not been exempt at times from larger views upon Tuscany, and indeed upon the whole of Italy south of the Po. He now, however, professes his readiness to deliver over the country to its former Sovereign; and this seems the only effectual and just remedy for the existing evil: as its resources will then be administered by those most nearly interested in preserving them; and both the British and Neapolitan troops will have their respective lines of military operation secured to them by a friendly Sovereign, in whose territories they will find themselves equally received as Allies.

I trust before this reaches your lordship that measures will have been taken by Marshal Bellegarde, in consequence of orders sent him to this effect, for establishing the authority of the Grand-Duke in Tuscany. But this is not the only evil which it is essential should be made to cease, and to which your lordship's attention should be directed. It is in vain to hope for any useful concert from Murat whilst a system of menace prevails (and, as he may suppose, with the countenance of the British Government) with respect to his title to Naples. The enclosed Order of the Day, issued by the Hereditary Prince of Sicily, as it appears, to troops actually proceeding upon service under your lordship's orders, is in itself sufficient to blast all the prospects of advantage to the common cause, which the Allies proposed to themselves from forming a connexion with Murat. I request your Lordship will immediately report to me, for the information of the Prince Regent and his Allies, the circumstances under which this document was issued, and whether your lordship has adopted any and what steps for disavowing it on the part of your Court.

Whether the King of Sicily will or will not relinquish his rights to the Crown of Naples, it is altogether within his competence, as an independent sovereign, to decide; but it is impossible for his Majesty to pursue, by his own means, these rights, to the counteraction and prejudice of the views of the Allies, and to retain any claim upon them for support of any sort,

either as to the recovery of his Neapolitan dominions, or a possession in lieu thereof. It is true, his Britannic Majesty has not yet contracted any engagements with the existing ruler of Naples, and that, from delicacy and attention to the interests of an Ally, the King of Sicily, the British Government has, without any strict obligation to do so, declared their intention to be that their treaty with Murat should marcher de front with a suitable arrangement for the King of Sicily: but, if his Sicilian Majesty shall think fit to counteract them in this their generous and friendly policy, having by their armistice admitted the principle of the Austrian treaty with Murat, they will feel themselves released from all further forbearance, and will find themselves compelled to enter into an immediate treaty with Murat, in order to protect the common cause against the disunion which the injudicious conduct of the Court of Palermo must inevitably produce.

Your lordship will lose no time in making an official communication to the Sicilian Government, to the above effect; and I am to signify to your lordship the Prince Regent's pleasure, should you find that the employment of his Sicilian Majesty's troops on the Continent necessarily leads to impressions incompatible with the existing system of the Allies in Italy, that your lordship do, in that case, take immediate measures for sending them back to Sicily-an extremity to which, however, under proper explanations with the Sicilian Government, and also with Murat, I flatter myself your lordship will not find it necessary to have recourse.

There is one subject further upon which I deem it necessary to say a few words-not that I entertain the smallest doubts as to your lordship's own conduct being regulated in strict conformity to the present system of your Government, but as your lordship very properly, and under orders from home, gave great countenance, at a former period, to the only system. which, previous to the revival of the Continent, could afford a prospect of shaking the power of France, it is the more neces

VOL. IX.

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sary, now that a different and better order of things has arisen, to guard against any act or expression which might countenance an idea that either your lordship or your Court was actuated by "une arrière-pensée" inconsistent with the arrangements understood between the great Powers of Europe.

In your lordship's Proclamation there may perhaps be found an expression or two, which, separately taken, might create an impression that your views of Italian liberation went to the form of the Government as well as to the expulsion of the French; but, taking its whole scope, and especially its opening and concluding paragraphs together, I cannot assent to the interpretation the Duke of Campochiaro, on the part of his Government, has attempted to give it; but this and the incident of the colours prove how necessary it is, surrounded as your lordship must be by individuals who wish for another system to be established in Italy, not to afford any plausible occasion or pretext for umbrage to those with whom we are acting, but with whom our relations may not be such as at once to generate confidence. This course of policy, on your lordship's part, will best enable us to put Marshal Murat's intentions effectually to the test, which can by no means be suffered to remain equivocal, and to reduce his conduct strictly within the circle of his obligations.

Should your lordship have brought any supply of arms with your expedition, I must particularly enjoin your lordship not to employ them in any loose or general armament of the people. It is not insurrection we now want in Italy, or elsewhere—we want disciplined force, under Sovereigns we can trust. As far, therefore, as you can aid the Archduke or the King of Sardinia in the levy of troops, you have full authority so to do; but, under the extent of our pecuniary engagements to other Powersgreatly extended, as you will observe, by the treaty, copy of which I now enclose-I must request your lordship will not charge yourself with the pay or expenditure of any other force than what you have actually brought with you from Sicily.

1

Notwithstanding the favourable state of operations on this side of the Alps, I do not attach the less importance to the success of the Allied arms in Italy. Union and energy can alone extricate the Allies from the pernicious inactivity to which misconceptions amongst themselves appear to have given occasion, to obviate which in future, and in order that no misundertaking may take place in any quarter as to the upright. intentions of the British Government, I propose to communicate to the Duke of Campochiaro here the substance of the orders I now send to your lordship, and to furnish Prince Metternich with a copy of this despatch, for Marshal Bellegarde's information and guidance, in his intercourse with your lordship.

I have, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

PS. Although I have thought it proper to send your lordship, for your confidential information, a copy of the Duc de Campochiaro's Memoir, I wish your lordship to understand that, considering it in many respects unbecoming in its tone and language, and unfounded in point of fact, both Prince Metternich and myself have refused officially to receive it. Your lordship will not require any assurance from me that the British Government never pretended to answer for the consent of the King of Sicily to any arrangement whatever, to the prejudice of his resumption of the Crown of Naples: they never did more than answer for their own conduct upon a measure that was felt to be necessary to the general interests of Europe.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord William Bentinck.

Dijon, April 3, 1814. My Lord-Although I presume that your lordship will have heard from England that Mr. à Court has been appointed to fill your lordship's diplomatic situation at the Court of Palermo, during your absence in command of the army, I think it right to mention this arrangement to your lordship in

this despatch, and to enclose, for your confidential information, a copy of a secret Memorandum which his Majesty's Ministers at home have given to Mr. à Court, for the guidance of his conduct; and I request your lordship will furnish Mr. à Court with every additional information in your power upon the important subject connected with his mission to Sicily.

I have, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Lord Castlereagh to Lord William Bentinck.

Dijon, April 3, 1814.

My Lord-After I had closed my despatch of the present date, your lordship's from Verona, to the 27th, inclusive, have been received. I find nothing to change in the sentiments I have expressed to your lordship, and little to add. I continue strongly to wish your lordship not to withdraw from the cooperation with the Austrians, upon the footing which Marshal Bellegarde has pointed out, in his note to your lordship of the 25th of March; and I have accordingly to signify to your lordship the Prince Regent's pleasure that you do adapt your conduct to the principles therein laid down.

I shall forward these despatches by Mr. Werry, who can give your lordship all necessary information of the state of affairs here, and shall detain the officer who brought your lordship's letters till I can send him back with the result of the operations of the armies now concentred under the walls of Paris.

The Hon. Sir Charles Stewart to Lord Liverpool.

Paris, April 4, 1814. My Lord-I am apprehensive that the communications I may make, circumstanced as I am at present, may be of little importance; but, in weighing such intelligence as I detail with