COLONY OR HAREM OF SAN LEUCIO. 169

of Naples in 1799. Guido Baldi took my deposition, and, indeference to tlie British consul, promised to bring theoffenders to condign punishment. About a week afterwardsI was desired to attend with Mr. Scott, and GuidoBaldi, at the hospital, to identify a wounded sbirro, sup-posed to be the one with whom I had had to deal. It wasthe man, and so recorded in the depositions; but as I wasnever after required to attend as witness at any trial, Isuppose the matter was hushed up for the honour of thecorps of sbirri. I heard of several robberies committed bythe sbirri on this occasion as well as on others, but therogues often met with summary chastisement on the spot, asall the Italian peasants have good guns, and store of ballcartridges, which they know well how to use.

I am not prepared to say, that when King Ferdinand firstfounded the manufacturing colony of San Leucio , he hadany eye to one of the purposes to which he afterwards appliedit. We may well imagine that such an establishment shouldbring together, as well as produce, a number of prettygirls. This was the case at San Leucio, and Ferdinand hadthere the advantage of a well-stocked harem of the sort. Icannot well enter into particulars on such a subject, onwhich I could otherwise furnish several authentic andamusing anecdotes.

Queen Caroline was not behind-hand with her spouse inconjugal irregularities ; but many of them were far too grossfor me even to allude to them. Sir John Acton owed hisrise to be “the universal minister,” with unlimited power,entirely to his 'personal influence over the Queen . Leaguedwith Castelcicala and the atrocious Vanni, such was theacrimony with which he persecuted his predecessor, Medici,that on the strength of the (comparatively) liberal opinionsof the latter, who was, moreover, a man of great ability, hecaused him to be loaded with chains, cast into a dungeon,