By the surrender of St Elmo, the King of Naples had once more the satisfaction to behold his own flag waving over the capital, and all the forts by which it was defended.  The only places now remaining in the hands of the French and his Neapolitan Majesty’s rebellious subjects, were Capua and Gaieta.  Against the former of these, on the 14th, Captains Troubridge and Hallowell began to make preparations, by landing a thousand men from the squadron; which, uniting with four thousand other troops, of various denominations, marched in a few days to effect it’s reduction.

On the 17th, Lord Nelson, by the desire of his Sicilian Majesty, sent a letter to Captain Troubridge, directing him, when he sent in a summons to the commander of the French troops in Capua, to state that, on condition of immediately giving up Capua and Gaieta, both being under his command, the French garrisons, after laying down their arms, should be permitted to go to France without any restrictions; but, if this were not complied with, they should be considered as prisoners of war, with as degrading terms as it was in his power to give them:  in short, the allies must dictate the terms.  To this letter, there was a remarkable postscript; which serves to shew, with what marked contempt his lordship regarded those whom he had reason to consider as traitors—­“There is a person,” says his lordship, “who has been a notorious rebel; but, now, pretends to serve his king faithfully.  If he should attempt to come even into your presence, I earnestly request, that you will never voluntarily admit him to your sight, much less speak to him; for honour and loyalty, which you possess, never ought to be contaminated with infamy and rebellion.  His name is said to be Roccaromara.”  There can be no doubt, that Lord Nelson had good reasons for this positive caution:  the want of which might, perhaps, have been prejudicial to the expedition; if not fatal to this his lordship’s favourite commander, for whose honour and welfare he was to the full as solicitous as for his own.

Just as every thing was arranged, ready to march against Capua, the event which his lordship had anticipated in his letter to Earl Spencer actually occurred.  A peremptory order arrived, on the 19th, from Lord Keith, directing him to detach, immediately, from the Island of Sicily, the whole of his squadron—­or such part, at least, as might not be necessary in that island—­for the protection of Minorca.  Lord Nelson, however, well knowing, that Lord Keith, at the time of sending this order, could not be informed of the change of affairs in the kingdom of Naples, where all the marines, and a considerable body of seamen, were now landed, in order to drive the French scoundrels out of the kingdom—­which was likely, he said, with God’s blessing, to be very soon effected, when a part of the squadron should be instantly sent—­he thought it right, till the French were all driven from Capua, not to obey his lordship’s order for