ection; Italy was virtually lost to the French, though
they still held Genoa.

[Sidenote: _NELSON AT NAPLES._]

England bore a part in the war both by sea and land. On April 25 a
powerful French fleet slipped out from Brest. All the southern coast of
England was disturbed by the fear of invasion. The French, however,
sailed into the Mediterranean. The fleet under St. Vincent was scattered
on different services and each division was far weaker than the French,
who were expected at Naples, at Malta, and at Alexandria. A crisis was
impending at Naples. The upper and middle classes were largely
republican, the poor throughout the kingdom were attached to the
monarchy. In February, Cardinal Ruffo, as the king's vicar-general, set
on foot a counter-revolution. At the head of a horde of peasants he
quickly regained Calabria for the king, while a Neapolitan diplomatist,
Micheroux, with the help of some Russian and Turkish ships, won back
Apulia. On April 3 Troubridge captured Procida and Ischia from the
republicans, but on the arrival of the French fleet in the
Mediterranean, was summoned by Nelson to join him at Maritimo, and left
only one British ship off Naples under Captain Foote. On June 13, after
Macdonald had withdrawn his army, the bands of Ruffo and Micheroux
entered Naples and took cruel vengeance on the republicans. The castle
of St. Elmo, held by a French garrison, and the castles Dell' Uovo and
Nuovo by Neapolitan republicans, were besieged by the royalists, by
Foote, and by the Russian and Turkish allies. Both sides expected the
arrival of the French fleet, and Ruffo was anxious to gain speedy
possession of the forts. An armistice was arranged, and on the 19th a
capitulation of the forts Dell' Uovo and Nuovo was agreed upon, was
signed by Ruffo, Foote, and the Russian and Turkish commanders, and was
ratified by the French commandant of St. Elmo.

The capitulation provided that the rebels should surrender the two forts
and evacuate them unharmed as soon as transports should be ready to
convey to Toulon such of them as desired to depart. On the 21st Nelson,
after an interview with the king, sailed from Palermo for Naples. As
soon as he arrived, on the 24th, he signalled to annul the armistice,
and sent word to Ruffo that he disallowed the capitulation. The next day
he sent Ruffo a declaration that he should not allow the rebels to
embark; they must surrender to the king's mercy, and he bade Ruffo
inform them of h