this time
Gregorio Pepe thought it advisable to yield to the wishes of his
headstrong son, and allowed him to enter the military school. He
remained there two years, and left it to join, as drill sergeant, a
company of the newly raised national guard. This was in 1799. Towards
the close of the previous year, the ill-disciplined and inefficient
Neapolitan army, composed for the most part of raw and uninstructed
levies, had marched into the Papal States; and, the French having
evacuated it, had entered Rome without opposition. The triumph was very
brief. Neither the Neapolitan troops, nor their leader, General Mack,
were capable of contending successfully against the skilful officers and
well-trained soldiers opposed to them. On the first alarm, the
pusillanimous Ferdinand of Naples fled from Rome in disguise, and soon
afterwards embarked for Sicily with his wife and court, carrying away
"the wealth and jewels of the crown, the most valuable antiquities, the
most precious works of art, and what remained from the pillage of the
banks and churches, which had been lying in the mint either in bullion
or specie." The amount of the rich treasure was estimated at twenty
millions of ducats. The French still advanced, feebly opposed by the
disheartened Neapolitans and their inefficient foreign leaders. Gaeta,
the Gibraltar of Italy, was surrendered after a few hours' siege, by an
old general so ignorant of his profession that we are told he was
accustomed to seek counsel from the bishop of the town. Capua, the
bulwark of the capital, was given up by Ferdinand's vicar-general,
Prince Pignatelli, in consideration of a two months' truce, which
lasted, however, but as many days. A condition of this disgraceful
armistice was a payment of two and a half millions of ducats. The money
was not forthcoming; and the French commander, General Championnet,
marched upon Naples. After three days' obstinate combat, maintained
around and in the city by the lazzaroni, victory remained with the
assailants. They were aided by the republican or patriot party, who
delivered up to them the fort of St. Elmo. By this party, then a very
small minority in Naples--much the greater part of whose population,
ignorant, fanatical, and worked upon by wily priests, were frantic in
their hatred of the French, and of the Jacobins, as they called the
liberal section of their own countrymen--the triumph of the invaders was
looked upon as a temporary evil, trifling whe