he left, and Maddaloni on
the right, with Castel Morone at the apex. The country is hilly, and
this fact, together with the great distance covered, divided the
20,000 men into a number of practically distinct bodies, each of
which, in the decisive battle, had to fight its own fight. Here and
there improvised fortifications were thrown up. Garibaldi was aware
that his line of battle was perilously extended, but the necessity of
blocking all the roads and by-ways which led to Naples, dictated
tactics which he was the last to defend.

The best policy for the Royalists would have been to bring
overwhelming numbers to bear on a single point, and, breaking the
line, to march straight on the capital. They were doubtless afraid of
an advance which would have left a portion of the Garibaldian army
unbeaten in their rear. Nevertheless, of the chances that remained to
them, this was the best. At Naples there were no Garibaldian troops to
speak of, and the powers of reaction had been working night and day to
procure for the rightful King the reception due to a saviour of
society. Perhaps they would not have completely failed. There were
nobles who were sulking, shopkeepers who were frightened,
professional beggars with whom the Dictator had opened a fierce but
unequal contest, for no blue-bottle fly is more difficult to tackle
than a genuine Neapolitan mendicant; there were priests who, though
not by any means all unpatriotic, were beginning to be scared by
Garibaldi's gift of a piece of land for the erection of an English
church, and by the sale of Diodati's Bible in the streets. And
finally, there was the Carrozzella driver whom a Garibaldian officer
had struck because he beat his horse. These individuals formed a
nucleus respectably numerous, if not otherwise respectable, of anxious
watchers for the Happy Return.

If anyone question the fairness of this catalogue of the partisans of
the fallen dynasty, the answer is, that had their ranks contained
worthier elements, they would not have carefully reserved the
demonstration of their allegiance till the King should prove that he
had the right of the strongest.

Towards five o'clock in the morning of the 1st of October, the
royalists, who crossed the river in three columns, fired the first
shots, and the fight soon became general. King Francis had come from
Gaeta to Capua to witness what was meant to be an auspicious
celebration of his birthday. General Ritucci held the chief co