Page:Once a Week Volume 8.djvu/60

52  Neuhoff’s kingdom most seriously of all, and as it was menaced with the loss of the island it issued on May 9, 1736, a proclamation, in which Baron Theodore von Neuhoff was declared a swindler (not unjustly, as we know), a portion of his ill-spent life was revealed, and he was threatened with the severest punishment, as guilty of high treason. In addition, the Genoese offered a reward of £300 for the king if surrendered alive, and £150 if dead. That there was no one willing to earn this reward speaks in favour of the adventurer.

King Theodore not merely issued a contrary manifesto, but acted too, and exerted himself to expel the Genoese from his island. In this he partially succeeded, and invested Bastia, the capital, which was still held by the Genoese. Von Neuhoff does not appear to have been a bad soldier, for he defeated the enemy in several skirmishes, and even gained a pitched battle, on June 29, 1736, at Isola Rossa, in which the Genoese colonel, Marchelli, lost no less than 4000 men. The day after, King Theodore also captured two Genoese vessels, laden with money, arms, and ammunition. But this was the last smile of fortune; on August 29, he was repulsed by the Genoese at Calenzano, and, worse still, he began quarrelling with the Corsican chiefs, whom he held too tightly in hand, and who, in all probability, had expected a greater amount of assistance from him. Still the clever fellow managed to appease the malcontents, and as a symbol of reconciliation founded, on September 16, the royal Corsican Order of the Redemption. From this moment, however, matters took such an ugly turn, that King Theodore resolved to proceed to Europe, and personally fetch assistance. Early in November he landed at Leghorn, and proceeded through Paris to Amsterdam, where on April 19, 1737, he was arrested for old debts, and put in prison. He contrived, however, to get out again, on May 7, and was not handed over to the Genoese Republic, as it had demanded through its ambassador at the Hague.

The great support of our adventurer was, that all the enemies of the arrogant Republic of Genoa were not indisposed to give him assistance, at any rate, under the rose. Besides, on emerging from prison the king displayed indefatigable zeal; at one moment he was at Lisbon, then at Malaga, then in England, and back again in Amsterdam, and everywhere was at work to secure the independence of Corsica and his own kingdom. It also speaks in his favour, that the Corsicans had remained faithful to him, and governed the island in his name, with the exception of the fortresses of Bastia, Ajaccio, Calpe, and Pellegrino, which the Genoese still held. On September 13, 1738, King Theodore fulfilled the promise he had given the Corsicans on his departure: he arrived with several ships at Porto Vecchio, and landed large quantities of stores and ammunition. The Corsicans received him as their king; but he had arrived too late, for there was a French corps under Count Boissieux on the island, for the purpose of patching up a truce between the Genoese and the rebels. France had not recognised King Theodore, and had no intention of doing so, as she was already meditating the annexation of Corsica to France. Hence it was her interest to let the Genoese and Corsicans weaken each other, but not to help the king in securing his supremacy. This policy was successful, for thirty years later Corsica was French.

In November, 1738, the French demanded the extradition of Von Neuhoff, and the poor king found himself compelled to quit his country for the second time. He fled to Naples, where he was arrested and sent to Gaeta, but was treated with great kindness, and soon after released. In Naples the illustrious Republic of Genoa was not particularly beloved, either. From this time Von Neuhoff’s adventurous career recommences, and we see him constantly rising and being eclipsed in all sorts of places. In 1739 I come on his trail at Rome, Venice, and Tunis, and in 1740 at Cologne. The next year he was in Switzerland, and in 1742 again reached England. There is evidence to prove that the British government of the day negotiated with him, and was disposed to supply him with the means to expel the French from Corsica; but in all probability the negotiations were made, not with the king, but with the individual. Still, it appears that large promises were made him. On January 12, 1743, King Theodore turned up at Leghorn, where he collected the expelled Corsicans, and issued a manifesto, in which he offered a general amnesty to all who had deserted him, with the exception of Paoli. In this manifesto he calls himself “Theodore, by the grace of God, King of Corsica, and Grand Master of the Military Order of the Redemption.” In conclusion, it runs thus: “Such is our royal will. For this purpose we have subscribed it with our own hand, and confirmed it with our royal seal. Given at Bologna, on the 30th January, of the 1743rd year since the birth of Christ, and the seventh of our kingdom, which may God render happy and increase. .”

With manifestoes, however, no kingdom can be rendered happy: but the king of Corsica did not do much more. He certainly sailed to the island, and landed ammunition and stores at Isola Rossa, but he did not leave his ship himself, and contented himself with cruising off the coast and preventing reinforcements arriving from Genoa. We have seen that our adventurer was not deficient in courage, and hence other motives must have restrained him from placing himself at the head of his faithful Corsicans. Probably he regarded the whole affair as hopeless since the interference of the French, and merely employed his royal title as a means to commence negotiations and intrigues, which would bring him in money; possibly, though, I may do him injustice by this supposition. Soon after he disappeared again, presently to turn up at Siena, when his partizans ventured a new attack on the Genoese, and at a convocation held at Corte, on June 14, 1744, signed a document in which they pledged themselves to live and die for Theodore, their king. It must be considered that my adventurer was no common man, and possessed better qualities than his life-history makes known; otherwise this