The mayor

necessity of immediate action. and the influential deputies pointed out the hopelessness of coming to any possible arrangement with men who believed in their superiority, and who had dictated such terms; but the king still thought he could gain his end without resorting to force, and he allowed a company of Chasseurs to go without arms to remove the barricades of St. Ferdinand; they were received by threatening demonstrations, and the insurgents, levelling their muskets, the unarmed Chasseurs thought it prudent to retire. About eleven o'clock, a shot was fired from the vicinity of St. Ferdinand, which led to a general engagement between the opposing forces.

"It has long been, and for ever will remain a subject of dispute, which party fired the first shot. The insurgents declare the challenge came from the troops, whilst on the other hand it is maintained that the soldiers were carelessly sitting down on their haversacks, and most certainly were not drawn up in order of battle; this is confirmed, as far as probability can give confirmation, by the confusion in which they were thrown before they could be brought to form a line; they then began the

offensive, whilst the troops in the Largo de Castello commenced also to fire.

"The king was much moved on seeing this general engagement; he had short time for his reflections, for some of his ministers entered, and requested him to order that a retreat should be beat. His majesty had the good sense to refuse, for an acquiescence would have been fatal to his throne; and on the king declining to give any such order, Signor Scialoia, forgetting all respect for his sovereign, said, "That he was sorry to see his king a tyrant.' The Count del Balzo, husband of the queen-mother, was a spectator and a witness to this disreputable insult.

By sunset the battle was over-the troops had conquered the insurrection was suppressed. The Count Creptowich, the Russian minister; Lord Napier, the charge-d'affaires from England; the Duc de Rivers, minister from Spain; and almost all the corps diplomatique paid their respects to the king, and complimented him upon his victory. The three above-named ministers were consulted by his majesty as to the line of conduct to be pursued. Lord Napier recommended the king to open the Chambers in person; reserving the

right of inquiry, and punishing those who were guilty in reference to the day's events. The two others counselled the annulling of the elections, and the convocation of the electoral colleges. The king resolved to adopt the latter, and issued a decree, declaratory of his intention to maintain the Constitution-but annulling the elections; placing the city of Naples in a state of siege, and commanding the dissolution of the National Guard of the capital.

CHAPTER XVI.

NAPLES THE KING'S VICTORY.

"THE revolution suppressed in Naples-and for the first time since it broke out-raised its head immediately afterwards in Cilento, and in Calabria; a division of Sicilians, under the orders of the celebrated Ribotti, crossed over to Calabria, a provisional government was formed, and a regular camp created at Spazzano Albanese. The rebels seized La Mongiana, one of the magazines of military stores, and kept it for some weeks, during which time they held in check the troops of the king under the command of General Busacca.

"It was at this time that a man appeared, destined to occupy the highest situation, and to stem the tide of revolution-a man, with

out exception, the most enlightened and able of Neapolitan generals-the Prince Filangiere. This nobleman was recalled from his retirement at Sora, and being unwell, was lodged in the royal palace, and ordered to direct the operations in Calabria. General Nunziante and General Sauza were sent at the head of two divisions, from the troops which had been dispatched to Lombardy under the orders of the celebrated Guglielmo Pepe-and which troops were recalled the day after the conflict at Naples. Every artifice was resorted to in order to prevent the return of these troops; to sharpen their enthusiasm, a small division was ordered to pass the Po; the orders sent from Naples were kept secret-and in contradiction, the avant garde composed of a battery of artillery, a battalion of chasseurs, and one volunteer corps, crossed the river-the remainder of the column became so unruly, that an officer, who commanded a brigade, Lalialle, blew his brains out. Pepe, in conformity with his usual custom, having gained over some of the officers, directed his steps towards Venice, taking with him the military caisse. It has been remarked that Pepe was very addicted to this translation of

VOL. II.

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