96

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

The sanguinary queen, hoping to find some documentsalimentary to her love of vengeance and of cruelty amongstthe papers of Mackau, the French ambassador, induced, bymeans of a powerful bribe, a man, named Luigi Custode, afrequent visitor at the embassy, to steal the ambassador’spapers. The thief was, however, discovered, and his beingput upon his trial could not be avoided, but good care wastaken that he should be acquitted by the corrupt judges ofthose “ good old timesso instead of condign punishment,he was amply rewarded by his worthy employers. Nopaper whatever was found that had any relation to plots ortreasons; but there was a diplomatic memorandum in thehand of the ambassador, containing the heads of the manyinfringements by the Neapolitan government of their stipu-lated and pretended neutrality. Still further irritated bythis disclosure, the weak and savage despots proceeded toincrease the number of their victims. A list alone of themen of station, learning, virtue, and science, who wereseized, and without any specific charge, immured in loath-some dungeons, would fill a pamphlet. Society appearedupon the verge of utter subversion.

The queen resolved on going to war with France . Onthe 20th July, 1793, King Ferdinand signed a secret treatyof alliance with England, Spain, Sardinia, and the OttomanPorte, against France. The English admiral, Lord Hood,whilst cruising off Toulon, had, through the aid of emissa-ries, succeeded in bringing to a traitorous understanding thegovernor of that fortress, General Count Maudet, whobasely delivered up the place to the enemies of his countryand of her free institutions. This great act of treasonoccurred on the 24th of August, 1793, by which the English became possessed of twenty ships of the line anchored in theport; immense quantities of timber and other stores; artil-lery, arms, and ammunition to a vast amount.