94

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

with indignation, disgust, and melancholy, after a fewmonths he died.

Such was the early life of Ferdinand Bourbon, king ofNaples , who was never known to read a book, or even amanuscript of any description. Not even a romance couldtempt him. And as for writing—so arduous and unreason-able did he think the task of having to sign the decrees andacts of government, that he positively refused to sign any more“ for want of time,” and all royal visa’s were suspendeduntil a stamp was made, with which he could affix his nameat a stroke, after it had been inked by an attendant.

I cannot well speak of Naples in 1804, without intro-ducing my reader to several very important precedents,which are intimately connected with the diplomatic andmilitary history of England.

I have given a sketch of the reforms of Tanucci, and ofthe character of king Ferdinand, who put a stop to them.The new ideas concerning social improvement and politicalliberty, which rapidly sprung up and flourished, with com-parative harmony in France , until the intriguing leaguesof despots, and the bad faith of Louis, stirred up the angrypassions of the people, and gave power to bold bad men,spread far and wide amongst all the well-thinking and well-meaning men of surrounding nations. The spectacle of apeople coerced for ages by a strong and well-organised des-potism— “ well-organised,” I mean for all evil to thepeople; a despotism supported by an army of priests—anarmy of “nobles”—and an army of mercenary soldiers,being suddenly overthrown and scattered to the winds bythe force of public opinion , electrified all generous minds.The youth of Italy joined to every man of intellect, savethe sharers in the public spoilsadvocates, physicians, pro-fessors at the universities, architects, painters, and othermembers of the liberal professions, all joined in glee, and