is the first great
object; as it would not only be the compleat deliverance of Italy, but
restore peace and tranquillity to the torn to pieces kingdom of Naples:
for such an occasion, a part of the garrison of Messina might be taken.
The next great object, is the reduction of Malta; and, in any other
moment than the present, it would be a most important one. Vaubois only
wants a pretence, to give up: his sole hope is that, in the next month,
he may escape with the ships." General Fox, however, being hourly
expected at Minorca, Sir James did not judge it proper to lessen the
garrison; and, says his lordship, in a letter to Sir Thomas Troubridge,
"enters upon the difficulty of the undertaking in a true soldier way."

These difficulties, however, were in a very few days completely
surmounted by Sir Thomas Troubridge: for, on the 20th of September, a
capitulation was entered into by that commander, who was then blockading
Civita Vecchia, on the part of Great Britain and her allies, with the
General of Division Gamier, commander in chief of the French troops, and
those of Italy and other allies then in the Roman Republic in a state of
siege; which terminated in the surrender of the fort and town of Civita
Vecchia on the 29th in the afternoon, and of Rome and St. Angelo two
hours after midnight. Civita Vecchia, Corneto, and Tolfa, containing
five thousand troops, were taken into possession by two hundred marines
and seamen of the Culloden and Minotaur; and General Bouchard, with the
troops of his Sicilian Majesty, took possession of Rome: but the French
general refused to treat with any other than a British commander.

It was the wish of Lord Nelson, that Commodore Troubridge should himself
have every advantage of transmitting to England the dispatches on this
occasion: being generously desirous of giving all the glory to this
favourite officer; who, accordingly, wrote the following letter to Mr.
Nepean.

"Civita Vecchia, 5th Oct. 1799.

"SIR,

"In obedience to orders from Lord Nelson, I have the honour to send
you, for their lordships information, a copy of the articles of
capitulation I have made with the French General Garnier, to clear
the Roman state. As I knew the French had all the valuables of the
Roman state packed up ready for embarking, and the coast of Civita
Vecchia forming a deep bay, with hard west south-west gales and a
heavy sea, which prevented the blockade