of this kind were of short duration. The King of Naples was with the
army which had entered Rome; but the castle of St. Angelo was held by
the French, and 13,000 French were strongly posted in the Roman states
at Castallana. Mack had marched against them with 20,000 men. Nelson saw
that the event was doubtful, or rather that there could be very little
hope of the result. But the immediate fate of Naples, as he well knew,
hung upon the issue. "If Mack is defeated," said he, "in fourteen days
this country is lost; for the emperor has not yet moved his army, and
Naples has not the power of resisting the enemy. It was not a case for
choice, but of necessity, which induced the king to march out of his
kingdom, and not wait till the French had collected a force sufficient
to drive him out of it in a week." He had no reliance upon the
Neapolitan officers, who, as he described them, seemed frightened at
a drawn sword or a loaded gun; and he was perfectly aware of the
consequences which the sluggish movements and deceitful policy of
the Austrians were likely to bring down upon themselves and all their
continental allies. "A delayed war on the part of the emperor," said he,
writing to the British minister at Vienna, "will be destructive to this
monarchy of Naples; and, of course, to the newly-acquired dominions of
the Emperor in Italy. Had the war commenced in September or October, all
Italy would, at this moment, have been liberated. This month is worse
than the last; the next will render the contest doubtful; and, in six
months, when the Neapolitan republic will be organised, armed, and
with its numerous resources called forth, the emperor will not only be
defeated in Italy, but will totter on his throne at Vienna. DOWN,
DOWN WITH THE FRENCH! ought to be written in the council-room of every
country in the world; and may Almighty God give right thoughts to
every sovereign, is my constant prayer!" His perfect foresight of the
immediate event was clearly shown in this letter, when he desired the
ambassador to assure the empress (who was a daughter of the house of
Naples) that, notwithstanding the councils which had shaken the throne
of her father and mother, he would remain there, ready to save their
persons, and her brothers and sisters; and that he had also left ships
at Leghorn to save the lives of the grand duke and her sister: "For
all," said he, "must be a republic, if the emperor does not act with
expedition and vigour."