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A Century of Despotism in Naples and Sicily
A Century of Despotism in Naples and Sicily Author:Susan Horner General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1860 Original Publisher: Edmonston and Douglas Subjects: Naples (Kingdom) Sicily (Italy) History / General History / Europe / Italy Travel / Europe / Italy Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or... more » missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER II. FERDINAND IV. OF NAPLES, III. OF SICILY. 1759-1799. His Marriage -- Dismissal of the Minister Tanucci -- Sir John Acton -- Earthquakes in Calabria -- Colony of SanLeucio -- French Revolution -- Persecution of liberals in Naples -- War with France -- Nelson in Naples -- French Invasion of Naples -- Flight of the King and Royal Family. With the single exception of Tanucci, all the Regents appointed by Charles were old men ; and as long as they received that external respect which was always paid them by the colleague who was their inferior by birth, they were willing to yield the reality of power into his hands. If Tanucci had hitherto proved himself a wise adviser to the King, and an able and patriotic statesman, the exercise of these virtues had not been at variance with the accomplishment of his ambitious projects. That ambition now tempted him to an act as unworthy of a wise as of a good man. Charles, who had first raised Tanucci to power, and who had ever been a kind friend to him, had given him the greatest proof of his confidence, by committing the infant Prince to his charge. But neither honour to the absent father, nor pity to a child deprived of his natural protectors, deterred the Regent from deliberately sacrificing the most sacred interests of the young King, in the hope of securing for himself permanence in power. His policy in this instance proved as short-sighted as that of most men who prefer expediency to virtue; and...« less