The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-19 00:00:00

THE STATE OF NAPLES.

A letter from Naples, dated Feb. 14, says—" As
the smashing of a bishop was laid down by one of
our wits as the necessary condition of precautionary
measures on railways, so the capture of the Governor
of the Bank has led to increased efforts to seize the
brigand chief of Vesuvius. Only two months have
elapsed since a gentleman of Torre del Greco way laid
hold of and valued at 2,000 duc-ats. "Impossible to
pay it," was the remonstrance. " Oh, yes, you can,"
said Pilone. " You declared that you would like to
make Maria Sofia your servant (which he remem-
bers to have said in his own drawing-room in the
presence only of two of his relatives), and if you
can afford to keep royalty in service you can
pay down 2,000 ducats. So cash up." The
money was paid. Since then Pilone has been
master of the country, has visited the houses of
friends of my own, mulcted some, walked openly in
the streets of Scagati, and, it is added, in those of
Naples, and set all the military and police force at
defiance. At last a banker is taken, and heaven
and earth are moved. Six police stations have
been formed on Vesuvius, a flying column of 60
soldiers is on the spot, 40 persons of the small
towns in the neighbourhood who supplied and en-
tertained him have been arrested, and hopes are
entertained that he will be captured. I doubt it.
Pilone will not wait for his pursuers. Two words
as to the history of this notorious chief. His pre-
sent career, as may be that of many others, was
determined by persecution. A stonecutter in Boso-
trecase, a village at the foot of Vesuvius, he was
irritated and persecuted by a custode of woods and
forests, and finally condemned to two years of im-
prisonment in the good old times. Rescued from
prison by a captain in the Bourbon army, he went
to Palermo, with all his family, to avoid further
persecution. Garibaldi made his appearance soon
after, and by accident, about the same time, Pilone
met his friend the captain, to whose persuasions he
yielded, and joined the Royalist forces. He fought
and took a flag, which he wrapped round his body,
to keep it from the hands of his fellow-soldiers.
The flag was sent up to Naples, and exhibited at
Portici as one of the trophies of the Bourbons.
As soon as the insurrection was over Pilone
came up to Naples, and being much taunted
by an officer of the National Guard for his
attachment to the Bourbons, killed his man, fled to
the mountains, and formed a band which was cut
up. The country had then become too hot for him,
and he escaped to Rome—as he may do now, for all
are his friends—was received by Francis 11. with
Open arms, decorated, appointed a General, and
I sent back to the neighbourhood of a capital with
500,000 inhabitants. Here, in defiance of the mili-
tary and civil w
with the Committees Pee
captured, and fixedr power,
in
eaihytyaos
ni e
ransomsandN communicated;apslheos ptehigleul
almga regularly
obnoxious of his opponents ; and lived a jolly
his friends, who were in fact the mass of the
people
who bask in the sun whiehshines
on
nthe
ecolaisfe
Among
coast
of the Bay of _Naples. The end of
his career we
have yet to see. Were Ito send you his likeness,
it would be that of a man wearing a Calabrian hat,
with a red and white feather ; a blue military
jacket, with several decorations, and fastened round
the waist with a girdle, terminating with red un-
mentionables. Several very important arrests of
wealthy proprietors have been made at Vico during
the last week. It is a small village between Castel-
lamare and Sorrento, and here these worthies have
been in correspondence with the Bourbonite Coun-
cils and brigands, sending them money, and aiding
and abetting them in every possible way.

The Meteorological Journal of Vienna states that
since 1775 there have been only two winters, 1796 and 1834,
milder than the present. Tho temperature in that city Is
this year 4 deg, above the winter average, but in, 1796 it WO
5.3 deg., and in 1831 4.8 deg,