THEODORE, Baron Nieuhof, in the county of La Marc in Westphalia, an adventurer who obtained considerable notoriety under the title of King of Corsica. He had his education in the French service, and afterwards went to Spain, where he received some marks of regard from the duke of Riperda and Cardinal Alberoni; but being of an unsettled disposition, he quitted Spain, and travelled into Italy, England, and Holland, in search of new adventures. He at last fixed his attention on Corsica, and formed the scheme of rendering himself sovereign of that island. He was a man of abilities and address; and having fully informed himself of every thing relating to Corsica, went to Tunis, where he devised means to procure some money and arms; and then went to Leghorn, from whence he wrote a letter to the Corsican chiefs Giafferi and Paoli, offering considerable assistance to the nation if they would elect him as their sovereign. This letter was consigned to [7:21:201] Count DomenicoRivarola, who acted as Corsican plenipotentiary in Tuscany, and he gave for answer, that if Theodore brought the assistance which he promised to the Corsicans, they would very willingly make him king. Without loss of time he set sail, and landed at Tavagna in the spring of the year 1736. He was a man of a very stately appearance, and the Turkish dress, which he wore, added to the dignity of his mien. He had a few attendants with him; and his manners were so engaging, and his offers so plausible, that he was proclaimed king of Corsica before Count Rivarola’s despatches arrived to inform the chiefs of the terms upon which he had agreed. He brought with him about 1000 zequins of Tunis, besides some arms and ammunition, and made magnificent promises of foreign assistance; whence the Corsicans, who were glad of any support, willingly gave in to his schemes. Theodore instantly assumed every mark of royal dignity. He had his guards and his officers of state; he conferred titles of honour, and struck money both of silver and copper. The silver pieces were few in number, and can now hardly be met with; the copper coins have on one side T. R., that is, “Theodoras Rex,” with a double branch crossed, and round it this inscription, Pro bono publico Re. Co., that is, “For the public good of the kingdom of Corsica on the other side is the value of the piece, cinque solidi, or five sous.

The Genoese were not a little confounded with this unexpected adventure. They published a violent manifesto against Theodore, treating him with great contempt; but at the same time showing they were alarmed at his appearance. Theodore replied in a manifesto, with all the calmness and dignity of a monarch; but after being about eight months in Corsica, perceiving that the people began to cool in their affections towards him, he assembled his chiefs, and declared he would keep them no longer in a state of uncertainty, being determined to seek in person the support which he had long expected. He settled an administration during his absence, recommended unity in the strongest terms, and left the island with reciprocal assurances of fidelity and affection. He proceeded to Holland, where he was so successful as to obtain credit from several rich merchants, particularly Jews, who trusted him with cannon and other warlike stores to a great value, under the charge of a supercargo. With these he returned to Corsica in 1739; but by this time the French, as auxiliaries to the Genoese, had become so powerful in the island, that though Theodore threw in his supply of warlike stores, he did not incline to venture his person, the Genoese having set a high price on his head. He therefore again departed; and after many unavailing attempts to recover his crown, at length chose for retirement a country where he might enjoy the participation of that liberty which he had so vainly endeavoured to give his Corsicans; but his situation in England by degrees grew wretched, and he was reduced so low as to be several years before his death a prisoner for debt in the King’s Bench. At length, to the honour of some gentlemen of rank, a charitable contribution was set on foot for him in the year 1753. Mr Boswell observes, that Horace Walpole generously exerted himself for the unfortunate Theodore, and wrote a paper in The World with great elegance and humour, soliciting a contribution for the unhappy monarch in distress, to be paid to Mr Robert Dodsley, bookseller, as lord high treasurer. This brought him a very handsome sum, and he was set at liberty. The same writer adds, that Mr Walpole had the original deed by which Theodore made over the kingdom of Corsica in security to his creditors, and that he also had the great seal of the kingdom. Theodore died on the 11th of December 1756, and was buried in St Anne’s churchyard, Westminster, where, in 1757, a simple unadorned monument of marble was erected to his memory.