124

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

and accuracy, that portion which preceded my arrival in jthe country.

Ferdinand continued to reside on board the ship ofAdmiral Nelson , where holding council with the latter, .with Acton and the Queen, and further stimulated by his ’own innate ferocity and erroneous feelings, he came to the jnotable conclusion, that having “ re-conquered ” his king- jdom it was fitting that he should abolish all preceding !compacts between king and people. \

Five principal decrees were published —first, the capitu-lation was declared null and void. Every person who had jaccepted of any civil or military office, during his absencewas declared guilty of high-treason and condemned to death.The same guilt and punishment was declared against allwho assisted at or even witnessed the erection of the “ Treeof Liberty” in Naples, the demolition of the royal armsover the palace gate, or of the royal or English flags, iAll persons who had written anything in favour of therepublic and in disparagement of the royal legitimateauthority, or of their sacred persons. In fine, every person,who had displayed any feelings or disposition in favour ofthe republic and against the monarchy.

The second decree established a junta of state composedof Cardinal Ruffo, Guidobaldi, Bishop Lodovici, and a tdozen other fellow monsters, of whom the only one who, I jbelieve is yet alive, was Antonio la Rosa. The third lawabsolved the ruffians and lazzaroni who had sacked theroyal palace, and committed innumerable acts of pillageand devastation throughout the city. Fourth, the sevenmost wealthy convents of Naples and the environs, weresuppressed and their property seized by the king. Thesemonks, however, were very far from having taken any partin favour of liberty and reform, but their riches constitutedtheir crime. By the fifth and last decree of that execrable