bestowing an annual subsidy on his Sicilian Majesty, and employing both an army and navy in the defence of his dominions.

The British Ministry now intrusted the war department to Mr. William Wyndham, who was a subtle orator, and endowed with a fervid imagination.

In Mr. Pitt's administration, he had been permitted to execute a scheme of his own conception, which was, to disembark three thousand emigrants in Quiberon Bay, to excite a counter-revolution in France. These devoted royalists were consequently destroyed. Soon after entering into office on this occasion, he transported eight thousand men to Buenos Ayres, to take that city; and afterwards to advance to more distant conquests. The troops landed, were defeated, and capitulated.

His projects in the Mediterranean are next to be mentioned. Admiral Sir John Duckworth, with a strong squadron of menof-war, appeared off Sicily. Sir John Moore was sent to communicate with him, and the Admiral showed him his orders. He was

directed to sail through the Dardanelles, and anchor off Constantinople, to compel the Turks to desist from hostilities against the Russians. If they refused, he was to demand the surrender of their fleet; and if this likewise were not complied with, he was ordered to fire upon the city, and capture or destroy all the shipping.

General Fox also was ordered, in case of hostilities ensuing with the Turks, to detach immediately five thousand men to take possession of Alexandria.

These were harsh terms meted to the Ottoman Porte, which had been so lately our faithful ally.

It appeared to Sir John Moore very strange to send the troops and the fleet to different and distant points. In his opinion, it would have been more advisable that seven or eight thousand soldiers should have accompanied the fleet, to secure a safe passage through the Dardanelles, and to enable the Admiral to effect his instructions. But the war minister thought otherwise; whose visionary expectations of obtaining great suc

cesses by small means were frustrated everywhere; for the Grand Signior spurned at the threats of Sir John Duckworth, who effected nothing; and his squadron, in returning, was dreadfully shattered by the Turkish batteries. With regard to Alexandria, it was indeed taken possession of by the detachment sent against it; but in venturing to master Rosetta also, a repulse with heavy loss was sustained.

As Moore was not engaged in these affairs, they are only noticed cursorily: I now return to what concerns himself.

In the beginning of February, Mr. Drummond, the minister, came to Messina in a line-of-battle ship, to communicate what he imagined to be an important piece of intelligence to the Commander of the Forces; and next day, General Fox, accompanied by Sir John Moore, waited upon him in form. After some preamble, Mr. Drummond signified to them, that in consequence of the measures that had been adopted by the Court of Palermo, he had resolved to withhold the subsidy granted by the British government; and by that means had brought about a complete

subversion of the ruling power; and that the Queen had no longer the slightest influence in public affairs. All political business was now transacted by himself, the Marquis Circello, and the King; and on this change in the administration being fixed, he had consented to pay the subsidy regularly.

Moore was astonished that Mr. Drummond should have been hoodwinked by so palpable an Italian device. He reminded him of the imbecility of the King, whom the Queen biassed just as she pleased; and of Circello being her creature; consequently, that she retained the whole power of the state as completely as before. The only real change, therefore, that had occurred, was only a transfer of the money from his pocket to hers.

Mr. Drummond was a good deal disconcerted by Moore's remarks, but would not admit that he had been been overreached by the Queen's superior cunning. He returned next day to the court of their Sicilian Majesties, in the Tyger man-of-war, with diplomatic pomp.

VOL. II.

E

In the above short absence of Mr. Drum

mond, instead of General Fox being re-ap

pointed to the

command of the Sicilian

forces, as was

expected, the Hereditary

Prince of Sicily was nominated Inspector General of the army, and Monsieur St. Clair his assistant; which appointments were decisive proofs of the deception practised on Mr. Drummond.

Moore, with a few officers, took this opportunity to inspect the troops in their quarters, and to make an excursion through the country; Sicily being an island most interesting to all who are versed in history and poetry.

The road they took winds round the base of Mount Etna, whose intestine fires, supplied by unexhausted fuel, have burned for thousands of years. They stopped not at inns, for there are none, but at convents, which abound; and they were hospitably entertained by the monks, the superiors of whom are polite, lettered men. In a few days they arrived at Castro Giovanni, near the centre