64 
 
 
INTERESTING FACTS, 
 
 tfc. Sfc. 
 
Sj&Z^&'tfZ 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 RELATING TO 
 
 ana 
 
 OF 
 
 JOACHIM'MUR AT, 
 
 KING OF NAPLES; 
 THE CAPITULATION OF PARIS IN 1815 ; 
 
 AND THE 
 
 SECOND RESTORATION 
 
 OF 
 
 THE BOURBONS: 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM KING JOACHIM TO THE AUTHOR, 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR, AND OF HIS PERSECUTION BY 
 THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT. 
 
 BY FRANQIg MACIRO-NE, 
 
 LATE AID-DE-CAMP TO KING JOACttlti j KNIGHT OF THE ORDER 
 OF ?HE TWO 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED FOR RIDGWAYS, PICCADILLY. 
 
 1817. 
 
'. 
 
 
 W. Flint, Printer, Old Bailey, London* 
 
INTERESTING FACTS, 
 
 fyc. fyc. 
 
 THE following pages relate to an extraordinary 
 period in the history of Europe, and contain the 
 recital of some anecdotes and circumstances, which 
 cannot fail to be interesting to those who may wish 
 to be informed of every thing connected with the 
 events of that time. 
 
 The share I *had in some of those events, ena- 
 bles me to impart to my narrative, the important 
 and valuable quality of truth ; yet I should not 
 have ventured to appear before the public as an 
 author, if it were not necessary for the vindication 
 of my character. 
 
 Among the first acts of the existing government 
 of France, was the abuse of its newly acquired 
 power by persecuting and oppressing me ; and I 
 know too well, when any government chuses to raise 
 the arm of oppression against an individual, that not 
 only the person, the property, and the character of 
 that individual are in considerable peril, but that 
 his most successful efforts, aided by innocence, are 
 
 B 
 
 321864 
 
2 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 not always sufficient to secure his escape with his 
 reputation and interests entirely unimpaired. 
 
 Whether I merited persecution from any quarter, 
 and particularly whether I merited it from the 
 government of France, the reader will be enabled 
 to judge, when he has perused the following sheets, 
 in which I have fairly exposed every act of my 
 life connected with the events which were then 
 passing. 
 
 Without this appeal to the public, I could not 
 wholly relieve myself from the effects of the per- 
 secution of which I complain. 
 
 It was generally known, the free press of this coun- 
 try, and even the slavish press of France having con- 
 tributed to make it known, thathaving been dispatched 
 as the accredited agent of the allied powers, to impart 
 to the late King Joachim of Naples, the determination 
 of those powers in regard to his future destination, on 
 my return (having executed this mission to thebest 
 of my ability) I was seized at Marseilles by an order 
 of the French government, my property and papers 
 were taken from me, and myself thrown into a 
 dungeon where I remained twenty-three days, and 
 where I was denied the common necessaries of life, 
 that I was removed from thence to Paris, and then 
 confined for upwards of a month in the prisons of 
 the Conciergerie and the Abbaye. 
 
 It is difficult to believe that I could have been 
 treated with all this severity, without having com- 
 mitted some crime by which I had rendered myself 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. S 
 
 deserving of punishment ; and yet the ingenuity of 
 my persecutors was not sufficient to enable them to 
 discover or to invent, a single charge against me for 
 which they dared to put me upon my trial ; but 
 ofter a rigid imprisonment, and much insolent and 
 cruel treatment, I was set at liberty, guiltless of 
 any offence, but with my character sullied by the 
 outrages which had been inflicted on me inflicted 
 on me by the orders of a king, not unacquainted 
 with misfortune, but who, from his indifference to 
 the sufferings of others, seems not to have learnt the 
 lesson which a wise and benevolent man would 
 have derived from calamity. 
 
 To make my innocence known co-extensively 
 with the acts of persecution of which I complain, 
 is the principal object of the following pages. A 
 candid statement of my conduct in regard to the 
 transactions which could alone have led the French 
 government to single me out as an object of its 
 vengeance, will not only prove my innocence of 
 any crime, but will, I think, satisfy every unpre- 
 judiced mind, that I had a claim to the regard and 
 consideration of the very government which sought 
 to destroy me. 
 
 A demand made by the English minister at Paris 
 for my liberation, as an Englishman, was falsely 
 answered by the French minister of police*, " that 
 " / was a native of Rome" This reply sliews that 
 no ordinary pains had been taken to investigate and 
 ascertain my origin and history, in the hope of 
 
 B 2 
 
4 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 discovering some real or pretended ground for my de- 
 tention. The answer although not true is so far near 
 the truth that Rome is the country of my remote 
 and immediate ancestors, and but for the disasters 
 which befel my family, it would probably have 
 been mine also. There is nothing in the cir- 
 cumstances of my family or myself, with respect to 
 which I would not willingly challenge investigation, 
 and although it will detain my readers for a sh6rt 
 time, from the more interesting parts of this publica- 
 tion,yetwith the view of engaging more sympathy, I 
 will take the liberty to lay before them a short history 
 of the misfortunes of my house, misfortunes, with 
 which it could not have been assailed, in a country 
 enjoying likeEngland, the protection of laws ad 
 ministered with justice, without regard to power or 
 station. 
 
 My grandfather, Francis Philip Macirone, was at 
 the head of a noble and very wealthy family of 
 Rome. It was a custom at Rome, and 1 believe 
 in many other countries, for the nobility and rich 
 persons to farm certain branches of the public 
 revenue. 
 
 My grandfather engaged in several of these spe- 
 culations with his government, and besides, ob- 
 tained a lease of the great alum-mines of La Tolfa, 
 
DELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 3 
 
 to which was attached 2700 acres of land, and for 
 which he paid to the government an annual rent of 
 64,000 crowns. 
 
 For many years of this lease, the mines were 
 wholly unproductive, and my grandfather had to 
 pay the enormous rent, without any return. Two 
 or three years before the end of the lease, some 
 valuable veins of alum-ore were discovered, but it 
 was then too late for him to derive much benefit 
 from the discovery, without a renewal of the lease. 
 
 My grandfather who was a scientific man, had 
 laid out vast sums in experiments and improvements 
 on these works, the most considerable of which 
 was, the construction, at his own expence, of a 
 magnificent paved road, of upwards of fifteen miles 
 in length, extending from La Tolfa to Civita Vecchia, 
 which road still bears the name of Via Macirone. 
 It may therefore be supposed, that the person who 
 had subjected himself to all this expense, would be 
 particularly anxious to renew his lease when the 
 term expired. Offers for a new lease were to be 
 given in to the secretary of state for the finance 
 department. My grandfather delivered in his ten- 
 der, by which he proposed to pay an additional rent 
 of several thousand crowns. 
 
 Monsignore Banchieri, who was then treasurer 
 of Rome, was related to our family, but for some 
 unaccountable reason, he determined to favour the 
 views of the Marquis Lepri, who was likewise our 
 relation, and a secret candidate for the occupa- 
 
6 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 tion of these mines. This minister y and the Mar- 
 quis Lepri, corruptly concerted the means of in- 
 suring the acceptance of the proposals of the latter. 
 
 The tenders were to be delivered sealed into the 
 office of the treasurer, previously to their being 
 submitted to the inspection of the committee of 
 ministers called the Camera or Chamber. Mon- 
 signore Banchieri, whose administration was one 
 scene of injustice, violence, and oppression, through 
 the medium of his private secretary, who ultimately 
 bore testimony against him, procured a seal to be en- 
 gravedsimilar to my grandfather's. He then privately 
 broke open his letter of tender, and thereby becom- 
 ing acquainted with his proposal, inserted a some- 
 what higher offer in the tender of the Marquis Lepri, 
 for which purpose a blank space had been left in it. 
 By this fraud the minister gained his point Lepri's 
 offer was accepted, and my grandfather's conse- 
 quently rejected. 
 
 The offer made by my grandfather so considerably 
 exceeded the rent payable by the preceding lease, 
 that this circumstance, together with some others, 
 excited a suspicion, that unfair means had been 
 employed to influence the result. This suspicion 
 acquired double weight from the well known cha- 
 racter of the minister Banchieri, whose name at 
 Rome, is synonymous with every thing base> de- 
 ceitful, and malignant. 
 
 It appears that at the expiration of the lease here 
 spoken of, the Papal Government, aggregately 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 7 
 
 termed La Camera, was indebted to my grand- 
 father in very considerable sums, independent of 
 the amount he had expended in the construction of 
 the Via Macirone, which that government had 
 agreed to repay him. 
 
 The government influenced by Banchiere, proved 
 false to its engagements, and a law-suit was com- 
 menced by my grandfather, for the purpose of en- 
 forcing them ; in which the fact of his letter having 
 been privately opened, was proved in all its circum- 
 stances. The minister's private secretary, who had 
 been employed on the occasion, confessed his 
 crime ; the engraver who had made the imitation of 
 my grandfather's seal, and the original seal itself, 
 were both discovered ; and my grandfather ob- 
 tained a decree of the supreme tribunal of Rome. 
 (La Rota) that ample reparation should be made 
 him ; that he should be put in possession of the 
 alum-mines, and that the Camera should defray the/ 
 enormous costs which had been incurred. But the 
 Papal Government interposed its authority to pre- 
 vent the execution of this decree, and to renew and 
 protract the suit, but, after several years of. perse- 
 vering exertion, the same tribunal issued a second 
 decree to the same effect in our favour. 
 
 In England, where the laws are so wisely and 
 impartially administered, it will scarcely be believed 
 that a government would dare to interpose its au- 
 thority, to stop the course of justice, and to 
 deprive an individual of his rights ; particularly 
 
g INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 after those rights had been solemnly investigated and 
 confirmed by two successive determinations of a 
 court of competent jurisdiction : but so it was in 
 this case ; and the execution of the second decree was 
 evaded as the first had been. . The payments were 
 delayed, arid it became necessary to have recourse 
 to other proceedings. From the experience of the 
 past, no solid hope could be entertained, that even 
 a third favourable decree would be productive .of 
 any beneficial ^consequence. The effort was how- 
 ever made ; and after the lapse of fifteen years of 
 renewed and , increased exertion, the former decrees 
 were confirmed, and another sterile victory was the 
 result. Upon any less cogent authority than the 
 documents relating to this subject, I should have 
 difficulty in stating, that this third decision was dis- 
 regarded by the unjust government of Pope Pius 
 the Sixth. 
 
 The former immense losses which my grandfa- 
 ther had sustained, and the enormous expence of 
 this tedious suit, had compelled him to sell, or in- 
 cumber, nearly the whole of his property, in, and 
 near Rome, as well as an estate which had belonged 
 to him, near Ponte Corvo on the river Garigliano, 
 in the kingdom of Naples. & He persisted, how- 
 
 * This place, which is one of the most fertile and pictu 
 resque spots in the world, is to be found in the good maps of 
 Italy under the name of Villa Macirone. A short time ago 
 the estate belonged to the national domains of Naples^ and 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 
 
 ever, in his claim for several years longer, till at 
 length overcome by the weight of his misfortunes 
 he died from disgust and chagrin. 
 
 Four sons and two daughters were left to share 
 the remnant of his property. The daughters had 
 already abandoned the world, and retired to the con- 
 ventof St. Cecilia, where they arestill secluded. The 
 sons sought different fortunes, two of them entered 
 the French army, of whom one perished in the 
 American war. My father, who was the eldest, had 
 obtained through the patronage of the Marquis Ta- 
 nucci, then prime minister at Naples, the post of 
 Neapolitan consul-general at Marseilles. On the 
 resignation of the Marquis Tanucci, my father lost 
 his situation. It was then that he entered the French 
 army, in which he served several years. During the 
 period of ;peace which preceded the French revolu- 
 tion, he travelled over the greater part of Europe 
 and some part of Asia. He at length settled in 
 England, where he married an English lady, and has 
 since devoted himself entirely to commercial 
 pursuits. 
 
 Thus by the strong hand of despotism was a 
 family overthrown which for centuries had enjoyed 
 an uninterrupted series of prosperity and honour, 
 Of our former possessions all that now remains to 
 us at Rome is a splendid sepulchre in the church 
 
 of St. Louis ; and our cause, which continues in the 
 
 
 
 had King Joachim preserved his kingdom, I should have been 
 (according to his promise)' put in possession of it, 
 
10 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 state in which it was left by my grandfather, the 
 reiterated decrees in our favour being unrevoked. I 
 have in my possession all the papers and documents 
 respecting it, and should fortune ever put it in my 
 power I shall resume the claim with a confident hope 
 of success, founded on the reformed mode in which 
 the functions of government are now exercised, and 
 justice is administered in that country. 
 
 One only of my grandfather's sons remained at 
 Rome, where he held the respectable situation of 
 director-general of the posts, and was much esteemed. 
 At his repeated solicitations my father determined 
 to send me, his eldest son, to Italy; and in the 
 year 1803 at the age of fifteen, I left England for the 
 first time, to visit the land of my Italian ancestors. 
 
 About six months after my arrival one of the 
 fevers so prevalent in Rome attacked my uncle's 
 family, and nine members of it, including my uncle 
 and aunt, were its victims. My aunt was at that 
 time only twenty-five years of age, and was justly 
 celebrated as one of the most beautifuFand amiable 
 women in Italy. 
 
 I remained in Rome ten months after this deso- 
 lating catastrophe, when at the desire of my father, 
 who wished me to acquire a knowledge of commer- 
 cial affairs, I repaired to Naples,^ and lived for some 
 
 * I shall ever remember with pleasure the delightful pedes- 
 trian journey I made from Rome to Naples, through the Ap- 
 penines with Mr. R. Sinirke, who now ranks so high in his pro- 
 fession as an architect. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. II 
 
 time as the guest of a friend of his, an eminent mer- 
 chant in that city. In the year 1809 some personal 
 difference having arisen between us, I left his house 
 and discontinued my commercial education, and 
 from that period, disengaged from any particular 
 pursuit, I lived either alone or with an English 
 friend. 
 
 Soon after the occupation of Naples by the French, 
 in 1805, I was preparing to return to England, and 
 had actually obtained my passport, when in conse- 
 quence of the noted decree of Berlin, I was consti- 
 tuted a prisoner of war, and detained as such in that 
 country nearly seven years. In the year 1812 I 
 obtained an order for my exchange with a French 
 officer named Daure, who was a prisoner in England ; 
 and I should have immediately proceeded to my 
 native country, but I was much reduced by a typhus 
 fever I had caught in the marshes about Minternum ; 
 and my departure was besides delayed by my being 
 compelled to wait for a remittance from England, 
 the letter which contained it having been detained 
 (from what cause I know not) eleven months on it& 
 way to Naples. 
 
 About this time Lord William Bentinck landed 
 at Naples, and concluded the well known arrange- 
 ment with King Joachim, who from that mo- 
 ment became a party in the coalition against 
 France. During my long captivity, I had become 
 intimate with most of the principal persons of the 
 Neapolitan court, many of whom had known my 
 
2 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 family and connections at Rome, and I was gene-- 
 rally favoured with their particular regard. 
 
 It will not appear surprising that under these 
 circumstances I should be induced to enter the 
 Neapolitan service. I had no particular avocation 
 no fortune to depend upon for my future exis- 
 tence, while a brilliant career was thus opened to 
 me in the service of an ally of Great Britain. 
 Through the recommendation of my friends, and 
 from some previous knowledge which the king had 
 of me, he was pleased to place me near his person, 
 in quality of aide-de-camp. 1 served him with 
 zeal and disinterestedness".* His cause and that of 
 my country were then the same. I received from 
 him such marks of kindness as he thought I de- 
 served for doing my duty, which however never con- 
 sisted in the exercise of any functions incompatible 
 with my feelings as an Englishman, and my alle- 
 giance to the sovereign of my own country. 
 
 Here I may be permitted to make a few observa- 
 tions on the character of the sovereign in whose 
 service 1 engaged, in vindication of my own conduct 
 as well as that of numerous Englishmen of high rank 
 and character, whose courteous and liberal recep- 
 tion at the Neapolitan court, has by the prejudiced 
 and uninformed been made the subject of calum- 
 niating reflection, instead of being considered, as in 
 truth it was, an honourable distinction conferred 
 upon them by a valiant and generous prince by one 
 who was highly attached to the British name and 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 13 
 
 character by one too, whose ruin was aided if not 
 ultimately consummated, by his implicit confidence 
 in British faith and honour. King Joachim was emi- 
 nently gifted with that nobleness and generosity of 
 character which Englishmen so well know how to 
 appreciate. The treatment the English prisoners 
 received from the government was highly indulgent, 
 even to the extent of being allowed the singular pri- 
 vilege of visiting, upon their parole, Rome, Florence, 
 and every part of Italy. Whenever it was neces- 
 sary to defend a national privilege, and the dignity 
 of his crown, or to display the benevolence of his 
 heart, he did not hesitate to offer resistance to the 
 government of France, all powerful as that govern- 
 ment then was, and abundant as were his reasons 
 for endeavouring to keep the favour of the ruler of 
 that country. Instances of such resistance several 
 times occurred in behalf of the English prisoners in 
 Naples, when the French government demanded 
 that they should be sent to the depots in France. 
 
 In the 14th article of a treaty formed in the be- 
 ginning of 1814, between Austria, Russia, England, 
 and Prussia, it was stipulated that this treaty should 
 not be an obstacle to any engagement that the high 
 contracting powers might have made with other 
 states, nor hinder them from forming other treaties 
 in the view of obtaining the result which that treaty 
 contemplated, namely, the success of the war against 
 Napoleon. It was thought that nothing would 
 more effectually conduce to this end than de- 
 
14 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 priving Napoleon of his only remaining ally, the 
 King of Naples an ally, who evidently then held 
 the fate of Italy in his hands. With this view 
 Austria dispatched Count Neiperg to Naples, and 
 on the llth January, 1814, a treaty of alliance, 
 offensive and defensive, was signed between Austria 
 and Naples, with the sanction of the allies ; and it is 
 a notorious fact, that in the conferences at Chatillon, 
 the French plenipotentiaries having presented divers 
 propositions concerning Italy, they were answered 
 by the ministers of the four great powers " That 
 " Italy then formed no part of the question, the 
 " coalition having already resolved to re-establish the 
 " ancient governments of that country, except at 
 " Naples, where the title of King Joachim had 
 " been recognised by virtue of a treaty which Aus- 
 " tria had concluded, and to which England had 
 " acceded"* 
 
 When King Joachim received the proposal to 
 enter into the coalition, he declared in the most 
 precise terms to Count Neiperg, the Austrian ple- 
 nipotentiary, " That he would never carry his arms 
 " beyond the frontiers of his own kingdom, or take 
 " an active part in the war against France, until he 
 " had engaged in a previous treaty of peace and 
 " alliance with England/' 
 
 The views of the king upon this point, proved 
 perfectly conformable to those of Austria and the 
 
 * The treaty here spoken of, is that of llth January, 1814. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT, 16 
 
 other coalesced powers. A treaty between Great 
 Britain and Naples, would allow of the disposal and 
 employment against the common enemy, not only 
 of the forces of King Joachim, but also of those 
 which the English had in Sicily ; and the Austrian 
 plenipotentiary declared that England was ready to 
 accede to the proposed treaty, and that Lord Aber- 
 deen was provided with full powers for that purpose. 
 This declaration was confirmed by the exhibition 
 of a letter from the English minister, in which Lord 
 William Bentinck was enjoined to lose no time in 
 concluding a preliminary convention with the King 
 of Naples, which should put an end to hostilities 
 between the two states. 
 
 Lord William Bentinck arrived at Naples in the 
 English frigate, the Furieuse, in the beginning of 
 January, 1814, and signed a convention with the 
 Neapolitan government, which was not a mere ar- 
 mistice, but which placed affairs on a footing of 
 perfect peace. A free commercial intercourse was 
 authorized, and it declared that the ports should 
 be reciprocally open to the people of the two 
 nations. This carried with it the positive recogni- 
 tion of the Neapolitan flag : in short, the convention 
 was considered by the contracting parties, as having 
 so perfectly the force of a treaty of alliance, though 
 it might not yet have the form, that no time was 
 lost in arranging the plan of the campaign, in which 
 the Austrian, English, and Neapolitan troops should 
 
16 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 
 
 simultaneously act for the attainment of the same 
 object. 
 
 The king immediately opened the campaign, and 
 advanced with his army to Bologna, without wait- 
 ing for the ratification of the treaty with Austria. 
 On his arrival at that place, he learnt by a messen- 
 ger from Basil, that some modifications were pro- 
 posed. His surprise was at first very great, as 
 the conditions of the treaty had been previously 
 approved by the Austrian government. It turned 
 out, however, that there was nothing objectionable 
 in the proposed alterations, which had been suggested, 
 not by Austria, but by England ; and the King of 
 Naples was assured that if they were admitted, then 
 the treaty might be regarded as being in common 
 with Great Britain. These modifications did not 
 in any way alter the substance of the stipulations 
 previously agreed to, they only related to territorial 
 indemnifications which were to be granted to King 
 Joachim at the expence of the Papal See.^ 
 
 The propositions on this subject were highly 
 acceptable to the feelings of the king ; he considered 
 them as a reiterated proof of the sincerity of the 
 English government ; and he caused it to be made 
 known to Lord Castlereagh that he should rely on 
 the w r ord of an English minister with as much 
 
 * See Lord Wm. Bentinck's note addressed to the King of 
 Naples, marked (D) in the Appendix. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 17 
 
 confidence as if the treaty had been already con- 
 cluded in the most solemn form. But the English 
 government did not think it proper that the king 
 should remain without a formal guarantee on its 
 part ; and Lord William Bentinck having arrived 
 at the head-quarters of the king, declared anew, 
 that his government entirely adhered to the 
 treaty concluded on the llth January, between 
 his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, and his Ma- 
 jesty the King of Naples ; and that it assented to 
 the advantages stipulated in favour of the king, 
 under the conditions insisted upon by Austria, of 
 an active and immediate co-operation of the Nea- 
 politan army with the allied forces. 
 
 This declaration, which perfectly agreed with aJl 
 that had been before said by Lord Castlereagh, was 
 confirmed by several dispatches from that minister, 
 which were communicated to the king, and particu- 
 larly by a letter in which Lord Castlereagh de- 
 clared,^ " that it was only from motives of deli- 
 " cacy towards the King of Sicily, that the Eng- 
 " lish government was induced to delay for a 
 " moment the conclusion of a particular and 
 " special treaty of alliance with the King of Na- 
 ** pies ; the British government being desirous that 
 " a treaty of indemnity to the King of Sicily , 
 " which could not yet be framed, should go hand 
 " in hand with the treaty of alliance with King 
 
 * See Appendix, note of Lord W. Bentinck, marked (D). 
 C 
 
18 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 *' Joachim." If further confirmation of this treaty 
 were wanted, it would be found in the unequivocal 
 fact of the Neapolitan and English troops having 
 fought together under King Joachim's command 
 against the common enemy. 
 
 The King of Naples had thus engaged in the war 
 against France, and the allied powers were indebted 
 to him for a support which enabled them to pursue 
 the advantages which they had already obtained. 
 Without his co-operation the invasion of France 
 would never have been attempted, fa It hough Swiss 
 deputies had offered the Pont d' Or for the passage 
 into France of Prince Schwartzenburg's army.) M 
 The declaration of Prince Schwartzenburg and of the 
 ministers and generals of Austria on this subject 
 are extant, and prove the assertion beyond the possi-. 
 bility of contradiction. 
 
 When Prince Eugene quitted the line of the 
 Adige, and fell back on the Mincio, Marshal 
 Bellegarde addressed a letter to the King of Naples, 
 in which he ascribed this movement , which caused 
 the surrender of Verona, uncovered Venice, and 
 abandoned the fortresses of Osopo, Legnago, fyc. fyc. 
 solely and entirely to the advance of the Neapo- 
 litan army This letter, which did so much honour 
 to the candour of the marshal, and so much justice 
 to the king, is a document still in existence. 
 
 If the King of Naples had been hostilely disposed 
 towards the allies, he might have discomfited the 
 whole plan of their campaign, and obliged them to 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 19 
 
 withdraw from the Rhine to defend Vienna, then 
 covered by a badly composed disposeable force of 
 only 36,000 menj& against which the King of Na- 
 ples united with Prince Eugene, might have 
 marched an army of 25,000 French, 30,000 Nea- 
 politans, and 40,000 veteran Italians. Even a 
 defensive attitude in concert with Prince Eugene, 
 would have defeated all the views of the coalition, 
 and obtained an honourable peace for Napoleon, 
 with the much desired independence of Italy. 
 
 A variety of circumstances had now combined to 
 induce the king to doubt the sincerity of the 
 allies.')' The Emperor of Austria had delayed 
 for many days the transmission of his ratification 
 of the treaty of the 1 1 th January. Ferdinand of 
 Sicily had published an order of the day^ to some 
 Sicilian troops about to land at Leghorn, in which 
 they were informed that they were going to recovet 
 his kingdom of Naples, which he had never ceded, 
 and never would cede. The English general, 
 Lord W, Bentinck, had landed with these troops, 
 under instructions to excite a revolution in ItalyQ 
 
 * There were besides about 30,000 men sick in the hospital, 
 -j- It was under the influence of this doubt, that the hesitation 
 on the part of the king occurred, which Lord Wm. Bentinck 
 complains of in his note : see Appendix (D), 
 J See Appendix (P). 
 
 See Appendix, Lord W. Bentinck's Proclamation to the 
 Italians, and his letter of instructions to Colonel Ceravignaq, 
 marked (A) and (C). 
 
 c 2 
 
20 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 and had insisted on the maintenance of a position 
 (Tuscany) which intercepted the communication 
 between the Neapolitan army and Naples ; propo- 
 sitions at the same time were made in a foreign 
 camp to Neapolitan generals and other officers for 
 the expulsion of the then reigning dynasty from 
 the throne of Naples. The doubts which these cir- 
 cumstances had excited, were removed by a declara- 
 tion of General Sir Robert Wilson, at Bologna ;* 
 that he considered the letter of Lord Castlereagh, 
 containing the promise of a formal treaty, as of 
 equal value and force with a treaty already signed, 
 And that neither the executive authority, nor the 
 parliament^ would hesitate to recognize the validity 
 of such an engagement. Indeed, it was in his opi- 
 nion, more imperative, if possible, than a regular 
 treaty, because it connected an appeal to honour 
 with an obligation on good faith. From that mo- 
 ment the king again made the most zealous efforts 
 in the common cause. 
 
 That the King of Naples was in the result an 
 enemy to France, in the degree that he assisted the 
 success of the allies is undeniable ; but it must in 
 justice be stated, that he was induced to become so 
 in consequence of Napoleon 's having expressed a 
 resolution to dethrone him and incorporate Naples 
 
 * Sir Robert Wilson, who was then British commissioner 
 at the Austrian Italian army, had been appointed by Lord 
 William Bentinck and Marshal Bellegarde, to negotiate with 
 the king, and remove the existing misunderstandings. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 21 
 
 with the kingdom of Italy. He knew that this 
 design was only suspended, not relinquished * It 
 was proposed, indeed, by Napoleon, as an indemni- 
 fication, to make the king his captain-general, or 
 constable of the empire* a post certainly of great 
 honour, but inferior to an independent sovereignty 
 of one of the finest countries of Europe, and which 
 assured royal establishments to his children, already 
 educated under that expectation, 
 
 The king, when informed of Napoleon's resolu- 
 tion, boldly avowed in his presence, that he would 
 defend his throne by force of arms ; and he ever 
 afterwards felt that there was no security for his 
 kingdom, whilst the French maintained dominion in 
 Italy. He therefore co-operated with the allies, to con- 
 fine the empire of Napoleon to the Alps, the Rhine 
 and the Pyrenees, confiding in the professed policy of 
 Napoleon s father-in-law, the Emperor of Austria^ 
 and in the strong ties by which he was bound to 
 the family of Napoleon, which alone furnished a 
 natural guarantee that the war against the power 
 of France would not be converted into a personal 
 war against his daughter, the husband of that 
 daughter, and his grandson. 
 
 The King of Naples would never have consented 
 to the dethronement of Napoleon, who had given 
 him his sister in marriage, and a sceptre ; he never 
 intended to assist in the conquest of France, his 
 native country, and still the country of the former 
 coadjutors of his fortunes. On various occasions 
 
INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 he expressed the strongest feelings on these points', 
 so that the allied powers were never deceived by 
 him as to the extent of the assistance on which they 
 might calculate, or the nature of his co-operation. 
 
 The history of the campaign of the allies against 
 the French, both in France and Italy, in 1813, and 
 1814, is so generally known, as to make it unne- 
 cessary for me to dwell upon it. It would besides 
 be deviating from my purpose ; but it is necessary, 
 in order to explain the cause which induced King 
 Joachim to attack the Austrians in the following 
 year, 1815, that I should remind my reader, that 
 in January, of that year, the congress was still as- 
 sembled at Vienna, that Prince Talleyrand, on the 
 part of King Louis, was indefatigable in his exer- 
 tions to induce the Austrian government to with- 
 draw their alliance from the King of Naples, from 
 whom the allied powers had so recently received the 
 most efficient support .& 
 
 It is impossible to divine the motives, either of 
 policy, or of good faith, by which the British mi- 
 nisters were induced to join their efforts to those of 
 France, to effect the destruction of a sovereign, 
 whose alliance and cooperation they had so lately 
 
 * The enmity of Talleyrand to King Joachim was suspected 
 to be of a personal nature, and lhat this enmity was increased 
 by the loss of his principality of Beneventum, which was 
 attached by the king to the national domains of Naples^ on the 
 king's accession to the coalition in 1814. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 23 
 
 courted and enjoyed, and whose throne they had so 
 lately guaranteed. Certain it is, that the Austrian 
 government, being warmly urged to undertake the 
 holy war of legitimacy against its ally, the King of 
 Naples, at length expressed its willingness to com- 
 ply, but alleged the exhausted state of the finances 
 of the country. This difficulty was, it is said, 
 immediately removed by the British ministers, who 
 offered to defray all the expence of the expedition > 
 and moreover to furnish a British fleet, in prefer- 
 ence to a French fleet, as proposed by Talleyrand 
 in his famous note, which fleet should act in 
 concert with, and assist the movements of the 
 Austrian forces* 
 
 That this proposal was formally acceded to by 
 Austria, I have had no satisfactory proof ; it is suffi- 
 cient to know that the King of Naples was fully 
 acquainted with this negociation, but not at that 
 time of the part which Great Britain took in it. This 
 knowledge led him to demand permission to pass 
 eighty thousand men through Italy to attack France, 
 and finally to adopt the measures which proved so 
 fatal to him. It would have been happy for him if he 
 had listened to the earnestly reiterated advice of his 
 ministers both at Vienna and in England, who per- 
 sisted in recommending him to remain in a defen- 
 sive, though menacing attitude within his own 
 frontiers ; a line of policy in which the queen, who 
 is possessed of the most brilliant talents, and of 
 the deepest penetration, entirely concurred* 
 
24 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 The same persons who were anxious to promote 
 the war of Austria against King Joachim had re- 
 course to various modes of exciting him to strike 
 the first blow. I have myself read the dispatches 
 to which he alludes in his letter to me^, wherein 
 those pretended friends assure him that the Aus- 
 trians were making every preparation to attack him, 
 and advising him by all means to be before-hand 
 with them, especially as he might be fully assured 
 of the neutrality of England, whose interest it never 
 could be to allow Austria the entire dominion in 
 Italy. 
 
 These persuasions induced the king to attack the 
 Austrians, at the very moment, as it afterwards 
 turned out, that the apprehensions of his union 
 with Napoleon, who had just returned to France 
 from Elba, had determined the British cabinet to 
 attend to the invocations of justice in his favour. 
 Lord Castlereagh had written to the Duke of Wel- 
 lington, who was at that time the plenipotentiary 
 of the British court at Vienna, and informed him 
 that in consequence of the re-appearance of Napo- 
 leon at the head of the French nation, the British 
 ministers had thought it advisable to unite all the 
 force they could collect, and had consequently 
 come to a determination immediately to conclude 
 a treaty of alliance with the King of Naples. The 
 duke was moreover enjoined to communicate this 
 determination to the other powers assembled in 
 
 * See Appendix (G). 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 25 
 
 congress, in which they were to be invited by him 
 to join. 
 
 Unfortunately the King of Naples could not 
 foresee this unexpected change in his favour, and in 
 an unlucky hour he made the attack on the Aus- 
 trians, and drove them from position to position as 
 far as the banks of the Po. In vain had the Aus- 
 trian army attempted with a superior force to 
 defend the passage of the Panaro, they were over- 
 thrown by the Neapolitans in a sanguinary con- 
 flict and driven beyond Reggio. The advanced 
 guard of the centre of the Neapolitan army was 
 already at Reggio, that of the right at Redina and 
 Occhiobello ; the left, commanded by General Pig- 
 natelli Strongoli, occupied Florence and extended 
 its advanced posts as far as Pistoja, In this state 
 of things the arrival of the king at Milan was con- 
 fidently expected by the inhabitants, as well as by 
 40,000 disbanded Italians, who had shared the 
 glory of the French armies in innumerable victo- 
 ries, and who most ardently desired to join the 
 standard of independence under the King of 
 Naples. 
 
 At this juncture, Colonel Dalrymple arrived at 
 Bologna, King Joachim's head-quarters, and I was 
 then informed, that he was commissioned by Lord 
 William Bentinck, to request that the territory of 
 his Britannic Majesty's ally, the King of Sardinia, 
 might not be violated by the Neapolitan army. 
 To this request, the king very readily agreed, being 
 
 

 26 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 still infatuated with the idea that England would 
 not interfere in his quarrel with Austria. This 
 ill-timed condescension unhappily became one of 
 the principal causes of his ruin. He might easily 
 have forced the passage of the Po at Piacenza, 
 which was in a defenceless state, but in the attempt 
 he would have infringed upon a small corner of the 
 Piedmontese territory, instead of which he directed 
 his principal efforts against Occhiobello, which he 
 could not force. In addition to this mischance, the 
 courier who should have brought from England the 
 intelligence of the amicable change of British 
 policy was taken prisoner by the Austrians and 
 sent to Vienna, where the news of the discomfiture 
 of the Austrian armies, and the before-mentioned 
 instructions of Lord Castlereagh to the Duke of 
 Wellington, to conclude a treaty of alliance with 
 Naples, arrived on one and the same day. 
 
 On King Joachim's first arrival at Bologna, the 
 Austrians made several ineffectual overtures to 
 effect an accommodation ; and if the courier from 
 England had not been intercepted, there is no 
 doubt but chat all differences would have been 
 arranged, or at any rate the king would have had 
 full time to make an orderly retreat behind his 
 own almost impregnable frontiers. 
 
 At this time the king was surprised at receiving a 
 notification from Lord William Bentinck, that his 
 instructions were to join the Austrians against 
 him. An hesitation in his movements ensued, he 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 27 
 
 decided upon a retreat, which would have been 
 most regular and effectual, if General Pignatelli 
 Strongoli had not at this crisis most unexpectedly 
 evacuated Florence, leaving the Roman road com- 
 pletely open to the Austrian General Nugent, who 
 in consequence was much beforehand with the 
 king, and rendered his homeward march most 
 urgent and precipitate. I was very nearly made 
 prisoner by this unaccountable evacuation. I en- 
 tered Florence just after break of day with orders 
 from the king for General Pignatelli, who un- 
 known to me had evacuated the place two hours 
 before, and I very unexpectedly found myself sur- 
 rounded in the middle of the town by Austrian 
 cavalry ; I had, however, the good fortune to effect 
 my escape without sustaining any injury. 
 
 The interesting letter written to me by King 
 Joachim^, whilst in Corsica, best explains the 
 causes which led to his defeat and the loss of his 
 kingdom. False information, and an unconquer- 
 able daring spirit of defiance, roused by a sense of 
 injustice, had again urged him to confide his for- 
 tunes to the sword. 
 
 On the king's approach to Naples with a small 
 remnant of his army, ten thousand of the national 
 guard, with General Macdonald, minister of war, 
 at their head, marched forth to meet him. They 
 greeted his return in the most loyal and affectionate 
 manner, exhorting him still to hope for success in 
 
 * See Appendix (G). 
 
28 INTERESTING FACT3 
 
 the love and devotedness of his subjects, swearing 
 that they were all ready to perish in defence of 
 their king and country ; but in consequence of the 
 part England had taken against him, he declined 
 making any further efforts, which would only tend 
 to involve the brave and loyal in his own catas- 
 trophe. 
 
 He entered Naples unknown in the evening of 
 the 19th May, accompanied by his nephew, who 
 was colonel of the ninth regiment of Lancers, 
 and four privates. He immediately proceeded to 
 his palace, where he appeared before the queen pale 
 and emaciated in the habit of a lancer ; tenderly em- 
 bracing her, he said, " All is lost, madam, but my 
 " life ; that I have not been able to lose."^ 
 
 Having taken farewell of his children, he caused 
 his hair, which he had hitherto worn in long ring- 
 lets to be cut short, and habited in a plain grey suit, 
 accompanied by his nephew, the colonel, he pro- 
 ceeded on foot to the sea-shore, opposite to the 
 Island of Nisida. He there embarked in a little 
 boat, and proceeded to the neighbouring Island of 
 
 * During the retreat, the king was ever seen where the dan- 
 ger was greatest. Foremost in the ranks, he continually 
 charged the Austrians in person. When his affairs grew des- 
 perate, it became evident that he sought for death in the field. 
 At the head of a few of his cavalry, whom he constantly pre- 
 ceded, he often charged the enemy to their very cannon's 
 mouth. How he escaped amidst so many dangers appears mira- 
 culous. He might well say, that " he had sought death, but 
 had not been able to find it." 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 29 
 
 Ischia. There he remained three days without 
 being known, and on the fourth, as he was walking 
 on the sea-shore on the southern side of the island 
 in company with the colonel, consulting about the 
 means of effecting their escape to France, they dis- 
 covered a small vessel to the east in full sail ap- 
 proaching the spot where they were standing. 
 
 The king immediately hailed the vessel, and 
 getting into a fishing-boat which was on the shore, 
 ordered the crew to row towards it, and as soon as 
 they were perceived a boat was sent from the vessel 
 to meet them. The feelings of all parties may 
 easily be imagined, when in one of the persons on 
 board, the king recognized his attached and faithful 
 servant, the Duke of Roccaromana,^ to whom 
 the vessel belonged, and who in company with 
 the Marquis Giuliano, the king's aide-de-camp, had 
 escaped from Naples, and was proceeding in this 
 vessel in search of the king, under the greatest an- 
 xiety and apprehension, lest some accident might 
 have befallen him, although previously to quitting 
 the palace, the king had divided with the duke 
 and marquis a considerable sum in gold, and ac- 
 quainted them with his plan of going to Ischia, ac-? 
 companied only by his nephew, and of embarking 
 from thence to France. 
 
 The duke could not succeed in effecting his 
 escape from Naples until three days after the depar- 
 
 * The duke was the king's master of the horse, Gran SCH-* 
 diere. 
 
SO INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 ture of the king. The enemy's flag had been 
 hoisted in Ischia, and it appeared highly improbable 
 under all circumstances that the king could have 
 remained there concealed for those three days. It 
 was unsafe for the duke to attempt landing on the 
 island, and yet there appeared no other means of 
 ascertaining whether the king was there or had 
 proceeded on his voyage. In this embarrassment 
 it happened that the duke, who was most anxiously 
 examining the shore of the island with a glass, per- 
 ceived and recognized the king. The rest of 
 their voyage proved most prosperous and expedi- 
 tious. They landed at Cannes, the 27th or 28th of 
 May. 
 
 I must here suspend the history of what further 
 befel the king, in order to continue the recital of 
 my own story. 
 
 After having so fortunately effected my escape 
 from Florence, I laid aside my uniform and accou- 
 trements, and proceeded in disguise to Genoa, where 
 I had to deliver a dispatch from the king's minis- 
 ter of foreign affairs to Lord William Ben thick. I 
 here saw his lordship on the 19th April, and de- 
 livered my dispatch to him, and at the same time 
 assured him, that if on my arrival in London, where 
 I was going with other dispatches, I should find 
 that England had declared against the King of 
 Naples, I should from that moment quit the Neapo- 
 litan service, and I begged him to bear testimony to 
 my declaration and intention. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 31 
 
 I left Genoa the same evening, (19th April) and 
 larrived in London on the 28th. I immediately re- 
 paired with my dispatches to the Neapolitan charge 
 d'affaires, who informed me that several days be- 
 fore my arrival, he had had an interview with 
 Lord Castlereagh, who acquainted him that the 
 British ministry had thought it incumbent on them 
 to lend their aid to their ally the Emperor of Aus- 
 tria. I was, however, permitted to hope, that there 
 still remained some prospect of accommodation, 
 should the circumstances of the campaign be such 
 as to induce Austria to resume negociations with 
 the King of Naples. 
 
 I was at that time totally ignorant, that the Neapo- 
 litan army under the king had commenced its retreat, 
 as I had left head-quarters at Bologna two days 
 previous to that fatal movement. On the contrary, 
 I participated in the general opinion, that the king 
 would in a few days be in possession of Milan, where 
 a veteran force anxiously awaited him, and that his 
 opponents would certainly be disposed to renew 
 their treaties. Under these circumstances, I consi- 
 dered it incumbent upon me as a last duty to pro- 
 cure a safe conveyance of the answers which I had 
 received to my dispatches. I thought it not impro- 
 bable that on my arrival at the army, I should find 
 that hostilities had ceased, in which case I should 
 have resumed my functions, otherwise I determined 
 to deliver my dispatches, together with my resig- 
 nation, and return immediately to England. I am 
 
32 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 led to enter into these particulars, which trivial as 
 they may appear, are still necessary for explaining 
 my conduct at this crisis, which conduct has been 
 described as inconsistent with my character as an 
 Englishman. 
 
 I left England with an English friend, who propo-*- 
 sed to accompany me to Italy, and we arrived toge- 
 ther in Paris the beginning of May, 
 
 The reports contained in the French papers con- 
 cerning the operations of the Austrian and Neapoli- 
 tan armies in Italy, evidently appeared to me, who 
 had a knowledge of the positions and localities, to 
 be composed of the grossest falsehood ; but I felt 
 unwilling to proceed any further on my journey 
 until I -could acquire some authentic information 
 concerning the real state of affairs. With this view 
 I repeatedly applied to the Duke of Otranto, who 
 from his supposed personal regard for the King of 
 Naples, as well as in his capacity of minister of the 
 French police, was the person most likely to possess 
 the knowledge I so anxiously desired ; but I could 
 not succeed in obtaining any direct or positive 
 information from him. He complained much of 
 the imprudence and impolicy of the King of Naples, 
 in having undertaken this campaign against the Aus- 
 trians, entirely without the knowledge of Napoleon, 
 and without any concert with him. He seemed 
 unwilling to disclose all he knew, but earnestly 
 advised me to delay my departure for a few days. I 
 received the same advice from the Neapolitan 
 
. 
 
 RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 3:3 
 
 charge* d'affaires, who had left London, and was 
 then at Paris on his way to Geneva. 
 
 Under these circumstances I remained at Paris 
 from day to day, until I received intelligence of the 
 king's having been forced to quit Italy, and take 
 refuge in France in the manner I have already 
 related. 
 
 Our journey to Italy being thus impeded, and 
 neither my companion nor myself wishing to return 
 so soon to England, we continued in Paris, which 
 my friend was then visiting for the first time. 
 It will be remembered that for some time, it was 
 far from being a decided question whether the 
 allies were unanimous in their opinions of the ex- 
 pediency or policy of their war against France. 
 From their declarations, as well as from those of 
 our own ministers in parliament, it was ge- 
 nerally believed that the threatened hostility would 
 at all events be directed only against the person of 
 Napoleon. But how his cause could be separated 
 from that of the French nation, was a point not 
 easily to be determined. The patriotic enthusiasm 
 which animated the French people, appeared to be 
 a prognostic of the repulse and overthrow of those 
 whom they termed their officious oppressors, or at 
 least that no effort on their parts would be wanting to 
 accomplish this object. The time for preparation 
 was short, and the want of arms was particularly 
 felt. General Suchet, who commanded in the south? 
 west, was from this want constrained to forego the 
 
 D 
 
34 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 services of twenty-six thousand of the multitude, 
 who in the space of five days had flocked to his 
 standard. 
 
 It was now reported, particularly amongst the 
 English who yet remained in Paris, that at the ap- 
 proaching assembly of the Champ de Mai it was 
 the intention of the emperor to abdicate the throne 
 in favor of his son. It was naturally expected that 
 such a measure would not fail to detach Austria 
 from the coalition, which in consequence would be 
 in a manner dissolved, particularly as the professed 
 object of their union would have been obtained, 
 while the chances of a successful issue of the war 
 would have been greatly multiplied against them, 
 if they deviated from their professions. 
 
 In this interesting and momentous state of things, 
 there could be no impropriety in remaining at 
 Paris ; numbers of my countrymen of high rank and 
 respectability still resided there. I thought it even 
 my duty to remain, until I could ascertain whether 
 it might not be in my power to render some service 
 to the unfortunate King Joachim, to whom I felt 
 myself attached by the strongest ties of duty and 
 gratitude. 
 
 After the arrival of King Joachim at Cannes 
 was made known at Paris, he was daily expected 
 there; but being myself impatient of delay, and mis- 
 led by false information, I undertook two fruitless 
 journies, one to Fontainbleau, the other to Com- 
 peigne, in the hope of finding him. It was no t t long, 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 36 
 
 however, before . I learnt that he had written to 
 Fouche; desiring him to apprise Napoleon that it 
 was his intention to proceed to Paris. Napoleon, 
 by way of answer, demanded, " what treaty of peace 
 " had been concluded between France and Naples 
 " since 1814 ?" Fouche shortly after addressed a let- 
 ter to King Joachim, which I have read, in which he 
 informed him, that although it was necessary for him 
 to remain where he was, yet in that situation he might 
 be of essential service to his country, by animating 
 the troops and inhabitants to the noble assertion of 
 their rights, and to a vigorous resistance of the at- 
 tempt to force a government upon them. This, 
 however, was a branch of service in which the king 
 could not possibly have effected much, as he had 
 fallen into great disrepute with the French soldiery, 
 for having declared war against France in 1814, to 
 which measure they attributed all their subsequent 
 disasters. 
 
 Some days prior to the commencement of hostili- 
 ties in Flanders, I was informed by M. De Coussy, 
 who had been private secretary to the King of Na- 
 ples, but had then retired to Paris, that the king was 
 on his way from Toulon to occupy a country house 
 in the vicinity of Lyons ; that he wished much 
 to obtain permission to retire to England, and that 
 he desired to confer with me on the subject, pre- 
 viously to my making the necessary application i 
 his behalf. I had obtained my passport, and was 
 just on the point of setting out for Lyons, when the 
 
36 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 battle of "Waterloo was fought. I thought it expedi- 
 ent to wait the ensuing events at Paris, where I 
 might probably have an opportunity of serving the 
 king more effectually than by joining him at Lyons ; 
 and it will be seen in the proper place that in this 
 particular I had not formed an unfounded conjec- 
 ture. 
 
 Immediately after the battle of Waterloo, Napo- 
 leon returned to Paris, and abdicated the throne in 
 favour of his son, who would have been accepted 
 and proclaimed by the French people, but for the 
 opposition of two celebrated individuals. 
 
 On this abdication a commission of government, 
 as it was called, was formed, consisting of Fouche, 
 the president, Caulaincourt, Carnot, Quinette, and 
 Grenier. 
 
 On the 26th of June, I believe, the Duke of Wel- 
 lington at the head of his victorious army reached 
 Compeigne. In the course of the following night 
 a deputation of five persons was sent to him from 
 Paris by the two chambers, to solicit an armistice for 
 a few days. The avowed purpose of this mission 
 Was to afford time for the return of another de- 
 putation, which had been dispatched to the allied 
 sovereigns, to assert the right of the French people 
 to choose their own government, in conformity to 
 the declaration of the allies, that they warred against 
 the person of Napoleon only, and not against the 
 Trench people, or to force upon them any particu- 
 lar government. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 37 
 
 The Chamber of Deputies, the majority of the 
 commissioners of government, and the army, now 
 in great strength iii Paris, were determined to resist 
 any attempt to force the Bourbons upon them; 
 while the avowed opinion of Fouche and Caulain- 
 court was, that such a determination could only lead 
 to the destruction of Paris, and the loss of thousands 
 of lives. They, therefore, sought the means of 
 opening a communication with the Duke of Wei* 
 lington, in which they might impart to him their 
 views, and avert the calamity which they appre- 
 hended from the projects of the other parties. In the 
 expediency of procuring an armistice for a few days, 
 all par ties concurred ; and Fouche, who had become 
 acquainted with me in my interviews with him re- 
 specting King Joachim, solicited me to undertake 
 the task of carrying on a communication between 
 him and the Duke of Wellington. It was sufficient 
 for me to know that the service in which I was to be 
 engaged, had for its object the prevention of a san- 
 guinary conflict, which an attempt to take Paris by 
 force would have occasioned, and I therefore con- 
 sented to be the bearer of Fouche's message to the 
 duke. 
 
 My feelings as an Englishman entirely influenced 
 my conduct in this instance. I exulted in the suc- 
 cess of our army, and in the military glory which 
 the English name had acquired ; and it appeared to 
 me, that whatever might tend to prevent the further 
 
3$ ' INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 effusion of blood, must be highly acceptable to my 
 country ; and to be selected as an instrument by 
 which so humane and desirable ail object might be 
 accomplished, was highly gratifying to my mind, 
 and I should not have thought myself at liberty to 
 refuse to engage in it, from any opinion I might en- 
 tertain of the private views of the persons by whom 
 I should be employed. Impressed with these sen- 
 timents, I left Paris at midnight. I proceeded to the 
 Barriere de la Villette, where I found some difficulty 
 in getting my carriage over the different entrench- 
 ments and abbattis, but still more from the French 
 officers, who evinced the greatest reluctance in per- 
 mitting me to pass, observing that I was probably a 
 person sent out to treat with the enemy, and to 
 betray them ; but on my assuring them that the 
 purport of my mission was entirely analogous to 
 their views and interests, I was suffered to proceed 
 without a trumpet. Before I had got beyond the 
 French lines, I was again stopped by a piquet of 
 cuirassiers, who refused to let me pass without an 
 order from the officer commanding the inner posts ; 
 and while I was asserting my right to proceed, a 
 cuirassier fortunately happened to hold a light to my 
 face, and very respectfully accosted me with the 
 salutation of " ban voyage, Major" his comrades 
 immediately asked him who I was, he answered, " it's 
 '- the major of the 9th Hussars," for whom I suppose 
 ie had mistaken me. This was instantly believed ; 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 39 
 
 and greeted by the salutations and good wishes of 
 the whole troop, I was allowed to continue my 
 journey. 
 
 The Prussian advanced posts were at less than 
 two miles distant, and I was consequently very soon 
 stopped by a Prussian lancer, who upon my telling 
 him that I was an English officer, proceeding with 
 dispatches to the Duke of Wellington, immediately 
 accompanied me to the next post. Here I learnt 
 with great pleasure, that this advanced guard of 
 cavalry was commanded by Prince William of 
 Prussia, whose first aide-de-camp, Baron Rochow, 
 was my particular friend. 
 
 I soon arrived at the spot where Prince William 
 and his staff were sleeping, in a field before a large 
 fire, under some trees. I enquired for my friend 
 Baron Rochow. His name was called, and I im- 
 mediately had the pleasure of seeing him. After a few 
 urgent questions, he proposed to introduce me to 
 Prince William, who by this time had raised him- 
 self upon his mattrass. The Prince received me with 
 the greatest politeness, and directed that I should be 
 . presented with refreshments. On my taking leave 
 he ordered me to be furnished with an escort to 
 General Baron Bulow. I arrived at this general's 
 quarters at break of day, and was soon after intro- * 
 duced to him. While I was at breakfast with him, 
 he told me that he wished me to see Prince Blucher 
 on my way to the Duke of Wellington ; and added 
 that he would send his aide-de-camp with me. He 
 
40 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 then ordered a servant to call his aid-de-camp, Baron 
 Echardstein, to whom I was also particularly known. 1 * 
 On our arrival at Prince Blucher's, my compa- 
 nion, Baron Echardstein, informed him that I was 
 going on a mission from the French government to 
 the Duke of Wellington : this did not seem to 
 please the Prince, who immediately retired to rest, 
 and left me to converse with his chef d'etat major. 
 This gentleman, whose name I believe was Gn^ise- 
 nau, was very indignant on being informed of the 
 desire of the French to treat with the Duke of Wel- 
 lington, and he completely lost his temper, when 
 he observed the coolness with which I listened to 
 his indiscreet and authoritative language. He desired 
 to know the nature of my mission to the Duke, I 
 remained silent. He then exclaimed with the greatest 
 violence and agitation : " What, nobody but the 
 " Duke of Wellington ? always the Duke of Welling- 
 " ton ? Have they forgot that there is a Prince 
 " Blucher ? That there is a Prussian army ? They 
 " shall feel that there is a Prussian army ! They 
 " have felt it ! They shall again smart under 
 " it, &c." " But how comes it," added he with the 
 
 * During a stay of seven months, which I made at Rome in 
 1812,1 formeda close intimacy and friendship with two Prussian 
 noblemen, Baron Rochow of Potsdam, and Baron Echardstein. 
 We lived together, and joined in all our pursuits and recrea- 
 tions. The former had been adjutant to the famous Schill, and 
 was one of the few who cut their way through the French and 
 Danish troops at Stralsund, where Schill perished. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 41 
 
 greatest violence, " how comes it, that you, who 
 " say you are an Englishman, should daie to remain 
 " in Paris, after the return of Buonaparte ?" I told 
 him, " that like numbers of my countrymen, I had 
 " to consult only my own pleasure in that particu- 
 " lar." On this he exclaimed, "I am very much 
 " surprised, Sir, at what you say: were I the Duke of 
 <c Wellington, I would make an example of you all !" 
 
 On my quitting this choleric soldier, my friend 
 Echardstein thought it necessary to apologise to me 
 for the indelicate behaviour of his countryman. 1 pro- 
 ceeded on my journey, and soon met numerous 
 columns of English cavalry, and found the five 
 French deputies waiting for the duke's arrival, at a 
 village called Fresnoy. I thought it expedient to 
 endeavour to see the duke before the deputies, and 
 therefore passed them on the road. I shortly after 
 met the duke, and imparted to him the purport of my 
 mission, and delivered to him also a sealed dispatch 
 from Fouche, upon which he desired me to accom- 
 pany him to the village where the deputies were. 
 He asked me if I was acquainted with the nature of 
 the mission. I told him I knew that one part of it, 
 at least, was to request an armistice of some days, 
 until news could arrive from other deputies, who 
 had been sent to treat with the united sovereigns. 
 
 On the duke's arrival at the village of Fresnoy, 
 he conferred with the deputies for five hours. They 
 adduced in support of their mission, the solemn de- 
 claration of the British ministers, " that it was not 
 
4-2 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 " the intention of the allies to force the Bourbons, 
 " or any other government on the French people ; 
 " that they had made war against Napoleon only, 
 " and not against the nation, &c." Their mission 
 failed. They received for answer, that the only 
 thing left for the chambers to do, was to proclaim 
 Louis 18th. 
 
 The duke then proceeded to Plessis, the head- 
 quarters for that day. The deputies remained 
 behind. I was desired by the duke to accompany 
 him to Plessis, where I dined with him, and during 
 dinner conversed with him on the object I had to 
 propose, respecting an armistice. Before I took my 
 leave of the duke, I requested that he would give me 
 some answer to the remonstrances of the commission 
 of government, which stated, " that as the allies had 
 " declared their hostility to be directed against the 
 " person of Napoleon only, it would be but just to 
 " await the result of the mission to the sovereigns, 
 " before his grace undertook to replace Louis ISth 
 " on the throne." The duke, in the presence of Lord 
 March, Colonels Hervey, Freeman tie, Abercromby, 
 and several other officers, replied : " I can give no 
 " other answer, than that which you know / have 
 " j 'us t given to the deputies. "Tell them (the 
 u commission of government) that they had better 
 " immediately proclaim the King (Louis ISth.J 
 " / cannot treat till then, nor upon any other con- 
 " dition. Their king is here at hand ; let them 
 " send their submission to him" 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 43 
 
 The duke was at this time in constant communi- 
 cation with King Louis and Talleyrand, who were 
 together in the rear of the army, and I saw one of the 
 messengers of Louis XVIII. at the duke's head- 
 
 o 
 
 quarters. I returned to Paris the next morning, 
 Davoust had taken the chief command of the French 
 army, and had fixed his head-quarters at the Barriere 
 de la Villette, by which I entered Paris. On my 
 being introduced to him, he demanded to know the 
 object of my mission to the enemy, and said, that as 
 he then held the supreme command, I must commu- 
 nicate to him any dispatches of which I might be the 
 bearer. I answered him, that I had no written mes- 
 sage ; that my mission had been nearly similar to 
 that of the deputies ; that I had been sent out by the 
 commission, and therefore thought it my duty to 
 account with its members only for my proceedings. 
 I could, however, inform him of the declaration, 
 which in common with the deputies, I had received 
 from the Duke of Wellington. Hereupon I re- 
 ported to him the duke's sine qua non. He imme- 
 diately declared that my intelligence was incredible, 
 and expressed his disbelief of it in the strongest 
 terms. Then with the greatest emotion, and with 
 uplifted hands and eyes, he called heaven to witness 
 the perfidy and arrogant injustice of the English 
 ministry, and of the allies. " The Duke of Wei- 
 " lington" said he, " surely could never dare to 
 " make' a declaration so directly contrary to the 
 '' avowed, and solemnly protested intentions of the 
 
44 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 " British ministry, and of the other allies. Have 
 " not they sworn that they would not impose a 
 " sovereign on the French people ? However, they 
 " willjind to their cost, that we are unanimous in 
 " our resolution. Napoleon can no longer be the 
 " pretext for their hostilities. We will all perish 
 " rather than submit to the hateful yoke that Lord 
 
 " Castlereagh would impose upon us ! is 
 
 " a traitor ! he was about to compromise with the 
 " enemy / have taken his command from him 
 " He shall never again command a corporal's 
 " guard We are an independent nationEngland 
 " should be the last power to tyrannise over us in 
 " our choice of government." He then desired 
 me to proceed to lay before the commission at the 
 Thuilleries, the result of my mission, adding, " they 
 " know very well that I have now with me more 
 " than 100,000 men, with 500 pieces of cannon, and 
 " 25,000 cavalry." 
 
 I proceeded to the palace of the Thuilleries, where 
 I was introduced to the commission. Carnot im- 
 mediately asked what my errand to the enemy had 
 been . Fouche quickly answered, that he had sent 
 me. Quinette and Grenier looked as if they were 
 not satisfied with this answer. Carnot continued to 
 address me, and asked whether I had seen the depu- 
 ties at the Duke of Wellington's head-quarters ? I 
 answered in the affirmative, and that I could give 
 him an account of the result of their mission : upon 
 this they became attentive, and heard my account 
 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 4,5 
 
 with dismay and indignation. Carnot expressed the 
 same sentiments that Davoust had recently done, 
 and added, rather roughly, that he could by no 
 means give credit to my account, either as to the 
 Duke of Wellington's sine qua non, or as to the 
 force of the enemy in the vicinity of Paris ; he fur- 
 ther said, with a sneer, " we shall have, I hope, a 
 " very different account on the return of the de- 
 " puties." Foueh6 defended me, and reproved him 
 for so uncivilly questioning my veracity, and assured 
 him that he might put implicit confidence in me. 
 Carnot and Grenier then took me to a topographical 
 map, and questioned me as to the movements of the 
 Duke of Wellington. I answered their interroga- 
 tories to the extent to which I thought myself war- 
 ranted, and it appeared, that I informed them of 
 nothing with which they were not already acquaint- 
 ed. Carnot then, in a polite manner, told me I 
 might retire. 
 
 It would appear that in consequence of having 
 learned from me the nature of the communication 
 which the deputies would have to make to the 
 chambers, and dreading its discouraging effects on 
 the members, and on the people at large, their return 
 to Paris had been prevented. Some private orders 
 seem to have been given to that effect, for on the 
 same day that I entered Paris by the Barriere de la 
 Villette, the deputies approached that post, pre- 
 ceded by Colonel Latour Maubourg, who was at- 
 tached to their mission, when the French out-posts 
 
46 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 fired, killed the Prussian trumpeter's horse, and a 
 ball grazed the epaulette of the colonel. The depu- 
 ties turned back, and attempted to enter by the 
 Barriere de St. Dennis, but were refused. They 
 there received fresh instructions to treat, and it was 
 so managed that they did not return to Paris till 
 after the capitulation. 
 
 In the mean time Fouche and his coadjutors, who 
 opposed the view r s of the other parties, were in great 
 personal danger. The three other members of the 
 commission, more than suspected them of duplicity 
 and treachery ; and in consequence impeached them 
 before the Chamber of Deputies. The Duke of 
 Wellington being acquainted with these proceedings, 
 sent a message to the members of the commission, 
 as I was informed, assuring them that if any harm 
 befell Fouche or Caulincourt, he would infallibly 
 hang up the other three on his arrival in Paris. 
 
 It was proposed in the Chamber of Deputies, 
 that its members should quit Paris with the army, 
 and rally round them all those who would oppose the 
 enemy and the Bourbons. But this measure Fouche 
 was particularly anxious to thwart, whilst Davoust, 
 feeling himself confident in the strength of his army, 
 insisted on attacking Blucher and the Duke of 
 Wellington before other reinforcements should 
 arrive ; but as I understood at the time, Fouche 
 succeeded in somewhat softening and -in giving a 
 new direction to the policy of Carnot ; and it is 
 certain that he managed to gain over Davoust by 
 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 47 
 
 urging the force of the enemy, and the dreadful 
 consequences that would ensue if Paris should be 
 taken by assault. He pleaded the reliance which 
 might be placed on the faith of the English (for 
 with the Prussians the French would not have 
 treated on any terms) . He therefore recommended 
 Davoust to evacuate Paris, and not to listen to the 
 desperate suggestions of the chambers, observing, 
 that so long as his army remained entire, he might 
 obtain favorable terms for all parties. 
 
 The day before the capitulation of Paris, (2d July) 
 I repaired to the British camp with the following 
 memorandum, as my instructions from Fouche to 
 the Duke of Wellington. 
 
 " The army opposes, because uneasy assure it, 
 " it will even become devoted. 
 
 " The chambers are counter for .the same reason. 
 u Assure every body you will have every body. 
 
 " The army sent away, the chambers will agree, 
 " on according them the guarantee as added to the 
 " charter and promised by the king. In order to 
 " be well understood, it is necessary to explain ; 
 " therefore not to enter Paris before three days, and 
 " in the mean time every thing may be arranged. 
 
 " The chambers will be gained, will believe in 
 " their independence, and will agree to every thing. 
 " Persuasion, not force, must be used with the 
 " chambers/'^ 
 
 * This is a literal translation,which will account for any inac- 
 curacy which may strike the English reader. 
 
48 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 On my arrival at the British advanced posts? 
 which, owing to the obstructions I met with from 
 the French, I was not able to effect till early in the 
 morning of the 3d of July, I was informed that the 
 most positive orders had been given by the duke, 
 not to allow any messenger to pass from Paris 
 without his special permission. I was therefore 
 detained at the English advanced post of guards, 
 commanded by Lord Saltown. I dined with the 
 officers of the "advanced piquet, among whom, I 
 well remember Captain Fairfield, of the foot guards. 
 These gentlemen informed me, that the Duke of 
 Wellington was at Gonnesse, with Sir C. Stuart, 
 Pozzi di Borgo, and Talleyrand. I wrote a letter 
 to the duke, which was forwarded by Lord Saltown. 
 In my letter, I entered into a detail of the line of 
 conduct recommended by Fouche, and contained 
 in the foregoing memorandum. On the receipt of 
 my dispatch, the duke immediately proceeded to 
 St. Cloud, General Blucher's head-quarters ; there 
 the capitulation of Paris was signed. The duke 
 returned to Gonnesse, and dispatched Lord March 
 to bring me to him ; I arrived there very early on 
 the morning of the 4th, and found Sir Charles 
 Stuart, Talleyrand, and Pozzo di Borgo ; they as- 
 sembled in council, and my presence was required 
 by the duke. Talleyrand then desired me to repeat 
 my message, and when I got to the article respect- 
 ing the removal of the French army from Paris, and 
 quieting all fears, Talleyrand observed to me, that 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 49 
 
 this was already settled, and turning to the Duke 
 of Wellington, requested him to read to me the 
 capit alatlon that they had just concluded. On my 
 urging the adoption of the line of conduct which 
 Fouche recommended towards the Chambers, the 
 Duke of Wellington. proceeded to give me his senti- 
 ments in writing, which were as follow : 
 
 " Je pense, que les allies ayant declare le govern- 
 " ment de Napoleon une usurpation et non legitime, 
 " toute autorite qui emane 1 cle lui, doit etre re- 
 " gardee comme nulle et d'aucun pouvoir. Ainsi 
 " ce qui reste a faire aux Chambres et a la commis- 
 " sion, est, de donner de suite leur demission et de 
 " declarer, qu'ils n'ont pris sur eux les responsa- 
 " bilites du gouvernment, que pour assurer la tran- 
 " quillite publique, et Tintegrite du royaume de 
 S. M. Louis XVIII.&" 
 
 Talleyrand, Sir Charles Stuart, and Pozzo di 
 Borgo, each took a copy of this document, and each 
 by way of memorandum, put their names and mine 
 
 * te I am of opinion that the allies having declared the govern- 
 " ment of Napoleon an usurpation and not legitimate, all au- 
 " thority which emanates from it, ought to be considered as 
 " null and of no effect : therefore all that remains for the 
 " chambers and the commission to do, is immediately to give in 
 " their resignation, and to declare that they took upon them- 
 " selves the responsibility of government, with the sole view of 
 " insuring the public tranquillity, and the integrity of the 
 " kingdom of H. M. Louis XVIII." 
 
 E 
 
30 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 to the paper, by way of recording, as I suppose, the 
 parties present at the discussion. 
 
 Talleyrand moreover dictated to me the following 
 memorandum : 
 
 " Le Roiaccorderatoute Tancienne charte, y com- 
 " pris Tabolition de la confiscation ; de plus, le non 
 " renouvellement dela loide fannee dernier esur la 
 " liberte de la presse 1'appelle immediate des col- 
 " leges electeraux pour la formation d'une nouvelle 
 " chambre l'unitdu ministere Tinitiatif recipro- 
 " que des loix, par message du cote du roi, etpar pro- 
 " position de la part des chambres Theredite de la 
 " Chambredes Pairs." Talleyrand added, " vouspou- 
 " vez DE NOTRE PART leur recommander la bonne 
 
 "foi, et la CONFIANCE LA PLUS ILLIMITEE& :" 
 
 and further desired me to procure information con- 
 cerning the Buonaparte family. He then pointed 
 out, and as it were, introduced to me, the persons 
 of the plenipotentiaries present, saying, " that is Sir 
 " Charles Stuart, H. B. Majesty's ambassador ; that 
 
 * The King will grant all the former charter, including the 
 abolition of confiscations ; besides the non-renewal of the law 
 of last year concerning the liberty of the press ; the immediate 
 assembly of the electoral colleges for the formation of a new 
 Chamber of Deputies ; the unity of the ministry reciprocity 
 in the faculty of proposing laws, on the part of the king by 
 message, and by proposition on that of the chambers. The 
 Chamber of Peers is hereditary. Talleyrand added, you may 
 in our names, recommend to them, sincerity, and die most 
 unlimited confidence. 
 
DELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 51 
 
 ** is Count Pozzo di Borgo, ambassador of H. 
 * I. M. the Emperor of Russia, and / am Prince 
 " Talleyrand, minister of foreign affairs for His 
 MujLSty Louis XVIII." The Duke of Welling- 
 ton had already mentioned their names to me on 
 our first sitting down. His grace now desired me 
 to write all their names under the memorandum 
 which had been dictated to me by Talleyrand, and he 
 further desired me to add to my memorandum 
 
 " That 1 might be sent back to him immediately 
 " with further instructions and information. I was 
 "to desire Fouche to be very explicit and sincere, 
 " particularly with him, the Duke of Wellington, 
 " who on his part, put the most implicit confidence 
 " in him (Fouche). The duke wished to know 
 " whether Fouche desired support or assistance of 
 " any kind, or in any manner, if he did he should 
 " immediately have it." 
 
 I forthwith mounted my horse and returned to 
 Paris ; Lord March was appointed by the duke to 
 accompany me. On our arrival at the Barriere de la 
 Villette, we found the French soldiery perfectly 
 frantic, and vociferating ." Vive PEmpereur !" " A 
 bas les Anglais !" " A bas les Burbons !" They were 
 on the point of firing at the Belgian trumpeter who 
 preceded us ; it was with the greatest difficulty that 
 some French hussars, under whose escort we had 
 approached the barriers, could prevent the soldiers 
 from firing at Lord March as he was riding off. 
 They were also obliged to exert themselves strenu- 
 
 E 2 
 
4$ INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 ously in my defence, as many of the infantry pointed 
 their muskets at me, vociferating Vive L'Empereur I 
 Vive Napoleon ! We are betrayed ! We have been 
 sold ! We will fight to the last drop of our blood ! 
 Down with the Bourbons ! Let us kill this traitor ! 
 He has assisted in selling us ! We have seen him 
 pass before ! The hussars took me between them, 
 some of the infantry also assisted in parrying off the 
 blows aimed at me, and turning aside the muzzles 
 of the muskets. Thus after great peril, I was for- 
 tunate enough to gain the quarters of a general 
 officer, with only a sabre cut on my left leg. The 
 general dispersed the men, and gave me a strong 
 escort to conduct me to the Thuilleries. 
 
 In consequence of my communicating the docu- 
 ments and assurances I had received from Talley- 
 rand and the Duke of Wellington, the commission of 
 government abdicated its powers that evening ; but 
 the Chambers still refused to comply. They conti- 
 nued their sittings, which they declared should be 
 permanent, till the morning of the 6th, when the 
 doors of the Chamber were closed, and guarded by a 
 party of the national guards. 
 
 On this above one hundred and fifty of the de- 
 puties proceeded to the house of M. Lanjuinais, 
 their president, and there framed a solemn protest 
 against the arbitrary and illegal violence which had 
 been used toward them, in violation of the most 
 solemn declarations. 
 
 I have now no doubt that some extraordinary 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 63 
 
 scheme had been contrived to seduce Napoleon into 
 the measure of abdicating the throne in favour of 
 his son. His resources were at that moment im- 
 mense. The regular army in Paris alone, amounted 
 to more than 80,000 men, every individual of which 
 was animated with the most enthusiastic ardour. 
 The national guard, above 30,000 strong, displayed 
 the firmest resolution to obey the directions of the 
 constituted authorities ; numerous volunteers of all 
 classes had taken up arms in the defence of their 
 country. In the departments, the spirit of opposi- 
 tion to the invaders was still greater, particularly in 
 the north, west, and east : in fine, Napoleon, who 
 could not possibly be ignorant of the state of his 
 resources, would never, I am convinced, have 
 sheathed his sword, and abdicated the crown even in 
 favour of his son, had he not been most confidently 
 assured of the validity of the measure, by its being 
 approved and supported by the French senate and 
 people, and by, at least, some part of the coalition. 
 
 What were the precise representations by which 
 Napoleon was influenced to take this step, is perhaps 
 known only to its contrivers, and their victim. 
 Some future historian may probably unfold this 
 mystery. As far as regards the share I had in the 
 negociations between the provisional government, 
 the, allied armies and Talleyrand, as minister of 
 Louis XVIII., I feel it due to myself to declare that 
 I had no suspicion of any deception or intended 
 breach of engagements. I was requested to open a 
 
64 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 communication between Fouche and the Duke of 
 Wellington, for the avowed purpose of negociating 
 an armistice, as a preliminary measure to the capitu- 
 lation of Paris ; and it was obvious that such a 
 negociation might save the lives of thousands and 
 thousands of my countrymen. 
 
 On my first interview with the Duke of Wel- 
 lington, I informed him that I had been King 
 Joachim's aide-de-camp, and I then solicited ' the 
 favour of his interest to obtain permission for the 
 king to retire to England. The duke promised me 
 his support, but added, that he wished King 
 Joachim himself to write to him. I communicated 
 this wish to the king, who, in consequence, sent 
 me a letter addressed to the duke ; it was written 
 with much feeling and dignity, but it contained a 
 phrase which M. De Coussy thought somewhat 
 exceptionable. I differed from him in this opi- 
 nion, but submitted to his judgment, and the let- 
 ter was not presented to the duke. This seems, 
 however, to have been of no importance, as it did 
 not appear that after the duke's arrival at Paris 
 he ever recollected the desire he had expressed. 
 About the 12th of July, 1 addressed a note to 
 Lord Castlereagh, through the medium of Sir 
 Charles Stuart, in which in the name of King 
 Joachim I requested an asylum for him in Great 
 Britain. I received for answer, that Mis Koyal 
 Highness the Prince Regx Lt must be consulted 
 before His Majesty's ministers could assent to 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 5$ 
 
 lay request. A short time after I received an 
 official note signed by Sir Charles Stuart, inform- 
 ing me that he was directed by Lord Castlereagh 
 to inform me, that His Royal Highness the 
 Prince Regent did not think fit, " pour le 
 46 moment et par rapport aux circumstances du 
 44 jour,"& to grant Marshal Murat's request. 
 
 I immediately wrote to King Joachim, through 
 the medium of M. De Coussy, informing him of 
 this refusal, and I sent him a copy of my cor- 
 respondence with Lord Castlereagh. I availed 
 myself of the same opportunity to enclose him 
 the protest of a bill which I had drawn on Na- 
 ples, in reimbursement of certain sums I had ad- 
 vanced in London in the purchase of several 
 articles for the Queen* of Naples. My letter 
 was intercepted, and I was thrown into prison, 
 and detained there a fortnight for no other crime 
 than that of an avowed and harmless inter- 
 ference in behalf of my unfortunate benefactor, 
 which in the eyes of M. De Cazes, then prefect 
 of the police of Paris, was sufficient to warrant 
 him in depriving me of my liberty. Immediately 
 on my arrest I addressed a letter to Fouche, who 
 was then minister of the police, who in reply, 
 informed me through his secretary, that he would 
 lose no time in procuring my release. 
 
 Notwithstanding the reiterated reclamations of 
 
 4 
 stances. 
 
 For the moment, and with reference to existing circum- 
 
56 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 Sir Charles Stuart, and the positive orders of the 
 minister of police for my being set at liberty,-]* the 
 prefect contrived still to keep me in confinement, 
 by multiplying as much as possible his inquisi- 
 torial interrogatories, in which the agents of the 
 French police, according to their general custom, 
 criticise and discuss the propriety of every action of 
 the prisoner's life from the remotest period. On 
 my release the minister Fouche begged me to iprget 
 the ungrateful and unkind usage I had sustained, 
 casting all the blame of it on De Gazes, the 
 prefect of police, and Mr. Justus Grunner, who 
 was at the head of the Prussian police. 
 
 Shortly after my release, the Marquis Guiliano, 
 aide-de-camp to King Joachim, arrived at Paris from 
 Toulon, and informed me that the king wished to 
 quit the south of France, which had become the 
 theatre of terror and bloodshed ; that he was desir- 
 ous of avoiding the journey by land, in which he 
 might have shared the fate of Marshal Brun, who 
 just before had been massacred at Avignon ; and 
 that he had therefore resolved to repair incognito 
 to Havre de Grace, and there to claim the protec- 
 tion of England and of the allies ; that for this pur- 
 pose he had freighted a vessel at Toulon ; that the 
 Duke of Roccaromana, and Colonel Bonafoux, to- 
 gether with all King Joachim's baggage and at- 
 
 f Prince William of Prussia was so good as to send his first 
 aide-de-camp to the minister, and to the prefect of police, to 
 remonstrate on my behalf. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 57 
 
 tendants, had already embarked when the Marquis 
 Guiliano left Toulon, and that the king was to 
 have gone on board that evening for the purpose of 
 proceeding on his voyage. Inconsequence of this 
 information, and knowing that the fortress of Gaeta 
 had not yet surrendered to the Austrians, I waited 
 on the Duke of Wellington, and reminded him of his 
 promise to intercede for King Joachim. I told him 
 that I knew where the king was, and that if either 
 England or Austria would grant him an asylum, I 
 would pledge mvself that he would immediately send 
 orders to the governor of Gaeta to surrender, and that 
 perhaps he might be induced even to abdicate his pre- 
 tensions to the throne of Naples. The Duke of Wel- 
 lington engaged to negotiate for me on these terms 
 with Prince Metternich and Lord Castlereagh,and in 
 a conversation I had a few days after with the duke 
 on the subject, he observed that I had no longer anv 
 ground for negotiation, news having arrived that 
 Gaeta was in possession of the Austrians. I still, 
 however, urged him to interest himself in behalf of 
 the king. .He promised he would, and shortly after- 
 wards informed me that the measure had been agreed 
 upon in the council of ministers, (at which Talley- 
 rand attended,) and that Prince Metternich wished 
 to see me on the subject. I waited on the prince, and 
 he presented me with the following document, by 
 which I was empowered to propose an asylum to 
 King Joachim in the name of the Emperor of Austria. 
 " Mr. Macirone is authorised by these presents to 
 
58 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 
 
 ** inform King Joachim, that his Majesty the Emperor 
 " of Austria will grant him an asylum in his states on 
 " the following conditions : 
 
 " 1 . The King will take the name of a private 
 " person : the Queen havingadopted that of Countess 
 " of Lipona, the same is also proposed to the King. 
 
 " 2. The King shall be free to chuse for his resi- 
 " dence,a town either in Bohemia, Moravia, or (Jpper 
 " Austria : and should he be desirous of fixing him- 
 " self in a country residence in any of these provinces, 
 " his wishes will not meet with opposition. 
 
 " 3. The King will engage his word to his Impe- 
 " rial and Royal Majesty, that he will not quit the 
 " Austrian states, without the express consent of his 
 " said Imperial Majesty ; and that he will live in the 
 " style of a private individual of distinction, but sub- 
 " ject, however, to the laws in force in the above states. 
 
 " In virtue of which, and that it may have the 
 " proper effect, the undersigned has been commanded 
 " by the Emperor, to sign the present declaration. 
 
 "Given at Paris, this 1st of September, 1815.* 
 (Signed)" THE PRINCE METTERNICH." 
 
 I was on the point of setting out for Havre de 
 Grace to await the King's landing, when Fouche 
 received a letter from him, dated " Du fond de ma 
 " tenebreuse retraite, 22d Aout."-|- 
 
 Indeed this letter evidently bore the appearance 
 
 * For the French original, see Appendix (E.) 
 
 f " From the bottom of my dark abode," 22d of August. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 3 
 
 liaving been written in the dark, it was scarcely legi- 
 ble. He began by informing Fouche that the ship 
 in which he had intended to sail to Havre, had* by 
 some accident been obliged to depart without him, 
 carrying away his attendants, his money, and his 
 clothes, and that he was left on shore at Toulon 
 without even a change of linen. He complained of not 
 having received any answer to his former letters, in 
 which he had constantly solicited the decision of the 
 allies, as to his future destination, and he inveighed 
 bitterly against the conduct of Talleyrand towards 
 him. He lamented the fate of M. De Coussy and of 
 myself, whom he supposed to be still in prison, having 
 heard of my first arrest. He acquainted Fouch6 
 with all the persecutions and dangers he had experi- 
 enced since the sailing of his vessel, and that to 
 avoid certain destruction from the poignards of the 
 numerous assassins who were day and night in pur- 
 suit of him, he was under the necessity of taking 
 refuge in Corsica, for which place he was then on 
 the point of embarking in a little open boat. He 
 entreated Fouche to exert his utmost influence with 
 the allies to induce them to dispatch without loss of 
 time, some person empowered to receive his sub- 
 mission to their decision respecting him, which he 
 said he would quietly await in Corsica. 
 
 On the reception of this letter, I was immediately 
 furnished by the minister of police with a special 
 passport as envoy of the allied powers to Corsica. 
 I consulted Sir Charles Stuart as well as the Duke 
 
60 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 of Wellington as to the safety and propriety of my 
 mission. Sir Charles told me that the passport with 
 which I was furnished, was perfectly adequate to 
 my purpose, that he would of course endorse it, but 
 that as my journey would not be extended beyond 
 the French territory a particular passport from hirn 
 was useless. The Duke of Wellington expressed 
 himself to thesame effect, observing only, that if there 
 had been any English troops in Corsica, or in the 
 south of France, his signature would be of use to 
 me ; but as the case stood he thought it would be 
 superfluous. 
 
 Having learnt from King Joachim's letter to 
 Fouche, that he was left without necessaries or atten- 
 dants, I thought it my duty to provide him if possi- 
 ble with both, that his journey from Corsica to Aus- 
 tria might be rendered as comfortable as possible. I 
 discovered that two of his former valets de chambre, 
 whose wives still remained in the service of the queen, 
 were at Paris. They were engaged to repair to the king, 
 and I consulted with the French minister of police 
 as to the best means of enabling these men to reach 
 the king, and it was determined they should go with 
 me as my servants. The French minister thought 
 this precaution necessary to ensure their safety, as 
 every post brought some disgusting account of ex- 
 cesses and assassinations committed in the south of 
 France. 
 
 Previous to my leaving Paris, I was further pro- 
 vided by Prince Metternich with a letter to Count 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 61 
 
 Stahremberg, commander in chief of the Austrian ar- 
 my in the south of France, in which the count was 
 apprized of the dispositions of the Emperor of Aus- 
 tria with regard to King- Joachim, and the nature of 
 my mission to Corsica, at the same time he was 
 ordered to provide an Austrian field officer to 
 escort King Joachim on his journey, if it should be 
 required. 
 
 It occurred to me that in all probability the king 
 would adopt the plan of proceeding by sea to Trieste ; 
 I therefore requested Prince Metternich to provide 
 me with a passport for him under the name of Count 
 Lipona, proceeding to Trieste with a suite of six 
 persons ; the prince immediately complied with 
 this request. 
 
 This passport was signed by himself, Sir Charles 
 Stuart, and Prince Sch wartzenberg, and the Austrian 
 great seal of office was affixed to it ; Prince Met- 
 ternich likewise took the precaution of writing 
 officially to the governor of Trieste, apprizing him 
 of the probable speedy arrival of King Joachim 
 in that port. 
 
 Having now made every necessary preparation 
 for my departure, and having neglected no precau- 
 tion to ensure the success of my endeavours to serve 
 my patron and benefactor, I began already to an- 
 ticipate the delight and consolation of having 
 rescued him from the unhappy situation in which 
 he was placed, and of restoring him to his afflicted 
 consort and unprotected children. 
 
62 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 I left Paris on the 10th of September, taking* 
 with me the two valets cle cham'bre, as well as the 
 linen and clothes which had been provided for the 
 use of* King Joachim. I travelled day and night 
 without intermission till the evening of the 14th. 
 When I arrived at Toulon, I there learnt, that as 
 soon as the news of the restoration of the King of 
 France was made known at Toulon, King Joachim, 
 who resided in the most private manner in a small 
 country house in the neighbourhood, addressed a 
 letter to the magistrates of the department, assuring 
 them that he would be the last person to disturb 
 the public tranquillity, either by word or action, 
 that he only requested the favor of being permitted 
 -to remain unmolested where he then was, until the 
 decision of the allies with regard to his person should 
 be known. At the same time he enclosed them a 
 letter addressed to the King of France, in which he 
 invoked the generosity and magnanimity of a suc- 
 cessful enemy. He addressed another letter to 
 Fouche, wherein he desired him to obtain for him 
 some guarantee from the allies, and to send a person 
 with proper authority to receive his submission. This 
 he desired Fouche to do, and added, " provided 
 " you may be allowed to serve me in my mis- 
 " fortunes without your humanity being construed 
 " into treason against your new lord and master." 
 
 Th( magistrates of Toulon had no cause to doubt 
 the sincerity of King Joachim's professions ; par- 
 ticularly as some time in May, 1815, previous ta 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 63 
 
 the battle of Waterloo, he had given the most une- 
 quivocal proofs of his pacific intentions, and at a time 
 when the inhabitants of Marseilles, about the period 
 of Lord Exmouth's arrival, hoisted the wffite flag, 
 massacred the old invalid Mamaliikes., and at- 
 tacked the garrison under General Bonnet. The 
 numerous garrison of Toulon, together with all the 
 neighbouring troops, most earnestly solicited and 
 even attempted to compel King Joachim to put 
 himself at their head for the purpose of marching 
 against Marseilles. He peremptorily refused to 
 comply, alleging that he was " a mere fugitive, 
 " who only demanded the rites of hospitality a 
 " stranger to the political occurrences of the country, 
 " in which he had no kind of authority to interfered 
 This is an incontrovertible fact, the proofs of which 
 are still in existence, the circumstance having given 
 rise to an official report from General Partheneau 
 to the minister of war. 
 
 For the honour of humanity and of royalty, let 
 us hope that the letter addressed to King Louis 
 never reached its destination. 
 
 In order as much as possible to keep the events 
 in their regular succession, I will now briefly relate 
 in what manner King Joachim w r as forced to quit 
 the retreat he had chosen, and how he succeeded in 
 making his escape to Corsica. My readers may 
 implicitly rely on the authenticity of these parti- 
 culars. I collected them at different times from 
 all the parties concerned. Moreover, the accounts 
 
64 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 I received from the various constituted authorities 
 at Toulon, both previously arid subsequently to my 
 voyage to Corsica, agree in every respect with the 
 accounts I received while in Corsica from the king 
 himself, who was so good as to repeat to me the 
 whole history of these occurrences. 
 
 I have already given a short account of the 
 manner in which, after the dispersion of his army, 
 King Joachim effected his escape from Naples 'and 
 landed at Cannes in the department of the Var ; I 
 have also mentioned the circumstance of his having 
 been refused by Napoleon the liberty of proceeding 
 to Paris ; for which reason he determined to await 
 at Toulon the result of the application which he 
 wished me to make in his behalf to the British 
 government, for permission to take refuge in 
 England. His pecuniary resources were inconsi- 
 derable ; I do not remember what quantity of gold 
 he had with him on quitting Naples, I believe about 
 four thousand Napoleons. He had, however, two 
 epaulets and a hat-loop set w r ith diamonds, which 
 in the hurry of his departure from his palace, were 
 the only things of value he could conveniently take 
 these articles might together be worth about ten 
 thousand pounds sterling. The gold he divided 
 with the Duke of Roccaromana and the other per- 
 sons who were following his fortunes. 
 
 Soon after the restoration of Louis to the throne 
 of France, the situation of King Joachim began to 
 be extremely critical. It is true no orders were ever 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 65 
 
 publicly issued against him ; but the assassins of 
 Marshal Brim, and of the Protestants at Nismes, 
 either from the dictates of their own loyalty r , or in 
 consequence of secret instructions, immediately set 
 about their murderous machinations, and left no 
 artifice untried to get King Joachim into their power. 
 He soon found it necessary to quit the house which 
 lie had so quietly occupied for more than six weeks. 
 He separated from his attendants, and retired to a 
 secret retreat, whilst they were instructed to report 
 that he had succeeded in embarking on board a vessel 
 he had hired, and had taken refuge in Tunis. His 
 persecutors were by no means the dupes of this 
 stratagem : they redoubled their activity and vigi- 
 lance, but hitherto, their malice had been happily 
 counteracted by the humane exertions of his gene- 
 rous and noble-minded preservers. 
 
 In this state of things, the Marquis de Riviere had 
 recourse to artifice. He wrote a letter to King 
 Joachim, which he commissioned M. Joliclerc, 
 special commissary of police at Toulon, to deliver, 
 In this letter he invited King Joachim, in the mildest 
 terms, to surrender himself, urging in favour of the 
 act the humanity and good faith of His Majesty the 
 King of France, as well as of Lord Exmouth, who, as 
 King Joachim informed me, joined the Marquis in 
 that summons. 
 
 From the well established and unsullied character 
 of M. Joliclerc, for integrity and honour, he had 
 not much difficulty in inducing the persons who he 
 
66 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 suspected of being privy to King Joachim's con- 
 cealment, to procure him an interview. As might 
 naturally be expected, King Joachim declined con- 
 fiding his person to the care of the Marquis de 
 Riviere and Lord Exmouth, since they had no gua- 
 rantee to offer him, no visible authority or instruc- 
 tions from the allied powers. What were they to do 
 with him ? How were they to dispose of him ? Lord 
 Exmouth could not so soon have forgotten that a 
 very short time previous to this proposal he had re- 
 fused King Joachim's request to be permitted to 
 take refuge on board his lordship's fleet, which was 
 then cruising off that coast. Lord Exmouth then 
 refused to receive him on any other terms than as a 
 prisoner, to be sent to England. King Joachim, on 
 the other hand, requested that he might be received 
 conditionally, to be disposed of according to the 
 future decision of the allied powers, if on his arrival 
 in England, he should be refused an asylum there 
 on terms of which he should approve. How then 
 happened it, that Lord Exmouth, who had refused 
 this application, should now join the Marquis de 
 Riviere in these overtures for the king's surrender ? 
 Perhaps he had received instructions and authority 
 from the allies ? Then why were they not produced ? 
 It was the decision of the allies, that King Joachim 
 wished most ardently to receive, and for that pur- 
 pose he had repeatedly written to Paris. The 
 Marquis de Riviere now desired M. Joliclerc to 
 seize the person of King Joachim, alleging that he 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 6? 
 
 could no longer avail himself of the plea of being 
 ignorant of his retreat. Hut the request, though 
 made in the most peremptory and authoritative tone, 
 had no effect upon the conduct of this upright man. 
 He had discovered the place of the king's conceal- 
 ment, on the faith of being commissioned to treat 
 with him, and he refused to become an instrument of 
 treachery. He preserved his honour, but lost his place. 
 At this critical period King Joachim thought it 
 highly necessary to attempt to quit a land of perse- 
 cution and bigotry, although the step might be at- 
 tended with the greatest personal danger. His 
 desire was to proceed to Paris incognito, and there 
 to throw himself on the protection of the allies, but 
 the journey by land seemed fraught with danger. The 
 fanatic demagogues d bonnet blanc of the Douches 
 du Rhone, were " roving about like roaring lions, 
 " seeking whom they might devour." Marshal 
 Brun had been recognised and murdered at Avig- 
 non, and it was very possible that King Joachim 
 might share the same fate. These considerations 
 made him determine to go by sea to Havre-de-Grace, 
 notwithstanding the length of the voyage. The 
 Duke of Roccaromana hired a vessel for that 
 purpose, the day was fixed for their departure, and 
 on the 2d of August, the duke and Colonel Bona- 
 faux embarked with two servants and all the 
 king's property and clothes.^ 
 
 * The Marquis Guiliano, aid-de-camp to the king, proceeded 
 
 F2 
 
68 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 It was agreed that when they were on board, and 
 the vessel was ready to sail, they should send a boat 
 to a remote part of the Bay of Toulon, where King 
 Joachim would be in readiness to embark. At this 
 very important crisis some unhappy mistake occa- 
 sioned the boat to repair to a wrong place. After a 
 fruitless search and much delay, the person charged 
 with the direction of the enterprize, returned to the 
 vessel, in the utmost consternation at not finding the 
 king, to obtain fresh instructions, as well as the as- 
 sistance of some one who might be better acquainted 
 with the coast. A considerable loss of time en- 
 sued ; and while they were still in suspense and 
 undecided how to act, or where to renew their search, 
 to their utter dismay, a numerous party of the king's 
 pursuers, who by some means or other, had heard 
 of or suspected his intended flight, rushed on board. 
 They searched the vessel with the greatest anxiety, 
 threatening with horrid imprecations, that if they 
 found the king, they would cut him in pieces. Not 
 succeeding in their hopes of finding him, they 
 compelled the captain to put to sea immediately ; 
 and they did not quit the vessel until she was under 
 full sail. 
 
 I will leave it to the feelings of my readers to 
 conceive what must have been the heart-rending 
 anguish of the two friends who were thus forced to 
 abandon to his cruel fate their much beloved sove- 
 
 by land to Paris, to apprize me of his coming. I saw the mar- 
 quis in Paris on the 9th August. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 69 
 
 i'eign ; doubt and uncertainty contributed to render 
 their situation still more distressing. It was only at 
 the termination of a long and melancholy voyage that 
 they could know whether they were to lament him 
 as numbered with the dead, or living miserably as 
 an unhappy captive. 
 
 As soon as it was dark, the king repaired to the 
 spot where he was to have found the boat. He 
 remained there in the greatest anxiety until near 
 day-light, occasionally ascending the cliffs in the 
 hope of discerning the movements of his deliverers. 
 "When it was sufficiently light, he saw his ship, not 
 indeed far off, but under sail, and without any means 
 of communication. In this desperate situation, 
 neither his courage nor his presence of mind forsook 
 him. He was gifted by nature with the most un- 
 daunted intrepidity self-possession in the hour of 
 danger, and a cheerfulness of soul, if I may so term 
 it, which was never depressed by misfortune, and 
 by which he was led instantly to apply his mind to 
 the most prompt means of surmounting his diffi- 
 culties. Never, even in his most trying circum- 
 stances, was his countenance divested of that placid 
 smile which was one of its remarkable features. 
 
 His friends in the vessel had purposely remained 
 as long as possible in the vicinity of the shore, in the 
 anxious hope that he would perhaps be able on per- 
 ceiving them to throw himself into some little fish- 
 ing-boat and still be rescued; but every minute 
 increased the distance between their wishes and the 
 possibility of accomplishing them. Still the ship 
 
70 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 lingered in the offing, but scarcely had the king 
 found a boat, and put off from the shore, when a 
 gale arose, and the cruel moment arrived at which 
 the vessel was obliged to stretch out to sea, and sepa- 
 rate his friends from him for ever. 
 
 Fortunately for King Joachim, it occurred to 
 him that it might be imprudent to return to the 
 place of refuge which he had just quitted : had it 
 been otherwise he would inevitably have perished, 
 for at that moment the bloodhounds who pursued 
 him were in the act of visiting the very spot. 
 
 He bent his steps whither chance directed him ; 
 carefully avoiding the vicinity of the forts or of any 
 large dwelling, lest the first house he approached 
 might prove to be the habitation of an enemy. He 
 wandered about the woods and vineyards for several 
 days and nights with scarcely any sustenance and 
 without shelter. At length compelled by weariness 
 and hunger, he determined to enter a farm house, 
 where he flattered himself he might not be known. 
 
 He found only an old woman in the house, and 
 informed her that he was an officer belonging to the 
 garrison of Toulon, that he had been taking a long 
 walk across the country ; that he had lost his way, 
 and had had no dinner, he, therefore, begged her 
 to prepare him something to eat. The good old 
 woman in the most courteous manner and with the 
 greatest cheerfulness assured him, that he was a 
 welcome guest, and that he might depend upon 
 being instantly provided with the best fare her dear 
 master's house would furnish. This mention of 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 7\ 
 
 her " dear master," not a little alarmed the king, 
 who immediately enquired his name, and if she 
 expected him soon home ? She satisfied his curio- 
 sity, adding, that he was only gone out for a walk. 
 The good woman during this conversation, employed 
 herself in preparing an omelet, and before she had 
 finished either her cooking or her story, her master 
 returned. 
 
 The king disguised the uneasiness he felt in this 
 gentleman's company, who, however, very civilly 
 bade him welcome, and seated himself at the table 
 prepared for the king, at the same time desiring the 
 old woman to make ready another omelet for him- 
 self. The king, who, as may well be supposed, 
 was extremely hungry, had begun his meal previous 
 to the declaration of his host, that he would join 
 him. 
 
 No one who ever beheld the stately figure and 
 affable countenance of King Joachim, could forget 
 him. This was the case with our host, who though 
 he had never seen him, had yet seen his portrait in 
 the Marshals' Saloon at the Thuilleries, as well as 
 his own coins of the grand duchy of Berg, and the 
 kingdom of Naples. This gentleman had also heard 
 of his being then in the vicinity, as well as of the per. 
 secution to which he had been subjected. He soon 
 recognised in his guest the person of the king, and 
 starting from his seat with every mark of the most 
 profound respect, with tears in his eyes, begged 
 the king to pardon the familiarity into which he 
 
72 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 had been betrayed, assuring him that he would rea- 
 dily risk his life to preserve him, and that his house, 
 his fortune, and his person, were all at the king's 
 disposal. At this moment the old nurse, who was 
 assiduously engaged at the fire, hearing her master's 
 respectful and passionate address, from which she 
 learnt the rank of the personage, for whom she had 
 been exercising her culinary skill, was seized with 
 an universal tremor ; and in throwing herself' at the 
 king's feet, overturned the frying pan and its con- 
 tents into the fire. 
 
 The king remained concealed in the house of 
 this worthy gentleman for several days, when some 
 circumstance made it necessary that he should be 
 removed. Another country house was provided, 
 which was then unoccupied, and a naval officer, 
 whose name I shall not mention, was intrusted with 
 the secret. An old woman, whose fidelity could be 
 depended upon, was left in the house to wait upon 
 the king, while the naval officer and an associate, 
 
 named , were employed in occasionally 
 
 attending upon his person, in bringing him neces- 
 saries and refreshments from the neighbouring town, 
 and in guarding against any circumstance which 
 might menace the king's safety. 
 
 In the mean time King Joachim's enemies by no 
 means relaxed in their exertions to take him. The 
 report of his having gold and jewels to an immense 
 amount about his person, not a little contributed to 
 increase their activity. The good old woman who 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 73 
 
 was employed to wait on the king, was indefatiga- 
 ble in her attention. She constantly kept watch 
 during the night, while the king reposed, and would 
 never retire to rest but in the middle of the day, 
 when there was no danger of surprise, and his com- 
 panions generally slept in the town to avoid obser- 
 vation. 
 
 It would appear, however, that something had led 
 to a suspicion of the king's retreat ; for at midnight 
 on the 13th of August, a party of sixty men, headed 
 by one Mocau, son of the general of that name, 
 repaired to the villa in which the king was con- 
 cealed. The house being placed upon an eminence, 
 it would have been difficult to approach it in the 
 day without discovery ; but aided as this party was, 
 by the darkness of the night, they made quite sure 
 of taking their victim by surprise, and this must 
 inevitably have happened, if these imprudent assas- 
 sins had not provided themselves with a lanthern. 
 The old dame, who was most fortunately watching 
 at a window that looked towards the path which 
 these ruffians were ascending, was alarmed at the 
 appearance of the light, and immediately awoke the 
 king, who was sleeping in his clothes with his 
 arms beside him, and apprised him of his dan- 
 ger. He instantly covered himself with his great 
 coat, seized his poignard and two pair of holster 
 pistols, slipped out at a back door, and concealed 
 himself under the thick foliage of the vines, at about 
 thirty yards distance from the house. The old 
 
74 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 woman fastened the door after him, whilst the gang 
 surrounded the house. She had the presence of 
 mind to make some delay in opening the door, un- 
 der the pretence of requiring time to dress herself. 
 In a few moments she disposed of the king's mat* 
 trass, and set all to rights. This privileged banditti 
 examined every corner of the house, and a party 
 extended their search to the garden and vineyards, 
 in doing which, the king heard several of them pass 
 within a few paces of him, expressing their wish 
 that they might find him, to enjoy the pleasure of 
 cutting him to pieces, and dividing his spoils ; but 
 after an unsuccessful search they left the house. 
 The king afterwards informed me that it was his 
 intention, in case he had been discovered, to kill as 
 many of his assassins as he could, and then rather 
 than suffer himself to be taken alive, to discharge 
 his last pistol at his own head. After what had 
 happened, it was the king's opinion, in which M, 
 
 joined, that to remain in the house, which 
 
 had been so strictly searched, was his safest course, 
 and he accordingly adopted it. 
 
 The king now began to despair of receiving any 
 answer to the letters he had written to Paris, re- 
 questing to be taken under the protection of the 
 allies. He had heard of my imprisonment for 
 having applied to Lord Castlereagh in his behalf, 
 and he therefore had no hope of my being able to 
 make any further exertions in his favour. It was 
 BP longer possible for him to remain concealed 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT, 75 
 
 , 
 
 where he was ; two distinguished personages at 
 Marseilles having each offered 24,000 francs for his 
 person, that is to say, for his head ; for it was well 
 known and understood that he could not be taken 
 alive. In this desperate situation, whither could 
 he fly ? where be secure from the pursuits of his 
 destroyers ? He had not the means of undertaking 
 a long voyage, or he would have followed the Duke 
 of Roccaromana to Havre. Corsica was the only 
 asylum which he had any chance of reaching. 
 The romantic character of its inhabitants ; that un- 
 conquerable spirit of independance, which their 
 habits assist in maintaining ; and the mountainous 
 and inaccessible nature of their island, induced the 
 king to hope that among this people he could not 
 fail to find an hospitable and secure retreat, in 
 which he might await the decision of the allies 
 concerning his future destiny. 
 
 It was determined that the king should attempt 
 the passage to Corsica in a little open boat, which 
 9 a very meritorious naval officer, from 
 
 the most disinterested and humane motives, had pur- 
 chased for the purpose, and who volunteered his 
 services to attend the king on the voyage. 
 
 On the 22d August, the king wrote a letter to 
 Fouche, which I have already mentioned, and the 
 same evening embarked in the Bay of Toulon with 
 his three friends. On the 24th they were assailed 
 by a violent storm, and it was with the utmost 
 difficulty, by unremitted exertion in bailing out 
 
76 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 the water with their hats, that they were enabled 
 to keep the boat afloat. In the afternoon they 
 saw a small vessel at no great distance steering an 
 opposite course. They approached it in the hope 
 of being taken on board. It proved to be a vessel 
 laden with wine, bound for Toulon. The king 
 hailed the captain, and made him a considerable 
 offer if he would take him to Bastia. Whether the 
 master of this vessel felt alarmed at being thus 
 accosted by four armed men, or whether he was 
 actuated by any other motive is not known. So 
 far, however, from listening to the king's proposals, 
 he actually attempted to run down the boat, in 
 which he would certainly have succeeded, but for the 
 quickness and dexterity of the king and his party. 
 It was with much difficulty that the king could 
 be restrained from boarding the vessel, and taking 
 ample vengeance on this miscreant, who was, how- 
 ever, suffered to continue his voyage. 
 
 The day after this occurrence, which had so 
 nearly proved fatal to them, they had the good 
 fortune to fall in with the Corsica packet, which 
 sails regularly from Toulon to Bastia. It would 
 have been impossible for them to keep their boat 
 much longer afloat, which had received great 
 injury from the attempt to run it down, and they 
 had no sooner got on board the packet than their 
 boat sunk. 
 
 In the packet they found several persons to 
 whom the king was known ; amongst them were 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 77 
 
 Generals - and , and the Duke of 
 
 . , who from prudential motives, were quit- 
 
 ting the south of France. The king was received 
 by. these personages with every mark of respectful 
 attachment. The master and crew were enjoined 
 to feign themselves ignorant of the quality of their 
 passengers. The vessel soon arrived at Bastia in 
 safety. The king remained at this place only one 
 day, and then proceeded with his three kind friends 
 to Viscovato, a village situated in a very strong 
 position fifteen miles south of Bastia. On arriving 
 at the village, he unreservedly entered the most 
 conspicuous house in the place, which happened 
 to be the habitation of Mr. Colonna Cecaldi, the 
 mayor, and a staunch parti zan of the Bourbons, 
 in whose cause he had for many years suffered 
 exile from his native land. 
 
 This member of the illustrious Colonna family 
 was eminently distinguished for his probity and 
 universal benevolence. The king immediately 
 made himself known to him, acquainted him with 
 the causes of his being forced to take refuge in 
 Corsica, where he assured him he only wished to 
 remain a short time in safety, until he could be 
 informed of the intentions of the allied sovereigns 
 respecting him. In the mean while he threw 
 himself entirely upon the hospitality of his worthy 
 host. Mr. Colonna received the king with every 
 mark of respect, and assured him that the laws of 
 hospitality were held most sacred by every Cor- 
 
78 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 sican ; he also observed that there existed no order 
 of government or legal obligation on the French 
 king's subjects to regard King Joachim as an 
 enemy. 
 
 The king with his attendants resided for some 
 time in the house of Mr. Colonna Cecaldi. And 
 here he very unexpectedly found one of his aide- 
 de-camps, General Franceschetti , who had recently 
 retired from Naples with his wife, a daughter ,of 
 Mr. Colonna Cecaldi. 
 
 The political situation of the island of Corsica 
 was at this period somewhat extraordinary. The 
 garrisons of Calvi, Bastia, and Ajaccio, did not col- 
 lectively amount to more than one thousand men. 
 The inhabitants were divided into three factions, 
 the Buonapartist, the English, and the Bourbon. 
 The two former were by far the most numerous, 
 and in a great measure appeared to unite their 
 efforts in opposition to the latter ; each party was 
 in arms and on the alert, with the intention of 
 acting as future circumstances might require. 
 There was also some vestige of a party termed 
 Independants, but their views did not appear to be , 
 distinctly defined. The white flag was displayed 
 on the forts as well as on the church steeples in 
 various parts of the island. 
 
 At this juncture the imprudent zeal of the 
 commander of Bastia had nearly involved the 
 island in a scene of warfare and bloodshed, 
 which but for the prudence and moderation of 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 79 
 
 King Joachim would infallibly have occurred. 
 The commander, probably being acquainted with 
 the meritorious and loyal exertions of the autho- 
 rities of Marseilles towards accomplishing the 
 destruction of King Joachim, felt a noble emula- 
 tion to participate in their honours. With this 
 view he took upon himself to address a peremptory 
 summons to the king, whom he styled Mr. Murat, 
 enjoining him immediately to deliver himself 
 into his custody, that he might be dealt with 
 according to the will and pleasure of His Majesty 
 the King of France. 
 
 It Avill not appear surprising that King Joa- 
 chim should have refused to comply with the 
 summons of this madman. He, however, conde- 
 scended to return him an answer, in which he 
 attributed his non-acquiescence to the want of 
 authority and instructions on the part of the com- 
 mandant, and his total incapacity to afford him 
 any guarantee. 
 
 In consequence of this reply the commander of 
 Bastia issued a proclamation, in which he declared 
 King Joachim an enemy to the King of France, 
 and a disturber of the public peace. A body of 
 several hundred men was collected, formed into a 
 battalion, and dispatched towards Viscovato, with 
 orders to seize upon the king's person. This ar- 
 bitrary mandate of the commander of Bastia, for 
 which he had no authority, immediately brought 
 to the defence of the king all the friends and 
 
SO INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 relations of Mr. Colonna Cecaldi, who without 
 distinction of party rose up in arms and flew 
 from all parts of the island towards Viscovato, 
 esteeming it a sacred duty to support their 
 kinsman and friend in the defence of his illus- 
 trious guest, who had thrown himself upon his 
 hospitality and protection. To this force, which 
 amounted in a few days to about six hundred 
 men, completely armed, must be added about two 
 hundred veterans, chiefly officers, who had for- 
 merly served in the king's armies and were then 
 retired to their homes. 
 
 The battalion which had been directed against 
 Viscovato was glad to return to Bastia unmolested, 
 where it immediately dispersed. 
 
 The commandant of Bastia was now satisfied 
 with being able to maintain himself on the defen- 
 sive. Had King Joachim complied with the ear- 
 nest solicitations of the force by which he was 
 surrounded, he might not only have taken Bastia 
 with the greatest ease, but have possessed himself 
 of the whole island ; all the soldiers in the gar- 
 risons, and the majority of the inhabitants, being 
 disposed to join him. 
 
 King Joachim, however, by no means encouraged 
 these dispositions ; he persisted in declaring that he 
 looked upon himself as a fugitive who had sought 
 shelter in Corsica to claim the rites of hospitality, 
 that he could by no means countenance any pro- 
 ceedings which might tend to prejudice the in- 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT* 81 
 
 terests of His Majesty Louis the 18th, and that he 
 steadily persisted in awaiting the arrival of some 
 duly authorised person from Paris. 
 
 After having with the utmost patience resided 
 three weeks on the island, he began to despair of 
 obtaining relief from the state of uncertainty and 
 persecution in which he was placed. He was led 
 by appearances to believe that he had been totally 
 abandoned by the allied powers, to the mean and 
 dastardly assaults of those from whom he had so 
 lately escaped, and who still, he had reason to know, 
 most ardently thirsted for his blood. These were the 
 considerations which first inclined him to yield to 
 the dictates of his heroic and dauntless spirit driven 
 to extremity his unconquered mind prompted him 
 rather to seek death nobly in the field, and by fight- 
 ing to recover his crown, than meet his fate at 
 the hands of midnight assassins. 
 
 He had always held, that " a king who could not 
 " keep his crown had no alternative but a soldier^ 
 " death ;" and he was convinced in his own case, 
 " that although a prison might be offered him as an 
 " asylum, a grave would lie at no great distance" 
 
 Soon after the failure of the expedition which 
 had been directed against him at Viscovato, he 
 thought it expedient in order to avoid coming to 
 open hostilities with the commander of Bastia, 
 to retire from the former place. He consequently 
 dismissed the troops by whom he was surrounded, 
 with the exception of about four hundred, among 
 
82 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 which was a large proportion of officers ; with these 
 he proceeded to Ajaccio. On his approaching the 
 town, the constituted authorities thought it their 
 duty to retire. The mayor alone remained, from a 
 laudable desire to preserve the public peace. 
 
 On the entrance of the king and his little army 
 into the town, not the slightest disturbance or act of 
 violence was committed. The governor of the cita- 
 del, whatever might have been his wishes, certainly 
 had it not in his power to offer the least resistance. 
 The king was received by the inhabitants with 
 every mark of respect, and the soldiers composing the 
 garrison of the citadel saluted him from the batteries 
 with repeated cheers. 
 
 Several of the best houses were offered to the 
 king, which he refused to occupy, from the fear of 
 compromising the owners, who might probably on 
 his departure suffer persecution on account of their 
 hospitality towards him. He therefore took up his 
 abode at an inn, and purchased five small vessels and 
 a quantity of arms and ammunition. These prepara- 
 tions occupied several days ; and here I must leave 
 him for the present to continue the narrative of my 
 mission from the Emperor of Austria. 
 
 I have already stated that I arrived at Toulon on 
 the 1 5th of September. After having communicated 
 with M. Joliclerc and written to Count Stahremberg, 
 die Austrian commander in chief in that part of 
 France, I sailed on the 20th from Toulon on board a 
 small vessel which I hired for the purpose, and arrived 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 83 
 
 at Calvi. I enquired where King Joachim Was to be 
 found, and learnt that it had been reported he was 
 at Ajaccio. It was suggested to me that the road 
 by land from Calvi to Ajaccio was highly dangerous, 
 owing to the agitated state of the country : I thought it 
 therefore expedient to sail to Bastia, particularly as 
 I wished previously to any proceeding on my mis- 
 sion to communicate with the constituted authorities' 
 of that place, from whom I should also obtain cor- 
 rect information concerning King Joachim's retreat. 
 Before quitting Calvi, however, I dispatched a cou- 
 rier with a letter to the king apprising him of my 
 approach. 
 
 At Bastia, which I reached on the 25th, I found an 
 English frigate, the Meander, Captain Bastard, with 
 a division of five gun-boats. 
 
 Immediately on my arrival I received a visit from 
 the mayor, accompanied by the chief commissary of 
 police: I informed them of my errand, and desired 
 them to apprise the commander of Bastia that I 
 should wish to confer with him. I soon after 
 waited upon him and communicated my creden- 
 tials. The commandant informed me of what he 
 had done to induce King Joachim to deliver himself 
 into his hands ; he further acquainted me that 
 some days before, the Meander had arrived from 
 Leghorn, having on board an English officer who 
 styling himself aid-de-camp to the British commander 
 of Genoa, had brought a summons to Mr. Murat^ in 
 which he was invited to deliver himself up forthwith 
 
 G 2 
 
8* INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 to this officer, under some threatened pains and pe- 
 nalties. That the officer had been politely received 
 by King Joachim, who questioned him as to the 
 authority of the persons who had sent him, and 
 his instructions ? the manner in which he the king* 
 was to be disposed of? and the guarantee they 
 had to offer him > That to these interrogatories the 
 only answer he could make, was, that he had orders 
 to summon Mr. Murat, in the name of the allied so- 
 vereigns, to deliver himself up to his excellency the 
 British commander in chief at Genoa ! ! I was fur- 
 ther informed by the commandant that Captain 
 Bastard had come from Leghorn on a similar 
 errand from Lord Burghersh, the British minister at 
 Florence ; and that he the commandant and Captain 
 Bastard had joined in framing and signing a sum- 
 mons in the name of the allied powers, and of his 
 excellency Lord Burghersh for the king to surrender 
 himself. The commandant concluded by shewing 
 me a copy of this document, which was addressed 
 " to ~Mr. Murat" and he gave me a printed copy of 
 King Joachim's answer. I then observed, that I was 
 much surprised that he or his associates could have 
 expected to succeed by such means. Captain Bas- 
 tard, who spent the greatest part of the day with me, 
 confirmed the commandant's statement, and inform* 
 ed me that great alarm prevailed at Naples, where it 
 had been reported that an attack was contemplated 
 by King Joachim, but that every necessary prepara- 
 tion had been made to repel it, and that itwashis v 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT, 85 
 
 Captain Bastard's, intention to send his gun-boats 
 round that morning to Ajaccio, whilst he himself 
 should cruise off the straits of Bonafacio, by which 
 he said he expected to prevent the departure of the 
 king's flotilla, or to capture it if it should get out of 
 port. 
 
 Both Captain Bastard and myself were confi- 
 dent that the king would gladly accept the propo- 
 sals I was authorised to make to him, and I was 
 confident that on receiving my letter from Calvi, 
 he would delay his expedition, even if it had been 
 ready to sail, and therefore I submitted to Cap- 
 tain Bastard the propriety of postponing the exe- 
 cution of his plan, until the result of my mission 
 was known, which he agreed to do, and moreover 
 promised to remain at Bastia until he heard from 
 me on the subject. 
 
 Captain Bastard observed, he had no doubt, 
 that in the event of the king's acceptation of the 
 proposed asylum, he might be authorised to convey 
 the king and his suite to their destination, accord- 
 ing to the terms of the passport which I shewed 
 him. Previously to my leaving Bastia I received a 
 visit from two Corsican gentlemen, who had ar- 
 rived from Leghorn in the Meander. They were 
 brothers, of the name of Carabelli: one of them, 
 a captain on half pay, had served many years in 
 the Royal Corsican Rangers in the English service ; 
 the other had occupied for some years a respect- 
 able civil situation in the kingdom of Naples. 
 
86 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 These gentlemen, after some previous conversa- 
 tion, produced a document, signed by one Medici, 
 minister of police and of foreign affairs to King 
 Ferdinand, by which they were commissioned 
 by this Medici to impede, counteract, and weaken, 
 by all the means in their power, the expedition 
 of King Joachim, particularly by diminishing the 
 number of his followers, and by pointing out 
 the inevitable destruction which must await them. 
 They both joined me in the perfect conviction 
 that King Joachim would willingly accept the 
 asylum I was empowered to offer him ; and hear- 
 ing that I intended to depart for Ajaccio, they 
 proposed that we should travel in company, to 
 which I readily acceded. 
 
 I set out on my journey to Ajaccio about 
 midnight, the mayor of Bastia having furnished 
 me with a sufficient number of mules for myself, 
 attendants, and baggage. Our party consisted of 
 fifteen persons, including seven soldiers, all well 
 armed. 
 
 The beautifully picturesque scenery of the coun- 
 try through which we passed ; the abrupt, con- 
 fused, and stupendous piles of granite mountain 
 rising one above the other, and covered from their 
 base to the summit with stately chesnut trees, 
 oaks and pines, but above all the stern indepen- 
 dent character of the romantic natives, hospitable 
 in the extreme, and implacable in their enmities, 
 but brave and open-hearted : these would form 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 87 
 
 the subjects of an interesting digression, but it 
 would be foreign to my story, and therefore I shall 
 not dwell on the description. 
 
 After twenty hours incessant travelling I arrived 
 at Corte, the capital, situated about the centre of 
 the island. I was here met by a courier with a 
 letter from King Joachim, in which he informed 
 me that in consequence of my letter over land 
 from Caivi, he had delayed his departure, which 
 otherwise would have taken place that same even- 
 ing, and desired me most earnestly to hasten my 
 arrival at Ajaccio. The courier brought me a 
 good horse with a saddle, by which means I was 
 enabled to perform the rest of my journey with 
 ease and celerity. 
 
 I arrived at Ajaccio on the afternoon of the 
 28th September. The house occupied by the 
 king was distinguishable by his standard, and by 
 the centinels which were planted at the door. I 
 immediately sent to the king, to enquire when he 
 would be pleased to receive me, and he returned 
 for answer that I might come to him immedi- 
 ately. I thought it requisite, however, to com- 
 municate to him in diplomatic form by letter 
 the object of my mission. I wrote the letter, and 
 was myself the bearer of it. He received me 
 with the utmost kindness and cordiality, and upon 
 my giving him a brief account of the manner in 
 which I had obtained for him from the Emperor 
 of Austria the offer of an asylum, he expressed 
 
88 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 his warmest acknowledgments for my exertions 
 in his behalf, and his entire approbation of my 
 conduct. 
 
 I now had recourse to every argument and 
 supplication in my power to induce him to ac- 
 cede to the proposal, and I informed him that an 
 English frigate waited at Bastia to convey him 
 to Trieste. He replied, that I was come too 
 late, that the die was cast, that he had waited 
 nearly three months with the utmost patience, and 
 at the constant risk of his life for the decision of 
 the allies. That it appeared evident to him 
 that he had been abandoned by the sovereigns 
 who had so lately courted his alliance, to perish 
 by the revengeful daggers of his enemies, and 
 that he had at length resolved to attempt to regain 
 his kingdom. He declared that although he enter- 
 tained the greatest confidence in the success of his 
 intended expedition for that purpose, still, in one 
 respect, the result was a matter of indifference to 
 him, as he should at least have it in his power to 
 meet death, which he had so repeatedly faced in the 
 field. That the war in which he had been engaged 
 with England and Austria, during the course of 
 which he had been obliged to take refuge in Corsica, 
 could not remove him from his position as a sove- 
 reign acknowledged by all Europe. That kings in 
 going to war for territory, do not intend to question 
 their respective titles to the crowns they have worn, 
 nor do they cease reciprocally to consider them as 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 89 
 
 sacred. That when it happens by the fate of war 
 a monarch is driven from his capital^ he has a 
 right to return if he can find the means ; that he 
 had signed no abdication. 
 
 Notwithstanding the justice and truth of these 
 observations I persisted in conjuring him to aban- 
 don his project, to accept the refuge which was 
 offered, and in the bosom of his family, to await 
 some favourable turn in the affairs of Europe, which 
 might lead to the re-establishment of his fortunes. 
 
 These arguments were, however, of no avail, and 
 the king concluded his reasons for persisting in 
 his resolution, by observing that he had now com- 
 promised three hundred brave officers and men, 
 who if abandoned by him must inevitably become 
 victims to the vengeance of their government. 
 He then informed me that he intended to sail with 
 his expedition that night : on which I requested the 
 king to give me a written answer to the proposal 
 I had been charged to make to him : he instantly 
 wrote in my presence the following reply, in which 
 his real intentions regarding his expedition are 
 disguised. 
 
 AjacciO) 25th September, 1815. 
 Mr. Macirone, envoy of the allied powers to King 
 
 Joachim. 1 have just perused the dispatches of 
 
 which you are the bearer. I accept the passport 
 which you are charged to deliver to me, and I shall 
 use it to repair to the destination fixed in it. As to 
 
90 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 the condition which his imperial and royal majesty 
 annexes to the offer of an asylum in Austria, I 
 reserve to myself the privilege of treating upon this 
 important article at the period when I shall be united 
 to my family. 
 
 The disrespectful summons which the captain of 
 his Britannic Majesty's frigate has addressed to me, 
 prevents me from accepting the offer which you 
 make me, in his name, to receive me on hoard his 
 vessel. 
 
 Persecuted and menaced, even in Corsica, because 
 some persons ventured to accuse me of sinister inten- 
 tions on this island, I had already prepared for my 
 departure, in effect, I shall set out this night. 
 
 I accept with pleasure the valets de chambre which 
 you are pleased to cede me. 
 
 Whereupon, Mr. Macirone, 1 pray God to have 
 you in his holy keeping. 
 
 The original signed, 
 
 JOACHIM.^ 
 
 This letter the king then thought necessary to 
 give me, in consequence of having been apprised 
 by his friends at Bastia of the arrival of the 
 brothers, Carabelli, and of their errand, to whom he 
 knew that it would be expected I should transmit 
 the answer, and from whom he at first wished 
 to conceal his purpose ; but afterwards, about 1 1 
 
 * For the original French, see Appendix (F). 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 91 
 
 o'clock he sent for the Carabelli, 'who had been 
 in his service and acquainted him with his de- 
 signs ; when Carabelli did all in his power to 
 dissuade him from the undertaking, but in vain. 
 The king engaged me to dine with him. The 
 party consisted of about twelve persons, who con> 
 posed the staff of his little army : amongst the 
 number were, Generals Franceschetti, his aid-de- 
 camp, and General , besides five or six 
 
 colonels. During dinner the king conversed with 
 his usual gaiety and affability ; he was urgent in 
 his enquiries about his family, and about those of his 
 court, who he feared might have suffered in the poli- 
 tical convulsion which had recently taken place. 
 He also particularly questioned me after his good 
 and honorable friends, as he termed them, the Duke 
 of Bedford, Lord Holland, Sir Robert Wilson, Lord 
 Sligo, Lord Oxford, Lord Landaff, General Mat- 
 thews, and several other English noblemen and 
 persons of rank. If I here take the liberty of particu- 
 larizing the names of thefse personages, I think myself 
 warranted in so doing, from the desire the king ex- 
 pressed that they should be apprized of his remem- 
 brance, and from the conviction I have, that 
 these personages will not feel less disposed to ac- 
 cept recollections , because they were dictated in an 
 hour of misfortune. To the English nation in 
 general, he paid the highest tributes of praise and 
 admiration ; and he alluded to their late hostilities 
 
92 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 against himself, only as to measures of which they 
 would soon discover the erroneous policy. He 
 likewise spoke at considerable length of the battle 
 of Waterloo, and much praised the valour and dis- 
 cipline of the English troops ; but he reprobated the 
 manner in which the French cavalry had been em- 
 ployed and sacrificed. He then proceeded to 
 demonstrate to me the manoeuvres and measures, 
 which he said he should have directed and adopted 
 if he had commanded the cavalry, and which he 
 flattered himself would certainly have ensured a 
 very different result. 
 
 After dinner he desired me to attend him in his 
 private apartment. Here I again took an early 
 opportunity of resuming my supplications to him 
 to abandon his project, but I found, him immoveable 
 in his resolution. I now, however, reflected that it 
 was not impossible but some circumstance might 
 occur, during the execution of, or even previous to 
 his commencement of the attempt, which might 
 lead him to alter his intentions, either from neces- 
 sity or change of council, and dispose him to take 
 advantage of the offer he then rejected. In this 
 view I consigned to him the passport for Trieste, 
 which I had received from Prince Metternich, in 
 the hope that he might, during the course of his 
 voyage, determine to avail himself of it, and abandon 
 his hostile enterprize. I moreover furnished him 
 with the answers which I had received through 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 93 
 
 Sir C. Stuart from the English ministry, to my 
 application in his name for permission to retire to 
 England. 
 
 He observed to me, that the letter which he had 
 just addressed to me, contained a deception, which 
 he regarded as unbecoming his dignity ; he therefore 
 informed me that it was his intention to address 
 another letter to me, in which he would inform me 
 of his real intentions, and enter into some expla- 
 nations concerning the motives of his conduct. 
 He accordingly sat down at his desk in my presence, 
 and with his own hand wrote the following letter, 
 which he ordered his secretary to transcribe, 
 he then signed it, and the transcript thus signed 
 was afterwards sent to me. 
 
 Ajaccio, %&th September, 1815. 
 
 Mr. Macirone, envoy of the allied powers to King 
 
 Joachim. My first letter of this day was dictated 
 
 by the circumstances of the moment. It is now, 
 however, a duty which I owe to myself to truth 
 and to your noble frankness and sincerity, to 
 acquaint you with my real intentions. 
 
 I value my liberty above every other blessing. 
 Captivity and death are to me synonymous. What 
 treatment can I expect from those powers who 
 abandoned me for two months to the daggers of the 
 assassins of Marseilles ? I saved the Marquis de 
 Riviere's life he was condemned to perish on the 
 scaffold ; /obtained his pardon from the emperor. 
 
94 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 Execrable truth ! He instigated these wretches, 
 he it was who set a price on my head ! ! \% 
 
 Wandering in the woods, hidden in the moun- 
 tains, I owe my life solely to the generous com- 
 passion which my misfortunes excited in the breasts 
 of three French officers ; they conveyed me to 
 Corsica, at the imminent peril of their lives. 
 
 Wretches there are who assert, that I have taken 
 away with me great treasures from Naples : do they 
 not know that when I received that kingdom in 
 exchange for my grand duchy of Berg, (which I 
 possessed in virtue of a solemn treaty) I brought 
 thither immense riches ? All was expended for the 
 
 * It will be remembered, that the trials of the parties con- 
 cerned in the plot to assassinate the First Consul, took place at 
 Paris, in the month of July, 1804. General Moreau was sen- 
 tenced to two years imprisonment ; Georges Cadoudal, M. de 
 Riviere, and sixteen others, were condemned to suffer death, 
 with confiscation of property. 
 
 It is a well-known fact, that M. de Riviere owed the pardon 
 which was extended to him by Napoleon, entirely to the interces- 
 sion of King Joachim and his consort. The king himself 
 informed me, that on a particular occasion, the queen, who had 
 been much affected at an interview which she had granted to 
 de Riviere's wife, passionately declared to her brother Napo- 
 leon, " that she woufdnot leavehis presence until he had granted 
 " her supplications in de Riviere's behalf." 
 
 On the 25th of July, Georges and his accomplices were guil- 
 lotined at the Place de Greve, and the Marquis de Riviere is at 
 this moment His Most Christian Majesty's ambassador at Con- 
 stantinople 1 ! owing his life to the intercession of this murdered 
 king and his widow, and the mercy of Napoleon i 
 
- 
 
 
 RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 95 
 
 improvement of my kingdom of Naples ! Has the 
 sovereign who has since been placed on that throne 
 recognised any of its former features ? Neither 
 myself nor my family now possess decent means of 
 subsistence. 
 
 I will ngt accept, Mr. Macirone, the conditions 
 which you are charged to offer me. I perceive 
 nothing in them, but an absolute abdication, on the 
 mere condition that / shall be permitted to exist, 
 but in eternal captivity, subjected to the arbitrary 
 action of the laws under a despotic government. 
 Is this moderation ? Is this justice ? Is this the 
 regard the respect due to an unfortunate monarch, 
 who has been formally acknowledged by all Europe, 
 and who in a very critical moment decided the cam- 
 paign of 1814, in favour of these very power s^ who, 
 now contrary to their own interests ^pursue him with 
 the overwhelming might of their persecutions ? 
 
 It is a well known truth that I drove back the 
 Austrians as far as the Po, only because I had been 
 persuaded by dint of intrigue that they were pre- 
 paring to attack me, though without the concurrence 
 of England. I judged it necessary to advance my 
 line of defence, and gain the people to my cause. 
 
 No one knows better than you, Mr. Macirone> 
 and Lord Bentinck himself, that I made the fatal 
 movement of retreat, only upon the declaration of 
 that general, that he felt himself obliged to support 
 the Austrians, since they had claimed his aid. You 
 are well aware of the causes which produced dis- 
 
96 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 order and desertion in my fine army. False reports 
 so artfully circulated of my death of the landing 
 of the English in Naples, the conduct of General 
 Pignatelli Strongoli ; in fine, the treachery of some 
 officers, who by their insinuations and example, 
 succeeded with perfidious art to augment discou- 
 ragement and desertion. 
 
 At this moment there does not exist a single 
 individual of that army who is not sensible of. his 
 errors. I am going to join them they all are 
 eager to see me again at their head. They, and every 
 class of my well beloved subjects, have preserved 
 to me their affections. 
 
 I have not abdicated. I have a right to recover my 
 crown^ if God gives me the force and the means.- 
 My presence on the throne of Naples could not 
 now be a subject of dread. It could no longer be 
 pretended that I corresponded with Napoleon, who 
 is at St. Helena. Much to the contrary. Both 
 England and Austria might reap advantages from it, 
 which they may in vain expect from the sovereign 
 whom it has pleased them to put in my place. 
 
 I indulge in these details, Mr. Macirone, because 
 it is to you that I am writing. Your conduct 
 towards me, your reputation, and your name, give 
 you claims to my candour and esteem. 
 
 You could not throw any obstacle in the way of 
 my departure, though such might be your desire. 
 By the time you receive this letter, I shall be well 
 advanced towards, my destination. I shall either 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 97 
 
 succeed, or terminate my misfortunes with my life. 
 1 have faced death a thousand and a thousand 
 times in fighting for my country : shall I not be 
 permitted to brave it once for myself? I tremble 
 only for the fate of my family. 
 
 I shall ever remember with pleasure the noble 
 and delicate manner in which you have fulfilled 
 your mission to me. It forms an agreeable con- 
 trast with the gratuitously insolent and revolting 
 behaviour of several other persons towards me^ who 
 neither possessed the powers nor consideration 
 which you enjoy. 
 
 I have given orders that your papers may be 
 returned to you. Whereupon, Mr. Macirone, I 
 pray God to have you in his holy keeping. 
 Signed in the original, 
 
 JOACHIM.^ 
 
 Previously to my taking leave of the king, he 
 observed that he owed me a considerable sum of 
 money for several journies which I had taken on 
 his account, from Italy to England, and for various 
 articles which I had purchased in England for the 
 
 * The two original letters of King Joachim to me, were 
 amongst my papers seized by order of the minister of police at 
 Paris, and are still detained ; but I had sent copies to England 
 from Toulon immediately on my return from Corsica, from 
 which I have transcribed the copies here given, which I verify 
 to be in conformity with the original. 
 
 N. B. For the original French, see Appendix (G). 
 H 
 
98 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 queen : for which I had not been reimbursed ; ll 
 added that for the present it was only in his 
 power simply to repay me, but he expressed a 
 hope that he should at a future time be enabled 
 to confer on me substantial proofs of his regard. 
 He observed that he had but a small quantity of 
 gold with him, but that he would give me a bill ; 
 and he then drew a bill for 40,000 francs, payable 
 to my order on a Mr. Barillon, banker at Paris ; 
 he then wrote a letter of advice, and signed 'them 
 both in my presence, and delivered them to me. 
 Consigning to the king the two servants, and the 
 trunk of clothes which I had brought for him, 
 I took leave of him, and retired to my lodgings. 
 
 The house in which I lodged was within a stone's 
 throw of the citadel, under the walls of which the 
 king's flotilla lay. At about one o'clock in the 
 morning I was aroused by the discharge of a gun, 
 apparently of small calibre, this was followed by 
 another, from a heavy piece of ordnance loaded 
 with shot. I immediately dressed myself, and 
 hastily repaired to the spot from whence the firing 
 proceeded. Before I could reach the beach at the 
 foot of the citadel, several other shots were fired. 
 I was alarmed for the safety of the king ; but I 
 soon discovered his little armament at some dis- 
 tance under sail. There were artillerymen upon 
 the batteries, with lighted matches, but no more 
 shots were fired. I spoke to a centinel on the 
 walls, of whom I enquired the cause of the firing, 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 99 
 
 &nd whether it had not been directed against the 
 king's vessels ? His answer was, " you may depend 
 " upon it, we took care to fire quite in a contrary 
 " direction ;" and added that " the first shot had 
 " been fired by the king's own vessel as a signal 
 "for getting, under weigh." On this information, 
 I returned to my apartments. 
 
 The first visit I received in the morning was 
 from the mayor^ of the city. He came to apprise 
 me officially of the departure of King Joachim, 
 who he informed me had sailed at one o'clock with 
 not more than 250 men, who however were all ve- 
 terans, and the most determined characters in the 
 island. This account was shortly confirmed to me by 
 the two M. Carabelli's. I was shortly after visited by 
 Colonel Delaforest, military commander in Ajaccio, 
 who informed me that from the first moment of the 
 arrival of King Joachim in that city, he had been 
 so entirely unable to controul his garrison, as not 
 to have it in his power to oppose the least obstacle 
 to the views and preparations of the king and his 
 friends. The utmost that he had been able to 
 
 * This gentleman's name was Martinenghi. By his firmness, 
 moderation, and conciliating conduct, he saved his country 
 from the horrors of civil war. With this benevolent intent he 
 remained at Ajaccio, on the approach of King Joachim, when 
 all the other magistrates abandoned their posts. I have since 
 learnt, that his stay in Ajaccio at that moment, has been 
 regarded as a non-participation in the hatred of the French 
 court to King Joachim, upon which pretext he has buffered 
 much persecution. 
 
 II 2 
 
100 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 effect, was having kept his men within the gates of 
 the citadel, but on the sailing of the expedition, he 
 thought it requisite at least to fire a few shots as a 
 sign of non-concurrence. That the soldiers loudly 
 exclaimed, that " the first who should put the match 
 " to a gun, would certainly be saluted by a volley 
 " from behind ;" at length he had succeeded in 
 persuading them to fire the few shots I heard, 
 although in a direction quite contrary to that of 
 the flotilla. He assured me that had he acted 
 towards his garrison with less policy and cautious 
 forbearance, they would have entirely broke from 
 his command, and thus have given a first impulse, 
 more than sufficient at that time, to create an 
 universal insurrection and revolt in the island. 
 
 At this moment a person brought me the letter, 
 addressed to me by the king, the contents of which 
 I communicated to the persons who were with 
 me; I immediately transmitted a copy to Prince 
 Metternich, and another to the minister of police 
 at Paris. I now felt that in conformity to my 
 engagement with Captain Bastard, it was neces- 
 sary that I should inform him of King Joachim's 
 departure ; I had been about to acquaint the king on 
 the preceding evening that I should have to perform 
 this unpleasant duty, when he quickly interrupted 
 me, by asking whether I supposed him so short- 
 sighted, as not to have foreseen the necessity of 
 providing against this circumstance ? and assured 
 me that I and my companions had no sooner passed 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 101 
 
 the defiles above Bogognano, than they were im- 
 mediately guarded so as effectually to prevent the 
 return of a single individual, or even of an army 
 back to Bastia. He added that they would con- 
 tinue to be guard&l until the evening after his der 
 parture,^ which would insure him the start of Cap- 
 tain Bastard by at least forty hours, which was more 
 
 than he desired. 
 
 ' 
 
 The occupation of the passes by the king's 
 friends, indeed, presented an impediment to any 
 communication with other parts of the island, which 
 could not have been overcome by a thousand of 
 the best troops in the world, if they had been at 
 toy disposal.-]* 
 
 It was mid-day before my dispatches were ready, 
 when a courier was .sent off with them, to whom 
 the king's friends, -who kept the passes, gave no 
 interruption, being fully pre-possessed with an idea 
 that any intelligence would have been conveyed by 
 
 * He sailed in the night between the 28th and 29th of 
 September. 
 
 t Most people are acquainted with the great strength and 
 inaccessibility, in a military point of view, of the island of Cor- 
 sica. I think it was in 1795, that in the vicinity of Bogognano, 
 400 British soldiers were arrested on their march by some Cor- 
 sicans, who defended their position in an old ruin for three 
 days, when from want they were obliged to capitulate, but on 
 the most honourable terms, and to the astonishment of the 
 English, they were found to be only thirteen in number. They 
 had killed or wounded fifty-seven English, including several 
 officers, amongst whom was the commander. 
 
102 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 the gens d'armes who had escorted me to Ajaccio, 
 Captain Bastard received my letter in thirty hours, 
 and in forty-two hours after the sailing of the king. 
 He immediately set sail in pursuit of him, but did 
 not overtake him. 
 
 I was detained at Ajaccio by contrary winds for 
 some days after the departure of the king. I then 
 sailed for Toulon, in a vessel which I had hired for 
 the voyage. At the time of the king's sailing^ as 
 well as for a considerable time before, the weather 
 had been uniformly fine and serene, but on the 
 night after his sailing, a violent storm dispersed his 
 little squadron, which, as I have already said, con- 
 sisted of five small vessels. The intention of the 
 king had been to land at Salerno, which is within 
 thirty miles of Naples, and where a considerable 
 number of old Neapolitan troops were re-organising. 
 On the storm subsiding, he found himself at the 
 entrance of the gulph of St. Euphemia, entirely sepa- 
 rated from the rest of his squadron. Thus situated, 
 he for reasons, with which I am not well acquainted, 
 decided on landing immediately in the vicinity of 
 Pizzo, in preference to returning towards Salerno 
 in search of the rest of his force. The felucca 
 which carried the king, was the smallest and the 
 swiftest of the flotilla. Besides sailors, the number 
 of persons on board, consisted of thirty-one, all ve- 
 teran officers, amongst whom was General Frances- 
 chetti. These, with the king at their head, who 
 was habited in a splendid uniform, landed withirj 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MtJRAT. 103 
 
 half a mile of the town of Pizzo, At this eventful 
 moment, the first who re-beheld the person of their 
 heroic but unfortunate sovereign, were a few sokliers, 
 called coast-guards, who from curiosity, or in exe- 
 cution of their duty, had repaired to the spot where 
 he landed. Some of the men immediately recog- 
 nised the king, and placing their shakos on their 
 bayonets, saluted him with the most enthusiastic 
 cheers. He now lost no time in proceeding with 
 his party to the town of Fizzo, and arrived at the 
 market place ; where he addressed the throng by 
 which he was surrounded. Many of the inhabitants 
 saluted him as king, and prepared to join him, the 
 rest manifested a degree of timidity and suspense. 
 He, however, did not think proper to wait there to 
 increase his force ; but having been supplied by the 
 inhabitants with a sufficient number of horses, im- 
 mediately proceeded towards Monteleone. 
 
 It may be necessary to observe that the principal 
 part of the town of Pizzo and its dependencies 
 belong to the Spanish grandee, the Duke del Infan- 
 tado. This circumstance naturally gives to the 
 agent of the cluke, who resides there, much influence 
 over the inhabitants. The king had no sooner 
 quitted the town than this agent of the cluke 
 harangued the people in the market-place, appealing 
 principally to their fears, and demanding whether 
 they could be aware of the dreadful punishment 
 and extermination to which they would be sub- 
 jected for not having opposed the progress of the 
 
104 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 invader. He thus contrived to induce several of 
 the people to take up arms, and place themselves 
 under his command. In the mean time King 
 Joachim was hastening towards Monteleone ;& he 
 had not, however, proceeded far before he was met 
 by a colonel of gens d'armes, named Trentacapelli, 
 who was on his way from Monteleone to Pizzo. 
 The king invited the colonel to join him, and pro- 
 ceed with him to Monteleone ; but the colonel, fear- 
 ing perhaps to confide in such apparent feeble 
 means, respectfully declined the proposal, and 
 pointing towards Monteleone, he- observed, " he 
 " would regard him as his sovereign, whose flag he 
 " should behold flying on the castles." On this 
 the king imprudently suffered him to proceed to 
 Pizzo, where he found the agent of the Duke del 
 Infantado using his utmost influence with the 
 people, to induce them to arm in the cause of Fer- 
 dinand. The arrival of the colonel gave a new 
 impulse to this measure ; he united his efforts and 
 authority to the persuasions and influence of the 
 agent, and without loss of time put himself at the head 
 
 * From the various and concurring accounts which I have 
 obtained from many respectable persons, who were at that time 
 at Naples, it appears that if the king had but reached Monte- 
 leone, the capital of the Calabrians, he would undoubtedly 
 have succeeded in his enterprise. The Calabrians were in a 
 most unsettled state ; and the dauntless warlike inhabitants 
 were greatly attached to King Joachim. They also detested 
 the Austrians, who had not been able to obtain the least footing 
 in the country. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 105 
 
 of a strong party, and hastened to pursue the king, 
 who by this time had got half way to Monteleone. 
 The colonel and his party had not proceeded far 
 from the town, before his approach was perceived 
 by King Joachim, whose ruin was at this moment 
 consummated by a most fatal mistake. It occurred 
 to the king and his followers, that the armed 
 party, which from their elevated situation, they 
 could see at a considerable distance, had been col- 
 lected by Colonel Trentacapelli with the intention 
 of joining them. With this idea the king sus- 
 pended his march, thinking it more advisable to 
 await this expected reinforcement, previous to his 
 entrance into the city of Moiteleone. On the 
 nearer approach of these supposed friends, the 
 king advanced some steps to meet them, and some 
 of his little troop shouted, "vivail ReGioachino!" 
 when to their surprise they were answered by a 
 volley of musquetry. A sharp contest immediately 
 ensued ; the king's party fought desperately, some 
 of them were killed, and many wounded. It was 
 not possible for thern entirely to disperse a force so 
 superior in point of numbers, and they could not 
 advance to Monteleone with these enemies in their 
 rear ; the king therefore determined to regain his 
 vessel. Followed by General Franceschetti and 
 about twelve others, he rushed through the thickest 
 of his enemies, of whom he slew several with his 
 own hand, and discharged his last pistol in the face 
 of Colonel Trentacapelli, but without killing him, 
 
106 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 The hostile party were astonished by this daring 
 attack, and thrown into confusion, when the king 
 profiting by their consternation, pushed forward 
 and reached the beach, where he had left his vessel, 
 himself unhurt, though all the others were wounded. 
 At this moment he would undoubtedly have 
 been saved, if his vessel had been there to receive 
 him, but she was standing out to sea. The com- 
 mander, Captain Barbara, had heard the firing 
 between the king and his pursuers, and con- 
 sulting only his own safety, left the coast, and 
 abandoned the king to his fate. In this desperate 
 situation the king threw himself into the water 
 and gained a fishing-boat which lay close at hand. 
 Franceschetti and the rest followed him. The 
 boat was unfortunately aground, and the king's 
 efforts to push it off proved ineffectual. Finding 
 this boat immoveable, the king again threw him- 
 self into the sea and got into another, a very small 
 one, which was about twenty yards distant from 
 the other. By this time the beach was crowded 
 by the king's pursuers, but none of them now 
 attempted to fire at him, nor dared to approach 
 him, all stood gazing at him in astonishment, and 
 in the little boat he might have escaped, but it was 
 unfortunately fastened to the shore, and he could 
 not disengage the rope. The fisherman to whom it 
 belonged, perhaps from the fear of losing it, at 
 length seized the head and pulled it towards the 
 beach, while one of his companions waded into 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 107 
 
 sea, got into the boat, and attempted to seize the 
 king, who struck the fellow on the head with his 
 fist, and knocked him overboard. Numbers now 
 followed the example of the two fishermen, and 
 the boat was completely surrounded, but still no 
 one attempted to offer violence to the king's person. 
 He stood up unarmed in the midst of his assailants, 
 intreating them to suffer him to depart, and as a 
 last hope, produced his passport for Trieste. Finding 
 his persuasions and resistance useless, he was 
 constrained to deliver himself into the hands of 
 his enemies. 
 
 The intelligence of the event was immediately 
 conveyed by telegraph to Naples. The military 
 commander of the district, lately placed there by 
 King Ferdinand, received orders by the same expe- 
 ditious conveyance to assemble a court martial to 
 try King Joachim. The trial was very summary; 
 the king received his sentence with a smile of con- 
 tempt and indignation. He wrote a most affec- 
 tionate farewell letter to his wife and children, 
 which he earnestly begged might be safely deli- 
 vered. He declared that he thought it incumbent 
 upon him to die in the profession of the religion in 
 which he had been educated, and requested the 
 assistance of a clergyman, from whom he received 
 the Eucharist. He had upon his person a portrait 
 of his queen and children, which he placed upon 
 his breast ; and refusing to sit upon a stool which 
 was offered him, or to have his eyes covered, he 
 
108 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 smiled upon his executioners, and received the fatal 
 fire. 
 
 Thus fortune was for once adverse to courage, 
 and the blood of a hero was permitted to be 
 lawlessly, uselessly, and inhumanly shed, by a 
 sovereign who had never been wronged by his vic- 
 tim. Plis death was ignominious only to his ene- 
 mies. Those who had been his subjects will revere 
 his memory. France may reproach it for the t evils 
 to which lie unintentionally contributed, and Eu- 
 rope will for a time be insensible of the ingratitude 
 he experienced, in consequence of a feigned or un- 
 founded belief in the double perfidies which 
 were imputed to him ;# but when the book of truth 
 shall be unfolded, it will appear that the errors of Mu- 
 rat were not errors of his heart, and that the treachery 
 
 * An attempt was made by Lord Cast]ereagh in the House of 
 Commons to prove King Joachim was carrying on a perfidious 
 correspondence with Napoleon, during the time he was engaged 
 to act with the allies ; but Mr. Hobhouse, in his Letters, has de- 
 monstrated the fraudulent character of the documents produced 
 in support of that allegation, and convicted the king's enemies 
 of forgeries to deceive .the British minister. 
 
 Two letters were also brought forward as authority to justify 
 the refusal of the king's recognition after the peace of 1814 ; 
 but were Lord William Bentinck and Genera] Nugent qualified 
 judges to sanction the dethronement of a sovereign who had 
 remonstrated against their proceedings ? and if their accusation 
 were to have such important consequences, ought they to have 
 been required in a secret correspondence, which afforded no 
 opportunity to the accused to vindicate himself? 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MTJRAT* 109 
 
 of which he was accused, never dishonoured his 
 courage, or true nobility of mind. 
 
 I was detained at Ajaccio, as I have before men- 
 tioned, by contrary winds for some days after King 
 Joachim's expedition had sailed, and I did not arrive 
 at Toulon, on my way to Paris, until the 12th of 
 October, when being obliged to perform quarantine, 
 I took advantage of this delay in my journey, to 
 send by the post to Prince Metternich, and to the 
 French minister of police copies of King Joachim's 
 proclamations, and of the other documents which I 
 had received from him ; and my money having fallen 
 short and not having provided myself with letters of 
 credit on Toulon, I was further constrained to await 
 the arrival of a remittance from Paris. 
 
 During the period of my quarantine I was request- 
 ed by M. Latourette, the sub-prefect of Toulon, in 
 the name of the prefect of the department, to furnish 
 some account of the circumstances of King Joa- 
 chim's departure from Corsica ; I immediately 
 signified my readiness to comply with his wishes, 
 and for that purpose I was invited to repair from 
 the Lazaret to the Quarantine Parlatory, which is 
 situated in the port of Toulon. I communicated 
 to the sub-prefect all I knew on the subject, and 
 I permitted him to take copies of the various docu- 
 ments which had any relation to the transaction. 
 
 There was present at the conversation, besides 
 M. De Latourette and his secretary, another indivi- 
 dual, of a most forbidding appearance, who frequent- 
 
110 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 ly introduced his remarks and observations, in a 
 manner and with an air of importance which excited 
 my attention. This person, whose name was Bar- 
 thelemy,^ informed me with the greatest self-compla- 
 cency that he had used his utmost efforts to effect 
 the destruction of King Joachim when he was con- 
 cealed in the vicinity of Toulon, and gave me an 
 account of the nocturnal expedition to the house 
 they suspected he occupied, and which I have al- 
 ready related ; on which humane but unsuccessful 
 enterprise he informed me he had had the honour 
 to accompany M. Mocau. In order to sound this 
 miscreant, I asked him how, with the knowledge they 
 must have had of the king's personal courage and 
 prowess, they could ever expect to take him alive ? 
 In reply to which he did not hesitate to assure me 
 that this was never expected or intended. He said 
 it was well known that the king carried about his 
 person diamonds to the value of several millions of 
 francs. At the mention of this property I observed 
 that it appeared to me the persecution which the 
 king had suffered might be very much attributed 
 to the zeal of his enemies to possess themselves of 
 
 * This man in the year 1796 was the friend and coadjutor of 
 the notorious Jourdan Coupetete, President of the Revolution- 
 ary Tribunal at Orange. Barthelemy now kept a small earthen- 
 ware shop, and enjoyed the unlimited confidence of the emigrant 
 Count de Lardenoy, commander of Toulon. He could arrest 
 any person he thought proper by virtue of an ad libitum writ- 
 ten authority from this governor. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MtTRAT. Ill 
 
 his supposed riches ; and I added that it was 
 surprising to me, that a few individuals in obscure 
 situations should of their own authority have taken 
 those measures against the king, at the very time 
 the allied powers were occupied in providing for 
 his safety, and had dispatched me to him with the 
 offer of an asylum. To this observation M. Bar- 
 thelemy answered, that I was very much mistaken, 
 if I supposed that himself or his companions had 
 acted without authority ; he assured me that the Mar- 
 quis de Riviere, as well as the British commander 
 at Marseilles, had each offered a reward of twenty 
 thousand francs as a stimulus to their exertions in 
 the pursuit of the king. I affected to doubt this 
 assertion, and addressing myself to the secretary of 
 the sub-prefect, I interrogated him as to its accuracy. 
 He in the presence of at least a dozen persons, most 
 of whom were official characters, instantly confirmed 
 the declaration of the sub-prefect, as a circumstance 
 of public notoriety, which seemed, in his opinion, to 
 refect much honour upon the personages by whom 
 the rewards had been offered, and which confirmed, 
 as he said, the brave and zealous royalists of Mar- 
 seilles and Toulon, in the conviction of their having 
 acted in perfect coincidence with the views of their 
 royal court. 
 
 I had been released from quarantine, and was 
 anxiously waiting the return of the post from Paris, 
 with a remittance, when I unexpectedly received a 
 message from M. Rosily, special commissary .of 
 
JI2 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 police at Toulon, by which I was informed that 
 the Marquis de Riviere, who commanded the de- 
 partment of B ouches du Rhone^ wished to see me 
 at Marseilles, for the purpose, as M. Rosily suppos- 
 ed, of obtaining information concerning the state of 
 Corsica, since the marquis had recently received a 
 commission to organize and consolidate the govern- 
 ment of that island, previous to his proceeding on 
 his embassy to Constantinople, to which he had been 
 then lately appointed. I waited on M. Rosily, 
 who informed me that the marquis had been at 
 Toulon two days before, and had endeavoured to 
 persuade the Count de Lardenoy, the governor, to 
 arrest me, and that the count had intimated to him 
 (M. Rosily) an intention of complying with the 
 marquis's wish, but that he, M. Rosily, declared to 
 the count that such matters rested with himself, 
 who was at the head of the police, and that he 
 thought it his duty to protest against such a violent 
 measure in regard to a person who was invested 
 with a diplomatic character; and that if the governor 
 thought proper to send hisgens d'armesto molest my 
 person, he should dispatch a greater number to pro- 
 
 * The Marquis de Riviere enjoyed the unbounded confidence 
 and support of King Louis. His power and his functions in the 
 south of France were unlimited and undefined . In these he 
 was occasionally strengthened by the benign influence of the 
 Duke d'Angouleme's presence. The occurrences at Avignon, 
 Nismes, #c. are proofs of the mildness with which this conjoint 
 power was exec.vted. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 113 
 
 tect me. M. Rosily, was however so far influenced 
 by the Marquis de Riviere, as to insist upon my 
 immediately quitting Toulon. I assured him that 
 the only obstacle for my so doing was the want of 
 money, and I requested twenty-four hours further 
 delay to supply that deficiency. 
 
 Our conversation now turned upon various sub- 
 jects, and I took an opportunity of questioning M. 
 Rosily concerning the persecution of King Joa- 
 chim, I received from this magistrate an entire 
 confirmation of what I had learnt from Barthelemy. 
 He assured me that he was well acquainted with a 
 person, whom he named, who was suspected of 
 knowing his (Joachim's) retreat, and who had re- 
 ceived from Lord Exmouth the promise of a reward 
 of a thousand Louis for the seizure of Joachims 
 person^ but that the bribe was nobly refused. 
 
 On quitting M. Rosily, I had the good fortune 
 to meet with a person, who from having some pre- 
 vious knowledge of me, was so obliging as to fur- 
 nish me with a hundred pounds on my bill on Pa- 
 ris ; and while I was preparing for my departure one 
 of the principal magistrates of Toulon, whose name 
 for obvious reasons I must suppress, waited on me 
 for the purpose of cautioning me against placing 
 myself in the power of the Marquis de Riviere. I 
 thanked him for his kindness and humanity, but at 
 the same time assured him that being conscious of 
 no fault, and feeling perfectly secure in my public 
 capacity, whatever might be the disposition of 
 
114 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 the marquis, I was at all events sure of the pro- 
 tection of Lord Exmouth, the commander in 
 chief of the British forces in the Mediterranean 
 then residing at Marseilles. Thus circumstanced 
 I did not hesitate in proceeding to Marseilles, 
 though I might have avoided that city and have 
 reached Paris by a different route. 
 
 I left Toulon on the 21st of October, and arrived 
 at Marseilles on the same day. As I reached the first 
 houses of the town my carriage was surrounded by 
 gens d'armes, who signified to me that I was arrest- 
 ed, and that they had orders to conduct me to the 
 Marquis de Riviere. My postillion observed it 
 was to the house of the marquis that I had already 
 ordered him to drive. 
 
 The marquis received me with politeness, but 
 with his well known smile. I proceeded to expos- 
 tulate with him on the unnecessary and unwar- 
 rantable violence with which I was treated, and 
 requested him to inform me what crime was laid to 
 my charge. He gave me no direct answer, but 
 ordered one of his attendants immediately to go to 
 Lord Exmouth's, and enquire if his lordship was at 
 home and could receive him. The marquis then 
 left the room, and soon after returned dressed in 
 uniform. He still avoided coming to an explana- 
 tion with me respecting my arrest.. The person 
 who had been sent to Lord Exmouth's soon returned, 
 and informed the marquis that Lord Exmouth 
 would be glad to receive him. The marquis left 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 115 
 
 me in the company of an aid-de-camp and some 
 officers of the national guard, and after a lapse of 
 nearly two hours he returned, accompanied by the 
 special commissary of police of Marseilles, whose 
 name was Rosiez, also in full uniform. 
 
 They now proceeded to interrogate me as to 
 the object of my journey to Corsica. I answered 
 by exhibiting my passport and credentials, which 
 they confessed were perfectly regular. The mar- 
 quis then proceeded to reproach me with having 
 assisted a traitor and an enemy to France. I 
 had been, he said, the original instigator of the 
 generous measures adopted by the Emperor of 
 Austria in favour of King Joachim, who I had 
 thus screened from the vengeance of the French 
 government. He moreover reproached me for 
 having manifested a friendly disposition on my 
 return to Toulon for M. Donnadieu,^ who was 
 
 * The case of this meritorious officer, equally distinguished 
 for his courage and literary acquirements, as well as for his 
 unassuming modesty and goodness of heart, may justly be 
 cited as an example of the capriciousness of fortune, and the 
 frequent inefficiency of merit unsupported by patronage. M. 
 Donnadieu has served his country upwards of twenty years. He 
 distinguished himself at the siege of St. Juan d'Acre ; and at trie 
 battle of the Nile, he was one of the few who escaped from on 
 board the L'Orient, saving many of his shipmates at the 
 risk of his own life. At the buttle of Trafalgar he fought 
 bravely on board the French admiral's ship. At one time 
 he was the only person left standing on the qwarter-deck ex- 
 
 I 2 
 
116 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 one of the three officers who had conveyed 
 King Joachim to Corsica. I answered that in 
 the transaction to which he alluded, I was by 
 no means the responsible person. The Duke of 
 Wellington, Prince Metternich, the French minis- 
 ters, were the persons who ought to bear any 
 odium he might attach to the object of my 
 mission, which had been resolved upon in the 
 general council of the allied ministers. 1 ob- 
 served further, I had merely been Prince Metter- 
 nich's deputy, and that I had executed my 
 
 eept Admiral Villeneuve. He afterwards saved the ship when 
 driven on a rock at the mouth of Cadiz harbour, during the 
 dreadful storm which ensued, by volunteering to go onshore 
 for assistance in a little canoe which was found in the hold of 
 the ship. Shortly after this period, despairing of promotion in 
 the navy he entered the army. He distinguished himself at 
 the battles of Austerlitz and Wagrarn, and was with the army 
 of Marshal Massena in Portugal. After having served with 
 honour in the cam paign in Poland and in Russia, he re-entered 
 the navy. When it was proposed to him to assist in the escape of 
 King Joachim to Corsica, he consented from the purest motives 
 of generosity, and afterwards refused to receive the slightest 
 remuneration from the king, although his means were slender, 
 having nothing but his pay as lieutenant to subsist on. From 
 Bastia, he returned to Toulon in the packet, and happening to 
 be in quarantine at the same time with myself, I accidentally 
 became acquainted with him. During his absence from Tou- 
 lon he had been cashiered without trial by a royal decree, in 
 , which, however, his crime was not mentioned. My offence was 
 
 having afforded him the aid and attention which his necessities 
 required. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 1 \7 
 
 mission with zeal and activity. " That zeal and 
 " activity/' said he, interrupting me, " is the 
 " strongest feature in your guilt : you know that 
 " Murat was on the point of meeting with the 
 ' punishment due to his crimes, and of falling a 
 ' sacrifice to divine justice, if you had not res- 
 " cued him from our power, and obtained for 
 " him a safe retreat. You are an enemy to France 
 " and to your country, for having espoused the 
 " cause of a traitor to both." I asked this fanatic 
 by what act King Joachim had wronged the 
 King of France, and by what decree or public 
 order he had been declared an enemy ? To which 
 he made no answer. I was then desired to deliver 
 up my papers, which I refused to do, although 
 I had none which could possibly compromise 
 myself or any other person ; but I vehemently 
 protested against the lawless violence with which 
 I was treated. My resistance, however, was use- 
 less, for by the order of the marquis I was seized 
 by three gens d'armes, and minutely searched in 
 his presence ; every part of my carriage and ef- 
 fects were also carefully examined, as were the 
 person and baggage of my servant. 
 
 While these atrocities were committing I ob- 
 served to the marquis and to the commissary of 
 police, that they could not be aware of the con- 
 sequence of these wanton outrages upon an in- 
 nocent Englishman, whose papers were so per- 
 fectly regular and unexceptionable. I said I should 
 
118 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 certainly meet with protection from Lord 
 Exmouth, who in quality of British commander 
 in chief at Marseilles, would undoubtedly examine 
 my case, and not connive at my being punished, 
 perhaps murdered, unheard. The marquis noticed 
 this only by a contemptuous sneer, and I was seized 
 by the gens d'armes, who hound my arms with 
 the straps of their carbines, and dragged me through 
 the town for more than a mile in a most violent 
 rain without my hat, which they had kept to exa- 
 mine. Having at length arrived at the prison, I 
 was led through several low passages with innu- 
 merable iron doors and grates and massy bolts, and 
 safely lodged in a stone cell seven feet square. 
 My servant, as I afterwards learnt, was placed in 
 another cell at no great distance from mine. Here 
 the doors were all closed upon me, and I was 
 left without light or food, of which I stood much 
 in need. At about midnight I was visited by the 
 gaoler, who informed me that according to the 
 regulations of the prison I could only be pro- 
 vided with bread and water, and straw to lay on ; 
 but that if I felt inclined to pay well for it he 
 would furnish me with better food and a mattress. 
 Of course I agreed to his terms, and after taking 
 some refreshment retired to rest. In the middle of 
 the night I was awoke by the noise of unfastening 
 the bolts and locks of the doors which led towards my 
 cell, the door of which was presently opened and 
 my bed surrounded by gens d'armes and gaolers. I 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 119 
 
 immediately conjectured that I was destined to 
 share the fate of many other innocent persons who 
 had been assassinated by these Marseiilian ruffians ; 
 and my only hope was that I might be able to 
 possess myself of one of their weapons and sell my 
 life as dearly as possible. I was, however, mistaken ; 
 for after having made me walk naked about my 
 cell, and having searched my boots and clothes, the 
 liends left me. 
 
 Several days now elapsed without my seeing 
 any other person than my gaoler, who was as 
 rough a Cerberus as ever had the custody of similar 
 gates. I was refused pen \, ink, paper, fire, candle, 
 knife and fork, or any thing metallic, excerpt a leaden 
 spoon, and I was neither allowed to shave myself 
 or to be shaved. 
 
 On the 27th of October, my first examination took 
 place. I was conducted to a distant part of the prison, 
 and ushered into a small room, the door of which 
 was guarded by gens dWmes with fixed bayonets. 
 Here I found assembled the three commissioners 
 charged with my examination. The special commis- 
 sary of police, Rossiez, a colonel of gens d'armes, 
 and an aide-de-camp of the Marquis de Riviere, who 
 acted as rapporteur. I was invited to take a seat 
 at the table, every scrap of paper which had been in 
 rny possession was now produced,. and I was re- 
 quired to identify them separately. 
 
 On their commencing to interrogate me as to 
 my life and conduct from the time of my birth, 
 
120 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 I desired to be informed what crime was imputed 
 to me, and I received for answer that I must con- 
 form to the rules of the police, if ever I wished to 
 re-behold the light of the sun. I now most so- 
 lemnly protested against this impious inquisitorial 
 system, particularly as it was applied to me, not 
 only an Englishman without charge of offence, 
 but in violation of the laws of nations, as I was em- 
 ployed in the most sacred of all duties, and protected 
 moreover by authentic credentials and passports. I 
 however proceeded to inform the inquisitors, that to 
 remove every pretext for mystery, and to convince 
 them I had nothing to conceal, I would con- 
 sent to give them any explanation they might de- 
 sire. They then proceeded to re-interrogate me 
 with the utmost minuteness concerning my life 
 and actions, from the time of my birth to that day. 
 The absurdity of some of their questions afforded me 
 not a little amusement, and I could not refrain from 
 occasionally smiling at them. I accounted for all my 
 papers, and for every part of my public arid pri- 
 vate conduct in the most clear and satisfactory 
 manner, and after having done so, I observed to 
 the inquisitors, that they could no longer have any 
 pretext for preventing my writing to LordExmouth, 
 whose interference and protection I felt confident 
 of obtaining. The commissary and colonel both 
 answered with a sneer, that they had not the 
 slightest objection to my writing to LordExmouth, 
 and added, that I had better at the same time 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 121 
 
 write to the Duke d'Angouleme, who was at that 
 very time in Marseilles. I immediately wrote to Lord 
 Exmouth, the Marquis de Riviere, and the Duke 
 d'Angouleme, and consigned my letters to the 
 care of the aide-de-camp, who engaged to have 
 them safely delivered. I have not been able to 
 preserve a copy of either of my letters to the two 
 last named personages, but they were both similarly 
 worded. To Lord Exmouth I gave a general out- 
 line of my case, and as an Englishman claimed 
 his protection, so far as to have the power of 
 relating to him my story I begged him to exa- 
 mine into my character and conduct, to have me 
 tried and hung if I deserved it, but not to suffer 
 me to be punished, not only without defence and 
 conviction, but even accusation. 
 
 The next day I was visited by the aide-de-camp, 
 who assured me, that he had seen my letters to 
 Lord Exmouth and the Duke D'Angouleme de- 
 livered by the Marquis de Riviere himself on the 
 preceding evening at the theatre. 
 
 On the 1st of November, I received the follow- 
 ing letter from Lord Exmouth : 
 
 Boyne, off Marseilles, 1st November, 1815. 
 SIR, 
 
 I have to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 letter of this date, and not having had the honour 
 of any previous communication with you, I cannot 
 forbear to express my SURPRIZE, that under this 
 
INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 consideration you should now call upon me for 
 protection. I have just had a conference with the 
 Marquis de Riviere, from whom I learn that your 
 request to proceed to Paris will be complied with . 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 (Signed) EXMOUTH. 
 
 To Colonel Macir one, fyc. fyc.fyc. 
 
 My readers may easily imagine what my sen- 
 sations were on the receipt of this letter. If his lord- 
 ship did not think it right to interfere in my be- 
 half, he might at least have told me so in inoffen- 
 sive terms, but to excuse himself from interference 
 on the ground of my not having sooner commu- 
 nicated with him, knowing as he did that from 
 the first moment of my arrival at Marseilles, I 
 had been a close prisoner, denied all intercourse 
 with society, and deprived of the use of pen, ink, 
 and paper, was a mockery which might have 
 been spared his own dignity and my feelings. If 
 it had happened that I had not availed myself of 
 the first opportunity to communicate with Lord 
 Exmouth, (and I might not have thought it neces- 
 sary in passing through Marseilles, to communi- 
 cate with his lordship at all, had I met with 
 MO impediment on my journey ;) if I had even 
 been guilty of a slight breach of etiquette towards 
 his lordship, is he prepared to say that this 
 would have been a justifiable reason for his re- 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 123 
 
 fusing to protect a British subject against the vio- 
 lent outrage and persecution of which I complained? 
 But it appears by his lordship's letter, that he had 
 *' just had" a conference with the Marquis de 
 Riviere, from whom he had learnt that my re- 
 quest to proceed to Paris would be complied 
 with; from which I suppose it was intended I 
 should infer that his lordship had interfered in 
 my behalf. What the nature of this interference 
 might have been I know not, but it obtained for 
 me not the permission of proceeding unmolested 
 on my journey, as the language might imply, but 
 the special favour of being sent forward (with my 
 own carriage indeed, and at my own expense) in 
 the custody of two persons appointed by the police. 
 After I received the letter from Lord Exmouth, 
 I heard that a British consul had arrived at Mar- 
 seilles, and I wrote with a pencil on some blank 
 leaves which I tore from a book, three notes, which 
 I addressed to the English consul. These I at- 
 tached^ to the end of a rod and projected through 
 my double grating, and contrived to drop into a 
 passage which I had conjectured was a public 
 thoroughfare . The papers, k seems, fell into the 
 hands of a sentinel, wtto was placed under my 
 grating, and on the following day I was deprived 
 of my books. 
 
 It must not, however, be supposed that the sys- 
 tem of moral torture which I was enduring is sanc- 
 tioned by the laws of France. Torture of every spe- 
 
124 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 cies was abolished by Louis 1 6th, and that sovereign 
 ratified the decree of the National Convention, which 
 protected the subject from arbitrary arrest and illegal 
 detention, by a clause which obliged the magistrates 
 to release all persons who could not be legally 
 committed, according to prescribed form of exa- 
 mination, within twenty-four hours after seizure. 
 
 This same decree authorized the accused to have 
 the assistance of an advocate during the examina- 
 tion, and intercourse with his relations and friends. 
 
 The Code Napoleon cancelled none of these sti- 
 pulations in favour of the accused. The most 
 strained construction of the spirit or letter of the 
 enactments of that code, cannot elicit warrant for 
 the practice of immuring a suspected person in a 
 solitary dungeon ; separating him from his wife, 
 children, and connections, depriving him of all legal 
 assistance, regulating his treatment and diet so as 
 to promote the subjection of his mind by languor 
 of body, until the victim, prostrated by the treat- 
 ment sacrifices his duty as a citizen to the impulse 
 of his affections, and frequently has been obliged to 
 frustrate the restoration of social endearment, by 
 confessions which place future liberty and life at 
 the disposal of the persecutors. 
 
 Now charges are never communicated to the pri- 
 soner until his own confessions have enabled the 
 judge of instruction to draw out the warrant, and 
 the prisoner is then sent to trial with a record of self- 
 condemnation, and the preliminary process of inter- 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 
 
 rogatories, in which power and subtlety have exerted 
 every means to intimidate and confound. 
 
 Modern justice in France seems to have no object 
 but to destroy. And since loss of life was found 
 to be desired by some unhappy men, as a relief from 
 so much suffering as France was enduring, words 
 and forms introduced in the Code Napoleon to in- 
 spire terror^ but which had never been accompanied 
 by deed, supplied the bloody authority for mutila- 
 tions antecedent to death. * 
 
 The lessons of adversity are said to humanize the 
 heart ; but alas ! she has found some too impenetra- 
 ble to her tears or her philosophy. 
 
 The course of proceeding in the French system 
 of judicature as at present practised is as follows : 
 
 1st. The accused suspected or devoted person, is 
 arrested without assigned motive, either by word 
 or writing. 
 
 2d. Detention in solitude, until so much offence 
 is admitted as the judge thinks sufficient to justify 
 the issue of the warrant for detention, and afford 
 means for the conduct of the prosecution. 
 
 3d. Permission to communicate in public with 
 counsel and friends, but no security against seizure 
 
 * The hands of Tolleron, Plignier, and Carbonnau were suc- 
 cessively cut off, before the axe was suffered to terminate the 
 miseries of one of the unhappy culprits, 
 
126 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 of memoranda and papers necessary for the defence 
 of the accused.-* 
 
 4th. Admission of written depositions from 
 parties turning king's evidence, although those 
 same parties have been removed by the police to 
 deprive the accused of the right guaranteed by the 
 law to cross-examine them in court.-\ 
 
 5th. Examination of the accused in court by the 
 judges in the spirit of counsel against the pri- 
 soner /J 
 
 6th. Incase of a verdict of acquittal, remand 
 of prisoner for one month, on the plea that the 
 Procureur du Roi may consider whether he will 
 move for a new trial, when no such intention existed 
 or could exist. || 
 
 In this analysis of the abuses of the law in France, 
 no notice has been taken of the preliminary arbi- 
 
 * This practice is constant, and when an Englishman was in 
 prison (Mr. Smith) all the notes with which he was preparing 
 his defence, were seized and sent to the King's attorney gene- 
 ral to enable him to frame his prosecution by them ! ! But 
 Mr. Smith's courage was not to be subdued, and the ven- 
 geance of the French government was finally baffled. 
 
 f Vide proof in the State Trials. 
 
 J Every Englishman who attended proceedings at the French 
 tribunals, has been disgusted at such shameless abuse of the 
 judicial functions and character. 
 
 || The cases of acquittal are rare, but this is the practice in 
 all cases connected with opinion. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 127 
 
 trary operations of the police, which are under no 
 cognizance but those of the minister of that depart- 
 ment. 
 
 This horrible engine of despotism, which respects 
 no statute, no moral obligation, and none of the 
 decencies of society ; which withers honour, blasts 
 confidence, and crushes all individual liberty ; which 
 generates and nourishes crime for " scaffold proofs" 
 of its vigilance, and renegade royalty, which is the 
 horror of France and the reproach of the age, has at 
 length lanced a parricide sting against the parent 
 bosom of the ultras, and the complaints of a Mr. 
 Robert, sty ling himself a Fidel Ami du Roi, " quand 
 meme!" as well as the editor of a paper bearing that 
 title, has excited an attention which the previous 
 wrongs of above a hundred thousand men could not 
 engage.* 
 
 Happy England ! who still possesses the palladi- 
 
 * A report has been made by the minister of police, Des 
 Cazes, to the Chamber of Deputies, in which he pretends that 
 only three hundred and fifty persons have been arrested by his 
 authority since the return of the king. There may be some 
 trick of words, some subtlety of legal terms and forms to bear 
 out this declaration, but the fact is indisputable, that above one 
 hundred and forty thousand persons have been taken up in 
 France since the epoch stated. I appeal to Messrs. Wilson, 
 Bruce, and Hutchinson, if above seven thousand prisoners did 
 not enter La Force during the time of their confinement, 
 coming from the prisons of the Prefecture of Police ; and if above 
 one hundred and forty in one night were not occasionally sent ? 
 I appeal to all the Englishmen who visited these gentlemen, or 
 who have since had the opportunity of inspecting the French 
 
128 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 um of public and private liberty, in the right of 
 petitions, the bill of Habeas Corpus, and the 
 liberty of the press, but much wronged England, 
 in having been made the founder and Janissary guard 
 of a tyranny more odious, because under the desig- 
 nation of " Legitimate" it mocks the understanding 
 as well as the rights of mankind ! 
 
 Having failed in my attempt to inform the British 
 consul of my situation, and the extraordinary letjter 
 of Lord Exmouth having precluded all hope of his 
 interference in my behalf, I regarded resistance 
 as fruitless, and submitted with resignation to the 
 tyranny of my persecutors. I must, however, not 
 omit to mention a circumstance which aggravated 
 my misfortune, by making me the instrument of 
 injury to others. 
 
 In passing through Marseilles on my way to 
 Toulon, I had been accosted by a gentleman who 
 having known me at Naples, kindly made me a 
 tender of his services. I inserted his name and 
 address in my pocket-book. This address being- 
 discovered by the inquisitors, I was questioned 
 as to the cause of my having it in my possession. $ 
 
 prisons in Paris, or in the departments, if the prisons were not 
 choked with victims ? The truth is, that where Napoleon 
 arrested one, Louis has arrested fifteen or even more. 
 
 Let legitimacy, for its honour, contradict this statement with 
 proofs, if it can. 
 
 * I was forced to account most minutely for every word or 
 line of writing that was found upon me or amongst my effects. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 
 
 I explained the circumstance, and while I was 
 doing so I observed M. Rossiez, the commissary 
 of the police, say something to the. colonel of 
 the gens d'armes, and I distinctly heard the 
 colonel reply that he would give orders for his being 
 arrested that night. I afterwards learnt that my cour- 
 teous friend at Marseilles, merely in consequence 
 of his name being found in my pocket-book had 
 been arrested, and kept upwards of a month in close 
 confinement. 
 
 * A young actress of Toulon, whose name and 
 address were also found in the same unlucky pocket- 
 book, shared a similar fate. 
 
 I had now been confined between two and three 
 weeks with almost undiminished rigor ; for although 
 I had obtained the special privilege of burning the 
 lights which I had provided for my carriage lamps, 
 and purchasing a breakfast and a hot dinner at the 
 expence of about a Napoleon a day, I still was 
 denied the use of any other implement than a leaden 
 spoon. The weather was extremely cold, and 
 being without fire I was obliged in order to keep 
 myself warm to measure perpetually, until I was 
 giddy, the five short steps which I was enabled to 
 take from corner to corner of my cell. 
 
 The latter period of my confinement at Mar- 
 seilles was rendered particularly dreary by the 
 knowledge I then had of the unhappy fate of him 
 on whose account I was suffering. No sooner had 
 the news of King Joachim's murder reached Mar- 
 
130 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 seilles, than the Marquis de Riviere hastened to dis- 
 patch his aid-de-camp to my dungeon with the 
 intelligence. This aid-de-camp was the man who 
 officiated as rapporteur to the commissioners 
 charged with my examination. He had all along 
 evinced the greatest rancour towards me, and he now 
 entered with savage exultation into a minute ac- 
 count of King Joachim's death, reading to me a 
 part of the letter, which in his last moments he ad- 
 dressed to his wife and children. It will not appear 
 surprising that I should have been deeply affected 
 by the recital ; not being able to suppress my emo- 
 tion I gave vent to my tears, which drew from this 
 dastardly aid-de-camp an observation " that he who 
 u could feel so much affliction at the just punishment 
 " of a traitor, could not himself be otherwise than 
 " a very bad subject" (unfort mauvais sujet*) 
 
 I think it was about the 10th November, that I 
 was summoned to be ready by midnight to set 
 oui for Paris. I enquired whether my servant 
 would not be allowed to accompany me, as I pre- 
 sumed there was no cause of complaint against 
 him, but to my great surprise, I was answered by 
 the aid-de-camp in the negative who allowed that 
 my servant had given a very satisfactory account of 
 himself for the last eight years of his life> but 
 that previously his character and conduct were not 
 quite clear! ! This anecdote must appear highly 
 improbable to those who are not acquainted with 
 that iniquitous system which I have already de- 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 131 
 
 scribed, but it is strictly true, and in perfect con- 
 formity with the general spirit of its proceedings. 
 
 When the time fixed for my departure arrived, 
 I was conducted from the prison gate to my car- 
 riage through a double file of soldiers. A captain 
 of the national guards and a serjeant of gens d'armes 
 were ordered by the Marquis de Riviere to attend 
 me in my journey. These persons were rendered 
 responsible for my safe delivery into the hands of 
 the minister of police at Paris. During the journey 
 I had every reason to be satisfied with the polite- 
 ness and courtesy of the former, and the latter was 
 only a disagreeable travelling companion on account 
 of his enormous bulk, being more than six feet 
 five inches high, and of a proportionate breadth. 
 Although I was still a prisoner, yet I derived con- 
 siderable enjoyment from breathing the fresh air, 
 and from the sight of the country through which 
 I passed. To heighten my enjoyment, I took an 
 early opportunity of ridding myself of my beard, 
 which I had not been able to do once during my 
 confinement. On my journey, I, however, lost my 
 portmanteau, containing about fifty pounds in gold, 
 and this loss made me feel that there was seldom 
 happiness without alloy. 
 
 On my arrival at Paris I was immediately taken 
 before the minister of police, De Gazes. The 
 proces verbal of my inquisitorial examinations at 
 Marseilles, together with all my papers were before 
 him, I addressed him with the assurance and self- 
 
INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 possession of an innocent man, and requested him 
 to inform me of the nature of the crime which had 
 been laid to my charge. He evidently felt at a loss 
 how to answer me, or upon what point to attack 
 me, and instead of replying to my questions, he 
 asked me in an authoritative tone, how I had dared 
 to take charge of two hundred thousand francs, 
 which he said the Duke of Otranto (Fouche) who 
 was the minister of police at the time of my leaving 
 Paris ^ had given me in gold to convey to King Joa- 
 chim? Secondly, how I came to be possessed of three 
 Corsican poignards and of a paper of horrid poison, 
 (corrosive sublimate as he termed it) which were, 
 with the exception of the gold, found with my bag- 
 gage ? It was easy for me to perceive that the 
 charges here implied had originated in the secret 
 insinuations of the Marquis de Riviere, as no such 
 ridiculous attempt had been made at Marseilles in 
 the interrogatories which were put to me there. I 
 very well remembered, that in the investigation of 
 my papers, a small packet of calomel was found, 
 which was opened, examined and thrown aside : 
 but I recollected that I some time afterwards saw 
 the aid-de-camp who was rapporteur to the com- 
 missioners, clandestinely, and as he thought unper- 
 ceived, put the paper of calomel into his pocket. 
 
 Although I felt the greatest difficulty in refrain- 
 ing from laughing in the minister's face, still I pro- 
 ceeded to answer these unlocked for charges with 
 calmness. I assured the minister, and I now sq 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 133 
 
 lemnly declare the truth to be, that / did not receive 
 a single franc from Fouche or any other person, 
 to convey to Xing Joachim, although I might 
 have considered myself authorized to accept of 
 such a commission, if it had been proposed to me 
 by a person so high in office as the French minister 
 of police. I further observed, that as to the poig- 
 nards and poison, I had purchased the former in 
 Corsica as curiosities, they being of exquisite work- 
 manship, and that the latter, as his excellency 
 might easily ascertain, was calomel, of which I 
 occasionally took a small portion in travelling. 
 
 After a long conversation, the minister finding 
 that these paltry accusations had not even a shadow 
 of foundation, candidly informed me, that the 
 Emperor of Austria, in having agreed to permit 
 King Joachim to reside in his dominions, had 
 acted contrary to the views and policy of the French 
 government, and that I had rendered myself obnox- 
 ious by the part I had taken in that measure. 
 
 It will be readily supposed that I did not fail to 
 observe to M. De Gazes, that if the generous offer 
 to which he referred had really been so odious to His 
 Most Christian Majesty, he might easily have op- 
 posed it while the measure was in agitation in the 
 council of the ministers of the allied powers, at 
 which Prince Talleyrand assisted ; that I had 
 been but the mere bearer of the conditions which 
 were offered, and the odium, if any, ought to fall 
 upon Prince Metternich and the Duke of Wei- 
 
134 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 lington, who first proposed the measure : to 
 which M. De Cazes answered, " that I had been 
 " its original promoter." 
 
 As it was now evident that M. De Cazes could 
 not substantiate any charge against me, I concluded 
 that my sufferings were at an end. However, 
 during my conversation with him, a person entered 
 the room in which we were, and I was desirecj to 
 step for a moment into an adjoining apartment, 
 where to my great surprise I found several gens- 
 d'armes, who immediately carried me to the prison 
 of the Conciergerie, where I was again thrown into 
 solitary confinement. My first step was to write 
 to Sir Charles Stuart and to Prince Metternich, and 
 the gaoler undertook to deliver my letters to the 
 prefect of police, who he assured me would hold 
 himself bound to forward them to their respective 
 addresses. I soon, however, had ocular proof that 
 the letters were not sent. The malicious farce of 
 interrogating me was repeated, and my first exa- 
 mination took place at the Conciergerie, when the 
 usual preliminary questions were put concerning 
 my birth, name and profession. The person 
 charged with the proceeding, persisted in de- 
 scribing me as a field officer in the Neapolitan ser- 
 vice. This attempt I successfully opposed alle- 
 ging that my former military rank had been entirely 
 subservient to the higher qualification of aid-de- 
 camp to the King of Naples, which function would 
 at all events have ceased with the king's overthrow 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 135 
 
 and death, if I had not previously resigned it from 
 a sense of duty, as soon as England commenced 
 hostilities against Naples. I was now reproached 
 with having made use of very intemperate and dis- 
 respectful language in animadverting upon the con- 
 duct of the French government towards me, as well 
 as concerning the general proceedings of the French 
 police. This accusation surprised me, as I was 
 much at a loss to conceive to whom I could possibly 
 have made these offensive remarks, having been con- 
 fined au secret from the first moment of my arrest, 
 and some two or three words addressed to my gaoler 
 having been the full extent of my conversation. 
 The cause of this reproach, however, immediately 
 occurred to me on my perceiving amongst some 
 papers which were on the table the copy of the 
 letter I had addressed to Lord Exmouth, and the 
 letters I had so recently written to Sir C, Stuart 
 and to Prince Metternich. The former had been 
 taken from me on my arrival in Paris, the two latter 
 had been retained and opened by the police. As 
 soon as I recognised my writing in these papers, I 
 took them off the table for the purpose of perusing 
 them the police agent sprang forward to rescue 
 them : a kind of momentary struggle ensued, and I 
 replaced them on the table, a glance being sufficient 
 to apprize me of the source from which the accusa- 
 tion of disrespectful expression^ was derived ; I 
 then told this member of the French police, that my 
 letters had been addressed to my free-born country* 
 

 136 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 men, whose official duty it was to assert the rights 
 of the defenceless and oppressed, and that if they 
 had been intercepted, and submitted to the perusal 
 of those who were unaccustomed to the language of 
 truth and independent remonstrance the fault was 
 not mine. The gentleman took my remarks very 
 goodnaturedly, probably concurring in my senti- 
 ments, or making allowance for my situation. He, 
 however, could not refrain from observing, that 
 the system and policy through which I had been 
 imprisoned and persecuted were evidently approved 
 of by some of those free-born Englishmen, whom 
 I had said were bound in duty to investigate my 
 case. " If it were not so," said he, " why did 
 " Lord Exmouth refuse even to hear you, as from 
 " the letter which is now before me, I find he 
 " did, when you claimed his protection at Mar- 
 " settles ! ! /" After undergoing the formality of 
 two or three interrogatories in the Conciergerie, I 
 was transferred to the prison of the Abbaye, where 
 I was likewise placed au secret. 
 
 My friends at Paris were at a loss to know what 
 had become of me, some thought me shipwrecked, 
 others that I had been assassinated by the loyal 
 inhabitants of the Bouches du Rhone, and in truth, 
 it is probable that to this day they might have been 
 ignorant of my fate, had I not fortunately found 
 means to acquaint Sir Charles Stuart with my un- 
 happy situation. 
 
 On my being established in my new abode, I 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 137 
 
 requested the gaoler to send to my apartments at 
 the Hotel de Bourbon, and desire my servant, who I 
 had left in Paris, to bring me a pair of slippers 
 which were amongst my things at the hotel. The 
 slippers were brought, but I was not allowed to see 
 the bearer. My faithful and affectionate servant, 
 overjoyed to find that I was still amongst the 
 living, ran round to all my friends and acquaintances 
 to inform them of his discovery. I had the good 
 fortune to find in my room at the Abbaye, a piece 
 of paper, with a pencil I wrote a short note to 
 Sir Charles Stuart, and raising the inner sole of one 
 of the slippers. I put the note under it, and replaced 
 it smoothly. The next day I desired the gaoler to 
 return the slippers to my servant, under the pretence 
 that they were too small for me. The stratagem suc- 
 ceeded ; it occurred to my servant, who knew very 
 well that the slippers were of the right size, to exa- 
 mine them, and he found the note, which he imme- 
 diately delivered to Sir Charles Stuart. 
 
 The British ambassador had the kindness to make 
 instantaneous application to the French government, 
 in order to ascertain the cause of my imprisonment, 
 the immediate effect of which interference was, to 
 relieve me from the solitary part of my confinement. 
 I was now allowed intercourse with the other prison- 
 ers, and to communicate with my servant ; but with 
 the malicious view of prolonging my imprisonment as 
 much as possible, the minister of police continued 
 for three weeks to give to the repeated reclamations 
 
138 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 of Sir Charles Stuart in my behalf, the most evasive 
 and inconclusive answers, and even had recourse 
 to an assertion, which he knew to be false, but which 
 he thought would at least answer the purpose of 
 delay. He assured Sir Charles Stuart, that I had 
 no right to his protection, as I was not an English- 
 man but born at Rome. Sir Charles was so good 
 as to send me copies of the minister's answers to 
 him, which will be found in the Appendix.^ 
 
 From the second letter of M. De Cazes to Sir 
 Charles Stuart, of the 24th November, 1815, it will 
 be seen that I was claimed by the Neapolitan ambas- 
 sador in the name of the King of the Two Sicilies, 
 but what was the precise motive for this interven- 
 tion, I cannot determine. 
 
 During the latter part of my confinement, it was 
 indirectly hinted to me, that the police expected 
 information from me as the price of my liberty. 
 What might be the nature of the required informa- 
 tion I was not told, except that it was suggested to 
 me, I must be acquainted with the fact of large 
 sums of money being deposited in Paris, which 
 had belonged to King Joachim, and I was expected 
 to direct the police in the seizure of them. To this 
 I answered, I was totally ignorant of the existence 
 of any such sums ; but at the same time I declared, 
 that if I possessed the knowledge, I would set all 
 their threats and torments at defiance, rather than 
 
 * See Appendix (H) and (I). 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 13$ 
 
 be accessary to an act of injustice and rapacity, by 
 which the widow and children of King Joachim 
 would be deprived of their lawful property. 
 
 In the mean time Sir Charles Stuart persisted in 
 demanding my liberation, unless some crime could 
 be laid to my charge ; and as the minister of police 
 could riot accuse me even of the slightest indis- 
 cretion, he was at length obliged to release me, 
 but ordered me to quit Paris in twenty-four hours, 
 at the same time informing me that he thought 
 proper to keep possession of my papers, my car- 
 riage,^ and of part of my arms. 
 
 Prince Metternich had now left Paris, so that I 
 could neither solicit his protection, nor obtain the 
 reimbursement of between seven and eight thousand 
 francs which I had expended in executing the 
 mission with which he had intrusted me. 
 
 During the short time allowed me for making 
 preparations for my departure, I waited on Sir 
 Charles Stuart, who was fully acquainted with my 
 case. He allowed that I had been treated in tJie 
 most unjust and arbitrary manner , but he strongly 
 advised me not to remain any longer in Paris, 
 lest, as he said, the French government, which 
 had most unjustly taken me en gripe, s/wuld send 
 
 * As a pretext for keeping my carriage, which was newly 
 built in London, the minister falsely asserted, that it had 
 belonged to King Joachim. I could hare produced at least 
 ten witnesses to prove that I had received it in exchange for 
 another from the Count de Benufremont. 
 
 
140 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 me to some distant place of confinement, from 
 whence my complaints could never reach him. I 
 also waited on the Duke of Wellington, but did 
 not see him. 
 
 The day after my liberation, I received a note 
 requesting my attendance on the minister of police. 
 The following morning I waited upon him, and 
 found him in company with his private secretary, 
 M. Menars. After some preliminary conversation, 
 he informed me in a very mild and affable tone, that 
 he had received accounts from Corsica and the 
 south of France, which completely convinced him 
 of the injustice of the charges brought against 
 me, and that I was at liberty to remain at Paris 
 as long as I chose. I thought this a fair oppor- 
 tunity to learn the nature of these pretended 
 "charges, but I could gain no satisfaction on the 
 subject. 
 
 During the previous conversation, M. Menars 
 had asked me whether I had heard any thing par- 
 ticular at Lyons or in the south. I told him I had 
 heard the Austrians were favouring the claims of 
 the young Napoleon, and that I had understood this 
 support had been the occasion of the late disturb- 
 ances in that city. The minister and secretary now 
 assumed an air of the, greatest complacency and fami- 
 liarity, and after a few words between themselves in a 
 whisper, M. Menars continued to converse with me. 
 
 The minister seated himself at a desk in a 
 small adjoining room, the door of which was open. 
 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 141 
 
 M. Menars asked me whether after the capitula- 
 tion of Paris I had not been promised a conspi- 
 cuous military appointment in the service. I an- 
 swered in the affirmative, but observed that it was 
 unsolicited on my part, and that I had abandoned 
 every prospect, in order to execute Prince Metier*- 
 nich's mission.^ " Yes," said he, " / am well 
 " acquainted with this circumstance, which does you 
 " honour, and I have no doubt but we can get you 
 " an appointment immediately : in the mean time 
 " you must make yourself useful, you know we 
 " can never do too much for a government from 
 " which we expect favours. Pray do you know of 
 " any Frenchman being implicated in these in- 
 " trigues at Lyons ? Has Foiiche any hand in 
 " them?" I assured him that I was totally un- 
 acquainted with the particulars of the transac- 
 tion : he continued. " Indeed, Mr. Macirone, you 
 " might be very useful to us ; you have many 
 " friends in Paris ; you frequent some of the first 
 " circles. You have been too much persecuted 
 "by us to be suspected of being our friend ; 
 " besides you are an Englishman, you can be well 
 V with all parties ; you must frequent the Duke 
 " of Wellington's, Sir C. Stuart's; you have had 
 " intercourse with them both, ever since the 
 " capitulation of Paris. By the by, do you know 
 
 * It is to this appointment, which wa offered me, that 
 Dt Cazes maliciously alludes in his letter (1). 
 
142 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 " Sir Robert Wilson, and Lord Sligo, what are 
 " they doing here? are they not of the opposition? 
 " You may, I assure you, render us the greatest 
 " services, and you will not have to accuse us of 
 " ingratitude." 
 
 I was so indignant at these proposals, that I 
 scarcely knew how to conduct myself. I thought 
 it necessary, however, to act with caution in the 
 hope of gaining possession of my papers, amongst 
 which was the bill for 40,000 francs, which had 
 been given by King Joachim. 
 
 During this conversation, the minister, who was 
 seated at his desk, but near enough to hear every 
 word, appeared to be perusing some papers. M. 
 Menars now approached him, and they conversed 
 together in a whisper for some minutes, he then 
 returned to me, and resumed the conversation by a 
 very singular question. " What," said he, " do 
 " you think of Prince Metternich ?" I answered 
 him, that his excellency, pointing to M. De Gazes, 
 must certainly know more of him than I did. 
 That for my part I only know him as prime 
 minister to His Majesty the Emperor of Austria. 
 " But," said he, " what do you think of his in- 
 u timacy with Fouche ? They were very intimate 
 " when the latter was minister of police, and I 
 " believe they have still frequent communication/ 5 
 I answered it had never appeared to me that 
 the Duke of Otranto had been on better terms 
 with Prince Metternich than with the Duke of 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 143 
 
 Wellington, Sir Charles Stuart, and Lord Cas- 
 tlereagh, who all frequented his house and table, 
 and he theirs. " But," said M. Menars, " it 
 " would appear by the share which you had in 
 " the capitulation of Paris, that in many respects 
 " you enjoyed the confidence of Fouche, you 
 " must consequently be able to give us some 
 " information concerning his present connections." 
 In this particular I assured him I was totally in- 
 capable of satisfying him. M. Menars again pri- 
 vately conversed with the minister, and then pro- 
 ceeded to question me concerning a most extraor- 
 dinary occurrence, of which I have never been able 
 to learn any thing further. He began by asking me 
 whether I was at all acquainted with the circum- 
 stances of the death of Berthier, Prince of Neufcha- 
 tel.# I answered I had heard he had not met his 
 death by accident, as had been reported, but that I 
 was ignorant by whose order he had been put to 
 death ,f or the cause of the order. On my appearing 
 to be acquainted with the fact of Berthier's having 
 been murdered, M. Menars expected that I should be 
 
 * It will be remembered that Berthier wa6 said to have met 
 his death by accidentally falling from a window in 1814, whilst 
 viewing the passage of a body of Russian troops, 
 
 f I had learnt the simple fact of his having been wilfully 
 put to death, from a personage of great power and celebrity in 
 France, and who was undoubtedly the most likely person in the 
 world, except those who committed the act, to be acquainted 
 avith all the particulars. 
 
144 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 able to furnish him with the particulars of his death, 
 with which he appeared to be quite unacquainted. 
 With an air of the greatest seriousness he informed 
 me, that about (as I think he said) October or No- 
 vember of the preceding year, a great personage had 
 died at Paris, under circumstances of the greatest 
 mystery, privacy, and suspicion. That his death, 
 fyc. had been witnessed, and at that time had been 
 known, only to two individuals. He added that 
 
 the DEATH OF THIS PERSONAGE AND THE 
 MURDER OF BERTHIER WERE MOST PARTI- 
 CULARLY CONNECTED, AND THAT ONE WAS 
 
 THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE OTHER.& The mi- 
 nister then called M. Menars to him, who returning 
 to me immediately said, " Can you give me any in- 
 " formation concerning this affair ? Since you seem 
 " to know that Berthier did not meet his death 
 " accidentally, you most probably know much 
 " more." I assured him it was with that circum- 
 stance alone I was acquainted, and that his account 
 of the other mysterious death was perfectly new to 
 me. M. Menars now earnestly recommended me to 
 do my utmost to obtain information on the subject, 
 assuring me that I should be amply remunerated for 
 my services. I answered him in general terms, 
 that I should be very happy to render any service in 
 
 * This appears to be a very extraordinary story. I give it 
 in the words as nearly as I can recollect them, in which it was 
 communicated to me by M. Menars. 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 145 
 
 my power to His Majesty the King of France : an 
 answer which I gave to avoid directly breaking with 
 him, in order if possible to gain time to settle my 
 affairs in Paris, and recover my papers and bill. 
 
 I now took leave of the minister and M. Menars, 
 who renewed his assurance that I had it in my 
 power to render the government the most essential 
 services, and I was requested to call on the minister 
 in a day or two. It will not, I hope, be supposed that 
 I felt any other sentiments than scorn and resentment 
 at these overtures of the French minister to engage 
 me as a spy. I had, however, received an unequi- 
 vocal acknowledgment of my innocence and of the 
 injustice which had been done me by the French 
 government, and therefore I naturally expected at 
 any rate to regain immediate possession of my pro- 
 perty, which having obtained, and my affairs in 
 Paris being settled, I proposed instantly to return to 
 England, and await opportunity to vindicate the 
 wrongs and insults I had experienced. 
 
 On my leaving the house of M. De Cazes I 
 waited a second time on Sir Charles Stuart, to in- 
 form him of the permission which I had just received 
 to remain in Paris during my pleasure. Sir 
 Charles was, however, still of opinion that it would 
 be prudent for me to quit France, as soon as possi- 
 ble, which I assured him was my intention, but 
 that it would take me some days to settle my private 
 affairs. I now felt very much at a loss how to con- 
 duct myself towards the French minister at my next 
 
 L 
 
14-6 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 interview. What could I say to him ? how avoid 
 coming to an open declaration (before I had recovered 
 my bill,) that I abhorred the despicable office with 
 which he attempted to invest me ? I therefore looked 
 forward to it with feelings of great embarrassment. 
 
 The day after my interview with M. De Gazes I 
 went to St. Cloud, where I remained three days. 
 On the fourth I returned to Paris, and the next 
 evening I received a note from M. Menars, in* the 
 name of the minister, requesting my attendance on 
 the following morning. I waited upon the minister 
 accordingly, who on my arrival had left the room, 
 leaving M. Menars to inform me that I must posi- 
 tively quit Paris in twenty-four hours, and the 
 French territory in ten days. Upon this unexpected 
 declaration I asked what crime I had committed, 
 since the minister had assured me I was entirely 
 blameless, and might remain at Paris as long as I 
 pleased ? He answered me by declaring that M. De 
 Cazes had no share in the adoption of this measure 
 towards me. That it had been resolved upon by his 
 Majesty himself and by the council of ministers, 
 of which the Duke de Richelieu was president ! M. 
 Menars further informed me that the government 
 had determined to keep possession of my papers, 
 with the bill for 4-0,000 francs, but that my carriage 
 would be restored to me. 
 
 I now waited again upon Sir C. Stuart, who 
 advised me to leave France without a moment's 
 delay, but kindly assured me that he would spee- 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAt. 147 
 
 dily obtain my papers and bill from the French 
 government. 
 
 I was thus obliged to quit Paris in the greatest 
 haste, and my affairs being in confusion, I suffered 
 considerable loss in addition to those I had before 
 sustained. I arrived in England about the latter 
 end of last December, and after waiting a montL 
 without receiving any communication from Sir C. 
 Stuart respecting my property, I addressed a me- 
 morial to Lord Castlereagh, in which I entered 
 into an explanation of my cruel case, praying 
 that he would be pleased to obtain the restitution 
 of my papers, and particularly of my bill, which the 
 French government could not have the slightest 
 ground for detaining. I moreover solicited the 
 honour of a short interview with his lordship, when I 
 should be able to explain myself more fully on any 
 point which in my memorial, for the sake of brevity, 
 I might not have sufficiently detailed. My memorial 
 was delivered in January last, to Mr. Planta, who, 
 as he assured me, duly consigned it to Lord Cas- 
 tlereagh ; and from that period, I attended at the 
 Foreign Office most unremittingly for the space of 
 six months without obtaining any answer front Lord 
 Castlereagh^. 
 
 * Dxiring this period, I had several conversations with Mr. 
 Hamilton, the under secretary of state at the Foreign Office, in 
 one of which he took occasion to inform me, that he thought I 
 had merited, by my interference in King Joachim's behalf, the 
 treatment I had received from the French government, and he 
 
 L 2 
 
148 INTERESTING FACTS 
 
 At the end of January, I had the honour to receive 
 a letter^ from Sir C . Stuart, enclosing me a commu- 
 nication which he had received from M. De 
 Cazes-f; and in the month of March, Mr. Hamilton, 
 at the intercession of a friend, promised to write to 
 SirC. Stuart, to solicit the renewal of his Temon- 
 strances with the French government in my favour. 
 I continued, however, to haunt the waiting-room at 
 the Foreign Office for three months longer, without 
 any answer to my memorial, or any result, till at 
 length some friends of mine happening to be at 
 Paris, joined their solicitations to those of Mr. 
 Clermont, of the house of Perrigaux, Lafitte, and 
 Co. ; and on the 5th June, I received intelligence 
 from the British ambassador, that the bill for 40,000 
 francs had been given up to him,J but that all my 
 other papers and documents were retained by the 
 French government. 
 
 The restoration of my bill was, however, attended 
 with no benefit. The injustice of my enemies still 
 triumphed, for at the time that I was informed of 
 the recovery, I received an account of its having 
 
 made some other observations which I do not feel myself at 
 liberty to repeat, as they related to the conduct and opinions of 
 some distinguished persons in this country. But Mr. Hamilton 
 did not at any time giv.e me to understand that he was autho- 
 rized by Lord Castlereagh to make any communication to me 
 on the subject of my memorial. 
 
 * See Appendix (K). 
 
 f See Appendix (L). 
 
 J See Appendix (M). 
 
RELATING TO JOACHIM MURAT. 149 
 
 been presented and refused payment by Mr. Ba- 
 rillon, the banker on whom it was drawn, for want 
 of funds, the French government having seized upon 
 the siims with which he would have been enabled 
 to pay the draft : thus the malignant villainy of my 
 persecutors was consummated, whilst they affected 
 the semblance of a concession to the interference of 
 the British ambassador. 
 
 I know the exposition of these details will not 
 
 improve my fortunes ; I have had 'too severe an 
 , experience that justice and power are not allied; 
 
 but I flatter myself, that it will transfer disgrace 
 from the oppressed to the oppressors, and engage 
 
 an attention which may check a repetition of similar 
 
 lawless outrages. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 (A.) 
 
 Instructions from Lord William JBentincfc, authorizing 
 and directing the Proclamation of Italian Inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 (Confidential.) 
 
 Messina, Nov. 29,, 1813. 
 SIR, 
 
 You have been apprized by me of the nature of the 
 expedition upon which the third Italians, and the detach- 
 ment of the first Italians, are about to be employed under 
 the orders of Lieut. Col. Catinelli. You will obey such 
 orders as you receive from that officer. 
 
 I consider it necessary to repeat my verbal instructions 
 of yesterday, that as soon as the troops are embarked, 
 and are at sea, you will explain to the officers and men 
 the object of the expedition. The object is to raise on 
 /he western coast of Italy an Italian standard, around 
 which may rally all those Italian patriots, both civil and 
 military, who may be desirous of effecting the deliver- 
 ance and independence of their country. Noble and 
 important to the future prosperity and greatness of Italy 
 as is this undertaking, yet it cannot be concealed that the 
 smallness of the force exposes it to considerable danger. 
 I am anxious, therefore, that it should be attempted by 
 volunteers only, and that all who are unwilling to make 
 the effort may be left in the ships. You will shew this 
 
152 APPENDIX. 
 
 instruction to Lieut.-Col. Catinelli, and to Sir Josias 
 Rowley, commanding the maritime part of the expe- 
 dition. 
 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 Sir, 
 Your obedient humble servant, 
 
 W. C. BENTINCK, 
 
 Lieut.-Col. Ceravigna, Lieut.-Gen. 
 
 commanding Third Italian Levy. 
 
 Or dine del giomo di Sua Allezza reale II Principe 
 Vicario Ge?ierale. 
 
 BRAVI e fedeli mici soldati ; ecco giunto 1'istante che 
 andate a metter piede in Italia vostra comune patria, 
 per cooperare coi vostri travagli alia grande opera della 
 sua liberazione. La fedelta da voi mostratami nel seguire 
 costantemente la causa del R6 mio augusto padre, vostro 
 legitimo sovrano, mi e una garanzia che non dimentiche- 
 rete mai di riguardarlo per vostro unico sovrano a Re, 
 e che non avendo egli giammai renunziato al suo regno 
 di Napoli, riguarda sempre voi per suoi sudditi fedeli, 
 siccome quale vostro amoroso padre, che sempre tale e 
 stato il mio augusto genitore, vi riguarda come suoi 
 amati figli ugualmente che riguardero sempre i Napoli- 
 tani vostri fratelli. 
 
 O bravi e fedeli miei soldati Sicilian! ! che reunite i 
 vostri sforzi a quelli de' vostri coufratelli sotto i nostri 
 stendardi ; pensate che colla vera liberazione della Italia, 
 assicurarete la vostra liberta e la vostra esistenza poli- 
 tica, e vi renderete degni di quelie remunerazioni che 
 
APPENDIX. 153 
 
 saranno proporzionate alia vostra fedelt& ed alia vostra 
 bravura. 
 
 Palermo, 20 Feb. 1814. 
 
 Per ordine di S. A. R. il Principe Vicario Generate. 
 
 (Firmato) RUGGIERO STETTIMO. 
 
 (Translation.) 
 
 Order of the Day of His Royal Highness the Prince 
 Vicar General.* 
 
 MY brave and faithful Soldiers ! Behold the moment 
 is arrived in which you are about to land in Italy, your 
 common country, to co-operate by your labours in the 
 great work of its delivery. The fidelity which you have 
 evinced in constantly following the cause of the king, 
 my august father and your legitimate sovereign, is to me 
 a sufficient guarantee for your never forgetting to con- 
 sider him as your only king and sovereign, whilst he, 
 having never renounced his rights to his kingdom of 
 Naples, will ever regard you as his faithful subjects with 
 the feelings of a tender parent, for such my august father 
 has ever been towards you. He considers you as his 
 beloved sons, in like manner as I shall constantly regard 
 the Neapolitans as your brethren. 
 
 My brave and faithful Sicilian soldiers ! combine your 
 efforts to those of your brethren united under our stand- 
 ards ; remember, that, together with the real liberation of 
 Italy, you will assure your own liberty and political 
 existence, and you will render yourselves worthy of such 
 remuneration as shall bear a just proportion to your 
 fidelity and courage. 
 
 Palermo, Feb. 20, 18U. 
 
 By order of H. R. H. the Prince Vicar General. 
 
 (Signed) RUGGIERO SETTIMO. 
 
 * Eldest son of King Ferdinand of Sicily. 
 
154 APPENDIX. 
 
 (C.) 
 
 Proclamation of Lord William Bentinck to the Italians. 
 (Translated from the Italian.) 
 
 Italians, 
 
 Great Britain has landed her troops on your shores, 
 she comes to deliver you from the iron yoke of Bo- 
 naparte. 
 
 Portugal, Spain, Sicily, Holland, bear testimony to 
 the liberal and disinterested principles which animate 
 that power. 
 
 Spain, by her resolution, by her valour, and by the 
 efforts of her great ally, has succeeded in her sublime 
 enterprise. The French are expulsed from her territory. 
 Her independence is secured, her civil liberty established. 
 
 Sicily, protected by the same power, has saved herself 
 from the universal deluge ; she has suffered nothing. 
 Through the beneficent character of her prince, she has 
 passed from slavery to liberty, and she hastens to revive 
 her ancient splendor among independent nations. 
 
 Holland rushes forward with the same intent. 
 
 Will Italy alone remain under the yoke ? Shall Ita- 
 lians only combat against Italians, in favour of a tyrant, 
 and for the bondage of their country ? Italians ! hesi- 
 tate no longer ; be Italians : and thou, army of Italy, 
 know that the great cause of thy country is in thine own 
 hands. Warriors of Italy, we do not require you to 
 unite yourselves to us ; we ask of you to maintain your 
 own rights, and that you be free. 
 
 Invite us, and we fly to join you ; under our united 
 forces, then will Italy be again what, in her better times, 
 she was, and what Spain is now become. ! ! I 
 
 (Signed) W. BENTINCK, 
 
 Commander in Chief of the British Forces. 
 
 Leghorn, Uth March, 1814. 
 
APPENDIX. 155 
 
 (D.) 
 
 Official Note of Lord Win. Bentinck, transmitted to the 
 King of Naples. 
 
 (Translation from the French.) 
 
 Bologna, April 1, 1814. 
 
 IN case the Neapolitan government should require a 
 confirmation in writing of the sentiments, that Lord 
 Castlereagh has already verbally announced, confirma- 
 tion that has not been demanded, it not being judged 
 necessary, the undersigned is authorised, officially, to 
 declare 
 
 That the English government entirely approves of 
 the treaty concluded between the Austrian government 
 and the government of Naples ; and that it consents to 
 the addition of territory* there specified, under the 
 same conditions made by Austria, of an active and 
 immediate co-operation of the Neapolitan army; and 
 that if the English government refuses to sign a treaty 
 in limine, it arises purely from motives of delicacy, 
 and honour, which cannot agree to the sacrifice of the 
 hereditary states of an ally, without an indemnity ; and 
 the undersigned has orders in consequence, in virtue of 
 which, he invites the Neapolitan government to make the 
 greatest efforts for the same object.t 
 
 * The Marches of Ancona. 
 
 t Lord Castlereagh had added in his instructions to Lord William 
 Bentinck, that the British government would ratify the treaty with 
 Joachim King of Naples, even though Ferdinand of Sicily should 
 refuse the indemnity projected. The Duke di Campochiaro, Neapolitan 
 plenipotentiary at Congress, had received from Lord Castlereagh a copy 
 of these instructions, which he had transmitted to King Joachim. The 
 omission of this original additional paragraph, appeared to Joachim, 
 either as a change of original intention and stipulation, or as a symp- 
 tom of hostile feeling on the_part of Lord William Bentinck, and 
 therefore augmented his jealousies. The general tone of the memo- 
 randum was not indeed calculated to inspire confidence in the profes- 
 
156 APPENDIX. 
 
 Such are the sentiments of the British government. It 
 would be contrary to frankness of character in the under- 
 signed, were he not to express his own opinion, that the 
 hopes which gave birth to the treaty, have been unfortu- 
 nately, too falsified. The principal object, for which the 
 alliance was formed, and sacrifices made, the ready, and 
 active co-operation of the Neapolitan army, has not been 
 obtained. The Austrian army is still paralized on the 
 Adige, whereas by the march of the Neapolitan army to 
 the Upper Po, it would, long ago, have reached the 
 Alps ; negotiations, under the most suspicious circum- 
 stances, have been carried on with the enemy ; and at 
 the same time, the co-operation of the British army, 
 which the Neapolitan government, if sincere, ought to 
 wish for, more than any other of the allies, is rendered 
 impossible, by the refusal made to it, of means for its 
 safety and subsistence. 
 
 If such be the military line of conduct, its political 
 conduct is not less inexplicable. The Neapolitan govern- 
 ment engages its consent to all the arrangements of the 
 allies in Italy, it begins by declaring that the different 
 states should be immediately restored to their legitimate 
 sovereigns ; but, soon after, it declares officially, that 
 these states shall be kept till the peace, and at the same 
 time, an organized administration of these countries 
 presents itself every where under the form of a permanent 
 occupation; the agents and Neapolitan newspapers, 
 
 sions of a conciliatory disposition, especially as the king denied the 
 allegations, and had the power, as he conceived, of recriniinating 
 against the proceedings of the allies, as has been shewn ; but in 
 justice, it must be stated, that the king had the highest confidence in 
 the personal honour and integrity of Lord Wm. Bentinck, although he 
 thought he preferred the interests of Ferdinand of Sicily; and to 
 evince his respect for him, he sent him a costly diamond hilted sword, 
 after the capture of Genoa, which was deemed worthy a transfer to 
 H. R. H. the Prince Regent, as the king afterwards learnt, and 
 which flattered him much. 
 
APPENDIX. 157 
 
 discover views of ambition and aggrandizement, entirely 
 contrary to the intentions of the allies ; and which would 
 not be free from objection, if even in this addition of 
 power it shewed a loyal tendency, but which is certainly 
 dangerous, when it is not yet known on which side this 
 power ranges itself. 
 
 The undersigned is very far from presenting these 
 remarks in a reproachful or hostile view, they are 
 dictated by a friendly mind, and from a desire to see 
 the intentions of the allies realized. The war still con- 
 tinues, and it is yet time to remove the doubts and 
 discontent that may exist. 
 
 It is thus that the undersigned seriously recommends 
 to the Neapolitan government, to effectuate an immediate 
 and cordial co-operation with the Austrian forces, to fur- 
 nish by a sacrifice of a portion of Tuscany to the British 
 expedition, the means which are indispensably necessary 
 for its co-operation, and which is due to th# dignity of 
 the British government ; if it can be called a sacrifice, the 
 cession of a country that belongs to another, it will be 
 highly compensated by a mutual assistance and confidence. 
 
 A renunciation of all tendency to a separate policy, 
 and above all to replace, without delay, the sovereign 
 Pontiff on his see. The cruel treatment that this vene- 
 rable personage has suffered, exalted by his edifying 
 virtues, and his extraordinary firmness, have excited, as 
 we have just seen, the greatest enthusiasm. If the con- 
 duct of him, who now governs France, in this respect, 
 has caused, more than any other act of his life, the hatred 
 of the world entire, it would be a very bad policy to 
 oppose a measure acknowledged to be of the greatest 
 consequence by all those who wished to see established, 
 the grand basis of social order, religion and morality. 
 
 The undersigned has the honour to reiterate the senti- 
 ments of the highest consideration. 
 (Signed) 
 
 LORD WM. BENTINCK. 
 
168 APPENDIX. 
 
 (E.) 
 
 MONSIEUR MACIRONE est autoris^ par les presenter a 
 prevenir- le Roi Joachim que sa Majest6 TErapereur 
 d'Autriche lui accordera un asile dans ses etats sous les 
 conditions suivantes. 
 
 1. Le Roi prendra un nom de particulier. La Reine 
 ayant pris celui de Comtesse de Lipona ; ou le propose 
 egalement au Roi. 
 
 2. II sera libre au Roi de choisir une ville de la 
 Boheme, de la Moravie ou de la haute Autriche powr 
 y fixer son sejour. S'il devait vouloir se fixer a la cam- 
 pagne cela ne souffrirait point de difficult^ dans ces 
 monies provinces. 
 
 3. Le Roi engagera sa parole vis-a-vis de Sa Majest6 
 Imperiale et Royale, qu'il ne quittera pas les etats 
 Autrichiens sans le consentement expres de sa dite 
 Majeste, et qu'il vivra dans 1'attitude d'un particulier de 
 marque, mais soumis aux loix en vigueur dans les etats 
 Autrichiens. 
 
 En foi de quoi et pour qu'il en soit fait 1'usage con- 
 venable, le soussign6 a eu 1'ordre de 1'Empereur de signer 
 la presente declaration. 
 Donne a Paris, le ler Septembre, 1815. 
 
 SIGNE LE PRINCE DE METTERNICH. 
 
 (F.) 
 
 Ajaccio, 28th Sept. 1815. 
 
 MONSIEUR MACIRONE, Envoy6 des Puissances Alliees 
 aupr6s du Roi Joachim. Je viens de prendre connois- 
 sances des pieces dont vous etes porteur. J'accepte le 
 passeport que vous etes charge de me remettre ; et je 
 compte m'en servir pour me rendre a la destination qui y 
 est fixee. Quant aux conditions que Sa Majeste Impe- 
 riale et Royale impose a 1'offre d'tm aisile en Autriche, 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 je me reserve de trailer cet article important & 1'epoque 
 ou je serai reuni a ma famille. 
 
 La semination peux mesuree qui m'a et6 addressee par 
 M. le Capitaine de la Fregate de Sa Majeste Britanni- 
 que, m'empeche d'accepter 1'offre que vous me faites en 
 son nom de me recevoir a son bord. 
 
 Persecute, menac6 meme en Corse parceque on avoit 
 pu me supposer des vues sur cette Isle, J'avois deja 
 prepare mes moyens de depart. En effet je pars cette 
 nuit. J'accepte avec plaisir les valets de chambre que 
 rous voulez bien me c6der. 
 
 Sur ce M. Macirone, je prie Dieu qu'il vous ait dans 
 sa Sainte et digne garde. 
 
 (Signe a 1'original) JOACHIM. 
 Pour Copie conforme, F. MACIRONE. 
 
 (G.) 
 
 Ajaccio, 28th Sept. 1815. 
 
 MONSIEUR MACIRONE, Envoy des Puissances Alliees 
 aupres du Roi Joachim. Ma premiere lettre d'aujourd hui 
 a 6t6 dictee par les circonstances du moment. Mainte- 
 nant je le dois a moi m6me, ^ la verite, et a votre noble 
 franchise et bonne foi de vous instruire de mes veritables 
 intentions. 
 
 J'apprecie ma libert audessus de tout autre bien. La 
 captivit6 n'a pour moi d'autre synonime que la mort. 
 Quel traitement puis-je attendre des mains de ces puis- 
 sances qui m'ont laisse pendant deux mois sous les poig- 
 nards des assassins de Marseille! J'ai sauv6 la vie au 
 Marquis de Riviere. II toit condamn6 a perir sur F 
 echafaud ; j'ai obtenu sa grace de 1'Empereur. Execra 
 
160 APPENDIX, 
 
 ble verite! il excitoit secretement ces miserables, c'est 
 lui qui metoit ma tete a prix ! ! Errant dans les bo'is, 
 cache dans les Montagns, je ne dois la vie qu'a la gene- 
 reuse compassion que mes malheursont excite dans 1'ame 
 de trois officiers Francois : ils m'ont transporter en Corse 
 au plus grand peril de leur jours. 
 
 Des miserables pretendent que j'ai emporte de Naples 
 de grands tresors ; ne savent-ils pas que lorsque j'ai regu 
 c e Royaume en echange pour mon Grand Duche de Berg, 
 que je possedois d'aprds un traite solemnel, j' y ai apporte 
 des richesses immences ? Tout a etc depense pour le bie'n 
 de mon Royaume de Naples ! Le Souvrain qui depuis 
 est venu 1'occuper 1'a t-il reconnu ce pays ? Je n'ai plus 
 de quoi vivre moi et ma famille. 
 
 Je n'accepterois point, Monsieur Macirone, les condi- 
 tions que vous eies charg6 de m'offrire. Je n' y vois 
 qu'une abdication pure et simple sous la seule condition 
 qu'on me permettra de vivre, mais dans une eternelle 
 captivit^ soumis ii Faction arbitraire des lois sous une 
 gouvernement despotique. Ou est ici la moderation, la 
 justice ! y voit-on les egards dus a un monarque malheu- 
 reux qui a ete formellement reconnu par toute TEurope, et 
 qui dans un moment bien critique a decide la campagne 
 de 1814 en faveur de ces memes Puissances qui mainte- 
 nant contre leurs propres interets 1'accablent du poids 
 excessif de leur persecutions? 
 
 C'est une verite bien reconnue que je n'ai repousse les 
 Autrichiens jusqu'au P6 que parceque a force d'intrigues 
 on etoit parvenu a me persuader qu'ils se preparoient a 
 m'attaquer, sans cependant la concurrence de FAngleterre. 
 J'ai jug6 necessaire d'avancer ma ligne de defence et 
 de gagner les peuples de mon cot6. 
 
 Personne ne sait mieux que vous M. Macirone, ainsi 
 que le Lord Bentinck lui meme, que je ne fis ce fatal 
 mouvement de retraite que sur la declaration de ce 
 general qu'il se trouveroit dans le devoir de preter son 
 serours aux Autrichiens, puisqu'ils le lui avoient r^clamie. 
 
APPENDIX. 161 
 
 % r ous connoissez les causes qui ont occasionee le desordre, 
 et la desertion dans ma belle armee. Les faux bruits 
 artistement rependus de ma mort ; du debarquement des 
 Anglais a Naples; la condtiite du General Pighatelli 
 Strongoli ; enfin la trahison de certains de mes officiers 
 qui ont reussi avec un art perfide, a augmenter par leur 
 exemple, et par leur discours, le decouragement et la 
 desertion. 
 
 II n' existe point a cette heure un individue de cette 
 armee qui n'ait reconnu son erreur. Je pars pour les 
 rejoindre. Us brulent du desir de me revoir a leur tete. 
 Us m'ont conserv^ toutes leurs affections de meme que 
 chaque classe de mes biens aimes sujets. Je n'ai point 
 abdique. J'ai le droit de reprendre ma couronne si Dieu 
 m'en donne la force et les moyens. Ma presence sur le 
 trone de Naples ne sauroit etre maintenant un sujet de 
 crainte ; on ne peut plus me pretextir des liasons avec 
 Napoleon qui est u St. Helene ; bien au contraire, et 
 1'Angleterre, etl'Autriche pourront en tire"r des a vantages 
 qu'ils attenderoient en vain du Souvrain qu'ils ont voulu 
 mettre a ma place. 
 
 Je m'abbandonne a ces details, Monsieur Macirone* 
 puisque c'est a vous que j'ecris. Vos precedes envers moi, 
 votre reputation, et votre nom, vous donnent des droits a 
 ma franchise et a mon estime. 
 
 Vous ne sauriez mettre aucun obstacle a mon depart, 
 quand meme vous en auriez 1'envie. 
 
 Lorsqu'on vous remettra cette lettre j'aurai deja fait 
 bon chemin vers ma destination. Ou je reusserai, ou je 
 terminerai mes malheurs avec ma vie. J'ai brav mille 
 et mille fois la mort en combattant pour ma patrie ; ne 
 me seroit-il pas permis de la dompter une fois pour nous 
 meme ! Je fremis seulement pour le sort de ma famille. 
 
 Je me souviendrai toujours avec plaisir de la maniere 
 noble et delicate dont vous vous etes acquitte de votre 
 mission aupres de moi. Elle contraste agreablement 
 avec les procede"s gratuitement grossiers et revoltans de 
 
 M 
 
162 APPENDIX. 
 
 plu.sicura aulrcs perKonnes a inon gard, n'ayant ni ies 
 mmes pouvoirs, ni la meme consideration dorit vous 
 jouis6z. 
 
 .J'ai donn ordre pour que vos pieces vous soient rendue.s. 
 Sur ce M. Macirone je prie Di<.-u <ju"il vous ait dans sa 
 Sainte et digue gardf. 
 
 (Sigue a 1'originaie) JOACHIM. 
 Pour Copie conforme, F. MACIKONE. 
 
 (ii.) 
 
 (Copy.) 
 
 Paris, 24 Novcmbrc, 
 
 MONSIEUR LE CIIKVAI.IER, J'ai requ la lettre que 
 Votre Excellence m'a fait Hionneur de m'^crire le 21 de 
 ce mois au sujet du M. Macirone. 
 
 L'affaire de ce prisonnir-r s'instniit avec activit6; et 
 i'interet que Votre Excellence veut bien lui accordor s< ra 
 pour moi un nouveau motif d'en hater la cowlnsion. Je 
 m'empresserai de lui fain- connaitro la d6cision quo pourra 
 intervenir. LeiffUfeignc'iiK-nscjiril alallu pn-ndrc c/ir-.,rc, 
 et la nature dela mission dans la JJIM-HI- n^un- romnu 
 priiiripal Af^fnt iVI. JVlarorniii, r-xpli<|iicrit Ics rclards qiii, 
 jusques & ce jour out empech6 cette decision d'avoir lic-n. 
 Agrte MODS. Lc (llifviilicr, V.c. 
 
 Le Miiiisln- Scrrciairc d'Ktat, 
 
 An Drparli-iiH-nl. dc la Polirc CJc-ncraN', 
 
 (Sign6) DK C/\/K- 
 Mous. Le Chr-v. Stuart. 
 
 I*. S. Si cr; M. Macironf u 'avail iaii, que SC rendn- por- 
 l,<-nrd'- Dfjx'chcs du IVim-r IMr (! -rnir-li ii.ssiin-iin-iit aurun 
 IK lui kcroil adi-s6: inaiMCfttv cspicu 
 
APPENDIX. 163 
 
 parait en avoir concert avec antres sur les quels le Gou- 
 vernement a le droit d'exiger de lui des explications* 
 qu'il ne peut refuser sM ost 'Tai comme ii le pretend 
 qu'il est de bonne foi ce qui est loin de ma pensee. 
 
 (Signe) DE CAZES. 
 
 (Translation.) 
 
 Paris, November 24, 1815. 
 
 SIR, I have received the letter which your Excel- 
 lency did me the honour of writing to me the 21st inst. 
 concerning Mr. Macirone. 
 
 The affair of this prisoner is proceeding with activity ; 
 and the interest which your Excellency takes in it, is to 
 me a fresh inducement to hasten its conclusion. I shall 
 immediately appri/.e your Excellency of the decision 
 which may be given. The further information which.it 
 has been necessary to collect, and the nature of the mis- 
 sion in which Mr. Macirone figures as the principal 
 agent, will explain the delays which have, until now, 
 prevented the decision from taking place. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. 
 
 The Minister Secretary of Stu;o 
 
 For the Department of General Police, 
 
 (Signed) DE CAZES. 
 Mis Excellency Sir Charles Stuart. 
 
 P. S. If Mr. Maeirone had merely made himself the* 
 bearer of the dispatches of Prince Metternich, no reproach 
 could certainly be attached to him : but this kind of mis- 
 sion appears to have been undertaken iu conjunction with 
 others, in regard to which the Government has a right to 
 exact explanations from him which he cannot refuse to 
 give,* if it be really true, as he declares, that he acts 
 with good faith, an opinion I am far from entertaining. 
 
 (Signed) Die C'.\ 
 
 * I answered every question that was p^iit to me in the most cniulid 
 manner, although my treatment justified every opposition on my pan. 
 
164 APPENDIX. 
 
 (I-) 
 (Copy.) 
 
 Paris, 24 Novembre, 18 J 5. 
 
 MONSIEUR LE CHEVALIER, 
 
 JE crois devoir ajouter a la lettre que j'ai eu Fhonneur 
 d'adresser aujourd'hui meme a Votre Excellence, con- 
 cernant le M. Macirone que le Consul de S. M. le Roi 
 des deux Siciles a Toulon, avoit des le 3 de ce mois 
 reclamfe cet Ofllcier, au nom de son Gouvernemeiit et 
 qu'il a prevenu de cette demarche Mons. 1'Ambassadeur 
 Napolitain a Paris. J 'ignore encore quel peut etre 
 1'objet precis de cette intervention. 
 
 Les renseignemens que j'ai en occasion de recueillir 
 m'apprennant que le M. Macirone est ne a Rome et que sa 
 quality est si peu eclaircie que dernierement encore il 
 r^clamoit du service en France. J'ai lieu de croire que 
 ces explications ne seront pas sans influence sur 1'interet 
 que Votre Excellence temoigne prendre en sa faveur. 
 Agr6ez Mons. Le Chevalier, &c. 
 Le Ministre Secretaire d'Etat, 
 
 Au Departement de la Police Generale, 
 
 (Signed) DE CAZES, 
 Mons. Le Chev. Stuart. 
 
 (Translation.) 
 
 Paris, 24th November, 1815. 
 SIR, 
 
 I CONSiDER.it my duty to add to the letter which I had 
 the honour of addressing to your Excellency this day 
 concerning M. Macirone, that the Consul of H. M. the 
 King of the Two Sicilies, at Toulon, had claimed this 
 officer in tke name of his Government, since the 3d of 
 this month, and that he has informed the Neapolitan 
 Ambassador at Paris of this step. I am, as yet, igno- 
 
APPENDIX. 165 
 
 rant of what may be the precise object of this interven- 
 tion. 
 
 The information which I have had the means of col- 
 lecting, instructs me that Mr. Macirone was born at 
 Rome, and that his character is so far from being de- 
 nned, that even recently he applied for an employment 
 in the French service. I have reason to presume, that 
 these explanations will not be without their influence on 
 tlie interest which your Excellency manifests in bis 
 favour. 
 
 I have the honour, &c. 
 The Secretary of State 
 
 For the Department of General Police, 
 
 (Signed) DE GAZES. 
 His Excellency Sir Charles Stuart. 
 
 (K.) 
 
 Paris, 22d Jan. 1816. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 IN answer to the letter you have been pleased to 
 address me, I think it necessary to send you the accom^ 
 panying communication which I have received from 
 the minister of the police.^ 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient humble servant, 
 (Signed) CHARLES STUART, 
 F. Macirone, Esq. 
 
 * Letter (L.) 
 
166 APPENDIX. 
 
 (L.) 
 
 Paris le, 8th Janvrer, 1816. 
 Monsieur le Chevalier, 
 
 J'ai recu la lettre que Votre Excellence m'a fait 
 1'honneur de m'ecrire endate du 4 court renfermant copie 
 de celle que lui adresse Mons. Clarmont au nom de 
 M. Macirone, et dans la quelle il reclame des effete 
 retenus a mon Ministere lors de sa mise en liberte. 
 
 Les motifs qui out fait suspendre la remise de ces effets 
 tiennent a quelques doutes dont 1'objet est sur le point 
 d'etre bientot eclaircies. Je ne pense pas que rien s'oppose 
 a ce que cette reclamation obtienne un effet entout 
 conforme au desir que vous mauifestez. Votre Excel- 
 lence peut compter que je donnerai a cet objet Fatten tion 
 qu'elle reclame et il me sera agreable en la satisfaisant a 
 cet egard de lui temoigner combien j 'attache de pris a 
 faire quelque chose que lui soit agreable. 
 
 Je prie votre Excellence d'agreer, &c. 
 (Signed) DE GAZES, 
 M. Le Chevalier Stuart. 
 
 (Translation.) 
 
 Pari$, Jam 8, 181 6. 
 SIR, 
 
 I HAVE received the letter which your Excellency has 
 done me the honour to write me on the 4th of this month, 
 inclosing a copy of the one which has been addressed to 
 your Excellency by Mr. Clermont in the name of Mr. 
 Macirone, and by which he reclaims certain effects re- 
 tained by me at the time of his liberation. 
 
 The motives which have caused the delivery of these 
 effects to be suspended, are connected with certain 
 doubts, the subject of which is on the point of being 
 speedily cleared up. I do not think but that this recla* 
 
APPENDIX. 167 
 
 mation will have a result perfectly conformable to the 
 desires which you manifest. Your Excellency may 
 depend upon my devoting to this affair all the attention 
 which it requires : and it will be most agreeable to me, 
 by satisfying your Excellency on this head, to evince 
 how highly I appreciate the opportunity of doing any 
 thing which may be agreeable to your Excellency. 
 I pray your Excellency to believe me, 
 
 &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) DE CAZES. 
 
 His Excellency Sir C. Stuart. 
 
 (M.) 
 
 Paris, May 29, 1816. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 IN answer to the several letters you have been pleased 
 to address me, I am to acquaint you that the bill for 
 forty thousand francs signed by Joachim Murat, and 
 seized among your papers by the police has been restored 
 to me. I have delivered this effect to Mr. Clermont, of 
 the house of Perrigaux, Lafitte, and Co. together with 
 the copy of a letter from M. De Gazes, of which Mr. 
 Clermont acknowledges the receipt in the accompanying 
 communication. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 (Signed) C. STUART. 
 
 Mr. F. Macirone. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 W. FMnt, Printer, Old Bailey, London. 
 
~i 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 HPT 6 1940 
 
 
 UU i " i*J*i*-> 
 
 
 4M rL4{\M 
 
 
 3CT 7 W* 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4PR go W1 
 
 
 -i G. 1*\AA 
 
 
 A p R 16 1J* 
 
 ' 
 
 APR 194 
 
 7 
 
 ZJui'SOBZ 
 
 
 
 
 l7Au^> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 LD21-100m-7,'39(402s) 
 
YC 7500 ! 
 
 321964 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY