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would have no other issue than the sword. Count Ludolf the very same who was Minister in Rome, and who, under the impulses of fear, had shouted for liberty loud enough flew to London and to Paris, giving out that the oppressed Sicilians only wanted a demonstration of troops from Naples, to throw themselves into the arms of their beloved King; and those Governments let it be understood that they would not interpose, perhaps in the hope that the way for negotiation might once more be opened. On the 1st of September, accordingly, the Neapolitan ships, laden with soldiers, with artillery, and all manner of powerful engines of destruction, set sail for Messina, cast anchor before it, and summoned it to surrender, with liberal promises in case of compliance, and frightful threats upon refusal. The former were despised, and the latter defied. On the 3rd, the Neapolitans commenced the conflict; but they were speedily driven back to their ships, which rained bombs on the hap less city. The Palace of the Municipality took fire on the very first day; the flames then seized churches, houses, public monuments; whole families found their death and their grave beneath the ruins. For almost five days the horrible spectacle was prolonged; the Neapolitan strategy was to have demolition and conflagration for its base. The Sicilian soldiery sallied forth, and the people of the town came down to encounter the Swiss and Neapolitan bands in open field, and fought with desperate valour, though in vain. Messina was overwhelmed, not subdued her people abandoned their native place, and chose rather

to wander homeless through the Island than to bow their necks to the conqueror. Resistance was now over; the Sicilian banner licked the dust; yet the savage bombardment was continued: it lasted fortyeight more hours, during which the troops carried sword and rapine amidst such of the townsmen and their dwellings as had escaped from the fire and the ruins, and spread desolation even to three miles' distance from the suburbs. Then the Admirals of France and England, horror-stricken, required the Neapolitans to desist, and imposed on both parties a truce. Europe was filled with the report of the atrocities committed at Messina, and weighty are the records of it that remain.

It was thus that Sir W. Temple, British Minister at Naples, characterised it in a note addressed to the Prince of Cariati, Minister of Foreign Affairs at Naples :

"The Governments of Great Britain and France deeply deplored the calamities which a renewal of hostilities in Sicily was inevitably calculated to produce, but they did not deem the case to be one which justified a forcible interference on their part to prevent the King of Naples from employing the means at his command for re-establishing his authority in Sicily.

"The expedition therefore sailed, and the operations of the Neapolitan troops against Messina were begun and carried on without interruption; and, if hostilities had been conducted according to the usual practices of civilised nations, and had the attacks been solely directed against armed opponents instead of being equally aimed at the extermination of the unresisting and helpless inhabitants, the Naval Commanders would no doubt have continued to preserve their neutral position.

"But the barbarities committed at Messina revolted the feelings of the British and French Admirals; and unable to stand by and remain passive spectators of such scenes as were then enacting, those officers took upon themselves the responsibility of calling upon the contending parties to establish a suspension of hostilities with a view to negotiation under the auspices of their two Governments; such armistice to last until it was known that their act would be sanctioned by their Governments."

The news of the calamity of Messina greatly excited the Parliament and the Government of the Island, seated at Palermo: it stimulated hatred without subduing courage.

Withdrawing our eyes from this fraternal carnage, it is a relief to direct them on a point where also man suffers and Italian flesh is lacerated, but not by Italians in intestine strife; namely, to high-hearted Venice, withstanding the stranger for Italy's sake as well as for her own. I have already stated how, after the truce between the armies of Piedmont and of Austria had been concluded, Venice formed her resolution to maintain, through all extremities, the honour of the Italian flag. On the 13th of August, Tommaseo having declined the office, Graziani and Cavedalis were elected, by the assembly of the people, colleagues of the distinguished Manin. The troops collected in Venice were commanded by Pepe, a Neapolitan, an old and trusty friend of freedom, who was aided both in council and in action by a Commission of Defence, composed of General Bua, of

* Parl. Papers, presented by command, May 4. 1849, p. 602. The date is Dec. 29. 1848.

Colonels Ulloa, Milani, and Mezzocapo, and of Captain Mainardi. The King of Naples had recalled from thence the few troops of the line and artillerymen who had followed Pepe beyond the Po; so that nobody had remained except the volunteers, with some officers of merit, among whom Ulloa was the most distinguished. The void caused by the departure of the Neapolitans was filled by legions of volunteers from the Roman States, who had flocked in to face the dangers of the Queen of the Lagunes. On the 15th of August the Austrians began to batter Marghera with field artillery, but retired after three hours, leaving on the field sixteen dead and twentytwo wounded. On the 17th of September, when the Sardinian fleet was gone, the blockade of Venice was notified at Trieste: yet it was not so close as to prevent their drawing supplies by sea from Romagna, which sent corn, cattle, wine, and vegetables from the ports of Ravenna and Comacchio. The advanced posts, and especially those of the garrisons in Marghera, Tre Porti, and Brondolo, had frequent brushes with the Imperialists; but there did not occur any action worthy of record, for neither were the Austrians in sufficient force, nor could the Venetians assume the offensive. The blockade continued, and became indeed at some points more strict; the youthful soldiery was keen to come to blows; and it was politic for Venice to try and open a passage to the Continent with a view to supplies. On the 22nd of October, Sile's Riflemen, to the number of four hundred, sallied at the point of dawn from the Fort of

Tre Porti, and moved towards Cavallino, where the Austrians had a garrison. Cavallino is on a site strong by nature, to be reached only along a narrow dyke, which hardly carries two men abreast. On the left are marshes and tangled thickets; on the right, the Pordelio canal, itself defended by two boats fitted with onepounders, and its bank by a couple of cannon. While our troops were sallying from Tre Porti, three canoes, and two more boats carrying guns, flanked them along the canal. This unexpected attack took the enemy by surprise, and he fled, abandoning his guns, boats, and baggage. But the Venetians could not garrison that post, because it was seven miles from Tre Porti, whither they returned in the evening, as they had gained the object they had in view, namely, to open the communication for supplies. On the 26th of the same month, General Pepe ordered an attack on Mestre. At that town is the junction of the Padua and Treviso roads, and of the railway, which goes direct from Vicenza to Venice by the great Bridge of the Lagune. The railway is on the right; on the left a canal that touches Marghera, and debouches into the Lagune. The way from Venice and Marghera to Mestre is either by the railroad, or by the canal, or along its banks; the neighbouring ground is marshy. The Austrians held Mestre with 1500 men, whom, in case of need, they could support, from short distances, with 1000 more. The place was fortified by an entrenchment with a couple of guns on the railway, and another like it cut through the canal-bank. The object, on our side, was to break up the blockade by piercing

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