The Emperor had sent an army into Hungary against the Turks, and Philip V. gave a solemn promise to the Pope that he would not undertake anything against the interests of the Emperor while he was engaged in so religious a cause. Yet, without regard to this promise and in defiance of the duties imposed upon him by the treaty of peace, he sent a fleet, with a land force of nine thousand men, from Barcelona, which seized upon the island of Sardinia in July 1717. His excuse was that King Charles had delivered up the towns in Catalonia and Majorca to the inhabitants, thus putting Philip to the trouble and expense of reducing those people to obedience. In consequence of this aggression, the Powers made a treaty, called the Quadruple Alliance, by which the Emperor was to give up his claim to the crown of Spain, to receive Sicily from the Duke of Savoy, and to give him Sardinia in its place, with the title of King. Philip would not agree to this arrangement and continued his preparations for war, without any regard to the remonstrances of England and even of France. In this he was strongly influenced by his second wife and by his Minister, Cardinal Alberoni. In order to prevent farther mischief in the Mediterranean a formidable fleet was got ready at Spithead, under the command of Admiral Sir George Byng, with orders to hinder and resist all attempts of Spain against Italy or Sicily. Byng sailed on June 25, 1718, with twenty ships of the line, two fire-ships, two bomb-ships, a hospital-ship, and a store-ship. Off Cape St. Vincent he sent a messenger, by way of Cadiz, to convey a letter to Lord Harrington, the British Envoy at Madrid, that the Spanish Government might be informed of the approach of the British fleet and of Byng’s instructions. The Envoy showed the letter to Cardinal Alberoni, who declared that his master would run all hazards rather than recall his fleet and troops, that the Spaniards would not be frightened, and that he had no fear of the result if Admiral Byng attacked them. The Envoy then requested his Eminence to look over a list of the British ships which he held in his hand. Alberoni snatched it and threw it on the ground, trampling on it in a great passion. There was nothing more to be done with such a violent diplomatist. The British fleet entered the Mediterranean, and arrived at Port Mahon on July 23. Here the Admiral landed four regiments, and took the marines forming the old garrison to serve in the fleet. On August 1 the Admiral arrived at Naples, and conferred with Count Daun, the very popular Viceroy for the Emperor Charles VI. It was found that the Spaniards had landed an army in Sicily and were besieging Messina, and that there was a large Spanish fleet there, consisting of twenty-nine ships of the line and frigates, two being seventy-four-gun ships and eight with sixty guns.