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Article A REVIEW OF THE CONDUCT OF THE FRENCH ← Page 5 of 5
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Review Of The Conduct Of The French
While they were treating at the Congress of Rastadt for a general continental peace , they reflected that there was yet remaining a strong rich island in the Mediterranean , well stored with ammunition , and to which great riches had been sent from the countries suffering b y the war , but principally from Loretto , become immensely rich from the donations of the reliiouswhoto a considerable numberwere
g , , , in the habit of making pilgrimages thither , ' and of leaving behind them presents proportionable to their abilities . The Directory immediately dispatched a large force to Malta , and obtained possession of that island , through the medium-of treachery . A fact that has been fully proved in the conduct of the Grand Master and some of his per . fidious adherents , as well as by the ankles of surrender agreed upon
between him and the French General . By these articles they agreed , in defiance of all the sovereigns who had sent their plenipotentiaries to Rastadt ; to indemnify the Grand Master of the Order of St . John of Jerusalem with a principality in Germany , of 300 , 000 livres ( 12 , 500 ! . ) annual revenue ; and thereby puzzled the envoys , who were already embarrassed enough to find out means of indemnifying the other German princes for the losses sustained by them , in ceding their dominions on the left bank of the Rhine . This , however , was
a subject beneath the care of the Directory , who made of this acquisition a new department , and added it to the overgrown republic of France . They deprived the King of Naples of Messina , a large city in Sicily , containing 60 , 000 souls , in the same manner as they had done the King of Sardinia of the citadel of Turin . This last robbery , instead of satisfing the rapacious Directoryonly tirged them on to
y , the invasion of Egypt , and the capture of Alexandria . ^ Although they had concluded a peace with the Kings of Naples and Sardinia , and entered into alliance with them ; the former of these monarchs they terrified by threats , and forced the latter into a new convention , wherein it was stipulated that he should again pay to France three millions of liv . res ; abolish all titles , armoria } bearings , the
feudal rig hts and privileges of the nobility ; that the estates of clergy should become security for the circulating of . paper money ; and that the Sardinian army should be reduced to 5000 men , & c . _ By consenting to these ignominious articles of the . new convention , the King of Sardinia was obliged to capitulate tp the French in fact , though not in form j and his dominions became , in consequence of that consent , a prey to the first pretext which mig ht occur , for raising , a quarrel .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Review Of The Conduct Of The French
While they were treating at the Congress of Rastadt for a general continental peace , they reflected that there was yet remaining a strong rich island in the Mediterranean , well stored with ammunition , and to which great riches had been sent from the countries suffering b y the war , but principally from Loretto , become immensely rich from the donations of the reliiouswhoto a considerable numberwere
g , , , in the habit of making pilgrimages thither , ' and of leaving behind them presents proportionable to their abilities . The Directory immediately dispatched a large force to Malta , and obtained possession of that island , through the medium-of treachery . A fact that has been fully proved in the conduct of the Grand Master and some of his per . fidious adherents , as well as by the ankles of surrender agreed upon
between him and the French General . By these articles they agreed , in defiance of all the sovereigns who had sent their plenipotentiaries to Rastadt ; to indemnify the Grand Master of the Order of St . John of Jerusalem with a principality in Germany , of 300 , 000 livres ( 12 , 500 ! . ) annual revenue ; and thereby puzzled the envoys , who were already embarrassed enough to find out means of indemnifying the other German princes for the losses sustained by them , in ceding their dominions on the left bank of the Rhine . This , however , was
a subject beneath the care of the Directory , who made of this acquisition a new department , and added it to the overgrown republic of France . They deprived the King of Naples of Messina , a large city in Sicily , containing 60 , 000 souls , in the same manner as they had done the King of Sardinia of the citadel of Turin . This last robbery , instead of satisfing the rapacious Directoryonly tirged them on to
y , the invasion of Egypt , and the capture of Alexandria . ^ Although they had concluded a peace with the Kings of Naples and Sardinia , and entered into alliance with them ; the former of these monarchs they terrified by threats , and forced the latter into a new convention , wherein it was stipulated that he should again pay to France three millions of liv . res ; abolish all titles , armoria } bearings , the
feudal rig hts and privileges of the nobility ; that the estates of clergy should become security for the circulating of . paper money ; and that the Sardinian army should be reduced to 5000 men , & c . _ By consenting to these ignominious articles of the . new convention , the King of Sardinia was obliged to capitulate tp the French in fact , though not in form j and his dominions became , in consequence of that consent , a prey to the first pretext which mig ht occur , for raising , a quarrel .