1 Rhine and in Italy. Notwithstanding the treaty of Campo Formio, the continued encroachments of French ambition provoked a war, in which it was almoft certain that the houfe of Austria muft fooner or later be involved. The courage, with which the king of Naples, after the naval victory of Aboukir, ventured to attack the French, on the Roman territories, was confidered, by many politicians, as a fpur to the emperor to depart from that myfterious inaction in which he had remained, after many provocations, on the one hand, and encouragements, on the other, to rejoin his former allies in an appeal to arms. By others it has been affirmed, that the Neapolitan court, as well as that of Vienna, with military preparations and precautions mingled political negociation. It was fecretly agreed on, they faid, and understood, between the prevailing party in the directory and thofe courts, that, after fuch a fhew of resistance, as might prevent murmurings or worfe effects, on the part of the French nation, the ecclefiaftical ftates fhould be given up to the arbitriment of the court of Naples. The terms, on rals, who were not admitted into the fecret. Championet, after the repulfe of the Neapolitan troops, encamped at Santo Germano, the fpot from whence his Sicilian majefty, but a few weeks before, had iffued his proclamations of deliverance from the French yoke to the, Romans. The king and general Mack, as mentioned in our last volume, had haftened back, with their defeated and diminished forces, from the Roman territories into those of Naples. The king, with part of the troops, repaired to his capital: the general, with the remainder, joined the garrifon, and undertook the defence of Capua; from whence, on the thirty-first of December, 1798, he fent a letter to Championet, propofing an armiftice, limited or unlimited, on account of the feverity of the weather and the badnefs of the roads. The French general returned for anfwer, that, as his army had overcome the difficulties of both the way and the weather, with their ufual patience, he fhould not halt until he had made his entry into Naples. Championet, in purfuance of his plan, moved his head-quarters from Santo Germano to Teano. which this ceffion was to be obtained, were the fame with The left wing of the French arthofe on which a majority of the my, under Duhefme, in the midst individuals, compofing the direc- of repeated attacks, both by the tory, offered peace to the Ame- Neapolitan troops and large bodies. ricans, the Portugueze, and other of infurgents, marching along the nations and it was determined, coaft of the Adriatic, through a according to this account of mat- country interfected with rivers, proters, by the directory, to facrifice ceeded towards Pefcara. A mafs the fmall army, under Champio- of infurgents, to the number of fix het, to their private interefts. If thoufand, had taken poffeffion of Tethefe reports be well-founded; ano, in the rear of the French army, the felfith views of the direc- and there maflacred every perfon betors were counteracted and dif- longing to the French. Duhefme, appointed by the French gene- ftill continuing his march, fent back [L2] detachments detachments to reduce the infurgents. litans, routed in a clofe encounter Taking advantage of the impreffion with the French, found protection that had been made on the Neapo- in their retreat from the artillery of litans, by the repeated checks given that city. The French, who had to their attacks, and particularly by purfued them to the very walls, a victory over them near the river were forced to retire with very conVomano, he appeared before Pe- fiderable lofs to Cajazzo, where fcara without artillery or ammu- Macdonald, having left a referve at nition, and by threats of a general Calvi, in the Terra di Lavora, fack on the one hand, and pro- took up his pofition. This pofition, mifes of protection and favour on in the face of an army yet numethe other, induced the garrifon to rous, covered by a river, protected open the gates of that important by a ftrong place, mafters of the fortrefs, which was the key of the left fide, and all the fords of the Adriatic, and the poffeffion of Volturno, with the means of drawwhich was equally fubfervient to ing confiderable re-inforcements the progrefs of the left wing of the from the capital behind: this pofiarmy towards Naples, as that of tion of Macdonald, in fuch circumGæta, on the Mediterranean, al- ftances, was daring and dangerous. ready in the poffeffion of the French, It was, however, the refult of cirunder general Roy, was to the ad- cumftances of which the generals vance of the right. The centre of in chief had not probably the comthe army, under general Lemoine, mand. His own plan was to have having croffed the Appenines in one waited at Cajanello, to concenof their most difficult paffes, con- trate his armies, by the divifions of tinually expofed to the maffacres of the left and centre, and not to have the infurgent peafantry, wherever advanced into a country, every they could meet with little refift- where in infurrection, until he had ance, forced the poft of Popili, a force.fitted to face the dangers to where the centre of the Neapolitan which he would be expofed. The army was itrongly entrenched, and precautions intended by Champiothereby prevented the junction of the net were juftified by the event. On centre of the French army with its his return to the head-quarters at left. While the centre divifion Teano, from Venafro, whither he formed its communication with the had gone to concert the operations right by Venafro, general Roy, of the fiege of Capua with Leleaving a garrifon at Gæta, march- moine, he found difpatches from ed on towards Capua with the re- general Roy, informing him, that mainder of his column, and took a prodigious number of infurgents his pofition along the Volturno, a had affembled at Sofia, threatening river falling into the gulf of Gæta, to cut down the bridges at Garigwhich covered Capua, towards the liano, and even menacing the camp. fea. General Macdonald, who Strong detachments were fent commanded the main body of the against them, in order to re-estaright wing, had fallen down from blifh the communication between Calvi, and was marching onward, the left wing of the army and the in order to reconnoitre the ground centre. The infurgents not, only around Capua. A body of Neapo- oppofed the paffage of the French troops, troops, but beat them, after they had been reinforced, in fucceffive engagements, and at length forced them to retreat. Other bodies of infurgents, during thefe conflicts with the French troops, took poffeffion of the bridges on the Garig liano, which they cut down, feized the park of reserve belonging to the army, burnt the ammunition wag gons, plundered the baggage, and made themselves mafters of all the pofitions that had been occupied by the French. While thefe tranfactions paffed in the rear of the French army, commiffioners from the viceroy of Naples prefented themfelves at the head-quarters before general Championet, offering to furrender the city of Capua, and to draw a military line, on which the oppofite armies fhould wait the orders of their refpective governments. Championet, though aftonifhed that fuch propofitions fhould be made to him in the prefent diftreffed state of the French army, refused to enter into any difcuffion of them, on other terms, than the furrender of Naples. The fame propofitions were repeated the next day, and met with the fame refufal. But Championet, on returning from this conferrence to head-quarters, at Teano, found that the troops appointed to furround it had fallen back, and that the town was evacuated. The infurgents, having gained the heights, were preparing for an attack. Thefe bands were difperfed: but, on the fame evening, Championet received intelligence that the infurrection was general, that every part of the kingdom was in arms, and that the infurgents were commanded by experienced officers. Lemoine, whofe head quarters had been attacked, had croffed the Volturno. No farther intelligence could be obtained of the left wing under Duhefme. It was believed at the time, that he had been furrounded by infurgents. The gathering ftorm of general infurrection gained on the rear of the French army more and more. The standard of revolt was raised in Santo Germano, and the whole of the adjacent country. Championet's baggage and equipage were pillaged. One of his aids-de-camps, it has been afferted, was burnt alive. Another was taken prifoner. At Tendi and Ihi, there was an indifcriminate maffacre of French, travellers, and all that were found in thofe places. The French troops, thus furrounded, were left without provifions. Their number was confiderably diminifhed, by the numerous detach ments fent out against the rebels. The burning of the park of artillery and ammunition-waggons, left each foldier only a fingle round of car-, tridges. The communication with Rome was cut off. A junction with the left wing was become impoffible. The Neapolitans were making dif pofitions for a general attack. And a landing was expected, about this time, to take place, at the mouth of the Garigliano, of troops, that had embarked at Leghorn, and which were to fall on the rear of the French, while general Mack made an attack in front. In this extremity of fortune, Championet had called in all his pofts, refolved to conquer or perish, when a trumpet prefented itself, the third time, at the advanced pofts of the French army, announcing the arrival of the former deputation with more ex. [L3] tenfive tenfive powers. An armiftice was immediately concluded between Championet, and, on the part of Naples, the prince of Milliano. The principal conditions of this were, the furrender of Capua, with all its ftores and artillery; the poffeffion, by the French army, of the country as far as Acerra, before Naples; Benevento, and a tract from thence to the Adriatic, to ferve as a line of demarcation; the evacuation of the Neapolitan ports, by the fhips of hoftile powers; and the payment of ten millions of livres. This treaty was to be ratified by the respective governments of the contracting parties: and, in cafe of its rejection by either government, no hoftilities were to take place till after three days notice. The armiftice was concluded and figned, on the twenty-firft day, of January, 1799. The Neapolitans evacuated Capua on the next, and proceeded to Naples. They were, on the twenty-third, fucceeded by a French garrifon. The reft of the French army encamped withput the city. Championet, difembarraffed from a formidable oppofition in front, cleared the country of infurgents in his rear. The French directory, quickly informed, and before the arrival of any official dispatches, of the armiftice between Championet, and the government of Naples, was fo highly diffatisfied with it, that a letter, by their orders, and in their name, was written to Championet, in the moft fevere and infulting terms.* But when Championet had explained the reafons of his conduct, and which were altogether `irrefragable, that letter was tracted. re By the time that the armiftice was concluded, the king of the two Sicilies, with the royal family, had been for fome days, after a tempeftuous voyage, fafely landed in Palermo. It was not without much reluctance that the king quitted the feat of his government. Artifices were used by the party who urged his retreat, in order to bend him to fubmiffion; fuch as pretended confpiracies and popular infurrections. At length, having created the prince Pignatelli viceroy, he embarked on board the Britifh fhips, commanded by lord Nelfon, during the night of the firft of Jannary, with his court, accompanied by the British, Auftrian, and Ruffian ambaffadors. For the tranquillity of the city, a civic guard was formed: the officers of which were taken equally from the claffes of the nobles and private citizens. Large fums of money, as well as arms, were diftributed among the Lazzoroni, for the purpose of retaining and encouraging their wonted loyalty. At Caferta, which Championeţ had now made his head-quarters, he received intelligence of the left wing of the army, which had been embarraffed, on all hands, by infurgents, as had been suspected, in the provinces of the Arbruzzo. Duhefme, after the reduction of Pefcara, extended his line to Ortoną * According to what has already been briefly ftated, it was the wish of the ruling faction of the directory to facrifice Championet and his army to a fecret treaty with the King of Naples On this point we have not learnt any thing that can be confidered as certain. It appears, that an animofity had been conceived by the directory against Championet on other accounts than his ignorant counter-action of their fecret defigns, if fuch really exifted, in favour of the courts of Vienna and Naples. and A and Lanciano, and then directed lity and generofity of the French his march towards Popoli. After army, began to declare their intenvarious dangers and efcapes, he reached Sulmona and Venafro, and finally joined Championet, at his head-quarters at Caferta. Macdonald, who, from fome difguft, had given up his commiffion, was replaced by the general Dufrefne. Championet, in a confidential note to the directory, accompanying his official letter, had ftated, that a fufpenfion of arms, with a government fo perfidious, was nothing more than a ftratagem of war; that fuch articles had been inferted in the treaty as would lead the Neapolitans to break it in various ways, and thereby furnish an oftenfible ground for the re-commencement of hoftilities when he pleased; that, at the time in which they fhould receive the news of the capitulation of Capua, he fhould be mafter of Naples, having means of revolutionizing it, from his head-quarters, at Caferta, through the correfpondence which he was about to open with the difaffected party, and who, as appeared by their conduct towards the viceroy, had not been strangers to this ufeful treaty. In pursuance of the defign he had intimated to the directory, Championet found means of opening a communication with the malcontents in Naples. For that end, a committee was formed, which received, from time to time, accounts of what was paffing in the city. The emiffaries, fent from thence, carried back inftructions to the revolutionary party, who, having come to a determination to cooperate with the French, for the deftruction of the old government, and having received new affurances, which led them to rely on the fide tions more openly. General Le- From this moment the two par- neral |