put an end to fuch diforders as are excited by hatred, and which the right of reprifal has not been too forward to reprefs.'

This proclamation was immediately followed by an edict, entitled "A law for the provifionary government of the Neapolitan republic." The preamble to this law ftates, that the regeneration of a people cannot be effected under the influence of defpotic power: that the formation of a free conftitution for a people, whofe habits and manners had received a tincture from the prevalence of fuch a power, was a task that required the utmost affiduity, and the most profound reflection: that the general courfe of government could not be fufpended without the greatest danger to the public welfare, as well as to the private fortunes of individuals: that the reign of tyranny, in a country on which it had fo deeply impreffed, through the length of time, habits of corruption, could not be counteracted, and finally fubverted, without oppofition to very great interefts and irritating the loweft paffions; and that, of confequence, it is indifpenfably neceflary to check the projects of malevolence, and the attempts of difcontent, by a vigorous and active adminiftration, which has for its object, to provide for the happiness of the people by the enaction of wife laws, and to defeat the defigns of its enemies by conftant vigilance. The general, after this brief lecture on the difficulty of political regeneration, which, as well as religious regeneration, muft indeed be allowed to be no eafy or pleafant matter, proceeded to ordain that the Neapolitan republic fhould be provifionally reprefented by twenty-one citizens,

whom he had chofen for that end, and whofe names were mentioned. This affembly of reprefentatives was invefted with authority, legiflative and executive, until a new conftitutional government should be completely organized. But the decrees of this affembly were not to be valid as laws, without the fanction of the general-in-chief of the Army of Naples. The aflembly was not to enter on any bufinefs without a quorum of two thirds of their number; when decrees were to be paffed by a majority of fuffrages.The affembly was to be divided into fix committees, to be chosen by the affembly itfelf: the functions and limitations of each to be determined and fixed by a particular law. It evident that by fixing a quorum at two-thirds of the affembly, the general of the army, even without the exercife of his vote, could manage and direct the proceedings of the representatives as he should think proper. Thus, under a fhew of freedom, the Neapolitans were bound hand and foot and delivered, like all the other friends and allies of the French, into the hands of a military government. Contributions were levied for the fupport of the adminiftration, and the maintenance of the army. Trophies of victories were foon followed by ambaffadors from Naples to Paris, to present the vows of the new republic, and to fraternize with the French government. They were received very coolly, and even with marks of contempt; which has been accounted for, as it is the nature of every theory, true or falfe, to draw every thing into its own vortex, by the fuppofed compact above-mentioned, between the directory and the king of the Sicilies; but which may,

perhaps

perhaps be explained, without fuch a fuppofition, by what follows:In the plunder of Italy, the military commanders it was fufpected, had taken more than their juit fhare. Civil commiflaries were appointed by the directory to attend the army, and to control, or rather monopolize its robberies. Thofe civil cominiflaries were armed with a decree of the executive directory, claiming for the French nation almoft all the public, and a great portion of private property, throughout the kingdom of Naples: the royal domains, and the feudal rights of he crown; the ecclefiaftical poffeffions offered for fale by the exking; the estates belonging to orders of chivalry; public banks, mounts of piety, and lotteries; eftates of emigrants; the fortunes of ftrangers, fubjects of flates at war with France; repertories of works of art; and whatever could be confidered as prizes of war.

The whole power of fuch extenfive profcription and confifcation, with the collection of the fums arifing from thence, was vefted by the directory in their civil commiffaries, of whom Fagtoult was at the head. The very difcipline of the army fubjected to the interference of the commiffaries, and even to that of the Nafcent Neapolitan republic. In a word, the directory was jealous of the power of their generals, and envious of their fortunes.

unfettled ftate, and fo fubverfive of the difcipline of the army. The difpolal of all national, and regulations concerning the tenure of private property, he affirmed were the exclufive province of the Neapolitan legiflature. Among other ftrictures, on the fhameful conduct of the directory, he remarked, that it would not fail of exciting a general apprehenfion of the cruel dilapidations in the ftate of Venice, and other parts of Italy. In fact, fuch an apprehenfion, in confequence of the directorial placand, had been already excited, as was fully evinced by the teftimony of the French generals, and commandants of fortreffes, as well as by members of the civil adminiftration. A general fermentation cited. Confidence in the folemn promifes of the French was shaken, and the railing of a contribution for the army, that had been without any pay for five months, was retarded.

was

ex

In confideration of all thefe circumftances, which proved how abfurd the directory's decree was in principle, indecent in form, injurious and infolent in expreffion, and dangerous in its tendency. The general gave orders, that the individuals compofing the civil commiffion, namely, the commiflary, the comptroller, and the cafhier, fhould quit Naples within twentyfour hours, and the territories of the Roman and Neapolitan republics in ten days. All agents, charged by the commiffioners with the exc

to top their proceedings. They were allowed five days for removing the feals they had affixed to any property committed to their charge,

for drawing up inventories of fuch property, and configning it into the hands of commiffaries of war, or fuch other commiflaries as the commander-in-chief might appoint. The five days being expired, they were to quit the Neapolitan and Roman territories within the time allowed for their departure and jour ney, to their principals. All the functions vefted in the civil commiffion were provifionally confided to the commiflary-general, the comptroller of expenfes, and the paymafter of the army, until farther orders fhould be received from the executive directory. Confifcations of the property of ftrangers were not to be valid without the confirm ation of the commander-in-chief. All Sicilian property.--This counter-decree of Championet's was fent by a courier extraordinary to the executive directory, to the French minifters of war and finance, and to the governments of the Roman and Neapolitan republics. The directory having received the decree of their general, on the twenty-fifth of February, found that he had been guilty of difobedience to certain laws, which they quoted, and that he was in a state of open revolt against the government.

Championet was employed in quelling infurrections in the provinces, in making new perforations into the ruins of Pompeia and Herculaneum, when he received a mandate from the directory, ordering him, together with generals Roy, Duhefme, Dufrefne, Bonami, and Brouffier, to furrender themfelves prifoners of ftate, and undergo a trial for difobedience. Thefe generals, in obedience to the mandate, returned to France. But their trial was prevented, by the ftruggle which 11

foon after took place at Paris, and which terminated in the overthrow of the directory; with whofe tottering ftate, Championet had probably been well enough acquainted. The directory, indignant at rapine committed without their authority, direction, or participation, at the fame time that they iffued a decree for the arreftations of the generals, iffued another for bringing to trial, by a council of war, all those perfons whatever their rank now, or who had been in the armies of Italy and Naples, whom public fame had accufed of any fpecies of robbery or dilapidation. It was neceflary, they ftated, by a ftriking example, to prevent the return of exceffes fo reprehenfible and difgraceful, and injurious to the French republic. One Baffal, who, it feems, was a noted offender, was particularly pointed out as a flagrant object of inquiry. This decree

was ordered to be printed in French and Italian, and to be put up in all proper places throughout the Roman and Neapolitan territories.

While Championet was employed in the conqueft of Naples, general Serrurier invaded the little republic of Lucca, and immediately impofed on it a contribution of two millions of livres. The principles of republicanifm having made their way into Lucca, as well as other Italian ftates, it was divided into two factions; denominated the patriotic and the oligarchical. The patriots embraced the prefent opportunity to demand a new conftitution of government. But the government wifely determined to moderate, at least, the evils of innovotion, by taking the lead in the revolution. In compliance with the requifitions of the people, they de

creed

creed the abolition of all privileges and titles, the fovereignty of the people, the integrity and independence of the republic, the return as much as poffible to the conftitution as it ftood before the urfurpation of 1556, and the beftowing places of power and truft on thofe who could and would adminifter them cheapest. But while they readily, and with a good grace, made these important ceffions to the popular party, they thought it prudent to retain the provifionary authority. The patriots, through the organ of their deputies, reprefented to the fenate and the legiflative commiffion, that the wifh of the people was, to have a conftitution founded on a more perfect equality of right and divifion of power. The fenate refifted thofe reclamations, and fupported by the French agents, who treated the patriots as anarchifts, and disturbers of the public peace. Six other members were added to the legislative commiffion: but this measure did not occafion any alteration. Agreeably to a notification from the French general, a hundred deputies, chofen by the city and territory of Lucca, were about to open their fittings, when a conftitution ready made, and formed as nearly as circumftances would admit, on the plan of the Ligurian republic. The general, having diffolved the

were

fenate, appointed the members of a directory, and of two councils, and remitted to them the form of government, which they were to put in execution.

The directory was to confift of five perfons; and to nominate five minifters: one for foreign affairs; one for domestic; one for juftice; and one for war and the marine. The directory was alfo to choose a national treasurer. Fourteen commiffaries were alfo to be appointed by the directory for the administration of the departments, and to refide in the country. All the acts of the former government were to remain in force. And those who were to have either civil or military employments were, as far as poffible, to be continued in their places, or to receive indemnities. The contribution of two millions of livres was raifed, only, on the ex-nobles. This was a kind of counterbalance to the complaifance that had been fhewn in continuing the provifionary authority in the hands of the senate. The falaries of the public functionaries were judicioufly proportioned to the fmallness of the ftate. The directors were to receive fifty crowns a month, the minifters twenty-five, the members of the legiflature twelve, and the other agents of government in proportion.

СНАР..

WE

E come now to give fome account of the effects produced by the great events, above related, on the councils and conduct of Great Britain: the great antagónift, around whom all the powers were naturally arranged, that were yet unwilling to bend the knee, and able, with her aid, to make a ftand against the spreading tyranny of France.

On Tuesday, the twentieth of November, 1798, the king, in a Speech, from the throne, to both houfes of parliament, flated "the fignal fuccefs, which, by the bleffing of Providence, had attended his arms, been productive of the happiest confequences, and effentially promoted the glory and happinels of the country. The unexampled feries of our naval triumphs had received freth fplendour from the memorable and decifive action, in which a detachment of his fleet, under the command of rear-admiral Nelfon, had attacked and almoft totally deftroyed a fuperior force of the enemy, ftrengthened by every advantage of fituation. By this VOL. XLI.

great and brilliant victory, an enterprize of which the injuftice, perfidy, and extravagance, had fixed the attention of the world, and which was peculiarly directed against fome of the most vulnerable interefts of the British empire, had, in the firft inftance, been turned to the confufion of its authors; and the blows, thus given to the power and influence of France, had afforded an opening, which, if improved by fuitable exertions on the part of other powers, might lead to the general deliverance of Europe.

"The wifdom and magnanimity fo eminently displayed, at the prefent juncture, by the emperor of Ruffia, and the decifion and vigour of the Ottoman Porte, had fhewn that thofe powers were impreffed with a juft fenfe of the prefent crifis: and their example, joined to the difpofition manifested almost univerfally in the different countries ftruggling under the yoke of France, muft be a powerful encouragement to other ftates to adopt that vigorous line of conduct, which ex[M]

perience