Meantime Cardinal Ruffo, a man of questionable character, but of a temper fitted for such times, having landed in Calabria, raised what he called a Christian army, composed of the best and the vilest materials--loyal peasants, enthusiastic priests and friars, galley slaves, the emptying of the jails, and banditti.
The islands in the bay of Naples were joyfully delivered up by the inhabitants, who were in a state of famine already, from the effect of this baleful revolution.

Troubridge distributed among them all his flour, and Nelson pressed the Sicilian court incessantly for supplies; telling them that L10,000 given away in provisions would, at this time, purchase a kingdom.

Money, he was told, they had not to give; and the wisdom and integrity which might have supplied its wants were not to be found.

"There is nothing," said he, "which I propose, that is not, so far as orders go, implicitly complied with; but the execution is dreadful, and almost makes me mad.

My desire to serve their majesties faithfully, as is my duty, has been such that I am almost blind and worn out; and cannot in my present state hold out much longer." Before any government can be overthrown by the consent of the people, the government must be intolerably oppressive, or the people thoroughly corrupted.