to her fate, except so far as Lord Minto's meddling complicated
her condition. The temporarily vanquished Neapolitans returned to the
contest, and the revolution was ingloriously suppressed.

In Naples the victory of the constitution was as short as the
independence, of Sicily. The king acted without sincerity, and the
deputies without prudence. The king found an opportunity of resistance,
for which he had well prepared himself. He was surrounded by Swiss
guards, recruited from the bigoted Roman Catholic cantons of the
Sonderbund, or what had been so termed before its tyranny was crushed
the previous year. The king had also the lazzaroni on his side; some
thirty thousand thieves, assassins, street beggars, and burglars were
in his majesty's royal pay and royal favour. They were enthusiastic for
king, church, and plunder. It was alleged that the royal promise was
held out to them that if they conquered the citizens they would be
permitted to sack the city. The event seemed as if such allegation were
true; the united Swiss and lazzaroni conquered, and the city was sacked.
The king permitted, and his minions encouraged, the most infamous
proceedings: riot, robbery, and debauch filled every street and almost
every house, while blood, the blood of the best citizens of Naples,
flowed in torrents. There is no knowing to what extent these horrors
might have been carried by the "faithful lazzaroni," had not the French
admiral in the bay declared that he would act against the king if these
inhumanities were not at once stopped. The lazzaroni must have been
at the king's beck, for the moment he was alarmed by threats of the
interference of a French squadron, he called in his bloodhounds, and
held the leash until the threatened danger passed.

BELGIUM.

Much concern was felt in England as to the part which Belgium would take
in the terrible continental tragedy. The king being her majesty's uncle,
and also the uncle of her consort, the safety of his throne was regarded
anxiously by the English court. As he had by his second marriage
connected himself with the family of Louis Philippe, the French
republicans looked upon him as a very suspicious neighbour; but the
prudent policy of Lamartine prevented any collision, and checked the
propagandism which both sections of French republicans desired to
bring to bear upon Belgium. The "Reds," perceiving that the provisional
government was not disposed to embroil itself with foreign p