1OO!. | 
chanting climate in the world, were, as it 
was natural to expeét, a continual fcene of 
diffipations and pleafures, which repre- 
fented to the imagination of the Neapoli-_ 
tans the happy condition of the heroic and 
fabulous ages, and gave of courfe an Inex- 
haufted theme to mufic and poefy. 
His majefty was now (in 1770) 20 years 
of age, and at that early period difcover- 
ed the charaéter which has been conftantly 
preferved through every part of his life : 
a ftrong conftitution, found health, reft- 
lefs activity, fondnefs for hunting, fifhing, 
and all forts of athletic games as well as 
for military exercifes ; quicknefs alfo of 
conception, humorous turn of mind, un- 
common docility ; fenfe of piety, a love of 
juftice, zeal for public profperity, refpect 
for iearning and learned men, affociated 
with humanity, mildnefs, and affability 
beyond defeription. His firft military 
eftablifhment, at that time,-was the famous 
body of noble young men, called 7’ Batia- 
glione,fo much noticed in the Life of Prince 
Pignatelli. Next toit was the othernot lefs 
famous regiment of Liparox. ‘This was 
compofed of an inferior order of people, 
not, however, without fome tinéture of 
liberal education ; it confifted of young 
men of both kingdoms, between 20 and 30, 
none of whom were under fix feet. The 
king himfelf was colonel of thefe two fa« 
vourite regiments. ‘The immorality, how- 
ever, of the former, foon induced his ma- 
jefty to direct the honour of his attention 
exclufively to the latter. The Liparon 
became his faithful attendants to his coun-~ 
try feats and hunting matches, and the fole 
military body whom he commanded in per- 
fon, when they performed their military 
“evolutions in the extenfive {quare of the 
royal palace. 
The chief paffion of his majefty, at 
this period, was the embellifhment of the 
royal palace in Caferta, already reckoned 
the moft magnificent in Europe, when we 
have excepted Verfailles’s, and fuperior 
even to this with refpeét to unity and ele- 
gance of architeéiure. 
works actually accomplifhed were the 
chapel and the theatre: the former is one 
of the beft buildings of the kind; the 
latter much refembles in its plan of build- 
ing and tafie the Roman theatre in the 
age of Auguftus. 
This paffion extended alfo to the celebrated 
eftablifhment of S.ZLeucio in the neighbour- 
hood of Caferta, intended as a houfe of edu- 
_cation for poor country girls. There they 
were to be taught reading, writing, and all 
branches of female education: afterwards, 
_thofe among them who chofe to marry, 
MONTHLY MAG, No, 71, 
Lemairs of the Frefent King of thé £200 O20tlteS. 
The two chief 
241 
were allowed a fuitable dowry ; and fuch 
as preferred celibacy, were appointed 
governeffes either in the fame fchoo! or 
in other colleges of the fame kind. His 
majeity was to fond of this eftablifhment, 
that he very often honoured the houfe with 
his vifits, and aflifed occafionally at the 
marriage-ceremony of the girls. He 
framed and inftituted a code of laws or. 
rather infiructions for the government of 
the houfe; which, being afterwards pub- 
lifhed, were not only diftineuifhed by per- 
{picuity of ftyle, but enlarged the wifdom of 
good legiflation. — 
It is eafy to judge, from what we have 
juft ftated, that the reion of Ferdinand the 
TVth. would have been one of the happieft 
ever recorded in the hiftory of his king- 
doms, had he been the only artificer of his 
fortune. We had, however, remarked 
before, that he has been liable to many con- 
fiderable inconveniences, without the 
leaft culpability on his part. In the year 
1773, 4 rebellion of the mott ferious nature 
broke out in Palermo, which feemed to en- 
danger the crown of Sicily. ‘The viceroy, 
Marquis Fogliani, was ignominioufly 
turned away by the inhabitants, the other 
royal authorities were likewife fufpended, 
and the whole people provided with arms 
and artillery. The government was 
alarmed leaft the fpirit of infurrection fhould 
{pread over the ifland, and renew the tra-~ 
gical fcene of the famous Vefpers,or others 
fo congenial to the warm heads of the 
Sicilians. WVaft numbers of troops were 
fent from Naples under the command of 
General Carafa, with little or no profpect 
of fuccefs, and it was an uncommon feli- 
city of circumftance that the fuperior abi- 
lies of this very gallant officer overcame 
all difficulties and made the Palermitans re- 
turn to their duty. 
In the year 1775, his Catholic Majefty, | 
Charles the IIId. had refolved to deftroy 
Algiers, as one of the greateit nuifances to 
the Spanifh commerce. Ferdinand, accor- 
dingly, fent to his auguft father a contin- 
gent of troops, nearly of four regiments. 
It is in every man’s recolle€tion wherefore 
the expedition was unfuccefsful, and it is 
known how the Spanifh and Neapolitan 
troops were, foon after their landing, 
drawn into an ambuicade and deftroyed by 
the grape-fhot of a numerous artillery. 
His Sicilian Majefty was extremely fenfible 
of this misfortune ; and he only confoled 
himfelf with the idea, that his troops had. 
not been fo harrafled as the Spaniards. 
Yet, this very event ought to have given 
to both Mcnarchs the completett proof 
of the French felifhnels and perfidiouicefs. 
Ti Under 
