d to back up his military power by diplomatic efforts
extending all over Europe. Russia and Sweden were brought together in
a project for invading England in the interest of the Stuarts; the
signing of the Quadruple Alliance in Holland was delayed by his
agents; a conspiracy was started in France against the regent; the
Turks were stirred up against the emperor; discontent was fomented
throughout Great Britain; and an attempt was made to gain over the
Duke of Savoy, outraged by being deprived of Sicily. On the 1st of
July, 1718, a Spanish army of thirty thousand troops, escorted by
twenty-two ships-of-the-line, appeared at Palermo. The troops of Savoy
evacuated the city and pretty nearly the whole island, resistance
being concentrated in the citadel of Messina. Anxiety was felt in
Naples itself, until the English admiral, Byng,[80] anchored there the
day after the investment of Messina. The King of Sicily having now
consented to the terms of the Quadruple Alliance, Byng received on
board two thousand Austrian troops to be landed at Messina. When he
appeared before the place, finding it besieged, he wrote to the
Spanish general suggesting a suspension of arms for two months. This
was of course refused; so the Austrians were landed again at Reggio,
in Italy, and Byng passed through the Straits of Messina to seek the
Spanish fleet, which had gone to the southward.

The engagement which ensued can scarcely be called a battle, and, as
is apt to happen in such affairs, when the parties are on the verge of
war but war has not actually been declared, there is some doubt as to
how far the attack was morally justifiable on the part of the English.
It seems pretty sure that Byng was determined beforehand to seize or
destroy the Spanish fleet, and that as a military man he was justified
by his orders. The Spanish naval officers had not made up their minds
to any line of conduct; they were much inferior in numbers, and, as
must always be the case, Alberoni's hastily revived navy had not
within the same period reached nearly the efficiency of his army. The
English approached threateningly near, one or more Spanish ships
opened fire, whereupon the English, being to windward, stood down and
made an end of them; a few only escaped into Valetta harbor. The
Spanish navy was practically annihilated. It is difficult to
understand the importance attached by some writers to Byng's action at
this time in attacking without regard to the line-of