d
in Germany too it is not much. The principal events, on both stages, are
chronologically somewhat as follows;--beginning with Italy:--
MARCH 29th, 1734. Baby Carlos with a Duke of Montemar for General, a
difficult impetuous gentleman, very haughty to the French allies and
others, lands in Naples Territory; intending to seize the Two Sicilies,
according to bargain. They find the Kaiser quite unprepared, and their
enterprise extremely feasible.
"MAY 10th. Baby Carlos--whom we ought to call Don Carlos, who is now
eighteen gone, and able to ride the great horse--makes triumphant entry
into Naples, having easily swept the road clear; styles himself 'King of
the Two Sicilies' (Papa having surrendered him his 'right' there);
whom Naples, in all ranks of it, willingly homages as such. Wrecks of
Kaiser's forces intrench themselves, rather strongly, at a place called
Bitonto, in Apulia, not far off.
"MAY 25th. Montemar, in an impetuous manner, storms them there:--which
feat procures for him the title, Duke of Bitonto; and finishes off
the First of the Sicilies. And indeed, we may say, finishes Both the
Sicilies: our poor Kaiser having no considerable force in either, nor
means of sending any; the Sea-Powers having buttoned their pockets, and
the Combined Fleet of France and Spain being on the waters there.
"We need only add, on this head, that, for ten months more, Baby Carlos
and Montemar went about besieging, Gaeta, Messina, Syracuse; and making
triumphal entries;--and that, on the 30th of June, 1735, Baby Carlos had
himself fairly crowned at Palermo. [_Fastes de Louis XV., i. 278._]
'King of the Two Sicilies' DE FACTO; in which eminent post he and his
continue, not with much success, to this day.
"That will suffice for the Two Sicilies. As to Lombardy again, now that
Villars is out of it, and the Coignys and Broglios have succeeded:--
"JUNE 29th, 1734. Kaiser, rallying desperately for recovery of the
Milanese, has sent an Army thither, Graf von Mercy leader of it: Battle
of Parma between the French and it (29th June);--totally lost by the
Kaiser's people, after furious fighting; Graf von Mercy himself killed
in the action. Graf von Mercy, and what comes nearer us, a Prince of
Culmbach, amiable Uncle of our Wilhelmina's Husband, a brave man and
Austrian Soldier, who was much regretted by Wilhelmina and the rest;
his death and obsequies making a melancholy Court of Baireuth in this
agitated year. The Kaiser, doing
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