Ill
mortals, was given to the Austrian General Mack , of sub-sequent Uhn celebrity. All the superior officers wereGerman, or else Royalist French emigrants. Despotismis necessarily fearful and suspicious; and where was theNeapolitan officer of character, family, or experience, whohad not himself been accused of liberal ideas, or had not tomourn a murdered or incarcerated relative 1
One thing must be said in justice to the Neapolitan nation; that from all the circumstances of the campaign,it is perfectly evident, that had the inhabitants been left totheir own resources and to their self-defence, without beingdependant on, and hampered with, the tumultuous armies ofMack and his fellow foreign cowardly ignorant intriguers,the forces brought against them by the French , would neverhave had the slightest chance of success ; but would havemet with sure defeat and annihilation. The open basecowardice of the king, as well as of several German chiefs,augmented the disorder.
Lord Nelson, Sir William and Lady Hamilton , accom-panied the King and Queen on their advance with the mainbody of the “ army,” and assisted at the series of exercises,sham fights, and regal festivities at the camp of Sangermano.Nelson and Lady Hamilton were always seen seated in thesame vehicle, assisting at the reviews, with an air of authori-tative inspection. Various other numerous corps, advancedtowards the Papal states by different routes, and every effortwas made in the arsenals, to put the fortresses in a stateof defence.
The French Ambassador was still at Naples, and to allhis demands of explanation regarding these warlike move-ments, equivocal replies were given. A royal manifesto,dated the 22d November, 1798, at last declared the evidentintentions and presumptuous hopes of the Pulcinella despot.
As I have before observed, I cannot undertake in such a