neral Mack, abandoned to the capricious fury of the Lazzaroni, demanded an afylum from Championet but his danger became fo imminent, that he arrived at Caferta on the heels of the officer whom he had fent to afk for protection.

Championet received Mack with kindness, and gave him a passport and efcort to accompany him to Milan. Here, however, he was arrested, by order of the directory, as a prifoner of war: an act to which Championet was not in anywife acceffary, and which he reprobated with great indignation.

The Lazzaroni, exasperated at the efcape of their prey, collected themselves into a body, and rushed, like madmen, on the French advanced pofts, at Ponte Rotto, routed the advanced guards, and penetrated even to the line. Numbers of the ragged multitude were killed, and difperfed. The reft returned to their ftations. Previoufly to this attack, they had made themfelves mafters of Caftel-Nuovo, and of the fort of Camina, and had proclaimed, that they were going to exterminate the French, and their partizans, the jacobins. Under pretence of fearching for thofe difaffected perfons, they had begun to break open the houfes of the inhabitants, and to commit various depredations. Naples was about to be given up to every kind of horror, when the young prince of Molliterno, of a family which had confiderable weight with the people, mingling with the Lazzaroni, perfuaded them to choose him for their general. The prince, in concert with the reigning authorities of the city, had begun to re-cftablish order, and to enter into negociation with the French general, when the Lazza

roni, informed of his defigns, revolted against their chief, and renewed their pillage. Thofe whom they confidered, or pretended to confider as jacobins, were the objects of their fury, as their property was of their rapacity. Among the victims of their capricious fury, was Zurlo, comptroller of finances; the duke Della Torre, with his brother, Clement Filomarino, whom they maflacred and burnt: though neither of these noblemen had ever been fignalized for what was called patriotifm; and that the duke was diftinguished only by his love of the arts, and by multiplied acts of beneficence. There was a celebrated clock and watchmaker, one Villoliani, who was much about the duke. This man, who was a great patriot, was of course obnoxious to the Lazzaroni, who, not finding him at home, went in fearch of him to the duke's palace. Mifling their intended victim, they wreaked their fury on his patrons.

The only means that remained to Molliterno and his friends for faving the city, were, to feize on the forts, and to call the French to their affiflance. They gained poffeffion of the caftle of St. Elmo; intelligence of which was the fignal to Championet to commence an attack, on which he had already refolved, and in which he was juftified by the rupture, on the part of the Lazzaroni, of the armiftice. The divifion under general Dufretne, lately the right commanded by Macdonald, encamped on two lines before Averfa. guard was posted at Melito, and within gun-fhot of Naples.

The van

The divifion of Duhefme marched from Acerra, and, after difperfing an enormous mals of armed pea

fants,

fants, encamped on two lines to the left of Naples.

Thefe lines were ftrengthened by a brigade from Benevento. This brigade was attacked by a band of five or fix thousand peafants; who, unacquainted with the ftratagems of war, fell into an ambufcade, near the Caudine Forks, (the fpot where the Romans were made to pafs under the yoke of the Samnites,) and the greater part of them deftroyed. Such detachments were made from the different pofts in the country around Naples, as could be fpared, for a time, from the important fervice of quelling infurrections, and crushing bands of infurgents.

On the day following, the twenty third of January, 1799, these two divifions, which were charged with the attack of Naples, drew nearer to the town and gained the heights. Two battalions, in order to establish a correspondence of fignals with Fort St. Elmo, took poffeffion of Capo-di-monte. The first grand divifion placed their centre between Capò-di-Chino, and Poggio-Reale. The ground to the left of the city was occupied by the left divifion, and joined to the right by a brigade under general Rufca. The artillery, under general Eble, was fo difpofed as to give it the command of the city. Every thing was ready for the affault. Naples was on the point of being given up to all the horrors of a ftorm, and the impatient foldier waiting for the fignal of attack.

Championet ftill hefitated. He was anxious to prevent fo great and unneceffary a waste of life, and addreffed a proclamation to that effect, by the chief of a fquadron, to the magiftrates of the city. But Na

ples had now no magistrates. Such of the inhabitants as had not taken up arms, had fhut themselves up in their houfes, or concealed themfelves from the fury of the Lazzaroni, who, to the number of fisty thoufand, had fworn to defend themfelves to the laft. The meffenger of Championet was received by a voliey of mufketry. A ball broke the pommel of his faddle ; and, on his attempting to make them understand the general's propofition, another volley forced him

to retreat.

Championet, imagining that the exhibition of his forces would have induced the Lazzaroni to come to fome compromife, had determined to defer the attack to next day. But the Lazzaroni, during the night, made feveral fallies, and kept up fo terrible a fire, that the general lost all hopes of gaining them by any. other means than thofe of force. Orders were given for the two battalions on Capo-di-Monte, to march in the filence of the night, to join the patriots in St. Elmo, from whom information had just been received that they waited the fignal of the French to open their fire on the city; to announce their arrival by the junction of their columns with thofe of the patriots: when the citadel was to open a general dif charge of all its artillery; and on which, general Eble, allo, was to open all his batteries. The whole army, invefting the city, were to rush forward, and bear down every thing that oppofed them. Columns, armed with torches, were to carry fire and defolation wherever they fhould be able to penetrate.

The Lazzaroni, drawn up in columus, fuftained, or rather anticipated the attack with astonishing ad

drefs

dress and courage. When 'repulfed, they returned again to the charge, and feveral times repulfed the French in their turn. At length they were forced to yield fome ground, of which they difputed every foot, with part of their artillery. The French became the mafters of feveral streets. The Lazzaroni were harraffed and preffed, but not vanquished. Night overtook the combatants, but the fire was ftill continued. The French troops, overcome with fatigue, divided themselves into two equal portions. The one kept up the fight, whilft the other lay down to rest amidst corpfes and ruins. At the dawn of the day the fury of the combatants redoubled, and final victory was yet uncertain. Championet, in order to bring the ftruggle to an iffue, gave orders to force the paffages to Caftel-Nuovo, and the forts Del Cannina, with the bayonet, and to penetrate into, and turn the quarter of the Lazzaroni. A divifion was ordered to march into the heart of the city, and take poffeffion of the palace and another to form a junction with the garrifon of St. Elmo, who had already gained certain quarters of Naples.

From the exhausted state of both parties, a momentary ceffation took place from mutual flaughter. In this interval, Championet fpoke to fome of the inhabitants who had crept forth from their, houfes, and gave them affurances of protection. He profefled profound refpect for St. Januarius, to whom he put up fervent ejaculatory prayers for the prefervation of human lives, and restoration of tranquillity to the unhappy city of Naples. The report of the general's refpect for St. Januarius was carried into the ranks of

the Lazzaroni. The cry of Vivent les Français, vive la republique, began to be heard. A guard of honour was ftationed at the church of the tutelary apoftle. The confign was, Refpect for Januarius: The general paid his homage at the fhrine of the faint twice. His converfion flew throughout the city like lightning. Numbers of the Lazzaroni crowded round him as he rode on horseback through the ftreets or fquares, and kiffed his boots. The avenues, to the church of St. Januarius, were filled with Lazzaroni and other inhabitants of Naples. One of the chiefs of the Lazzaroni, placing himself at the head of the French, harrangued his terrible foldiers, ordering them to ceafe their fire and ground their arms. He was heard' refpectfully and obeyed. A fhout of general joy fucceeded to the voice of mourning and the fhrieks of defpair. The war was ended, and peace reftored. Thus it was the fortune of the French, in this campaign, to make allies of their enemies on the field of battle. A part of the regular troops had gone over to them with general Mack, before their entrance into Naples.

The Lazzaroni, who had hitherto been the moft ftrenuous defenders of the royal caufe, were now as loud in their vociferations for the new fyftem, and began to evince the fincerity of their converfion, by the ardour of their zeal, by proceeding to pillage the royal palace, and the houfes of thofe who had been attached to the court. This demonftration of true profelytifm was immediately repreffed by Championet; who, having taken pofleffion of all the forts, and encamped his army on the heights around Naples, appointed Dufrefne com

mander

>

The army of Rome, on the day after the cellation of hoftilities, was proclaimed the army of Naples. The general announced his order to the assembled troops, amidst the fhouts of the populace and the thunder of all the artillery. On the fame day there was an eruption of Mount Vefuvius, which had been tranquil for five years paft. This phenomenon, which had hitherto been regarded as an indication of the anger of their favourite faint, in the present temper of the Neapolitans, was conftructed into a favourable omen. The blood of the faint flowing at the fame time, at the earneft interceffion of the cardinal, archbishop, and the other clergy, confirmed by another miracle this fudden revolution in Naples.

In confequence of these two coincident prodigies, Te Deum was fung in the cathedral: at which folemnity the French general and his principal officers affifted. "The French," faid the Neapolitans, "have come to regenerate, and to establish the profperity and happiness of this city, under the

particular guidance and protection of divine providence. St. Januarius, our protector, has given his fanction to their proceedings. His blood began to liquify on the even ing of the day on which the republican troops entered the city." On the fame day, January twentyfourth, 1799, Championet held out to the Neapolitans the objects which he chose to avow for his invafion, and the reafon of the new denomination, which had been given to the French army in the following proclamation. Neapolitans,

you are at length free: your li herty is the only reward which France claims from its conqueft; and the only claufe of the treaty of peace, which the army of the republic has juft folemnly fworn, together with yourselves, within the walls of your capital, and on the ruins of the throne of your laft king.

"Woe be to him who fhall re fufe to fign with us this honourable compact, in which the whole of the advantage is on the fide of the conquered, and which leave nothing to the conqueror but the glory of having confolidated your happinefs: fuch an one fhall be treate ed as a public enemy, against whom

we remain in arms.