bitantsof which islands had joyfully hoisted the royal colours, cut down the trees of liberty, and delivered up the municipalities, composed of detestable jacobins, all of whom were either confined on board the squadron, or in the chateau of Ischia, to await the punishment due to their crimes.
Captain Troubridge, the senior officer, lost no time in sending to Palermo for a judge to try the offenders, but it seemed to be the wish of the imbecile Ministry to cast the odium of every execution upon the British, as was but too successfully done in the case of Prince Caraccioli, to which we have alluded in a preceding part of this work[1]. Captain Troubridge, however, “out-manoeuvred” them, although some time elapsed before he could obtain the object of his desires. Writing to Nelson on this subject, he says:–
(April 4, 1799.) “I pray your Lordship to send an honest Judge here to try these miscreants on the spot, that some proper examples may be made: it. will be impossible to go on else, the villains encrease so fast on my hands, and the people are calling for justice. Eight or ten of them must be hung.”
(April 13.) “The Judge is arranging his papers; to-morrow he begins. 1 have given him good advice; he appears to me to be the poorest creature I; ever saw, and to be frightened out of his senses. He declares that seventy families are concerned; and talks of its being necessary to have a Bishop to degrade the Priests before he can execute them. I told him to hang them first, and if he did not think that degradation sufficient, to send them afterwards to me.”
(April 18.) “The Judge made an offer two days since, if I wished it, to pass sentence; but hinted that it would not be regular on some. I declined having any thing to do with it. By his conversation, I found his instructions were to go through it in a summary manner, and under me. I told him tire latter must be a mistake, as they were not British subjects.”
(May 7.) “My Lord: I have just had a long conversation with the t Judge. He tells me he shall finish his business next week; and that the custom with his profession is to return home the moment they have condemned. He says, he must be embarked immediately, and hinted at a man of war. I found also from his conversation, that the Priests must be sent to Palermo to be disgraced, by the King’s order, and then to be returned for execution to this place. An English man of war to perform all this: at the same time making application to me for a hangman, which I positively refused. If none could be found here, I desired he would send for one from Palermo. I see their drift: they want to make us the principals, and to throw all the odium upon us. I cannot form the least idea of their law pro-
