and on his 
intimate connexions with all the powers in Europe, has 
caufed it to be fignified to the Neapolitan government, 
by an official note, dated the 10th inftant, that his im¬ 
perial majefty confiders the ftate of war between the two 
llates as begun, and leaves the further decilion to the 
force of arms.” Vienna ; April 12, 1815. 
The imperial general Bianehi retired before the Nea¬ 
politan army till he reached the Panaro, where, on April 
the 4th, he made head againft the enemy, on the road to 
Modena. The refult of the aflion was, that Bianehi 
continued his retreat to Carpi, and afterwards took a 
ftrong pofition on the Po. In the mean time, the Auftrian 
forces were collecting under marfhal Bellegarde, who, on 
the 5th of April, addrefled a proclamation to the Italians. 
In this he reminds them that Murat was a foreigner; and 
yet he afteCts a language towards the Italians which an 
Alexander Farnefe, an Andrew Dona, or the great Tri- 
niligio, could (carcely have held towards them. Had it 
not been for this enterprife of Murat, Italy might have 
remained at peace ; but he, without a declaration of war, 
for which he was unable to aflign any juft motive, againft 
the faith of his treaties with Auftria, to which alone he 
ow'es his political exillence, threatens again with his 
armies the tranquillity of this fine Italy. Elis promife 
of Italian independence is reprefented as quite in unifon 
with all the meafures of the revolution. The proclama¬ 
tion then adverts to the benefits which the north of Italy 
had received from the houfe of Auftria : hence it is, that 
in Lombardy and Tulcany “ the immortal names of Maria 
Therein, of Jofeph, and of Leopold, are Hill recoileCted 
with lentiments of admiration and gratitude.” In the 
conclulion, marlhal Bellegarde contrails the promifes of 
the French revolutionills, when they firft entered Italy, 
with what they actually did. “ Your too-ready credulity 
to the promifes of French democracy has already caufed 
your ruin: be now more prudent, becaufe, with the ex¬ 
perience of the pall, your folly will be more ferious: and 
co-operate, under all circumllances, with the docility of 
your character—with that reflection, the fruit of intelli¬ 
gence, and that attachment to your fovereign, io worthy 
of your heart, for the maintenance of order, and the de¬ 
fence of your country and of the throne.” 
The grand duke of Tulcdhy at this time quitted his 
capital, and retired to Pila; and on the 6th the Neapo¬ 
litans entered Florence, which was evacuated by the 
Auftrian general, Nugent, who retired to Piiloia, whither 
he was followed by the Neapolitan general, Pignatelli, 
who made repeated attacks on the Aullrians, in all of 
which he was repulfed with lofs; and this was the limit 
of the advance of the Neapolitans on that fide. 
Their main army, under the immediate direction of 
king Joachim, was in fcbe mean time puihing forward 
a towards 
