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 General Toiigress^AT Vienna, i8i5 : 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ^ IN ^u s sYa7 & c : ^ 
 
 Exliibitiiig^"^ Complete 
 
 F EUROPE 
 
 BY HEWS ©>^ CLAffiKE.Es<?f 
 
 Of E ma nue^Mi^^M Cambridge. 
 
 I.aniino of the Alliti Sovereion.- nl Voter, June-tSu
 
 Annex 
 
 5017335 
 
 HISTORY of ENGLAND, 
 
 WITH A 
 
 Continuation to i^umc, 
 
 From 1688 to the Present Period, forming a Third Volume, 
 
 BY 
 
 IIEWSON CLARKE, ESQ. 
 
 Of Emanuel CoUcge, Cambridge. 
 (V0L.JJI.) 
 
 J. M. HoHSH tt O. PiinUri, Bungay, 

 
 THE 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 
 
 From tlie Revolution in 1688. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WILLIAM AND MARY. 
 
 [1689 to 1691.] 
 
 Accession of William — The Convention converted into a Parliament — Discontents in Scot- 
 land — James arrives in Ireland — Siege of Londonderry — Battle of the Boyne — Inglorious 
 Conflict between the English and French fleets — Exploits of Marlboroiigh in Ireland- — 
 Conspiracies in London — Proceedings of Ginckle in Ireland — Affairs abroad — Cruel 
 treatment (f Macdonald. 
 
 THE flight of James, and the establish- 1 clamatiou, continuing in office all protestants 
 ment of William on the throne of Eng- 1 who had been in place on the first of the pre- 
 land, impress the reflecting reader with ad- | ceding December; and on the 17th of the 
 miration and gratitude for the dispensations | month he formed a i)rivy council, consisting 
 of that providence, which converts even the | chiefly of such persons as had been most 
 \ices and infirmities of individuals to the pur- | active in raising him to the throne. To facili- 
 poses of geu( rill felicity, and deduces from a i tate the introduction of his friends, the several 
 train of circmnstances, apparently unpro- j boards and the chancery itself were put into 
 pitious to the wishes of tlie good, and to the j commission. The earl of Nottingham, who 
 progress of national happiness and freedom, ^ had so violently opposed the elevation of Wil- 
 the most important and most favourable re- \ liam, and the earl of Shrewsbury, who had 
 suits. It is to that very intemperance of spirit \ adhered to his views, were made secretaries of 
 and that bigotry of principle which threatened ; state. The marcjuis of Halifax and the earl 
 our religion wilh continued persecution, and ; of Danby, though rivals in policy, were ad- 
 our liberties with extinction, that we are in- \ mitted into the cabinet ; the former as lord 
 debted for the establishment of our constitu- \ privy seal, the latter as president of the coun- 
 tion on a durable basis, and for the perfect and J cil. Amorrg the Dutch friends of William, 
 rational enjoyment of our rights as members i Bentinck his favourite was made privy purse, 
 of one great and /ree community, j groom of the stole, and privy counsellor; 
 
 William began his reign by issuing a pro- i Auverquerque was appointed master of the 
 
 B I
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. I 
 
 horse; Zuylistein received the office of mas- 
 ter of the robes, and Schoniberg was placed 
 at the head of the ordnance. Burnet, who 
 had contributed by his intrigues to tlie success 
 ofWiUiaars designs, was nominated, in spite 
 of the opposition of Bancroft archbishop of 
 Canterbury, to the diocese of Salisbury. The 
 whigs were selected as the pecuUar objects of 
 favour and preferment ; an indication of par- 
 tiality which excited in the breasts of the 
 opposite party the most uncontrolable feel- 
 ings of resentment and suspicion. 
 
 The privy council, having determined that 
 the present convention might be legally con- 
 verted into a parliament, the king went in pro- 
 cession to the house of peers, with the usual 
 state of a sovereign ; and in a speech to the 
 two houses from the throne, expressed his 
 sensibility to their kindness, recommended to 
 their care the perilous situation of Holland, 
 descanted upon the necessity of a well-defined 
 and stable settlement at home, and represented 
 the dangers which threatened Ireland. He 
 observed that it rested with them alone to 
 adopt those measures, which promised the 
 most effectually to preclude delays, and to 
 attain that first and greatest object of their 
 anxiety and his own, the prosperity and hap- 
 piness of the nation. 
 
 A BILL was immediately brought' in to 
 prevent all questions and disputes concerning 
 the assembling and silting of the existing par- 
 liament ; it was read twice, unimpeded by 
 formal opposition, and passed the next day. 
 In a committee, however, of their whole house, 
 the commons were agitated by a violent de- 
 bate, whetlier a king, elected by coming to 
 and consulting with the lords and commons, 
 did not constitute as complete a parliament, 
 as if such king had ordered new elections to 
 be ma<le by writs. Afraid of the inconveni- 
 ence of re-elections, and convinced of the 
 necessity of expedition, the majority of the 
 house decided the question in the affirmative, 
 but on the bill which had been passed by the 
 house of lords being brought down to the 
 commons, it experienced considerable oppo- 
 sition. Its opponents having declared in the 
 course of the debate, that they would give no 
 countenance, by taking their seats, to an 
 illegal parliament, and influenced by a real 
 <5«h'v'iction, that the formation of the parlia- 
 ment was inconsistent with constitutional 
 principles, or by a secret wish to evade the 
 
 oaths of allegiance to their new sovereign, they 
 retired into the country. 
 
 Having determined that the revenue of the 
 late king expired with his power, and after 
 many indications of a disposition to withhold 
 the grant of a permanent establishment, so 
 long as their reluctance might lead their sove- 
 reign to concessions, which they had neglected 
 to demand, at a more propitious opportunity, 
 they resolved, that the propriety of granting 
 a revenue to the king and queen, should be 
 taken into consideration. In the midst of 
 their discussions, a message was received from 
 the king, in which he acquainted the house, 
 that Ireland was threatened with an invasion 
 conducted by the late monarch, and four 
 hundred and twenty thousand pounds were 
 therefore voted to be levied by a monthly 
 assessment ; a sum as inadequate to the ser- 
 vice of the kingdom, as beneath the expecta- 
 tions of William. 
 
 The party averse to the government of the 
 new monarch, who rejected the notion of a 
 king de facto, and all other distinctions and 
 limitations, who contended for the absolute 
 power, and the hereditary and indefeasible 
 right of sovereigns, and were denominated 
 Nonjurors, had already engagsd in secret in- 
 trigues, or open hostilities against the stabili^ 
 ty of government. Notwithstanding the com- 
 placency of the commons, who waited upon 
 him in a body with an offer of their lives and 
 fortunes, and the suspension at his request of 
 the act of habeas corpus, the situation of 
 William was neither secure nor enviable. 
 Flis prejudices in favour of the Calvinists, 
 excited the jealousy and the resentment 
 of the people, and the secret or open oppo- 
 sition of the most powerful members of the 
 church, the senate and the bar. He was 
 foiled in his endeavour to abolish the sacra- 
 mental test; and his declaration on the 16th 
 of March, in the house of lords, that he was 
 anxious to admit all protestants into the 
 public service, exasperated the adherents of 
 the church, and awakened the vigilance of its, 
 legislative advocates. To that part of the 
 oath in which the king swears to maintain the 
 protestant religion, the church party subjoined 
 the words, " as established by law ;" an arti- 
 fice which appeared to exclude the dissenters 
 from his protection, and which equally 
 offended the king and disconcerted tW 
 ministiy.
 
 CHAP. I J WILLIAM AND MARV- S 
 
 Perceiving the discontents of the army, ; marquis of Athol assembled the council, and 
 William resolved to transport to Holland I proposed a warm address to the prince or 
 the regiments Avhose spirit appeared most ; Orange, whicii was rejected for one inor« 
 dangerous. Tlie states had demanded their | nioderate. Disappointed in his expectations, 
 own troops, but the king Avas not willing to I he repaired to London, where the progress of 
 part with soldiers on whose fidelity he could ; political events was so prosperous as to satisfy 
 rely; and the royal Scotch regiment of ; the most sanguine expectations. Thirty 
 horse, with Dumbarton's regiment of foot, the i peers, and near eighty gentlemen, formed 
 command of which had been conferred on X themselves into a convention. The prince of 
 count Schomberg, were ordered to Ipswich to ; Orange requested their advice ; and after 
 embark for Holland, in order to replace the i some confusion, occasioned by the earl of 
 Dutch battalions, that William determined to > Arran, son to the duke of Hamilton, the presi- 
 keep in England. The horse having almost ; dent of the convention, wiio proposed that they 
 totally deserted, they were followed in a body ; should invite back the late king, the meeting 
 by five hundred foot, headed by five captains, j waited upon William in a body, and requested 
 and directed their march in triumph towards ; him to take into his hands the administration 
 Scotland. William, after sending a message 1 of the affairs of Scotland. 
 
 on the subject to the two houses, dispatched 5 The duke of Gordon, a Roman catholic, 
 under the conmiand of Ginckle three regi- \ still held the castle of Edinburgh for the 
 raents of Dutch dragoons, in pursuit of the | king, but being a person of timid character, 
 deserters. Discouraged by the treachery or | they hoped to terrify him into a surrender of 
 cowardice of other troops, who had pron)ised $ that fortress. The duke of Hamilton having 
 to support them, the mutineers surrendered j been re-elected as president of the convention, 
 to Ginckle at discretion. They were brought 5 in opposition to the marquis of Athol, the 
 back with every mark of disgrace, and as | first business of the convention was to summon 
 an appropriate punishment, sent to Holland j the duke of Gordon to quit the castle in twen- 
 according to their former destination. j ty-four hours. The duke yielding to his 
 
 After vainly exerting his regal influeflce, i fears, promised to obey, but was afterwards 
 to oppose the progress of the bill respecting 5 persuaded to evade his engagements, by de- 
 the coronation oath, in which it was pre- i manding terms which could not with decency 
 scribed, that the monarch should swear to | be granted. After summoning him to sur- 
 maintain the protestant religion, as established | render by the heralds at arms, in all their 
 by law, a clause which, as I have before ob- i formalities, he was formally proclaimed a 
 served, was apparently introduced with the » traitor at the market cross of Edinburgh, 
 intention of excluding the dissenters from his | On the day after this proclamation, two 
 protection; his attention was diverted from i letters were received at the same time from 
 objects of more immediate anxiety, by the | the abdicated monarch and from William, the 
 fortunate concurrence of events in Scotland. \ one expressed with good sense and modera- 
 Notwithstanding the lenity and moderation \ tion, the other more characteristic of passion 
 ■which had characterised the conduct of James | than of prudence. The bearer of James's 
 towards the Scottish people, the injudicious 1 letter. Crane an Englishman, after being con- 
 choice of his servants had excited their jea- 1 signed for a short time to proper custody, 
 lousy, and enflamed their prejudices. The j was dismissed with a pass instead of an an- 
 declarations of the prince of Orange were { swer. The relation of the various contentions 
 circulated by means of Scottish refugees, who, \ in which the partisans of William and James 
 influenced by the expedience of paying court > struggled for success, belongs so peculiarly 
 to a prince apparently destined to ascend the i to the history of Scotland, that I shall con- 
 English throne, had taken up their residence | fine my attention to those important measures 
 in Holland : the religious tenets 'of the king, | and events which bear most directly on the 
 who was an enthusiastic Calvinist, extended | ultimate result of these internal commotions", 
 his popularity throughout every rank of the j The committee appointed by the convention 
 Scottish nation ; and the persons who com- \ agreed that James, by his misconduct, had 
 posed tha regency, already hated and despised, \ forfeited his right to the crown ; and having 
 were weakened by reciprocal quarrels. The \ afterwards drawn up au act, by wliich the 
 
 B 2
 
 4 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fClIAP. I. 
 
 claims of William and Mary to the vacant | 
 throne were established, the king and queen 
 -were on the eleventh of April proclaimed at 
 Edinbnrgh. 
 
 The castle of Edinbnrgh was still retained 
 in the name of James, by the duke of Gordon ; 
 but despairing of relief, and pressed by a 
 siege, he surrendered the place on the tliir- , 
 teent'h of June. The adherents of James, | 
 alarmed and dismayed by so unexpected a \ 
 misfortune, turned their eyes to the tiscount 5 
 Dundee, a nobleman who, having been urged \ 
 in vain to return to the convention, was pub- j 
 licly proclaimed a fugitive, an outlaw, and a ) 
 rebel. Driven by his enemies, he sought j 
 refuge in the Grampian mountains ; and being ; 
 afterwards joined at Gordon castle by tifty \ 
 gentlemen, he passed through the county of* 
 Murray to Inverness, before which town j 
 Macdonald of Keppoch was encamped, with ; 
 seven hundred men. By pledging himself to ! 
 the magistrates of Inverness, for the money I 
 extorted by Macdonald, he induced the latter | 
 to join his arms ; and after many marches | 
 and counter-marches, and being frequently x 
 misled by false intelligence, he re-occupied \ 
 the station of Lochaber, two hundred only of I 
 his force remaining in the field. His fate was | 
 decided by the battle at Killikranky, between J 
 the miserable force he was afterwards able to | 
 collect, and the troops of William, under the \ 
 command of Mackay. As he was raising 
 aru), and pointing to the Camerons to 
 vance, he received a ball in his side, 
 survived the battle 
 at Blair. 
 
 The perverse and unadvised policy, by ; 
 which James had lost the dominion of Eng- J 
 land and Scotland, had been carried to ' 
 excesses still more alarming in the manage- ; 
 ment of the ad'airs of Ireland. The earl of! 
 Tyrconnel, who had obtained by corrupt ; 
 means the favour of Sunderland, a man ofi 
 
 ad- I 
 He! 
 
 but died the next morning 
 
 profligate habits, and a bigotted Roman catho- \ 
 lie, was raised in the year 1687 to the govern- 
 ment of that kingdom. His abuses of power 
 were frequent and infamous ; and the earl of 
 Castlemain, who had ti.xed his views on the 
 government of Ireland, found means to con- 
 vey the mismanagements of the lord deputy to 
 the king, and proposing to call a parliament, 
 which should be servilely devoted to govern- 
 ment, transmitted to England the outlines of 
 a bill, which, under the pretext of relieving 
 
 a few distressed and injured papists, should 
 artfully destroy the whole settlement of the 
 kingdom. Though James received the pro- 
 posal with complacency, he decided against 
 it on future consultation ; and the Irish com- 
 missioners, being dismissed with contempt, 
 were hooted from the English metropolis. 
 
 Ok the accession of William to the crown 
 of England, aware that, should Ireland sub- 
 mit to his dominion without resistance, no 
 pretence would remain for keeping an army 
 in pay, he listened with coolness to the over- 
 tures of Tyrconnel, who, offended by his 
 indifference, and Londonderry having shut its 
 walls against the new-raised troops of the 
 king, dispatched lord Mountjoy, a protestant, 
 to reduce the refractory city. The inhabi- 
 tants, regarding him as a friend, admitted him 
 upon conditions, and he assumed the com- 
 n)and with a secret determination to assist 
 the cause of William. 
 
 The whole force of the expedition, witU 
 which James, adventured to attempt the pre- 
 servation of Ireland, amounted to fourteen 
 ships of war, six frigates, and three fire-ships. 
 His force amounted to one hundred French 
 officers, and twelve hundred of iiis native 
 subjfjcts in the pay of Lewis. After leaving 
 Kinsale in a state of tolerable defence ; after 
 placing in that fortress the arms, money, and 
 ammunition he had brought from France, 
 James advanced to Cork, where he was joined 
 by Tyrconnel. Having summoned a parlia- 
 ment to meet at Dublin on the seventh of 
 May, he received an address from the protes- 
 tant clergy, representing their grievances ; and 
 from the university of Dublin a statement of 
 complaints, and congratulations. In the ap- 
 pearance of prosperity, however, he was 
 involved in the utmost distress. He was to- 
 tally destitute of every implement of war; and 
 having been joined, since his arrival, by 
 several thousands of an unarmed and indi- 
 gent rabble, he retained out of the number 
 only fourteen regiments of horse and dragoons, 
 and thirty-five regiments of foot. On the 
 eighth of April he left Dublin. The protes- 
 tant insurgents retired on his approach to 
 Derry and the other side of the river Finn^ 
 where they defied the unarmed and undisci- 
 plined rabble by whom they were pursued. 
 A passage, however, to Cladiford was effected 
 by Hamilton, Pusignian, and Berwick, in the 
 face of six thousand of their enemies, the
 
 CHAP. I J 
 
 WILLIAM AND MARV. 
 
 iiiMiigents lirvviiip; dctcriiiiiUHl 
 
 to reserve their 
 efforts for the clefViice of J)erry. Throiii-h 
 the misinaDagement of Rosen, to whom the 
 attack upon this place had been entrusted, the 
 inteiuhxl cai)itulatiou of the city was delayed 
 till tlie arrival of two Ei)c,lish regiments, 
 under tiie command of colonels Cnnnynjj,liam 
 and Iticliards. Luridy, who commanded in 
 the place, was swayed by treachery or fear. 
 WitliOiit permitting the men to land, he or- 
 dered the officers to hold a council of war, 
 who agreed that the town was untenable. 
 Ti)t!r resolutions were communicated to the 
 magistrates, and they resolved to offer terms 
 to the king. The English regiments prepared 
 to return ; the populace were alarmed ; the 
 governor and magistrates lost all their autho- 
 rity, in the violence and clamour of the crowd. 
 Some desperate persons flew to the walls, and 
 turned the cannon against the enemy. Walk- 
 er, a clergyman, and one major Baker, were 
 elected governors. Their whole force con- 
 sisted of seven thousand and fifty men, and 
 three hundred and fifty officers, with which 
 they determined to defend the town to the 
 last extremity. 
 
 BtT ihe chief defence of the people of 
 Londonderry, consisted in the weakness and 
 destitution of their enemies. Unprovided 
 with battering cannon, and almost nnsupplied 
 with mu'.iquets, they fornjod a blockade rather 
 than a sieue. The insurgents had to contend 
 with no euLiiiv but famine; though, impatient 
 of inactivity, they made a sally on the day 
 after the king's departure, and were only 
 iepulsird aft>r the death of Maumont, to whom 
 the comnjand ui' the besieging arujy had been 
 entrusted, and after a resolute and formidable 
 struggle. 
 
 The hopes of James rested upon the scar- 
 cit\ of provisions, which threatened to create 
 a famine in the town. Upon the arrival, how- 
 ever, ol some artillery in the Irish camp, the 
 blockade was converted into a siege, but the 
 works of tl>e besiegers were destroyed in a 
 sally. The latter possessed neither the means 
 nor the skill adapted for attack. A force 
 sent from England appeared in the lake of 
 Londonderiy ou the thirteenth of June ; but 
 Kirk, who couiujanded the succours was 
 fcilhei too cidd or too cautious in his opera- 
 tions. Though he assured the spirits of the 
 townsmen, by promises of speedy relief, he 
 avoided every hazardous enterprise, and for 
 
 live weeks remained inactive in his ships, or 
 loitered on an island in the lake. Apprised 
 of the arrival of the English, the mareschal 
 de Rosen was sent by James to command 
 before Derry. Rosen committed the care of 
 the siege to Hamilton, and posted himself on 
 the banks of the lake, to j>revent a descent 
 from Ihe English fleet. From the deficiency 
 of wai like stores and ammunition, the siege 
 proceeded but slowly ; and the only hope of 
 the besiegers rested on the apparent impossi- 
 bility of conveying provisions into the town. 
 On the 29th of June, the town proposed to 
 surrender, but the firing of the besieged was 
 continued, and Rosen rejected the overture 
 as a stratagem for gaining time. 
 
 Rosen, incensed at so determined and 
 unexpected a resistance, placed four thousand 
 unfortunate persons, collected from the sur- 
 rounding country, between his lines and the 
 town ; expecting that the besieged would 
 relieve their friends, or surrender themselves. 
 Convinced, however, by the conduct of the 
 tcwnsn.en, who tired upon their friends from 
 the wall, of the folly of his expedient, he 
 withdrew the unhajipy people, after a few 
 hours" exposure, and permitted them to re- 
 turn to their homes. The cruelty of Rosen 
 on this occasion, and his obvious disregard 
 of the commands and wishes of James, awak- 
 ened the just indignation of the latter ; but 
 such was his dependence on the aid of France, 
 that he durst not indicate his displeasure, by 
 depriving him of his command. Desertion 
 and sickness had now reduced the besieging 
 army to five thousand men, destitute of every 
 necessary, and equally deficient in discipline 
 and enthusiasm. The siege was again con- 
 verted into a blockade ; the besieged were 
 reduced to the last distress, and were obliged 
 to subsist on the flesh of horses and dogs. 
 At length the Serjeants and soldiers, disre- 
 garding then- leaders, transmitted a signe<i 
 paper to major-general Buchan, ottering on 
 certain conditions to surrender the next day. 
 In the mean time, the wind became f<^vour- 
 abb' for the ships ; two victuallers, advancing 
 in full sail, broke the boom which the Iris^ 
 had placed across the river ; (he town was 
 supplied with provisions ; and Rosen, havmg 
 made every disposition for a retreat, retired. 
 
 While Rosen was conducting th^ siege of 
 Londonderry, lord Mount Cashel advance/ 
 against the protestants of Inniskillen ; anc.
 
 6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. I 
 
 after making- an unsuccessful attempt on | ber close to the lines of the enemy, and 
 Crom castle, resolved to retreat to his former ; endeavoured to provoke him to fight. But 
 station at Belturbat ; but being pursued as > Schomberg remained within his entrench- 
 far as Newton, and forsaken by hi,s men, he ; ments; and James, after standing three hours 
 was overpowered and taken prisoner. i in order of battle before Dundalk, retired 
 
 Afflicted and dismayed by this humili- > slowly to his camp, and ordering Atherdee to 
 ating intelligence, aware that the individuals I be fortified, in anticipation of future hostilities; 
 surrounding him, and particularly De Rosen, > by thus demonstrating that he could stop the 
 were prepared to render him a sacrifice to the | progress of the enemy, terminated the present 
 real or supposed interests of Lewis, and im- « campaign with unexpected reputation, 
 willing to recal the parliament, which he had \ The French having invaded Ireland, and 
 prorogued to the eighteenth of July ; the dis- I clandestinely assisted the Scots, the king, at 
 tress of James was exasperated, and his diffi- < the pressing instance of his parliament, on the 
 culties multiplied by ihe invasion of Ireland | seventh of May proclaimed war against 
 by a foreign foice. Ten thousand men, com- 1 France. On the twenty-fourth of July, the 
 manded by the duke of Schomberg, ai)peared j princess Anne of Denmark was delivered of 
 on the twelfth of August in ninety transports, ^^ a son, who had the name of William given at 
 on thecoastof Donaghadee. He first marched * his baptism, and was created duke of Glo- 
 to Belfast, and then invested Carrickfergus. ; cester. 
 
 Having summoned the garrison in vain, he | Among the other less important transactions 
 opened .'four batteries against the town, at- { of the year, may be numbered, the passing of 
 tacked it with the guns of the fleet, and com- | an act of indemnity, the burning by the hands 
 raenced a furious bombardment. The garri- | of the common hangman of a pastoral letter 
 son, after all their ammunition was expended, \ from bishop Burnet, asserting that William 
 marched out on the ninth day, with all the \ had obtained the crown by right of conquest, 
 honours of war: but the soldiers broke the I and the reversal of several attainders passed 
 capitulation : they disarmed and stript the ; in the preceding reign. Dr. Oates, the noto- 
 inhabitants, without any regard to sex or i rious witness respecting the popish plot, 
 rank ; women deprived of their apparel were j endeavoured to vindicate the veracity of his 
 whipped between the lines ; and every outrage | evidence, and excited considerable agitation 
 perpetrated that could disgrace humanity. | in both houses of parliament ; but obtained 
 
 The duke of Berwick, having broken up | only a remission of the remainder of his sen- 
 the roads to retard the enemy, abandoned \ tence, and liberation from his imprisonment. 
 
 Dundalk, in the neighbourhood of which place 
 Schomberg immediately encamped. Joined 
 by the Inniskilliners, and the regulars under 
 Kirk, he had advanced slowly through a 
 difficult country, deformed with bogs and 
 
 A bill was passed determining tlie succession, 
 and containing a clause in favour of the house 
 of Hanover. A feeble and absurd discovery 
 of the conspiracy of lord Griffin, who had 
 been raised to the peerage, by the late mo- 
 
 encumbered with mountains. But the coun- j narch, only a month before' his abdication, 
 try now before him was perfectly level. It | and of which the particulars were discovered 
 ■was his duty to prevent the cavalry of the \ in a pewter bowl, ended in the admission of 
 enemy from cutting off his communication | his lordship to bail ; and viscount Preston, 
 ■with the fleet, which had not yet arrived, as | a Scotch peer, having the presumption to 
 he had directed, in the road of Carlingford. | claim a seat among the English lords, under 
 His troops were without experience or disci- 1 a patent from James, after his exclusion from 
 pline, weakened by disease, and destitute of ^ the throne, was committed to the Tower; but 
 provisions. The rain and frost were uncoin- ; obtained his liberty, on asking pardon and 
 monly severe, and he therefore was resolved 5 pleading ignorance. 
 
 to remain at Dundalk, and to fortify himself j On the fourth day of June, in the inqn 
 against the attacks of an enemy, whom he \ next year, William left London, and on 
 could not engage in the field with any prospect \ the fourteenth arrived at Carrickfergus. He 
 of success. I passed from thence to Lisburn, the head- 
 
 t Having arrived within three miles of Dun- 5 quarters of the duke of Schomberg, and after- 
 flalk, James advanced on the 20th of Septera- { wards reviewed his army, which consisted of
 
 CHKV. I.] WILLIAM AND MARY. 7 
 
 lliirty six thousand men, at Lough Britland. \ rode round it with his cavalry to fall upon the 
 His troops were composed of English, Dutch, I enemy in flank. The Irish, instead ofwaitnig 
 Germans, Danes, and French ; all confident i the assault, wheeled about, and fled towards 
 in flie justice of their cause, and supplied with I Duleck, with the utmost precipitation; but 
 all that was necessary to render their strength \ were overtaken in theirflight by young Schom- 
 effectual. On the approach of William, the | berg, who put a considerable number of thein 
 Irish army having abandoned Othardee, re- 5 to the sword. 
 
 tired to the south of the!Boyne, a river of which I The centre, commanded by the duke </ 
 the south side was hilly, and strengthened by ? Schomberg, passed the fords with little inter- 
 ditches. The river itself is deep, and rises ^ ruption. The Dutch guards formed gradu- 
 very high with the tide. Influenced by these » ally upon the bank, and then advanced. The 
 advantages, and reflecting that flight would I Irish regiments descended from the rising 
 dispirit his troops, and tarnish his own repu- 1 grounds upon the enemy, but instantly de- 
 tation ; he determined, notwithstanding the I serted their officers. The cavalry behaved 
 inferiority of his numbers, and the advice of | with more spirit, and drove a body of dra- 
 ins officers, to retain his position. Assured goons into the river, but were afterwards re- 
 of the aid of a powerful fleet, and encouraged | pulsed with slaughter by the Dutch. Thi? 
 by a projected invasion of England, he had | duke of Schomberg fell in the conflict; but 
 previously determined to quit Ireland, but | whether by the arms of the enemy, or by the 
 the strcngtli of his situation, and the danger \ bullets of his own soldiers, who, in their 
 of retreat before a superior enemy, induced ; endeavours to rescue bim from the French 
 him to change his resolution. \ guards, who had been mistaken for friends, 
 
 On the thirtieth of= June, 1689, the two I poured in their fire upon the enemy, it was 
 armies were opposed to each other on the ; not in the power even of those engaged in the 
 opposite banks of the river. William, having \ conflict to determine. 
 
 reconnoitred in person the position of the » After young Schomberg had forced the 
 
 enemy, determined to attack them on the 5 passage of the river, he stretched his line to 
 
 next day. His army was divided into three • the right, James believing that the »?««« body 
 
 columns : the right, under the count de » of the English was following his right, had 
 
 Schomberg and Douglas, was ordered to pass : weakened his ovvn right wing and centre, by 
 
 near the bridge of Slane ; the centre, com- » reinforcing Lausun, who had marched with 
 
 niauded by the duke of Schomberg, was j his left to observe the motions of the enemy. 
 
 directed to force the fords in front of the ? While James and the French general having 
 
 enemy. The king himself led the left to a } united within half cannon-shot of their oppo- 
 
 fordable part of the river, between his camp J nents, were consulting together on the manne." 
 
 and the town of Drogheda. James had ex- 5 of attack, they were informed that the enemy 
 
 tended his troops in two lines opposed to the i had forced the passage of the river. The only 
 
 deep and dangerous fords of the Boyne ; his J resource that remained was an immediate 
 
 left was defended by a morass, and his rear i charge upon Schomberg ; but the ground was 
 
 ■was protected by the village of Dunmore. I so much intersected with ditches, as to render 
 
 Three miles beyond this village was the nar- Ht impracticable: and the whole line of the 
 
 row pass of Dideck, calculated equally to \ English began to move towards their right. 
 
 retard and cover his retreat. \ James, in order to prevent the enemy from 
 
 At six in the morning, general Douglas, ; obtaining possession of the pass of Duleck, 
 
 with young Schomberg, advanced towards » and intercepting his retreat from Dublin, 
 
 Slaue bridge, and passed the river with little > marched towards his left; his forces being 
 
 opposition. When they reached the opposite $ already nrquainted with the defeat of his 
 
 bank, they found the enemy drawn up in j right. Intluenced by the persuasions of Eau- 
 
 two lines, to a considerable amount in horse > sun, he effected, in the course of the night, 
 
 and foot, with a morass in their front, so that ; his retreat to Dublin. 
 
 Douglas was obliged to halt, in expectation | Such was the result of the partial, and 
 of reinforcements, which, having at length • comparatively bloodless, battle of the Boyne. 
 arrived, the foot advanced to the charge i Of all the troops which had fought luder the 
 through the nierass, while count Schomberg j banners of James, the French aloue remaiueJ
 
 S . UrSTOIlV OV^ ENGLAND. [cHAP. I 
 
 attached to his standard. Both monarclis ' Having sent a detachment under M. 
 incurred a certain degree of blame, for not ; Melliouere to invest Drogheda, whicli surren- 
 improving their respective advantages. Wil- i dered after a short resistance, William jiro- 
 liauj, it is asserted, by pushing on directly )o | ceedcd to Dubhn, which he entered in triumph, 
 Dayilin, might have seized all the principal i and published a declaration of pardon to all 
 papists, efJoctuallysecuredLimerick,Gallovvay, I who should return to their places of abode 
 and other important places, and have struck ; by the first of August ; but with a singular 
 the whole party with such consternation, as | degree of injustice and impolicy, he excepted 
 would have disabled them from the possibility i the gentr}% whom he resolved to abandon to 
 of further resistance. James, it is alleged, | all tlie rigours of war and conquest. He 
 might have collected his scattered troops ;! issued a commission for selling all their estates 
 and, by reinforcing his army from his nume- \ and effects, though no court of judicature 
 
 \, by reinforcing his army from his nume- > and e 
 IS garrisons, have put himself in a condition | was o 
 
 rous garrisons, have put himself in a condition \ was open to proceed according to law. The 
 to keep the field, or to ar+ or: the offensive. | opportunities thus afforded to his dependants 
 
 When James arrived at Dublin, he found x were pursued in every form of avarice and 
 letters from the queen, and an account of the | rapacity, and exasperated the Irish to despair, 
 victory obtained by the Frencli at Fleurus, > The generals who had accompanied James to 
 over count Waldec. Encouraged by this j Waterford, returned with a determination to 
 intelligence, he complied with the wishes of ' continue the war. The Irish, assuming 
 his friends, and determined to retire into 5 courage from the langour of the enemy, assem- 
 France. On the next morning he posted to » bled round their colours, and directed their 
 Waterford, accompanied by the duke of Ber- \ march to Limerick and Athlone. 
 wick, Tyrconnel, and the marquis of Powis, \ On the ninth of July, William sent general 
 having previously ordered all the bridges to \ Douglas, with a strong detachment of hor.se 
 l)e broken down behind him, in order to ; and foot towards Athlone ; while he himself, 
 prevent a pursuit. He immediately embarked | having committed the government of Dublin 
 in a vessel, which he had caused to be pre- | to brigadier Trelawny, proceeded with the 
 pared before the battle. He was taken up | rest of his army to Inchequin, on his way to 
 off the coast by M. du Quesne, who had been \ Kilkenny : at Carlow he detached the duke 
 dispatched with three French frigates, at the ofOrmond, to take possession of the latter 
 earnest entreaty of James's (pieen to M. j place. Major-general Kirke was sent with 
 de Seiguelai the French minister of Marine. | a party to Waterford, the garrison of which 
 Arriving safely in France, he returned to \ surrendered on honourable conditions : and 
 St. Germaius, the place of his former resi- 1 the fortress of Duncannon submitted on the 
 dence, \ same terms. Intelligence of disasters and 
 
 The flight of James was succeeded by the ; dangers in England, had induced the king 
 departure from Dublin of all the considerable j to form the resolution of returning to that 
 papists : and a committee was formed to take » kingdom ; but being informed that the designs 
 care of the government. The precipitate x of his domestic enemies were discovered and 
 flight of the abdicated monarch diminished i defeated, that the fleet was refitted, and that 
 the confidence of his friends, and was of the | the French had done very little injury on the 
 most injurious consequence to his interests, t coast, and had already retired to Brest, he 
 Lewis XIV., who had been master of the sea x changed his resolution, and determined to 
 since the battle of Bantry bay, had intended i invest Limerick, which M. Boisseleau coni- 
 to assist his cause by diversions in the chau- \ manded as governor, aided by the duke of 
 nel ; and M. de Seiguelai, the author of the \ Berwick and colonel Sarsfield as inferior 
 project, having been taken suddenly ill, his \ officers. 
 
 commission devolved on the chevalier de \ Douglas, in the mean time, pursued bis 
 Tourville ; but the flight of James rendered | destructive route to Athlone; plundering the 
 the full execution of the plan no longer possi- | country as he proce^^ded, and murdering or 
 ble. His reception by Lewis accorded with x persecuting the peasantry, who, trusting to 
 the folly and imbecility of his conduct ; he | the kiug's'declaration, presented themselves 
 was greeted with coldness, and regarded with ; in numerous bodies, to demand his protection. 
 «eglect. 5 He sat down with his cruel followers before
 
 CHAP. I.] 
 
 VULLIAM AND MARY- 
 
 9 
 
 A thlone, ami having summoned the place to 
 surrender, colonel Grace, the governor for 
 king James, fired a pistol at the trumpeter, 
 saying, " These are my terms." Having lost 
 his best gunners, and being alarmed by a 
 report that Sarsfield was advancing with 
 fifteen thousand men, Douglas thought proper 
 to abandon the enterprise. 
 
 On the ninth of August, the king, having 
 advanced wiih his whole army, augmented 
 by the junction of Douglas, sent a trumpeter 
 into the town, with a summons to surrender. 
 Boisseleau replied, that the most likely mode 
 of obtaining the good opinion of the prince of 
 Orange, would be a vigorous defence of the 
 town. Before the siege was regularly formed, 
 colonel Sarsfield, with about six hundred 
 horse and dragoons, passed the Shannon in 
 the night, attacked the king's train of artillery 
 on its way to the camp, split the cannon, des- 
 troyed the carriages, waggons, and ammuni- 
 tion, and returned in safety to Limerick. 
 
 NoTwiTHSTANDJNOthisdisaster, the trenches 
 were opened on the 16th of the month, and a 
 battery was raised with some cannon brought 
 from Waterford. William directed the troops 
 to make a lodgement in the Counterscarp ; 
 but the assailants were repulsed with the loss 
 of twelve hundred men, either killed on the 
 spot or mortally wounded. This disappoint- 
 ment, together with the badness of the wea- 
 ther, induced the king to abandon the siege 
 on the twenty-second day aft3r its commence- 
 ment. 
 
 Nor was this the only mortification which 
 William was condemned to endure. The 
 English and Dutch tleet, having sailed from 
 St. Helen's, on the twenty-fourth of June, 
 admiral Torrington came to an anchor at 
 Dunnose, and perceived at eight in the morn- 
 ing the French fleet, which liad been hovering 
 off the coast of England, and repeating signals 
 of defiance, at anchor in Compton bqy. On 
 tli« thirtieth of June, the two fleets stood in 
 their lines off Beechy l^ad, and about one in 
 the morning the Dutch, leading the vanguard, 
 gave the onset ; but, not being seconded by 
 the admiral s squadron, the Dutch, and the 
 few EngHish ships by which they had been 
 joined, were severely shattered. The engage- 
 ment continued till the evening, when the 
 French bore away and came to anchor. One 
 £ngli^^h ship Was taken, and five burnt : the 
 Dutch lost several burnt or sunk, and the 
 
 French coasted after our fleet, till it took 
 refuge in harbour,' when having landed some 
 men, and committed some petty depredations, 
 they retired to their ships. For this inglo- 
 j rious result, which was attributed, by the 
 I Dutch officers, and the English populace, to 
 ' the conduct of the English admiral, Torring- 
 ton was tried on shipboard, and acquitted ; 
 but one Godfrey Cross, of Kent, who had 
 been seized on his return from on board a 
 French ship with treasonable letters, was tried, 
 and suffered the penalty of his crime. 
 
 Having sent away from before Limerick 
 the heavy baggage and cannon, in the direc- 
 tion of Clonmeli, having appointed lord Sid- 
 ney and Mr. Coningsby lord justices of Ire- 
 land, and entrusted the command of the army 
 to count Solmes, William set sail from Dun- 
 cannon with prince George of Denmark, and 
 arrived on the next day in king's road near 
 Bristol, from whence he repaired to Windsor. 
 Notwithstanding the violence of the whigs 
 and tories, who formed her council, the good 
 sense and circumspection of the queen pre- 
 cluded the otherwise inevitable consequences 
 of their dissentions, and enabled her to act 
 with the spirit and promptitude required by 
 the domestic necessities, and foreign relations 
 of the country. 
 
 On the 21st of September, * the earl of 
 Marlborough, having been dispatched from 
 England, landed his men, after trifling oppo- 
 sition in the neighbourhood of Cork : he was 
 joined at that place, with five thousand men, 
 by the duke of Wirtemburg, with whom, after 
 some dispute respecting precedence, he 
 agreed to command in turn. Between five 
 and six thousand seamen, soldiers, gunners, 
 and carpenters, were occupied in raising 
 works, and erecting batteries. The besieged 
 being attacked both by the army and the 
 fleet, the garrison beat a parley, and surren- 
 dered themselves prisoners of war, on con- 
 diuon of favourable terms for the inhabitants. 
 The victory was dearly purchased, for the 
 duke of Grafton, the most accomplished of 
 all the children of Charles the second, was 
 mortally wounded in one of the attacks, and 
 died lamented by the nation and the army. 
 
 After a siege of ten days, one of the fort.s 
 of Kinsale surrendered on honourable terms, 
 the other having been taken by storm. By 
 the reduction of these maritime places, com- 
 munication between France and the eqeniy.
 
 Itl 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 I CHAP. 1- 
 
 on that side of the islaiid, was efTi-ctn.ilIy cut j 
 off, and the Irish were confined to the pro- ; 
 vince of Ulster, where their subsistence was? 
 scanty and precarious. \ 
 
 Having proved liis title to the character of 5 
 an able general, Marlborough returned with i 
 his prisoners to England, and was graciously j 
 received by the king, who observed to his | 
 courtiers, that he knew no man so fit to be > 
 a general, w ho had seen so few campaigns. \ 
 After presenting an address of congratu- \ 
 lation on William's safe return, the parliament | 
 proceeded to grant liim the supplies neces- 5 
 sary for carrying on the war with promptitude { 
 ami vigour. The marquis of Carmarthen | 
 being deeply engaged in the interest of the $ 
 fortes, and obnoxious to the opposite party, j 
 a number of the latter, at the suggestion of* 
 the earl of Shrewsbury, resolved to revive his { 
 6ld iiiipeachment. A committee of lords was i 
 appointed to examine precedents, and to en- \ 
 quire, whether impeachments continued in i 
 force from parliament to parliament ; but the \ 
 merits of the marquis, and the evident injus- 
 tice of the attempt, prevailed over the machi- 
 nations of a few turbulent individuals, and the 
 enquiry was not pursued to its conclusion. 
 
 Having adjourned the parliament in a very 
 conciliating speech, the king left Whitehall for 
 Holland, on the 6th of January 1691, and 
 after some delay and difficnlty, occasioned by 
 the frost, arrived at Oramen Hack, from 
 ■whence, after being complimenteti by the 
 tleputies of the states, he proceeded to the 
 Hague, and received the congratulations of 
 the constituted authorities. The other con- \ 
 federate powers agreed, in conjunction with \ 
 the assembly of the states, to furnish an army I 
 of 220,000 men, in the prosecution of the i 
 contest against France, of which 20,000 were \ 
 to be provided by England. * $ 
 
 « Whilf. the king was thus exciting the na- *> 
 tions of the continent to resistanre, against the 1 
 ambition and rapacity of France, ;iii(1 commu- \ 
 nicafing energy and system to the exertions 
 of his native country, London was agitated by 
 a conspiracy to obtain the restoration of 
 James. Lord ]*reston, a Scot, John Ashton, 
 and Fidniund Elliot, were captured on board 
 a smack by captain Billop, as they were pro- 
 ceeding to France, with pa|)crs containing 
 secret intell'igence, and an intimation to Lewis, 
 that he might successfully eontril)ute to the 
 restoration of James, while William Avas in ; 
 
 Holland. Preston and Ashton were brought 
 to trial, and condemned ; but only the former 
 endured the infliction of his sentence. The 
 earl of Clarendon, who was implicated in the 
 conspiracy, after a short confinement in the 
 Tower, Avas afterwards permitted to seclude 
 himself at his country-house ; a favour for 
 which he was indebted to his affinity to the 
 queen, of whom he was first cousin. Graham, 
 Penn, and the bishop of Ely, having abscond- 
 ed, a proclamation was issued for apprehend- 
 ing them as traitors. 
 
 On his return from Holland, the king ap- 
 pointed Ginckle to the direction of the cam- 
 paign in Ireland. Though the winter had 
 suspended the regular operations of w ar, the 
 miseries of that unhappy country had in- 
 creased during the season. The French 
 having retired to Galway, to wait for a passage 
 home, the whole weight of their own defence 
 devolved on the native Irish. Despair and 
 animosity seized their minds. Their success 
 against William at Limerick, had lately in- 
 creased their confidence and courage. In 
 their excursions against the enemy, their ])ro- 
 gress was distinguished by misery, ruin, and 
 desolation. The inhabitants were plundered, 
 and their houses and cabins burnt to the 
 ground. The winter was throughout disgraced 
 by acts of severity on both sides. Tyrconnel, 
 though stript of his character of chief go- 
 vernor, had returned from France witli a 
 trifling sum of money, to continue the Irish 
 war. Yielding to despondence, or swayed 
 by resentment for his disgrace, he endeavoured 
 to persuade the Irish to submit, on certain 
 conditions, to the government of William. 
 This measure was opposed by Sarsfield, who 
 had acquired so much reputation during the 
 former campaign. To terminate a dispute, 
 which threatened his interest in Ireland with 
 ruin, James conferred the chief command 
 upon St. Ruth, a French general of experi- 
 ence and reputation. That officer arrived in 
 Ireland, but he was furnished with none of 
 tlie necessaries of war. Unprovided with 
 arms, ammunition, or provisions, a great part 
 of the army were compelled to disperse: St. 
 Ruth was obliged to act on the defensive, and 
 having ])laee(l a strong garrison in Athlone, 
 he resolved to wait for the enemy, on the 
 other side of the Siianaon. 
 
 Having compelled the town of Ballimon 
 to surrender, general Ginckle appeared before
 
 CHAP. I J 
 
 WILLIAM AND MARY. 
 
 n 
 
 Athloiic. The English town was taken by 
 8forni ; great uninljtrs of the Irish were killed, 
 and several drowned by crowding upon each 
 other, in passing across the bridge which 
 divided the new town from the old. The 
 castle and fortifications of the Irish town 
 were laid in ruins by the vigour and constancy 
 of the assailants lire, but without exciting 
 alarm in the minds of the enemy, or para- 
 lysing their exertions : nor would the con- 
 test have been easily decided' had not an 
 advantage obtained, by burning their bridge 
 of boats^ lulled them into a fatal security. On 
 the 30th of June, Ginckle, suddenly entering 
 the river in columns, surprised the town, after 
 a feeble resistance. The boldness and vigi- 
 lance of Ginckle, who for this exploit was 
 created earl of Athlone, could only be equalled 
 by the negligence of the Irish. History can 
 scarcely furnish a parallel to the successful 
 execution of an enterprise, apparently so im- 
 practicable. A fortified town, attacked across 
 a river, while sustained behind by a consider- 
 able army, was taken in less than a quarter 
 of an hour, by a body of three thousand men, 
 who advanced to the breach, breast-high in 
 water. St. Ruth, when informed of the 
 assault, would scarcely give credit to the 
 intelligence, though he ordered some battalions 
 to hasten to the succour of the beseiged ; but 
 their arrival was too late ; the works of the 
 town towards his camp were entire, and the 
 enemy had already lined the walls, and 
 pulsed the Irish from their own works. 
 
 GiN'CKLK having left a garrison in Athlone, 
 pursued the French and Irish to a position 
 near Agrim, where they halted in a situation 
 defended by a bog in front, and surrounded 
 by hedges and ditches. On Sunday the ]2th 
 of June, the general attacked the enemy, 
 about three in the afternoon, under disadvan- 
 tages which stimulated St. Ruth to express 
 his confidence of victory. In the midst of 
 his exultation he was killed by a cannon shot, 
 and with him died the courage of his army. 
 The English having gained the pass, and 
 edged in behind the bog, dismayed the French 
 by the impetuosity of their onset, and com- 
 pelled the Irish to accompany their flight. 
 1 he horse and dragoons pursued them more 
 than three miles ; but the approach of night, 
 and the heaviness of the rain, prevented them 
 from intercepting the retreat of the fugitives 
 
 c 2 
 
 re- \ 
 
 to the advantageous position of Lough breah. 
 The loss of the English in slain was 1000, 
 that of the Irish 4000. 
 
 The army having been indulged in a short 
 repose, general Ginckle marched ^ to Gal way, 
 and summoned the governor, lord Dillon, to 
 surrender. On his refusal, a part of the Eng- 
 lish army crossed the river, and, seizing the 
 fort which the Irish were busily employed in 
 erecting, the governor changed his resolution, 
 and surrendered on advantageous conditions. 
 The only strong place which now remained 
 in Ireland, to the cause of James, was Lime- 
 rick, to which the army rapidly approached. 
 On the first of October, several batteries 
 having been erected, the Irish agreed to twelve 
 articles, by which it was stipulated, that all 
 other towns, forts, and castles, which yet held 
 out, should be surrendered ; that as many of 
 James's army as were desirous of being con- 
 veyed to France, should have that liberty , 
 and that all Roman catholics should enjoy 
 the same toleration, as in the time of Charles 
 II. The place was put into possession of 
 the English ; the French and many Irish were 
 sent away in transports, the remainder of their 
 army in the field subn)itting to be included in. 
 the amnesty. Such was the termination of a 
 war, which had threatened the catholics with 
 absolute destruction. 
 
 William, in the mean time, having retired 
 from the Hague to Loo, placing himself at the 
 head of the array, advanced to Hale, within 
 the sound of the enemy's guns. The state of 
 his troops was so bad, and the plans of the 
 enemy so good, that he durst not venture a 
 battle, and Mons was taken, after a gallant 
 defence, on the ninth of April. He therefore 
 returned to the Hague ; embarked on the 
 12th of April for England, and the next even- 
 ing arrived in London, where he found the 
 palace of Whitehall in ruins, by an accidental 
 fire. His first business, after his arrival, was 
 to fill the vacant sees. Though the nonjuring 
 bishops had been long in a deprived state, in 
 consequence of the act for altering the oaths, 
 their removal became the subject of much 
 polemical disquisition and altercation. Having 
 settled the affairs of the church, and prorogued 
 the parliament, he resolved to return to the 
 continent, to place himself at the head of the 
 allied army. He embarked at Harwich on 
 the second of May, on the evening of the
 
 12 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. I. 
 
 third arrived at the Hague. Having learned ; principle of llie new settlement, and of those 
 that Luxenibnrgh, -svitli an army of forty 5 who believed the measures of the court to de- 
 thousand men was athancing to besiege Brus- » serve reprobation, but were firmly attached 
 sels, while the marquis de Boutflers, with | to the established government. 
 40,000 men, sat down before Liege, he im- \ In the course of this year the war with 
 mediately put himself at the head of his troops, ; Scotland was fortunately terminated by the 
 and arrived in time to cover the former place, | submission of Sir Evan Cameron, who at the 
 and raise the siege of the latter. Luxemburgh, | head of a few Highlanders had opposed all 
 however, having suddenly possessed himself ; treaty with William. The lenity of William 
 of Hale, kept close within his Hues ; and | to the presbyterians, the influence of James, 
 William, at the head of a superior army, failed I who was anxious that his friends should 
 in all his attempts to place the fate of the | keep their means of action in reserve instead 
 campaign on the decision of a battle. Some I of wasting them in desultory eftbrts, and the 
 unimportant movements were made on both | arts of bribery, all contributed to this timely 
 sides, but the French had determined to j and desirable result of a war, which pro- 
 engage only at a manifest advantage. Fatigued I mised neither the glory of a splendid cou- 
 and disgusted by so tedious and profitless attest, nor the usual rewards of an easy 
 warfare, the king resigned the command of > victory. 
 
 the army to prince Walduck, and returned to 5 The English parliament was occupied, 
 the Hague. That prince, in withdrawing the \ during some part of the session, by examining 
 troops from Leuse, was attacked unexpectedly I the case of one Fuller, who having been un- 
 in the rear by Luxemburg!), but the French i justly suspected, as a party in a pretended 
 obtained only a trivial success. The glory of} conspiracy, resolved lo take advantage of the 
 having checked the progress of a superior | delusion ; and by an enquiry into the conduct 
 army, Avas the only advantage gained by j of admiral Russel, and the cause of his inac- 
 Lewis, on the side of Flanders, since the I tivity during the last season. The admiral 
 capture of Mons. \ was so fortunate as to transfer the blame from 
 
 After a short residence at the Hague, \ himself to the admiralty, and Fuller, having 
 William embarked for England, and arrived | been declared guilty of a gross and scanda- 
 at Margate on the 18th of October. On the ! lous imposition on parliament, and insult to 
 22nd of the same month, the parliament having 5 the queen, was condemned to expiate his 
 met, the king in his speech represented the | offences in the pillory. 
 
 necessity of recruiting the fleet, and maintain- \ A circumstance occurred at this moment, 
 ing a considerable army. The reply of both I which contributed to excite the discontent 
 houses was consjonant to his wishes. They | even of the moderate party, and to render the 
 congratulated him on his safe return, and on J king still more suspected and unpopular, 
 the success of his arms in Ireland ; and de- » The earl of Marlborough, having represented 
 clared their determination to assist him, in ; to his majesty the dangerous consequences of 
 prosecuting the war against France with \ his partiality to foreigners, and his wife being 
 vigour. Notwithstanding these gratifying and I suspected of having persuaded the princess 
 loyal professions, it sOon appeared that a | of Denmark to solicit an independent settle* 
 powerful party was formed against the go- j ment, was dismissed from all his employments, 
 vernment. They descanted with vehemence i civil or military. The odium thus acquired, 
 and plausibility on the dangers of a standing! was much encreasedby a barbarous massacre 
 army, and on the prejudices of William in < committed in Scotland, though his knowledge 
 favour of the Dutch, to the exclusion and I of the circuutslances by which it was accom- 
 jieglect of tlic English. The deportment of | panicd, is more than doubti'ul. In the pre- 
 the king was cold, formal, and reserved ; and 5 ceding August, in consequence of the paci- 
 his distrust of the uliigs, and his evident at- ! fication with the Highlanders under Cameron, 
 tachmeiit to the theory, if not the practice of; a proclamation of indemnity had been issued 
 arbitrary government ; equally disgusted and I to such insurgents, as should take the oaths 
 alarmed, those who, convinced of the rectitude j to the king and queen, on or before the last 
 of public measures, were dissatisfied with the 5 day of December. Of (he chiefs who had
 
 CHAP. l] 
 
 WILLIAM AND MARY. 
 
 J.' 
 
 taken up arms in the cause of .Tames, all 
 complied except Macdonald of Glenco ; and 
 even he set out, towards tlieend of December, 
 to make his submission at Inverary before 
 the nrdgistrate. The way to liis place of des- 
 tination lay across almost impassable moun- 
 tains. The season was extremely rigorous, 
 and the whole country covered with a deep 
 snow. So eager, however, was Macdonald to 
 take the oaths before the limited time should 
 expire, that, though the road lay within half a 
 mile of his own house, he would not stop to 
 visit his family. After various obstructions, 
 he arrived at Inverary. The time was elapsed, 
 the sheriff hesitated to receive his submission ; 
 but Macdonald prev&iled over his reluctance 
 with importunities, and even with tears. 
 
 The protligate and specious sir John Dal- 
 rymple, afterwards earl of Stair, who acted as 
 secretary of state for Scotland, took advantage 
 of Macdonald's neglecting to take the oaths 
 within the time prescribed ; and procured from 
 the king a warrantof military execution, against 
 him and his adherents. Campbell of Glen- 
 lyon, a captain in the earl of Argyle's regi- 
 ment, and two subalterns were commanded to 
 repair to Glenco, with one hundred and 
 twenty men. Campbell being uncle to young 
 Macdonald's wife, was received by tiie father 
 with friendship and hospitality. The men 
 were treated in the houses of his tenants with 
 free quarters and kind entertainment. The 
 officers, on the very night of the massacre, 
 (tlie I3th of February) passed the evening, 
 and |)layed at cards in Macdonald's house. In 
 the night, lieutenant Lindsey, with a party of 
 
 soldiers, called in a friendly manner at liis 
 door. He was instantly admitted. Macdonald, 
 as he was rising from his bed to receive his 
 guest, was shot dead from behind with two 
 bullets. His wife was already dressed ; but 
 was stript naked by the soldiers, who tore 
 the rings off her fingers with their teeth. 
 
 The slaughter now became general. Nei- 
 ther age, sex, nor infirmity was spared. In 
 one place nine persons, as they sat enjoying 
 themselves, were siMit dead by the soldiers. 
 I Several who fled to the mountains perished 
 by famine, and the inclemency of the season. 
 Lieutenant-colonel ] Hamilton, who had the 
 charge of the execution from Dalrymple, was 
 on his march, with four hundred men, to 
 occupy all the passes which led from the 
 village of Glenco. He was obliged to stop, 
 by the severity of the weather, which proved 
 the safety of the unfortunate clan. He entered 
 the valley the next day, laid all the houses in 
 ashes, and carried away the cattle and spoil, 
 which were divided among the officers and 
 soldiers ! — That the warrant, which was thus 
 productive of bloodshed and misery, might 
 have been signed through inadvertency, or 
 that it might have been enforced beyond 
 the rigour of Hamilton's orders, have been the 
 usual topics of apology by the friends of 
 William ; but his refusal to punish the authors 
 of the tragedy, his promotion of the most 
 active and distinguished to his favour, appa- 
 rently belied the excuses of his advocates, 
 and rendered him the oI>ject of 
 excusable suspicion. 
 
 general and
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 11692 to 1697.] 
 
 Disaffection of Rnssel — Virtori/ of La Noffuc — Sie^c of Namur — Repvlse of the Allies at 
 Sivi?iA-irk — Debates in Parliament — Triennial Bill — Operations in Flanders — Successes 
 of Tovrville — Commnnications bettceen King James and Russel— Death of the Queen — 
 Military Operations — Various Acts, for the benefit of the Subject — A Conspiracy disco- 
 vered against the Life of William — Distresses of Lewis XIV. — Negociations at the 
 Hague — Treaty of JRysivick: 
 
 ^PQ.-f fU iHE resentments of Marlborough ; duties of an iinglish admiral. After two 
 J|_ and Russel, were stimulated | severe engagements, and the loss of many 
 into action by the general diffusion of distrust I ships, either sunk or blown up, the contest 
 and discontent. The former solicited, in i ended in the rapid and disastrous flight of 
 terms of extraordinary humiliation, the for- 5 the enemy. 
 
 giveness of James and his queen ; and so far \ Ylf such was the imperfection of bur naval 
 wrought on the weakness or affection of the | arrangements at that period, and such the 
 princess of Denmark, that she wrote a letter » activity of the enemy, that the victory of La 
 imploring his forgiveness, and promising to ; Hcgue was productive of no decisive con- 
 join him whenever he should land in England 5 sequence. The French privateers abounded 
 With regard to Russel ; to refrain from action ; in the channel, and commerce was almost at 
 with the French tleet, should it fall in his 5 a stand. The ministry complained of Russel, 
 way, was impossible; but it was always in > and Russel of the ministry, 
 the admiral's power to steer the fleet in a\ The fears of invasion were removed by the 
 course distinct from that of the enemy, under \ victory of La Hogue, but the domestic tran- 
 the pretence of orders. The native subjects < quillity of the country was still disturbed by 
 of James in France, were almost squal to the | surmises of .plots, conspiracies, and treasons, 
 purpose of an expedition. The transports | A person, named Young, a prisoner in New- 
 which conveyed the French to Ireland in t gate for forgery, had- drawn up a fictitious set 
 1690, conveyed 500 Irish to France. Four- ! of articles, designated as containing the prin- 
 teen thousand troops were sent to France, in ; ciples of a pretended" association against go- 
 consequence of the capitulation of Limerick, i vernment ; to which he annexed the names of 
 While the king of England, therefore, was ; Salisbury and Marlborough, the deprived 
 conducting the army of the confederates in ; archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of 
 Flanders, Lewis, in order to facilitate the J Rochester, and other persons of rank. The 
 landing of an army in this country from > bishop of Rochester being confronted with 
 i^ormandy and Bretagne, dispatched to sea ; Blackhead, a coadjutor with Young, detected 
 nearly the whole of his naval force. Russel, ! the villainy of the accusation, to the satisfac- 
 after loitering at St. Helen's, and avoiding as | tion of the council ; but the court suspecting 
 much as possible all observation of the French i Marlborough of secret designs, discharged 
 squadron, was at length enabled or compelled, ! Yo'ung from custody, and Marlborough, in 
 on the 19th of May, to discover the enemy, i defiance of the laws, was detained as a pri- 
 consisting 'of about one half his number ofisonerin the Tower. 
 
 ships, sailing on the same tack with himself j Lewis XIV. and William set out on the 
 Either borne away by the impulse of a san- \ same day to join their respective armies. The 
 guine spirit, induced to politic compliance j first arrived in his camp on the twentieth ol 
 with the enthusiasm of the fleet, or having j May. On the twenty-third, all his troops 
 wavered in his policy, Russel performed the \ were in motion, and he immediately undertook
 
 CHAP, ll] niLMAM AND MARY. 15 
 
 llu; siege of Naniiir, vitli an army of one | c^ave occasion lo much reflection and snr- 
 himdred and twenty thousand men. The ; prise. Lewis XIV. and the abdicated nio- 
 place being amply supplied and .stren.s:thened » narch, were involved by the discoverers in 
 with a new work, under the »ui)eriiitendance | this conspiracy ; but the suspicion of partici- 
 of Cohorn, and the governor being convinced i pation in such a design, is utterly inconsistent 
 that William would take every method of| with the character of Lewis ; and it is now 
 relieving it, the parties besieged were confi- 1 ascertained beyond the possibility of doulit, 
 dent of successful resistance; but the assail- 1 that though many plans of a similar descrip- 
 ants acted with so much vigour and dexterity, 5 tion were offered to his acceptance, he re- 
 ihat within seven days after the trenches were \ jected them all with indignation and abhor- 
 opened, the town surrendered, and the garri- x rence. 
 son retired to the citadel. | King William, in conjunction with the 
 
 The king, being reinforced by the troops of < states-general, having adjusted the plan of the 
 Brandenburg and Liege, encamped within ^ next campaign, and appointed winter-quarters 
 cannon-shot of the army of Luxemburgh, ! for the army, embarked for England on the 
 which was posted on the opposite side of the | fifteenth of October, and landed on the eigh- 
 river ; but such precautions had been taken j teenth at Yarmouth. His majesty, in his way 
 by the French general, tliat the siege could | to the palace at Kensington, passed through 
 not be interrupted, nor the French lines at- 1 the city of London, amidst the acclamations 
 tacked, without evident disadvantage. The j of the populace. The parliament meeting on 
 assailants were so animated by the presence j t^le fourth day of November, the king thanked 
 of their monarch, that the fort of Cohorn was i them for the last supplies, congratulated 
 surrendered after a very obstinate defence. I them on the success by sea, and expressed his 
 The fate of the citadel was soon afterwards 5 concern for the advantages gained by the 
 decided. The garrison evacuated the place ! enemy on land ; he intimated his determina- 
 on the thirtieth of July, and Lewis returned \ tion to make a descent on France, and de- 
 in triumph to Versailles. j manded large supplies, to assist him in pro- 
 
 To retrieve the glory which he had lost \ secuting the war with vigour, as the best se- 
 before Naniiir, \\ illiam endeavoured to sur- 5 cui-ity for a safe and honourable peace, 
 prise the French army, under the duke of; The earl of Marlborough and other noble- 
 Luxemburgh, at Steiiikirk. The attack was j men, having been admitted to bail by the 
 chiefly carried on h-y the Englislj in cohunns. J court of king's bench, the peers declared their 
 They ascended, with the most determined re- 1 resolution of asserting their violated rights, 
 solution, the rising ground on which a wing 5 The judges were summoned to attend"^ the 
 of the French army lay encamped. They | house ; aud upon witnesses being examined, 
 took possession of their batteries, and were 5 respecting the evidence against the lords, who 
 for some time masters of their line. The ; had been committed to the Tower, a vehement 
 whole camp was in confusion, but the assail- ; debate took place ; and the opinion of the 
 ants were not properly supported ; the second ? judges proving unsatisfactory, the matter was 
 line of the French advanced, and, after an ; referred to a committee of the whole house, 
 obstinate contest of four liours, the allies were I who passed a rest>lution, purporting that, in 
 repulsed, having left many thousands of the ; pursuance of the habeas corpus act, it was 
 enemy, as well as of their own number, dead ; the duty of the judges to discharge (he pri- 
 on the field. The king gained no reputation 5 soner on bail, if committed for high treason, 
 for his conduct, but the valour of his troops ; unless it be made to appear on oath, that there 
 deserved great applause. The generals \ are two witnesses against him, who cannot 
 Mackay, Lanier, and Douglas, the earl of I be j)roduced until the sessions or jail delivery. 
 Angus, and several olHcers of distincticjn ; A warm debate then took place, as to the 
 were slain, and 3000 English left dead upon I raanneiof restoring the lords to liberty ; and 
 the scene of battle. 5 the controversy being warmly maintained, the 
 
 The campaign in Flanders languished after ! fears of the courtiers dictated an expedient, 
 the battle of Steinkirk. The discovery of a | which had the desired effect. The house 
 })lnt against the life of William, and the exe- | being purposely adjourned to the eighteenth 
 cution of one Grandvil, tlie pretended assassin, ; day of tJie mouth, the king released tW
 
 16 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP, ir 
 
 1689, 
 states 
 Jioiise. 
 
 not unconcerned 
 The opposition 
 length prevailed 
 
 noblemen from prison, after which they were 
 made acquainted with the late proceedings. 
 After another spirited debate, a formal entry 
 was made iu the journals, purporting that the 
 house, being informed his majesty had given 
 orders for the discharge of the lords, who had 
 given bail in the king's bench, no further de- 
 bate on the subject should take i)lace. The 
 resentment of the peers being thus appeased, 
 they proceeded to the consideration of his 
 majesty's speech. 
 
 This concession from the court was not 
 sufficient to allay the heats in parliament. 
 The commons, on the tenth of November, had 
 voted tiianks to the king fur his speech. They 
 ordered an address to the queen, acknow- 
 ledging her prudent administration in the 
 absence of her husband. But they, at the 
 same time, resolved to present an address, 
 requesting that the alliances made with the 
 states in the months of Ap4'il and August, 
 and all other alliances with foreign 
 or princes, should be laid before the 
 They entered into an examination of 
 the management of the war at sea. They 
 voted thanks to admiral Russel for his vic- 
 tory, but they resolved to enquire. Why that 
 victory had not been pursued ? A violent 
 animosity appeared in the house against the 
 preference given to foreigners : and it was 
 suggested, but afterwards abandoned, that 
 the king should be advised to fill all vacancies 
 as they should happen among the general 
 officers, with the subjects of Great Britain ; 
 and that the commander-in-chief of the Eng- 
 lish troops should be an Englishman. This 
 resolution was aimed at the count de Solmes, 
 on whose conduct towards the national troops, 
 the parliament severely animadverted. 
 
 The parties were so equally poised, that 
 almost the whole winter was spent in the 
 fiercest debates. The people themselves were 
 spectators of the con.test. 
 lords in some measure at 
 A remonstrance was pre- 
 sented to the king, consisting of five articles. 
 The peers desired, in accordance with the 
 wish of the commons, that the commanding 
 officer of the Euglisi), next the king himself, 
 should be an Englishman ; that the English 
 officers should have precedence of all officers 
 of the same rank, in the confederate armies, 
 except those of crowned heads ; that the 
 abuses committed in pressing sailors should ; 
 
 1G93. 
 
 be remedied and prevented ; and that all 
 foreigners should be excluded from sitting at 
 the board of ordnance. William was not of 
 a temper to grant demands, so contrary ta 
 his views and predilections. He refused the 
 request of the lords, by answering, that he'** 
 would consider their address. The oppo- 
 sition had carried their point with so much 
 difficulty, that they dropt the remonstrance 
 without farther efforts. Their ill-humour, 
 however, continued, and filled the remainder 
 of the session with ineffectual altercations and 
 debates. In the midst of their struggles, they 
 framed a bill, providing for triennial parlia- 
 ments, and annual sessions. It passed both 
 houses, but William resolved to obstruct a 
 bill so hostile to the power of the crown, and 
 rejected it when presented for the royal assent. 
 Tills was the second time he ventured to exer- 
 cise a preiogative, which neither of his imme- 
 diate predecessors had assumed the courage to 
 exert. 
 
 On the third of March, lord viscount 
 Sidney was raised to the government 
 of Ireland. The arrival of Sidney in his go- 
 vernment, though it might lessen the fear of 
 future oppressions, diminished not the resent- 
 ment of the people for former injuries. Having 
 carried a proposition for an additional excise, 
 he gave vent to his resentment against the 
 parliament. He sent for them on the fourth 
 of November, reprimanded them severely for 
 invading the prerogatives of the crown, and 
 prorogued them to the sixteenth of April. 
 Inflamed with what they deemed a public 
 insult, several members of the Irish house of 
 commons, came in the name of their country 
 to England, and on the '24th of February laid 
 their complaints before parliament. Some 
 circumstances appeared, upon the enquiry, 
 which served to heighten the niismanagement 
 of government, and the grievances of Ireland. 
 The army, in want of pay from the crown, 
 had levied money, by military distress, to the 
 amount of two hundred thousand pounds ; 
 the stores left by James in the kingdom, to 
 the value of eighty thousand pounds, were 
 embezzled by Coningsby ; the iord-lieutenaut 
 himself, and Ginckle, who had been created 
 earl of Athlone, were accused of possessing 
 themselves of almost all the forfeitures which 
 ought to have fallen to the public ; and among 
 the most flagrant violations of justice, and 
 msiauces of disregard to the interests of Ihe
 
 CHAP, ll.j 
 
 WILLIAM AND MARY. 
 
 17 
 
 constitution must be numbered, the wresting 
 from the citizens of Dublin the right of elect- 
 ing their own magistrates. 
 
 To prevent the two houses from proceeding 
 in their enquiries, or from acting with decision 
 and effect on the ample materials afforded by 
 the complaints of the Irish, William prorogued 
 the parliament on the fourteenth of March, 
 immediately after receiving the remonstrance. 
 The dismission of the parliament, however, 
 could not prevent the clamours of every rank 
 of society, from disturbing the tranquillity of 
 the throne. The malcontents were so much 
 disgusted with the manners of William, or by 
 real and imaginary grievances, as to receive 
 the assurances, and listen to the promises of 
 James with eagerness, and sometimes with 
 enthusiasm. But the plans of James were 
 frustrated, and his hopes defeated, by the 
 duplicity and inactivity of Lewis, who listened 
 to his proposals with complacency, but enter- 
 tained no serious determination to assist biin 
 in carrying them into effect. 
 
 The king, impatient to open the campaign 
 in Flanders, left Kensington on the thirty-first 
 of March, and arrived in the Maese on the 
 twenty-second of April. The French had 
 disturbed the winter itself, with military ex- 
 cursions and attacks. They had taken Fumes 
 and Dixmuyde, in the end of November, with 
 their garrisons, consisting chiefly of the Eng- 
 lish, who had reduced those places in the 
 close of the preceding campaign. His own 
 preparations detained the king at Loo, and at 
 the Hague, till the middle of May. Having 
 joined the troops of the allies at Deigham, he 
 marched from thence to Parks near Louvain, 
 and by that judicious position, confounded 
 the designs of France on Brabant. Lewis 
 XIV. had placed himself at the head of his 
 army, with a luxurious equipage and nume- 
 rous attendants ; but having fallen sick, he 
 resigned to Luxemburgh the conduct of mili- 
 tary operations in Flanders. That general, 
 on the fifteenth of June, placed his head- 
 quarters at Meldert, within half a league of 
 the camp of the allies. The two armies, con- 
 tinued in this situation above a month. Each 
 endeavoured to find an opportunity of giving 
 battle to advantage, while both suffered great 
 hardships from the incessant rains. 
 
 The Hiareschal de Luxeuiburgh, despairing 
 to force William to fight at a disadvantage, 
 left his camp on the eighteenth of July, and 
 
 D 
 
 sat down before Huy, which surrendered in 
 two days. Having amused the enemy with 
 a feigned design upon Liege, he suddenly 
 quitted his post at Hellicheini, crossed the 
 Jaar in four columns, and directed his march 
 towards the aUies, being determined to attack 
 them in their camp, or, if they retreated, to 
 fall upon their rear. His van was in sight 
 before they were apprised of his march. The 
 king made the necessary preparations for 
 receiving the enemy with vigour. He sent 
 away his heavy baggage, he ordered his in- 
 fantry to entrench themselves within the front 
 of his camp. The river Geette bounded his 
 camp, and ran winding along his rear. On 
 the left, and in the front of the left, was the 
 brook of Landen. A thick hedge joining 
 with one end of the right wing, the Criette 
 covered part of its front. The village of 
 Neerwinden, with intrenchments before it, 
 was between the left end of the hedge and the 
 centre. The village of Romsdorf stood 
 further advanced, opposed to the front of the 
 left wing, and the intrenchments before it 
 stretched to the village of Landen. A line of 
 intrenchments extended themselves behind 
 the two villages, and behind these the army 
 of the allies was formed. Their whole fron'* 
 was covered with one hundred pieces of can- 
 non, which, by being advantageously placed 
 on an eminence, commanded all the approaches 
 to their line. 
 
 On the evening of his arrival in sight of the 
 allies, mareschal de Luxemburg dislodged a 
 detachment of the enemy, posted in the village 
 of Landen, which stood far advanced before 
 the brook of that name. Between this village 
 and that of Romsdorf, he placed forty bat- 
 talions in the night. He formed his centre of 
 eight lines of horse and foot intermixed. His 
 horse on ihe left wing were ordered to extend 
 themselves to the Geette, opposing their line 
 to the thick hedge, which covered the front 
 of the enemy's right. The French were formed 
 before five in the morning, and the cannon- 
 ading began on both sides. Six brigades, 
 under the duke of Berwick and two other 
 lieutenant-generals, attacked the village ol 
 Neerwinden. This important post was 
 carried, but was soon recovered by the vigi- 
 lance of William, who had the good fortune, at 
 the same instant, to see his enemy repulsed on 
 every side. The centre of the French army 
 was not properly sustained by either wiog
 
 18 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. fcHAP. 11. 
 
 But Luxeraburgh was not to be intimidated. \ which ingenuity could devise. All their ships 
 •He made a second effort at Neerwinden, and \ in the ports of the ocean, had assembled at 
 succeeded. . He was again repulsed. He re- ; Brest under Tourville. The designs of France 
 solved to attack some other quarter of the I were facilitated by the judicious but unfortu- 
 eneray ; but they were inaccessible every j nate conduct of the English merchants, 
 where. Neerwinden was attacked for the | Having suffered, in consequence of the neglect 
 third time. William with great bravery led ; of the admiralty, to a great extent, from the 
 twice the English infantry to the intrenchraent, I privateers of llie enemy, they resolved to keep 
 ■which tlie enemy endeavoured to force; No- 1 their richest ships in their ports, till suflBcient 
 thing, however, could resist the impetuosity of I convoys could be obtained. Four hundred 
 the French. Their centre, reinforced by their | merchantmen, consisting of English, Dutch, 
 right, opened a way for their cavalry, into | and Hamburghers, many of which had been 
 the very lines of the allies; out-flanked the | for eighteen months ready to sail, and bound 
 English, and charged and put to flight the \ for the Straits, lay waiting for convoy on the 
 Hanoverians and the Spaniards. | nineteenth of May, when orders were sent 
 
 William, perceiving this disorder, advanced j from the admiralty, for the whole fleet to sail, 
 suddenly with apart of his left wing ; but the j with as many merchantmen as might seem 
 enemy allowing him no time to form, flanked 5 convenient. Tiiey accordingly sailed for the 
 the Dutch hors" as they came, and broke { Straits, under the protection of sir George 
 them in a furious onset, before the English | Rooke, with a squadron of 23 men of war, 
 could draw into a line. The king, however, \ English and Dutch. 
 
 was pot to be driven from the field ; he or- | The fleet commanded by Tourville had 
 
 dered his troops to charge even in their pre- : sailed from Brest in the middle of May, and 
 
 sent situation, when he perceived his right $ had steered towards the Straits, in hopes of 
 
 wing driven headlong into the Geette. Nothing ; joining the squadron expected from Toulon, 
 
 but confusion could now be seen throughout 5 under D'Estrees. Having arrived in the bay 
 
 the camp ; the bridge being too much crowded ; of Lagos, he remained in that place till the 
 
 by the runaways, many were drowned in the ; fifteenth of June ; when Rooke, and the fleet 
 
 river. William retreated in some order, witJi 5 under his convoy, appe.ired. Deceived by 
 
 the remains of his left wing, leaving a com- ) false intelligence concerning the strength of 
 
 plete victory to the enemy. Sixty-six pieces j the enemy, tlie English admiral prepared to 
 
 of cannon, eight mortars, eighty standards, | engage. Perceiving his mistake, he stood 
 
 colours, and other trophies, fell into the hands { away with an easy sail. He ordered, at the 
 
 of the French. Twelve thousand of the allies > same time, the merchantmen nearest to the 
 
 were slain, and two thousand n)ade prisoners. * land to take refuge in the ports of Spain. The 
 
 Luxemburgh gained little but glory by the con- 5 French came up with the sternmost ships of 
 
 flict. He lost eight thousand of his best troops 5 the fleet : three Dutchmen of war fell into 
 
 in the field, and his number of wounded was j the hands of the enemy, and eighty merchant- 
 
 So considerable, as to prevent him from taking ^ men were taken in their flight, or destroyed 
 
 immediate advantage of the consternation of i in ports where they had taken shelter. Had 
 
 the enemy. Being at length reinforced by \ Tourville pursued the merchant vessels, he 
 
 detachments from the coasts of Picardy and j might have surrounded and taken one of the 
 
 Normandy, the French marshal moved 5 richest fleets that had yet sailed from the 
 
 towards Oharleroy, and sat down before that ; shores of any country in Europe ; but in his 
 
 place on the eleventh of September. William ; eagerness (a pardonable weakness in a hero !) 
 
 made no efforts to raise the siege, though the | to pursue the Dutch ships, he suffered this 
 
 garrison behaved with such spirit as deserved ; propitious opportunity of acquiring wealth 
 
 relief. The king quitted the army on the \ and glory to escape. 
 
 fifth of October, and Charleroy surrendered \ In the midst of the commotion excited by 
 on the eleventh of that month. \ these disorders, William arrived from Holland. 
 
 Nor were the fortunes of William more pro- i The parliament met on the seventh of Novem- 
 pllious at sea. While the navy of England \ ber. The disasters at sea, and the disappoint- 
 l)ad b«ea culpably neglected, the navy of \ ments by land, had supplied the opposition 
 Vrance had. Ijgen augmented by everv means | party with ample materials of declamation,
 
 CHAP II] WILLIAM AND MARY. 19 
 
 and had excited throughout the country a | persuasion and every rank of society. Tliough 
 general feeling of impatience and discontent. ! the charges were of the blackest die, and 
 Advantage was taken by James of the state of; though they were fully proved, and had been 
 the public mind, and he continued his corres- i committed since the establishment of a regu- 
 pondence with the disaffected clergy. He | lar government, the commons declined to 
 'maintained a correspondence with Caermar- 5 support the bill of impeachment, preferred 
 then, and by his advice, William, according j against them by the earl of Bellamout, on the 
 to the wishes of James, reinstated Russel in ; ground that, in times of domestic commotions, 
 the command of the fleet. Sunderland him- i exertions of power might be necessary, which 
 self, if credit may be given to the Stuart > should not be punished, though they ought 
 papers, was not unwilling to proffer his ser- ; not to be sanctioned. Coningsby and Porter 
 vices to James, bnt was repulsed by that | received a pardon under the great seal, while 
 monarch, who, having once experienced the ; the earl of Bellaniont, for his exertions in the 
 extent of his treachery, could not be per- 5 cause of justice, was deprived of his place 
 suaded of his sincerity. 5 under government. Such is too frequently 
 
 In his opening speech, the king expressed I the reward of intrepidity and rectitude! 
 his regret, that his joy at the meeting of par- \ The adherents of the late king had repre- 
 liament was repressed by disappointment by | sented to the court of France, that thirty 
 land, and miscarriages at sea. The former ; thousand men would be necessary to ensure 
 he attributed to the number of his enemies, ; a revolution in England ; but, discouraged 
 and the latter to the misconduct of those, to \ and alarmed by the vague and unsatisfactory 
 whom the naval force had been entrusted. I answers of Lewis to their proposals, they 
 He declared his resolution to punish the ; became more moderate in their demands, and 
 offenders, and trusted that his faithful parlia- ! more urgent in their entreaties. Marlborough 
 ment would enable him, by the liberality of J continued, in his letters, to exhort the abdi- 
 their supplies, to prosecute the war both naval \ cated monarch to activity ; and Russel re- 
 and military with vigour and success. The | ceived the emissary of James, a captain Lloyd, 
 speech was received with opposite sentiments ; ; with every mark of respect and confidence, 
 and it was not till after six days of violent I He refused to avoid the French admiral, but 
 debates among the lords, that the question of | promised to use his utmost exertions to gain 
 supply was permitted to precede the investi- ^ over the officers of his fleet, and to promote 
 gation into the disasters of the fleet. In the | the revolution. A correspondence equally 
 money bill of this year, the first lottery, and j clandestine and criminal, was interchanged 
 the establishment of a bank of England, were ; with James by Shrewsbury, who had succeed- 
 remarkable expedients of finance. One mil- | ed Nottingham as first secretary of state, 
 iion was raised by means of the first, and one | Godolphia, first lord commissioner of the frea- 
 reillioa five hundred thousand pounds by the \ sury, and the earl of Sunderland, of whom the 
 second : but even these resources were un- \ latter two were the confidential advisers of 
 equal to the requisite supply, and the borrow- \ William. Unacquainted with their proceed- 
 ing of sums upon interest, to be paid out of I ings, or trusting to his own vigilance in coun- 
 funds arising from permanent taxes, laid the s teracting their intrigues, William selected 
 first foundation of the national debt. j Russel as first commissioner of the admiralty ; 
 
 A BILL for the naturalization of all foreign I Shrewsbury possessed at least the reputation 
 protestants, created violent debates in the | of an honest whig ; and the prudence of the 
 house of commons ; and excited every class i marquis of Caermarthen was regarded, as a 
 of society to so determined an expression of 5 security for his fidelity to the existing powers, 
 alarm and intolerant enthusiasm, that the | Several individuals, who were known to be 
 court party was intimidated into silence, and j adverse to the late revolution, were either 
 the measure was relinquished. i continued in employment, or raised to office ; 
 
 The Irish gentlemen, who had made their » and the earl of Abingdon, at that time in 
 appeal to the English parliament, renewed 5 actual correspondence with James, succeeded 
 their complaints of Coningsby and Porter, i to a place of profit and respo^isibility. 
 ■whose injustice and tyranny had reduced | In the beginning of May,"th«j''king lailded 
 Irelaud to misery, and exasperated every i in Holland, where he held a cou^rence with 
 
 D 2
 
 20 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. If. 
 
 the states-gcBeral. On the third of June, he | of her life. Though she acted, during the 
 was met by the electors of Cologne and Ba- ; absence of William, with judgment and dis- 
 varia at Bertherine Abbey. The exertions of j cretion, she was better qualified by nature to 
 the confederates were such as to promise an | fulfil the duties of domestic life, than to adorn 
 easy and triumphant campaign. The duke | the throne, or direct the government. Her 
 of Luxemburg!! had taken post between Mons ; good qualities were rather negative than posi- 
 and Maubeuge ; and the dauphin, having ; tive ; her good sense was always more appa- 
 assumed the command, crossed the Sambre | rent and predominant than her sensibility ; 
 to a position at Fleurus. From this place he 5 and with every consideration for the diffi- 
 removedon the eighteenth, while the confede- 1 culties of her peculiar situation, it is impossi- 
 rated army n.arched to Rosbeck, and formed \ ble not to accuse her of inexcusable unkind- 
 his encampment between St. Trou and Wan- 5 ness, as a sister and a child. On her death- 
 heim. The intention of William, to cross the \ bed she refused to see the princess Anne, but 
 Scheldt, was prevented by the rapid and un- I was afterwards persuaded to send her a 
 expected march of the enemy ; a circumstance | a message of forgiveness. The princess had 
 so acceptable to the French monarch, that he J begun, in the year 1692, a correspondence 
 commanded his letter of thanks to be read at 5 with her father, but the death of Mary having 
 the head of each regiment and squadron of \ opened a nearer prospect to the crown, she 
 the army. The allied army having compelled \ thought it expedient to conciliate the favour 
 the town of Huy to surrender, and Dixmude, I and confidence of William. The king, on 
 Pens, and other towns being occupied and \ his part, was induced by the tiread of her 
 fortified as winter-quarters, the dauphin re- \ resentment for former injuries, and by reflect- 
 turned to Versailles, and William made pre- \ ing that a great proportion of his subjects had 
 parations for his departure for England. On i been retained in their allegiance by a sentiment 
 the eighth of November he landed at Margate, 5 of respect to Mary, as the daughter of the 
 and opened the session of parliament on the » late king, to present her with her sister's 
 twelfth. The king, in the hope of obtaining $ jewels, and load her with other indications of 
 a liberal supply, agreed to the provisions of t particular favour, 
 the bill for triennial parliaments, by which it 5 
 
 was enacted, that a parliament should be held j WILLIAM. 
 
 once in three years at least ; that no parlia- ; 
 
 ment should continue longer than three years \ fU iHE death of the queen neither excited 
 at the utmost, to be counted from the first day 5 J^ any unusual sensation in the people at 
 of the first session ; and that the parliament then i large, nor interrupted the course of parlia- 
 subsisting should cease and determine on the » mentary business. A futile charge, the ofF- 
 first day of November next foUov/ing. Several ! spring of canning, knavery, and ignorance, 
 noblemen, however, protested against the bill, | against certain pretended conspirators in Lan- 
 as tending to the continuance of tlie present \ caster and Cheshire, was laid before the 
 parliament, longer than was consistent with ! commons, but regarded with merited coa- 
 the constitution of England. i tempt. Lunt, the informer, being desired to 
 
 The attention of VVilliam was diverted, for } point out the prisoners, in the court at Maii- 
 a time, ft )m the intrigues of his court, and the | Chester, mistook their identity. At the Lati- 
 debatesot contending p:uties, by the alarming i caster assizes, the witnesses were tried and 
 indisposition of his consent, which terminated 5 found guilty of perjury. 
 
 in her death on the twenty-eighth of Decem- i After several vehement debates, respecting 
 ber. Her aff'ability, discretion, and propriety i the aflairs of the East India Company, the 
 of demeanor, had rendered her the object of ^ impeachment of the duke of Leeds, who had 
 general attachment. Her person was tall \ been successively distinguished by the titles 
 and graceful ; her manners elegant, easy, and 5 of sir Thomas Osborne, lord Latimer, the earl 
 imposing ; her eye was piercing ; and though | of Danby, and marquis of Caermarthen, and 
 her cotnplexion was not fair, the features of | was suspected of participation in the frauds 
 her countenance were regular and pleasing. 5 of sir Thomas Cooke, the governor of the 
 An implicit deference to the will and inclina- 1 East India Company, became the most ini- 
 tion of her husband, the predominating virtue \ uortant subject of parliamentary discussion.
 
 Lsrulcn., £ii. Miu/ x-^A». to JfriAf £"»f ^"•it' "" ■ SptuJAJdr.
 
 CHAP. Ilj WILLIAM HI. 21 
 
 It being discovered, however, in the course of; relieve Namur, res^olved to fall upon the prince 
 the debates, that 10,000 pounds of the sums 5 of Vaudemont, who lay, with an inferior force, 
 embezzled by Cooke, had found their way 5 within three leagues of his army. Notwitli- 
 into the coffers of WiUiam, and several minor | standing the disadvantageous circumstances 
 sums into the pockets of his favourites, the 5 and situation of the prince's encampment, his 
 proceedings were languidly conducted ; and 5 adversary deUberated concerning the manner 
 one Robarts, a Swiss, being the only person 5 of attack, till the opportunity was lost. The 
 who could prove the guilt of the duke, he ; same advantage was presented for the second 
 was sent to his own country. A proclamation | time ; but the prince retreated, in the presence 
 for shutting the ports of the kingdom against * of Vijleroy, with admiiable skill, and sought 
 his flight, was not issued till nine days after 5 protection beneath the cannon of Ghent, 
 the address of the lords, recommending that ? In the mean time, the trenches were opened 
 measure ; and all proceedings were prevented, ; before Namur. On the eighteenth of July, 
 by the prorogation of the parliament on the ; after forcing the French (wlio had attempted 
 third of May. j a sally) to retreat, William connnanded the 
 
 Having appointed on that day a regency, I traverses and the advanced works to be storm- 
 consisting of the chief officers of state, the « ed, and the ground taken from the enemy to 
 king arrived on the fourteenth of May at the | be occupied with batteries. On the twenty- 
 Hague. The mareschal de Luxemburgh had : first of July, the king carried the first counter- 
 paid the debt of nature, and Lewis, despairing ; scarp, and the elector of Bavaria found means 
 to find a successor to so great a captain, in- i to throw a bridge across the Sambre, which 
 strucied his generals to act, during the course « facilitated the reduction of the place. Not- 
 of the ensuing campaign, on the defensive. ! withstanding the obstinate bravery of the 
 The mareschal de Villeroy received the com- | French, the out-works were at length carried 
 maud of the principal army in Flanders ; the j by the besiegers, and a practicable breach 
 second army was submitted to the orders of | was effected in the inner wall. The town 
 De Boufllers. The line to be defended by ; capitulated on the fourth of August, and the 
 ^e French, extended from Namur on the | garrison under De Bonftlers retired on the 
 • right to Dunkirk on the left. De Bouffiers » sixth to the castle. Villeroy, in the mean 
 assembled his army near Mons to covtw Na- $ time, having crossed the Lys and the Scheldt, 
 mur, and Villeroy posted himself between the ; niade a demonstration of hastening to raise the 
 Scheldt and the Lys to protect Tournay, | siege, though Brussels was the real object of 
 Ypres, and Dunkirk. | his designs. Under the pretext of revenging 
 
 William assembled his army in three j the attacks of tlie English fleet, on the mari- 
 divisions : the first, under the elector of Bava- ! time places of Flanders, he bombarded that 
 ria, advanced to the Scheldt and the Lys ;» city. After destroyisig fifteen hundred houses, 
 the third division, under the duke of Wirtem- 1 and many public biiihiings, undisturbed by 
 burgh, invested the fort of Knoque; and the ; the prince de Vaudemont, (who, an eye-witness 
 king himself was posted with the second » of Villeroy's proceedings, was unable to pre- 
 division at Becelaer on the Heule. In order } vent or avenge the destruction of- the town,) 
 to amuse the enemy, he made a variety of; he directed iiis march towards Namur ; but 
 movements, and risked the attack of any ©ne $ found the allies so strongly posted, that he 
 of his divisions by the whole French army, i retired in the silence of the night. The con- 
 But Villeroy possessed not the resolution or | federates pursued the siege of the castle with 
 sagacity of his immortal predecessor : and j vigour ; and, on the thirtieth of Augus^t, 
 William, having completed his preparations, re- i made so formidable a lodgement, that the 
 solved to prosecute the siege of Namur. The $ French proposed to capitulate on the first of 
 enterprise was formed by the elector of Bavaria I September. The want of success that marked 
 with his native troops, the forces of several i the exertions of William in preceding occasions, 
 German princes, and a body of cavalry, i and the loss of that important place in the 
 Villeroy, at length perceiving the designs of 'last campaign, rendered its 'capture at the 
 William, directed Boufllers to throw into the ; present moment peculiarly gratifying. Having 
 place seven regiments of dragoons, while he i enjoyed, for some time, at his favourite resi- 
 Limself, instead of making any attempt to | deuce of Loo, the plaudits of his friends, ami
 
 22 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. II." 
 
 the recolleclioii of his past success, he repair- \ a company trading to Africa and the East 
 fcd to the Hague on the seventh of October, | Indies. The commons having concurred with 
 and after settiiii"- the operations of the next \ the peers, the two houses attended the king 
 campaign, returned to England, and arrived i with their address, and were answered by 
 at Kensin"-ton on the twenty-first day of the » William, that he had been " ill-served" in 
 month. * \ Scotland, but hoped that some remedy might 
 
 The naval operations of the year were few \ be found, for the evil of which they complained, 
 and unimportant. St. Maloes, Dunkirk, and > This indefinite reply was unsatisfactory to the 
 Calais, were successively bombarded by lord | commons ; and they resolved, that the direc- 
 Berkeiey, without exciting alarm, or being j tors of the Scottish company should be im- 
 productive of extensive injury ; Wilmot and j peached of high crimes and misdemeanors ; 
 Liiliugston, who commanded an expedition | that a council of trade should be established 
 against the French m Hispaniola, negle-cted ; by act of parliament, for the preservation of 
 the interest of the public in their eagerness j the commerce of England, and that the com- 
 for spoil ; and the marquis of Caermarthen, ! missioners should be nominated by parliament, 
 stationed with some ships at Scilly, mistook ; though none of them should be members of 
 a fleet of' merchantmen for the enemy's navy, | either house. 
 
 and fled, with all his sails, from the vessels I William regarded this attempt to establish 
 ■which he ought to have defended. ; a new board, by act of parliament, as a prece- 
 
 The elections for the ensuing parlittment, | dent for future invasions on his executive 
 were decidedly in favour of the cause of Wil- ; power, and he ordered his servants to oppose 
 liam, and of those principles that contributed : the bill, with all the influence of oflice ; but 
 
 to the origin and success of the revolution. * the discontent of the people, occasioned by 
 
 Tlie two houses met on the twenty-second of I the numerous losses at sea, swayed even the 
 November, and before any supply was voted, 5 dependants of the court, and the earl of Sun- 
 a bill was brought in for regulating trials, in 5 derland supported the bill, in opposition to 
 cases of treason and misprision of treason, j the declared sentiments of his sovereign ; 
 The bill was opposed in its progress by the 5 whose disappointment and mortification were 
 adherents of the court; but, the popularity of | still further enhanced, by a formal complaint 
 the measure at length prevailed. By this 5 before parliament, from the gentlemen of Den- 
 salutary law it was provided, that no person 5 high, respecting a warrant issued by the king, 
 shall be tried for high treason, unless the « conferring upon Bentinek, created eari of 
 indictment be found within three years after j Portland, several valuable lordships in the 
 the offence is committed ; that the prisoner 5 principality, and a part of the antient ooraains 
 shall have a copy ot the indictment, and a list 5 of the prince of Wales. The house irainedi- 
 of the pannel of jurors two days before his i ately voted an address against the grant, and 
 trial, and that he shall have the same compul- \ the king reluctantly recalled the warrant, 
 sive power with the crown, to force his wit- 1 The discontents of the people, and the 
 Besses to appear. On the second of Decern- 1 violence of the commons, re-animated the 
 ber, the commons voted a supply : two mil- 5 hopes of James, and awakened Lewis from 
 lions five hundred thousand pounds were 5 his indifference. V The French monarch agreed 
 assigned to the navy, and two millions for the ; to furnish an army, and every thing necessary 
 support of an army of eighty-seven thousand ; for a descent ; troops intended for the invasion 
 men. The commons were for some time agi- | repaired to Calais and Dunkirk, and James 
 tated by vehement debates respecting the cur- \ himself arrived at the former'of these places 
 rency, which terminated in passing a bill for i on the twentieth of February. During the 
 a new coinage, and voting twelve hundred 5 progress of these preparations, one Crosby 
 thousand pounds to supply the deficiency » was sent over by the disaffected party, to 
 arising from clipped money. The sura was \ extort from James his expi-ess approbation of 
 raised by a duty for seveii years, on houses \ a projected attempt on the person of the king ; 
 and window-lights. On the fourteenth of I and obtained a commission for general insur- 
 Deceraber, the lords sent down to the com- \ rection, against William and ajl his adherents, 
 mons an address to the king, against an act \ This commission was placed in the hands of 
 passed in the Scottish parliament, for erecting ; sir George Barclay, a native of Scotland, a
 
 CHAP. Il] 
 
 WILLIAM III. 
 
 23 
 
 man of courage, and an experienced soklier. 
 He arrived in London in the month of Jjinn- 
 ary, and formed an intimate connection with 
 one Harrison, a priest, with captain Cliarnock, 
 who had formerly been a fellow of Magdalen 
 college, Oxford, and had become a convert 
 to the Roman catholic religion ; with Porter, \ 
 a captain in the army, and sir William \ 
 Perkins. \ 
 
 After revolving a variety of enterprises, | 
 these daring and inconsiderate partisans of the ; 
 late king, determined to attack William, with | 
 an armed party of forty men, in the midst of \ 
 his guards. The scene of the intended trea- \ 
 son, was the lane between Brentford and 
 Turnham Green, through which he usually 
 passed on his return from Richmond. But 
 their views were disappointed by the treachery 
 of a captain Fisher, whom the conspirators 
 had resolved to employ in the attack. He 
 disclosed every circumstance, relating to the 
 conspiracy, to the earl of Portland, two days 
 before that appointed for the execution of the 
 design ; and his testimony was conhrnied by 
 Prendergrass, an Irishman, who had joined iii 
 the conspiracy. The king, having examined 
 them in person, requested them to avoid sus- 
 picion, by resuming their intercourse with 
 their friends ; and remained at home on the 
 fifteenth of February, the day appointed for 
 the execution of the plot. The conspirators, 
 therefore, postponed the further prosecution 
 of their design till the twenty-second of Febru- 
 ary ; but on that day the king again remained 
 at home. A panic seized the whole party ; 
 a few were able to escape, but the rest were 
 seized in their beds on the ensuing nigiit. 
 
 On receiving intelligence of the failure of 
 the assassination plot, and that Russel was 
 dispatched to the coast of France, with a 
 fleet, consisting of 150 sail of the line, James 
 relinquished his design of invading England, 
 and, disembarking with his troops, returned 
 to St. Germains. 
 
 On the twenty-third of February, his ma- 
 jesty informed the parliament of the plot 
 against his person and government ; and was 
 answered by an address from both houses, 
 congratulatmg him upon his happy deliver 
 ance. They also subscribed articles of 
 association, by which they solemnly bound 
 themselves to maintain his government, to 
 protect his sacred person against the late king, 
 and his other enemies, foreign or domestic. 
 
 All the corporations in England followed 
 the If.yal example of the ])arliament. The 
 objections of »he people to William were ob- 
 literated at once, by the abhorrence of the 
 conspiracy against his life; and the impru- 
 dence of his enemies confirmed the stability 
 of a throne, of which his possession had be- 
 fore been comparatively precarious. 
 
 In consequence of a proclamation for ap- 
 prehending the conspirators, several of them 
 fled beyond sea. Of those that were appre- 
 hended, Charnock, King, and Keys were 
 executed on the eighteenth of March ; sir 
 John Friend, and sir William Perkins, on the 
 thirteenth of April ; and brigadier Rookwood, 
 major Lewick, and Mr. Cranbour, on the 
 nineteenth of the same month. Some time 
 afterwards, sir John Fenwick was appre- 
 hended, and charged particularly with having 
 been concerned in that part of the plot, re- 
 lating to the intended invasion. Having se- 
 duced one of the witnesses against him to 
 abscond, it was found that, in case of trial, he 
 could not suffer conviction ; and an act of 
 attainder was therefore passed, by a small 
 majority of both houses ; many of the lords 
 and commons, though convinced of his de- 
 linquency, being unwilling that he should be 
 punished by proceedings so contrary to the 
 principles of the constitution. Sir John was 
 executed on the twenty-eighth of January. 
 
 So sanguine were the expectations of 
 Lewis, that he actually regulated his military 
 operations in Flanders, on the supposition 
 that the plot against the life of William would 
 succeed : and with a design of attempting 
 some exploit of importance, early in the cam- 
 paign, while the allied army should be weak- 
 ened by the absence of the English troops, he 
 established an extensive magazine at Givet. 
 The earl of Athlone, and lieutenant Coehorn, 
 left Namur, at the head of forty squadrons 
 and thirty battalions, having fifteen pieces of 
 cannon and mx mortars. With part of thia 
 army Athlone invested Dinant, and, in the 
 mean time, Coehorn advanced to Givet, and 
 early in the morning began to bombard the 
 town, which, together with the large magazine 
 established there, Mas wholly destroyed by 
 four o'clock in the afternoon. Having per- 
 formed this important service, the gei.eralu 
 led their troops to their former station. 
 
 Having committed the powers of govern- 
 ment to persons, in whose integrity he could
 
 24 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. II 
 
 confide, the king embarked at Margate on the i 
 seventh of May, and in the evening arrived at , 
 Orange Polder, from which pJace he nnmedi- 
 ately proceeded to the Hague. The French \ 
 had taken the field early in the sprmg, but \ 
 were obliged to act entirely on the defensive ; { 
 and as the plans of the English monarch were | 
 rendered abortive by the scarcity of money, no I 
 enterprise of importance was attempted during i 
 the campaign. The land bank, an establish- \ 
 inent founded on land-securities, was scarcely \ 
 projected before it failed, after having greatly | 
 injured the credit of the bank of England ; \ 
 and all the other funds of the year proved \ 
 defective. > 
 
 The treasury of Lewis being exhausted, \ 
 and the losses the nation had sustained having | 
 dispirited his subjects, he determined to | 
 direct his attention to conciliatory measures. 
 He therefore dispatched an ambassador to 
 Holland ; but the states-general declined 
 holding any conference on the subject of a 
 peace, without the consent of William and 
 the allies. In order to accelerate the nego- 
 tiation, Lewis pursued ofl^ensive measures in 
 Catalonia, where his general, the duke de 
 Vendome, attacked the Spanish camp in the 
 neighbourhood of Ostalric ; but, after making 
 several spirited assaults, and putting the 
 enemy to considerable loss and inconvenience, 
 he w as obliged to retreat. 
 
 A PEACE between France and the duke of 
 Savoy changed the aspect of affairs in Italy. 
 This pacification, which greatly disconcerted 
 the allies, had been long negotiated by the 
 count de Tesse, as intermediate agent between 
 the duke and the mareschal de Catinat. The 
 duke, willing to secure the supplies of the 
 year from England and Holland, concealed 
 the treaty for some time after it was actually [ 
 signed. When he professed to avow the con 
 ditions, they only seemed to comprehend the 
 neutrality of Italy ; he suppressed the terms 
 ■which concerned his own interest ; but, to 
 convince the confederates that he was deter- 
 mined to abide by his agreement with France, 
 he laid siege, on the thirteenth of September, 
 to Valentia, in conjunction with the marquis 
 de Catinat. 
 
 In the course of this summer, the French 
 coast was harrassed and despoiled by the 
 activity of lord Berkeley. Yet the ministry 
 were so greatly apprehensive of an invasion, 
 that they constantly maintained six thousand 
 
 men in arms, for the protection of the maritime 
 places. A small fleet, 'commanded by admi- 
 ral Berbon, was dispatched to block up Dii- 
 bart in the neighbourhood of Dunkirk ; but 
 that intrepid commander, taking advantage 
 of a thick fog, effected an escape, and directing 
 his course towards the Baltic, fell in with a 
 fleet of Dutch traders, inider the convoy of 
 six frigates, which he captured, together with 
 half the merchantmen. A short time after, 
 meeting with the outer bound fleet, convoyed 
 by thirteen ships of the line, all his prizes were 
 retaken, except thirteen, with which he re- 
 turned to Dunkirk, having turned two of the 
 frigates adrift, and burnt the other four. i, 
 
 William left the army, under the command 
 of the elector of Bavaria, and repaired to his 
 palace at Loo, where he indulged himself for 
 some time in his favourite amusement of stag- 
 hunting. After visiting the court of Branden- 
 bnrgh at Cleves, and conferring with the 
 states of Holland at the Hague, he embarked 
 for England, and landed at Margate on the 
 sixth day of October. On the twentieth of the 
 same month, he opened the parliament : he 
 informed them that overtures had been made 
 for a general peace, but that the only means 
 to establish the public tranquillity, was to 
 shew themselves prepared for a vigorous 
 and effectual war, for which purpose an im- 
 mediate and liberal supply would be demand- 
 ed. The commons agreed to a resolution, 
 pledging themselves to grant his majesty such 
 support, as should enable him to prosecute 
 the war with vigour : and voted six millions 
 for the service of the ensuing year. It was 
 resolved to raise supplies, by imposing a tax 
 on all persons, proportioned to the real value 
 of their personal estates, their stock upon land 
 and in trade, or their emoluments by offices 
 or professions ; and a duty of one shilling a 
 week was exacted from all persons who did 
 not receive alms. A resolution was formed 
 to yield all possible support to the credit of 
 the bank of England, and in consequence of 
 this it was agreed, to engraft upon the capital 
 new subscriptions to the amount of eight hun- 
 dred thousand pounds, at the rate of eight 
 per cent, interest, to be paid by tallies and 
 bank notes. A million was subscribed in a 
 few days ; and fi-om this period, the credit 
 of the bank so rapidly encreased, that its bills 
 bearing interest were esteemed better than 
 cash.
 
 CHAP. Il] 
 
 WILLIAM III. 
 
 25 
 
 1697. 
 
 The public business was finished on 
 the sixteenth of April, by a speech, in 
 ■which the king declared his intention to leave 
 the administration of the government in the 
 hands of persons, on whom he could depend. 
 An event, which happened three days after 
 the rising of parliament, rendered remarkable 
 the concluding paragraph. To the astonish- 
 ment of the nation, William raised the earl of ; 
 Sunderland to the office of lord chamberlain, i 
 in the room of the earl of Dorset, who had ; 
 suffered himself to be bought out of his place i 
 •with (he public money. That this nobleman ; 
 imiformly betrayed the late king to the views j 
 of the present, when prince of Orange, is now ; 
 known, and was even then suspected : there • 
 seemed, therefore, to have been a degree of] 
 imprudence in the appointment, though the j 
 place which he held before in William's favour I 
 entitled him to a share in the management of | 
 public affairs. On the twenty-second ofj 
 April, the earl was sworn privy-counsellor, ! 
 and as such took his place at the board ; and ; 
 though at the time in correspondence with ; 
 James, was one of those persons, on whom • 
 William declared to his parliament, that he ; 
 could thoroughly depend. i 
 
 The government being thus established, \ 
 and a regency nominated, on the twenty-sixth i 
 day of April his majesty embarked for Hoi- i 
 land, in order to be present at the congress i 
 appointed to be held on the tenth of February, i 
 for the negotiation of a general peace. The 
 conference was opened by Callieres, the French 
 minister, who informed the other plenipoten- 
 tiaries, that he was authorised by the king his 
 master, to agree to the following preliminary 
 articles : That the treaties of Westphalia and 
 Nimeguen should be the basis of the present 
 treaty ; that Strasburgh should be restored 
 to the emperor, and Luxemburgh to the 
 Spaniards, together with Mons, Charleroy, 
 and all the places captured by the French in 
 Catalonia, since the conclusion of the treaty 
 of Nimeguen ; that Dinant should be ceded 
 to the bishop of Liege ; that all the re-unions 
 since the treaty of Nimeguen should be void ; 
 that Lorraine should be destroyed, pursuant 
 to the treaty for that purpose ; and that, im- 
 mediately upon the negotiation being con- 
 cluded, the king of France should formally 
 acknowledge William to possess an indis- 
 putable claim to the sovereignty of England, 
 and all its dependaacies. The progress of 
 
 this treaty was interrupted by the death of 
 Charles XL of Sweden, who was succeeded 
 by Charles XIL then a minor ; but the queen 
 and five senators, to whom the late king had 
 by his will delegated the power of govcrmnent, 
 being determined that the mediation should 
 go forward, dispatched a commissioner to the 
 Swedish plenipotentiary, intimaliiig their plea- 
 sure. The demands of the imperial plenipo- 
 tentiaries, and of the representatives of the 
 several German princes, were now delivered 
 to the mediator. 
 
 The French king, apprehensive that the 
 house of Austria might insist on the treaty of 
 the Pyrenees, determined to make a f'ual 
 effort in Flanders and Catalonia, to compel 
 the Spaniards to accept his own terms. The 
 campaign was opened with the siege of Aith, 
 which surrendered in a few iays. William 
 joined the army in person on the 24th of 
 May. The marshals De Villeioy and 
 Boufflers were too advantageously posted to 
 be attacked ; but the king frustrated the de- 
 signs of the French on Brussels and Trous. 
 The chief efforts of Lewis continued on the 
 side of Spain. The duke de Vendome laid 
 siege to Barcelona by land, while the count 
 d'Estrees blocked up the place by ;-ea. The 
 count de Velasco, dividing the force with 
 which he proposed to raise the siege, was 
 surprised in both his camps, and put to flight. 
 The city capitulated on the last day of July, 
 and that conquest determined the emperor 
 and Spain to listen to proposals for a general 
 peace. 
 
 The princess of Denmark had for six years 
 maintained a correspondence with her father, 
 full of assurances of duty, and expressions of 
 repentance. The bad health of the king had 
 awakened her ambition, and she wrote to her 
 father, desiring to know his pleasure, whether 
 he would permit her to ascend the throne, 
 according to the act of settlement, should the 
 prince of Orange (for so she called king Wil- 
 liam) happen to die. She insinuated that, 
 should he refuse to accede to this expedient, 
 considering the present disposition of the 
 kingdom, he would be still further removed 
 from the hope of regaining his authority: 
 since the sceptre would fall into more tena- 
 cious hands, out of which it could not be so 
 easily wrested. The reasoning of the princess 
 was too refined for the temper of her father. 
 He expressed his conviction, that of aU 
 2
 
 26 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. L^HAP. I|. 
 
 restitutions, none is harder to make than that j the principles to which he owed the throne, 
 of a crown. He excused himself to his daus^h- i The successors provided by the act of settle- 
 ter, but declared his adherence to the resoiu- ; ment, he hated or despised ; he hvid no chil- 
 tion of placing himself in the hands of his | dren ; and his few relations he did not love, 
 former subjects. 5 Though James had displeased the nation, he 
 
 The popular historians of England, destitute I had not injured William; and the son might 
 of information which accident has supplied, ! demand compassion, but could not deserve 
 through the medium of (he historical advo- ! his hatred. That his birth was spurious, was 
 cates of James, have speculated with wonder, { only reported to amuse and deceive the vulgar; 
 on the mode of negotiation, preparatory to | and woidd no longer impress the minds of 
 the treaty of Ryswick. The earl of Port- ; njen. But James, though he could bear with 
 land, on the part of the king of England, and ! patience the asserted usurpation of his nephew, 
 De Boufflers, in the name of Lewis, met J would not permit his son to occupy his throne, 
 between the armies, and held a conference in ; The same parliament that bad conferred the 
 the open field, on the tenth of July. They t royal authority on the prince of Orange, had 
 met again, on the fifteenth and twentieth of j settled the reversion of the crown on tiie priu- 
 the same month, in the same manner. But j cess of Denmark, and by reversing the act of 
 on the 26th of July, and the 2nd of August, J settlement, he disjointed the whole chain 
 they retired to a house in the suburbs of Hall, ; which bound the people to his government, 
 and reduced to writing the terms to which | James remembered too, that the repeal of the 
 they had agreed in the field. So singular a ; act of settlement would, in all probability, 
 mode of negotiation involved the European ! include a condition, that the person and con- 
 world in wonder and perplexity. The docu- ; science of the prince of Wales should be in 
 ments, which have descended unexamined to \ the custody of the English. The French kin^^ 
 modern times, unveil the n)ystery. Lewis, 5 urged no further a point, on which the obsti- 
 vinwilling to desert James, proposed that the } nacy of the exiled monarch was so evident ; 
 prince of Wales should succeed to the crown | and William, having arranged the terms of a 
 of England, after the death of William ; a J pacification with Lewis, left the army on the 
 proposal to which the king agreed with little » third of August, and retired to Diereu, dis- 
 hesitation. He engaged to procure the repeal \ patched from thence the earl of Portland, to 
 of the act of settlement, and, by another act, ! impress the congress, and particularly tlie 
 to declare ihe prince of Wales his successor } servants of the emperor, with the expedience 
 to the throne. \ of acceding to a peace, no longer impeded by 
 
 The fifty thousand pounds a-year, settled \ the disposition of the French monarch, or by 
 as a jointure on king James's queen, was ! his own concerns. The treaties of Munster 
 agreed to be paid : though the money was > and Nimeguen served as a basis for that with 
 afterwards detained on various pretences. On ; Holland. The places taken in Catalonia, the 
 the third of August, the king l»>ft the army, | dutchy of Luxemburg, the county of Chinei, 
 and retired to Diereu. He sent from thence | Charleroy, Mons, Aith, Courtrai, and all 
 the earl of Portland, to acquaint the ministers j places united to France by the chambers of 
 assembled at the congress, that he had ad- ! Metz and Briscoe were restored to Spain, 
 justed his own affairs, and those of his king- } The king of England agreed to pay fifty thou- 
 dom wiih France; and that he earnestly de- J sand poimds a-year, by way of jointure, to 
 sired the allies, and particularly the emperor, | king James's queen ; and Lewis XIV. en- 
 to hasten the conclusion of an honourable, but ; gaged not to disturb William in the possession 
 expeditious peace. I of his dominions. The peace was concluded 
 
 In these concessions to France, he yielded i on the 10th of September, and proclaimed ill 
 all his professions to England ; and, by an ; London on the 20lh of October, 
 act of indiscretion or indiflerence, deserted ?
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 WILLIAM III. 
 
 [1697 to 1702.1 
 
 Proceedings in Parliament — Establishment of an JEast India Company — Missionaries to 
 America — Intrigues of Lewis — Difficulty attached to the Spanish succession — Reduction 
 of the Land Forces — l^rial oj Wartvic and Mohnn — Valuation of the forfeited Estates — 
 JDiscontents of the Scotch East India Company — Dismissal of Somers — Second Partition 
 Treaty — Mortifications to which William is subjected — Death of the Duke of Glocester — 
 Discussions on the Treaty of Partition — Death of King James — Impeachment of 
 Somers — Acts relating to the Succession — The King's Illness and Death — His Cha- 
 racter. 
 
 4 
 
 THE emperor agreed to an armistice with ; crown having been anticipated to public uses,) 
 France, two days after the signature of | of a more estabUshed and regular provision 
 tlie preceding treaties, and in tlie course of the ! for his personal necessities. He urged the 
 following mouth acceded to the negotiation ; | experience of confirming the security of Eng- 
 having obtained in his own behalf, or in that | land, by the maintenance of an adequate force 
 of the empire, the restitution of several towns ^ by sea and land ; and concluded, by assuring 
 and districts, which had bten gained to tlie ; the parliament of his determination to correct 
 enemy by actual conquest, or seized under | the abuses, that might have crept into the 
 specious but unfounded pretexts. | administration during the Mar, and effectually 
 
 Thk advantages arising to England, from J to suppress profaneness and atheism. The 
 the peace of Hysvvick, were by no means com- * suggestion of the king, that a land-force 
 mensurate witii the amount of blood and trea- ' vvould be necessary to the security of the 
 sure expended in the war. Though weakened ; kingdom, was received with dissatisfaction by 
 and discouraged, the empire of France was i the commons, who resolved, without a division, 
 neither reduced so low in spirit or resources, > that all the land-forces of the kingdom, which 
 as to preclude her future designs on the other } had been raised since the 29th of September 
 states of the continent, or her co-operation in I 1680, should be paid and disbanded. The 
 the re-establishment of James : and even the j courtiers made several efforts to procure a 
 present generation has reason to lament, that I relaxation of this vote, but their exertions were 
 the intimate union, at this period, of England \ in vain ; and the earl of Sunderland, having 
 and Holland, involved us in that superfluous ; strenuously supported the wishes of the king, 
 and officious interference in the affairs of the j was alarmed, by the violence of his parlia- 
 continent, from which we have escaped with- 1 mentary opponents, into the resignation of 
 out destruction, by singular, and perhaps uu- 1 his office. As some compensation for the 
 deserved good fortune. | mortification thus inflicted on their sovereign, 
 
 In his opening speech to the two houses of; the commons voted that, in acknowledgment 
 parliament, William congratulated the par- 1 of his great services to the nation, £700,000 
 liamenton the conclusion of the war ; express- 1 should be granted to him out of the civil list, 
 ed his sorrow that the debt on the fleet and ; Of this sum it was intended that £100,000 
 army, and the deficiency of the various funds, | should be appropriated to the payment of the 
 would preclude his people from all the relief jointure of James's queen, as if she were a 
 that might otherwise have been expected ; and ! widow ; but the removal of James from St. 
 suggested the necessity, (the revenues of the : Germains being the condition of the payment, 
 
 E 2
 
 28 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. fCHAP. Ill 
 
 and that stipulation not being executed, the \ liam expressed his desire, that some more 
 performance of the other parts of the contract J effectual means mis^ht be adopted, of suppress- 
 could notbeexpected. I 'ng infamous books against the Trinity. A 
 
 Among the other objects which attracted ! plan was formed, under the auspices of Dr. 
 the attention of parhament, the estabhshment ; Thomas Bray, for sending missionaries, with 
 of a new East India Company, the punishment ! proper books of instruction, to the English 
 of smugglers with France, and of false en- 1 colonies of America; and a bill having been 
 dorsers of exchequer bills, and the, investi- ; brought into the house of commons, for the 
 gation of the frauds committed by Knight and I better discovery of estates given to super- 
 Duucombe, were the most remarkable. Seve- ; stitious uses. Dr. Bray presented a petition, 
 ral deficiencies having occurred, in the funds j that some part of these estates might be 
 granted during the last session, a vote passed | granted for tiie propagation of the reformed 
 for providing for the payment of the exchequer j religion in Virginia, Maryland, and the Lee- 
 bills. As these bills bore interest when they | ward Islands ; and a society for the reforma- 
 were re-issued, after they had been received \ tion of manners was formed under the patron- 
 in lieu of taxes, some of the officers of the? age of the king, who prorogued the parliament 
 exchequer, customs, and excise, backed them 5 on the third day of July, after thanking them 
 with false endorsements, in order to obtain < for the many testimonies he had received of 
 the accumulating interest. For this fraud | their affection. Two days afterwards the 
 Duncorabe and Knight were expelled the \ parliament was dissolved, 
 house of commons, and imprisoned in the } Though William assumed the language of 
 Tower. A bill for punishing Duncombe, by J satisfaction and of gratitude, the resolutions 
 the forfeiture of nearly one half of his ample | of the commons, with regard to the army; 
 fortune, was rejected by a majority of one 1 made a lasting impression on his mind. Be- 
 \oice in (he house of lords, which commanded I lieving himself to be left by the reduction of 
 the release of the delinquent. He was re- 1 his forces in a state of utter insecurity, he 
 nianded to prison by the other house, jealous | endeavoured to avert the hostility of France, 
 of the interference of the peers, and remained > by acts of friendship and conciliation. The 
 in confinement during the remainder of the j earl of Portland, in the capacity of ainbassa- 
 session. i dor extraordinary, made his public entry 
 
 ,^Q„ A PETITION being presented to the ; into Paris, with a pomp more congenial with 
 house of couunons, by colonel Melchin- ! the vanity of Lewis, than with the gravity of 
 burne, who commanded in conjunction with | his own master. The pacific views of William 
 Walker, during the siege of Londonderry, | were met with corresponding sentiments on 
 requesting the payment of arrears to the ! the part of the French king, whose ambition 
 troops employed ui its defence, the commons > had been for a moment repressed, by the 
 bestowed warm encomiums on the bravery of; scantiness of his remaining resources, and the 
 the officers and soldiers, and recommended | general distress which pervaded his kingdom, 
 the petition to the king. A committee from » Yet notwithstanding the conviction of 
 the house of commons reported, that a pamph- 1 Lewis, that a long interval of uninterrupted 
 let pulili^hed l)y William Molinenx, a gentle- 1 peace would best extend his glory, and re- 
 man of Dublin, was of a dangerous tendency, J establish his power, he could not look with 
 because it inculcated an erroneous opinion, | apathy or inattention at the contest for the 
 that Ireland was not dependent upon, and ' inheritance of Spain. The only pretenders to 
 uualienably annexed to the regal throne of ! the succession of that kingdom, prior to the 
 England. The commons, therefore, addressed » treaty of Ryswick, were the emperor and the 
 his majesty, imploring him to discountenance i elector of Bavaria; the first, as the male re- 
 and punish all wiio had been or might be I presentative of the family of Austria; the 
 guiliy of such nefarious attempts, a request ! latter as the husband of an arch-duc'iess, the 
 with which the king promised to comply. ; only surviving child of the emperor, by the 
 
 Religion next engrossed the attention of | second daughter of Philip IV. of Spain. The 
 the sovereign and the nation. In reply to an j powers of Europe, from jealousy of ihe house 
 address from the commons, on the general ! of Bourbon, had contested the right of the 
 corruption and immorality of manners, Wil- j daupliin of France, though the sun of the
 
 CHAP. Ill] 
 
 eldest daiigliter, Maria Theresa. Philip him- 
 self, to her exclusion, had declared the de- 
 scendants of her yoiingier sister, Margaret, 
 born of a second marriage, the heirs of his 
 crown. The son of the elector of Bavaria, in 
 default of male issue by Charles II., would 
 therefore have possessed the whole succession, 
 if the testament of Philip IV., or the renuncia- 
 tion of his eldest daughter, at her marriage 
 with the French king, had been deemed valid 
 and decisive. 
 
 The elector of Bavaria, either diffident of 
 his right, or of his own power to support his 
 claims, had applied for the protection of 
 Lewis XIV. and had desired to know from 
 that prince, what part of the Spanish dominions 
 he would choose to reserve for himself. Lewis 
 returned an evasive answer, and in December 
 16i>7, sent the marquis d'Harcourt, in the 
 character of ambassador, to learn the state of 
 parties in Spain, to enquire into the views of 
 the court, and the disposition of the grandees, 
 and above all, to discover and counteract the 
 secret measures of the imperial ministers. 
 Though he found that the party which favour- 
 ed the lineal succession, in the family of Bour- 
 bon, were the most numerous, they had the 
 least credit. The queen and her creatures 
 favoured the emperor, and Jield the reins of 
 government. When tliey despaired of the life 
 of the king, they injured, by their eagerness, 
 the cause they wished to promote. The prince 
 of Hesse Darmstadt^ who governed in Cata- 
 lonia, supplanted the Spanish officers with 
 Germans, and took every measure that seemed 
 calculated to secure that province to the 
 house of Austria, while he ultimately dis- 
 obliged the Spaniards, without accomplishing 
 his own views. 
 
 Such was 1 he situation of affairs soon after 
 the arrival of Portland at the court of France. 
 Lewis XIV., wishing to preserve the peace, 
 ■was anxious to enter into treaty with the king 
 of England. But his designs were obstructed 
 by the officious zeal of Portland, who insisted, 
 to a degree beyond the intentions of his 
 master, on the removal of James from St. 
 Germains". Lewis, perceiving also that 
 Portland was not sufficiently instructed to 
 conclude the treaty, sent the count de Tallard 
 with full powers to England. William disap- 
 proved of the mode of partition ])roposed by 
 France ; hut the defenceless state, in which he 
 had been ieft by his parliament, induced* him 
 
 WILLIAM III. 
 
 29 
 
 to listen to any terms, calculated to continue 
 tlic repose of Europe. His health was de- 
 cliiiiu^r^ and a feeble constitution had subjected 
 him to a premature old age. The negotiation 
 begun in France, between Lewis and the earl 
 of Portland, was continued in England, be- 
 tween William and Tallaid. Portland, in the 
 mean time, was recalled, and succeeded in his 
 embassy by his brolher-in-law, the earl of 
 Jersey. But though the negotiation advanced, 
 it was not concliuled, till William, by the 
 dissolution of parliament, found leisure to 
 repair to Holland. 
 
 The king appointed a regency, to govern 
 in his absence, and deparu-d for Holland in 
 the latter end of July. His excuse for ab- 
 sence was founded on the necessity of recruit- 
 ing his bodily strength, reduced by indispo- 
 sition and fatigue. He appointed a regency 
 to govern the kingdom in his absence, and, as 
 one 01 the numijer, nominated the earl of 
 Marlborough, who had regained his favour, 
 and been constituted governor to the duke of 
 Glocester. Sealed orders were left with the 
 ministers, directing that sixteen thousand men 
 should be retained in the service, notwith- 
 standing the vote of the commons, by which 
 the standing army was limited to ten thou- 
 sand. Having assisted in the assembly of 
 the states-general, and given audience to 
 se^'eral ambassadors at the Hague, the king 
 repaired to his house at Loo, attended by the 
 earls of Essex, Portland, and Selkirk. There 
 he was visited by count Tallard, the French 
 minister, who had instructions to negotiate 
 the treaty concerning the Spanish succession. 
 Portland wrote a letter to lord chancellor 
 Somers, desiring his advice with regard to the 
 French propositions, and accompanied by 
 full powers under the great seal, with blanks 
 to be filled up occasionally. The purport 
 of this letter was imparted to the duke of 
 Shrewsbury and Mr. Montague, who consulted 
 with the chancellor and Vernon on the subject, 
 and the chancellor wrote an answer to the 
 king as the issue of their joint deliberations. 
 Before, however, it reached his niajesty, the 
 first treaty of partition had been signed by the 
 earl of Portland and sir Joseph Williamson. 
 The contracting powers agreed, that in case 
 the king of Spain should die nithout issue, 
 the kingdom of Naples and Sicily, with the 
 places depending upon the Spanish monarchy, 
 and situated on the coast of Tuscany and the
 
 30 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. III. 
 
 adjacent islands, 'the marqiiJsate of Final, the 
 province of Guipuseoa, all places on the 
 French side of the Pyrenees, or the other 
 monntains of Navarre, Alva, and Biscay, on 
 the other side of the province of Guipuseoa, 
 with all the ships, vessels, and stores, should 
 devolve upon the dauyihin, in consideration of 
 his right to the crown of Spain ; which, with 
 all its other dependancies, should descend to 
 the electoral prince of Bavaria, under the 
 guardianship of his father ; that the emperor's } 
 second son, the archduke Charles, should " 
 possess the dutchy of Milan; that this treaty 
 should be communicated to the emperor, and 
 to the elector of Bavaria, by the king of Eng- 
 land and the states-general ; that if either 
 should refuse to agree to this partition, his pro- 
 portion should remain in sequestration till the 
 dispute could be accommodated ; that, in case 
 theelectoral prince of Bavaria should die before 
 his father, then the elector and his other heirs 
 should succeed him in those dominions ; and \ 
 should the archduke reject the dutchy of Milan, ^ 
 it should be sequestrated, and governed by the 
 prince de Vaudemont. — These arrangements 
 were in some measure intended to obviate the 
 will of Philip, father to the reigning king of 
 Spain, who had settled his crown on Jhe empe- 
 ror's children. It has been already observed, 
 that the dauphin, whose right to the succession 
 Lewis had renounced in the most solemn 
 manner, was son to Maria Theresa, the daugh- 
 ter of Philip ; and the electoral prince of 
 Bavaria was grandson to a daughter of 
 Spain. 
 
 The king of Spain, who, contrary to the 
 wishes and expectations of the contracting 
 parties, had become acquainted with all the 
 particulars of the treaty, resenting a division 
 of all his dominions by foreigners, executed a 
 will, declaring the electoral prince of Bavaria 
 his universal heir, according to the testament 
 of Philip IV. in favour of the descendants of 
 his second daughter, to the exclusion of the 
 house of Bourbon. The king himself unex- 
 pectedly recovered ; and the hopes and fears 
 of Europe were for a while prolonged. 
 
 After an absence which excited the jea- ^ 
 lousy of his subjects, who did not perceive, \ 
 without uneasiness, his evident partiality to \ 
 residence in Holland, William arrived in Eng- > 
 land on the third of December. Three days 
 aftej- the parliament met, and having chosen 
 sir Thomas Littleton for their speaker, they 
 
 recommended a strict attention to naval and 
 military affairs ; exhorted them to proceed in 
 the payment of the public deiits ; and sug- 
 gested the expedience of adopting some plan 
 for employing the poor and encouraging 
 trade. 
 
 The house of commons voted, on the ,-^Qp 
 I6th of Deceiid)er, that all the land '^^^• 
 forces in England should be reduced to 7000 
 men, and those to consist of the native subjects 
 of the king ; and that the forces in Ireland 
 should be reduced to 1200 men. The king 
 struggled hard to retain his Dutch guards, 
 but without success. The number of men to 
 be kept at sea was fixed at 15,000, to consist 
 of seamen oidy ; the house of commons per- 
 ceiving the possibility of the sovereign keeping 
 up an army under the name of marines. For 
 the maintenance of these forces they gave an 
 aid of £1,484,01.5 by a land-tax and subsidy 
 of 35. in the pound ; and a clause was added 
 to empower four commissioners to take an 
 account of the estates forfeited in Ireland 
 during the rebellion, and since Febiuary, 
 1088, and the quality, nature, and value of 
 all such estates, and particulars of their grants 
 and disposition. Certain complaints having 
 been n)ade by the house, in an address to the 
 king, of mismanagement in the navy, which 
 the earl of Orford applied to himself, that 
 nobleman surrendered his places. On the 
 4th of May, the king prorogued the house to 
 the 1st of June. 
 
 Among the other public acts of this period, 
 the earl of Warwick and lord Mohuii were 
 tried at Westminster, in the latter end of 
 March, by the house of peers, for the murder 
 of Richard Cooke, esq. Warwick was found 
 guilty of man-slaughter, and Mohun acquitted. 
 
 The king landed in Holland on the third of 
 June ; and besides receiving the compliments 
 and visits of all the foreign minijsters, was 
 greeted with letters of acknowledgment from 
 the grand Seignior and Peter the Great, for 
 his mediation in the treaty of peace, which 
 was concluded, on the sixth of January, ^ p„Q 
 between the plenipotentiaries of Mus- 
 tapha II., the emperor Leopold, and the Czar 
 of M uscovy ; and soon after by those of the 
 republic of Venice. He returned to England 
 on the 17th of October, and opened the par- 
 liament on the 17th of November, in a speech 
 recommending, as usual, a provision for the 
 safety of the kingdom by sea and land, the
 
 CHAP, in.] 
 
 WILLIAM III. 
 
 31 
 
 discharge of several debts, and the payment $ Ireland. Methuen disclaimed the iraputatioc, 
 of the arrears to the princess of Denmark, j The commons voted that Montague's repo'-t 
 On the fourth of Dccemher, the house pre- | was false and scandalous, and that the four 
 sented an address to ihe king, expressing their | commissioners who had signed the report, had 
 suspicion, that simie one about his majesty j acquitted themselves with uuderstandin» 
 had endeavoured to misrepresent and create } courage, and iiitegiity. 
 
 dissatisfaction towards them ; a suspicion | On the 18th of January, and the 13th of 
 which the king declared, with frankness and | February, the commons passed severe votes 
 promptitude, to be totally unfounded. ! against those who had procured, and the 
 
 The commissioners appointed to examine ; mmisters who had passed grants of the forfeit- 
 and take account of the forfeited estates, de- \ ed estates ; and they resolved that they should 
 livered their report, from which it appeared, > be applied to paying off the army. To secure 
 that the number of persons who were outlawed Hhe passing of their original bill, thus aug- 
 was 3921, of whom 1283 had been permitted \ mented and explained, they annexed it to the 
 to reverse their outlawry; that the total of | grant of the land-tax, under the denomination 
 the lands forfeited to the crown amoimted to | of a bill of supply. An attempt was made to 
 1,060,792 acres, the value of which, calcu- } impede its progress in the house of lords ; 
 lating lives at six years' purchase, and in- \ but after many conferences with the commons, 
 heritance at thirteen years' purchase, amounted >' and many indications of violence on the part 
 to £2,08-5,130. Of these there had been \ of the latter, William transmitted a private 
 restored 233,106 acres, amounting in value to \ letter to his friends among the lords, desiring 
 £784,923. After every deduction and ex- i them to withdraw their ojjposition. The bill 
 pence, the actual gain to the crown amounted » was immediately passed without amendments, 
 to £1,699,343. A grant had passed the great > and William came suddenly to the house, 
 seal to JElizabeili Villiers, now countes« of ' gave his assent to the act of assumption, and 
 Orkney, (a woman peculiarly favoured by » prorogued the parliament without any speech 
 William,) of all the private estates of the late ; from the throne. 
 
 king James, containing ninety-tive thousand | The vexations of William were augmented 
 acres, worth £-2o,ii9o a-year. > by a dispute on the suljjt'ct of the Scotch 
 
 The connnons having examined this report, \ East India Company. They transmitted a 
 resolved unanimously, on the fifteenth of; petition to the king, in behalf of a captain '^f 
 December, that a bill should be brought in \ one of their vessels, who went into Carthagena 
 to apply all forfeitures in Ireland, from the \ to relit, and was there, together with thirteen 
 13th of February 1G89, to the use of the pub- < of his men, detained and treated with inhu- 
 lic. A clause was ordered lo be inserted in \ inanity. Lord Basil Hamilton, however, 
 the bill for erecting a judicature for deter- I having never waited upon the king, or given 
 mining claims touching the said forfeitures, j any testimony of his allegiance, was refused 
 but, at the same time, the house came to a i admission to his presence, received it through 
 resolution not to receive petitions from any | the medium of his secretary, and replied that 
 person whatsoever. This uncandid proceed- I he would demand of the king of Spain the 
 ing offended the dispassionate, and disgusted | release of the captain and his crew. The 
 the king. Two of the commissioners, sir i company resented the deni;d to lord Hamilton, 
 Richard Leving and sir Francis Brewster, did \ but their expostulations were fruitless. On 
 not sign the report, and for that reason were \ the twelfth of February, the house of lords 
 allowed but live hundred pounds each, while | presented an address to the king, representing 
 £lOOO was assigned to each of the rest out of i that the Scottish settlement at Darien might 
 the forfeitures. Sir Richard Leving was ! tend to the prejudice of England, and to the 
 committed lo the Tower, for asserting, that a \ disturbance of the peace with Spain. The 
 member of the house wrote to the commission- ! Scotch, exasperated and alarmed, immediately 
 ers, to make a separate article of lady Orkney's I entered into subscriptions for the defence of 
 grant, as diat might implicate a certain //e/Avm. I tlieir pruperfy, and drew u]) a national address 
 Montague repeated this information lo tiie ! lo ihe king, which was presented on the 26th 
 house, and applied it to the king, giving for \ of March. The parliament of Scotland met 
 his authority Methuen, lord chancellor of | on the 21st of May, and the duke of Queens-
 
 32 
 
 HISTORY OP EXGLAND. 
 
 [chap. iir. 
 
 ].)ury, the liigh-commissioner, delivered the 
 king's letter, which contained in general terms 
 assurances of his favour and protection, de- 
 siring that the forces might be retained, and 
 a supply granted for that purpose. The coun- 
 cil-general of the Indian and African company, 
 made a representation to parliament of their 
 case. Addresses poured in from all parts of 
 the country, and a vote was proposed in the 
 house, that the colony of Caledonia in Darien 
 was a legal settlement, and that the parliament 
 woul'd maintain and support it. The high- 
 commissioner, desirous of impeding these pro- 
 ceedings, adjourned the parliament for three 
 days, and afterwards for a longer time. A 
 number of the members drew up an address 
 to the king, who, being more than once press- 
 ed for an answer, wrote a letter to the privy 
 council, in which he declared his readiness to 
 give all possible relief, exhorted them to avoid 
 dissensions that might affect their own secu- 
 rity, and give advantage to their common 
 enemies. lie assured them that important 
 business abroad was the occasion of their 
 adjournment, and that the parliament should 
 meet on the fourteenth of May for the dispatch 
 of business. The discontents of the Scottish 
 nation were not relieved or pacified by these 
 professions, and a general revolt might have 
 occurred, had the power of the kingdom 
 borne any proportion to the resentment of the 
 people. 
 
 With the view of conciliating the favour of 
 the house of commons, which had shown 
 itself personally adverse to lord Somers, the 
 king deprived that nobleman on the 21st of 
 May of the great seal, and conferred it upon 
 sir Nathan Wright. 
 
 The king departed for Holland in the be- 
 ginning of August. The greater portion of 
 his leisure, in the former part of the year, had 
 been devoted to the negotiation for the second 
 partition of the dominions of Spain ; but a 
 desire of persuading the emperor to enter into 
 the same engagements, long prevented the 
 king and the states of Holland from signing 
 the treaty, though the terms had been long 
 arranged. In the month of October the em- 
 peror, after various evasions, formally rejected 
 every treaty of partition ; yet neither the king 
 of England, nor the states shewed any eager- 
 ness to close with France, till, in the beginning 
 of January, in this year 1700, the king of 
 Spain so manifestly declined, that his death 
 
 was daily expected. '', This circumstance 
 hastened the conclusion of the treaty, which 
 was signed at London, on the twenty-first of 
 February, by the earls of Portland and Jersey, 
 and the comte de Tallard, and at the Hague 
 on the fourteenth of March, by Briord, the 
 French ambassador, and the plenipotentiaries 
 of the states. 
 
 By this second division of the dominions of 
 Spain, scarcely a vestige remained of the 
 original arrangement. The name of the arch- 
 duke Charles was substituted for that of the 
 electoral prince of Bavaria, as heir of the 
 kingdoms of Spain and of the Indies. Naples, 
 Sicily, the marquisate of Final, the islands on 
 the Italian shore, and the province of Guipu- 
 seoa, were to be possessed by the dauphin, 
 together with the dutchies of Lorraine and 
 Bar, which their native prince was appointed 
 to exchange for the dutchy of Milan. The 
 country of Binchewas allotted to prince Vau- 
 demonl. To prpvenl the union of the Spanish 
 and Imperial crowns, in the person of one 
 prince, provision was made, that, in case of 
 the archduke's demise, the king of the Romans 
 should not succeed to the throne ; and in like 
 manner it was particularly stipulated, that no 
 king or dauphin of France should ever wear 
 the crown of Spain. A secret article provided 
 against the contingency of the emperor's re- 
 fusing to accede to the treaty, and against any 
 difficulties which might arise from the duke 
 of Lorraine, with regard to the projected 
 change of his native territories for the dutchy 
 of Milan. 
 
 The kings of Poland and Denmark, with 
 the Czar of Muscovy, had entered info a con- 
 federacy against the young king of Sweden, 
 and the Danish troops invaded Holstein, 
 whose duke was brother-in-law and ally to the 
 king of '.Sweden. King William and the 
 states-general, perceiving that every specific 
 application from Sweden was ineffectual, re- 
 solved to rescue the oppressed. A squadron 
 of thirty vessels was detached to the Sound, 
 and arriving there on the thirtieth of July, 
 compelled the Danish fleet to take refuge in 
 their own harbours, and the Danisli monarch 
 to accede to such terms as were prescribed by 
 the mediators. On the 18th of August, a 
 peace was concluded between Sweden, Den- 
 mark, and Holstein. 
 
 Soon after the return of the king to England, 
 in the middle of October, he addressed a
 
 CHAP. Illj 
 
 WILLIAM III. 
 
 33 
 
 letter to the parliament of Scotland, which j the second of October, he recognised the 
 
 assembled on the •28th, expressing his concern 
 for not being able to assert the company's 
 light of estal)Iishing a colony at Darien, with- 
 out disturbing the peace of Europe, and re~ 
 commending the raishig of taxes adequate to 
 their defence. Intelligence that the colony at 
 Darien had been compelled to abandon that 
 settlement, occasioned a national address to 
 the Scotlish parliament, which contained a 
 list of numerous grievances, and gave rise to 
 long and vehement debates. " Yet the oppo- 
 sition gradually subsided, and on the 21st of 
 January 1701, the Scottish parliament voted 
 to king William an address of congratulation, 
 expressing their determination to support his 
 person and government to the utmost of their 
 power. 
 
 After learning the death of the nominal 
 
 cUiiins of his sister, the infanta Maria Theresa, 
 queen of France, and mother j^f the dauphin. 
 He acknowledged the right of his aunt, Anne 
 of Austria, the mother of the Frencli king, and 
 consequently the right of the dauphin, as only 
 heir by the laws of the kingdom. To prevent 
 an alarm in Europe, at the union of such an 
 extensive dominion to France, the dauphin's 
 second son was called to the tin-one of Spain. 
 Until this prince should arrive at Madrid, 
 and until he was of age, a council of regency, 
 with the king at their head, was appointed for 
 the administration of affairs. On the death of 
 Charles, llie regency ordered the will to be 
 delivered to the king of France ; and Lewis 
 consulted his council, in which it was resolved 
 to relinquish the second partition treaty, and 
 adhere to the testament of the late king of 
 duke of Glocester, whose patent was never ; Spain. It had always been foreseen, that a 
 made out, in consequence of a superstitious | war would be inevitable on tlie death of that 
 prejudice against the title, the king returned \ prince ; and the court of France concluded, 
 on the nineteenth of October to England. ; that it would be much easier to keep posses- 
 The young and lamented prince was son to i sion of the whole ki^igdoni, by \irtue of the 
 the princess of Denmark ; and William, who \ will, than to retain and conquer the share 
 had never entertained any aflection for the { allotted to the dauphin, by the treaty con- 
 mother, was not (it may be presumed) much I eluded with England and the states, 
 displeased to see her influence weakened by | It was obvious also to Lewis, that, should 
 the death of her son. A prevalent belief that \ he refuse the bequest made to his grandson, 
 she had transmitted to her father, James, a ; all the dominions of Spain must fall into the 
 uotitication of the circumstance, contributed \ hands of the emperor. The courier that con- 
 veyed the will to France, was ordered, in case 
 of the refusal of that court, to proceed to 
 Vienna, and tender the throne to the archduke. 
 The resolution of accepting the will by the 
 French court, was succeerled by the precau- 
 tion of forming alliances abroad. Lewis en- 
 tered into a treaty- with the king of Portugal, 
 and with the dukes of Savoy and Mantua. 
 On the side of Germany, France estimated 
 among her allies the duke of Brunswick Wolf- 
 embuttle, the duke of Saxe Gotha, and the 
 bishop of Munster. The elector of Bavaria, 
 then governor of the Netherlands, and his 
 brother the elector of Cologne, were uncles to 
 
 the I 
 
 OSS 
 
 to lessen the concern of William for 
 she had sustained. 
 
 Dissatisfied with the conduct of the par- 
 liament, William prorogued that assembly to 
 the twenty-first of November, and dissolved 
 them after a further prorogation. While he 
 was thus revenging his past, and averting 
 future disappointments at Iiome, his views of 
 policy abroad were confounded and deranged, 
 by the conduct of Charles II. of Spain, who, 
 liaving long struggled with a complication ot 
 infirmities, resigned his breath on the first of 
 November. Having resolved to prevent the 
 partition of his kingdom, his inclination, in the 
 appointment of an heir to all his dominions, \ the new king of Spain, and resolvetl to main- 
 ipclincd in favour of the house of Austria; > tain his riffht to the crown. 
 
 but the pope, whose advice he had solicited 
 by letter, and the clergy of Spain, influenced 
 by the cardinal Porto Carrero, so far pre- 
 vailed over his superstitious timidity, that he 
 nominated the dukeof Anjou, the second son 
 of the dauphin, the successor to all his rights 
 and dominions. In his will, which was dated 
 
 The disappointmt nt of Lc-opold, the empe- 
 ror, terminated in his claiming the Milanese 
 as a fief of tiie empire, and his issuing a man- 
 date to the inhabitants of that dutchy, which 
 they were to obey, on pain of being considered 
 as rebels. Vain, and irresolute, without res- 
 pect abroad or resources at home, his conduct
 
 34 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. III. 
 
 excited not tlie terror, but the ridicule of the 
 house of Bourbon ; but peace was still an 
 object of anxiety to the French court, and its 
 pacific intentions were counteracted by the 
 servility of Spain, wliich empowered Lewis to 
 take possession of the barrier in Flanders with 
 French troops ; a measure which excited the 
 utmost jealousy of William, but in which the 
 difficulties attached to domestic government 
 compelled him for the present to acquiesce, 
 so tar as to acknowledge the duke of .Anjou 
 for the lawful sovereign of Spain. 
 
 ExASPKKATED and harrassed by the re- 
 fractory spirit of the parliament, during the 
 last session, William determined to change I'.is 
 servants, and to decide the balance of influ- 
 ence in favour of the Tories. On the death of 
 lord Lon.sdale, the earl of Tankerville was 
 removed into the office of privy-seal, and was 
 succeeded at the head of the treasury by lord 
 Godolphin. Sir Charles Hedges left the 
 board of admiralty, and was made secretary 
 of state. The earl of Rochester, a leader of 
 the Tories, was appointed lord lieutenant of 
 Ireland, and Montague, who had suffered so 
 much mortification in the commons, was re- 
 moved into the house of peers, under the 
 title of lord Halifax. 
 
 In Scotland, the national address for the 
 meeting of parliament was defeated by actu- 
 ally calling it together ; and a conciliating 
 letter from William, promising protection to 
 any measure that might remunerate the Afri- 
 can and Indian companies, or promote their 
 interests, soothed the anger of the Scottish 
 nation, and restored it to a state of unexpected 
 and unusual tranquillity. 
 I7nn "^i^nE English parliament met in 
 ' February, and Mr. Harley was chosen 
 speaker of the house of commons. The king 
 remarked, in his speech, that their most serious 
 attention would be requisite to the general 
 politics of Europe, in consequence of the 
 changes and embarrassments occasioned by 
 the decease of the king of Spain ; and after 
 expressing his grief at the death of the duke 
 of Glocester, recommended Jo his faithful 
 parliament, a further provision for the regular 
 succession of the crown in the protestant line. 
 The whole of the succeeding session was dis- 
 tinguished, in the house of coiuuions, by the 
 violence of debates, rather than by the wisdom 
 of its measures. Several members of tlie 
 house had determined to present an address 
 
 to his majesty, imploring him to recognise the 
 title of the new king of Spain ; but the success 
 of the motion was prevented by the remark of 
 one Monckton, who expressed his belief, that if 
 it were carried in the athrmative, the next vote 
 would be for owning the pretended prince of 
 Wales. Whatever may have been the futility of 
 this observation, it allayed the violence of the 
 turbulent, and so effectually silenced the parents 
 and supporters of the address, that it was 
 silently withdrawn. 
 
 In reply to his majesty's speech, the house 
 assured him, in the customary way, of their 
 attachment to his person and government, and 
 declared their readiness to maintain the pro- 
 testant religion. Having expressed his grati- 
 tude for their loyalty, the king requested their 
 advice respecting the memorial he had received 
 from the states-general, by which he learned 
 that they had acknowledged the duke of 
 Anjou as king of Spain ; that France had 
 agreed to a negotiation, in which they might 
 stipulate the necessary conditions for securing 
 the peace of Europe ; and that they Avere 
 firmly resolved to do notiiing without the 
 concurrence of his majesty, and of the other 
 allies. The commons desired that all treaties 
 between England and Holland might be sub- 
 mitted to their inspection ; and having exa- 
 mined them, presented to his majesty an 
 address, requesting that he would engage in 
 such negotiations as would most effectually 
 conduce to the mutual advantage and security 
 of Great Britain and the United Provinces, 
 and to the preservation of the general peace 
 of Europe. After assuring him, that they 
 would do every thing in their power towards 
 enabling him to fulfil his contract with the 
 states-general, they voted that provision 
 should be made, from time to time, for making 
 good the principal and interest on all parlia- 
 mentary funds, and passed a bill for renewing 
 the bills of credit, commonly called exchequer 
 bills, which received the royal assent on the 
 13th of March. 
 
 An intercepted letter, containing no mate 
 rial information, from the earl of Melfort to 
 his 'brother the earl of Perth, was treated 
 by the commons with contempt, but pro- 
 duced an address to his majesty from the 
 house of peers. Having t.ikcn into con- 
 sideration the part of the king's speech relating 
 to the succession, the house of conunons re- 
 I solved, That for preserving tlic happiness and
 
 CHAP. IIlj 
 
 WILLIAM HI. 
 
 ;?=> 
 
 peace of this kiiigdoui, and tlie secnrity of; 
 the protestant religion, it was absolutely ne- i 
 cessary that a fiu'tlier provision he made for \ 
 the limitation and succession in the protestant i 
 line. But the most iniportant business of this 5 
 session, related to the treaty of partition. The i 
 whole of the late treaties and other important! 
 papers, having been examined by a committee 5 
 of the whole house, an address was presented, ; 
 reflecting with warmth and justice on their ! 
 tendency, and containing many insinuations, j 
 obnoxious to the court. Within the walls of! 
 the house of connnons, the treaty was deno- 1 
 niinated a felonious treaty. An address was ^ 
 carried to remove the earl of Portland, lord > 
 Somers, and lord Halifax, from William's > 
 presence and councils, and it was ordered 5 
 that they should be impeached at the bar of; 
 the house. The house of lords, hearing of! 
 this address, presented a counter-address to ; 
 the king, beseeching his majesty, that as those i 
 lords had been impeached at the bar, he ! 
 would not pass any censure upon them be- { 
 fore they were tried and judged. The gentle- 5 
 men of the grand jury of Kent presented a | 
 petition to parliament, signed by 12 justices, } 
 and about 250 gentlemen, imploring the house 
 to have regard to the voice of the people, and 
 to turn its loyal addresses into bills of supply, 
 that the king might be enabled to assist his 
 allies, before it was too late. The petition 
 was voted insolent and seditious, and five gen- 
 tlemen who presented it were ordered into 
 custody, and afterwards committed to prison. 
 In consequence of these events, a bold memo- 
 'rial was transmitted to the speaker, and sub- 
 scribed Legion, which vehemently expostu- 
 lated with the house on their late proceedings. 
 The commons, however, persevered in their 
 impeaclimentb. The articles exhibited against 
 the earl of Oxford accused him of obtaining 
 grants, and converting the public money to 
 his own use, of enjoying offices inconsistent 
 with each other, of encouraging Kidd, a 
 pirate, who exercised piracy on the Indians, 
 in his capacity of commodore to the ships of 
 several private ad\enturers to Madagascar ; 
 of sparing the French fleet when it might 
 have been destroyed, and of advising the 
 treaty of partition. The charges against lord 
 Somers were nearly the same, with the addi- 
 tion, that in his office of chancellor he had 
 asserted doctrines inimical to the constitution ; 
 as an instance of which criminality, in the 
 
 V 2 
 
 case of the baiikiM-*, creditors to Charles II., 
 he acknowledged their right, but denied their 
 pretensions to a remedy. 
 
 In the house of peers, the articles against 
 the impeached lords were regarded as frivo- 
 lous, and were languidly maintained. The 
 two houses fell into an irreconcileable difler- 
 ence upon the mode of proceeding. The 
 commons insisted, that the lords whom they 
 had impeached should abstain from voting in 
 the upper house ; and that a committee 
 should be selected from each of the houses, to 
 adjust the time, manner, and order of the 
 intended trials. The lords refused the first 
 demand, as it seemed to include a condemua 
 tion before conviction ; to the second they 
 replied, that the sole right of judicature wa.s 
 in themselves, and that they retained the ex- 
 clusive privilege of appointing the time, man- 
 ner, and order of trials and im])eachments. 
 After the most vehement disputes, between the 
 two houses, the peers appointed the days of 
 trial. The commons refused to appear, and 
 the impeached lords were acquitted. 
 
 In the course of the session it was voted, 
 that whoever should hereafter ascend the 
 throne of Engla<nd, should join in communion 
 with the national church, as by law established ; 
 that if the crown of England should descend 
 to any individual, not a native of England, 
 the consent of parliament should be required, 
 to enable him to engage in any war for the 
 defence of territories or possessions which do 
 not belong to the crown : that no future sove- 
 reign should leave the dominions of England. 
 Scotland, and Ireland, without the consent ot 
 parliament ; that no alien, though naturalized, 
 unless born of English parents, should be a 
 member of the privy-council or of parliament, 
 or hold any place of trust or emolument ; that 
 the princess Sophia, dutchess dowager of 
 Hanover, should be declared the next in suc- 
 cession to the crown of England, after the 
 reigning king, the princess of Denmark, and 
 the heirs of their respective bodies ; and that 
 the further limitation of the crown should be 
 restricted to the heirs of Sophia, and the heirs 
 of her 1 body being protestants. A bill, of 
 which these resolutions formed the basis, was 
 passed, after much opposition, on the foui- 
 teenth of April. 
 
 In the resolution declaring the rights of 
 Sophia, the connnons were influenced by a 
 just respect to hereditary descent. Au act
 
 36 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAl'. Ill- 
 
 of parliament had excluded all catholics from 
 the succession ; and the descendants of Charles 
 I., except William and the princess of Den- 
 mark, were of the popish persuasion. The 
 parliament, therefore, nas obliged to return to 
 the posterity of Jaujcs I. in another line, and 
 to Sophia, as grand-daughter to that prince by 
 his daughter Elizabeth, who had been married 
 to the imfortunate king of Bohemia. . 
 
 Having prorogued the parliament on the 
 twenty-fourth of June, William departed in 
 the next month for Holland, and passed his 
 summer at the Hague, in counteracting the 
 intrigues of Lewis, The king of England 
 and the states agreed with the emperor, to 
 undertake the recovery of Flanders, as a 
 barrier for Holland, as well as the dutchy of 
 Milan, for the security of the emperor : and 
 a treaty, which obtained the name of the 
 grand alliance, was signed on the seventh of 
 September ; of which the professed objects 
 were, an adequate satisfaction for the empe- 
 ror in the Spanish succession, and security 
 for the dominions and commerce of the allies. 
 It was stipulated, that the king of England and 
 the states might retain for themselves what- 
 ever lands and cities their arms should conquer 
 in either of the Indies. 
 
 Nkither the alarm nor the preparations of 
 Lewis were commensurate with the threatened 
 danger. His ambition was chilled by the 
 frost of age, and his resources exhausted by a \ 
 long continuance of war, and the necessary 
 decline of commerce ; his people were har- 
 rassed and dissatisfied by continual and ca- 
 pricious changes in the value of the currency, 
 an evil aggravated by the quantities of bullion 
 expended in the pay and equipments of his 
 arnn'es abroad, and by repeated and extrava- 
 gant, but ineftectual bribes, to the ministers 
 and confidential servants of the several courts 
 of Europe. 
 
 The condition of Spain was equally de- 
 plorable ; and the French king, conscious at 
 length of his own unfriended and desperate 
 situation, attempted to secure the permanent 
 alliance of the duke of Savoy, by offering to 
 that prince the most advantageous terms, and 
 guaranteeing the marriage of his daughter to 
 the king of Spain. He concluded also a 
 treaty with the king of Portugal. This pro- 
 fusion, and his profTeis of friendship, were 
 rewarded with treachery and ingratitude ; the 
 duke of Savoy betrayed the interests and the 
 
 1 views of France in the very first campaign ; 
 and the latter deserted her alHance, as soon 
 as circumstances rendered it convenient. 
 
 SuRROUNHED by so many difhculties, and 
 conscious of the limited extent of his resources, 
 it is not probable that Lewis would have been 
 excited to any immediate display of hostility, 
 had not an event occurred, which necessarily 
 produced a considerable change in the policy 
 of Europe. This was the death of the late king, 
 who, in the month of September, as he was jjer- 
 formingr his religious offices, was seized with a 
 
 lethargy, and after languishing for some days, 
 expired on the sixth of Septend)er ; having 
 previously been assured, in the most solemn 
 manner, on his death-bed, that Lewis would 
 become the protector of his family, and ac- 
 knowledge his son, " as he then certainly 
 woidd be," king of Great Britain and Ireland. 
 On the death of James, his son was saluted by 
 Lewis by the name of i/our JSIujestif ; but the 
 usual ceremony of proclamation implying the 
 claim of the English monarchs to the crown 
 of France, his adherents, from motives of 
 prudence and discretion, abstained from that 
 solemnity. 
 
 Having matured and almost completed a 
 perpetual alliance between the English and 
 the Dutch, for the recovery and ppeservation 
 of Flanders, William embarked on the 14tii 
 of iVovember, and landed the next day at 
 Margate. He found, on his arrival, that the 
 animosities of contending parties, however 
 mitigated in violence, had not yet subsided ; 
 and disgusted by the remembrance of the mor- 
 tifications to which he had been subjected 
 during the preceding year, he dissolved the 
 parliament on the 13th of November, and 
 issued writs for another, which he summoned 
 to meet on the 30th of December, 1701. 
 
 Upon the meeting of parliament, 
 Mr. Harley, abetted by the Tories, was 
 elected speaker, notwithstanding the exertions 
 of the court in favour of sir 'J'homas Lyttleton. 
 William, in his opening speech, exhorted the 
 house to refrain from those dissensions and 
 animosities, which had before so fatally 
 divided and weakened the empire ; and as- 
 sured them, that on the progress and result of 
 their present proceedings it depended, whether 
 England was to hold the balance of Europe^ 
 and remain gloriously distinguished as the 
 head of the protestant interest. He expatiated 
 on the indignity ofiered to the nation, by the 
 
 1702.
 
 CHAP. HI.} 
 
 WILLIAM 111. 
 
 Ii7 
 
 ackno\vIe(l2,tnent of the prince of Wales by 
 the French king; he explained the dangers 
 to which England was exposed, by placing 
 the grandson of Lewis on the throne of Spain ; 
 and after lamenting the necessity of suljjecling 
 his people to new bnrthens, expressed his 
 vvilUngness that the acconnts should be annu- 
 ally submitted to the inspection of parliament. 
 This speech was received with unexampled 
 applause, and obtained so much influence 
 with the multitude, that it was printed and 
 engraved witli decorations, in the English, 
 J)utch, and French languages, and became 
 the general ornament of taverns, and places of 
 festivity. The houses of parliament, in reply, 
 presented an address, repeating their former 
 professions of attachment and Hdelity, and of 
 their determination to support his throne 
 against the audacity of the pretended prince 
 of Wales, and the treachery of the French 
 king. This address was succeeded by several 
 others ; and a bill for the attainder of the 
 
 After much deliberation, William had sug- 
 gested a plan for enectiially reducing the 
 power of France ; and had engaged, previous 
 to his return from Holland, in a treaty with 
 tlie prince of Ifesse d'Armstadt, who assured 
 hiu), that if he would take Cadiz, the admiral 
 of Castile, and several other grandees of 
 Spain, would deiilare for the house of Austria. 
 The allies had also determined on the siege 
 of Keyserswaert, which had been delivered up 
 to the French by the elector of Cologne; 
 Landau was to be invested by the king of'the 
 Romans, and Lewis of Baden ; the elector of 
 Hanover liad agreed to disarm the princes of 
 W^olfembuttle ; and the emperor promised to 
 send a powerful reinforcement to prince Eu- 
 gene in Italy. William did not survive to 
 mature, or attempt the important enterprises 
 connected with these arrangements. His 
 constitution was evidently impaired, notwith- 
 standing his endeavours to conceal the pro- 
 gress of his malady ; and his end was has- 
 
 prince of Wales, being sent from the commons | tened by a fall from his horse, on the 21st day 
 to the other house, the peers attached to it a | of February 1702, which fractured his collar- 
 clause of attainder against the queen, who \ bone. On the fourth of March, he was so 
 acted as regent for the pretender. A bill of | far recovered, as to walk without assistance in 
 abjuration was brought into the house of t the gallery at Kensington ; but while resting 
 commons, by sir Charles Hodges, that should | on a couch, he was overpowered by sleej), and 
 be obligatory on all persons who possessed \ on awaking was seized with a fever and 
 employment in church or state; and warm | diarrhoea. The prescriptions of his physicians 
 ilebates having arisen upon the question, ^ gave no promise of relief, and perceiving that 
 whether the oalh should be imposed or volun- ! his dissolution was approaching, he granted a 
 tary, it was carritcl in favour of imposition by ; commission for declaring the royal assent to 
 a majority of one. A clause was inserted, | the malt tax, and the act of abjuration; and 
 making it equally penal to compass or imagine ; being unable to write his name, he affixed to 
 the death of her royal highness the princess } the comn)ission, in the presence of the lord- 
 Anne of Denmark, as to compass or imagine \ keeper and the clerks of parliament, a stamp 
 the death of the king's eldest son and heir. > provided for that purpose. He listened with 
 The bill was violently opposed in the house of ^ coldness to the communications of Albemarle, 
 lords, and when it passed on the 24th of Febru- 5 who had just arrived from Holland, and re- 
 ar}', ten peers entered their protests against it. ! plied with impatience in French, "I approach 
 The earl of Nottingham had moved an | the end of my life." Affer thanking his phy- 
 address to the king, requesting that he j sicians, he received the sacrament from arch 
 would dissolve the Scottish parliament now » bishop Tennison, and Burnet, bishop of Sulis- 
 sitting, as the legality of it might be disputed, j bmy. To some of the privy-council and the 
 from its having been originally a convention, J peers, who were admitted from the adjoining 
 and that a new parliament should be sum- j apartments, he spoke a few words: he ex- 
 nioned, in which they might treat about the \ pressed his grateful sense of lord Auverquer- 
 union of the two kingdoms. But the ferment | ques long and faithful services, and delivered 
 prevailing in Scotland, in consequence of the > to Albcn)arle the keys of his closet and escru- 
 failure of the Darien enterprise, rendered it | toire, observing that lie knew what to do with 
 impolitic to press the measure at so critical a * them. The earl of Portlaml, for whom he 
 juncture, and it was determined that, for the ; had repeatedly enquired, did not arrive till he 
 present, the project should subside. « was speechless. AVilliaai grasped his hand.
 
 38 
 
 H15T0RY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. III. 
 
 and pressetl it to his heart, with every niark of 
 the most affectionate resran?. He expired on 
 the eiirhth of Mare h 170:2. in the ir>th y«ir of 
 bis reisn. and the tifty-seeond of liis aire. On 
 the twelfth of April." his body, after lyin? in 
 state at Kensington, was deposited in Henry 
 VIl.'s chapel, and in the beginning of May 
 his will, which had been confided to Moii.-ieur 
 SchuyleiuburiT, was ojiened at the Hague. 
 He had appointed as his heir, his cousin 
 prince Prison of Nassau, stadtholder of Friez- 
 land. and nominated the states-g-eueral his 
 executors ; bequeathing by a codicil the lord- 
 ship of Breevert, and a legacy of two hundred 
 thousand guilders to the earl of Albemarle. 
 
 The j^rson of William was small, his skin 
 fair, his features delicate ; his nose aquiline, 
 his eyes lively and expressive, his air grave 
 and deliberate, but not commanding. He 
 was an expert but ungraceful horseman : and 
 his skill, as an equestrian, combined with his 
 love of estrangement from the multitude, at- 
 tached him to hunting, as his sole amusement. 
 At the head of his armies he displayed more 
 courage than genius ; and nearly all his 
 military projects terminatt?d in disappoint- 
 ment Born for war, and intently occupied 
 with the magnitude and utility of his views, 
 
 he Bf^lected tli<v?e oxlemal indications of 
 snavity and condescension, which might have 
 gained the favour and secured the attachment 
 of his people. He was averse to tlattery. and 
 above the inflaence of polished address. His 
 knowledge of character was intuitive, and 
 his first impresvsions. if unfavourable, were 
 seldom eradicated by subsequent exj>erience. 
 He had no attachment to religion, but as it 
 was connected Mith the ptilicy of the stale. 
 His predominating passion was the love of 
 military giory and p.)lilical power, objects to 
 which he sacrified the ties of nature, and 
 every impulse of sensibility. In his conduct 
 towards James, it was observed by his ene- 
 mies, that he had adopted the maxim of 
 .Tulius Cjesar. that justice might l>e vio- 
 lated where that violation conferred a scep- 
 tre. Fortunately for Europe and tor Eng- 
 land, his duty as a statesman coincided 
 with the bias of his personal inclinations; 
 and his love of power, and ardour for mili- 
 tary reput.Ttion, contributed to prepare the 
 way for the independence of the continent, 
 and for the establishment of the English 
 constitution ; a foundation, which has equally 
 defied the assaults of anarchy, and the insi- 
 dious approaches of corruption.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A>'>'E. 
 
 riTOi to 1705.] 
 
 — State of Pxrties — TAn Campaign abroad — Expedition to Vi^o 
 
 . j_ '^' Admiral Sf,9hmc — I>i.si-'}nfenis in ScotUmd — Accessian ef Charles to 
 
 roue oj ^paitt — jl - m.cces.'f/'ni Opera titxns nf Marlhorougk — 
 
 J. :...■: r^f ilorkitedl, oi ^, _, .^,./.-i ---^ .■ of Gibralter — Exploits of the Eart of 
 
 J'-^Ur'jL.--j.sk in SpaiM — Proj^reii towards the e^mclasioii of a Cxiou — Dedates en the 
 Dan^^en oj the Cltsirch. 
 
 ANXE, princess ot' Denmark, daughter 
 ofJasic-s II. and the n-xt proiesrant 
 heir a> h&T sister Mary, succeeded peaceably 
 to ibfe crown en the death of Wiiliain, not- 
 ■wi'^'* "'^^■■'■r the divi«k)as at home, and the 
 c; nature of the Eaglish reladoDS 
 
 abruad. Those who adhered to the princi- 
 ples of the reTolatioQ were satisfied with her 
 accession, because she was married to a nro- 
 t rince, had joined in the rev 
 
 a..^ .. aatward appearance had alw^. ; -- 
 bered to tlie same principles. Nor was she 
 opp<; - :he party which secretly tkvonred 
 
 the 'f-~- -'^-r; they indafged a secret hope 
 
 that a qneen, who displayed so mach par- 
 tiality ti ' no enmity 
 
 to those _ - - ^ ....- . ,;erest ; and 
 
 tein^ herself past all hopes of having more 
 
 render her indifferent to tbe snccessioa in the 
 
 ^._ T. whose whole life h:— _-„ 
 
 spent in cc opposition to the kii^ of 
 
 r a the eve of a war 
 
 ^ r present sovereign 
 
 was on this occasion ursred by opposing coan- 
 
 cils ; a ' ' ' heia^ incliced f >r 
 
 ■war, wL > ardeotly declared 
 
 for pacific aieasares. At the head of those 
 
 id to prevent the renewal of 
 
 the earl of Rochesier^ lord- 
 
 iteutenant of irebnd. and first coosin to the 
 
 f - t- ■ :j that the 
 
 •- - -ton of war 
 
 with France, and act, even under the most 
 urgent circumstances, only as ansiliaries. la 
 soppo>rt of his opinion, he unied the impossi- 
 bility of £ , s reaping any advantage by 
 the most ..i-L.i..,aished success npon the coi>- 
 tinent; and reprobated the folly of involviivr 
 the nation iii debt, to increase the riches of 
 its commercial rivals. 
 
 The chief of those who declared for prose^ 
 
 .■ the war, was the earl, (since, better 
 
 d.... ..a by tiie title of dake) of Marlborough. 
 
 This nobleman, though he had deserted James 
 at the revolution, ha<i still a secret partiality 
 fur the Tories; and, daring the whole of the 
 preceding reign, had paid the utmost attention 
 to the present queen. He married a lady 
 who was hoDOured by A tine, as her private 
 conhdaut. and who possessed over her nn- 
 bouD ' :e. Through t^ ''itn ot* 
 
 the c. . .-e was able to u.. - . . -„f restv 
 
 Intiun g4' the qiieen. as might best be coo- 
 t wiih - ''•:y and convenience, and 
 . -„pose ih- --^L.:.-iires of his rivals in the 
 cabioet. A tcajority of the council yielded to 
 t; " ' or the reasons of the earl of 
 
 V . , , and war was declared in form 
 
 on the foorth ^i May. 
 
 The first speech ( ' ' i- 
 
 ment was severely ly 
 
 and cnnecessarily casting a reproach on the 
 memory of ^\ illiam. She as- ' "I;e two 
 houses, \.\.-\i her atcv, heart wa- y Eng- 
 
 lish, and that they should always lind her a 
 strict observer of her word. '^ " - ' 
 
 her determination to co-o^)eratt .
 
 40 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. IT. 
 
 Jier allies, in reducing the exorbitant power | Villars, wiio bad been detached from the army 
 of France, recommended a union with Scot- 1 commanded by the marshal de Catiiiat. In 
 land, and desired that the revenue for the | tlie course of the campaign, the loss of many 
 support of the civil government should be ; important towns, on the part of tlie French, 
 renewed in a manner suitable to her own ; was counterbalanced by the number of their 
 honour, and the dignity of the crown. The | victories in the field. 
 
 answers and votes of the parliament were | Marlborough, on his return to London, 
 echoes of her speech, and testified the grati- J was received with every mark of public appro- 
 tude or the temporizing policy of both parties, | bation. He was thanked for his services by 
 by a liberal acquiescence in her views, and a ! the house of commons, and created a duke by 
 ready compliance with her wishes and de- ! the queen. The glory wliic!) he had acquired 
 niands. | on the continent, consoled the nation for some 
 
 The campaign abroad was opened by the ! unsuccessful expeditions at sea. Sir J. Mun- 
 siege of Keyserswaert, a small but strong town J den had permitted a French squadron of 
 on the Rhine, in the electorate of Cologne. | fourteen ships to escape him, by taking shelter 
 The town was invested on the sixteenth of ! in the harbour of Corunna, for which he was 
 April ; and though the siege was obstructed i dismissed the service. An attempt was made 
 by the badness of the weather, it capitulated \ on Cadiz by sea and land ; sir George Rooke 
 on tlie loth of June. Marshal Boufflers, j commanding the navy, and the duke of York 
 having been joined by two bodies of troops, ; the land forces : but this enterprise also niis- 
 under the duke of Burgundy and count Tal- \ carried. 
 
 lard, made a hasty march to Nimeguen ; but j Admiral Benbow had been detached to the 
 the inhabitants of that town, though despairing j West Indies, in the preceding year, with a 
 of success, by almost unexampled exertion, | squadron of ten sail, to distress the enemy's 
 dragged the cannon from the arsenal, and, | trade. He discovered the French squadron 
 unaided by horses or carriages, planted IGO J near St. Martha, and immediately formed his 
 pieces on the walls. Their preparations, how- ; line of battle. The rest of his fleet, having 
 ever, were rendered unavailing, by the pre- j taken some disgust at his conduct, permitted 
 sence of the Dutch army, under the earl of ; him almost alone to sustain the whole lire of 
 Athlone ; who, arriving lialf an hour before ; the enemy. The engagement however, con- 
 the French forces, prevented the enemy from ! tinned till night, and he determined to resume 
 obtaining a free entrance into the Netherlands. ; it the next morning, when he had the mortifi- 
 The earl of Marlborough reduced Venlo, 5 cation to perceive, that all his ships had fallen 
 Ruremonde, and the citadel of Liege ; and ! back except one, which joined him in urging 
 having thus opened the navigation of the ; the pursuit of the enemy. For four days 
 Maese, and the communication with the town | successively did this intrepid seaman, assisted 
 of Maestricht, concluded with reputation the | only by one ship, engage the enemy, while his 
 campaign on the side of Flanders. { officers, at a distance behind, remained inactive 
 
 Prince Eugene, the general of the emperor, ; spectators of his activity. His last day's 
 had surprised Cremona, but Mas expelled ' battle was more furious than all the former, 
 from the place, by the valour of the Irish j While alone and unsustained, he engaged the 
 troops in the French service. The marshal ; whole French squadron, his leg was shattered 
 de Villeroy was taken prisoner by the Ger- ; by a cannon-ball. He then ordered that they 
 mans, and the command devolved on the ; should place him in a cradle upon the quar- 
 duke de Vendome ; though the young king \ ter-deck, where he obstinately maintained the 
 of Spain, having left the government in the ; fight as before, until, at length, his ship being 
 hands of the queen, had passed into Naples, $ quite disabled, was unfit to continue the 
 and taken the nominal command of the army. 5 chase any longer. When one of the lieutenants 
 The general Viscomti was defeated, and prince j expressed his sorrow for the loss of his admi- 
 Eugene compelled to raise the blockade ofjral's leg; "I am sorry for it too," said Ben- 
 Mantua. The advantages obtained by the ; bow, " but I had rather have lost both my legs, 
 French in Italy, were succeeded by a victory ; than have seen the dishonour of this day. 
 on the Upper Rhine, over the Imperialists ! But do you hear, if another shot should take 
 undei tne prince of Baden, by the marquis de * me off, behave like brave men, and fight it out."
 
 CHAP. IV.] ANNE. 41 
 
 He soon after died of his wounds. His Ihands of the coi»querors. The booty, not- 
 cowardly associates, Kirby and Wade, were | withstanding the quantity of treasure removed 
 tried by a court-martial, and sentenced to be | by the enemy, was immense ; the successful 
 shot. "Hudson died before liis trial. Vincent, i issue of the enterprise equally defeated the 
 Fog, and Constable escaped with slighter | hopes of Spain, and excited the exultation of 
 punishment. Kirby and Wade were sent \ the English ; and on the duke of Orraond's 
 home in the Bristol man of war ; and, on their j return to London, he was received with the 
 arrival at Portsmouth, shot on board the ship, | strongest testimonials of favour from the 
 by virtue of a warrant for their immediate | queen, and with the loud acclamations of the 
 execution. \ populace. 
 
 The house of 'commons having chosen Mr. | The discontents in Scotland had been ex- 
 Harley for their speaker, the parliament was | asperated by the continuance of the old par- 
 prorogued till the twentieth of October. On \ liament, and the appointmentof the obnoxious 
 that day, the queen having returned from her | duke of Queensbnry as commissioner. A 
 progress to Bath, Oxford, and Bristol, des- 1 condescending letter from the queen was re- 
 canted, among other topics in her speech to \ ceived with indifference ; and when the par- 
 the two houses, on the disappointment at | liament met on the ninth of June at Edin- 
 Cadiz, and assured them of her regard for the | burgh, the duke of Hamilton rose in his place, 
 political and religious liberties of her ])eople. > and protested (before the commission was 
 The lords returned an address of thanks, con- 1 read) against the present sitting. He offered 
 gratulating her majesty on the success of the | his reasons in a short speech to the house, and 
 arms of the duke of Marlborough ; and the | communicated a paper to the same purpose, 
 commons, of whom the majority were influ- 1 containing his own protest, and that of such 
 enced by a rooted hatred to the memory of | members as might adhere to his opinion. He 
 William, determined, after vehement debates, | immediately left the house, attended by eighty 
 to assure her majesty, that the wonderful » of the members. Those who remained be- 
 progre.ss of the arms of the duke of Marl- } hind passed a resolution, declaring the present 
 borough, had " retrieved" the antient honour I meeting a legal parliament, and discharging 
 and glory of the British nation. | all persons from disow ning its authoritj', under 
 
 The confederate fleets, consisting of fifty j the penalty of high treason. In the course of 
 ships of the line, thirty English and twenty j their sitting, the earl of Marchmont, attempted 
 Dutch, commanded in chief by sir George I to introduce a bill to prevent the succession 
 Rooke, having failed in the attack upon Cadiz, of the crown to the nominal prince of Wales ; 
 the admiral and the duke of Ormond, who ! but the overture was discouraged by the 
 commanded the troops, determined to make I court, and the parliament was adjourned to 
 an attempt on Vigo, where the Spanish gal- 1 the 18th of August. 
 
 leons, under the convoy of thirty French ships \ A thanksgiving was appointed, for the 
 of war, had just arrived. They came unex- 1 success at Vigo ; and, on the 12th of Novera- 
 pectedly before the place, and discovered the } ber, the queen went in person to St. Paul's, 
 enemy's vessels moored behind a streight, de- \ attended by the lords and commons, 
 fended on the one side by a castle, on the I Sir John Packington having made a corn- 
 other by platibrms mounted with cannon, to- > plaint to the commons against the bishop of 
 gether with a strong boom formed of masts, I Worcester, for an undue interference in elec- 
 cables, and chains thrown across the entrance. \ tions, she removed that prelate at the request 
 The duke of Ormond took the castle on the ; of the house, from the office of almoner, not- 
 12th of October, and vice-admiral Hopson, in \ withstanding the counter-address of the lords ; 
 the Torbay, broke through the boom. The \ to whom she declared, that though she had 
 French admiral, perceiving that resistance ,' not received any proof of the complaints 
 would be fruitless, ordered all the ships to | against the bishop of W^orcester, she cou- 
 be set on tire. The English and Dutch at- 1 sidered it as her undoubted right to continue 
 tempted to extinguish the flames, and partly \ or displace any of her servants at pleasure, 
 succeeded. Six men of war were taken, seven > In return for the queen's compliance, the corn- 
 sunk, and nine burnt. Of thirteen galleons, ; mons resolved, tliat tlie yearly sum of one 
 four were destroyed and nine fell iulo the \ hundred thousand pounds should be settled 
 
 G 3
 
 42 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 FCHAP. IV. 
 
 upon the prince of Denmark. A message, 
 however, from her majesty, suggesting the 
 propriety of some return for the great ser- 
 vices of the earl of Marlborough, and pro- 
 posing to settle upon him, and on his heirs 
 for ever, £500 per annum, which she had 
 already granted him out of the post-otfice 
 during her own life ; was met by a reply, 
 that the house could not comply with a. prece- 
 dent to alienate the revenue of the crown. 
 Marlborough was obnoxious to the Tories, 
 for having deserted James II. ; and hated by 
 the Whigs, for having betrayed the confidence 
 of the late king. Though insinuating and 
 plausible in his manners, above the majority 
 of his rivals and contemporaries ; yet his habits 
 of pecuniary meanness, and his evident am- 
 bition, counteracted, to a certain extent, the 
 influence of his great and valuable qualities. 
 
 The house of commons, after choosing Mr. 
 Harley for their speaker, granted the supplies 
 requisite for the support of the war, and voted 
 forty thousand seamen and an equal number 
 of land-forces to act in conjunction with the 
 allies. Admiral Rooke was honoured by the 
 thanks of the house, and sworn of the privy- 
 council. On the recommendation of her ma- 
 jesty, it was unanimously resolved that her 
 husband, prince George of Denmark, should 
 receive one hundred thousand pounds per 
 annum in case he should survive the queen. 
 ^y„„ Early in the year the house re- 
 solved, that ten thousand men should 
 be raised as an augmentation of the forces 
 to act in conjunction with the allies ; but a 
 discovery having been made that the French 
 king remitted money to the elector of Bavaria 
 in Germany, and to his forces in Italy, by 
 means of the merchants of England, Holland, 
 and Geneva, the commons granted this assist- 
 ance on the express condition, that a ter- 
 mination should be put to all commerce or 
 correspondence with France and Spain on 
 the part of the states general. In the house 
 of commons there were warm debates on a 
 bill, introduced by tne Tories, for preventing 
 occasional conformity. After meeting the ap- 
 probation of the lower house, it was passed, 
 "with several amendments, by a small ma- 
 jority of the lords. At the close of debates, 
 the houses agreed to a conference, but the 
 peers persisting in their alterations, and 
 the commons declining to acquiesce, the bill 
 miscarried. 
 
 A BILL was introduced into the house of 
 commons, granting a longer term of one year 
 to those who had neglected to take the oath 
 of abjuration. Three clauses were added to 
 this bill, declaring that those persons who 
 should take the oath within a limited time, 
 might return to their benefices and employ- 
 ments, provided they were not already filled ; 
 that any person endeavouring to disturb the 
 succession of the crown, as limited by law, 
 should be deemed guihy of high treason ; and 
 that the oath of abjuration should be imposed 
 on the subjects of Ireland. The bill was 
 powerfully opposed by the Tories, but passed 
 in the house of lords, by a majority of one 
 voice ; a circumstance which excited the 
 warmest exultation, in the adherents of the 
 principles on which the constitution was 
 founded, and in the zealous friends of the pro- 
 testant establishment. 
 
 In the course of the campaign abroad, the 
 Dutch forces, under Opdam, were surrounded 
 near Breda by the French, and totally dis 
 conifited ; a misfi)rtune, more than counter- 
 balanced, by the successes of the allies on the 
 Lower Rhine, and of the duke of Marlborough 
 in the Netherlands. On the 25th of August, 
 the town of Huy was taken by the allied army, 
 and Leinburgh surrendered, after a siege of 
 eighteen days. Guelders being taken in De- 
 cember, the French were driven from tlije 
 banks of the Maese, and the allies became 
 masters of Spanish Guelderland. In the same 
 month the campaign was concluded, by the 
 surrender of Augsburgh to the elector of 
 Bavaria. 
 
 The duke of Marlborough was dispatched 
 to congratulate the archduke Charles, in the 
 name of the queen, on his elevation to the 
 throne of Spain. He was graciously received 
 by the king, who accompanied the duke to 
 England ; where he arrived on the 26th of 
 December, and whence he departed -t^QA 
 on the 10th of February. 
 
 The house of lords presented an address, 
 reporting their conviction that a dangerous 
 conspiracy had been formed, for exciting and 
 conducting a rebellion in Scotland, with the 
 intention of invading that kingdom by a French 
 power, of furthering the views of the pretended 
 prince of Wales, and of subverting her majes- 
 ty's government. The discontents, however, 
 of the Scotch, and the alarms of the legi*}- 
 lature, gradually subsided ; and it was finally
 
 CHAP. IV.J 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 43 
 
 resolved, by the house of commons, that no ; tlieir success ; Vienna was threatened by a 
 reason could be assigned, for the support of | siege on both sides, and was only saved by 
 a regular army in Scotland, during a period ^ the want of concert between the Hungarians 
 of tranquillity. | and Bavarians. In this depressed and hazard- 
 
 The election of members had long been a j ous condition, the emperor implored the as- 
 snbject of contention in parliament, and of { sistance of her Britannic majesty, and his en- 
 clamour and complaint throughout the nation. ! treaties were enforced by the influence of the 
 Persons had been admitted to a seat in the ; duke of Marlborough, who had previou.sly 
 house of counnons, who had no right to that ' 
 
 dignity ; and others had been excluded, hovv- 
 
 l 
 
 A check 
 by the 
 
 ever regularly and lawfully elected 
 was at last given to this growing evil 
 resolution of one man. Matthew Ashby had 
 always enjoyed the right of voting for the 
 town of Aylsbury ; but, in the last election, 
 he had been deprived of that right by the 
 constables who made the return. Provoked 
 at this injustice, he brought an action at the 
 assizes, where sentence was given in his favour, 
 and the constables were cast in damages. 
 
 The cause was removed into the superior 
 courts, and in them determined against Ashby. 
 The votes of the commons were vehement, and 
 decidedly hostile to his claim ; but the lords 
 appointed a committee to draw up a state of 
 the case, and upon their report resolved, that 
 by the known laws of tliis kingdom, every 
 freeholder or other person, having a right to 
 vote at the election of members to serve in 
 parliament, and being wilfully hindered by 
 the returning oflicer from giving his vote, 
 might maintain an action in the queen's courts 
 against such officer, in order to assert his 
 right, and recover damages for the injury ; 
 and that the deterring electors, when deprived 
 of their riaht of voting, from prosecuting 
 
 . '-'gilt "• ' » 
 
 actions in the courts of law, was a flagrant 
 
 attempt to prevent and impede the course of 
 justice. 
 
 The tenths, or first-fruits, a burthen imposed 
 on the clergy during the holy war 
 lotted as a fund for the support of 
 
 concerted, with the deputies of the states- 
 general, the plan of the campaign. The osten- 
 sible object of the confederates, was to carry 
 the war to the banks of the Moselle, for gene- 
 ral Auverquerque to act on the defensive ia 
 the Netherlands, and for the duke of Marl- 
 borough to conduct the principal operations, 
 with the main army, on the Rhine. 
 
 On the duke's arrival at the Hague towards 
 the latter end of April, he held a conference 
 with a deputation of the states, concerning the 
 proposal of sending a large army to the Mo- 
 selle. The deputies of Zealand remonstrated 
 against the danger of sending their troops to 
 a distance so considerable ; but the duke, to 
 prevent all further objections, explicitly in- 
 formed them, that he had orders to march 
 thither with the British forces. 
 
 After assembling his army at Maestricht, 
 he began his march into Germany on the 18tU 
 of May. The French, unaware of his design, 
 sent a detachment of seven thousand men to 
 the Moselle, and circulated a report that they 
 intended to attack Huy. Disregarding these 
 indications, the duke proceeded by Bedburgh, 
 Kerpenord, Kaliecken, and visited the forti- 
 fications of Bonne ; at which place he re- 
 ceived information, that the recruits and 
 reinforcements of the French army in Bavaria 
 had joined the elector at Villiugen. This in- 
 l telligence only induced him to advance with 
 J redoubled diligence. On the .3rd of June, he 
 and al- i passed the Neckar, and halted at Ladenburgh ; 
 ihe Cru- > from whence he wrote a letter to the states- 
 
 sades, had long been a part of the royal in- ; general, informing them of his design to march 
 come. The queen relinquished, in this year, ! to the relief of the empire, and expressing his 
 her right to this source of revenue, and the • hojie, that they would allow their troops to 
 fund was devoted to the augmeiiiation of small ! join in the honour of the expedition, a request 
 benefices ; a change which was acknowledged » vvilh which they readily complied. At Milden- 
 Mvhh joyful gratitude, and has proved of essen- i heini the duke was met by prince Eugene, and 
 tial benefit to the church. ! Lewis prince of Baden ; and it was determined, 
 
 The afi'airs of the emperor were, at this ; that the duke and Lewis should command al- 
 time, in a most deplorable condition. The ; teruately from day to day, while prince Eugene 
 elector of Bavaria was master of the Danube, ; should lead a separate army on the Ilhiue. 
 as far as Passau ; the malcontents in Hun- | The latter proceeded to Phillipsburg ; while 
 gary had rendered themselves formidable by \ the duke, being joined by the Imperial array,, 
 
 r. 'I
 
 44 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 under Lewis, and marching by Elchingen, 
 Gingen, and Landthaussen, came in sight, (on 
 the first of July) of the enemy's entrenchments 
 at Dillingen. He encamped with his right at 
 
 The elector, being joined by Tallard, re- 
 solved to pass the Danube at Lewingen, to 
 attack prince Eugene before Hochstedt ; and 
 
 „ j^^... , _, though their first movements were disappoint- 
 
 Amerdeghem, and his left at Onderingen. Un- 1 ed by the vigilance of the prince, they accom- 
 plished their purpose. The duke of Marl- 
 borough, therefore, joined the forces of Eugene 
 at the camp of Munster, on the eleventh day 
 of August ; prince Lewis being engaged iu 
 
 derstanding that the elector of Bavaria had 
 sent the best part of his infantry, to reinforce 
 the count d'Arco, who was posted behind 
 strong lines at Schellenbnrg, a rising ground 
 en the Danube, near Donawert, he resolved 
 to attack their intrenchments. Having passed 
 the Wermitz, on the next day, after a tedious 
 march over almost impassable roads, he began 
 the attack with the Dutch and English infan- 
 try, supported by the horse and dragoons. 
 Their eflbrts to dislodge the enemy were un- 
 successful, and they were about to give way, 
 when prince Lewis, arriving with the Impe- 
 rialists at another part of the line, accomplish- 
 ed so powerful a diversion in their favour, that 
 they forced the intrenchments. The infantry 
 were closely followed by the cavalry, and at- 
 tacked the enemy with so much impetuosity, 
 that they fled with the utmost precipitation to 
 Donawert, leaving behind them six thousand 
 men upon the field of battle. The loss of the 
 allies was proportioned to the obstinacy of 
 the contest. 
 
 The elector of Bavaria abandoning Dona- 
 wert, crossed the Danube in his march to the 
 river Leche; and the allies detached four 
 thousand men to pass the latter of these rivers, 
 and occupy a position in the country of the 
 elector, who had taken refuge under the walls 
 of Augsberg. Neuburg was entered by the 
 confederates, and Rain invested. 
 
 The marshals Villeroy and Tallard, having 
 passed the Rhine at Fort Khel, to succour 
 the elector of Bavaria, the confederates de- 
 tached prince Maximilian of Hanover, with 
 thirty squadrons of horse, as a reinforcement 
 to prince Eugene. Rain, Aiclia, and Fried- 
 burg, having surrendered, the elector of Ba- 
 varia was reduced to the last extremity. Hav- 
 ing been offered very advantageous terms of 
 peace, provided he would abandon the French 
 interest, and join the Imperialists in Italy, he 
 pretended to listen to the duke of Marlbo- 
 rough's proposals^ and agreed to a negotiation. 
 On the approach of the French, he declared 
 his determination to adhere to his prior en- 
 gagements. His duplicity exasperated the 
 allied generals, and they ravaged the country 
 as far as Munich. 
 
 the siege of Ingolstadt. ; The enemy were 
 strongly encaniped ; having Hochstedt in 
 their rear, their right wing extended towards 
 the Danube, near the village of Blenheim, 
 which is three miles lower down the Danube, 
 and their left to Lutzingen, which is six miles 
 N. W. by W. from Blenheim, near the side 
 of a wood, which reaches down to the river 
 Kessel, behind which the confederates were 
 encamped. The camp of the allies extended 
 to Munster, upon the Danube, where it re- 
 ceives the Kessel ; and their right wing reach- 
 ed beyond the village of Appershoven. By 
 this situation it appears, that they had the 
 river Kessel extending in their front, three- 
 fourths of which was also covered by a wood, 
 lying to the right, and shooting to the left of 
 the enemy's camp, between the east end of 
 which and the Danube, there lay a narrow 
 aperture to the left, by which it was intended 
 to march and attack the enemy. 
 
 When the elector and the French marshals 
 perceived that the confederates were resolved 
 to give them battle, they threw twenty-eight 
 battalions and eight squadrons of dragoons 
 into the village of Blenheim. Eight battalions, 
 at the same time, were placed in another vil- 
 lage, towards the centre, with a design, in 
 conjunction with those at Blenheim, to fall 
 uj)on the rear of the allies, as they should 
 approach, and place them between two fires. 
 Such was the situation of the French on. the 
 morning of the thirteenth of August. Their 
 wretched disposition insured the loss of the 
 battle. Their line consisting chiefly of ca 
 valry, formed at the head of their camp, was 
 weakened by large detachments, while the 
 enemy, were permitted to pass the morass, 
 formed by a rivulet which ran from the wood 
 into the Danube, without obstruction. 
 
 The duke of Marlborough, who commanded 
 the left of the allies, having formed his line, 
 after passing the rivulet, ordered the two vil- 
 lages to be attacked immediately by the in- 
 fantry, while he himself led his cavalry against
 
 CilAP. IV.] ' ANNE. 45 
 
 those of Tallard. After various charges, the I nation in 'i^eneral were willing to second him 
 
 courage of tlie French horse began to abate, i in all his designs. The manor of Woodstock 
 
 and tliey retired behind the fire of ten batta- 5 was conferred on him by both houses • and 
 
 lions, which advanced while the cavalry were | when he entered the house of lords, an'eulo- 
 
 eugased. These sustained tlie charge for a » gium was pronounced on his eminent services, 
 
 considerable time against the English foot ; i by the lord keeper. The queen, not contented 
 
 but Ihe duke, having charged home the French ; with these marks of respect, directed the 
 
 cavalry, already wavering, drove them in ; comptroller of her works lo build him, in 
 
 their flight into the Danube, and most of \ Woodstock park, a magnificent palace, which 
 
 those who escaped the sword were drowned | remains a monument of the general's merits, 
 
 in that river. The ten battalions of the \ and of her own munificence. The queen and 
 
 enemy's foot were, at the same time, charged I the nation were little aware, that at the very 
 
 on all sides, and cut to pieces. Prince Eu- 1 moment when he was thus loaded with bene- 
 
 gene, who conmianded on the right, had x fits and acclamations, he was engaged in 
 
 attacked the elector of Bavaria, and the mar- } correspondence with the excluded family ; 
 
 shal de Marsiu. The prince, however, could ? and had given them, at the commencement of 
 
 make no impression on their line ; but when 5 the campaign, the strongest assurances of 
 
 they perceived that Tallard was defeated, they 5 attachment and fidelity. 
 
 threw themselves into three columns, and I During the important operations of the 
 quitted the field with dexterity and expedition. } campaign abroad, the transactions in Scotland 
 The troops stationed in the village of Ober- ' engaged the attention of the nation at home, 
 claw escaped in the confusion ; but the twelve | The country party, enilamed at the inter- 
 squadrons of horse, and twenty battalions of j ference in the preceding year of the English 
 foot, in Blenheim, surrendered at discretion. « house of lords, with a plot, supposed to have 
 The confederates remained masters of the ; existed in Scotland, and in which Simon Fra- 
 enemy's camp, cannon, and baggage. Count \ i:er, lord Lovat, was a principal agent, joined 
 Tallard himself was among the numerous pri- ; themselves more closely with that party, whose 
 soners of rank; 10,000 men, exclusive of i almost avowed intentions were to serve the 
 1200 officers, and 3000 deserters, was the | interest of the excluded family. The discon- 
 lowest amount of the captives, and the total i tents extended from the senate to the people; 
 loss, including the killed and wounded, was ; and, during the remainder of the year, Scot- 
 net Jess than 40,000 men. There were found j land was one continued scene of intrigue and 
 in the enemy's camp 100 pieces of brass can- \ turbulence. „ 
 
 non, with other warlike stores, and baggage | The arms of England were not less for- 
 in proportion. The loss of the allies amount- | tunate by sea than they had been by land, 
 ed to 4485 killed, 7-32-5 wounded, and 273 | The ministry understanding that the French 
 prisoners. | were employed in equipping a strong fleet at 
 
 On the next day, when the duke of Marl- ; Brest, sent out sir Cloudesley Shovel and sir 
 borough visited his prisoner, marshal Tallard, ; George Rooke to watch their motions. Sir 
 the latter assured him that he had beaten j George had further orders to convey a body 
 the best troops in the world. " I hope sir," ; of troops, under the prince of Hesse d'Arra- 
 replied the duke, " you will except those I stadt, in transport-ships to Barcelona, on 
 troops by whom they were conquered." } which a fruitless attack had been made by 
 
 In consequence of this victory, the allies j the prince. But sir George having no con- 
 became masters of a country a hundred t iidence in the success of tiiis expedition, the 
 leagues in extent. After finishing the cam- j troops were re-embarked in two days after- 
 paign, the duke repaired to Berlin, where he i wards, and being joined by sir Cloudesley, he 
 procured a reinforcement of eight thousand | called a council of war on board the fleet, 
 Prussians, to serve under prince Eugene in j while it lay off" the coast of Africa, in %vhich 
 Italy. He thence proceeded to negotiate for ; the admirals resolved to make an attempt 
 succours at the court of Hanover, and soon > upon Gibralter. The garrison was weak, and 
 after returned to England, where he was re- i unprepared for attack. The prince of Hesse 
 ceivedwith the most affecting testimonials of ! landed his troops, to tlie number of 1800, 
 national gratitude. The parliament and the ; on the isthmus, and sunnuoned the towef ty
 
 16 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 surrender, but without effect. Next day the | or inactivity of the prince of Baden, and b> 
 ■admiral gave orders for a vigorous cannonade; J tlie sluggishness of the other German princes, 
 and perceiving that the enemy were driven j notwithstanding the death of the emperor 
 from ideif fortifications, at a place called the i Leopold had placed at their head his son 
 Loutli Mole-head, ordered all the boats to | Joseph, an active and enterprising monarch, 
 be armed, and to assault that quarter. Those ; Disappointed in his expectation of bein^ 
 officers who happened to be the nearest the \ joined by the German troops, the duke de 
 Mole, manned their boats, and entered the \ camped in the night, passed_without molesta- 
 fortilication sword in hand ; but the Spaniards 
 spriijging a mine, two lieutenants and about 
 one iiundred men were killed and wounded. 
 Two captains, however, took possession of a 
 platform, and kept their ground, until they 
 were joined by the rest of the seamen, who 
 took by storm a redoubt between the Mole . 
 and the town. The governor immediately | 
 
 tion the dangerous defile of Tavareu, directed 
 his march towards Liege, and, joining the 
 Dutch under Auverquerque, induced the 
 enemy to retire behind their lines. Except 
 the occurrence of a few subordinate operations, 
 the rest of the campaign was comparatively 
 inactive. 
 
 The recovery of Gibralter having become 
 
 capitulated ; and, astonished at his own sue- \ one of the first objects of the Spanish monar- 
 . ._ j.L_ : ^c IT J. I- : „r » .-.l,.r 4^Kn »-.»«»..;» ^e \T'ii^.i ;„-. .. ,. ,.„«* ...i«i. 
 
 chy, the marquis of Vlladurias was sent with 
 a large army to retake it. The Spanish com- 
 mander, however, was obliged to raise the 
 siege, on the twenty-third of April, after 
 having had occasion to witness, a few days 
 before, the defeat of De Pointis ; whose ships. 
 
 cess, the prince of Hesse took possession of 
 the fortress. 
 
 When the intelligence of this conquest 
 arrived in England, it was for some time de- 
 bated whether the admiral deserved, by his 
 exploit, the thanks of the parliament. It was 
 finally decided, that the circumstances under 
 which it was performed did not deserve the 
 public gratitude, a resolution which was pro- 
 bably influenced by the indecisive issue of a 
 battle fought with the compte de Thoulouse, 
 about twelve leagues from Malaga. The 
 English and Dutch fleets under sir George 
 Rooke and admiral Calemburg, consisted 
 of tifty-two vessels, the same number with ^ 
 that of the enemy. In the first onset, both fleets \ the sera in which he lived. When but fifteen 
 were materially crippled; for two successive > years of age, he fought against the Moors in 
 days the English admiral endeavoured to \ Africa ; at twenty he assisted in effecting the 
 renew the engagement, but the French fleet \ revolution ; and he now, from friendship to 
 declined the conflict, and soon disappeared. > Charles, carried on the war with Spain almost 
 Sir George Rooke was treated with neglect, 5 at his own expence. He was deformed in his 
 and afterwards deprived of his command. \ person, but of a mind generous, honourable, 
 
 The present parhament, according to the ; and active. His first attempt, on landing in 
 triennial act, approaching its termination, the \ Spain, was to besiege Barcelona, a strong city, 
 queen, in order to establish the antient prero- ; with a garrison of 5000 men, while his own 
 gatives of the crown, dissolved it by procla- ; army amounted to little more than 9000, The 
 mation on the fifth of April. The elections in > operations were begun by a sudden attack on 
 general, especially in boroughs, were decidedly \ Fort Monjuic, strongly situated on a hill that 
 
 consisting of five men-of-war, were surprised 
 in the bay, and taken or destroyed by an Eng- 
 lish squadron, under sir John Leak. 
 
 To conduct the armament intended to sup- 
 port the cause of the archduke Charles in 
 Spain, and which accompanied that prince 
 from England, the earl of Peterborough 
 offered his assistance. This nobleman was 
 one of the most extraordinary characters of 
 
 During these domt s- 
 
 in favour of ihe Whigs 
 
 tic transactions, the war abroad was prose- ; 
 cuted with vigour. The duke of Marl [»orough, 
 having concerted operations with the states 
 general, took the held at the beginning of 
 May. His great object was to ir.iprove the 
 victories of the last cau)paign, by can yuig the 
 
 commanded the city. The outworks were 
 taken by storm, with the loss of the gallant 
 prince of Hesse. The besiegers then directed 
 their fire against the body of the fort ; when 
 a sliell, chancing to fall into the powder maga- 
 zine, blew it up, and' destroyed the governor, 
 w'th several subordinate officers. Thi!> acci- 
 
 war, by the Moselle, into the heart of France ; ; Ueut struck the garrison with such consterna- 
 a design which was prevented by the jealousy j tiou, that they surrendered without fui ihei
 
 CHAP. IV.] ANNE. 47 
 
 resistance. The town" stiii i,imained uncon- > Sir Rowland Gwynne, a busy, selfish, and 
 quered ; but batteries were now erected ! intriguing man, had repaired to the court of 
 against it, »nd in a few days the governor ca- 1 Hanover, to gain the favour of the ele^^toral 
 pitulated. After the surrender of this impor- j family, by alarming- their fears concerning the 
 taut fortress, Valentia and all Catalonia succession to the British throne. Upon the 
 submitted to the new king. His partisans | subject of the invitation to the princess So- 
 occupied Madrid, and the land forces of the | phia, Gwynne wrote a letter to the earl of 
 allies took up their quarters in the heart of 5 Stamford, which found its way to the press. 
 the kingdom. | The commons, on tlie ath of March, voted 
 
 OxV the 25th of October, the parliament met, | this letter to be a scaiidaious, false, and raa- 
 and after a violent contest between the Whigs « licious libel. The lords concurred with them 
 and Tories, the former supporting Mr. Smith, | in an address to the queen, who returned for 
 and the latter Mr. Bromley, Smith was elected | answer, that she would comply with their 
 by a majority of 43 votes. On the fifteenth j lequest, and give orders to prosecute the 
 of November, lord Havershain, after having I printer and author. 
 
 in a set speech addressed the house of peers, \ On the 6th of December, a debate was held 
 and inveighed against the conduct of the i in the house of lords concerning the dantrcr 
 allies and of the duke of Marlborough, con- > of the church. The act of security in Scof- 
 cluded with a motion, that her majesty should j land, the loss of a bill of occasional conformity 
 be solicited to invite the princess Sophia, i in England, the absence, beyond sea, of Sophia 
 presumptive heir to the crown, (according to « of Hanover the next successor to the crown, 
 the act of settlement) into England. A pro- i the increase of presbyterian academies, and tlie 
 posal of the same kind, when urged by the ; licentiousness of the press, were adduced by the 
 Whigs, had been rejected by the Tories them- 5 Tories as proofs of the dangers of the church, 
 selves when possessed of power: but the i On the othv r side, it was contended that the 
 motion was obnoxious to the court; the | Scotch act of security regarded only temporal 
 advocates of the measure were now compelled | concerns ; that the absence of the successor 
 to become the most strenuous of its opponents; ^ was supplied by the act of regency ; that the 
 and it was superseded by a bill, for the even- } bill of occasional conformity, having been 
 tual formation of a regency, which edectually \ considered and rejected by the house, the 
 secured the kingdom, by providing a continu- | question was now determined ; and that the 
 ation of legal government, till the successor ; licentiousnesr; of the press had been carried 
 should arrive and assert his own authority. j to the j^reates-t extremities, by the pretended 
 
 During these disputes between the parties, \ friends of tl-e church of England. A vote 
 with regard to the internal affairs of England, J was passed, with which the commons con- 
 the two houses proceeded almost without ; curred. That the church was in a safe and 
 debate, in the business of the union with Scot- ; flourishing condition ; and that whoever 
 land. The act declaring the Scots aliens, by 5 should suggest that it M'as in danger, was an 
 a certain day, was reversed; and an offensive ; enemy to the queen, the church, and the 
 act, relating to the manufacture and trade of : kingdom. 
 Scotland was repealed. ;
 
 CHAPTER V, 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 [1706 to 1708.] 
 
 Progress of tJie Union — Its Conditions — Victories of Marlborovgli — The Battle of Ramil- 
 lies — Rising influence of the Tories — Siege of Barcelo7ia — Campaign hi Spain — Capture 
 of Majorca and Jvica — A Quixotic Expedition against France — State of Foreign Poli- 
 tics — Bombardment of Toulon— Intrigues of Godolpkin — Suspicious Conduct of Ilarley — 
 Expedition in favour of the Pretender — Weakness of the Kingdom — Battle of Oude- 
 narde — Arrest of Count Martuof — Return of Marlhoroxigh — Lxidicrous Address to the 
 Queen — The Distresses and Misfortunes of France — Intrigues of Blarlborovgh to prevent 
 a Pacification — Conclusio7t of the Conferences — Surrender of Tournay — Battle of Mal- 
 plaquat. 
 
 1706. 
 
 D 
 
 URING these transactions, with 
 respect to the affairs of Eng- 
 land alone, a measure of the greatest impor- 
 tance to the nation engrossed the attention' of 
 the queen, the senate, and the people. The 
 imion of the kingdoms of England and Scot- 
 land had formerly been projected by Henry 
 VIII., who offered his daughter Mary to 
 James V. of Scotland ; and promised to invest 
 him, on the conclusion of the marriage, with 
 the title of duke of York, and to declare hira 
 lord-lieutenant, or dejnity-governor of Eng- 
 land." The influence of the French party, and 
 the Roman catholic clergy, prevented him 
 from acceding to the offer : his refusal excited 
 the anger of Henry, who declared war against 
 him ; and at the battle of Sol way Moss, 
 James, being deserted by his nobility, was 
 totally defeated, and soon after died of sorrow 
 and vexation. Edward VI. proposed a mar- 
 riage between himself and Mary of Scotland, 
 but similar results attended this second over- 
 ture : a new war cominenced between the 
 nations, and the Scots were again defeated at \ 
 Pinky near Musselburgh. Jaujes I., soon 
 after his accession to the English throne, 
 recommended the parliament to promote (as 
 far as possible) a union between the two king- 
 doms. Certain articles were agreed on, by 
 forty-four English and thirty Scotcii commis- 
 sioners ; but none of these articles wtre 
 enacted, except one, which repealed the hos- 
 
 tile laws existing between the two nations. The 
 disturbances of the reign of Charles did not 
 leave the power or the ojjportunity of attend- 
 ing to extensive schemes of legislative policy. 
 The long parliament resunied the considera- 
 tion of the subject, but were dispersed in the 
 midst of their deliberations, by the violence 
 of Oliver Cromwell. The attempts of Charles 
 II. were ineffectual. The time of James II. 
 was exclusively directed to the restoration of 
 popery, or the attainment of arbitrary power. 
 In the reign of William, the lords passed a 
 bill, authorising his majesty to name commis- 
 sioners for treating on the subject, but the 
 commons refused to grant their concurrence, 
 and the plan miscarried. 
 
 In the beginning of this year, an act of par- 
 liament was passed, empowering commis- 
 sioners, named on the part of both nations, to 
 treat on the preliminary articles of a union, 
 which should afterwards undergo a more de- 
 liberate discussion by the legislative bodies of 
 both kingdoms. The commissioners having* 
 met in the council-chamber of the Cock-pit, 
 near Whitehall, their commissions being 
 opened, and introductory speeches being pro- 
 nounced by the lord-keeper of England, and 
 the lord chancellor of Scotland, the conference 
 began. The Scottish commissioners were 
 inclined to a federal union, like that of the 
 Unite<l Provinces ; but the English strenu- 
 ously contended for an incorporation, which
 
 CHAP. V.J ANNE. 49 
 
 should destroy the indcpeiKkMit pxisfenoc of ; sanction of the legislature of both countries, 
 tha Scottish parliament. The pro[)Osals ofJtogive them the authority of law. In the 
 the Scotch commissioners, however, were $ Scottish parliament, a letter was read from 
 rather intended to satisfy the clamours of the | her majesty to the parliament, in which she 
 populace, than advanced witii any expectation | expatiated on the advantai^es of the proposed 
 of their success. The conference was twice | union to both parts of the empire, and ex- 
 visited by the queen, who exhorted the com- ! horted them to ratify the treaty with as little 
 niissioners to promote the happiness of the ; delay as micht be consistent with sound de- 
 two kingdoms, by the immediate conclusion » liberation. ThedukeofQueensbury delivered 
 of the treaty. It was accordingly finished, > two speeches, enforcing the contents of the 
 siirued, and sealed on the 22nd day of July, i latter, and then prorogued the parliament, 
 and next day presented to her majesty at St. | At their next meeting it appeared, that a 
 James's, by the lord-keejjer in the name of the | strong party was formed against the union, 
 Eniilish commissioners, and by the lord chan- 5 composed of the secret friends of James, con- 
 celior of Scotland in the name of the commis- j vinced that the union between the two king- 
 sioners for that kingdom. It was stipulated | doms would preclude every future hope of 
 in this treaty, That the succession to the | his restoration ; and the presbyterians, who 
 united kingdom should be vested in the house | concluded that their church would be in 
 of Uanover. That the united kingdoms | danger, from the little int^uence which the 
 should be represented by one and the same i Scots were expected to possess in the English 
 parliament ; that all the subjects of Great ; ])arliament. To induce the Scottish parlia- 
 Britain should enjoy a conununication of pri- 1 ment to adopt the measure, it was alleged 
 vileges and advantages; that the laws con- j by the ministers, that a union of the two king- 
 cerning public right, civil government, and ; doms would be the solid foundation of a 
 policy should be the same throughout the | lasting peace; it would secure their religion, 
 united kingdoms ; but that no alterations ; liberty, and property ; remove the animosities 
 should 1)6 made concerning private right, 5 that prevailed among themselves and the 
 except for the evident benefit of the subjects | jealousies that subsisted between the two 
 of Scotland : that the courts of Session, and | nations. It would increase their strength, 
 all other courts of judicature in Scotland, > riches, and commerce, and entirely free both 
 should remain as constituted by the laws of ; nations from all apprehensions of different 
 that kingdom, with the same authority and I interests. It was urged that the taxes, which, 
 privileges as before the union ; that Scotland 5 in consecjuence of this union, they were to 
 .should be represented in the parliament of i pay, were by no means so great proportionably 
 (.ireat Britain, by sixteen peers and forty-five i as their share in the legislature. That their 
 coumioners, to be elected in such a manner j taxes did not amount to a seventieth part of 
 as should be decided by the present parlia- \ those supplied by the English, and yet their 
 ment of Scotland; that all peers of Scotland ; .share in the legislature was not a tenth part 
 should be consi'lered as peers of Great Bri- i less. Such were the arguments in favour of 
 tain, and rank immediately after the English i the union, addressed to the Scottish parlia- 
 ])cers of the like degrees at the time of the | ment. In the English parliament it was ob- 
 union, and before such as should be created 5 served, that a powerful and dangerous nation 
 after it; that they should enjoy all the privi- i would thus for ever be prevented from giving 
 leges of English peers, except that of sitting 1 them any disturbance ; that in case ot any 
 and voting in parliament, or sitting u|)on the I future rupture, England had every thing to 
 trial of peers ;" that all the insignia of royalty | lose, and nothing to gain, in her contests with 
 and govennnent should remain as they were; ; a nation signalized tor coiu'age, and which 
 and that all laws and statutes, in either king- J had not attained such a degree of riches as 
 dcmi, so far as they might be inconsistent with I to invite depredation. It was contended, on 
 the terms of these articles, should be declared 5 the other hand, that the union of a rich with 
 void by the respective parliaments of the two 1 a poor nation, was only beneficial to the 
 kingdoms. i latter, that the Scots yielded with reluctauce 
 
 These were the principle articles of the j to this coalition, that it might be likened 
 . union, and it only remained to obtain the i to a woman married without her consent 
 
 H 4
 
 50 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. V. 
 
 and that the land-fax paid by the Scots was > but at a great disadvantage, he weakened his 
 "disproportioned to their s^hare in the legis- 1 troops in tiiat quarter, and greatly increased 
 lature. | his numbers in the centre, with which he made 
 
 While these contentions raged in the | a furious attack. The enemy's centre was 
 houses of parliament, the resentments , of the ; obliged to yield, and soon gave way on all 
 people were exasperated to the most outra- J sides. Their cavalry was so closely pursued, 
 geous transports of fury and revenge, Edin- ; that nearly the Avhole of it was cut to pieces, 
 burgh and Glasgow were filled with tumults. 5 The elector of Bavaria and the marslial do 
 A multitude of rigid presbyterians, under the j Villeroy saved theuiselves with the utmost 
 title of Cameronians, formed themselves into j difficulty. Several waggons of the French 
 regiments, provided horses, arms, and ammu- » vanguard, breaking down in a narrow pass, 
 nilion, and marching to Dumfries, burnt the i obstructed the way in such a manner, that 
 articles of union at the market-cross, justifj'- { the baggage and artillery could not proceed, 
 ing their conduct in a public declaration, j nor could their troops defile in order. The 
 The firmness, however, of the ministry, and \ victorious horse, being informed of this acci- 
 the justice of their cause, were finally victo- 5 dent, pressed upon them so vigorously, that 
 rious. The Scottish parliament approved and ; great numbers threw down their arms, and 
 ratified all the articles .of the union, anjong ; submitted. The pursuit was followed through 
 which a stipulation was now inserted, from > Judoigne, till two o'clock in the morning, five 
 regard to the wishes of Ihe honest but alarmed ; leagues from the field of battle, and within 
 presbyterians, declaring the presbyterian doc- j two of Louvaine. The enemy lost their 
 trine to be the oidy government of the church > baggage and artillery, about one hundred and 
 <rf Scotland, unalterable in all succeeding j twenty colours and standards, six hundred 
 times, and a fundamental article of the * officers, six thousand prisoners, and eight 
 union. ; thousand killed or wounded. Prince Maxi- 
 
 While the English and Scottish legisla- | niilian and prince Montbasoa were killed ; 
 tures were thus contriijuting to augment the ; De la Beaume, the son of the marshal Tallard, 
 power and haj)piness of the nation at home, > the marquises de Bar and de Nonant, mon- 
 the exploits of her generals abroad were not 5 sieur de Montmorency, nephew to the duke 
 less conducive to her own glory, and to the J of Luxemburgh, and niany other persons of 
 benefit of Europe. The French king had de- i distinction were taken prisoners. The loss of 
 termined to reinforce his army in Flanders, I the allies amounted to three thousand men, 
 so as to be in a condition to act offensively ^ among whom Lewis of Ilesseand Mr. Bentinck 
 against the duke of Marlborough. That no- ; were killed. The French general retired with 
 bleman assembled his army between Gross- » precipitation to Brussels, while the allies took 
 Waren and Borsclileon ; in addition to which | possession of all Brabant. The city of Paris 
 force, consisting of 8U00 men, he expectetl \ was tluovvn into the utmost consternation, 
 reinforcements from Denmark and Prussia. ; Lewis, who had long been accustomed to, 
 Lewis ordered the elector of Bavaria, and the ! triumph in the rapidity and extent of his con- 
 marshal de Villeroy, to attack the grand army ; quests, humbled and dispirited, entreated for 
 before the junction could be efi'tcted. The j jjeace, but in vain. Even his capital began 
 duke, however, was joined by the Danes ; and i to dread the approach of the conquerors, 
 on Whit-suntlay, early in the morning, ad- 1 France was beginning to totter on the brink 
 vanced with his army, in eight columns, ; of ruin, when an unexpected change in the 
 towards the village of Ramillies, where he j politics of England proved her deliverance, 
 learnt that the enemy were on their march to > The councils of the queen had hitherto been 
 give him battle. Villeroy had posted his army j governed by a Whig ministry, who pursued 
 in a strong camp, his right was flanked by the i the policy of the late king, and impressed with 
 river Mehaigne, his left was defended by a ^ a republican spirit of liberty, strove to humble 
 marsh, and the village of Ramillies lay in the ; despotism in every part of Europe. But a 
 centre. Marlborough, with his usual pru- ; scries of prosperous events; tlie personal 
 dence, accommodated his plan to this dispOr ; virtues of the (jueen ; and the influence of the 
 sition. Knowing that the left wing of llie i clergy, who returneil her aWuchiucut to that 
 enemy could not pass the luarsh to altuck-him, ; body, by zealous and sometimes indecoroua
 
 CHAP, y.] ANNE. ~ 51 
 
 loyalty ; all coincided to depress the spirit of; hastened to tliat capital ; but, conscious that 
 indepeiKJonce, to render every measure and i ho could not retain its possession, and des- 
 every <){)iiiion unpopular, that did not coincide ; puirinj^- that it would ever he possible for him 
 •with the views, or flatter the prepossessions of j to return, he sent, with his queen, all his 
 the court. The spirit and tenets of the high > valuable eflects to Burgos, whither he followed 
 church party, and of the advocates of passive ; her in person, after destroying all that he 
 obedience, began extensively to prevail ; and i could not carry away. Tlie capital being 
 the court was surr(RUided by the avowed | thus abandoned, it was entered by the earl of 
 opponents of those liberal principles, by which I Galway, in the latter end of June; but an 
 the nation was iiiflueuced in the establishment j army of Portuguese, with a heretic at their 
 of William on the throne. } head, was a very disagreeable sight to the 
 
 Thk Tories converted the ascendancy they \ Sjjaniards, who retained all the jjride, though 
 ■were gradually gaining in the public opinion, ! they wanted the courage of their ancestors, 
 to the purpose of undermining the influence ; The presence of Charles at Madrid would 
 over the court and the people, of the duke of ! have decided the contest for the succession of 
 Marlborough. They represented him, not » Spain ; but he continued to loiter away his 
 entirely without justice, as a self-interested ; time at Barcelona, till the end of July. Philip, 
 man, who sacrificed the real interests of the ; encouraged by the indolence of his rival, re- 
 nation, by protracting a ruinous war for his ; covered his spirits ; and having received from 
 own glory and emolument. They attributed ! France a powerful augmentation of his army, 
 the weight of taxes to his boundless ambition > returned to Madrid. Charles, having at length 
 and avarice ; and prophesied the most dis- j proceeded to Saragossa, where he was ac- 
 tressing calamities from the continuance of; knovtledged as sovereign of Arragon and 
 the war. I Valencia, arrived in the beginning of August 
 
 The campaign in Catalonia was favourable, J in the Portuguese camp, with a small body 
 at the outset, to the cause of France; but ; of troops, and was followed, at the head of 
 Charles, having thrown himself into Barce- ; 500 dragoons, by the earl of Peterborough, 
 lona, was there besieged by Philip, and with j Disappointed in his expectation of the chief 
 difhculty effected his escape. The earl of; command ; influenced by jealousy of the 
 Peterborough, who had hastened to his relief i prince of Lichenstein, the favourite of Charles ; 
 Avitli 2000 men, finding it hnpossible to enter \ and precluded from the object of his ambition, 
 the city, kept post upon the hills, and alarmed ! by the seniority of the earl of Galway and the 
 the besiegers with repeated skirmishes. At ; count de Noyelles, Peterborough embarked 
 length, sir John Leake sailed from Lisbon, ; on board of an English ship of war, and set 
 with thirty sail of the line; and on the eighth : sail for Genoa. The English fleet took the 
 of May arrived in sight of Barcelona. The ; town of Alicant by assault, and its castle by 
 French admiral had scarcely heard of his | capitulation, protected Carthagena, and was 
 arrival, before he quitted the harbour in \ afterwards detached, in different portions, to 
 attiiglit, and returned to Toulon. In three ! England, Lisbon, and the West Indies. Car- 
 days after his departure, Philip abandoned ; thagena at length surrendered ; a loss which 
 the siege, and retired in disorder, leaving be- \ wa's more than counterbalanced by the cap- 
 liiud his tents with the sick and wounded. ; ture of the islands of Majorca and Ivica, 
 
 In Portugal, the numerical superiority of; which the English fleet subjected to the 
 the allies enabled the earl of Galway, with : dominion of the archduke. The fortunes of 
 20,000 men, to lay siege to Alcmtara ; and in J France, on the side of Germany, were less 
 three days the garrison, consisting of three | unfortunate than during the three last cam- 
 thousand men, surrendered themselves prison- J paigns, owing to the declining health of the 
 ers of war. He afterwards marched to Pla- ; prince of Baden, and the inactivity of the 
 cenlia, and advanced to the bridge of Almaras ; i court of Vienna. The French, under Villars, 
 but the Portuguese would penetrate no i compelled the Imperialists to raise the block- 
 further, untd they shouid know the fate of;ade of Fort Lewis. Drusenheim was aban- 
 Barcelona. Informed at last that the siege ; doned by the prince of Baden, and occupied 
 was raised, they consented to march to Ma- > by the enemy ; and had the disasters in Flan- 
 drid Philip, suspecting their intention, ; ders and Italy permitted the court of France 
 
 H 2
 
 52 IlISTOllY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. V. 
 
 to display its usual vigour, inarslial Villars ; The English parliament was pro- ^^^^ 
 might have penetrated to the heart of Germany. | rogued on the twenty-eighth of April, 
 
 At the persuasion of a Frenchman, who I and a few days after, the queen announced by 
 assumed the title of the marquis de Guiscard, ; proclamation, that the first parliament of Great 
 and who, by his bold and plausible address, | Britain should meet on the twenty-third of 
 had obtained the confidence of the English ; October. On the first of May, her majesty 
 ministry, land forces to the number of 10,000 5 went in state to St. Pauls, to offer up a public 
 men were placed in transports, under the pro- ; thanksgiving. 
 
 tection of the fleet commanded by sir Cloudes- I Majorca was retaken by the count de 
 ley Shovel. The avowed and quixotic scheme Villars on the fifth of January, but the French 
 of the supposed marquis, was to restore the 5 and Spanish troops were soon afterwards 
 liberty of France ; but a contrary wind con- $ obliged to evacuate Lombardy ; and in the 
 fined the ships and transports to Ihe Channel ; course of the campaign, all the principal for- 
 till the time lor action was past, and, in the ; tresses in the dominion of the duke of Savoy, 
 mean time, De Guiscard conducted himself ; or the Milanese, were wrested from the hamls 
 with so nmch insolence and folly, that, in pur- j of the French. On the side of Germany, the 
 suance of the earnest request of the admiral, ; margrave of Bareilh, deficient in numbers and 
 he was recalled from the fleet. ; badly supplied with stores and provisions, was 
 
 The king of France, humiliated by a long i unable to prevent De Villars from laying the 
 and unexpected series of misfortunes, having ; dutciiy of Wirtemburgh under contribution, 
 privately endeavoured to open a negotiation j and penetrating to the Danube. Towards the 
 for peace with the states-general, commanded : end of the campaign, the elector of Hanover 
 the elector of Bavaria to propose to the duke ; took the command of the army of the em 
 of Marlborough, and the field-deputies of the; pire, and De Villars, compelled to hasten to 
 states, the opening of a general congress ; i the defence of France itself, (which was now 
 promising at the same time, as a proof of his j attacked within its limits,) passed the Rhine, 
 sincerity, the guarantee of the Spanish do- ; and abandoned his plans for the vigorous pro- 
 minions in Italy to the archduke Charles, a ; secution of hostilities. 
 
 barrier in the Netherlands to the states, and 5 The reduction of the Spanish dominions in 
 a compensation to tlie duke of Savoy, for the ; Italy, and the capitulation signed at Milan in 
 devastation of his territories. He demanded, j March, by which the French army abandoned 
 in return, that the territories of Bavaria should ; that country, left the duke of Savoy and 
 be restoretl to their native prince, and that ; prince Eugene at liberty to carry the war into 
 his grandson Philip V. should ascend the | the enemy's country. A project was formed, 
 throne of Spain and the Indies. The temper ; in concert with England and Holland, to 
 of the court, the feelings of the people, and ; destroy or take Toulon or Marseilles. The 
 the interests of Marlborough, all conspired to | two commanders, having amused the French 
 render these overtures ineft'ectnal. The Whigs ; with marches and counter-marches, suddenly 
 extended their injustice so far, as to assert, ; directed their course towards the shore of the 
 that the terms offered by France were too ; Mediterranean, forced the passage of the river 
 good to be the feundation of lasting tranquil- I Var, advanced along the coast of Provence, 
 lity, and therefore ought not to be admitted. ? and after a long march through a hot, rugged, 
 These proposals of the French king, however, ; and inhospitable country, arrived before Tou- 
 coatributed, by the demonsiration of his : Ion, which was blockaded by sir Cloudesley 
 ■weakness, to augment the strength of minis- ; Shovel, who supplied the army with stores 
 ters, and the popularity of the war. The two ; and provisions. I'rmce Eugene had just ap- 
 houses congraUilatetl the queen on the late ; proaclied the town, when it was entered by 
 successes, and thanked the duke of Marl- ; an addition to the garrison of «000 men, and 
 borough for his important ser\ices. They | troops were advantageously posted on the ad- 
 passed a bill to perpetuate his title to postc- ; jacent hills. On the fourteenth of August, the 
 rity, in the female line as well as the male ; | allies were driven from the heights of St. 
 and they continued to liis family for ever, the | Catherine. Ilavrassed by the want of iron 
 £5000 a-ycar which tlie queen had granted, ; for shoes, an inconvenience which in that 
 (itiriug her own life. ; rocky country was severely felt; and under-
 
 CHAP. Vj 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 0-3 
 
 standinc; that tlie duke ol" i^urgandy, with a | of the queen. But the influence of au as- 
 considerable force, was on his march to cut ofi'Ipirins: courtier was gradually rising to pie- 
 their retreat from ISice, they retired, after | eminent ascendancy, through the intrigues of 
 
 bombarding the place, in the night between 
 the twenly-tlrst and twenty-second of August. 
 Sir Clondesley Shovel proceeded from Toulon 
 to Gibralter, with a fleet of fifteen ships of the 
 line and some frigates. Having arrived in the 
 mouth of the Channel on the night of the 2-2nd 
 of October, by a mistake in his course, he 
 steered directly westward of the islands of 
 Scilly. The Association, the ship in which 
 the admiral sailed, struck and foundered at 
 once, not one of the crew being saved. The 
 .same melancholy late attended the Eagle and 
 Romney ; and of the sailors on board the 
 Firebrand, another ship driven on the rocks, 
 only twenty-four and the captain were saved. 
 The fate of Shovel w as lamented by all. His 
 intrepidity and coolness, as a naval com- 
 mander, were only equalled by the vigilance, 
 intrepidity, and circumspection of his public 
 
 Mrs. Masham, whose interest he found it 
 prudent to secure. The enormous power of 
 the duke of Marlborough, and the insolence 
 of his wife, had alarmed the jealousy and 
 awakened the resentment of the queen, who 
 listened to the sugijestions of Harley, with a 
 condescension that emboldened him to pro- 
 ceed with vigour and openness in his career of 
 anil)ition. 
 
 The parliament met on the 23rd of Octo- 
 ber ; and after some disputes respecting the 
 legahty of electing a speaker, as the parlia- 
 ment had not been dissolved, but had expired 
 and been renewed by proclamation, Mr. Smith 
 was placed in the chair. The speech of the 
 queen, which was devoted to the usual topics, 
 was answered on the part of the house of 
 commons by an address of thanks, and in the 
 house of lords bv the same indication of res- 
 
 conduct, and the modesty and honesty of his l pect, accompanied by a motion for consider- 
 private demeanour. \ ing the state of the nation. A petition was 
 
 Thk precarious nature of Lewis's means of | presented in the name of more than (wo hun- 
 defence, prevented him from taking that vigor- 1 dred merchants of London, complaining of 
 ous and decided advantage of the discontents \ losses at sea, for want of cruizers and con- 
 in Scotland, which might have tended to | voys. Several abuses being discovered in the 
 harrass or debilitate the English government, j department of the admiralty, by a committee 
 The court of France, therefore, contented ! appointed for the purpose, their report was 
 itself with sending colonel Hooke into that i transmitted to the prince of Denmark, who 
 kingdom, with instructions to make a secret \ returned an answer, retlecting with .singular 
 progress through the northern counties. He ; severity on the management of naval affairs 
 was received with eagerness by the dukes of; during the reisn of AVilliam. A complaint 
 Gordon and Athol, and by nearly all the | from Charles, the claimant of the crown of 
 nobility to the north of the Forth. They so- S Spain, against the earl of Peterborough, who 
 lemnly assured the most Christian king, that I had been recalled, and was now attacked by 
 the whole kingdom was inimical to the union ; \ the Whigs, was laid before the two houses ; 
 and expressed an enthusiasm, which, under I but the vouchers and witnesses aiiduced by 
 more propitious circumstances, Lewis might j Peterborough were so numerous and decisive, 
 have improved to great advantage. But the j as to render the parliament ashamed of the 
 representations of Hooke, and the solicitations i proceedings, and they dismissed the sidjject. 
 of the Scots, were equally ineflectual ; the ; Having granted with eagerness the required 
 ministers of England were saved from the I supplies, the commons proceeded to enact 
 consequences of their own unobserving secu- > several beneficial statutes, for the relief of 
 rity and supineness, by the weakness and in- ; grievances in Englant', and the regulation of 
 capacity of their enemies. i justice in Scotland. In reply to an address 
 
 The A^'higs themselves were preparing to j from the two houses, the queen returned for 
 attack the measures of Godolphin, and strong i answer, that she, like the parliament, was 
 suspicions were entertained of that intimate > convinced that no peace could be either safe or 
 communication between him and .Marlborough, i honourable, till the monarchy of Spain should 
 and the court of St. Germains, which has since ; be restj;)red to the house of Austria, an inti- 
 been disclosed to the world, and which pos- i matiou which was far from unacceptable to 
 fiibly secured rather than alienated the favour | the duke of Marlborough and the earl of
 
 54 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. Y. 
 
 Godolpliin. Thotigh tlje intiignes of Harley ; put to sea ; Init tlie Augiiste, a Frencli man 
 had already counleractcd tlieir iufluence in j of \var, was overtaken, and a riinniiisr iis^lit 
 the cabinet, an accident occnrred, which ren- ; was immediately commenced. During- tins 
 dered him, lor a time, the object of senatorial ; engag-ement, the chevalier de St. George en- 
 culnnmy and popuhr su.spicion. A corres- ; treated Fourbin to put him ashore, being 
 pondence had been opened between marshal ; resolved, even attended only by his domestics, 
 de Tallard, .still a prisoner in England, and ; to remain in Scotland. Fonrbin, after much 
 Chamillart, one of the ministers of France. ; equivocation, gave a peremptory refusal to 
 Greg, a clerk in the secretary's office, through | his request. In the mean time, the Frencli 
 whose hands the correspondence passed, in- < were dispersed ; the Salisbury, formerly taken 
 closed, in a letter from the marshal, an oft'er : from the English, was re-captured, and the 
 of his own services, promising, for an adequate I rest returned to Dunkirk, after many dis- 
 compensation.. to transmit to Paris the most ; tresses, and the loss of many of their men by 
 important information, and enclosing speci- 5 sickness. 
 
 mens of his ability to perform his engagements. ; So defenceless was the kingdom at this 
 The letter was intercepted in Flanders, and | period, and so favourable to the Pretender 
 the criminal tried and condemned. The cir- ! were the views of the queen, that Marlborough 
 cumstance was employed by the enemies of; in his correspondence with the court of St 
 Harley, who was evidently ignorant of his i Germains, expressed his dissatisfaction that he 
 servant's treachery, to render him obnoxious » had not been acquainted with the project of 
 to the legislature, and suspected by the mul- j descent, that he might have facilitated its suc- 
 litude ; an intention, but too successful during ; cess. The alarm of the people was general, 
 the first alarm. But the triumph of delusion, J and the bank of England compelled to satisfy 
 respecting his |)ersonal character, was short, | the immediate demands of the public, by 
 and the principles of Harley's party were ; calling in twenty per cent, from each proprie- 
 daily obtaining increased ascendancy in the » tor. After assuring the queen, in several 
 17nft l'"uses of parliament. On the third of ; addresses, that they would exert themselves 
 February, the commons addressed the | in defeating the bold attempt of the enemy ; 
 queen, demanding to be informed, why a | and passing a bill, which empowered her 
 greater number of English forces had not been ; majesty to imprison such persons as she had 
 in Spain and Portugal, at the time of the bat- ; cause to suspect were conspiring against her 
 tie of Almanza, and the lords presented a long ; government, the two houses were prorogued 
 address against the mismanagement in that j on the first of April, and on the sixteenth of 
 department. j that month the parliament was dissolved by 
 
 In compliance with the importunities of the } proclamation. Lord Griffin, having been 
 chevalier de St. George, better known by the > committed to the Tower, was brought on the 
 title of the Pretender; a fleet of men of war, ; fifteenth of May to the bar of the queen's 
 consisting of five ships ready for action, with J bench, and, upon the former outlawry against 
 several transports containing 8000 troops, ; him, received sentence of death, which Mas 
 were prepared at Dunkirk. From the small- ( postponed from time to time, till he died in 
 ness of tlie force thus intended for the inva- > the Tower. 
 
 sion of an extensive kingdom, the Dutch were I About the end of May, the duke of Marl- 
 in alarm for the fate of Zealand. The Squad- 1 borough placed himself at the head of the 
 ron on board of which was the Pretender, was ; confederates near Ghent, where he expected 
 conniiaiided by M. Fourbin, who is supposed ; reinforcements from the Rhine, under prince 
 to have received instructions from the French ; Eugene. The elector of Bavaria, by his love 
 king, on no account to land in Scotland, i of pleasure and his prodigality, vices which. 
 After much hesitation, and many mistakes, ; contrasted with the avarice of Marlborough, 
 th<y fouriii themselves to the nortli of the i were admired as virtues, had ingratiated him- 
 Firth of Edinburgh. Sir George Byng, whose ; self into favour with the inhabitants of Ghent, 
 squadron in the moment of alarm had been ; Bruges, and Antwerp; and persuaded them 
 increased to eighty ships, caiue in sight of the > to betray tliose cities to the French. On the 
 enemy with his van, on the morning of the ; 5th of July, a body of French troops were 
 13th of March. M. de Fourbin innnediately $ received into the city of Ghent, under pretence
 
 CHAP, v.] ' ANNE. 55 
 
 of a surprise. After capdiring Bruges, and | equally unpropilious to tiie cause of Frauce. 
 refusing to fight with Marlborongli, who ; Veiidoine, who liad been tiie real comuiaud<.-r 
 offered theu) battle, the French generals passed ; of the F'reiich army during the campaign, 
 the Dender in the night, and returning from j though the nominal commander was the tUrke 
 that river, directed their march to the Scheldt, ; of Burgundy, retired in disgrace and obscurity 
 which, contrary to their hopes and belief, > to his estates, being the fifth French marshal 
 Marlborough had already passed, taking a j whom Marlboroughs success had diiven from 
 position between the French and their lines, j the service. 
 
 At three in the afternoon of the eleventh of ^ After the recapture of the cities of Ghent 
 .Tuly, commenced the battle of Oudenarde. I and Bruges, Marlborougii reinstated the 
 The left of the enemy was covered by the | traitors, who had betrayed those cities to the- 
 Scheldt, their front was protected by a morass, { French, in their honours and emoluments- 
 and their cavalry, intermixed with bodies of | and received, in return lor his ma^nanimitv, 
 foot, occupied an eminence on their right. At > two hundred thousand gutlders. In Ge'r- 
 seven in the evening the battle became furious ; many, no event of importance occurred during 
 on all sides. The British cavalry, in crossing i the campaign ; and in Spain the three armies 
 the inorass, defeated the cavalry and infantry ; of the house of Bou-rbon distinguished them •• 
 of the French at the first onset ; and the in- ; selves by no more memorable exploits than 
 fantry, remainir.g behind the morass, after an j the capture of Tortosa, Deuia, and Alicant. 
 obstinate resistance sheltered themselves in i The operations of the English fleet were un- 
 the inclosures behind the banks of the Scheldt, I expectedly successful; and Sardinia and 
 to avoid being flanked by the British horse. 5 Mindrea were taken without loss, and almost 
 Though the successes of the confederates in \ without resistance. In the West Indies, a 
 the course of the day had been partial and ; privateer ship, coujUianded by captain Coleby, 
 inconsiderable, and their baggage and ammu- 5 ^vith 100 men, falling in with a fleet of the 
 nition were untouched ; the French retreated | enemy's brigantines richly laden, captured the 
 with precipitation during the night, leaving, in | guard-ship and six of the vessels, fur which 
 consequence of their pajiic, 10,000 men, killed j 180,000 dollars wery offered as ransom. Com- 
 and prisoners, while the loss on the side of the i niodore Wager, hearing that the galleons were 
 confederates amounted to 824 killed, and ; preparing to sail from Portobello to Cartha- 
 214(j wounded. The reinforcement of Ger- ; gena, set sail in search of them, and on the 
 mans ft-om the Moselle having joined the army I -iath of May observed seventeen sail of theia 
 of prince Eugene, that general foruied the j to leeward. The Spanish Admiral, who 
 siege of Lisle, while the French retired frotn ; mounted 64 brass guus, the Vice-admiral of 
 Ghent under Tonrnay and Ypres. The mar- > oO^ the Rear-admiral of 44, and a French ship 
 shal de Boufflers, governor of the province of; of .3(J guns, all engaged him. He fought ihoni 
 which (hat celebrated fortress is the capital, i for four hours, vvlien the Aduiical blew up, the 
 was compelled to evacuate the town, after a j Vice-admiral terribly shattered, bore away, 
 siege of three months, and to surrender the ; and the Rear-admiral was taken. The corn- 
 citadel on the eighth of December. Such, i modores share of this latter prize alone was 
 however, was the obstinacy of the contest, that ; estimated at £100,000. The Vice-admiral 
 the army of the allies sustained a loss of i escaped through the negligence or disaflectioji 
 20,000 men; and it was only by one of those i of captain Bridges of tlie Kingston, aud cap- 
 bold and decisive enterprises, of which the ; tain Windsor of the I'ortland, who were both 
 rashness is justified by the success, tliat the |: tried by a courtruiartiai at Jamaica, and de- 
 d«ke of Marlborough passed the Scheldt > prived of their coumiauds. 
 without resistance, in sight of the French j A circumstance, which was producti\e of 
 army, now superior, in consequence of the i much uneasiness and nioititicalion t(j the 
 late events to that of the confederates. The | court, occurred in the arrest of coimt Mar- 
 cities which had admitted tiie French within ; tuof, the Kussinn and);issadc.r, at the suit of 
 their walls, were again surrendered to the j a laceman. He was uial-lrLUted by the builifls, 
 al+iem. The siege of Brussels, conducted by ■ who dragged him to a spuuging-house, whcrii 
 the elector of Bavaria, was immediately raised, ! he continufd until he was bailed by the earl 
 and the minor events of the camjiaign were ; of Feversham aud a merchuut. Hie coiu^
 
 56 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. r. 
 
 plained to tlie secretary of stale, and was 
 liberated ; bnf, resenting the indignity, the 
 queen commanded a ])rosecution, and Mr. 
 Secretary Boyle assured him, tiiat he should 
 receive ample satisfaction. IVoUvithslanding 
 this assurance, he demanded a passport for 
 himself and his family, refused the presents 
 that are usually made to ambassadors at their 
 departure, and retired in disgust to* Holland, 
 from whence he transmitted a letter of the 
 Czar to the queen, insisting, with singular 
 ignorance of the English law, that all the 
 individuals, concerned in thus insulting the 
 person of his ambassador, should be punished 
 with dea(h ! 
 
 On the 28th of October, prince George of 
 Denmark, the husband of Anne, died in the 
 36th year of his age. He had long been 
 afHicted with a violent asthma, with a dropsy, 
 by w hich he had been affected from his infan- 
 cy, and a coma, or propensity to sleep. He 
 was a man of the most amiable temper, but 
 incapable of business, indolent, and feeble. 
 His personal character corresponded, in 
 many important features, with that of the 
 queen herself; and she watched his declining 
 liealth, and lamented his decease, with a ten- 
 derness at once earnest and unsuspicious. 
 
 The new parliament, of which tlie majority 
 were elected by the partisans of tiie Whigs, 
 assembled on the sixteenth of November. 
 After sir Richard Onslow had been elected 
 speaker, seven millions were voted for the 
 service of the campaign, and in concert with 
 the states, ten thousand men were added to 
 the establishment of the preceding year. The 
 earl of Peuibrok-^, lord president of the coun- 
 cil, and lord lieutenant of Ireland, was created 
 lord high admiral, vacant by the death of the 
 prince of Denmark ; a place of which he had 
 fulfilled the duties towards the close of the 
 reign of William. Lord Somers was raised 
 to the head of the council, and the profligate 
 Wharton appointed to the lieutenancy of 
 Ireland. For this elevation he was indebted 
 to the possession of an intercepted letter, from 
 the earl of Godolphin to the court of St. 
 Germains, which he had purchased of the 
 marquis of Annaudale. Godolphin, aware 
 that further use would be made of the dis- 
 covery of his clandestine correspondence, 
 hastened by artifice the departure of Wharton 
 for Dublin, and immediately forwarded 
 through both houses an act of grace, pardoning 
 
 all correspondence with the court of St. Ger- 
 mains, and thus securing himself, the duke of 
 Marlborough, and the rest of the persons im- 
 plicated from the violence of the opposite 
 party. 
 
 The return of the duke of Marl- 
 borough from the continent exposed 
 him, notwithstanding the splendor of his late 
 campaigns^ to all the secret artifice, and open 
 hostility of the opposite party. The secretary 
 of Marlborough, aware of the partiality enter- 
 tained by the duke towards general Cadogan, 
 attributed to him the whole honour of the 
 battle of Winnendal ; while general Webb, to 
 whom the reputation of the victory was chiefly 
 due, was passed by in silence. Marlborough 
 was accused by the Tory party of partiality 
 and injustice, and a vote of thanks to the 
 latter was introduced and passed, from motives 
 of aversion to Marlborough, rather than of 
 regard or respect for the injured officer. 
 
 The public was amused to an unusual de- 
 gree, by the next proceedings of the two houses. 
 An order had been made by the privy-council, 
 that in the form of prayer used on the acces- 
 sion of the queen, the following words should 
 be omitted, " and that these blessings may be 
 continued to after ages, make the queen, we 
 pray thee, a happy mother of children, who, 
 being educated in thy faith and fear, may 
 happily succeed in the government of these 
 kingdoms." Mr. Watson, son to lord Rock- 
 ingham, moved in the house of commons on 
 the twenty-fifth of January, that an address 
 should be presented to her majesty, imploring 
 her to moderate her griefs, and to entertain 
 thoughts of a second marriage. Though the 
 motion, considering her time of life, seemed to 
 convey a degree of ridicule, it was strongly 
 supported by all the young members, and 
 presented to her majesty. The queen replied, 
 that the provision she had made for the pro- 
 testant succession, would always be a proof 
 of her hearty concern for the happiness of the 
 nation ; but that the subject of their address 
 was of such a nature, that she was sure they 
 did not expect a particular answer. 
 
 The conmions granted a land-tax of 4*. 
 in the pound, a malt tax, and £2, -500,000 in 
 exchequer bills, intended to amount collect- 
 ively to £6,457,830, an estimate, however, to 
 which they were much inadequate. The par- 
 liament was prorogued on the 21st of April. 
 A LONG and severe frost, vvhich was par-
 
 CHAP, v.] 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 37 
 
 tially felt in England, contributed to prolong, 
 by its destructive intensity, the distresses to 
 Aviiich France had been reduced, by a con- 
 tinuance of unsuccessful war. The revenues 
 of Lewis were exhausted ; the bankers who 
 transmitted his foreign payments dishonoured 
 their bills ; and the creditors, whose money 
 was confided to Barnard, one of the prin- 
 cipal of the money brokers, were losers to the 
 amount of a million sterling. Influenced by 
 these calamities, and by the impossibility of 
 farther contention with safety or honour, 
 Lewis solicited permission, through the me- 
 dium of Pfctkum, envoy from the duke of 
 Holslein, to send the president De Rouille to 
 lay his proposals before the deputies Buys 
 and Vander-Dussen. The states transmitted 
 immediate intelligence to the emperor and to 
 the queen of England, of the nature and ex- 
 tent of De Rouille's overture. The super- 
 intendence of the treaty, and the terms on 
 which a pacification could be acceded to, were 
 committed by their respective sovereigns to 
 the prince of Savoy and the duke of Marl- 
 borough. The pensionary of Holland, who 
 directed the councils of the states, prince 
 Eugene, and Marlborough, were equally in- 
 fluenced by the love of glory, and by a natural 
 desire for the continuance of a system, which 
 had enabled them to gratify their passions for 
 wealth, honour, and authority ; to obstruct as 
 far as possible every step towards the con- 
 clusion of peace. TJie demands of the allies 
 were exhorbitant in proportion to the humili- 
 ating conditions offered by P^iance ; and 
 Marlborough had the address to render the 
 sincerity of Lewis suspected, by diffusing a 
 belief, that the only object of Rouille's mis- 
 sion was to deceive and amuse the confede- 
 rates. The reports of the conferences after- 
 wards removed to the Hague, were received 
 by the Fifnch court v.ith despair, and the 
 marquis de Torcy, secretary for loreign affairs, 
 ofJered to ihe king his services, as a last re- 
 sort. France agreed to yield the whole 
 Spanish monarchy to the house of Austria, 
 ■without any equivalent ; to acknowledge the 
 titlu of queen Anne ; to cede her conquests 
 on the empire upon the Upper Rhine ; to 
 give Furnesi Ypres, Menin, Touriiay, Conde, 
 and Maubege, for a barrier to Holland ; to 
 remove the Pretender from the dominions of 
 France, to restore the possessions of the duke 
 of Savoy ; and to meet Uie wishes of the 
 
 allies on minor subjects of contention. Terms 
 so honourable to the confederates, and so 
 destructive to the influence of France, might 
 well have satisfied the demands of reasonable 
 ambition, and would have amply repaid the 
 expenditure of life and treasure, on the part 
 of the hostile powers. But interests, glory, 
 and avarice, prevailed over every considera- 
 tion of justice and general policy ; it was de- 
 manded, that Lewis should surrender the 
 stiongest towns in his territories, as pledges 
 for the entire evacuation, by his grandson, of 
 the dominions of Spain ; a condition, which 
 it was not within the power of Lewis to gua- 
 rantee. De Torcy returned to Paris, and the 
 whole negotiation being made public, the 
 national pride of France, awakened to a sense 
 of the indignities to which it had been sub- 
 jected, reanimated the court and the people 
 to renewed exertions. 
 
 In a private conference between Marlbo- 
 rough and De Torcy, the former advised the 
 renewal of the Pretender from France, as 
 necessary to the success of his attempts to 
 ascend the British throne, and intimated, that 
 should he obtain an asylum in any other 
 country than France, it would be the duty of 
 Townsend and himself to support him in a 
 state of dignified afHuence. To this proposal 
 the Pretender refused his assent, alleging that 
 it was made with no other intention than to 
 persuade the world, that he had renounced 
 his pretensions for a pension. 
 
 The termination of the conferences was 
 immediately succeeded by vigorous prepara- 
 tions for the continuance of the war. The 
 prince Eugene remained in Flanders, to second 
 the duke of Marlborough in his military ope- 
 rations. The army of the allies amounted to 
 one hundred and ten thousand combatants. 
 The enemy's array, augmented by thousands 
 whom the late famine had driven to the ranks, 
 was commanded by the marshal de Villars. 
 He occupied a strong post between Couriere 
 and Bethune, which covered both his wings. 
 The villages of La Bassee and Pont A\endiu 
 defended his front. By this position of his 
 army he covered the cities of Do way and 
 Arras, of which the capture had opened a 
 passage into the heart of Franco. The gene- 
 rals of the allies perceived that this position 
 was too strong to be easily forced ; and under- 
 standing that Villars, fearing an attack, had 
 weakened the garrison of Tournay to 50U0 
 4
 
 o8 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CFIAP. V. 
 
 Siege to 
 
 men, decamped in the night, and laid 
 that fortress. Notwithstanding the favourable 
 position of the town, and the strength of the 
 citadel, constructed by Vauban, the former 
 surrendered at the end of three weeks, and 
 the latter a few days afterwards. Eugene and 
 Marlborough resolved to pursue the impor- 
 tant advantage they had gained, and passed 
 the Scheldt "on the third day of September, 
 Avith the intention of laying siege to Mons. 
 The prince of Hesse was detached, to attack 
 the French lines, from the Haisne to the 
 Sambre, which were abandoned at his ap- 
 proach ; but the prince being threatened by 
 a body of the enemy, the duke of Marlborough 
 hastened to support him. On the ninth, the 
 allies made a motion to the left, by which the 
 two armies approached so near, that they 
 instantly began to cannonade each other. 
 Villars had passed the Scarpe, and encamped 
 between that river and the Scheldt. He en- 
 trenched himself at the village of Malplaquat, 
 about a league distance from Mons. His 
 riglit extended to the village itself, which lay 
 behind the extensive and impenetrable wood 
 of Sart. Another wood of equal depth 
 covered his left. Along a very narrow plain, 
 opposed to his centre, he drew trenches behind 
 trenches, and covered the whole with a row 
 of trees, with all their branches, which he had 
 cut down and carried from the adjacent woods. 
 Notwithstanding these obstructions, the allies 
 resolved to give battle to the enemy. The 
 British troops were opposed to the left, the 
 Dutch to the right, and the Germans to the 
 centre of the French. The marshal de Yillars 
 placed himself at the head of his left wing, 
 committing the charge of the right to the 
 marshal de BoufHers, who consented to act 
 a second part. About eight o'clock the at- 
 tack began. Eighty-six battalions on the 
 right, commanded hy general Schujlenburg, 
 the duke of Argyle, and other generals, and 
 supported by twenty-two battalions, under 
 count Lottum, attacked the left of the enemy 
 with such vigour, that in less than an hour 
 they were driven from their intrenchments 
 into the woods of Sait and Traniere. Villars, 
 as had been foreseen, weakened his centre, to 
 support his left wing against the tierce assault 
 of the British infantry. The enemy were 
 driven into the plain behind, where they sus- 
 tained the conflict with unabating tirnniess. 
 In the meau time, the Jl>utch, under count 
 
 I Tilly, were engaged with the enemy's right. 
 
 I Advancing to the intrenchments in three lines, 
 they made and sustained a terrible fire for the 
 space of an hour. The resistance of the 
 F'rench was so obstinate and surcesslul, that 
 the confederates consulted on desisting from 
 the attack. At this moment, general Cado 
 gan perceived the void left in the centre ot 
 the enemy, by the troops removed to the 
 assistance of the left. Prince Eugene imme- 
 diately attacked the intrenchments at that 
 place, entered the enemy's line, flanked a 
 regiment of French guards, and forced them 
 to fly. Villars, hastening to support his 
 centre, was wounded and carried from the 
 field. The marshal de BoufHers, however, 
 
 \ sustained the fight with obstinacy, notwith- 
 standing- the cavalry of the allies had already 
 entered his lines. He ordered the Pretender, 
 who served in this campaign, to advance at 
 the head of twelve hundred of the horse-guards; 
 And in one desperate shock the German 
 cavalry were broken and dissipat'^d ; but the 
 generals of the allies rallied their cavalry, 
 forced the enemy back on their lines, and ad- 
 vancing slowly, but firndy, under the th'e of 
 thirty pieces of cannon, gained the field. 
 
 BouFFLERS retired deliberately and unmo- 
 lested, with all his cannon, except fourteen 
 dismounted pieces. The loss of the contend- 
 ing parties was nearly equal, and amounted to 
 more than thirty thousand men. Though the 
 field of battle remained with the allies, the 
 Fiench redeemed their national glory by the 
 skill and calmness of their retreat. The ne- 
 cessity of attacking them when so advan- 
 tageously posted, and when Mons might have 
 been taken without a battle, has long been the 
 subject of severe scrutiny and animadversion. 
 The campaign was ended on the twentieth of 
 October by the surrender of that fortress. 
 
 On the fifteenth of ISovendjcr llie parlia- 
 ment met at Westminster; and in her open-in^ 
 speech, the queen complained, that France 
 had employed every stratagem to amuse the 
 allies, with false and deceitful insinuations of 
 her desire for peace. The commons coin- 
 cided in the views of her majesty, and voted 
 grants to the amount of six millions. While 
 the senate, however, testified its loyalty and 
 unanimity, the people were excited to the ex- 
 pression of open discontent. They began 
 loudly to comj)!ain of the continuance oi' tiie 
 war, ami the pressure of taxes. The clergy,
 
 CHAP, v.] ANNE. 59 
 
 whose principles accorded with those of the 
 Jacobites, became themselves the instruments 
 of faction and sedition. The court and the 
 ministers of justice had hitherto endeavoured 
 to discourage the violence of these obnoxious 
 persons, by leaving them unnoticed, in the 
 hope of reducing them to silence by the return 
 
 of plenty and contentment, on the conclusion 
 of the expected peace. A deviation from this 
 prudent conduct, excited the nation to a 
 tlame, destroyed the unanimity of the j)arlia 
 ment, and effected an in)portant revolution iu 
 the policy of England and the btate of Europe. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 [1709 to 1714.] 
 
 [Commotions excited bi/ SacheveraVs Sermo7i — His Trial and Populurily — Alienation of the 
 Queen from her 3Iiuisters — 31isfortunes of Stanhope in Spain — Progress of Mrs. 3Iashum. 
 in the favour of the Queen — Attempt to assassinate Mar ley — Marlborough's successful 
 Campaign — On his return he is accused of Peculation — Negotiations for Peace — Debates 
 in Parliament — Fatal Duel between the Duke of Hamilton and Lord Mohnn — Private 
 Sentiments of the Queen nith respect to the Successioti — Conclusion of the Treaty of 
 Utrecht — Stale of Parties — Disputes respecting the Articles of Peace — Ttcrbidence of the 
 Duke of Argyle — Decline of the Earl of Oxford s Influence — Intrigues and Ascendancy 
 of Bolingbrohe — Conduct of the Elector of Hanover — Dismissal of Hurley — Death of the 
 Queen — Her Character. 
 
 SACHEVERAL was the son of a clergy- 5 tion to the sherifl', which contained many 
 man, and was educated at Oxford, under | arguments and observations inconsistent with 
 the patronage of ' several benefactors, among » the established order of society, and obnoxious 
 whom the bishop of Sarum, Burnet, Mas the} to the government. He was rewarded for 
 most active and liberal. At the university, he ! his boldness by his popular election to a 
 was regarded as a person of turbulent and ; church in Southwark ; and on the 5th of 
 litigious spirit, unworthy of respect or con- i November, having obtained the pulpit |-qq 
 fidence. His talents were above mediocrity, « at St. Paul's, he delivered a sermon 
 but I he vanity and presumption which marked \ before the lord mayor and the court of alder- 
 his conduct in the general intercourse of life, ; men, replete with those expressions of corn- 
 precluded the deference and esteem that were | plaint and jealousy, which were common to 
 due to his mental powers and his scholastic I him with his whole party. His text was taken 
 acq\iisitions. In tiie latter end of the summer from St. Paul, 2 Corinthians, chapter xi. verse 
 of noi), when the discontent of the people | '20. In perils among false brethren. Instead 
 had -been excited by the termination of the | of conmiemorating the fortunate events which 
 conferences at the Hague, he was invited by \ preserved his country from slavery and ruin, 
 his namesake, Sacheveral, high sheriti" of Mjy the discovery of thu gunpowder plot, an<l 
 Derbyshire, to preach at the assizes. The j the landing of d»e prince of Orange, he deliver- 
 sermon was afterwards printed with a dedica- 1 ed a vehciheut oration, iu defence of passive 
 
 1 2
 
 60 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 obedience and non-resistance, and stigmatized 
 the advocates of the revolution as eneniies^to 
 their country. 
 
 Notwithstanding the opposition of the 
 court of aldermen, who, attached to the prin- 
 ciples of, the low churcli, refused to thank 
 Sacheveral, accordinj^ to custom ; the lord 
 rnaj'or, sir Samuel Gerrard, encouraged the 
 doctor to publish his discourse, and to 'present 
 it in a dedication, corresponding with the ser- 
 mon in outrageous assertion, and paradoxical 
 argument. The Tories extolled the produc- 
 tion, as a master-piece of composition, and the 
 opposition of the Whigs was proportionably 
 ■vehement. 
 
 Mr. Dolben, son to the archbishop of York, 
 presented to the house of commons a complaint 
 against these rhapsodies, and by this conduct 
 gave them an importance, which otherwise 
 they would not have obtained. The most 
 violent paragraphs were read, and the sermons 
 voted scandalous and seditious libels. Sache- 
 veral was ordered to attend on the fourteenth 
 of December. He was taken into custody 
 ^y.Q and instantly impeached. On the ninth 
 of January, the commons exhibited four 
 articles against him, affirming that the doctor 
 suggested and maintained. That the necessary 
 means for effecting the late revolution were 
 odious and unjustifiable ; that the toleration 
 to dissenters was unwarrantable and unreason- 
 able ; that the church of England was in 
 danger under the queen's administration ; 
 that there were persons in office who endea- 
 voured to overturn the constitution ; and that, 
 throughout the whole management of affairs, 
 there was a general mal-administration and 
 corruption. It was resolved to impeach him 
 at the bar of the house of lords, of high crimes 
 and misdemeanors, and Mr. Dolben was ap- 
 pointed to conduct the prosecution, in the 
 name of the commons of all England. The 
 Tories, to whom Sacheveial's principles were 
 highly acceptable, exerted themselves to the 
 utmost in his defence. They affirmed that 
 the Whigs had formed a conspiracy for the 
 destructioii of the church, and that the pro- 
 secution was intended as a trial of their 
 strength, before they should proceed openly 
 to the prosecution of -their object. The clergy 
 made use of all tlieir influence to alarm and 
 enflame their hearers, while emissaries were 
 employed to work on the minds of the popu- 
 lace, who were already prone to discontent 
 
 fcHAP. v;. 
 
 ; from a scarcity of provisions, which was at 
 ; that time felt in almost every country of 
 \ Europe. It was urged, that the church was 
 I exposed to the most imminent perils from 
 ; dissenters, Whigs, and hike-warm prelates ; a 
 i set of men, wiiom they represented as the 
 I authors of the ruinous war, and ultimately of 
 5 the terrible famine, which threatened to deso- 
 ! late the nation. So powerful a party having 
 I espoused the cause of Sacheveral, after the 
 \ articles were preferred against him, the lords 
 I thought it expedient to admit hin) to bail. 
 5 At length, on the twenty-seventh of Febru- 
 1 ary, the trial began in the hall of Westminster, 
 J which hail been prepared at a great expence 
 } for the occasion. The queen was every day 
 ; present as a private spectator, and when the 
 > culprit proceeded to Westminster hall, he was 
 ; attended from his lodgings in the temple by 
 J the multitude, who rent the air with shouts of 
 ; applause, and were animated to such a pitch 
 ; of fury and enthusiasm, that they effected the 
 I destruction of several dissenting meeting- 
 5 houses, and insulted, or mal-treated the peers 
 1 and members of the house of commons, whom 
 \ they suspected to be inimical to the cause of 
 ! their favourite. Even the clergy testified their 
 i approbation of his conduct and doctrines, by 
 5 surrounding him at the moment of trial, and 
 ! extolling him as the champion of the church ; 
 N and the queen herself could not refrain from 
 » some indications of partiality towaids a man, 
 I whose doctrines were so favourable to the 
 ; royal prerogative. 
 
 5 As the doctor avowed himself the author of 
 I the sermon, no witnesses were produced. The 
 \ managers, who were chiefly men in office, 
 i appealed to the principles on which the revo- 
 \ lution was accomplished, and to the general 
 tenor of the opinions and measures adopted 
 by the parliament. The council of Sacheve- 
 ral endeavoured to prove, that his language 
 did not justify the interpretation of his ac- 
 cusers ; and he himself concluded by reading 
 a speech, in which, while he vehemently and 
 ably justified his doctrines, he expressed his 
 approbation of the revolution, and his respect 
 for the queen and the established government. 
 The lords, when they retired to coiisidt 
 upon his sentence, were divided, and continued 
 vndetermined for some time. After violent 
 altercation, Sacheveral was found guilty by a 
 majority of seventeen voices, but a protest was 
 ; entered against this decision by thirty-four
 
 CHAP. VI.] 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 Gl 
 
 peers. He Mas proliibited from preaching for 
 three years, and his two sermons were ordered 
 to be burnt by the hands of the liangnian, in 
 the presence of the lord mayor ami slierifts. 
 
 Thk lenity of tliis sentence, which was 
 chiefly owing to the dread of popular re- 
 sentment, was regarded by tiie Tories as a 
 victory over the opposite faction. They cele- 
 brated their triiimpli liy bonfires and illumina- 
 tions ; and Sacheveral was soon after presented 
 to a benefice in North Wales, whither he was 
 conducted with great |)on)p and magiiihcence. 
 On his way he was sumptuously entertained 
 by the university of Oxforti ; and many noliie- 
 men,wliO secretly regarded him with conrempt, 
 ■worshipped him as the idol of their faction. 
 In several towns he was formally received by 
 the magistrates ; and, during part of the jour- 
 ney, was attended by a body of one thousand 
 horse: at Bridgenorth he was met by a person 
 named Cresswell at the head of four thousand 
 men on horseback, and as many on foot, wear- 
 ing white knots edged with gold. The hedges 
 were for two miles dressed with garlands, and 
 the steeples covered with streamers, flags, and 
 flowers. " The church and Dr. Sacheveral" 
 were resounded in every quarter ; and a spirit 
 of religious enthusiasm pervaded the whole 
 nation. 
 
 1710 When the queen addressed the house 
 in the April following, she expressed 
 her resentment against those who had taken a 
 false impression, that the church was endan- 
 gered by certain licentious libels, productions 
 which had been the objects of complaint in 
 all ages, and which could not be suppressed 
 by the utmost care and vigilance. She de- 
 clared her readiness at all times to punish and 
 <liscourage vice and irreiigion ; to sanction by 
 her assent every salutary law that might check 
 the progress of licentiousness. 
 
 fliTHERTO the queen had coincided in sen- 
 tin)ent with her ministers, though she no longer 
 regaided them with her wonted favour. So 
 early as two years before, immediately subse- 
 quent to the death of her husband the prince 
 of Denmark, she betrayed the change of her 
 attachments and opinions. The prince was 
 infirm and inactive ; an advocate for strict at- 
 tachment to the allies ; and, himself of a dif- 
 ferent persuasion from the established church, 
 a friend to the toleration of the belief of others. 
 The queen was, it is true, religiously disposed, 
 but chiefly toward.s the higii church party, 
 
 who prejudiced her strongly against the dis- 
 senters, as a turbulent and factious race, who 
 had chiefly contributed to the calamities of 
 her grandfather Charles I, The queen was to 
 a great degree susceptible of flattery ; and 
 the high church party, more expert in its 
 blandishments than their opponents, consulted 
 her feelings and gratified her pride by their 
 earnest protestations of personal duty, and of 
 regard for the prerogative. 
 
 During these intrigues the court of France, 
 exhausted and dismayed by the success of 
 the allies, solicited the states-general to admit 
 the arrival of plenipotentiaries at any place in 
 Holland or Flanders they might deem it proper 
 to appoint. Lewis engaged to acknowledge 
 Charles 111. as king of Spam, to withdraw all 
 succours from his grandson, to forbear sending 
 him any future assistance, and to consent that 
 no part of the Spanish monarchy should ever 
 be united with France. His ofiers on every 
 other point of discussion were equally exten- 
 sive, but did not fui.d the expectations of the 
 allies, Lewis, unwdling to abandon the hope 
 of peace, pioposed .■jtill further concessions. 
 The duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene, 
 averse to the conclusion of a war so produc- 
 tive of wealth auci giory, contrived to induce 
 the queen of Great liritain and the emperor to 
 throw the whole of the negotiation into the 
 hands of the Diuch republic. The deputies 
 from the states-gent!"ai rose in their demands 
 in proportion as France increased her con- 
 cessions, and insisied that Lewis XIV. instead 
 of paying a subsidy towards the war against 
 his grandson, should a3SI^st the allies with all 
 his forces to expel iiiiu fro.'u (he throne. 
 
 In the mean time the duke of Marlborough 
 and the prince oi ^avoy sit down before 
 Donay, after assembling the army at Tournay, 
 and entering the French lines without resist- 
 ance. The confederate generals determined 
 on the siege of Donay, as that place covered 
 Lisle and the rest of their conquests in Flan- 
 ders. The enemy having assembled near Pe- 
 ronne advanced towards Cambray with a force 
 sufficient to relieve Donay ; but it was the 
 determination of ^'illars not to risk the issue 
 of the campaign in a single battle, but to inter- 
 rupt the siege of Donay, which was resolutely 
 defended by a garrison of eight (housantl mcij 
 under Monsieur Al)eigolh, wlto made a num- 
 ber of desperate .sallies, in which the besieged 
 lost many soldiers. The garrison, however.
 
 Q'2 mSTOKY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 surrendered on the 2Gth of Jnne, and the con- > discretion. A result so fatal to the interest of 
 federates took successively Bethune, St. Ve- \ Cliarles might have been prevented, had the 
 nant, and Aire. The loss of the allies was j jiroposal of Stanhope, that a body of troops 
 great, notwithstanding^ their successes ; and a ; ^liould occupy the pass of Pampluna, through 
 convoy of military stores, conveyed in boats i which alone the French king could have 
 along the Lys under the command of the earl | sent forces to Spain^ been properly regarded, 
 of Athlone, was blown up with an explosion I The count de Stahremberg immediately 
 that separated the river into two channels, and | hastened to the relief of his friends, but arrived 
 interrupted its navigation. * J too late to prevent the disaster I have re- 
 
 The campaign on the Rhine was entirely 5 corded, while he exposed himself to the most 
 inactive. The campaign in Spain was distin- > imminent danger. A battle was fought in the 
 guished by the alternate defeat of both the | neighbourhood of Villa Viciosa with Vendorae. 
 claimants of tlie throne. Philip V. with an » The contest was long and bloody; and Stah- 
 army of Spaniards, took the tield in the be- i remberg retired, under the protection of night, 
 ginning of May ; and, after many marches and ! leaving behind him his cannon, baggage, and 
 counter-marches, proceeded to Almenara, at j ammunition, but inflicting upon the enemy a 
 the moment of the arrival of general Stanhope, J destruction nearly equal to that which his 
 who attacked the cavalry of Philip, and slew | own army had sustained. 
 
 with his own hand the commander of his j Though the continuance of the war pro- 
 gmirds. The cavalry were dispersed at the \ longed the power of Marlborough on the 
 ifirst shock ; the infantry were driven from the * continent, his influence at home was gradually 
 iield. Philip retired with his broken army, j declining. Tlie parliament having been dis- 
 leaving behind him his artillery and the greatest I solved, was succeeded by another, of which 
 part of his baggage. The main body of his | the majority were Tories. From every quarter 
 troops fled with precipitation to Lerida. To } of the kingdom addresses, confirming the doc- 
 cut off the communication between the enemy | trine of non-resistance, were presented to the 
 and Castile, he passed the Sinca, and marched I queen, and graciously accepted. The con- 
 towards Saragossa, whither general Stahrem- \ ferences at Guertrugdenburg having been 
 berg pursued" him, and obtained over him a 5 broken off, the designs of the Dutch and 
 victory, in which he lost 12,000 men in killed \ English commanders were too obvious not to 
 and prisoners. Charles entered Saragossa in ; be perceived. The writers of the Tory faction, 
 triumph, while Philip retreated to Madrid, « who were men of the first eminence in litera- 
 and afterward to Valladolid, in order to collect 5 ture, displayed all the vehemence of declara- 
 his scattered troops into another army. | tion on the avarice of Marlborough, and the 
 
 The severities of Stanhope, who pursued i selfish conduct of the Dutch. They insisted 
 liis route to Madrid, and the enthusiasm of all | that, while England wasexhausting her strength 
 ranks of society, who regarded Charles as a ! in foreign conquests, for the benefit of other 
 king imposed upon them by heretics, restored | nations, she was losing her liberty at home ; 
 the affairs of Philip. The duke of Vendome, ! and that the members of administration, not 
 whom the caprice of the duke of Burgundy \ content with sharing the jiiunder of an im- 
 had rendered useless to France, assumed, at | poverished state, were resolved to control by 
 the request of Philip, the chief command in ; their influence, even the constitutional exertion 
 Spain. The nobility flocked around his stan- > of the royal authority. 
 
 dard ; and, before the end of October his army j The great instrument of popular declension 
 amounted to 30.000 men. An army of French, j in favour of the Whigs, during their late as- 
 assembled in lloHssillion, was preparing to | cendancy, was the cry, that the church was in 
 enter Catalonia. The allies had divided their { danger. By the circumstances attending the 
 armies for the convenience of subsistence ; and i trial of Sacheveral, that mode of deception 
 Stanhope arrived with five thousand men, on 5 was now transferred into the hands of their op- 
 the eighth of December, at the small unforti- i ponents, and was productive of immediate 
 fled town of Briheuga. He was surprised by | and irresistable effect: the power of the Tories 
 the duke de Vendome, who had swam across \ and the violence of the people were combined, 
 the Tagus with his cavalry, and compelled, j with private reasons, to render the influence of 
 after a desperate resistance, to surrender at 5 Marlborough no longer decisive and secure.
 
 CHAP. Vl] ANNE. C3 
 
 Tlie duchess, by that arrogance which fre- ; steward, whidi was given to the duke of 
 quently accompanies unexpected success, and ; Buckingham : and Mr. Henry St. Joiin, sii- 
 is frequently the reward of unhmited con- $ perseded Mr. Boyle in the office of the secre- 
 descetision, had lately wounded the pride and ; tary of state. The great seal was committed 
 provoked the anger of the queen, to whose > to Sir Simon llarcourt on the resignation of 
 favour Mrs. Masham had graduallj^ succeeded. J rlie lord chancellor, an example which was 
 The brother of this lady, colonel Hill, had dis- I followed by the earl of Wharton, whose com- 
 tinsruished himself in the battle of Almaiiza : j mission as lord-lieutenant of Ireland was tran.*:- 
 
 "o 
 
 the influence of his sister recommended him > fcned to the duke of Oimond : and thus was 
 to the notice of the queen, and she intimated | accomplished the expulsion of all the Whig 
 to the duke of Marlborough, that she wished 5 party from office, except the duke of MarU 
 him to be appointed to the regiment vacant by ; borough, by the appointment of Mr. George 
 the dcHth of the earl of Essex. The duke ; Granville as secretary at war in the room of 
 expostulated on this extraordinary proof of ; Mr. Robert Walpole. 
 
 partiality for a woman who had treated him ; The passion of the duke of Marlborough 
 with marked ingratitude. Hitherto he had ; overcame his usual coolness of behaviour and 
 uninterruptedly possessed the disposal of all 5 deliberate address. When he received intel- 
 military rank ; and he represented to the queen I ligenceof the intended disgrace of Sunderland, 
 the prejudice that would result to the service 5 he wrote to the duke of Berwick, and offered 
 from the promotion of so young an officer. ; his services to the court of St. Germains ; 
 He retired to the country, and threatened ; which led to a correspondence between the 
 to resign the command of the army. The ; exiled queen and the general, more honour- 
 queen disguised her joy a', this menace ; and, ; able to the finesse of both parties, than to 
 in order to |)revent the earl of Sunderland J their wisdom or integrity. At the moment 
 from introducing a vote into the house of ; when Marlborough himself was in communi- 
 connnons to remove Mrs. Masham from her i cation with the family of James, he corres- 
 presence and service, dissembled her resent- ! ponded also with the elector of Hanover, and 
 luent ; and informed him by letter, that she ; accused the new ministry, to that jjriuce, as 
 insisted on his retaining the comnjand of the ; men fully determined to restore the Pretender, 
 army, and that he might dispose of the regiment ; Nor was the charge entirely destitute of foun- 
 as he pleased. ; dation, for the duke of Shrewsbury, the lord 
 
 But the resolutions of Anne were not nmch ; chamberlain, was even now in correspondence 
 longer indecisive or equivocal. The post of : with the court of St. Germains, though he 
 lord chamberlain was transferred from the \ had written, at the same time, a letter j)ro- 
 duke of Kent to the duke of vShrewsbury ; ; fessing the most ardent attachment to the 
 and the earl of J>artmoulh succeeded the earl ; elector. 
 
 of Simderland, son-in-law to the duke of Marl- ; During these intrigues of the two parties, 
 
 borough, as secretary of state. The Whigs, ; the parliament assembled at W estminster, and 
 
 though at first they yielded to despair, deter- ; elected for their speaker one Bromley, an 
 
 mined to support themselves by the people in j individual attached to tije high church party. 
 
 opposition to the queen ; and they infiuenced \ The <(ueen declaretl, in her o|)euing speech, 
 
 the directors of the bank to assure her ma- ^ her firm determination to prosecute the war, 
 
 jesty, that public credit would be annihilated | especially in Spain, with the utmost vigour, 
 
 by the change in her councils ; and the Dutch ; and demanded suitabfe supplies. \\'hatever 
 
 alternately appealed to her wisdom, her jus- $ might have been known or suspected of the 
 
 tice, and her fears, in petitions, menaces, and $ motives which influenced the duke of Marl- 
 
 niemorials. Advised, however, and assured ; borough and prince Eugene in urging tlie pro- 
 
 by Harley, she was not to be shaken from her ! longation of the war, the allied powers were 
 
 purpose: she appointed the latter chancellor ; justly convinced, that all the offers of Lewis 
 
 of the exchequer and imder-treasurer. Lord $ to abandon his grandson were illusory. They 
 
 Godolphin was divested of his ofhce: lord | considered the apparent disunion between 
 
 Soniers was succeeded as president of the i France and Spain as a mere collusion ; ihey 
 
 council by lord Rochester : the duke of De- i could not be ignoiant of the secret promises 
 
 \unshire Mas deprived of tiie stall" of lord > given by Lewis to supporthis grandson 5 they
 
 64 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. Vf- 
 
 ro2;ar'.lecl the nomination of the duke of Bnr- 1 distrust. At this moment his credit was re- 
 gundy to the ducal title of An jou, the acknow- 5 stored, by the violence of a desperate and 
 ledgnient of the prince of Asturias, and the \ enthusiastic assassin. One Guiscard, a French 
 conduct of Philip in General, as decisive proofs i officer, \vlio had communicated some nseful 
 of a resolution never to relinquish the Spanish ; intelligence relative to the affairs of Fra^ice, 
 throne. The French monarch had in reality i had received from the crown a j)recarious pen- 
 exhorted the dauphin and Philip never to » sion of £400 a year, which he considered as 
 give credit to any appearance of an approach- 1 a reward extremely disproportioned to his 
 ing peace, or of a design to abandon Spain ; \ services. He had often endeavoured to pro- 
 but, on the contrary, to be assured of his ; cure admittance to the queen, but was always 
 resolution to continue the war. \ prevented either by Harley or St. John. Pro- 
 
 The triumph of Philip was completed by i voked at these disappointments, he resolved 
 the licentiousness of the Dutch and English > to make his peace with the court of France, 
 soldiers, « ho insulted and treated with inhu- j and offered his services to Moreau, a banker 
 inanity the inhabitants of Madrid ; by the \ at Paris. His packet, which he transmitted 
 avarice of Stanhope, and the propensity to ; hy the way of Portugal, was intercepted, and 
 rapine of the earl of Gal way. The unfortu- ; a warrant issued to ap])rehend him for high- 
 iiate Charles HI. was loaded with all the sins | treason. Conscious of his guilt, he .sought 
 of his army, and fled before his victorious j not to avoid his fate, but resolved to satiate 
 enemy. The lords severely censured the con- i his revenge. Being carried before the council 
 duct of the generals, iind passed a vote of cen- I convened at a place called the Cockpit, he 
 sure for injurious advice, and for neglect, on \ perceived a penknife lying upon the table, and 
 the late ministry. Notwithstanding these and \ took it up without being observed by any of 
 other indications of hostility on the part of the 5 the attendants. When pressed by the mem- 
 court and the government, the duke of Marl- i bers of the council, he emleavoured to evade 
 borough, influenced by the wishes of the | examination, and tiesired permission to speak 
 allies, and by his own propensity to the accu- | in private to Mr. St. John. His request, how- 
 mulation of wealth, determined to continue in i ever, being refused, he said, " That's hard ; not 
 his command, and on the 18th of February | one word!" On which, as St. John was out 
 embarked for Holland, to concert with the ; of his reach, he stept towards Mr. Harley, 
 states the operations of an early campaign. ! and crying out, " Have at thee, then !" stabbed 
 
 In reply to a message of the queen, ad-^ him in the breast with the penknife he had 
 ^_.^ dressed to both houses on the 3rd of 1 concealed. By good fortune, the blade of the 
 January, the lords expressed their un- i knife broke upon the rib without entering the 
 limited approbation of the conduct of the earl ; cavity of the breast ; but he repeated the bl">w 
 of Peterborough ; censured the late ministers 5 with such violence, that Harley fell to the 
 for their mismanagement of the Spanish war ; \ ground. St. John exclaimed, " The villain 
 and avowed their displeasure at the councils \ has killed Mr. Harley ;" and drawing his 
 and measures of the earl of Galway, loni ; sword, while others followed his example, 
 Tyrawley, and general Stanliope. In the ; Guiscard was wounded in many places. He 
 commons it was voted, that inviting and bring- ; still Ijovvever continued to strike and defend 
 ing over poor Palatines, ot all religions, at the > h^iiiself, until, being overpowered by the mes- 
 national expence, was a dani;en<us and scan- ; sengers and servants who on hearing the noise 
 dalous misapplication of the public money. ; had rushed in, he was conveyed from the 
 A law was enacted during this session, that j council-chamber, which he had tilled with 
 no one should be capable of representing a ; terror and confusion. His wounds, though 
 county in parliament, unless he possessed an ! dangerous, were not mortal ; but he died of a 
 estate of £600 a year ; and that every burge.ss | gangrene, occasioned by the contusions he 
 should have an annual income of half tiiat i had sustained. The attempt upon the life of 
 sum. The moderation of Harley, during all | Harley, by a person who was proved to be 
 the contentions of the senate, rendered tlie ; an enemy to the state, extinguisiied the sus- 
 sincerity of his attachment to the Tories sus- ; picious of those who began to doubt of that 
 pec ted ; and his inHueiK(> was rrgarded by j minister's integrity. The two houses of par- 
 the majority of his party with jealousy and ; liament expressed their convictioUj in an
 
 €HAP. VI. 1 ANNE. 65 
 
 address to the queen, that Mr. Harley's loy- \ along the upper Soarpe and Ugy. They were 
 ally and zeal in the service of her majesty had ; regarded by niari^hal Villars as impenetrable, 
 subjected him to the hatred of the abettors of j and denominated, in confidence of their 
 faction and popery. When Harley appeared ; strength, the Ne plus ultra of Marlborough, 
 in the house of commons after his recovery, i Deluded by the mantjeuvres of the duke, the 
 he «as congrafulated by the speaker, in a ; French commander drew all his forces to the 
 formal speech, replete with the most fulsome | side of Villars-Brulin in the full expectation of 
 panegyric. On the death of the earl ofjau engagement; leaving unprotected the 
 Rochester, who died soon after these events, | passages on the Sanset and the Scheldt, which 
 Harley became sole minister, was created \ were immediately occupied by general Homp- 
 baron of Wigmore, and exalted to the rank of \ seek, who, with general Cadogan, had passed 
 earl, by the titles of Oxford and Mortimer. j the former of these rivers at Arleux. Marl- 
 
 The commons proceeded to enquire into » borough himself, with his vanguard of fifty 
 the debts of the navy, which were combined 5 squadrons, having passed the Scarpe, hastened 
 with many other debts in one stock, amount- 1 his march towards Arleux, and before eight 
 iiig to £9,470,.321. A fund was established 5 o'clock arrived at Baca-Bacheul, where in 
 for paymg an interest or annuity of 6 per cent. | two hours he was joined by the heads of the 
 until the i)rincipal should be discharged. 5 columns into which he had divided his array. 
 With this fund was granted the monopoly of 5 The rapidity of Villars to counteract these 
 a projected trade to the South Sea, vested in | movements, was only equalled by his surprize 
 the proprietors of navy bills, debentures, and ! and dismay. "^ He decamped with his whole 
 other public securities, who were incorporated | army, and at the head of the kings household 
 for this purpose. Such was the origin of the | troops marched with such expedition, that 
 South Sea Con)pany ; an establishment so \ at about eleven in the forenoon, he arrived in 
 productive, before many years had elapsed, j sight of the duke of Marlborough, who had 
 of individual ruin and national distress. t just passed through the defile of Marquion, and 
 
 The duke of Marlborough had arrived in \ joined count Horapseck. The French general 
 England on the 28th day of December. Hav- \ fell back on the main body of his army, which 
 ing entered London as a private person, he | had reached the high road between Arras and 
 obtained an interview with the queen, in which \ Cambray, while the confederates^ having 
 the alienation of her mind was so evident, as \ marched ten leagues without halting, encamp- 
 to leave him no hope of further influence. \ ed upon the Scheldt, between Oisy and 
 Though he attended the privy-council, there- 5 Estrum. The confidence expressed by Vil- 
 fore, as an indication of respect, he surren- \ lars, in the impenetrable construction of his 
 dered into her majesty's hands the places and \ line of defence, was now the source of invidi- 
 dignities of his wife, which were those of | ous and mortifying comparison between him 
 groom of the stole, mistress of the robes, and | and his competitor in arms. He took every pre- 
 keeper of the privy purse. The two first were ^ caution, however, thatskillandexperiencecould 
 bestowed on the duchess of Somerset, the | suggest for the defence of Bouchain, which 
 last on Mrs. Masham. Being continued for \ contained a garrison of 6000 men, commanded 
 the present in the command of the army, the 5 by able officers. But notwithstanding the 
 duke set out for Holland on the eighteenth ; strength of the town, the courage of its de- 
 day of February; he repaired to Flanders I fenders, a numerous army on one side, and 
 about the middle of April, and assembled the > the garrisons of Conde.and Vallenciennes on 
 army at Orchies, between Lisle and Donay. \ the other, in twenty days the garrison, after 
 He passed the Scarpe, and encamped between \ oflfering to capitulate, surrendered themselves 
 Donay and Bouchain ; but w as afterwards | prisoners of war. 
 
 induced to repass the river, and form his camp \ The capture of Bouchain formed the last 
 in the plain of Lens, from whence he advanced \ enterprise of this celebrated general. Upoa 
 towards Aire, as if it were his intention to \ his return from the campaign he was accused 
 besiege St. Omer, or attack the enemies' lines j of having taken a bribe of £0000 a year from 
 in that quarter : these lines extended from | a Jew who contracted to supply the army 
 Bouchain to Canche, being continued along ; with bread ; and the (jueen thought jiroper to 
 the Sanset and the Scarpe to Arras, and tlieuce; dismiss bim from all his employments. The 
 
 1^ &
 
 66 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. VI, 
 
 desire of accumulating money is acknowledged 
 to have been a passion which actuated this 
 general throughout tlie whole of his conduct, 
 and which tarnished the lustre of his military 
 talents and his personal accomplishments. At 
 the time when he received this gratuity from 
 Medina the Jew, he was allowed ten thousand 
 pounds a year by the queen; and, in addition 
 to his ordinary pay as general of the British 
 forces, he reserved to his private emolument 
 two and a half per cent, from the pay of foreign 
 troops maintained by England. 
 
 Previous to these transactions, the emperor 
 Joseph died of the small-pox without male 
 issue, so that the immediate aim of his brother 
 ■was to succeed him on the Imperial throne. 
 The event was on the 28th of April commu- 
 nicated by a message from the queen to both 
 houses. She informed them, that the states- 
 general had concurred with her in a resolution 
 to support the house of Austria ; and that 
 ihey had already taken such measures as would 
 secure the election of Charles to the head of 
 the empire. 
 
 The duke of Argyle, who had been recom- 
 mended to the command in Spain by his en- 
 mity to the duke of Marlborough, landed at 
 Barcelona on the 9th of May, and found the 
 British troops in the utmost distress for want 
 of subsistence Having waited in vain for the 
 promised remittances, he was obliged to borrow 
 money on his own credit before the French 
 troops could take the field. At length Stah- 
 reniburg advanced towards the enemy, who 
 attacked him at the pass of Prato del Rey, 
 where they were repulsed with considerable 
 Joss. After this action, the duke of Argyle 
 was seized with a violent fever, and was con- 
 veyed back to Barcelona, from whence he 
 transmitted pressing but unsuccessful com- 
 plaints of remaining unsupported, to the 
 ministry. The castle of Cardona being in- 
 vested by Vendome, a detachment for the 
 relief of that fortress defeated the besiegers, 
 killed two thousand on the spot, and took all 
 their artillery, ammunition, and baggage. 
 From the deticiency of supplies, however, 
 Strihremburg was disabled from following up 
 the blow ; and the duke of Argyle, mortified 
 at the culpable neglect with which he was 
 treated, returned to England in disgust. 
 
 The disputes between Charles and the duke 
 of Savoy having been terminated by an inter- 
 view between these two princes at Milan, and 
 
 ; prince Eugene, at the head of the Geeman 
 ; forces, protecting the, electors at Frankfort 
 I from the designs of the enemy, Charles was 
 ! unanimously called to the empire. 
 I For some time before the dismission of 
 J Marlborough, a negotiation for peace had 
 ; been carried on between the court of France 
 ! and the new ministry. The latter hoped to 
 J obtain for the subjects of Great Britain, such 
 ; advantages as might silence the clamours of 
 * the Whig party. In order, therefore, to tcf- 
 i minate the war as soon as possible, the earl 
 \ of Jersey, who acted in concert with Oxford, 
 ; transmitted to the court of France a private 
 I message, imparting the queen's anxious desire 
 5 for peace, and a wish for the renewal of the 
 I conference. Peace, on almost any terms, 
 J being the ardent wish of the minister, Mr. 
 5 Prior was privately sent to France, and Mon- 
 1 sieur Mesnager came to England, and signed 
 J some preliminary articles ; after which. Prior 
 J was succeeded by Bolinbroke, who was com- 
 I missioned to prosecute what his predecessor 
 X had begun^ 
 
 I The opening speech of her majesty to the 
 
 I parliament, on the seventh day of December, 
 
 5 announced the appointment of a time and 
 
 ; place for the approaching congress. In the 
 
 \ house of lords, the earl of Nottingham pro- 
 
 ; posed a clause to be inserted in the address 
 
 I of thanks, representing to her majesty, that, 
 
 ( in the opinion of the house, no peace could 
 
 I be safe or honourable to Great Britain or 
 
 ! Europe, if Spain and the West Indies should 
 
 5 be allotted to any branch of the house of 
 
 \ Bourbon. After a violent debate, in which 
 
 \ the duke of Marlborough was provoked to 
 
 I defend himself against the attacks of his 
 
 enemies, by appealing to her majesty whether 
 
 he had not always informed her of every pro- • 
 
 posal of peace, and submitted himself to the 
 
 instructions of her council, the motion A 
 
 Nottingham was carried by a small majority. 
 
 The duke of Hamilton having clain)ed a 
 seat in the house of lords, under his newly- 
 acquired title of duke of Brandon, it became 
 a subject ef dispute, whether Scottish peers, 
 created English peers since the union, had a 
 right to sit in the upper house. After vehe- 
 ment debates, it was determined in tiie nega- 
 tive, by a majority of five. The bill against 
 occasional conformity was revived by tho earl 
 . of Nottingham, in more moderate terms tlian 
 \ those which had been formerly rejected. The
 
 CHAP. Vll ANNE. 07 
 
 duke of Devonsnire oblaineo leave to bring j addressed circular letters to *lie princes of 
 in a bill for giving precedence of all peers to \ the empire, exhorting them to persist in their 
 theelector of Hanover, as duke of Cambridge ; j former engagements; and tlie Whio-s con- 
 and an address was presented to the queen, | tinued to disseminate disputes and dissatisfac- 
 desiring that she would instruct her pleni- 1 tion, by every mode of appeal to the passions 
 potentiaries to consult with the ministers of j and the interests of the community, 
 the allies in Holland, before the opening o(\ It must be confessed, indeed, that many of 
 the congress, that they might concert the | the motives which had lirst incited the con- 
 necessary measures for proceediog with una- 1 federates to take up arms, no longer existed, 
 nimity. In order to secure a majority in the | Charles of Austria, in whose cause England 
 house of lords, twelve new peers were created ; t had expended so much blood and treasure, 
 and the queen, having sent a message desiring | was now the possessor of the Imperial throne, 
 the lords to adjourn, it was only by the * and every reason conspired to withhold him 
 weight of these newly-created peers, that the i from supporting his pretensions to the crown 
 legality of causing one house to adjourn be- 1 of Spain, the acquisition of which was become 
 fore the other was established. | an object incompatible with the liberties of 
 
 The arrival of prince Eugene, the ardent \ Europe. The elector of Bavaria, who had 
 friend and admirer of Marlborough, was un- \ been intimately connected with the French, 
 pleasing to the queen, and alarming to the | was now detached from them ; and the Dutch, 
 ministry. He was received with a compla- } who had trembled for their own barrier, were 
 cency calculated to lull his suspicion of the i now encroaching on that of the enemy, 
 real sentiments of the court, while party riots « Though it was the interest of England, there- 
 were excited to insult his person, and his ; fore, that her allies should be reinstated in 
 family was traduced, in the public journals, ; their rights, it was inconsistent with good 
 through the secret influence of the ministry ; i policy that they should be rendered too 
 the court and nobility received him with every i powerful. 
 
 external indication of respect ; he was adored | Exasperated by the intrigues and oppo- 
 by the Whigs, and applauded by the people. ; sition of the Dutch, the house of commons 
 On her birthday, the queen presented him | expressed its sentiments of the conduct of the 
 with a sword worth £5000.; though she | states-general, in terras of severe reprehension, 
 regarded him as one of the principal support- 1 They asserted, that the queen had paid above 
 ers of the war faction, now so hateful to her « three millions of crowns in subsidies, above 
 mind, and was well aware of his intercourse ; what she was bound to advance by her en- 
 with the heads of the excluded party, and his | gagements, and that the states had always 
 connection with the baron de Bothmar, the i been deficient in their proportion of troops, 
 Hanoverian envoy, who had been active in ^ both in Spain and the Netherlands. The 
 fomenting the discontents of the people. ^ house of commons voted, that in the barrier 
 
 The earl of Stafford, who had lately been | treaty, which had been concluded with the 
 recalled from the Hague, where he resided as » states-general by lord Towusend, after the 
 ambassador, was sent back to Holland with ; conferences at Guertrugdenburg, there were 
 orders to communicate to the pensionary, i several articles destructive to the trade and 
 Heinsius, the preliminary proposals, and to $ interest of Great Britain, and therefore highly 
 fix upon a place where the plenipotentiaries J dishonourable to her majesty. It was repre- 
 should assemble. The Dutch, upon exa- \ sented in a long address, that England, during 
 raining the preliminaries, were averse to begin- ; the war, had been overcharged nineteen mil- 
 ning the conference. They sent over an envoy, | lions. The states-general, astonished and 
 to endeavour to dissuade the queen from her | alarmed by these resolutions, drew up a re- 
 resolution ; but not succeeding in this attempt, i spectful letter to the queen, in which they 
 they lixed ujjon Utrecht as the place of | represented the necessity of a barrier for the 
 general conference, and accordingly granted ; mutual security of England and of the United 
 passports to the French ministers. Neither | Provinces. They published at the same time, 
 the Dutch nor the Germans, however, re- ; in one of the English journals, a memorial in 
 fraiiied from any possible expedient to avert ; vindication of their proceedings during the 
 the probibilily of peace. The emperor > war, whic]\ was voted a faLse. scandalous, •. od 
 
 K 2 '
 
 ^ HISTORY OP ENGLAND. fCHAP. Vf* 
 
 malicious libel, reflecting on the resolutions \ attitude in which she had hitherto presided 
 of the house ; and the printer and pul>lisher } over the affairs of Europe. 
 Avere taken into custody, as guilty of a breach > The French plenipotentiaries at Utrecht 
 of privilege. j delivered their proposals in writing, under the 
 
 Amono the other acts ofthe commons during 5 title of specific offers, which were met on the 
 the present session, were the repeal ofthe act of > part of the confederates by the most extrava- 
 iiaturalization ; the passing of a bill, granting ; gant demands. The queen, whose sole hap- 
 tolerafion to tiie episcopal clergy of Scotland, « piness appeared to depend on the conclusion 
 notwithstanding the security of the presby- ; of peace, finding that the confederates were 
 teriau government was a fundamental con- I not inclined to moderate their demand.s, de- 
 dition of the treaty of union ; a clause was « clared that, as they refused to co-operate with 
 inserted, prohibiting civil magistrates from j her openly and sincerely, she regarded herself 
 executing the sentences of the kirk-judica- ? as entirely released from all her engagements, 
 tories. An act was passed for disfcontinuing | and secretly directed the duke of Ormond 
 the courts of justice during the holidays, not- ; not to act on the offensive. Prince Eugene, 
 withstanding they are never kept by persons 5 having been joined by the duke, projected an 
 of that persuasion ; and the right of patronage, j attack on the French army, and was therefore 
 which had been abolished when the discipline | made acquainted with the instructions re- 
 ef the kirk was last established, was restored. \ ceived by his coadjutor, who desired permis- 
 1712 '^ ^'^^ month of Januar}', the con- ; sion to return home. Eugene, however, in- 
 ferences were opened at Utrecht, under | vested the town of Quesnoy, and the duke, at 
 the conduct of Robinson, bishop of Bristol, ; the risk of his own responsibility, assisted 
 lord privy-seal, and the earl of Stafford, on ; him with seven battalions and nine squadrons 
 the side of the English ; of Vuys and Van- : of foreign troops, in the pay of Great Britain, 
 derdussen on the part ofthe Dutch; and of; For the sake of appearances, Ormond after- 
 the marshal DUxelles, cardinal Polignaes, ! wards received an order to co-operate with 
 and M. Mesnager, in behalf of France. The ; the generals of the allies, and the siege was 
 ministers of the emperor and Savoy assisted, ; undertaken under the cover of his forces. Bnt 
 and the other allies sent their plenipotenti- j on the 24th of the month, the duke informed 
 aries, though with the utmost reluctance. ; Eugene, that he had received the commands 
 England and France being the only powers | of the queen to publish, within three days, a 
 that were sincerely inclined to peace, the « suspension of arms between his army and that 
 deputies of the other confederates retarded ; of the French for two months. The foreign 
 the progress of the negotiation. The emperor ! troops, however, in the pay of England, re- 
 persisted in his claim to the Spanish mo- > fused obedience to his orders, alleging that 
 narchy, while the Dutch adhered to prelimi- i the commands of their officers to act against 
 naries which had been formerly rejected. • | the French were positive and unconditional. 
 
 The ministers, impressed with the convic- \ After the capture of Quesnoy, the garrison 
 tion, that, in case of the queen's death before j surrendering ])risoners of war, prince Eugene 
 the conclusion of the treaty, an event not un- 5 dispatched major-general Grovenstein, with 
 likely, from the declining and uncertain state ; fifteen hundred horse, to penetrate into the 
 of her health, they would be subjected to all i heart of France. He advanced so far as to 
 the revengeful virulence of the opposite party \ spread terror into the capital, and render it 
 for obeying her commands, commenced a ! expedient for Lewis to increase the number 
 private negotiation with France. They stipu- I of his guards at Versailles. After ravaging 
 lated* certain advantages for the subjects of i and burning the country in his progress, he 
 Great Britain, which were privately agreed 5 retreated too fast to be pursued by the forces 
 upon by the two courts ; but the peculiarity | dispatched for that purpose, 
 of the circumstances in which the stipulations | In a speech made by lord Halifax, he ex- 
 were drawn up, and the haste with which the j patiated on the ill-consequences of the duke 
 agreement was " concluded, prevented that 5 of Ormond's refusal to co-operate witli princs 
 vigilant watchfulness over the interests of | Eugene, and moved an address to her majes- 
 England, wWeh would have been justified by | ty, imploring her to withdraw the restrictions 
 the success of her arms, and the commanding ; on the conduct of the English general. The
 
 CHAP. Vl] 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 69 
 
 earl of Paulet replied, that though no one 
 could doubt oi" the dnke of Onnond'b courage, 
 he (did not resemble a certain general, Avho 
 led his troops to the slaughter, in hopcri that 
 a great number of officers might be " knocked 
 on the head," that by disposing of their com- 
 missions he mi;;ht increase iiis own treasures. 
 Tlie duke of Marlborough, exasperated by a 
 sarcasm uttered ia his presence, challenged 
 the earl ; but was prevented from proceeding 
 further in the quarrel, by the express com- 
 mands of the queen. 
 
 Tuf, other allies having resolved to prose- 
 cute the war, without the co-operation of the 
 Knglish troops, were attacked by Villars at 
 Denain, their entrenchments forced, and 
 seventeen battalions destroyed or made pri- 
 soners. Among the latter were the earl of 
 Albemarle, the commander, and the surviving 
 officers. 
 
 In Holland, the prosecution of the war 
 Avas the favourite object of every rank and 
 description of society. The elector of Hano- 
 ver refused to coincide in the views of the 
 queen of England, and the king of Prussia 
 was equally inimical to the conclusion of 
 peace. Portugal rested the solicitations of 
 England, till the siege of Campo-Major by the 
 marquis de Bay, with 20,000 men, taught the 
 cotirt the necessity of acquiescence ; and even 
 when the Portuguese minister signed the sus- 
 pension of arms, he excused his conduct to 
 the allies, as the effect of insurmountable 
 necessity. The English troops in Spain, 
 separated from the army of count Slahrem- 
 liurg, marched to the neighbourhood of Bar- 
 celona, where they were embarked on board 
 an English squadron, and transported to 
 Minorca. 
 
 The articles of the intended treaty were 
 warmly canvassed in every rank of the metro- 
 polis ; and the duke of Hamilton having been 
 appointed ambassador extraordinary to the 
 court of France, the Whigs strongly suspected 
 that nobleman of attachment to the Pretender. 
 The duke and lord Mohun, having been for 
 some time at variance on the subject of a law- 
 suit, the latter, a tame and subservient de- 
 pendant upon the Whigs, under pretext of 
 tiieir former quarrel, sent a challenge to the 
 tluke, by general Macartney. Attended by 
 Macartney and colonel Hamilton, they met 
 by appointment in Hyde Park, and fought 
 wilh so much fury, that Mohun was killed 
 
 upon the spot, and the duke expired as they 
 were conveying him to his house. Macartney 
 escaped in disguise to the continent. Colonel 
 Hamilton declared upon oath, before the 
 privy-council, that when the principals en- 
 gaged, he and Macartney followed their 
 example ; that Macartney was immediately 
 disarmed ; that seeing the duke fall upon his 
 antagonist, he (Hamilton) threw away the 
 swords, and ran to lift him up ; and that 
 while he was employed in that office. Macart- 
 ney, having taken up one of the swurds, 
 stabbed the duke over colonel Hamilton's 
 shoulder, and immediately fled. Macartney 
 was treated by the Tories as a cowardly 
 assassin, in the service of his party ; the Whigs 
 affirmed, that the duel was entirely the result 
 of a private quarrel. Macartney afterwards 
 submitted to a trial, in which the prevarica- 
 tion of Hamilton, and the testimony of several 
 persons who witnessed the combat at a dis- 
 tance, were the grounds of his acquittal. The 
 duke of Marlborough, hearing himself accused 
 as the author of these party-mischiefs, retired 
 to the continent, whither he was followed by 
 his duchess. 
 
 The plenipotentiaries of Great Britain and 
 France, together with those of the states, met 
 in form on the 18th of January ; but their 
 progress to an adjnstm.ent of the affairs of 
 Europe, was retarded by the unexpected 
 death of the only son of Lewis XIV. at the 
 age of fifty. He was succeeded, in the title 
 of heir of France, by his son the duke of 
 Burgundy, a prince not less remarkable for 
 animation and the love of business, than his 
 father for the opposite qualities. But he 
 also died on the IBth of February, having 
 survived only six days his wife the dau- 
 phiness, Marie-Adelaide of Savoy. These 
 events, so fatal to the royal family of France, 
 were followed in a few days more by the 
 death of the duke of Britany, the duke of 
 Burgundy's eldest son. They were all buried 
 in the same grave. Out of three sons, born 
 to the duke of Burgundy, the dukeof Anjou, 
 a sickly infant, alone remained. The mis- 
 fortunes of France raised the courage of such 
 of the confederates as were eager for con- 
 tinuing the war, and England concurred wilh 
 the other powers, in denianding new securities 
 for the stability of. the peace, and for prevent- 
 ing the crowns of France and Spain from de- 
 volving to the same possessor. After tiiaiiy
 
 70 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND 
 
 ^ 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 expecHeiifs and contre-projels, Philip resolved 
 to reiioiiiice his precarious prospect of the 
 crown of France, for the certain possession 
 of the throne of Spain. The treaty afterwards 
 proceeded witliont obstruction or delay. In 
 the beginning- of August, the secretary St. 
 John, accompanied by the abbe Gualtier and 
 Mr. Prior, visited incognito the court of 
 Versailles, and adjusted the interests of the 
 duke of Savoy and the elector of Bavaria. 
 A suspension of arms, l>y sea and land, of 
 which a principal condition was the surrender 
 of Dunkirk to the British troops, and which 
 extended to four months, was concluded be- 
 tween England and France. On the 6th of 
 June, the queen came to the house of lords, 
 and made a speech from the throne. She 
 observed, that though the making of peace or 
 war was the undoubted prerogative of the 
 crown, she was resolved, in consequence of 
 her promise, to communicate to her parlia- 
 ment the terms of the treaty, before it should 
 be concluded. In the house of commons, an 
 address of thanks was voted, without one 
 dissentient voice ; but the address of the lords 
 was not passed till after violent debates. 
 
 The wishes of Anne, respecting the succes- 
 sion, were decidedly hostile to the claims of 
 the elector of Hanover. The bias of family 
 connection, the morbid conviction of the 
 queen, that she was enjoying that dignity 
 which ought to have been the possession of 
 a near relative, and her affection for her bro- 
 ther, conspired to render her averse to the 
 popular and expected mode of succession. 
 The princij)les she had now imbibed from the 
 Tories, were not inconsistent with the resto- 
 ration of the family of James ; and she had 
 learned by experience, that both in England } 
 and Scotland, the majority of those who were \ to count Zinzendorf, his Imperial majesty's 
 distinguished by the title of Jacobites, or of; minister. The emperor, exasperated to re- 
 the low church party, were in secret commu- ; sentment, resolved to continue the war. The 
 iiication with the court of St. Germains : and J British and French plenipotentiaries were 
 the most powerful motive by which she was s the first who signed for their respective sove- 
 influenced, in her conclusion of peace with | reigns. Their example was followed, in the 
 France, was the hope that it might ultimately \ space of a few hours, by the minister of the 
 lead to such arrangements, as would enaible ; duke of Savoy, and by those of Portugal and 
 her to exclude the Hanoverian family from \ Prussia. The states were the last who signed 
 the throne. The elector himself had already \ the treaty ; the French plenipotentiaries 
 become indifferent to his claim on the crown | having insisted, that the ministers of such 
 He was harrassed by the in- ; princes, as their master had acknowledged as 
 and overtures of contending parties, 5 kings, should take place of the ambassadors 
 and, unaequainted with the bigotry of the | of a republic. 
 Pretenders «karacter, concluded that his | Thus was concluded a treaty, which, after 
 
 restoration would be the immediate result of 
 the death of the queen. The excluded party 
 in vain endeavoured to obtain, from his grati- 
 tude or generosity, the pecuniary means of 
 prosecuting their schemes against the existing 
 government ; and having suggested the idea 
 of invading England with a body of troops, 
 conveyed in Danish vessels, the elector dis 
 couraged the project, as equally improper and 
 unattainable. 
 
 The death of the duke of Hamilton made 
 way for the duke of Shrewsbury, as ambas- 
 sador to the court of Versailles. Lord Lex- 
 ington having been appointed ambassador ex- 
 traordinary to Philip V. had arrived at Madrid 
 in the middle of October. He was present at 
 the king of Spain's solemn renunciation of the 
 crown of France, for himself and his posterity ; 
 a ceremony, which was performed in the 
 presence of the council of Castile and Arra- 
 gon. The English parliament continued to 
 be prorogued, as the tedious negotiations at 
 Utrecht had not yet been brought to a close. 
 The duke of Shrewsbury and the marquis de 
 Torcy settled the plan of a general peace at 
 Paris, which a courier carried to Utrecht in 
 the middle of March. On the 27th of March, 
 the lord privy-seal and the earl of Strafford 
 acquainted the ministers of the allies, that they 
 had appointed the 31st of that month for 
 signing a treaty of peace, and another of com- 
 merce between Great Britain and France ; 
 and they requested, therefore, the plenipoten- 
 tiaries of the confederates to be prepired, at 
 the same time, to sign their respective trea- 
 ties. The conditions of peace to be allowed 
 to the emperor, or the empire, had been pre- 
 pared by the queen of Great Britain and the 
 French kins:. These were delivered in form 
 
 of England 
 trigues
 
 CHAP. VI.] 
 
 ANNG. 
 
 71 
 
 the lapse of many years, and the profuse ex- 
 penditure of blood and treasure, neither 
 stipulated any adequate indt mnification for 
 the past, nor promised any sui staiitial secu- 
 rity for the future. The chief advantages 
 gained in the treaty were such as the queen 
 and her ministers would willinj^ly have evaded, 
 and which Lewis acceded to king William, 
 whose title he acknowledged in the treaty of 
 Ryswick, but soon after permitted the Pre- 
 tender to be proclaimed king of Great Britain 
 at St. Gcrmains. The French king acknow- 
 ledged the succession in the protestant line of 
 Hanover. It was agreed, that the fortifica- 
 tions of the city of Dunkirk should be razed, 
 the harbour filled up, and the sluices, 
 which served to cleanse the harbours, be 
 levelled at the expence of the French king, 
 within the space of five months, with the ex- 
 press condition, that they should never be 
 repaired ; but the stipulated demolition was 
 not to be begun, till Lewis was placed in pos- 
 session of the equivalents granted by England. 
 By the treaty of Ryswick, restitution had been 
 made of all the places in Hudson's Bay and 
 theislandNewfoundland, which had been taken 
 on either side during the war. But by this 
 treaty, Hudson's Bay and Hudson's Straits, 
 tvith all the lands, forts, seas, coasts, rivers, 
 &c. were to be ceded for ever to Great Britain, 
 with the cannon, and a quantity of ammunition 
 proportionable to the cannon-ball that should 
 be found in the forts. Commissaries were to 
 be appointed on both sides, to regulate the 
 limits between Hudson's Bay and the places 
 belonging to France, and Lewis was to satisfy 
 the Hudson's Bay Company, for the damages 
 they had sustained since the cessation of hos- 
 tilities was proclaimed. On the other hand, 
 the queen was to cause satisfaction to be 
 given for the damages the French had sus- 
 tained at Montserrat, and some other griev- 
 ances relating to the island of Nevis, and the 
 castle of Gambia. Great Britain was to have 
 possession of Nova Scotia and its antient 
 boundaries ; and Newfoundland, with the 
 adjacent islands : but the French were to 
 iiave the liberty of erecting huts, and stages, 
 and other conveniences for drying fish on that 
 part which stretched along from the northern 
 point of the island, and extended by the west 
 side as far as Point Riclie. The isl&nd of 
 Cape Breton, and all others in the bay and 
 river of St. Laurence, were heieafler to belong 
 
 to the French, wi(h full liberty to erect forti- 
 ficatifms in any of the ceded iorts, places, and 
 islands. 
 
 Though the advantages which England 
 obtained by the treaty of Utrecht, were nei- 
 ther adequate to the importance of her victo- 
 ries, nor to the profusion of her expence, they 
 extended the glory and the commerce of the 
 kingdom She secured the dominion of the 
 Mediterranean, by obtaining Gibralter and 
 Minorca ; she strengthened and extended 
 her dominions in America, and in addition to 
 the triumph obtained by the relinquishment 
 of Newfoundland, the cession of Hudson's 
 Bay and St. Christopher's, and the other 
 articles of the treaty, she intimidated Lewis 
 into the greatest concessions to the duke of 
 Savoy, whom of all the confederates he hated 
 most. The majority of the confederates had 
 reason to be highly satisfied. The duke of 
 Savoy had obtained the cession of his duchy, 
 the district of Nice, and all he had received in 
 Italy from the emperor Leopold. He was 
 raised to the throne of Sicily, and was de- 
 clared the successor to the crown of Spain, 
 in default of the issue-male of Philip V. The 
 demands of the king of Portugal were few, 
 and easily satisfied. The states received, as 
 a barrier, Luxemburg, Namur, Charleroy, 
 and the other cities already in their posses- 
 sion. Their commerce with France was 
 jjlaced on the foundation established bv the 
 \ Tariff of 1664. The Riiine was to form the 
 
 limits of the empire on the side of France-, 
 and the foitifications raised or possessed by 
 the French, beyond that river, to be restored 
 to the emperor, or destroyed. The dominions 
 of Italy were to revert to their former sove- 
 reigns, and Naples and the duchy of Milan 
 were ceded to his Imperial majesty. 
 
 Thk situation of Harley, earl of Oxford, at 
 this period, was in the highest degree respon- 
 sible and precarious. He had offended the 
 Whigs, by his open attachment to the friends 
 of the Pretender, without exciting the unre- 
 served confidence of the opposite party. His 
 mysterious and reserved conduct provoked 
 the personal animosity, and repressed the 
 attachment of his political opponents and his 
 private friends. His only security for the 
 continuance of power was the support of the 
 queen, whom he had alarmed, by rumours and 
 insinuations, into a ttate of the most absolute 
 dependence. To secure himself against tlie
 
 72 
 
 inSTOilY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 suspicions of the populace, who accused him 
 of influoiiciiig the mind of the queeu in favour 
 of llio Pretender, he secretly advised her 
 niftjesly to assure parliament, in her speech 
 from the throne, that the utmost harmony 
 subsisted between her and the heirs of the 
 crown. She accordingly declared, in her 
 speech to parliament on the ninth of April, 
 that the most perft-ct friendshij) subsisted 
 
 annually in great quantities from Newfound- 
 land, and other parts of North America, could 
 not have found a market in Spain and Por- 
 tugal for the same reason. Britain could not, 
 according to the Tariff', take any of their 
 wines in exchange ; nor could they have been 
 sold iu France, not only because of the high 
 duties laid upon fish imported into France, 
 but because the French had now the liberty 
 
 between her and "the iiouse of Hanover. She i of catching as many fish as they pleased, and 
 alluded to the conclusion of peace, and the i of curing them in the most commodious parts 
 licentiousness of the press ; complained of | of the British plantations. This branch, 
 the prevalence of duelling; recommended therefore, of a productive and extensive trade 
 unanimity in the great councils of the nation ; | must have been quite lost to Britain, since 
 and reprobated the violence and continuance | the exchange of these commodities, and of the 
 of party rage. ^ native manufactures of the kingdoni for wines, 
 
 THEfirst measuresof the house of commons i was the greatest encouragement, not only to 
 were in conformity with the wishes of the \ the Sj)aniards and Portuguese, to deal with 
 queen. Some instances of mismanagement, | Britain in those articles, but to the Italians, 
 in the accounts of the army, were ex'amined | and other nations which supplied us with 
 and punished. But their attention was now | wines, fruits, oils, and raw silks. Notwith-* 
 diverted to an object of greater importance, j standing these considerations, the bill was 
 The treaty which related to the territorial | ordered to be introduced by a great majority, 
 possessions of England and France was ac- > But the triumph of the ministers was of short 
 companiedbya treaty of commerce. On the | duration. A society of forty members, de- 
 
 fourteenth of May, a motion was made to 
 bring in a biH to make good the eighth and 
 ninth articles of the treaty of commerce. By 
 the eighth article it was provided, that the 
 subjects of both nations should trade on an 
 equal footing, and by the ninth article, that 
 the TariflPof 1604 should not take place, till 
 two months after a law should be passed in 
 Great Britain, to reduce the duty on all French 
 commodities to an equality, for what was 
 usually paid for goods of the like nature, im- 
 ported from any other country of Europe. It 
 was the opinion of eminent merchants, that 
 such 
 the trade to 
 
 nominated the October Club, dissatisfied with 
 the conduct of Oxford, and willing to terrify 
 him into decisive measures in favour of the 
 Pretender, leagued themselves on this question 
 with the Whigs, and by their accession to the 
 party, gave it a majority of nine votes against 
 the commitment of the bill. 
 
 The malt-tax having been extended to Scot- 
 land, the Scottish members in both houses of 
 parliament met at a tavern, and having ap- 
 \ pointed two lords and two commoners to 
 } wait in their name upon the queen, they re- 
 
 an arrangement 
 
 quested permission to bring in a bill for the 
 
 would have destroyed 1 dissolution of the union. The individual who 
 
 Spain and Portugal, because | chiefly animated the opposition was the duke 
 
 neither of these two countries could receive \ of Argyle, a man of careless, frank, and en- 
 the commodities of Britain, btit in exchange I thusiastic disposition, who neither concealed 
 for their wines, and the duties payable in \ his resentments nor disguised his designs. 
 France on the British commodities, especially 1 With a commanding manner, which stamped 
 for fish, sugar, and woollen manufactures of his forwardness with an appearance of autho- 
 all sorts, which generally found a market in | rity ; he was feared by many, loved by none ; 
 Spain, Portugal, and Italy, were to continue x In his public exhibitions in parliament, he 
 so high, that there was no probability of vend- was rather spirited than eloquent; and all 
 ing them in France but at considerable loss : \ his better qualities were obscured by the love 
 while no prohibition had been laid on Eng- i of money. The earl of Oxford, aware of his 
 lish wool, dying drugs, or other articles that ^ influence over the multitude, endeavoured to 
 Hjight enable France to rival our manufac- 1 gain Irim over to his views ; but the opportu- 
 tures. I nity of opposing the minister, presented by 
 
 The fish which the British merchants bring j the imposition of the malt-tax, was t,io
 
 CHAP. TlJ ANNE. 73 
 
 )3ropitious to be neglected, and he therefore 5 selves in preventing theMivisions and animo- 
 flattered the prejudices, and fomented the | sities which too generally prevailed. This 
 resentment of the Scottish members. When ! speech, which, from its silence with respect 
 the question for bringing in the bill was put, i to the Hanoverian succession, and its implied 
 it was carried by a majority of four voices ; \ censure of ihe proceedings of 'the house res- 
 a disappointment occasioned by the indis- j pecting the commercial treaty, became the 
 cretion of the duke himself, who ofTended, ! object of much animadversion, was in alt 
 among other lords, two bishops, who possess- > probability the composition of Bolingbroke, 
 ed between them three proxies, by mentioning J who at this time began to supersede lord 
 the Pretender with contempt. The Scots, J Oxford in the favour of the queen. During 
 exasperated by their want of success, and by j the intrigues of this nobleman in the cabinet, 
 the speech of Argyle, returned to the support } the Whigs continued their correspondence 
 of the court ; and the exclusion of the Whigs \ with the elector of Hanover, and demanded, 
 from power was thus prolonged, by the in- j at various times, considerable sums for the 
 discreet enthusiasm of one of their own num- i support of party writers and indigent noble- 
 I)er. Oxford took immediate advantage of; men, attached to his cause. He refused to 
 the change. A palliative address was pre- \ comply with their requests, on the ground of 
 sented to the queen, approving of the treaties » poverty. The Pretender lived, in the mean 
 of peace and commerce. In opposition to the j time, in great security at Bar-le-duc, devoting 
 Whigs, a bill was passed, empowering the 5 his time to the duties of religion, and indifferent, 
 queen to raise five hundred and ten thousand | if not regardless, to the intrigues of his ene- 
 pounds, for the payment of the debts of the i mies and the efforts of his friends, 
 civil list : and the Whigs, having introduced a \ The new parliament had scarcely assem- 
 motion that " the duke of Lorraine should be < bled, before the commons resolved, that a book 
 solicited to remove the Pretender from his 1 entitled, " Memoirs of the chevalier de St, 
 dominions," with the purpose of throwing » George," was a scandalous and seditious libel, 
 upon the Tories the odium of opposing it, the ^ The motion was brought forward with the 
 latter, aware of the stratagem, suffered it to 5 design of assailing lord chancellor Phipp% 
 pass through both houses without resisting \ who was unwilling to exercise the rigor of 
 its progress, the only dissentient voice being | the law against writers who favoured his own 
 that of lord North. On the third of June, i principles. It was likewise resolved, that an 
 the commons addressed the queen, desiring ; address should be presented, to remove sir 
 to know what was the equivalent to be granted J Constantine Phipps from his place of lord 
 to the French king, for the demolition of high chancellor, he having prejudiced a cause 
 Dunkirk ; and received for answer that the ; depending in a court of law, by declaring his 
 •■quivalent was already in the hands of the | opinion in a speech to the lord-mayor and 
 king of France. Soon afterwards a person ; aldermen of Dublin. The votes of the lords, 
 deputed by the magistrates of Dunkirk, ar- I on the contrary, imported that sir Constantine 
 rived to solicit the queen to spare the harbour | Phipps had, in the several stations wherein he 
 and port of that town, a request which was ; had served her majesty, acquitted hniiself 
 necessarily refused ; and on the 20th of Sep- 1 with honour and integrity ; and the commons 
 tember, the demolition of that fortress was 5 replied to the resolutions of the lords,' by 
 begun, under the inspection of colonel Arm- 1 attacking the conduct of Phipps with still 
 strong and colonel Clayton. On the 16th of | more active and decided asperity. 
 July the queen prorogued the parliament, in | The earl of Oxford, finding his power 
 a speech expressive of her gratitude for the ; usurped and his influence counteracted by 
 affection, zeal, and duty of the commons ; > the intrigues of Bolingbroke, long hesitated 
 lier satisfaction at obtaining an advantageous \ between the love of place and the obvious 
 and honourable peace ; her hope that the \ dictates of prudence. Her majesty's dread 
 affair of commerce, in the next session, would ; of the AVhigs had gradually subsided, and 
 l)e so well understood, that the advantageous; conscious that her state of health was such 
 conditions obtained from France might be | as to render her existence precarious, she 
 rendered available bylaw; and her assurance, | became anxious, from motives of religion, for 
 that her faitiifu'l parliament would exert them- : the succession of her brother to the throne. 
 
 L 5
 
 n 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. vr. 
 
 Bolingbroke, by sympalliizing in feelings so 
 natural, and so unerjuivocally expressed, gra- 
 dually supplanted the carl of Oxford; and 
 willing to secure, beyond the probability of 
 change, the advantages he had gained, deter- 
 mined to obtain, if possible, the recal to Eng- 
 land of the duke of Marlborough. That no- 
 bleman himself performed every act of con- 
 ciliation and respect that could be expected, 
 to reinstate him in the good graces of the 
 queen. He wrote to all the branches of the 
 family, and to the court of France, assuring 
 them of his sincerity and zeal. Finding that 
 the queen was obdurate, and that the Pre- 
 tender himself treated his proposals with 
 distrust, he resumed his correspondence with 
 the elector of Hanover, who was still impor- 
 tuned by the VYliigs for supplies of money, 
 and who continued to listen to their demands 
 with coldness and reluctance. A proposal, 
 made by the baron de Bernstorf, president of 
 the electors council, was received by Marl- 
 borough and Cadogan witb eagerness and joy. 
 He insinuated that his electoral highness 
 might be induced to borrow, to the extent of 
 £20,000, from his friends in Britain. This 
 sum was to be laid out on the poor lords, and 
 on the common-council of the city of London. 
 The first would be thus enabled to vote ac- 
 cording to their principles ; the latter might 
 harass the government by remonstrances in 
 favour of civil liberty and the protestant suc- 
 cession. Marlborough and Cadogan under- 
 took to furnish the money, on the obligation 
 of his electoral highness, provided the interest 
 of 5/. per cent, should be regularly paid. But 
 the elector refused to give any obligation for 
 principal or interest, and merely intimated to 
 his friends that they should advance the 
 money, as they would be certain of reimburse- 
 ment when he, or the electress his mother, 
 should come to the throne. 
 
 At the end of December, the queen, who 
 had been long declining, fell into a dangerous 
 illness; nor could the tunmlts excited by the 
 report be removed, till the queen herself 
 wrote a letter, on the first of February, to the 
 lord mayor, announcing her recovery. The 
 parliament met on the fifteenth of February, 
 and on the twenty-seventh of that month the 
 queen returned to London, amidst the accla- 
 mations of the populace. On the 2nd of 
 March, to which day the parliament had 
 adjourned, she went to the house of lords, 
 
 and addressed them in terms suitable to the 
 state of the times. She reprobated the con- 
 duct of those who insinuated, that the suc- 
 cession to the house of Hanover was in danger, 
 and recommended them to unite the difference 
 of parties, and follow her example by im- 
 proving the benefits of peace. Amotion was 
 soon afterwards made, in the house of com- 
 mons, against a pamphlet, written in reality 
 by a Mr. Moore, but generally attributed to 
 Mr. Richard Steele. The latter acknowledged 
 himself to be the author of the obnoxious 
 publication, and after various and long debates 
 he was expelled the house. The Whigs, 
 endeavouring to retaliate for the severity 
 against Steele, extended their animadversions 
 to a pamphlet, written in reply to his, which 
 was generally ascribed to the pen of Dr. 
 Swift. They were outvoted by the Tories, 
 and trie whole affair was finally removed into 
 a court of common law. 
 
 The domestic history of the reign of Anne 
 contains little more than a continued series of 
 such political hostilities ; many of them de- 
 servedly forgotten, with the trivial occasions 
 that called them forth, and more consistent 
 with the minuteness of biography, than with 
 the selection and compression of historical 
 narrative. Nor was the violence of the 
 opposing parties, or then* intrigues with the 
 court of Hanover, more frequent or remark- 
 able than the indecision of the queen ; who, 
 insulted by a proposal in the house of com- 
 mons, to solicit that she would put a price 
 on her brother the Pretender's head, and still 
 wavering between her dread of Harley, and 
 her attachment to Bolingbroke, was gradually 
 sinking to the grave. Her affliction was aug- 
 mented by the conduct of the elector of 
 Hanover, who, at the earnest request of the 
 Whigs, permitted Schutz, his envoy, to de- 
 mand in the name of the electress a writ for 
 the electoral prince, as tluke of Cambridge. 
 On the delivery of this proposal at the cabinet 
 council, the queen exhibited every symptom 
 of violence and passion. She declared, in the 
 most peremptory manner, that she would 
 rather suffer the last extremities, than permit 
 any prince of the electoral family to come to 
 Britain during her life. She ordered the 
 master of the ceremonies to forbid Schutz 
 admission to her court, and immediately 
 solicited his recal. In the mean lime, the 
 cousiu of lord Oxford arrived at the court of
 
 CHAP. Vl] ANNE. 
 
 Hanover, with Ihe'eail's assurances of regard. 
 He was received with coldness, and returned 
 ■with no Jiioj-e satisfactory answer, tlian a 
 repetition of tlie elector's request. In order 
 to divert him from his purpose, the queen 
 took advantage of a discovery made by the 
 earl of Wiiarton, that several Irish officers 
 were employed in enlisting men for the Pre- 
 tender, to issue a proclamation, promising a 
 reward of five thousand pounds for apprehend- 
 ing the Pretender, whenever he should land, 
 or attempt to land, in Great Britain. The 
 two houses voted an address of thanks, and 
 extended the reward to one hundred thousand 
 pounds. While she was thus endeavouring 
 to disguise her real sentiments, the electress 
 Sophia died suddenly at Hanover, in the 84th 
 year of her age. 
 
 The war had for some time been resumed, 
 on the continent, between France and the 
 emperor ; but the loss of the two fortresses 
 
 75 
 
 and Fribourg inclined the latter 
 
 of Landau 
 
 once more to listen to proposals of peace 
 A conference was therefore held at Rastadt 
 between prince Eugene and marshal Villars, 
 and the terms of a peace were agreed ujion, 
 which were to be explained and concluded in 
 a solenni treaty, to be signed at Baden in 
 Switzerland. About the middle of April, the 
 French began to fill up the harbour of Dun- 
 kirk ; but at the same time they began to form 
 a canal at Mardike, which would have an- 
 swered all the purposes of the harbour. The 
 work was nearly finished, notwithstanding the 
 remonstrance of the English court, before the 
 death of Lewis XIV., and was not discon- 
 tinued, till after many protests and much 
 negotiation in the ensuing reign. 
 
 The supplies being granted, ' the queen 
 came in person to the house of lords, and 
 informed the parliament, that anxious as she 
 was to preserve the religion and the liberty of 
 her subjects, and to secure the present and 
 future tranquillity of the kingdom, her par- 
 liament ought to pay the same regard to the 
 iust prerogatives of her crow n, and the honour 
 of her government. She made no mention, 
 however, of the house of Hanover, or of the 
 protestant succession. The parliament was 
 now prorogued by the lord chancellor to the 
 10th of August, a measure which was attri- 
 buted, by the Whigs, to the anxiety of the 
 ministers, that parliament might not be silting 
 on the death of the queeni, an event of which 
 
 L 2 
 
 the probability was more and more observ 
 able. Her decline was accelerated, by the 
 quarrels of the two individuals nearest her 
 person, Oxford and Bolingbroke. The former 
 perceiving how little interest he retained in 
 her good opinion, excited her open resentment 
 and that of Bolingbroke, by encouraging au 
 address, requesting her majesty to apply to 
 the use of the public her share of the profits 
 of the Assiento contract. This was a contract 
 for negroes, of which the queen had reserved 
 to herself a fifth share, which share was to be 
 divided into sixteen others. Five were de- 
 signed for the lord treasurer, five for Boling- 
 broke, four for lady Masham, and two for 
 Arthur Moore, the agent. The resentment, 
 of the queen was still further exasperated, by 
 the insinuations of Bolingbroke, that Oxford, 
 had influenced the elector of Hanover to de- 
 mand the writ, which had so powerfully 
 excited her displeasure ; and she therefore 
 resolved to dismiss fiom her presence and 
 her confidence a servant, whose mysterious 
 temper and repulsive manners had long ex- 
 cited her suspicion and disgust, and of whose 
 fidelity she could not be assured. Boling- 
 broke, unwearied in the prosecution of his 
 ambitious views, alarmed her fears, and flat- 
 tered her prepossessions. Through his in- 
 fluence, when the treasurer came to court on 
 the 27th day of July, he was deprived of his 
 staff, but suffered to retain his other offices. ' 
 The earl of Oxford has been characterized 
 by a writer, whose peculiar facilities of in- 
 formation respecting this period of English 
 history entitle his opinions to peculiar respect, 
 as a man whose talents were neither extensive 
 nor obvious. Though he was regarded as a 
 patron of learning, and of literary men, his 
 progress in literature was confined to that 
 slight knowledge of the dead languages, which 
 men intended for public life generally brin^^ 
 from school. In the disposition of his mind, 
 he was reserved, distrustful, and cold ; a 
 lover of secrecy to such a degree, that he 
 assumed its appearance in mere trifles ; fond 
 of importance, without any dignity of manner ; 
 so full of professions, that he was always 
 deemed insincere. With a facility of temper 
 that could deny no request, but with a defect 
 of mind that could bestow nothing with grace, 
 he oflended the disappointed, and even lost 
 those whom he served. Though his intellec- 
 tual powers were not of the highest order, in
 
 76 HISTORY OP ENGLANB. [CHAP. VI. 
 
 Lis dexterous management of two parties, by i Tnii. person of Anne was of the middle size, 
 •which he was equally hated ; in his tempering ? her complexion sanguine, her hair dark, her 
 the fury of the advocates of the Pretender ; | features more regular than pleasing. Her 
 in his amusing the vehemence of the Whigs ; | virtues were of the negative kinti ; slie was 
 and in his advancing the interests of the house J neither violent in temper, profuse in expence, 
 of Hanover, when most distrusted by its i nor bigotted in religion. Her good-nature, 
 members and adherents ; he displayed a | degenerated into timidity, and her gentleness 
 considerable degree of address and political » and inactivity of mind, were better adapted to 
 knowledge. The importance of his services, I the virtues of domestic privacy, than to the 
 and the extent of his influence, were the most | important and arduous functions of a power- 
 strikingly testified by the sensation excited \ ful sovereign. The splendor of those military 
 by his dismissal. During three days of con- \ triumphs, which rescued Europe and Eng- 
 fusion in the cabinet, the minds of men were i land from the encroachments of French am- 
 agitated by the vicissitudes of hope and fear. \ bition, have cast around her portrait an in- 
 The queen having assisted at a select council, \ cidental and extrinsic lustre, and contributed, 
 in the night of the twenty-eighth of July, she ! during her reign, to confirm and extend her 
 ■was distressed and perplexed by their inde- \ popularity with the great body of the nation, 
 cision and difference of opinion. Her agita- 1 She was an amiable woman, rather than a 
 tion occasioned the cessation of the usual ; great princess ; in all her actions she was 
 discharge from her leg, and she fell into a } guided by the dictates of her honest conscience, 
 state of insensibility, which terminated in her I and her errors were the errors of understand- 
 death at Kensington, on the morning of j ing, and not of principle. 
 Sunday, the 1st of August, in the 50th year ; 
 of her age. J 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 [1714 to 1720.] 
 
 Accession of George I. — Appointment of the Ministry — Tmpcachmcnt of the Earl of 
 Oxford — Banishnent of the Duke of Ormond — Discontents of the People — Exile of 
 JBolingbroke — Rebellion in Scotland — Chans-s of B'linistry — The Septennial Act — Affairs 
 of the Continent — Naval Exploits — Financial Pleasures — Discharge of the Earl of 
 Oxford — yVie Bishop of Eavgoi-'s Pamphlet — Misunderstanding betireeti the King and 
 the Prince of Wales — Modification of the Test Act — The South Sea Bubble — Adminis- 
 tration of Wulpole. 
 
 GEORGE-LOUIS, elector of Hanover, 5 friends of the house of Stuart. The advance- 
 asceuded the throne of Great Britain, | ment of Shrewsbury to the head of the trea- 
 with the unanimous approbation of the great ; sury ; the consequent failure of Bolingbroke's 
 body of the people, and with the silent ac- > intrigues ; and the apparent indifference of 
 quiescence of the most powerful and active » the queen to the question of succession ; all
 
 CHAP. VII J 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 7? 
 
 contributed to repress tlie confidence, and ! 
 cloud the expectations of the Tories. Previous 
 to the departure of the king from Hanover, 
 he had transmitted orders to the regency, 
 consisting of the seven great officers of state, 
 and certain other persons appointed by virtue 
 of an act, passed in the late reign, to remove 
 lord Bolingbroke from his post of secretary of 
 state, and to seal up the doors of his office ; 
 a measure, not less justified by the conduct 
 and character of that extraordinary individual, 
 than conducive to the patient and prudent 
 submission of his partizans. At the period of 
 his accession, George had attained the 5oth 
 year of his age. He derived his descent from 
 the blood-royal of England, by his mother 
 •Sophia, daughter of Frederic, elector-paiatine 
 and king of Bohemia, who married Elizabeth, 
 only daughter of James I. of England. Tht; 
 right of the male line of the house of Stuart, 
 having been extinguished in the person of 
 James II. it rested in the house of Savoy, 
 which was descended from Henrietta, duch<-ss 
 of Orleans, daughter of Charles I. Tiie prm- 
 cess Sophia being the youngest dau^littr of 
 the palatine, whose family was nun>pions, 
 more than fifty descendants of t!);.t prince 
 ■were passed over in the act of William, which 
 declared the succession to the cr()\vu to be 
 vested in the house of Hanover. Tlie rjtle, 
 therefore, of George I. was not claimed as an 
 hereditary right, but received as the gilt of 
 the king and the people ; and tht family on 
 the throne is an elected family. 
 
 So well assured was the new m.onarch of 
 the attachment of his sul)jeci-., and of the 
 weakness of the Pretender's friends, that he 
 did not set out from Heren-Ilausen (ill the 
 Itith of September. His arrival in Lnridon 
 was welcomed by M. D'lberville, the envoy 
 of Lewis, and by count Koningseg, the Im- 
 perial ambassador : the foniier assured 'lim 
 of the determination of his master, lo culti- 
 vate the most perfect understanding with the 
 English cabinet ; and the latter proposed, in 
 the name of the emperor, to supply any num- 
 ber of troops that Uiight be required lo sup- 
 port the authority of government. The change 
 of ministry, which immediately succeeded the 
 assumption of the regal power, was absolute 
 and decisive. The earl of Nottingham, the 
 only Tory entrusted with office, was declared 
 president of the council ; the command of the 
 army was restored to the duke of Marl- 
 
 borough ; lord Townsend and general Stan- 
 hope were nominated secretaries of state ; the 
 privy-seal was entrusted to the earl of Whar- 
 ton, and the government of Ireland was trans- 
 ferred to lord Sunderland ; lord Cowper was 
 reinstated in the office of chancellor. The 
 earl of Halifax was made first commissioner 
 of the treasury ; the king refusing to create 
 a lord high treasurer, unwilling (as he declared) 
 that there should be a greater man in the 
 kingdom than himself. 
 
 The evident partiality to the Whigs, dis- 
 played in these appointments, excited the 
 alarm, and destroyed the influence of their 
 opponents. Bolingbroke, too conscious that 
 his presence at the court of his sovereign was 
 no longer acceptable, still continued to appear 
 in public, to justify his conduct in the late 
 negotiations, and to speak in parliament with 
 a boldness and enthusiasm that might have 
 been mistaken for the ardour and intrepidity 
 of fearless innocence. But learning that 
 Prior, who had long been admitted to his 
 confidence, had promised to disclose his cor- 
 respondence with the enemies of England, he 
 determined to consult his personal safety, and 
 fled to the continent. The conduct of Oxford 
 WHS less indecent ; but not more creditable to 
 his courage, or favourable to his popularity. 
 After being received with indifference by the 
 king, he contented himself with protesting his 
 innocence, and complaining of his wrongs in 
 domestic society ; but his own conduct, and 
 tiie public opinion respecting the treaty of 
 peace, rendered him the object of universal 
 (iistrust, and even the simple disposal of his 
 stock in the South Sea Company was attri- 
 buted to his consciousness of guilt, and his 
 dread of punishment. 
 
 The new parliament met on the fourteenth 
 of March, m pursuance of a proclama- j^jr 
 tion, of which the following expressions 
 were after .vards selected, as the subjects of 
 violent ammauversion : " It having pleased 
 Almight}. God, by most remarkable steps of 
 liis providence, to bring us safe to the crown 
 of this kingdom, notwithstanding the designs 
 of evil men ; we do not doubt, that our loving 
 subjects will, in tlie ensuing elections, have a 
 particular regard to such as shewed a firmness 
 to the protestaiit succession, when it was in. 
 danjjer." This part of the proclamation was 
 stigmatized by sir William Wyndham, as not 
 only unprecedented and unwarrantable, but'
 
 78 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. VII 
 
 of d.an"-erous consequence, to the very benig ; and oflensive conduct, suice 1ms return to 
 of paHiauieuts. After being- answered by 5 England, had rendered him the object of 
 lord Finch and twice refusing to make good | universal disgust, followed, the example of 
 ]>is assertion' he was reprimanded by the | Bolingbroke, and, irritated by persecution, 
 sneaker He addressed the commons, ac- | entered into the service of the court of St. 
 knowledo-ins that as he was a member of their i Germains, now removed to. Commerci ia 
 house he nnist acquiesce in their determina- | Lorraine, in w hich he continued, obscure and 
 tion • but as he was not conscious of having j contracted, as w ere the situation and establish- 
 offered any indignity to his majesty, or of ; ment of the Pretender, during the remainder 
 havino- been '^uilty of any breach of privilege, | of his life. The earl of Oxford, conscious of 
 be had no thanks to return to those gentlemen, | his services to the fannly of Hanover, and of 
 who under pretence of lenity, had subjected i his own integrity, resolved to sustain and to 
 him to this censure. j ''epel the fury of his enemies*, and on the ira- 
 
 In the beo inning of April, general Stanhope 5 peachment preferred by the conimous, being 
 laid before tbe house ofcommons all the papers i followed by a motion iu the house of peers 
 relatino- to the negotiations of the late ministry | for his commitment, he rose to speak m his 
 with France, which were referred to a select ; defence. He observed that the whole charge 
 commiitee of twenty-one persons. On the | might be reduced to the negotiation and con- 
 ninth of June, the committee delivered their | elusion of the peace ; that the nation wanted 
 report, and Mr. Walpole, as chairman, moved, | a peace no one would deny ; that the con- 
 that a'warrant might be issued for apprehend- $ ditions of this peace were as good as could be 
 in°- several persons, particularly Mr. Prior | expected, considering the backwardness and 
 aifd Mr. Thomas Harley, who, being in the \ reluctance which some of the allies shewed to 
 house, were taken into custody. He then | come into the queen's measures ; that the 
 read the report, in which the secret prelimi- | peace was approved by two successive par- 
 naries signed with M. Mesnaiier, the suspen- \ liaments ; that he had no share in the affair 
 sionofa^ms the seizure of Ghent and Bruges | of Tournay, which was wholly transacted by 
 by the duke of Ormond, lord Bolingbroke's | the duke of Ormond, and if the charge could 
 journey to Paris, and separate conference j be proved, it would not amount to treason ; 
 with the French ministry, the precipitate con- \ that he had always acted by the immediate 
 elusion of the treaty of Utrecht, and every $ commands of the late queen, without offending 
 measure relating to that event, were adduced ; against any known law ; and being justified 
 as proofs of treachery or imbecility. After | in his conscience, was unconcerned for the 
 the report had been read, Mr. VValpole im- ^ife of an insignificant old man. In his way 
 peached Henry lord viscount Bolingbroke of j to the Tower, the earl was accompanied by a 
 bin-h treason and of other high crimes and | great number of the populace, exclaiming, 
 nifsdemeanor's ; lord Coningsby immediately { " High church, Ormond, and Oxford for 
 standing- up exclaimed, " The worthy chair- 1 ever." The discontent and turbulence of the 
 man has impeached the hand ; but I impeach \ metropolis extended to the distant counties, 
 the head : he has impeached the clerk ; and ; and, in order to quell these commotions, the 
 I the justice : he has impeached the scholar; i commons presented an address to the king, 
 and I the master. I impeach Robert earl of j desiring that the laws might be rigorously 
 Oxford and earl of Mortimer of high treason, \ executed against the rioters. With the same 
 and other hi"-h crimes and misdemeanors. On | view they prepared the riot act, declaring that 
 
 bie impeached the earl of Strafford of high ? disperse, by a justice of the peace or other 
 crimes and misdemeanors. These impeach- 1 officer, and heard the proclamation against 
 ments were passed by a large majority. The 5 riots read in public, they should be deemed 
 duke of Ormond, who had merely acted in | guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy, 
 compliance with the orders he had received, \ When the articles of impeachment were 
 and enforced measures which had been sane- \ preferred against the earl of Strafford, that 
 tioned by the legislature, but whose haughty $ nobleman complained of the arbitrary and
 
 Ol 
 
 CHAP. VII.] 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 illegal seizure of his papers ; and, after much > 
 disarraceful opposition, obtained the recovery | 
 of such as were necessary to hi-s defence. \ 
 The names of Ormond and Bolingbroke, with } 
 their armorial bearings, were erased from the ; 
 rolls of the peerage, and in the address of the'i 
 speaker to the king, at the close of the session, ! 
 their characters treated with extreme severity. ! 
 These proceedings, apparently so inconsistent | 
 ■with policy or justice, inflamed the resent- \ 
 men I of their partizans, and excited the dis- \ 
 satisfaction of the nation. The friends of tlie | 
 Pretender took advantage of the general dis- \ 
 content, and the rebellion was actually begun i 
 in Scotland, under the direction of the earl of; 
 Mar, who proclaimed the Pretender, under \ 
 the title of James III. at the head of a force \ 
 amounting to 10,000 men. These circum- 5 
 .stances were no sooner known in the southern \ 
 provinces, than the earls of Hume, Winton, \ 
 and Kinnoul ; lords Deskford, Lockhart of ^ 
 Karnwarth, Hume of Whitfield, and other \ 
 suspected persons were committed prisoners | 
 to Edinburgli, and major-general VVhitham \ 
 marched, with the regular troops which were | 
 in that kingdom, to secure the bridge of \ 
 Stirling. Several ships of war had been sent j 
 to watch the preparations making at Havre ; i 
 but, notwithstanding the utmost vigilance of i 
 these cruisers, two vessels arrived on the coast \ 
 of Scotland with arms, ammunition, and a I 
 number of officers, who assured the earl of | 
 Mar, that the Pretender would soon arrive ; 
 in person. The latter assumed the title of! 
 lieutenant-general of the Pretender's forces, \ 
 issued a declaration, exhorting the people to J 
 take up arms; and assured them, by proclaraa- 5 
 tion, that the national grievances should be | 
 speedily redressed. \ 
 
 The English ministry were immediate and \ 
 decisive in their precautions. The habeas ^ 
 corpus act was suspended, and lord Lans- 
 dovvne and the earl of Jersey, with several 
 other noblemen, committed to the Tower. The 
 king requested permission, through the medium 
 of Mr. Secretary Stanhope, to seize and 
 detain sir William Wyndham and others, who 
 were suspected of favouring the invasion. The 
 duke of Somerset, uncle of sir William, was 
 dismissed from his office of master of the 
 horse. 
 
 Notwithstanding these indications of 
 vigour on the part of government, the earl of 
 Dervvcntwater and Mr, Forster appeared at 
 
 the head of an armed force in Northuir?!,, ^ 
 land, and proclaimed the Pretender at Waik 
 worth, Penrith, and Lancaster. They had 
 advanced to Preston, when they were over- 
 taken by the king's forces under generals 
 Willes and Carpenter. Forster presently 
 began to raise barricadoes, and make prepara- 
 tions for a vigorous defence. On the 12th of 
 November, the town was briskly attacked on 
 all sides ; and, after a determined resistance 
 on the part of the garrison, surrendered at 
 discretion. 
 
 The surrender at Preston occurred on the 
 same day which was distinguished by the 
 battle of Dumblain. The earl of Mar had 
 returned to his camj) at Forth, where he heard 
 that the duke of Argyie was returned from 
 Lothian to Stirling; and being now reinforced 
 by the northern clans, under the earl of Sea- 
 forth, and those of the west, commanded by 
 general Gordon, determined immediately to 
 pass the Forth, in order to join his southern 
 friends, that they might march together into 
 England. 
 
 The duke, apprised of his intention, hasten- 
 ed to secure the passes of the Forth, which 
 he himself had crossed at Stirling ; and imme- 
 diately took possession, Mith a force not ex- 
 ceeding 4000 men, of the heights of Dumblain. 
 The rebels approached within two miles of his 
 camp, and remained till day-break in order of 
 battle ; their army amounting to nine thousand 
 efi'ective men, cavalry and infantry. In the 
 morning, the clans which composed the centre 
 and right wing of the enemy, with their chiefs 
 Clanronald and Glengary at their head, 
 charged the left wing of the king's army, 
 sword in hand, with such impetuosity, that in 
 a few minutes both horse and foot were totally 
 routed ; and general Witham, who commanded 
 them, fied at full gallop to Stirling, declaring 
 the defeat of the whole body to be inevitable. 
 The duke of Argylc, however, who com- 
 manded in person on the right, attacked (he 
 left of the enemy, and drove them two miles 
 before him, as far as the water of Allan, 
 though they attempted repeatedly to rally. 
 The right win'g of the rebels having pursued 
 Witham to a considerable distauie, had re- 
 turned to the field of battle at the moment the 
 duke was returning from the pursuit, so that 
 each anny found that it had clianged its place 
 for that occupied by the enemy previous to the 
 conflict. In this posture they remained till
 
 80 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 a con- 
 was pre- 
 sufter the 
 His 
 
 the approach of ni^ht, when the rel)els retired j 
 to Ardock and the tinke to Dumblain; the I 
 latter retnrning in the morning to the field of | 
 Iwttle, and carrying- off i)is own wounded, and ? 
 four pieces of the enemy's cannon. i 
 
 So gallant and successful a defence, against j 
 superior numbers, dispirited the enthusiastic ! 
 hopes of the rebellious invaders. The Pre- j 
 tender landed in person at Peterhead on the { 
 2(jth of December, and issued various procia- ! 
 mations for ordering: all fencible men to resort \ 
 to his standard, for summonmg a convention | 
 of the states, and for fixing the day of his coro- j 
 nation. His private conviction, however, 5 
 little accorded with his public demonstrations I 
 of hope and confidence. He observed to his j 
 friends convened in council, " That it was no $ 
 new thing for him to be unfortunate ; his I 
 ■whole life, from his cradle, had been 
 stant series of misfortunes ; and h 
 pared, if it so pleased God, to 
 threats of his enemies and their own. 
 despair was augmented by various successes | 
 of the I'oyalists in the northern parts of Scot- « 
 land, by the loss of Inverness, and by the ! 
 junction of large reinforcements under the \ 
 duke of Argyle. On the twenty-ninth day ; 
 of January, the duke began his march towards 5 
 Tullibardine, where he received advice that | 
 the Pretender and his forces had, on the pre- ; 
 ceding day, retired to Dundee. He took | 
 possession of Perth, and then began his march » 
 to Aberhrothwick in pursuit of the enemy. 1 
 Being thus closely pursued, the Pretender j 
 embarked on board of a small French ship, * 
 which lay in the harbour of Montrose. In \ 
 company with the earl of Mar, and several ! 
 others of his friends, he steered his course for i 
 Norway, and, coasting along the German and \ 
 Dutch shores, arrived in five days at Grave- 
 lines in France ; leaving behind him, in the 
 country he had attempted to invade, no other 
 impression tlian that of wretched imbecility. 
 The slave of abject superstition, and the vic- 
 tim of constitutional cowardice ; he was the 
 meek and obedient tool of his religious advisers, 
 and resisted every effort of his rational parti- 
 sans, to obtain his assent to any declaration 
 that might guarantee the security of the 
 established church, and dissipate the alarms 
 of the protestant community : when pressed 
 for the motives of his conduct, he replied. 
 That he was told such declarations were in 
 violation of his conscience j and asked, with 
 
 warmth, " Why the Tories were so desirous 
 to have him, if they expected those things 
 which his religion would not allow ?' 
 
 The principal noblemen, who had been 
 concerned in the rebellion, were immediately 
 impeached ; on the tenth of January were 
 brought from the Tower; and a day ^jif 
 was appointed for the reception of their 
 answers. They all pleaded guilty, except the 
 earl of Winton, (who prayed for a longer time 
 to prepare for his defence) and, on the demand 
 of the commons, sentence of death was pro- 
 nounced upon them, by William earl Cowper, 
 the lord chancellor, who on this occasion was 
 appointed lord high steward. Orders were 
 dispatched for the immediate execution of 
 the earls of Derwentwater and Nithsdale, and 
 the viscount of Kenmuir : tlie others were 
 respited to the seventh day of March, Niths- 
 dale made his escape in female attire, brought 
 him by his mother ; Derwentwater and Ken- 
 muir were beheaded on Tower-hill. Their 
 death was the result of party violence, which 
 equally resisted the humanity of the king, and 
 the dictates of just policy. The countesses 
 of Derwentwater and Nithsdale, and lady 
 Nairne, threw themselves at the feet of the 
 king, and vainly implored his mercy ; they 
 then repaired to the lobby of the house of 
 peers, attended by the ladies of the other 
 condemned lords, and begged the intercession 
 of the house, but no regard was paid to their 
 petition. On the next day they returned to 
 Westminster, with a still more numerous 
 train, and petitioned both houses of parliament. 
 The commons rejected the suit by a small 
 majority ; in the upper house they agreed to 
 an address, praying his majesty would reprieve 
 such of the condemned lords as should deserve 
 his mercy. To this petition the king answered, 
 That on thisfand all other occasions, he would 
 do what he thought most consistent with the 
 dignity of his crown and the safety of his 
 people. The earl of Nottingham, the chief 
 promoter of this address, his brother the earl 
 of Aylesbury, chancellor of the duchy of 
 Lancaster, his son lord Finch, one of the 
 lords of the treasury, and his cousin lord 
 Guernsey, master of the jewel office, were all 
 of them dismissed from his majesty's service. 
 
 The inflexibility of the king, whose natural 
 goodness of heart had been counteracted by 
 the intemperance of his Whig advisers, and 
 the consequent execution of many subordinate
 
 CHAP. VI I. ] 
 
 CEORCE r. 
 
 81 
 
 individuals, who had Ijpen seduced info direct 
 or collateral roiniertiou with the Prett;uder, 
 inflamed the discontents^ of tlie people, who 
 eaiijerly looked forward to the oppf)rtunit\ 
 Avhich would he soon afforded them, hy the 
 triennial act, of re-electing- their constituents. 
 In order to prevent so evident and so unwel- 
 come a result, the ministers resolved to obtain 
 a repeal of the triennial act, and to extend the 
 duration of parliament to seven years ; a 
 measure by which the i)arliament not only 
 assumed the power of prolonging the duration 
 of other parliaments, but of extending its own. 
 On the lOtli of April a discussion took place ; 
 in which the duke of Devonshire contended, 
 that triennial elections served to keep up 
 party divisions, to raise and foment feuds in 
 private families, to produce ruinous expences, 
 and give occasion to the intrigues and cabals '\ 
 of foreign princes ; that it became the wisdom i 
 of the house of lords to apply a remedy to an \ 
 evil, which might be attended with the most | 
 dangerous consequences. His arguments ^ 
 were opposed by the earl of Nottingham, w ho 
 observed, that frequent parliaments were of 
 the essence of the English constitution, and 
 were sanctioned by the practice of ages ; that 
 the members of the lower house were dele- 
 gated by the body of the nation for a certain 
 term of years, at the expiration of which they 
 •were no longer the representatives of the 
 people ; that by thus lengthening, at their own 
 pleasure, the dnuation of their own authority, 
 they deprived the people of the only remedy 
 which the wisdom of our ancestors had pro- 
 vided, against the ignorance and corruption of 
 those who might be tempted to betray the 
 trust reposed in them ; that as to the pretence 
 of adding energy or stability to the foreign 
 transactions or projected alliances of govern- 
 irient, what prince or state could rationally 
 entrust us with the care of their interests, I 
 when we appeared so ready to abandon our ' 
 own. After alluding to the confession of 
 weakness on the part of the government, he 
 aflirmed, that a long parliament would en- 
 courage every species of corruption in every 
 class of the connn unity ; that the value of a 
 seat would bear a determinate proportion to 
 the legal duration of parliaments, and the 
 purchase would rise accordingly ; that a lo ig 
 parliament would enhance the temptations, 
 and multiply the opportunities of a vicious 
 ministry, to undermine the independence and 
 
 VOL. III. M 
 
 integrity of parliaments, far beyond what 
 could occur ; that the reasons urged, for pro- 
 longing the <luration of parliaments for seven 
 years, would probably be as strong, and by 
 piisevcrance in the same politic conduct 
 nn'ght be made much stronger, before the end 
 of that term, for continuing and even perpetu- 
 ating their legislative power. Notwithstand- 
 ing the arguments, however, of the earl and of 
 several other peers, the bill was passed by a 
 large majority. On its being announced by 
 two judges from the lords, to the house of 
 commons, that their lordships had enlarged 
 the time for the continuance of parliaments, 
 loid Guernsey moved, that they reject the 
 bill without reading it. It was determined, 
 however, to receive it, and after long and 
 vehement debates, the question of commit- 
 ment was carried by a majority of 284 against 
 162 voices. Notwithstanding the number of 
 petitions presented against it, the general 
 question, that this bill do now pass, was 
 carried in the affirmative by a majority of 264 
 votes against 121, and on the 26th of June 
 1710, it received the royal assent. 
 
 Thk attention of the king had been, in the 
 mean time, diverted f;om domestic contentions 
 to the critical situation of affairs on the con- 
 tinent. Lewis XIV., king of France, termi- 
 nated his long and chequered career on the 
 first of September, 1715. He was succeeded 
 by Lewis XV., an infant only five years of 
 age ; the government of the kingdom being 
 vested in the hands of the duke of Orleans. 
 That nobleman cherished the ambition of 
 ascending the throne of France, in case the 
 young king, whose health was precarious, 
 should die without issue. Philip of Spain 
 was probably determined to dispute that suc- 
 cession, notwithstanding his renunciation, and 
 was therefore equally the object of jealousy 
 to the king of England and the regent. A 
 treaty of friendship and alliance, for their 
 mutual assistance and support, was therefore 
 concluded between Great Britain and France, 
 to which tl'.e states-general readily acceded. 
 Another affair, of more impovtance in its 
 consecjuences, induced his majesty to visit 
 the continent. He had purchased the duchies 
 of Bremen and Verden from Denmark, who 
 had ccmquered then> from Sweden, and, under 
 the cover of a pretended equivalent in money, 
 undertook, as elector of Hanover, to guarantee 
 to Denmark the duchy of Sleswick, conquered 
 106
 
 82 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 by that power from the duke of Holstein, the 
 ally of Sweden ; his Danish majesty parting 
 ■with one half of his ronquests in order to 
 secure the other. The kinj^ of Sweden, exas- 
 perated at a conduct wliich he regarded as 
 insulting" and injurious, secretly assisted the 
 views of the Pretendc r, and projected a regular 
 plan for his restoration to ihe throne of Great 
 Britain. With the view of counteracting this 
 design, the king had hastened to the continent ; 
 and, in his treaty with the regent, ol)tained a 
 stipulation, that the Pretender should be 
 removed to the other side of the Alps, and 
 never be permitted to revisit Lorraine or 
 France. Immediately after his return, his 
 majesty caused count Gyilenburgh to be 
 apprehended ; and baron Goertz, the Swedish 
 resident in Holland, was arrested by the order 
 of the states, at his requisition. In their papers 
 ■was found theevidence of their intrigues. Tiie 
 Spanish ambassador remonstrated on the in- 
 justice and violation of the law of nations, 
 displayed in the seizure of their persons ; and 
 the states of Holland having prudently re- 
 leased the baron, who boldly avowed and 
 justified his machinations, he resumed his 
 intrigues with recruited \leal and application. 
 j_j_ On the twentieth of February, the 
 king, in a speech to both houses, in- 
 formed then), that he had intended to open 
 the session with an act of grace, l)ut that the 
 obstinate and inveterate rancour of the Jaco- 
 bite faction had again endeavoured to animate 
 and stir up foreign powers to disturb the peace 
 of their native country ; he descanted on the 
 danger to be ajjpreheuded from the designs of 
 Sweden, and promised himself from the 
 known attachment of parliament to the govern- 
 rnent, that they would come to such resolu- 
 tions, as would enable him to meet all the 
 designs of his and their eitemies. The lords 
 returned an address of congratulation to the 
 king, on having, by his late treaty with France 
 and the states-general, recovered in a great 
 measure those advantages which might have 
 been expected from a glorious and successful 
 ■war, but were basely given up by a treach- 
 erous and dishonourable peace ; and ex- 
 pressed their horror and indignation at the 
 malice and ingratitude of those, who had 
 again endeavoured to embroil their country in 
 blood and confusion. The adtlress of the 
 commons was to the same effect. They pro- 
 ceeded also to pass a bill, prohibiting all 
 
 commerce with Sweden, and to grant the 
 necessary supplies ; but the sums voted being 
 found inadequate to the expences of the year, 
 a message from the king was delivered by- 
 general Stanhope, requesting an extraordinary 
 supply, that he might be enabled, by fulfilling 
 his engagements with other powers, to coun- 
 teract the designs oi' Sweden. The proposition 
 was received with surprise and dissatisfaction ; 
 and the different members of the cabinet, 
 having already begun to regard each other 
 with enmity or distrust, a supply of £2.50,000 
 was voted, by no greater a majority than four. 
 The opponents of the grant observed, •'.vith a 
 severity justified by the history of many sub- 
 sequent years, that whenever foreigners 
 should begin to taste the sweets of English 
 money, they would adhere to the interests of 
 Great Britain, no longer than we should con- 
 tinue to supply their necessities. The motion 
 was supported by Mr. Boscawen, Mr. Horace 
 Walpoie, and sir Gilbert Heathcote, but it 
 was opposed by many of the Whigs, and Mr. 
 Robert Walpoie refrained from delivering his 
 sentiments. These indications of disunion 
 among the ministry were succeeded by the 
 dismissal of lord Townsend from the office of 
 lord-lieutenant of Ireland ; Mr. Walpoie, Mr, 
 Methuen, secretary of state, and Mr. Pulteney 
 delivered in their resignations ; lord Cowper 
 relinquished the great seal, and was succeeded 
 by the earl of Macclesfield. That the prin- 
 ciple indeed of the late negotiation should 
 excite the alarm, and demand the remonstrance 
 of his majesty's advisers, was to be expected 
 even by the most partial friend to the virtues 
 of the monarch. It was justly observed, on 
 the commitment of the bill, that we had an 
 army and fleet superior to any force that 
 Sweden could bring against us; that we were 
 in actual alliance with France, whose connec- 
 tion with Sweden might otherwise have been 
 dreaded ; and that to call upon the English 
 to support, with their blood and treasure, 
 every act of policy or ambition in which the 
 king, as elector of Hanover, might think 
 proper to engage, was equally injurious and 
 insulting to the British people. The force of 
 these arg(nnents was increased by the conduct 
 of the Czar of Russia, who, resenting the 
 opposition of George to his project of a settle- 
 ment in (Germany, as prince of the empire, 
 and opposing the views of the king respecting 
 the duchy of Mecklenburgh, acceded to the.
 
 CHAP. VI I. ] 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 83 
 
 preliminaries of a convention, with his enemy 
 the king' of Sweden, through tiie dexterous 
 machinations of count Goerlitz. From the 
 probal)le consequences of this alliance, how- 
 ever, the king of England was secured, by the 
 deatii of the king of Sweden, who was killed 
 by a cannon-ball in the trenches before the 
 fortress of Frederickshal, on the thirtieth of 
 iSovember 1718 ; Bremen and Verden were 
 therefore left in the possession of Hanover, 
 and nothing was wanting to the completion of 
 the purpose, but the investiture of these 
 duchies by the emperor ; and it became the 
 first ol)ject of the English monarch, to over- 
 come his reluclance to grant him that security. 
 The court of Spain had witnessed with dis- 
 satisfaction the cession, by the treaty of 
 Ltrecht, of PSaples, Sardinia, Milan, and the 
 Low Countries to Austria; and of the island 
 of Sicily, witii the title of king, to the duke of 
 Savoy. Cardinal Alberoni, therefore, the 
 celebrated minister of Philip V., took advan- 
 tage of the emperor's absence, in the prose- 
 cution of a war with Turkey, to equip a 
 formidable armament, which speedily accom- \ 
 
 injustice so visible in the whole arrangement. 
 (Cardinal Alberoni informed colonel Stanhope, 
 ^vith some warmth, that his master would 
 run all hazards, and even suffer himself to be 
 driven out of Spain, rather than recal his 
 troops, or consent to a further suspension of 
 arms. An armament, containing .30,000 land 
 forces, was imniechately fitted out for the 
 mvasion of Sicily, whose monarch had con- 
 cluded, as his only defence, a separate treaty 
 with the emperor. But, in the mean time, 
 the king of England had directed sir George 
 Byng to sail from Spithead, with 20 ships of 
 the line, to the defence of Naples, where he 
 arrived on the first day of August, and was 
 received as a deliverer. Here he obtained 
 intelligence, that the Spanisli army, amounting 
 to 30,000 men, commanded by the marquis 
 de Leda, had reduced Palermo and Messina, 
 and was then employed in the siege of the 
 latter city. On the 9th of August, the admiral 
 came vyithin sight of the Faro of xMessina, and 
 perceiving two small vessels, pursued them 
 closely. They led him to their main fleet, 
 which before noon he discovered in line of 
 
 plished the conquest of Sardinia. The em- \ battle, amounting to 27 sail. They were 
 
 peror com|)lainpd bitterly of this outrage, 
 committed by a Christian monarch, at the 
 moment when he was waging war with the 
 
 commanded by Don Antonio de Castaneta ; 
 and one of his rear-admirals, an Irishman, of 
 the name of Cammock, proposed that the 
 
 enemies of Christianity. After much recrimi- t fleet should remain in the road of Paradise, 
 
 nation, Philip engaged to suspend all further 
 operations, that the powers of Europe might 
 liave time to adjust their differences, and to 
 make such arrangements as should secure the 
 peace and balance of power in Italy ; agreeing 
 to refer the decision of the quarrel to the king 
 of (jreat Britain and the states-general. 
 Conferences were begun between the ministers 
 of tiie emperor and those of France and Hol- 
 land ; which produced, in the course of the 
 following year, 1718, the famous quadruple 
 alliance ; by which it was agreed, that the 
 French should renounce all pretensions to 
 the crown of Spain, and the emperor exchange 
 Sardinia for Sicily with the duke of Savoy; 
 and that the succession to the duchies of 
 Parma, Placentia, and Tuscany, should be 
 settled upon tiie queen of Spain's eldest son, 
 in case the present possessors should die 
 without male issue. The latter of these stipu- 
 lations was introduced into the treaty, to soothe 
 the disappointment of Spain at the proposed 
 exchange of Sicily for Sardinia. The court 
 of Philip, however, resented with spirit the 
 
 M 2 
 
 with the broadsides of the vessels to the sea, 
 in order of battle; a position which would 
 have permitted the operation of the batteries 
 stationed on shore. This suggestion, however, 
 was disregarded ; and the Spanish fleet, not- 
 withstanding its superiority of number, 
 attempted, on the approach of the English, to 
 sail away, and acted with much confusion. 
 They were, however, obliged to maintain a 
 running fight, in which they were all taken 
 except three, which were preserved by the 
 conduct of Cammock. Captain Walton, hav- 
 ing been detached by sir George Byng, with 
 five ships of the line, in pursuit of a division 
 of the Spaniards mucli superior in force, 
 transmitted to the admiral a singular specimen 
 of naval eloquence, in the following record of 
 his exploit : 
 " Sir, 
 
 We have taken and destroyed 
 all the Spanish ships and vessels which were 
 upon the coast, the number as per margin. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 G. Walton."
 
 84 
 
 HISTORY OP KNGLAND. 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 In flie margin of this laconic epistle, thirteen 
 vessels were specified. Notwithstandin«r this 
 victory, the Spanish army prosecnted the 
 siege of Messina with such vigour, that the 
 governor surrendered the citadel by capitula- 
 tion, and tlie garrison was transported to 
 Syracuse and Reggio. A treaty was after- 
 wards concluded at Vienna, between the 
 emperor and the duke of Savoy ; they agreed 
 to form an army for the conquest of Sardinia, 
 in behalf of the duke, who, in the mean time, 
 engaged to evacuate Sicily ; but, until his 
 troops could be conveyed from that island, 
 he consented that they should co-operate 
 with the Germans against the common enemy. 
 
 The court of Madrid protested with vehe- 
 mence against the conduct of England, as a 
 flagrant viulation of the law of nations ; orders 
 of reprisal were transmitted to all the ports 
 of Spain and the Indies; and in consequence 
 of this hostile demonstration, the king of 
 England, on the seventeenth of December, 
 sent a message to both houses, intimating that 
 all his endeavours to procure redress, for the 
 injuries done to his subjects by the king of 
 Spain, having proved inefJectual, he had found 
 it necessary to declare war against that mo- 
 narch. The example of the cabinet 
 of St. James's was followed by the re- 
 gent of France. 
 
 During this succession of negotiations and 
 hostilities, the ministry at home underwent a 
 total revolution. The earl of Sunderland and 
 Mr. A<ldison were appointed secretaries of 
 state ; Mr. Stanhope became first commission- 
 €r of the treasury, and chancellor of the ex- 
 chequer; Mr. Craggs was declared secretary 
 at war; the earl of Berkeley was constituted 
 tirst .commissioner of the admiralty, in the 
 room of the earl of Oxford, who resigned ; 
 the duke of Bolton obtained the government 
 of Irt'land, and was succeeded in the post of 
 lord chamberlain by the duke of Newcastle; 
 the «luke of Devonshire resigned his place of 
 president of the council. 
 
 Some steps had already been taken towards 
 the reduction of the national debt, which was 
 comprehended under the two heads of re- 
 deemable and irredeemable incumbrances. 
 The first had been contracted with a redeem- 
 able interest, and these the public was bound 
 to discharge ; the others consisted of long and 
 short annuities, granted for various periods, 
 which could not be altered without the cou- 
 
 1718. 
 
 sent of tlie proprietors. Mr. Robert Walpole, 
 when at the head of the treasury, had pro- 
 jected a scheme for lessening the interest, and 
 paying the capital of these national <lebts. 
 He proposed in the house of commoiis, to 
 reduce the intesest of redeemable funds, and 
 offer an alternative to the proprietors of 
 annuities. His plan was received with appro- 
 bation ; but when he resigned his places, the 
 new ministers thought proper to alter it, in a 
 manner with which he was by no means satis- 
 fied. His remonstrances ga.ve occasion to 
 warm altercation between him and Mr. Stan- 
 hope, in which they inadvertently disclosed, ' 
 that they had both been guilty of selling 
 places and reversions. They were interrupted 
 by Mr. Hungerford ; and Mr. Boscawen 
 moved, that the house would lay their com- 
 mands upon them, that no further notice should 
 be taken of what had passed. The house 
 approved of the motion, and they pledged 
 their word and honour to the speaker, that 
 they would not prosecute their resentment. 
 
 The bank and South Sea Company having 
 agreed to provide money for such creditors as 
 should be willing to receive their principal 
 and interest, the house came to the following 
 resolutions : That all the public funds re- 
 deemable by law, which do not exceed 51. 
 per cent, per annum, shall be redeemed ac- 
 cording to their respective provisoes or clauses 
 of redemption, contained m the acts of parlia- 
 ment for that purpose ; or, with the consent 
 of the proprietor, shall be converted into an 
 interest or annuity, not exceeding 5/. per cent, 
 per annum, redeemable by parliament; that 
 liis majesty should be enabled to borrow of 
 any person or persons, bodies politic or cor- 
 porate, such SHMJ or sums of money as should 
 be requisite to redeem the said redeemable 
 funds, at any rate not exceeding 5/. percent, per 
 annum, or to secure the same upon the funds 
 so to be redeemed ; that the annuity of 
 £106,501 13*. 5r/. payable to the governor 
 and company of the bank, out of the window- 
 tax, should be redeemed, or by consent of 
 the said governor and company, be converted 
 into an interest or annuity not exceeding 5/. 
 per cent, redeemable by parliament ; that so 
 much of the fund, connnonly called the aggre- 
 gate fund, settled by an act of parliament in 
 the first year of his present niajesty, as is 
 applicable to the interest, circulation, ex 
 changing, or cancelling the present exchequer
 
 CHAP. VIl] 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 85 
 
 bills, should also be redeemed ; that bis 
 majesty should be enabled to authorise the 
 high treasurer, or the commissioners of the 
 treasury for the time being, to treat and agree 
 with any person or persons, bodies politic or 
 corporate, for circulating such a number of 
 exchequer bills, at a rate exceeding £l. 10*. 
 per cent, for interest, exchange, and circu- 
 lation, as might be charged and secured on 
 that part of the aggregate fund so to be re- 
 deemed ; that the annuities of £(>00,000 and 
 £8000, payable to the. governor and company 
 of the merchants of England trading to the 
 South Sea, should likewise be redeemed ; 
 that the annuities, payable by an act of par- 
 liament of the twelfth year of the reign of 
 William III. to certain patentees therein 
 named, their heirs and assignees, out of the 
 weekly sum of £3700, charged on the excise, 
 should also be redeemed ; that the several 
 terms of years, remaining on the duties ap- 
 propriated by two lottery acts, passed in the 
 ninth year of the reign of queen Anne, and by 
 the two lottery acts, passed in the tenth year 
 of her said majesty, should be made perpetual ; 
 that the duties comprehended in the said 
 lottery acts should be made one fund for the 
 future ; that the proprietors of the orders, 
 grounded on the said lottery acts, should 
 within a limited time make their election, 
 either to accept annuities after the rate of 5/. 
 per cent, per annum, redeemable by parlia- 
 ment out of such general fund, or be paid so 
 much as remained due to them upon their 
 orders respectively ; that in all cases where 
 the proprietors should choose to have their 
 principal, the bl. percent, per annum thereby 
 saved should be established as another fund, 
 towards answering such sums of money as 
 should be advanced for discharging the prin- 
 cipal by loans, or such other securities as 
 should be thought proper ; that his majesty 
 should be enabled to give power for receiving 
 voluntary subscriptions from any person or 
 persons entitled to any of the annuities issuing 
 out of the public funds, for the residue of the 
 respective terms of 9.9, 90, 89, or 32 years, 
 formerly purchased therein (not being subject 
 to redemption) who should be willing to ac- 
 cept, in lieu thereof, perpetual annuities 
 redeen)able by parliament, and to agree to 
 some other regulations mentioned in the 
 resolution of the ho\»se ; that all savings, 
 which should arise upon any of the present 
 
 funds by the proposed redemption and re- 
 duction, should, after all deficiencies that 
 might happen upon any of the said funds 
 were made good, be reserved and ap|)lied 
 towards discharging and reducing the national 
 debt ; and that all the said duties now ia 
 being, or to be continued, should imnie<liately 
 cease and determine, after the said national 
 debt should he discharged and paid off ! On 
 these resolutions were founded three bills that 
 passed into laws entitled, the South Sea act, 
 the bank act, and the general fimd act. 
 
 The original stock of the South Sea Com- 
 pany did not exceed £9,471,325 ; but as the 
 funds granted were sufficient to answer the 
 interest of ten millions at 6/. per cent, the 
 company made up that sum to government, 
 for which it received an annuity of £600,000 
 per annum, and £8000 a-year for management. 
 By this act they declared themselves willing 
 to receive an annuity of £-500,000 and eight 
 thousand pounds a year for management. 
 It was enacted, that the company should con- 
 tinue a corporation until the redemption of 
 their annuitj', towards \\hich not less than a 
 irUlion should be paid at a time. They were 
 li'.cewise required to advance a sum, not ex- 
 ( ceding two millions, towards discharging the 
 principal and interest of the four lottery funds 
 of the ninth and tenth years of queen Anne. 
 
 Bv the bank act, the governor and company 
 declared themselves willing to accept an 
 annuity of £88,751 Is. lO^rf. or the principal 
 of £l, '775,0-27 135. 10|r/. in the lieu o-f the 
 presentannuity,amountingto£lOG,501 135. bd. 
 They likewise declared themselves willing to 
 discharge, and deliver up to be cancelled, as 
 many exchequer bills as amounted to two mil- 
 lions, and to accept ofan annuity of one hundred 
 thousand pounds, being after the rate of 5/. per 
 cent, redeemable after one year's notice ; and 
 to circulate the remaining exchequer bills, at 
 3/. per cent, and \d. per day. It was enacted, 
 that the former allowances should be conti- 
 nued to the ensuing Christmas ; after which 
 the bank should have, for circidating the 
 £2,501,025, remaining in exchequer bills, an 
 annuity of £70,830 15*. Orf. at (he rate of ,3/. 
 per cent, till redeemed over and above the \d. 
 per day for interest. By the same act the 
 bank was required to advance a sum not 
 exceeding £2,500,000 towards discharging 
 the national debt, if wanted, on condition that 
 they should have 5^. per cent, for as much as
 
 S6 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGIAND. 
 
 fCHAP. VII. 
 
 they should advance, redeemable by parlia- 
 ment. 
 
 The general fund act reciled the several 
 acts of parliament, for establishing the four 
 lotteries, in the ninth and tenth years of tlie 
 late queen, mentioned the terms of years for 
 which these revenues had been granted, and 
 stated the annual produce of the several funds, 
 amounting in all to £724,849 Gs. lO^d. This 
 was the general fund ; the deficiency of 
 which was to be made good annually, out of 
 the first aids granted by parliament. For the 
 regular payment of all such annuities as 
 should be made payable by this act, it was 
 ordained, that all the duties and revenues 
 n)entioned therein should continue for ever; 
 with the proviso, that the revenues rendered 
 perpetual by this act should be subject to 
 redemption. The act contained a clause, by 
 which the sinking fund was established. The 
 reduction of interest to 51. per cent, producing 
 a surplus or excess upon the appropriated 
 funds, it was enacted, that all the monies 
 arising from time to time, as well from the 
 surplus, by virtue of the acts for redeeming 
 the funds of the bank and of the South Sea 
 Company, as also fronj the surplus of the 
 duties and revenues, by this act appropriated 
 to make good the general fund, and the over- 
 plus monies of the said general fund should 
 be appropriated and employed for discharg- 
 ing the principal and interest of such national 
 <lebts, as were incurred before the 25th of 
 December in the preceding year, in such 
 manner as should be ordered and appointed 
 by any future act of parliament, to be dis- 
 charged out of them, and for no other use, 
 intent, and purpose whatsoever. 
 
 Had this plan, the invention of Mr. Wal- 
 pole, been as steadily prosecuted as it was 
 wisely concerted, the nation would soon have 
 been relieved from its pecuniary difficulties ; 
 but we shall hereafter have occasion to ob- 
 serve, that antipathy to its author, and the 
 improvidence of those who weakly sacrificed 
 the certainty of future gain to the possibility 
 of immediate advantage, circumscribed its 
 utility, and counteracted its intention. 
 
 The declaration of war on the part of 
 England and France against Spain, was the 
 source of much national surprise and dis- 
 satisfaction. In the session of 1717, Mr. 
 Shippen asserted, that the parliament was at 
 liberty to coutrovert any propositions ad- 
 
 vanced in his majesty's speech, that speech 
 being the composition of ministers, especially 
 those which seem calculated rather for the 
 meridian of Germany tiian of Great Britain ; 
 and that it was the infelicity of his majesty's 
 reign, that he was unacquainted with our 
 language and constitution. It was immedi- 
 ately moved by Mr. Lech mere, that the mem- 
 ber who had spoken these words be com- 
 mitted to the Tower. The motion was second- 
 ed by Mr. Spencer Cowper ; on which Mr. 
 Walpole desired that the member might be 
 permitted to explain his last words ; but Mr, 
 Shippen declared that he desired no such 
 indulgence, and that the words needed neither 
 explanation nor apology. The motion was 
 therefore carried in the affirmative, by a 
 majority of 175 against 81, and Mr. Shippen 
 was connnitted to the Tower. 
 
 On the return of the king from the conti- 
 nenl, the university of Cambridge presented 
 an address of loyal congratulation ; and at a 
 meeting of the vice-chancellor and heads of 
 colleges at Oxford, a motion was made for a 
 similar demonstration of respect and grati- 
 tude. The motion was strenuously opposed 
 by Dr. Smalridge, bishop of Bristol, and 
 dean of Christchurch, who had in th.e pre- 
 ceding year been removed from his post of 
 lord almoner, for refusing, with Atterbury, 
 bishop of Rochester, to sign a protestation of 
 the episcopal bench, against the claims of the 
 Pretender ; he declared that the rebellion had 
 been long suppressed, and that there would 
 be no end of addresses, should one be pre- 
 sented every time his majesty returned from 
 Hanover ; that the late favour they had re- 
 ceived, in omitting at their request the late 
 ceremony of binniing in effigy the devil, the 
 pope, the Pretender, the duke of Ormond 
 and the earl of Mar, on the anniversary of his 
 majesty's accession, was counterbalanced by 
 a regiment of dragoons quartered on them ; 
 and that there was no precedent for address- 
 ing the king on his return from his German 
 dominions. The motion was therefore lost ; 
 and the same spirit of resistance to the avowed 
 sentiments of the monarch seemed to pervade 
 every class of society, and every province of 
 the kingdom. The dwelling-houses and 
 meeting-houses of the dissenters were burnt 
 anil destroyed by the violence of the popu- 
 lace. The commons presented an address to 
 his majesty, expressing their abhorrence of
 
 CHAP. VII.) 
 
 GEORGE r. 
 
 87 
 
 all such traitorous proceedings, and beseech- 
 ing him, that the laws now in force may be 
 put in speedy and vigorous execution against 
 ihein ; they also requested, tiiat his majesty 
 would be pleased to direct an account to be 
 taken of the losses and damages sustained by 
 the suflerers, in order that full compensation 
 might be made out of the first aids granted 
 by parliament. This address was answered 
 by a satisfactory declaration from the king, 
 and succeeded by a loyal and sensible address 
 from the dissenters themselves. 
 
 The carl of Oxford, wiio had now remained 
 nearly two years in the Tower, presented a 
 petition to the house of lords, praying that he 
 might be brought to his trial ; a measure to 
 which he was probably encouraged, by the 
 defection of his most formidable adversary, 
 Mr. Walpole. A day therefore was appointed, 
 and the commons wtie ordered to pi-epare for 
 their charge. At the aj)pointed time the 
 peers repaired to the court in Westminster- 
 hall, where lord Cowper presided as lord high 
 steward. The king and the rest of the royal 
 family, with the foreign ministers, were pre- 
 sent at the solemnity. The earl being brought 
 from the Tower, the articles of impeachment 
 were read, with his answers, and the reply of 
 the commons. Sir Joseph Jekyl standing up 
 to substantiate the first article of the charge, 
 which amounted oidy to a misdemeanor, lord 
 Harcourt represented to the lords, tiiat it 
 would be tedious and unnecessary to go 
 through all the articles against the earl ; but 
 that if the commons would make good the two 
 articles for higii treason, the earl of Oxford 
 would forfeit both life and estate, and there 
 would be an end of the matter. He therefore 
 moved, that the commons should not be al- 
 lowed to pro<;eed upon the less important 
 part of the accusation, until judgment should 
 be given on the articles of high treason. The 
 lords acceding to this opinion, the conimons 
 declared that it was their undoubted privilege 
 to impeach a peer, either for treason or for 
 a misdemeanor, or to mix the accusation as 
 they thougiit proper. The lords asserted, that 
 it was a right inherent in every court of 
 justice, to prescrilx^ the methods of proceed- 
 ing in their i-espective courts. The commons 
 demanded a free conference ; but this was 
 refused. The dispute grew warm. The 
 lords sent a message to the lower house, im- 
 porting, that they intended to proceed upon 
 
 I the trial. The commons disregarded the in- 
 j formation, and refused to attend. The lords, 
 I repairing soon after to Westminster-hall, or- 
 l dered the earl to be brought to the bar, and 
 5 made proclamation for his accusers to appear. 
 I But finding the commons resolute, and having 
 I waited a quarter of an hour, it was voted, that 
 i the prisoner should be set at liberty, with the 
 j secret approbation and concurrence of the 
 ! crown. The commons, exasperated at his 
 I acquittal, presented an address to the king, 
 I desiring he might be excei-tetf from the act of 
 I grace ; and on the passing of that act, there 
 I were excepted from the indemnity, the earl of 
 ! Oxford, Mr. Prior, Mr. Thomas 'Harlev, Mr. 
 ' Arthur Moore, Crisp, Nodes, Obrien,' Red- 
 mayn, a printer, and Thomson ; the assassin.^ 
 in Newgate, confined since the reign of Wil- 
 liam, and the clan of Mr. Gregory in Scot- 
 land. By virtue of this act, the earl of Carn- 
 warth, and lords Widdringlon and Nairn were 
 immediately discharged ; and the individuals 
 who lay under sentence of death in the various 
 prisons were released. 
 
 The attention of the public, towards 
 the close of the present year, was '''^■ 
 strongly excited by two compositions of 
 Hoadi}', bishop of Bangor. One was entitled, 
 " I*reservatives against the principles and 
 practices of the nonjurors;" the other was a 
 sermon, preached before the king, under the 
 title of " The kingdom of Christ." An answer 
 to the latter discourse was published, by Dr. 
 Snape, master of Eton college, and the con- 
 vocation appointed a committee to examine 
 the bishop's two performances. A representa- 
 tion was immediately drawn up, in which 
 they were vehemently reprobated, as tending 
 to subvert all discipline in the church of 
 Christ, to reduce his kingdom to a state of 
 anarchy and confusion, and to impugn and 
 ini|)each the royal supremacy in causes eccle- 
 siastical, as well as the authority of the legis- 
 lature, to enforce obedience in matters of 
 religion by civil sanctions. 
 
 The bishop had selected, as the foundation 
 of his discourse, the declaration of Chri.st to 
 Pilate, that his kingdom was not of this world ; 
 and its object was to prove, that the kingdom 
 of Christ, and the sanctions by which it was 
 supported, were wholly intellectual and 
 spiritual ; that the church, taking the term irt 
 its utmost latitude of signification, did not 
 and could not possess the slightest degree of
 
 88 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 authority, under any commission, or pretend- 
 ed commission, derived from liim ; that tlie 
 churcli of England, and all other national 
 churches, were merely civil or human institu- 
 tions, estai)lislied for the purposes of diftusinj:: 
 and perpetuatins,- the knowledge and belief 
 of Chiistianily, which contained a system of 
 truths, not in their nature differing from other 
 truths, excepting in I heir superior weight and 
 importance ; and which were to be inculcated 
 in a manner analagous to other truths, de- 
 manding only, from their more interesting 
 import, proportionably higher degree of care, 
 attention, and assiduity in their promulgation. 
 
 To the representation of the committee the 
 bishop replied. That if his doctrine was re- 
 jected, certain other propositions must be 
 admitted, and these were so absurd and con- \ 
 tradictory, as to expose his antagonists m the ; 
 most ridiculous light, A termination, how- « 
 ever, was put to this disgraceful controversy, \ 
 by a royal prorogation : from this period, the \ 
 convocation has never been convened, but as * 
 a matter of form, and for the purpose of being i 
 igain prorogued. J 
 
 On the third day of November, the princess \ 
 of Wales was delivered of a prince, who died | 
 in a short time after his birth. It was the > 
 custom, that when the child was a boy, the t 
 king assumed the duties of godfather, and the | 
 place of second godfather was supplied by \ 
 one of the principal lords of the court. The j 
 prince, being ignorant of the custom, intended \ 
 that his uncle, t'le duke of York, should be ; 
 present as godfather. The king, apprised of; 
 the prince's intention, which he attributed to > 
 perverseness, rather than to ignorance, ap- 5 
 pointed the duke of Newcastle, the lord-chain- | 
 berlain, to be present, not as representing the » 
 duke of York, but in his own person. The; 
 prince, unaware that the duke acted in obedi- \ 
 ence to his majesty's cominand, was exaspe- 5 
 rated at the supposed insult, and expressed j 
 his resentment in terms of the utmost violence, i 
 The king, to testify his displeasure at his ; 
 son's intemperance, commanded him to quit ! 
 the palace of St. James's. He retired with | 
 the princess to a house belonging to the earl ; 
 of Grantham, but the children were detained | 
 at the palace. Notice was given to all peers ^ 
 and peeresses, and to all privy-counsellors and ^^ 
 their wives, that in case they visited the prince ! 
 anrf princess, tliey should forbear approaching \ 
 his majesty's presence ^ and all who enjoyed ? 
 
 [chap. VI t. 
 
 offices or situations under both king and 
 prince, were obliged to choose in which ser- 
 vice they would exclusively continue. 
 
 The liberality and good sense of the king, 
 on the question of religious tolerance, were 
 honourably exemplified by the introduction 
 into the house of lords, under his immediate 
 auspices, of a bill to repeal the acts against 
 occasional conformity and the growth of 
 schism, and certain clauses in the corporation 
 and test acts. The bill was violently opposed 
 by lord Cowper, on the plea of danger to the 
 church ; a plea which the bishop of Peter- 
 borough justly characterized, as adapted only 
 to the mouths of silly women and children. 
 Notwithstanding the violence of the high- 
 church party, the house agi'eed to repeal many 
 of the clauses, which excluded dissenters 
 from civil offices ; and the bill, being sent 
 down to tiie other house, was passed, after 
 violent debates, by a small majority. 
 
 A BILL for limiting the creation of peers 
 having been rejected, after much discussion, 
 a bill was brought in, for better securing the 
 dependency of Ireland on the crown of Great 
 Britain. One Maurice Annesley having ap- 
 pealed to the house of peers in England, from 
 a decree of the house of peers in Ireland, the 
 former reversed the sentence of the Irish lords, 
 and ordered the barons of the exchequer to 
 put Mr. Amiesley in possession of the lands 
 he had lost by the decree passed in that king- 
 dom. The barons having obeyed this order, 
 the Irish house of peers passed a vote against 
 them, importing that they had acted in dero- 
 gation of the king's prerogative, in the high 
 court of parliament in Ireland, as also of the 
 rights and privileges of that kingdom and its 
 parliament. They ordered them to be taken 
 into the custody of the usher of the black rod ; 
 transmitted a long representation to the king, 
 asserting their right to the final judicature of 
 causes in that kingdom. The English house 
 of peers, however, passed several resolutions, 
 approving of the conduct of the barons, and 
 a bill was introduced declaratory of the 
 supreme jurisdiction of tlije house in cases of 
 appeal, and of the right of the English par- 
 liament to make laws, to bind the kingdom of 
 Ireland in all cases whatsoever. 
 
 During the absence of the king, ■•.jan 
 and the negotiation of the quadruple 
 alliance, the South Sea scheme was occupying* 
 the minds of his English subjects, with a
 
 CHAP, vn-l 
 
 GEORGE r. 
 
 89 
 
 species of delusion more fatal and extraor- 1 would be protected and enlarged. This 'ru-. 
 
 dinary tlian any thoy liad htTope experienced. ; niour, diffused with great industry, inspired 
 
 lilniit, the projector of the sciienie, had taken \ the people with the most sanguine and extra- 
 
 llie hint from the Mississippi project, formed by | vagant hopes. In five days after the passing 
 
 Law, a .Scotsman, wiio had in the preceding 5 of the bill, the directors opened their books 
 
 year raised such a ferment in France, and | for a subscription of one niilllion, at the rate 
 
 involved in distress many thousand families ; of three hundred pounds for every hundred 
 
 of ti)at kingdom. Since the revolution in > pounds of capital. Persons of all ranks 
 
 l(i88, the government not receiving from par- i crowded to the house in such numbers, that 
 
 liament sufficient supplies, or what was frrant- i the first sul)scription amounted to more than 
 
 fcd requiring time to be collected, they were ! two millions of original stock. In a few days 
 
 obliged to borrow money from several diffe- \ the subscriptions were sold for double the 
 
 rent companies of merchants, and among ! price of the first payments. The delusion was 
 
 others from that which traded to the South ; continued by every variety of artifice ; the 
 
 Sea. In the year 1716, the government was i stock at length was raised to one thousand 
 
 indebted to this company alone about nine ! per cent, and the whole nation infected with 
 
 millions and a half, at the rate of 61. per cent. } a propensity to gaming in the funds. Every 
 
 interest, and, as I have before related, Mr. I profession, and every rank, was equally ab- 
 
 Walpole suggested a plan of giving the several | sorbed by the prevailing spirit of speculation ; 
 
 companies an alternative of accepting a lower ; every business and employment of common 
 
 interest, or of being paid the principal ; the | life was neglected for the pursuit of iniagi- 
 
 companies preferring the former at an interest | nary riches ; and the example of the South 
 
 of 5/. per cent. ' \ Sea Company was imitated by the self-created 
 
 In this state of things. Blunt, who had been 
 bred a scrivener, and had all the art and 
 ])lausibility necessary for such an undertaking, 
 made an ofler to the n)inistry, in the name of 
 the South Sea Company, to buy up all the 
 debts of the different companies, and thus to 
 become the sole creditor of the state. The 
 terms i)roposed to the -government were ex- 
 tremely advantageous. The South Sea Com- 
 pany was to redeeai the public debts out of 
 the hands of the creditors, upon whatever 
 terms could be arranged between them ; and 
 for the interest of the money so redeemed. 
 
 managers of similar establishments, under the 
 titles of the Welsh Coj)per Company, the 
 York Building Company, and the London 
 and Westminster Building Company ; three 
 institutions, which attracted the notice of the 
 public, under the respectable sanction of the 
 prince oi" Wales, the duke of Chandos, and 
 the duke of Bridgewater, 
 
 In a few months, however, the people began 
 to awaken from their dream of riches. The 
 number of sellers daily increased. On the 
 29th of September, the stock sunk to 150, 
 several eminent goldsmiths and bankers were 
 
 they w'ould be satisfied with receiving from \ obliged to abscond, and the Sword-blade 
 government, for six years, 5/. per cent. ; after | Company, who had hitherto been the prin- 
 ■which the interest should be reduced to 41. \ cipal cash-keepers of the South Sea stock 
 per cent, and should at any time be redeem- \ were compelled to stop payment. In this 
 able by parliament. For these purposes, a { emergency, the bank was prevailed upon to 
 bill passed both houses of parliament, and, j subscribe into the stock of the South Sea 
 during its progress, the stock of the South > Company, valued at four hundred per cent.,. 
 Sea Company rose from one hundred and t £3,700,000, which the company was to repay 
 thirty to near four hundred. As the directors I to the bank on Lady-day and Michaelmas of 
 could not be expected to possess money suffi- > the succeeding year. Books were opened at 
 
 cient to buy up the debts of the nation, they 
 were empowered to raise it, by opening a 
 subscription to a scheme for tradhig in tiie 
 South Seas, The company took advantage 
 of this permission to propagate a report, that 
 Gibralter and Port Mahoi. would be ex- 
 changed for some place in Peru, by which 
 
 means the Enirlish trade to the 
 
 VOL, III. 
 
 South 
 
 N 
 
 Sea 
 
 the bank to receive subscriptions for the sup- 
 ])ort of public credit, and considerable sums 
 of money were obtained. But the relief was 
 temporary, and the run upon the bank so 
 considerable, that the money was paid away 
 faster than it could be received froui the sub- 
 scription. The stock again decliutd, there- 
 fore, to one hundred and fifty, and the bonds- 
 lOG
 
 90 HISTORV OF 11NGLAND. [CHAP. VII. 
 
 of the company were negotiated at the (lis- ; not being able to suppress tlie emotions of his 
 count of 25/. per cent. Tlie directors of the j grief, rose from table and retired, liis eyes 
 barjk renounced their agreement, and tlius | suffused with tears. On the decease of this 
 conipleted the ruin of tlie company. By this ;■ nobleman a new change occurred in the 
 e^ent the nation was involved in deep and i formation of the ministry. Mr. Walpole, lord 
 extensive distress. Thousands of families | Townsend, lord Cowper, and Mr. Metluien, 
 were reduced to ruin ; and nothing was ] being reconciled to the court, were reinstated 
 heard but the lamentations of poverty, mis- j in their former, or other offices, 
 fortune, and despair. Many of the directors, | The influence of Walpole was great and 
 by whose arts the people were taught to ; decided, now that he was no longer opposed 
 expect unbounded and immediate wealth, | by the predominance of lord Stanhope over 
 amassed considerable Ibrtunes by the public | the councils of the king; and lord Townsend, 
 credulity ; but the parliament resolved to | finding his ascendancy irresistible, resigned 
 strip these plunderers of their infamously- \ his office, rather than submit to be regarded 
 acquired possessions. Orders were issued to \ as his inferior, and retired to his estate, 
 reujove all the directors of the South Sea | The appointment of Mr. Robert Walpole 
 Company from their seats in parliament, and ^ was preceded by the resignation of lord Sun- 
 from their places under government ; and ; derland. It having been proved, in a com- 
 thc principal delinquents were punished by ; niittee of the house of commons, that £50,000 
 a forfeiture of all such possessions and estates, piad been taken for his use, without either 
 as they had acquired during the continuance » ])ayment or security, he vacated bis place of 
 of the popular frenzy. The next care of the i commissioner of the treasury. The comnions 
 parliament was to redress the sufferers, as far | having resolved that Mr. Aislabie, the chan- 
 as that purpose could be effected by the l cellor of the exchequer, had combined, in the 
 authority of the legislature. Of the profits { pursuit of his own profit, with the directors 
 arising from the South Sea scheme, the sum ; in pernicious practices, to the ruin of the 
 of seven millions was restored to the original | public, he was expelled the house and corn- 
 proprietors. Several additions were made to \ mitted to the Tower. 
 
 their dividends, out of what was possessed | Knight, the treasurer of the South Sea 
 by the company in its own right ; and the \ Company, being seized at Tirlemont, was 
 remaining capital stock was divided among | committed prisoner to the citadel of Antwerp, 
 the old proprietors, at the rate of 3.3/. per \ Application was made to the cabinet of 
 cent. I Vienna, that he should ,be delivered up to 
 
 Sir John Blunt, the projector of the scheme,- j such persons as might be appointed to receive 
 refusing in the house of lords to answer the ; him ; but answer was unexpectedly made by 
 interrogatories of the duke of Wharton, and \ the Imperial court, that such a proceeding 
 being vehemently justified in his refusal by j would interfere with the privileges of the 
 lord Stanhope, the duke sarcastically observ- J states of Brabant, by which no person, against 
 ed, that the government of the best princes \ whom a ciiininal accusation is brought, can 
 Avas sometimes rendered intolerable by bad \ be removed for trial out of the jjrovince. 
 ministers ; adducing the exarajjle of Sejanus, | While this reply was the subject of discussion, 
 who had rendered the reign of Claudius hate- | he effected a second escape from the citadel 
 ful to the Romans. The reproach excited the > of Antwerp, and was subsequently jiardoned ; 
 warm indignation of lord Stanhope, who re- j a circumstance which excited strong sus- 
 plied with so much vehemence, that he was ; picion, that Sunderland, though resigned, 
 seized with a sudden illness, of which he j still retained his influence in the closet, and 
 expired in the evening of the following day. $ had obtained the escape of a criminal, whose 
 The king received intelligence of this respect- 1 disclosures might have been so unpropitious 
 able nobleman's death when at supper, and, | to himself and to his late coadjutors in office.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 [1721 to 1727.] 
 
 Proceedings m Parliament — Alliance with Siceden — Banishment of Pis/iop Allerhiry-— 
 lietnrn of Bolinglnoke — Abdication of Philip of Spain — Expedition to the Baltic — 
 Impeachment of the Earl of Macclesfield — Siege of Gibralter — Departtire of the King 
 for Hanover — His Death, and Character. 
 
 1721. 
 
 T 
 
 HE spirit of tlie high church 
 
 party, and the moderation, good- \ 
 sense, and independence of their opponents, « 
 were strikingly exemplified on the introdnc- | 
 tion into tiie honse of peers of a bill for the ! 
 suppression of blasphemy and profaneness, | 
 which enacted, that if any one spoke or wrote | 
 against the being of a God, the divinity of \ 
 Jesus Christ, or of the Holy Ghost, the doc- I 
 trine of the Trinity, the truth of the Christian \ 
 religion, or the divine inspiration of the Scrip- j 
 tures, he should suffer imprisonment for an ! 
 indefinite term, unless, in a form prescribed, j 
 he renounce his errors. To the i)ill itself; 
 many persecuting clauses were add«(l, which \ 
 were justly represented as tending to the es- 
 tablishment of a protestant inquisition. On 
 the motion, however, that the bill be com- 
 mitted, it was rejected by a majority of 60 
 to 31. 
 
 Scarcely had the new ministry entered on 
 the fulfilment of their respective offices, be- 
 fore a subsidy was voted to Sweden, with 
 whouj an alliance, offensive and defensive, had 
 been just concluded ; in which it was stipu- 
 lated, that his Britannic majesty should send 
 a fleet into the Baltic, to act against the Czar 
 of Russia. The Czar loudly complained of 
 this interposition, alleging that he hud failed 
 in his engagements, both as elector of Hanover, 
 and as king of Great Britain. The mutual 
 recriminations of the two cabinets tended 
 only to exasperate their mutual resentments, 
 and the Czar at length concluded a peace 
 with Sweden, without the intervention of a 
 mediatoi-. On the IGih of June, the king ac- 
 quamted the commons, that he had agreed to 
 
 N 2 
 
 pay a subsidy to the crown of Sweden, and 
 hoped they would enabled him to make good 
 his engagements. This intimation produced 
 a violent debate. Lord Molesworth observed, 
 that he would go as far as any man in sup- 
 porting the dignity of the crown of Great 
 Britain; but, on the other hand, he was not 
 for squandering away unnecessarily the small 
 remainder of the wealth of the nation : tliat 
 by our late conduct we were become the 
 allies of the whole world, and the bubbles of 
 all our allies; for we were obliged to pay 
 them well for our assistance. He affirmed, 
 that the treaties which had been made with 
 Sweden, at different times, were partly incon- 
 sistent and contradictory ; that our late en- 
 gagements with that crown were contrary to 
 existing treaties with other powers ; that in 
 order to engage the Czar to yield what he 
 had gained in the course of the war, the king 
 of Prussia ought to give up Stettin, and the 
 elector of Hanover restore Bremen and Ver- 
 den ; that the distressed condition to which 
 the Swedes were reduced was indeed worthy 
 of compassion; but it must be considered, 
 that they had in a great measure been the 
 cause of their own misfortunes, by tame sub- 
 mission to a despotic prince, by sacrificing 
 their whole substance to enable him to prose- 
 cute his rash, ambitious, and unjust projects, 
 and that any nation who followed their 
 example deserved most richly to share the 
 same fate ; that England had no right to 
 interfere with the aflairs of the empire, that 
 we reaped little or no advantage by our trade 
 to the Baltic, but that of procuring naval 
 stores ; that hemp was certainly a very
 
 92 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. vni. 
 
 necessary commodity, particularly at the 
 present juncture, but that if proper encou- 
 ragement were given to some of the American 
 plantations, we might be supplied from tlit-«n 
 at a much cheaper'rate than from Sweden and 
 NorvTay. — Notwithstanding the cogency of 
 these arguments, the votes of supply were 
 passed, after much clamorous debate, by a 
 iarge majority. Having passed, after a deter- 
 mined opposition from the spiritual lords, a 
 bill for permitting the omission of the words, 
 " in the presence of Almighty God' in the 
 affirmation of the quakers, but providing, at 
 tile same time, for the intiiction, on a false 
 affirmation, of the penalties of perjury ; the 
 -_.,.^ parliament was dissolved in March; 
 and early in the ensuing month of 
 October, the king opened the new parliament 
 with a speech from the throne, in vvhicii he 
 observed, that he was extremely s6rry to 
 inform them, at the opening of the session, 
 that a dangerous conspiracy had been fr^r 
 some time maturing, and was still carrying 
 on against his person and government, in 
 favour of a popish Pretender ; that the dis- 
 coveries made at home, the declarations of 
 his ministers abroad, and the intelligence re 
 
 which many persons of the first distinction 
 were concerned. Inconsequence of the dis- 
 covery, a camp was formed in Hyde Park, 
 and all military officers were ordered to repair 
 to their respective stations. Lieutenant-gene- 
 ral Macartney was dispatched to Ireland, to 
 bring over troops from that kingdom, and the 
 states of Holland were called upon to have in 
 readiness their stipidated nimiber of troops. 
 
 In this general alarm, the first person 
 arrested was A tterbury, bishop of Rochester, 
 a prelate of great abilities, who had long been 
 obnoxious to the government. He was con- 
 fiheil in the Tower, and soon after the duke 
 of PSorfolk, the earl of Orrery, lords North 
 and Grey, with several others of inferior rank, 
 wtTo arrested and im|)risoned. Of all these, 
 however, only the bisliop and Mr. Layer, a 
 barrister, experienced ihr severity of govern- 
 ment, the proofs against the rest not amount- 
 ing to evidence sufficient for conviction. A 
 bill was brouglit into the house of conniions, 
 impeaching bishop Atterbury, though he 
 pleaded j)rivilege as a peer. This measure 
 met with opposition from several of the mem- 
 bers ; but it was resolved, by a majority 
 of the house, that he should be deprived of 
 
 ceived from the various powers of Europe, { his dignity and clerical appointments, and 
 had afTorded him aniple and concurrent proofs ^ should be banished the kingdom for ever. 
 
 of this wicked design. " Had I," he pro- 
 ceeded, " since my accession to the throne, 
 ever attempted any innovation in our estab- 
 lished religion ; had I, in any one instance, 
 invaded the liberty of my subjects ; I should 
 lei^s have wondered at any endeavour to 
 alienate the affections of my people, and draw 
 theni into measures that can only terminate in 
 their own destruction. But to hope to per- 
 suade a free people, in full enjoyment of all 
 that is dear and vaUiable to them, to exchange 
 freedom for slavery, the protestant religion for 
 })opery, and to sacrifice at once the price of 
 so much blood and treasure, as have been 
 spent in defence of our present eslablishment, 
 seems an infatuation not to be accounted for." 
 In reply to this speech, botii houses of par- 
 liament presented addresses expressive of 
 their in<lignation against the authors and 
 abettors of tl.e conspiracy, and containing 
 assurances that they wouUi cheerfully hazard 
 their lives and fir tunes in defence (»f his ma- 
 jerty's person and government. The regent 
 of France was the first who communicated 
 to^ the king information of the conspiracy, in 
 
 The bishop made no defence in the lower 
 house, reserving all his force till he shonUl 
 have occasion to exert it in the house of 
 peers. \V hen his cause came before the lordsj 
 there ensued a warm debate, in which the 
 innocence of the bishop was ardently con- 
 tested. There appeared ai^aiiist him little oi* 
 no proof, except what arose from intercepted 
 letters, written in cypher, which earl Paulet 
 insisted did not contain any tiling that could 
 be construed into treason. The duke of 
 Wharton animadverted on the weakness, in- 
 sufficiency, and contradiction of the evidence 
 against the hisliop, and added, that such pro- 
 ceedings, like the stone of Sysyphus, frequent- 
 ly rolled back on their promoters. Lord 
 lialhurst observed, that if such extraordinary 
 proceeilings were countenanced, he saw 
 notiiing remaining (or hnn ami others, but to 
 retire t(i their country-houses, and there, if 
 possil)le, quietly enjoy their estiites within 
 their own families, since the most trifling cor- 
 respondence might lie made criminal; and 
 turning to the bishops, he said, he could wilii 
 diliiculty account fur the inveterate hatred
 
 CHAP. VIII.] GEORGE f. itO 
 
 and malice, wliich some people bore against ; persecution and pnidertt restraint, liave Ijeen, 
 the ingenious bishop of Rochester, unless it ; in conunon with many other subjects of de- 
 was that, infatuated like the wild Americans, { bate, connected with and affecting- the happi- 
 they fondly hoped to inherit, not only the j ness of nations, more fully di.scussed, and 
 spoils, but the abilities of the man they should i more satisfactorily developed, in later period.s 
 destroy. In defiance of all that was advanced | of English history, I shall on this, as on many 
 in the bishop's favour, the bill against him ; other important topics, defer the full con- 
 was carried by the force of ministerial influ- < sideration of such questions, in their various 
 ence. His sentence being confirmed, in two 5 bearings, till many historical circumstances 
 days after he end)arked for the continent, I respecting them have past before review : a 
 attended by his daughter. On the same day | plan which will preclude the danger of super- 
 that he landed at Calais, lord Boling!)roke j ticial observation and prolix repetition. Ou 
 arrived there on his return to England, having ! the 27th of May, an end was put to the ses- 
 obtained his majesty's pardon. Alterbury, | sion, by a speech from the throne, in which 
 being informed of this circumstance, could ; his majesty expressed his satisfaction at the 
 not help observing, with a smile, ihat they « proceedings of parliament, and in particular 
 were exchanged. The bishop continued in ; at those exertions of legislative authority, 
 exile and poverty until he died. i which were necessary in this crisis of danger, 
 
 Mr. Layer being brought to his trial in j for the punishment of offenders whose g.ilt 
 the king's bench, he was convicted of having j there was no room to doubt ; but whose 
 enlisted men for the Pretender's service, and > wicked arts and practices had been brought to 
 of having endeavoured to excite a rebellion, ; such perfection, that they confidently carried 
 and was sentenced to death. The circum- I on their dangerous projects in defiance of the 
 stances of the conspiracy are but imperfectly ; law, from an assurance of being able to elude 
 known ; it is understood, however, that the | it. His majesty added, that some extraordi- 
 intention of the conspirators was, by privately I nary affairs calling him abroad this summer, 
 introducing into England a niunber of foreign | he doubted not the wisdom and vigilance of 
 officers, to prepare for a junction with the i his good sid)jects would prevent their common 
 duke of Ormond, who was to land in the i enemies from taking advantage of his absence ; 
 river with a quantity of arms provided for the | and that they will at length cease to flatter 
 purpose. Mr. Layer was reprieved from time j themselves with the vain imagination of being 
 to time, and many endeavours were employed ; able to subvert our religious and political 
 to obtain from him a discovery of his accom- ! establishment. 
 
 plices; but continuing firm in his refusal, he j Phimp V. of Spain, influenced by consti- 
 was executed at Tyburn, and his head fixed ; tutional melancholy and habitual l)igotry, re- 
 on Temple Bar , J tired to the monastery of .St. Ildefonzo, and 
 
 BoLiNGBROKE, though restored to his pa- ; made a solemn renunciation of the crowns of 
 ternal honours and estate, was still excluded ; Castile and Arragon to iiis eldest son, Don 
 from the house of peers. Stimulated by a | Louis, prince of Asturias. The young prince 
 lofty confidence in his own powers, by an 5 dying soon after his -elevation to the rank of 
 ambition too ardent to be scrupulous, and by j king, Pliilip was prevailed upon to resume 
 rivalry of his former colleagues in office, lords | his abdicated throne, but devoting his time to 
 Oxford and Harcourt, who had been restored ; the duties of religion, he rommitted the exer- 
 to all their privileges, he so far forgot the : cise of power to the tjueen. The enmity 
 recent good oflices of sir Robert Walpole, in j between Russia and Sweden had, in the mean 
 advising his recal, as to arrange the plan, and \ lime, terminated by a treaty concluded at 
 collect the members of a systematic oppo- i Nystad in 1721, which contained stipuhitions 
 sition. I unfavourable to the views of his Britannic 
 
 During this session, a bill was passed for ; majesty, inasmuch as they affected the secu- 
 levying the sum of £100,000 upon the estates I rity of Bremen and Verden. A marked 
 of all liouian catholics, on pretext of the con- • reserve had for some tmie existed between 
 stuul endeavours of the papists to subvert the | the king of England and the emperor, who 
 establishment. As the principles ofloleration. > refused to grant the investiture of Bremen and 
 and the important distinction between bigoted i Verden, but on condition of an enormous ,
 
 94 HISTORY OP ENGLAND.' [CHAP. VIII. 
 
 pecuniary consideration. At this mon)ent ; deemed expedient to send a squadron of ships 
 the kit)"- was also chagrined l)y the death ofi into the Baltic. The connnand devolved upon 
 the duke of Orleans, rei^ent of France, wliose 5 sir Charles Wager, who received instructions 
 system of policy had for some time corres- j not to permit the Russian fleets to leave their 
 ponded wilii the views of the English court. ; ports, till the empress had obviated all ground 
 If this cordiality was as singular as sincere, | of suspicion by an explicit declaration of her 
 the termination* of the long and inveterate ; intentions. The empress protested, that 
 enmity of the emperor and king of Spain, by ^ nothing was further from her thoughts than 
 a treaty concluded at Vienna was still more ; any design to disturb the peace of the north, 
 strange and unexpected. According to this | expressing at the same time her astonishment 
 treaty, which was denominated the "pragma- 5 that she had not received his majesty's letter, 
 TIC SANCTION, Spain was pledged to the gua- | until his fleet was at anchor before Revel ; a 
 rantee of the Austrian succession. To this ! procedure totally inconsistent with the amity 
 treaty the court of St. Petersburgh acceded : j so long maintained, between her kingdoms and 
 and a confederacy, which changed the aspect \ those of Great Britain. The task of pacitica- 
 of affairs in Europe, owed its origin to the | tion with Russia was indeed by no means 
 dismissal, by tiie court of Versailles, of the i complicated or dithcult. All her objections 
 young infanta of Spain, affianced to the king | to an amicable treaty were concentrated in the 
 of France, but to whom that monarch had | simple demand, that Sleswick should be re- 
 conceived a determined aversion. In order i stored to the duke of Holstein, or that he 
 to connterljalance the preponderance of this | should be satisfied by an equivalent. The 
 coalition, a similar treaty of alliance was ; only equivalent, however, that was proper, 
 signed at Hanover, between England, France, | easy, or convenient, were Bremen and Verden, 
 Denmark, and Prussia, to which Holland and ; which the king of England estimated at a 
 Sweden afterwards acceded. This treaty was ; value more consistent with his prejudices, as 
 communicated to the British parliament which ! elector of Hanover, than with tlie jnteresl-s of 
 met in .January 17-20; and an address, iu ; Great Britain. The Czarina, therefore, ac- 
 approbatiou of its conclusion, was carried in ! ceded to the coalition formed by the emperor, 
 the house of commons by a majority of 285 j while the government of Sweden, influenced 
 against 107. ; by secret service-money, became a party on 
 
 The duke de Ripperda, the favourite of ; the opposite side, by agreeing to the treaty of 
 the queen, and theiefore the director of every « Hanover. 
 
 measure at the coin-t of Madrid, was the chief! At the beginning of the session of pari ia- 
 projector and negotiator of the treaty between I mcnt, articles of impeachment, for high crimes 
 the emperor and Spain. Having incurred the « and misdemeanours, were lodged by the com- 
 <lispleasin-e of the court by the insolence of; monsin the house of peers, against the earl of 
 his demeanour, and provoked the jealousy of; Macclesfield. He was accused of receiving, 
 tiie grandees by his evident influence over ; during his possession of the exalted office of 
 every department of the state, he was osten- j lord high chancellor, several exorI)itaut sums 
 sibly di>;niissed from the confidence of the > of money, as a consideration for the admission 
 queen, and confuting his own abuse of the ; of certain persons to the offices of masters of 
 English nation, by confiding in its generosiiy, i chancery, and of abusing his trust as general 
 he fled to the house of the British ambassa- > guardian of the persons of orphans and luna- 
 dor for shelter. A guard was counnaiided by ; tics. The house of peers, after a long and 
 the qutjen to secure the avenues hading to his | candid hearing, being satisfied with the proof 
 place uf refuge, and to seize the duke's per- ; of these crimes, sentenced him to pay a fine 
 son; a proceeding which excited the remon- i of £30,000, and be imprisoned till the fine be 
 strance of the English court, as contrary to ; paid. Sir Peter King, who succeeded him, 
 the privileges of ambassadors, as established ; iiutling his talents unequal to the office, re- 
 by the law of nations, and as executed with i signed in favour of lord Talliot, a nobleman, 
 brutal and unexampled severity. ; whom untimely death cut off in the prime of 
 
 Repkatku advices having been received, ; life, and tlie flower of his virtues. His place 
 that pre|;arali()ns were making in Russia for 5 was supi)lied by sir Philip York, lord chief 
 the e<iu)pment of a numerous fleet, it was j justice, created baron Hardwick, who fulfilled
 
 CHAP. VIIl] 
 
 GCORGR I. 
 
 95 
 
 file duties of his station for nineteen years, 
 with virtue, circumspection, and ability. 
 j_gy The parliament met on the 17th of 
 January, and his majosty observed, in 
 his opening speech, that the sudden and un- 
 accountable conjunction between the emperor 
 and the king of Spain, and the secret and 
 offensive alliances concluded between them, 
 had laid the foundations of a most exhorbitant 
 and insatiable power; and were so directly 
 levelled against the most valuable interests 
 and privileges of the English nation, that we 
 must determine, either patiently to submit to 
 the peremptory and unjust demands of the 
 king of Spain, by giving up Gil)ralter, and 
 patiently acquiescing in the emperor's usurped 
 and extended exercise of trade and connnerce, 
 or must resolve to be in a condition to do 
 ourselves justice, and to defend our undoubted 
 rights against these reciprocal engagements, 
 entered into, in defiance and violation of all 
 national faith, and of the most solemn tiea- 
 ties. He assured them, that it was a secret 
 article of the alliance between the emperor 
 and Spain, that the Pretender should be 
 placed on the throne of Great Britain ; that 
 Kussia was actuated by the same views ; that 
 two squadrons had been equipped, besides 
 that sent to the Baltic ; and that the king 
 of Spain had ordered his ambassador to 
 quit the kingdom, leaving a memorial, con- 
 taining a formal demand for the restitution of 
 Gibralter. The apprehension of an attempt, 
 on the part of the other powers, to place the 
 
 As a consequence of the mutual jealousies 
 between the contending powers, Gibralter 
 was besieged ; but the bravery of the troops, 
 and the number of reinforcements, rendered 
 ail the eflorts of the assailants ineffectual ; 
 and a successful resistance was continued, 
 till the relief of the fortress by Ireaiy in the 
 subsequent rci-n. 
 
 The land-ioices were now augmented, and 
 .30,000 Danes, Swedes, and Hessians, engaged 
 in the service of Great Britain. Notwi! [island- 
 ing the vigorous opposition of a minority in 
 parliament, the king was vested with tiie ap- 
 propriation of such sums as should be neces- 
 sary for making good his expences and en- 
 gagements, and £;370,000 issued in exchequer 
 bills was charged, notwithstaiuhng the evident 
 tendency of the measure to destroy the effi- 
 cacy of that important resource, upon the 
 sinking fund. 
 
 At this important crisis, the politics of 
 Russia underwent a new and propitious revo- 
 lution, in consequence of the death of the 
 (.'zarina ; and tire iidlueure of the court of 
 Versailles co-operating with that event, and 
 with the secret inclinations of all the courts of 
 Europe, preliminary articles of reconciliation 
 were concluded in May, J 727, on the part 
 of all the hostile powers. The policy of 
 assisting, by his presence, at the final conclu- 
 sion of the treaty, induced his Britannic 
 majesty to pay another visit to the continent. 
 He landed in Holland on the 7lh of June, 
 and proceeded on his journey to Hanover. 
 
 Pretender on the throne of Britain, was re- \ He arrived at Delden between eleven and 
 
 garded by many xnembers of the house as 
 utterly chimerical : M. de Palm, the Imperial 
 resident at London, was instructed to declare, 
 that the assertion relating to the Pretender 
 was absolutely nullity, and that the restitution 
 of Gibralter formed no part of the treaty lately 
 concluded; and it appeared, on investigation, 
 that the first suggestion of the restoration of 
 Gibralter had proceeded from George himself, 
 in a letter to the king of Spain. Notwith- 
 standing these circumstances, an address was 
 voted by a majority of 251 against 81. Ano- 
 ther formal address was likewise presented, in 
 which the two houses expressed their indig- 
 nation at the insolence of de Palm's memorial, 
 which they characterized as an insult on his 
 majesty, and a presumptuous and vain at- 
 tempt to instil into the minds of his faithful 
 subjects a distrust of his royal word. 
 
 twelve at night, and ate a hearty supper. The 
 next morning he continued his journey, was 
 afHicted on the road with a severe cholic, and 
 finding, on his arrival at Linden, that his 
 appetite had left him, submitted to the opera- 
 tion of phlebotomy. Proceeding on his jour- 
 ney, contrary to the advice of his attendants, 
 he fell into a lethargy as he passed along ; and 
 resting on the arms of u gentleman in the 
 carriage, faintly ejaculated, " C est fait de 
 moi ;" / not a dead man. He was e^:tremely 
 anxious to reach the capital of the electorate; 
 but (III his arrival at the palace of his brother, 
 the bishoj) of Osnaburgli, all hope of recovery 
 disappeared, and on Sunday the lltli of June 
 he expired, in the thirteenth year of his reign 
 and the sixty-seventh of his age. 
 
 The character of George L was chiefly 
 distinguished by those humble but valuable
 
 QQ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. VI If. 
 
 qualities, whicli form the respectable friend | suit, than compreliensive in their object, or 
 and the I'lsefiil citizen. His talents were less j rational in their design. As the elector of 
 brilliant than solid ; his views were limited, ; Hanover he was popnlar, able, and judicious ; 
 but accurate as far as they extended ; and ! as the king of England bis policy was too 
 his matintrs were more conciliating than | frequently directed by the influence of a party, 
 dignified. Uliile his domestic policy was | and circumscribed by local partialities ; but 
 regulated, as far as the prevalence of corrup- i all his intentions were on the side of virtue, 
 tioii and' of faction would permit, l)y the ; and the taleuts he actually possessed, devoted 
 j)urest principles of benevolence, liis foreign | with sincerity to the furtherance of the happi- 
 ue-^otiations were more fortunate in their re- 5 ness of his people. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 State of Parties — Examiimtion of the Jails — Congress at Soissons — Affairs of the East 
 India Company — Cruelties ayid Injustice of the Spaniards — Debates on a standing Army — 
 Excise Bill — Extraordinary Suicide — Marriage of the Princess of Wales — Affxiirs of 
 Poland — Campaign and Intrigues on the Continent — Murder of Porteus, and unexampled 
 Outrage at Edinburgh — Appeal in favour of the Prince of Wales — Corrupt Practices 
 0/ the°3Iinister — Progress of the Act for licensing the Drama. 
 
 GEORGE II. was born on the 30th of S destitute of dignity of manner. His address 
 October 1683, and on August 22nd i was artful and insinuating, conveying the im- 
 1705, married Wilhelmina Carolina, daughter 5 pression of good-nature and sincerity, and his 
 of John Frederic, marquis of Brandenburgh | mode of argumentation displayed the cool, 
 Anspach. On his accession to the throne, as | dispassionate, and unaflected equaliility of a 
 well as throughout the whole progress of his x disputant willing to acknowledge his own 
 reign, he was strongly influenced by partiality i errors, and to allow their just weight to the 
 to his possessions on the continent. His | arguments of his opponents. His associates 
 prejudices and political views corresponded ; were the duke of Newcastle, a man of plau- 
 with those of the late king; the prime minis- I sible ajldress and imposing habits, but of a 
 ter, sir Robert Walpole, received the most | capacity unequal to the duties of his station ; 
 decisive testin)onies of his regard and confi- 5 Mr. Pelhani, his brother, secretary at war, 
 dence ; and the other principal officers of i a man of virtue and talents ; the earl of Ches- 
 state were continued in their places. Sir | terfield, a courtier by profession, graceful in 
 Robert Walpole had raised himself from low j liis manners, fluent in his delivery, and dis- 
 beginnings to the head of the treasury. He j tinguished by the delicacy of his wit, and the 
 Avas \v( 11 acquainted with the nature of the j variety of his attainments. The duke of 
 public fuiids, and the mysteries of stock-job- 5 Argyle^ Mhose haughtiness of address, vehe- 
 hing ; a perfect master of all the arts of ! mence of -speech, and military skill, have 
 bribery and intrigue } fluent in (discourse, but > already been noticed in the history of the
 
 CHAP. IX J r> GEORGE II. 
 
 reigii of Anne ; and lord Cateret, an indi- 
 vidual endowed with great extent and saga- 
 city of comprehension, and an intimate know- 
 ledge of the general politics of Europe, 
 dictatorial in his opinions, and reserved in 
 his deportment. •< 
 
 In the house of commons, the members had 
 for several years been distinguished by tlie 
 titles of Hanoverians and Jacobites ; but 
 they now clianged their appellations with 
 their principles, and the opposing parties 
 were characterized by the names of the toicn 
 and comitry. Both sides had been equally 
 active in promoting the accession of the house 
 of Hanover, and were therefore alike secure 
 from the reproach of disaffection. The former, 
 arranged under the banners of the ministry, 
 were favourable to all the measures of the 
 crown ; they were accustomed to regard 
 foreign alliances and continental connections 
 as conducive to internal security and pros- 
 perity. The latter were utterly averse to 
 continental connections. They comjilained 
 that immense sums were lavished on fruitless 
 subsidies, and that alliances were bought 
 with money, from nations that should rather 
 repay Great Britain for her protection. These 
 persons were joined by the most enthusiastic 
 of the Tories, who began to perceive that 
 their own cause was desperate ; and as they 
 were leagued with men who did not fear the 
 imputation of Jacobitism, they gave and ac- 
 quired greater confidence. As the court 
 party generally endeavoured to stimulate the 
 loyalty of the house of commons, by inti- 
 mations of secret conspiracies and imaginary 
 dangers, their opponents continually declaimed 
 on the encroachments of the prerogative, and j 
 the increasing power of the crown. During 
 the whole of the reign of George H. two 
 principal objects of controversy appear to 
 have agitated the contending parties : the 
 national debt, and the number of forces to 
 be retained in pay. The government, at the 
 accession of the king, was indebted to the 
 amount of forty n)illions, and, notwithstanding 
 many years of profound peace, the debt was 
 regularly accumulating. The country party 
 was usually engaged, during the whole of 
 the session, in investigating so singular a 
 phenomenon ; and the court party in tracing 
 it to causes, which should not implicate their 
 prudence or integrity. Demands for new 
 supplies were brought forward every session, 
 
 o 
 
 97 
 
 under the pretext of securing and rewarding 
 friends upon the continent, or of guarding the 
 kingdoni from mternal conspiracies. It was 
 vainly contended, that these expences were 
 entirely unnecessary, as well as prejudicial to 
 the nation. The court party was constar»tly 
 victorious, and every demand was granted 
 with cheerfulness and profusion. 
 
 The produce of the civil list revenues, esti- 
 mated at £800,000, was, on the motion of 
 sir Robert Walpole, granted to the king for 
 life, instead of the annual revenue ot £700,000 
 granted to the late monarch ; and in compli- 
 ance with a message to the house of commons, 
 £100,000 per annum was settled as a jointure 
 on the queen. The parliament being dis- 
 solved in August, and a new one con- .-go 
 vened in January, the sum of ■£280,000 " " 
 was voted for the maintenaace of the Hessian 
 and Swedish auxiliaries ; a subsidy of 
 £100,000 was granted to the duke of Wolf^m- 
 buttle, who agreed to keep in readiness for 
 the king's service, a corps of 5000 men, and, 
 with a singular estimation of his own power 
 and importance, to guarantee the possession 
 of his majesty's dominions ! The supplies 
 were raised by a continuation of the malt-tax, 
 the duties upon malt, cyder, and perry, an 
 additional imposition on unmalted corn used 
 in distilling, and the sale of annuities not 
 exceeding £50,000 per annum to the bank. 
 
 Mr. Oglethorpe, having been informed of 
 cruelties and oppressions exercised by gaolers 
 upon their prisoners, moved for an examina- 
 tion into those practices, and was chosen 
 chairman of a committee, appointed to en- 
 quire into the state of the gaols, throughout 
 the kingdom. They began with the Fleet 
 Prison, which they visited in a body, where 
 they found sir William Rich, loaded with 
 irons, by order of Bambridge the warden, to 
 whom he had given some slight and involun- 
 tary offence. They made a discovery of 
 many inhuman barbarities committed by the 
 same individual, and detected the most shame- 
 ful and hardened plans of fraud, villainy, and 
 extortion. The house presented an address 
 to the king, desiring that h* wjidd direct his 
 attorney-general to prosecuteiPambridge, his 
 predecessor Huggins, and their accomplices. 
 They were all committed prisoners to New- 
 gate. A bill was brought in, disabling Bam- 
 bridge from executing the office of warden, 
 another for the better regulation of the Fleet 
 7
 
 ^ HISTORY OP ENGLAND.' [CHAP. IX. 
 
 Prison, and for more efl'ectually preventing \ £200,000 towards tlie supplies of the year, 
 and punishing the mal-practices of the warden. | without interest, or addition to their capital 
 
 His majesty, having appointed the queen j stock ; that the annuity, or yearly fund, of 
 regent of the kingdom, set out for Hanover 5 £140,000 payahle to them from tlie public, 
 on the 17th of May, in order to remove a | should be reduced to £128,000; that after 
 ti'ivial misunderstanding between himself, as \ the year 17G(J, their right to the exclusive 
 elector, and the court of Berlin. In the same I trade should be prolonged or refused on re- 
 month, lord Tovvnsend resigned the seals, | payment of their capital, and after three years' 
 which were given to colonel Stanhope, now | notice, at the pleasure of parliament, 
 created earl of Harrington; James, earl of; The parliament assembling in Jann- i-qn 
 Waldegrave, was appointed ambassador to 5 ary, the king, in his speech from the 
 the court of France. In September, Victor | throne, expressed his joy, that notwithstanding 
 i\madeus, king of Sardinia, resigned his | all the clamours which had been raised, the 
 crown to his son Charles Emanuel, prince of | parliament had approved of his negotiations 
 Piedmont. The father reserved to himself a « with the continental powers; he declared the 
 revenue of one hundred thousand pistoles \ peace of Europe to be lirnily established by 
 per annum, retired to the castle of Chaniberry, \ the treaty of Seville, concluded on the foun- 
 and espoused the countess dowager of St. ; dation of the quadruple alliance ; he affirmed, 
 Sebastian, who declined the title of queen, j that Spain had agreed to an ample restitution, 
 but assumed that of marchioness de Some- \ and reparations for all mdawful seizures and 
 rive. I depredations ; that the free and uninterrupted 
 
 SoissoNS was the place finally appointed t exercise of commerce was fully secured, and 
 for the discussion of the separate and coUec- '^ the privileges and possessions of himself and 
 live interests of all the belligerent powers. 1 his allies solemnly guaranteed. The emperor, 
 The congress made little progress towards a \ however, was so much incensed at the con- 
 general pacification ; France and Spain had j ditions of the treaty, which prohibited the 
 returned to their former amity, and the court | subjects of Great Britain from trading in his 
 of Madrid became less anxious for an accom- < dominions, guaranteed the duchies of Tuscany, 
 tnodation with England. Conferences, how- ! Parma, and Placentia to Don Carlos and his 
 ever, were begun at Seville, and a treaty was * successors, and pledged the king of England 
 17'2Q concluded on the ninth of November, | to transport a body of Spanish troops to Italy, 
 ■ not only without the knowledge of the | without waiting for the Imperial investiture; 
 emperor, but in direct violation of his rights. ; that he began with a vigour and rapidity un- 
 On this subject, he communicated an Imperial i usual to the court of Austria, to make prepa- 
 commissorial decree to the states of the ; rations for war, and to detach numerous 
 empire, assembled at the diet of Ratisbon, | bodies of troops to Italy. 
 
 ■which was answered by the French minister, | In the course of the session, a bill was 
 De Chevigny. | brought in and passed, to prevent any subject 
 
 In the succeeding session, the terra of ex- j of Great Britain from advancing money ta 
 elusive commerce, granted to the East India \ foreign princes or states, without the consent 
 Company, being about to expire, many indi- \ of his majesty under the privy-seal ; a measure 
 viduals of extensive trade and princely capital, | which was intended to defeat the purpose of 
 piesented a petition tor the privilege of trading ^, the emperor, who was now negotiating a loan 
 to those countries, pro])osing to lay open that | in the English metropolis. A bill, for making 
 brunch of commerce to all the subjects of j more effectual the laws in being, for disabling 
 Great Britain, on certain conditions. In con- | persons from being chosen members of par- 
 siueralion of an act of parliament for this ; liament who enjoyed any pension for any 
 purpose, they offered to advance £.3,200,000 \ number of years or during pleasure, was 
 for the redemption of the fund and trade of | passed by the commons, but rejected by the 
 the existmg East India Company. Their pro- j lords : and on the loth of May, the king went 
 posal was rejected, and the exclusive privilege 5 to the house of peers, and closed the session 
 vested in the company, protracted to the year | with a speech, in which (alluding to the 
 1760, on the following conditions : That they i journals published under the auspices of the 
 should pay into the exchequer the sura of ' opposition) he expressed his indignation at
 
 CHAP. 1x1 nconufc ii. ,^' 
 
 those incendiaries, who, by scandalous libels, | through both hoiises, and received the royal 
 laboured to alienate the affections of his peo- ; assent. A great number of merchants, from 
 pie, to fill their minds with groundless jea- | different parts of the country, having re- 
 busies and unjust complaints, in dishonour \ peated their complaints of depredations and 
 of him and of his government, and in defiance \ cruelties, committed by the Spaniards in the 
 of the sense of both houses of parliament. | West Indies, their petitions were referred to- 
 In the speech with which the king opened | the consideration of a grand committee, 
 the session of parliament on the first day of S Their complaints, upon examination, appeared 
 January, he told them, that the present criti- | to be well founded. The extreme avidity of 
 cal juncture seemed in a most particular \ our merchants, and the natural jealousy of 
 manner to deserve their attention ; that as the | that people were every day productive of 
 transactions then depending, in the several \ mutual encroachments and acts of violence, 
 courts of Europe, were upon the point of? The inhabitants of our West India islands 
 ^„„, being decided, the great event ofj had long carried on an illicit trade with the 
 ■ peace or war might be very much de- | subjects of Spain upon the continent; but, 
 lermined, by their fir>t resolutions, which were | vvhen detected, were rigorously punished, and 
 expected by the different powers with much \ their cargoes confiscated to the crown. Be- 
 impatience. He said, that the plan of opera- | tween the temerity of adventure on one hand, 
 tions, for the execution of the treaty of Seville | and the vigilance of pursuit and punishment 
 by force, was now under consideration ; that I on the other, it must frequently have happened 
 their just concern for the interest of their I that the innocent suffered with the guilty; 
 country would, he doubted not, induce them | and many complaints were made, perhaps not 
 to grant the sup[)lies necessary to make good 1 without just foundation, that the English 
 his engagements, with that cheerfulness and » merchants were plundered by the vessels of 
 affection which became a British house of} the Spanish king on the southern coast of 
 commons, tender of the honour of the crown, i America. i 
 
 careful and solicitous for the glory and pros- » The English ministry, judging it improper 
 perity of the kingdom. Notwithstanding the \ to credit every report which might be urged 
 evident determination of the king, to sacrifice \ by avarice, or inflamed by resentment, ex- 
 the peace of Britain to the interests of Hano- > pected to prevent any rupture, by an amicable 
 ver, and the injustice of transferring, by hos- { representation to the court of Spain, and in 
 tile means, the legitimate possessions of the J the mean time, promised the uierchants that 
 emperor to a rival power, the two bouses of J they should obtain redress. The complaints, 
 parliament promised to support his majesty in i however, becoming more loud and general, 
 all his engagements. When the supply fell ! and the committee of the house of commons 
 under consideration, the debates were renewed i having delivered their opinion, an address was 
 upon the subsidies to the landgrave of Hesse- 1 presented to the king, imploring his majesty 
 Cassel, and the duke ol Wolfembuttle ; which, | to continue his endeavours to prevent such 
 however, were continued, and every article i depredations, for the future, to procure full 
 was granted, according to the estimates j satisfaction for the damage already sustained, 
 delivered in, for the expences of the ensuing \ and to secure the British subjects the full and 
 year. Two petitions being presented to the j uninterrupted exercise of their trade and 
 commons, representing the delays of justice, | navigation to and from the British colonies in 
 occasioned by the use of the Latin tongue in ; America. 
 
 proceedings at law, a bill was brought in for 5 The committee examined several persons, 
 changing this practice, and enacting that all > who had been seized by the Spaniards, and 
 processes and pleadings should be entered in 5 treated with great cruelty. One man, the 
 the English language. The bill met with < master of a trading vessel, had been treated 
 warm opposition, on pretence that it would < with the utmost barbarity ; after beating and 
 render useless the antient records, which were I plundering him, the Spaniards cut off his 
 written in that language, and introduce con- ; ears, and prepared to put him to death, but 
 fusion and delay of justice, by altering the ; were accidentally prevented. The indignation 
 established form and method of pleading, i of the people was universally excited by this 
 Notwithstanding these objections, it passed ; instance of brutality ; but the minister judged
 
 100 HISTORY OP ENOJLAVn. [CIIAP. IX. 
 
 it prudent to avoid, if possible, an open rup- 1 ager, several ladies of quality, three physicians, 
 tiire with the court of Spain. New negotia- \ and a surgeon, and was declared with child, 
 fions were therefore set on foot, and new 5 After having kept all Europe in suspense for 
 mediators offered tiieir interposition. On the | six months, she owned that she had been 
 prorogation of parliament in May, the king | deceived ; and general Stampa, with the 
 •Was enabled to state, that all apprehensions of; Imperial forces, took possession of the duchies 
 war were at length removed, by a treaty « of Parma and Placentia, which, as I have 
 signed at Vienna between him and the empe-< just related, were re-occupied by Spain, in 
 Tor ; it had been communicated to the courts s consequence of the signing of the treaty of 
 of France and Spain, as parties to the treaty ^ Vienna, and the retirement of the Imperial 
 of Seville, and to the states-general ; the con- ; general into the Milanese, 
 ditions and engagements into which he had 5 On the return of the session in January, 
 entered were conformable to that necessary > the king declared, in an elaborate speech, 
 interest, which the Brilisii nation must always | that the general tranquillity of Europe was 
 take in the security and preservation of the ; restored and established by the last treaty of 
 balance of power in Europe ; and the fortu- 5 Vienna ; that Don Carlos, notwithstanding 
 jiate cliange in the relations of the respective 5 (lie apparent difficulty of accomplishing that 
 courts presented a favourable prospect of the i object, was in possession of Parma and Pla- 
 perfect re-establishment of public tranquillity. 5 centia ; that the part taken in the late trans- 
 By the treaty, on which the hopes of his ; actions had redounded much to the honour 
 majesty were founded, the emperor agreed, i and interest of the nation ; that a family con- 
 that Spain should take possession of the \ vention was concluded between the courts 
 duchies of Parma and Placentia, in the mode | of Spain and Tuscany, for preserving mutual 
 prescribed by the treaty of Seville ; and that ! peace and friendship in the two houses ; that 
 the Ostend Company, which had given such | 6000 Spaniards had been quietly admitted 
 umbrage to the maritime powers, should be | and quartered in the duchy of Tuscany, to 
 totally dissolved, on condition that England, \ secure, by the express consent of the grand 
 and the other contracting powers of the treaty \ duke, the reversion ofliis dominions ; and that 
 of Seville, should become guarantees of the | the estimate for the service of the current 
 pragmatic sanction. The duke of Parma | year would be considerably less than those of 
 dying at this juncture, an English fleet, under ! former years. He recommended unanimity, 
 tir Charles Wager, was fitted uut ; which, \ observing, that his government had no secu- 
 liaving joined the^Spanish fleet at Barcelona, j rity but what was equally conducive to their 
 convoyed the Spanish troops destined for | happiness, and to the protection of his i>eople ; 
 Italy to Leghorn, Don Carlos himself taking i that their prosperity had no foundation, but 
 the route of France, when the Imperial forces | in the defence and support of his government, 
 which had marched into Parma being with- \ " Our safety," he observed, " is mutual, and 
 drawn, the infant took ])eaceablc possession \ our interests inseparable.' 
 of his new territories. ; An address was moved by lord Harvey, 
 
 On the 22n(i of July, a new treaty was j a frivolous, superficial, and ofhcious partisan 
 signed at Vienna, between the emperor and | of the minister, who obtained some degree of 
 the kings of Great Britain and Spain, tending 5 celebrity by his insignificant but unremitted 
 to confirm the former. In August, a treaty I activity, and who has been satirized by Pope 
 of union and of defensive alliance, between ! with equal malignity and wit, under the name 
 the electorates of Saxony and Hanover, was i of Sporus. His motion was opposed by sir 
 executed at Dresden. The court of Spain, | Wilfrid Lawson, Mr. William Pulteney, sir 
 expressing some doubts with regard to the | William Wyndham, and Mr. Shippen ; who 
 pregnancy of the duchess of Parma, which | did not argue against a general address of 
 the late duke had declared in his will, at the i thanks, but against the absurdity and bad 
 same time soliciting the allies to defer the • tendency of expressions, which implied a 
 execution of their projects, till his consort ; blind approbation of all the measures of the 
 should be delivered ; she underwent a formal ; ministry. The address, however, as originally 
 examination, by five midwives of diflierent ; moved was presented to his majesty, who 
 uatious, in presence of the elder duchess-dow- ; declared in reply, that he had no doubt of
 
 CHAP. IX.] GEORGE 11. 101 
 
 the continuance of the affection and confidence > part of the customs into duties of excise, and 
 of the house, and that they should ever find j in the month of Fehruary introduced a bill, 
 his views tending to the honour, interest, and » proposing that the duties on salt, which about 
 security of his crown and people. ! two years before had been abolished, should 
 
 The reduction of the standing army had 5 now be revived, and granted to his majesty, 
 always been the object of anxious exertion to | his heirs, and successors, for a term of three 
 the country party. When the supply fell | years ; declaring, at the same time, as some 
 under consideration, sir William Strickland, | propitiation of the country party, that the 
 secretary at war, moved, that th«- same num- 5 land-tax should be reduced to one shilling iu 
 ber which had been maintiined in the pre- i the pound, aud finally abolislied. The duties 
 ceding year should be continued in pay. In 5 on salt, he said, att'erted, it was true, all 
 opposition to the motion, loru iVIoipe.h having ; classes of society ; but the burden of the tax 
 demonstrated the danger to which tiie liberties ; being so equally and generally ditlused, the 
 ofthenatitn might be expoptd, by maintain- ; sum contributed by the lower orders of the 
 ing a numerous .standing army in the time of ; people would be found, on computation, so 
 peace, moved an amendment, that the number : trifling as scarcely to deserve mention. This 
 should be reduced to 1'2,000. Th.^ motion of; tax, while it existed, was never the subject of 
 the secretary at war was supported by the ; complaint ; aud when it was repealed, no one 
 usual advocates of the ministry; the amend- | appeared to think himself benefited. He 
 ment of lord Morpeth was eloquently and ; knew the reproaciies he had to expect on this 
 powerfully advocated by Mr. Watkins Wil- < occasion ; but he had been long accustomed 
 liam Wynne, Mr. Walter Plumer, sir William I to be affronted and insulted, both within the 
 Wyndham, Mr. Shippen, Mr. William Pulte- | walls of that place aud without, and while he 
 ney, and Mr. Barnard ; but th« ir resistance | knew his intentions to be upright, and his 
 was fruitless, and it was resohed, that the ; only aim to serve his country, to the best of 
 standing army be maintained without reduc- > his knowledge and the utmost of his power, 
 tion. fSuch was the offence given by Mr. ; he should continue to disregard those reHec- 
 Pulteney to the court, by the zealous part he | tions wliicli he was conscious he did not de- 
 took in this and other questions of the same ; serve. Tlie country party expressed their 
 period, that the king, calling for his vouncil- ; opposition to the bill in terms of the utmost 
 book,' struck out his name from the list of J veheiiienre, and repeatedly accused the minis- 
 privy-couiisellors ; a measure w hich, as in all ; ter of being influenced, in bringing it forward, 
 other instances, only tended to extend and | by wicked and malignant designs. It was 
 confirm his popularity. 5 passed, however, by a large majority, aud 
 
 Sir Robert Walpole, having now obtained i was succeeded by the expulsion from the 
 the first great object of all his wishes and' his 5 house of Dennis Bond and serjeant Birch, 
 exertions. Peace, determined u|)on the adop- ; r-ommissioners for the sale of the forfeited 
 tion of a measure, which, however vehemently ; estates, who were declared guilty, by a corn- 
 opposed and universally reprobated, has > mittee of the house, of flagrant breach of 
 proved, in its ultimate establishment and ex- | trust, in the sale of an estate which had be- 
 tension, one of the most permanent sources : longed to the late earl of Derwentvvater. 
 of our commercial and financial prosperity. » During this session, five other members were 
 The principal branches of revenue were at ; expelled for vai ions acts of knavery. The 
 this time divided into port duties or customs, i hou^e of lonls followed the example of the 
 duties of excise, and taxes levied on immove- ; comuion-s, and votefl against the reduction of 
 able property, such as the duties on land, ; the anny. On the first day of June the king 
 houses, hearths, and windows. It was obvious ; closed the session, alter having informed both 
 that the latter description of duties bore with ; Imuses, that the states-general had acceded 
 equal weight on the poor and wealthy classes ; to the treaty of ^ienlla, and that he had de- 
 of society ; and the extent of the frauds on | terinined to visit his Gv^rman tloininious, and 
 the customs, which no vigilance could prevent, ; to vest the authority of regent, during his 
 were equally deplorable in a moral |)oint of | absence, in the queen. He accordingly set 
 "view, and injurious to the revenue. He con- > out for Hanover in the begiiuiing of June; 
 ceived a plau, therefore, to couvert the greater i having received intiiuatioii that the pragmati*
 
 102 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. IX. 
 
 sanction bad l)e'en confirmed by the diet of ; possibility of deterniini.ng tbeir respective 
 tbe empire, after a formal protest by Bavaria, \ boundaries, excited the natural apprehension 
 Saxony, and the electors palatine ; a confirma- \ of the Spaniards, and laid the foundation of 
 tion which of course included the favourite I future jealousy and contention, 
 object of his father and himself, the investi- 5 Thr session of parljamentwasopened 
 ture of the duciiies of Bremen and Verden. | by a speech on the usual topics, and ^''^'*' 
 A SINGULAR arid lamentable act of suicide 5 by a correspondent reply on the part of the 
 distinguished the annals of the present year. { two houses ; and the commons, having re- 
 ^ c Richard Smith, a book-binder, and \ solved themselves into a committee, to delibe- 
 "■ prisoner for debt within the rules of i rate on the most efficacious means of securing 
 the king's bench, formed the resolution of i and improving the duties and revenues 
 dying by his own hand, and persuaded his \ charged on tobacco and wines, the papers re- 
 wife to follow his example, after murdering \ lating to these duties were submitted to the 
 tlieir infant. The act was committed without > perusal of the members. The comniissioners 
 any of the usual indications of lunacy or j of the customs and excise were ordered to 
 irresolution. They were found hanging in \ attend the house, of which the avenues were 
 their bed-chamber, at the distance of about a ; crowded by multitudes ; and the members of 
 yard from each other ; and in a separate } the country party waited impatiently for a 
 apartment the child lay dead in a cradle. | proposal, in which they regarded the liberties 
 
 They left two papers, enclosed in a short 
 letter to their landlord, whose kindness they 
 implored in favour of their dog and cat. They 
 even left money to pay the porter who should 
 carry the enclosed papers to the person for 
 whom they were addressed. In one of these, 
 the husband thanked that person for the 
 marks of friendship he had received at his 
 hands, and complained of the ill offices he 
 had experienced from a different quarter. 
 The other paper, subscribed by the husband 
 and wife, contained the reasons which in- 
 duced them to act such a tragedy on them- 
 selves and their offspring. They declared that 
 
 of their country as so deeply interested. Sir 
 Robert Walpole introduced his speech, by 
 lamenting the arts which had been employed 
 to prejudice the people against his plan, be- 
 fore it was known. He affirmed, that the 
 clamours occasioned by these prejudices had 
 originated in the misrepresentations of smug- 
 glers, and dishonest dealers, who had enriched 
 themselves by defrauding the public. He 
 expatiated on the frauds committed in that 
 branch of the revenue arising from the duties 
 on tobacco ,• on the hardship to which the 
 American planters were subjected, by the 
 heavy duties payable on importation, as well 
 
 they withdrew themselves from poverty and ! as by the ill-usage they had experienced from 
 rags, evils that through a train of unlucky 5 their factors and correspondents in England ; 
 accidents had become inevitable. They ap- \ on the injury done to the fair trader, and the 
 pealed to their neighbours, for the industry $ loss of revenue sustained by the public. He 
 with which they had endeavoured to obtain \ asserted, that the plan he was about to pro- 
 a livelihood, and justified the murder of their | pose, would remove all these inconveniences, 
 child, by saying, it was an act of less cruelty s prevent innumerable frauds, perjuries, and 
 to take her with them, than to leave her i false entries, and add £200,000 or £300,000 
 friendless in the world, exposed to indigence i per annum to the public revenue; he declared 
 and misery. They professed their belief in 5 that he had no intention to promote a general 
 the mercy of God, and submitted themselves j excise ; he endeavoured to anticipate the 
 to his infinite goodness for his forgiveness j chief objections that would be made to bis 
 after death. « plan, and then proceeded to enter into the 
 
 Trustees had been appointed by charter \ necessary details. He proposed to join tbe 
 to superintend a new settlement in Georgia, ^aws of the excise to those of the customs ; that 
 and general Oglethorpe, being appointed j thefurther subsidy of threefarthings per pound. 
 
 governor, embarked at Gravesend, accompa 
 nied by a number of poor families, who founded 
 the town of Savannah on the river of that 
 
 charged upon imported tobacco, should still 
 be levied at the custom-house, and be paid as 
 usual to his majesty's civil list ; that then 
 
 name. The contiguity of Georgia to the \ the tobacco should be lodged in wareliouses, 
 Spanish settlement of Florida, and the im- \ to be appointed for that purpose by the
 
 CHAP, ixl GEORGE IX. 
 
 commissioners of excise ; that the keeper of 
 each warehouse, appointed by the commis- 
 si-oiiers, siioulil have one lock and key, and 
 the uierchant-iniporler another, and the 
 tobacco be thus secured, till it shoidd find a 
 market, either by home consumption or ex- 
 portation ; that the part desij^ned for exporta- 
 tion should be weighed at the custom-hou<e, 
 dischart^ed of the three fartiiings per pound 
 which had been paid at its first importation, and 
 then exported without further trouble ; that the 
 portion destined for home consumption should, 
 in the presence of the warehouse-keeper, l)e 
 deliver.etl to the purchaser, on his paying an 
 yiland duty of 4d. per pound in weight, to 
 the proper officer appointed to receive it, by 
 which means the merchant would be relieved 
 from the inconvenience of paying the duty 
 on importation, or of granting bonds, and 
 finding securities for payment, before he had 
 found a market for the couunodity. In the 
 course of the debate, which was extremely 
 violent, sir Robert took notice of the multi- 
 tudes which had beset the house ; lie re- 
 marked, that it would be an easy task for a 
 designing seditious person to excite tumult 
 and disorder among them ; that gentlemen 
 might affirm they came as humble suppliants, 
 but he knew whom the law called sturdy 
 beggars, and those who brought them to that 
 place could not be certain that they would 
 not behave in the same manner. This insinu- 
 ation was resented by sir John Barnard, who 
 observed, that merchants of character had a 
 right to come down to the court of requests, 
 and to the lobby of the house of commons, in 
 order to solicit their friends against any pro- 
 ject, which they might deem injurious to 
 their commerce. The bill being passed by a 
 majority of 61, the whole nation, inflamed by 
 the misrepresentations of those, whose fraudu- 
 lent practices it was intended to counteract, 
 exasperated by the appellation of " sturdy 
 beggars," and stimulated by alarm for the 
 safety of the constitution, and the liberty of 
 the people, of which long experience has 
 proved the fallacy, burst into one loud 
 clamour of opposition and discontent. The 
 populace crowded around Westminster-hall, 
 blocking up ail the avenues to the house of 
 conmious. The persons of those members 
 who voted in favour of the bill were grossly 
 insulted, and their lives endangered ; and sir 
 llobert Walpole himself was exposed to the 
 
 103 
 
 continual probability of open assassination. 
 He was at leu'jth obliged to give way to the 
 expression of popular resentment, and thought 
 proper to move, that the second reading of 
 the bill might be postponed till the 12th of 
 June. The rejoirinirs on occasion of this 
 victory over the minister were universal, and 
 he was burnt in effisy by tlw? London popu- 
 lace. The introduction of the bill, however, 
 prepared the way for future success, and 
 called the attention of parliament and of the 
 nation to the various and extensive frauds 
 practised in the customs. A committee was 
 appointed to enquire into the abuses of that 
 branch of the revenue, and twenty-one per- 
 sons ballotted for the purpose. 
 
 The king having intimated in a message, 
 that he was about to give the princess-roval 
 in marriage to the prince of Orange, eighty 
 thousand pounds were granted, as a marriage 
 dower, out of the money arising from the sale 
 of lands in the island of St. Christopher's. 
 After a warm debate, the directors of the 
 South Sea Company were ordered to lay 
 before the house an account of the forfeited 
 estates which had belonged to them. It was 
 now discovered, that the large sums of money 
 thus arising had been distributed among the 
 proprietors, without the knowledge or the 
 sanction of parliament. Lord Bathurst moved 
 for a resolution of the house, that the dispo- 
 sal of this money by way of dividend, without 
 any order of a general court for that purpose, 
 was a violation of the act of parliament, and 
 a manifest injustice to the proprietors of 
 stock. All endeavours, however, to obtain 
 a resolution to that effect were precluded by 
 the fears of the ministry, and the influence of 
 the directors. A bill had been brought in, 
 for devoting a part of the sinking fund to 
 purposes inconsistent with its original inten- 
 tion ; and notwithstanding the opposition of 
 the lords Bathurst and Carteret, and the 
 earls of Stafford and Chesterfield, the latter 
 of whom had resigned his staff of lord steward 
 of the household, was passed by a small 
 majority. On the 11th of June, the king 
 closed the session with a speech, in which 
 he noticed, in terms of severity, the wicked 
 endeavours that had been lately employed, 
 to inflame the minds of the people by the 
 most unjust representations. >>. 
 
 The tranquillity of Europe was now dis- 
 turbed by the death of Augustus, king ot
 
 104 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. TCHAP. IX. 
 
 Poland. The lato em])eror, Charles VI., had ; entered Poland at the head of 50,000 men, 
 been much dissatisfied with the conduct of ; and the diet was opened on the 25th of August. 
 Augustus, in the latter part of his reign, sus- ! Prince Visazowiski, the chief of the Saxon 
 pectnig that he had formed engagements with » interest, retired to the other side of the Vistula 
 the courts of France and Bavaria, unfavour- 1 with 3000 men, including some of the nobility 
 able to the pragmatic sanction. These sus- j who adhered to the same party. Notwith- 
 picions being obliterated, by the acquiescence I standing the vicinity of the Russian force, 
 of the son of Augustus, the elector of Saxony, Mlie primate proceeded to the election ; and 
 in the utility and necessity of the pragmatic \ Stanislaus, who had travelled through Ger- 
 sanction, the court of Vienna no longer 5 many in the disguise of a peasant, and con- 
 opposed, as it had hitherto done, but promoted \ cealed himself in the house of the French 
 the views of Augustus respecting the succes- ) ambassador at Warsaw, was elected king, 
 sion. On the other hand, France from first I He immediately appeared in the electoral 
 to last openly supported the cause of Stanis- j field, and was received with loud acclamations, 
 laus, who had married the daughter of Lewis ! But his triumph was of short duration ; the' 
 XIV. His numerous alliances, his shining ; strengtji of the opposite party gradually aug- 
 virtues, and the exemplary correctness of his j mented, and he was compelled to abandon 
 habits, compared with those of the other con- \ Warsaw to his rival. 
 
 tinental princes, had preserved him many \ Kehl and Philipsburgh, having been taken 
 friends in Poland ; so that the marquis de \ by the French, notwithstanding the duke of 
 Monti, the French ambassador, was easily \ Berwick had the honour to be opposed by 
 enabled, in conjunction with the primate, to | prince Eugene, now in the decline of his 
 form a powerful and numerous faction in his | health and faculties, and France having con- 
 favour, s eluded a treaty with Spain and Sardinia, by 
 The prince of Saxony being warmly sup- > which they were engaged to the prosecution 
 ported by the courts of Vienna and St. Peters- | of hostilities against the emperor, made offers 
 burgh, a double election ensued. Stanislaus * for a compromise, through the mediation of 
 bad proceeded, immediately after the annun- I Great Britain, which were rejected. The 
 oiation of the death of Augustus, to Warsaw, 5 confederate army of France, Spain, and Sar- 
 Av here he was received and treated as king ; ; dinia, entered Italy, and captured Tortona, 
 but he was soon driven from that city by the I Navara, Pavia, the city of Milan, and several 
 Russian army, under count Munich, was J othertownsandfortresses. While theAustrians 
 compelled to retire to Dantzick, where he \ were thus driven from the Milanese, the 
 sustained a long siege, encountered many i Neapolitan nobility, irritated and oppressed 
 dangers, endured many hardships, and with | under the government of the count de Vis- 
 infinite difliculty made his escape to Konigs- j conti, the Imperial viceroy, joined in an 
 berg, where he was honourably protected by } invitation to Don Carlos, the infant duke of 
 the king of Prussia. His flight was followed \ Parma, to attempt an invasion of that king- 
 by a general submission to Augustus, and a } dom. He accordingly entered the Neapolitan 
 general amnesty was granted, in return, to the ! territories, at the head of a considerable army, 
 partizans ' of Stanislaus. Disappointed in } and was received in the metropolis with loud 
 their principal object, the court of Versailles I acclamations, as the general deliverer. Vis- 
 yielded to the impulse of revenge, commanded » conti, having retreated into Apulia, was pur- 
 the duke of Berwick to pass the Rhine in ; sued by the Spanish general, the count de 
 October, at the head of a numerous army, \ Montemar, who gained over him at Bitonto, 
 and take measures for entering the heart of J on May 25th, a decisive victory. Don i-o^ 
 Germany, if the Imperialists should march : Carlos, being proclaimed king of Na- 
 into Poland. Before the day of election, the J pies, immediately proceeded in person to the 
 imperial, Russian, and Prussian ministers j reduction of Sicily, which he easily accom- 
 delivered their protestations against the possi- i plished. In this extremity, the emperor im- 
 ble election of Stanislaus, as a person pros- i plored succours of the Czarina of Russia, who 
 cribed, disqualified, depending upon a foreign ; immediately dispatched an army of 30,000 
 power, and connected with the Turks and J men to his assistance ; an interposition which 
 plhcr infidels. The Russian general, Losci, j induced the court of Versailles to assent to a
 
 CHAP. IX.J GEORGE If. 105 
 
 negotiation. A general treaty of peace was ; capital of Scotland. A criminal named Wil- 
 concluded iii the spring of the next year, by \ son, being condemned for robbing a collector, 
 which Naples and Sicily were yielded to Don j was executed at Edinburgh on the I4th of 
 Carlos ; and Parma and Placentia, the pater- } April ; when John Portcns, the commander 
 nal possessions of Don Carlos, were ceded to i of the city guard, a man of brutal disposition 
 the house of Austria ; to wijom the other con- ; and abandoned morals, jjrovoked at the 
 quests also of the allies in Germany and Italy I mischief of some boys, who flung stones at 
 were restored. The reversion of the grand ; the executioner as he was cutting down the 
 duchy of Tuscany, relinquished by Spain, was I body, ordered his men, without having re- 
 conferred, as a fief of the empire at the demise | course to the previous formalities of the law, 
 of the grand duke, upon the duke of Lor- i to fire with shot among the crowd, by which 
 raine, who was affianced to the eldest arch- ' several persons were killed and wounded, 
 duchess, Maria Theresa, the sole heiress, j He was committed to prison, in July found 
 under the pragmatic sanction, of the dominions ! guilty of wilful murder, and received sentence- 
 of the house of Austria. The elector, of | of death, which was to l)e executed on the 8th 
 Saxony was acknowledged as king of Poland, ; of September; but, in the mean time, the 
 and the duchy of Lorraine ceded to Stanislaus, ; queen (his majesty being absent on the conti- 
 with the nominal title of king ; the duchy, a ! nent) granted him a reprieve, on condition 
 most valuable possession, for which France ! of liis being transported. On the 7th of Sep- 
 had frequently and unsuccessfully contended, | tember, about ten at night, a great number of 
 to be after his death for ever united to that \ men entered the city of Edinburgh, and by 
 crown. The king of Sardinia was recom- \ surprize seized all the fire-arms, battle-axes, 
 pensed by certain districts of the Milanese. > and drums belonging to the city guard. la 
 
 The session of 1734 was distinguished by \ a few minutes, they locked and secured all 
 D'any vigorous but unsuccessful endeavours > the city gates, beat an alarm with drums, and 
 to obtain the repeal of the ^septennial act ; by ! then attempted to force open the door of the 
 the rejection of a motion for preventing the j prison, where Porteus was confined. Finding 
 removal of officers, not above the rank of ; their attempts unavailing, they burnt the door 
 colonel, otherwise than by the judgment of a | from its hinges. Having obtained an entrance, 
 court-martial, or the authority of parliament, ; they made the under-keeper open the double 
 the duke of Bolton and lord Cobham having \ locks of the captain's apartment, dragged the 
 been deprived of their connnissions, for op- 1 latter down the stairs, and hurried him away, 
 posing the measures of the court ; and by } They marched along with lighted torches 
 the failure of a bill for limiting the number of | before them, and proceeded to the usual place 
 officers civil and ujilitary in the house of | of execution, wherethe murder was committed. 
 jygg connnons. In the ensuing sessions, The temporary gallows having been taken 
 the house of lords was agitated by a | down, they obtained a rope from a neighbour- 
 petition frum several of the Scotch nobility, \ ing shop, one end of which they threw over 
 complaining of the influence of the crown in 5 a dyer's pole, from which they left him sus- 
 the election of the peers of Scotland, which I pended, and quietly dispersed to their several 
 was dismissed by a motion of adjournment. I liabitations. The perpetrators of this atrocity 
 A bill, for the relief of the people called \ were never discovered, notwithstanding a 
 Quakers from prosecution in the exchequer, I rew ard of £200 was offered by proclamation 
 ecclesiastical, and other courts, was rejected > for such detection. The government yielding 
 in the lords, after violent opposition. The ; to the dictates of resentment rather than of 
 old statutes against conjuration, witchcraft, ; policy, and in defiance of the remonstrance of 
 and dealing with evil spirits, were repealed ; « the Scottish representatives, and the indig- 
 and a bill was passed to distrain the dispo- j nation of the Scottish people, brought in and 
 sition of lands by mortmain, an exempting i carried a bill, for disabling the lord provost 
 clause being inserted in favour of the uni- j of Edinburgh from holding any office of 
 \ersities. » magistracy in Great Britain, for abolishing the 
 
 The kingdom was at this time agitated with | guard of that city, and for taking away the 
 curiosity, horror, and surprise, by the com- \ gates of the Nether-bow-port, which during 
 mission of a singular act of atrocity iu the \ this transaction had been shut, in order •t<^
 
 lOQ HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [ciIAP. IX. 
 
 prevent the troops quartered in the suburbs « ed by its wit, and comTnanded the admiration 
 from enterinf^ the city. ^ '^^ those wlio most sincerely and justly hated 
 
 The next session was opened by j the principles of its writers. The most cele- 
 ^^'^^^ counnission on the 1st of February, \ brated orators, the most profound statesmen, 
 jhaviii"- been prorogued from the 2lstof Janu- ! and the most brilliant wits of the day, were 
 ary, in consequence of the indisposition of j occasional auxiliaries to the public and popu- 
 the'kini;-, occasioned bv a tempestuous pas- i lar journals ; and even now that the interest 
 sage from Holland. The first subject of: arising from the relation of their essays to 
 discussion, in the course of the sess^.on, was ; contemporary circumstances, and to objects 
 amotion of Mr. Pulteney for an address to i of immediate anxiety, is necessarily lost, the 
 liis niajestv, that he would be graciously i effusions of Bolingbroke, Chesterfield, Am- 
 pleased to s'ettle £100,000 per annum ou the : luirst, and tlieir coadjutors, will be read with 
 prince of Wales. The motion was opposed ! pleasure for the ingenuity of their arguments, 
 by sir Robert Walpole, as an encroachment | the felicity of their sarcasms and allusions, 
 on the prerogative ; as an act of officious 5 and the beauty of their language, 
 interference in his majesty's douiestic arrange- » To counteract the efforts of so formidable 
 ments ; and as an effort to excite dissension I a phalanx, sir Robert engaged, on the side 
 between his majesty and the prince. In i of the ministry, a host of periodical writers, 
 consequence of the marriage of the prince to \ who, if their talents had justified the libe- 
 Augusta, princess of Saxe Gotha, the king | rality of their master, or the occasional justice 
 bad offered to settle a jointure on the princess, ; of their cause, would have silenced and 
 and to grant to his roval highness, tor his ; eclipsed the literary advocates of opposition, 
 majesty's life, the sum of £50,000 per annum, I But unfortunately the wit, the eloquence, and 
 to be issued out of the civil list revenues, 5 the ingenuity of the latter were not more con- 
 independently of the prince s revenues arising | spicuous, than the absence of all these qnali- 
 from the duchy of Cornwal. The prince, by | ties in the writings of their opponents ; the 
 a verbal answer, expressed his dutiful respect $ literary talent of the nation was decidedly m 
 and gratitude to his majesty ; but that " the I favour of the ministry, and extended its 
 affair was in other hands, and he was sorry ; influence from the journals to the theatres, 
 for it." The motion was finally negatived by | At a time wiien many of the latter were era- 
 a majority of 234 to 204. The consequence | ployed to divert the ))ublic by every variety 
 of this motion, and of other causes of mis- ; of entertainment, and when none of them 
 understanding, was a decided and avowed ^; were in a flourishing state, the imprudence 
 alienation of tiie two courts of St. James's ; and extravagance of a gentleman who pos- 
 and Leice>ter House, which so deeply affected i sessed an unusual portion of wit, humour, 
 the minds and conduct of all the illustrious 5 and genius, obliged him to strike out a new 
 parties, that during the last illness of the | species of amusement, which enabled the 
 queen, who expired in November, the prince | mhiister to counteract the political influence 
 was unable or reluctant to perform the usual \ of the stage, under the pretext of restraining 
 offices of filial piety. ; its licentiousness. To extricate himself out 
 
 • One of the great characteristics of Wal- 1 of many difficulties in which he was involved, 
 pole's administration, was a liberal and politic j and to revenge indignities which had beei> 
 employment of the agency of the press. To ; cast upon him by the people in power, Henry 
 this line of conduct he was excited, by the ! Fielding determined to amuse the town, at 
 number and virulence of those able pamph- > the expence of some persons of rank and of 
 leteers, who, beneath the auspices of Boling- I influence in the political world. For this 
 broke, Chesterfield, and the other members ! purpose he collected a company of performer^ 
 of the opposition, discussed the princi|)al ; who exhibited at the Haymaiket 1 heiitre, 
 questions of public policy with partial but | under the title of " The Great Moguls Corn- 
 persuasive ability, and descanted on the im- > pany of Comedians." The piece he repre- 
 becilitv, the folly, and the criminality of their ; sented was l'as<iuin, which he acted to crowd- 
 political opponents, in a strain of vigorous | ed audiences for fiily successive nights. t.n- 
 and ingenious satire, which, if it were fre- j couraged by the favourable reception ol this 
 quen«ly unjust and always malignant, delight-', performance, he determined to continue at
 
 CHAP. IX] GEORGE H- !07 
 
 the same piace during the next season, wliere > without limitation, control, or appeal. " if 
 he produced several new plays, some of; poets and players," he observed, "are to be 
 M'hich were applauded, and some condemned. ; restrained. Jet them be restrained as other 
 The severity of Fieldim^s satire exasperated I subjocts are, by the known laws of their 
 the minister, and convinced him of the policy « country ; if they offend, let them be tried, as 
 of preventing similar attacks upon the mem- j every Englishman ought to be, by God and 
 bers of the government ; and a bill was intro- I their country." Notwithstanding these re- 
 duced, by the conditions of which no new ; monstrances, the bill possed through the two 
 dramatic jneces could be exhibited, without | houses, with little opposition ; and, if we can 
 the express license of the lord chamberlain. < forgive the injustice of the abstract principle 
 The only decided opponent of this bill was ; to which lord Chesterfield alluded, may be 
 lord Chesterfield,- who strenuously urged the i applauded, as having contributed to the 
 impolicy and injustice of reposing in a single > chastity, without thaving repressed the spirit 
 person the power of judging and determining I or the freedom of the British drama. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 [1737 to 1744.] 
 
 Disputes with Spain — The Gin Act — Hostilities between JDenmark and Hanover — Pacific 
 
 Disposition of the Ministers — Expedition and extraordinary Success of Admiral Vernon 
 
 Capture of Porto Bello — Expedition to Carthagena, and its Failure — Banishment from 
 Court of the Prince of Wales — Resignation of Walpole — Conduct of the new Ministry — ■ 
 Foreign Affairs — Accession of the Empress 3Iaria-Theresa — Naval Transactions — 
 Exploits of the King of Prussia — Battle of Dettingen — The Annesley Cause — Naval 
 Operations of 31atthews and Eestock — Anson s Voyage round the World — Death of the 
 Emperor Charles VII. — Battle of Fonteiioy — Change in the Ministry — Projected Inva- 
 sion of Eiigland — Capture of Cape Breton. 
 
 SINCE the treaty of Seville, mutual en- j ties on the English, many of whom were sent 
 croachments, on the privileges of each \ to dig in the mines of Polosi, and deprived of 
 other, had been made by the Spanish and | every means of communicating their corn- 
 English subjects in America. A right which } plaints to the British government. Repeated 
 the English merchants claimed by the treaty, | remonstrances, on this violation of treaty, 
 of cutting log-wood in the bay of Campeachy, | weYe sent to the court Madrid, but no effectual 
 afforded them frequent opportunities of | measures were taken by Spain to prevent these 
 carrying on an illicit trade in the immediate j outrages. The English merchants complained 
 vicinity; and to suppress the evil, the j repeatedly and loudly of the losses they sus- 
 Spaniards were resolved to annihilate the 5 tained, while the minister, persisting in hi« 
 claim. The Spanish vessels employed to ; usual policy, endeavoured to accommodate 
 protect the coast committed frequent hostili- 1 the dispute by protracted negotiation. 
 
 P 2
 
 108 
 
 HiStORY or ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. X^. 
 
 1738. 
 
 In the latter end of June," rear-admiral 
 Haddock set sail witii a strong squadron for 
 the Mediterranean, with the view of giving 
 ■weight to the negotiation of the Britiish minis- 
 ter at tiie court of Madrid. An act, to dis- 
 courage the retail of spirit'.\ous liquors, had 
 incensed the populace to such a degree, as 
 to occassion serious tumults in the cities of 
 London and Westminster. They were so 
 addicted to the use of the pernicious com- 
 pound, gin or Geneva, tliat in less than two 
 years 1 2,000 persons, within the bills of mor- 
 tality, were convicted in the penalty of from 
 £lO to £lOO each, for having sold it illegally. 
 On ihe 4th of June, the son of the 
 princess of Wales was baptized by the 
 name of George ; but her royal highness still 
 continued to lal)Our under the displeasure of 
 Jiis majesty. In the month of October, the 
 jjood uuderslaiidins; between the elector of 
 Hanover and the king of Denmark had nearly 
 been disturbed by a circumstance of trivial 
 importance. A detachment of Hanoverians, 
 irritated by some real or supposed provoca- 
 tion, took by assault the castle of Steinhorst, 
 belonging to the privy-counsellor W^ederkop, 
 and defended by thirty Danish dragoons. 
 Several men were killed on both sides, before 
 the Hanoverians could enter the place, when 
 the garrison was disarmed and conducted to 
 the frontiers. Fortunately for England, which 
 Avould have been compelled to support the 
 rights of its monarch, as elector of Hanover, 
 the dispute was compromised, inconsequence 
 of mutual concessions. ! 
 
 On Thursday, the 1st of February, \ 
 the parliament was opened as usual by » 
 a speech from his majesty, in which he in- I 
 formed them, that he had concluded and | 
 ratified a convention with the king of Spain, ; 
 Avho had consented to make reparation for ; 
 the loss of his subjects, by a certain stipu- | 
 lated payment ; and that plenipotentiaries \ 
 were named in the convention for regulating, i 
 ■within a limited time, all those grievances and J 
 abuses, which had hitherto interrupted our i 
 commerce and navigation in the American X 
 seas, as well as for settling all other matters ; 
 in dispute. The publication of the convention j 
 itself was the general object of animadversion j 
 in parliament, and of discontent among the ; 
 most intelligent class of the nation. It was ! 
 alleged, that the balance of £95,000, stipu- i 
 Jatcd to be paid into the exchequer of Eng- i 
 
 1739. 
 
 land, by his catholic majesty, was wholly 
 inadequate to the just demands of the 
 English merchants ; that the Spaniards, by 
 the convention, instead of granting us repara- 
 tion, had obtained a general release ; that 
 every insult and injury, uttered and com- 
 mitted in defiance of the king of Great Britain, 
 was justified and avowed ; and even the 
 atrocity of the Spanish pirate, who had cut 
 off the ear of captain Jenkins, and used the 
 most disgraceful of expressions towards the 
 person of the king ; — even the atrocity of this 
 fellow was forgiven, and he lived to enjoy the 
 fruits of his rapine. Mr. William Pitt, who 
 had first excited the attention of the house to 
 his extraordinary talents during the preceding 
 session, declaimed against the convention as 
 insecure, unsatisfactory, and dishonourable ; 
 and sir Thomas Sanderson, afterwards the 
 good, the great, and the accomplished earl of 
 Scarborough, supported the general tenor of 
 his reasoning with equal ardour and ability. 
 The house, upon a division, agreed to the 
 address, by no greater a majority than twenty- 
 eight. After the division, sir William AVynd- 
 hara addressed himself to tiie house in warm 
 terms of remonstrance against the motion 
 which had just been carried ; and so far 
 provoked the minister, beyond the limits of 
 his usual circumspection, that he indulged in 
 the grossest and most personal abuse. He 
 asserted, that the gentleman, who \^as now 
 the mouth of his opponents, had been par- 
 doned by the vigilance of a former govern- 
 ment, as the head of those friends to the 
 Pretender, who twenty-five years before had 
 conspired the destruction of their country' and 
 of the royal family, but all the use or return 
 which he had made for that clemency, was 
 to qualify himself, according to law, that he 
 and his party might, at some time or other, 
 have occasion to destroy the law. In the 
 house of lords, forty peers entered their pro- 
 tests against the presentation of the address, 
 and in the house of couunons, many members 
 of the country party retired in disgust from 
 their parliamentary duty. 
 
 NoTvviTHSANDiNG the violeucc of the minis- 
 ters in their domestic contentions, and their 
 determination to postpone the resumption of 
 hostilities, as far ;is might accord with the 
 safety of their country and their own retention 
 of power, the aggressions of Spain were too 
 evident, and the sentiments of the nation too
 
 CHAP. X-j 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 109 
 
 determined, to permit any further indulgence 
 in forbearance or inactivity. New instructions 
 Avere tiierefore transmitted to Mr. Keene, our 
 ambassatlor at Madrid, who declared to the 
 marquis de Villarias, that his Britannic majes- 
 ty insisted on the kinij's executing, without 
 delay, tlie arraus;:fiii( nfs to which he liad 
 acceded by the convention ; on his renouncing 
 liis pretended right to visit the British ships 
 in the American sea ; and on his acknow- 
 ledgment of the justice of the Britisii estab- 
 lishment on the confines of Georgia and Caro- 
 lina. No attention «as paid to this remon- 
 strance ; and the warmth of t lie nation became 
 so fervent, that the ministry found it necessary 
 to authorise reprisals. The brtacii soon be- 
 came unavoidable, and Great Britain was 
 unanimous for a reparation by arn)s. The 
 negotiation was soon suspended, and war 
 declared on both sides ; that against Spain i 
 on the 23rd of October, with the usual solem- \ 
 nities. 
 
 Immediately after the declaration of war, 
 two Spaniish prizes of great value were taken 
 in the Mediterranean, and admiral Vernon 
 ■was sent with a fleet into tiie West Indies. 
 He had asserted that Porto Bello, a port and 
 harbour in South America, could be easily 
 destroyed, and that he himself, with six ships, 
 •would undertake to reduce it. The project 
 was regarded by the ministry as quixotic and 
 impracticable ; but the admiral persisting in 
 his a.ssertious, they at length complied with 
 his request, not without hope, that the failure 
 of the expedition might repress the confidence 
 of the party which espoused it. Afer touch- 
 ing at Jamaica, and making reprisals in his 
 course, he arrived on the 20th of November 
 in sight of Porto Bello. The night was 
 partly spent in consulting measures for a 
 vigorous attack, as the place was defended by 
 many forts, strongly guarded, and by several 
 ships of force, which lay in the harbour to 
 cover the town. On the 2 1st, the Hampton 
 Court, being in the van, began its attack on 
 Castillo d Hierro, and was succeeded by the 
 JSonvich and Jf'orcesfcr, wiiich behaved with 
 admirable resoluiion. The admiral came up, 
 with the l)lue thig at his topmast-head, and 
 the bloody flag on his maiii-topmast-liead, 
 and dropt anchor within half a cable's length 
 of the castle. On ti.is the Spaniards sum- 
 moned all liieir force, which did coiisideral)le 
 cxeeutioii, but was of little ctlect ; the admi- 
 
 ral's guns being so well directed as to make 
 a breach in their upper works, and oblige 
 them to quit their lower tier of guns, and fly 
 for refuge to their ambuscades. This being 
 perceived, the admiral hoisted the signal for 
 landing, which was so well obeyed, that in a 
 few minutes they were safely landed in the 
 front of the enemy's lower battery, with the 
 loss of only two soldiers. They immediately 
 entered by the embrasures, the one creeping 
 over the other's shoulders, so that in three 
 minutes they were on the platform, they struck 
 the Spanish flag of defiance, and hoisted the 
 British standard. This event induced the 
 Spaniards in the castle to hang out the white 
 flag, and smrender at discretion, five officers 
 and thirty-five men only remaining out of 
 three himdred, the rest being fled, killed, or 
 wounded. In the mean time, Castello de 
 Gloria and the fort of Jeronimo kept up a 
 constant fire on the admiral ; but their shot 
 either fell short, or went over him, while the 
 admiral's lower tier beat down the flag of the 
 castle, destroyed several houses in the town, 
 and sunk a sloop that lay between the forts. 
 The conflict was only suspended by the ap- 
 proacli of night. In the morning, as the 
 adnnral wa!> taking the necessary measures 
 for resuming the attack, a flag of truce was 
 sent from the castle, proposing terms, which, 
 with some modification, were agreed to. Thtf 
 garrison were allowed to march out with aL 
 the honours of vvar ; ten thousand dollars, 
 which had arrived to pay the Spanish garri- 
 son, fell into the hands of the English, which 
 the admiral ordered to be distributed among 
 the forces ; three hundred pieces of cannon 
 were spiked or destroyed, and the fortifica- 
 tions razed to the ground. 
 
 The seceding members had resumed their 
 seats in the house of conunons, but were 
 unable to oppose with success the measures 
 of Walpole. On the 13th day of March, a 
 vessel arrived from the West Indies with au 
 account of the capture of Porto Bello, and 
 the two houses of parliament joined in an 
 address of congratulation on the success of 
 his majesty's arms. The success of Vernon 
 equally contributed to the acquiescence of 
 the parliament, in granting liberal supplies, 
 and to the general popularity of the war. In 
 the begiiming of the following May, the 
 enthusiasm of the people was still farther 
 excited by the arrival of a sloop, witU
 
 110 
 
 lIISTOnV OP r.NGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP/jJ. 
 
 1710. 
 
 additional dispritclies from the admiral, 
 annoiHiciiig the bonibardnieut of Car- 
 thagena, and the capture of the fort of San 
 Lorenzo on the river Chagre, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Porto BeUo. In the beginning 
 of May the king set out for Hanover ; in a 
 fews days after his departure, the nuptials of 
 the princess IVIary to the prince of Hesse 
 Avere celebrated by proxy; and these events 
 Avere immediately followed by the death of his 
 Prussian majesty. 
 
 A FORMiDABLR armament was now equip- 
 ped, convoyed by sir Chaloner Ogle, and in- 
 tended for the coasts of New Spain, consist- 
 ing of twenty-nine ships of the line, and almost 
 an equal number of frigates, furnished with 
 every description of warlike stores, 15,000 
 seamen, and as many land forces. Never was 
 a fleet more completely equipped, nor ever 
 had the nation more sanguine hopes of suc- 
 cess. Lord Cathcart was appointed to com- 
 mand the land forces ; but dying on the 
 })assage, the command devolved on general 
 Wentworth, whose abilities were supposed to 
 be unequal to the importance of the under- 
 taking. They at length arrived on the coast 
 of Spain, before the city of Carthagena. This 
 place lies within sixty miles of Panama, and 
 
 served as a magazine 
 
 for the merchandize of 
 was conveyed thither from 
 
 Spain, which 
 
 Europe, and thence transported by land to 
 Panama, to be exchanged for the commodi- 
 ties of the New World. The taking of Car- 
 tliagena, therefore, would have entirely ob- 
 structed the trade between New Spain and 
 the mother country. 
 
 In order to form the siege of this important 
 fortification, the troops were landed on the 
 island Tierra Bomba, near the mouth of tlie 
 harbour, which had been previously fortified 
 by all the arts of engineering. Having landed, 
 they erected a battery, with which they made 
 a breach in the principal fort ; while Vernon, 
 ■who had proceeded to Carthagena, and taken 
 the command of the besieging fleet, sent a 
 number of ships into the harbour, to divide 
 the tire of the enemy, and to co-operate with 
 the forces that were landed. The breach 
 being deemed practicable, a body of troops 
 was commanded to storm ; but the Spaniards 
 deserted the forts, notwithstanding they were 
 perfectly defensible. On gaining this advan- 
 tage the English troops advanced nearer to 
 the city, but met with a reception more warm 
 
 and intrepid than they had expected. It was 
 alleged, that the fleet could not approach the 
 town so near as to batter it, and that nothing 
 remained but to attempt one of the forts by 
 scaling. The leaders of the fleet and army 
 indulged in mutual accusation, each asserting 
 the pro))ability of what the other denied. At 
 length Wentworth, stimulated by the admiral's 
 reproach, resolved to try the dangerous ex- 
 periment, and ordered that fort St. Lazare 
 should be attempted by escalade. The forces 
 marching up to the attack, their guides were 
 slain, and they mistook their way. Instead 
 of attempting the weakest part of the fort, 
 they advanced to where it was strongest, and 
 where they were exposed to the fire of the 
 town. Colonel Grant, who commanded the 
 grenadiers, was killed in the beginning of the 
 attack. It was soon afterwards discovered, 
 that the scaling ladders were too short, the 
 officers were perplexed for want of orders, 
 and the troops stood exposed to the whole 
 fire of the enemy, without knowing how to 
 proceed. After sustaining a dreadful fire for 
 some hours, with great intrepidity, they at 
 length retreated, leaving 600 men dead on 
 the spot. The rainy season now began with 
 such violence, that it was impossible for the 
 troops to continue encamped, and great havoc 
 was made by diseases arising from the 
 climate. To these calamities was 
 dissension between the military 
 commanders, who blamed each 
 every failure and disappointment, 
 they were induced to agree in one 
 measure ; that of re-embarking the troops, 
 and withdrawing them, as fast as possible, 
 from the scene of enterprise. The fortilications 
 near the harbour, therefore, being demolished, 
 the troops were conveyed to Jamaica, which, 
 though sufficiently unhealthy, was regarded 
 as a perfect contrast to the infectious climate 
 whence they had just escaped. Vernon, 
 instead of undertaking any further enterprise, 
 that might have done honour to the British 
 arms, set sail in July from Jamaica, with the 
 forces which had, by this time, in some 
 degree recruited their health and strength, 
 and anchored at the south-east part of Cuba, 
 in a bay, on which he bestowed the appellation 
 of Cumberland harbour. The troops were 
 landed, and encamped at the distance of 
 twenty miles further up the rivei-, where they 
 remained totally inactive, and subsisted chieflj^ 
 
 added the 
 
 and naval 
 
 other for 
 
 At length 
 
 mortifymg
 
 CHAP, x] GEORGE IT. JH 
 
 on salt and damaged provisions, till tlie month J minster, a.^ainst tlie illegal practices of the 
 of IVovenil)er, wiien, l)eing ronsiilerably di- ; high bailifl', and the intPodnclion, by the 
 niinished by sickness, they were re-tndiarketi j justicos, of a military force to overawe the 
 and re-conveyed to Jamaica. The admiral | election, under the pretext of preventing riots, 
 ■was afterwards reinforced from England by | was taken into the consideration of the house- 
 four ships of war and 3000 soldiers, but ! the election was declared void, by a majority 
 performed nothing worthy of the reputation j of four voices, and the offending persons 
 he had acquired by the capture of Porto i reprimanded on their knees, at the bar of the 
 Bello. I house. Sir Robert, perceiving the uncertainty 
 
 The failure of this expedition was no i and peril of the situation to which he was now 
 sooner known in England, than the kingdom | reduced, determined to regain his ascendancy 
 was filled will) clamour and indignation against ! by one bold effort, or retire from the storm 
 the minister, who found himself charged also! which he was no longer able to resist. On 
 with various other acts of misconduct. The ^ the next question, therefore, of disputed 
 principal of these accusations related to the | election, he pressed the commons to a division • 
 inactivity of the English fleet at home. Sir | and having the mortification to witness a 
 John iNorris had twice sailed to the coast of > majority against him of sixteen voices, he 
 Spain, at the head of a powerful squadron, \ declared that he would never more sit in that 
 •without performing any thing of consequence ; house. On the next day the parlianitnt 
 against the enemy; while the Spanish pri- | was adjourned from the 3rd of Febru- ^^'^'■^' 
 vateers annoyed the British commerce with 5 ary to the 18th; and, in the mean time, sir 
 great success. Tlie general discontent of the ; Robert was created earl of Orford, with pre- 
 people had au evident influence on the elec- j cedence to his illegitimate child as the dau"-h- 
 tion of members to the new parliament. The | ter of an earl. 
 
 duke of Argyle exerted himself witl) much | The whole nation was convulsed with a 
 success among the shires and boroughs of ! joy, more creditable to its sensibility than its 
 Scotland, and all the adherents of the prince j judgment or good sense, on the earl's resiw. 
 of Wales employed their talents and their ! nation of his employments. Yet if the pi-S- 
 influence in favour of the country party, j fessions of pretended patriots, and the vehe- 
 ]n order to obviate the difficulties presented j mence of those senators, who iiidul^e in 
 by the prince's strenuous opposition to his j continual and violent declamation agaiiist the 
 cau^e, Walpole endeavoured, by promises of ; government, as a matter of oratorical taste 
 royal favour, and by offers of pecuniary | rather than political principle, might hate 
 emolument, to disengage him from the conn- ; been received as pledges of indepfiidence and 
 try party. The bishop of Oxford was dis- ; sincerity, the change in tl>e ministry would 
 patched with an ofter, that if he would write j have more than justified the full expression of 
 a letter of submission to the king, he and all ; popular exuliation. Unfortunately, the base 
 his counsellors should be taken into favour, ; and mercenary character of his opponents 
 £-50,000 a year should be added to his ; was as obvious to Walpole as unsuspected 
 revenue, £200,000 be granted hiin to pay his ; by the nation ; his party .still remained too 
 debts, and suitable provision be made, in due i steadily attached to his person, and too formi- 
 tinie, for all his de[)endauts. However tempt- ; dable in numbers, to leave much hope to Uh 
 ing this offer must have been, to one in the | opponents of obtaining oflice, but on con- 
 princes situation, he generously rejected it ; I ditions, of which, however, only one was 
 declaring thiit he would not accept of con- > imposed, and that one the impunity of \\ al- 
 ditions, dictated to him under the influence i pole. The chancellorship of the exchequer 
 of a minister, of whose measures he disap- i was now confided to Mr. Sandys, who was 
 proved. : likewise appointed a lord of the treasury ; 
 
 On the meeting of parliament in December, I and the earl of Wilmington succeedud him, 
 the address of thanks was carried as usual ; i as first commissioner of the board. Lord 
 but in t!ie first division on a disputed election, > Harrington was declared president of the 
 he retained only a majority of six, which he i council, and in his room lord Carteret was 
 justly regarded as an indication of defeat, j made secretary of state. The duke of Argyle 
 A iKtition iM-eseuti-d by the electors of West- ', was made master-general of the ordnance, and
 
 112 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap, xl 
 
 field-marshal and commander-in-chief of all 
 the forces in South Britain ; both whicii em- 
 ployments he renounced in a month, dissatis- 
 fied with his colleagues. The marquis of 
 Tweedale was appointed to the revived office 
 of secretary of state for Scotland; Mr. Pul- 
 teney was sworn of the privy-council, and 
 afterwards created earl of Bath ; and after 
 the resignation of the dukeof ArgNio, the earl 
 of Stair was appointed field-marshal of all 
 his majesty's forces, and ambassador extraor- 
 dinary to the states-general. The ostensible 
 policy observed in the formation of the 
 ministry, was the change of men, but the 
 preservation of Whig principles. The new 
 possessors of office were loud and eloquent 
 in their professions of patriotism and inde- 
 pendence : they declared, that they would 
 concur in promoting an enquiry into past 
 measures, and in enacting the necessary laws 
 to secure the constitution from the practices 
 of corruption. Had they been disposed to 
 fulfil their promises, they might have erected 
 a monumeitt of immortality to themselves, and 
 placed the liberties and prosperity of Britain 
 on a foundation, which internal corruption 
 and foreign violence might have vainly en- 
 deavoured to overthrow. But they had 
 scarcely assumed the reins of power, before 
 they displayed themselves in all the promi- 
 nence of their real characters. It was soon 
 discovered, that the principles and practices 
 of the late administration, which had been 
 the theme of constant reprobation among the 
 Whigs, who had now been called to the 
 government, were adopted in all their extent : 
 on the re-introdu'ction of the pension bill, lord 
 Carteret, who had been, during the last year, 
 one of its most strenuous advocates, voted 
 against it ; and a motion of lord Limerick, 
 for enquiry into the conduct of affairs for the 
 last twenty years, was lost by a majority of 
 two voices, in consequence of the opposition 
 of the court party ; sir Robert Godschall, 
 having moved for leave to bring in a bill to 
 repeal the act for septennial parliaments, was 
 opposed by Mr. Pulteney and Mr. Sandys, 
 and the question passed in the negative. As 
 some compensation to the people for these 
 repeated disappointments, they permitted the 
 committal of a bill for excluding certain officers 
 from seats m the house of commons. They 
 passed another for encouraging the linen 
 manufacture ; a third for regulating the trade 
 
 of the plantations ; and a fourth to prevent 
 the marriage of lunatics. Lord Limerick, not 
 discouraged by his former failure, brought 
 forward a motion, on the 2.3rd of March, for 
 an enquiry into the conduct of Robert, earl 
 of Orlbrd, for the last ten years of his adminis- 
 tration : after a vehement debate, the motion 
 was carried, and a resolution passed for the 
 choice, by ballot, of a secret committee. They 
 immediately proceeded to examine evidence, 
 and discovered many acts of irregularity and 
 corruption which, at that period of English his- 
 tory, had been unequalled for boldness and mag- 
 nitude. It appeared that he had granted fraudu- 
 lent contracts for paying the troops in the West 
 Indies ; that he employed iniquitous arts to 
 influence elections ; that as secret service- 
 money during the last ten years, he had ob- 
 tained £1,453,400 of the public money; that 
 above £50,000 of this sum had been paid to 
 authors and printers of newspapers and 
 political tracts in defence of the ministry ; 
 and that on the very day which preceded his 
 resignation, he had signed orders on the civil 
 
 I list revenues, for more than £.30,000 ; but as 
 
 I the cash remaining in the exchequer did not 
 exceed £14,000, he had raised the remaining 
 part of the £30,000 by pledging (he orders 
 to a banker. The committee proceeded to 
 make further progress in their scrutiny, when 
 they were interrupted by the prorogation of 
 parliament. 
 
 During these intestine commotions, the 
 Imperial throne became vacant by the death 
 of Charles VI. second son to the emperor 
 Leopold, who succeeded his brother Joseph 
 in 1711, and was the fifteenth emperor of that 
 family. In order to preserve the succession 
 of his hereditary dominions entire, Leopold 
 obtained the guarantee of the pragmatic sanc- 
 tion, from the chief powers of Europe. In 
 1720, after the approbation of the council, it 
 was sworn to by all the states of his heredi- 
 tary dominions ; in 1725, it was guaranteed 
 
 ! by Spain, at the treaty of Vienna, on Naples 
 and Sicily being ceded by the emperor, as an 
 establishment for Don Carlos ; in 1726 it vras 
 guaranteed by Russia, and soon afterwards 
 confirmed by the Imperial diet ; at the second 
 treaty of Vienna, in 1731, it obtained the 
 sanction of Great Britain; in 1732 it was 
 confirmed by the king of Denmark and the 
 states-general ; in 1738 the elector of Saxony 
 
 i followed their example, on the emperor's
 
 CHAP. X] GEORGE II. 113 
 
 promising to establish him on the throne of? The example of the duke of Bavaria was 
 Poland ; and in the same year, France also j imitated by the king of Spain, who advanced 
 acquiesced in its gnarantee, on condition of | iiis pretensions to the Imperial succession by 
 the cession of l.orraine. The courts of Ver- | virtue of his descent from Maria Theresa, 
 sailles and Madrid were the first to violate \ wife of Lewis XIV. and daughter of Philip 
 their engagements, notwithstanding they had \ IV. lie immediately formed an army in 
 obtained for their concession many valuable | Catalonia, and made public preparations to 
 and probably unexpected equivalents. Great ! invade Italy. 
 
 Britain, Holland, and Russia continued faith- 5 The young king of Prussia became a 
 tul to their promise; while the electors of | claimant of the principality of Silesia, as 
 Bavaria, Cologne, Triers, and the Palatine, { having formerly belouijed to the family of 
 especially the two former, who naturally I Brandenburg, and soon assembled a numerous 
 opposed every measure that defeated their > army. How futile are the pretensions of the 
 claim to so powerful a succession, had fre- 1 greatest heroes to the jjroper virtues of their 
 quently and openly expressed their dissatis- \ exalted station, or their imposing professions, 
 faction with llie arrangements of the other \ when placed in competition with their interest 
 powers, and their determination to resist I and ambition ! How vain is it to trust the 
 every violation of justice, or of their legitimate j promises, assurances, and most solemn pledges 
 pretensions. Immediately on the emperor's > of arbitrary monarchs, and corrupted courts, 
 death, Maria Theresa, his eldest daughter, I when an opportunity presents itself of violating 
 who had been married in 17.30 to the duke | their pledges with advantage and impunity ! 
 of Lorraine, now grand duke of Tuscany, was i It was not the conviction of obstructed right, 
 proclaimed queen of Hungary and Bohemia, I or the legitimate feeling of resistance to the 
 princess of Transilvauia, archduchess of | unjust assumption of the Imperial power, that 
 Austria, and universal successor to all the i excited the activity, and awakened the pre- 
 dominions of Austria, pursuant to the prag- i tended indignation of the hostile powers; but 
 matic sanction. The queen immediately i the prospect of easy conquest over a defence- 
 iK)tified her accession to the different corrts 5 less and inexperienced female, the apparent 
 of Europe, by most of whom she was acknow- S certainty of triumph over her feminine timidity, 
 ledged ; and France, in particular, renewed ! and the expectation that she would resign the 
 her a.ssurance in the strongest terms. The ; greater and fairer portion of her dominions to 
 conduct of the duke of Bavaria was different : I preserve the rest. Yet there remained one 
 he returned her letters unopened, and ad- 1 at least of the European nations, which, sub- 
 vanced his claim to the Austrian succession, I ject like every other political community to 
 on the foundation of the will of Ferdinand I., ! occasional error, and debased by obvious" 
 ■which imported, that in case no heir should \ imperfection, still supported, in defiance of 
 remain of any of the three brothers of the > difficulty, calunmy, and all the probabilities 
 empire, the eldest archduchess, daughter to ; against success, the cause of justice, and of 
 the said Ferdinand, who should be alive when ; continental happiness. Attacked on every 
 the succession should be open, should sue- 1 side, by France, Saxony, and Bavaria, Enq-- 
 ceed. INow the male line being extinct in I iaiid alune supported the rights of Maria 
 Charles VI., the elector, by his descent from 5 Tlieresa with promptitude and activity. Her 
 Anne, second daugliler to Ferdinand I., « example was followed by Sardinia and Hol- 
 claimed the succession as open by the will. ; land ; and liussia at length acceded to the 
 On the part of the court of Vienna, it was • union in her favour. In the mean time, the 
 iiiaintaine<l, that the succession was not open ; 1 king of Naples resolved to support the claims 
 the tenor uf the will, according to the copy i of his family to the Austrian don)inions iu 
 deposited in the Austrian archives, declaring > Italy ; his mother, the queen of Spain, had 
 "incase thtre shall be no /aj/yi// heir living 1 formed a plan for erecting these dominions 
 of any of the three brothers." He afterwards i into a monarchy for her second son, Don 
 asserted ins right through his wife, daughter ; Philip, and a body of 15,000 men, being em- 
 to the emperor Joseph ; in which he was i barked at Barcelona, were transported to 
 powerfully supported by the house of Bour- | Orbitello, under the convoy of the united 
 bun. i squadrons of France and Spain, \Vhil«! 
 
 Q 8
 
 114 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 admiral Haadock, with twelve ships of tlie 
 ]iiie, lay at anchor in tlie bay of Gibralter, the 
 Spanish fleet passed the straits in the night, 
 and was joined by the French squadron 
 from Toulon. The British admiral, sailing 
 from Gibralter, fell in with them in a few 
 days, and found both squadrons drawn up 
 in line of battle. As he bore down upon the 
 Spanish fleet, the French admiral sent a flag 
 of truce to inform him, that as the French 
 and Spaniards were engaged in a joint expe- 
 dition, he should be obliged to act in concert 
 with his master's allies. This interposition 
 prevented an engagement : admiral Haddock 
 could not but perceive the absurdity of the 
 protection, afforded by a pretended friend 
 and legitimate neutral to the fleet of an enemy. 
 But his force was much inferior to that of 
 the combined fleets, and he was therefore 
 obliged to proceed to Port Mahon, leaving 
 the enemy to prosecute their voyage without 
 molestation. 
 
 The king of England had ordered his am- 
 bassador, the earl of Hyndford, to join with 
 Ginckle, the Dutch ambassador, in presenting 
 an earnest remonstrance to the king of 
 Prussia, against his continuing his troops in 
 Silesia. The proposal was rejected by 
 Frederic, anil gave rise to a suspicion, that 
 the Englisii court had participated in a scheme 
 of general confederacy against the king of 
 Prussia, in which his dominions were to be 
 partitioned out, and his Britannic majesty, as 
 elector of Hanover, was to have his share of 
 them. Though this intrigue was probably 
 unknown to the court of England, and was 
 certainly received with no encouragement, 
 his Prussian majesty affected to believe the 
 contrary, united himself closely with France, 
 and espoused the cause of the elector of 
 Bavaria. 
 
 The king of Prussia engaged the Austrians 
 at Czaslaw, and defeated them ; but instead 
 of turning his victory to the general interest 
 of the allies, he converted it to his own benefit ; 
 for be immediately concluded a peace with 
 Austria, Mhich left him in quiet possession 
 of Upper and Lower Silesia, togetiier with 
 the country of Glatz. At the same time, the 
 king of Poland concluded a treaty with the 
 queen. The French were astonished and 
 mortified by these treaties ; they saw them- 
 selves abandoned by two principal allies, and 
 ■were obliged to retreat under the walls of 
 
 fcHAP. X 
 
 ; Prague ; from which they were only enaliled 
 j to escape by the skill and dexterity of Bel- 
 I lejsle, who conducted the army through a 
 } hundred miles of the enemy's country, and 
 I brought them in the depth of winter, though 
 I harassed by a superior army of the Austrians, 
 ; to the friendly ran)parts of Agra. 
 I Dispirited by the equivocal success of 
 the operations at sea, the nation began to look 
 with anxiety for an opportunity of retrieving 
 the glory of England by some enterprise on 
 land ; and the views of the king according 
 with the wishes of his people, it was deter- 
 mined to send a powerful force into the 
 Netherlands, to join in the quarrels that were 
 beginning on the continent. The king deter- 
 mined to conduct the undertaking in person : 
 an army of 10,000 men was transported to 
 Flanders, and the war with Spain became au 
 object of secondary consideration. The 
 \ policy of Britain, originally directed by the 
 \ partiality '^oi the sovereign to his electoral 
 ' interests, but ultimately coinciding beyond 
 the hopes of the court, or the anticipation of 
 the people with the general interests ofEurope, 
 tended to retrieve the desperate situation of 
 the queen of Hungary. The French were 
 driven out of Bohemia. The general of the 
 empress, prince Charles of Lorraine, at the 
 head of a large army, invaded the dominions 
 of Bavaria, ■ Her rival, the nominal emperor, 
 was obliged to fly before her, and being not 
 only abandoned by his allies, but divested of 
 his hereditary dominions, retired to Francfort, 
 where he afterwards lived in obscurity. 
 Though the French had begun the war under 
 pretext of alliance to the duke, they did not 
 relinquish hostile operations in consequence 
 of his disasters, but persisted in sustaining of 
 themselves the whole burden of the contest 
 
 The troops sent to the queen's assistance 
 by England were connuanded by the earl of 
 Stair, an experienced general, who had learned 
 the art of war under prince Eugene. His 
 chief object was to eft'ect a junction with the 
 army of the queen, commanded by prince 
 Charles, and thus to outnumber the enemy in 
 the field. To prevent this junction, the 
 French assembled an army of 50,000 men 
 upon the Maine, under the command of mar- 
 shal Noailles, who posted his troops on the 
 cast side of that river. The British forces, to 
 the number of 40,000, pushed forward on 
 the other side into a country, where they
 
 CHAP. X] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 115 
 
 found themselves, Ijy the precaution of the 
 French, entirely destitute of provisions. The 
 king of England' arriving in the camp while 
 tlie army was in this deplorable situation, he 
 resolved on penetrating forward, to join 
 12,000 Hanoverians and Hessians, who had 
 reached Hanau. With this view he de- 
 camped ; but before his army had marched 
 three leagues, he found himself inclosed on 
 every side by the enemy, near the village of 
 Dettinaen. In this extremity he seemed to 
 be deprived of every resource : it he engaged | 
 the enemy, it must be at the greatest disad- ; 
 vantage ; if he remained inactive, his army » 
 must unavoidably starve ; and a retreat was \ 
 evidently impracticable. The impetuosity $ 
 of the French troops relieved him from this \ 
 embarrassment : they passed the defile which ? 
 they should have been contented to guard ; \ 
 and, under the conduct of the duke de Gra- > 
 mont, thf'ir horse charged the English with ; 
 great fury ; but being received with intre- ! 
 pidity, they were obliged to make a precijiitate \ 
 retreat over the Maine, having sustained a loss \ 
 of 5000 men. His Britannic luajesty, with \ 
 great personal courage, exposed himself to a \ 
 setere fire of the enemy's camion, and in the i 
 midst of the engagement encouraged the ; 
 troops by his presence and example. The I 
 English obtained the honour of the day; but; 
 were obliged to leave the field of battle, which I 
 was taken possession of by the French. The > 
 joy occasioned by this victory, in the camp of | 
 the allies, received a considerable check by i 
 their being obliged to leave their killed and ; 
 wounded on the field of battle, and proceed ; 
 to a plain on the road to Hanau, where they < 
 lay all night under arms, while his majesty i 
 was obliged to take up his quarters at Heru- ! 
 stein. A shower of rain, which fell in the > 
 night-time, and continued fill eight in the ; 
 morning, proved fatal to many of the wound- ; 
 ed ; and all that lord Stair could do for their | 
 relief, was to send a trumpeter to marshal I 
 Noailles, acquainting him, that the king his ; 
 master having thought proper to remove to i 
 Hanau, he had left an independent company ; 
 in the field to take care of the wounded, who ; 
 were strictly ordered to commit no hostilities; > 
 that therefore the marshal might send a de- ; 
 tachment to bury his slain, and hoped that | 
 he would treat with huniatiity the wounded « 
 who had been left behind. It is to the honour ; 
 
 of the French general, that he 
 
 punctuallv 
 2 
 
 complied with his lordship's request, by treat- 
 ing the wounded with the utmost tenderness 
 and humanity. The day after the battle, the 
 allied army arrived at Hanau, and were joined 
 by 12,000 additional Hanoverians and Hes- 
 sians. After this junction, lord Stair pro- 
 posed to the king to pass the Maine, and 
 again attack the French, but finding his 
 advice disregarded, resigned his command. 
 In October, the king of Great Britain returned 
 to Hanover, and the army separated. The 
 troops in British pay marched back to the 
 Netherlands, and the rest took the route to 
 their respective countries. 
 
 On the 2.5th of November, the great cause 
 between James Annesley esq. and the earl of 
 Anglesea was decided in the court of ex- 
 chequer in Ireland, in favour of the former. 
 It was proved, that Mr. Annesley was the 
 son of the late lord Altham, and had been 
 trepanned by his uncle, the earl of Anglesea, 
 and sent into slavery in America, where he 
 was discovered by admiral Vernon. He was 
 sent home to prosecute his claims to the title 
 and estates, which by this verdict he obtained, 
 but died before the litigation was concluded, 
 leaving his right to his children. The earl of 
 Anglesea dying soon afterwards, the cause 
 was removed, on an appeal, to the court of 
 chancery ; and, as we shall find hereafter, 
 became the subject of long and intricate pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 The English ministry had sent out a power- 
 ful squadron into the Mediterranean, to over- 
 awe those states, which might be inclined to 
 lend assistance to Fiance or Spain. This 
 fleet had been conducted by Lestock ; but 
 admiral Matthews, though a younger oflicer, 
 was sent out to take the chief command : in 
 consequence of which a misunderstanding 
 arose between them, and they soon had an 
 opportunity of discovering their mutual ani- 
 mosity. The combined fleets of France and 
 Spain, to the number of thirty-four sail, were 
 seen off Toulon, and a signal was made 
 by the English admiral to prepare for ' 
 
 engaging. It happened that his signals were 
 not perfectly exact : he had exhibited, at the 
 same lime, the signal for the line of battle, 
 and the signal for engaging. This circum- 
 stance aflbrded Lestock a sufficient pretence 
 for refusing to advance with alacrity ; so that 
 Matthews, after some vain attempts to engage 
 the enemy in conjunction, resolved to engag«
 
 116 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. X. 
 
 with his own division. One ship of the line, J 
 belonging to the Spanish squadron, stnicli to ; 
 captain Hawke, but was next day burnt by ! 
 the admiral's order. Captain Cornwall was | 
 killed in the action, after continuing to give i 
 counnand, even when his leg was shot off by t 
 a cannon-ball. The pursuit was continued > 
 for three days, at the end of which Lestock | 
 appeared to come up with some vigour : but ; 
 Matthews now gave orders for discontinuing ; 
 the pursuit, and sailed away to Port Malion, ; 
 to repair the damage he had sustained. The j 
 account of this transaction was received in ; 
 England with equal surprise and discontent, | 
 and both admirals, on their return, were tried ; 
 by a court martial. Matthews, who had | 
 fought with intrepidity, was declared for the ; 
 future incapable of serving his majesty's navy ; i 
 ■while Lestock, who had kept at a distance ; 
 during the engagement, was acquitted with ; 
 honour. So extraordinary a verdict, unjusti- J 
 fied by evidence, and apparently influenced; 
 by no particular prepossession on the part of ; 
 the court, presents a striking instance of; 
 human fallibility, and of the uncertainty of | 
 every decision, adopted at a moment of popu- I 
 lar turbulence. I 
 
 At liie period when the expedition to the i 
 South Seas was first projected, a squadron ; 
 -was entrusted to the command of commodore j 
 Anson ; which was destined to sail through ; 
 the straits of Magellan, and steering north- ; 
 ■ward along the coasts of Chili and Peru, to | 
 co-operate occasionally with admiral Vernon, ; 
 across the isthmus of Darien ; but the latter i 
 part of the plan was frustrated by the delays ; 
 and mistakes of the ministry. When the season | 
 was too far advanced, the commodore set sail ; 
 with five ships of the line, a frigate, two store ; 
 ships, and about fourteen hundred men. Two i 
 of his large ships, having separated from him 1 
 in a storm, before he weathered Cape Horn, > 
 took refuge at Rio Janeiro, from whence they > 
 proceeded to Europe. A frigate, commanded ! 
 by captain Cheap, was shipwrecked on a > 
 distant island in the South Sea. Having met ; 
 Avith a dreadful tempest, which dispersed the ; 
 remainder of his fleet, the counnodore arrived ; 
 at Jiian Fernandez, where he was joined by ; 
 the Giocestcr, a ship of the line, a sloop, and ; 
 a pink with pro.visions. With tliese remains | 
 of his squadron he made prize of several ves- % 
 sels, took and burned the little town of; 
 Payia, and set sail from the coast of Mexico i 
 
 to the Philippine Islands, in the passage to 
 which the Glocester was abandoned and sunk. 
 The otlier vessels had been destroyed for 
 M-ant of men to navigate them ; so that no- 
 thing now remained but the commodore's 
 own ship, the Centurion, aiid that but very 
 indiffen iitly nianned. The crews had been 
 horribly thinned by sickness ; they sustained 
 the utmost extremities of misery from the 
 shattered condition of their ships, and were 
 dreadfully afHicted with the scurvy, which 
 was in some measure relieved on their arrival 
 at the island ofTinian. Anson now placed 
 ail his hopes in taking one of those valuable 
 Spanish ships, which trade from the Philip- 
 pine Islands to Mexico. Only one or two 
 of these vessels went on the voyage in the 
 same year, and they were therefore very large, 
 in order to carry a sufficiency of treasure, 
 and ])roporlionably strong for the purpose of 
 defence. The commodore now prosecuted 
 his voyage to China, where he ordered his 
 vessel to be sheathed, and procured a reinforce- 
 ment of sailors. On leaving Canton, he 
 again <lircf:ted his course towards Manilla, 
 where the object of his pursuit actually fell 
 into his hands, after an obstinate engagement. 
 This prize, the Neustra Siguora de Coba 
 donga, mounted sixty guns, and was manned 
 by 500 sailors, twice the number of the crew 
 of the Centurion. Anson returned home after 
 an absence of three years, with his prize, of 
 which the value was estimated at £.313,000, 
 exclusive of his other captures, which amount- 
 ed to as much more. He was immediately 
 elevated to the peerage. 
 
 In the mean time, the French proceeded in 
 their operations with vigour. They opposed 
 prince Charles, and interrupted his attempts 
 to pass the Rhine. They gained also some 
 successes in Italy, but their chief hopes were 
 placed on a projected invasion of England. 
 Cardinal Fleury was now dead, and cardinal 
 Tencin, who succeeded him in power, was 
 proud, enterprising, and turbulent. France, 
 from the violence of the parliamentary dis- 
 putes in EnglamI, had conceived an opinion 
 that the people were ripe for revolt, and only 
 awaited the presence of the Pretender to avow 
 their sentiments. These prepossessions being 
 encouraged by the Jacobite party in Great 
 Britain, an invasion was determined upon ; 
 and Charles, the son of the old Pretender 
 arrived at Paris, where he obtained aa
 
 cmap. x] 
 
 OEORGE II. 
 
 117 
 
 audience of the French kin?. This family 
 had long been tlie dupes of France, but it 
 was now imagined thai the inclinations of 
 the Frencli court were decidedly in their 
 favour. Tlie troops destined for the expe- 
 dition amounted lo 15,000 men, whom it was 
 proposed to embark at Dunkirk, and some 
 others of the ports nearest to Ensrland, under 
 the direction of the Pretender. The duke de 
 Roqueville, with twenty ships of the line, 
 was to see them safely laiuled ; and the famous 
 count Saxe was to command them when put 
 on shore. But the whole project was discon- 
 certed by the appearance of sir John Norris, 
 who with a superior force advanced to attack 
 them. The French fleet was thus obliged to 
 put back ; and being frustrated in the hope 
 of a sudden descent, the cabinet proceeded 
 to an open declaration of war. 
 
 While preparations were making, by all 
 the continental poviers, for a bloody and 
 vigorous campaign, the emperor Charles VII. 
 j_ ._ died at Munich on the 20th of January, 
 an event which changed the aspect of 
 affairs in Gerniany, and considerably afJected 
 the rest of Europe. The misfortunes of this 
 monarch, which so deeply imjjaired his health, 
 were owing to his fatal attachment to France. 
 The grand duke of Tuscany, husband to the 
 queen of Hungary, was declared emperor in 
 his stead ; and, notwithstanding this event, 
 the belligerent powers continued to support 
 the quarrel with unabated animosity. In the 
 Netherlands, the operations of the allied army 
 were far from successful. The French had 
 assembled an army of 20,000 men, the com- 
 mand of which was given to count Saxe, 
 natural son to the late king of Poland, who 
 had acquired great experience in war. Having 
 long been a soldier of fortune, he had, in the 
 beginning of these commotions, offered his 
 services to several crowns, and among others 
 to that of Great Britain ; but his offers were 
 rejected. The English were now commanded 
 by the duke of Cumberland, who, though 
 possessed of bravery and talent, could not 
 be expected to equal his antagonists in mili- 
 tary skill, and was far inferior in the number 
 of his troops. The French, therefore, bore 
 down all before them, besieged Fribourg, and 
 invested the strong city of Tournay. On the 
 19th of April, the duke marched from Brus- 
 sels to stop the progress of the assailants. 
 He continued his march to Soignies, where 
 
 on the 24tb, in a geueral council of war, it 
 was resolved to advance towards the enemy, 
 as the relief of the city was of the last im- 
 portance. On the 28th, having repulsed some 
 advanced guards, they took post at Maulbrey, 
 in view of the enemy, with the wood of Leuse 
 on the left wing. Orders were then given that 
 no man should stir out of the camp on pain of 
 death, while the allied generals reconnoitre?d 
 the enemy, who were covered by a rivulet on 
 the left, and copses and hedges on the right, 
 lined with their grassines, and supported by 
 several squadrons from the main body. They 
 had the village of St. Antoine on the right, 
 and the town of Fontenoy in their front. Both 
 armies continued in this situation during the 
 night, and orders were given that the main 
 body should march at two in the morning and 
 join the vanguard, to bring the enemy to a 
 general engagement. The following dispo- 
 sitions were made for the attack. Prince 
 Walde<;k, with the Dutch troops composing 
 the left wing, to undertake the reduction of 
 the village of Fontenoy ; brigadier Ingoldsby, 
 with four battalions, was ordered to attack a 
 masked battery, at the verge of the wood 
 ai)ove the village of Vezon ; while general 
 Ligonier was to attack the trenches, with the 
 British and Hanoverian infantry, covered by 
 the cavalry, under sir James Campbell. This 
 brave general, being carried off by a cannon- 
 ball, left his part for some time defective, and 
 the infantry exposed to the eneniy's batteries ; 
 till his royal highness ordered up seven pieces 
 of cannon at the head of the foot-guards, 
 which soon silenced the enemy's moving guns. 
 The army being obliged to pass through three 
 narrow defiles, occupied from four till nine 
 o'clock, to form themselves as ihcy advanced 
 in order of battle. The troops were then 
 ordered to advance to the different points of 
 attack as rapidly as possible : lord Ligonier, 
 assisted by lord Albemarle, and count Zas- 
 trow, bore down all before him, and took 
 possession of the French trenches ; but the 
 Dutch miscarrying in the attack on Fontenoy, 
 though supported by two British battalions, 
 exposed the left tlank of lord Ligonier to an 
 incessant cannonade, w hile, on the other hand, 
 the battery to be attacked by general Ingolds- 
 by was not even attempted ; a circumstance 
 which also exposed the right flank of his 
 lordship, and left him, though in possession 
 of the enemy's works, exposed to a continual
 
 118 
 
 iUSTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. X. 
 
 discharge of 200 cannon. To avoid this cross- 
 fire, it was judged necessary to retire from 
 the trendies, aiid to rally the troops, in the 
 expectation of exciting- the Dutch to another 
 attack ; but on advancing a second time they 
 acted as before, notwithstanding the British 
 and Hanoverians retook, possession of the 
 trenches they had previously occupied. The 
 duke of Cumberland, in this emergency, 
 placed himself at the head of Ligonier's 
 horse, and advanced through tlie hottest of 
 the fire towards the right flank, which the 
 Irish brigades in the French service embraced 
 the opportunity of attacking before he could 
 come lip ; for having poured down upon the | 
 right, supported by their whole army, lie was 
 obliged, from the rapid decrease of his num- 
 bers, to retire and form his troops ; it being- 
 evident that no dependence could be placed 
 on his allies. About three o'clock in the 
 afternoon, a general retreat was ordered ; to 
 favour which, such prudent dispositions were 
 made, that the enemy, on the severe repulse 
 of the regiment of Noailles, by a body of 
 Hanoverian horse, under major-general Zas- 
 trow, thought proper to drop the pursuit, 
 being entirely broken, with the loss of thirty- 
 two officers. The allies marched in regular 
 order from the field, having posted some 
 regiments of foot and squadrons of horse to 
 secure the retreat of the main army, which 
 encamped at night under the cannon of Aeth. 
 The allied army left upon the fiekl of battle 
 about 12,000 men, and the loss of the French 
 was nearly equal. 
 
 In the mean time, the attention of the Eng- . 
 Jlsh was diverted from the continent to an \ 
 occurrence which more nearly afl'ected the 
 tranquillity of the kingdom. In our own 
 tlominions was about to be kindled a civil 
 war, which, notwithstanding the temporary 
 alarm, distress, and inconvenience, to which 
 11 gave occasion, cemented more firmly the 
 union of the nation and the government. The 
 threat of an invasion from France had roused 
 the indignation of all classes, who burned 
 with resentment against the Pretender, and 
 against the enemy who had supplied him 
 with arms, and assisted him by its council ; 
 nor were the people of England ever less dis- 
 posed to receive him with favour, than at the 
 moment he selected for his final attempt. 
 
 A CHANGE in the ministry had occurred, 
 at a moment when such a circumstance was 
 
 singularly propitious to the nation. Lords 
 Harrington and Chesterfield and Mr. Pelham 
 being appointed to the chief departments iu 
 the government, the operations of war were 
 no longer thwarted by a turbulent opposition. 
 Admirals Rowley and Warren had retrieved 
 the honour of the British flag, and made 
 several rich captures at sea. About the same 
 time, a bold and enterprising project was 
 formed, by several public-spiritecl gentlemen 
 in IVew England, for dispossessing France of 
 the island of Cape Breton, as it appeared to 
 them that this possession afforded to the 
 enemy, by the increase of the fishery in those 
 seas, not only an inexhaustible source of 
 wealth, but a constant nursery for able sea- 
 men. In consequence of the royal assent, 
 orders were transmitted to his majesty's 
 squadron in the West Indies, under connno- 
 dore Warren, to sail for Canso, where, on his 
 arrival, about the end of April, he found the 
 American troops encamped. On the 29th, 
 they embarked in the transports, and vvith a 
 squadron of ten men arrived the next day off 
 Louisburgh. The transports were ordered 
 into Gaberous bay, a little to the southward 
 of the city, where that evening the troops 
 were landed, under cover of 100 men, who 
 bravely repulsed a party of 150 of the enemy, 
 who had marched down to oppose the descent, 
 witli considerable loss. The troops, as they 
 moved towards the city, having set some 
 houses on fire, so intimidated the enemy, that 
 they evacuated their grand battery of thirty 
 guns, and with it a proportionable quantity of 
 stores, which was instantly taken possession 
 of by M. Vaughan, with a body of the troops. 
 The enemy, sensible of their error, soon 
 rallied to recover it ; but were as soon obliged 
 to retire to the town in confusion. This 
 event secured the approaches on the land- 
 side, which greatly contributed to the reduc- 
 tion of the place : in the mean time, the fleet 
 continued cruising off the fort, and took the 
 Vigilant, a French man of war, with some 
 transports destined for the relief of the place. 
 On the 26th of May, the island battery was 
 attacked by 200 men, who were repulsed 
 with the loss of 152, killed and prisoners. 
 This misfortune appeared trifling compared 
 with the privations and distresses to which 
 the troops were subjected ; as they were 
 obliged to act the parts of man and horse, 
 drawing their heavy cannou and mortars on
 
 CHAP. X] GEORGE II. Hjj 
 
 Sledges through ways almost impassable, | fears, secured Acadia, retained in , ^e thp 
 be.ng all .day up to the.r knees m swampy neighbouring Indians, and restoed the ad 
 
 place had not been many days in the hands 
 
 tents to foggy damps, which occasioned so 
 extensive a sickness and mortality, that 1600 
 were disabled for service at one time. They 
 supported their distresses, however, with 
 exemplary resolution ; and after the town had 
 
 of the English, before three valuable prizes 
 appeared off the harbour, conceiving it to bo 
 m the possession of the French, and were 
 
 beea k«aHy damaged by",he"bomK "a^ra Urce'ly 'b°e ?n,S'' T f,\ °" '^"f T'"" 
 ge„eral as.auU had been ordered, M. Cha„. indLpeLILle^ dpSio^o \^ir:f °a fon " 
 Mt^le n.Cl""'' "xf"'"' '" '"P""'""' ">»' 'I" ""S °f 'I-' PO"" to VI ieh °t belo^^' 
 
 i"pr,:."se^f,ef it jfrcrr °„" i^ \ s:^^'^ "•"^^"=™""' ""^^'''' '™» "-' 
 
 Britain, delivered New England from her 1 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 [1744 to 1746.] 
 
 iHvasion of the Young' Pretender— Arrives at the Western Islands of Scotla^id— Proceedings 
 of Sir John Cope-Surrender of Edinburgh-Battle of Preston Pans and Defeat of 
 General Cope-Proceedings of the Government and the Parlianient-GZtd Alarm 
 Siege oj the Castle of Edinburgh-The Pretender receives Suppli^ fomFi^L-E^s 
 Carlisle- Proceeds to Manchester- Arrives at Derby-Retreii-li pursuToi the Duke 
 of Cumber and-Entrance of the DuAe of Cumberland into Carlisle-Defeat of the C^^^^^^ 
 iZ" // "^^'rf^' Uan,i Distresses, and Return to FrauceLrZl Ld Exe^ 
 
 cution of the Rebel Leaders- Act relating to the Feudal Tenures of the Highlanders 
 
 THE principal powers of Europe being ? He had been for some time excited to the" 
 now engaged in the wars on the conti- attempt by the multitude of adherent who 
 ent- the kingdombemgexhausted of troops surrounded him, and was taught to bel eve' 
 Fla ierT^'^^ndV^ augmenting the army in | that the nation, unable to sustain the load of 
 llanders ; and George H. being absent on a taxes by which it was oppressed would 
 
 sXttAt'^rnr'T^r^'V^'^^^^^^"'^^ -"- -'^h eiZSm'and ra^ 
 
 and hn. .ff^P / ^ ^- ^"^ ^'^^"^ ^ '''^^'■''"' ^ P'^'^J'" "^ '^^"^ furnished by Mr. Walsh, a' 
 land ChartrpV'=!i'\;^''rr^^^"Si wealth merchant of St. Maloes, with a 
 land. Charles Edward, though educated in frigate of eighteen guns well eQuipued and 
 ^ff mlnac^ H^' ""' .""'"'^-^'^^ V ''' ^ "onsiderabfe suppfy of money'3'^i es^ 
 Sou" but frL ^"terprising and am- and set sail on the 14th of July from port St 
 
 unSuaho l?Zn"f P'"'^^^^^^ accompanied by several of his ad. 
 
 unequal to the importance of the enterprise. \ hereuts, the chief of whom were the marquia
 
 120 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XI. 
 
 of Tullibardine, sir Thomas Shoriilan, colonel 
 Sullivan, Georj^e Kellv, esq. and Ray Stuart, 
 and was joined ofl" Bellei.*le by llie Elizabeth, 
 a French man of war of sixty-six f^uns, fur- 
 nished with ainmunitiou and military stores, 
 and suspected to convey a large quantity of 
 treasure, for the purposes of bribery and of 
 paying the troops. They continued their 
 course till the 20th, when, falliiig- in with a 
 fleet of mercliant-ships, convoyed by four 
 English n)en of war : the frigate bore away, 
 while the Elizabeth waited for the Lion, cap- 
 tain Brett, and an engagement ensued, which 
 lasted nine Jionrs ; in which the Elizabeth 
 sustained the loss of her captain and sixty-four 
 men killed, and 136 wounded. With great 
 difficulty she returned to Brest. The frigate 
 continued her course, and having arrived 
 safely at the Western Islands of Scotland, 
 cruised for some days between Ulst and 
 Barra ; and losing all hopes of being joined 
 l)y the Elizabeth, stood in for the coast of 
 Lochaber, and landed the Pretender and bis 
 companions at Mingarie castle, between the 
 isles of Sky and Mull. vSome of his friends. 
 Laving immediate intelligence of bis arrival, 
 flocked to pay their compliments, and joined 
 him with a party of the Camerons, Mac- 
 donalds, Macphersons, Maclaughlins, Mac- 
 kinnons, and Stuarts, who formed a body of 
 about 2000 men. The chief of the Camerons 
 being indisposed. Miss Jenny Cameron march- 
 ed at the head of the clan, appeared in the 
 camp with her sword drawn, in a sea-green 
 habit, and addressed the Pretender to this 
 effect : " Here are men devoted to your ser- 
 jvice, who, though headed by a woman, you 
 "will find have nothing womanish about them." 
 On the 12th of August, Charles displayed his 
 banner witii the motto Tandem Triutiiphaiis, 
 inviting the claws to repair to the royal stand- 
 ard, and assuring them of liberty, property, 
 and protection. Many of the Highlanders 
 ,liaslened to his standard, and the first camp 
 of the rebels was formed in the neighbour- 
 hood of Fort William, from whence they 
 found means to surprise two companies of 
 foot, between Fort William and Fort Augustus. 
 The king's troops made an obstinate defence 
 till their anmuinitiou was spent, when they 
 were obliged, to the number of 80, to surren- 
 der at .Jiscretion. In a few days after, cap- 
 tain Sv\eelmau was surprised by a party of 
 the rebels ; and being brought before the 
 
 Pretender, he liberated him on parole, and 
 gave him one of his nianifestoe.s, with a pass 
 for his security, signed Charles P. Custc; 
 lieffni. 
 
 The first accounts of the Pretenders pro- 
 gress were received with incredulity ; but 
 their authenticity being confirmed by the 
 dispatches of the duke of Argyle, the lords 
 of the admiralty issued a proclamation, ofler- 
 ing a reward of £30,000 for the apprehension 
 of the Pretender, and dispatched a courier to 
 lord Harrington, then in Holland, for the 
 purpose o{ acquainting his majesty with the 
 events which had occurred. 
 
 In the mean time, lieutenant-genera! sir 
 John Cope, who commanded in Scotland, 
 received orders to assemble what troojjs he 
 could to oppose their progress; while general 
 Blakeney defended the fortress of Stirling, 
 and general Guest the castle and town of 
 Edinburgh, the only places which were at 
 that tinie tenable. Sir John Cope took post 
 near Stirling, where his situation was not 
 only commodious for covering the town, but 
 for receiving reinforcements to quell the in- 
 surrection in its infancy. The general, how- 
 ever, adopted a sudden resolution of decamp- 
 ing and advancing, whether with a design to 
 attack the enemy, or expecting to be joined 
 by some well afi'ected clans, is uncertain. On 
 his arrival at Delwhinny, he received intelli- 
 gence that the rebels were advanced to the 
 chain near the pass of Carryarick, and in- 
 tended to wait for him in that position. The 
 post, however, was so strong that it was pro- 
 nounced impracticable to attempt it, without 
 risking the loss of the army, which at this 
 moment it was of importance to preserve, as 
 no other troops had been collected to reinforce 
 them, or to retard the progress of the enemy. 
 A council of war was held, in which it was 
 debated, whether it was advisable to return 
 to Stirling, or proceed to Inverness. The 
 former was objected to, as it was evident the 
 rebels could reach Stirling before them, having 
 at their command a much nearer way, by the 
 head of Loch Ranagh ; and as they would 
 be able to seize and break down the bridge 
 at Hynnachin, and thus cut ofTa retreat, the 
 water of Tumble being at this time so rapid 
 as to be no where fordable, and the necessity 
 of obtaining provisions rendering it expedient 
 to hasten to Inverness. By the march of the 
 general northward, the south of Scotland
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 GGORGE II. 
 
 lai 
 
 The deputies were immediately ordered to be 
 recalled ; but before the message reached 
 them, they had Entered the camp of the rebels 
 at GreyVMills, and returned with a peremp. 
 tory demand of their compliance by two 
 o'clock next nioriiino^, otherwise they might 
 expect to be treated as enemies. Another 
 deputation was sent to gain time, and after 
 some debate, whether the dragoons should 
 enter the city or not, it passed in the negative. 
 The dragoons, therefore, immediately pro- 
 
 was wholly exposed to the incursions of the 
 invaders, who did not fail to improve the 
 opportunity. They immediately took pos- 
 session of lilair Castle, where tliey stopped 
 the post-boy, and examined his letters. They 
 then proceeded to Perth, whicli they entered 
 on the 4lh of September. The provost and 
 magistrates, on their ap])earance, departed 
 the town ; but new magistrates being ap- 
 pointed, they proclaimed the Pretender at the 
 cross. They continued at Perth till the 17th, i 
 
 during which time they were considerably j ceeded to join general Cope. No orders beia"- 
 reinforced by several of the nobility and gen- 1 given what part to act, they delivered their 
 ti-y with their clans, and having sent a party " 
 of 200 of Clanroiialds men to Dundee, they 
 proclaimed their king, levied the public 
 money, and brought a vessel they found in 
 the harbour round to Perth. The duke of 
 Perth, and the marquis of Tullibardine, were 
 very active in raising their tenants ; the former 
 of these noblemen, being refused by two of 
 Lis tenants, whom he had requested to join 
 the Pretender, shot them dead upon the spot ; 
 an act of atrocity which .so intimidated the 
 
 arras mto the castle. The governor issued 
 orders for the cannon also to be deposited in 
 the castle ; but his commands being disre- 
 garded, they fell into the hands of the rebels. 
 When the hackney-coach returned with the 
 deputies, and entered at the Nether-bow gate, 
 1000 highlanders, under Sullivan and Lochyel, 
 rushed in and took possession of the city ; a 
 circumstance so unaccountable, that the lord 
 provost was suspected of treason, and soon 
 --. ^ .. ...- after taken mto custody. General Guest, in 
 
 rest, that they marched with him, to the num- 1 the mean time, having secured the castle, 
 
 ber of 400, to join the Pretender's forces. 
 
 The Pretender first directed his march towards 
 
 Glasgow, but suddenly changed his route, 
 
 and proceeded in the direction of Edinburgh. 
 
 The magistrates of that city, on sir John 
 
 Cope's marching northward, seemed to exert 
 
 themselves against the impending danger, by 
 
 entering into a voluntary subscription for 
 
 raising 1000 men for their defence. A regi- 
 ment of volunteers, consisting chiefly of 
 
 gentlemen, was formed, reparations made, 
 
 cannon planted, and barricadoes erected at 
 
 the gates, so that from the first appearance 
 
 of loyalty a vigorous defence might have been 
 
 expected; but the advance of the rebel army 
 
 seemed to intimidate their resolution. Two 
 
 regiments of dragoons, with the volunteers 
 
 and city guard, retired from Cerstorphine, 
 
 where they were posted on the approach of 
 
 the rebel vanguard. A council was called, to 
 
 deliberate on the safety of the city ; and the 
 
 well afJect^'d being mostly under arms, the 
 
 Jacobites had a great majority, and urged the 
 
 necessity of a muiual compromise. A letter 
 
 was produced, signed Charles P. Regent, and 
 
 a deputation was sent out to meet him ; which 
 
 had scarcely passed the gales, ijeiore inielti- 
 
 gence was received, that sir Joim C ;pe, with 
 
 the king's troops, were arrived at Dunbar. 
 
 K 
 
 removed the bank and the effects of the prm- 
 cipal inhabitants into that fortress, to the great 
 disappointment of the chevalier. General 
 Cope had arrived at Inverness on the 29th 
 of August, where he obtained the necessary 
 refreshments ; and, being joined by several 
 highlanders, continued his march to Aber- 
 deen, where, having ordered transports, he 
 embarked his troops for the road of Leith, 
 but was obliged, by contrary winds, to land 
 them on the IGth of September at Dunbar. 
 Had he arrived a few days sooner, he might 
 Ijrobably have saved Edinburgh ; but on his 
 being joined by general Foulkes he was in- 
 formed of that event, and on the 19th he 
 decamped from Dunbar, with an intent to 
 expel the rebels and repossess the town. The 
 army passed the night near Haddington, on 
 
 and continued in the 
 march to Edinburgh. On 
 intelligence that the rebel army 
 was advancing, a detachment was sent for- 
 ward to reconnoitre, which repelled the van- 
 guard of the enemy from the village of Tra- 
 nent. The army immediately drew up on 
 an advantageous piece of ground, with the 
 handets of Preston Pans and Cockney in their 
 ikniks ; covered by Sealon house on tlieir Irft ; 
 and those of Baiiktun and Cianu-J lo ibe 
 
 the verge of Glaidsmuir, 
 morning their
 
 ]22 IWSTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. Tl. 
 
 right; ilie village of Tranent in their front, j into the appearance of attachment and sub- 
 secured by a large fosse; and the sea in their I mission. Except the castle of Edinburgh, 
 rear. The volunteers and militia had no ; Stirling, Fort William, and Inverness, they 
 share in the action, as it was imagined that i were in fact masters of all Scotland ; the 
 they might confuse the regular troops. The ; three former were blocked up, and the troops 
 Pretender placed himself, in his iiighland ; in tlie latter obliged to act on the defensive, 
 dress, at the head of his troops, and brandish- * The lord president, however, by his alert- 
 ing his sword, exclaimed theatrically, | ness, succeeded in raising twenty indepen- 
 
 I dent companies for the protection of Inver- 
 " My sword I draw, my scabbard I throw by; \ ness ; and he was joined in October by lord 
 " A useless burden till I reign or die." | Loudon, who received a commission to com- 
 
 I n)and what force could be assembled in that 
 which was answered by a loud huzza, and | neighbourhood. These arrangements tended 
 " that they would soon tind scabbards ; considerably to depress the hopes of the dis- 
 enough." In a council of war, it was deter- i affected in that quarter, and induced lord 
 mined to attack the king's troops early in the ^ Lovat, in particular, to temporise as long as 
 morning. At three o'clock, three columns ! possible. On receiving a letter from the lord 
 of chosen highlanders advanced with so 5 president, animadverting on the ingratitude 
 much impetuosity on the right flank of the i and folly of his conduct, in sending his son 
 English, where the train of artillery was > to join the Pretender, advising him to recal 
 posted with a guard of 100 men, that they ; him innnediately, as the only means of 
 broke the guard, seized the cannon, and by 5 securing the favour of the government, he 
 feats of irregular bravery carried dismay and I answered, that it was hard he should suffer 
 destruction into the ranks of the enemy. | for the disaffection of his son, in which he 
 Every endeavour was made, by general Cope ' had no part ; that his desire was to live peace- 
 and the rest of the officers, to rally the troops, ^ ably under the government; but if he was 
 but in vain. Colonel Gardiner, being deserted ! attacked, he had 600 of his clan at home, who 
 by his regiment, dismounted ; and placing | would defend him to the last extremity. Soon 
 himself at the head of the foot, fell greatly 5 afterwards this wary hypocrite threw off the 
 regretted, and worthy of a better fate. The » mask, and declared openly for the Pretender's 
 highlanders immediately gave themselves up j interest, in which he had long been secretly 
 to plunder, which afforded the king's troops \ engaged. 
 
 an opportunity of rallying, and of attacking 5 The militia was now drawn out ; three bat- 
 theni in the midst of their disorder. But i talions of the guards, and seven marching 
 such was the confusion and panic of the dra- 1 regiments, which had just arrived from 
 goons, that all efforts and exhortations were | Flanders, were ordered to march northward, 
 ineffectual ; and the general, perceiving t<hat > and assemble under marshal Wade. They 
 further conflict was hopeless, retreated in \ were soon afterwards joined by four Dutch 
 the direction of Berwick, where he arrived i regiments. Many of the principal nobility 
 the next day. The loss of the king's troops, 5 obtained commissions for levying regiments ia 
 in the battle of Preston Pans, amounted to \ their respective counties ; one general spirit 
 500 killed, 1500 prisoners, including 83 ^ of attachment to the existing government ap- 
 officers, and all their baggage, tents, money, | peared to animate the people. The .''eal of 
 and ammunition. The loss of the rebels con- \ the archbishop of York was eminently con- 
 sisted of no more than four officers and 80 j spicuous ; and under his auspices an associa- 
 luen. They immediately returned to Edin- \ tion was formed, and £40,000 raised by sub- 
 burgh in triumph, marching the wounded and | scription for the support of government : and 
 prisoners in procession through the streets, \ the example was followed in many other 
 and playing their favourite air, "The king | cities and counties of the kingdom, 
 shall enjoy his own again." ^ The parliament iTiet on the 16th of October, 
 
 This unexpected instance of success in- j and his majesty informed the two houses, in 
 duced maity stragi^lers to flock to the cheva- * his speech from the throne, that the unnatural 
 lier's standard, and awed the inhabitants of \ rebellion, broken out in Scotland, had oc- 
 the districts, through which the army passed, \ casioned his calling theia together sooner
 
 CHAP. Xll GEORGE II. 123 
 
 than usual in order to have their timely \ him master of Scotland, but the castle of 
 advice and assistance for its suppression ; } Edinburgh, in which the regalia of the king- 
 observinjj, that during the course of his reign, | dorn, the bank, and all its other treasures 
 as he had made the laws of the land the rule | were deposited. On the 29th of September, 
 of his government, and in all his actions con- > he directed the communication between the 
 suited the preservation of the civil and re- > castle and the city to be cut off. General 
 ligious liberties of his people, it was the more i Guest had hitherto refrained from firing on 
 astonishing, that any of his protestant subjects ; the rebels, being unwilling to damage the 
 should be deluded into measures introductory Jlown, or involve the innocfent in common 
 to pupery and arbitrary power. Warm ad- i destruction with the guilty ; but as hostilities 
 dresses were returned by both houses, ex- \ were now unavoidable, a battery from the 
 pressive of their deep and grateful sense o{\ castle was opened upon them, by which 
 his majesty's just and mild administration, | twenty persons were killed, and several 
 their strong abhorrence and detestation of J houses reduced to ruins. A resolute fellow, 
 the rebellion formed against liis person and \ named Taylor, engaged to make himself 
 government, and their unalterable and firm | master of the castle with 30 men: in the 
 resolution to support, at the hazard of their \ attempt he was taken prisoner, with most of 
 lives and fortunes, his rightful title to the I his party ; and the general, finding that if 
 crown, and the constitution established in \ the blockade continued the garrison would 
 church and state. x soon want provisions, commanded a sally 
 
 The speedy concurrence and loyalty of the | to be made under cover of the half-moon 
 parliament, diffused throughout the people | battery, by which they were enabled to throw 
 a general spirit of confidence and satisfaction, | up a trench between the town and the castle, 
 which was increased by the arrival of the | On the next day, having posted a body of 
 British troops, under the command of the » men behind the parapet, he cleared the street, 
 duke of Cumberland, from Flanders, and of I obtained a considerable supply of provisions, 
 four troops of horse, Bland's dragoons, a 5 and was pursued on retiring by a party, of 
 battalion of the guards, and eleven battalions 5 which the object was to prevent his retreat, 
 of foot. Some of these were encamped near ! and to capture the intrenchments ; but the 
 Dartford, in the south of England, to prevent ; detachment, cautiously withdrawing into the 
 an invasion of the French troops, as a diversion ! garrison, exposed the enemy to a smart can- 
 in favour of the Pretender ; others were j nonade, which obliged them to retire with 
 stationed along the coast ; while admiral ; considerable loss. From that time the cora- 
 Vernon lay in the channel, with a strong fleet, i munication was restored, and the garrison 
 to watch the motions of the enemy. The « plentifully supplied. 
 
 alarm occasioned by these precautions was { The chevalier exerted his new authority, 
 so serious and so general, that the bank, in ; by levying contributions in all parts of the 
 
 order to evade the extraordinary pressure 
 occasioned by the fears of its creditors, was 
 compelled to issue a declaration, that all 
 future payments would be made in silver 
 alone ; a measure, which considerably re- 
 tarded the urgency and eagerness of the 
 various claimants. 
 
 In the mean time, the young Pretender, 
 elated with success, possessed himself of the 
 antient palace of the Scottish monarchs, 
 where he assembled a court, and assumed 
 the formality and magnificence of acknow- 
 ledged sovereignty. In this gleam of pros- 
 perity, he was joined by several reinforce- 
 ments from the earl of Kilmarnock, lords 
 Elcho, Pitsligo, Balmerino, (jlenbiicket, and 
 Ogilvie. Nothing was now wanting to render 
 
 K 2 
 
 kingdom ; his demands were 6000 pair oi 
 shoes, 4000 targets, and 1000 tents ; t* 
 furnish which, a tax of 2s. 6d. in the pound 
 was imposed on all landlords of houses, on 
 pain of military execution, by which he raised 
 £15,000. He obtained £7000 for goods 
 which he had seized at his majesty's ware- 
 house at Leith ; extorted a considerable sum 
 of money from Mr. Erskine, a wealthy 
 brewer, and (as his forces suspected him to 
 be well affected to the government) destroyed 
 his furniture, and purloined his most valuable 
 articles of plate and family remembrance. 
 Mr. Erskine implored the chevalier in person 
 for relief, assuring him, that such methods 
 would never thrive with him, adding, " The 
 good man George takes part of my money.
 
 124 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. Xh 
 
 but venly thou take^t :ill, and thou may'st ; noitre t!ie town, were obliged to retire before 
 as vyell take away iny Hfe as the drop that i the cannon of the garrison ; but in the morning 
 supports it ;" to vyliich the Pretender replied, ; they drew a line of circuravallation, and in- 
 that " as Mr. Erskine was many years in- : vested tlie city on all sides. Mr. Patterson, 
 dcbted to his father's revenue of excise, he ! the mayor, received a letter from the chevalierj 
 •was bound in conscience to pay the arrears. " ; in which he required him to surrender the 
 A demand being made on the city of Glas- < place ; with menaces of punishment in case 
 gow for £15,000, the forbearance of the ; of his refusal, and a demand of a definitive 
 chevalier was propitiated by the immediate i answer within two hours. On receiving no 
 payment of oOOO guineas. The common ; answer, the rebels retired to Brampton, and 
 apology of Charles consisted in the assurance, ; at the earnest persuasion of the duke of 
 " that in the present emergency his necessi- 5 Pertli, who expressed his suspicions of the 
 ties required what he demanded, that the » sincerity of the French court, and enforced 
 persons temporarily injured should obtain ; the necessity of taking Carlisle as necessary 
 ample redress when the |)resent tumult of; to the i-ejiutation of tlieir arms, they deter- 
 events had subsided, and that the day of; mined to attempt the siege. The time from 
 their deliverance was at hand." The ravages j the 2nd to the 13tii was occupied in pro- 
 of the foraging parties and detached patroles ! vidiiig themselves with scaling ladders, fas- 
 were still more extensive and exhorbitant, ; cines, and carriages ; and on the last of these 
 and obliged the unfortunate villagers and ! days at noon, they appeared for the second 
 cottagers to fly from place to place, for their ; time before the town. Colonel Durand, in 
 own safety and the security of their scanty s the mean time, made all the preparations 
 property. ^requisite for a vigorous defence; and being 
 
 The expectations of the Pretender's friends * supported by the Cumberland anil VVestmore- 
 were still further elated, by the arrival at \ land militias, with a few invalids, declared 
 Montrose of four French vessels, with a ; that he thought the garrison tenable against 
 supply of cannon, military stores, and money, 5 a better enemy than the rebel host, and that 
 accompanied by Mr. Boyer, who acted in ; he was resolved to hold out to the last ex- 
 the capacity of French ambassador, and who I tremity. Accordingly the fire fronj the walls 
 assured them, that a powerful diversion would \ was renewed with great vigour,- but it being 
 be effected in their favour in the south of* found, the next day, that the rebels had 
 England, and tliat repeated reinforcements 1 broken ground to erect a battery, the magis- 
 would also join them in Scotland, till the con- ; trates thought proper to cajjitulate ; on which 
 test should be decided. They immediately ; the militia dispersed to their respective abodes, 
 planted a battery at Alloa, to secure the I and colonel Durand, having but 70 men left, 
 passage of the Forth, and cover the landing j and these invalids, was obliged to evacuate 
 of their stores, while they advanced detach- ! the fortress, having previously spiked nine 
 ments towards Stirliug, which were frequently > pieces of cannon. The town was entered on 
 harassed by the vigilance of general Blake- ; the loth by the duke of Perth ; on tlie 19th 
 ney, and at length completely dispersed. i the chevalier made his public entry, under a 
 
 Encouraged by the first appearance of j general discharge of artillery, and was received 
 success, the chevalier determined, about the ; by several of the inhabitants with every de- 
 end of October, to march for England by the ; ruonstration of joy. 
 
 route of Carlisle. Warrants were issued for j Marshal Wade, who had assembled his 
 the detention of all horses and carriages ; and ! army near Doncastei', arrived at Newcastle 
 the army, which consisted of about 10,000 ; on the IDth of October, from whence he pro- 
 men, being reviewed on the 20th, proceeded i ceeded, on the tith of JNovemher, towards 
 on the 1st of INovember in the direction of | Carlisle, through roads rendered almost ini- 
 Carlisle. On the Ctli, their vanguard entered ; passable by the snow. They reached Oving- 
 England, and on the 9th was followed by the ; ton on the next day, and pushed forward to 
 whole army, which crossed the Eden four | Hexham, near which place there was a camp 
 miles below Carlisle, and established its quar- i marked out, and great care taken by the in- 
 ters on Brough side. In the evening, a body ; habitants to furnish them with straw and 
 of their hussars, having advanced to recon- > large (ires. Here marshal Wade received.
 
 CHAP. A I. J 
 
 intelligence of the surrender of Carlisle, and 
 deeming it impossible to overtake the enemy, 
 determined to retreat to Newcastle, where he 
 returned on the 22nd. 
 
 "J'he surrender of Carlisle diffused a general 
 panic throughout the nation, and stimulated 
 tiie ministry to the utmost possible exertion. 
 Orders were issued for forming an army of 
 10,000 men, in Staffordshire, under sn- John 
 Ligonier, who had under him as lieutenant- 
 generals, the duke of Richmond and general 
 Siiiclair. 
 
 The rebels, exhilirated by their unexpected 
 success in obtaining the northern key of the 
 kingdom, finding that the inclemency of the 
 weather retarded the march of marshal Wade's 
 army, and expecting the aid of a powerful 
 descent from France, conceived tiie bold 
 design of attempting to possess the cai)ital 
 of England. A garrison of 200 men being left 
 in Carlisle, under Mr. Hamilton, their main 
 body, consisting of about 7500 men, with six- 
 teen field pieces, proceeded on the 20th of 
 November to Penrith, which the Pretender 
 entered on the next day, marching on foot, at 
 the head of a considerable body, in the high- 
 land dress. The rebels proclaimed the Pre- 
 tender in all the towns through which they 
 marched, and levied the excise. At Manches- 
 ter they beat up for recruits, and formed a 
 regiment, the command of which was given to 
 colonel Townley. Among other individuals, 
 they were joined by a clergyman, named 
 Coppack, who received from the Pretender 
 the title of bishop of Carlisle. While they 
 continued their march with great rapidity, 
 the maritime towns, particularly those of 
 Whitehaven and Liverpool, carried all their 
 valuable effects on board the shipping lying 
 in the harbours, in order to put. to sea on 
 their first approa'ch. The corporation of 
 Liverpool, sacrificing their own safety to the 
 defence of the country, sent the regiment 
 they had raised to join lord Cholmondeley 
 and his men ; who, apprehending that the 
 rebels intended a descent on Wales, ordered 
 the bridges at Warrington, Stockport, &c. on 
 the Mersey, to be broken down ; which re- 
 tarded their progress, while the army of the 
 king obtained leisure to form at Stone. 
 
 TiiF, rebels continued their route, but in so 
 indecisive a manner, that it could not l)c easily 
 determined, whether they intended to make 
 au irruption into England or into Wales. 
 
 GEORGE II. 725 
 
 On the 30th they advanced towards S'ock- 
 port and Knutsford ; near the former, the 
 young Pretender waded the river in his high- 
 land dress, with the water up to his middle, 
 at the head of liis men. On the Jst of De- 
 cember his whole army rendezvoused at 
 Macclesfield, and sent an advanced party to 
 Ashbury, on the road to Newcastle-under- 
 Line. On the next day they resumed their 
 inarch in two columns, one of whieh entered 
 Congleton, the other passed by Gawsworth. 
 
 Ln the mean time, the duke of Cumberland 
 arrived at Lichfield, to take the chief command 
 of the array assembled in that neighbourhood ; 
 which he found posted in such a manner, V> 
 observe the motions- of the enemy, as did 
 great credit to the conduct of sir John Ligo- 
 nier. He ordered Kingston's horse and 
 Bland's dragroons to advance to Newcastle, 
 to join two battalions of foot, that were sta- 
 tioned there to observe the enemy ; on whose 
 approach they were to retire to Stone, and 
 rejoin the army. Two battalions of the 
 guards arrived by forced marches from Lon- 
 don ; and on the same day the army en- 
 camped in the neighbourhood of Stone, in 
 order to support the advanced posts, if at- 
 tacked. The detachment stationed at New- 
 castle was alarmed by the approach of (he 
 eiieinys vanguard, and retired to Stone, wher^ 
 the whole army was drawn up in the night, 
 in order to receive them. In this position 
 they continued until the noon of the ensuing 
 day, when advice was received, that they had 
 turned to the left in two columns, and had 
 taken the route of Leek and Ashbourne in theic 
 way to Derby ; a movement whic;h sufficiently 
 indicated their intention of proceeding to 
 London. It was resolved, therefore, to march 
 the troops to Northampton for the purpose of 
 intercepting them ; but, on the arrivalof the 
 duke of Cumberland at Coventry, he obtained 
 intelligence of their halting at Derby, and he 
 therefore commanded the troops to encamp 
 on Merridan common to observe their mo- 
 tions. 
 
 The tardiness of marshal Wade was one 
 of the causes which chiefly contributed to the 
 rapid advance of the rebels. Between the 1st 
 and the loth of December he had only ad- 
 vanced about eighty miles; a delay which 
 prevented him, not only from impeding their 
 progress in the direction of Derby, but from 
 aniviug iu time to iiitercept theii' retreat.
 
 126 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. Xl 
 
 The consternation of' the capital was great } recovery of Edinburgh, and by that event be 
 and general. The rebels had now advanced \ enabled to wait till succours could arrive 
 to tile centre of the kingdom, within one \ from abroad. They determined on the latter 
 hundred miles of their intended destination, t of these alternatives ; and having hnicd the 
 and were promised a powerful and immediate \ public money, and furnished their fobosvers 
 accession of strength from the friendship of J with shoes, during their stay at Derby, they 
 the French king. Such indeed was the > abandoned that town on the 6th of Dcceni- 
 
 '»• 
 
 exultation of the Jacobites, and the alarm of s ber, and resumed their march in the direction 
 the friends of the establishment, that had the i of Ashbourne, from whence they proceeded 
 chevalier taken advantage of the general \ with such rapidity, that on the 9th their ad- 
 confusion, and proceeded immediately to i vanced guard entered Manchester, when' tliey 
 London, he might have encouraged his secret \ raised contributions to the amount of £'250(), 
 friends to a dtclaration of their sentiments, \ and, continuing their march with great expe- 
 and impressed the opposite party with a sen- ; dition, arrived on the 12th at Preston, 
 sation of fatal and universal timidity. The | His royal highness, on intelligence of their 
 government took advantage of their irresolu- ^retreat, set out on the 7th from the camp at 
 tion, to adopt such measures as eflfectually \ Merridau, with all the horse, and 1000 volun- 
 secured the national safety. A camp was \ teers, leaving sir John Ligonier to command 
 formed on Finchley con;mou, where the royal \ the army in his absence. The badness of the 
 standard was to be erected ; the militia were * road materially impeded his progress, so that 
 held in constant readiness, and double guards | he did not arrive at Macclesfield until the 
 posted at the city gates, for the purpose of I 10th. Marshal Wade, m the mean time, had 
 securing all suspected persons ; the gentle- « arrived at Preston on the same day in which 
 men of the law, headed by the lord chancellor ! it was evacuated by the rebels. He was 
 and judges, entered into a loyal association ; | joined that evening by the forces of the duke, 
 and having waited on his majesty at Kensing- j and it was determined to pursue the enemy 
 ton, in 200 coaches, were graciously received. | in the morning, in order to bring them to 
 The same enthusiasm and spirit of association J action before they readied Scotland. Their 
 pervaded all ranks and j)rofessions, and \ design was interrupted, however, by an 
 £20,000 was raised by subscription, for fur- » express from London, with orders to hold 
 nishing the army with necessaries, to protect i the army in readiness to march southward ; 
 it against the inclemency of the season. | and the rebels, taking advantage of the delay, 
 
 The chevalier received from his friends in ; gained a day's march on their pursuers. This 
 London regular intelligence of these demon- \ order was occasioned by intelligence received 
 strations of public spirit ; and he therefore { from admiral Vernon, that the enemy had put 
 assembled a council of war, in which it was | to sea ; but on the next day a counter-order 
 debated, whether the army should proceed \ arrived, and the army continued their pursuit, 
 to London, in defiance of every obstacle, or ^ On the 18th his royal highness, at the head 
 to return to Scotland, while a retreat was ! of several horse and dragoons, came up with 
 possible. Many of the chiefs of the clans | their rear-guard at the village of Clifton, 
 advocated the former resolution, observing, \ where they had lined the ways and hedges 
 that the capitid was the first object of military I with a body of their best troops, while the 
 enterprise, and that by approaching it, what- { Pretender, and the remaining part of his 
 ever migiit be the success of ulterior opera- 1 army, continued their retreat through Clifton, 
 tions, they would discourage their enemies, » Their intention was to let the duke, with the 
 and exhilirate the confidence of their friends ; | advanced guard, pass into the ambuscade, 
 that by a retreat they would lose at once their \ then to surround him and carry him of!', before 
 reputation and their discipline, and what was \ the troops could come up to his relief. His 
 worse, their spirits; that the calamities of j royal highness had approached so near, 
 war would fobow them, and lay waste their \ before he was apprized of his danger, that 
 country. The lowlanders and the French \ his footman was taken prisoner, and he him- 
 were anxious to return to Scotland without \ self was indebted for his escape to the intelli- 
 delay, in order to join lord Dalrymple, and \ gence of Thomas Savage, a poor inhabitant of 
 with the forces assembled there to effect the | the village, who, addressing him with bluntne-s*.
 
 CHAP, xi] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 127 
 
 enabled him to defeat their intention, and to 
 dislodf^e them with great precipitation. A 
 skirmish succeeded ; in which the rebels sus- 
 tained a loss of about 70 prisoners, the duke 
 taking possession of the viUage. Early n the 
 morning they proceeded to Penrith, where 
 their famine and their necessities were accept- 
 ably relieved by the food and accommodations 
 provided for the rebels, who had hastily pro- 
 ceeded to Carlisle ; and having reinforced the 
 garrison to secure their retreat, passed the 
 Eden and Solway, and in two columns en- 
 tered Scotland. The duke of Cumberland 
 soon afterwards invested Carlisle with his 
 whole army. After an interchange of mes- 
 sages between the duke and the governor, in 
 which the former declared that he could not 
 negotiate with rebels, and that all the terms 
 he could or would grant to the garrison of 
 Carlisle were, that they should not be put to 
 the sword, but reserved for his majesty's plea- 
 sure, the gates were delivered up, and general 
 Bligh took possession of the town, with 1000 
 foot and 120 horse. The rebel officers were 
 committed prisoners to the castle, and the 
 men secured in the jail and the cathedral. 
 -_ P The young chevalier proceeded by 
 ■ the way of Dumfries to Glasgow, from 
 which city he exacted severe contributions, 
 on account of its attachment to the govern- 
 meut, for whose service it had raised a regi- 
 ment of 900 men, under the command of the 
 earl of Hume. Quitting Glasgow, he advanced 
 towards Stirling, and was joined by a small 
 body of forces, which had been assembled by 
 lord Lewis Gordon and lord John Drummond; 
 brothers to the dukes of Gordon and Perth. 
 He now invested the castle of Stirling, com- 
 manded by general Blakeney; but general 
 Hawley, who lay near Edinburgh with a con- 
 siderable detachment of the royal army, 
 undertook to raise the siege, and advanced 
 'towards the rebel army as far as Falkirk. 
 Afttr two days were passed in mutually 
 examining each other's strength, the rebels, 
 being impatient to engage, were led in high 
 spirits to attack the king's army. The che- 
 valier, who was in the front line, gave the- 
 signal to attack ; and by the first fire Hawley's 
 forces were put into confusion. The horse 
 retreated with so much precipitation, that 
 they fell upon their own infantry ; while the 
 rebels, pursuing the advantage they had 
 gained, put the greater part of the royal army 
 
 to an immediate flight. The latter retired in 
 confusion to Edinburgh, leaving the rebels ia 
 possession of their tents, baggage, and ar- 
 tillery 
 
 The duke of Cumberland had, in the mean 
 time, put himself at the head of the royal 
 forces remaining at Edinburgh, which con- 
 sisted of about 14,000 men. With these he 
 advanced to Aberdeen, w here he was joined 
 by several persons of distinction, attached to 
 the family on the throne. After having re- 
 freihed his troops for some time, he renewed 
 his march, and in twelve days arrived on the 
 banks of the deep and rapid river Spey. The 
 1 retender, having entered Inverness without 
 opposition, sti\l continued to linger in that 
 neighbourhood. On the Kith of April, his 
 royal highness, having given the necessary- 
 orders for the day, decamped from Nairn 
 between four and five in the morning ; and 
 having disposed the army in three columns, 
 i covered on the flanks by the horse and dra- 
 \ goons, proceeded towards the enemy. After 
 I a march of eight miles, the vanguard perceived 
 \ them in motion to the left. The duke imme- 
 \ diately formed his army ; but the rebels 
 \ declining to advance, he continued to move 
 forward to the distance of a mile: after a 
 short halt, his army again proceeded with 
 fixed bayonets ; and, having passed the 
 morass, obtained a full view of the enemy in 
 line of battle, behind the huts and walls of 
 Culioden house. The dispositions made by 
 his royal highness have always been regarded, 
 by those -conversant with military subjects, 
 as highly honourable to his military skill : for 
 such was the nature of his arrangement, that 
 if any one battalion failed," there were two at 
 hand to supply its place ; and if any two 
 pieces of cannon were taken, there were three 
 to open upon the assailants. Some time was 
 spent, by both armies, in gaining the flank'; 
 but the royalists, still advancing, were enabled 
 to leave behind them the morass that lay to 
 their right ; a circumstance which enabled 
 them to extend their front, for which purpose 
 Pultcney's foot were ordered from the rear to 
 take post on the right, and Kingston's horse, 
 with a squadron of light dragoons, to cover 
 the right. Lord Bury was ordered forward 
 to reconnoitre a wretched imitatici of a 
 battery, and was fired upon by the rebels, 
 whose cannon did little execution, owing to 
 the UDskill'ulness with which it was conducted.
 
 l28 HISTORV OF KXGLAND. fCHAP. XI. 
 
 The first discharj^e of iho royal artillery tlirew > anibitioii had hrought upon the adherents of 
 the rebels into evident confusion ; they rallied, ; liis family. He was surrounded by armed 
 however, and after making a furious onset } troops, wlio kept him in continual alarm, 
 again retired, closely pursned by the horse. ; Sometimes he lurked in caves and cottages. 
 Their attack on the left was equally unsuc- 5 without attendants, or any support but what 
 cessful ; for the king's troops being ordered to ; the poorest peasant could supply. Sometimes 
 reserve their lire till the enemy had advanced ; he rowed in fishing boats from isle to isle 
 within pistol-shot, the carnage was excessive. | among the Hebrides, and often in sight of his 
 The commanders, however, of. the rebels ; pursuers, who were animated in their search 
 continued to exhort their troops, and to urge j l»y a reward of £30.000 oftered for taking him, 
 them to the most desperate exertions. The i dead or alive. For some days he appeared 
 regiments of Barrel and Dejean, yielding to ! in female attire, and passed in that disguise 
 their impetuosity, opened them a passage, j through the midst of his enemies. In the 
 and immediately closing, encircled them be- \ course of his concealment, he had occasion 
 tween the first and second line, and so bravely ; to trust his life to the fidelity of about fifty 
 and vigorously attacked thei" with the bayo- 1 individuals, whose attachment to his family 
 net, that their broad swords and targets \ prevailed over their avarice, 
 proved of little service, few escaping to their J In the mean time, he continued to wander 
 main body. At the same time, the Argyle- | over the frightful wilds of Glengary, for 
 shire militia pulling down a park wall that ; near six months, until at length a privateer 
 guarded the tlank of the enemy, and making | of St. Maloe's, hired by his adherents, 
 ■way for the dragoons under Hawley, they \ arrived at Lochnanach, and in this vessel he 
 with sword in hand attacked the rebels, of J embarked, in the most wretched attire. His 
 whom they made great slaughter. In less \ linen had not been changed for many weeks ; 
 than half an hour the highlanders were | his eyes were become hollow, his visage wan, 
 totally routed, and the field covered with their j and his constitution impaired by fanune and 
 wounded and slain to the amount of 300 men. j fatigue. He was accompanied by Sullivan 
 The French picquets on their left stood * and Sheridan, two Irish adherents, who had 
 inactive during the whole engagement, and \ shared all his calamities ; with Cameron of 
 afterwards surrendered prisoner.-; of war. An | Lochiel, Cameron's brother, and other exiles, 
 entire body of the clans marched from the I They set sail for France ; and after being 
 field in order, while the rest were routed with I chased by two English men of war, arrived m 
 great slaughter, and their leaders obliged to 1 safety at Roseau, near Morlaix, in liretagne. 
 retire. \ While the young Pretender was thus 
 
 The glory of this victory was sullied by ; pursued, the scaff'olds and the gibbets were 
 the barbarity of tiie soldiers. Not contented | preparing for those of his unfortunate adhe- 
 with the blood which was so profusely shed > rents who were made prisoners. Seventeen 
 during the action, they now traversed the ; officers of the rebel army were hanged, drawn, 
 field, and massacred and robbed the wounded. \ and quartered, on Kennington common. 
 Many were slain, who had approached the ; Nine were executed in the same manner at 
 scene of combat, excited by curiutiity. Im- ! Carlisle, and eleven at York. A few obtained 
 mediately after the action, the duke com- % pardons, and a considerable number of the 
 manded that thirty-six deserters should be 5 common men were sent to the plantations in 
 executed ; and, within a short period of time, ! America. 
 
 the country around was oiieuielancholy scene ; Bills of indictment for high treason were 
 of plunder, slaughter, and desolation. ; found, by the county of Surrey, against the 
 
 By tiiis decisive action were blasted all the i earls of Cromartie and Kilmarnock, who had 
 hopes of the young adventurer, w ho innnedi- 1 borne a considerable share in many of the 
 ately fled, with a captain of Fitz-James's | subordinate operations. They were tried by 
 cavalry. When their horses were fatigued, » their peers in Westminster hall, and found 
 they both alighted, and separately sought for \ guilty. Cromartie was pardoned ; but the 
 safety. He wandered iu the country for some ! other two were beheaded on Tower hill, 
 days, a forlorn fugitive, and the wretched J Kilmarnock, convinced of his errors,, or 
 ifpectator of all tliose horror.^, which his 5 llattered to the last with hopes of pardon,
 
 CriAP. M J 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 129 
 
 declared his consciousness of his crimes, and j to the usual punishment of treason, 
 professed his repentance ; but Bahuerino, ; and was beheaded on the 9th of April 
 undaunted even at the approach of death, ; on Tower hill ; exhibitinsf at the place of 
 gloried in the cause for which he fell. His I execution no indication of repentance, or 
 fellow-sufferers, when commanded to exlaim, ; of despondency, at the ignominious termi- 
 " God bless king George,"' performed with a ; nation of a life of dissimulation and trea- 
 faint voice the injunction ; but Balmcrino | chcry. 
 
 cried out aloud, " God bless king James." | The rebellion being thus suppressed, the 
 Mr. Radcliffe, brother to the late earl of | legislature directed its attinlion to the es- 
 Derwentwater, who was beheaded in the | tablishment of some regulations in Scotland, 
 former reign, was taken on board of ship, and ; with the view of preventing the recurrence 
 the identity of his person being proved, he : of similar conunotions. The highlanders 
 was sentenced upon a former conviction, and J had hitherto worn the antient military dress 
 
 also suffered on Tower hill. 
 
 of their ancestors, and never went without 
 
 Lord Lovat had endeavoured to escape 5 arms. They therefore regarded themselves 
 the penalties attaching to his treason, by « as a body of people distinct from the rest 
 professions of antipathy towards the conduct \ of the nation, and were ready, upon the 
 of his son, who iiad formed, at a critical \ shortest notice, to join any insurrection of 
 moujent of the contest, the siege of Fort j their chiefs, to whont they still regarded 
 Augustus. Lord Loudon paid him a visit, | themselves as l/iund, by the feudal tenures 
 at his residence of Castle Downie, with 800 j of military service. To remove these incon- 
 mcii, and requested security for the peaceable veuiences, they were obliged, by act of par- 
 'jehavionr of his clan. His lordship promised liaraent, to wear clothes of the common 
 that all the arms in their possession should fashion, and were prohibited the use of fire- 
 be delivered up bj the 16th, expressed his i arms. The hereditary jurisdiction of their 
 aversion to tlie proceedings of his son, and | chiefs was at the same time abolished. The 
 agreei lo return with lord Loudon to Inver- 1 law, prohibiting the highland dress, was how- 
 ness, till he should fulril his engagements. | ever repealed in the month of June 1782; an 
 Having lulled the viu;i!ance of the guards, by 5 act of policy and hinnanity which indicated, 
 his ajjijarcnt indifference to the cause of the |in common with more important circumstances, 
 rebels, he e^iected his escape; but was re- J the gradual progress of the nation in justness 
 -taken, was impeached by the commons, | of thinking and liberality of feeling. 
 found guilty, .sentenced on the 18th of March I 
 
 9
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 GEOKGE ir. 
 
 [174G to 17-50.] 
 
 Successes of the French in the Netherlands — Aff'airs of Italy and Holhmd — Siege and Cap- 
 ture of Beriicn op Zoom — Naval Affairs — Ncgotititions for Peace- — Treaty of Aix-la- 
 Chupelle — Peoplino- of Nova Scotia — Proceedings of Admiral liosvawen — 3Ir. Pelham's 
 Financial Plans — Ueath of the Prince of Wales — The Marriage Act — Lmu for the 
 Natnralization of the Jews — Case of Elizabeth CoDiing — Imbecilitij of the Ministers — 
 Negotiations and Hostilities of England and Ftujice iti Anwrica — Commencement of the 
 War — l^efeat of Braddock at Fort de Quesne — villack of the French on Minorca — 
 Extraordinary Conduct of liyng — His Trial and Execution — Change of Ministers — 
 Contitiental Affairs — Straggles of the King of Prussia — The Contest in America — Cap- 
 tiire of Osivega — jfV/e King's Speech — Unanimity of Parliament. 
 
 BURING the commotions in England | deserted lier connection with France, to be- 
 which we liave just recorded, the \ come the ally of England. Italy was sub- 
 tianies of war continued to rage upon the con- 5 jected to all the horrors of intestine war, 
 tinent with unahating violence. The French ! while strangers were contending in her bosont 
 arms had been repeatedly crowned with \ for the possession of her usurped dominions, 
 success, and the Netherlands vv^re reduced » The French and Spaniards on one side^ and 
 under the Gallic dominion. The factions, ! the Imperialists, with the king of Sardinia, on 
 which for more than a century had divided \ the other, ravaged, by turns, the beautiful 
 the United Provinces, were increased by these I territories of the finest, and once the most 
 disasters. One party declared for the prince ; powerful country of the world, 
 of Orange as a stadtholder ; the other, op- | At this period, th* English made an ._,_ 
 posing this election, were favourably disposed J unsuccessful attempt on Port lOrieut, 
 to the cause of France. If a stadtholder ; and the French obtained considerable victo- 
 were elected, the constitution would be estab- ; ries at Rocroux in Flanders, and at La 
 lished on the basis of a limited monarchy ; Feldt. The fruit of these victories was 
 if the opposite party prevailed, the whole ) still wanting, and it was resolved to lay siege 
 power of the state would be rested in an \ to Bergen op Zoom, a place deemed impreg- 
 aristocracy, which would sacrifice the interests j nable, less on account of its l»eing the master- 
 of the kingdom to the views of France. Of; piece of the celebrated engineer, Coehorn, 
 two evils, therefore, the Dutch chose the j than because it was continually supplied 
 former. The people, inflamed to a degree > with all kinds of ammunition ;ind necessaries 
 of turbulence approaching sedition, compelled I by the river Scheldt, which forms an arm of 
 their magistrates to declare the prince of; the sea behind it. Of all the sieges that had 
 Orange as stadtholder, captain-general, and 1 ever been formed, this, in all probability, was 
 admiral of the United Provinces. All com- | the most difficult. The conduct of it was 
 merce with France was immediately prohi- ? given to count Lowendhal, who had already 
 bilcd, the Dutch army was augnTiited, and ; conquered a portion of Dutch Brabant, 
 orders were issued for the inunediate com- * This general, a native of Denmark, had been 
 niencement of hostilities. The king of Sar- ; in the Russian service. He spoke nearly all 
 diuia, influenced by the example of the states, » the languages of Europe \ he knew all its
 
 CHAP XII ] ' GEORGE II. 131 
 
 courts, tljeir politics, the genius of the several ; city was pillaged by the victorious troops, 
 inhabitants, and their manner of fighting ; 5 They seized, in the name of the king, seven- 
 and had at last given tlie preference to the | teen large barges, laden with ammunition and 
 Frrncli sevvi(;e, into whicli, through the friend- i refresliments. On the chests were written in 
 ship of marshal Saxe, he was received, in the > large characters, " For the invincible garrison 
 rank of lieutenant-general. The French and ; of liergen op Zoom." The king, on receivinj;- 
 the allies, the besieged and the besigers j intelligence of tiiis important and unexpected 
 themselves, all believed that the enterprise j event, created count Lowendhal a marshal 
 would fail. Every measure of precaution was i of France. The sur|)rise and affliction of 
 taktn by the allies: the garrison was rein- ; the English nation was only rcjualled by thf^ 
 forced ; provisions of all kinds arrived by the I consternation of flic people of Iloliard, which 
 Scheldt; the artillery was admirably served ;| was still further increased by the connnence- 
 the besieged made several sallies ; attacks > ment of the siege of Maestricht. 
 were made by a considerable body of troops, I J3ur the successes of the French in the 
 which protected the lines near the city, and 5 Netherlands were counterbalanced by several 
 mines were sprung in several places. A { disappointments. Tn Italy, the brother of 
 sickness among the besiegers, encamped on an i the marshal Belleisle, attempting to penetrate 
 unwholesome spot, seconded the resistance of | into Piedmont, at the head of 34,000 men, 
 the garrison. At length, after three weeks i was defeated and slain. A fleet sent out for 
 open trenches, count Lowendhal demonstrated 5 the recovery of Cape Breton was unsuccess- 
 that there are occasions, when it is necessary ; ful ; two more were fitted out, one to make 
 to go beyond the established rules of art. I a descent on the British colonies in America, 
 The breaches were not yet pracficahle, but ; and the other to extend and secure the do- 
 Ihere were three works slightly damaged ; the ; minion of France in the East Indies. The 
 ravelin of Edem, and two bastions, one of J latter were attacked by Anson and Warren, 
 which was called the Maiden, and the other ; and nine of their vessels were captured, 
 the Coehorn. The general, on the 'iOth of i Shortly afterwards, commodore Fox, with 
 September, resolved to carry the town by an » six ships of war, took about forty French 
 assault on these three places at once. The ; ships, laden from St. Domingo ; and this loss 
 troops having received their orders in whis- i was followed by another defeat, in whicii the 
 pers, descended in the dead of the night, when ; French lost seven ships of the line and several 
 the besieged reposed in imagined security, ; frigates. 
 
 into the fossee, and ran to the three breaches. ; Amidst this variety of events, the bellige- 
 Twelve greiiadiers made themselves masters ; rent powers began at length to wish for the 
 of the fort of Edem, killing all who resisted, ; blessings of peace. The Dutch had, for some 
 and making the rest throw down their arms | time, endeavoured to limit the continuance of 
 in dismay. The Maiden and the Coehorn ; a war, in which they had much to lose, and 
 were assailed and carried with the same j nothing to gain. The king of France, even 
 vivacity, the troops climbing up in crowds, j after his victories on the continent, had ex- 
 Every thing was carried ; they pushed on to ; pressed his desire of general tranquillity to 
 the ramparts, where they formed, and entered j sir John Ligonier, who had been made prison- 
 the city with fixed bayonets. The marquis ; er at the battle of La F^eldt. The bad sue- 
 de Lujac seized on the gate leading to the i cess of his fleets, and of his troops in Italy, 
 harbour, the commander of that fortress sur- > the frequency of bankruptcies, and the election 
 rendering at discretion. All the other forts i of a stadtholder in Holland, who gave spirit 
 were surrendered in the same manner. Tlie i to the opposition, all contributed to render 
 baron de Cromstrom, who commanded in the ; him weary of hostilities, and to induce him to 
 town, fled to the lines. The prince of Hesse ; propose an accommodation. The secret wishes 
 PhilipstaUt making some resistance in the j of the allies tended to the same purpose ; the 
 streets, with two regiments, the one Scotcji, ; Dutch had already sustained a loss of 35,000 
 and the other Swiss, they were cut to pieces, i men, prisoners in France ; and the English 
 The rest of the garrison fled towards the lines ; ministry, consulting their own .security from 
 for protection, and spread terror wherever ; the attacks of opposition, and the discontent 
 they came, till tW, flight I;ecarae general. The : of the people, excited by tiie unfortunate 
 
 s 2
 
 132 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. Air. 
 
 vicissitudes of the war, readily acquiesced in > had carried on the war so ingloriously, and 
 the preliminary arrangeincnls of a tinal ne- } were on that account obnoxions to the people, 
 goliation. The contending powers, therefore, j being apprehensive, that if the struggle conti- 
 agree<l to assenjble a congress at Aix-hi-Cha- \ nued much longer, they would be obliged to re- 
 pelle, where the earl of Sandwich and sir | sign the reins of administration to more fortunate 
 Thomas Robinson assisted as plenipotentiaries ; hands, came to the resolution of negotiating Mith 
 from the king of Great Britain. The treaty ; the enemy. They were conscious that peace, 
 174ft ^^^^ concluded on the •2.3rd of Octo- 1 which is itself a great support to an estab* 
 ■ ber. It confirmed the treaties of West- \ lished ministry, would enable them to make 
 phalia, Madrid, Nimegiteii, IJyswick, Utrecht, | the most of their parliamentary interest, which 
 Baden, and the Hague, the quadruple alliance, | was considerable, and to perfect that system 
 and the treaty of Vienna. All conquests | of corruption which had been introduced at 
 made in all parts of the world were to be X the revolution, and uniformly practised by all 
 reciprocally restored; the artillery found in j their predecessors ; but by none more success- 
 the conquered places to be restoredj in the l fully than by Walpole. The sudden and un- 
 same condition as when taken, with a few 5 exampled apostacy, immediately after the fall 
 exceptions ; the duchies of Parma, Placentia, \ of that minister, of so many clamorous denia- 
 and Guastalla, to be ceded to Don Philip, * gogues, impressed the people with a persua- 
 but to return to the present possessors in case j sion, that public spirit was no more than an 
 he died without issue-male, or he, or any of; empty sound, and that virtue had for ever 
 his descendants, should become king of Spain, I deserted the senate. This disposition of 
 or of the two Sicilies ; the king of Sardinia | mind naturally led them to acquiesce, without 
 to be maintained in possession of all his \ open murmurs, in the measures of the minis- 
 estates ; the duke of Modena to be re-estab- 1 ters, who were allowed to go on from blun- 
 lished in his rights ; the republic of Genoa to ! der to blunder in the war with Spain and 
 be restored to ail its possessions ; the states J France, till they arrived at the climax of 
 of Ilaly to remain, as far as was conformable Hmbecility in the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ; 
 with the above arrangements, in the same | by which, as we have seen, they sacrificed the 
 relative situation as before the commencement t honour of the nation, in sending hostages to 
 of the war; the «55/t«fo treaty was confirmed ; ^ France, left the original cause of quarrel as 
 the fortifications of Dunkirk were to remain \ undetermined as at its commencement, ancK 
 as they stood on the land side, but in other \ sowed the seeds of a future war, or rather 
 respects the antient treaties to be observed ; ; perpetuated the prece<liiig one, by the ap- 
 the king of Prussia was confirmed in the pointuient of commissaries to fix the boun- 
 possession of Silesia, and it was agreed, that J daries of the English and French territories 
 the queen of Hungary should be secured in } in America. 
 
 her patrimonial dominions. One article ofj The earl of Sussex and lord Cartwright' 
 the treaty was particularly displeasing to the | were sent as hostages to France, and soon 
 English people. It was stipulated, that the ; afterwartis the French evacnatecl their con- 
 king of Great Britain should send two per- > quests in Flanders, and compelled tlie Pre- 
 sons of rank as hostages to France, until res- 1 tender to retire from their territory, 
 titution should be made of Cape Breton, and | On the 7th of March in the ensuing 
 all other conquests which England had made i year, the lords of trade and plantations 
 during the war. This was in itself a mortify- 1 published an advertisement for the better 
 ing clause : and to add to the dissatisfaction | peopling and settling the province of Nova 
 of the nation, no mention was made of search- ! Scotia in North America, comprising offers of 
 ing the vessels of England in the American \ so liberal a' nature, that numbers of settlers 
 seas, a point on which the war was originally | were induced to emigrate, and the capital, 
 begun. The limits of the different colonies | Halifax, was laid out. About the same time,, 
 and possessions of the various powers in \ letters were received from admiral Boscawen, 
 North America, were not ascertained or de- j dated Fort St. David's, October 17th, 1748, 
 lined, nor did the nation receive any equiva- \ informing the ministry, that he had taken the 
 lent for those forts which were restored to port of Arriii Coupan, and afterwards laid 
 the ediemy The faction of the Pelhanis, who \ siege to Pondicherry ; but had been at length
 
 CHAP. XI 1. 1 
 
 GEORGE If. 
 
 13.3 
 
 compelled to raise the siege, from the vigorous 
 resistance of the garrison, and the inclemency 
 of theseason, and to retreat to Fort St. David's. 
 The admiral lost before the place T.'S? soldiers, 
 43 artillery-men, and 2G5 seamen. In the 
 course of thespring, intelligence almost equally 
 disastrous was received from the same ad- 
 miral, stationed in the East Indies. A hurri- 
 cane came on in the night of the 12th of 
 April, and continuing all the next day, the 
 Namur of 74 guns, and the Pembroke of 60, 
 were entirely lost, and every soul on board, 
 but 38 seamen, perished. The Apollo, of 40 
 guns and 350 men, foundered at sea. No 
 part of the fleet escaped the storm, and the 
 seashore was covered with wrecks and dead 
 bodies. 
 
 Among the less important, but remarkable 
 events of this period, must be numbered, the 
 trial and reprimand of admiral Ivnowles for 
 negligence, in an action with the Spanish fleet 
 near the Havannah, in which he took the 
 Conquestadore, and drove onshore a 74 gun 
 vessel, which was burnt by her crew ; the 
 occurrence of several shocks of an earthquake 
 in London and Westminster, on the 8th of 
 February and the 8th of March; and the 
 passing of a bill, which gave much satisfaction 
 to the populace, for the encouragement of the 
 white herring fishery. 
 
 . One of the mostgrievous consequences 
 
 of the war had been the immense accu- 
 mulation of debt, which it had been the n)eans 
 of entailing on the nation. To lighten this 
 burden, Mr. Pelham, who now conducted 
 the business of the state, proposed to have 
 recourse to the same expedient which imme- 
 diately preceded the consolidation of the 
 various funds in the year 1719. His plan was 
 to lessen the debt by lowering tlie interest, 
 which had been promised on granting the 
 supplies, or obliging the lenders to receive the 
 
 sums oris 
 
 inally 
 
 granted. 
 
 This 
 
 measure. 
 
 though considered as in some degree a hard- 
 ship on the lender, produced the desired 
 effect, without any inconvenience to tiie 
 public credit. Other measures, equally 
 beneficial to the public, were prosecuted with 
 the same success. The iuiportation of iron 
 from America was permitted, and the com- 
 merce of Africa laid open to the nation, under 
 the sanction of the board of trade. 
 
 On Wednesday, the "iOth of March, 
 
 17A1. 
 
 his royal highness, Frederick- prince of; 
 
 Wales, departed this life, in the 4ntli year of 
 his age, universally regretted. He left issue 
 by his princess, then far aflvanced in pregnancy, 
 five sons and (hree daughters ; of wlioni prince 
 George, afterwards George III., succeeded 
 him as heir a]ip;irent. On the 25th of March, 
 both houses waited on the king with addresses 
 of c(nidolence; and, on the 12th of April, the 
 body of his royal highness was, with the tisual 
 pomp and ceremony, deposited in a vault of 
 the chapel of Henry VII. On the 17th, both 
 houses sent met^sages of condolence to the 
 princess-dowager. The death of the prince, 
 by depriving the opposition of one great 
 source of electioneering and parliamentary 
 influence, contril>uted, above all other events, 
 to secure, for the next five years, the domestic 
 tranquillity of the nation. 
 
 The rest of the year 1751, and the year 
 1752, were distinguished by few events, either 
 domestic or foreign, worthy of being recorded. 
 On the 11th of July in the former year, the 
 princess-dowager of Wales was delivered of 
 a posthumous princess, baptized by the name 
 of Caroline Matilda. On the 14th of Novem- 
 ber, his majesty opened the session of parlia- 
 ment with a gracious speech, in the close of 
 Which, he exhorted both houses to consider 
 seriously of some effectual provision to suppres.s 
 the audacious crimes of robbery and violence, 
 which had become so frequent around the 
 capital, proceeding, in a great measure, from 
 that profligate spirit of irreligion, idleness, 
 gaming, and extravagance, which had of late 
 extended itself, in an uncommon degree, to 
 the dishonour of the nation, and the great 
 offence and prejudice of the sober and indus- 
 trious part of the people. The addresses of 
 the two houses were echoes to the speech ; 
 and the grants amounted to nearly £4,000,000. 
 An act was passed, for preventing thefts and 
 robberies, by which places of public recreation, 
 dancing, and music, were suppressed and 
 prohibited, unless licensed by justices of the 
 peace empowered for that purpose. An act 
 also received the royal assent, for annexing 
 the forfeited estates in Scotland unalienably 
 in the crown ; and for establishing a method 
 of leasing these estates, and applying the 
 rents and profits to the civilization and 
 improvement of the islands, and for preventing 
 futiirr disorders in that part of the united; 
 kingdom. 
 
 The most important object of parliamentarj
 
 134 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XII. 
 
 ^__j, attention in the succeeding session, 
 • was an act for tlio better prevention of 
 clandestine marriages, and for the more public 
 solemnization of that ceremony. The grievance 
 complained of, and which this law was meant 
 to redress was, that the sons and danghters 
 of opulent families were often seduced into 
 marriage, before they had acquired sufficient 
 experience in life to guard against any 
 imprudent connection. This statute, therefore, 
 enacted, that the banns of marriage should be 
 regularly published three suece^ssive Sundays, 
 in the ciiureli of the parish where both parties 
 had resided for one month at least before the 
 certmony. It declared, that any marriage 
 solemnized without this previous publication, 
 or a license obtained from the bishop's court, 
 should be void ; and that the person who 
 solemnized it should be transported for seven 
 years. It is inipossible to contemplate one 
 provision of this act, without indignation at its 
 cruelty, and surprise at its absurdity. The 
 clause by which it is declared, that a marriage 
 contracted under the circumstances mentioned 
 shall be void, tends to facilitate, instead of 
 impeding the designs of the licentious and the 
 unprincipled, on youth and inexperience. 
 Within the last ten years, nearly a hundred 
 instances have occurred, of venturers and pro- 
 fligates, who, having gratified their libidinous 
 desires, under the sanction of an illegal mar- 
 riage, have afterwards, on the authority of this 
 act, obtained a divorce. 
 
 This session was also distinguished by 
 another act, which excited the jealousy of 
 the people, and was ultimately abandoned. 
 A law, for the naturalization of the Jews, was 
 introduced into the house of commons ; the 
 ministry affirming that such a law would 
 greatly contribute to the benefit of the nation ; 
 tliat It would increase the commerce, the j 
 credit, and the wealth of the kingdom, and set 
 a laudable example of toleration. It was 
 observed in reply, that by this bill greater 
 favour was shewn to the Jews than to some 
 sects professing Christianity ; that an intro- 
 duction of that obnoxious people into the 
 kingdom would degrade the character of the 
 nation, an<l repress in the peoi)le that zeal for 
 religion which was already too liiuch abated. 
 The bill was at first passed into a law, but 
 excited such general and vehement dissatis- 
 faction, that it was thought expedient to 
 rfpeal it in the ensuing session. 
 
 The absence of all political discus- ._,_ 
 sion, and the tranquillity subsisting 
 in all the states of Europe, gave an importance 
 to domestic and comparatively trivial incidents, 
 which would have been disregarded amidst 
 the turbulence of political contention, and the 
 vicissittides of hostile conflict. Every class, 
 and every rank of society, was at this time 
 agitated by the case of one Elizabeth Canning, 
 who deposed before a magistrate, that, on the 
 night of new year's day, she was seized under 
 the wall of Bedlam by two ruffians, who 
 stripped her of her upper garments, gagged 
 her, and attempted to murder her if she made 
 the least noise, conveyed her to Enfield Wash, 
 where she was robbed of her stays, and on 
 her refusal to comply with the brutal desires 
 of several visitors of the house, confined in a 
 cold, damp, and unfurnished apartment. Here, 
 according to her own account, she remained 
 a whole month, with no other sustenance than 
 a few stale crusts of bread, and about a gallon 
 of water, till at length she forced her way 
 through a window, and ran home to her 
 mother's house, almost naked, on the night 
 of the 29th of January. The story, improbable 
 as it was, and totally unsupported by evidence, 
 excited the compassion of several benevolent 
 individuals, who raised a subscription for 
 bringing to justice the supposed criminals. 
 Wells, her servant-maid. Virtue Hall, and a 
 gipsey-woman named Squires, were appre- 
 hended. Wells was acquitted of the felony, 
 but pimished as a loose woman ; and S<)uires, 
 though she produced evidence that she was 
 seen at Abbotsbury, in Dorsetshire, at the 
 time of the supposed robbery, was capitally 
 convicted, upon the evidence of Virtue Hall, 
 who had become evidence for Canning, but 
 afterwards retracted all she had sworn. On 
 the representation of the attorney-general, 
 Squires was pardoned, and bills of perjury 
 were foimd on both sides. The witnesses 
 against Canning were acquitted ; but she was 
 found guilty of perjury, and transported to 
 America. Such, however, was the impres- 
 sion produced in her favour, by her own 
 artifice, the effrontery of Virtue Hall, and the 
 general prejudice against the character of 
 Squires, that her opponents were insulted by 
 the populace ; every class and description of 
 society was agitated by the quarrel ; the 
 cause of both parties was advocated with 
 vehemence in jjamphlets and pasquinades;
 
 CHAP XTI.} 
 
 GEORGE H- 
 
 135 
 
 ami the partisans of Canning paid for her \ our colonies ; tlioujjh they were erecting one 
 transportation in a private ship, supplied her ; chain of forts from the river St. Lawrence to 
 with money to the amount of £300, and ; the Misissippi, and another along the great 
 obtained her, by the warmth of their recom- ; lakes, to cut off our planters from any trade 
 mendations, a reception among the most « or communication with the natives, the minis- 
 respectable families of New England. j ters trusted to the slowness and feebleness of 
 Thk beginning of the year was | negotiation, and though they always received 
 rendered remarkable by a severe frost, ; ev.isive answers, and found tiiat hostilities 
 
 1754. 
 
 so that the navigation of barges was impeded, 
 and passen<?;ers crossed the river on foot above 
 Kingston bridge. On the 3 1st of May, the 
 duke of Newcastle succee»led his deceased 
 brother, Mr. Pelham, as first lord of the 
 treasury, and was himself succeeded, as 
 secretary of state, by sir Thomas Robinson, 
 afterwards lord Grantham. Mr. Legge was 
 appointed chancellor of ihe exchequer ; and 
 these changes were accompanied by many 
 subordinate arrangements. 
 
 O 
 
 Thk incapacity of the English administration, 
 and the inglorious issue of the late war, had 
 encouraged the insolence, and given new 
 
 were continued, still imagined that they could 
 conf|uer the arms of France with rolls of 
 piircliinent. 
 
 Intimidated at length, however, by the 
 chunours of the people, they sent orders to 
 tiie different governors of the Aujerican 
 provinces, to form a general association against 
 the enemy, to endeavour to win the Indians 
 over to our interest, and to repel for«.e by 
 force. But the orders were more easily given 
 than executed. The colonies, which were 
 chiefly peopled by dissenters, and persons 
 who were dissatisfied with the state of civil 
 and religious liberty in Great Britain and 
 
 energy to the injustice of France. As they | Ireland, entertained the utmost jealousy of 
 undertook the war without spirit, they con- \ each other, so that it recjuired time and address 
 eluded it without prudence. The whole « to make them act in concert. Had not the 
 tenor of their conduct was an indication of | enemy provefl successful in their first opera- 
 timidity and apprehension. They discovered \ tions, and rendered the common danger ap- 
 nothing of that firmness and * ' . • • , ^ . 
 
 ,^ ,.. ..W..V .a ^^^ perseverance 
 
 which become the ministers of a great and 
 brave nation, and of w hich their enemies had 
 set them an example in tiie day of their dis- 
 tress. By their suppliant behaviour, and 
 tame acquiescence in the proposals of France, 
 they manifestlj acknowledged her superiority, 
 augmented her confidence, and inflamed her 
 andjition. 
 
 parentand innninent, it is difficult to pronounce 
 how far their opposite interests and religious 
 prejudices might have misleil them. They 
 seemed to coincide in nothing, but in acknow- 
 ledging a certain degree of dejjiendence on the 
 crown of Great Britain. 
 ^ It was not surprising, therefore, that they 
 J should ineflectualiy oppose the French, who 
 I acted in concert, and under one head ; or that 
 A MORE infallible method of preventing the > they could not secure the Indians to their 
 permanence and stability of the peace could } interest, when they were not only at variance 
 not be invented. Our enemies imagined, not ; with each other, but endeavoured to excite 
 without reason, that the same ministry which | the savages against their brother-colonists, 
 crouched to them in the course of the nego- i Their conduct tu the natives had been so 
 tialion. would be equally acquiescent if they ! blameal le, thai the) could not hope to suc- 
 infringed any article of the treaty. They ; c<vd in recovei nig their friendship. They had 
 accordingly continued hostilities in the East ; mad*' a practice of con.prehending in their 
 Indies, and made encroachments on our ; surveys the Indian huuung grounds and corn- 
 territories in America, believing that Britain, i fields, w ithout permis&ion or compensation, 
 whom the} had lately reduced so low, would » Tiiey had been accustomed to sell theni 
 not dare to retaliate. Nor is it unlikely that ; adulterated rum, and to decoy their chileireix 
 tlieir belief would have been realized, had not i iuio slavery. Havnig built a fort on tneir 
 the intrepidity of the people counteracted the ; terriloiie-^, the u>i.5sionaries anel agents of 
 indecision of the ministry. For though the ; France took advantageof the prejueiice excited 
 enemy had, by presents and false insniuations, | by these acts of injustice and cruelty, to 
 been constantly debauching the Indians from ; represent the erection, as intended for tlitj 
 our interest, and spiriting them up against i subjection of the Indians, and the hostile
 
 133 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 LeHAP, Xlf. 
 
 possession of their country. The Indians ; a situation which gave it the command of all 
 themselves were inclined, from interested ; the country contiguous to the Ohio and 
 motives, to believe them. They found that J Misissippi. 
 
 the English were wealthy and divided, and ; If we discard from our estimate the right 
 that more was to be gained Ijy taking up the ! of the natives, which by both sides was re- 
 hatchet ag;iiust them, than from attacking the ; garded as nothing, it is apparent that justice 
 French, whom they saw acting in a compact 5 was on the side of Eijgiand. Both of the 
 body, animated by one soul. \ nations engaged in the contest had much less 
 
 To resist the encroachments of the French, \ regard to right than to convenience. Were 
 a party was sent from Virginia, under major ! the French allowed to unite Canada to their 
 Wasinngton, afterwards so distinguished in « settlements along the Misissippi, by the pos- 
 the annals of his country, to dislodge them i session of the vast country which lies between 
 from a position on the Ohio. At first he \ them, the English colonies wouid, in time of 
 gained some trivial advantages ; but on the ; peace, be deprived of all share in the Indian 
 4th of July 900 French and 200 Indians at- 1 trade, and be, in time of war, exposed to the 
 tacked his party, consisting of only 300 men, ' danger of continual inroads, or to the ruinous 
 and defeated him, with the loss of 150 killed j charge of defending a frontier of more than 
 and 70 wounded. After this disaster, the | 1500 miles in length. If, on the contrary, the 
 majority of the Indians either remained neuter, | claims of France on the Ohio and Nova Scotia 
 or joined the enemy, who had a body of | did not succeed, their two colonies would 
 11,000 regulars, 4000 workmen, and 25,000 j remain entirely disunited, the entrance into 
 well-trained militia-men, ready to act on any > one being shut up, during the winter, by the 
 emergency. | intensity of the frost ; and the entrance into 
 
 The views of the French, in their pre.sent | the other being at all times diificult, on ac- 
 line of policy, were no less obvious than I count of the banks and bars at the mouth of 
 dangerous. They had, in the last war, ac- 1 the Misissippi ; circumstances which would 
 quired an evident superiority over Great I greatly diminish their value to France, and 
 Britain on land. The object was now to cut \ ultimately involve the ruin of her principal 
 oft' the resources of her maritime strength, the \ settlements in the West Indies, 
 remaining obstacle to the prosecution of their I Both nations, being fully sensible of these 
 ambitious designs. As this strength depended, « truths, no longer considered the quarrels in 
 at that period, chiefly on her trade to India | America as worthy of little consideration ; 
 and America, they formed the project of 1 and though the two courts breathed nothing 
 extirpating her colonies and factories in both \ but peace, and exchanged mutual professions 
 those quarters of the globe, and of establishing I of friendship and regard, which deceived 
 their owu marine on the ruin of the British. \ neither party, it was determined to terminate 
 For these reasons they availed themselves of | the negotiation by an appeal to the sword, 
 the inaccuracy with which, through the im- X The French silently prepared a naval arma- 
 perfection of geograj)hy, the limits of Nova 
 
 Scotia iiail been ascertained in the treaty of 
 Utrecht, to lay claim to more than was their 
 due, and by that claim to render the remain- 
 der of little utility to England. Pretending, 
 from the same nmtives, to have first discovered 
 the mouths of the Misissippi, they asserted a 
 right to all the adjacent coimtry, towards 
 New Mexico on the east, and as far as the 
 Apalachian and Allegany mountains on the 
 west ; in consequence of which, they expelled 
 the planters of the Ohio Company, which had 
 obtained a charter from the British legislature, 
 for cultivating a considerable tract of these 
 rich and valuable lands, and built fort Dn 
 
 ment at Brest, to convey troops and military 
 stores to Canada. But the English govern- 
 ment, whose superiority of strength on the 
 watery element enabled them to equip fleets 
 with greater expedition, obtained the start of 
 them, and dispatched admiral Boscawen, with 
 a considerable squadron, into the Indian seas, 
 for the purpose of intercepting their ships of 
 war and convoys. Fogs, which are so fre- 
 quent in the latitude where he cruised, favour- 
 ing the enemy's escape, prevented the full 
 success of his expedition. Two ships of the 
 line, however, were taken, and the question 
 of peace or hostility at length decided, a mea- 
 sure so vigorous being the most explicit and 
 
 Quesne, on the arms of the river Monongahela, I effectual declaration of war,
 
 CHAP. xn.J 
 
 GEOROE II. 
 
 1755. 
 
 Nor were hostilities directed to 
 
 signaliziug hi.s courage. 
 
 ia7 
 
 Stimulated bv these 
 
 ships of war exclusively. ^ French j motives, he marched i)recipitately andincau- 
 
 ' tiously against the enemy, as soon as he had 
 suru)ounted the obstacles wliich had hitherto 
 retarded his operations. Instead of employinjj 
 the allied Indians as a scouting party to 
 reconnoitre the woods and thickets, and to 
 prevent the main body from falling into an 
 ambuscade, he moved on securely with the 
 regulars in front, and, as might have been 
 expected, was suddenly attacked in a swamp, 
 
 merchantmen were brought into our harbours 5 
 in great numbers. The ministry did not think 
 it necessary to wait tor a Ibrnial declaration 
 of war before they proceeded to hostilities, 
 which wouki destroy the resources of France's 
 maritime strength, and procure the coujitry 
 full indemnification for what had been wrested 
 from it in time of profound peace. It was in 
 vain that ourenenues made all Europe resound 
 with their complaints, and endeovom-ed to 
 represent tiiese reprisals as acts of piracy. 
 All the world |)erceived that they were tlie 
 aggressors, and that they assumed this hypo- 
 critical moderation, because they intended to 
 interest other courts in their favour, anrl 
 because, havincj been counteracted in their 
 schemes, before they were ripe for execution, 
 they v\ere unprepared for the prosecution of 
 successful warfare. 
 
 The advantages which we obtained by this 
 manoeuvre yielded us ample compensation for 
 the losses sustained in America, where, upon 
 the whole, we considered ourselves as worsted. 
 Four operations had been undertaken in 
 America at the same time : of these, one w as 
 commanded by colonel Monckton, who had 
 orders to expel the French from their encroach- 
 ments on the province of Nova Scotia ; the 
 second, further to the south, was directed 
 against Crown Point, under the command of 
 general Johnson ; the third, under the conduct 
 of general Shirley, was destined to Niagara, 
 to secure the forts on the river; and the 
 fourth, which was yet further southward, 
 against fort Du Quesne, under general Brad- 
 dock. In these expeditions, Monckton 
 captured the fort of Beansejour, which se- 
 cured to Great Britain the entire possession j 
 of Nova Scotia. Johnson, though he failed in i 
 taking the fort which had been the first object 
 of his enterprise, obtained a decisive victory 
 over the French, under baron Dieskau, at 
 Lake George, on the 8lh of Septeml)er, in 
 which the baron was taken prisoner, and 
 1000 of his army killed. Shirley lost the 
 season for operation by delay. Braddock 
 was vigorous and active, but sullcred a defeat. 
 He was naturally proud, self-conccittd, and 
 impatient. His impatience was intiamed by 
 the slowness of the provincials in assembling, 
 and by seeing great part of the season for 
 action eihausted, without an opportunity of 
 
 T 
 
 overgrown with bushes and high tcrass, by 
 bodies of French and Indians, so judiciously 
 posted, that though they could not be distinct- 
 ly seen, they kept up a constant fire, which 
 was the more severe and u^alling, because it 
 could not be returned. The troops, being 
 seized with a panic, fell into confusion, and 
 notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the 
 general and the other officers, tied in conster- 
 nation. Had not the Virginians, by advancing 
 from the rear, and by engaging the enemy, 
 allowed them time to resume their ranks and 
 recover their spirits, the rout would in all 
 probability have been total, and the army 
 destroyed. As it was, one half of the troops 
 were cut to pieces, and their precipitate 
 retreat exposed the Virginian frontiers to the 
 scalping parties of the enemy, and had the 
 most pernicious influence on our interests, by 
 deciding the conduct of the wavering Indians. 
 The general, after having five horses killed 
 under him, remained on the field of battle ; 
 preferring an honourable death to an igno- 
 minious life, and atoning, in some measure, 
 by his devotion, for having sacrificed the lives 
 of so many brave men in vain. 
 
 Such was the stale of affairs in America, 
 the first theatre of the war, w hen the French, 
 finding that the concessions of the English 
 ministry were by no means so immediate or 
 so extensive as they had reason to anticipate, 
 from the feeble and timid policy of the last 
 few years, began at length to devote the 
 whole of their attention and resources to the 
 prosecution of the war in Europe. ,^rp 
 Several bodies of troops moved to the 
 coasts of Picardy, Normandy, and Britany, 
 and threatened an invasion of Great Britain. 
 The consternation which a few misled islanders 
 had lately occasioned, was yet impressed on 
 the remembrance of the nation. Through 
 the want of a well-regulated militia, the use of 
 anus was unk'iowa to the generality of the 

 
 138 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XH. 
 
 people ; ami that martial spirit, which ^'ur- j at llie ^eatest distance, and made little use 
 merly rendered them (he terror of France, | of his artillery. The French admiral disco- 
 was consequently extinct. As there was not } vered the same disinclination to continue the 
 in the kingdom a body of regulars, upon | engagement ; he edged away with an tasy 
 whom alone they relied for protection, an ; sail, while Byng made a demonstration of 
 universal panic was diffused through the ! giving chace. The French laid claim to the 
 nation ; nor could it be removed by the con- \ victory, and the retreat of the English admiral 
 sideration of our superior fleet, because we ; was productive of all the consequences of a 
 might, as has frequently happened, be | defeat. Under pretext of providing for the 
 deprived of its assistance by unfavourable « safety of Gibralter, he repaired thither with 
 winds and tides. So that the ministry, who ? the utmost expedition. 
 
 were not free from the general contagion o{\ The garrison of St. Philip's, thus shame- 
 fear, could think of no better expedient, for ; fully abandoned to the enemy, instead of 
 quieting the general apprehension, than calling | giving theinselves up to despair, resolved to 
 to our Hssistance a body of hired Hanoverians ; behave with spirit, and to defend the place to 
 and Hessians, imitating, in this respect, the $ the last extremity. From the 20th of May 
 example of the antient Britons, who lost their | to the 27tli of June, they sustained and re- 
 liberty by employing auxiliary Germans, j tortcd the enemy's fire with the most un- 
 against their invaders, the Picts and Scots. ; daunted resolution. At length, the works 
 While the kingdom shamefully trembled ; being in many places demolished, the guns 
 at this alarm, too notorious to be concealed, i dismounted, the garrison exhausted by hard 
 too fatal in its consequences to be foigotten, | duty and incessant watching, and little pro- 
 llle French equipped, at Toulon, with the I bability remaining of relief, a capitulation was 
 Mtmost expedition, a fleet of twelve men of j demanded, and granted on honourable terms, 
 war, which convoyed an army of eleven thou- \ The fortress was accordingly delivered up to 
 sand men, under the connnand of Richlieu, to i the French on the 28th of June, 
 the island of Minorca. The British ministry I Minorca, thus dismembered from the 
 obtained early intelligence of this design ; but j British empire, was the object of universal 
 such apprehension, distraction, and irresolution 5 regret. Its importance was sensibly felt, and 
 prevailed in their councils, and so absurdly ; its loss sincerely lamented. The fears of an 
 arranged was the disposition of our navy, that I imaginary invasion gave way to indignation 
 admiral Byng, with a squadron of ships in- | and resentment against the ministry and the 
 ferior to that of the enemy in number and \ delinquent admiral. Addresses were pre- 
 quality, did not make his appearance off ; sented to the throne, petitioning in the strong- 
 Minorca till a month after trenches had been j est terms for a change of men and measures ; 
 oi)ened before St. Philips fort. i and the people, rendered gloomy and distrust- 
 
 A BOUT six o'clock in the evening of the i9th ; ful, and irritated by misfortunes, already 
 of May, the enemy, to the number of seven- ; imagined themselves on the brink of ruin, 
 teen sail was descried by admiral Byng, ; The first fury of their resentment was directed 
 advancin"- in order of battle. The evening | against the unfortunate Byng. The ministry 
 Avas spent, by both fleets, in contending for \ used every endeavour to foment this animosity, 
 the advantage of the weather-gauge. At I ami to avert the danger which threatened 
 day-light on the 20th, the Frencii fleet could > themselves. They aggravated his miscon- 
 not be descried ; but soon re-appearing, the ; duct, exposed his folly, and expatiated on his 
 line of battle was formed on both sides ; and | cowardice. The public prints abounded with 
 about tv\o, admiral Byng made the signal to > the most virulent invectives against him, and 
 enofto-e. Rear-admiral West, an officer of | mobs were hired to hang and burn him in 
 approved ability and resolution, bore down i effigy in various parts of the capital. , He was 
 with his division upon the enemy, and ; superseded in command, and sent home under 
 attacked them with such impetuosity, that | an arrest. On the 28th of December, he was 
 the ships opposed to him were driven out of ! brought before a court-martial, and after a 
 the line. Instead of supporting the rear- j long trial was rondemned as falling under 
 admiral, Bjng, Li:'nr from u desire to preserve | part of the twelfth article of war. The severity 
 the line, or from an inexcusable timidity, kept ; of this article, which inflicts the punishment
 
 C/IAP. Ml j 
 
 GKORGE II. 
 
 139 
 
 of death on every person in the fleet, who, 
 through cowardice, neglif^ence, or disaflection, 
 shall, in time of action, keep bacic from the 
 enemy, and violate his duly, induced the 
 judges to recommend him as a proper object 
 of his majesty's mercy. The distinguished 
 merit and services of his ancestors, the recom- 
 mendation of his judges, and the testimony of 
 the French general, who had been a spectator 
 of the whole engagement, proved ^insufficient 
 to save him, his death being represented to 
 the king as the only means of pacifying the 
 populace. Thus devoted, he prepared to 
 meet his fate with steadiness and resolution. 
 He was shot at Portsmouth, on the 14tii of 
 March in the ensuing year. The firm, com- 
 posed, and undaunted manner in which he 
 died, confuted every imputation on his per- 
 sonal courage. Immediately before his death, 
 he delivered a paper to the marshal of the 
 admiralty, in which he declared his innocence, 
 and that he considered himself as a victim, 
 <lestiiied to divert the indignation and resent- 
 ment of an injured and deluded people from 
 their proper objects. While the judicious 
 part of the nation lamented the misfortunes, 
 they could not but condemn the backward- 
 ness of the unhappy ^admiral. They were 
 at a loss to discover in his conduct any 
 offence worthy of fleath ; and whatever idea 
 they entertained of the cruelty and injustice 
 of the minister, it was still the subject of 
 regret and astonishment, that they were not 
 contented with a mode of punishment less 
 ignominious and severe. 
 
 Such was the state of the kingdom at this 
 crisis, that it was found absolutely necessary 
 to sacrifice the private partialities of the court 
 to the wishes of the people, and to commit the 
 administration to men, whose character for 
 patriotisuj and ability had obtained them 
 the confidence of the public. The duke of 
 Devonshire was placed at the head of tlie 
 treasury, and lord T-^niple succeeded lord 
 Anson in the admiralty. Mr. Legge was 
 appointed chancellor of the exchequer, and 
 Mr. Pitt succeeded Mr. Fox as secretary of 
 state. The seals were committed to the 
 judges Willes, Smythe, and Wilmot. 
 
 While the people of England were re- 
 giefting the last and unfortunate campaign, 
 and execrating the individuals to whom they 
 ascribed their losses and disappointments, 
 the flames of discord and disstntion, wliicW 
 
 had already been lighting up in the IVew 
 World, began to burst forth among the prin- 
 cipal powers of Europe. To f()rm a just 
 opinion of the present situation and interests 
 of the states of Europe, it will be necessary 
 to retrace concisely the steps we have already 
 trod, and to recal the attention of our readers 
 to negotiations and events which we have 
 already recorded. 
 
 The rich and fertile province of Silesia had 
 been wrested from Austria by the king of 
 Prussia, and solemnly confirmed to him by 
 two different treaties. This very important 
 conquest, reluctantly surrendered, had excited 
 an antipathy between the empress-queen and 
 that monarch, and the former only waited for 
 a favourable opportunity, to attempt its re- 
 covery. 
 
 Russia was allied to Austria by antient 
 treaties, by their united wars against the 
 Turks, and by the reciprocal affection of their 
 native sovereigns. There existed, between 
 the czarina and the king of Prussia, several 
 personal subjects of complaint, and every 
 means had been employed to injure that 
 monarch's affairs in the north. They suc- 
 ceeded so far as to render Russia his implaca- 
 ble enemy, and ready to participate in any 
 designs that might contribute to his ruin. 
 
 Augustus III. king of Poland, and elector 
 of Saxony, independent of his close connec- 
 tion with Austria and Russia, to the latter of 
 whom he owed his crown, was anxious to 
 obtain an opportunity of renewing his demands 
 on tiie king of Prussia, for an indemnification 
 of the depredations committed by him in 
 Saxony, in 1741. But the dominions of this 
 mouarch were in no condition to su()port a 
 war, with so formidable a monarch as the 
 king of Pru.ssia. Poland was destitute of 
 troops, resources, and fortifications, exposed 
 to every incursion, and considerable only by 
 her extent and fertility, Saxony was in the 
 same defenceless situation ; her army moulder- 
 ing away, and her coffers eu)pty. 
 
 As the views of these powers were exactly 
 similar, they entered into a treaty apparently 
 inoffensive ; but several private articles were 
 added inimical to his Prussian majesty ; and 
 it was particularly stipulated, that in case he 
 should attack either of their territories, they 
 should mutually furnish an army of 60,000 
 men, to re-invest the empress-queeu in tiie 
 duchy of Silesia.
 
 140 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 The inoiiarcli, aj?ainst \vhom these three I treaty -with Russia was projected, ft stipu- 
 powers were united, was at once the dread ! lated, that her Russian majesty shoiihl tViniish 
 and llj€ admiration of Europe. The house 5 a body of troops to the niniiber of 5-5,000 
 of Brandenbnrir^h, from the most humble situ- } men, and 50 galhes with the necessary crews, 
 ation, liad risen imi)erceptibly, in the course > to be emph)yed in tlie service of- Britain, 
 of a century, to a considerable degree of j whenever required. INo sooner was tins treaty 
 influence and power. The late king was i made public, than his Prussian majesty, 
 extravagantly attached to a numerous army, I perceiving; at once the motives which iiad 
 and had converted a great part of his subjects ; induced Russia to accede to it, declared, in 
 into soldiers. Though barbarous in manners, ! the strongest manner, that he would oppose 
 cruel and turbulent in disposition, and des- I to the utmost the introduction of all foreign 
 potic in his power, by singular good fortune, ; troops into the empire. This declaration, 
 lie had no opportunity of diminishing that j while it put an end to the treaty with Russia, 
 army he had been so careful in collecting. ; evinced that the views of their Britannic and 
 He delighted in review and bloodless skir- ; Prussian majesties were the same. The 
 n)ishes, and trained one of the most numerous j former was apprehensive of the French, the 
 armies in Europe to the most perfect disci- i latter of the Russians. The king of England-, 
 pline. At his death, he delivered this powerful J who was particularly attached to his Hano- 
 palladinm to his son Frederic III., whom he ! verian dominions, beheld them not only 
 had alwaystreated with rigour and inhumanity, ; exposed to the resentment of France, but to 
 and accompanied the gilt by a sum in the } that of Prussia, either of whom was sufficient 
 treasury adequate to the support of so ; to ravage his electorate, while the Russian 
 numerous a force. From the moment the \ subsidiaries were at too great a distance 
 young monarch ascended the throne, it ! to aflord him relief. An alliance with the 
 became obvious that there was an end to that ; court of London would relieve the king of 
 inactivity which had characterized the former ! Prussia, on the contrary, from the attacks of 
 reign. The extent of his views, and the > the Russians, and afford him an opportunity 
 Tariety of his talents, were soon conspicuous J of attacking Austria, of whose designs he had 
 in his actions. The boldness of his enter- | been long suspicious. With regard to ti»e 
 prises could only be equalled by the impene- 5 views of the French court he entertained little 
 trable secrecy ol>served in their execution. \ appreiiension, concluding that, from its long 
 To the most lively imagination, anil a fortitude ; and hereditary hatred to Austria, it would 
 scarcely to be paralleled, were added the ; always continue stedfast to the Prussian 
 strongest propensity for an active life, and a | interests. A treaty was therefore signed at 
 C'onsiit\, lion capable of supporting its fatigues, i Loiidosi, by which his Prussian majesty 
 He invented a new method of disciplining ! obtained from Great Britain a suljsidy of 
 armies, and of giving battle. By the rapidity ! £750,000, and the two sovereigns agreed not 
 of his evolutions, and the celerity of his ; to niake peace without the consent of each 
 marches, he totally ciianged the modes of ; other. The queen of Hungary, finding that, 
 warfare. He saw the storm which was j by the late treaty, all her hopes of Russian 
 gathering around bin), and determined to meet \ assistance were frustrated, and inilouied with 
 it. He had studied t!)e character of the courts J resentment, made protllrs of negotiation to 
 and the generals to whom he was opposed ; 1 F'rance, her most dangerous and most antieut 
 and reposed, with a confidence justified by J enemy; and to procure the friendship of that 
 the event, on his own superiority. i court, gave up her barrier in the ISetlierlands, 
 
 I have already noticed the cotnmencement > which England had for ages been securing 
 of a treaty, between his Britannic majesty and ; against that power, with its blood and trea- 
 the czarina of Russia. Tlie king of Prussia ; sure. By this extraordinary revolution, the 
 had been, for some time, secretly discontented ; whole political system of Europe ac((uired a 
 with the court of Versailles ; but they con- ; new aspect, and the treaties of a century were 
 tinued, in appearance, so closely connected, ; rendered ineffectual. The treaty between 
 as to excite suspicion lliat France had cajoled ; France and Austria was no sooner ratified 
 him into a participation of her views. To ! than Russia was invited to accede, and the 
 obviate the effects of such an alliance, the \ czarina, regardless of her subsidies from
 
 CHAP. 
 
 xn.j 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 141 
 
 Kimland, warmly onibraced the proposal. 
 Sweden was seduced, by llio iutrlgnes of tlie 
 Freiicl), to join the confederacy ; and a war 
 was commenced, between that nation and 
 Prussia, contrary to the incHnation of both 
 nionarchs. 
 
 The United Provinces, confirmed in 
 tiicir taste for peace by their fear of the ex- 
 pences of war, were unwilling to lose the 
 advantages of a neutrality, which would throw 
 the greatest part of their conquests into 
 the bauds of their subjects. Spain had equally 
 nt.'glected her finances and iier forces. Her 
 settlements abroad, and her dominions at 
 home, were in the same defenceless situation, 
 and the court was equally destitute of am- 
 bition and of policy. The monarch resigned 
 himself to amusements inconsistent wiih his 
 rank, and paid no attention whatever to 
 public affairs. 
 
 The menaces of his enemies only rendered 
 the Prussian monarch more eager to take the 
 field, lie marched, therefore, with a nume- 
 rous army into Saxony, proposing to penetrate 
 tlu-ough that country into Bohemia. His 
 declarations of friendship to the king of 
 Poland were specious ; but that monarch 
 cho.se rather to rely on the valour and attach- 
 ment of his troops, whom he assembled in a 
 strong camp between Pirna and Konigstein, 
 which was entrenched, provided with a 
 numerous train of artillery, aufl deemed im- 
 pregnable. Frederic, offended at this pro- \ 
 ceeding, demanded, as a proof of his neutrality, \ 
 that the king of Poland should disembody 
 his troops iunuediately. On the refusal of 
 this demand, he instantly surrounded the 
 Saxon arn)y, intercepted their convoys of 
 provision, and cut them off froih all communi- 
 cation witii tiie adjacent country. In the 
 uiean time, a great proportion of his army 
 advanced into Boliemia, under the command 
 of field-marshal Keith, and encamped within 
 a small distance of the Bohemian army, con- 
 sisting of 50,000 men. 
 
 ' Frederic, with his wonted celerity, re- 
 paired to Bohemia, assumed in person the 
 command of M. Keith's corps, and advanced 
 to give battle to the enemy. The Austrian 
 general had taken possession of Lowoscliiilz, 
 with a numerous body of infantry, and placed 
 a battery of cannon in the front of the town ; 
 he had formed his cavalry chequerwise, and 
 posted iOOO Croats ami pandars in the 
 
 vineyards on his right. The Prussian riu.u- 
 arch occupied with six battalions a lioilow 
 way, and some rising grounds which com- 
 manded the town. Early in the morning of 
 1st of October, the Prussian cavalry advanced 
 to attack the enemy's horse ; they were twice 
 driven back, with very consiilerable loss. The 
 Prussian infantry then advanced to attack 
 the village of Lowoschutz in flank, but met 
 with so warm a reception, that in all proba- 
 bility they w ould have been repulsed, had not 
 marshal Keith headed them in person. Draw- 
 ing his sword, he told them, " that he would 
 lead them on to victory." But being informed 
 that their powder and shot were exhausted, 
 he exclaiiued, with admirable presence of 
 mind, " that he was happy their ammunition 
 was expended, as he Mas confident the enemy 
 could not withstand them at the pomt of the 
 bayonet." So saying, he advanced at their 
 head, drove tiie Anstrians from Lowoschutz, 
 and set the suburbs on fire. The loss was 
 nearly equal on both sides, and both parties 
 clauned the victory ; but the consequences 
 adjudged it to the king of Prussia, as the 
 Austrian general was cut off from all hopes 
 of relievina: the Saxon armv, which was the 
 principal object of the battle. 
 
 By the battle of Lowoschutz, his Prussian 
 majesty became absolute master of Saxony. 
 Being informed that the original papers, re- 
 lating to the confederacy which had been 
 formed agamst him, were deposited in the 
 archives of Dresden, he demanded the keys 
 from the queen of Poland, w ho still remained 
 in that place, and acted with a dignity be- 
 coming her birth. Upon her refusal, he 
 ordered the doors to be forced, though not 
 without some imputation on his politeness, as 
 the queen of Poland opposed in person the 
 officer who executed the order. Having 
 obtained possession of these originals, he 
 immediately published them, as the best 
 justification of his proceedings in Saxony, 
 and his invasion of Bohemia. 
 
 During these transartions at Dresden, 
 |)rince Ferdinand of Brunswick had made 
 himself master of Leipsic. The Prussian 
 monarch, having rejoined his forces before 
 Pirna, his Saxon enemies were reduced to 
 the necesity of perishing by famine, or of 
 attemi)ting to cut their passage through the- 
 liussian detachments that surrounded them, 
 and forming a junction with the Austriaits.
 
 142 HISTORY OP ENGLAND, fCHAP. XI r. 
 
 Marshal Brown advanced to Aiteudorf to * a regular approach. The garrison consisted 
 facilitate their design, and they effected the j of about J 4U0 men, most of them newly-raised 
 passage of the Elbe ; but not being sufficiently j and inexperienced, and were connnanded by 
 acquainted with tlieir ground, they were soon ; lieutenant-colonel Mercer, an officer of ac- 
 entangled in the broken roads and narrow \ knowledged talent and courage. The attack 
 ravines which tiiey had to pass, and reduced \ of the place was formed by M. Montcalm, an 
 to such extreme distress, that they were \ officer remarkable for his vigilance and enter- 
 obliged to siurender at discretion. The king 1 prising spirit, with upwards of 2000 men 
 of Poland thus suffered the mortilication of j under his conmiand. The fort of Ontario 
 seeing his whole army, consisting of 17,000 j being deserted in a short time, was taken 
 men, lay down their arms. In this deplorable 1 possession of by the enemy ; after which they 
 condition, he sent a letter from the fortress of | kept up an unceasing fire upon the English 
 Koningstein, petitioning a safe passage for \ from its batteries. Colonel Mercer being 
 himself and his two sons to retire into Poland. I killed, and the garrison in the greatest con- 
 
 The affairs of America had been hitherto { fusion, they were obliged to capitulate, and 
 distinguished by the same gloomy aspect | surrender prisoners of war. Both forts were 
 with those of Great Britain. Major-general | immediately demolished. Several cruelties 
 Abercrombie arrived at New York on the ; were committed by the Indians on the English 
 25th of June, and took upon him the command \ prisoners, which the English commander did 
 of the troops there assembled, till such time \ not use the requisite endeavours to prevent, 
 as the earl of Loudon, who had already \ In violation of the articles of capitulation and 
 distinguished himself in the service of his i of humanity, he not only suffered the British 
 country, should arrive as commander-in-chief. ; officers and soldiers to be insulted, robbed, 
 A body of the enemy had formed an ambus- 1 and massacred by the Indians, bat gave up 
 cade, to intercept any reinforcements or \ 20 of the garrison, as an atonement to these 
 provisions that might be sent to relieve the j barbarians for the same number of their coun- 
 garrison of Oswego, which had hitherto been \ trymen, who had been killed in the siege, 
 shamefully neglected. A considerable convoy | They were put to death with the most ex- 
 of stores and provisions were, however, safely | cruciating torments. 
 
 conducted thither by colonel Bradstreet. ^ The earl of liOudon, who had been unac- 
 Returning with his detachment down the ;, countably detained in England, did not 
 river Onondaga, he was saluted with a general \ arrive in Albany till the 2.9th of May. No 
 charge of musquetry, from a party of Indians I determinate plan of operations had been 
 secreted among the bushes, which killed a i arranged ; the season was suffered to pass 
 considerable number of his men. The colonelj away, and the capture of Oswego by the 
 expected, and was prepared for such an \ enemy had dispirited the colonies, and pre- 
 attack. He immediately landed his men, and \ vented the adoption of any spirited enterprise, 
 taking possession of a small island, drove the ; His lordship, however, did all that remained 
 Indians from their lurking places. Proceeding | in his power to remedy the negligence of his 
 up the river, he attacked and defeated two ; predecessors in command. Every preparation 
 different parties of the enemy, with great ; was made for an early campaign in the spring. 
 slau"-hter, and returned to Albany without; He secured the frontiers, reinforced the gar- 
 further molestation. Intelligence being re- 5 risons, and endeavoured to remove that spirit 
 ceived from the prisoners that the French | of disaffection and inactivity, which had been 
 were preparicg to besiege Oswego, a regiment | disseminated among the different provinces, 
 of regulars, under the command of major- J To counteract the depression of the public 
 general Webb, was detached to its relief, but j mind, occasioned by a succession of disastrous 
 proved too late to afford any assistance. ; events, was the tirst object of'the new ministers. 
 
 The fort of Oswego was situated on the | and to do this, it was necessary to display a 
 south side of Lake Ontario, at (he mouth of; confidence in themselves. On the meeting of 
 the river Onondaga. On the opposite side : parliament in December, his majesty addressed 
 was another fort called Ontario. Both of ; the two houses in animated language, express- 
 these had been erected in a hasty and jnjudi- | iiig his assurance, that, under the blessing of 
 eious manner, and were incapable of resisting | Divine Providence, the union, fortitude, and
 
 CII.VIV MI. J CKORGE II. 143 
 
 all'ection of his people would enable him to | naiy auxiliaries. The general impression was 
 snnnoiiut all difticulties, and vindicate the » so warm and unconlrolable, that the populace 
 dJojiHt) of his crown agauist the antient enemy | were exasperated to insult and maltreat the 
 of Great Britain. He declared that the i inoffensive Germans. The return of these 
 succour and preservation of America con- v troops, therefore, to their native country was 
 stituted a principal object of his solicitude ; hailed with sincere and universal gratulations, 
 and attention ; and observed, that the growing ; and contributed in no inconsiderable degree to 
 dangers to which the British colonies might | the popularity of the ministers, and the con- 
 stand exposed, from recent losses in that i sequent success of those measures which 
 country, demanded resolutions of vigour and » required the support and sympathy of the 
 dispatch. He said, that an adequate and j whole community. 
 
 firm defence at home should occupy the chief; 'J'he inost liberal supplies were immediately 
 place in his thoughts ; that^ with a view to ; granted for carrying on the war. Fifty thou- 
 that object, he hsul nothing so much at heart : sand seamen and marines, and 40,000 men, 
 as to remove all ground of dissatisfaction from ^ were voted for the land service. Grants of 
 the minds of his people, and for that end he ; ir8,350,000 were made for the expences of 
 recommended to the care aud diligence of the ; govenitiieot. 'I'hese votes, however, did not 
 parliament, the framing of a national militia, « pass without some animadversion. When it 
 planned and regulated with an equal regard ^ was stated, that a great part of the troops 
 to the just rights of his crown and of his 5 were intended to form an army of observation, 
 people. After adverting to the danger which } for the defence of Hanover, and that a great 
 threatened the protestant interest in Germany, s part of the supplies were demanded . to 
 from the combination formed against it, he | enable his majesty to fulfil his engagements 
 told them, that he had ordered his electoral ! with the king of Prussia, it could not but 
 troops to be withdrawn, relying with pleasure j occur, even to the friends of the ministers, that 
 on the zeal and spirit of his people for the ; they had formerly opposed with intrepidity 
 defence of his person and realm. Every part ; the system of politics now adopted, by which 
 of this speech was acceptable to the nation, ; Great Britain, sacrificing the advantages of 
 but the last declaration was received with | her insular situation, had been seduced, by 
 peculiar satisfaction. To provide against the J her connection with Hanover, to become a 
 unfonmled dread of an invasion, a body of | principal in the wars of the continent. They 
 12,000 Hessians and Hannoverians, were com- ; expatiated on the enormous amount of the 
 niandcd over, and encamped in different parts ; debt, which had been already incurred by 
 of the kingdom. Tiiis measure contributed ! supporting this interference. These arguments, 
 to exasperate the resentment, and fon>ent the 5 whatever may be their force, (and as applied 
 turbulence of the people. They reprehended j to the connexon of Hanover with England 
 the minister for a measure so pusillanimous 5 they cannot easily be refuted,) were "over- 
 and disgraceful ; it was asserted in the houses | powered by the evident demands of the crisis, 
 of parliament, and echoed by the people, that ; and the necessity of counteracting the am- 
 by such a proceeding the liberties of the ; bition, and repelling the violence of France, 
 country were endangered, and ithat the em- I The address was expressed in language the 
 ployment of foreign troops evidently implied, ; most gratifying to the king, and the supplies 
 that tiie nation was incapable of defending i were granted with readiness aud liberality, 
 herself, aud must confide her safety to merce- j
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 GEOKGE II. 
 
 [l7o6.j 
 
 War in Iiniia — Classes of Indian Society — Expeflition against the Pirate Anuria — JJes- 
 truclion of his Capital — Capture of Calcutta — Horrible Scene of Human Misery in the 
 Slack Hole — Changes of Adininistration — Situation and Exploits of the Kiv<x of 
 Prussia — ISloclcade of Prague — Me treat of the Duke of Cumberland — Victory of Ros- 
 bach — Treaty of Clostcr-Stcven — Inhumanity of the King of Prussia. 
 
 I-T "tjT^STILTTIES had been carried | the Mahometans. Such are the circumstances 
 
 B m on in the East Indies, for some | of those Hindoos who inhabit the districts 
 
 years, before the courts of Great Britain and j conquered by the Mussehnen. But there are 
 
 France had come to an open rupture. By 5 also others, who, having never been subdued. 
 
 espousing the quarrels of the princes and * are still subject to their own rajabs and 
 
 nabobs of that country, a pretence was found x hereditary kings, whom I have just described, 
 
 for perpetual acts of warfare between the two 5 as only acknowledging a nominal superiority, 
 
 nations. Soon after the death of Aurengzebe, 5 by the payment of tribute or some act of 
 
 who was the last monarch of distinguished 5 fealty. In these circumstances Thamis 
 
 abilities, an universal degeneracy pervaded » Khouli Khan, or Nadir Shah, king of Persia, 
 
 the empire of Indostan, and those provinces | found the inhabitants of Indostan, when he 
 
 which were most distant from the seat of 5 invaded the empire in 1738, at the invitation 
 
 government, asserted their independence of » of Nizam al Moulouk, grand vizier and subah 
 
 his successor ; or were only in nominal sub- 1 of the Decan. That conqueror, after he had 
 
 servience to his authority, which they acknow- ^ reduced to subjection the pusillanimous em- 
 
 ledged, because it gave a sanction to their own I peror Mehemet, and had laid the empire 
 
 power. The inhabitants of the extensive and | under enormous contributions, compelled the 
 
 fertile country lying on both sides of the i Mogul to enter into a treaty with him, by 
 
 Ganges, and extending from that river to the | which it was stipulated, that the functions of 
 
 Indus on the west, and to Cape Comorin on ; grand vizier, and those of subah, originally an 
 
 the south, are of two distinct descriptions : ; officer invested with the authority of viceroy, 
 
 the Hindoos or Gentoos, who are the Abo- \ or vicar-general ni a certain division of theem- 
 
 rigines of Indostan ; and the Musselmen or ; pire, should be rendered hereditary in the fanii- 
 
 Mahometans, who are descended from those > lies of the present possessors; and theambitious 
 
 Arabs, Persians, and Tartars, who have at ; Nizam al Moulouk was confirmed in the subah- 
 
 different times invaded India, and gradually | ship of the Decan, whichconstitutedathird part 
 
 extended their conquests through the whole ; of the Mogul enipire. 
 
 of the peninsula. The Hindoos, a mild and J Suboruinatk to the dignity of subah was 
 industrious people, are employed under 5 the office of the nabobs; who, by the con- 
 Zini'dindars, or land-holders, either in manu- ! stitution of the empire, were governors of 
 fiictures. or in the labours of husbandry. The > provinces, nominated by the emperor, and 
 Zimiendars are themselves dependent on their ; confirmed by tlie Mogul. Of those in the 
 Musselmen-lords ; and all the oiHces of state, ! Decan, tiie chief was the nabobship of Arcol., 
 tlie lucrative employments, and the judicial ; or the Carnalic, extending along the Coro- 
 a4id military appointments are in the hands of ; uiandel coast, from Gfipe Comorin to the
 
 CHAP. XIII.J GEORGE II- 146 
 
 river Kistna, and comprisinpj the territories of | neighbourhood of Bombay, who was forini- 
 the rajah of Taiijore, and the states of Ma- i dable to all tlie European powers, and had 
 dura and Mazara, which were tributary to | particularly distressed and annoye^J the 
 the nabob. j Enj^hsh, from his vicinity to their settlements. 
 
 The nabob of Arcot, having been deposed » This piratical state had existed longer than a 
 by the Mogul, and another appointed in his | century. Its founder was Rouna Ji Angua. 
 room, had recourse to the French, who on ! He took possession of the small island of 
 certain conditions engaged to reinstate him in | Severndroog, and for some time continued his 
 his government. With their assistance he ; attacks on Indian vessels trading along that 
 attacked, defeated, and slew his competitor, 5 coast. Grown bolder by success, he attacked 
 resumed the government of Arcot, and punc- ; without distinction the ships of all nations, 
 tually performed the conditions which had ; Under his successors this little nest of robbers 
 been stipulated with his French allies. | flourished and increased, and it became the 
 
 Mahommf.d Ali Khan, the son of the 5 mutual iuterei^^t of the European powers, 
 deceased nabob, solicited the aid of the | however divided in their views, to extirpate 
 English, who assisted him with men, money, | this lawless and universal invader. The 
 and ammunition. Under the pretence of ; Portuguese joined the English in 1722, and 
 actitig as auxiliaries to these princes, the | attempted to destroy the place of their resort; 
 English and French East India Company | but their expedition proved disgraceful and 
 emleavoured to obtain the expulsion of each | abortive : and a similar enterprise, undertaken 
 other from the peninsula. Victory, however, > by the Dutch in 1724, was equally unfortu- 
 for the most part, declared in favour of the j nale. At length the Marattahs, a fierce and 
 English, Mahommed Ali Khan Mas placed ! rapacious people, upon Angrias refusing to 
 on the throne of his father, and the French, ; pay the customary tribute, agreed to attack 
 reduced by repeated defeats, were obliged to ; the common enemy by land, while the English 
 act on the defensive. A mutual agreement \ attacked them by sea. Admiral Watson, 
 was at last entered into by both companies; ; accompanied by colonel Clive, who command- 
 by which it was stipulated, that they should i ed the land forces, .sailed from Bombay on the 
 reciprocally restore the territories taken by i 7th of February, and on the 12th anchored 
 each since the year 1748, and that for the ; otf the harbour and fort of Geriah, the princi- 
 future neither should interfere in the difi'erences ; pal residence of Angria. The chief had 
 between the princes of the country. In this ; quitted the place; but his wife and family 
 •war, the extraordinary talents of Mr. Clive, | remained under the protection of his brother- 
 who had formerly served in a civil station, » in-law, who, on being summoned to surrender, 
 were for the first time displayed. The tran- ^ by a message froni the admiral, replied, that 
 quillity produced by this treaty was but of! he would defend the place to the last extre- 
 short duration. The restless ambition ofimity. Upon this, about five in the afternoon, 
 the French could not brook the superiority i the whole English fleet sailed into the harbour, 
 which the English maintained in India. In- \ and in a few minutes silenced the enemy's 
 sidious intrigue was employed in the place of ; batteries. Angria's fleet was set on fire by 
 open hostility. They endeavoured to foment | the bursting of a shell, and soon after tlie 
 animohities among the nabobs who favoured 5 magazine of the fort blew up. At five in the 
 the English, or were under their protection, ; morning the place surrendered, and was 
 and again a; sistcd their enemies with troops i taken possession of by the English, who found 
 to oppose them. \ a great number of cannon, a large quantity of 
 
 In consequence of an application from the \ ammunition, and money, and effects, to the 
 English East India Company, government « value of £130,000. Among the prisoners 
 liad dispatched a small fleet under the com- | were Angria's wife, children, and mother, 
 niands of 1 ear-admirals Watson and Pocock, ! whom the adnwral treated with becoming 
 to .-upporl their pretensions, and to protect ; humanity. 
 
 their commerce. On the arrival of this squad- | Soon after the admiral's return from tliis 
 ron at Fori St. David's, it was judged ad- « enterprise, an event occurred, which clouded 
 viseable that they should proceed to the • for a tune the prospects of the company, an^ 
 attack of Angria, a piratical prince iu the I excited one general feeling of alarm an^ 
 
 u 10
 
 146 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XIU. 
 
 indignation. A custom had for some time 
 prevailed in these countries, which was pro- 
 ductive of the most pernicious consequences. 
 The governors of all the European provinces 
 had assumed the right of granting an asylum 
 to such of the natives of the country as were 
 afraid of oppression or of punishment ; ob- 
 taining for these acts of protection very con- 
 siderable bribes. One of the chief officers of 
 Bengal had taken refuge at Calcutta, in order 
 to escape the penalties of his crime. Surajah 
 Doulah, the subah of Bengal, was greatly 
 incensed at this proceeding ; and being like- 
 wise irritated by the inattention paid to his 
 claims of certain duties, he levied a numerous 
 army, marched to Calcutta, and invested the 
 place, which was then destitute of defence. 
 The governor, under the pretence of being a 
 quaker, took refuge on board a ship in the 
 river, accompanied by the ladies and coun- 
 sellors, with their most valuable effects, and 
 the books of the company. Mr. Hoi well, 
 the second in command, declared that he 
 would stay and defend the place to the last 
 extremity, though 100 soldiers of the garrison 
 had accompanied the party that fled on board. 
 With the assistance of a few gallant officers, 
 he defended the fort for three days with 
 uncommon courage and resolution. At last, 
 overpowered by numbers, deserted by his 
 soldiers, and the enemy having forced their 
 way into the castle, he was obliged to submit ; 
 the suhuh promising, on ihe word of a soldier, 
 that no injury shoiild be done to him or to 
 his garrison. 
 
 A SCENE now occurred, unparalleled in 
 the annals of iidiumanity, and to which no 
 language can do justice. 
 
 Ar tive the nabob entered the fort, accom- 
 panied by his general Meer Jaffier, and most 
 of tiie principal officers of ins army. He 
 immediately (.rtlered Omichuiid and Kissen- 
 dass to l)e brought before him, and received 
 them witli civility ; and having bid some 
 officers go and take possession of the com- 
 pany's ireasury, he proceeded to the prmcipal 
 apartment of the factory, where he sat in state, 
 and received the conipliuients of his court 
 and attendants, in mvignilicent expressions of 
 his prowess and good i'ortune. Soon after he 
 sent for Mr. Hohvell, to whom he expressed 
 much reseutnieiit at the presumption of the 
 English in daring to delend the fort, and 
 much dissatisfaction at the smaUuess of the 
 
 sum found in the treasury, which did not 
 exceed fifty thousand rupees. Mr. Holwell 
 had two other conferences with him on this 
 subject, before seven o'clock, when the nabob 
 dismissed him with repeated assurances, on 
 the word of a soldier, that he should suffer 
 no harm. 
 
 Mr. Holwell, returning to his unfortunate 
 companions, found them assembled, and sur- 
 rounded with a strong guard. Several build- 
 ings on the north and south sides of the fort 
 were already in flames, which approached 
 with so thick a smoke on either hand, that the 
 prisoners imagined their enemies had caused 
 this conflagration, in order to suffocate them 
 between the two fires. On each side of the 
 eastern gate of the fort extended a range of 
 chambers, adjoining to the curtain ; and 
 before the chambers a varanda, or open 
 gallery : it was of arched masonry, and in- 
 tended to shelter the soldiers from the sun 
 and rain, but, being low, almost totally ob- 
 structed the chambers behind from the light 
 and air ; and whilst some of the guard were 
 looking into other parts of the factory, for 
 proper places to confine the prisoners during 
 the night, the rest ordered them to assemble in 
 ranks under the varanda, on the right hand 
 of the gateway, where they remained for some 
 time, with so little suspicion of their impendmg 
 fate, that they laughed among themselves at 
 the seeming oddity of this disposition, and 
 amused themselves with conjecturing what 
 they should next be ordered to do. About 
 eight o'clock, those who had been sent to 
 examine the rooms reported, that they found 
 none fit for the purpose. On which the 
 principal officer conmianded the prisoners to 
 go into one of the rooms which stood behind 
 them, along the varanda. It was the common 
 dungeon of the garrison, who used to call it 
 the black hole. Many of the prisoners, know- 
 ing the place, began to expostulate ; upon 
 which the officer ordered his men to cut 
 down those who hesitated ; on which the 
 prisoners obeyed. But before all were within, 
 the room was so thronged that the last entered 
 with difficulty. The guard immediately closed 
 and locked the door ; confining one hundred 
 aufl forty-six persons in a room not twenty 
 feet srjuare, with only two small windows, 
 and these obstructed by the varaiuJa. 
 
 It was the hottest season of the year, and 
 the night uuconimonly sultry even at this
 
 CHAP. XIII.] 
 
 GEORGG II 
 
 147 
 
 seasou. The excessive presstire of their bodies 
 against one another, and tlie intolerable heat 
 ■which prevailed as soon as the door was shut, 
 convinced the prisoners tliat it was impossible 
 to live through the night in this horrible con- 
 tinemeiit ; and violent attempts were imme- 
 diately made to force the door; but without 
 effect, for it opened inward : on which many 
 began to give a loose to rage. Mr. Hohvell, 
 who had placed himself at one of the win- 
 dows, exhorted them to remain composed both 
 in body and mind, as the only means of sur- 
 viving the night, and his remonstrances pro- 
 duced a short interval of quiet ; during which 
 lie applied to an old jensautdar, who bore 
 some marks of iiinnanity in his countenance, 
 promising to give him a thousand rupees in 
 the morning, if he would separate the prison- 
 ers into two chambers. The old man went 
 to try, but returning in a few minutes, said it 
 was impossible. — Mr. Hohvell offered him a 
 larger sum ; on which he retired once more, 
 and returned with the fatal sentence, that no 
 relief could be expected, because the nabob 
 ■was asleep, and no one dared to wake him. 
 
 In the mean time, every minute had in- 
 creased their sufferings. The first effect of 
 their confinement was a profuse and continued 
 sweat, which soon produced intolerable thirst, 
 succeeded by excruciating pains in the breast, 
 ■ivith difficulty of breathing little short of 
 suffocation. Various means were tried to 
 obtain more room and air. Every one 
 stripped off his clothes; every hat was put in 
 motion ; and these methods affording no 
 relief, it was proposed that they should all 
 hit down on their hams at the same time, and 
 after remaining a short time in this posture, 
 rise all together. This fatal expedient Avas 
 thrice repeated before they had been confined 
 an hour; and every time, several, unable to 
 rear themselves up again, fell, and were 
 trampled to death by their companions. At- 
 tempts were again made to force the doer, 
 which, failing as before, redoubled their rage : 
 but their thirst increasing, nothing but water ! 
 water ! became soon after tiie general cry. 
 The good jemautdar immediately ordered 
 some skins of water to be brought .to the 
 wmdows ; but, instead uf relief, his benevo- 
 lence became a more dreadful cause of de- 
 struction ; for the sight of the water threw 
 every one into such excessive agitation and 
 ravings, that, unable to resist this violent 
 
 u 2 
 
 impulse of nature, none could wait to be 
 regularly served, but each, with the utmost 
 ferocity, battled against those who were likely 
 to get it before him ; and in these conflicts 
 many were either pressed to death with the 
 efforts of others, or suffocated by their own. 
 This scene, instead of])roducing compassion 
 in the guard without, only excited their mirth : 
 and they held up lights to the bars, in order to 
 have the diabolical satisfaction of seeing the 
 deplorable contentions of the sufferers within ; 
 wlio, finding it impossible to get any water 
 whilst it was thus furiously disputed, at 
 length suffered those who were nearest to the 
 windows to convey it in their hats to those 
 behind them. It proved no relief either to 
 their thirst or their sufferings ; for the fever 
 increased every moment with the increasing 
 depravity of the air in the dungeon, which had 
 been so often respired, and was saturated 
 with the hot and deleterious effluvia of putri- 
 fyiug bodies, of which the stench was little 
 less than mortal. Before midnight, all who 
 were alive, and had not partaken of the air at 
 the windows, were either in a lethargic stupe- 
 faction, or raving with delirium. — Every kind 
 of invective and abuse was uttered, in hopes 
 of provoking the guard to put an end to their 
 miseries, by firing into the dungeon ; and 
 whilst some were blaspheming their Creator 
 with the ■ frantic execrations of torment in 
 despair. Heaven was implored by otlieis with 
 wild and incoherent prayers ; until the 
 weaker, exhausted by these agitations, at 
 length lay down quietly, and expired on the 
 bodies of their dead or agonizing friends. 
 Those who still survived, in the inward part 
 of the dungeon, finding that the water had 
 afforded them no relief, made a last effort to 
 obtain air, by endeavouring to scramble over 
 the heads of those, who had stood between 
 them and the window.^, where the utmost 
 strength of every one w as employed lor two 
 hours, either in maintaining his own ground, 
 or endeavouring to get that of which others 
 were in possession. All regards of com- 
 passion and affection were lost, and no one 
 would recede or give way for the relief of 
 another. Fainlness sometiuies gave short 
 pauses of quiet; but the first motion of any 
 one renewed the struggle through all, under 
 which, ever and anon some one sunk to rise 
 no more. At two o'clock, not more than 
 fifty remained alive. But even this number
 
 148 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. XIII. 
 
 were too many to partake of the saving air, 
 the contest for which, and life, continued 
 until the morn, long implored, began to 
 break ; and, with the hope of relief, gave the 
 few survivors a view of the dead. The sur- 
 vivors then at the window, finding that their 
 intreaties could not prevail on the guard to 
 open the door, it occurred to Mr. Cook, the 
 secretary of the council, that Mr. Holwell, 
 if alive,'niighl have more influence to obtain 
 their reliei; and two of the company under- 
 taking the search, discovered him, having still 
 some signs of life ; but when they brought 
 him towards the window, every one refused 
 to quit his place, excepting captain Mills, 
 who, with rare generosity, offered to resign 
 his; on which the rest likewise agreed to 
 make room. He had scarcely begun to 
 recover his senses, before an officer, sent by 
 the nabob, came and euquired if the English 
 chief survived ; and soon after the same man 
 returned with an order to open the prison. 
 The dead were so thronged, and the survivors 
 had so little strength remaining, that lliey 
 were employed near half an hour in removing 
 the bodies which lay against the door, before 
 they could clear a passage to go out one at 
 a time; when, of one hundred and fortj-six 
 who went in, no more than twenty-three came 
 out alive, the ghastliest forms that ever were 
 seen. The nabobs troops beheld them, and 
 the haveck of death from which they had 
 escaped, with indiflerence ; but did not pre- 
 vent them from removing to a distance, and 
 were immediately obliged, by the intolerable 
 stench, to clear the dungeon, whilst others 
 dug a ditch on the outside of the fort, into 
 which all the dead bodies were promiscuously 
 thrown. 
 
 The deliverance of the few who remained 
 alive, was neither owing to compassion nor to 
 regret. The subah had been informed, that 
 there was a considerable treasure secreted in 
 the fort, and that Mr. Holwell knew where 
 it was deposited. It was in vain that he 
 solemnly declared his ignorance of such a 
 treasure ; the subah gave no credit to his 
 
 grotestations, but ordered him and three of 
 is friends to be conveyed, loaded with fetters, 
 to the Indian camp. Every variety of torment 
 I was inflicted, in the hope of obtaining the 
 disclosure of the imaginary secret, or in the 
 rage of disappointment, till, after a variety of 
 sufferings, for which eveu the subah at last 
 
 I appeared to display some indications of com- 
 I passion, they were permitted to retire to a 
 neighbouring settlement, belonging to the 
 Dutch. 
 
 While these unfortunate events continued, 
 for some time, to depress that spirit of exul- 
 tation and of contidence, which had been 
 excited by the fall of Angria ; the public 
 mind at home was equally agitated, by the 
 dismission from office of the favourites of the 
 people. The weight of parliamentary influ- 
 ence possessed by the former ministers, still 
 gave them importance ; and they had secured 
 their sovereign's favour, by gratifying his 
 attachment for the electorate of Hanover, and 
 his propensity to interfere with the affairs of 
 the- continent, as a prince of the empire. 
 Several propositions peculiarly acceptable to 
 the court, on these and other topics, were 
 opposed by Mr. Pitt and his adherents, and 
 this opposition was exaggerated by the asso- 
 ciates of the old ministry, who still hovered 
 about the throne. The consequence of their 
 intrigues was the perenijitory dismission of 
 the ministers from their respective offices, and 
 Mr. Pitt, by his majesty's express command, 
 resigned the seals on the 5th of April. 
 
 As the politics of this period were com- 
 plicated and mysterious, it will be necessary 
 to delineate the characters of the different 
 parties who advanced pretensions to the 
 management of the state. They consisted of 
 three different factions : the first, highly res- 
 pectable for their rank and fortune, possessed 
 of a considerable share of parliamentary 
 interest, and commanding influence over the 
 monied classes, was composed of those who 
 had grown into place and power under the 
 old ministry. Tlieir adulation and subser- 
 vience had rendered them respected by the 
 king ; but in some material requisites of 
 political distinction, their weakness was con- 
 spicuous ; they were deficient in popularity 
 and in talent. The second party, though 
 superior in point of abilities, was possessed of 
 less parliamentary interest, and was much 
 more unpopular. Their influence entirely 
 depended on their connection with the prince 
 of Wales, and after his death gradually 
 subsided. The third party, of wjiich Mr. 
 Pitt was the most conspicuous leader, had 
 little influence in parliament, and less at 
 court ; but they possessed in a high degree 
 j the support and confidence of tht; peopi*,.
 
 CHAP XTII.J 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 149 
 
 The two former were strenuous advocates ; 
 for standing armies, for a strict coimection ! 
 with the continent, and for the necessity of? 
 securinc: a majority in the houses of parlia- ! 
 ment, by the liberal donation of pensions and \ 
 sinecures. The third and popular party was \ 
 actuated by principles of a diflVrent nature. ; 
 They viewed, indeed, (he increasing power ; 
 of France in the same light with the two 5 
 former, and acquiesced in the necessity of; 
 prescribing bounds to its extension ; but they | 
 differed widely in the means to be used for > 
 that purpose. They were anxious to render i 
 the nulitary operations of Great Britain en- 
 tirely subservient to our naval strength. The 
 sea, they contended, was our natural element, 
 ■while the superiority of France is confined to 
 the continent. Our government, (hey asserted, 
 stood in no need of a standing army, which 
 ■•.vas always dangerous to freedom, and a well- 
 trained militia would be our best security 
 against invasion. They conceived it possible 
 to influence the minds of men by nobler mo- 
 tives than that of interest ; the minister who 
 governs uprightly will never be opposed by | 
 the people. s 
 
 The kingdom was filled with consternation \ 
 at the dismissal of a ministry, on whom the \ 
 nation relied to retrieve its honour. Addresses 
 •were presented to the throne from all quarters, 
 bearing the most liononrable testimony to 
 their conduct, and entreating their restoration, 
 as necessary to the salvation of the country. 
 It was found expedient to attend to the 
 national voice ; and his majesty sacrificing 
 Jiis private resentments to the wishes of the 
 people, Mr. Pitt and Mr. Legge were restored 
 to their former stations. The unpopular party, 
 however, was not entirely excluded from a 
 share in the administration. Their influence 
 in the privy council, and credit in the house 
 of commons, were too considerable to be 
 despised or neglected. The duke of ISew- 
 castle was therefore promoted to the station 
 of first lord of the treasury. Lord Anson 
 "was appointed first lord of the admiralty ; 
 lord Temple privy-seal ; Mr. Fox paymaster 
 of the forces ; the duke of Devonshire cham- 
 berlain; and lord Gower master of the horse. 
 The measures already pursued by the ]\ew- 
 castle administration had led us too far from 
 the line of naval policy advocated by Mr. 
 Pitt, to permit us to retreat with safety and 
 v,'ith honour. He would not have promoted 
 
 our active interference with the afTairs of the 
 continent ; but to violate our engagements 
 now that it had been made, would have been 
 equally dangerous and dishonourable. The 
 most vigorous measures were therefore adopt- 
 ed, to support the cause of our continental 
 allies, by immediate resistance and powerful 
 diversion ; and the long and splendid suc- 
 cession of glorious events, which it will be 
 soon our pleasing duty to record, present tlie 
 best testimony to the promptitude, tiie vigour, 
 and sagacity of the minister. 
 
 It was fortunate, indeed, for England, that 
 the fortitude of the individual, to whom the 
 guidance of her affairs was entrusted, was 
 equal to his other qualities : for such was 
 the situation of the king of Prussia, at the 
 opening of the campaign, that a less virtuous 
 and intrepid minister would have aVjandoned 
 the contest in despair. In the preceding- 
 summer, a process had been commenced 
 against Frederic in the Aulic council, and 
 before the diet of the empire. The influence 
 of a family, in which the empire had so long 
 been hereditary, and the formidable confede- 
 racy against him, intimidated his friends, and 
 his enemies eagerly seized the opportunity to 
 reduce his power. He was condemned for 
 contumacy, and it was notified to him, that 
 he was placed under the ban of the empire, 
 and fallen from all the dignities and posses- 
 sions he held under it. The contingents of 
 men and money, ordered to be furnished by 
 the circles of the empire, to put thi.s^ sentence 
 in execution, were, however, slowly collected. 
 His victory at Lowoschutz had been attended 
 wuh uo other consequence than the surrender 
 of the jiass at Pirua. The Austrian avmy 
 in Bohemia, commanded by prince Charles 
 of Lorraine and 31. Brown, amounted to 
 upwards of 100,000 men. The czarina sent 
 00,000 men, under the commajid of M. 
 Apraxin, assisted by a powerful fleet, to 
 invade Ducal Prussia; and the Swedes, in 
 hopes of recovering what they had lost in 
 Ponierania, joined the same confederacy, 
 being aided by 0000 troops of Mecklenburgh. 
 
 In this perilous situation, threatened on all 
 sides, and apparently on the brink of destruc- 
 tion, the Prussian monarch had no othei 
 foundations of self-confidence than his own 
 abilities, and the superior valour and discipliue 
 of his troops. Far from being daunted at 
 the formidable confederacy against him, h^
 
 150 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 
 
 [chap. XI it. 
 
 prepared for the contest with a cool rapidity 
 peculiar to himself. He distinguished between 
 difficulties and impossibilities ; and being 
 never discouraged by the former, sometimes 
 appeared to execute the latter. He divided 
 his army into three bodies, which penetrated, 
 at the same time, by different routes into 
 Bohemia ; determining to carry the war as 
 far from home as possible. The first body 
 was commanded by M. Schwerin, and 
 entered that kingdom from Silesia ; the 
 second, under the prince of Bevern, marched 
 from Lusatia ; and the third was commanded 
 by the king in person. 
 
 As a prelude to the campaign, the prince of 
 Bevern, on the 21st of April, having possessed 
 himself of some strong posts on the frontiers 
 of Bohemia, marched to attack the Austrian 
 army, amounting to 20,000 men, commanded 
 by count Konigseg, and posted near lleichen- 
 bach. The action began at half an hour after 
 six in the morning, and continued until eleven. 
 The Austrians were defeated and put to 
 flight ; their loss amounting to 1000 men 
 killed and wounded, while that of the Prus- 
 sians did not exceed ]50. 
 
 The king of Prussia, on receiving informa- 
 tion of this victory, published the account at 
 the head of his army, by whom it was received 
 with repeated acclamations of applause. This 
 advantage, at the beginning of the campaign, 
 was productive of the most salutary conse- 
 quences to his Prussian majesty. It facili- 
 tated his future operations, intimidated his 
 enemies, and animated his own troops to a 
 spirit of desperate enterprise. The Prussian 
 armies were now in such a situation, that a 
 junction could be formed whenever it should 
 be thought necessary. The intention of| 
 Frederic was to draw the enemy, if possible, ■ 
 \o a general engagement. They were superior 
 vO him in number, and were encamped in a 
 place so strongly fortitied, by nature and art, 
 as to be almost ini pregnable. It was neces- 
 sary, therefore, to accomplish that object by 
 stratagem, which strength and bravery alone 
 could not have effected. After making a 
 feint as if he intended to proceed towards 
 Agria, the king of Prussia turned suddenly to 
 the left, and joined the other divisions of his 
 force at the place of rendezvous. By this 
 movement, a body of 20,000 men, which had 
 been detached from the Austrian army to 
 observe his motions, were debarred from all 
 
 communication with their main body. Elated 
 by this advantage, he was resolved to attack 
 the enemy, notwithstanding his own disparity 
 of force. The Austrians, though amounting- 
 to 100,000 men, were sensible of the talents 
 of their adversary, and determined to act with 
 caution. Their commanders, prince Ciiarles 
 of Lorraine and M. Brown, determined not 
 to march in quest of the Prussian monarch ; 
 but to wait his united force in their camp, and 
 cover the city of Prague from insult. 
 
 The river Egra runs from the western 
 boundary of Bohemia, and falls into the Elbe 
 between Dresden and Prague, a little above 
 Lowoschutz, where Frederic had obtained 
 the victory we have recorded in the preceding 
 year. Prague is the capital of the kingdom 
 of Bohemia, and is situated on both sides of 
 the Moldaw, a considerable river, which, 
 running northwards, falls into the Elbe, higher 
 up than the Egra. Frederic was encamped, 
 on the .3rd of May, between the Moldaw and 
 the hills called Weissenburg. Prince Charles 
 of Lorraine, who had a few days before taken 
 the command of the Austrians, had encamped 
 on the right, or east bank of the Moldaw, his 
 left being supported by a hill, and his right 
 extending towards Sterboholi, where he had 
 posted the greatest part of his cavalry. 
 Frederic, leaving one half of his army on the 
 east side of the same river, under the orders 
 of marshal Keith and prince Maurice of 
 Anhalt-Dessau ; and with the other half 
 crossed tlie river and encamped on the east 
 side, near to Czimitz. Marshal Schwerin, 
 arriving next morning, formed w ith his corps 
 the left wing of Frederic's army, which now 
 consisted of about 08,000 men. A deep ravine, 
 which lay in front of his left, rendered it 
 unattackable. The battle was begun by a 
 successful charge of the Prussian cavalry on 
 those of the Austrians. The infantry then 
 advanced to the attack with more impetuosity 
 than prudence, and were received with such 
 a tremendous tire of artillery, that they were 
 compelled to retire. In this crisis of the 
 engagement, marshal Schwerin, who at the 
 age of 80 years retained all the fire of youth, 
 seeing his troops giving way, seized a pair of 
 colours, and placing himself at the head of 
 his regiment, exclaimed, " Let all brave 
 Prussians follow rae." The attack was then 
 renewed with such spirit, that the Austrians 
 were soon routed, and a signal victory was
 
 CHAP. XIIl] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 151 
 
 1757. 
 
 obtaiiiefl, the enemy having lost 19,000 men 
 .slain, and 5000 taken prisoners, with 1 1 
 standards and 60 pieces of artillery. This 
 loss was balanced, on the part of the Prussians, 
 by the loss of 10,000 men, anions: whom was 
 the brave old Schwerin, who was found 
 among the slain, grasping the colours in his 
 band. 
 
 By the event of this battle, it was 
 expected that the Prussians would 
 invest Prague ; which they immediately did, 
 the king commanding on one side, and mar- 
 shal Keith on the other. In four days all 
 communication from without was cut off, the 
 whole city being surrounded with lines and 
 entrenihments. — The number of forces shut 
 up within the walls amounted to 50,000, 
 besides a great many persons of the first 
 rank, viz. prince Charles of Lorraine, marshal 
 Brown, the princes of Saxony, the prince of 
 Modena, the duke d'Areniberg, count Lacy, 
 and several others of great distinction. It 
 was generally imagined, that this city would 
 necessarily fall a sacrifice to the victorious 
 army, the numbers wiihin serving no other 
 purpose than to consume the provisions of 
 a garrison, then but indifferently supplied. 
 Immediately after the blockade was formed, 
 the Prussians took possession of Cziscaberg, 
 an eminence which commanded the town, on 
 which the Austrians had a strong redoubt. 
 The besieged made several vigorous, but 
 ineffectual attempts, to recover this post, 
 \ihich was defended by the Prussians with 
 the utmost lesolution. — In order to ease 
 
 the city of the multitude of forces cooped \ considerable loss. They renewed the attack 
 up useless within the walls, it was resolved \ three limes, and were as often beat back, the 
 
 Moldaw, it is proI>able the enemy intended 
 to destroy the batteries that were raising, and 
 to attack the bridges of communication which 
 the Prussians ha<l thrown over the Moldaw 
 at Branick and Podaba, about a quarter of 
 a German mile above and below the city. 
 The alarm began about two o'clock, the enemy 
 hoping lo come unexpectedly upon the 
 miners; but in this they were disappointed. 
 The piquet of the third battalion of the Prus- 
 sian guards, who were to sustain the body 
 V, liich covered the works, was thrown into con- 
 fusion at the first fire from the enemy, owing 
 to the darkness of the night, which rendered 
 it injpossible to distinguish the Austrian 
 troops from their own. A lieutenant, who 
 was detached with a party to reconnoitre the 
 enemy, endeavoured, by lighting a fire, to 
 discover their disposition. This had the 
 effect of itjforming captain Rodig, who com- 
 manded the piquet, of their situation, who 
 immediately attacked them on the flank, 
 giving orders to his men to fire in platoons ; 
 upon which the enemy fled with the greatest 
 precipitation, i)eing ignorant of the strength of 
 the piquet, as the shouting of the Prussian 
 soldiers made them mistake it for a numerous 
 body. PSumbers deserted, some took shelter 
 in Prague, and many were forced into the 
 river, and drowned. — A regiment of the 
 enemy's horse-grenadiers, at the time this 
 attack began, supported by the Hungarian 
 infantry, endeavoured to surprise a redoubt, 
 under an incessant fire upon the whole front 
 of the Prussians ; but were repulsed with 
 
 to attack the Prussian army in the night, 
 with a body of twelve thousand men, sustained 
 by all the grenadiers, volunteers, Pandours, 
 and Hungarian infantry, and thus, if possible, 
 to open a way, sword in hand, through the 
 ca-mp of the Ijesiegers. 
 
 THr; Prussians, having received intelligence 
 of this design by a deserter, took proper 
 measures for their reception, and m less than 
 a quarter of an hour they were all under arms. 
 But notwithstanding the Prussians were 
 warned of this attempt, it was conducted 
 with so much silence, that nothing was dis- 
 covered before the Austrians charged their 
 advanced posts. From their beginning the 
 attack on marshal Keith's camp, and the left 
 wing of the Prussian army, encamped on the 
 
 Prussians maintaining the post w ith a firmness 
 and resolution not to be described. On this 
 occasion the battalion of prince Ferdinand of 
 Brunswick suffered greatly. 
 
 At three in the n)orniug, the Prussians 
 marched out of their camp to meet the eneiuy. 
 Part of the army attacked a building called 
 Red-house, at the bottom of a declivity before 
 Wellastowitz. The Pandours, who were in 
 possession of this house, fired upon them 
 incessantly from all the doors and windows, 
 but were at last dislodged. For about two 
 hours the Prussian army were obliged to 
 sustain the fire of the enemy's whole cannon 
 and musketry, which did much execution. At 
 length, the Prussians having abandoned the 
 Red-house, owing lo the continued fire which
 
 152 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XIII. 
 
 Mas kept upon it iVoiii tJie artillery of Prague, 
 the Paudours again took possession of it; 
 and the rest of ihe enemy retired to the city, 
 Avitliout in the least etleciiug their design, 
 leaving behind them many dead and wounded, 
 besides deserters. The Prussians upon this 
 occasion niade a few prisoners, although they 
 suffered tiie loss of several officer's and private 
 men. Prince Ferdinand, the king of Prussia's 
 youngest brother, was slightly wounded in 
 the face, and likewise had a horse shot under 
 him. 
 
 Hitherto neither of the parties had re- 
 ceived very considerable damage, the opera- 
 tions of the Prussians being confined to a 
 silent blockade, and those of the Austrians 
 to a few slight sallies, in which they were 
 generally repulsed with loss. But the Prus- 
 sian works being at length completed, and 
 their heavy artillery arrived, they opened four 
 batteries erected on the banks of the Moldaw, 
 and began to play furiously on the city. In 
 the space of twenty-four hours they threw in 
 no less than three hundred bombs, besides an 
 infinite quantity of red hot balls, which set 
 the city on hre in several places. — The king 
 of Prussia has on this occasion been censured 
 for w ant of humanity ; and indeed the generals 
 on both sides seem to have been actuated by 
 the most horrid barbarity. V\ hen the con- 
 flagration had lasted for three days, and tlie 
 inhabitants saw their city on the point of 
 being redticed to a mass of rubbish, they in a 
 body petitioned the commander to hearken 
 to terms ; but, instead of granting their re- 
 quest, he turned out 12,000 persons, the least 
 useful in the defence of the city. These were 
 again forced back by the Prussians, which 
 soon brought on a famine, and reduced both 
 the garrison and inhabitants to the necessity 
 of Ji\iiig on horse-flesh, and even that was 
 given out in a very sparing manner. In this 
 melancholy situation, the inhabitants saw no 
 end to their miseries, but by a speedy capitu- 
 lation, which the commander, who saw himself 
 at the head of a numerous, well-appointed, 
 and desperate army, v-as determined by no 
 means to listen to. Several resolute and well- 
 conducLed sallies were made, but without 
 success, being always rendered fruitless by 
 the vigilance and determined bravery of the 
 Prussians. 
 
 It no doubt will appear a faV)le to postrrity, 
 that near 50,000 men, with a tiaiu of artiiltiy, 
 
 arms, &c. should submit to be shut up for 
 six weeks, and reduced to extremity^ by an 
 army of equal force. That of the king did 
 not certainly, at the end of May, exceed that 
 of the Austrians ; which will appear evident, 
 if we consider how many men he had lost in 
 the battle, by sickness, desertion, and the 
 numberless detached corps. This army, 
 small as it was, formed a chain of posts, 
 which extended many miles, and was more- 
 over separated by the Moldaw ; over which 
 they communicated by two bridges only ; the 
 one above, and the other below the town : so 
 that, in fact, the Austrians, had they chose to 
 inarch out of the place, woidd have had no 
 more than half the Prussian army to contend 
 with : why therefore they did not, no man that 
 has the least idea of military aflairs, can ever 
 comprehend. A torrent carried one of the 
 bridges away ; yet did they still continue 
 quiet, and let sli]> this favourable opportunity, 
 without making any alten>pt to go out. We 
 have been very often on the ground about 
 Prague, and must own it is, and will be, a 
 matter of wonder and astonishment, that no 
 effort was made to march out. Had they- 
 attacked the Prussians, thus separated by a 
 great river, and divided into so many small 
 detachments, they could not fail in their at- 
 tempt; they must have destroyed their army. 
 It is no less surprising, that so great a general 
 as the king of Prussia should think it possible 
 to reduce an army of 50,000 men, in such an 
 extensive town as Prague, with one of equal 
 force. The supineness of the Austrians 
 justified this attempt, and saved his army 
 from inevitable destruction. — The celebrated 
 M. BelleislCj who knew Prague perfectly 
 well, had, in the preceding war, with 15,000 
 men, defended it for many months against the 
 Austrians ; and, being at last reduced to the 
 greatest extremity, quitted it with 12,000 
 men, and retired to Iilgra, with safety aud 
 glory. This general wrote a letter, while 
 the king was blockading that town, whereia 
 he says, " Je connois Prague, si j'y etois, avec 
 la moitie des troupes, que le prince Charles 
 y a actuelleiueul je detruirois i'armee Prus- 
 sieune." 
 
 In this situati.in, ^hen the empres?-queen 
 was on the brink of runi. tier grand army dis- 
 persed, and tiyingiu small i.-irnes, her j.riiires 
 anl couiwianaeis slua up in I'rague, that 
 capital ou the point of surrendering, and the
 
 CHAP. XIII.J GEORGE II. 153 
 
 Utmost favour the (garrison could expect was | convoys ; and restored, by degrees, ardour 
 being made prisoners of war, a general arose, J and confidence 1o his troops. He was no 
 •who seemed destined by the hand of Provi- ; Ntranger to the enterprising disposition of the 
 dence to mark tiie vicissitude of hnman affairs, ! Prussian monarch, and the discipline and 
 and who in return was to reduce his Prussian } bravery of his army, and wisely provided 
 majesty to as bad a situation, as that in which i against every contingency. His situation, 
 the empress-que«Mi at present found herself. » he Mas sensible, woidd prove irksome and 
 Leopold count Daun, bred from his infancy { embarassing to the enemy, and therefore he 
 in the camp, who had served under the \ improved it to the best advantage, 
 greatest generals, and particularly had studied I His Prussian majrsty, tinding that the 
 the art of war under the great Kevenliuller, | count's army still increased, and that it might 
 was now put at the In ad of the Austrian army, \ soon be in a condition to raise flie siege, the 
 on which depended the fate of the empire. ! place being still defended with the utmost 
 Born of a noble fainilj% and possessing the I bravery, resolved to dislodge the Austrians 
 greatest abilities, he oued not his preferment > from their strong post at Kolin, with one 
 to servile court policy, but rose slowly and | part of his army, while the other should con- 
 silently from the rank of a subaltern to that of i tinue the blockade at Prague. Marshal 
 connnander-in-chief, by mere dint of superior } Keith endeavoured, with all the reasons he 
 merit. Arriving within a few miles of the i could urge, to dissuade the king from so 
 city of Prague, the day after the late defeat, » hazardous an attempt, advising rather to 
 he halted to collect the straggling and dis- { raise the siege entirely, and attack the count 
 persed parties of the Austrian army. | with the whole united Prussian force, or wait 
 
 Frederic, apprehensive that this army, | until he should get possession of the city, or 
 which now amounted to above 40,000 men, | the Austrians quit their advantageous post, 
 and was continually upon tlie increase, might • By following either of these measures, a 
 not only disturb his operations before Prague, } certain advantage would accrue. By the 
 but likewise, by some manoeuvre, give the t first, he might very probably defeat the count ; 
 Austrians an opportunity to slip out of that I and, Ijy keeping within his lines, the Austrian 
 place, judged it necessary to check its farther | general might perhaps attempt to raise the 
 progress, and prevent its becoming too formi- * siege, by which means he must lose his advan- 
 dable. For this purpose he tietached the I tageous situation, and his majesty might then 
 prince of Bevern, with about 25,000 men, to » meet him upon equal terms. — But, notwith- 
 attack the Austrian army. I standing this prudent advice, the king per- 
 
 Cautious, subtle, and penetrating to a ! sisted in his resolution, and, on the 13th of 
 degree, Daun was too prudent to risk an ; June, left the camp before Prague, attended 
 action in his then circumstances, which, rf; by a few battalions and squadrons, and joined 
 attended with a defeat, would have put the « the jjrince of Bevern at Milkowitz, not doubt- 
 j finishing hand to the ruin of the empress- 1 ing but that the reputation of his late victories 
 ' queen. Besides, he considere<l his troops as f would strike a terror into the enemy's troops, 
 dispirited, sunk with disgrace, and overcome I and that in consequence they would become 
 rj with fatigue. He considered, that such an | an easy conquest. The army of count Daun 
 1 army was by no means fit to cope with one > now amounted to 60,000, deeply entrenched, 
 flushed with success, confident of victory, i with a fine and numerous train of artillery, 
 and fighting under the eye of their sovereign ; ,^ The bottoms of the hills were secured by 
 he therefore retired as the Prussians advanced, i difficult defiles, redoubts, and batteries, 
 encamped at Kolin, and fortified himself | erected on the most advantageous posts, and 
 strongly, where he was daily joined by nuni- ; every accessible part of the camp fortified 
 bers of recruits sent to his army. His | with lines and heavy pieces of battering 
 situation was such, that he could not [lossibly ; cannon. — The personal bravery of the king 
 be attacked but at an evident disadvantage ; i of Prussia, and his confidence in his troops, 
 and by this means he divided the Prussian ; were never more conspicuous than on this 
 forces, one half of whom was drawn off from ; occasion. With a body of horse and foot, not 
 Prague, in order to watch his designs. Here | exceeding 32,000, he undertook to dislodge 
 he harassed the enemy, by cutting off their i au army of (iO.OOO, with all the advantages of 
 
 V 10
 
 154 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. AMI. 
 
 situalioa and entrench menls above men- • and misfortune succeeding misfortune, he 
 tioned. i drew olf the remains of his army in such good 
 
 'The kine's nrn)y, on the IBtli of Jane, > order as to prevent a pursuit, and likewise to 
 came in siiiht ol llie Austrian canip^ which 5 protect his artillery and baggage from falling 
 he found (oiliiii-d with llie heavy cannon ofia prey to the enemy, and retreated to Psim- 
 Ohiiutz, and reinforced with several parties > berg. 
 
 of troops from Moravia and Atistria, which 5 Leaving the command of this shattered 
 had joiuetl them during his march from Prague. 5 army with tiie prince of Bevern, although his 
 The Austrians were drawn up in three lines, I majesty had been upon horseback the whole 
 on the high grounds between Genlitz and St. I day, without taking any repose, he set oft' 
 John Baptist. Notwithstanding the diificulties 5 immediately for the camp before Prague, 
 the kings troops had to encounter, they | where he arrived next morning, bringing the 
 marched up to the attack with the most ; first news of his own defeat. — lie immediately 
 amazing firmness and intrepidity, amidst an | gave orders for raising the siege, which was^ 
 incessant fire from the enemy's batteries, 5 executed with so much secrecy and dispatch, 
 which swept away multitudes. The action ; that all his artillery, anmiunition. and baggage 
 began about three o'clock in the afternoon, ; were sent ofl", and the army on their march, 
 Avhen the Prussian infantry drove the Aus- ; before the garrison knew any thing of the 
 trians from two eminences secured with heavy ; battle. In this action, the loss on both sides 
 cannon ; but, immediately after, in attacking i was very considerable. The killed and 
 a third eminence, they were taken in flank by ; wounded, on the side of the Prussians, 
 grape-shot poured from the enemy's batteries, I amounted to between 8000 and 9000 men. 
 and, after a most horrid slaughter, thrown ; Count Daun received two slight wounds, and 
 into disorder. The king, animating his troops 5 had a iiorse shot under him. As soon as the 
 by his presence, soon rallied them, and they | garrison of Prague was informed of the re- 
 returned to the charge, but without effect. | treat of the Prussians, a considerable body 
 They were a second time repulsed. Prince j of Austrians, under the command of prince 
 Terdiuand did every thing in the power of a I Charles of Lorraine, sallied out in pursuit ; 
 grea: general, to retrieve the honour of the | but, when they came up with their rear, they 
 day, but to no purpose. Seven times did he | found it too well covered to hazard an attack, 
 lead the infantry on to the attack, and as often I and therefore returned to Prague, leaving 
 were they beat back.— Every manoeuvre was j the Prussian army to pursue its route unmo- 
 put in practice to gain a settlement in the | lested. 
 
 Austrian camp, and all were attended with 5 Thus ended the battle of Kolin, and siege 
 the same want of success. The Austrian i of Prague ; which, if we advert to conse- 
 gencral, in all his operations, cautious, pene- 5 quences, may be reckoned the severest check 
 trating, and decisive, was every where present, j his Prussian majesty received during the war. 
 and neglected none of those nicer strokes on j — By the loss of this battle, he found himself 
 which the fate of a day frequently depends. ! under the necessity of evacuating Bohemia, 
 Intimately acquainted with the intrepid bra- | the conquest of which kingdom he w as upon 
 very and skillul conduct of his Prussian ; the eve of accomplishing. His army too, 
 majesty, he exposed himself in every perilous V besides the loss sustained in killed and 
 situation, in order to infuse courage into his 5 wounded, suffered greatly by sickness and 
 troops, who every where caught the fire of 5 desertion ; and the Austrians, from their late 
 emulation from their general, and behaved \ success, and consequent junction, were 
 with the utmost resolution. ; become too powerfid for further opposition. 
 
 When the Prussian infantry had thus been ! He was therefore obliged to take refuge in 
 repeatedly drove back, a most furious attack | Saxony, until an opportunity should oflTer of 
 -was made' by the cavalry, headed by his i retrieving his misfortunes, which, great as 
 majesty in person, upon the enemy's left wing, \ they were, he bore with a heroism only natural 
 who received them with amazing fortitude, j to the most exalted minds, 
 and soon threw them into confusion. — At last, 5 The king of Prussia has laid himself open 
 when the king saw no possibility of changing 5 to the imputation of rashness, and want of 
 tlie fortuue of the day, but loss folio-wing loss, ^, foresight, m the affair at Kolin. His principal 
 
 s:
 
 CHAP XTIlJ 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 155 
 
 error seems to have been, too much confidence I therefore compelled to sign a capitulation, 
 
 ' " <listiiiguished by the name of the treaty of 
 ; Closter-Steveu, by which the whole Hano- 
 verian army, under the duke's command, 
 were sent into quarters of cantonmeni, as 
 prisoners of war on parole. Thus ended the 
 operations of the army of observation. 
 
 Proud of his rank, highly susceptible of 
 flattery, and, though utterly destitute of edu- 
 cation, entertaining an exalted opinion of his 
 own acquisitions and abilities, the duke of 
 
 in his own abilities, and too much contempt 
 for those of his enemies. The necessity of his 
 affairs sometimes prompted him to atten)pt 
 things much above the means he had to 
 accomplisli them ; and therefore no wonder 
 that many of his projects, though in apj)ear- 
 ance plausible, wanted solidity, and conse- 
 quently have not always been attended with 
 success. — The conduct of Daun in this atlair 
 was perfectly uniform, and founded upon 
 
 reasonable jjrinciplcs. His motions were > Cumberland despised the salutary advice of 
 always clianged accordmg to the circum- | ' 
 stances ; now slow and dilatory, now vigorous | nienceri 
 and active ; and he permiUed no blunder of} French 
 
 the enemy to pass, of which he did not take | remained in Itis camp irresolute and inactive 
 advantage. | Permitting the French army to pass the 
 
 I HAVE been thus particular in the detail of | Weser was his first error; and instead of 
 the singular circumstances attending the \ retiring by the way of Haberstadt to Magden- 
 campaign ot 1757, in Bohemia, because I i burgh, where, after a march of 100 miles, his 
 have been enabled to describe the circum- | army would have been in a place of safety, 
 stances, as they occurred, chiefly in the | he marched 150 miles, successively retreating 
 language of an eye-witness, and because the I from Hamelen to Nienberg, Hoyd, Kothen- 
 eventsof the year are peculiarly characteristic I berg, Selsingen, and finally to Stade. His 
 of the weakness and the talents, the courage \ operations in Germany being now at an end, 
 and the rashness, the faults and the virtues of' he set off for Fngland, where he arrived about 
 
 IS subordinate generals, and at the com- 
 
 cemeut of this campaign suffered the 
 
 to take every advantage, while he 
 
 the kiuji of Prussia. 
 
 \ the middle of October, and soon after resigned 
 
 The French had this year sent two armies j all his military offices, retiring, like another 
 into the field ; one under Soui)ize, of 25,000 v Cincinuatus, from the hurry and bustle of 
 men, who, after having taken jiossession o{\ war, if not with equal glory, with a better 
 Cleves, Meurs, and Gueldres, crossed the I fortune, and a better farm. 
 Rhine, and joined the arn)y of the empire ; | Such a multitude of enemies now threatened 
 another, under d'Etrees, of 30,000 men, seized ! the king of Prussia on all sides, that to extri- 
 on Kmbden, and whatever else belonged to i cate himself from his present desperate situ- 
 Prussia in East Friezland, and marched > ation, seemed almost beyond the power of 
 through Westphalia into Hanover, where the ! human wisdom or valour. A numerous body 
 duke of Cumberland opposed them with ; of Austriaus, having penetrated into Silesia, 
 40,000 men. He fell back gradually as they ; laid it under contribution, and besieged 
 
 advanced : at length he made a feeble attempt 
 to repulse them at Hanimelen, where it was 
 thought that their superiority would be the 
 least dangerous. Being forced from the field 
 of battle, he retreated towards Stade, a situ- 
 ation which allowed him as little opportunity 
 to retreat, as the number of his forces to 
 
 Schweidnitz, the key of that duchy, the 
 ; original cause of the war. Twenty-two 
 i thousand Swedes penetrated into Prussian 
 I Pomerania, captured the towns of Anclaim 
 I and Demmain, and exacted heavy contribu- 
 1 tious. llichlieu, who now commanded the 
 
 grand army of France, being freed from all 
 
 iulvance, so that he was obliged to come to a i opposition on the side of Hanover, by the 
 capitulation, by which the only allies of; treaty of Closter-Steven, turued liis arms 
 Prussia that could give any effectual resist- ; against Haberstadt and the old marche of 
 ance laid down their arms, and were only | Brandenburg, where, after he had chastised 
 made prisoners of war. This unfortuuate ; the wiiole country by severe exactions, he 
 event occurred at Hasttnbak, where it was \ plundered the towns. The army of the 
 hoped the enemy would have the least ojj|)or- • enipin, leinforced by one under Soubize, of 
 tunity of coming to general action. From the : 25,000 n)cn, was in full march for Saxony, 
 circumstances we have mentioned, they were 5 a circumstance which enabled marshal Daun 
 
 X 2
 
 15^ HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XIII. 
 
 to employ his whole force iti the reduction of | being reinforced by nnmhers, marched against 
 Silesia. General Haddick, who with the \ him, and he retreated in his turn. At length, 
 Austrians under him had penetrated to » after various movements, he resolved to call 
 Lusatia, and taken Zittau, passed by the j in his scattered detachments, and to give 
 Prussian armies, and suddenly presenting ; them battle. The enemy, though amounting 
 himself before Berlin, obliged it to pay a ; to 50,000, retired with precipitation beyond 
 large sum, to prevent the city, from being I the Saale, a river since distinguished by the 
 plundered. The Russians, after a long delay, | retreat of Napoleon from Leipsic along its 
 entered Ducal Prussia, and committed i course ; but he pursued them closely, with 
 horrible cruelties and devastations. Lehwald, i fewer than 25,000 men, and reduced them to 
 the Prussian general, was ordered to engage | tiie necessity of fighting. His troops called 
 them at any hazard : witii 30,000 men he ; for the signal of battle. The French cavalry 
 attacked them, though double in number, i advanced with great spirit ; but being re- 
 and strongly entrenched in a very advantage- { pulsed, they gained an eminence, on which 
 ous situation ; and, though he was repulsed, ; they repelled the attacks of the Prussians 
 he killed five times as many of the enemy as | with vigour. At length they were totally 
 ne lost of his own men, remaining more for- } routed, and their disaster dismayed the m- 
 midable after his defeat, than the Russians ! f^ntry, who made but a feeble resistance. The 
 afler their victory. They kept their post, j king, exposed to the hottest fire, led on his 
 however, and did not allow the king to derive 5 troops, who killed 3000 on the spot, took 
 any assistance from his army in that quarter ; J 6000, and dispersed the rest. They were 
 so that he was obliged, with what forces he \ seized willi a panic ; and night alone saved 
 had, to attack and to repel the enemy. Like I from entire destruction an army, that in the 
 a lion hemmed in on every side, he advanced j morning was so great and formidable, 
 sometimes against one army, and sometimes 5 WniLii the Prussian arms were thus glo- 
 against another. His enemies fled before | riously employed in Saxony, the Austrians 
 him ; but while he pursued the fugitives, fresh \ were not idle in Silesia. Having reduced 
 troops pressed upon his rear : so that he was i Schweidnitz, and made the garrison, con- 
 continually harassed and distressed, and ! sisting of 4000 men, prisoners of war, they 
 regarded as verging to that destruction, which, I joined their whole force, and attacked the 
 a few months before, had menaced the house 1 prince of Bevern, who was posted with his 
 of Austria. The fatigues to which he was ; army in a strongly entrenched camp, to cover 
 exposed, and the anxiety which preyed upon | Breslaw. The Prussians sustained their 
 his mind, had reduced him to a skeleton ; he 5 repeated attacks with singular intrepidity, and 
 ■was almost always on horseback, he often lay | slaughtered prodigious numbers; but when 
 on the bare ground, and suffered greater dis- ! one wing of their army had actually quitted 
 tress than the meanest of his soldiers, who | the field, and the other was meditating a re- 
 were now greatly reduced in numbers; since | treat, the Prussian general, by some unac- 
 neither recruits, money, nor provisions could 5 countable fatality, adopted the same resolution, 
 be procured, as he lay under the ban of the ; and retired behind the Oder. Breslaw, 
 empire, and had lost the greater part of his ; therefore, with all its treasures and military 
 dominions. | stores, fell into the hands of the Austrians. 
 
 Notwithstanding this deplorable situa- j The king was, in the mean time, hastening 
 tionofhis aftairs, hope never deserted him ; | by raj)id marches to the defence of Silesia; 
 dependmg on his own conduct, and the ; with those troops which he had collected 
 courage and fidelity of his troops, he deter- \ from a hundred miles distance, to fight a 
 mined to strike a decisive blow, as soon as \ superior army at Rosbach, he was traversing 
 the winter came in, when it would be im- > a country of 200 miles in extent, in order to 
 possibh for a discomfited army to reappear I fight an army still more formidable; pro- 
 in the field. For this reason he allowed the j ceeding from hard^;hips to still greater hard- 
 combined armies of France and the emperor | ships, and from dangers to dangers still more 
 to advance into Saxony, and to threaten the j imminent. In his march there occurred an 
 siege of Leipsic, before he moved against ; accident, which, while it added to the strength 
 them. At his approach they retreated ; but J of his army, seemed to be au omen of success.
 
 CHAP. XIII.] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 157 
 
 The escort which conrJncted the garrison of ! 
 Schweidnitz to a place of safety, was but ; 
 weak : the captives, hearing on their march ; 
 of the .victory of Rosbach, rose unanimously; 
 upon tliem, and, seizing their arms, directed 5 
 their march, by the guidance of the sanje \ 
 good fortune which enabled them to regain | 
 theii lil)erty, to the king of Prussia's army. » 
 The Auslrians. confiding in their numbers, >' 
 left tl '; Prin>< of Bevern's entrenched camp, > 
 and marched m search of the Prussians, who j 
 were no less eoger for an engagement. Tliey j 
 met at the village of Leuthen, and, though the ; 
 Austrians, under count Daun, were twice as | 
 numerous as tlieir enemies, and iiad felled ; 
 many trees in the causeways which fronted j 
 their lines, the Prussians surmounted every ! 
 obMacle, and put them to a total rout. Six I 
 thousand Auslrians were left on the field, i 
 15,000 were taken, and 200 cannon were left j 
 in the possession of the victors. Breslavv soon j 
 after surrendered, and the garrison, amounting ; 
 to 13,000 men, were made prisoners of war. j 
 In consequence of these victories, nothing \ 
 remained to the empress-queen, in all Silesia, s 
 except the folorn garrison of Schweidnitz. ; 
 The Russians, intimidated by the king ofi 
 Prussia's victories, and unable to procure I 
 subsistence in a country which they had deso- ' 
 late<i, retreated from Prussia, and left Lehwald 
 at liberty to turn liis arms against the Swedes, 
 who performed nothing wortliy of their antient 
 glory. Hesm|)ped them of ail tiieir territories 
 in Pomerania, except Stralsund, and subjected 
 them to contribution. This succession of 
 unexpected victory encouraged his only ally, 
 the king of Great Britain, to resent tiie op- 
 pression of the French, in his electoral do- 
 minions, who, under the command of d'Etrees, 
 committed every act of avarice and atrocity. 
 £very article of the treaty of Closter-Steven 
 was violated ; while the gallant Hanoverians, 
 by their regard to that treaty, were prevented 
 from indulging their spirit of resistance, not- 
 withstanding the enormous exactions of the 
 French general, and the rapine and licentious- 
 ness of the soldiery. It was not till an attempt 
 was made to deprive them of their arms, and 
 thus to render them incapable of all resistance, 
 that they openly defied the power of their 
 invaders, and placing themselves beneath the 
 command of prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, 
 
 chastised and defeated the enemy. They 
 took the town and castle of Harburg, by that 
 event circumscribing the quarters of the 
 French while his own were extended. Being 
 joined by a body of Prussian horse, they 
 began their operations about the middle of 
 February, and compelled the enemy to retire 
 before them. The French troops were now 
 commanded by Clermont, the third general 
 in llie course of one campaign. He saw that 
 it was in vain to collect his forces, or to oppose 
 the Hanoverians in the field, while his troops 
 were destitute of clothes, of discipline, of 
 health ; while the officers disgraced their 
 rank, and the soldiers neglected their obedi- 
 ence ; while his hospitals were full, and his 
 magazines empty. He therefore determined 
 to evacuate Germany, as the only probable 
 means of preserving the remains of an army, 
 once so formidable and so numerous. In the 
 execution of this plan he found much diffi- 
 culty. The enemy hung upon his rear ; the 
 hussars and light troops continually harassed 
 and intercepted his parties ; while no other 
 modes of retaliation were within the reach of 
 the French, than inhuman cruelties and 
 brutalities exercised against the unarmed 
 inhabitants. The only place where they made 
 any considerable resistance was at Minden, of 
 which the garrison, consisting of 4000 men, 
 were made prisoners of war. Such were the 
 courage, the fortitude, and the talent of the 
 king of Prussia, that they retrieved, not only 
 his own disasters, but those of his allies ; and 
 to his example England was partly indebted 
 for that spirit of enterprise, and that immove- 
 able self-confidence, which rendered her arms 
 triumphant in every quarter of the globe. 
 
 It still remained, however, to the com- 
 pletion of the Recovery of Silesia, that the 
 Austrians should be dispossessed of the for- 
 tress of Schweidnitz. Frederic, therefore, 
 prepared for the siege, in the midst of so 
 severe a season, that some hundreds of the 
 centinels dropped dead on their posts, while 
 the army was employed in the blockade. 
 How rarely are the courage and the genius of 
 the warrior combined with the virtue of 
 humanity ? The most splendid achievements 
 lose their lustre, when accompanied by such 
 acts of deliberate and heartless inhumanity.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 [1757 to 1759.] 
 
 Expedition to RocJifort — Capture of the Isle of Aix — Failure of the Enterprise — Trial 
 of Sir John Mnrdaunt — Naval Exploits — Attempt on Louisbiirg — Its Failure — Disasters 
 in America — Capture hy the French of Fort William Henry — Successes in the East 
 Indies — Recapture of Calcutta — Treaty ivith Serajah Doulah — Surrender of Chandan- 
 agore — Defeat of Serajah Doulah — His Assassination — Attack upon St. Muloe's — Cap- 
 ture of Clierbur<>- — The English defeated at St. Cas — Fall of Louisburg — Defeat of the 
 English at Ticonderaga — Naval Exploits- — Proceedings of Ferdiiiand — Campaign of 
 the King of Prussia. 
 
 THE French had at this time, in a man- 
 ner, evacuated their own country, to 
 fall upon Germany with their whole force. 
 Exhausted of troops, the demands of service 
 greatly exceeded the few that were left ; and 
 so vigorous an attention to the prosecution of 
 the war on the continent, had diverted the 
 attention of the government from maritime 
 affairs. The English ministry, aware of 
 these circumstances, projected an expedition, 
 to which the situation of France was pecu- 
 liarly favourable. To make a diversion in 
 favour of the king of Prussia, and at the same 
 time to give an effectual blow to the marine 
 of France, were the objects of this enterprise. 
 To effect this purpose, an attack upon one of 
 her chief arsenals was determined ; and pri- 
 vate intelligence directed the views of the 
 minister to Rochfo'rt, a place little inferior to 
 Brest in docks, yards, and magazines of naval 
 stores. The dispatch required in an expe- 
 dition of this nature was obvious, and Mr. 
 Pitt used eveiy endeavour to accelerate the 
 sailing of the fleet ; but such was the negli- 
 gence of the contractors, that though the 
 troops and ships of war were ready early in 
 the month of August, they did not sail from 
 Spithea.J till the 8th of September. This 
 formidable armament consisted of sixteen 
 ships of the line, seven frigates, two bomb- 
 ketches, two fire ships, and tifty-tive transports, 
 on bward of wliich were ten regiments of foot, 
 
 two regiments of marines, and a formidable 
 train of artillery. Sir Edward Hawke, with 
 admirals Knovv-les and Broderic, commanded 
 the fleet ; and sir John Mordaunt, with 
 generals Conway and Comwallis, commanded 
 the army. 
 
 The destination of the armament was 
 known only to the ministers and to the admiral. 
 On the 2.3rd of September, about eight in tke 
 morning, the van of the fleet stood towards 
 the isle of Aix, which lies in the mouth of 
 the river leading up to Rochfort : the rest 
 of the ships anchoring at two leagues distant' 
 from the island, captain Howe, in the Mag-, 
 nanime, led the van. About noon, the French 
 fired at him from one of the forts, but did.^ 
 little execution. He continued his course 
 with the greatest composure, without firing a 
 single gun ; till, havmg gained the length of 
 the fort, he bore down, and dropped his; 
 anchors as close to the wall as the ships 
 could come. He then began to return theix, 
 salutations, and his fire became incessant.! 
 The fort, unable to withstand so dreadful a 
 cannonade, surrendered in less than an hour, 
 and part of the land forces were put on shore, 
 to take possession of the island. " L 
 
 This first conquest, however unimportant,^ 
 gave animation and confidence to the whole 
 fleet ; and had the troops been landed that 
 night, or in the morning, there is every reason 
 to believe the enterprise would have succeeded
 
 CHAP. MVJ Gr.OUGK II. 159 
 
 ill all its bearings. But, as if it bad bt eii ; home, where tbey all arrived in safety on the 
 intended to give the enemy time to lecover ; Glli of the same month. The just expectations 
 from their confusion, and collect their forces, J of the nation, from an armament so formidable, 
 eight days were suffered to elapse, in holding j terminated in the most bitter disappointment, 
 councils of war, and making soundings along } Sir Joim Mordaunt was brought to a conrt- 
 the sliore. ; martial, by w hich, from the uncertainty of the 
 
 The day after the surrender of the isle of! evidence against him, he was acquitted. But 
 Aix, sir Edward Ilawke sent admiral Bro- ^ the public were far from satisfied. The con- 
 deric, with three skilful captains, to reconnoi- 1 trast between the lenity of this sentence, and 
 tre the coast, and to fix upon a proper place « that of the unfortunate Byng, excited universal 
 for landing the troops which were intended to | discontent ; and, in the tumult of popular 
 act aguinst Rochfort. They rt ported, that ! dissatisfaction, the failure of the expedition 
 there were two places at which the troops ; was even attributed to the fears of his Britan- 
 might be conveniently landed, and that there | nic majesty, lest the measures of his new and 
 was a small fort at one of these places, which, > obnoxious ministry should be so successful, 
 according to the opinion of colonel \\ olie, » as to render their retention in power indis- 
 might be easily silenced by a single ship In > pensible to the administration of government, 
 consequence of these reports, the commander- 5 In the midst of these misfortunes and dis- 
 in-chief seemed delermined to proceed ; but i appointments, some consolation still remained 
 after much deliberation, and many fruitless » to the British nation, in the exploits performed 
 discussions, the land officers, in a council of; by her naval heroes, and in the bravery and 
 war, determined to return to England, having ; wisdou) of her commanders in the East Indies, 
 previously received a letter from sir Edward ; Captain Forest, having been detached, with 
 Hawke, declaring that he would set sail, ! tiiree frigates, from admiral Coates's fleet, 
 unless the general officers should have further • encountered, oft' cape Francois in the AVest 
 military operations to propose, of sufficient | indies, four French men of war, and, after a 
 conse<|uence to justify the detention of the ; hard-fonght action of above two hours, forced 
 squadron under his command. Their first j tliem to take refuge in their harbour ; after 
 resolulion was changed, on the receipt of this $ wliich he caj)tured nine St. Domingo mer- 
 letter, and in another council of war, composed ^ chantmen, with a single ship. Several exploits 
 of the same persons with the former, they j were performed by the English privateers in 
 unanimously resolved, that it was advisable ! the narrow seas. Cviptain Gilchrist distin- 
 to land the troops. ; guished himself by a gallant action with the 
 
 On the 28th of September, orders were i Emeiaude, which he captured ; but the most 
 therefore issued, that tlie troops should be ; singular engagement was that of captain 
 ready to disembark from the transports at | Death, in the Terrible of 20 guns, with the 
 midnight. The ditliculties attending these « Vengeance of 36. The latter having retaken 
 orders were obvious to the most unobserving i a large French Domingo ship, which Death 
 soldier in the fleet. The distance of the ships ! had captured, a battle ensued l)etween the 
 Avas great, from the destined place of landing, ; Terrible and the Vengeance, assisted by her 
 and two distinct encampments were reported \ prize, which was f(»nght with desperate fury, 
 to be observed at a little distance from the > till the English captain and nearly all his 
 shore. The courage, however, and enthusiasm i officers were slain. The enemy then boarded 
 of the seamen were so conspicuous, that the ^ the Terrible, and for a crew they found 26 
 boats were hlled before the time appointed. ; men alive, H5 of whom were disabled, and 
 The night was cold and boisterous, and the « the other 10 wounded. 
 
 boat.s, crowded with men, remained beating ; Thk consequences of the ill-conducted 
 against the sides of the vessels for the space of | councils of the old ministry, still conlinued to 
 four hours ; at the expiration of which time ; spread their baneful influence over the 
 they were ordered to return to their respective ! British operations in America. ^\ant of 
 ships. The two following days were spent in > unanimity in our measures at home, had pro- 
 blowing u|) the fortihcations in the isle of; duccd carelessness and inactivity in our 
 Aix, and on the 1st of October the fleet, with | commanders abroad. The spirit of party 
 the army on board, made the best of its way ^ discord had pervaded tlie camp as well as
 
 1(50 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 the cabinet. Our commanders knew not to 
 whom they should be accoiintal)le for iheir 
 neglect of duty, or from wliom they were to 
 -receive the reward of their services ; and 
 were consequently defirient in that firmness 
 of purpose, and bukhiess of enterprise, without 
 which the most splendid talents and the best 
 •intentions are inefficient. 
 
 An enterprise, which had been planned 
 against Crown Point, was superseded by 
 another, for the reduction of Louisburg in 
 Cape Breton. Lord Loudon had collected 
 a body of 6000 troops, with which he em- 
 barked at New York on (he 19th of June, 
 and arrived at Halifax on the 2.9th. Admiral 
 Holbonrne did not reach that rendezvous 
 before the 9th of July. So much time having 
 been lost, it was naturally imagined that the 
 commanders would proceed immediately to 
 action ; but, as if delay had formed an essen- 
 tial part of their instructions, nearly a month 
 was consumed at Halifax, in exercishig the 
 troops, and accustommg llieni to various 
 manoeuvres of attack and defence. When 
 this formidable armament was ready to pro- i 
 ceed to its place of destination, a circumstance i 
 occurred, which rendered the enterprise 
 abortive. A packet, supposed to be sent out 
 by stratagem, to deceive the English com- 
 manders, threw itself in the way of the 
 English fleet, and was taken, after a chase of 
 many hours, witli all her dispatches. By the 
 letters contained in this pretended packet, the 
 naval htrength at Louisburgh was stated at 
 seventeen ships of the line and three frigates; 
 and the land forces at tlOOO Europeans, 3000 | 
 natives, and 300 Indians. It was likewise i 
 observed, that the plac^e was well supplied 
 with military stores, and that the people were 
 desirous of nothing more earnestly than to be 
 attacked. This intelligence immediately sus- 
 pended the preparations against Louisburgh, 
 and in a council of war, it was determined for 
 the present to abandon the expedition. The 
 romtnanders were determined to trust nothing 
 to fortune or resolution. Every circumstance 
 of difficulty or danger was weighed in the 
 scale of rigid prudence, and notiiing therefore 
 was accomplished. Lord Loudon, with the 
 land forces, returned to New York ; and the \ 
 admiral continued for some time cruising off 
 Cape Breton, in expectation of drawmg the 
 French tleet to an engagement, or, if that was 
 found impossible, to block up the harbour of 
 
 fCHAP. XIV. 
 
 Louisburgh. In both these expectations he 
 was disappointed. The French, whose force 
 was greatly inferior to his, were too prudent 
 to attack him ; and on the 25th of Sep- ^jery 
 tember a violent storm arose, which 
 dispersed and scattered his fleet, one ship 
 being lost, eleven dismasted, and the rest very 
 much damaged. Leaving eight men of war 
 to protect the trade, watch Louisburgh, and 
 annoy the enemy, he returned to England. 
 
 The proceedings in America, during the 
 remainder of the year, were a series of dis- 
 graces and disappointments. By taking 
 Oswego the French became undisputed masters 
 of the lakes, and the English were unable to 
 prevent them from collecting from all parts, 
 and compelling them to act in their favour. 
 Instead of endeavouring to prevent this de- 
 structive alliance, we abandoned to the mercy 
 of the enemy all the country of the five nations, 
 the only body of Indians who preserved 
 towards us even the appearance of friendship. 
 Our forts were demolished, our frontier 
 invaded, by the French and their savage 
 allies, who destroyed all the settlements on 
 the Mohawk's river, and the German flats, 
 and at length commenced the siege of fort 
 William Henry, on the southern edge of lake 
 George. In this fortress was a garrison of 
 2500 men, and general Webb, with about 
 4000 men, was posted in its vicinity. The 
 northern provinces having been exhausted of 
 troops, fur tlie expedition agamst Louisburgh, 
 the frontiers were left exposed to the designs 
 of the Frencii, who prepared to take advan- 
 tage of their absence. On this occasion the 
 activity and vigilance of M. Montcalm were 
 eminently conspicuous. No sooner was it 
 known that the troops were embarked for 
 Halifax, than he assembled an army of 8000 
 men, including Canadians, and Indians drawn 
 from Crown Point, Ticonderaga, and the 
 adjacent posts. The assembling of these 
 forces was not coiiducted with so much 
 secrecy, but that an early account of it was 
 transmitted to general Webb. That com- 
 mander gave no credit to the report, believing 
 it impossible that the French could collect a 
 force, sufficient to dispute the possession of 
 the fort with him and the garrison. His in- 
 credulity was attended with the most fatal 
 effects No care was taken to collect the 
 militia ; or to render efl'ectual his actual means 
 of defence. On the 2nd of August, Montcalm
 
 CHAP. X.IV.] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 161 
 
 appeared on the lake, which so intimidated 
 Welib, that he marched away early the next 
 morning, leaving the defence of the fort to 
 colonels Young and Monro. 
 
 Montcalm, informed of Webb's retreat, 
 summoned the garrison to surrender ; but 
 was given to understand from colonel Monro, 
 that the fort would be defended to the last 
 extremity. The garrison behaved with skill 
 and cotirage, and resisted for four days all 
 the eflbrts of the enemy ; but their cannon and 
 mortars having burst, in consequence of pre- 
 vious neglect ; being left without any prospect 
 of succour ; and a letter from general Webb, 
 exhorting them to surrender, being intercept- 
 ed by M. Montcalm, and sent into the fort, 
 they capitulated on the 9th of August. They 
 engaged not to serve against the French for 
 eighteen months, and obtained the favour of 
 marching out of the fort with their arms and 
 baggage. The savages accompanying the 
 French army paid so little regard to the terms 
 of capitulation, that they plundered the Eng- 
 lish soldiers as they marched out, scalped the 
 Indians and blacks Mho had been in the gar- 
 rison, and practised many other inhumanities, 
 from which the French pretended to restrait) 
 them, but without effect. They demolished 
 the fort, and carried off all that could be con- 
 veyed : thus terminating a disgraceful and 
 inglorious campaign, in which an army of 
 20,000 men, exclusive of provincials, provided 
 with every requisite of successful warfare, 
 was permitted to loiter away a year in total 
 inactivity ; while the French, with inferior 
 numbers, succeeded in every enterprise which 
 they were animated to attempt by the fatuity 
 of their enemies. 
 
 It was in the East that success began first 
 to dawn upon the British arms. No sooner 
 did intelligence of the fatal disaster at Calcutta 
 arrive at .Madras, than admiral AVatson, with 
 colonel C'live and several resfiments of infantry, 
 saded to take revenge for the cruelties prac- 
 tised on their countrymen by the nabob. 
 After a tedious voyage, he arrived at the port 
 of Belasore, in the kingdom of Bengal, on the 
 6th of December. Entering the Ganges, he 
 proceeded to attack the fort of Busbudgia, 
 which opened a passage to Calcutta, the scene 
 of the deplorable sufferings of so many 
 Britons. After a short resistance, he made 
 himself master of the fort, the soldiers and 
 sailors vieing with each other in their deter- 
 
 Y 
 
 mination to revenge th^death of their coun- 
 trymen, and to restore the honour of England. 
 Proceeding up th« Hnghly branch in the 
 beginning of January, the admiral anchored 
 before Calcutta ; and after a faint resistance 
 from the Indian garrison, and a few discharges 
 of artillery, accompanied by an attack from 
 the troeps under Clive and Coote, the fortress 
 was reduced. Advancing up the river, they 
 with equal ease made themselves masters of 
 the town and fortress of Hughly, of' which 
 the acquisition was rendered more valualile, 
 by the innnense quantity of stores, ammuni- 
 tion, and provisions, wiiich had there been 
 deposited by the nabob. 
 
 The nabob was now convinced of the 
 necessity of providing a more respectable force 
 to oppose the progress of the British arms, 
 than the feeble garrisons of inexperienced 
 Indians. Aided by French officers, engineers, 
 and gunners, he assembled an army of 1000 
 horse and 15,000 foot. With this numerous 
 body he took the route of Calcutta, and oil 
 the 2nd of February passed the English camp, 
 at the distance of a mile, and pitched his 
 tents on an advantageous piece of ground near 
 Calcutta. Notwiihstanding his great supe- 
 riority of numbers, the British had too fre- 
 quently experienced the indjecility and 
 cowardice of an Indian array, to hesitate res- 
 pecting the policy of an immediate conflict. 
 A detachment of 600 sailors was draughted 
 from the several ships, to join colonel Clive, 
 with the purpose of driving the nabob from 
 his camp. On the -Sth of February, about 
 five in the morning, the British army advanced 
 towards tiie enemy, and notwithstanding his 
 superiority of numbers, defeated him with 
 great slaughter; and compelled him to accede 
 to a treaty, in which he agreed to restore the 
 company's factories ; he permitted the Eng- 
 lish to fortify Calcutta in whatsoever manner 
 they should think expedient ; allowed them 
 to coin gold and silver in a mint of thtirown ; 
 exempted all merchandize, passing with their 
 passports, from tix, fee, or imposition; acceded 
 to the possession of thirty-eight villages, of 
 which a grant had been obtained by the empe- 
 ror in 1717, and confirmed all the privileges 
 which had been granted to them by former 
 emperors, since their arrival in the province. 
 
 Tin: English connnanders were well aware 
 that notliiiig would efrectnally enforce the 
 performance of this treat} or prevent Serajah 
 11
 
 1(32 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CUAP. XIV. 
 
 Doiilah from seizing the first opportunity of 
 affording succours to the French, but the 
 conviction that tliey were unable to contend 
 >vith the power and courage of the English ; 
 they committed to Mr. Watts full powers, as 
 an agent at his court of Muxadavad, and pro- 
 ceeded to invest Chandernagore. The fortress 
 was garrisoned by 600 Europeans and 300 
 sepoys. But the British forces, now strength- 
 ened by tiiree ships under admiral Pococke, 
 carried on their operations with so much 
 sj)irit, that the governor was compelled to 
 surrender, after a siege of seven days. The 
 perfidy of Se raj ah Doulah was turned against 
 himself. Being apprised by Watts, that several 
 of the chief men in his court and army were 
 disposed to revolt, tlie British general em- 
 ployed that agent to intrigue with Meer Jaffier, 
 the nabob's general, and by his intervention 
 and that of Omichund, whom he made the 
 dupe of his artifice, he concluded a treaty 
 with the traitor, by which he engaged to assist 
 with all their forces in raising him to the 
 nabobship of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, on 
 condition of his devoting himself to the service 
 of the company, and joining strenuously in 
 the wars with Serajah Doulah and his allies. 
 
 The admiral, therefore, engaged to garrison 
 Chandernagore with his seamen, while colonel 
 Clive took the field with an army of 1000 
 Europeans and 2000 Indians, besides 50 
 seamen to be employed as gunners, and in 
 directing the artillery. He advanced towards 
 Plassey, where the nabob's army, consisting 
 of 50,000 foot and 18,000 horse, with 50 pieces 
 of artillery, was posted to guard the passage 
 along the Hughly to Muxadavad. However 
 lightly the British commander might estimate 
 the Indian troops, it appeared rash and des- 
 perate to march up to the mouths of so nume- 
 rous an artillery, which was placed in a com- 
 manding situation, and under the direction 
 of French gunners. A fortunate circumstance 
 relieved him from this embarrassment. A 
 heavy shower of rain induced the enemy to 
 draw their cannon for shelter into the camp. 
 Clive immediately availed himself of this 
 circumstance, and placed a detachment in 
 such a position as to prevent them from being 
 again brought into action. Three well directed 
 attacks were made upon the enemy's trenches, 
 all of which were attended by success ; the 
 nabob's army was completely routed, and 
 forty-two pieces of cannon fell into the hands 
 
 of the victors, whose loss was inconsider- 
 able. 
 
 Such was the facility with which the most 
 important conquests were obtained over a 
 weak, effeminate, and unwarlike people. The 
 customs, habits, and opinions of the Asiatics, 
 all tend to enfeeble the body, and debilitate 
 the mind. Let us conceive a numerous army 
 led on to battle, in long silken garments, with 
 no other courage than what they possess from 
 the inspiration of opium, with the same views 
 whether defeated or victorious ; their general 
 mounted on an elephant, and consequently a 
 more conspicuous object of aim ; their artil- 
 lery drawn by oxen, impatient and furious on 
 the slightest wound. — If we reflect on all 
 these circumstances, we shall not be surprised 
 at their most numerous armies being defeated 
 by a handful of European troops, hardened 
 by discipline, and animated by honour. 
 
 Meer Murdeen, the general in whom the 
 Serajah placed the greatest confidence, being 
 among the slain, he adopted the pusillanimouiis 
 and desperate resolution of retreating toward* 
 his capital. Being pursued and harassed by 
 the English, he made his escape, with 2000 
 horsemen, to the city. Immediately on the 
 appearance of victory in favour of the English, 
 Meer Jaffier Ali Kawn, and the other con- 
 spirators, declared themselves openly against 
 their defeated sovereign, and hastened to 
 secure Muxadavad, whither they were soon 
 followed by the British army. In a few days, 
 Jaffier was acknowledged by the English as 
 nabob of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa. Serajah 
 Doulah, amidst all the insignia of Asiatic 
 luxury, surrounded by eunuchs and courte- 
 zans, was filled with terror at the approach of 
 the confederate army. Destitute of resources, 
 he attempted to escape in a boat, but was 
 betrayed and brought back to Muxadavad. 
 Presenting himself before Meer Jafiier, who 
 had already taken possession of his palace, 
 he prostrated himself before the traitor, who 
 had owed his advancement to the patronage 
 of Serajah and of his uncle Allaverde, and 
 with tears implored his life. When he was 
 withdrawn, Meer Jaffier affected to hold a 
 council respecting his fate. His doom was 
 not pronounced ; but a tyrant's will, on such 
 occasions, is easily conjectured, and is most 
 acceptably executed by those who, penetrating 
 the veil of clemency, by which he would 
 appear to shade his cri'siky, anticipate his
 
 CHAP. XIV.] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 163 
 
 orders. The uiifovttmate Serajah Doulah 
 fell by the hands of a band of ruffians, in one 
 of the apartments of the palace. 
 
 The advantages derived from this revolution 
 in Bengal were great and extensive. The 
 French were prohihited from settling in the 
 three provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa ; 
 the company's territories were greatly en- 
 larged ; their privileges were confirmed ; two 
 millions sterling were granted, as an indemni- 
 fication to the sufferers at Calcutta ; a lease 
 was granted to the company of the salt-petre 
 at Patna ; and the army and navy were re- 
 warded with a present of £62.5,000, besides 
 immense riches in jewels bestowed on the 
 officers. The public exultation at these 
 advantages was, in some degree, repressed by 
 the death of admiral Watson, who fell a 
 victim to the unwholesomeness of the climate, 
 after having established a lasting reputation 
 for his wisdom, his courage, and his hu- 
 manity. I 
 
 During these transactions in Bengal, hos- 
 tihties had been re-commenced in the southern 
 provinces, and had been carried on with 
 various success. Monsieur de Bussy, availing 
 himself of the diversion of the British forces 
 in Bengal, made himself master of several 
 factories in the province of Rajah Mundrum, 
 on the Coromandel coast. On the otiier hand, 
 the presidency of Madras, being afraid lesi 
 their enemy should establish himself in 
 Madura, where he was negotiating with the 
 Jemautdars, dispatched captain Calliaud, with 
 the troops which he commanded at Tritchi- 
 nopoly, to attempt its reduction. That officer, 
 after several ineffectual attempts to reduce it 
 by force, obtained it by capitulation. In the 
 n^ean time, the French force, under Monsieur 
 d'Anteuil, had been defeated by Calliaud, in 
 an attack on Tritchinopoly ; and the English 
 detachments under the respective commands 
 of colonels Ford and Aldercorn, Avere foiled 
 in their attempts on ttie fortresses of Nellore 
 and VVandewash. 
 
 So deep and so general was the conster- 
 nation excited by the failure of the expedition 
 against Rochfort, that even the ministry had 
 almost yielded to despair of the future pro- 
 gress of the war, and had nearly determined 
 to leave the king of Prussia to his fate. It 
 was supposed that no military efforts could 
 save him, and that the only hope remaining 
 was to make the best terms possible with his 
 
 Y 2 
 
 victorious enemies. The king of Great Bri- 
 tain was actually meditating a negotiation of 
 this nature, when his distressed ally expostu- 
 lated with him to the following purpose : 
 " Is it possible that your majesty can have 
 so little fortitude and constancy, as to be dis- 
 pirited by a blight reverse of fortune? Are 
 our affairs so ruinous that they cannot be 
 repaired? Consider the step you have made 
 me undertake, and remember you are the 
 cause of all my misfortunes. I should never 
 have abandoned my former alliances, but for 
 your flattering assurances. 1 do not now 
 repent of the treaty concluded between us ; 
 but I entreat that you will not ingloriously 
 leave me at the mercy of my enemies, after 
 having brought upon me all (he powers of 
 Europe." In this terrible situation, the 
 ministry of Britain determined, from motives 
 of generosity rather than of interest, to support 
 his declining cause; and success, which had 
 so long forsaken her arms, began to return 
 with redoubled splendor. 
 
 At the close of the last year, the ,^-o 
 parliament having agreed to the vigor- ''"* " 
 ous prosecution of the war, the unprecedented 
 sum of £10,480,4-57 was granted for the ex- 
 pences of the state. An augmentation was 
 voted of the troops ; the national militia was 
 called into the field, while the regular troops 
 were sent abroad ; an adequate sum was voted 
 for the purpose of relieving the distresses of 
 Hanover, and a fresh treaty, renewable as 
 occasion might require, was concluded with 
 the king of Prussia. 
 
 OuK exertions in the cause of that monarch 
 did not relax the vigour of our operations in 
 other quarters. On the 1st of June, two 
 squadrons sailed from Portsmouth. The 
 greater, under lord Anson, bore away for the 
 bay of. Biscay, in order to spread an alarm, 
 and to watch the French fleet in the harboiw 
 of Brest; the less, under commodore Howe, 
 arrived with the transports near St. Maloes, 
 where the troops were landed without oppo- 
 sition. The want of artillery, and the trifling 
 number of the forces, rendered the reduction 
 of the town impracticable, though it was but 
 indifferently fortified. Several magazines, 
 however, and a hundred sail of shij)s were 
 burnt. The forces being safely re-embarked, 
 made an attempt to land near Ciierburg ; but 
 the violence of the wind, the want of pro- 
 visions, and the sickness of the soldier.s
 
 164 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XIV. 
 
 fletennined the commanders to return to 
 a Britisli port, and the fleet arriveu at St. 
 Helen's, on the Lst of June. 
 
 The duke of Marlborough, grandson to the 
 celebrated hero, havir)g been ordered to com- 
 mand the Brilisli forces, which had been sent 
 to Germany to reinforce prince Ferdinand. 
 Lieutenant-general Bligh was appointed to 
 command the army of invasion, which was 
 encamped on the Isle of Wight, but did not 
 amount to more than 6000 men. The arma- 
 ment, so much reduced in its strength and 
 numbers, sailed from St. Helen's on the 1st 
 of August, and on the 6th canie to an anchor 
 before Cherburg, into which a few bombs 
 were ti)rown during the night. Early in the 
 ■morning the fleet was moored two leagues 
 west of the town, where it was resolved to land 
 the troops. The enemy liad executed several 
 entrenchments, and planted a few batteries 
 along the coast, and there appeared about 
 2000 regular troops besides militia, who 
 threatened to oppose the landing of the British 
 forces. On the 7lh, at two in the afternoon, 
 the grenadiers and guards, commanded by 
 general Drury, landed without opposition 
 under an incessant tire from the fleet. Form- 
 ing his troops on the beach, he marched im- 
 mediately towards the enemy. He received 
 their tire, and then attacked them witii so 
 much resolution, tliat they soon fled with 
 considerable loss and in the utmost confusion. 
 The remainder of the forces being landed, 
 general Bligh encamped at the village of 
 Erville. In the morning the prmy proceeded 
 towards Cherburg, in two columns, which 
 they entered without opposition. The inha- 
 bitants, confiding in a promise of protection 
 from the general, received their hostile visitors 
 with politeness and hospitality. But their 
 confidence was abused ; the soldiers indulged 
 in rapacious pillage ; and it was not till after 
 the perpetration of many outrages, that they 
 were restrained by the authority of the general, 
 who now proceeded, according to his instruc- 
 tions, to demolish the harbour and basin, 
 while the light-horse scoured the country, and 
 had fVe(i\ient encountersj with the enemy. 
 
 Having taken hostages for the contributions 
 levied on the town, the troops evacuated 
 Cherburg, and re-embarked without any in- 
 terruption. The fleet weighed anchor on the 
 18th of August, and steered for St. M aloe's, 
 but were obliged by contrary winds to run 
 
 ; for the English coast, and it was the 40i of 
 5 September befioro ii came to an anchor in the 
 I bay of St. Lunaire, about two leagues west of 
 I St. Maloe's. The troops were immediately 
 I landed, with no other misfortune than the 
 \ upsetting of one ot the boats ; and four coni- 
 5 panics of grenadiers, under the command of 
 \ sir William Boothby, were detached to destroy 
 ! the shipping in the harbour of Briac, a place 
 \ near St. Maloe's. The bay of St. Lunaire, 
 where the commodore's fleet rode, was so 
 rocky and dangerous, that he found it ex- 
 pedient to move up to the bay of St. Cas, 
 three leagues to the westward. The fleet 
 being thus separated from the army, the latter 
 was obliged to follow ; but as no attack, was 
 apprehended, a resolution was adopted, to 
 penetrate farther into the country. They soon 
 discovered that their conclusions were falla- 
 cious. The duke d'Aiguillion, with twelve 
 battalions and six squadrons, suppoited by 
 two regiments of militia, arrived unexpectedly 
 within six miles of the main body. This cir- 
 cumstance, however, produced no efflect on 
 the general's conduct. The army proceeded 
 slowly in a single column toward St. Cas ; 
 and the march of three miles to that position 
 was distinguished by circumstances and inci- 
 dents more puzzling and unaccountable than 
 that of Hannibal over the Alps. When the 
 head of the column had attained the heights 
 which environ the bay of St. Cas, about half 
 a n)ile from the sea, they had orders to halt, 
 and the regiments formed the line as they 
 advanced in succession ; but before the grena- 
 diers in the rear reached the ground, the 
 youngest brigade was ordered to march down 
 to the beach. In the mean time, the frigates 
 which were intended to cover the embarkation, 
 and the boats, gradually approached the land. 
 Tiie grenadiers marched deliberately down 
 to the beach, and there rested on their arms, 
 while the battalions were conveyed to their 
 transports in the flat-bottomed boats. The 
 enemy continued to advance, and their 
 artillery began to play upon the boats with 
 great effect. Our troops assuming . a bold 
 countenance, (the only resource left,) re-ad- 
 vanced up to the hill to meet the enemy. They 
 sustained the attack with a bravery worthy 
 of better fortune, and did not retreat to l-Jie 
 boats till their ammunition was entirely ex- 
 pended. Unhappily the boats then on shore 
 were insufficient to I'eceive half the number of
 
 CHAP. Mvl 
 
 GEOROE ir. 
 
 165 
 
 men, who now crowded to tlie beach ; and 
 they were immediately so much overloaded, 
 tliat most of them were aground. In this 
 dreadful condition, exposed to the fire of a 
 numerous army, they sustained a destructive 
 carnage. Many of them rushed into tlie water, 
 and in that element met their fate. General 
 Drury, the second in command, was drowned. 
 Sir John Armitage, a volunteer, was shot 
 through the head. Several officers of distinc- 
 tion fell. At length, connnodore Howe or- 
 dered himself to be rowed on shore, and took 
 in tow one of the flat-bottomed boats. Ani- 
 mated by liis example, the rest of the fleet 
 imitated his conduct, and about 700 men 
 were brought on board. Of the remaining 
 700, many were shot and drowned, but the 
 greater number were jiiade prisoners. The 
 failure of this attempt, which was justly at- 
 tributed to the unnecessary advance of the 
 English general into the country, and to the 
 conmiunication of his nocturnal motions by 
 beat of drum, excited a degree of dpspnnd- 
 ency in the minds of the Englisii people, more 
 than proportionate to the misfortune actually 
 sustained. The French forgot the alarm and 
 the disgrace of continual insult upon their 
 own shores, in the exultation of temporary 
 triumph ; and the misplaced rejoicing, and 
 unjustified despair, of both nations, were 
 converted into opposite feelings by the next 
 arrival of intelligence from America. 
 
 An enterprise had been projected against 
 Louisburg, and confided to admiral Boscawen, 
 who had a fleet of 2.3 ships of the line under 
 his command, with 12,000 land forces, com- 
 manded by general Amherst, V)rigadier-general 
 Wolfe, and other officers of distinction. The 
 governor, Drucour, having long expected this 
 attack, had strengthened his fortifications by 
 a breast-work, which was lined with 3000 
 men, in front of which were trees thrown 
 across ; and had raised batteries wiierever a 
 landing was deemed possible. The harbour 
 was guarded by six ships of the line and five 
 frigates, three of which were sunk across its 
 entrance, to render it inaccessible. A violent 
 surf, which the wind raised on th'e shore, 
 added much to the difficulty of landing. 
 These obstacles, from which the enemy hoped 
 to derive security, only served to display the 
 dauntless valour of British troops, when com- 
 manded hy officers to whom they are attached. 
 General Wolfe, leading the way at the head 
 
 of his division, leaped from his boat into the 
 water, amidst a heavy fire from the artillery, 
 and drove the enemy from their batteries. 
 These being followed by Uie other two divi- 
 sions, the place was regularly invested. So 
 gallant was the defence made by Drucour 
 and his garrison, that the siege had been 
 carried on for six weeks before any regular 
 impression was made. The enemy did con- 
 siderable execution by their sallies. AVhen 
 all the ships in the harbour were destroyed, 
 except the Prudent and the Bienfaisent, cap- 
 tain Laforey was sent, with a body of seamen, 
 to set them on fire, and executed his com- 
 mission with coolness and intrepidity. On 
 the ensuing day, the governor, at the earnest 
 entreaty of the townsmen^ submitted to a 
 capitulation, by which the garrison were made 
 prisoners of war. Thus was his Britannic 
 majesty, by the singular merit of his forces, 
 put in possession of Louisburg and Cape 
 Breton, the loss of which was severely felt by 
 the French court, not only on account of its 
 intrinsic value, but for its importance to the 
 preservation of Canada. 
 
 The operations in America were not con- 
 fined to the siege of Louisburg. It was 
 judged necessary to expel the French from 
 Ticonderago, their most impregnable pass on 
 the continerit of America, and Crown Point, 
 which commands Ticonderago. General 
 Abercroml)ie, who had succeeded lord Lou- 
 don as commander-in-chief of the forces in 
 America, embarked, July the 6th, on lake 
 George, with about 10,000 troops, regulars 
 and provincials, aided by a numerous and 
 well-provided artillery, and on the following- 
 day effected his landing without opposition. 
 The tract of country, over which he was about 
 to pass, had never been trodden by any human 
 beings, but the savage and thinly scatteied 
 natives. The British troops had no direction 
 for their march but the quarters of the hea- 
 vens, and even these were intercepted by the 
 darkness of the woods through which they 
 were obliged to pass. The officers and men 
 of the contending parties lost their way ; and 
 their advanced guards accidentally fell iu 
 with each other. A skirmish ensued, in 
 which 300 French were killed, and 148 taken 
 prisoners. But this rencontre cost the Eng- 
 lish dear, for on tha* day they lost the gallant 
 lord Howe. 
 
 The British arniv, which had marched in 
 
 ><
 
 166 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. fcHAP. XIT. 
 
 four columns, appeared before Ticonderago j du Quesne, which with great propriety re- 
 cti the 28th of July. The fort is situated on | ceived the name of Pittsburg. In Africa our 
 an isthmus, between lake George and a cut \ arms were equally triumphant. Commodore 
 which communicates with lake Champlain. \ Keppel, assisted by colonel Worge, captui-ed 
 The French, having been apprised of this 5 Goree and other French settlements on the 
 expedition, had omitted nothing that might ; river Senegal, by which we became masters 
 render the pass impregnable. It was accessi- | of the gum trade, and other valuable branches 
 ble only in front, where a large morass was ; of comnierce. In the Mediterranean, the 
 to be passed, of which the vacuities were sup- j squadron of admiral Osborne gave a violent 
 plied by a fortification ten feet high, well i blow to the enemy's marine. He had been for 
 provided with cannon, and lined by about ; some time watching the Toulon fleet, and on 
 10,000 men. ; the 28th of February he fell in with Monsieur 
 
 The engineer reconnoitred the ground, | du Quesne in the Foudroyant of 80 guns, 
 according to general Abercrombie's order, | attended by the Orphee of 64 guns, the Oris- 
 and reported that he thought the entrench- J tamme ot 50, and the Pleiade of 24, as they 
 nients practicable by musquetry alone. On \ were sailing from that port, to reinforce a 
 this unfortunate representation it was deter- \ French squadron at Carthagena. Osborne, 
 mined not to await the arrival of the artillery, 5 observing that they dispersed and steered 
 which, on account of the badness of the ground, ^ different courses, dispatched several ships in 
 could not be immediately brought up. The ! pursuit of them. Of these, captain Storr in 
 attack was made with the vigour and intre- | the Revenge captured the Orphee. The 
 pidity natural to British troops ; and they \ Foudroyant was taken by captain Gardiner's 
 performed every thing but impossibilities, x ship, fhc Monmouth, of 64 guns, after a des- 
 The pass was defended by immense trees, » perate engagement, in which that officer was 
 felled with their leaves towards the assailants, | slain, and the Oristamme was driven on shore. 
 so as at once to conceal and to protect the | As captain Tyrrel was cruising with the 
 enemy. They marched up to the attack with ] Buckingham of 64 guns, and the Weasel 
 undaunted resolution, and sustained with 5 frigate, he descried a fleet of nineteen mer- 
 great intrepidity a most destructive fire. The \ chantmen, under the convoy of the Florissant 
 enemy, secure in their entrenchments, delibe- | of 74 guns and two frigates. Disregarding 
 rately directed their fire, and the carnage ofj the disparity of force, he gave them chace, and 
 the British troops was horrible. The general x brought them to an action, which was fought 
 perceived, when too late, that it was vain to \ with desperate fury till night came on ; when 
 persist. In order to save the remains of his ? the Florissant escaped under cover of the dark- 
 army, he ordered a retreat. Two thousand | ness, and with difficulty reached Martinique, 
 men were missing. With a forbearance equal > The councils of France were at this period 
 to his former rashness, the general, Avhen ^ not only divided, but imbecile and wavering, 
 joined by his artillery, refrained from resuming * All reciprocal confidence had been lost be- 
 tlie attack, and gained on the same evening i tween her court and parliaments, and the 
 his former camp to the south of lake George, ^ablest of her ministers had with indignation 
 
 To compensate in some measure for this j retired from public business. The slightest 
 disgraceful overthrow, colonel Bradstreet was 5 testimony of condescension, however, on the 
 sent, with 3000 provincials, against fort Fron- ; part of their king, inspired the French people 
 tenac. After a long and tedious march, the ; with joy and confidence ; and even the losses 
 colonel arrived at Oswego, embarked fijr \ they had suffered excited them to redoubled 
 lake Ontario, and on the 25th of August ; vigour and activity, with the hope of repairing 
 appeared before fort Frontenac, which adjoins i them. The duke of Belleisle, already dis- 
 the communication between that lake and * tinguished by his political wisdom and his 
 the river St. L;twrence. The fort was taken 5 military exploits, was pointed out by the 
 without loss, after a weak resistance, with ! public voice, as (he only minister who could 
 nine armed sloops, and large quantities of! retrieve the national disgrace, and he was 
 provisions, w hich had been amassed for the 5 accordingly placed at the head of the war 
 use of the French colonies. General Forbes J department, to the general satisfaction of all 
 ■was equally successful in the reduction of fort ; ranks of society
 
 CHAP. XIV.] GEORGE H. 1C7 
 
 The extensive and vigorous operations so ; the junction of the English troops with the 
 snccessfully conducted beneath the auspices i Hanoverians impracticable. Jnihof, apprised 
 of the English ministry, did not prevent them i of his designs, aware that it would be vain to 
 from sending an adequate force to oppose the j expect reinforcements from prince Ferdinand, 
 French armies in Germany. Prince Ferdi- j and that the enemy, by turning his j-rn 
 nand, in order to compel the prince of Sou- i camp, might become master of Meers, 
 bize to abandon an enterprise projected against » formed a resolution worthy of a consummate 
 the prince of Hesse-Cassel, crossed the Rhine | officer, and marching out of his entrench- 
 in the presence of the French army. Aston- 1 ments with oidy 3000 men, resolved to attack 
 ished at the boldness of this passage, they \ the enemy by surprise. Fortune proved 
 retired towards Men rs, and at lengtli made a | favourable to his daring enterprise. As the 
 stand aJ Crevelt, with their right towards the.| enemy were marching into difficult ground, he 
 village of Vischelon, and their left towards \ ordered a small party posted in a coppice to 
 Anrath ; Crevelt lying in the front of their ; fall upon their left, which he observed to be 
 right. Notwitlistanding the strength of this 1 uncovered. The fire of this detachment was 
 position, they were entirely defeated, with ; the signal for the rest to advance, and attack 
 the loss of 7000 men; but, being en their owr; ; with fixed bayonets. An assault so spirited 
 frontiers, were speedily and strongly rein- j and unexpected impressed the Frencii with a 
 forced, so that they were soon in a condition, ; panic, from which all the efforts of their 
 not only to resist the Hanoverians, but to | ofiieers could not recover them. They gave 
 reinforce their army beyond the river. The ; way in less than half an hour, leaving the 
 prince, however, willing to insprove his ad- i field of battle covered with their dead, and 
 vantage to the utmost, appeared with a de- j took refuge under the cannon af Wesel. 
 tachment before Dusseldorf, and by a severe ; This signal advantage, over great superiority 
 bombardment compelled it to capitulate. ! of numbers, was not more gallantly obtained 
 This acquisition midtijdied his posts and ; than skilfully improved. Imhof immediately 
 communications, and rendered tlie prosecution i joined the English, and led them towards the 
 of his original plan more easy. But while he > main army, which prince Ferdinand conducted 
 continued to act with as much spirit as his; back into Westphalia, with as little difficulty 
 situation would permit, he received intelligence I and obstruction as he had left it in the 
 that the united forces of Soubize and Broglio > spring. 
 
 had defeated the Hessians near Sangershausen. ;' The operations on both sides now lan- 
 The only resource now left him was to fight j guished for a considerable time. Prince 
 the enemy, or to repass the Rhine. The > Ferdinand acted entirely on the defensive, 
 former was impracticable, without great and ; The grand army, under M. de Contades, 
 obvious danger, as they industriously avoided I found it impossible to disturb the admirable 
 a battle ; and the latter was an enterprise of ; dis|)Osition of his army along the Lippe; and 
 considerable diffic(dty, as the heavy rains had ; the prince of Yssenburg, with the few forces 
 inide the road almost impassable, and had; he had under him, maintained his posts upon 
 swelled the river to such a degree, that the \ the Weser ; so that the French hail hitherto 
 bridge at Rees was useless. i made little progress against Hes.se or Hano- 
 
 MoNsiEUR de Chevert, the most active and ; ver. Sensible that an attack ivpon the whole 
 intelligent of all the French generals, had ; body of the allies would prove a dangerous 
 formed a plan, which, had it succeeded, would J attempt, the French resolved to strengthen 
 have reduced the allies to a state of the utmost ; the army of the prince de Soubize, so as to 
 perplexity. Baron Imhof was posted at i enable hiu) to dislodge the prince of Yssenburg 
 Meer, in order to cover the bridge of Rees, ; from the Weser, aud to open a passage into 
 to secure a considerable magazine, and to ; the Landgraviate. Prince Ferdinand was 
 keep open a connnunication between the main I aware of their intention, and sent a detach- 
 army aud the English reinforcements which ; ment to the assistance of the prince under the 
 were approaching, under the duke of Marl- ; command of general Oberg ; but even after 
 borough. Chevert determined, if possible, to » these troops had joined him, all the force of 
 dislodge Imhof, to burn the bridge, to make ; the allies remaining in Hesse did not exceed 
 himself master of the magazine, aod to render, i lo,OUOmeu. They were attacked ou the 30th
 
 168 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. xir. 
 
 of September, at Lanweretihagen, by the 
 priuce de Soiibize, at the bead of 30.000 men, 
 and were defeated and driven to take shelter 
 in some strong grounds, covered with woods. 
 Prince Ferdinand flew to their relief at so 
 critical a moment, that the prince of Yssen- 
 burg was enabled to join him at Rheda. This 
 movement, however, necessarily exposed the 
 electorate to the incursions of the enemy, 
 whose 'late troops penetrated even to the gates 
 of Hanover. 
 
 The British forces had few opportunities 
 of signalizing themselves in the course of this 
 campaign ; but they siiflered greatly by the 
 severity of the climate and the season, and 
 their commander, the duke of Marlborough, 
 died of a dysentery at Munster. £y his 
 death the command of the troops devolved on 
 lord George Sackville. 
 
 The affairs of his Prussian majesty were 
 never in a more critical situation than at 
 present. The Russians had penetrated into 
 the New Marche of Brandenburg, where they 
 were besieging Custrin, and a few days would 
 have led them to the defenceless gates of 
 Berhn. The Swedes had gained ground upon 
 the Prussian generals, Wedel and Manteufel, 
 in Pomerania ; and the army of the empire, 
 ■with a body of Austrians, under general Had- 
 dick, were not only possessed of many strong 
 posts on the frontiers of Misnia, but 
 began to circumscribe the quarters of 
 prince Henry of Prussia, who lay at Diepolds- 
 wald, with about 20,000 men. Marshal Daun, 
 neglecting all other objects, was intent upon 
 Saxony from the Prussians, 
 his natural caution, he had several 
 times altered the plan of his operations ; 
 sometimes pointing them towards pursuing 
 the king of Prussia into Silesia, sometimes 
 against Berli-n ; but at last, leaving the generals 
 Harsch and de Ville on the southern frontiers 
 of Silesia, to amuse the Prussians, he began 
 his march, through Zittau, Gorlitz, and 
 Bautzen, towards Dresden. By crossing at 
 Meissen, he might have cut off all communi- 
 cation between Dresden and Leipsic ; and by 
 attacking prince Henry, who was now en- 
 camped at Secdelitz, he might have put him 
 between two fires, that of his own army, and 
 that of the army of the empire 
 vijji lance of prince Henry, who 
 
 1758. 
 
 Through 
 
 ? i 
 
 communication with his brother. 
 
 But the 
 
 secured a 
 
 and took 
 
 care to keep Dresden at his back, frustrated, 
 
 for that time, all the schemes of that cautious 
 general. 
 
 In the mean time, his Prussian majesty, 
 notwithstanding all the interruption given 
 him by the Austrians, marched by Wi.soca, 
 Pohtz, and Landshut ; and on the 20th oS 
 August he reached Francfort on the Oder. 
 Here he joined the troops under count Dohna. 
 The Russians had, ever since the 15tb, been 
 throwing bombs and red-hot balls into Custrin, 
 by which the place was set on fire, and the 
 inhabitants reduced to the most deplorable 
 slate tha't imagination can form ; and to com- 
 plete their misfortune, their principal maga- 
 zine had blown up. 
 
 Frederic hastened to avenge himself on 
 those destroyers of his dominions. On the 
 23rd, he passed the Oder with his whole 
 army, about twenty miles to the north-east of 
 Custrin. The Russians, on his app*'oacli, 
 marched from before Custrin, and took post 
 between the villages of Zwickau and Zorn- 
 dorf. The king had now to cope with an 
 enemy, with whom he had never been per- 
 sonally engaged before. The greatest generals 
 have their failings ; and that of his Prussian 
 majesty was, perhaps, a too great disregard 
 for his enemies. He considered the Russians 
 as barbarians, without reflecting, that they 
 were barbarians who never knew how to 
 yield ; and that they were commanded by 
 officers of experience, who knew how to turn 
 that barbarism, which he affected to despise, 
 into steady courage and military discipline, 
 so as to baffle all the efforts of more active 
 valour. 
 
 His Prussian majesty at first attempted 
 to put in practice one of those military motions, 
 in which he had been often successful, by 
 turning the left flank of the enemy, and at- 
 tacking them in the rear. The Russians, fore- 
 seeing his design, had thrown themselves into 
 a kind of hollow square, which presented 
 him every vvay with a front fortified with 
 artillery and clievaiix de frize. It was there- 
 fore necessary for the king to attack them 
 with his artillery. The cannonading began 
 at nine in the morning, with a dreadful dis- 
 charge of great and small artillery, in which 
 the Prussians were greatly superior, and 
 which did amazing execution upon tiie Rus- 
 sians, who stood as if they had been invulne- 
 rable, and supplied every vacancy in their 
 ranks with unparalleled readiness and alacrity
 
 fHAP XIV. J 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 1C9 
 
 This l)eha\ioiir was new to the Prussians, i 
 ■who, seeing the enemy, in a manner, court 5 
 death, made a pause ; which the first line of j 
 the Russians, having exhausted their shot, | 
 improved into a panic, by breaking in upon 
 them with their swords and bayonets, and 
 which forced tlie hitherto im|)enetrable body 
 of the Prussians to recoil. This change in 
 the fortune of the day, effected by their bro- 
 ken and defeated battalions, was so unex- 
 pected by tlie Russian generals, that they 
 made no disposition for supporting their 
 infantry with their cavalry. Had this been 
 done, this day had probably been the last of 
 the Prussian greatness. 
 
 Frederic, whose presence of mind never 
 failed him, was not so negligent. He instantly 
 brought tiie whole of his cavalry, under 
 general Secdelitz, to the centre, and they 
 made head against the fatigued Muscovites, 
 while the Prussian infantry, recovering from 
 their disorder, and stung with what had hap- 
 pened under the eye of their sovereign, formed j 
 behind tliem, and made so dreadful a charge 
 upon the unsupported Russian battalions, 
 that they recovered the field. When the 
 Russians are beat, they never By ; but they 
 grow stupid, unless they are under the com- j 
 inand of generals, in whom they have great I 
 confidence. At present they were under no | 
 command ; and, unable to advance farther, i 
 they remained where they were, plundering | 
 their own baggage, and drinking brandy | 
 wherever they could find it. To increase \ 
 their confusion, the wind blew the dust and \ 
 smoke directly in their faces, while their cool ! 
 enemies, by their king's directions, improved | 
 every advantage. It was now no longer a ) 
 battle, but a horrid and undistinguishing caV- - 
 nage. Still the Russians, amidst this incon- 
 ceivable slaughter, kept their ground. At 
 last their cavalry, as yet unbroken, fell upon 
 the left wing of the Prussians, now fatigued 
 with conquest and carnage, and favoured the 
 broken infantry so far, as to give them an 
 opportunity of forming anew, and marching 
 to a more advantageous ground. The loss 
 of -the Russians in this battle amounted to 
 21,000 men, in killed, wounded, and pri- 
 soners ; amongst whom were 939 officers. 
 Ten thousand were killed upon the spot, 
 and the wounds of above 6000 more 
 proved mortal. Tlw? Prussians did not lose 
 above 2000 men in the whole ; and the Russian 
 
 VOL. III. 2 
 
 military chest and a noble train of artillery 
 fell into their hands. 
 
 The Russian generals, having collected the 
 broken remains of their army, gave orders for 
 a retreat, and they marched to Landsberg on 
 the frontiers of Poland, while their general- 
 in-chief, Fernior, requested the king of Prussia 
 for leave to bury the dead. 
 
 This victory, glorious and complete as it 
 was, gave no relief to his Prussian majesty. 
 Laurels and thorns grew on every side of 
 him. He made dispositions for improving 
 his victory ; but danger called him toward.? 
 Saxony, where marshal Daun, whom, it seems, 
 nature did not fit for offensive measures in the 
 field, unless he was called to them by neces- 
 sity, or invited by a certainty of success, was 
 encamped at Stolpen, to the eastward of the 
 Elbe. This situation, in which there was 
 more safety than glory, served, however, to 
 cover the operations of the Austrian arras, 
 under the generals Harsch, de Ville, and 
 Laudohn. 
 
 The resolutions of the Imperial court, in 
 all matters of war, are taken with the utmost 
 secrecy ; and every minister and Aulic couti- 
 sellor there, is either a general or a judge of 
 generals. It was therefore difficult to pro- 
 nounce, whether Daun's, not proceeding to 
 offensive operations, in the absence of his 
 Prussian majesty, against prince Henry iu 
 Saxony, over whom he had so great a supe- 
 riority, did not proceed from the selfishness 
 of the court of Vienna. They had promised 
 the king of Poland, and all their allies, that 
 the recovery of Saxony should be the chief, 
 if not the only object of the campaign ; but 
 it is presumed, they would have been much 
 better pleased to have recovered Silesia. 
 
 While Daun overawed prince Henry, and 
 his Prussian majesty was employing his 
 army against the Russians, Laudohn lay upon 
 the borders of Biandenburg, with the apparent 
 intention of drawing the Prussian troo[)s to 
 the northern,- while Harsch and de Ville acted 
 in the southern parts of that province. The 
 strong fortress of Sonnestein, in the neighbour- 
 hood of Dresden, which had long overawed 
 Daun, surrendered in a very unaccountable 
 manner, to the Austrian general, Macquire, 
 on the 5th of September. Upon this, Daun 
 proposed to execute the plan he had formed 
 in the beginning of the campaign ; that of 
 passing the Elbe, and putting prince Henry 
 11
 
 170 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. XIV 
 
 between his fire and that of the army of the 
 empire, and thereby cutting off the commu- 
 nication between the prince and Dresden. 
 But his Prussian majesty was by this time on 
 the borders of Saxony. The terror of his 
 approach obliged Laudohn to forego his ad- 
 vantages in the Lower Lusatia, and to fall 
 back upon Daun, who was so far from exe- 
 cuting his grand plan, that he retired to Zit- 
 tau, so as to have Bohemia at his back ; 
 while the array of the empire remained in- 
 active in the strong post of Pirna, which they 
 had seized. 
 
 Those glorious successes of the Prussian 
 monarch, who in the space of fifteen days had 
 defeated a superior body of his enemies, in 
 one extremity of his dominions ; and baffled, 
 without fighting, another superior body, in 
 another extremity, gave him respite rather 
 than security. The Swedes, on hearing of 
 liis victory at Zorndorf, had retired in dis- 
 order; but they still kept their arms in their 
 hands, without evacuating his dominions. 
 The Russians had still a strong footing in the 
 most populous parts of his territories ; and he 
 had no superiority in Saxony, but that of 
 generalship and reputation. In short, his 
 affairs were still in a most critical situation ; 
 and the least error or neglect threatened still 
 to plunge him into an abyss of calamity and 
 misfortune. 
 
 Daun still kept possession of his almost 
 impregnable camp at Stolpen ; and the Prus- 
 sian monarch had taken post at Bautzen, a 
 situation l)y which he was enabled to act as 
 he pleased, on the side either of Misnia or 
 Lusatia, his right wing extending to Holtz- 
 kirchen. By this position of the two armies, 
 it appeared, that the marshal intended to cut 
 off the king's communication with Silesia, and 
 the king to cut off that of the marshal with 
 Bohemia. The situation of his majesty, was, 
 however, upon the whole, the most advanta- 
 geous of the two. A battle seemed inevitable ; 
 and it was evident, from the situation of both 
 armies, that the agnressor would have the 
 disadvantage. It will, perhaps, be ever a 
 secret, by what means Daun came to have 
 intelligence that the Prussians were more care- 
 lessly encamped, and niore lemiss in their 
 quarters, than usual. He had before con- 
 certed measures with the prince of Deux- 
 Ponts, who commanded the army of the 
 empire, for a general battle ; and in the dead 
 
 of the night, on the 14th of October, he ordered 
 his army to decamp in three columns, and to 
 march by different ways, with the utmost 
 silence, so as all the three tlivisions should 
 meet together near the Prussian camp, at five 
 in the morning. 
 
 Daun's orders were obeyed with astonish- 
 ing secrecy and precision. The divisions, in 
 falling in with one another, formed a regular 
 line of battle, and almost instantaneously 
 attacked the Prussian camp towards Holtz- 
 kirchen, where it was weakest. Considering 
 the bravery and discij)line of Daun's army, 
 and the advantages under which this attack 
 was made, it is astonishing that a single batta- 
 lion of the Prussians should escape. Not a 
 shot was fired by any of the Prussian out- 
 guards ; and their enemies were in the midst 
 of their encampment, while they imagmed 
 them to be lying at Stolpen. 
 
 Field-marshal Keith had the day before 
 pointed out soaie weaknesses in the Prussian 
 encampment, and had even remonstrated to 
 his majesty on that occasion. He was the 
 first general officer who got upon horseback, 
 and gave the alarm to his quarter; and to his 
 vigilance and activity was it owing, that the 
 whole army was not cut off; for the small 
 party under him gained time for their fellow- 
 soldiers to put themselves under arms. The 
 marshal, however, was killed on the spot, by 
 two musket-balls ; and the head of prince 
 Francis of Brunswick was carried cff by a 
 cannon-ball, as he was mounting his horse. 
 The death of those two great officers., the next 
 in command, as in merit, to the king himself, 
 seemed to portend the entire loss of the army ; 
 but his majesty had by this time assembled 
 some troops, and in person gave play to the 
 Austrians, till others were formed. Frederic, 
 perhaps, had never so difficult a part to act. 
 The contest was not now for victory, far less 
 for glory, but for safety. He flew from post 
 to post, with that inconceivable presence of 
 mind and rapidity, which so strongly mark 
 his character. As his right wing was in 
 greatest danger, he reinforced it with some 
 battalions from the left ; and endeavoured to 
 recover tlie important post of Holtzkirchen, 
 from which his troops had been driven in the 
 beginning of the attack. 
 
 This reinforcement enabled him, after four 
 bloody charges, to retake that post ; but the 
 Austrians, who well knew its importance^
 
 CHAP. \IV.] 
 
 CtCORGE II. 
 
 17J 
 
 rocovoifd it \vilh an amazing slaughter, 
 (jieneral Rt-tzow, who comnianded the 1«0 
 wing of the Prussians, witli groat difficulty 
 repulsed the enemy from that quarter. At 
 last his majesty, after maintaining the fight 
 for five hours, and losing, in killed, wounded, 
 and prisoners, about 7000 of his best men, 
 ordered a retreat behind his artillery, which 
 was placed in the middle of his camp ; and 
 which, will) the help of his cavalry, put a stop 
 to all pursuit from the Austrians, whose loss 
 in killed and wounded amounted to above 
 5000. All the further consequences of this 
 bloody action were, that his Prussian majesty 
 still kept possession of Bautzen, but extended 
 his right wing towards Wussenburg. The 
 occasion of this imfortunate disaster cannot, 
 till this day, be accounted for. Certain it is, 
 that his Prussian majesty's extricating himself 
 from such a dreadful dilemma, conveys a 
 more exalted idea of his military talents, than 
 the most splendid of his victories. 
 
 The Russians had been so severely handled 
 at Zorndorf, that they remained in the camp 
 near Landsberg, without making any motion, 
 till the 21st of September, when they began 
 their march towards Pomerania, and there 
 laid siege to the town of Colberg. This 
 place, though inconsiderable in itself, was of 
 infinite importance to the Russians, by its 
 being a sea-port, from whence they might 
 receive provisions and reinforcements, without 
 being exposed to the danger of starving Bran- 
 denburg, or to marches insupportably long 
 and laborious. Hitherto his Britannic majesty 
 had ordered his minister at the court of 
 Petersburg, to omit nothing that the czarina 
 could reasonably expect or desire, to buy ofi' 
 her inveterate enmity towards Prussia ; and 
 he was not without hopes of success. But 
 the siege of Colberg proved, to all Europe, 
 not only that she was immoveable in her pur- 
 pose, but thai the empress-queen was deter- 
 mined to sacrifice the safety of Germany, and 
 even of her own dominions, to her resentment ; 
 since nothing had, at all times, been deemed 
 more impolitic, in the Germanic system, than 
 to suffer tlie Russians to get footing by sea in 
 the empire. It was now more than suspected, 
 that her Russian majesty had far greater views 
 than that of assisting her sister-empress; and 
 that she intended to take and to hold. Col- 
 berg, though poorly garrisoned, and still more 
 
 weakly fortifiet 
 
 lield out under major Hevdon, 
 a 2 
 
 its governor, for twenfj'-six days, against an 
 army of 1.5,000 besiegers, who were at lasi 
 sliamcfully obliged to quit their enterprise ; 
 but they revenged their disgrace by perpe- 
 trating, wherever they went, the most uniieard- 
 of inhumanities upon the defenceless inhabi- 
 tants ; for the several stages of their marcljes 
 were marked by fire and desolation. 
 
 The insincerity of the court of Vienna 
 appeared now more glaring than ever. Daun, 
 instead of pushing the advantages he had 
 gained at Holtzkirchen, by attempting the 
 relief of Saxony, through his inactivity, and 
 the few motions he made, plainly evinced, that 
 all he intended was to cover the operations of 
 the Austrian generals ii\ Silesia, where they 
 had already besieged Neiss, a city twenty 
 miles south-west of Breslau, and lying near 
 the confines of the Austrian Silesia. The 
 point was embarrassing to his Prussian majes- 
 ty, whether he should hazard a battle, leave 
 Saxony exposed, or march to Silesia. He 
 was not long in determining. Having received 
 large reinforcements from his brother's army, 
 he left his camp at Dobreschutz, the night of 
 the 24th of October, and, without opposition 
 from the enemy, reached the plain ofGorlitz ; 
 where he defeated a party of Austrians, who 
 wanted to fortify themselves there. This 
 march eased him of all apprehensions from 
 Daun's army ; and, in fact, blasted all the 
 laurels the latter had acquired at Holtzkirchen. 
 
 Daun, ashamed to be thus outwitted, sent 
 Laudohn to harass his Prussian majesty, with 
 24,000 men, and strong reinforcements to 
 the generals Harsch and de Ville, who had 
 not only besieged Neiss, but blockaded 
 Cosel. Frederic, notwithstanding all these 
 impediments, continued his march ; and Daun, 
 seeing that he could not prevent the relief of 
 Silesia, on the 6th of November passed the 
 Kibe at Pirna, and advanced towards Dresden, 
 from which the Prussian army, weakened by 
 the detachments the king had drawn from it, 
 had been obliged to retire to the westward. 
 Before Daini, however, could cut ofT their 
 communication with that city, as the army of 
 the empire had cut it of!" fron) Leipsic, they 
 threw themselves into Dresden all at once. 
 Thus, notwithstanding the advanced season, 
 three great sieges were undertaken in Saxony ; 
 that of Dresden by Daun, that of Leipsic by 
 the Imperial army, and that ol' Torgau by 
 detachments from both.
 
 172 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XIV 
 
 Fkedebic was now approaching towards 
 Neiss, the garrison of which had defended 
 themselves with incomparable bravery, ever 
 since the 4th of August. On tlie 1st of 
 November, he obliged tlio Austrians to raise 
 that siege and the blockade of Cosel, and to 
 foil back npon Bohenna and the Austrian 
 Silesia. lie now hastened to the relief of 
 Saxony, where Daun had besieged Dresden 
 with 60,000 men. Count Dohna and general 
 Wedel, who had rid themselves of the Swedes 
 in Pomerania, delended Torgau, and had < 
 driven the Austrians from it as far as Eulen- i 
 burg. ? 
 
 Count Schmettau commanded in Dresden, ] 
 with an army of 12,000 men. The electors 
 of Saxony had long been the patrons of in- 
 genious arts and manufactures. Their sub- 
 jects had rivalled the antients, in many curious 
 works of the chisel, the furnace, the laboratory, 
 the needle, the loom, and the pencil ; and they 
 had greatly exceeded the Easterns, even the \ 
 Chinese themselves, in their boasted pro- i 
 ductions of porcelain. The soil of the coun- 1 
 try, and the genius of the inhabitants, were 5 
 wonderfully well adapted to the improvement \ 
 .of every manual art; and a long series of} 
 ■internal tranquillity, while the flames of war \ 
 raged around, had rendered Saxony the | 
 paradise of Germany. Even the expences of} 
 its court, the most luxurious of any in Europe, j 
 contributed to enrich the inhabitants, who \ 
 gave specimens of their wealth in the magni- { 
 ficence of their buildings. The suburbs of! 
 Dresden, where the nobility, merchants, and \ 
 manufacturers reside, formed in themselves a > 
 most superb city, and greatly superior to that J 
 which lies within the waJIs. Unfortunately 
 the builders of the houses had not reflected, 
 that it was possible, some time or other, that 
 Dresden might be besieged ; for the platforms 
 of the suburbs looked down upon the battle- 
 ments of the city. 
 
 Schmettau was sensible of the advantage 
 this circumstance presented to Daun, and 
 that the suburbs were untenable. He there- 
 fore gave Daun his option, either to see them 
 in flames, or desist from his operations. The 
 Austrian general threatened him with the 
 consequences of so barbarous a proceeding, 
 and so contrary to the rules of war. Schmet- 
 tau justified himself by necessity, which 
 supersedes all other considerations ; and by 
 the duty he owed to his master, to whom 
 
 alone he was accountable. Daun threatened 
 to make him personally answerable to him- 
 self Upon which Schmettau replied, that 
 he would not only burn the suburbs, but, if 
 the city was attacked, he would defend it 
 street by street, and at last take refuge in the 
 castle, where the royal family resided, and 
 defend that likewise. This answer, being 
 made public, brought the magistrates and 
 principal inhabitants on their knees before 
 the Prussian governor ; and the royal family 
 implored him, with all the moving eloquence 
 of distress, to change his resolution, which, 
 if executed, would leave them destitute of 
 a habitaliou. Schmettau's answer was, that 
 Daun, and not he, could grant their request ; 
 and instantly ordered the houses of the 
 suburbs to be tilled with combustible male- 
 rials, and at three in the morning, November 
 the 10th, they were fired ; and the houses 
 in which they had been deposited were re- 
 duced to ashes. 
 
 Though no arguments can justify this 
 horrid transaction, far less reconcile it to the 
 dictates of common humanity ; yet if we 
 admit the casuistical reasonings of politicians, 
 and allow the necessity of war, it must be 
 acknowledged, that Schmettau did no more 
 than what he was compelled to. His conduct 
 likewise admits of many alleviations. He 
 communicated to the magistrates and in- 
 habitants the time and manner in which he 
 was to proceed, assisted them in removing 
 their goods, consulted with them upon the 
 most favourable way of executing his disa- 
 greeable orders, which was done so gently, 
 that not above 250 houses were consumed. 
 All these circumstances appeared afterwards 
 from authentic evidences, judicially given by 
 the magistrates of Dresden, and the parties 
 themselves, who were the chief sufferers, 
 and wdiich were published by his Prussian 
 majesty's command, to refute the exaggerated 
 representations of the court of Vienna, and its 
 allies, on this occasion. 
 
 It was in vain for Daun, while the flames 
 were thus raging, to renew his threats, as 
 he did, against Schmettau. Perhaps they 
 proceeded not so much from concern for the 
 sufferers, as from his conviction that l)e 
 would now find it extremely difficult, if not 
 impracticable, to take the city. He accord- 
 ingly, upon the approach of his Prussian 
 majesty, decamped from before Dresden on
 
 CHAP XIVj GEORGC II. 173 
 
 the 17th of November ; and the king, on j yet we shall find, on examination, that the 
 the 20th, after joining his troops nnder : conduct of the different commanders was 
 count Dohna and general VVedel, made a > more artful and refined, their movements 
 kindoftriumpiial entry into that city. — Thus, jmore judicious, and their marches were 
 by the valour and activity of the Prussian \ performed with more celerity and vigour, 
 monarch, his generals, and officers, six i The vicissitudes of fortune, which his Prussian 
 sieges were raised almost at the same time ; | majesty experienced, are remarkable; and 
 namely, those of Colberg, Neiss, Cosel, Tor- I the fortitude and skill with which he stemmed 
 gau, Leipsic, and Dresden. 5 the torrent of adversity, and rose superior to 
 
 The Austrians retired to winter-quarter?, ; his evil fortune, are altogether without exam- 
 and disposed their forces so as to form a | pie. We should have" been happy to have 
 chain of amazing length, from the fron- 5 had an opportunity of extolling his modera- 
 tiers of Moravia, passing through Bohe- > tion, as well as his courage ; but, in this 
 niia, all along the skirts of Silesia, and the ! particular, impartiality obliges us to condemn 
 borders of Saxony ; where they were joined | his conduct. Exasperated at the persecuting 
 by the army of the empire, which continued 5 spirit of his enemies, the dangers and labours 
 the chain through Thuringia and Franconia ; I he had undergone, the blood and treasure 
 where it was united to the quarters of the 5 he had expended, and the incessant toils to 
 prince de Soubize. The king of Prussia, | which he was daily exposed, but above all 
 in order to break this extensive chain, sent j at the exhausted state of his finances, he 
 some bodies of his troops into Thuringia, | retaliated upon the unfortunate inhabitants 
 where they dispossessed the army of the | of Saxony ; and persecuted a suffering and 
 empire of several of their posts. | unoffending people, in the spirit of revenge 
 
 Though the events of this campaign were ? against the injustice and rapacity of their 
 not so splendid and brilliant as the last ; > rulers. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 [1759.] 
 
 UnanimUij of the Parliament — National Exultation — Movements of Prince Ferdinand 
 
 Bailie of 3Iinden — Conduct of Lord George Sactcville — Transactions in the East 
 Indies — Enterprise of Lalhj — His Disasters — Naval Operations in the Indian Seas — 
 Prince Henrys Expedition into Bohemia — Prussiaiis defeated at Meissen — Expedition 
 ao-ainst Martinique — General Amherst takes possession of Ticonderago and Crown 
 Point — Battle of Niagara. 
 
 THE successes of the English arms, the \ which had so long depressed the spirits of the 
 valour of our naval and military com- ; community, into one general feeling of ex- 
 nianders, and the activity and vigour of the > ultation and confidence. The addresses of 
 ministers, had changed the despondency, 1 the two houses of parliament contaiued the
 
 174 HISTORY OF EXGLAXD. fCHAI*. XV. 
 
 most animated assurances af their willingness ; superior army Night was the only means to 
 to concur in the effectual prosecution of the | cover such a retreat, and the day was not yet 
 Avar; £3, 120,000 were granted for the pay of; far spent. In this embarrassment, his royal 
 60,000 seamen and marines, £1,256,131 for ; highness made such movements as indicated 
 the pay of 5-3,343 land forces, in Great Britain, » a resolution to renew the battle with redoubled 
 Guernsey, and Jersey, £1,238,177 for the ; vigour. By this means the French were 
 expence incurred by the foreign troops in the i amused during the i-emaining part of the day, 
 pay of Great Britain, £60,000 for enabling ; and night secured to the allies an easy, safe, 
 his majesty to fulfil his engagements with the I and regular retreat to Windeken. lie was 
 landgrave of Hesse, and £670,000 for the j compelled to remain for some time on the 
 payment of the Prussian subsidy. These, ; defensive near the banks of the Weser, while 
 with various other sums appropriated to dif- ; the French retained possession of Francfort ; 
 ferent purposes of state, and one million for 5 and their armies effected their desired junc- 
 enabling the king to defray any extraordinary i tion at Corbach in Hesse-Cassel, where they 
 expence of the war, during the current year, 5 were amply supplied with provisions, 
 amounted collectively to £12,761,310. \ The French army, elated by their success 
 
 The allied troops under prince Ferdinand, j at Bergen, advanced with great rapidity ; and 
 strengthened by additional reinforcements ; prince Ferdinand, finding himself inferior to 
 from Britain, and augmented by German re- ! the united forces of the enemy, retired as they 
 emits, were supplied with every convenience ; advanced, after having left strong garrisons 
 and necessary required by active warfare. ; in Lipstadt, Retburg, Munster, and Minden. 
 They were in some measure deprived of these | The progress of the French arms was but 
 advantages, by the injustice of the French in ^little retarded by these obstacles. Retburg 
 seizing Francfort, a neutral city. By this pro- : was surprised, Lipstadt blockaded, and 
 ceeding, the French army secured the course of j Minden taken by assault. General d'Armien- 
 the Maine and the Rliine, and could without I tieres made himself master of Wesel ; where 
 difficulty or danger receive every kind of j the garrison of 4000 men were made prisoners 
 reinforcement and supply. Sensible of their ; of war. The progress of the French was so) 
 advantageous situation, the great object of | rapid, that the conquest of Hanover was re- 
 prince Ferdinand was to drive the French j garded as inevitable. The archives, and most 
 from Francfort. Having therefore assembled i valuable effects of the electorate, were sent to 
 all his forces, to the amount of 40,000, he j Stade ; and the disposition of the French 
 1759 <^3"i^ i" sight of the enemy on the 13th \ army near Minden, was such as encouraged 
 of April, whom he found strongly en- 1 them to boast and to believe, that the allied 
 camped around the village of Bergen, between ; army under Ferdinand would lay down its 
 Francfort and Hanau. The attacking a I arms without a stroke. 
 
 superior force, thus situated, did not deter the I The French army was strongly posted 
 allied general from his enterprise. Having ; near Minden ; the main body being on the 
 detached 12,000 men, for the defence of his I west of the Weser, and Broglio's division on 
 Hanoverian frontier, he marched with 30,000 ; the east. Ferdinand was encamped at Peters- 
 men towards Fiancfort. The grenadiers, ; hagen, about nine miles from the French. A 
 supported by some battalions under prince | battle was the only means of preventing the 
 Yssenburg, made an attack on the village of i enemy from taking up their winter-quarters 
 Bergen, which covered Broglio's right wing ; i in Hanover; and to attack them in their 
 where eight German battalions were posted, | present situation was impracticable. Strafa- 
 and seven brigades of French troops ; but ; gem was necessary to supply the place of 
 were re))ulsed, and the prince of Yssenburg | strength, and it must bo admitted, that the 
 was slain. The good conduct and military ; o])erations of Ferdinand were masterly. On 
 knowledge of prince Ferdinand were eminent- 1 the 28th of July, he detached the hereditary 
 ly displayed in 'this engagement. Finding ; prince of Brunswick, with 6000 men, to take 
 that little impression was made upon the ; a circuit round the enemy's left flank, and to 
 French posts, and that his own troops suffered \ cut off their communication with Paderboru. 
 greatly, it became his chief consideration, ; On the 29th, the prince forsook his camp on 
 how to retrea* witii honoiur in t4ie sight of a | the Weser, and marched to the right ; leaving
 
 CHAP. XVJ 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 175 
 
 a strong body of troops, under genei'al Wan- 
 genheiin, intrenched on the borders of that 
 river, and supported by a considerable artil- 
 lery. The allied army was now divided into 
 three bodies, and it was evident, that the 
 defeat of any one of them must decide the 
 fate of the other two. The French generals 
 were completely deceived by this arrangement. 
 Nothing appeared more easy than to defeat 
 the body under Wangenheim, by which Fer- 
 xlinand must be cut off from all communica- 
 tion with the Weser, and be therefore com- 
 pelled to surrender at discretion. This was 
 deemed the more practicable, as Ferdinand, 
 with the division under his command, was 
 then supposed to be at Hillen, a village at a 
 considerable distance, by which position the 
 enemy were in hopes of cutting oflF his com- 
 munication with Wangenheim's corps. Early 
 on the 1st of August, xbe French left their 
 advantageous post near Minden, anct advan- 
 ced in eight columns to attack the allied 
 army. Broglio came to the west of the 
 Weser, and crossed the Werra, a small marshy 
 river which falls into it above Minden. Their 
 whole army was then arranged in three 
 divisions, sixty squadrons nf ravalry forming 
 the centre. But when Broglio, who com- 
 manded the advanced guard, had attained ihe 
 summit of an eminence, which had intercepted 
 his view of the allies, be found to his surprise, 
 the main army of his enemy confronting him ; 
 the prince, after he saw that his artifice had 
 succeeded, having suddenly rejoined Wan- 
 genheim's division. The French generals 
 now perceived the error into which they had 
 been drawn, but it was too late to correct 
 it ; and they displayed a want of promptitude 
 in making the attack, which gave the prince 
 time to complete his movements. The battle 
 was begun with a brisk tiring of artillery on 
 both sides, in which the count de Bucke- 
 burg, who commanded that of the allies, did 
 great execution. Ferdinand then commanded 
 his infantry in the centre to advance against 
 the enemy's cavalry ; a movement that was 
 
 Serformed, with such wonderful intre|)idity, 
 y six regiments of British and t«o of Hano- 
 verian troops, in defiance of a l)eavy cannonade 
 and a furious charge of the French horse, who 
 anticipated their attack, that they forced 
 them at last to give way. Broglio, who had 
 in the mean time been repulsed, in an attack 
 on the left wing of the allies, then brought up 
 
 his division to covei the retreat of the cavalry. 
 This was the most critical moment of the 
 battle. The prince dispatched general Win- 
 zingerotle, his aide-de-camp, to lord George 
 Sackville, who had succeeded the duke of 
 Marlborough iu the command of the British 
 troops, and was at the head of the cavalry on 
 the right, with orders for his lordship to 
 advance, through the thin part of the wood on 
 his left, to the rear of the infantry, and to 
 support them in their pursuit. But instead 
 of fulfilling this order with the exactness and 
 promptitude which the emergency required, 
 lord George appeared to misunderstand the 
 route he was ordered to take, and instead of 
 taking the road through the thin of the trees 
 on the left, he prepared to move forwards in 
 a direct line. His delay in about eight minutes 
 occasioned another order, to a similar purport 
 with the former. His lordship then drew his 
 sword, gave the word of command, and moved 
 a few paces forward ; but was told by captain 
 Ligonier that he was to march to thte left. At 
 this instant a third aide-de-camp came up to 
 his lordship, and delivered an order that he 
 should advance to the left with the British 
 cavalry alone. His lordship replied, that the 
 orders he received were contradictory. But 
 the latter remarked, that they only differed in 
 numbers, and that their destination was the 
 same — to the left. Colonel Fitzroy, one of 
 the aides-de-camp, offered to lead the column 
 himself, through the wood on the left. After 
 much altercation, and while the urgency of 
 decision was extreme and obvious, his lord- 
 ship, with a singular degree of coolness and 
 inattention to the demands of the moment, 
 resolved to leave his division, and to ride in 
 quest of the prince, to have the order explained. 
 But as he followed colonel Fitzroy to the 
 prince through the woods, finding them less 
 impassable than he had conceived, his lord- 
 ship sent back captain Smith, one of his aides- 
 de-camp, to bring up the British cavalry. His 
 royal highness, convinced of the necessity of 
 immediate support to the infantry, to complete 
 the success and glory of the day. thought it 
 expedient to send the same orders to the 
 marquis of Granby, before lord George 
 came up. 
 
 LoKU Granby, who commanded the second 
 line of cavalry, did not hesitate a moment. He 
 took his route to the left ; and, while lord 
 George was taking the orince's orders, shewed
 
 176 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. XV. 
 
 liim the line of cavalry coming through the 
 wood. His royal highness then gave his 
 lordshij) final orders to form the cavalry on 
 the heath, and to support the infantry, which 
 lord George proceeded to put in execution, 
 came up with his division, and placed himself 
 at its head, after it had got through the wood, 
 and conducted it to the *ear of the infantry; 
 but it was then too late for the purposes in- 
 tended. Broglio was enabled by this delay to 
 make his retreat in good order ; the left wing 
 and centre crossing the rivulet, and the right 
 taking refuge under the cannon of Minden. 
 Eight thousand of the enemy were killed or 
 wounded, while the loss of the allies did not 
 exceed 1000 men. On the same day, the 
 detachment under the hereditary prince of 
 Brunswick defeated a large body of the 
 French, under the duke de Brisac, and com- 
 pelled it to take refuge in Minden, by which 
 event the enemy lost their advantageous posi- 
 tion on the Weser, and were obliged to resign 
 the glories of (he campaign. 
 
 The cause of the nmtual misunderstanding 
 between prince Ferdinand and lord George 
 Sackville, (afterwards lord George Germain) 
 has never been traced in any anlhentic source; 
 but it is imagined, that the superior talent and 
 the inquisitive spirit of the English general 
 were by no means agreeable to his superior in 
 command, whose cupidity, was excited by 
 the hope of obtaining certain pecuniary ad- 
 vantages, which the other was unwilling to 
 permit. Lord George was immediately re- 
 called, in April of the next year tried by a 
 court martial, found guilty, and declared in- 
 capable of serving his majesty in any future 
 command. 
 
 The consequences of the battle of Minden 
 were by no njeans correspondent with the 
 valour of the allied troops, or the skill of the 
 general. The French were obliged to retire 
 towards Cassel, but it was the 1 Ith of Sep- 
 tember before the inconsiderable castle of 
 Marburg surrendered to the allies. Munster 
 still remained in the hands of the enemy, and 
 general Imhof, being detached by prince 
 Ferdinand to besiege it, was frustrated in that 
 design by d'Armientieres. 
 
 The transactions of the war in the East 
 Indies were chequered with various success. 
 The French had sent a considerable reinforce- 
 ment, under the conunand of general Lally, 
 an officer of Irish extraction, whose enter- 
 
 prising spirit was well calculated to give effect 
 to sudden efforts, but who wanted the judg- 
 ment and composure of mind requisite to the 
 command which he was about to assume, 
 whose haughty and impetuous temper pecu- 
 liarly disqualified him for the service of a com- 
 mercial company, and whose avarice rendered 
 him the object of equal jealousy and fear. 
 A new armament was likewise fitted out 
 under M. d'Ache, who commanded their 
 marine. 
 
 Admiral Pococke, on the death of ,«ro 
 admiral Watson, who had merited the 
 esteem of the English company, by his 
 eminent services and fidelity, succeeded to 
 the command. On receiving intelligence of 
 d'Ache's arrival, he immediately put to sea 
 with his fleet, consisting of seven ships of the 
 line, and finding his rival, who had nine ships 
 under his command, off the Coromandel 
 coast, he brought him to an action which 
 continued two hours, and terminated in a 
 decisive victory on the part of the English ; the 
 French bavins; sustained more than double 
 the loss of men, having retired from the scene 
 of action, and one of their sliips having been 
 drivpn nn shore and lost. Three of admiral 
 Pococke's captains behaved, during this 
 engagement, in a manner unworthy of their 
 country. They had acquired, during their 
 sojourn in India, immense riches, and were 
 unwilling to hazard the loss of their treasures 
 by too close and enterprising a contest with 
 the enemy. 
 
 Lally, in the mean time, had landed his 
 troops at Pondicherry. Entering immediately 
 on action, before his enemy had leisure to 
 make preparation for resistance, he in three 
 days reduced the fortress of Cuddalore. 
 Advancing to the siege of St. David's, he 
 made himself master of it, after seventeen days 
 open trenches. The small fortress of Davi 
 Cotta submitted to him without resistance ; 
 after which he returned victorious to Pondi- 
 cherry. Encouraged by these successes, 
 Lally would willingly have proceeded to the 
 siege of Madras, while his men were flushed 
 with victory. To provide himself with pecu- 
 niary supplies, the want of which was his 
 grand obstacle, he demanded 72 lacka of 
 rupees from the rajah of Tajore, by virtue of 
 an agreement between tliat prince and the 
 French governor, during the iate war. On 
 his refusal of compliance, Lally marched a
 
 CHAP. XV.] 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 1 
 
 / / 
 
 body of troops into Tanjore, and after plun- 
 dering tiie opulent town of lSagf)re, invested 
 the capital. He had been some weeks before 
 the city, which was well defended by the 
 garrison, aided by some English forces frouj 
 Tritchinopoly, when the intelligence of a 
 design, formed by the English, for an attack 
 on Pondicherry, compelled him to return to 
 its defence. This movement counteracted 
 his enemy's purpose ; but a misunderstanding 
 •ubsisting between him, Monsieur de Bussy, 
 who'still oinmauded in the Deccan, and Mo- 
 racin, wiio was stationed at Masulipatavn, was 
 of much prejudice to the service. Lally 
 complained of the want of strenuous support 
 from these oflicers, as well as from d'Ache. 
 On the other hand, his rccal of the troops 
 from the Deccan and Masnlipalam, to co- 
 operate in the siege of Madras, which he 
 invested in the month of December, was 
 proved to be injudicious by the event ; for 
 the French forces were so reduced in the 
 Deccan, that colonel Fonl, with a detach- 
 ment from Bengal, was enabled to dispossess 
 the French of several fortresses in that coun- 
 try. On the 14th of December, Lally ad- 
 vanced, with his whole force, to tlie attack of 
 Madras. A desperate sally was made by the 
 English, under the command of colonel 
 Draper, which, if it eflected no other object, 
 tended to dispirit the besiegers. The enemy's 
 batteries played vigorously against the town, 
 but the fire of the garrison was more skilfully 
 directed. The French acted with a timidity 
 and want of judgment, by no means conform- 
 able to their national character. It was in 
 vain that Lally attempted to lead on his men 
 to a breach that had been ])racticable for 
 several days, it continued open for a fortnight, 
 and no one dared to venture on tlie assault. 
 To add to his embarassments, he was ill- 
 supplied with provisions, in consequence of 
 his misunderstanding with the government; 
 and he learned that the garrison had received 
 a remforcement. Despairing of success, he 
 raised the siege on the night of the 17th of 
 February, leaving behind him thirty-six 
 pieces of cannon, and retreated to the neigh- 
 bourhood of Arcot. 
 
 The English generals, availing themselves 
 ef the disasters of their enemy, entered upon 
 active hostilities in every quarter. Lawrence, 
 Draper, and their subordinate officers, taking 
 the held witli the forces which had so gallantly 
 - - A a 
 
 defended Madras, possessed themselves of 
 Conjeverem and Chingelpet, two fortresses 
 which commanded the adjoijiing country in 
 the Carnatic. They were rej)ulsed in an 
 attempt on Wandewash ; but before the close 
 
 of the campaign, Mr. Pigot 
 
 j,^v, seizmg tlie op- 
 
 portunity afforded by the absence of Lally on 
 an expedition to the south, dispatched colonel 
 Coote, with a strong body of troops against 
 it. That officer in a few days made hmiself 
 master of the fortress, with the garrison of 
 900 men, and 40 pieces of artillery, and after- 
 wards reduced Carangoly, 
 
 Lally, alarmed at this unexpected succes.s, 
 determined to risque a general engagement, or 
 to retake Wandewash, which he besieged 
 with 2200 Europeans, and between 9000 and 
 10,000 sepoys. He prosecuted the siege 
 with the utmost vigilance, but colonel Coote 
 arrived with his army, consisting of 1700 
 Eurojjeans and 3000 sepoys, at the moment 
 when Lally was about to storm the breach he 
 had made. A long and obstinate engage- 
 ment ensued, in which the French sustained 
 an entire defeat, with the loss of 1000 men, 
 their cannon, and all the implements of the 
 siege. The English lost no time in pursuing 
 their victory ; they marched directly to 
 Chitiput, which they captured, and then laid 
 siege to Arcot, which surrendered in an early 
 part of the succeeding year. (1760) 
 
 The uninterrupted success of the campaign* 
 of 1758 and 1759, were, in a great measure, 
 to be attributed to the ability and vigilance of 
 admiral Pococke. D'Ache, whose "fleet had 
 been augmented to eleven ships of the line, 
 ventured, after an absence of thirteen months, 
 to return in September from the Isle of Mau- 
 ritius, to dispute the sovereignty of the Indian 
 seas. The English admiral, with nine ships, 
 immediately sailed in quest of hin^and brought 
 him to an action. The battle which ensued 
 was fought with much spirit for two hours, 
 when the French fleet retired towards Pon- 
 dicherry. Pococke, having repaired his 
 masts and rigging, endeavoured to provoke 
 d'Ache, as he was lying at the moufh of the 
 harbour, to renew the conflict, but without 
 effect ; and the superiority of the English 
 navy was still further confirmed by the arrival 
 of admiral Cornish, with a squadron of four 
 ships of war. 
 
 Under pretext of reinforcing their garrisons 
 in Bengal, the Dutch equipped an armament 
 12
 
 178 
 
 HlfjTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. xy. 
 
 of seven ships, which was ordered to sail up 
 the Ganges, and rendered their fort at Cliin- 
 chura so formidable, as to exclude all other 
 nations from the salt-petre trade, carried on 
 there, and to monopolize the sale of that com- 
 modity. Colonel Clive complained to the 
 nabob, and remonstrated with . the Dutch 
 commodore, and not receiving a satisfactory 
 answer, dispatched a small squadron against 
 liim, which gained a decided advantage in an 
 action near the months of the Ganges. Colonel 
 Ford was sent with a military force against 
 the fortress, and was so successful in his 
 operations, that the Dutch directors were glad I The king of Prussia and count Daun had 
 to avoid the farther prosecution of hostilities, * been, for some time, employed in observing 
 by engaging to make reparation for the da- \ each other's motions ; but the attention of the 
 mages which the English merchants had \ former was chiefly directed against the Rus- 
 sustained. ; sians, whose progress was now become very 
 
 The armies under the direction of his t alarming. Receiving intimation of Wedel's 
 Prussian majesty, proceeded in their opera- 1 defeat, he marched with 10,000 of his best 
 
 J.; __ ■ i 1_ - ■ i^— a1__ iTiO.-.l _/• r?l„l > 4-,,^ . ;.- ,...,1 A. ^ A_l .. l^ ' At._ 
 
 therefore gave that general leave to retire for 
 the benefit of his health, and conferred his 
 command upon general Wedel, with positive 
 orders to attack the Russians. He marched 
 against them in two columns, and on the 2.3rd 
 of July attacked them at Zullick ; where, 
 after a bloody and obstinate engagement, he 
 was repulsed with great loss. General Wo- 
 bersnow was killed, and general Mantcuflel 
 wounded ; the Prussians passed the Oder 
 without molestation ; and the Russians, in a 
 few days, made themselves masters of Franc- 
 fort. 
 
 lions with vigour. On the 23rd of February, 
 his general, Wobersnow, marched into Poland 
 with a strong body of troops, destroyed 
 several vast magazines, belonging to the 
 Russians, and returned without any loss into 
 Silesia, on the 18th of April. 
 
 In the mean time, prince Henry commanded 
 in Saxony ; and his army entered Bohemia in 
 two columns, with great success. General 
 Hulsen, who commanded one of the columns, 
 defeated a large body of Austrians at Pasberg, 
 and made about 2000 prisoners, with the loss 
 of only 70 men; while the other column 
 penetrated as far as Loboschutz, under 
 Lecmentz ; and both returned to Saxony 
 with hostages for the contributions they had 
 exacted. Soon after this the prince entered 
 Franconia by the way of Hott, and defeated 
 a body of Austrians and Imperialists, under 
 general Maoquire. The bishoprics of Bamberg 
 and Wurtzburg were laid under contribution. 
 In takiwg possession of Bamberg, the Prussians 
 were guilty of some unjustifiable irregularities, 
 ■which were productive of loud complaints, 
 
 and, in due time, of a severe retaliation, i the Russians exceeded 90,000. They had 
 During prince Henry's absence in Franconia, \ chosen a strong camp at the village of Cun- 
 a body of Austrians had penetrated into \ nersdorf, the natural strength of which they 
 Saxony. \ bad increased by intrenchments, mounted 
 
 The Russians were too formidable to be | with a numerous artillery. To attack them 
 attacked by count Dohna, who contented ^ was dilhcult and hazardous ; and, in any 
 himself with obfierviug (heir motions, and ! other circumstances tlian the present, the 
 liarassing ihcir ntarcli. The king of Prussia | attempt would have been rash and ridiculous, 
 thought this conduct too timid and cautious, | But there was now no room for hesitation, 
 considering the cuiergeucy of aflairs j Le 5 The afluirs of his Prussian majesty required 
 
 troops, in order to take upon him the com- 
 mand of Wedel's army, and to drive this 
 formidable enemy from his dominions. The 
 remainder of his forces were strongly encamped 
 under prince Henry, who had joined him 
 previous to this event. 
 
 Daun v/as not ignorant of the king's inten- 
 tions ; and knowing that the Russians were 
 very defective in regular and firm cavalry, 
 he detached a body of 12,000 horse, together 
 with 8000 foot, under the command of general 
 Laudohn, one of the ablest officers in the 
 Austrian service. These troops penetrating, 
 in two columns, through Silesia and Lusatia, 
 with some loss, ai-rived in the Russian camp 
 at- a very critical juncture. — By this time, 
 the king of Prussia had joined general Wedel 
 at JVIuhlrose, and assumed the command of 
 the army; but finding it greatly inferior to 
 the enemy, he recalled general Finck, whom 
 he had detached some time before with a 
 body of 9000 men, to oppose the progress of 
 the Imperialists in Saxony. Thus reinforced, 
 his army amounted to near 50,000 ; that of
 
 CHAP XV.] 
 
 GBORGC II. 
 
 179 
 
 a. desperate effort ; and, in Jiis present situa- 
 tion, tlie most rash attempt could not be 
 rejected by the most rigid prudence. 
 
 On Ihe 12th of August, about two 
 ■ in tlie morning, his Prussian majesty 
 put his troops in motion ; and, iiaving formed 
 them in a wood, advanced towards the enemy. 
 The action began, about eleven, with a severe 
 cannonade ; which having produced the 
 effect he desired from it, lie charged the left 
 wingoftiie Russians with his best troops, 
 disposed in columns. After an obstinate 
 eon fl let, the enemy's entrenchments were 
 forced, with prodigious slaugliter, and 72 
 pieces of cannon were taken. A narrow defile 
 ■was afterwards passed ; and several redoubts 
 that covered the village of Cunnersdorf were 
 taken by assault, one after the other. The 
 Russians made a firm stand at the village ; 
 but they were overborne by the impetuosity 
 of the Prussians, who drove them from post 
 to post, quite to their last redoubts. As the 
 Russians never quit their ground, till they are 
 hewn down in their ranks, this success was 
 attended with inconceivable slaughter. After 
 a furious contest of six hours, fortune seeu'ed 
 to declare in favour of. the Prussians. The 
 enemy had been driven from all the ground 
 they had occupied before the battle, and more 
 than half of their artillery was taken. In 
 those circumstances, Frederic dispatched 
 the following billet to the queen at Berlin : 
 
 " Madara, 
 
 " We have beat the Russians 
 from their entrenchments. In two hours, 
 expect to hear of a glorious victory." 
 
 This news arrived at Berlin just as the post 
 was going out ; and the account of his Prus- 
 sian majesty's success was circulated through- 
 out Europe. But this intimation was prema- 
 ture, and subjected him to the ridicule of his 
 enemies. Tlie Russians had been severely 
 liandled, but were not defeated. Count 
 SoltikofT rallied his troops, and formed them 
 tinder cover of a redoubt, which was erected 
 on an eminence, called. The Jews' burying- 
 ground. A situation more advantageous 
 could not well be conceived, and, to an army 
 already fatigued with the service of six hours' 
 slaughter, it might justly be deemed impreg- 
 nable. The day was excessively hot, and the 
 Btrength of the enemy still greatly superior to 
 
 A a 2 
 
 that of tlie Prussians. Frederic was far from 
 l)eing discouraged by those circumstances. 
 His courage was always in proportion to the 
 danger he had to encounter, and he could not 
 bear to be a conqueror by halves. He re- 
 solved, therefore, to drive the enemy from 
 their advantageous posts, which was the only 
 thuig wanting to render his victory complete. 
 His generals, it is said, represented to him the 
 madness of such an enterprise, and used 
 every argument that could be suggested, to 
 dissuade him from so difhcult and dangerous 
 an attempt. This salutary advice was re- 
 jected, and he resolved once more to put all 
 to the hazard. The infantry began a new 
 attack, which being much beyond their 
 strength, they were repulsed with great slaugh- 
 ter. They were again rallied and brought to 
 a second attack ; they were a second time 
 repulsed, and their loss redoubled. The 
 infantry being quite exhausted, the cavalry 
 succeeded to the attack. They made several 
 spirited but unavailing attempts ; the horses, 
 as well as their riders, being entirely exhausted 
 At this critical moment, the Russian and 
 Austrian cavalry, who were quite fresh, fell 
 in among the Prussian horse, broke their line 
 at the first charge, forced them back upon 
 their foot, and threw the whole into irreparable 
 disorder. Being thus put into confusion, the 
 Prussian army was seized with a panic, and 
 in a few minutes totally defeated and dispersed. 
 The personal efforts of the king, who hazard- 
 ed his life in the hottest parts of the battle, 
 were of no avail. He led on his troops three 
 times to the charge, two horses were killed 
 under him, and his clothes, in several parts, 
 were perforated with musket-bails. INothing 
 but the approach of night could have saved 
 the Prussian army from tot.d destruction. — 
 This was by far the most bloody action that 
 had happened since the commencement of 
 hostilities ; and perhaps modern history 
 cannot furnish the narrative of a more des- 
 perate engagement. Tiie Prussians lost up- 
 wards of 20,000 men, in killed, wounded, and 
 taken prisoners. General Palkamnaer was 
 killed on the spot, an<l the general-; Leidelitz, 
 Jtzenplitz, Hulsen, Finck, and VVedel ; and 
 the prince of Wurtemburg and live major- 
 generals were wounded. Of the enemy 
 'lO,000 were killed. The Prussians lost alt 
 their artillery and baggage. 
 
 When his Prussian majesty found himself
 
 180 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XY 
 
 obliged to quit the fieltl, he (Hspatched another 
 billet to the queen, couched in these terms : 
 
 '" Remove from Berlin with 
 tlio royal family. Let the archives be carried 
 to Potsdau). The town may make conditions 
 >vith the enemy." 
 
 It is much easier to conceive than to describe 
 the horror and confusion which this intima- 
 tioii produced at Berlin ; horror the more 
 aggravated, as it seized the people in the 
 midst of their rejoicings, occasioned by the 
 first dispatch. The terror was still more 
 dreadfully augmented by a subsequent indis- 
 tinct relii4ion, importing that the army was 
 totally routed, the king missing, and the enemy 
 in full march to Berlin. 
 
 Ncxr day the king retreated over the Oder, 
 collected the scattered remains of his army, 
 and saw, with joy and astonishment, the 
 enemy remain inactive in their camp. He 
 improved this interval with equal spirit and 
 sagacity. He furnished his camp w ith cannon 
 from the arsenal at Berlin, which likewise 
 supplied him with a considerable number of 
 recruits. He recalled general Kleist, with 
 5000 men, from Pomerania, and in a little 
 time resumed his former importance. 
 
 Count Soltikofi". marched into Silesia, and, 
 with part of his army, joined that of the 
 Austriansin Lusatia, under Daun. The army 
 of the empire having entered Saxony, where 
 they had reduced Hall, Wittemberg, Leipsic, 
 .Torg.au, and at last Dresden itself, the king 
 detached 0000 men, under general Wunch, to 
 check the progress of the Imperialists in that 
 electorate. Perceiving that the Russians* in- 
 tended to besiege Great Glogan, he, with the 
 rest of his army, took post between thein and 
 that city, so as to frustrate their design. This 
 movement, while it prevented the Russians 
 from taking winter-quarters in his dominions, 
 unavoidably cut off ail communication with 
 the army of prince Henry. Finding that 
 he could not co-operate with his brother on 
 the side of Silesia, juince Henry directed his 
 march towards Suxony, with the view of 
 recovering possession of that country, and to 
 draw the attention of Daun towards it, so as 
 tc disable him from assisting the Russians. 
 The country, through which this projected 
 march lay, was in a manner overspread by the 
 tnemy. On the 23rd day of September, the 
 
 prince quitted his camp Rt Hornsdorf, and, 
 after a rapid and almost incredible march, 
 arrived at Hoyerswerdd, where he surprised 
 a body of 4000 men, commanded by general 
 \ ehld, killed fiOO, and made twice that num- 
 ber ; prisoners, including the commander 
 himself. 
 
 Soon after this atchievement, the prince 
 joined the troops under Finck and Wunch, 
 which obliged M. Daun to leave his camp, 
 and to make a forced march to cover Dresden ; 
 which city, it was probable, prince Henry had 
 resolved to attempt. — Three armies were now 
 encamped on the banks of the Oder ; the 
 Russians at Franstadt, general Laudohn, 
 with a body of Austrians, at Schlightingsfceim, 
 and the king of Prussia at Koben. On the 
 29th of October, the duke d'Aremberge, with 
 10,000, was encountered and defeated by 
 general Wunch, who took 1200 prisoners, 
 some cannon, and great part of their tents 
 and baggage. 
 
 Thk affairs of his Prussian majesty, not- 
 withstanding his re|)eated disasters, were 
 i once more in a respectable condition. He 
 I was at the head of a gallant army of 60,000 
 ! men, in high spirits, ready to perform the most 
 \ desperate of his orders ; and there still re- 
 I mained hopes, that the campaign might be 
 I concluded to his advantage. It was now 
 5 obvious, that Daun would be obliged to 
 \ retire into Bohemia, to abandon Dresden, and 
 \ in short to give up all the advantages result- 
 I ing from his former victories. Frederic was 
 I not satisfied with the slow and progressive 
 \ mode of distressing an enemy ; he was for 
 t actions of greater moment and more decision. 
 \ The passes into Bohemia were exceedingly 
 i difficult ; and the king thought that, by some 
 ! posts properly chosen and strongly guarded, 
 \ the retreat of the Austrians might be prevent- 
 I ed ; and that Daun, after all his caution and 
 > prudence, would be compelled to hazard a 
 ; battle at an evident disadvantage, as he would 
 ! then have no resource but in victory. With 
 I this view he detached general Finck, with 
 I nineteen battalions, and tliirty-five squadrons, 
 ( to take possession of the detiles of ftiaxen tind 
 ! Otfendorf, through which alone it seemed 
 J possible for the Austrians to penetrate into 
 ! Bohemia. This was done with great success. 
 ! Daun retired to Plauen, and the king advan-. 
 ; ced to Willsburg, imagining that he liucS 
 ! effectually succeeded in hi*, design.
 
 CHAP XVJ 
 
 GEOii^aE II. 
 
 181 
 
 HowEVBR plausible this project might ap- 
 pear, there was evidently some mistake or 
 oversight in its execution. Finck had no 
 sooner taken post near Maxen, than Daun, 
 after having reconnoitred his situation, re- 
 solved to attack him, with his corps de reserve, 
 under the baron de Sancere. The baron 
 marched his troops in four columns through 
 the woods, and the Prussians were entirely 
 surrounded before they had the least intima- 
 tion of their approach. They had penetrated 
 too far into these defiles, and had neglected to 
 secure a retreat, or any sort of communication 
 with the main army. Their situadon was the 
 most desperate that could well be imagined. 
 To retreat was impossible ; and the only 
 consolation arising from resistance was the 
 hope of selling their lives dear. They de- 
 fended themselves, for the whole day, with 
 the greatest resolution. But all their efforts 
 •were ineffectual. Overpowered by numbers, 
 they were driven from eminence to eminence, 
 until, by favour of the night, they made their 
 last retreat to f alkenhayn. The Austriaus 
 ■were employed tiie whole night in guarding, 
 with double strength and vigilance, every 
 avenue, through which it wsxs possible for the 
 Prussians to escape. 
 
 The morning presented a dreadful and 
 discouraging sight to the Prussian army. The 
 hills on every side of them were covered with 
 great bodies of the' enemy, and every defile 
 presented a hedge of bayonets, througn which 
 it would have been madness to attempt to 
 penetrate. In this alarming condition, fatigued 
 with the hard service of the preceding day, in 
 which they had exhausted almost all their 
 ammunition, stripped of the greatest part of 
 their cannon, surrounded on all quarters, 
 without the least prospect of relief, it is not 
 to be wondered that the Prussian army lost 
 all hope and all spirit. General Finck was 
 well-acquainted with the rigour of his master ; 
 and he felt the thousand embarrassing cir- 
 cumstances that every man of honour and of 
 spirit must feel at ^such a juncture. The 
 apparent shame of a surrender was great ; 
 but the absurdity of throwing away the lives 
 of so many brave men on a forlorn hope, 
 while there was a possibility of reserving them 
 for better occasions, was, in his opinion, suffi- 
 cient to counterbalance it. He therefore sent 
 a trumpet to count Daun, to demand a 
 
 capitulation, which was granted in one single 
 article, importing, that he and eight other 
 Prussian generals, with the whole body of 
 troops they commanded, should be received as 
 prisoners of war. To this he w as obliged to 
 submit ; and his whole army, consisting of 
 20,000 men by the Austrian account, (and 
 above 12,000 by the Prussian,) 64 pieces of 
 cannon, 50 pair of colours, and 25 standards, 
 fell into the hands of the Austrian general. 
 
 This was a severe stroke upon his Prussian 
 majesty ; and it was the more mortifying, as 
 it implied a censure on his conduct, for having 
 detached such a numerous body of troops to 
 a situation where they could not be sustained 
 by the rest of the army. — The Austriaus 
 exulted in this cheaply obtained victory, 
 which they considered as catching their enemy 
 m the snare that had been laid for themselves; 
 and they looked upon it as a full indemnifica- 
 tion for the capture of the Saxon army, which 
 had surrendered very near this place in the 
 year 1756. 
 
 This disaster was succeeded by another. 
 General Diercke had been stationed on the 
 banks of the Elbe, opposite to Minden , and 
 being recalled, was obliged to transport his 
 troops in boats, the floating ice preventing the 
 use of his pontoons. Whilst he struggled 
 with these difficulties, his rear-guard waa 
 attacked, by a strong body of Austriaus, who, 
 after an obstinate defence, took prisoners 
 himself and his men, amounting to betweea 
 3000 and 4000. 
 
 By these two successive defeats, occurring 
 
 at the close of an unfortunate campaign, his 
 
 Prussian majesty was so weakened, that he 
 
 would hardly have been able to maintain his 
 
 } ground at Freyberg, had he not at this time 
 
 I been reinforced by the body of troops under 
 
 I the hereditary prince of Brunswick. Daun, 
 
 i far from being elevated at the advantages he 
 
 I had gained, adhered strictly to his usua[ 
 
 Instead of 
 
 cautious management, mstcan or pursuing 
 the blow, when it was more probable than at 
 any other period of the war, that one vigorous 
 effort would have crushed his Prussian 
 majesty, and put an end to the troubles in that 
 part of Germany, he quietly occupied the 
 strong camp at Pima, that he might be at 
 hand to succour Dresden, and maintain his 
 communication with Bohemia. Frederic, 
 finding it impossible to bring the Austriaus to
 
 ]85 HISTOKY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XT- 
 
 an engagement, was obliged at last to desist, | The attempt proving ineffectual, after re- 
 and to sutler the shattered remains of his anmy | peated efforts, the troops were re-embarked, 
 to repose in winter-quarters. | There appears to have been some difFeneiice 
 
 ' -Four bloody campaigns had now been j between the commanders, which might 
 fouo-ht in Germany, without any prospect of; occasion the sudden abandonment of the 
 either of the parties being obliged to submit. \ attack. It was then determined to proceed 
 Never, since the ages of ignorance and bar- « to St. Pierre. When they arrived before tliat 
 barity, were the lives of men squandered j place, new difficulties arose, a council of war 
 away with such profusion as in the course of | was held, and the attempt against Martinico 
 this German war. As if the common method } was finally abandoned. Unwilling to return 
 ef carrying on hostilities was not sufficiently 5 with the disgrace of having done nothing 
 destructive.wintercampaignswere introduced ; j worthy of the greatness of the armament, and 
 and the troops were lavishly exposed to the ; the expectation of their country, the com- 
 rigour of that inclement season, in despite of! manders resolved to proceed against the island 
 nature, and contempt of humanity. In vain 5 of Guadalope, an object of as much import- 
 the confederate powers of Austria, Russia, | ance as Martinico, though of less popu- 
 France, and Sweden, united their eflbrts to ; larity. 
 
 crush the Prussian monarch. He had been ; On the 23rd of January the fleet arrived 
 defeated; he had been out-generaled ; but it > before the town of Basse-terre, the capital of 
 •was evident that nothing but the most despe- | the island, and defended by a strong fortress, 
 rate necessity, nothing but being conquered 1 which, in the opinion of fhe chief engineer, 
 in the most absolute sense, could ever induce ! could not be reduced by the shipping. The 
 him to submit. ! commodore was of a different opinion, and 
 
 The success of the last American cam- j brought the ships to bear upon the town and 
 paign had excited a desire in the British ; citadel. About nine in the morning, a dread- 
 ministry of improving it. Instead of employ- ; ful cannonade beijan, which continued with 
 ing the whole strength of the British arms Uhe utmost fury til' five in the evening, when 
 against one object, it was proposed to divide \ the fire of ihe citadel, and all the other bat- 
 the forces, and to make impressions on \ tciies, was eflTectually silenced. In the mean 
 diflTerent parts, so as to distract and weaken \ time, the bombs, which were continually 
 the enemy. In order to render success more \ sliowering upon the town, set it on fire in 
 certain, the different expeditions were planned | several places. Nothing could exceed the 
 in such a manner, as to co-operate with each \ horror of this scene. The heavy and un- 
 other, and even to join occasionally. An 1 remitted fire of so many great ships and 
 attempt against the French Caribbee Islands \ batteries, and the blowing up of the powder- 
 constituted part of this comprehensive plan. $ magazines, were heightened by a continued 
 In the end of the preceding year, a squadron i and permanent line of flames, which extended 
 of nine ships of the line, with sixty transports, ! along the shore, and formed a suitable back- 
 containing six regiments of foot, were sent J ground to so terrible a picture, 
 thither. The land forces were commanded j Next day, the troops lauded without op- 
 by general Hopson, an officer, whose age and > position, took possession of the town and 
 infirmities, as well as natural caution, dis- ; citadel, and displayed the British colours on 
 qualified him for such a service ; and the ! the walls. The island, however, was f\^r 
 «ea-force was under the connnand of comrao- 5 from being reduced. The nature of the 
 dore Moore, then in the West Indies. Mar- j country, abounding with passes and defiles, 
 tinico, the most considerable of all the French ! rendered it easy to be defended; and the 
 islands, was the place of their destination. ; inhabitants, who had retired to the mountains. 
 
 On the 16th of January, the troops were : seemed determined to resist to the last ex^ 
 landed near Port Royal, without meeting > tremity. 
 
 with any considerable o|)position. The j On the 27th of February, general ,«cq 
 natural strength of the country, however, | Hopson, who, though unfit for this 
 proved a much greater obstruction to the 5 service, was a worthy man and a good ofl5cer, 
 British army, than the force of the ea )y. ; died, and his command devolved upon general
 
 CHAP. XV.j GEORGE II. 183 
 
 Baninaton ; a circumstance' wliicli contrihiitetJ 5 From the impedimetjts that were thrown in 
 not a little to the siil)sequent reduction of the { general Amherst's way, the summer was 
 island. It is not cousistent with my limits to J pretty far advanced before he could transport 
 enter into a detail of the skirmishing opera- j his forces across lake George. They landed 
 lions of tiie troops, which were drawn out to | on the 21st of July, and reached the tield, 
 a considerahle length. The inhabitants pur- \ where, in the preceding year, the British 
 sued the ujost sensible plan that could be \ troops had sufTered so terrA>!e a disaster. The 
 adopted in their situation. Instead of hazard- 5 French, after a feeble show of resistance 
 ing a general engagement with regular troops, « abandoned Ticonderago, and retreated to 
 they resolved to weary them out with con- I Crown PoinC The only loss attending this 
 tinnal alarms, and to harass and distress them } acquisition was that of colonel Townshend, 
 with perpetual skirmishes ; a plan which the | who was killed, in reconnoitring, by a shot 
 unhealthiness of the climate, and the want of; from the fort. He fell near the spot where 
 provisions among the British troops, rendered \ the gallant lord Howe was killed ; to whom, 
 but too likely to succeed. Hostilities were | in the circumstances of his birth, qualiticatinns, 
 protracted in this manner from the 24th of { and character, he bore a strong resemblance. 
 January till the 1st of May, when the inhabi- } Previous to their retreat, the enemy had, in 
 tants thought proper to capitulate ; and the ; some measure, dismantled their fortilications ; 
 whole island and its dependencies were 5 and the first care of the general was to repair 
 subjected to the British crown. Scarcely ! them, as upon the possession of this important 
 was the capitulation signed, when M. Bom- { post, not only the success of his offensive 
 part, general of the French Caribbees, landed | operations depended, but a secure retreat iu 
 at St. Ann's, a port belonging to Guadaloupe, > case of a reverse of fortune, 
 with GOO regulars, 2000 buccaniers, and a 5 While Amherst was thus employed in 
 vast quantity of arms and ammunition. But ; repairing Ticonderago, and endeavouring to 
 this body, hearing of the capitulation being \ render his naval force upon the lake respect- 
 signed, immediately disappeared; though, ! able, he received intelligence from his scouting 
 had they landed a day sooner, the subjection ; parties, that the enemy had retired from 
 of the island to the British arms must at least I Crown Point. He immediately detached a 
 have been doubtful. On the 2.5th of May, \ party to fake possession of the place, and 
 the island of Marigalante surrendered, upon ; soon after arrived there with the rest of his 
 the same terms as had been granted to \ troops. — The enemy had retired, with about 
 Guadaloupe. » 3500 men, to the bottom of lake Champlain, 
 
 The operations of the British arms, on the ; and were posted at the Isle de Noix. They 
 continent of America, were directed to » were well provided with artillery ; and their 
 difTcrent objects. To fall, as near as possible ; force upon the lake was such as justified them 
 at the same time, upon Crown Point, Niagara, ; in hoping to be able to prevent the farther 
 and the forts to the south of lake Erie, whilst J progress of the British army. Amherst, sen- 
 a great naval armament, and a considerable i sible of the advantages attending a superiority 
 body of land forces, should attempt Quebec, i on the lake, had given orders for the building 
 by the river St. Lawrence, was the plan i of several vessels with the utmost expedition. 
 ])roposcd. The army under general Amherst, ; These being furnished, victualled, and manned, 
 destined against Ticonderago and Crown pie embarked with the whole army on the lOth 
 Point, was the first in motion. The reduction s of October, and proceeded a considerable 
 of those forts would naturally lay open the > way upon the lake. Tiie general, in his zeal 
 lake Cliamplain, which has a conmiunication | for the service, and anxiety to join general 
 with the great river St. Lawrence. Having \ Wolfe, from whom he had not received the 
 established a sufficient naval force on this | least intelligence, seems to have forgotten the 
 lake, the general was to proceed to Quebec, | advanced season of the year, and that it was 
 in order to form a junction with general Wolfe S impossible to contend with so severe and 
 and admiral Saunders, who, having entered | tempestuous a climate. Finding it impracti- 
 the river St. Lawrence at the opposite quar- \ cable to proceed, he prudently postponed his 
 ter, would probably have commenced the \ operations till another year, and returned with 
 siege of Quebec A)y the time of bi» arrival. \ the army to Crown Point, la the mean time,
 
 |g4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XV. 
 
 his little tquadron upon the lake exerted ; placed on the flanks; and another regiment 
 itself with great activity. Three of the I was posttd in such a manner, as to secure the 
 French vessels were driven into a bay ; two ; trendies from a surprise during an engage- 
 of which were sunk, and the other run I ment. 
 
 ao-round. General AmJiorsf, iiaving opened; About eight in the morning, the enemy was 
 communications bet^veen Ticonderago and | seen advancing. The Indians in the English 
 the o-overnraents t)f New Hampshire and ; service offered a parley with their countrymen 
 Massachusetts, disposed his troops in winter- | in the French ariny ; but it was rejected. The 
 quarters. ' I action was introduced by the horrid cry, 
 
 The forces appointed to act against Nia- I called the war-hoop ; which was said to have 
 ^ara under general Prideaux, arrived at that \ been one of the .principal causes of general 
 place, without meeting with any obstruction. 5 Braddock's defeat, by the panic which it 
 The fort was mvested about the middle of ; struck into his troops. But it had now lost 
 Julv, and the operations were carrying on ; its effect, and was no longer dreadful. The 
 with great vigour, when general Prideaux | enemy began to attack witli great resolution ; 
 was unfortunately killed in the trenches, by \ but they met with so warm a reception^ from 
 the bursting of a cohorn. General Amherst | the troops in front, and the Indians on their 
 being informed of this disaster, immediately | flanks, that in less than an hour, their whole 
 sent brigadier-general Gage, to assume the | army was routed, and their general, with most 
 command of that army. In the mean time, it J of his officers, taken. The pursuit was con- 
 devolved upon sir William Johnson, who 5 tinned through the woods, for several miles, 
 entered into the views, and pursued the j with great slaughter. 
 
 measures of the late general, with the greatest \ This battle, fought in the sight of the fort, 
 spirit. Apprehensive of losing a place of ; contributed in a great measure to its speedy 
 such importance, the French resolved to \ reduction. The general sent in a list of the 
 exert their endeavours for its relief. They ^ prisoners, and exhorted the commandant to 
 collected together all their regular troops and \ surrender, before more blood would be shed, 
 provincials, with a large body of savages, \ while he had it in his power to restrain the 
 amounting in all to about 1700 men, in order; Indians. The capitulation was signed that 
 to give battle to the English, and to raise the X night. The garrison, consisting of 607 men, 
 siege. General Johnson, having received ; surrendered prisoners of war, and were con- 
 intelligence of their approach, ordered the 5 ducted, with all their baggage, to New York, 
 light infantry and piquets, supported by ; The taking of Niagara broke off effectually 
 •ome grenadiers and regular foot, to post i the communication between Canada and 
 themselves to the left, on the road leading from i Louisiana; and one of the capital political 
 the falls of Niagara to the fort, by which the ; designs of the French was defeated io its 
 French were to pass. The Indians were | direct and immediate object.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 [1759.] 
 
 Proceedings in Canada — Siege and Capture of Queoec — Death of Wolfe — Naval Opera- 
 lio7is — Defeat of the French off Logos by Boscaiven — Military Operations in Germany—- 
 Disasters and Exploits of the King of Prussia — Capture of Berlin. 
 
 HOWEVER interestiiij? the reduction of; 
 Crown Point and Niagara might be | 
 considered, they were only intended to be 5 
 subservient to the conquest of Quebec, the ! 
 grand ol)ject of all our operations. The j 
 scheme, by which the two armies, employed 
 against those torts, Mere to join and co-operate 
 ■with the northern armament under general 
 Wolfe, was loo relined and complicated to be 
 jjutin execution; and had success depended | 
 entirely on that circumstance, the French flag x 
 might yet have continued to wave from the j 
 fortress of Quebec, | 
 
 Admiral Saunders commanded the fleet ; j 
 and the operations by land were entrusted to 
 the contiuct of major-general James Wolfe, 
 whose military genius was so eminently dis- 
 played at the siege of Louisburg. His sub- 
 ordinates in comnianti were l>rigadiers Monck- 
 ton, Towushend, and Murray. 
 
 On the •26th of June, the whole armament 
 arrived at the isle of Orleans, a few leagues 
 from Quebec, after a prosperous navigation. 
 By the assistance of some excellent charts 
 taken from the enemy, the admiral experienced 
 none of those dilhculties, with which the 
 navigation of the river St. Lawrence was 
 said to be attended. Next day the troops 
 were landed on the island, which i.>^ about 
 twenty miles in length, and seven in breadth, 
 highly cultivated, and abounding with people, 
 villa-es, and plantations, it extends quite up 
 to the bason of Quebec ; and its most westerly 
 point a|)proaches so nearly to another on the 
 continent, called Puint Levi, that the harhoni- 
 of Quebec appears to be land-locked on all 
 
 B b 
 
 sides. The possession of these two points 
 was of the utmost importance; and the first 
 operation of general Wolfe was to secure 
 them, which was done with little difficulty. 
 
 The city now appeared in ful! view, and 
 presented to the British troops at once a 
 templing and a discouraging sight. Nature 
 seems to have peculiarly studied the defence 
 of Quebec, and the French had left nothing 
 undone which might add to the natural strength 
 of the country. Their troops, amounting to 
 12,000 men, and commanded by M. Mont- 
 calm, an able and hitherto fortunate general, 
 were encamped in a very advantageous situa- 
 tion, along the shore from the river St. 
 Charles to the falls of Montraorenci, every 
 accessible part being deeply entrenched. 
 
 To attack a place possessed of so many 
 advantages, with such a handful of men as 
 the British array consisted of, was not only 
 deviating from the established maxims of 
 war, but was in all appearance a rash and 
 fool hardy attempt. Wolfe was well-acquaint- 
 ed with the difficulties he had to encounter; 
 and, though of a teni))er highly sanguine and 
 adventurous, he began almost to despair, lie 
 was resolved, however, to leave nothing 
 unattempted ; he was not without hope of 
 being joined by general Amherst, and he 
 knew that white the British squadron m:iin- 
 tained its station in the river, he should 
 always have it in his power to retreat in ca>:c 
 of emergency. The west point of the i>le of 
 Orleans, and that of Levi, being secure*!, 
 batteries were erected upon tl;e high ground, 
 which tired continually upon the tov\n. 
 12
 
 18(5 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. xvr. 
 
 Atlmiral Saunders was stationed in the north 
 channel of the isle of Orleans, opposite to the 
 falls of Montmorenci ; while admiral Holmes 
 proceeded up the river, beyond the town, 
 which not only diverted the enemy's attention 
 from the quarter on which the attack was 
 intended, but prevented their attempts against 
 the batteries already erected by the English. 
 
 The fleet being thus judiciously disposed, 
 general Wolfe caused the troops to be trans- 
 ported over the river St. Lawrence, to the 
 north-east of Montmorenci, with a view, after 
 he had crossed the latter, of moving towards 
 the enemy's flanks, and enticing them to an 
 engagement. Every means was used for this 
 purpose, but without eflfect. M. Montcalm 
 was well apprised of the importance of his 
 situation ; and, though superior in numbers 
 to the English, was resolved to risk nothing, 
 and to rely entirely on the strength of the 
 country. 
 
 Meanwhile the fleet was exposed to the 
 most imminent danger. A violent storm had 
 caused several transports to run foul of each 
 other, many boats foundered, and several 
 large ships lost their anchors. The enemy, 
 taking advantage of the confusion which they 
 imagined this disaster must have produced, 
 sent down seven fire-ships from QViebec, at 
 midnight, among the British fleet, which lay 
 so thick as to cover the whole surface of the 
 river. This scheme, though well contrived 
 and seasonably executed, was entirely de- 
 feated by the skill and vigilance of admiral 
 Saunders, and the dexterity of his mariners, 
 •who resolutely boarded the fire-ships, run 
 them fast aground, and prevented them from 
 doing the smallest damage to the British 
 squadron. 
 
 Wolfe, finding that every endeavour to 
 draw the enemy to an engagement was un- 
 successful, and sensible that the ap])roach of 
 winter would soon terminate all military 
 operations in that northern climate, formed a 
 resolution of attackins: them in their intrench- 
 ments, on the side of Montmorenci. There 
 was a redoubt, situated close to the water's 
 edge, and to appearance without gunshot of 
 the entrenchment on the hill. The general 
 foresaw, that if the enemy should sufl'er this 
 fort to be reduced, he could afterwards re- 
 connoitre their situation at leisure, and deter- 
 mine the place at which they could be most 
 easily attacked ; on the other hand, should 
 
 \ they endeavour to support it, he would be 
 ; enabled to l)ring on a general engagement. 
 ; This plan, judicious and practicaljie as it 
 I maya|)pear, failed, from one of those accidents 
 ! wiiich can neither be foreseen nor prevented. 
 J On the 30th of July, in the forenoon, the 
 ; troops destined to this attack were embarked 
 J in boats, in order to be transported across the 
 I channel. To facilitate their passage, the 
 J Centurion ship of war was stationed in the 
 ! channel, to check the fire of the lower battery, 
 I which commanded the ford ; a numerous 
 ; train of artillery was placed upon the emi- 
 t nence, to batter the left of the enemy's en- 
 J trenchment ; and two flat-bottomed armed 
 5 vessels were run aground near the redoubt, 
 I to favour the descent of the forces. The 
 ; confusion which these manoeuvres produced 
 ! among the enemy, determined the general to 
 * storm the entrenchment immediately. Orders 
 ^ were issued for the brigadiers Monckton, 
 i Townshend, and Murray, to put their froops 
 ! in motion at a certain signal, which was 
 j accordingly given at a proper time of the tide. 
 ; Several boats, however, were run aground, 
 I which caused a considerable delay, during 
 i which the troops were exposed to a severe 
 ! fire from the enemy. In the mean time, the 
 ; general in person sounded the shore, and 
 I pointed out the place where the troops might 
 \ be landed with the least difficulty. 
 ! Thirteen companies of grenadiers, and 
 I 200 of the second American battalion, were 
 ; the first who landed. They had orders to 
 ; form upon the beach, and to wait for the 
 ? corps that were to sustain them, before they 
 ; began the attack. Instead of attending to 
 I this necessary injunction, they rushed with 
 \ an impetuous ardour towards the enemy's 
 ' entrenchments, in the most tumultuous dis- 
 order. This confusion was increased by a 
 severe and steady fire from the entrenchments, 
 which forced them to take shelter under a 
 redoubt, which the enemy had abandoned on 
 their approach. In this distressful situation 
 they remained a considerable time, unable to 
 form under so hot a fire, notwithstanding every 
 efl'ort of their officers. iNight was now draw- 
 ing on, and a violent tempest was gathering. 
 For these reasons, the general judged it 
 not advisable to persevere in so dangerous an 
 attack, as a second repulse might render the 
 retreat of the troops hazardous and uncertain. 
 He therefore ordered them to retreat, and to
 
 CHAP XVI.J GEORGE II. 187 
 
 form hebiiicl Monckton's brigade, which was | from their situation, and to bring them to a 
 now drawn up on the beach in good order. | general engagement. 
 
 The whole repassed the river without moles- \ It was at this period that general Wolfe 
 tation ; the general exposing his person with i dispatched an express to England, with an 
 that intrepidity for which he was distinguished, ? account of his proceedings. In this elegant 
 both during the attack and the retreat. ; and truly military letter, though written in 
 
 The loss which attended this mortifying \ the style of despondency, we may discover 
 check was very considerable. Above 500 ; the scholar, the philosopher, the warrior, and 
 men, and many brave officers, were killed or | the politician. It may be exhibited as a 
 wounded ; but though the army was con- » standard of military eloquence ; and would 
 siderably weakened, the general was resolved i have ranked the author among our best 
 to proceed with vigour, as long as there re- ! writers, had not his military exploits placed 
 mained a possibility of success. Admiralj him among our greatest commanders. 
 Holmes's squadron, which had returned to 5 Agreeably to the plan which had been 
 assist in the late unsuccessful attack, was \ formed, for a regular assault, the general and 
 ordered to move up the river, attended by ; admiral reconnoitred the town ; and con- 
 brigadier Murray, with 1200 men. Nothing \ eluded, from their own observation, enforced 
 of great moment was effected by this detach- \ by the opinion of the chief engineer, that such 
 ment. Several magazines of the enemy were j an attack could not be hazarded, with any 
 destroyed, but they could not come near their i prospect of success. The scheme, therefore, 
 men of war ; so that they returned to their *. of drawing the enemy to a general engage- 
 formet- station. By some prisoners taken in * nient, was now finally adopted. The troops 
 this expedition they learned, that the fort of; quitted the camp at Montmorenci, were 
 Niagara was taken, Ticonderago and Crown > re-embarked and landed at Point Levi ; and 
 Poiut abandoned, and general Amherst em- \ admiral Holmes's division made movements 
 ployed in making preparations to attack the ! up the river, in order to draw the attention 
 corps under M. Burlemaque, at the isle de | of the enemy as much from the town as pos- 
 Noix. I sible. This was attended with a better effect 
 
 The ill fortune which had hitherto attended | than before ; for though Montcalm still mahi- 
 all his operations, made a deep impression on { tainedhis advantageous post, he detached M. 
 the mind of general Wolfe. He had planned, \ de Bougainville, with 1500 men, to watch the 
 he had attempted, be had executed every ! motions of the English admiral, 
 thing that might insure success ; he had faced { Admiral Saunders, who still remained in 
 every tianger in person, and braved every i his first position, was ordered to make a 
 difficulty and fatigue; but the prospect of ! feint, with every appearance of reality, as if 
 victory and conquest was yet far distant. ! the troops intended to land below the town. 
 He well knew that the want of success, in J and attack the French intrenchments on tlie 
 all military expeditions, was oftener attributed > Beauport shore. On the 12th of September, 
 to misconduct than misfortune; and the 5 about one in the morning, the general embark- 
 thoughtof returning without having performed \ ed the troops aboard the transports, and pro- 
 any thing worthy of himself and the public \ ceeded three leagues farther up the river tliaii 
 hope, was more terrible to him than death. | the intended place of landing. They were 
 He was often seen to sigh ; he was often | then put into boats, and began to fall down 
 heard to complain; and the tumult of his J vvilh the tide to the place of disembarkation, 
 mind, added to the fatigues of body he had | The boats glided gently along, unobserved by 
 Hndtrgone, disordered his whole constitution, | the French centinels posted on the shore; but 
 which was naturally delicate and tender. He 5 by the rapidity of the current, and the dark- 
 was seized wilii a \nolent i'axer, which for ! ness of the night, they overshot the mark, and 
 some time totally disabled him. In this ; were carried a little below the intended place 
 feeble condition, he beg!>ed of the general- | of attack. The ships of war followed thern, 
 officers, to consult together for the public ; and, by a well-conducted navigation, arrivecl 
 utility; and the result of their deliberation ; just at the time concerted to cover their 
 wa.s, that 4000 or 5000 men, conveyed above | landing. — When we consider the danger and 
 the town, might be able to draw the enemy ; difficulty attending this enterprise, wo cannot 
 
 B b 2
 
 18S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XVI. 
 
 l)ut admire tlip dexterity with which it was 5 Ijons ; and the remaining" half of the colony 
 performed. Tlie stream was rapid, tlie shore ; troops, with one battalion, were posted on the 
 shelving, the bank above lined with centinels, j left. The bushes and corn-lields in their 
 and the landing-ph'.ce so narrow as to be easily ; front, were filled with detachments of Indians, 
 missed in the dark. When the troops were i and the best marksmen, who, previous to the 
 landed, the heights of Abraham appeared ; ougagement, kept up a galling, though 
 before them; which rise abruptly, with a ; irregular, tire upon the British troops, 
 steep ascent, from the banks of thb river. A; About nine in the morning, the enemy 
 little path slanted up the hill from the landing- ; advanced to the charge, with great spirit, and 
 place, so narrow that two could not go ; in good order ; but their fire, from its beginning 
 abreast; and even this was intrenched and : too soon, was irregular and inefiectuah The 
 defended by a captain's guard. These diffi- $ British troops, on the contrary, reserved their 
 culties, however discouraging and perplexing, I fire until the French had approaclitd within 
 served only to animate the troops. The light « forty yards of their line, wh.en they poured in 
 infantry and the highlanders, under colonel i a most dreadful and eflective discharge. 
 Howe, ascended the precipice with admirable 1 This fire was continued with great dehbera- 
 courage and activity. They were obliged to | tion and spirit, and the enemy lirgan to give 
 j)ull themselves up by the stumps and boughs > way on all sides. At this critical time, general 
 of ti-ees, which covered the declivity. The | Wolfe, who stood conspicuous in the front 
 captain's guard, which defended the pass, was | of the line, where the attdck was the most 
 soon dispersed, the whole army mounted, ; warm, received a ball in the breast, under 
 without further molestation, and were drawn ; which he sunk, and was carried behind the 
 up in order by the general as they arrived. ; ranks. While his surrounding friends ex- 
 
 MoNTCALM could Scarcely credit the in- ; pressed the utmost anxiety for his niisfurtune, 
 telligence he received, of the British forces : his sole anxiety was directed to the fate of 
 having gained the heights of Abraham, which » the battle. A messenger arriving, he asked, 
 he had confidently deemed inaccessible ; but ; How are the troops'? The enemy are vUibly 
 finding it but too true, and being conscious ; broken, was the reply. Almost faint, he 
 that the British fleet might destroy the low t reclined his head on the arm of an officer, 
 town, while the high to rtn was attacked by ! when his faculties v.ere revived by the distant 
 the army, he resolved to hazard a battle ; and i sound of. They J!y ! Starting up, he ex- 
 quitting Beauport, passed the river St. Charles, | claimed. Who Jiy f The French. What? 
 and formed his troops opposite to ours. j said he, do they Jiy already ? then I die 
 
 General Wolfe, perceiving the approach ; happy. With these words he expireil in the 
 of the enemy, began to form his own line, i arms of victory. General Moncktoii, the 
 which consisted of six battalions, and the ; second in command, fell imnjediately after, 
 Louisburg grenadiers. The right of tl.is | and was likewise conveyed off the field of 
 body was coujmanded by brigadier Monck- J battle. The command now devolved on 
 ton, the left by brigadier Murray, and the ; general Townshend, who shewed' himself 
 rear was protected by the light infantry under | equal to so arduous a duty. Notwithstanding 
 colonel Howe. As the enemy discovered an ; the discouraging circumstance of losing two 
 intention of tlanking the left of the English, ; generals, the troops preserved their spirit ; 
 general Townshend was sent thither with the « and every regiment seemed to exert itself 
 regiment of An)herst, which he formed en \ with a view to its own peculiar character. 
 ■potence, that is, in a body which presented ; The grenadiers pressed on with their bayonets, 
 two faces to the enemy. Ilis numbers were i and soon broke the centre of the enemy ; when 
 soon increased by two battalions, and another | the highlanders, drawing their broad-swords, 
 battalion was drawn up as a reserve, formed ; fell in among them with irresistible impetu- 
 in eight subdivisions, with large intervals. 5 osity, and drove them with great slaughter 
 The right of the enemy was composed of half; into the town. Colonel Howe, with his light 
 the colony troops, supported by two batta- ! infantry, maintained his station on t-he left, 
 lions of regulars, and a body of Canadians | during the whole action, antl entirely pre-, 
 and savages; their centre consisted of a i vented the attempts of the Indians and Caua- 
 eolumn formed by two other regular batta- 1 dians upon that quarter.
 
 -%■;
 
 CHAP. XVI. J 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 189 
 
 Victory had scarcely declared in favour 
 of the British forc(>s. uIkmi a new enemy 
 a]»|)ear('(I, vliicli threatened to deprive them 
 of ti)e consequences of their previous bravery. 
 M. Bougainville, who had been detached up 
 tbe river, had turned back on being informed 
 that the British troops had gained the heights 
 of Ai)raham, and now appeared in the rear, 
 will) a body of 2000 men. p'ortuuately he 
 arrived too late to have anv share in the iiattle. 
 
 the success which attended it is calculated to 
 excite the greatest astonishment. Every 
 niauopuvre displayed the judgment and genius 
 of the general, and the bravery of the troops. 
 Tt is l)ut justice to the navy to observe, that 
 tliey co-operated with an unanimity, ardour, 
 and perseverance, never enough to be com- 
 mended. 
 
 About 1000 of the enemy, including a great 
 number of officers, were taken prisoners; and 
 
 Tiie main body of the French army was i about 500 were slain on the field of battle, 
 broken and dispersed; and general Towns- | If we except the death of general Wolfe, and 
 
 hend ('st;ilili?!hed his rear so eftechially, that 
 Bougainville, after a feel)le attempt, thought | 
 proper to retire among woods and swamps, % 
 ■whither the British commander wisely de- 5 
 clined to follow hiu). ; 
 
 Montcalm was mortally wounded in the 
 
 reflect on the importance of the victory, the 
 loss of the British troops was quite incon- 
 siderable. It did not amount to above 500 
 men. 
 
 The death of this great general was a 
 national niislbrtune ; and perhaps our loss 
 
 engngenient, and conveyed into Quebec. His j that day wis greater tlian the conquest of 
 second in command likewise received a wound, ; Canada was advantageous. Never was honour 
 of which he afterwards died on board an \ more firmly tstablislied upon the principles 
 
 English vessel. 
 
 Immediately after 
 
 J of virtue. tliMniu liiin. f-fe sppuipd formed by 
 the action, admiral ; nature for military greatness. His memory 
 
 Saunders, who had dll along spiritedly co- ; was retentive, his judgment deep, his coni- 
 operated with the land forces, to the aclvan- j prehension quick and clear, and his capacity 
 tage of liie service, sailed up with an intention ; extensive. His passion for glory prompted 
 to attack the lower town, while general Towns- j him to acquire every species of military know- 
 bend was preparing to assault the upper. ! ledge that study coulil confer, or actual ser- 
 This double attack was anticipated by a » vice illustrate or confirm. With the true fire 
 proposal of capitulation from the town ; | of the soldier, he possessed the milder quali- 
 
 which, after mature deliberation, was accept 
 ed and signed on the IBIh of September. The 
 
 fications of the man. He was generous, 
 gentle, complacent, and humane. Contemning 
 
 terms were honourable to the garrison, and \ every little art for the acquisition of wealth. 
 
 advantageous to the inhabitants, who were 
 allowed the free exercise of their religion, and 
 the possession of their civil rights, until a 
 
 he scorned to prolong a burdensome war, to 
 enrich himself with the spoils of his country. 
 His rank in the army was owing to no par- 
 
 general peace should decide their future \ liamentary interest, nor family connexions ; 
 
 condition. The fortifications were in tolerable 
 order ; but the houses were entirely demo- 
 lished. General Murray, with a garrison of 
 5000 men, was left to defend the place ; and 
 the remainder returned to England with the 
 fleet, which sailed soon, lest it should be 
 locked up by the frost in the river St. Law- 
 rence. Brigadier Monckton was conveyed to 
 New York, where he happily recovered of 
 his wound. 
 
 Thus was the conquest of Quebec com- 
 pleted ; an enterprise, which proves that 
 perseverance and intrepidity will overcome 
 obstacles apparently insurmountable. When 
 we consider the strength of the country, the 
 nundjers of the besieged, and the advanced 
 eeason at which the attack was commenced ; 
 
 to" merit alone he was indebted for his com- 
 mand, and to the discrimination of that great 
 man, whose genius directed the operations of 
 the war. He had long discovered his abilities, 
 and " marked him for his own.' If we view 
 his fate with theeyp of a soldier, it was of all 
 others the mosi to be envied. He had happily 
 effected the enterprise in which he was en- 
 gaged, fully satisfied the expectations of his 
 country, and, expiring in the arms ot victory, 
 left to future times an heroic example of 
 military skill, discipline, and fortitude. 
 
 The news of this important conquest 
 arrived in England but a few days after the 
 express, which general Wolfe" had sent off 
 after the affair of Montniorenci. The des- 
 pondeucy occasioned by the latter was great.
 
 190 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XVI- 
 
 The conquest of Canada was ardently desired j Normandy, and was 'designed immediately 
 by the people ; and, from tlicir high opinion j against England. The third embarkation, 
 of Wolfe, they were almost assured of success ; I destined against Ireland, was to be made at 
 but when he began to doubt, they thought i Vannes, in Lower Britany. The laud forces 
 that they had just reason to despair. It is I were commanded by the due d'Aguilion, 
 diflicult to describe the various and mixed ; while a powerful squadron, under M. Con- 
 emotions with which every one was affected, \ flans, was to cover and secure their landing, 
 when intelligence was brought of the capture \ These appearances were alarming ; but they 
 of Quebec, and the death of Wolfe. The i were greatly diminished by the excellent 
 sudden transition from such dejection to the > measures adopted by the British government, 
 highest joy, mixed with grief and pity for the i The Brest fleet, under Conflans, \vas blocked 
 fate of the general, was singular and affecting. I up by Hawke, who at the same time detached 
 The rapture and riot which the news excite'd \ some ships to watch over Vannes ; while 
 among the populace, were blended with the \ commodore Boys was stationed before Dun- 
 praise of the gallant general ; and the mourn- | kirk, and admiral Rodney bombarded 
 ful triumph which every where manifested 5 Havre. 
 
 itself, while it did honour to the memory of | In the mean time, admiral Boscawen, who 
 Wolfe, exhibited the generous and humane \ had succeeded admiral Osborne in the 
 feelings of the people. \ Mediterranean, effectually maintained the 
 
 The French army, soon after the surrender | honour of the British flag. The French had 
 of Quebec, retired to Montreal and Trois ; assembled a considerable armament at Tou- 
 Rivieres, the only places of any rnnsequence I Ion, ^under ,the 'command of M. de la Clue ; 
 they had left in Canada. The country along ; some imagined it to i^e destined against 
 the river was laid waste for a considerable J America, while others supposed it intended 
 extent, to deprive the French troops of sub- \ to reinforce the Brest fleet, and to co-operate 
 sistence, and to render any attempt in the i with it in the designed invasion of the English 
 winter, for recovering Quebec, abortive ; a \ coast, 
 
 measure which, however repugnant to hu- \ Boscawen, having in vain attempted to 
 manity, was juuged to be absolutely^ ne- | bring the enemy to an engagement, ordered 
 cessary. J three ships to advance and burn the French 
 
 Though the French were equally unsuc- \ vessels lying close to Uhe mouth of the har- 
 cessful in Asia, Africa, and America, they $ hour. In executing this order, the ships 
 ■were now meditating a blow, which, had it i met with a warm reception from some batteries, 
 succeeded, would have amply revenged all > which had not been before perceived ; and a 
 their losses. A masterly and powerful inva- 1 calm ensuing, they received such considerable 
 sion of Great Britain was projected, and their ; damage, as rendered it necessary for the 
 ports were filled with preparations for carry- ; English admiral to return to Gibralter to 
 ing it into execution. Three embarkations 5 refit. M. de la Clue seized this opportunity 
 for that purpose were arranged. M. Thurot, ; for sailing, and proceeded with great diligence 
 an intelligent and enterprising adventurer, ! to the straights. Boscawen had notice of his 
 humane in his manners, and fortunate in his « approach, before he reached Gibralter; and,' 
 undertakings, was appointed to command a I though his ships were not perfectly ready to 
 squadron of men of war, destined against | sail, he used such expedition, that in two 
 Scotland. From being captain of a merchant- | hours they were out at sea. At day-light, he 
 vessel, he had become a commander of a I descried seven large ships of de la Clue's 
 privateer, and was now a commodore in the ; squadron ; the other five, and three frigates, 
 French service. His birth was obscure; but » having been separated in the night. The 
 bis opinions, at a time when a total degeneracy } English vessels, being newly refitted, pro>cd 
 of the French connnauders prevailed, rendered J better sailers, and soon came up with the 
 abilities illustrious, whicli in England could j enemy near cape Lagos, in Portugal. After 
 not have entitled him to a lieutenanicy on ; a brisk engagement, in which the coolness 
 board a siiip of war. The second embarkation ; and intrepidity of the British admiral were 
 was to have been performed at Havre de i equally conspicuous, the Fiench fleet was 
 Grace, and the other sea-port towns of | totally defeated. The Ocean aud Redoubtable,
 
 CHAP. XVI. 1 
 
 GEORGE II. 
 
 191 
 
 two of the best ships in the French navy were 
 run ashore and burnt ; the Centaiire and the 
 Modeste, two other of thfir capital ships, 
 were taken : and t!ie rest, with great difficulty, 
 obtained refuge in the harbour of Cadiz. 
 
 This event, however severe and discou- 
 raging, did not deter the French from their 
 intended descent on Great Britain. They 
 seemed to take courage from despair ; they 
 also supjjosed that (ho winter storms would 
 compel the English ships to take shelter in 
 their own harbours, and .so give them an 
 opportunity of slipping out to sea, and putting 
 their design into execution. In this expecta- 
 tion tliey were not disappointed ; a violent 
 storm drove the English squadrons off the 
 French coasts. Tliurot, availing himself of 
 this circumstance, immediately put to sea, 
 and was as inuiiediately pursued by connno- 
 dore Boys. He had the g()od fortune, how- 
 ever, to escape to Gottenburg, in .Sweden, 
 ■where he was laid up till after Christmas by 
 the severity of the weather, and the M'ant of 
 necessaries. 
 
 When the storm subsided, the French 
 admiral, perceiving no enemy upon the coast, 
 put to sea. Admiral Hawke, wiio had taken 
 shelter in Torbay harbour, sailed on the very 
 same day, the 14il> of November. He directed 
 his course for Quiberon bay, where he ex- 
 pected the French fleet would rendezvous ; 
 and, after meeting with several disappoint- 
 ments from contrary winds, on the 20th he \ 
 discovered the headmost ships of the enemy, 
 bearing northward, between the main land of 
 France and the island of Belleisle. • The 
 fleets, on both sides, were the most powerful 
 of any employed in the course of the war. 
 The British con.sisted of 23 sail of the line, 
 and the French of 21 ; but in nundjer of men, 
 and weight of metal, they were nearly equal. 
 
 TiiK ardent wishes of the British admiral 
 were now completed. The French fleet was 
 within his reach, and a general engagement 
 apparently inevitable. He overlooked the 
 diflicullies he had to encounter, though suffi- 
 cient to check the bravest commander. The 
 coast was full of shoals, sands, shallows, and 
 rocks, as strange to the English, as fantiliar 
 to the French pilots. The wind blew little 
 less than a storm, and the waves ran moun- 
 tains high; to which may be added, the 
 increased dangers of a short day, a dark 
 night, and a lee shore. Animated with the 
 
 Hove of his country, and sensible of the im- 
 portance of the service he was engaged in, he 
 disregarded every danger and obstacle, rather 
 than not encounter an enemv, on whose des- 
 truction the public safety depended. 
 
 The conduct of the French admiral was 
 timid and injudicious. It was in his power 
 either to tiy or to fight; but he followed 
 neither of these plans. Before he could 
 resolve how to proceed, he allowed the 
 British ships to come up with him ; and then 
 crowded his sail, when it was too late to 
 escape. The action began at half past two, 
 and was maintained with great fury for two 
 hours. Hawke's great aim was at the Soleil 
 Royal, the most capital ship in the French 
 service, and commanded by Conflans in 
 person. He ordered the master of his own 
 ship to pass all the other ships of the enemy, 
 and to lay him alongside that of the French 
 admiral. The master remonstrated on the 
 violence of the storm, and the danger of the 
 coast. You have done your duty, said Hawke, 
 m pointing out the danger ; you are now to 
 obey my orders, in bringing me alongside the 
 Soleil Royal. His wisli was gratified ; and 
 the Royal George ranged with the French 
 admiral. Just as Hawke was about to dis- 
 charge his reserved broadside, the Tliesee, a 
 French 70 gun ship, nobly interposed, re- 
 ceived the whole fire, and was sent to the 
 bottom. The Superbe shared the same fate, 
 and the Formidable struck her colours. Had 
 not the French been favoured by the night, 
 their whole fleet must have been destroyed or 
 taken. Seven of their ships, after throwing 
 overboard all their guns, escaped into the 
 river Villaine, and about as many more made 
 for other ports. 
 
 The night which succeeded this action was 
 dreadful ; it blew a complete hurricane, and 
 nothing was to be heard, on all hands, but 
 signals of distress ; friends and enemies 
 blended together in one common danger. 
 Humanity would have prevailed on the 
 English to have assisted even an enemy 
 amidst such indiscriminate distress ; hut they 
 jjerceived that all efforts of that kind were 
 impracticable, and would only hasten their 
 own ruin, without affording any relief to the 
 French. They therefore waited till the next 
 day ; and then they found that the French 
 admiral had run his own, and another first- 
 rate ship, the Heros, ou shore. His owd ship
 
 192 HISTORY OP ENGl -] [CHAP. XVI' 
 
 ■was burnt by liimself, and the Heros I)y 'tlu- 
 Etiglisli. 
 
 Thus ended this memorable and decisive 
 engagement, upon the issue of which the fate 
 of the two kingdoms seemed to depend. The 
 Enghsh sustained little loss, but what was 
 occasioned by the weather. The Essex and 
 Resolution unfortunately ran on a sand-bank, 
 called Lefour, where they were irrecoverably 
 lost, notwithstanding every assistance that 
 could be given ; but most of their men, and 
 some part of their stores, were saved. In the 
 whole fleet, no more than one lieutenant and 
 thirty-nine seamen and marines were killed. 
 
 and, after an obstinate contest, took her, and 
 brought her safely into port. The South- 
 ampton and Melampe, two English frigates, 
 commanded by captains Gilchrist and Hotham, 
 gave chace to the Dauae, a French ship of 
 40 guns and 330 men. The Melampe came 
 up with her before the Southampton, and 
 with admirable gallantry maintained a combat 
 against a ship of double her own force. As 
 they fought in the dark, captain Gilchrist 
 was obliged to lie by till he could distinguish 
 the one from the other. At day-break, he 
 bore down on the Danae ; and, after a brisk 
 engagement, in wiiich she had 40 men killed, 
 
 and 202 wounded. The loss of the French } and many wounded, obliged her to surrender, 
 must have been great. Four of their best | This victory, however, proved fatal to the 
 ships were destroyed, one taken, and the rest ; gallant Gilchrist, He received a wound in 
 oftheir fleet disabled, shattered, and dispersed. ! the shoulder, which, though it did not de- 
 It was remarkable, in this engagement, that | prive him of life, rendered him incapable of 
 no French captain was accused or even sus- 1 future service. On the 14th of April, the 
 Kpected of misbehaviour or cowardice. > Achilles of 60 guns, commanded by captain 
 
 A CIRCUMSTANCE occuned at this period, ^ Barrington, encountered, to the westward of 
 which deserves to be commemorated, as it | cape Finisterre, a French ship of equal force, 
 characterizes the spirit of the British navy. > called the Count de St. Florentine, under the 
 A(huiral Saunders happened to al^ive from | command of the Sieur de Montay. After an 
 the expedition against Quebec a little after > engagement of two hours, in which the French 
 Hawke had sailed. A long voyage, and the j cap!ain was shot, and 116 of his men killed 
 severe duty he had undergone, could not deter i or wounded, the Count de St. Florentine 
 him from immediately setting sail to share in J struck her colours. She was so much 
 the glory and danger of this engagement. His ; damaged, that it was very diHicult to bring 
 good fortune was not equal to the generosity | her into Falmouth. The Achilles had only 
 of his intentions. *He arrived too late to give ! 25 men killed or wounded. On the 27th of 
 any assistance; but his resolution was de- j March, captain Faulkner of the Windsor, of 
 serving of praise, and entitled him to the j 60 giuis, discovered four large ships otT the 
 honours of victory. j rock of Lisbon, to which he gave chace. On 
 
 It was expected that this engagement \ his approach, they formed the line of battle 
 would have been decisive of all future mari- « a-head, a cable s length asunder. He engaged 
 time operations, between the English and } the sternmost for upwards of an hour, which, 
 the French The French ministry, however, 5 having given a signal to the others to edge off, 
 thought proper to palliate their last misfor- » struck her colours. She proved to be the 
 tune. Thej published an account, in which i Due de Chartres, pierced tor 00 gtms, but 
 they exaggerated the strength of tlie English, | she carried only 24; and belonged, as weU 
 represented their own loss as inconsiderable, ; as the other three that escaped, to the East 
 and concluded with asserting, t!iat so trivial ! India Company. — Many other actions were 
 a misfortime would soon be repaired. This » fought by the English cruisers in different 
 partial misrepresentation was absolutely i parts of the globe, in which the French were 
 necessary to support the spirit of the people, | mostly unsuccessful. 
 
 which iiad been so deeply depressed by their \ At the opening of the last campaign, the 
 successive deftats. ; affairs of his Prussian majesty wore u dis- 
 
 ■y Besides tiie actions of the fleets, many ; astrous aspect ; in this they seemed altogether 
 gallant exploits were performed by the cap- ; desperate. Independent of his more formi- 
 tains of single ships. The Vestal, captain | dable enemies, the Swedes began to be ex- 
 Wood, engaged the Bellona, a French frigate ; ceedingly troublesome to him. They had 
 greatly superior in men and weight of raetal ; i suffered but little ; and the people, being bent
 
 CHAP. -Wi.j 
 
 GEORGfe II. 
 
 193 
 
 on recovering the countries that were dis- 
 membered from the crown of Sweden, served 
 with cheerfulness, though under the disad- 
 vantage of being badly commanded. The 
 king of Pohmd, elector of Saxony, would 
 wilhngly have appeared to decline any share 
 in the war; but ho was obliged, by the queen 
 of Hungary, as well as by his own family, 
 and the empress of Russia, to suffer a body of 
 Saxons to serve in their armies. The duke 
 of.Merklenbiirg, Schvverin, though a protest- 
 anl prince, entered into all the schemes of 
 France and Austria, for which he was severe- 
 ly chastised by his Prussian majesty. 
 
 Frederic had, in the beginning of the war, 
 Ijoasted, (and with greal justice) that he had 
 seven generals under him, wlio were not to 
 be paralleled in Europe: but in a few years 
 all of them were cut off, without a possibility 
 of tlieu" being replaced ; fiir though one genius 
 may succeed another, practice alone can 
 supply experience. lie, however, still kept 
 up a creditable appearance, and from time to 
 time published such accounts of his resources 
 and troops, as gave the world a very high idea 
 of Ills power. His successes were not an- 
 swerable to those reports. The Swedes, the 
 French, the Russians, and the Austriaus, 
 were still in the field, in the beginning of the 
 year 17G0; and though singly they were no 
 match for his troops, yet he sustained great 
 losses by the continued repetition of their 
 attacks. 
 
 The Swedes invaded the open country of 
 Pomerania ; the Russians directed their views 
 upon Colberg, because it afforded them a 
 port in the Baltic, and the possession of it 
 would have saved them the march of many 
 hundred miles. His Prussian majesty had 
 all the extensive countries of Saxony and 
 Silesia, which border upon the almost inac- 
 cessible mountains of Bohemia, to cover, 
 while the eastern part of his dominions was 
 next to defenceless. Silesia is a strong and 
 fertile country ; but his manners and maxims 
 wCTe far from being of a conciliacing nature, 
 to a people who, for many centuries, had been 
 taught to look upon the house of Austria as 
 their lawful sovereigns. 
 
 Such was the situation of that prince in the 
 beginning of the year 17G0; and a more un- 
 comfortable one can scarcely be conceived. 
 He had nothing but empty fame, and tlie 
 praise of news-writers, to counterbalance 
 
 c c 
 
 ; those dangers and disapjjointments to which 
 I he was every hour subjected, except the im- 
 mense subsidy he obtained from England. 
 This subsidy was the occasion of all bis sub- 
 sequent misfortunes ; for he depended too 
 much upon it for the continuance of a war, to 
 which his powers were by no means adequate. 
 He seemed himself somewhat sensible of this, 
 for he formed a plan of operations, entirely 
 defensive. His brother, prince Henry", com- 
 manded an army about Francfort on the Oder, 
 in Older to protect Silesia, the New Marche 
 of Brandenburg, and Berlin, which, con- 
 sidering its importance, was one of the most 
 defenceless places in Europe. He himself, 
 in tlie mean time, lay in a camp, most judi- 
 ciously chosen, between the Elbe and the 
 Mulda, in an almost impregnable situation, 
 w ith 250 pieces of cannon in his front. The 
 conveniency of this j)osition was the greater, 
 enabling him to exchange succours with his 
 bi-other. 
 
 His Prussian majesty, however, was de- 
 ceived in all his designs. The Anstrians were 
 siqierior to him in force, and almost equal to 
 \ him in discipline and courage. Laudohn, a 
 ' general who had hitherto made but an in- 
 different figure, was, by the policy of the 
 court of Vienna, set up as a rival to count 
 Daun, whom the empress-queen considered 
 as a great general, notwitlistanding his in- 
 activity, his caution, and liis want of enter- 
 prise. The character of Laudohn was the 
 reverse. His Prussian majesty had placed 
 one of his generals, Fouquet, in whom he 
 had great confi<lence, near Glalz, to serve 
 as an intermediate assistance either to him- 
 self or his brother, prince Henry, accord- 
 ing as circninstances should present them- 
 selves. Laudohn imposed upon his Prussian 
 majesty and ail his generals, by his mysterious 
 manoeuvres ; Fouqm^t, supposing he intended 
 to besiege Schweidnilz, left Glat/ uncovered; 
 upon which Laudohn made himself master 
 of Landshut. Fouquet immediately aban 
 doned the protection of Schweidnitz, and 
 proceeded to Landshut, from whence he 
 drove the Anstrians. 
 
 This was what Laudohn Iiad foreseen and 
 expected ; and, in the mean time, he secretly 
 made such dispositions, that Fouquet was 
 in effect surrounded, without the possibility 
 of being relieved, while he was obliged to 
 detach 2000 of the 15,000 he commanded, t« 
 1.3
 
 lf)4 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XVI. 
 
 preserve his communication wilh Sclnveidiiitz. 
 Jt happened at this time, that the Aiistrians 
 were animated with a more than ordinary 
 resentment against the Prussians ; nor couhl 
 all the precautions, which Fouquet had taken 
 to fortify his camp, withstand it. The Aus- 
 triaiis were aware of the masterly dispositions 
 tlieir general had mad«», and that for success 
 
 capacious for its fortifications and 
 But his genius, and that alone, could enter 
 the lists with his ill fortune. He determined 
 to pursue a plan similar to that of Laudohn, 
 but still more mysterious, suggested l>y his 
 own mind, ever fertile in expedients. All 
 .Europe gave him up for lost ; and the dis- 
 contented in England began, notwithstanding 
 
 they had to depend upon (heir own courage, i the public prepossessions in his favour, to 
 
 Their behaviour seconded <heir high expecta- 
 tions, and it is hard to say whether the attack 
 or the resistance was the more glorious ; but 
 the Austrians were superior, not in number 
 only, but in condition. The Prussians iiad 
 lain long on the detensive, had been but 
 poorly supplied with provisions, and were 
 consequently in low spirits. The Austrians, 
 on the other hand, had lived in free quarters, 
 and needed nothing that was capable of 
 yielding strength or courage. Notwithstand^ 
 ing all their disadvantages, the Prussians 
 behaved with admiral)le resolution, and main- 
 tained their posts, till, by main force, they 
 were driven from one entrenchment to another ; 
 400.0 of them being killed, the remainder, 
 ■which amounted nearly to 8000, surrendered 
 themselves prisoners of war, 58 pieces of 
 artillery, besides colours, were taken ; the 
 loss, however, of the Austrians, was computed 
 at 12,000 men. 
 
 It is remarkable, in this war, that his 
 Prussian majesty, who, I have some reason 
 to suppose, superintended the accounts of his 
 campaigns, found means to exaggerate the 
 losses ot the enemy, and to extenuate those 
 of his own ; so that the tnxe statement of his 
 affairs can be collected only from the conse- 
 quences. But the defeat of Fouquet could 
 neither be concealed nor palliated, and its 
 effects were evident in every department of 
 the war. Laudohn took one part of Glatz by 
 storm, and the other by capitulation, though 
 flefended by 2000 men and 100 brass cannon. 
 This perhaps was not the greatest loss. The 
 important situation of the place, and the pro- 
 digious magazines it contained, were irretriev- 
 able ; and now Silesia lay open to the Aus- 
 trians. . 
 
 Thus the city of Glatz was to the Aus- 
 trians the first fruits of their complete victory. 
 His Prussian majesty had no idea of the 
 serious loss he had sustained, till he heard 
 that Laudohn was going to besiege Breslau, 
 the capital itself of Silesia, and .by far too 
 
 complain that we had gone too far in support 
 ing him, as his system, both of defensive and 
 offensive war, was equally impracticable; 
 and that our perseverance in his cause would 
 injure us, without being of any beneht to 
 him. 
 
 They were soon undeceived. As it was 
 natural to expect that he would endeavour 
 to retrieve his affairs in Silesia, the defence of 
 which was his main point, he made prepara- 
 tions for thatpurpose. Daun, who commanded, 
 not only his own army, but, in fact, the army 
 of the empire, had no doubt of his intentions ; 
 and leaving general Lacy in Saxony, followed 
 his Prussian majesty through Lusatia. In 
 this marcli, the great foresight and penetration 
 of his Prussian majesty eminently appeared. 
 Daun's great object was to outmarch him. 
 He had taken the south road ; and the king, 
 after passing the Elbe, and going through a 
 woody country, ^^ as on the northward ; so 
 that he had the disadvantage of Daun, in 
 their race to Silesia. Daun knew tliis, and 
 availed himself of his success by accelerating 
 his motions ; so that he gained full two davs 
 march of his Prussian majesty, and, after 
 reaching Gorlitz, proceeded with great ra- 
 pidity to Lauban. This was what his Prus- 
 sian majesty expected and wanted; and he 
 had the admirable address to appropriate to 
 himself the advantage of Daun's two dav's 
 march ; for he instantly fell into the route by 
 which Daun had advanced, and passing the 
 Spree at Bautzen, he appeared before the 
 gates of Dresden ; so that the war now as- 
 sumed another aspect. 
 
 Frederic, though he could not cope with 
 Daun's, the Imperial, and Lacy's aruij* to- 
 gether, yet was su|)erior to the two latter; so 
 that the first was obliged to retreat, and the 
 other to change its situation : and the king of 
 Prussia being joined, according to previou.s 
 but eventual orders, by his generals ilulseii 
 and Ziethen, left prince Henry, who was at 
 Glogau, at liberly to act as occasion might
 
 CHAP. XVI. i GEORGE II, 195 
 
 require, while he himself formed the siege of i would have been more than madness for his 
 Dresden. ; Prussian majesty to continue the siege ; and 
 
 It is necessary to observe, that at this j therefore he raised it, but without molestation 
 period every plan concerted by the court of 5 from his enemies. 
 
 Vienna was like the laws of the Medes and \ Thus ended this mighty trial of skill be- 
 Persians, unalterable ; and deviation from it, i tween great genius and great sagacity, and 
 if not attended with success, however rational \ each supported by a proportionable de"ree of 
 the motives, had often proved fatal to their \ courage and experience. The conduct of 
 generals. The empress-queen, to please her] the Prussians was brilliant, that of tlie Aus- 
 sister of Russia, and out of mere decencj% had ; trians exemplary ; but, in the main, if any 
 instructed Daun to make, in the campaign, I advantage were gained, it was on the side of 
 the preservation of Dresden his capital object. | the king, though the result of the contest was 
 He was then in Silesia, where he durst not, \ still precarious. 
 
 for these reasons, pursue his advantages ; and \ Laudohn, who was all this while in Silesia, 
 astonished as he was at his Prussian majes- j trusted to his being joined by the Russians • 
 ty's masterly conduct, he found himself/ 1 but, through their unwieldiness and irre^u- 
 against his better judgment, obliged to return \ 'arity, they did not arrive in time to make the 
 to Saxony, that he might preserve Dresden ; | campaign decisive on that" side. Being still, 
 and his return gave prince Henry, an oppor- ; however, in hopes of their junction, on the 
 tunily of moving towards Silesia. All the i 1st of August he had his cannon and mortars 
 motions of this campaign had hitherto been so % in condition to play from their batteries upon' 
 skilful, that the reader, who understands the { Breslau. Count Fauenzein commanded for 
 game of chess, can scarcely fail to find out the ! his Prussian majesty in that city. A kind of 
 similarity. The king of Prussia made the j military ceremonial at first passed between the 
 more surprising and the finer moves ; but i two generals. Laudohn, partly in civility, 
 Daun shewed himself the surer player, Kis ; partly in compassion, observing the weakness 
 return from Silesia was much more quick than ; of Fauenzein and that of the place, employed 
 was expected, from his phlegm and regularity ; i various arguments to induce him to accept of 
 for on the 19th of July, he and his army ap- ; an honourable capitulation. Fauenzein was 
 peared within a few miles of Dresden. t too obstinate and too impolite to believe one 
 
 His Prussian majesty, however, did not ; word he said ; and thus having fought through 
 fail to avail himself to the utmost of the start I all the weapons of soldier-like courtesy, they 
 he had gained. He besieged Dresden, which | drew the sword ; and nothing was wanting 
 was defended by general Maquire, an officer I that could do honour to the besieged or the 
 of courage and experience. The operations i besiegers. Laudohn returned from hostilities 
 of the siege, unless we were to recount parti- \ to compliments, and was answered only by 
 culars, can convey no new instructions to the ; reproaches, for doing the same thing to Bres- 
 reader ; who can imagine, on the one side a ; lau that his Prussian majesty was doing to 
 most determined attack, and a most intrepid i Dresden, that is, ruining the town, without in- 
 defence on the other: and the ruin of the Muring the fortifications. Meanwhile, no 
 finest buildings any city in the univ«rse con- \ approach of the Russians appeared ; and an 
 tained, by the incessant fire from three bat- 1 account arrived, that prince Henry was then, 
 teries of ' cannon and mortars, while each » the 5th of August, within five leagues of the 
 party practised every possible art and ma- ^ Austrian camp ; a report which induced 
 nocuvre. The approach of count Daun served i Laudohn to break up the siege, 
 to redouble the fury of the Prussians, and at ; The most busy part of the cam|)aign ap- 
 the same time increased and confirmed the I proached. Though prince Henry had obliged 
 intrepidity of the besieged ; especially when j Laudohn to retire from Breslau, that general, 
 Daun found means to throw into the place no i with a powerful army, blocked up Nei.ss and 
 fewer than sixteen battalions in the night of ; Schweidnitz, and waited to form a juncfion 
 the 21st, After such a reinforcement, and > with the Russians; a junction whicli his 
 while three armies were in the neighbourhood, i Prussian majesty had long dreaded. The 
 (for the army of the empire and the army j Swedes, amounting to 22,000, luui begun 
 under Lacy had returned by this time) it J their operations ; and Daun, his principal 
 
 c c 3
 
 li)6 
 
 lltSTOllY OF ENGLAND 
 
 w;iit to terminate his 
 
 [chap, xvu 
 
 opponent, wns lying ni 
 hopes. 
 
 In this discouraging and distracted con- 
 dition Frederic had reconrse to expedients, 
 which necessity alone can snggest, and suc- 
 cess justify. Finding that he could effect 
 nothing in "Saxony, he, on the 30th of .Inly, 
 decamped, and took the route of Meissen. 
 He marched, in five days' time, near tiOO miles, 
 at the head of an army encundiered with 
 artillery aiul 2000 waggons. He passed the 
 Elbe, the Spree, the '^Neiss, the Queiss, and 
 the Boher, with one Austrian army on one 
 Bide of him, under general Reid, near Bautzen ; i 
 
 another behind him, under general Lacy ; | , * -. 
 
 and a third in front, under general Beck; and 5 the very night wlien the Austnans had pro- 
 
 occasion to his own wonderful sagacity, 
 which suggested what he himself would do, 
 had he the same advantages, or whether he 
 was favoured by private intelligence. Both 
 might be true. Daun was tempted by the 
 occasion which presented itself, and" resolved 
 to become the aggressor. He concerted a 
 plan, with Laudohn and Lacy, for attacking 
 ins Prussian majesty ; while the Russians, to 
 the nun)ber of 21,000 men, having thrown 
 bridges over the Oder, were to pass it that 
 very day, under count Czernichew. His 
 Prussian majesty saw that his enemies could 
 not surround him, without making one of 
 those movements he had so Ions;: desired. On 
 
 all this without opposition. After this as- 
 tonishing rapidity, it may perhaps be unneces- 
 sary to add, that he gained many, not incon- 
 siderable advantages, over the Austrian 
 generals. 
 
 Count Daun, as we have mentioned, was 
 still at Bautzen, with an intention to penetrate 
 into Silesia and join Landohn ; in which 
 case would have been eflected, the often- 
 attempted junction between the Austrians 
 and Russians. Laudohn, whose army was 
 every day receiving strong reinforcements, 
 had been, for some time, with difficulty kept 
 in ))lay by prince Henry ; Imt the delay of a 
 few days must have made tlie match unequal, 
 as the Russians were hourly advancing. 
 Daun was astonished at the escape of the 
 king of Prussia, and prepared to follow him. 
 His majesty encamped at Lignitz; but found 
 himselt in danger, after all, of missing his 
 great aim, whicli wasthat of engaging Laudohn 
 before the armies of Daun and Lacy could 
 arrive to his assistance, which they did before 
 his niiijesty couldiind that opportunity. But 
 still Daun and Laudohn occupied diflereut 
 camps ; the one on his front, the other on his 
 rear. They had taken possession of an 
 extent of very strong country, no less than 
 ,30 English miles, along the Katsbach, from 
 Parchvvitz to Coffendau, and had rilled it 
 with lines and redoubts ; so that the whole 
 appeared as one continued fortification. 
 Frederic, with all his skill, could find no 
 means of attacking one army, without being 
 exposed to be ruined by the other. He was 
 again in one of those situations, which had so 
 often distressed him. It is yet unknown, 
 whether he owed his deliverance on this 
 
 I posed their most important stroke, he private- 
 ly decamped from Lignitz, and removed to 
 a strong pass, by which lie knew Laudohn's 
 division had to march. 
 
 Every thing succeeded to his wish. Daun 
 executed his part of the plan with profound 
 silence, in the night, but found the enemy 
 decamped ; and soon had certain indications 
 that . they were engaged with Laudohn, It 
 was thought, especially at his own court, that 
 if he had made a vigorous attack upon the 
 rear of the Prussian army, it would have been 
 totally defeated. But this opinion probably 
 did him injustice; for his Prussian majesty, 
 foreseeing such an attack, had guarded his 
 rear with very strong entrenchments. In the 
 mean time, Laudohn had passed the Kats- 
 bach, and proceeded as far as Psaffendorf, in 
 his march to Lignitz, where he was in hopes 
 of assisting at the mortal blow his Prussian 
 majesty was to receive. The break of day, 
 and the dissipation of a very thick fog, pre- 
 sented to his eyes the dreadful prospect of 
 the whole Prussian army, drawn up in battle 
 array, with a strong artillery on its fsont, and 
 posted to great advantage. This was the 
 morning of the 15th of August. But the 
 astonishment of Laudohn neither daunted 
 his courage, nor disordered his judgment. 
 Finding he could not retreat, he formed his 
 army with admirable presence of mind ; and a 
 tremendous battle ensued, in which his Prus- 
 sian majesty was in person equally exposed 
 with the meanest soldier ; his clothes being 
 bored in several places, and a horse shot 
 under him. He fought not for glory or do 
 minion, but for safety. Nothing, perhaps, but 
 his own personal inlrepidity could have gamed
 
 ClIAP. XVl] GEOIIGE 11. 197 
 
 him the victory. His veteran generals were ; Austrians found no resistance in Lusatia ; 
 all dead or killed ; and his troops were but j and Saxony, notwithstanding every effort of 
 newly raised, yet brave and faithful. His ; Hulsen to defend it, was upon the point of 
 example animated their efforts; and Laudohn, : being lost to the king. Such was the state 
 without losing any of his military reputation, J of his Prussian majesty's affairs towards the 
 retreated to the Kntslmrh, with ffip loss (as i close of the campaign. He had defeated his 
 the Austrians themselves ackno\vledged) of ; enemies, without finding their numbers less- 
 6000 men, killed, wounded, and taken pri- ; ened. He had gained victories, but he reaped 
 soners ; the Prussians, however, reckoned the ; no advantages; and all the prodigies of valour 
 loss at 10,000. Two generals and Hi ofhcers \ he had displayed barely rescued him from the 
 •were among the prisoners; and the trophies j jaws of perdition. 
 
 which fell to the victors were 82 pieces of| A great body of Russians, under count 
 cannon, and 123 pair of colours. The loss of ; Czernichew, had now entered the IVew 
 the Prussians was said to amount to 500 ? Marche of Brandenburg; and 15^000 Aus- 
 killed, and 1200 wounded. j trians, under the generals Lacy and BrentaiiD, 
 
 Though the loss of the battle must, as has ^ proposed to meet them at the gates of Berlin ; 
 been hinted, have proved fatal lo his Prussian | the whole amounting to 40,000 men. The 
 majesty, it did not prove so to the Austrians, | Prussian generals, Hulsen and Werner, afur 
 whose generals received daily reinforcements I a number of rapid marches and artful m(i\f- 
 and encouragement from their sovereign. $ ments, endeavoured to cover that capital ; 
 Daun, though he could not succeed in Silesia, 5 but their whole force did not amount to 
 turned his arms against other objects. Hoi 10,000 men; so that all they could do was lo 
 detached prince Lavenstein and general Beck, ; make a faint opposition to the advanced body 
 with part of his army, to encourage the Rus- ; of the Russians, under count Totfleben, and 
 sians to advance. But the terror of the baltie i to retreat ; after throwing into the city three 
 of Psaffcndorf had made such an impression i incomplete battalions. 
 
 upon them, that they had repassed the Oder, i Thus his Prussian majesty's capilal, tlie 
 and were n>arching northwards. This did j proud, the envied .seat of anus and arts, 
 not hinder Daun from blockading Schweid- ; adorned with all the improvements and beau- 
 nitz ; and his Prussian majestj', having by | ties that a long series of wise princes could 
 this time joined his brotiier at Newmarche, ; bestow, tiie populous residence of the j)opisii 
 detached general Goltze to observe the motions ! as well as of the reformed religion, was m a 
 of the Russians, while he himself defeated the | manner abandoned to the power of inveterate 
 corps of Austrians under general Beck, and ; enemies, and barbarous conquerors, wlio were 
 obliged Daun to raise the siege of Schweid- I pleased with the near prospect of plundering 
 nitz, and to retreat precipitately to the heights 5 one of the finest cities in the world. The 
 of Landshut. 5 inhabitants v.eie manufacturers, shopkeepers. 
 
 In Saxony, general Hulsen, on the 20th of j and artists; they knew nothing of arms, and 
 August, had an action with part ot the ; gave themselves up to a total despondency. 
 Imperial army, who attacked him with 'great j The garrison was weak, and surrendereil 
 fury, in order to cut off his communication ; prisoners of war ; and (he poor inhabitants 
 with Torgau. The engagement was hot, and « liad now nothing to depend upon, to save 
 Hulsen discovered great military abilities ;; them from the worst of fates, except the medi- 
 for, besides that a number of the enemy were I ation of llie foreign ministers residing at 
 killed, be took, with little loss to himself, 41 | Berlin. This proved far more effectual than 
 officers, and 1200 privates, prisoners. But he ; had been expected. A free exercise of religion 
 could not take the advantages of this victory ; ' was granted to the inhabitants ; they were to 
 but was ol)iiged to retreat, lest the grand army i be protected in their persons and effects ; and 
 of Imperialists should out off his comn»uni- 1 it was agreed, that the Russian irregulars 
 cation with the Elbe. By this retreat he I were not to enter the city. Notwithstanding 
 forfeited his intercourse with the king, whose | those favourable terms, great excesses were 
 mind was distracted, like his army, amidst a 5 committed. The regulars, who marched in, 
 variety of objects. The Russians were now ; destroyed the magazines, the founderics, and 
 marching through the Lower Silesia; the, \ all the warehouses of military stores, of whicU
 
 J9g HISTORY OP EINLGLAND. [CHAP. XVI. 
 
 they seized immense quantities, besides artil- ! prince, in viewing the apartments, took into 
 lery and arms. The contriliutions that were \ his custody the picture that he was told bore 
 demanded amounted to a regular kind of; the greatest resemblance to his Prussian 
 plunder. Eight hundred thousand guilders | majesty, and two German flutes, on which 
 were ordered to be immediately paid down ; » he usually played. 
 
 a fiu-ther contribution of 1,900,000 German? Oin the l3th of Oofobpr, ■RpiHr was evacu- 
 crowns was imposed ; and it was with the j ated, after suffering four days, under the 
 utmost difficulty that the officers were able to $ scourge of the Austrians and Russians, who 
 preserve a tolerable degree of moderation | left Brandenburg little better than a desart ; 
 among the barbarians. \ having destroyed the country, and carried off 
 
 Considering the exasperated state of the ; all the horses and cattle they could find. The 
 Austrians, it was surprising that the inhabi- \ consequence of this blow upon his Prussian 
 tants of Berlin suffered so little as they did. | majesty was, that, having no army in Saxony, 
 This may partly be accounted for, by the \ his enemies, after leaving Berlin, recovered 
 great indulgences and freedom they enjoyed \ all that electorate ; while Stainville, at the 
 
 " head of a detachment of Broglio's army, laid 
 Hulberstadt under contribution ; and the 
 Russians laid siege to the sea-port of Colberg. 
 The Swedes were advancing in the Western 
 Pomerania, and in Silesia. Laudohn invested 
 the fortress of Cosel. 
 
 in it, being the residence of strangers of all 
 religions, and from all parts of Germany; so 
 that it is easy to be conceived, that the Aus- 
 trians, (officers as well as soldiers) who en- 
 tered it, had many friends and relations there. 
 This account is the more probable, as both 
 
 Austrians and Russians were guilty of the Upon the whole, the affairs of his Prussian 
 most ungenerous and unmanly depredations | majesty seemed now more desperate than 
 upon the royal palace. Like true descendants j ever. When his enemies took the cities of 
 of the Goths and Vandals, they plundered j Wittemberg, Meissen, Leipsic, and Torgau. 
 the royal palace of Charlottenbnrg, destroyed \ he lost all his immense magazines of stores; 
 the furniture they could not carry off, defaced | and he himself was closely watched by a far 
 the paintings, and broke to pieces the noble ! superior army, under the most vigilant general 
 collection of antique and other statues, that j of his age, count Daun, without knowing 
 had belonged to the Brandenburg family, and ; where to take his winter-quarters ; so com- 
 particularly the museum of the famous car- j pletely had his enemies ravaged his dominions, 
 dinal Polignac. The queen's castle of Schon- \ He had made some movements towards the 
 bausen, and that of the margrave Charles | relief of his capital ; and upon its being evacu- 
 Fredericksfield experienced the same treat- ; ated, he and Daun passed the Elbe on the 
 ment. \ 25th of October. Soon afterwards, his majesty 
 
 Amidst the numerous host of barbarians, | was joined by his generals, Hulsen and prince 
 a general was found who deserves a better Eugene of Wirtemberg; but found himself 
 epithet. This was prince Esterhasi, who under circumstances, from which he could 
 took possession of the palace at Potsdam, his | only obtain relief by the most desperate exer 
 Prussian majesty's famous Sans Souci. All \ tion. 
 the ravage there committed was, that the 5,
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 GEORGE 11. 
 
 [1760.] 
 
 Attempt of the French to recapture Quebec — Their Failure — Military Enterprises and 
 Ultimate Triumph of the Kini( of Prussia — Movements of Prince Ferdinand — Battlts 
 of Colbach atid fVesd — Death of George II. — His Character. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the boasted 
 skill of the French in defending forti- 
 lioiiiions, and their islill more boasted bravery, 
 the loss of Quebec liad brought an indelible 
 Btigina both on their conduct and courage. 
 Retaking- it, therefore, was a favourite point 
 of their generals commanding in Canada, as 
 nothing less would serve to efface the re- 
 proach occasioned by their pusillanimous 
 surrender of that place. Accordingly, early 
 in the spring, Monsieur de Levi, having mus- 
 tered an army of about 12,000 men, and being 
 well provided with every necessary, took the 
 field with the resolution of besieging that 
 iown. lit; began his march on the 17th of 
 ^^pril, and appeared on the heights of Abra- 
 ham in ten days after, within three miles of 
 Quebec. 
 
 Brigadier-general Murray, who had been 
 left to command the garrison, had put the 
 place in the best posture of defence it was 
 capable of receiving. He had originally only 
 COOO men under his command, and no pro- 
 visions during the winter, except what tould 
 be spared by the fleet before their departure. 
 Owing to the severity of the weather, and 
 living on salt provisions, (even these being 
 scarce) the army had suffered greatly. Up- 
 wards of a thousand men had died of the 
 scurvy ; and an equal number were sick and 
 incapable of doing duty. The French had 
 six frigates upon the river St. Lawrence, of 
 from 44 to 26 guns, without one British ship 
 to oppose them. There was no probability, 
 therefore, of the arrival of any immediate 
 »eUef. 
 
 In these distressful circumstances, general 
 Murray formed the resolution of marching 
 out, and giving the enemy battle, rather than 
 awaiting them in an extensive fortification, 
 where famine and disease were devouring his 
 little army. By doing so he had a chance of 
 success ; and if he failed, he had still the 
 town to retreat into, which in that case he 
 was determined lo hold, as long as it was 
 tenable. In pursuance of this resolution, he 
 marched out on the 28th of April, at the head 
 of 3000 men, all that could be spared from 
 the town, to meet an enemy four times their 
 number ; but his troops were eager and con- 
 fident, and he could depend upon their 
 bravery ; circumstances, which he considered 
 as placing tiiem nearly on an equality with 
 the enemy. 
 
 When general Murray came in sight of the 
 enemy, he found their van advantageously 
 posted on an eminence covered with trees, and 
 their main body extended, in one column, in 
 the valley below. He immediately ordered 
 their van to be attacked ; which was done 
 with so much fury, that it was instantly 
 broken, and driven iu the greatest disorder 
 upon their main body, which nevertheless 
 stood firm, and received the British with so 
 close and well-directed a fire, as threw tliem 
 in their turn into some confusion. The French 
 endeavoured to take advantage of this cir- 
 cumstance, and extended themselves semi- 
 cirrularly, in order lo surround them, and cut 
 off their retreat. This, however, by the good 
 conduct of the officers^ and the spirit and 
 intrepidity of the men, was happily preveuted.
 
 200 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. CHAP. XVII. 
 
 At last, after an obstinate struggle, in which ; French in Canada, Here M. de Vandreuil, 
 the British lost about 1000 men, it was I lieutenant-general and governor of the pro- 
 thought advisable to order a retreat, which i vince, commanded, and thiflier the remains of 
 was effected in good order, without being 5 the French army retired. General Andierst 
 immediately pursued by the enemy, who had | had projected the conquest of this place, 
 suffered considerably in killed and wounded. ; which would make him master of- the whole 
 
 This misfortune, instead of damping the J province ; and hid issued the neces'sary orders 
 spirit of the British troops, seemed rather to | to carry his plan into execution. As he knew 
 inspire them with fresh courage. They were | the whole French force was assembled at 
 no sooner within the walls of the town, than J Montreal, his design was, by making the 
 they began to labour at the fortifications with > British army take different routes, so to hem 
 redoubled ardour. Although the French ; the enemy in, as to cut them off from any 
 opened trenches before the place on the very | chance of escaping, to moke a stand in any 
 evening of the battle, yet so slow wei'e they ; other part of the country. In the prosecution 
 in iheir operations, that it was the 11th of j of this design, he ordered colonel Haviland, 
 May before they could bring a battery to < with tlie troops under his command, to march 
 bear. This gave the garrison time to make ! from Cro\\n Point, and take possession of a 
 tiie best preparation they could for a defence, j small island in the lake Champlain, and thence 
 Accordingly 132 pieces of cannon were | to take the shortest way to the banks of the 
 mounted upon tiie ramparts, though a great ; river St. Lawrence. General Murray, at the 
 part of them must have been useless, owing ; head of what troops could be spared from the 
 to the want of hands to manage them ; and | garrison of Quebec, was ordered to advance by 
 geueral Murray, notwithstanding his bravery, ; water to Montreal ; while general Amherst 
 ■<in;l that of his troops, must have been at last i himself was to proceed directly thither from 
 oljiiged to submit, had not an unexpected > New York, with the main body of the asmy, 
 reinforcement come to his relief > consisting of about 10,000 men, by the Mo- 
 
 On the 9th of May, a frigate arrived in the ! hawk river, to the lake of Ontario, and thence 
 J:arbour of Quebec, with the agreeable urws, ; down the river St. Lawrence, 
 that lord Colville and commodore Swanton, ! After a most difficult and dangerous pas- 
 willi the squadrons under their command, j sage down this liver, in which several boats 
 had entered the river St. Lawrence; and on ; and men were lost, the British army arrived 
 the 15th, a ship of the line and another frigate | at Montreal, and landed on the 6th of Sep- 
 likewise arrived. The two frigates were ; tember, having, in their way thither, taken the 
 instantly sent against the French squadron, ; fort of Lisle Koyale, after a slight resistance, 
 anchored above the town, and, in the space o{\ and without any loss. 
 
 a few hours, sunk, dispersed, or took the j The spirit of the French seemed, at this 
 whole of them. Mons. de Levi no sooner | crisis, entirely to have forsaken them. The 
 received intelligence of this disaster, than he ; British forces were suffered to land without 
 im;igined, tliat there was a strong fleet at i opposition ; and, on the day following, (the 
 hand to support these frigates; and, on the ; 7th of September,) general Amherst received 
 evening of the 18th, fled with the utmost pre- i a letter from the marquis de Vandreuil, with 
 cipilation, abandoning all his provisions and | proposals for a capitulation. The plan pro- 
 arliilery. | jecled by general Amherst had succeeded to 
 
 General Murray, who intended to make j his utmost wish ; and the French were en- 
 a vigorous sally next day, and had ordered j tirely cut off from a retreat. General Murray 
 the garrison to be in arms early in the morn- i had landed on the island ; and colonel Havi- 
 ing, having been informed of the enemy's | land had just arrived on the south side of the 
 retreat, immediately directed a pursuit; but ; river opposite to Montreal. Notwithstanding 
 being unable to overtake them, he returned > the French were thus cut off from every hope 
 an(i took possession of their camp, which they I of escaping, and the British general might 
 had left standing, with a great quantity of piave dictal.'d his own terms ; yet, as the sur- 
 baggage, stores, &c. i render of this place finished the war in Cana- 
 
 MoNTREAL was now the only place of con- \ da, which was entirely under the subjection 
 soqueace remaining in possessiou of the > of Great Britain, and to prevent the effusion
 
 CItiP. XVI I. ] «EORGE 11. 201 
 
 of human blood, more favourable terms were j atrocious barbarities towards tlie Enslisli ; 
 granted to the enemy, than in their present ; and 22 hostages, to assure their due perforui- 
 situation they had reason to expect. They | ance of all obligations. 
 
 •were refused the honours of war, but not I Mr. Littleton, reasonably thinking that he 
 made prisoners ; and were to be transported ; had been successful in his enterprise, returned 
 to France in British vessels, under condition ; to his government ; but no sooner was he 
 of not serving against Britain during the con- > gone, than the very same savages blocked up 
 tinuance of the war. ? fort Laudon, and attempted to take fort 
 
 A SMALL fleet, consisting of one frigate, two ; Edward. General Amherst, hearing of this, 
 large store-ships, and nineteen smaller vessels, { sent colonel Montgomery, (afterwards earl of 
 having on board troops and military stores, | Eglinton,) to relieve those two British forts, 
 had been sent from France, for the relief of; and to chastise the barbarians, with a regiment 
 Montreal; but when they arrived at the } of highlanders, a battalion of royal Americans, 
 mouth of the river St. Lawrence, understand- j some grenadiers, and the provincial troops, 
 ing that the Bdtish squadron had got the ; Upon his entering the country of the savages, 
 start of them, they put into the bay of Cha- 1 he burnt one of their capital towns, containing 
 leors, on the coast of Acadia, for shelter. | about 200 houses ; and, making war after 
 They were, however, discovered, and intelli- ! their own manner, he spread terror and 
 gence was sent Louisburg, where were several » desolation wherever he came. He marched 
 British men of war ; one of which, command- } on to the midtlle Cherokees ; and in his pro- 
 ed by the honourable captain (afterwards | gress fell into an ambush, where he had 20 
 lord) Byron, immediately set sail in quest ofi«nen killed, and 80 wounded. Though the 
 tTiem, and the whole fleet was either taken or * enemy, in this skirmish, lost 80 men, besides 
 destroyed. Captain Byron likewise demolished { a considerable town; yet the colonel, per- 
 two battel ies, which had been raised for their i ceiving that every day, as he advanced, lie 
 protection. » had such encounters to expect, thouglit it 
 
 The French were equally unsuccessful in ^ expedient to retreat to fort George, whence he 
 every other part of America. Having, by \ went to New York, to rejoin the grand army ; 
 means of their missionaries, a much greater ; leaving behind him 400 men, for the protection 
 influence, than the English, over the minds of > of the province. The garrison of fort Laudon, 
 tlie savages, they had drawn the Cherokee { having consumed all their provisions, were 
 Indians into their interest ; and there was i obliged to come to a capitulation, on the 7th 
 reason to believe, that the Creeks, another » of August, with the savages, who most in- 
 very powerful nation, would follow their ; famously broke it ; butchering all the officrrs 
 example. Philosophers and philosophical | but one, and carrying the soldiers, whom thev 
 historians, have indulged themselves, in ex- { did not kill, uito the most miserable of all 
 hibiting flattering pictures of human nature, \ captivities. 
 
 in its least cultivated state ; but there :s every » At the commencement of the next „..„ 
 reason to believe, from repeated experience, j campaign in Germany, marshal Daun, ' 
 that the American Indians in general have no 5 that he might cover Leipsic and Torgau, had 
 other sentiments than those of rapine, cruelty, i fallen back upon the latter; and his Prussian 
 and revenge, which they never fail to gratify ; \ majesty saw him encamped, at the head of 
 and that tliey can be awed only by force. i 80,000 men, secured on the one side by the 
 
 Mr. Littleton, at that time governor of; Elbe, on the other by the morasses, hills, and 
 Carolina, knew this; and in October, 1759, 5 woods; with 200 pieces of cannon in hi* 
 he marched, with about 1100 regulars and ; front, where alone he could be attacked. His 
 provincials, 300 miles into their country, lying ; Prussian majesty, midaunted by this formi- 
 betwcen Keeowee and Charlestown. The i dable object, acquainted his troops in person, 
 barbarians, seehig their persons and posses- i on the 3rd of November, that he would, on 
 sions thus exposed to instant destruction, i that day, teach them by his example to con- 
 bumbled tbcinselves before the governor, and ; queror todie. 
 
 agreed to ail the terms he imposed. They ; General Hulsen had the command of the 
 even delivered such of their countrymen into i right wing, with orders to take post in a woo«i 
 bis bands, as had been guilty of the most i to Uie left of the Austriaus, and there ;• 
 
 2. d * 13
 
 J02 HISTORY OF ENGLANTK [CHAP. XVI t 
 
 remain till the battle would begin. General ; tonislied, and ashamed, at this sudden reverse 
 Ziethen, with the left wing, was to attack the I of fortune. In vain did the ministers of the 
 ri'dit of tiie enemy, whilst the king was to ; queen, in publications of every kind, endea- 
 make the grand charge in the front. These ; vour to extenuate their own loss, and to 
 dispositions directed Daun in his, and he ; magnify that of the enemy. They did all they 
 made tlieni in a masterly manner. Ziethen | could to keep up the desponding spirits of 
 began the attack ; upon which his majesty ! their allies. They could not dissemble, that, 
 hastened his march. The situation of both J besides all other disadvantages the Prussians 
 armies, ^according to the accounts published | lay under in the attack, they were inferior to 
 at Magdeburg, was such, that either the i the Austrians by 30,000. So that, by the 
 Prussian right or left must take the enemy in ; common voice, the palm of discipline and 
 the rear, and so prevent their affording any | generalship was adjudged to his Prussian 
 assistance to that part of their army, on which J majesty ; he received a contusion in the 
 the main attack was to be made. i breast, and, in the hottest of the baitle, ex- 
 
 It is impossible to describe a battle so | posed his person, as if he deemed himself 
 extensive and complicated as this, in which ; invulnerable. The consequences, indeed, 
 they who were present disagree in their several I indisputably determmed the victory in his 
 relations; it was allowed, on all hands, that ; favour ; having recovered all Saxony, except 
 his Prussian majesty, rapid and intrepid as he ; its capital, which he was not in a condition to 
 ■was, suffered, with great slaughter, three j attack, as count Daun had posted all his army 
 repulses; but general Ziethen, having de- ; in it, or in cantonments around it. 
 feated the right wing, took possession of j In llie inlerim, the Prussian general, Wer- 
 several advantageous eminences, and, gallop- ! uer, had, after the evacuation of Berlin, been 
 ping up with a strong body of hors-e, to sue- j sent with a body of troops into Pomerani-j, 
 tain the infantry, they were, notwithstanding ; where he obliged the Russians to abandon 
 their prodigious losses and fatigues, brought | the long-continued siege of Colberg ; and, 
 once more to the charge, and proved victori- ; afier defeating the Swedes in the western part 
 eus. The enemy were routed in all parts, i of tiiat province, he forced them to fallback 
 The engagement lasted from two in the after- j upon Stralsund, and to abandon the whole of 
 noon til! nine in the night, when the Austrians, i Prussian Pomerania. 
 
 after great slaughter, wei-e obliged to repass ; On the side of Silesia, Laudohn was 
 tlie Elbe, which they did in excellent order. \ obliged to raise the siege of Cosel, to abandon 
 
 This battle, the most important of tliose his I Landshut, and to retire into the Aui^trian 
 Prussian majesty gained, cost him the dearest ; j Silesia ; while the Russians had entirely 
 but it was attended with the most wonderful \ evacuated the other parts of his Prussian 
 and favourable circumstances. He had lost | majesty's dominions, and the army of the 
 about 10,000 ot his finest men, in killed and | empire, about the same time, retired iut'X- 
 wounded, besides 3000 taken prisoners. The | Franconia. 
 
 loss of the Austrians in men was not greater.^ His Prussian majesty lost no advantage 
 The Prussians, however, made 8000 prisoners, $ that could possibly be drawn from his victory 
 among whom were four generals, and 210 1 at Torgau. Pretenciing to have received 
 other officers, an«l were in possession of a ! great provocation, he taxed the circle of 
 very great number of warlike trophies taken $ Leipsic alone, not only in its ordinary revenues, 
 from the enemy. Both sides seem to agree, J and in vast magazines of provisions, but in 
 that the Prussians' victory was owing, next J two millions of crowns, for the ensuing year ; 
 to their own valour, and liiat of their king, to ; a contribution which London itself, the richest 
 a wound which count Daun received in the > city in the world, would have found it difficult 
 thigh, and by wliich he was obliged to quit ; to raise. All tlip other j)arts of Misnia were 
 the field of haltle, and leave the command to ; taxed in the same proportion ; and estimating 
 general O'Donnel, who ordered the retreat. ; the Saxons as beasts of burden, he made the 
 riie pitchy darkness of tiie night was equally; furnishing of 20,000 of them, to recniit his 
 favourable to both armies, fatigued and ex 5 army, a part of their contributions. But no 
 ^Jiausted as they were. ' » country suffered more from his Prussian 
 
 TuE court of Vienna was surprised, as- ; majesty's successes, than the dominions" pf
 
 CHAP. XVI 1. 1 
 
 CEOUGE 11. 
 
 203 
 
 the dnkcs of Mecklen1iiir2,1i, which were so 
 unfortunately situatod, with rejjard to those 
 of Prussia, that they were deprived of relief 
 from tlieir allies. The treatment those princes 
 «iet with, and the hardships inflicted on their 
 subjects, were, perhaps, more than severe ; 
 and were said to have drawn from the pen of 
 a young princess, who now fills the throne of 
 England, a pathetic representation of her 
 family's and country's sufferings, which 
 affected even his Prussian majesty, but made 
 niiich deeper impressions on the breast of the 
 heir apparent to the crown of England, now 
 George III., to whom the letter was commu- 
 nicated. 
 
 I HAVE already remarked the implacability 
 of the contending powers in Germany ; their 
 accumulated distresses and disappointments 
 seemed only to increase their mutual rancour. 
 Whatever nn'ght be the sentiments of the 
 British people, respecting the German war, 
 they were unwilling to afflict their venerable 
 monarch, by abandoning his electoral domi- 
 nions, which were always the chief object of 
 his anxiety. The successes of prince Ferdi- 
 nand, though rather splendid than solid, had 
 raised their opinion of his martial abilities ; 
 and they entertained flattering hopes, that 
 every campaign wou-ld prove decisive in his 
 favour. The ministry too endeavoured to 
 enforce and improve this mode of reasoning ; 
 but it could not be dissembled, that the bur- 
 den of the war devolved upon Great Britain, 
 although she had very little immediate interest 
 in the event. This consideration, too glaring 
 to be concealed, induced the British ministry 
 to open a negotiation ; but, however sincere 
 they might be, it is certain his I'russian majes- 
 ty was by no means s,o when he complied with 
 it. The two empresses and France, not to 
 mention Sweden and Poland, though they \ 
 could not flatly reject so plausible a propo- I 
 sition, were very little disposed to accept of 
 it, and so artfully opposed all the expedients 
 proposed by the neutral powers, partic\darly 
 Stanislaus and the Dutch, that the overture 
 eame to nothing. 
 
 The winter of the year 1759 was remark- 
 ably severe, and Germany suflTered greatly 
 from cold and scarcity of provisions ; a cir- 
 cumstance which forced the poorer sort of 
 inhabitants into the armies of their several 
 masters ; so that those of the empress-queen 
 were now more numerous than ever. The 
 
 D d '2 
 
 British arrny in Gcvmany having suffered 
 greatly from the preceding campaign, six 
 regiments of foot, commanded by major-general 
 Grilhn, -were sent to reinforce it, and were 
 followed by EUiot's light horse ; so that, in 
 the beginning of the canipaign, the British 
 army consisted of 2o,000 men ; a greater 
 ntimber of troops than had ever served before 
 in one place, and at one time, under king 
 William, the duke of Marlborough, or under 
 any British general for two centuries before. 
 
 The French were equally anxious to render 
 tlie campaign decisive. M. Broglio continued 
 to command, and his army was reinforced to 
 the amount of 100,000 men, the finest troops 
 in France ; while the count de St. Germaine, 
 with whom he was but on indiflferent terms, 
 was at the head of 30,000 on the Riiine, lest 
 any ilT consequence should arise from the 
 misunderstanding of the generals. 
 
 The death of the landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, 
 which happened in the beginning of the year, 
 excited some apprehensions, with regard to 
 the conduct of his son and successor. These 
 fears were soon dissipated. The prince, not» 
 withstanding the prepossessions against hira, 
 even exceeded the zeal of his father in the 
 protestant cause, adding considerably to the 
 number of his troops in the service of Great 
 Britain. 
 
 The operations of the two armies were by 
 no means answerable to the preparations and 
 reinforcements which both sides had made 
 and received. The campaign did not open 
 with any eff"ect, till late in the season. Indeed, 
 at the beginning, the object of both armies 
 was to procure provisions, rather than to fight ; 
 and all the motions of their detached parties 
 were devoted to the supply of provisions, 
 rather than the pursuit of victory. A severe 
 winter, an exhausted country, and a late 
 spring, were calamities equally distressing to 
 both ; and each was impressed with a fellow- 
 feeling for tbe other. 
 
 When the rigour of the season abated, the 
 superior providence of the French over the 
 allies appeared. The former, while they lay 
 in their cantonments, were supplied with pro- 
 visions from the Rhine, the Maine, and the 
 Moselle; while the latter were totally dis- 
 abled, by their indigence, to undertake any 
 design or enterprise of consequence. The 
 only action worth mentioning was performed 
 by the hereditary prince, who laid Fiilda
 
 204 HISTORY or ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XVIt 
 
 under conliibution, and expelled the French j taken prisoners, and 15 pieces of tannoii, 
 from it, at the head of some British troops. | which \fere left on the field of battle. The 
 The whole, indeed, of this campaign consisted ; prince received a wonnd, which, however, 
 of little detached expeditions, planned and 5 gave him less uneasiness than the mortilicatioa 
 executed by this gallant young hero. These i he suffered by this defeat, 
 actions, however unimportant in their conse- | The allied army, during this action, re- 
 cjueuces, demand a particular relation, as ; treated towards the Dymel, and were now 
 su-iking instances of intrepidity and military i encamped at Saxenhausen. It was matter of 
 inowledge. The misunderstanding between | astonishment to military men, that Broglio 
 the two French generals, Broglio and [St. | did not pursue his advantage ; nor can the 
 Gerniaine, was productive of consequences « reasons of his inactivity be to this day ac- 
 highly advantageous to the allies. Instead of i counted for. 'I'he hereditary prince unjustly 
 the one advancing by Munster, and the other | charged himself willi being the author of a 
 by the landgraviate of Hesse, and leaving ; defeat, ^ which did him and the English so 
 s.trong posts to the eastward of the Weser, i much credit,, and formed a daring resolution 
 pperations that might have proved fatal to the i to repair it. lie knew that Glaubitz, a French 
 allies, their forces were united into one body. ; general, was at the head of a considerable de- 
 This ijroceeding, so discordant with the con- 5 tachmenf, which was marched towards 
 certed plan of iheir operations, disgusted St. ; Ziegenhagen, a place of importance in the 
 Germaine, an officer of true military genius, J landgraviate of Hesse. In order to relieve 
 who retired from the service. Notwithstand- J this place, the prince put himself at the head 
 ing this, the French took Marburg and Dil- | of six German battalions, two brigades of 
 leii burg, and made the garrisons of both pri- ; Hunter's, a regiment of hussars, and Elliot's 
 soners of war. 5 light horse. This last regiment had been 
 
 The inactivity of the German general, in ; raised only in the preceding spring and winter, 
 this perilous situation, has never been clearly i Not a man amongst them had ever been before 
 accounted for. The hereditary prince, at the | in the service ; but they were speedily disci- 
 head of some British troops, endeavoured to ; piined, and made an excellent appearance; so 
 retrieve it. The French army had hitiierto ! that the hereditary prince chose them to form 
 moved in two bodies, and the corps under | part of his detachment; and the event justified 
 St. Germaine was known to have advanced to ; his choice. He was at this 'time about sixty 
 Corbach ; the priHce resolved to attack him, J English miles from Glaubitz, who fancied 
 and drive him from that j)ost. By this time, ; himself in perfect security. The prince, 
 however, the junction of the French troops ; however, led his detachment, unperceived, 
 was formed ; and the prince, instead of en- ! within sight of the enemy's camp; and, after 
 countering 10,000 foot, and seventeen squad- i reconnoitring it, he formed the plan of an 
 rons of horse, fell in with the entire body of! attack, which was of a very singular nature, 
 the French army, which attacked him with so (The situation of the enemy was such, as to be 
 much resolution, as to render his retreat 5 inaccessible on the left, except by making a 
 almost impracticable. The French were « detour of two leagues, through woody uneven 
 fresh, numerous, and well formed. The 5 grounds ; and the right was secured by moun- 
 British forces behaved with the greatest in- ; tains. The prince undertook, in person, the 
 trepidity ; but the Germans gave themselves ; attack of the left. He conjmitted that of the 
 up, both horse and foot, to a despondency, ; right to the infantry, who were obliged to 
 which threatened a total rout; while the j climb up mountains to come at their enemy. 
 French were every moment pouring in rein- ; Both charges were vigorous, and both suc- 
 forcements, chiefly of cavalry, to complete \ ceeded. The enemy were, in a manner, 
 their destruction. In this desperate situation, > routed, before Glaubitz had time to fornh' 
 the prince put himself at the head of Bland"s ? them ; but they were routed with very little 
 and Howard's dragoons, who perfectly j loss, and the advantage of their situation en- 
 seconded his ardour. They soon checked the ! abled them to retire from one wood to another 
 career of the French, covered the retreat of! in full body, while the prince was unable to 
 the Germans, and thus saved the ariny, at ! bring up tlie fatigued and harassed infantry to 
 the cxpence of 900 men, killed, wounded, or | the pursuit. It was ou this occasion that
 
 JCHAP. XVIl.J GEORGE II. 206 
 
 Elliot's liglit liorse performed services that ! Byniel on the right, and he himself advanced 
 would have done honour to the firmest veterans j to charge the enemy in front. It must be 
 in Europe. The prince in person led them ; acknowledged that these dispositions, had 
 on, and they alone entered the wood, where i they been properly supported, must have 
 their address and discipline were equal to ; been derisive in favour of the allies; but the 
 their intrepidity. i flower of their army, which consisted of the 
 
 The enemy, unable to resist them, were 5 British, were five miles behind ; so that, 
 charged and penetrated five times ; by which I though the French, by the efforts of the 
 a party of 500, separated from the rest, threw i hereditary prince, began to give way on that 
 down their arms, aud surrendered prisoners > side, yet their main body was at liberty to 
 of war. Much, however, still remained to be \ retire, without putting it in the power of the 
 done, before the victory could be complete, i infantry of the allies to engage them ; nor 
 A regiment of the enemy's hussars was en- ; indeed did their commander-in-chief seem to 
 tirely cut to pieces ; and the main body, j be very forward to risk his German troops, 
 which had taken post in a wood, found them- ; By his own account, sent to his majesty, it is 
 selves surrounded, and were obliged, though i certain that his attack was very weak on the 
 not till after great slaughter, to give up their ; enemy's front, and unsupported, as he himself 
 arms. The prisoners made on this occasion, ; acknowledges, by the infantry. So that the 
 besides Glaubitz himself, and the prince of ! heat of the day fell upon the British, whose 
 Anhalt, were 177 officers, and 2482 private ; cavalry had come five miles at full trot, 
 men ; nine pair of colours, and six pieces of 5 beaded by the marquis of Granby and general 
 cannon were taken. Upon the whole, this | Mostyn ; and while general Waldegrave did 
 engagement was, with regard to the captures, { all he could to hasten the march of the in- 
 oue of the most extraordin'ary which had \ fantry, captain Phillips brought up the 
 occurred in the course of the war. The i artillery on a gallop. But though our British 
 hereditary prince lost no more than 79 men ; | troops were thus expeditious beyond all 
 but of those 71 were of Elliot's light horse. | precedent, they could not prevent the enemy 
 
 Prince Ferdinand remained all this time | from making their retreat good over the 
 in his camp at Saxenhausen ; but, after this > Dymel. The charge that was made upon them 
 action, he moved to Kalle, near Cassel. Upon ! by the British cavalry was so gallant, as to 
 this, the French, who were very numerous, \ evince their ardour for retrieving that glory, 
 divided theniselves into three armies. One of; of which they had been deprived at Miuden ; 
 them, which formed their reserve, passed the i though they could not be seconded by their 
 Dymel at Stilbergen, under the chevalier de ; foot, many of whom dropped down in the 
 Muy, who had succeeded St. Germaine in his \ morasses which impeded their long and 
 command ; another body, their main army, > fatiguing journey. The French, in their 
 advanced under Broglio himself to Kalle ; | account, pretenci that the brigade of Bourbon 
 and the third, under prince Xavier of Saxony, ? checked the British cavalry; that the allies 
 took the route of Cassel. From those motions > vvere greatly superior in number; that the 
 it was plain, that the French generals niedi- } hereditary prince, in turning their left, was 
 tated some important blow ; and prince Fer- ; favoured by a fog ; and that ,'he battle con- 
 dinand thought it his best course to pass the ; tinned, without advantage to either side, for 
 Dymel, and at all events light de Muy. | four hours. But it is evident, even from their 
 
 On the 31st of July, the allies, having ; own narrative, that they cn.iployed most of 
 passed the river, and formed upon the heights i tliat time i-' maknig preparations for a retreat, 
 of Corbach, came in sight of the French, who | which, with great difficulty, tlu-y eflected over 
 were posted to great advantage at VVarbourg. j tlie Dymel ; and that, upon the whole, they 
 The hereditary prince turned the left of the i thought themselves victorious, because they 
 enemy into two columns, so as to attack them | were not completely defeated. In this battle, 
 in front and rear, with his usual^ briskness; ; the great loss fell upon the English, of whom 
 but the French were so well reinforced, that i about GOO were killed, wounded, or missing. 
 he could do nothing effectual. In the mean j But the total loss of the allied army was not 
 lime, prince Ferdinand ordered some detach- ; |)ublished, probably because it would have 
 meats to attack the French bridges over the > discovered the great disproportion between
 
 206 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CILVP. XVII. 
 
 tlic sufferings of the' English and of the Ger- ; the two camps of the enemy. He next made 
 mans. T.lie French, in their account, pre- ; the proper dispositions for securing- his re- 
 tenderl that the loss of the allies was greater > treat, in case of a'repulse ; and at the head of 
 than theirs. But that could not be the fact, i his remaining foot, most of them British, on 
 For besides great numbers of the French that > the 5th of September, he set out, in three 
 were drowned in passing the Dyniel, 1500 i divisions, and by two the next morning was 
 Mere killed on the field of battle, and as many « before Zierenberg. But notwithstanding all 
 wer.e laken, together with ten pieces of; the precautions that had been taken, for the 
 cannon. | silence of their march, they were discovered 
 
 The battle of Warbourg was more glorious ; by a party of dragoons, who fired upon them, 
 than it was advantageous to the allies. The i and spread the alarm. On this occasion, the 
 chevalier de Muy commanded but one of the j intrepidity and discipline of the British foot 
 three French armies ; but the other two, ; did them great honour. Contrary to the 
 without resistance, became masters of Mun- % character of their nation, instead of being too 
 den, Cassel, Gottingen, Eimbach, and Zugeu- 1 ready to fire, they made use of their bayonets 
 hagen, where they made a great number of {only. With these they drove the enemy's 
 prisoners, and obtained considerable maga- ; piquets, that were on guard, before them ; 
 zines. Thus, though the allies gained a ! some entered the town at the same time with 
 battle, they lost a province ; the whole land- 1 the fugitives ; some were employed in putting 
 graviate of Hesse being now in the French | the guard to the sword, others in forcing open 
 possession ; nor was it clear, but that, before ^ the gates, till at last they all entered the place, 
 the end of the campaign, they would become ; and proceeded in firm order to the church- 
 masters of Hanover itself; while all that ^ yard, which the main body of the enemy 
 prince Ferdinand gained was, to secure his ! possessed. The noise they made was so little, 
 posts upon the Dymel, and preseve his commu- ; and the night so dark, that the French took 
 iiication with Westphalia ; the loss of which J them for their own piquets, and suftered them 
 must have been of the worst consequence to i to form ; when they were attacked and totally 
 him, considering the situation of the two I dispersed by the English, with their bayonets 
 armies. j on their musquets. In vain the French at- 
 
 The French, however, had many reasons } tempted to fly from the gate. They were 
 for declining to penetrate further into Hano- ^ every where opposed, pursued, slain, or taken 
 ver. The country was so miserably exhausted, } prisoners. Every part of the town was filled 
 as to be incapable of maintaining an army, \ with blood, confusion, and tumult ; but the 
 and the attempt, however successful, would \ British were victorious. They neither killed, 
 uevertheless be inconsistent with their plan. \ nor took prisoners any of the inhabitants who 
 The two armies were, for a length of time, ^ had no weapons in their hands ; and, far from 
 init^tive on each side of the Dymel. This ; being intent on plunder, they even refused to 
 inaction was disagreeable to the genius of the *J accept the gratuities which the persons of the 
 hereditary prince, who apj)ears to have made \ town offered, for »he preservation of their lives 
 war cordially, without the lucrative views of | and properties. The whole action of this 
 continuing his appointments, or the mean | noble and well-conducted expedition lasted 
 ones of sparing his Germans. It is true, the t but an hour, after which the prince found him- 
 great opinion he experimentally entertained | self complete master of the place, having- 
 of the British valour cost our men dear, and \ taken two pieces of cannon, and made 36 
 was favourable to the Germans; but he | officers, and near 500 common soldiers, pin- 
 always ventured his own person equally with j soners. He then considered the danger of 
 that of the meanest English soldier, and they ; remaining, with so small a force, so near the 
 followed him with pride and alacrity. While ? enemy's main body ; and regained his former 
 the armies were lying in this state of inaction, | camp, without loss or molestation, 
 he understood that 2000 French occupied the i The intrepidity which the British unifornrly 
 town of Zierenberg ; and he resolved to J displayed, and the success which attended all 
 surprise tliem. He accordingly posted a body ; Iheir operations, during the course of' this 
 of troops between that place and Urerenberg, ! war, compared with the little effect produced 
 in order to cut off all communication between ' by such exertions of courage, sufficiently
 
 ^IIAP. XVII.] GEORGE II. 207 
 
 prove, that there was something amiss and J teinber, after he had passed. the Weser, he 
 dilatory in the original plan of every campaign, I was oMiged to repass it, with very consider- 
 vhich no partial success or valour could ^ able loss, and not quite to the advantage of 
 remedy. The advantage gained at Zicrenberg | his military character. It must be acknow- 
 ■was glorious, and cheap, for it cost them no ! ledged, that in all those skirmishes and ex- 
 more than 10 men ; anfl yet, if we except the | peditions, the French shewed a vigilance, and 
 reputation which the British gained by their i an attention to their plan of operations, more 
 succesS;, the consequences were by no means « active than the allies ; who directed their 
 equal to the boldness ot the enterprise. The ,' marches according to the motions of the 
 eallant prince discovered, as he might easily { enemy. The French, on the 20th of Septem- 
 iiave foreseen, tiiat he could not keep the > ber, in pursuance of their defensive scheme 
 place ; and, by quitting it, he lost all he had | retired to Cassel, where they fortified them- 
 obtained, except a few prisoners, whom he 5 selves ; while prince Ferdinand ventured to 
 found it burdensome to maintain. | do nothing, but advance so near as to observe 
 
 At last, however, prince Ferdinand put j their operations, 
 his army in motion, in order to interrupt the ; More active, and indeed unexpected, 
 conununicatiun between the French post, the | scenes of war presented themselves upon the 
 Khine, and the Mair>c, especially with Franc- « Rhine, and almost upon the frontiers of the 
 fort. As to Hanover, it lay quite neglected i states-general, where the hereditary prince 
 by both parties. The French had their reasons, i appeared, to the surprise of all Europe, who 
 as we have already seen, for not penetrating | thought he had been in the further part of 
 further into it than Gottingen ; and the allies 5 Hesse. It would exceed my proposed limits, 
 pretended that they could not, without ! should I describe the means by which this 
 hazarding? the loss of their entire an., j', make > object was effected. It is sufiicient to sav, 
 any effort to dispossess them of that city, or j that he had under him twenty battalions, and 
 of Cassel. ; ten squadrons, which he divided into two 
 
 Bi'LOW, a Hanoverian general, was dis- 1 bodies. One of these passed the Rhine at 
 patched, with a strong detachment, to make ! Roerost, on the other side of Dusseldorf. The 
 inroads into VVeteravia, and the southern ; other division, which marched by the way of 
 parts of Hesse; which he did with so great \ Munster, passed a great way below, at Rees, 
 success, that he pushed on towards Marburg, J which lies almost half way between Cleves 
 which town he surprised, and destroyed in it } and Wesel. These two detachments, not- 
 the French ovens, with considerable magazines I withstanding the distance of the places, 
 of provisions, besides cariying off their 5 passed the Rhine about the same time; and 
 clollnng and military stores. He at last pro- \ their manoeuvres were conducted in such a 
 ceeded towards Frankenau. The F'rench, | Uianner as to prevent the movements of the 
 during this time, surveyed his progress with ; French. Every thing succeeded, as had been 
 an air of security, thinking it would always \ projected. As they advanced to their in- 
 be in their power to check his progress. | tended junction, all the French pests along 
 Stainville, one of their best generals, on the < the Rhnje, with all th(;ir boats, (fell into tiit 
 13tli of September, attacked the rear of ; prince's hands, by which he was enabled to 
 Bnlows detachment, as it was passing the ; carry over his artillery and his troops ; so 
 river Orck ; and not oidy defeated it, but in i that, meeting with no opposition, his detach- 
 all probability v^ould have cut off' the whole 5 ment again separated, and, on the 3rd of 
 body, had not the active her,editary prince, | October, one division took possession of 
 hearing of his danger, made a forced march : Cleres, and, three days after, of its castle, 
 of hve Geruian miles, and arrived to his > with 500 men, while another laid siege to 
 relief. This obliged Stainville to retire to a | Wesel. 
 
 strong camp, where he could not be attacked » The rapid success of this expedition did 
 with any promise of success. \ not prevent its giving rise to many conjt ctm es. 
 
 In the meanwhile, a feeble efib-rt was made ; and some censures with regard to its utiihy to 
 wnder general Wangenheim, another ol the | Great Britain, it was generally thought, that 
 allied generals, to force the enemy to abandon ; it had bern tormed to favour, m conjunction 
 Gottingu*; but, at last, oo^the VJUx oi 5ep- ; with a strong armament which was fitted out
 
 208 
 
 Hr&T<3RV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XVI r. 
 
 at Portsmouth, a'powerfnl diversion on the 
 skle of the Austrian Netherhinds, which 
 iinight have obliged the French to desist from 
 forming an army on the Lower Rhine, by 
 which Broglio must have become master of 
 Hanover. But this supposition was chimcri- 
 cah Hanover had at this time, in fact, nothing 
 to fear ; for Broglio miglit have become 
 master of it when he pleased. We are there- 
 fore to look elsewhere for the motives of this 
 famous expedition. 
 
 It was not difficult to foresee, that con- 
 siderable dissensions would exist in the court 
 of Great Britain, concerning the vast expence 
 of blood and treasure, in which she was in- 
 volved by the German wrr. Of all the losses 
 his Prussian majesty had met with, that of 
 his countries on the Lower Rhine gave him, 
 on several accounts, the greatest concern. Ho 
 had many reasons to suspect, that a strong 
 party of the British ministry was anxious to 
 conclude a separate peace with France ; and 
 that the last convention between him and his 
 Britannic majesty, on the 9th of Noveniber, 
 1759, began to be greatly condemned, chieHy 
 on account of its fourth article, by which his 
 Britannic majesty pledged himself not to 
 conclude any kind of peace, without the full 
 consent of his Prussian ally. He was sensible, 
 
 of Nieuport and Ostend, and even to overawe 
 some of our allies ; a more popular service, 
 at that time, could not be undertaken by a 
 British ministry. 
 
 Unforeseen accidents disappointed the 
 full effect of the prince's irruption. One part 
 of his troops was employed on the right of the 
 Rhine, in the siege of Wesel ; while another 
 covered it on the left. The siege was con- 
 tinued with great resolution, and sanguine 
 expectations were formed of its success, from 
 the promised reinforcements. The vast rains 
 that had fallen swelled the rivers, and not only 
 put a stop to their progress, but rendered the 
 prince's communication with the besiegers, 
 ovfr the Rhine, extremely difficult. They 
 also gave time to the marquis de Castries, to 
 draw together, from Hesse and the Low 
 Countries, an army of .30 battalions and 38 
 squadrons; with which he advanced to 
 Rhinberg, which lay in the very heart of the 
 prince's late acquisitions, and drove the allies, 
 with some loss on both sides, fron> their posts. 
 He then turned to the left, towards the 
 convent of Campen, where he formed himself 
 very advantageously. 
 
 The prince had now apparently only two 
 objects to pursue ; he must either fight this 
 superior army in a pitched battle, or abandon 
 
 as afterwards proved to be the case, that if a \ the siege of Wesel. His genius suggested to 
 separate peace, between Great Britain and \ him a medium. Relying on the known 
 France, were set on foot, it wovdd not be in \ valour of the British troops, which, as usual, 
 the power of the former to put him, by any I formed the flower of his army, he resolved 
 treat}, in possession of those countries, which J upon a surprise; and for this purpose, on the 
 -werelield by the French, only in trust fori 16th of October, at ten o'clock in the night, 
 the empress-queen. At the same time, the \ he began his march. Fischer's famous body 
 subjects of the states-general did not behave \ of irregulars lay between him and the French 
 towards Great Britain with such gratitude 5 camp. Some shots were exchanged ; the 
 and attention as could entitle them to extra- \ French were alarmed, and instantly drew up 
 ordinary consideration from our crown. Upon ? in a wood. By this time it was five in the 
 the whole, therefore, it is most rational to \ morning ; but the sight of the advantageous 
 believe, that the irruption of the hereriitary 5 p^*^'''<>" ^^ t'^^ ^''•^"'^'i' f^J" ^'"'-"^ daunting the 
 prince (as was before mentioned) into the | British troops, seemed only to inspire them 
 territories of Cleves and Gueldres was secretly J with fresh valour. The action, with incessant 
 concerted between bis Prussian majesty and \ hritigs, and frequent attacks on the wood, 
 the British court ; and it would have been 5 continued from five in the morning till nine at 
 fortunate for the nation, if corresponding ] night. The prince animated the troops by 
 success had attended the boldness, spirit, and | his own example ; but he was disabled, his- 
 proper management of the design. As to the j horse having been shot under him, and having 
 preparations made at Portsmouth, they were | himself received a wound, so that he was 
 disavowed to be intended against the Austrian ' obliged to order a retreat, which perhaps he 
 Netherlands ; and their real destination was ] might have done long before, without any 
 never publicly acknowledged. But it is cer- i imputation on his courage and conduct. The 
 taiu, that had they proceeded to the recovery ; .British troops were the chief, if not the sole
 
 CHAP. XVII.] GEORGE II. 200 
 
 sufferers in this desperate action ; but the : exhausted place of the most exhausted coun- 
 death of none of them was more lament- j try in Europe; for such Germany then was. 
 cd, both in Germany and England, than that ; Their miserable condition was increased by 
 of lord Downe. He seemed to be born .' tlie extortions and villainies of their Jewish 
 for social and gay life. He formed in the ; and other contractors, and the whole was 
 country, where he had interest, (for no sooner ; crowned by the difficulties of the roads, inun- 
 did the war break out ti)an he applied himself, > dated by the late rains. The consequences 
 ■with surprising progress, to military duly,) a J were, that distresses and diseases of all kinds 
 handful of his friends and dependants, by his ! broke in upon them, and carried off a pro- 
 own example he made them as complete in j digious number, both of men and horses • 
 the exercises of war as the first regulars in 5 whilst their miseries were embittered, by 
 Europe, and he had the glory of dying a ; seeing the French in a most advantageous 
 volunteer at their head. The loss of the ; position, where they received, by the Rhine 
 English, in killed and wounded, was 1190, ! and the Maine, all the comforts of life, 
 and about 500 .were made prisoners. After* A letter of thanks and congratulation to 
 the slaughter of so many brave men, in a i prince Ferdinand, on the prowess and forti- 
 battle which ought to have been fought by | tude he had displayed in the preceding cam* 
 others, it will afford but little satisfaction to j paign, was the last public act of George H, 
 the British reader, to be told, that the loss of » On Saturday, the 25th of October, he was 
 the French was much greater. \ suddenly seized, at the palace of Kensington, 
 
 The siege of Wesel became now impracti- 5 vvith an apoplectic fit, soon after rising in the 
 cable ; and the hourly increase of inundations, » morning in his usual health. Recovering his 
 liad the prince delayed repassing the Rhine, } senses, after a short interval, he desired, with 
 must have rendered his retreat so likewise, j a faint voice, that his daughter, the princess 
 He seized the first opportunity ; and his i Amelia, might be sent for ; but, before her 
 manoeuvres were so well concerted, that the \ arrival, he expired, in the 77lh year of his 
 French did not attempt even to disturb his \ age, and the 34th of his reign, 
 rear, notwithstanding their vast superiority, | George H. with abilities not exceeding 
 in all respects but that of courage. i mediocrity, possessed many estimable quali- 
 
 Before we leave the operations of the allied I ties ; he was just, brave, open, and sincere ; 
 army this year^ it is necessary to follow them | in his disposition mild and humane, and 
 into their winter-quarters, which proved more ! placable, though prone to anger. The chief 
 fatal to them than the campaign itself, severe 5 defects of his policy arose from his predilec- 
 as their hardships had been, and unequal as ; tion to his native tlorainions. His preference 
 was the share of service which they had \ of one party of his British subjects was the 
 endured. Upon the return of the hereditary s natural consequence of the circumstances in 
 prince to the allied array, the blockade of s which he was placed, operating on his limited 
 Gottingen was attempted, and continued from 5 capacity. In the first part of his reign, a 
 the 22nd of November till the 12th of Decern- 1 minister of considerable talents established a 
 ber following. The operations preceding this } regular system of corruption, as the chief 
 siege were as languid as they were indecisive. | engine of the executive government ; in the 
 A Hanoverian general attempted to take \ last period of his reign, the minister demon- 
 Heyderaunden ; but failed of success in a \ strated, that the employment of corruption 
 most unaccountable, if not shameful, manner ; ; was unnecessary, an'd that talents and virtue, 
 and the French defended Gottingen so bravely, I promptly and decisively exerted, will triumph 
 that the blockade was raised. Soon after, | over the violence of opposition, command the 
 both armies slipped, rather than marched, into j applause of the people, and obtain every 
 winter-quarters. Prince Ferdinand secured J resource that is necessary to the security and 
 the comfort of his troops, by having behind ; glory of the empire. 
 
 him a country not quite exhausted, and by i In his person, George H. was of the middle 
 giving large premiums to the people, for sup- J size, well formed, with prominent eyes, a high 
 plying his camp with provisions. The winter- i nose, good features, and a fair complexion, 
 quarters of the British troops were in the i He was born in November 1683, and, in 170.5, 
 city and bishopric of Paderborn, the most J married the princess Caroline of Aiuipach, b^ 
 
 E e ' 14
 
 >10 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XVII. 
 
 whom he had six children, who carae to ; George, born May 24th, Old Style, afterwards 
 maturity, besides several others who died j George III. ; Edward, duke of York ; Wil- 
 young : two sons; Frederic, born in 1707, - liam-ilenry, duke of Glocester ; lienry-Fr£- 
 who, on his father's accession to the throne, \ deric, duke of Cumberland ; Frederic-William; 
 was prince of Wales, and William, duke of | Augusta, duchess of Brunswick; Louisa; 
 Cuml>erlaud : and four daughters ; the prin- ; and Matilda, queen of Denmark. His royal 
 cess of Orange, princess Amelia, the princess \ highness the prince of Wales dying in the 
 ot Hesse, and the queen of Denmark. Fre- > life-time of his father, in 1751, his eldest son, 
 dene married, in 1736, the princess Augusta i George, became prince of Wales, and heir of 
 of Saxe-Gotha. By her he had five sons and | his grandfather's crown, 
 ttiree daughters, who came to maturity. J 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1761 to 1763.] 
 
 Accession of George 111. — Judges made independent — Marriage of the King — Mr. Pitt 
 resigns — Lord JButes Administration — War with Spain — Capture of Mnrtinico and Ike 
 Havannah — Manilla reduced — Campaign in Germany — Articles of Peace — Lord Bute 
 resigns — Mr. Wilkes sent to the Toiver — General Warrants declared illegal — The North 
 Uriion burnt — Proceedings in the East Indies. 
 
 GEORGE ni., previous to his accession, » On his accession, all ranks of men ardently 
 had led a life of retirement, and was ^ and sincerely testified their satisfaction. The 
 only known by the reports of courtiers. His j Whigs were attached to a prince of the house- 
 tuition was confided to John, earl of Bute, a ; of Brunswick, and the Tories rejoiced that 
 nobleman of respectable talents and erudition, i they were to be governed by a sovereign, 
 distinguishe>l for decency and propriety of | apparently free from party prejudices. A* 
 conduct. Of irreproachable morals, he ira- 1 soon as his accession was known, addresses 
 pressed upon the mind of the successor to \ were presented from every part of the khig- 
 the crown tiie purest principles of personal \ dom. When the parliament was assembled, 
 virtue. A face both elegant and manly, com- I the king's speech gave genei-al satisfaction, 
 bining the bloom of youth with the vigour of? As soon as his majesty retired, the two houses 
 manhood ; a countenance expressive of frank- \ proceeded to business with great wnanimity ; 
 ness and ingenuous modesty ; a stature above j and instead of the civil list revenueji,' which: 
 the middle size; a figure uniting symmetry | had been invested in the hands of the two 
 with strength ; and manners at once conciliat- \ preceding sovereigns, they granted him a 
 ing and unassuming ; co-operated with the \ yearly revenue of £800,000, for the niainte- 
 general opinion of his private virtues, to render 5 nance of his houshold, and'^e support of his 
 the new monarch a favourite of the nation. | royal dignity.
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] GEORGE III. 211 
 
 His majesty having previously .signified his J enemy by' two feigned "attacks in different 
 resolution to prosecute the war, in conjunction j quarters. By these means, brigadier Lam- 
 with his aihes, until it could be terminated j bert effected a landing; and, gaining possession 
 by an honourable and lasting peace, the i of a hill overhanging the sea, formed his men, 
 parliament granted a loan of £12,000,000, \ and repulsed a body of French, which had 
 with a celerity which almost precluded a I been sent to dislodge him from his post, 
 careful examination of the estimates submitted \ Having obtained the command of this part of 
 to their inspection. At the instance of the 5 the shore, the British troops in a sho)t time 
 sovereign, an act was passed, securing the | made good their landing, and immediately 
 commissions and the salaries of the judges | commenced the siege with great vigour, while 
 from all accidents but misbehaviour. Mr. ! the fortress, on the other hand, waf^ gallantly 
 Arthur Onslow, who had been speaker to five J defended, and several bloody contests took 
 successive parliaments, retired with a pension i place. At last, the chevalier St. Croix, de- 
 of £.3000 a-year, extending to his son ; and > barred by the British fleet from any communi- 
 the court conferred many other proofs of its | cation with the continent, surrendered by an 
 liberality, by rewarding several other place- J honourable capitulation, on the 7th of ^_„j 
 men wiiii pensions and sinecures, payable from : June, two months after the arrival of ' 
 
 the public money. { the British armament. 
 
 The seventh session of parliament having } In the East Indies, Pondicherry only re- 
 elapsed, writs were issued for the election of; mained in possession of the French. Against 
 new members. Previous to this period, the ; this beautiful town, and important fortress, 
 earl of Bute had succeeded lord Holuernesse | the British troops proceeded. Colonel Coote 
 as secretary of state. The regard of his j invested it by land, and admiral Stevens by 
 majesty for the earl was ardent and sinceie. ; sea. In November I7G0, the batteries and 
 By his intervention, Mr. Legge, an accom- 5 iwofks raised by the besiegers suffered con- 
 plished financier, was dismissed from the \ siderable damage from a violent storm ; but 
 chancellorshipof the exchequer. | were quickly jepaired, and the operations 
 
 The chief military enterprise, undertaken ; were carried on with vigour and perseverance, 
 by Britain, in the campaign of 1761, was ! The besieged made a resolute and gallant 
 the attack of Belleisle, a large island, lying off » defence, expecting the arrival of a powerful 
 the south coast of Brittany. This place was } fleet to their relief; but at length, being af- 
 about twelve leagues in circumference, strongly i tacked by famine, they were reduced to ex- 
 fortified, and afforded to its possessors a 5 treme distress, and obliged to subsist on the 
 great command of French coast. The land- ; flesh of camels, of elephants, and of dogs. On 
 forces were commanded by general Hodgson, | the 1st of January I76i, a violent storm dis- 
 and the fleet by comniodore Keppel, brother $ persed the British fleet, and gave the besieged 
 to the earl of Albemarle. On tlie 29th of I sanguine hopes of provision and succour. The 
 March they sailed from Spithead, and on the > British admiral, however, exerted such dili- 
 7th of April arrived off Belleisle. On the 8th, I gence, that, in four days after the storm, he 
 they attempted a landing, where the beach ; again appeared before the place, with eleven 
 was most accessible ; but, after several brave i ships of ihe line, and one frigate ; two of the 
 and repeated efforts, were obliged to desist, ; Ime having been wrecked. Being disappointed 
 with the Joss of nearly 500 men. Not dis- 5 after the most flattering hoj-es of assistance, 
 pirited, however, by this repulse, they deter- i tiie ')e6icged became desperate, but did not 
 inined to make another trial, as soon as less ; offer to surrender. At length, a breach having 
 boisterous weather would permit. On the ; been effected, and only one day's provision 
 2oth of April they made a second attempt, | remainir.^;, a signal from the town was made 
 on the strongest part of the coast ; they pro- ; for a suspension of arms. A Jesuit and two 
 reeded on the same principle as carried the i civilians offered to capitulate; but the gover- 
 liei^'hts of Abraham, placed their chief hopes ; nor would propose no terms, and insulted the 
 m the difficulty of the precipices, and con- t English commander, by a letter full of invec- 
 rluded that the enemy, trusting to that cir- \ fives against the English, as breakers of ihe 
 cumsiance, would be off their guard. To \ treaties relative to India. As the governor 
 <onceal their main attempt, they amused the J would not capitulate, and the offer of llie 
 
 K f i» ' '
 
 212 HISTORY OF ETVGLANDV [CHAP. XVili. 
 
 inhabitants, withont his concurrence, could j county of Hanaw, and the town of Gottingen^ 
 not he regarded, the city was taken by storm, ; vver« all the conquests which France could 
 and abandoned to the plunder of the victors. ; balance against the extensive and valuable 
 Colonel Coote and his coadjutor, by their ; acquisitions made by England. At length, 
 courage, conduct, unanimity, and perseverance, 5 however, after having received, the consent 
 effected this conquest on the IS-th of January ; of the house of Austria, the court of Versaillfss 
 176], and thus gave a final blow to the French i transmitted propositions to that of St. James's, 
 power in the Carnatic. ; of which the following were the principal : 
 
 On the same day on wliich Fondicherry ! 1. That France would cede and guarantee 
 was taken, an advantage still more decisive ; to England all Canada, upon condition that 
 was obtained in Bengal. On the taking of; the inhabitants should enjoy the free exercise 
 Chandernagore, four years before, Law, the ; of their religion ; and that, in return, France 
 nephew of the famous author of the Mississippi ; should be entitled to fish upon the banks of 
 scheme, and a subject of France, had retired | Newfoundland, and possess the island of 
 with a party of French fugitives into the { Cape Breton. 
 
 north-western regions of India. The great { 2. Minorca should be exchanged for Gua- 
 mogul had, a short time before, been deposed \ daloupe and Mariagalante. 
 by an irruption of Mahrattas ; and, dying soon | 3. That Gottingen, Hesse, and Hanaw" 
 after, one of his sons, Shah Taddah, assumed \ should be evacuated, in return for the resti- 
 the title of his father, supported by some of|tution of Belleisle and of Goree, or of the 
 his hereditary provinces, and opposed by « settlement of Senegal. 
 
 others. Law offered to this young prince his | Respecting Asia it was proposed, that 
 services, with his 200 Europeans, which were } the treaty betv.'een Godechu and Saunders 
 gladly accepted, and by which several con- > should serve as the basis of accommodation, 
 siderable districts were immediately subjected ! The chief difficulty was in the third of these 
 to obedience. Law, elated with this success, { objects ; for England declared that she would 
 in an evil hour persuaded him to turn his arms ; inviolably preserve her faith towards the king 
 against Bengal ; and he accordingly entered > of Prussia, and F'rance had recently been 
 that kingdom with a native army of 80,000 J induced to stipulate at the court of Vienna, 
 men, and 200 French. Tl>e subah of Bengal I that she would admit nothing into the treaty 
 marched to oppose him, with 20,000 natives, | to the disadvantage of Austria. To obviate 
 and 500 English. The British and their 5 this difficulty, France proposed, that the 
 allies oblained a complete victory. Law was | French and British armies in Germany should 
 taken prisoner, and his fellow-adventurers | observe a strict neutrality ; that when his 
 killed, taken, or dispersed ; the great mogul { Britannic majesty should recal his forces, the 
 being among the prisoners.' j most Christian king would recal double the 
 
 The overtures of peace, which had been 5 number ; and that no French troops should 
 made towards the close of the year 1759, | remain in Germany, but in proportion to those 
 were rejected by the belligerent powers; and | who continued there in British pay. The 
 it was not till the beginning of the year 1761, \ French also demanded restitution of the cap- 
 tiiat the courts of Petersburgh, Vienna, Swe- 5 tures made before the declaration of war. 
 den, and Poland, urged by ihe importunities I These propositions wer£ violently opp.osed 
 of France, agreed jointly and severally to I by Mr. Pitt, who contended that the present 
 resume the negotiation, which had, at that \ was the period when the exhorbitant power 
 period, been so abruptly laid aside. The city 5 of the house of Bourbon might be most 
 of Augsburg was chosen as the theatre of $ effectually humbled. An officious and nn- 
 discussion, and plenipotentiaries were nomi- 1 timely interference of the court of Madrid 
 nated. The great success of the British arms • greatly added to the force of his objections. 
 had so much elated ' the people, that the } M. de Bussy proposed, that all the objects of 
 minister was afraid lest he should incur their | dispute between England and Spain should 
 displeasure, by making any concessions to | be finally settled through the medium of 
 the court of France, whose ambition and } France. The sagacity of Mr. Pitt immedi- ' 
 violence had always corresponded with its | ately penetrated the object of this interference,, 
 power. The landgraviate of Hesse,, the i and readily comprehended, not only th»
 
 CHAP. XVIII 1 
 
 insincerity of the French in their proffered 
 negotiation, but the motives of their duplicity. 
 He insisted in the cabinet, that Spain should 
 give an immediate and decisive explanation, 
 and that in case of refusal, hostilities should 
 comn)ence against that nation. .He relied on 
 the rectitude of his measures for the appro- 
 bation of the people, and seemed desirous that 
 his power should rest on that basis alone. By 
 the success of his plans, he had raised the 
 nation from the abyss of despair to the highest 
 eminence of glory; but his wise and spirited 
 advice was over-ruled by the timidity or envy 
 of his colleagues. At length he openly de- 
 clared, that, as he was called to the ministry 
 by the voice of the people, he should consider 
 himself as accountable for his conduct to them 
 alone ; and that he did not choose to remain 
 longer in a situation, which rendered him 
 responsible for measures which he was no 
 longer permitted to guide. The day after 
 Mr. Pitt made this declaration, he resigned 
 the seals, and was followed by earl Temple. 
 Whether the disinterested conduct of the 
 minister had reduced him to indigence, or 
 whether he justly concluded, in opposition to 
 the popular opinion, that a grant or favour 
 from the crown implies neither the sacrifice of 
 political principle, nor personal meanness, he 
 accepted of a pension for three lives, and a 
 title for his lady and her issue. Such a man 
 deserved reward. All the ribaldry and in- 
 vective, poured out against his acceptance of 
 the annuity, may be answered in aifew words ; 
 as a supply it was wanted, as a recompence it 
 was fairly earned. 
 
 17fil ^^ *''^ ^^^ of July, a gazette extra- 
 ordinary announced the detennination 
 of his majesty to demand in marriage the 
 princess Charlotte, sister to the reigning duke 
 of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz. The proposal 
 being accepted, her highness arrived in Eng- 
 land on the 6lh of September, and, at eight 
 in the evening of the 8ti), the marriage cere- 
 mony was performed by the archbishop of 
 Canterbury. About a fortnight afterwards, 
 the coronation of the king and queen was 
 solenmized, with suitable formality and mag- 
 nificence. 
 
 On the resignation of Mr. Pitt, the earl of 
 Egremont was appointed to his department ; 
 but as the earl of Bute had become, by the 
 dismission of the duke of Newcastle, first lord 
 of the treasury, we may Irom this time date 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 213 
 
 the commencement of the Bute administration; 
 John Stuart, earl of Bute, was the representa- 
 tive of a noble family, of considerable emi- 
 nence in the south-west of Scotland, and 
 connected with the first nobility in that part 
 of the kingdom. His lordsliip was a man of 
 talents above mediocrity ; he was a good 
 classical scholar ; conversant in natural history, 
 botany, several branches of chemistry ; a 
 liberal patron of letters, and a magnificent 
 promoter of useful experiments and discove- 
 ries. Pious in his sentiments and habits, he 
 was meritorious in his domestic and social 
 relations ; and, as a private gentleman, a valu- 
 able member of society. 
 
 In the beginning of November, a new par- 
 liament assembled, and sir John Cust was 
 elected to the office of speaker. The commons 
 immediately proceeded to make provision for 
 the queen, in case she should survive his 
 majesty. The supplies granted for the year 
 were £18,299, 153. Seventy thousand seamen, 
 and 170,000 laud forces, British or in British 
 pay, were voted ; and a jointure was granted 
 to the queen, of £100^000 a year, to be de- 
 manded in case she survived his majesty. 
 
 CoNsiDEKABLE (lisuiilon prevailed at this 
 time in the cabinet. Newcastle, still nomi- 
 nally prime niiuister, could not endure the 
 predominating inlluence of lord Bute. He 
 therefore resigned. Bute became first lord 
 of the treasury, and Mr. Grenville secretary of 
 state. From this period is generally dated 
 the administration of Bute, which had really 
 begun at the moment of Pitt's resignation. 
 
 In the mean time, though propositions of 
 pr.ace were agitated between England and 
 France, the operations of war were carried ou 
 with vigour. The commanders of our cruisers 
 displayed equal vigilance and gallantry, in 
 taking and destroying the enemy's ships. In 
 the West Indies, Doiuiiiique, one of the French 
 sugar islands, was taken, with little difficulty, 
 by a body of troops under the command of 
 lord Rollo. In America, the Cherokees, who 
 began to be turbulent, were chastised by 
 colonel Grant ; and sir William Johnson, by 
 his assiduity and address, removed the appre- 
 hensions which began to agitate the rest of 
 the Indians. No considerable armament wa.s 
 this year fitted out, for the conquest of the 
 West India islands, which still remained in 
 the hands of the French. 
 
 TuE wiuter-quarteis of the allied army ia
 
 214 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XVIII. 
 
 Germany were very indifferent, both from the | quarters at Buhne near Hamelin, wlience he 
 nature of tlie countrv, ami the manner in \ sent out detachments to prevent the progress 
 which they were coutinetl. I'rince Ferdinand, ; of tiie enemies on his flanks. An attempt 
 sensible that his troops conid bear the incle- ; which was made to reduce Wofenbnttel and 
 mencv of the winter better than the French, 5 Brunswick, was frustrated by the hereditary 
 and that the hardships of the field could \ prince, who severely chastised the invaders of 
 scarcely be more intolerable than those which | his dominions. Soubize's army met with no 
 thev now endured, set them in motion about ; better success in its attempt upon Bremen ; 
 the' beo-inning of February ; and attacked the I the garrison and the inhabitants obliged the 
 enemy's posts with such vigour, that they \ detachment which appeared before it to retire 
 retreated with precipitation. Five battalions ; with precipitali()n. Broglio remained inactrve 
 of Saxons were taken, and a great number 5 at Eimbeck, till, about the beginning of 
 were slain. Vast quantities of provision and | November, prince Ferdinand turned his 
 forage were seized, and n.ore was destroyed | flank, and obliged him to take up his winter- 
 by the flying French. The design of the j quarters in the landgraviate of Hesse. Indeed 
 general was to reduce Hesse-Cassel, and other 5 the operations of this campaign consisted 
 phces of strength, before Broglio could be | rather of pillaging than tightuig, and seemed 
 reiuforced from the Lower 1 J hine. He laid > much better calculated for distressing the 
 siege to them ; but the rigour of the season, { unfortunate inhabitants or the scene of action, 
 and the numerous troops with which they ; than for procuring any durable and solid advan- 
 were garrisoned, prevented him from making ; tages to the contending powers. Whatever 
 a rapid progress. At length, all the expected i attempts were made by prince Ferdinand to 
 detachments having arrived, Broglio obliged ; bring on a decisive action were frustrated by 
 him to retire, with loss. ISine battalions, j Broglio, who appeared sensible of the supe- 
 being attacked in a defile, were broken, and | rior tirnmess of the allied anuy in a general 
 2000 men were killed or wounded. The | engagement, and aimed more at booty than at 
 expedition, however, was not without its use ; | laurels. 
 
 it prevented the enemies from beginnmg the; During the whole course of this year/ the 
 campaign at an early period. | war languished in Saxony and Silesia. The 
 
 At length, towards the latter end of June, | king of Prussia, who, in all the preceding 
 both the French armies were in motion. ; campaigns, had given such shining proofs of his 
 Their vast superiority in numbers inspired | prowess and activity, did not this year strike 
 them with hopes of being able to make the ; a single blow. Prince Henry lay entrenched 
 allies retreat, as they had done ill the beginning j with one army in Saxony, while another, 
 of the year. Broglio passed the Dymel, and | under the king himself, watched the motions 
 surprising general Sporken, took 200 waggons ; of the Austrians and Russians in Silesia, 
 and a considerable number of men. Prince ! When the latter advanced, and laid siege to 
 Ferdinand repassed the Lippe, and sent out j Colberg and Breslau, he dispatched general 
 detachments, which annoyed their enemies so 5 Platen, with a considerable body of troops, 
 much, by destroying and cutting off their 5 into Poland, in order to destroy their maga- 
 convoys, that tliey resolved toeft'ect a junction \ zines, and to relieve Colberg. In the former 
 of their two armies, and to give him battle, i part of this service he succeeded, and obliged 
 But he posted his army so advantageously | the Russians to separate from the Austrians, 
 at Kirche-Denckern, and his dispositions 5 and to return upon their steps, that the re- 
 were so well improved, by the skill of his \ mainder of their provisions might not share 
 generals, and the bravery of his troops, that, } the same fate. 
 
 after two vigorous attacks, on two successive \ While the king pleased himself with the 
 days, they were repulsed, with the loss of | thoughts of having, by this stratagem, removed 
 5000 men. \ one of his most formidable enemies, Laudohn 
 
 After this action, Broglio and Soubize | assaulted Schweidnitz in a very dark night, 
 separated, and acted, for the remainder of the i and by break of day found himself master of 
 campaign, upon different plans. The prince's | the town and garrison. Three thousand men 
 inferiority of numbers did not allow him to \ were made prisoners, a large quantity of 
 form two distinct armies. He fixed his head \ artillery, and a vast magazine of meal wcrt?
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] 
 
 GRORGE III. 
 
 21.5 
 
 taken. This iwiexperted anrl fatal blow was 
 the more sensibly felt by tlie king, as it dis- 
 abled hjm from moving out of Silesia, to the 
 relief of Colberg, or any other part of his 
 dominions, for fear of exposing Breslau and 
 the rest of the duchy to inevitable conqurst. 
 At first he suspt^cled treachery ; 'mt recovering 
 his temper, he sent the following lines to 
 general Zastrow : 
 
 " We may now say, what 
 Francis J. said to his mother after the battle 
 of Pavia, We have lost all except our honour. 
 As I cannot comprehend what has happened 
 to you, I shall suspend my judguient. The 
 affair is very extraordinary." 
 
 ScHWEiDNiTZ was Suddenly lost ; Colberg 
 made a long and noble defence. Many bold 
 and vigorous attempts were made to furnish 
 it with provisions; but the prodigious supe- 
 riority of the Russians rendered them all 
 abortive. After a siege of six months, by 
 land and by water, it surrendered to the 
 enemy, who was thus enabled to winter in 
 Pomerania, to acquire a footing in the empire, 
 and to threaten early and vigorous measures 
 "n the spring. Their armies would now be 
 supplied with all necessaries by sea, and 
 Stetin alone obstructed their march into the 
 heart of Brandenburg. 
 
 Soon after the loss of Schweidnitz, the king 
 was obliged to approach near Breslau, where, 
 about the beginning of December, he cantoned 
 his army ; while Laudohn took up his winter- 
 quarters in the neighbourhood of his new 
 conquest. A conspiracy which was formed, 
 for betraying him into the hands of the Aus- 
 trians, proved abortive ; and an attempt which 
 Daun made upon prince Henry's canip, in 
 Saxony, was equally unsuccessful. 
 
 At home, the proceedings of the parliament 
 were more creditalile to its patriotism than its 
 sagacity. The (jerman war having impove- 
 rished the country, and the troops abroad 
 being ill-supplied with necessaries, an inquiry 
 was instituted, into the expedience of con- 
 tinuing it. It was urged, in favour of an 
 immediate peace, that we ought not to lavish 
 our treasures, as if they were inexhaustible, 
 on Hanoverians and Hessians ; allies, who 
 served only to protract the feeble eflbrts of 
 a system pregnant with ruin ; that the treaty 
 
 made with the king of Prussia, to whom the 
 English paid rather a tribute than a subsidy, 
 exposed the ignorance of our former negotia- 
 tors in a still greater degree, since he was so 
 far from being able to make us any suitable 
 return, that'he was scarcely able to resist his 
 own immediate enemies. 
 
 While the commons were employed upon 
 this subject, which ought to have been dis- 
 cussed before the nation entered into the war, 
 they found, as Mr. Pitt had predicted, that 
 Spain, alarmed by the liumiliation of the 
 French, granted to their distresses that sup* 
 port, which she would have denied to their 
 triunq)hs. From the haughty rejection of 
 the terms proposed, the British nation was 
 drawn into a new field of war, and a new 
 scene of expence. Previous to the commence- 
 ment of hostilities against the English, the 
 Spanish court entered into a family compact 
 with the enemy, by which the subjects of each 
 country were mutually naturalized, and en- 
 titled to every privilege and immunity, as 
 fully as if they were natives. War, however, 
 was not declared till our enemies had gained 
 time to make the requisite preparations. 
 
 The accession of so formidable a power as 
 Spain, unimpaired in its resources of men, 
 money, and stores, inspired France with fresh 
 hopes, of retrieving that superiority which 
 she had lost. The Bourbon confederacy 
 aware of the wretched situation of Portugal, 
 from a late conspiracy, and from the occur 
 rence of a dreadful earthquake, resolved to 
 injure Britain by the agency of that distracted 
 kingdom. The two ministers of the hostile 
 courts presented a joint memorial, to persuade 
 his most faithful majesty to concur with their 
 masters in humbling the pride of England, 
 with whom he was in alliance. He rejected, 
 however, their oflers and their menaces, and 
 declared, with becoming spirit, that it would 
 affect him less to see the last tile of his palace 
 fail, and to see his faithful subjects shed the 
 last drop of their blood, than become an 
 alarming lesson to all pacific powers, that they 
 will be no longer entitled to the benefits of 
 neutrality, when a war is kindled between 
 states, with whom they are connected by 
 defensive treaties. England transmitted troops, 
 arms, and warlike stores, for Portugal ; Bri- 
 tish men of war guarded its coasts; and a 
 million was voted by parliament for its sujv
 
 21 G 
 
 HISTORY OP iiNGLAND, 
 
 [chap. XVI II. 
 
 port. England herself was placed in a state | almost instantaneously reduced to ashes ; an 
 of defence, and she alone seemed to balance I event that in a few seconds destroyed the 
 the rest of Europe. ; labour of 600 men, for nearly three weeks. The 
 
 Early in the succeeding year, general | want of water, the advance of the season, and 
 
 1762. 
 
 through 
 
 the multiplied difficulties, diminished the 
 prospect of success. But, however great the 
 distresses of the assailants, however small 
 fheir number, they made the most vigorous 
 and persevering efforts. The richness of the 
 prize which lay before them, the shame of 
 retreat, excited them to the most .strenuous 
 exertions. The batteries were replaced, and 
 soon silenced th-e guns of the fort; while the 
 troops dismantled its upper works, and niade 
 a lodgement in the covered way. The com- 
 manders received several reinforcements and 
 necessaries for the siege from Jamaica and 
 America. At length the mines were sprung, 
 and a breach was made in the wall of the 
 fort. The British troops entered the breach, 
 though narrow and difficult, and formed them- 
 selves with so much celerity and resolution, 
 that the enemy fled. The governor, Don 
 Velasco, defended, with 100 men, an intrench- 
 ment, which he had made round his colours ; 
 and, sinking beneath the sudden infliction of a 
 mortal wound, offered his sword to the con- 
 querors. A capitulation, for the surrender of 
 , the Havannah, immediately ensued. This was 
 Bahamali, and, by making use of every possi- | an acquisition ofthetirst class; it united in 
 ble precaution, conducted the whole fleet, \ itself all the advantages that can be achieved, 
 consisting of 200 sail, within sight of the | It was a victory of the highest magnitude, by 
 Havannah, the object of his long and perilous I its effect on the enemy's marine ; and, in 
 voyage. A fleet of the enemy's ships, chiefly I plunder, it equalled the produce of a national 
 of the line, was lying in the harbour ; but, \ subsidy, amounting to more than £.3,000,000. 
 whether through timidity or weakness, they \ It was followed by the capture of the Hermi- 
 remained inactive, and declined a battle which \ one, a register ship belonging to the Spaniards, 
 might probably have saved the city. J valued at £1,000,000. 
 
 The difficulties with which the English \ Admiral Cornish, with 2000 men, com- 
 conteniled, in the siege of the Moro, which ! manded by colonel Draper, soon after pro- 
 commanded the town and harbour, are almost \ ceeded on an expedition against the Philip- 
 incredible. Several expired suddenly, op- \ pine isles, and came within .sight of Luconia 
 pressed with heat, thirst, and fatigue. Nothing, | on the 19th of Septemlier. The British com- 
 however, could abate the ardour of the troops, i manders determined to make an immediate 
 On the day that the batteries were opened i attack on the city of Manilla. The place 
 aganist the Moro, three of the largest ships, \ being too extensive to be immediately invested 
 under the command of captain Hervey, laid ; by their sgiall number of men, the enemy 
 their broadsides against the fori, and com- ! retained a free communication with the 
 nienced a terrible tire, which lasted seven ; country, which poured in to their assistance 
 hours without intermission. After an unre- ; 10,000 natives, more tierce and darin"- than 
 mitted cannonade for several days, one of | the generality of Indians. After the "works 
 their principal batteries, which was composed i had been batb red night and day a storm 
 of timber and fascmes, caught tire, and was i drove the British ships out to sea, which 
 
 Monckton sailed from New York, with 
 12,000 men, and having reri'eshed at Barba- 
 does, appeared before the island of Marti- 
 nique on the 7th of January. A body 
 of regulars and marines, supported by 
 1000 sailors in flat-bottomed boats, advanced 
 on the right along the sea-shore, in order to 
 force the redoubts wnich lay in the lower 
 grounds. With irresistible impetuosity, the 
 British troops successively carried the enemy's 
 ■works in every quarter. At length, as general 
 Monckton was advancing against the capital, 
 deputies arrived, announcing the surrender of 
 the island. With this place, the seat of 
 government, the mart of trade, and the centre 
 of all their force, fell the rest of the French 
 Caribbee islands, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. 
 Vincent. All the troops that could be spared 
 from the newly-conquered islands, were re- 
 embarked by sir James Douglas, who joined 
 admiral Pococke to the north-west of His- 
 paniola. The land forces, commanded by 
 ford Albemarle, amounted to 10,000 men. 
 For the sake of expedition, the admiral steered 
 the narrow and dangerous straits ot
 
 CHAP. XVIII.J GEORGE III " 217 
 
 induced the governor, who was also an arch- 1 fitled in their advantageous positions, and 
 bisliop, to pronounce, that an angel had gone ! their superiority of numbers. That general, 
 forth from the Lord, to destroy the English, ; with the assistance of Sporken, Luckner, and 
 like the host of Sennacherib, liut, in defiance I the marquis of Granby, contrived to attack 
 of the angel, and of the resistance of the | the right, the centre, and the flank of the 
 Spaniards, the British troops, a few days i enemy's army, at the same moment. The 
 afterwards, on the 6th of October, under a | surprise was so great, and the execution cou- 
 general discharge of their artillery, mounted j ducted with so much celerity, that the French 
 a breach which they had made, with the i would have been totally routed, had not 
 greatest spirit and rapidity, dispersed their i Stainville, with the flower of their infantry, 
 opponents, advanced into the city, and com- : posted himself in a wood, and checked the 
 pleted their conquest. It must be lamented, i career of the victors. This body withstood, 
 that ihis triumph was sullied by one act of * for a cousideraI)le time, the whole force of the 
 cruelty. One hundred men, posted in a | allies ; but fell a devoted &i»crifice. All but 
 guard-house, who would not surrender, were \ two battalions were taken or cut to pieces, 
 cut to pieces ; and 300 more, endeavouring to j The rest of the army took shelter under the 
 escape, perished in the river. Motives of ; cannon of Cassel. The battle was glorious to 
 prudence and humanity induced the English I the allies, and gave them a decisive advantage 
 connnanders to forbid the plunder of the city, I during the rest of the campaign, 
 and to accept a million sterling for themselves | Soon after this event, the hereditary prince, 
 and soldiers. With this place, and the adja- 1 in the hope of defeating C'onde, drove him 
 cent country, fourteen dependent islands were 5 from the heights of Johannisburg; but, as he 
 surrendered. The arms of Spain were not ; pursued bin) into the plain, the main army 
 more successful in Europe. The court of; came up suddenly upon him, and repulsed 
 Madrid had formed a plan to penetrate, by ; his troops with the loss of 3000 men. Not- 
 three different routes, to Lisl)on. When the J withstanding this change of fortune, and a 
 Spanish troops had advanced as far as the > severe wound inflicted on prince Ferdinand, 
 banks of the Tagus, colonel Burgojne, who ; the enemy derived no advantages from this 
 had now' joined the grand army, and lay in *» victory ; but were obliged to evacuate Cassel, 
 their neighbourhood to obstruct their passage, | in which they had placed a garrison of 10,000 
 conceived the design of attacking them by I men. After having, for six years, exerted 
 surprise. While he himself attracted the \ almost the whole undivided strength of the 
 attention of the enemy in one quarter, colonel $ nation against Hanover, the French were 
 Lee turned their camp in the night, fell upon | advanced but little further than on the day in 
 their rear, slew a great number, and dispersed ; which they commenced hostile operations, 
 the whole body. He destroyed their maga- { The possession of two or three trivial forts and 
 zines, and returned with trifling loss. The | towns were the only equivalent they obtained 
 approach of winter, and the want of subsist- > for 200,000 lives, and many millions of 
 ence for their cavalry, obliged the Spaniards ! treasure. 
 
 to retreat with disgrace to the frontiers of their ; The king of Prussia, instead of being obliged 
 
 own country. I to act on the defensive, was nQw enabled to 
 
 The British arms triumphed with equal | resume offensive operations. His object was 
 
 splendor in the northern and southern parts \ to recover Silesia, compel marshal Dauu, who 
 
 \ of Europe. The hereditary prince of Bruns- i was posted tiiere, to retire to Bohemia, and 
 
 wick was posted in the bishopric of Munster, i afterwards to reinforce prince Henry, now in 
 
 to watch the motions .of the French army ; Saxony, and a second time conquer that 
 
 under Conde, on the' Lower Rhine ; and i electorate. To distract the attention of 
 
 prince Ferdinand in person lay with the grand » marshal Daun, he en)ployed a body ot troops 
 
 army behind the Dymel, in order to oppose | to assist the Tartars, whom he had instigated 
 
 the troops of Hesse, under Soubize and i to harass Moravia and Hungary. In June, 
 
 D'Etrees, the successors of M. Broglio, whose I Frederic, being joined by the Russians, j^^^ 
 
 successes had been attributed to treachery. | made great advances, and without any 
 
 Prince Ferdinand founded his plan of attack i regular battle, obliged marshal Dann lo aban- 
 
 on the security with which the French con- : don his strongest positions in Silesia, to retire 
 
 F f 14
 
 2 IS 
 
 HISTO'nY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. -TVirf'. 
 
 to the extreuiies of that country, and to leave 
 Srhweidiiitz eutii-elv uncovered. With his 
 Iliissiaii auxiliaries, Frederic now proceeded 
 to invest that city; and a consuJerable body 
 of the allies ravaged Bohemia, when an un- 
 expected and extraordinary revolution threat- 
 ened to overturn his plan of operations. The 
 inveterate enemy of Frederic, Elizabeth of 
 Russia, was succeeded by her nejihew, the 
 duke of Holstein, under the title of Peter III. 
 He was an extravai^ant admirer of the king 
 of Prussia, and pitied his misfortunes. His 
 fluiiily had been compelled by the Danes to 
 relinquish its pretensions to the duchy of 
 Sleswick, his native country; without con- 
 sulting his allies, he not only agreed to a 
 peace, but to a restitution of the Russian con- 
 quests, and to a junction of one part of his 
 forces with those of Prussia, while the other 
 acted against the Danes for the recovery of 
 Sleswick. Sweden, which had long been 
 swayed by the Russian councils, followed 
 his example. 
 
 Though the king of Prussia did not fail to 
 improve this favourable change of fortune, by 
 attacking the Imperialists, and gaining some 
 advantages over their forces under marshal 
 Daun ; "yet the short duration of Peter's 
 popularity soon clouded the prospect before 
 him. The sii!)jects of the Russian monarch 
 deeply resented the surrender of his late con- 
 quests, and his introduction of a just and 
 necessary reform into the discipline of the 
 chur<:h. Tiie clergy, whose revenues were in 
 some degree diminished by this laudable 
 exercise of his antliority, took every opportu- 
 nity of deceiving tlie ignorance, nnd inflaming 
 the passions of the people. The empress, 
 little solicitous for the welfare of a man who 
 had censed to i)e a liusband, asserted an inde- 
 pendent interest in favour of htrsrif She 
 Mattered the nobility, and seemed to resptct 
 religion and the clergy in the same degree 
 that the czar appeared to despise them. F» ter 
 was ignorant that a general conspiracy had 
 been formed, at tlie head of which was his 
 wife Catharine, who appeared before the 
 Russian guards, and after haranguing them in 
 the most pathetic terms, was declared their 
 sole and independent sovereign. During these 
 transactions, the emperor was indulging him- 
 self'wiih his mistress in idle amusements, at 
 a pleasure-house near the sea-shore. As soon 
 as he learned the fatal intelligence of his de- 
 
 gradation, he made an unsuccessful attempt 
 to escape to Holstein ; and, on his detention, 
 he was intimidated to sign a paper, declaring 
 his own incapacity for government, the weak- 
 ness and folly of his administration, and the 
 necessity of his deposition. He was thrown 
 into prison, and died a few days afterwards, 
 whether by the visitation of providence, or by 
 the emissaries of his treacherous consort, is 
 no longer doubtful. 
 
 Upon this change of affairs at St. Peters- 
 burgh, it was imagined, that the cause of the 
 king of Prussia had become utterly hopeless. 
 But when the empress discovered that Fre- 
 deric had recommended her late husband to 
 treat her with kindness, and had pointed out 
 the danger of attempting any alteration in the 
 religious and civil laws of his country, she 
 relented, and countermanded the orders for 
 renewing hostilities. The Prussian monarch 
 made the best use of this change of fortune; 
 he attacked and gained several advantages 
 over marshal Daun's army ; and, after cap- 
 turing Schweidnitz, which sustained a long 
 and vigorous defence, compelled the marshal 
 to evacuate Silesia. The Imperial and Aus- 
 trian forces were also completely routed, near 
 Freyburg, with the loss of many thousands in 
 slain, 240 officers and (JOOO privates taken 
 prisoners, and thirty pieces of cannon. The 
 Prussians immediately on this victory entered 
 Bohemia in triumph, advanced to tiie gates of 
 Prague, and reduced the town of Egra to 
 ashes. The diet of the empire, alarmed for 
 their person;d safety, prepared for flight, and 
 ; began to remove their records. The city of 
 Nuremburg was obliged to pay £300,000 
 sterling, to avoid being phindeitd ; a sum 
 which," added to other exactions, equalled iit 
 amount the subsidy received from Eiigland m 
 former years. 
 
 The slow progress of the S])aniai'ds in 
 Portugal, the retrograde motion of the Fien<'li 
 troops in Germany, the redu<:tion of tiie iln- 
 vannah, and the capture of the troops soul to 
 letake Newfoundland, all conspired to iujpress 
 the ministry of France with ■/: sense of thf; 
 impolicy of continuing the contest. England, 
 though not unable to carry on the war, was 
 not averse to peace. An imj.ortant change 
 had taken place in the administration, about 
 the month of May. An opinion had beeu 
 long entertained, that the Pelham family had 
 been as complete masters of the cabinet, during
 
 iiAP. xyin.] 
 
 r.KOUGE III. 
 
 219 
 
 the last years of the I'oigii of Ceorge II., as 
 the MarII)nron5jh family in that of Anne. A 
 resolution was tiierefoie formed to expel them 
 from court, and the duke of Newcastle retired 
 from his sitiiatioii of first lord of the treasury. 
 
 No sooner had lord Bute succeeded to that 
 situation, than a ;;reat number of the Whigs 
 resigned, or were dismissed ; a less numerous, 
 but more able body, headed by Mr. Pitt, 
 •without coalescing with tiie Newcastle party, 
 was adverse to the ministry. From the open 
 attachment of his majesty to the earl of Bute, 
 that nobleman was esteemed and denominated, 
 the royal favourite. The influence of his 
 lordship and his friends was attributed tc 
 private partiality, and they were accused of 
 governing by a system of court favouritism. 
 The supposed operation of this plan was ex- 
 hibited, with great force and eloquence, by 
 the parliamentary speakers and political 
 writers of the day. The deportment of Bute 
 was by no means such as tended to counteract 
 his unpopularity. With exemplary morals, he 
 was reserved and haughty in his manners. In 
 his appointment to subordinate offices, he had 
 frequently removed Englishmen of respectable 
 characters, to make room lor Scotchmen who 
 were not known, and who were presumed to 
 be the abettors of arbitrary power. The 
 Whig parly had been uniformly connected 
 with the monicd interest, and Pitt possessed 
 the most unlimited conlidence of that important 
 body of men. The supplies of the current 
 year had been raised, while the duke of New- 
 castle was at the head of the treasury. On 
 lord Bute they had no reliance. To a ministry 
 ■which was both hated and suspected, a war 
 ■was difficult; their failure would have been 
 attributeu to incapacity, and their success 
 would be converted into an argument for 
 unreasonable terms of peace. They therefore 
 pretended that it was full time to suspend 
 hostilities, and to consult the interests of 
 humanity; and pursued their object with so 
 much eagerness and enthusiasm, as to excite 
 suspicions of their integrity, which were 
 equally unjust and al)surd. 
 
 The courts of France and England being 
 liius equally sincere in their advances to peace, 
 all difficulties were soon removed. The duke 
 of Nivernois on the part of France, and the 
 • lidic of Bedford on the part of England, were 
 appointed anibassadors to the res|ie( tive 
 courts. In the negotiation of 1701, a jninci- 
 
 K f 2 
 
 pie had been established between the two 
 crowtis, that their respective propositions, if 
 tlie treaty were broken off, should be con- 
 sidered as retracted, and as never made ; the 
 negotiation, therefore, of 1702, was not a 
 renewal of that of 17GI. France and England 
 both recurred to the original cause of the war, 
 the liujits of the North American territories, 
 and their boundaries were now determined 
 with the utmost exactness. A line drawn 
 along the middle of the rivers Mississippi and 
 Iberville, the lakes Maurepas and Pont Chai- 
 traiiie to the sea, separated the possessions of 
 the two nations ; the extensive, but barren 
 sands of Florida being exchanged for the 
 Havannah, and the contingent possession of 
 the Philippine islands. To command the 
 navigation of St. Lawrence, and to secure the 
 possession of her northern acquisitions, Britairj 
 was to n tain the island of Cape Breton, and 
 St John. By the treaty of Utrecht, the New- 
 foundland fishery had been divided between 
 France and England. It was now attempted 
 by the latter power to obtain the whole, and 
 at length a compromise was effected, by which 
 Britain was left in possession of the greater 
 share. In the West Indies, the English re- 
 tained none of the conquered islands, but th« 
 Grenadas, Tobago, Dominico, and St. Vin- 
 cent, being our antient possessions. In Africa, 
 Goree was restored to the French, and Senegal 
 ceded to the British ; and in the East Indies, 
 Britain returned all the French factories and 
 settlements ; France, having stipulated to 
 erect no fortifications in Bengal or Orissa, and 
 to acknowledge the reigning subahs of Bengal, 
 the Decan, and the Carnatic. The island of 
 Belleisle was exchanged for Minorca, and 
 Dunkirk was to be dismantled. The British 
 ministers consented to dissolve their alliance 
 with the king of Prussia ; the French engaging 
 to withdraw their assistance from the empress- 
 queen, and to evacuate their German con- 
 quests. All the territories of Portugal, without 
 distinction, were evacuated. Such were th» 
 conditions of a treaty, which was inter- 
 changed on the 3rd of November, be- 
 tween the ministers of Great Britain, France, 
 Spain, and Portugal. Peace being thus 
 restored between the two gieat powers, whose.< 
 treasures supplied the German war, it was 
 reasonably ex|)ected that the empress-queen 
 and till' king of Prussia would soon accommo- 
 ilale their disputes. The superiority acquired 
 
 1762.
 
 220 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XVIIJ. 
 
 by the Prussians at the close of the campaign 
 accelerated the compliance of Austria, and a 
 treaty was concluded at Hubertsbnrg, of 
 mutual restitution and oblivion ; by which 
 each party remained, after a long succession 
 of blootlshed, and the infliction of every evil 
 humanity conld sustain, in the same situation 
 as at the beginning of the war. 
 
 The parliament met on the 2-5th of Novem- 
 ber. When the preliminaries were taken into 
 consideration, and a motion was made for an 
 address of thanks to his majesty, it was 
 warndy opposed bv a powerful party in both 
 houses. Mr. Pitt declaimed witli uncommon 
 vehemence against them, declaring that tliey 
 obscured the glories of th'i war, surrendered 
 the dearesi interests of the nation, and sacri- 
 ficed the public faith by theahandonment of nur 
 allies. iBy restorhia;, he observed, to France 
 the most valuable of the West Jndit islands, 
 and by 07ir concessions in the Is ewjoundland 
 fishery, we have fi-iven her the means of re- 
 covering prodigious losses, and of oecominff 
 once more formidable to us at sea. The fishery 
 trained up an innumerable multitude of seamen, 
 und the fVest India trade employed them when 
 trained. He then compared the value of 
 these possessions, by which France would 
 enrich her finances, and augn)enl her resources, 
 with that of the cessions in North America^ 
 and insisted on the connection between the 
 West India trade and that to our Aiuerican 
 colonies, and to the African coast. He ridi- 
 culed the idea of mutual restitution in the 
 East Indies ; aiul he reprobated the article 
 relating to our German allies, by which it was 
 stipulated, that the territories of the other 
 princes should be restored, while those of 
 his Prussian luajesfy, our ally, was only to be 
 evacuated, -liid might be entered upon by the 
 Auslrians as soon as the troops of France had 
 left them. He declared his disapprobation of 
 the preliminaries, because he saw in them the 
 seeds of future war. The peace was insecure, 
 because it restored the enemy to her former 
 greatntss ; it was inadequate, l)ecause the 
 places gained were no equivalent for those 
 surrender d. To these observations it was 
 answered, that the original object of our hos- 
 tilities WHS the security of our continental 
 possessions in North America, and the re- 
 ni;)VJil of (he French (Vom our neighbourhood 
 in that c juntry was therefore the most effectual 
 Vitans of preventing future war. The friends 
 
 of administration expatiated on the immense re- 
 sources to commerce which must arise t'rom the 
 possession of (lie American continent, France, 
 they said, would never agree to a considerable 
 cession in the West In«lieSj where the impor- 
 tance of our possessions depended on our 
 North American colonies, from which they 
 derived their principal provisions, and other 
 supplies. They conten<led, that the points 
 which the opposite party had thought proper 
 ti) contest, were not of suflicient importance to 
 justify the continuance of the war. We had 
 supported the ki^.g of Prussia so long as he 
 was likely to be overwhelmed by his enemies ; 
 but now that he had to contend with Austria 
 only, our support would only tend to promote 
 his ambition. Kotwithstandiug the evident 
 culpaijility of the ministers, paiticularly with 
 regard to the cessions in the West indies, the 
 miijority in p-\rliL.raent approved of the pre- 
 liminary articles of peace; and many addresses 
 of congratulation were presented from coun- 
 ties, cities, and boroughs. In general, how- 
 ever, the signatures were obtained by the 
 intrigues and influence of the ministers. 
 
 When the duke of Newcastle resigned the 
 treasury to the earl of Bute, the people, 
 alarmed at seeing the whole power of the 
 nation engrossed by persons, whose principles 
 of liberty were dubious, began to censure the 
 ministers with a freedom approaching to abuse, 
 and their disgust was confirmed by the dis- 
 advantageous conditions of the peace. The 
 opposition assailed the administration in the 
 most tender part, the supplies, and several 
 circumstances favoured their design. Though 
 the necessity of taxes was as great as during 
 the war, that necessity was not so palpable to 
 the senses of the people. Means were adopted 
 to persuade the nation, that the new taxes 
 were partial and destructive. The whole of 
 the new funds amounted to £7,300,000. In 
 order to pay the interest of the annuities 
 which were granted to the lenders of money, 
 an additional duty of £(5 per ton was imposed 
 on all French wines, in aid of this plan, 
 every hogshead of cyder and perry was charged 
 with a duty of 4*. to he levied by excise. Those 
 who examine the nature and operation of 
 different modes of levying taxes are aware, 
 that excise is less burdensome to the consumer 
 than any equivalent raised in customs. Cus- 
 toms, thougl) advanced by the merchant, must 
 ultimately fall on the consumer; and, as the
 
 CHAP. XVIII.] GEORGE Hi. 221 
 
 merrliant must not only be reimbursed, but j gnished for activity and diligence ; and more 
 have a profit on all his advance, it follows, (liat j famous for an attarhment to his personal in- 
 Ihe earlier in trade customs are paid for any | terest, than for his services to his country, 
 commodity, the heavier tiiey must fall on the i Lord Egremont became secretary for the 
 cunsumer. The excise being levied on com- » southern department. In the northern de- 
 modities in use, and paid by the consumer, I partment, business was transacted by lord 
 does not require hin) to reimburse the mer- ? Halifax, a nobleman of respectable talents, 
 cliant for his advance, nor to contribute to his | The private characters of these three indivi- 
 prolits. But in customs, the tax, being in- | duals could not be objected to. But a per- 
 volved in liie price of the commodity, is not | suasion prevailed, that the late minister still 
 felt as a tux; ;ind, tiiuugh really heavier than ;! retained an ascendancy in the cabinet, and 
 the excise, is regarded as li;^hi.er. i'rom this ; <^xercised his power after he had divested 
 unfuuiidefl supposition, excise j.s a much more I himself of all political responsibility. These 
 unpopular n!)de of taxation than customs, j sentiments were studiously and industriously 
 Two circumstances add to the unj :,pularity 5 {M-opa.gated by the partisans of the opposition, 
 of this tax : the .Jsils of excise officers ; and 5 and had the efiect intended, of rendering the 
 the summary process be'brp Cf-n^ni'ssioners. ; administration unpopular. From this cause 
 The ibiiiier practice lias not been found to \ originated the most serious evils ; an extreme 
 endano-er our freedojri, or to occasion any } jealousy of the royal authority ; a determined 
 inconvenience proportional. ie lo its advantage \ opposition to the measures of the court : and, 
 to the revi niies ; and the expcnce and cielay } •)n the other hand, the desire of the crown to 
 of prosecutions \v((uld fall infinitely heavier ; establish its authority on a foundation so firm 
 on defendants than this expeditious mode of; as to defy the effects apprehended from popu- 
 ascertaining the matter in dispute. ]very | h'' influence, especially in the appointment 
 scheme, however, for introducing and extend- ; of officers of state. Such were the causes of 
 ing the excise, has always excited the tumul- \ these internal tumults, which threatened lo 
 tuous o!»position of the people. Their re- ; involve the kingdom in rebellion at the 
 sentment had endangered the administration \ commencement of the reign of a monarch, 
 ofWalpolo, and nnw effected the downfal of.Uvhose personal demeanour had gained hini 
 lord Bute. The unpopularity of that noble- | the affections of his people. The public mind 
 man was already great, and the loudness and ; was more and more inflamed by the continued 
 violence of the clamour against him, on the i circulation of anonymous attacks on the 
 bill being passe»l into a law, deeply affected i sovereign and the ministry. Amou"- the 
 him. Abusive pamphlets, and able lampoons, > inflammatory puldications of this period, the 
 were circulated through every class an.l des- ! North Briton was distinguished for the vehe- 
 cription of society ; and his lordship was > mence of its scurrility. The licentious author 
 charged with an intention to engross the | of this paper, after attacking with virulence 
 whole authority of the executive government, | the characters of the ministers, and of him 
 and to attempt the establishment of arbitrary j who was supposed to direct their councils, 
 power, by corrupt inlluence, and the extension I assailed the throne itself; and, under cover 
 of the prerogative. Jt would be difficult to j of the supposition, that the king's speech in 
 prove what his intentions were; but the events i jjarliament is that of his minister, he charged 
 of his administration evinced, that he wanted ; his majesty with. having affirmed a direct 
 judgment in the choice of expedients, and I falsehood. A general warrant was immedi- 
 hnnness in their execution. Had his discern- > ately issued by lord Halifax, as secretary of 
 nient and intrepidity been equal to his am- i state, " To take up the authors, printers, and 
 bition, he would not have abandoned his ; publishers of a seditious and treasonable 
 friends and his post at the hour of danger; ! paper, called, the Is'orth Briton, Number 45, 
 or would have kept the quiet and beaten path ; together with their papcis.' By virtue of 
 of govenunent. In ti.e midst of the commotion > this warrant, Mr. John ^^ likes, lepresei.Jaiive 
 excited by the exci.se bill, he resigned the < for the borouph of Aylesbury, t'^e supposed 
 
 . i> I ... -V J I ^ijj committed to 
 
 tere seizei., and all 
 Ou bringing his 
 
 exciieo uy lue exci.se bill, ne resigned the < tor tfie boroupli ot Aylesbu 
 17U.3 *''^'^*^ ''^^'■^t lord of the treasury ; and I author, was ap])rehiiided a 
 was succeeded by Mr. Ge.rge Gn u- i the Tower, his papers 'Ncrt 
 Tille. The uew minister was chiefl'y distiu- ; access to him was forbidden.
 
 222 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XV.' H 
 
 jiabeas corpus, however, lie was liberated, | saw the interests of tlie legislative bodies so 
 without bail, by the court oi' coniniou pleas ; ! blended witli those of a seditious libeller, 
 the chief justice, lord Camden, having- given ; whose practices they abhorred, that they were 
 it as the opinion of the judges, that although j obliged to forget his private iniquities, and his 
 the coniniitnient was not in" itself illegal, yet ; public infamy, in his political wrongs, or 
 ]ie ought to be released, because (he privilege ; afford a precedent to future parliaments, which 
 of parliaiiient extended to the offence for i might aid the progress of ministerial persecu- 
 which he was committ&d. The populace ; tion. The ministerial side of the house, how- 
 regarded his discharge as the triumph of I ever, rather irritated than intimidated by the 
 liberty over ministerial oppression, and attend- \ strenuous defence of his advocates, obtained a 
 ed Wilkes from the Tower to his home, rend- ; vote that the |)rivilege of parliament does not 
 ing the air with their praises and acclamations, i extend to the case of writing and publishing 
 When the parliament met, the ministers en- > seditious writings. In (his vote the lords con- 
 deavoured to throw as much reproach as ! curred, but not without a protest signed by 
 possible on the attempts which had been made \ 17 peers. A process was accordingly issued 
 to render the people discontented. The I against Mr. Wilkes, as the presumed author, 
 affair of Mr. Wilkes was then brought before | Soon after this decision, Wilkes was en- 
 the lower house, by a message delivered by | gaged in a duel with Mr. Martin, a member of 
 Mr. Grenville from his majesty, importing 5 parliament, and late secretary to the treasury, 
 that Mr. Wilkes, having refused to answer toj whose character he had attacked in his 
 an information filed against him by the attor | writings. In this engagement he received a 
 ney-general, his majesty, desirous to shew all i dangerous wound. But, as he found that 
 possible attention to the privileges of (he > the minority were regardics.s of his cause, he 
 house, while public justice was duly exe- | refused admittance to the gentlemen of the 
 cuted, had directed the libel for which he \ faculty, deputed to examine his wound, and 
 was apprehended, together with the copies of; suddenly removed to France, before he was 
 his examination, to be laid before them. After j perfectly recovered. His flight was chiefly 
 warm debates;, in which the friends of Mr. ; determined by the language of Mr. Pitt, who, 
 Wilkes rested his defence on the proposition, i justly shocked and disgusted by the private 
 that the king's speech was to be considered as ! circulation- ot Wilkes's Essay on Woman, 
 that of tlie minister, and had always been con- ; which contained several profane allusions to 
 sidered ill that light by tlio authors of political ! the Athanasian creed, declared, that though 
 pamphlets, it was voted, by a great majority, 1 he could not be expected to surrender the 
 that the ^'orth Britou, Number 45, was a ! privilege of parliament, he abhorred the 
 false, scandalous, and seditious libel, manifestly ; offender, as a blasphemer of his God, and 
 tending to alienate the affections of the people } libeller of his king, and had joined in the 
 from his majesty, and excite them to traitorous | former vote against him. The house of lords 
 insurrections ; and it was resolved, that it 5 proceeded against Wilkes for a breach of 
 should be burned by the hands of the common ! privilege ; in a short time he was prosecuted 
 hangman. The peers also concurred in an | for the double crime of blasphemy and libel ; 
 address, expressing their indignation at the | and sustained the infliction of an outlawry, 
 contumely with which his majesty had been i Previous to his departure he printed the 
 treated in the libel, and at the outrage which »• proceedings against him at his private press, 
 had been offered to every branch of the legis- 1 and sold them at one guinea a copy. By the 
 lature. The people rescued the condemned j extraordinary sale of his pamphlet, he pro- 
 paper from the flames, notwithstanding all the ; cured a degree of affluence, to which he had 
 efforts of the sheriff. \ been before unaccustomed. He was indeed 
 
 The proceedings in parliament did not ; a master of expedients. His dissipation was 
 prevent Wilkes from presenting to the house I equal to his attainments ; and the latter, 
 his complaint of breach of privilege, by the \ though not of the most exalted kind, were 
 imprisonment of his person, and the plunder I various and considerable. He was distin- 
 of his house. Many of the sincerest friends \ guished by his wit and pleasantry, possessed 
 to the constitution and (ogood order, regretted $ a respectable share of classical erudition, and 
 the indiscretion of the parliament, when they | surpassed most men as au entertaining and
 
 CHAP. XTIII.J GEORGE III. 323 
 
 engaging companion. Prodigality had ruined j stability might be insured to onr conquests, 
 his fortune, and profligacy, his character, i and to awe the neighbouring Indian nations, 
 Bankrupt in circumstances and reputation, lie ; a military establishment of 10,000 men, was 
 had applied to lord Bute to extricate him ! formed for this country, and for the West 
 from his eml)arrassments. The notoriety of 5 India islands. Notwithstanding the policy of 
 his character precluded success. Wilkes, in j this measure, it did not answer all the objects 
 revenge, became a zealous and vehement .; intended. The colonies were relieved from 
 patriot, inveighed against .the attacks upoii'j the inroads of the French, and from the 
 our rights and liberties, and against the un- ; molestation of the Troquois Indian.*. But 
 principled wickedness of the existing rulers ; | they had yet a formidable enemy in the Indians 
 and derived from the enterprise, not only a ; who inhabited the coiinuy bordering on the 
 timely relief from his pecuniary distres.ses, j Ohio, and between that river and lake On- 
 but a degree of consequence in tiie state, and > tario. Impressed by the artifices of the French 
 favour with the people, propitious to the in- | with a persuasion, that the English njeditated 
 terests of liberty, notwithstanding the unwor- 1 their utter extirpation, they uttempted to a^ert 
 thiness of the instrument. ; their fate by an irruption on our frontiers. 
 
 While the nation was agitated by the pro- j Having driven away tlie inhabitants of several 
 ceedings instituted against the favourite ot^the ! towns on the borders of Pennsvlvariia, Virginia, 
 people, an attempt was made, on the vacancy ; and Maryland, they ravaged the country with 
 of the secretary's office, by the death of the | remorseless cruelty. They obtained posses- 
 earl of Egreinoiit, to acconiplish a coalition > sion of several forts near lake Erie and the 
 between the friends oftlie late minister, and the • Ohio ; and, animated by success, attacked the 
 principal members of the opposition. The i n>ore important fortresses of Detroit, Niagara, 
 chief of these were Mr. Pitt, the dukes of! and fort Pitt. Captains Dalytl and Grant 
 Newcastle and DevonshirCj and the marquis ; vvere sent by general Amherst, with a small 
 of Rockingham. With this view, several con- > force, to the defence of fort Detroit. But 
 ferences were held by Mr. Pitt with lord Bute, ; these officers were defeated wiih considerable 
 and with his majesty. But when it appeared | loss, and with diflicully effected their retreat 
 that the arrangements insisted on by the ; to the fortress. Though the British troops 
 former, would give him an. ascendancy incom- ; defended themselves with the desperate bra- 
 patible with tile wishes of the court, the nego- ; very of men who knew their lives to be. in 
 tialion was broken off. And the late minister, ; jeopardy, it is difficult to say what mioht 
 instead of effecting his purpose, of relieving | have been their fate, had not the enemies been 
 himself from the odium in which he was now j obliged to abandon the siege precipitately, ia 
 held, lost the authority which he had hitherto j order to intercept colonel I3ouquet, who was 
 retained in the opinions of tlie people, by the > advancing to their assistance with a strong 
 tacit confession of weakness which his pro- ; reintbrcement. This officer, finding it impos- 
 posals implied. The duke of Bedford was ; sible to procure any intelligence, left behind 
 now appointetl to the ofiice of president of ; him all the provision and ammunition which 
 the council, lord Sandwich was made secre- ; was not judged absolutely necessary, and 
 tary of state, the earl of Egmont first lord of; pursued his march with all that cautious ex- 
 f he admiralty, and tlie earl of Hillsborough I pedition, which the nature of the country and 
 first commissioner of trade. > service required. After having traversed a 
 
 During these domestic transactions, every $ considerable tract of rough and mountainous 
 expedienf. was adopted, to render the acqui- J forest, he arrived at a dangerous defile, ex- 
 sitions of the Brilisii crown as profitable as | tending several miles in length, and command- 
 possible. Under the direction of the lords of I ed on both sides by high and craggy hills. 
 trade, a vast extent of newly-acquired terri- « In order to elude, if possible, the vigilance of 
 fory, in the south of America, was now ; so alert an enemy, he determined to pass it in 
 divided into townships ; grants of land were i the night. 
 
 made to soldiers and seamen of merit; to a\ While the troops, after a fatiguing march 
 fjeld-officer 5000, to a captain 3000, to a ; of sevt iitecu miles, were preparing to refiesh 
 subaltern 2000, to a non-commissioned officer i themselves, and to make the necessary ar- 
 200, to a private soldier or seaman 50. That ; rangcments, their advanced guard was suddeiily
 
 224 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 LCHAP. XVHI. 
 
 attacked l)y the Indians. This body, being 
 speedily and firmly supported, repulsed the 
 rnemies, and pursued them to a considerable 
 distance. But their fli?:ht proved only a 
 decoy, to entangle the whole detachment in 
 the snare which was prepared for them. 
 When the pursuit ended, they returned to 
 the ciiarge with redoubled vigour ; and being 
 supported by parties, which lay in ambush on 
 the high and woody grounds, flanking our 
 army, they galled it with an obstinate fire. 
 The whole line was obliged to advance, and 
 to dislodge them from these posts. 
 
 Though this movement succeeded, it pro- 
 duced no decisive advantage. No sooner 
 were the savages driven from one eminence, 
 but they occupied another, till by constant 
 reinforcements they surrounded the whole 
 detachment, and attacked the convoy in the 
 rear ; a circumstance which forced our troops 
 to fall back for its protection. The enemies, 
 improving this advantage, pressed forward 
 with the greatest spirit. The action grew 
 hotter and hotter every moment ; and the 
 English found themselves encircled and 
 assailed at once by superior numbers. But 
 their courage, their perseverance, their dex- 
 terity in evolutions, suimounted all obstacles. 
 They forced the Indians from all their posts 
 Avith bayonets fixed. Night put an end to the 
 engagement, which had been continued from 
 noon without intermission. 
 
 The ground, on which tliey stood, was not 
 ill-adapted for an encampment ; the convoy 
 was therefore placed in the centre, the troops 
 forming a circle round it. In this posture 
 they passed a restless and anxious night, 
 obliged to the strictest vigilance by an enter- 
 prising and daring enemy, who waited only 
 for the morning to complete their destruction. 
 Soldiers accustomed only to the humane 
 maxims of European war have hardly any 
 idea of the dangers to be endured in an 
 American campaign. In Europe, the roads 
 Ure practicable, magazines are established, 
 and hospitals provided. In case of any great 
 disaster strong towns are at hand ; or at the 
 worst, a generous enemy is ready to afford 
 every relief to the vanquished. No consola- 
 tion but that of victory can be wanting. Such 
 a serv ice may be considered as the exercise of 
 ail active and adventurous mind, rather than 
 a sanguinary contest for mutual destruction ; 
 a (lisiMitc between rivals for glory, rather than 
 
 a struggle between deadly enemies. But in 
 America every object is .pregnant with terror: 
 the face of the country, tluj climate, the enemy. 
 Tiiere is no refreshment for the healthy, no 
 relief for the sick or wounded. A vast, in- 
 hospitable desart, full of snares and treachery, 
 extends on every side. Victories are not 
 decisive, but defeats are ruinous ; and simple 
 death is the least misfortune that may befal a 
 soldier. What then can be more critical than 
 such campaigns ? As they act in small bodies; 
 man fights against man ; every individual 
 marks his antagonist. All the vigour of the 
 body and firmness of the mind is put to the 
 severest trial ; every exertion of courage and 
 address is called forth into action. If the 
 events have less dignity and magnificence than 
 those of a legular war, they are more in- 
 tereslins to the heart 
 
 more amusing to the 
 
 miagination. 
 
 At the first dawn of light, the savages, 
 setting up the war-whoop all around the 
 camp, in order to intimidate with their num- 
 bers and ferocity, made several bold attempts 
 to penetrate into it under favour of an inces- 
 sant fire. Though constantly repulsed, they 
 constantly renewed their attacks, and harassed 
 our troops, which were equally distressed 
 with fatigue and want of water, circumstances 
 much more insupportable than the enemies' 
 fire. Their situation was extremely critical 
 and perplexing : tied to their convoy, they 
 could not lose sight of it for a moment without 
 exposing not only that interesting object, but 
 also their wounded to the merciless barbarians. 
 Many of their horses were lost ; many of the 
 drivers, stupified by fear, had hid themselves 
 in the bushes, and were incapable of hearing 
 or obeying orders : to pursue their march was 
 therefore impracticable. Besieged rather than 
 engaged ; attacked without interruption, and 
 without decision ; capable neither to advance 
 nor retreat; they saw nothing before iheni 
 but the melancholy prospect of crumbling 
 away by degrees, and perishing without re- 
 venge, without honour in those dreadful 
 forests. The fate of Braddock and his arn)y 
 came rushing to their minds ; but they liud 
 another commander. 
 
 Bouquet, seeing that all depended on 
 bringing the savages to a close engagement, 
 endeavoured to inspire them with confidence, 
 and to give additional strength to that auda- 
 city, which success had already t>o greatly
 
 CHAP. XVlII.j GEORGE HI. 225 
 
 increased. For this purpose two companies, > advantageous. By kintl and indulgent usage 
 Avho occupied the most advanced posts, were ; they lost both their military and savage spirit, 
 ordered to fall within the circle ; the rest of; and instead of barbarous foes became useful' 
 the troops opening their liles to the right and ! subjects and allies, 
 left, and then closing up the vacant space, as « In the month of January, in the en- 
 if they meant to cover their retreat. The | suing year, Wilkes was expelled the ^^^• 
 savages fell into the snare. Imagining that ! house of commons. The odium which he 
 the thin line of troops, which fdled up the ; had incurred was considerably diminished, 
 ground abandoned by two companies detached | when the manner in which the evidence was 
 to support the former, indicated a retreat by I brought against hmi was fully known, and 
 moving nearer to the centre, they rushed from ; when it was made obvious to the people, that 
 the woods which covered them, and, hurrying | he had intended the Essay on Woman for cir- 
 headlong on with the most daring intrepidity, < cnlation only among his friends. As the long 
 galled the English with their heavy fire. But I and uninterrupted precedents adduced in the 
 at the very instant when they thought the ; support of general warrants only rendered the 
 victory certain and the camp taken, the two ; danger more alarming, many were of opinion, 
 first companies rushed out from an invisible i that, in order to remove the fears and jea- 
 part of the hill, and attacked their right flank. ; lousies of the public, the practice ought to 
 The barbarians, though disappointed, were ; be formally condemned by tiie commons. A 
 not dismayed : they returned the lire M'ith | length a resolution was past, declaring, that 
 great spirit. But discipline and well-directed ^ a general warrant, for apprehending the 
 strength soon decided the contest; unable to ! authors, printers, and publishers of a seditious 
 sustain the irresistable shock of the regulars, ; libel, and for seizing their papers, is contrary 
 they fled at the second volley. As they j to law ; but, notwithstanding all the argu- 
 lurned their backs, the other two coinpanies « ments of the opposition, the ministerial party 
 presented themselves in their front, and by ; attached a ridet to the i)ill, which e.vculpated 
 lluir full fire completed their overthrow. ; the accused officers of state. This resolution 
 They were pursued, and totally routed and ; resjjecting general warrants was the chief 
 dispersed. ; advantage arising from the dispute between 
 
 Tins well-concerted and well-executed ! VVilkes and the ministry, 
 stratagem saved the whole detachment from ; The proceedings in the house of commons, 
 the most imminent danger. The rest of the | in their resolution of expulsion, scarcely ex- 
 savages, who had been kept in awe during the | cited more violent clamours among the people, 
 engagement by the British troops, were .terri- ; than the conduct of lor<l .Sandwich in the 
 fied by the fate of their companions, betook J u])jjer house. He was himself a drunkard 
 themselves to flight ; and abandoned all the ; and a profligate, and had formerly been one 
 adjacent woods. Yet, notwithstanding this J of the most intimate associates of AVilkes ; 
 advantage, so many men had been wounded, ! vet he was extremely active in obtaining evi- 
 and so many horses lost, that, before ouridence to prove the publication oi \\\e Essay 
 troops could move, they were under the dis- j on Woman. His own habits of intercourse, 
 agreeable necessity of destroying the greatest > and sources of information, peculiarly fitting 
 partofthei-r convoy of provisions, and conse- ; his lordship for bringing his flagitiou-sness to 
 quently of relinquishing one of the principal ; liglit, he obtained a copy of the work, and 
 objects of their expedition. This action, in ; complained of it in (he house of peers, as a 
 which our officers and soldiers gained great ; flagrant outrage against the most sacred duties, 
 and just honour, was the only one of moment » both of (Jod and man. The peers immediately 
 which distinguished this war. As the Indians ; addressed his majesty, desiring him to prose- 
 draw their chief subsistence from hunting, ! cute the author. He was accordingly indicted 
 and their hunters and warriors are the same, > for blasphemy, while the proceedings respect- 
 they were soon weary of it, and laid down the ; ing the libel were pending. On the 21st of 
 hatchet. For the future, gentle and pacific J February, he was tried before lord Mansfield 
 measures were embraced by our colonists, > for re))ublishing the North Briton, with notes, 
 ;u)d past experience taught them, that their ; and on the same day for printing and publish- 
 eiimily is as dangerous as their friendship is ; ing the Essay on Woman. Not returning to 
 
 o ir 15
 
 226 
 
 HlSlv^'-y o? ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP, \viri. 
 
 receive sentence, he was outlawed, an event $ above Calcntta, without assigning- a jiistifia- 
 
 peculiarly grateful to the earl of Halifax, 
 
 aganist vviiom 
 
 all proceedings were of 
 course abated. An action for damages 
 was brought against that nobleman, and, 
 after a trial of fifteen hours, before the lord 
 chief justice, a verdict >vas given for the 
 plaintiff, with £1000 damages and costs of 
 suit. 
 
 The affairs of India at this period ijecame 
 extremely important. Soon after Mir Kossim, 
 the successor of Jaffier Ali Cawn, had been 
 restored to his province by the assistance of 
 the English, his next care was to render him- 
 self independent of those men, to whose valour 
 he owed his prosperity. After complaining of 
 being treated with insolence and indignity, he 
 removed his court from Murshadabad, a city 
 which, by its vicinity to Calcutta, enabled the 
 factory to observe his conduct. He proceeded 
 200 miles higher up the Ganges, and fixed his 
 residence at Mongheer. He collected a 
 numerous army, composed of Persians, Tar- 
 tars, Armenians, and vagrant Europeans, 
 changed the fashion of the English muskets 
 from matchlocks to firelocks, and improved 
 his cannon. He soon incurred the displeasure 
 of Mr. Vansittart, the English governor, by 
 issuing an order, subjecting all the three 
 traders to the regular and equal payment of 
 duties throughout his dominions, and com- 
 manding that all disputes' occurring in his 
 territories should be determined by his magis- 
 trates. 
 
 Mr. Vansittart immediately repaired to 
 Mongheer, expostulated wiih Mir Kossim on 
 the subject of his repeated violation of the 
 company's privileges, and concluded with 
 him a treaty, which regulated their mutucd 
 trade, and laid it under some restrictions. 
 Against this treaty a general claujour was 
 raised by the ambition and cupidity of the 
 company, and it was voted by the board at 
 Calcutta to be dishonourable, disadvantageous, 
 and a breach of their privileges. They then 
 deputed Mr. Amyat, and others of their body, 
 to negotiate a new treaty with him. But Mir 
 Kossim, grown confident in his strengtii, 
 sternly refused to alter the stipulations of tiie 
 treaty, and as the deputies were returning by 
 water to Calcntta, tliey were fired upon and 
 murdered by his troops, posted on the banks 
 of ilie H'lghly. In the mean time, Mr. Ellis, 
 the chief of the factory at Patna, 300 miles 
 
 ble reason, attacked the city, and made him- 
 self master of it. But while liis troops were 
 engaged in plunder, the governor and garrison 
 returned suddenly upon them in their haste 
 to take refuge in a neighbouring territory. 
 
 This act of Mr. Ellis was condemned as 
 rash and impolitic, independent of its evident 
 injustice. But it now became necessary to 
 enter upon vigorous hostilities. Major Adams, 
 who was invested with the chief comuiand ii! 
 colonel Coote's absence, being joined by a 
 body of troops under major Carnac, marched 
 rapidly towards Murshadabad, and having 
 defeated an Indian army, posted to oppose 
 his march, possessed hiniyelf of the city. The 
 English general then marched his small army, 
 while his troops were animated by success, in 
 quest of th»e nabob. The army of Mir Kossim 
 consisted of 28,000 men, armed with firelocks, 
 provided with a train of artillery, and formed 
 into regular brigades. They advanced to 
 meet their enemy, and chose a strong position 
 on the Nuna Nullas. Thus judiciously posted, 
 they were attacked by the English army, 
 which did not exceed 3000 men, and after 
 maintaining the action four hours, were driven 
 from the ground, with the irreparable loss of 
 their artillery. 
 
 The remainder of the campaign was one 
 continued train of success on the part of the 
 English. When the nabob's forces did not 
 dare to appear again in the field, the British 
 generals attacked and forced llieir entrench- 
 ments at Anda Nulla. Then pursuing Mir 
 Kossim to his residence at Mongheer, whither 
 he had fled for refuge, they gained possession 
 of that fortress, and afterwards closed their 
 career with the reduction of Patna, the last 
 place of strength which retnained in his do- 
 minions. 
 
 When the company heard of the commence- 
 ment of hostilities, they were greatly alarmed. 
 In the extremity of their fear, they invested 
 lord Clive and fonr other gentlemen with un- 
 limited authority to examine and determine 
 every public measure, independently of the 
 council, so long as Bengal should continue in 
 a state of war. Before this select committee 
 arrived at Bengal, Jaffier Ali Cawn died, and 
 nominated his son Naijeni Doulah his suc- 
 cessor, which iKunination the council con- 
 firmed. He was allowed to keep no soldiers, 
 but a few for parade ; and they compelled
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 him to deliver up Nuncacornar, his prime 
 minister, and the instructor of his youtli, and 
 to accept one of their servants, who might act 
 as a spy upon his conduct. 
 
 Mir Kossim, after his late disasters, had 
 fled for protection to the court of Sujah al 
 Dowlah, nabob of Oude, a powerful prince, 
 who acted as vizier to tiie mogul, and had not 
 only obtained his protection, but, by liis weight 
 at the court of Delhi, had engaged Shah 
 Alliim in his alliance. The council of Cal- 
 cutta peremptorily demanded his surrender of 
 the fngitive prince, with all his efTects, and 
 was answered by a warm and just expostula- 
 tion on their ambition, injuetice, and rapacity. 
 The council, irritated by this remonstrance, 
 determined to humble and chastise the intre- 
 pidity of the nabob ; and sir Hector Munro 
 penetrated to the territories of Oude with 
 about 5000 men. He found a vast confederate 
 army, posted near the junction of the Cam- 
 missary with the Ganges, having a morass in 
 its front, and protected by the fortress of 
 Buxard. An action ensued, which, after it 
 had been fought three hours, terminated in 
 favour of the English. The confederate 
 Indians were routed, with the loss of 6000 
 men, and 150 pieces of artillery. Sir Henry 
 Munro, after he had been foiled in an attempt 
 to possess himself of the strong fortress of 
 Chundageer, retired to Benares, and encamped 
 his troops under the \Aalls of that city. 
 
 In the Carnatic, Mahommed Ali had been by 
 the conditions of the late peace acknowledged 
 nabob of the Carnatic ; and, in compliance 
 with the company's wishes, he entered into 
 a treaty with the rajah of Tanjore, guaranteed 
 by the president and council of Madras, by 
 
 which he received from the rajah, as the great 
 mogul's representative was regulated and 
 explained. Mahommed Ali was compelled to 
 cede to the company in Jaghire, in consequence 
 of their services, four districts, the revenue 
 of which amounted lo J 4 lacks of rupees, or 
 about £175,000. Mr. Pigot then resigned 
 the government to Mr. Palk, who was appoint- 
 ed to succeed hiui, and embarked for Eng- 
 land. The raj'jh of Tanjore died in the en- 
 suing year, and was succeeded by his 
 son, Tuija Ji, a prince as weak and '''"^• 
 profligate as his father, and whom the com- 
 pany soon experienced to be equally faithless. 
 Usoph Khan, governor of Madura, a city 
 dependent on the nabob of Arcot, havin"- 
 neglected to pay the stipulated tril)ute, Ma*^ 
 hommed called upon the company for its 
 support in enforcing the payment. ' In com- 
 pliance with his request, a body of troops 
 was sent to reinforce the army with which the 
 nabob had invested Madura. TuIja Ji, in 
 order to lidl the suspicion of the company, 
 had sent auxiliaries to the besieging army, 
 while he secretly encouraged Usoph to i-te- 
 sistance by promises of support, and permitted 
 a body of French troops, which had served in 
 his army, to enter into the service of the re- 
 volted Khan. His treachery proved the des- 
 truction of the individual whom he meant to 
 serve. Merchand, a French officer, willing to 
 gain the favour of the nabob, betrayed his 
 trust, seized the person of Usoph, and de- 
 livered him up to Mahommed, by whom he 
 was instantly put to death. Such was the 
 conclusion of a war, as destructive to the 
 English, and as expensive to the nabob, as 
 trivial in its cause. 
 
 S2
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1763 to 1771.] 
 
 Imposition of Duties on the Ainericanx- — The Stamp Act — Universal Discontent of the 
 Colonies— :Riots hi Spitalftelds — Affairs of the East India Company — Election of Wilkes 
 for Middlesex — His Expidsion, and Re-election — Arffumenls adopted by both Parties — 
 Address of the City of London — Intrepidity of Beckford. 
 
 _p T^ ^-''^ beginning of the succeeding | eveiy part of his majesty's dominions contri- 
 ■'*■ J_ year, an unbounded love of power, I biite to the support of the govern.ment by 
 which was tlie predominant feature of the > which it is protected. But the imposition of 
 cabinet, laid the foundations of those differ- j the tax tended to establish a power in the 
 eiices between Great Britain and her colonies ; British legislature, to tax the colonies without 
 in North America, which ended in the inde- j their consent, which they were apprehensive 
 pendence of the latter. The parliament passed Miiight be abused to the purposes of oppres- 
 a law, in the beginning of the year 1764, ! sion. The great and decisive argument in 
 which, while it rendered the intercourse of the i favour, of their resistance rested upon the 
 Americans with other colonies in some respect \ simple and obvious proposition, that those 
 legal, loaded the most advantageous part of | who ure not represented in the great council of 
 it with such heavy duties, as amounted to a ! the nation cannot be subjected to (axation 'If 
 total prohibition. Not satisfied with imposing | many individuals in England Ite subjected to 
 this hardship, it ordered all the money arising ; the payment of a considerable annual contri- 
 from these duties to be paid in specie to the > bution to the revenue, their patrons and ad- 
 British exchequer; a regulation which must | visers, all whom they are acoustomed to regard 
 bave exhausted the colonies of the trivial \ with reverence, upon whom their interest is 
 portion of money which remained in their \ dependent, or who are qualified and aulho- 
 hands. X rised to illustrate their views, have access to 
 
 In this session, the celebrated act for kvy- 1 the national assembly, and are able to express 
 ing a duty on stamps on the British colonies j their wishes, and support their rights. But 
 of''North America, was brought forward by I the colonies were condemned to submit to the 
 the minister, but did not pass the lower house ; decisions of the English senate, unaided by 
 without long and warm debates. The right \ council, unsupported by their own propei* 
 of the parliament to tax the colonies, and the \ representatives; and were in the same sitna- 
 oxpedience of that act, were disputed. It is I tion as that to which the Irisli people would 
 difficult to determine on particular points, I have been subjected to the prerent day, had 
 when the question in debate is neither justified } they possessed neither a parliament of their 
 nor condemned by precedent. But a prudent | own, nor a share in that of the country, with 
 statesman will not, unless the occasion be 1 which they are connected. The minister, who 
 urgent, bring forward an obnoxious measure, ! was the author of the measures respecting 
 when the minds of men are in a state of irrita- \ American taxation, deferred the proposition of 
 tion, which excites them to oppose it. This $ the stamp duty some months after his intention 
 was the case in the present instance. The \ was announced, in order that the colonies 
 bill was founded on the principle of making j might have time to deliberate on the subject,
 
 CHAP. XIX] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 229 
 
 and might offer a compensation for the reve-|ofa few houses su.specled of .^iliiiir French 
 nue whicli the tax wouhl produce. He in- J silks, and compelliup; a nohleiuau 'who had' 
 formed (he agents tliat he was prepared to j treated their cause with harshju-ss to a!. scond. 
 receive pro[)osals froiu the colonies for any 5 the clamour was appeased. Tlie distress of 
 other tax, which nii^Iit be equivalent in its > the weavers did not so much arise from the 
 produce. But it was not to the amount of | iinportation of French silks, as from a de- 
 the tax that the Americans objected, but to | ficiency of the usual sale of their manufactures 
 its principle; the proposal only tended to i in the colonies. This conchi.sion was sug- 
 exasperate their resistance, and having evinced I gested by the privy-council, and impressed 
 no indication of acquiescence, the bill was i the mind of his majesty with an uiifavoura'ble 
 hurried through the house, and received the I opinion of the talents of the ministry. When 
 royal assent. j to these circumstances it is added, that the 
 
 On the arrival of intelligence at Boston, the I ministers had come to an open rupture with 
 rage of the populace was accompanied by the \ the earl of Bute, by dismissing his brother, 
 most evident expressions of sorrow and dis- t Mr. Stuart Mackenzie, and his friend lord 
 content. The colours of the shipping in the I Northumberland, from their emjiloyments, it 
 harbour were displayed half-mast high, in | can excite but little surprise tinU their autho- 
 token of the deepest mourning ; the bells rang | rity was nearly at an end. The Kockingham 
 muffled ; the act itself was printed, with the ; administration next succeeded, and the mar- 
 decoration of death's heads, and cried publicly | quis was appointed first lord of the treasury, 
 about the streets, under the title of t/ie Folly \ in the place of Mr. Grenville. The duke of 
 
 of Eugland, and the Ruin of America. The 
 provincial assemblies deriving boldness from 
 the imanimity displayed in the southern pro- 
 vinces, sanctioned the proceedings of the 
 multitude, by declaring that Great Britain 
 could claim no right to the imposition of taxes, 
 ■without their free consent. The assemblies 
 deputed a general congress, to be held at 
 New York, which petitioned his majesty for 
 redress of grievances. 
 
 The indisposition of the king, and his pa- 
 ternal regard to the welfare of his people, 
 induced him to propose a regency bill, by 
 which he might be enabled to appoint, in case 
 of his decea.se, the queen, or some other 
 person of the royal family, guardian of the 
 reahn, and of the heir apparent ; the princess 
 
 Grafton and Mr. Conway were made secre- 
 taries of state; Mr. Dowdswell chancellor of 
 the exchequer ; and the duke of Newcastle 
 lord privy-scal. The prevalence of party 
 spirit was at this period so general and so 
 violent, as to weaken the authority of govern- 
 ment, at home and abroad. Foreign nations 
 were averse to enter into negotiations with a 
 cabinet, of which the councils were so fluctu- 
 ating; and the inferior ranks of the English 
 nation lost the respect and reverence for their 
 rulers, which was necessary for the regular 
 and efficient management of public affairs. 
 The duke of Cumberland, employed in the 
 formation of a ministry, had failed in his 
 negotiation with Mr. Pitt and lord Temple, 
 who were unwilling to lose their popularity. 
 
 dowager of Wales, the mother of« the king, by sharing their power with the earlof Bute 
 was particularly mentioned as worthy of the \ and his party ; but the roya 
 
 regency. While this measure was under con- 
 sideration, the jouneymen silk-weavers of 
 London assendded, by beat of drum, in Spital- 
 anc 
 
 yal duke was more 
 successful in his application to lord Rocking- 
 ham, who, having no political character to 
 risk, was less rigid. Besides those which 
 
 fields and Moorfields, and proceeded, with \ have l)een mentioned, many of the other prin- 
 flags expressive of their grievances, to St. \ cipal offices were tilled with men, who were 
 James's. Conceiving themseJves injured by \ new to the ministerial list, and the duke of 
 the free use of French silks, they surrounded \ Newcastle was the only old statesman who 
 the palace, and houses of parliament, and \ strengthened the party. The youth and in- 
 presented a petition for the redress of their ) experience of the ministry were the chief 
 complaints. As the weavers in the country \ objections by which it was attacked ; but the 
 were reported to be approaching to join their > most effective motive of discontent, with the 
 «Iistres«ed brethren in London, considerable j great body of the people, was the exclusion 
 apprehensions were entertained fur the public » of Mr. Pitt. The arrangement of this ministry 
 tranquillity ; but, after breaking the windows \ was the last public act of the duke Of Cum-
 
 230 
 
 HISTORY OP ENOLAND. 
 
 [chap. XIX. 
 
 beriand, by whose intervention it was formed ; 
 his royal highness being taken suddenly ill, 
 at a private council, expired almost instan- 
 taneously in the 45th year of his age. 
 
 Scarcely had the new ministers entered 
 
 After several days of debate and deliberation, 
 the delegates drew up a declaration of the 
 rights and grievances of the colonies. The 
 declaration set forth that they owed the same 
 allegiance to the sovereign as the people of 
 
 into office, before they endeavoured to appease I Great Britain, and all due subordination to 
 the clamour of the Americans, by the most \ parliament. That they were entitled to the 
 judicious and conciliating conduct. By pre- i same rights, privileges, and immunities, as 
 serving a wise medium, by suspending their | their iellow-snbjects ; that no taxes could be 
 own judgment, and abstaining from violent | imposed on freeboni Britons, but by their own 
 measures of coercion, they neitlier urged their l consent, or that of their representatives ; that 
 fellow-snbjects to unpardonable acts o; des- i the colonies were not and could not be repre- 
 peration, nor prevented the legislature from j sented in parliament ; that all supplies to the 
 embracing pacific councils. In the mean \ crown were free gifts frotn the people ; that 
 time, the affairs of America became the sub- 1 therefore it was unreasonable in the British 
 ject'of general discussion, and numberless | parliament, to grant the property of the in- 
 pamphlets were published on both sides of the? habitants of the cdlonies ; and finally, that 
 question. Theadvocates for the colonies carried \ trial by jury was the right of a British subject, 
 their ideas of liberty to the highest pitch of en- They next proceeded to their grievances ; the 
 thusiasm ; and their antagonists seemed to | stamp act tended to subvert the rights and 
 imagine that every privilege, every birthright » liberties of the colonies. The duties imposed 
 of an Englishman was forfeited by crossing were unconstitutional in their principle, op- 
 the Atlantic. Those who affected the greatest | pressive in their operation, and could not be 
 candour and impartiality alleged, that the paid. Tiie British manufactures, \^hichthey 
 former, by considering the colonies as states, were in the habit of purchasing, contributed 
 allied, rather than subjected, to the mother- | greatly to tlie revenues ; the restrictions im- 
 country, furnished the strongest argument for j po***^*^' '^y the late acts would prevent them 
 giving an early check to this licentious spirit \ from purchasing these articles, and would 
 of freedom, and convincing them of their de- ^ consequently materially injure the finances; 
 pendence on the mother-country ; and that 5 the increase and prosperity of the colonies 
 the latter, by displaying their power, opulence, \ depended on the free enjoyment of their rights 
 and population, sufUciently evinced the neces- \ and liberties. 
 
 sity of treating them with cautious tenderness; i The congress became the medium of uni- 
 since, if their calculations had any solid foun- | versal concert and communication, among the 
 dation, it must be impossible to retain them i leading and most able men of the colonies, 
 long in subjection. . \ The moderation of their proceedings, the 
 
 When the change of ministry became } plausibility of their professions, the tone of 
 known in America, the spirit which had been respect which pervaded their complaints to 
 so long repressed burst into open violence, i the king and the parliament, manifested a 
 At Boston, 'the fury of the populace was di- i sound policy much moie formidable than 
 rected against the officers of the crown. Their | tumultuous violence. Associations were 
 liouses were pillaged, their furniture was de- i formed, for prohibiting the importation of 
 stroyed, and their persons endangered. The British manufactures, until the stamp act 
 governor assembled the council of the pro- should be repealed. Commerce was at a 
 vince, and found in them no inclination to '* ' "^ '"" ' 
 
 suppress the riots. He attempted to muster 
 some companies of militia, but they refused 
 to ol)cy his orders. The stamp officer, seeing 
 ihe danger of the employment he was required 
 to exercise, resigned his office. In the other 
 colonies no duty could be levied, and the act 
 was completely inefficient. Deputies from 
 nine of the thirteen colonies assembled on the 
 fst of October, to hold a general congress. 
 
 stand. The civil courts were unable to pro- 
 ceed ; the custon)s could not be levied ; and 
 Mr. Grenville's plan of taxation, so far from 
 improving the revenue, obstructed one of its 
 principal resources. 
 
 Thus stood the aflhir, when the parliament 
 met, on the 14tli of January, at the re- ,-.p/. 
 quest of the crown, which directed the 
 fullest information to be laid l)efore it, took 
 the subject into consideration. The debates
 
 CHAP. XIX.] 
 
 GEORGE 111. 
 
 231 
 
 turned upon two questions, the iiglit and 
 expediency of taxation. The ministers, who 
 were joined by a great jjiajority, afl5rmed tlie 
 right, hut denied the expediency. " The con- 
 stitution of this country," said they, " has been 
 always fluctuating, always gaining or losing: 
 even the represenialion of the commons was 
 not, till the reign of Ht nry VII., reduced to 
 any fixed system. What does it avail then to 
 recur to anlient records, when the constitution 
 is no longer the same ; whew no body can 
 ascertain its state at the times which are 
 quoted, and when there are, even in the great 
 charter, things wliicii are no more constitu- 
 tional ? Such niispliiced industry is as idle 
 as all that mass of learning and dissertation 
 colleclfd from natural lawyers, such as Locke, 
 Selden, Puffendorff, and other speciihuive 
 men, under whose arguments and relinenitiits 
 the subject has been aluinst buried. Beyond 
 the era of Edward I. or king John, the mode 
 of taxation is involved tiirough the uncertainty 
 of history in doubt and obscurity. Some of 
 the writs upon record were conformable, some 
 contrary, to law. Of the latter sort are those 
 issued for raising ship-money and extorting 
 benevolences. Can any just conclusion be 
 drawn from such discordant, such opposite 
 precedents? The marches of Wales did not 
 long enjoy the privilege of taxing themselves^ 
 ihey were, upon the accession of the prince of 
 Wales, annexed to the crown, and subjected 
 to the payment of taxes, like the rest of Eng- 
 land. Henry VIII. was the first who issued 
 writs for the return of two members to par- 
 liament. Before his time, this |)oint was left 
 ko the discretion of the crown : a circumstance, 
 which caused the great inequality observable 
 to this day in our representation. The same 
 prince allowed Calais the right of sending one 
 member to parliament ; and one of the coun- 
 ties pala'ine was taxed for the space Of fifty 
 years, before it acquired the right of repre- 
 sentation. Where then is the propriety of 
 saying that representation and taxation are 
 inseparaijiy connected, or, at least, that they 
 have been so in England since the first origin 
 of the constitution ? It is equally absurd to 
 draw any inference from the case of the clergy ; 
 because they were at no time unrepresented. 
 They had always a right of voting singly in 
 the election of members; they had bishops 
 and abbots as representatives in the house of 
 lords, and they were obliged by petition to 
 
 \ obtain the consent of parliament for taxing 
 - themselves. Any reasoning, founded on the 
 conduct of antiquity to their colonies, is but 
 an useless display of learning. None of the 
 antients formed a rcgularsystem of colonization 
 J but the Romans; whose plan, being nn'litary, 
 i implied a boundless and uncontroulabie an- 
 5 thority. The states of Holland were not 
 I colonies ; and nothing can be more different 
 ; from colonies than that inundation of men, 
 I who poured into the Roman empire from the 
 I North. These barbarous emigrants renounced 
 J all coimeclion with their native dcsarts and 
 I forests, which upon their departure remained 
 \ generally unpeopled, till another race of 
 I savages was forced to occupy their place. 
 But our colonies emigrated under the sanction 
 of the crown ant! parliament ; and, though 
 their governments were modelled by charters, 
 grants, and statutes, they were never eman- 
 I cipated, much less dismembered. They do 
 J not themselves deny their dependence on the 
 crown. How then can they help acknowledg- 
 ing their dependence on parliament, when 
 both are idseparable, and constitute one single, 
 undivided, and indivisible authority ? As 
 i soon as the commonwealth parliament was 
 \ formed, it discovered great jealousy of a 
 ^ separation of the colonies, and passed an act 
 ' establishing their authority over them. It is 
 a question whether this act be not still in 
 force ; and if it should not, constant usage, 
 without any express law, is sufficient to 
 determine the point. For have not the colo- 
 nies submitted since their first origin to the 
 jurisdiction of England ? Have they not 
 i appealed lO the privy-council in all questions 
 \ concerning projjerty ; and have they not been 
 I decided, not by the law of the colonies, but by 
 the law of England ? They have been fre- 
 quently at variance. New Hampshire and 
 Connecticut have been in blood about their 
 limits ; Virginia and Marjiand have taken up 
 arms against each other; circumstances, 
 which shew the necessity of one supreme 
 jurisdiction, to which all the inferior may 
 recur. As the constitutions of the several 
 colonies are composed of difl'erent ingredients, 
 they must, from the nature of things and 
 their particular I'elations, remain dependent 
 upon the mother-country or suffer a total 
 amputation. No man entertained a contrary 
 opinion, till the trumpet of sedition was lately 
 blown. Acts of parliaments, restraining and
 
 2:1*2 insTORV of England. [chap. xi\-. 
 
 rei^iilatiii;^- ihcir trade have been passed, not ; Those m'Iio embraced the opposite side of 
 oidv witlHint the least doubt of their legality, ; the question, among whom were Mr. Pitt 
 but with the greatest applause. The iiaviga- ; and lord Camden, argued with more force as 
 tion-act shiitiip tlieir commerce with foreign ; well as eloquence. " We acknowledge," said 
 nations, and made it centre in the bosom of ; they, " that the constitution has been always in 
 that conntry, from which they derive their ; a fluctuating state, and that the earlier periods 
 origin. Port'duties, cramping and diminishing ! of our history are not without obscurity. But 
 their trade, have been imposed without mur- ; does it hence follow that we are to form no 
 mur ; and regulations, such as the post, ; analogical reasonings upon them ? Because we 
 directly affecting their interior commerce, have ; know not the whole, must we make no use of 
 been embraced with alacrity. Till of late, ; what we do know ? Had our ancestors argued 
 none entertained the most distant suspicion ; in this manner, and built their arguments 
 that they were not to be taxed, regulated, ; upon the actual state of the constitution, they 
 and bound by parliament ; protection on the ! would have crouched beneath the rod of 
 one side necessarily implying obedience on ; tyranny, when it happened to be shook over 
 the other. Any corporation in England may i tJiem, and would never have made a single 
 claim the privilege of taxing itself as well as » eflTort to recover their just rights. We might 
 the colonies ; for they are virtually, if not ; now have groaned in vain beneath the yoke of 
 actually, represented as fully as the majority ! despotism. This doctrine is equally pregnant 
 of Englishmen. A tenth of the people have ; with absurdity and mischief. Let the actual 
 no voice in elections. Every objection, there- I situation of affairs be ever so bad, we must not 
 fore, drawn from this source is equally con- 5 look up to our forefathers for precedents, 
 elusive against the constitution. But such i because the struggles between jrivilege and 
 reasonings have but a sandy foundation ; i prerogative prevented them from Ijcing regular 
 since a member chosen fur a borough repre- ; and uniforni. What, then ! are there no 
 sents not only the constituents or inhabitants | general maxims, no principles congenial to 
 of that particular place, but the inhabitants of ; the constitution, to guide our researches in 
 the whole kingdom. In the same manner ihaf ; this region, which you represent as obscure 
 he represents Loudon and all tl;e commons j and perplexed? \\ hat is become of that un- 
 of the island, he represents the colonies ; and i alienable right of a British subject, which 
 is in duty and conscience bound to consult < secures him from being taxed or judged, but 
 their interest. The distinction of external > by the common cor)Spnt of his peers? This 
 and internal taxes is entirely false and ground- I is the first, the vital principle of our liberty, 
 less. If we !iave a right to lay the one, we; which is antecedent to all political charters ; 
 must have the same to lay the other; since : for it is the charter of human nature, and is 
 the effects of both are the same, and they ; inherent to all freemen. Nor can it be for-] 
 differ only in the places of collection. A tax ; feited, even by slaves ; they may resume it, 
 is like a pebble dropt into a lake, and nmking ! whenever power reverts into their hands. Our 
 circle after circle, till the whole surface, from ; great charter, the bill of rights, most- of our 
 the centre to the circumference, is agitated ; | writs for electing members, bear witness to 
 for nothing can be more evident, than that a > this truth, without which, as a clue, our history 
 tax laid upon tobacco, either in the ports of ; cannot be unravelled. Can it then be con- 
 England or Virginia is as much a duty laid ! ceived that the colonists did not emigrate j 
 upon the inlaufl plantations of Virginia, as if « with this right, which does not depend uponi 
 it were collected an hundred miles up the conn- ; particular charters, but u])()n human nature? 
 try, on tlie spot where the tobacco grows. ; Their charters are only the exterior model of 
 Besides, were tlicre no other argument, the I their constitution ; but this undefeasible claini, 
 unwarrantal)lti |)rocee(lings of the colonists ! this general right of a British subject is the 
 will justify any exertion of i)Ower ; for they ; great internal principle, or soid, by which it 
 have absolutely forfeited their charters by $ is actuated and invigorated. Such is the 
 appointing deputies to a general congress, ; doctrine of Locke, Selden, and Harrington, 
 which was only another name for an universal ; men, \\hom we shall always be glad to litid on 
 conspiracy against the dignity and legislative I our side. Those who would ridicule their 
 rights of Gnat Britain." 5 authority, woidd do well to postpone their
 
 CHAP. XIX.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 23.3 
 
 attacks till their names are become equally | expence; all ties, therefore, except those 
 respectable. The people of this country have \ common to all mankind, were dissolved be- 
 too much sense to be more influenced by ; tween them and her ; obedience and protection 
 titles and high station than l)y sense and argu- I being reciprocal duties, they were absolved 
 ment. The case indeed is so platn and evi- > from the former, as she neglected the latter, 
 dent, that tin re is no occasion for their autho- ; What can be more absurd than that the 
 rity. What does it avail to observe, that one | legislature, which had not power to shield 
 
 of the counties palatine was taxed for the space 
 of fifty years, before it sent any members to 
 
 them from the violence of the crown, should 
 claim from thera that submission, which it 
 
 parliament, since that right was at last con- i would itself refuse to any dther ? When the 
 
 firmed ; and proved more clearly than if it had 
 never been contested, the justness of the 
 claim ? The rest of the counties palatine, as 
 well as tiie inarches of Wales, continued to be 
 taxed i)y their own assemblies or parliaments, 
 till they were at different j)eriods melted down 
 into our present torn) of parliamentary repre- 
 sentation. The observations upon the repre- 
 sentation of the clergy are equally insignificant. 
 The bisiiops and abbots did not sit with the 
 lords as de])uties of the clergy; that idea is 
 inconsistent with the nature and constitution 
 of that house ; they sat there, like the lay 
 peers, by virtue of their baronies. And it is 
 
 people of Britain contended with tyrants, it 
 could not be with a view of copying their 
 usurpation. If liberty be the just right of 
 those who have sense enough to know its 
 value, and courage enough to undergo every 
 danger and fatigue for its preservation or 
 recovery, the Aniericans have a better claim to 
 it than the English ; since besides facing, in- 
 the wilds ot America, enemies much more 
 dreadful than any to be encountered by the 
 friends of independence in the fields of 
 Britain, they had not only renounced their 
 native country, and all its tender endearments, 
 so congenial to the human mind, but braved 
 
 apparent, that the inferior clergy were not j all the perils and hardships of a long voyage, 
 
 fully represented in the lower house, but in \ 
 the convocation. Else how could they be 
 excluded from that house, or allowed to tax 
 their own body ? Many entertam too high an 
 idea of parliamentary authority, when they 
 sup))Ose it capable of effecting every thing. It 
 must have the concurrence of the people to 
 establish this omnipotence ; else it would be 
 arbitrary and uncontroulable ; a power, as 
 dangerous in a small body of men as in a 
 single individual. This right of taxing them- 
 selves, which the colonists derive from the 
 same source as the English, is one of these 
 sacred points, which a parliament cannot 
 without profanation touch. By this rule of 
 right, the charters of the colonies are, like all 
 other crown-giants, to be interpreted for the 
 benefit, not the prejudice of the subject. 
 These chaiters they accepted through mere 
 necessity; and as it was not of their creation, 
 they cainiot be obligatory ; the obligation 
 ceasing with the necessity, which was its 
 parent. But suppose them bound by these 
 charters, lliey are only bound to that allegiance, 
 which the supreme head of the realm may 
 claim indiscrimiiialely from ail subjects. Being 
 originally expelled out of their native country 
 by civil and religiorjS persecution, they settled ^ 
 their present abodes at their own risk and ; 
 
 H h 
 
 and, after escaping the fury of winds and 
 waves, run the risk of perishing on shore by 
 a slow famine. If, in the first years of their 
 existence, one of the colonies was guilty of 
 some intemperate sallies, and all were exposed 
 to enemies, which obliged them to request 
 assistance from the English, that necessity 
 was now, superseded by their own internal 
 strength. VVhatever support they had ve- 
 ceived in their infancy from England, they 
 must have received it from motives of humanity 
 and fraternal affection, or with the view of 
 being one day repaid ; and not as the price of 
 their liberty and independence. At least, the 
 colonies cannot be supposed to have accepted 
 it on any other terms ; as slavery, to which 
 they have such an unconquerable aversion in 
 every shape, must have been doubly odious 
 to them from the hands of a presumed, but 
 insidious, friend. If the former were the 
 motives, have they not always discovered the 
 strongest gratitude ? If the latter, have they 
 not made ample returns by actual assistance, 
 and by the balance accruing from the many 
 restrictions laid on their trade r It is only 
 owing to misinformation, that we lay to their 
 cliarge the expence of the last wai', which 
 indeed took its rise in America, but was 
 entirely a British quarrel, or rather a contention 
 13
 
 234 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XIX- 
 
 with France fur empne. The Americans had \ them necessary to the trade carried on with 
 no disputes with the French or Indians, either \ us ; and because the colonies of all the mari- 
 about the limits of IVova Scotia, or the terri- \ time powers in Europe stand in the same pre- 
 tories on the Ohio. Till the defeat of Bra"d- i dican)eiit. The duties of the post being 
 dock they were never attacked, and the reafsOB j solely calculated for their own interest, and 
 is evident ; they are not concerned in the | an useful regulation rather than a tax, they 
 Indian trade; it is entirely carried on« by | have always encouraged on the same principle. 
 British merchants, and with British manufac- j But before real internal taxes can be justly 
 tures. The colonists are chiefly farmers and ! imposed upon them by the supreme legisla- 
 planters: scarce any article which they raise | tnre, they must be represented in that assem- 
 is an object of commerce with th€ savages. So ; biy ; an event, which the nature of things and 
 that the war, being commenced for the defence ! the order of providence have rendered im- 
 of territories belonging to no American, and ; practicable. Nothing can be weaker than to 
 for the protection of a trade purely British, i allege tl)at they are virtually represented, 
 had nothing American in it but the name and i The Americans cannot in that respect pretend 
 sceiie of action. Yet the different provinces ; to equal the Irish. Not to speak of the many 
 contributed largely towards bringing it to | Englishmen possessed of large estates and 
 a happy conclusion ; and were as forward in ; great places in Ireland, nor of their immediate 
 their endeavours to render the British arms i descendants settled in that country, many 
 triumphant, as they were, when they sent | Irish noblemen and gentlemen sit in both 
 3000 men to assist in the expedition against I houses of parliament ; and many more still 
 Carthagena, and as they will always be, i reside in England. Yet, notwithstanding this 
 wherever the interest of the British empire is J virtual representation, the parliament has 
 concerned. Their past conduct proves that | >elinquished all claims of taxing Ireland, 
 they make no distinction of wars, but are ; Why should America be treated with more 
 willing to co-operate with the head of the ; indignity ? Because they have hitherto sub- 
 enopire as far as their power extends. Had ! milled to laws enacted by the Bfilish parlia- 
 the first inhabitants of the colonies renounced \ luent ? They are no more affected by these 
 all connection with the mother-country, they ^precedents, than the English are by their 
 might have renounced their original right by \ lameness under the dictates of the Tudors, or 
 positive institution, but not that derived from \ the rod of the Stuarts. But the fact is, that 
 nature. But as they emigrated under the ! they never did acquiesce in the parliament's 
 authority of the crown, and with the national « right to tax them. The resolutions of the Vir- 
 sanction, they quitted Britain, in possession of; ginian assemblies are clear and strong against 
 thisgreat privilege, by virtue of both principles. I the exercise of this arrogated power. Their 
 As they tied, from the heavy hand of power, $ protests may be seen in the journals of their 
 to climes which they hoped to find more! house; and it is probable that, upon enquiry, 
 friendly to their principles of civil and reli- ! similar acts may be found in the records of 
 gious liberty, it has been universally received I the other provinces. It is ridiculous to 
 as law, that acts of parliament, and particu- ! advance that they are like boroughs, which 
 larly those which specify any penalty, are not j have only a right to make bye-laws, but are 
 binding on the colonies, unless they are par- ; bound by all statutes. All boroughs have 
 ticularly named. The inhabitants of the j representatives ; the colonies have none, and 
 colonies, once removed from the domestic ; therefore cannot be bound by the acts of an 
 . legislation of Britain, are no more dependent \ assembly, of which they make no part. By 
 on it in the general system than the Isle of n the original constitution of their charters, 
 Man is, or than, in the feudal system, many j indeed, iheir laws must not be inconsistent 
 subordinate principalities were dependent on \ with those of England ; but this circumstance 
 the jurisdiction of the lord paramount, to \ gives the parliament no more authority over 
 whom they owed only a limited obedience. | them, than as if they had lain under the same 
 We mean not, by what has been said, to deny X restraints with regard to the laws of Scotland, 
 Britain the right of laying external duties and *' or of any other country. Equally futile is 
 restrictions on their commerce. To these ; the objection drawn from Tneir toleration of 
 they voluntarily submit, because they esteem i slavery. If they be judged on that account
 
 CJIAP. XIX. i GEORGE Hi. 23'> 
 
 incapable of legislation, they will only be j persuaded that they live in the enjoyment of 
 placed on a level with the antient Romans, | freedom. It will be no easy matter to shew 
 Spartans, and other nations, who were the ; to men in such a state, which of the usual 
 most renowned for wisdom and political^ parts of the definition or description of a free 
 knowledisc. But had the parliament ever so i people is applicable to them ; and it is neitiier 
 good a right to tax the colonies, it has no | wise nor pleasant to attempt to prove, that 
 right to impose taxes which are in their con- | they have no right to be comprehended in 
 sequences attended with injustice and tyranny. ; such a description. Whether all this be re- 
 By the stamp-act, the prosecutor may bring | concilable to legal speculation is a matter of 
 an action against the supposed delinquent in » little moment. It is reconciled in policy • 
 a court situated at one extremity of America, ^ and politics ought to be adjusted, not to' 
 though the trespass was committed at the \ human reasoning, but to human nature • of 
 other extremity, at the distance perhaps of | which the reason is but a part, and by' no 
 2000 miles ; and yet tiie defendant, though he { means the greatest part. 
 
 should cast the plaintiff, is entitled to no 5 The grand committee, which had brought 
 damages, if the judge certifies that there was j in the resolution, on which the foregoing bill 
 a probable foundation for the prosecution. ! was grounded, had also passed another for 
 Besides the judge has an evident interest in \ the repeal of the stamp act. 
 giving a verdict for the plaintiff, as he is i But the opposition, far from being discou- 
 allowed a large share of the penalties by way t raged, seemed to gather new strength from the 
 of commission. Was there ever an act so full ^ late act. So many instances of the inexpe- 
 of iniquity, so totally subversive of all law ; diency of taxing the Americans had already 
 and justice! Could the most despotic tyrant | occurred, that the question was hardly con- 
 expect that the most abject vassals would ; troiertible. They changed therefore their 
 submit to such an humiliating yoke !" ; ground, and founded their defence upon the 
 
 Notwithstanding the foice of these argu- ; bill for securing the dependency of the 
 ments, the right of taxation, in its fullest ex- 1 colonies. According to them, " the total repeal 
 tent, was declared in both houses, without a ; of the stamp-act, while such an outrageous 
 division. The more sober and sensible part ; resistance continued, would not only lessen 
 of the men who voted for this declaratory act, > our authority, but render it contemptible, 
 did not embrace that measure so much from ; Such submission of the supreme legislature to 
 any opinion of its future use in regular taxa- I subordinate provincial assemblies, established 
 tion, as from a sense of the evil consequences | only by prerogative, which had no such 
 which would flow from the contrary doctrine. | powers to bestow, will discover so much 
 They saw that the general reasonings employed ! weakness and timidity, as will necessarily 
 against that power gave a rude shock to our j breed fresh insults, and produce in the end a 
 whole legislative right ; and they imagined ! total separation. The power of taxation is 
 that it coidd not be yielded to any arguments ; the most essential branch of all authority ; 
 without a virtual surrendertif all our authority. I and it cannot be equally extended to all the 
 "If," said they, "this jrarticular power of « members of the state, in proportion to their 
 levying money in the colonies be noC retained ; respective abilities. Sutler a part to remain 
 in our hands, as a sacred trust, to be used, ; exempted from a share of those burdens, 
 not in the first instance for supply, but in the i which the public exigencies require to be 
 last exigence for control, it is obvious that the i imposed on the whole, and you destroy by 
 presiding authority of Great Britain, as the » your partiality that confidence, on which all 
 head, ilie arbitress, and directress of the ; governmeiit should be founded. It is in vain 
 whole empire, must vanish into an empty « that jou assert tiie inability of the colonists 
 name, wi»iiont energy or operation ; all unity | to coiuply with the terms of the stamp-act. 
 and subordination will be at an end ; ifthejihe state of their finances overturns your 
 power be habituall'y exercised, no trace of | argument. Of the debt contracted in. the last 
 freedom can remain to America." A great ; w ar, they have in three years payed off 
 people, whose property is in all cases, and ! £1,755,000, and the remaining £'76.3,000 will 
 without reserve, at llie dlsjwsal of another ; be discharged in the course of two years more, 
 people, at an tnnnense distance, ran never be I What other proofs are wanting to shew that 
 
 H li 2
 
 236 
 
 HISTORY OP ?:NGLAND. 
 
 [chap. X!X. 
 
 they are able, though not willing, to ease the 
 mother-country of her heavy burdens ? No- 
 thing could be more fatal to the colonies than 
 the parliament's renunciation of its authority, 
 which from long usage has become constitu- 
 tional ; a total dissolution of government 
 would ensue. It is easy to foresee, that from 
 the discordant heterogeneous principles, of 
 which their different governments are com- 
 posed, there would ,be no end of feuds and 
 factions, when there existed no power of suffi- 
 cient force or authority to terminate their 
 mutual differences. A new form of govern- 
 ment, or subjection to a foreign yoke, must be 
 the necessary consequence. At any rate they 
 will have reason to lament the hour, in which 
 they renounced their dependence on parlia- 
 ment, whose authority has hitherto rendered 
 their own goveriiments extremely mild to the 
 subject, and at the same time secured them 
 from the heavy hand of the executive power, 
 which, in consequence of this new plan, will 
 find it an easy matter to turn the arms of one 
 province against another, and, in the end, 
 to involve them all in the same general 
 slavery." 
 
 The ministry argued with more force and 
 conviction. "We have," said they, "suffi- 
 ciently provided for the honour, dignity, and 
 superiority of Britain, by the declaratory act, 
 which has secured it from the least imputa- 
 tion of weakness or timidity, and consequently 
 from any fresh insults, excited by the inso- 
 lence of success. We readily admit the 
 propriety of levying on the whole empire a 
 proportionable share of the general expence : 
 but the heavy debt contracted by the Ameri- 
 cans, in the course of the war, demonstrates 
 that they have not been wanting in that point. 
 The act of parliament, by which part of their 
 disbursements has been since refunded, un- 
 answerably proves, that you were of opinion 
 that they had contributed beyond their abili- 
 ties. As to any dangers arising from their 
 various governments, and the want of an um- 
 pire to settle their differences, they will trust 
 to their own wisdom and prowess rather than 
 submit to a master. Hitherto they have had 
 little occasion to apply to an intermediate , 
 power. Flaving weathered the storm in their \ 
 infancy, can you expect to persuade them X 
 that they will not prove equally successful \ 
 in their manhood ? This remarkable inter- \ 
 position of parliament in their concerns has ; 
 
 not impressed on their mind.^ the most favour- 
 able ideas of its justice or wisdom. Their 
 disobedience to this act is universal. Noliiing, 
 therefore, but a strong military as well as 
 naval force, can reduce the seditious to 
 reason. ISor will it be sufficient to send it to 
 one place; every province of America must 
 be traversed and subdued. Were such a 
 measure embraced, little doubt can be enter- 
 tained of success. A year or two, at most, 
 would complete the conquest. And if the 
 question was about reducing a foreign nation, 
 a case in which every successful stroke would 
 add to our power, and take from that of a 
 rival, a just war, \vith such undisputed supe- 
 riority, would certainly be an adviseable 
 undertaking. But four millions of debt, due 
 to our merchants from the Americans, the 
 total cessation of a trade annually worth four 
 millions more, a large foreign traffic, much 
 home manufacture, a very capital revenue, 
 arising immediately from colony imports, and 
 indeed the produce of all our revenues ma- 
 terially depending on the same cause; all 
 these circumstances accumulated, are very 
 weighty considerations, at least well to be 
 weighed, before we draw that sword, which 
 even by its victories must produce all the 
 pernicious effects of the greatest national 
 defeats. How public credit must suffer in 
 such a crisis, needs not be told. If the con- 
 dition of the nation, at the close of the last 
 foreign war, was so deplorable as you repre- 
 sent it, this civil war will be found a bad 
 couch, on which to repose our wearied virtue. 
 Far from being able to enter into new plans 
 of cpconomy, we must launch into a new, a 
 boundless sea of expence. Such an addition 
 of debt, with such a diminution of trade and 
 revenue, will leave us in no want of your 
 dolorous lamentations, to aggravate the pic- 
 ture of our distresses. Our trade at this 
 moment feels these mischiefs to its vitals ; and 
 we ought to sympathise with the feelings of 
 the whole body of our merchants and manu 
 facturers, whose numerous petitions uniformly 
 declare that their trade is entirely at a stand, 
 and • that it will be totally ruined, if this 
 obnoxious act be not repealed. Will any 
 wise senator laugh at their universal alarm, as 
 an ill-grounded Or a pretended panic ? No ; 
 he must allow great weight to their uiitmiinous 
 opinion, in every coumierciai question ; nor 
 will he slight their advice in points relating
 
 CHAP. XIX.] GEORGE III. 237 
 
 to the revenue. Nothinsj is more quickly or \ our commerce ? Though the American seas 
 more deeply affected by the taxes than tra(4e ; i are covered with ships, if is with our ships, 
 and if an American tax afforded any real i our sailors, our merchandise. Tliey all 
 relief to England, no part of the community i labour for us ; we are the masters, they the 
 would be sooner, or more materially, relieved I servants; and the principal share of the profit 
 by it than our merchants. But they well know S reniains in our hands. VVe have every thin"- 
 that our trade is more burdened by one penny > but the pecu/ium, without wliicli even slaves 
 raised in America, than by three in England ; ; will not work. What then shall we say to 
 and more than by ten, if that penny be raised > those reasonings which infer, from the many 
 with the confusion, murmurs, and discontents ; restraints under which we have already laid 
 of Anierica. The colonies were evidently i the colonists, that they are to be subjected to 
 founded in subservience to our comnjerce. ; all manner of restraints ? True policy and 
 Hence the whole system of our laws concern- 1 a little prudence would have taught us, that 
 ing them is a system of restrictions. We have | "e ought rather to compensate so many re- 
 established a double monopoly, a monopoly ; straints by every indulgence not incompatible 
 of their whole import, which must be all from j with our interest. We have the management 
 Great Britain ; and a monopoly of their whole ; of a great empire, composed of a vast mass 
 export, which, as far as it can be of any \ of heterogeneous governments, all more or 
 service to us, must be no where but to Great » less free and popular in their forms, all to be 
 Britain. On the same principle it was con- ! kept in peace and out of conspiracy with one 
 trived that they should send us all their pro- ? another, and in subordination to this country ; 
 ducts raw and in their first state, and that they » vvhile the whole is pervaded by the spirit of 
 should receive all our goods in the last stage | an extensive and intricate trading intei'est, 
 of manufacture. Can such a peoole iie deemed 5 always qualifying and often controling every 
 a just object of taxation or revenue ? The i general idea of constitution and government, 
 original purpose of tlieir foundation must 5 It is a great and difficult object ; heaven grant 
 first be eluded ; every restrictive trade-law i that we may have wisdom and temper enough 
 must first ha\e become useless and ineffectual, j to manage it as we ought. Its importance is 
 The Americans are rather factors and servants ; infinite. Sixty-two years ago our whole trade 
 to this ishiiid than subjects, who, being on ' to the plantations exceeded l)ut a few pounds, 
 an equal footing, should bear an equal share j in exports, that which we now carry on with 
 of public burdens. They are always in debt I the single island of Jamaica, and fell a third 
 to our merchants, because the i)alance of | short of it in the value of the imporls. Our 
 trade, and consequently the course of ex- I dealings with most of the European nations 
 change, is vastly against them. They have > is but little increased ; these nations have 
 therefore much of the merchants' money to I since that time remained pretty much at a 
 trade with as a capital. They are entrusted J stand, and we have rivals in their trade. Our 
 with m:iny talents, and they do not hide tliem ; intercourse with the colonies is a new world 
 in a napkin ; they return them ten-fold. Are | of commerce, which we have in a manner 
 they not then to be considered as labourers to ; created. It is grown up to this magnitude 
 our merchants ; as tributaries to this kingdom ? \ within the memory of man ; its parallel cannot 
 In this light they have always appeared to i be found in history, and it stands upon prin- 
 every man conversant in commerce ; and there > ciples of its own ; principles, that on2;ht not 
 are the surest grounds for concluding, that i to be sacrificed to any little consideration of 
 the greater the sums are, with which they are | extorted revenue; much less to a revenue 
 entrusted by our merchants, for improving | like this, which is more speculative than real, 
 their plantations and staple commodities, the | which is better calculated for enriching a 
 greater will be the advantages which will \ swarm of ministerial creatures than for re- 
 accrue to this nation. What then can be \ plenishing the treasury. The vast extent of 
 more impolitic than to levy, by an internal tax, \ the country, and the many temptations thence 
 ID the laving of which we are, through our I arising to smuggling, must render such a 
 ignorance and distance, liable to commit so I munber of collectors necessary, that, after 
 many mistakes and oppressions, what must » they are paid, hardly the value of a pepper-corn 
 finally centre amongst us by the nature of ; will reach the exchequer. And what is worse,
 
 2:38 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. fCHAP. XIX. 
 
 fen times the amount of the tax will be raised J view all dispatches, all remonstrances from 
 on tlic Americans ; as the great <listance of ; America against passing the act, as they ren- 
 tiie distributors of stamps will often oblige ; dered by these means the wisdom of parlia- 
 them to take a journey, which will cost them ; ment as improvident as their own temerity, 
 four or live pounds, that the treasury may I They are due to their obstinate perseverance 
 gain six-pence. Do you recollect that the ; in error; as they would urge us to chastise, as 
 subjects of this imposition are the descendants | rebellion, that despair which is totally owing 
 of Englishmen ; men of a high and free spirit, > to their own blindness and precipitance." 
 whom it will neither be wise, nor long practi- i In consequence of these arguments, the 
 cable, to keep under a government made up of I stamp-act was repealed, by a majority of 276 
 nothing but restraints, penalties, and taxes, in ; to lfi7, and some time afterwards a bill was 
 the establishing- of which they have no share ? ! passed to indemnify those who had incurred 
 People must be ruled in a manner agreeable ; the stipulated jjenalties. In order still 
 to their teujper and disposition; and above ! more fully to gratify the wrshes, and re- 
 all people of a free and independent cliaracter. ; store the tranquillity of the nation, the 
 The British colonist must see something, ! cyder-act was repealed ; general warrants 
 which will distinguish him from the colonists | and the seizure of papers were declared 
 of other nations. Will he therefore subujit j to be illegal ; and many important regu- 
 without murmur to a tax, which, if not un- Nations were established, with respect to the 
 constitutional, is at least impolitic? He must j general system uf our commerce with th^ 
 have been sensible that he payed before his 's colonies, A treaty was concluded with 
 full quota of public burdens. Where is the | Russia, very advantageous to the English 
 necessary or convenience of life, which he ' merchants. The ministers adju 'Ted, to the 
 did not receive from this island ? Did he not | satisfaction of the owners, the disjuife respect- 
 therefore pay every tax, witii which these | ing the Canada bills, due to our merchants by 
 necessaries and conveniences are loaded ? \ the Erench government. They procured an 
 Nothing is more evident. Not a single manu- ; ad for restraining the importation of foreign 
 facture, not a single article of com:nerce enters ; silks, ihus exciting the gratitude of the British 
 an American port, without being charged « manufacturers ; and promoted many other 
 with all our taxes; for the suppiession of j ads conducive to the general welfare of the 
 manufactures in that country con)prises every \ community. Yet the administration, with all 
 species of taxes in one, and makes the colo- \ its merits, was unable to acquire security or 
 nists in reality the supporters of a large share j stability. The Whigs who had not been in- 
 of our public burdens. But what do we say ? \ eluded in the dispensation of offices, and the 
 The suppression of manufactures in that ; friends of the prerogative, who acquiesced 
 country ? Alas ! that was once the case, but j in the ascendancy of lord Bute, were equally 
 is now so no more. There was a time, when ; opposed to the continuance of their power, 
 the colonies and this island laboured mutually ! 'J'he lord chancellor Northington, being con- 
 for each other, and pursued these objects, for * suited on a sketch of a constitution lor the 
 which they were severally fitted by their situa- ! government of Canada, framed by Mr. Burke, 
 tion and respective improvements. Now, i not only condemned it, in the most uuquali- 
 thanks be to the late ministry for it, they are I fied terms, but represented the ministers, to 
 striving to undo each other, and are in a state T his majesty, as totally inexperienced in busi- 
 of open rivalry. It is not the fault of the ; ness, and imfit for office. His opinion ac- 
 same senators, if they are not soon in a slate ; corded with the wishes of the king, and 
 of open enmity and' hostility. The evident i nieasures were adopted for the arrangement 
 tendency of their speeches is to hurry us into ; of a new adminislration. 
 
 rash and violent councils. But it is to be j Ovf.kturks were proffered by lord Bute, 
 lioped that we'have more wisdom, more know- I for a coalition between the court party and 
 ledge than to widen those breaches which $ lord Temple, which that nobleman positively 
 they have made, or to render incurable those ! rejected. Advances were then made to Mr. 
 wounds which their folly and their wickedness I Pitt, and he wa.s offered a carle blanche for 
 have inflicted. These names are due to the 5 the state appointments. Mr. Pitt acceded to 
 treachery with which they withheld from our J this proposal, taking the place of privy-seid,
 
 CHAP. X!X.] GEORGE in 
 
 239 
 
 ivbich was to be accompanied by an earldom | cliatiges and disputes. To conciiiate the 
 
 to himself, while the ear! of Temple was d^- ; friciul!:;hip of the duke of Newcastle, who was 
 
 signed to til! that of first lord of He treasury. » united with iiie marquis of Buckino-hani in 
 
 The latter, tiiuiiiig, from a formal interview, j opposition to the court, lord Ed"-econibe was 
 
 that, while he was to have the most responsi- > dismissed from the office of treasurer of the 
 
 ble station, Mr. Pitt was to retain the uncon- ; household, and Mr. Slielly, his '^race's near 
 
 trolled adiiiinistration of aflairs, left the con- \ relative, appointed his successor The ex- 
 
 ference in disgust. Mr. Pitt next made j pedient exciting the resentment of lord Ed^e- 
 
 overlures to several persons, whose influence ! combe and his friends, the duke of Portland 
 
 might have compensated the loss of earl ! and *;veral other individuals immediately 
 
 Temple, but with such an air of conscious ; resigned. Sir Edward Hawke was appointed 
 
 superiority, as prevented their acceptance. | first lord of the admiralty ; lord Le Despencer 
 
 At length, the duke of Grafton, who had been ? was made post-master; and Mr. Jenkinson 
 
 secretary of state in the marquis of Rocking- i the earl's private secretary, was introduced 
 
 ham's admniistration, was made first lord of > to the admiralty board. 
 
 the treasury; and general Conway, another; Soon after the formation of the new ministry 
 member of the Whig party, was continued ; several tumults were occasioned bv the di's- 
 secretary of state. His colleague Avas the j tresses of the poor, from tiie high price of 
 earl of Siielburue, a noijleman of considerable i provisions; many lives were lost, and the 
 abilities, a zealous admirer of Mr. Pitt, and | magistrates were at length obliged to call in 
 possessing a great extent of literary and j the military to the aid of tiie civil power. On 
 political information. Mr. Charles Townsend ; the llth of Septendjer, a proclamation 
 v?as appointed chancellor of the exchequer ; | was issued against forestallers, secre- ^'^^^• 
 lord chief justice Pratt, created lord Camden^ j ters, and engrossers of corn; and, as the 
 was made chancellor; his predecessor, the > price of wheat continued to increase, another 
 earl of W orthington, yvas made president of ; proclamation was issued on the 26tli, pro- 
 the council ; and Mr. Pitt himself took the | hibiting the exportation of grain, and laying 
 privy-seal. His acceptance of the tide of ; an enibargo on all ships outward bound, and 
 earl of Chatham, with a pension, and his ; laden with corn. A law was enacted, by 
 apparent partiality in these appointments to ; which the governor, council, and asseml)iy of 
 indiviihials, acceptable iii the eyes of the | New York were prohdiited from passing any 
 favourite, undermined the popularity of that ; act, till they had in every respect corriplied 
 illustrious .statesman. Yet his age might | with the requisition of parliament, by supplvin* 
 justify a retreat from the active business of; the British troops with necessaries in their 
 state to the more tranquil exercise of his ; quarters, conformable to an act of the last 
 influence in the upper house ; his services ; session ; to which the inhabitants of the 
 demanded remuneration, and a just regard to ; country had determined to |)ay no obedience, 
 the interests of his family induced him to ; At the rising of parliament, lord Chatham 
 accept it. His selection, indeed, of the mem- j relinquished all public business; and the 
 bers which composed his ministry was un- ; ministry were further weakened bv the death 
 fortunate for his country and himself The ; of Mr. Townsend in the month of September, 
 countenance of the favourite rendered the | He was succeeded in the chancellorship of 
 individuals of his election superior to his ; the exchequer by lord North, and soon 
 influence. A victim to chagrin and regret, : after a coalition was effected with the *^°^* 
 he proved by his own example how necessary ; Bedford party, in consequence of which earl 
 are moderation in prosperity, and the milder ; Gower was appointed president of the coun- 
 graces of life to the satisfactory enjoyment i cil. The earl of Hillsborough was made 
 of splendid talents. The conflict of his ; secretary of state; and lord Weymouth 
 passions exasperated the violence of his | secretary for the American plantations ; an 
 gout, and brought him to the brink of the t of?ice lately created. 
 
 S^^^'t- I In the course of the session, the affairs of 
 
 The weakness and incapacity of the ad- | the East India company had occupied the 
 
 ministration, no longer guided by his power- j sedulous attention of the government. The 
 
 ful' intellect, was soon exhibited in repeated ; wealth and revenue of the company had been
 
 210 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XIX. 
 
 iiiiich extended hy tlie treaty concluded 
 will) the great mognl, which constituted the 
 company his duans, or receivers of his reve- 
 inie, in llie jiroviiices of Bengal, Bahar, and 
 Orissa. It was naturally expected, therefore, 
 that as our Indian possessions had so uuich 
 increased in value, there would be a propor- 
 tionable rise in the dividends. The jMoprie- 
 tors solicited the directors to declare an 
 increase of the dividend, now payable at only 
 6 per cent. ; and, on their refusal, proceeded 
 to vote to that effect by a great niajorify. 
 When the atfairs of the company were brought 
 before the house, several members, and among 
 thetn lord Chatham, denied the right of the 
 company to have territorial possessions, as 
 they were not conveyed by their charters^, 
 and were totally foreign to the nature and 
 object of a trading corpora'tion. The sup- 
 porters of the opposite opinion denied that 
 the charter restricted its holders from ac- 
 quiring territory. After many debates and 
 representations, the company engaged to pay 
 to government £400,000 yearly, for two years, 
 by half-yearly payments ; during which time 
 the territory and revenues, lately obtained, 
 
 in force, and offered himself a candidate for 
 the county of Middlesex. Availing himself 
 of the mar(|ui8 of Rockingham".s appoin'jiient 
 to the treasury, he attempted a reconciliation 
 with the government, through the medium of 
 Mr. Burke, but his concessions were not such 
 as could be expected. His application to the 
 duke of Grafton, with whom he had lived in 
 habits of familiar intercourse, and upon whom 
 lie liad conferred many obligations, was equal- 
 ly unsuccessful. Incensed at this contemp- 
 tuous treatment, he became the bitter enemy 
 of that nobleman, and gratified his revenge 
 by a severe and sarcastic exposition of his 
 character and habits. An exile from his 
 country, destitute of personal respectability, 
 notorious for his licentiousness and dishonesty, 
 surrounded by clamorous and defrauded 
 creditors, the people so far forgot his personal 
 frailties, in the ardour of their enthusiasm' for 
 the cause of liberty, that notwithstanding his 
 defeat in the city of London, he offered him- 
 self to the county of Middlesex, and was 
 returned by a great majority. Every indica- 
 tion of attachment was displayed on the part 
 of the populace; and their enthusiasm was 
 
 were to continue in the hands of the present ; increased by the reversal of his outlawry. But 
 possessors ; but if they should be deprived \ the two verdicts against him, on his trials for 
 of any of them by a foreign power, a propor- j the circulation of libel, were atiirmed, and he 
 tionable abatement was to be made in the I was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, to 
 annual payments. The company having held \ pay a fine of £1000, and to find security for 
 a general court on the IGth of May, the half- | his good behaviour for seven years. He was 
 yearly dividend was declared to be 6^, being \ rescued as the civil officers were conducting 
 one fourth more than that of the preceding ; him to prison ; but he prudently surrendered 
 half-year. The ministry, understanding this \ himself to the marshal of the king's bench. 
 
 design, sent an intimation, advising the com- 
 pany not to increase their dividend till their 
 affairs should be examined ; but finding that 
 the comnuuiication was disregarded, a bill 
 was broniiiit in to rescind the resolutions of 
 the general court, till some security should be 
 obtained for the fulfilment of the company's 
 engagements with the state. 
 
 The parliament was dissolved in the spring 
 of the succeeding year, and writs were issued 
 for the election of a new one. The influence 
 of Indian wealth was never more shamelessly 
 and strikingly displayed than in the scenes of 
 bribery and corruption which universally 
 nccurred. The public interest and anxiety 
 were divided between the progress and results 
 of the election, and the proceedings in the 
 tase of Wilkes. He returned home at this 
 period, notwilh'jtanding his outlawry remained 
 
 Though a body of guards were stationed in 
 the approaches to his apartments, no disturb- 
 ance occurred till the 10th of May, the jy/jo 
 day on which the new parliament was 
 sunnnoned. On that day great numbers of 
 people crowded about the gates of the king's 
 bench, expecting to see their favourite proceed 
 to the house of commons, and intending to 
 conduct him in triumph. After waiting for 
 some time, they became clamorous, which 
 some of the magistrates construed into a riot, 
 and endjraced the opportunity of reading the 
 riot act. This proceeding, scarcely justified 
 by the occasion, exasperated the resentment 
 of a multitude already inflamed with resent- 
 ment. Stones and brick-bats were thrown at 
 the justices as they read the act ; and the 
 soldiers in their turn became enraged. Some 
 of them singled out a supposed offender, and
 
 CHAP. XIX.l 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 241 
 
 pursued him to a considerable distance; but, | stance which excited the real or pretended 
 
 ' ^' ■ suspicion of the opponents of government, 
 though no satisfactory reason can be advanced, 
 why the friends of the sovereign shouhl not 
 possess the same chvims upon liis mercy with 
 tlie enemies of his throne, and tlie opponents 
 of the government. 
 
 On the expulsion of Wilkes, he was again 
 elected, and was again expelled. The deter- 
 mination of the county of Middlesex was 
 now so well ascertained to be decidedly in 
 his fa\our, that at first no gentleman could 
 l)e found to oppose the idol of the people. 
 Mr. Wilkes was therefore elected without 
 opposition ; but the election being declared 
 void, at the instigation of the ministry, colonel 
 Luttrel, son of lord Irnham, offered himself 
 a candidate. A few dependants of the court 
 gave him their votes, but Wilkes was re- 
 elected by a majority of 1143 to 29G. Not- 
 withstanding this result, a resolution was 
 passed in the house of commons, that Mr. 
 Luttrel ought to have been returned a knight 
 of the shire for the county of Middlesex, and 
 \ the return was amended by erasing the name 
 " of Mr. Wilkes, and replacing it with that of 
 his competitor. A petition of the freeholders 
 being presented against this proceeding, the 
 merits of the case were warmly and elabo- 
 rately discussed. The speeches of the minis- 
 try were more distinguished by sophistry, 
 than by sagacity or justice. "Those," said 
 they, " who enrpivre whether a smaller num- 
 ber of legal votes can elect a representative 
 in opposition to a greater, must from every 
 tongue receive the same language ; they must 
 be answered in the negative. The question, 
 therefore, must be, whether a smaller number 
 of legal votes shall' not prevail against a 
 greater number of votes not legal ; and here 
 it is to be considered, that those votes only 
 are legal, which are legally given ; and that 
 those only are legally given, which are given 
 for a legal candidate. Nothing then remains 
 to be determined, but w hether a man expelled 
 can be so disqualified by a vote of the house, 
 
 in his stead, shot dead a young man of the 
 name of Allen, in his father's cow-house, 
 at the very instant he was supplicating 
 for mercy. A circumstance, apparently 
 so atrocious, alarmed the neighbourhood, 
 which, proujpted by curiosity, crowded to 
 enquire into the cause of sucii barbarity. 
 The Surry justices, supposing their authority 
 to be despised, directed the soldiers to (ire 
 upon the people, of whom above twenty were 
 killed or wounded. The friends of Mr. Wilkes 
 were deeply oflTended at the thanks which 
 were returned, in the name of the king, to -the 
 detachments employed on this melancholy 
 occasion. Soon after the commencement of 
 the session, Wilkes was charged, by lord 
 Weymouth, in the upper house, with a breach 
 of privilege, in publishing a libellous preface 
 to the letter of his lordship, addressed to 
 the chairman of the Surry quarter-sessions. 
 Lord Barrington, in the lower house, imme- 
 diately moved, that on this groun\l alone he 
 should be expelled, and his motion was 
 carried by a large majority. 
 
 The electors of Middlesex had been called 
 upon to make another choice in the room of 
 Cooke, who did not long survive his return 
 as the colleague of Wilkes. Sir Edward 
 Beauchamp Proctor, an unsuccessful candi- 
 date at the former election, resolved to try 
 his fortune once more. The turbulence and 
 violence of the people were commensurate 
 with the arts employed to inflame their imagi- 
 nations, and to confirm tlieir prejudices. 
 They assaulted and endangered the inferior 
 officers of justice, and all who endeavoured fo 
 repress the atrocities of popular outrage. 
 £lxuigeon-men were actively employed on all 
 sides; and, in one of the tremendous scuffles 
 tj which the drunkenness, the misplaced en- 
 thusiasm, and the involuntary irritation of 
 the populace gave rise, a person named Clarke 
 was unfortunately killed. Two of the sup- 
 posed assassins were apprehended, indicted, 
 convicted, and condemned to be hanged for 
 
 murder. Such, however, was the prevalence > that he shall be no longer eligible by lawful 
 of the popular fury, that the verdict of a jury ^ electors. Now here it is evident, that the 
 of surgeons reported, that it did not appear to ! expulsion infers exclusion or disability. For 
 tliem that the deceased person had died by \ the expulsion and the writ happened in ithe 
 the blows which he received. In consequence ' same session ; and, since the house is by the 
 of their representation, a doubt arose in the } law of parliament bound for the session by a 
 royal breast respecting the guilt of the con- j vote once passed, the expelled member can- 
 victs, who received a free pardon ; a circuui- ; not be admitted. He that cannot be admitted. 
 
 ] i 16
 
 ■1 1} 
 
 inSIXittY "OV RNGLANO. 
 
 [CHAP. XIX. 
 
 . luiiot be elected • and the votes ^ven 'to aVt^^ose, who would effect a breach between the 
 
 man ine 
 number 
 nii^jority 
 
 mible, beius ijivcn ni vam, the highest 
 for an eli.^rbje candidate becomes the 
 The disability is no more than 
 
 \^hat was i 
 
 Deluded in the expulsion ; it is 
 
 only a declaration of the house, that they will 
 no longer permit him. whom they tints cen- 
 sure, to sit in parliament ; a declaration made 
 ill consequence of that right, which they 
 necessarily possess, of regulating their own 
 house, and of inflicting punishment on their 
 own delinquents. They have therefore no 
 other way of enforcing the sentence of inca- 
 pacity, but that of adhering it. They cannot 
 otherwise punish the candidate so disqualified 
 for oflering himself, nor the electors for 
 accepting him. But if he has any competitor, 
 that competitor must prevail ; and if he has 
 none, his election will be void, for the right of 
 the house to reject annihilates, with regard to 
 the man so rejected, the right of electing 
 
 commons and the people, are enemies to the 
 constitution. But those, who would invade 
 the rights of the people, are guilty of this 
 crime, not those who would preserve them. 
 Nor shall we deny, that the constituents and 
 their representatives are the same, and that 
 the importance of the one increases that of 
 the other ; but we must observe, that can 
 only be the case, when they pursue the same 
 interest. Nothing can be more futile than to 
 pretend, that an expelled member cannot be 
 admitted, because the house is bound for the 
 session by a vote once passed. Those ex- 
 pelled by act of parliament, for accepting 
 places, are admitted ; and the journals of the 
 house prove, that members expelled for other 
 reasons have sat in the same session. Besides 
 a member does not sit in consequence of a 
 vote, but of his election. It is not the act oi 
 the commons, but of the constituents, which 
 
 The vote of the commons has so far the force I creates his right. Their vote, therefore, is 
 
 ' not at all concerned in the question. This 
 
 of law, as that force is necessary to preserve 
 the vote from losing its efficacy. If they had 
 only the power of dismissing for a few days 
 the man, whom his constituents can immedi- 
 ately send back ; if they can expel but cannot 
 exclude, they have but a nominal authority 
 Milhout virtue or energy, and perhaj)S it may 
 be never obeyed. The representatives of our 
 ancestors entertained a very different opinion ; 
 they lined and imprisoned their members ; 
 on great provocation they disabled them for 
 ever; and this power is maintained by Selden 
 himself. Why should not tiie commons have 
 the same authority over their members, which 
 the npper house claims over the peers? They 
 expelled Bacon and Macclesfield from their 
 assembly, and excluded them for ever from 
 re-assuming their seal. Have not we a just 
 right to exclude for seven years, when they 
 can exclude for life? It is surprising how 
 any friend lo the people can thus propose to 
 abridge our privileges, which are in fact the 
 privileges of the people ; since, the more im- 
 portant we become, the more importance they 
 must acquire in the state, the constituents and 
 their delegates being virtually the same. He 
 who would divide them, must be an enemy 
 to the constitution, which wanants incapaci- 
 tation as well as expulsion ; precedents and 
 the law of parliament declaring in our 
 fjivonr." 
 
 '• It is true," said the opposition, " that 
 
 all coucernea ni 
 reasoning, which is in fact begging the ques- 
 tion, is as absurd and ridiculous as that which 
 says, that the right of the house to reject, 
 annihilates, with regard to the person so 
 rejected, the right of electing. It would be 
 more rational, as well as con.ftitutional, to 
 assert, that the right of the freeholders to 
 elect, annihilates, with regard to the person so 
 elected, the right of rejecting. When was it 
 ever heard, that the house of lords rejected a 
 peer elected by the sovereign ? How then can 
 the commons pretend to reject a representa- 
 tive chosen by the people, the proper electors ? 
 In order to overthrow the whole of this new- 
 fangled doctrine, we need no other arguments 
 but those furnished by the common law. The 
 freeholders, as such, are prior in existence to 
 either house, being antiently the assessors of 
 the barons, and having a right to a vote in the 
 great national assemblies. Their rights, 
 therefore, are coeval with the constitution, 
 and cannot by any power be taken away 
 without their own consent, nor indeed even 
 by that, as the act of the father would not be 
 binding on the son, and could not deprive, 
 him of unalienable property. The commons, 
 indeed, are the ie|)resentatives of the people, 
 and transact for them what they managed 
 formerly in person. But the commons cannot 
 shew that they have been entrusted with the 
 right of choosing representatives, much less
 
 CHAP. XIX.] GEORGE III. 243 
 
 of rejecting them, when chosen by the con- » authorities have been produced to prove the 
 stituents. Could they even point out any ; exclusive jurisdiction of the commons in 
 period, at M'hich they exercised, or were : determining the rights and qualifications bo'h 
 allowed, such a privilege, no inference could ; of the electors and the elected. But suppose 
 be drawn from it to the prejudice of the j llii.s jurisdiction allowed in its fullest extent, 
 people, who have an undoubted right to j what inference can be drawn from it to 
 overturn every pernicious precedent. What, ; establish their right to create an incapacity ? 
 then I say you, are not the customs, prece- « JNone ; it only establishes their right of 
 dents, and decisions of every court a law ? j determining these points according to law, 
 Never ; it is not a course of precedents and > the estate and birthright of the people. Various 
 decisions, that constitutes any thing a law ; j classes of men are said to be disqualified by 
 but the just grounds, the rational principles ! the sole votes of the commons; and these 
 upon which It is founded. One would have « votes are alleged as proofs of their disqualify- 
 thought the fate of general warrants might ; ing power. Nothing can be worse founded 
 liave settled this point, and deterred every \ than this allegation ; an examination of all 
 class of men from building on so sandy a ; the cases, upon which it is built, will shew, 
 foundation. If then an uniform course of > that all the resolutions, which give the least 
 precedents be not suiiicient to establish a law, ; colour to the argument, were grounded on the 
 how nmch less will that effect be produced ! principles of the constitution, and derived all 
 by a series of the most fluctuating, absurd, j their efficacy from that source ; so that they 
 and contradictory precedents, that the world \ were nothing more than declarations of what 
 ever saw ; precedents, which became such a ) before was law, and therefore of more or less 
 shame and reproach to the commons, that, in ; authority, as they were more or less sanction- 
 order to extricate them from an inextricable i ed by that supreme rule. In the present 
 labyrinth, an act was found necessary to set ; case, Mr. Wilkes is adjudged incapable of 
 aside all their decisions relative to any election I being elected. But how is he incapable? 
 but the last. No man of sense ever calls in ; Not by any legal disability, not by any law 
 precedents to his assistance in any argument, ; prio to his expulsion ; but by a vote of the 
 but as comments and explanations. Being ; commons, by the very act of expulsion. Is 
 Duly declarations of other fallible men's ; then a vote of the commons equivalent to a 
 opinions, they must ever give way to princi- ; lav. ? No ; far be such blasphemy from every 
 pies ; and were the commons governed more ; senator's mouth ; and, were it so, it could not 
 by principle, and less by party rage, personal ; su|)ersede the most sacred law of the land; 
 animosity, and interested views, they would ; it could not disfranchise a subject, and in him 
 not be so ready to have recourse to engines, i the whole people of England. But perhaps 
 which may be applied to any purpose, to the > the word expulsion implies, that an expelled 
 destruction as well as to the improvement of\ person shall never become again a member of 
 the constitution ; engines, which, like a two- | the same parliament ? Strange magic this, 
 edged sword, cut either way, and may be i in a word, indeed ! May not any relation, 
 twisted ;»iid turned, like a nose of wax. What ; though dissolved, revive again in the saiiie 
 then becomes of the law of parliament, whicli ; manner that it was at first created .-' The 
 is founded on precedent? Must it be anni- ; masters of a school, the governors of a college 
 hilated ? No ; but it must never stand in ; or club, have the power of admission, and 
 competition with the common law, which is > therefore of constituting, dissolving, and re- 
 prior and paramount to it, which is a law to ; uewing the relation of the members. The 
 parliament, and as binding upon it in a ; commons do not stand in the same predica- 
 judicial capacity as upon the lowest court in ■ ment ; they do not make themselves, and 
 the kingdom. By this law no subject can be ; therefore cannot create a member. That power 
 disfranchised, but by an act of the three ; the electors possess ; and, as it is by their 
 estates of the realm ; nor can even they (lis- i election that the relation is at first created, so 
 franchise sucii a body as tlie electors of i by the same process may it, after cessation or 
 Middlesex, because, as we have shewn, such ; dissolution, be revived. Thus, upon a false 
 an act would be a subversion of the constitu- ; return, or void election, a member is really 
 tiop. and a dissolution of government. Many ; and substantially expelled. Yet he may bu 
 
 I i 2
 
 244 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XIX. 
 
 re-chosen, and so inoy one ejectetl for accept- ; was, or coulil lie delegated to it ; and as it 
 iiig a place. Wliat clearer proof can be i did not make itself, it cannot make its own 
 desired, that expulsion does not imply a total | power. Wiiere then is there any fonndation 
 and per[)etnal exclnsioa from the expelling- i left for this strange claim ? Shall it be said, 
 parliament? An arbitrary Tory-parliament > that the end of expulsion cannot be answered 
 tirst broached this idea of incapacity resulting- ; but by perpetual exclusion ? The suggestion 
 from expulsion. A doctrine propagated by 5 is true, were the satisfaction of the rage and 
 such a class of men deserves the patronage of ; malice of a majority the only end intended, 
 our present ministers, who are their avowed | But that is not the case. The only rational 
 disciples. Yet even these tyrannical despots ; ends are to secure to the constituents a proper 
 did not proceed so far as our modern race of; representation, to preserve the purity of the 
 dictators ; they did not vote Taylor chosen > house, and to punish offending members, for 
 upon the exclusion of Walpole. Their princi- ; tlie preservation of order and the prevention 
 pies indeed led them to this step; but they | of crin)es. But is incapacity necessary for 
 durst not venture their brittle bark on such ; these purposes? No; tlie first end is fully 
 a dangerous rock ; they foresaw it must split j obtained by simple expulsion, without inca- 
 on such novel, such unconstitutional ground. ; pacity, because it gives the opportunity of a 
 Without tlie gift of prophecy, one may safely j new choice to the constituents, who ought 
 aver, that our present adventurers will be > to have the power of affirming or reversing 
 wrecked on the same shelves. But to what i the sentence of the representatives, as a 
 purpose do they ))roduce Walpoles case to ? proper check upon their interested views or 
 authorise the late decision? Tt has the same | inten)perate zeal. Had it not been for this 
 weight as a determination of the star-chamber ! circumstance of giving- the people a new elec- 
 would have in a case relating to the liberty > tion, it may be questioned, whether the com- 
 of the press. It is not one or two precedents, i mons would ever have numbered t!;e power 
 even in good times, without principles ; much ' of expulsion among their rights. Certain it 
 less precedents contrary to principles, and in ; is, that they could never have formed the least 
 bad times, that will establish a law. Many i pretensions to it, if the right of recalling 
 reasons might be urged against all expulsions. J deputies had been exercised, as the nature of 
 If they are necessary to one house, wliy not to i the service requires. The constituents are 
 the other? The lords have sustained no » the best, and indeed the only judges of the 
 great loss from the want of this privilege; { qualifications necessary in their upresenta- 
 much less would the commons, whom the ; fives ; their decision, therefore, ought to be 
 next election will in all probability free of; ultimate, and sitljject to no appeal. The 
 any member that is justly obnoxious. As ! contrary doctrine is pregnant with the highest 
 every representative is, with regard to his ; arrogance and presumption, as it treats the 
 election and seat, independent of the rest, he ; people of England like minors, who are 
 ought to be liable to no other expulsion but » incapable of appointing their own guardians, 
 a recal from his constituents. As long as he i As to the third end, the preservation of the 
 pleases them, he ought to please his fellows, j purity of this iinmaculaie house, it will not 
 But as custom has established the right of j be saying too much if we assert, that the laws 
 expulsion, let it, for God's sake, be confined i of the land are sufficient. If any extraordi- 
 to its antient limits, that the representative ; nary case should occur, we may, as in former 
 assembly may not he garbled and stript of its ; times, impeach. The lords have no other 
 most valuable members, according to the j power in their hand-s, for this purpose, but the 
 dictate of an arbitrary minister or tyrannical ; lavv-s, which have hitherto preserved them from 
 king. If the house has a right to incapacitate ; any signal disgrace. Are not we equally 
 one man, it has the same right to incapacitate ; capable of employing the same engine ? The 
 two, three, or any number ; that is, it can ; third end, which is ]iunishment, is sufficiently 
 disfranchise all the electors of England ; it, ; answered by expulsion. If the disgrace 
 that cannot make a law to deprive the meanest J which ensues be not thought an adequate 
 subject of the lowest riglit, can take from the ; punishment, we presume the majority will 
 whole nation its nobie'st inlieritauce, the very j allow- the exnence of a second election is so. 
 i"uundalicn of all its rights ! No such power ; For what oilier reason arc they .so violent
 
 CHAF. XIX/J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 24o 
 
 against a dissolution ? It is to be hoped they j 
 are not afraid of losing their wages. If the | 
 member be re-elected without expence, and 
 incur no disgrace, it is no great sign in favour 
 of the expulsion; there is reason to suspect 
 its justice and expediencj'. SupiK)sing both 
 equally fallible, it is much more rational to 
 allow the judgment of the electors to prevail, 
 than that of the commons, as the former must 
 know their own affairs best, and the latter are 
 in these points too often influenced by private 
 views and ministerial arts. " But shall they 
 be at liberty to restore, who had no power to 
 expel ?" The answer is. Shall they be at 
 liberty to expel, who have no power to restore 
 nor to create ? The question is convertible ; 
 and there is no absurdity in saying that they, 
 who ought to have the right of recalling, ought 
 also to have the power of expelling. 
 
 " But suppose the people, not their depu- 
 ties, convened, may not a member, by indeco- 
 rum, treachery, or inmioraiity, forfeit his 
 right to a seat in their assembly ; and are not 
 the majority the sole judges of his fitness to 
 continue a member ? If they judge him 
 unfit, can he regain his seat against the sense 
 of the majority?" In answer. Suppose the 
 freeholders of Middlesex assembled to rlioose 
 a representative, can they exclude a single \ 
 member from voting ? No ; lie holds his » 
 freehold independent of then), and can be 1 
 disfranchised only by law. "Admit then, ^ 
 that incapacity was nof a necessary conse- | 
 quence of the expulsion ; yet the express 
 declaration of incapacity, by the resolution, 
 ■was binding on the electors." Excellent logic 
 this ! Though the house rould not, in the 
 first instance, make a resolution equivalent 
 to a law of incapacity, they could declare it 
 such in the second instance ; justifying in this 
 case the old proverb, which says, that two 
 blows are better than one. I suppose we 
 shall bye and bye hear of two acts of parlia- 
 ment being necessary on every occasion ; one 
 to lay tiie foundation, another to declare the 
 meaning. Thus, though the house cannot 
 make tlie law, it can declare it ; and whatever 
 it declares to be law, is law, because there is 
 no appeal from its jurisdiction. At this rate, 
 were the house to resolve that London has no 
 right to send four members to parliament, and 
 then to declare that this was law, it must be 
 ^0. Precedents and decisions would be no 
 longer necessary ; a resolution and declaration 
 
 would do every thing. What an absurd and 
 monstrous doctrine ! Such a judicature 
 would be a basilisk to kill the law, whenever 
 it should dare to look it in the face. But you 
 will find yourselves mistaken, if you think 
 that there is no appeal from your jurisdiction. 
 You, and every other court, are answerable 
 to the people of England, who will not tamely 
 see their rights invaded, nor their understand- 
 ings mockedj by evasions and subterfuges. 
 They may be called, if you will, low mechanics, 
 sturdy beggars, and the scum of the earth ; 
 but, let their name be what it will, if the 
 gauntlet be once thrown, they will decide the 
 fortune of the field. That matters may not 
 be carried to this extremity, no wise, no good, 
 no honest man will vote for this expulsion." 
 
 Notwithstanding the force of these argu- 
 ments, and the perseverance of the freeholders 
 of Middlesex, in presenting their petitions, 
 the house agreed in a vote, importing that 
 they could not, according to the law of par- 
 liament, reverse in the same session a reso- 
 lution that had once been passed. The dis- 
 satisfaction excited by this resolution was 
 exasperated by the apparent remissness of 
 the government, in permitting the French, 
 partly by intrigue and partly by force, to 
 olifain possession of Corsica, notwithstanding 
 the gallant exeriions of Paoli, and the resist- 
 ance of the people. Yet it may be reasonably 
 doubted, whether the value of that possession 
 was equal to the expence of blood and 
 treasure squandered in its conquest, and 
 whether the people of Corsica were either 
 sincerely desirous of liberty, or capable of 
 enjoying it. 
 
 One of the first acts of lord North ,-^q 
 was the bringing in a bill for the repeal 
 of so much of a late act of parliament as re- 
 lated to the imposition of a duty on paper, 
 painter's colours, and glass, imported ,~»^ 
 into America. The tax upon tta, 
 which was imposed by the same act, was still 
 continued. It was insisted on, by those 
 members who had uniformly opposed the 
 imposition of internal taxes on America^ that 
 tiie act which imposed these duties should 
 be at once totally repealed. To this proposal 
 the minister replied, that the conduct of the 
 Americans had been too violent and dis^flect- 
 ed to deserve any additional demonstrations 
 of tenderness and forbearance. The object 
 of the minister w;is not >.lie mere increase of
 
 246 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [ciiAP. ?;jx. 
 
 the revenue, but by the most secret and 
 apparently unimportant steps, to obliterate 
 from the minds of the Americans the antipathy 
 tliey had conceived against internal taxation ; 
 and in effecting this, an essential service was 
 meant to be rendered to the East India com- 
 pany, who sensibly felt the diminution of 
 their exports to America. In the year 1768, 
 tliey had exported to the continent teas to 
 the value of £130,000 ; in the next year their 
 exports declined to £44,000, and they con- 
 tinued to decrease in the same rapid manner. 
 The company paid a duty ot 25 per cent, on 
 their exported teas, which greatly enhanced 
 ihe price at a foreign market, and enabled the 
 Dutch to supply the colonies much cheaper. 
 This duty was therefore discontinued, by 
 which measure the price of teas in America 
 was so much reduced, that it was expected 
 the Americans would submit, without reluc- 
 tance, to the continuance of the duty of 
 three-fjence per pound on that commodity. 
 
 Before this bill had passed the lower 
 bouse, Mr. George Grenville brought in a 
 bill entitled, " An act for regulating the pro- 
 ceedings of the house of commons, in contro- 
 verted elections." It stipulated, that instead 
 of bringing the merits of -a contested election 
 before a general committee of the house, upon 
 a petition being received, a day should be 
 appointed to hear the merits, and for the 
 petitioners, their witnesses, aud council to 
 attend. On the day appointed the house 
 should be counted, and if it was not found to 
 have 100 members present, the business should 
 stand over till that number were assembled, 
 at which time the names of the members in 
 the house were to be put into six boxes or 
 glasses, to be drawn alternately and read by 
 the speaker, until forty-nine members were 
 drawn. The sitting member and petitioner 
 may nominate one each. Lists of the forty- 
 nine members, thus selected, are then to be 
 iriven to the parties, who, with the clerk of 
 the house of commons, are to withdraw, and 
 :o strike off one alternately, beginning on the 
 { ;irt of the petitioner, till the number be 
 H:(!uced to thirteen ; who, with the two nomi- 
 i.ees, are to be sworn a select committee, to 
 f!<'termine the matter in dispute. The intro- 
 duction of ihis bill was unwelcome to the 
 jniiiistry ; but as it met with the approbation 
 tl'llie house, it passed ii.to a law. In the 
 i>txt session of parliament, the bcntfit of this 
 
 \ measure became apparent. A contested 
 election, for the borough of New Shoreham, 
 being brought before a select committee, a 
 long-established plan of corruption, which 
 had prevailed in that borough, was revealed. 
 In consequence of a report made to the house, 
 a bill was framed, to incapacitare eiglity-oue 
 freemeu of Shoreham, by name, to vote at 
 the elections of members to serve in parlia- 
 ment, and for preventing bribery and corrup- 
 tion in that borough. An address to his 
 majesty was voted, imploring him, that tb« 
 attorney-general should be directed to prose- 
 cute five persons, who were the principari 
 agents in the sale of the borough. 
 
 The city of London, having taken the lead 
 in every measure which opposed the conduct 
 of the house of commons, in seating colonel 
 Luttrel as member for Middlesex, and ex- 
 cluding Mr. Wilkes, could not quietly con- 
 template the dismissal of that great national 
 question without further discussion. Mr. 
 Beckford, who was then, for the second time, 
 lord mayor, had long been distinguished tor 
 the warmth with which he maintained the 
 right of the people to choose their representa- 
 tives, without the control of parliament. The 
 livery of London were convened in com- 
 mon hall, and it was there resolved to present 
 an humble address, remonstrance, and petitioa 
 to his majesty, in the name of (he lord mayor, 
 aldermen, and livery of the city of London, 
 praying for a dissolution of parliament, and 
 the removal of evil ministers. In. this piece, 
 I of which the title and contents seemed at 
 \ variance, great freedom and spirit were in- 
 l dulged. His majesty was told that " under the 
 \ same secret and malign influence, which, 
 \ through every successive administration, has 
 defeated every good, and suggested every bad 
 intention, the majority of the house of com- 
 mons have deprived his people of their dearest 
 rights. They have done a deed more ruinous 
 in its consequences than the levying of ship- 
 money by Charles I., or the dispensing power 
 assumed by James II. ; a deed which must 
 vitiate all the future proceedings of this par- 
 liament ; for the acts of the legislature itself 
 can no more be valid, without a legal house of 
 commons, than without a legal prince upon 
 the throne. Iteprcsentatives of the people 
 are essential to the making of laws ; ;iu(l there 
 is a time, at which it is morally demonstrative, 
 tliat men cease to be repre.ieiitalives. The
 
 CHAP. XIX.j OBOKGB III. 247 
 
 time is now arrived; the present house of ? members for the city, instead of shriniiitig 
 commons do not re|iresent I lie people. We ; from the contest, avowed the part that he 
 owe to your niajesty au obedience, under tlie : had taken in the remonstrance, maintained its 
 restriction of tiie laws, for the calling and ; propriety, and declared that he should ever 
 duration of parliaments ; and your majesty j glory in it. Mr. Treeothick, another city 
 owes to us, that our representation, free frou) j member, and the two sherifls, Townscnd and 
 the force of arms or corruption, should be ; Sawbridge, who were members, supported' 
 preserved It* us in parliament. It was for i the chief magistrate against the weight of the 
 this we successfully struggled under James ; house ; they justified the language used to 
 II.; for this we seated, and have faitljfully i his majesty, and declared themselves ready to 
 supported, your majesty's family on the > enter into the merits of that transaction. This 
 throne. Under .James II. tlie peoj)le com- ; brought on a long and animated debate, in 
 plained, that the sitting of parliament was : whicJi the right of the subject to petition the 
 interrupted, because it was not corruptly ; throne was discussed. The house was much 
 subservient lo his designs ; we complain now; divided in sentiment, not only concerning 
 tliat tlie billing of this parliament is not inter- ; tlie propriety of the city of London present- 
 rupled, because it is corruptly subservient ; ing a petition to the throne, for the ])nrpose 
 to your majesty's ministers. VVe call God > of censuring the conduct of the comnmns 
 and man to witness, that as we do not owe ; of Great Britain, but more pa*rticularly con- 
 cur liberty to those nice and subtle distinc- « cerning the expressions made use of in the 
 tions, which places, pensions, and lucrative ; remonstrance ; and (nany members, who 
 employmenis have invented, so neither will j approved of this mode of conveying to the 
 we be deprived of it by them; but as it was ; royal ear the grievances of the people, re- 
 gained by the stern virtue of our ancestors, by ! j)robated the terms employed on this occasion, 
 the virtue of their descendants it shall be > Others, with great animation, endeavoured 
 preserved." ; to excite the house to inflict some signal 
 
 His majesly, in his answer, told tliein, that; punishment on the principal instigators to 
 he should always be ready to receive the ; a corporate act, which they asserted to have 
 requests, and to listen to the complaints of; insulted tiie throne, and to have been per- 
 Iiis subjects ; but it gave him great concern ; formed with all the circumstances of tuniul- 
 to tind ihat any of them shoidd have been so | tuous parade ; which tended to aJarui the 
 far misled, as to ofl'er him an address and > minds of the peaceable, and inflame the 
 remonstrance, the contents of which he could ; passions of every misguided member of the 
 not but consider as disrespectful to him, ! community. The motion for an address 
 injurious to his parliament, and irreconcilable | was at length carried by a great majority ; 
 to the priiicij)!es of llie conslitution. The ! and when, in consequence, the remonstrance 
 day on which this address was delivered, ; was laid before the house, after the journals 
 lord Chatiiam made a motion in the house i and other records had been examined, the 
 of lords, for an address to the throne, praying ; house passed a resolution to address his 
 his majesty to dissolve the parliament. Me ; majesty, and to obtain the concurrence of 
 stated the public disconte'ils in lilngland, ; the lords. The address was accordingly 
 Ireland, ami America, aliirmtd that the : presented on the 2;3rd of March. It ,._. 
 people reposed no contidence in the existing ; acknowledged the right of the subject 
 house of commons, and sliewed, from the I to petition the throne, but censured very 
 situation of public aflairs, the necessity of ; seveiely the indiscreit manner in which that 
 having a parliament in whom the people ; right had been exercised by the city of 
 could place a proper confidence. The i London ; the direct tendency of which was 
 motion was overruled by a great majority. ; to disturb the peace of the kingdom, and 
 
 Thf, next day, a member in the house of i subvert all lawful authority. Many people 
 cominons moved to address the king, praying > expected, ihat new instances of expulsion 
 that a copy of the cily adtlress, as well as his i and incapacitation would ha>'e ensued; but 
 Hiajesly's answer, might be laid before the i more moderate measures prevailed, and with 
 house. A very animated debate ensued. J the aildress the business was dismissed, 
 'j'he lord mayor, who was one of the ; A yy.w days after ihe rising of parliament.
 
 '<4** 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. xir. 
 
 aiiotlier humble address, remonstrance, and 
 petition of the lord mayor, aldermen, and 
 council of the city of London, was presented 
 to his majesty. It expressed the deep con- 
 cern which the city of London felt, in his 
 majesty's answer from the throne ; and, after 
 reoapitulating the grievances complained of 
 in former addresses, concluded with a prayer, 
 that his majesty might reign, as kings only 
 can reign/ in and by the hearts of a loyal, 
 dutiful, and free people. His majesty in- 
 formed them, in his answer, that he should 
 have been wanting to the public, as well as 
 to himself, if he had not expressed his dis- 
 satisfaction at the late address. After which, 
 the lord mayor requested leave to reply ; 
 which being granted, his lordship addressed 
 his sovereign, and begged leave to declare, 
 in his royal presence, on behalf of his fellow- 
 citizens, how much the base apprehension 
 of his majesty's' displeasure would at all 
 times affect their minds. The declaration of 
 his majesty's dissatisfaction had filled them 
 with inexpressible anxiety, and with the 
 deepest affliction. He supplicated his 
 majesty not to dismiss them from his pre- 
 sence without some comfort, and prospect, 
 at least, of redress. No answer being re- 
 turned, the Jord mayor, and those who ac- 
 companied him, withdrew. 5 
 The birth of a princess occasioned the i 
 city of London to piesent a congratulatory 5 
 
 address to his majesty, on that event, a 
 week afterwards, when the lord chamber- 
 lain acquainted the lord mayor, that, as his 
 lordship thought fit to speak to his majesty, 
 after his answer to the late remonstrance, 
 he was directed to inform him, that as it 
 was unusual, his majesty desired that nothing 
 of that kind might happen for the future. 
 This was the last public transaction in which 
 Mr. Beckford was engaged. He died, three 
 weeks after, of a fever. As he possessed 
 a very ample fortune, was splendid and mu- 
 nificent in his manner of living, had a strong 
 and agreeable elocution, and steadily op 
 posed the measures of the court, he was 
 the object of general confidence and esteem. 
 His influence was exerted to check and 
 restrain the jarring interests which prevailed 
 among the leaders of opposition in the city, 
 A society had been formed, under the title 
 of Ihe Supporters of the Bill of Kights, of 
 which the principal object was to exonerate 
 Mr. Wilkes from his debts. Soon after Mr. 
 Beckford's death, violent dissensions broke 
 out. Many of the members seceded, and 
 called themselves the Consiitulional Society. 
 These two bodies of men entertained the 
 utmost aversion to each other, and the object 
 of procuring redress for the violated rights 
 of the electors of Great Britain, which had 
 at first united them, seemed lost in private 
 animosity. 
 
 I 
 1
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1770 to 1771.] 
 
 Falkland Islands seized on hy the Spaniards — Preparations for War — Negotiations — 
 Kesignations — The Dispute with Spain adjusted — Probable 3Iotives ivhich led to thai 
 Event — Situation of France — Meeting of Parliament — -Misunderstanding between, the 
 two Houses — Proceedings of the House of Commons against certain Printers — Conduct 
 of the Magistrates of London — The Record of their Proceedings erased by order of the 
 House — The Lord Mayor and Alderman Oliver committed to the Tower — Resolutions 
 respecting 3Ir. Wilkes — Bill to enable the East India Company to raise a Military 
 Force. 
 
 LORD Chatham, wlio had streiniously ; many reasons induced our court to form a 
 exerted himself towards the close of! settlement tliere. It was in contemplation 
 ihe session, had predicted, that a great Mow ; to encourage a wiiale fishery in the southern 
 either was or would soon be struck in some I parts, iVom North America ; and the posses- 
 part of the world. The event proved how : sion of this spot was thought beneficial, for 
 M'ell that consumn)ate statesman was ac- ; the purpose of exploring the South Sea, 
 quainted with ^ the resolutions which were ; which at that time was a favourite pursuit 
 formed in foreign cabinets ; for in the month j The French had claimed those islands^ in 
 of June 1770, a squadron of Spanish ships } consequence of Mi Bougainville having visited 
 sailed from Buenos Ayres, for the purpcise > them before commodore Byron ; he gave 
 of seizing upon Falkland islands, where the I them the name of Maloures, and his couri 
 English, a few years before, had made a \ transferred their right of them to the Spani- 
 setllement, by erecting a fort, which they ; ards ; but the English claim was founded 
 called Egmont, and where two sloops then | upon their discovery in the reign of queen 
 lay. The Spanish coimnander, Don Mada- j Elizabeth. 
 
 riaga, summoned the fort to surrender to the i That the court of Spain should look with 
 catholic king ; which being refused, he pro- ; a jealous eye on a settlement, made by the 
 ceeded to possess himself of it by force of; English, in a part of the world from which 
 arms. Captain F'armer, who commanded in j the Spaniards liad excluded all other nations, 
 the fort, having remonstrated in vain against ; is no ways surprising. But that she should 
 the insult ofl'ered the king, his master, in a i be hardy enough to c'epvive us by force of 
 time of profound peace, was obliged to sub- ; that possession, in violation of the peace 
 mit. A capitulation was signed ; after which ; which then subsisted, and when she had so 
 the captain and garrison were detained twenty I lately felt the force of our arms in every 
 days, and the rudder of his ship taken away, ; quarter of the world, which in less than a 
 liefore he was permitted to return home. | twelvemonth had opened to themst-lves a way 
 
 Till: islands are situated lo the eastward of; to all her resources of wealth; that shf 
 the straits of Magellan, and are the most i should risk the irritating of such a power 
 <iesoiate and dreary of habitable regions, ; argued great temerily ; an utter oblivion of 
 although not so high, in southern latitude, as; the moderation and lenity whicli dictated the 
 the island of Anglesea lies to the north ; but ; last peace, on the jiartof Great Britain, and a 
 
 K k 16 *
 
 2'>0 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. W 
 
 ("ul! |)ersuasion that Iier Jate victorious adver- \ Buccarelli, as it was fomtded on the laws of 
 sary, from some secret cause, operating- stf'ong- ! America ; but added, that his catholic majesty 
 ly on every ilepartiiieiit of the state, was sunk < teas very desirous of peace, havi7ig so little to 
 into a condition which made her no \ongev\fruin and so much to lose by a war: therefore 
 formidable. It was remarked, that the ex-\hc would avoid it, at any rate consistent tvith 
 peditioii against Port Egmont did not appear ; his own honour, and the welfare o/ his people. 
 to have been a sudden ill-concerted enterpris'e, i A few days after, he acquainted Mr. Harris 
 but to have been conducted, not only with j that the king, his master, was resolved to 
 the usual military precautions, but in all the j do every thing in his power to terminate this 
 forms and ceremonies of war. A frigate was » affair in an amicable manner ; that tlierefore 
 lirst employed, to examine the strength of ; he admitted our rleniand, and that he assented 
 the place, a message was sent by Don Fran- | to it in every point consistent with his honour, 
 cisco Buccarelli, the governor of Buenos ; which, as well as ours, was to be considered ; 
 Ayres, demanding imujediate possession, in ! that, however, as this matter coiiiil be deter- 
 the catholic king's name, and ordered our ; mined only in London, and not at Madrid, 
 people to depart ; at last a military force i orders had been given to prince Miisserano 
 appeared, and obliged the garrison to sur- i to lay before lord Weymouth all tlie ideas 
 render. | which had been suggested on this hf ad ; and 
 
 News of this expedition arrived at Cadiz i as they differed only in the terms, and not 
 the latter end ot August; immediately upon ; essentially, he trusted some one of them 
 which Mr. Harris, our charge des affaires at ! would be adopted. 
 
 the court of Madrid, sent advice of this trans- « Prince Masserano, upon receipt of these 
 action to lord VVeymoulh, secretary of state, ; dispatches, proposed a convention between 
 which arrived about the same time, that the ! the two crowns, in which he would disavow, 
 prince de Masserano, the Spanish aml)assa- | in the name of the king, his master, any par- 
 dor, had acquainted his lordship, that he had ; ticular instruction given to M. Buccarelli on 
 good reason to believe that the governor of; this occasion ; at the same time that he 
 Buenos Ayres had taken upon him to make ; acknowledged him to have acted agreeably 
 use of force, in order to dispossess the English ; to his general orders, and his oath as governor ; 
 of their settlement at Port Egmont, in Falk- ; the restitution of Falkland islands was to be 
 land islands ; adding, that he was directed ; thereby acceded to without any iiiji.ry to liis 
 to make this communication, to prevent the ! catholic n)ajesty's higlit to those ishaids; but 
 bad conseqruences which might arise by its ; the king of Great Britain was at tiie same 
 coming ihruugh other hands ; and expressing ; time called upon to disavow, on his part, a 
 his wishes, that whatever the event at Port i menace of one of his captains, which was 
 Egmont might be, in consequence 6t a step $ said to have occasioned the steps taken bj' 
 of the governor, taken without any particular ; the governor. 
 
 instruction from his catholic majesty, it ; This mode of adjusting the difference, by 
 might not be productive of measures at tliis ; convention, was rejected as totally inadmissi- 
 court, dangerous to the good uuderslanding ; ble ; notwithstanding which, our ministry did 
 that subsisted between the two crowns. Lord i not despair of an acconimodation at the time 
 Weymouth hereupon asked the Spanish | the parliament met. indeed, before the news of 
 ambasi-jador, if he was ordered to disavow ; the capture of Port Egmont had been ofEcial- 
 tlie conduct of M. Buccarelli, the governor, « ly known, sixteen sail of tiie line had been 
 which was answered in the negative, until he ; put into commission; admiral Keppel was 
 shoiild hear from Madrid. • ; appointed to command the fleet, and press- 
 
 AV'hen Mr. Harris applied to M. de Gru- » warrants were issued for manning it. The 
 ualdi, (he prinu minister of Spain, for a dis- i people of England are ever ready to draw (he 
 avowal of this hostile m.easure, his answer | sword, when either their interest or iheir 
 was very unsatisfactoiy ; he said, the British ; honour appears to be attacked. On this 
 court had reason to foresee such an event 5 occasion the nation felt itself insulted, and 
 would happen, since our establishment there ; called for vengeance ; but our natural strength 
 was not<.rioMsly disapproved by Spain. J/e ; was not fonnd adequate to great undertakings ; 
 ci}vld not, he said, Olame the conduct of M. \ our navy, the pride and the protection of
 
 CIl.VP. XXj GEORGE III. J.jI 
 
 iliiglaud, tliiriiig an eiglit years' peace, had j wlioin one of the ul»le.'-( advocates for Jbc 
 l)eeii siifiered to fall into tiecay ; and when ; conduct of tlie adniinistratioti in this business, 
 tlie surveyor of the navy, to whQin, under j describes a? possessing a vigorous and ardent 
 flie first lord of the adniiralty, this important I mind, whose knowledj^e was extensive, and 
 trust was conimitled, found his delinquency ; whose designs were uuignificent ; l)Ut m he, 
 revealed, ;he ;elu(ied tlie resentment of his I by indulging romantic,projec.ts and airy specu- 
 country by a -sudden death. The sailors, ! iafions, had somewhat vitiated his judgment. 
 who liad been i-?ver ircady, liu former contests, ; But however this may be, the new settiemetit 
 to embark iu n war with Spain, were now ! was made with great caution, the commanding 
 backward to engage in the service ; this was ; ofhcer at Port Eu,inont being instructed to 
 chii'fiy owing to the Jll-treatment wliich both : warn ofl' any other European power, who 
 tlie soldiers and sailore received, who went ; might attempt to make a settlement on Falk- 
 on the expedition against the Havannah, the i lund islands ; but if he found any already 
 last and most destructive service in the late » settled there, he was then to make a joint 
 war; iu which the common men scarcely ; settlement with ihem, if they refused to 
 received any proportion of the vast wealth ; depart after due warning ; referring the 
 which was acquired; owing to a secret ; decision (>f right to their two sovereigns, 
 regulation I)ei!ig settled at home, before the J Thkkk appears to be a moderation, not 
 expedition set forward, by v^hich the com- ; unmixed with iirumess, in the administration 
 niander-in-chief of the fleet and army were i during this contest, which renders the conduct 
 to receive one third, instead of one eighth, of; pursued on this occasion dissimilar to that 
 the prize money. i which had been adopted on all our disputes 
 
 In the king's speech it was observed, that j with Spain, in former reigns ; if it did not 
 t/tg honour of the croirn, and the rights of the \ resemble the spiriteil attacks made by queen 
 people, were deeply affected by an acf o/' ///e i Elizabeth, as soon as she discovered the 
 governor of Bvenos Ayres. This expression > intentions of the Spanish monarch, it was 
 was much animadverted upon, and the ; equally unlike the abject condescensions of 
 minister was severely censured, both iu par- ! her |)usillanimons successor. It liad nothing 
 liament and without doors, for ^causing his > of the greedy tliirst of spoil which led Crom- 
 royal master to represent to bis people an ; ^vel towage an unjust war " ith Spain, nor of 
 open act of hostility, authorised by the,; that decisive boldness, which at one stroke 
 catholic king, as an act of the a,overnor. JNor i made us masters of her navy, in ihe reign of 
 were the subsequent parts of the speech less ; George I. ; but then it was as free fron> any 
 criticised ; this act, it was said, t;> avoid the ; thing like Walpole's apparent indifference to 
 mention of a regular siege and surrender, ; the interests of the nation. The contest was 
 passes under the piratical description of; not for doniiniyii, or for any valuable coni- 
 seizing by force, and the thing taken is de- ; mercial object, but for a point of honour; 
 scribed, not as a part of the king's territory > whether we should hold a barren island in 
 or proper dominion, but merely as a " posses- ; the vicinity of the Spanish territories, of 
 sion," a word expressly chosen in contradic- « which we had taken possession, in the pre- 
 fion to, and exclusive of, the idea of right. ; sumption that we had a prior right thereto. 
 But the caution used, in the manner of; but which right, as already observed, had 
 wording the speech, may be very well defend- | always been disputed by Spain, 
 ed. Our right to the wretched spot, for; JVor is it difficidt to assign reasons for this 
 which we had contended, had ever heen di.s- i moderation in the British cabinet. It seems 
 puted by Spain. When lord Anson returned > to have been a settled principle, from the 
 from circumnavigating the globe, he reconi- ; very commencement of the present reign, 
 mended a settlement being made on Pepy's > to keep clear of foreign war as much as 
 or Falkland islands, which would actually ; possible. The long reiun of George II. was 
 have been carried into execution, but for the ; considered as having thrown too much 
 remonstrances made by the court of Spain ; J weight into the scale of the people; it was 
 in compliance with which it was totally laid ; represented by those who possessed the royal 
 aside, unlil lord Egmont was placed at the ; confidence, that a turbulent, factious spirit 
 head of ihe admiralty, iu 1704 ; a nobleman j was gone forth ; that the insolence of the 
 
 K k 2 '
 
 %2 
 
 HISTORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. X.V 
 
 vulgar exceeded the example of former times ; 
 that all respect for lawful authority was lost, 
 and the licentiousness of the press h;\d levelled 
 all distinctions, whether of birth, fortune, or 
 talents, traducing, with a bold effrontery, the 
 characters most eminent for wisdom and 
 virtue. The body of the English gentry 
 adopted these sentiments, and were ready to 
 concur with the court in restraining the 
 violence of the lower orders of the state ; the 
 manners of the age being formed by wealth, 
 luxury, and refinement, made the tumults of 
 a nwi) more dreadful than the encroachments 
 of a minister; and the stability which govern- 
 ment seemed now to have acquired, notwith- 
 standing the strong opposition which had 
 been formed against it, pointed out the present 
 as the most proper season for introducing 
 internal regulations. Whilst a time of peace 
 Avas necessary to effect these objects at 
 home, it was still more requisite for pursuing 
 the measures which were thought expedient 
 to bring the American colonies under due 
 subordination to the parent state. These 
 considerations probably mdiiced oiu- mini^- 
 ters to continue the negotiation with tiie 
 ambassador and court of Spain, during the 
 months of September, October, and Novem- 
 ber. At length, lord Weymouth informed 
 Mr. Harris, that from the conduct of prince 
 Masserano, he saw but little reason to expect 
 an amicable termination of this affair; and 
 advised him, if possible, to convey a hint of 
 this to the governor of Gibralter, and the 
 consuls at the different ports of Spain. The 
 governor of Gibralter was also ordered to 
 embark immediately for that fortress. 
 
 Such was the posture of affairs when the 
 parliament adjourned for the Christmas recess, 
 during which lord Weymouth resigned his 
 post, and was succeeded by t!ie earl of 
 Rochford, who a few days after his appoint- 
 ment wrote Mr. Harris a letter of recal ; but 
 a month after, he directed him by another 
 letter to return to Madrid, as there were 
 reasons to believe, that fresh propositions of 
 satisfaction would be made for the injury 
 done. 
 
 On the day tlie parliament met, after the 
 recess, a declaration was signed by prince 
 Masserano, and an acceptance thereof by the 
 earl of llochford. By the former the am- 
 l)a*isador, in the name of his master, disavowed 
 the violence used at Port Egmont, and 
 
 stipulated, that every thing should be restored 
 there, precisely to the same state in which 
 they were before the reduction ; but at the 
 same time declared, that this restoration was 
 not in any wise to affect the prior right of 
 sovereignty over the islands ; and by t-he 
 acceptance, the performance of these stipu- 
 lations was to be considered as a satisfaction 
 for the injury done to the crown of Great 
 Britain, 
 
 When the declaration and acceptance had 
 been laid before parliament, an address was 
 presented, for copies of all claims and pro- 
 positions made by the court of Spain, relative 
 to Falkland" islands, from the first settlement 
 of it, together with the answers. This pro- 
 duced nothing previous to the demand which 
 tlie governor of Buenos Ayres made, the 30th 
 of November, 1709, for the English to q^iit 
 the island, and no one paper, relative to the 
 claims or representations made by the court 
 of Spain, since the first settlement there, nor 
 the answer gixeu to the first of lord Wey- 
 mouth's letters, which was dated September 
 12tli, and was marked No. 10. Neither did 
 the papers laid before parliament explain in 
 wi-.at manner the negotiation had been re- 
 sumed. The answer given to the enquiries 
 was, that no other papers could be found. 
 However, the subsequent conduct of govern- 
 ment proved, that there were secret stipula- 
 tions on the part of Great Britain, which the 
 ministry did not choose should meet the eye 
 of parliament. For though Falkland isiamls. 
 Port Egmont, its forts, and olJHr dependen- 
 cies were restored to the Engiisii on tiie Kith 
 of September, 1771, in confbrmily to his 
 catholic majesty's declaration ; yet in 1774, 
 orders were sent out for evacuating the place, 
 whicii was done accordingly, and no settle- 
 ment has since been made ihere. The sudden 
 resignation of lord Weymouth may be sup 
 posed to have been occasioned by a dislike of 
 this compromise,* 
 
 The conduct of Spain, tlirougiiout tliis 
 transaction, was extremely mysterious ; and, 
 as it was never elucidated by authentic docu- 
 ments, we are lelt to form ron jrctnres uk rely. 
 The consequence naturally to be expected 
 from such a forcible seizure of an English 
 colony, was an innuediate rupture with CJreat 
 Britain ; and although tlie S|»aiii,>li govern- 
 ment had talien every possible method <if 
 defending their distant sett!emeut« i't'.m ail
 
 CHAP. XX.] 
 
 GEORGE ill- 
 
 2o3 
 
 future attacks, yet tliat kingdoui was so uu- > an arbitrary government is able to make, but 
 equal to a naval contest \vitli lis, and the 5 which must inevitably destroy all confidence, 
 wealtii annually drawn from the New World ; and deprive the state of relief on future emer- 
 would be iherelty so riuicli hazarded, that to I gencies, some savings were made, and new 
 precipitate a war appeared to be a folly of {imposts on the people furnished some pro- 
 the tirst magnit'ide. Against these motives \ vision for this annual waste. Although such 
 for a pacific system in Spain, may be placed | was the exhausted state of France, yet the 
 the national character, hauglity, vindictive, ; duke de Choiseul, who was prime minister, 
 
 ■ ' appeared inclined to enter into a war with 
 (ircat Britain. When lord North was asked, 
 in the house of commons, whether France 
 had interposed or not in the dispute with 
 Spain, lie did not choose to answer that 
 
 and brave, wliich lakes fire at any supposed 
 insult, and renounces interest at the call of 
 honour. Such national propensities to war 
 were not checked l)i;t promoted by (lie dis- 
 position of their monarch, who loved the 
 clang of arms, allhougli he possessed none 
 of those talents which are necessary to forin 
 a military prince ; and the antipathy of the 
 king was sn|iposed to have subsisted ever 
 after the year 1740, when, bein^- king of 
 Naples, a British Heet couipelied him to 
 witlidraw his troops from Iht- Spanish army, 
 and sign a treaty of ntntraiity, in order to 
 save liis capital from destruction. 
 
 Tn£ clo.-e connexion which subsisted be- 
 tween the two branches of the house of 
 Bourbon, loaves no room to doubt, that the 
 court of Versailles was to have become a 
 party in the war, had it broke out, alihough 
 tiie kingdom of Fiance was not in a situation 
 to begin new <piarrels. The niiscondnct of 
 Lewis XV. had been liu' cliief cause of the 
 det'eats, disgraces, and bankruptcy, which 
 had attended (he last w;ir ; as weak kings 
 are frerjnenlly the most tenacious of desj)otic 
 rule, this monarch \\ as fond of exercising 
 every attribute of aljsohite sovereignty, and 
 demanded from his parliament an in)plicit 
 acquiescence in liis etlicts. Whilst the Eng- 
 lish nation be.sii ged die throne with com- 
 plaints against the house of commons, the 
 French were excited to a ferment, almost as 
 violent, against tiieir king, for his authorita- 
 tive control over their parliament ; and the 
 noble stand which those assemblies made, 
 against the mandates of a tyrant, was admiied 
 and respected by the whole nation. Nor 
 was this the only source of discontent against 
 the sovereign ; notwithstanding the vast 
 revenups of France, yet the interest payabbr 
 on ihe debts con!racted during the last war, 
 together with tiie expences ot government and 
 the crown exceeded the income, in the be- 
 ginning of the year 17fj,'>, l»y upwards of 
 three millions and a lialf sterling, aimually. 
 By forced reduciion.s of interest, wiiich only 
 
 question ; and, as Choiseul had quitted his 
 einpioymenls a little before the court of Spain 
 came into the terms insisted upon by the 
 British cabinet, it is liighly probable that this 
 concession was forced from it, by her ally 
 having adopted a new system of conduct. 
 
 J)i:king this session of parliament, a cir- 
 cunislaiice, in itself trivial, caused a great 
 niisiiiidcrslanding between the two houses. 
 Before the Christmas recess, the duke of 
 Richmond made a motion for an address, for 
 quickeiiiii;:^ our preparations, and putting our 
 valuable possessions in the Wesi Indies, and 
 the Mediterranean, in a proper state of defence. 
 In his s]ieech, he expatiated on the defence- 
 less state of Giliialter, when he was inter- 
 rupted by a proposal being made, that the 
 house should be immediately cleared ; this 
 was objected to, and a great clamour ensued. 
 Eighteen peers, disgusted at the proceedings 
 of the ministerial party, quitted the house in 
 a body ; and, soon alter, several members of 
 tiie house of coninions, who attended at the 
 bar of the house with a bill, were ordered to 
 witlidraw. Many of the peers, who had 
 withdrawn from tl.'e house of lords, proceeded 
 to tliat of the coninions, and were there when 
 the iiH nibers, who had b(,\n excluded the 
 upper house, returned to their seats, and 
 represented the (realment they had just re- 
 ceived. A gentleman on the treasury hench 
 hereupon moved, that the house sliordd be 
 cleared, peers and all, which, after some 
 opposition, was carried ; so that those very 
 lords who had (piilted their own iiouse in 
 disgust, atliiuling iheniselves unable to prevent 
 the members of the house of commons being 
 exchnled from thence, were driven froiu tiie 
 other house by the resentment which tliat 
 very exclusion had excited. .Much recrinii- 
 nalion arose bftween the I wo houses, (Vwu
 
 tk64' HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XX. 
 
 tliis- coiidiicJ. The lords soon after issued I witli tlieir liarangues, and were solicitous to 
 s-tiirt orders that no one whatever should be > confine their sentiments within tlie walls in 
 admitted into their honse for the future, ex- 5 which they were delivered ; and there are 
 r'ept such members of the house of commons : instances, in which the house of couuiiou-S in 
 as should come to present bills, and they ; a body, have adopted the sentiments of such 
 also to retire as soon as they had made the ; members, and ordered into custody the 
 usual obediences. This misunderstanding > publishers of their speeches. In the present 
 continued during the remainder of the session. ; instance, the geiitleniun, Mr. Onslow, wiio 
 A protest against this order was entered on > lodged the complaint, stated, that he had been 
 the jonrnals, signed by sixteen peers. 'grossly misreprcstnted, and that the speech. 
 
 The apprehensions of foreign war being i given in the newspapers as his, had tlie 
 now removed, fresh internal contentions dis- ; tendency to injure him greatly in the opinion 
 turbed this season of repose. The house of; of his constituents. This brought on a de- 
 commonLi, in the case of the Middlesex elec- 1 bate on the liberty of the press. It was said, 
 tion, had themselves defined their own privi- ! that ministerial writers were publicly encou- 
 leges, and had maintained them against the ^ raged in the most flagrant abuses of the press, 
 clamour and discontent which the nation 5 and that, while this was done in one instance, 
 expressed against a power self-created, till | whereby some of the most respectable cha- 
 then unknown in the latitude in which it was \ racters in the kingdom were mangled, without 
 in that case exercised. The alarm which this ; regard to shame and truth, it was in vain to 
 innovation had spread was at length so much I curb it in other cases, or to say to licentious- 
 subsided, that no farther commotions were | ness, So far shalt thou go, and no farther ; 
 to be apprehended from the establishment of J and that although misrepresentations of any 
 the precedent; when, all at once, the house ; member were undoubtedly infamous, yet they 
 was drawn into a disgraceful contest, not upon ; ought to be legally punished by the person 
 a nat onal question, but with a few incon- ^injured, and not by the authority of the house ; 
 sideraule individuals, which terminated very ; which, however well supported by precedent, 
 urfavourably to the dignity of parliament. ; not being conducted by the ordinary forms 
 The printers of certain newspapers had > of legal proceeding, iiad ever an odious and 
 inserted, in those publications, what they ; oppressive appeanmce. It was maintained, 
 called the speeches of particular members of; that except the instances in which the house 
 the house of commons ; this presumption the ; of conunons is a court of judicature, to 
 members, on whom the speeches were father- ; whicii, from the nature of tiieir office, a coer- 
 ed, complained of it to the house, and the ; cive power must belong ; and, excepting such 
 printers were ordered to attend, which order ! contempts as immediately interrupt their 
 they did not think proper to comply with ; > proceedings, they have no authority to ira- 
 the messengers reported, that they had not ; prison a man for any supposed violation of 
 seen the printers, and the house made an I privileges whatsoever. The privilege now 
 order, that the leaving the summons at the j claimed has never been defined or confirmed 
 printers' houses should be deemed a sufficient | by the statute; neither can it be said, with 
 notice of attendance. The practice of retail- ; any colour of truth, to be a part of the com- 
 ing, in periodical publications, the substance j mon law of England, which had grown into 
 of what was delivered in parliament, guarded, I prescription long before we knew anything 
 however, by feigned names, and a slight j of the existeivce of a house of commons. The 
 transmutation of circumstances, had prevailed i power of creating new privileges has been 
 for near forty years; and the writer, who ; long formally renounced by both houses, and 
 afterwards rose to the highest eminence, and ; there is no code in which we can study the 
 who, on account of the magnitude of his ! law of parliament. To establish a claim of 
 coiiceptions, and the great compass of his ; privilege in either house, and to flistinguish 
 knowledge, has been styled the (7o/o5*J<* q/'; original right from usurpation, it must appear 
 J^iLeratwe, was one of the first who regularly j that it is indispensibly necessary for the duty 
 gratified tiie public with the debates of the ; they are employed in, and also that it has 
 senate. Individuals were frequently dis- I been uniformly allowed. There is no prece- 
 pleased with the liberty which was taken | dent from the year 1265 to the death of queen
 
 CHAP. X.\.] GEORGE III. • 255 
 
 Elizabeth, of tlie house of commons having i they had assiiniod, whenever (he civil m^;;is. 
 imprisoned any man, not a member of their « tracy had refused its concurrence. 'J ho.so 
 house, for contempt, or breach of privilege. \ who were most interested about the decision 
 They never took the power of punishing into J on tiie Middlesex election, were undoulilrdly 
 tlieir own hands ; they either sought redress > the chief instigators to this contest; and the 
 by petition to the sovereign, or applied to the 5 refractory printers were emboldened ii) their 
 house of lords ; and when satisfaction was i contumacy by a junto, who aimed at (lis- 
 denied them, or delayed, their only remedy ; gracing parliament. Tlie language which 
 was, refusing to proceed on the king's busi- | these held was. We have nothing to apprehend 
 ness. I from prerogative, but every thing from uiidue 
 
 As the subject of privilege, as claimed by ; influence. Formerly it was the interest of 
 the house of commons, now became agitated, « the people, that the privileges of the parlia- 
 the principles of ihe constitution, particularly » ment siiould be left unlimited and undefined; 
 as they affected the right assumed by the | at present, it is not oidy their interest, but 
 representatives of the people, were enquired ! necessary even to the preservation of the 
 into, and much valuable knowledge commu- ; constitution, that the privileges of parliament 
 nicafed from the press. A writer of distin- ; should be strictly ascertained, and coiifined 
 guished abilities insisted, that the greatest j within the narrowest bounds the nature of 
 and most exceptionable parts of the privilege ; their institution will admit. Upon the same 
 of parliament, now contended for, were intro- ; principle that prerogative was resisted, privi- 
 duced and asserted hy a house of commons. ; lege must be resisted. It is immaterial, 
 that abolished both monarchy and peerage, i whether the crown, by its own immediate act, 
 and whose proceedings could be no ways > imposes new, and dispenses with old laws ; 
 reconciled fo the form of (he constitution. ; or whether the same arbitrary power pro- 
 It is a leading ma.xim of the laws of England, J duces the same effects, through the medium 
 and without it all laws are nugatory, that ; of the house of commons. 
 
 tliere is no right without a remedy, nor any | In consequence of the orders given to the 
 legal power without a course to carry it into > serjeant-at-arms, that officer went to the 
 effect. Let the power now in question be ; houses of the parlies, but they were constant- 
 tried by this rule. The courts of crinnnal ! ly denied to him ; and their servaj)ts even 
 justice are open to prosecutions, which the > accompanied their answers with contemptuous 
 attorney-general may commence by informa- ; sneers, which the officer reported lo the 
 tion or indictment. A libel tending to asperse ; house ; whereupon it was determined to 
 «',r vilify the house of commons, or any of; petition the throne, praying his niiijesly to 
 its members, may be as severely punished in ; issue his royal proclamation agahist the de- 
 the court of king's bench, as a libel upon the j linquents, and offering a reward for appre- 
 king ; and the house will consult its real J bending them ; which was accordingly in- 
 dignity much better by appealing to the laws, ; serted in the gazette, and £50 a-piece offered 
 when they are offended, than by violating the ! for taking them. 
 
 first principle of natural justice, which forbids J Wheble, oneof the printers mentioi>ed in the 
 MS to be judges when we are parties to the ; proclamation, was apprehended and carried 
 cause. It was, however, the opinion of a ! before alderman Wilkes, at Guildhall, and 
 very great majority, that tlie dignity of that ; was by him discharged and bound over in a 
 house must be supported at all events, and : recognisaiu e to prosecute the captor, for an 
 that the delinquents should be taken into | assault and false imprisonment. The officer 
 the custody of the serjeant-at-arms, for con-; was also obliged to give bail for his ajipearauce 
 tempt of the orders issued by the s})eakcr. ; at tiie ne.\t sessions, lo answer for his ofTence. 
 
 At any other time, the offenders would ; The magistrate then wrote a letter to the 
 have been left to feel the severity of that : earl of Halifax, secretary of state, informing 
 power, wiiose authority they had trifled with ; ; iiim of his proceeding, and the motives whicii 
 but it cannot be docbted but a plan was no\> ; led him so to act. \\'heble, he observed, was 
 formed, to shew to the world how little able ; not charged with any crime iti the proclama- 
 the commons of England were to support ; tion, and without some crime being charged 
 that controlling power over the subject which J and proved, it was violating the rights ui' an
 
 256 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 Englislmian, as well as the chartered privi- \ asked for bail, which the Serjeant havinj 
 leges of the city of London, to take such a | refused to comply with, a warrant for his 
 raan into custody. 5 comniiliuent to prison was made out, and 
 
 Thompson, the other printer, was appre- 5 signed by the Kird mayor and tiie two alder- 
 hended in like manner ; and in like manner ; mqii ; which was no sooiu r executed, than 
 discharged by Mr. Alderman Oliver. Cerfi- ! tlie Serjeant consented to the giving of bail, 
 ficates were given by the two magistrates to ; which was admitted. 
 
 the parties who apprehended Wheble and $ The boldness of this proceeding, and the 
 Thompson, testifying their having brought i open defiance which was hurlt-d at parlia- 
 the persons described in the proclamation ! mentary privileges, when claimed independent 
 before them, whereby they might lay claim ; of law, astonished the nation ; whilst the 
 to the reward offered in the proclamation. < indignation of the house, at the insult which 
 The claimants had literally executed the ; their officer had received, rose to a height 
 business, for which the reward was promised, ! which seemed to threaten severe chastise- 
 in carrying the persons described before J nunt to the magisterial triumvirate. The 
 proper magistrates, as was directed to be ; lord mayor and Mr. Oliver, being members 
 done; but the whole was evidently a mere ; of the house, were ordered to attend in their 
 collusion, zhm] utterly repugnant to the spirit ; places, and Mr. Wilkes at the bar of the 
 of the proclamation. The lords of the trea- j house. 'J'he two members were accordingly 
 sury refused to pay the reward for a transac- 
 tion so nugatory. 
 
 in their places. The lord mayor was much 
 indisposed ; he defended his conduct by the 
 oath of office he had taken, by which he was 
 obliged to observe inviolable the franchises 
 of the city of London. He farther alleged, 
 that the city charters excepted citizens from 
 any law process, being served by any other 
 
 The house of commons seemed to grow 
 more determined upon being thus baffled. 
 Six other printers were now named ; and a 
 motion was made, seconded, and agreed to, 
 
 that they should be proceeded against. , . „ . . 
 
 Miller, the printer of the London Evening < than by their own proper officers He pleaded 
 Post, one of the six, was apprehended by a ; (hat these chartered privileges were recog- 
 messenger of the house of conunons, in his ; nised by an act of parliament. Such being 
 own house. He immediately sent for a > his obligations as chief magistrate, it became 
 constable, whom he charged to fake the ; Ids indispensible duty to act as he had done, 
 messenger into custody, and carried him to ; and prayed to be heard by counsel ; but this 
 the Mansion-house, before Braus Crosby, ; was not permited, it being observed, that it 
 the lord mayor, where the aldermen, Wilkes ; was absurd for counsel being suffered to 
 and Oliver, likewise sat. The deputy ser- \ p.lead at the bar of that house, against its 
 jeant-at-arms attended, and demanded, in ; privileges ; the rejecting this request, to be 
 ahe name of the speaker, that both the mes- j heard by counsel, was also supported by 
 senger and the printer shouid be delivered J a precedent drawn from the time of Henry 
 up to him ; this was refused by the lord I VHL 
 
 mayor, who asked for what crime and on : The lord mayor's clerk was then ordered 
 what authority the messenger had arrested : to attend with tlie book of minutes ; and 
 the printer; it was answered, that he had ; being ordered up to the table, a motion was 
 done it by warrant from the speaker. Tt was ; made and carried, that the recognisance of 
 then asked, if that warrant had been backed ; Withani, the messenger, \>liich was there 
 by a city magistrate; which being answered ; entered, should be erased uul of the book; 
 in the negative, the warrant was demanded, i after which a resolution was passed, that 
 and, after much altercation, produced ; and ; there should be no farther proceedings at law 
 its invalidity being argued by the printer's ! in that case. 
 
 counsel, the three magistrates present dis- ' Considering the disposition that was 
 charged him from confinement. Miller then ; shewn to dispute the authority of the house 
 proceeded to lodge a complaint against the iof commons, the permittiug the clerk to attend 
 messenger, for an assault and false imprison- ; with the minutes, in consequence of an order 
 inent; and, having proved the facts to the ; from the speaker, will appear to be giving up 
 satisfaction of the court, the messenger was i the point, for which tliry contended in thi,t
 
 CHAP. XXl GEORGi: III. 257 
 
 insl-.iiico. Iiidood the order luiglit have been ; 58, and he was accord iuojly conveyed thither 
 complied with for tlie purpose of ensnaring ; at that hour, by virtue of the speaker's* war- 
 tlie house, on the supposition that more « rant. The lord mayor being at that time 
 disgrace would accrue from erasing a public ; nmch indisposed, the proceedings against 
 record, than from reiterated contempt being i him were deferred. 
 
 shewn to its sunimons. But the true reason > Whilst these matters were depending in 
 was, that the alderman who then sat was not ; parliament, a court of common council was 
 disposed to maintain the contest. ; sunnnoned to Guildhall, when aldeiman. 
 
 This new kind of ?jo/i/7rose5'?«' was strongly ; Treeotliick oflicialed as locum I enetis (or the 
 inveighed against by many members. It was, I lord mayor. Public thanks, in writing, were 
 they said, assuming and exercising a power | there votetl to the lord mayor and the two 
 of the most dangerous nature, with which i aldermen, for having supported the privileges 
 the constitution had not entrusted any part | and franchises of tlie city, and having defend- 
 of the legislature ; and that the stopping the ; cd our excellent constitution. A committee 
 course of justice, and suspending the law of; of four aldermen and eight commoners was 
 the land, were among ^the heaviest charges ; also appointed to assist them in making their 
 that could be brougiit against the most arbi- i defence, with instructions to employ such 
 trary despot. ; counsel as they should think proper upon 
 
 The advocates for the privileges of the | this important occasion, and power to draw 
 house maintained, that the charter of the city « npon the chamber of London for any sunn 
 of London being granted by the king, no ; not exceeding £iiOO. 
 
 rights thereby conveyed could interfere with \ Two days after the commitment of Mr, 
 the inherent privileges of that house ; as the ^ Oliver, the lord mayor, with his committee, 
 crown itself had no power to make such i attended the house of commons to receive his 
 grants, the privileges of the house of commons ; sentence. The populace, on this occasion, 
 being a check upon the other branches of the | assenibled in crowds, and many violences 
 legislature ; that consequently their cause | were committed on such members as had 
 was the cause of liberty, and of the people \ incurred their resentment. The whole strength 
 at large; and if the powers of the house of; of the civil power was exerted to repel the 
 conunons were weakened, the security to > jjopnlar fury ; and, at length, by the interpo- 
 liberty would be equally so. It was then 1 sition and persuasion of some members of the 
 resolved, that the discharging of Miller from ; house of commons, who stood on the best 
 the custody of the messenger was a breach \ terms with the people, the mob were pre- 
 of privilege. The numbers — 272 for the \ vailed upon to retire to a greater distance 
 resolution, against 90. The house then re- 1 from Westminster-hall, which they had in a 
 solved that it was a breach of privilege to t nianner closely besieged. Tlie military power 
 apprehend the messenger executing his ; was not called fortii upon this day's tumult, 
 warrant, under pretence of an assault ; and I although a large body, both of horse and 
 that it was a breach of privilege to hold the t foot, were in readiness, if exigencies demanded- 
 messenger to bail for such pretended assault. ; their interposition. 
 
 The business, when advanced to this stage, i The house being assembled, the lord 
 detained the house till one o'clock in the < mayor said, he looked upon his case as pre- 
 morning. Mr. Oliver was then asked, what! judged, and would therefore add nothing to 
 lie had to advance in his defence ? He. replied, » what he had already urged in his defence, 
 that he owned and gloried in the charge ; no > The house, however, on account of his ill 
 justilication he knew could avert the punish- i state of health, were inclined to shew him 
 ment intended for him ; he was conscious of « some indulgence, and it was moved, that he 
 havin!> done his duty, and he was indifferent 5 should be taken into the custody of the 
 about the consequences ; and, as he thought i serjeant-at-arms, instead of being sent to the 
 it vain to appeal to justice, so he defied the ; Tower ; but the magistrate disclaimed all 
 threats of power. i such lenity, and said, that whatever might be 
 
 Here',.'pon it was moved, that Mr. Oliver > the state of his healtli. he gloried in under- 
 should be sent to the Tower ; which, after I going the same fate with his friend. Th« 
 much warm debate, was carried by 170 to i question for his commitment to the Tower 
 
 L 1 17
 
 258 
 
 HTSTORT OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XX. 
 
 ■was then put, and carried by 202 against 39. 
 On his way thither, although it was now 
 midnight, the popuhice took his horses from 
 his coach, and drew it to Temple-bar. When 
 they aiTived there, they shut the city gates, 
 and insisted on the deputy serjeant-at-arms 
 quitting the coach, and proceeding no farther. 
 The lord mayor was obliged here to interpose, 
 and, by assuring them that the gentleinen 
 with him were his particular friends, removed 
 their apprehensions. They then proceeded 
 to drag the carriage onwards to the Mansion- 
 honse, where the ovation ended. His lord- 
 ship, as soon as the mob dispersed, proceeded 
 quietly to the Tower. 
 
 The two prisoners were soon after brouglit 
 up, by the writ of habeas corpus, to the court 
 of common pleas, when, after a full hearing of 
 their counsel, the judges were unanimously 
 of opinion, that the court was not competent 
 to judge of the conduct of the house of com- 
 mons ; whereupon tlie prisoners were re- 
 manded, and continued in confinement to the 
 end of the session, receiving addresses of 
 thanks and congratulation from various parts 
 of tiie kingdom. 
 
 It required no uncommon share of discern^ 
 ment to foretel, that the inflexibility of the 
 city magistrates would entangle tiie house 
 of commons in a dispute, in which tliey had 
 every thing to lose and nothing to gain ; but 
 the disgraces which this precipitate conduct 
 drew after it, were not conipled-d by the com- 
 mitment of the lord mayor. The suj)porters 
 of parliamentary edicts were now extremely 
 embarrassed how to proceed against the 
 other cidprit, Mr. Wilkes; they had already 
 experienced both his firmness and abilities, 
 and appeared really afraid of encountering a 
 man of unconquerable spirit. Those who 
 ■wished farther to involve the house asked, 
 ivhy that gentleman was allowed to triumph 
 •in his contumacy ? Was he above or below 
 the law ? Was it fear or contempt that dic- 
 tated such a conduct? These sarcasms 
 occasioned an order to be issued, that Mr. 
 Wilkes should attend ; but instead of obeying 
 the summons, that gentleman addressed a 
 letter to the speaker, in which he observed, 
 *' That in the order for his attendance, no 
 notice was taken of his being a niend)er of the 
 house, and that he should attend in his place, 
 ■which circumstance, he said, acctsrding to 
 the settled form, ought to have been mention- 
 
 I ed. In the name of the freeholders of Mid- 
 ? diesex, he again demanded his seat in parlia- 
 5 nient, being ready to take the oaths prescribed 
 1 by law, and to give in his qualification as 
 I knight of the shire. When thus admitted to 
 { his seat, he woidd give the house an exact 
 I detail, which would necessarily coniprc hend 
 a justification of his conduct relative to the 
 late illegal proclamation ; equally injurious 
 to the honour of the crown anti the rights of 
 the subjects, and likewise to the whole busi- 
 ness of the printers. He had acted, he said, 
 entirely from a sense of duty to the great 
 city, whose franchises he was sworn to 
 maintain, and to his country, whose noble 
 constitution he revered, and whose liberties, 
 at the price of his blood, to the last moment 
 of his life, he would defend and support." 
 
 This letter a member presented to the 
 speaker, while the house was sitting; but the 
 sense of the house being taken, it w as neither 
 received nor admitted to be read. Other 
 orders were issued for his attendance, to 
 which he paid no regard. At length, a few 
 days before the recess at Easter, the house 
 hit upon an exj)edient to get rid of this 
 business, such as fully proved the deep 
 dilemma into which it was plunged ; they 
 issued an order, that he should attend on the 
 8th of April, and then adjourned to the 9th. 
 8o much inad the dignity and importance of 
 the house of commons, from whence these 
 proceedings originated, been lost in the 
 contest I 
 
 Such members as had at the first opposed 
 these measures, did not fail to utter the most 
 mortilying reproaches against so ignominious 
 a conclusion of this unfortunate business. 
 They said, every exertion the house had made, 
 in defence of their privileges, had only tended 
 to lower the estimation in which their power 
 was held by the world. Their commands 
 were not obeyed, nor their punishments 
 dreaded ; for the people havmg converted 
 them into marks of honour, they must be 
 considered as conferring a reward. The 
 majority in the house not only felt, but ac- 
 knowledged the propriety of tliese remarks ; 
 but they were desirous of taking some mea- 
 sures, by which these consecpieuces might be 
 avoided, and the power and privileges of the 
 house of commons be established on a respect- 
 able basis. Accordingly a special committee 
 was chosen, by ballot, for assorting- and 
 
 i
 
 CHAP. XX] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 259 
 
 maintaining tlieir rU^nity. The result of such 
 an a|)pointuient excited groat e.xpeciatious in 
 the public, and nothing sliort of expulsion 
 and disqualification was expected to fall on 
 the imprisoned members, while the punish- 
 ment that awaited Mr. Wilkes was more 
 doubtfully augured. After the committee 
 had sat a censiderable time, they reported to 
 the house the various cases which appeared 
 apon the journals, in ^hichthat house had 
 exercised the power of apprehension and 
 imprisonment, and concluded with recom- 
 mending to the house, that J. Miller should 
 be taken into custody ; which measure, how- 
 ever, the house did not think fit to adopt, and 
 this long-protracted and disgraceful contest 
 was finally given up. Not but many able 
 speakers laboured to bring the house to 
 exercise the power of which it was possessed, 
 of expelling its refractory members ; and 
 as it was an offence committed immediately 
 against that legislative body, they urged the 
 greater propriety of expulsion, in this case, 
 even than in the late expulsion of Mr. Wilkes, 
 who at that time had not filled up the mea- 
 sure of his iniquily, by adding contempt of 
 parliament to his other crimes ; but the 
 ministry were unwilling to make so bold a 
 use of the precedent ^o very lately established ; 
 it appeared to many to be extremely doubtful, 
 whether it would be in the power of govern- 
 ment to make head against the clamour and 
 discontent such a proceeding would excite ; 
 and, as the least of two evils, the house of 
 commons was left to bear its disgrace, rather 
 than the nation should he plunged into a 
 «tate of anarchy. 
 
 The newspapers from henceforth threw 
 off all restraint, and in the course of the next 
 session, the daily proceedings of parliament 
 were circumstantially related in the prints of 
 the next morning ; and whether the senti- 
 ments and expressions of each member were 
 fairly given, or grossly perverted, depended 
 on the rapacity or humour of the writer, for 
 the house no longer fulminated its maledictions 
 against traducers. 
 
 Towards the close of the session, a bill 
 was brought in, to enable the East India 
 company to raise and support a military force, 
 for the defence and protection of their settle- 
 ments. That body was to be empowered to 
 raise 2000 lueii, who were to be paid by the 
 company, but the officers were to be appointed 
 
 X 1 2 
 
 by the crowu. This force was to be com- 
 posed of 600 German protestants, 700 Irish 
 catholics, and 700 were to be raised in Eng- 
 land. These troops were to be subject to 
 the military laws, during theii" continuance 
 in England, and 1400 of them were to be 
 annually sent to the East Indies. It farther 
 empowered the company's officers to recruit, 
 by beat of drun), in the manner practised by 
 the regular troops. 
 
 Among the numerous instances of the 
 departure of governments and inferior com- 
 munities from those principles, upon which 
 they were at first formed, the transformation 
 of a body of merchants into sovereigns, vir- 
 tually possessing a large, rich, and populous 
 kingdom, is the most singular and remark- 
 able. Fourteen years had not elapsed, since 
 their principal settlement in Bengal became 
 subject to a barbarous enemy, and their go- 
 vernor, council; and chief officers were driven, 
 like a herd of cattle, into a noisome dungeon, 
 miserably to perish. It then hung nicely 
 suspended ia the scales of fate, whether the 
 company should possess a foot of land in 
 those very territories, over which, in less than 
 a twelvemonth after.wards, they gained a con- 
 trolling ]jower. 
 
 The possession of the territorial revenues 
 of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, 
 had o|)ened such inviting prospects to am- 
 bilious and rapacious men, that the original 
 mode, of carrying on a beneficial traffic witb 
 the natives, by conciliating their good will 
 and confidence, was entirely lost in an in- 
 temperate rage for conquest, and establishing 
 the power of the sword, in violation of justice 
 and humanity. The representations which 
 the company's servants made, of the state of 
 affairs there, appeared to be so congenial to 
 the interests of the proprieiary, that the 
 revenues of the country became an object as 
 eagerly sought after as its manufactures ; and 
 as grants extorted by force of arms, must be 
 held by the same means, a continual supply 
 of fresh troops from Europe became neces- 
 sary, the climate being much more fatal to 
 the common men, than the enemies against 
 whom they were led. 
 
 The application which the company now 
 made to parliament, was supported by the 
 weight of government. The imports of the 
 country brought large sums directly into the 
 exchequer; and the Asiatic wealth whick
 
 2fi0 HISTORY OF EXGLAND. [CHAP. XX. 
 
 centered in Uie nation, greatly increased j but many were obtained in an indirect and 
 every branch of the public revenue, in the i unwarrantable manner ; such were the arts 
 course of its circulation; and what govern- ; practised by the kidnappers, and the ooni- 
 ment now siibsistina', would sacrifice such ; pulsions used in lock-up houses, and that it 
 important objects ot linance, for the preser- 1 was with a view of rendering these means of 
 vation of public virtue, and the honour of the j recruiting unnecessary, that the present plan 
 national character ? 5 was formed. Indeed t!ie idea of procuring 
 
 • Many wci.sility objections, however, were 5 German soldiers was, after some time, aban- 
 rnade to this bill; that it was unconstitutional ; doned, and many restrictions, as to the regu- 
 to keep an armed power in the kingdom, I lation of the troops while in Englaud, were 
 which was independent ol' parliament for its \ proposed ; but after the bill had been twice 
 pay; that the introduction of tbreign troops ; read, and a great majority each time procured 
 was contrary to the act of settlement ; and | for it, it was thrown out on the third reading, 
 that it was highly dangerous to establish such | The parliament rose on the 8lh of May. 
 a precedent. The rq)lies made to these I The death of lord Halifax, w hich happened 
 objections were chiefly directed to shew the | soon after the rising of parliament, occasioned 
 expediency of the measure, in order to | some alterations in the arrangement of the 
 remove the inconveniencies the company ; great otliccs of stale. Tlie earl of Suffolk was. 
 laboured under. It was observed, that a ; appointed secretary for the northern depart- 
 greater number of men was sent off every ; ment, and the duke of Gordon succeeded lord 
 year, and that was provided for by this act ; > Suffolk in the privy-seal. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [177-2.] 
 
 Seamen vetcd — Petition of the Clergy to be relieved from suhseription to the thirty-nine 
 Articles — Roy id 31arriuge Bill — Lord Clive's dejeuce of his Conduct — Bill for the 
 Relief of Prolestant Dissenters — Lord JS'orfh's Financial Schemes — The Question 
 respecting the Middlesex Election decided in the King's Bench — Changes in Various^ 
 Departments — Sudden Failures in London, and their Consequences. 
 
 AS little i)ublic busine&s was likely to'; who were now induced to change their seaiti- 
 employ the two houses, parliament <lid | ments, and give their entire support to go- 
 uol ujeet until the 21st of .January 1772. The j virnnient. A state of public tranquillity 
 strengthof the ministry was soon found to be > imparts stability to a minister; and, as it 
 increased by several members^ who had, on ; frees him from those restraints which o])posing 
 former occasions, distinguished ihemselves » sentin)cnts create, it yields scope for the 
 by opposing the measures of administration, i exercise of his talents, and the ajiplicatioi"
 
 CHAP. XXI.] GEORGE III. 261 
 
 of them to the general interests of the ; popery was founded, they had been deviated 
 state. I from, in the laws relative to subscription, l)y 
 
 Twenty-five thousand seamen were voted ; whicli they are deprived of their invaluable 
 for the service of the current year ; and, | rights and privileges, and required to ac- 
 although it was objected, that so large a I knowledge certain articles, and confessions 
 number, in time of peace, wonld add half a j of faith and doctrine, drawn up by fallible 
 million to the public burden, it was carried | men, to be all and every of them agreeable to 
 without a division. Sound policy dictates, ; the scriptures. 
 
 that our grand national security should be | Such subscriptions were farther repre- 
 assiduonsly attended to, even in the most } sented as a great hindrance to the spreading 
 quiet times; but sailors upon paper are des- | of true religion, as they discouraged free 
 structive means of peculation. A great ; enquiries into the real sense of the sacred 
 reform in the guard-s!ii[)s was promised ; the ; writings, tended to divide communions, and 
 conduct with respect to tiicm was declared ; to canst- mutual di^like among fellow-protesl- 
 to have been so shameful, that lor many years i ants. That the diversity of opinions, held 
 back they had been considered merely as > upon many of these articles^ occasioned great 
 jobs ; and, it was said, that at the time of the ; animosity and ill-will among the established 
 Jate expected war, there were neiiher ships | clergy ; that they afforded an opportunity to 
 nor men fit for service ; but that things were i unbelievers to charge them with prevarication, 
 now so much altered for the better, thaf-;> and with being guided by interested and 
 twenty of the best ships in the navy were } political views, in subscribing to articles 
 kept upon that duty, and were in such com- 1 which they could not believe, and about 
 plete condition, antl so nearly manned, that ] which no two were agreed in opinion ; and 
 a slight press would at any time eivable them I that they afforded a handle to papists, to 
 in a few days to proceed to sea ; that the | reproach them with their inconsistency, by 
 rest of the fleet was also in good condition, | departing from the principles on which ihey 
 and that, in about a year, we should have ; had grounded their separation from them, 
 near eighty ships of the line fit for service, » and now admitting of human ordinances, and 
 besides (iiose that were upon foreign duly. | doubtful and precarious doctrines, though 
 The halcyon days of peace, with which ; they pretended that the scripture alone was 
 the nation was now blessed, afforded a 1 certain and sufficient to salvation, 
 favourable opportunity for introducing re- 1 The two professions of civil law and 
 formation in the state, and modelling legal \ physic, complained of the hardships they 
 establishments in «onformity to the ciianges j suffered, at one of the universities particularly, 
 of times, and the fuller discovery of truth > where they were obliged, at their first admis- 
 which had been made through a succession | sion, or mairiculalion, and at an age so ini- 
 of ages. A petition was therefore presented j matuie for disquisitions and decisions of such 
 to the house of commons, by sir William \ nioment, to subscribe their unfeigned assent 
 Meredith, signed by a great number of the 5 to a variety of theological propositions, hi 
 clergy of the church of England, and members } order to be able to attain academical degrees 
 of the profession of civil law and physic, ! in their respective faculties ; and that their 
 praymg relief from the subscription to the | private opinions upon those subjects can be 
 thirty-nine articles of faith. ; of no consequence to the public, as the course 
 
 This petition stated it to be one of the ; of their studies, and the attention to their 
 greatest principles of the protestant religion, > practice neither afford them the means nor 
 that every thing necessary to salvation is ; the leisure to examine into the propriety or 
 fully and sufficiently contained in the holy ! nature of such propo^litiolls. 'Jhey alsn 
 scriptures; that the |)etitioners have an in- ; l*'"6nted the misfortune of their sons, who, nt 
 lierenc riglit, which they hold from God only, i an age before the liabit of reflection can be 
 to make a full and free use of their private : formed, or their judgment matured, may bo 
 judgment, in the interpretation of those scrip- ; irrecoverably 'jound down, in points of tin; 
 ture.s ; that, ihough these were the liberal i highest cotisequence, to the opinions and 
 and original principles of the church of Eng- | tenets of ages less informed than their own. 
 land, and upon which the reformation from; Sjk William Meredith, after having- brouuht
 
 262 
 
 IIISTOUY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XXI. 
 
 lip tlie petition, said, that the prayer of it 
 was of such importance, as highly merited 
 the most serious consideration ; that it was 
 repugnant to that liberality of sentiment, 
 which happily prevailed in the present p.ge, 
 to oblige peoplt- to subscribe to the trnlh of 
 articles which Jhey could not believe; that 
 such injunctions tended to establish, under a 
 religious authority, habits of prevarication 
 and irreligion ; and were productive of great 
 licentiousness in the church, and had a farther 
 tendency to destroy Christian charity. The 
 removal of these unworthy shackles, he 
 affirmed, would give a firmness of strength to 
 the established church of England, which 
 nothing could shake ; nor could any danger 
 rise from such a reformation, whilst the 
 hierarchy and the bishops existed. 
 
 SiR Roger Newdigate was the great cliam- 
 pion of tiie high church party upon this 
 occasion. He considered the petition as a 
 prayer to put an end to the very being of the 
 church of England, as he knew not wheie to 
 find it, as a national church, but in its thirty- 
 nnie articles and book of common prayer. 
 He understood, he said, that the greater 
 number of those who had signed the petition 
 were clergymen, who must therefore have \ 
 subscribed these exceptionable articles, so 
 that however tender their consciences are at 
 present, they could quiet them in that instance. 
 It was such tender consciences that subverted 
 the church of England in the last century, 
 and he foretold, that similar consequences 
 would now ensue, if the house granted the 
 indulgence prayed for. The house had no 
 power to dispense with oaths ; nothing could 
 relieve those who had already subscribed. 
 He maintained, that the house could not 
 receive the petition, for to comply with it 
 would be a direct breach of the articles of 
 union, by which England and Scotland are 
 now knit together. Our king, as third part 
 of the state, is bound by oath never to admit 
 any alteration, either in the liturgy or in the 
 articles. 
 
 Mr.. Hans Stanley spoke next, with much 
 more moderation, though totally against the 
 petition. He expressed himself desirous of 
 shewing all due respect to so serious a sub- 
 ject ; but he perceived a sort of contradiction 
 in tiie petition, which rendered it an unlit 
 subject of future deliberation for the house. 
 Indeed, to alter the religion of a country was 
 
 not entirely a new proposition ; it had been 
 done here in (he reign of Edward VI. If a 
 change of religion takes place in the govern- 
 ing powers, it authorises such an alteration ; 
 but he observed, that there was a seeming 
 contradiction in the inferior number coining 
 to the majority, to solicit a material alteration 
 in religion. He had heard it pretty generally 
 said, that it was the original intention of the 
 subscribers to object to certain articles of the 
 thirty-nine, and to certain parts of the litany ; 
 but not being able to agree among themselves, 
 upon the particular parts to be expunged, 
 they had brought the house, as well as them- 
 selves, into a very embarrassed situation. 
 These gentlemen apply to become members 
 of an ecclesiastical community, namely, the 
 church of England ; and, in the same breath, 
 they desire the foundation, on which that 
 constitution is built, to be removed. 
 
 He declared himself as warm a friend to 
 toleration as any one within those walls, but 
 he considered toleration as a relative term, 
 signifying a conmiunity which had a national 
 church, and tolerated inferior sects. Every 
 one should certainly believe and profess that, 
 which, in his own mind, appears best and 
 most acceptable to the Supreme Being ; but 
 these petitioners, he said, seemed to wear the 
 garb of private sectaries. If they have a mind, 
 under a sanction of toleration, to teach what 
 they please, allow them so to do, but let them 
 not, under the garb of the church of England, 
 teach such doctrines. Such a conduct would 
 be absurd, if it was followed by any particular 
 sect ; how much more so to be adopted by 
 the established church ! No reformer, he 
 insisted, whose name has been transmitted 
 down to us, with any honour and approbation 
 ever formed so wild an idea, as that of putting 
 all religious creeds upon a level. 
 
 Thk first question is. Do you believe the 
 holy scripture ? The second is. In what 
 sense do you understand them? If all the 
 founders of religious systems, said he, were 
 alive at the same time, 1 am persuaded> that 
 they could compose as numerous an army, 
 as that with which Alexander subdued the 
 Persian empire, yet every one of them would 
 derive his tenets from the scriptures; but the 
 wisdom of all countries has rather chosen to 
 trust to explanations, derived from the mature 
 labour and consideration of a venerable and 
 pious hierarchy, than to the crude fancies
 
 CHAP. XXI.] ' GEORGE III. 2C3 
 
 and notions of every assuming dogiiiatiser, | of wiiich the people at large were {Icprivtd 
 atIio desires to make liimself famous for tlie J of the power of electing titeir pastors, 
 singularity of his sentiments ; on this account, | It was observed by Mr. Burke, that tlie 
 systems and creeds have prevailed all over | church subsisted before the thirty-nine arti- 
 Christendou). Where is Die great hardship J cles were framed, and consequently the thirty- 
 to persons, who, from scruples of their own, > nine articles could not be essential to the 
 (which they may be very much in the right to I existence of the church of England; the 
 indulge, if they are sincere,) for them to take ; articles of the church at first consisted of 
 to other virtuous employments, if they cannot i forty-two ; Mhy then might they not be far- 
 accept of church preferments on the terms | ther reduced, as good sense and liberal senti- 
 11 pon which they are now to be taken? At i ments gained ground? But what, says he, 
 the same time, it is allowed, that there might 5 are we to understand by the holy scriptures, 
 be many hard cases ; but where are the » which these gentlemen desire to make a 
 general laws that can guard against inconve- ; profession of their belief in ? This appears 
 iiiencies to individuals? : to be a very indeterminate idea. The Romish 
 
 He concluded with saying, that he thought ; canon admits of the bocjks of the Apocrypha; 
 tlie peace of mankind a fortieth article, which ; the canon of Luther excludes some parts of 
 Jie valued and prized as much as the whole ; the Pentateuch, and the whole epistle to the 
 thirty-nine ; and though thore have been ; Hebrews ; and some anlient fathers have 
 many disputes about the civil administration j rejected the book of Revelation. Mankind 
 of this country, yet respecting its ecclesias- j are as likely to be of one mind on this point, 
 tical affairs, we have, since the accession of j as on any oilier. 
 
 the house of Hanover, enjoyed more peace ; Sir George Saville observed, that we, 
 than any other age or any other country can i protestants, derive that appellation from the 
 boast ; he therefore begged the house to > first adherents to those principles which we 
 consider, how far it might be prudent to j profess, having protested against forms pre- 
 agitate this matter, and how far the corrosives | scribed by human authority ; and shall we 
 of religious controversy, thrown in, when ; maintain the necessity of prescribing modes 
 other heats have prevailed too much, may be > of faith, when our ))ri'nciples reject the idea 
 likely to produce fatal consequences. It is ; of any such power belonging to human 
 inconsistent, it is dangerous, to bring such a s beings ? 
 
 business before parliament ; for though a i Mr. Thomas Pitt represented the hard 
 fvee country may alter any law, (for law is ; case of the clergy, compelled by the consti- 
 the creature of the legislature, and can be i tution to give a formal assent to points of 
 altered,) yet there are laws so fundamental, | faith which they cannot possibly believe • 
 that they cannot be altered, without shaking ; and asked, what would that house, or any 
 the basis of the state. 5 honest man say, if a judge, who by his oath 
 
 Mr. Weddirburn, (solicitor-general) was ; is bound to administer justice conformably to 
 also of opinion, tiiat to subscribe a belief of] the law of the land, should be obliged, at the 
 some certain articles of faith was necessary ; same time, to interpret that law plainly con- 
 for the clergy in any establishment; the I trary to its true spirit and meaning? 
 church of Geneva, one of the most liberal | The house in general seemed to be of 
 establishments in Europe, he said, imposed ; opinion, that the professors of law and physic 
 such forms on their clergy ; the objection to ' being bound in matter of subscription, was 
 granting the petition, because it would | of small concernment to the public; but it 
 violate the act of union, he, howeveiv, shewed i was expressed as a wish, on all sides of the 
 to be ill-founded, as it had been in that sense ; house, that the universities would grant therp 
 violated, both with respect to England and ; relief in that respect, as well as to youn"- 
 .Scotland, the legislature having exerted a | students at the time of matriculatio >. 
 jiower of altering church government since; Lcrd George Germain insisted c i its being 
 the union, by the act against occasional con- j a heavy grievance, for a youth at college to 
 formity in England, and that which destroyed ; be iLcjuired to sign his assent to, or belief of, 
 elective patronages iu Scotland, by the latter ; the thirty-niue articles, earlier thou the ano of
 
 364 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXl. 
 
 sixteen, when it was not to be supposed that I move, that the farther consideration of it niisjht 
 
 he couUl understand them, or had formed 
 any sentiments about tl)em. A considerable 
 time before, the meaning- of the oaths of 
 allegiance and supremacy was thought likely 
 to be intelligible, and consequently was not 
 administered. He informed the house, that 
 the university of Cambridge had been applied 
 to for a repeal of this statute ; the practice 
 being founded on a bye-law of their commu- 
 nity, might be laid aside at pleasure ; but 
 notwitiistanding the power being vested in 
 them, they evaded compliance with the ic- 
 quest, pleading that, as a standing rule, they 
 ought not to dispense with it. 
 
 The same speaker undertook to defend 
 the character of the petitioners, from the 
 impu'ation which had been thrown out against 
 them, that they renounced their principles, 
 when, by subscribing the articles, they accept- 
 ed of church benefices. He said, he lived in 
 a county where many of the neighbouring 
 clergy had signed the petition, whom he knew 
 to be worthy, conscientious, and pious men ; 
 many had assented to the articles, with that 
 forced construction which was put upon 
 them by those who could not believe the 
 truth of some of them. The sentiments 
 which many entertained at the time when 
 they gave their assent to those articles, had 
 been by farther reflection changed, and their 
 conscientious scruples, being awakened, by 
 such a different view of things, rendered the 
 step they were now taking highly laudable, 
 and acquitted them of all iminitation of dis- 
 simulation in their former conformity. 
 
 Mk. Soame Jenyns, in behalf of the uni- 
 versity of Cambridge, said, that the practice 
 of enjoining a subscription to the thirty-nine 
 articles, being founded on a royal statute, 
 ordained at the instance of king James I. the 
 university did not consider itself at liberty to 
 annul it. 
 
 Towards the close of the debate, lord 
 North delivered his sentiments on the ques- 
 tion ; he said, when he came down to the 
 house, he hoped to have seen nothing in the 
 petition, to prevent him from recommending 
 that it should be laid upon the table, meaning 
 to oppose every attempt to go farther. Hereby 
 designing to pay a compliment to the petition- 
 ers, out of respect to the principle upon 
 which the petition was grounded, and then to 
 
 be put off for six months ; but in the course 
 of the debate he said, a stronger objection 
 had arisen in his mind against bringing it up, 
 and which outweighed every respect which 
 he wished to have paid to the importance of 
 the subject, for he thought it repugnant to 
 the act of union, and if such indidgencies 
 should be granted, there would, after that 
 time,, be nothing that could exclude a man 
 from the church of England, but popery ; 
 and he was convinced, that to make any 
 innovations in the forms now prescribed to 
 the clergy of the established church, would 
 occasion such contentions in the nations, that 
 neitiier poppy nor mandragara could ever 
 medicine it to its former repose. 
 
 Mr. Dunning replied to this, that he never 
 knew till then, that it was a principle of sound 
 policy to narrow the means of access to emolu- 
 ments ; and he had always thought, that 
 every good subject ought to be considered as 
 entitled to a proportiona' chance for obtaining 
 posts of profit and honour. In the course of 
 the debate, he said, he had remarked, that 
 the same premises had led different members 
 to very opposite conclusions ; one member 
 observed, that our reformation from popery 
 was affected by the spirit which this petition 
 was designed to promote ; and another mem- 
 ber asserted, that the granting this petition 
 had a direct tendency to bring ns back to 
 popery. He could not foresee that the quiet 
 of the nation would be endangered by grant- 
 ing the prayer of the petition ; but if the 
 repose now enjoyed partook at all of that 
 torpid state of insensibility, which his lord- 
 ship's mandragara had diffused through that 
 house, hesiiould wish to see it broke in upon 
 as soon as possible; for it was an alarming 
 symptom, which, instead of betokening 
 health, was the forerunner of destruction. 
 The debates were continued till after midnight, 
 when, on a division, there appeared for re- 
 ceiving the petition 71, against receiving 
 it 217. The petitioners, by aiming at too 
 much, lost every thing; had nothing farther 
 been asked, than an exemption from subscrip- 
 tion to some of the articles, such a request 
 might probably have been attended to. The 
 importance of this discussion has led me to 
 be circumstantial in the relation of it. The 
 debates are given from miuutes which were
 
 CHAP. XXI.J GEORGE III. 2G-3 
 
 taken in the Iiouse at tlie time, and were j pains and penalties ordained in the statnte of 
 never printed. ; |)rovision and praemnnire, made in the six- 
 
 The marriages of tlie two royal brothers, > tecnth year of tlie reign of Richard II. 
 which had taken ])lace dnring the summer, ! The jndges, having been consulted when 
 occasioned messages to lie delivered from his J tlie business was ftrst brought into the house, 
 majesty to both houses of parliament, in J declared it to be their ojjinion, tlial the care 
 ■which he observed, that " being desirous, | and the apj)robation of the marriages of the 
 from paternal affection to his own family, and ; children and grand-children of the king, and 
 anxious concern for the future welfare of his ! the presumptive heir to the crown, (other than 
 people, and the honour and dignity of his > the issue of foreign families,) do belong to the 
 crown, that the right of approving all niarri- i kings of this realm ; but to what other branch 
 ages in the royal family, which ever has > of the royal family such care and approba- 
 belonged to the kings of this realm, as a ; tion do extend, they do not find precisely 
 matter of public concern, may be made effec- 1 determined. 
 
 tual, reconmiends to both houses, to take into ; This bill met with great opposition in both 
 their .serious consideration, whether it may I houses ; but notwithstanding every clause 
 not be wise and expedient to siipj)ly the ; >vas strongly objected to, and a division of 
 defects of the laws now in being; and, by ; the house was called for on every part, yet it 
 some new provision, more effectually to \ was carried through the house of lords in 
 guard the descendants of his late majesty, J less than a fortnight; the numbers for the 
 other than the issue of princesses who have ; l>ill being UO, against it 20. It |)roduced, 
 married, or may hereafter marry, into foreign « however, two protests, one of which was 
 families, from marrying without the appro- i signed by fourteen peers. The bill was 
 bation of his majesty, his heirs, and succes- > therein reprobated, for the following reasons, 
 sors, first had and obtained. ; The maxim laid down in the preandjie, that 
 
 In compliance with this message, a bill | because marriages of the royal family are 
 was brought into the house of lords, which ; of the highest importance to the state, lliey 
 discovered the fullest disposition in that : are therefore entrusted to the kings of this 
 house to gratify every wish of his majesty in ; realm, is founded on a doctrine absurd and 
 that respect. It acknowledged the legality of i unconstitutional, but which hereafter will 
 the powers claimed by the crown in the mes- > have the force of a parliamentary declaratioiv 
 sage, and enacted, that all marriages, entered J of the law, the immediate tendency of which 
 jnto by any descendants of king George II., ! is to create as many jjrerogatives in the crown 
 except only sucii as were particularly ex- \ as there are matters of ifuportance in the 
 cepted in the message, without the previous ; state ; and, indeed, to extend them in a 
 consent of the king, or his successors on the j nwnner as vague and exceptionable as had 
 throne, signified under the great seal, and ; ever been done, in the worst and most des- 
 declared in council, should be null and void, i potic period in the history of this nation; 
 But if such descendants, having attained the ; and they apprehended that some future, and 
 age of twenty-five years, shall persist in his $ even more dangerous use may be made of 
 or her resolution to contract a marriage, dis- j this ])reamble, as it is more extensive than 
 approved of by the reigning prince ; then, J is necessary for any purpose avowed in the 
 upon giving the |)rivy-council twelve months { bill ; and this declaratory preamble is used, 
 previous notice of their design, they may, | notwithstanding nine of the judges, in their 
 after the expiration of that term, enter into > unanimous opinion, delivered to tlie house of 
 marriage with the person before proposed and ; lords, do not find any authority in support 
 rejected, without the royal consent; unless ; of the prerogative, in that extent in which 
 both houses of parliament shall, within that ; it is assumed. The descendants of George 
 time, expressly declare their disapprobation ; II. in course of time may become very nume- 
 of it; and whoever shall knowingly solemnize | rous, and it is conceived to be an intolerable 
 a marriage by this act forbiddeii, or assist at i grievance, that tlie marriage of so many siiij- 
 the celebration of such unlawful marriage, orjjects, perhaps dispersed among the various 
 any such matrimonial contract, on being duly ; ranks of civil life, should be subject to the 
 couvictcd thereof, are declared to incur the i restrictions of this act ; the extensive power 
 
 Mm 17
 
 266 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XXI. 
 
 of vvliich may, in time, render the first faini- \ 
 iies in the kingdom totally dependent on the | 
 crown. I 
 
 ■ The as'e of twenty-one years appears to ; 
 be the limit which the laws of this conntry, i 
 ■and the spirit of the constitution, have, with | 
 ^•reat wisdom, given to minority. It seems i 
 indecent to tlie royal family, to suppose they | 
 W'ill not arrive at the age of discretion as > 
 soon as the lowest subject of the realm ; and ; 
 xvhy may they not be as capable of choosing | 
 a wife at the age of twenty-one years, as of; 
 heing entrusted with the regency of the king- ; 
 dom, of which, hy the law, they are at that ; 
 age capable ? Besides, the deferring tiieir j 
 age of minority, as to marriage, till twenty- | 
 six, is impolitic and dangerous, as it may j 
 tend to drive them into a disorderly course > 
 of life, which ought the more to be guarded ; 
 against in men of high' rank, as the infiucnce | 
 of their example is the most forcible and ; 
 extensive. . 5 
 
 The right of conferring a discretionary j 
 power, of prohibiting all marriages, was as- | 
 sertcd, in the same protest, to be above the ; 
 reach of any legislature, because contrary to ; 
 the original inherent rights of human nature ; ; 
 which, as they are not derived from, or held | 
 tinder civil laws, by no civil laws whatever 
 can be taken away ; for though the legislature 
 has a power of prescribing rules to marriage, 
 as well as to every other species of contract, 
 yet there is an essential difference between 
 regulating the mode in which a right may be 
 enjoyed, and establishing a principle wliich \ 
 may tend entirely to annihilate that right. To j 
 disable a man, during his whole life, from i 
 contracting marriage, or what is tantamount, \ 
 to make ids power of contracting such mar- \ 
 riage dependant neither on his own choice, 
 nor upon any fixed rule of law, but on the 
 arbitrary will of any man, or set of men, is 
 exceeding the power peimitled by the Divine 
 Providence to human legislatures ; it is 
 directly against the earliest command given 
 by God to mankind, contrary to the right of 
 ^tlomestir; society and comfort, and to the 
 desire of lawful posterity, the first and best of 
 the instincts planted in us by the Author of 
 our nature, and utterly incompatible with all 
 religion, natural and revealed, a mere act of 
 power, having neither the nature nor obliga- 
 tion of law. This protest concluded with 
 saying, " we cannot, therefore, oa the whole. 
 
 avoid expressing our strong disapprobation 
 of an act, which shakes so many of the toua- 
 dations of the law, religion, and pui>lic se- 
 curity, for ends wholly disproporlioned to 
 such extraordinary efforts, and in favour of 
 regulatioijs so ill-calculated to answer the 
 purposes for which they are made ; and wc 
 make this protest, that it may stansl ri'corded 
 to that posterity, which may suffer tVoin the 
 mischievous consequences of this act, that 
 we have no part in the confusion and calami- 
 ties brought upon them." 
 
 Another protest, which chiefly objected to 
 the bill as a violation of the natural riglits 
 of mankind, and contrary to every principle 
 of religion and humanily, was signed by sik 
 other peers, viz. Temple, Radnor, Clifton, 
 Lyttleton, Abingdon, and Craven. The 
 opposition of the bill was yet stronger in thfe 
 house of commons. The preamble to tte 
 act was much objected to, as acknowledging 
 and confirming the prerogative of the crowii 
 asserted in the message. A motion was made 
 to omit that declaratory clause, when, after 
 a very long debate, the motion was rejected 
 by a majority of 30 only, when the house con- 
 sisted of 3fj4 members. 
 
 A MOTION was then made to insert a clause, 
 " That the act should continue in force during 
 the reign of his present majesty, and three 
 years after his demise, but no longer ;" but it 
 was rejected by a majority of 18 only. Sir 
 Joseph Manby remarked, that the title of the 
 bill was not sufficiently expressive ; to remedy 
 which, he proposed that it should run, " Ah 
 act" for enlarging and extending the prero- 
 gatives of tlie crown, and for the encourage- 
 ment of adultery and fornication, undef 
 pretence of " regulating the marriages of the 
 royal family." The bill continued for three 
 weeks to engage the attention of the house, 
 but was then passed, without any material 
 alteration, by a majority of 50. 
 
 Mr. Sullivan, deputy chairman to the East 
 India company, made a motion in the house 
 of commons, March 30th, for leave to bring io 
 a bill for the better regulation of the com- 
 pany's servants and concerns in India ; the 
 object of which bill was, to establish a great 
 variety of new and important regiilutions in 
 those rem.ote terriloriis. It aimed at restrain- 
 ing the governor and council of Bengal from 
 all concerns in trade, went entirely to change 
 the court of judicature, and the manner of
 
 CHAP. XXl] GEORGE III. 2G7 
 
 adiiiiai&teriiig justice tliere, and gave the | outrageous beliavionr of general courts ; and 
 court of directors a fuller control over tlieir \ the disobedience of the company's servants iu 
 servants. This drew from lord Clive a lon^ ; the East Indies. AVhtn the business of tije 
 and laboured defence of his conduct, during } company came before parliament some years 
 liis last expedition to India. He declared, \ before, Itiie object, he said, was not how to 
 that the sole motive which led him to expose | secure so beneiicial a trade, and so great aa 
 Lis feeble constitution, broken as it was, in | empire, for a perpetuity, but to n)ake au iin? 
 the service of the company, to the sultry | mediate dividend of £400,000 to the public, 
 climate of Hindostan, and to tiie fatigues and ! and £200,000 to the proprietary. The direc- 
 dangers of war, was, a desire of doing essen- J tors suddenly stopped prosecutions, restored 
 tial service to the company, under whose ; tlje suspended, and undid every thing that 
 auspices he had acquired his fortune and his J had been done; and yet, by the bill which 
 fame. That, instead of increasina; his fortune, j was then moved for, they were willing to 
 lie was several thousands poorer thereby. He j disable themselves from ever withdrawing 
 liad been charged with establishing a most j prosecutions for the future. They had eired 
 destructive monopoly of salt, beetle-net, to- ; likewise in being so eager to secure their 
 bacco, and other commodities in Bengal, ; annual election ; the first half of the year, he 
 which was a principal cause of dreadful > said, has been consumed in freeing themselves 
 famine and sickness, which prevailed there, j from the obligations contracted by their last 
 and swept away some millions of the inlia- ; election ; and the second half has been wasted 
 bitants. In speaking to this charge, he con- 1 in incurring new obligations, and forming au 
 fined himself to the duties laid upon salt ; J interest among the proprietors ; but, in spite 
 which, according to the population which he ; of all these manoeuvres, the direction has 
 reckoned to be in the country, and the pro- i been so fluctuating and unsettled, that fresh 
 portion each individual paid towards the tax, ; and contradictory orders have been sent out 
 furnished data to calculate the yearly produce, ; with every fleet; had they been less fickle 
 which appears to have been the enormous | and absurd, their concerns would have been 
 suuj of £437,500 sterling. The reason he ; much more consistently and uniformly 
 assigned for these imposts was, that the com- 1 managed. The malversation of their servants 
 pany's servants might receive an equivalent | may justly be charged upon the fluctuation of 
 for the deductions made from their incomes, ; their own councils; had they not concurred 
 by the directors having absolutely forbidden j in restoring suspended and persecuted men, 
 the receiving of presents, am! being deprived j the governor and council would never have 
 of a lucrative trade in salt. He acknowledged ! deliberated whether they should obey, or not, 
 to have received o-oOths share, wiiicli yielded j the orders of the direction. Fundamental 
 him £;J2,000, which sum he distributed ; princijjies being thus overturned, the whole 
 among his secretary, surjieon, ami another ; system tundjles to the ground, 
 gentleman, together with £oOOO more. The; His lurdship stated, that the clear net 
 establishing of a new gold curremy in Ben-; revenue of Bengal, for 1771, amounted to no 
 gal, during his lordship's presidency, had | more than £l7 1,000, whilst the claim of go- 
 been represented as a measure calculated to i vernment was £400,000. During his pVt- 
 enrich those concerned, to the great loss and ; sidency, the largest net sum was brought 
 injury of the pruvinee, as well as of the com- ; into the treasury. The expeuces of the 
 pany. He exculpated himself by saying, that ; military establishment, as it is called, since 
 he knew nothing of the mixture of metals, ; that period, has gradually increased, until it 
 and solemnly declared, that he reaped not a j rose to the present enormous sum of £1,800,000 
 shilling profit by the coinage. He charged ; per annum; the company's .servants haviini; 
 the directors very roundly with having, either | found out the way of making fortunes, by 
 through obstmacy or ignorance, deranged and J charging exorbitantly in all contracts for 
 fVustrated the best concerted plans of regu- 1 furnishing the troops with provisions and 
 lation in Bengal. He attributed the unlocked- j other necessaries. Hence the revenue falls 
 for embarrassments of the company's affairs ; short, though the sum levied amounts to 
 to four causes: a negligence in administra- 1 little less than four millions. The temptations 
 tion ; the misconduct of the directors ; the j to amass wealth, by indirect lueaus, he said, 
 
 M m 2
 
 '2GS HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXU 
 
 were so great, that flesh and Wood could not ; that no part of this plan was understood by 
 withstand tliem. He concluded with ob- j the gentlemen who were the immediate actors 
 serving, that Bengal was the brightest jewel | in bringing the affairs of the company under 
 in the British crown. {consideration, and that they were actuated 
 
 Governor Johnstone replied to lord ; by very different motives. 
 Clive's defence, in which he very ably ar- 1 So much light had been thrown on the 
 raigned his lordship's conduct, exposing the « transactions in India, and the conduct of the 
 flimsiness and futility of the arguments brought i East India companv's servants there, tiiat 
 in defence of it. He stated, that the highest ; the expediency of setting on foot a strict en- 
 duties that ever were collected on salt in ; quiry into the abuses of power, which had 
 Bengal were £72,000 a-year ; the general ; been long practised witii impunity, was very 
 medium was £40,000. The whole had been i evident, as well as that some salutary and 
 fiirmed for £.3'2,000 a-year. The company, | effectual regulations should be adopted for 
 he insinuated, lost £.100,000 in the progress ; the future prevention of those evd<'. Many 
 of the frauds, as he called them, in the coin- 1 were led to infer, from the facts which had 
 age. He ditl not mean, he said, to impeach ! come to light, how unequal a company of 
 his lordshi|»'s veracity, but he always unrler- ; merchants were to the superintendance of 
 stood, that the president had a certain per ; such vast concerns of a civil nature, in 
 centage on all coinage ; no doui)t, as his | which the lives and fortunes of millions of 
 lordship had said it, he made no protit of the ; people were involved ; and that ihe govern- 
 great opportimity that occurred, but that he ; n)ent of such opulent and extensive domi- 
 left that likewise to his friends ; yet he could > iiions should be subordinate to the superin- 
 hardly admit, after such recent instances of \ tendance and control of (he state. 
 his abilities, that he was so entirely ignorant J At length, a select committee, consisting 
 of the mixture of metals, as his modesty j of thirty-one members, was chosen by ballot, 
 would incline the house to believe. Do not ; to enquire into the nature and state of the 
 all men know, continued he, that the purity 5 East India company, and the affairs in the 
 of coin is a principal consideration in govern- | East Indies. The objects of their enquiries 
 inent, and that it is of the most dangerous : were so various and extensive, that, before 
 consequence to tamper with it by any fraudu- j the rising of parliament, they applied for leave 
 lent mixtures ? He asked, if his lordship ; to sit during the recess. 
 
 could deny, that money was coined with 30 ! While Mr. Sullivan's bill was before the 
 per cent/alloy? He objected to the bill ; house, a motion was made by sir Henry 
 before the house, and said, the Britisli legis- j Ilaughton, for leave to bring in a bill for the 
 lature should not move in the affairs of Asia, : relict of protestant dissenters, with respect to 
 unless it acted with dignity and effect. ; subscription to articles of faith. This attempt 
 
 The bill was read a second time, and then j to gain an exemption from human iujpositiou 
 laid by. The season was too far advanced > in matters of belief, was suggested by the 
 for a business of that magnitude, and so com- j favourable dispo.sition which many members 
 ])Iicated in its nature, to be properly discussed. ; of the house of commons shewed, in the course 
 A sensible and well-informed writer says, it 1 of the debates on the clerical petition, to 
 seems pretty evident, that administration had i dissenting ministers, who were conipt liable 
 no serious intention of entering deeply into • by law, under heavy penalties, to subscribe to 
 that matter for the present, and that the : the doctrinal articles of a church, to which 
 subsequent movements, during the remainder j they did not belong, and from which they 
 of the session, were only intended to keep it | could derive no advantages, either in promo- 
 alive, and to make, or tind, some openings j tion or emolunu nt. 
 
 for that great revolution which it has since 5 By the act of toleration, which was passed 
 established in tlie affairs of the company. It | immediately after the revolution, the free 
 was perhaps farther necessary, that this busi- | exercise of religious svorship v\as allowed to 
 ness shoidd be so far entered into, as that the ; such protcstants as dissented from the estab- 
 company should continue entangled in the : lishnienl of the church of England, and their 
 hands of the parliament during the recess. 1 principles were allowed to be taught in private 
 However this may be, it is more than probable i schools, ou condition tiiat such ministers and
 
 CHAP. XXI.] GEORGE III. 269 
 
 schoolmasters subscribed, before a justice of; tioii of wliicli was no \va}'S chimerical, seven- 
 peace, to the doctrinal parts of the thirty- i teen millions of the national debt might be 
 nine articles, a non-compliance with which i discharged, by pursuing iho plan which had 
 exposed them to heavy pains and penalties, i then b( en laid before tlie house. The dimi- 
 if they officiated either as pastors or tutors. ; nution of the annual interest, payable on the 
 So that, in fact, the liberty hereby grante«l i nalional debt, arising from these regulations 
 reached only to such as adhered to the doc- ; in the (inances, would raise the income of the 
 trines taught by Calvin, and who were, on j sinking fund, so as that, in conjunction with 
 that account, called CalvinistS, which was | the ordinary taxes upon land, malt, and so 
 almost the universal persuasion at thai tinje ; ; forth, to make the yearly revenue amount to 
 but, in the course of almost a century, great i seven million. If, when arrived at that point, 
 changes have taken place in the sentiments of? the nation should be forced into a war, it is 
 protestants of all denominations, and as the i not likely to cost us such enormous sunis as 
 principles of dissenters allow a greater lati- | when we stood single against France and 
 tude of opinion, and lead them more directly | Spain, and at the same tune protected two 
 to free en(]uirics into the doctrines derived ! sovereigns. If, said his lordship, we embark 
 from scripture, such changes of sentiment » no farther in expences, than we did in war.<« 
 were more likely to spread among then), than \ preceding the last, our yearly disbursements 
 in the established church, whose tenets carry $ would be, at an average, ai)out seven millions, 
 with them a prescriptive right to our assent. ; so that we shall be enabled to maintain such 
 It is true, the penalties enacted against such j a war, without any additional taxes. We do 
 dissenters, as did not subscribe in the tnanner ; not, said he, stand in need of any conquests, 
 enjoined, were not inflicted ; but the same I our dominions are at least as extensive as 
 candour and moderation, which suffered them ; we could wish, and their improvement, not 
 to become absolute, dictated their total n- i their extension, should be our chief aim. 
 peal. The bill was carried through the ; This opens to us a prospect, at least, of 
 house of commons by a great majority ;-bul, $ gradually reducing the national debt ; a step, 
 upon a second reading in the house of lords, J which will necessarily raise our credit and 
 it was Ihroun out by 102 lords, including ; consequence in Europe, and terrify our ene- 
 proxies, against 29. | mies into pacilic measures. 
 
 On the 1st of May, lord North entered m { With this flattering picture, the house in 
 the business of ways and means, for raising I general were extremely well pleased. In a 
 the supplies for the services, which had been i time of profound peace, the national debt; 
 voted early in the session, by opening his ; engages no one's attention, but a few specu- 
 budget. The grants which had been made | lating politicians, who look farther than the 
 were calculated to amount to £-3,886,253, and ; present moment No stock holder wishes to 
 a million and a half 3 per cent. coiisolidatc»d \ receive his principal, but upon such terms of 
 bank annuities, and South sea annuities, were | advantage, that he may replace his money in 
 paid oft" at £.00, with a douceur of four lottery I the public funds, at several per cent, profit, 
 tickets', at £l2 IO5. each, for every £lo6 i The terms on which this redemption was 
 stock subscribed. The land-tax was brought | made, were lucrative beyond example ; and 
 back to 3s. in the pound ; exchequer bills i the minister did not labour to conceal his 
 were continued to the usual amount; the > opinion, that some persons might be more 
 East India coujpany's amiual payment was ; fortunate than others in an early subscription ; 
 brought in aid, and the produce of the sinking ! bnt no one could set his name for more than 
 fund was anticipated from the 5th of April, ; £l0,000 stock. 
 1772, in the sum of £1,850,723. i The house seemed wrapped in the con- 
 
 His lordship, on this occasion, spoke with < templation of the permanent prosperity of the 
 great exultation of the state of the kingdotn, ; nation ; and although nothing n)ore erroneous 
 and the happy prospect which presented i than the general doctrine laid down, was 
 itself cf a long continuance of peace; the | ever delivered by a tirsi lord of the treasury, 
 probahility of that happy event, l>e said, was!>et the objections started were confined to 
 greater than he had known it in his time ; and : the mode of discharging the million and a 
 sliould it continue for ten years, the expecta- j half. Besides the unnecessary profit \>hich
 
 ^70 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXI. 
 
 -■was allowed the stock holder, the blending 
 indiscriminately two stacks, which statedly 
 and invariably preserved a difference of 2 per 
 cent, in their market price, was censured as 
 highly injudicious. It was observed, that it 
 was a maxim with administration to increase 
 our exj)ences according to the increase of our 
 income. The minister was asked, if he 
 would not, in the course of ten years, talk 
 of new establishments, or payments of civil 
 list arrears ? 
 
 It is worthy of remark, on what slight 
 foundation the s^alutary eftects of a ten years" 
 peace were built. The revenue, during the 
 preceding year, had not increased, but had 
 rather f.ilien off; the condition of the East 
 India company, which the house vras in pos- 
 session of OHiy a week or two before the 
 vaunt v.as made, afforded the strongest reasons 
 for apprehending that they were in no con- 
 dition to make good their stipulated annual 
 payment in future; and without it, although 
 the land-tax seemed fixed, in perpetuity, at 
 three shillings iu the pound, during peace, a 
 rate unprecedented in former tiujes, the ordi- 
 nary revenue would be quite inadequate to the 
 objects proposed. 
 
 But supposing a coincidence of fortunate 
 events, to realize the calculations of the 
 minister, and we should not have been forced 
 into a war, uiuil the yearly revenue amounted 
 to seven millions, with what shadow of reason 
 could even such an income be supposed equal 
 to the expences which would then be in- 
 curred ? At the con)uieucenient of the war 
 which king William waged wilh Lewi.s XIV., 
 tlie charges were defrayed by supplies, raised 
 ail d paid within the year; all the loans were 
 supposed to be temporary, and to end with 
 the collection. Too soon, however, the per- 
 nicious mode of borrowing on the credit of 
 the supplies was introduced ; which created 
 opposite interests between the governors and 
 the governed, and a debt of thirteen millions 
 ■was incurred d-uring that reign. In the next 
 the national debt was increased twenty-six 
 millions more, in consequence of a war, which 
 continued twelve years. Notwithstanding 
 almost universal peace prevailed for the 
 twenty-seven years which followed the treaty 
 of Utrecht, yet the national debt had, in that 
 space of time, increased six n)illions; and 
 during three years' war with Spain singly, and 
 five years' war with JSpam and France united, 
 
 thirty-two millions were added to the national 
 incuml>rance. So that the wars waged by 
 king William and queen Anne may be said 
 to have been uiaintaiued at the expence^ of 
 about two millions per annum ; and 'he tiist 
 war iu the reign of George II. at four millions 
 per annum. According to the progressive 
 increase of expences, in every department, 
 since committees of enquiry and accounts 
 have been overruled, similar exertions could 
 not be renewed at a less charge to the nation 
 than five millions per annum. How then 
 would a revenue of seven millions be adequalu 
 to carrying on the war, when more than four 
 millions was swallowed up every year in a 
 peace establishment ? '^Ihe session of par- 
 liament was closed, on the 9th of June, bj a 
 speech from tlie throne. 
 
 The dispute c-jucerning the Middlesex, 
 election had not subsided, except that sir 
 George Saville, every session, made what he 
 called his annual protest against the decision 
 of the house on that business, which passed 
 without much debate ; however, it was now 
 revived, by being investigated in a ne'v 
 mode. 
 
 A CAUSE was tried before lord Mansfield 
 at Westminster-hall, upon an action brought 
 by Mr. Alderman Townsend against the 
 collector of the land-tax, for distraining a, 
 large quantity of hay belonging to Mr. Town- 
 send, upon his refusing to pay the assessnjr-nt 
 of the land-tax, he not being fully rtpreseuied 
 in parliament, and consequenliy he considered 
 the tax as an illegal imposition. After the 
 matter of Mr. Wilkes's different expulsions, 
 rejections, and final incapacitation had been 
 stated to the jury by Mr. Serjeant Glynn, and 
 the house of conuuons seating Mr. LuttrelJ, 
 although he had the fewest votes, the serjeant 
 told them, if th'ey coincided in opinion with 
 him, that the county of Middlesex was not 
 fully JHid fawly respresenle«l, they would find 
 for the plaintih ; but if they thought the pre- 
 sent house of commons had authority to 
 impose such a tax, the defendant was justi- 
 fied. He then produced the evidence of the 
 poll books, the shcrifl's return, kc. to prove 
 that Mr. Wilkes was the legal representative 
 for the county of Middlesex. The attorney- 
 general, who Avas retained for the defendant, 
 did not appear. Mr. Wallace^ who was also 
 retained, made no other reply than by pr(»- 
 duciug the act of parliament, under the
 
 CHAP. XXI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 271 
 
 authority of which tlie collpctor had acled. 
 JLord Mansfield then told tiie jury, ttial tlie 
 tjiit siion l»etore them was, in ihct, no other 
 than. Whether tliere wafe ttt that time any 
 le^uslalive power in this country ? It" they 
 acknowledged iheie was, tlien thoy'must find 
 for the defendant; and tiiat as to the evidence 
 offered to be produced by the Serjeant, it was 
 his opinion, that it was not by law conipt'-tent, 
 and was inadmissible. The jury, witii litdle 
 or no hesitation, found for the defendant, ftlr. 
 Townsend, who was present in court, then 
 declared, tliat the affair shonld there end. 
 
 On the 14th of Aui^nsl, lord Hi!lsl)oroua;h 
 resis^ned liis post of secretary of slate tor the 
 American colonies, as well as that of first 
 lord of trade, and was succeeded in bolh by 
 the earl of Dartmouth. Soon after his retiring 
 from tiiese offices, he was advanced to the 
 rank of earl of Great Britain. Lord Dart- 
 mouth, in parliament, had voted for the repeal 
 of the stamp-act, and since that event had 
 always opposed the taxation of America. 
 From the advancement of this noblemali, 
 therefore, it was concluded, that a new system 
 of government would lake place with respect 
 to the colonies. The earl of Harcourt suc- 
 ceeded lord Townsend in the lieutenantcy of 
 !reland, when the latter was appointed master- 
 general of the ordnance; on the death of the 
 earl of Albemarle, general Conway obtained 
 the govermnent of the isle of Jersey, when 
 sir JefTery Amherst succeeded as lieutenant- 
 general of the ordnance, and was afterwards 
 called to the privy-council. Lord Stormont 
 was appointed ambassador-extraordinary at 
 the court of Versailles, in the room of the 
 carl of Harcourt. Mr. Jenkinson was ap- 
 j)ointed vice-treasurer of Ireland, and Mr. 
 Charles Fox a lord of the treasury in his 
 room. 
 
 The nation had now enjoyed a nine years' 
 peace ; and that active spirit, so prevalent in 
 this country, and characteristic of tlie people, 
 discovered itself in great and laudable under- 
 takings, which tended to facilitate inland 
 tralTic, and to open a ready communication 
 between great trading towns, by means of 
 navigable canals. The commerce with 
 America indeed languished, in conse(juence 
 of the disagreement which had broke out 
 between this country and these colonies ; the 
 beneficial commerce with Portugal was on the 
 decline ; the Levant trade too, once so profit- 
 
 I able o!n acconut of the demand which it caused 
 I for our uiauufactures, as well as for the pra- 
 ; duclions of our West India islands, and on 
 J account of the batancc which accrued from 
 5 it, was no longer important. The southern 
 ! parts of France had fur many years availed 
 I themselves of the advantage which their 
 J situation afiorded, and undersold us in all the 
 Turki-sh poits. But the loss of this Iratle was 
 now comii>ieiVsated by thegreat increase of th^ 
 commerce with Russia, in consequence of the 
 advances made in civilization throughout thaj 
 extensive empire ; and the endeavours used 
 by the empress to introduce, among th*; 
 higher orders of the state, the arts and man- 
 ners of the polishoil kingdoms of Europe. 
 Notwithstanding this circumstance, our foreign 
 trade, taken in the aggregate, was much oa 
 the decline ; and the balance was against us 
 in many parts of Europe, owing to the great 
 increase of luxury throughout the kingdom ; 
 in proof of which, although our gold coin was 
 reduced to a disgraceful state of deficiency, 
 yet considerable quantities were clandestinely 
 exported, particularly by the Jews. 
 
 Asia was the (juarter of the world, from 
 whence the nation enjoyed an influx of ric lies. 
 Nnndjers of those who had acquired fortunes 
 I in India, returned every year to their native 
 ! country ; these in general being eager to pur- 
 j chase estates, the value of land rose to a 
 height which it had never before reached ; 
 the public and private banks were full of 
 cash; insomuch, that it has been said to have 
 been in the contemplation of government, to 
 reduce the legal rate of interest from five to 
 four per cent., for notwithstanding these 
 appearances of wealth in the nation, the 
 public funds were considerably lower than 
 they had been soon after the peace took 
 place. 
 
 This state of the kingdom was very favour- 
 able to the enterprise and industry of the 
 manufacturer and merchant, as it facilitated 
 the procurement of money on personal secu- 
 rity ; but. at the same time, it encouraged a 
 very destructive mo<le of raising money, by 
 drawing and negotiating bills of exchange, 
 and issuing notes of hand, for which no valu- 
 able consideration was given in the first in- 
 stance ; and the ease with which au imaginary 
 capital was thus raised and maintained, 
 occasioned the abuse to be carried to such au 
 excess, as in the end threatened the destructioii
 
 272 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXI. 
 
 of all confidence between man and man. 
 People of no fortune, or even such as were 
 actually insolvent, without having incurred 
 the suspicion of it, were enabled to keep up 
 an appearance of opulence for a time, and to » 
 ■pursue desperate schemes, under the vain | 
 expectation of speedily becoming rich. Dis- 1 
 sipation and extravagance were at once the I 
 causes of such practices, ant' the effects pro- i 
 yJuced by them. The mass of unthinking } 
 men grew nnmindful of their expences, be- | 
 cause they were enabled to raise present | 
 money to defray them ; whilst others were « 
 driven to such expedients, when profusion \ 
 had wasted their fortunes. Another practice, j 
 •which was equally prevalent at the time now 
 spoken of, was hazarding desperate stakes on 
 the fluctuations of the public funds. It is 
 true, that the mischievous practice of stock- 
 jobbing has prevailed almost ever since the 
 creation of a national debt; but the great 
 fluctuation in the price of India stock, about 
 this time, afforded greater scope than usual 
 to the insatiate gamester. Sir G. Colebrooke, 
 an adventurer, whose conduct was neither 
 under the restraitits of prudence nor of prin- 
 ciple, and who had risen in a few years from 
 the condition of a servant to be a partner and 
 chief manager in a very respectable banking- 
 house, having for some time speculated with 
 success in the alley, and realised a fortune, 
 became intoxicated with his elevation ; he 
 rivalled peers, and even East India nabobs, 
 in his profuse mode of living ; and, confiding 
 jn the supposed superiority of his penetration, 
 
 made contracts for the delivery of India stock 
 to an immense amount, at a short future day, 
 fully assured of its falling considerably in the 
 intervening time. In this expectation he was 
 however deceived ; the stock rose to a great 
 height, and himself and his partners were 
 involved in one sudden ruin. Commercial 
 credit was greatly aflected by this failur:;, 
 especially as it was immediately followed by 
 the ruin of other eminent bankers, and many 
 considerable merchants. The concussion 
 was dreadful ; all the airy bubbles of sub- 
 stantial consequence in the trading world, now 
 burst at once. In this state of general distrust 
 and alarm, the bank of England refused to 
 discount all bills ; and many men of the 
 most unquestionable property, who had em- 
 barked in large concerns, felt all the embar- 
 rassments of poverty, being unable to raise 
 immediate money on any kind of security. 
 Many wealthy families were totally ruined by 
 the failure of others. The opulent tradesman 
 was no longer considered as an object of envy 
 by the country gentleman, who now beheld 
 him as deriving all his consequence from ))re- 
 cavious and delusive dependencies, while the 
 landholder, although perhaps obliged to live 
 in a manner more circumscribed, held his 
 fortune by too permanent a tenure to be en- 
 dangered by the indiscretions of others. This 
 violent shock, however, in its consequences, 
 served to place commercial intercourse on a 
 more solid and beneficial basis, by inculcating 
 wholesome caution and prudent reserve.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1772, 1773.] 
 
 Meeting of Parliament — Embarrassments of the East India Company- — Plan for sending 
 out supervisors — Secret Committee choseyi by the House of Commotis, to enquire into the 
 state of the Company — Itcport made by the Chairman — Discussion of the rights which the 
 Company possessed by virtue of their Charter — Jbill to rcbtrain the Company from sending 
 out Supervisors — Petitions of the Proprietors of India Slock to the House — Revenue 
 draw7ifrom the Company by Government — Abuses in Bengal — Conduct of Administration 
 towards the Company arraigned — Proceedings of the House of Lords — Protest — Enquiry 
 into the Expeditioii against the Caribbs — Condition of the Island of St. Vincent at tlu 
 Peace — Augmentation of the Half-pay of Captains in the Navy — The East India Com- 
 pany apply to Parliament for a Loan — Regulations proposed by Lord North — Reports 
 from the Select Committee — The Company permitted to export their Teas duty free — 
 Remonstrance — Address from the Cotnpnny to Parliament — liill for regulating the Com- 
 pany's Affairs, as well in India as in Europe — Charges exhibited against Lord Clive — 
 Reasons which probably operated to defeat the Enquiry — Protest of the Lords against 
 the Rill for regulating the East India Company — The Laan refused on the Conditions 
 prescribed — The Cotnpany compelled to accept it — Vast Iiifluetice acquired by Governmet'J 
 — State of Fitiancefor the Year 1773. 
 
 WHILST the commercial part of the j delusions. The company had accepted bills 
 nation was shaken by these unex- ; from India, to the amount of more than a 
 pected events, the • arliament was called to ; million sterling, which was four times the 
 meet early in the /.nter, in consequence of j amount which they had allowed the council 
 the no less alarming state of the East India | to draw for ; and, in consequence of the 
 company. ? failure of returns from thence, was indebted 
 
 jp.-.^ November the 26th, his majesty j to the bank for money- borrowed, on the 
 opened the .«ession of parliament by a ; revenue of the customs, for duties on goods; 
 speecii fiom the throne ; in which he told \ and had not a sufficient sum in their treasury 
 them, that he had called them thus early I to make good their quarterly payment of 
 together, that they might have an opportunity \ £100,000 to government. 
 
 of being fully informed of the true state o(\ The manner in which the company had 
 the Edsl India company's affairs, and that i been set at nought by its servants in India, 
 they 'might make such provisions, for the | whilst the most positive orders of the directors 
 conunon benefit and security of all the various I were either evaded or utterly disregarded, 
 intercuts concerned, as they shall find best J had led it to send out supervisors in the year 
 adapted to the exigencies of the case. i 1769. These gentlemen were invested with 
 
 The (lattering prospects which the com- ; very extensive powers, by the exercise of 
 pany's servants in Bengal had held out, of| which, it was hoped, that a general reform 
 the immense wealth which would be derived I would have been brought about, and a radical 
 to the. proprietary, from i he territorial acqui- ; cure of these growing evils eflected. But the 
 bitirus there, iiad proved no other than vain ; ship, in which they were embarked, was never 
 
 N n 1<{
 
 274 
 
 MI8T0RY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXII. 
 
 that the East India company, notwittistanding 
 their acknowledged distresses for waul of 
 money, were preparing to send out a commis- 
 sion of supervisors to India, the expt nee 
 attending v.hich was calculated at £!2O,O0O 
 per annum, which would still add to their 
 distress, and recommended that a bill shoidd 
 be brought in to restrain them, for a limited 
 time, from sending out supervisors ; and a 
 bill was brought in accordingly. 
 
 All the powers of eloquence, and force of 
 reasoning, were called forth in the discussion 
 of this momentous point. The attorney and 
 solicitor-general conlcnded, that the character 
 of the company did not empower it to appoint 
 supervisors. The malversations which had 
 been so long practised with impunity in the 
 East, were represented as too enormous for 
 any effort of the court of directors to correct; 
 and that the powers which government pos- 
 sessed were alone capable of restoring the 
 inhabitants of Hindostan to the secure enjoy- 
 ment of liberty and [)roperty, curbing rapacity 
 and violence, and directing the revenues of 
 that extensive country into their proper chan- 
 nels. The subject naturally led to the en- 
 quiry, whether a company of merchants, act- 
 ing under a charter, have a right to conquer 
 or retain dominions, and establish civil regu- 
 lations there, independent of the state to which 
 they belong. 
 
 In the progress of this restraining bill 
 through tlie house, Mr. Sullivan delivered a 
 petition from the East India company against 
 it ; in wiiich, with all deference to the wisdom 
 and supreme authority of parliament, they 
 represent the bill as subversive of those rights 
 wliich they hold under their charter, the privi- 
 leges of which have been purchased by their 
 predecessors from the public, for a valuable 
 consideration, confirmed by several acts of 
 parliament, the provisions of Mhicli the pe- 
 titioners are not in any degree conscious of 
 having violated. 
 
 It then complained, that the report of the 
 
 secret committee, upon which the bill was 
 
 ported to the house, on the 7th of December, \ to proceed, was erroneous, with respect to 
 
 - rr, ., , », .,, ,r 5 the calculation of the expences ; and, if tlicir 
 
 * 1 lie geiUlemcn chosen were. Mr. Alderman Har- 5 ,»• • ■ i i • i • i r 
 
 ley, chairT.K,n, (whose great uncle, the S earl of 1 ""'■'^'••S '.'^"l '^t'^" ex^nuned m a pubhc manner, 
 Oxford, \va^ an ..ibitralor, chosen to adjust the interests ^ the petitioners HHjilit have has! an opportnmfy 
 of the two East India companies, wheniluy were united, ! of attending to their several interests. The 
 1701 ) lord Frederic t-"""ipbell, lord Pahnerstone, Air. | report, which would then have been made, 
 Kigby, Mr. Stanley, Mr. Jenknison, Mr. .lackson, Mr. S "^ i i i i ro- i f .^^ t\ ^t 
 
 Fitzpatrick, Mr. Burrell, Mr. Ryder Mr. Walpole Mr. \ "'«"'<l ''^^'<^ ^^'^^ \^'y, '^'^''^"^^^ ^'''"^ ^ '^ 
 £amcs, aud Mr. Gilbert. ; which has appeared. It then stated, that 
 
 heard of after she sailed from the cape of 
 Good Hope, so that the maladministration 
 in Hindostan continued without restraint or 
 control. The bill which Mr. Sullivan brought 
 ill during the last se.>»sion of parliament, but 
 which the house rejected, aimed at new-mo- 
 delling entirely the government of Bengal. 
 During the summer, the company had re- 
 solved on sending out supervisors to India, 
 and six gentlemen were nominated to that 
 important trust. 
 
 When the address, iu answer to the king's 
 speech, was moved for in the house of com- 
 mons, by the honourable Mr. Fitzpatrick, he 
 expatiated on the enormous abuses practised 
 in India, and represented the company as 
 being in a ruinous and desperate condition. 
 Lord North drew a different picture. He 
 said, that from every thing he c«nld learn 
 respecting the state of the company, their 
 embarrassments, though grievous for the 
 present, were not of such a nature as to 
 weaken their stability ; that their vast stock 
 of teas, and the merchandize imported from 
 their different settlements, all which were 
 safely deposited at home, besides their pro- 
 perly in luflia, and what were floating on the 
 seas, j)roved that their present embarrass- 
 ments were only temporary, and ought not 
 to affect the credit of the company. He then 
 made a motion, that a committee of secrecy, 
 consisting of thirteen persons, should be 
 chosen by ballot; which, after considerable 
 opposition, was adopted by the house.* 
 
 This committee was furnished with full 
 powers, and it was laid down to them, as an 
 instruction to take into particular considera- 
 tion, the lueasure of sending out a commission 
 of supervisors to any part of our territories 
 in the East Indies. The select committee, 
 which had been chosen the last session, was 
 then revived, more perhaps from a respect to 
 the members who composed it, than from 
 any views which the minister entertained, of 
 accomplishing his purposes by its n)eans. 
 
 The chairman of the secret committee re-
 
 CIIAP. XXII.J 
 
 GEORGE 111. 
 
 275 
 
 the expences of the commission was designed 
 to have been defrayed fron a part of the 
 savings proposed to be made thereby, so that 
 the creditors of the company could not have 
 been injured in any degree, l)ut must have 
 been, on the contrary, greatly benefited. It 
 suggested the dangerous consequences to the j 
 company arising from sucii a bill, which " 
 would prevent them from taking the necessary 
 steps for the arrangement of their affairs, and 
 deprive them of the means of fulfilling their 
 engagements to the public ; and concluded 
 with claiming, with all humilily, the benefit 
 of the law of the land, and the pui)lic faith of 
 the nation, for the free enjoyment and exer- 
 cise of the rightf? and powers which they held 
 
 £300,000. By putting the Bengal army on a 
 similar fooling with that at fort St. George, 
 the expence ought to be very little more than 
 £400,000, If this reform could by any means 
 be brought about, the saving to the company 
 would exceed half a million annually. 
 
 The same gradation of profusion was ob- 
 served in the civil establishment. At Bengal, 
 171 civil servants annually cost the company 
 £300,000, and at fort St. George 114 civil 
 servants cost only 50,000. These were said 
 to be proper objects of regulation ; and it was 
 evident, that great savings, and such as pro- 
 digiously exceeded the expences of super- 
 visors, might be made. 
 
 Besides the regulations necessary to be 
 
 under their charter, and prayed that they i introduced into the civil and military estab 
 
 ! lishments, other (jrconomical plans might be 
 
 i adopted. Great abuses had been committed 
 
 in making additional fortifications, and build- 
 
 might be heard, by themselves or tlieir coun 
 sel, against the l)iil. 
 
 CouNSKL being hereupon admitted, it was 
 
 given in evidence at the bar of the house, that i ing barracks. The whole expence of forta, 
 
 government had received, by the net duties 
 and the stipulated £400,000, little less than 
 two millions annually from (he company, 
 which, at the same time, had lost a million by 
 the indenmity agreement upon tea, of which 
 £700.000 went to government, and the re- 
 mainder to the purchasers. The whole of the 
 
 since 1765, the time when the select committee 
 at Bengal was first inistituted, amounted to 
 more than £1,200,000. The natives were 
 likewise grievously oppressed, not only by 
 heavy duties on all the necessaries of life, 
 but by a tax called Malooi, which was levied 
 under pretext of repairing bridges, roads, &c. 
 
 company's leceipts of dividends, during the | the produce of which was divided among the 
 five last years, scarcely amounted to £.000,000 ! committee, 
 
 more than 6 per cent, upon its capital, which; Untjl the select committee of lord Clive 
 \Yas the lowest trading dividend that had ever J h^d the direction of aflairs, the civil and 
 been made, during the most expensive and \ niilitary expences of the company at Bengal 
 dangerous Mar. It appeared upon the whole, J h^d never exceeded £700,000. The next 
 that the company's mercantile profits, during | year, 1766, they came up to £POO,000, and so 
 the above period, amounted on an average to ^ on gradually, till at length, in 177J, they 
 
 £464,000 annually, which would have afford 
 ed a dividend of 12j per cent. ; so that while 
 government profited to the great amount of 
 two millions, the proprietary, instead of reap- 
 ing any benefit, lost considerably that share 
 of the dividend, which the profit of their trade 
 only, independent of the territorial revenues, 
 would have.afibrded. 
 
 These facts were much insisted on by the 
 counsel, who were heard on the third reading. 
 The abuses in India, particularly at Bengal, 
 were represented with equal precision. In 
 the military establishment there, the annual 
 expence of 30,000 soldiers, not 4000 of whom 
 were Europeans, amounted to above a million. 
 At fort St. Geofge, where an army of 23,000 
 nien was maintained, of which 4400 were 
 Europeans, the anuual expence was near 
 
 K n 2 
 
 amounted to £'1,800,000 sterling. This detail 
 cle.uly demonstrated, that a commission of 
 able and upright men, vested with just power 
 and authority, might save the company sums, 
 against which the expence of- the supervisors 
 would weigh but light in the scale. The 
 counsel contended, that the company claimed 
 a right of managing their own concerns, by 
 the powers vested in them by their charter, 
 and likewise in return for signal services which 
 they had rendered to the nation. 
 
 Thus the evidence given in at the bar, and 
 the pleading of counsel, served to establish 
 facts which were not before doubted, namely, 
 the great delinquency of the company's ser- 
 vants ; but they did not tend to confirm the 
 Ijclief, that the company was competent to the 
 redress of these abuses, especially as the
 
 276 msTORY OF England. [chap. xxir. 
 
 select committee at Calcutta, from whence > rity to the stock-holders ! When the com- 
 these enormities had sprung, was formed for I pany came down handsomely, and furnished 
 the purpose of correcting such evils. 5 a reasonable sum to pay off the arrears of the 
 
 The important question was, whether the I civil list; arrears so honourably and usefully 
 present exigejicy and imbecility of the com- ; contracted, the five reasons were forgot. The 
 pany were such as warranted the interposition I eyes of parliament were dazzled, and could 
 of parliament. Lord George Germain ac- \ no longer see how to make any regulations 
 knoivledged the bill to be a great stretch of; for securing the permanence and stability, of 
 parliamentary aulhorily, and not to be justi- j that lucrative bargain which it hael ma'^e. 
 ■fiable, but by the most cogent necessily, which j The company, without the aid of precedent, 
 precedes all other law; but he saw, in that I without the light of experience, without chart 
 instance, the necessity pressing upon the « or conjpass, was allowed to steer at random 
 house to interfere, in the clearest manner. ; through this perilous ocean. What wonder 
 
 * Lord John Cavendish was of a different ! that they lost their course ! The wonder 
 opinion. He said. When extraordinary reme- ; would have been, if, assisted by no lights but 
 dies become the ordinary engines of govein- ; by those communicated by servants, interested 
 ment, you may be assured you have a weak | through the fear of past embezzlement, aiiel 
 ministry. Men of superior, and even of com- j the hope of future peculation, to mislead, tiiey 
 mou abilities foresee, and endeavour to | had not been bewildered and lost. The dis- 
 prevent great evils ; and if, in the fluctuation | tress of the company arises from the improvi- 
 of human events, such evils should neverthe- ; dence of administration, and tlie short-sighted- 
 less an.se, they know how to remove them, > ness of parliament, suital)le to its form anel 
 without offering violence to the general i constitution. He added, Or am I mistaken? 
 system ; to those sacred institutions, which i Were the affairs of t!ie company designedly 
 are to human society what gravitation is to i left in confusion ? Were the directors left 
 the constitution of the universe. | without any effectual contnJ over delinquent 
 
 On this occasion Mr. Burke displayed all ; servants ? Was the colleclion of the revenues 
 those rare qualities of the head and heart, | left without any check ? Was the tyranny of 
 with which he was so eminently gifted. He i a double government, like our double cabinet, 
 observed, that in 1767, parliament took the I tolerated with a view of seeing the concerns 
 state of the East India company's trade and i of the company become an absolute chaos of 
 revenue into consideration, for the doing ; disorder, and a means of giving governmert 
 ■which five reasons were assigned : the main- I a handle for seizing the territorial revenue? 
 tenance of the public faith — the support of ; I know that this was the originrl scheme of 
 public credit — the increase of the company's } administration, and I violently suspect that 
 traele — the increase of its revenues — and the > it never has been relinquished. If the ministry 
 security of the stock-holders. This grand ; have no sinister view, if they do not mean by 
 and salutary plan was entered upon. Books i this unconstitutional step to extend the influ- 
 upon books, and papers upon papers, were \ ence of the crown, they will now speak out, 
 brought up and piled upon the table. The | and explicitly declare their intentions. Their 
 subject was considered and reconsidered ; » silence may be justly construed into a con- 
 debate succeeded debate, and resolution fol- I fes.sion of such a design, and they will thence- 
 lowed resolution. One and forty times did | forth be considered as the determined enemies 
 the house sit on this business, and more than \ of the liberty of their country. God knows 
 once till four o'clock in the morning. What 1 that the places and pensions and expectancies 
 was the result ? Quid feraf. hie tanium \ furnished by the British establishment, are 
 dignum promissor hialu ? What did this ; too powerful for |he small remains of patriot- 
 mountain in labour bring forth ? No mouse | ism and public spirit that remain in our 
 truly, but a fair round sum of £400,000 a 1 island. What then will become of us, if 
 year to government. In this manner did | Bengal, if the Ganges pour in a new tide of 
 j)arliament provide for the maintenance of the j corruption ? Should the evil genius of British 
 public faith, and the support of public credit! i lilierty so ordain it, 1 fear this house will be 
 In this manner did parliament increase the | so far from removing the corruption of the 
 tompany's trade and revenue, and give secu- 1 East, that it will be corrupted by it. I dread
 
 CHAi'. XXII.J GEORGE HI. 277 
 
 more from the infection of tliat place, tJian I i powers. Tiie bill passed by 26 to 6. No 
 hope from the virtue of this Iioiise. Was it ; sooner was this business dispatched, than th*; 
 not tlie sudtlcti plunder of )!ie Jiast that jjave 5 two houses adjourned for tlie Christmas recess, 
 the final bio'v to the freedom of Rome? What! Wh];\ the parliament was re-assem- 
 reason have we to expect a better fate? I | bled, the honouralile Mr. Thomas ''""*• 
 conjure you, by every thing wliicli man oujht I Townshcnd moved for an enquiry into an 
 to hold sacred ; I conjure yon, bv the spirits j expedition which had been made agaiusst (he 
 of your forefathers, who so ncldy fouj^lu and > Caribbean Indians, dwelling on the island of 
 bled for the caube for which 1 now plead ; I ; St. Vinceni in ih«; West Indies. 
 conjure you, by what includes every thinir, j This island, together with diose of St. Lucia 
 l>y your country, not to yield In the tenipr.- ; and Dominica, had b(>en formerly considered, 
 tions which the East, in the hands of il-e • boil, by us and the French, as neutral, and 
 crown," holds out; not to sink into the unlfjh < tl)e natives as lawful possessors of tlie soil. 
 of corruption, and to drag afl'^r you y«'ur ! VVi'ea St. Vincent's became subject to Great 
 posterity, your country. I obtest benvea and ^ Britain at the peace of Fonluinbleau, the 
 earth, that in all places, and at all times, i 5 French planters had settled in the northern 
 have hitherto rejected the gilded hr.ud of j or huward parts, whilst the native Cariubeans 
 corruption, and endeavoured to ste.n !he | occupied the windward or southern districts. 
 torrent which threatens to overwhelm this \ Wiien orders were issued from the treasury 
 land. Upon the whole, ihe bill is da'.igerous i for the sal? of laurls in the ceded islands, liie 
 in itself, as being the tirst step towards a total i French possessors on this spot were required 
 invasion of the company's territories in Ben* to pay certain stipulated sums for the lands 
 gal ; and should we admit the motives whicii ; v'hit h they occupied, the right by which ihey 
 lead to it to be good, yet such a step is dan- ■ held them being considered as invalid ; ordtsrs 
 gerous as a precedent; 1 do not, however,; were given, that the Caribbs should not be 
 deny that the house has power to pass it, but ; disturbed in their possessions, whilst they 
 you have not Ihe riu'it. There is a perpetual ; observed a quiet and inoHensive dtinei'.nour. 
 confusion in gcnileinens ideas, from inattention i Among these Caribbs were about 1000 figliting 
 to this material disliiicfion ; from wiiich, | men. The new settlers, who amvei! from 
 properly considered, it will appear that this ; England, soon belield with a jealous eye the 
 bill is contrary to the eiernal laws of right j fertile plains which were occupied by these 
 and wrong; laws that ought to bind all men, ; people. They proposed an exi-hange of lands, 
 and, above all, men in legislative assemblies! I by which these ]ndi;ins wouid possess a part 
 Upon a di\ision, the bill passed, by a majority : of the island equally convenient for their 
 of 15.3 to -8. I occupations of bunting and fishing, but, being 
 
 In l!ie house of lords, it met with a faint > overrun with wood, nnfavouraide for culii- 
 opposihon, but was pioductive of a proir?;t, | vation. This proposed exchange Mas ajjproved 
 in which, among many other reason>i assigned, ; by government at home, but rejected with 
 it was opposed because it appears th;it ihe »^reat spirit by the Caribbs, who insisted on 
 company were not only ault!orist(i by law, i t!>eir right of retaining the hmds which they 
 but bound in duty to appoint a commission j possessed, in the same independt nt manner in 
 for regulating their affairs, and correcting | which they had hitherto held them ; declaring 
 abuses. It might have been alleged against | that ihey acknowledged no moie su' jectiou 
 the company, that the neglect of a|)plying J to the king of Great Britain than they had 
 legal powers for the ends for which sucli i formerly dgne to the raonan h of France, 
 powers weregiven, was a matter of «!elin»juency ; This firm maintenance of their ir. tuial rights 
 in that corporation, and might have subjected i was represented by the rapaoiou- plrnhrrs as 
 them to process in the courts below, or to an » a dangerous extirpating .spirit, which exposed 
 adverse proceeding in parliament. It is a ; the new colony to continual (Janger of being 
 government, the protesters conceive, full of I overwheUned ; and it was submitted to go- 
 deceit as well as violence, where men are to I vernmeni, whether it was not expedient to 
 be jHUiished if they decline, or to be restrained ; transport this unhappy people, either to the 
 if they endeavour to exercise their lawful j coast of Africa, or to the Uesart island of St-
 
 278 
 
 II I.STORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 LCHAP. XXII. 
 
 Mattliew. The laUor schome was at Icnglli 
 
 complied with, on condition that they could 
 not be brought to sul)mit to tlie English 
 government, and instructions were sent by 
 lord lliilsborongli to provide them with every 
 necessary accommodation, and sliew them 
 the most humane treatment, both in their 
 conveyance to, and establishment in their 
 new settlement. rBut as the Caribbs were 
 highly irritated at being thus dispossessed of 
 their native possessions, and as there was no 
 force on the island sufficient to execute the 
 orders in April 1772, general Gage was direct- 
 ed to send two regiments from North America 
 to Si. Vincents, and a force nearly equal 
 thereto was collected from the other islands. 
 The arrival of these troops, together with 
 some men of war, which were designed to 
 co-operate in the attack, no ways intimidated 
 the Caribbs, who defended themselves with 
 their bows and arrows, and other missile 
 weapons, in the use of which they were very 
 expert. The rainy season, which was then 
 set in, and the want of proper huts to shelter 
 the troops, caused great sickness among them, 
 the accounts of which, that were transmitted 
 to England, joined to the supposed injustice 
 of the war which was waging, gave birth to 
 enquiry ; which, however, was deferred from 
 time to time, in expectation of some official 
 advices being received. It was not until the 
 12th of February 1773, that witnesses were 
 examined at the bar, some of whom represented 
 the Caribbs as a quiet, friendly, and fair- 
 dealing race of men, who had been driven to 
 acts of hostility by the injustice and avarice 
 of the new settlers from England, w:hilst others 
 described them as perfidious and cruel with 
 violent passions, indulging a lawless freedom 
 in the gratification of them, and from their 
 attachment to the French, as dangerous neigh- 
 bours, especially in a new settlement. The 
 evidence being gone through, Mr. Townshend 
 made two motions, the first of which was, 
 "that this expedition to St. Vincent was 
 undertaken without sufficient provocation on 
 the part of the Caril^bs, upon the representa- 
 tion of interested men, and must, if successful, 
 end iu their total extirpation. The second, 
 " tkat the military were sent out in an im- 
 proper season of the year, and tJiat it was 
 likely to end in the ruin of some of the best 
 troops in the service." 
 
 house divided 
 
 against 
 
 it 206; for 
 
 After much debate, the 
 for the first motion 88, 
 the second 78, against it 99. 
 
 Whilst the subject was thus agitating in 
 parliament, a treaty was entered into between 
 the Caribbs and major-general Dalrymple, 
 who commanded the king's troops, by which 
 the former agreed to become the subjects of 
 the king of Great Britain, to take an oath of 
 fidelity and allegiance, to submit to the laws 
 and government of the island, so far as related 
 to their intercourse, and to all transactions 
 with the white inhabitants ; but in their own 
 districts, and in all matters that related to 
 each other, they were to retain their antient 
 customs and usages. They by the same 
 instrument ceded a large tract of valuable 
 land to the crown, in consideration of those 
 parts of the island, which they retained, being 
 secured to them and their posterity for ever. 
 
 The sale of lands, in the ceded islands, was 
 a measure which had drawn on ministry much 
 censure. The exigencies of the state were 
 urged in its defence, and the large sums 
 which would thereby be brought into the 
 treasury ; but although the lands were sold, 
 the sums received by government were very 
 inconsiderable, so that the scheme evidently 
 tended iniquitously to enrich individuals, 
 without benefiting tlie state ; notwithstanding 
 which flagrant malversation, no enquiry was 
 set on foot, so that it was not the East India 
 company alone that was plundered by its 
 servants. 
 
 Fehruary 9th, lord Howe brought up a 
 petition from the captains of the navy, praying 
 a small addition to their half-pay. Lord 
 North informed the house, that no matter 
 which was to affect the public revenue, ought 
 to be agitated there, without the consent of 
 the crown, given by some of its officers ; he 
 did not, however, mean to oppose the petition 
 on that ground, and would give his consent 
 to its being brought up, but he meant for 
 many cogent reasons to oppose it through 
 every stage. 
 
 Notwithstanding the authority which 
 declared against the petition, and that the 
 three most eminent naval commanders, 
 Hawke, Saunders, and KeppeJ, were prevent- 
 ed from attending on account of indisposition, 
 the house in general seemed heartily to enter 
 into the intenests of the petitioners.
 
 CHAP. XXII.] GEORGE III. 279 
 
 Lord Howe stated to tlic house the grounds j with which likewise the lialf-pay list Mas lo 
 on which the request of the petitionera was ! conform. Soon after the peace of Utrecht 
 founded, by taking a view of the manner of; it underwent another considerable reduction, 
 paying and providiiijj for tlie captains of the I whicli brought it to the rate at which it now 
 navy, from the time of iheir having a permanent I stood. He did not however wish that tlie 
 exisfenceas a military body, to the establish- | house should comply with the present appli- 
 ment by which tiieir pay was now regulated. \ cation. 
 
 lie described the manner in which they were \ In support of the petition it was alleged, 
 provided for in times of peace, during the | that not more than £5000 or £6000 per an- 
 reigns of Charles II., James II., king AA'illiam, \ nmn would be required to gratify the wishes 
 and queen Anne, and shewed, that until the I of so respectable a body of men, to wliou) the 
 year 1715, when tliey were put on the footing « nation owed the highest obligations; and it 
 in which they hat] ever since continued, they ; ^vas asked, Is that a sum to atfect a great 
 were always highly rewarded, by posts of | opulent nation at the end of a ten years' peace, 
 considerable pr(>lit, by particular grs'tifications, J "hen France, notwithstanding her defeats, 
 and by a half-pay double to what tliey now i distresses, and public insolvency, had the 
 received. His lordship therefore moved, that j {^ood policy to make a provision for her navy 
 the petition might be referred to a committee \ captains. The large sums which, in the last 
 in order to consider the same, and lepoi t « session, iiad been voted for virtu, and other 
 their opinion to the house. ^ purposes of much less national concernment, 
 
 Lord North acknowledged the merits ofi vvere placed in contrast to the present parsi- 
 tlie petitioners, and their claims on their coun- | uionious humour. 
 
 try for favour and support ; but lamented i Upon a division, the petition was received 
 that the jjresent situation of our finances would | by a majoriiy of nine, the numbers being 154 
 iiot admit of any additional exjjences being ^ to 145. Upon whicli occasion the first lord 
 incurred, however forcible the plea which I of the treasury found himself again in a 
 might be urged for them. He observed, that | minority. An address was soon after pre- 
 by granting the peliiion this house would \ sented to his majesty, that an addition of 2^. 
 be importuned with many more. The military > a day n.ight lie paid to the lialf-pay of ria\y 
 would next solicit relief ; and he was informed ; captains ; Avliich brought it to about £ll0 
 that the sliipwrights meant to prefer a petition j per annum. When the bill came out of the 
 for an advance of their wages, and it would j committee, lord IS'orth not only supported it, 
 be impossible for the state to comply with the ; but proposed that it bhould be extended to 
 request of such numerous bodies. s increasing the pay of captains in the navy, 
 
 Sju Gilbert Elliot, treasurer of the navy, ; commanding fifth and sixth rates, in actual 
 entered into an historical detail of the public « service; but this amendment was overruled, 
 provisions made for the navy, both in times ; Notwithstanding the deplorable state of 
 of non-employment and actual service, from | aflTairs in the East Indies, a twelvemonth had 
 the reign of Henry VHI., when a nnval force ; passed, in which parliament had directed ils 
 was first regularly established, to that of king ; attention merely to negative the plans for 
 William, and concluded with stating some ; reformation which the directors and proprie- 
 pertinent facts which occurred in the latter i tary had adopted ; during which time, a wide 
 reign. In the year 1092, the pay of a cajitain ; scope was given to that spirit of rapacity 
 in the navy was 275. pei- diem, with an allow- * which univcisally prevailed in India. The 
 ance of twelve servants, at (id. per day each, ! tiuie was, however, at length arrived, for the 
 which made the whole 3:^s. The year after, \ minister to change his grownd, whilst such 
 a diflferent arrangement took place ; the pay ; events had occurred as tended to gratify every 
 was raised to 30a. and the allowance for | vvish which the most ambitious statesman 
 servants struck of]". During both these regu- | could form. 
 
 latioiis the half-pay was I5s. The year l(i&9 | At a general court of i)roprie<ors of India 
 was remarkal)le for a variety of ceconomical ; stock, held on the 24th of February 1'77.'{, 
 reforni.><, among which the expences of the ; the question was decided by ballot, \\lic:htr 
 naval department were retrenched. The full I an ap|)licatiou should be made to pailiaiiu iit 
 pay ol captains was reduced from 30s. to 20i-. j for a loan of a million aud a half, or so much
 
 •>^0 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CilAP. XXIt. 
 
 as shouUI be wanted by instabiients for four | amount of \vliat they wanted ; but lie disaj)- 
 vears, at £4 per rent, per annum, with liberty ! proved of that method, as they had already 
 of repaviu"- tlie same, as soon as the company I stretched their credit too far in that way. 
 may be able, by payments of not less than ; Funding the company's bills was another 
 £300,000. It was carried 405 to 19P. > expedient named ; but this, his lordship said, 
 
 In consequence of this resolution, a petition j would not answer the purpose, because it 
 was presented to parliament for that purpose ; I would not bring immediate relief. So that, 
 and It was therein farther proposed, that the | upon the whole, he thoughr tt for the interest 
 company should not make a dividend of more ♦ of the public, that the relief granted to the 
 than per cent, until one half of the proposed ^ company should come from the public, at 
 loan was discharged, when they might raise > the same time taking the necessary precautions 
 their dividend to 8 percent.; and, after the | to prevent the like distresses befalling the 
 whole loan was discharged, that the surplus \ company in future. He therefore proposed 
 of the net profits arising in England, above { two resolutions to be adopted by the house, 
 the said dividend, should be appropriated to 1 by which a loan of £1,400,000 should be 
 the payment of the company's bond debt, \ granted, and not more than 6 per cent, be 
 until it was reduced to a million and a half, ; divided among the proprietors, until the whole 
 and from thence, that tlie surplus profits I should be repaid ; that the compa^ay be 
 should be equally divided between the public \ allowed to divide no more than 7 per cejit. 
 and the company. It was also requested, that ; until their bond-debt be reduced to a million 
 the company should be released from the { and a half, and no more than 8 percent, before 
 heavy penal interest incurred by tiie non- | the participation of profits between the public 
 payment of money, owing in consequence of | and the company shall take plac.e. The 
 the late acts for the indemnities on teas, and « latter proposition was rejected. At the same 
 also discharged from the annual payment of j time his lordship waved the particular dis- 
 £400,000 to the public, for the remainder ofjcussion of the question, concerning the com- 
 the five years specified ill the agreement. | pany's claim of exclusive right to its terri- 
 
 A COMMITTEE of the whole l.ouse proceeded I torial possessions, yet insisted on a prior 
 to take into consideration the affairs of the* ligiit in the state, from whence he inferred the 
 East India company. Lord North entered {justice and legality of interposing its autho- 
 on the business by disclaiming the idea, that I rity, in all cases, in the company's affairs, and 
 the company, in their present exigency, had ; supported his assertion by the opinion of 
 a claim of right upon the public for relief. ; very sound lawyers, whom he styled the 
 He represented the vast sums, which had » luminaries of the age, who had declared, that 
 been paid into the exchequer by the company, ; such territorial possessions as the subjects 
 a.s bearing no proportion to the revenues » of any state shall acquire by conquest, are 
 drawn from the Asiatic territories. The j virtually the property of the state, and not 
 depredations of their servants in India, neither I of those individuals who acquire them, 
 the minister nor the house of commons were $ Although the question of right in the 
 any ways accessary to, or answerable for ; but i company, to receive the revenues from Bengal, 
 the granting relief to the company was a « was not at the lime the subject of debate ; yet 
 matter of necessary policy and expediency, ; such an opinion being incidentally delivered 
 although in no degree a claim of right or ! by the premier, drew forth replies, and it was 
 justice. He then entered largely into the ; insisted, that when the state makes a solemn 
 state of t'.je company, and declared it to be a 5 and authentic delegation of its authority to 
 fact, that the directors had proposed a divi- 1 a distinct and separate body, it cannot, con- 
 dend at the very time when the company was ; sistently with justice and public faith, lay 
 in little better than an insolvent state, and I claim to poi^sessions which that body may 
 before the next September the company would ; legally acquire. And it was insisted, that the 
 be deficient £1,300,425. To extricate this 5 company's possessions in India were not 
 great commercial body from so alarming a ? strictly coi-quests, but farms held from the 
 situation, various plans had been suggested, j prince, who was their proprietor and rightful 
 One was, that the company might be em- i owner, and that a question of propeity of that 
 powered to borrow money, upon bond, to the i uature was to be d'^cided iu a coiirt of justice,
 
 CHAP. XXII.j GEORGE III. 281 
 
 and was not a proper subject of discussion > extraordinary innovations in the government 
 for the house of commons, where the public, I of Bengal, many objections were made to 
 who was a party in the cause, would sit in > them. Mr. Burke took a comprehensive 
 judgment. j view of the subject ; or, as he himself after- 
 
 ,At length, after the subject in general had ! wards called it, "a bird's eye view." I have 
 been much discussed, lord North informed ; studied, said he, God knows, hard have I 
 the house, that, in answer to the petition of; studied, even to the making dog's ears in the 
 the East India company of the '2nd of March, : statute books, and I now publicly and solemn- 
 the'king had left the sole determination of the | ly declare, that all you have been doing, and 
 affair to that house. His lordship tlien pro- ! ah you are «bout to do, in behalf of the East 
 ceeded to state the propositions which he had i India company, ia impolitic, unwise, and en- 
 to make to the house ; the first of which was, » tirely repugnant to the letter as well as the 
 "That it is the opinion of this house, it will | spirit of the laws, the liberties, and the con- 
 be more beneficial to the public, and the | stitulion of this country. I will venture to 
 East India company, to let the territorial ; prophesy, that this company, viper-like, will 
 acquisitions remain in the possession of the 5 in the end prove the destruction of the coun- 
 company for a limited time, not exceeding the \ try which fostered it in its bosom. He founded 
 term of six years, to conmience from the j his prediction on the total want of principle, 
 agreement between the public and the com- j so observable among all ranks and degrees of 
 pany."' » people, caused in a great measure by the 
 
 " That no participation of profits shall take > profusion, dissipation, and profligacy of those 
 place between the public and the company, 1 who had brought with them the spoils of the 
 until after the repayment of the £1,400,000 ! East to contaminate their native country, 
 advanced to the company, and the reduction | The people, he said, were grown so indiffer- 
 of the company's bond debt to a million and i eut to the welfare of their country on the one 
 a half. I hand, and so grossly corrupt on the other, 
 
 " That after the payment of the loan ad- \ that there was no proposal, how destructive 
 vanced to the company, and the reduction of! soever to the liberties of the kingdom, which 
 •their bond debt to the sum specified, three- < a minister could make, but what the people 
 fourths of the net surplus profits of the com- j would readily comply with. In the proceed- 
 pany at home, above the sum of' 8 per cent. ; ings relative to 'the East India company, the 
 upon their capital stock, shall be paid into \ people followed the cry of the ministry, 
 the exchequer for the use of the public, and | changed as they changed, and varied their 
 the remaining one-fourth shall be set apart, | tones to keep even a discordant sameness 
 either for farther reducing the company's I with their masters. He added, Men have 
 bond debt, or for composing a fund for the | not strength of mind to think for themselves; 
 discharge of any contingent exigencies the } the higher ranks are all supineness, all indo- 
 company may labour under." | lent acquiescence, all ignorance, — the vulgar 
 
 These conditions, proposed by the minis- \ are a set that will abuse at random, and are 
 ,ler, differed in many particulars from those ; to be led on to commit crimes the most atro- 
 offered by the company. An essential difl'er- 5 cious, if headed by some despicable wretch, 
 ence was in the distribution to be made of; who has an interest to promote by raising 
 the surplus prorits between the company and \ commotions. He observed, that to broach 
 the public, after the reduction of their bond » such sentiments was a conduct ill-suited to 
 debts, and being able to divide to the proprie- J acquire popularity, nor did his opposition to 
 tary 8 per cent, per annum on their capital. J the ministry arise from any latent view of 
 Indeed, tliiij was not the first instance in which \ getting into employment. It was dictated by 
 parliameut interfered to regulate the conduct I the full assurance which he had that the 
 of the company ; for in the year 1730, an act \ measures then pursuing were such as had 
 passed, by which the interest on the company's I the completion of the plan of despotism for 
 stock was reduced from £5 to £4 per cent. | their end; that this plan he had hitherto 
 but it was in compliance with a pet'tion from \ opposed, and would continue so to do wiiii 
 the company. As the regulations now pro- I all his powers ; and he would sooner ha\e the 
 posed were only the forerunners of very i East India company totally ovxrihioNMi, lh»ii 
 
 o o 18
 
 252 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XXIf- 
 
 have the basis of the English coiisfitiitioii i be the event, they will at least have the 
 undermined, or a single pillar, which con- i satisfaction of knowing what they may call 
 Iribiited to tiie sn|)port of so excellent a ; their own. 
 
 structure, r,eceiv8 the slightest shock. The i The minister, finding the house so well 
 propositions passed without a division. | disposed to concur in any measures which he 
 
 The report of the select commitiee, which i should propose, proceeded to lay belbre it 
 had been printed, brouglit to light such op- « his plan for regulating the affairs of the com- 
 pressive and tyrannical transactions in the ! pany, as well in India as in Europe ; he there-. 
 East, as excited general indignation, and ]ett | fore moved, that the court of directors shonld 
 the n)iiiister at full liberty to prescribe the i in future be elected for four years, six members 
 mode of redressing these grievances. ! annually, but none to hold their seals longer 
 
 In the further consideration of East India ; than four years. 2. That no person shall 
 affairs, lord North moved that the house i vote at the election of the directors., %vho has 
 should allow the company to export such J not possessed his stock twelve months. 3, 
 part of the tea at present in their warehouses, ; That the stock of qualification, instead of 
 as tliey shonld think proper, to British ! £-500, be £1000. 4. That the mayor's court 
 America, duty free. He represented such a ; at Calcutta should, for the future, be confined 
 permission as highly beneficial to thecompany, 5 to small mercantile causes, to which only its 
 who had seventeen millions of pounds weight > jurisdiction extended before the territorial 
 of that commodity in their liands. Soon \ acquisition. 5. That, in lieu of this court, 
 after a second petition from the East India \ thus taken away, a new one be established, 
 company was presented to the house of » consisting of a chief justice and three puisne 
 conjuions, complaining that some of the most ; judges. 6. That these judges be appointed 
 material articles of the propositions made to j by the crown. 7. That a superiority be 
 the house, on the 2nd of March, were sub- } given to the presidency of Bengal, over tho 
 stantially rejected. They therefore represent > other presidencies in India. 
 it as unreasonable for parliament to require ! In the course of lord North's speech, he 
 any farther terms, after the loan which they i hinted, that other regulations would be neces- 
 had requested should be repaid. It stated > sary, among which he particularly named, 
 the great losses which the proprietors had { that the company should communicate their 
 sustained, and the expences they had in- > advices from JJengal to the treasury or secre- 
 curred, in acquiring and securing the territo- { taries of state, and that tiie company's ser- 
 rial revenues in India, at the risk of their i vants should, under heavy penalties, bring 
 whole capital, while the public have reaped ; all their fortunes home in the company's ships, 
 such good advantages. It complained of the | He said, an entire reformation could not be 
 limitation made of the company possessing the ; locked for immediately ; the interests of 
 territorial acquisitions in India to six years, ; Bengal miglit perhaps require the annual care 
 as an arbitrary act, and insisted that they had > of paiiiument. 
 
 undoubted right to those possessions, against ; Such important regulations, in which an 
 which right no decision exists, nor has any j unprecedented stretch of power was justified 
 formal claim ever been made. The dictating | by the necessity of the case, met with strong 
 in what manner the surpluses of their net ; opposition ; but every clause in the bill was> 
 profits, after dividing i) per cent., shall be | carried by a great majority. The Eatit India 
 applied, they remonshate against, because 5 company, the city of London, and those 
 sucli disposal of their property, otherwise | proprietors who possessed votes, by holding 
 than by their own consent, by a general des- ; £500 stock or upwards, but less than £lOOU, 
 cription, comprehending their trade as well \ presented separate petitions, and counsel were 
 as revenues, is not warranted even by the j lieard in behalf of the company and of the 
 largest pretensions that have ever been formed I £500 stock-holders. The case of the latter, 
 against them. It concludes with praying, ; indeed, was peculiarly hard, as the practice 
 that any claims against the possessions ; of splitting stock, by collusive transfers, 
 of the company, that can lie supposed to ; which the new regulations were estal)lislitd 
 give rise to such restrictions, may receive a J to prevent, was conlhied to those who held 
 legal discussion, from which, whatever may • several thousand pounds stock, who would
 
 CHAP. XXn.j GliORGE III. 283 
 
 lierelsy continue to avail tlieniselves as effectu- > great sums of money, and other valuable 
 ally of splitting stock as before. Where they l property, have been acquired in Bengal, from 
 formerly made two votes, they could now j princes and others of the country, by persons 
 indeed make only one ; but that single vote entrustttl with the military and civil powers 
 was of prodigiously more consequence, after > of the state, by means of such powers, vvliich 
 1200 voters were disfranchised. This was | have been appropriated to the private use oj 
 punishing- one body of men for the faults of! such persons. 
 
 another, and changing the East India company > The two great law officers maintained differ 
 from a democracy into an oligarchy. The \ ent sentiments on this subject. The solicitor 
 act of p.ower by which this innovation was | general used a variety of arguments agains. 
 made, might, upon the same principle of ex- | the resolutions, whilst the attorney-gener.' 1 
 pediency, be exercised to disqualify freehold- ' 
 ers of 40s. a year from votiij for members of 
 parliament, and fixing the qualifications at 
 £10 per annum. The great decrease in the 
 value of money, since the time when a free- 
 hold of 405. a year was made a qualification 
 for giving a vote for a member of parliament, 
 has rendered such a possession very incon- 
 siderable ; but India stock has sometimes 
 more than doubled its original value, which 
 gives a much greater degree of consequence 
 to the holders of it, than when the regulation 
 was made in the year 1702. 
 
 Whilst this arduous business was thus 
 advancing towards a completion, the house 
 took into consideration the several reports 
 
 supported them. A general dissatisfaction 
 prevailed. So long as the company were 
 enriched by their settlements, Jhe austerity of 
 justice was relaxed ; but when the plunderers 
 extended their depredalions beyond the pro- 
 perty of Asiatic princes, and embezzled the 
 revenues of their masters, their crimes appear- 
 ed in all their enormous magnitude, and called 
 aloud for exemplary punishment. The three 
 resolutions were carried almost unanimously. 
 
 However this zeal to punish abuses of 
 power soon after subsided ; for when general 
 Burgoyne, some few days after, resumed the 
 subject, and spoke of the deposition of Sura- 
 jah Dowlah, and the various monopolies in- 
 troduced, and stated the immense sums which 
 from the select connnittee, and the committee j the company's servants had received under 
 of secrecy. Each of these committees had ? the denomination of presents, or had extorted 
 strictly enquired into the conduct of the pro- | by taxation from the impoverished states of 
 prietors' servants in India, from the commence- 1 the Indian princes, at the time when they 
 ment of the war with Surajah Dowlah in > made these profuse presents, and moved the 
 1756, which had brought to light transactions i house to resolve, that the right honourable 
 of the blackest dye. General Burgoyne, as j Robert lord Clive, baron Plassey in the king- 
 chairman of the select committee, said, that ; dom of Ireland, in consequence of the powcji* 
 he looked upon the deposing of Surajah \ vested in him in India, had illegally acquired 
 Dowlah, and bringing about' a revolution in | the sum of £2.34,000, to the dishonour and 
 favour of Meer Jatfier, the signing a fictitious 5 detriment of the state, many leading membtu 
 treaty with Ormichund, a black merchant, | opposed the motion on a variety of grounds, 
 and confidante of Surajah Dowlah, together } A charge so directly brought, occasioned 
 with the terms obtained from the new nabob, \ lord Clive to enter very fully into his own 
 to be the origin of nil those troubles, which ; defence. With much address, he pleaded the 
 have operated to the temporary distress, if > thanks which he had received from the direct- 
 not the total destruction of the comj)any. The » ors when he returned home, after his splendid 
 general then proposed the following resolu- 5 victories, as an approbation of his conduct, in 
 tions, and said, that, if they met with the \ fabricating the fictitious treaty which deceived 
 approbation of the liouse, he had another i Ormichund, and which, he said, he would 
 motion to make. 1. That all acquisitions 5 again have recourse to, were he placed in 
 made under the influence of a military force, ; similar circumstances ; whereas, in fact, the 
 or by treaty with foreign powers, do of right : proprietary knew nothing of that transaction 
 belong to the state. 2. That to appropriate ; at the time when their thanks were voted, 
 acquisitions so made to the private emolument I His lordship shewed the critical necessity 
 of persons entrusted with any civil or military ; which prevailed, in certain situations, where the 
 power of the state is illegal. 3. That very | English power and fortune ia Asia depended 
 
 o o 2
 
 284 HISTORY OP exglano. [chap. xxii. 
 
 solely upon rapid, well-timei?, and extraordi- ; establishment of Meer Jaflier on tlie musnud, 
 naiv measures. ! ^'*'' tliio"gl» the influence of the powers with 
 
 IVoTwiTHsTANDiNG tilis grand delinquent \ which he was entrusted, as member of the 
 was clearly proved to have acted fraudulently | select comuiittee, and commander-in-chief of 
 and rapaciously in some instances, yet he ; the British forces, obtain and possess himself 
 could be considered in no other light than as ! of two lacks and 800,000 rupees as member 
 the deliverer of the East India company ; his j of the select committee, a further sum of two 
 bravery, his address, his talents, so admirably j lacks of rupees as commander-in-chief, a 
 suited to the occasion, his generosity and ! further sum of 16 lacks of rupees, or more, 
 disinterestedness in most instances, together » under the denouiination of private donations ; 
 with the undisturbed possession in which he ; which sums, amounting together to 20 lacks, 
 had so long enjoyed his vast fortune, all | and 800,000, were of the value iu English 
 pleaded strongly in his behalf. 5 money of £234,000, and in so doing he abused 
 
 Perhaps other considerations operated to | the power with w hich he was entrusted, to 
 quash this enquiry. Much wealth would have j the evil example of the servants of the public, 
 indeed been acquired to (he state, by the for-! Mr. Hans Stanley moved, that the question 
 feitures incurred in consequence of a parlia- > be divided, and the latter part of the motion, 
 mentary process ; but such a rigid scrutiny, j which conveyed the censure, be left out, 
 although it would have produced a present | which, after warm debates, was agreed to, and 
 advantage, would have been attended with ; the house, by merely establishing the fact, 
 many consequences, which the wisdom of the ; seemed by implication plainly to give it sane- 
 present times is solicitous to prevent. The ; tion. It would have been more for the credit 
 fortunes which are to be acquired in India, l)y ; of the nation to have rejected the motion en- 
 adhering invariably to the line of conduct i tirely, tlian thus to have drawn the sting of it, 
 which strict integrity chalks out, are perhaj)s i A motion was then made by Mr. Wedder- 
 in general very inadequate to the views of | burne, at live o'clock in the morning, that lord 
 those who migrate to those distant regions, ; Clive did at tiie same tinie render great and 
 whilst a lust of power, and a passion for i liieritorious services to this country, which 
 amassing immense wealth, to gratify the calls J passed in the afBrmative, and finished the 
 of ambition, are leading features in the cha- i enquiry. 
 
 racter of the age. Riches have long been j Whether the premier on this occasion 
 considered as a substitute for virtue, and it \ chose to appear the friend of public virtue, 
 would have been highly unprofitable to have I allliough he was fully apprised that the niea- 
 left the managers of the English East India | sure which was calculated to serve it would 
 company's concerns in the kingdom of Hin- ; not be adopted, or that, without exerting his 
 dostan, and the peninsula of India, no other j influence as a minister, he followed the die- 
 alternative than' to have returned home with | tates of his feelings as a man, certain it is that 
 the more moderate acquisitions, honourably j he contended for the censure against lord 
 made by a long course of service ; or, if grown | Clive making part of the resolution, 
 wealthy by oppressions, to have clandestinely 5 A fortnight was wasted in this fruitless 
 transported themselves and their plunder to a I attempt to punish delinquents, after which 
 foreign, anil most proliably a rival country. s the minister's bill to regulate the East India 
 Evidence was heard at the bar of the I company was resumed.* Governor Johnstone 
 house, to support the charges brought against ; said, that the appointment of a general couu- 
 lord Clive. His lordship's defence was like- j cil and judges by the crown, was in his 
 wise read, after whicH he made a short speech, \ opinion annihilating the company, and trans- 
 and concluded with these words : " Take my | ferring the monopoly to the crown ; a niea- 
 fortune, but save my honour;' whereupon he \ sure equally unjust to the company, and in- 
 iminedialely retired. | jurious to the nation. He was clear that the 
 
 Genehai, Bnrgoyne then made tlie following J company could extricate themselves without 
 motion; That it appears to this house, that | accepting the loan from parliament. Although 
 Robert lord Clive, baron Plassey in the king- ; they had creditors, they were not clamorous 
 dom of Irelaiul, about the time of deposing | ones. The treasury, indeed, might be inipor- 
 JSurajah Dowlah, nabob of Bengal^ and the \ * May 2oth.
 
 CHAP. XXII.] GEouuE III. 285 
 
 tunate, and against tliat tlie company must 
 be prepared. On the lOtli of June, tlie bill 
 being gone tlirougli, and '.he blanks filled up, 
 it was moved, that this bill d(» [)ass, which 
 was agreed to, 131 to 21, and lord North was 
 ordered to carrj' it to th*^. house of lords. The 
 salaries of tlie judges were thereby fixed at 
 £8000 to the chief justice, .-xnd £6000 a year 
 to each of the other three. The appointments 
 of the goverimr-general and council were lix(-d, 
 the first at £-25,000, and the four others at 
 £lO,000 each annually. A clause was in- 
 serted, whereby every nroprietor possessed 
 of £3000 stock was entitled to two votes, of 
 
 within the compass of human foresight to 
 predict, that, in little more than a century, 
 that noble zeal, in the support of the just 
 riglits of mankind, would be lost in this coun-' 
 try. When the parliament, after the peace 
 ot Ryswiek, refused to roniply with a request 
 made by their king, and deliverer, that he 
 might retain his Dutch guards, the members, 
 who were then such austere guardians of liber- 
 ty, against the encroachments of regal power, 
 httle thought that even their sons might be 
 senators, when parliaments would become the 
 more echo of the minister; and that the most 
 essential alterations would take place in the con- 
 
 £0000 stock to three votes, and of £10,000 | ditieu of the prince and the people, withoutany 
 stock to four votes, at future elections for J alarm being excited, or the body of the nation 
 directors. i iiaving any appreiiension of the change. But 
 
 A FEW days after, a petition was presented | when the iuanncrs of the people alter, their form 
 from the East India company, declaring that ; of government will undergo a corresp« nding 
 they were determined to submit to the tempo- > modification. Simplicity and frugality em- 
 rary difficulties which might attend the present ! brace iiiierty as the parent of every blessing ; 
 situation of aflfairs, rather than receive the 5 refinement antl luxury spread a general in- 
 loan offered to them, upon the severe con- ; difterence among the people ; they become 
 dition prescribed. The house was .strongly j blind to consequences, and inactive in a 
 of opinion, that the option of refusing the j general cause ; circumstances which furnish 
 loan should not be left in the company, but ! ministers with golden opportunities to eflfect 
 that the acceptance of it should be made com- | their purposes, 
 pulsatory by parliament. ; Lord North stated the debt due from the 
 
 In the house of lords, the duke of Richmond ; con.pany to government, with the interest, to 
 opposed the bill with great spirit ; but the | be £.954,000, which, together with half a 
 majority in its favour was nearly as great j million to the bank, more than swallowed up 
 there as in the house of commons. A lon<; » the whole loan. 
 
 protest was soon entered against the bilJ, ^ The expence of the uavy this year was as 
 signed by thirteen peers, in which one of the 5 follows : 
 
 strong objections urged is, that it only trans- ; £ 
 
 fers patronage, without conferring new powers. I Seamen ..... 1,040,000 
 The same noble peer moved, tliat a conference | Ordinary of navy . . . 424,019 
 
 should be held with the commons, as no ; Building, rebuilding, and repairing^, ..->,'--4 
 parliamentary information was then before; ships .... \ 4'-.J,oi/4 
 
 them ; which, being rejected, produced ano- j „. ..„ 
 
 ther protest, signed by seven peej-s. The bill i ' '^' 
 
 was carried through with amazing celerity, ; 
 and passed the house on the ISith of June. | The expence of the military establishment. 
 
 The regulations made in the administration I including forces and garrisons in Eur(»pe, 
 of afi'airs in the East Indies by this act, did ; Africa, the ceded islands, and North America, 
 not differ cssenlially from those which h?d i was as follows : 
 
 been proposed in Mr. Sullivaus bill, which | £ 
 
 bad been brought in the preceding session, | Army, ordnance, Greenwich hos-> ,oQno«( 
 except that the salaries settled on the officers I piij.l .... 5 l,-i^<U,_04 
 
 were mueh larger, and that the ap})ointmenl < il;,|f.|)r,y .... 112,.<^03 
 
 to the new offices was vested in the crown. i Arn.y-extraordiuaries . . 249,708 
 
 When the great Hampden contended with | . 
 
 the crown for the i)ayuKnt of 40*. which he ; 1,752,01-5 
 considered as illegally levied, it was not 5 — — '■
 
 CHAPTER XXIIL 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1773, 1774.] 
 
 Meridian Splendor of Lord North's Adtninistration — Comparalive View of the American 
 Colonies and the Mother Country — Discovery of the Letters uritten by the Governor and 
 Lieutenant-gover7ior of the Massachusetts Hay — 7V<e House of the Representatives petition 
 the King to remove those Officers — Report of the Privy-council thereupon — Tea destroyed 
 at Boston — General Conduct of the Americans en the arrival of the Teas — 3Ieeting of 
 Parliament — Message from his Majesty — JBillJor shutting vp the Port of Boston — Regu- 
 lation of the Government in the Province of (he Massachusett's Bay — Debate on a Motion 
 to repeal the Duty on Tea — Bill for the Impartial Administration of Justice — Lord North's 
 Plan of Finance for the Year 1774 — Quebec Act — Death of the King of France — -Ame- 
 
 . rican Congress formed — Petitions to the King — Sudden Dissolution of Parliament — 
 Probable Causes which led to it. 
 
 THE period at which we are now arrived ' wards our eastern possessions ; ft remains 
 is the meridian splendor of lord North's ; that I now speak of the other section of the 
 mfWistry. His conquests in the East were as 5 globe. 
 
 extensive as those of Alexander, and efl'ected | The colonies and mother country presented, 
 with no less rapidity ; but then he needed » at this time, in strong opposition, the linea- 
 not, like that monarch, to weep that he had i'ments of their different ages. Great Britain, 
 no other world to conquer ; the western \ grown old in prosperity, became proud, as- 
 hemisphere opened to his view a prospect ; suming, impatient of every restraint, or of the 
 different indeed, but not less extensive, and | slightest contraversion of her mandates, but 
 equally demanding the abilities of a great j at the same time improvident and lavish. An 
 minister. A controlling power over two such \ apostate from those principles to which she 
 extensive, rich, fruitful, and populous terri- \ had been habitually attached ; indifferent to 
 tories as Hindostan and North America, ex. j the welfare of others, raisiaken in what con- 
 hibited a stupendous idea of human autho- ; stituted her own. America, on the other 
 rity and power, which no other country ever | hand, rising in all the vigour of advancing 
 possessed, and which no other minister ever I maturity, without specie, but rich in the pro- 
 exercised. The points to be attained in the ; ducts of a genial soil, the labours of a hardy 
 different countries were as opposite as the 5 race of seamen, and a growing commerce, 
 climate which prevailed in each. In the East | The want of the precious metals, though 
 Indies, the object was to repress a spirit of | attended with some inconveniencies, contri- 
 rapacity, oppression, and tyranny, which led \ bufeed greatly to the character and manners 
 men in power to violate the rights of huma- i of the people. It served to place happiness 
 nity, without remorse or limitation ; in the | rather in what was to be enjoyed, than in 
 western region, the professed purpose was to { what was to be amassed. Avarice appeared 
 check and repress an exuberance of freedom, \ in all its deformity in the eyes of a people who 
 proceeding Irom an active industry, unas- ! had no titled greatness to aspire to, and with 
 suming equality, and general haijpiness. We j whom honest industry was a security against 
 have already seen the conduct pursued to- ^ extreme necessity. In such a country, and in.
 
 CHAP. XXIII.] GEORGE III. 287 
 
 sncli ail agre, a man possessing a pliilosophic ; seizins: every proper means of reducing the 
 and letifctiiig mind would wish to live ; and i national debt; and had the Americans been 
 ti<er»* have been times, in which it would have ; called npon l)y an administration pnrsiiing; 
 been considered as the glory and happiness I such views, to contribute to such a purpose, 
 of a prince to reign over subjects so free, so J their feelings would not have revolted from 
 increasing, and so happy, ere the science ofj the demand. Indeed, they did not dispute 
 finance gave oppression a new form. But ! the propriety of the mother country making 
 America was much more at her ease than ; a requisition, they only asked to be permitted 
 lUngland, and she must be brought to contri- | to raise the contribution by acts of their own 
 bute a reasonable proportion to the necessities » assemblies. Had such a mode been assented 
 of the parent state, whence originate;) the ; to here, the opjiosite extremities of the Atlan- 
 beloved idea of subjecting America to internal j tic would have been united in one common 
 taxation. Her [/opulatiou too increased iii a > cause, and the British constitution would 
 more rapid degree liian that of any other i have grown permanent even from age itself, 
 country had been known to do. According > Mutual confidence co\dd alone build up such 
 to estimates made, which have never been ; a fabric, for although the two countries were 
 controverted, some of the North American | united by common ancestry, by professing 
 colonies doubled their inhabitants in sixteen ; the tenets of protestantisu), by commercial 
 years whilst the population of the British Isles ! and friendly intercourse, and the exchange of 
 was not supposed to be on the advance. From j I'eciprocal benefits, yet they were separated by 
 whence it was self-evident, that the colonies, | an ocean of 3000 miles expanse , which, 
 in a much shorter liniethan fifty years, would | vvhilst it promoted that amicalde commercial 
 be equal in population to the mother country, | intercourse, created distinct interests in the 
 perhaps much more populous ; and, when i two countries, which began to foment jea- 
 arrived at such an height, what probability < lousies and mutual disgust. Each country 
 was there that the present subordination I reasoned according to tlie opinions njost pre- 
 would continue? • valent there, and every age has its leading 
 
 So long ago as the year 17.33, an act was 5 sentiments. The one carried the principles 
 passed, which laid certain duties on all foreign i of civil liberty, and the natural rights of man- 
 spirits, molasses, and sugars imported into i kind, to a great height ; the other was no 
 the plantations ; these imposts were submitted j less tenacious of the doctrine of subordination 
 to, and the distinction between conmiercial ; to the parent state, and submission to the 
 regulations and internal taxation was not i regulations made by the legislature. Had 
 dwelt on. until the fatal introduction of the J the contest arisen half a century ago, many 
 stamp-act; which, upon every principle of; of the arguments which were urged on each 
 national interest, without considering the I side would not then have been produced, 
 question of legal right, or the expediency of ; A government, founded on the principles of 
 exerting our power, should either have been ; freedom, could not possibly be brought into 
 inflexibly adhered to, or that kind of taxation ; a more perplexing situation, than that into 
 abandoned for ever. The evil genius of this ; which the dispute witli the colonies threw 
 country caused neither the one nor the other > Great Britain. Perhaps no sovereign ever 
 to happen. The stamp-act was repealed, and i swayed the sceptre of ll)ese realms, that was 
 a duty laid upon teas and various other arti- i in any way equal to the object to be efi'ected, 
 cles imported into America. This was no | except queen Elizabeth. That great piincess, 
 more an internal tax than the former one on i who came to the throne at a most critical 
 sugars, indeed the duties last levied were on ; period, knew liow to accommodate herself to 
 merchandize from Great Britain, the others ; the temper of tlie times. She possessed all 
 on foreign products ; but tlie Americans chose 5 the .soothing arts which are calculated to per- 
 so to consider it, and many other causf-s of; suade ; and knew as well both when and how 
 discontent prcvaiici]. Had Great Britain at 5 to enforce obedience. She was served by 
 that time l)Len distinguished for |)ublic spirit, ; some of the ablest statesmen that this country 
 love of liberty, and scrupulous attention to ; ever produced, and extended her views ujore 
 a rigid oeconomy in the expenditure of public j into futurity llrni any one of her successors, 
 money, the efliecls of which appeared in ; the great ISassau only excepted.
 
 238 HISTORV OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXIIl 
 
 A GENERAL (lissatisfaclion prevailed in i sure such a breach must be the ruin of the 
 America, and agretnifiits iiad been entered i colony." Speaking of the coiubinatioii of the 
 into, not to import any merchandize from | American merchants, he says, " But it is not 
 Great Britain, which had greatly aflected Jhe i possible that provision for dissolving the Gom- 
 commerce of this country, although these en- ; binations, and subjecting all who do not 
 "•a»ements were not strictly observed on the ; renounce them to penalties adequate to the 
 part of the Aniericans, Their governors, ] offence, should not be made, the first week 
 who were appointed by the crown, but paid j the parliament meets. (1773) Certainly ail 
 by the people, were unanimous in their nian- | parties will unite in so extraordinary a case, 
 ner of representing the spirit of opposition | if they never do any other." 
 which prevailed among the colonies. In each | In consequence of the discovery of these 
 province contentions between the governor j letters, au address from the representatives o* 
 and the house of representatives were fre- i Massac husett's bay to the king, was trans- 
 quent, and obstructed the public business in 5 mitted from Boston to their agent, and by 
 every session. The New England provinces | hnn delivered to the American secretary. In 
 were the most forward in these disputes ; and I it they petition his majesty to remove their 
 in the Massachusetl's bay they rose to the | governor and lieutenant-governor, whose con- 
 greatest height. There, no terms had been | duct had a natural and efiicacious tendency 
 kept, for a considerable time, between sir | to interrupt and alienate the affections of his 
 Francis Bernard, the governor, and theassem- > majesty, whom they style their rightful sove- 
 biy, which each charged the other with being ; reign, from his loyal province, and to destroj 
 the cause of the dissentions. In the year » all harmony and good will between Great 
 1770, that ge'ntl'-man was first recalled, and ! Britain and the colonies. They likewise 
 Mr. Thomas Hutcliinson, a native of America, j charge their governor and his lieutenant with 
 and lieutenant governor, succeeded him ; ; having been among the chief instruments in 
 whereupon Mr. Andrew Oliver, also by birth .; introducing a fleet and an army into the pro- 
 an American, who was secretary of the pro- J vince, to establish and perpetuate their plans, 
 vince, became lieutenant-governor. Some I This address was afterwards laid before a 
 letter's, which were written by these gentlemen, | committee of the privy-council, who reported 
 to persons in pov^er and office in England, in | the charges in the petition to be groundless, 
 the year 1708 and 17(J9, happened to be pro- | vexatious, and scandalous, and that the peti- 
 cured by Dr. Franklin, who resided in Lou- ; tion ought to be dismissed. 
 don as agent for the house of representatives i It has been already observed, that an act 
 of the Massachusett's bay, and were by him i of parliament was passed towards the close of 
 transmitted to Boston. Many passages in \ the last session, enabling the East India com- 
 these letters gave great oflence to the Bos- ! pany to export teas, duty free. In consequence 
 tonians, particularly the following in one of; of which, the company resolved upon a mode 
 governor Hutchinson's letters ; " I never ! of trade which they had never before adopted, 
 think of measures necessary for the peace and ; and instead of disposing of their teas at public 
 good order of the colonies without pain. | sale, freighted several ships for the American 
 There must be an abridgement of what are | colonies, on their own account, and appointed 
 called English liberties. I relieve myself by j agents there for the disposal of their cargoes, 
 considering, that in a remove from the stated Many strong reasons were urged against 
 of nature to the most perfect state of govern- ; this measure. It could not be expected to 
 uient, there must be a great restraint of nativral $ afford the company any relief from their pre- 
 liberty. 1 doubt whether it is possible to ; sent embarrassments, as the returns could 
 project a system of government, in which ai not be made expeditiously, nor perhaps pune- 
 . colony 3000 miles distant from the parent | tually, even if the teas should" find a. good 
 state shall enjoy all the liberty of the parent ; market as the most strenuous adviser of the 
 state. I am certain I have never yet seen the | measure could expect. But if the excess of 
 projection. I w ish the good of the colony, i their stock of teas was disposed of at public 
 when I wish to see some further restraint of I sale, the merchants would become purchasers 
 iil)erty, rather than the connection with the 5 to a very large amount, and the time of pay- 
 [)areut state should be broken ; for 1 am « ment could, in that case, be ascertained. It
 
 CHAP. XXIIll GEORGE III. 289 
 
 vras even calculated, that a sum of money | or ; but, though these officers would not 
 might be raised by that means, sufficient to ; venture to land the tea, yet they refused the 
 extricate the cnmpany from iheir <lifficiillies. i captains a discharge, whilst their cargoes re- 
 A gentleman disfingiiished for his ai)ilitics, > niained on boards for the <lelivery of which 
 and who was well acquainted with the dis- ; they were chartered by the company. The 
 position of the Americans, as well as the in- ! night after the governor had given his refusal, 
 teresls of the company, told the chairman, ; a number of armed men, disguised like Mo- 
 that the company were criminally absurd, ! hawk Indians, went on board the ships, and 
 because they were presenting themselves as ; in less than four hours emptied every chest of 
 the bnttin the controversy, where they would | tea on board the ships, amoiwiting to 342, into 
 pi^obably come ofl', with the loss of all their 5 ihe sea, without the least damage done to the 
 merchandize. However, it was the favourite ; ships, or any other property ; which having 
 plan of administration, that the company ! done, they retired. It is remarkable that the 
 should become their own factors. ; governor, the civil power, the garrison of 
 
 IVoTwiTHSTANDiNG the colonies actually 1 Fort William, and the armed ships in harbour, 
 received their teas at 9d. a pound cheaper 5 were totally inactive on this occasion. At all 
 than they had formerly done, yet they were \ the other American ports, where tea ships 
 not thereby induced to purchase them. They | arrived, the inhabitants obliged the captains 
 said, that the East India company were quit- j to return without breaking bulk, (as the people 
 ting their visual line of conduct, and wantonly I of Boston were desirous of doing) except at 
 becoming the instrument to give efficacy to i Charlestown in South Carolina, where the 
 an odious law. Throughout the colonies, the \ teas were landed and put into a damp cellar, 
 most violent opposition to the landing of the | whereby the whole becaiue rotten and useless, 
 teas prevailed ; and, without any interchange | On the 13th of January, 1774, his majesty 
 of sentiment, every port town along that ex- $ opened the session of parliament with a speech 
 tensive coast was actuated by the same spirit. 5 from the throne, before the news of this out- 
 
 When the tea ships were expected to > rage had arrived. In it he observed, that the 
 arrive, the agents appointed to receive them i state of foreign affairs afforded full leisure 
 were compeHed to renounce their engage- 1 for the legislature to attend to the improve- 
 ments, and solemnly bind themselves not to | ment of 0(u- internal and domestic situation, 
 act ; the people delegated committees in ; and to the prosecution of such measures as 
 different towns and provinces, to whom they ; more immediately re>;pected the preservation 
 gave the most extensive powers. Merchants ; and advancement of the revenue and corn- 
 were compelled to snbnnt their books to the j luerce of this kingdom ; among these objects, 
 inspection of these regulators, who assumed ; the state of the gold coin was particularly 
 the power of imposing tests, and inflicting ; recommended to the attention of parliament, 
 punishments, on such as o])posed their pro- > The house sat near two months before any 
 ceedings. A custom-house oflicer, named 5 measures were taken concerning the atlairs 
 Malcolm, was tarred and feathered, and in ; of America, notwithstanding the alarming 
 that manner led about tiie tuMn of Boston. J advices which had been received from thence 
 These violent measures were not confined to i soon after its assembling. At length the 
 those places which had shewn the most active > premier delivered a message from his majesty, 
 disposition to contend with the mother conn- ; informing the house, " that in consequence of 
 try ; the more peaceable and orderly pro- J the unwariantable practices carried on ia 
 vinces, on this occasion, departed frotn their \ JNorth America, and particularly of the vio- 
 former principles, and became equally violent i lent and outrageous proceedings at the town 
 in opposing the landing of the teas. | and port of Boston, with the view of obstrnct- 
 
 When three of the coiwpany's ships arrived i ing the commerce of this kingdom, and upon 
 at Boston, in December 1773, the captains, » grounds and pretences immediately subversive 
 alarmed at the spirit which prevailed among ; of the constitution, it was thought til to lay 
 the people, offered fo return to EnglancJ, i the whole matter before parliament; fully 
 without landing their cargoes, if tliey could ; confiding, as well in their zeal for the mainte- 
 obtain the pro|)er disciiarges from the tea- > nance of his majesty's authority, as in their 
 consignees, the custom-house, and the govern- i attachment to the conmion interest and welfare 
 
 i> p 19
 
 290 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 of all his dominions ; that they would not J Boston, and it was highly necessary that 
 only enable him eflectually to take such mea- j some port should be found for landing of our 
 sures, as may be most likely to put an imrae- 5 merchandize. That it was no new tiling for 
 diate stop to these disorders, but would also | a whole town to be fined, although thereby 
 take into their most serious consideration, 5 some few innocent individuals might snfter, 
 •what farther regulations and permanent pro- « when the authority of soch a town had been 
 visions may be necessary to be established, ; as it were asleep and inactive. He instanced 
 for better securing the execution of the laws, I the city of Loudon, in Charles II. 's time, 
 and the just dependence of the colonies upon » When J)r. Lamb was killed by unknown per- 
 the crown and parliament of Great Britain. 5 sons, the city was fined for it ; and the case 
 Immediately after the delivery of this mes- » of Edinburgh in captain Porteus's affair, when 
 sage, upwards of fOO papers, respecting Ame- ; a fine was set upon the whole city ; and al^iO 
 rican affairs, were brought up ; they consisted | at Glasgow, where the house of Mr. Campbell 
 of copies and extracts of letters from the { was pulled down, part of the revenue of the 
 diffHrcnt magistrates and officers in America, | town was sequestered to make good the 
 and l!ie votes and resolutions of the iuhabi- | damage. Boston, he observed, was much 
 tants of Boston, with many other authentic | more criminal than either of the three cities 
 documents. An address being returned to i he had mentioned, for that town had been 
 his majesty, strongly expressing the readiness \ upwards of seven years in riot and confusion ; 
 of the house to comply with the purport of i all the disturbances in America had originated 
 the royal message, the minister soon after » there. 
 
 moved for leave to bring in a bill, " for the | The lord mayor of London presented a 
 immediate removal of the officers concerned j petition of several natives and inhabitants of 
 in the collection and management of his | North America, then in London ; which 
 majesty's duties and customs, from the town \ stated it to be an inviolable rule of natural 
 of Boston, in the province of the Massachu- | justice, that no man shoidd be condemned 
 sett^s bay, in North America, and to discon- \ unheard ; and that, according to law, no 
 tinue the landing and discharging, lading and ; person or persons can be judged without being 
 shipping of goods, wares, and merchandize, | called upon to answer, and being permitted 
 at Ihe said town of Boston, or within the | to hear the evidence against them, and to 
 harbour thereof" His lordship entered into ; make their defence. If judgment be imme- 
 a justification of the governor's conduct, whom I diately to follow an accusation against the 
 he described to have taken every method * people of America, supported by persons 
 which discretion dictated, or good policy \ notoriously at enmity with them, the accused 
 authorised, for the security of the East India ^ unacquainted with the charge, and, from the 
 company's property, the safety of the con- \ nature of their situation, utterly incapable of 
 signees, and the preservation of order and 5 answering and defending themselves, every 
 quiet in the town. The military force in the M"e»ce against false accusation will be pulled 
 castle, and the ships of war in the harbour, | down. They asked, by what rule of justice 
 might indeed have been called in to save the } can the town be punished for a civil injury, 
 tea froiB destruction ; but as the leading men | committed by persons not known to belong to 
 in Boston had always made great complaints | it ? The petitioners conceive, that there is 
 of the interposition of the army and navy, and 5 not a» instance, even in the most arbitrary 
 charged all disturbances, of every sort, to ; times, in which a city was punished by par- 
 their account, he, with great prudence and : lianientary authority, without being heard, 
 temperance, determined from the beginning ; for a civil offence not conunittcd within their 
 to decline a measure, which would have been | jurisdiction, and without redress having been 
 so irritating to the minds of the people ; and | sought at common law. The instance brought 
 might well have hoped, that by this confidence j of the city of London was for a murder com- 
 in their conduct, ami trust reposed in the i mitted within its walls, by its citizens, in open 
 civil power, he should have calmed their fur- ; day ; but in this case, arbitrary as the times 
 bulence, and preserved the public tranquillity, i were, the trial was public in a court of com- 
 He said it was henceforth impossible for | mon law, the party heard, and the law laid 
 our commerce to be safe in the harbour of Ulown by the judges. In thecaseof Edinbnrgli»
 
 CIIA XXI H.] 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 291 
 
 iiideecr, parliament did interpose, but tl)is was 
 to punish the commission of an atrocious 
 murder within her gates, and aggravated l)y 
 an over act of liigli treason, in executing, 
 against the expre^s will of the crown, the 
 king's laws. Both these cities had by char- 
 ter tlie whole executive power within them- 
 selves ; and, in both cases, full time was 
 allowed them to discharge tiieir ■duty, and 
 tliey were heard in their defence. But neither 
 has time heen allowed in this case, nor is the 
 accused heard, nor is Boston a walled town, 
 nor was the fact committed within it, nor is 
 the executive power in its iiands, as it is in 
 those of London and Edinburgh. On the 
 contrary, the governor himself holds that 
 power, and has been advised by his majesty's 
 council to carry it into execution. If it has 
 been neglected, he alone is answerable ; and 
 perhaps the due course of law is operating- 
 there to the discovery and prosecution of 
 the real oflTenders. The petition strongly in- 
 sisted on the excessive rigour and injustice of 
 the act, its tendency to alienate the affections 
 of America from this country, and the cer- 
 tainty that her attachments cannot long sur- 
 vive the justice of Great Britain. 
 
 The reply to the pleas urged in this petition 
 •was, that the casi, railed for immediate redress. 
 It was unbecoming the dignity of parliament 
 to suffer chicane and subterfuge to evade the 
 execution of substantial justice. It was asked, 
 i»f the house doubted either the reality or 
 degree of the offence, or of their own compe- 
 tency to enquire into and punish it. Lord 
 North would not undertake to say what 
 would be the consequence or event of this 
 measure; but he was strongly of opinion it 
 would be salutary and effectual. 
 
 Little opposition was shewn to the bill 
 at its introduction ; but, on its third reading, 
 strong efforts were made to change the senti- 
 ment of the house. 
 
 Governor Johnstone predicted to the 
 house, that the effect of this bill must l)e a 
 general confederacy to resist the power of 
 this country, lie called it irritating, tempting, 
 nay, inviting men to those deeds by ineffectual 
 
 in this country ; but, after the highest charac- 
 ters of the state had declared against the 
 right of this country to impose taxes on 
 America, for the purposes of revenue, after 
 the general voice of the senate had concurred 
 in repealing the stamp-act upoii that principle, 
 there is so much mitigation to be pleailed in 
 favour of the Americans from this circum- 
 stance, allowing them in an error at present, 
 that it will be the height of cruelty to enforce 
 contrary maxims, with any degree of severity 
 at least, before due warning is given. It is in 
 vain to say that Boston is more culpable than 
 the other colonies. Sending the ships away, 
 and obliging them to return to Lngiand, is a 
 more solenm and deliberate act of resistance 
 than the outrage committed by persons in 
 disguise in the niglit, when the ships refused 
 to depart. In extending this kind of punish- 
 ment to the other colonies, every one must 
 see the danger, and yet it cannot be approved 
 of. For one, the same arguments will apply 
 to others. If a similar punishment were 
 applied to the colony of Virginia, the revenue 
 would be reduced to £.300,000 a year, besides 
 the loss of all foreign contracts, and perhaps 
 of that beneficial trade for ever. Those gen- 
 tlemen, he continued, who are in the secrets 
 of the cabinet, and know how assuredly every 
 proposition from thence is adopted by this 
 house, may be warranted in their sanguine 
 acclamations in favour of this measure ; but 
 the general mass, who must be eqi:ally igno 
 rant with myself of what is to I'ollow, can 
 have no excuse for giving their assent so 
 readily for punishing tlieir fellow-subjects in 
 so unprecedented a manner, and their eager 
 zeal serves only to shew how ready they are 
 to obey the will of another, without exercising 
 their own judgment in the case. My opinion 
 is, that if coercive measures are to be adopted, 
 an effectual force shoidd be immediately 
 carried into the heart of the colony resisting, 
 to crush reljellion in the bud, before a general 
 confederacy can be formed. For my owa 
 part, I am convinced from experience in the 
 colonies, that good government may be main- 
 tained there, upon rational grounds, as well 
 
 expedients, the aberrations of an indecisive | as in this country, 
 mind, incapable of comprehending the cnain ! That the power of restoring the port n( 
 of consequences which must result from such j Boston to its former rights should be absolute- 
 a law. The question of taxing America, he ; ly vested in the crown, was objected to. Is 
 said, was sufficiently nice to palliate resist- ; it necessary, it was asked, eitlier for piniisii- 
 ance, if the subject had never been disputed i meut of the Bostonians, or for satisfaction 
 
 p p 2
 
 292 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. . [CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 to the East India 'company. Such a regula- j within the same, and so many quays and 
 tion could only be made tor the purpose of! wharfs, for the landing and shipping af goods, 
 establishing a precedent, of delivering over | as he shall judge fit and ex|)edient, after 
 whole towns and communities to an arbitrary | which it shall again become a port. But this 
 discretion in the crown. Until now, no pre- | restoration of tiie privileges of the port of 
 cedent could be produced, of a maritime city ; Boston his niajesty is not empowered to 
 being deprived of its port, and then left to ! grant, until full satisfaction has been made to 
 the mercy of the crown to restore the port or i the East India company, by the inhabitants 
 not at pleasure. I of Boston, for the damage sustained by the 
 
 No division took place, and the bill was j destruction of their goods, and to the officers 
 immediately carried to the lords. I of revenue and others, who suffered by the 
 
 In the debate on this bill, Mr. Charles Fox > riots and insurrections in the several months 
 appeared for the first time among the minority. ; of November, December, and January. 
 In the course of this session, he had frequently i Whilst the Boston port-bill was depending 
 shewn himself adverse to the opinions of the > in the house of lords, the prime minister, iu 
 first lord of the treasury, and about the time | the other house, proceeded further to develope 
 •when this bill began to be agitated, he quitted > the plan concerted by governiuent for the 
 his seat at that board. j subjugation of the refractory colonies, by 
 
 In the house of lords, the earl of Shelburne ! moving for leave to bring in a bill relative to 
 took an active part in opposing the bill. He i the Massachusett's bay, and the house being 
 presented to that house a similar petition to | resolved into a committee, his lordship intro- 
 that which had been laid before the house of 5 duced the bill by saying, that an executive 
 cpnunons, from the natives of America re- ; power was much wanted in that province, 
 siding iu and about London. The bill was ; and that it became highly necessary to 
 supported by the lords Mansfield, Gower, 5 strengthen the hands of magistracy there. 
 Lyttleton, Weymouth, and Suffolk ; and op- J The force of the civil power consisted in 
 posed by the duke of Richmond and Man- \ posse comitatus, which was composed of the 
 Chester, the marquis of Rockingham, the lords i very people who had committed all the riots 
 Camden, Shelburne, and Stair. It passed ; and outrages which had happened for many 
 the house the 30th of March, only five days I years past ; so that the preservation of the 
 after it was brougiit in, aud received the ! peace was not to be looked for from them, and 
 royal assent the next day. > if the democratic part shew that contempt of 
 
 The biJl enacted, that from and after the I the laws, how is the governor to execute any 
 1st of June, 1774, it shall not be lawful for > authority vested in him? He has not tire 
 any person to ship, for exportation, goods ; jjower of appointing magistrates, or of re- 
 from any quay or wiiarf witliin the town or ; moving them. The council alone have that 
 harbour of Boston; nor are goods, wares, or ; jKiwer, and they are dependent on the people, 
 merchandize^ brought from any other country, > ilis lordship inferred from thence, that there 
 to be landed there, under pain of ttie forfeit- ; was something radically wrong in that con- 
 vire of the said goods, and of the boat, lighter, ! slitution. If the governor issued out a procla- 
 or vessel, out of which they n)ay be taken. » niation, there could hardly be found a magis- 
 Fourteen days are allowed to such ships or ! trate to obey it, and it was necessary to have 
 vessels as may happen to be in the harl)Our : the concurrence of seven of the council to 
 of Boston on or before the 1st of June. When ; give validity to an act of the governor. \^ her^ 
 it shall be made to appear to his majesty in ! there is such a want of civil authority, can 1 
 council, that peace and obedience to the laws ; be supposed that the military, be they eve- 
 shall be so far restored in the town of Boston, ; so numerous, can be of the least service. For, 
 as that the trade of Great Britain may be | continued his lordship, I shall always con- 
 safely carried on there, and the customs didy ; sider a military power, acting under the au- 
 collected ; if his majesty in council shall i thority and control of a civil magistrate, as a 
 judge the same to be true, he may by procla- ; part of the constitution ; but the military 
 niation or order of council, assign and appoint I alone ought not to a-ct, and cannot do so 
 the extent, bounds, auti limits of the port or ! legally. • 
 harbour of Boston, and of every creek or haven J He proposed, by this bill, to take the
 
 CHAP. XXIII.] GEORGE II . 293 
 
 executive power from the hands of the demo- | practical way. The legislature ought to shew 
 cratic part of the government ill that province, i that it is provided with sufficient means of 
 lliat the governor shoidd act as a justice of! making itself obeyed, whenever it is resisted, 
 piace, and that he should have the power to | If the tax upon lea is repealed, other demands 
 ap|)oint the officers throughout the whole 5 vvill be made on the part of America, which, 
 civil establishment, such as the sheriffs, pro- » as soon as complied with, will be followed by 
 vosts, marshals ; the chief justice and judges | others, until even America herself is surren- 
 of the supreme court excepted; all v\ hich ! dered. If the house persisted in that whole- 
 officers should be reinoveable by his majesty. > some severity, whicli it had begun to exercise. 
 Town-meetings to be declared illegal, unless J there was no doubt but obedience on the 
 hehl by the special coiiseut of the governor, \ part of the Americans wcuild be the result, 
 or upon the annual election of certain oihcers, 5 Let but Great Britain maintain her rights with 
 ■which it is the people's province to choose. | firmness, then peace and quiet will soon be 
 He proposed to put juries upon a ditrerciit ; restored. 
 
 footing, which regulation he acknowledged to | Thf. house divided upon the question, 
 have been suggested by lord George Ger- ; whetiier a committee should i)e appointed to 
 niaine. These regulations, lie apprehended, ; take into considfriitiou ilie repeal of the duty • 
 Avould effectually purge that consliiution of | ayes 49, noes 10.3. ^ 
 
 all its crutlities, and give strength and spirit \ This question being dismissed, the house 
 to the civil magistracy and to the executive | proceedtd to the second reading of the bill 
 power. 5 for regulating the government oi Massachu- 
 
 WiTH a view to qualify these severe acts, 5 sett's bay. In support of it Mr. Welbore 
 some members in the house of commons, who ; Lllis asserted, that it was the duty of the 
 had assented to the Boston port-bill, parti<m- « crown to take away or alter charters, if they 
 larly Mr. Hose, Fuller, and the honourable ; were found deficient of the purpose intended. 
 Constantine Pliipps, were of opiiiiou, that ! Then the American |)apers on the table were 
 something of a couciliatory and redressing > sufficient evidence of the fact, that it Mas not 
 nature should accompany them, as a probable ! necessary to have any farther hearing on either 
 means of rendering them efficacious. The « side. Great inconveniencies, he said, had 
 advocates for sncli a measure pleaded that ; arisen from the present form of government, 
 parliament, whilst it reoonfed the outrages of; winch frequently retarded business, but which 
 the American populace, ougm ..ot to shew a | would be removed by this bill. Mr. Charles 
 disposition to irritate the ordeily ano -..||- : Jeukinson said, it was right to take away 
 affected part of the colonies. That if sucli w,|,ariers if they were abused, and to govern 
 had satisfaction in the matter of taxes, they : the A.„ericans, as they were not capable of 
 would become instrumental in restraining the « governing iin-mselves. Mr. Jeremiah Dyson 
 inferior and* more turbulent from outrages ;; contended, thai tlie house proceeded not as 
 and that this sacrifice to peace would be at ! a court of justice, but m iljt-ii legislative capa- 
 very little expence, as the produce of the tax j city, regulating and supplying tlie deficiencies 
 was of no importance to Great Britain. Such ; in charters which had been granted by the 
 arguments were meant to pave the way for a ; crown. 
 
 motion to repeal the duty upon tea. The de- ; On the other side, general Conway pleaded 
 bate chiefly turned upon the policy of the ; that the Americans had done no more than 
 repeal at this particular time. ! every subject would do in an arbitrary state, 
 
 Lord North denied that the tea-tax was | where laws are imposed against their will, 
 an inconsiderable revenue, and strongly con- | He thought taxation and legislation in that 
 tended, that no acts of lenity should accom- ; case inconsistent ; and asked. Have you not 
 pany their restrictive acts. To repeal at this j a legislative right over Ireland } Yet no one 
 time, would shew such a degree of wavering j will say we have a right to tax Ireland. He 
 and inconsistency, as would defeat the good J predicted, that these acts respecting America 
 effects of the vigorous plan, which, after too i would involve this country and its ministers 
 , long remissness, was at length adopted, i'ar- ; in misfortunes — and he wished it might not 
 liament ought to shew that it will relax in; be added — in ruin, 
 pone of its just rights, but enforce them in a 5 Mr. rowuall, who had been some year*
 
 294 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap, xxiir. 
 
 governor of Massaclnisett's bay, spoke ably 
 oil the form of s^overniiunt in that province, 
 and concluded with characterizing the Ame- 
 ricans as a conscientious, religious, peaceable 
 set (if people ; and added, that a more re- 
 spectable set of men did not exist in all his 
 majesty's dominions. 
 
 Mr. Dowdeswell pleaded strongly and 
 ably that the province should be heard, before 
 an act was passed which would entirely de- 
 prive it-of its chartered rights. He presented 
 a petition from Mr. Bollan, agent for the 
 council of the province, praying that the bill 
 might not pass into a law, until he should have 
 time to receive answers from ilience to letters 
 ■which he had sent. The p;-?iyer of this 
 petition, he said, was .<so perfecdy reasonable, 
 that it appeared impossible to be rejected out 
 of the court of the inquisition. The petition 
 was rejected. The bill was carried on the 
 second reading, without a division. 
 
 Lord INorth then proposed a third bill, 
 which he hoped would effectually secure the 
 province of Massachusett's hay from future 
 disturbances. He said, the juries of that 
 country were not established after the manner 
 in which our jtiries here are, and therefore 
 were not so likely to give to each offender that 
 impartial trial, which, by the laws of this 
 country, he was entitled to. By the bill which 
 he meant to propose, whenever it should be 
 found in that country that a man is not likely 
 to meet with a fair and impartial trial, the 
 governor should be empowered to send him 
 to any of the other colonies, where the •'.'\"i^ 
 kind of spirit has not prevailed i "^ut it 't 
 should be thought that be cannot have a fair 
 and impartial trial in any of the colonies, in 
 such a case itie party accused shall be sent 
 to Great Britain,'to be tried before the court of 
 Kings-bunch, the expences of which trial to 
 be drawn for oui of the customs of England. 
 Such a measure, he trusted, would shew to 
 Anierica, that this nation is roused to defend 
 its rights, and to maintain the peace and secu- 
 rity of its colonies, and, when roused, that 
 
 All eye over every encroachment upon these 
 newly-cre-ited powers, and not suffer the 
 least degree of disobedience to their measures 
 to take place in that country. The customary 
 relief of troops, he said, which was four regi- 
 ments, Mere ordered for Boston, and general 
 Gage would go out with them as commander- 
 
 in-chief and jrovernor of the 
 
 He 
 
 j,v^,.....w» w, i,.^ province, 
 then moved for leave to bring in a bill for the 
 impartial administration of justice, in the cases 
 of persons questioned for any acts done by 
 them, in the execution of the laws for the 
 suppression of riots and tumults in the pro- 
 vince of Massachusett's bay in New England, 
 and produced precedents to warrant the mea- 
 sure, which were, that the habeas* corpus act 
 had been suspended in the year 1745. The 
 smugglers apprehended, for offences committed 
 on the coast of Sussex, had been made triable 
 in the county of Middlesex, and the Scotch 
 rebels in England. 
 
 The opposition denied the necessity of this 
 act, even on the supposition that justice might 
 be perverted in New England ; because, in 
 such cases, tlie prerogative of the crown might 
 step in, and the governor might reprieve any 
 one who aj)peared to he convicted illegally 
 or unjustly. 
 
 Colonel Bane declared he rose with great 
 unwillingness to oppose this bill m its very 
 infancy, before its (V.=tures were well formed, 
 and to cla>'" ^"^t attention which the house 
 see""-^ to bestow, with great reluctance, on 
 any arguments in behalf of America, whilst 
 their proceedings, as they were, had the least 
 colour of justice, he said, he desisted from 
 opposing them, and although the bill for 
 shutting up the port of Boston contained in 
 it many things most cruel, unwarrantable, and 
 unjust. Yet as it was couched under those 
 general principles of justice, retribution for 
 injury, and compensation for loss sustained, 
 he desisted from opposing it. The bill was 
 a bad way of doing what was right, but still 
 it was doing what was right. As to the bill 
 tlien before the house, he pronounced it to be 
 
 the measures taken are not cruel nor vindic- \ unprecedented in any former proceedings of 
 tive, but neces>ary and eflicacious. His j parliament, and unwarranted by any delay, 
 lordsliip proposed that the bill should con- \ denial, or perversion of justice in Anierica. 
 tinue in force for three years, and declared j It was so big wiih oppression and misery to 
 it to be the last measure that parliament | that country, and with <ianger to tiiis, that the 
 would take, after which it required, that his ! first blush ol it was sufficient to alarm and 
 majesty's servants there should be vigilant in i rouse him to opposition. It went lo stigma- 
 the execution of their duty, and keep a watch-J tize a whole people, as persecutors of iuno-
 
 CHAP. XXI I I.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 295 
 
 cence, and men incapable of doing justice, 
 ■without a single fact beinj^ produced, on 
 vliicli to ground the iii'putaiion. On the 
 contrary, the instances which have happened 
 are direct confutations of such charges. The 
 case of captain Preston was recent ; this 
 officer an-d some soldiers had Jjeen indicted at 
 Boston for murder, in killing some persons in 
 the suppression of a riot ; they were fairly 
 tried, and fully acquitted. It was an Ame- 
 rican jury, a New England jury, a Boston 
 jury, which tried and acquitted them. Cap- 
 tain Preston has under his band publicly de- 
 clared, that the inhabitantc r^e tu^ „prv town 
 where their fellow-citizens had been siair., 
 acquitted him. This is the very case the act 
 supposes. Is this the return made them? 
 Is this the encouragement given them to per- 
 severe in so laudable a spirit of justice and 
 moderation. He denied that the cases of 
 trials for smuggling, and of treason, in the 
 last rebellion, did at all apply to the present 
 case, because the inconveniencies of prose- 
 cution or defence were comparatively insig- 
 nificant, on account of the little distance to 
 which the trials were removed. He took 
 notice of lord North's expression, " We must 
 shew the Americans that we will no longer 
 sit quiet under their insults," and called it 
 mere declamation, unbecoming the character 
 and place of him who uttered it. He asked, 
 in what moment have you been quiei? Plas 
 not yoar government, for many years past, 
 been a series of irritating and oflensive mea- 
 sures, without policy, principles, or modera- 
 tion ? Have not your troops and your ships 
 made a vain and insulting parade in their 
 streets and in tlieir harbours. It has seemetl 
 to be your study to irritate and inflame them. 
 You have stimulated llieir discontents into 
 disaffection, and you are now goading their 
 disadection into rebellion. Can you expect 
 to be well-informed, when you listen only to 
 partisans ? Can you expect to do justice, 
 when you will not hear the accused? . * 
 
 After having endeavoured to shew that 
 the bill was without precedent to su[)port it, 
 or facts to warrant it, he proceedetl to repre- 
 sent the consequences which it was likrly to 
 produce. A soldier feels himself so much 
 above the rest of mankind, that the strict 
 hand uf the civil power is necessary to check 
 and restrain the haughtiness of disposition 
 which such superiority inspires. What con- 
 
 stant care is taken in this country tc mind 
 the military, that they are under the restraint 
 of the civil power ? In America their supe* 
 riority is felt still more. Remove the check 
 of the law, as this bill proposes, and what 
 insolence, what outrage may you not expect ? 
 Every passion that is pernicious to society 
 will be let loose upon a people unaccustomed 
 to licendousness and intemperance. These 
 people, who have been long complaining of 
 oppression, will see in the soldiery those who 
 are to enforce it upon them, whilst the military, 
 strongly prepossessed with the idea of that 
 people being rebellious, unawed by the civil 
 povyer. and actuated by that arbitrary spirit 
 which prevuilo in fhe best troops, will commit 
 violences, which might ioiise the tamest peo- 
 ple to resistance, and which the vigilance of 
 their oflicers cannot effectually restrain. The 
 inevitable consequence will be open rebellion, 
 which you profess by this act to obviate. I 
 have been bred a soldier, he continued, and 
 have served long. I respect the profession, 
 and live in the strictest habits of friendship 
 with many officers ; but there is not a country 
 gentleman of you all, who looks upon the 
 army with a more jealous eye, or w ould more 
 strenuously resist the making them indepen- 
 dent of the civil power, than myself. No 
 man is to be trusted in such a situation. It is 
 not the fault of the soldier, but the vice of 
 human nature, which, unbridled by law, be- 
 comes insolent and licentious. When I stand 
 up an advocate for America, I feel myself the 
 firmest friend of this country. We owe our 
 greatness to the commerce of America. Alie- 
 nate your colonies, and you destroy the 
 genuine supply which nourishes your own 
 strength. Let the banners of rebellion be 
 once spread in America, and you are an un- 
 done people. You are urging this desperate, 
 this destructive issue. You are urging it 
 with such violence, and by measures tending 
 so manifestly to that fatal point, that though 
 a state of madness only could inspire such aa 
 intention, it woijld appear to be your delibe- 
 rate purpose. You have changed your ground ; 
 you are becoming the aggressors, and are 
 ohering the last of the human outrages to the 
 people of America, by subjecting them in 
 etl'ect to military execution. I know the vast 
 superiority of your disciplined troops over 
 the provincials ; but beware how you siijjply 
 the want of discipline by desperation. Juslead
 
 29G 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap, xxiir. 
 
 of senrling- them the olive branch, you have 
 sent the naked sword. By the olive branch 
 I mean a repeal of all (he late laws, fruitless 
 to von, and oppressive to them. Ask their 
 aid in a constitntional manner, and they will 
 give it to the utnjost of their ability. They 
 never yet refused it, when properly called 
 upon. Your journals bear the recorded ac- 
 knowIedjj;inents of the zeal with which they 
 have contributed to the general necessities of 
 the state. They may be flattered into any 
 thing-, but they are not to be driven. Have 
 some indulgence to your own likeness. Re- 
 spect their sturdy English virtue, retract 
 your odious exertions of authority, and ip^ 
 member, tlmt tUp fir^t sfpp towards making 
 them contribute to yum wante, ia lu iscoucile 
 them to your government. 
 
 An old member, who was very rarely ad- 
 verse to the ministry, strenuously opposed 
 this bill, and concluded his speech with these 
 remarkable words : " 1 will now take my 
 leave of the whole plan. You will commence 
 your ruin from this day. I am sorry to say. 
 
 to the other bill, for the more impartial adminis- 
 tratioji of justice in the province of Massa- 
 chusett's bay, many of which were similar to 
 those urged by colonel Barre, which have 
 been already stated. The bill, says the 
 petition, by giving a dispensing power to the 
 governor, advanced as he is by the former 
 bill above the law, and not liable to any 
 impeachment from the people he may oppress, 
 must constitute him an absolute tyrant. No 
 history can shew, nor will human nature 
 admit, of an instance of general discontent, 
 but from a general sense of oppression. The 
 petitioHP'" 7- •'-<^fl <hey could possibly per- 
 r^nl,ii any difference between the uiost abject 
 slavery and such entire submission to a legis- 
 lature, in the constitution of which they have 
 not a single voice, nor the least influence, and 
 in which no one is present on their behalf. 
 They regarded the giving their property, by 
 their own consent alone, as the unalienable 
 right of the subject, and the sacred bulwark 
 of constitutional liberty. To deprive the 
 colonies, therefore, of this right, is to reduce 
 
 that not only the house has fallen into this 5 them to a state of vassalage, leaving them 
 error, but the people approve of the measure. \ nothing they ran call their own, nor capable 
 The people, I am sorry to say, are misled. ^ of any acquisition but for the benefit of others. 
 But a sJ)ort time will prove the evil tendency \ They entreated the honse to consider, that 
 of this bill. If ever there was a nation run- ; the restraints which the examples of such se- 
 
 niiig headlong to ruin, it is this." 
 
 ; verity and injustice impose, are ever attended 
 
 On the 8th of May, sir George Saville \ with the most dangerous hatred. In a dis- 
 moved for leave to present a petition, from the \ tress of mind which could not be described, 
 natives of America resident in London, ! the petitioners conjured the house not to 
 against the two bills then depending 5 which \ convert their zeal and affection, which have 
 
 •was admitted 
 
 In this petition it was asserted, that a char- 
 ter so granted, as that of the third of William 
 and Mary, to the province of Massachusett's 
 bay, was never before altered, or resumed, but 
 upon a full and fair hearing; that therefore 
 the present proceeding is totally unconstitu- 
 tional, and sets an example which renders 
 every charter in Great Britain and America 
 entirely insecure. The appointment and 
 removal of the judges at the pleasure of the 
 governor, with salaries payable by the crown, 
 puts (he property, liberty, and life of the 
 subjects, depeniliug on judicial integrity, in 
 his power. The petitioners perceive a system 
 of judicial tyranny at this day imposed upon 
 them, which, from the bitter experience of its 
 intolerable injuries, has been abolished in this 
 country. 
 
 It then proceeded to stale the objections 
 
 I hitherto united every American hand and 
 heart in the interests of England, into passions 
 the most painful and pernicious ; most ear 
 nestly they beseeched the house not to at- 
 tempt reducing them to a state of slavery, 
 which the English principles, which they 
 inherit from their mother country, will ren- 
 der worse than death. The bill for regulating 
 the government of Massachusett's bay, was 
 that same day carried by a majority of almost 
 five to one. 
 
 In the house of lords, the absolute necessity 
 of a powerful and speedy remedy for the cure 
 of a government, which was so totally debili- 
 tated as that of Massachusett's bay, was the 
 chief reason assigned for the haste with which 
 the bill was carried through, for declining to 
 hear evidence at the bar, and for departing 
 from the ordinary rules by which Judicial 
 proceedings are regulated. The lords in
 
 CHAP. XXIII.i 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 297 
 
 administration ciulea%'Oure(l to prove, that tlie 
 process was not of a pe-.ial naliiro, so far from 
 it, that it was bene6cial and remedial. They 
 went so far as to assert it to be a great im- 
 provement in the Massachnsett's form of 
 government, because it brought it nearer to 
 die English model. All these assunjptions 
 were coutroverte<l by the minority lords, who 
 Strenuously o|)posed (he l)dl, without being 
 able to make any converts to their opinion. 
 It passed on the llth of May, 92 against 20. 
 The licentiousness of the people was thus to 
 be suppressed by the licentiousness of power. 
 A protest was, however, entered on the jour- 
 nal, which was signed by eleven lords. 
 1774 ^^ ^'"'^ protest it was maintained, 
 ■ that the rights which the iidiabitants 
 of Massachnsett's bay enjoyed, by viilue of 
 their charter, could not be properly taken 
 away, without the definite legal oft'ence, by 
 which a forfeiture is incurred, being first 
 clearly slated and fully proved, and the par- 
 ties affected by such |)roccedings should have 
 notice of the process, in order that they might 
 plead in their own defence. Such a mode of 
 proceeding is not technical formality, but 
 substantial justice. It proceeded to say, that 
 if the numerous land and marine forces which 
 ivere ordered to assemble in Massachusetts 
 bay, were not suflicient to keep that single 
 colony in any state of order, until the cause of 
 its charter can be fairly and equally tried, no 
 regulations in iliis bill, nor in any other 
 brought into that house, are sufficient for that 
 purpose. Another objection made was be- 
 cause the appointment of all the niemi)ers of 
 the council, which this bill vested in the 
 crown, is not a piopcr provision for the equi- 
 librium of the colonial constitution, the crown 
 being empowered to increase or lessen the 
 number of the council on the report of the 
 governor, which tends to destroy freedom of 
 deliberation, and wholly to annihilate its use. 
 The regulation respecting the sheriffs was 
 another innovation strongly objected to in 
 this ])rotest, the appointment of them being 
 by the will of the governor only, without re- 
 quiring in the person appointed any local or 
 other q.ualifications, and making that officer 
 changeable by the governor and council, as 
 often, and for such purposes, as they shall 
 think expedient, is a power which the British 
 c-onstitiition ii;i.s not trusted to his majesty and 
 hi-t privy-council. Hereby the invaluable 
 
 Q q 
 
 right of trial by jury is turned into a snare 
 for the people, who have hitherto looked upon 
 it as their main security against the licentious- 
 ness of power. It concludes with saying, 
 " If the force proposed shall have its full 
 effect, that effect, we greatly apprehend, may 
 not continue longer than whilst the sword is 
 held up. To render the colonies permanently 
 advantitgeous, they must be satisfied with 
 their condition. 
 
 The recepticni given to the other bill, which 
 went to regulate the administration of justice 
 in Massachusetts bay, in the house of lords, 
 was similar to that which chanijed the nature 
 of its government, where it was carried by 
 43 to 12. The minority lords, on this occasion, 
 likewise entered a very strong protest, in 
 which they assigned, among other reasons for 
 their dissent from the bill, that, after the pro 
 scription of the port of Boston, the disfran- 
 chisement of the colony of Massachnsett's 
 bay, and the variety of provisions which have 
 been made in the session for new-modelling 
 the whole polity and judicature there, this 
 bill is an humiliating confession of the weak- 
 ness and inefficacy of all the proceedings of 
 parliament, by supposing that it may be im- 
 practicable by any means which the public 
 wisdom could devise, to obtain a fair trial 
 there for any who act under government. By 
 the bill, therefore, it is virtually acknowledged, 
 that the British government is universally 
 odious to tlje whole province, and that it is 
 or mjiy become hateful to the colonies, which 
 is to publish to all the world, in terms the 
 most euiphatical, the little confidence the 
 supreme legislature reposes in the affections 
 of so large and so important a part of the 
 British empire. The bill therefore amounts 
 to a declaration, that the two houses of parlia- 
 ment know no means of retaining the colonies 
 in due obedience, but by an army, rendered 
 independent of the ordinary course of law in 
 the place where they are employed. They 
 likewise dissent, because tl.ey think tliat a 
 military force, sufficient for governing upon 
 this plan, cannot be maintained, without the 
 inevitable ruin of the nation ; aud lastly, bc- 
 i" cause the bill seems to be one of the many 
 ex[)criments, towards an introduction of essen- 
 tial iimovations into the government of the 
 empire. 
 
 Towards the close of the session, the house 
 of commons took into consideration the siat» 
 1(»
 
 298 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXI it. 
 
 of the i^old coin, ?ome regulations respecting » form asisnsed and directed in those pro viriceg 
 wiiicli had been made in the preceding session, | and colonies in America, which are under the 
 and by a royal proclamation, which had been | immediate government of the crown. And 
 issued for that purpose. Evidence was given ! the governors were thereby fartlier empowt-red, 
 at the bar by some of the otficers of the mint, ; by the consent of the council and representa- 
 and a gentleman from the bank, which went ! tives of the people so summoned, to make, 
 to prove the vast quantities of gold coin which i constitute, and ordain laws, statutes, and 
 
 had been diminished, and many resolutions 
 •were agreed to by the house. The deticient 
 coin was called in, without any loss being 
 sustained by the holders, and a recoinage 
 took place. The whole amount of the gold 
 coin, brought into the mint in consequence of 
 the various regulations made in the year 1773 
 and 1774, amounted to upwards of twenty- 
 three millions. We are told by a celebrated 
 calculator, that in February 1772, 4^ per cent, 
 might be got by melting heavy guineas ; gold 
 in coin not being permitted to be exported to 
 any large amount, whilst bullion was under 
 ijo prohibition. What encouraged this kind 
 of traffic was, that the balance of trade had 
 been generally against us ever since the con- 
 clusion of the last war, arising from the in- 
 crease of luxury and the national debt; for by 
 the latter large sums were annually sent out 
 of the kingdom, in payment of interest. The 
 same writer gives it as his opinion, that enough 
 had been done to restore the gold coin by 
 the first coin act; and that all which was 
 afterwards done had been nothing but a pre- 
 paration of the coin for melters and exporters. 
 
 A BILL had passed the house of lords, with 
 little notice, and but weak opposition, for the 
 purpose of making more effectual provision 
 for the government of the province of Quebec, 
 in North America, and was brought to the 
 commons on the 18th of May. On the second 
 reading it was very strongly opposed. 
 
 By his majesty's proclamation, dated 7th 
 of October 17(j3, the countries, territories, and 
 islands, ceded by the peace, were declared 
 to be formed into four distinct governments, 
 viz. Quebec, East Florida, West Florida, 
 and Grenada, by virtue of letters patent, 
 under the great seal of Great Britain ; and 
 the respective governors were vested with 
 express power and direction, that, as soon as 
 the stale and condition of the said colonies 
 •would admit thereof, ihoy should, with the 
 advice and consent of the nieml)ers of their 
 respective provincial councils, summon and 
 call the general assemblies wi-thin the said 
 govenmicuts respectively, in such manner and 
 
 ordinances, for the public peace, welfare, and 
 good government of their colony, as near as 
 may be agreeable to the laws of England, 
 under such restrictions and regulations as are 
 used in other colonies. And until such a 
 form of government can be established, all 
 persons inhabiting in, or resorting to, those 
 colonies were assured of the royal protection, 
 for the enjoyment of the benefit of the English 
 laws ; for which purpose courts of judicature 
 were directed to be constituted, lo determine 
 all causes, as well criminal as civil, according 
 to law and equity, and as near as may be 
 agreeable to the laws of England, with a 
 right of appeal to the king't* privj-council, 
 under the usual limitations and restrictions. 
 
 The Quebec bill went to establish most 
 important regulations. Its first object was 
 to affix new boundaries to the province, iu 
 doing which, it in fact renounced the claims 
 which had been made by commissioners ap- 
 pointed by the British court, to settle with the 
 French the limits of Nova Scotia or Acadia, 
 after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, for it made 
 the province of Quebec, or Canada, to extend 
 along the southern coast of the river St. Law- 
 rence, from Chaleur bay almost to Crown 
 Point ; to maintain the contrary to which was 
 the principal business of that commission. 
 The bill, in farther describing the new limits 
 to the province, carried thein over the whole 
 interior country which lay behind the f^ew 
 England provinces, together with those of 
 New York and Pennsylvania, to the borders 
 of the Ohio. The limits would most probably 
 have been extended quite to the back of 
 Georgia, if the charter granted to the province 
 of Virginia had not conveyed the light to all 
 lands westward, quite to the river of Missis- 
 sippi ; so that here the progress was stopped, 
 and it struck oft" westward, through no less 
 than ten degrees of longitude, to the eastern 
 banks of the Mississi|»pi, from whence it pro- 
 ceeded uorlhward, until it touched the south- 
 ern botuidary of the lands granted to the 
 Hudson's Bay company, being from ai)out 
 the fortieth to the lillielh degree of latitude.
 
 CHAP. XXIII.} GEORGE III. 299 
 
 Tliesc regions, in which nature delights in the ; and secondly, to employ that power, thus 
 majestic, iuckule the five great lakes, were i niodiiied and rendered obedient to tlie Mill of 
 nuicii more extensive than tiie kingdom of J the possessors, in assisting to overthrow the 
 France, and are cai)able of snijsisting a larger i liberties of America. Mr. Thurlow (attorney 
 number of inhabitants. The other grand ; general) stated to the house the diflerent 
 object in liie bill was to new model the govern- t governments which had prevailed in Canada 
 ment of a province, thus extended to the • from the first settling in that country by the 
 circumference of a mighty empire. It granted ; French, and contended that it was dangerous, 
 the free exercise of the religion of the church » cruel, and unprecedented, to establish new 
 of Rome, subject to ihe king's supremacy, and I laws in a conquered country. General Carle- 
 granted to the clergy of that church the power | ton, governor of Canada, was examined. He 
 of holding, receiving, and enjoying their ac- 5 shewed the inconsiderable number of protest- 
 customed dues and rights, witii respect to j ants settled in Canada, compared with those 
 such persons only as shall profess that religion ; i who professed the Roman catholic faith. The 
 a right being reserved in his majesty, to make j inhabitants in general, he said, liked the old 
 such provision, out of tite rest of the accus- j French laws in preference to the English form 
 tomed dues and rights, for the encouragement J of government, and he was of opinion, the- 
 of the protestaut religion, and for the main- i bill then depending would not be generally re- 
 tenance and support of the protestaut clergy, ; lished. In the progress of tlie business many 
 within the province, as shall appear necessary I other witnesses were examined, viz. Mr. Hay, 
 and expedient. In all matters of controversy I chief justice of the province; IMr. Mazeres, 
 relative to property and civil rights, within ; cursitur-baron of the exchequer, and late 
 the province of Quebec, resort to be had to ; attorney-general there, and agent to the Eng- 
 the laws of Canada, as the rule for their de- | lish inhabitants of Canada ; Dr. Marriott, the 
 cision. The governor, lieutenant-governor, ; king's advocate-general in England ; Mons. 
 or counnander-in-chief, with the consent of; Lolbiiiiere, a French gentleman of consider- 
 the legislative council, have the power of 5 able property in Canada. It was proposed, 
 enacting new laws, except such as lay on any 5 thai general ^lurray, who was the first British 
 tax or duty, and repealing or altering old ones; 1 governor in the colony, and continued in that 
 but all such aots must receive the royal appro- » capacity several years, should be summoned 
 bation to be in force. Real and personal ' to attend ; but it was overruled. The ia- 
 estates might be disposed of by will, if exe- I formation obtained by these witnesses was 
 cuted either according to the laws of Canada \ principally as to the preference given by the 
 or England. The criminal law of England ! French inhabitants to the French or English 
 , was by this bill continued in the province. ; laws, and it seemed pretty evident that difl'er- 
 The provincial assembly was abolished, by ; cut sentiments prevailed among different ranks 
 being suspended in the following terms : "And I and conditions. The gentry made choice of 
 whereas it is at present inexjjedient to call an ; the French code ; the middle order and pea- 
 assembly, it is suspended, and the council is \ santry preferred tlie English laws, 
 to consist of no more than 23, or less than 17j I A petition was presented to the house 
 composed of persons resident in the province, ; from Thomas and ^Villiam Penn, ownereof 
 and appointed by the king.' j a great j)art of the province of l*eiinsylvania, 
 
 Mr. Dunning called it the most pernicious ; representing the great injury their property 
 bill ever oflered to parliament. He repre- i would receive by the bill, and praying to be 
 sented the form of government thereby given i heard by counsel. Anolher peiilioai was 
 to the inhal)itants of Canada, as essentially • presented, signed by several merchanls trading 
 the same in form, and more liable to abuse, I to Canada, which set forth, that several 
 than the one they had formerly enjoyed under ; clauses in the bill would materially affect 
 the crown of France; an<l ll^at the ecclesias- j their property. Counsel v^as heard at the 
 tical establishment granted to them was in- I bar, in behalf of both petitions. A petition 
 tended to cheat theim out of their civil liberties ■ was likewise presented by the city of Loudon 
 as British subjects. It was intencled, he said, ; against the bill. .Serjeant (ilynn insisted that 
 to operate two ways ; first, for establishing i it was a breach of the royal ))romise, con- 
 arbitrary power in that vast extent of country ; | laiued m the proclauialiou in the year 17f!J, 
 
 Q q 2
 
 300 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 wliich declarefl, that all persons wiio would 
 go over to Quebec mIiouKI be entitled to liie 
 same laws and protection as they had had in 
 England, whereas tiie bill before the house 
 vent to establish French hiws^ and the Koman 
 catholic religion. In reply to the attorney- 
 general he shewed, that it was far from being 
 unprecedented to introduce a new code of 
 Jaws into a conquered country ; Ireland and 
 Wales were proofs thereof. ' - 
 
 In support of the bill it was urijed, that the 
 laws which regarded personal property, and 
 contracts between man and man, were much 
 the same in France as in England. The 
 French had no notion of a (rial by jury, and 
 disliked it as an innovation. The treaty of 
 Paris, it was said, had secured to the F'rench 
 Canadians the free exercise of tlieir religion, . 
 as far as was consistent with the laws of * 
 England ; and our penal laws, with respect 
 to religion, it was asserted, did not extend 
 beyond this kingdom as tiie king's supremacy 
 did, and the Roman catiioiics of Canada were 
 obliged by the act to give a proof of their 
 allegiance by taking an oath which was pre- 
 scribed against all such papal claims as inter- 
 fered therewith. The securing to the Romish 
 clergy tiieir tytlies, by tlie act, was no more 
 than placing them in the condition which 
 they stood in at the conquest, subjecl, however, 
 to this disadvantage, that no person profess- 
 ing the protestant religion was to contribute 
 any thing to their support. The extension 
 of the boundaries of the province, beyond the 
 limits descriljed in the proclamation, was 
 justified by the plea, that several French 
 faunlies were settled in remote parts of the 
 country, beyond the former <listricts, and an 
 entire colony was established among the Illi- 
 nois Indians. 
 
 ' The opposition to the bill was founded on 
 the notorious incongruity which appeared, in 
 a British legislature establishing a form of 
 arbitrary governuicnt in any part of the 
 empire. Such a conduct was unknown in 
 the history of this countrv, and would have 
 been execrated at any other time than the 
 present. The setting aside the assembly of 
 the i)rovince was imputed to the utter dislike 
 which the ministry bore to such popular de- 
 putations, as well as to all the rights of the 
 people at large. The measure was called an 
 experiment fur setting up an arbitrary govern- 
 ment ia one colony, which may be more 
 
 patient of it than the rest, in order to extend 
 by degrees that mode of ruling to all the 
 others. It was asked, Why is a trial by jury 
 abolished in suits at law ? Can the j)eople 
 be thought to have an objection to trust theic 
 property to a tribunal, to which they have 
 trusted their lives 7 T'lrey insisted, that the 
 grand security of liberty is the power of having 
 civil actions tried by a jury, as in cases of 
 arbitrary imprisonments, and many other 
 violations of the right of the subject. The 
 redress has been always sought in such a way. 
 The English residii»g in Canada, and the 
 merchants of Great Britain, who trusted their 
 property on a presumption that it was under 
 the protection of the English laws, would be 
 greatly aggrieved in being subjected to French 
 customs^ and French forms of trial. The 
 regulations made with respect to the religion 
 of the country, was much objected to. Every 
 one seemed willing to allow the most extensive 
 toleration to the Roman catholic religion ; but 
 many warmly opposed the establishment of 
 that religion throughout the province, and 
 giving protestantism no more than a toleration. 
 The popish clergy gain a legal parliamentary 
 right to a maintenance; the protestant clergy 
 are left at the king's discretion. Both ought 
 at least to be put on an equal footing, and 
 legal support provided for both. 
 
 This bill occasioned debates and larger 
 miuoritiy upon each division than any of the 
 bills respecting America, which had been 
 before the house of commons this session. 
 Many amendments were made to it^ and the 
 minority laboured hard to give a trial by jury 
 at the o])tion of the parties ; but in this they 
 failed, as well as in obtaining for the Canadians 
 the privilege of the w rit of habeas corpus. In 
 consequence of the amendments it was sent 
 back to the lords for their concurrence ; 
 which furnished lord Chatham Mith an oppor- 
 tunity of entering very fully into the merits of 
 the bill. The amendments were agreed to, 
 •15 against 7. The lord mayor, aldermen, 
 and commons of the city of London, presented 
 an address to his majesty, praying that he 
 would not give his royal assent to the Quebec 
 bill, immediately on receiving of which, he 
 went to the house of peers, and gave his royal 
 assent to such bills as were readj% of which 
 this i)ill was one, and then put an end to the 
 session. 
 
 It is very remarkable that all the reguU-.
 
 CHAP. XXIIl.] GEORGE III. ,301 
 
 tions made in tills session of parliament, res- ; any other purpose they shonkl think proper 
 peeling the government of the American colo-. ; to apply it to. This act was essfcv>tial to the 
 nies, were in exact conformity lo j^overnor ; perfection of that system of governnit-it which 
 Hutchinson's idea of coU)Mial administra- ,| was framed for Quebec. Notwithstaiuling 
 tion, as expressed in an extract from one of i which, it was little noticed, either in its pro- 
 his letters, which we have given. By extending « gress through the two houses, or by the peo- 
 the limits of the [)rovince of Quebec to all ; pie at large. 
 
 lands situated behind the northern and middle I On the 10th of May, 1774, died Lewis 
 colonies, which were not expressly included 5 XV. king of France, in the 65th year of his 
 'in any charter, if any settletneiits were already i age, and 5i>th of his reign; who was succeed- 
 niade by any of the colonists, on parts out ; ed by his grandson, Lewis XVL, then almost 
 of their limits, which was very probable, such ; twenty years of age. The young king had 
 settlers would be immediately deprived of; been four years married to a princess of the 
 their democratic fonn of government. It also ; house of Austria. On his accession, he found 
 circumscribed the old colonies wiihiu certain j his kingdom recovering from that state of 
 limits, which, if in future times they should « confu.sion into which it had been plunged by 
 be found too narrow for their increased popu- ; the improvidence of his predecessor, but who, 
 lation, those who sought new possessions ; in the latter part of his reign, had applied 
 would beobligetl to relinquish their chartered \ every method to rectify the disorders of state, 
 form of government. 5 Lord xSorth took occasion to speak of this 
 
 ♦ Another act, which affected the province J event in tiie house of commons. He said, a 
 of Quebec, received the royal assenf at the ; great and good prince was dead, who was a 
 same time ; the purport of Avhich was to \ man of an amiable and peaceable mind ; but 
 establish a fund, towards further defraying ; his successor was not only wise and o^cono- 
 the charges of the administration of justice, ; mieal, but a pacitic prince, who would not 
 and support of the civil government, uitliin ! enter into any nnnercssary war to try projects, 
 that province. The French had laid duties ; The new reign produced a new minister of 
 on rura, brandy, and other liquors imported I finance, Mr. Tnrgot. The edicts issued 
 into the province of Canada, now called the » during his administration were phsenomcna 
 province of Quebec, and upon all dry goods ; in tiie political world; an absolute king ren- 
 iraported into, and exported from, that pro- I dering account to his subjects, and inciting 
 vince ; all of which by this act were taken off, ; his people to claim a riglit, which it has been 
 and in their stead was laid a duty of '3d. per; the business of all absolute kings and their 
 gallon on brandy and other spirits, the manu- \ ministers to extinguish in the minds of men ; 
 facture of Great Britain. On West India ; but the regulations which he aimed at iutro- 
 rum, or other spirits, Gd. per gallon ; on ; ducing excited so strong an opposition, that 
 American 9d. ; rum or spirits of foreign manu- ; he was soon obliged to quit his post, which 
 facture Is. Molasses and syrups were to pay ; was given to a man, who afterwards accora- 
 simiiar duties, according to the ports from ; plished what the other had attempted in vain, 
 "*vhence they were brought. The same act \ by introducing a very general reformation in 
 obliged every person keeping a house of; the government and affairs of France, so i'iKV 
 public entertainment, or retailing wine or other ; as the public revenue was concerned, 
 liquors, to take out a licence, for which he I Meanwhile the consequencerf which were 
 was to pay 30*. The revenue arising from ; expected to follow from the exemplary 
 the duties on merchandize was appropriated ; punishments inflicted on the colony of Massa- 
 to defraying the expences of the administra- ; chusett's bay, were not realised. The spirit 
 tion of justice, and the support of the civil ; of rivalship, which used to prevail in the 
 government in the province. The money i American sea-port towns, now no longer sub- 
 arising from licences was granted to hismajes- > sisted. No merchant discovered the slightest 
 ty. This act, therefore, served to establish in ; disposition to advantage himself by the shut- 
 tin^ proviuce both commercial and internal j ting up of the port of Boston; and the coIO' 
 taxation, as well as the right of parliament to ; nies in general, instead of deprecating that 
 dispo.se of the money raised by taxes there, i vengeance of the mother country towards 
 citl.'er lo the support of the province, or for » themselves, which they saw fallen on omq
 
 302 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. IciIAP. XXIII. 
 
 province, 'rnnsi'cJered it as a cammou cause, ; a minority ; a conduct which had ever been 
 and were forward to express their adherence | considered, in former adniiiiistralions, as por- 
 to tij*' principles whicli had incurred such j tending his removal ; yet no one of these in- 
 heavy punishment. An agreement was drawn ; stances was succeeded by any diminution of 
 Up at Boston, which was called, A Solemn \ the minister's influence, in any of the grand 
 leacrue and Covenant, the subscribers to i objects pursued by government. On the 
 which bound thenist Ives, in tlie most solemn i contrary his lordship seemed, like Antaeus, 
 manner, to suspend all commercial intercourse i to gain strength by every fall. In no parlia- 
 with Great Britain, until the Boston port-bill, I ment, since the revolution, did the crowa 
 and the otln^r obnoxious acts of parliament, ; obtain so great an increase of influenre as iu 
 •were repealed, an<l the colony of Massacliu- ; this. A parliament, in the reign of Richard 
 sett's bay fully restored to the rights which | H., was called, the wonder-working parlia- 
 it derived from its charter. The people, not I nient, because it punished the judges and 
 only in the New England governments, l>nt ! ministers with severity, and endeavoured to 
 in the other provinces, entered into ihis new ! reconcile the king and his people. Other 
 league with the utmost easerness. A general ! parliaments have likewise been distinguished 
 congress was iield at Philadelphia, in the | by titles expressive of the general tendency of 
 beginning of Septeml)er, 1774, deputies to ! their conduct, on which account that house 
 which were chosen by the houses of represen- J of commons which increased the national debt 
 tatives of each piovmce. The smaller colonies ; "pwards of sixty millions, during the pre- 
 sent two, and the larger ones seven. The I ceding war, was called by some the prodigal 
 whole number of delegates amounted to fifty- ; pa'li;'-'nent. On the same principle, the 
 one. The province of Georgia alone did not : thirteenth parliament of Great Britain n)ight 
 accede to tlie confederacy. In this general ; with propriety be entitled, the regal parlia- 
 assembly each coloj)y had no more tiian a • oient. At the close of it, lord North appeared 
 single vote, whether ita deputation was more j fo be firmly established in his high office ; 
 or less numerous. ; indeed his abilities were admirably adapted 
 
 On the 30lh of September, 1774, the par- j to the conducting of affairs in the house of 
 liament was suddenly dissolved by a royal | commons, by his steady attention and appli- 
 proclamation, after having sat six years, and ; cation to business, his coolness in debate, and 
 the writs for electing a new house of commons i talents as a speaker. For having now sat 
 were returnable on the 29th of November J ''i three parliaments, he had corrected very 
 following. As this was a very iniexpected I strong natural impediments, which lay in the 
 measure, because an unusual exertion of the i way of his becoming an orator, and had ac- 
 regal prerogative, no similar instance having ; quired a very agreeable and persuasive elo- 
 happened for almost thirty years, it gave the | cution, which he employed, with great address, 
 ministry great advantages in the election of;'» foiling the attacks made upon him from 
 members. Indeed the exigencies of tli^ crown \ various jjarts of the house. On all occasions 
 and the state of public aflTairs were such, that j 'le maintained his dignity, without appearing 
 administration could not allow that the next \ to assume or dictate. 
 
 session of parliament should be employed in ; These qualities led a learned law-officer of 
 framing such popular acts, as constantly take > thecrownto remark "n the house, that although 
 place in the last session of parliament. The ; many members might be ready 'onamesomeone 
 ministry had very important, and not very ; whom they considered as better qualified to act 
 agreeable objects hefore them : the one was i as prime nnnister, according as their party at- 
 lo payoff the debts incurred upon the civil | tachmentsorprivatefriendshipsinflnenced their 
 estalilishment, and to ohtain an increase in J judgments, yet all those gentlemen, he believed, 
 the aiitmal revenue; the other, to bring the | would agree in acknowledging, that, nextto the 
 Americans to unconditional obedience; and I nianof theirchoice, no one was so eligibleasthe 
 only a ho.ise of commons which was just | lord whothen held that post; from whenceheiu- 
 entered on iis fwuctions could venture to con- | ferred that he wasactually thebest qualified for 
 cur in such <lesigns. \ it, when partiality and prejudice were gratified ; 
 
 Although the parliament which was now \ all parties agree in tlu:ir second nomination ; 
 dissolved had, in some particular instances, | nnpartial reason will declare such an one pre- 
 beea adverse to the minister, and left him in » eminently meritorious.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1774, 1775.] 
 
 Evils foretold on the first Settlement of Colonies in America — General Gage appointed to the 
 chief Command — First Mcetinff of the American Congress — Feelings of the English 
 People — Lord Chatham's Motion in the House of Lords — 31r. Burkes System of Aine- 
 rican Government — Co?idutt of the Earl of Effingham — Sentiments of the European 
 States respecting the Contest bcluecn England and America — Evacuation, of Boston by 
 the English — Battle of Bunkers Hill and other Operations. 
 
 w 
 
 HEN the design of establishing colo- \ earth yielded, for the purposes of civil lifeJ 
 nies in North America first became I The present race of Americans did not openly 
 
 complain of the commercial restrictions which 
 were laid upon them, but their immediate 
 descendants, yet unborn ; if it had happened 
 that an uninterrupted course of prosperity 
 had nurtured them into a contempt of second- 
 ary importance, they would have thought such 
 burdens too grievous to be endured ; at least, 
 the history of mankind will warrant such a 
 supposition, for subordination can be expected 
 only from the weak to the strong. When 
 
 a national object, in the reign of James I., the 
 speculative politicians of the age raised many 
 objections to the measure, and foretold, that 
 after draining the mother country of inhabi- 
 tants, the colonies would shake off her yoke, 
 and establish for themselves an independent 
 government. More than a century and a half, 
 however, had elapsed, and neither of these 
 predictions had been realised. Experience 
 had shewn, that the depupulafion of Great 
 
 Britain, by emigrations to America, was not i such a revolt should have caused them to be 
 to be feared, and the apprehension of the \ upbraided with ingratitude to their parent 
 colonies declaring their independence does > state, they might have replied, " We have 
 not appear to have been entertained, by the 5 enriched you by our commerce whilst we 
 government of England, till the conclusion of ; were your dependants, we will still continue 
 the peace between France and Spain. Not- | to do so on the footing of friends and equals ; 
 ■withstanding this security, it was evident that | but our state of minority is now past. 
 a time would arrive, when the northern conti- { An independent condition is always accom- 
 nent of the New World, being overspread by j panied by an inde()endent spirit. Even a 
 a race of men, active, enterprising, and enlhn- ; colony of Frenchmen, in whose breasts allegi- 
 siasiicaily attached to freedom, would regard ; ance to their king was, at that period, the 
 restraints as oppressions. The time at length > most active public princi|)le, when tliey grew 
 approached, when the establishment of par- 1 sufficiently numerous and powerful to support 
 lianuiitary taxation appeared to the Amcri- : themselves, would have looked to indeptn- 
 cans as an act of unjust and arbitrary violence ; | deuce as their right. 
 
 and it was obvious, that whenever their popu- { The nature of the government established 
 lation should have trebled its present amount, « in British America, and the conduct of our 
 that accession wouUI lead them to disregard > kings towards the colonies, had uniformly 
 those prohil)itious, which deprived them of the ; been such as to encourage, instea<l of checking 
 liberty to work up the materials which their : an iudtpendent spirit. The general law of 
 
 i
 
 304 HISTC«IY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 descent, in the New England provinces, is the I shut up the part of Boston, and gavt- a new 
 extension of that uhich is known among us | form of government to the colony of Massa- 
 l»y the title of gavel-kind, for the children i chusett's bay; a time wlieu mutual distrust 
 equally share the patrimony, which effectually | was rankling into bitter enmity, 
 bars the acquisition, or at least the perpetuity ; That the coercive measures taken by go- 
 of lar»e fortunes, and greatly promotes a re- 1 vernment might produce their desired effect 
 publican spirit. ; upon the people, general Gage was appointed 
 
 Ir has been asserted, that when a plan of ; commander-in-chief of the forces in North 
 taxation for America was proposed to sir ^ America, and governor of Massaohusett's bay. 
 Robert Walpole, he rejected it, saying, " Let i This gentleman had resided many years on 
 such measures be adopted by my successors, \ the American continent, had filled many re- 
 I never will undertake so intricate a business." ^ spectable posts, and had rendered himself 
 It is, however, certain, that his administration I popular by his general conduct. On his 
 was the precise time for introducing such a i arrival at Boston in May, 1774, Mr. Hutchin- 
 form of government, as should correct what- I son, the late governor, embarked for England, 
 ever had been found to be wrong, or too in- J Svch was the prevailing temper of the 
 dulgent, in the charters, and for familiarising \ people, as to render them little inclined to 
 the people to the mode of internal taxation, \ welcome, with sincere gratulations, any go- 
 rather than to the burdens of it, which might \ vernor who might be placed over them, how- 
 have gradually increased in proportion to their } ever they might venerate the personal qualities 
 ability of bearing them. The more opulent j of the man. Nothing like dismay or remorse 
 and considerable Americans should have \ had been excited on the arrival of the act of 
 been ennobled, and composed a legislative \ parliament, by which the port of Boston was 
 body in each province, to check the democratic } to be shut up. That which was meant as 
 tendency of the popular assemblies. \ a punishment for sedition and violence, served 
 
 In sliorl, it required the most penetrating \ only to rouse a more general spirit of resent- 
 eye, the most determined hand, and the most | ment and opposition. The people felt the 
 enlightened head, to establish such a system i vveight of tiie chastisement rather as citizens 
 of government, among the rising colonies, as ; than as traders, and were more incensed at 
 would have secured their attachment and } what they thought an arbitrary deprivation of 
 obedience throughout a series of ages ; and ! their natural rights, than depressed by the 
 the proper time for adopting these establish- | prospect of ruin which it laid, before them, 
 nients was, when they were beginning to 5 Copies of the act of parliament were printed, 
 reckon their popidation by millions. To in- | and dispersed with great expedition over the 
 troduce an hierarchy might be what the friends ; vvhule continejit of North America, south of 
 of perpetual subordination would rather have j the river St. Lawrence, and the cause of Bos- 
 Avished than supposed practicable. Fifty ; ton was represented as the cause of all. The 
 years before, address and management might \ alarm became general. At many places the 
 have pruved successful in warping the natural $ act was burnt with great solemnity. The 
 disposition of the peopFe in civil establish- 5 day on which it became in force was devoted 
 nients ; but in religious matters the Americans | to fasting, prayer, and humiliation, throughout 
 were ever inflexible. ; the whole continent, with very few exceptions. 
 
 The views of the legislature towards Ame- 5 This devotional fervour was accompanied 
 rica, before the commencement of the present 5 with a very spirited conduct, wh4ch the go- 
 reign, were entirely occupied about raising I vernors of the respective districts in vain at- 
 the colonies from a state of imbecility to a ; tempted to oppose. 
 
 vigorous maturity ; which was no sooner I The new governor of Massachusetts bay 
 effected, than popular discontents and unset- ! was probably little prepared to meet so gene- 
 tied government at home greatly lessened that i ral and determined a confederacy. Ashe had 
 respect and awe, in which Great Britain had | heretofore had many opportunities of acquaint- 
 been held. We are now to relate the events ; ing himself \\'\l\\ the lumper and disposition of 
 which happened immediately afur passing ; the Americans, it would be a libel on the 
 those restrictive acts of parliament, which ! British cabinet to suppose that he had not
 
 CHAP. XXIV.l 
 
 GEORGE 111. 
 
 30o 
 
 been consulted on the effect wliich was likely 
 to be produced from this decisive proceeding 
 of Great Britain, in which case, the opinion 
 which he held cannot be doubted ; for, by 
 accepting the government, he shewed that he 
 flattered himself with the expectation of re- 
 storing tranquillity: but human expectancy 
 is the vainest of all vain things ! 
 
 Thk first time the governor met the provin- 
 cial assembly was merely to open his com- 
 mission, to signify in form lo that body the 
 restrictive act of |)arliament respecting the 
 port of Boston, and to appoint the next meet- 
 ing to be held at Salem, on the 2nd of June 
 following, for the dispatch of business. This 
 assembly, when convened there, adhered 
 closely to the example of the English parlia- 
 ment in the reign of Ciiarles I. ; they made 
 the consideration of grievances precede all 
 other business. 
 
 A RESOLUTION was p?ssed in the house of 
 representatives, that a general meeting of com- 
 mittees for the several colonies was expedient, 
 and, at the same time, they named live gentle- 
 men to represent that province, and voted 
 £500 for their use. The governor refused to 
 conlirm this resolution, so that it became in- 
 valid ; whereupon the assembly recommended 
 to several towns and districts, to raise the 
 money by equitable proportions. The house 
 then came to n)any resolutions, with great 
 secrecy, unanimity, and dispatch ; recom- 
 mending to the inliabitants of the province 
 entirely to renounce the consumption of India 
 teas, and, as far as possible, to discontinue the 
 use of all goods imported from the East 
 Indies, and from Great Britain, until the pub- 
 lic grievances of America should be radically 
 and totally redressed ; in order to which, it 
 was recommended that they should give every 
 possible encouragement to the manufactures 
 of America. 
 
 Thi: governor, having obtained intelligence 
 of these proceedings, sent his secretary to 
 make dockiralion of his dissolving the assem- 
 bly. He found the door locked ; and, having j 
 sent to ac(|uaint the speaker that he had a \ 
 message from the governor to deliver to the i 
 house, he received for answer, " that the doors ; 
 must be kept fast. " The secretary, being thus I 
 debarred admittance, caused proclamation to i 
 be made on the stairs of the dissolution of the > 
 general assembly, which put a final end to ; 
 the existence of that body in the province of < 
 
 u r 
 
 Massachusett's bay, as foniub'd on the char- 
 ter granted by king William and queen Mary. 
 Still, however, sonie feeble efforts were made, 
 by a small number at Boston, to deprecate 
 the vengeance of the mother country, and a 
 sum of money was raised, for the purpose of 
 indemnifying the East India company for the 
 tea which had been destroyed ; but notwith- 
 standing the governor exerted all his in- 
 fluence in cherishing and increasing this pro- 
 pensity to obedience, it was borne down by 
 the tide of popular fury, until the arrival of 
 the act of parliament which deprived the 
 colony of Massachusetts bay of its charter, 
 and introduced a new form of government 
 there, which served to alienate the minds of 
 the small remnant, who had till then retained 
 their principles of loyalty uncorrupted. 
 
 The people of Massachusett's, (zealously 
 attached, not only to the principles, but even 
 to the forms which prevailed in the last cen- 
 tury, during the grand conflict between the 
 king and the puritans,) subscribed a confede- 
 racy, which they called, A Solemn League and 
 Covenant, whereby they bound themselves to 
 maintain no kind of intercourse whatever with 
 Great Britain, from the 31st day of August fol- 
 lowing, until the Boston port-bill and the sub- 
 sequent Anierican acts should be repealed. The 
 parties to this agreement engaged themselves 
 farther not to consume or purchase any kind 
 of goods which might arrive after that time; 
 and whoever should import or vend any goods, 
 the manufacture of Great Britain, were 
 deemed enemies to their country, and cut off" 
 from all social intercourse. In civil conten- 
 tions, neutraliiv is held to be criminal ; such, 
 therefore, as would not subscribe to this tesh 
 had their names made public, as enemies to 
 their country, and abettors of tlie attempts to 
 enslave it. A philosophic moderation, as it 
 is non-eflicient upon the impetuous multitude, 
 must be disclaimed, whr 11 the interests and 
 passion!^ of men cause civil distractions ; hence 
 the advocates for liberty are frequently hurried 
 into acts of tyranny, ll may be affirmed, that 
 England had never less freedom than under 
 the government of the long parliament, and 
 afterwards under Oliver Cromwel. 
 
 '^J'he violence of the people at Boston was, 
 however, somewhat overawed by the arrival 
 of large bodies of troops at different limes ; 
 and the justices of Plymouth county signed 
 a congratulatory address to general Gage, in 
 20
 
 30C HISTORY OF ENGLAND. fciIAP. XXIX. 
 
 wliicli the establishment of committees of j not occasion a dissenting voice in the con- 
 corrospt)ndence, anil the compact entered | gress. New Hamsphire and Rhode Island 
 into by the solenui league and covenant, were | sent two deputies each, New Jersey and 
 reprobated. The gentlemen of the county of 5 Maryland four, Virginia six. The sense of 
 Worcester also signed a protest against all | any colony could not be taken, if their depu- 
 riotous and seditious practices. The pro- \ tation was equally divided^in their opinions, 
 ▼iuce of New York, though not inclined to \ The first acts of this body were declaratory 
 yield obedience to the regulations of the ; of the allegiance which the American states 
 liritish parliament, was yet averse to become | owed and acknowledged to their sovereign, 
 a parly to that open opposilion which their j of their affection to Great Britain, their de- 
 nortlit^rn m-ighbours had shewn, and preferred i pendence upon her, and of the benefits and 
 the milder expedient of stating their grievances 5 favours which they had received from tiieir 
 to parliament in an humble address, which j parent state. In the most explicit terms they 
 the majority of their house of representatives i declined any wish of becoming separated from 
 agreed to. No such means of reconciliation | and independent of Great Britain ; but, at the 
 "Were sought by the province of Maryland ; ; same time, they declared themselves entitled 
 the people there vying with those of Boston i to a participation of ail the rights and privi- 
 in their unqualified resentment. The exten- « leges of British-born subjects. That the 
 sive province of Virginia was on very bad \ power lately assumed by parliament was 
 terms with tord Dunmore, its governor. That; unjust, and the only cause of all the present 
 provmce first appointed a committee of cor- \ uneasiness; that the late acts, respecting the 
 respondence, in order to propose to the other j capital and province of Massachnsett's bay 
 colonies, that deputies from each should be > vvere unconstitutional, oppressive, and dan- 
 app«)inted to meet annually, in general con- j gerous. These sentiments were expressed in 
 gress, there to deliberate upon such measures ) a public act, which they called a declaration 
 as became necessary for the common interest j of rights, in which they kept close to the 
 of America. j example set them by the third parliament in 
 
 Even the capital of Pennsylvania, a city | the reign of Charles I. The specification of 
 •whose very name denotes brotherly love and ; their rights is full and explicit, and was 
 good-will, and which its benevolent founder I followed by an enumeration of their grievances, 
 ardently wished should ever prevail among j As the most effectual means to obtain a redress 
 the inhabitants, so far from declining to be- j the congress recommended to the several 
 come a party in the contention with Great » colonies, to abide by those agreements which 
 Britain, readily received delegates from each \ they had entered into, not to import or con- 
 of the colonies, the two Carolinas included, | sume any British goods or merchandize, or 
 and which composed a general congress, | any East India teas, or the products of the 
 which first sat on the 5th of September, 1774. | British West India islands, after the first day 
 The col-ony of Georgia alone was not repre- \ of December, 1774, from which time they 
 sented in tliis assembly. These deputies l would wholly discontinue the slave-trade, 
 were chosen by the houses of representatives, | There were many other articles recommended, 
 from each of the twelve old colonies ; viz. 1 but nothing was authoritatively enjoined. 
 New Hampshire, Massachnsett's bay, Rhode j Congress afterwards agreed to petition his 
 Island, Connecticut, New York, Jersey, Mary- i majesty ; they likewise framed an address to 
 land, Virginia, Pennsylvania, the counties on i the people of Great Britain, and another to 
 the Delaware, North and South Carolina ; | the inhabitants of Quebec. In the petition 
 the smaller of which sent two deputies, and I they laid a variety of grievances before the 
 the largest ones seven. The whole number i throne, distinct from and independent of (he 
 of delegates amounted to fifty-one. In this | present subject of «iispute. The addresses 
 general assembly of the American states, each ; were drawn up with great ingenuity and force 
 colony had no more than a single vote, whe- i of reasoning; the first was designed to shew, 
 ther its deputation was more or less numerous. I that the people of England had, in the last 
 So that a contrariety of opinion, among the I century, contended with their kings, for the 
 deputies from any particular province, if the | preservation of the same rights which the 
 majority was in favour of the measure, did ; Americans were now deprived of by a British
 
 CHAP. XXI V.l 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 307 
 
 parliament. They insisted that the oppression ; one colony, as being in a state of actual re- 
 was essentially tiie same, although the 0|)- | bellion. J^ord Beauchamp moved for the 
 pressors were changed. Jjut not altogether j address, and expres.sed himself with some 
 relying on the e/licacy of this appeal to the | warmth on the conduct of the Americans, 
 justice of the nation, the addressers endeavour- ,; The disposition of the new parliament was 
 ed to gain it over to the cause of America, by | quickly seen by the style of the address, 
 representing tliat the certain consequences of| which was presented in answer to the speech; 
 unconditional submission, being exacted from | and although the opposition attempted to 
 her, would be the subversion of the constitu- 1 counteract the views of the ministry, by pro- 
 
 tion of tiie mother-country ; and the tyranny 
 of an aristocracy being engrafted on that of 
 the crown. 
 
 The address to the inhabitants of Quebec 
 aimed at persuading them, that they were 
 cajoled out of those natural rights, which had 
 been secured to them at the last peace, by 
 the insidious act which established the Roman 
 religion in Canada. The principles laid down 
 were supported by the authority of the great- 
 est political writers of- France, and these 
 French Americans were invited to become 
 parties in a league which equally concerned all. 
 Little else was transacted in this first session 
 of the congress, which was closed on the 26th 
 of October following. These proceedings in 
 America, which indicated the most deter- 
 mined opposition to the measures which had 
 been adopted by the British legislature, being 
 sufficiently known in England, the king met 
 
 •this new parliament. The first lord of the 
 
 (treasury entered upon his parliamentary cam- \ propose the means by which such a renova- 
 paign under circumstances of peculiar embar- 1 tion of loyalty might be effected, was the 
 tassment. All the predictions which he had I surest introduction to royal favour; notAvith- 
 delivered concerning that submissive temper \ standing which, the nation was very much 
 "which would be produced by wholesome | divided in opinion concerning the proper con- 
 severity were falsified, and no alternative re- \ duct to be observed towards America. Some 
 mained, but to plunge the nation into a civil j were for coercion, because they hoped to 
 war, or to degrade it by undoing whatever I derive a revenue therefrom ; and the lowest 
 had been done. If, in this situation, the minis- > plebeians, whom neither nature nor education 
 ter could console himself with the reflection, X had qualified to decide upon an intricate sub- 
 
 posing an amendment, which gave rise to a 
 long and spirited debate, yet upon a division 
 of the heuse, their numbers apj)eared com- 
 paratively small. 
 
 But however ministry were proved to have 
 been deceived in their expectations frona 
 America, yet the sudden di.ssoluliou of par- 
 liament became, from that very disappointment, 
 the means by which they continued in ))ower. 
 Things were now brought to a crisis, that a 
 house of commons, guided by the voice of the 
 people, which in the concluding session of 
 parliament is essential to their immediate views, 
 dared not to have proceeded upon a plan of 
 coercion. It was indeed now generally under- 
 stood, that the new-modelling the form of 
 government throughout North America, and 
 that continent to Great Britain, by 
 s as might form 
 habits of subordination and obedience, was 
 the favourite object of the sovereign, and to 
 
 introducing such 
 
 that he was neither the original framer of any ■ 
 one of those acts, nor their strenuous support- 
 er in the cabinet ; yet such a declaration 
 would have availed him little in the house of 
 commons, against an active opposition, who, 
 by shifting their ground, could attack him, 
 with equal advantage, upon his unimportance 
 in the cabinet, as his delusive expectations in 
 the senate. 
 
 The speech from the throne was couched 
 in as mild terms as the state of affairs would 
 admit of, without renouncing the point con- 
 tended for. It neither described the general 
 defection of the colonies, nor spoke of any 
 
 fi r 2 
 
 ject, thought themselves able to adjust this 
 dispute, by only asking the plain question, 
 Whi/ sliotdd not the Americnns pay taxes as 
 icell as we? National pride, as well as an 
 idea of:national interest, .strongly enforced the 
 same doctrine. Superadded to these con- 
 siderations, motives neither national nor 
 laudable actuated not a few to foment the 
 (juarrel with America ; such as the prospect 
 of lucrative contracts, appointments, and a 
 distribution of the confiscated estates of the 
 American ringleaders. All these were power- 
 ful incentives to action ; however, the con- 
 trary opinion was rescued from contempt.
 
 308 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fciIAP. XXlV', 
 
 both by the numbers and the consequence of 
 those who avowee! it. The country j^cntloinen, 
 although the pillars of prerogative, foresaw 
 that the land-tax must be advanced to 4s. in 
 the pound, as soon as the sword be drawn ; 
 and, although the ability of Great Britain to 
 enforce her laws w as not doubted, yet whether 
 a revenue could be drawn from America, 
 should her submission be secured, appeared 
 highly problematical. The commercial in- 
 terest was yet more deeply affected by an 
 open rupture. The colonies stood indebted 
 to the British merchants about four millions 
 sterling, which, though a vast sum, was no 
 luore than the amount of a twelvemonth's 
 commerce. This respectable body of men 
 not only saw themselves deprived of a most 
 lucrative trade, but cut off from all hope of 
 obtaining speedy payment of the sums due to 
 them, and in danger of losino- them for ever. 
 A numerous body of manufacturers derived 
 their only means of subsistence from the in- 
 tercourse with the colonies, and therefore 
 considered the non-importation agreement, 
 which their consumers had entered into, as 
 the greatest possible evil, and were anxious 
 for a reconciliation upon any terms. Besides 
 these classes of men, whose particular and 
 immediate interests urged them to become 
 strenuous advocates in the American cause, 
 there were many people, who, though intlu- 
 euoed by no private or interested views, could 
 neither see the justice nor expediency of com- 
 pelling the Americans to absolute submission, 
 and the operative principle of private interest 
 among the bulk, gave an energy and force to 
 such speculative reasoning. 
 
 The meeting of parliament was the impor- 
 tant moment for action ; the sense of the 
 house had been taken as soon as it was assem- 
 bled, and it had been found to be in perfect 
 unison with the former parliament, so that 
 the temper which dictated the resolutions of 
 the cabinet, was likely to infuse itself into the 
 legislative part of the constitation. The great 
 question now was, Whether British spirit 
 sliould be opposed to American spirit ; whe- 
 ther bold, vigorous, and judicious exertions 
 should be immediately n'ade to crush that 
 opposition, before it had gained strength, 
 which it was found could not be terrified into 
 acquiescence. In such a situation, to tem- 
 porise was to yield ; delay and irresolution 
 added fuel to the flame : but in conducting 
 
 this momentous busines.*, the confidential 
 servants of the crown shewed themselves 
 belter qualified for drawing the nation into 
 hostile measures, by secret and imperceptible 
 steps, than at once to bear down opposition in 
 both countries by the spirit and ability which 
 were conspicuous in their plans. The nation 
 was lulled into security by the number of 
 seamen, for the year 1775, being reduced to 
 16,000 men ; the land forces were also fixed 
 at 17,547 effective men, officers and invalids 
 included, a smaller force than the preceding 
 year. 
 
 Whilst administration seemed totally to 
 have forgotten the state of affairs in America,- 
 addresses were presetited both to the king 
 and to the parliament, from the city of Lon- 
 don, and various parts of the kingdom, repre- 
 senting the dreadful consequences which the 
 enforcement of the late rigorous acts would, 
 produce ; and expressing an earnest desire, 
 that a reconciliation with America might take, 
 place. A petition from the merchants re- 
 siding in London, and trading to America, 
 was presented to the house of commons by 
 Mr. Alderman Hayley ; a similar one from 
 Bristol, by Mr. Burke; the West India mer- 
 chants and planters also stated in a petition, 
 how deeply they were concerned in this 
 dispute ; staling, that an interruption of the 
 intercourse between the British American, 
 continent and those islands, was likely not 
 only to deprive the latter of the means of 
 sending their produce to Europe, but to 
 cause a great body of people to perish for 
 want of sustenance. A committee of the 
 house of commons was appointed, to whom 
 these petitions were referred. 
 
 In the mean time, the petition from the 
 American congress to the king had been trans- 
 mitted to London ; but the agents appointed 
 to present it were informed, that his majesty 
 could not possibly receive any thing which 
 came from that body, as such a step would 
 be acknowledging its legality 
 
 On the 26th of January, sir Georij^e -.^-f. 
 Saville moved, in the house of com- " ' 
 mons, to present a petition from three Ameri- 
 can agents, viz. Messrs. Bollen, Franklin, and 
 Lee, stating, that they were authorised by the 
 American congress to present a petition of 
 that assembly to the king, which petition his 
 majesty had referred to the house; the peti- 
 tioners therefore desired to be heard at the
 
 CHAP. XXIV.1 GEORGE III. 30^ 
 
 bar in support of it, being, as they said, able ; advisers and exfcntors of such a stretch of 
 to throw i>reat liglit on the subject. The J power as the detaining tliis man. Ujion the 
 granting of this prayer was strongly opposed, ; same principle, it would have been a proper 
 from the same reason which excluded the; conduct in general Gage to have prevented 
 petition from the throne, and it was thrown ; the conveyance of arms and ammunition out 
 out by a majority of 218 to 68. As it was ; of the town of Boston, which were, however, 
 well known that the Americans had formed | carried ofi" without question or molestation, 
 great expectations from this application, and ; As soon as the house of lords met after 
 the minister, only three days before, had | Christmas, the earl of Dartmoutli, then secre- 
 assigned as a reason of the delay in proceeding | tary of state, laid before it the official papers 
 on the American business, that such a petition ! received from America, upon which occasion 
 was coming over, and that it was of so con- > the earl of Chatham inveighed with great 
 ciliatory a nature, as to make way for healing j spirit against the dilatoriuess of administra- 
 and lenient measures, and for reconciling all ; tion, and moved " to address his majesty to 
 matters in an amicalde manner, such a con- | cause orders to be issued to general Gage, 
 duct appeared somewhat paradoxical, and J that he remove the forces from the town of 
 indicated, that no kind of compromise could » Boston, as soon as the season of the year, and 
 take place ; at the same time, it might be I other circumstances indispensable to the 
 plainly inferred, that this austerity on the J safety and accommodation of the troops, may 
 part of government was just then assumed. i render it practicable." He urged the necessity 
 
 Such being the temper which dictated i of such a step, as the means of opening a way 
 measures, the application by the general ; for settling the dangerous troubles in America, 
 assembly of the province of New York, to the ! by beginning to allay ferments and soften ani- 
 house of commons, was not permitted to lie > mosities there. He said, the time now lost 
 upon the table. The city of New York was ; niigjit produce years of calamity, and pledged 
 the rival port to Boston ; the Yorkists were « himself that he would not desert for a moment 
 as much distinguished by their love of gaiety ; the conduct tof this mighty business, from the 
 and pleasure, as the Bostonians were for their « fust to the last, unless nailed to his bed by the 
 austere and rigid demeanor. A people so ■ extremity of sickness ; but would knock at the 
 opposite, in interests and habits, could only ; door of a sleeping ministry, and rouse them to 
 be compelled to unite through necessity ; and J a sense of their imminent danger, 
 hence the former were desirous of making ; Thk times were greatly changed since this 
 their peace with Great Britain upon terms, < wonderful man " moulded the attentive senate ; 
 though tiiey abhorred the idea of unconditional ; charmed, persuaded, exalted;" and, by the 
 submission ; but the ministry thought such i force of his matchless eloquence, annihilated 
 a qualified allegiance not worth obtaining. ; all opposition. He now addressed an assem- 
 
 All negotiation being now at an end, \ bly, whose preconceived opinions were not 
 Fraii4clin soon after embarked for Boston, » to be shaken by the strongest arguments. He 
 where he was received with every mark of; could now no longer gain upon his audience 
 respect and confidence. His unremitting i by touching their master-passion, and placing 
 exRrtions in the cause in which he was engaged, I full in their view the advancement of their 
 contributed essentially to its support and ; country's dignity and power. He now main- 
 furtherance. . The ministry, who well knew i tained a doctrine quite repugnant to the 
 how dangerous an enemy this man was, had • pride, the prejudice, and, as it was imagined, 
 declared the northern colonies to be in a i the interest of those who heard him. Wrappecl 
 state of actual rebellion before his departure; > in the contemplation of tlieir own grandeur 
 state .lecessity therefore pointed out to them, ; and irresistible strength, they consideicd all 
 that he shoidd be detained in England. Mr. : predictions of disgrace, humiliation, and ruin, 
 Pitl, when he declared general warrants to be ; as the images of a sick fancy, the suggestions 
 illegal, at the same time acknowkclged that ; of a melancholy mourner; yet all these dis- 
 he himself had issued them upon great cmer- > advantages did not deter this venerable 
 gencies. Tlie parliament, which approved the ; statescnan, whose " old experience" had 
 measures pursuing against America, would i attained to " somewhat like a prophetic strain," 
 most assuredly have indemnified both the | from predicting, with great confidence, tli*
 
 310 ' HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXU, 
 
 consequences -nhxch would infollibly result, 
 if the measures which had been adopted were 
 persisted in. He described the situation of 
 
 wearing. I will not say that the king is be- 
 trayed, but I will pronounce that tiie kingdom 
 is undone." The motion was rejected CIS to 18, 
 
 the troops at Boston, as truly unworthy being I This motion, made by the noble earl, was 
 penned up, and pining in inglorious inactivity, \ only preparatory to a bill which he had 
 he called them an army of impotence and ; frametl, for the purpose of conciliation with 
 contempt, and to make the folly equal to the ! America, which he proposed to the house on 
 disgrace, they were an army of irritation and | the 1st of February ; it went to repeal all the 
 vexation ; " you irritate your colonies to | acts which had been passed in the former 
 unappeasable rancour. It is not repealing j session, relative to America, in which were 
 this or that act of parliament, it is not repeal- \ included the Quebec act, and another act, 
 ing a piece of parchment, that can restore i which regulated the quartering of soldiers. 
 America to our bosom, we must repeal her ; It also went to repeal eight acts of parliament, 
 fears and her resentments ; and we may then i which had been passed in the present reign, 
 hope for her love and gratitude. But now, | from the fourth year thereof to the twelfth, 
 insulted by an arn)ed force posted at Boston, ; It proposed to restrain the powers of the 
 irritated with an hostile array before her eyes, ! admiralty and vice-admiralty courts in Ame- 
 concessions, if they could be forced, would \ rica within their antient limits, and to estab- 
 be suspicious and insecure ; but it is more | Hsh the trial by jury in all such civil cases in 
 than evident, that you cannot force them, ; whicij it had been lately abolished ; the judges 
 principled and united as they are, to your i to hold their offices and salaries as the judges 
 luiworthy terms of submission — it is impossi- ; in England, qua7ii diu se bene gesseriiit. It 
 ble. We shall be forced ultimately to retract, i declared the colonies of America to be justly 
 Jet us retract whilst we can do it with honour, i entitled to the privileges, franchises, and 
 The violent oppressive acts must be repealed. ; immunities granted by their several charters 
 I pledge myself for it, that you will in the | or constitutions, and tliat such charters ought 
 end repeal them. I stake my reputation on ■ not to be invaded or resumed, unless for 
 it. I will consent to betaken for an ideot, if; misuse, or some legal ground of forfeiture, 
 they are not finally repealed. Avoid then this j This bill, although rejected by a large majo- 
 humiliating, this disgraceful necessity. With ; rity, was yet supported by a much more 
 a dignity becoming your exalted situation, » numerous minority than the motion which 
 make the first advances to concord, to peace * preceded it. 
 
 and happiness ; for that is your true dignity, } This attempt to overturn all that govern- 
 to act with prudence and with justice. Every } ment had done, with regard to America, 
 motive, therefore, of justice and of policy, of} seemed to rouse administration from their 
 dignity and of prudence, urges you to allay \ lethargic stupor. The minister presented a 
 the ferment in America, by a removal of your $ message from his majesty to the house of 
 troops from Boston, by a repeal of your acts i conunons, recommending an augmentation of 
 of parliament, and by demonstration of amica- \ the forces by sea and land ; which being com- 
 ble dispositions towards your colonies. On ! plied with, and 2000 additional seamen, and 
 the other hand, every danger and every hazard j 4383 land forces voted, the house being re- 
 impend to deter you from perseverance in \ solved into a committee on the American 
 your present ruinous measures. Foreign war > papers, he moved for leave to bring in a bill 
 hanging over your heads by a slight and brit- | to restrain the trade and commerce of the 
 tie thread ; France and Spain watching your X provinces of New Hampshire and Massachu- 
 conduct, and waiting for the maturity of your \ sett's bay, the colonies of Connecticut, Rhode 
 errors." i Island, and Providence Plantation, in North 
 
 Thk noble earl concluded his animated S America, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the 
 harangue in the following emphatical manner : i British islands in the West Indies, and to 
 " My lords, if the ministers thus persevere in \ prohibit such provinces and colonies from 
 misadvising and misleading the king, I will j carrying on any fishery on the banks of New- 
 not say that they can alienate the afilsctions of j foundland, or other places therein mentioned, 
 his subjects from the crown, but I will affirm I under certain conditions, and for a limited 
 that they will make the crown not worth his \ time. Still the severity of punishment was
 
 CHAP. XXIV.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 311 
 
 confined to the northern colonists, and the 
 minister represented this restraining l»ill as a 
 jiist retaliation, for those colonies refusing to 
 trade with Great Britain. Tiie fislieries both 
 nourished the vigour and advanced the con- 
 sequence of the New Englanders ; fisheries 
 not only supplied multitudes of their own 
 people witli food, but traiued a race of seamen 
 as robust, hardy, and undaunted as any upon 
 the globe. Tiie vessels employed therein were \ 
 privileged to disj)ose of their cargoes in any 
 ports south of cape Finisterre; so that the 
 rigid di.^^ciples of John Calvin furnished the 
 catholics of Portugal, Spain, and even of the 
 Italian states, with their Lenten entertainment. 
 The returns made in these voyages were 
 brought to the ports of Great Britain, and 
 l)ecanie the payment for British manufactures, 
 ■with which these ships were freighted home. 
 To prohibit a commerce so extensive, and 
 which employed several thousand Americans, 
 was a bold step. It invested the governor of 
 each province with such a power to discrimi- 
 nate between rebels and loyalists, as flesh and 
 blood could scarcely be supposed capable of 
 exercising disinterestedly and justly. It tended 
 to convert into enemies a very powerful body 
 of men, and no satisfactory proof was adduced 
 that the fisheries could be carried on to an 
 equal extent, and as efTectually, from any of 
 the ports of Great Britain or Ireland. 
 
 VVhatever inconveniencies the New Eng- 
 land colonists endured from this prohibition, 
 they found means, however, to repay the 
 injury in kind upon the British fisheries at 
 Newfoundland ; for, by withholding their 
 wonted supplies of provision, all the distresses 
 of famine were suffered for a considerable 
 time, until they received a supply from Ireland, 
 by which exhausted life was repaired ; but 
 the means of subsistence became from that 
 time more precarious and less abundant. 
 
 The severity of this bill was disrelished by 
 many friends of government, who had hitherto 
 supported coercive measures towards Ame- 
 rica. In order therefore to quiet their scruples, 
 the first lord of the treasury brought forward 
 another American act, which bore a different 
 complexion. This he professed to be a plan 
 of reconciliation with the colonies, and thereby | 
 to invite them to return with confidence to the \ 
 arms of Great Britain. It enacted, that the | 
 governor, council, and assembly of any pro- I 
 viiice or _ colony, upou makiuij provision, i 
 
 according to their abilities, for the common 
 defence, (which provision should be disposa- 
 ble by parliament,) and for the support of the 
 civil government and administration of justice 
 in such province, if such contribution should 
 be approved of by his majesty in parliament, 
 then Great Britain should forbear, in respect 
 of such colony, to levy any duties or taxes, 
 such only excepted as may be expedient for 
 the regulation of commerce; and the neat 
 produce of such to be carried to the account 
 of the province so acting. 
 
 The minister acknowledged it to be very 
 probable that these propositions might not be 
 acceptable to the Americans in general, as 
 they certainly did not go to all their claims. 
 The resolutions were, however, just, humane, 
 and wise, and they would, he believed, think 
 them well worthy of their attention ; but 
 whatever might be the fate of these measures, 
 he felt that he had done his duty fairly and 
 consistently. If it did no good there, it would 
 do good here, it would unite the people of 
 England, by holding out to them a distinct 
 object of revenue ; as it united England it 
 would disunite America ; there it would tend 
 to separate the grain from the chaff ; what- 
 ever province came first to make a dutiful 
 offer, would be kindly and gently treated ; 
 but if but one province accepted the offer, the 
 whole confederacy would be broken, and 
 that union, which alone rendered them for- 
 midable, would be dissolved. 
 
 In every point of view, this bill did not pro- 
 duce the effect expected from it ; for it nei- 
 ther strengthened the hands of government at 
 home, nor made proselytes in America. 
 
 The great advantage on the side of govern- 
 ment, throughout this parliamentary struggle, 
 was derived from its unanimity ; whereas the 
 opposition was composed of such discordant 
 parts, as were not likely to unite firmly and 
 strenuously in any one point, hut in endea- 
 vouring to disconcert the present system of 
 politics ; so that, whenever it became a ques- 
 tion, what should substituted in its stt ad ? 
 many adopted the sentiment of the Roman 
 poet, Nulihcs addiclus jutare in veiOo ma- 
 ^istri. Lord Chatham's plan was not cordi- 
 ally relishe»l by many who wished a recon- 
 ciliation with America, and indeed indepen- 
 dent of the particular views and private 
 interests of the several leaders, (a source of 
 dKagreemeut suflicieutly fruitful,) nothing
 
 312 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXIV. 
 
 could be mere complicated than the business 
 of adjusting- a practical plan of reconciliation, 
 which would meet the approbation of both 
 countries, such as -would cause their rising 
 resentments to subside, their jarring interests 
 no longer to clash, and the apprehension of 
 future rivalship to be removed ; this was so 
 stupendous a work, as perhaps to surpass 
 the powers of humanity, unsupported by the 
 supreme authority of the state. It was, how- 
 ever, attempted (maugre royal patronage) by 
 a iwan, in whom natural endowments, and 
 acquired accomplishments, appeared in their 
 full lustre. Mr. Burke laid before the house 
 of commons, on the 22nd of March, 1775, 
 thirteen resolutions for conciliation with the 
 colonies. These he introduced by a speech 
 fraught with masterly eloquence, in which he 
 displayed a thorough knowledge of the prin- 
 ciples of action, among mankind in a state of 
 civil society, and of the proper political con- 
 duct resulting from such principles. He laid 
 it down as an axiom, that we must govern 
 America according to tiie true nature and 
 peculiar circumstances ef the people, and not 
 according to our own imagination ; nor ac- 
 cording to abstract ideas of right, or mere 
 general theories of government. He stated 
 the rapid progress wliicii America had made 
 in population, and in the commerce carried 
 on with Great Britain. He asserted, that the 
 colonies in general owed little or nothing to 
 any eare of ours, and that they were not 
 squeezed into their happy form by the con- 
 straints of a watchful and suspicious govern- 
 ment, but that, through a wise and salutary 
 neglect, a generous nature had been suffered 
 to take her own way to perfection. He as- 
 signed, as the causes from whence a fierce 
 spirit of liberty had grown up in the colonies, 
 their origin — their form of government — the 
 force of religious principles in the northern 
 colonies — of manners in the southern — of 
 education — ^and of the remoteness of situation 
 from the first mover of government. Under the 
 liead of education he observed, that perhaps 
 in no other couutry in the world the law is 
 made so general a sludy as in North America ; 
 insomuch as that it was said, nearly as many 
 cepies of Blackstones Commentaries had 
 been printed and sold in America, as in Eng- 
 land. This knowledge of law, some might 
 sa)', ought to teach them uiore clearly the 
 rights of legislature, their 
 
 obligations 
 
 to 
 
 obedience, and the penalties of rebellion ; but 
 when great honours and great emoluments do 
 not win over this knowledge to the service of 
 the state, it is a formidable adversary to go- 
 vernment. His reasoning, solid and irrefraga- 
 ble in itself, received all the embellishment 
 which a fine imagination could bestow. In 
 large bodies, said he, the circulation of power 
 must be less vigorous at the extremities. 
 Nature has said it. The Turk cannot govern 
 Egypt, and Arabia, and Curdistan, as he 
 governs Thrace. Perhaps ideas of liberty 
 might be desired, more reconcileable with an 
 arbitrary and boundless authority. Perhaps 
 we might wish the colonies to be persuaded, 
 that their liberty is more secure, when held 
 in trust for them by us, (as their guardians 
 during a perpetual minority,) than with any 
 part of it in their own hands ; but the question 
 is not whether their spirit deserves praise or 
 blame. 
 
 This able legislator then proceeded to 
 deliver it as his opinion, that there were but 
 three ways of proceeding relative to this stub- 
 born spirit which prevailed in the colonies; 
 namely, to change that spirit as inconvenient, 
 by removing the causes ; to prosecute it as 
 criminal ; or to comply with it as necessary. 
 One means of changing the spirit was, by 
 taking measures to slop that spreading popu- 
 lation which was so alarming to this country, 
 by the crown making no further grants of land. 
 But this, he said, would by no means ans-wer 
 the purpose, there being already so much un- 
 settled land in private hands, as would affoid 
 scope for an immense future population ; and 
 the numerous bodies which coidd obtain no 
 settled habitation, would become hordes, of 
 English Tartars, which would be in tinie 
 formidable to the fixed residents. He called 
 this project " hedging in population," n.iiii 
 pronounced it to be neither prudent nor prac- 
 ticable. 
 
 A MORE direct way of breaking their spirit 
 would be to impoverish them, by arresting the 
 noble course of liieir marine enterprises. This, 
 he said, was more than the old, and, as he 
 thought, the exploded problem of tyranny, 
 which proposes to beggar its subjects into 
 submission. But nature still proceeds in her 
 ordinary course, and discontent will increase 
 with misery ; and tiiere are critical nion)ents 
 in tilt: fortune of all states, when they who are 
 loo weak to contribute to our pr'isperily, may
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 GEOROB III. 
 
 313 
 
 be strong enough to complete our ruin. Tlie 
 temper and character which prevailed in the 
 colonies, hethonglit unalterable by any human 
 art ; neither the natural nor moral causes 
 could be changed. 
 
 As to the second mode of proceeding, to 
 prosecute this spirit in its overt acts as cri- 
 minal ; .he knew, he said, of no method of 
 drawing up an indictment against the whole 
 people ; and in a quarrel among the compo- 
 nent parts of a great political union of com- 
 munities, nothing could be more completely 
 imprudent than for the head of the empire to 
 insist, that if any privilege is pleaded, against 
 his will or his acts, that his whole authority 
 is desired instantly to proclaim rebellion, to 
 beat to arms, and to put the offending pro- 
 vinces under the ban. Such conduct may 
 teach the provinces, that the government, 
 against which a claim of liberty is tantamount 
 to high treason, is a government in which sub- 
 mission is equivalent to slavery. If then the 
 removal of the causes of this spirit of Ame- 
 rican liberty be for the greatest part, or rather 
 entirely, impracticable ; if the ideas of crimi- 
 nal process be ina|)plicable, or, if applicable, 
 are in the highest degree inexpedient, what 
 Hfay yet remains ? No way is open but the 
 third and last, to con)pIy with the American 
 spi.il, as necessary ; or, if you please, to 
 submit to it as a necessary evil. It is not 
 what a lawyer tells me I may do, but what 
 humanity, reason, and justice tells me I ought 
 to do. Of what avail are titles and amis, 
 when the reason of the thing tells me, that 
 the assertion of my title is the loss of my suit ; 
 and that I could do nothing but wound 
 myself with the use of my own weapons ? The 
 general character and situation ot a people 
 must determine what sort of government is 
 fitted for them. 
 
 He urged, with great force of reasoning, 
 the conduct of the legislature in early times, 
 towards the kingdom of Ireland, the pritici- 
 pality of Wales, and the county palatine of 
 Chester ; and contended, that the same prin- 
 ciples which actuated our ancestors, in their 
 conduct towards those countries, should 
 govern us in our treatment of America. " It 
 was not,' said he, " English arms, but English 
 constitution that conquered Ireland ; it was 
 the vital substance of free government in that 
 kingdom." Wales, before it partook of those 
 common rights, rode this kingdom like au 
 
 
 I incubus. That principality was an unprofit- 
 I able and oppressive burden. Our ancestors 
 I at length found, that laws made against a 
 i whole nation were not the most effectual 
 \ methods for securing its obedience ; Wales, 
 therefore, in the reign of Henry VIII., became 
 possessed of all the rights and privilege*; of 
 English subjects. About the same time, the 
 county palatine of Chester obtained the same 
 relief, in consequence of a petition presented 
 to the king, m hicli set forth, " that for want 
 of being represented in parliament, the inha- 
 bitants of that country had been oftentimes 
 touched and grieved with the acts and sta- 
 tutes made within the court of parliament, 
 as well derogatory unto the most anlient 
 jurisdictions, liberties, and privileges of their 
 county palatine, as prejudicial to the common- 
 wealth, quietness, rest, and peace of your 
 grace's most bounded subjects, inhabiting 
 within the same." Parliament, he observed, 
 so far from being offended at the free style of 
 this petition, made the expressions used 
 therein the very preamble to that act of 
 redress, and consecrated its principle to all 
 ages in the sanctuary of legislation. Thus 
 was Chester, which had been little less dis- 
 tempered than Wales, cured by the same 
 remedy ; which demonstrates that freedom, 
 and not servitude, is the cure of anarchy, as 
 religion, and not atheism, is the true remedy 
 for superstition. 
 
 The grand stimulus for coercive measures 
 with America was, the full assurance which 
 was entertained by many, that the colonies 
 would go farther. That with their increasing 
 strengtii they would increase their discontents, 
 until they disclaimed all subordination. Now 
 althongii the idea of a perpetual minority 
 might have been treated as a chimera, engen- 
 dered by pride upon selfishness, yet our 
 orator knew too well the dii>position of his 
 audience to combat that sentiment ; he tiiert- 
 fore passed over superficially a point, Mhich 
 it was dangerous to discuss Trlly. 
 
 The system of colony government, which 
 this able statesman had formed, was in every 
 essential point analagous to that which had 
 been framed by lord Chatham. Each re- 
 nounced the idea uf America being represented 
 in the British parliament. Mr. Burke's plan 
 went to repealing only one of the eight acts 
 of [)arliament proposed by the noble earl i» 
 the other house ; but, with him, it urged th« 
 20
 
 :i\4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 necessity of rppcalinp: all the acts rpsppcting ; strued into moderation, when poihaps their 
 America, which had passed in the last session » own eniissaries are the delinquents. 
 bf parliament, the Quebec act excepted ; to ; The most able and respectable advocate 
 regulate the courts of admiralty ; and that : for government was Dr. Johnson, a writer 
 the judges should be paid by the assemblies, { who had spent a long course of years ia 
 and hold their posts during good behaviour. ; literary pursuits, no less laborious to himself 
 The basis on which the whole fabric rested, » than beneficial to mankind, and who was at 
 was the mode by which a revenue should be i length, by the well-directed bounty of his 
 raised. Mr. Burke proposed, that all grants i sovereign, rescued from those uneasy sensa- 
 or aids to Great Britain, made by America, \ tions, which must prey upon a man of genius, 
 should be by resolutions in their general i who is compelled to make writing a profession, 
 assemblies ; the readiness of those assemblies | This gentleman had ever avowed his political 
 to grant an equitable supply for the exigencies 5 sentiments, which led him to be strongly 
 of the state, he inferred from the free grants > attached to the house of Stuart, and to treat 
 which they had, at sundry times, made of ; with asperity the conduct of the legislature 
 large subsidies, according to their abilities. : towards that family ; but he had at length. 
 All these resolutions were rejected by a great ; like many others who held the same principles, 
 ipajority. i a-ansferred his loyalty to the Brunswick line; 
 
 ■ Mr. Burke appealed to the public, by ; it was, therefore, in the in'egrity of his heart 
 printing his speech ; the public read, admired, ! that he undertook a defence of American tax- 
 and forgot it. In short, posterity alone is i ation from the imputation oi tyranny. In this 
 qualified to decide upon the merits of a poli- ; piece he defended the doctrine of colonial 
 tician, who attempts to reason down the pride I subordination upon the principles of the law 
 of empire, and to persuade a warlike people ' of nations ; maintained that the colonists, by 
 to yield, when tiiey imagine themselves able ; their situation, became possessed of such 
 to dictate. No orator ever succeeded in a ; advantages as were more than equivalent to 
 cause, wherein it was impossible for him to ; their right of voting for representatives in par^ 
 engage some active passion of the human soul J liament ; ridiculed the distinction made be- 
 in his interest. ; tween internal taxation and commercial regu- 
 AVhilst the important dispute with Ame- ! lations, and argued, that as the parliament 
 rica caused warm debates in both houses of j may enact for America a law of capital punish- 
 parliament, and greatly divided the nation, a ; ment, it may therefore establish a mode and 
 variety of publications issued from the press, i proportion of taxation. 
 
 in some of which the conduct of government $ This work was published about the time 
 was defended with great zeal, and in others ; that Mr. Burke delivered his celebrated speech 
 as warmly attacked, sometimes by ridicule, j in the house of commons. It is to the honour 
 and not uufrequently with abuse. Indeed the j of human nature to have it remarked, that 
 liberty of the press prevailed in its full extent. ! these two contemporaries, distinguished in 
 The ministry, instead of punishing abusive 5 the highest degree for the universality of their 
 writers, retained in their pay such as were i knowledge and learning, as well as for the 
 very eminent for that qualification ; it having > elevation of their genius, notwithstanding they 
 been thought more serviceable to the cause of-j were strenuous supporters of very opposite 
 government to bear down scurrility by scur- | political sentiments, lived in habits of the 
 rility, than to prosecute delinquents in the « strictest friendship, and enjoyed " the feast of 
 courts of law. To restrain the licentiousness | reason, and the How of soul," amidst the 
 of the press, used to be deemed necessary by ; turbulence of political contention. A glorious 
 ministers, but now a different kind of conduct j triumph over those weaknesses, of which the 
 A\as adopted ; the abuse of the press was | human mind is too susceptible, even when 
 even countenanced, and became auxiliary to j under the government of a sound under- 
 government. The natural attachment which 5 standing ! 
 
 mankind feels to order and decorum, cause \ When parliament met in the beginning of 
 men of sense and influence to be disgusted at j the following year, the clamours of the nation, 
 the abuse and illibcrality which is poured out; I and the censures of foreign courts, were 
 and the forbearance of government is con- 5 endeavoured to be answered and evaded by
 
 CHAP. XXIV.] CEOnCB III. r 315 
 
 assurances of a conciliatory disposition, and i corrupted, insomuch that, in the course of 
 by violent declarations against the t»eachery j eighteen years, it is said that only one criminal 
 and perverseness of the Americans. The i lias been executed in tiie province. However 
 military preparations, on Ixitli slides, were : we may abhor traitors, we cannot but admire 
 active and extensive; but the tirst successes 5 such unexampled internal decorum ! 
 were on the part of the insurgents. The | Although defection had now spread over 
 kinp^'s troops at Boston endured the utmost > the American continent, yet two descriplions 
 distres's throughout the winter; while the j of men might have been expected to withstand 
 provincials, who lay before that town, were i the general contagion, at least utterly to re- 
 weli covered, and j)lentifully supplied with ; nounce the idea of taking up arms aoaiust 
 provisions. Early in the next year, they ' Great Britain, namely, the quakers, from 
 opened a battery near the water side, at a J principles of religion, and such military niea 
 place called Fliipps, and another on the other j who were natives of the British isles, but who 
 side of the town, which they began to bom- j had settled in America at the conclusion of 
 bard. General Home, surrounded with difli- j the last war in considerable numbers; but the 
 culties, soon discovered that the town was i contrary j)roved to be the fact. Many of the 
 no longer to be retained. The confusion \ younger quakers in Philadelphia foimed 
 attending the embarkation of the troops and i tiiemselves into volunteer companies, and the 
 the inhabitants was not to be described ; it ! British officers, forgetting that doctrine of 
 was not merely the retreat of an army, but the $ subnn'ssion and subordination which lliey had 
 emigration of a populous city ; and, to add to i inibibed with their tactics, took an active part 
 the mortification of the fugitives, as the rear- ; with the Americans, and rendered the most 
 guard were embarking, general Washington, ; essential service to their cause, by forming 
 with drums beating and colours tiying, march- \ their husbandmen into soldiers. 
 ed into the town. | Congress now sought to procure arms and 
 
 In this state of the American dispute, we > ammunition for the insurgents, and as a royal 
 would wish to be indulged in making two ! proclamation had been issued, prohibiting the 
 remarks. The parliamentary regulations | exportation of such articles from Britain, the 
 which had i)een made for the government of | public magazines were forcibly seized upon 
 Massachusetts bay, in tlu' lieginning of the | in many places. Mills were constructed, and 
 year 1774, not having been carried into effect, ; nianufactures established in Pennsylvania and 
 from the violent op|)osition shewn to that ; Virginia, for makinggunpowder, and American 
 plan of govermnent ; and the civil institutions j vessels visited the several European ports, 
 which their charter had established, being ; from Cadiz even to Hamburgh. This activity 
 thereby abrogated, all the functions of legal > was unremitted, whilst the antipathy which 
 authority were immediately suspended. No ; subsisted between the king's troops at Boston 
 governor presided, no council assembled, no i and the provincials was daily increasing, and 
 judges interpreted the law, no inferior ofKcers \ foreboded speedy hostilities. Occasions for 
 exacted an observance of it. In such a state I skiru>ishes were frequent; but the Americans 
 of anarchy, it was to be expected that the ' pretend, that they cautiously avoiiled corn- 
 persons and property of individuals would be i mitting the first act of open hostility. They 
 exposed to the depredations of lawless mis- : considered themselves as justified in taking up 
 creants, who are to be found in greater or less ; arms, for the purpose of self-defence, but 
 numbers in every state, who by their crimes i disclaimed all design of attacking the king's 
 disgrace humanity, disturb the peace of ; troops. Whilst they observed this <Iislinction, 
 society, and draw down the severity of the ; they contended, that according to the J:lnglish 
 laws. But though the suspension of magis- ! constitution, they were not in a state of rehel- 
 tracy gave the needy and unprincipled a > lion, or levying war against the king. Which 
 licence to do what was right in their own eyes, ; side was the first aggressor in the affair at 
 every one remained safe and unmolested. This; Lexington, (where a detachment of regulars, 
 colony had ever been characterized for an > attempting to seize some cannon and amniu- 
 mtolerant spirit in religion, and now stood i nition, a sharp engagement ensued,) every 
 accused of rebellion against the parent state, J mun will decide upon according to his politi- 
 but its manners seem to have remained on- i cal attachments, for both parties diselaiiu it 
 
 s s 2
 
 316 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND- 
 
 [chap. XXIV. 
 
 However, this action in its consequences 
 tended to beat up all America to arms. Con- 
 gress being soon after re-assembled, (notwith- 
 standing the American secretary had written 
 circular letters to eacli colony, forbidding it 
 in the king's name, and under pain of his 
 displeasure, to elect deputies for the next 
 general congress,) now began to assume the 
 executive powers of government, and appointed 
 Mr. George Washington, (a native of Virginia, 
 and possessed of landed property there lo the 
 amount of £5000 per annum,) commander-in- 
 chief of their forces. This gentleman had 
 been trained to arms from his youth ; but few 
 opportunities had occurred in which he could 
 gain military renown. His first exploit in 
 arms, about the year 1754, proved unfortu- 
 nate, but not disgraceful. The Americans 
 esteemed the man, because they believed him 
 to be as much distinguished by his personal 
 virtues and talents, as by his fortune. 
 
 Twenty thousand provincials in arms now 
 nemmed in the king's troops at Boston, and 
 although large reinforcements from England 
 and Ireland arrived about this time, with 
 which came the generals Howe, Burgoyne, 
 and Clinton, yet it was found impossible to 
 extricate the army from this disgraceful block- 
 ade. The daring attempt of a party of'Ame- 
 ricans, headed by a Dr. Warren, fo fortify an 
 eminence which commanded the town, brought 
 on the fierce and fatal action of Banker's hill, 
 ■where victory was dearly bought, with the 
 lives of many veteran officers.* General Howe, 
 who led the attack, was almost the only 
 
 * Juue 17, 1775. 
 
 i officer who remained unhurt, althougii in tlit; 
 
 I hottest of the action, and with numbers con- 
 
 j tinually falling beside him. The British 
 
 ; trained to discipline and inured to service, 
 
 I twice retreated before a body of peasants, who 
 
 I then, for the first time, faced an enemy. The 
 
 I undaunted courage of the general, which was 
 
 I well seconded by his oflScers, retrieved the 
 
 i fortune of the day. Warren, the American 
 
 leader, was killed in the action. Charleston n, 
 
 which stood on the northern peninsula, at the 
 
 entrance of Boston bay, and consisted of about 
 
 400 houses, was unfortunately reduced to 
 
 ashes. The manner in wiiich this post was 
 
 attacked has been much censured : had the 
 
 troops been landed on the isthmus, near the 
 
 town of Cambridge, the American works, it 
 
 has been said, might have been more easily 
 
 forced, and their retreat effectually cut off; 
 
 but Putnam lay with a considerable force at 
 
 a small distance, which probably determined 
 
 the general against this mode of attack. Ob 
 
 the other hand, the American general is ecjually 
 
 censured for not marching his men to support 
 
 the party on Bunker's hill. 
 
 The important forts of Ticonderago and 
 Crown Point, the former of which, when pos- 
 sessed by the French, had withstood the attack 
 of a large army, were now surprised and taken 
 by a body of American volunteers, formed in 
 the back settlements, and commanded by a 
 colonel Easton, and a colonel Ethan Allen ; 
 but it does not appear that either of these 
 partisans acted under commissions from coii- 
 gress.
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1775, 1770, 1777.] 
 
 The Americans declare themselves independent — Netv York taken hy General Hotve — Con- 
 gress remove from Philadelphia to Baliimere — The House of Commons grant an Addition 
 
 to his Majesty's Income — Lord Cormvallis takes Philadelphia- 
 his Army surrender to General Gales. 
 
 -General liurgoyne and 
 
 8 
 
 OON after the evacuation of Boston, 
 general Howe arrived with the English 
 forces at Halifax ; and general Washington, 
 apprehending that the British might make an 
 attack upon New York, detached some troops 
 to its assistance. Arnold, at the head of the 
 provincials, continued at this time the block- 
 ade of Quebec ; and, aware that the time 
 "when the succours from England were ex- 
 pected now approached, he redoubled his 
 efforts to possess himself of that city, before 
 any assistance should arrive ; but the activity 
 of general Carleton baffled all the American 
 exertions. The timely arrival of the Isis 
 man of war, and two frigates, enabled tiie 
 British governor to march out and face the 
 besiegers, who fled on all sides, leaving their 
 artillery and stores behind them. 
 
 In the beginning of June, sir Peter Parker's 
 fleet anchored in Chariestown bar. The land 
 forces were commanded by generals Clinton, 
 Cornwallis, and Vaughan. On the 20th of 
 June, the English made a vigorous, but un- 
 successful, attack upon a fort in Sullivan's 
 island, in which the English shipping received 
 great damage. 
 
 The American colonists, finding all pros- 
 pects of a reconciliation with the mother 
 country cut off, and perceiving their own in- 
 ternal strength and importaace to increase, 
 determined at once to throw off the yoke of 
 dependence. On the 4th of July, the con- 
 gress of the thirteen English colonies declared 
 themselves independent. 
 
 The declaration published by that respect- 
 
 able body, on this occasion, is a ™aster-i)iece 
 of composition, and contains so many great 
 and useful principles of j)olitics, as well as a 
 full statement of the complaints of the Ame- 
 ricans, that it would be inexcusable to with- 
 hold it from the reader. It is as follows : — 
 
 " When, in the course of human events, it 
 becomes necessary for one people to dissolve 
 the political bands, which have connected 
 them with another, and to assume among the 
 powers of the earth that station, to which 
 nature and nature's God entitles them, sepa- 
 rately and equally ; a decent respect to the 
 opinions of mankind requires, that they should 
 declare the causes which impel them to the 
 separation. 
 
 " We hold these truths to be self-evident, 
 that all men are created equal ; that they are 
 endowed by the Creator with certain unalien- 
 able rights ; that among these are life, liberty, 
 and the pursuit of happiness ; that to secure 
 these rights governments are instituted among 
 men, deriving their just powers from the 
 consent of the governed ; that whenever any 
 form of government becomes destructive of 
 these ends, it is the right of the people to 
 alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new 
 government, laying its foundation on such 
 principles, and organizing its power in such 
 form, as to them shall seem most likely to 
 insure their safety and happiness. Prudence, 
 indeed, will dictate, that governments long 
 established should not be changed for light 
 and trausient causes ; and accordingly ill
 
 319 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. ' ICHAP. XX T- 
 
 experience hath shewn, that mankind are ; " He has obstructed the administration of 
 more disposed to !^nffer, while evils are suffer- | justice, by refusing his assent to the estab- 
 able, than to abolish the forms to whicli they i lishment uf justiciary powers, 
 have been accustomed. But when a long! " He has made judges dependent solely on 
 train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing j his will for the tenure of their offices, and the 
 invariably the same object, evinces a design ! amount and payment of their salaries, 
 to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is j " He has erected a multitude of new offices, 
 their right, it is their duty to throw off such ♦ and sent hither swarms of officers, to harass 
 government, and to provide new guards for j the people, and eat out their substance, 
 their future security. Such has been the J " He has kept among us, in time of peace, 
 patient sufferance of these colonies, and such ; standing armies, without the consent of the 
 is now the necessity which constrains them ; legislatures. 
 
 to alter their former systems of government, i " He has affecfed to render the military 
 The history of the present king of Great | independent of, and superior to, the civil power. 
 Britain is a history of repeated injuries and ! " He has combined with others to subject 
 usurpations, all having in direct object the | us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, 
 establishment of an absolute tyranny over | and unacknowledged by our laws ; giving his 
 these states. To prove this, let facts be sub- { assent to their acts of pretended legislation : 
 mitted to a candid world. | " For quartering large bodies of armed 
 
 " He has refused his assent to laws the j troops among us : 
 most wholesome and necessary for the public i "For protecting them, by a mock trial, 
 good. ; from punishment for any murders, which ihey 
 
 " He has forbidden his governors to pass j should commit on the inhabitants of these 
 laws of immediate and pressing importance. .* states : 
 
 unless suspended in operation till his assent 5 " For cutting off our trade from all parts 
 should be obtained ; and, when so suspended, | of the world : 
 he has utterly neglected to attend to them. \ " For imposing taxes on us without our 
 
 " He has refused to pass other laws, for i consent : 
 the accommodation of large districts of people, | " For depriving us, in many cases, of the 
 unless those people would relinquish the right | benehts of trial by jury : 
 
 of representation in the legislature, a right ; " For transporting us beyond the seas, to 
 inestimable to them, and formidable to tyrants | be tried for pretended offences : 
 only. I " For abolislinig the free system of English 
 
 " He has called together legislative bodies ; laws in a neighbouring province, establishing 
 at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant > therein an arbitrary goveinment, and uihtrging 
 from the repositor-y of their public records, ; its boundaries ; so as to reucier it at once an 
 for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into his \ example, and a ht iubtrumpnt, for. introducing 
 measures. | the same absolute rule into these colonies ; 
 
 "He has dissolved representative houses j " For taking away our charters, abolishin^ 
 repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmnefes j our most valuable laws, and altering fnnda 
 his invasions on llie rights of the people. ; mentally the form of our governments : 
 
 " He has refused, for a long time after such | " For suspending our own legislatures, and 
 dissolutions, to cause others to be elected ; | declaring themselves invested with jjowcr to 
 whereby the legislative bodies, incapable of ; legislate for us in all cases whatsoever, 
 annihilation, have returned to the people at j "He has abdicated government, hereby 
 large for their exercise ; the state reniaining | declaring us out of his protection, and waging 
 in the mean time exposed to all the danger of; war against us. 
 
 invasion from without, and convulsions within. ; " He has plundered our seas, ravaged our 
 " He has endeavoured to obstruct the ; coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the 
 population of these states, obstructing for that ; lives of our people. 
 
 purpose the laws for naturalization of foreign- j " He is at this time transporting large armies 
 ers ; refusing to pass others, to encourage ; of mercenaries, to complete the works of 
 their migration hither, and raising the condi- ; death, desolation, and iyranny, already begun 
 tions ofnew appropriations of lands. [with circumstances of cruelty aud periidy. 
 
 »
 
 CHAP. XXV.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 319 
 
 scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous i and things which independent states may of 
 ajjes, and totally unworthy the head of a > right do. And for the support of this de- 
 civilized nation. ; duration, with a firm reliance on the protec- 
 " He has constrained our fellow-citizens, ! tion of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge 
 taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms j lo each other our lives, our fortunes, and our 
 
 aganist their country, to become the execu- 
 tioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall 
 then)selves by their hands. 
 
 " He has excited domestic insurrections • 
 among us, and has endeavoured to bring on ■ 
 the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless ; 
 
 sucred honour. 
 
 " John Handcock, President. 
 
 " New Hampshire, Josiah Bartlett, 
 
 William Whipple. 
 Matlhew Thornton. 
 
 Indian savagts, whose known rule of warfare; Massachuseit's 7?a^, fSanuul Adams. 
 
 is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, j 
 
 sexes, and conditions. i 
 
 " In every stage of these oppressions, we \ 
 
 have petitioned for redress in the most hum- ; Rhode Island, ^r. 
 
 ble terms ; our repeated petitions have been \ 
 
 answered only by repeated injury. A. prince, i Cunneciicut, 
 
 whose character is thus marked by every act } 
 
 which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the « 
 
 ruler of a free people. ; 
 
 " Nor have we been wanting m attention 5 Neiv York, 
 
 to our British brethren. We have warned ; 
 
 them, from time to time, of attempts made by ; 
 
 their legislature to extend an unwarrantable 5 
 
 jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them ; New Jersey, 
 
 of the circumstances of our emigration and * 
 
 settlement here. We have appealed to their \ 
 
 native justice and magnanimity, and we have 5 
 
 conjured them by the ties of our common » 
 
 kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which ; Pennsylvania, 
 
 would inevitably interrupt our connections ! 
 
 and correspondence. They too have been > 
 
 deaf to the voice of justice and of consan- 5 
 guinity. We must therefore acquiesce in the ; 
 necessity which denounces our separation, ; 
 
 and hold them, as we hold the rest of man- i 
 kind, enemies in war, in peace friends. ; 
 
 " We, therefore, the representatives of the ; 
 United States of America, in general congress ; Delaware, 
 assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of; 
 the world for the rectitude of our intentions, > Maryland, 
 do, in the name and by the authority of the } 
 good people of these colonies, solennily pub- i 
 lish and declare, that these United Stales arc, « 
 and of right ought to be. Free and Indepen- • 
 DENT States ; that they are absolved from all ; Virginia, 
 allegiance to the British crown ; and that all J 
 political connection between them and the | 
 state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, | 
 totally dissolved ; and that, as free and inde- ; 
 pendent states, they have full power to levy ; 
 war, conclude peace, contract alliances, 5 
 establish commerce, and to do all other acts > North Carolina, 
 
 Johri Adams. 
 
 Robert Treat Paine. 
 
 El bridge Gerry. 
 
 Stephen Hopkins. 
 
 William Ellery. 
 
 llogcr Sherman. 
 
 Samuel Huntington. 
 
 William Williams. 
 
 Oliver Wolcott. 
 
 William Floyd. 
 
 Philip Livingston. 
 
 Francis Lewis. 
 
 Lewis Morris. 
 
 Richard Stockton. 
 
 John Whitherspoon, 
 
 Francis Hopkinson. 
 
 John Hart. 
 
 Abraham Clark 
 
 Robert Morris. 
 
 Benjamin Rush. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin. 
 
 John Morton. 
 
 George Clymer. 
 
 James Smith. 
 
 George Taylor. 
 
 James Wilson. 
 
 George Ross. 
 Caesar Rodney. 
 George Read. 
 Samuel Chase. 
 William Paca. 
 Thomas Stone. 
 Charles Carroll, of Car- 
 rol I ton. 
 George Withe. 
 Richard Henry Lee. 
 Thomas Jefferson. 
 Benjamin Harrison. 
 Thomas Nelson, junior 
 Francis Lightfoot Lee. ' 
 Carter Braxton. 
 William Hooper.
 
 320 
 
 North Carolina. 
 
 South Carolina, 
 Georsia, 
 
 HISTORY OP E>fGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XXT. 
 
 Josepli Hevves. 
 John Penn. 
 Edward Rutledge. 
 Thomas Ileywood, jun. 
 Thomas LvTich, jun. 
 Arthur Middleton. 
 Button Gwinuet. 
 Lyman Hall. 
 George Walton." 
 
 The colonies, in October following, entered 
 into articles of mutual confederation and 
 perpetual union. From this moment we may 
 consider the thirteen states as entirely sepa- 
 rated from Great Britain, and have only to 
 record the vain attempts of the latter, to sub- 
 jugate them by force of arms. 
 ,--p Many circumstances pointed out 
 ■ the reduction of the city and province 
 of New York, as important and practicable. 
 Admiral lord Howe, and his brother, the 
 general, followed by an army consisting of 
 13,000 Hessians and Walbeckers, undertook 
 the expedition. These forces arrived at Sandy- 
 hook, near New York, from Halifax, about 
 the beginnisg of July. The general landed 
 his troops on Staten island, and was received 
 with great joy by a number of loyalists ; and, 
 both iu his passage thither, and after his 
 arrival, was joiupd by such considerable 
 bodies, that the greatest expectations of suc- 
 cess began to bo formed. Lord Howe joined 
 his brother soon after, and, by a flag, sent 
 circular letters to the governors of the colo- 
 nies, informing them of the powers which 
 Britain had vested in his brother and himself; 
 similar notice was sent to general Washington, 
 who returned for answer, (in a conference 
 between him and adjutant-general Paterson, 
 who carried the letter,) that as their powers 
 were little more than powers to grant pardons, 
 they who had committed no fault sought no 
 pardon, and that they were only defending 
 their most indisputable rights. 
 
 The British commanders resolved to make 
 their first attempt upon Long Island. This 
 they preferred to New York, as it abounded 
 with those supplies which their forces re- 
 quired. 
 
 The British landed, with no opposition, 
 betwcMi two small town's, Utrecht and Graves- 
 end. 'J'lie American works protected a smwll 
 peninsula, having Walir.hont hay to the left, 
 and stretching over to Pted Hook ou the right, 
 
 the East river being in the rear. General 
 Sullivan, with a strong force, was encamped 
 within these works at Brooklyne. From the 
 east side of the narrows runs a ridge of hills, 
 covered with thick wood, about five or six 
 miles in length, which terminates near Jamaica. 
 There were three passes through these hills ; 
 one near the narrows, a second on the F^lat- 
 bush road, and a third on the Bedford road, 
 and they are all defensible. These were the 
 only roads that could be passed from the 
 south side of the hills to the American lines, 
 except a road which led round the easterly 
 end to Jamaica. The Americans had 800 
 men on each of those roads, besides colonel 
 Miles, who was stationed with a battalion ot 
 riflemen ; thus the road was protected, from 
 the south of the hills to Jamaica, arud the 
 movement of the British observed. 
 
 Oeneral de Heister, with a body of Hes- 
 sians., took post at Flatbush in the evening. 
 (August 26tli.) In the following night, the 
 arreater part of the British army, commanded 
 by general Clinton, marched to gain the road 
 leading round the easterly end of the hills to 
 Jamaica, and to turn the left of the Americans. 
 He arrived, two hours before day, within half 
 a mile of this road. One of his party fell in 
 with a patrole of American oificers, and took 
 them all prisoners, which prevented the early 
 transmission of intelligence. Upon the first 
 appearance of day, general Clinton advanced, 
 and look possession of the heights over whicli 
 the road passed. General Gaunt, with the 
 left wing, advanced along the coast by the 
 west road, near the narrows ; but this was 
 intended chiefly as a feint. 
 
 The guard, which was stationed at this 
 road, fled without making any resistance. A 
 few of them were afterwards rallied, and the 
 American general, lord Stirling, advanced 
 with 1500 men, and took possession of a hill 
 about two miles from the American camp, 
 and in (Vont of general Grant: 
 
 An attack was made very early in the morn- 
 ing, by the Hes.sians from Flatbush, under 
 general de Heister, and by general Grant, on 
 the coast, and was well supported for a con- 
 sideral)le time by both sides. The Americans 
 who opposed general de Heister were first 
 apprised of the approach of general Clinton, 
 who had come round on their left. They 
 immediately began to retreat to their camp, 
 but were intercepted by the right wing, under
 
 CHAP. XXV. J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 321 
 
 general Clinton, who got into the rear of their 
 left, and attacked the;n with his light infantry 
 and dragoons while returning to their lines. 
 They were driven back till they were met by 
 the Hessians. They Avere thus alternately 
 chased and intercepted, between general de 
 Heister and general Clinton. Some of their 
 regiments nevertheless found their way to the 
 camp. The Americans under lord Stirling 
 consisted of colonel Miles' two battalions, 
 colonel Atloe's, colonel Smallwood's, and 
 colonel Hafclie's regiments, who were engaged 
 with general Grant. These fought with great 
 resolution for about six hours. They were 
 uninformed of the movements made by general 
 Clinton, till some of the troops under his 
 command had traversed the country in their 
 rear. Their retreat was thus intercepted ; 
 but several, notwithstanding, broke through 
 and got into the woods, many threw them- 
 selves into the marsh, some were drowned, 
 and others perished in the mud, but a con- 
 siderable number escaped by this way to 
 their lines. 
 
 The king's troops displayed great valour 
 throughout the whole day. The variety of 
 the ground occasioned a succession of small 
 engagements, pursuits, and slaughter, which 
 lasted for many hours. British discipline, in 
 every instance, triumphed over the native 
 valour of raw troops, who had never been in 
 action, and who were unacquainted with the 
 stratagems of war. 
 
 The loss of the British and Hessians was 
 about 450. The killed, wounded, and prison- 
 ers of the Americans, including those who 
 were drowned, or perished in the woods or 
 mud, considerably exceeded 1000. Among 
 the prisoners of the latter were two of their 
 general officers, Sullivan and lord Stirling, 
 three colonels, four lieutenant-colonels, three 
 majors, eighteen captains, forty-three lieute- 
 nants, and eleven ensigns. Smallwood's 
 regiment, the officers of which were young 
 men of the first families in Maryland, sus- 
 tained a loss of 259 men. The British, after 
 their victory, were so impetuous, that it was 
 with difficulty they could be restrained from 
 attacking the American lines. 
 
 In the time of the engagement, and subse- 
 quent to it, general Washington drew over to 
 Long Island the greatest part of his army. 
 After he liad collected his principal force 
 there, it was his wish and hope, that sir William 
 
 T t 
 
 Howe would attempt U> storm the works on 
 the island. These, though insufficient to 
 stand a regular siege, were strong enough to 
 resist a coup de main. The remembrance of 
 Bunker's Hill, and a desire to spare his men, 
 restrained the British Jientral from making an 
 assaidt. On the contrary, he made demon- 
 straiions of proceeding by siege, and broke 
 ground within .300 yards to the left, at Put- 
 nam's redoubt. Though ge-neral Washington 
 wished for an assault, yd being certain that 
 his works would be untenable when the 
 British batteries should be fully opened, he 
 called a council of war, to consult on the 
 measures proper to be taken. It was then 
 determined, that the objects in view were by 
 no means proportioned to the dangers to 
 which, by a continuation on the island, they 
 would be exposed. Conformably to this 
 opinion, dispositions were made for a retreat. 
 This commenced, soon after it was dark, from 
 two points, the upper and lower ferries on 
 East river. General M'Dougal regulated the 
 embarkation at one, and colonel Knox at the 
 other. The intention of evacuating the island 
 had been so prudently concealed from the 
 Americans, that they knew not whither they 
 were going, but supposed, to attack the enemy. 
 The field artillery, tents, baggage, and about 
 9000 men, were conveyed to the city of Nevr 
 York over East river, more than a mile wide, 
 in less than thirteen hours, and without the 
 knowledge of the British, though not 600 
 yards distant. Providence in a remarkable 
 manner favoured the retreating army. For 
 some time after the Americans began to cross, 
 the state of the tide, and a strong north-east 
 wind, made it impossible for them to make 
 use of their sail-boats, and their r,unil)er of 
 row-boats was insufficient for completing tli« 
 business in the course of tho night. But 
 about eleven o'clock the wind died away, and 
 soon after sprung up at south-east, and blew 
 fresh ; which rendered the sail-boats service- 
 able, and at the same time made the passage 
 from the city direct, easy, and expeditions. 
 Towards morning an extreme thick tog came 
 on, which hovered over Long Island, and, by 
 concealing the Americans, enal)led then) to 
 complete their retreat without interruption, 
 though the day had begun to dawn some time 
 before it was finished, liy a mistake in the 
 transmission of orders, the American lines 
 were evacuated three quarters of an houi* 
 '21
 
 022 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ICUAP. XXV. 
 
 before the einharkaii.)ii took i)Iace ; hut llie | fort Wasliington, and near 3000 men were as- 
 British, though so near that their working | signed for its defence. 
 
 parties coidd l)e distinctly heard, being en- 5 The royal army, after a halt of six days at 
 veloped in the fo'j;, knew nothingof the matter. I Frog's Neck, advanced near to New Rochelle. 
 The lines were repossessed and held till six ; On their march they sustained a considerable 
 o'clock in the morning, when every thing i loss by a party of Americans, wliom general 
 except some heavy cannon was removed. ! Lee posted behind a wall. After three days. 
 General Mifflin, who commanded the rear ; general Howe mo\ed the right and centre of 
 gnard, left the lines, and, by means of the fo^, \ his army two miles to the northward of New 
 got ofl" safe. In about half an hour the fog | Rochelle, on the road to the White Plains, 
 cleared away, and the British entered the ; and there he received a large reinforcement, 
 iv'orks which had been just relinquished. J On the l'2l\\ of November, the Americans 
 
 ' The king's troops pursued their main object, ; having retired, sir William Howe determined 
 the attack upon the city of New York, in the ; to improve tlie opportunity of their absence 
 beginning of September, and took possession j for the reduction of fort Washington. This, 
 of it under the fire of five ships of war at i the only post the Americans then held on 
 Phipp's bay. These successes of his enemies 5 New York Island, was under the command 
 threw general Washington into many and great | of colonel Magaw. The royal army made 
 difficultie?. His troops were not veterans ; | four attacks upon it. The first, on the north 
 they were dispirited and diseased. j side, was led on by general Kniphausen ; the 
 
 After the Americans had evacuated New I second, on the east, by general Matthews, 
 York, they reti'pd to the north end of the | supported by lord Cornwallis ; the third was 
 island on which the city is erected. In about ^ under the command of iieutenant-colonei 
 four weeks, general Howe began to execute | Sterling ; and the fourth under the command 
 a plan for cutting oft' general AVashington's 5 of lord Piercy. The troops under Kniphau- 
 communication with the eastern states, and i sen, when advancing to the fort, had to pass 
 enclosing him, so as to compel a general en- 5 through a thick wood, which was occupied 
 gagemeut on the island. With this view, the \ by colonel Rawling's regiment of riflemen, and 
 greater part of the royal army passed through | from their well-directed fire suffered very 
 Hellgate, entered the Sound, and landed on \ much. During this attack, a body of British 
 Frog's Neck, in West Chester county. Two $ light infantry advanced against a party of 
 days after they made this movement, general | Americans, who were annoying from rocks 
 Jjee arrived from his late successful command ; and trees, and obliged them to disperse. Lord 
 to the southward. He found that there was ; Piercy carried an advance work on his side ; 
 a prevailing disposition among the officers in | and lieutenant-colonel Stirling forced his way 
 the American army, for remaining on New ; up a steep height, and took 170 prisoners. 
 York Island. A council of war was called,' i Their outworks being carried, the Americans 
 in which general Lee gave such convincing < left their lines, and crowded into the fort, 
 reasons for quitting it, that they Resolved to ; Colonel Rhal, who led the right column of 
 withdraw the bulk of the army. He also ; Kniphausen, pushed forward, and lodged it 
 pressed the expediency of evacuating fort i within a hundred yards of the fort, and was 
 Washington; but in this he was opposed by j there soon joined by the left columii; the 
 general Greene, who argued, that the posses- ; garrison surrendered by capitulation, by which 
 sion of that post would divert a large body of | the men were to be considered prisoners of 
 the enemy from joining their main force, and, ; war, and the officers to keep their baggage 
 along with fort Lee, would be of great use, in i and side arms. The number of prisoners 
 covering the transportation of provision and ; amounted to 2700. The loss of- the British, 
 stores up the North river, for the service of i including killed and wounded, was about 
 the American troops. He added farther, that I 1-.J00. Shortly after fort Washington had 
 the garrison could be brought off at any time ; surrendered, lord Cornwallis passed over to 
 by boats, on the Jersey side of the river. His 5 attack fort Lee on the opposite Jersey shore, 
 opinion prevailed; though the system of | The garrison was saved by an' immediate 
 evacuating and retreating was in general ; evacuation, but at the expence of their artil- 
 adopted, an exception was made iu favour of; lery and stores. General Washington about
 
 lcBd:n,fui!i-lud Ost ij- if>t,i^ JluhfEvmr^ WhiU, -rvfSpiaUuU.'.
 
 CHAP. XXV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 323 
 
 this time retreated to Newark. Having abun- 
 dant reason, from the posture of affairs, to 
 count on the necessity of a farther retreat, he 
 asked colonel Reed, — Should we retreat to 
 the buck jyarts of Peimsylvania, ivould the 
 Pennsyloaniaiis support us 1 The colonel 
 replied, If the lower countries trill be subdued, 
 and give up, the back countries will do the 
 same. The general replied, We must retire 
 to Augusta comity in Virginia, numbers tvill 
 fly to our standard for their own safety, and 
 we must strive to carry oh a predatory war, 
 i/,nd, if subdued, ice can cross the Allegany 
 mountains. 
 
 When it was expected that the conquerors 
 would retire to winter-quarters, they com- 
 menced a new plan of operations, more alarm- 
 ing than all their previous conquests. The 
 reduction of fort Washington, the evacuation 
 of fort Lee, and the diminution of the Ame- 
 rican army, by the departure of those, whose 
 time of service had expired, encouraged the 
 British, notwithstanding the severity of the 
 winter, an.;i the badness of the roads, to pursue 
 the remaining inconsiderable continental force, 
 with the prospect of annihilating it. By this 
 turn of affairs, the interior country was sur- 
 prised into confusion, finding an enemy within 
 its bowels, without an army able to oppose it. 
 To retreat was the only expedient left. This 
 having commenced, lord Cornwallis followed, 
 and was close in the rear of general Washing- 
 ton as he retreated successively to Newark, 
 to Brunswick, to Princeton, to Trenton, and 
 to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware. 
 The pursuit was nrged with .so much rapidity, 
 that the rear of the one army pulling down 
 bridges, was often in sight and within shot of 
 the other army building them up. 
 
 On the day general Washington retreated 
 over the Delaware, the Americans abandoned 
 Rhode Island ; and so great was the confu- 
 sion occasioned by their disappointments, 
 that it was scarcely believed that they would 
 make any other attempt to oppose an enemy 
 so uniformly victorious. While lord Corn- 
 wallis was marching triumphant through the 
 Jerseys, and the British army were possessing 
 themselves of every town and post along the 
 Delaware, congress assembled, and formed 
 addresses, and other expedients, for raising 
 battalions upon principles better calculated 
 for success than the former, and applied them- 
 »;elves to remove the languor occasioned by 
 
 their late defeats. The congress met in Mary- 
 land, at Baltimore. Dissentions arose among 
 them relative to the declaration of indepen- 
 dence, and some of the members repaired to 
 the commissioners for protection. About this 
 time another disaster was added, by the loss 
 of the famous partisan, general Lee, who was 
 surprised and taken prisoner by colonel liar- 
 court. It was now that the Americans, strug- 
 gling for their liberty, and the British monarch, 
 struggling for their subjugation, suspended 
 in equilibrium in the balance of fortune : the 
 tinger of providence touched the beam, and 
 gravitated the scale of emancipation. 
 
 The Americans, having passed the Dela- 
 ware, had the boats removed from the side 
 of their pursuers, and thus arrested their 
 progress; the comuianders, however, of the 
 British army, in all the security of conquest, 
 cantoned thciu at Burlington, Bordenton» 
 Trenton, and other towns of New Jersey, in 
 the daily expectation of bemg able to pas» 
 into Pennsylvania by means of the ice, which 
 is commonly formed about this time. 
 
 It appeared to them of all events the most 
 unlikely, that their flying enemies, half naked, 
 should, in the intensify of the cold season, 
 turn and re-connnence offensive operations. 
 They indulged themselves in a careless inat- 
 tention, which, in the neighbourhood of an 
 enemy, however contemptible, cannot be justi- 
 fied, h is said, that when colonel Rhal, the 
 officer commanding in Trenton, under some 
 apprehension for that frontier post, applied to 
 general Grant for a reinforcement, the general 
 returned for answer, — Tell the colo?iel, that 
 he is very safe ; I will tindertake to keep the 
 peace in New Jersey ivith a corporal's guard. 
 
 But in tiie evening of Christmas day, gene- 
 ral Washington maoe arrangements lor cross- 
 ing tlie Delaware in three divisions ; at M. 
 Konkrys ferry, at Trenton ferry, and at or 
 near Bordenton. The troops which were to 
 have crossed at the two last places were com- 
 manded by the generals Ewing and Cadwal- 
 lader ; they made every exertion to get over, 
 but the (juantity of ice was so great, thai they 
 could not effect their purpose. The main 
 body, which was commanded by general 
 Washington, crossed at M. Konkey's ferry, 
 but the ice in the river retarded their progress 
 so long, that it was three o'clock in the morn- 
 ing before the artillery could be got over. Oq 
 their landing in Jersey liny were lurnicd iut9
 
 524 
 
 HISTORY OF ICNGLA.Na. 
 
 'OMAP. X\Y. 
 
 two divisions, coiiimaiidetl by the generals ; 
 S.iliivan and Greene, who had under their I 
 command brigadiers lord Stirling, Mercer, • 
 and St. Clair ; one of these divisions was I 
 ordered to proceed on the lower or river road, « 
 the other on the npper or Pennington road. J 
 Colonel Stork, with some light troops, was 5 
 also directed to advance near to the river, | 
 and to possess himself of that part of the town 5 
 which is beyond the bridge. The divisions, \ 
 having nearly the same distance to march, I 
 •were ordered, immediately on forcing the < 
 out-guards, to push directly into Trenton, j 
 that they might charge tiie enemy before he » 
 ■would have time to form. Though they j 
 advanced by different roads, yet they arrived ! 
 at the enemy's advanced post witiiin three > 
 minutes of each other. The out-guards of the ; 
 Hessian troops soon fell back, but kept up a « 
 constant retreating fire. Their main body, j 
 being hard pressed by the AmericanSj who | 
 had already got possession of half their artil- ; 
 lery, attempted to file off by a road leading! 
 towards Princeton, but were checked by a | 
 body of troops thrown in their way. Finding ; 
 themselves surrounded, they laid down their | 
 arms. The number which submitted was 23 ; 
 oflScers and 886 men. Between 30 and 40 of i 
 the Hessians were killed and wounded. Colo- | 
 nel Rhal was among the former, and seven of j 
 his officers among the latter. Captain Wash- 1 
 ington, of the Virginia troops, and five or six ; 
 Americaivs were wounded, two were killed, 5 
 and two or three were frozen to death. The \ 
 detachment in Trenton consisted of the regi- 
 ments of Rhal, Losberg, and Kniphausen, 
 amounting in the whole to about 1500 men, 
 and a troop of British light horse. All these 
 were killed or captured except about 600, 
 who escaped by the road leading to Bordenton. 
 The British had a strong battalion of light 
 infantry at Princeton, and a force yet remain- 
 ing near the Delaware, superior to the Ame- 
 rican army. General Washington therefore 
 thought it most prudent, on the evening of 
 the same day, to recross into Pennsylvania 
 with his prisoners. 
 
 • The effects of this fortunate enterprise 
 were presently discovered, in recruiting the 
 American army. About 1400 regular soldiers, 
 whose time of service was on the point of 
 expiring, agreed to serve six weeks longer, on 
 a promised gratuity of ten paper dollars to 
 each. Men of influence were dispatched to 
 
 different parts of the country, to rouse thi? 
 militia. The rapine and impolitic conduci 
 of the Britislj operated more forcibly in ex- 
 pHling them the st<ale, than either patriotisnv 
 or determination to^prevent their overrunniugit. 
 
 Several skirmishes took place in i^^-r 
 January, which en-ded in favour of the 
 provincials ; soon after this they obtainerJ 
 possession of nearly the two Jerseys, saved 
 Pennsylvania, and by a victory which general 
 Washington gained over the British at Prince- 
 ton, on the 3rd, in a great measure turned 
 the balance of strength, and determined the' 
 advantages in their own favour. Dr. Ramsay, 
 in mentioning tiie etlect of these victories 
 over the minds of the Americans, employ.^ 
 this strong language, "It was like a resur- 
 rection from the dead."' 
 
 In England, an unusual inattention to the 
 progress of the war prevailed generally. When 
 the parliament assembled, on the last day of 
 October, his majesty observed, that nothing 
 could have yielded him more sincere satis- 
 faction, than being able to announce to them 
 a termination of the disturbances in North 
 America ; but so daring and desperate was 
 the spirit of rebellion, that the colonies openly 
 threw off all allegiance to the crown, and all 
 political connection witli this country, inso 
 lently rejecting all the means of reconciliation, 
 offered them by the delegated conunissioners. 
 His majesty recounted the different successes^ 
 on the side of New York, and the eflectual 
 attempts to recover Canada ; and concluding 
 with stating the continued assurances of amity 
 he had received from the several courts of 
 Europe. 
 
 The expences of the navy amounted to 
 £3,205,505, exclusive of £l000, voted to 
 Greenwich Hospital, and a million afterwards 
 granted for the purpose of defraying the debt 
 of the navy. The supplies for the land service 
 were near to £3,000,000, although the extra- 
 ordinaries for this service, in the preceding 
 year, were not provided for. , 
 
 In January, lord North moved for leave to 
 bring in a bill, empowering his majesty to 
 secure and detain persons suspected of high 
 treason, committed in America ; after warm 
 opposition, the bill passed both houses by a 
 considerable majority. Soon afterwards his 
 majesty laid before the house a message, ex- 
 pressive of the concern he felt under the debts 
 incurred by the expences of the household
 
 CriAP. XXT.] GEORGE III. ^2-^ 
 
 and of the civil government, which amounted, I rank of society, the world would probablj 
 on the 5th of January, to £000,000. He « never have heard his name either as a philo^ 
 r-elied on the loyalty and affertioii of his faith- ; sopher or a politician. Pent within a popu- 
 iul commons, to enable him lo discharge this ; Ions city, his occupation would have been 
 debt, and to 'make some provision for the i more laborious, and his incentives to cultivate 
 better sup|)ort of his household in future, and : sp(?culative science suppressed by every con- 
 of the honour and dignity of his crown. The > sidcration of interest or ambition. He might 
 house granted the sum of £()18,340, for the ; base distinguished himself as an ingenious 
 discharge of the debt incurred ; and, as a | artist, but he would neither have formed an 
 further provision, the annual sum of £100,000, ; hypothesis to account for the plienoinenon of 
 besides the £800,000. When this bill was j the Aurora Borealis, nor have traced out the 
 presented to his majesty, sir Fletcher Norton > piincipies and operations of the electrical 
 observed, in his speech to the throne, " Your ; fluid ; and, what is much more important, he 
 faithful commons have not only granted to i wuuld never have become a powerful engine, 
 your majesty a large and present supply, but j to shake a great empire, and to erect a con-' 
 also a very great additional revenue; great i geries of republics from its dismembered 
 beyond example; great beyond your majesty's > parts. ]\or would he have attained the ap- 
 highest expence. But all this, sir, they have ; propriated distinction of introducing a new 
 done in a well-grounded confidence, that you > aira into the history of mankind, which may 
 will appFy wisely what they have granted { prove as important as any which have elapsed, 
 liberally ; and feeling, what every good sub- 1 In procuring a legislative power to the west- 
 ject must feel, with the greatest satisfaction, > ern hemisphere, he may be considered as 
 that under the direction of your majesty's ; a greater enemy to England than even Philip 
 wisdom, the affluence and grandeur of the \ H. or Lewis XIV. 
 
 sovereign will reflect honour and dignity on; His love of science marked his early years ; 
 his people." This noble and energetic speech i and, as if no event of his life was destined to 
 was represented by the sychophants of the j be unimportant, even an intrigue (which 
 court, as an insult to the throne. ; caused him to quit Boston and settle in Phila- 
 
 DuRiNO the transaction of these affairs in \ delphia) brouglit him into a wider sphere of 
 the British parliament, the victory at Prince- \ action, and placed him in a more respectable 
 ton revived the drooping spirits of the Anie- I situation. He had passed the meridian of 
 ricans; another army was soon collected, and | his life before he became conspicuous as a 
 all West Jersey was as rapidly recovered as; politician. As his influence became extensive, 
 it had been lost. It seems, however, strange, J it was exerted among the people to promote 
 that all the fortresses in the country should | temperance, frugality, and industry ; and all 
 be so hastily abandoned, when so large an J his labours were exerted to advance the 
 army was at hand, to assist in their defence. | essential interests of humajiity. He possessed 
 The commander-in-chief has been charged \ the plainness of manners and precision of 
 with throwing aside tiie cares annexed to his i thought which characterized John de Wit ; 
 important trust, and giving himself up to the » but he e\<er escaped falling into popular odimn, 
 blandishments ot beauty, and the foscination • either by being master of superior address, nv 
 of deep play. ; acting under a more favourable series of con- 
 
 NoT so were the interests of the new states | tingencies, than that devoted patriot, 
 attended to. Dr. Franklin had passed over ; Trammelli;d in no system, he nn'ght be 
 into France, fur the purpose of forming an I said to be a philosopher without the rules, a 
 alliance with that king<lom, whose secret sup- j politician without adopting the Roman pan- 
 port and assistance had at all times been ren- i dect, and a statesman without having sacri- 
 <iered. This man, (who formerly had carried j iiced to the graces ; possessing a versatility 
 on the business of a printer, for many years, | of genius without a diversity of !em|)er. 
 at Philadelphia,) may be considered as the j Such was the man, thoughtful, deliberate, 
 first frnits of American genius, and perhaps ; collected, and circumspect, who, when more 
 no man ever owed more to the time and place ; than seventy years of age, appeared at the 
 ot his l)ii:lh : had he been a native ofLondon i court of France, first as an agent, and afier- 
 iustcad of Boston, and boiu into the same » wards as a plenipotentiary, from the new
 
 326 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXV. 
 
 American states. All ranks vied with each 
 other ill paying court to this hoarj-headed 
 sage. Among the subjects of an absolute 
 monarch, it became fashionable to admire the 
 spirit of freedom, and the new member of the 
 corps diplomatique was complimented in a 
 hyperbole of panegyrics. Public admiration 
 is, however, no proof of merit ; the frivolous 
 frequently obtain it when it is denied to the 
 wise. His negotiations with the court of 
 France required uncommon abilities ; and that 
 he succeeded in the arduous work, proves that 
 during his long life he had practically studied 
 the philosophy of man. 
 
 Whilst the war was raging in the Jer- 
 seys, congress set on foot a loan of five 
 millions of dollars at 4 per cent, on the faith 
 of the United States ; the Americans at the 
 same time opened their ports to all foreign 
 merchant-ships, and found their wants in some 
 degree relieved by the supplies brought to this 
 new market. It now became evident, how 
 destructive a step it had been, to delude the 
 nation by a reduction of the number of seamen. 
 The American cruisers swarmed in the Euro- 
 pean seas, and our homeward-bound West 
 India ships fell a prey to these vigilant ene- 
 mies; by which the planters in the islands, 
 and the merchants at home, were ■alike in- 
 volved in ruin. The losses in inerchaiidize 
 and shipping taken by the Americans, in the 
 course of the year 1776, was computed to 
 exceed a million sterling. In the ports of 
 Spain and France, the American privateers 
 found safety and assistance, and their prizes 
 were there openly sold, until our ambassadors 
 at those courts remonstrated against such a 
 conduct ; after which these captures were 
 disposed of in a more secret and guarded 
 manner. In the French West India islands, 
 the Americans were publicly countenanced, 
 and even French ships received American 
 commissions; and with few, and sometimes 
 with no American seamen on board, made 
 prey of the British commerce, insomuch that 
 .--^ insurance on our homeward bound 
 ships was advanced to 2.3 per cent. 
 
 In the midst of the commercial distresses, 
 the manufactures of England felt no dangerous 
 stagnation ; for those nations which now 
 supplied the American markets, not being 
 able of themselves to fnrnisli the goods re- 
 (jtiired, were obliged to seek a supply from 
 hence; and, in some degree to compensate 
 
 for the loss of our merchant ships, the king's 
 frigates captured a great number of American 
 vessels, both privateers and traders, which 
 they carried into the ports of our West India 
 islands, and thus relieved the pressing wants 
 of the inhabitants. 
 
 Our commerce being thus rendered inse- 
 cure, the Thames presented the unusual and 
 melancholy sight of great numbers of foreign 
 ships, particularly French, taking in cargoes 
 of English commodities for various parts of 
 Europe, the property of our own merchants, 
 who were thus reduced to seek that protection 
 under the colours of other nations, which the 
 British flag used to aflbrd to every nation of 
 the world. 
 
 The arsenals of France were filled with 
 naval stores, and in every part of the kingdom 
 as vigorous exertions were made to fit out a 
 forniidable navy, as if a war was actually 
 waging, whilst the finances of that kingdom 
 were entrusted to M. Necker, a native of 
 Switzerland, and professing the protestant 
 religion. 
 
 The attention of the nation had been chiefly 
 directed, during the last two years, to the 
 Western World ; but some proceedings on the 
 coast of Coromandtl, diverted the public re- 
 gard towards the East. The presidency of 
 Madras had entered into a strict iilTance with 
 Mahomed AM Cawn, nabob of Arcot, a Tar- 
 tarian prinre, who possessed an inland terri- 
 tory equally distant from the two European 
 settlements of Madias and Pondicherry. 
 From a close attention to his army, this 
 Asiatic chief had become formidable, and his 
 connection with the civil and military powers 
 at the English stttleinent procured him the 
 assistance of British officers, to discipline and 
 command his troops. Whatever were his 
 views in keeping on foot so large an army, he 
 was obliged to exhaust his treasury to pre- 
 serve the friendship of his allies ; for European 
 rapacity, when exercised on Asiatic princes, 
 is insatiable. It became, therefore, necessary 
 that new sources, of wealth should be dis- 
 covered, to supply his continual [)rofusion ; 
 and he proposed to the presidency to under- 
 take an expedition against the rajah, or king, 
 ofTanjore, a Mahratta prince, who resided 
 several leagues to the southward of Pondi- 
 cherry, and the sitnatioji of whose country, 
 towards the southward of the jjeniusnla, had 
 hitherto proved its best security against llie
 
 CHAP. XXV.] GEORGK III. 327 
 
 Mahomeiaii conquerors of Hiiidostan. The | seiisiou, and by liis iiitiiyiies the governor liini- 
 country had been long in alliance wifrh the i self was soon after seized by the officer next 
 English, and the father of the rajah, Pertoupa j in command, and kept in close confinement. 
 Sing, had been attacked by the French general | Kepreseiitations of these events were imme- 
 Lally during the preceding war, but the in- 1 diately transmitted to Europe, and the nabob, 
 cursion was bravely repelled. Pertoupa was : who had been the principal cause of the cont- 
 the first Indian prince with whom the English • motions, sent a gentleman to England as his 
 concluded a treaty, which Tuligee, the reign- ; agent, through whose interpositioli both the 
 ing king, ratified on his accession. j company and the ministry might be enabled 
 
 Thk pretext on which the nabob of Arcotj to decide between the contending |)arties. 
 
 waged war against this prince, was founded | When the business was first°discussed, a 
 
 on an unsatisfied claim of a large sum of; large majority of the proprietors voted for 
 
 money, -which the rajah pleaded his inability j reinstating lord Pigot, and puuishin'^ those 
 
 to pay. The government of Madras, however, I who had been so daring as to dispossess him, 
 
 supported the nabob in his quarrel, and j The court of directors were more divided in 
 
 placed the forces of the company under the ; opinion. At length the weight of government 
 
 command of the nabob's son, to make war on \ was thrown in, and the governor and council 
 
 Tanjore. Such a force was irresistible; ths' » of Madras were ordered home, in order that 
 
 rajah was completely despoMed, and his suit- j their conduct might undergo a legal scrutiny. 
 
 jects plundered. Every thing which the > From this determination of the East India 
 
 East holds sacred was violated. The apart- ; company, governor Johnstone made an appeal 
 
 ments of the women were forced, and their ; to the house of commons, by moving five 
 
 persons stripped of their most valuable orna- > resolutions, which tended to justify the con- 
 
 ments. Effects to the amount of 10,000,000 Ul net of lord Pigot, to condemn that of his 
 
 of pagodas were carried off', and the revenues > opponents, and to annul the resolution for 
 
 of the country, during the two years and a ; his recal. Each of these resolutions was 
 
 half that they were forcibly collected by the 5 negatived. Lord Pigot did not lono- survive 
 
 nabob, amounted to fifty lacks of pagodas I the loss of his liberty ; and those of the com- 
 
 more. The booity collected in this marauding ; paiiy's servants who had been the principal 
 
 expedition, served to palliate the enormity of j actors in the quarrel, were afterwards sued in 
 
 the outrage, and to render the perpetrators ; the name of the king, and sentenced to pay a 
 
 insensible to tlie disgrace and dishonour i fine of £1000 each. 
 
 which they had brought on the English name | On the 30th of May, 1777, the earl of 
 and character. ; Chatham moved, in the house of lords, to 
 
 When the news of this transaction reached ? address his majesty, that the most speedy ?nd 
 the court of directors, the strongest resent- ; efl^ectual measures might be taken for puttin"- 
 raent was expressed, and measures were con- ia stop to hostilities in America, and for the 
 certed for making all possible restitution to ^ removal of accumulated grievances. He 
 the injured rajah. For this purpose, lord j insisted, as he had done on all former occa- 
 Pigot was sent out as governor of Madras, a J sions, that it was impossible to conquer Arae- 
 nobleman highly respected in the settlement, ! rica, and declared, in that strong and emphatic 
 for his able and eflertual defence of it, seven- \ language by which he was peculiarly dis- 
 teen years before. He arrived at his govern- ; tinguished, that we were waging war with 
 rnent the latter end of the year 177o ; but the ! America, exposed at the same time to a 
 opposition which he experienced from the ; masked battery of France, which would, ere 
 majority of the council, and the commander- c long, open upon u.s, and sweep us away. The 
 in-chief of the forces, was such as entirely j motion was rejected by a majority of 90 to 88. 
 Irustrated all the purposes which he was ap- > The conduct ®f the Dutch, particularly in 
 ])ointed to effect. Not discouraged by these j the West Indies, had caused a memorial to 
 ilifficulties, but prompted by an impetuous 5 be presented by sir Joseph Yorke, the British 
 and violent temper, he had recourse to an ; minister at the Hague, to the states-general 
 undue exertion of his authority, and put the | of the United J'rovinces, complaining of (he 
 <;omn)ander-in-c]iief and two of the council > conduct of Van Graaf, the governor of the 
 under arrest. The nabob fomented the dis- i island of St. Eustalia, in having permitted an
 
 ;^s 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAXD. 
 
 American pirate to make prize of an English 
 vessel wiliiin cannon-shot of that island, of 
 having returned the salnte cf a rebel frigate, 
 and having promoted an illicit commerce, and 
 -connived at tlie hostile equipments of the 
 Americans. Attestations of these charges 
 being annexed, the memoir peremptorily in- 
 sisted on the dismission and immediate recal 
 of the governor. The states replied by their 
 envoy at London. They complained of the 
 menacing tone of the memorial, as more vehe- 
 ment than became the respect due to an 
 independent povi'er, united to England, for 
 so many years, by the ties of mutual friend- 
 ship. They disavowed, however, the conduct 
 of the governor, and acquainted his majesty, 
 tiiat they Irad recalled admiral Van Graaf, 
 that he mielit render an account of his conduct. 
 It does not appear, however, that he was 
 suspended. 
 
 In America, the army under general sir 
 William Howe was unable to take the field 
 early in the summer, for want of the necessary 
 camp equipage, which did not arrive until 
 the latter end of May. In the mean time, a 
 detachment of 300 men, under the command 
 of lieutenant-colonel Rird, was sent up tlie 
 North river, to destroy a very large magazine, 
 vphich the Americans had collected at Peek's 
 Kill, 50 miles from York Island. Considerable 
 stores of rum, molasses, flour, provisions, and 
 military stores, were destroyed. A month 
 after, major-general Tryon, governor of New 
 York, at the' head of 1800 men, penetrated 
 into the province of Connecticut, and destroyed 
 two large magazines deposited at Dan bury 
 and Ridefield. In destroying the magazines, 
 the towns were also reduced to ashes. The 
 American general Wooster was killed in a 
 skirmish on the return of the party. These 
 successes, previous to the operiing of the cam- 
 paign, tended to support the hopes of the 
 nation, but do not appear to have had any 
 visible effect on the operations of the main 
 American army. The confederates were not 
 backward, however, in retaliating these losses. 
 A body of troops, under colonel Meigs, who 
 had served with considerable reputation in 
 the expedition against Quebec, embarked in 
 whale-boats at Connecticut, and proceeded 
 to the dast side of Lung Island, to a place 
 called Sagg Harbour, where a quantity of 
 forage, grain, and necessaries, was collected 
 for the use of the army. A company of foot, 
 
 [chap. xxr. 
 
 ; and an armed schooner, d<efended the post, 
 i but were soon compelled to submtit, A 
 J number of small vessels, which lay in the 
 \ harbour, were burnt, and every thing on 
 I shore was destroyed. Another detachment 
 { from Providence, under colonel Briton, made 
 an incursion into Rhode Island, and carried 
 off by surprise general Prescot, the governor. 
 That officer had been, on a former occasion, 
 a prisoner to the Americans, on the taking of 
 St. John's on lake Champlain. The American 
 general Lee had been captured, in the pre- 
 ceding year, by colonel Harcourt, at the head 
 of a few dragoons ; and he was now exchanged 
 for governor Prescot. 
 
 In consequence of the British having re- 
 gained possession of the lakes, a design was 
 formed of making an irruption from Canada 
 into the northern colonies, and, by stretching 
 forward to Albany, to secure the entire navi- 
 gation of that river, which separates the north- 
 era fro:n the middle and southern states. A 
 very considerable armj', composed of British 
 and German troops, with the most ample 
 appointments, and a line train of artillery, was 
 destined to execute this important plan ; and 
 lieutenant-general Burgoyne, who had been 
 distinguished for his bravery, spirit, and suc- 
 cess, during the preceding war, in repelling 
 the attacks of the Spaniards on the kingdom 
 of Portugal, was appointed to the command. 
 With a view to hasten the return of the Ame- 
 ricans to obedience, a body of savages had 
 been engaged, by a profusion of presents, to 
 act as allies of the king of Great Britain, 
 against his colonies. Sir Guy Carleton now 
 quitted the goverinVienl of Canada, being suc- 
 ceeded in his command by general Hahlimand, 
 a native of Sweden. 
 
 The principal object of the southern army, 
 under sir William Howe, was the reduction 
 of Philadelphia. I'he American force opposed 
 to this design was commanded by general 
 WasJiington, who had likewise been promoted 
 to the rank of dictator. His army was esti- 
 mated by the British at 14,000 men ; but, in 
 all probability, did not amount to half that 
 number. Though congress had, in compliance 
 with the suggestions of Washington, voted a 
 standing army, they did not find the requisite 
 facility in raising troops. The luxuries en- 
 joyed in the British lines, joined to the temp- 
 tation of a large bounty offered by the general, 
 occasioned many desertions, and inspired fears.
 
 C!I\P. XXV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 329 
 
 of more. Wasliinjrton, 'however, occtipied a 
 very strong and ailvantageous camp iti the 
 Jerseys, and was materially assisted hy tiie 
 skill and hravery of many French officers, 
 among whom was the marquis Fayette, 
 nephew to M. de Noailies, the French am- 
 bassador at the court of London, who had 
 resided with his uncle for some time, and 
 who lived in the most unreserved intimacy 
 with many of the confidential servants of the 
 crown. Having ol)tained very important in- 
 formation concerning the plan of operations 
 for the campaign, particularly respecting the 
 northern array, he suddenly withdrew to 
 France, and, without communicating his in- 
 tentions to any of his relatives, or obtaining 
 leave of absence from his court, (which, as an 
 officer in the French service, was requisite,) 
 he embarked in a vessel bound to America, 
 to serve in the array commanded by Wash- 
 ington. 
 
 The Bj'itish general endeavoured by strata- 
 gem to induce the American commander to 
 quit his station, aware that, with so formidable 
 an enemy hanging on his rear, it would be 
 impossible for him to penetrate through the 
 Jerseys, and pass his army across the Dela- 
 ware, where the enemy had placed a corps 
 ready to dispute the passage. But the caution 
 of Washington was not to be eluded ; and 
 Howe, after having made a feint of retiring 
 from the American lines, which drew after 
 it no decisive consequence, was obliged to 
 relinquish his attempt, and, with great delay 
 and danger, to adopt a naw and distant plan 
 of operation, by embarking his army in trans- 
 ports, and proceeding to the place of destina- 
 tion by sea. On the '23rd of July, tiie main 
 army, consisting of 18,000 men, embarked, 
 leaving behind them 8500 at New York, and 
 3000 for the defence of "Rhode Island. 1'he 
 fleet arrived at the mouth of the Delaware on 
 the 30tl), and cuuld a landing have been 
 effected on the southern coast, near Wilming- 
 ton, the service would have received a most 
 essential benefit. But a number of floating 
 batteries, fire-ships, and fire-ralts, had been 
 collected by the enemy, which would have 
 endangered the destruction of the fleet during 
 the night. There were only eight or nine 
 pilots on board, and no boats capable of with- 
 standing the row-boats and gallies. These 
 circumstances rendered an attempt to land 
 extremely hazardous. The country also was 
 
 u u 
 
 marshy, and the roads formed upon narrow 
 causeways, intersected by creeks. These 
 difficulties and dangers determined the land 
 and naval commanders to proceed two degrees 
 southward, to the hay of Chesapeak ; but, in 
 their course, they were greatly impeded by 
 contrary winds. On the Kith of August the 
 whole fleet entered the bay, and proceeded 
 through a difficult and dangerous navigation 
 to the mouth of the river Elk, in which progress 
 the skill and activity of the admiral appeared 
 to great advantage. The whole army landed 
 in safety on the 25th. Washington, as soon 
 as the destination of the fleet was known, 
 (for the alarm had been spread from Boston 
 even to South Carolina,) passed the Delaware 
 with his army, consisting of 15,000 men, and 
 marched to cover Philadelphia. The two 
 armies approached each other at a small stream 
 called Brandy wine creek, which falls into the 
 Delaware, about twenty miles below the city. 
 After several movements on each side, sir 
 William Howe, by a masterly display of gene- 
 ralship, found a favourable opportunity for 
 attacking the American army. The Hessians, 
 who came first into action, behaved with such 
 intrepidity as nothing could re.sist. The 
 enemy, every where broken and dismayed, 
 fled. A few hours more day-light might have 
 annihilated their army ; but under cover of 
 the night, assisted by a knowledge of the 
 country, they retreated. No time appears to 
 have been lost in pursuing the fugitives, con- 
 sistent with the safety of the troops, in a 
 country rendered every where strong by 
 nature, hilly, and covered with wood, inter- 
 sected by ravines, creeks, and marshy grounds?, 
 where little or no knowledge can be obtained 
 by reconnoitering. Washington did every 
 thing becoming a skilful commander to impede 
 the progress of the victors ; but, unable to 
 protect the city, he abandoned it to its fate, 
 and retreated ten miles to the north of Ger- 
 mantown, whilst the combined army soon 
 after encamped at that village. The earl of 
 Cornwallis took possession of Philadelphia on 
 the "iOth of September. 
 
 In the mean time, lord Howe proceeded 
 with the fleet round to the Delaware; but an 
 unfortunate oversight had been committed, in 
 neglecting to take possession of a station on 
 the eastern side of the river, called Red Bank, 
 which the enemy afterwards fortified, and in 
 an unsuccessful attempt to dispossess them, 
 21
 
 330 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP XXV. 
 
 colonel Donop, of ihe Hessians, and many | its purpose, and penetrated to Albany ? Had 
 brave men, lost their lives. It was not until i that event taken place, terror alone must have 
 the loth ot' November that the navigation of > effected what force could not have done; no 
 the river was opened as high as the city, by I indications were shewn by the coloi)ists, when 
 the reduction of Mud Island, and the removal » their affairs wore the most disastrous appear- 
 o{ ihe c/tevaux-(le-/rize, in which service the ! ance, of a dispoi-ition lo yield unconditional 
 Augusta, a sixty gun ship, and a sloop, went i submission to this empire, and how was so 
 aground, and were destroyed. > extensive a country to be governed by the 
 
 A FEW days after the arrival of the king's I sword ? Every conquest weaken<<l tlie ope- 
 troops at Philadelphia, general Washington > rating force equally with a defeat ; but such 
 formed a design of surprising the army at ; a regidar course of events was not destined to 
 Germaiitown, and early in the morning of tlie | take ^place, and it is now necessary to speak 
 4th of October, attacked the outposts with ; of the expedition from Canada, and to follow 
 great fury. The intrepid behaviour of lieu- ; the northern army in its progress, 
 tenant-colonel Musgrave stopped the advances ; The war upon the side of Canada and the 
 of the assailants, and gave time for njajor- ; lakes was committed to the charge of lieute- 
 general Grey, who had been apprised of the ; nant-general Burgoyne ; an officer, whose 
 attack by sir William Howe, to march a body ; ability was unquestioned, and whose spirit 
 of troops to their relief, and the army being i of enterprise, and thirst for military glory, 
 quickly assembled, the Americans were driven 5 liowever rivalled, could not possibly be ex- 
 back with great slaughter. ^ ceeded. 
 
 The army was now plentifully supplied ; This appointment, however palliated or 
 M'ith provisions from the adjacent country, | justified by the propriety or supposed neces- 
 the farmers preferring that market to any I sity of the governor's constant residence in 
 other, because the only one where they could 5 his province, could not fail of being sensibly 
 receive payment for their commodities in gold | felt, and could scarcely be supposed not to 
 and silver. They had the farther advantage | give umbrage to general Carleton, to whose 
 of providing themselves and families with a j abilities and resolution this nation in general 
 variety of necessary articles, which could I acknowledged, and the world attributed, the 
 only be had in those places which were pos- \ preservation of Canada. It was said, that his 
 sessed by the British army and navy. It is j powers had been diminished in proportion to 
 supposed that Washington, through policy, \ the greatness of his services. His military 
 connived at this kind of commerce, knowing \ command extended before to every part of 
 that an influx of gold and silver was strength- i America, whither he might find it fitting to 
 ening his country in a most important point. \ conduct the army under his direction. It was 
 The noble, populous, and wealthy city of 5 now suddenly restrained to the narrow limits 
 Philadelphia, was now subdued; but the i of his own province. He had, said his friends, 
 rebel army remained unbroken. It was even | in the preceding campaign, not only driven 
 augmented in numbers, improved in discipline, I the enemy out of Canada, but a great naval 
 habituated to service, and though degraded } armament had been formed, the enemy's force 
 by a defeat and a repulse, yet secure in the i on lake Champlain destroyed, and Crown 
 persuasion, that the nature of their country ; Point recovered, under his authority. The 
 Avonld ever protect them from a decisive over- | lateness of the season only prevented him 
 throw. Such successes, on the part of Great : from attacking Ticonderago, and immediately 
 Britain, coidd yield little rational hopes of ; prosecuting the war 10 the southward. He 
 tnal triumph in the war against America, even i had, during the winter, exerted his usual 
 if conquests should continue to spread in the | industry, and applied his military skill and 
 like gradual manner as they had done during i judgmentMn the forwarding of every prepara- 
 two campaigns. But such an expectancy, so « tion, which might conduce to the success of 
 short of the sanguine views entertained in | the ensuing campaign.^ At the opening of the 
 Eni^land, was entirely vain. From whence | communication with England, instead of the 
 could the force be drawn, that should carry | reinforcement which he had required and 
 on an active war during the next campaign, : expected, for the completion of his purpose, 
 «upposing the northern army had accomplished I he received an arrangement totally new
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 331 
 
 wliicli, as it had been framed without any 
 reference to his judgment, or attention to his 
 approbation, left notliing- to his discretion or 
 opinion in the execution. Two expeditions 
 were to be formed, in each of which, the 
 number and nature of the troops to be em- 
 ployed, the particular service of each corps, 
 •with its subdivisions,' And the smallest detach- 
 ment to be made from it, had been minutely 
 and precisely specified by the minister. He 
 ■was not even consulted as to the number or 
 nature of the troops, which were to remain in 
 hia hands, for the defence or security of 
 Canada. In a word, the army which he had 
 lately commanded, was taken out of his, and 
 placed in other hands ; and officers who lately 
 acted under his direction, were, by a detrac- 
 tion from his authority, virtually placed in 
 independent commands ; for their instructions 
 to put themselves under the orders of sir 
 William Howe, seemed little more than mock- 
 ery, as that general had informed sir Guy 
 Carleton, that the concerted operations of the 
 campaign, on his side, would lead him io such 
 a distance, as to render any communication of 
 that nature impracticable. 
 
 That the governor felt and understood this 
 arrangement and these disappointments, in tiie 
 manner 1 have related, is evident, from the 
 immediate resignation of his government, 
 which then took place ; but as the notification, 
 the appointment of another, and the passage 
 of his successor from Europe, were all works 
 of time, he was still, however ungrateful the 
 task, obliged to continue in the exercise of 
 his office, during a longer period than that of 
 which I am treating. 
 
 Under these circmnstances, and in tliis 
 trying and difficult situation, he endeavoured 
 to shew, that resentment could not warp him 
 from his duty, and he applied himself, with 
 the same diligence and energy, to forward by 
 every possible means, and to support in all 
 its parts, the expedition, as if the arrangement 
 was entirely his own. This conduct, however 
 praise-wortiiy, was uot less necessary, from 
 the peculiar nature of the service which was 
 to be performed ; a service, exceedingly coui- 
 plicate<l in the arrangement, uncommonly nu- 
 merous in the parts, and very im usual in 
 practice. It will not be difficult to conceive, 
 how effectually negligence, dislike, obstinacy, 
 or even a colourable and rational difl'crence of 
 opinion in some disputable points, might 
 
 u u 2 
 
 frustrate all the hopes founded upon such a 
 system. 
 
 Nothing of this sort intervened, to damp 
 the spirit or to defeat the success of the ex- 
 pedition. The preparations were carried on 
 witii vigour. 
 
 I HAVE before taken notice, that the minis- 
 ters, and more particularly the noble lord at 
 the head of the American department, were 
 not only particularly interested in the event, 
 but had founded the most sanguine hopes 
 upou the success of this expedition. Nothing 
 was accordingly left undone on their siicfe, 
 which, in proportion to the number of regular 
 troops that could be spared for tiiat particular 
 service, might conduce to give efficacy to 
 their operations. Besides, Canada (it was 
 hoped) would supply a warlike, though un- . 
 disciplined militia, well calculated for, and 
 acquainted with, the peculiar nature of the 
 service and country. 
 
 To strengthen and increase this irregular, 
 but necessary aid, arms and accoutrements 
 were amply provided, to suj)piy those nume- 
 rous loyalists, who were expected to join the 
 royal army, as soon as it approached or ptne- 
 trated the frontiers of the adjacent provinces. 
 As a powerful artillery is considered to be 
 the great and effective arm in an Anierican 
 war, where a numerous and undi.sciplined 
 enemy is to be continually attacked in difficult 
 posts, and driven out of woods and fastnesses, 
 so that this part of the service was particularly 
 attended to, and the brass train that was setit 
 out upon this expedition was perhaps the 
 finest, and probably the most excellently ^up- 
 plied as to officers and private men, that had 
 ever been allotted to second the operations of 
 any army, which did not far exceed the present 
 in number. 
 
 Besides these forces, several nations of 
 savages had been induced to come into the 
 field. This measure was defended upon the 
 supposed necessity of the case ; as if, from 
 their character, it was presumed, they could 
 not remain inactive, and, if not engaged in the 
 king's service, would have joined the Ame- 
 ricans. Whatever advantages were hoped 
 from them, general Carleton did not, in the 
 preceding year, make use of them ; and civilly 
 dismissed them at the close of the campaign, 
 on a promise of their appearing in the next» 
 if required. There was a good deal of dis- 
 cussion, how far he approved of tliPir ean>lojr-
 
 332 HISTORY OF' ENGLAND. (CHAP. XXT. 
 
 ment at all. The friends of ministry said, j to be confined entirely to the guilty ; but 
 that he had recommended and forwarded the j such was the lot and condition of mankind, 
 measure ; others said, that partly from hu- ; and this evil, however deplored, could not in 
 •inanity, partly from his forming a just estimate ; numberless instances be avoided or prevented, 
 of their services, and knowing by experience j This doctrine was supported by the avowed 
 the extent of their powers and ability in war, : friends of government, whether out of office, 
 he was unwilling to nse them, aware that they J or in the subordinate departments of the 
 were capricious, inconstant, and untractable. ; state ; it was also gen,^rally supposed to be 
 That, as their ideas of war and of courage i consonant to the opinions of the ministers, 
 were totally tlifl'erent from those of civilized < and that general Carleton's scruples upon this 
 nations, so, notwithstanding their ferocity of I point were by no means acceptable, 
 character, and the incredible specimens of; However this was, in the present arrange- 
 passive valour which they sometimes exhibited, 5 ment, the aid of the savages was considered 
 in cases adapted to their own opinions, they ! as a principal member of that force which was 
 not only abhorred, but dreaded, whatever is j destined to the prosecution of the northern 
 considered as fair and generous service among 5 war, and the governor of Canada was accord- 
 Europeans, when the contending parties ! ingly enjoined to use his utmost weight and 
 bravely seek, and are included in, one common ; iuHuence, in bringing the Indian nations for- 
 danger, trusting only for success to their supe- 5 ward in support of the expedition. His zeal 
 rior skill and courage. That their object and ; was as active in fulfilling this duty, as it was 
 design, in all wars, was not to fight, but to ; in every other which appertained to the present 
 murder; not to conquer, but to destroy. In i service. Nor was his success disproportioned 
 a word, that their service was uncertain, their ; to his zeal. Whether it proceeded from the 
 rapacity insatiate, their faith doubtful, and j governor's intiuence with the Indians, their 
 tlieir actions cruel and barbarous. | avidity to seize the presents which were now 
 
 Whatever his reasons were for not employ- } liberally distributed amongst them, from their 
 ing them in a more early and effectual manner, ; own innate thirst for war and plunder, or, 
 if it were in his power to do it as early and | more probably, from the joint operation of 
 effectually as was imagined, this conduct was | all these causes, their remote, as well as near 
 far from being generally approved of at home, j nations, poured forth their warriorc in sucli 
 Those who were particularly warm in their ; abundance, that he became at length appre- 
 zeal against the colonies, began somewhat to i hensive, that their numbers might rende. t'hem 
 forget their natural humanity in their anger, j an incumbrance, rather than an aid, tc the 
 They insisted, that every appearance of leni- i army. 
 
 ence, in such circumstances, was actual cruelty | The regular force allotted to the expedition 
 in the effect ; by acting as an incentive to ; conducted by general Burgoyne, consisting 
 disobedience, and increasing the objects of! of British and German troops, amounted to 
 punishment. That, on the contrary, ]>artial ; 7173 men, exclusive of the artillery corps, 
 severity was general mercy ; as timely exer- j Of these the German corps (consisting mostly 
 lions of justice, and strict inflictions of punish- ; of Brunswickers) amounted to 3217. The 
 ment, were at all times the sure means of j foi'ce required by that general, in the proposals 
 preventing crimes. That the only method of j which he laid before the minister, consisted of 
 speedily crushing the rebellion, was to render ; 8000 regulars, rank and file, besides tlie 
 the situation of the actors in it so intolerable, i artillery, a corps of watermen, 2000 Canadians, 
 that a cessation from danger, and the blessings ! including hatchetmen, and other workmen, 
 of repose, should become the only objects of j with 1000 or more savages. We have- no 
 their contemplation and hope. That the means ? certain information what numbers of these 
 were but little to be attended to, when they ! auxiliaries were in actual service upon the 
 led to the accomplishment of so great and ; expedition. ', 
 
 happy a purpose as the destruction of rebellion, ! Canada was largely rated, and its ihha- 
 and the restoration of order and legal govern- j bilants must have sensibly felt the proportion 
 ment. And that in all convulsions of states, ; which they were allotted to contribute towards 
 the innocent were too frequently involved in |. this service, in the proposals laid before the 
 the calamities which were intended or wished i minister, besides the militia, and various
 
 CHAP. XXV. J GEORGE III. 333 
 
 species of workmen supposed necessary to be \ Highland emigrants under that denomination, 
 immediately attached to the army, and to I amounted to about 3700 men. 
 accompany it on the expedition, "chains of \ The army being at length arrived, and en- 
 their militia, patroles, and post<, were expect- I camped at the river Boquet, on the west side 
 cd to occupy the woods on the frontiers, in J of lake Champlain, and at no very great 
 the rear of the army, partly to intercept the } distance to the northward of Crown Point, 
 communication between the enemy and the | general Burgoyne there met the Indians in 
 ill-affected in Canada, partly to prevent i congress, and afterwards, in compliance with 
 desertion, and to procure intelligence, and for i the customs of those people, gave them a war 
 various other duties necessary towards keep- \ feast. The speech, which he made to the 
 ing the country in quiet. Another great call j savages on this occasion, has been published, 
 upon them was for workmen, to complete the | It was calculated, in those powerful .strains of 
 fortitications at Sorrel, St. John's, Chamblee, ; elocution by which the general was distin- 
 and Isle au Noix, which it was supposed i guished, to excite their ardour in ihe common 
 would amount to 2000 men. A still greater \ cause, and at the same time to repress their 
 call upon the Canadians, and the more griev- i barbarity. For this purpose, he took pain's 
 ous, as it was at their seed-sowing season, | in explaining to them the distinction betweei 
 was for the transport of all the provisions, ; a war carried on against a common enemy, in 
 artillery-stores, and baggage of the army, | which the whole country and people were 
 from the different repositories to the water, j hostile, and the present, in which good and 
 and afterwards at the carrying places, besides j faithful subjects were largely, and of necessity, 
 the corvees for making the roads. It was 5 intermixed with rebels and traitors. Upon 
 estimated that this service would, for some | tliis principle he laid down sever"! injunctions 
 time before, and at the opening of the cam- ; for the government of their con,|-',<;l, particu- 
 paign, require no less than 2000 men, besides i laily, that they should only kill those who 
 a very large portion of horses and carts. j were opposed to them in arms; that old men, 
 
 General Burgoyne was seconded by able | women, children, and prisoners, should be 
 and excellent officers. Of these major-general > held sacred from the knife or hatchet, even in 
 Phillips of the artillery, who had gained such ! the heat of actual conflict ; that they should 
 distinguished renown by his conduct in that | only scalp those whom they had slain in foir 
 service, during the late war in Germany, j opposition ; that under no pretence, *;ubtlety, 
 deserves to be particularly mentioned. He ! or colour of prevarication, they should scalp 
 was likewise assisted by the brigadier-generals ; the wounded, or even dying, much less kill 
 Frazer, Powel, and Hamilton, all distinguished I persons in that condition, by way of evading 
 officers, \\iith the Brunswick major-general ' the injunction. And they were promised a 
 baron Reidesel, and brigadier-general Speeht. ;. compensation of prisoners ; but informed, that 
 The army was, in every respect, in the best con- ! they should be called to account for scalps, 
 dition thatcould possibly beexpected or wished, ; These endeavours did in some measure miti- 
 ihe troops being in tiie highest spirits, admira- I gate, lint were not of force, wholly to restrain 
 bly disciplined, and uncommonly healthy. * ; their ferocity, of which some unhappy instances 
 
 The detachment on the expedition (o the | afterwards appeared. 
 Mohawk river, under colonel St. Leger, did ; The general soon after dispersed a maui- 
 not probably exceed 700 or 800 men, consist- ; festo, calculated to spread terror among the 
 ing of 200 drawn from the 8th and 34th regi- ! contumacious, and particularly to revive in 
 meats, a regiment of New Yorkers, lately ; their minds every latent impression of feai* 
 raised by, and under the command of, sir i derived from knowledge or information of the 
 John Johnson, being mostly emigrants from j cruel operations of the savages, whose num- 
 bis own country, adjoining to the intended i bers were accordingly magnified, and their 
 scene of action, with someHanau chasseurs, j eagerness to be let loose to their prey, de- 
 a company of Canadians, and another of; scribed with uncommon energy. The force 
 newly-raised rangers; these were joined by ; of that great power, which was now spread 
 a strong body of savages, in part conducted j by sea and land, to embrace or to crush every 
 by a number of British and Americans. The ; part of America, was displayed in full, lofty, 
 regular force left in Canada, including the i and expressive language. The rebellion, with
 
 ^4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXV. 
 
 its effects, and the conduct of the pres< nt ; hill, to which they gave the name of Mount 
 governors and govm-uments, were charged > Independence. On the sumniil of (iiis, which 
 •with the highest colouring, and exhibited a ; is tahle-land, they had erected a slar-fort, 
 most hideous picture of unparalleled injustice, I inclosing a large square of barracks, well 
 cruelty, persecution, and tyranny. Encou- j fortified and supplied with artillery. The 
 xageinent and employment were assured to | foot of a mountain, which on the west side 
 those, who, with a disposition and ability I projected into the water, was strongly en- 
 suited to the purpose, should actually assist j trenched to its edge, and the entrencJinieiit 
 in redeeming their country from slavery, and | well lined with heavy artillery. A battery 
 in the re-establishment of legal government. J about half way up the mount, sustained and 
 Protection and security, clogged with condi- j covered their lower works, 
 tions, restricted by circumstances, and rather « The Americans, with their usual industry, 
 imperfectly or inexplicitly expressed, were ; had joined these two posts by a bridge of 
 held out to the peaceable and industrious, i communication, thrown over the inlet. This 
 ■who continued in their habitation. And all | was, like many other of their performances, 
 the calamities and outrages of war, arrayed in ! a great and most laborious work. The bridge 
 their most terrific forms, were denounced | was supported on 22 sunken piers, of very 
 against those who persevered in their hostility. \ large dimensions, placed at nearly equal dis- 
 The array, having made a short stay at | tances ; the spaces between these were filled 
 Crown Point, for the establishment of maga- } with separate floats, each about fifty feet long 
 zines, an hospital, and other necessary ser- 5 and twelve wide, strongly fastened together 
 vices, proceeded, in concert with the naval ; with chains and rivets, and as effectually 
 armament, to invest Ticonderoga, which was \ attached to sunken pillars. On the lake 
 the first object of their destination. Although j Champlain side of the bridge, it was defended 
 the rash and ill-conducted attempt made upon ! by a boom, composed of very large pieces of 
 that place, in the year 1758, with the conse- j timber, fastened together by rivetted bolts and 
 quent repulse and heavy loss sustained by i double chains, made of iron an inch and half 
 the British army, rendered it at that time an ! square. Thus, not only a communication was 
 cbject of general attention, it may not, at this ; maintained between these two posts, but all 
 distance of time, be wholly unnecessary to J access by water, from the northern side, was 
 take some notice of its situation, as well as of « totally cut off. 
 
 its state of defence. * ! It is to be observed, that as the inlet, imme- 
 
 TicoNDEROGA lies on the western shore, '| d lately after passing Ticonderoga, assumes a 
 
 and only a few miles to the northward from j new form, suddenly widening to a consider- 
 
 the commencement, of that narrow inlet, by » able breadth, and becoming navigable to 
 
 which the water from lake George is conveyed j vessels of burden ; so from thence it also 
 
 to lake Champlain. Crown Point lies about ! holds the name of Champlain, although it is 
 
 a dozen miles farther north, at the extremity | not yet properly a part of the lake. On the 
 
 of that inlet. The first of these places is ; other hand, the southern girt from lake George, 
 
 situated on an angle of land, which is sur- i besides being narrow, is also rendered unnavi- 
 
 rounded on three sides by water, and that { gable by shallows and falls ; but, on its 
 
 covered by rocks. A great part of the fourth ! arrival at Ticonderoga, it is joined by a great 
 
 side was covered by a deep morass ; and, | body of water on the eastern side, called, in 
 
 where that fails, the old French lines still ; this part. South river, but higher up, towards 
 
 continued, as a defence on the north-west ^ its source, before the junction of the elder 
 
 quarter. The Americans strengthened these | branch with the younger, which runs from 
 
 lines with additional works, and a block-house. ; South bay, it is known under the appellation 
 
 They had other posts, with works and block- 1 of Wood Creek. The confluence of these 
 
 houses, on the left, towards lake George. To ; waters at Ticonderoga, forms a small bay to 
 
 the right of the French lines they had also two i the southward of the bridge of communication ; 
 
 new block-houses, with other works. ; and the point of land formed by their junction 
 
 On the eastern shore of the inlet, and oppo- ; is composed of a mountain called Sugar Hill. 
 8ite to Ticonderoga, the Americans had taken i Notwithstanding the apparent strength 
 still more pains in fortifying a high circular | of Ticonderoga, from what we have hitherto
 
 CHAP. XXX.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 3.5o 
 
 seen, it is euiircly overlooked, ami its works 
 effectually commanded by Sugar Hill. This 
 cirjcumstance occasioned a consultation among 
 the Americans, as to the fortifying of that 
 mount ; but tlieii works were already far too 
 extensive for their powers of defence, and 
 would require ten or twelve thousand men, 
 to be effectually manned. It was likewise 
 hoped, that the difficulty of access to the 
 Sugar Mount, and the savage inequality of 
 its surface, would prevent the enemy from 
 attempting- to profit by its situation. It would 
 be exceedingly difficult fo form an authentic 
 estimate of the number of Americans that 
 were in the actual defence of these two posts. 
 It appears by the commander-in-chief, general 
 St. Clair's exculpatory letter to the congress, 
 as well as by the resolutions of the council of 
 war, which accompanies it, that his whole 
 force, including 900 militia, who were to quit 
 him in a few days, was only about 3000 men ; 
 that these were ill equipped, and worse armed, | 
 particularly in the article of bayonets, a wea- $ 
 pon so essential in the defence of lines, that 5 
 they had not one to ten of their number. This » 
 account would seem not only satisfactory, but 5 
 conclusive, if it had not been contradicted by • 
 others. In a detail of the transactions of the \ 
 campaign, transmitted by the war-office of; 
 Massachusetts bay to the American deputies ; 
 in France, and for the conveyance of which I 
 a light ship was sent out on purpose, they « 
 state St. Clair's force at near 5000 men, well \ 
 equipped and armed. It is, however, to be I 
 observed, that they talk with great bitterness } 
 of that general's conduct, as he had done, in \ 
 his first letter to congress, with respect to the ; 
 behaviour of two of their regiments. It may i 
 also be supposed, that, in a statement of their j 
 affairs, intended to operate upon the sentiments I 
 and conduct of a court, from which they ; 
 already received essential benefits, and looked j 
 forward to much greater, they would rather > 
 increase the weight of blame upon an unfor- > 
 tunate officer, than detract from the public i 
 opinion of their own conduct and power, by * 
 attributing weakness to their councils, or in- i 
 efficacy to their arms. j 
 
 As the royal army approached to the object | 
 of its destination, it advanced, with equal I 
 caution and order, on both sides of the lake, i 
 the naval force keeping its station in the centre, > 
 until the one had begun to enclose the enemy I 
 on the laud side, and the frigates and gun- » 
 
 boats, cast anchor just out of cannon-slujt 
 from their works. Upon the near ap])roacli 
 of the right wing on the Ticonderoga side, 
 upon the 2nd of July, the Americans immedi- 
 ately abandoned and set fire to their works, 
 block-houses, and saw-mills, towards lake 
 George ; and, without any interruption, or the 
 smallest motion of diversion, permitted major- 
 general Phillips to take possession of the very 
 advantageous post of Mount Hope, wliicii, 
 besides commanding their lines in a great and 
 dangerous degree, totally cut off their commu- 
 nication with that lake. The same supineness 
 and total want of vigour appeared in every 
 thing on their side, except in the keeping up 
 of an ineffectual roar of cannon, which was 
 so much contei-nned on the other, as not to 
 be once returned. 
 
 In the meanwhile, the royal army 
 proceeded with such expedition in the 
 construction of its works, the bringing up of 
 artillery, stores, and provisions, ai>d the estab- 
 lishment of its posts and communic-ations, that 
 by the 5th, matters were so far advanced, as 
 to require little more time for completely in- 
 vesting the posts on both sides of the lake. 
 Sugar Hill was also examined, and the ad 
 vantages it presented were so im^jortant, 
 though attended with infinite labour and 
 difficulty, from the necessity of making a road 
 to its top through very rough ground, and 
 constructing a level there for a battery, tiiat 
 this arduous task was undertaken, and already 
 far advanced towards its completion, through 
 the spirit, judgment, and active industry of 
 general Phillips. 
 
 In these circumstances, a hasty council was 
 on that day held by the American generals, 
 to which their principal went, as he informs 
 us, already pre-determined as to his conduct. 
 It was represented, that their whole effective 
 numbers were not sufficient to man one halt 
 cf the works ; that as the whole must conse- 
 quently be upon constant duty, it would be 
 impossible for them to sustain the fatigue for 
 any length of time ; and that, as the enemy's 
 batteries were ready to open, and the place 
 would be completely invested on all sides 
 within 2i hours, nothing could save the troops, 
 but an immediate evacuation of both posts. 
 This determination was unanimously agreed 
 to by the council, and the place was accord- 
 ingly evacuated on that nigU 
 
 However justly fiiis lepresentatiouof their
 
 330 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXV. 
 
 condition and circumstances was founded, i the morning. Several regiments embarked ou 
 and however necessary the determination of! board the vessels, and the pursuit up the 
 the council was in the present state of their J river was supported with such vigour, that 
 affairs, one apparently capital error, on the i by three o'clock in the afternoon, the foremost 
 side of the commanders, must strike every ! brigade of the gun-boats was closely engaged 
 common observer. If their force was not I with the enemj's gallies near Skenesborough 
 sufficient for the defence of the works, why ; Falls. In the mean time, three regiments, 
 did they not form this resolution in time? ; which had been landed at South Bay, ascend- 
 Why did they not withdraw the troops, artil- i ed and passed a mountain with great exj>e- 
 lery, and stores, and demolish the works before ; dition, in order to attack the enemy's works 
 the arrival of the enemy ? Why did they wait | at the falls, and thereby cut off their retreat, 
 to be nearly surrounded, until their retreat > But their speedy flight prevented the execu- 
 v/as more ruinous than a surrender, under any ; tion of that design. Upon the approach of 
 conditions that could be proposed, and little | the frigates, the gallies, which were already 
 less destructive in the event, than if the works j overborne by the gun-boats, lost all spirit ; 
 had been carried by storm ? | two of them were accordingly taken, and 
 
 The baggage of the army, with such artil- j three blown up. The rebels, now giving way 
 lery, stores, and provisions, as the necessity t to their despair, set tire to their works, stock- 
 of the time would permit, were embarked with I aded fort, mills, and batteaux, after which 
 a strong detachment on board above 200 $ tliey escaped as well as they could up the 
 batteaux, and dispatched under convoy of 1 Wood Creek. This stroke seemed to corn- 
 five armed gallies, up the South river, in their j plete the ruin of their ill-tated army, for the 
 way to Skenesborough. The main army took ; batteaux were deeply loaded, besides their 
 its route by the way of Castletown, to reach S baggage, with ammunition, stores, and pro- 
 the same place by land. | visions; so that they were now left naked in 
 
 The first light of the morning iiad no sooner | the woods, destitute of provision, and without 
 discovered the flight of the enemy, than their \ any other means of defence than what they 
 main body was eagerly pursued by brigadier- i derived from the arms in their bands. Con- 
 general Frazer, at the head of his brigade, | fusion and dismay equally attended their main 
 consisting of the light troops, grenadiers, and \ body on the left. The soldiers had lost all 
 some other- coi;ps. Major-general Reidesel { confidence in their commanders, and it was 
 was also ordered to join in the pursuit by land, I useless to expect resolution, where neither 
 w.ith the greater part of the Brunswick troops, \ order nor obedience could be maintained, 
 either to support the brigadier, or to act sepa- \ Brigadier-general Frazer, being detached 
 rately, as occasion might require, or circ'um- 1 in pursuit of the fugitives by land from Mount 
 stances direct. The enemy left a prodigious l Independence, overtook their rear, consisting 
 artillery behind them, which, with those taken j of 1300 chosen troops, under ihe command of 
 or destroyed in the armed vessels at Skenes- \ colonel Fiancis, and commenced an engage- 
 borough, amounted to no less than 128 pieces, \ raent near Huberton, though greatly inferior 
 of all sorts, serviceable and unserviceable. \ in number. The arrival of some Germans, 
 They also left some military stores of different | under general Reidesel, who, by a feint, made 
 sorts.and no inconsiderable stock of provisions, | his force seem greater than it really was, de- 
 in the forts. I citled the day. The Americans precipitately 
 
 General Burgoyne conducted the purs.uit ! fled. Their commander, with several other 
 by water in person. That bridge and those 5 officers, and 200 men, were killed, a similar 
 works, which the Americans had laboured ; number captured, and 600 are supposed to 
 hard for leu months to render impenetrable, i have died of their wounds undiscovered in the 
 were cut through in less time by the British ; woods. Another division of the garrison was 
 seamen and artificers, than it would have cost ; pursyed by colonel Hill, who routed them 
 them to have described their structure. In a i with great slaughter, compelling them to re- 
 word, they did their business with such speed j treat to the heights of fort Edward, after 
 and effect, that not only the gun-boats, but I setting fire to fort Anne. Tlie destruction of 
 the Royal George and Inflexiliic frigates, had | gallies and batteaux of the Americans, and 
 passed through the bridge by nine o'clock in [ the defeat of their rear, obliged general St.
 
 CHAP. XXV. 1 GEORGE III. 337 
 
 Clair, in order to avoid being placed between j without delay. Nunierons parties were also 
 two fires, to change the route of his main body, j em|)loyed in bringing off the public stores, 
 and to turn off'from Castletown to the left. J and in foiling trees, to obstruct the progress 
 After a fatiguing and distressing march of j of the royal army. At first an universal panic 
 seven days, he joined general Schuyler at fort » intimidated the inhabitants, but they soon 
 Edward. Their combined forces, inclusive ; recovered ; the laws of self-preservation ope- 
 ofthe militia, not exceeding in the whole 4400 J rated in their full force, and difllused a general 
 men, were, not long after, on the approach of ; activity through the adjacent states. The 
 general fiurgoyne, compelled to retire further ! formalities of covening, draughting, and offi- 
 into the country bordering on Albany. The ; cering the militia, were in many instances dis- 
 roj'.al armj', after these successes, continued | pensed with. Hundreds seized their firelocks, 
 for some days in Skenesborough, wailing for ! and marched at the general' call, without 
 their tents, baggage, and provision. The ; waiting for the orders of their immediate com- 
 troops were for sometime employed in opening ; manders. The terror excited by the Indians, 
 a road, and clearing a creek, to favour their > instead of disposing the inhabitants to court 
 advance, and to open a passage for the con- ; the protection of the English, had a contrary 
 veyance of their stores. A par.ty of the royal ; etlect. Tlie friends of the royal cause, as well 
 army, which had been left behind at Ticon- « as its enemies, suffered from their indiscrinii- 
 derago, (or Ticonderoga) was equally indns- 5 nate barbarities. Among other instances, the 
 trious in carrying gun-boats, provisions, ves- < murder of Miss M. Crea excited an universal 
 sels, and batteaux, over land, into lake George. ; horror. This young lady, in the innocence of 
 The most severe and unremitting labour was I youth, and the bloom of beauty, the daughter 
 required from the> troops ; but, stimulated as ; of a steady loyalist, and affianced to a British 
 they were by future hopes and past successes, ; officer, was, on the very day of her intended 
 they disregarded toil and danger. The in- > nuptials, massacred by the savage auxiliaries 
 tricate combination of land and water car- 1 attached to the British army. The feeble aid 
 riage, together with the insufficient means ofj which the royal army received from its Indian 
 transportation, and excessive rains, caused > reinforcements, was infinitely overbalanced by 
 such delay, that, at the end of 15 days, there ; the odium it brought on the British cause, and 
 were not more than 14 days' provisions brought « the determined spirit of opposition excited by 
 forward, nor above 10 batteaux in the river. ; the dread of their atrocities. An American 
 At length, after incredil'le labour and fatigue, > army was speedily poured forth from their 
 general Burgoyne and tlie army under his ; woods and mountains. When those who had 
 command reached, on the 30th of July, fort i begun the retreat were nearly wasted away, 
 !„-_ Edward, on Hudson's river, to the in- ! the enthusiasm of the country immediately 
 expressible relief and exultation of his ; supplied their place with a much greater and 
 troops. 5 more formidable force; and it was early con- 
 
 TuE discomfited and retreating army of the > jectured, that the English array, by pushing 
 Americans was reduced to 2700 men ; but, ; indiscreetly forward, would be so entangled, 
 placed between the iniiabitants and the British ; as to fight or retreat under the most inaus- 
 general, they formed a point of rendezvous, ; picious circumstances. From the combined 
 and abated the panic of the people. Tlicir ; influence of these causes, the America'n army 
 exertions verified the observation of St. Clair, « soon amounted to upwards of 1,3,000 men. 
 on abandoning Ticonderoga, that he had lost i Besides the array of general Burgoyne, a 
 a post, but saved a state. Burgoyne having ; body of troops, consi.sliug of 700 men, with » 
 issued a proclamation, requiring deputations ; party of Indians, commanded by lieutenant- 
 of ten persous from each township, to attend | colonel St. Leger, proceeded by the Mohawk 
 him at Skenesborough, Schuyler published a ! river, and invested fort Stanwix, which was 
 counter-proclamation, reciting with exaggera- ; connnanded by colonel Ganzevoort, a name 
 tion the violences committed by the British i which deserves to be transmitted to posterity, 
 army in New Jersey, exhorting the people not ; for the unshaken firmness with which he de- 
 to attend to the promises of the general, on i fended the place. A body of Americans 
 pain of l)eing considered in the light of trai- | advancing to its relief, were defeated by a 
 tors, and commanding the militia to join him 5 party of Indians, but several of their most 
 
 XX 22
 
 338 MI8T0RY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXT. 
 
 respected warriors fell in the action ; a cir- 1 laying waste the adjacent country. The 
 cumstance which, together with the restraints | Americans destroyed fort Constitution, and 
 that had been laid on their savage thirst of; also set fire to two new frigates and some 
 hlood, impressed them with a hearty abhor- 1 other vessels. General Tryon, at the same 
 rence of the service. St. Leger in vain at- i time, destroyed a settlement called Continental 
 tempted, by the offer of advantageous terms, \ Village, which contained barracks for 1500 
 and by threats of utter extirpation, in case of I nien, besides many stores. Sir James Wallace, 
 obstinate perseverance, to gain possession of < with a flying squadron of light frigates, and 
 the place, and the approach of Arnold, with i general Vaughan, with a detachment of land 
 a considerable army, obliged him at length to j forces, continued on and near the river for 
 reitire from the fort. The defection of the 5 several days, desolating the country uear its 
 Indians, an.d the approach of the enemy, i margin. General Vaughan so completely 
 obliged St. Leger to retire to Canada, and > burned Esopus, a fine and flourishing village, 
 abandon general Burgoyne, who, after crossing I that a single house was not left standing, 
 the Hudson river, advanced along its side, and \ though on his approach the Americans had 
 in four days encamped on the heights, about ; left the town without making any resistance, 
 two miles from general Gates's camp, which I In the n)eantime. Gates posted 1400 men 
 was three miles above Still-water. The Ame- ; on the heights opposite the fords of Saratoga, 
 ricans came out to meet the advancing British, ; and 2000 n)ore in the rear, to prevent a retreat 
 and engaged them with firmness and resolu- 1 to fort Edward, and 1500 at a ford higher up. 
 tion. The conflict continued for five hours, ^ Burgoyne received intelligence of these move- 
 without intermission. Several of the Ame- ; menfs, and concluded from them, especially 
 ricans placed themselves in high trees, and as » the last, that Gates meant to turn his right, 
 often as they could distinguish an officer's } This, if effected, would have entirely enclosed 
 uniform, took him off by deliberately aiming i him ; to avoid being hemmed in, he resolved 
 at his person. The English remained masters | on an immediate retreat to Saratoga. His 
 of the field, and the Americans retired in 5 hospital, with the sick and wounded, was 
 good order. ; necessarily left behind ; but they were re- 
 
 The perilous situation of the northern army \ commended to the humanity of general. Gates, 
 being known, by this tinije, at New York, sir \ and received from him every indulgence their 
 Henry Clinton, with a considerable body of 5 situation required. When general Burgoyne 
 troops, embarked in armed gallies and small i arrived at Saratoga, he found that the Ame- 
 Tessel?, and, accompanied by some frigates \ ricans had opposed a considerable force, on 
 under the command of commodore Hotham, 5 the opposite heights, to prevent his passage 
 proceeded up Hudson's river, with a view | at that ford. In order to prepare the way for 
 of gaining Albany, After making many feints, $ a retreat to lake George, general Burgoyne 
 he landed at Stony Point, marched across the i ordered a detachment of artificers, with a 
 mountains to fort Montgomery, and attacked 5 strong escort of British and provincials, to 
 the different redoubts. The garrison, com- 1 repair the bridges a.ul road leading thither, 
 manded by governor Clinton, a brave and in- j Part of the escort was withdrawn on other 
 telligent officer, made a gallant resistance ; ; duty, and the remainder, on a slight attack of 
 but the works on the land side were untenable, ; an inconsiderable j)arty of Americans, ran 
 and at the close of day, the British entere»i ; away. The workn)en, thus left without sup- 
 the fort with fixed bayonets. The loss on 5 port, were unable to effect the business upon 
 neither side was great ; governor Clinton, \ which they had been sent. The only prac- 
 general James Clinton, and most of the officers | ticable route of retreat, which now remained, 
 and men effected their escape under cover of 5 was by a night-march to fort Edward. Before 
 a thick smoke, and a darkness that suddenly j this attempt could be made, sco-uts returned 
 prevailed. i with intelligence, that the Americans were 
 
 The reducl'on of this post furnished the i entrenched opposite to those fords, on the 
 British with an opportunity for opening a i Hudson's river, over which it was proposed to 
 passage up the North river; but, instead of! pass, and that they were also in force on the 
 pushing forward to Burgoyne's encampment, ; liigh ground between fort Edward and fort 
 or even to Albany, they spent several days in i George ; they had, at the same time, parlies
 
 CHAP. XXV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 336 
 
 down the whole shore and posts, so near as ; 
 to observe every motion of the royal army. I 
 Their position nearly extended round the > 
 British, and was, by the nature of tiie ground, I 
 defended in a great measure from the attacks. | 
 The royal army could not stand its ground | 
 where it was, from want of means necessary i 
 for its subsistence ; nor could it advance j 
 towards Albany, without attacking a force 
 g*eatly its superior in number; nor could it 
 retreat, without making good its way over a 
 river in face of a strong party, advantageously 
 posted on the opposite side. In case of either 
 attempt, the Americans were so near as to 
 discover every movement, and by means of 
 their bridge could bring their whole force to 
 operate. 
 
 Truly distressing was the condition of the 
 royal army. Abandoned in the most critical 
 moment by their Indian allies — unsupported 
 by their brethren in New York — weakened 
 by the tin)idity and desertion of the Canadians 
 —worn down by a series of incessant efforts 
 —and greatly reduced in their numbers by 
 repeated battles, they were invested by an 
 army nearly three times their number, without 
 a possibility of retreat, or of replenishing 
 tlieir exhausted stork of provisions. A con- 
 tinual cannonade pervaded their camp, and 
 rifle and grape-shot fell in many parts of their 
 lines ; they nevertheless retained a great share 
 of fortitude. 
 
 In the mean time, the American army was 
 hourly increasing ; and, as no prospect of 
 assistance appeared, and the provisions of the 
 English forces were nearly expended, general 
 Burgoyne thought proper, on the evening of 
 the 13lh of October, to take an account of 
 the remaining supplies. It was found on 
 enquiry, that the means of subsistence would, 
 not last more than three days. In this state 
 of distress a council of war was called, of the 
 generals, field-ofiicers, and captains, who 
 concurred unanimously in the opinion, that 
 their present situation justified a capitulation 
 on honourable terms. A messenger was 
 therefore dispatched to general Gates who 
 demanded, in the first instance, that the royal 
 army should surrender prisoners of war, and 
 proposed that the British should ground their 
 arms ; but general Burgoyne replied, 7V«s 
 condilion is inadmissible in every exlremiti/ ; 
 sooner than this army will consent to ground 
 their arms in their encampment, they will rush 
 
 X X 2 
 
 on the enemy, determined to take no quarter. 
 After various messages a convention was 
 arranged, by which the British troops were 
 allowed to march out with all the hononrs of 
 war, and their camp artillery, to a (ixed place, 
 where they were to deposit their arms, and 
 were allowed a free navigation to Europe, from 
 Boston, upon condition of their not serving in 
 America during the war. According to the 
 account of the provincials, the whole number 
 of killed, wounded, found in the hospitals, 
 and taken prisoners, from the Glh of July to 
 the unfortunate 17th of October, was upwards 
 of 9213 men. Upon this memorable occasion, 
 the generosity of the American commander 
 would not suffer an individual to leave his 
 camp, to witness the degrading spectacle of 
 piling the British arms. 
 
 The whole plan of this campaign was se- 
 verely censured. A co-operation of the two 
 principal armies, under Howe and Burgoyne, 
 had been universally expected ; and so firmly 
 persuaded was general Washington that a 
 junction between them was in contemplation, 
 that, when the British army at New York 
 had actually embarked on the expedition to 
 the Chesapeak, he persisted in his opinion, 
 that the fleet was destined to the northward. 
 The truth is, that no traces are discernible of 
 any regular system of operations. Vague and 
 general hopes were entertained, that the army 
 under general Burgoyne, with such aid as he 
 might eventually derive from the central force 
 at New York, would suflSce for the subjuga- 
 tion of the northern provinces, and that 
 general Howe would, in the mean time, ac- 
 complish the conquest of the southern. Such 
 were the flattering delusions which, at the 
 distance of 3000 miles, were entertained by 
 the court of London ;• and, in the annals of 
 England, Minden and Saratoga will remain 
 incontrovertible proofs, that the wisdom of 
 lord George Germaine, in the cabinet, was 
 fully commensurate with his prowess in the field ! 
 Befork intelligence had arrived in England 
 of the disastrous catastrophe of an expedition, 
 on which the government had chiefly founded 
 its hopes of a successful termination of hosti- 
 lities, enough was known, respecting the pro- 
 gress of the war, to convince the nation, that 
 very erroneous estimates had been made of the 
 service to be performed, the force which it 
 required, and the manner in wliich it was to 
 be executed. On the meeting of parliament,
 
 340 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND- 
 
 however, - (Noreraber 20th) his majesty's 
 speech expressed 'his confidence in the spirit 
 and intrepidity of his force's, and intimated 
 the necessity of preparing for further opera- 
 tions. Warm debates ensued, on the merits 
 of the speech, and lord Chatham descanted 
 •T;'ith unusual eloquence on the folly of the 
 ■»var, and on the oppprtunities it afforded to 
 the gratification of Gallic enmity and ambition. 
 He proposed an amendment to the addressj 
 advising the cessation of hostilities. A few 
 days after lliis amendment -.vas rejected, the 
 secretary for America was obl'rged to acquaint 
 the parliament with the fatal issue of the 
 northern expedition ; and the minister, anxious 
 to obtain .1 respite from the expressions of 
 censure and indignation so profusely and so 
 justly bestowed, prevailed upon his majesty 
 to prorogue the parliament so early as the 
 20th of January, 1778. 
 
 1 Among the domestic incidents of the year 
 1777, the trial and execution of Dr. Dodd 
 excited the most powerful interest in the 
 public mind. He had forged a bond for 
 £4200 in the name of the earl of Chesterfield ; 
 and, though he pleaded in his defence, that 
 his forgery was only an expedient to gain \ 
 time, and that he had made restitution to the | 
 amount of the greater part of the money ob- s 
 tained, he was found guilty, after a deliberation > 
 of 20 minutes. As he had long and justly 5 
 been distinguished for his talent's as a preach- ; 
 er, and had cultivated the popular favour \ 
 with unusual assiduity, though his private j 
 habits were of the most profligate description-, * 
 his pardon was implored in numerous ad- 5 
 dresses to the throne, signed by more than l 
 50,000 persons. The sheriffs of London, at- \ 
 tended by the city remembrancer, the governors | 
 of the Magdalen Charity; and the citizens of 5 
 Westminster, headed by lord Percy, addressed I 
 their majesties in the most fervent and im- > 
 portunate terms of supplication. Their efforts I 
 were ineffectual, and he suffered the dreadful 5 
 sentence of the law. 5 
 
 The case of the chevalier D'Eon, who had ; 
 for some time exercised the functions of am- j 
 baisador from (he court of France, became i 
 the topic of general conversation. An action ; 
 
 [chap. xxt. 
 
 was brought, by Mr. Hayes, a surgeon in 
 Leicester fields, against Mr. Jacques, a broker 
 and under-writer, for the recovery of £700 ; 
 the said Mr. Jacques having, about six years 
 before, received premiums of fifteen guineas 
 per cent., for every one of which he engaged 
 to return one hundred guineas, whenever it 
 should be proved, that the chevalier D'Eon 
 was actually a woman. The jury believing 
 the evidence to that effect, a verdict was given 
 to the pl'dintifl', for the full amount of his demand. 
 
 The celebrate'd Mr. Home, (afterwards 
 John Home Tooke) was visited with an ex- 
 officio information, for r. libel on the army. 
 He had issued an advertisement, dated King's 
 Arn-.s Tavern, Cornhill, purporting to be an 
 account of the proceedings of the Constitu- 
 timial Society. One of their resolutions con- 
 tained the follov\'ing paragraph: "The sum 
 of £100 shall be raised, to be applied to the 
 relief of the widows, orphans, and aged parents 
 of our beloved American fellow-subjects, who, 
 faithful to the character of Englislimen, pre- 
 ferring death to slavery, were, for that reason 
 only, inhumanly murdered by the king's troops, 
 at or near Lexington and Concord, in the 
 province of Massachusetts." The advertise- 
 ment was signed by Mr. Home, and, after 
 a long and brilliant defe'nce, he was found 
 guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of £200 to 
 the king, to be imprisoned for the space of 
 twelve months, and aftewards to find sureties, 
 himself in £400, and two sureties in £200 
 each, for his good behaviour for three years. 
 
 A FIRE, which had occurred in the rope- 
 house at Portsmouth, had passed foir an acci- 
 dent ; and, as no suspicion had fallen on any 
 individual, no enquiry was made, till, on the 
 l.Oth of January, one of the under-clerks at 
 the dock-yard;, having occasion to move some 
 hemp in the hemp-house, discovered an in- 
 flammabh machine. James Aitkin, alias John 
 the Painter, was tried for having set fire to 
 the dock-yard, and was convicted on the 
 clearest evidence. He appears to have been 
 a most abandoned miscreant, capable of the 
 most enormous crimes, and of sufiering, with- 
 out remorse, the most rigorous punishnieet.
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1778 to 1780.] 
 
 Failure of Neffotinfions nith America — Admiral Kcppel takes the Command 'of the Graiid 
 Fleet — Naval Operations — Trial and Acquittal of Keppel — Trial of Sir Ilii<>h Pelliser 
 — Manoeuvres, on the Coast of America, of Ike Hostile Fleets under Howe and D'Estaing 
 '' — Crueitt/ and Treachery of Colonel Butler toivards the Americans — Discontents in Scot- 
 land and Ireland — Exploits of Admiral Byron — Return of D' Estaing to France. 
 
 IN the momentous strup:£;le between Great 
 ijritain and her colonies, it was not to be 
 expected tliat France wonhi reinam an inac- 
 tive spectator. To participate in the com- 
 merce of An.-erira was the ardent wish of her 
 mercantile popnlation, and to separate the 
 American colonies from tlieir mother connlry 
 ■was the fa von rite object of the court. On the 
 19tl) of March, a meSsajic from the king was 
 presented to the reassend)ied ho'ises of par- 
 liament, relative to a declaration delivered' to 
 lord Weymouth, by M. de Noailles, fhe French 
 ambassador, si^jnitying, in form, rljf treaty of 
 friendsliip and conmierce, wi)ich hiid been 
 entered into with the states of Aniorica. It 
 described these stales as bein?; in tu'il pos.'^es- 
 sion of independence, and "declared, ihat the 
 contracting parties had paid great attention, 
 not to stipulate any exclusive advantage in 
 favour of the French nation. It expi-^b-sed a 
 desire, that the harmony subsisting between 
 Great Britain and the court of France might 
 not be altered by such a measure ; and signi- 
 fied, that, at all events, his most Christian 
 majesty was determined to protect cflectually 
 the lawful commerce of his subjects, and to 
 maintain the dignity of his flag. Notwith- 
 standing the ol)l('f|uy (fitailed on the Uritish 
 ministers, by their acknowledged ignorance 
 of the machiucttions of the French court, they 
 proceeded to it-pair the loss of troops sus- 
 tained ill America, and to provi'Ie such an 
 additional number, as might be atiequate to a 
 
 vigorous prosecution of the war. They were 
 supported in their efibrts by the patriotic 
 spirit of the British people. The sentiments 
 of the nation had been divided, respecting the 
 merits of the existing contest ; but the prin- 
 ciples, on which it had been commenced, 
 began to recede from their view, when they 
 perceived the distress in which the kingdom 
 was likely to be involved, by the disasters in 
 America, and the threatened warfare with the 
 house of Bourbon. Tiie towns of Liverpool 
 and Manchester first testified their loyalty, by 
 oriering to raise a regiment of 1000 men each ; 
 nolwitiistanding the failure of an attempt to 
 obtain the sanction of the city of London, an 
 association ot the minority was immediately 
 lormed, for the support of the king and go- 
 vernnu-nt ; the cities of Edinburgh and Glas- 
 gow formed each a regiment, and a consider- 
 able nuiniier ef Scottish troops were embodied 
 bv means of subscriptions in England and 
 Wales. 
 
 During a very animated debate in the 
 house of lords, on the state of the nation, the 
 earl of Chathau), whese vigorous mind, on so 
 momentous an occasion, endeavoured to shake 
 off the pressure of bodily infirmities, having 
 spoken with a vehemence proportioned to his 
 enthusiasH), was suddenly seized with a 
 fainting fit, which he survived but a short 
 time. On the Uth of May this truly great 
 man resigned his breath, in the GOth year of 
 his age.
 
 342 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 England nas not less reason to exult in i was .interested, for the repeal of certain penal- 
 having produced a Pitf, than in giving birth to | ties and disabilities laid on Roman catholics, 
 a Milton, or a Newton ; his genius, like theirs, j by an act of king William to prevent the 
 " being great and original. Nature had en- 1 growth of popery. When a provision is made 
 dowed him with every bodily and mental > for the public peace and safety, at the expence 
 qualification of the perfect orator ; a graceful I of the comfort of individuals, or distinct 
 figure, a piercing eye, a voice strong and clear, | bodies of men in a state, it is cruel to continue 
 which, in every variety of cadence, was har- { them any longer than the occasion that gave 
 monious and insinuating. Born to act, as ; rise to them exists. This sentiment so uni- 
 well as to harangue, every department of! versally prevailed, that the motion was re- 
 g;0vernment felt his renovating influence. } ceived by general approbation ; and a bill 
 When he withdrew from power, the instance j for the repeal of the act was unanimously 
 which he gave of incorruptible integrity con- j passed ; by which a considerable body of 
 summated his character ; he delivered into | peaceable citizens were restored to social 
 the treasury a very large sum of money, of | comfort and security, on their submitting to 
 which he was exempted from rendering any ; a test, by which they engaged to support the 
 account, having officially received it for the | civil government by law estitblished. 
 secret service of the state, a purpose to which 5 Among the proceedings of this session, was 
 it had not been found necessary to apply it. i an act to enable his majesty to make a suitable 
 Such was the effect of his spirit and his saga- j provision for his younger children, out of the 
 city, that the houses of Austria and Bourbon ; hereditary revenues of the crown, 
 trembled at his name. In testimony of the J When these acts had received the royal 
 reverence borne to his meiuory, and their $ sanction, his majesty, having thanked the two 
 sense of his exeiuplary services, the house of | houses for the zeal which they had manifested 
 coiumons voted, that the expence of his b;irial ; in support of the dignity of the crown, and 
 should be defrayed by the public, and that a ; the true interests of the nation, prorogued the 
 monument should be erected to his memory j parliament. 
 
 in the collegiate church of St. Peter, West- 5 At no period was the zeal of the British 
 minster. An annuity of £4000 a year was | nation more necessary, to defend the kingdom, 
 annexed to the earldom ot Chatham, ami the ; and preserve the monarchy from ruin, than the 
 sum of £20,000 was voted for the discharge of ; present. For, with all the dangers and difficul- 
 his debts. ! ties which had attended former contests with the 
 
 About the same time that the suiiject of the j house of Bourbon, the state had now to mahi- 
 duke of Richmond's motion was discussed in 5 tain a war with those provinces, from which 
 the house of peers, and eventually rejected, ; it had before derived great part of its strength 
 lord Nugent moved for the appointment of i and resources. To avert these complicated 
 a committee of the whole house, to consider j evils, the premier's conciliatory bills had been 
 the trade of Ireland. This he introduced by 5 passed ; and the coiumissioners, appointed 
 a representation of the distress of that king- 1 by virtue of them, had sailed for America 
 dom, in consequence of the war. His propo- 5 in the month of April. Unfortunately the 
 sition was assented to. But although no one i olive branch was presented too late. The 
 doubted of the fact upon wiiirh it was ground- 1 proposals which they offered to the con- 
 ed, yet the advantages proposed to be given I gress, on their arrival in the Delaware, 
 to the Irish trade and manufactures were ! in the month of June, it was thought, 
 strenuously opposed by the English manu- \ would have been joyfully embraced by a 
 facturers, who would have been prejudiced ; great majority of the provinces, had they been 
 by tliem. And the result was, that only some > brought forward at an earlier period ; the 
 sma:i advantage was given to the linen trade, i terms were indeed more advantageous to the 
 Yet liif, motion may be considered of con- ; provinces than those which they had them- 
 sidera.)!e naiional benefit, as a jirclude to the j selves petitioned. Among these was an f^n- 
 acts whiLl; were afterwards passed in favour ; gagement, " That no military force should he 
 of Ireland. ! kept up in America, without consent of the 
 
 This was followed by a motion, made by ; congress, and of the several assemblies; to 
 sir Geoige Savilie, iu which every liberal mind ; admit of representatives froni the several
 
 CHAP. XXVI,] GEORGE III. 343 
 
 states, who should have a seat and voice in I the time when the two armies went into win- 
 the parliament of Great Britain ; "to establisli ! ter-qiiarters, no signal event had taken place, 
 a freedom of iegislatkon and internal govern- ; till the resignation of general Howe, in 
 inent, comprehending ev;ery privilege short of | tlie month of May. He had, some time ^^^^• 
 total separation of interests, or consistent with » before, expressed an intention to retire, assign- 
 that union of force, on which the safety ofiing as his reason, that he did not enjoy the 
 the common religion and liberty depends." ! necessary support and confidence of his supe- 
 But thes/e not being received till a month after ; riors. By his own desire he now laid down 
 the arrival of Silas Deane, with the treaties of! the command in chief, and was succeeded by 
 alliance and commerce which the states had | sir Henry Clinton. 
 
 signed with France, on the footing of indepen- 1 If the service of sir William Howe was 
 dency, the congress absoluteJy refused to ; painful, that of his successor was much more 
 treat as dependent states ; they resented the < so. He came to the command at a time when 
 -___ disrespectful manner in which their | the officers and men were disheartened by the 
 ally was spoken of; and they, in fine, ; symptoms of weakness which the government 
 declared as a proof of their inclination to i had discovered, in an offer to concede nearly 
 peace, that they were ready to enter upon | all for which they had contended ; when the 
 a consideration of a treaty of peace and com- | spirits of the loyal Americans were sunk in 
 merce, not inconsistent with treaties alrea'dy | despair, and tho'se of the strenuous republicans 
 subsisting, when the king of Great Britain \ were elated with success ; and when it was 
 would demonstrate a sincere disposition for j found necessary to enter on his command with 
 that purpose ; but that the only solid proof- an abandonment of all the designs planned in 
 of such a disposition would be an explicit \ the late campaign. It was expedient to yield 
 acknowledgment of their independence, or the i to existing circumstances. Philadel|jhia, which 
 withdrawing of his fleets and armies. This ; had been chosen tor its central situation, 
 answer, delivered by Mr. Laurens, president | whither the royalists might most conveniently 
 ofthe congress, precluding the possibility of- repair to the royal standard, and whence de- 
 a treaty, upon terms compatible with the | tachments might easily be wade to annoy the 
 interests of Great Britain, no proceedings J revolters, became dangerous, when a powerful 
 between that body and the commissioners | maritime state ha'd declared for their enemy, 
 Avere commenced. An attempt was made to j who might send a strong fleet to block up the 
 open a correspondence with some members of | Delaware. It was determined, therefore, to 
 it, as individuals^ which failed of success. On I march back to New York, that they might be 
 which the commissioners issued an address to } better supported by the British fleet; and, 
 the people at large, which only served* to \ under its protection, might be properly sup- 
 irritate the congress, and draw from it a \ plied with provisions and military stores, 
 defiance, expressive of* indignation ; after | While these arrangen)ents were projected 
 which they took their departure for England. ! in the niilitary department, it became neces- 
 Such was the issue of this embassy, and the j sary to select some naval commander, of tried 
 termination of the connexion between Great | valour and long experience, to whom the go- 
 Britain and her American provinces ; distress- » vernment might entrust the fleet, which was to 
 ful and mortifying in itself, and rendered j be opposed to tliat of France in the European 
 more so to the British government, by a re- | seas. These qualities, which had gained him 
 flection, that, far from having been beyond the $ the v.arm esteem of all ranks in the navy, 
 reach of human foresight, it had been repeat- 1 pointed out admiral Keppcl for that important 
 edly foretold ; and that they had themselves ; service. He was one of the oldest officers in 
 been the instruments of accomplishing the i the navy, and had seen a greater variety of 
 favourite object of their enemies, by disen- j service tiian any other man in it. ' When not 
 gaging the colonies from their dependency on ; more than fourteen years of age, he accom- 
 Great Britain. ; panied commodore Anson, in his voyage 
 
 Thi: decision of the contest was now finally i round tlu; world ; and, in the last war, had 
 referred to the sword, and the narrative of ; rendered himself conspicuous for his gallantry 
 military occurrences will be uninterrupted by I and success in Europe, Africa, and America, 
 the record of conciliatory transactions. From | A noble descent, an ample fortune, and
 
 3U niSTOIlY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 personal merit were united in this commander ; 
 f)ut, as a senator, he had declared his dislike 
 •of the American war, and had arraigned the 
 condnct of the admiralty-board, in not ren- 
 dering the naval force of the kingdom more 
 powerful and e/Tectual, to awe its enemies. 
 The exigence of the times reqnired, however, 
 
 meant to rejoin them ; but so reluctant was 
 he to risk the fate of a battle, that he rather 
 chose to suffer that diminution of his force, 
 than regain it upon such conditions. Keppel 
 inferred from this apparent backwardness, that 
 the enemy expected a reinforcement ; he 
 therefore redoubled his efforts to bring on an 
 that ministers should seek t'h<^ assistance of I engagement ; and, as sailing in a regular line 
 those whom they could not call their friends, i of battle would have retarded the progress of 
 and the king himself therefore proffered him \ his tleet, he threw out signals for chasing. The 
 the command. The admiral declared his ! two fleets were employed, the one in retreat- 
 readiness to serve his king and comitry, but | ing, the other in pursuing, until the 27th, 
 disclaimed all acquaintance with ofliciaf men ; I when a sudden squall intercepted them from 
 and, as he received his command immediately ' the sight of each other. The weather, how- 
 from his majesty, he threw himself upon his \ ever, very soon cleared up, and discovered 
 majesty's gracious support and protection. 5 the enemy formed in line of battle; and, as 
 When Keppel arrived at Portsmouth, to ^ the French, by a sudden shift of the wind, 
 take upon him the command of the grand \ had the advantage of the weathergage, they 
 fleet, he found that there were only six sail ; l>ore down on the headmost ships of the 
 of the line which were in any degree of con- | British fleet, and discharged their broadsides, 
 dition for immediate service, and a great de- 1 The two fleets, sailing upon different tacks, 
 liciency in sailors, as well as in all kinds of j maintained a running fight, within pistol-shot 
 naval stores. His applications to the ad mi- j of each other, for nearly two hours, and the 
 ralty-board caused uncommon exertions to be | action was closed between one and two o'clock 
 made; and by the beginning of June he put | in the afternoon. 
 
 to sea, with a fieet, consisting of twenty sail < Nineteen years were now almost com- 
 of the line and three frigates. He soon alter I pleted, since the force of the two rival nations 
 fell in with two French frigates, which he | bad coniended on the ocean ; and it appeared 
 captured, although the situation of the two i in the course of this day's action, that the 
 nations, with respect to each other, was that ! French had greatly improved, during that 
 neither of war nor peace. By the papers ; time, both in the manner of working their 
 found on board these prizes, he first learned, | ships, and discharging the guns ; in conse- 
 that thirty-two sail of the line and ten frigates \ quence of which, the British fleet sustained 
 were then lying at anchor n Brest water, pre- ,' considerable damage in this passing conflict, 
 paring to put to sea. This superiority of; The English behaved with their wonted 
 force deteinnued him to return into port for a i bravery, and did great execution on the enemy ; 
 reinlbrceineut. He might certainly have kept | but stdl the contest remained to be decided 
 the sea, without being compelled to fight upon ! by a close and general action, and Keppel 
 such unequal terms ; and to save the appear- { afterwards declared, that at the time he wore 
 aiice of a retreat is ever to be wished. On ; his ship, and laid her head towards the enemy, 
 the 9th of July, the admiral conifiianded thirty i bt^ thougiit it would have been a proud day 
 sail of the line, with which he went in search j for England. Three hours were employed in 
 of the French fleet, wiiich had only quitted | repaiiing the damage which the fleet had 
 their harbour the day before, under the com- 1 sustained, and some ships in the rear division 
 maud of count DOrvilliers. Ii; the afternoon | fell so much out of their course, as to be in 
 of the 23rd, the two fleets came in sight ofi danger of being cut off. D'Orvilliers saw the 
 each o^ther. The French hud the wind; so I opportunity, and threw out a signal to the 
 that they might choose whether to fight or $ duke de Chartres, who* commanJcd the 
 avoid it. The line of battle was formed by j French rear, (o bear down ; but the order not 
 the British tl<iet ; but no action took place. J being immediately understood, the British 
 The nexi day, two ships of the French fleet, ; adn)iral had lime to interpose for ilieir relief, 
 the one of 80, the other of Ui guns, were so I Sir Hugh Palliser, vice-admiral of the blue, 
 separated, that their admiral was conjpelled i vvho connnanded the rear division, bad formed 
 to bear down and attack the British, 'if he | the line of battle by three o'clock, and in the
 
 CHAP. XXVI. ] GEOllGE III. 345 
 
 position whicli the Biitisli fleet then kept, liis ; of the officer who coniiiianded liis rear, and 
 ships composed the van ; sir llobert Harland's | the favourable manner in vvhicii lie had spoken 
 division, which properly formed the van, 5 of that officer's behaviour, in his letter to the 
 being now in the rear. The commander-in- | secretary of the admiralty, were certainly not 
 chief, solicilons to renew the fight, threw out > to l)e justified on the principle of strict disci- 
 signals for his rear and van to take their ; pline, which is essential to the public service, 
 proper stations. This was immediately per- i This sacrifice of his duty he had been tempted 
 fornied iby sir Robert Ilarlands division; but ; to make, to the remembrance of a long sub- 
 the rear-admiral of the blue paid no attention j sisting friendship, which, however, had been 
 to the signal which was flying, and although ; in its wane. Had Iveppel, immediately upon 
 captain Windsor, in the Fox frigate, was sent ; his orders being disobeye'd, put the delin- 
 with express orders for the vice-admiral to ! quent under an arrest, and brought the whole 
 bear down into his admiral's wake, yet no I transaction before a court martial, with a 
 effort was made for that purpose; in conse- i rigid but warrantable austerity, the alarm 
 quence of which, the night came on before the » which such a spirited conduct would have 
 British fleet was formed. I spread in the navy, and throughout the nation, 
 
 The French had a peculiar method of re- | would not have been so violent, nor its con- 
 peating signals at night, by means of rockets j sequences so fatal, astbose which wereactually 
 and explosions of gunpowder; these were I experienced. 
 
 discernibie until day-break, but wlien light « Admiral Keppel sailed again on the 23rd 
 returned, the French fleet was only visible i of August, with sir Robert Harland and sir 
 from the mast head. Keppel did not think i Hugli Palliser, second and Uiird in command, 
 proper to pursue them ; but, as soon as every | and being joined some time after by three line 
 ship had entirely disappeared, he directed his ; of balile ships, his force then consisted of 
 course homeward, in order to repair his crip- 1 thirty-one sail of the line. The French fleet 
 pled ships, and to be, as soon as possible, in a s left their harbour live days before, but shaping 
 condition to meet the enemy again. However > their course to the south-westward, effectually 
 justifiable the motives for this conduct might j avoided a second action ; but, however, the 
 be, it furnished the enemy with a colourable i trade of France, by this manoeuvre, was left 
 pretext to boast of a victory, and gave the 5 defenceless, and several West India-men, 
 other states of Europe an unfavourable idea J bound to Nantes and Boiwdeaux, were cap- 
 of British prowess, of which they had enter- > tured, and three East Indiamen were made 
 tained so exalted a sentiment, that a drawn ; prizes to two ships of war and a king's frigate, 
 battle, between two fleets of equal force, was ; whilst our own trade arrived from every 
 considered as highly disgraceful. The reasons » quarter of the world, safe and unanuoyed. 
 assigned by thecomrnander-in-chief for this con- ; When the approach of winter caused the 
 duct were, that a strong wind blew directly into ! grand fleet to return home from its second 
 the harbour of Brest, under favour of which j cruise, the admiral was received by his sove- 
 the French fleet was able to enter that bar- i reign, with every mark of satisfaction and 
 honr before he could possibly have come up ; regard, whilst the first lord of the treasury 
 with them ; and the shattered condition of; was in no respect backward in his profession* 
 many of,the ships under his command would ; of good-will and esteem. At length, however, 
 iiave exposed them to imminent hazard from ; the never-ceasing buzz of paragraph writers 
 a lee shore. This indecisive action was fought ; excited the nation to discontent. The people 
 ill lat. 48° 38' ushuut distant, 27 leagues east j always expect some decisive consequences, 
 half south. i when two fleets or two armies engage; and 
 
 When the transactions of this day came to ; although that expectation is continually dis- 
 be canvassed, the commander-in-chief was : appointed by the event, yet its impatience is 
 •listinguished by the particular notice of those I ill no degree abated. Sir George Pococke, 
 ministerial agents, whose business it is to hunt ! during the last war, thrice fought and worsted 
 down characters in the public prints. They | the French fleet in the East Indies, without 
 placed him as a mark, at which their enve- 1 a single ship being sunk or captured on either 
 nomed shafts were aimed. The moderation > side. 
 
 lie had shewn, in screening the misconduct; Jitrr to return to our operations in Araerica. 
 
 Y y 22
 
 S46 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fciIAP. XXVI. 
 
 The whole army passrd Ihe Delaware on the ; 
 l«th of June, 1778. The only road by which ' 
 the baggage and stores could proceed to New 
 York was narrow, so that the waggons, artil- 
 lery, and canip-eq 111 page extended twelve 
 miles ; notwitlistanding which, the general 
 •found means to defend the whole from all 
 atten:>pts made by Washington and his army. 
 A laro^e body of Americans, commanded by 
 general Lee, was driven back, and, if the 
 intense heat of the day had not put an end to 
 pursuit, the royal army would have obtained 
 a very decisive advantage; but being thus 
 impeded, the action was memorable only 
 from the circumstance of 59 soldters having 
 expired through excessive heat and fatigue, 
 without receiving a wound. The American 
 accounts represent the fortune of the day as 
 having been reversed by the misconduct of 
 general Lee, and assert, that if he had acted 
 with spirit, a very capital advantage would 
 liave been gained over the royal army. That 
 ofBcer was afterwards tried by a court-martial 
 on several charges, and dismissed the service. \ 
 The marquis de la Fayette distinguished him- J 
 self in this action. ; 
 
 The judicious manner in which sir Henry | 
 Clinton conducted this retreat of the confede- j 
 rate army received great applause; it is per- 
 haps his most distinguished achitvement. 
 His whole force did not reach Sandy Hook 
 until the 1st of July, so that a fortnight 
 elapsed, from leaving Philadelphia to the 
 arrival of the army at New York. If such 
 were the impediments and dangers in tra- 
 versing this country, with an enemy hanging 
 on their rear, it is obvious to infer, that sir 
 William Ho-.ve was perfectly right in not at- 
 tempting to penetrate by that route, when 
 Washington was prepared to dispute every 
 inch of ground, and the British general must 
 have driven the enemy before him through the 
 whole progress ; a situation much more em- 
 barrassing than merely to repel his attacks. 
 
 The abandonment of Philadelphia was 
 rendered necessary by the approach of the 
 count d'Esiaing's fleet to the American coasts. 
 Interest an<l ambition will frequently lead men 
 to assu'.ne the semblance of generosity ; but 
 that government, which was then actually 
 exercising the most unfeeling severity on the 
 brave C«.r.>ica.os, because their stubborn nature 
 could not be brought to yield obedience to a 
 foreign yoke, should have little credit given to 
 
 it on the score of motive, m the reTtrf which 
 it now sent to America. Tei))|»e.'(s, wliicb 
 had dispersed and shattered admirnl Byron's 
 fleet, had only retarded that of d'Estaing, s© 
 that he arrived in full force at the mouth of 
 the Delaware the latter end of June, only 
 three days after lord HoMe had sailed from 
 thence for New York. The British navat 
 force was so inferior to that of the enemy, that 
 the consequences of his arrival, a few days 
 sooner, might have been very fatal. The 
 Americans masters of Philadelphia ; sir Henry 
 Clinton's army on its march ; and only sixty 
 four gun ships, three fifties, and two forties, 
 to make head against eleven ships of the line, 
 of which one carried 90 guns, another 80, six 
 74, and three 64, besides which there were a 
 50 gun ship and three large frigates ; neither 
 superior bravery nor skill, although exercised 
 in their fullest extent, seemed capable of ex- 
 tricating such a fleet from such a situation. 
 The French admiral, thus disappointed, in not 
 meeting his enemy in the spot most favourable 
 to his designs, sought him in his more defensi- 
 ble post. Lord Howe, who possessed every 
 qualification of a naval commander, in a very 
 eminent degree, made great use of a very 
 short space of f iine, in protecting his ships ia 
 the harbour. The ardour, activity, and un- 
 daunted firmness, discovered by all ranks on 
 this trying occasion, presaged a favourable 
 termination of the conflict. 
 
 D'EsTAiNG, on the llih of July, appeared 
 in sight of the British fleet at Sandy Hook. 
 His force consisted of twelve sail of the line, 
 and three frigates. The English fleet was 
 somewhat interior. D'Estaing, designing ta 
 attack the British fieet in the harbour, cast 
 anchor on the Jersey side, about four miles 
 froiti the Hook. The British sailors had the 
 mortification to see their fleet blocked up in 
 their own harbour for eleven days, and the 
 French flag flying without. On the 22nd of 
 July, however, the French admiral set sail, 
 and concerted measures with general Sullivan 
 for the reduction of Rhode Island. The lattev 
 was to invade the island on iis north end, from 
 the continent, while the formtr entered the 
 isle of Newport, and thus enclosed the British 
 troops on every side. Lord Howe, as soon 
 as he received intelligence of the dang^-r of 
 Rhode Island, set sail to relieve it; but, froiu 
 unavoidable delays, did not arrive until the 
 day after the French had entered the harbour.
 
 CHAP. XXVI.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 34/ 
 
 The two fleets sfootl out to sea ; but were 
 prevented from (ishtinc: by a violent tempest, 
 M'liicli separated the ships of botli squadrons, 
 and threatened their destruction. D'Estaing 
 took refuge in lioston, and Howe at New 
 York. Tlie British fleet l)eing strengthened 
 by the arrival of seven ships, lord Howe put 
 to sea again ; but no nienidrabie action oc- 
 curred in this cpiarter, during the remainder 
 of the campaign, at the close of which his lord- 
 ship left the conimand to admiral Gambier. 
 
 It being too late to enter upon any new plan 
 of operations, tiie commander-in-chief con- 
 tented himself with distressing his enemy. 
 About tile same time, the army of general 
 Knyphausen was so posted, relatively to that 
 of lord Cornwallis, that, being only separated 
 by the North river, they could unite their 
 forces within 24 hours, while ihey prevented 
 the separated strength of geneial \Vashingion 
 from uniting in less than eight or ten days. 
 
 Even tiie cruelties of the prc^ceding year 
 were far exceeded by the outrages, against 
 all the feelings of humanity, committed by 
 colonel Butler, a ferocious Indian ngeni and 
 commander, who was now destined to bring 
 disgrace on the British arms. The object of 
 his warfare, in w!>if!i he was associated with 
 Brandt, a haif Indian by blood, was the fertile 
 and flourishing .settlement of Wyoming, on 
 the Susquehana, which has been immortalized 
 by the strains of the poet Campbell, in his 
 Gertrude, and whose renioieness from the 
 seat ot war might have been expected to secure 
 the inhabitants from its calamities. Against 
 ♦his peaceful and happy district, consisting 
 of eight townships, each five miles square, 
 these savage hell-!iounds were dispatched, at 
 the head of 1600 men, a part of whom were 
 Indians At their approach, the governor of 
 Kingston, a fort which was the chief defence 
 of the settlement, desired a parley with Butler. 
 This was acceded to ; bat, that treachery 
 might not be wanting to complete the crimes 
 of these commanders, when he repaired to the 
 place appointed, and expected to have entered 
 into a conference, he, and the body of men 
 who attended him as his guard, were suddenly 
 surrounded by their enemy, the greater part 
 of them were cut off, and the governor narrow- 
 ly escaped with his life. The commandant 
 of the fort, in the absence of the governor, 
 then desired to know what terms of surrender 
 would be granted him ; to Which Bulltr la- 
 
 V y 2 
 
 conically answered, The hatchet. The garri- 
 son were soon made acquainted with their 
 fate. Some of them were carried away alive ; 
 but the barbarous conquerors, to save the 
 trouble of murder in detail, shut up the 
 greater part promiscuously in the houses and 
 barracks, and, setting them on fire, they en- 
 joyed the savage pleasure of beholding the 
 whole consumed in one general blaze. A 
 dreadful scene of havoc and barbarity then 
 ensued throughout all the townships. The 
 inhabitants were mastsacred, the standing coru 
 was destroyed, the houses were set on firCj 
 and, in a short time, one of the most pros- 
 .perous settlements in America presented 
 nothing to view but a desolate waste, the 
 wreck of those beauties which the cultivated 
 face of nature had formerly exhibited. 
 
 It is a relief to revert our attention from 
 these and similar enormities, to the regular 
 operations of honourable warfare. Tiie in- 
 tervention of France had rendered the defence 
 of the West Indies an object of the highest 
 importance. The commander-in-chief, when 
 informed that Dominique had been reduced, 
 and that Bouille, after efiecting that conquest, 
 was preparing, with the aid of d'Estaing's 
 fleet, for further victories, dispatched generals 
 Grant and Meadows, with 5000 troops, under 
 a convoy of commodore Hotham's squadron, 
 to guard the British West India islands, and 
 annoy those of the enemy. They proceeded 
 to make a descent on the island of St. Lucie, 
 and in a short time obtained possession of the 
 strong posts intended to secure the Careenage, 
 and the Cul de Sac, two of the three bays 
 by which the island is indented. The ensuing 
 day, d'Estaing arrived ofi' the island, with a 
 fleet of twelve ships of the line, and 0000 
 troops on board, elated with the hope of suc- 
 cess against a fleet so far inferior as that of 
 Barrington, which consisted of no aiorc than 
 three ships of the line, and three of ,50 guns. 
 On the enemy's approach, he warped bis 
 transport vessels, laden with stores, into the 
 Cul de Sac, and stationed his ships in a line, 
 to guard its entrance. Thus circumstanced, 
 he was twice attacked by the superior force 
 of his enemy, and as often gave them a re- 
 pulse. D'Estaing then determined to try 
 liis fortune by land. Having disembarked 
 his troops, he jjroceeded with 5000 men, com- 
 manded, under himself, by de Bouille and 
 and count Louendahl, to an attack ou geueral
 
 348 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 M'eadows, who was posteel, wUh 1500 men, to I made iipon himself. In a few days after, sir 
 defend tlie peiiiiisida of La Vierge. Their | Hugh Palliser pnbh'siied in the newspapers 
 onset was made with cliararteristic impetu- ; his state of facts, which bore hard on tlic con- 
 • osity; but they were received with snch i diict of liis superior officer ; and to this piece 
 bravery, and invincil»le firmness, that they > he signed his name. 
 
 were repulsed with great h)ss, after three ; This procedure caused the matter fo be 
 furious assaults. A few days after, d'Estaing > agitated in ihe house of commons, and a 
 re-embarked his troops, and the governor j member moved to address liis majesty, to 
 capitulated. | bring sir Hugh Palliser to trial ; whi^h was 
 
 Early in the year an expedition was under- i then over-ruled, but not rejected. Before 
 taken, by a squadron under the marquis de « this proposition was resumed, sir Hugh Palli- 
 Vaudreuil, and a body of troops under the ; ser preferred to the board of admiralty five 
 duke de Lausun, against the British settle- i articles of accusation, wr specific charges 
 ments on the African coast; and these com- « against admiral Keppel, for his conduct on 
 manders made an easy conquest of. the facto- 5 the 27th of July, and demanded a court- 
 ries at Senegal and in the river Gambia. This | martial to be lield upon that officer. The 
 event was followed by an enterprise of greater j admiralty-board were far from hesitating to 
 importance. The reduction of Jersey was 5 comply with a requisition, which affected the 
 undertaken by ,3000 men, under the conunand > life of the most respectable commander then 
 of the prince of ^iassau-Siegen. But they i in the service, and who, during forty years, 
 "were so warmly received by a single regiment | had acquired the respect, esteem, and love of 
 stationed there, that they deemed it expedient I the navy ; without adverting to the suspicious 
 to retire after a faint attempt. A descent, at j appearance which this conduct bore, of being 
 the same time, was threatened on the coasts | dictated by personal resentment, from the 
 of England and Ireland, and the combined ! length of time which had elapsed, between the 
 fleets of France and Spain appeared in the > transaction on which it was stated, and the 
 Channel. But on the appearance of sir Charles I charges produced; without being withheld 
 Hardy, with an inferior for.ce, their demon- ; by the consideration of the vast injury which 
 slrations ended in a fruitless gasconnade. ; such a step must inevitably produce to tha 
 
 It has already been remarked, with what j public service, not only by encouraging a 
 successful assiduity admiral Keppel had been J captious humour towards superior officers, but 
 traduced in the public prints ; at length those ; by introducing divisions anil aniniositits into 
 newspapers, which • served as vehicles for ; the navy, at a time when the salvation of the 
 anti-ministerial doctrines, could no longer 5 nation depended upon the united exertions 
 forbear acting in their vocation, and accord- i of that body of men ; and, finally, without 
 ingly took up the other side of the question, ; regarding the act of indelicacy, in giving coun- 
 so that the conduct of sir Hugh Palliser was ; tenance to a niember of their own board, in 
 brought under discussion, with no more deli- j his attack upon one in every respect whatever 
 cacy than had l)een shewn to his superior i his superior, whilst the accuser might be sup- 
 officer. During this reciprocation of slander, « posed to have taken this step for the purpose 
 an anonymous letter was inserted, vvliith was ; of screening himself. Uninduenced by any 
 neither scurrilous nor misleading ; it stated : or all of those motives, they suffered an ill- 
 the transactions of that day fairly, and drew ; founded plea of official duty to varnish over 
 just and obvious conclusions, which indeed ; their prompt alacrity, and immediately sent 
 conveyed an implied censure on the vice- 1 a copy of the charges to the accused admiral, 
 admiral of the blue. Sir Hugh Palliser applied i accompanied with a notice for him to prepare 
 to admiral Keppel, requiring him to contradict j for his speedy trial. Such a conduct spread 
 the facts advancecl in that paper. The admi- ; disgust through the navy, and no leas than 
 ral declared liis t.otal ignorance of it or its i twelve admirals, at the heati of whom appeared 
 author, but that he coidd not consider him- > the respectable name of lord Hawke, signed a 
 self mider any obligations to confute an ; memorial, which was presented to liis majesty, 
 anonymous writer; especially as he had not ; in which they founded their coin|)laints against 
 thought it worthwhile to take notice of any, ; the conduct of the board of admiralty ujxju 
 among the nuinerous attacks which'had been j the grounds above strUed.
 
 CHAP. XXVI. J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 'M9 
 
 A COURT-MARTIAL was accordingly appoint- 
 ed to be held on hoard the Britannia, in 
 Portsmoiitii harbonr ; but, in consequence of 
 the admiral's ill state of health, an act of par- 
 liament was passed, empowering the lords of 
 the admiralty to order it to be held on shore ; 
 from the ship it was therefore adjourned to 
 the governor's house at Portsmoiilh, and 
 j-„g began on the 8th of January. On the 
 nth of Febrnary, the thirty-second day 
 of the trial, the court, having heard the evi- 
 dence and the prisoner's defence, were of 
 opinion, that " the charge was malicious and 
 ill-founded, it having appeared that the 
 admiral, so far from having, by misconduct and 
 neglect of duty, lost an opportunity of render- 
 ing essential strvice to the state, or tarnished 
 the lustre of the British navy, behaved as a \ 
 judicious, brave, and experienced officer. The 
 court, therefore, unaninionsly and honourably 
 acquitted the said admiral Augustus Keppel, 
 of the several articles contained in the charge 
 against him."' Sir Thomas Pye, ihe president, 
 on delivering to admiral Keppel his sword, 
 addressed him in the following words : — 
 Admiral Keppel, it is no smnll pleasure for 
 me to receive ihe commands of the court, that, 
 in deliveritiff your sword, I am to congratulate 
 yon on its being restored to you with so much 
 honour, hoping, ere long, you will be called 
 forth by your sovereign, to dratv it once more 
 in defence of your country. 
 
 Immediately upon the acquittal of admiral 
 Keppel, the houses of parliament voted him 
 their thanks, for his gallant conduct on the 
 27th of .Inly, Soon after, sir Hugh Palliser 
 resigned his seat at the board of admiralty, 
 gave up his posts of lieutenant-general of 
 marines, and governor of Scarborough castle, 
 and vacated his seat in prirliamenf, retaining 
 only his rank of vice-admiral of the blue, 
 whicii he continued to hold as a qualification 
 for his trial by a courl-martial. Besides the 
 honours and audiorily annexed to these dis- 
 tinctions, he gave i:p an income of £4000 per 
 aunnni. Many circumstances were stated in 
 evidence, which tended to criminate the ac- 
 cuser ; the lords of ihe admiralty, therefore, 
 issued orders for a court-martial to be held on 
 sir Hugh Palliser, whieh began to sit, on board 
 the .Sandwich, in Portsmouth harbour, on 
 the 12lli of April. The trial continued till 
 the 5th day of Alay, when, all the witnesses 
 having been examined, and sir Hugh Palliser 
 
 having made his defence, the court proceeded 
 to deliver their opinion, which was, " that the 
 behaviour of the vice-admiral, on the 27lh and 
 28ih days of July, was in many instances most 
 meritorious and exemplary, but that he was 
 blameable for not making known to the admi- 
 ral the distressing situation of his ship; yet, 
 as he was censurable for no other part of his 
 conduct, the court are of opinion that he 
 ought, notwithstanrling that, to be acquitted, 
 and he is acquitted accordingly." Vice-admi- 
 ral Darby, the president, then delivered sir 
 Hugh Palliser his sword, with this short ad- 
 dress: Sir, I am directed by the court to 
 return you your sivord. 
 
 On tiie 17lh of June, the minister laid a 
 message before the house, intimating that the 
 ambassador of the king of Spain, having da 
 livered a paper to lord Weymouth, signifying, 
 that he had received orders from his court 
 immediately to withdiaw from this country ; 
 his majesty had thought proper to recal his 
 ambassador from Madrid. Though much 
 blame was, in consequence of this message, 
 thrown upon the ministry for want of informa- 
 tion, an animated address was unanimously 
 voted, assuring his majesty of the strenuous 
 support of the legislature, in the war in which 
 he was engaged. 
 
 Amidst the evils of foreign war, violent 
 tumults were occasioned in Scotland, by tlie 
 repeal of the laws against Roman catholics ; 
 and that country was once more convulsed 
 by the harangues and writings of a set of 
 fiery zealots, who filled the people witli ap- 
 prehensions of danger to the established 
 church, from the pos.^ible extension of the 
 acts to that kingdom. The cities of Edinburgh 
 and Glasgow presented scenes of the most 
 horrid outrage, which coiuinued till an armed 
 force was called to the aid of the civil magis- 
 trate, and the minds of !he people were 
 pacified by an assurance from the lord provost, 
 that no repeal of the penal statutes against the 
 catholics should take place. 
 
 Violent as these proceedings in Scotland 
 were, the state of Ireland was still more 
 alarming. The disorders in the forn)er conn- 
 try arose JVom temporary circumstances, 
 which could be easily removed ; whereas the 
 symptoms of disaffection which discovered 
 themselves in the latter arose from more |:er- 
 manent causes, which were rooted in the minds 
 of the people, and could not be removed
 
 350 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 without sacrifiring olher interesfs, and incur- | actuate the inhaliitanfs of cerfain maiiufac- 
 riiiir other diffiriilties and dnniiers. This | turinj; towns ol' (jieal Britain, who have taJ<en 
 eoiiiitry iiad felt tlie jll-conseqnences arisuig j so active a part in oppo.-ni": 'he regulations 
 from the war, in several different ways. Its | proposed in favour of tlie trade of Ireland; 
 niaiiiifactnres were decreased ; the expence | that they appear to entertain sentiments of 
 of ordinary subsistence was enhanced; and, ; respect and atiiection for tin u felloe -subjects 
 what greatly ags^ravated these evils to a con- « of this kingdom. This example was followed 
 sidcrable part of the nation, an embargo was > by the city of Waterford. And when the 
 laid on the export of beef and butter, in ordi r j nation at large were informed, ilial their in- 
 to distress our enemy, without having the | terests had been discussed by the English 
 desired effect. Some small coimnercial privi- 1 parliament, and that nothing effectual was 
 leges had been granted them ; but these were > done for removing their grievances, iinding 
 80 inadequate to their grievances, that they ; that redress must come from themselves, they 
 ■were considered rather as mockeries of their ! entered into similar associations throughout 
 distress, than as an effectual remedy. The j the kingdom. 
 
 most considerate persons in England, as well ; These were not the only alarming proceed- 
 as Ireland, when they perceived the misery » ings of the Irish nation. When the combined 
 and discontent that prevailed, recommended, ; lieet was cruising in the Channel, military 
 that every reasonable requisition of the Irish | associations were formed, " for the purpose 
 nation should be complied with ; that they ; of defending their country against foreiga 
 should be admitted to an union of interests I enemies, and their rights against what tb.ey 
 and a participation of benefits with Great j thought doiuestic usurpation ;" they declared 
 Britain, as the only means of concentrating ; themselves to be loyal to their king, and 
 our strength in this crisis of danger, and pre- ; affectionate to Great Britain ; " but it was 
 venting these malcontents from following the ; with such loyalty and affection, as consisted 
 example of the American colonists. It was j with their own liberty and prosperity." Twen- 
 not a time, they thought, to hazard the loss. | ty thousand volunteers were instantly enrolled ; 
 of this kingdom, when we had already lost ; and their standard seemed to be upheld, not 
 our provinces, and Ireland was at this instant I by any particular party, but by nun of all 
 threatened with an invasion by the combined \ ranks, descriptions, and political principles, 
 fleets of France and Spain. And they in- ; Their appearance was rendered more formi- 
 sisted, that to conciliate the attachment of i dable by that deliberate temper and tirmmss, 
 this nation, by liberal treatment, was the I which were jlisplayed in all their proceedings, 
 wisest policy that the government could pur- ; The government now jverceived, tiiat it was 
 sue, and would tend eventually to the benefit « absolutely necessary to adopt eftectual mea- 
 of Great Britain, by increasing the affluence ; sures tor redressing the grievances of this 
 of Ireland, and its demands from the sister- i nation. As a precaution, to prevent the ill- 
 kingdom. On the other hand, it was said j consequences apprehended from the associa- 
 that the grievances of the Irish were exagge- ! tions, they wisely endeavoured to conciliate 
 rated ; that they only shared in the distresses ; the attachment of tlie associates, by giving 
 of England and Scotland ; and that, should } them the approbation ot the state, that they 
 we relieve the Irish manufacturers, at the j n^ight appear to act under its authority. On 
 expence of the British, we should incur the j the meeting of the Irish parliament, in the 
 danger of rebellion in one country, whilst we ; autumn, the patriots dtolaied, that nothing 
 averted it in the other. j less than a free and unlimited trade could 
 
 When the advocates of the distressed peo- j save their country from ruin. ]\or were their 
 pie found that their reasonings were of no \ requisitions any longer fruitless. In &o im- 
 avail, different means were adopted for pro- J portant a light were the atiairs of this kingdom 
 curing redress. Agreements were entered \ seen, that they became the primary object of 
 into by an association formed in the city of! the English parliament, which met soon after. 
 Dublin, not to import or wear any English | The earl of Shelburne, deeply interested in 
 manufactures, which could be manufactured $ its welfare, moved for a vote of censure against 
 in Ireland, till an enlightened policy, founded | the minister, for not having taken eflectual 
 upon principles of justice, shall appear to ; measures for its relief, in consequence of an
 
 CHAP. XXV!.] 
 
 GEORGE in. 
 
 351 
 
 address presented to his majesty in the pre- 
 ceding session. Lord Ossory made a similar 
 motion in the house of commons. And the 
 minister at last found it expedient to bring 
 forward his proposition for the relief of Ireland. 
 
 1. A REPEAL of the laws which prohibited 
 the exportation of Irish manufactures, made 
 of or mixed with wool, to any part of Europe. 
 
 2. A REPEAL of an act of the late reign, 
 which prohibited the importation of glass into 
 Ireland, except of British manufacture, or the 
 export of glass fronj Ireland. 
 
 S. Thai- Ireland be suffered to carry on a 
 trade ol" export and import, to and from the 
 British colonies in America and the West 
 Indies, and her settlements on the coast of 
 Africa, suliject to such limitations, restrictions, 
 and duties, as the parliament of Ireland shall 
 impose. 
 
 Bills, founded on the two former propo- 
 sitions, were brought in and immediately 
 passed. And another on the third, which 
 liberally admitted the Irish to a participation 
 of the chief branches of our foreign trade, was 
 passed, after some deliberation, early in the 
 ensuing year ; Ireland being, at the same time, \ 
 subjected to such an increase of taxes as was ; 
 deemed reasonable, in consequence of this 
 enlargement of its privileges. 
 
 The operations in America contributed to 
 prolong, rather than to decide the contest. In 
 the beginning of May, sir Henry Clinton, with 
 sir George Collier, commander of the marine 
 at New York, formed a plan for an expedition 
 to the Chesapeak, and a descent upon Virginia. 
 The naval and land forces were commanded 
 by sir George Collier and major-general IVIat- 
 thews. Sir George, having passed by the 
 capes of Virginia, left ])art of the fleet in 
 Hampton road, to block up that port, and 
 proceeded himself, with the smaller ships of 
 war and transports, up Elizabeth river. Not 
 only Portsmouth but Norfolk fell into the 
 hands of these troops. The fleet and army 
 carried destruction wherever they went, and 
 took great quantities of stores ancl provisions, 
 designed for Washington's army. When the 
 commanders of this expedition had done great 
 injury to the shipping of the provincials, and 
 destroyed fort George, with the store-houses 
 and dock-yards, they returned to New York, 
 where they arrived at the beginning of June, 
 and joined a body of troops under the com- 
 mand of major-general Vaughan, in an expe-' 
 
 dition up the Nortli river. The naval depart 
 meut continued under the direction of sir 
 George Collier, 'i'heir enterprise was unpro- 
 ductive of important con 'sequences, and after 
 having destroyed a few insigniticaut forts and 
 fortified places, they were ordered to return. 
 It now became the wish of general Clinton to 
 bring Washington to an engagement ; an 
 attempt of great difficulty, as the latter had 
 fortified himself on the high mountainous posts, 
 surrounding \ erphmks and Stoney Point, and 
 on both sides of the North river. 
 
 Is the mean tinie, the American generaJ 
 Wayne attacked, with great skill, and took 
 Stoney Point, wiili above 500 prisoners in 
 the garrison. This |)]ace being gained, the 
 victor directed his artillery against Vcrplanks, 
 which obliged the shipping to cut their cables, 
 and fall down the rivei-. The news of this 
 unexpected disaster caused general Clinton 
 to advance, with the main army, to Dobb's 
 ferry, while sir George _Collier, with the fleet, 
 proceeded up the river. Stoney Point was 
 easily regained, as general Washington de- 
 clined a general engagement for his relief, and 
 sir George Collier proceeded to the deliverance 
 of a party of the king's troops, who were be- 
 sieged in a fort on the Penobsot, in the eastern 
 confines of New England. When the rein- 
 forcements appeared, the Americans made a 
 precipitate retreat. Sir George chased the 
 provincial ships which lay before the fort, and 
 took nine fine frigates. Twenty-four sail of 
 transports were, at; the same time, destroyed, 
 and some store-ships captured. 
 
 Admiral Byron assumed, the command, 
 after the surrender of St. Lucia to adnural 
 Barrington, and their squadron being now 
 superior to that of d'Estaing, they endeavoured 
 to draw him from Port Royal, by challenging 
 an engagement, but in vain. Admiral Byron, 
 being soon after informed of an intend-d rein- 
 forcement of d'Estaiug's fleet, and aware that, 
 a large fleet of merchant-sjiips was waiting 
 for convoy at St. Kitt's, judged it nece.ssary 
 to convoy the merchant-men, for the greater 
 part of the way, with hi^ w hole fleet. As soon 
 as he deparled, 150 Frenchmen from Marti- 
 nique landed, and look St. Vincent's ; and, 
 though the garrison exceeded the number of 
 invaders, the latter carried their design into 
 execution without firing a single shot. After 
 this exploit, M, d'Eslaing, being joined by 
 M. de la Mottc, with a supply of troops, stores,
 
 35'2 .HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 and provisions, appeared off the isle of Gre- 1 d'Eslaing sent a summons fo the general, to 
 nada, on the 2nd -of July, with a fleet of 26 j surrender the place; a truce of 24 hours was 
 sail of the line, besides frigates, and near j agreed upon, during which colonel Mailland 
 10,000 land forces. To this superior force : arrived, confirmed the garrison in their reso- 
 lord Macartney was obliged to yield ; but the > liitions against a surrender, and inspired the 
 insulting terms of ca])itulation offered by i whole with fresh hopes and spirits. DEstaing, 
 d'Estaing disgraced him as a man and a ; now joined by general Lincoln, prepared for 
 soldier. Kather than submit to them, the i a regular siege. About midnight, October 
 garrison surrendered at discretion, and were ; the 3rd, the enemy began a very heavy bom- 
 taught by their future treatment, that they had | bardnjent, and the following day opened a 
 fallen into the hands of a conuuauder, equally I c;uun)naile with 37 pieces of heavy artillery, 
 destitute of compassion and magnanimity. ! During tliis cannonade, which lasted five days, 
 
 Admiral Byron, on his return, being in- | the distresses of the women and children be- 
 formed of the success of the enemy, set sail J came excessive, and greatly increased by the 
 with 21 sail of the line and several transports, > throwing in of carcasses. To alleviate this 
 and, on the fJth of July, came within .sight of i unnecessary, and, it was thought, avoidable 
 the French fleet. About half past seven, the ; calamity, general Prevost wrote a letter to 
 action was conin)ence(l by admiral Barrington, ; d'Estaing. requesting that the women and 
 in the Prince of Wales, and the captains Saw- I children should be sent on board ships in the 
 yer and Gardner, in the Boyne and Sultan ; ; river, and placed under the protection of a 
 these ships closed with the van of the enen;y, 5 French man of war, until the siege should end ; 
 and witli incredible resolution sustained the ; but the request was shaiuefully refused, 
 fire of that division, but with great damage ; A little before day-light, on the 9th of 
 and loss of men. Similar encounters took ! October, general Lincoln and M. d'Eslaiiig 
 place at different times, Ijut Byron failed in | attacked the British lines ; as the firing be- 
 bringing the enemy to a decisive engagement ; ! came general, and as darkness obstructed 
 and having learned that the P^rench had pos- ! observation, no change took place in the dis- 
 sessed themselves of Grenada, he directed his * position of our troops. D'Estaing, with the 
 whole thoughts to ilie defence of liis transports 1 principal troops selected from both armies, 
 and troops. Though the British fleet was \ made his attack on the right, and supported 
 materially damaged, d'Estaing observed it $ it with considerable courage. A redoubt on 
 with great indifference, and did not so much ! the Ebenezer road was so obstinately defend- 
 as interrupt the passage of the transports. ; ed by a colonel Taws, and a captain 'Wickham, 
 This action indeed gave such a superiority to ! that, after a most bloody conflict, in which 
 the French, as to strike an universal panic | Taws fell, the redoubt was totally cleared of 
 throughout our West India islands, which, Jtlie enemy, even although they had advanced so 
 however, d'Estaing confirmed no further than i far as to plant two stand of colours in it; at 10 
 by appearing for a whole day, with his fleet, ; o'clock, a truce was demanded by the enemy, in 
 off St. Christopher's. \ order to bury the dead, and carry of! the wound- 
 
 Having first convoyed the homeward- } ed, which was granted. The number killed and 
 bound French West India ships till they were j wounded, both French and Americans, was 
 out of danger, d'Estaing meditated the de- ; between 1000 and 1200. In a few days after- 
 struction of general Prevost's force in Georgia, j wards, upon the clearing up of a fog, it was dis- 
 and, in conjunction with general Washington, » covered that the enemy had totally abandoned 
 an attack, both by sea and land, on the British I their camps ; and d'Estaing, about the 1st of 
 forces at New York. General Prevost was > Noven)ber, departed from the coast of America, 
 at tins time at Savannah. The principal ; In the whole of this campaign, d'Estaing ex- 
 division of his troops was at Port Royal, in | posed himself to censure ; and, in particular. 
 South Carolina, and the difficulty with which ; it was said, that in this last aft'air he ought to 
 this force could effect a junction with the ; have proceeded with more vigour in tiie sap, 
 general, wandered his danger very apparent. > and not to have lost time in it giilar approaches 
 
 The French landed at Beaulieu, about 13 ! against field works. On his return to France 
 miles Irom the town of Savannah, and the ; he was received with coldness, and jjeriniited 
 frigates a|)pr();tc:hcd as near the lines as they i to pass the remainder of his days in congenial 
 possibly could. Ou the lOlh of September, | inactivity.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1780.] 
 
 1780. 
 
 A^ 
 
 T the commencement of the 
 
 session, tlie peculiar >ilnation of 
 
 the naliuii, and the evident iiiihecilily of ihe 
 miiiixter, presented peculiar adianlages to the 
 friends of liberty, and to the efl'orts of oppo- 
 sition. Nninerous petitions for opcotjoniica! 
 reform had been presented from various parts 
 of the kinf^doni, which were represented by 
 some to convey the sense of the nation, and 
 by olht-rs to be noihiii^ more than the clanionr 
 of faction. The whole house was converted, 
 (March .3rd) into a committee upon the sub- 
 ject of these petitions ; and Mr. Dunning, in 
 pursuance of the general desire of the mi- 
 nority, moved, as an introduction to other 
 pro'j)ositions connected with his plan of 
 reform, that " the influence of the crown has 
 
 increased, is increasing, and ought to be | 
 diminisheti." So general was the conviction ! 
 of the fact, that, notwithstanding the minister » 
 opposed the motion with great ability, it was i 
 approved by a majority of eighteen members, ; 
 of which number was the speaker himself. \ 
 In this critical state of things, an illness, with | 
 ^hich the speaker was seized, gave occasion | 
 for an adjournment ; and, by affording time i 
 to those who had receded from the court | 
 party, to reconsider the merits and effects of I 
 the motion, produced another cliange in the ; 
 balance of parties. Mr. Dunning, on the re- ; 
 sumption of parliamentary business, proposed ; 
 an address to his majesty, requesting that be | 
 would not dissolve the parliament, nor pro- i 
 rogue the session, till measures should be j 
 taken by that house to diminish the influence 1 
 
 of the crown, and to correct the evils com- 
 plained of in the petitioins of the people. This 
 motion was rejected, in a very full house, by 
 a majority of tifty-one members ; and the 
 opposition was thus deprived of the fruits of 
 its forn)er victory. 
 
 Whilst the reformation of abuses in the 
 state was so earnestly sought by all ranks of 
 people throughout the kingdom, that some 
 described the nation as having run mad about 
 public virtue ; as being actuated by an inno- 
 vating spirit, which formed notions of ideal 
 perfection ; as cherishing causeless discontents, 
 wiiich inflamed to turbulence and dissention ; 
 an unlooked-for source of civil commotion 
 pro.duceil the most alarming effects. The par- 
 tial relief which had been rendered to the sub- 
 jects of England who adhered to the Romish 
 faith, had given no sort of offence to the 
 nation-; in Ireland, the principle bad been 
 adopted with great success, and na disgust* 
 were testified by any class of the people. 
 These appearances induced some leading men 
 in Scotland to promise to use their interest ia 
 parliament, for the purpose of extending the 
 relief to that country ; but the design was no 
 sooner named, than a few impetuous lealott, 
 who were utterly unacquainted with the 
 nature of the relief which was meant to be 
 obtained, became alarmed at the danger to 
 which they thought the protectant church was 
 exposed, and made use of every method which 
 a blind enthusiasm suggested, to inflame the 
 people to the most violent resentments. Every 
 active principle was empiujred ia tbis cause; 
 
 as
 
 354 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XXVII. 
 
 ■whilst no effectual means were used to coin> ; an implacable enmity to the liomanists, that 
 teract these designs, by representing to the J they alktwed a general toleration ; and the 
 people at large how groundless their appre- ; Roman catholics, to this day, are conspicuous 
 iiensions were, and that nothing more was I in tiiose states, both for the largeness ol" their 
 meant to be done than to repeal an nnjust « numbers and t!)e peaceableness of their de- 
 law, which, by a strange concurrence of; meaner. The Swiss cantons know no dissen- 
 cii'cumstances, had become a law contrary to > sions, because some are of the Romish per- 
 the intentions even of its first framers, an*d i suasion, and others Calvinistical protestants. 
 that a great number of penal statutes against » But the attempts which have been made iit 
 Roman catholics would still remain in force. | England, since the reformation was introduced 
 It is highly becoming the leading and en- i into it, to render the religion of the church of 
 lightened part of mankind, to make use of ; Rome the national religion, and to exterminate 
 every means which argument, intermixed with ; or depress the reformed church, had estab- 
 good-humoured pleasantr-y, can supply, to j lished a hereditary antipathy, which is not 
 remove any false notions which are likely to ; yet extinct ;. insomuch, that the peaceable 
 remain, to the disturbance of the public tran- ; conduct of this body of men, for 120 years, has 
 quillity. Of all mistakes, those which arise | not bfeen suthcient to expiate the misdeeds of 
 from a conscientious attachment to religious ; a former race> It therefore became the indis- 
 principles deserve the most assiduous endea- ; pensible duty of every man of influence to 
 Tours to correct and confute them. The out- i oppose to this popular prejudice the force ot 
 rages which were committed in Edinburgh i truth ; but while a general supiueness pre- 
 and Glasgow, early in the year 1779, on the ; vailed concerning the principles and conduct 
 houses and property of the Roman catholics ; J of this society, it increased in numbers and in 
 in consequence of the popular resentments > zeal, under the influence of a president, whose 
 having been excited against them by a variety ! violent and daring spirit qualified him for 
 of inflammatory pamphlets, which had been i creating and leading a faction. This young 
 industriously circulated, would never have { nobleman was descended from one of the most 
 happened, if any portion of zeal had operated i antient and honourable families in Scotland, so 
 to the producing, and spreading widely, of > that he might lay claim to popularity as a birth- 
 ■well-writteu tracts, to disprove the assertions \ right, whilst a peculiar cast ot character, which 
 which had been so roundly and falsely made. | marked his whole deportment, drew the pub- 
 Bul the weapons of reason are less frequently ; lie attention; hi« singularities passed for 
 resor<ed to, for the purpose of suppressing a | marks of genius, and his dress and appearance, 
 popular infatuation, than those forcible wea- \ which seemed fo have been copied from the 
 pons, with which the state is armed ; and the i age of puritanism, impressed the superficial 
 progression of discontent is seldom attended > multitude with a notion of the sanctity of his 
 to, until the consequences of its maturity I manners ; although, under this «lisguise, his 
 are felt. i private life was not conspicuous for a single 
 
 ' From Scotland, this spirit of bitter enmity ; corresponding austerity. Through the in^ 
 against the catholics passed into England, and | fluence of this reformer, a petition to the house 
 caused a society to be formed under the title > of commons was drawn up, in the name of the 
 of T/te Prolestaiit Association, which was i society, praying the repeal of the act for the 
 composed of well-meaning but uninformed > relief of Roman catholics, which was signed 
 people, whose fears were excited, because they ; by vast nun)bers; to attend the delivery of 
 considered the principles of popery as in- 1 which, all true protestants were invited by 
 creasing to an alarming pitch in this country, ; hand-bills, and advertisements in the news- 
 and that the design of the legislature was to : papers, to assemble in St. George's Fields, 
 patronise that religion. The aversion which J and to distinguish themselves by wearing blue 
 British protestants discover to Roman catho- i cocka-des in their hats, their champion, who 
 lies is uncommonly inveterate; it seems almost 5 was a member of the house, having declared, 
 to have survived their religious principles. < that he would not deliver their petition, imless 
 The Du;ch, although they revolted from ; he was attended by twenty thousand men ; 
 Spain, because they were cruelly persecuted > and a number not short of that Mere actually 
 as protestants, yet were so far from bearing » got together. Although it was not the intention
 
 CHAP. XXVIl] GEORGE III. 355 
 
 of government to grant the prayer of the pe- ; were enabled to escape. Tlie houses of V.it 
 tition, yet it either 4\(\ iiol a|)preheiicl, or did ; catholics in Devonshire Street, Red Lion 
 not choose to provide a^aiiist, any conse- » Square, were destroyed ; the house of justice 
 qnences which might arise from the assembling I Cox, in Great Queen Street, met the same 
 of such a concourse of people. The behaviour « doon) ; the doors of ClerkeuweJI prison were 
 of lord George Gordon, the popular leader of I thrown open, and, after burning all the 
 this multitude, which now beset tlie house of ! writings and valuable goods of sir John 
 conunons, and occupied every avenue to its ; Fielding, the house of lord Manstield, in 
 entrance, tended greatly to exasperate and | Bloomsbury Square, was attacked. His 
 inflame his followers. Many of the lords ; lordship escaped through a back door; but 
 received personal aflronts and injuries in their ; the house, with his valuable collection of 
 way to the house of peers, and in the evening, ; manuscripts, his library, &c. were totally con- 
 the Itomish chapels belonging to the Sardinian ; sumed ; a party of the guards lired once or 
 and Bavarian ambassadors were demolished J twice, but wiiiiout at all repressiu"^ the violence 
 and set on fire, although no proper objects of; of tiie infatuated mob. 
 
 their resentment, because the obnoxious act ; On \\ ednesday, the King's Bench and 
 of par. lament no way affected them. The | Fleet prisons, with the house of Mr, Langdale, 
 montids of law aiid order being thus broken ; an eminent distiller in Holborn, were marked 
 down, the dwelling-houses of the Roman ! for destruction ; and as the evening approach- 
 catholics, in different parts of the town, were ; e'd, a s'Ctie presented itself, the oullines of 
 dismantled, and the furniture piled up in the ; which may be descril>ed, but the human 
 street and burnt, whilst ll;e (iwtliings were • imagination is incapable of conveying those 
 set on fire. The civil power was unable to ; sen.-ations of horror, which filled the breasts 
 prevent such outrages ; and the few military i of those who saw it. At the same instant, the 
 which could be drawn out, acting under the > Kmg's Bench and Fleet prisons, PSew Bride- 
 connuaufl of the tnagistrati>s, were not effec- i vvdl, tlie toll-gates on Blackfriar's bridge, the 
 tuaily employed to suppress them. A wealthy j large house at the bottom of Holborn, and 
 and luxurious metropolis must harbour a j various houses at other parts ol the town, to 
 number of desperate wretches, who are only | the number (if ihirty-six, were seen in flames, 
 awed by th.' scourge of i!ie law, which is held ; Some wretches were burnt at the houses of 
 over theui, and vvoidd not f:iil to avail them- ! distillers ; the spirits were brought out in 
 selves of I he feU-pension of legal authority, to I pail-fulls, and no* only commoi^ but iion- 
 commit the most atrocious crimes. These^ 5 rectified spirits, were drank w ith avidity. At 
 being now collected, levelled their attacks | one time, a piece of ruins tell on the heads of 
 against the places which they had most reason i these devoted miscreants; at another they 
 to dread ; and the different j:iils were forced i were seen nodding over the fire, and so des- 
 open, the prisoners set at liberty, and every vj^ perately insensible of their situation, and 
 thing con-umed which was susceptible of the i incapable to move through intoxication, that 
 action ol lire. 1 he dwelling-houses of several i many of them were seen to drop into eternity 
 justices of peace shared the same fate ; and, as ; in a manner too shocking for description. The 
 all authority an«l control was borne down, no i same day attempts were made on the Bank 
 lirniis could be set to the devastations which : and the Pay-office ; but these places being 
 might fiillow. The destruction of the Bank ; strongly guarded, they failed ; and many of 
 of England was openly threatened, and the i the rioters embraced an untimely and impre- 
 iate of the empire seemed to depend on the : pared death at the hand of the military, radier 
 torches of a ruthless banditti. » than abandon their destructive pursuit This 
 
 Lord Sandwich had a very narrow escape i night was the most dreadful of any ; tha 
 as be was passing in his carriage to the house > number of the killed cannot be ascertained • 
 of lords. The same evening, after having i but as far as report enables us to estnnate them, 
 burnt the house of justice Hyde, they pro- ! they stand thus; — 109 killed bv association 
 ceeded to Newgate, in order to release their j troops and guards, 101 by light hor.se. and 75 
 companions who had lieen imprisoned; the : died in the hospitals. Those who were present 
 consequence was dreadful ; in a few hours I speak of these scenes as exceeding any thing 
 the flames were so general, that .300 prisoners > recorded iu our auoals. Before'' noon. o»
 
 356 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. XXTir, 
 
 Thursday, the regulars and militia from the ; ment of Gibralter immediately followed the 
 
 country had put a stop to all further devas- ; Spanish declaration of war. In the month of 
 
 tations. {January, 1780, a fleet consisting of 21 ships 
 
 In the mean time, about 200 members of the | of the line, under the command of sir George 
 
 honBe of commons had the courage to assem- ; Rodney, proceeded to the relief of Gibralter. 
 
 ble in that place, under the protection of the i This fortunate commander had not been many 
 
 military. Some resolutions were passed : one j days at sea, before he ft-ll in with 15 sail of 
 
 was an assertion of their own privileges ; the j Spanish ships, laden with naval stores and 
 
 second was for a committee of enquiry into i provisions, bound to Cadiz, which were es- 
 
 the late and present outrages, and for the J curled by a Spanish man of war of 64 guns, 
 
 discovery of their promoters and abettors ; a i and tive frigates, all of which were taken. 
 
 third for a prosecution by the attorney-general ;? Eight days after, upon doubling cape St. 
 
 and the fourth for an address to his majesty, ; Vincent, a Spanish fleet, consisting of 1 1 sail 
 
 for the reimbursement of the foreign ministers, j of the line, under the command of Don Juan 
 
 to the amount of the damages they had sus- ) de Langura, was descried, which he immedi- 
 
 tained by the rioters. But the news of the I ately bore down upon, keeping nearer to the 
 
 conflagration begun in the city arriving, occa- j shore than the enemy, to prevent their escaping 
 
 «ioned their hasty adjournment. On Thursday, i into any port ; which, by the direction in 
 
 the 8th of June, lord George Gordon was » which the wind then blew, was, in the marine 
 
 taken info custody, and conveyed to the J phrase, keeping the lee-gage. The enj^age- 
 
 Horse Guards, where he underwent an exarai- I ment began about four o'clock in the afternoon ; 
 
 nation before the lord president, lord North, ; and, after it had continued near forty minutes, 
 
 lord Amherst, the secretaries of state, and 1 one of the Spanish ships, of 70 guns, blew up, 
 
 several lords of the council ; and in the even- I and 600 men, who were on hoard her, perished. 
 
 ing was committed a close prisoner to the | Soon after which, the battle was changed to 
 
 Tower. He was attended thither by a greater I a flight on the part of the Spaniards. During 
 
 force than ever was known on a similar occa- |the night, which immediately came on, the 
 
 sion. Lord George Gordon was, in the follow- 1 British ships pursued the enemy through a 
 
 ing year, bronghi to trial for high treason, and {great sea, the weather proving tempestuous, 
 
 acquitted of all the charges; nor, among all | and the next morning the fleet had approached 
 
 those who were apprehended, brought t© trial, | towards the shoals of St. Lucar. Four Spa- 
 
 and hanged, were tiiere any proved to belong 1 nish men of war were carried into Gibralter, 
 
 to ihal company who assembled in St. George's I among which was the admiral's ship; two 
 
 Fields, i other ships were taken, but being afterwards 
 
 It was determined, in a committee of the \ driven on shore, the one was lost and thd 
 
 whole house of commons, that no repeail 
 shonld take place in the act in favour of the 
 Bouian catholics, as the grievances sa'd to 
 arise from it were imaginary ; and they came 
 to resolutions, in order to set the c nduct of 
 parliament in a fair light, and to undeceive 
 the ill-informed, but well-meaning part cf the 
 petitioners. On Saturday, July the 8th, his 
 majesty closed this tedious sess" in with a 
 speech, in which he expressed his satisfaction 
 at the magnanimity and perseverance of his 
 faithtul conunoiis. 
 
 On the Isi of September a proclamation was 
 issued, for the dissolution of this parliament, 
 and for calling a new one. 
 
 WHiLti intestine violence and riot shook 
 the cu|ii(al, our fleets nbroHd met with success, 
 whicii served to console the unthinking popu- 
 lace for past misfortunes. The close invest- 
 
 other rescued. This signal success was ob- 
 tained with the loss of only 32 men killed, and 
 102 wounded. The vanquished fleet con- 
 sisted of fourteen sail ; but three ships had 
 been separated from the rest just before the 
 engagemei;t. The scene of this memorable 
 action was the very same with that on which 
 Boscawen eflected the destruction of de la 
 Clue's squadron, in the last war, only the 
 pursuit was made in diflerent directions. 
 Boscawen completed his triumph on the coast 
 where Rodney began. 
 
 The principal object with the Spaniards 
 was to recover the Floridas ; but whilst a 
 force was collecting for this purpose by Don 
 Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish governor of 
 Louisiana, a small force was sent from Ja- 
 maica against Omoa, a Spanish settlement on 
 the Musquito shore, which was soon taken, to
 
 CHAP. XXriI.l GfiORGE III. 
 
 the great annoyance of the enemy; but the | hour of victory, a mimber of South Carolinians 
 unheallhinessoC the place caused it to become | liad accepted the invitation given thtni in the 
 the grave of the brave men who subdued it. | royal pro(;lanialion. But when haron de 
 Admiral Hyde Parker, on the Leeward Island i Kalbe, with a detachment of 2000 men from 
 station, took and destroyed a large number < Washington's army was advanced into North 
 of vessels, on the coast of Martiiiico, which I Carolina ; when colonel SiniLpter had levied 
 had sailed from France for the supply of that | a body of men in liiat province ; and general 
 island. Several Fr'.'nch frigates were like- } Gates, who had signalized himself by his 
 wise taken. Admiral !<odiK-y thrice engaged j campaigns in tlie norli), was arrive*! to take 
 .the French flctl in the WesI Jndies, connnand- \ the connnand of tiie |>rovincials in this quar- 
 ed by M. de (inichen, without any <le«:isive j ter ; their conduct immediately proved llrat 
 consequences; altliough the palm of victory j most of (hem ha<l ttmporiseil, and wefe still 
 was justly claimed by the English admiral, ; inclined in their hearts to the revolted cause. 
 notw.iihslanding his force was considerably i In the month of August, lord Cornwaliis, beipg 
 inferior, and, in the first action, he was badly < informed that G'»tes was on his march to join 
 seconded by many ships of his fleet. The | Suuipter, and that they were expected to 
 honourable captain St. John, of th-^ Intrepul, j advance, with their united forces, against lo!*l 
 and tlireeofhis lieuteiipnts^, were killed, 'i lie ; Raw don, marched with all possible dispatch 
 dreadful hurricanes, wliich spread desolation i l(» Camden. The royal army was so sickly, 
 over many parts of the West India islands, | that the effective men did not amount to more 
 some time after, proved fatal to the ships of; than 2000, including 500 Carolinians, while 
 both nations m those seas. j that of iintPH was 5000 strong. Yet so neces- 
 
 The operations of this campaign in A me- | sary was victory regarded, lo the preservation 
 rica were carried on to the southward by sir | of their conquests, liiat it was determined, by 
 Henry Clinton in person ; who, in order to ; the royalist generals, to give their enemy battle, 
 provide a sufficient force for an expedition ; That they inigiit have some advantage, to 
 against Cliarlestowii, found it necessary to I balance ihe disparity of force, they concerted 
 evacuate Rhode Island, although a possession > a plan for takiiig Gates, who was posted 
 of great importance, on account of its valuable I about thirteen miles from them, by surprise, 
 haven. A voluntary surrender of it, theretbre, ! With that view they decamped (August i5th) 
 furnisiied a melancholy proof of the disparity I from Camden by night, but had soon the 
 of the force emjiloyed in this war to the objects ; uiortification to be informed, that their enemy 
 sought. The French immediately took pos- Hiad formed a similar design. A battle ensued 
 session of a place, whicli they had in vain I on their route, in which the royalists were 
 attempted to subdue. Charlestown surren- ; led on with great courage by lord Rawdon 
 dered on the 13th of May, 1780 ; soon after J and colonel Webster, and the whole was com- 
 which, sir Henry Clinton returned to New i maiidcd vvitii tnuch judgment by lord Corn- 
 York, and earl Cornwallis hecame commander- | wallis. The Americans made a resolute stand 
 in-chief in Smith Carolina. \ for above an hour, but were at last obliged to 
 
 It being necessary that his lordship should ; give way to the intrepid attacks of the royal- 
 remain at ChaHestown, to regulate the affairs « ists. The flight became general, notwith- 
 . of that province, lord Rawdon (now earl ; standing all the efforts of Cates to rally hfs 
 Moira) was detached, with the troops destined ; fugitive troops, and they left their antaguuisls 
 for active service, to Camden, on the Sanlee, |a complete victory, obtained with a compara- 
 not far from the borders of North Carolina ;; tively small loss, capturing 2000 stand of arms, 
 a place which he selected as an adva.Jageous i their baggage, and eight pieces of artdleiy. 
 rendezvous tor the loyalists in both provinces, J On intelligence of tlie defeat of Gates, 
 as calculated to protect the security ol" Caro- } Sumpter iM'gan a precipitate retreat towards 
 lina, and as a magazine and place of arms | North Carolina, which lord Cornwallis deemed 
 during the intended operations for the leduc- ; it of iniportance to intercept, and general 
 tion of North Carolina. I Taitleton, with his legion, was dispatclied in 
 
 At this period it was first seen, how much ; pursuit of them. I3y iorted marches, heo*er- 
 the royalists had l)eeu deceived respecting the ; took him at Cutauba ford, on the \\alteree. 
 real Jisuositiou of these provinces. In the i A dreadful slaughter eusued, k wliicli a great
 
 358 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVII. 
 
 part of Siimpter's corps were cut to pieces or ; party, he was continually assailed, iu ambush, 
 taken prisoners, and liie general liiuiself with i br anollier. His troops fought with unabated 
 difBculty escaped. Lord Corifwallis, per- j niinpidity, till the leader fell, by whose 
 ceiving his advantage, instantly availed himself; example they had been animated. With him 
 of the oppiMliinity of penetrating into North > all hopes of success vanished, and a complete 
 Carolina, and a plan was concerted for that ; victory remained to the provincials, which 
 purpose; in the execution of which he was | was accompanied by the surrender of 800 
 to be supported by two detachments, under ; prisoners of war. From this defeat we may 
 Tartleton and Ferguson. Each of these gene- ; date the turn of fortune. Lord Cornwailis, 
 rals was to take a different route through the 5 when informed of the fatal event, and of the 
 interior country; and it was expected that, ; circumstances attending it, convinced of the 
 ill the present state of affairs, they would, by j disaffection of the natives, and the danger of 
 their joint operations, have borne down all ; prosecuting his enterprise with so small a 
 resistance. But a reverse of fortune now | force, began his retreat to VVynnesborongh, 
 awaited the royalists, and it was at length dis- j near Camden. He was in this position when 
 covered, that their past successes had not \ he received intelligence that Sumpter was 
 been owing to causes which would operate in ; again at the head of a considerable force near 
 the further prosecution of hostilities. Civil ; the Broad river. Tartleton was dispatched 
 wars are, of all others, the most liable to j against him, and a hard-fought action ensued 
 sudden changes, because, in these contentions, ; on the 20th of November, 1780, at Blackstocks, 
 the feelings and passions of the people more ; in which the royalists, after a signal display 
 frequently concur with policy in producing ; of valour, were obliged to give way to superior 
 them. Lord Cornwailis had advanced to \ numheis. 
 
 CliarloKe Town, near the borders of the two j During these changes in the southera 
 Caroliiias, without any check on his pros- ; provinces, no memorable occurrence had 
 peroHs fortune, when a new and formidable \ taken place in the north. Washington re- 
 enemy was seen to issue from the districts on | lained his position at Moriistown, in the 
 the west of the Allegany mountains, whose j Jerseys, and continued to act on the defensive, 
 natural fierceness compensated for the want! and Tryon and Kun phau.stn v\ere oidy en- 
 of discipline. Being apprised that colonel > gaged in one or two lutfleclual skirmishes. 
 Ferguson was approaching towards their ; The succours, m hich iiad be< n [jroniised 
 country, they assembled about 3000 men. ! to the provincials from France, weie <i( layed 
 commanded by several chiefs, and so hemmed \ l)y several uuforesten accidents, and uid not 
 in his small corps, that an action liecanie J arrive at Khode Island iili the i'iJth of July. 
 inevitable. The irruption of these liaidy re- ; The arinauient consisted of seven sail of the 
 publicans was put in execution without any ! line, and tive trigait-N, uiid< r ih. command of 
 direction from the government of Auk rica. > M. de I'ernay, with a tle^-i of irai)>porls, con- 
 They had so little of the mechanism of a regu- ; vt-y ing (ioOO chosen troops, under the commaod 
 lar army, that the colonels of some of the Jof liie count de Kochamln an Itisiorcethe 
 states, from which they issued, commanded \ Frein:b gem-r-.l rejires* nied as only ihe van- 
 each day alternately. The hardships these ! guard of a vt^iy considerable army, destined 
 volunteers underwent were very great. Some 5 by his most Clirisiian maj« sty lor the aid of 
 of them subsisted for weeks together without ; the American republic. Jn the mean time, 
 tasting bread, or salt, or spirituous liquors;; the Americans were destined to prove, not 
 and slept in the woods without blankets. Ears > only the calamities of war, but the more 
 of corn, or pompions thrown into the tire, ! dangerous effects of treachery. The active 
 with occasional supplies of beef or venison, ; services of general Arnold had rendered him 
 roasted in the woods, were their chief pro- | a favourite with boih the soldiers and the 
 visions. Surrounded by such enemies, bra- J people ; but his love of pleasure caused him 
 very and fortitude were general Ferguson's ; to contract debts which he was unable to pay ; 
 only resources. For a long time he gallantly « and, as the ministry of Great Britain were not 
 maintained his ground against their greatly I unpractised in the arts of corruption, they 
 superior force, repelling their attacks with ; knew to what quarter they could most suc- 
 ihe bayonet. But while in pursuit of one i cessfully apply. A correspondence was
 
 CHAP. XXVH.] GEORGE HI. 359 
 
 established between Arnold and a young \ congress afterwards rewarded tliem witli a 
 officer of the name of Andre, at that time ad- ; pension of aljout £oO per aniuini. Andre 
 jutant-general to Clinton's army, under the > was conducted by his captors to colonel 
 feigned names of Hnstaviis and Anderson, i Jameson, who had the command of the scout- 
 The station in which Arnold was posited at > ing parties. It is much to be regretted that 
 West Point, was extremely favourable to the ; this officer suflered Andre to write to Arnold, 
 traitorous design. The object of the negotia- ; by which circumstance the traitor escaped the 
 tion was to induce Arnold to make such a « fate that so deservedly awaited him. After a 
 disposition of his forces, that sir Henry Clin- | fair trial before a board of fourteen general 
 ton should be enabled to surprise West Poii»t, | officers, French and Americans, major Andre 
 in which case the garrison Mduld be so com- I was condemned to be executed as a spy, 
 pletely in his power, that the troops must have { fireat exertions were made by the British 
 been obliged to lay down their arms, or be | officers to save his life ; but tlie Aniericans 
 cut to |)ioces. To favour the communication, | resisted every offer, and would agree to no 
 the Vulinre sloop of war had byen previously » terms but Arnold's being delivered up to them 
 stationed in North river, as near to Arnold's | in the room of Andre, which on the part of 
 posts as was practicable without exciting ; the British was also refused. The unfortu- 
 suspicion. In order eft'ectually to settle the i nate Andre, therefore, suffered the sentence 
 whole plan of operation, a nnnference took J of the court. To his memory, the public 
 place; and on the night of September 21st, a ; homage of the nation has been voted ; and his 
 boat was sent from the shore to the Vulture, \ name lias been consecrated in song. Impartial 
 for major Andre. Arnold met him on tlie ; history can only do justice to his character as 
 beach, without the posts of either army. The | a man of courage, — there his panegyric must 
 negotiation was not settled till it was too near \ end. He was an idle and dissipated young 
 the (la«n of day for Andre to return, and he 5 man, and relinquished the more honourable 
 was conducted within the American posts, ^ and useful occupation of a merchant, for that 
 ■where he stayed the whole day, and at night ; of a soldier. The fugitive general, his partner 
 changed his uniform, which he had hitherto | in intrigue, attempted, in several publications, 
 worn under his surtont. for a common coat, | to justify his own conduct, and to persuade 
 and being furnished with a passport fronj^ others to follow his example ; but his treachery 
 Arnold, under the name of John Anderson, ; had excited so much contempt in the breasts 
 proceeded on horseback for JXew York, In > of the Americans, as to produce an effect 
 his way he was met by three privates of the; contrary to his wishes; since it is a memorable 
 New York militia, who were out on a scout- i circumstance that desertion ceased in the pro- 
 ing party ; one of them sprang from the cover, ; vincial camp immediately after Arnold became 
 and seized Andre's horse by the bridle. The t a traitor, 
 
 major, instead of producing his pass, asked | The campaign closed in the northern sutes 
 the man where he belonged to, who an- I with some success to the Americans, at fort 
 swered. To below, meaning New York ; — ! George in Long Island. The Spaniards on 
 and Andre, suspecting no deceit, replied, *So ; the American frontier were not inactive during 
 do I, and declared himself a British officer, I these transactions. Don Bernando de Galvez, 
 and begged tliat he might not be detained. ; the governor of Louisiana, was one of the 
 Upon the soldier beginning to search him, he ; first to proclaim the independence of America, 
 found his mistake, and ofl'ered them a purse \ and, in the spring of 1780, assembled a small 
 of gold and a valuable watch, if they would I force at N(!W Orleans, and surprised and 
 sufl'er him to escape ; with promises of per- ; made himself master of Mobille, and all the 
 manent provision, and future promotion, if ; British settlements on the Mississippi, 
 they would accompany him to New York.; The siege of Gibralter still continued, and 
 Though these three poor men had no claim ; the blockade was renewed after admiral Rod- 
 to hereditary honours, they evinced more i ney's departure ; but the Spaniards, under 
 nobility of sentiment in resisting bribes, than I Don Barcelo, were defeated on the 7th of 
 is often found in those of superior station ; ; June, in an attempt to burn the English ship 
 their names were John Paulding, David Wil- } ping in the harbour there. In the command 
 liams, and Isaac Van Vert, and the American | of the Channel fleet, sir Charles Hardy, (who
 
 360 HISTORY or ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVIf. 
 
 died on the 19th of May) was succeeded hy I prove successfij ; but the outlines of a coni- 
 adiiiiral Geary. He sailed in the beginnin-j i mercial treaty h;id been secretly adjusted in 
 of June, and was not out many days before ; September, 1778, at Aix-la-Chapelle, by the 
 he was so fortunate as to intercept a con- i orders and instructions of M. Van Btrkel, 
 siderable convoy of French West India ships, i counsellor and pensionary of the city of 
 bouieward-bound from St. Don)ingo, anxi I Amsterdam, with a commissioner on the part 
 captured twelve rich vessels. But this advan- j of the congress. The assistance which the 
 tage was counterbalanced by the loss of almost ; Dutch might be brought to render to Ame- 
 all the outward-bound convoy from England i rica, either in an open or private manner, if a 
 to the East and West Indies, which, on the i respectable personage, properly empowered 
 29lh of July, was taken by the combined | by congress, should reside at Amsterdam, 
 fleets, to the nntnber of fifty-five. ! induced Mr. Laurens, the president of that 
 
 The naval pre-eminence of England had for I congress, to undertake transacting the cou- 
 ages excited the jealousy of the other maritime I ceiiis of America with that republic ; but on 
 stales of Europe. In the late war, they had i his voyage, the ship in which he sailed was 
 been deeply chagrined at the triumph of Great i capt«iired by an English frigate, and the 
 Britain over the fleets of the house of Bourbon, | American president, l»eing brought to London, 
 and the same feelings were excited by her ; was committed tj the Towtr. All his papers, 
 recent successes. Other combinations, there- i which he had connniiteil to the sea as soon 
 fore, were deemed necessary to restrain her J as his fute vvas ascertained, liapp<'Niiig to be 
 power. With that view, the eni|>r(ss of- recovt-re«l, were expo>ed to the mNj.t ciioii of 
 Russia came forward as the projertor and I the British cabinet. Tlie discoveiies which 
 patroness of a confefleracy, of which tlie ; they made, determined the court of Londou 
 chief object was, to dispute the right of tlie : no longer to ket p any terms with the United 
 king of Great Britain, by virtii" of the general : Stales ; and on tlie W^h of Deoembtr, 1780, 
 law of nations, to search neutral vessels, and ; a royal manilrsto was published, winch 
 thus prevent supplies from being carried to : amounted lo a lieclaiation of war, and letters 
 his enemies. In opposition to this, the em- « of mar«jue and reprisal were soon after issued, 
 press now prtiposed a new regulation, " thai ; This conduct ceiiai ly iiiiplud, tl.ai the o|)en 
 neutral ships shall enjoy a Iree navigation, J enmity of the Dui.tli was iess to l,e dreaut'd 
 even frrmi port to port, and on the coasts of; than their secret (lisser\ ices. Farther, by 
 the belligerent powers ; an<l that all etiects, ; ll'is (leciari'iUMi ol liosiiiitK s, ihe rr piibiic was 
 belonging to the subjects of the suid belh- > renoererl iii< apal.le ol a«(e<liiig lo ilie armed 
 gereut powers, shall be looked upon as free i neniralitj, b_\ wliicli liie hoiihern powers 
 on board such neutral ships; except only j would ha\e btcoine, in a uianner, guaranieea 
 such goods as are stipulated to becoiilrabaiid." ■ for his proiection suhJ secuniy. tor a king- 
 This regulation was warmly prmnoied i)\ lue : «lom, a.ready o>frwlielmed with foes, to 
 kings of Sweden, Denmark, Spam, France, ' denoimce war against ani'itier siaie, appeared 
 and Prussia, and was earnestly supported by ; to be a measure so singularly l)ol<) and big 
 the Dutch states. ; with danger, that it ci»al<i only be juslihtd by 
 
 Thl terms on which this country stood i the plea of state necessity, winch had been 
 with the Dutch, had long been latently ininii- ; urged on a variety of occasions, aii<l inplicitly 
 cal. The restraints which their carrying trade I admiued. To quality this measuie, it must 
 had been laid under, during the last war, ; be observed, lliat such a radical defect had 
 at which they murmured, but which they ; hnig prevailed in the government and genius 
 dared not resent, had not been exercis«-d j of the Dutch, that the maritime force possess- 
 Tvith equal severity in the present state ofjed by ihat rt public, seems to have sunk in 
 hostilities. The partiality which that republic, i a like proportion to the advancement of the 
 particularly the province of Amsterdam, ! strength of this country. A well-mformed 
 shewed to the interests of France, as well as ; politician had long before proncHiuced the 
 to those of America, was seen with great dis- ! Dutch commonwealth lo he ** in a state of 
 satisfaction by the court of London. Many | dissolution ; and not to have, either within 
 attempts had been made, by American agents, I or without lierself, those means of recovery, 
 to negotiate a loan in Holland, which did not i by coujuuctures and by character, that «be
 
 €HAP. XXVIl.] GEORGE III. 361 
 
 Vias had on several occasions, from the time her j walls of the house of commons. So different 
 government was first formed." j is the language used at the conjniencement, 
 
 WniiN (he new parliament assembled, after ; and towards the close of a parliament ! 
 the Christmas recess, Mr. Bnrke attempted I In this slruggle between government and 
 agam to introduce his plan of ceronomy, with | tiie people, it may be remarked, tiiat the 
 Morse success than the preceding session. In ; principles upon which the parly distinctions 
 the course of his speech upon this occasion, ! of Whig and Tory had been founded, seem to 
 lie asserted, that the king of France had | have been lost, and those who still chose to 
 abolished GOO useless oflices, by which re- ! be known by such names, had appaiently 
 ductioM he had provided iiimself with the I changed sides ; for if, as a learned metropoli- 
 lueans for carrying on the war, without laying j Ian ob.^erved in .'he house of lords, the conduct 
 a sitigle additional tax upon tlie people. ; of the Whigs was not Wliigifini, but Wiiigisjui 
 
 The French minister of finance had de- ; run mad ; a like phrensy m;iy be said to have 
 livered to the king, his master, an ample de- > seized the Tories. '1 he princi|»les of Torvism 
 tail of the reformations he had introduced, ; 1*20 years ago, and from thence down to the 
 and pointed out a variety of means by which ; present reign, \\ere utterly repugnant to the 
 the state might be essentially' benefitted in ; corrupt iuHuence of the crown in the two 
 future. It was anew thing in France, for a ; houses of parliament. If it be said, that the 
 full, clear, and explicit slate of the finances to t body of tlie Wliigs were now as clamorous 
 be laid i)efore the people, and it may astonish \ against the power of j)arliamenl, as they were 
 an Englishman to bear the French minister i formerly against the power of the crown, and 
 declare, T/taC the public bank of France /his ; that llie Tories were as yielding to the increase 
 never been iji advance on account of govern- \oi \\\i]\\Guce which the cro«n has acquired, 
 ment ; but the royal treasuri/ has constantly a \ as they were formerly to the claitns of prero- 
 capital in bank of some nrillions (of livres.) \ ^aUvo, it may be answered, that still the 
 This bank, there/ore, has not been of any direct \[>o\\Uca\ principles lo which each w;is at- 
 utililt/ to the royal treasury; a7id the interest \ ti^ched, are very different from those which 
 of government, in the success oj' its establish- \ dividt'tl then* fcnefalhers. The Whigs, when 
 tnenl, has been no other than the prosperity o/;they supported the power of parliament, 
 commerce, the moderating the interest of money, \ meant lo form a barrier against the encroach- 
 and giving a greater activity to circulation, \mcn\9. of regal power, and every Tory will 
 Such probably will never be the slate of ; surely admit, that the influence of the crown 
 affairs in this country. The exchequer is > is very different from the power of the crown, 
 never likely to become " the great spring of; The distinguishing characters of each parly 
 public credit, and the great scene of all trans- ; are, at length, lost in the changes incidental 
 actions relative to public receipts and pay- • to human affairs, and one grand and important 
 njents." The monied interest commands even ; national object now ought to engage the 
 government itself ; the public, like an extra- ! public attention. It is indeed time that all 
 vagant spendthrift, being obliged to deal with j party names should be done away; they serve 
 usurers on their own terms ; although the » ordy to narrow and degrade the sentiinents 
 lauded men are the true owners of the political | an<l views of mankind, and the times render it 
 vessel, the monied men, as such, are no more I necessary, that new distinctions should take 
 than passengers in it. » place, not as badges of petulance and iil-will, 
 
 SiK George Saville presented a petition, ; Init such distinctions as must, in their very 
 signed by thirty-two freehoU'ers of the con- ! nature, discriminate between the lover f f his 
 federated counties, known by the name of ; country and ils betrayer. The nation, at thi* . 
 delegates, which was rejected, on the ground i time, ought to be divided into those who 
 that a petition, signed by tiiirty-two persons, i claim Irciin their representatives, and from 
 on such a national concern, carried no apparent ; the legislation in general, a provident expendi- 
 weight or importance ; and the idea of these : lure of the public money, and a sincere, 
 gentlemen being delegated by several counties J strenuous, and judicious intention lo introduce 
 in England, could not be admitted, because ; an universal system of (Economy ; and those 
 the constitution knows no such bodies of men ; self-interested and rapacious harpies, who be- 
 as county-delegates, e;scept those wilbiu the < coiue important by the spoils of their ceuntry. 
 
 3 a 23
 
 362 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. XXVU. 
 
 The sudden and unexpected commence- 
 ment of hostilities against the Dirtch, caused 
 their valuable commerce to become a prey to 
 British ships, and a large number of their 
 seamen to be detained captives in England. 
 In the West Indies, the island of St. Eustatius, 
 which, during the war, had been a most 
 beneficial mart of traffic, both for the French 
 and Au)ericans, was reduced by sir George 
 Rodney and general Vaughan. The island, 
 although highly important to the Dutch in a 
 commercial view, is no more than a barren 
 rock, incapable of providing defence or sub- 
 sistence for its inhabitants. The city of Am- 
 sterdam was chiefly concerned in this trade ; 
 but many English merchants were also em- 
 barked in it, as well as in the carrying trade. 
 Our whole force in the West Indies was 
 brought against this spot ; so that the gover- 
 nor, unable to make any defence, surrendered 
 at discretion. The British commander dealt 
 the full measure of punishment to all upon 
 the island with an implacable severity ; private 
 property was seized without mercy, and the 
 vindictive spirit which dictated the orders and 
 their execution, scarcely left the miserable 
 residents, particularly the Jews, the means of 
 subsistence; they were deprived of their very 
 provisions. A Dutch fleet of merchant-ships, 
 consisting of thirty vessels, and a G4 gun ship 
 which convoyed them, and had just sailed, 
 were pursued, and the whole taken ; but the 
 greatest part of the merchant-ships were after- 
 wards captured by the French, near the Irish 
 coast, on their voyage to England. Theislan'd 
 of St. Martin, and the settlements of Denia- 
 rary and Essequibo, on the continent of South 
 America, were soon after reduced. 
 
 Thus was one great object in breaking 
 with Holland accomplished ; anotiier was to 
 prevent their trade to the Baltic, to efl'ect 
 which object vice-admiral Hyde Parker was 
 sent out, with five line of battle-ships, one of 
 60 guns, and five large frigates to interce[)t a 
 Dutch fleet, which he met with off the 
 Dogger Bank, consisting of eight two-decked 
 line of l);Ulle ships, and several large frigates ; 
 these were convoy to a fleet of merchant-men 
 going to the northward. With the true spirit 
 of a British seaman, he engaged the enemy, 
 although so much superior in numbers. The 
 battle was obstinate, and proved that the 
 Dutch had not lost that firmness in time of 
 action, w hich had been so conspicuous in the 
 
 \ contests between the two powers in the last 
 century. The engagement was maintained 
 for almost four hours, when the sliips of each 
 squadron becoming unmanageable, they lay 
 to for a considerable time near each other ; 
 but at length the Dutch ships of war, with 
 their merchant-men, bore away for the Texel, 
 and one of their 64 gun ships svmk. The 
 English, in this hard contest, lost in killed and 
 wounded 443 men. In consequence of this 
 action, the Dutch Baltic fleet was unable to 
 pursue its voyage. Parker returned home iu 
 disgust, at not being sent out with a sufficient 
 force. The additional ships which he asked 
 for had been withheld from him, without any 
 specific service being assigned them ; and, 
 though his sovereign paid him peculiar atten- 
 tion, in visiting him on board h.is ship at Chat- 
 ham, the veteran struck iiis flag, and withdrew 
 from the service. The nation had been so 
 long accustomed lo see those officers, who 
 were most distinguished for the length and 
 eminence of their services, retiring with gloomy 
 discontent, at the conduct of the marine 
 minister, that this instance was observed as 
 a common occurrence, although no circum- 
 stance, in the then critical situation of the 
 empire, could be a more warrantable cause of 
 alarm,, or a more necessary subject for inves- 
 tigation. 
 
 The operations against the Dutch were not 
 confined to these objects. Commodore John- 
 stone was invested with the command of a 
 squadron, destined to attack the cape of 
 Good Hope, whence he was to proceed to the 
 Spanish settlement of Buenos Ayres, in the 
 Rio de la Plata of South America, where a 
 dangerous insurrection had given great alarm 
 to the court of Madrid. Our ministry had 
 been apprised of the posture of afi'airs in those 
 parts by a priest, who had been sent a prisoner 
 from thence to Spain, for his conduct in fo- 
 menting tliis civil commotion ; but the ship 
 in which he was embarked happened to be 
 taken by an English cruiser. This man ac- 
 companied the commodore on the expedition. 
 The republic of Holland, unable to make 
 head against this attack, was obliged to seek 
 protection from France ; and a fleet was sent 
 out from Brest, of superior force, in order to 
 counteract the designs of conimodore John- 
 stone, whose exact strength was well known 
 to the French commander, M. de Suffrein, 
 who came up with the British fleet at the cape
 
 CHAP. XXVII.J GEORGE III. 3G3 
 
 tie Verfl islands, and attacked liim whilst ; was no port at band, to afford a retreat to the 
 I>iii<j under tlie protection of the Portuguese ! disabled ships, though to this inconvenience 
 flag, in the small island of St. Jago, several j the French were equally expused. After this 
 outward-bound East Indiamen being in coim- ; parade of battle, sir George Rodney returned 
 pany. The French were, however, disgrace- J to Europe, in an 80 gun ship, at a lime when 
 fully beaten off, with great loss and damage ; ; the cause of his country demanded his most 
 but, as they reached the cape before the > strenuous and bold exertion, and which, most 
 British commander, the attempt upon that ; probably, would have prevented the catas- 
 place was efleclually frustrated, and the ; trophe which followed on the American cou- 
 Fren^^h became actual masters of the settle- ; tinent. 
 
 meut and harbour. Five homeward-bound 5 At the close of the year 1778, the British 
 Dutch East Indiamen were afterwards sur- > in India made repeated attempts to interfire 
 prised by Johnstone; four of which he cap-* in a nvolulion which had taken place in the 
 tured, the other was burnt by its crew. It j Mahralta government. liaganont Kou caused 
 "was now found necessary to relinquish the ; his nephew, the reigning paishwa, vviMi the 
 objects of the expedition. The ships destined i care of whom, during his minority, ne was 
 for the East Indies proceeded on their voyage % solemnly entrusted, to be assassinated, la 
 thither, and the commodore returned home ; consequence of the protection afforded to 
 with his prizes. | Raganout by the British governnit nl, a con- 
 
 The injincijse quantity of merchandize found ; federacy was formed in the year 1779, between 
 on the island of Sr. Etiislatins, detained adnii- ! the Nizam, Hyder Ali, and the INiahratlas, 
 ral R'xliiey for a consideraMe t)n)e on that ; for the expulsion of the Engli>li from India, 
 spot; and, alihongh a large Heet was expected i It being determined to pay no regard to 
 to arrive from France, whtch sir .Suuuiel I the treaty of Warganm, active pre|)araiions 
 Hood was cruising with the British tieet to ; were made for the renewal of warlike opi ra- 
 infercepi, yet three ships of the line leniaiued | lions by the presidency of Bondjay, and a 
 witir the connuander-iii-ciiipf. Hood remon- ; body of forces was dispatched from i^Iadras 
 stnfed ill vain against the station mIhcIi he | to reinforce the Smat army. As soon as 
 was appointerl to keep, as one in which he ; liiese were completed, at the opening of the 
 conid nt.t prevent tlie jinicii<in of the French ! present year, general Goddard penetrated into 
 ships in the harbour of Martinique with the | the territory of Dubhoy, belonging to the 
 fleet from Europe. The event proved his ;Mahrattas, and gained possession of a fortress 
 suirgesiion to have been judicious, although ! of that name, which was its chief defence, 
 sliiihied by his superior ofHcer. The French > Then, advancing into the Guzerat country, 
 became stronger by five ships of the line. He i where he was joined by a body of Futty Sing's 
 fouglit them, however, with this odds, and ! cavalry, he invested Ahmedabad, and reduced 
 kept them long at bay. Rodney, at length, \ that capital by storm in live days. This im- 
 took the command ; and, having now collected ; portant place was then consigned to Futty 
 his whole force, after some time went in | Sing, as a means of fixing him in the company's 
 search of the enemy, who had already reduced ; interests ; and that prince, in return, granted 
 the island of Tobago. The British fleet con- ! the company such districts of the territories 
 sisted of twenty-one ships of the line, the ; appertaining to it, as were most desirable to 
 French of twenty-four. A glorious opportu- ; them, together with the privilege of establish- 
 nity was presented, of deciding this long- i ing a factory at Ahmedabad. 
 protracted cont> st. The two fleets were drawn j Mr. Farmer being generously released from 
 up in order of battle, the British seamen ; his confinement as a hostage, about this time, 
 exulted in the prospect of action, they were ! some overtures were made through him for 
 kept all night under arms ; but the next day « an amicable arrangement with the Mahratta 
 did not gratify their expectations. The I chiefs, Scindiah and Holkur. But when it 
 French were far from becoming so confident, i appeared that the surrender of Raganout was 
 by the advantage which their superiority of j made the first stipulation, and that lliey were 
 numbers gave ihem, as to seek their enemy ; i desirous to establish a power independent of 
 and the British admiral was induced to re- % the company, the conferences were dropped, 
 press the ardour of his men, because there > After various negotiations, hostilities were 
 
 3 A 2
 
 364 IIJSTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVll, 
 
 commenced with great success by t!ie British ; Mr. Holland, meanwhile, Mas employed as 
 forces. General Goiidanl, takiiii;: Scindiali's > re.sideiit at the iiizani's conrt, with hl^rt^llction» 
 army liy surprise, made vast havoc among ; to reconcile that prince to liis brother'^s trans- 
 the Maiuatta horse with his artillery, and at i action with the presidency ; and, moreover, 
 last drove him from tiie field with great slaugh- ; to prevail on him, if possible, to remit the 
 ter. IVor \vas this the only honour accjnired | whole or a part of the peshcush, or annual 
 by the British arms. In the course of the > tribute granted to him, as the mogul's vice- 
 campaign, several brilliant actions were per- ; gerenf, when the five northern Circars were 
 formed by the detachments under Campbell, I ceded to the company. His reception was 
 Walsh, and Fori)es, in all which victory was ; such as might reasonably have been expected 
 the reward of British valour, in support of; under such circumstances. Tlie nizam was 
 the <iistinguished military address of our com- i naturally disposed to peace; but wheH he 
 iDan-iers. ; retiectcd on the whole teuour of the company's 
 
 'I'he supreme council, in the mean time, ! conduct, and compared it \\\i\\ their present 
 "wer^i pursuing such measures as they deemed ; insolent propositions, he thought it politic to 
 most advisable to attach the ranna of Giiod ; sacrifice his own disposition to the salVjty of 
 to I heir interests. The Mahrattas were in 5 his dominions, and the general welfare of 
 possession of the strong fortress of Gualier, in ; Hindostan ; he baldly told Mr. Holland, that, 
 the iieart of {lie ranna's territories. Knowing > if the company was bent on war, he also was 
 how mortifying and distressing this was to \ prepared for it, and was confident it would be 
 him, tiiey made it their first object to relieve ; waged with advantage to himself. He stated 
 him from that annoyance. With that view, i that " the surrender of the Circars to the com- 
 niajor Popiiam was sent with a body of troops i pany bad proceeded from the fraud and igno- 
 to his support. After gaining so decided an ! ranee of bis managers, that he had submitted 
 advantage over the Mahrattas which were | to that heavy loss from a sense of his engage- 
 stationed for the defence of the territory, as | ments ; and, considering himself bound by 
 enabled him to clear the country of them, he ; the treaties, had still adhered to them." Con- 
 sat down before Gualier. It was till this ; eluding his conference with a threat that he 
 time deemed impregnable. But Popham, J would join Hyder Ali, he only subjoined, 
 being apprised that it was accessible by a « that the commencement of hostilities must be 
 track which led over an adjoining precipice, 5 the necessary consequence of withholding the 
 employed the native troops, with such admi- 1 peshcush ; and, when no satisfactory answer 
 rable judgment, in climbing it and assailing ; was given, Mr. Holland vt as forthwith ordered 
 the fortress unexpectedly, that it was reduced ; to prepare for his departure, 
 ■with a very inconsiderable loss of men. \ It ought here to be observed, for the credit 
 
 During these transactions in the north, the ; of the supreme council, that these affairs, by- 
 presidency of Madras had been adopting every I which the company was involved in a new 
 expedient in their power, to secure themselves 5 war, were transacted without its privity, ^nd 
 in the possession of the Guntoor Circar, the i although the developement of them excited 
 Talue of which was enhanced to them, by its | much indignation in that board, and threatened 
 situation near their own and the nabob of ; a rupture between the two presidencies, who 
 Arcot's territories on the Kristna river. ; were jealous of each other's power, yet the 
 Bazalet Jung was perfectly aware that he had | subsequent soothing measures, adopted by 
 incurred the enmity of Hyder Ali, as well as ; the governor and council, had the good efl'ect 
 the ISizam, by his treaty of cession. To ; of preventing the nizam from taking the field, 
 guaid him from the attack which he appre- i The irresolution of the other powers was 
 bended would be the consequence of liieir > strikingly contrasted by the firmness and 
 anger, colonel Harper was sent with a body : activity of Hyder Ali. The Mysorean had 
 of troops to his support. But having occasion ; b«'" indefatigably employed, during the in- 
 to cross the Cuddepah, which Hyder had I terval of peace, in improving the ci\d, ju<licial, 
 lately conquered, he was intercepted on his » and jnililary systems of his empire. While 
 march by a detachment of Mysoreans, and | others were shrinking from the combat, Hyder, 
 Avas constrained to desist from the prosecution ; conscious of his strength, seemed to rcjojce 
 of his expedition. 5 that so fair an opportunity was presented of
 
 CHAP. XXVIl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 365 
 
 avenging his personal injuries. He was 
 aware that the presidency oC Madras, engaged 
 in their |)rivate intrigues, had neglected the 
 requisite uii^asures ut (itff;in:e ; and tiiat the 
 company's military force, thnngh amonnting 
 to 30,000 men, was divided into detached and 
 unconnected bodies. Willi hi'* usual promp- 
 titude, he assend)led an army of 80,000 men, 
 which was rendered moro eCective l»y the 
 French officers, who had joined him from 
 the nizam's service. IJe p,ii!red like a tor- 
 rent into the country on the east of the ghauts 
 or passes ; and, while Tippoo Sail) was lay- 
 ing waste the noi'lhcrn C'ircars, he a<ivani-ed 
 in person, with the grand army, and .sat down 
 before Arcot. To oppose tliis formidable 
 force, colonel Baillie was [)lac(-d with a sniali 
 detachnient in the Circars, and sir Hector 
 Monroe took the field, with a!! the forces 
 which could he assendth.d at Madr.is. Hyder, 
 anxious )o avoid a pitci»ed batlle, raised tiie 
 siege on the approach of the JEnglish general ; 
 and. with a view to prevent the inleiided 
 junction of Baillie's corps with sir Uecior 
 Monroe's army, he posted his own forces on 
 that oflicer's route, arul deiarlied his son and 
 his brother, with 30,000 of Ins best troops, 
 to iiitercept him on his march. The result 
 of these movements was an action at Perim- 
 bancum, where, notwithstanding the great 
 disadvantages to which the English general 
 was subjected, from his want of cavalry, and 
 
 inferiority of force, he obtained a victory, more 
 glorious than important. 
 
 But even victory could not extricate the 
 troops from their embarrassment. Colonel 
 Fletcher having arrived with a detachment 
 from sir Hector Monroe to their sujiport, 
 the two conunanders were advancing, with 
 their combined forces, towards the grand 
 army, united near Conjeveram, when they 
 were suddenly attacked (September the lOth) 
 by Tippoo Saib in ambuscade. A furious 
 battle succeeded. Surrounded by 2o,000 
 cavalry, and tliirty regiments of sepoys, the 
 compact Brilish detachment, with only 10 
 pieces of artillery, were enabled to repel 
 every charge, by the invincible firmness with 
 which they maintained their ground. For- 
 tune seeuied inclined to reuurd tiieir bravfery 
 and their fortitude, when the accidental ex 
 plosion of their tumbrils threw them into 
 irrecoverable confusion. The disastrous 
 defeat which ensued, was rendered more 
 severe by the loss of nearly the whole de- 
 tachment, and by the death of colonel Flet- 
 cher, and the capture of Baillie. The imme- 
 diate coiisefjuence of tliis event was the sur- 
 render of Arcot, and the siege ol Wandewash 
 and other fortresses. The presidency, alarmed 
 and astonished, restored, as a condition of 
 the terniniation of hostilities, the (^iintoor 
 Circar, and propitiated him by the assurances 
 of an early payment of the stipulated peshciish.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1781, 1782.] 
 
 State of the Public Mind — Campaign in America — Surrender of Lord Cornwallis — Attack 
 upon Minorca — Exploits of Admiral Rodney — Siege of Gibruller — Its gallant Defence — 
 Affairs in the East Indies — Origin, Progress, and Conclusion of the Mahratta War. 
 
 T 
 
 HE war with Holland was censured in 5 the reduction of Jersey. Eight iiundred men 
 
 the new [)arliament, (for a dissolution \ were sent against the island in the ^„„, 
 
 had been deemed expedient, after the sup- | month of January, under the command ' 
 pression of tiie riots had strengthened the ; of baron de Rulleeourt. The deset nt was 
 authority of -the crown,) but the country hi > conducted by night, with so much secrecy, 
 general was not inclined to admit, that the ; that the invaders obtained (uissession of St. 
 ministry had wantonly prolonged the war. | Htlieis, the capital, by surprise, and took 
 Yet, though on this subject the people agreed ; major Corbet, the lieuteuaiit-governor, pri- 
 with the court, they were displeased by the i soner. But as soon as tiie troops in the island 
 rejection of a judicious bill of retrenchment, i coubl be asseml)ied, m;*jor Pier>*(in, on whom 
 introduced by Mr. Burkt, and with the dis- ; the ctnunraud devolved, led them to the 
 regard shewn to a petition from the delegates I atiack, and so coiiiph uly overpowered (he 
 of those counties, which had formed associa- » eiiemv, m an action fouglit in the streets, that 
 tions against the encroaching and increasing; die whcjle body were slam or taktii |)risi'ners. 
 influence of the crown. ! L/uforlunaielv tiie brave inajor Fierson fell in 
 
 These subjects were debated with spirit ; i tiie iiioment of victory. The bfiron de Rulle- 
 and, on another occasion, the conduct of ihe ; comi also was wounded in the action, 
 court, in directing military execution at the ; In America, the royal.-is under lord Corn- 
 time of the riots, excited animadversion, which i wallis, assisted by lord Rawdon, generals 
 was repelled with some plausibility of argii- ; Web^^ter and Leslie, and colonel Tarleton, 
 mentation and remark. In this debate, Mr. J prepared to execute then concerted invasion. 
 Sheridan distinguished himself. He had i The American army was now commanded by 
 already obtained an exalted rank in the dra- \ Greene, a general of eminent merit, who bad 
 matic world, and he now began to shine as a i succeeded Gates in his command, and who 
 parliamentary speaker. At this time, indeed, j was assisted bv colonel Morgan, an officer 
 he did not evince that readiness and fluency < distinguished by his services m the northern 
 which he afterwards displayed ; but he gave ' war. General Greene, who was sensible of 
 strong indications of oratorical ability. He < the inferior inerit of his troops, divided his 
 exercised with dexterity the weapons of wit, ; forces, in order to harass his enemy by de- 
 of satire, and of argument. His reasoning i snitory movements. Jn pursuance of this 
 was not destitute of force, and his remarks > plan, when lord Cornwallis was moving from 
 and allusions were pointed and appropriate. ! iiis camp at Wynnesbuig, towards the borders 
 Before we attend to the occurrences of j of North Carolina, he dispaiclied Morgan, 
 the American campaign, it is proper to advert ; with 470 provincial infantry, and 70 light 
 to a second attempt made by the French for I dragoons, against the British post of Ai«e<^-5jar,
 
 CflAP. XXVI II. J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 ^7 
 
 in South Carolina. Morgan, on liis route, 
 provided himself with abont ."iOO militia. This 
 movement brought on the battle of the Cow- 
 pens, near the Broad river, between tiiat 
 general and Tarleton, who was sent to oppose 
 his march. The latter had the advantage of 
 commanding well-disciplined and veteran 
 troops, and had .350 cavalry. But Morgan 
 proved himself superior in generalship, lie 
 retired on I'arletons approach ; and, tintMng 
 himself warmly pressed, drew up his forces 
 in two lines near a wood, placing his militia 
 in the first, and the continentals in the second, 
 colonel Washington with his dragoons making 
 a corps clc reserce. 'J'aileton, confident of 
 victory, made a furious attack upon the first 
 line, and put them to flight, as Morgan had 
 foreseen. He ihen attacked the contii)enfal>, 
 Avho withstood him with great hrmness for 
 some time, but were at last obliged to give 
 way. Had the British infantry I)een properly 
 supported by the cavalry, at this moment of 
 the battle, the victory must have been theirs. 
 Morgan, observing iheir situation, seized the 
 opportunity to make his attack on them, 
 harassed as they then were with hard duty. 
 This stroke of jieneiidship turned the fortune 
 of the day. The royalists, who had been 
 accustomed to success, were panic-struck, 
 and instantly put to flight. Tarleton, endea- 
 vouring to alone for liis want of conduct by 
 his valour, rallied his cavalry, and repulsed 
 those of Washington, but in vain. The victory 
 was totally lost, and the field was 
 abandoned to the enemy, with the loss 
 of 600 men, wliiie that of the Americans was 
 comparatively trivial. 
 
 General Morgan now retired, and made 
 his retreat across the Broad river ; and it 
 became the first object of lord Cornwallis, to 
 overtake him l)efore he should arrive at the 
 Catauba. He therefore disencumbered him- 
 self of every superfluous article, that he might 
 supply the paucity of light troops, by the active 
 and spontaneous movement of his whole army, 
 and pursued the enemy across the rapid river 
 of Catauba, 500 yards broad, in the face of- 
 ,300 men placed to guard the passage. All 
 his efforts, however, were ineffectual. Mor- 
 gan, having, with extreme difhculty, made his 
 retreat across the Catauba and the Yadkin, 
 formed his desired junction with general 
 Greene. ? 
 
 The Britisl), having failed in their attempt ; 
 
 1781. 
 
 to pass the Yadkin, were obliged to cross at 
 the upper fords, after Morgan and Greene 
 had met at (Guildford court-house. The plan 
 of general Greene was not to enter on an im- 
 mediate action ; but to keep alive the courage 
 of his parly, to depress that of the royalists, 
 and to harass the foragers and detachments 
 of the British, till reinforcements slwuld arrive. 
 ^\ hile Greene was unequal even to defensive 
 operations, he iiiy seven days within ten miles 
 of Cornwallis's camp, but took a new position 
 every niglit, and kept it a profound secret 
 where tiie nc.\t was to be. By such frequent 
 movements lord Cornwallis could not gain 
 intelligence oi his situation iu time to profit 
 by it. He manceuvred iu this manner to avoid 
 an action fur three weeks, during which time 
 he was often obliged to ask bread from the 
 common soldiers, having none of his own. By 
 the end of that period, two brigades of militia 
 from North Carolina, and one from Virginia, 
 toa,etlier witli 400 re<>ulars raised for eighteen 
 months, joined his army, and gave him a 
 superiority of numbers ; he therefore deter- 
 mined uo longer to avoid an engagement. 
 Lord Cornwallis having long sought for this, 
 no furtlier delay took place on either side. 
 On the 15th of March, I78J, the American 
 army consisted of about 4400 men, of which 
 more than one half were militia. The British 
 of about 2400, chiefiy veterans. The former 
 was drawn up in three lines. The front com- 
 posed of North Carolina militia, the second of 
 Virginia militia, the third and last of conti- 
 nental troops, commanded by general Huger 
 and colonel Williams. After a brisk cannon- 
 ade in front, the British advanced in three 
 columns ; the Hessians on the right, the 
 guards in the centre, and lieutenant-colonel 
 Webster's brigade on the left, and attacked 
 the front line. This gave way when their 
 adversaries were at the distance of 140 yards, 
 from the misconduct of a colonel, who, on the 
 advanceof the enemy, called out to an officer 
 at some distance, that he would be surround- 
 ed. The alarm was sufficient : and without 
 inquiring into the probability of what had 
 been injudiciously suggested, the militia pre- 
 cipitately quitted the field. 
 
 The Virginia militia stood their ground, and 
 kept up thrir fire till they were ordered to 
 retreat. General Stevens, their commander, 
 had posted 40 riflemen at equal distances 
 twenty paces in the rear of his brigade, with
 
 S6S ' HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVIII. 
 
 orders to slioot every man who should leave ; though repeatedly rallied and brought to the 
 his post. That brave officer, though wounded » rliarge, were driven iVou) their ground, and 
 through the thigh, did not quit the field. The > yielded the loyalists a complete victory. The 
 continental troops were last engaged, and j victors, however, had the niorlihc-atinn to find, 
 maintained tlie contlict with great spirit for ; tl]at honour was the oni\ result o'l tiieir most 
 an hour and a half. At length, the discipline ; meritorious achievements. Their advantage 
 of veteran troops gained the day. They broke j was temporary, their loss of men irreparable; 
 the second Marj land brigade, turned the ; whereas that of the vanquislied was immedi- 
 American left flank, and got in rear of the | atel>f supplied. After various movements of 
 Virginia brigade. Tliey appeared to be ; both armies, the camjjaign closed with a 
 gaining Greene's right, which would have > desperate conflict (Sepieniber 8th) at Enfaw 
 encircled the whole ot tlie continental troops ; 5 Springs^ between Greene and colonel .Stuart, 
 a retreat was therefore ordered. This was ; who had' taken the command on lord Raw- 
 made in good order, and no farther than over > dons return to England. The event, though 
 the Reecly fork, h distance of about three ; inilecisii-e, gave the enemy a firm footing in 
 njiles. Greene halted there, and drew up till j that province ; and the royalists, contenting 
 he had collected most of the stragglers, and > themselves with the protection of Charleston, 
 then retired to Speedwell's iron works, ten ; no movement deserving of notice >\as n)ade 
 miles distant froin Guildford. The Americans ; by eitl'er party during the reniainder of that 
 lost four pieces of artillery and two ammunition { campaign. 
 
 waggons. The victory cost the British dear, i Before the end of April, lord Cornwallis 
 and their killed and wounded an)ounted to ; proceeded on his march from Wihninglon to 
 several hundreds. The British had only the I Virginia. To favour the passage of the many 
 name, (he Americans all the good consequences ; rivers with uliich the country is intersected, 
 of a victory. General Greene retreated, and ; two boats were ujounted on carriages, and 
 lord Cornwallis kept the field ; but, notwith- « taken along with his army. With little in- 
 standing, the British interest in North Caro- ; terruption, he reached Petersburgh, where 
 lina was from thi.t day ruined. Soon after this i he was joined by general Phillips, and found 
 action, lord Cornwallis issued a proclamation ; himself once more at the head of a considera- 
 setting forth his complete victory, and calling i ble force. 
 
 on all loyal subjects to stand iovlh, and lake \ From the commencement of hostilities in 
 an active part in restoring order and good ; this country, the American army had never 
 government, and offering a pardon and pro-; been placed in so critical a situation as at the 
 tection to all rebels, murderers excepted, who i present moment. Several of the states, tired 
 should surrender themselves on or before the ; «>f the war, furnished their contingents of 
 2.0th of April. On the day after this procia- ; men, money, and provisions, very slowly and 
 mation was issued, his lordsiiip left his hospital ; reluctantly. The extreme (iepreciation of the 
 and 75 wounded men, with the numerous > paper currency occasione<l universal distress, 
 loyalists in the vicinity, and began a inarch ; and brought disrepute on the congress; and 
 towards Wilmington, which had the appear- j 1300 of the American troops, unable any longer 
 ance of a retreat. ; to endure the extreme iiardships to which the 
 
 DuKiNc these operations, lord Rawdon had j service sni'jected them, mutinied, and vvilh- 
 been left with 900 men at Camden, to guard > drew from Washington's camp at Morrislown. 
 the fiontier of South Carolina. When Greene ; The dissatisfaction, however, ol" the army, 
 had no hmger any prospect of success against J arose from the pressure of extreme distress, 
 his former antagonist, he turned suddenly ; and not from the influence of disaffection, 
 towards South Carolina, wiih about 1500 ; They rejectc-i an invitation to throw them- 
 men, and advanced rapidly to Camden. Re- 5 selves under the prolecUor, of the liritish army, 
 gardh-ss of the great disparity of force, lord ; and to receive from its commander-in-chief 
 Rawdon, on the 2.5111 of April, inarclied out ; the arrears due from the congress. On the 
 to a spot called Hobkirk's ilill, aliout two j coiilraiy, they prep^ired the way to the recon- 
 miles from his camp, and made so impetuous i cilialion whicli .ensued, by (h livering up the 
 an assault on his advuicing adversaries, that ; agents who Mere employed to seduce theia 
 th«v were soon obliged to give way ; and, j from thtir duty.
 
 CIIAP. XXVIII.] 
 
 GEORGE HI. 
 
 369 
 
 It was on trying occasions like these, when 
 difTicnltics were to be removed, dangers to be 
 avertecJ, or the passions of men to be soothed, 
 and when every movement of the enemy was 
 to be watched, and every advantage to be 
 instantly improved, that the talents of the 
 American general were displayed. He per- 
 ceived that sir Henry Clinton would reluctant- 
 ly abandon the objects of the expedition in 
 Virginia, and that the English troops in Ame- 
 rica were not sufficient to answer this pur- 
 pose, and to keep possession of New York, 
 the most advantageous station for the British 
 grand army. He therefore dispatched the 
 marquis de la Fayette, with a small force, into 
 Virginia, which was afterwards reinforced by 
 general Wayne ; and these generals, without 
 any memorable action, acquitted themselves 
 of their commission by obstructing the enemy's 
 progress. The death of general Phillips, 
 which happened soon after his arrival in 
 Virginia, the disappointment of supplies, and 
 (August 30th) the arrival of a reinforcement 
 of troops from France, and of De Grasse, 
 with a fleet of 28 sail of the line, from the 
 West Indies, all tended to turn the balance in 
 favour of the Americans. Admiral Graves 
 indeed entertained hopes of intercepting Du 
 Barras's fleet on its voyage from the Rhode 
 Island station ; but he was disappointed in 
 his views, and Du Barras brought with 
 him, on his junction with the fleet of De 
 Grasse in the Cliesapeak, a very acceptable 
 supply of artillery and military stores. A 
 partial acMon took place between De Grasse's 
 van and a part of Graves's centre, in which 
 the French gave way ; but no material 
 advantage was gained, and the English com- 
 mander was constrained to leave De Grasse 
 in the Chesapeak, and repair to New York 
 to refit. 
 
 At this crisis «as exhibited the master- 
 stroke of Washington's policy. By keeping 
 sir Henry Clinton in continual alarm, he 
 obliged that general to recal a part of the 
 forces from Virginia ; and lord Cornwallis, 
 being thus deprived of those troops, which 
 alone could enable him to keep the field 
 against de la Fayette and Wayne, selected 
 York Town, in Virginia, as his slation ; where 
 he lioped to maintain himself till he could be 
 relieved. This was the snare into which 
 Washington wished the British commander- 
 n-chief to fall. Having concerted his design 
 
 3 B 
 
 I with the French admiral De Grasse, and with 
 j Rochambeau, he kept up the appearance of 
 I an intended attack upon New York, to prevent 
 5 Clinton from sending relief to lord Cornwallis ; 
 J and then, marching from the Jerseys w-ith all 
 I possible dispatch through Philadelphia, ap- 
 I peared suddenly witli his army before York 
 i Town. The situation of lord Cornwallis and 
 I his troops was now desperate. He had little 
 i more than 3000 effective men, to defend a 
 I place, which was only guarded l)y works 
 I thrown up hastily, against the fleet of De 
 I Grasse on one side, and an army of 13,000 
 I men, with a hundred pieces of artillery, on 
 X the other. Lord Cornwallis had no resource, 
 I but in offering a capitulation, or attempting an 
 \ escape. He adopted the latter alternative. 
 » Boats were prepared to receive the troops in 
 I the night, and to transport them to Glocester 
 I Point. After one whole embarkation had 
 i crossed, a violent storm of wind and rain dis- 
 ! persed the boats of conveyance, and frustrated 
 I the enterprise. The royal army, thus weakened 
 j by division, was exposed to increased danger. 
 ; With the failure of this enterprise the last 
 I hope of the British expired, and their com- 
 ! mander was constrained by necessity to sur- 
 5 render his garrison prisoners of war, as the 
 \ only means of saving the remains of an army, 
 I which had deserved well of their country. He 
 I therefore wrote a letter to general Washington, 
 ! requesting a cessation of arms for '24 hours, 
 I and that commissioners might be appointed 
 I to adjust the terms of capitulation. It was 
 I remarked, that while lieutenant-colonel Lau- 
 rt-ns, the officer employed by general Wash- 
 ington on this occasion, was drawing up these 
 articles, his father was closely confined in the 
 Tower of London, of which lord Cornwallis 
 was constable. 
 
 The posts of York and Glocester were 
 surrendered by a capitulation. It was stipu- 
 lated, that the troops were to be prisoners of 
 war to congress, and the naval force to France. 
 The honour of marching out with colours 
 flying, which had been refused lo general 
 Lincoln, when he surrendered Charleston, was 
 now refused to lord Cornwallis ; and, in the 
 same sj)irit of retribution, this very general 
 Lincoln was sent (October 19th, 1781) to 
 receive the submission of the royal army at 
 York. The troops of every kind, which sur- 
 rendered prisoners of war, amounted to 7000, 
 of whom only 3000 were effective men; so 
 24
 
 370 IMSTOUY OF ENGLAND- [cHAP. XXVI ri. 
 
 "Teat was tlie number of the sick and wound- I business which engaged tijeir attention was 
 ed. The mortification attending this disaster j a general pacification ; and, two days ailer 
 was considerably enhanced by the arrival of a > he was a[)pointed for the foreign department, 
 Britishflept, and anarn)y of 7000 nien,tolheas- 1 Mr. Fox wrote a letter to M. Siin(')iin, the 
 sistaiice of lord Cornwallis, four days after he ! Russian minister in London, acquainting him 
 surrendered. On receiving the une.xpected in- i thai his majesty was willing to negotiate for 
 tellio-euce of the late event, they retired from | the purpose of bringing about a peace with 
 the Cliesapeak, and returned to Sandy Hook } the Dutch, agreeable to that agreed on be- 
 and New York. j tvveen his majesty and the republic, in the 
 
 The misfortune of lord Cornwallis made | year 1674. The states of Holland, however, 
 a strong impression upon the pui)lic mind. ; appearing indisposed to accept of a separate 
 It tended to produce a general conviction o{\ peace, negotiations for a general peace were 
 the impolicy of conti4ming the war, and a j opened at Paris. Mr. Grenville was appoint- 
 regret for the useless sacrifice of lives, and i ed to treat with all the belligerent powers; 
 consumption of treasure, with which its pro- ; aud he received instructions to propose, in 
 tracted course had been attended. Yet the | the very first instance, the independence of 
 obstinacy of the ministers seemed invincible. '| the United Provinces of America, without 
 They were indeed less arrogant; but folly ; making it the condition of a general treaty. 
 and prejudice were still the ciiief ingredients | Several judicious statutes were passed, in 
 in their composition. They hoped to retain | favour of the Irish complainants, and in sup- 
 the confidence of a submissive senate ; but in ; port of the liberty of the sidjject, against the 
 this respect they were disappointed, for a j inHuence of the crown. But the marquis ef 
 majority of the house of commons at length 5 Rockingham did not long enjoy his station, 
 refused to support them. It was voted, by a i He died about three montiis after his appoint- 
 majority of 19, on a motion of general Conway, \ ment, respected as a man of honour and in- 
 that the war ought no longer to be prosecuted, > tegrity, and beloved for his private virtues, 
 for the impracticable purpose of subduing | He was succeeded by the earl of Shelburne, 
 the colonies. ^ who, on the resignation of lord John Caven- 
 
 ! The parliamentary tide having thus been 1 dish, procured for Mr. William Pitt the post 
 turned against the ministers, they reluctantly j of chancellor of the exchequer, 
 resigned their offices. The two posts which | The earl of Shelburne, (afterwards marquis 
 lord North had so long filled, were transferred 5 of Lansdown) and distinguished by the iron- 
 to the marquis of Rockingham and lord John | ical cognomen of Blalagrida, a pious Jesuit, 
 Cavendish. Mr. Fox succeeded lord Stor- ; had not yet obtained the confidence of the 
 mont, as secretary of slate for foreign affairs, t Whig leaders. Mr. Fox refused to act with 
 while the earl of Shelburne superseded the j hira ; and retiring from office, renewed his 
 earl of Hillsborough in the home department. ! opposition to the court. The true motive of 
 Lord Camden was placed at the head of the « his resignation was his secret wish for the 
 council ; the duke of Grafton became keeper i nomination of an ostensible premier, who 
 of the privy-seal ; the duke of Richmond | would submit to l)e guided by his dictates, 
 master of the ordnance ; Conway chief com- 5 It will now be proper to turn the attention 
 rnander of the army ; and Keppel first lord j of my readers to such naval and military 
 of the admiralty. These changes happened j transactions as took place in the year 1782, 
 178*2 '^*'tw^en the 27lh and the 30th of | and in a particular manner in the West Indies, 
 ■ March. It was generally believed, i which, to a considerable extent, was still the 
 that the illustrious personage, whose consent | threatrc of war. The island of St. Nevis 
 was necessary in a political revolution of such ; surrendered to the arms of the king of France 
 niagnitude, feltno common degree of agitation, i on the 14th of January. The inhabitants re- 
 in being compelled by the public voice to > ceived very liberal terms from the marquis de 
 make an entire change in his councils. Yet ! Bonille and the count de Grasse. The private 
 the greater part of the nation were sincerely ! property of the planters, merchants, and people 
 gratified. So n)any individuals of eminent | in general was held sacred ; the council was 
 abilities, and i)atriotic principles, had never j allowed to continue, and the assembly of the 
 before met in one administration. The first : island was chosen as usual. The inhabitants
 
 CHAP. XXVIII.. GEORGE Illo 371 
 
 were fo iiave the free exercise of their religion ; 5 admiral Rodney obtained a very splendid and 
 and all officers of civil and criminal courts x decisive victory over the French ileet, which 
 were to retain their posts, as well as justice be i was commanded by the count de Grasse. The 
 administered in the way previously established \ British fleet consisted of .37 sail of the line, 
 in the island, especially with respect to trials i and the French of .34. The conflict began 
 by jury. Eight thousand French troops, with | about seven in the morning, and continued 
 a large train of artillery, were landed on the { with unabating fury till half jiast six in the 
 island of St. Christopher about the same time, i evening. The British admiral's flag-ship was 
 Admiral Hood endeavoured to relieve it with 22 j the Formidable, of 90 guns; and the count 
 sailof the line, when hewasthree diflferenttimes ; de Grasse was on board the Ville de Paris, 
 attacked by the count de Grasse, who had 5 of 110 guns, a ship presented to the French 
 the command of 29 sail of the line, but he was 5 monarch by the city of Paris. The Formida- 
 nevertheless beat ofT with loss. The British | ble fired nearly eighty broadsides in the course 
 had 80 killed, and 260 wounded. After the | of the action ; and for three hours she was 
 French effected a landing at St. Christopher's, 5 so completely enveloped in smoke, as to be 
 the superiority of the enemy made brigadier- 1 almost invisible to the officers and men of the 
 general Frazer draw in his out-posts, and ; rest of the fleet. Sir Samuel Hood command- 
 take his station on Brimstone Hill. An | ed the van division of the British fleet, and 
 officer was sent by sir Samuel Hood to general » rear-admiral Drake the rear division ; both 
 Frazer, offering him assistance ; and this | which officers, during this memorable action, 
 officer was accompanied by general Prescot. j very much distinguished themselves. But 
 When they landed on the island, the following } the fate of the day was owing to a bold ma- 
 message was sent by general Frazer to general ! noEUvre of the F^ormidable, which threw the 
 Prescot : " That as he had taken the trouble ; French fleet into confusion, by breaking their 
 to come with troops to his assistance, he should ; line. The Ccesar, of 74 guns, was the first 
 doubtless be glad of the honour of seeing him ; i French ship that struck, whose captain fought 
 but he was in no want of him or his troops." In » with great gallantry, and fell in the action ; and 
 spite of this high-toned declaration, however, I when she struck she had not a single foot of 
 he was under the necessity of capitulating on j canvas, through which a shot had not passed, 
 the 12th of February, when tiie garrison was ! She unfortunately blew up, however, soon 
 permitted to marcii out with the honours of | after she was taken, when about 200 French- 
 war. The French, during the same month, ; men perished on board of her, with a British 
 likewise obtained possession of Demarara and \ lieutenant and 10 seamen. The British fleet 
 Essequibo, with a number of British vessels, j took le Glorieux and le Hector, of 74 guns 
 Admiral Rodney, on the 19th of the same 5 each, with I'Ardent of 64 guns, and a French 
 month, arrived in the West Indies, and took $ 74 was sunk during the engagement. On 
 the command of the fleet on that station, at ; both sides it was allowed to be a hard-fought 
 which was assembled a numerous French ; battle, although the French in the issue were 
 fleet, with a considerali e body of troops, the i totally defeated. It was nearly dark when 
 enemy having already formed the idea of at- > the Ville de Paris struck, in which the count 
 tacking Jamaica. A partial action took place ; de Grasse had fought with great gallantry, 
 1782 ''P^^^*"^'" the two hostile fleets on the ; and was wounded in the action. The fleet of 
 9th of April; during which the Alfred ; the enemy had 5500 troops on board, and 
 of 74 guns lost her commanders, the Royal i both these and the seamen siiffered very 
 Oak of 74 guns was very much disabled, and | severely. The British had 230 killed, and 
 a number of other ships suffered considerable i 759 wounded. On the 19th of April, a 
 damage. Sixteen of the British ships were 5 squadron from the main fleet, which was coni- 
 so becalmed, that they were rendereti incapa- ! inanded by sir Samuel Hood, took the Cato 
 ble of taking part in the action. The Barfleur, \ and Jason, French ships of 64 guns eaci , with 
 of 98 guns, had, at one time, no fewer than ; I'Aimable of 32, and Ceres of 18 guns. About 
 seven ships of the enemy firing upon her, and i the same time, admiral Barrington, while off 
 commonly three. She had eight men killed, > Ushant, took from the French le Pegase of 
 and 22 wonnded. A general action took ; 74 guns, I'Actionnaire of 64, and ten sail of 
 olace on the 12th of the same month, when ; vessels under convov. 
 
 K
 
 372 HISTORY OP England. [chap xxvih. 
 
 From the g<oi-y vvliicli the state and nation i vanquished and atHicted adversaries, and that 
 had acquired from tliese naval actions, and | our sick men experienced every hnmane at- 
 the exploits perf'urmcd by our commanders in ; tention from tlie enemy. 
 
 the West Indies, we must carry our attention ; Elated wiih success, to which his arms 
 for a moment to a signal loss, by which our « had for ages been unaccustomed, the Spanish 
 prosperous fortune was alloyed. The fort of; monarch proceeded, in the animation which it 
 St. Philips in Minorca, we have seen, was ; inspired, to prosecute with redoubled force 
 opened in the late autumn, under very favour- j and ardour the operations for the reduction 
 able auspices. It was garrfeoned at first with J of Gibraiter, the favourite object of his wishes, 
 only 2692 men of all descriptions, including- j The fortress having bid defiance to the efforts 
 400 invalids; a force not half sufficient to ; of our enemies, in the usual method of carry- 
 mount its extensive works. The besiegers, | iiig on sieges, and the brave and upright go- 
 on the other hand, were 16,000 strong ; and ; vernor having foiled every artifice to corrupt 
 had 106 pieces of cannon, and 36 mortars. ; his integrity, their ingenuity was now exerted 
 Such a disparity, with despair of relief, were pn devising a new njode of attack, which it 
 alone sufficient to damp the spirit of a less i was thought would render the force brought 
 resolute governor; but their form'idable ap- ! against it absolutely irresistible. The author 
 pearance had as little influence on the minds > of this invention was the clievalier d'Arcon, 
 of general Murray and his garrison, as the i who had signalized himself at the siege of 
 bribes offered him had on his fidelity. He | St. Philip's. 
 
 even dared to make a sally on the besiegers. ! The rock of Gibraiter runs from north to 
 The troops employed in it, attacking the duke ; south, projecting into the sea several miles 
 de Crillon in his head-quarters at cape Mola, ; from the continent, to which it is connected 
 drove him from his post, and returned with j by an isthnius of low sand. It is a part of the 
 100 prisoners to fort St. Philip's. But an J province of Andalusia in Spain. From the 
 evil more fatal than the enemy's warlike appa- ; perpendicular front to the north, which is of 
 ratus afflicted the garrison. Such was the » various heights, to the southernmost point, 
 eflTect which excessive heat, the damp air in \ which is called Europa Point, the distance is 
 the subterraneous works, the want of vege- 5 2350 fathonis, or something more than two 
 tables, and extreme fatigue, had on the health \ miles and a half. The base of the rock, on the 
 of the troops, that, in the course of five months, ; north front, is 475 toises, or 950 yards, and 
 they were reduced to 660 eftec'iive men. To ! the extreme breadth, takmg it from the New 
 persist in the defence of a fortr.ess, under | Mole to the Mediterranean side, is 800 toises, 
 these circumstances, would have been making ! or 1600 yards. It is inaccessible for the whole 
 a wanton sacrifice of men, whose services had \ length of its escarpment on the east, or Medi- 
 merited a far better fate. Therefore the I terranean side, which is called the back of the 
 governor, reflecting on the strength and re- ! rock. The north front, perpendicular towards 
 sources of the besiegers, and the miserable | the isthmus, is equally inaccesssible, and the 
 condition of his garrison, consented to a i edge of this perpendicular escarpment is 
 capitulation, by which he obtained all that he j occupied by twelve batteries, commanding the 
 asked, except the article by which he would i isthmus. The front to the west, and the bay, 
 have freed his forces from the mortification of ; is a gradual slope, and almost generally of 
 being considered as prisoners of war ; which ! easy access. There are several roads on that 
 the duke de Crillon was not empowered to ! side the rock, which render the communication 
 grant. The emaciated troops, then marching \ with the higher parts so easy, that cannon ran 
 through a line formed by the Spanish army, : be dragged up with the greatest facility. All 
 deposited their arms in the place appointed ; | these communications are open, and without 
 supported, amidst their adverse fortune, by a I retrenchments, except that part of the lines 
 consciousness of having bravely discharged » which flanks the e'ntrance to Land Port and 
 their duty. — Nihil quisquam locutus indignum, I the hmndahon. It is at the foot of this ac- 
 et, quanquam inter adversa, salvavirtntisj'ama. \ cessible slope, that the town and garrison are 
 J t deserves to be recorded, for the honour of * placed. The town is closed, on the side of 
 human nature, that some of- the Spaniards ; the bay, by an irregular long wall, the defences 
 were seen to shed tears at the sight of their i of which are so inconsiderable, as to admit
 
 CHAP. XXVII l] 
 
 GEORGE III 
 
 373 
 
 of easy approach. The flanks, in short, are 
 •not L»y any means })roportioned to the line of 
 defence. 
 
 Fkom the town to the New Mole there is 
 but little cli^puiaide !j,n)un(l. Between the 
 New Mole and Emopa Point there are several 
 accessible places, where an enemy may land, 
 and where some hundreds of men may form, 
 without being innnediately dislodged ; a cir- 
 cumstance which would consequently create 
 a cousiderablo diversion in the garrison. But 
 these walls and lodgements are washed by tlie 
 sea, which greatly protects them. This front 
 indeed is so vulnerable, that it belies the com- 
 monly-received idea of the impregnability of 
 the rock, which its general appearance to the 
 eye so naturiilly suggests. 
 
 There are two ways of entering the town 
 fi'om the isthmus, one under the escarpments 
 on the cause-way, the other under those of the 
 lines, which lead to the glacis that covers the 
 low front, presenting a curtain with two half 
 bastions, on which are mounted twenty-six 
 pieces of heavy artillery, besides the protection 
 already mentioned, of the flanking lines. 
 
 To the south, l!)e town is terminated by a 
 retrenchment, flanked by a bastion on the 
 west side, a flat bastion in the centre, and a 
 demi-bastion which commands both. The 
 post of Wind-mill Hill possesses several local 
 advantages, of which suflicient avail has never 
 yet been taken. 
 
 The garrison had, froni long habitude, by 
 this time, become inured to every species of 
 danger and fatigue. They had hitherto braved 
 the hardships of the siege with unparalleled 
 firtnness and alacrity, animated by the noble 
 consciousness of lighting lor the honour of 
 their country. For a series of several months, 
 they had not enjoyed above one night's un- 
 certain repose in three, to relit them for the 
 arduous duties of their several stations. The 
 British and Hanoverian solilitrs, however, 
 though unaccustomed to shrink from danger, 
 to repine at hard fare, or complain of excessive 
 labour, could not bear the idea of being per- 
 petually exposed to the enemy's lire, even in 
 the hour of repose, and of necessary relaxa- 1 
 tion from the fatigues of duty. This retlection ! 
 began to make a sensible and melancholy ; 
 impression upon the minds of the soldiery,! 
 and became the object of serious attention | 
 with the governor, ever alive to the voice of; 
 complaint, and ever vigilant in his designs i 
 
 \ upon the enemy. It became his anxious 
 ! wish to remove the cause of apprehension in 
 I his garrison, before it could be realised, by 
 I the opening of the battery d'empotrada upon 
 the camp. 
 
 The Spaniards had now been employed 
 nearly thirteen months on their advanced 
 works. The nature of the soil, and the down- 
 ward fire from the garrison, by whom all their 
 operations were seen, rendered their progress 
 laborious, tedious, and dangerous. It was 
 impossible to sink the trench in the sand, 
 under which they found water at the depth 
 of three feet. 
 
 It was therefore necessary to construct all 
 these works with an enormous quantity of 
 chandeliers, and large beams in the form of 
 frames, and with a vast number of fascines 
 and sand-bags. They at length, however, 
 completed this formidable front, the epatde- 
 menls of which were 22 feet high, defended by 
 several flanks. These communications, toge- 
 ther with an infinite number of traverses, and 
 three large powder-magazines, they constucted 
 under an unremitting fire from the garrison, 
 with unexampled coolness and perseverance. 
 
 The army of the besiegers was now 14,000 
 strong, and their ordnance pointed against the 
 garrison formidable in the extreme. 
 
 About this time, information from various 
 quarters uniformly concurred in assuring the 
 general, that the enemy, considering the gar- 
 rison as few in number, debilitated by the 
 scurvy, and wearied out with fatigue, con- 
 cluded that the British soldiers were not in a 
 condition for active enterprise ; and laying 
 aside, therefore, every apprehension of danger 
 to their works from that quarter, gave them- 
 selves up to a degree of listlessness and indo- 
 lence, perfectly inconsistent with the first prin- 
 ciples of military discipline. 
 
 On the evening of the 20th of November, 
 two deserters from the Walloon guards came 
 in at Land Port, and were immediately con- 
 ducted to the governor's head-quarters. One 
 of them was a corporal, a shrewd intelligent 
 fellow. He was a man of such observation 
 as to be perfectly versed in the detail and dis- 
 position of the enemy's works, guards, and 
 forts. 
 
 He brought with him a rough sketch of the 
 advanced works, drawn by himself, with a 
 common pen, upon the spot ; but sufficiently 
 correct to convey a satisfactory idea of them.
 
 374 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [ciiAP. xxvrir. 
 
 and to elocidale his own deposition, which 
 Avas that night taken <h)wn by the town-iDajor. 
 It was so clear and distinct, that a correct 
 plan ot the Spanish camp, niiiiit-guards, and 
 o Ill-posts from Algeziras to fort Barbara, 
 might have been made out from it. So well 
 inl'orujed was he, and so accurate in every 
 thing- he advanced upon that occasion, that 
 he never once contradicted himself in the 
 most trivial circumstance, through a continued 
 series of cross-exairiination. This deserter 
 attended the governor to Willis's, where he 
 further described to him Tarious parts of the 
 eneniy's works and camp. 
 
 The perfect coincidence of the various in- 
 formation which the governor had, through 
 different channels, obtained, describing the 
 carelessness with which the night-duty was 
 carried on in the enemy's camp and works, 
 suggested the idea of a sortie, which, under 
 other circumstances, could not have been 
 hazarded, consistently with the safety of the 
 garrison. 
 
 There can be little doubt but general 
 Elliot, ever since the apprehensions of the 
 soldiery reached his ear from the effect of the 
 battery d'empotrada, had revolved in his mind 
 the practicability of destroying these works of 
 the enemy, and formed in secret that plan, 
 which he executed with the caution and firm- 
 ness which so peculiarly characterized him. 
 The present, from a fortunate concurrence of 
 circumstances, seemed to be the opportunity 
 the most favourable for carrying such a great 
 and hazardous enterprise into effect. 
 
 The governor, therefore, having digested 
 his plan in his own capacious and enlightened 
 mind, and having weighed every step that 
 ought to be taken to insure success, committed 
 to paper the necessary instructions for the 
 different officers who were to be leading agents 
 in its execution. 
 
 Early in the afternoon of the 26th of No- 
 vember, all the houses where wine and spirits 
 were retailed out to soldiers, were shut up, 
 to prevent every degree of intoxication iu the 
 garrison ; and, a little after sun-set, orders 
 were issued for a detachment to parade at 
 midnight on the red-sands. Meanwhile, all 
 the general officers in the garrison were sum- 
 moned to attend the governor at the field- 
 officer's room to the southward, where every 
 other officer who was to be entrusted with 
 any particular comuiand in this important 
 
 enterprise was present. The governor (hen 
 opened his design, read his plan, and gave his 
 instructions to the executive officers, who 
 were required to propose whatever alterations 
 they thought sliould be made in that part of 
 the disposition which regarded their own 
 command ; to many of which alterations the 
 governor agreed, by this means rendering 
 those gentlemen more particularly interested 
 in the success of the enterprise. 
 
 Tools of all kinds, for demolishing the ene- 
 my's works, were delivered to the workmen, 
 and the following directions for th&ir destina- 
 tion communicated to the principal officers : 
 
 " The right column to lead, and to march 
 through Forbes's Barrier, for the extremity of 
 the parallel, keeping the eastern fences of the 
 gardens close on the left hand. The centre 
 immediately to follow, marching through Bay- 
 side Barrier, and directing their course through 
 the jnidille of the gardens, to the object of 
 their destination. The left column to follow 
 the centre through Bay-side Barrier, then to 
 march to their destination, keeping the western 
 fences of the gardens on their right hand. 
 
 " When the rear of the right column has 
 got clear of Forbes's, and the rear of the left 
 clear of Bay-side, the heads of the three 
 colunms are, as much as circumstances will 
 admit, to be found in a line, and to march on 
 so as to arrive at their different points of attack 
 at the same time. 
 
 " No person to advance before the front on 
 any pretence whatever, unless command ■(! so 
 to do by the officer leading the cohuun. The 
 most profound silence to be observed, as the 
 success of the enterprise may depend thereon. 
 
 " The troops of the right column, preceding 
 the workmen and artillery, are destined to 
 attack and force the eastern parallel of the 
 enemy's approaches. 
 
 " The troops of the centre column, pre- 
 ceding the workmen and artillery, are des- 
 tined to attack and force the two mortar- 
 batteries. 
 
 " The troops of the left column, preceding 
 the workmen and artillery, are to attack and 
 force the two six-gun batteries. 
 
 " The troops appointed to each particular 
 attack are to form in a line as soon as they 
 arrive at a proper distance from the several 
 objects, and as the ground will permit. 
 
 " The workmen and ar/j!lery are to form 
 in divisions. Tiic Tith, and llardenijerg's
 
 CHAP. XXVIII.] GEORGE IH." 375 
 
 regiinents, composing the snstaininq; corps, ; iuiinediately fired at tne column, and retired 
 are to form in one Jine to tlie front, and to be > some paces, when he fired a second shot, 
 ready to detach to the right or left, as occasion | The column kcj)t moving forwards. — A second 
 may require. 5 seniry discharged his piece, and retired. 
 
 " The reserve, after having assisted in the » Lieutenant-colonel Hugo, finding the enemy 
 storm, and the works are carried, to form in ; alarmed, immediately formed the attacking 
 the farthest gardens, at some distance in the j corps, and pushed on for the eastern parallel, 
 rear of the sustaining corps. The grenadiers J When they came near, a third centinel fired 
 of the 5(Jth and 58th, in the centre; the light I at them ; upon which the grenadiers returned 
 company of the ^fjth, fronting to the cast ;; the fire, and leapt into the works. The enemy 
 and the light company of the 58th, fronting to i fled in that quarter, without attempting fur- 
 thewest. I ther opposition. The workmen immediately 
 
 " As soon as the different works are carried, ; began to dismantle that part of the works, and 
 the troops that iiave performed these services ; the artillery soon after set them on fire, 
 are to forni, and take up their ground in the ; Part of llardenberg's regiment, attached to 
 lollowing manner, in order to cover their ; this column, owing to the darkness of the 
 several working parties and artillery : ; morning, found themselves with the storming 
 
 "Of the right column, the grenadiers of ; p^'"ty <J' the centre column, in front of the St. 
 Reden's and La Motte's are to form behind I Carlos battery. In this situation, immediately 
 the parallel. ; before the centre of the left flank of the battery, 
 
 " Of tiie centre column, the light companies I no alternative remained but pushing forward, 
 and grenadiers of the 39th and 73rd regi- ] which they did in the most gallant manner, 
 ments are to form along the front and com- ; receiving at the same time a discharge of three 
 munication of the fourth branch of approach. I rounds of musquetry from the enemy defend- 
 
 " Of the left column, the grenadiers and ; ing that flank. Lpon their mounting the 
 the light company of the 72nd regiment are i parapet, the enemy precipitately gave wav, 
 to post themselves behind the westernmost 5 when the Hanoverians, with considerable diffi- 
 six-gun battery, covering their ri^iht flank ; culty, descended the stupendous work, form- 
 with the fonilh long breach of approach, and ; ing with their left to the tower. They were 
 with their left to the gun battery close to the ; thus situated when lieutenant-colonel Dachen- 
 beacii." 1 hausen, at the head of the 3yth flank compa- 
 
 The point of attack assigned to eacli co- ; nies, got over the St. Carlos battery, and 
 Innin, was the precise spot where the enemy's ) naturally mistaking them for Spaniards, fired 
 guards were posted, that the suddenness of j upon them, and wounded several. Further 
 the danger might put it out of their power ; niischief was, however, prevented by the 
 to reflect, and to take any defensive measures ; counter-sign. The grenadiers of La Motte's 
 that might essentially retard the progress of | and Reden's, after having stormed the eastern 
 the assailants. ; parallel, and dislodged the enemy from the 
 
 By the time the above destination of the i centre guiird-honse, formed in the rear of 
 columns was made known to the ditierent | the parallel, fronting towards the eneniy's lines, 
 officers, and other necessary arrangements | The centre column was fired at as soon as 
 had taken place, the morning of the *27th was > it entered the gardens, and the enemy's out- 
 pretty far advanced. At about a quarter ; sentries continued firing and retreating as it 
 before three o'clock, the moon had nearly set, i advanced. When the column had got near 
 and that darkness was coming on, indispen- | the St. Carlos battery, a smart fire was for 
 sably necessary to the successful execution ; a short time kept up by the enemy from their 
 of the enterprise. At this time it was that tl;e ; flanks ; but the storming party at the head 
 detachment began its nr.irch, l)y files from the > of the column, consisting of the 39th and 73rd 
 right of the rear line, for the attack. Although i flank companies, witli the -Jtith and 58th jjre- 
 noihing could exceed the order and silence j nadiers, commanded by lieutenant-colonel 
 of the troops, when the right hand column had ; J)achenhausen and major Maxwell, rusliing 
 got near the gardens, they were three times i forward, soon drove them from their works. 
 challenged by one of the enemy's advanced ; How to descend into the battery now became 
 sentries, but no answer being returned, he ; a matter of some difliculty ; for from the
 
 376 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [ClIAP. XXVIII. 
 
 scaffold on the inside to the platform of the \ Captain Curtis, commander of the squad- 
 batteries, the height was eighteen feet, and the 1 ron, went out in the sortie as a volunteer, and, 
 enemy had removed the steps or ladders by j with lieutenants Muckle and Campbell under 
 which they mounted to the scaffold. Some \ his command, led on the volunteer seamen, 
 of the most active of the British having leaped | Such indeed was the general ardour to partake 
 down upon the sand, their comrades followed | in this bold enterprise, that every man con- 
 the example, and they were immediately mas- j sidered himself as unfortunate; who Mas 
 ters of the work. 5 obliged to remain behind within the walls of 
 
 The left hand column proceeded according | the garrison, 
 to instructions, and possessed themselves ofj The exertions of the seamen, artillery, and 
 the two-gun batteries without much resistance, \ artificers, upon the enemy's works, were as- 
 in which they took prisoners several Spanish \ tonishing. The batteries were soon in a state 
 grenadiers. Such were the spirit and activity | for the fire-faggots to operate, and the flames 
 with which lieutenant-colonel Trigge, at the ? spread with astonishing rapidity into every 
 head of the 58th light infantry, and the flank ; part. The column of fire and smoke which 
 companies of the 72nd regiment, pushed on \ rolled from the works, grandly illuminated 
 to the two-gun batteries on the side of the \ the troops and neighbouring objects, forming 
 bay, that the enemy were incapable of making » altogether a coup-d'ceil, which it is impossible 
 any resistance, but fled with the greatest pre- 5 by language to describe, and of which the pen- 
 cipitation ; and several Spanish grenadiers ) cil of the painter alone can convey an ade- 
 were afterwards taken prisoners in their \ quate idea. 
 
 splinter-proofs, where they had been asleep i Ten brass thirteen-inch sea-mortars, and 
 when the British troops entered the batteries, ; eighteen brass twenty-six pounders were 
 All their batteries were constructed with I spiked by the artillery-men in the enemy's 
 splinter-proofs, capable of containing a very | works. Amongst the latter were the six guns 
 great number of men. 5 mounted d'empotrada. About the time that 
 
 The sailors belonging to the left column, to ; the fire was spreading along the batteries, in- 
 be employed as workmen, mistook their way, « spiking one of the mortars in the St. Carlos 
 and made for the mortar-batteries, so that the } battery, an explosion took place, by which 
 gun-batteries were not destroyed as soon as j some of the workmen were hurt, 
 the others : but this mistake being rectified, j In an hour, the object of the sortie was 
 the seamen proceeded to demolish them with \ fully effected, and trains being laid to the 
 an increased impetuosity, and the batteries » magazines, brigadier Ross ordered the ad- 
 were speedily on fire. \ vanced corps to withdraw, and the sustaining 
 
 The ardour of the assailants was irresist- 1 regiments to cover their retreat. They retired 
 fble. The enemy on all sides fled, abandoning | with the most perfect deliberation, and in the 
 with the utmost precipitation those works, 1 best order ; but, by some oversight, the 
 which it had cost them so much labour, and \ barrier at Forbes's was locked after the flank- 
 so mucli blood and treasure to erect. I companies had returned, which might have 
 
 When the British troops had taken posses- » proved of serious consequences' to Harden- 
 sion, the attacking corps formed, agreeably > berg's regiment, had the enemy attempted to 
 to their orders, to repel any attempt which \ annoy the retreat, as the Hanoverians were 
 the enemy might make to prevent the total 5 obliged, from that circumstance, to follow the 
 destruction of their works, whilst the 12th | 12th regiment through Bay-side. The whole 
 regiment took post in front of the St. Carlos ; detachment had got back into the town in less 
 battery, to sustain the western attack; and ;. than two liours from the time of its sally, 
 the reserve, under major Maxwell, drew up in | Seveual small quantities of powder took 
 the gardens nearest the Spanish works. ; fire whilst the detachment was on its retreat ; 
 
 The 12th regiment and Hardenberg's were j and just as the rear had got within the garri- 
 drawn up with considerable intervals between I son, the principal magazine blew up with a 
 the companies, that the artificers and pioneers ! tremendous explos.an, throwing up vast j)ieces 
 might retire between the intervals, in case of: of timber, which, falling into the flames, in- 
 being forced back, and that their retreat might « creased the general conflagration, 
 be thus effected without loss or confusion. » The British carried with them into the
 
 CHAP, x.vvin.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 377 
 
 garrison nineteen prisoners, «nd themselves 
 sustained no other loss than that of four men 
 killed, and one officer and twenty-five others 
 wounded. 
 
 Lieutenant Tweedie receded a gr?pe-shot 
 in the thigh, immediately as the 12th regiment 
 had formed in front of the St. Carlos battery. 
 This gallant officer, after having received the 
 shot which broke his thigh, supported himself 
 in his post, on the other knee and his spontoon, 
 am! in this position he was first discovered by 
 general Eliott, as he was passing along the 
 front of the regiment. — The general asked 
 him, Why he was in that silualion / To which 
 Mr. Tweedie coolly replied. That he teas 
 woicnded. The general immediately oidered 
 him to be assisted, and conveyed to the garri- 
 son, not without betowing due praise upon his 
 gallantry and resolution. 
 
 The only man of the detachment who did 
 iiot return into the garrison, was a private of 
 the 73rd grenadiers. This man was one of the 
 first to mount the battery, where he encoun- 
 tered with the Spanish captain ot artillery, 
 whom he wounded, and by whom he was 
 wounded in turn. The soldfer fell upon the 
 top of the battery, and when the troops were 
 ordered to retire, the flames spread with such 
 rapidity to the spot where he lay, that it was 
 impossible to save him. It is to be regretted 
 that the rrame of this gallant soldier cannot 
 now be ascertained. It is worthy of being 
 transmitted with honour to posterity, as an 
 incitement to others in a similar situation, to 
 act with a heroism that would well adorn 
 a higher rank. 
 
 Although the enemy must have been early 
 alarmed, not the smallest effort was made to 
 save or to avenge the destruction of their 
 works. The fugitives seemed to have com- 
 municated a panic to the whole ; for their 
 army, though drawn out under arms in the 
 front of their camp, remained silent and inac- 
 tive spectators of the conflagration. Instead 
 of materially annoying the British detachment 
 from the flanking forts, which might have 
 been done with very great efTect, they directed 
 the fire from their lines chiefly towards the town 
 and upper batteries, from whence a warm and 
 well-served discharge of round shot was re- 
 turned upon their forts and barrier. To the 
 latter, mdeed, the fire from the garrison was 
 chiefly directed, to prevent the camp from de- * 
 tacbiug any troops to the support of the party i 
 
 3 c 
 
 in the advanced works, which would have 
 been thus rendered a service of very peculiar 
 danger. ' 
 
 With respect to the number of the enemy 
 in their advanced batteries at the time of the 
 sortie, different statements have been made. 
 It was a generally received opinion in the 
 garrison at the time, that the Spanish guard 
 consisted only of one captain, three subalterns, 
 and 74 privates, including the artillery. 
 Though even this small force, in such strong 
 works, might have kept any numbers at bay, 
 till a reinforcement had been sent from the 
 lines ; yet, for the glory of the enterprise, it 
 becomes satisfactory to state, from the best au- 
 thority, that the enemy's force was much more 
 considerable. The following return was com- 
 municated, some time afterward.s, by a rela- 
 tion to the commander-in-chief of the Spanish 
 camp, and may be relied on as authentic. 
 
 Spanish Guard in the Advanced Works. 
 
 Mai. 
 One company of militia grenadiers - 100 
 
 One ditto of Walloon guards - xOO 
 
 Three companies of artilicrv, of 70 men) „,.. 
 
 each - ■ . 5 ^'0 
 
 Total 410 
 
 That the Spaniards never entertained the 
 smallest apprehension of a sortie from the 
 garrison, was evident from the circumstances 
 in which they were found ; for even four hun- 
 dred men were but a weak guard for works 
 of such importance and extent. The chief 
 commandant of the S|)anish camp, too, was 
 sleeping that night at St. Roquc, two miles 
 distant from his post ; avd in one of the splin- 
 ter-proofs of the batteries was tbund the report 
 of the commanding officer, which, when the 
 guard was relieved, was to have been sent to 
 the Spanish general. The report expressed, 
 " that nothing extraordinary had hiippened," 
 which clearly evinces the unmilitary state of 
 security in which the Spaniards conceived 
 themselves to be. 
 
 It is a known fact, by the acknowledgmeiU 
 of several persons of distinction in the Spanish 
 army, that the construction and materials of 
 these works, destroyed by the fire, cost the 
 enormous sum of thirteen millions of large 
 piastres, (equal to three n)illions sterling) be- 
 sides the considerable loss of -3000 men, killed 
 24
 
 378 
 
 IIISTORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CilAP. XXVIIf. 
 
 by the fire from the garrison, and wlio died 
 of distempers occasioned by excessive fatigue 
 and unwholesome air, which prevailed in the 
 sands almost the whole year. 
 
 General Eliott's anxiety on the occasion 
 would not permit him to await the issue in 
 the garrison, but as he had given the com- 
 mand of the enterprise to brigadier-general 
 Ross, he went out merely as a volunteer. He 
 probably considered it as his duty to be on the 
 spot, lest any fatal accident should befal the 
 brigadier. Acquainting the lieutenant-gover- 
 nor, therefore, with his intention, he accom- 
 panied the sortie. By the time the advanced 
 corps had got possession of the works, the 
 general was in the front of the St. Carlos bat- 
 tery, where he remained till the retreat of the 
 detachment. 
 
 Brigadier Ross did not kiiow of general 
 Eliott's intention to go out, and as the latter 
 followed the detachment, the former was not 
 acquainted with the circumstance till the 
 service was nearly performed. General Ross, 
 with the utmost activity, had gone in person 
 through the whole of the enemy's works, and 
 after they liad been carried, and the troops 
 had formed, upon his returning to take post 
 in front of the 12th regiment, general Eliott 
 was pointed out to him, standing at the foot 
 of the battery. The general soon after accosted 
 the brigadier, who had expressed marks of 
 surprise at seeing him, by asking him in an 
 easy pleasant way. What he thought of the 
 Insmess, and if it ivas not something extra- 
 ordinari/ that they should have gained the 
 enemy's icoiks so easily ? The brigadier Iniskiy 
 replied to the general, That the most extra- 
 ordinary thin^ was to see him there. 
 
 There was something noble in general 
 Eliott's resolution to be present in the sortie, 
 and something equally so in his manner of 
 doing it. As the command had been ))ublicly 
 given 10 general Ross, lie would not hurt the 
 feelings of that officer, by going out at the 
 head of the detachment ; he therefore con- 
 tented himself with following it ; and with a 
 magnanimity worthy of him, he at all times 
 imputed that merit to the brigadier and his 
 detaclniitnt, which they so fully deserved, but 
 a great share of which certainly attached to 
 the projector of the enterprise. 
 
 In the spot where general Eliott stood, it 
 was that the principal defence had been made, 
 and after the works had been carried, and 
 
 while the workmen were employed in firing 
 them, his humanity led him to see that all 
 possible attention was paid to the wounded, 
 whether of his own troops or those of the 
 enemy. Amongst them, and almost expiring, 
 he found an elegant young man, who was 
 known by his uniform to be a captain of the 
 Spanish artillery. The general spoke to him 
 with the tenderness which such a scene natu- 
 rally inspires in a brave mind, and assuring 
 him of all possible assistance, ordered him to 
 be removed, as the lire was spreading rapidly 
 to the spot where he lay. The Spaniard 
 endeavoured to raise himself from the ground, 
 and with the most expressive action, feebly 
 articulated. No sir, no — leave me — let me 
 perish amidst the ruins of my post. An officer 
 remained near him a few minutes, until he 
 expired. It was afterwards found, that he 
 had commanded the guard of the St. Carlos 
 battery, and gallantly maintained his ground, 
 until his men, finding themselves overpowered, 
 threw down their arms, and deserted him. 
 He reproached their baseness, and exclaiming. 
 At least one Spaniard shall die honourably, — 
 rushed down from the top of his work amongst 
 the attacking column, and fell where he was 
 found, at the foot, and in front of the battery 
 which he guarded. It was much lamented 
 by general Eliott, and the officers of the de- 
 tachment, that any doubt should have existed 
 of the name of this gallant man ; they believed 
 it to have been Don Joseph Barboza ; but there 
 is still an uncertainty, which his countrymen 
 will perhaps one day feel it their duty to 
 remove. 
 
 Two Spanish officers were carried prisoners 
 into the garrison. The one was baron Von 
 Helmstadt, an ensign in the Walloon guards, 
 with the rank of captain ; the other, Don Vin- 
 cente Friza, a lieutenant of artillery. 
 
 Baron Helmstadt having been severely 
 wounded by a musquet shot in one of his 
 knees, was found lying upon the platform of 
 the St. Carlos battery, by two British artillery 
 soldiers, who, moved with generous compas- 
 sion at his situation, resolved to rescue him 
 from his impending fate. They took him up 
 in their arms, and carried him out of the 
 battery, where he must soon have perished iu 
 the flames. Unwilling to leave him upon the 
 sands in his helpless state, they determined 
 upon carrying him into the garrison. They 
 were executing their noble purpose, whcii
 
 CHAP. XXVIII.] GEORGE III. 379 
 
 they met with lieutenant Cuppage of their \ general ]i\nd\y urged, must vndouhtedli/ esteem 
 own corps, who, while he bestowed the warm- ; him the more for the honourable wound uhich 
 est encomiums upon his men for their \\\.\-\ he hud received in the service of his sovcrei<rn ; 
 manity, himself assisted in the generous office X and us to the operation being futul, he might 
 which it suggested. With every possible | almost assure himself of a certain recovery, 
 tenderness they conveyed the wounded pri- } si7ice, in the many similar cases which had 
 soner to the barriers, where they did not I occurred i7i the garrison during the siege, the 
 arrive till two hours after the whole detach- \ surgeons had beeji gcneralli/ successful j — and 
 nient had retired. During this time they had } to convince him by ocular proof, several muti- 
 been exposed to the fire of the enemy's lines, ; lated convalescents were ordered into the 
 and had been reported in the garrison as lost. ; room. This generous attention of the gover- 
 Having presented themselves at the barrier, < nor had a powerful effect upon the baron, and 
 and being admitted, they passed through the ; he at length consented to the operation. The 
 different guards amidst the mingled admira- 1 day after it was pcrfornud, he was visited by 
 tion and applause of the whole; till they ; the governor, whom, upon entering his apart- 
 reached the garrison hospital, where they de- i ment, he addressed in these words, — IJa ! 
 j)Osited the baron. On such an m%tane.e oi \ mon general I me void unvicillard ! 
 humatiity, the mind dwells with an applauding ; It must be satisfactory to pursue the ac 
 rapture. While strongly characteristic of the } count of this unfortunate young officer without 
 generous disposition of a British soldier ; interruption. For many days after the am- 
 towards a vanquished enemy, it dignifies i putation, there was every prospect of Jiis 
 human nature, and illumines the rugged front j doing well ; but, on the 28th of December, 
 of war with the radiant emanations of philan- > about a month after the operation had been 
 thropy. To the feelings of a British officer, ; performed, he died of an inflammatory fever, 
 any enlogium upon an exercise of his humanity ; During his illness, flags of truce were daily 
 would wear the appearance of an insult, i passing and repassing, to inform his friends 
 Generosity to a conquered enemy is a distin- 5 of his situation, who were not inattentive to 
 guishing feature in the military character of; him. They sent him fowls, and refreshments 
 this country ; and it seems indeed to be an I of different kinds, with a supply of money, 
 axiom established by the stamp of Omnipo- 1 On the 29th, about noon, his body was 
 tence itself, that the most generous are in- 1 conveyed from the hospital to the New Mole, 
 variably the most brave. To the two soldiers > with every mark of military honour. The 
 the same considerations of delicacy do not j grenadier company of the 12lh regiment ac- 
 so strongly apply as to their officer, and it 5 companied it, and the governor, major-general 
 becomes the peculiar duty of the historian to | de la Motte, captain Curtis, and their suites, 
 snatch from oblivion the names of two men, I with Don Vincente Friza, joined in the pro- 
 whose feelings were equally an honour to 5 cession. As the corpse was deposited in the 
 their profession and their species. They were j boat, the 12lh grenadiers fired three vollies 
 named Campbell and Paton, two privates in i over it, and the town-major and secretary 
 the second battalion of the royal regiment of > accompanied it. Sir Charles Knowles and 
 artillery. i the acljutant-general preceded, in a barge 
 
 The wound in the baron's knee was deemed ; carrying a flag of truce, and delivered the 
 incurable, and it was not without great re- ; corpse to the enemy, who in the same mannei- 
 luctance that he submitted to an amputation. ; met them upon the occasion halfway over the 
 When the surgeons first informed him that an ; bay. Every thing sent by his friends, and 
 operation was absolutely indispensable, he ; left unused by the baron in his sickness, was 
 resolutely opposed it. Amputation, he said, I also returned, even to the minutest article. 
 seldom succeeded in Spain ; besides, he was \ In the beginning of April it was that a 
 then betrothed in marriage to a lady, and would \ new spirit seemed to have been infused into 
 rather risk his life than present himself before \ the Spanish camp. His catholic majesty, 
 her tvith 07ily one leg. The governor, being | mortified at the disgrace that had been brought 
 told of this determination, immediately visited t upon his arms, and the great loss he had 
 the baron, and used every argument to per- 1 sustained by the sortie in the month of No- 
 «uade him to comply. His mistress, the • vcrnber, publicly declared his dtteriiiiuatioa 
 
 3 c 2
 
 380 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVIil. 
 
 to have Gibralter at all events,, cost what it | proved himself to be not unworthy of general 
 would. It was now that they were to pre- j estimation. During the siege at Minorca he 
 pare for that grand attack by sea and land, } had acted with spirit and judgment ; and, 
 which had so long been projected, and the i after the surrender of the garrison, he behaved 
 ultimate success of which, the Spanish nation ; with humanity and moderation, 
 would not, for a moment, allovy themselves to 5 On the 9th of April, a line of battle-ships, 
 (Joubt. J witli seven large vessels and tartans, arrived 
 
 . The duke de Crillon, to whom the garrison 5 in the bay from the west, and anchored at 
 of Minorca had surrendered on the 15th of I Algeziras. A rumour of the intended attack 
 February preceding, was destined to take j by sea had readied the garrison of Gibralter, 
 upon him the command of this mighty enter- 1 which induced the governor and chief engi- 
 prise, and he was now preparing for the ? neer to direct their attention principally to 
 execution of it, flushed by recent victory, and ; the sea line, and some little improvements in 
 confident of success. In the conquest of ; that quarter were consequently made. 
 Minorca, however, there was but little to | On the 14th, several of the large ships at 
 boast of, as a soldier could not reasonably ; Algeziras struck their yards and top-masts, 
 plume himself upon vanquishing an hospital ; | and a great number of men appeared to be 
 though the brave men which it contained had, J employed on board of thein ; circumstances 
 under the command of general Murray, made i which left the garrison no room to doubt that 
 a very spirited defence. To the garrison of ; they were intended to be htted as floating 
 fort St. Philip, consisting of considerably less ; batteries for the grand attack. Parties of 
 than 1000 sickly and decrepid soldiers and i workmen were constantly employed upon 
 seamen, pent up in confined and untenable ; them, in opening pint-holes, and covering 
 ■works, was opposed a vigorous and well- 1 their larbourd sides with junk, which from its 
 appointed army of 14,000 men. Such was > elasticity they no doubt imagined capable of 
 the distressing appearance of the British gar- ; of resisting shot. The enemy seemed likewise 
 rison, when they marched out with the honours i busily employed in landing cannon and mili- 
 of war, that many of the Spanish and French ; tary stores beyond Point Mala. The buz of 
 troops were said to have shed tears of com- ! mighty preparation, in short, seemed to go 
 passion as they passed them. Such at least J through their whole can)p. 
 was the generous testimony of the due de ; The garrison were no longer doubtful of 
 Crillon, and baron de Falkenhayn, the French I the intentions of tlie Spaniards. They saw 
 commandant. » that a vigorous attack by sea was meditated, 
 
 On such a conquest, therefore, the duke ; and they calndy prepared for the event. At 
 could not much pride himself, nor from thence ! this time there were upwards of a hundred 
 anticipate the event of his vast projects against ; pieces of cannon in the artillery-park of the 
 Gibralter. This conquest, however, unim- ! eneniy. 
 
 portant as it was, seemed to re-animate the | On the 2511) it was that the engineers began 
 Spanish camp, perhaps chiefly from the proof; to mine a gallery Crom a place above Farring- 
 which it gave, that a feritish garrison might at j don's battery (Willis's) to connnunicatethrough 
 length be subdued by sickness and fatigue. i the rock to a notch or projection of the rock. 
 
 It was said that his catholic majesty, in ; below Green's Lodge, in which the governor 
 proof of his approbation of the conduct of the ; purposed to cons^truct a battery, 
 due de Crillon, added to his other titles that | In the end of May, several Corsicans arrived 
 of due de Mahon ; but that great general ; at Gibralter to oiler their services to general 
 aimed at another, still more flattering to his ; Kliott, by whom they were very graciously 
 military pride: he hoped that the conquest of; received, and afterwards formed into an inde- 
 Gibralter would give him a claim to add the ; pendent corps, the command of which was 
 name of that rock to his titles ; a conquest | given to signor Leonetti, nephew to general 
 which, as he had no «loubt of achieving, he ; Paoli. 
 
 thought would rank him as the first general i On the 26ih of May, a large fleet appeared 
 of his age. This ambition, though, as the ! from the East, n|)wartls of 100 sail of which 
 event proved, extravagant, yet in a soldier ; in the evening entered the bay, and anchored 
 was laudable ; and the due de Crillon had i between the river Palamoncs and Algeziras.
 
 CHAP. xxvni.J i;j;oitr;ii: in. ;]gl 
 
 Ainonost tliese were tliroi; lai-.nr iinii of war, ■ iiuiiade upon tlie spot where the accident hnp 
 one of wliich iiatl a flag at lier niizcn ; tlic > j)ene(l for the remainder of the day. 
 rest were vessels with troops and military I On the J 4th a French frigate, with eightodi 
 stores. On the three succeeding days they ; or nineteen polacres, kc. arrived in the ha \ , 
 landed twelve battalions, making in all near > from which was landed a body of French 
 {)000 men. As the troops disembarked, tiiey ! troops ; and on the Itith a new camp was 
 encamped in the rear of the second line, ex- : observed between the grand magazine and the 
 tending towards Bnena Vista, which had been j Orange Grove. On the succeeding day ano- 
 fitted up for the commander-in-chief's quarters, i ther French convoy, of upwards of sixty sail. 
 On the '28th of this month, a flag of truce | arrived from the eastward, filled with French 
 came from the enemy, with a letter from Mr. ; troops, computed to amount to 5000 men. 
 Anderson, a merchant, who had left the ; On the 20th and 21st they disembarked, and 
 garrison a few days before, and was taken on i encamped to the eastward of the stone quarry, 
 his passage to Faro. Before the purport of « immediately under the queen of Spain's chair, 
 the flag was known, the governor, speaking J Several general officers, both Spanish and 
 to the officers near him, said, Hf supposed the \ French, about this time frequently visited the 
 duke had arrived, and now sent to summon ike \ lines, and some of them occasionally came out 
 garrison — Itis answer should be short — no, \ to view the advanced works. The enemy's 
 no; and addressing himself to the officers « Hre at this time was extremely inconsiderable, 
 present, he hoped the ifentlemen would all sup^i and on the evening of the 22nd it totally 
 port him. \ ceased. At this period it was that the due 
 
 The exertions of the enemy in their camp, ; de Crillon arrived in the camp, to take upon 
 and amongst their shipping, were prodigious, | him the command of the combined army, 
 and vessels of all kinds were daily arriving in ; From this period the blockade was con- 
 the bay, laden with material-; fur the siege. ; verted into a spirited siege, and all those \ast 
 On his majesty's birlh-day, the last of the i projects for tiie reduction of this fortress, 
 garrison gun-boats was lannciied. They were ; which had been so long agitated^ were to be 
 twelve in number, three carrying a 24-:poun(ler ; cariied into vigorous effect. 
 each, and the rest 18-pounders. They were | The due de Crillon was attended by Mon- 
 maimed from the Brilliant and Porcupine : sienrd'Arcon, a French engineer of reputation, 
 frigates, and Speedwell cutter, with twenty- ; wl.o came to execute llie floating batteries 
 one men each. | according to the plan which he had given to 
 
 For some time past the enemy had almost ; the Spanish court, and according to which 
 discontinued their labours in their advanced j tliey were to be cdustrucled njion piinciples 
 works, and their fire upon the garrison was « thai were to render them insubniersible and 
 considerably slackened. This interval of trail- ; incombnslible. 
 
 quillily the governor employed with indefati- I 'i'nis operation of the attack by sea had 
 gable zeal in repairing and improving the \ long been unanimously agreed upon, and no 
 .works of the garrison, pother question remained l)ut respecting the 
 
 On the 1 1th of June, a shell from the enemy ; means projected by M. d'Arcon for executing 
 fell through the splinter-proof, at the door of ; it. His plan was judged to be very simple, 
 the magazine on I'rincess Anne's Battery, ; and was ap|>roved by all the Spanish ministers; 
 (Willis's) and bursting-, communicated with > but he stated in the memoir which he gave in 
 the povder, which instantly blew up. The ; with it, that it would never succeed, unless a 
 explosion was so violent as to shake \.\\e\ number of national volunteers tvoutd adopt it, 
 whole rock, and throw the materials on both > and execute it, at their oiru rish, with all the 
 sides to an almost incredible distance into the ; confidence inspired by a thorough conviction. 
 sea. Tlie baitery was very materially injured, i The trea^sures of Spain, however, were to 
 and 14 men were unfortunately killed, and l.j > be lavished in these preparations, the impres- 
 wounded, by the accident. Inunediately after i sion of which, it was believed, that Gibralter 
 the report of the explosion, and upon the i could not resist for four and twenty hours, 
 appearance of the coluum of smoke, the enemy ; The most powerful means possible were to 
 gave a loud huzza ; their drums beat to arms i be put in practice, pour coulbulcr, (according 
 in their camp, and they kept up a brisk can- j to the Spanish phrase) to overpower this
 
 382 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. 
 
 fortress, there certainly never was an instance 
 of siicii a formidable force, and g^reat prepa- 
 rations, as those of the besiegers before Gibral- 
 ter. Almost ail the cannon and howitzers 
 upon the isthujus battered the place d/enjilade, 
 and these, in the old and new batteries of St. 
 Philip ami St. Barbara, with that of St. Barbe, 
 and their several communications, amounted 
 to the vast number of 246 pieces. Never was 
 seen collected upon the same front, so vast a 
 quantity of ordnance, while in the attack by 
 sea 213 other pieces of artillery were to be 
 employed, which were to take the works of 
 the garrison in reverse, and by a ricochetting 
 fi>'e, increase the means of destruction. All 
 their batteries were to combine in the demo- 
 lition of the walls and flanks, whilst the other 
 part of their force was to be employed in 
 ravaging the interior defences, in order to 
 expose and sweep away the soldiers of the 
 garrison. 
 
 General Eliott, with a firm and equal 
 mind, beheld the operations of the enemy. 
 He felt all their strength; he anticipated 
 every thing ; and without giving the least 
 ground of suspicion to the besiegers, he made 
 such preparations, and adopted such cautious 
 measures, that the most dreadful display of 
 force must have failed before them. He relied 
 upon himself, he relied upon his garrison, now 
 inured to danger, to repel the most formida- 
 ble assault which human force and ingenuity 
 could direct against him. 
 
 Rear-admiral Buenaventura Moreno was 
 appointed to co-operate with the duke and 
 M. d'Arcon, in the projected attack by sea. 
 The latter, however, now found hin)self, from 
 the conduct of the Spanish ministry, in such 
 a situation, that although they allowed him 
 certain discretionary powers, yet in case of 
 success, all the glory of the enterprise was to 
 be transferred to others, whilst the disgrace 
 of a miscarriage was to fall solely upon him, 
 as the projector of a scheme which had not 
 been crowned with success. 
 
 They proceeded, notwithstanding, with 
 such expedition upon the floating batteries, 
 that, in the beginning of July, the tenth was 
 under equipment. Since the arrival of the 
 duke, their batteries had been wholly silent, 
 nolwitiistaiiding which the garrison kept up 
 a brisk discharge, as well upon their lines as 
 their advanced works. 
 
 To detail all the preparatory operations of 
 
 the enemy, would far exceed the bounds of 
 the ])resent work. It has already been ob- 
 served, that the preparations made for the 
 attack by sea were formidable and immense, 
 and the consequent expence incurred by 
 Spain has scarcely a parallel in history. The 
 activity of the enemy was proportioned to the 
 magnitude of the design, and the attack by 
 land, as an auxiliary operation, was to occupy 
 all the space that the nature of the ground 
 would permit. 
 
 The morning of the arrival of Monsieur le 
 comte d'Artois, which happened oh the IStli 
 of August, was distinguished by the complete 
 developement of a flying sap of a' new kind, 
 the erection of which had been concealed from 
 the garrison by a silence and rapidity of exe- 
 cution as yet unequalled. This was a parallel 
 of 230 toises in length, with a communication 
 or boyau of 630 toises from the place where it 
 was joined to the principal barrier of the 
 lines, the construction of which had required 
 one million six hundred thousand bags of 
 sand, besides an immense quantity of casks 
 employed in the parallel, which was after- 
 wards converted into a battery of 64 cannons, 
 besides howitzers, at the' extremity to the 
 south-east, and four batteries of mortars to the 
 north-west. 
 
 In one night was this ext^aordinary work 
 of the epaulement raised to the incredible 
 height of 12 feet, with a proportional thickness 
 of 18 feet. With its communications, traverses, 
 and branches, it formed a prospect equally 
 formidable and surprising. It was calculated, 
 that during the seven hours in which this 
 work was erected, 10,000 men must have 
 been employed upon it. Notwithstanding 
 this immense number at work at one time, no 
 extraordinary noise was heard. In the course 
 of the night a carcase was thrown on the west 
 side of the bay, but nothing of their operations 
 was to be seen in that quarter. The Spaniards 
 must have conceived themselves particularly 
 fortunate, as a brisk fire from the garri.son, 
 from the number of men employed in their 
 works, must have proved more than commonly 
 destructive. 
 
 General Eliott, and general Green, the 
 chief engineer of the garrison, instantly dis- 
 covered the design of the enemy by this ex- 
 tension of their works, which was to take in 
 reverse the defences to the sea, in order to 
 co-opcrale with the floating batteries and
 
 CHAP. XXVIII.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 383 
 
 bomb-ketches, and thus to place the artillery 
 of the garrison betvvetn two tires, when the 
 grand attack slionl'l be made. 
 
 On the IGlli the due de Bourbon arrived in 
 the enemy s camp; and on the lJ)tli gt-neral 
 Eliott received by a flaj; of truce, the following 
 letter from the due de Crillon. 
 
 •' Camp of Buena-Vista, 19th August, 1782. 
 
 " Sir, 
 
 " His royal highness count 
 d'Artois, who has received permission froui 
 the king his brother to assist at the siege, as 
 a volunteer in the combined army, of which 
 their mo.st Christian and Catholic majesties 
 have honoured me with the command, arrived 
 in this camp the 15th in.stant. This young 
 prince has been pleased, in passing through 
 Madrid, to take charge of some letters which 
 had been sent to that capital from this place, 
 and which are addressed to persons belonging 
 to your garrison. His royal highness has 
 desired that I would transmit them to you, 
 and that to this mark of his goodness and 
 attention, I should add the strongest expres- 
 sions of esteem for your person and character. 
 I feel the greatest pleasure in giving this mark 
 of condescension in this august prince, as it 
 furnishes me with a pretext, which 1 have 
 been anxiously looking for these two months 
 that I have been in camp, to assure you of the 
 highest esteem I have conceived for your 
 excellency, of the sincerest desire I feel of 
 deserving yours, and of the pleasure to which 
 1 look forward of becoming your friend, after 
 I shall have learned to render myself worthy 
 of the honour, by facing you as an enemy. His 
 highness the due de Bourbon, who arrived 
 here 24 hours after the count d'Artois, desires 
 also that 1 should assure you of his particular 
 esteem, 
 
 " Permit me, sir, to offer a few trifles for 
 your table, of which I am sure you must stand 
 in need, as I know you live entirely upon 
 vegetables : I should be glad to know what 
 kind you like best. I shall add a few game 
 for the gentlenjen of your houshold, and some 
 ice, which I presume will not be disagreeable 
 in the excessive heat of this climate, at this 
 season of the year. I hope you will be obliging 
 enough to accept the small portion which 1 
 send with this letter. 
 
 " I HAVE \he honour to be, &c. 
 
 " B. B. Due UK Crillon. 
 " His excellency general Elliot, Sec." 
 
 On the 20th, the general returned by a Hag 
 the following answer. 
 
 " Sir, 
 
 " Gibralter, August 20th, 1782. 
 
 " I find myself highly ho^ 
 noured by your obliging letter of yesterday, in 
 w hich your excellency was so kind as to in- 
 form me of the arrival in your canjp of his 
 royal highness the count d'Artois, and the 
 duke de Bourbon, to serve as volunteers at 
 the siege. These princes have shewn their 
 judgnient in making choice of a master in tiie 
 art of war, whose abilities cannot fail to form 
 great warriors. I am overpowered with the 
 condescension of his royal highness, in suffering 
 some letters for persons in this town to be 
 conveyed from Madrid in his carriages. I 
 flatter myself that your excellency will give 
 my most profound respect to his royal high* 
 ness, and to the duke de Bourbon, for the 
 expressions of esteem with which they have 
 » been pleased to honour so insignificant a 
 person as I am. 
 
 " I return a thousand thanks to your ex- 
 cellency, for your handsome present of fruits, 
 vegetables, and game. You will excuse me, 
 however, I trust, when 1 assure you, that in 
 accepting your present I have broken through 
 a resolution, to which 1 had faithfully adhered 
 since the beginning of the war ; and that was, 
 never to receive or procure, by any means 
 whatever, any provisions or other commodity 
 tor my own private use; so that, without any 
 preference, every thing is sold publicly here; 
 and the private soldier, if he has money, can 
 become a purchaser, as well as the governor. 
 I confess, I make it a point of honour to 
 partake both of plenty ami scarcity in common 
 with the lowest of my brave fellow-soldiers. 
 This furnishes me with an excuse for the 
 liberty I now take, of intreating your excel- 
 lency not to heap any more favours upon me 
 of this kind, as in future I cannot convert 
 your presents to my own private use. Indeed, 
 to be plain with your excellency, though vege- 
 tables at this season are scarce with us, every 
 man has got a quantity proj)ortioned to the 
 labour which he has bestowud iu raising them.
 
 38i 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXVI 11. 
 
 The English are naturally fond of gardening 
 and cultivation ; and here we find our amuse- 
 ment in it, during the intervals of rest from 
 public duty. The promise which the duke 
 de Cri'llon makes, of honouring me in proper 
 time and place with his friendship, lays me 
 under infinite obligations. The interest of 
 our sovereigns being once solidly settled, I 
 shall with eagerness embrace the first oppor- 
 tunity to avail myself of so precious a treasure. 
 " I HAVE the honour to be, &c. 
 
 " G. A. Eliott. 
 " His excellency the due de Crillon, ike." 
 
 On the morning of the 24th, their new work 
 was completed, and unmasked a battery of 
 64 guns, with eight howitzers on its left ex- 
 tremity. The plan of operations pursued by 
 the enemy now became apparent to the general, 
 who continued to make every .arrangement to 
 defeat it, and who now digested the plan of 
 disposition, in case they should effect a prac- 
 ticable breach. At this period additional 
 forges for heating shot were ordered to be 
 constructed, and grates for that purpose were 
 distributed all along the batteries. 
 
 In the Spanish camp, the successful exe- 
 cution of the sap on the night of the 15th, was 
 looked upon as a fortunate and auspicious 
 event, though the plan of this operation, which 
 had been suggested by M. d'Arcon, had not 
 met with very general approbation, from the 
 great apprehension that was entertained of a 
 considerable loss of men in carrying it into 
 etTect. 
 
 The land and sea forces of the besiegers 
 flattered themselves with the hope, that in 
 these preparations the term of their long and 
 glorious labours was drawing to a clo.se; and 
 the solidity and equipment of their new war- 
 like machines inspired them with a degree of 
 confidence, which soon increased to enthu- 
 siasm. This spirit produced a competition 
 amongst the officers, who emulously aspired 
 to the honour of conducting these formidable 
 engines in the presence of their eneniy« The 
 combined army, iii short, flattered themselves 
 that notliiug was wanting to their success. 
 They had only, they imagined, to present 
 themselves — Gibralter was to be taken in '24 
 hours — and thus their confidence approached 
 to infatuation. 
 
 FftoM the time of the due de Crillon's arrival 
 
 I before Gibralter, however, a disposition had 
 i been made, and was given in the standing 
 I orders of the field, in order to prevent a sortie 
 I from the fortress, -which, notwithstanding its 
 \ small garrison, the enemy still dreaded, after 
 I the disaster which had befallen them on the 
 ; night of the 27th of November, 1781. This 
 } disposition of the besiegers consisted of a 
 > reserve of infantry and dragoons, who held 
 \ themselves always in readiness to act during 
 I the night. This body of reserve was posted 
 j upon the isthmus behind the lines, or upon 
 J the right of the escarpments of the mountain, 
 ) next the Mediterranean, and behind the 
 5 parallel, or boyau, according to the discretion 
 I of the brigadier who had the command for the 
 t night. It was ordered, that in case the garri- 
 I son should attempt a sortie, he should make 
 a brisk march with his right flank towards the 
 north escarpments, and boldly take post 
 before the pallisade at the head of the moat. 
 As, in that situation, the fire of the garrison 
 would be necessarily suspended upon that 
 spot, for fear of hurting their own men, the 
 Spaniards would risk but little by the ma- 
 noeuvre. 
 
 In the beginning of September, the enemy's 
 works on the land side were every hour ad- 
 vancing to perfection ; but the due de Crillon's 
 attention towards completing them seemed so 
 entirely to engage him, a"s in a great measure 
 to prevent his taking the necessary precautions 
 for their defence again.st the batteries of the 
 rock. He seemed to conclude, that the 
 garrison, awed by his mighty preparations, 
 would not be in a condition for any ofTensive 
 attempt ; and relying upon this belief, or never 
 taking it into the account at all, the advanced 
 batteries in the parallel, as well as those in 
 the lines, undergoing alterations and repair, 
 were wholly stript of their ordnance. The 
 forts, and a few mortar-batteries, were of. 
 course the only defences left to protect these 
 immense works from insult and attack. 
 
 The practicability of an attempt upon them 
 in this state, strongly suggested itself to lieu- 
 tenant-general 13oyd, the lieutenant-governor, 
 and the honour of the consequent success was 
 peculiarly his own. On the morning of the 
 0th of September, he recommended, by letter 
 to the governor, the immediate use of red-hot 
 shot against the laud batteries of the besiegers. 
 General Eliott readily assented, and major
 
 CHAP. XXVIII.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 385 
 
 Lewis, llie ajmmandant of aiiillfiv, was or- 
 dered to wait on gnieial Bojd for liis instnic- 
 tions. By the morninj;- oltiio Olli every thing 
 was ready. At seven in tiie morning of lliat 
 day, the iiring conunenoed from ail tiie north- 5 
 ern batteric.'; which bore u|ion tlie parallel, and j 
 wa.s snpport(-d through the day with admirable ' 
 yivacity. The efi'cct of the red-hot shot ex- 
 ceeded expi elation. In two hours the Mahon 
 battery of six guns, with the battery of two 
 howitzers on its flank, and great part of the 
 adjoining parallel, were on fire ; and the 
 flames, notwithstanding the enemys exertions 
 to extinguish them, burnt with such rapidity, 
 that the whole of those works were consumed 
 before night. The St. Martin's battery was 
 frequently on fire, but which was as frequently 
 extinguished ; and though that of St. Carlos 
 escaped tiie flames, yet they were both so 
 much deranged, by the breaches made to 
 obstruct the effects of the carcases, &c. that 
 the greater part of them were obliged to be 
 taken down. 
 
 The enemy did not return the fire till eight 
 o'clock, and that but faintly, from the seven- 
 gnu battery in the lines only. About half 
 past nine St. Philip and St. Barbara, and 
 soon after, eight new mortar batteries in the 
 parallel, were opened upon the garrison. 
 Their tardiness in returning the tire, it was 
 conjectured, was owing to the confused state 
 of their batteries, from the repairs they were 
 undergoing, or to their wanting particular 
 orders how to act, as a general officer was 
 seen to enter their lines at the time the can- 
 nonade became general. Their batteries at 
 the time too were unprovided with ammunition, 
 and the discbarge of red-l/ot shot rendered 
 it particularly dangerous to carry it down 
 from tiie lines. 
 
 The loss of the enemy, in sight of the garri- 
 son, was very great, as their endeavours to 
 stop the progress of the flames very much 
 exposed tliem to the fire from the rock. The 
 success of this day was atteniled with the 
 happiest efl'ects, as it provoked the enemy to 
 open their neu mortar batteries before they 
 were perActly completed, and to recommence 
 a fire from tlieir forts and lines, for which they 
 Mere by no means prepared. 
 
 About four o'clock in the afternoon the 
 firing abated on both sides, and by night-fall 
 it had totally ceased. This judicious plan 
 
 3 I) 
 
 of attack, suggested by the lieutenant-governor, 
 produced very signal advantages. It in a 
 great measure, by precipitating them, deranged 
 the operations of the «iuc de Criilon ; and it 
 convinced the enemy that the garrison, unawed 
 by ihcir formidable preparations, were still in 
 a stale for oflensive measures. 
 
 The duke, however, seemed resolved to 
 retaliate ; for on the succeeding morning, at 
 half past five o'clock, upon two rockets being 
 thrown up from forts St. Philip and Barbara, 
 the enemy began with a flight of shells from 
 all tlie advanced batteries, to bombard and 
 cannonade the garrison. About a hundred 
 and s( venty pieces of ordnance were open ; 
 but the eflect. was not proportionate, for 
 though, at times, from ten to twenty shells 
 were in the air at the same moment, they 
 happily did not produce that material damage 
 which there was reason to expect. 
 
 On the same day the enemy's squadron, 
 consisting of seven sail of the line Spanish, 
 and two French, with a large frigate and xebec, 
 taking the advantage of a Levant wind, got 
 under sail from the Orange Grove, and one of 
 them passing slowly within random shot, fired 
 several broadsides upon the south bastion and 
 ragged staff', continuing the cannonade until 
 she had got beyond Europa. The squadron 
 then stood to the eastward of the rock, and 
 forming in a line, the admiral leading, came 
 before the batteries of Europa, and under a 
 very slow sail commenced a fire from all their 
 guns, until the last ship had passed. They 
 repeated this nianoeuvre at two o'clock on the 
 following morning, and again in the forenoon 
 of the same day. By this sea-attack, however, 
 the works of the garrison were not at all 
 affected. Some of the leading ships came 
 pretty near the point of the first attack ; but 
 having been frequently struck from the English 
 batteries, they aftewards kept at a greater 
 distance. Two of the Spanish ships went 
 early that morning to Algcziras to repair. All 
 the batteries at Euro|)a were manned by the 
 marine brigade encamped there, with a small 
 proportion of artillerists. The guns were 
 extremely well laid and pointed : the whole 
 under the immediate command of brigadier 
 Curtis. 
 
 Abovt five in the afternoon of the same 
 day, sixteen of the enemy's gun-boats went 
 over from Algeziras, formed in aline, and lircd 
 •J 5
 
 380 HISTORY OF ENttLAND. [CIIAP. XXVIM. 
 
 upon llie garrison; but in less than an Iiour ; pendant were displayed on hoard of tliem. 
 werexibliged to retire, with very considerable » liy the afternoon tliey were all at anchor be- 
 damage. ; tween the Orange Grove and Aigeziras. 
 
 On the 10th, at morning-gun fire, the dis- J The whole force of the allied crowns. >«eeined 
 charge from the batteries on the isthmus re- { to have been concentrated in this spot, and 
 commenced. At .>ieven o'clock on that morn- | such a naval and military spectacle is scarcely 
 ing, including the expenditure of the 8th, they | to be equalled in the annals of war. 'I'heir 
 had di.-;charged 5427 shot, and 2502 shells, I naval force consisted of 44 large sliips of the 
 exclusive of tlie fire from the men of war and I line, besides three inferior two-deckers, ten 
 mortar-boats. J lettering ships, five bomb-ketches, several 
 
 At guard-mounting on the succeeding i frigates and xebecs, a great number of gun 
 morning, they re-commenced their cannonade, ; and mortar boats, a large floating battery, 
 and in the afternoon of that day tletachments i many armed vessels, and near 300 boats, 
 of soldiers were seen embarking from the ; purposely constructed for carrying troops, 
 enemy's camp on board their battering-ships. I On the 13th of September, at eight in the 
 From this it was concluded in the garrison j morning, all the battering ships were put in 
 that every thing was ready, and the grand ; motion, and advanced to the several stations 
 attack about to commence. Land-port and ; it had been previously determined they should 
 Water-port guards were therefore immediately < occupy. They were ten ii) number, 
 reinforced; the furnaces and grates for heat- J The Pastora and the Tallia Piedra were 
 ing shot were lighted, and the batteries ordered » the first that received the fire froiu the for- 
 to be manned. 5 tress. The others did not cast anchor till 
 
 While the attention of the garrison was I some time afterwards. The admiral placed 
 chiefly directed to the sea line, the enemy, > himself upon the capital of the King's bas- 
 immediately after night-fall, attempted to set | tion ; the otiier ships exteniling, three to the 
 fire to the pallisades at Bay-side and Forbes's, | southward of the flag, as far as the Church 
 and in some measure succeeded, as the whole ! battery ; five to the northward, about the 
 were quickly in flames. The northern guards ; height of the Old Mole ; and one a little to 
 and piquets were immediately under arms, ; t!ie westward of the admiral. Twenty-four 
 and a smart discharge of musquetry was | bomb-ketches also acted in the wings, in ihe 
 directed upon several parties, which by the | rear of the attack. M. d'Arcon served as a 
 light of the fire were discovered in the mea- i volunteer in the battery Tallia Piedra. By a 
 dews. These parties returned a brisk discharge » quarter before ten they had taken their respec- 
 by platoons upon the Queen's lines, while a| tive stations, at the distance of 1000 or 1200 
 greater number of shells than usual were J yards, when a heavy cannonade connnenced 
 thrown from the enemy's works. Their fire, > from all the ships, supported by the cannon 
 in the last 24 hours, amounted to 2828 shot, | and mortars in the enemy's lines and ap- 
 and 1450 shells. On the morning of the r2th, | proaches, the object of which clearly was, not 
 at a quarter past one, when the garrison had \ to leave the garrison a single point of safety in 
 scarcely recovered from the alarm on the land « the space behind the front attacked by the 
 side, the enemy's gun and mortar boats ap- 1 floating batteries. The garrison batteries 
 peared off" the King's bastion, and Old Mole 5 were opened with hot and cold shot from the 
 Head, and began a very warm cannonade on | guns, and shells from the howitzers and mor- 
 the northern front. As they kept at a con- 1 tars. This firing continued on both sides, 
 siderable distance, the garrison returned | without intermission, till noon, when that of 
 their fire very sparingly, and they at length ! the enemy from their ships seemed in a small 
 retired. i degree to slacken. About two o'clock the 
 
 At seven, A. M. a fleet appeared from the | admiral's ship was observed to smoke, as if on 
 westward, and stood in for the bay. It | fire ; and a few men seemed busy upon the 
 proved to be the combined fleets of France I roof searching for the cause. The fire from 
 and Spain, consisting of 38 large ships of the 1 the garrison batteries continued powerful and 
 line, besides a great number of smaller vessels. ! well-directed, while that from the eneujy's 
 No less than ten adwiiral's flags and a broad I ships gradually decreased. About seven in
 
 CHAP. XXVIII.J GEORGE III. 387 
 
 the evening tliey fired from a few guns, and > relief. After fliis very fortunate escape, it 
 that only at intervals. At nii(init;ht the adini- ; was deemed |)riidet)t to withdraw towards the 
 ral's ship was plainly discovered to be on » garrison, to avoid the peril threatened by the 
 tire, and an honr after, the flames burst forth \ Mowing up of the remaining ships. The 
 with uiicoiiqutM-able violence. Eight more ! brigaditr, however, visited two other ships 
 of the ships took fire in succession. On the J on his return, and landed nine officers, two 
 preceding evening, wl>en their fire began to ; priests, and 334 private soldiers and seamen, 
 slacken, various sign;ds had been made from ; all Spaniards, which, with one Spanish officer 
 the southernmost ships, and as the evening ; and eleven Frenchmen, who had floated on 
 advanced, many rockets were thrown up, to \ shore upon a piece of wreck on the preceding 
 inform their friends of their extreme danger ; evening, made the total number saved amount 
 and distress. These signals were imn)ediately | to 3o7. Many of the prisoners were severely, 
 answered, and the launches, feluccas, and I and some of them dreadfully wounded. They 
 boats of the whole fleet, began to take out ! were conveyed to the hospital, where every 
 the men from on board the burning ships. \ attention was paid tliem which humanity 
 Many shot were still fired from those in | could dictate. 
 
 wliich the flames had yet made no consider- 1 In the course of the day, the remaiin'ng 
 able progress ; and the fire from the enemy's | eight ships severally blew up with violent 
 batteries on shore did not in the least abate. ! explosions ; one only escaped the efl'ect of the 
 Brigadier Curtis, who, with his squadron of ; red-hot shot, which it was thought proper to 
 gnn-boats, lay ready to take advantage of any i burn, there being no possibility of saving her. 
 favourable circumstance, left the New Mole | The admiral's flag remained flying on board 
 at two o'clock in the morning, and about > his ship till she was totally consumed, 
 three formed a line upon the enemy's flank, i The loss sustained by the enemy could 
 advancing and firing with great order and | never be properly ascertained; but from the 
 expedition ; which so astonished and discon- ; information of the prisoners, and the numbers 
 certed the enemy, that they fled precipitately | seen dead on board the ships, it was estimated 
 with all their boats, abandoning the ships, in > at 2000 men, including the prisoners. 
 M'liich some officers and numbers of their men, | The loss of the garrison, on the other hand, 
 including many wounded, were left to perish, i when the duration and quantity of the enemy's 
 This nuist inevitably have been their wretched I fire are considered, was almost incredibly 
 fate, had they not been dragged from amidst ; trifling. It consisted in one officer, and filteen 
 the flames by the personal intrepidity of briga- I men killed ; five officers, and sixty-three meo 
 dier Curtis, at the utmost hazardof hisown life, | wounded. 
 
 — a life pronounced by general Eliott, to be | On the succeeding day a flag of truce went 
 invaluable to his majesty's service. Whilst I with a letter from general l:l!iott to the duo 
 the brigadier, with his men, was thus gene- ; de Crillon, and some letters from the Spanish 
 rously employed, llie flames reached the i officers, prisoners, were sent by the same 
 magazine of one of the battering sliips to the | conveyance. The gratitude expressed by all 
 nortiiward, which blew up about five o'clock, J the prisoners, for their deliverance from the 
 with a dreadful explosion. In a quarter of » complicated horrors with which they were 
 an hour after, another, in the centre of the j surrounded, was gratifying to humanity, 
 line, met with a similar fate, the wreck from ; They had been led to expect no quarter from 
 which spread to a vast extent, and involved J the British garrison, an opinion artfully in- 
 the gun-boats in the most imminent danger. > stilled by their officers, to aid their courage 
 One of them was sunk by it, and the boat of ^ by the suggestions of despair, 
 brigadier Curtis had a hole made in its bottom, 5 After the signal tailure of their great 
 by a large splinter; the cockswain at the ; attempt, the Spaniards probably gave up the 
 same instant was killed, and some others of! hope of reducing Gibralfer by force, but they 
 the men wounded, and they were for a con- ! evidently relinquished that hope with great re- 
 siderable time involved in a thick cloud of I luctance, for the combined fleets still remained 
 smoke. The brigadier's barge was only saved ; in the bay, with a view to oppose the relief of 
 Irom sinking by slopping the hole with the ; the garrison, which was about this time to Ue 
 scamens jackets, until boats arrived to their :, attempted by lord Howe. 
 
 3 D 2
 
 o8S HISTORY OV F\GLA\D. [CIIAP. XXVni. 
 
 Tur combined fleets had been reinforced, I bella, and the transports, with the friorates, 
 by the occasional arrival of ships, both of the » were working to windward, to gain tlie b?y. 
 line and inferior rates. On the evening of the 5 As they approached the isthmus, the enemy 
 lOtli, a very fresh westerly wind set in, which, i saluted them from their mortars, and fired 
 as the night advanced, increased to a hurri- ; upon them from behind tlie eastern advanced 
 cane. In the course of the night many signal \ guard-house. 
 
 guns of distress were tired from the ships of; The combined fleets, meanwhile, were \evy 
 the combined fleet, and at day-break the St. I active in repairing their damages, and in form- 
 Michael, a .Spanish ship, mounting 72 guns, | ing a line of battle along the shore. In the 
 was discovered in a crippled state, close in-? evening of the 12th, a number of troops were 
 shore, off' Orange's bastion; she was under } embarked on board them from the camp. At 
 close-reefed courses, and had lost her mizen | night the Panther man-of-war, with several of 
 top-mast. After having two men killed and * the British transports, reached the bay. The 
 two wounded by the garrison batteries, she i enemy persevered in their cannonade from 
 fell on shore near to (he sonlh bastion, and » their land batteries, and made some fruitless 
 immediately struck her colours. She was 1 attempts with shells to burn the St. Michael, 
 ■soon afterwards taken possession of by cap- J The tire from the garrison was more than 
 tain Curtis, who expeditiously lanfled the pii- { commonly brisk, as such a material supply 
 soiiers, and carried out anchors to prevent her 5 of amuuinition had been thrown in, and the 
 going further on shore. She was commanded J efiects were very perceptible in the enemy's 
 by Don Juan Moreno, a chief d'Escadre, and j works. 
 
 had on board about 650 men. She was after- ? On the 13th of October, the combined fleets 
 wards got off without having sustained any | weighed anchor, and stood out evidently with 
 damage, and was condemned as^ a lawful 5 an intention of preventing the transports from 
 prize to the garrison of Gibrajter. The fleet ^ reaching the garrison. They amounted to 44 
 of the enemy had suflfered very much by the | ships of the line, with a vast number of frigates 
 gale ; a ship of the line and a frigate were on | and other smaller vessels. By the superior 
 shore near the Orange Grove, and a French | conduct of the British admiral, however, he 
 ship of the line had lost her fore-mast and J was enabled to throw all the supplies into the 
 bowsprit. Two others were forced from their j garrison, and manoeuvred his fleet so as not 
 anchors, and ran to the eastward. | to shun an engagement, even with so marked 
 
 At three in the afternoon of the 11th, the | a superiority of force as the enemy opposed to 
 signals made by the enemy indicated' the | him. He lay in a close line to leeward of the 
 approach of the British fleet. About sun-set X combined fleets, but they did not think it 
 of that day, the Latona frigate anchored under \ proper to profit by the advantage of the wind, 
 the walls of the garrison, at which time the i On the 18th, the Buffalo man-of-war, with 
 van of the British fleet was perceived in the | the rest of the transports, got in, and at noon 
 Gut. The Spanish admiral shewed no dispo- \ of the same day, four or five ships of the line, 
 sition to o[)pose the reinforcements being i under the orders of lord Mulgrave, were de- 
 thrown into the garrison, but from a want of J tached to the garrison with the 25th and 5,9th 
 timely attention to the circumstances of the j regiments. His lordship disembarked the 
 navigation, only four or five transports could { troops with the greatest expedition, and re- 
 enter the bay. The rest, with the fleet, were | joined the admiral ou Tetuan, who, having 
 obliged to pass to the eastward into the Me- 5 now accomplished the object of his expedition, 
 tJiterranean. The fleet consisted of 34 sail \ resolved to embrace the favourable wind that 
 of the line, eleven of whicli were three-deckers, j then prevailed, to carry him out to the west- 
 with G frigates, and 31 ordnance transports, ; ward. On the following morning, therefore, 
 conveying a reinforcement of upwards of 1600 \ at day-break, lord Howe, under an easy sail, 
 men for the garrison. \ stood with his fleet in close order towards the 
 
 Early in the morning of the 12th, captain 5 Straits, the combined fleet, that was to the east- 
 Curtis sailed in the Latona, to apprise lord i ward, and consequently to windward of him, 
 Howe of the situation of the enemy's fleet, j steering the same course. On the preceding 
 At noon of that day, the British squadron ; evening, captain Curtis had gone oft' in the La- 
 appeared in good order off" Estepona, or Mar- ! tona, to communicate to the admiral the gover- ^
 
 CHAP. XXVI II] 
 
 r.KOIlfiK 111. 
 
 389 
 
 Jim's ronfi<lci)tial dispatnlie.*, ami iiuopporlmiity 
 oflerins' for his retiiiii to the garrison, he was 
 obliged to retnain on board the fleet. 
 
 On the morning of the 'iOtli, the wind shifted 
 <o the n()itli\vaid, and lord Howe having got 
 clear of the Straits, he formed his fleet to 
 Jeeward, to receive the enemy, wlio still kept 
 the wenthor-gase. By this circnmstance they 
 were lefl, uninlerriiptedly, to take the dis-tance 
 n't which tliey slionid think proper to engage ; 
 but in place of confiding in their great supe- 
 riority, (for they had no less than 40 ships 
 in their line) and aiming at a close and decisive 
 action, they began their cannonade at sun-set 
 on the van and rear of the Uritisli fleet, seem- 
 ing to point their chief attack on the latter, 
 and continued their fire along their whole line, 
 at a considerable distance, and with little 
 efJect, until ten at night. The tire was only 
 returned occasionally from different ships of 
 the English fleet, as the nearer approach of 
 the enemy, at times, aflbrded a moie favour- 
 able opportimity for making an impression 
 upon them. 
 
 As it was not the policy of the British ad- 
 miral to seek, with so very inferior a force, 
 a renewal of the action, (particularly as he had 
 so successfully relieved the garrison) and as 
 the enemy seemed stuiliously to shun a closer 
 engagement, the fleets separated in the nighi, 
 the combined fleets having hauled their wind, 
 and stood on with a great press of sail. 
 
 Thk •2nd of February, 178.3, the due de 
 Crillon informed the governor, by a flag of 
 truce, that the preliminaries of a general peace 
 had been signed at Paris on the 20th of Janu- 
 ary, between Great Britain, France, and 
 Spain. When the boats met, the Spaniards 
 rose up, in a seeming transport of joy, and 
 cried out, fVe are all friends ! — delivering the 
 letters with the greatest apparent satisfaction. 
 Previous to the meeting of the boats, the 
 enemy discharged about thirty rounds, but 
 never after the delivery of the letters fired 
 upon the garrison. In the evening the British 
 artillery likewise ceased. On the following 
 day, the Spaniards advanced from their works, 
 and conversed with the English sentries. 
 
 Admiral Graves, sailing from Jamaica, in 
 the month of July, with a fleet of seven ships 
 of the line, among which was the Ville tie 
 J'aris, and about a hundred sail of merchant- 
 men under convoy, was taken in a storm off 
 Newfoundland, which proved so violent, that 
 
 five of his iiMP of battie-sliips were lost, and 
 among them the valuable French prize, toge- 
 ther with a considerable number of the mer- 
 chant-men. 
 
 This was followed by an accident attended 
 witii circnmsiunoes of a pecidiarly melancholy 
 nature. The Royal George of 108 guns was 
 undergoing a careening at Portsmouth ; and 
 for that purpose she was laid, in a certain de^ 
 groe, on her side. Admiral Kempenfeldl, who 
 commanded her, was writing in his cabin, and 
 his crew were nearly all iietween decks, when 
 a su«lden squall arose, which threw the ship 
 on her side ; her gun-ports being open, she 
 was almost instantly filled with water, and 
 was carried to the bottom ; and that gallant 
 and accomplished veteran, with above 900 of 
 his men, was lost. 
 
 When we turn our attention towards the 
 East Indies, we find the British forces more 
 successful tlian in the West. After the defeat 
 of colonel Baillie, the whole Carnatic was 
 evacuated by the British, and Madras itself 
 might be considered as in a state of blockade. 
 The arrival of the indefatigable sir Eyre 
 Coote, in the latter end of 1780, and the 
 vigorous measures wliich he pursued, eflccted 
 a sudden and unexpected change; and re- 
 lieved, almost at a single blow, the Carnatic 
 from the ravages of a dangerous and remorse- 
 less enemy. In two days after his arrival he 
 took his seat at the council-board, and pro- 
 duced orders from the supreme government 
 of Bengal, for the suspension of Mr. Whitciiill, 
 the president, whose intemperate conduct had 
 been a chief cause of alienating the afl'ections 
 of the INizam. 
 
 L'poN the arrival of sir Eyre Coote, the 
 troops were in a w retched state of despondency, 
 the se|)oys deserting, the inhabitants treache- 
 rous, and all resources cut oft'. The general, 
 therefore, ordered despatches at the same time 
 to sir Edward Hughes, and to general God- 
 dard, to urge them to be active in distressing 
 the possessions of Hyder on the Malabar 
 coast, and to promote as much as possible a 
 peace with the Mahrattas. 
 
 In the begimiing of the year 1781, Hyder's 
 force, within the boundaries of the Carnatic 
 alone, was estimated at above 100,000 men ; 
 whilst that of sir Eyre Coote did not exceed 
 7000. 
 
 The two armies encountered near Porto 
 Novo, on the 1st of July. At seven iu the
 
 390 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXVI it. 
 
 morning, the British troops proceeded from ; 
 that phice,' and after an hour's march, came > 
 in siiL;ht of the enemy strongly posted. Hyder's ; 
 artillery was well served hy Europeans, or i 
 tliose instructed by them, and did considera- > 
 ble execution. In this critical situation, a ; 
 Ijold movement was necessary ; and the ! 
 British general determined to turn the right | 
 of the enemy ; fortunately the country accord- i 
 ed to his wishes, and, by this movement, he | 
 was enabled to take the enemy obliquely, and" | 
 avoid the full front and fire of their works « 
 and batteries ; in this manner the first line » 
 only decided the fortune of the day. Though ; 
 Hyder, with great dexterity and promptness, J 
 formed a new front to receive the British | 
 general, and detached a large body of infantry ! 
 to prevent the second line from obtaining > 
 possession of some high grounds, yet at length | 
 Buro|jean order and discipline was victorious J 
 over the undisciplined rabble of an Eastern ; 
 camp. Hyder was obliged to retreat, after I 
 leaving 3000 of his best troops dead on the ; 
 field of battle. ; 
 
 In the course of the following month, the ; 
 British gained a second victory over Hyder, ; 
 after fighting from nine in the morning till i 
 sun-set, within about sixteen miles of the city 5 
 of Trepassore. i 
 
 Some gentlemen of the factory at fort * 
 Marlborough, in the month of August, under- i 
 took an expedition against Sumatra; and all » 
 the Dutch settlements on the western coast \ 
 of that island were reduced without any loss. 
 The town and fortress of Negapalam, in the 
 Tanjore country, (one of the most valuable of 
 the Dutch settlements on the continent of 
 India,) surrendered by capitulation to the 
 English on the 12th of November, after a \ 
 siege of 22 days. \ 
 
 The expulsion of the rajah Chcit Sing, from 
 the zemindary of Benares, though a domestic 
 concern of the company, is become important 
 from the share it has had in the trial of Mr. 
 Hastings. The rajah Cheit Sing succeeded 
 his father in the year 1770, whose establish- 
 ment in the succession had been a great object 
 with the English East India company. 
 
 On the death of Snjah Ul Dowla in 1775, 
 the country of Benares was ceded to the 
 English ; and the rajah rontinued in the same 
 situation, to the East India company, as he 
 bad stood in to the nabob vizier, viz. as a 
 feudal vassal, at a settled rate of tribute, 
 
 which, it is by some asserted, could not le- 
 gally be increased without the rajah's consent^ 
 The exigencies of the year 1778, however, 
 induced the governor-general, Mr. Hastings, 
 to make some extraordinary requisitions from 
 the vassals of the company ; and the rajah, 
 Chiet Sing, was required to contribute an 
 extraordinary subsidy of five lacks of rupees, 
 or £(J0,0()0. It was alleged, that the rajah 
 was disaffected to the British interest, and 
 was desirous, as well as others of the native 
 powers, to become independent of the com- 
 pany, by the aid of the French. With great 
 reluctance, the rajah was induced to consent 
 to the payment ; and the requisition being 
 repeated during three years, and every year 
 worse paid than before, a demand of 2000 
 cavalry was at length added to the former, 
 with which the rajah declared himself abso* 
 lutely unable to comply. 
 
 On the 7th of July, 1781, Mr. Hastings pro- 
 ceeded on a political tour, in order to settle 
 the affairs of Benares, and to restore order in 
 the dominion of the nabob vizier ; and also 
 to obtain supplies from every quarter, and to 
 conclude a separate peace with Madajee 
 Sceindia, through the intervention of colonel 
 Muir. The governor-general was met by the 
 rajah at Busar, he complained of the exorbi- 
 tance of the governor's demands, which were 
 the payment of acroreof rupees, or £1,200,000, 
 and the surrender of the fortress of Bidjegur, 
 which he considered as " his family residence, 
 the deposit of his women, and of his honour." 
 
 The governor, dissatisfied with the non- 
 compliance of the rajah, laid his person under 
 an arrest soon after his arrival at Benares, and 
 he was committed by Mr. Markham, the resi- 
 dent, to the custody of the military. A large 
 body of people innnediately crossed the river 
 from llamnagur, and surrounded the palace 
 where the rajah was confined ; a desperate 
 conflict ensued ; and the muskets of the 
 sepoys not being loaded, through a motive of 
 delicacy, it was alleged, Itst they shoidd sceiu 
 to mistrust their noble prisoner, the English 
 lieutenants Stalker, Scot, and Simms, were 
 killed on the spot, and not more than 20 of the 
 whole parly escaped with their lives. 
 
 Beiore major Popham could bring up the 
 remainder of his detachment to Benares, the 
 rajah had effected his escape, and took refuge 
 in his fortress of Bidjegur, which he was soon 
 afterwards obliged to relinquish ; and, taking
 
 CHAP. XXVI n.] 
 
 CEOROF. III. 
 
 31)1 
 
 178-2. 
 
 witli liini all the treasure he could convciiicnt- 
 ly convey, bid an everlasting adieu to his 
 country. The booty found in the fortress was 
 considerable, and, beine: divided according- to 
 the improper projiorlioii, Avhich custom lias 
 sanctioned with respect to prize-money, pro- 
 duced £.3(5,000 for the share of the coniuiaiider- 
 in-chicf, and oidy £'> for that of the coniuion 
 soldier ! 
 
 Tin: govcrnor-gonoral concluded a treaty of 
 alliance and aunty with Madajee Scindia of 
 Oude, on the 1.3th of October. 
 
 In the present distressful and dis- 
 tracted state of the presidency of Ma- 
 dras, lord Macartney was appointed, in the 
 preceding year, to preside at that board ; a 
 iioldeuian whose integrity and experience well 
 qualified liiu) for the important station, and 
 whose desire of signalizing his administration, 
 by the restoration of good order, overcatne the 
 difficulties attending it, and induced him to 
 devote his time and his talents to the i)usiiicss 
 of reform and internal regulation. We tind 
 liim co-operating in a spirited prosecution of 
 the military and naval enterprises which dis- 
 tinguished the entrance upon his office. The 
 successful expedition against Negapatam had 
 been undertaken by his advice ; and under 
 his auspices sir Edward Hughes continued 
 the train of achievements, which had done 
 honour to the commanders, by sea and land, in 
 the late camiiaign, by the reduction of tiie valu- 
 able Dutch factory of Trincomalc, on the isle of 
 Ceylon, at the opening of the present year. 
 
 ExiiUTioN was now rendered more neces- 
 sary l>y the ajjpearance of a new enemy on 
 the stage, who might be cousidered as of a 
 verv formidable character, even if we con- 
 template his strength and power of annoying 
 us abstractedly ; but he will become more so, 
 if we consider them relatively to the wants of 
 those enemies with whom we had been before 
 contending. Whilst Hyder Ali had been 
 making the greatest efforts for tiic improve- 
 ment of his army, it was not in his power to 
 establish such a naval force as was requisite 
 for the defence of his dominions ; and the 
 ronsequcnce was, that he had the mortilication 
 to sec them insulted by the English. This 
 want was now to be su|)plied by France. That 
 crown had prevailed on the Dutch states to 
 join its alliauc(; against (Ireat JJrifaiu, and it 
 was above ail things desirous to attach its new 
 allies, by convincing them of the good policy 
 
 of uniting willi V'l'a'ire in overpowering a 
 nation, which, i)y its industry, and the protec- 
 tion of a free government, had been enabled 
 to engross a great ])art of the trade of Ijuope. 
 NN ith a view to tliat oliject, and to the main- 
 tenance of the French interests in l^indostan, 
 l»y the protection of Hyder Ali, admiral de 
 I Snfi'rein, an officer of high repute, was sent to 
 India, with a tleet of ten sail of the line, one 
 50 gun ship, and several frigates. 
 
 Whkn the arrival of this fleet off the Coro- 
 niandel coast was announced to sir Edward 
 Hughes, he was so far from declining the com- 
 bat, though he had only eight ships of the 
 line and one />0 gun ship, and several of these 
 out of condition, tiiat he inunediately ,put to 
 sea, and captured six of the store ships under 
 the French admiral's convoy. Under all the 
 disadvantages of a tempestuous sea, and his 
 antagonist's superior force, sir Edward then 
 boldly challenged him to a trial of strength ; 
 and, in the battle which ensued, he obtained 
 a complete victory, after a desperate engage- 
 ment, in which both fleets sustained great 
 damage. 
 
 Such despatch was used in refitting the 
 shattered vessels, that within two months the 
 rival fleets were enabled to encounter a second 
 time. In this engagement, the brunt of the 
 battle fell on sir Edward Hughes' ship, the 
 Superl)e, the Monmouth, and the Monarcha. 
 Nothing could exceed the fierceness with 
 which de Suffrein led his van to the attack 
 of these, nor the intrepid firmness with which 
 they sustained his reiterated assaults. In the 
 event, nothing appears to have been gained on 
 either side, to balance the heavy loss which 
 their crews had suffered, but the honour which 
 remained to the English, from having fought 
 a superior fleet, so commanded, without having 
 been obliged to quit the scene of action. If 
 we consider the sanguine ho|)es entertained 
 by all the enemies of Great Britain, from the 
 arrival of the French fleet, and particularly by 
 Hyder Ali, who expected, by its co-operation, 
 to have been enai)le<l to accomplish all his 
 views of conquest in the Caruatic, we cannot 
 but hold these actions of the Jiritish admiral 
 in the most important and nseritorious light. 
 
 INoK «as this the only disappointment which 
 Hyder suffered at tliis time. It had long been 
 a grand object witli that prince to gain pos- 
 session of Tellicherry, a fortress on the 
 Malabar coast, whose value was enhanced by
 
 392 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXVJII. 
 
 its sifualion on the confines of tlie kingdoms | Carnalic. Perceiving by the rajali's move- 
 of Mysore and Canara. He had held it m a j inenls tliat he had learned caution by defeat, 
 state of blockade from the connnencenient of; as soon as lie had provided for the defence of 
 the war. But all his prospects in liiis (piarter ; Waiulewash, he adopted the only effectual 
 were blasted, at this time, by the arrival of | expedient to bring him to a pitched battle — • 
 a strong reinforcenjent to the garrison from > l)y threatening Arnee, a fortress which made 
 Bombay ; wiiich enabled major Abingdon, ; Iiis chief magazine for the war. This move- 
 the commandant, to take the besieging army j menl had tiie desired eflect. Hydcr marching 
 by surprise, and to drive them, with great jliis grand army to its relief, a battle ensued 
 slaughter, from their fortified camp. ^ near ils walls, in which the British troops 
 
 TnKSE advantages were, iiowevcr, soon ; behaved with their accustomed valour, and 
 balanced by a heavy loss on the side of the i were rewarded with a complete victory ; 
 English. Colonel Braitliwaite was stationed, J their enemy being routed and driven from the 
 with what was called the southern army, con- i lield. In this his last battle, Hyder had the 
 sisting of 2000 veteran infantry, 250 cavalry, J mortification to experience that, after all his 
 and thirteen field-pieces, on the Coleroon, | labour to form his troops after the European 
 which makes the southern frontier of tiie i model, he could not give them that firmness 
 Tanjore country. In this situation he was ; which characterizes European troops, and 
 attacked by Tippoo Saib, at the head of 5 that discipline which enables their con.mand- 
 20,000 Indians, and 400 French troops un<ler > ers lo rally and bring them again into action, 
 M. Lally. The battle which ensued was ; when ihey appear to be broken and vanquished. 
 conliiKjed three days ; and never was a victory ! No military action, deserving of notice, 
 conteste*! with more resoluteness on both | occurred during the remainder of the cam- 
 sides. We cannot contemplate, witliout ad- ; paign. Though not victorious, the Mysoreau 
 miration, tiie English commander on the third ! may yet be said to have finished, on the field 
 day, when his troops were much reduced and ; of Arnee, that memorable career, which had 
 ■worn down with fatigue, forming the remains j raised him to a height of martial fame, that 
 of his brave men into a hollow square, with » had never been before reached by any Indian 
 Jiis artillery to guard his several fronts. Thus j chief. It seemed as if Coote was destined 
 disposed, he repelled the impetuous assaults ; to contend only with this illustrious prince, 
 of Tippoo Sail)'s cavalry. But when Lally, j His strength being exhausted, and his health 
 as their last effort, led his Europeans to the; impaired, by continual fatigue, he retired to a 
 attack with fixed bayonets, whilst the Indians | life of repose, during his few remaining days, 
 attacked him, at the same time, in front and ; covered with the honours which he had ac- 
 £lank, he was at last overwhelmed by numbers, ; quired by his signal services to his country, 
 and was constrained to yield his enemies the : The naval campaign, in the mean time, was 
 honour of the day, by surrendering himself ; prosecuted with redoubled energy. De Suf- 
 and the few followers which had not fallt n in ; frein, who still retained his superior force, 
 the last dreadful conflict. I was desirous to bring his rival to an action 
 
 The advantage derived to tiie enemy from | before the arrival of the reinforcement which 
 this exploit was increased by the ;>rrival of; was now on its way from England. His 
 M. de Bussy, with a reinforcement of French { challenge was accepted ; and, fortunately for 
 troops to Hyder's army. This he immediately i sir Edward Hughes, he was enabled to com 
 availed himself of by the reduction of Ciuida- ; pensate, in some degree, for his inferiority of 
 lore and Permacoil ; after which the rajah ; force, by gaining the wind in the beginning 
 prepared to renew his attempt on the strong ! of the engagement. Making every possible 
 fortress of VVandewash. ! advantage of this incident, he commenced the 
 
 i\oT a moment was now to be lost by the ! action with such fury, that, in one hour, 
 English commanders, in providmg against the ; several of the French ships were much shat- 
 cousequeuces of this reverse of fortune. Dis- ; tered, and their line was thrown into disorder, 
 concerted by it in his views of conquest, sir ; But at this instant a sudden cli;'.nge of wind 
 Eyre Coote now ilKuight only of preventing ; afiurded the enemy an opportunity to escape, 
 liis enemy from reaping the fruits of iiis son's ; and, at the same time, disaWled the English 
 victory, by extending his conquests in the * admiral from profiling by !;is victory.
 
 CHAP. XXVI II] 
 
 GEOROE III, 
 
 303 
 
 Trincomale was the grand object in (his 
 uaval cani|iaign. Tiie French admiral was 
 ardently desirous (o recover a fortress so 
 highly prized hy their ally. Sir l]dward 
 Hughes, o,M the contrary, neglected no means 
 for its preservation ; hut all his endeavours 
 were frustrated by the activity of his antago- 
 ni>t, who a\ ailed himself of the absence of the 
 English fleet to make himself master of the 
 place. 
 
 Thkre was now no remedy for the extreme 
 chagrin felt by the English admiral and his 
 crews, at seeing the French (lag flying on the 
 citadel, on their return to its relief, but that 
 of a victory over the enemy, who had wrested 
 this valuable acquisition out of their hands. 
 To this, therefore, they had recourse. In 
 defiance of disparity of force, which was now 
 greater than ijcfore, they challenged their 
 enemy to a bafile. Tiie engagement com- 
 menced witii a tiuions attack from live of the 
 enemys line upon the Exeter and tlie Isis, the 
 foremost of the van. These ships bore their 
 repeated assaults, though reduced almost to 
 wrecks, witiiout striking ; but the Exeter was 
 obliged at last to leave the line. In the mean 
 time, the centre divisions wire engaged, the 
 line was soon broken, and llie ships of each 
 fleet spent their fury on some rival, which 
 they singled out for the combat. These 
 dreadful conflicts were continued during four 
 hom's, without any decisive advantage. At 
 seven o'clock in the evening, the body of the 
 F^rencli fleet hauled their wind to the south- 
 ward, l)Ut were exposed to a most severe fire 
 from the ships in the English rear for twenty 
 minutes after, when, getting clear ofl^, the 
 action entirely ceased. 
 
 During these warlike operations, negotia- 
 tions for a peace liad been carried on with the 
 Mahrattas. A separate treaty having been 
 
 concluded with Madajee Scindia in the pre- 
 ceding year, that prince became the mediator 
 in these negotiations, which iiappily terminated 
 in a treaty of pence and alliance, very advan- 
 tageous to the British interests. Its most 
 material articles were those which stipulated, 
 that all plac's and countries which had been 
 taken by the Englisii since the treaty con- 
 cluded by colonel Upton should be restored. 
 That Salsette and the adjoining islands, toge- 
 ther with liaroach and its territory, acquisitions 
 of the most valuable nature, should be con- 
 firmed to the English. That Ragonaut should 
 lie allowed four months to determine on his 
 future residence ; and that, on condition of his 
 voluntarily repairing to Madajee Scindia, he 
 should be allowed a pension of 25,000 rupees 
 a month, (al)out £30,000 a-year) but that the 
 English should afl'ord him no protection. VVit'li 
 respect to Hyder Ali, the iVIahrattas engaged 
 that, within six months after the ratification 
 of the treaty, he should be obliged to relin- 
 quish to the English and their allies all places 
 which he had" taken from them during the war. 
 But the most material article was that by 
 which the paishwa bound himselfj and the 
 subordinate chiefs, not to suffer any other 
 Europeans to establish factories in their do- 
 niinions ; and to hold no intercour.se of friend- 
 shi|) with any other European nation, except 
 the Portuguese, with respect to their antient 
 settlements in the Maiiratta countries. 
 
 The principles which formed tiie basis of 
 this treaty were at once honourable to the 
 British and to the Mahrattas, and evinced the 
 mutual sincerity of the parties. An event SO 
 favourable to Great Britain was soon succeed- 
 ed by the death of Hyder Ali, which relieved 
 the East India company from a powerful, rest* 
 less, and able enemy. 
 
 3 E 
 
 •25
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1783, 1784.] 
 
 Condusio7i of the American War — Its hifluence in America — Character of Washington- 
 Mr. Pitt's Efforts 171 favour of Parliamentary Reform — Mr. Fox's hidia Bill — Dismis- 
 sal of the Coalition Ministry — Accession of Mr. Pitt — Violent Debates in Parliament—' 
 Election for Westminster — Arduous Struggle of Mr. Fu.v — Debates oh that Event — Im- 
 portant Measures proposed and carried by Mr. Pitt. 
 
 THE prospect of peace was for a ■while i thirteen colonies were declared to be " free, 
 obscured; but its cheering light at | sovereign, and independent states;" and their 
 length broke forth. The emperor of Germany, ; limits were marked by a line drawn from the 
 having contracted a partiality for France, saw I nortli-west angle of Nova Scotia, passing 
 with pleasure the difficulties in which Great ; toward one of the heads of the Connecticut 
 Britain had involved herself, and encouraged j river, thence to lake Ontario, through the 
 other powers to treat her with disrespect; » middle of that great body of water, and of the 
 but he thought proper to offer his mediation, i lakes Erie and Huron, to tiie lake of the 
 as did also the unfriendly czarina. The king j Woods, and thence to the Missisippi, which 
 accepted their offers, which, however, had ; was to form a boundary as far to the south- 
 little influence on the treaty. > ward as fort Mobile and the borders of 
 
 Among the French ministers, the chief! Florida. The right of taking fish on the 
 promoter of peace was the count deVergennes, ; i)orclers of Newfoundland, and in the gulf of 
 "who, finding that the war had ceased to be I St. Lawrence, was conceded to the inhabi- 
 popular, and being satisfied with the emanci- 1 tants of the new republic ; and the Missisippi, 
 pation of the Americans, vigorously counter- I from its source to the ocean, was left open to 
 acted in the cabinet the efforts of (he advocates \ both nations. The loyalists were in a manner 
 of sanguinary hostility. The original repug- j abandoned by thecourt which they had served; 
 nance of Lewis to the war may be supposed ; for their interests, in point of restitution of 
 to have rendered him zealous in the same ^ property and rights, were merely recomme^ided 
 cause. No prince, indeed, more earnestly | to the provincial assemblies. The French 
 wished for peace than this benevolent and \ were indulged with a restitution of Pondi- 
 unambitious monarch. | cherry and their other settlements in the East 
 
 When provisional articles had been ad- j Indies, of St. Lucia in the West, and of Goree 
 jpsted with the American commissioners at » in Africa. Tobago was ceded to them, and, 
 Paris, preliminaries of peace with France and \ with this exception, they consented to relin- 
 Spain were signed by Mr. Fitzherbert, (after- J quish all the West India islands which they 
 wards lord St. Helen's) and were approved by ; had reduced since the commencement of the 
 the house of peers, but not by the commons, j war. The Spaniards were not required to 
 The definitive treaties, and even the prelinii- ! restore Minorca ; and the whole territory of 
 naries, with Holland, were delayed above seven j Florida was again subjected to their sway, 
 months from that time. The most important ; They had endeavoured, during the negotiation, 
 etipulations were of the following tenor. The j to prevail upon the court to resign Gibralter ;
 
 
 CHAP. XXIX.] 
 
 <t 
 
 GEOUGR III. 
 
 395 
 
 but the proposition was rejected with disdain. 
 The tnnily uith the Diitih hit iheiii in posses- 
 sion of all their former tenitories, except 
 lVe»apat\m. 
 
 FoK some years after the close of the war, 
 the Ameriran republic rather declined than 
 advanced in dignity and prosperity. The 
 congress c>iiild not maintain national credit, 
 procure due respect from foreign |)owers, or 
 enforce the submission of the different pro- 
 vinces to its authority. Attentively consider- 
 ing this state of affairs, Mr. AVashington, then 
 a private citizen, earnestly rcconunended a 
 revision of the federal system. A convention 
 was propo.sed, for an improvement of the con- 
 federacy ; a plan, which gave greater power to 
 the congress, and rendered the jirovinces less 
 independent and more connected, was adopted 
 by the well-disposed majority ; and Wiisliing- 
 ton was unanimously chosen president of the 
 United States. The influence arising from 
 his character and reputation, added to the 
 power with which he was now invested, 
 elevated him, on this occasion, almost to the 
 rank of a sovereign. 
 
 In his journey from Mount- Vernon, in 
 Virginia, to Philadelphia, he was hailed as 
 the guardian of his country, by the spectators 
 who thronged the roads. He was escorted 
 by persons of high character and distinction, 
 praised in the addresses of corporations, 
 honoured with triumphal arches. After a 
 short indulgence in the festivities of the Penn- 
 sylvauian capital, he crossed the Delaware 
 into New Jersey, and proceeded to New York, 
 •where he was inaugurated and proclaimed 
 president. He formed his cabinet of able 
 men ; Mr. Jefferson, general Knox, colonel 
 Hamilton, and Mr. Handcdph. 
 
 The republic was then at war with the 
 savages ; and had disputes with the Spaniards 
 on the subject of boundaries and navigation, 
 and with Great Britain on supposed infractions 
 of the treaty. To put an end to the war, the 
 president sent negotiators ; but it was not 
 before the year 1790, that the Creek bar- 
 barians would agree to a treaty. As late as 
 the year 1794, hostilities were continued by 
 various tribes ; but general Wayne then re- 
 stored peace. With the British government, 
 it was btipuluted in the same year, that the 
 posts occupied by tiie subjects of our sove- 
 reign, within the territories of the United 
 States, should be relinquished, and that ccin- 
 
 3 E 2 
 
 pensation should be made for irregular naval 
 captures : but French goods were still 
 seizal)le in American vessels ; a freedom which 
 so exasperated the French (who acrimoniously 
 censured their old allies for submitting to it) 
 that it recjuired all tlie address of the presi- 
 dent to prevent a war with that nation. With 
 the Spanish court a treaty was concluded in 
 179.5, by which the limits of dominion were 
 settled in a satisfactory manner for the Ame- 
 ricans, who were, at the same time, gratifiejd 
 with the free navigation of the iMissisij)pi. 
 
 The high character of the president entities 
 him to encomiastic notice. Judgment, forti- 
 tude, integrity, and correctness of morals 
 formed the chief features of his portrait. He 
 pursued with undeviating steadiness what he 
 conceived to be right ; and, in the grand object 
 of his political life, his perseverance conunand- 
 ed success. As a warrior, he was brave 
 without rashness ; as a commander, cautious 
 an<l vigilant ; strict, without inordinate se- 
 verity ; humane, witliout facility of compliance 
 or weakness of indulgence. As a statesman, 
 he attended to |)ractical advantage, rather 
 than to speculative perfection. If Great 
 Britain had allowed to the Americans the full 
 benefit of her constitution, he would not have 
 renounced her control, nor lesisted her autho- 
 rity. But he knew that they had a fair claim 
 to just government; and, for his strenuous 
 efforts in support of that claim, his memory 
 will never be reproached by the manly advo- 
 cates of honourable freedom. 
 
 The manner in which Mr. Fox and his 
 associates gained possession of the cabinet, 
 did not give general satisfaction to the public. 
 It seemed rather to be a factious encroach- 
 ment on the prerogative of the sovereign, thau 
 a fair offer of new counsellors to his uncon- 
 strained assent and approbation. It might 
 therefore be supposed, that the king would 
 embrace the earliest opportunity of shaking 
 off a yoke, to which necessity alone had in- 
 duced hint to submit. While he waited for 
 a conjuncture favourable to his views, he ac- 
 quiesced, with seeming readiness, in the 
 schemes of the new ministers. 
 
 A MOST interesting debate ,, 
 occurred, when Mr. Williau) ^**^y '» "»'^- 
 Pitt renewed his efforts, without success, in 
 reconiinendalion of parliamentary reform, for 
 which many petitions !iad been presented in 
 the course of the session. He lauieutcd the
 
 390 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXIX. 
 
 decline of tliG genuine spirit of liberty, aixl tlie ! of the slate of tlie East India company. A 
 progress of c<)nrt!y inflneiice and corruption. | conunittee of enquiry was appointed by the 
 He wished that tiie iiouse of commons might ; commons for the former business, and the mem- 
 become a trne organ of tiie public voice, and ! bers of the cabinet ha«l frequent conferences on 
 that tiie popular part of tlit constitution miglit ; the latter subject. From the resolute spirit of 
 be restored to its due vveight and importance. | Mr. Fox, some strong measure was expecf- 
 With this view he projiosed an augmentation I ed ; and the bill prepared by him exhibited 
 of the number of representatives for counlies, ; traces of his bold and determined character, 
 and of inen)bers for the metropolis. Mr. } He introduced it by an able speech, which 
 ]*owys, and lords North and Mnlgravc, op- ; was admired even by those who decidedly 
 posed the scheme with all the obstinacy of! disapproved his plan. He represented the 
 prtiudice; Mr. Thomas Fitt approved it in | subject of discussion as unusually important, 
 part; Mr. Fox and Mr. Beaufoy contended j connected with the best interests of the British 
 for a reform, on the grounds of reason and \ empire, affecting the honour of the nation, and 
 constitutional expediency ; and Mr. Dundas, J involving the fate and happiness of lliirty 
 regardless of the sentiments which he had ; millions of persons. The system of 1773, he 
 delivered in a former debate on this subject, j said, had made a considerable change in the 
 supported the propositions of his new friend, > different departments of India administration ; 
 Avhoin he expected again to see in the enjoy- 5 but it did not appear to be the result of the 
 nient of ministerial power. ! most judicious policy, or the most enlightened 
 
 From the time of the prorogation to the ! views ; and it had by no means proved sue 
 next meeting of parliamen!, thiu country, un- i cessful in the execution. Tyranny and rapacity 
 disturbed by the din of arms, was agitated by > still prevailed, and abuses of the grossest kind 
 the contests of party. In the mean time^ i were repeated with connivance and encourage- 
 commerce, which had suffered greatly during » ment. To obvl'ate the ill effects of these 
 the war, began to recover from its depression ; ; continued enormities, and also to prevent the 
 and the arts, which had been neglected, re- I bankruptcy of the company, a new plan, conj- 
 vived with fresh lustre. Though the loss of; prehending all the energy of rigid reform, was 
 the American colonies excited reflections ; essentially necessary. The authority of the 
 degrading to the court, it was scarcely re- « directors, having so long been improperly and 
 Jjretted by the people, who hoped to derive » injuriously exercised, ought to be suspended, 
 from the renewal of the trade with those pro- ; and the power of the company's servants 
 ■vinces, benefits as considerable as any which i ought to be reduced within the bounds of 
 had before accrued from their mutual inter- ; moderation, instead of being suffered to branch 
 course. I out into the wild luxuriance of licentiousness. 
 
 ' The French government, at this time, pur- ! The bill by which he hoped to effect this 
 sued, with apparent zeal, those schemes of; reform, embraced a great variety of objects, 
 internal improvement which the war had \ It required the strict obedience of the gover- 
 interrupted ; and when the en)press of Russia, ; nor-general, and all the officers of the corn- 
 availing herself of the weakness of the khan | pany, to the orders of comtnissioners named 
 of the Crim.ea, had taken possession of that i by parliament, who were to be assisted in 
 peninsula, the count de Vergennes exerted the i their new trust by the advice of nine proprie- 
 influence of his court, for the prevention of* tors of India stock. It prohibited the rulers 
 those hostilities, which so violent a procedure » of the provinces from the exchange or accept- 
 seemed to threaten. The British cabinet, on j ance of territory, from unprovoked invasions, 
 the contrary, encouraged the Turks to enter ■ the loan of troops to independent princes, and 
 into a war with the Russians ; but pacitic i other unjust or unnecessary acts of power, 
 persuasions were more successful, and all | It annulled all grants of monoj)oly, proscribed 
 claim to the disputed territory was renounced 5 presents in general, and checked the assign- 
 by the porte. Tnient of farms to the servants of civil officers. 
 Nov 1 1 When the British parliament re- I It also provided for the proper treatment of 
 assembled, his majesty recommend- > protected princes, as well as for the security 
 ed two objects to its studious deliberation : the ; of .the zeminders and polygars in their pos- 
 preventioa of illicit trade, and the improveraeut i sessions, and pointed out a mode of adjusting
 
 CHAP. XXIX.l GKOKfiE III. 3<)7 
 
 tlip dispute Itetwoen the rajah of Taiijore and ; otiior gentlemen, opposed it on similar grounds 
 llie nabob of Arcot. By tlie bill which nonii- I in stronijand pointed terms, 
 nated commissioners, all the powers ot the ; Thesk attacks were eagerly repelled by 
 fo.rmcr court of directors, and general court; Mr. Fox. In a detail of calcidation, he eon 
 of projtvivtors, were granted to earl Filz- ; troverted those statements l)y wliir h the 
 William, Mr. Frederick Montagu, and iive ; directors had c-.vaggerated the financial credit 
 other gentlemen, for four years ; and they ; of the company. He ridicule*) tlie dread ot 
 were uol to \)'i removed at the mere pleasure! a dangerous violation of chartered rights, and 
 of the king, but only at the desire of either ; contended, that former acts of regulation, 
 house of parliament. These, and other parts | which had not excited extraordinary alarm, 
 of his plan, the minister discussed with acute- ! haii infringed existing charters. Grants of 
 ness and spirit; and his chief partisans I privileges might justly be altered, or even re- 
 supported it with plausibility and animation. ; voked, by the governing power of a nation. 
 This bold scheme me-t with strenuous and ; when tliey were grossly perverted and abused ; 
 vehement opposition. Mr. William I'itt | and if any case ever called for such inier- 
 declared that he could not think of it without ; ference, the present most imperiously did. 
 horror, and could not look at its harsh features j Commercial charters, more particularly than 
 without extreme disgust. Its tendency, he « others, might be varied or annulled, in con- 
 said, was hostile, both to private property and j sequence of the flagrant misconduct of the 
 to public freedom. Its principles were so > society, or the individuals for who.se benefit 
 arbitrary and so violent, that every thing must I they were granted. They were either destruc- 
 yield to its influence. If the parliament should | five, or suspensive of general rights, and there- 
 suller it to be enforced, no property or person j fore peculiarly required a vigilant inspection 
 would be secure from the precedent which it J of the conduct of those who were thus favour- 
 would establish. The alleged necessity for ; ed with exclusive grants. The apprehension 
 such an invasion of jiiirchased and chartered I which some members entertained, that the 
 rights did not exist. 'J'he charges of delin- | influence of the crown would be augmented 
 quency and deficiency had not been substan- | by the scheme, he easily obviated ; but he 
 tiated to such an extent, as to authorize a ! was less successful in dispelling the fears of 
 breach of parliamentary faith, or a deviation | those, who accused him of an intention of 
 from the national honour and probity. In I erecting a new power, a fourth estate, in the 
 addition to the general atrocity of the measure, I realm, an imperium in imperio. The comjniny 
 the influence which it would create was dread- | itself, he remarked, had long been assailed 
 fully dangerous. It would subject the king ; wiih similar objections ; and no new power 
 to the permanent control of an as])iring fac- ! would be created in the present instance. The 
 tion ; and the due balance of our admired ; commissioners, nndoiditedly, woultl have con- 
 constitution would be lost. Mr. Thomas Pitt I siderable influence; but, from their well- 
 considered the measure as a direct attack on > known characters, there was no reason to 
 the liberties of Englishmen ; he was shocked ; expect that they woidd make an improper 
 at its gross injustice, and alarmed at its per- i use of it, and if they should be so inclined, the 
 nicious tendency. Mr. Dundas maintained, ; provisions of the tuo bills would sufficiently 
 that all the humane and wise purposes of the j check them. The due execution of their 
 framers of the two bills might be eflecfed ; trust would be secured by due regulations ; 
 without a seizure of the property, or a violation ; they would be responsible tor every act, and 
 of the franchises of the con)pany ; and he : even for inaction. If they were liable to be 
 conjured his hearers not to assent to the ; dismissed at the will of the crown, tliere wa.s 
 creation of an enormous and unexampled in- 1 no hope of rendering their appointment bene- 
 fluence, which might overbear the prerogative i ficial or .salutary. The redress of India 
 of the crown, and subvert the fabric of the | grievances could not be a'ccomplished without 
 constitution. Mr. William Grenville inveighed I the adoption of a pennanent .sy5»tem ; occa- 
 against the bill for the appointment of com- j sional expedients, and desultory measures, 
 luissioners, as an instrument of influence and ; would merely palliate tlie evils which demand- 
 corruption, and as a step to the iiivasion of ; ed a remedy. 
 the most sacred rights. Mr. Povvys, and j Mr. Burke supported the bills wiih a
 
 398 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXI T. 
 
 copious effusion of eloqiienee, of which I c:iu 
 oi)ly give a faisit sketch. Having traced the 
 hisiorv to a distant period, delineated the 
 general character of the people, and noticed 
 their laws and institutions, he examined the 
 conduct and proceedings of tlie society which 
 liad acquired so large a portion of ihiit once 
 flouiishing territory. Not content witli mode- 
 rate possessions, the directors, or the ollicers 
 employed in their service, had devised extra- 
 vagant projects, and undertaken extraordinary 
 wars, for tlie extension of dominion and 
 power. They had violated every treaty wliich 
 tliey had concluded, and had betrayed every 
 independent prince, with wiiom they had 
 formed any connexion. They had arbitrarily 
 interfered in tlie internal government of the 
 princes who were dependent on the company, 
 had exacted enormous aids and tribute, and 
 had perpetrated various acts of injustice and 
 criminality. In the government of the sub- 
 ject provinces, the happiness of the natives 
 had been merely a secondary consideration. 
 They were ruled with a rod of iron, plundered 
 without mercy, oppressed without remorse. 
 The evils which they endured were not alle- 
 viated with conciliatory manners, nor did the 
 pride of state, or ostentation of charity, alfect 
 to repair the mischiefs which ambition and 
 rapacity had occasioned. Other concpierors 
 had left monuments of art or beneficent 
 utility ; but if the English should at this 
 moment be driven out of India, nothing would 
 remain to shew tiiat it had been- occupied, 
 during the inglorious period of their dominion, 
 by any thing better than the ouran-outang or 
 the tiger. 
 
 Upon the whole, said Mr. Burke, it ap- 
 peared, from fair and diligent enquiry, that 
 the affairs of the company, from a long course 
 of mismanagement, both political and com- 
 mercial, were in a most disordered state ; that 
 our India territory, instead of being highly 
 useful to Great Britain, was likely to become 
 one of the greatest burdens of this nation ; 
 and that the abuses jvere so complicated and 
 enormous, as to render a temporary transfer of 
 
 an extensive territory ; and, as the powers 
 granted to the company had been wantonly 
 abused, he could not think it improper or 
 unjust to suspend the operations of tlie char- 
 ter. Mr. Erskine defended the two bills, both 
 in point of policy and of right. Sir Henry 
 Fletcher and sir Grey Cooper contended 
 chiefly for their expediency. 
 
 The friends of ilie scheme prevailed on one 
 occasion by a majority of 109; on another by 
 a plurality of 1 14 votes. The commissioners' 
 bill at length passed the house of commons; 
 and the ministry confidently hoped to carry 
 it into effect. But when the vessel destined 
 for the relief of India was proceeding full 
 sail, an unforeseen storm arose, by which the 
 adventurous pilot was compelled to desist 
 tVoin his voyage. 
 
 Suspecting I he ambition of Mr. Fox, the 
 king watched w ith anxiety the progress 
 of the India bill ; but he had not formed any 
 regular plan of action, when earl Temple, 
 having requested an audience, warned him of 
 the danger which menaced his prerogative, 
 and urged hilii to oppose the erection of a new 
 and dangerous power in his dominions. The 
 consequence of the interview was an intima- 
 tion circulated among the peers, that whoever 
 should vote for the bill would be considered' 
 by his majesty an enemy. The eHiect of this 
 interference soon appeared ; and the views of 
 the ministry were suddenly bafHed and con- 
 founded. 
 
 On the second reading of the bill, the earl 
 of Abingdon pronounced a severe invective 
 against the scheme and its chief author. The 
 bill, he said, contained propositions fatal to 
 the just prerogative of the crown, and to the 
 liberties and property of the people — propo- 
 sitions as pregnant with ambition and mischief 
 as those which had inspired the minds of th« 
 antagonists of Charles I. 'i he Cromwel of the 
 day had endeavoured to support his plea of 
 necessity by false statements, anil had shewn 
 himself a more daring violator of charltred 
 rijihts than either the second Charles or 
 James. His lordship then moved, tiiat the 
 
 the powers of the directors necessary, for res- i judges should be ordered to give their opinions 
 cuing the British character from disgrace, and \ of the tendency of the bill, and advise whether 
 prevenling the ruin of our Asiatic mieiests. | it ought not to be rejected as unconstitutional 
 Lord North was confident that the most \ and dangerous ; but the peers exploded the 
 salutary effects would flow from the regula- ; motion, after a short debate. V\ hen the India 
 tions now proposed. He considered a society i company had been heard by counsel against 
 of merchants as unfit for the government of | the bill, the duke of ChanUos moved for aa
 
 CHAP. XXI.t.] GEORGIA III. 399 
 
 arliouninicnt ; and the duke of Portland took I of power, iiii^Iu have enabled an ambitious 
 this opportunity of aniniadvtrlinj; on the ini- j niinistor to domineer over every branch of t!ie 
 proper freedom wliich had been taken with ; legislature ; and the influence of the king 
 the name and sentiments of a great personage, i niight have beeii more nomnial than real. 
 Earl Temple acknowledged the interview, and ! But it ought not to be forgotten, that though 
 justified tiie advice vviiich he had given to his | the sovereign won Id not have had the power 
 sovereign. On a division, the ojiponeuts of) of discarding the new directors of the aflairs 
 the bill had a majority of eight votes. > of Ilindostan, he could at any time dissolve 
 
 •rj J- In tiie next debate which occurred j tlie parliament by which they were supported, 
 on tliis subject, when earl Gower i and, by thus appealing to the people, might 
 had pourtraycd the bill in the most unfavour- x obtain from their loyalty the means of re- 
 able colours, the earl of Carlisle exhibited a \ establishing his prerogative, 
 very different picture of it. It bore in his « The king's inteVference did not escape the 
 eye the vestiges of truth and propriety, tiie ; severity of parlianientary animadversion. Mr. 
 features of wisdom and humanity. It held | Baker proposed, that the commons should 
 out a remedy for disorders which had risen ; declare it to l)e highly criminal to report any 
 to an alarming height, and promised the only j opinion of the king upon a bill depending in 
 security for the preservation of our India J either house, with a view of influencing the 
 empire. These praises were disallowed by | votes of the members. Mr. ^^ illiam l*itt 
 the earl of Coventry, but were justified by the > urged the house to ilisregard idle rumours; 
 earls of Sandwich and Derby. Lord Camden 5 adding, that if ministers really thought them- 
 argued against the bill, pronouncing it to be i selves precluded, by the secret influence of 
 unjust and unconstitulional ; and it was also | others, from tiie eflVctive pursuit of their own 
 attacked by the eloquence of lord Rawdon. ; nieasures, they ought immediately to resign 
 Its rejection was,, now decided by a majority i their employments. Lord Nugent applauded 
 of 19, the numbers being 95 and 70. The ; the coikJucI of earl Tt-mple, as an instance of 
 prince of Wales had before given his suflVage i that good old Englis-h spirit, which would not 
 for it, but he did not vote on the final question. ; be silent in the moment of danger, and of that 
 This bill seems to have owed its rejection I patriotic virtue, which would check the career 
 to clamour and faction, rather than to a real i of a daring faction. Lord iSorth affirmed, 
 sense of its demerit, or a sincere conviction of > that none but those who, as ministers, were 
 its unjustifiable violence. It may be argued, j responsible for their proceedings, had a right 
 that when the public faith is pledged to a ; to ofler advice to his majesty on points de- 
 charter, by which certain privileges are grant- ; pending in parliament. Mr. Fox reprobated 
 ed, those who ex|)ect to derive benefit fiom ; the royal interference in legislative delibera- 
 the grant are l)ound to make a proper use of; tions as at all times unconstitutional, but as 
 these favours, and to keep constantly in view ; particularly alarming when exercised for the 
 the grand object of tiie institution; and that! defeat of a bill, which had been demanded by 
 if they so grossly fail in these respects, as not; tiie most urgent necessity, had triumphed over 
 only to endanger their own association, but | strenuous oj)])osilion l)y the force of argument, 
 even to t;xpose to great injury and disgrace j and had been honoured with the sanction of 
 the nation to which they belong, strict justice I a very considerable majority of the most re- 
 d»iiiands the revocation or suspension of such i spectable characters in the nation. If such 
 charter, and the laws of honour sanction the ; conduct should be tamely endured, the house 
 demand ; for, the obligation being viohited by I of commons, he said, would become an organ 
 one party, the promises and stipulations of|of despotism, and its voice would degenerate 
 the oilier also become void, from the very 5 into a mere organ of secret influence. He 
 nature of agreement. On this ground the ; rallied Mr. Pitt on his eagerness to re-enter 
 bill may be said to have been in a great inea- ; into ofSce, and declared himself not unwilling 
 sure justified by the very reprehensible conduct ; to retire, when the will of his majesty should 
 of the East India company. \\'illi regard to | be aniionnced for that purpose. If a new 
 the allegation, that it menaced the king \> itii ; niinislry would be formed, without the can- 
 imperious control, it may be observed, that ; fideiice <;f that house or of the people, he had 
 fbe patronage of India, added to other sources I no desire of being a nieiHber of such a cabinet;
 
 400 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. XXIX. 
 
 The motion passed by a majority of 73 ; and 
 it was also voted, tliat whoever sliouhi advise 
 the king- to pieveut or interrupt tlie disciiarge 
 of the important duty, of providing? a remedy 
 for the evils of India, should be considered as 
 an enemy to his country. 
 
 These offensive resolutions hastened the 
 explosion of the king's displeasure against 
 the two leaders of the coalition. A message 
 was sent, soon after midnight, to Mr. Fox 
 and lord North, demanding the seals of their 
 otiices, without the indulgence or compliment 
 of an interview. Tlieir associates in the 
 ministry were likewise discarded ; and the 
 advice of earl Teujple and Mr. Pitt supplied 
 the vacancies. The marquis of Carmartlien 
 and Mr. Townshend (who had been created 
 lord Sydney) were constituted secretaries of 
 state ; earl Gower became president of the 
 council, in tiie room of lord Stormont; the 
 great seal was again consigned to lord Thur- 
 low ; the privy-seal was transferred from the 
 earl of Carlisle to the duke of Rutland; the 
 removal of lord Townshend from the board of 
 ordnance, made way for the re-?ppointment 
 of the duke of Richmond ; and lord Howe 
 was placed at the head of the admiralty. Mr, 
 Duiidas was not forgotten amidst these 
 changes, being appointed treasurer of the 
 navy ; nor was Mr. Grenviile left witiiont an 
 employment in the service of his country, for 
 he vvas declared paymasterof the forces, though 
 he was not long permitted to enjoy that post, 
 without the participation of lord Mulgrave. 
 Mr. Pitt secured for himself the command of 
 this new phalanx, and the chief direction of 
 affairs of state, by obtaining the combined 
 offices of fust lord of the treasury and chan- 
 cellor of the exchequer. 
 
 The leaders of the coalition, confiding in 
 their parliamentary strength, resolved to 
 obstruct tiie career of their rivals, by spirited 
 and vigorous efforts. They procured from 
 the majority of the connnons, an address 
 against the prorogation or dissolution of the 
 parliament. The business of the trea- 
 sury was impeded by restrictive votes ; 
 the bill against mutiny was deferred ; and strong 
 resolutions were fulminated against the court. 
 
 Akteu a vote which displeased tlie new 
 lords of the treasury, as it restricted the 
 acceptance of bills from India, the commons 
 adjourned for some weeks. In this interval 
 Mr. l*ilt's party gained friends, and rose in 
 
 I popularity. Resolutions calculated to limit 
 J the disposal of public money marked the first 
 I ajipearance of Mr. Fox after the re- , 
 I cess ; and two motions from the earl ^"' 
 ; of .Surry followed, one of which stated tlie 
 ; indispensable necessity of forming an ad- 
 I ministration which should enjoy the conlideiice 
 I of that house and of the public; while the 
 other arraigned tlie late appointments, as 
 being accompanied by new and extraordinary 
 circumstances, not tending to conciliate or 
 eugagp the confith^nre of the house. In the 
 course of dt bale, Mr. Pitt atlirmed, that he 
 had entered into office to avert the mischiefs 
 which might be dreaded from the violent 
 schemes of the framers of the ln<lia bill, and 
 disclaimed all thoughts of resigning his post, 
 in compliance with the factious wishes of 
 such men. The crown, he said, had an in- 
 disputable right to make choice of ministers ; 
 and, as he and his colleagues had not yet been 
 found incompetent or unfaithful to their trust, 
 the house ^.ould not, without a palpable en- 
 croachment on the prerogative, insist on their 
 dismission. Mr. Erskine was surprised at 
 the inconsiderate boldness of the man, who 
 could venture to act as minister in an assembly 
 which he had insulted and reviled, and which 
 held very different principles from his own, 
 particularly in the grand business that ought 
 to be the first object of the attention of govern- 
 ment; and he contrasted this behaviour of 
 the young statesman with that of his illustrious 
 father, who had uniformly suffered his politi- 
 cal existence to depend on the good opinion 
 of the house of commons. Mr. Fox, while 
 j he admitted the royal right of ujinistcrial 
 selection, contended, that if the crown should 
 fix upon individuals whom the commons 
 might deem unable to sustain the weight of 
 public affairs, the house might demand a re- 
 signation, without adducing any specific charge, 
 or stating any instance of misconduct ; or that 
 there migiit be circumstances in the appoint- 
 ment itself, so obviously menacing the consti- 
 tution with danger, as to justify the interpo- 
 sition of the representatives of the people." 
 The house adopted one of the motions without 
 dividing; the other passed by a majority of 
 54. As a sequel to these resolutions, it was 
 voted, that the continuance of the new minis- 
 ters in office was repugnant to constitutional 
 principles, and injurious to the interests of the 
 king aud his people.
 
 CHAP. XXIX.] OEORGE III- lOl 
 
 Having prepared a bill for the regulations ; former rather iiicreascil tlian diminished ; for 
 
 of llie affairs of Ijulin, Mr. Pitt recommended | in two keenly-contested ekclions, for the 
 
 it to the liouse, as one which would be equally ; boroughs of Hertford and Hull, two distin- 
 
 eflicacions with that of Mr. Fox, in the cor- ; guished friends of the former administration 
 
 rection of abuses and disorders, without ; were rejected. These victories on the })art 
 
 creatinj^ undue iufluenre, invading property, I of the new administration, might indeed be 
 
 or violating charters. Mr. Fox, however, J regarded as trifling; but this caiinot be afhrm- 
 
 opposed it, as augmenting the influence of the » ed respecting the city of York, for which the 
 
 crown, fostering abuses, and endangering, by j poll was finally closed on the Gth of April, 
 
 absurd provisions, the welfare an"d preservation 5 1784, when the once venerated lord John 
 
 of India; and it was rejected, with little de- ; Cavendish, a nobleman of unblemished cha- 
 
 bate, though the difference of number was i racier, and the most amiable manners, toge- 
 
 •very inconsiderable, the votes being 222 ; ther with his fellow-candidate, were com- 
 
 against 214. Mr. Fox.. then proposed the j pletely unsuccessful. Messrs. Foljambe and 
 
 revival of his plan, with such n)odifications as | Weddel likewise declined their contest for 
 
 might render it more generally acceptable ; j the county of York. INIr. Fox himself had 
 
 but he wished to know whether the parlia- > one of the severest struggles for the city of 
 
 menl would be suffered to discuss it without ; Westminster to be met with in the history of 
 
 interruption. Mr. Pitt, though repeatedly I electioneering, and was at last with difliculty 
 
 urged to explain the king's equivocal answer ; victorious. The candidates for this city were 
 
 to the late address, long remained silent amidst 1 lord Hood, Mr. I'^ox, and sir Cecil Wray. 
 
 the clamours of the house; and when some ^ For two days Mr. Fox had a majority o\ir 
 
 warm expressions from general Conway pro- ; the other two candidates ; but dining the 
 
 voked him to rise and speak, he refused to \ third day"s contest, fortune seemed to have 
 
 answer what he deemed irregular interroga- J deserted him, owing to the powerful opposition 
 
 tories. A strong address to his majesty was > of the friends of the crown. After the election 
 
 now expected from the irritation of the asseni- i had conlinueil near a fortnight, all persons, 
 
 biy ; but Mr. Fox calmly moved for an ad- 1 except Mr. Fox and his friends, would have 
 
 journment. i considered his cause as entirely hopeless ; but 
 
 To promote an union of parties, many inde- j they were not to be intimidated by the gjgun- 
 
 pendent members of the house of commons > tic and formidable opposition of the first lord 
 
 held meetings at the 8t. Alban's Tavern, and : of the treasury. The mistake of ministers 
 
 voted an address to Mr. Pitt and the duke of | consisted in this, that they did not apprehend 
 
 Portland. The former replied, that he would ! the election would be of long duration, and 
 
 agree to such an union as might be consistent | of course they had nearly exhausted the 
 
 witii honour and principle; and the latter j whole of their artillery at llie commencement 
 
 professed his anxious desire of aiv establish- j of the poll. Fox and his party perceived that 
 
 ment of such an administration as might be ; it might be prolonged for several weeks to 
 
 entitled t(» general confideuce and support. I come, and were convinced, that great numbers 
 
 An interview was proposed by the mediators, ; of electors had not yet made their appearance. 
 
 and eveii urged by the king; l)nt his grace | The prodigious 0[)ulence of the nobility in 
 
 required as a preliminary, that Mr. Pitt should ; favour of Mr. Fox, was at least a counter- 
 
 cymply with the wish of the commons, by a j balance to miiiisteriul influence. They did 
 
 resignation either actual or virtual ; and the ; not discover any strenuous exertions at the 
 
 iniuister's refusal put an end to the affair. j commencement of the poll, in consequence of 
 
 It was the opinion of some very distin- j which their resources were still very great. 
 
 jruis'jed characters, that the popularity of Mr. i They possessed one advantage, far beyond any 
 
 i'itt, and the whole of liis colleagues, was of | of their opponents, in the beauty, the engaging 
 
 a delusive and unfounded nature, and that its ; fjualities, the fascinalin<i manners, the intre- 
 
 desuiictiun could bo at no great, distance. ; pidity, industry, and o-ertion of the duchess 
 
 This opinion, however, was not fully realized. J of Devonshire. In open defiance of the 
 
 Tiie nieu)oral)Ie contest between miiiisters and ; calumnies which migi.t i)e raised against her 
 
 the houst) of cofnuvuis continued (or a long ; by an exasperated ministry, she was finally 
 
 period, during \\hi<l) the popularity af the ^ victorious : and on the 17lh of Mav. Mr. Fox 
 
 3 i- 2(J
 
 402 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXIX*- 
 
 liad a majority of 235, Every attempt was I majority by wliich an amendmeiit to the 
 made, wliicli uieaiiuess and conuptiou could | address in tlie lower house, proposed by lord 
 devise, to render the election of Mr, Fox null ; Surry, was rejected. 
 
 and void ; but tfiey were, as all such endea- | Among the propitious events, with which 
 vours ought to be, finally unsuccessful. « Mr. Pitt entered upon his administration, was 
 
 The first trial of strength, in llie house of I tiie completion of the treaty of peace and 
 commons, was on the subject of this election. \ friendship vich the Dutch states ; which was 
 Mr. Lee complained of the disobedience of; signed at Paris two days after the meeting of 
 the high baiiiti' to the precept of the sheriff, I parliament. 
 
 and moved for a vote, declaring that he ought | The first afTair of importance, relative to 
 to have returned two members. This mode i civil policy, which the minister submitted to 
 of proceeding was deemed unjust by Mr. | the consideration of the legislature, was a pro- 
 Kenyon, the master of the rolls, who wished ; posal, for a commutation of a part of the duty 
 that the officer might be first heard ; and, on | on tea for an additional tax on windows. It 
 liis moving the previous question, a majority | appearing, that of twelve million pounds of 
 of 147 supported the ministerial side. A 5 tea annually consumed in England, not half 
 more ample majority (168) appeared against ; was sold by the East India company, it was 
 an amendment proposed by the earl of Surry,'? proposed for the improvement of the revenue 
 who could not agree to that part of the addre-ssj by preventing smuggling, to lower the duty 
 which thanked his majesty for the late disso-'| £4 12*. lOd. pei* cent. ; and to make good the 
 lution of parliament. j deficiency of £600,000 to the revenue, by an 
 
 After pleadings and examinations respect- » additional window ta.x. This measure was 
 ing the disputed election, it was directed that ; strenuously opposed, on the grounds of ob- 
 the high bailiff should be directed forthwith ejections which were afterwards perceived and 
 to make a return. Mr. Fox, who then sat for • felt by the nation; but such was now the 
 the borough of Kirkwall, contended that this \ strength of the ministerial party, that the bill 
 ofBcer had not sufficient evidence to warrant J was passed by great majorities in both houses. 
 Ins acceding to the demand of a scrutiny ; ; The minister's success in this trial of hii« 
 that even if such evidence had existed, he I strength gave him confidence to resume the 
 was not justified by law in suffering the in- 1 grand business of the regulating act. That hd 
 tjuisition to preclude a seasonable return to : might conciliate the favour of the company 
 the writ ; and that he and tlie ministry had i itself, and predispose it to promote his plan^ 
 concerted this expedient to deprive an ob- ; he prepared the way first by the commutation 
 noxious candidate of the benefit of Mr. Gren- : act, which tended to its benefit by increasing 
 ville's bill. Mr. Pitt maintained, that as the | the consumption of tea ; and afterwards by a 
 high bailiff could not determine the majority i bill for its accommodation and relief, which 
 of legal votes, in a case of so doubtful a nature, J had for its object the respite of duties, the 
 he was excused from an implicit obedience to > payment of bills, and the ascertainment of 
 the precept; and the house rejecting the ! dividend. He then brought in his bill for the 
 motion, merely ordered that the scrutiny | govenmient of India ; which differed but i» 
 should be carried on with all practicable des- i few points from that which he had proposed 
 patch. i in the preceding parliament ; and in those it 
 
 On the meeting of this parliament, May the | tended to enlarge the powers of the board of 
 18th, the commons re-chose Mr. Cornwall j control. Yet so different were the sentiments 
 their speaker. The sense of the two houses 5 of the present house of commons from those 
 respecting the minister, and his niajesi\'s re- • of the preceding, that, after warm debates, it 
 solution to retain him in office, then appeared ; was passed by a majority of 276 votes to 61 
 in the house of lords, expressing " their I in the lower house. It again experienced a 
 satisfaction and gratitude, that in the exercise ; strong opposition in the house of peers. But 
 of the powers vested in his majesty by the ! its opponents were more respectable from 
 constitution, he had been graciously pleased i character than numbers. Being left in a small 
 to recur to the sense of his people, ata junc- ; minority, as their last resource, they entered 
 ture when the situation of public affairs called i a protest, expressing their disapprobation ol 
 loudly for that exertion," and in the great ^, it in very severe terms.
 
 CHAP. XXIXj GEORGE III. 403 
 
 The minister, having concluded this im- ; of 1745. His majesty then pnt an end (o the 
 Ijortant affair in a manner that equalled his j session with a speech, in which he expressed 
 most sanguine expectations, went through the j his sense of the zeal and attention which the 
 arduous task of providing the supplies neces- \ parliament had shewn to the puhlic service, 
 sary to answer the extraordinary expenditure j his approbation of what had been done by it 
 occasioned by the late war. 5 for the settlement of affairs in India, the hopes 
 
 ,^Q. The business of this session, which j he entertained of the happy effects of lliis 
 had been protracted to an unusual | measure, and his acquiescence in the means 
 length by the variety and importance of affairs ; which the iiouse of commons had adopted to 
 transacted in it, was closed with an act of a I provide for the exigencies of the state, and 
 very humane nature, for the restoration of the ; the support of public credit, 
 estates forfeited in Scotland by the rebellion i 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1785, 1786.] 
 
 Debates on the subject of Parliamentary Reform — Rejection of that Measure — Irish Affairs 
 — The Duke of Richmond's Extraordinary Scheme of National Fortification — Commence- 
 ment of Proceedings ag-ainst Mr. Warren Hastings — Measures preparatory to the Abolition 
 of the Slave Trade — Amount of several Voyages of Discovery — Death of Captaiii Cook — 
 Misfortunes and Miraculous Voyage of Captain Jiligh. 
 
 THE most important subject of discussion j^ boroughs thus disfranchised, an appreciated 
 which occupied the wisdom of parlia- 1 compensation for their property ; and that 
 Jan 2'' 17ft.5 "^^"*» during the ensuing ses- 1 the right of, voting for knights of the shire 
 ' ' ' sion, was the reform of our ; should be extended to copy-holders.' So 
 national representation. The premier had j strong was the attachment of the house of 
 pledged himself to promote that object to ; commons to the present system, and so preva- 
 the utmost of his power ; and he now brought ; leiit the apprehension that the measure, if suc- 
 iorward a bill to amend the representation of; cessful, would facilitate the designs of factious 
 the people of England in parliament. The | and designing men, that the bill was rejected' 
 onlliue of his plan was to " transfer the right | by a majority of 278 to 174. 
 of choosing representatives from thirty-six I Aftek this, Mr. Pill, in consequence of the 
 boroughs, which were decayed, or falling into > report made l)y the commissioners of accounts, 
 decay, to tlie counties, or the chief towns, ; broiig!)t in bills for the better auditing and 
 wiiich were at present unrepresented. That ; examining the public accounts, and for the 
 a (niid sliould be provided tor the purpose of ; reform and regulation of the public offices, 
 giving to the holders and owners of the : which were received with general a])probalion. 
 
 3 F i r
 
 401 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [cnAt». XXX> 
 
 Tiiesc being passed, a new nnd efficient coni- 
 •niissiou of exainiiialioii and control was insti- 
 tuted, and many of tlie inferior departments 
 of offices were consolidated. 
 
 Another matter of great importance, now 
 submitted to tlie consideration of parliament, 
 was a plan for establishing such a commercial 
 intercourse between Great Britain and Ireland, 
 as might be beneficial to both countries, and 
 might place the linauces of the latter upon a 
 footing that sliould be more advantageous to 
 the state. This salutary measure was strongly 
 leconimended as a means of calming that tur- 
 bulent spirit, whicli had long prevailed in 
 Ireland. The removal of commercial restraints, 
 and the recovery of constitutional rights, with 
 'wiiich they had been gratified, had been found 
 inefiectual to that purpose. Extreme distress 
 was still felt by the Irish manufactnreis, owing 
 chiefly to the disadvantages which they la- 
 boured under, with regard to the duties wliich 
 were respectively paid on goods exported to, 
 and imported from England. This occasioned 
 discontent among the people, and made them 
 proper instruments in the hands of those 
 active senators, who came forward at this 
 time as the zealous advocates of reform. The 
 same persons who had been instrumental in 
 the deliverance of their country from its 
 legislative and judicial dependency, were now- 
 exerting themselves to establish a new model 
 t»f the system of representation. So far back 
 as in the year 1781, a meeting of delegates 
 from the volunteer corps of Ulster had been 
 convened at Dungannon, which declared 
 their object to be, " To restore the constitu- 
 tion to its original purity, and to root corrup- 
 tion and court influence out of the legislative 
 body." After the treaty of peace had rendered 
 the volunteers no longer useful for national 
 defence, they still continued to be embodied. 
 A meeting of their delegates was held at 
 Dungannon in 1783; a plan of reformation 
 Mas there proposed ; and it was agreed, that 
 a national convention of representatives from 
 the volunteer army should assemble at Duulin 
 the same year. A committee was appointed 
 to correspond with the advocates of reform in 
 England and others. On the lOih of Psovem- 
 ber, a convention was held in that city, wherein 
 a plan of reform, analogous to that of Mr. 
 Pitt, was agreed upon ; and Mr. Flood, in 
 consequence of it, made a motion for leave to 
 
 bring in a bill for " a nioro equal representation 
 of the people in parliament,' which was re- 
 peatedly rejected. Undaunted by ill success, 
 the citizens of Dublin drew up a petition to 
 his majesty, representing their grievances. 
 At the same time they circulated an address, 
 to stimulate the body of the people to a general 
 and vigorous exertion for the attainment of 
 their objects ; and in this, in order to 
 strengthen themselves, and to unite the whole, 
 nation in one cause, they proposed to admit 
 the lloman catholics to a participation of the 
 right of voting for representatives. 
 
 It is not unfrequently seen, that the ardonr 
 of popular asseinlilios proves ruinous to the 
 cause in which they are engaged. Such was 
 tlie case in the present instance. Many of 
 those who were desirous of a reform upon 
 proteslant principles, were alarmed at a pro- 
 position which would at once have iriven the 
 Roman catholics an ascendancy in the king- 
 dom. Disunion was the immediate conse- 
 quence. The earl of Charlemont, general of 
 the Ulster volunteers, dissented from the 
 proposition ; and the example of a nobleman 
 so deservedly respected, had great inliuence 
 on the whole body. 
 
 The measure proposed, of holding a national 
 congress at Dublin, of deputies from each 
 county, city, and town, was another step, 
 which led to the ruin of this popular cause. 
 It not only excited apprehensions in many of 
 the advocates of reform, of views in the party 
 leaders inconsistent with the welfare of the 
 state, but aflbrded govcrimient a just occasion 
 to interpose its authority. Accordinnly, on 
 information that 11. Stephens Keily, sherifTof 
 Dublin, had presided at an assembly, August 
 the l!)th 1784, for the purjjose of choosing 
 delegates lor such a congress, Eitzgibbon, the 
 attorney-general, j)roceeded against him by 
 attachment from the court of King's Bench. 
 The result was, that the sherifi" was sentenced 
 by the court to imprisonment for a week, and 
 a fine of five marks. The congress, notwith- 
 standing, was held on the 2oth of Ucloiier. 
 But the numbers being incomplite, the assem- 
 bly was adjourned to the 2n(l day of January 
 ensuing ; having passed several resolutions, 
 impt)rtiiig that their proceedings were in con- 
 formity to the constitution ot Ireland, and 
 e.xhorling the nation to support them in the 
 mea.sures tiiey werv taking for a parliamentary 
 
 1
 
 CHAP, XXX.] Gi.oaca: in. 405 
 
 reform. An ailjutinud uicciiiiLj was accord- | iniportancc, it was tboiTglil advisablp to alian- 
 inyly held, liisL on the diiy apiuiiiilcd, and s' don it, till it could be resumed with a fairor 
 linally on ihe 'iOili oi" .April, and Mr. Tlood, > prospect of general approbation, 
 in con.setpuMice, repeated his motion for his? A sciiiiMi: of extended fortification, framed 
 bill of reform, whicii was aj>^ain rejoeted. | under the auspices of the duke of Jlichmond, 
 
 In the meun lime, loud com|)lainls were j drew the early alleniion of the house of corn- 
 made of the ruinous stale of the trade and ; mons. A board of military and naval ofBcers 
 niannfartures in Ireland; and the jjopuiar ; had been apjiointed for (he examination of the 
 tumults, occasioned l)y i(, rose to so fiuini- ; subjetit ; and Mr. I'ilt now informed the 
 tlable a height at Dublin, that the necessity I house, that the opinions of these investigators 
 of applying a more (fi'eclual remedy to tlie ; were favourable to the scheme. Hj at ,„,„ 
 growing evil became daily more evident. For > first declined the production of any '''"" 
 this end, a number of resolutions were pro- ; part of the re])ort ; but, being strongly urged 
 posed l)y M\: Orde, secretary to the lord- : to a compliance, he agreed to the presentation 
 lieutenant. These, having reciived the appro- ; of the greater part, with other papers desired 
 balion of a decided majority, were transmitted ; by difi'erent members. He afterwards moved, 
 to England, to serve as the basis of an equitable ; that, to secure the dockyards of Plvmouth 
 arrangement of a commercial intercourse ; and Portsmouth by a permanent system of 
 Itetween the two countries. On receiving ! fortification, conducted on ceconomical priu- 
 these, Mr. Pitt immediately brought forward ; ciples, was a measure intimately connected 
 ills propositions, the general purport of whicli i with the national defence, and necessary to 
 was, " To afford Ireland a permanent partici- ; enable the tket to act in distant services with 
 jvation of the commercial advantages of Great I full vigour and efl'ect. If a plan of this kind 
 Uritain, when her parliament should perma- i had been adopted during the late war, our 
 Jiently secure an aid of the surplus of the ; fleets, he said, would not have been so con- 
 hereditary revenue of that kingdom, towards i fined as they were to the vicinity of our ports, 
 defraying the expence of protecting the general | but might have been employed more eflettuallv 
 connnerce in time of peace." In their passage ; in ofiensi^e operations. Mr. Bastard compared 
 through the two houses, much obstruction ; the schemes of the duke of Richmond with 
 was experienced from the difficulty of recon- i the nunantic absurdities of don Quixote, and 
 ciling the interests of the Irish with those of: deelan d that lie would never consent to the 
 the Scotch and English manufacturers. The ; adoption of a system tending to the discou 
 apprehensions of injury to the former were ; ragement of the naval service. He could not 
 expressed in petitions from Manchester and J concur with those who would tear the ensign 
 other towns. After the merits of the projjo- ; of British glory frcni the mast-head, and fix 
 sitions had been elaborately discussed, during jit on the ramparts of a garrison. He added, 
 the tiu'ee months, and they had nndeigone J that the Constitution would be endangered by 
 material alterations, to accommodate them to i the multiplication of forts and barracks, in 
 the wishes of the British manufacturers, they | which the confined soldiers would lose the 
 received the legislative sanction, and were ; character of citizens, and become ready abet- 
 transmitted to Ireland. i tors of the arbitrary schemes of a court. He 
 
 ()\ the introduction of a bill, correspondent ; u)oved an amendment, denying the expediency 
 to their temper, by Mr. Ordt% very animated ; of a system of forlilicalion so extensive as that 
 debates ensued, in which Mr. Grattan and ; which was reconunended by the board or 
 Mr. Flood distinguished themselves by their i cuijuiry. Capfam Macbiide, who was a 
 liarangnes, todissuade the house fromassenting i member of that council of officers, treated the 
 to an arrangement so inadequate to the desired ; report as the result of the «luke's artifices and 
 ends. The spirit of jealousy, before j)revalent ; inriuence, rather than tlie unbiassed opinion 
 in the legislature and nation, was roused by j of the board. Colonel Ijarie also remarked, 
 their popular eloquence, and concurred with | that the officers had been deluded by the 
 it in producing the intended eflect. This bill ; sophistry of the master-general, and that Mr. 
 was indeed passed by 127 to lUO votes. But: Pitt would ru)t have been so zealous in this 
 so small a majority not being deemed siifti- ; wild and exlravnijant projt-ct, if his conscience 
 cient to the prosecution of a business of such ■ had not been lakiii by surprise. Lord MaJioH
 
 406 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXX. 
 
 supported the duke's ptan, chiefly because 5 of Mr. Windham aided the confederacy of zeal 
 tlie works nii^lit be defended by a very small | and talent. 
 
 nninber of men. Lord Hood and some other : Having deliberated upon the different modes 
 naval officers pronounced the system to be j of prosecution which might be adopted, Mr. 
 expedient and judicious ; but Mr. Fox and ; Burke fixed on that of impeachment at the 
 Mr. Windham opposed it as derogatory from ; bar of the house of lords. To substantiate 
 the honour and consequence of the navy. | the charges, he moved for a multiplicity of 
 
 Mr. Sheridan ridiculed the zeal of the I papers, some of which were granted, wliile 
 nobleengiiieer; and argued, that, from the man- 1 others, after warm and able speeches on both 
 ner in which the report was framed, and from ; sides, were refused. When he had prepared 
 various circumstances, it did not sanction or i nine articles of charge, he presented them to 
 authorise the system. If the officers had been ; the house ; and others followed, till the num- 
 left to their free judgment, and had expressed i ber reached twenfy-two. Some of the charges 
 a decided and unreserved approbation of the I were not very important, even if they had been 
 plan, he would have acquiesced in their de- j fully proved ; but many were of sufficient 
 termination; but, as the opinions given by i weight to draw down the severities of censure 
 the military officers were founded on hypo- » and punishment, if they had been established 
 Ihetical suggestions, and on the data of the i by irrefragable testimony, 
 master-general, for the truth or propriety of! Mn. Hastings, being allowed to defend him- 
 •which they refused to become responsible, — ; self before witnesses were examined, made 
 as the t/a/a involved the supposition of events i pompous boasts of his services, and freely 
 highly improbable, — and as there was reason ! animadverted on the character and conduct 
 to believe that the unparticularised minutes of; of his chief accuser. To the charge respecling 
 the naval officers were unfavourable to the ! the injurious and cruel treatment of the Ro 
 plan, — he could not give his assent to the re- 1 Iiillas, he replied, that he had merely assisted 
 port, or to the motion which the minister had ; the nabob of Oude, the ally of the company, 
 drawn from it. The division upon this ques- i in punishing the treachery and pertidy of that 
 tion exhibited an exact equality of votes. It; tribe of adventurers, by compelling them to 
 was therefore the duty of the speaker of the ; quit a territory which they had usurped. The 
 house to decide the point ; and he boldly and ; article which accused him of stopping the 
 judiciously voted for the amendment. i tribute due to the mogul, and depriving that 
 
 This session was remarkable for the com- | prince of two provinces which had been as- 
 mencement of a prosecution against Mr. > signed for his support, was answered by 
 Hastings, for crimes and misdemeanors com- ; remarks on the impolicy of suffering the 
 initted during his oriental administration. In ; Mahrattas to possess them, after he haid. 
 a studious perusal of the records of the affairs i thrown hiniself into their hands. The expul- 
 of India, Mr. Burke had discovered wiiat lie i sion of Clieit Sing from the zemindary of 
 deemed the most satisfactory proofs of the ; Benares, was vindicated by assertions of the 
 criminality of the governor-general ; and he ; contumacy of that traitor. The defendant 
 resolved, whatever might be the consequence, | allowed that the jaghirs of the begums of 
 to pursue the delinquent with all the indig- > Oude, (the dowries of the mother and grand- 
 nation of offended justice. He foresaw that ; mother of the nabob vizier,) were guaranteed 
 his course would be retarded by difficulties > by the company, and affirmed thai the pro- 
 and by opposition ; but no considerations of;posal of resumption was accompanied with 
 this kind could restrain his ardour. In a ; the promise of an equivalent; but he main- 
 meeting of anti-ministerial politicians, when ; tained, that the forcii)le opposition to that 
 the expediency of the prosecution was dis- i measure, and tlie treacherous intrigues of 
 cussed, lord North and other members of the > those ladies and their partisans, justified him 
 party objected to the measure; but Mr. ; in agreeing to what had been termed tiieir 
 Burke persisted in his determination, and Mr. i sjiohation. The charge «:oncerning Farnick- 
 Fox consented to join his efforts to those of; ahad was repelled by a denial of all responsi- 
 a friend whom he revered. The improved ; bility for the good or bad government of that 
 eloquence of Mr. Sheridau was associated : province ; and, instead of having promoted 
 in the same cause ; and the logical acumen > the depopulation and the miseries of Oude, he
 
 CHAt». XXX] ' GEORGE III. ■, 407 
 
 declared that he had eflectually romedied the I which they were subjected. lie stigmatised 
 disorders of that coiinfry. The; ))relciide(l | ilie rapacity and viliany of the uahob by whom 
 breach of faith toward the ranah of Gohud, « they were attacked, and the cruelty of the 
 which formed another cliarjio, was merely, he \ govtrnor uho had assisted that prince in the 
 said, the discontinuance of the grant of aid ; work of ravage and desolation. He did not 
 and protection to a base and perfidious ally ; ; mean to adirm that the whole nation had beea 
 and tlie exercise of force at Sahlonc, he J banished or exterminated : he confined the 
 thought, deserved praise instead ot censure, ; remark to 00,000 men, women and children, 
 as it was directed against rebellious banditti, i who had been driven from tlieir homes by the 
 On the heads of revenue, contracts, and in- > ministers of remorseless tyranny. For tiiis 
 crease of establishments, he admitted that ; conduct alone, witliont regard to the other 
 rigid occonomy did not prevail in every in- i heads of accusation, Mr. Hastings, he thought, 
 stance; but he claimed tlie merit of general ; deserv«,il exemplary punishment, 
 attention to the true interests of the comi)any. i The guaranty of the company for the pay- 
 Being charged with the irregular acceptance* ment of the money claimed from the itohillas 
 of presents, he answered, that he had received ; by the nabob, was represented by Mr. Har- 
 them for the benefit of his employers, and | dinge as an after-thought, and a weak pretence 
 had never applied any part of them to his own • for gross injustice and cruelty; but lord 
 use without the permission of the court of j Mulgrave and Mr. Grenvi+le thought, that the 
 directors. He contended, that the accusations | concern of our countrymen in the expedition 
 drawn from the war with the Mahrattas, and i was sufiiciently justified by policy and by 
 from the peace with that state, were ill-founded; J prior engagement. Mr. Fox endeavoured to 
 for he was not the author of the war, and the i rescue the character of the liohillas from the 
 pacification had been ahnost universally con- | odious imputations thrown out by Mr. Has- 
 sidered as honourable and advantageous. | tings, and spoke of the war undertaken 
 
 J . In the ad<luction of the first charge, i against them in pointed terms of censure; 
 
 the eloquence of Mr. Burke was i and Mr. Francis, with great warmth, sup- 
 diffuse and declamatory, strong and vivid, in- ; ported the accusation. The house, however, 
 dignant and pathetic. He asserted the purity i by a majority of 52, voted against the validity 
 of his motives for the pro.«seculiou, his freedom > of the charge. 
 
 from passion, and his regard for public jus- ; Thi; article of crimination, in the , _ 
 
 tice. He represented the grand question, not I affair of Benares, wat- moved by 
 as a mere dispute respecting the character of J Mr. Fox, who contended that the jafovemor- 
 an individual, or a point of municipal regula- i general had acted in an arbitrary and oppres- 
 lion, but as a nalio'.ial and imperial question, ; sive manner towards Cheit Sing, had harassed 
 decisive of the good or ill government of ; hin^ by repeated exactions beyond tHc amount 
 millions now existing or yet unhorn., He i of the stipulated tribute, had insulted him by 
 lamented the dilHculty of bringing forward > an ignominious arrest, and had malignantly 
 the charges with full effect, from the exor- 1 promoted his ruin. Mr. Pitt did not agree 
 bitani poiver and commanding infliience which i with the mover in every part of the churge; 
 the accusetl governor had enjoyed, the remote- ; but he admitted the criminality of ^Ir. Has 
 ness of the country in which he ha<I acted, i tings in resolving to exact from the rajah the 
 and other <liscouraging circumstances : yet > enormous sum of fifty lacks of rupees (above 
 he confided in the strength of the eviddice i one half of a million of pounds sterling) for a 
 wliich he had found means to procure, and i mere delay in complying with a small and 
 trusted to the honour and lunnanity of the I justifiable demand. His assent to the motion 
 house for the success of his well-meant en- ; gave great joy to the accusing parly. The 
 deavours. Al't«'r a general survey of the ; allegations of major Scott, Mr. (iruiiville, and 
 charges, he detailed that which C(jncerned the > other speakers who inveighed against the 
 liohillas. He described in flattering terms ; conduct of the rajah, and applauded or ex- 
 tlie state of tlieir counlry, their simplicity of; cus( d that of his gnat adversary, made lillle 
 manners, their zeal for agriculture and com- • impr(>sion upon the house; and the ciiarge 
 nieree. He denied that there was any just I was allowed, by a majority of 39, to be a fai* 
 or eveti plausible ground for the violence to • ground of impeachuient.
 
 408 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 'CHAP. XXX. 
 
 Few subjects of national or general policy ; and 17C0 ; and by captains Wallis and Car- 
 .excited greater solicitude in the liberal and i teret, tlie former in llie Dolphin, and tlie latter 
 liuniane, than tlie question of tlie slave-trade. ; in the Swallow sloop, in the years 17G7, 1768, 
 Mr. Wilberforce, to whom the management ; and ]7(J!>; and some interesting discoveries 
 of this business was assigned, being disabled > had been made by them chiefly on ilie south 
 from attending the house hy illness, Mr. Pitt ; of the equator. 
 
 moved a resolution, importing, that the house, ; Ikr the most memorablo, and in their re- 
 in the ensuing session, take into consideration ; suits the most important, voyages, in these 
 the circumstances of the slave-trade. The ! and in the north-eastern stas, were performed 
 tinal result of this motion, after much procras- > by captain James Cook. Having recommended 
 tination, will be recorded in the history of ; himself to the admiralty, hy his services as a 
 1791. In the mean time, in order to afford i naval officer, and his .skill in the science of 
 relief to the unhappy suflorers, Mr. William ; navigation, he was appouited in 1708, to con- 
 Uolben proposed a i)ill to regulate the trans-; duct an expedition to the South seas, accom- 
 pcrrlation of slaves, from tlie coast of Africa > panied by Mr. Green as astronomer, and Mr. 
 to the West Indies. In tiie prosecution of ; Solander and sir Joseph Baidis as naturalists, 
 this motion, it was delivered in evidence at ; for the purpose of observing the transit of 
 the bar of the lower house, that five feet six J V enus, which was to take place in the month 
 inches in length, and sixteen inches in breadth, ; of June, in the ensuing year. He was in- 
 was the average space allotted to each slave. « sirncted, at the same time, to prosecute dis- 
 The lower deck of the vessel was entirely ; coveries in that quarter of the globe. I\o 
 covered with l)odies. The space between the i man could be better qualified for the corn- 
 floor of that deck and the roof above, in height > mission with which he was honoured. His 
 about five feet eight inches, was divided by a ; understanding was vigorous, his frame and 
 platform also covered with hmnaii bodies, i constitution robust, his disposition enter- 
 The slaves were chained two and two by their ; jnising, his temper patient and persevering ; 
 hands and feet, and were, by means of ring- ; and he had that ardent fondness for his pro- 
 bolt>, faittened to the deck. In that sultry ; fession, which, when united with talents, may 
 climate, their allowance was a pint of water ; not improperly be distinguished by the appel- 
 each day ; and they were usually fed twice a J lation of genius, 
 
 day with yams and horse-beans. After meals j Leaving England in the ship Endeavour, 
 they were compelled by the whip to jump in j August the 26th, 1768, lie took a soutli-west- 
 llieir irons, which by the slave-dealers was i erly course, and having doubled cape Horn,, 
 called ddnciuff. The motion was opposed, I he steered for Otaheite, where thei.- observa- 
 with a zeal disgraceful to humanity, by the « tions were made. After tliat he visited the 
 merchants of London and Liverpool. The ! neighbouring islands of Ilnaheine, Ulictea, 
 lord-chancellor Thurlow so far forgot the ! Otaha, and Bolabola, to which he gave the 
 duties and the decornm of his station, as to | name of Society Jxlands. Then .sailing to 
 term the motion, in derision, " a lit of philan- : New Zealand, in the same hemisphere, he 
 thropy;" but the exertions of the premier j made a survey of the two islands, and dis 
 counteracted the bigotry and selfishness of ; covered the straits between them, afterwards, 
 his colleagues, and the bill was passed in both ' called by his name, ^yhen he had explored, 
 houses by a respectable majority. > the eastern coast of f\e\v Holland, before 
 
 The advancement of art, science, and useful i unknown, he steered for England by the cape 
 knowledge, was an object of all others the J of Good Hope, and reached it June the 12th,. 
 most congenial wiih the wishes of the sove- ; 177 1. 
 
 reign; and the voyages of discovery, by! Hii sailed upon his second voyage in July, 
 which the rei<in of Georije HI. was distin- j 1772, and took a sonlh-westerly course. Alter 
 -uished, will always be regarded as the most ! visiting Otaheite and tlie Friendly Islands, he 
 decisive evidence of his philanthropy and his ^ proceeded to latitude 71, where he was stopped 
 wi^floni ' $ 'jy * barrier of ice. In traversing these 
 
 Voyages of this description, U) the Pacific ; southern regions, he discovered Palliser 
 ocean, had been made, by order of his majesty, ! Islands, and PSew Caledonia, lh(; island, wliicli' 
 bv commodore Byron, in the years J7G1, 1765, ; he named Georgia, in honour of his sovereign,'
 
 CIIAP. XXX.] GEORGE III. i()J) 
 
 and an iiiiknowu coast, called by liim Sand- > cable in that direction. Even in liiose remote 
 M'icii Land, the Thnle of tlie soutiiern hcnii- < regions, nature has bestowed on her works 
 sphere. lie returned from liis voyage in ; beauties of a peculiar kind, the description 
 July, 1775; having, among other objects, as- i of which will be gratifying to those who are 
 certained the important (juestion of a southern I disposed to such contemplations. The nar- 
 continent ; for he had traversed that henii- | rator of this voyage thus describes the country 
 sphere, between the degrees of 40 and 70, in « near Smeariuginirgli harbour, in the 01st de- 
 sucli a manner, as not to leave a possibility ; gree of latitude: — "The country is stony, 
 of its existence, uidess near the pole, and out j and, as far as can be seen, full of mountains, 
 of the reach of navigation. I precipices, and rocks. Between these are 
 
 Hi; sailed the ensuing year on his third and j hills of ice, generated, as it should seem, by 
 last voyage; the chief object of which was ; the torrents that flow on the n)elting of the 
 the discovery of a north-east passage. On ; snow on the sides of those towering elevations, 
 this voyage, after making some discoveries in > which, being once congealed, are continually 
 the southern hemisphere, he steered for the 1 increased by the snow in win!er, and the rain 
 M'estern coast of America ; which he traced | in summer, which often freezes as soon as it 
 till he canie to a strait which divides it from ; falls. By looking on these hills, a stranger 
 Asia. Having made such an accurate survey ! niay fancy a thousand difi'ercnt shapes of 
 of the coasts of each, as to demonstrate the > trees, castks, churches, ruins, ships, whales, 
 in)practicability of a northern passage, he i monsters, and all the various forms that till 
 sailed to the Sandwich islanrls, where, unfor- ! the universe. Of the ice-hills, there aie seven 
 innately for his country, he was killed in | that more particularly attract the notice of a 
 177.0, in the month of February, in a skirmish ! stranger. These are known by the name of 
 with the savages of Owhyhee. \\ hilst J am > the seven iceburgs, and are thought to be the 
 relating the enterprises of this celebrated ; highest of the kind in that country. \\ lit n 
 navigator, v.hieli were such as added essen- i the air is clear, and the sun shines full upon 
 tially to the science of geography, we oug'lit > these mountains, the prospect is inconceivably 
 not to be inattentive to another part of his j brilliant. They sometimes put on the bright 
 merit, noticed by his companion and biogra- > glow of the evening rays of the setting sun, 
 pher, captain James King, which will give ; when reflected upon glass, at his going down ; 
 pleasure to every humane person ; the me- > sometimes they appear of a biight Iilue, like 
 lliod which he discovered, and so successfully > sappliire, and sometimes like the variable 
 pursued, for preserving the health of seamen ; : colours of a prism, exceeding in lustre the 
 which forms a new lera in navigation, and « richest gems, disposed in the most exquisite 
 will transmit his name to posterity, among the ; forms, glittering with a lustre that dazzles the 
 friends and benefactors of mankind. J eye, and fills the air with astonishing brightness. 
 
 That no doubt might lie lel't on the minds } Ajiong the naval enterprises of the iMiglish, 
 of men, respecting the existence of a passage I the means employed by goveiiiment for the 
 to the East Indies by the north-east, conimo- < introduction of the bre.id-fruit tree, which had 
 dore Pliiijps and captain Lutvviik were sent ; been found at Olaheite, into the ^\ est India 
 out, before Cooks last voyage, to cany on j islands, is deserving of notice. Sir .luseph 
 the discoveries which had been made by the ; Banks having given it as his opinion, that this 
 Knssians and others, in the se;is near the I tree might be successfully cultivated in them, 
 north pole. They sailed in June, 177J ; they ! captain Biigh sailed in the autumn of 1707, 
 landed at Sjiiizbergen ; and, having passed ; with a vessel destined to bring a cargo to the 
 Haeluyl's Headl;ind, they proceeded so far as ; West Indies. The siiip tiring lafliii with 
 the 01st degree uf latitude, wheit; they were i them, the captain took his dojiartiire from 
 arrested by the ice, and with dillicuUy disen- J Otaheite April the 4th, 170!). But- twenty.- 
 gaged themselves ; the therniouHtter at that : three days after, when the ship was in the 
 time .standing at .{7^ 4U'. The residt of this i midst of the Pacific, steering its course for the 
 voyage, the journal of which is a narrative of ; Moluccas, the crew nmlini((^ and [)ut the 
 difliculties, hardsiiips, and dangers, corres- ; captain, and eighteen of the crew, who would 
 pond< (I with the subsequent report of Cook ; ; not join the mutineers, overboard into the 
 that uo passage would ever be found practi- « ship's boat, with only an hundred and forty
 
 410 
 
 iirsTonv OP England. 
 
 pounds of bread and lliirfy of meat, to shift 
 for themselves. Fortunately they were pro- 
 vided with a compass and quadrant : with the 
 assistance of these, in forty days, dnring 
 which there was almost continued rain, they 
 reached theDutc'i settlement of Timor, which 
 vas calculated to be 4000 miles from the 
 •place where they were embarked. 
 
 This disaster did not, however, prevent the 
 execution of the design. After several unsuc- 
 cessfal attempts, the introduction of the bread- 
 fruit, says Mr. Edwards, was happily accom- 
 
 kChap. XXX4 
 
 plished, in January, 17.03, by the arrival at 
 St. Vincent of his majesty's ship Providence, 
 captain W. Bligh, and the Assistant brig, 
 captain N. Portlock, from the South seas, 
 having on board many hundreds of those trees, 
 and a vast number of curious plants, which 
 were properly distributed through the island 
 of St. Vincent, and Jamaica, and have already 
 afforded the pleasing prospect, that his majes- 
 ty's benevolence will be felt in the most distant 
 periods. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1786 to 1788.] 
 
 Attempt on the Life of the Kijig hy Margaret Nicholson — Commercial Treaty uith France 
 — Eslablishmeiil of a Settlement for Convicts at Botany Bay — Internal State of France— 
 ORIGIN AND CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION— Character 
 of Lewis XVI., of his Queen, and of the principal Nobles ayid Cotirliers — Reiieio of 
 Continental Affairs— -Debates on the Impeachment of Mr. Hastings. 
 
 WHILE his Britannic majesty was in 
 danger of being embroiled with 
 France, he adjusted all differences with the 
 court of Spain. Disputes had occurred with 
 T , ^t respect to the logwood country, and 
 ^ * a convention was now signed, allot- 
 ting a new district to his subjects for Mus- 
 quito shore, which they agreed to evacuate, 
 and in some respects extending their privileges. 
 |-o(. This negotiation had not long been 
 concluded, when the king's life was 
 suddenly exposed to danger. As he was 
 alighting from his carriage on the 2nd of 
 August, a woman approached Jiim, on pre- 
 tence of offering a petition, and aimed at him 
 with a knife ; but fortunately he escaped all 
 injury. The bold assailant was named Mar- 
 
 garet Nicholson, who, being examined by 
 several medical gentlemen, and also by some 
 members of the privy-council, was declared 
 to be insane, and was therefore confmed in 
 Bethlehem hospital, instead of being tried for 
 high treason. A public thanksiiiving was 
 ordered, for the safety of so valuable a life; 
 and addresses of congratulation were sent to 
 court from all parts of the kingdom. 
 
 The commercial agreement with France 
 was now approaching to coniplelion. It was 
 at length prt pared for signature, and received 
 the sanction of both courts. It was stipulated 
 in general terms, that there should be a per- 
 fect reciprocity of navigation and cammerce, 
 between the subjects of the two kings, in all 
 their European dominions, with a view of
 
 CHAP. XXXI.] 
 
 giving fair encouragement to the produce and 
 manufactures of bulli countries, by a discon- 
 tinuance of prohibitory duties, and putting an 
 end to illicit trade. A particuhu- tariff was 
 adjusted with regard to a great miniber of 
 commodities ; and all articles which it did 
 not include were to be imported on the terms 
 allowed to the most favoured nations. This 
 treaty, though not universally acceptable in 
 Great Britam, a|>pears to have given satisfac- 
 tion to a considerable majority of the nation. 
 While the king was rellecting with pleasure 
 on its accomplishment, he sustained a domes- 
 tic aJhiction, in the loss of the princess 
 Amelia, who died unmarried, in the seventy- 
 sixth year of her age, on the 31st of October, 
 be(iuealliing the greater part of her ample 
 property to her nephews, the princes Charles 
 and Frederic of Hesse-Cassel. She lived 
 chieiiy in retirement, cultivating the pleasures 
 of social life. 
 
 The embarrassments in which the prince 
 of Wales had involved himself, by his want of 
 oeconomy, gave rise to some difficulties. Mr. 
 Ncvvnham repeatedly mentioned the case, at 
 the desire of the prince, who had found his 
 royal father unwilling to comply with his 
 •wishes. The minister deprecated the agitation 
 of an affair of such delicacy in the house, 
 without authority from the king ; and his 
 expostulations delayed the alderman's propo- 
 sals. In the conversations which occurred, 
 allusions were made to the supposed marriage 
 of his royal highness with Mrs. Fitzherbert. 
 Mr. Fox pronounced this report to be an 
 infamous falsehood ; and indeed the prince 
 and that lady were not married according to 
 the forms of the established church. An 
 accommodation at length toot^ plice between 
 the king and his son ; and the busmess was 
 regnlarly brought forward in a message from 
 the crown, stating that the prince had con- 
 tracted great debts, .the discharge of which, 
 out of his aiHiual income, would render it 
 impossible for him to support an establish- 
 ment suited to his rank and station ; that his 
 majesty had therefore ordered the annual 
 payment of £10,000 to the prince out of the 
 civil list, in addition to the former allowance; 
 and that he trusted to the liberality of parlia- 
 ment for the liquidation of the debts, as his 
 son "had given the fullest assurances of his 
 firm determination to confine his future ex- 
 pences within his income." This application 
 
 3 c 2 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 411 
 
 I was answered by a request, that the king 
 I would advance £161,000 for the payment of 
 ; the debts in question, and also £20,000 for 
 ! the reparation and improvement of Carlton- 
 ; lionse ; and the commons, with one voice, 
 ; promised to indemnify him. 
 ! One of the acts of this session provided fur 
 ' the establishment of a court of judicature in 
 New South Wales, a part of the great island, 
 (or continent,) of New Holland. The prisons 
 of the realm being inconveniently crowded, 
 the idea of a distant removal, combined with 
 a hope of colonial advantage, had occasioned 
 the resolution of sending convicts to the 
 country bordering on Botany Bay, of which 
 captain Cook had made favourable mention. 
 About iiOO delinquents, of which number 
 three-fourths were males, were sent out under 
 the care of captain Phillips, who was com- 
 missioned to act as governor of the future 
 colony. The duration of the voyage was 
 about eleven months ; and when the Heet had 
 reached the bay, the scarcity of fresh uater 
 rendered it expedient to seek anothtr spot. 
 Port Jackson, being found more eligible, be- 
 I came the primary seat of the criminal exiles.. 
 The necessary rigour of the colonial govern- 
 ment operated to the repression of crimes, and 
 the preservation of general order ; and on 
 many of the convicts a sense of shame had an 
 extraordinary influence. 
 
 After long debates on the delinquency of 
 Mr. Hastings, a vote of impeachment followed, 
 and on the lOth of May, Mr. Burke, at the 
 I bar of the house of lords, " in the name of the 
 house of commons, and of all the commons of. 
 Great Britain," impeached Mi;. Hastings of 
 high crimes and misdejneanors. Beinj? taken 
 into custody, the prisoner entreated the peers 
 to admit him to bail. His request was granted, 
 and while he was bound in the sum of twenty 
 thousand pounds, two of his friends gave 
 security each for ten thousand pounds. The 
 trial was postponed to another' session, and 
 by various delays it was protracted to an ex-- 
 traordinary duration. 
 
 Before the singular and momentous ^.„„ 
 revolution in the public opinion, and in. ' '* 
 the relative measures of the continental slates, 
 the changes of domestic policy, and the con- 
 tentions i>f domestic parties, fade into insig- 
 nificance ; and the situation of France, at this 
 important period of its«history, will peculiarly 
 demand the attention of the historian.
 
 An 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. X.VXI. 
 
 To the liiniled eye of iimn, incapable of per- | and even patriotic, opened tlie way to shake 
 
 vading futurity, and of reniovinuj the darkness 
 ■\vhic!i surrounds it, Lewis XVI. presented, 
 at the close of the American war, a very 
 ■different, and a much more enviable aspect 
 than the sovereign of England. Fortunate in 
 liaviiig succeeded to a prince who was sunk 
 in dissolute pleasures, and lost to all public 
 exertion, before his reigii evnired, he ascended 
 to the throne of Henry IV. under every flat- 
 tering circumstance of youth and of ])ros- 
 perity. His want of any eminent talents 
 seemed to be amply compensated l)y oeconomj', 
 application, decorum of manners, and, above 
 all, by a selection of wise and able niinisters. 
 A successful war, which eclipsed and oblite- 
 rated the disgraces and defeats sustained by 
 France, in her last rupture with England, 
 endeared him to a loyal and affectionate nation, 
 characterised for ages by its predilection and 
 attachment to its monarchs. A queen d>-Tlin- 
 gnished by endowments of mind, of nianners, 
 and of person, not less than by her high rank 
 and imperial descent, had formed the bond of 
 connexion between the houses of Bourbon 
 ^uid of Austria ; while she rendered Versailles 
 the residence of pleasure, gaiety, and magni- 
 ticence. France appeared to re-ascend in 
 the srale of Europe, in the same proportion as 
 <ireat Britain declined; and flatiery, if not 
 reason, already predicted the revival of the 
 jirond age of l.ev^is XIV. 
 
 Bit to conionnd the speculation of policy, 
 and to evince the hasty transitions of hinnan 
 greatness, it was precisely at this very junc- 
 ture that the seeds were sown, which were 
 afterwards matured, which overturned the 
 very elements of order •^n(\ government, stained 
 the palace of Versailles with blood, and pro- 
 <luced the extinction of projierty, personal 
 security, antl every thing dear to mankind. 
 The troops which were sent as auxiliaries to 
 the rebellious [irovinees of (ireat Britain be- 
 yond the Atlantic, sjieedily imbibed the spirit 
 t)f freedom which they were connnanded to 
 defend, and did not relinr|uish these sentiments, 
 so inconipatil)le with absolute monarchy, when 
 they returned to their native country. On 
 the other hand, the anticipation of the public 
 revenue, necessarily produced by a war, how- 
 ever glorious and successful, added to the 
 immoderate expfjuces of a dissipated and 
 luxurious court, soon reduced the king to 
 adopt a measure, which, tliough disinterested, 
 
 bis throne. Lewis was |)ersuoded to break 
 the royal household, to dismiss about 400 
 officers, holding posts immediately about his 
 person, and to content himself with a les.s 
 expensive and splendid establishment. VeV' 
 haps no advice more replete with calamity 
 could have been conceived or followed. The 
 pomp and external paraphernalia of majesty 
 being once withdrawn, and the numbers of 
 nobility, attached to the sovereign by interest, 
 vanity, and affection, being once disbanded, 
 the throne was left naked, unprotected, and 
 exposed to insult. Experience has evinced 
 its destructive tendency ; and has shewn, 
 that only a limited monarch, who reigns ia 
 the affections of his subjects, and whose in- 
 terests aie intimately blended with those of 
 his people, can remain an object of respect 
 and homage, divested of the splendor and 
 protection of a royal court and numerous 
 household. 
 
 The empress-cjueeo Maria-Theresa closed, 
 at this period, a reign of forty years, marked 
 by the most striking vicissitudes of prospecons 
 and of adverse fortune. During the existence 
 of the powerful combination, which shook her 
 throne in the conunencemeut of her life, she 
 exhibited the most undaunted magnanimity, 
 the greatest resources of mind, and a courage 
 superior to her sex. Driven from Vienna in 
 1741, while Bohemia and Austria weic over- 
 run by the French and Bavarians, she found 
 protection and succours in the loyally of her 
 Hungarian subjects, who, at sight of her 
 beauty, youth, and misfortunes, forgot their 
 hereditary jealousy and enmity of the imperial 
 house from which she sprung. Tlie afternoon 
 and evening of her reign, though fre((ueiitly 
 disturbed hy foreign wars, were passed by 
 her in the discharge of every duty demanded 
 from a sovereign to her people. Mild, clenu nt, 
 humane, niuiiilieent. and ever extending the 
 proofs of her parental tenderness to her wide 
 extended dominions, she was idolized by the 
 Himgarians, beloved by the Flemings, and 
 dear to every order of citizens. That piety 
 and fortitude which had characterised her 
 life, accompanied and brightened her dyinjj 
 moments. 
 
 Hr.K crowns descended to her son Joseph, 
 a |)rince who had given premature expicta- 
 tions of genius and r pacity, and v> hose 
 emulation of the king of l*russia promised lo
 
 CIIAP. XXXl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 413 
 
 render liiiii wortliy of so pent an niit;ij>oiiisl. 
 liut l£uropo was soon niidect iveci in tins fa- 
 vourable aMticipiuion of the talents of .losepli 
 II. Agitated with [)fipftnal and varyin<^ 
 sclienies of con<jn(.'st ; restless and incapable 
 of repose ; planniii* iiinovations in religion 
 and manners, which were no sooner executed 
 than revokeil ; oppressive and despotic, with- 
 out the art either of concealing these qualities, 
 or of rendering their eft'ects palatable to his 
 subjects : menacing, at llie same moment, the 
 just franchises of tiie Netherlands, and the I 
 antient liberties of Hungary ; dreaded in the 
 empire, and detested in his own ca|)itai ; 
 anxious to enlarge the limits of his dominions, 
 even at the expence of faith and justice ; ra- 
 pacious of ecclesiastical jiroperly, and profuse 
 only of the blood of his people ; .foscj)!: so(jn 
 alienated the aHl'Cliuns of every rank, and 
 closed a tempestuous reign, unregretted and 
 nnlamentfd ; leaving the house of Austria in 
 cnibarrassmenls, pro(]u(ed by his violence and 
 ambition, scarcely inferior to those, which had 
 so nearly overturned and extinguished it, at 
 the death of his grandfather Charles V'l. 
 
 Two illustrious and extraordinary princes 
 then tilled the thrones of iMuscovy and of 
 Prussia. A woman was still deslined to sway 
 the sceptre of the czars, and to govern tiie 
 innnense regions extending from the Frozen 
 to the Caspian sea. Unecjualled in magnifi- 
 cence, and nncon(jn<Ted in war, Catherine 11. 
 had enlarged the limits of her vast dominions, 
 covered the Black sea with Russian fleets, 
 and tlirealened the entire subversion of the 
 Ottoman power. Protectress of the sciences 
 and liberal arts, she cultivated the friendship 
 of d'Alembert, courted the concspondence 
 and the praises of Voltaire, and, like Lewis 
 XIV., extended her munificence to men of 
 letters throughout every kingdom of Europe. 
 Intoxicated with success, and elevated (o the 
 summit of human grandeur and felicity, she 
 forgot the fiiendly hand which had aided her 
 arms, and ta(r^ht them the way to victory. 
 AVhile (headed and admired in every rpiarter 
 of the globe, she seemed to have chained the 
 inconstancy of forliuie, and to defy the 
 changes and clouds which so frequently 
 dai k<?n the conclusion of a female reign. 
 
 pRKOERic, covered with laurels, and retired 
 from lierlin totlie solitary magnificence of Pots- 
 dam, in t!;<; bosom of literary rejjose, and sink- 
 ing under the pressure of augmenting infirmities, 
 
 advanced towards the termination of liis me- 
 morable life and reign. Alienated from, or 
 indiflerent to the misfortunes of England, he 
 regarded, with a philosophic and averted eye, 
 her late unequal contest against so many 
 powers ; and extended no relief, nor made 
 any exertion in favour of his antient ally. 
 
 PoKTiOAL alone, an)ong so maisy neutral 
 or hostile states, ventured "at this distressful 
 moment to give some affirmative marks of 
 friendship to the crown of Great Britain. 
 
 \Vhilic Eurojje exhibited this aspect, so 
 little calculated to awaken hope, fresh losses 
 and defeats awaited the English arms beyond 
 the Atlantic. The capture of the island of 
 St. Eustatius, which, on its first promulgation, 
 had difiused a general joy throughout the 
 nation, produced in the event only obloquy 
 to the captors, and a suspension the nios't 
 untimely ami injurious in our naval ami mili- 
 tary exertions ; wliile the troops which should 
 have acteil with vigour against the enemy, 
 were sunk in inactivity, or occupied in plunder. 
 
 At length, however, the genius of Great 
 Britain, for a time obscured and fettered, 
 began to assert its antient energy ; and libe- 
 rated from domestic anarchy, prepared to 
 re-appear on the theatre of Europe, from 
 whence she had been banished by internal 
 calamities and distress. The signature of the 
 " Germanic league" at Berlin, whose object 
 was the preservation of the liijerties of the 
 cnijiire against the ambition of .loseph 11., was 
 the first symptom exhibited of returning atten- 
 tion to the concerns of tJjc continent ; and 
 though this confederation was only acceded 
 to by his Britannic majesty in his capacity of 
 elector of Hanover, yet its efTect extended un- 
 questionably beyond its ostensible object, and 
 again recalled the English nation to general 
 view and consideration, 
 
 ^\ Hiij; under a wise and vigorous govern- 
 ment, we were thus resuming our antient 
 eminence and dignity among the European 
 states, the clouds of discontent and civil com- 
 motion were rapidly collecting over the mo- 
 nuichy of France. The finances, involved, 
 since the cessation of the late war, in augment- 
 ing embarrassments and inextricable diffi- 
 culties, it might have bien found beyond the 
 probity of a .Sully, or the capacity of a Colbert, 
 to re-establish : in the hands of Calonnc, 
 raised to the superintendance, they presented 
 a prospect of public insolvency, as inmunei.t
 
 414 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. XXXI. 
 
 as unavoidahie. Tlioujrh tlie court of Ver- 1 
 sailles was inucli dimiiiished in majesty and 
 splendor, by tlie numerous reforms which had 
 successively taken place ; yet the ministry 
 had not substituted any judicious system of 
 frugahty, nor adopted any measures of energy 
 or wisdom, either for the alleviation of national 
 burdens, and liquidation of the enormous 
 debt, contracted under the late and present 
 king, nor (a measure which seemed to be still 
 more necessary for their personal safety) to 
 cuard against the gathering storm of public vio- 
 lence anil indiguatiun. 
 
 Lewis XVI. had already, in a considerable 
 degree, survived the respect, though he con- 
 tinued to enjoy the afl'ection of his people. 
 The first years of his reign, conducted by 
 Maurtpas and \ ergennes, had been distin- 
 guished by the most brilliant success ; which, 
 while it dazzled and flattered the national 
 vanity, had in a i;reat measure concealed from 
 view the ruin which it occasioned in the 
 finances. The king possessed none of those 
 (psalities, either corporal or mental, calculated 
 to fascinate, and to supply the place of more 
 solid endowments. His figure was destitute 
 of dignity, and his address awkward and em- 
 barrassed. He neither knew how to assume 
 the open and winning manners of Henry IV., 
 nor how to adopt tlie majestic condescension 
 of Lewis XIV. Attached to the queen from 
 motives rather sensual than intellectual, and 
 restrained by religious scruples from forming 
 any connexions of gallantry with other women, 
 he never in any instance violated his nuptial 
 fidelity, though surrounded by courtiers 
 anxious to anticipate, and eager to administer 
 to his desires on tiie first intimation. Addicted 
 to the pleasures of the table, and sometimes \ 
 induced to pass the limits of temperance and 
 sobriety, he yielded, in those moments of 
 facility, to the demands which the profusion of 
 the queen, and of his brother, the count 
 d'Artois, made it necessary for them continu- 
 ally to renew. His own expences were mode- 
 rale, and his pi<;isures few. The former 
 were chiefly coniiiied to the construction of 
 the castle of Couipiegne, and the repairs of 
 the palace of Versailles. The latter consisted 
 chiefly in theamusemeut of the chace. Though 
 much neglected in his education tluring the 
 life of Lewis XV., his mind was not unin- 
 formed ; and lie had attained, since his acces- 
 sion to the throne, a very considerable ac- 
 
 quaintance with polite letters, history, and 
 geography, by his own private application and 
 solitary study, unassisted by any aid. In the 
 art of reigning, he had unfortunately made 
 little progress or proficiency. Unambitious 
 and moderate in his character, he formed no 
 views of conquest. He even disapproved, 
 though but passively, of the alliance with 
 America, into which his ministers had led him 
 at the commencement of his reign ; and suf- 
 fered himself, with some degree of aversion and 
 reluctance, to be made an accessary to the 
 independence of the thirteen colonies. 
 
 His parts, however sluggish, inert, and 
 l.'mifed, yet were not inadequate to the com- 
 prehension and discharge of the high duties 
 annexed to his station. He unquestionably 
 loved his people, and passionately desired, at 
 the price of every personal renunciation and 
 sacrifice, to render his reign dear to France- 
 Averse to cruelty, and of a nature accessible 
 to the impressions of pity and humanity, he 
 threw open the gates of the castle of Vin- 
 cennes, which for ages had been one of the 
 principal prisons of slate ; and mitigated, in 
 numerous instances, the rigour of arbitrary 
 power, which his grandfather had strengthened 
 and abused. His behaviour on the night of 
 the 5th of October, 1789, has evinced, not- 
 withstanding the doubts which have been 
 entertained on that point, that he did not 
 want personal resolution and fortitude. But 
 the quality in which he was eminenlly de- 
 ficient, and to the want of which may be prin- 
 cipally ascribed all the calamities of his life, 
 was political courage and decision. In times 
 of tranquillity and repose, this defect might 
 not have been perceived ; or if discovered, 
 might have yet been limited in its effects : in 
 tempestuous periods, and popular insurrec- 
 tions, it convulsed the monarchy, and menaced 
 the existence of the throne itself. 
 
 The character of the queen, though strongly 
 contrasted with that of Lewis XVI., was 
 perhaps still more calculated to alienate the 
 affections, and excite the clamours of the 
 nation. Of a figure favoured by nature, and 
 adorned with, gracious and insinuating man- 
 ners, she was formed to attach mankind. The' 
 short period which elapsed, subsequent to her 
 marriage with the dauphin in 177t), and pre- 
 vious to her ascending the throne, was marked 
 with the most general partiality, and by all 
 the flattering juognostics of poetry and genius,.
 
 CHAP. XXXI.] GEORGE III. 410 
 
 wlio anticipated the future glories and felici- [ yet liad left impressions disadvantageous to 
 
 ly of iier rLign. lier education at the court! her honour in the minds of a nation, disposed 
 
 of Vienna, under the severe inspection of ; to see all her actions through an unfavourable 
 
 Maria-Theresa, a princess eminent for her I medium. Her j)redilection for, and tier at- 
 
 chastity and piety, seemed in some measure j tachment to the duchess de Polignac, sufl'ered 
 
 to guarantee the existence of these qualities in ; the most malignant comments of satirical pre- 
 
 her daughter. But Maria-Antoinette appears jjudice ; and the liberal donations, or high 
 
 to have inherited scarcely any of the charac- 1 employments, with which that family was 
 
 teristic virtues and vices of the Austrian ! distinguished, necessarily added to the load 
 
 family, except her attachment to the house ; of public execration. The accumulated topics 
 
 from whence she sprung. The fond predic- 1 of popular invective and animadversion, were 
 
 tions of adulation, offered to the dauphiness, i circulated with rapidity, and received with 
 
 were not realised by the queen. Her levity | equal avidity, by an ignorant and credulou;! 
 
 of manners; her expensive prodigality; her { multitude, who tilied th'e arcades of the 
 
 dissipations ; her attachments ; her retire- I " Palais Uoyal," and who imbibed the most 
 
 ments ; perhaps, more than all these defects, ( inveterate detestation of their queen, as con- 
 
 her supposed abuse of the ascendant, which | ceiving her the author of the public distress. 
 
 tihe had acquired and preserved over her hus- | They had already in some degree niiuked her 
 
 baud, gradually estranged every order of the } out as a victim to the general indignation ; 
 
 people; and eventually, as the public embar- i and anxiously awaited for the favourable 
 
 rassments augmented, rendered her generally J occasion, which should liberate the sovereign 
 
 odious. Her actions were examined with the I and the nation from tlie pretended evils of 
 
 most severe and unjust spirit of national en- | her influence, and leave Lewis XVI. to the 
 
 qniry. Her political connexions with the > impulse of his natural beneficence and affection 
 
 imperial ambassador were as loudly arraigned 5 for his people, 
 
 on the one hand, as her personal intimacy | The count de Provence, the eldest of the 
 with the count d'Artois, was strongly cen- ! king's two brothers, acted a very inferior and 
 sured on the other. Imputations the most J subordinate part upon this great theatre, 
 injurious to her fame, as a woman and a wife, ; Either ilestitute of talents to excite public 
 were added to accusations of her disposition | attention, or repressing them from motives of 
 to sacrifice the interest and squander the I prudence and situation, he appeared only m 
 treasures of the kmuilum over which she ; the back grovtnd ; and formed a contrast to 
 reigneil, in order to aggrandise her brother i the imposing qualities which distinguished 
 the emperor. She was accused of ministering • the count d'Artois. Of a figure much more 
 to ihe weaknessers, and even stimulating the I graceful and elegant than either of his bro- 
 appetites of the king, witli a view to avad her- i thers, this latter prince was likewise adorned 
 self of his t'ondness, or temporary privation of I with nmre dignified, if not more courteous 
 reflection. I manners. Attached to the queen, fronj simi- 
 
 The continual visits, and long interviews, \ larity of taste and character, lie even exceeded 
 which she accorded to Mademoiselle Bertin, | her in profusion, expence, and dissipation, 
 excited sentiments of disapprobation in those, | After having passed the morning on the 
 who thought the leisure of the first (jueen in | " J*laine de Sablons," in the dress and occu- 
 Europe indecently thrown away, in disquisi- 1 pation of a jockey, he only retired from these 
 tions upon a cap, or consultations upon a ! fatigues to repose in the arms of Mademoiselle 
 handkerchief. Her purchase of the palace of > Contat. His little palace of " IJagateJle," in 
 St. Cloud, in the midst of general pecuniary i the " Bois de Boulogne, " was at once the 
 distress, was taxed with equal imprudence and i scene of the most relined and voluptuous de- 
 profusion. Her frequent retirements to Tri- ; baucii, and of the most profligate pleasures, 
 anon were sligmatised, as exhibiting scenes ; which luxury could devise or assemble. Two 
 nnfit for the public eye. The mysterious and ; sons alieacly ailvauciug towards manhood, 
 inexplicable transaction, relative to the famous ; and whose constitutions promised vigorous 
 necklace, asserted to have been purchased by i htulth, attracted the eyes of the nation ; and 
 lier; although the cardinal de lioan, and the < gave him a m.mil'est superiority to (he count 
 comtesse de la Motte, were the victims of it, | de l*iovence, whose marriage had not been
 
 410 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. XXXI 
 
 fiiiitfnl. The feeble and del)ilitatecl state of { 
 llie (laiipliiii, whose iiifirtiiities already ap- 
 ])eared to menace a pieuiatiire end, left only 
 the duke de ^ol•nlaudie lietween him and the 
 eventual succession to the crown. Though 
 not endowed with any eminent talents, yet, 
 as being of a character more decided and 
 affirmative than either the king or the count 
 (le I*rovencc, lie came more forward to public 
 view ; and, by his adherence to the queen, 
 influenced very considerably the aflairs of 
 Ktate. 
 
 At a greater distance from the tlirone, but 
 decorated with the title of First Prince of the. 
 Blood, was seen the duke of Orleans. Pos- 
 sessed of an immense revenue, and having in 
 reversion all the domains of bis father-in-law, 
 the duke de renthieure, he miglit l)e esteemed 
 the richest suliject in Europe. Mis reputation 
 for generosity and muniiicence i)ore, however, 
 no proportion to his ample possessions : on 
 the contrary, though profuse in the gratifica- 
 tion of bis appetites, lie was accused by the 
 popular voice of an attention to rccononiy 
 unworthy of his high birth and splendid for- 
 tune. Emulous of being ihongiit to resemble 
 Henry IV. and the regent duke of Orleans, 
 i'rom both of which princes he derived his 
 descent, be had no similarity to either, except 
 in the foibles which shaded the character of 
 the former, and in the vices which disgraced 
 the conduct of the latter. The beneficence, 
 tlie heroic valour, and clemency of mind, 
 wliich characterised tiie king of Xavarre, were 
 not to be traced in bis degenerate grandson. 
 The sublime talents, the military genius, and 
 the various endowments of a statesman ami 
 a general, which were combined in the regent, 
 were as vainly sought in the duke of Orleans. 
 
 Abanoonkd to pleasures of every descrip- 
 tion, yet had he no elevation nor refinement in 
 liis amusements. His person;il courage, which 
 had sustained some injiiry, and excited some 
 sarcastic comments, from his i)eiiaviour under 
 Orvilliers in 1778, had not been retrieved by 
 bis unpropitious attempt to signalize himself, 
 when lie accompanied ('harUs and Robert in 
 their balloon. The malignant rejections for- 
 merly thrt)un out upon liis intrepidity as a 
 uaval officer, were followed by pasquinades 
 upon his supposed apprehensions in the bal- 
 loon ; and lie was said to have beet) as un- 
 fortunate in the park of Mendon, where be 
 alighted from his aerial excursion, as he bad 
 
 been at an earlier period of life, in the vici- 
 nity of the islands of Ushant. Notwith- 
 standing these as|)crsions and defects, he 
 yet |>ossessed qualities which, if conducted 
 by judgment, might have redeemed him from 
 the load of obloquy under which he was 
 oppressed. His talents were certainly above 
 mediocrity, his mind enlarged, his manners 
 condescending and popular, bis understand- 
 ing cultivated by letters, and an extensive ac- 
 quaintance with mankind. 
 
 He Mas the only prince of the bouse of 
 Bourbon, who had ever visited Jiugland in 
 person ; the duke d'Alen(;on, brother to 
 Henry HI. of France, having been the last, 
 who, in the prosecution of his design to ujarry 
 Elizabeth, had passed over into these king- 
 tloms. The disorders in the finances, and the 
 desperate or arl)itrary measures to which the 
 court was compelled perpetually Jo have re- 
 course, in order to raise new loans, and obtain 
 supj)lies, had given the duke of Orleans an 
 occasion, of which be gladly availed himself, 
 to regain his lung-lost popularity. To this 
 public and ostensible cause of bis alienation 
 from the court, were added some private 
 misnnderstantiings, which bad their origin in 
 the interference of the queen, to prevent an 
 alliance which was projected, l»etween the 
 eldest son of the count d'Artois, and the 
 dangiiter of the duke of Orh ans ; a marriage 
 vvhicii, it was moie than ])ossible, might ele- 
 vate the young princess to tlie throne of 
 France. Animated and stimulated l)y these 
 motives, he seemed to awake Irom the disso- 
 lute pleasures in which he had been plunged, 
 and to assume the more dignified and ingra- 
 tiating character of an opj)oser of despotisn), 
 and a protector of the people. This change 
 of conduct soon |)i(Kluced its full effect; and 
 he passed, with the most rapid transition, 
 from the contempt and reprobation of the 
 inhabitants of Paris, to the height of favour 
 and general attachment. 
 
 Such was the aspect which the court of Ver- 
 sailles presented at the commencement of the 
 year 1787, and such were the principal charac- 
 ters and |)crsonagcs of which it was composed. 
 The sources of discontent, and even of revolt 
 and insurrection, were numerous and augment- 
 ing. The ordinary channels of revenue were 
 either dried up, or had become inadecpiate to 
 the exigencies of government. Recourse was* 
 therefore reluctantly had to other modes of
 
 CHAP. XXXIJ 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 417 
 
 Obtaining; supplies ; and the convocation of 
 the "Notables" was proposed l)y Calonne lo 
 the kinw, and adopted immediately as the only 
 remaining expedient. 
 
 -In these critical circnmstances of perplexity 
 and distress, Vernennes, vvho.se high reputa- 
 tion and superior talents had hitherto diffused 
 a lustre over all the councils of France, and 
 alone sustained the tottering load of public 
 credit and grandeur, — this celebrated minister, 
 the successor of Maurcpas, and who since his 
 death had, during eight )ears, held die first 
 plac<? in the administration, was removed by 
 death from a scene to wliich all his abilities 
 perhaps would have been found unequal. 
 Fortunate in his alliances, in his wars, in his 
 tiPgotiation.s, in his acquisition of fame, in the 
 enjoyment of the royal favour and the popular 
 opinion; he was yet more happy in not sur- 
 viving these frail and uncertain possessions. 
 Lnlike lo Louvois and to Fleur}', he neither 
 forfeited the affection of his sovereign, nor 
 outlived his own talents rmd capacity. Ad- 
 mired, regretted, and lamented, his death 
 seemed to be the signal which unloo.sed the 
 jarring elements of civil commotion, and 
 which marked the aera of the extinction of 
 tranquillity and obedience. 
 
 The dismission of Calonne followed in a 
 few weeks ; and the elevation of an ecclesias- 
 tic, the archbishop of Toulouse, to the su- 
 preme control of the finances, whatever expec- 
 tations it might at first awaken of alleviation 
 and redress, only tended in the event to ag- 
 gravate the national calamities, and to increase 
 the popidar discontent. New systems, equally 
 
 which a series of deep and artful negotiations 
 bad inflamed and augmented, now approached 
 rapidly to their crisis. Never could they 
 have attained lo their maturity at a n\ore 
 inaunpicious moment for Fratice ; and never 
 was the triumph of fortune, over the machi- 
 nations of policy, more conspicuously exem- 
 plified. 
 
 William V., prince of Orange, possessed 
 the stadlholderate of the United Provinces. 
 Allied by name, rather than by blood, to the 
 great house of Nassau, so fertile in heroes 
 and in legislators, few traces of tlie sublime 
 qualities, which have rendered that family 
 immortal, were lo Be discovered in their suc- 
 cessor. But in the princess, his wife, sprung 
 from the houses of Brandenburg and Nassau 
 united, the characteristic energy of both was 
 visd)le. Driven out of the province of Hol- 
 land, by the indignities and insults with 
 which the republican faction had treated llie 
 prince, whom they had compelled to retire to 
 Nimeguen, she had the courage lo set out for 
 the Hague, and, unattended by any guards, 
 lo traverse a hostile country, in the hope o( 
 adjusting, by her presence, address, and 
 flexibility, the j)oints in dispute between her 
 husband and the states. In this arduous and 
 delicate attempt she was frustrated, and even 
 her person laid under an arrest, by the bru- 
 tality of one of the niilitary officers, in the 
 service of the repubito. Obliged to abandon 
 her project, and to return to Nimeguen, she 
 invoked the protection and assistance of the 
 king of Prussia, to reinstate the exiled sladt- 
 holder in the hereditary dignities and oflices, 
 
 unproductive as the preceding, and only X of which he had been so unjustly deprived 
 calculated for temporary relief, afforded nei- 1 It 
 
 ther a remedy to the pressing necessities of thel 
 court, nor to the clamorous grievances of the 
 people. The " Notables" were found to be 
 equally incompetent and averse to adduce 
 any cure for these multiplied distempers of 
 the state. They were therefore dissolved ; 
 and tlie nation already began to demand an 
 assembly of the " States-general," as the last 
 and only measure, competent to extricate and 
 retrieve them from the danger of impending 
 bankruptcy and ruin. 
 
 But the troubles and internal feuds of the 
 Dutch commonwealth, which had been long 
 nourished and fed by the political liberality 
 of the cabinet of Versailles, which had grown 
 up under the fostering hand of Vergennes, and 
 
 3 n 
 
 was not to her uncle that she addressed 
 these entreaties. The great Frederic Mas no 
 more : he had paid the common tribute to 
 mortality, and had expired at Potsdam, in 
 August 1786, under the accumulated weight 
 of age and diseases. But though he no longer 
 animated jn person the councils of Berlin, the 
 vigour of his genius survived ; it .seemed even 
 to have attained new force in the hands of a 
 sovereign, whose more active period of life 
 led him to adopt measures of decision, and 
 whose near relationship to the princess of 
 Orange stimulated him to warmer exertions 
 in her behalf. 
 
 The juncture was favourable to the Prus- 
 sian interposition ; and England, under the 
 auspices of a minister, pronipt to seize th*
 
 418 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. xx.Tr. 
 
 occasion of again re-appearing, with dignity 
 and eflect, ou the continent, avowedly joined 
 and aided the attack npon the enemies of the 
 house of Orange. An army ot about 15,000 
 men, commanded l)y the first military genius 
 in Europe, the duke of Brunswick, entered 
 the territories of the states-general, in Septem- 
 ber 1787, and overran, with the same rapidity 
 that Lewis XIV. had done in the last century, 
 the province of Holland. Amsterdam itself, 
 the centre of disaffection, and the last asylum 
 of the French and republican factions, afier 
 a short and ineffectual struggle, capitidated, 
 and received the conqueror. A complete but 
 almost bloodless revolution was effected; and 
 the Hague, so long a prey to discord and to 
 animosity, saw the stadtholder return, and 
 occupy his high station with every expression 
 of loyalty and attachment. 
 
 France, embarrassed and incapable, from 
 her domestic misfortunes, of interfering, either 
 with honour to herself, or efficacy to her 
 friends, though she appeared to make a feeble 
 effort in their favour, yet ultimately gave way 
 to the storm, and consented to disarm; nay 
 more, publicly to deny her having ever in- 
 tended to injure that party, in whose sup- 
 port she had expended her treasures, and 
 for whom, in more auspicious feras, she 
 would have involved Europe in blood and 
 hostilily. The high reputation which so 
 signal a success reflected on the councils ol 
 Great Britain, was contrasted and rendered 
 more splendid by a comparison with the 
 fallen stale of her antient rival, who, only a 
 few years preceding these events, in conjunc- 
 tion with America, had seemed to give laws 
 in every quarter of the globe. The energy 
 and wise precaution of the minister did not, 
 however, remit its vigilance, or content itself 
 with having liberated the Dutch republic, and 
 reinstated the stadtholder. Attentive to profit 
 by this fortunate and propitious moment, and 
 to avail himself of the gratitude, with which 
 the assistance extended to Holland had equally 
 impressed the government and the people, he 
 cemented those sentiments, by immediately 
 flaming, and eventually concluding, a defensive 
 treaty with the United Provinces. It was 
 signed in April 17B8, and was evidently built 
 on the model of that which had been termi- 
 nated, under the auspices of Vergennes, be- 
 tween France and Holland, towards the close 
 «f the year 1705. lleciprocal succours, naval 
 
 and military, were stipulated ; and the bands 
 of political union were drawn as close as 
 human wisdom and mutual interest could 
 devise. 
 
 This alliance, so much approved, and so 
 highly beneficial to England, was succeeded 
 by a second, similar in its tenor, nature, and 
 tendency, between the courts of St. James's 
 and Berlin, which was ratified in the month of 
 August, in the same year. They had been 
 preceded by a subsidiary treaty between Eng- 
 land and the landgrave of Hesse, which en- 
 abled the former power, on the payment of a 
 certain annual sum, to demand from the latter, 
 at a very short notice, a body of twelve thou- 
 sand troops. 
 
 Thus, in the space of only four years, which 
 might be said to have elapsed since the com- 
 plete triumph of the sovereign and the nation 
 over the " Coalition," had Great Britain, 
 under the conduct of a minister who had not 
 yet attained his thirtieth year, risen from a 
 state of unexampled depression to her antient 
 superiority among the European kingdoms. 
 The finances had been re-established by a 
 system of unremitting and severe oeconomy. 
 Commerce, aided and emancipated by the 
 wise regulations of an enlarged policy, opened 
 new sources, and navigated seas hitherto 
 unknown or unexplored, in tlie prosecution of 
 its objects. Public credit attained a point of 
 elevation and permanence, unparalleled since 
 the commencement of the unfortunate war 
 with America. The councils of England, 
 conducted on principles, not of a crooked du- 
 plicity, but of rectitude and magnanimity, 
 excited respect and approbation in the sur- 
 rounding states, while they diffused prospe- 
 rity aud felicity over every part of the island. 
 
 Political alliances, and connexions on the 
 continent, added the prospect of stability to 
 every measure, which was calculated for 
 internal security or commercial advantage. 
 The calamities of lord Norths administration, 
 and the anarchy which succeeded that unfor- 
 tunate period ; the defalcation of thirteen 
 provinces, and of both the Floridas, from the 
 empire ; the disgraces of Saratoga, and of the 
 Chcsapeak ; the tumults and conflagration of 
 London ; in a word, the varied and accumu- 
 lated misfortunes, which, in a long series of 
 years, had oppressed and almost overwhelmed 
 the commonwealth, were alreatly erased fro-ni 
 the recollection. A mild aud happy calm had
 
 ' HAP. XXXI.] GEORGE III. 
 
 .smoothed these troubled waves. The sove- j The frequent consideration of the affairs ot 
 reign was deservedly dear to every rank and « India liad led to the accnsatiou ol'sir Elijah 
 order of his subjects, who united in regarding 5 Inipey. The charges adduced against him 
 him as their father ^nd benefactor. The I were of the following tenor; that he had. 
 government, beloved at home, was respected ; acted as the instrument of Mr. Hastings in 
 abroad ; and the people, happy beyond the | the unprincipled attack on the life of the rajah 
 example of former times, looked up with $ Nunducomar, whom he unjustly condemned 
 equal affection and veneration towards the 5 to death; that he had betrayed great par 
 source of these ninltiplied benefits. j tiality and injustice in the Patna cause; that 
 
 Bit amidst the present flattering aspect of ^ he had systematically extended his jurisdic- 
 affairs, an unexpected and disastrous change | tion ; that he had behaved improperly in the 
 was preparing to manifest itself, which no | Cossijurah cause, had accepted an additional 
 human prudence could have foreseen, or pre- 5 office in defiance of an act of parliament, and 
 cautions delayed. We were destined to ex- 1 was an abettor of the schemes of the governor- 
 perience, in its fullest extent, the mutability ? general against the begums of Oude and Cheit 
 of fortune, and frangibility of greatness; to | Sing. When he had made his defence ,-00 
 hold out a memorable lesson to our own and \ at the bar, it was moved that the first 
 to future times, that the splendor and felicity ; charge should be declared to be a ground of 
 of man, however solid the foundations on I impeachment, after a long speech from sir 
 which they may seem to repose, are in the J Gilbert Elliot, who contended, that the autho- 
 hands of a superior Being, who confers or | rity of the court by which the rajah was tried 
 withdraws them in an instant. I am arrived \ did not extend over all the inhabitants of 
 at that awful and affecting period, when the 5 British India ; that, if it had, the act which 
 feelings of all those, who shall peruse these \ rendered forgery a capital crime was not in- 
 sheets, will anticipate my own ; and which, J tended to be operative in that country ; and 
 from a variety of motives, I should wish to > that sir Elijah appeared, throughout the 
 cover under a veil of oblivion, if the publicity I business, as the agent and solicitor for the pro- 
 of the great leading facts, and, still more, if|secution, rather than an impartial adminis- 
 the instruction conveyed by the narration { trator of justice. Mr. Fox reinforced the 
 itself, as one of tlie mo.^t interesting portions | arguments of sir Gilbert; but Mr. Pitt viudi- 
 of modern annals, did not supersede my per- > cated the conduct of the judge, and main- 
 sonal inclinations. Jt is not, however, either : tained the applicability of the law to the 
 in my plan or my intention, to relate the i inhabitants of Calcutta, as one of whom the 
 private history of that extraordinary period ; ; rajah was tried ; and, by a majority of 18, the 
 or to drag into day-light facts and anecdotes, | charge was rejected. The house postponed 
 which, curious and entertaining as they must i the investigation of the other articles ; and no 
 appear to posterity, are in every sense unfit i impeachment resulted from the whole inquiry, 
 for the perusal of the present age. Sentiments J The friend of the judge who so easily es- 
 of duty, delicacy, and respect towards a prince ! caped judicial cognisance, was subjected to 
 inexpressibly dear to his people ; towards a | a long trial before the high court of peers in 
 queen, who, for a long series of years, and in j Westminster-hall.* When the articles of 
 every relation of domestic life, has been blame- ; accusation and the answers had been read, 
 less and exempliiry ; towards those illustrious | the lord-chancellor asked who appeared to 
 persons, on whom the sceptre of George III. ; substantiate the charges. " I stand forth,"' 
 must, in the ordinary progress of events, ; said Mr. Burke, "at the command of the 
 devolve ; even motives of prudence, propriety, ! commons of. Great Britain, as the accuser of 
 and decorum arrest my pen, and prevent * Warren Hastings." He then commenced a 
 me from shading a picture, the outline only of 5 wonderful display of eloquence, which occu- 
 ■which, it is either wise or necessary to hold ; pied the attention of the court, and a nun^e- 
 up to the public eye, placed as we are so near ; rous assemblage of admiring auditors, during 
 the object. Previous, however, to entering | four days of trial. After an interesting appeal 
 into a detail of the proceedings on the regency, i to the justice of the tribunal, he detailed the 
 it will be necessary to return to less important j history of Hindostan from early times, and 
 subjects. , I # Xhe first day of the trial was the 13th of February. 
 
 3 H 2
 
 420 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 exhibited a luminous view of the successive 
 goveriinieiits, (hu institutions civil and religious, 
 the arts, customs, and manners, of the various 
 tribes of inhabitants. He traced the progress 
 of English inlrusion, and minutely described 
 liie establishments made by our countrymen. 
 He lamented that, instead of acting as friends 
 or instructors of the natives, they had marked 
 
 [chap. XXXI. 
 
 tion of one charge, Mr. Hastings should be 
 required to detend liimself particnlail\ af-^uinst 
 that article, before another sliould be Ijrougiit 
 forward ; but, though this proposal was jus- 
 tified by reason and precedent, it was pro- 
 nounced by the lord-chancellor to be contrary 
 to the general practice of courts of law ; anil 
 a majority of the peers ordered, that all the 
 
 their way by treachery and rapine, and had { charges should be heard before the defence 
 taught rice rather than virtue. He expatiated | should be demanded. The managers acqui- 
 ou their unjust proceedings, their usurpations v esced iu this dictation, though Mr. Fox de- 
 of power, and their frequent enormities. He $ clared that it was the right of the commons 
 particularised the acts of Mr. Hastings, deve- \ to pursue any mode which they n)ight deem 
 loped his system of policy, exposed his arbi- | most conducive to public justice, and to 
 trary and rapacious views, and endeavoured 5 follow the constitutional law of parliament in 
 to hold him up to universal execration, as a { preference to the rules of inferior courts, 
 monster of tyranny. The governor-general | This speaker then asserted the r, . ^^^ 
 had atter»pted to justify some of his oppres- > pride which he felt in being thus ^ ' 
 
 employed. He boasted of the deliberate and 
 dispassionate manner in which the inipeach- 
 ment had been brought forward, not by the 
 men who had the chief sway in the house of 
 commons, but by a party that had little 
 weight or influence, and whose endeavours 
 could only be successful from being exerted 
 in the cause of truth and justice. Proceeding 
 to the Benares charge, he observed, that when 
 the supposed sovereignty of this district had 
 been transferred by the nabob of Oude to the 
 company, Mr. Hastings assumed a greater 
 power over Cheit Sing than his former lord- 
 paramount had ventured to exercise ; that he 
 violated his compact with the rajah by de- 
 mands of extraordinary supplies in three 
 successive years ; that he seemed to be actu- 
 ated on these occasions by personal animosity, 
 not less than by a spirit of rapine ; that he 
 converted what had been a mere recommenda- 
 tion from the council of Calcutta into an 
 authoritative demand, by requiring from the 
 rajah a body of cavalry ; and accepted (for 
 the use of the company, as he afterwards 
 alleged) a sum of money apparently intended 
 to purchase a rescue from future tyranny. 
 Not content with these exactions, the gover 
 nor undertook a journey to Benares, to extort 
 a very exorbitant fine, for what he termed the 
 contumacy of the rajah ; refused to admit him 
 to an audience ; and commanded the seizure 
 of his person. For the sanguinary attack 
 upon the soldiers who executed this order, by 
 the enraged dependants of Cheit Sing, Mr, 
 Hastings was certainly accountable. 
 
 On the, next day of trial, Mr, Grey closed 
 
 sions by alleging, that, as he found the people 
 in a state of'slavery, he had a right to exercise 
 a despotic authority over them. From what 
 source, the orator asked, could he derive such 
 aright? Not from the India company; not 
 from his sovereign, or from either house of 
 parliament ; not from the Koran, the insti- 
 tutes of Timour, or the Gentoo code; for by 
 none of these could it be said that despotism 
 was sanctioned. The claim only arose from 
 his own depraved mind and distorted concep- 
 tions. He seemed to have adopted a geo- 
 graphical species of morality, and to have 
 for.ned his ideas of the rights of n)en, and the 
 principles of government, by the degrees of 
 latitude and longitude, without considering 
 that the immutable principles of justice were 
 suited to every clime, and requisite for every 
 plan of aduiinistration. He did not scruple 
 to en)ploy the most infamous vilhiins as his 
 agents, and was therefore answerable for the 
 enormous cruelties perpetrated by those ruffi- 
 ans — cruelties which the accuser depicted 
 with such warnuh of colouring, that some of 
 his female hearers were convulsed with horror. 
 
 Mr. Burke concluded his speech, or rather 
 his course of orations, by impeaching Mr. 
 Hastings, in the names of insulted and op- 
 pressed millions ; in the name of that religion 
 which he had disgraced, of that constitution 
 from wli-ich he lad wantonly deviated, of that 
 system of eternal justice which he had basely 
 violated, which was paramount to all civil 
 ordinances, and coeval with the law of nature. 
 
 Thk committee appointed to manage the 
 iinpeachineut proposed, that, after the adduc-
 
 CHAP. XXXI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 421 
 
 the charge with spirit and elepance. He 
 aiiiinadverted on the allegations of inisgoveni- 
 inent, of a coiiceahnent of great treasures, of 
 an insubmissive and rebellious spirit— impu- 
 tations which vvere by no means proved against 
 Cheit Sing. He noticed the rajah's behaviour 
 under the tlisgrace of an arrest, in vrhich he 
 had acquiesced with humiliation, not without 
 mildly remonstrating against such treatment. 
 He remarked that, under the sway of a Mo- 
 hammedan prince, this vassal had found pro- 
 tection, but that, under British sovereignty, 
 his portion was misery. He reprobated the 
 orders given for phindering the fort, in which 
 the mother and the wife of Cheit Sing resided, 
 and contrasted the subsequent condition of 
 the country with its prosperous state under 
 the rajah. 
 
 Witnesses were then examined with a 
 view of substantiating this charge, and many 
 papers were read for the same purpose. Mr. 
 Anstruther summed up the evidence with 
 ability, but was less animated than the three 
 preceding speakers. 
 
 The next charge was opened by Mr. Adam, 
 who entered into geograpiiical and historical 
 • details relative to Oude, treated of the Imeage 
 and quality of the begums, invalidated the 
 pretences for depriving them of their property, 
 and execrated the iniiumanities to which they 
 and their friends iiad been exposed. Mr. 
 Pelham enlarged on the same subject; and, 
 after a series of evidence, the talents of Mr. 
 Sheridan illustrated the same charge. Having 
 offered some remarks on the peculiar sanctity 
 of the female character .in the I^ast, he detailed 
 the injurious treatment which had been offered 
 to the begums, instead of that protection 
 which was due to their persons and property. 
 Their treasures, he said, had been guaranteed 
 to them by treaty ; but no agreements could 
 bind Mr. Hastings when he thought it his 
 interest to infringe them ; and, in the prose- 
 cution of his rapacious aims, he had even 
 armed the son against the mother. He had 
 repaired to the capital of Oude, and, regard- 
 less of the distress of the nabob, had drawn 
 from him £100,000, for the benefit of the 
 company, or rather for his own advantage, \ „ 
 He had even propagated the report of a rebel ; trivial and transitory 
 
 lion in that province, that he might have a 
 pretence for a renewal of rapine. Of the 
 rebellion uo proof appeared, even in the affi- 
 davits upon which so much stress had been 
 laid by the governor-general. Far from giving 
 any encouragement to refractory spirits, or to 
 the enemies of the British government, the 
 begums had shown a sincere regard for our 
 interests; and, at a time when Mr. Hastings 
 was in very perilous circumstances, they were 
 ready to assist him, rather than promote his 
 ruin. The commotions of Oude arose from 
 the rapacity and violence of the English, not 
 from the intrigues or the machinations of se- 
 cluded females. The charge of rebellion was 
 not devised by the governor before he had 
 determined on the ruin of the begums ; it was 
 an after-thought, suggested as a medium of 
 justification. The idea of seizing tiieir trea- 
 sures originated with him, not with the nabob,- 
 by whom it was subserviently adopted,^ on 
 pretence of a right derived from the Koran ; 
 and, though that prince was very unwilling 
 to concur in the resumption of their jaghirs, 
 the governor insisted on the execution of both 
 measures. He ordered Mr. Middleton to 
 prosecute both services with the most active 
 zeal, till the begums should be entirely at the 
 mercy of the nabob ; but, for the consequent 
 cruelties perpetrated at Fyzabad, he did not 
 hold hinistlf responsible, because he was not 
 present on the occasion. He sent an Impey 
 to invigorate the flagging, conscience of a 
 Middleton, while an AH Khan was eHCOU- 
 raged by the more determined villany of a 
 Hyder Beg. 
 
 When Mr. Sheridan had expatiated on these 
 points, had embellished his harangue with ele- 
 gant effusions of morality and sentim-nt, he 
 concluded with a forcible ap|)eai to tie justrce 
 of his noble auditors. His speec*" was uni- 
 versally admired ; and, if he hads'^en no other 
 specimen of his abilities, the record of this 
 alone would, transmit his rame to posterity 
 witirdistinguished lustre But. «'»'> »" ^he 
 applause which it obf^med, it did not make 
 such an impression < a the peers as to convince 
 the majority of coe guilt of the impeached 
 governor : in that point of view, its eti'ect was
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 Ill 7ir|' 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1788 to 1789.] 
 
 Tranquil Situation of England — Alarming Indisposition of his Majesty — Grief and Loyalty 
 of the Nation — Debates, on the proposal of a Rcgenvy, bctaeen the Ministerial Party aiid 
 that of the Prince of Wales — Recovery of his Majesty — National Exultation — Parlia- 
 mentary Acts — Bill for the relief of Protestant Dissenters — Chatiges in the 3Jitiistry. 
 
 n'T is not easy to imagine or to parallel, in 
 H the history of the eighteenth century, a 
 period of more perfect serenity, than that 
 which England presented in the autumn of 
 1788. The king, accompanied by the queen, 
 and surrounded by his family, after having 
 tried the effects of a relaxation from public 
 business, and of the medicinal waters of Chel- 
 tenham, had returned to Windsor, not indeed 
 in a state of vigorous health, but by jio means 
 in any such declining state of indisposition, as 
 to excite alarm among his subjects. The 
 prince of Wales, as usual, passed the summer 
 at his marine pavilion at Brighthelmstone. 
 Mr. Pitt, occupied in the functions of his 
 station, was detained in the vicinity of *the 
 capital ; while Mr. Fox, whose faculties of 
 body and mind had been not a little exercised 
 and exhausted, by a toilsome attendance in 
 Covent Gtiden, during the extreme heats of 
 August, which was thought requisite to secure 
 the election oi'^rd John Townshend, as mem- 
 ber for Westmir.ster, indulged a degree ,of 
 necessary repose, uid withdrew for a short 
 time from the hurry of political life. He 
 q^uitted England, and repaired to Switzerland 
 and Italy, as a scene calculated to amuse and 
 entertain, while it restored and invigorated a 
 constitution, impaired by constant exertion. 
 The great leaders of ministry and opposition, 
 having laid aside their political animosities, 
 were dispersed, in peaceful inactivity, over 
 every part of the kingdom. From this state 
 of public recreation and felicity the nation 
 
 was suddenly and rudely awoke, by the reports 
 of his majesty being attacked by an unexpect- 
 ed and dangerous illness. The precise nature 
 of it was for several days unascertained and 
 unexplained, even to those, whose residence 
 near the court should have enabled them to 
 obtain early and authentic information. Mean- 
 while, fame augmented the evil ; and the 
 death of the sovereign was believed either to 
 have already taken place, or to be imminent 
 or inevitable. 
 
 The grief and distraction which were mani- 
 fested in every part of the island, on the pub- 
 lication of this calamitous event, can only be 
 compared with that of the Roman people, on 
 the news of Germanicus being seized with 
 mortal symptoms at Antioch ; as the distress- 
 ful situation of the queen bore some resem- 
 blance to that of Agrippina. Passim silentia 
 et genitus, nihil compositwm in ostentatioiiem, 
 et quampiam neq7te insignibus Ivgentium absti- 
 jierent, altiiis animis mcerebant. Time, how- 
 ever, gradually divulged the truth, and changed 
 the apprehensions of the nation for the situa- 
 tion ot the king. His disorder was under- 
 stood to have fallen upon the brain, and to 
 have produced (as might be expected) a tem- 
 porary privation of reason. As the cause of 
 this alienation of mind was extraneous and 
 violent, it might be hoped that it coidd only 
 be of short duration ; but the issue was un 
 certain, while the suspension of all govern 
 ment, and of every function attached to tha 
 kingly dignity, was immediate and iudisputa-
 
 CHAP. XXXII.j GEORGE III. 423 
 
 ble. A species of inter-regnuni in fact took | of health, arrived in London, and assumed 
 j)lace ; though unaccompanied by any ofjlnsju.sl pre-eminence in the councils of his 
 those circumslaiH-es, which usually charac- ; pariy. 
 
 ttrize and attend ihat uufortunate stalf The | Those councils evinced their nature and 
 kiiii;doui, anxious, and with -yes directed \ object as soon as their late adjournment was 
 towards their sovereign, l.'trayed no symptoms | at an end ; and Mr. Fox, generonsly, thouo-h 
 of confusion, anarchj. or civil commotion. | perhaps injudiciously, stepping forward in 
 The (jrst minister conlinued to exercise, by | the senate, rather laid claim to the vacant 
 a general submission and consent, the powers I sceptre, in the name and on the behalf of the 
 delegated to him Ijefore the "kings indispo- | heir-appr.reut, as belongino- and devolving on 
 sition ; and the political machine, well con- 5 him of right, than preferred his pretensions 
 structed and properly organized, sustainetl no | with modesty and submission, at the bar of 
 derangement or injury from this shock, i the assembled nation. Perhaps a step, n)ore 
 except those inseparably connected with delay ; injurious to the great personage whom it was 
 in the transactions, or negotiations, pending I ii'iended to serve, or more prea,iianl with 
 ■ with foreign courts. j consequences t«> be deprecated, of ievery kind, 
 
 ,„o„ Meanwhile, the heir to the monar- I could not have been devised or executed. 
 ■ chv had quitted Brighthelmstone, on ; Perhaps too, when time shall have withdiawn 
 the first inforn»ation of his father's malady, ; that curtain, which is still siretched across 
 and repaired to Windsor, whither he was { these interesting events, we may discover, thai 
 followed by the duke of York. Physicians ! in advancing so nnquaiitied a demand of the 
 were called in, though iiieflectually ; and as ■ regency, lie did not precisely follow, the dic- 
 the nature of the distemper, and of its final ; tates of his own elevaied mind and illuminated 
 termination, opened a witie field to conjecture, :judj;ment. It awakened a jealous s|)irit of 
 change, and alteration, an express was sent to ; enquiry into the supposed origin and founda- 
 Overtake Mr. Fox, in whatever part of the ; lion of that asserted right, in the breasts even 
 continent he might be found, and to entreat ; of the most lilieral and unprejudiced. It com- 
 that he would return without delay to England. ; pelled administration to probe that problema- 
 The two houses of parliament, in conse- > lical and obscure part of the British constitu- 
 quence of the preceding prorogation, met in ; tion. It reminded those, to whom the writings 
 a few dajs subsequent to the.-e extraordinary j of Siiakspeare were familiar, of that affectiu" 
 events. The general agitation and curiosity, ; and pathetic scene, in which Henry IV., 
 even if they had not been aided by other : under a temporary privation of his faculties, 
 emotions, of hope and (ear, of ambition and ; finds, on his recovery, that his eldest son has 
 of puldic duty, would alone have produced ; carried away the insignia of royal dignity, 
 a numerous attendaiice. Mr. Pitt opened the | w l.ich, had he only waited a few hours, would 
 sul)ject of their meeting in a \ery concise and ; have been his by devolution, 
 pathetic manner; lamenieci ihe occasion, ex- i The discernment of Mr. Pitt saw, and 
 pressed his hope i hat the cause would speedily > instantly enabled him to profit liv, this error 
 be removed, and, in pursuance of that idea, i in his antagonist. He demanded the discussion 
 advised an immediate adjournment for a i and decision of so great and leading a priiici- 
 fortnight. The proposition was received in > pie, which led to conclusions unlimited and 
 deep silence by the opposite side of the house, ; undefined, as well as subversive of the tenure 
 and assented to 1,1 mute acquiescence. Their j on which a king of lingland had originally 
 leader was not yet arrived ; and consequently ; received his crown ; previous to any ulterior 
 time was wanted to adjust and determine on ; disf)osition and distribution of offices. He 
 their plan of action, under circumstances so j was joined by a majority of the house in this 
 delicate and unprecedented. In the interval ; req.iisition, and thus commenced his resistance 
 ■which took place, his majesty was removed i under auspices and circumstances peculiarly 
 to the palace of Kew. The prince of Wales j favourable. It was in vain that the prince 
 returned to Cai Iton-house; and Mr. Fox, « of Wales, already rendered sensible of the 
 impatiently expected, after a journey, which I injury which his cause had sustained in par- 
 he performed with incredible expedition, from I liaineiit, and among the people, by Mr. Foxs 
 liologua, in a very infirm and disordered state ;. unqualified claim of right, endeavoured t*
 
 424 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 wave and prevent all ftirther discussion of so 
 invidious a snl.ject. It was in vain that the 
 duiie of Yoriv, in his brolher's name, and hy 
 hisanthority. renounced Hiiy snch assumption 
 of power, and made this public dechiralion in 
 the house of lords. Nor was Mr. Fox's 
 attempt to qualify iiis first asseriion, and to 
 give it a more mitijiated sense, received with 
 better success in the other house. 
 
 The assertion of the right of the heir appa- 
 rent to the regency, induced the minister to 
 propose the discussion of that jjoint, before 
 any steps were taken to supply the deficiency 
 in the government. iVlr. Slieridan deprecated 
 the agitation of this topic as iiiHamniatory ; 
 but Mr. Pitt thonglit that less mischief would 
 result from the consideration of it, than from 
 leaving it undecided. Before it was investi- 1 
 gated, a warm debate arose in the upper 
 house, in which, alter earl Fitzwilliam had 
 recommended a forbearance of dispute upon 
 this point, the dukes of York and Glocester 
 also opposed the discuss^ion, particularly as 
 their royal relative had no idea of assuming or 
 exercising any power (whatever might be his 
 claim) l)ut that which should be derived from 
 the authority of the lords and commons. Jt 
 was on this occasion that the lord-chancellor, 
 while he wished the question to be postponed, 
 expressed his grateful sense of the kinciuess 
 of his sovereign, by saying, JJ 1 ever Jorget 
 him, may God forget me. 
 
 Mk. Pitt did not consider the question of 
 right as a point of abstract specn atinn ; it 
 was, he said, a question of fact an<i of |n» re- 
 dent rather than of theory. He refened to 
 the reign of Henry VI. for the most analogous 
 cases. In the minority of tiiat pruick-, the 
 parliament had appointed a regent, or pro- 
 tector, and had subjected him to llie control 
 of a council. A similar course had hern pur- 
 sued when the same monarch, in(lis|)Osed in 
 body and in mind, was incapable of governing. 
 He instanced other cases, in which an ap- 
 poiniuient had taken place, proving the sense 
 of our ancestors to have been adverse to a 
 claim of right on the part of the heir apparent. 
 As precedent thus favoured his opmion, 
 reason also led to the same conclusion ; tor 
 on the incapacitation of the royal branch of 
 the legislature, the right of providing for the 
 security of the realm seemed properly to 
 belong to the hereditary counsellors of the 
 king and the representatives of the people. 
 
 [chap. XXXI r. 
 
 He moved three resolutions ; one asserting the 
 incapacity of the sovereign, another declaring 
 it to be the right and duty of tiie lords and 
 conniions to a«ijwst the mode of supplying the 
 detect of tiie personal exercise of the king's 
 authority, and the third stating the necessity 
 of their devising the means of giving the royal 
 assent to such a bill as they might frame for 
 the regulation of the powers and authorities 
 adapted to the present exigency. The master 
 o( the rolls denied the prince's right ; but liis 
 claim was asserted by lord North, who would 
 not allow that any former case could justify 
 tlie proposed interference of the two houses. 
 Mr. Fox spoke diffusely on the same topics; 
 argued that the usage which rendered the 
 crown hereditary, was also applicable to the 
 regency ; and said, that the peers and com- 
 mons had no other concern in the supply of 
 the vacancy of the executive power, than 
 merely to adjudge the regent office to the 
 princely claimant. On a division, Mr. Pitt 
 was supported by 2G8 voices, while 204 dis- 
 approved of his suggestions. 
 
 The debate was renewed when -p. 
 the three resolutions were reported. * 
 
 Sir Grey Cooper opposed the second and 
 third as unnecessary and unjustifiable ; Mr. 
 Windham professed the same sentiments; 
 and Mr. Anstrulher cautioned the house 
 against the danger of misapplying the great 
 seal. Mr. Dempster moved without effect, 
 that the prince should be requested to act as 
 regent, and give the royal assent to the pro- 
 posed bill. Mr. Burke particularly inveighed 
 against the third resolution, which, he said, 
 was pregnant with peril and alarm. The 
 scheme of creating a puppet or pageant, to 
 supply the place of a king, by first putting the 
 great seal \ to a cominission for opening the 
 jiarliament, and afterwards to another for 
 passing a bill, was palpably unconstitutional ; 
 and it might be carried by and)itious men to 
 an unwarrantable extreme. Such an appre- 
 hension, the solicitor-general observed, was 
 ill-founded ; for the necessity which created 
 the right would also limit that right. Lord 
 North reprobated that extraordinary assump- 
 tion of power, which would create a phantom 
 for ministerial purposes, and extinguish for 
 the time the executive branch of the constitu- 
 tion. Mr. F'ox affirmed that such a legislature 
 as was now proposed, was more dangerous 
 than even a direct usurpation of the two
 
 CHAP. XXXII.] 
 
 CliORGE 111. 
 
 42i 
 
 houses ; for a conduct of the hitter kind 
 would not be endured Uy the people, \\hereas 
 the former, being apparently sanctified by 
 the exteriors of the constitution, however 
 destitute of its spirit, might insidiously lead 
 to the greatest mischiefs. That this monster 
 of a legislature was intended to limit the 
 ])0\ver of the regent, was, he added, a very 
 alarming consideration, derogatory from <he 
 honour of the crown, and repugnant to the 
 national welfare. Mr. Pitt defended the in- 
 tention of using the king's name without his 
 consent, when that use was directed by the 
 wisdom of the parliament ; and vindicated tlie 
 restriction of regent power, that no injury 
 nii^ht arise from eventual misconduct to the 
 authority of the sovereign. 
 
 The proceedings of the commons were 
 delayed for a week by the indisposition and 
 death of Mr. Cornwall, the speaker, and the 
 election of Mr. Grenville to the vacant office. 
 The re-examination of the physicians, pro- 
 posed by Mr. Loveden, formed another cause 
 of delay; and even after the comn)ittee had 
 reported ihe result, the house made a slow 
 progress. Mr. Pitt, naming the heir of the 
 crown for the regent, brought forward a plan 
 of restriction, which, he said, would still leave 
 sufficient; power in the hands of the prince to 
 provide for the public security and welfare. 
 One of the limitations had reference to the 
 creation of peers; another tended to prevent 
 the grant of pensions or places for life ; he 
 also proposed, that the officers of the house- 
 hold should not be controlled by the regent, 
 but should be subject to the directions of the 
 queen ; and that her majesty, assisted by a 
 council, should have the care of the kings 
 person. Mr. Powys was disgusted with these 
 invidious restrictions, these mutilations of the 
 constitutional authority of the crown, which 
 were inconsistent with the spirit of the late 
 vote for the renovation of the executive power ; 
 and he moved for the investment of the prince 
 with the undivided royal authority. Lord 
 North dreaded very serious evils from the 
 adoption of the minister's plan, repugnant as 
 it was to the constitution, and promotive of 
 jealousy, animosity, and contest. The pew 
 speaker of the house plausibly defended the 
 limitations, as barriers against the ill advice 
 >yhich might be given to the prince. Mr. 
 Sheridan was lively and sarcastic ; and he 
 did not scruple to impute malignant and 
 
 3 I 
 
 factious motives to the fnimers of (his dan- 
 gerous scheme. Colonel Fullarton ably com- 
 bated the restrictions, which, he thought, were 
 not oidy hostile to the constitution, but 
 threatened the realm with all the mischiefs of 
 imbecility and distracticm. He therefore 
 trusted, that every man who had a regard for 
 the welfare of his country would concur in 
 the rejection of the plan. Mr. Fox inveighed 
 against the illiberality of fettering a prince, of 
 whose abuse of power no just suspicions 
 could be entertained, and condemned the im- 
 policy of creating such a weak and disjointed 
 government. By a difference of 7.3 votes, a 
 negative was put on the motion of Mr. Powys. 
 
 The grant of unusual power to the queen 
 was opposed by lord Mainland, who hinted 
 that her majesty might be induced or advised 
 to conceal the king's recovery ; and Mr. Bou- 
 verie, though he wished her to be the guardian 
 of the royal person, moved that she should 
 have no power over the household. Mr. 
 Grey was apprehensive that such power 
 might, by sinister councils, be rendered mis- 
 chievous. Mr. Fox did not think that any 
 ill effects could arise from the free creation of 
 peers by the regent, to whose proper authority 
 this branch of the prerogative was necessary ; 
 but he had strong grounds for disapproving 
 the allowance of power to the queen, because 
 wholly needless, and might be exercised to 
 the great detriment of the state. After several 
 divisions, the popositions were voted accord- 
 ing to the w ishes of the ministry. 
 
 In the house of peers, the restrictive reso- 
 lutions were enforced by the weighty recom- 
 mendation of earl Camden, who pronounced 
 them to be justifiable, expedient, and politic, 
 and ridiculed the objections of those who 
 apprehended counteractive influence from the 
 lords of the bedchamber, as if the patronage 
 of the navy, of the army, the church, the law, 
 and other departments, would not be suffi- 
 cient for the purposes ot government, without 
 a supplementary authority over the officers of 
 the household. The bishop of LlandafF (Dr. 
 Watson) conceived that the only proper mode 
 of supplying the preseiit deficiency would be, 
 to declare the prince of Wales regent ; after 
 which step any limitations that seemed to 
 be necessary might be discussed. The re- 
 striction relative to the peerage was censured 
 by the earl of Sandwich, lord Storraont, and 
 other noblemen, who thought that occasions 
 27
 
 420 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND 
 
 [CHAP. XXXII. 
 
 of rewarding merit by such a grant might ; hurled from the throne, and reduced to the 
 arise, and that this apj>€ndage of royalty | condition of the meanest peasant, 
 might be usefully exercised against a factious ; The month of December elapsed in these 
 confederacy. That part of the scheme which i contests, and the year 1789 commenced under 
 tended to deprive the regent of all power over i the most gloomy presages. Mutual asperity 
 the personal estate of the king, was attacked ; and reproach embittered every debate. No 
 by lord Loughborough, who said, that the \ appearances of convalescence or recovery, so 
 subsisting -law of the land s'^cured this pro- j ardently anticipated by the nation, had yet 
 
 perty from encroachment, and that the reso 
 lution would convey unjust suspicions of the 
 1789 P''"*^*^** honour. These and other 
 objections were fruitless ; the resolu- 
 tions were adopted by the peers ; and a joint 
 address was presented to the prince, request- 
 ing him to accept the limited regency. Mr. 
 Pitt had before communicated to him an 
 outline of the intended plan, and had received 
 an answer of strong disapprobation ; but he 
 consented to undertake the office, that no 
 danger might arise from a longer suspension 
 of the exercise ot the royal authority. 
 
 Recourse was now had to the great seal, 
 that the parliament might be opened in form, 
 though Mr. Burke stigmatised this procedure 
 by the appellation of a robbery, and accused 
 the ministers of committing a forgery and 
 fraud to support violence, and prose* ute the 
 climax of viilany. The meeting being thus 
 legitimated, the bill of regency was introduced. 
 It was assailed by Mr. Burke with his usual 
 intemperance. The princes of the royal blood 
 being excluded from the care of the king's 
 person, and the queen's council and the house- 
 hold being likely to be factious, he said that 
 the whole house of Brunswick was by this 
 attainted, outlawed, excommunicated, and 
 that it would render the prince a mere cipher, 
 a clerk to the officers of state. He made 
 other hyperbolical remarks, to which the 
 house paid no regard. A new point'warmly 
 *Jebated was, whether the restoration of the 
 king's health should be determined by the 
 two houses, or his authority should be re- 
 sumed on the mere declaration of his compe- 
 tence by the queen's counsellors, and some 
 nieinbtrs of the privy-council. The latter 
 mode was recommended with success by 
 Mr. Pitt and Mr. Dundas ; while Mr. Mar-' 
 sham and Mr. Powys thought that constitu 
 
 manifested themselves in the malady of the 
 king. In addition to the keenest sensations 
 of private distress, as a mother and a wife, 
 the queen saw herself on the point of being 
 placed in the most painful, though indispen- 
 sably necessary situation ; that of being en- 
 trusted with the care of the royal person, and 
 of standing in a sort of rivalry and competi 
 tion to her eldest son. The prince, who 
 aspired to a regency unfettered by any restric- 
 tions, betrayed, in his reply to a letter which 
 the first minister addressed to him, and in 
 which the great features of thai intended 
 delegation of the royal power were delineated, 
 his warm resentment and dissatisfaction at 
 many of those restrictions. He concluded, 
 however, by reluctantly and coldly consenting 
 to receive it, curtailed and degradetl as it 
 might be by ministerial or parliamentary dis- 
 trust. 
 
 A SECOND examination of the physicians 
 who had attended his majesty, durmg the 
 course of his disorder, which took place before 
 a committee of the house of commons, and 
 which was certainly not conducted, on the 
 part of opposition, with either delicacy or 
 judgment, tended to throw very little light 
 on the great object ot public enquiry ; the 
 probable duration and period of this affecting 
 malady. Mr. Pitt constantly and warmly 
 maintained the probability of its happy termi- 
 nation ; and regarding it as neither distant 
 nor hopeless, made the resumption of the 
 royal power by the sovereign with facility and 
 celerity, as soon as he should be enabled to 
 wield the sceptre, the first and leading prin- 
 ciple of all his measures and propositions. 
 
 The adherents of the prince of Wales saw 
 the prospect of his father's recovery through 
 a very different medium, and conceived it not 
 oiilj improbable, but to be hourly augiiieulmg 
 
 tional maxims required the former. In this \ in that improbability. They were sustained 
 discussion, Mr. burke gave offence by re- ; in this opinion by VVarren, as the minister 
 
 marking, with feelings (as some of his hearers 
 supposed) of joy and exultation, that the king 
 
 was confirmed in his opposite sentiments by 
 Willis; two physicians, on whose contradic- 
 
 had been smitten by the hand of the Almighty, [ tory prognostics and apprehensions each party
 
 CHAP. XXXIl] GEORGE III. 427 
 
 implicitly relied. Tiie former, at tlie summit 5 most to exclude hope, and while the house 
 of his profession, and tiiiqiieslionably pos- ; of commons were fully occupied, in framing 
 sessed of great medical skill, was yet accused | the principal component parts of the act 
 by the public voice of leaning in his inclina- | which was to establish the A-gency, Mr. Fox 
 tion towards the i)arty of the prince. The « withdrew from the scene; and quitting Lon- 
 latter, brought front a distant province, to ; don, retired to Bath. His disordered state of 
 attend the sovereign under his severe dis- 1 health was assigned as a pretext for this seces- 
 ordcr, and having been peculiarly conversant | sion, at so extraordinary and critical a junc- 
 in that species of disease, boldly and early I ture ; but the public conceived the motives of 
 asserted, that he entertained scarcely any | it to originate in very difltieiil causes. Dis- 
 doubts of the king's perfect re-establishment i sension and jealousy liii<l already peivaded the 
 at no remote period. The event fully justified | councils of Carlton-honse. The distribution 
 his prediction. | of offices, under the approaching regency, had 
 
 Meanwhile, the introduction of the propo- ? produced alienation among ihe chiefs. Aa 
 sitions, upon whicii the regency bill was meant > interior cabinet, different in its views, and 
 to be founded, and the restrictions intended 5 opposite in its objects, to the great ostensible 
 to be imposed upon the power of the future » leaders of the party attached to the prince of 
 regent, which were brought forward by the » Wales, had set up a separate standard, and 
 first ministtr in the house of commons, carried I formed a distinct interest. Difference of 
 the rage and virulence of party to the utmost \ opinion had manifested itself, upon some very 
 height. The negation of tlie power of crea- j delicate and personal points. Cabal and 
 ting peers ; the nomination of a council to \ intrigue had penetrated into tlie closet. His 
 assist the queen ; and t!ie complete reserva- | rojal highness was generally supposed to 
 tion of the royal liousehold ; were all arraigned j have experienced difficulties, if not peremp- 
 and condemned in the warnirst terms by Mr. | tory refusals of gralifying iiis wishes, on the 
 Fox, as dictated only by anil)ilion, and not I part of the duke of Portland ; and tJiat, iu 
 arisinij from state necessity, or even from i relation to persons and things, peculiarly near 
 regard 10 ihe situation of the monarch. The ; his heart. 
 
 hiNtory of France, under the unhappy reign I These numerous sources of disunion were 
 of Charles VI., was cited as bearing a n)anifest I still, however, in some measure concealed 
 resi-mblance to the present disastrous period ; ; from view by their very nature, and the mutual 
 anil a queen, equally venerated and beloved | interest and honour of the parties tiiemselves. 
 by the nation, was comjiared to the unnatural ; The great acts of parliamentary legislation 
 Isabella of Bavaria ; as her son the dauphin's \ proceeded, and were nearly approaching to 
 abandoned and persecuted state, was asserted \ their termination. A very short period, pro- 
 to be similar to that of the prince of Wales. 5 bably not exceeding three days, must have 
 
 Unmoved by these invectives, and sustained ; completed the bill, which was to declare the 
 by conscious rectitude of intention, the minis- \ incapacity of the sovereign to conduct the 
 ter steadily pursued his way ; nor was he, in i national affairs, and to transfer the sceptre, 
 this critical and distressing moment, deserted j though with diminished influence, to his son. 
 by either house of parliament. The chancellor, > The members of administration were on the 
 
 Thurlow, who, at the commencement of the 
 king's illness, had been supposed to have 
 listened to proposals for forming a part of a 
 new administration ; anxious to evince the 
 falsehood of so unjust an aspersion, and t;o 
 give the most unequivocal proofs of loyalty 
 and of adherence to his sovereign, under the 
 present circumstances, collected all the energy 
 of his mind, in the various appeals which he 
 successfully made to the honour and patriot- 
 ism of the house of lords. 
 
 In this stage of the public business, at a 
 moment when the king's situation appeared 
 
 3 I 2 
 
 point of resigning their charges, and the new 
 ministry, already settled, prepared to enter on 
 office ; while the English people, fondly at- 
 tached, by every sentiment of loyally and 
 affection, to their monarch, as well as from 
 gratitude and' esteem for the first minister, in 
 dejection and silence looked on, and saw the 
 government transferred to others, who, what- 
 ever abilities they might collectively possess, 
 certainly neither merited nor enjoyed the 
 general approbation and eonfidence. 
 
 But the term of in ter- regno m and misfortune 
 was now arrived ; and lh<? impending calamitf
 
 428 
 
 niSTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XXXII. 
 
 which had menaced England wilh all the evils 
 of a regency, Car moie^lo be deprecated and 
 dreaded than those from which the country 
 had escaped in 1781, >vas siidu'enly and unex- 
 pectedly dissipated. The disorder, under 
 Avhich the kins hiwl suffered during three 
 months, and of which the violence had hitherto 
 appeared to haffle all medical skill and exer- 
 tion, gradually but rapidly subsided. Sanity 
 of mind and reason resumed their seat, and 
 left no trace of their temporary subversion. 
 Tiine conlirmed the cure, and restored to his 
 snijjects a prince, rendered supremely and 
 pecidiarly dear to them by the recent prospect 
 and apprehension of his loss. The vision of 
 a regency faded and disappeared, as the sove- 
 reign came forward to public view, and Mas 
 totally extinguislied by the resumption of all 
 the regal functions. 
 
 The denifinstrations of natioiial joy far ex- 
 ceeded any recorded in the English annals, 
 and were probal)ly more real and unfeigned 
 than ever were offered on similar occasions. 
 It was not only thai a king beloved and ies- 
 pected was recovered from the most afflicting 
 of all situalions incident to humanity, and 
 en;dded to reascend the throne. Sentiments 
 of (!isapprol)a(ion, of general condemnation, 
 affixed to the measures and conduct of the 
 opposite parlyj heightened the emotions of 
 pleasure, by a comparison with that state from 
 which the kingdom had been so fortunately 
 delivered. No efforts of despotism, or man- 
 dates of absolute power, could have produced 
 the illuminations, which the capital exhibited 
 in testimony of its loyalty ; and these proofs 
 of attacliment were renewed and even aug- 
 mented, on the occasion of his majesty's tirst 
 appearance in public, and his solemn proces- 
 sion to St. Paul's^ to return thanks to heaven 
 for his recovery. Serenity and tranquillity, 
 so long banisljed, resumed their place, and 
 soon effaced the recollection of a calan)ity, 
 not more awful and alarming in its appearance 
 and progress, than speedily and happily ey- 
 linguished. 
 
 Among the most interesting matters which 
 were brought before parliament this session, 
 was the repeal of the corporation and test acts, 
 as far as related to protestant dissenters. The 
 application was made by a motion of Mr. 
 Beanfoy, which Mr. Fox supported with great 
 force of elocpience and argument; resting 
 cbieily on the reasonableness .aud natural 
 
 justice of restoring to persons of this descrip- 
 tion the privileges enjoyed by members of the 
 English church, and a full power, according 
 to their talents, of rendering themselves useful 
 to the state. His ro;isonings were combated 
 by the preniier, on the principles of expedi- 
 ency and civil utility : government, he assert- 
 ed, had a right to prevent any civil inconveni- 
 ence which such opinions might produce; 
 without waiting till, by their being carried 
 into action, the inconvenience should actually 
 arise. He considered the established church 
 as a part of the constitution of the country, 
 and the acts in question as justihable on the 
 principle of self-defence. They had now 
 existed for above a century, and had ever been 
 looked upon as one of the bulwarks of the 
 constitution. He was supported by lord 
 North, and the motion was rejected by a 
 majority of 122 to 102. The same fate attended 
 a bill introduced by earl Stanhope into the 
 house of peers, for relieving ujembers of the 
 church of England from sundry penalties and 
 disabilities, for ;ibsenting themselves from 
 service, and other things made punishable by 
 law, and for extending freedom in matters of 
 religion to all persons, papists only excepted. 
 By this bill it was intended, not only to repeal 
 the penal statutes relative to such offences, but 
 to give freedom of discussion, by speaking, 
 writing, and printing, on all religious subjects ; 
 a freedom which, it was feared, vtould be 
 highly prejudicial to the peace and welfare of 
 the community, by loosening the bands of 
 society, and opening a door to licentiousness 
 and civil disorder as well as to irreligion. 
 
 Before the close of the session, two bills 
 were passed, which are deserving our notice, 
 as of material importance to the commercial 
 world : one of these was introduced by a 
 motion, which Mr. Fox now repeated, for a 
 repeal of the shop-tax, which proved success- 
 ful ; the minister making no opposition to it. 
 The other was a bill, brought forward by the 
 chancellor of the exchequer, for repealing the 
 existing duties on tobacco, and substituting 
 duties of excise. The odium which had ever 
 attended the excise taxes in England, afforded 
 the friends of the manufacturers, who peti- 
 tioneil against the measure, strong grounds for 
 opposition, of which they availed themselves. 
 But the great addition which it promised to 
 the revenue, without any additional burden to 
 the community, was a circumstance that
 
 CHAP. .WXII.J 
 
 GEORGE: III. 
 
 42.9 
 
 outweighed the objections made to it, and 
 gave the phin the approbation of a great ma- 
 jority in both houses. 
 
 -.Such w(M'e the principal transactions of this 
 session, which was not closed till the begin- 
 ning of the month of August. In the mean 
 time, Mr. Grenville had been appointed secre- 
 tary of state, in the room of lord Sidney, and 
 
 Mr. Henry Addington was raised to the 
 vacant ciiair of the speaker. He was elected, 
 in opposition to sir Gilbert Elliot, by a ma- 
 jority of 215 to 142 votes ; and his sui)seqncnt 
 demeanor, in the discharge of all the duties 
 of his office, did honour to the patronage of 
 his friends, and to the judgment of the house 
 of commons. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 GEORGE IIL 
 
 [1789.] 
 
 An historical Sketch (continned) of the Rise and infant Prno-j-ess of the French Revolution ; 
 including Anecdotes of the principal Individuals connected with that important Event, and 
 developing the Causes by which it tvas occasioned and matured — Affairs of the Netherlands 
 and of Turkey. 
 
 THE attention of Europe, which had 
 been so powerfully attracted towards 
 England, during the continuance of the severe 
 indisposition of George HI., was now to be 
 directed to another object, scarcely less pro- 
 ductive of change, and pregnant with the 
 inost important consequences. France, so 
 long inured to servitude, and only tracing the 
 existence of her liberties in the page of for- 
 gotten historians or antiquaries ; whose fetters, 
 originally imposed by llichlieu, and strength- 
 ened by Mazarin, had been rivetted by the 
 lapse of nearly two centuries, by the proud 
 tyranny of Lewis XIV., and by the profligate 
 despotism of his successor : France, stimu- 
 lated by the writings of genius and pliilosophy, 
 \vhich, in defiance of arbitrary power, have 
 illuminated and dignified the present age, 
 aspired to freedom. The weakness of the 
 sovereign ; the incapacity or timidity of his 
 luiirislers ; the exhausted state of the treasury 
 
 and finances ; the unexampled and perti- 
 nacious opposition of the parliament of Paris, 
 to register or sanction the royal edicts for the 
 imposition of new taxes ; the failure of the 
 harvests, and consequent augmentation in the 
 price of bread ; all these concurring circum- 
 stances contributed to produce and accelerate 
 a revolution. 
 
 TiiE various parliaments of the kingdom, in 
 
 storms of energy and firmness, to which they 
 had been long disused, clamorously demanded 
 the immediate convocation of the states-gene- 
 ral, as the only constitutional or adequate 
 remedy to the distempers of the state. They 
 adhered to this requisition, not only in de- 
 fiance of the displeasure of the crown, which 
 was manifested by the banishment of the 
 parliament of Paris to Troves, in Champagne, 
 but in opposition to their own essential in- 
 terests, and even eventual existence. The 
 
 J nobility, attached by* so many lies to the
 
 430 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXIII. 
 
 sovereign, and the natural supporters of his 
 prerogative, irritated at the attempt made by 
 Calomie, and persisted in by the archbishop 
 of Toulouse, to dej)rive them of their exemp- 
 tion from the projected land-tax, or impot 
 territorial, joined the courts of judicature in 
 their refusal to register the measures proposed, 
 and forsook their hereditary maxims of policy, 
 to adopt the popular party. The irresolute 
 conduct of the first minister, under these | 
 delicate and trying circumstances, invigorated | 
 and emboldened the enemies of government ; X 
 and the spirit of remonstrance, complaint, and \ 
 menace, disseminated vvith industry, became | 
 daily more general and alarming. \ 
 
 The archbishop, after many inefficient and 1 
 unsuccessful plans for the re-establishment of | 
 the finances, and some ill-conceived exertions | 
 of severity and power against his opponents, } 
 fifelt himsfelf unequal to combat the gathering i 
 storm of national indignation ; and, retiring | 
 from a situation of danger and eminence, | 
 abandoned his master to the mercy of events. | 
 He even quitted France, and passed the 
 Alps into Italy ; as Calonne, under similar 
 expressions of general resentment, had' done 
 in the preceding year ; when, finding the 
 royal protection withdrawn, and already im- 
 peached by the parliament of Paris, he re- 
 treated first into Holland, and thence crossed 
 the sea to England. In this perplexed situa- 
 tion, Lewis XVI., compelled to dismiss one 
 minister, and forsaken by the other ; sur- 
 rounded with embarrassments, and having 
 only a choice of evils ; conscious that the 
 very foundations of his throne and monarciiy 
 were crumbling under his feet ; endowed with 
 no talents or great qualities, which niiglil 
 enable him to sustain his own dignity, coerce 
 his subjects, or 'restore order and energy ni 
 the public afl^airs ; alarmed and terrified at 
 the demonstrations of discontent vvhich ap- 
 peared in the capital and the provinces ; 
 under the pressure of these various consider- 
 ations and apprehensions, he embraced the 
 resolution of meeting the wishes of the nation, 
 and of laying the distresses of the crown 
 before the representatives of the people. 
 1789 Wecker, who had conducted the 
 financeN during the prosecution of the 
 late war with England, and who had attained 
 a very unmerited degree of popularity since 
 his dismission from office, was reinstated in 
 his employment of conjptroller-general. The 
 
 avowed enemy of Calonne, whom he accused 
 of peculation and malversation, he appeared 
 to the public in various controversial wrilings, 
 defamatory of that minister, and tenduig to 
 criminate him, as a defaulter, in the eyes of 
 France and of Europe. The famous Compte 
 rendu au Roi, in 1781, in which he laid open 
 to his own sovereign, and to all mankind, the 
 expenditure, revenue, and resources of his 
 country, may be regarded not only as an 
 unprecedented disclosure of the hitherto 
 sacred and unrevealed arcana of the French 
 monarchy ; but as having operated much 
 beyond the immediate and ostensible pretext 
 of his own justification, by awakening and 
 directing, the reflections of every class of men, 
 towards the profuse distribution of the public 
 treasure. 
 
 Simple in his exterior, and decent in his 
 manners, Necker attained the fame of disin- 
 terestedness and probity. Equally republican 
 in birth and in principles, he flattered by 
 these circunistances the prevailing spirit and 
 genius of the limes. Avowedly odious to the 
 party ot'the queen, and of the count d'Artois, 
 lie could hardly be supposed to possess the 
 real confidence or altdchnient of the king, 
 who had only been driven, by his own dis- 
 tress, and the current of popu-lar favour, to 
 have recourse to his assislisncf and services. 
 Dtficient in all the essmiinl qualities of a 
 great iiiinisler, and igimrani of those «iilarged 
 principhs ot taxation <iii<t rt venue, whn h were 
 alone competent to the exliicatum of so vast 
 a monaiciiy as France, he supplied these 
 defects by litll« arts and narrow [irojects, 
 adapted to the exiaeiicits of il.t (ia>. In the 
 canton of Bern, his talents inigiii hnvf eiitiiletl 
 him 10 i^-spect, and they would iiave Ijeeii ia 
 their proper sphere. An able arit'.aii tician, 
 but a feeble statesman, he only appeared in 
 the first station of finan( e, to evince how io- 
 adequiite were his abilities to that dangerous 
 elevation ; and, after vainly attempting to 
 sustain an ill-founded reputation, he at length 
 retired to oblivion, unlameiited, and almost 
 unnoticed by that nation, among whom he was 
 so lately idolized. 
 
 Although the recal and nomination of 
 Necker appeared to give general satisfaction, 
 and awakened the hopes of his numerous 
 and sanguine admirers, yet these symptoms of 
 approbation gradually subsided. The tempo 
 rary effect of his name, in raising the public
 
 CHAP, xxxiii.^ geqrcf: iu. 431 
 
 credit, produced no permanent or beneficial | The duke of Orlenns, who at an early 
 
 consequence. Lanffuor and debility charac- J period of the present troubles had been 
 
 terised every operation of finance ; and go- | ordered to retire to his seat at Reinsy, on 
 
 veriinient became less competent to resist the | account of the actiTe part which he had taken 
 
 encroachments of the people, in proportion as ! in opposition to government, had obtained 
 
 its embarrassments multiplied. The Parisians, i from the lenity or indulgence of the court, 
 
 rendered clamorous by the high price of | permission to revisit Paris. Less sensible of 
 
 grain, and attributing this scarcity more to j this act of favour, than irritated by the act of 
 
 the arts of monopoly, than even to the indirect \ severity which preceded it, he determined on 
 
 interference of the court, in permitting tke ; revenge, and embraced with ardour the popu- 
 
 exportation of corn, than to any deficiency in | lar cause. His high quality, and near alliance 
 
 the pro<luclious of the earth, prnreedetl to ; to the sovereign; his immense revenues; his 
 
 acts of violence bordering on insurrection. ; central situation at the Palais Royal, in the 
 
 The introduction of a hotly of military forces ; heart of the metropolis ; his numerous con- 
 
 into the capital, repelled, not without a con- « nexions and extensive influence ; this com- 
 
 siderable etJ'usion of blood, these first symp- ; bination of circumstances enabled him to 
 
 toms of revolt, and restored a degree of tran- | become a very dangerous and formidable 
 
 quillity and submission. ; opponent to the crown, in its present fallen 
 
 NoTwjTHSTANDiNG this apparent check to ; and debilitated state. He probably did not 
 
 the spirit of popular innovation, every circum- » apprehend the extremities, to which his own 
 
 stance tended to evince that the numerous ; intrigues might conduct a tnmultuous assem- 
 
 subjects of complaint, on the side of the '-jWeo- i Idy ; or he might fallaciously conceive, that 
 
 pie, could not be extinguished by any expe- ; he would always be able to direct its opera- 
 
 dient short of uuGonditional submission on the ; tions, and to superintend its movements. It 
 
 part of the crown ; or of an appeal to the | is even possible, as his enemies assert, that 
 
 sword, if the former measure sho.uld be thought 5 the flattering prospect of the regency, which 
 
 too degrading for a prince born in the purple, i always opened itself to his ambition, as neither 
 
 and accustomed to regard his power as un- 1 a remote nor improbable event, conduced to 
 
 limited and irresistible. The naked and un- i determine his line of action, and to prevent 
 
 protected majesty of the throne, no longer | him from seeing the precipices, with which 
 
 environed, as under Lewis XIV., by a splen- i such a pursuit was surrounded. He was 
 
 did household, and the pomp of royalty, ; elected a member of the states general, for 
 
 formed a very inefficient barrier against a » Crepy in Valois, and took his seat in the 
 
 nation, enthusiastic in their demands of a i assembly. 
 
 constitutioti, and who seemed to be deter- ; This extraordinary convocation of all the 
 mined to seize the favourable moment, fi)r | orders in the kingdom, which had not been 
 curtailing the odious prerogative, of issuing | summoned since the regency of Mary of 
 letters de cachet, and of raising supplies by ; Medicis, and whose very existence seemed to 
 arbitrary mandate. The levities and p.rofu- i have been annihilated by three long reigns of 
 sion of the queen ; the haughty tone which \ arbit.ary power, was opened, with the utniost 
 was assumed by the count d'Artois on several i solemnity, by Lewis XVI., assisted by the 
 occasions; and the suppose<l subservience of! princes of the blood, and accompanied by all 
 the king to his wife and brother, increased i the external splendor becoming so august 
 the frenzy for reformation, and added to the I a ceremony. Many sources of i:iternal dis- 
 general effervescence. Yielding with un- > cord and confusion, almost inevitable from the 
 gracious reluctance to these manifestations of ; competition, and opposite pretensions or 
 the approaching storm, the king consented to i interest, of the nobility, clergy, and third 
 adopt the humiliating and unwelcome advice, ; estate; the facility of inlroducing corruption 
 offered by his minister, of convoking the states- I among- so vast and mixed a body of men; 
 general at Versailles; but, at the same time, > above all, the loyalty and adherence naturally 
 stimulated to resistance l»y his own feelings, j to be expected from the two first classes of 
 as well as by the exhortations of those who I the stale; these inherent vices in their forma- 
 wcre continunlly near his person, he began to ; tion inspired the court with a confidence, that 
 \:repare for extremities, and to assemble forces, j uo unanimity or vigorous exertion would ever
 
 432 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCIIAP. 5XXIir. 
 
 characterize so heterogeneous a mass. The 
 first pi-oceedings of the assembly justified 
 these expectations. Much time elapsed in 
 disputes, arising fi-om the incompatibility of 
 the respective demands of the different orders ; 
 and though these were at last happily termi- 
 nated, by the nobility and clergy renouncing, 
 or acquiescing in the claims of the delegates 
 of the people, yet the sovereign still possessed 
 great resources, and various means of pro- 
 tracting or averting any act, militating virtually 
 against his prerogatives. 
 
 Had Lewis XVI. been left to the impulse 
 and direction of his own character, it is pro- 
 bable that he would have continued to yield 
 to the encroachments of the democratical 
 .spirit, which had already produced so many 
 involuntary concessions, on the part of the 
 crown ; and which, increasing in vigour as it 
 proceeded, avowedly aimed at giving birth to 
 a free constitution, and a limited monarchy. 
 He wanted, however, the energy, elevation, 
 and courage, requisite to sustain him in a | 
 struggle against his people, and to enable him | 
 to repress their attempts at emancipation. 
 But in the queen and the count d'Artois, 
 resentment at the inroads of a nation, whom 
 they had long regarded as only formed for 
 servitude, and the habitual exercise of arbi- 
 trary power, warmly impelled to every exer- 
 tion for its preservation, while it dictated the 
 most decided measures for repressing and 
 chastising a mutinous and discontented capital. 
 
 They united their efforts to sustain the 
 irresolution of the king, and succeeded. It 
 was determined, in the cabinet of Versailles, 
 to adopt the most vigorous principles ; to 
 dissolve the national assembly, to dismiss the 
 comptroller-general, and to punish the inso- 
 lence of the metropolis. Prudence and address 
 were, however, requisite to mature these 
 counsels, and to facilitate their execution. A 
 great body of forces, principally consisting of 
 the Swiss and German regiments in the ser- 
 vice of France, was gradually collected from 
 different-provinces. The mareschal de Broglio, 
 an officer of high military reputation, and of 
 known attachment to the crown, was named 
 to the supreme connnand. Every preparation 
 for maintaining tlie royal authority, if neces- 
 sary, by the most spirited and severe acts of 
 pmiishnient, was made, without even the 
 affectation of disguise or concealment. The 
 capital, incapable of resistance, and uncon- 
 
 scious even of its own capacities of defence; 
 destitute of leaders, of arms, and of troops, wait- 
 ed patiently the chastisement which in)pended. 
 
 1'akis, involved in circumstances even more 
 distressful than those in which it stood when 
 invested by Henry III. in 1589, and under 
 an equal necessity of submitting to the con- 
 ditions which an incensed monarch might 
 have dictated, was snatched from pillage by 
 a revolution, not less sudden and unexpected 
 than that which, two centuries preceding, had 
 deprived Henry III. of his life. The frantic 
 and sanguinary zeal of a monk effected this 
 deliverance in one instance ; in the other, the 
 Parisians were indebted to the timidity, delays, 
 and want of decision in the court. During 
 the first days of July, the metropolis, though 
 turbulent and riotous, made no exertions to 
 oppose the army, by which it was encircled 
 and surrounded. The partisans and support- 
 ers of the royal power were numerous, and 
 ready to evince their zeal and loyalty. The 
 prevot des marchands, who is the first principal 
 magistrate, was in the interests of the crown. 
 The Bastile awed one part of the capital, as 
 the Hotel des Invalides did the other. Paris, 
 taken in the toils of arbitrary power, might 
 have been disarmed and deprived of the means 
 to excite future commotion. The imprudence, 
 pusillanimity, and impatience of the court, 
 rendered these advantages of no avail, and 
 precipitated I the unfortunate prince upon 
 measures, which terminated in irremediable 
 disgrace and ruin. 
 
 Mistaking or neglecting the most obvious 
 principles of policy and wise precaution, which 
 dictated to commence the plan of operations 
 by subjecting Paris, whence alone any danger 
 was to be apprehended, the king was induced 
 to dismiss Necker with expressions of indig- 
 nation, which were accompanied by menaces 
 and insult on the part of his brother, the 
 count d'Artois. This step, which evinced a 
 total change of resolutions, and which, from 
 the popularity of the minister, was likely to 
 produce a violent fermentation in every order 
 of men, was followed by others equally inju- 
 dicious. The states-general were driven into 
 the Salle des Etuis, where they held their 
 meetings, by detachments of the guards ; who 
 surrounded them, and who waited only the 
 orders of the court, to proceed to greater ex- 
 tremities against the obnoxious representatives 
 of the nation.
 
 CHAP. XXXIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 433 
 
 Had these manifestations of vig^our been 
 only sustained, by instantly attacking and 
 entering Paris^ it is not to be donbted, that, 
 unprepared as it still was, and unwilling to 
 expose to the licence of an incensed soldiery 
 tiie lives and properties of its citizens, the 
 capital woaild have been without difficulty 
 reduced to obedience. But an ill-timed and 
 fatal delay, equally injurious with the pre- 
 ceding precipitation, gave the inhabitants time 
 to recover from their first emotions of surprise 
 and apprehension. They saw the timidity 
 and imbecility of the government, who, having 
 sounded the charge, dared not advance to the 
 attack. They profited by this want of exer- 
 tion ; and passing from one extreme rapidly 
 to another, they almost unanimously took up 
 arms against their rulers and oppressors. 
 Joined by the French guards, who, from a long- 
 residence in the capital, had been peculiarly 
 exposed to seduction, and who at this deci- 
 sive moment abandoned their sovereign, the 
 Parisians broke through every obstacle by 
 which they had hitherto been restrained. The 
 supplies of arn)s and ammunition, which had 
 been provided for their subjugation, were 
 turned against the crown ; and the Hotel ties 
 Jnialides, the great repository of military 
 stctfes, after a faint resistance, surrendered. 
 
 The prince de Lambesc, who alone, of all 
 the ofiicers con)maiiding the royal troops in 
 the vicinity of Paris, attempted to carry into 
 execution the plan for disarming the capital, 
 was repulsed in a premature and injudicious 
 attack which he made, at the head of his 
 dragoons, near the entrance of the garden of 
 the Thuilleries. Already the prevot des viar- 
 chaiids, Mt)nsieur de Flas.selles, convicted of 
 ciiterlaiiiiiig a coirespondeiice with the court, 
 and detected in sending private intelligence (o 
 de Laimay, governor of the liastilc, had been 
 seized by the people, and had fallen the first 
 victim to the general indignation. His head, 
 borne on a lance, exhibited an alarming 
 example of the danger, to which adherence lo 
 the sovereign must expose the individual, in 
 time of anarchy and insurrection. 
 t-on The Bastile alone remained ; and 
 while it continued in the power of the 
 crown, Paris could not be regarded as free, 
 or even as secure fron) the severest chastise- 
 ment. It was iuveste«l (July the 14th) by a 
 mixed multitude, compctsed of cinzens and 
 soldiers who had joined the popular banner. 
 
 3 K 
 
 De Launay, who commanded in the castle, 
 by an act of perfidy, unjustifiable in any cir- 
 cumstances, and which rendered his fate less 
 regretted, rather accelerated than delayed the 
 capture of this important fortress. He .dis- 
 played a flag of truce, and demanded a parley ; 
 but abusing the confidence which these 
 signals inspired, he discharged a heavy fire 
 from the cannon and musrjuetry of the place, 
 npon the besiegers, and made a considerable 
 carnage. Far from intimidating, he only aug- 
 mented, by so treacherous a breach of faith, 
 the rage of an incensed populace. They re- 
 newed their exertions, witn a valour raised to 
 frenzy, and were crowned with success. The 
 Bastile, that awful engine of despotism, whose 
 name alone diffused terror, and whicli, for 
 many ages, had been sacred to silence and 
 despair, was entered by the victorious assail- 
 ants. De Launay, seized and dragged to the 
 Place de Grave, was instantly despatched, 
 and his head carried in triumj)li through the 
 streets of Paris. 
 
 Few captives, eitherof inferior or of eminent 
 rank, were found in the apartments of the 
 Bastile. The count de Lorges, at a very 
 advanced period of life, discovered in one of 
 the dungeons of the Tour de la Berlandiere, 
 was liberated, and exhibited to the public 
 curiosity in the Palais Royal. His squalid 
 appearance, his beard, winch descended to 
 his waist, and, above all, his imbecility, re- 
 sulting probably from the eflect of an im- 
 prisoument of thirty-two years, were objects 
 highly calculated to operate upon the senses 
 and passions~of every beholder. It is indeed 
 impossible, however we may lament or con- 
 denni the ferocious spirit which has charac- 
 terized and disgraced the French revolution, 
 not to participate in the exultation, which a 
 capital and a country, so highly illuminated, 
 and so lonn' oppressed, must have experienced 
 at the extinction of this detestable and justly- 
 dreaded prison of state. Nor does the rapidity 
 with which it was captured excite less admi- 
 ration, when its powers of resistance are con- 
 sidered, and the speedy relief which might 
 have been afforded to it, by the numerous 
 bodies of regular forces, with which Paris 
 was smrounded on every side. 
 
 With the Bastile expired the royal autho- 
 rity and consideration. The despotism of the 
 French princes, which long prescription, sub 
 mission, and military strength seemed to 
 28
 
 434 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XXXIII. 
 
 reniler equally sacred and unassailable; which ; claralions, though evidently extorted by fear, 
 neitiier the calamities at the close of Lewis ! It was, however, far otherwise at Paris ; 
 XI V."s reign, the profligacy and enormities of I where the jiopulace, deeming their triumph 
 the succeeding regency, nor the state of de- : incomplete while the king remained tranquil 
 gradation into which the monarchy sunk » in his palace, not only exacted his personal 
 under Lewis XV., had ever shaken ; that \ and immediate presence among them, to 
 power, which appeared to derive its support J sanction their outrages on his authority, but 
 almost as much from the loyalty and venera- | accompanied this demand with menaces, if 
 tion, as from t'he dread and terrors of the | refused, of setting fire to Versailles, and at 
 subject, fell prostrate in the dust, and never i once extinguishing the obnoxious princes of 
 betrayed any symptom of returning life. j the house of Bourbon in the flames. A mo- 
 
 Paris, liberated from all restraint, or even > narch endowed with qualities such as Lewis 
 wholesome police, appeared to riot in the ; XIV. possessed, would jjerhaps have refused 
 intoxication of freedom ; and stained its ac- > compliance with this humiliating requisitiorf ; 
 quisition by scenes of violence and blood, ; and wiiile his army was yet entire, and the 
 unworthy of the first capital in Europe. Every | royal dignity not totally degraded, have em- 
 trace of obedience disappeared ; and even the « braced the generous resolution of meeting the 
 promoters of the late insurrection were not j storm, of trying the fortune of war, and at 
 secure from the capricious fury of a frantic « least devolving to his successor the preroga- 
 and savage populace, who filled the Place de 5 lives which, as his successor, he pre-received 
 Greie with clamours, and frequently tore the | and exercised. But Lewis XVI. possessed 
 victim, whom their indignation had selected, | no abilities competent to so magnanimous and 
 from the hands of justice. i unequal a struggle. He had already aban- 
 
 BuT at Versailles, consternation and alarm j doned his attempt to maintain the royal 
 filled the court, on the arrival of this extraor- } power in its original vigour ; and he had now 
 dinary intelligence. Yielding at once to the | scarcely any option between the loss of liis 
 united impulse of his terrors and his natural j throne, and a complete submission to the arbi 
 inclinations, the king, without even preserving- I trary pleasure of a populace, thirsting for 
 the forms of majesty, however fallen, repaired ; blood, inflamed by success, and daily offegng 
 to the national assembly rather as a suppliant 1 up victims to its revenge, 
 tiian a monarch. Disordered in his dress, and J Under these melancholy circumstances, he 
 unaccompanied by his guards or usual atten- ; did not hesitate to yield obedience to the 
 dants, he betrayed his agitation in the speech ; mandate, which it was no longer safe to refuse, 
 which he addressed to the states. Only two ! After such a night as Charles I. may be sup- 
 days preceding this melanclioiy exhibition of; posed to have passed, previous to his atteud- 
 degraded dignity, he had repliecl to a remon- ; ing the sraffold, but unaccompanied by that 
 strance which they presented to him, in terms ; serenity and fortitude, which eminently dis- 
 of determination mixed with menace. He ! tingnished the English monarch in the last 
 now adopted the language of distress, invoked ^ act of his life, he set out for Paris. Conscious, 
 their assistance, disowned his intention to {however, of the perils attendant on his appear- 
 employ force for the subjection of the capital, i ance in the metropolis of his dominions, and 
 assured them that he had already sent orders > doubtful of escaping from the rage of the 
 to withdraw the troops which had invested j multitude, to whom he was to be presented 
 Paris and Versailles, and professed his desire J he prepared for death, as at least a possible 
 to give the most unequivocal proof of his ; event. He received the sacrament, made 
 deference to the wishes of his subjects. He 5 some private dispositions of his affairs, and 
 concluded by imploring them to make known ! gave various orders in consequence. Though 
 these his paternal dispositions, to the inhabi- > desirous to see and embrace his son and 
 tants of the distracted metropolis. ! daughter before his departure, he had yet 
 
 The assembly, which trembled a few hours 5 firmness sufficient to refuse himself this in- 
 before for its own safety, and had expected to ; dulgence, fearing it might affect him toe 
 be offered up as victims to the vengeance of I deeply, and disqualify him for the part whick 
 an irritated sovereign, replied with expressions i he was to perform. J 'en amai plus de plaisir, 
 of loyalty and affection to these gracious de- ^ said he, si Je reviens. A gentleman who was
 
 CHAP. XXXIII. J 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 433 
 
 near his person on this occasion encouraging 
 him, and vtMitiiring to answer for liis saletv, 
 the king replied, Henrij Qiiatre valoit mieu.v 
 qui vioi ; et cependunl on iassassine. 
 
 Though l)e quitted Versailles at an early 
 liour, it was late before he entered Paris, from 
 tiie delay occasioned by the immense multi- 
 tudes, who assembled to see him pass, and 
 who testified no sentiments of loyalty in Iheir 
 acclamations. When arrived at the Place de 
 Greve, and conducted to the Hotel de Ville, 
 the new mayor, M. Bailii, who had been 
 elected to supply the late unfortunate first 
 hiagistrate, insulted the fallen prince by a 
 mock surrender of the keys of his capital ; 
 which he accompanied with a sarcastic and 
 insolent reflection, on the different situation in 
 which Henry IV. stood, when he received a 
 similar testimony of its submission and alle- 
 giance. The cries of the people, who insisted 
 that the king should shew himself on the 
 balcony ; compelled him to give this last 
 proof of his deference to their wishes ; and 
 to add to the condescension, he accepted from 
 the hands of tiie mayor the national cockade, 
 which he first carrieil to his lips, and then 
 placed in his hat. After having been detained 
 and exhibited as a captive to his own subjects, 
 during the greater part of the day, without 
 sustenance or refreshment of any kind, he was 
 at length permitted to return to Versailles, 
 and conceal his emotions in the privacy of his 
 own apartments. 
 
 While this humiliating scene was acted 
 before the eyes of all France, which were 
 turned towards so unusual and attractive a 
 sight, the adherents to the late measures, 
 terrified at the menaces thrown out against 
 them, and dreading the most fatal consequences 
 of popular fury, profited of the king's absence 
 and visit to his capital, to eflect their own 
 escape. 
 
 The count dArtois, regarding himself as 
 peculiarly marked out for proscription and 
 impeachment, and apprehensive that even his 
 proximity of blood to the sovereign might 
 prove an insuflicient protection to his life, 
 fled among the first, carrying with him his 
 sons, the dukes d'Augouleme and de Berri ; 
 two youths, who were successively presump- 
 tive heirs to the crown, in case of the demise 
 of the dauphin. In the hurry oi a precipitate 
 retreat, it was found extremely difficult to 
 furnish a few hundred louis dors to a prince, 
 
 3 K 2 
 
 for whose expensive gratifications, only some 
 days before, the treasures of the monarchy 
 were insufficient. He took the road to Flan- 
 ders; and was already far advanced towards 
 the frontiers, before his departure was known 
 or suspected at Paris. . 
 
 When so distinguished a personage, and 
 one so nearly allied to the throne, deemed 
 himself no longer safe, even in the royal resi- 
 dence ; it cannot excite wonder, that those 
 of a less elevated condition, and who were 
 equally obnoxious to an enraged jjopulace, 
 should consult their safety by instant flight. 
 The principal roads were covered with illus- 
 trious fugitives, under every possible disguise 
 and concealment. The prince of Conde 
 quitted Chantilly, followed by his son and 
 grandson, the dukes of Bourbon and Enghien. 
 The prince of Conti, the last in succession of 
 the blood-royal, after undergoing many ex- 
 tremities of hunger and fatigue, arrived at 
 Luxembourg ; to which place likewise the 
 niareschal de Broglio, abandoning his army, 
 repaired without delay. 
 
 The duchess of Polignac, so long unrivalled 
 in the afl'ections of the queen, and round 
 whom all the pleasures of the court of Ver- 
 sailles were used to assemble, tearing herself 
 froin this scene of dissipation, attained with 
 difficulty the town of Basle in Switzerlanil ; 
 after having encountered numerous dangers, 
 and been preserved from the last degree of 
 violence, when she passed through Sens, by 
 the happy presence of mind, Mhich distin- 
 guished an abbe by whom she was accom- 
 panied. At Basle, by one of those singular 
 accidents which evince the power of fortune, 
 she found in the inn, at which she alighted, 
 tlie late minister, Necker, who, having passed 
 through Swabia after his dismission, on his 
 way to Geneva, here first received from his 
 enemies the intelligence of the revolution. 
 The baron de Ereteuil, pursued by the most 
 marked detestation of his countrymen, evaded, 
 as well as tiie prince de Lambesc, the snares 
 prepared to intercept them ; the former reach- 
 ing Bern in safety, as the latter did I'urin. 
 Monsieur de Besenval, less fortunate, was 
 seized at Brie Comte Robert; and even the 
 solicitations of Necker himself, who endea- 
 voured to interpose in his behalf, were insuffi- 
 cient to obtain his enlargement. 
 
 In this general consternation, the queen, 
 abandoned by all her dearest couuexions.
 
 4.*K^ 
 
 inSTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 LCHAP. XXXIII, 
 
 remained witii her two children, friendless, 
 and alin»;st alone in the palace of Versailles. 
 No |)rince of the royal family venturcti to 
 .ihide the stonw, except the count de Provence, 
 who, during the continuance of all these 
 disorders, had enjoyed a distinguished share of, 
 at least, negative approbation ; and whose 
 conduct, throughout the critical circumstance 
 which preceded the sedition of Paris, had 
 been such as to conciliate, in some degree,\he 
 popular favour. 
 
 The duke of Orleans, to whose intrigues or 
 opposition to the crown may he greatly as- 
 cribed the rapid progress of the general dis- 
 content, and the excesses of the |)eople, viewed 
 frcm the Palais Koynl, with secret pleasure, 
 the effects of his machinations, and enjoyed 
 Jiis triumph over the vanquished court. The 
 military command of the national troops, and 
 of the capital, was conferred by almost unani- 
 mous delegation on the marquis de la Fayette ; 
 as the supreme civil and municipal jurisdic- 
 tion devolved on Bailli, mayor of Paris. The 
 imion of both these powers was, however, 
 frequently found unequal to imposing proper 
 restraints on the ungoverued passions and 
 savage violence of a populace, new to freedom, 
 and who stained its acquisition by daily acts 
 of vengeance and cruelty. The heads of 
 Foulon and Berthier, one of whom had occu- 
 pied a high situation in the late ministry, and 
 the other had been intendant of Paris, were 
 carried through the streets ; and the circum- 
 stances with which the death of these eminent 
 persons was accompanied, are only to be 
 compared, in horror and atrocity, with those 
 attendant on the massacre of St. Bartholomew, 
 or the assassination of the mareschai d'Ancre, 
 under Lewis Xlll. 
 
 Meanwhile, at the instigation and request 
 of the national assembly, PSecker was recalled 
 and invited, by letters of the most flattering, 
 and even penitential tenor, fiom the king 
 liimself, to resume the superintendance of the 
 finances. He yielded, though with apparent 
 reluctance, to these entreaties, and repaired to 
 court, loaded with expressions of general 
 attachment and veneration, in every place 
 through which he passed ; while the credulous 
 and deluded multitude expected from his 
 presence a speedy redress of all their griev- 
 ances, the revival of public credit, and a 
 remedy to the scarcity of grain, which had 
 excited the clamours of the capital and the 
 
 kingdom. To the admiration and astonish- 
 ment of mankind, in an absolute monarchy, 
 so strongly cemented as that of France ap- 
 peared to have been, and in which loyalty 
 was antiently esteemed to be characteristic 
 of every class of citizens, no efforts were made 
 to support the royal power. An enthusiastic 
 passion foi liberty pervaded all the provinces ; 
 and the revolution commenced on the banks 
 of the Seine, spread with equal rapidity and 
 unanimity to the foot of the Alps and Pyre- 
 nees, to the Rhine and the Medilerranean. 
 
 ]\o permanent calm succeeded to this 
 storm of popular indignation. Elated with 
 the possession of freedom, and exercising, in 
 many instances, a lyramiy more oppressive 
 and severe than that from which they had just 
 escaped, the people meditated new and greater 
 invasions upon the dignity, as well as upon 
 prerogatives of the crown. The press, 
 
 ed even from that wholesome and necessary 
 ^striction, which governments the most re- 
 
 xed impose upon the publication of opinions, 
 compensated for the fetters which it had so 
 long worn, by giving birth to every species of 
 licentious production, and insolent attack 
 upon persons of the highest rank. The queen 
 was peculiarly thf object of these libellous 
 invectives ; and every accusation, private or 
 political, which malignity could invent, to 
 alienate the affections, and irritate the pas- 
 sions of mankind against her, was circulated 
 Mid publicly exposed to sale. 
 
 Although all the pomp and majesty, which 
 ii\ better times had surrounded and concealed 
 the sovereign, was now entirely withdrawn ; 
 though only guarded by the burgesses of 
 Versailles, and destitute of any military pro- 
 tection against insult and outrage, Lewis XVI. 
 stood exposed to every enterprise, which a 
 mutinous capital might undertake to execute ; 
 yet some vestiges of personal liberty he still 
 retained. He was free to enjoy the diversion 
 of the chace; and the national assembly, con- 
 voked at Versailles, continued to hold its 
 meetings there, under his immediate super- 
 intendance and inspection. It was even 
 thought decent and necessary, on the part of 
 the new tribunes of the people, to march son)e 
 regiments, in the month of September, on 
 whose adherence they conceived that they could 
 safely rely, to perform the ordinary functions 
 of state ; at the same time that they prevented 
 any escape, if such was intended by the kuig.
 
 CHAP. XXXIII.] GEORGE III. 437 
 
 But wliere so many inflammable materials ; in which to escape. The first queen in Europe 
 were collected, it w?s not possible that any ; was saved from a death the most ignominious, 
 considerable time could elapse, before they ; by the interval of almost a single moment, 
 burst into a conflagration. After one or two I Undressed and nearly naked, she gained a 
 attempts, which the vigilance and activity of ? private staircase which conveyed her to the 
 la Fayette preverited from being carried into » king, who received her in his arms, where she 
 execution, the populace of Paris, excited i>y ; fell senseless with terror. The materials of 
 various arts, and incensed at the queen for > the bed from which she had just risen, after 
 having brought the dauphin, and presented ; undergoing the strictest search m hopes of 
 him to the officers of the regular troo])s after a J discovering the unhappy object of their pur- 
 public entertainment, rose as by universal con- ; suit, v.ere scattered over the room, as some 
 sent, and determined to march to Versailles. \ gratification to their disappointed vengeance. 
 By what motives, or with what intentions, the \ IjEwis Wl. him.self, appearing on the 
 cimductors of this armed luob were actuated, j balcony of his apartment, in the language and 
 it is perhaps iiuposeiblc positively lo assert. J attitude of supplication, vainly implored the 
 'J'he deepest and blackest designs have, by 5 populaco to spare his guards, whom he sa-w 
 popular malignity, been attributed to the duke ! ujassarred at his feet, without the power of 
 of Orleans ; no less than the attainment of the ; extending to them any relief He as vainly 
 regency, at whatever price, and by every mode, ; besought the queen to yield to the necessity 
 however treasonable and flagitious. Many of; of the time, and to retire to Ramboulliet, where 
 the circunititances which distinguished that ! her person would at least be secure. Exerting 
 extraordinary scene, unquestionaijly evince a ; a,^ourage superior to her sex, and elevated 
 plan not more artful than nefarious ; and | above a sense of the danger to which she was 
 which seemed calculated, by operating on the > so conspicuously exposed, she firmly persisted 
 fears of the sovereign, to induce him to aban- ; in her refusal to fly ; and declared her deter- 
 don the throne and seek his safety in flight ; | minafion to accompany the king, and at least 
 ^v!lile the queen, who was more an object of; !o expire as she had lived, a queen of France, 
 national obloquy and aversion, might be ui j Yet, conscious of the probability of her failing 
 stantly offered up as a victim to the frantic j a sacrifice to the popular rage, she armed 
 multitude. ; herself with a poinard, as a last resource 
 
 Oct 6 1789 It is difficult to do justice to 5 against the degradation of plebeian violence 
 
 the horrors of a night, similar j and brutality, 
 only to those which arc furnished by the ; It is impossible, how much soever we may 
 annals of Charles IX., and which remind us i condemn certain parts of her conduct and 
 of the times of Catherine of Metiicis. Poste- ; character, not to admire the heroism and 
 rity will scarcely credit thai, at the concluMon i magnanimity of this deportment, in which we 
 of the eighteenth century, and in a country : seem to recognise the blood of so many empe- 
 eniinently distinguished by all the softer 5 rors, from whom she was descended. The 
 virtues of humanity, acts of blood and ferocity, I weakness of the woman was, notwithstanding, 
 more savage than the janizaries of Constaiiti- « mingled with the fortitude of the sovereign ; 
 iiople usually exercise against their despots, i and when she entered the coach, which was 
 were performed with impunily. The singu- : to convey herself and the captive king from 
 larity and incredibility of tiie recital will be; \ ersailles to Paris, terrified at the cries of a 
 augmented by recollecting, that many of the i furious multitude, who seemed to demand her 
 most violent among these ruilians were women, > forfeit life, she threw herself into the arms of 
 or, at least, habited in a fL'uiale dress. Armed > la Fayette, who oflered her his hand at the 
 with every destructive weapon, they assaulted ; door of the carriage, and whose protection she 
 tlie guards who were stationed at the door of ; invoked, to preserve her from outrage and 
 the «jueen's apartmenls, burst into them, nun- ; death. Placing the dauphin in her lap, and 
 dered those who opposed their progress, and ; seated by her husband, the cavalcade moved 
 penetrated to the chamber in which she slept. > slowly towards tin; cajiital, while the heads of 
 i he efforts which were made to retard their ; murdered garihs du corps, borne on poles, 
 fury, and the cries of Sauvcz la Heine, which ; and held up to her view, presented a melan« 
 echoed through the palace, gave her an inslant > choly prospect of her own probable deslinyt
 
 438 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXIM. 
 
 Tbey at length reached the palace of the 
 Thuilleries, thus accompanied, and took pos- 
 session of that part of it destined for their 
 reception and residence ; while cannon, 
 mounted at the principal avenues, under pre- 
 tence of safety and defence, secured them 
 from rescue, and rendered escape impracti- 
 cable. 
 
 Perhaps no day so ignominious to the 
 royal dignity had been beheld, since the ele- 
 vation of the Capetian princes to the throne 
 of France. The capture and imprisonment 
 of Lewis IX. at Damietta, of king John at 
 Poictiers, and of Francis I. at the battle of 
 Pavia, however unfortunate and humiliating, 
 yet were at least softened by many ronsider- 
 ations. Those monarchs were all taken in 
 arms, after exerting the most heroic acts of 
 valour against their conquerors, and owed 
 their misfortune only to the chance of war. 
 Even Henry III., when he fled from his 
 capital, pursued by the Guises, yet retained 
 his personal independence, and soon returned 
 to besiege and to chastise his rebellious sub- 
 jects. Lewis XVI. sunk below esteem or 
 commiseration, and not having exerted 
 either ability or courage in the defence of his 
 invaded prerogatives, only held a precarious 
 life, at the mercy of a seditious and insolent 
 populace, who, having already imprisoned, 
 might, in any moment of resentment, termi- 
 nate the reign of their fallen and degraded 
 king. The palace in which he was confined, 
 having been in a great measure neglected for 
 more than a century, during which time 
 Paris had rarely seen any sovereign resident 
 in the metropolis, was totally untit for the 
 reception of a court ; and even the apart- 
 ments which were occupied by the king 
 himself, were in so ruinous or decayed a con- 
 dition, as not altogether to exclude the in- 
 clemency of the weather. To this situation 
 was a monarch reduced, who, only a few 
 months before, might be regarded as at the 
 summit of human greatness ; and the founda- 
 tions of whose throne, strengthened by a long 
 possession and by habits of obedience, seemed 
 to bid defiance to all the ordinary convulsions 
 which overturn empires, and destroy the 
 firmest fabrics of human power and wisdom. 
 
 Thk late event, which is a memorable epoch 
 in the revolution, was ascribed to the machi- 
 nations of two factions, having different views 
 in ofTecting it. The republicans, whose design 
 
 was, either to abolish monarchy, or to render 
 the sovereign a mere insignihcant pageant, 
 were desirous of the kings removal to Paris, 
 that they might have him completely in their 
 power. The duke of Orleans' cabal, whose 
 grand object it was to invest that prince with 
 sovereign power, wished to preserve the mo- 
 narchy entire ; and these hoped to open a 
 way to the execution of their plot by filling 
 the king's luind with terrors, and frightpniiig 
 him out of the kingdom. — The democrats 
 succeeded. A vote was passed, " that the 
 national assembly was inseparable from the 
 king." And tiiat they might give every possi 
 bic sccuiiij to tlicir own persons, when sur- 
 rounded by the Parisian mob, strong resolu- 
 tions were passed respecting their inviolability. 
 The president, Mounier, one of the most dis- 
 interested patriots in the assembly, then, fore- 
 seeing that from that moment the assembly 
 must lose its independency, and become the 
 instrument of a tumultuous populace, actuated 
 by a despera-te faction, and that the liberty 
 for which he had been struggling would be 
 sacrificed to democratic tyranny, immediately 
 seceded, and was accompanied by Tolendal 
 and other partisans of free monarchy. 
 
 The two factions had hitherto co-operated, 
 from their common desire to subvert the pre- 
 sent system. Their peculiar views now became 
 obvious to each other ; and they were seen 
 divided by rivalship of power. The repub- 
 licans, having the populace devoted to them, 
 and having no farther occasion for the duke 
 of Orleans' purse, were desirous to free them- 
 selves of a prince, whose views dashed with 
 their own. La Fayette had supplanted Mira- 
 beau in his popularity ; but, notwithstanding, 
 he had an ascendant with the Parisians, and 
 was the idol worshipped by them for the 
 moment, yet he rejoiced to be the agent in 
 destroying the duke's power, which involved 
 in it a partial destruction of that of his cabal, 
 and especially of his rival, Mirabeaii. In- 
 stantly availing himself of his present favour- 
 able circumstances, therefore, he insolently 
 told the duke, " that his name was made the 
 pretext for disturbances, the signal of all the 
 disorders; and that he must leave the king- 
 dom." Philip, who was as pusillanimous as 
 he was base, being furnishetl with an ostensible 
 mission for England, immediately repaired to 
 that country. Mirabeau, despising a prince 
 who had the villany of an usurper without
 
 CHAP. XXXIII., 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 439 
 
 courage to usurp, and who thus tamely de- 
 serted his own cause, wlien the schemes which 
 he had phmned for liiin were ripe for execu- 
 tion, expressed his contempt in very pointed 
 language; telling him, that " he was not de- 
 serving that trouble wiiich he had taken for 
 his sake." The ambitious leader, then des- 
 pairing of ever governing the state, as the 
 minister of that flagitious and despicable 
 j)rince, made overtures to the court, that he 
 'might be introduced into the administration. 
 But the lepublican party, fearing the effects 
 of his intrigues, vo!ed a resolution, that " no 
 member of the national assembly should ac- 
 cept a place in the ministry." Finding himself 
 foiled in his attempt by this self-denying ordi- 
 nance, he, as his last resource, once more 
 devoted himself to the people. 
 
 Sl'ch was the state of parties after the re- 
 moval of the national assembly to Paris, an 
 attention to which is essential to a proper 
 understanding of the subsequent events. The 
 assembly signalised the re-commencement of 
 their proceedings by several very important 
 measures. Having provided for their own 
 security, they now attended to that of the 
 ]iublic, by a decree to authorise magistrates to 
 require military aid in cn.se of riots. This was 
 occasioned by the smnmary and outrageous 
 execution of a baker by the mob, under a false 
 clinrge of being a monopolizer of bread. At 
 tliis time, lellies de cachet were abolished ; 
 the parliaments were suspended from their 
 functions; the remains of aristocratic power 
 were annihilated by destroying all distinction 
 of orders ; and a new bank was established 
 under the auspices of the assembly, by the 
 name of caisse d'exlraorclinaire, for the pur- 
 pose of reviving public credit, and restoring 
 trade. Moreover, that they might establish 
 an entire new system of things, a fresh division 
 of the kingdom was ordered, into eiglity-three 
 departments, to be subdivided into districts 
 and cantons, each having its assembly for the 
 purpose of administrative government ; and 
 into electoral assemblies of the departments, 
 and primary assemblies of the cantons, for 
 that of electing representatives of the people 
 in the national assembly. But the most 
 memorable measure of this period, was the 
 decree by which the clergy and monasteries 
 were despoiled of their estates, estimated at 
 150,000,000 livres ; which were decreed to be 
 national |)roperty. Of this revenue, it was 
 
 resolved that 80,000,000 livres should be 
 appro|iriati(l to public uses ; pensions were 
 •settled on the clergy, which were not to be 
 le;,s than 8200 livres, or about £60 a year, 
 besides the glebe. These arrangements, which 
 were not completed till the ensuing year, 
 occasioned warm debates; and notwithstand- 
 ing the measure was strongly recommended 
 by the expediency of it, particularly as afford- 
 ing a properly, on the security of which tlie 
 state was enabled to issue its assignats, yet 
 the opposition made by the partisans of the 
 ecclesiastics, called forth the eloquence of 
 Mirabeau and the strenuous revolutionists to 
 bear it down. Nor was the resistance of it 
 confined to the assenil)ly. Commotions took 
 place in different provinces, when this decree 
 was known; which was thought an act of 
 extreme ingratitude, as well as injustice, 
 towards the clergy, who had recently given 
 the nobles an example of willingness to join 
 the tiers elat in one chamber, and to unite 
 with them in their plans of reform. . There 
 have been ages, when such a violation of the 
 property of the church, and the rights of 
 corporate bodies, would have brought on a 
 religious war ; but in the present, temporal 
 considerations were seen to preponderate 
 against the interests of the church and reve- 
 rence for the priesthood. 
 
 Among the memorable events of this year 
 must be noticed the death of the dauphin, 
 who was kindly taken by fate from the miseries 
 which befel the other branches of his fiimily, 
 at the age of eight years, a few davs before 
 the king's removal to Paris. 
 
 From the disorders of France I pass to 
 those of the Netherlands. The emperor, being 
 of a restless impatient disposition, and fond 
 of any innovations which tended to gratify 
 his arbitrary spirit, had made such regula- 
 tions in the government of those provinces, as 
 infringed the privileges of the nobles, the 
 clergy, and the people. Their remonstrances 
 and tiieir opposition were disregarded ; and 
 he insisted on their full submission to his will. 
 The severities exercised by his Cbidcr drove 
 many from the country ; the emigrants were 
 protected by the Dutch, encouraged by the 
 court of Berlin, and not unfavoured by Great 
 Britain ; an insurrection followed, in which 
 the opposers of the court were so successful 
 as to intimidate the emperor, who endeavoured 
 to disarm them by conciliatory proposals.
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XXXIH. 
 
 His offers were treated with contempt; the | demand of their aid, on condition that tiie 
 insurgents dislodged his troops from } interposing states should observe a strict 
 Brussels; and the greater part of j neutrality in the aflairs of the north. But 
 
 Dec. iiO. 
 
 the Netherlands renounced his authority, 
 
 Great Britain and her allies, from a desire 
 of preventing the aggrandisement of the Rus- 
 sian empress, laboured to draw off her Danish 
 auxiliaries ; and she at length waved the 
 
 I though no longer opposed by the Danes, the 
 ' Swedes were very unfortunate in this cam- 
 paign. The porte, which subsidied Gustavus, 
 likewise suffered considerably from the valour 
 and perseverance of its enemies. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1790, 1791.] 
 
 Disturbances in France — Celebration of the Anniversary of the Sastile — Conduct of France 
 toivards Foreign Stales — Affairs in Germany and the Netherlands — Dispute respecting 
 Nootka Sound — Motion for a repeal of the Test Act — Transactions in India — Conduct of 
 Russia and Prussia — 7V<e Second Session of Parliament — Debates on the Measures 
 adopted against Kussia, the Canadian Mill, SfC. — Quarrel betncen Messrs. Surke and Fox 
 on the Subject of the French Revolution — Philanthropic Establishment at Sierra Leone. 
 
 THE French were, perhaps, of all Euro- 
 pean nations, except the Turks, the 
 least capable of profiting by a revolution. Of 
 "warm and impetuous dispositions, they were 
 ready to rush into violent changes. Having 
 little patience, and less judgment, they did 
 not give a fair trial to their innovations, or 
 reflect with coolness on the nature of their 
 capricious schemes. Instead of a deliberate cor- 
 rection of abuses, and a gradual reform, they 
 blindly and precipitately destroyed old estab- 
 lishments, rooted up the wheat with the tares, 
 and unnullcd at once both good and bad 
 institutions. By absurd and inconsistent re- 
 gulations, they weakened the effect of those 
 parts of the new government which were un- 
 questionable, and introduced such confu- 
 sion, as paved the way for the appeal of 
 artful men to the passions of the rabble, and 
 
 for the rise of arbitrary power in an altered 
 form. 
 
 The labours of the convention were not 
 accompanied with national tranquillity. Com- 
 motions arose in various parts of the country ; 
 rapacity and malice occasioned the destruc- 
 tion of many of the seats of the nobility, and 
 67 mansions were burnt to the ground within 
 the narrow compass between the Macoiniois 
 and Beaugolois. On a charge of cond)iuing 
 with the king against the cause of liberty, the 
 marquis de Favras, the count de Puysegur, 
 marshal Broglio, and others, were tried by the 
 judges of the Chatelet ; and if the first of these 
 had not been condemned and executed, the 
 ferocious rabble would doubtless have hanged 
 him a la lantcrne. 
 
 These commotions deeply affected Lewis. 
 Influenced by his accustomed timidity, he
 
 CHAP. XXXIV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 441 
 
 repaired to the hall of the assembly, and | every seditious intrigue. The soldier and the 
 addressed the uieinbers in a long speech, in ! seainan, the tradesman and the mechanic, 
 which he took a review of the slate of affairs, ; were seduced from their allegiance ; and the 
 feelingly lamented the distractions of the I members of the liberal professions were court- 
 realm, hoped that efiectual reforn) and im- | ed to assist in the great work of reforming- 
 
 provement might be prosecuted without fur 
 iher confusion or disturbance, and made many 5 
 
 and perffcting political mstitutions. 
 
 The garrison of Nanci mutinied against the 
 
 important concessions to the views of his | officers, extorted, on pretence of a lawful 
 democratical enemies. In return for this j claim, considerable sums of money, and seized 
 complaisance, a new oath was adopted, im- j the chests of the regiments. Complaint was 
 porting that every representative would be | made of these proceedings to the assembly, 
 faithful to the nation, the law, and the king, \ and orders were given for the enforcement of 
 and would maintain the constitution to the ! a new decree against military treason or re- 
 utuiost of his power. These demonstrations | bellion. On the approach of the marquis de 
 were succeeded by applausive addresses from ; Bouille, with a small army, the officers were 
 the dirterent nuinicipalities. By the oratorical^ liberated, the garrison seemed ready to leave 
 plausibility of Necker, the means of supplying I the town, and an accommodation was con- 
 the deficiency of the revenue were magnified ; * fidently expected. The imprudence of two 
 and the king, at the request of the assembly, } bodies of Swiss rendered these expectations 
 agreed to establish the civil list on a basis, ; fallacious ; but M. Bouille was finally suc- 
 which n)ight combine ceconomy of expence ; cessful, and reinstated the municipality, which 
 with the reputability of his throne. But { had lost its authority during the mutiny. The 
 
 while the royal dignity was thus maintained, 
 the annulment of titles, and the extinction of 
 the hereditary nobility, moved by Lambal, 
 and carried iu the assembly by a large ma- 
 jority, contributed to undo these beneficial 
 regulations. 
 
 As the anniversary of the revolution, which 
 w,as reckoned from the destruction of the 
 Bastile, approached, great preparations were 
 made for the celebration of a national con- 
 federation, or constitutional league. A spa- 
 cious amphitheatre was erected in the Champ 
 de Mais, mass was solemnly performed, and, 
 when the king had taken an oath of fidelity 
 to the constitution, the assembly, the delegates 
 who had been invited from the provinces, the 
 regular troops, the militia, and the spectators, 
 bound themselves by a similar sanction. 
 
 After an interval of comparative 
 tranquillity, new disturbances arose, 
 which were chiefly imputable to the arts of a 
 democratic society, notorious for the profli- 
 gacy, villany, and cruelty of the members, of 
 whom it was ultimately composed. It was 
 the ofTspriiig of a club, instituted iu the year 
 1789, by the Breton deputies ; and as its 
 place of meeting was the hall of an edifice 
 Jiitfly occupied l)y Jurubin monks, this de- 
 signation was assumed by the society. Socie- 
 ties under a similar denomination, correspond- 
 ing with that of Paris., were establisiicd in the 
 provinces, and became the grand focus of 
 
 3 L 
 
 1790. 
 
 scarcity of bread excited the discontent of the 
 inhabitants of Angers, and a body of work- 
 men fired ineffectually on the soldiers. The 
 troops returned the fire, and killed Gl persons. 
 The departure of INecker immediately suc- 
 ceeded this event. The moderation of his 
 principles had deprived him of' the good 
 opinion of the Jacobin council, and finding his 
 situation as dangerous as it was unpleasing, 
 he relinquished all concern in the administra- 
 tion, and retired to his native country. An 
 insurrection at Brest hastened the retreat of 
 the naval minister, M. de Luzerne, who was 
 succeeded by Fleurieu ; M. Lambert regu- 
 lated the finances, and then gave way to AI. 
 de Lauzert. After these charges, a decree 
 was proposed, commanding the clergy, who 
 had exhibited many indications of resentment 
 at the injustice and privations to which tliry 
 had been subjected, to take the new oath 
 without delay, upon pain of losing their sti- 
 pends, and being subjected to further penalties. 
 The king, with his usual irresolution, first 
 refused, and then vouchsafed his sanction ; 
 and it was declined by a great majority of the 
 clerical body sitting in the assembly. Two 
 months were allowed for re-consideraiion, and 
 the decree was then enforced by the appoint- 
 ment of constitutional bishops and priests. 
 
 Our attention is now called to, the conduct 
 of the French government towards foreign 
 nations. We at this time find it addressing a 
 28
 
 442 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXIV. 
 
 manifesto to other states, in wliicli tlioy de- 
 clared, that the French natioi), [uond of 
 having regained the hghts of natnre, would 
 never outrage them in otiier men. That they 
 ■would present to the world 'the new spectaci*: 
 of a nation, truly free, submissive to the laws 
 of justice amid the storms of war, and respect- 
 ing every where, and on erery occasion, 
 towards all men, the rights which are the 
 same to all. " Peace," said they, " w'hich im- 
 posture, intrigue, and treason have banished, 
 ■will never cease to be the object of our wishes." 
 Those persons who are led by a consciousness 
 of integrity in themselves to rely on the faith 
 of a great nation, could not but congratulate 
 themselves on the arrival of this harbinger of 
 peace, and the prospect of those happy days, 
 ■when other nations would be induced, by the 
 example of France, to adoDt these pacific 
 principles ; and when, of course, the world 
 Mould exhibit an universal scene of justice, 
 benevolence, and tranquillity. Fortunately 
 those who, from their stations in society, 
 were most interested in knowing the maxims 
 of this state, knew that expediency, and a 
 
 conscientiously done, and that the greater 
 part of then) had discovered no seditious dis- 
 position, it cannot but be deemed an act of 
 injustice and oppression. The only compen- 
 sation to the sufiering clergy was the oppor- 
 tunity afforded them of shewing their integrity ; 
 and a more eminent example of virtue was, 
 perhaj)s, never exhibited. I'^or, of 131 bishops, 
 three only chose to sacrifice their principles 
 to their temporal interests. 
 
 Another example of the maxims by which 
 the French government regulated its conduct, 
 and the arbitrary manner in w'.iich it deler- 
 nuned points relative to foreign as well as 
 domestic policy, was the affair between it and 
 the pope respecting the comtat of Avignon, 
 This country, which had been the property of 
 the counts of Provence, was given to the see 
 of Rome, in the fourteenth century, by the 
 heiress of it, Joanna, queen of Naples, and 
 countess of Provence. This year a powerful 
 party in the comtat and the Vendissin, which 
 also belonged to the ecclesiastical state, re- 
 volted against the papal government, and 
 desired to be incorporated in the state of 
 
 regard to the peculiar interests of the existing \ France. A contest ensued between them and 
 
 . .1 . 11 -/• ^1 -!.. J *i '„ *;„ — u;_u _»• 1-1 __-.i. 
 
 government, were the standard of their coit- 
 duct. This was so clearly manifested in 
 their contemporary transactions, that the de- 
 lusion could take place oidy among such as 
 did not attend to them. The national assem- 
 bly, we have seen, had violated the laws of 
 justice, stripping the church of the greater 
 part of its revenues, without even making the 
 present proprietors, who had given up the 
 profit they might have derived from other 
 pursuits, an adequate compensation. That 
 they might give them a further proof of their 
 sincerity in the paternal embrace, with which 
 they had been received by the tiers elut, when 
 they needed their support, they now passed 
 a decree, that such of them as should neglect 
 to take the oath to the nation, the law, and the 
 liing, enjoined by a former decree, should be 
 deemed virtually ejected from their benefices. 
 This oath was intended to free the existing 
 government of the danger it apprehended 
 from the intrignes of the clergy, who were 
 disaffected to it, and may, therefore, be justi- 
 fied on the principle of expediency. But if 
 we consider, that the decree called on them 
 virtually to retract the oath of allegiance 
 which they had t^iken to the old government ; 
 and that they conceived this could not be 
 
 ^he pope's partisans, which was attended with 
 some bloodshed. And the result was that, 
 after some deliberations in the assembly, it 
 was resolved, that the territorv of Avignon, 
 and the county of Veuaissin, should hence- 
 forth be considered as a part of the French 
 dominions, a«id that a compensation should 
 be offered to his holiness. In consequence of 
 this agreement, a body of troops was sent to 
 support the French partisans, and to take pos- 
 session of the city and territories. 
 
 That the national assembly did not carry 
 their professed submission to the laws of 
 justice, to every branch of the human race, was 
 seen in another transaction which occurred 
 •it this time. In the autumn of 1789, the 
 ministry had received the alarming intelligi nee 
 of a violent contest in the island of St. Do- 
 mingo, between the mulattoes anil the planters, 
 sup|)orted by the white inhabitants, occa- 
 sioned by a petition from the former (o the 
 assembly of the island, that they might be 
 admitted to the common rights of citizens. 
 This privilege was not granted them ; on the 
 contrary, they were insulted and abused for 
 their presumption in asking it. A representa- 
 tion of what had passed was laid before the 
 national assembly this year. But instead of
 
 CHAP. XXXIV.] 
 
 'GEORGE III. 
 
 445 
 
 ronft'iTing on the mnlattoos the ripihls whirh 
 tlnjy had declared to be due to all mankind, 
 and which they had themselves asserted by 
 the snbversion of the antient monarchy, they 
 thonght it expedient to icmporise, and passed 
 a decree which pleased neither party, and 
 left a sonrce of discord and enmity among 
 (hem, which soon after broke out in a tremen- 
 dous civil war. 
 
 Among the occurrences of this year, the 
 appearance of an extraordinary character, 
 bearing the name of Anacharsis Ciootz, before 
 the national assembly, deserves to be noticed, 
 as it shews, though in a trifling incident, the 
 effect of those sentiments, which the French 
 government were endeavouring to impress on 
 the minds of men. This man, who was a 
 malcontent Prussian, introduced himself to 
 the assembly at the head of a motley tribe, 
 who called themselves the virtual ambassadors 
 of all those enslaved nations who wished to be 
 free, and were therefore disposed to enter into 
 fraternity with France, for the glorious pur- 
 pose of establishing liberty throughout the 
 world. W iiat the origin of this farce was, 
 whether created in the brain of the enthusiast 
 himself, or suggested to him by persons who 
 had some political purposes to answer, does 
 not appear to have been known. The am- 
 bassadors were seen in too ridicidous a light 
 to claim any further notice from the assembly, 
 than what the bombast harangue of their chief 
 demanded. But it was immediately followed 
 by a decree for a removal of those figures of 
 chained slaves, intended to represent prostrate 
 ajid conquered nations, surrounding the statue 
 of Lewis XIV, in the Place de. Vicloires. 
 
 In the Netherlands, faction and animosity 
 attended the revolt of the provinces from the 
 Austrian yoke. The nobles were too selfish 
 and ambitious to unite cordially with the 
 clerical body, or to consult the general welfare 
 of their country. The clergy, equally aspiring, 
 were anxious to retain the people in that 
 state of subservience, to which they had been 
 long accustomed. The middle class sought 
 an improvement in their condition, in point of 
 l)olilir.al and civil liberty. In this state of 
 affairs the death of Joseph occurred, and the 
 three prolestant allied powers, sensible of the 
 difiiculty of frammg an independent repidjiic 
 from such ill-assorted materials, negotiated, 
 in December, an accommodation with the 
 reTOJters and Leopold, the new head of 
 
 3 L ? 
 
 tlie Austrian family, on tcrnis advan- ,„,^ 
 
 1 y ) (I 
 
 tageous to the former. Uefore this ' ' 
 event, Frederic-William had formed a con- 
 federacy with Selim. who had recently ob- 
 tained the Ottoman diadem, and menaced the 
 Austrians with the vigour of his arms, should 
 they persist in harassing his Turkish friends. 
 Leopold, unwilling to embroil his subjects 
 with I he Prussian monarch, consented to the 
 terms of peace adjusted at Keichenbach, under 
 the mediation and guarantee of Great Britain 
 and Holland. Me engaged to restore all the 
 fortresses, towns, and districts, which he had 
 obtained during the war, and to settle all his 
 disputes with the Turks, without any regard 
 to his alliance with Russia. While the em- 
 press thus lost a friend, she freed herself from 
 the hostilities of a prince, who had repeatedly 
 filled her capital with alarm. She obtained, 
 at the same time, a se[)arate pacification from 
 the king of Sweden, who defied the indigna- 
 tion of the Turkish potentate, in concert A^ith 
 whom he was bound to treat ; and disregard- 
 ed the remonstrances of the kings of Great 
 Britain and Prussia, whom, since they de- 
 claimed against him, as the betrayer of the 
 cause in w hich he had taken arms, he accused 
 in return, of having dishonourably neglected 
 his interests. 
 
 While many of the European states were 
 rent by civil dissension, opjjressed by des- 
 potism, or burdened or distressed by wars, 
 for which they were indebted to the andiition 
 of their sovereigns. Great Britain now enjoyed 
 the fair fruits of liberty and peace. Notwith- 
 standing the late war had left the kingdom 
 burdened with an enormous debt, yet, such 
 had been the rapid improvement made in 
 agriculture, such the advancement of manu- 
 factures and trade, in consequence of the com- 
 mercial arrangements with the American 
 colonies, and the late treaty with France, that 
 industry received its duo reward, and the 
 nation wore an aspect of affluence and prospe- 
 rity. The customs, at tlie same time, had 
 received such an increase from the extension 
 of trade, that the ministi>r was enabled, in his 
 statement of revenue and expenditure, to com- 
 municate the satisfactory intelligence, that the 
 duties had exceeded those of the preceding 
 year, in the sum of half a million sterling; 
 that the exports of the last year amounted to 
 £18,51.3,000, surpassing, by three millions, 
 the average of six years befure tiie American
 
 444 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXXIV. 
 
 war. The aflfliirs of India also, which may i Om: of the first objects that enga;:^c(i the 
 now be considered as intimately connected j attention of parliament was iho repeal of the 
 with those of the state, in a political as well | test act. The dissenters, who were much dis- 
 as a commercial view, were in so prosperous I appointed by the issue of Mr. Beaufoy's 
 a condition under the wise, just, aud humane $ motion, encouraged by the smaUness of the 
 administration of the earl of Cornwallis, that, 5 majority against it, had been indefatigable in 
 according to Mr. Dundas's annual statement \ their labours to strengthen their party, and 
 of the revenue of liengal, it had exceeded the j were still sanguine in their hopes of success, 
 charges by a sum of £-2,136,711, which excess j Their cause was now espoused by an abler 
 was £178,000 above the estimate of the last ; patron ; Mr. Fox, moving the repeal, recom- 
 year. ; mended the measure, as a means of promoting 
 
 In the mean lime, the important revolutions ; peace. "Persecution/' said he, " is a bond 
 which were taking place in France, where the ; of union ; remove the b;uriers which separate 
 old government was completely thrown from ; the dissenters from the body of the citizens, 
 its base, and not a wreck of the former feudal j and, in their collective capacity, they would 
 system was suffered to remain, that might ; be no longer known. Men unite to resist 
 remind the people of its existence, could not | oppression ; but cease to oppress, and the 
 but be viewed with anxiety by this and other \ union is dissolved." The premier opposed 
 neighbouring nations. | the motion, upon the grounds of the propriety 
 
 The contrast of sentiment on the subject of j of investing the executive power with a right 
 this momentous revolution, was manifested on 5 of judging of the fitness or unfitness of the 
 the meeting of parliament, in the speeches of; persons who are to occupy stations. He in- 
 .several members ot the lower house. In a j sisted on the expediency of a church estab- 
 debate on the army-estimates, IMr. Burke pishment ; that toleration, not equality, should 
 contrasted the prosperity and security enjoyed ! be enjoyed by the dissenters. And he en- 
 in this country with the fallen and disordered J forced his sentiments by adverting to the 
 state of France ; and painted, in glowing j present conduct of the dissenters ; who, 
 colours, the disastrous consequences of the | at the moment when they were reprobating 
 revolution. " In the last age," said he, " we % a test, had discovered an intention of form- 
 were in danger of being entangled, by the ; ing associations throughout the country, 
 example of France, in the net of a relentless | for the purpose of putting the members of 
 despotism ; a despotism indeed proudly ar- 1 that house tp a test, and of resolving to judge 
 rayed in manners, gallantry, splendor, mag- 1 of their fitness to fill their seats by their votes 
 nificence, and even covered over with the im- ! on this single question. He was followed by 
 posing robes of science and literature. Our ; Mr. Burke, who proved the justness of the 
 present danger, from the example of a people | premier's remarks by citations from the 
 whose character knows no medium, is, with ; writings of some dissenting divines upon the 
 regard to government, a danger from licentious j subject of ecclesiastical establishments, of a 
 violence; a danger of being led, from admi- 1 tendency dangerous to the constitution. Ttie 
 ration, to imitate the excesses of an unbridled, ^, motion was rejected by a majority of 294 to 
 plundering, ferocious, bloody, and tyrannical i 105 votes. 
 
 democracy, of a people whose government is 5 A few days after this decision, a matter of 
 anarchy, and whose religion is atheism." Mr. ; great importance was submitted to the con- 
 I'ox and Mr. Sheridan agreed with Mr. Burke | sideration of the house, in which our welfare 
 in deploring the miseries of France, and exe- | and repute, as well as the national good, were 
 crating the acts of barbarous outrage perpe- j much interested, by a motion made by Mr. 
 trated in that country; but these they im- ; Flood, for a more equal representation of the 
 puted to the old despotic government, and | people in parliament. The grounds upon 
 not to the eflforts with which the people had > which he went were these ; " that as by the 
 violently relieved themselves from it. Mr, 5 general law of the constitution, the majority 
 Pitt, and other members, expressed tlieir » is to decide for the whole, the representatives 
 warm approbation of Mr. Burke's sentiments ; ; of the nation ought to be chosen by a body of 
 and the estimates of the army were then voted 5 constituents, whereof the elective franchise 
 b_y tile house. i may extend to a majority of the people." T}>
 
 CHAP. XXXIV.j 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 445 
 
 Bupply the tlefect of oiir constitiilion in tliis 
 respect, Mr. Flood proposed, "that lOOnieiii- 
 bers sliould be added, and that they should 
 be chosen hy the resident hoiisehoUlers in 
 every county." And he supported his motion 
 in an eUiborate speech, to demonstrate the 
 necessity of such a measure, for the preserva- 
 tion of that balance, amonir the constituent 
 
 the sanction of parliament, and a vote of credit 
 for one million, prepared to justify the claim 
 which it had mode, in a memorial to the 
 Spanish court, and by an immediate arma- 
 ment for the purpose of maintaining it. Hap- 
 pily for his Britannic majesty, he was relieved 
 from the emharrassment into which this ill- 
 advised affair had brought him, by the weak- 
 
 parts of the state, which is essential to its I ness of his adversary. The catholic kin 
 
 welfare. It was opposed by Mr. Windham, as 
 dangerous in the present ferment of the public 
 mind. And the premier, agreeing with him 
 iu his sentiments, declared himself still an 
 advocate for reform ; hut said, were the 
 motion before them the same proposition he 
 
 being unprepared for war, the result of these 
 transactions was a convention, signed in the 
 autumn, by which it engaged, that reparation 
 shouIJi be made the English merchants; that 
 the coast on the north of the Spanish settle- 
 ments should be considered free ; and that the 
 
 had himself formerly offered, he should now j rigi\t of fishing should be secured to England, 
 
 vote against it, from a conviction of its aclnal 
 impropriety ; but that, at a more seasonable 
 opportunity, he would certainly again subnu-t 
 his ideas upon the subject to the considerr^tion 
 of the house. Mr. Flood, perceiving the pre- 
 valence of the premier's sentiments, thought 
 it advisable to withdraw his motion. 
 
 Whilst the government thus carefully 
 avoided whatever might afford the spirit of 
 innovation an opportunity to effect its mis- 
 chievous purpose, of disturbing the domestic 
 tranquillity of the kingdom, the nation was 
 threatened with an interruption of that exter- 
 nal peace, on which it founded its hopes of a 
 continuance and increase of its prosperity, by 
 a dispute with the court of Madrid, upon a 
 subject in itself of small importance. An 
 association of British merchants had, in 178G, 
 opened a trade for furs on jthe north-west 
 coast of America, the profits of which induced 
 them, two years after, to form a permanent 
 settlement at Nootka Sound. The Spaniards, 
 who claimed the whole of this coast, by virtue 
 of prior discovery, and by the treaty of 1763, 
 which made the Mississippi the boundary of 
 the British dominions, maintained their right 
 by capturing two vessels employed in this 
 trade, in the late year. The Spanish ambas- 
 sador justified the capture by requiring of the 
 British government, that its subjects should 
 no longer frequent those coasts. This the 
 legislative bodies were now made acquainted 
 with, by a message from his majesty, inlbrming 
 them of the event, of his application to the 
 court of Madrid for satisfaction, of the claims 
 made by Spain to an exclusive right of navi- 
 gation in those seas^ and its hostile prepara- 
 tions. The British government, having received 
 
 under certain restrictions. 
 
 A FEW days after the delivery of his majes- 
 ty's message, the parliament was prorogued, 
 and afterwards dissolved. 
 
 The new parliament, which met in the 
 month of November, re-elected Mr. Addingtoii 
 speaker of the house of commons. His 
 majesty had the satisfaction to inform the 
 legislature of the happy termination of the 
 affair with Spain. This was followed by the 
 consideration of ways and means for defraying 
 the expence of the armament, amounting to 
 about three millions sterling. Supplies having 
 been provided for that purpose, the parliament 
 was soon after prorogued. 
 
 During this political warfare, the miseries 
 of actual hostility prevailed in India. The 
 origin of the war may be thus stated. The 
 rajah of Travancore, having purchased of the 
 Dutch the ports of Cranganour and Jacottah, 
 refused to comply with the demand of the 
 sultan Tippoo, who, alleging that he was the 
 feudal sovereign of that part of the coast, 
 insisted on the renunciation of the agreement. 
 To enforce submission, this prince assaulted 
 the lines of Travancore ; but his troops were 
 repelled with loss and disgrace. In the fol- 
 lowing year he renewed the attack, and dis- 
 possessed the rajah of his capital and other 
 parts of his territories. 
 
 Affecting to foresee the aims of Tippoo, 
 the English had previously sent a body of 
 soldiers to the aid of their ally, the rajah ; 
 and they seem to have wished for these hosti- 
 lities on the part of the sultan, that they might 
 have a pretext for waging war against one who 
 was known to be a determined enemy to the 
 possessors of British India, and had cuurte4
 
 446 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXIV, 
 
 an alliance with France for the snbversion of 
 their ill-acquired power. War was now de- 
 clared against Tippoo ; and general Medows, 
 invading the country of Conibatone, took 
 severalforlsn^ith ease, while tliat of Dindigul 
 was reduced with difficulty by one of his 
 detachments. Colonel Floyd was surprised 
 by a considerable part of the sultan's grand 
 army; but he firmly maintained his ground in 
 a sharp engagement. In another conflict with 
 a numerous host, he displayed the superiority 
 of skill and well-disciplined valour, in a small 
 body, over the efforts of desultory courage 
 in a multitude; and ably secured his retreat 
 to Velladi. 
 
 Having in vain endeavoured to prevent the 
 junction of general Medows with colonel Max- 
 well, Tippoo entered the Carnatic, in the hope 
 of diverting his adversaries from the imme- 
 diate invasion of Mysore. He marked his 
 progress with inhuman ravages, and escaped 
 the pursuit of Medows, who returned in dis- 
 appointment to Madras. 
 
 ,_q. In the same campaign, the exertions 
 
 of lieutenant-colonel Hartley retrieved 
 the affairs of the rajah of Travancore. He 
 afterwards defeated a strong body of the 
 Mysoreans, and reduced Trincalour and other 
 forts ; while major-general Robert Aber- 
 crombie met with success in a battle near 
 Cananour, and gained possession of some 
 important posts. The Mahrattas and the 
 iiizam, whose jealousy of Tippoo had led them 
 into an alliance with a power, of which they 
 should have been equally jealous, did not 
 perform, in this stage of the war, any memo- 
 rable act. 
 
 During these transactions abroad, a mes- 
 sage was delivered, from his Britannic majesty 
 to both houses of parliament, on the 29th of 
 March 1791, purporting, that his majesty 
 deemed it incumbent upon him to inform 
 thein, that the endeavours he had employed 
 to accomplish a reconciliation between Rus- 
 sia and tile porte having proved abortive, he 
 had judged it necessary, in order to give 
 weight to his negotiations, to make some fresh 
 additions to his naval force, relying on the 
 zeal and affection of parliament, for defraying 
 such expences as might be incurred by these 
 preparations. 
 
 The king of Prussia, who succeeded Fre- 
 deric the Great, discovered a prudent jealousy 
 of tiie designs of Catharine; and, by forming 
 
 an intimate alliance with Poland, as well as by 
 the adoption of other measures, no less poli- 
 tical, endeavoured to frustrate her designs of 
 aggrandisement. Great Britain, in concert 
 with Prussia and Holland, offered to mediate 
 a peace in the east of Europe, soon after the 
 surrender of Oczakow, in the year 1788. She 
 prevented Denmark from uniting with Prus- 
 sia, in order to assist the Swedes, with the 
 avowed resolution of supporting the balance 
 of power in the north. In the summer of 
 1790, Britain made afresh treaty with Prussia, 
 of more than defensive alliance, of strict and 
 lasting union, to protect the interest of the 
 contracting parlies, as well as the security and 
 tranquillity of Europe. We had now in vain 
 pressed our mediation on Russia a second 
 time ; an-d while she refused to renew any 
 commercial treaty with us, she made one 
 with F'rance, and another with Spain, entering 
 into a quadruple alliance with tliose two king- 
 doms, which was obviously pointed against 
 Great Britain. In fine, the empress of Russia 
 assumed a threatening attitude, and frowning- 
 aspect; flushed as she was with success, and 
 fortified by treaties of alliance, which naturally 
 produced a counter confederation, and ex- 
 cited a spirit of jealousy, vigilance, and hostile 
 opposit-icju, through a large portion of Europe. 
 
 On the meeting of parliament, after the 
 usual forms, an address to his majesty was 
 moved by the minister, who supported the 
 measures recommended with regard to Russia, 
 d'eclaring that we had a very miportant in- 
 terest in the war between that power and the 
 Ottoman porte. As defensive alliances were 
 allowed to be both wise and political, and 
 having once entered into these it was our chity 
 to adhere to them ; since Prussia was our 
 ally, she ought to be supported, wiiile flie 
 progress of the Russians against tlie porte 
 was truly alarming. Should the power of the 
 Turks be still farther humbled by their 
 haughty and ambitious rival, it would be 
 instantly felt by Prussia, and even by the 
 whole of Europe, of which the political systena 
 might be shaken to its very basis. 
 
 In the opinion of Mr. Fox, no danger could 
 happen to Prussia from the progress of the 
 Russian arms in the Turkish dominions. The 
 empress offered to cede all her conquests 
 between the PSeister and the Danube, wishing 
 to retain those only which lay between the 
 IS'eister and the Don ; while we insisted that
 
 CHAP. XXXIV.] 
 
 GEORGE in. 
 
 447 
 
 she should abandon all her conquests, without 
 even a single exception. It followed of course, 
 that our only ground of quarrel wi^h the em- 
 press was, her backwardness to resign the 
 country already tuontioned, which was an 
 object of importance to her, as it contained 
 the town of Oczakow, althoi:gh, in general, it 
 was barren and unprofitable. Oczakow, he 
 observed, was captured in 17G8, after which 
 period, his majesty had informed us from the 
 throne, that there was every reason to expect 
 the continuance of peace. He would ask, 
 therefore. Why did not ministers follow up, 
 with some degree of consistency, their systeu) 
 of defensive alliance? They should have 
 embraced the opportunity of securing the 
 empress by the same means and arguments, 
 when, in the negotiations at Reichenbach, 
 they found the emperor disposed for peace. 
 We could not form a more natural or advan- 
 tageous alliance, than one with Russia. 
 
 It was maintained by Mr. Pitt, that the 
 aggrandisement of l?ussia, and the depression 
 of the Turks, would aflect both our political 
 and comniercial interests in a very material 
 degree. The accusation brought against 
 ministers, that they had not endeavoured to 
 comprehend the empress in the negotiations at 
 Reichenbach, was considered by him as 
 trilling; for when a favourable disposition was 
 evinced by the emperor, it was deemed im- 
 prudent to suspend the negotiations with him, 
 at the risk of their being totally broken ofT, in 
 order to wait for the concurrence of the em- 
 press. After a few observations from Mr. 
 Burke, the address was carried by a n)ajority 
 of no more than 9.3, there being 228 to 1.3o. 
 
 In consequence of this numerous minority, 
 Mr. Grey was encouraged to move a number 
 of resolutions, on tiie 12th of April, declara- 
 tive of some general positions not to be denied, 
 respecting the interest which Great Britain 
 had in the preservation of peace, and iniquitous 
 pretexts for war ; facts which had appeared 
 during the hostilities between Russia and the 
 sublime porle, whicii did not immediately 
 appear to involve the interests of Great Bri- 
 tain, or threaten an attack on her possessions, 
 or those of her allies; and concluding, "that 
 the expence of an armament must be burden- 
 some to the country, and is under the present 
 circumstances, as far as the house is informed, 
 inexpedient and unnecessary. 
 
 It was "urged, among otiier arguments in 
 
 support of Mr. Grey's motion, that Russia, 
 so far from deriving any substantial benefit 
 from her southern conquests, only became 
 weaker in consequence of these victories ; 
 and, of course, to permit her to pursue her 
 present schemes, would be the ouly effectual 
 method of preventing her from disturbing the 
 repose of Europe. But if the en^pre^s should 
 be fully gratified in obtaining possession of 
 Constantinople, and driving the Turks from 
 Europe, it would be of advantage to mankind, 
 so (ar from being injurious. Administration 
 opposed Mr Grey by observing, that the 
 possession of Oczak-nw by the empress of 
 Russia, would render easy the conquest of 
 Constantinople, and even of all Lower Egypt, 
 which would give the Russians the supremacy 
 of the Mediterranean, rendering them, both in 
 a comn>ercial and naval point of view, a power 
 ful rival to Great Britain. The empress, how- 
 ever, was not only charged with hostile designs 
 against the porte, but against the liberties and 
 independence of all the northern nations. The 
 obstinate silence of ministers was severely 
 censured, during the course of this debate, 
 especially respecting those points, concerning 
 which it was of the utmost importance for the 
 house to obtain accurate information. When 
 they changed their principles and mode ot 
 conduct, Mr. Courtney said they took shelter 
 in cxistini>- circurnslances. When questions 
 were put respecting the measures they pur- 
 sued, they made answer, that the country had 
 confidence in his majestys ministers. These 
 X two phrases, existing circumstances, and con- 
 fidence in his vutjestij's minislers, were fre- 
 quently the hinges on which turned many long 
 and elaborate speeches 
 
 To these observations Mr. Dundas replied, 
 that so long as a negotiation was pending, in 
 respect to any particular points, his majesty's 
 ministers did not apprehend that it was a 
 duty incumbent upon them, to make these the 
 topic of public discussion. The motions of 
 Mr. Grey were negatived by a majority of 
 only 80, the numbers being 172 and 252. 
 
 Lord Grenville, on the 29th of March, 
 moved an address to his majesty, in answer 
 to his message, which was carried by a ma- 
 jority of 97 to 34. Three motions were suc- 
 cessively made by earl Fitzwilliam against a 
 war with Russia ; the first on the 1st of April, 
 the second on the 9th of May, and the thirJ 
 on the 8th of June; but all of which were
 
 44ft 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXIV. 
 
 negatived 
 
 The last of these was for an 
 address to his majesty, not to prorogue par- 
 liament while a negotiation with Russia was 
 depending. The chief supporters of earl 
 Fiizwiliiam's motion were lords »Stormont, 
 Porchester, RaHvdon, Carlisle, Loughborough, 
 and the marquis of Landsdown ; and the 
 chief speakers on the opposite side were lords 
 Grenville and Hawkesbury, the dukes of 
 Leeds and Richmond, and lord-chancellor 
 Thurlow, The arguments urged for earl 
 Fitzwilliam's motion, were analogous to those 
 advanced in the house of commons; — the in- 
 justice and bad policy of an attack on Russia, 
 which was far from being expedient, and 
 might be attended with dangerous conse- 
 quences. Administration urged the necessity 
 of confidence in the executive government 
 during a negotiation, and the silence of minis- 
 ters was regarded as a duty which they owed 
 to their country. The importance of our 
 trade with Russia was not denied ; but the 
 present measure of preparation was not ad- 
 mitted as necessarily inferring its interruption ; 
 and on general principles it was maintained, 
 that the preservation of our national com- 
 merce, as well as every other advantage, 
 depended on maintaining our political im- 
 portance in Europe, which must unavoidably J 
 be impaired by the immoderate aggrandise- \ 
 ment of any single power. 
 
 Prom the commencement till the termination 
 of the debates respecting the Russian arma- 
 ment, the majority of the nation was clearly \ 
 against the minister ; who being, as was 
 generally supposed, in the habit of giving way 
 to counsels, and of executing measures, which 
 had not his own approbation, did not endea- 
 vour to acquire the confidence of the public 
 by persevering in his own designs ; but aban- 
 doned the affairs of the north of Eurojje to 
 their fate, while he still retained his office, 
 and was gradually drawn into an opposite 
 conduct. Poland was dismembered ; the 
 Turkish empire was exposed to future attacks ; 
 and the period of contention between Great 
 Britain and Russia, for commercial and naval 
 greatness, rapidly approached. 
 
 It is a melancholy lact, that the mass of 
 the people are not in the habit of looking 
 forward to remote consequences, having nei- 
 ther inclination nor capacity to balance 
 present inconveniences with luture advantages, 
 nor present advantage with future losses and i 
 
 dangers. All wars are execrated as unneces- 
 sary and wairton interruptions of tranquillity, 
 prosperity, and private happiness. The 
 conduct of the minister, in yielding to popu- 
 lar clamour against a war, and even the pre- 
 parations for a war with Russia, became a 
 subject of considerable animadversion. It 
 was allowed, that no British minister ought 
 to regard vi'ith contempt the opinion of the 
 public ; but that a minister, who believes his 
 measures to be right, and the popular opinion 
 against them absolutely wrong, possessed, at 
 the same time, of a majority in both houses 
 of parliament, ought by no means whatever 
 to abandon his views, from the apprehension 
 of being deprived of his place, in consequence 
 of the people's discontent. Truth is perma- 
 nent, while error and delusion are temporary 
 and transient. It is not sufficient that a minis- 
 ter be honest, diligent, and capable of pro- 
 tecting himself by the arts of management. 
 He should possess a genius both inventive and 
 sublime, able to penetrate into subjects which 
 it would be neither prudent nor, perhaps, 
 possible to explain to the nation. His views 
 ought to be profound ; his conduct firm and 
 magnanimous ; possessing such confidence in 
 the wisdom of his measures, as may qualify 
 him to foresee and predict the consequences 
 of his conduct, and appeal to his jiidgmenrt 
 from the rash decisions of a deluded multi- 
 tude. In opposition to these sentiments, it 
 was observed, that it is the incumbent duty 
 of the minister to do all the good he can, if 
 he be not able to do all the good he could 
 wish ; and in order to be enabled to do some 
 good, he ought at times to side with the 
 court, and at times to sail with the popular 
 breeze. .' 
 
 On the acquisition of Canada by the peace 
 of Paris, (1763) his majesty issued a procla- 
 mation, that measures should be adopted for 
 extending the benefits of the British constitu- 
 tion to that country, in order to encourage 
 such British subjects as might afterwards be 
 inclined to make it their abode. The province 
 of Canada, in tlie mean time, underwent such 
 changes, as could not fail to take place after _ 
 it was ceded to Great Britain, whose subjects |f 
 were invited by the proclamation to acquire 
 property in Canada, while numerous loyalists, 
 by virtue of the American rcvclution, emi- 
 grated to a country so contiguous, and su 
 analogous to their own in various respects.
 
 CHAP. XX.VIV.] GEORGE III. 449 
 
 These fellow-subjects carried with thetn a j such rapidity over a large portion of the 
 strong predilection in favour of British laws ! globe, and promised every day to become 
 and the British constitution, and they fre- ; more and more universal. He reprobated the 
 qiiently reminded, government of the promise ! proposed method of representation, as being 
 made to them in the proclamation of his ; too circumscribed ; to the division of tiie conn- 
 majesty, of extending the benetits of the con- ; try into two provinces, which would retard 
 stitution to the territories of Canada; while, ! the coalition of France and Britain, and the 
 on the other hand, the natives were prevailed j adoption of British laws and customs ; to the 
 upon to oppose such an extension in a variety i establishment of the clergy, which was most 
 of particulars, as well from jealousy as attach- ; enormous ; and to the mode of electing the 
 nient to antient customs, though willing to i councils, which, he was of opinion, siiould be 
 allow the excellence of our constitution, as, ; chosen by tiie assembly. He said, there was 
 on the whole, favourable to liberty and the j not in the province either sufficient property 
 rights of the subject. Tiie Canadian nobility, ; or respectability to support a hereditary 
 in a particular manner, who enjoyed many « noblesse. He did not mean to discuss the 
 distinctions under the French government, ; general proposition, of what use hereditary 
 were tenacious of those riglits and imninnities, > power and possessions might be, abstractedly 
 which might be abolished by a new system of i considered ; but he allowed that he perceived 
 government. i something in thera so good, as to uinke him 
 
 Lower Canada was made to extend, by ; wish for the introduction of them among a 
 virtue of the present bill, along the bank ot ; people, to which they were formerly unknown, 
 the river St. Lawrence, to the lakes Ontario, ] He did not think it prudent to destroy them 
 Erie, Huron, Illinois and Superior, of which | in kingdoms where tliey already fornied a 
 the last is 1500 miles iu circuit, and none of; part of the constitution ; but he thought it 
 the rest less than 600, constituting the greatest ; impolitic and unwise to give them birth iu 
 iidand navigation, and the largest pieces of; countries where they had no previous exist- 
 fresh water, on the terraqueous globe. The J ence. Such a conduct was, in his opinion, 
 river St. Lawrence, which is fed by these, ; unaccountable, unless on the supposition, that 
 runs a meandering course of 730 miles, and i an opportunity would be early embraced, of 
 witii little or no difficulty, may be made ; reviving in Canada, formerly a province of 
 navigable to its source. This country, if we ; France, those honours and titles, the extinc- 
 except the Ijanks of the river, its numerous ; tion of which was so much lamented by 
 isles, and some spots on the lakes, still con- \ gentlemen, and of awakening that spirit of 
 tinnes as it came from the hand of nature, I chivalry in the west, which had so completely 
 covered with forests of prodigious extent, j f»"en into disgrace in a neighbouring kingdou), 
 abounding with trees of a most enormous ; He maintained, that the constitution of 
 height and thickness, almost the exclusive « Canada should be as free as possible, that the 
 habitation of wild beasts. The vestige of a > people nnght see nothing to be envied in the 
 man can scarcely be discovered for a thousand ; surrounding states. The governments estab 
 
 •g ......v.o. 1 ..v. g,^ 
 
 uides on the sides of the lakes, and the nume- ; lished in the United States of North America 
 rous streams by which the river St. Lawrence ; would have atl'orded much better patterns for 
 is swelled from north to south. So shy are i imitation than tiiat which had bt en followed. 
 the few naked savages that are occasionally to | As tiie love of liberty was gaining grownd, by 
 be found, and so fierce and barbarous is their ; virtue of the diffusion of literature throughout 
 aspect, that they add horror to the gloom of ; the world, he wasof opinion, that a constitution 
 the wilderness. > should be formed for Canada, as consistent 
 
 Mr. Fox did not oppose the principles of; as possible with the true principles of liberty, 
 the Canadian bill, on its first introduction, i The shadow only, and not the substance, v.as 
 nor on its first or second reading, yet he | granted by the present bill ; and this was his 
 alterwards stated several olijections to it. I chief reason for opposing it. 
 He hoped that, in promulgating the scheme j Mr. Pitt agreed readdy to the commitment 
 of a new constitution, the house woidfl never; of the bill, which he earnestly wished to have 
 lx)se sight of those enlightened principles of; fully discussed; but, in the mean time, he 
 freedom, which had already proceeded with i replied to the objections of Mr. Fox, that au 
 
 .3 a * 29
 
 450 
 
 HISTORY OF ENG;.A\D 
 
 [chap. XXXIV. 
 
 elective council, in(]e])en(lent of the crown, 
 would reiuler the whole system deiiiocratical, 
 and might soon detach the colony from the 
 British empire. Since an aristocralical jjrin- 
 ciple was a constituent part of a mixed govern- 
 ment, which he supposed to be best both for 
 our colonies and ourselves, it was requisite 
 that there should be such a councd in 
 Canada as the bill provided, and which might, 
 in some measure, correspond with our house 
 of peers. The division of the country into 
 two provinces he considered as the most 
 likely uietliod to produce the coalition of 
 French and Britisli parties, which he allowed 
 with Mr. Fox to be extremely desirable. If 
 there were only to be one house of assembly, 
 and the two parties, as might be sometimes 
 expected, prove equal, or almost upon a par j 
 in pomt of numbers, a constant scene of alter- i 
 cation would succeed, and the breach become 
 factious. On the other hand, by the estab- 
 lishment of two distinct assemblies, all cause 
 of complaint would be removed ; while the 
 subjects of France, being left to their own 
 choice, and not actuated by the pride of 
 party, would most probably adopt the laws of 
 Great Britain, from an unprejudiced observa- 
 tion of their superior advantage, as to the 
 number of which the assembly would consist. 
 This, according to the present population of 
 Canada, could not be increased with propriety ; 
 but when the population should in reality be 
 augmented, no objection would be made to 
 any reasonable addition. 
 
 This was the sum of what was brought 
 forward in the house of commons, for and 
 against the Canadian bill, which was iramed 
 with so much judgment, with so much respect 
 for the prejudices, the customs, and manners 
 of the people for whom it was designed, and 
 on principles so much resembling the British 
 constitution, that very little of importance or 
 plausibility could be said against it. The 
 debates in the house of con)mons, in which 
 these arguments were more amply illustrated, 
 became chieHy interesting from the speeches 
 of Mr. Bnrke and Mr. Fox, on a great and 
 collateral subject, which put a period to the 
 intimate friendship which had long subsisted 
 belwtei lhe>e clI. brated men. 
 
 Mr. burke, when the discussion of the 
 Canada bill was brought forward, on the 6th 
 of Mav, gave his decided opinion respecting 
 the French revolution, and the doctrines 
 
 maintained by its advocates. He most em- 
 phatically and seriously declared, that he 
 wished above all things to warn the house of 
 the danger which threatened the country, in 
 consequence of a faction fully resolved to 
 subvert the constitution ; but it was argued 
 by those on the same side of the house, that 
 if such a faction really existed, it was surely 
 of sufficient magnitude to justify its being 
 brought forward, especially as Mr. Burke was 
 so perfectly persuaded of its actual existence. 
 Lord Sheffield moved, that such observations 
 were irrelevant to the subject before the 
 house ; and Mr. Fox, in seconding the motion, 
 took occasion to observe, that he could not 
 pass over the melancholy task of refuting 
 certain diarges, which had been wantonly and 
 unprovokedly adduced against him. He de- 
 clared, at the same time, that if, after 25 
 years, he was to forfeit the friendship of one, 
 from whom he had learned more than from all 
 books and all men ; from whose writings, 
 speeches, and conversation, he had drawn the 
 whole of his political know ledge ; and for 
 whom his friendship and regard wereu«abated ; 
 his regret would hasten the termination of a 
 weary existence, and would accompany him to 
 the grave. If his principles or opinions were 
 dangerous, he had learned them of his friend. 
 
 Mr. Burke replied iw the following lan- 
 guage. " Mr. Fox has treated me with 
 harshness and indignity : after having harassed 
 with his light troops in the skirmishes of 
 order, he brought the heavy artillery of his 
 own great abilities to bear upon me." He 
 said, Mr. Fox and he had often difiered, and 
 there had been no loss of friendship between 
 them, " but there is something in the accursed 
 French constitution, which embitters every 
 tiling." Fox whispered, There is no loss of 
 friendship beliveen us. Bnrke answered, I 
 knoiv the price of my conduct, our friendship 
 is at an end. With great emotion, Mr. Fox 
 deprecated the renunciation of Mr. Burke's 
 friendship, and tears for several minutes in- 
 terrupted his utterance. When the first 
 ebullition of sensibility had subsided, he 
 again expressed the highest esteem, affection, 
 and gratitude for one whom, notwithstanding 
 his liarshness, he must still continue to love. 
 Proceeding for some time in a stram of plaintive 
 tenderness, he gradually recovered his usual 
 firmness, and aftervvarils displayed consider 
 able asperity.
 
 CHAP XXXIV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 451 
 
 Mr.. Pitt dift'erefl in opinion from tliose 
 who appreheiiried that tlie constitution was 
 ill any immediate dan<;er. He conceived, 
 however, tiiat Mr. Bnrlce had a clain) npon 
 the !>ratitutie of his coiinhy, for having so 
 eloquently and ably expressed his sen.se of 
 the danjjer already existing ; and assured him 
 of Ins liearty su[ipor(, should any reasonable 
 ground of appreliension be hereafter disco- 
 vered. Aftci- various desultory remarks on 
 the .same subject, the Canadian bill passed 
 the commons on the 18lh of May, after un- 
 dergnnig a few immaterial alterations. On 
 this occasion, the Briti^h legislature con- 
 dnried itself with appropriate equity and 
 wisfom. The constitution of Great Britain 
 was extended to Canada, silbjoct to such 
 modifications and improvements as future 
 circumstances might evince to be necessary ; 
 and that country received as mncli inde-pen- 
 dence as was requisite to tlie freedom and 
 happiness of its people, preserving, at the 
 
 same time, that degree of connection with 
 Great Britain, which might mutually con- 
 tribute to the prosperity of the mother-country 
 and the province. 
 
 A SOCIETY of philanthropists formed ^„_ 
 
 the design of establishing a colony at 
 
 Sierra Leone, on the African coast, where the 
 
 soil is excellent, producing cotton, cofft^e, and 
 
 sugar, almost without culture. The professed 
 
 design of this society was to cultivate with 
 
 freemen a tract of land, which they had pur- 
 
 \ chased, in order to ascertain, whether Africa 
 
 > might not be civilized, and rendered more 
 
 I productive, as a grand emporium of commerce 
 
 i and manufactures, than as a nursery f<>r slaves. 
 
 I A bill was brought in. May the .30ih, by Mr. 
 
 I Henry Thornton, for the estai)lisliment ot 
 
 j sncha company, which speedily passed through 
 
 { both houses of parliament. After a long and 
 
 I laborious session, the parliament was pro- 
 
 \ rogued on the 10th of June, but did not meet 
 
 \ till the 21st of January, 1792. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1791, 1792.] 
 
 Internal State of France — hidisposition of the Kinff — Fli2;ht of the Royal Family to Va- 
 rennes — Their compulsory Retxirn to Paris — Disputes betucen the Courts of J ersailles and 
 Rome — Establishment oj a new French Constittition — Slate of the PvIjUc Mind in Eng- 
 land — Riots at Birtninfrhnm — Opening- of Parliament — Debates on Political Reform — 
 Loyal and Revolutionary Societies — Campaign in India — Retreat of Tippoo — The EngUsk 
 appear before Seringajtatam — Tippoo concludes with Lord Curnivallis a humiliating- 
 Peace. 
 
 THE authors of the French revolution 
 had apparently obtained the objects of 
 their most saiiguine wishes. They had con- 
 stituted a legislature consisting of one entire 
 bpdy ; they had annihilated the nobility, and 
 circunTicribed the royal authority; they had 
 
 3 M 2 
 
 formed a system of representation, which 
 reached the smallest division of property, and 
 carefully guarded every avenue to corruption ; 
 they had destroyed the monasteries ; had 
 deprived the church of that abundant wealth 
 which was deemed detrimental to the public ;
 
 452 
 
 HISTORY OF EXGLAND. 
 
 [criAP. wxr. 
 
 and had establislied an elective magistracy, 
 and an elective clergy. Bat the timidity and 
 irresolution of the sovereign, whose firmness 
 might have led to the repression of further 
 innovation, encouraged the factious and the 
 lurlndent to more momentous and unneces- 
 sary changes. Lewis possessed the inclina- 
 tion, I)ut not tl)e energy, required to defeat 
 the designs of the con-spirators against his 
 throne and life, and the benevolent and mis- 
 guided king, while he was doubtful of his 
 course, perished amidst the ruins of the 
 monarchy. 
 
 Alarmed and irresolute, the sovereign of 
 France was induced to implore the co-opera- 
 lion of the eloquent but unprincipled Mira- 
 beau, who had now been elected president of 
 the assembly, and whose friendly interfesence 
 might bias the proceedings of that body in 
 favour of the royal cause. At the same moment, 
 M. de la Fayette was meditating, unknown to 
 Mirabeau, a political scheme, of which the 
 success depended on strictly watching the 
 movements of the king at the Thuilleries. 
 When some commotions had alarmed his 
 majesty, about 300 royalists hastened to 
 defend him ; but the officers of the national 
 guard insisted on their retiring, after the 
 surrender of their arms to the king, who was 
 not only obliged by la Fayette to deliver up 
 the weapons, but was prohibited from admit- 
 ting any strangers into the palace. These 
 insults made a deep impression on the feelings 
 of the harassed prince, who was soon after 
 seized with a fever. His recovery was cele- 
 brated with illuminations ; but this testimonial 
 of the people's attachment was more than 
 overbalanced by the death of Mirabeau. 
 Afflicted and discouraged by that event, he 
 Avas inclined to seek comfort and protection at 
 a distance from his turbulent capital. He 
 was advised by M. de Montmorin, to propose 
 to the emperor the formation of such a league 
 as might, without actual war, intimidate the 
 assembly into respect and moderation. On 
 pretence of averting hostilities, the king was 
 to negotiate with the combined powers, and 
 to put the army on an orderly and respectable 
 footing. He v.as then to proceed to the fron- 
 tiers, command the emigrants to return and 
 join his troops, fornj a new administration, 
 and sumniou the assembly to deliberate under 
 his eye. The electoral assemblies were to be 
 consulted, and a plan of government, providing 
 
 for the continuance of the monarchy, yet not 
 inconsistent with reasonable liberty, was to be 
 settled with general coiisent. Alter tlie ad- 
 justment of an accommodation with foreign 
 powers, Lewis was to return to Paris ; and 
 aflairs, it was expected, would then proceed 
 in a prosperous train. The emperor was 
 pleased with the propositions ; but on their 
 disclosure to the count d'Artois, and other 
 emigrants, they were received with repulsive 
 indifi'erence, and obtained their passive acqui- 
 escence rather than their active support. 
 
 The assembly, in the mean tinte, hastened 
 to complete the constitution ; and, in com- 
 pliance with the general wish, a time was 
 fixed for the convocation of primary assem- 
 blies, that the constituent body niight be suc- 
 ceeded by a legislative council, from which 
 the present national representatives should be 
 excluded. 
 
 The mortifications and thraldom to which 
 the king was now subjected, in consequence 
 of a general suspicion that he was meditating 
 an escape, induced him to put that design in 
 execution at an early opportunity. Montmcdi, 
 a fortress on the bor(lers of Luxemburgh, 
 was chosen as the place of his majesty's resi- 
 dence; and the marquis de Bouille had pre- 
 pared to facilitate his escape, by placing relays 
 of horses at proper stations, and ordering pro- 
 tecting parties of dragoons, under various pre- 
 texts, to occupy positions on the road. On 
 the night of the 20th of June, the king, ac- 
 companied by her majesty, and by the royal 
 family, having obtained a passport, by means 
 of the Russian ambassador, eluding the 
 vigilance of the guard, escaped from the 
 Thuilleries, and, taking the road of Chalons 
 sur Marne, and St. Menehoud, they reached 
 Varennes, about 150 miles from Paris, and 
 only 30 from Montmedi, before midnighj: on 
 the 21st. It is not extraordinary, that a 
 scheme so complicated, and liable to innume- 
 rable accidents, should have failed of success ; 
 bnt to have their progress stopped and their 
 views blighted, when their object was so 
 nearly attained, was a circumstance peculiarly 
 afflicting. Drouet, the post-master at St, 
 Menehoud, recognising his majesty's persou 
 by its resemblance to his portrait, pursued 
 him to Varennes, and contrived to detain him 
 there, till some of the national guards could 
 be assembled, by causing a waggon loaded 
 with furniture to be overturned upon a bridge
 
 CHAP. XXXV.J GEORGE llli 453 
 
 ■which led towards Monlmedi. Parties of; A continuance of deliberation and discus- 
 dra;>()oiis had been stationed both at St. ; sion at length completed the expected code. 
 Menehoud and Varennes, but were seduced J A deputation being escorted by troops to the 
 from their duty. On information of the dis- ; palace, Thouret thus addressed the king: 
 aster, de Bouilie used all possible despatch ! "The representatiTes of the nation present to 
 to rescue his sovereign, hastening with a ; your majesty the constitutional act, whicli 
 regiment of dragoons to Varennes for that | consecrates the unalienable rights of the 
 purpose. But he arrived too late. His majesty | French people, tends to establish the true 
 had been placed under an arrest, and was j dignity of the throne, and regenerates the 
 instantly carried back to Paris, under an j government of the empire." Lewis promised, 
 escort of the national guards. The apathy ; to examine, and state his opinion with all 
 with which the inhabitants of the provinces i reasonable despatch. After an interval of ten 
 beheld the afflicted royal family, the conster- ; days, he declared his acceptance. If it had 
 nation which prevailed among the citi;iens of; 'jeen presented to him at the moment of his 
 Paris when their escape was announced, and J departure from Paris, he could not have pre- 
 their joy on receiving intelligence of their ; vailed upon himself to assent ; but as it had 
 arrest, nnght have well awakened the aristo- j been, since that time, improved in various 
 crats from those delusive dreams, respecting > respects, rendered more apt to promote good 
 the aid which would be derived from the | government and order, and had secured a 
 pesple in the event of an invasion. Unfor- ! general sanction in the public opinion, he now 
 tunately for their own welfare, and the repose I engaged to maintain it at home, defend it 
 of Europe, the friends of the French monar- ; against attacks from abroad, and endeavour 
 chy were so completely subjected to the i to carry it into complete effect. He, however, 
 influence of passion and prejudice, that the ; added, that he did not perceive, in the means 
 admonitions of common sense could not be i allotted to the executive power, all the energy 
 heard, and even the evidence of facts was i necessary for concentration and unity ; and he 
 wholly disregarded. ; subjoined a caution against that discord that 
 
 The republican violence of the Jacobins I might lead to anarchy. On the following day 
 urged them to represent the kings flight as a « he appeared in the hall of the assem- o . , . 
 suflicient ground for his dethronement. Petion ; bly, took an oath for the observance ^^P*^' ^^• 
 did not scruple to propose, that Lewis should | of the new constitution, and signed the act. 
 be brought to trial, as his declared inviolability ; The president, in a posture -of nonchalance, 
 could only be applied to acts of royalty ; but ; without rising from his seat, congratulated 
 the assembly rejected the motion as uncon- « Lewis on his enjoyment of the most desirable 
 stitutional. At a meeting of the seditious ; crown in the universe, secured by the per- 
 clul>, Brissotmaintained, in a studiedharangue, ; manent and decisive authority of a constitu- 
 that it was not merely lawful, but an act of ; tion freely decreed. 
 
 duty to try the king; and pamphlets to that | A ceremonious proclamation followed, 
 effect were industriously spread. The friends | The Parisian municipality announced, with 
 of the constitution discouraged such doctrines, I military parade, that the national assembly, 
 without manifesting that spirit which the ; having finished (within the space of two years 
 danger of their sovereign required them to ; and two months) their constitutional labours, 
 «xert. ; had consigned the act, contirmed by the king. 
 
 The Jacobin club, the society of Cordeliers, I to the fidelity of the legislative body, as a 
 and other democratic associations, continued ; sacred deposit, — to the vigilance of the 
 to inveigh against the king, and demand his | fathers and mothers of families, the affections 
 punishment. Their arts and clamours having ; of the young citizens, and to the courage and 
 occasioned a tumultuous meeting in the ; zeal of all Frenchmen, 
 
 Cliamp de Mars, (July 17, 1791,) the mayor j At the time of completing this boasted work 
 Ijroclaimed martial law ; the national guard, ; of human wisdom, or (as some hare termed it) 
 attacked by the mob, fired, and killed or | monument of human folly, an act of revoln- 
 wounded thirty or forty of the rioters. For ; tionary rapacity was connnitted by the as- 
 this violation of the sovereignty of the people, i sembly : I allude to the .seizure of the comtat 
 JJaiJli was never forgiven by the Jacobins. i Venaissiu. A motion for its union with the
 
 454 
 
 nrSTORY OF EXGLANDo 
 
 [CHAP. XXXV. 
 
 French monarcliy had before been rejected 
 by tlie inodt'ialioii of the niajoriry ; but this 
 forbearance \vas not pennaneDt. An inte.s;ine 
 \^■ar had arisen in ihecomb^it from the violence 
 of the jaeobiii faction. An anny of revolu- 
 tionists from Avignon had attacked Cavaillon, 
 and massacred many of the inhabitants. Jour- 
 dan, a ganeninary ruffian, besieged Capentras, 
 and pfrpetrat< d liornl)le outrages, and most 
 of the towns of the Venaissin were at length 
 intimidated into an application for such a 
 seitlement as n)if>ht extinguish in that terri- 
 tory the power of the poj)e. 
 
 From the death of Gauganelli to the prose- 
 cution of the cardinal de Rohan, no important 
 or serious contest had occurred between the 
 courts of Versailles and Rome ; and after 
 that extraordinary affair, Lewis and Pius 
 were again on friendly terms. But when the 
 revolution had broken out, the very nature 
 of the explosion presagerl a breach between 
 the altered government and the administrator 
 of a superstitious system. The discontinuance 
 of the payment of first-fruits, and the vote 
 •which declared the possessions of the church 
 to be national properly, gave great offence to 
 the pope; and the proceedings of the assem- 
 bly, on the subject of his territories in France, 
 fired him with indignation. After the renewal 
 of connnotions at Avignon, it was proposed 
 that the whole Venaissin should be re-annexed 
 to the Gallic realm; and because the mea- 
 
 but it contained so strong a mixture of demo- 
 cracy, that the former term was inapplicable 
 to the system. It rendere«l the king a mere 
 instrument in the hands of a domineering 
 assembly ; his prerogucive was inefficient, und 
 his authority inadequate even to tlie preser- 
 vation of onler anil tranquillity. A veto, to 
 be useful, ought to be absolute; for a tempo- 
 rary prohibition or enactment cannot command 
 respect, ulde.^s from a well constitnttd assem- 
 bly. I am aware that the suspensive veto has 
 been applauded by the vanity of its proposer, 
 as a happy tlfort of political sagacity, calcu- 
 lated to give time to a popular assembly to 
 exchange zeal for moderation ; but 1 am 
 rather disposed to consider it as a feeble tie, 
 invidious without benig authoritative, seem- 
 ingly arbitrary without the energy of perse- 
 verance. 
 
 The constitution formed a multiplicity of 
 parts ; but they did not form a regular chain, 
 they did not smoothly glide into eacii other. 
 The theory could not easily be rt-diir«nl to 
 practice. Indeed if the code had been truly 
 excellent, and much more praclical>le than it 
 was, tlie exorbitancy of Jacobinical ambition, 
 and the anarchical licentiousness of faction 
 would not long have suffered it to be operative 
 and efficacious, 
 
 Thl progress of the constitution, and the 
 eventful scenes which occurred while it was 
 yet unfinished, gave tiie French amjile time to 
 
 sure was convetiient, it was pronounced to be i reffeet on the nature and tendency of their 
 just and lawful. \ revolution. The royalists, for obvious reasons, 
 
 Lewis seemed novir to have recovered his ; could not view it witti satisfaction ; the nobi- 
 popularity. He was considered as a constitu- ! lity were not pleased at bt-ing reduced to a 
 tional kine:, and hailed as a friend to his » level with the mass of the people ; and the 
 
 country. But he was still in a state of anxiety. 
 He dreaded the intrigues of the Jacobins, and 
 apprehended great danger from their violent 
 and restless spnit. He saw the deft cts and 
 absurdities of the constitution, and did not 
 expect to be allowed freely to exercise the 
 power which it assigned to him. 
 
 He again attended the assembly, to witness 
 its dissolution. " Return to your families," 
 he then said, " and tell your fellow-citizens, 
 that I have no interest but that of the nation ; 
 that I will exert all the powers with which I 
 
 clergy complained of the diminution of their 
 privileges and revenues ; while tlie nation in 
 general still hoped and expected to derive 
 benefit from the change. 
 
 When the newly elected assembly com- 
 menced its career, three parties were distinct- 
 ly observable among the members 't (\ ^ ■, 
 the friends of the new constitution, " * 
 
 (including the Feuillans,) — the independents 
 — and the violent faction, which consisted of 
 Jacobins and Cordeliers. Dumas, Dnnmlard, 
 and Guardin, headed the first party; la Croix 
 
 am entrusted, to give full efficacy to the new X was the chief director of the second ; Brissol 
 system ; and will prove in every thing, that I j (for Robespierre was not among the deputies) 
 can rejoice only when my peopJe are happy." I had the principal influence over the third. 
 
 This fabric of power was ill-cemented and J The constitutional code, being presented in 
 unsound. It was denominated a monarchy ; | form to the new legislature, was hailed as the
 
 CHAP. XXXf.) 
 
 GEORGE III, 
 
 455 
 
 pluilge of peace and union. Ccrufti then 
 moved, that thanks shonid be voted t6 the 
 conMitnent assembly, for having- saved ;ind 
 regenerated tl)e FrcMicli empire ; for having 
 destroyed, by the labours of three years, the 
 abuses of fourteen centuries, nm\ paved the 
 way for ages of happiness. The motion was 
 apphuided, and readily sanctioned ; and a 
 mere doubt, expressed by Chabot, whether 
 the constitution was the most perfect of all 
 works, produced general murmurs. This 
 was literally a motiest hint fioiu one who was 
 considered a man of extraordinary impudence; 
 but it was deemed a profanation of I he gospel 
 oj the constitution. 
 
 In a judicious speech from the king, proper 
 objects were recommended to the attention 
 of the deputies. He requested them to facili- 
 tate the operations of government, strengthen 
 the arn)y and navy, establish public credit, 
 improve the civil laws, render the attainment 
 of justice more prompt and easy, and frame a 
 system of national education. To this advice 
 little attention was paid. The assembly 
 evinced a deficiency of wisdom and of patriot- 
 ism ; frtquontly di'^cussed trifles, and decreed 
 absurdities ; enacted unjust laws ; connived 
 at the licentiousness and bruliility of the 
 rabble ; insulted and degraded the king; and 
 encouraged factious anarcliy. 
 
 An early attack was made upon the emi- 
 grants, many of whom were embodied in 
 Germany. Their supposetl views of hostility 
 were irtentioned with indignation in the assem- 
 bly ; and on the 9th of November it was de- 
 creed, that if they s!v)uld remain in a body, 
 and not return into France before the 1st day 
 of the next vt-ar, ihev should be ijunished 
 with death wherever they might be found. 
 This infamous law originated with JBrissot's, 
 party ; and a decree for the punishment of 
 all priests who refusefi to take the civic oath, 
 or who excited disturbances, arose from the 
 intolerant spirit of the same faction. From 
 these ordinances Lewis withheld his sanction ; 
 and his refusal did not at first seem to give 
 serious disgust. 
 
 Thk preparations of the emigrants con- 
 timicd to be productive of warm debates, and 
 formed Ihe chief feature of a n)anifesto written 
 by Cohdorcet, and adopted by the assimbly. 
 In this composition, plausible professions of 
 general moderaiion were mingled with vin- 
 djclive denunciations against the rebels, who 
 
 menaced their native coimtry with sanguinary 
 ccnvul^ions. The hostile views imputtd to 
 the emperor were also a subject of aniinated 
 discussion. .Some vassals of the empire having 
 complained that their feudal rights in Alsace 
 and Lorraine had been invaded by the con- 
 stituent assembly, Leopold promised to assert 
 their claims ; and, not approving the indem- 
 nification offered by Lewis, he demanded a 
 re-establishment of ihitse possessions on the 
 footing prescribed by treaties. He also inti- 
 mated a desire, that the elector of Treves 
 might not be attacked, as that prince had 
 engaged to put a stop to the assembling of 
 emigrants in his dominions. In communicating 
 the imperial despatches to the legislative body, 
 the king declared that, if the elector should 
 not fully perform his promise, he would have 
 recourse to arms. i\l. de Narbonne was 
 sent to the frontiers to examine the state of 
 the army and fortified towns. He made a 
 favourable rejjort, and assured the assembly, 
 that tlie French were well prepared to resist 
 aggression. 
 
 The important revolution which had oc- 
 curred in France, could not but be viewed 
 with anxiety by the neighbouring nations. 
 Some men, actuated by the love of novelty, or 
 an aversion to legal restraint, hailed the ap- 
 proach of those clays, when mankind would 
 be blessed with the full (iijoynient of liberty, 
 and others from interested motives, were 
 desirous of any change that might afford them 
 an opportunity of improving tl)eir condition, 
 or repairing their broken fortunes. Many 
 were affrighted by the progress of orinciples, 
 which gave to the people the power of new- 
 modelling their forms of government ; while 
 in Englajid the sincere well- wishers to (he 
 established constitution looked forward to the 
 result of the changes in France with extreme 
 solicitude, apprehensive that the glork)us 
 system of government, under which the 
 British people had so long flourished, might 
 be undermined in its principles by designing 
 men, or might be reduced to ruin amid the 
 crash of empires. Those who considered 
 France as the rival of our connnercial pros- 
 perity and political grandeur, who had ob- 
 served with regret tl;e struggles made by that 
 kingdom to augment its naval force, even 
 (luring i!s decline, and thought, with Mr. 
 Burke, that the works constructed at Cher- 
 burg, for the security of that fortress and the
 
 456 HIf?TORY OP ENGLAND. fcriAP. X.TXV 
 
 nccomraodation of their navy, were more vast ; being sued by Dr. Priestley, and others who 
 in their design than the pyramids of Egypt, | had suffered the loss of property, compensa- 
 were relieved from their apprehensions, when \ tion was awarded by the jury, 
 they saw that powerful rival disabled from | Great Britain had yet abstained from 
 contending with England by her domestic \ taking a decided part in the transactions coii- 
 troubles. Among the Uritish subjects who ; nected with the affairs ot France ; but at a 
 declared themselves the friends of liberty, \ period like the present, when a complete re- 
 there were undoubtedly a few who wished for \ volution had taken place in one of the greatest 
 a republican government, and others who i states in Europe, and men of all ranks ap- 
 were inflamed with a spirit of violent Jacobin- > peared determined freely to investigate the 
 sm ; but no man of candour will deny, that 5 principles and origin of government, and to 
 many of thein were sincerely attached to the $ decide on the merits of the different systems, 
 principles of that constitution ; which was ; it was impossible for the most insensible or 
 improved and secured under the sway of | the most liumble individual to remain entirely 
 William III. Individuals of these different j unmoved by the scene around him. Still 
 descriptions celebrated the anniversary of the i more powerful and decisive was the effect of 
 French revolution in convivial meetings at | existing circumstances on the j)roceedings of 
 London, Norwich, Manchester, Liverpool, \ the legislature, and on the opinions of our 
 and other towns. At Birmingham a similar i senators. The baneful influence of the French 
 meeting took place, but did not end without ! revolution on the minds of the people, and 
 disturbances. An appeal had been previously i even on the conduct and sentiments of our 
 made to the people in a printed bill, com- 5 most popular orators, might have been still 
 plaining, in strong terms, of political abuses j more extensive and deplorable, had not the 
 and general grievances, yet recommending 5 flattering representations of Mr. Pitt, on the 
 order and forbearance till the majority should j subjects of commerce and finance, diverted 
 be disposed to resist oppression. As a riot i the national attention from real grievances 
 appears to have been preconcerted, some 5 and erroneous theories. A prospect of in- 
 zealous partisans of the civil and religious j creasing prosperity opened upon us, not only 
 establishment might have circulated this paper, ; as the general result of our collective industry, 
 that, being regarded as the production of the ^ but from the new sources of wealth continu- 
 discontented party, it might excite odium i ally produced by the extension of our foreign 
 against them ; but this is merely the cursory \ trade. Among other measures adopted for 
 surmise of a partial historian, and cannot be \ the latter purpose, but of which the execution 
 stated as an historical fact. 5 was suspended till the anliimn of this year, 
 
 The populace assembly at the hotel, in »* was an embassy from his Britannic majesty to 
 ■which the festive party dined, gave various ■: the emperor of China, conducted by lord 
 signs of disapprobation. After the celebrators \ Macartney, for the improvement of our com- 
 of the anniversary had retired, the windows ; mercial intercourse with that country. The 
 of the house were broken, and the rioters pro- 1 ambassadors train was suited to the taste for 
 ceeded to more serious mischief. They set | magniticcnce which prevails in the East ; and 
 the new meeting-house on fire, nearly de- 5 he was received with all the pomp and cere- 
 molished the old one, and destroyed the ! mony that could be devised. But the empe- 
 house, library, and philosophical apparatus of 5 ror discovered, at the same time, in his treat- 
 Dr. Priestley, who was particularly obnoxious i ment of his guests, a jealousy towards the 
 to these turbulent champions of church and ; Europeans, at once excited and justified by 
 state. Several other houses near the town 5 h'** ^icquaintauce with the fate of other Eastern 
 were burned, because they belonged to dis- 1 countries. His politeness was united with 
 senters, and in one of these some of the inceu- i circumspection ; and, after being treated with 
 diaries lost their lives. The civil power being ; ostentatious hospitality, the ambassador was 
 unable to prevent the continuance of tumult, i dismissed with cold civility, 
 depredation, and havoc, troops were sent into \ His majesty made known to parliament in 
 the town, and ordered to scour the country. $ h>s "1^^^*'' f^J""- "^'^O the marriage of his son, 
 Four of the offenders were condemned at ! (he duke of York, with the princess Frtdc- 
 Warwick, two were hanged, and the county > lica, daughter of his good brother, the king o
 
 CHAP. XXXV. J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 ^fj 
 
 Prussia. He informed the two houses, that i more glowing than any before him had ven- 
 a treaty had been concluded, under his medi- X tured to suggest. The amount of the perma- 
 alion and that of his allies, between the ; nent revenue, with the land and malt duties 
 emperor and the Ottoman porte, and prelimi- \ annexed, from January 17!)1 to January 1792, 
 »aries agreed upon, between the latter of; he estimated at £ 10,7.30,000, being £.300,000 
 these powers and Russia. The general state ; more than the agg»'egate of the preceding year, 
 of afiairs in Europe promised a continuance 5 The permanent expenditure, including the 
 of peace, and he was induced to hope for an » interest of the debt, the annual million applied 
 immediate reduction of his naval and military \ towards its liquidation, the civil list, and the 
 establishments. | niiiitary and nav.il establishments, he calcu- 
 
 1792. 
 
 An address of thanks and appro- 
 bation was moved by Mr. Charles 
 Yorke, and seconded by sir James Murray, 
 but severely animadverted oji by Mr. Fox, 
 who said, alluding to the cession of Oczakow 
 to the Russians, that it required no moderate 
 share of assurance for ministers to say to 
 gentlemen, who had supported their measures 
 as wise and necessary, Tliat which you last 
 year co7itended for, as of the utmost importance, 
 we have noiv abandoned, as uj none. Will you 
 have the <^oodness to move an address, up- 
 provinff vjhat tre have done? Mr. Fox thought 
 it extraordinary, that in mentioning the inesti 
 
 latcd at £1.5,810,000, leaving a clear surplus 
 of more than £900,000. In this state of 
 things he thought himself authorised to pro- 
 pose the repeal of a part of more burdensome 
 taxes, to the amount of about £-200,000 per 
 annum; and, at the same time, to appi) the 
 sum of £400,000 to the reduction of the 
 national debt, in aid of the annual million 
 appropriated by parliament. This would 
 still fall far short of his estimate of the national 
 ability. 
 
 This session of parliament was rendered 
 peculiarly interesting by the state of the public 
 mind on the subject of political reform. The 
 
 iTiable blessings of peace and order, no notice 5 example of France had stimulated the zeal 
 was taken of the violent interruption of order \ of several active and intelligent individuals in 
 which had occurred in the course of the t Great Britain ; and publications, explaining 
 summer. At the close of the eighteenth cen- « the imperfections of our constitution, denying 
 tury we had seen the revival of the spirit and : or ridiculing the boasted liberties of the sub- 
 practice of the darkest ages. It would have j ject, and recomiuending the most violent 
 been w ell if his majesty had spoken of those \ measures in the cause of democracy, were 
 riots in the terms they merited. They were ; eagerly circulated, and were read with avidity, 
 not riots for bread, — they were not riots in the | The ministry, alarmed by these demonstra- 
 cause of liberty, which, however highly to be j tions of the public spirit, obtained from the 
 reprobated, had yet some excuse in their | king a proclamation against seditious writings, 
 principle; they were riots of men neither j A legal process was instituted against Thomas 
 aggrieved nor complaining — of men who had I Paine, who had written a dangerous and in- 
 set on foot an indiscriminate persecution of an | sidious publication, called the Rights of Man. 
 entire description of their fellow-citizens, in- \ Notwithstanding the able defence of Mr. 
 eluding persons as etiiinent for their ability, J Erskine, he was pronounced guilty, and, as 
 as blameless in their conduct, and as faithful ; he did not make his appearance, was subject- 
 to their allegiance, as this or any other country i ed to outlawry. 
 
 could boast. \ The proceedings of the various associations 
 
 This subject was regarded by Mr. Pitt as » alarmed the timid and the loyal. Many en- 
 neither pleasant nor profitable, the revival of ^lightened and distinguished votaries of con- 
 which he sincerely deplored, rather inclining J stitutional freedom formed themselves into a 
 to draw the attention of the house to the | society, under the appellation of the Friends 
 prosperous and flourishing state of our finances i q/" ///e Peo/j/e. Their principal object was 
 and the national commerce, a correct state- 1 the promotion of a reform in parliament, in 
 ment of which it was his full intention to ; conformity to the principles which Mr. Pitt 
 submit to the house in a very short time, i had frequently enforced with the most con- 
 Ile gave, on the 17th of February, a grand » elusive arguments. The London Correspond- 
 display of national prosperity, in a speech ; inn Society, the Society for Constitutional 
 replete with eloquence and animation, by far ; Information, the Kevoliitionary Society, and 
 
 3 N 
 
 W
 
 458 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [cilAH. X.XXV- 
 
 various other self-constituted bodies, actively i but the assailants at length prevailed, and 
 propagated the doctrine of the rights of man, | drove l!ie enemy to the works of the town, 
 openly applauded the conduct of the French | A siege, however, was then deemed unadvisa- 
 revokitionists, and claimed a more popular I ble, ibr want of a covering army, and on 
 government, and a greater degree of freedom \ account of the scarcity of provisions and the 
 than was recognised by the English constitu- ; piogress of disease. IMajor-general Aber- 
 tion. Jn conformity with the vievvs of the i crombie was prevented from joining lord 
 Society of the Friends of the People, to which | Cornvvallis by the extraordinary swell of the 
 Mr. Grey belonged, t'liat gentleman, in the j Cauveri, and no intelligence could be ob- 
 follovving session, made a fruitless appeal to \ tained of the advance of the Mahrattas. 
 the house of commons. Counter-associations | The carl now retired towards Bangalore ; 
 were immediately formed, of which Mr. John i but was deterred, by the approach of the 
 Reeves, the patentee of prayer-books, and Mr. 5 monsoon, from the speedy prosecution of 
 Bowles, the celebrated delinquent as a Dutch I the intended siege. After an interval of 
 commissioner, were active and ostensible pro- X inaction, all the forts which commanded 
 moters ; beneath their auspices subscriptions 5 the Polycode pass were taken, and Nundy- 
 were formed for the circulation of loyal and \ droog was added to the conquests of the 
 aristocratic pamphlets ; and, though their ! confederates. Lieutenant Chalmers distin- 
 motives might not have withstood the test of { guished himself by his resolute defence of 
 rigid scrutiny, their exertions materially con- ; Coimbatore, though he was ultimately obliged 
 tributed to tranquillize the passions, and cor- ^ to surrender it. Colonel Stuart formed the 
 rect the errors of the people. j siege of Sayendroog, and took it by assault. 
 
 The present session of parliament was dis- ; as well as Outredroog, to the inexpressible 
 tinguished by an act, in which the freedom of | astonishment and confusion of the enemy, 
 an Englishman is essentially interested. The ; On this occasion, the prospect of indi- 
 manner of deciding in our courts of judicature, | vidua! emolument interfered with the general 
 in trials for libel, not being duly ascertained, « interests of the confederacy,. Purseram 
 Mr. Fox proposed a bill for declaring the! Bhow, who had promised to form a junction 
 power of juries to decide upon the law, as ! with general Abercrombie, tempted by the 
 well as the fact. When this important j)oint ; spoils of the rich province of Bednore, dis- 
 was discussed in the house of lords, the rights | regarded his engagement, and advanced 
 of juries were maintained, with great learning < towards that country, late in the autumn 
 and strength of argu.ment, by lord Camden. ; of 1791, with his own army, and captain 
 It was feebly opposed, on the ground of dan- i Little's detachment. They easily possessed 
 ger attending even the appearance of innova- > theniselvies of several intervening forts and 
 tion at such a period as the present, and was i sniall town,§, and when a Mysorean army, 
 ■finally passed by a great majority. I under J^eza Sahib, would have obstructed 
 
 Towards the termination of the session, the j the siege of the strong fortress ot Simoga, 
 ■attention of parliament was powerfully attract- i they came to an action with that chieftain, 
 ed to the affairs df India. When earl Corn-; and having defeated him, reduced the y. ^f^ 
 wallis, the governor-general, had commenced 5 fortress, ^he Bhow then advanced 
 the campaign of 1791, the strength of Banga- 1 towards Bednore, his chief object, but Tippoo 
 lour had threatened him with a protracted ; determined, if possible, to save the province 
 siege; but he soon reduced the pettah, or ; from the ravages of this army, despatched 
 town, and, when his batteries had played i Cummer Ul Dien, with a strong force, to its 
 against the fort for a week, he took it by a • defence. The Bhow, finding himself com- 
 nocturnal assault, with great slaughter of the ; pelled to oppose so powerful an antagonist, 
 garrison. He soon after routed a body of the > desisted from his enterprise, and retreated 
 enemy, formed a junction with the cavalry of; towards the grand army then employed before 
 the nizani, and resolved to proceed to Seringa- ; Seringapatani ; l)ut did not eflfecl his junction 
 patam. After a fatiguing march in rainy J till the preparations for the siege bad been 
 weather, attended with a serious loss of j completed. 
 
 cattle, he boldly attacked the Mysorean i All obstacles to the principal enterprise 
 army. Both sides fought with great courage ; ; being removed, provisions for forty days
 
 CHAP. XXXV. J 
 
 gcohge: III. 
 
 459 
 
 being prepared, and every part of the coi)fe- 
 derate forces, except Piirseram Bhow's army, 
 beiiijj ready to co-operate in the siege, lord 
 ConivvaUis sent orders to general Abercroin- 
 bie to adyance again from his station on the 
 Malabar coast ; and haviug reviewed the 
 anny under his immediate command near 
 Outredroog, consisting of a strong body of 
 British troops, with the Nizamates, and those 
 of the Mahrattas which reinainetl with him, he 
 moved towards Seringapatam. Every attempt 
 to convey just ideas of the several bodies 
 •which composed this huge mass, must fall 
 miserably short of the original. Regular 
 columns of infantry, ready to act on the ap- 
 pearance of an enemy, extended along the 
 front and left bank, wherever danger was to 
 be apprehended. The train, and heavy car- 
 riages of whatsoever description, moved on 
 better ground to the right of the infantry, in 
 general at the distance of about 100 yards. 
 Stores, suttling, and private carriages of 
 various kinds, advanced on a third road, to 
 the right of the other two; and elephants, 
 camels, buffaloes, bullocks, tattoos, asses, 
 with myriads of followers that defy descrip- 
 tion, kept pace with these lines on the baggage 
 flank. In the rear, and to the right, were 
 large bodies of horse from the army of Nizam 
 Ally, together with powerful divisions from 
 Hurry Punt ; these, in their turn, co-operating 
 .with the cavalry of colonel Floyd, extended 
 to the infantry in front : in short, one immense 
 chain of cavalry and infantry, embracing the ! 
 whole mass, afforded complete protection to ^ 
 the several component parts. From this 
 moving world, swarms of irregular horse 
 branched out in every direction, as far as the 
 eye could reach. 
 
 The Mysorean capital, besides the aatural 
 strength which it derived from its insular 
 situation in llie Cauveri, had the security of 
 batteries erected along the banks of that river. 
 The position whrch Tippoo Sultan had taken 
 for its defence, on its north side, was fortified 
 with six well-constructed redoubts, and was, 
 moreover, guarded by the Lockani river, 
 ■which covered part of its front, and by ravines 
 and marshy grounds in other quarters. Dou- 
 ble ditches of excellent masonry were covered 
 in front by works constructed with the best 
 materials, and on the most approved principle 
 of the present time. Drawbridges secured 
 the communication over the ditches at every 
 
 3 N 2 
 
 entrance, and heavy guns, out of number, 
 pointed in all directions from bastions, cava- 
 liers, and out-works. The defences to the 
 northward, notwithstanding they were coTered 
 by the river, were, on a comparative view, 
 considered of less strength than those towards 
 the island. The walls in this direction were 
 not of the same thickness with the others. 
 'I'he ditches, excavated from the solid rock 
 at an enormous expence, were inferior both in 
 depth and width ; but, on the north face, the 
 advantages of the ground presented induce- 
 ments most favourable to an attack. From 
 a gradual rise in the country, not only the 
 buildings within, but the walls of the fort were 
 exposed, to the very foundation ; and several 
 French deserters, who had lately abandoned 
 the sultan, agreed in opinion, respecting the 
 weakness of Seringapatam in this direction. 
 
 The commander-in-chief, having encamped 
 within eight miles of the island, there formed 
 his British forces in three divisions ; the cen- 
 tre commanded under himself by Stuart, the 
 right by Medows, and the left by Maxwell. 
 The artillery corps was commanded by Mon- 
 tagu ; and the defence of the camp was com- 
 mitted to Duff. — They moved from their 
 camp in the dusk of the evening ; a full moon 
 affording them light, and the stillness of night 
 adding to the solemnity of the scene. 
 
 Maxwell's division began their operatiouK 
 before midnight, by an assault on one of the 
 enemy's redoubts. It was guarded by a 
 double breast-work ; but the assailants bore 
 down all resistance ; and, driving the enemy 
 before tiiem, they entered the sultan's lines, 
 and formed a junction with the centre divi. 
 sion. The successive assaults were furious, 
 and attended swith prodigious slan;r/iter : 
 death presented itself in its most l.ideous 
 shapes : beside those who perisliet-' by tlie 
 sword, multitudes were driven into the 
 Cauveri. A body of troops nrder Stuart, 
 Maxwell, Knox, and Baird, fori'ing the river, 
 made a lodgement on the is'and. And the 
 sultan, when light returned, had the grief to 
 behold the pettau adjoirmg to his capital, 
 and a great part oftheis'and of Seringapatam. 
 in possession of his eu'iny. 
 
 Vigorous efforts ^ere then made by Tip- 
 poo to recover -'ns redoubts, and drive his 
 eneujy from the ground which they had 
 gained during the night. But neither the 
 bravery of his subjects, fighting under tho
 
 460 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXXV. 
 
 eye of their sovereign, nor liis greatly supe- ; part of the night. Before day, however, the 
 rior numbers, which enabled him conlinu- ' whole division, with the exception of the 
 ally to bring fresh troops to the encounter, > garrison left in the Edga redoubt, was drawn 
 nor the vengeance which they breathed on j up at the foot of the hill." 
 seeing the imminent danger which threat- » The success which attended the British 
 ened the Mysorean capital, could give them : arms stimulating the sultan to greater exer- 
 success. They displayed the discipline as J tions, by convincing him that, unless they 
 well as valour of troops formed by Hyder ; were stopped in their career of victory, ruin 
 and Tippoo Sultan. At one period of the : awaited him, his efforts were renewed for 
 engagement, they made a furious attack upon ; recovering the island and the redoubts on 
 a small band of troops, consisting of a few | the north side of the Cauveri. But although 
 companies of infantry, with which the com- « these efforts were made with the choicest 
 mander-in-chief had been left, during the i of his forces, they all failed of success, 
 confusion of this nocturnal affair. But this, | Perceiving at last, that the British troops 
 by its exemplary firmness, repelled with ; resisted every assault with immoveable firm- 
 the bayonet every effort of the enemy ; ; ness, that the spirit, with which victory 
 while the centre and left divisions opened $ inspired them, seemed to carry them for- 
 the way to final success, by establishing } ward with augmented force ; whilst his own 
 themselves in the sultan's encampment, and ; began to droop from the prodigious slaugh- 
 on the island. | ter which they had sustained, a slaughter 
 
 Medows, in the mean time, had been j rendered still more afflicting by the loss of 
 employed, with the right division, against j 80 pieces of artillery, he was constrained to 
 what was called the Edga redoubt, which { retire with the remainder within the walls of 
 protected the left of the Mysorean camp. $ his capital. 
 
 This was very strongly fortified, and among j The British general, although he disco- 
 the troops which guarded it, was a con- i vered no aversion to negotiate, was too 
 siderable corps of Europeans, commanded \ well acquainted with the sultan's artifices 
 by M. Vigie. The struggle for this impor- \ to be deceived with his pacific overtures, 
 taut station was desperate : the assailants 5 He accordingly proceeded without inter- 
 were once forced to recoil ; but being im- $ ruption in his preparations for the siege, 
 niediiilely brought again to the assault, with I and was much assisted in their prosecution 
 a reinforcement, the enemy were at last ; by the arrival of general Abercrombie, with 
 driven from their works. The victory was, i the army under his command, 
 however, dearly bought, with the lives ofj When the general viewed the strength 
 a great number of British troops ; and the ! and extent of the fortification, and the force 
 bodies of 400 of the enemy, within a circle < in garrison, which amounted to 20,000 men, 
 of uot more than thirty yards diameter, were j he could not but heavily regret the absence 
 a mournful trophy to their firmness. | of Purseram Bhow's army. His circuui- 
 
 The subsequent movements of this division « stances, however, did not admit of delay, 
 •were not equally judicious or successful. | He immediately made his arrangements for 
 " Insteavl of attacking another redoubt, 5 the siege. Stuart was invested with the 
 ■which beg^n to oppose their progress, soon \ command on the island. The piquets and 
 after they Viere put in motion, towards earl ; out-posts were entrusted to Maxwell. Cap- 
 Cornwallis," says captain Mackenzie, " an I tain Brown commanded on the ground north 
 unhappy councj of war, after some delibe- » of the river, which had before been occupied 
 ration, determined, in order to avoid delay, ; by the Mysorean army : and the operations 
 to make a circuit to the left. The en- 1 of the whole army were directed by Medows, 
 campment of this -oving consequently re- 1 under the eye of the commander-in-chief, 
 inained without furthtr molestation during ; Tippoo Sultan, in the mean time, had 
 the action. The column tppassed the Round- i neglected no means for the preservation of 
 hedge, again forded the Ridla, at different ; his capital and his military glory, which were 
 bands ; and proceeding towards the Cari- $ now both at stake. Whdst ths besiegers 
 gat pagoda, got bewildered amongst the ; were making their approaches, they were 
 ■paddy fields, (the rice fields) for the greater 'j annoyed by a heavy cannonade from the
 
 CHAP. XXXV] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 4«I 
 
 fortress. When Mackenzie and Cameron, 
 duriiijj the progress of the works on the 
 island, were sent to gain possession of a 
 post on the soutli of the city, to facilitate 
 an attack from that quarter, a vigorous and 
 successful sally was made by the garrison. 
 The sultan, in person, to encourage his men 
 to redouble their efforts, advanced with fresh 
 troops to support the action, and a second 
 time repulsed the assailants. But the result 
 was the same as in every other engagement 
 of this campaign. A reinforcement arriving 
 from Abercrombie's army towards the close 
 of the day, the garrison were repulsed, with 
 the loss of GOO men. This victory proved 
 decisive of the war. The sultan, perceiving 
 that his greatest exertions served only to 
 enhance the merit of his enemies, seeing that 
 their parallels and batteries were completed, 
 and hearing that Purseran: Bhow was hourly 
 expected to join the alliefi armj', was con- 
 vinced that he must either submit to a capi- 
 tulation, or suffer the reduction of his capital 
 by storm. Reflecting on the dire alterna- 
 tive, he, at last, humbled himself so far as to 
 accept the preliminaries prescribed by his 
 victorious adversary, and to send his two 
 eldest sons to the British camp, to remain 
 there as hostages, till the terms of peace 
 should be finally concluded. The chief arti- 
 cles were, — " That one half of the domi- 
 nions, which Tippoo Sultan possessed before 
 
 the war, should be ceded to the allies from 
 the countries adjacent, according to their 
 situation. That three crores and thirty 
 lacks of rupees be paid by him ; one crore 
 and sixty-five lacks to be paid immediately, 
 and one crore and sixty-five lacks in three 
 payments, not exceeding four months each. 
 All prisoners to be unequivocally restored. 
 Two of Tippoo Sultan's three eldest sons to 
 be given as hostages for the performance of 
 the treaty. 
 
 During the conferences of the My- 
 sorean vakiels with those of the nizam ^'^'^' 
 and the Mahratlas, and the British commis 
 sioners, Tippoo Sultan was practising various 
 arts to protract Uie negotiations, and evade 
 a just performance of a treaty so humilia- 
 ting to his pride, and destructive of his 
 power. They 'had continued near three 
 weeks, when lord Cornwallis, observing his 
 warlike movements, and his disposition to 
 prevaricate, prepared to re-commence the 
 siege, and ordered the hostages to be removed 
 to Bangalore. The sultan, then submitting 
 to his fate, gave his ratification to the defini- 
 tive treaty on the 18th of March ; and Abdul 
 Calig, his eldest son, closed the transactions 
 by delivering a separate copy to the repre- 
 sentatives of each confederate power, and 
 receiving from them a counterpart of the 
 treaty.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1792, 1703.] 
 
 Juterual Slate of Enohind — Turbulence of Parties — The Question of War or Peace con- 
 sidered — Hostile Demonstrations of the Allied Powers — Proclamation of the Duke of 
 Briinsicick — Its Influence on the Parisians — Attack upoti the Palace — Leicis visits the 
 National Assembly — Commencement of Military Operations — Advance and disastrous 
 Retreat of the Allies — Sieges oj Lisle and Thionville — Successes of Custine — Royalty is 
 vholished in France — Trial and Execution of the King. 
 
 THE number and singularity of the oc- \ of the alliance, in which I wish you to concur 
 currences connected with the revolution ; with as much zeal as I do, as of the highest 
 in France, and more particularly the progress i importance ; I consider it as necessary to the 
 and vicissitudes of the campaign, will require ; stability of the respective constitutions; and 
 the utmost attention of the reader, and can j I will add that our union ought to command 
 only be intelligible in a minute and connected 5 peace to Europe." As this letter produced 
 narrative. It will be necessary, therefore, | no sensible effect, an application was made in 
 'before I proceed to record the subsequent j due form by M. Chauvelin, on the part of the 
 atrocities of the Parisians, and the splendid | king of France to the king of Great Britain, 
 and unexpected succession of military ex- | " to oppose, and by his wisdom and influence 
 ploits, to exhibit a rapid but not unimportant i to avert, while it is still time, tiie progress of 
 sketch of the corresponding policy of Eng- 1 the confederacy formed against France, and 
 land, and of the principal events which, at a ; which threatened the peace, the liberty, and 
 period so momentous, may be regarded as I the happiness of Europe." An answer was 
 worthy of historical commemoration. j returned on the 8th of July, that " in the 
 
 Immediately previous to the declaration ; existing circumstances of the war begun, the 
 of war against Austria, the French monarch | intervention of his Britannic majesty's councils 
 addressed a letter to his Britannic majesty, \ or good offices could not be of use, unless 
 in which he made the most eager advances | they were desired by all the parties interested." 
 towards the estal)lishment of a treaty of | A wise neutrality was therefore all tiiat could 
 friendship and alliance. " Between our coun- i be expected by the French patriots from the 
 A) I 17Q0 t^^s," says Lewis, "new con- 1 British government; and, while they sus- 
 
 pri , /J-. j^gpjJQijg ought to take place. ; pected the views of the Englisii monarch, they 
 I think I see the remains of that rivalship ; confided in the apparent moderation of the 
 which has done so much mischief to both, ! minister. 
 
 daily wearing away. It becomes two kings | In the mean time, the diffusion of revolu- 
 who have distinguished their reigns by a | tionary principles, among the people of Great 
 constant desire to promote the happiness of | Britain, was rapid and general. In the metro 
 their people, to connect themselves by such ; polis, besides individuals of genius and learn 
 ties as will appear to ije durable, in proportion ; ing, well-affected to the French levolution, 
 1^H the two nations shall have clearer views of; there was a numerous class of adventurers in 
 their own interests. I consider the success ; politics and literature, who espoused and
 
 CHAP. XXXVI.l GEORGE III. 4(3;i 
 
 circulated its principles. If learning be not > cation, and to sacrifice religion, patriotism, 
 more pro/bund in tlie present than in former ; and loyalty, at the shrine of vanity. Prom so 
 ages, it is certainly spread over a wider sur- ; many causes, and through so many agents, 
 face. The commercial opultnce of the coun- j the revolutionary doctrines were widely dis- 
 try encourages the sale and manufacture of; seminated. To facilitate the circulation of 
 literary commodities of every value and ! their opinions, the opulent votaries of Jacobin- 
 denomination. The demand extending to ; ism published cheap editions of the most 
 a vast variety of ninductions, which require j inHammatory works, and more particularly of 
 neither profound learning nor vigorous genius, ! tlie liirr/Us oj Man. The seditious proceed- 
 ihe number of authors multiplies in proportion \ ings of several societies and individuals were 
 to the moderate qualifications that are ne- ! carried to such an extent, that his majesty 
 cessary. All these, down to translators of j was induced, before the prorogation of par- 
 German novels, and collectors of paragraphs I liament, to issue a proclamation, solemnly 
 for the daily papers, deemed themselves » warning his subjects against all such attempts 
 persons of genius and erudition, and nieml)(.'rs \ as aimed at the subversion of eood govern- 
 of the rej)nblic of letters. In France, the i ment, and were inconsistent with the peace 
 influence of literary men was great and <;x- ; and good order of society. The French con- 
 tensive, and many of this class in iingland I vention had notoriously endeavoured to 
 conceived, that if the san)e system were eslab- > cheiish in this kingdom a spirit of sedition, 
 lished here, they might rise to the same dis- > i>y its correspondence with societies which 
 tinction in the new order of things. There i were known to lie iininieal to the established 
 were in the literary, as in other classes, per- 5 government. It had insulted Great Britain, 
 sons, who, deluded by the benevolence of their ; by declaring its design and its right to open 
 enthusiasm, exulted in the prospect that vice ; the Scheldt, in opposition to treaties, of which 
 and misery would be extirpated by !he in- j ihe crown ot England was a guarantee. On 
 fluence of the French constitution, and by tile I tlio \[)'A\ of IVovember, when its arms had 
 diffusion of the principles on wliich it was I been successful in the iVelherlands, in the 
 established. Among the most conspicuous j exuluilion inspired liy success, it had issued 
 advocates of the revolution were the worship- J a decree, declaring that the convention would 
 pers of sensibility, who regarded the restraints j " grant fraternity and assistance to all those 
 of religion, morality, and political regulation, ; people who wish to j)rocure liberty;" and 
 as harsh, tyrannical, and absurd, because they I charging their generals " to give assistance to 
 frequently coniradicted the impulse of senti- ; such people, and to defend such citizens, as 
 mental feeling. In this class were to be I have suffered or are now sufiering in the cause 
 ranked several female votaries of literature, i of liberty." The general term, liberty, being 
 and at their head Mary Anne Wollstonecratt,' j applicable to every mode of free government, 
 who produced, as a counter-part to Paine's | the manifesto mig'ht have been understood as 
 Rights of Man, a performance entitled the \ addressed to the subjects of despotic states, 
 Jlights of Woman ; viijdicating the exemption i had not snch a conclusion been contradicted 
 of the sex from every (noral and decorou.s j by the late violent procedmgs in France, the 
 restriction, and claiming the free and full • declaration of many members of the conven- 
 indulgence of every gratification which fancy | tion, and the general tenor of its conduct, 
 could suggest or passion stimulate, besides | which had an evident tendency to the sub- 
 these classes there was a great and mulliplving i version of ali established governments. Its 
 variety of clubs, to which resorted many i unprovoked violence towards the pope, in 
 mechanics, tradesmen, and others, from a'>the seizure of Avignon without a pretext, 
 desire extremely prevalent among the Eng- ; suJiicienlly proved that, notwithstanding its 
 bsh, of distinguishing tiieinselves as spokesmen. \ pacific professions, the interests of the republic 
 Alter hearing or delivering speeches, and ; would be the sole standard of its policy. It 
 reading pampldets, they assumed the impor- ; was not necessary, however, for Great Britain 
 tance of politicians and philosophers, and | to justify her future proceedings, by asserting 
 iiastened, in consequence of their recent dis- ; the commission of injury or of insult towards 
 coveries, to abandon the prejudices of edu- i herself, or by alleging the legitimacy of the
 
 464 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXXVI. 
 
 motives by which the ' continental powers i trality till that m»to»7rt/ cfrtj^." The national 
 were actuated in their hostile demonstrations > convention itself admitted, that England had 
 against France. Under whatever pretences i persevered in this line of conduct till the 
 or circumstances the war between France and \ beginning of the present year, 
 the most lormidable of the combined powers \ Great Britain had indeed more than nega- 
 com-menced, it was obviously the interest ofitive merit to plead in its conduct towards 
 Britain to make a common cause with the | France. It had the merit of displaying the 
 opponents of an enemy, whose views were I most generous friendship, in return for the 
 evidently hostile, and to become a participator 5 injuries she had so frequently received. When 
 in the contest^ while exertion and union might | the negroes of St. Domingo were in a state of 
 yet be effectual. Whatever might be the j insurrection, when Blanchelande, the governor, 
 disasters, the misfortunes, and the errors of; was in a state of extreme distress, and the 
 ihe continental powers, it cannot be doubted i planters would gladly have passed into the 
 that their alliance with England mitigated 5 hands of the English to save them from im- 
 their distresses, and relieved their misfortunes, | pending ruin, lord Effingham, governor of 
 while it counteracted the triumphs and ini- 1 Jamaica, in compliance with Blanrbelande's 
 peded the progress of the enemy. Had we j request, immediately despatched two frigates 
 persevered in the defensive system recom- i to their relief, laden with necessaries and pro- 
 :mended by superficial politicians, we should ; visions. The words with which the president 
 first have witnessed the downfal of Austria 5 closed his address of thanks are deserving of 
 and Prussia, and have been compelled to I notice. " We will avail ourselves of your 
 struggle single-handed, with the violence and > benevolence, but the days yon preserve to us 
 the augmented power of an inveterate and > will not be sufficient to manifest our gratitude; 
 triumphant enemy. 5 onr children shall keep it in remembrance. 
 
 I HAVE hitherto only considered the expe- \ Regenerated France, unapprised that such 
 dience of a war with France ; in (orniing our ; calamities might befal us, has taken no niea- 
 opinions respecting the justice of our cau.^e, ; sures to protect us against their effects. With 
 we shall be assisted by reflecting on some | what admiration will she learn, that, without 
 events and transactions which preceded the i your assistance, we should no longer exist as 
 commencement of the war. In proof of the j a dependency to any nation," That France, 
 pacific disposition of the British government, i though regenerated, had not yet learned to be 
 before it had experienced extreme provocation \ gratefnl, appeared from her behaviour on this 
 from that of Franct, we may adduce the words 5 occasion. For when the British ambassador 
 of the emperor Leopold to the marquis de | at Paris, in the month of November, 1791, as 
 Bouille, after the conferences at Pilnitz. ; a testimony of his sovereign's amity, notified 
 Speakmg- of the invitation given to Spain, ; his approbation of lord Effingham's conduct, 
 Russia, England, and the principal cities of -a motion was coldly passed in the national 
 Italy, to unite with him and the king of Prus- \ assembly, that its thanks should be given 
 sia, he said, " I am assured of the co-operation % neither to the British government nor to the 
 of all these powers, with the excejjtion of j government of Jamaica, but to tlie Brilish 
 England, which is resolved to preserve the ; nation.'' Nor was this the only testimony of 
 most strict neutrality." As a further testi- J amity shewn by the crown of England to 
 mony of the same disposition, his majesty, so 5 regenerated France. When Lewis, in thf late 
 lately as the beginning of the current year, in | autumn, wrote letters to the different courts 
 his address to the two houses of parliament, j of Europe, intimating his acceptance of the 
 proposed a reduction of the naval and military > new constitution, his Britannic majesty imme- 
 estaliJishments. Ayet stronger proof that the j diately returned an answer in terms of great 
 English government had not, by any overt i respect. When Chauvelin notified the French 
 act, discovered an hostile disposition towards 5 declaration of war against the king of Hun- 
 France, till after the dreadful events of the | gary and Bohemia, and demanded that, con- 
 10th of August, is found in the words of | formably with the treaty of 1786, his majesty 
 Brissot tiimself, who acknowledged " that ; should prohibit his subjects from committing 
 England had observed the most strict neu- 1 hostilities against the French ships, he in-
 
 CHAP. XXXVI.3 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 465 
 
 pfantly oouiplied by issuin» a fkclaration to 
 tlnit eflect ; and so well satislied was the 
 French i;oveninient witli this conduct on tlie 
 part of Great Britain, that Chauvelin was in- 
 strjicted to assure his majesty of" the sense 
 which the French kinj? entertained of tht; 
 friendly dispositions, and of the sentiments of 
 Iiunianity, of justice, and of peace, which are 
 80 charly manifested in his answer." 
 • It may be fairly deduced from the transac- 
 tions of the convention, and from the language 
 of its leading members, that they regarded 
 the commencement of hostilities as necessary 
 to the success of their ambitious designs. So 
 early as the close of the year 1791, Brissot 
 declared in the assembly, that war was a real 
 benefit to the nation, and that the only evil 
 which they had reason to dread was the 
 absence of war. A few days after, Isnard 
 announced to the assembly that war was 
 about to be kindled — " war which is indis- 
 pensable to the completion of the revolution." i 
 " Peace," exclaimed Rob^nd, " is out of the ' 
 question. We have 300,000 men in arms ; we 
 must make them march as far as their legs will 
 carry them, or they will return and cut our 
 throats." But it was not merely war on 
 which they were so resolutely bent ; it was 
 war with royalty, the destruction of which 
 the Jacobin party contemplated as the first 
 object of their ambition. " It was," said 
 Brissot, " the abolition of royalty which I 
 had in view, when I provoked the declaration 
 of war." — Let it be remembered, that these 
 declarations were unaccompanied by any 
 offers of accommodation w ith the other con- 
 tinental- powers ; that the object specified is 
 not the defence of their own territory 01 their 
 own security, but the overthrow of every 
 existing monarchy, and arbitraiy interference 
 with the rights and condition of every con- 
 temporary people. That the republican par- 
 tisans were influenced by designs of hostility 
 against Great Britain in particular, long be- 
 fore that crown had offended them by the 
 recal of its ambassador, immediately aftei our 
 friendly offices in the West Indies, and while 
 Great Britain was reducing her naval and 
 March 18, 1792. "military establishments is 
 proved by the report of La- 
 meth, delivered to the national assembly in 
 the name of the committee for naval afl'airs, 
 importing that " about 80,000 sailors would 
 be iiecessaiy to man the vessels now at the 
 
 3 o 
 
 disposition of the state, and which the honour 
 of the nation, as well as the interests of its 
 commerce did not pennit the assembly to 
 reduce." A subsequent report of the minister 
 of marine expressly declares, that so early as 
 .September ■22nd, 21 ships of the line, 30 
 frigates, 10 vessels armed en flute, and 42 
 smaller vessels of war, were actually at sea; 
 and that 34 ships of the line, in addition to 
 these, were in a state to be commissioned ; 
 that 19 more were capable of being refitted ; 
 and that seven were rebuilding : preparations 
 which could only be designed against the 
 tw o maritime powers, England, and Holland 
 her ally. 
 
 The hostility of the government of France 
 to that of England was still further exempli- 
 fied, in the friendly intercourse subsisting be- 
 tween the republican partisans in France, and 
 the malcontent societies of Great Britain. 
 The addresses of the latter were received after 
 the 10th of August by the convention itself, 
 and every possible encouragement was given 
 the addressers to rebel against the government. 
 " What is liberty ? Where are our rights ?" 
 said an address from the united English so- 
 cieties. " Frenchmen, you are already free, 
 and Englishmen are preparing to become 
 so." To which the president of the conven- 
 tion replied, " Citizens of the world ! .princi- 
 ples are waging war against tyranny, which 
 will fall under the blows of philosophy. 
 Royalty in Europe is destroyed, or is perish- 
 ing on the ruins of feudality i and the decla- 
 ration of rights, placed by the side of thrones, 
 is a devouring tire which will consume iheni. 
 Worthy republicans, congratulate yourselves 
 on thinking that the festival you have cele- 
 brated in honour of the French revolution is 
 the prelude to the festival of nations." Even 
 Dnmouriez himself confesses, that it required 
 all the imprudence of Brissot, aM tbe petu- 
 lance of the national convention, and the mur- 
 der of Lewis XVI., as atrocious as in)politic, 
 to drive the English from their system of 
 neutrality, and to plunge tlvem into an expen- 
 sive war, w liich gave them momentary advan- 
 tages, balanced by great losses and enormous 
 subsidies, without an assurance of preserving 
 their conquests. But the danger to be appre- 
 hended from the dilbision of French princi- 
 ples, and from the rapidity of their military 
 progress ; the influence of just indignatio.'i 
 against open insult and secret oaachinatioii : 
 30
 
 4(t6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. \.\XVI. 
 
 niid the obvious necessity of coinbininjr vigo- i of the enemy in 2;reat fonvardnes^, and a 
 rous precaution with every demonstration of » sense of the danger Avhich tineatenrd th<* 
 anxiety for the continuance of ])eace, at } country affiicted all its friends. I'udcr tliis 
 length induced the king of England to em- I idea a member arose in the national assenddy, 
 body his militia, and to augment his naval and > on the 7th of July, and conjured them to 
 military forces. 5 sacrifice their private views, and to become 
 
 Thk contentions of the Parisian factions ; friends for the sake of their country. " Let 
 were renewed, after the pronudgation of the 5 all," said he, " who discover favdts in tlie con- 
 natioual code, Avith ten-fold malignity. The > stitntion, display a spirit of accommodation 
 .indjition of Brissot, the chairman of the ; to each other, and let us swear that we will 
 Girondist party, urged him to depress and $ unite to maintain it as it is." Scarcely were 
 humble the king, that, by his influence over > the last words uttered, when the two sides 
 the assembly, he might himself be enabled to ^ (republicans and constitutionalists) arose, 
 act the part of a sovereign. He was a man | threw up their hats, and shouted applauses 
 of low birth, but not uneducated. He had ; from every side ; the two parties embraced 
 served as an attorney's clerk, afterwards be- i and swore immortal union, taking their seats 
 came a journalist, and was admitted into the I indifTerently as a sign of endless harmony, 
 household of the duke of Orleans. By his | The minutes of this event were ordered to be 
 intrigues an address was procured from the ; inniiediately sent to the king, and directions 
 assembly, desiring Lewis to demand a cate- » were given to communicate the glorious issuo 
 gorical explanation of the emperor's designs 5 to all the citizens. Such indeed was the 
 with j-egard to France. An evasive answer { combination of events at this period, that 
 was returned ; and, in conformity with the « M. Caniot, who has since been looked on as 
 views of the Jacobins, Dumouriez was appoint- } a complete republican, stood up in defence 
 ed minister for the foreign department. A ^ of the king's prerogative, and moved, that 
 declaration of Mar was voted against the king | the judicial power should be especially 
 of Hungary and Bohemia ; and Narbonne, 5 charged to redouble their vigilance and au- 
 minister at war, proposed to the assembly, » thority. 
 
 that an encampment of 20,000 men should 5 A new scene of riot was at hand, under 
 
 be formed near Paris. The king declared his | the mask of a national fete, or grand confede- 
 
 disapprobation of the scheme; he had been j ration, to celel)rate the 14th of July Depu 
 
 recently offended by the dismissal of his ; ties from the departments were to give their 
 
 guards, and he declared that he could no » assistance ; care was to be taken that such 
 
 longer submit to the insults of his ministers. { of the visitors, as might not be sufficiently 
 
 Dumoiuiez therefore resigned his office in dis- 1 conupted, should not return home without 
 
 gust. The dismissal of the three friends of ; being in possession of all the fire-brands Oi 
 
 Brissot accelerated the explosioii of another 5 strife, ithat might yet be wanting to inflame 
 
 revolutionary conspiracy. A party of grena- \ the sober hamlets of the countiy, and make 
 
 <liers was placed around the royal person, 5 them as licentious as the metropolitans. 
 
 which was menaced with sanguinary violence. I Brissot and his party threw ofi' the mask. 
 
 The queen, and the rest of the royal family, t which they had for a few days assumed, and 
 
 in the adjacent apartments, were exposed to 5 after his torrent of declamation, in Avhich he 
 
 the insolence of officers of justice. The | declared, that " the danger lay in the palace," 
 
 friends of the constitution admiring the tran- ; the assembly decreed concisely, "the country 
 
 quil firnmess of the king on this afHicting j is in danger," and two addresses, filled with 
 
 emergency, la Fayette was induced to leave ! alarm, were drawn up, and sent to the armies. 
 
 his camp, repaired to the metropolis, and in 5 and the departments. Dissipation and idle-. 
 
 the name of the soldiers requested the assem- i ncss had been so long habitual, that the 
 
 bly to punish the authors of the late disgrace- 1 number of debtors and poer was greatly 
 
 fnl tuinults. But his address was ineffectual ; increased ; and many thousands, not origi- 
 
 and his private offers of service to the royal | nally corrupt, became so, in the cruel hope 01 
 
 family, whose escape he had hoped to fac'ili- j being able to ruin their landlords and credi- 
 
 tate, were coolly received. When he re- 5 tors "^ by overthrowing royalty. The king's 
 
 turned to the frontiers, he found the measures « feelings were injured in every sl)ai)e, and »j<
 
 CHAP. XXXVI. J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 'IfJV 
 
 tho hite triiiiii|)li of the mayor pjavf^a great 
 opportunity, the uiol) took every means to 
 insult the kins: i^'"' his tVitnds with sluuits of 
 " Lonj;- live Petion ! — Down with royalty ! 
 &c." Whilst the last remains of^'ejial autho- 
 rity were hrouji'ht into eoutenipt, they also 
 succeeded in assurinjj; the people, that ti)e 
 court |)revented the success of the French 
 arms, hy its intriiiues with those united ajjainsl 
 •France. In tliis they were, in soni(> measure, 
 sanctioned hy the cond)ined powers them- 
 selves, who, instead of marching;', as tliev 
 should ha\e done, with a stronp; coiunui, into 
 the heart of the country, while it Mas yet 
 imdefended, continued to issue their feeble 
 thivats upon the frontiers. " It is not in 
 their arms," said the Jacobins, " that the 
 enemy place their hopes : it is in the intrigues 
 of the Thuilleries. It is the arcuy of enemies 
 that pass between Coblentz (the head-quar- 
 ters of the emio^rant princes) and the court, 
 which alone we Jiave to fear, and not the 
 soldiers of Brunswick. 
 
 A MANIFESTO was circuhitcd throu£i;h 
 France, signed ])y the (]uk(! of Briuiswick as 
 j;eneralissimo, which declared the intention 
 of the emperor and the kinu; of Prussia to 
 restore- order to I'rance ; to protect all per- 
 sons who submitted to the kiru^ ; that all 
 j»ersons found in arms shoultl be punish«'d 
 severely ; tliat all the members of tlie assembly 
 were responsible with their lives ; it threatened 
 the most exemplary punishment on every one I 
 who controlled the kina,', or, as it was ex- 1 
 pressed, held him in subjection ; it promised, 
 that the troops of the duke of Brunswick 
 should observe the strictest discipline, and 
 treat all well-disposed subjects with mildness ; 
 and called on the people to sutler them to 
 enter the kingdom, and give them every assist- 
 ance. In an additional declaration, he re- 
 solved to punish the |)eople of Paris if the 
 king should be insulted ; and stated, that, 
 in case of the royal family being carried oH", 
 all places which did not oppose their |)assage 
 should be subject to the severest penalties ; 
 and that no ])lace of iftreat was to be con- 
 sidered as the choice of his niost Christian 
 majesty, unless it was effected under the 
 ort^red escort. 
 
 NoTHiNo, during the whoh' couise of the 
 revolution, did so much mischief as publish- 
 ing this wretched manifisto ; for it made 
 no difference whatever between the sober 
 
 3 (> 2 
 
 well meaning fiiends of limited monarcliy, 
 and the Jacobins, who threatened even life 
 its(;lf with imlimited destruction. 
 
 J*KTioN appeared at the head of a gang, 
 and pretended he came from the forty-eiglit 
 sections of Paris, to demand the kings ex- 
 clusion f>om the throne, and that responsible 
 ministers should be appointed, until the 
 election )f a new king in a national conven- 
 tion, lie supported this petition by a sk«;tch 
 of what he called the " kings conduct since 
 the revolution," which proved him, he said, 
 to be an enemy to the people, to the laws, 
 and to F'rance. The petition created a 
 violent agitation in the assend)lv, so that the 
 piesident was obliged to adjourn the silting ; 
 and in the evening, the assembly resolved to 
 determine the question on that day se"nnight. 
 All business ceased in Paris from the .'3rd of 
 August, and the leaders of the national as- 
 sendjly were busy in ))assing decrees that 
 should favour the insiugents ; patroles of the 
 rabble were also placed, by Petion and San- 
 terre, so as to prevent the possibility of the 
 king's escape. Matters being arranged for 
 carrying the tlecree into execution, on the 
 loth of August, the day before the assembly 
 had resolvt-d to pass it, the palace was at- 
 tacked. As many of the leading members of 
 the assembly were desirous of aiding in the 
 assault, who, at the same time, wished to be 
 concealed, it was resolv ed that the riot should 
 not conmience till dark. It was not till 
 eleven o'clock that Danton called " To arms ! 
 to arms !'' and the bells Avere rung, to pio- 
 claim the city in a state of ins-urrection. 
 
 The conquest of the palace was not ^jno 
 effected so easily as it had been on the 
 20th of Jnne ; for though the attack com- 
 menced at one in the morning, it was nine 
 before the outer gati^s were forced. .Some 
 preparations had been made for resistance ; 
 but, like every effort of the mifortunate Lewis, 
 it was more an attempt' at resobition than 
 resolution itself. Besides a part of the Swiss 
 guard, and a few of the national grenadiers, 
 who were resolved to defend the constitution, 
 there was a considerable body of royalists, 
 who had determined to subdue the traitors, 
 or perisji in the attenq)t : the whole amount- 
 ing to near three thousand armed men. \V hen 
 the outer gates were forced, the assail- 
 r\nts were met by the king's guards, who 
 drove them back, and comuelled them tu
 
 4f?8 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 fen A P. xx.vvi. 
 
 ■.'.Itandoti four pieces of cannon. The Swiss 
 iiuarded the jjiincipal court, while tlie cannon 
 phued upon the palace, and had ah'eady 
 ])ierced the roof. The bodies of the slain 
 «cro strewed on every side, and the folly of 
 resistance became evident. The defenders 
 of tlie palace, left without direction, soon 
 became a tumultuous crowd. They had no 
 ad\'antage over their adversaries, and were 
 much inferior to them in number. They 
 failed, and they fell, for want of a command- 
 er ; they were overpow ered by numbers ; and 
 the triumphant barbarians enjoyed the sport 
 of cutting- them to pieces, and dragging their 
 mangled carcases in their horrible processions. 
 All the Swiss found were inhumanly put to 
 death in cold blood, and their remains exhi- 
 bited fixed at the end of pikes ! About 3000 
 persons, on both sides, lost their lives in this 
 attack ; and more would have sutlered, but 
 that a part of the guards had escorted the 
 royal family to the assembly. 
 
 Lewis seems to have had such an aversion 
 to the .shedding of blood, that he exposed 
 himself to the most unwarrantable treatment, 
 simply because the offenders calculated upon 
 liis forbearance. The danger was greater 
 and more pressing tlian ever : this every one 
 of his friends and family knew ; and it is 
 surprising that, after the length the assembly 
 had gone, he did not clearly see that he must 
 either be driven from his throne, or fight in 
 defence of it. Yet he does not appear to 
 have had such a view of the subject; for, 
 when he was followed by the queen, and the 
 princess his sister, in the midst of their brave 
 defenders — after he had heard the dreadful 
 bowlings of a thousand tongues bellow out 
 the cries of " deposition !" and " death !" — 
 after the nobler and guards had satisfied him 
 of victory, and the queen had resolved to die 
 by his side — he took the unaccountable reso- 
 lution of throwing himself and family into the 
 arms of the national assembly, lest he should 
 be supposed to violate the constitution ; and, 
 previous to his leaving the palace, gave posi- 
 tive orders not to fire upon the people ! 
 
 A SERIES of singular events had placed 
 him now in a most distressing situation. The 
 members of the assembly, to which he had 
 netreated, thought no business of so much 
 consequence as passing the decree of deposi- 
 tion ; but they could not proceed to business 
 in the king's j>reseuce, because it was coi> 
 
 trary to the constitution. This gave a pre- 
 tence for forcing the royal family into a corner, 
 where the secretaries kept their books, which 
 deprived them even of the poor consolation 
 of exchanging thoughts, and subjected them 
 to the cruel state of a prison, while it was 
 alleged that their persons were sacred. Four- 
 teen hours of mortification being thus infiicted 
 upon their helpless captives, they decreed 
 that the executive power should be taken 
 from the king, and that he and his family 
 should be confined in the Temple. To in- 
 crease the pain of the royal sutTerers, orders 
 were issued that Petion should go in the 
 same carriage, to take them to prison. This 
 traitor not only insulted them by his advice 
 on their journey, but occasionally stopped 
 the carriage, that they might hear the speeches 
 of the infamous orators who irritated the 
 people against them by their atrocious ca- 
 lumnies. 
 
 The revolution took a turn which seemed 
 to dispel the hopes of all good men. The 
 assembly was about to dissolve, for a national 
 convention was appointed to assemble on the 
 20th of September, to constitute a repiiWic ; 
 and little hope remained that this assembly 
 would not long have the power of doii:g 
 mischief. 
 
 On the 21st of September, a new provi- 
 sional executive council was appointed, con- 
 sisting of Roland, Servan, and Clavi^re, the 
 ministers lately dismissed by the king ; to 
 whom was added, M. le Brun, as minister of 
 foreign affairs. M. Luckner, M. Dumouriez, 
 now acting in the capacity of general in the 
 army, and tJie other commanders, readily 
 submitted to the authority of the assonbly. 
 M. Fayette, finding himself wholly unsup- 
 ported in his loyal endeavours, was obliged 
 to make a precipitate retreat, with seventeen 
 companions. They were arrested by an 
 Austrian patrole, and conducted to Luxem- 
 burg. He and his companions were after- 
 wards committed close prisoners to the for- 
 tress of Magdeburg, where they remained 
 during a whole year in a miserable dungeon, 
 treated with uncommon severity. The great 
 talents of M. Fayette had checked the w hole 
 Austrian and Prussian armies, although he 
 had not more than 20;000 men under hi.s 
 command. He being no longer opjjosed to 
 the enemy, the combined armies reserved to 
 advance as far as possible into France
 
 CHAP. XXXVI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 4G9 
 
 They bonibanled Longwy with such violence 
 for fifteen hours, as threatened to bury it in 
 ruins, and the town caj)itulated. The assem- 
 bly ordered a court-martial to sit on the magis- 
 trates who surrendered it, and they were 
 executed. 
 
 Verdun was next invested ; it was in want 
 of every thing ; the enemy had a secret cor- 
 respondence witli the inhabitants ; the town 
 was considered untenabh', and the municipal 
 officers advised its surrender. Although the 
 garrison had only two battalions, Beaurepaire, 
 the commander, determined to hold out as 
 long as possible ; but finding all his efforts 
 useless, ai>d his colleagues wanting to capitu- 
 late, he drew a pistol from his belt, in the 
 midst of a council of war, and discharged it 
 against his temple. 
 
 Great was the consternation at Paris when 
 it Avas known that Longwy and Verdun had 
 surrendered. All were alarmed, lest the re- 
 port should be tnie, that the duke of Bruns- 
 wick would be in the neighbourhood of 
 Paris. Danton, however, the minister of 
 justice, whilst despair was seated on every 
 countenance, declaretl there were at least 
 80,000 stand of arms in Paris. He jiroposed 
 that they should be delivered up, and a body 
 of vobmteers raised and erjuipped with them. 
 This was decreed ; and all wiio were capable 
 were ordered to be ready to march. 
 
 Alarm guns were fired at two o'clock in 
 the morning of the 2nd of September, the 
 tocsin was sounded, the country declared to 
 be in danger, and the people invited to meet 
 in the Champ de Mars, from whence, as was 
 said, they were instantly to march against the 
 common enemy. Myriads Mere collected ; 
 and, when the resolutions of the assembly, 
 moved by Danton, came to be understood, 
 the universal cry was, " To arms, citizens'! 
 to arms ! the enemy is at hand." During 
 this sort of frenzy, news was spread that 4000 
 French troops, sent to reinforce Verdun, had 
 been treacherously led into ambuscade, and 
 cruelly cut to pieces. The fury of the popu- 
 lace was raised to its utmost height, the 
 prisons were forced open, and a most in- 
 human massacre took place. The cardinal de 
 liociiefoucault, and about 200 jniests. Mere 
 handed out of the prison, two by two, into 
 the street Vaugerard, and there put to death 
 in cold blood. They wn^aked their vengeance 
 4>u the unfortunate Swiss officers who were 
 
 confined in the Abbey , prison. Their com 
 mander-in-chief alc^ne, M. d'Aflry, had the 
 good fortune to escape, owing to a mistake o*" 
 the mob. 
 
 The force of the French commander-in- 
 chief at this period, it is said, did not e<jii;il 
 that under the authority of general Clairiuit ; 
 but, in this moment of suspense, the militaiy 
 genius of Dumouriez burst forth with great 
 splendor : his inventive mind immediately 
 \ resolved to divide his strength. To Galbaud, 
 I who was stationed at a pass in the forest of 
 I Argonne, which Dumouriez looked on as of 
 » the first importance to the issue of the cam- 
 paign, he sent Dillon (4th of September) with 
 considerable reinforcements. Just at this, 
 time it was abandoned by Galbaud, as im- 
 possible to be retained ; but when he saw the 
 supplies which had been sent him, he re- 
 turned to its defence with renewed vigour : 
 and it proved to France, what Thermopylae 
 had been to Greece. Dumouriez, in the 
 mean time, took the post at Grand Pre under 
 his own protection. It was soon contested 
 for by the enemy ; and, as he could not re- 
 tain it against the furious attack, of such a 
 force as lie had to contend with, he retreated, 
 without loss, to the strong camp of St. Mene- 
 hould, a strong town, situated about twenty- 
 six miles W. S. W. of Verdun. The Austrians 
 lost a great number of men, together with 
 prince Charles de Ligne. 
 
 BouRNONViLLE joined Dumouriez, with 
 15,000 men, as well as Kellerman, with the 
 anny under his command. On the 20th of 
 September, Dumouriez found himself in a 
 condition to put an end to the incursions of 
 the enemy. Kellerman, at the head of 16,000 
 men, repulsed a greatly superior division of 
 the enemy, and rendered all their stratagems 
 abortive. 
 
 On the 21st of September, the national 
 assembly resigned its functions, and gave up 
 its power to the convention, by an address of 
 renunciation, and an assurance that they 
 would ser\'e as an advanced guard of the new 
 legislature. The convention chose Petion 
 their president ; and. having decreed that the 
 laws should be contiinied in force, and the 
 usual taxes demanded, Collet d'llerbois rose, 
 and said, that the convention ought not to 
 adjourn, till it had decreed the total abolition 
 of royalty in France. Deputies rose to 
 demand tliat the question might be instantly
 
 470 
 
 inSTOUY OF ENOLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XXXVI. 
 
 put. M. Bazire exclaimed against tiie ardour 
 which seemed to liave taken possession of 
 their .minds, and hesou.2;ht them to argue a 
 question of so much magnitude witli the 
 dignity that became them. His advice was 
 looked on as tlie dull prudence of a a ulgar 
 mind, unworthy the practice of philosophers 
 of superior light, and the national convention 
 hriefly decreed, that " Royalty is abolished 
 ill France." Loud applauses, and exclama- 
 tions of " Vive la nation /' following the de- 
 cree, minutes of the sitting were ordered to 
 be sent to the departments, and to the armies, 
 as well as to be proclaimed throughout Paris. 
 At the next sitting M. Condorcet was 
 elected vice-president, and the convention 
 decreed : — 
 
 1. That all public acts should be dated, 
 tne first year of the French republic. 
 
 2. That the seal of the country shall be 
 changed, and have, for a legend, " French 
 Republic." 
 
 3. That the national seal shall represent a 
 woman, sitting on a bundle of arras, and 
 holding a pike in her hand, with a cap of 
 liberty upon it ; and, upon the exergue, the 
 words, " Archives of the French Republic." 
 
 4. That no petitioners shall be admitted 
 to the bar till the evening sitting. 
 
 In the mean time, the emperor Leopold 
 died suddenly at Vienna. Francis, his son 
 and successor, declared his intention to per- 
 severe in the pacific plan of his father, but to 
 be prepared for defensive war. As the dis- 
 cussion proceeded, it became progressively 
 more hostile, and both sides prepared for 
 hostilities. So early as the .summer of 1791, 
 Catherine of Russia had induced Gustavus, 
 the king of Sweden, to join in a ]>roject for 
 the relief of Lewis ; and he was pre|)aring to 
 conduct an armament, which should make a 
 descent on the coast of France, and co-ope- 
 rate with the royalists, when, on the Kith of 
 March, he was assassinated by the hands of 
 Ankerstroem, a disaffected nobleman, who 
 had plotted with other individuals against his 
 life. The death, however, of this heroic and 
 able prince, did not reluard the operations of 
 the allies. Confident in their remaining 
 strength, they proceeded to the acts of folly 
 and atrocity, which 1 have just recorded, and 
 did not resign their unfounded nud presump- 
 fuous hopes even after the victory of Keller- 
 inan. The French, it is true, remained in a 
 
 situation extremely critical. Tiie Prussians 
 and yVustrians were nearly tlirce times their 
 number : Clermont and Varenues were occu- 
 pied by their troops ; the Prussians had es- 
 tablished their hospital at Grand Pre ; and 
 their camp on the heights of La Lune was 
 impregnable. The French were thus enclosed 
 on the east, north, and west ; and on the 
 south the roads were impassable. Yet the 
 barrenness of the country, and the inclemency 
 of the season, co-operating with the genius of 
 tiie French generals, and the valour of their 
 troops, ultimately defeated the views, and 
 endangered the safety of their enemie.s. 
 
 The duke of Brunswick was unable to 
 dislodge the French from the pass of Biesme, 
 and he therefore determined to proceed by 
 way of Varenues and Grand Pre, a cncuit of 
 about 50 miles. The lengtli of this march, 
 during which the soldiers were exposed to 
 incessant rain, laid the foundation of that 
 fatal disorder, the flux, which ruined the 
 I army of Prussia, lately so complete, and so 
 I perfect in all the minutiae of German disci- 
 5 pline. To add to their misfortunes, their 
 I supplies were stopped by the swelling of the 
 » rivers ; destitute of bread, they devoured the 
 I umipe, grapes of Champagne ; and those who 
 { did not perish with famine were afflicted with 
 \ the dysentery. The king of Prussia, who 
 5 accompanied the army, became weary of 
 i war ; and avtoIc an effeminate and pathetic 
 \ letter to one of his mistresses, deploring tlie 
 J severe" privations under which he laboured, 
 I l)ut particularly that of coffee, from ivJiich, 
 \for two ivhole days, he had been compelled io 
 \ abstain. He was woefully convinced of the 
 I difference between a Prussian military i)arade 
 \ and a campaign against the French ; and he 
 5 did not fail most bitterly to reproach the 
 5 emigrants, and those who had deluded hino 
 ; on by false representations. 
 ^ Sir Henry Clinton, who had commanded 
 * the English army in America, and who had 
 i formerly served with the duke of Bjunswick, 
 1 accompanied the latter in this expedition. 
 X Sir Henry observed to the duk(\ that tJie 
 I silence of the country, the retreat of tlie in- 
 ,5 habitants, and their speedy communication of 
 ! intelligence among ea(;h other, induced him 
 I to think he was on the soil of America, during 
 I the war in that country. — '' Return," said the 
 ? duke, " and mention these facts to the go- 
 1 vernment of England, that they may under
 
 CHAP. XXXVI.J GEORGE III. 471 
 
 lature and probable issue of the ; uatod rebels. But the treatment experienced 
 test. \ by tiie unfortunate villagers of Voges ought 
 
 stand the nati 
 
 present contest. * l)y the unfortunate villagers of Voges ought 
 
 In this situation, the author of the mani- » never to be forgotten. This place was situ- 
 festo very prudently proposed an annisfice on i ated on a mountain, and was well calculated 
 the '24th of S(>j)teniber. A few days after, | to form a post of some strength ; but its 
 a negotiation was set on foot, in order to ; fortifications were so run to decay, that it 
 prevent the out-posts of the armies from firing 5 would have ' been folly in the iidiabitants to 
 upon each otiier ; wh«m a conversation took i resist an army. Yet, having been gveatly 
 place between the duke of Brunswick, at- J harassed by marauding parties of the enemy 
 tended l»y general Kalkrenth, and two officers ' the villagers resolved to defend their party 
 of the French army. » | against those military thieves, thoiigli not 
 
 THii Prussians commenced their retrpat, ; to resist a regular summons. The next band 
 and were followed soon after by the armies ; of plunderers was therefore bravely repulsed ; 
 of Austria and Hesse-Cassel. The first post ; but, innnediaiely returning ^ith a strong 
 abandoned was the pass of Grand Pre, which $ reinforcement, the peasants, after a gallant 
 took place ©u the 30th of Septendjer. Cler- : resir.tance, were compelled to submit. 'Jlie 
 mont Mas evacuated on the 1st of October ; ; maraudtv^, born and educated in the princi- 
 and the Prussians left their strong position of i pies of slavtvy, uuder pretext that the un- 
 La Lune, where the French found part of; happy villagers -vere not dressed in the 
 more than 300 horses, the half of which had : uniform of soldiei-s, judged them to be»exempt 
 been eaten, for Avant of other pi-ovisions. j fiom the laws of war. In consequence, they 
 The retreat of the enemy was very slow ; 1 hey ; were compelled to set liie to their dwellings 
 were encumbered with sick, and worn out 5 with their own hands, by which many lives 
 with hunger and fatigue. It has been said ; were lost : the survivors were tied to the 
 that Dnmouriez might have interrupted their J tails of horses, and dragged to the head- 
 progress, and perhaps have captured both | qnarters. A mother threw herself at the feet 
 the kiug and the general ; and it has been 5 of the barbarous conquerors, and entreated 
 surmised, that there existed a secret treaty i permission to cari-y away her two infants, 
 between the generals. " | Her entreaties were disregarded, and the 
 
 Thp. Prussians, in their retreat, made no j nnoftbnding babes perished in the flames ! 
 considerable halt at Verdun ; and the garri- 1 Nor was the conduct of his serene highness 
 son which they had stationed there surren- ; the duke of Brunswick unexceptionable : 
 dered on capitulation to general Dillon, on i the contributions levied by him upon notes 
 the l-2th of October. Longwy was re-cap- i payable by the king of France, when they 
 tured by the French on the ±2\id ; the Prus- i could be instated, are sufficiently notorious ; 
 sian armies immediately evacuated the | while the conduct of the French soldiers 
 territories of France ; and it was solemnly | was, on the contrary, generally exemplary, 
 proclaimed, that the conn tiy was no longer J They religiously abstained from plunder; 
 iri danger. The conduct of the condjined > and, as they endured the greatest pri\ation8 
 troops was not marked by that strict regard ; with the utmost fortitude, were cautious of 
 to good behaviour and integrity, for which j injuring others. But in justice it must b« 
 the duke of Brunswick had pledged himself. ; confessed, that their political fanaticism 
 They plundered the i>easantry incessantly. | sometimes betrayetl them to commit atrocious 
 Wherever they came, like a swarm of locusts, 5 excesses; of which the most flagrant iirstance 
 they left a barren Avilderness behind them. } occurred at Rhetel, in the beginning of Octo- 
 ■ Not only money and plate, but every article i ber. Two battalions of volunteers behig 
 that could be removed, and was of the least \ stationed at that place, four deserters from 
 value, was taken away. The Hessians nnght ; the Prussian anny came to ofter their ser 
 perhaps be justly jjlaced in the foremost j vices. They were received by the officers; 
 ranks of the plunderers. They stripped, ^ but, in the course of the day, some di/?erence 
 without mercy, the miserable emigrants them- ; arising between these men and the soldiers, 
 selves, and j)lundered the nobility of France, i an alarm was instantly spread, that they were 
 ^yho served in the combined armies, with as 5 not Prussians, but emigrants and spies. The 
 Irttle remorse as those whom ^they denomi- J volunteers instantly seized these unhappy
 
 472 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. XXXVh 
 
 men, and, in defiance of their officers, with 
 that Altai precipitation which, in so many 
 .instances, has characterized the French, cut ^ 
 them to pieces. Duniouriez, however, de- j 
 graded the two battalions, stripped them of 
 their military accoutrements and vmifonns, 
 and obliged them to deliver up the immediate 
 delinquents. The battalions acknowledged 
 the justice of the sentence; but entreated 
 that, instead of being broken, they might be 
 sent on some service of more than ordinary 
 danger, to expiate their crime, and volunta- 
 rily delivered up ten of their own body, who 
 were at once the cause and the agents in this 
 atrocious affair. 
 
 In detailing the operations of the contend- 
 ing armies, the sieges of Thionville and Lisle 
 merit particular attention. Tl'« former is a 
 strong but small fortress, the command of 
 which was entrusted to general Felix Wimpfen. 
 He was summoned by the Austrians, and 
 replied,— •• Vou may destroy the fortress ; 
 but you cannot burn the rampai-ts." Thion- 
 ville resisted during the whole campaign, and 
 held in check a force amounting to 28,000 
 men. The town was relieved by the general 
 retreat of the enemy ; and the brave com- 
 mander and garrison received every mark of 
 honour and applause. 
 
 Lisle was threatened early in September ; 
 and, as' the possession of this city was con- 
 sidered by the Austrians of the utmost im- 
 portance, no expence was spared to effect its 
 reduction. The court of Vienna appointed 
 the duke of Saxe-Teschen to this important 
 command ; and, on the 29th, he summoned 
 the city to surrender. He received the 
 following laconic and -spirited answer : " We 
 have just renewed our oath to be faithful to 
 the nation, and to maintain liberty and 
 equality, or to die at our post. — We shall 
 not perjure ourselves." On the same day, 
 the Austrian batteries began to play upon 
 the town, and for a week were directed to 
 that quarter which was inhabited by the lower 
 class of citizens. This measure was evidently 
 intended to induce them to rise on the 
 tnj^gistrates and commanders. Instead, how- 
 ever, of being excited to insurrection, these 
 Tery citizens caused the keys of the city to be 
 carried to the great sqiiare, and hung upon 
 the tree of liberty. The inhabitants formed 
 themselves into companies, and the women 
 and 'children were employed iu preventing 
 
 explosion, by knocking out the fusees of the 
 bombs. The churches, however, and the 
 public buildings were soon destroyed, and 
 the city itself was reduced to a heap of ruins. 
 For eight days the tiring was incessant, and 
 every instrument of destruction was showered 
 on the city, wlrile the ferocious Christina, 
 sister to the German commander, with her 
 whole court, attended to view the destructive 
 spectacle. In vain, from the 9th of Septem- 
 ber till the 6th of October, did the Austrians 
 maintain an incessant tire of a formidable 
 battering train, exclusive of 30,000 red-hot 
 balls, and 6000 bombs. On the 7th of Octo- 
 ber, they began to break up their camp, and 
 the siege m as raised. Nor were the successes 
 of the French confined to the side of Ger- 
 many. On the 20th of September, general 
 Montesquieu entered the territories of the 
 king of Sardinia, Avas met by a deputation 
 from Chamberg, and took unresisted posses- 
 sion of the country of Savoy. General An- 
 selme having obtained possession of Nice, 
 was dismissed from his command, for encou- 
 raging the irregularities of his troops ; and 
 Montesquieu, having excited the resentment 
 of the demagogues by his lenity to the 
 citizens of Geneva, was compelled to resign 
 his command, and escape their vengeance by 
 retiring into Switzerland. 
 
 In the circles of the Upper Rhine, the 
 successes of Custine were rapid and brilliant. 
 On the 30th of Sejitember he approached the 
 gates of Spires, where he found the Austrians 
 ready to receive him, having on their right an 
 eminence, before them a ravine, and their 
 left extended among gardens surrounded by 
 hedges. Notwithstanding this advantageous 
 position, they were attacked by the French, 
 and driven into the town. Having tried, for 
 a short time, to force the gates with cannon, 
 the general proposed to cut them down with 
 axes. The expedient was adopted, and the 
 French impetuously rushed into the place ; 
 but the Austrians had taken possession of 
 all the adjacent hoiis'^s, from the a\ indows of 
 which they commenced a galling and destruc- 
 tive fire. Fortunately for Custine, he had 
 taken the precaution to place some howitzers 
 and eight-pounders at the head of the columns, 
 which enabled him to rally his troops, and 
 re-charge the Austrians, who retreated wit)» 
 the loss of 3000 prisoners. 
 
 By forced marches, amidst heavy rain,
 
 CHAP. XXXVI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 473 
 
 general Custine arrived at Mcntz on the 19tli 
 of October, and suniiiionod tlie governor to 
 sunentler. TJie Austrian ronnnander replied, 
 that he meant to defend the place, but re- 
 quested the fovour of a day's consideration. 
 In the moan tiuie, the garrison, m hich con- 
 sisted of 6000 men, kept up an incessant fire. 
 General Custine wrote a second time to the 
 governor, when a capitidation was agreed 
 upon ; the principal article of which was, 
 that the garrison should not serve against the 
 French for the space of one year : and on the 
 following day the Austrians marched out 
 with the honours of war. 
 
 Four days afterwards, Francfort experi- 
 enced the fate of Mentz, and fell into the 
 hands of the victorious French. But in con- 
 sequence of the protection and assistance 
 which that cily had afforded the emigrants, 
 Custine hnied a fine on the magistrates of 
 1,000,000 florins. 
 
 Flushed with unexampled success, Cus- 
 tine wished to push forward to Coblentz, the 
 noted receptacle of the enemies of French 
 liberty ; but he was not able to effect this 
 daring project, owing, according to his own 
 account, to the inactivity of Kellermann. 
 He wished that general to pass the Sarre and 
 Moseile, and to leave a small party to watch 
 the motions of the Prussians in their retreat. 
 However, Ktllennann vindicated himself by 
 stating, that he had no more than 15,000 
 men under his command, and general Valence 
 not more than 14,000 ; the Prussians amount- 
 ed to nearly 50,000 ; and consequently Kel- 
 lermann was neither able to |)enotrate such a 
 body, nor did he think it prudent to leave 
 the Frencli territorj' again open to their in- 
 cursions. Thus disappointed in his favourite 
 measure, Custine proceeded to extend his 
 conquests in the dominions of the jMince of 
 Hes.se. But by the union of the Prussians 
 and Austrians he received a check before the 
 end of the campaign. The combined army 
 appeared before Francfort on the 2nd of 
 December, w hen the gates were treacherously 
 opened by some of the populace. The 
 French garrison, consisting of 1.300 men, 
 were mostly put to death : the few v/lto were 
 made prisoners were sent the ne\t dov to 
 Mentz with their hands cut off. Tli is "dia- 
 bolical act was committed by Hessians in the 
 disguise of peasants. After the surrender of 
 Francfort, a smart action took place, when 
 
 3 P 
 
 the French gallantly maintained their ground 
 from one o'clock till three against double 
 their numbers. They at length retired to a 
 wood, whence they were able to annoy the 
 enemy and keep him in check. 
 
 INevf.r was the enthusiasm of liberty more 
 strikingly exemplified than during this cam- 
 paign. Fired with the idea of freedom, the 
 hasty levies of undisciplined peasants were 
 at once converted into regular armies. The 
 highly disciplined battalions of Prussia and 
 Austria were overthrown by the almost beard- 
 less boys of France. Nor was this enthusiasm 
 confined to the male sex, the French artillery, 
 was frequently served by female patriots ; the 
 sister of general Anselme distinguished her- 
 self, and two young ladies of the name of 
 Fernig acted as aid-du-camps to general 
 Dumouriez. The spirit which inspired the 
 heroes of antient Greece, now seemed to 
 animate 'the French, and at the pass of 
 Biesme they rivalled the exploits of the com- 
 panions of Leonidas. 
 
 During these militaiy occurrences, which 
 alarmed all the neighbouring states, and 
 made them consider resistance to the arms 
 of France as a common cause to all who 
 were interested in the independence of Eu- 
 rope, affairs of great importance had been 
 transacted at the seat of governnient. A 
 decree having been published prescribing a 
 plan for the election of representatives to the 
 proposed convention, to be assembled on the 
 20th of September, the republicans emploj'ed 
 themselves assiduously in prepossessing the 
 nation in favour of their cause. The national 
 assembly had been intimidated, and rendered 
 subservient to their faction ; and the bofly of 
 the people were now, by various expedients, 
 to be made their partisans. The needy, and 
 men of desperate fortunes, were allured to 
 support their power by a popular idea dis- 
 persed amongst them, o( an equal division 
 of property ; and they were encouraged to 
 hope for a realization of this democratic 
 project, by the rigorous execution of the' 
 decrees respecting the forfeiture of the estates 
 of the nobles and ecclesiastics. Men of 
 property, on the contrary, Avere frightened 
 into acquiescence by menaces and proscrip- 
 tions issued against the aristocrats. Circular 
 letters, counter-signed by Danton, as minister 
 of justice, were sent to all the municipalities, 
 justifying the late massacres, as acts necessary 
 30
 
 474 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND 
 
 to keep ill awe the traitors who were still 
 within the kingdom; by which was meant 
 all who were averse to the Jacobins. And 
 emissaries were sent to influence the electors, 
 and procure the return of persons well- 
 affected to that faction. 
 
 On the day appointed, the national con- 
 vention assembled, and evinced by their first 
 measures, that they were actuated by princi- 
 ples agreeable to the prevailing party. As a 
 notification of these, and a ground-work for 
 future proceedings, they first declared, " that 
 there can be no constitution but that which 
 o + <>i ''^ accepted by the people." After 
 
 P • " • that, they unanimously declared 
 that " Royalty is abolished in France, all public 
 acts shall be dated thejirsl year of the French 
 Republic, and the great seal shall have the 
 words French Republic fm* its legend." 
 
 This memorable revolution being accom- 
 plished, the next question was, in v/hat 
 manner they should dispose of their late sove- \ 
 reign. On this there were various opinions. 
 The most merciful were advocates for exile : 
 others recommended a continuation of his 
 imprisonment : but the most violent were of 
 opinion, that they should never be secure from 
 the intrigues of the royalists whilst the mo- 
 narch whom they had dethroned was living, 
 and were resolved to make his life a sacrifice 
 to their own safety and power. Although 
 Robespierre, Marat, Danton, and other 
 Jacobin leaders of what was called the moun- 
 tain party, had overpowered the Girondists, 
 who were advocates for moderate measures, 
 yet violent feuds soon prevailed in the con- 
 vention. And these demagogues were charged 
 with having been the instigators of the late 
 massacres. For these reasons they endea- \ 
 voured to prevent reflection ; and hurried on " 
 the trial and death of the king, that they 
 might free themselves from the danger of a 
 revolution in his favour, might foil the Bris- 
 sotines and Girondists, who would willingly 
 have adjoiuMied his dethronement, and were 
 ready again to espouse his cause, might in- 
 volve a majority of the convention in th(^ 
 odium of so desperate an act, and might 
 strengthen their party by a community of 
 interests with them. 
 
 Actuated by motives of' self-interest and \ 
 self-preservation, as well as a malicious spirit | 
 of faction, they procured a decree, that j 
 " Lewis Capet" should be brought to his » 
 
 [chap. XXXVI. 
 
 trial. A commission was. in consequence, 
 appointed to arrange a body of evidence 
 against him ; and, in a few days, Palazc, one 
 of the commissioners, commenced the pro- 
 ceedings by a report of the evidence to tlie 
 convention. 
 
 This was the instant for those who wished 
 to save the king's life to have exerted them- 
 selves. The inviolability which the constitu- 
 tion had given the king's person, and the 
 responsibihty which it had laid on his minis- 
 ters, and the incompetency of the tribunal, 
 afl'orded them firm ground on which to make 
 their stand. But (hey suffered themselves to 
 be carried along with the stream, rather than 
 expose themselves to the vengeance of his 
 inveterate enemies by their resistance. 
 
 The inviolaliility of the king's person being 
 done away by an ex post facto law, and the 
 convention being declared a competent tribu- 
 nal, France, which had been so long the 
 theatre of the most tragic scenes, now, at last, 
 piesented to the world the awful spectacle 
 of a sovereign arraigned before the national 
 representatives. And we now behold one 
 of the most amiable and benevolent monarchs 
 of his age, and the most patriotic that ever 
 filled the throne of France, by a singular 
 concurrence of unfortunate circumstances, 
 brought to his trial, ^s an enemy to the wel- 
 fare of his realms, by men who afterwards 
 proved the most cruel tyrants that ever afflict- 
 ed any country. 
 
 The charges being prepared, and the mode 
 of trial settled, the mayor was sent to con- 
 duct the king to the hall of the assembly. But 
 so entirely had he been deprived of all social 
 converse since his commitment to the Temple, 
 that the chief magistrate found him quite 
 uninformed of what had passed in the con- 
 vention respecting him. It was evidently the 
 design of his enemies that he should be taken 
 by surprise, that he might be unprepared for 
 defence. The awfulness of the occasion, and 
 the nature of the tribunal, might have been 
 expected to have discomposed his spirits ; 
 but he appeared with all that composure 
 which results from a consciousness of inno- 
 cence. And it is observable, that his replies 
 to the charges brought against him, and his 
 whole demeanour shew, that he had far better 
 intellectual endowments, and more personal 
 dignity, than is ascribed to him by tliose who 
 would depreciate his chai'acter.
 
 CHAP. XXXVI.] fiEOKGE III. 475 
 
 llis majesty approaching the bar, the j was ably and eloquently opened by the last 
 president, Barrere, addressed him in these : of these. After descanting on the several 
 words : — " Lewis, the French nation accuses ; charges, he closed his address to the assembly 
 you. The national convention resolved, on | with these remarkable words. " In this hall 
 the .3rd of December, that you shall be ; men have contended for the glory of the 10th 
 judged by itself. On the 0th it was decreed, | of August. I come not to dispute that glory ; 
 that you should be brought to the bar. They | but since it has been proved that that day 
 are al)ont to read the act which announces ; was premeditated, how can it be made a 
 the crimes imputed to you. You are per- i crime to Lewis ? You accuse him, and you 
 mitted to seat yourself while the charges \ would give judgment against him who has 
 are read." 5 never given a sanguinary order ; against him 
 
 The king, tacitly .submitting to the autho- j who at Varennes preferred returning a captive 
 rity of this self-constituted tribvmal, the ; to exposing the life of a single man ; against 
 several charges were read, and he made his j him who on the 20th of June refused every 
 i"eply to each. The most important were j kind of aid, and preferred remaining alone in 
 what related to his attempts to prevent the i the midst of his people. Here let history 
 tstablishment of a free government; his | speak. Lewis mounted the throne at the 
 escape to V^arennes after he had accepted the < age of twenty ; he exhibited on it an example 
 constitution; the plan concerted > by him, J of morals, of justice, of oeconomy ; he abo- 
 with de la Fayette and Mirabeau, for setting j lished servitude in his domains ; the people 
 aside the existing constitution, and framing ; desired liberty — he gave it — (muj inurs.) We 
 a new one ; his remissness in giving informa- J cannot deny to Lewis the glory of having 
 tion of the treaty of Pilnitz, which he knew | always anticipated the wishes of his people, 
 to be hostile to tiie French government ; his i I do not conclude ; I appeal to history ; 
 correspondence with the emigrant princes:, | recollect that history will judge yom- judg- 
 who had formed anti-revolutionary designs, j ment." 
 
 and his pecuniary rertiittances to them ; the | This pathetic address appears to have had 
 
 pay remitted by him to the life-guards at > but little effect on the audience, who were 
 
 Coblentz ; his neglect to provide for the ; intimidated by the Parisian banditti, or whom 
 
 national safety; and his encouragement of j vo^ngeance sharpened by self-interest had ren- 
 
 anti-revolutionaiT projects. > dered insensible to his reasonings, as well as 
 
 The evidence in support of these charges ; to the feelings of humanity. As soon as the 
 
 was derived chiefly ffom letters addressed to ; king Mas retired, the assembly was convulsed 
 
 his majesty, and other papers, with margined j by disputes respecting the sentence to be 
 
 notes in his own hand-writing, amounting to ; j)ronounced on him. Some thirsted for his 
 
 strong presumptive proof, only of intentions j blood, and would have proceeded to inflict 
 
 inimical to the established constitution ; and : the punishment of death, without even giving 
 
 the criminality of which, admitting the fact, ; the members time to form their judgment of 
 
 was extenuated by the imgenerous treatment I the ofltncc on more mature delil)ration. Of 
 
 which he had received from the authors of : this tuimher Mere the ?j/«?<n/^/?t fjution, headed 
 
 the revolution When the charges, and tlie | by Robespierre, Danton, Marat, and Collet 
 
 pieces on which they were grounded, had I d'Herbois, and patronised by the infamous 
 
 been 'read, Lewis was re-conducted to the « duke f)f Orleans, better knoMii by the appel- 
 
 Temple, Mhere the cup of affliction was ; lation of Egalite. Many were of opinion. 
 
 embittered in his last days by his inhuman | that justice and policy forbade the pains of 
 
 persecutors. On desiring that he might be j death ; of which persuasion were the TJoland- 
 
 indulged with the company of his family, he | ists, the Brissotiues, and (iiroinlisfs. They 
 
 was refused this comfort : even his son, who | were willing to exercise mercy as far as it 
 
 was only seven years old, was not snflTered to 5 was reconcileable with the accomplishment 
 
 apj)roach him, to alleviate his sufferings. \ of their views in the establishment of a repub- 
 
 On the day appointed, he was again brought i lie. Others, though advocates for capital 
 
 before the convention, attended by the three j punishment, reprobated the idea of conipel- 
 
 counsel vhich were allowed him, — Male- ; ling men fo decide without discussing. Petion 
 
 ^herbes, Trouchet, and de Seze. His cause « and ^raninl were of this opinion, and iiirunrd 
 
 3 p 2
 
 47(1 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXVI. 
 
 1793. 
 
 disgrace with their Jacobia confederates by 
 avoVin.o; it. The debate became so violent, 
 that some of the disputants, forgetting their 
 senatorial dignity, came to blows. When 
 the pre^i«lent had restored order, the con- 
 vention decreed, that the debate should be 
 opened immediately, and continued till judg- 
 ment should be given. It was not, how- 
 ever, till the loth of January, in the 
 ensuing year, that this body decided 
 in Aviiat terms the question of punishment 
 should be stated, when it was decreed, that 
 the following heads of enquiry should be put 
 to all the members. 
 
 I. Is Lewis Capet, late king of France, 
 guilty of a conspiracy against liberty, and of 
 attempts against the general safety of the 
 state ? 
 
 II. Shalt, the judgment to be pronounced 
 on Lewis be submitted to the ratification of 
 the people in primary assemblies ? 
 
 III. What punishment has he incurred ? 
 On the first question it was found, that of 
 
 735 voters, 693 voted for the affirmative ; on 
 the second question 424 voted for the nega- 
 tive. When the last question was proposed, 
 Egalit6, the nearest relative of Lewis, arose, 
 to the astonishment of the convention, mount- 
 ed the tribune, and exclaimed, " Insensible 
 to every sentiment but that of duty, convinced 
 that those who conspire against the country 
 deserve death, I vote for death." The presi- 
 dent having collected the votes on the ques- 
 tion of death, informed the assembly that it 
 was carried in the affirmative by a majority 
 of Five ; and by virtue of his office pro- 
 nounced the following sentence, " I declare 
 then, in the name of the convention, that the 
 punishment whicli it pronounces against 
 Lewis is Death." 
 
 M. DE Malesherbes, from whom Lewis 
 expected an account of the proceedings 
 against him, threw himself with a melancholy 
 aspect at the feet of the deposed prince, 
 unable from emotion to speak. At length he 
 uttered, "The fatal judgineht cannot be 
 concealed from you." " It is well," replied 
 Lewis, " I am no longer in suspense." When 
 Clery, his faithful \alet, expressed his hope 
 that the sentence might be superseded, he 
 said, " I do not deceive myself with hopes ; 
 but I am shocked to think that one of my 
 own relatives could be induced to vote for 
 my death." The late decrees of thfe conven- 
 
 tion being announced to Lewis by the exe- 
 cutive council, he heard without emotion the 
 denunciation of death ; and having in vain 
 requested a delay of three days, calmly pre- 
 pared for his fate. With his family lie ob- 
 tained a mournful and aflectionate interview, 
 and promised to renew it in the morning, but 
 his afflicted wife, his sister, and his children, 
 saw him no more. He slept calmly for some 
 hours, rose early, sent for his confessor, Edge- 
 worth, and performed devotional exercises. 
 
 On the 21st of January, 1793, Paris re- 
 sounded with the beat of drums, the clash 
 of arms, and the bustle of preparation. Pass- 
 ing slowly in a carriage through streets lined 
 with troops, the devoted victim arrived with 
 his confessor at the Place de Leicis XV., or 
 Square of the Revolution Ascending the 
 scaflbld with steadiness, he surveyed for a 
 few moments the immense multitude, and 
 approaching the edge, made a motion of his 
 hand for silence, which instantly took place. 
 Then speaking with a raised voice, lie ex- 
 claimed, " Frenchmen ! I die innocent ! I 
 pardon all my enemies, and I desire that 
 France" — the progress of his speech was 
 stopped by Santerre, the brutal commandant, 
 who called out, " I brouglit you hither, not 
 to harangue, but to die." The guns again 
 thundered, he was rudely seized by the 
 executioners, and placed on the guillotine. 
 His confessor, Mr. Edge worth, kneel uig with 
 his face near to that of the king, pronounced 
 aloud, " Enfant de St. Louis, monlez uu cicl." 
 " Son of St. Louis, ascend to heaven.". One 
 of the executioners, holding up the head. to 
 be seen by the people, a few persons more 
 cruel or more mercenaiy than the rest, cried, 
 " Vive la nalion ! vive la republic!' 
 
 The murder of LeAvis exci,ted the most 
 general abhorrence. This detestation, how- 
 ever, did not check the career of the sangui- 
 nary faction, nor did the Girondists, whose 
 want of spirit had given tlie Jacobins an 
 o])portuHity of triumphing over the king,, 
 neglect the means of vigorous hostility, as 
 they foresaw^ that the war would soon be ex- 
 tended. They justly concluded, that their 
 various indications of hostility towartls other 
 countries, and. against England in particular, 
 would prom|)t his Britannic majesty to take 
 arms, and therefore determined to accelerate 
 what they could not long prevent.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1793.J 
 
 Meeling of the British Paiiiament — Debates, on the prevalence of Sedition, and on the 
 Question tf Peace or War — The Question impartially slated — Military Operations — 
 Treachery and Flii>ht of Dmuouriez — Sieges oj Conde and Valenciennes — Internal Slate 
 of France — Character of Robespierre — A general Review of English and CoutinentaL 
 Affairs. 
 
 THE trial of Lewis was depending, when 
 the Britisli parliament was suddenly 
 convoked. The conduct of the democratic 
 societies, and the application of their friends 
 to the national assembly, had excited alarm ; 
 and the kin":, who had ordered the uiilitia to 
 be embodied, informed the two houses, (De- 
 cember the 13tli) that events J^iad recently 
 occurred, which required the greatest vigi- 
 lance and exertion, to prevent the loss of the 
 civil and political advantages long enjoyed by 
 this nation. The seditious practices, which 
 had been checked for a time, had " of late 
 (he said) been more openly renewed, and 
 with increased activity." The spirit of dis- 
 order had shewn itseif in " acts of riot and 
 insurrection ;" the industry eniplojed to 
 difluse discontent appeared fo pioceed from 
 a "design to attempt the destruction of our 
 happy constitution, and the sui.version of all 
 order and government ;" and this design had 
 " evidently been pursued in concert with 
 persons in foreign countries." He liad scru- 
 pulously ab.tained from all interference in 
 the internal affairs of France ; but he could 
 not see, without the most serious uneasiness, 
 the strong indications which its rulers had 
 given of an intention of fomenting disturbances 
 in other countries, and pursuing, schemes of 
 conquest and aggrandisement ; and their 
 views against his allies, the stales-general, he 
 particularly disapproved, 'Ijecause not only 
 the law of nations, but the stipulation* of 
 
 treaties, opposed their pretensions. Amidst 
 these grounds of alarm, he had thought it 
 his duty to take some steps for the augmenta- 
 tion of his naval and military force. At the 
 same time, he would neglect nothing that 
 could contribute to the preservation of the 
 blessings of peace, consistently with the 
 security of his dominions, and the perform- 
 ance of his engagements. It was a great 
 consolation to him to reflect, that ample re- 
 sources for vigorous preparations vou'ld be 
 found in the excess of the revenue above the 
 ordinary expenditure. — He trusted that the 
 means of enforcing obedience to the laws, 
 and repressing all seditious attempts, would 
 be the objects of immediate deliberation, as 
 the defence of that constitution, w liich had so 
 long protected the liberties nnd promoted tlio 
 happiness of every class" of his subjects, 
 claimed an early and earnest attention. 
 
 Ix condemning the acts and views ol the 
 French, his majesty alluded to a decree for 
 granting fraternal assistance to such conmiu- 
 nities as were desirous of procuring liberty, 
 to au order for incorporating Savoy with the 
 new republic, and to an intention of opening 
 the Scheldt. 
 
 Some parts of the royal speech were 
 arraigned by lord Wycombe, who said, that 
 it contained calumnious animadversions on 
 the behaviour of the people, and that the 
 war in which it threatened to involve us 
 could only be_ justitied on our part by an
 
 478 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 actual invasion from Fiance. IMr. Fox was 
 of opinion that the alarm was excited by art 
 and imposture, rather than by real danger, 
 and that we liad more reason to dread the 
 encroachments of the crown than the seditions 
 intrigues of the people ; and he moved for 
 an enquiry into the truth of the ministerial 
 allegations. Mr. Windham was convinced 
 that the country was in a state of great dan- 
 ger, from the traitorous machinations of the 
 enemies of our constitution ; but Mr. Grey 
 and Mr. Sheridan contended tliat the peril 
 was merely imaginary. Mr. Burke asserted 
 the existence of a numerous and zealous 
 1 tarty, whose aims extended to the reform of 
 our government according to the French 
 model ; and he hoped that the house would 
 be unanimous in counteracting such execra- 
 ble schemes. A majority of 240 opposed the 
 suggestion of Mr. Fox, and voted for a 
 courtly address. A similar answer to the 
 king's speech was voted by the peers, but not 
 without strong expressions of disapprobation 
 from the duke of Norfolk, the marquis of 
 Lansdown, and lord Rawdon. After another 
 debate on the address, a proposal from Mr. 
 Fox, that a minister should be sent to Paris 
 to treat with the governing power, was as- 
 sailed with pointed censure by lord Sheffield, 
 Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Grant, and Mr. Burke, 
 who maintained that such condescension to 
 a horde of monsters woul'd reflect indelible 
 disgrace on this country, and that, even if no 
 dishonour attended it, it did not afibrd the 
 least promise of success. The motion was 
 therefore rejected without the formality or 
 the honour of a division. 
 
 The effect which the court wished to pro- 
 duce, quickly appeared. The kingdom re- 
 sounded with exclamations against the 
 arrogant, arbitrary, and violent proceedings 
 of the Jacobin faction ; and it was loudly 
 affirmed, that the most vigorous exertions of 
 every kind were necessary to prevent the 
 evils with which Europe was threatened by 
 the systematic diffusion of a wild spirit of 
 democracy. Additional associations were 
 formed for the defence of liberty and property 
 against the attempts of republicans and 
 levellers ; and various short pieces, calcu- \ 
 iated for the diffusion of loyal sentiments, \ 
 were distributed among the people. Many i 
 of ihe nobility, and others who, though not | 
 destitute of merit, were more distinguisiu ci l)v ; 
 
 [chap, xx.wij. 
 
 rank and fortune than by virtue or patriotism, 
 partook of the panic, and joined in the 
 clamour ; and not a few of those who cherish- 
 ed the purest intentions, and who had justly 
 acquired the high esteem of their country- 
 men, were influenced by the prevailing alarm, 
 and induced to concur with the ministerial 
 phalanx. 
 
 The proceedings of our court drew some 
 expostulations from M. Chauvelin ; and he 
 demanded a categorical answer to the ques- 
 tion, whether Great Britain should be con- 
 sidered as a neutral power, or as hostile to 
 the nation which he represented. The official- 
 reply of lord Grenville intimated, that the 
 oidy way by which the French could secure 
 the amity or the forbearance of this country, 
 would be to renounce all views of aggression- 
 and aggrandisement. The French envoy 
 Avas authorised to explain the decree ot 
 fraternity, as only promising aid when it 
 should be demanded by the general will of 
 a nation, to disclaim all ideas of conquest, 
 and to stipulate that the affair of the Scheldt 
 should be left to the unbiassed determination 
 of the inhabitants of the Netherlands ; but 
 these declarations were pronounced vague and 
 unsatisfactory. 
 
 From an apprehension of the intrigues ot 
 the French and other turbulent foreigners, 
 who already were in this country or might be 
 inclined to repair to it, a bill was introduced 
 into the house of peers for the re*traint of 
 aliens. The marquis of Lansdown and the 
 earl of Lauderdale opposed it with warmth, 
 as tending to involve the nation in a war ; and 
 they advised that an ambassador should be 
 sent to France, to assist in composing the 
 troubles of the continent, and avert by per- 
 sonal expostidation the danger which seemed 
 to impend over the unfortunate king. The 
 earl of Guildford (son of the minister who 
 governed during the American war) was also 
 hostile to the lull, which, he said, infringed 
 tlie conuuercial treaty : but it was supported 
 by almost the ^vhole house, and sent to the 
 commons for their concurrence. It was 
 applauded by Mr. Burke, in a speech which 
 not only abounded with invectives against the 
 French, but contained severe strictures on 
 the opinions and behaviour of the leader of 
 opposition. On this occasion he endeavoured 
 to render his eloquence more piei-ciiig by 
 drawing forth a dagger, as a sample of an
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. j GEORGE III. 479 
 
 order given by a democratic Englisshniaii for J country. But the speeches of tlie earls of 
 the manufacture of 3000 at Biruiiiigliain. ; Carlisle and Darnley, he lords Stormont and 
 With rage and horror depicted on his coun- ; Porchester, and the lord-chancellor Lough- 
 tenance, he threw the weapon on the floor, | horough, manifested a strong spirit of hos- 
 .saying, "This is Mhat you will gain by fra- ; tility ; and an address of support was voted 
 ternising with France." Sir Peter Burrell t to his majesty. 
 
 and sir Gilbert Dliot lamented the necessity ; Mr. Pitt flcplored the death of the French 
 of separating from a friend (Mr. Fox) with | king, and expatiated on the enormity of those 
 ■whom they had been long accustomed to act ; | principles which actuated the rulers of the 
 but it was imposed uj)on them, they said, by i republic — principles which tended to destroy 
 the consideration of the disregard recently | all religion, morality, and social order, and 
 shewn by that gentleman to the true princi- } reduce mankind to a state of the most dread- 
 pies of the constitution. Mr. Fox ridiculed J ful anarchy. With such men, he said, a con- 
 1793 ^'"^ alarm of those who dreaded the ; linuance of peace could not be expected, 
 influence of French opinions in a | They had formed schemes of arbitrary en- 
 country which enjoyed a greater portion of | croachment on the rights of neutral powers; 
 liberty than any other in Europe; but Mr. i aimed at a total change of the government of 
 Pitt declsi-ed tJiat the arts, machinations, and ; those countries in which their arms should 
 violence of the French, afforded grounds for > happen to prevail ; proposed a subversion 
 the most serious apprehensions, and called | of the long-established law of nations, and 
 for the strictest vigilance; and the bill soon i the propagation of a general spirit of revolu- 
 recei^ ed the royal assent. M. Chauvelin \ tionary insurrection. After unsatisfactory 
 complained of the aibitrary piovisions of a 5 explanations of an obnoxious decree, and 
 bill which encroached on the lawful freedom i palliations of offensive proceedings, their 
 of the French in Great Britain, and rendered j agent in England had persisted in Vv-hat was 
 them liable to »V\piilsion or exclusion; but ! equivalent to the avowal of every thing dan- 
 lord Grcnville replied, that it only authorised | gerous to Great Britain, and had thrown out 
 such precautions as already existed in France; I menaces of hostility in the event of our in- 
 and when the envoy desired an exemption ; ac(|uiescence. Mr. Fox admitted that it was 
 from its eflect, no liope of indulgence was > our duty to assist the Dutch, if tliey should 
 given, as his credentials from the republic I demand our aid ; but he did not think that 
 were not allowed. | mc oug-ht to force them into a war by which 
 
 "When the king intimated to both houses \ they might be endangered, as this constraint 
 his dismission of the French agent, he cx-|\\ould be an abu.se of treaty. He allowed 
 pressed his reliance on their support in j that the decree of fraternity was an insult to 
 ulterior measures of precaution and defence. ; the world ; but it was not a just ground for 
 In the discussion of this message, lord Gren- 1 war. He blamed the ministry for insisting on 
 ville inveighed against the atrocious act \ security in terms not sufficiently precise, as 
 which then engrossed the attention of Europe; I this was not the way to obtain .satisfaction, 
 remarked that the promise of neutrality given J The object of contest ought to be clearly 
 by .our court was conditional, depending on I stated : othenvise the return of peace might 
 the pro])er treatment of the royal family of^ be long retarded. If the court imagined that 
 France; and urged the necessity of taking ; all Europe was exposid to danger from the 
 arms for the assistance of our allies, and the ; progress of the French arms, the peril wou'ld 
 prevention of the dangerous aggrandisement > not be increased by proposing terms before 
 of the French. Earl Stanhope said, that < we should engage in war. The real cause 
 such a war would be unnecessary, and con- ! of the war, he added, might be referred to the 
 sequently unjwstitiable ; the earl of Derby ; desire of restoring despotism in France; u 
 thought that it might be easily and honour- ; motive which he liigldy disapjiroved, though 
 ably avoided ; and the manjuis of Lansdown I he was by no means pleasedwith the existing 
 opposed it as not nqnired either by good ; government of that countiy. — After other 
 laith toward the Dutch (who did not desire i speeches on both sides of the question, an 
 our interference in the afl'uir of the Scheldt)) address corre.oponilirig with tlie message 
 or by any danger which threatened this"> passed witliout a division.
 
 480 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND 
 
 lCIIAP. XXWII. 
 
 The next Lomnumication from the king- 
 announced the French declaration 'of war 
 against Great Britain and the United Pro- 
 vinces. It was alleged by the convention, 
 that his Britannic majesty had persisted 
 (more particularly since the revolution of the 
 10th of August, 1792,) in giving proofs of his 
 attachment to the coalition of princes, had 
 refused to acknowletlge the new government 
 of France, had violated in various instances 
 the tieaty of 1786, equipped an armament 
 against the republic, and seduced the stadt- 
 bolder into similar measures of hostility. The 
 royal inessage censured this " wanton and 
 unprovoked aggression," and called for the 
 " zealous exertions of a brave and loyal 
 }»eople," in the prosecution of a " just and 
 uecessaiy war." 
 
 A WARTLIKE address was proposed (Feb. 
 12th,) by lord Grenville, with a renewal of 
 severe animadversions on the conduct of the 
 French. An amendment from earl Stanhope, 
 calculated to ascertain the object of the war, 
 and one from the earl of Lauderdale, tending 
 to make the war merely defensive, and to 
 accelerate a negotiation, were rejected by the 
 peers ; and the motion of the secretary re- 
 ceived the assent of the house. Mr. Pitt 
 analysed the French declaration of war, and 
 stigmatised the " groundless pretences" by 
 which it was supported ; and, as we had no 
 longer the power of choice, but were forced 
 into a war, he hoped that the zeal of the 
 people would second the views of the court. 
 Mr. Fox was willing to agree to an address 
 which should merely promise the co-operation 
 of the house in defensive hostilities ; but he 
 could not vote for one which imputed im- 
 provoked aggression to the French. Mr. 
 Burke said, that a more necessary or justi- 
 fiable war, than that in which A^e were pre- 
 paring to engage, could not be conceived ; 
 but Mr. Sheridan strongly argued against its 
 supposed necessity, and particularly con- 
 deiiined the absurdity of making infidelity a 
 grouml for war, as the sword ^^ as not a proper 
 instrument for the propagation of religion, 
 and as those whom we were to assist in 
 France were more remarkable for deism or 
 even atheism than the supporters of the revo- 
 lution. The address framed by the minister 
 was then adopted ; and considerable additions 
 were made to the naval and military force. 
 
 The subject of the war was re-examined, 
 
 when Mr. Fox urged the house to adopt" 
 several resolutions, condemning all forcible 
 interference in the internal government of any 
 country, denying that the ministry had taken 
 |)ropei measures to avoid a war, and dis- 
 suading his majesty from entering into any 
 engagements which might prcAcnt him from 
 concluding a separate peace ; and it Mas 
 resumed, when Mr. Grey moved a long and 
 spirited address to the king, accusing his 
 advisers of having plunged their country 
 into an imnecessary war. These propo- 
 sitions, as the reader may conclude, were 
 rejected ; as was also a motion from Mr. 
 Sheridan for an inquiry into the truth of 
 tliose reports of sediiion which had been so 
 studiously propagated. 
 
 Mr. Fox and his friends Mere equally 
 unsuccessful in their ojjposition to a bill 
 which was calculated to prevent tiaitorous 
 correspondence, in trade or other respects, 
 with the king's enemies. They affirmed that 
 it involved an arbitrary extension of the act 
 of the twenty-fifth year of Edward 111. ; that 
 it would lead to perjury, anci put any man in 
 the power of a malignant adversary ; and that, 
 at the same time, it was a bill by which we 
 shoidd gain less, and our enemies lose less, 
 than if it were not enacted. But the attorney- 
 I general and Mr. Burke said, that it was 
 I framed in the spirit, if not according to the 
 \ letter, of former acts, and that its rigour was 
 not greater than the urgency of tTie crisis 
 required. On a division, the votes in its 
 favour were 154, forming a majority of 101. 
 In the upper house it was opposed with 
 vigour, particularly by the marquis of Lans- 
 doMU, who pronounced it to be repugnant to 
 equity, and invasive of the constitution. He, 
 on the same occasion, took a review of the 
 state of Europe, and, on every ground, re- 
 commended peace. 
 
 A MEMORIAL Avhich had been presented by 
 lord Auckland to the states-general, proposing 
 the subjection of some of the detestable regi- 
 cides to the sword of the law, was reprobated 
 by several members of both houses, as 
 mingling purposes of vengeance with the 
 views of defence and security ; but the 
 motions of censure were rejected with little 
 hesitation. More interesting were the debates 
 which followed the offer of petitions to the 
 commons from the inhabitants of Birming- 
 ham, Derby, Warwick, and many other
 
 CHAP. XXWtl] 
 
 GEoriGE in. 
 
 481 
 
 towns, injiyiiiii- for a parliamentary rtfurni. 
 'i'lif applii-atioii of tlw ^Fne/Kts o/' l/ie Peop/c 
 (May <>,) lor tliis iniportaut object, cliitriy 
 ilrcw the attention of the honse. They stated, 
 thai It'ss than l.j,000 persons, out of three 
 niiilions of male adults, electee! the major 
 j)art of the assemltly ; that the right of voting;- 
 Mas not regulated hy any uniform or rational 
 principles ; that the extent of private parlia- 
 mentary patroir.ige was an abuse ^vhich 
 tended to exclude the great mass of the 
 people from any substantial influence in 
 elections ; and that the spirit of the consti- 
 tution refjuired a frequent renewal of choice, 
 instead of the continuance of the same mem- 
 bers to the seventh year. Mr. Grey eloquently 
 exposed the defects and grievances of the 
 present system, and moved for a committee 
 of enquiry. Mr. Winrlham said, that the 
 blemishes of the constitution could not l)e 
 corrected without the risque of destroying 
 its excellencies, and that the pioposed expe- 
 riment might lead to the most fatal conse- 
 quences. Mr. Erskine enlarged on the 
 prevailing abuses ; but the earl of Morning- 
 ion considered them as unworthy of notice, \ 
 when compared w ith the benefits of the par- ' 
 liamentary constitution. Mr. Pitt did not 
 think that the people were desirous of a 
 reform ; and he deprecated the attempt in 
 these perturbed times. Mr. Sheridan and 
 Mr. Fox defended the propriety of an investi- 
 gation of the causes of complaint, and re- 
 pelled the objections to the particular time, | 
 by arguing that an acquiescence in moderate j 
 and constitutional requests would tend to ; 
 silence clamour, and allay discontent, and I 
 would thus batHe the schemes of seditious I 
 revolutionists. A majority of '211, however, \ 
 voted against the enquiry. ; 
 
 The slave-trade was productive of fresh I 
 debates, without the adoption of any decisive < 
 measures. AVith regard to tJie trade of India, j 
 it was the wish of many that it might be ; 
 opened ; but, when the company petitioned | 
 for a renewal of its charter, the continuance ' 
 of the monopoly was deemed advisable on | 
 the ground of experience, though it was ; 
 rendered less strict than it had been under 5 
 the former regulations. The system of go- | 
 vernment, established for that country by the | 
 act of 1784, was also considered as worthy X 
 of retention. Mr. Dundas pronounced aii j 
 elaborate speech in favour of those objects : ; 
 
 3 a 
 
 and tlie bill which he framed met with the 
 concurrence of the two houses. 
 
 Thi: supplies demanded by the minister, 
 and reaflily voted by the commons, were 
 £Hj,fJ.9c5,000. The seamen and marines wcic 
 4-5,000 ; the guards and garrisons exceeded 
 •27,000 men. Four Tnillions and a half were 
 borrowed on this occasion ; and some ta.xes, 
 at first intended to be merely temporary, w-ere 
 continued in consequence of this loan. An 
 alarm being excited by the failure of many 
 mercantile houses, chiefly from the abuse of 
 paper credit, a bill was enacted for the dis- 
 tribution of five millions, in exchequer bills, 
 among such traders as might apply for 
 relief, on condition of giving security in 
 goods. This act was very seasonably ex- 
 pedient in the revival of conmnercial credit. 
 To unite a judicious system of husljandiy 
 with the advantages of manufacturing industry 
 and of general trade, the commons addressed 
 the king for the institution of a board of 
 agriculture and internal improvement. Sir 
 John Sinclair, the projector of the scheme,^ 
 became the first president of this society. 
 
 When a prorogation was expected, Mr. 
 Fox took an opportunity of recom- , 
 mending a speedy negotiation, as ""^ 
 the French had been so far checked that no 
 ground of alarm, for our security or tiiat of 
 the Dutch, could be truly alleged. But Mr. 
 Burke and Mr. Pitt contended, that no 
 government with which we could safely treat 
 existed in France ; and a majority of 140 
 voted for a continuance of the war. 
 
 The proceedings of the parliament of 
 Ireland, in the session of this year, ought not 
 to pass without some notice. To conciliate 
 the catholics, a bill was introduced by the 
 ministry, granring the right of votiiig, for the 
 election of representatives of the people, that 
 of holding particular offices from which they 
 had long been excluded, and the full freedom 
 of religion and property. To gratify the 
 adversaries of the court, the power of the 
 crown was in some points restrained ; and on 
 the other hand, to check seditious practices, 
 all assemblies convened in the name of the 
 people, under pretence of petitioning for 
 alterations of the taws, or remonstrating 
 against supj)Osed grievances, were declared 
 to be unlawful. 
 
 To promote the success of the war, a con- 
 vention had been signed in the spring- between 
 31
 
 482 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. 
 
 our court and that ot' Potersburcj, stipulating 
 for the prosecution of hostihtie« till the 
 French should relinquish all their conquests. 
 A treaty ^vas soon alter concluded Avith the 
 landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, for a subsidiary 
 body of 8000 men ; a number ^vhich, by a 
 subsequent ag-reement, was extended to 
 1-2,000. British treasure M'as -also lavished 
 on the king of Sardinia, who engaged (for 
 £200.000 per annum) to keep up an amiy of 
 50,000 men, to be employed in the particular 
 defence of his dominions, and in general 
 service against the enemy. A compact of 
 alliance was adjusted with Spain, one with 
 Naples, and others with Prussia, Austria, 
 and Portugal. Besides the stipulations of, 
 vigorous hostility, it was agreed that the | 
 conduct of other powers should be watched 
 with extraordinary circumspection, in this 
 cause of common concern to every civilized 
 state, lest they should abuse thei.r professed 
 neutrality by protecting the commerce or 
 property of the French. 
 
 In forming our judgment respecting the 
 causes and origin of "the most important 
 contest which ever involved the interests of 
 mankind, we must, in justice to Great Bri- 
 tain, carefully distinguish between the war 
 of invasion, to which all the future calamities 
 of Europe may be attributed, and in Avhich 
 we remained perfectly neutral, and the war i 
 of general defence, in Avhich we became the 
 most prominent and active ally. Before the 
 indication of hostile feelings and principles 
 on the part of France had become too frequent 
 and too offensive to be mistaken, we studi- 
 ously abstained from all participation in the 
 measures of the continental powers, and 
 received the accredited agent of France with 
 every testimony of confidence" and respect. 
 The duplicity of Chauvelin himself lirst ex- 
 cited and justified the distrust of the British 
 cabinet. A note was presented to him by 
 lord Grenville, as secretary of state, whicii 
 was intended to explain aM'ay the real 
 meaning of the offensive decree of the 19th 
 of Kovember, but Mas calcidated with the 
 most exquisite artifice to sow dissension 
 between the government and the nation. In 
 the conclusion, it adinonishes the English 
 minister of the responsibility which must 
 attach to his conduct in case of a declaration 
 of v/^ar, "the consequences of which must be 
 fatal to other countries, and to all mankind ; 
 
 and in which a generous and free people 
 could not consent to betray their interests, by 
 assisting a tyrannical coalition." Lord Gren- 
 ville adverted to the general tenor of the 
 conduct of the French" government, in pro- 
 moting sedition throughout the kingdom, and 
 chaiged them with violating the neutrality of 
 the Dutch republic, and insulting the ally 
 of Great Britain, by sending a vessel up the 
 Scheldt to attack Antwerp. The convention, 
 in return, endeavoured to justify their con- 
 duct respecting the Scheldt, on the grounds 
 of the gross injustice comniitted towards the 
 Belgians by the treaties Avhich deprived them 
 of the navigation of a river flowing through 
 their provinces, and they again endeavoured, 
 in the course of their explanation, to con- 
 ciliate the favour of the English people, and 
 to imbue them Avith a feeling of hostility 
 against their government. " If Avarlike pre- 
 parations be continued in the ports of Eng- 
 land, we shall combat with regret the English, 
 Avhom we esteem, but are Avell assiued that 
 the English republicans Avill not sufl'er it. 
 Already those free-men shew their discontent, 
 and their repugnance to bear arms against 
 their brothers, the French. We will fly to 
 their succour, we will make a descent on the 
 island, and destroy their tyranny." The 
 final reply of lord Grenville again denied the 
 sufficiency of M. Chauvelin's explanation, 
 urged the necessity of naval preparation, and 
 animadverted on the enmity of the republicans 
 to social order. 
 
 After the dismissal of ChauAclin, it was 
 decreed in the national couA'ention, — " That 
 George, king of England, had ncA-er ceased, 
 since the revolution of the 10th of August, 
 1792, from giving proofs of his enmity to the 
 French, and of his attachment to the concert 
 of crowned heads, and that he had draAvu 
 into the same league the stadtholder of the 
 United Provinces ; that, contrary to the 
 first article of the treaty of 1783, the English 
 ministry had granted protection and succour 
 to the emigrants and others, who have openly 
 appeared in arms against France ; that, on 
 the news of the execution of Lewis Capet, 
 they Avere led to conuiiit an outrage against 
 the French republic, by ordering the ambas- 
 sador of France to quit Great Britain ; that 
 the English have stopped divers boats and 
 vessels laden Avith corn for France, whilst, at 
 the same time, contrary to the treaty of 1780
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 483 
 
 tlif y continue the exportation ol" it to otiicr 
 foreign countries ; that, in order to thwart 
 moif ffhoaciously the romniercial (lansaclions 
 at' the rejjuiilic witli England, they have, by 
 an act of parliujnent, prohibited the circula- 
 tion of assi^nats. Tlie convention therefore 
 de(;hire, tiuU, in consequence of these acts of 
 hostility and aggression, tlie French republic 
 is at war with tlie king of Eiigland, and the 
 stadthohler of tlie United Provinces. \ 
 
 ■ ]\o sooner was war declared against Eng- 1 
 land and Holland, than the conquest of the \ 
 latter occupied the mind of Dumouriez. | 
 This gent;ral had been in Paris for some time. \ 
 He was there during the trial and execution > 
 of Lewis, and, if we are to believe his own 
 words, he exerted himself to save the life 
 of the unfortunate monarch ; but these exer- 
 tions were not very conspicuous — perhaps 
 they consisted in conversations with a few 
 of th<i Parisian milliners. The hero of 
 Jemappe, flushed -with the hopes of reaping 
 fresh laurels, returned to Flanders. Dumou- 
 riez was aware of the great dis(!ontent that 
 prevailed in Holland ; numbers were anxious 
 for the arrival of the French, in order to 
 overturn the govermnent of the stadtholder ; 
 the French general very justly calculated on 
 support from the friends of revolutionary 
 principles ; and on every view of the case, the 
 conquest of Holland was an easy enterprise. 
 
 Dumouriez assembled his army at Ant- 
 werp, w here several emigrant Hollanders, of 
 character and consequence in their own 
 country, formed a revolutionary association 
 to assist the general by intelligence relative 
 to the interior parts of the United Provinces, 
 and to maintain a correspondence with the 
 disaffected. This committee proposed an } 
 irruption into Zealand ; but Dumouriez was » 
 determined, if possible, to eflect a passage 
 across an ann of the sea to Dort, and thus 
 penetrate into the very heart of Holland. 
 It was a daring and bold design, and marked 
 the character of the projector. The Freiich 
 army, on this occcasion, amounted to 1,3,000 
 luen, and was accompanied by the skilful 
 engineer d'Arcon, inventor of the floating 
 batteries which attacked Gibraltar, and a 
 considerable nuniber of Dutch emigrants. 
 He issued a proclamation, in wh'ch he ob- 
 sei'ves : — " Batavians ! it is not against you 
 tliat the French republic has declared war — 
 Ihe friend of all nations, she has for enemies 
 
 3 Q 2 
 
 only despots. The English, so proud of 
 their liberty, suffer themselves to be misled 
 
 l>y gold, and the falsehoods of a , of 
 
 whom tluy will soon be weai-y. 'Ihe more 
 enemies we have, the more shall we propagate 
 our principles — persuasion and victory shall 
 sustain the imprescriptible rights of man, and 
 nations will be tired of exhausting their blood 
 and treasures for a small number oi indivi- 
 duals, wlio fan the flames of discord, as the 
 best means of deceiving and enslaving the 
 people." 
 
 On the. 17th of February 17.0.3, the French 
 troops entered the Dutch territories, and 
 attacked Breda, which immediately surren- 
 dered. Klundert folloMed its example on the 
 •20th ; and on the 4th of March, Gertruyden- 
 burg fell into the hands of the republicans, 
 after a bombardment of three days. Bergen- 
 op-Zoom was invested, but without success ; 
 and at length the French presented them- 
 selves before the fortress of ^Villiamstadt, the 
 garrison of which had been strengthened by 
 a detachment fiom the brigade of English 
 foot-guards, just landed in Holland. The 
 place was also defended by some English and 
 Dutch gun-boats, the whole commanded by 
 general count Botzlaer. Williamstadt re- 
 sisted every effort of the French, who were 
 ultimately compelled to raise the siege with 
 great loss. Klundert was also evacuated, 
 and the republicans retreated towards Ant- 
 werp, after setting lire to the village of Maer- 
 dyck, as M'ell as to their own batteries, and 
 leaving several pieces of artillery behind 
 them. 
 
 During these proceedings in Holland, 
 general Miranda, with a division of the 
 French army amounting to 20,000 men, had 
 invested Maestricht. On the 23rd of Febru- 
 ary, his works were completed ; and on the 
 following day, he summoned the town to 
 surrender : the prince of Hesse, who com- 
 manded this fortress, declared his determina- 
 tion to defend it. 
 
 General Valence, who commanded the 
 third division of the French army, had his 
 head-quarters at Liege, while his out-posts 
 extended to Aix-la-Chapelle and the banks of 
 the Itoer. On the 1st of March, general 
 Clairfait, having passed the Roer in the night, 
 attacked the French, and cduipelled them to 
 retreat as far as Alderliaven, with the lo.->s of 
 2U00 men, 12 pieces of cannon, 13 ammunition-
 
 484 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 "jCnAP. XXXVII. 
 
 vaggons, and the military chest. On the 
 .■>r<i, the prince of Saxe-Cobonrg defeated the 
 French, and drove them from Aix-la-Chapelle 
 ■vvith the loss of 4000 killed, 1600 prisoners, 
 and 20 pieces of cannon. This was the 
 signal for raising the siege of Maestricht. 
 Miranda learned, on the 4th, that the enemy 
 ivas advancing, with more than 35,000 men, 
 for the purpose of throwing succours into 
 this place. After 6000 bombs, therefore, had 
 been thrown into Maestricht, at midnight the 
 French retreated, and, on the day following, 
 formed a junction at St. Tron with general 
 Valence, who had abandoned the country of 
 I/iege to the enemy. Here they were joined 
 by troops inider generals Isler, Lamorliere, 
 and Clianipniorin, and on the 8th they moved 
 towards Tirlemont. 
 
 It will be necessaiy to notice in this place, 
 the unsuccessful attack which the French 
 made on the island of Sardinia. A French 
 iieet, consisting of nineteen sail of the line, 
 liad sailed iVom Toulon, luider the command 
 of admiral Truguet, and anchored in the 
 harbour of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, 
 on the •24th of January. The admiral de- 
 manded the surrender of tlie place, which l 
 was refused ; when the fleet bombarded the ; 
 city, and was answered by a brisk firing of j 
 rc(i-hot balls. The attack was continued • 
 three days, without much loss on cither side; ; 
 the French, at length, finding their efforts | 
 vain, sailed away. I 
 
 On the 7tli of March, war was declared by I 
 the French against the king of Spain. > 
 
 DuMOURiEZ left the command of the antiv i 
 in Holland to general de Fleis, and assumed 5 
 the command in person of the disconcerted > 
 forces of Miranda and Valence. The troops I 
 testified the utmost satisfaction on being | 
 rejoined by their foiTner victorious com- ; 
 mander ; and the hopes of the soldiers an- 1 
 ticipated the glories of a second Jemappe. « 
 The Austrians attacked and carried Tirle- I 
 mont on the 15th of March ; but were driven | 
 out by Dumouriez on the following day. On > 
 the 18th, a general engagement took place at ; 
 Neerwinden ; the French anny being covered » 
 on the left by Dormael, and on the right by I 
 Landen. The ac^tion was maintained with J 
 g^eat obstinacy on both sides, from seven in j 
 the morning till five ip the evening, when j 
 the French gave way, ai.d for some time J 
 retreated in tolerable order ; but the Austrian } 
 
 cavalry coming up, put them entirely to the- 
 rout. The French fought with great bravery, 
 but were overpowered by numbers, and the 
 battle was gained by the Austrians, under, 
 tlie prince de Cobourg and general Clairfait; 
 at the expence of 1400 men. It proved very-, 
 disastrous to the republicans, as 6000 of their 
 troops immediately deserted and proceeded 
 towards France. The French continued ta 
 skirmish till they reached Godseniioven,< 
 about a league south of Tirlemont, where 
 they formed in order of battle, and the hostile 
 troops rested all night upon their arms, in the 
 face of each other. On the 19th, little or 
 nothing was attempted ; on the night of the 
 20th, Dumouriez took possession of the 
 heights of Cumtich, behind Tirlemont, from 
 whence he had time to withdraw his maga- 
 zines ; and on the following day he passed 
 the Welpe, and encamped near Bantersem, 
 having his right at Op and Neerwelpe, and 
 his left on the heights and in the woods in 
 front of Zuellenberg, where he was attacked 
 by the Austrian advanced guard, which he 
 repulsed. During this aflair, Danton and la 
 Croix arrived in th"e camp as commissioners 
 from tl e convention ; and, after receiving 
 from U,amounez some explanation respecting 
 a letter which he had written on the afiairs 
 of Belgium, they returned. 
 
 On the 22nd, Dumovuiez approacted 
 nearer Louvain, and posted himself between 
 Tirlemont and that city. He was attacked 
 on the following day, when an obstinate and 
 bloody engagement took place : — it lasted 
 the whole day, and ended with tlse defeat of 
 the imperialists, who retreated with great 
 loss ; but this victory Avas attended with 
 little or no advantage to the Frencii ; and in 
 the evening, the general sent colonel Montjoye 
 io the head quarters of the prince de Cobourg, 
 to treat respecting the woiuided and pi'isoners. 
 Tlie French ofticer conferred with colonel 
 Mack, (the hero of Ulm !) and a kind of sus- 
 pension of arms was agn-ed to ; Mack wailed 
 on Dumouriez the following night, wlien 
 private anangenients were made, which the 
 subsequent conduct of the French command- 
 er will sufficiently develope. 
 
 Notwithstanding the suspension of arms, 
 Dumouriez was attacked the next day by 
 general Clairfait, who had not been infonned 
 of the stipulations, and was forced to abandon 
 Louvain, and to retreat during the night
 
 CHAP, xxxyii] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 48o 
 
 toM'aids Brussels. He then funned near 
 Vilvorde, Avlieie he remained some days 
 without heinc: interrupted l)y tlie enemy. lie 
 passed ilnouoh Brussels witii his army on the 
 Viotli, and two days afterwards arrived at 
 Ath. He sent orders to jreneral d'Har\ ille to 
 evacuate the citadel of INamur ; and on the 
 same day Mack reached Ath, when a further 
 ao-reement was entered into. It was arranjjed 
 that the French should remain for some time 
 at Mons, Tournay, and Courtray ; that gene- 
 ral Duniouriez, who had communicated his ) 
 design of marching- to Paris, should direct, as 5 
 occasion might require, the motions of the j 
 imperial troops, who were to act merely as ; 
 auxiliaries, and, in case he should not want $ 
 their assistance, they were to remain on the » 
 frontiers. But the evacviation of Belgium by $ 
 the French was expressly stipulated ; and » 
 general Duniouriez was to be supplied with j 
 any number of Austrian troops he might \ 
 tiiuik proper, if he found himself unable to i 
 effect a counter-revolution without their » 
 assistance. | 
 
 DuMOURiEZ departed for Tournay ; and on j 
 the following day, (the 29th) several deputies ; 
 arrived at tlie same place, who came with $ 
 despatches from the minister, Le Brun, and \ 
 pretended to have certain conimimicalions to i 
 make relative to the aflairs of Belgium. The i 
 treachery of Duniouriez had become suspect- < 
 ed at Paris ; and these men appear to have ; 
 been sent merely to sound him, and ascertain « 
 the truth ; they were succeeded by four ; 
 commissioners directed to suspend him, \ 
 Camus, Blaucal, La Marque, and Quinette, ; 
 accompanied by general Bournonville, ap- 5 
 pointed to supersede him in the command. \ 
 As the commissioners were aware of the I 
 danger of arresting Dumouriez, they wished 
 to proceed with caution : they accordingly 
 halted at Lisle, and despatched a suunnons 
 for the general to appear in that city, niul 
 answer the charges to be preferred against 
 him. He re])lied, that the army required his 
 presence ; that he could not for a moment 
 abandon it ; that if the commissioners would 
 proceed to him, he would answer them with 
 his usual frankness; but that if they did not 
 choose to continue their route, he would 
 present himself before them as soon as he had 
 secured his retreat into the French territory. 
 At Uie same time he remarked, that he ^^ouid 
 act enter Lisle, but with his army, in order 
 
 to punish the poltroons, who, forgetful of 
 their own cowardice, employed themselves 
 in calunmiating the brave defendei-s of their 
 country. 
 
 On the 29th of March, Dumouriez lean>ed 
 that Antwerp had been abandoned by the 
 troops which he had stationed there ; and 
 that they had effected their escape to the 
 French territories. On the following day, he 
 quitted the caiiij) at Tom-nay, and proceeded 
 to occupy that of Maulde; and sent orders, 
 in the mean time, through the medium of 
 colonel Mack, to the garrisons of Breda and 
 Gertruydenburg, to capitulate, on condition 
 of being allowed to march back to France. 
 He ordered general Miaczinski, who was 
 with his division at Orchies, to march to 
 Lisle, and arrest the commissioners sen& by 
 the convention. This circumstance, by some 
 means, became known to the commissioners ; 
 and they persuadetl Miaczinski to enter the 
 city with a trifling escort, when the gates , 
 weie instantly shut — he was arrested, sent to 
 Paris, and decapitated. 
 
 Dumouriez had fcfi'med a plan for seizmg 
 Conde and Valenciennes ; but the patriotism 
 of generals Fenaud and Ecuyer penetrated 
 the real design, and rendered the attempt 
 abortive. The commissioners from the con- 
 vention must have been perfectly aware o{ 
 Dumouriez's intention to arrest them, but 
 detennined to proceed as far as possible in 
 the execution of their orders ; and as Du- 
 mouriez had established his head-quarters at 
 St. Armand, they proceeded thither on the 
 2nd of April, and obtained an interview. 
 After a conference of some hours, during 
 which much violent language was used, 
 Camus pronounced the suspension of the 
 general. At this moment a signal was given, 
 and a body of hussars entered, who. were 
 ordered to convey the four commissioners, as 
 Mell as Bournonville, to the head-quarters of 
 general Clairfait, to be considered as hostages 
 for the safety of the king and royal famity. 
 The next morning, Dumouriez went to the 
 camp, and addressed the troops, who ap- 
 proved of the seizure of the commissioners, 
 but positively rejected his proposal of desert- 
 ing to the enemy. He immediately perceired 
 that the officers were disaffected to his cause, 
 and the murmurs which were heard along the 
 line 5ufliciently disclosed the disposition of 
 his troops. Sensible of the danger by which
 
 ASG 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. XXXVU. 
 
 he was assailed, he decamped suddenly with 
 about 700 men, accompanied by the duke de 
 Gliartre^s and colonel Thouvenot, and pro- 
 ceeded lo the liead-quarters of colonel Muck, 
 the commander of the Austrian army, who 
 escorted him to Mons. He was appointed to 
 a commission ia the imperial army ; but the 
 reproach which attaches itself to treachery, 
 even under the most favourable circumstances, 
 still adhered to his character ; he was re- 
 garded with suspicion, and soon sunk into 
 insignificance. 
 
 Mh£n Dampierre assumed the command 
 oftheai-my, he found it so disorganized as 
 to require all his eflbrts for the re-establish- 
 ment of discipline. He then attacked the 
 advanced posts of the allies, but met with 
 a severe check, which did not deter him from 
 assaulting a formidable line of posts from the 
 Scheldt to the abbey of Vicogne, and St. Ar- 
 ijiand. Knobelsdorf, the Prussian general, hav- 
 ing weakened his army by detaching a conside- 
 rable corps to support the harassed Austrians 
 near the abbey, the duke of York seasonably 
 advajiced to assist him, with some brave and 
 well-disciplined battalions. The Coldstream 
 regiment distinguished itself on this occasion, 
 and eminently contributed to check the ad- 
 vance of the enemy. At the abbey, the 
 combat was prolonged till the close of day, 
 and the Austrians under Clairfait firmly 
 maintained their ground. Two days after- 
 ward, that general and his Prussian associate 
 attacked with success the batteries, which 
 had been recently erected along their front, 
 and the republicans fell back on Orchies. 
 
 In the battle of Vicogne, Dampierre was \ 
 shot in one of his thighs, and died of the | 
 wound ; and 3-500 of his countrymen, but 
 fiot more than 1500 of the allies, lost their 
 lives or were wounded. Custine was now 
 ordered to act in the Netherlands. That 
 commandei' had made a bold attack on the 
 posts near the Rhine, iu the hope of relieving 
 Mentz ; but he was repelled with considera- 
 ble loss. He had not yet joined the army on 
 the French frontiers, when the prince of 
 Saxe-Cobourg and the duke of York com- 
 BQanded four columns to advance against the 
 C(imp of Famars, which served lo protect the 
 town of Valenciennes. One of these divisions 
 inarched towanls the entrenchments, which 
 had been formed upon the right bank of the 
 , RoueUe,, and forceU them by a vigorous 
 
 assault. Other posts were aUacked (May 
 the -i^rd) with equal spirit ; and ail parts of 
 the line were stormed, except a strong redoubt, 
 which the enemy evacuated on the ensuing 
 night. On this occasion, Clairfaits corps 
 sustained greater loss than the other divisions 
 of the allies ; but the French sufiered still 
 more than their opponents. 
 
 The arbitrary rulers of France menaced 
 Custine with exemplary vengeance, if he 
 should sutler Valenciennes to be taken ; but 
 he could not prevent the gradual approaches 
 or the ultimate success of the besiegers. The 
 place was invested with the forms prescribed 
 by old engineers ; and all the out-w orks were 
 at length taken. The governor, Ferraud, 
 then capitulated, and very reluctantly con 
 sented that the garrison should become 
 prisoners of war. The siege was not pro- 
 longed beyond the seventh week ; but Cond6 
 was blockaded for a quarter of a year before 
 it was reduced. The conquest of these 
 important toAvns elevated the hopes of the 
 confederates, the most sanguine of whom 
 seemed to think that the way to Paris would 
 soon be open. The French were alarmed at 
 the apparent danger; but they did not 
 sink into the apathy of despair. Custine 
 was put to death for imputed negligence ; 
 and the terrors of the guillotine were dis- 
 played as incentives to patriotism. 
 
 The French having retired to a strong 
 camp in the vicinity of Cambray, covered bv 
 the Scheldt, and by the wood and fortified 
 heights of Bourlon, the duJce of York led a 
 body of the allies tow ard that post ; and, 
 with little difficulty, an abandonment of tne 
 station was enforced. Instead of a waim 
 pursuit of the retreating enemy, the Austrian 
 and British commanders now agreed to a 
 division of that force, which, when united, 
 seemed irresistible. The army of the em- 
 peror, in whose name the late conquests were 
 made, marched to undertake the siege of Le 
 Quesnoi ; while the English and Dutch 
 directed their course, by the way of Menin, 
 to Dunkirk, which had long been a thorn ia 
 the side of Britain. This impolitic attention 
 to separate interest's, greatly injured the 
 common cause. 
 
 During the siege of Valenciennes, that of 
 Mentz was prosecuted by the king of Prussia, 
 who, when he retook the place, only bound 
 the garrison not to act (ov one year against
 
 (JlIAP. XXXVII.] GEORGE III. 4S7 
 
 Liin or his !>elli;>erent associates. In the* kirk. Tliis ])ort hiis ever been, in time of 
 mean lime, the piessure of the confederates, i Mar, a very j^rcat receptacle for privateers, 
 and the supposed nature of their desij^ns, > and extremely troublesome to the English 
 cherished tiie ferocious tyranny of liohes- I trade in its approach to the Downs. The 
 l)ieiTe. Not to he controlled by foreign ; British cabinet, tin-refore, as well as the 
 powers, was the fir.st wish of every French- ; conimandtr-in-chiel', v. ere eager to wrest from 
 man ; and Robespierre, with a sagacity I the enemy such means of annoyance. Sepa- 
 and energy worthy of a better cause, ob- < rating from the allies, his royal highness 
 tained a decree for a general rising of the j marched towards Dunkirk, and on the 18th 
 people. A forced loan placed the property j of August he reached Menin. The Dutch, 
 of all men at the disposal of the government ; j under the hereditary prince of Orange, attack- 
 1,200,000 men were marched out to meet the \ ed a French post at Lincelles, in that neigh- 
 enemy, and vehicles were contiived for con- | bourhood, and were repulsed ; but the 
 veying the soldiers and cannon with unexam- \ Bntish trooi)s, though very inferior in force, 
 pled rapidity. Inunense bodies were des- 1 carried tlio post with hxed bayonets, and 
 patched to subdue the insurgents of La ; defeated the enemy. The French, no longer 
 Vendee ; Marseilles yielded, after a short j venturing to obstriict his advances, on the 
 resistance, to the revolutionai-y arms, and j 22nd his royal highness arrived before Dun- 
 Lyons surrendered, after a more protracted ; kirk. On the 24th of he attacked the French 
 struggle. The wretched inhabitants of the ; out-posts, and compelled them to take refuge 
 latter city, too numerous for the operation of | within the town. In this engagement, how- 
 the guillotine, were driven in large bodies, i ever, he incurred some loss both in men and 
 with the most brutal and blasphemous cere- 1 officers, aiul among the latter the Aiistrian 
 monies, into the Rhone, or assembled in the | general, Dalton, so distinguished during the 
 squares, and mindered by the fire of artillery. « revolt of the Netherlands from the emperor 
 While the French, rising in a mass, \ Joseph. On the 28th of August, the siege 
 crushed revolt and expelled foreign enemies % was regularly commenced by the duke of 
 in the south, their gigantic eflbrts effected in ; York, while general Freytag, with an army 
 the north a momentous change in the events ; of auxiliaries, was posted to cover the be- 
 ef the campaign. After the reduction of > siegers. A considerable naval annament 
 Valenciennes, the French Mere compelled to 5 froir. Great Britain, intended to co-operate 
 abandon a very strong position, which Cus- ! with a military force, by some unaccountable 
 tine occupied, behind the Scheldt, denomi- 1 delay, did not arrive so soon as was appointed 
 nated Ca'sar's camp. A council of war was ; and expected. His royal highness, never- 
 now held by tiie allies, to consider the most i theless, carried on the siege with great vigour 
 eflectual plans of pursuing their successes, j and skill. Meanwhile the republican troops, 
 Generals Cobourg and Clairfait proposed, ; commanded l)y general Houchaid, jjoured 
 while the Frencli were under an alarm from » from all quarters in an enormous mass. 
 the disasters in the Netherlands, to penetrate ; Attacking the army of Freytag, on the Tfh 
 towards Paris, while a force should be sent, ; of September, after several severe actions, in 
 imder cover of tlie British fleets, to co-operate 5 which the Germans made a most vigorou.s 
 ■with the loyalists in Britany ; the duke of i resistance, tlie French at last over])Owered 
 York was of opinion, that it would be much > them by numbers, defeated them, and corn- 
 more advisable to extend their conquests > pelled Ihem to make a precipitate retreat. In 
 upon the frontiers. He proposed that the i Ihis rout Freytag himscJf, and prince Adol- 
 army should divide ; that he, at the head of; phus of England, youngest son of his Britan- 
 his countrymc'n, and the Dutch and Hano- ; nic majesty, were taken pnsoners, but in a 
 verians, should attack the eneniv on the side > short time rescued. The duke of York, from 
 of West Flanders, while the allies continued ; the defeat of the coveting army, found it 
 their operations in the Eastern Netherlands. I necessary to raise the siege. Before he had 
 It was concerted, that the allies should J departed, the garrison, inlbrmed of llou- 
 besiege Quesnoi ; and that the duke of York, i chard's success, made a sally, in which they 
 Tnarching to the coast, where he could receive j were repulsed with great loss; while the 
 maritime co-operation, should invest Dun- > besiegers suflered considerably, and, among
 
 488 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXVIf. 
 
 other oflicers, were deprived of the celebrated 
 eijgineor, colonel Moucrief, who was kiUed 
 by a cannon-ball. liouchard now attacked 
 a .second time all that remained of the cover- 
 ing army, gained a complete and decisive 
 victory, and with his daily increasing mass 
 hastened against the duke of York. The 
 British commander found it absolutely neces- 
 sary to withdraw from Dunkirk, to prevent 
 liis gallant band from being totally over- 
 powered by such an intinite number of ene- 
 mies. The unavoidable hurry of his retreat 
 con)pelled our prince to leave his heavy 
 artillery, and a great quantity of ammunition, 
 ■which fell into the hands of the enemy. The 
 military chest was preserved by being hastily 
 put on board a frigate. 
 
 The miscarriage of this enterprise produced 
 great censure, among those who judge of 
 plans by events ; but, at the time that the 
 enterprise was concerted, there were reason- 
 able hopes of success ; and the attainment of 
 the object would have been extremely advan- 
 tageous to Britain. The delay of the gun- 
 boats and artillery must certainly have retard- 
 ed the execution of the design ; but the linal 
 disappointment -was owing to causes which 
 no man, judging from military experience, 
 could have possibly anticipated. The new 
 French expedient, of arming in mass, had not 
 yet been known to the allies ; and the rapitl 
 means of bringing forward the ti-oops were 
 no less extraordinary than astonishing. The 
 prodigious hordes thus carried to the scene 
 of warfare must have discomfited the British 
 project, however wise the undertaking, well- 
 concerted the plan, seasonable and efficient 
 the preparations. Ends were to be sought, 
 and njeans to be employed, according to 
 probabilities, founded on the experience that 
 then existed. From so unprecedented a 
 collection of armed multitudes, escape, with- 
 out very considerable loss, was a great 
 achievement ; so great, indeed, that the 
 enemy considered it impracticable : they 
 apprehended that, if general Bouchard had 
 discharged his duty, he might have effectually 
 cut off the British retreat. Under this im- 
 pression the French general was afterwards 
 denounced, and sufltred by the sentence of 
 the revolutionary tribunal. 
 
 While the duke of York was engaged 
 before Dunkirk, the allies invested Cambray, 
 Bouchain, and Quesnoi \ the two former they 
 
 found impracticable ; of the latter they ob- 
 tained jjossession. Prince Cobourg having 
 repulsed a detachment sent to the relief of 
 Quesnoi, the fortress surrendered to general 
 Clairfait on the 11th of September. Soon 
 after this capture the duke of York rejoined 
 the confederates. The French army in the 
 north, after raising the siege of Dunkirk, 
 took a strong position in the neighbourhood 
 of Maubeuge, where they were immediately 
 blockaded by the whole united force of the 
 allies, collected under prince Cobourg. The 
 republican armies, after the accusation of 
 Honchaid, were entrusted to the command 
 of Jourdan, who, having formerly served in 
 the French army in an humble rank, and 
 having afterwards become a shopkeeper in a 
 petty village, but had again resumed the 
 military profession, was l)y the French go- 
 vernment deemed worthy of the supreme 
 comiriand ; and, as the allies experienced, 
 did signal honour to the penetration of his 
 employers. Jourdan, on the 1.5th and Itlth 
 of October, attacked prince Cobourg with 
 such numbers, vigour, and eflect, as to com- 
 pel him to abandon his position, and repass 
 the Sanibre. The French general, now freed 
 from blockade, was at liberty to commence 
 offensive operations. Detachments were 
 accordingly sent to make inroads into mari- 
 time Flanders. They took possession of 
 Werwick and Menin, from whence they 
 advanced to Furnes ; they proceeded to 
 Nieuport, wiiich they besieged and greatly da- 
 maged ; but the place was saved by having re- 
 covuse to inundation. It was some time before 
 the allied forces were able to stop the progress 
 of the republicans, and their generals even 
 trembled for the fate of Ostend. A conside- 
 rable armament from England, being, at that 
 time, however, preparing for the West Indies, 
 under sir Charles Grey, their destination wa« 
 altered ; and, by arriving at this fortunate 
 moment at Ostend, saved the Low Countries, 
 for the present campaign. 
 
 On the Rhine, after the capture of Menta, 
 a number of petty actions took place, in 
 which the French were generally successful ; 
 but no event of importance ensued. During 
 the month of September, the duke of Bruns- 
 wick gai:ied several advantages, and the 
 allies invested Landau, the siege of which 
 occupied the remainder of the campaign. A 
 J French army, comuiaiided by general Lati-
 
 CHAP. XXXVII.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 489 
 
 dremont, strongly posted on the f^a liter, 
 covered and protected this iiiiportaiit fortress. 
 On the 14tli of Octoher, i::eiieral Wurniser 
 forced the strong lines of the enemy; and 
 Liuitreburg surrendered at discretion, after 
 being evacuated by tlie repubhcans. The 
 town of Weisseniburg made a long resistance ; 
 part of it, liowever, was unfortunately burnt, 
 and the French, before tliey retreated, set 
 tire to their magazines within the walls, as 
 well as those at Alstade. The French, not 
 disheartened at these losses, made repeated 
 attacks on the enemy's lines ; and at last 
 were so successful, that the duke of Bruns- 
 wick deemed it expedient to raise the siege 
 of Landau, and retire into winter-rpiarters. 
 The armies of the Netherlands finished the 
 campaign al)Out the same time. 
 
 On the 10th of August, lord Hood, who 
 had been despatched with a powerful fleet 
 from England, appeared ofl" Marseilles, which 
 had surrendered before his arrival. He 
 tlierefore repaired to Toulon, where he was 
 reinforced by a Spanish squadron, under 
 rear-admiral Gravina, and was joined by 
 Langara, the commander-in-chief of the 
 Spanish fleet. Immediately on appearing 
 before the port, he transmitted to the consti- 
 tuted authorities of the town a note, in which 
 he assured them, that if an explicit declaration 
 were made in favour of monarchy, if the 
 standard of royalty were hoisted, and the 
 port and forts placed at his disposal, the 
 inhabitants should sustain no injury, and all 
 the ships and forfs should be restored to 
 France, at the conclusion of peace. They 
 acquiesced in these j)roposals, and the arse- 
 nals, the forts, and the ships were suiren- 
 dered. A great proportion of the people, and 
 even the galley-slaves, were averse to these 
 measures ; and Monsieur St. Julien endea- 
 voured to counteract the conciliatory pro- 
 ceedings of his colleague, admiral Trogof, 
 exerting the officers and crews of one division 
 of the squadron, to resist the entrance of the 
 English lleet. The exertions of Trogof, 
 however, restored the crews to order, and 
 l-'iOO men from the English lleet immediately 
 took possession of fort Malgue. The French 
 ships were warped into the inner road, ac- 
 cording to agreement ; the combined squad- 
 rons anchored in the outer road ; and 1000 
 Spaniards were sent on shore to strengthen 
 the English garrison. 
 
 3 R 
 
 Immediately subsequent to the sun-ender 
 of Marseilles, Carteaux directed his march 
 to Toulon, his army being augmented by a 
 levy-en-masse of the southern |novinces. In 
 his progress, a portion of his force was de- 
 feated at OUioules, by a part of the garrison, 
 under sir George Keith Elphinstone. Aix 
 and Lyons had been, in the mean time, re- 
 duced with dreadful slaughter, general Dago- 
 bert having arrived at Toulon to co-operate 
 with Carteaux, the town was besieged by 
 their united army amounting to 20,000 men, 
 double the number of the garrison. Several 
 sorties were made, with considerable effect, 
 to destroy the works erected by the besiegers. 
 But in the last of these, which was attempted 
 with a view to seize the important post of 
 Mall)ousquet, the British troops were carried 
 too far by their ardour in pursuit of the 
 retreating enemy, and were driven fiom the 
 batteries which they had gained. General 
 0"Hara, as he was rallying his men, was 
 wounded and taken prisoner ; and the for- 
 tress, being found no longer tenable against 
 such a superiority of force, the allied com- 
 manders set fire to the shipping and evacu- 
 ated the post. On the 19th of December, 
 the town and part of the shipping were set 
 on fire in different places by the allies, and 
 the positions which they evacuated were 
 occupied next morning by the republicans. 
 The deplorable situation in which the iniiabi- 
 tants were left by the flight and desertion of 
 the allies, aflbrded a decisive and melancholy 
 proof of the cruelty and impolicy of this 
 expedition. When the inhabitants perceived 
 that they were left to their fate, they repaired 
 in multitudes to the shores, and appealed 
 to that protection which they had expected 
 to receive from the generosity and hnnoitr of 
 the British commanders, and whieli had 
 been promised under the most solemn and 
 deliberate sanctions. A few AVfie conveyed 
 to the ships ; but it was found that numbers 
 must be left behind, to suiler the persecution 
 and the tortures which would be inliicted 
 upon them by their countrymen. Many of 
 (he despaiiing supplicants were beheld, as 
 they stood on the beach, to perpetrate the 
 crime of suicide, and others threw themselves 
 into the Mater, endeavouring to reach ti'<-~ 
 British vessels. But if the land exhibite^i an 
 aM fid and distressing scene of despair and 
 conHasiration, the spectacle ou board was, 
 31
 
 490 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XXXVII. 
 
 if possible, still more dreadful. The ships I declared to have forfeited the protection of 
 were filled with a motley group of all descrip- \ the law. 
 
 tions, men, women, and children, old and 5 The expulsion of the English, and the sur- 
 young, of various nations. The groans of | render of the arsenal, must be chiefly ascribed 
 the wounded and the dying patients from the j to the skilful direction of the French artillery, 
 various hospitals, the mournful exclamations i which was committed to the superintendence 
 and despairing cries of multitudes for their \ of Napoleon Buonaparte, a Corsican, who 
 
 parents, wives, husbands, and children, who 
 had been left on shore, and the frantic ges- 
 tures and melancholy countenances of those 
 who had been reduced by the late events 
 from the highest affluence to the most de- 
 j)lorable poverty, presented a combination of 
 misery, anguish, and despair, disgraceful to 
 the government which, in the pursuit of a 
 minor object of policy, had thus endangered 
 the happiness of thousands, and multiplied 
 the sources of guilt, misfortune, and distress. 
 The British found 31 ships of the line at 
 Toulon, of Avhich 1.3 were left behind, nine 
 burnt in the harboiu", and one at Leghorn, 
 besides four more, which lord Hood had sent 
 to Rochfort and Brest, vith 500 seamen 
 belonging to France, as he labomed under 
 considerable apprehension that it would be 
 dangerous to confide in them. Great Britain, i services to Mi 
 therefore, acquired by this sanguinary and | were refused. 
 
 expensive expedition to Toulon, no more than 
 three ships of the line and five frigates. The 
 French took from the allies 100 pieces of 
 cannon, vast quantities of forage, and every 
 other species of provision. Rear-admiral 
 Trogof, on board the Commerce de Mar- 
 seilles, with the Puissant and Pompee, two 
 other ships of the line, and the Pearl, Are- 
 thusa, and Topaz frigates, with several coi'- 
 vettes, formed part of the English fleet, 
 which, nnder the command of lord Hood, 
 proceeded to Hieres Bay, and soon after 
 landed the men, women, and children, by 
 which his decks were surrounded. 
 
 Thus, after a siege of three months, and 
 an incessant assaiilt of five successive days 
 and nights, Toulon was restored to France. 
 The most cruel punishments were inflicted on 
 the loyalists, and the conquerors sullied their 
 victory, and disgraced themselves by a 
 terrible and indiscriniinaite carnage. Work- 
 men were invited from all the neighbour- 
 ing departments to destroy (Jie principal 
 ^•ouses ; the jjopnlation was visibly decreased 
 by daily butchery ; the name of Port de 
 la Montague was "substituted by a decree for 
 that of Toulon, and the citizens were 
 
 ad lately been distinguished by the patronage 
 of Barras. He was the rej)uted son of 
 Charles Buonaparte, an attorney of Ajaccio, 
 and of his wife La-titia Raniolini, afterwards 
 mistress of coinit Marboeuf, through whose 
 interest she obtained for her husband the 
 office of solicitor-general for the island of 
 Corsica. Marbcruf, whose claims to regard 
 him with paternal affection were by no means 
 equivocal, obtained for the young Napoleon 
 admission to a provincial school in France, 
 and afterwards removed him to a military 
 school at Paris. He entered the service as 
 lieutenant of artillery, and soon after returned 
 to Corsica, where general Paoli appointed 
 him successively captain and colonel of the 
 national guards. On the reduction of Cor- 
 sica by the English, Buonaparte profl'ered his 
 . Elliot, the viceroy, but they 
 In consequence oi' this dis- 
 apj)ointment, he removed to France, with hi.s 
 mother and the rest of his family, and resided 
 for some time in obscurity near Toulon. On 
 the capture of that port by the English, 
 Salicetti reconnnended him to Barras, the 
 acting commissaiT. After having contributed 
 to the expulision of the confederates, he was 
 entrusted A\ith the punishment of the inhabi- 
 tants, and exhibited, in the execution of his 
 ! sanguinary office, the same ferocity of temper, 
 the same insensibility to the sympathies of 
 human nature, and the same determined and 
 ingenious malignity, which marked his con- 
 duct on more important occasions, and in 
 situations more open to public scrutiny. 
 
 At the close of the year 1793, the faction 
 of Robespierre was indisputably triumphant, 
 the system of terror was solidly established, 
 and the government of France was become a 
 government of blood, to be sustained l)y the 
 terrors of the guillotine. While the emissaries 
 of the convention at Lyons, under the super- 
 intendence of Collet and Fouche, prosecuted 
 the work of demolition and massacre, the 
 dreadful engine of decapitation was fully 
 •'mployed at Paris. Custine, Houchard, and 
 other able generals, who had signalized
 
 CHAP. XXXVII.J GEORGE III 491 
 
 themselves in the cau.se of liberty, previous ; The maritime opertitions of the year 1793, 
 to the asceiitlaucy of the faction of Robes- | were too trivial to excite eveu the nionientary 
 pierre, were tried', coiuleuiiied, an.l executed, | interest of tlie rival nations ; yet the British 
 for treasonable practices. Tlie same punish- I commanders in the West Indies were equally 
 ment was intlicted on Baiilie, mayor of Paris, J alert and successful in availing themselves 
 at the commencement of the revolution; and i of the unprepared state of the enemy in that 
 that virtuous, inteilijicnt, and humane indi- j quarter of the globe. Admiral La Foray 
 vidual, whose only crime v\as his attachment ; sailina,- with the squadron, which he com- 
 to the cause of sienuine and rational liberty, : manded on the Barbadoes station, and a 
 was brouo-ht to the block at the same time ; body of land-forces under general Cuyler, 
 with the duke of Orleans, whose crimes had ! made an easy conquest of the island of To- 
 destined him to eternal infamy. I l>ago, after a desperate conllict with the 
 The afflictions of the unhappy Marie I troops, which the commandant opposed to 
 Antoinette were now approaching to a close, i the attack. The islands of St. Pierre and 
 and, in common with the most worthy and ; INliquelon soon after surrendered to the 
 most faithful of her subjects, she was con- ! British arms ; and before the close of the 
 demned to feel the fatal and decisive stroke of; campaign, the French part of St. Domingo, 
 the guillotine. That no circumstance might ; where many of the most respectable inhabi- 
 be wanting which could render her existence ; tants were well-affected to Great Britain, was 
 more wretched, she was conveyed from the i ceded to general Williamson, governor of 
 Temple to the Conciergerie prison, and con- i Jamaica, who sailed with a small force from 
 fiued to a dungeon, eight feet square, where j that island, to take possession of the terri- 
 she was fsubjected to the most unmanly j tory. The successes of the British arms iu 
 insults, and the most severe privations. On | the East Indies were more important. As 
 the motion of Billand de Varennes, a criminal j soon as intelligence arrived at Madras, that 
 process was instituted against the " widow of; war was declared by the French republic 
 Lewis Capet.' She was accused of having 5 against Great Britain and Holland, the earl 
 sent immense sums of money to Vienna, of ; of Cornwallis instantly prepared for an attack 
 having disclosed to the enemies of the repub- > upon Pondicherry. The event answered his 
 lie the views and schemes of the government, I most sanguine expectations. The foitress 
 and having excited intestine war in France, i surrendered to a body of forces under colonel 
 Being tried by an arbitrary tribunal, and a ; Braithwaite, before the general arrived to 
 prejudiced jury, she was pronounced guilty i take the command of the besiegers, and its 
 of every jKut of the charge. She heard the j reduction was followed by that of the smaller 
 sentence without the least discomposure, and ; forts and settlements belonging to the pos- 
 retired from the court in dignified silence. In « sessions of France in the East Indies, 
 her way to the place of execution, to which 5 Ox the 2J)th of October, a declaration was 
 she was conveyed in a common cart, with her | presented to the world, vindicating the exer- 
 hands tied behind her, she appeared wholly \ cise of external force, for the establishment 
 unmoved by the brutal shouts of the people ; ; of order in France, as essential to the security 
 and when she reached the scaffold, she i and repose of other powers, recommending 
 seemed eager to resign a life which she could > an hereditary monarchy, yet not insisting on 
 not preserve. She had not completed her ; the exclusion of any other form of govern- 
 30th year ; but her sutl'erings had given to j ment, which might prove compatible with the 
 her countenance and form the appearance ; peace and safety of Europe, 
 of more advanced age. While her enemies | The events of the late campaign, and the 
 gratified their malice to its utmost extent, 5 occurrences in the interior of France, ini 
 they conferred on the queen, by her public | pressed the surrounding nations with mingled 
 execution the most valuable boon which she I feelings of execration and alarm. Yet such 
 was capable of receiving — that of acquiring i was the ardent desire of change among the 
 the respect of posterity by the magnanimity $ people of Great Britain, that the pretended 
 with which she bore her complicated afflic- ; or mistaken advocates of liberty were not 
 tions, and the fortitude with which she sub- | ashamed to celebrate ibe successes of the 
 luitted to the stroke of death. 5 French republicans. By this behaviour they 
 
 3 R 2,
 
 492 
 
 HISTORY OF EXGLAND. 
 
 fciiAP. xxxvn. 
 
 furnished their antagonist'^, the opponents of 
 every kind of reform, witii the strongest argu- 
 ments for a firm resistance to their M'ishes, 
 and for an extension of the prerogative, which 
 would have been regarded as unjust and 
 oppressive under any other circumstances. 
 Tiie passions of men were more and more 
 exasperated ; each party accused its anta- 
 gonist of acting contrary to the principles of 
 th^ constitution, and the national welfare ; 
 and the voice of faction was heard in the 
 odious epithets, so grossly and so pertina- 
 ciously applied to the supporters of legiti- 
 mate government and social order. 
 
 The errors of both the opposing parties 
 were so flagrant and conspicuous, that the 
 opinion of the country was divided between 
 alarm at the encroachments of the ministers 
 on the liberty of the subject, and indignation 
 at the democratic violence of the leaders 
 of opposition. The principles of Mr. Pitt 
 were worthy of his country and of his de- 
 scent, but his practical application of those 
 principles was more remarkable for activity 
 than judgment : for hasty decision "and un- 
 
 necessary display, than for correctness, cir- 
 cumspection, or useful and energetic prepa- 
 ration. To attempt a great variety of minor 
 objects, while some important enterjirise, 
 which might have decided the issue of tiie 
 campaign, or the fate of Europe, was neg- 
 lected or postponed, was the usual character 
 of his policy. He supported a just and 
 sacred cause, but supported it unskilfully. 
 Nor were his domestic plans more successful 
 than his foreign negotiations. He exaspe- 
 rated those whom the slightest condescen- 
 sion Mould have tended to conciliate, and 
 provoked, by the loftiness of his tone and 
 the asperity of his manner, the unrestrained 
 and indignant animadversion of his most 
 gentle and most candid opponents. Hi.s 
 theory was good, but his practice was un- 
 fortunate ; and he will always be regarded, 
 by the judicious observer of past events, as 
 a minister whose general views were worthy 
 of the highest genius, but whose measures 
 in detail were futile, extravagant, and gene- 
 rally abortive. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 VIIF. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1794.] 
 
 Elfects of the Expedition tinder Lord Moira — Conduct of the Duke of Portland — Debates 
 ' on the policy of the War, and on the munagcnicnt of the Navy — Trial and Condemnation 
 oj Messrs. Muir and Palmer. 
 
 THE year had closed with an exhibition 
 not less advantageous to the French 
 republic, than disgraceiul and detrimental to 
 Great Britain. Tlie abandonment of lord 
 Moiras expedition to succour the royalists in 
 the interior of France, had given the French 
 
 convention the idea and opportunity of 
 crushing the remaining force of that parly in 
 France, by the means of Avhich alone a 
 counter-revolution coidd have been efierted, 
 had such a prQ,)ect been ever seriously in- 
 tended by ministers. At the very time that
 
 CHAP. XXXVIIIJ GEORGE III. 4;>3 
 
 it was believed, or pretended to he believed, \ which ejave occasion to the observation ol 
 that the royalists were to ap|)ear in full Ibrre, % Maland, who reported the captures to the 
 upon the northern coast of Brittany, to cover ; convention, that, " In truth it seems as if 
 and protect the landipf^- of our men, the I the English were d«tcrniined to pay the 
 executive power of France knew that tlirir ; whole e.vpences of the war." The ahandon- 
 inain force commanded a. part of the sonthein ; ment of the lines of Weissendjourg, the raisin;^' 
 coast of Brittany, by possessing- the island of 5 of the siege of Landau, and the crossing of 
 Noirmoutier. Here they attacked the royalists, 5 the Rhine by the condjined armies, produce/l 
 and totally defeated them ; they killed above ; a most important change of alfairs in favour 
 500, and 1200 of them threw down their arms < of the French ; in consequence of which, the 
 and sxu'rendered at discretion. The con- 1 Austrian general Wurraser was removed from 
 querors gained by this victory above 30 5 his command by the court of Vienna ; and 
 pieces of cannon, and 8000 muskets. From j the duke of Brunswick resigned the command 
 the difl'erent accounts of this expedition I of the Prussian army, in which he was .snc- 
 against the island of Noirmoutier, it does not | ceeded by general MoUendorf. It is notorious 
 appear that the royalists made that vigorous | that the duke of Brunswick on this occajioii 
 stand against the republicans which their ; difiered from all the Austrian generals, and 
 desperate situation required. Tliey made | loudly protested against the disgraceful 
 but a slight resistance ; and the republican > measures of retiring without risking a battle, 
 reports assure us, that though the town be I A general engagement took jilace, which 
 remarkably well-situated for defence, the i proved unsuccessful. Upon this, as upon 
 royalists surrendered at discretion, even \ most occasions of a similar nature, tlie nn's- 
 belbre the enemy came within reach of their | fortune was reciprocally cast upon the com- 
 batteries. The island of Noirmoutier, which I manders of the different powers. However 
 is close to the southernmost coast of Brittany, | mysterious or suspicious the conduct of the 
 is about twenty miles in circumference, and | duke may have been in the first disgraceful 
 might evidently have aflbrded a secure landing | campaign against France, where he acted 
 to our troops, while in possession of the } under the immediate eye of the king of 
 royalists, if our real intention had been to > Prussia, it is certain, that in this last conflict 
 form a junction with thcjn. Delbec, Dubois, ; with the enemy he manifested a zeal, activity, 
 Tingry, d'Hauterive, Massey, and all the j and bravery, which, on this day at least, were 
 chiefs of that body of the royalists, were ' not found in the connnanders of the Austrian*!, 
 taken and secured. When we reflect that i Their main body had been thrown into con- 
 the expedition under lord Moira ended in the j fusion, and the French had possessed lltem- 
 loss of more than a Ihoysand of our men by J selves of some heights, so as completely t© 
 sickness, the landhig and quartering of several } cut off their retreat. The duke, sword in 
 thousand Hessians on the Hampshire coast, | hand, with infinite presence of mind, though 
 and the apparent annihilation of the force it \ not without uncommon exertions, rallied the 
 was fitted out to support, it was but a mourn- i discomfited Austria-ns, and led them on 
 ful solace to be left in doubt whether the * against the enemy, Avhom they'dislodged from 
 failure arose from tlie want of foresight, in- ; the heights, and thus secured the important, 
 telligence, energy, or sincerity of those who ; though never sufliciently prized, advantage of 
 projected it. » a regular and orderly retreat. 
 
 j-Q. The success of the republicans 5 In the house of lords, lord Stair moved the 
 seems not to have been cf)nfined to » address to his majesty upon the speech, and 
 particular spots or occasions. The Spaniards, ; was seconded by lord A»jckland. In the 
 M'ho, upon the taking of Toulon, had been | debate, lord Spencer and lord Mansfield were 
 very industrious in issuing manifestoes, to ; partindarly forward and j)oinfed in ai)proving 
 invite all Frenchmen to imitate the example ; of tin- war. and consequently were for th<» 
 of (he Tonlonese, suffered repeated checks j address. Lord Guihifbrd, the duke of Nor- 
 and defeats. So little attention was paid to ; folk, and lord Lansdowne, were those who" 
 the protection of our trade, that, in the course J spoke niost strongly against it. Upon the 
 of ten or twelve days, sixty prizes were ; division, there appeared only 12 for th<; 
 ciU'ried into Chevburg, Morlaix, and Brest ;; amtoidment to the address, v\hich hnd be.M!
 
 494 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXXVIIl. 
 
 proposed by the earl of Guildford, — against ; stitutional principles upon which a particvilar 
 it 97. In the commons, lord Clifden moved I administration is founded and supported, 
 the address of thanks, and was seconded by ! ])robity and integrity desert him at the 
 sir Peter Bmrell. The debate chiefly con- J moment in m hich he gives his support to such 
 sisted of the speeches of lord Mornington, ; a system. 
 
 Mr. Wyndham, and Mr. Pitt, mIio very .; The duke of Portland, who succeeded the 
 strenuously supported the necessity of the j late inarfpiis of Rockingham in hca<liiig the 
 war, and attempted to prove its successful i respectable Whig party, which once com- 
 prosecutioHj in reply to Mr. Sheridan and ; manded a large portion of the national esteem 
 Mr. Fox, who violently reprobated it, as | and confidence, when he first gave his support 
 unjust, unnecessary, and unsuccessful. Mr. 5 to the war against France, had the caution to 
 Fox moved an amendment to the address, > declare in the house of lords, that it was not 
 upon which the house divided, 57 against 277. ; on account of any personal attachment to the 
 From this and all the subsequent debates i present administration that he supported it. 
 in both houses of parliament, daring the ; He could not forget tlie manner in which they 
 remainingpartof the sessiou, it clearly appears 5 came into power; he could not forget the 
 that the reason,' motive, or pretext, for the » many circum.stances in their conduct, by 
 conduct of the former friends of Mr. Fox, ; which, in his opinion, they liad forfeited aH 
 was founded upon the alarming danger of our i title to the confidence of the nation; he 
 country from insurrection at home, and tlie ; could not forget that to their misconduct 
 necessity of the war agiiinst France, for the i many of our present difficulties were owing, 
 preservation of our religion, laws, liberties, | What the father so openly and unequivocally 
 and constitution. In proportion to the I avowed in the house of lords, the son, within 
 strength of every man's conviction must he i a very short time, professed more strongly 
 necessarily wonder at the difference of others ; and emphatically in the house of commons ; 
 from him upon a subject equally open to the i " My political sentiments and attachments," 
 information of both. Hence arises the diffi- < said the marquis of Tichfield, "remain the 
 culty of speaking with moderation and tem- j same tiiey ever have been. My opinion of 
 per upon subjects that appear to carry con- 5 the gentlemen who compose the present 
 viction little short of mathematical demon- ; administration is in no respect altered ; but 1 
 stration. The secession of so many from the | feel the dangers which surround us, and the 
 Whig party, who had, for the last ten years, « necessity, in that case, of giving to govern- 
 uniformly and steadily opposed the adminis- i ment such support as may enable it to act 
 tration of Mr. Pitt, was a circumstance of too i Avith effect ; a support, therefore, directed to 
 deep importance to the nation to be passed | that end, and governed by those considera- 
 over in silence. Their ground or pretext for | tions, is that which I mean to afford. The 
 seceding was certainly new, and tlid not ; bill under consideration T conceive to be one 
 exist at the beginning nor during the greater ! of those measures, and therefore it should 
 part of Mr. Pitt's administration. From the 5 have my support. But in declaring those 
 nature and structure of our constitution, an ; intentions, which, as I have already said, were 
 opposition to the ministry of the day must i formed on my opinion of the crisis in which 
 always exist; but it becomes a personal insult ; the country stands — a crisis which I must 
 to suppose that any man opposes the mea- 5 attribute, in a great measure, to the miscon- 
 surcs of his majesty's servants, upon other $ duct of the present ministry. I cannot too 
 grounds than that the principles or actions 5 explicitly declare, that in no other respect 
 of the ministers are dangerous to the state, or » can I give them any share of ray confidence ; 
 hostile to the constitution. A change of 5 and I cannot too openly avow my attachment 
 opinion may certainly take place in any man, i to ^^hose principles and connexions with 
 and with that change an honest man alters ; which I have had the happiness of entering 
 his conduct. The worst of ministers may 5 into public life, and to which it is my sincere 
 propose and bring forward a measure, which ? wish for ever to adheie." 
 
 his most strenuous and upright opponent | These explanatory avowals of the father 
 may be under a strict obligation to approve ; \ and son in their respective houses of parlia- 
 but whilst his conviction lasts, of the uncon- « meat, were evidently made to prevent that
 
 CHAP. XXXVIII.] 
 
 GEORGE HI. 
 
 4}>r» 
 
 confusion of error in the public mind, against 
 vrliich it is the duty of the annaii.st of their 
 subsequent conduct to guard his readers. 
 They were old and deeply-rooted s^entinients, 
 not to be torn up even \vith tlie violence of a 
 Jiurricane, much less removed by the transient 
 blasts of flattery, deceit, or corruption. His 
 grace, in the year 1784, on the 31st of Janu- 
 ary, wrote from Devonshire-house to those 
 country-j>entleinen who then wished him to 
 coalesce witli Mr. Pitt, — / believe you will 
 agree, llictl lite continuance of the present 
 minislry, and the lionour of the house of com- 
 mons, are not very easily reconcileuble. And 
 again, within three da)S, he farther assured 
 the same gentlemen, who pressed him to a 
 confidential conference Mith Mr. Pitt, as the 
 representative of the existing administration. 
 If 1 had done this, I must have fallen in your 
 esteem (n-hich J assure you is a very serious 
 object to me ) as I should have shewn myself 
 insensible of what is due to the house oj 
 commons. 
 
 When Mr. Pitt moved, in a committee of 
 the whole house, " That it was the opinion 
 of the conunittee, that 85,000 men be granted 
 to his majesty for the sea-service, for the year 
 1794, including 12,11-5 marines." Mr. Fox 
 rose, not to oj)pose the motion, for he believed 
 it to be generally agreed, that if the war were 
 to be persisted in, it ought to be carried on 
 with •vigour and energy, particularly in the 
 naval department ; but to enquire in what 
 manner our navy had been employed, and 
 our trade had been protected. In the course 
 of this de^ultoiy debate, a vei-y material fact 
 was brought forward by Mr. Sheridan respect- 
 ing the situation of Halifax. Mr. Dundas, 
 in the last session, had contradicted a state- 
 ment made by lord M'yconibe, of the defence- 
 less situation of Halifax, and had asserted 
 that there were at least 4000 men left to 
 defend it. It now appeared, contrary to the 
 assertion of the rigiit honourable secretary, 
 from accounts as late as the 7th of the pre- 
 cedhig month of December, that the trade of 
 that place had no protection, that it was 
 utterly unprovided with the means of defence 
 in case of an attack, and that the inhabitants 
 were in the utmost alarm ; having only one 
 frigate at Halifax, two companies of artillery, 
 two of infantry, and 300 volunteers unfit for 
 any service. The absence of Mr. Dundas 
 deprived the house of any explanation or 
 
 retractation upon this important matter, Mr. 
 alderman Anderson undertook to answer for 
 the merchants trading to the Baltic, that 
 they were highly satisfied with the protection 
 allbrded to the trade, and the punctuality of 
 convoys ; and Mr. lirandling even went to 
 the extent of asserting, that the people of 
 Newcastle never found such protection 
 atlbrded to trade in any former war. Neither 
 the right honourable secretary, the alderman, 
 nor the member for Newcastle, were publicly 
 called upon to prove their statements. 
 
 Never has there occurred, in the annals of 
 the British history, so much unanimity in 
 parliament, upon any system of measures, as 
 for that carried on by Mr. Pitt for the prose- 
 cution of the war against republican France. 
 Never consequently did an opposition aot 
 upon pmer convictions of their rectitude than 
 on the present occasion. Their numbers 
 dwindled to absolute insignificancy ; proso- 
 lytism profusely recompensed ; secession nc 
 longer vilified ; the nation beheld them 
 struggling against every advantage of power, 
 of opulence, of patronage ; against the 
 opinions of the people, the frowns of royalty, 
 the malevolence of long-rooted enmities, and 
 the keener rancour of newly lost friendships. 
 
 The landing of several thousand Hessian 
 troops on the coast of Hampshire, and re- 
 taining them in quarters, were circumstances 
 that alarmed the opponents of the war, as 
 violent encroach:iients oi the crown upon the 
 liberties of the subject ; and Mr. Grey moved 
 in the house of commons, " that to en)j)lo3r 
 foreigners in any situation of military trust, or 
 to bring foreign troops into this kingdom, 
 without the consent of parliament first had 
 and obtained, is contrary to law," To such 
 an unaccountable degree of alarm had tlie 
 justice and necessity of this war been im- 
 pressed upon the minds of its newly-converted 
 advocates, that upon this abstracted consti- 
 tutional question, Mr, serjeant Adair was 
 the only one of them sufliciently honest fo 
 approve of the principle and truth of the 
 motion ; though, to terminate the discusaion, 
 he moved for the previous question. The 
 metaphysics of Mr. Wyndham, and the con- 
 stitutional independence of Mr. Powys, 
 broke forth into uncommon exertions to prove 
 the legality of the measure ;' and the law 
 officer of the crown, Mr. attorney-general, 
 though he said that he should not enter fully
 
 i96 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 into the discussion of this great constitutional 
 question, upon wliich those only would pro- 
 nounce readily who considered rashly ; yet 
 in going over the precedents that had been 
 brought forward by different speakers, lie 
 positively concluded, that, in the case then 
 before the house, notliing had been done 
 illegal, unconstitutional, or in violation of the 
 declaration of rights and the act of settlement. 
 The members of the opposition acquiesced in 
 the actual landing of the sickly Hessians 
 upon our coasts, under the existing circum- 
 stances ; but they called for a bill to indemnify 
 nnnisters for having done the act, which, it 
 shoxdd hereafter be clearly understood, ought 
 not to have been done without the consent 
 of parliament. For this the young earl of 
 Albemarle made a motion in the house of 
 lords, and accompanied it with a speech that 
 insured to his country the flattering promise 
 of the most able and steady support of the 
 constitution in its genuine purity. Leave 
 was given to bring in the bill, which was read 
 a first time ; it was strenuously opposed by 
 lord Spencer ; not indeed upon the demerits 
 of the question, but upon the inexpediency of 
 the measure ; he was perhaps aware that it 
 might indirectly censure that system which 
 he had so recently pledged himself to support. 
 The debate in the house of lords assumed 
 a different turn from that which had occurred 
 in the house of commons. Here the landing 
 of foreign troops, without the consent of 
 parliament, was admitted to be illegal by the 
 whole house, excepting lord Auckland. As 
 he had been the veiy earliest convert to Mr. 
 Pitt's political sentiments, so was>he resolved 
 to prove the sincerity of his convictions, by an 
 unlimited devotion to his entire creed ; he 
 blushed not in the face of his old and his 
 new friends, in defiance of the unanimous 
 consent of tlie whole house of peers, like an 
 upright, unshaken, and incorruptible patriot, 
 to profess, without hesitation, lus decided 
 opinion, that it is conslitutional and legal for 
 the king to introduce foreign troops, in time 
 of tvcu\ into this country, ?rit/iont the previous 
 consent of parliamc7it. Psotwithstandhig this 
 general sense of the liouse against the ille- 
 gality of the measure, the bill of indemnity to 
 ministers was thrown out, by carrying the 
 motion for the previous question ; twelve 
 only were found in the minority. A striking 
 jiislance of the inedetennined resolution of 
 
 [chap, xxxviir, 
 
 } j)arliament to support every measure brought 
 ; forward by tiie minister ; where the same 
 > measure was supported by a decided majority 
 I of the conlnions, who held it to be legal and 
 \ coHstitnlional, as by the lords, who held it 
 « unanimously (except lord Auckland) to be 
 ! illegal and unconstitutional. The same fate 
 J attended every question that was bi-ought 
 I before either house of parliament during the 
 ! session. Thus ended the debates upon the 
 \ army-estimates, in which the late campaign 
 5 was maintained to have been uncommonly 
 5 successfuk;; thus concluded Mr. Foxs motion 
 ; for referring to a committee, an enquiry into 
 I the protection given to the trade of his majes- 
 I tys subjects, by convoy or otherwise, during 
 ; the war. A readiness to meet enquiry was 
 I heretofore deemed the strongest presunq>tion 
 ; of innocence. This question too concerned 
 ; tlie war, and thei'efore carried with it the 
 i whole tide of Mr. Pitts former friends, as 
 I well as the intermingled stream of his new 
 I alliance. The house of commons voted the 
 J protection sufficient for the trade ; and the 
 I minister, to give sanction to their vote, 
 i effectually rendered the protection daily more 
 i sufficient, by rendering the objects of pro- 
 tection less numerous ; of this lamentable 
 truth the blank lists at Lloyd's exhibited 
 above eight hundred instances, in so many 
 captured vessels, after the commencement of 
 1 h( stilities. Thus also terminated the inar- 
 I quis of Lansdowne's motion for peace with 
 France, which was preceiled by a speech 
 of great length and of greater eloquence, 
 energy, and iniormation ; the wonderful 
 powers of this great statesman brought 
 forth the duke of Grafton in support of 
 the motion, after a recess from politics 
 of more than tAventy years. Very unusual 
 attention was paid to both their speeches ; 
 many personal compliments were made to 
 both of them by their opponents, and the 
 minority divided, as usual, in favour of minis- 
 ters. Thus, in a aa ord, ended Mr. Sheridan's 
 motion on the unprotected state of INova 
 Scotia. He wished to comply with the two 
 duties which he owed to his constituents ; 
 that of preserving them from war, which ho 
 had already atlempted, and that of seeing 
 that the su|)p!ies voled for prosecuting the 
 var were faithfully and diligently applied ; 
 and this he ]>roposed by moving for the present 
 enquiry. A very animated debute ensued, iii
 
 CHAP. XXXVIII.j 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 497 
 
 Mhich the minister was closely pressed with 
 his constant reluctance and dread to meet 
 fair enquiry ; to Mliich he angrily replied, 
 " that though he admitted the right of 
 Giiquiry, he denied thi' expediency of it 
 Avhere overhalanced by the proposed good ; 
 and upon that principle he dissented from 
 the present motion."' 
 
 The war witli France was now become a 
 new scene of political attraction, connected 
 with every question that could be stirred 
 without or moved within the senate. The 
 condemnation of Messrs. Muir and Palmer 
 for fourteen years to Botany Bay, had so 
 affected the mind anil feelings of lord Stan- 
 hope, that he l)rought forward a motion in 
 the house of lords, praying his majesty not to 
 carry the sentence into execution, until that 
 house had made a proper enquiry into the 
 justice of all the proceedings against them. 
 The duke of Norfolk said, " that if the 
 points stated and complained by the noble 
 earl, had been brought before them by 
 petition, and supported by afTidavit, he should 
 have thought it his duty to go into the en- 
 quiry ; but they could not, by the rules of 
 the house, entertain the question as brought 
 forward in th*.' motion." IVIr. Sheridan, in the 
 connnons, presented a petition from Mr. 
 Palmer, hund)ly representing that the peti- 
 tioner was suffering under what he conceived 
 to be an illegal judgment of the court of 
 justiciary of Scotland, from which there was 
 
 no appeal to any other court of justice, and 
 praying such relief, as to the wisdom of the 
 house should seem meet. The chancellor of 
 the exchequer objected against a petition 
 being received, which prayed the interposition 
 of that house between the sentence of a com- 
 petent court and the execution of that sentence. 
 The regular mode of proceeding would be to 
 petition the crown for mercy. Being, how- 
 ever, pressed by Mr. Fox not to give so deep 
 a wound to the constitution, as a refusal to 
 hear the petition ; as it was an universal 
 principle, that. a petition may be presented to 
 the king in parliament, in other words, to the 
 legislature, against the decision of any court 
 of justice from whicli there was, by law, no 
 appeal to any other court, he hesitated, and 
 desired that the question might be adjourned ; 
 and, after having been better informed, he 
 profited of the warning of Mr. Fox, and con- 
 sented to its being ])rought up : it vas, how- 
 ever, of no avail to the unfortunate petitioner, 
 who Avas soon after shipped off with his 
 fellow-sufferer for the place of his banishment. 
 In the course of these debates many facts 
 were advanced, and not contradicted, though 
 they w^ere alleged to be informally brouglit 
 forward, respecting the ])roccedings of Messrs. 
 Muir and Palmer's trials. Such were the 
 admission of evidence to charges not con- 
 tained in the indictuient, and the over-ruling 
 of the strongest challenges of several of the 
 jurors. 
 
 3 & 
 
 32
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1794.] 
 
 Debates on employing Foreign Officers in the JBritis/i Service — State of the Continental 
 Annies — Operations in the JFcst Indies — Duplicity of the King of Prussia — MHitary 
 Operations — Arrival of the Emperor at Srabant — Blilitary Operations in the vicinity of 
 £russels. 
 
 IN the course of the debates in parliament, 
 major Maitland made a motion in the 
 house of commons, that an account be laid 
 before that house of any officers, natives of 
 foreign countries, now in service under the 
 command of the carl of Moira, and receiving 
 British pay. It was seconded by Mr. Grey, 
 who maintained, that such officers could not 
 be employed without the authority of par- 
 liament. Mr. secretary Dundas insisted 
 upon the necessity of the earl of Moira using 
 his discretion, and suppressing the names of 
 any officers he might have under his com- 
 mand. Tiie motion was negatived without a 
 division. It had, however, the good effect, 
 some time after, of procuring from the earl 
 of Moira, in the house of lords, more certain 
 and satisfactory information of his expedition 
 to the coast of France than the public had 
 hitherto possessed. His lordship gave a very 
 candid, manly, and satisfactory detail of the 
 reasons and circumstances under which he 
 fonnd it necessary to employ French officers 
 and artillerists ; and very pathetically en- 
 treated the house not to call for and publish 
 the names of the officers, on accoimt of their 
 relatives in France, upon whom the vengeance 
 of the executive government would probably 
 fall, if their names were made public. On 
 this occasion, the noble lord took an oppor- 
 tunity to detail some of the circumstances 
 which related to his expedition to the coast 
 of France. It appears that the original 
 
 scheme and opportunity of 
 
 succourmg 
 
 the 
 
 rovalists, whilst it was feasible, had been, bv 
 the delay or neglect of ministers, irretrievably 
 lost. His lordship had kept himself in con- 
 stant readiness to undertake it. At last, on 
 the 17th of November, he received his orders, 
 and was himself ready at Portsmouth on tht; 
 ■22nd ; his lordship attributed the delay of 
 embarking till the 1st of December to the 
 wind and weather, which prevented the 
 
 frigates from 
 
 round. He farther 
 
 vouched for the ministers having received, on 
 the ioth of November, by emissaries from the 
 army of t!)e royalists near Dol, on the coast 
 of Brittanj', all the signals that were to bo 
 made upon the arrival of the English fleet, to 
 point the spot in which they were to make 
 the descent. These emissaries had left the 
 army on the 10th of November ; consequently 
 the orders to sail, which were only prevented 
 by wind and weather, were given without any 
 signals or certainty \\here the landing was to 
 be effected. They arrived, however, in time 
 to make every advantage of them, in six 
 days before the sailing of the fleet. On the 
 2nd of December, at day-break, they made 
 the coast of Cherbourg, and sailed along the 
 coast for several days, Avithout any signal 
 being made ; then, in obedience to the orders 
 he had received, he proceeded to Guernsey. 
 Whilst he resided there, he sent many emis- 
 saries to the army of the royalists, and by 
 them first learned that they had, on the 14th 
 of November, made an attack upon Gran- 
 ville, and, having been defeated, had retired
 
 CHAP. XXXIX.] 
 
 GF.OUCE (II. 
 
 4.9.0 
 
 to the banks of the Loire, All the French 
 jouinalists, however, confessed that a large 
 column had directed its course towards 
 Caen in JNorniandy. A violent stonn hap- 
 penini^, and Guernsey roads being deemed 
 unsafe, a part of the fleet ^as under the 
 necessity of leaving tlieni. On account of the 
 information received relative to a column of 
 royalists being on their march to Caen, he 
 conceived it his duty to attempt to co-operate 
 with them, expecting that the tleet which had 
 left (iuernsey roads would have been hover- 
 ing about the mouth of Portsmouth harbour, 
 instead of having- cast anchor. It was then, 
 however, that he learned the final disappoint- 
 ment of the project of the royalist army. 
 
 Tnii abandonment of lord Moira"s expe- 
 dition to the coast of France, seems to have 
 alarmed our government for the safety of 
 their own. So prevalent were the rumours 
 of a threatened invasion, that the grand coun- 
 cil of war, at which the famed colonel Mack 
 assisted, was belie\ed to be convened on tliis 
 subject. Both the duke of York and colonel 
 Mack had been present at fhe grand council 
 of war, which was held at Brussels in the 
 beginning of this month, at which also were 
 present the prince of Cohourg, Clairfait, 
 Colloredo, Seckendorf, and Walmoden. Soon 
 after this council, botii colonel Mack and his 
 royal highness, who had arrived in England 
 on the 8rh of the month, returned to the con- 
 tinent. Tiie whole prospect of success for 
 the ensuing campaign depended upon the 
 confidence in colonel Mack. 
 
 The French army under Pichegru began 
 their grand movement by marching a cohinm 
 of 70,000 men against Valenciennes, whilst 
 two other columns marched, one towards Le 
 Quesnoy, the other to Marchiennes. His 
 whole army was said to' consist of 140,000 
 men. At the same time, another army of 
 tJ.5,000 men marched into the duchy of 
 Luxembourg, and seemed to threaten the 
 principality of Liege, where internal tran- 
 quillity had never been perfectly restored, 
 since the last evacuation of it by the French. 
 
 To a reflecting mind it is a matter of more 
 than curious speculation, to pass in review the 
 immense armies that were now in actual move- 
 ment, either for the purpose of attaining one 
 fixed and general, or several particular objects 
 of' the war. By the most authentic accounts 
 Me tind, at this period, the republican armies 
 
 of France amounting to the enormous number 
 of 780,000 effective men, viz. : — 
 
 MEN. 
 
 The army of the north - - 2-20,00() 
 The united armies of the Rhine audi „„,, „ 
 Moselle ----- 5 ^«0.000 
 
 The army of the Alps - - 60,000 
 
 The army of the Eastern Pyrenees 80,000 
 
 Tin; army of the south - - 60,000 
 
 The army of the west - - 80,000 
 
 Total 780,000 
 
 It is also to be noticed, that this immense 
 swarm of troops was brought into the field 
 without having recourse to the men of the 
 second requisition. On the other hand, 
 without reckoning the forces of Spain, Por- 
 tugal, Sardinia, or Naples, we find the fol- 
 lowing statement of the combined forces 
 brought into the field to act against the 
 French in the north and on the Rhine, viz. : — 
 
 MEN. 
 
 Army under prince Cobourg - 140,000 
 
 Army under the duke of York - 40,000 
 
 The Dutch army - - - 20,000 
 
 Austrian army on the Rhine - 00,000 
 
 Prussian army on the Rhine - 04,000 
 
 Troops of the enqiire - - 20,000 
 
 Emigrant corps under prince Conde 12,000 
 
 l\)lal 3-3G,000 
 
 To these nimierous armi<^s must be also 
 added the forces of the royal party in La 
 Vendee, as well as those British and Hessian 
 troops which were tlestined, under lord 
 Moira, to co-operate with them. These 
 armed royalists, though their numbers cannot 
 be precisely ascertained, may be said to be 
 the only pait of. the combined armies who 
 had a determinate object in view, which even 
 success in their exertions could attain. For 
 it is obvious, that if a counter-revolution in 
 France were the real object of this mighty 
 confederacy of armed princes, the efforts of 
 the royalists alone could eflect it. The re- 
 luctance, inertness, and indecision of our 
 cahinet, and their reluctance to invigorate 
 and protect this party, were regarded by the 
 iipj)o.sition as strong proofs of then- msincenty 
 in forwarding the cause they had undt rtaken. 
 It is not l)y the actual situation or appearances
 
 500 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGL.4.ND. 
 
 [CMAP. VXXIX 
 
 of tlip royalists at any particular given time, 
 that the policy or po.ssihility of our co-ope- 
 rating with them is to be judged. We tind 
 from the report of Barrere, that their force 
 Mas reduced almost to 7000 men, at the very 
 time that lord Moira was waiting to co- 
 operate with them at Guernsey ; and so con- 
 vinced did the French nation then appear to 
 be, of the absolute extinction of the party-, 
 that the reporter expressly stated, from the 
 committee of public welfare, " that they 
 expect it Avill be the last time that they shall 
 speak to the convention of that disgraceful 
 part of the republic." 
 
 His imperial majesty delivered in at the 
 diet at Ratisbon, a note to demand the sense 
 of the German states, respecting the necessity 
 of arming all the inhabitants on the frontiers 
 of Germany, and of furnishing a triple con- 
 tingent on the part of the said states ; and, 
 as chief of the empire, he requested the advice 
 of his co-estates, not only respecting the 
 general arming of the inhabitants of the 
 Germanic frontiers, but also the means of 
 coercion to be employed against such of the 
 members as had not fulfilled the obligations 
 imposed upon them by the decree of the diet 
 of the 2.3rd of November, 1792, for effecting 
 the supply of then* triple contingents. Those 
 states were reluctant to enter into this armed 
 confederacy ; they could discover in it no 
 general object of advantage, nor were they 
 allured to it by particular views of present or 
 future interest. The general arming of the 
 Germanic frontiers would have been a mea- 
 sure too effectual to stop the further progress 
 of the French, to have answered tlic treach- 
 erous designs of the king of Prussia ; he 
 accordingly opposed it in the diet, and pub-| 
 lished a manifesto of his reasons for it. Sen- 
 sible, however, that his conduct since the 
 commencement of hostUities would neither 
 stand the impartial test of scrutiny, nor 
 render plausible any further treacherj', he 
 had recourse to the last stale excuses of 
 hypocrisy, self-proclaimed innocence, and 
 purity of intintion. In a declaration which 
 he delivered to the states of the interior 
 circles-, assembled at Francfort, he said, that, 
 " confidi lit that his designs Avere j>ure, he 
 might |)ass over such rumours, and content 
 himself with the conviction, that they would 
 find no belief on the part of the well-disposed 
 ttaUs of the empire ; but to give an overplus 
 
 of satisfaction, and to confound the malevolent 
 who invent similar stories puri)Ost^iy, and 
 perhaps to excite distress, his majesty de- 
 clared that, whilst he made war upon the 
 French, he had never any view but the de- 
 fence of the Germanic empire, and the main- 
 tenance of the constitution. 
 
 The only quarter of the globe in which the 
 British arms appeared to promise any degree 
 of success, was in the West Indies ; and 
 there also the progress of our conquests 
 seemed to be carried on upon a new principle 
 of negotiation and treachery, rather than by 
 the open and honourable means of public 
 hostility. It appears that, on the 9th of the 
 month, the commander of the British forces 
 had written from St. Jeremie to La Vaux, 
 the French commander at Fort de Paix, not 
 only to induce him to surrender the town and 
 forts, upon talse representations of the state 
 and disasters of the French republic, but had 
 also offered him, in the name of- the British 
 government, a bribe of 5000 crowns French 
 money, to be paid to him in person, or depo- 
 sited in the bank of England. The ofler of 
 this paltry sum, of about 600 guineas, roused 
 the indignation of the republican governor, 
 who rejected the offer with scorn ; and he 
 complained loudly of the indignity offered to 
 him personally, in the following manner ; — 
 " Permit me now to complain to yourself of 
 the indignity you have offered me in thinking 
 me so vile, so flagitio'.'s, so base, as not to 
 resent the offer of 5000 crowns Turnois. In 
 this you have wTonged yourself. I am a gene- 
 ral ; hitherto I have been worthy to command 
 an army. You ha^e endeavoured to dis- 
 honour me in the eyes of my comrades : this 
 is an offence between you and me, for which 
 you owe me satisfaction ; I demand it in the 
 name of honour, which must exist among all 
 nations. Therefore, previous to any general 
 action, I offer you a single combat, till either 
 of us fall, leaving to you the choice of arms, 
 either on foot or horseback ; then, if victo- 
 rious, I shall have proved myself woifhy to 
 command republicans; if I fall gloriously, the 
 republican army will have another leader, still 
 more formidable, and every individual in the 
 army will imitate my exam])le. Your quality 
 of enemy in the name of your nation, did not 
 give you a right to offer me a personal insult ; 
 as a private ])erson I a^-k satisfaction for an 
 injury done me by an individiuil."
 
 OII\P. xxxix] 
 
 GEORGE 111. 
 
 oOl 
 
 A PAPER liad been issued from the trea- 
 sury, reconiniendiiig- to the pi-ople to stand 
 tbrth and assist the executive government by 
 voluntary subscriptions. A part of the pro- 
 posed plan was brought forward by the 
 minister for the increase of the mihtia. Mr. 
 Baker said in the house of corauions, that the 
 measure was by no means adequate to the 
 purpose for which it was avowedly brought 
 forward. It was said to be a provision for 
 the danger which threatened tlie country ; if 
 the danger were imminent, our force ought to 
 be equal to it ; but, above all, the provision 
 made ag;unst the danger should be legal. 
 Voluntary subscriptions, and the unparlia- 
 mentary application of them, were illegal ; 
 parliament was the only legal organ of the 
 country, through which the people should 
 consent to the canTing on any measure, 
 which Mas ultimately to be paid for out of 
 the public purse. Mr. Fox also strenuously 
 opposed this measure of voluntary contribu- 
 tions, as absolutely illegal, and super-emi- 
 iiently dangerous to the constitution. Two 
 of the advocates for the war, Messrs. Adair 
 and Powys, had the candour and firmness on 
 this occasion to join with Messrs. Baker and 
 Fox, in declaring it to be illegal to raise men 
 by voluntary subscriptions, without the con- 
 sent of parliament. Upon this subject, lord 
 Lauderdale, in the house of peers, prefaced, 
 by a very learned and animated discourse, the 
 following motion ; — "That it is a dangerous 
 and unconstitutional measure, for the people 
 of this country to grant to the executive go- 
 vernment any private aid, benevolence, or 
 subscription for public purposes, m ithout the 
 consent of parliament. The motion was 
 violently opposed by lords Grenville and 
 Hawkt'sbury, and others who contended for 
 the legality of the measure. The motion was 
 dismissed by the previous question, on which 
 the chancellor made a very elaborate speech, 
 the general jnnport of which was to prove, 
 that the reality of the fact was not before the 
 Jiouse. He was wary of committing himself 
 \i[)ou the illegality of such a measure as was 
 described or iiihulcd to in the motion ; but 
 asserted, that whatever had been done by 
 ministers, refjiecting these voluntary contri- 
 butions, fnun the issuing of the circular letters 
 from the secretary of state to the lords 
 lieutenant, down to the county meetings that 
 had been convened in consequence of them, 
 
 I was legal, const ilidional, expedient, and 
 " proper. Yet the late lord Camden had de- 
 clared, that the opening of private subscri|)- 
 tions, for raising men at the Lonilon Tavern 
 in 177B, ^^a8 tJaringlij illegal and truly alarm- 
 ing ; and that the committees, both at Lon- 
 don and Bristol, for raising money, to be 
 disposed of as his majesty shotdd think fit, 
 had assumed a legislative poiver, and had acted 
 \ in that capacity in which the parliament only 
 I tvere empov:ered to act, agreeably to the spirit 
 \ of the constitiition, and the meaning of the 
 \ bill of rights. Of the like sentiment was 
 I Mr. Wilkes, on the 2nd of April 1778, when 
 { he said, that nothing could be more alarming 
 \ to the acknowledged rights and privileges of 
 I the house of commons than the doctrines 
 I lately propagated, and the practice begun oi 
 srivi7ig aids, benevolences, and subscriptions 
 for public purposes, to the crown, tcithout the 
 sanction of ])arliament. 
 
 The minister, w hen he was first pressed by. 
 Mr. Sheridan, in the house of common.^, to 
 communicate to them the reconmiendations 
 from the secretary of state to the lords lieu- 
 \ tenant of the different counties, upon this 
 I subject of voluntary subscriptions, peremp- 
 ' torily refused ; but, upon maturer reflection, 
 he at last consented : and, upon several ot 
 the members expressing, with warmth and 
 astonishment, their indignation at the insult 
 offered to that house, in being posti)oned to 
 every county meeting in the consultations 
 upon the propriety, means, and necessity ot 
 raising men lor the defence of the state, the 
 chancellor of tlie exchequer replied, that it 
 was his intention to lay- the m hole of what 
 had been done before the house in a message 
 from the throne, the next day. This mode ot 
 anticipating the opinion of the house of com- 
 mons, and pledging to the public their sub 
 sequent assent was peculiar to Mr. Pitt's 
 aduiinistration. It certainly was no conclu- 
 sive proof of the minister's deference for the 
 opinion of the house of commons, however it 
 may justi/y a fair presumption of their acqui- 
 escence in every proposition that he might 
 bring foruarrl. 
 
 His majesty's message to the two houses 
 of parliament, which Mr. Pitt had promise^, 
 was conceived in general terms, and ditl not 
 hint at any \oluntary sul)scription forrai.sing 
 men. His majesty thought proper to acquaint 
 the house, that for tin- purpose of more
 
 502 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. .TXXIX. 
 
 ftfTectually guarding against the attempts of ; attempts to engage Frenchmen, or others, to 
 the enemy to execute their projected design | stir up rebelh'on or insurrection in France, or 
 of invadina; the kingdom ; he had augmented | to interfere at all in tlie internal concerns of 
 his land forces, sundry parts of whicli he was j that nation." This motion, like most others 
 to assemble in diHerent parts of the kingdom, \ of this noI)le earl's, Mas negatived without a 
 where it might be necessary; and he relied ; division. The earl of Mansfield was the peer 
 upon the cordial support of his parlianieiit, ; who made the observation, and he avowed and 
 and the ztal and affection of his people, that ; gloried in it. Lord Grenville admired his no- 
 they would co-operate with him in such mea- ; ble friend, for acknowledging with becoming 
 sures as might be necessaiy for the general se- ; dignity a sentiment, to which he was surpris- 
 curity. It tended, however, to deepen the ! ed that any one should object. Though the 
 impression of a French invasion. The ad- ; decision of the house of peers be in certain 
 dress to his majesty upon his gracious mes- 1 cases conclusive as a supreme court of judi- 
 sage was opposed in both houses upon the ; cature, it does not in all its acts connuand 
 sanie grounds ; the words objected to in the | this undeniable authority. There were many 
 address were, jnst and neccssarij tear. The | respectable Engiishmen, who thought with 
 grand object of the minister was, to impress ; the earl of Stanhope, that open hostilities can- 
 upon the minds of the people so strong a I not justify the encouragement of the crime of 
 dread and alarm of foreign invasicwi, as to as- i treason and rebellion : that the shedding or 
 sent to the necessity of these most extraordi- « causing the shedding of blood in the massa- 
 nary measures. J\o subject was so warmly ; cres and assassinations inseparable from in- 
 debated during the session, as the legality of | surrections and connnotions, is not justitlable 
 these voluntary subscriptions. From the ex- ; either by the law of God or man : that in the 
 j)ressions employed in the course of the de- 1 line of morality, the Creator, who has given 
 bates by several members, it ai)peared evi- \ to man the power of locomotion, and confined 
 dent, that although they thought this method ? his residence to no given spot upon earth, has 
 of raising men itlcgal and unconstitutional; $ imposed upon all human beings, a conscious- 
 yet they conceived themselves committed to 5 ness and indispensable obligation of obei/in^ 
 support every possible question of the minis- ; t/ie potvers that are in every conjuumity in 
 ter, and therefore they satisfied their scruples i which they may find themselves. In a word, 
 by voting for the previous question. I that hired missionaries for destroying govern- 
 
 The earl of Stanhope summoned the lords ; nient by l>lood, rapine and terror, would be as 
 to appear on a particular day, on which he | little honourable to Great Britain, as Jean de 
 meant to bring forward a motion, that to hhn j Erie's proposed list of twelve hundred pen- 
 appeared of " the highest national conse- 1 sioned regicides to be dispersed throughout 
 quence. He had noticed in the preceding | Europe, for the purpose of raising insurrec- 
 week an observation in that house, that if it ^ tions and commotions in every state, by the 
 were possible to engage any considerable | massacre of then- sovereigns, 
 number of Frenchmen to excite an insurrec- i At this time many new and peculiar rea- 
 tion or rebellion in France against the national j sons arose to ])revent our cabinet from appiy- 
 convention, no possible expence which it i ing with any degree of confidence to his ma- 
 could cost this country ought to be spared, \ jesty of Prussia ; for even ministers began, 
 and that it was a measure wliich ought to be ^ though tardily and reluctantly, to believe that 
 adopted by the British government. This ap- |his Prussian majesty was withdrawing him- 
 peared to his lordship so abhorrent of all true j self from the grand confederacy agahist the 
 policy, to genuine religion and even to com- ; French iepi)l>lic, meaning only to furnish as 
 mon "humanity ; so contrary to the principles ; elector of Brandenburg, his contingent of 
 of civilized war, and so outrageous to all the ; twelve or fifteen thousand men for the defence 
 feelings that ought to govern the conduct of a ; of the empire. The turn and situation of af- 
 people, that he thought it his duty to vindi- | fairs which gave occasion to the duke of Bruns 
 ♦;ate the character of the nation from the hor- ; wick's resignation, and prompted hiui to 
 ror of the sentiment, and to disclaim it by a ; write the li fore-cited letter to the king of 
 eolenm puliauientary act, declaring it " to' be | Prussia, subjected his majesty to the neces- 
 ielony, without benefit of clergy, to inak.e any j sity of. atteinpting many measures, either th«
 
 CHAP. \xa:i.\.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 603 
 
 inorc jjlausiblj' to disguise liis pretended pro- 
 ject, or the more eflcclually to forward his 
 renl designs. He Hrst demanded of the diet 
 of Hatisbon the payment of a considerable 
 Slim of money, which he feigned to be due to 
 him by the German empire, on account of tJie 
 assistance he had given to it in the war at the 
 time of the Spanish succession. He tlien 
 wrote to tlie elector 'of Mentz to convene the 
 six froTiticr circles, to induce them to under- 
 take the provisioning of his army, which he 
 must otherwise immediately withdraw from 
 the defence of the empire. Immediately after 
 this anegociation at Fran cfort between Frer/ch 
 conimissioners and some Prussian officers 
 gave grounds for a report, that the. exchange 
 of prisoners was neither the only nor the chief 
 object of their mission. The Frencli coumiis- 
 sioners on this occasion made a more open and 
 pompous entry into Francfort, than they had 
 done on any other occasion since the establish- 
 ment of the republic ; they used a sumptuous 
 carriage of tlie late king, Louis, on which they 
 had painted the cap of liberty over the ancient 
 escutcheon of the tieurs de lys. The impor- 
 tant negociations between the Prussian and 
 Austrian ministers at Vienna, had broi;en oti', 
 up(jn the peremptory refusal of the latter to 
 accede to the exorbitant demands of the for- 
 mer, though they were seconded and support- 
 ed by the British minister. His Prussian ma- 
 jesty now declared to the Germanic body, 
 " that having fulfilled all his obligations as 
 ally and co-member, and perceiving that the 
 court of Vienna and diet of Katisbon had mis- 
 interpreted his intentions, and declined com- 
 plying with his just demands, he found him- 
 self in the present state of things, under the 
 necessity of withdrawing and recalling into his 
 own states the surplus of the contingent of 
 20,000 men ; whicli he was obliged by virtue 
 of the treaty of alliance, and as prince of the 
 empire to employ against the connnon enemy."' 
 He accordingly gave orders for tiie whole of 
 his army (except these '20,000 men) to qiiit 
 the environs of Mentz, and march tOAvards 
 Cologne. It is remarkable, that this corps of 
 20,000 men was kft under the comuiand of 
 general Kalkreuth, who was the person that 
 iiegociated with the French conunissioners at 
 Francfort. 
 
 The ditTerert circumstances which occa- 
 sioned the defection of the Prussian monarch 
 from the general confederacy, seem to have in- 
 
 I spired the neutral states of Europe to speak 
 I a more decisive language than they had hi- 
 therto dared to use, upon the subjects of theix 
 own independency, and the unalienable rights 
 of neutrality. The causes which provoked 
 their resentment and indignation so particu- 
 larly against our government, were certainly 
 neitiier few nor trivial. By the directions of 
 our cabinet, nearly -IGO vessels of Sweden and 
 Denmark had been seized, under pretence of 
 preventing supplies being carried to France : 
 and from the laiest American accounts, which 
 were conveyed in a very angry tone, it appear- 
 ed tliat be'tween two and three hundred of 
 their ships had been captured by our cruizers 
 and privateers, amongst the Windward and 
 Leeward islands, independent of those car 
 ried into Jamaica and the Bahama islands, as 
 well as of those brought into our ports in Eu- 
 rope. As the natural and unavoidable conse- 
 quence of such out', ages upon the independent 
 rights of neutrality, Switzerland, Denmark, 
 Sweden and Venice entered into a negociatiou 
 for maintaining the rights of nations against the 
 insults and encroachments of the belligerent 
 powers ; and to this confederacy they invited 
 the states of America, Florence, Genoa, and 
 all others who had suffered from tln^ insolence 
 and tyranny of any of the powers at w ar. Our 
 cabinet openly abandoned the principles upon 
 which the greatest part of their vessels were 
 captured ; and their Danish and Swedish ma- 
 jesties entered into a convention, for the com- 
 mon defence of the liberty and safety of the 
 Da)iish and Swedish commerce and naviga- 
 tion. It was to last during the war, and to be 
 supported and enforced by arms and repri- 
 sals, in case of need. 
 
 In America, frequent and heavy complaint.s 
 were^made to congress, of the injurie»5 suHcred 
 in their trade l)yalmostevery slate of the l;nion. 
 Their president, Mr. Washington, stated to 
 congress at the beginning of this month, " tiiat 
 the secretary of state had reported to him 
 upon the several complaints which had been 
 lodged in liis office, against the vexations and 
 spoliations on their commerce since the com- 
 mencement of the European war, a copy of 
 which report he submitted, to their considera- 
 tion." Six days after this statement, the con- 
 gress passed a resolution for laying an embar- 
 go on all ships and vessels in liie ports of tlie 
 C'nited States, whether already cleared out or 
 not, bound to any foreign port or place for tli-L*
 
 604 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XXXIX. 
 
 term of thirty days. These diflerent acts of! Arcalahaye, and Jean de Rabel, in the island 
 different states fnlly bespoke their sense of | of St. Domingo. Flushed uith these acconnts 
 the conduct of Great Britain towards them. ; of our foreign successes, Mr. Pitt pledged 
 The armies in Flanders were, during the ; himself to the house of connnons, tiiat, e.i- 
 greatest part of tiiis month (April) absolutely : ccpt in the sins;le instance oj Dunkirk, he zvas 
 iwactive ; not only the indecision and differ- J read?/ to mnintain, that the British arms had 
 ences of the generals, but the unprecedented ; been emiventty successful. Upon the strength 
 prevalence of disease in the different corps at > then of these imaginary successes, did it be- 
 this time, prevented any active operations, i come the fashion of the day, to treat Avith levity 
 The general returns of the sick and \vounded i and disdain the defection of the Prussian nio- 
 in the Austrian army in Brabant alone, amount- * narch from the general confederacy. It was, 
 ed to the incredible number ;of 23,400 men. { however, found necessary for the expectation 
 General Clairfait however, attem|)ted an at- 5 and satisfaction of the public, that the princi- 
 tack upon one of the enemy's columns, which ; pal character should not be wholly withdrawn 
 seemed to be threatening Maritime Flanders ; | from the piece. A negociation was now 
 he failed in the attempt, and was so closely ; opened with the king of Prussia, for the pur 
 pressed by the French in his retreat, that he i chase of a body of his troops to be taken into 
 Avas driven to tlie destructive measure of in- | British pay, and employed against France, 
 iindating the country around Furnes. Some • By the first article of this treaty between the 
 time after this, a very unfortunate circum- 1 king of Prussia, the king of Great Britain and 
 stance happened, as one of the many fatal \ tha states general of the United Provinces, 
 consequences of want of union in the allieti \ his Prussian majesty engaged to furnish an 
 cabinets and armies. A general council of ! army, Avhich should be composed of sixty- two 
 war was convened at Ath, in Avhich general j thousand fom- hundred men, to be under a 
 Haddick, from Vienna, brought forward the ; Prussian commander, to act most suitably to 
 plans of the ensuing campaign, as settled by } the interests of the maritime powers ; to ar- 
 that court. One part of these plans was, ) rive at the place of their destination on the 
 tliat general Clairfait should command the ad- 1 •24th day of May 1794, or sooner if possible ; 
 >anced army over the duke of York. To ,' and to be completely provided with held-pieces 
 this his royal highness peremptorily objected : ' antl carriages, and also with tents and mili- 
 serious discussions took place ; and notwith- \ tary equipments necessary for taking the 
 standing the warmest eflbrts of prince Charles j field. 
 
 and lord Elgin to intermediate, personal al- ; The terms which this treaty uses to express 
 tercations arose to such a height, that the \ the motives which induced his Prussian ma- 
 tluke of \ork declared the British troops i jesty to demand the subsidy or salary, are 
 should not act till he had taken the directions \ Avorthy of notice. — In order to facilitate to 
 of his court. Lord Elgin, accordingly, after 5 his Prussian majesty the means of acting icilh 
 u long conference with his royal highness, set i vigour, and conformahli/ to the sentiments of 
 off for England. The dnke insisted iqwnlzeal and concern with which he is animated 
 continuing commander in chief of the Biytisli *Jor the common cause. The treaty was made 
 troops under prince Cobourg ; and as he ne- i to last only during the year 1794, from the day 
 ver did afterwards act ixnder general Clair- ; of its date (April 14th, 1794); ami the foUow- 
 fait, it is to be presumed, either that the set- \ ing payments were to be made to him, viz. 
 tlement of the plans by the court of Vienna | £300,000 for starting, and £100,000 for re- 
 was made without any attention to the inte- I turning to the Prussian territories ; £-50,000 
 rests or councils of that of St. James's ; or, \ subsidy to be paid monthly ; and another 
 that the imperial ministers had even then some ; monthly payment of £l 12s. per man, for the 
 pecuniary or subsidiary views, in giving up an \ bread and forage of this mercenary army. The 
 object of so much importance to the success > whole payment therefore, for eight months 
 of the campaign. j and a half, amounted to about the sum of 
 
 Our successes were multiplied in the west- ; £1,67-5,000 sterling: of this sum, Holland 
 ern quarter of the globe by the capture of, bound herself by a separate treaty to pay 
 Tiberoon, by colon-el Whitelock, and the sur- j £400,000 as her (juota of the whole" subsidy, 
 fender of the united parishes of Leosaue and ; So well satisfied indeed were the contracting
 
 C!IAP. XXXIX. ] CeORGE III. 506 
 
 ])o\vrrs Avitli tlie advanfaj^eous tonus of this > reviewed them on the heights near Catean in 
 treaty, that, altlionoh their higii mightinesses ' Canihresis, was in eight difierent cohnnns, 
 pleaded their want of power to extend it ; preparatory to a general attack upon the 
 beyond the current year, yet it Avas stipnh\ted ; enemy's lines, for tin? ultiniate pnipose of 
 by a sepai*ate article, that their Britannic and ; invv-sting the small town of Landrecies. The 
 ]*rnssian majesties, being desirous to con- ; attack succeeded completely, and with trivial 
 tinue the efiect of the aforesaid agreement : loss on the part of the combined armies, 
 xmtil the end of the war, might enter into ; " The signal success that attended these ex- 
 further concert, as well between themselves ! tensive and complicated operations has," 
 as with tluir high mightinesses, for the J said the duke of York in his despatches, 
 renewal of the present treaty for so long as j " determined his imperial majesty to begin 
 the war should last, on the same conditions « immediately the siege of Landrecies ; and 
 as are therein declared with respect to the ; therefore the hereditary prince of Orange, 
 troops, to tlieir employn;ent, and to tiie pay- j who will have the direction of the siege, has 
 inent of the aforesaid subsidies, as well as to ; moved w ith the greatest part of his camp from 
 the providing bread and forage. I Bouvais, and taken a position so as to com- 
 
 His imperial majesty came into Brabant > plete the investiture of the fortress, whilst 
 to take upon himself the connnand of his i his imperial majesty, with the grand army, 
 army, under the immediate advice and direc- ! covers the operations of the siege on the side 
 tion of colonel Mack. His arrival in the ' of Guise, and that under my immediate com- 
 JXetherlands, and his inauguration as duke i mand does the same towards Cambray." The 
 of Brabant, seemed to diffuse cordial joy, i siege of Landrecies was continiied ; and 
 affection, and loyalty through all ranks of his ; before they had o])ened the first batteries, an 
 people ; the personal affability and conde- 1 attack was advised to be made on the enemy, 
 scension of hi-s general conduct seemed to > who then occupied the cani]> of Cajsar, in 
 have secured him a renovation of that popu- | which we completely drove tiieni back, and 
 larity, which had been so prodigally lavi.shed ; obliged them to retreat in great confusion 
 upon the much-loved and revered Maria ; into Cambray, with the loss of 1200 men 
 Theresa. During his stay at Brussels, he I killed in the held, and three pieces of cannon 
 ■was very assiduous in attending to the real < taken. The French, however, probably 
 case and situation of the ISetherlantls ; his Miewed this retreat of their men in a different 
 consultations with his different ministers, | light from his royal highness, Avho reported 
 Metternich, Trautmansdorf, and tlie chan- ; it. For he informs us, in his despatches of 
 cellor Limpens, were almost daily ; and i the next day, that " at day-break the next 
 before he went to the armies, his imperial > morning the enemy attacked him on all sides, 
 majesty is reported to have declared to count ; and, after a short but severe conflict, he suc- 
 Colloredo, that he had been deceived by 5 ceeded in repulsing them with considerable 
 eveiy person, concerning the Brabanters, j slaughter. The enemy's general, Chapuy, 
 excepting his brother, prince Charles, and 5 was taken prisoner, and we became nrasters 
 Metternich. i of 35 pieces of the enemy's cannon. The 
 
 The emperor's an-ival at the army diffused > behaviour of the British cavalry has been 
 a general glow of confidence and ardour i beyond all praise. The army under his im- 
 ihrough the lines ; and the frequent passing ; perial majesty was attacked at the same time ; 
 and repassing of artillery and ammunition ; but they also repulsed them with great 
 appeared to announce the immediate siege | slaughter, and took "22 pieces of cannon." 
 of all the French frontier towns at the same ; Sucli were the prosperous and flattering 
 time. The French general, however, was i hopes at the opening of this campaign, when 
 so far from being inactive, that, by the con- J the bulk of the combined forces were m the 
 stant employment lie afforded to the different ; open country of Cambresis, not above forty 
 commanders against whom he was acting, | leagues from Paris, to which the road was 
 none of them could ventme to (|uit their posts I o|)en, without one fortihed town to obstruct 
 for the purpose of attending the imperial ; an army on their march, except St. Quentin 
 inauguration at JJrussels. The hrst njovement ; and Peronne, beth of which might be avoided, 
 of our troops, after his imperial majesty had i in case a free communicatiou could have lieen 
 
 3 X 32
 
 606 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XXXJX. 
 
 kept up and secured with that frontier, which 
 the combined army then possessed. The 
 most zealous advocate for the war could 
 scarcely wish for a more favourable oppor- 
 tunity of marching an army to Paris, for the 
 extermination of Jacobinism, than Mas now 
 offered, and with such a protecting and for- 
 midable force as M'as at this time victorious 
 upon the French territory. Had it been the 
 desire and wish of the people of France to 
 rise against their republican governors, as the 
 people had been taught, and almost com- 
 manded to believe, within the Avails of St. 
 Stephen's, we should have seen deputations 
 ciowding in to our commanders from Cam- 
 bray, St. Quentin, and other neighbouring- 
 towns, to be relieved and protected against 
 their tyrannical rulers. 
 
 The turn of events towards the close o{\ 
 this month, was as various as it was interest- \ 
 iiig to the belligerent pow ers. The surrender i 
 of Landrecies may properly be said to have \ 
 
 tenninated our short and unimportant career 
 of .success on the continent. The previous 
 loss, however, of Arlon, and the retreat of 
 general Beaulieu, M'ith 18,000 men, before the 
 republican army of Jourdan, was the first of 
 those successes, which I shall detail in the 
 following melancholy narrative of tiie disas- 
 ters attending the British arms. The French 
 represented the successes of their army of 
 the Ardennes as equal to their most sanguine 
 exi^ectations ; they reported that they had 
 fought for three days successively, and had 
 killed above 1200 of the Austrians. Whoever 
 reflects upon the steady conduct of tlie gal- 
 lant veteran Beaulieu, and the intrepidity and 
 conduct of the army under his cominand, 
 will allow him the just tribute of praise for an 
 orderly, though necessary, retreat ; but he 
 cannot deny the irresistible power of an 
 enemy, determined to support a cause in 
 which they had embarked every thing valu- 
 able and endearing in life. 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1794.] 
 
 Capture of St. Lucia and Guadaloupe — Message from his Blajesttj on the subject of the 
 existino- T>iscontents — Messrs. Adams and Hard;/ arrested — Suspension oj the Habeas 
 Corpus Act — Defeat of General Clairfait at Moucron — Duke of York attacked, and 
 repels the French — General Defeat of the Combined Armies — Gallant Defence of Ypres — 
 Glorious Victory of Lord Hoive on the \st of June. 
 
 THE island of St. Lucia surrendered to 
 sir John Jervis, and major-general 
 Dundas, who was directed by sir Charles 
 Grey upon this expedition, with such troops 
 and artillei-y as were thought necessary for 
 the reduction of the island. In ranging the 
 coasts, to the different points of debarkation, 
 
 5 the ships were obliged to near the shore, 
 I and received many shots from the batteries 
 5 with which the coast was lined ; but, fortu- 
 » nately, not one drop of blood was s'pilt*. The 
 \ day after the grenadiers and light infantry 
 \ had landed, and taken possession of some 
 } outposts and batteries, sir John Jervis and
 
 CHAP. XL.] 
 
 GEORGE Iir. 
 
 '>07 
 
 general Duiidassummoneil MoxirneFortuneeto 
 surrender ; they at first returned an equivocal 
 answer ; but upon ()l).servii)n- a disposition for 
 landing some baltalions of seainen, t})e\' im- 
 mediately submitted to tlie term.s of capitula- 
 tion. The capture of the islanil of Guada- 
 loupe Mas soon after effected by the g^allant 
 officer sir Charles Grey, with inlinite address 
 and resolution, though not without some loss 
 of the brave soldiers and seamen who co- 
 operated with tlieni on shore. They were no 
 sooner landed than they were ordered to 
 .storm the fort Flenr d'Epee, a veiy strong 
 situation to which the enemy had retired in 
 gi'eat force and number. The trooj>s were 
 commanded not to fire, but to execute every 
 thing with the bayonet. The first division 
 uhich connnenced the assault was headed by 
 his royal highness prince Edward ; the post 
 %vas carried by stonn, and the greatest part 
 of the garrison put to the sword. This diffi- 
 cult and adventurous service was executed, 
 according to the general's own words, " with 
 .such exactitude, superior ability, spirit and 
 good conduct, by the officers that severally 
 commanded those divisions, and every officer 
 and soldier under them, as to do them more 
 honour than he could find words to convey 
 an adefjuate idea of, or to express the high 
 sense he entertained of their extraordinary 
 merit upon the occasion." This succc-s put 
 onr troops in possession of Grand Ten-e. 
 The general, without loss of time, embarked 
 the greatest part of his troops for Basse-terre, 
 in order to complete the conquest of the 
 whole island. After the general had landed 
 w ith troops, and made every neces>ary dispo- 
 sition to attack the most formidable redoubts 
 of the enemy, D'Arbant, Grand Ance, and 
 Anet ; the two first were evacuated and set 
 fire to, and the last Avas taken by assault, 
 without the loss of a man. We also took, in 
 like manner, their famous post of Palniiste ; 
 after which general Collot capitulated, sur- 
 rendering Guadaloupe and all its dependen- 
 cies, comprehending the islands of Marie- 
 Galante, I>esiderata, the Saints, kc. upon the j 
 same terms which were allowed to Rocham- 
 beau at Martiiiiro, and Ricard at St. Lucia, — 
 to march out with the honours of war and 
 lay down their anus, to be sent to France, 
 and not to serve against the British forces or 
 their allies during the war. Thus ended the 
 glorious expedition of these brave and able i 
 
 3 T 2 
 
 officers, sir Charles Grey and sir John Jervis. 
 It is with heartfelt satisfaction that the people 
 read in the general's account, that " to the 
 unanimity and extraordinary exertions.of the 
 navy and army on this service, under fatigues 
 and difficnlties never exceeded, his majesty 
 and their country are indebted for the rajjid 
 success that, in so short a time, has extended 
 the British empire." 
 
 Lord Hawkeshnry, as chancellor of the 
 duchy of Lancaster, had a])pointed Mr 
 Reeves his steward to the duchy court of that 
 county. The stentorian powers of this gentle- 
 man, in vociferating alarm, had been already 
 tried, approved, and in part rewarded. Ac- 
 cordingly, the first official act of his zeal 
 manifested itself in an unusual expedient, 
 which could not fail of producing the desired 
 effect. Presuming that the generality of a 
 well-meaning and nervous nuiltitnde would 
 judge of the malignity of a disorder by the 
 multitude of advisers and drugs applied to 
 the patient, he very wisely, u'pon this princi- 
 ple, issued forth fioin the manor and liberty 
 of the Savoy a manifesto, on the 1st of the 
 month, " that on the 8lh the court would 
 meet again, where such persons, being resi- 
 dents within the liberty, as were disposed to 
 take an active part for preserving the peace 
 and ]>rotecting their property, in case of any 
 sudden emergency, woidd be invested with 
 the authority of constables, the better to 
 enable them so to do." A truly efficacious 
 remedy against sedition and treason, where 
 every man has authority to take uj) his 
 neighbour on suspicion ! The next eflTort 
 of Mr. Reeves' zeal was the special mission 
 which he deputed against Mr. Tlielwall. 
 This gentleman, it seems, was in the weekl}"^ 
 habit of giving political lectures at his house 
 in Beaufort Buildings. Mr. l^eeves' zeal 
 would not permit the sacred limits of the 
 Savoy to be polluted and deliled by such 
 democratic enormities ; fourteen or fifteen 
 persons were accordingly brought forward, to 
 give evidence before the jury, to induce them 
 to present his house as a nuisance. They, 
 however, were more attentive to the rights 
 and duties of juries, than to the manrfuvring 
 schemes of their political steward ; and de- 
 clared, that, having heard evidence, they saw 
 no cause for presenting the meeting at Mr. 
 Thelwall's as a nuisance. The example, 
 however, of swearing in an indefinite number
 
 508 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 LCIIAP. XL, 
 
 of volunteer constables was followed by most i On the same day, Mr. Hardy, the secretary 
 parishes of the metropolis ; thus incautiously I of the London Corresponding Society, and 
 aflbrding- sanction and opportunity to the ; Mr. Adams, secretary of tlie Society for Con- 
 
 \ stitutional Jnformalion, were taken into 
 X custody, and examined before the privv- 
 I council. This regal annunciation of guilt 
 
 evil-minded, (if such existed) by putting the 
 staff into their hands. 
 
 These measures were of a trifling nature, 
 >f slow process, and little formed to satiate 
 the cravings of those, who had convinced 
 tlieir sovereign that sedition and treason were 
 stalking abroad in his dominions, and had 
 rested the reality of the danger, at which the i 
 
 was followed up by the arrestation and ex- 
 amination of several members of these socie- 
 ties, who appeared more particularly zealous 
 in forwarding the ends of their institution. 
 
 Mr. 
 
 nation was alarmed, upon proof of the guilt ; upon 
 
 of the delinquents who had conspired for its 
 destruction. Accordingly, Mr. Dundas 
 brought down to the house of commons the 
 following message from his majesty. These 
 
 Fox, upon 
 the message. 
 
 occasion of the debate 
 expressed his extreme 
 
 astonishment, that the men who had formed 
 the report, men of taler.ts, character, and 
 information, should have thought it necessary 
 to reconunend so sudden, so violent, so 
 
 royal messages, like the kings speeches to | alarming a remedy, and that upon facts noto 
 
 his parliament, are constitutionally considered 
 as the words of his minister 
 
 nous for years. It was strange, indeed, to 
 inform that house, in detail, of every thing 
 which had been passing, day after day, before 
 the eyes of the ministry, unnoticed and with 
 impunity ; and now to call upon them for 
 theii' peremptory judgment upon the probable 
 effects of such events, and of the necessity of 
 putting an end to them by the most violent 
 
 Several other gentlemen of the 
 
 same 
 
 " George R. ■ 
 
 "His majesty, having re- ' 
 ceived information that the seditious prac- 
 tices which have been for some time carried 
 on by certain societies in London, in corres- 
 pondence with societies in other parts of the | means 
 
 country, liave lately been pursued with in- 5 side opposed, with great strength of argument, 
 creased activity and boldness, and have been i this delivery over of the personal liberty, the 
 avowedly directed to the object of assembling ; property, and the lives of individuals to the 
 a pretended general convention of the people, : po^er and will of tlie executive government, 
 in contempt and defiance of the authority of 5 especially when advised upon such flimsy 
 parliament, and on principles subversive of ; grounds as had been produced to the house 
 the existing laws and constitution, and di 
 rectly tending; to the introduction of that 
 
 tending- 
 system of anarchy and confusion which has 
 fatally prevailed in France, has given direc- 
 tions for seizing the books and papers of the 
 said societies in London, which have been 
 seized accordingly ; and these books and 
 papers appearing to contain matter of the 
 
 The last month closed with the unfortunate 
 defeat of general Clairfait at Moucron, on the 
 very day on uhich Landrecies surrendered ; 
 and seemed to turn the whole success of the 
 campaign. Upon this, the duke cf York was 
 ordered by the emperor to march at midniglit, 
 with all the troops under his connnand, from 
 Cateau to St. Armand, where thev arrived 
 
 greatest importance t«o the public interest, his ; extremely fatigued. According to Clairfaits 
 majesty has given orders for laying them | account to his royal highness of this disaster, 
 before the house 
 
 of commons ; and his 
 majesty recommends it to the house to con- 
 sider the same, and to take such measures 
 thereupon, as may appear to be necessary for 
 eflfectually guarding against the further prose- 
 cution of these dangerous designs, and foa* 
 
 the attack was made by the French with 
 infinite hnpetuosity, and the battle lasted 
 from eight o'clock in the morning till four ia 
 the afternoon ; and though his troops behaved 
 with much courage and resolution, yet no 
 sooner was the order for retreat given than 
 
 preserving to his majesty's subjects the enjoy- i they fell into a confusion, from which it was 
 ment of the blessings derived to them by the $ impossible ever to rally them. The French, 
 constitution happily established iu these | soon after this, attacked the duke of York "at 
 kingdonhs. 5 Tournay, with a l)ody of 30,000 men ; but. 
 
 " G. R." ; by the intrepidity and conduct of our troops, 
 
 ; they were repulsed with great loss.
 
 CHAP. XL.] 
 
 GRORGE III. 
 
 o<)9 
 
 So deterniiiied ivoro llie French to clear 
 Flanders, that Avithin three days after tiieir 
 unsuccessful attack upon his royal hi5:l)ness, 
 they again attacked in great force the corps 
 of general Clairfait, whd on the night before 
 had crossed the Heule. This action was 
 extremely violent and bloody, and lasted 
 from one o'clock till eleven at night, when 
 Clairfait succeeded in driving them back into 
 the town of Courtray ; yet, according to his 
 royal highness' account, " not being able to 
 take possession of the place, he retreated 
 again, first across the Heule, and then behind 
 the river Mandel ; but being still very closely 
 pursued by the enemy, he found himself under 
 the necessity of continuing his march to 
 Thielt, where he took up a position to cover 
 Ghent, Bruges, and Ostend. His loss, he 
 "was sorry to say, had been vei*y considerable." 
 So resolute and determined did the French 
 appear, to render themselves masters of all 
 the Austrian Netherlands, that no check nor 
 losses could damp their ardour. They forced 
 the passage of the Sanibre, and attacked 
 general Kaunitz in a very strong position, 
 which he had taken to cover Mons, between 
 Roucroi and Binche. He had the good for- 
 tune to repulse them, with the loss of 5000 
 men, and obliged them to retreat again across 
 the Sambre. His royal highness still retained 
 his position at Toiirnay, and the emperor 
 uiarched thither to his assistance. Here they 
 planncd their general attack upon the French 
 lines, in order, bj^ a joint co-operation m ith 
 the troops under general Clairfait, to compel 
 the enemy to evacuate Flanders. The attack 
 was to be made in three columns ; one imder 
 the command of the emperor and prince 
 Cobourg, another under prince Charles and 
 general Clairfait, and the third und( r the 
 duke of York, general Otto, and colonel 
 Mack. The French were too well prepared ; 
 they poured immense numbers of troops out 
 of Lisle and Courtray ; they succeeded in 
 dividing our troops, and gained a complete 
 victory ; the loss, on the part of the allies, 
 was excessive, both in men and cannon. The 
 «iuke of York was obliged to fly, almost un- 
 attended, and repeatedly escaped only by the 
 swiftness of his horse ; never was a route and 
 confusion more terrible ; blame was of course 
 thrown from one to another ; all, however, 
 «eem to allow, that the ardour of tiie British 
 troops had carried them beyond ordinary pru- 
 
 > dence or safety ; they were actually sur- 
 rounded, and would have been all taken pri- 
 soners had they not, with undaunted resolu- 
 tion, cut through an infinitely superior num- 
 ber of their enemy, with melancholy loss both 
 of officers and men. The Austrian accounts 
 say, " that the Hanoverians were the first to 
 retreat ; they created the general confusion, 
 for their cavalry not only destroyed our foot, 
 but tlMew the whole army into such disorder, 
 that they became a helpless prey to the pur- 
 suing enemy. Their conduct proved more 
 fatal than the hostility of the French." This 
 terrible disast(>r spread alarm through the 
 country ; the allied armies, as they could 
 rally and collect themselves, resumed their 
 fonner positions near Tournay, Turcoigne, 
 Lannoy, Roubaix, and Mourveaux. The 
 emperor here received a powerful lesson upon 
 the policy of continuing the war against the 
 French republicans, whose downfal and e\- 
 tinction had been so often demonstrated to 
 him upon paper by colonel Mack and others. 
 The first attention of his imperial majesf\, 
 upon his return to Tournay, was not to order 
 a march directly to Paris, but to soothe the 
 dispirited and wounded hearts of his subjects. 
 He therefore immediately published a bulletin, 
 to contradict several exaggerated representa- 
 tions of the disaster, alleging, with truth, that 
 it ?5 of consequence, immediately to connleruct 
 the duv<>erous effects of alnrms that spread 
 with suck rapiditi/. 
 
 Four days after this calamitous defeat, the 
 French ag-ain attacked the combined armies, 
 with an enormous force of upwards of 100,000 
 men. The attack began at five o'clock in 
 
 I the morning, but scarcely became serious till 
 nine, vhen the whole force of the enemy fell 
 upon the right wing of the combined ami), 
 in order, if possible, to force the passage of 
 the Scheldt, and so invest Tournay. They 
 (irmly maintained their post till nine o'clock 
 at night, when, with the reinforcements that 
 were sent to them, they obliged the enemy to 
 retreat, with the inunense loss of 12,000 men, 
 which his royal highness obsened to be by 
 no means improbable, as they were exposed 
 for twelve hours successively to an incessant 
 fire of camion and musquetry. The spirit 
 and conduct of general Fox, who commanded 
 the British brigade on this occasion, were 
 particularly conspicuous. The calamitous 
 failure of our grand attack upon the Freuct<
 
 610 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. XL. 
 
 lines, and the subsequent misfortunes, were 
 somewhat allayed by this repulse of so 
 superior a forcie, and' l>y the accounts from 
 general Beaulieu in Bouillon, where he had 
 defeated the enemy, killed 1200, and taken 
 300 prisoners, with six pieces of cannon. 
 General Kaunitz had also obtained a fresh 
 victory over the enemy on the banks of the 
 Sanibre, where he had killed 2000, and taken 
 3000 prisoners, with more than fifty pieces 
 of cannon. Great and important as these 
 advantages might appear to the allies, the 
 French were not checked by tliem ; their 
 numbers, their ardour, their perseverance, 
 Mere iinsurinountable. At this very time 
 they marched an army of 40,000 men into the 
 duchy of Luxembourgh, and obliged Beau- 
 lieu, immediately after his success at Bouillon, 
 to evacuate Arlon, and fall back upon 
 Marche, in order to cover Namur. From 
 these diflerent events we may usefully learn 
 to reflect, of what slight avail are the personal 
 bravery, resolution, and conduct of the most 
 formidable army, in attempting the extermi- 
 nation of a people fighting upon one common 
 principle, for the defence and maintenance of 
 their rights and liberties. The history of 
 France at this crisis, and of Spain after the 
 imprisonment of Ferdinand, equally demon- 
 strate the omnipotence of freedom. 
 
 Great was the nation's triumph upon her 
 native element ; but her disasters and failures 
 ©n land proved a severe but wholesome lesson 
 against attempting the extemiination of an 
 independent country. The emperor had, in 
 his mournful account of the last victory 
 before Tournay, sufficiently expressed his 
 sentiments and feelings upon the situation of 
 aflkirs at this crisis. Emphatically did he 
 complain of his being " deeply affected with 
 so many misfortunes and disasters ; amidst 
 the cries of victory he heard the groans of the 
 wounded. The enemy had lost at least 6000 
 men ; but the combined army could not have 
 lost less than 2000 soldiers killed. The day 
 after 2000 combatants have lost their lives, 
 cannot, to a feeling monarch, be altogether a 
 day of triumph." He soon after withdrew 
 himself from the army. His confidential 
 militai-y adviser, colonel Mack, resigned, and 
 attended his imperial master on his return to 
 Vienna. He loudly complained of having 
 been thwarted and crossed in all his designs. 
 They both left the army under the experi- 
 
 mental conviction of the absolute impractica- 
 bility of the well-undeistood, though unde- 
 fined, objects of tlie war. 
 
 Notwithstanding their repeated repulses by 
 general Kauuitz, the French again crossed 
 the Sambre, and threatened to surround his 
 whole column ; they had already thrice at- 
 tempted the siege of Charleroi, and now ac- 
 tually opened the trenches before it. The 
 hereditary prince of Oiange attacked and de- 
 feated them with the loss of 7000 men and 
 32 pieces of cannon, which obliged them to 
 retreat again beyond the Sambre, where they 
 took u]} a position near Jocelies in order to 
 cover the siege of Charleroi. The advantage 
 was more than counterbalanced l)y the defeat 
 of general Clairfait in West Flanders, who 
 had in his colunm about 7000 Hanoverians 
 and five regiments of British. Every move- 
 ment of this brave and experienced, though 
 unfortunate, officer seemed to serve merely to 
 throw away men, and sow distrust and diffi- 
 dence amongst the troops. The Hanoverians 
 absolutely refused to obey him, and insisted 
 upon being commanded by one of their own 
 generals, either Walmoden or Hamraerstein. 
 Tliis latter general was justly respected and 
 belo^ ed by the whole army, particulai'ly since 
 his spirited sortie at the head of the small 
 garrison of Menin, \a here, in order to rescue a 
 corps of emigrants from execution by their 
 countrymen, lie generously and valiantly cut 
 his way through an army of several thousands 
 of the enemy, who had surrounded that 
 town. General Clairfait, on the other hand, 
 complained of a w;int of bravery and conduct 
 in the Hanoverians. It is certain, however, 
 that not only the Hanoverians, but also the 
 British troops, complained that general Clair- 
 fait had led them on, under the piomise of 
 co-operation, to a point in which they were 
 \ totally exposed to the enemy, and w ould have 
 I been inevitably cut off, had they not made a 
 I very hasty retreat. 
 
 » Never did a garrison make a more reso- 
 5 lute and vigorous defence than that of Ypres. 
 This town is the key to West Flandeis ; it 
 was besieged by an army of 30,000 men, sup- 
 ported by a covering army of 24,000. The 
 importance of this post was well known to 
 the combine<l armies ; general Clairfait sufiisr- 
 ed three defeats in five days, in endeavouring 
 to raise the siege ; and ])rinre Cobourg was 
 also checked in his attempt to throw succours
 
 CHAP. XL.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 511 
 
 into the plare from the main body of the 
 army. The brave general tie Salis lield out 
 till all his annnunition uas exj)endeil, and 
 several of his guns dismounted ; lie was then 
 oi)liged to surrender, and the brave survivors 
 of this long- and bloody siege were made 
 prisoners of war. The consternation into 
 wliich the fall of Ypres threw the whole 
 Austrian Netherlands, is scarcely to be 
 described. Every individual, who possessed 
 the lueans, quitted Ostend ; the dej)arture 
 of prince Ernest Mas the general signal of 
 alarm and flight; All the valuables of every 
 description were shipped oiY, and the re- 
 mainder of the garrison had orders to abandon 
 it. The like consternation began at Brussels. 
 The emperor had left no expedient untried 
 to save his territories in the Netherlands. He 
 at last resorted to the persuasive means of 
 personal presence and confidence. In his 
 last proclamation of the 23rd of this month 
 to the Belgians, when he exhorted them to 
 rise en masse, which he published from Brus- 
 sels, he spoke to them with the tenderness 
 of a father, ratlier tlian with the aiithority 
 of a sovereign ; he had indeed found this 
 latter useless. " Religion, constitution, pro- 
 perty, the sovereign," said he, " who wears 
 you all in his heart, Avho came among you 
 >vithout guards, who trusted himself to )our 
 love, who esteems you." The people of 
 Belgium were as deaf to these entreaties as 
 they had been to his former exhortations to 
 raise levies for his armies. No sooner had 
 general Clairfait been forced from his position 
 of Deysne, and fallen back upon Ghent, than 
 general Walmoden was under the necessity 
 of quitting Bruges, and joining general Clair- 
 faifs army. His royal highness, having 
 intelligence of those movements, by which 
 all communication with Ostend was cut off, 
 and learning that the French had detached a 
 corps to attack Oudenarde, found it neces- 
 sary to quit his situation before Tournay, and 
 march lo Rendix for defence of the Sciiehlt. 
 So completely had the French cut off all 
 communications between the armies of prince 
 Cobourg and general Beaulieu, that no in- 
 telligence whatever could be procured of the 
 fate of Charleroi. A general attack, there- 
 fore, was determined upon by jirince Cobourg, 
 and was executed with great rcsf)lution ; it 
 proved at first successful, but ended in the 
 total repulse of the prince's army. It was 
 
 here that he first learned from a deserter, that 
 Charleroi had surrendered on the preceding 
 day. Upon this, prince Cobourg made a 
 very orderly and judicious retreat, first as far 
 as Marbais, and (rem thence to Nivelles, to 
 cover the country as far as possible, and to 
 protect Namur. The fate of the Netherlands 
 was now fixed ; and our cabinet sent out 
 lord Moira, wilh that part of his airay which 
 had survived the expedition to the coast of 
 France, (excejit the ca>alry) in order to 
 reinforce the duke of York. Immediately 
 upon their landing at Ostend, they marched 
 up the country to form a junction with his 
 royal highness at Antwerp ; colonel Vyse 
 waited, in the mean time, at Ostend, to see 
 all the artillery, stores, and bagsiage embarked 
 for Antwerp, before it was ultimately evacu- 
 ated. In the course of this month, his royal 
 highuess took an opportunity of communi- 
 cating to his army tlie iiilunnan decree passed 
 by the French convention, for giving w> 
 quarter to the British and Hanoverian tropp.s. 
 " He anticipated the horror and uidignation, 
 with which, he knew, his brave troops would 
 receive this information. He reminded them. 
 however, that mercy to the vanquished was 
 the brightest gem in the soldier's character, 
 and exhorted them not to permit their resent 
 ment to lead them to any precipitate act of 
 cruelty on their parts, which might sully the 
 reputation they had already acquired iu 
 arms." His royal highness very faiily attri- 
 buted the passing of this decree to the over- 
 liearing influence of the blood-thirsty Robes- 
 pierre, and as handsomely as truly anticipated 
 the effect of it upon tlie French army. " The 
 British and Hanoverian armie.s will not 
 believe that the French nation, even under 
 their present infatuation, can so far forget 
 their characters as soldiers, as to pay any 
 attention to a decree, as injurious to them- 
 selves as it is disgraceful to the persons who 
 passed it." This horrid decree never was 
 put in execution ; and it was repealed after 
 the death of Robespierre. 
 
 Thoi'gh fortune had not been propitious to 
 the arms of the confederates, the success ot 
 England on her appropriate theatre, unin- 
 cumbered by her allies, was uniform and 
 friiuiiphant. The channel fleet, which during 
 tlie last summer had performed nothing 
 worthy of the reputation of its veteran com 
 mander, put lo sea iu the spring, in seart !♦
 
 S12 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ^Cn AlK XL' 
 
 of an enerrtywho Iiad hitherto eliuled pursuit. ; as highly derogatory to the naval reputation 
 Lord Howe w as particularly solicitous -on the * of England. 
 
 present occasion to vindicate the honour of; The rival fleets remained within sight of 
 his country, and to rescue his own character i each other during the whole night ; the ling- 
 from ininierited reproach ; and the powerful > lish, which was now reduced to 'lo ships, on 
 arniaiuent now- under his command left ; the starboard tack, and in a parallel direction 
 no doubt relative to the i-esult of the con- : willi the F'rench, who were still to windwards ; 
 test. \ hut on the next mornmg the English tacked 
 
 The anxiety of the French government for > by signal, and with some degree of irregu- 
 tlie fate of a convoy expected from America, ; larity, with a view of making an impression 
 Avith the produce of the West India islands, | on the enemy's rear. After many iiitiit ate 
 induced the convention to equip a fleet of ; niaria>uvres, in which the English maintained 
 26 sail of the line for its protection ; ofwhichithe weather-gage, the action terminated 
 the command was given to admiral Villaret. « without any decisive advantage to either side ; 
 On the •28th of May the rival fleets descried I and a fog, that interfered during the night and 
 each other at the same time, in latitude 47" i 'he greater part of the ensuing day, prevented 
 33' N. and longitude 14° 10' W. ; the wind ; the renewal of the engagement. In the mean 
 blew strongly from the south-west, accom- ; time, rear-admiral INeilly joined the com- 
 panied by a boisterous sea, and the French i mander-in-chief of the French fleet, with 
 possessed the weather-gage. A^illaret, hoM- ; three sail of the line, which enabled him t© 
 ever, endeavoured as much as possible to J detach his crippled ships, and to form an 
 form a regular order of battle on the starboard 5 eflicient force of 26 ships of the line, 12 
 tack ; a circumstance that greatly facilitated ; frigates, and 8 corvettes. The force of the 
 the approach of the English. As the con- i English, on the 1st of June, amounted to 25 
 duct of the enemy indicated an intention to | ships of the line, 5 frigates, and 8 sloops, or 
 avoid an action, the British commander dis- I cutters. The dawn exhibited the French 
 played the signal for a general chace ; and, | line to leeward, drawn up in order of battle, 
 to prevent their escape, detached admiral ; and prepared to renew the contest. The 
 Pasley to make an impression on their rear, j British admiral, perceiving that there was 
 That officer, on the close of the day, came \ time sufficient for the various companies to 
 up with the Ilevolutionaii-e, a three-decked i take refreshment, made a signal for breakfast ; 
 .ship of 110 guns; but his topmast being | a measure which, by procrastinating the com 
 disabled during the action, lord Hugh Sey- j mencement of the action, induced the enemy 
 mour Conway, in the Leviathan, gallantly \ to believe, that the British were disposed to 
 advanced, and received her fire ; and as soon » decline the engagement. But their hopes 
 as it was dark, captain Parker, of the Auda- \ were fallacious. In about half an hour, lord 
 cious, having arrived close to the rear-ship, ,* Howe, relaxing the usual sternness of*liis 
 Avhiph was supposed to be the Revolntionaire, I countenance into a smile, gave orders for 
 before engaged, fought her w ithin the distance 5 steering the Royal Charlotte alongside of the 
 of half a cable. The Revolutionaire now 5 French admiral. His command was obeyed ; 
 attempted to board her assailant, and, having | and,- by an extraordinary display of seaman- 
 failed, made sail before the wind, after having | ship on the part of his master, he was enabled 
 been supposed to strike her colours. The 5 to assume a most excellent position, and to 
 Audacious herself was so severely crippled, 5 contend with advantage against a vessel of 
 that the captain, pursued by two of the ; far superior strength and size. While some 
 French ships, menaced by nine sail of the I of the English commanders penetrated tl;e 
 enemy's line, stationed to windward, and, I line of battle, and engaged to leeward, others 
 fired upon occasionally by a frigate and two x occupied such stations as enabled them to 
 corvettes, returned to Plymouth Sound. } contend with their antagonists to windward, 
 
 i In this manner terminated the first days • So close and severe was the contest, that the 
 action, which, considering the frail condition : fate of this day depended but little on the 
 of many of the French ships, rendered almost I exertion of nautical skill. Yet upon this 
 unserviceable by age or long-continued ser- « occasion, when the drapery of the three- 
 vice, was regarded by the people of England ; coloured flag not unfrcqucutly mingled witji
 
 CHAP. XL.] 
 
 CF.onGE MI. 
 
 513 
 
 that of the British cross, the superiority of!- 
 the Eiij^lish seamon was emiiiently foris;i)i- ' 
 cuous. Disciplined into war, the steady arm, 
 the undaunted eye, the animated counte- 
 nance, denoted that they were familiar with 
 the element on which they fought. And 
 while the shot of the enemy occasioned but 
 little bloodshed on decks which were not 
 crowded by useless men, every broadside 
 spread death and despair through the crowded 
 ranks of their antagonists. 
 
 In about fifty minutes after the action had 
 connnt-nced in the centre, adnn'ral Villaret 
 determined to relinquish the contest. Seve- 
 ral of his ships were already dismasted, one 
 of them was about to sink, and six were 
 captured, lie crowded off with all tiie can- 
 vass he could spread, and was followed by 
 nearly all the ships in his van that were not 
 completely ciip])led. The enemy had, as 
 usual, chieHy aimed at the rigging, and the 
 victors were thus disabled from pursuing the 
 vanquished. The British endeavour to 
 destroy the efleetive force of the enemy's 
 ships ; the French to secure the means of 
 safe and easy tiight. The Queen Charlotte 
 was prevented from rapturing her antagonist. 
 La Montague, by an unlucky broadside from 
 Le Jacobin, which rendered her nearly un- 
 nianagcable. The slaughter of the Ena,lish 
 was conqjaratively trivial. Captain Mon- 
 tagu, of the Montagu, was the only command- 
 er who fell in the engagement. Vice-admiral 
 Graves, the honourable G. Berkley, and 
 ca|)tain J. Harv(;y, were wounded ; and rear- 
 admirals Pasley and Bowj'cr, with captain 
 
 llutt of the Queen, lost their legs. Hutt and 
 Harvey died on their return to port. Pasley 
 and Bowyer were created baronets, and each 
 received a pension of £1000 per annum. 
 Admirals Graves and Hood were honoured 
 with the peerage. Too much praise, indeed, 
 cannot be given to the officers for skill, or 
 the men for courage ; and had not the 
 bravery of the French seamen, and the firm- 
 ness of their conuuaiulers, far surpassed every 
 former display of these qualities in naval 
 conflicts, tlie prowess, coolness, and tactical 
 expertness of the British navy would have 
 obtained a more immediate and still more 
 decisive result. 
 
 The loss of the French, in consequence of 
 the mode of action to which I have alluded, 
 was nearly four times that of the English, 
 who had 272 men killed, and 787 wounded. 
 That of the enemy has been estimated at 
 1300 killed, and 2380 wounded. On board 
 the six caj)tured ships there were 690 killed, 
 and 580 wounded ; while on board the six 
 English ships that sufl'ered most, there were 
 only 12-5 killed, and 335 wounded. Not- 
 withstanding the disastrous result of this 
 engagement, the French obtained the object 
 for which the fleet had been equipped ; but 
 the splendour of the victory elevated the 
 maritime renown of our countrymen, and 
 swelled the hearts of the people with exulta- 
 tion. The skill and energy of the ofHcers, the 
 courage and activity of the men under their 
 couunand, were loudly applauded ; and con- 
 fident hopes were entertained, by the sanguine 
 public, of the total ruin of the French navy. 
 
 3 r 
 
 33
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1794.] 
 
 lymiiJcs voted to Lord Howe — Failure of our armies on the Continent — Conduct of the 
 Allied Poivers — Fall of Robespierre — Evacuation of Liege, and retreat of the' Combined 
 Armies — Disastrous Retreat of the English from Holland — Trials of Tooke, Hardy, ^'C. 
 Qt the Old Bailey — Their Acquittal — Close of the Campaign in Holland. 
 
 A VOTE of thanks, of both houses of | invited the French into tlieir town, under aa 
 parliament, had most deservedly passed ; unqualified surrender. Even Tournay, which 
 to lord Howe, for tlie singular services ren- > had retained more regard and respect for the 
 dercd to his country on the 1st of June. It ; combined powers than any other town of the 
 is generally understood, that the talents and ; Netherlands, received the French troops 
 bravery of this able seaman were called forth \ with the most jovial marks of joy ; liquor 
 by the personal interference of his majesty, ; was brought to the gates through which they 
 and not from that influence which had re- i made their entry. Health and prosperity 
 moved this deserving veteran from the head | were drank, and shouted in loud accord by 
 of the admiralty-board, to make room for a | the army and citizens. Mons, after a fresh 
 successor that would, from family and other | defeat of prince Cobourg, was entered at one 
 considerations, be more submissive in model- i gate by the French, whilst the Austrian? 
 .ling the appointments of the navy to the trim ; retired unmolested out of the opposite gate, 
 ©f the pi-esent system. Lord Hood was ofi Prince Cobourg had, after the evacuation of 
 the family compact ; and it was judged, that ; Mons, attempted to make a stand in the 
 the acquisition of a new crown was as de- 5 forest of Soignies, where he had raised 
 serving of the thanks of parliament as the | several batteries, and rendered the posture 
 crippling of tlie navy of a republican enemy. \ very formidable. They were assailed and 
 Accordingly, Mr. secretary Dundas moved, $ carried by the bayonet. The jjrince, after 
 " That the thanks of the house be given to | losing above 7000 men, and finding it im- 
 lord Hood, for the important service he has » possible to repel the enemy, ordered a retreat, 
 rendered to tliis country, by liis able and : which was well accomplished, through Brus- 
 gallant conduct in his expedition to Corsica." j sels and its environs, in the night. He had 
 Opposition was made to the motion, both in 5 previously directed tlie magistrates of that 
 the commons and lords. As the most flatter- ! town to enjoin the inhabitants, luider pain 
 ing compliment that could be paid to the ; of death, to confine themselves to their houses, 
 gallant a(Uniral lord Howe, his majesty, with 5 fasten their doors, and block up their windows, 
 a great part of'his family, made an excursion | In solemn and dejected pomp, the collected 
 to Portsmouth, to view the conquering and | remnants of this army, which had, during the 
 the captured fleet. 5 last and former campaigns, suftered the most 
 
 Eviiuv day, and almost every hour, of this » various turns of fortune, marched through 
 month (.Inly) opened fresh proofs of the in- 5 Brussels. This singular order of the general 
 creasing success, strengtli, and influence of; spoke more forcibly than a volume of mani- 
 the French republic. The citizens of Bruges $ festoes, the feelings and the sentiments of the
 
 CHAP. XLl] GEORGE III. 515 
 
 Brabantei's, at. the retreat erf the imperial ; orders from the court of Vienna, the imperial 
 armies, and their separation from the house i army was making good its retreat into der- 
 vf Austria. The citizen volunteers main- < many. Their niarrh was for a time inter- 
 tained, notwithstanding (liis order, a strict I nipted l>y the niehuichoiy reports of the 
 guard to ])reveiit disorder or plunder till the | defeat of the combined armies on the Riune,- 
 arrival of the Frencii, w ho entered at one ; and tlie accounts of hlood, slaughter, terror, 
 gate as tlie Austrians were departing from j flight, and confusion. The troops were ex- 
 the opposite. | hausted by six days' successive fighting. 
 
 General Bcaulieu evacuated the city aiid ! without eating for nineteen out of the twenty- 
 citadel of Naniur, upon tlie fortifications of | four hours. A condjined army of 100,000 
 which, inmiense sums had this veiy year I men was driven, by tiie renovated impetuosity 
 been expended. The imperialists retired J and daily vigour of the fresh troops, across 
 towards Maestricht and Liege. The armies ; the Rhine ; and the victorious French threat- 
 of lord Moira and the duke of York for ; ened even Manheim and xMentz. The first 
 some time kept up a line of communication ; impression of these bloody victories terrified 
 to cover Antwerp. Mechlin, Louvain, and j the inhabitants of the surrounding country 
 the whole of the Netherlands was evacuated, J from their homes, and the consequent con- 
 and quietly possessed by the French. ; fusion was neither to be conceived nor de- 
 
 The amiy under lord Moira had undergone | scribed. The French issued proclamations 
 incredible hardships since their disembarka- I for insuring the security of their persons, and 
 tion at Ostend ; they marched without tents ; the protection of their property, which brought 
 or baggage, and suffered extremely from the | back the greater part of these affrighted 
 heat and dryness of the season. The com- ; fugitives. On the liorders of Holland, the 
 mander had endeared himself to the affections i town of Sluys was closely besieged, and the 
 of the men in a most extiaordinary manner ; > brave governor rejected the summons to 
 they almost adored him ; they ever beheld \ surrender with a spirit and dignity rarely to 
 him the foremost in difficulties and dangers ; ; be found in the armies of Holland, though 
 he slept in the open air, like the meanest j worthy of the primitive founders of that re- 
 soldier in the ranks ; and anticipated in his I public. The important fort of Lillo, which 
 example every order he issued to the lines. ; commands the navigation of the Scheldt, was 
 Uj)on his lordship resigning the command to i evacuated, and abandoned by the garrison, 
 general Abercrombie, v.ithin three weeks I The present advanced stage of the cam- 
 after his landing, he published an address to « paign ; the close of a session, unexampled 
 his army, which besjjeaks the most honour- ; for the violence of the measures proposed, 
 able feelings. Innnediately after his resigna- i and the unqualified submission of the majority 
 tion, the French pressed with such impetuous | by which they were adopted ; the secessiou 
 force upon the British lines, that his royal I of the great leaders of the Whig party, and 
 highness was under the necessity of retreating { their coalition with those whom they had 
 to the strong position of Creda. He happily > opposed for the last ten years, formed a sin- 
 effected it without loss. The ])rince of i gular coincidence of circumstances, and arrest 
 Orange, about this time, made an address to ; our attention to the relative situation of 
 the IJnited Provinces, to rally the zeaf of all I Great Britain and the French republic. With 
 those true lovers of their country, that wished | the full invigoration of their respective powers, 
 to preserve its independence against the Gallic | we now began to feel the effects of a fair trial 
 invaders, and destroyers of all order and go- ; of skill, strength, and energy. The impetuous 
 ^ernmcnt. He pledged to them his own exist- 1 and rapid advances of the republican armies 
 ence, and summoned all the powers and vigour ; had brought the British forces to the humili- 
 of the states to withstand the enemy. The i ating necessity of introducing into their tactics 
 danger he allowed to be imminent, when an 5 the hitiierto unknown process of perpetual 
 irresistible enemy had so effectually brought * retrogradation. lamas unwilling to presume 
 the I;ite defensive system into the most | that the .Jean de Brie of the British cabinet 
 alarming operations of offence. A garrison ; had actually despat<hed any of his missiou- 
 was thrown into Maestricht, and the town i aries to Paris, to demolish the executive 
 was declared to be in a state of siege. By ; government of Fiance, as L am to bel'e\ e that 
 
 3 V 2
 
 516 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XLl- 
 
 any of t1ic orig^inally proposed corps of as- 
 sassins had bt'cn despatched to England 
 upon a similar errand. A full experiment, 
 however, was now made of the elfects of an 
 attempt to overtln-ow the existing p,overnment 
 of the French republic, by the destruction of 
 their leaders. The zeal of the earl of INIans- 
 field could scarcely at this time have given a 
 larger commission to the captain-general of 
 his destroying- legion, than the removal of the 
 blood-thirsty leader and soul of the conven- 
 tion, Robespierre, with his party. This must 
 have been the prelude or first act of the in- 
 surrection or i-ebellion, which, ' it was main- 
 tained in the British house of peers, ought to 
 be encouraged and insured at any price. In 
 the downfal of this Jacobin leader of the 
 French govenuuent, did its enemies foresee 
 the sure dissolution of its Avhole system. 
 Europe, however, saw llobespierre, with 
 nineteen of his associates, and sixty-eight 
 municipal officers in his interest, executed in 
 one day, for affecting a power which the 
 nation had not granted — and the energy of 
 the republic invigorated, not palsied, by their 
 foil. It 'was therefore concluded, that the 
 French government had now acquired a solid 
 basis ; that the spirit of tliat government had 
 generally pervaded every rank of people ; 
 and that, whatever difterences of party might 
 exist in France, the whole nation w as unani- 
 mous, even to enthusiasm, in resisting the 
 revival of monarchy, and opposing the in- 
 vasion of foreign powers?. 
 
 It is astonishing that so violent a change 
 as might have been expected from the death 
 of Robespierre, and the extinction of his par- 
 ty, should not have produced the slightest 
 effect upon the conduct of any of the com- 
 bined powers, even in the first luicertain 
 moments of their joy and expectancy from the 
 great event ; no aid, support, nor encourage- 
 ment given to the royalists to take advantage 
 of the critical moment ; no offensive effort 
 attempted to impress the republican armies 
 with a hope or prospect of delivering them- 
 selves from the late, and the dangers of re- 
 lapsing into future tyranny ; but all was 
 retreat, cession, and despondency, from 
 eveiy quarter of tiie confederacy. The exe- 
 cution of Robespierre took place on the 28th 
 of the preceding month. 
 
 The French soon began to verify the 
 alarming predictions and fears of the empe- 
 
 ror ; they took a very critical advantage of 
 the movements of the imperial and Prussian 
 generals, marched in three colunms, and with 
 little resistance took possession of Treves. 
 This position enabled them at once to keep 
 a check upon Luxembourg, and to menace 
 Coblentz, where there was no adequate force 
 to oppose them, and from whence the Aus- 
 trians were removing all their stores and 
 magazines. A system of toleration, f«iedom, 
 and protection of property was now fully 
 adopted by the French, as they extended 
 tlieir conquests. They liad no sooner entered 
 Treves than they established a municipality ; 
 they broke in upon no property whatsoever, 
 and left the different corporations, and all 
 civil and religious institutions as they found 
 them. 
 
 The fall of the sanguinary Robespierre 
 produced no other effect within the republic, 
 than the change of a system of blood and 
 terror into that of moderation and apparent 
 equity. It was asserted in the convention, 
 that Robespierre inhumanly exposed the 
 armies, whenever he could, to the most 
 wanton slaughter, in the hope of their meeting 
 with some check or disaster, which might 
 enable him to work the downfal of his rival 
 colleagues. By this change of principle in 
 the government, the executive power of 
 France acquired a sudden invigoration and 
 energy, which exceeded expectation and 
 almost belief. Robespierre's orders for 
 attempting to storm the captured towns of 
 Valenciennes, Condo, Le Quesnoy, and Lan- 
 drecies, were still unrevoked ; he had allowed 
 for the sure sacrifice of 6000 men in the 
 attempt. This change in then* system of 
 government naturally produced a temporary 
 inactivity in the remoter parts of the republic ; 
 but it was of short duration. And now, by 
 moderate and not inefficient measures, the 
 army of the north made themselves masters 
 of each of these towns, and also of Nieuport, 
 but with the loss of little blood to the re- 
 public. 
 
 Sickness began to force the British troops 
 from their unhealthy position before Breda. 
 Tlie temporary inaction of the French g©- 
 vernment, inunediately after the death of 
 Robespierre, had allowed them an imexpected 
 respite, of which they might have profited, 
 had they taken up a position in its nature 
 tenable ; preparations w ere made, and a
 
 CHAP. XLI.J GEORGE IH. 517 
 
 pontoon bridge thrown over tlie Meuse at • and William Higgius, apprentice to a chy- 
 Grave, to enable them to retire in safety upon I mist ; and Smith, a bookseller, and Beck, a 
 the first advance of the enemy towards ; sadler, were also taken up ; Upton, a watch- 
 INimeguen, By the fall of Valenciennes, Le ! maker, was the approver. The charge, sup- 
 Quesnoy, Landrecies, and Conde, a very ; |)orted only by the testimony of Upton, was, 
 large part of the enemy's army was now at | tliat those apprentices had formed the project 
 liberty to operate against the allies. There J of attempting to assassinate his majesty with 
 had been for some time a dearth of intelli- i a poisoned dart, that was to be blown through 
 gence from our armies on the continent, when t u brass tube, inserted in a walking-stick to 
 the expectations of the nation were suddenly ; prevent suspicion. The arrow, Avliich was 
 damped by the publication of an extraordi- | produced to the privy-council, was examined 
 nary gazette, the usual herald of joyful | by Mr. Mortimer, the goldsmith, and re- 
 tidings to the people, announcing the nielan- 1 ported by him to be a most ingenious .piece 
 choly necessity of flying before the enemy, ) of mechanism. The jirisoners were almost 
 almost without resistance. A cautious and 5 daily examined before the privj'-council, and 
 prudent retreat may command the admira- 5 commonly in the presence of the attorney and 
 tion, and even gratitude, of thinking men ; ; solicitor-general, Mr. Ford, and others. The 
 but the report of a British army flying before ; examinations were ciuried on till the opening 
 the enemy is little flattering to a British ear, | of the special oonnnission, and the charge 
 little congenial with British spirit : no man ; delivered to the grand jury. The actual 
 could read the account of the duke's situa- i result of these examinations was the confine- 
 tion, without humiliation and regret. \ ment of Upton the approver. He was known 
 
 General La Tour commanded a very i to have vowed vengeance against Le Maitre 
 large body of Austrians in and about Liege ; i and Higgins at a committee of the same 
 they were attacked and defeated with very 5 society, from which he had been expelled for 
 heavy loss by general Jourdan, notwithstand- | mal-practices ; he was known and proved to 
 ing the strong positions they had seized in > have acted as a spy to government. The 
 that uneven and mountainous country ; the I whole of this tremendous plot was artful and 
 principality of Liege fell into the possession | malicious. The iimoccnt victims, however, 
 of the French, to the great joy and exultation ; of Upton's iniquity were still confined ; their 
 of the connnonalty, who could scarcely be i discharge might have cleared away the im- 
 restrained from falling upon the Austrians as | pressions A\hich their accusation had created, 
 they were retiring from the town. General j and the habeas corpus act Mas still suspended. 
 Clairfait, who, since the resignation of prince 5 The lirst bill of indictn^.ent pre- ^ . , 
 Cobourg, commanded the army, had kept for > sented to the grand jury included 
 some time his position between Liege and } twelve persons, against all of whom they 
 Maestricht, awaiting the determination of 5 found a true bill. The lord chief-justice had 
 his court, either to retreat into the hereditary } said in his charge, thai high treason was tlie 
 states of his S9vereign, or to attempt another \ greatest crime against faith, duty, and human 
 co-operation with his maritime allies. For \socicty ; consequently, the persons found 
 ten or twelve days previous to the evacuation ; guilty of it nnist be persons dangerous to tlve 
 of Liege, he had been almost daily attacked $ welfare of the society in which they move and 
 by the French, and mostly to his disadvan- 1 act at large. Yet it is a singular circum- 
 tage. General Kray, with the troops under 5 stance, that, notwithstanding the heinousn©ss 
 his command, was forced to retreat to Maes- 1 of the ofl'ence, and that his majesty was 
 tricht, in consequence of the movement of > empowered, by the late statute suspendinj; 
 general Clairfait towards Aix-la-Chape!le. ; the operation of the habeas corpus act, to 
 
 To the English nation the state of domestic i secure and <letain such persons as he sus- 
 politics was of more importance than the ; pected were conspiring against bis person 
 vicissitudes of the campaign. By the direc- ; and government, four of those against whom 
 tion of a justice, (Mr. For<l) a warrant was | the bill was found were still permitted to b<* 
 procured from the duke of Portland for ; at large. Mr. Holcroft, one of them, some 
 an-esting John Peter Le Maitre, a native of i time after the bill had been found, resisted 
 Jersey, and an apprentice to a watch-maker, i his friends' most urgent importunitiee, and
 
 518 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 the fairest opportunity, to make his escape. 
 His conscious innocence induced him to 
 make a vohintary surrender of his person, 
 which vas reluctantly accepted of hy the 
 court ; so little dangerous to the government 
 and constitution were these sta'te delinquents 
 in the eyes of their very persecutors ! It is 
 a circumstance replete with portentous con- 
 sequences, when high treason is tiitled with, 
 as if swords, racks and poison -neve intro- 
 duced as play-things to a nursery. The 
 grand jury afterwards found separate bills 
 against four other persons, which were all the 
 bills returned. The feelings of the public 
 were unusually engaged in the impending 
 fate of the state prisoners. The emotions of 
 those who reflected upon the subject were as 
 uniformly opposite as the operations of the 
 magnet. The weight of prejudice against 
 them was in exact proportion to the credulity 
 v^f the multitude duped into the belief of the 
 ministers assurances ; insomuch that the 
 papers in the pay of the treasury seldom 
 spoke of the prisoners but as guilty of high 
 treason. 
 
 The exertions of the Britsh cabinet con- 
 duced as little to the success of our arms on 
 the continent, as the additional power and 
 prerogative given to the stadtholder by the 
 states of Holland. That country began to 
 despair of the jjrotection either of the British 
 or Austrian arms ; and inundation seemed 
 now the only security against the numbers 
 and impetuosity of their invaders. The 
 swelling of the river.s by the autumnal rains 
 favoured much this mode of defence, and 
 promised success from the opening of the 
 sluices, which, upon experiments in the late 
 summer, had been found generally to fail. A 
 veiy powerful party in that country was 
 known to be averse to the measure of inun- 
 dation, as well as many other measures of the 
 court party. Fearing, therefore, that op- 
 position might be efi'ectually made against 
 this plan, if it should be debated or attempt- 
 ed, the party of the stadtholder procured an 
 act of the states to be passed, by which he 
 was invested with almost dictatorial powers 
 gf providing for the safety of the republic. 
 He coidd not, however, succeed in making 
 the country rise en masse, and he dared not 
 attempt to drown them by opening the 
 sluices. The province of Zealand, foreseeing 
 the dangerous consequences of persisting iu 
 
 [CllAP. XLI. 
 
 the war, proposed to the states-general to 
 negotiate for peace. They were too generally 
 inthienced by the stadtholder, and he too 
 powerfully guitied by the warlike councils 
 of tlie British cabinet to listen to so j)rudent 
 a proposal. 
 
 The success of the French was every 
 where uninterrupted excepting at Bois-le-duc, 
 where the inundation arose to about four 
 feet for five or six miles round the town. 
 The French abandoned it, and left several of 
 their cannon in the water. Soon after this, 
 however, the inhabitants rose and refused to 
 submit to the horrors of a siege ; and when 
 fhe \\aters were let oft', they obliged the 
 governor to surrender the town without 
 tiring a shot. General Ciairfait was again 
 defeated in a general engagement, with 
 immense loss of men, ammunition, and bag- 
 gage ; and he was forced to cross the Khine 
 with the utmost expedition, and iu great 
 confusion. The eneuiy pressed so close upon 
 him, that he had not the oj)portunity of 
 collecting his Itroken and dispersed troops 
 till he had crossed that river. It was found 
 advisable, while the Briti.sh army was en- 
 camped under the walls of JNimeguen, to 
 send the heavy baggage and artillery across 
 the Waal to Ariiheini on the Rhine. It was 
 intended to make a vigorous stand in the 
 island of Bommel-Waart, which is reckoned 
 one of the strongest positions in Holland. It 
 was so well fortitied with batteries and re- 
 doubts, and so amply supplied with troops, 
 as to bear the appearance of a regular for- 
 tiess. In an attack which the enemy made 
 upon the advanced posts of the duke of 
 York's army, the 37th regiment was surprised 
 and alnmst entirely cut to pieces. Major 
 Hope and about oO men only escaped. About 
 30,000 of the enemy crossed the Waal, ac- 
 cording to the duke's account, and another 
 very considerable body of them at the same 
 time crossed the Meuse between Kuremonde 
 and Paulo, who had already taken possession 
 of Cleves. 
 
 The Hollanders, finding how ineffectual 
 their resistance was against the French, and 
 sensible of the dangers and miseries to which 
 a prolongation of the war would expose their 
 country, used every argument with our 
 ministers to inforce the necessity of negotia- 
 ting a peace. Our cabinet, ^which had 
 originally involved them in the war against
 
 (HAP. XLl.J GEORGE 11!. Tilfl 
 
 their inclination, vas not ymv likely to | sentiments of the bench. The lord chief- 
 accede to any proposal for terniinaling it on ; justice, Eyre, in summing up the evidence 
 account of their reluctance to carry it on. ; upon the close of Mr. Hardy's trial, told the 
 Peace would by no means suit the present j jury -what was equally applicable to all the 
 operations and views of the British cabinet. $ trials, and ought to regulate the sentiments 
 Though their foreign projects on the conti- ; of the nation upon the effect and result of 
 nent seemed to have failed in every particular, 5 these verdicts. " It must be a satisfaction 
 yet the trial of the conspirators was still j to the mind of every honest man, that this 
 depending ; and no measure of their general ; cause has been hapjwly so conducted, and 
 gystem was to be abandoned, until the sue- 1 has been proceeded upon with so much 
 cess of this prosecution was insured. The \ patience and temper, as that your mimls may 
 Hollanders, however, placed their safety and ; have b«en sufficiently inl'oni.cd upon the 
 interest in difierent objects from those which j subject to enable you to disco\er its true 
 directed the councils of the British cabinet ; ; merits, and to pronounce a verdict, which, in 
 they now gave open warning that they should ; t'lt? first place, will be satisfactory to your 
 take the liberty of treating for themselves. < own minds, and, being satisfactory to your 
 Their movements, however, both in peace and i own minds, cannot but be satisfactory to 
 war are usually tardy. Such was the foresight ; your country." 
 
 of the Holkvudeis, with respect to the ultimate i When two of these prisoners had been 
 
 issue of the invasion of their country, such ; acquitted by the verdict of their country, 
 
 their honor of the fatal politics by which l ministers perceived, that the only eft'ectual 
 
 they had been forced into this calamitous ; check to the success of their manu'uvres Mas 
 
 warfare, that the mercantile body of that i the incoiTuptible firmness of an English 
 
 nation, unable to resist the influence of the | jury. There were still confined several other 
 
 court party, which was deaf to negotiation, ; prisoners, against whom bills of indictn>ent 
 
 sent, as the last resource in their desperate ; had been found, for being concerned in the 
 
 po.sition, a deputation to our minister to j general conspiracy. Having failed io their 
 
 request permission to deposit their treasures ; tirst attempts, they despaired of succeeding 
 
 and stores in England, without paying the $ better with others, against whom they had 
 
 duties ad valorem at our custom-house. 5 no more to charge. They accordingly ao- 
 
 The meeting of parliament had been fixed ; quitted the rest of the prisoners, without 
 
 for the month of INovemlier, and the minister | bringing any evidence against them ; and 
 
 had been so indectaitly precipitate as to ; Mhen they were brought to the bar, one of 
 
 bring forward a bill, which asserted the ^ them, Mr. Holcroft, attempted to niake an 
 
 existence of the conspiracy, even before he j address to the court and the jury, but was 
 
 condescended to submit to .the select com- \ not permitted to do so by the lord president, 
 
 mittee the investigation of the proofs of that i who assured him that he had been dealt with 
 
 assertion. The opening of the case on the » most honourably, and had suflered neither 
 
 first of the trials took up nine hours. In I hardship nor injustice. The severity of 
 
 order to preserve the appearance of candour i close imprisonment ; the anxiety of a commit- 
 
 aud fairness, the coun.sel of the prisoners 5 ment for the highest of all civil crimes ; and 
 
 were atlmitted for one short hour only, to ; the dejirivation of the comforts and advan- 
 
 look over the enomious mass of written evi- > tages of society, are evidently hardships ; bat 
 
 dence, which could not be completely read \ how far they are unjust can only be de- 
 
 in a week. Mr. Hardys trial lasted the i tennined upon the grounds of evidence, 
 
 uncommon length of eight days ; that of Mr. | by which the prisoner was charged and 
 
 Horne Tooke .six days ; and that of Mr. j connnitted. If his prosecutors, without any 
 
 Thelwall five. If it be allowable to judge ; pretence of en'or or mistake, without any 
 
 of the impression which the verdicts of ac- 1 fresh discovery, or any degree, of exculpation, 
 
 quittal operated on the judges who tried the I found it expedient, under such an alarm of 
 
 j)risoners, from A\liat they expressed in court, > danger, to acquit him without trial, it is un- 
 
 the levity, contempt, and censure, with which ; deniable that, even in their eyes, he was not 
 
 they ^^ere subsequently treated in the house i guilty ; and it is not to be questioned, whe- 
 
 of commons, were little congenial vith the ; ther it be unjust to oppress an innocent roan.
 
 620 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. ALI 
 
 npoa snrh sligiit evidence as cannot induce 
 even his pro'^ecutois to bring him ibnvard to 
 liial. Government had now bionght to trial 
 two of the conspirators, whom tliej' thouglit 
 most guilty. They had been acquitted : and 
 it began to appear advisable to prosecute no 
 more. After so much avidity to criminate, 
 their desisting to prosecute bespoke to 
 demonstration that no conspiracy existed ; 
 unless it can be proved, that treason may 
 exist without a traitor, a conspiracy without 
 conspirators. 
 
 It \v*I1 now be necessary to recur to the 
 narrative of military operations. It was no 
 longer found advisable to make a stand at 
 !Nimeguen. Some few days before the evacu- 
 ation of it, our troops made a very sjjirited 
 sally from the town, which answered no other 
 end than to sacrifice several hundreds of our 
 brave soldiers. By some mismanagement 
 they \\ere broken into parties ; and by their 
 eagerness, in the dark, to pursue the enemy, 
 they were unwarily drawn under their bat- 
 teries, from which they suffered very severely. 
 Scarcely had our men returned into the 
 town, when the French recommenced their 
 fii'e, with redoubled ardour, from the very 
 Avorks, which they had sallied out to destroy. 
 Accounts vary as to our loss in the general 
 retreat. It is, however, certain, that many 
 lives were lost in the town, in the most in- 
 glorious contest in which British soldiers 
 were ever engaged. Some of the British 
 troops, when the resolution of evacuating 
 the town was known, began to plunder the 
 houses of the inhabitants ; these resisted, 
 and called the Dutch troops to their assist- 
 ance; and, in this conllict for plundering our 
 allies, upwards of 100 lives were lost. Yet 
 it is not to be imagined, that this conduct 
 of our men, though unjust iliable, was un- 
 provoked on the part of the Hollanders. Their 
 treatment of all the troops in British pay was 
 that of enemies, not of allies. The aversion 
 of the Dutch nation to the war was fully 
 known from its beginning ; the consequences, 
 therefore, of forcing them into it were suffi- 
 ciently clear to bring the responsibility of them 
 home to the advisers. The duke of Bruiis- 
 Avick, it was said, was strongly urged to take 
 upon himself the defence of Holland ; he 
 came as dw as Arnheiin, whither his royal 
 highness had retreated ; but, upon seeing the 
 veal situation and disposition of the country, 
 
 he quickly returned to Germany. Innnedi 
 ately upon the duke's return, lord Malmes- 
 bury arrived with the more ])leasing com- 
 mission, under the great seal of England, to 
 conclude and sign the treaty of marriage, 
 between t!ie prince of Wales and the daugh- 
 ter of his highness, princess Carolina Amelia 
 Elizabeth. 
 
 EvEKV measure adopted in Holland be- 
 spoke the innnediate and necessary abandon- 
 ment of it by the British. Its fate was pre- 
 cii)itate<l by the folly of one party, as n)uch 
 as it was forwarded by the exertions of the 
 other. In Amsterdam, the citizens and 
 burghers viere disarmed, every political pub- 
 lication prohibited, every poj)ular meeting- 
 declared criminal, and many staunch friends 
 to the people, and the original constitutional 
 rights of the Dutch republic, were committed 
 to gaol. The states of Friesland, on the 
 other hand, declared openly, what many 
 others privately and strongly felt, that it was 
 the interest of the Dutch republic to nego- 
 tiate with France, break off their alliance 
 with Prussia and England, and sacrifice the 
 private interests of the family of Orange to 
 the public welfare and interests of the states- 
 general. Success every where attended the 
 exertions of the French. Maestricht surren- 
 dered ; on the Rhine, Coblentz had been 
 taken, though Mentz still held out. In Spain, 
 the government had to no purpose attempted 
 to raise the people of Biscay and Navarre in 
 \ a mass ; and the Spanish army received so 
 complete a defeat near Pampeluna, as to 
 throw the whole kingdom into the utmost 
 consternation. Above three-score vessels 
 were taken by the French during this month, 
 notwithstanding our niaritime superiority. 
 
 Under the full conviction of the impossi- 
 bility of success did his royal highness resign 
 
 the chief command of the British 7-. , 
 
 ,, >• . TT ,, December, 
 
 army on the contment. From the 
 
 want of concert, energy, and fidelity in our 
 allies, all offensive measures had been long 
 relinquished ; and from the extreme reluct- 
 ance of the Hollanders to oj)pose the French, 
 and the hatred which, upon all occasions, 
 they manifested to the British troops, de>- 
 fensive operations were become as dishearten- 
 ing as they were desperate and ineffectual. 
 With whatever levity or apathy the humilia- 
 tions and sufterings of an army can I)e treated, 
 by the powers which sacrifice the blood and
 
 CHAP. XLI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 521 
 
 treasure of a people to their own folly, 
 avarice, or ambition ; yet the brave soldier, 
 wlio even courts gloiy for his country's cause, 
 sickens and retreats from the scenes of 
 wanton bloodshed, when he can no lont^er 
 prevent his valiant connades from faJlin-; 
 ingloriously to the advantage and triumph of 
 an insulting enemy. 
 
 Whatevkr degree of merit could have 
 accrued to our ministers, for the conquests 
 made by sir Charles Grey and sir John Jen-is 
 in the West Indies, the whole was now more 
 than cancellCfl by the suj)iiioness with which 
 they suffered their remaining force in the 
 islands so to dwindle by disease, service, and 
 accidents, as to be absolutely incompetent 
 to defend our captured possessions. The 
 original force, which was intended to be 
 sent out with sir Charles Grey, was 10,000 
 effective men ; instead of this number, the 
 actual force, which he landed in the West 
 Indies, scarcely exceeded the one half the 
 amount ; insomuch tliat, when he retunieil 
 to Europe, he did not leave 3000 men behind 
 him to defend thirteen islands. Al)ove 1000 
 of the British troops in the West Indies were 
 posted in Guadaloupe, and soon made them- 
 selves masters of the whole island. Very 
 serious alarms \vere apprehended for the 
 safety of the remaining part of the conquests 
 in the AVest Indies. 
 
 ALTHoroH it was well understood that the 
 states of Holland had actually connnenced a 
 negotiation for a separate peace with France, 
 yet, as it was known that it had been at- 
 tem})ted against the wishes and advice of tlie 
 stadtholder, the French armies rather ' in- 
 creased than relaxed their exertions ; and the 
 favour and partiality which, on all occasions, 
 they showed to the Dutch prisoners evidently 
 proved, that they no longer looked upon 
 tlicm as their enemies. When the town of 
 Grave surrendered, the French granted to 
 the Dutch troops the honourable terms of 
 marching out with their arms and ammuni- 
 tion, witli full liberty of serving against them 
 as soon as they pleased ; all their prisoners 
 that were taken at j\imeguen were peimitted 
 to go at large upon their parole, and actually 
 received allowances for their maintenance 
 e(|ual to their respective appointments in 
 tluir own service. The only effl-ctnal stand 
 made by the combined armies was at Mentz. 
 This unfortunate city, from its situation, has, 
 
 3 X 
 
 during the present war, been constantly ex- 
 posed to its severest calamities. The elector 
 was the most desirous of peace of any of the 
 Germanic body ; he had not only made a 
 proposition for it in the diet of Ratisbon, but 
 had used all his interest, though in vain, to 
 engage their imperial and Prussian majesties 
 to order their respective generals to enter, 
 without delay, into a negotiation with the 
 Fiench. There was a garrison of 20,000 
 men, well supplied with all provisions in the 
 city, who seemed as determined to defend 
 it to the last, as the besiegers were to take 
 it by storm. The latter made live diflferent 
 attempts to take the place by assault, in 
 each of which they were repulsed with the 
 loss of several thousands of their choice 
 troops. The French still continued in great 
 force before Mentz ; yet they sent a consider- 
 able body of their troops to threaten the town 
 of Manheim Avith a bombardment; this the 
 inhabitants so much dreaded, that tliey sent 
 a deputation to the elector palatine, offering 
 to pay an exorbitant sum of money for a 
 cessation of hostilities, in order to save their 
 city from ruin. The elector returned for 
 answer, that, for the security of the empire, 
 it was found necessaiy to defend Manheim to 
 the last extremity. The French, in the mean 
 time, laid close siege to the contiguous fort 
 du Rhin, which, with the artillery, ammuni- 
 tion, and garrison of 3000 men, they sum- 
 moned three several times to surrender. This 
 the Austrian general at length found it ueces- 
 .^ary to do, upon condition that the town of 
 ?*Ianheim should not be bombarded. The 
 French affected at this time to disclaim any 
 intention to carrj' their hostilities beyond the 
 right bank of the Rhine. 
 
 The fate of Holland was now determined. 
 The French spread a general alarm along the 
 whole line of British posts. In one point 
 they crossed the Waal, surprised and cut 
 to pieces the Hanoverian posts, and retired 
 before the British troops could come up witli 
 tliem. By this man«ruvre it appeared that 
 this river was no check to their progiTss, 
 whenever Jhey chose to advance into the 
 country. The French, however, waited for 
 the setting in of the frost, in order to complete 
 the total reduction of Holland ; and it is not 
 improbable that they delayed on purpose 
 tlieir granri irruption, lest in the alarm the 
 Dutch ships of war might be carried out oi 
 33
 
 522 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XL!' 
 
 the Texel and the other ports, presuming that » where surrendered, the British made tlie 
 the iutenseness of the frost would, as the j best of their w?y towards Germany, tlie 
 case, has happened, completely block them s stadtholder and his family escaped in b,ye- 
 in. When they began their grand movement, i boats to England, and Holland became au 
 no stand was even attempted to be made \ easy and bloodless prey to the French, 
 against them. The Dutch troops every 5 
 
 CHAPTER XLIL 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1795.] 
 
 Opinions of the English Legislative Bodies — Mr. Sheridan moves for a Repeal of the 
 Habeas Corpus Suspension Sill — Discussions on our Condtict totvards France — Enquiry 
 proposed into the Conduct of Ministers — Acquittal of Mr. Hastings — Payment of the 
 Priiice of Wales's Debts — Further Disasters in Holland — Flight of the Stadtholder — 
 Renewal of the Campaign — Establishment in France of the Directory — rNaval Operations 
 — -Capture of the Cape of Good Hope — Death of the Dauphin of France — Surrender of 
 Trincomale — Discontents of the English Nation — Personal Violence offered to his 
 Majesty— Consequent Proceedings in Parliament. 
 
 THE successes which had attended the ; conviction that the experience of democratic 
 arms of France in the late campaign, | tyranny, and the pressure of taxes in France, 
 the disaffection of one of our most powerful | would favour the eirorts of the royalists, the 
 allies, and the recent failure of the English » friends of the ministerial party gradually 
 government in their endeavours to suppress 5 iiiCTeased in firmness and in numbers, and 
 the ardent expression of popular feeling, did i the address was carried by a large majority, 
 net counterbalance in the opinion of the* An attempt was made by Mr. Sheridan to 
 legislative bodies, or of the exalted circles 5 procure a repeal of the blH which suspended 
 of society. The dangers arising from the ! in particular cases the operation of the 
 machinations of democracy were always \ habeas corpus act. He was apprehensive 
 present to their minds, and they deemed it ! that some of the advocates of that suspension 
 essential to the safety of all kingly govern- | would be inclined to continiie it even in time 
 nients, eflectiially to counteract the conta- 1 of peace, and would then allege the necessity 
 gious example of France, by the restoration | of guarding against the dissemination „^ 
 of monarchy in that country. Actuated by | of French principles ; but he hoped ^^^'*- 
 these sentiments, which formed the leading \ that this idle pretence might not be suffered 
 topics ot his majesty's speech at the opening I to prevail in so unconstitutional a manner, 
 of the session, by the hope of subsidizing \ He denied the reality of the plot on which the 
 Austria to a series of firm and strenuous | suspension Mas professedly founded, and 
 exertions in the common cause, and by a \ deprecated a recurrence to *' that most
 
 CHAP. XLII.] GEORGE III. 5^3 
 
 dreadful of all wars, a war of plots and con- ; an animated display of the floqnence of both 
 spiracies." He lamented the encouragement i parties. That gentleman, apprehending, 
 given to spies and informers, as disgractful ; iVom some ex])ressions of the minister, that 
 to any government. lie reprehended the ; the war was intended to be carried on usque 
 secretary at war for the intemperance of his > ad inlernecionem, deprecated the general 
 language and conduct, and severely blamed > adoption of such alarming sentiments. His 
 the otlier members of the cabinet for having 1 own opinion avus, that it was the duty of the 
 directed the prosecution of men w hose guilt J cabinet to treat for peace without delay ; but 
 merely consisted in following the path which • he did not mean to move precisely to that 
 their present adversaries had trodden. Mr. j eficct ; hi.s aim was to put this country and 
 Windiiani replied with wamith to the stric- > France in a negotiable state. He wished the 
 tures upon his character, and vindicated the ; house to consider, how far the object of the 
 suspension upon the grounds of serious X war on our part was attainable, and how far, 
 danger. Mr. Krskine contended, that the > under the present circumstances, it was poli- 
 late verdicts hud, did not merely by probable | tic to continue it. Our court seemed to derive 
 inference, but almost directly and technically, ; hope from the decline of the resources of 
 disproved the conspiracy alleged in the > France, and from the chance of a counter- 
 charge ; and therefore the pretence for the i revolution. Much had been said of the 
 suspension no longer existed. Serjeant Adair i approaching exhaustion of the French 
 was convinced of the seditions \ lews of the ; finances ; but no wise statesman would, 
 societies, and not ^^ ish fhat the privilege of ! merely on that ground, conclude that a people 
 habeas corpus should be so soon restored. ; struggling for supposed freedom would soon 
 Mr. Fox said, that the pretended plots had ; relinquish the contest. AVhile iron could be 
 no existence, but in the imaginations of the J found in the bowels of the earth, and grass 
 deluders and the fears of the deluded ; and ; upon its surface, there was no end of the 
 that, from the great difl'erence between the | resources of a nation inflamed with enthu- 
 present state of Britain and that of France j siasiu in such a cause. Even our resources, 
 before the revolution, as well as from the 5 great as they were stated to be, would be 
 ditierent habits and feelings of the people, I inadequate to the task of forcing a govern- 
 there was no real ground for supposing that » ment upon such an enemy ; and our allies 
 any consiflerable number of persons, or any ; vere not in a condition to give \is efl'ectual 
 respectable portion of the community, would ; assistance. With regard to an anli-repub- 
 aim at the ruin of the constitution. The 5 lican revolution, there appeared not the 
 motion was then rejected by a great majority ; X smallest chance of any event of that kind, 
 and a bill for prolonging the suspension was 5 Undoubtedly there were many traitors to the 
 soon after introduced, and earned through \ existing government, who were willing to aid 
 both houses, not \\ ithout warm debates. i us ; but the great body of the people appeared 
 
 When earl Stanhope proposed a resolution, \ to be attached to the republican constitution, 
 disclaiming all desire of interfering in the 5 These considerations rendered a prosecution 
 internal aflairs of Franco, the earl of Abing- ! of the war highly impolitic ; and he trusted 
 don vindicated this interference as a favour i that every friend to this country would main- 
 to that nation, and, forgetting his own eccen- 1 tain the same opinion. He then moved for 
 tricity, accused the mover of insanity. Lord j a declaration from the house, representing 
 Auckland disapproved the motion ; and, in 5 the present form of government in France as 
 a review of the state of aflairs, steered between J not preclusive of a negotiation for peace, 
 the extremes of presuming that peace might \ Mr. William Smith supported the motion by 
 be obtained at any time, and of conceiving it | a reference to the American war, ^^hich, by 
 to be utterly unattainable. The earl of; the ill-fojuided contidence of the court, had 
 Mansfield justified such an extent of inter- ', bt-en unfortunately prolonged after it ceased 
 ference as was required by a regard to our « to aflbrd any hopes of success. Mr. Pitt 
 own security; and the house (by 61 against j moved an amendmeut, declarative of a deter- 
 OQe) rejected the proposition. | mination to concur with his majesty in the 
 
 A MOTION from Mr. Grey, recomnienda- \ vigorous prosecution of the war, (as such 
 tory of a negotiation, gave an opportunity for \ conduct alone could justify the expectation 
 
 3x2
 
 624 
 
 HISTORY OF L,i^o../^r.-ia. 
 
 of permanent secnrily and peace) and ex- 
 pressive of a reliance on the desire Avliich he 
 had " nnifornily manifested, to effect a paci- 
 fication on jnst and honourable grounds with 
 any government in France, under vvliatever 
 form Avhich should appear capal>le of main- 
 taining- the accustomed relations of peace and 
 amity vith other countries." He allowed that 
 he sincerely wished for the restoration of 
 monarchy in France ; but denied that the 
 re-establishment of the old system, or the 
 prevalence of any specific fonu of government, 
 had ever been stated by the king or the 
 parliament as an indispensable preliminary 
 to peace. Security was the grand object of 
 our concern in the war ; but, at present, we 
 had no chance of obtaining it. The insta- 
 bility of the power of the ruling party, that 
 revolutionary spirit which had not yet sub- 
 sided, the total absence of true moderation 
 of sentiment, the decline of religious prin- 
 ciples, and the virulence of animosity against 
 our government, precluded the hope of a 
 se'.'ure peace. Sir AVilliam Young lamented, 
 that such sentiments as the amendment con- 
 tained had not been sooner promulgated. 
 Mr. Powys was a zealous advocate for the 
 invigorated continuance of a contest with 
 regicides and atheists. Mr. Fox was pleased 
 to find that the lone of the cabinet was less 
 imperious than it had been, and that senti- 
 ments, for which the menibers of opposition 
 had been reviled as Jacobins and traitors, 
 were now adopted by the ministers of the 
 crown, after they had put into the mouth of 
 his majesty declarations which breathed the 
 spirit of internecine war. Yet he did not 
 think that all the members of the cabinet 
 agreed with the premier in this change of 
 sentiment, or that it was sufficient to restore 
 to him the confidence of the people. It 
 would be more agreeable to them" that a 
 treaty should commence without delay, than 
 that we should wait for what the ministry 
 would consider as a capability of maintaining 
 the due relations of peace and amity. Two 
 divisions followed ; in one, a majority of 183 
 opposed the motion ; in the other, the amend- 
 ment was sanctioned by a plurality of 164 
 votes. 
 
 Lord Grenville proposed a declaration 
 exactly resembling that which the commons 
 had adopted, when the duke of Bedford had 
 moved that no form of government vthich 
 
 [chap. xtii. 
 
 might prevail in France ought to prevent a 
 peace, when it could be concluded v/ithout 
 the loss of honour, and without detriment to 
 the intei-est or security of the country. The 
 duke of Norfolk preferred this motion to the 
 secretary's amendment, which, he said, would 
 increase the obstacles to negotiation. The 
 bishop of LlandafF wished that the grounds 
 of the war had been more clearly developed. 
 He was disposed to think that it might have 
 been avoided, if our court had oflered its 
 mediation at the close of the year 1792. 
 The idea of checking the progress of demo- 
 cratical opinions struck him as a very in- 
 sufficient reason for the war ; and he thought 
 it more advisable to leave France to take 
 care of itself, than to waste our resources in 
 a continuance of hostility. Our constitution 
 was too firm to be easily shaken by the eflbrts 
 of Jacobins ; but, if we should obstinately 
 persist in the war, our security might be 
 gleatly diminished. He was therefore friendly 
 to the duke's motion, which, on the other 
 hand, lord Hawkesbury controverted as 
 leading to insecurity. The lord-chancellor 
 said, that the motion might be variously con- 
 strued, and that the amendment, being more 
 definite, was more worthy of l>eing adopted 
 and recorded. Lord Auckland wished that 
 the close of the secretary's proposition might 
 be rendered less ambiguous. The bishop of 
 Durham (Dr. Barrington) declaimed against 
 French atrocities, and earnestly recommended 
 a continuance of the war ; to which the 
 house, by a majority of 73, agreed. 
 
 The same spirit which dictated this deter- 
 mination induced each house to assent to a 
 considerable loan for the service of the em- 
 peror, that he might be enabled to employ 
 •200,000 men against the French. Mr. Fox 
 said, that the non-compliance of the king of 
 Prussia with his engagements, as he had not 
 employed against the French the army which 
 he was bound by treaty to bring into action, 
 ought to operate as a caivtion against all 
 advances of money to German princes ; and 
 he had no confidence in the efiicacy of the 
 proposed loan ; but sir William Pulteney 
 entert'iined a high opinion of its probable 
 { utility. Lord Grenville had so much reliance 
 I on the promised exertions of Ids imperial 
 J majesty, that he would rather consent to 
 \ make a present of the desired sum, than 
 \ lose the chance of expected benefit. The
 
 CHAP. XLIl] GEORGE Ilf. 525 
 
 uinrquio of Laiistlowii dl.s;i|nu<)\ ed all con- ; How far we might reckon justice nniong our 
 iiexions with German princes; but lord 5 resources, was the next point. To impress 
 Hawkesbuiy and otlier peers were more ; on the world a high idea of" our justice, was 
 credulous and confident. | a point of some moment ; and tlie prevalence 
 
 Mr, Grey and the duke of Bedford soon | of such an opinion might have been of great 
 renewed their pacific proposals, in more | service to our cause. But it did not appear 
 precise terms. Mr. Dundas, thinking that | that the credit of this quality, or that of 
 the late declarations were sufficient, moved \ wisdom, conld be claimed by our ministers, 
 the previous question ; and a majority of 130 i Having noticed their various errors, and par- 
 appeared for the Hiinistry. The duke ofiticularly referred to their late treatment of 
 Grafton supported the motion for peace ; but ; the Irish, Mr. Fox moved that the house 
 lord Mulgrave (brother to the commodore) 5 should form a committee to examine the state 
 coolly ridiculed that unseasonable humanity ; of the nation. — Mr. Pitt said, that such au 
 which lamented the miseries of war in a crisis ; enquiiy was unnecessary, as the topics which 
 of extraordinary danger. The duke of Leeds i it would embrace had been already discussed, 
 was desirous of a speedy negotiation : the ; and that it would also be improper, as it 
 earl of Carlisle opposed it as unlikely to be ; might tend to unseasona[)le disclosures. lie 
 effectual. On a division, the court prevailed | replied, in his plausible manner, to the chief 
 by a majority of 80. 5 points of the preceding speech, and then. 
 
 Thii; abolition of the slave-trade was again I moved for an adjournment. Mr. Sheridan 
 recommended by Mr. Wilberforce, who 5 strongly recommended an enquiry, as he 
 affirmed that recent information tended to | thought it might lead to peace ; but a majority 
 establish his conviction of the impolicy of this \ of 156 decided against it. 
 traffic, Mr. Barham and Mr. East dreaded » A similar proposal was made to the peers 
 the ruin of our plantations from the adoption ; by the earl of Guildford, who took a review 
 of the proposed mea^ire ; but Mr. Fox and \ of ministerial misconduct, and was by no 
 Mr. Pitt ridiculed such apprehensions, and $ means sparing of his censures. Lord Gren- 
 again condemned the atrocity of the system. ; ville vindicated himself and his associates 
 By a majority of 17, however, the hopes of | with spirit, and aggravated the miseries of 
 the fiiends of humanity were disappointed. ; the French nation. The marquis of Lans- 
 
 Thk critical state of the nation impelled | down urged the ill success of the war as a 
 Mr. Fox to propose an enquiry into the | forcible reason for enquiry. The duke of 
 conduct of ministers. He admired our con- 5 Richmond protested against an enquiry, as 
 stitution in theory; but, if the executive 5 it would embarrass the executive government 
 power should persist in a wild and wanton > without tending to any good pinpose ; but, 
 profusion of blood and treasure, and the ; if a motion hatl been made agaiiust our con- 
 house of commons should be so insensible to j tinental connexions, he would have supported 
 disaster and disgrace, as not to enquire into \ it. After other speeches, not remarkable for 
 the causes of onr misfortunes and the circum- ; novelty, tlie earl lost his aim by a majority of 90. 
 stances of the country, it would be idle to c Even some of the ministers friends ex- 
 contend that we enjoyed the practical benefits | pressed an inclination for peace, w hen Mr. 
 to which we were entitled by our form of | Wilberforce moved, that the circumstancfcs 
 government. In examining our resources, : of France were not such as ought to preclude 
 he rej)osed little confidence in onr supplies j a negotiation. But Mr. Windham was of 
 of men, which, he thought, would fail much ; opinion, that we had at this time a more 
 sooner than those of the enemy. With regard | flattering prospect of success than in any 
 to money, our burdens had been so severely « former stage of the war, and that our con- 
 augmented, and our trade and manufactures I tinued efforts of hostility w ould be more pro- 
 were so sensibly on the decline, that new | ductive of a secure peace, than any present 
 demands wouhl be found extremely oppres- • overtures of that kind ; and the motion was 
 sive. Our resources in point of foreign con- i rejected by the superiority of 11-5. The earl 
 nexion were not very considerable or iinpor- ; of Lauderdale, having moved to the same 
 tant ; antt the common cause was not likely ; effect, was answered by lord Grenville, aaU 
 to prosper in the hands of our present allies. \ could only procure eight votes for peace
 
 626 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 The lonpf trial of Mr. Hastings was now i 
 brought to a conclusion. After the peers had 
 investigated former modes of proceeding, the 
 Iwrd-chancellor discussed the Benares charge. 
 ile considered Mr. Hastings as having acted 
 against Clieyt Sing under the influence of 
 personal resentment, and under the unwar- 
 rantable idea of possessing an unlimited 
 right of exaction in times of emergency ; and 
 therefore concluded that the connnons had 
 made good that article of accusation. Lord 
 Thurlow disputed this opinion, and vindi- 
 cated the governor-general inelaborate detail, 
 but not always on constitutional principles. 
 The earl of Caeniarvon strongly contended 
 for his delinquency ; while the earl of Mans- 
 field, the marquis of Lansdown, and tlie 
 bishop of Rochester, maintained his inno- 
 cence and extolled his services. The de- 
 cision of the committee, on difl'erent parts of 
 this charge, was favourable to jMr. Hastings. 
 
 In the consideration of the other charges, 
 lord Thurlow was the chief defender of the 
 governor-general. He maintained that the ^ 
 resumption of the jaghirs, on the part of the \ 
 nabob, was a measure of sound policy ; that I 
 the steps taken by Mr. Hastings to compel i 
 that prince to execute a scheme which, 
 though it was originally proposed by him.self, 
 he was afterwards unwilling to enforce, were 
 meritorious rather than criminal ; and that 
 his consent to the seizure of the treasures 
 involved no criminality, as they were public 
 property. The lord-chancellor condemned 
 the concern of Mr, Hastings in those mea- 
 sures, and denied that the begums or their 
 eunuchs had been guilty of rebellious acts. I 
 Lord Thurlow enteied very fully into the | 
 charge respecting presents, controverting the \ 
 statements and conclusions of the managers. 
 The chancellor also differed from the prose- 
 cutors with regard to the early presents ; but 
 he agreed with them in the subseqvient part 
 of the charge. The archbishop of York 
 ridiculed this branch of accusation as frivo- 
 lous, and lamented the ill return made for 
 the splendid services of Mr. Hastings. The 
 article of contracts did not appear to lord ^ 
 Thurlow in that criminal light in which the j 
 Uianagers viewed it; and the bishop of^ 
 Rochester, though he thought there was J 
 something objectionable in the opium con- ; 
 tract, did not consider that point, or any other i 
 part of this cliarye. as criminal ; but the i. 
 
 [CHAP. XLII. 
 
 chancellor contended that, m most of the 
 contracts and agencies, Mr. Hastings had 
 been j)rofuse and improvident, and was also 
 guilty of disobedience to the express orders 
 of the directors. 
 
 When every part of the accusation had 
 been disallowed by the committee, the report 
 was reviewed by the house ; and, after some 
 debates on the mode of proceeding, it was 
 resolved that the question should be separate- 
 ly put on sixteen points. The greatest num- 
 ber of peers who voted the defendant guilty 
 in any one respect, did not exceed six ; the 
 votes of innocence, in some of the charges, 
 were twenty-six — in others, twenty-three — in 
 one, nineteen. The chancellor then intimated 
 the decision of the court to Mr. Hastings, 
 who received it in silence, bowed, and retired 
 from the bar. 
 
 The propriety of this sentence was chiefly 
 disputed by the advocates of strict justice. 
 The public in genera"!, entertaining less rigid 
 notions, seemed to be pleased with the acquit- 
 tal of one who had conducted the affairs of 
 his government with spirit and success, and 
 who, though he had perhaps, on some occa- 
 sions, disregarded the duties of refined 
 morality, the dictates of virtuous policy, or 
 the sentiments of humanity and moderation, 
 had promoted the interests of his employers, 
 secured their authority, extended and estab- 
 lished their dominion. 
 
 The settlement of the affkirs of the prince 
 of Wales occasioned some dispute and alter- 
 cation. But before we state the particulars 
 of the adjustment, it is proper to inform our 
 readers, that his royal highness, in compliance 
 with the desire of his jiarents, had contracted 
 a matrimonial alliance with his cousin, the 
 princess Caroline of Brunswick. The duke 
 of York liad, some years before, espoused a 
 lady of higher rank, the daughter of the king 
 of Prussia, the more immediate object of his 
 uninfluenced choice. Both connexions were 
 approved by the public ; and each princess 
 was received, on her arrival, with loud ac- 
 clamations. 
 
 On the marriage of the heir apparent, the 
 king appealed to the " liberality and a/I'ection 
 of his faithful commons," for the grant of a 
 proper establishment to the prince and his 
 bride ; adding, that the benefit of an eventual 
 settlement " must fail in its most desirable 
 effect, if means should not be provided to
 
 CHAP. XLII.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 627 
 
 extricate his royal highness from the encum- 
 brances under wliich lie laboured to a great 
 amount." It was proposed, that a part of 
 the income A^hich should be settled upon 
 him, and also the revenues of the duchy of 
 Cornwall, should be appropriated to the 
 discharge of his debts. The smallest annual 
 sum that could fairly be allowed for the 
 support of princely splendor, said Mr. Pitt, 
 Mould be £138,000, includins the produce 
 of the duchy. The debts being £030,000, 
 £25,000 ought to be annually subtracted 
 from the income, and divided among the 
 creditors ; and, to prevent the contraction of 
 new debts, no anears shoidd l)e allowed or 
 claims admitted beyond each (|uartt'r of the 
 year. He moved that the additional sum of 
 £66,000 ])er annum sliould be granted to the 
 prince, making in all an annual revenue of 
 £125,000, besides the rents of the duchy of 
 Cornwall, valued at £13,000. 
 
 After tl.e termination of all parliamentary 
 business, the session was closed (June 27th) 
 by a speecli from his majesty, in which he 
 acknoAvledged the zealous and uniform re- 
 gard which both houses had shewn to the 
 wishes of the people ; and the prudent, firm, 
 and spirited support which they had con- 
 tinued to afford him in the prosecution of a 
 just and necessary war. The efforts of the 
 Unglish ministry, however, were more strenu- 
 ous than successful. The duke of York 
 having quitted the British army, and the 
 army itself having retired as the republicans 
 advanced, the allies called a council of war 
 on the 4th of January, at which it was 
 determined to desert their positions 
 on the river Waal. On the 10th of January, 
 general Pichegru crossed the Waal at differ- 
 ent places, and attacked the position occupied 
 by general Walmoden, between Nimeguen 
 and Amheira. Equally unprepared for 
 effectual resistance and for flight, the sickness 
 of the combined army daily increased with 
 the extreme severity of the weather, and no 
 preparations having been made for their 
 reliefer acconnnodation, ihey were conveyed 
 in by-landers, a small kind of vessel, down the 
 Rhine, destitute of provisions, unaided by 
 medical advice, with astunty co^t^ing, and 
 a miserable allowance of straw. The French 
 took possession of Utrecht without oppo- 
 sition. Rotterdam surrendered on the 18th, 
 and Dort followed the example on the suc- 
 
 distressing 
 
 was ever expert- 
 
 These marches 
 
 ice 01- 
 
 through 
 
 1795. 
 
 ceeding day. The provinces of Guelderland, 
 Utrecht, and Zealand were subjected to the 
 dominion of France, and became the victims 
 of the invaders rapacity. A supply of 
 clothes and provisions was demanded for the 
 army, and a pledge was given, on the [)art of 
 the French republic, for the faithful repay- 
 ment of the value ; a pledge which, it is 
 needless to observe, was not redeemed. 
 
 The situation of France, at this period, was 
 such as to inflame the and>ition and gratify 
 the pride of a nation already too confident in 
 its own superiority. A list of recent con- 
 quests and victories was printed and afhxed 
 to a tablet in the hall of the convention, and 
 copies were sent to the armies. In the mean 
 time, the British army was closely pursued by 
 the republicans, consisting of .30.000 men. 
 The former reached Deventtn- on the 27th of 
 January, after one of the most 
 and fatiguing marches that 
 enced by a retreating army, 
 were generally performed 
 snow, mud or water, often up to their middle. 
 On the 10th of February, they crossed the 
 Vecht, which divides into two parts the 
 province of Overyssel ; and, on the 12th, they 
 passed the Ems at Rheine. On the 24th, a 
 body of F'rench came up with them, and an 
 engagement ensued ; in which the British 
 acted with so much firmness, that they were 
 enabled to retire with inconsiderable loss. 
 Resuming their march, with little interruption, 
 they at length arrived in the county of Bre- 
 men, about the close of March. Assailed in 
 every direction, they manfully fought their 
 way through the provinces of Utrecht, Guel- 
 derland, Overyssel, and Groningen, almost 
 destitute of necessaries, and encumbered with 
 a heavy train of artillery, baggage, and wag- 
 gons loaded w ith the sick and wounded. This 
 dreadful trial of courage, patience, and ujili- 
 tary skill, lasted upwards of two months, and 
 deservedly excited the admiration of Europe. 
 
 The savage barbarity of the Dutch boors 
 to our suflering countrymen, was »,trongly and 
 fortunately contrasted by the kind and cor- 
 dial rt'ccption which they received from the 
 inhabitants of Bremen, and they left that 
 friendly and hospital)le town with feelings of 
 the most lively gratitude. On the 24th, they 
 cleared the mouth of the Weser, and arrived 
 in a few days at their respective places of 
 destination.
 
 528 
 
 niSTORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 DvBiNG these movements of the hostile 
 armies, a memorable revolution lind taken 
 place hi the states of Holland. "^Jlir- stadt- 
 holder, perceiving how stronglj'^ the tide of 
 popular opinion flowed against him, found 
 his person no longer secure at the Hague. He 
 therefore determined to withdraw from the 
 provinces ; witli some ditiiculty he escaj)ed 
 from the infuriated populace, beneath the 
 escort of his guards ; and embarking (Janu- 
 aiy 19th) at Schoeveling, Avith his son, ar- 
 rived safe in England. On the following 
 day, Pichegru, having been honoured by an 
 invitation from the chiefs of the French party, 
 entered Amsterdam amidst the acclamations 
 of th.e multitude New magistrates and 
 municipal officers were then appointed by a 
 general assembly of the citizens ; the example 
 of this opulent city was followed by Haarlem, 
 Leyden, aud other towns ; the Dutch admi- 
 ral, stationed with a squadron off Zealand, 
 hoisted the Fresich flag ; and the frontier 
 fortresses of Beigen-op-Zoom, Breda, and 
 Williamstadt, in compliance with a procla- 
 mation issued by the prevailing party, ad- 
 mitted the entrance of French troops. 
 
 His Prussian majesty, the most zealous 
 advocate for the commencement of the war, 
 %vas the first who deserted the common cause, 
 Mhen the general welfare required his most 
 strenuous exerlions. He expected, when he 
 took the field in the cause of monarchy, to 
 acquire glory and dominion at an easy rate ; 
 and, disappointed in his hopes, his spirit of 
 enterprise gave way to his passion for luxu- 
 rious inactivity. Tired of a fruitless war, 
 alarmed at the dangers which it presented, j 
 and anxious to receive the support of France 
 in the completion of his views on Poland, he 
 accepted the pacific overtures of the French 
 government. Baron Goltz was despatched 
 lo Basle to treat with the French minister, 
 Barthelemy, on the terms of peace ; and, 
 after some obstructions, occasioned by the 
 death of the Prussian ambassador. Monsieur 
 de Hardenburg, his successor, concluded a 
 treaty highly favourable to the interests of I 
 France. He engaged to leave to the French | 
 the occupation of the Prussian possessions 
 on the left bank of the Rhine, and to postpo)ie 
 every definitive arrangement, with respect to 
 these provinces,' till a general pacification 
 should be concluded between France and the 
 empire. The example was followed by the « 
 
 fCHAP. XLI» 
 
 landgrave of Hesse ; and the grand duke of 
 Tuscany, violating his engagements with the 
 coalition, promised to observe a strict neu- 
 trality, and acknowledged the French repub- 
 lic. A correspondence was opened with the 
 chiefs of La Vendee, and a treaty of peace 
 Mas concluded between the government, 
 Charette, aiul the other leaders of insuirec- 
 tion, by which the insurgents, on condition 
 of acknowledging the republic, and deliver- 
 ing up their arms, were pardoned, assured of 
 the free exercise of their religion, and indem- 
 nified for their losses. Charette was appointed 
 to the command of 2000 republican troops. 
 
 A CORRESPONDENCE was aftciwards Opened 
 between the Chouan chiefs, who had not 
 made their peace with the state, and the 
 emigrants in England ; and a plan was con- 
 certed for causing a diversion in favour of the 
 allied armies, by a descent on the coast of 
 Brittany. In pursuance of this design, sir 
 John Borlase Warren sailed with a squadron 
 to the French coast, and debarked 3000 men, 
 chiefly emigrants, in the bay of Quiberon. 
 Their force was in a short time augmented to 
 above 10,000 men ; but the army was no 
 sooner formed, than their fate Mas decided. 
 Without discipline, subordination, or con- 
 duct, they were reduced to the necessity of 
 contending with a body of forces under 
 Hoche, an officer of experience. Being taken 
 by surprise in their camp (July 20th) they 
 were all cut to pieces or made prisoners. 
 IVIany of the emigrants made their peace, by 
 uniting to disarm their officers, and exclainv 
 ing, Vive la Republique ! and count de 
 Sambreuil, and seveial other persons of dis- 
 tinction, who had rashly embarked in this 
 hazardous and ill-timed enterprise, were con- 
 demned as traitors, and shot at Vannes. 
 
 After vast exertions to provide for the 
 ensuing campaign, by enormous taxes, and 
 by the confiscation of the property of emi- 
 grants, and traitors to the state, it was opened 
 with active operations before Luxembin'ji', 
 which had been invested in the preceding 
 autumn. The place is of unusual strength, 
 and was defended by a strong garrison under 
 general Bender, an officer cii distinguished 
 character. They sustained tlio vigorou-s 
 assaults and the severe bombardments of the 
 besiegei'S with exemplary bravery ; but m hen 
 the general saw that no prospect of relief 
 remaijied, he thought it advisable to save tl^e
 
 CtlAP. XLll.] 
 
 GEORGE Id. 
 
 629 
 
 lives of lii.s men hy a capitulation, which 
 enalilecl liiin to withdraw his garrison to 
 (Jeniiaiiy, rather than sacrifice his troops by 
 a resistance, which could only teruiiiiate m 
 unconditional surrender. 
 
 The Uhine was destined to be the scene 
 of renewed hostilities, and on that river the 
 ablest generals on each side prepared to 
 display their genius. Mentz was now the 
 grand object of the French govennnent : the 
 possession of that fortress would greatly 
 facilitate their intention to make the Rhine 
 the boundary of their dominions, and its 
 situation at the junction of that river with 
 the Maine, would secure them an opening 
 into the empire. 
 
 After some months of inaction, general 
 Jourdan (September 6th) rencMcd his opera- 
 tions with the reduction of Uusseldorf. 
 Clairfait, who was obliged to continue his 
 retreat before him, was anxious to form a 
 junction with Wurmser, who was stationed 
 at a considerable distance on the south of the 
 Maine, that they might be enabled, when 
 united, to confront their enemy, and counter- 
 act his designs. To prevent the execution 
 of this plan, Pichegru, who had already 
 gained possession of Manheim, posted a 
 strong body of forces to intercept Clairfait's 
 march, and enable tl.eni to prosecute their 
 purpose of investing Mentz. This movement 
 'brought on an action between that division 
 and Clairfait's army-, in which the French 
 were successful, and drove the Anstrians 
 from their posts. But while they were grati- 
 fying their passion for plunder, in which they 
 had been too much indulged, the Austrian 
 cavalry came suddenly upon them, and so 
 completely routed them, that, after an ineffec- 
 tual attempt to rally, they were forced to 
 retreat precipitately to Manheim. The suc- 
 cess of the Austfians on this day (October 
 26th) changed the fortune of the campaign. 
 Clairfait, who had received strong reinforce- 
 ments, surprised the camp of Jourdan, which 
 was covering the siege of Mentz, compelled 
 him to decamp in haste, leaving part of his 
 artillery behind him, and harassed his retreat 
 to Dusseldorf, where he repassed llie Khine, 
 by continual skirmishing in his rear. 
 
 Pichegru, in the mean time, was ecjually 
 unsuccessful in the prosecution of his part of 
 the |)lan. He had ordered the army engaged 
 in the siege of Meutz to be strengthened, and 
 
 3 Y 
 
 was hastening from Manheim to a.ssume the 
 command, and to bring the Ausfrians lo :i 
 battle, but while he was preparing for th« 
 execution of his design, he had the mortifica- 
 tion to receive intelligence, that the besiegers 
 had been so vigorously attac'ked by a strong 
 body of Austrians, supported by a sally from 
 the garrison, that they were driNcn from their 
 works, and forced to retire, with the loss of 
 their artillery. Clairfait, pursuing Jourdans 
 retreating army across the Rhine, fornied a 
 junction with Wurmser, and recovered the 
 districts of the palatinate, which lie on the 
 west side of that river, between it and the 
 IMoselle : Pichegru was constrained to repass 
 the Rhine, in order to co-operate with Jour- 
 dan in checking the progress of the Austrians, 
 who were now meditating the recovery of the 
 Luxemburg ; and Manheim, though guarded 
 by a strong garrison, whieh he left for its 
 defence' was reduced (November 23rd) by 
 the Anstrians. Happily for the wearied and 
 exhausted troops on both sides, a severe 
 season put an end to acti\e hostilities, and 
 afforded them a period of refreshment, v.hile 
 their respective governments were meditating 
 new plans for the prosecution of the war. 
 
 The internal proceedings of the French 
 republic were at this time more determined 
 anfl energetic than the operations of the 
 armies. The leaders of the convention had 
 endeavoured to prolong their power bv a 
 decree; which provided for the continuance 
 of two-thirds of the assembly in their legis- 
 lative capacity. This ordinance gave great 
 ofience to the advocates of the right of popu- 
 lar election, whose disgust was inflamed by 
 the suggestions of the aristocratic party. The 
 citizens, rising in a body, mustered all their 
 sections, and had taken possession of several 
 advantageous posts in various parts of the 
 city, when Buonaparte, then at Paris, was 
 |)laced at the head of the conventionists. A 
 Itattle ensued near the Thuilleries, which was 
 fought with desperate fuiy for four hours. 
 Undaunted by the unexpected appearance of 
 a considerable military force, the citizens 
 displayed much <;ourage in the engagement ; 
 but they were at last obliged to yield to the 
 su])erior address of their antagonists, sup- 
 ported by artillery, with which they them- 
 selves wefc unprovided, and commanded by 
 an oflicer, wh.o eidianced the merit of his past 
 services by his beliaTiour at this critical 
 34
 
 530 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIUP. XLll. 
 
 juncture. This victorj^ proved decisive of 
 the contest. Confident in their present 
 strength, and yet fearing the eventual effects 
 of that national odium Avhich they were con- 
 scious of having incurred, the members of the 
 convention, Tallien, Freron, and other advo- 
 cates for coercion, procured the appointment 
 of a commission of five persons, who Mere 
 empowered to deliberate on the measures 
 proper to be adopted for the safety of the 
 country. This proceeding defeated its own 
 purjjose, by the alarm which it excited in tlie 
 convention. The moderate party made a 
 firm and effectual opposition to their designs. 
 The commission of five was annulled ; a new 
 constitution was finally adopted ; and the 
 convention dissolved itself. By the new 
 constitution, 500 men in the prime of life 
 were to form one legislative council ; and 250 
 above forty years of age were to compose 
 another assembly, or council of antients. 
 Five directors, chosen by the legislature, were 
 to be entrusted with the executive power. 
 The new directors were not men of honour, 
 humanity, or virtue ; but some of them pos- 
 sessed considerable abilities. Carnot, who 
 had superintended the military department, 
 was one of the number ; the four others were 
 Barras, Rewbell, La Reveillere Le])aux, and 
 Le Tourneur. All were regicides, but Le 
 Tourueur was the least violent of the whole 
 body. Under the auspices of such a govern- 
 ment, the French people flattered themselves 
 that they were at length rescued from those 
 evil)?,' M'hich they had so long endured from 
 the tyranny of successive factions ; and their 
 pre])ossessions were confirmed by the circu- 
 lation of a decree, proclainihig the unrestricted 
 exercise of religious libertv. 
 
 * 
 
 Amidst these scenes of disorder, the 
 Bourbon dynasty in France, which had been 
 for ages so illustrious, was terminated by the 
 death of the dauphin, Lewis Charles, the 
 only surviving son of Lewis XV J., in his 
 twelfth year. His death was attributed to 
 the scrophula by those who opened his body, 
 but the persecutions which he suflered, and 
 the squalid and comfortless state in wliich 
 he lived, evidently hastened his dissolution. 
 His (uirle, Lewis Stanislaus Xavier, now 
 as.suni.d the title of Lewis XVHL and issued 
 a proclamatioM to animate the friends of his 
 family , but the disasters sustained by the 
 English and the emigrants at Quiberon, 
 
 rendered ail his efforts to extend the mmiber 
 aiul influence of the royalists unavailing. 
 
 The disasters of the war having consider- 
 ably reduced the maritime force of France, 
 the naval transactions of the sunnner were 
 casual and unimportant ; but the vast ex- 
 tent of British commerce gave oxu* enemies a 
 gi'eat advantage in predatory warfare. Fleets 
 were fitted put from Toulon and Rochefort, 
 whicli made considerable pi'izes on the West 
 Indian trade, and their ports were filled with 
 vessels of different descriptions, which had 
 fallen into the hands of their privateers and 
 cruisers. 
 
 The only memorable exploit of the enemy 
 was performed by admiral Richery, who 
 captured, off St. Vincent, great part of our 
 Mediterranean fleet of sixty sail, richly laden, 
 under convoy of three ships of the line and 
 four frigates. Among the most important 
 actions of the year, must be numbered the 
 engagement of the Blanche, of 30 guns, ^ith 
 the La Pique, of 38 ; in which the French 
 ship was forced to strike, after a desperate 
 engagement, which proved fatal to the 
 English commander, captain Faiilkner. Ad- 
 miral Hotham, being stationed in the Medi- 
 tenanean with fourteen ships of the line, fell 
 in (March 14th) with a French fleet of fifteen 
 ships, laden with troops and stores destined 
 for Corsica, and frustrated for a time the 
 enemy's plan, for the recovery of the island 
 by capturing two of their vessels, and com- 
 pelling the rest to take refuge in Toulon. 
 
 The gallant retreat of admiral CornAvallis, 
 with five ships of the line, before a force con- 
 siderably superior to his omu, evinced the 
 skill of the admiral, and the usual coolness 
 of British seamen. For a considerable time 
 he had been cruising off Belleisle, where he 
 captured some valuable merchant-ships ; but, 
 standing in with the land near the Penraarks, 
 on the 16th of June, the Phaeton frigate made 
 a signal, that an enemy's fleet was in sight, 
 consisting of no fewer than thirteen line of 
 battle-ships. The French, about nine the 
 next morning, commenced the attack, which 
 the British vigorously repelled, keeping up a 
 running fire during the whole day. Admiral 
 Cornwallis accomplished his escape from his 
 perilous situation by a singular manoeuvre. 
 The repeating frigate hoisted a flag, purport- 
 ing that a large British fleet was in sight, 
 and the French conunander, understanding
 
 CHAP. XLll] GEORGE III. 531 
 
 the English signal tliouglit it prudent to > to commit any act of hostility towards the 
 retire. On the ti.'ird of the same month, » Dutch troops. — Hoslilitiis being, however. 
 (June) the Frencli squadron did actually fall i tlius con)menced, and the period approacmng 
 in with a superior iJritish fleet xmder lord ; when they might reasonably expect the 
 Bridport. The engagement, which commenced i arrival of some troops and stores, which had 
 at an early hour in the nu)rniiig, continued > been ref|uested of the governor at St. Helena, 
 till three in the afternoon, at which time three i it was an ol>ject of consequejice to dispossess 
 large ships of the enemy struck their colours, J the Dutch forces of the post which they 
 and the rest of the squadron, by keeping < occupied at the important pass of Muizen- 
 close on shore, escapetl into L'Orient. In \ berg, as by it a more ready communicatioa 
 the month of October, the French seized j would have been opened with the country, 
 thirty meicluiut-men freighted from the Medi- i Accordingly a detachment of seamen was 
 terrauean and the Levant, with a ship of the ; landed, which was formed into two battalions, 
 line, which fonned part of the convoy. In I ana on the morning of the 7th of August the 
 the West Indies, they recovered the whole of; whole moxed forward to the point of attack. 
 Guadaloupe, successfully attacked the fort | The post of Muizenberg being extremely 
 of Tiburon in St. Domingo, and became i strong to the front, and covered by a nume- 
 inasters of St. Eustatius. Their restless com- | rous field of artillery, against which the 
 niander, Victor Hughes, excited the most ; British general had not one gun to oj)pose, 
 dangerous insurrections among the negroes ; his principal reliance was upon the lire from 
 and people of colour in the British inlands, : the ships, which being properly disposed of, 
 St. Lucia was evacuated by .Stewart, the j produced every effect which coultl be ex- 
 go vcrnor-general, and it was Avith much diffi- 1 pected. The enemy were driven from two 
 culty that Grenada, Dominique, and St. 5 twenty-four pounders, which were directed 
 Vincent's were preserved. The Dutch states, i towards the sea, and abandoned the post 
 however, were severely chastised for their 1 before general Craig coultl arrive near enough 
 enmity to England by the loss of the cape of i to profit completely from the success, as they 
 Good Hope, which was reduced by an arma- 1 carried off all their artillery, except the two 
 ment sent out (September IGth) for the pur- 1 heavy guns above-mentioned, and one brass 
 pose, under the command of admiral Elphin- > six-pounder, with two eight-inch hov.itzers. 
 •stone, lieutenant-general sir Alured Clarke, i The eftemy having, however, taken post on 
 j_„^ and major-general Craig. On the | an advantageous ridge of rocky lieights, very 
 '^' 14th of July, the Dutch governor, > strong, and diflicult of access, a little beyond, 
 having not only rejected, in the most peremp- | the camp, the advanced-guard, under the 
 tory terms, the proposals which had been i command of major Moneypenny, of the 78th, 
 made to liim, that the settlement should place ; supported by a battalion of that regiment, 
 itself under the protection of Great Britain, ; attacked and drove tiicm from thence with the 
 but having also acted in a manner demon- | greatest spirit, although, in addition to the 
 strative of such hostile dispositions, as to I strength of the ground, the enemy were fur- 
 justify a suspicion, which was conveyed to I ther protected by cannon from the opposite 
 major-general Craig, of an intention to set ) side of the Lagoon, which covers the post of 
 fire to Simon's Tower, from which all the i Muizenberg towards the Cape Town. In 
 iidiabitants had been obliged to retire by his I this aflair, which t-crniinated only with the 
 order, the major-general, in concurrence with ; day, the activity and spirit of the light com- 
 the admiral, deemed it expedient to prevent > pany of the 7«tii were conspicuously display- 
 the execution of his ])urpose, by landing and i ed. On the following morning, the enemy 
 taking post-essiuu of the place, which ht j having drawn out their whole force from the 
 accordingly did, with a part of the 78th ; Cape Tow^n, they athanced with eight field- 
 regiment and some marines, amounting toge- ; pieces to attack the British, but finding them 
 tbt-r to about 800 men. — The Burgher militia, ; strongly posted, and being themselves fired 
 and Hottentots, who occupied the surround- i upon from the pieces they had left behind the 
 ing hills, continualK fired upon the British j preceding day, they desisted from the at- 
 patrolcs, while the latter were restrained by ; tempt, and retired after scn;e skirmishing. 
 the directions which they had received not | On the yth, a reinforcement of 352 rank 
 
 3 Y ti
 
 632 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XLII 
 
 and file, with some field artillery, arrived from ; and forced them with some less. Captain 
 St. Helena. j Brown, with the 78th grenadiers, advancing, 
 
 At this period tlve future operations of the ; however, to their support, the enemy were 
 army became an object of mo.st serious con- { immediately driven down the hill again, and 
 sideration. — On the one hand, as the enemy | the ground of the piquets re-occupied, 
 appeared numerous, and disposed to an | It was now agreed upon between genei'al 
 ol)stinatc defence, for which they had had 5 Craig and admiral Elphinstone, to wait six 
 ample time to make the best preparations, | days longer for the possibility of the arrival 
 general Craig could not but be sensible that ; of general Clarke, and that, if he did not 
 tlie force under his command was, in point ! appear by that time, general Craig s]iou!<i 
 of numbers, inadequate to the attempt of; then advance, and, under every disadvantage 
 reducing them ; and he had little to rely on ; of numbers and situation, try the fortune of 
 to counterbalance the disparity. He pos- i an attack, which, however hazardous, they 
 sessed no cattle nor carriages for the transport I deemed it their duty to make, before the total 
 of ammunition or provisions, and a commu- i failure of their provisions put them under an 
 nication of twelve miles was to be kept up, > absolute necessity of seeking a supply else- 
 to be furnished with either, at least till he J where. 
 
 could open a shorter one with the ships that | On the morning of the 3rd, however, the 
 the admiral might send to Table Bay, for ; enemy, encouraged by tl.e little success which 
 which the season was still very unfavourable. ; had attended the attempt of the British on 
 On the other hand, though these difficulties ; the 1st, meditated a general attack on their 
 were sufficiently discouraging, yet the arrival 5 camp, which in jfli probability would have 
 of general Clarke, under whom lieutenant- ; been decisive of the fate of the colony : they 
 colonel P'erguson served, was uncertain, and j advanced in the night, with all the strengtii 
 the state of general Craig's provisions was > they could muster, and with a train of not 
 such as to render the possibility of his stay, j less than 18 field-pieces. Some movements 
 till it should happen, very doubtful. 5 which had been observed the preceding 
 
 Under the above circumstances, general | evening, had given a suspicion of their in- 
 Craig determined to make an attempt by ; tention, and the British were perfectly pre- 
 iiight on the most considerable of the enemy's i pared to receive them. They were on their 
 out-posts, in the hope that a severe execution ; march, and considerable bodies began to 
 among the Burgher militia might intimidate 1 make their appearance within the view of 
 them, and produce events to his advantage. \ the British, when at that critical moment the 
 It took place on the 27th ; but, unfortunately, « signal for a fleet disconcerted them, and the 
 notwithstanding every eflbrt on the part of | appearance of 14 sail of large vessels, which 
 lieutenant-colonel Mackenzie, who command- > caiwe in sight immediately after, induced them 
 ed, it failed, from the intricacy of the roads, ] to relinquish their enterprise, and retire to 
 and the timidity and ignorance of the guides, \ their former posts. General Clarke came to 
 while it served only to produce among the 5 an anchor in Simon's Bay the next morning, 
 enemy a degree of vigilance, which soon i General Claike immediately disembarked 
 convinced general Craig of the impractica- ■ the regiments, artillery, and necessary stores, 
 bility of any further attempt by way of i and forwarded them to the advanced post, as 
 surprise. I fast as possible, where, through great exer- 
 
 On the morning of the 1st of September, < tions, as much provi>ion was collected as 
 the enemy having lined the moimtains above ; might enable them to sit down before the 
 the British with Hottentots and Burgher i town, and go on till they should connnunicate 
 militia, commenced a fire of musketiy upon > v/ith the British ships in Table Bay, or draw 
 their camp, which, from the total want of | some assistance from the country behind 
 eflect a former attempt of the same nature ; them ; and having made the best arrangement 
 bad experienced, was little attended to, till ; they could for transporting provisions, guns, 
 unfortunately the piquet of the reserve, being; stores, ammunition, and necessary articles of 
 too much occupied with covering themselves ! every kind, by the only means in their power, 
 from it, neglected their front, from whence ; men's labour, the British troops marched on 
 the enemy poured in considerable numbers, 5 the 14th from Muizenberg, leaving a sufficient
 
 CHAP. XLII.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 533 
 
 detachment for the protection of their camp 
 and stores, at that place. The enemy could 
 see all their motions, and the country through 
 ^vhich they had to pass for several miles, 
 being very favourable to the sort of warfare 
 that it v/as the business of the enemy to 
 pursue, (many of them being on horseback, 
 and armed with guns, that kill at a great 
 distance) the British general had reason to 
 think his troops would be greatly harassed, 
 and 'sufier much on their route. This loss, 
 however, from the precautions taken, and the 
 shyness of the enemy, fortunately proved less 
 tliian might have been expected, having only 
 one seaman killed, and seventeen soldiers 
 wounded, in the progress to the post of 
 Wynberg, where the enemy were in force with 
 nine pieces of cannon, and had determined 
 to make serious resistance. 
 
 General Clarke formed the army from 
 colunms of march in two lines, and made a 
 detachment from his right and left, to attack 
 both their flanks, whilst, with the main body 
 and artillery, he advanced against their centre. 
 The enemy found themselves so pressed by 
 the British, and at the same time alarmed by 
 the appearance of commodore Blaukett with 
 three ships the admiral had detached into 
 Table Bay, to cause a diversion on that side, 
 of which they were very jealous, that they 
 retired with the loss of a few men, from the 
 British cannon, before the troops could gain 
 the top of the hill, from whence they followed 
 them close for two miles ; but dark coming 
 on, and grf at part of the troops being much 
 fatigued, by the burdens they carried, and a 
 inarch through very swampy ground, general 
 Clarke determined to halt for the night, with 
 the intention of prosecuting his march at 
 day-light next morning. 
 
 In the mean time, an officer arrived with a 
 flag of truce, and a letter from governor Sluy- 
 fekin, requesting a cessation of arms, for 48 
 hours, to arrange and offer proposals for 
 surrendering the town ; but the British 
 general did not think it prudent to grant 
 more than 24, in which period every thing 
 vyas settled, agreeably to articles of capitula- 
 tion, whereby the regular troops, that fornied 
 the garrison, became prisoners of war, and 
 tlie British were put in full possession of the 
 town and colony. 
 
 Tkincomale was taken in the month of 
 August, and before the end of October the 
 
 island of Columbus, many Dutch settle- 
 ments in Ceylon, Malacca on the peninsula 
 of that name, Oiinsura in the bay of Bengal, 
 and Cochin on the coast of Malabar, surren- 
 dered to the English. These successes 
 would have been received by the English 
 nation with universal exultation, had not 
 the scarcity of corn and the pressure of taxes 
 excited the murmurs of the people. So 
 great was the agitation of the country, and so 
 numerous Mere the petitions against the con- 
 tinuance of war, that it was deemed advisa- 
 ble to assemble the legislature early in the 
 autumn, on account of the critical situation 
 of national affairs. The populace, assem- 
 bling round the state-coach, as the king was 
 proceeding to Pal-ace Yard, indulged in angry 
 acclamations, expressive of their abhorrence 
 of the war, their aversion to the premier, and 
 their antipathy to kingly government. They 
 threw stones at his majesty's caniage ; and 
 a bullet was dischaiged from an air-gun near 
 Palace Yard, which penetrated the window 
 of that edifice. 
 
 The .speech from the throne, the purport of 
 the address, the objections of the opposition, 
 and the answers in justification of the present 
 n)easures, breathed the same spirit as those 
 of the preceding session, and therefore need 
 not be related. A proclamation was issued, 
 (October 31st) offering £lOOO for the dis- 
 covery of any individual guilty of the out- 
 rages against his majesty's person ; and all 
 magistrates and well-affected persons were 
 enjoined to exert themselves in suppressing 
 unlawful meetings, and preventing the circu- 
 lation of seditious writings. 
 
 These measures were a prelude to the 
 more important proceedings of the legislature. 
 On the 0th of November, the earl of Gren- 
 ville brought in his bill for the safety and pre- 
 servation of his majesty's person and govern- 
 ment, against treasonal)le and seditious 
 practices and attempts. On the .^^aine day, a 
 bill was brought into tlie hou.se of commons, 
 by Mr. Pitt, for the jjrevention of .«editi.ou8 
 met'tings. The merits of (hose bills were 
 discussed with great vehemence. In the 
 debate on the latter, the premier indirectly 
 acknowledged the unconstitutional nature of 
 his bill, by resting its justification on the 
 absolnte necessity of such an expedient to 
 restrain the proceedings of a.ssemblies, whose 
 0])inions and discourses were inimical to
 
 634 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XUI. 
 
 good order, and obedience to government. | Fox, who displayed in the strongest terms, 
 lie j.oposed that, previous to the asscml>iage I and the most energetic eloquence, the formi- 
 ol" tiiiy popular meeting, notice should be ; dable tendency of the bill. After some 
 given "to the magistrates, who should attend i strictures on the number of persons (50) to 
 upou the occasion ; and if any seditions ! whom the bill had limited all future meetings, 
 views were betrayed, should seize the guilty ; he continued, " Behold the state of a free 
 cii ilie spot. To obstruct him was an act ; Englisliman ; before he can discuss any 
 oif felony, and if the meeting did not disperse | topic which involves his liberty or his rights, 
 at his command, the penalties provided by > he is to send to a magistrate, who is to be 
 the riot act should be inflicted on the refrac- i present at the discussion. That magistrate 
 tory. There was, he observed, another species > cannot prevent the meeting ; but he can 
 of meeting, consisting of persons who at- ; prevent their speaking, because he can 
 tended public lectures on political subjects. | allege, that what is said has a tendency to 
 The lecturers were persons notoriously dis- ; disturb the peace of the kingdom." Not- 
 aflTecled to government, and the doctrines ; withstanding the eloq-uent appeal of Mr. 
 they delivered were calculated to instil the * Fox, so critical and so perilous were the 
 most pernicious prmciples of resistance and j times, that it was thought advisable, by a 
 rebellion to the established powers. In order ; great majority in both houses, to make a 
 to obviate this difficulty, the act against dis- J sacrifice of the dearest rights of the people 
 orderly houses should be applied to meetings ; to the public safety ; and the bill, after 
 of this kind, whenever they exceeded, by a ] repeated discussions, received the legislative 
 -_q, stated number, the real family of the ; sanction. '^ ''//// ' 
 
 house. He was answered by Mr. ; // ' 
 
 CH-APTER XLIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1796.] 
 
 His Majesty's Message — Charges against Ministers — Mission of Lord 3Ialmsluri; to 
 Paris — His precipitate Dejuirture — Campaigns in Germany and IVily — Ascendancy of 
 France — Dissolution of the British Parliament, and Proceedings of its Successor — Death 
 of Catherine of Riisaia — Descent on Ireland — Capture of Dutch Settlements — Victory of 
 Captain FAphinslone. 
 
 THE premier embraced the opportunity 5 the French government was no longer a bar 
 presented by the recent change in the ) to the connnencement of a negotiation. The 
 constitution of France, to deprive the domes- i message of his n-ajesty to the house of cora- 
 tic factions of ihcir chief ground of censure, ; mons infornit-d them, that " the crisis which 
 -^nd to conciliate the approbation of the dis- i was depending at the close of the present 
 passionate by declaring, that the nature of | session, has led to such an order of things in
 
 CHAP. XLIII.J GEORCE III. -635 
 
 France, as will iiiducc his majesty, conform- 
 ably to the seutiments which he had always 
 declared, to meet any disposition for nego- 
 tiation on the part of the enemy, and wilh an 
 earnest desire to give it the fullest and 
 speediest effect, and to conclude a treaty for 
 a general peace, whenever it can be effected 
 on just and suitable terms for himself and his 
 allies." Mr. Sheridan endeavoured to detract 
 from the nierit of this declaration l)y ascribing 
 it to a desire of influencing the members against 
 Mr. Grey's proposed motion for peace, 
 
 I put to the \cA.e, they were carried without a 
 division of the house. The opposition were 
 discomfited, but not discouraged. Mr. Grey 
 renewed and multiplied his charges, and 
 moved them to be sufficient grounds of im- 
 peachment ; but the premier vindicated his 
 conduct with his usual plausibility and suc- 
 cess, the motion being dismissed by a majority 
 of 209 to .38. Nothing memorable occurred 
 during the remainder of the session, which 
 closed on the 19th of May, and soon after 
 the parliament was dissolved. 
 
 founding his opinion on its inconsistency \ The negotiation with France was the great 
 with tl;e minister's former sentiments and > important object of public curiosity. In 
 conduct respecting the war. To this the | conser|uence of a proposal from Mr. Wick- 
 minister replied by observing, that " no op- 5 ham, the English envoy at the Swiss cantons, 
 portunity had offered to encourage ideas of j to M. Barthelemy, the French minister at 
 peace ; which, however, had not been pre- > Basle, a reply was received fiom the dire<*tory, 
 vented by the mere existence of a republic in | importing that they were willing to treat ; 
 France, but by a total absence of any species i but that the retention of the Austrian Nether- 
 of regular government. The change now was J lands, now annexed by a formal decree to 
 manifest : the new constitution was contrary \ the French republic, was an indispensable 
 to the principle of universal equality ; the | condition. After some previous correspond- 
 French had noM' a fixed form of government, 5 ence with the French directory, lord Malms- 
 admitting of distinctions in society, and their \ bury was sent to Paris, and was received 
 legislature was not constructed on' principles \ with a coolness, ominous of the failure of hi-s 
 2)urely democratic. The amendment to the | mission. In the course of the negotiation, 
 address, proposed by Mr. Sheridan, was 5 the French government, who had been elated 
 rejected ; and the same issue attended Mr. | by the recent victories of Buonaparte, said 
 Greys subsequent motion for peace. \ that the overtui'e of the English was occa- 
 
 The latter gentleman, on the 10th of | sioned by the failure of the British court in 
 March, after descanting on the emban-ass- ; an attempt to le-unite the king of Prussia in 
 inents of the financial department, moved, « the confederacy against France. The strength 
 " that the house should resolve itself into a 5 of the allies was at this moment reduced, 
 committee to enquire into the state of the | many of the enemies of the republic were 
 nation. Mr. Jenkinson, in answer to the ; converted into friends, and they were en- 
 j)urport of the motion, referred to the flourish- I couraged by representations of the discon- 
 ing state of our commerce, the increase of our I tents existing in the British kingdoms, to 
 resources, and the establishment of the sink- 5 look forward to success of a partial invasion, 
 ing fund. Mr. Pitt vindicated his own > The difliculties arising from the temper of the 
 conduct in terms of triinnphant expostulation, I French were enhanced by the proposed res- 
 which were severely felt by the minority ; and I toration of the stadlholder; and a want ot 
 the debate was continued with unusual ; sufficient powers in lord Malmsbury to treat 
 asperity of language and sentiment. The ; (or tlie allies, and his refusal to treat separate- 
 ministeraccused the opposition of supporting ; ly, were adduced as pretexts of remonstrance 
 the confidence of the enemy by grcjss mis- 5 and delay. Havinglistened to the ambassador's 
 representation, and they accused him, in 5 requisitions, and secured to themselves the 
 return, of positive and wilful delusion. Not ; merit which the negotiation would give them 
 all the eloquence, however, of Mr. Fox, nor I in the eyes of the people, the directory began 
 the sarcasm of Mr. Sheridan, appeared to ; to assinne a more lofty tone. After the con- 
 make the slightest impression on the minis- 1 ference had been conthmed eight weeks, 
 terial members ; aiul when the resolutions ; they required the whole of lord Malmsbury 's 
 moved by the ministers, respecting the new ; demands to be stated to them in twenty-four 
 loans and the additional taxes, were (May l.st) ; hours ; and, on his replying that this pre-
 
 536 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 eluded all future negotiation, they derided 
 liis commission as inadequate to its ostensi- 
 ble purpose, and ordered him (Dec. 10th) to 
 depart in forty-eight hours. 
 
 The republican directors \vere preparing 
 for a vigorous campaign, uhen theii" powers 
 were menaced by a conspiracy. Babceuf, 
 Drouet, Laignelot, and other turbulent men, 
 directed by ex-deputies, \vere the intended 
 agents in this plot, in which both Jacobins 
 and royalists were concerned. Their views 
 were pointed to the overthrow of the direc- 
 tory and the new constitution, and to a re- 
 establishment of the code of 1793; but the 
 Ar to 1^'*^^ ^^^^ directed before the con- 
 
 ' ^ * spiralors were ready for action, and 
 Babceuf and some of his accomplices were 5 
 put to death. The sequel of the scheme \ 
 may liere be mentioned, though it occuned 
 four months afterwards. About 500 armed 
 men advanced to the camp of (Irenelle, near 
 Paris, intending probably to court the sol- 
 diery to a junction with them. They were 
 quickly repelled with loss, and totally de- 
 feated. Three members of the late conven- 
 tion (Huguet, lovoques, and Cusset) were 
 tried by a military committee, for a concern 
 in this violent scheme, and capitally ])unished. 
 
 General Jourdan was still employed in 
 Germany, to maintain the cause of the re- 
 public. About the close of the spring, he 
 detached Kleber to attack the prince of 
 Wirtemberg, who was stationed between the 
 Sieg and the Lahn. The French fought with 
 such impetuosity and vigour, that the prince 
 tvas driven from his post with considerable 
 loss. He retired to Uckerah ; and, when 
 Kleber was preparing to surround him, has- 
 tened to Altenkircheu, where he was exposed 
 to a fresh attack. The French were again 
 victorious ; and their success drew the arch- 
 duke Charles to the Lahn, that he might 
 check their career. Near Wetzlaer he 
 assaulted a strong position, which Le Febvre 
 had chosen, and, by repeated efforts, obtained 
 the advantage. He soon after compelled 
 Jourdan to repass the Rhine, and sent about 
 12,000 men, xmder Kruy, to harass Kleber, 
 wlio was retiriitg with twice that number 
 toward the Sieg. The French general hoped 
 to overpower his antagonists ; and his con- 
 ijdence for a time seemed to be well-foimded : 
 but the courage and firmness of three of 
 Kray's battalions signally contributed to tun) 
 
 [chap. XLIIf. 
 
 the tide of victory. Unshaken by the nunje- 
 rous artillery of the enemy, they rushed upon 
 nine battalions vith tixe(i bayonets, and, 'by 
 defeating tliat j>art of Klebers arniy, furnish- 
 ed the Saxon and Austrian cavalry Avith an 
 opportunity of rallying. Those who so 
 lately exulted in the hopes of triiunpli, now 
 made a hasty retreat to\Aard Dusseldorf. 
 
 An invasion of Suabia was undertaken by 
 the gallant and active Moreau. The fort ot 
 Kehl being weakly garrisoned, a small part 
 of his force reduced it without the aid of 
 cannon. He improved the v.orks of the 
 place ; and then advanced with alacrity, 
 expecting to divide the imperial army of the 
 Upper lihine. Of the three divisions of his 
 army, the strongest was that which Desaix 
 conducted. When this otlicer had attacked 
 general La Tour with advantage at Heuchen, 
 he was joined by Moreau, who engaged the 
 same commander near Rastadt, and, after a 
 long conflict, dislodged him from a strong 
 post. Latour, as he was retiring, was grati- 
 fied by the enlivening presence of the arch- 
 duke, who stationed himself at Etlingen to 
 observe the movements of Moreau. 
 
 Encoi'raged by the departure of Charles, 
 Jourdan again crossed the Rhine ; and, 
 driving the Austrians before him, also passed 
 the Lahn ; between which river and the 
 Maine the French forced all the posts of their 
 adversaries, who, retiring to Frankfort, wepe 
 soon dispossessed of that city. The archduke 
 Mas now apprehensive of great danger, from 
 the eventual co-operation of Jonrdan and 
 Moreau ; and, to avoid it, he deteiinined 
 upon a speedy engagement with the latter 
 general. He had made judicious arrange- 
 ments for that purpose, when Moreau at- 
 tacked him in every point of his position. 
 Keim, who commanded the left division of 
 the Austrians, repelled four assaults ; but 
 being at length outflanked, he retreated to 
 Pfortzheim. Charles had baflled the attempts 
 of the enemy on his right and in the centre ; 
 but the retreat of the rest of the army, and 
 the seizure of the mountains on his left, ren- 
 dered it expedient that he should quit the 
 field. After various skirmishes, the move- 
 ments of the archduke were still retrograde, 
 and the troops that opposed Jourdan also 
 continued to retreat, maintaining, however, 
 a communication with the grand army. 
 
 Near Allersheim, Charles expected, In a
 
 CHAP. XLIII.] GEORGE III. 637 
 
 general action io anest the progress of ; The circle of Franconia was soon freed from 
 Aloi-eau, but the bad state of the roads, in i its licentious invaders ; and llio works of 
 consequence of intervening rain, so retarded ; Dusseldorf secured the vanquished general 
 the advance of his columns, that the French ; and the remains of his force, 
 general had time to prepare completely for j When Charles left the banks of the 
 his defence. The Austrian centre prevailed, ? Danube, he had entrusted general La Tour 
 until the right had been severely treated ;: with the defence of Bavaria. Moreau passed 
 yet the latter division was on the point of; the Lech, but was prevented, by the airival 
 being reinforced and rallied, M'hen intelligence ! of a strong detachment which the archduke 
 »)f the progress of Jourdan to a junction with ; sent, from penetrating beyond the Iser. 
 INloreuu induced the archduke to desist from ; Having intimidated tiie elector into a retreat 
 the conflict, although he found that his left ; from his capital, he granted to that prince the 
 wing had been Aery successful. • imJulgence of an armistice, on condition of 
 
 Turning his eye to the operations of Jour-; the gradual payment of ten millions of livres, 
 dan, who threatened an irruption into Bohe- 1 and the immediate or speedy delivery of a 
 niia and Upper Austria, the heroic defender • grea-t quantity of corn, articles of clothing, 
 of Germany hastened from tlie Danube to ; and works of art. Intent on this accommo- 
 the JN'aab, and prepared to crush the bold ; dation, the French general neglected the 
 invader. He sent three colunms against the ; concert wh.ich policy required him to main- 
 front of the French arniy, and directed four : taiM with Jourdau ; and for some weeks he 
 others to turn it upon the right and left. ; had no knowledge of the movements, either 
 Jourdan, however, was not disposed to await i of that officer or his brave antagonist. He 
 the dangerous experiment. He precipitately : was over-reached on this occasion by the 
 retired to Amberg, where his pursuers routed ; secrecy and circumspection of Charles ; and 
 a part of his discouraged host. At Sultzbach i when he was informed of the defeat of'Jour- 
 Ije sustained further loss. Still harassed, he > <lan, and apprehended the return of the arch- 
 reached the Elaine by forced marches, and ; duke, he began to be sensible of the necessity 
 halted near Schweinfort. j of a retreat In eluding the approximation 
 
 To facilitate the exi)nls!on of the enemy ; of his adversaries, he manifested ability and 
 from I^anconia, general Flotze seized the i judgment ; but his celebrated retreat deserves 
 town of Wurtzbnrg, and maintained the post i more distinc^t notice than such general re- 
 against an impetuous attack from Jourdan. ; marks would include or convey. 
 Retiring to Kornach, the republican com- j When Desaix had been attacked with 
 mander resolved to await, in a favourable i success in prcj)aring to join Moreau, whose 
 position, an assault from the aichduke. The | rear-guard had also been defeated, the com- 
 Austrians, by a vigorous charge, compelled ; mander-in-chief retired to the Lech. To 
 the French cavalry to retreat, but were them- : repel his pursuers, he again pushed forward, 
 selves disordered by the fire from the batteries | until the danger of being surrounded drove 
 erected upon a chain of hills. The heights ; him back to that river. He intended to take; 
 were at length forced, and Join-dan was de- i the route of Ulm, and pass through the duchy 
 feated, with only the loss of about 800 men 5 of Wirtemberg ; but when the Austriana. 
 on the i)art of the victors, while oOOO of the | obstructed his cour.ce to Stnfgard, he tursed 
 French were killed, wounded, or made pri- | oft' to Uiberach. Driven from this town, he • 
 soners. The well-stored citadel of Wurtzbnrg. ; marched from the north-west ; and failing in 
 Avas now obliged to suncnder ; and the I an attack of the van-guard of La Tour near 
 Austriaiis inqjroved their success by a diligent > Schussenreid, made a bold eflbrt against the • 
 pursuit of the routed foe. [whole force which that general personally 
 
 If the French had not acted with iniqui- ; commanded. He defeated the right wing 
 tons violence, the miseries of their retreat ; near liiedlingen, and constrained the left and' 
 would have excited the compassion of their I centre to retire. The corps of Conde being' 
 adversaries. Fatigue, hunger, and the hosti- > ordered to cover the retreat, performed that, 
 lities both of the soldiery and the incensed | service with distinguished spirit, ajid pre-- 
 peasants, harassed an<l greatly fhimied the i vented the ruin of the anny. About three 
 retiring army, or rather the fugitive parlies. : thousand five hundred of the Austrians wcrw 
 
 3 z ' 34
 
 538 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 jnade prisoners on this occasion, and five 
 hundred iost tiieir lives. 
 
 This victory did not so far encourage 
 Morean, as to prevent a rene\val of his re- 
 trograde movements. He divided his army 
 into three columns, which retired in parallel 
 lines, the right and left opening- the passage 
 into tiie Black Forest, and the centre keep- 
 ing Latour in check. Desaix dislodged 
 general Petrusch from some important posts ; 
 but the retreat was still exposed to great dif- 
 ficulties. Two passages presented an alter- 
 native, and each was so guarded as to be 
 pregnant w ith danger. Moreau preferred the 
 Valley of Hell, not deterred by the appro- 
 priate and formidable name. His centre 
 routed tiie defenders of the pass, and reached 
 Freyburg, which the Anstrians in vain en- 
 deavored to preserve. The rest of his army 
 also efl'ected a retreat to that town, while La 
 Tour hovered on the rear. 
 
 Th& archduke now re-appeared on the 
 Upper Rhine, and finding Kehl too well 
 guarded to be taken by a coup de mahi, 
 ordered it to be blockaded. He then ad- 
 vanced towards the Black Forest, and, with 
 La Tour and his chief associates, formed a 
 line from the river to St. Peter s valley. The 
 position of the Brisgaw was now bravely con- 
 tested. After some partial conflicts, in one 
 of which the duke d'Enghien signalised his 
 courage, a general action took place. The 
 Austrian right wing, conducted by La 
 Tour, attacked Kentziiigen ; but, being twice 
 repelled, did not succeed before the arch- 
 duke had made a furious charge at the 
 head of the grenadiers. The centre, under 
 Wartensleben, assaulted the heights near 
 Malmertingen, and forced them by vigour 
 and perseverance. Petrusch, whh the left 
 wing, encountered serious ditBculties, which, 
 however, did not prevent him from dislodging 
 the well-posted enemy. The woods above 
 Keimbach were seized by Meerfeldt. Prince 
 Frederic of Orange turned the right of Mo- 
 Teau ; and Nauendorf at Waldkirch baflled 
 the personal efforts of the able commandei-. 
 ■ Retiring to the southward, along the 
 Rhine, Moreau made choice of Eckenheim, 
 Steinstadt, and some intermediate villages, 
 for a new position. The selection was al- 
 lowed to be judicious; but the strength of 
 the line did not efiectualiy seciue it. The 
 Austrians ultimately forced it ; and the 
 
 [chap, xliii. 
 
 French then retreated to Huningen, where 
 they passed the Rhine in the face of a vigi- 
 lant foe, and saved even their artillery and 
 baggage. 
 
 After this admirable retreat, the attention 
 of Moreau was directed to the preservation 
 of fort Kehl, which, under the archduke'sf 
 eye, was subjected to a vigorous siege. The 
 general having sent Desaix with a reinforce^ 
 ment to the garrison, that officer impetuously 
 sallied out, and took three of the redoubts 
 erected by the besiegers ; but after both 
 parties had sustained considerable loss, he 
 returned wounded to the fort. The siege 
 was continued for seven weeks ; and the 
 Austrians, during that time, lost about 10,000 
 men by the fire of the garrison, fatigue, and 
 disease. 
 
 The war was carried on with extraordinarj* 
 vigour beyond the Alps. The directory 
 earnestly wished, not only to force the king 
 of Sardinia into a peace beneficial to France 
 in point of territorial acquisition, but also to 
 dispossess the Austrians of the Milanese, and 
 abridge their power in other parts of Italy. 
 For the accomplishment of these wishes, an 
 officer who had great courage, but little ex- 
 perience, was placed at the head of a nume- 
 rous army. This was Buonaparte, who, in 
 the vicinity of Savona, reviewed his forces, 
 and prepared them for action. Ashe seemed 
 to threaten the city of Genoa, a detachment 
 of the allied army advanced io the suburbs ; 
 and Beaulieu, who had been sent to take the 
 chief command of the Austrian troops, made 
 arrangements for the attack of the whole 
 French line. The success of the plan de- 
 pended chiefly on the exertions of Argenteau, 
 who was ordered to assaidt three strong 
 redoubts, raised one above another. He 
 forced two of the number, but failed in the 
 attack of the third. Beaulieu was not un- 
 successful near Genoa, as general Cervoni 
 fled before him ; and Colli, who commanded 
 the troops of the Sardinian prince, made 
 some progress near the Tanaro, until the 
 apprehension of losing his communication 
 with the Austrians, in consequence of the 
 dexterous movements of Buonaparte, con- 
 strained him to fall back. Being outflanked 
 by the French, Argenteau was routed at 
 Monte-nott^ ; and the rest of the army also 
 found it expedient to retreat. 
 
 Elated with this victory, Buonaparte took
 
 CHAP. XLIII.] GEORGE III. 
 
 639 
 
 the earliest opportunity of acquiring fresh ; on the part of the Austrians, particularly 
 laurels. At Moute-lezino he broke the concert j expedient, until considerable reinforcements 
 between the Piedmontese and the Austrians, ; should arrive from Germany. Retiring be- 
 and, having defeated the former, attacked ! hind the Po, Beaulieu selected a favourable 
 April 14 *'^^ *^"^** ^^'^'* ^"^'"S.^- He did not, { position, where his troops rested upon their 
 
 ^ ' however, easily triumph over them. > arms. The armistice with Victor had allowed 
 
 Colonel Wuckassovich distinguished himself ; to the French a free passage through the 
 on this occasion by his courage and firm- I Piedmontese principality ; but instead of 
 ness, and considerably thinned the ranks j taking immediate advantage of the indulgence, 
 of the battalions which assailed his division. | they marched into the dominions of the duke 
 About 6000 men in the vanquished army » of Parma, and passed the Po near Placentia. 
 were killed, wounded, or ca])tured. | A truce was granted to the duke by Buona- 
 
 ,„QQ The victorious general now marched I parte, M'ho, Avhen Beaulieu had retreated to 
 toward the Tanaro, and, during four ; the neighbourhood of Lodi, in the Milanese, 
 successive days, assaulted a position which i advanced to the conquest of this fiourisliiii^ 
 the Piedmontese had chosen. They then J territory. The bridge of Lodi was so well 
 abandoned it in the night, and, being closely | fortified, that an attack was deemed despe- 
 pursued, were encountered near Mondovi. I rate by all the field officers whom the general 
 Unable to withstand the superior Jiumber of; consulted on the occasion ; but the ^V 
 the enemy, they formed a strong line behind ! grenadiers, rendered fearless of dan- ^^^ ^^" 
 the Stura, from Coni to Cherasco. The | ger by jjotations of cau de vie, stormed the 
 safety of Piedmont in general, and of its « post. When they had been repeatedly driven 
 capital in particular, depended on the pre- ; off M'ith great loss, the aid of a reinforcement 
 servation of this line of defence. The ill \ achieved the dangerous work. The retreat 
 fortune of the allies, in this campaign, so » of Beaulieu being protected by a body of 
 depressed the s])irits of the king of Sardinia, | Neapolitan cavalry, he did not "lose so many 
 that he had not the courage to continue the ; men as the French, of whom above 3500 were 
 war. He found his troops precluded from ; killed or Avounded. 
 
 Austrian aid, and did not expect that they j This victoiy Aras followed by the acqni- 
 would be able long to maintain their defensive ; sition of Milan, and by a series of spoliation 
 post. Even a dishonourable peace he thought I and outrage, conunitted in that city and in 
 was preferable to hostilities that might be | the other towns of Lombardy. Multiplied 
 ruinous. He therefore sent plenipotentiaries ; acts of tyranny and violence excited a spirit 
 to treat with the French commissaries at | of vengeance; and the inhabitants rose in 
 Genoa; and, in the meantime, a truce was j arms against the detested iniruders. In the- 
 solicited and obtained from Buonaparte, who I capital the insurrection was quickly sup- 
 haughtily demanded, in return for his conde- i pressed ; but at Pavia, where the French 
 scension, the surrender of three fortresses, \ garrison had been overpowered and disarmed, 
 and other favours Of the treaty of peace, | the personal exertions of the general were 
 which soon followed the armistice, the terms | supposed to be necessary. He forced open 
 AItv 1.' ^^*^^^ humiliating and disgraceful to < the gates, and diliused through the place the 
 ^ ' ^ ' ■ the unfortunate king. He Avas | atrocities of massacre. He would iiave to-' 
 obliged to cede to the republic the territories ; tally destroyed the city, if he had not found 
 of Savoy, Nice, Tende, and Benil ; to put ; the garrison safe. In other towns and dis- 
 the French in ]ios^ession of Coni, Exillcs, ; tricts, many unfortunate objects of suspicion 
 Snsa, Alessandria, and other towns and ; Avere seized, and put to death by military 
 fortresses, mitil a general peace should be ; ruffians. 
 
 concluded ; and Avas prohibiled from erecting | As the effects of the battle of Lodi liad 
 or repairing any fortilications near the fron- ; driven the Austrians into the bishopric of 
 tiers of France. Thus Avas V^iclor Aniadeus ; Trent, and left the Italian states defended 
 punished for his hoslility to a dangerous and i only by native troops, Buonaparte exerted his 
 formidable revolution. ; influence over the grand duke of Tnsrany, 
 
 Tn£ secession of the Sardinian prince from ; insisting on the expulsion of the English 
 tiie confederacy, reodered defenr^ivc meaaurts, | from Leghorn, and the exclusion of theit 
 
 3 z 2
 
 o40 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XL! II. 
 
 ships, from that port ; nnd tlie supreme pou- 
 tift' of Christendoni Mas subjected to llie 
 avrogaiit aud rapacious tyrauny of one u!io 
 pretended to be a devout son of tlie catholic 
 
 June 23. 
 
 church. He Mas required to pur- 
 
 chase the favour of Gallic forbear- 
 ance by the disgraceful surrender of Bologna 
 and other towns, the grant of twenty-one 
 millions of livres, and the donation of 300 
 niauuscripts and pictures. The last species 
 of pillage was particularly injurious to the 
 feelings of the Italians ; but the duke of 
 Modena was also compelled to surrender his 
 most valuable treasures of art, and required 
 to pay £4.>0,000 for a cessation of hostilities. 
 The duke of Parma felt the rigours of re- 
 pubhcan rapacity, but the king of Naples 
 obtained for a Avhile the gratiHcatiou of a 
 truce, Mithout being obliged to pay for the 
 indulgence. While Mantua remained under 
 a partial investment, Leghorn was seized by 
 a detachment, the effects of obnoxious persons 
 were sni)jected to confiscation, and Vaubois 
 remained Mith a garrison to intimidate the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 While the Italian princes Mere averting 
 tJie vengeance of France by prudential mea- 
 sures, the court of Vienna, supported by 
 British subsidies, rencAved its struggle for 
 the recovery of its dominions, by sending 
 reinforcements of troops, commanded by 
 their ablest generals, into Italy. Alvinzi, 
 who Mas entrusted with the command, en- 
 tered the Trentino with such a force, as 
 enabled him to recover the capital of the 
 principality. Buonaparte advanced from \ 
 the environs of Mantua to meet him ; and, 
 
 Tvr , - after attacking general Provera 
 XNov. 15. „, u I II 
 
 with success, assaulted a Mell- 
 
 posted division near Areola, a village situated 
 on a morass, on the maintenance of M'hich, Al- 
 vinzi cliiel^y rested for his defence. Augereau 
 and his subordinate generals, observing that 
 their troops began to recoil at the firm resist- 
 ance of the brigade which guarded the bridge, 
 led them on to the attack, but they were re- 
 pidsed, and several of their number disabled. 
 On the following day, the rage of slaughter 
 again prevailed, without any signal advan- 
 tage to either party. After another night of 
 little rest, Augerean's division attackeil Ar- 
 eola, and met with a rt^'pnlse. Buonaparte 
 observed that, while the other divisions were 
 Engaged, the Austrian left wing, protected 
 
 by marshes, was still unbroken. By his 
 orders, Hercules, an officer of distinguished 
 valour, came on their rear at full gallop, 
 Mith a small brigade of horse, the trumpets 
 at the same time sounding a charge. The 
 Austrians, imagining that they M'ere attacked 
 by a larger force, gave way, and were com- 
 pletely routed. This overthrow reduced the 
 third Aiistrian army raised for this destruc- 
 tive Mar to a mere wreck ; and the French 
 had reason to lament the loss of a great num- 
 ber of their ablest veterans. 
 
 The British monarch shared the misfor- 
 tunes of his allies and friends in Italy. The 
 Corsicans listened to the suggestions of 
 French emissaries, took arms in various dis- 
 tricts, and received military aid from their 
 celebrated compatriot, the conqueror of the 
 Milanese. After inetifectual attempts to re- 
 claim them from their attachment to France, 
 the English retired from Corsica, and the 
 authority of the republic Mas acknowledged 
 in the island. 
 
 The empress Catherine of Russia, after 
 finally succeeding in the subjugation of 
 Poland, had engaged to espouse the cause 
 of Great Britain against France; but her 
 attention was at this moment diverted to a 
 nearer and more domestic object. She en- 
 deavoured to secure the attachment of the 
 young Gustavus of Sweden, by a marriage 
 betM'een him and Alexandrina Polowna, her 
 grand-daughter, whose chairas and virtues 
 he admired. Repairing with his ^mcle to 
 St. Petersburgh, the day of nuptial celebra- 
 tion was arranged ; but when he found that, 
 in the mairiage contract prepared for his 
 approval, the free exercise of her religion 
 was demanded, he refused to sign it, as in- 
 compatible M'ith the laMs of Sweden, and 
 returned to Stockholm. The event produced 
 an evident efiect on the health and spirits oi 
 the empress. She had retired into a private 
 apartment ; her protracted absence surprised 
 her attendants, and, on entering the room, 
 they found her extended on the floor, speech- 
 less aud insensible. She languished until the 
 evening of the folloMing day, and expired in 
 the 68th year of her age, and the 3-3lh of her 
 reign. Slie was succeeded by Paul, her only 
 oflspring, Mhose person Mas not more de- 
 formed than his talents were unequal to the 
 duties of his station. 
 
 Actuated by the dread of republican
 
 CHAP. XLIIl.J 
 
 GEORGE HI. 
 
 541 
 
 force, or influonned by the counsels of his 
 minister, Don Ferdinand of Spain concluded 
 an oflensive alliance with France, and, Oito- 
 ber the 5tli, declared war against Great Bri- 
 tain, attempting a vindication of his conduct 
 by charginj^ the court of St. James's with 
 breach of faith, with prosecuting a contia- 
 band trade with his American subjects, and 
 with designs hostile to his interests. In con- 
 formity witli this declaration, Don Ferdinand 
 commenced hostilities, notwithstanding his 
 premier, the Piinct of Peace, in answer to 
 a letter from the Russian empress, dated on 
 the very day with liis hostile manifesto, as- 
 sured her that his sovereign woidd fulfil what- 
 ever he had promised, for the benefit of the 
 common cause. His Portuguese majesty, in- 
 fluenced by motives of a different character 
 from those of liis feeble and hypocritical 
 neighbour, but conscious of bis weakness, 
 resolved to derive all possible advantage 
 from the neutrality which she had adopted, 
 declared Lisbon a free port, under the super- 
 intendance of a general comptroller, ordered 
 varehouses to be built for the accommodation 
 of foreign merchants, and invited them to 
 resort to his capital by the grant of unusual 
 privileges. 
 
 On the 26th of October, his Britannic 
 majesty opened the new parliament, in a 
 speech, in which be adverted to the measures 
 adopted for effecting an honourable peace, 
 and intimated, that in case hostilities were 
 continued, our chief hopes of final success 
 depended upon the perseverance of the em- 
 peror and our own naval exertions, which had 
 enabled our conunanders to make successful 
 efforts in the West Indies, to protect our 
 growing commerce, and to blockade the fleets 
 and ports of the enemy. The address, as 
 usual, was merely an echo of the speech ; and 
 on its being carried, the house formed itself 
 into a committee, " to take into consideration 
 that clause which alluded to the intention of 
 the enemy to attompt an invasion of these 
 kingd<;ms." After some auimadversioa it was 
 
 agreed, that a levy should be made upon the 
 difl'erent parishes throughout the kingdom, 
 forming a nuiitia of reserve, and the supplies 
 were liberally granted. The accjuiescence of 
 tlie house of commons an<l of the people in 
 the measures adopted, might have been less 
 prompt and generous, iiad not considerable 
 anxiety been excited by intelligence, that 25 
 ships of the line and lo frigates, with trans- 
 ports for 25,000 men, commanded by general 
 Hoche, was preparing to descend upon the 
 coast of England. The fleet, however, did 
 not sail from Brest till the 18th of De- |-q/> 
 cember, and the weather proving tem- 
 pestuous, several of the ships were driven on 
 the rocks at the mouth of the harbour, and 
 wrecked or rendered unfit for service. Not- 
 withstanding this disaster, admiral Bouvet, 
 after weathering a storm, which dispersed 
 his fleet, pursued his voyage with seven ships 
 of the line and ten others, and anchored in 
 Bantry Bay. The storm continuing, and 
 general Hoche, who bad left France in a fri- 
 gate, not having arrived, the admiral, after 
 waiting several days in imminent danger, set 
 sail and returned to Brest, but with the loss 
 of two additional ships and three more fri- 
 gates. The mortification of the French at 
 the calamitous issue of this enterjjrise, was 
 aggravated by the sacrifices made to its 
 equipment. France had engaged to assist 
 the Dutch states with a squadron, for the 
 recovery of the Cape, and the protection of 
 their other settlements ; but, instead of ap- 
 plying the money transmitted from Holland 
 to its destined purpose, they diverted it to 
 this armament, and, in consequence of their 
 dishonesty, Ceylon, and the Dutch settlements 
 on Malacca, and at Cochin and Chinsura, fell 
 without resistance into the hands of the Eng- 
 lish. A fleet was afterwards equijjped by 
 the states, to recover the Cape ; but was at- 
 tacked by admiral Elphinstone : three of its 
 ships were captured, after a short chace, and 
 the rest escaped to a friendly port.
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1797,] 
 
 Resumption of pacific Neo-otiations with France — Their Failure — Mutiny in the Fleet— -^ 
 Victory off Cape St. Vincent — Expeditions to Teneriffe and Trinidad — Battle of Cam- 
 perdonn under Admiral Duncan — Campaigns in Italy and Germany — Subjugation of the 
 Roman, Genoese, and Venetian States — Armistice of JLeoben — Treaty of Campo Formic 
 — Death 0/ the King of Prussia — Convulsions in Paris — Deportation to Cayenne — The 
 French evince Demonstrations of invading England — Secession of the Opposition from their 
 Parliamentary Duties. 
 
 THE policy of the English ministry had, | and to the progress of conciliatory measures, 
 within the last two years, been evi- \ no refusal was given to the stipulation ; but 
 dently modified by the repeated disappoint- \ the eventual compliance was to depend on 
 meiit of their plans, the difliculties attending ! the progress and tendency of the negotiations, 
 their financial measures, and the murmurs of J These preliminaries being acceded to by 
 the people. They assumed a tone of mode- 1 both parties, lord Malmsbury met the French 
 ration and of acquiescence in the suggestions ; plenipotentiaries, Le Touriieur, Maret, and 
 of their opponents, not less grateful to the i Plevil, at Lisle ; but, before the.se ministers 
 people at large than honourable to themselves, i would enter on the principal business of the 
 A spirit of mutual accommodation appeared » congress, they brought forward certain " iu- 
 to pervade the hostile factions ; and the ; sulated points," as conditions preparatory to 
 ministers, anxious to deserve the popularity i a treaty. Of these, the first was a demand, 
 they had unexpectedly obtained, determined | that the king of Great Britain should hencc- 
 to make one more attempt to secure the ; forward desist from assuming the title of 
 blessings of a secure and honourable peace. ! king of France ; the second, that the ships 
 Within six months after the neg-otiations at > seized at Toulon should be restored, or an 
 I aris had been broken of^', they made over- ; equivalent be granted for them and for those 
 tures for their renewal, by a note to M. de j which liad been destroyed ; and a third, the 
 Croix, the French minister for foreign affairs. < renunciation, ou the part of Great Britain, of 
 The assent given to this overture by the I all its mortgages upon the Netherlands, in 
 directory was accompanied by a proposition ' consequence of money k'lit to the emperor. 
 to treat definitively with Great Britain, with- 1 The difficulties arising from these requisitions 
 out adverting to the general interests of ; having been in some degree removed by the 
 Europe ; a proposition by which France, on | concessions and explanations of the French 
 former occasions, had succeeded in seducing | ministers, the conferences were opened, 
 the members of the coalition from the common ; Their duration was short. The French re- 
 cause in which they were embarked, and was : public demanded, that to it and its allies 
 contrary to the principles on which the Bri- I Great Britain should restore ail the jiosses 
 ti.sh government had uniformly acted. But ; sions which had passed into the hands of the 
 that no obstruction might arise to the discus- ; latter power since the beginning of the war; 
 sioii of this and other important questions, ' and it appearing from lord Malmsbury 's
 
 CHAP. XLIV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 543 
 
 answer, that, lie was antliorised to treat on no 
 
 c ± ,r. otlier principle than that of recipro- 
 
 Scpt. 16. 1 ' ' ■ 1 -1 
 
 1707 compen.sation, he was requned 
 
 to depart in 24 hours. 
 
 The disappointment of the nation, in its 
 hopes of peace, was ang;niented by the 
 gloomy aspect of our financial situation, and 
 by the indications of latent rebellion in the 
 sister kingdom. The magnitude of om* re- 
 uiittances to the allies had occasioned a 
 scarcity of specie ; and the people, alarmed 
 by the prospect of general bankruptcy, made 
 a violent run upon the country banks. The 
 eftects of their precipitance, or precaution, 
 were soon extended to the metropolis, and 
 serious apprehensions were entertained for 
 the stability of the bank of England, which 
 had exhausted its specie by advances to the 
 state. To avert its impending fate, an order 
 was issued by the privy-council, prohibiting 
 pi no the directors of the bank from 
 issuhig any cash in payment till the 
 sense of parliament should be taken on the 
 subject, and *' proper measures adopted for 
 maintaining- the means of circulation, and 
 supporting the public commercial credit of 
 the kingdom at this important juncture." 
 Committees, in the lords and commons, were 
 immediately appointed to examine into the 
 state of the bank, and the causes which ren- 
 dered the orders of council necessary. Each 
 committee made a favourable report, stating, 
 that the funds applicable to the discharge of 
 the engagements of the bank, exceeded those 
 demands by £.3,820,890, without including a 
 debt of £11,686,800 due from government, 
 yet each recommended a continuance of the 
 late prohibition, as the repeated applications 
 of individuals for money might otherwise 
 deprive the bank of the means of supplying 
 the cash requisite for the public service. A 
 bill was therefore introduced for conrnming 
 the restriction ; and to render it less incon- 
 venient, notes for sums so small as £l were 
 put into circulation, but might be refused as 
 an illegal tender. By these expedients the 
 nation was rescued from the disasters which 
 must otherwise have ensued to the state and 
 nation, and commerce resumed its wonted 
 and invigorating functions. 
 
 In the midst of our pecuniary embarrass- 
 ments, the government was alarmed by a 
 mutinous disposition, which made its appear- 
 ance in the navy. The spirit of mutiny was 
 
 first discovered In the fleet lying at Ports- 
 mouth, by anonymous letters addressed to 
 lord Howe, first lord of the admiralty. The 
 smallness of the pay was the motive adduced 
 for the expression of discontent, and its 
 justice could not be denied by any One, who 
 compared the prices of all the necessaries of 
 life with those whi(;h they bore in the reign 
 of Charles II., when the present nites of 
 seamen were established. 
 
 The admiralty returned no answer to these 
 letters, and the seamen entered into an una- 
 nimous agreement, that no ship should lift 
 its anchor till a redress of grievances should 
 be obtained. In pursuance of this compact, 
 they refujfed to obey the signal of lord Brid- 
 port, commander of the channel fleet, and 
 appointed a meeting of delegates in the cabin 
 of lord Howe, who drew up a moderate and 
 respectful petition to the house of commons. 
 His lordship interposed in their behalf; and, 
 an act of parliament having been passed for 
 an augmentation to the payment and allow- 
 ance of seamen, tranquillity was restored. 
 
 It was hoped that the compliance of go- 
 vernment, sanctioned by the legislature, 
 would have prevented any further tumults ; 
 but these reasonable expectations were 
 wholly disappointed by a fresh mutiny among 
 the seamen of the fvore, who in-sisted on a 
 greater freedom of absence from ships in 
 harbour, a more punctual discharge of arrears, 
 a more just distribution of prize-money, and 
 a general relaxation of the rigours of disci- 
 pline. On the 6th of June, the fleet at the 
 Nore was joined-by the Agamemnon, Ardent, 
 Leopard, and Iris men of \\ar, and the Ran- 
 ger sloop ; 'all of which ships had deserted 
 from the squadron of admiral Duncan, Mho 
 addressed the remainder of his fleet in a 
 speech, which did equal credit to his talents, 
 his patriotism, and his virtue, and which so 
 deeply afiected the crews, that they declared 
 their resolution to abi«le by their admiral in 
 life or death. Notwithstanding, therefore, 
 the defection of .so considerable a part of his 
 force, he repaired to his station off the coast 
 of Holland, determined to provoke, if possible, 
 the enemy to battle. 
 
 The leader and director of the mutineers, 
 under the title of president of delegates, was 
 Itichaid Parker, a man of daring spirit, and 
 respectable native talents. When admiral 
 Buckner, who commanded at the Nore, iir-
 
 544 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 formed the muliiiccrs that their demands 
 were inconsistent MJth good order, oflering 
 theui at the same time the royal pardon, 
 Parker re})!ied, that they were unanimonsly 
 resolved to keep possession of the fleet till 
 the lords of the admiralty should repair to 
 the i\ore, and redress the grievances which 
 had been laid before thera, A depntation of 
 the lords of the admiralty was therefore sent 
 to the Nore, and heard the complaints of the 
 pintineers, hnt no advances were made 
 towards an accommodation. The mutineers, 
 "when they fonnd that their propositions were 
 rejected, provided themselves with necessaries 
 by the s^i^ure of two store-ships, and inter- 
 rupted an communication between London 
 and the sea, by mooring four vessels across 
 the mouth of the Thames. 
 
 The strong disapprobation with which the 
 mutineers were regarded by the public in 
 general, and the remonstrance of tlieir naval 
 comrades at Plymouth, Portsmouth, and 
 Spithead, accelerated the suppression of the 
 disturbances. A returning sense of loyalty, 
 and the hope of obtaining that indulgence 
 which the lords of the admiralty were autho- 
 rised to grant at their discretion, produced a 
 separation of some of the ships from the rest, 
 -not without t,]ie violence of contest, and the 
 mutiny gradually subsided. It was thought 
 necessary, for the national safety, to inflict a 
 seveie punishment on the most criminal of 
 the persons concerned, as examples to deter 
 others from similar enormities. Parker, and 
 §ome other ringleadeis, were tried by a court- 
 martial, sentenced to death, and executed'; 
 others were more slightly punished, and the 
 rest received the royal pardon. The seamen, 
 who had been absurdly accused of acting 
 imder the influence of democratic principles 
 ^nd machinations, returned to their duty, and 
 testified their loyalty and their prowess by 
 future victories over the enemies of their 
 .sovereign and their country. On the 14th of 
 February, a memorable action took place ofl' 
 St. Vincent, between a Spanish fleet of 27 
 sail of the line, conunanded by Don Joseph 
 de Cordova, and a s<|uadron of British ships 
 of war, under sir John Jervis, (nov. lord St. 
 Vincent.) Confornmbiy to the plaiis of the 
 French and Spanish ministers, the most con- 
 fiiderable part of tlie Spanish naw was de- 
 signed to eflect a j unction with the French 
 Heet at Brest ; and, after being joined by a 
 
 [('HAP. XUV- 
 
 numerous squadron of French ships of war, 
 tiiey were intended to form collectively a 
 fleet of 70 sail, which might by its prepon- 
 derance dispute with success the naval supe- 
 riority of England. Owing to some delay or 
 misconception in their plan, the combined 
 fleet amounted to no more than 27 ships. 
 Sir John was so fortunate a§ to reach the 
 enemy before a regular line was formed to 
 oppose him ; and, by skilfully crossing the 
 line, he separated one third of the fleet from, 
 the main body. The intrepid Nelson and 
 Trowbridge, in the Captain and Cwlloden, 
 highly distinguished themselves during the 
 whole of the action. For some time their 
 ships were engaged with six of the -Spanish 
 vessels, and were only saved from capture by 
 the assistance of the Blenheim, and of the 
 Excellent, captain Colling wood. 
 
 Commodore Nelson, Avhen his ship was 
 disabled, proposed to board the San Nicho- 
 las, and his orders for the purpose were exe- 
 cuted with promptitude and alacrity. The 
 cabin-door of the Spanish vessel was forced 
 by some marines ; and captain Berry, rush- 
 ing upon the quarter-deck at the head of his 
 brave companions, obtained possession of the' 
 ship. When ail opposition in the San Nicho-' 
 las was subdued, the San .fosef was boarded, 
 and commodore Nelson received the swords 
 of the Spanish othcers. In the mean time, 
 that part of the Spanish fleet which had 
 been separated from its main body, had 
 nearly rejoined it, with four additional ships, 
 and formed a collective force more tlian 
 equal to that which remained of the British 
 squadron, after so severe an engagement. 
 Had the conflict been renewed, there re- 
 mained to the Spaniards 1.3 ships uninjured, 
 while every one of the fifteen originally com- 
 posing the British squadron, had already 
 suffered in the unequal contest. The British 
 admiral drew up in compact order, expecting 
 the most vigorous eflbrts on the part of 
 the enemy to retake his lost vessels ; but 
 <he Spaniards, though so powerCuIly rein- 
 forced, did not dare to come into close ac- 
 tion. When the conflict ceased, four ships 
 of from 74 to 112 guns Aveie prizes to our 
 fleet. Of tlie British, 7.3 were killed and 
 227 wounded ; while, in the captured vessels 
 alone, the toss amounted to (JOO. The con- 
 duct of the victorious admiral was honoured 
 'vith general applause, and he was advauctd
 
 CHAP. XLIV.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 645 
 
 to tlie peerage by the title of lord <S'/. VtJi- 
 cent, tlie name of the cape near vhich he 
 t:iiini])he(l. 
 
 '1'his victory, so honourahle to the British 
 flac^, was rendered more flattering and satis- 
 factory to the nation by its conseqnences ; 
 and the exultation of the people was aug- 
 mented by .intelligence, that the Spanish 
 fleet was blockaded in the bay of Cadiz. 
 Many weeks had not elapsed after the victory 
 of St. Vincent, before Nelson was employed 
 to insult and harass the Spaniards on the 
 Cadiz station. That brave oflicer sustained 
 T I „ a severe conflict with the connnand- 
 
 ^ ■ ant, who sallied out upon him with 
 his gun-boats, but was repulsed with loss ; 
 and two dajs afterwards Nelson began to 
 bombard the city, and obliged the Spanish 
 aduiiral, for safety, to warp his largest men 
 of war as closely as possible to the shore. 
 The contest might have been more decisive 
 in its result, had not commodore Nelson 
 been elevated to the rank of admiral, and 
 despatched on an expedition against Santa 
 Cruz, in the isle of Tenerifie. The plan of 
 the enterprise was more credital)le to the 
 energy of the ministers, than to their judg- 
 ment. The naval force employed consisted 
 oidy of four ships of the line and three fri- 
 gates. The troops destined to make the 
 «lescent were formed into two divisions, and 
 their movenif nts were made under cover of 
 the night, that they might take their enemy 
 by surprise. So great, however, Avas the 
 surf, that it was Mith nnich ditHculty the 
 boats were able to approach the shore. The 
 (irst division, under Nelson, was overpowered 
 by the forces which lined the batteries and 
 liouscs near the Mole. The other division, 
 .tinder captain Trow bridge, forced their way 
 into the town ; but, to their surprise and 
 alarm, found it garrisoned by 8000 troops. 
 Trowbridge, perceiving his perilous situation, 
 despatched captain Hood Mith a message to 
 the governor, " that if he would allow him 
 without molestation to einbark his people, 
 ami furnish him with boats for that purpose, 
 to supply the place of those which had been 
 stoven, the squadron before the town would 
 not molest it." On the governors refusal, 
 and liis demanding that tliey should surren- 
 der prisoners of war, captain Hood informed 
 him, that if the protlered terms were not 
 instantly accepted, the towu would bo tired, 
 
 4 A 
 
 On this message bemg transmitted the go- 
 vernor complied, and humanely ordered the 
 wouiuled linglish to be received into his 
 hospitals, it is by actions like these that the 
 contests of civilized nations are distinguished 
 from those of barbarians, and that the inevi- 
 table miseries of war are paliialed by the 
 courtesies and the benevolence of polished 
 humanity. Captain Trow])ridge now marched 
 with his men, their colours flying, to the head 
 of the Mole, where they re-embarked in their 
 remaining boats, and in those provided by 
 the Spaniards. In this manner terminated an 
 unfortunate expedition, which cost the lives 
 of many of our ablest seamen. Among the 
 wounded was Nelson himself, wiio lost his 
 right arm. An expedition to Trinidad in 
 some degree atoned, to the disappointed 
 nation, for the failure of the present enter- 
 prise. Four Spanish ships of the line and a 
 frigate being oi)served in a bay, nearly ready 
 for sailing, dispositions were made to ohstruct 
 their escape. In the night, one of the vessels 
 was set on tire, three others were soon after 
 involved in flames and destroyed, and one of 
 74 guns was taken by the English. The 
 troops under sir Ralph Abercrombie landed 
 without opposition, the chief town was not 
 defended, and the governor tamely resigned 
 the whole island. The same success, how- 
 ever, did not attend an attempt upon the 
 island of Porto Rico. Tin; troo])s were un- 
 able to force a passage to the islet on which 
 the capital was situated, and retired, after an 
 ineffective bombardment of the town. 
 
 After the mutiny in the I'ritish ileets had 
 been subdued, admiral Duncan and his 
 squadron kept their station oft' the coast of 
 Holland. The Dutch states, iii obedience 
 to the desires or the injunctions of their im- 
 perious allies, equipped a fleet consisting of 
 15 ships of the line, intended to join that of 
 Brest in its invasion of Ireland. The Dutch 
 squadron had not left the coast of Holland 
 before it was descried by admiral Duncan, 
 who, with sixteen ships, placed himself in 
 such a situation as to prevent his return to 
 the Texel. Early in the morning of the 11th 
 of October, the Dutch fleet had formed in 
 line of battle, about nine miles to leeward, 
 between Egmont and Campei-down. Tlie 
 British admiral came immediatelr to an en- 
 gagement, with his chanicttristic spirit, and 
 the address which results from a perfect 
 35
 
 546 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 knowledge of naval tactics, broke the enemy's 
 line by his tirst movements, and prevented a 
 retreat by getting- between them and the 
 shore. A furious conflict ensued, in which 
 each captain singled out his antagonist. 
 Duncan chose the Dutch admiral. Their 
 ships were nearly three hours alongside of 
 each other, and De Winter's was reduced to 
 a wreck before he struck to his brave rival. 
 The vice-admiral of the Dutch was opposed 
 to admiral Onslow, and yielded to the same 
 fate as his senior in command. When the 
 battle had raged about four hours, victory 
 declared for the British fleet ; eight of the 
 enemy's ships of the line and four smaller 
 vessels being captured. The loss of men on 
 both sides, in this bloody and well-fought 
 battle, was considerable. In the British 
 squadron it amounted to 700, and in the 
 Dutch to twice that number. When the 
 victory was decided, the hero, pious as well 
 as wise and magnanimous, ordered the crew 
 of his ship to be called together, and kneeling 
 at their head, solemnly and pathetically 
 offered up his praise and thanks to the su- 
 preme Disposer of all events. In reward 
 for his important services, admiral Duncan 
 was created lord viscount Duncan of Cani- 
 perdown, and baron Duncan of Lundie ; 
 honours not less deserved by his private 
 virtues than by his professional talents. 
 
 The misfortunes of France and her allies 
 on the watery element presented a striking- 
 contrast to the successes of her military 
 
 Tov. 1 4 operations. Buonaparte once more 
 Jan. 14. 11 ^11 11 1 
 
 prevailed over the skill and courage 
 
 of Alvinzi at Rivoli ; the artillery of the re- 
 publicans carried death and destruction into 
 the ranks of the Austrians, and the survivors 
 retired in confusion. The contest was re- 
 newed the folloAving day, equally to the dis- 
 advantage of the Austrians. In consequence 
 of this result, the whole corps of Provera, 
 protecting Mantua, was captured, and the 
 further defence of that city being no longer 
 possible, general Wurmser most reluctantly 
 agreed to its surrender." 
 
 1797 ^^^ *'^^ pretext that the pope had 
 sanctioned by his spiritual benediction 
 the aggression of the enemies of France, and 
 had refused to listen to overtures of peace 
 from the republic, Buonaparte invaded the 
 ecclesiastical states, defeated the troops of 
 his holiness at Fuenza, obtained possession 
 
 [chap. xliv. 
 
 of Cesena, the pontiff s native town, subdued 
 the province of Romagna, and over-ran the 
 duchy of Urbino. The invaders having 
 plundered the chapel of Loretto, proceeded 
 to Tolentino, where a treaty was signed with 
 the plenipotentiaries of the humiliated pope, 
 on such conditions as the French general 
 condescended to dictate. The people, in- 
 dignant at being- thus surrendered to the 
 tyranny and rapacity of the French, assaulted 
 in various places the insolent intruders. But 
 their eflorts were ineffectual. Their resist- 
 ance only tended to exasperate their in- 
 vaders, to alarm the pontiff, and to aggravate 
 the evils, of which they so Justly and so 
 bitterly complained, by affording a pretext 
 to the most severe and rigid measures of 
 coercion and oppression. 
 
 The archduke Charles, after the loss of 
 INIantua, formed a chain of posts from the 
 mountains of the county of Bormio to the 
 mouth of the Piave, while Lusignan was 
 defeated by Massena at Belluna, after bravely 
 resisting for fifteen hours a far superior force. 
 The right wing of the French army, under 
 the immediate direction of Buonaparte, 
 forded the Ta-gliamento, captured Gradisca, 
 and subdued the territory of Friuli. The 
 left, commanded by Joubert, after defeating 
 general Kerpen, obtained possession of the 
 greater ipart of the Tyrol. Having invaded 
 Carinthia, Massena defeated Charles at 
 Tarvis. Laubach, the capital of Carniola, 
 was taken ; the province of Styria was 
 threatened with an irruption ; and the circle 
 of Austria trembled to its centre. 
 
 The acknowledged partiality of the Vene- 
 tian government to the cause of Austria was 
 a sufficient motive for actual hostilities on 
 the part of the French republic ; but the 
 treachery of several members of the senate 
 rendered the employment of military force 
 unnecessary. After the capture of Verona, 
 the city of Venice was occupied by French 
 troops ; the constitution was subverted, and 
 an executive directory, under Gallic influence, 
 assumed the administration. The state of 
 Genoa was revolutionized with equal facility ; 
 and the Cisalpine republic, w hich the French 
 creneral had erected on the ruins of the duchv 
 of Milan, was enlarged and strengthened 
 beneath his auspices. 
 
 Affecting a spirit of peace and philan- 
 thropy, the French commander, in the very
 
 CHAP. XLIV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 547 
 
 moment of victory, assured the archduke 
 that nothing" \vas de:\ier to his heart than the 
 restoration of tran<|uillity to Europe, and the 
 renewal of a friendly alliance %vith the house 
 of Austria. He invited the archduke to 
 unite witii him in putting an end to the 
 present contest, and declared " that he 
 sJiould be prouder of the civic crown, to 
 which he sliould thus become entitled, than 
 of the melancholy glory resulting from the 
 -jTiost brilliant exploits in war." The arch- 
 duke readily consented to become the medi- 
 ator of peace, but said, that he could not 
 enter upon a negotiation till he had received 
 further powers. Buonaparte, suspecting that 
 his rival sought occasion for delay till he 
 should be joined by a reinforcement w liich 
 lie expected under general Spork, instantly 
 put his army in motion. He had advanced 
 as far as Judcnburg in Styria, when commis- 
 sioners arrived from the court of A ienna. An 
 armistice for ten days was in consequence 
 agreed to, upon terms very advantageous to 
 the new republic, but such as the conqueror 
 might be expected to dictate. The posts 
 which he occupied in Carniola, Carinthia, 
 Styria, and Tyrol, together with the strong 
 and important fortress of Gratz, were to be 
 retained by the troops of France, till a gene- 
 ral pacification should be concluded. On 
 . •, _ the same day, which was distin- 
 ' ■ guished by this preliminary agree- 
 ment, general Hoche commenced hostilities 
 on the Lower Rhine. He forced an en- 
 trenched camp at JSevviedd, while Champio- 
 net dislodged the garrisons of Altenkirchen 
 and Uckerath. The Austrians could now 
 no longer maintain the conquest in this quar- 
 ter ; the several divisions of the French forces 
 drove them from all their posts, and Hoche's 
 army was within a few hours' march of 
 
 . 1 TO Frankfort, when intelligence ar- 
 Aprn IB. ■ , ,, ' ... ■ ^ c 
 
 ' rued, tiiat prelimmaru's ot peace 
 
 had been signed at Leoben in Stvria. "Never 
 before had the house of Austria been so 
 humbled as by this treaty. By its execution, 
 the emperor left the republic in possession 
 of the Austrian Netherlands, and relinquished 
 his right to his hereditary states in l^ombardy, 
 which became a part of the Cisalpine repub- 
 lic. Territories, which had been esteemed 
 the most valuable gems in his diadem, were 
 now transferred to a formidable rival, who, 
 by tlieir acquisition, extended her own 
 
 4 A 2 
 
 enormous frontier, added to the naval and 
 commercial importance of her dependants, 
 and obtained a natural barrier on the side of 
 Germany. 
 
 The success of Moreau was not less rapid 
 than that of Hoche, and notwithstanding all 
 the efibrts of the Austrians to oppose his 
 progress, he passed the Rhine, repulsed tht 
 imperialists at Diersham, and reduced fort 
 Kehl, before the despatches from Leoben 
 arrested his career. 
 
 The failure of the negotiation with Ensr- 
 land did not obstruct the conclusion of a 
 definitive treaty with Austria, which was 
 signed at Campo Formio on the 27th ,-.q- 
 of October, and by which the enipe- '* 
 
 ror, in consideration of his various and im- 
 portant concessions, was invested with the 
 sovereignty of Istria, Dalmatia, the Venetian 
 isles in the Adriatic, the city of Venice, and 
 other tenitories. It was also agreed, that a 
 commercial treaty should be concluded 
 between the contracting powers, and that a 
 congress should be opened, within a month, 
 at Rastadt, composed solely of the plenipo- 
 tentiaries of the Germanic empire and the 
 French republic. By secret articles, the left 
 bank of the Rhine was allowed as a boundary 
 to France ; a part of Bavaria was assigned 
 to the house of Austria ; and the princes in- 
 jured by these arrangements, were to be in- 
 demnified by the grant of other territories 
 within the empire. The cession of Venice to 
 the house of Austria Avas peculiarly disgrace- 
 ful to both of the contracting parties. By 
 agreeing to share the spoils of the Venetian 
 states, the emperor virtually sanctioned the 
 system of aggress and spoliation adopted by 
 the French republic ; and the government of 
 France openly guaranteed a numerous popu- 
 lation and an extensive country to the yoke of 
 a prince, whom they had frequently taught 
 the Venetians to regard as a despot and an 
 oppressor. 
 
 To the decision of the congress of Rad- 
 stadt the Prussian monarch looked forward 
 with anxiety, as the only means, after the 
 peace of Campo Formio, of obtaining a com- 
 pensation for having violated his treaties, de- 
 serted his confederates, and indirectly sup- 
 ported the interests of the common enemy. 
 But he did not survive to advance his preten- 
 sions to indemnity. He had long been held 
 captive in the soft trammels of hixiuious
 
 548 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLIV. 
 
 pleasure, by Madame de Liclitenau Rietz ; 5 
 and, while he suffered hhnself to be amused j 
 ■with hopes of recovery by the iUuminati who | 
 shared the ascendancy with that favourite | 
 lady, he fell a victim, in his 54th year, to a ; 
 lingering disorder, occasioned by licentious 5 
 TVT ,„ excess. He was succeeded by his ; 
 ^^'''- ^'- son, Frederic William III., the j 
 present monarch of Prussia. 5 
 
 To trace with minuteness the obscure in- i 
 trigues and temporary revolutions, which | 
 occurred in the capital of France during the j 
 present year, would require a volume of| 
 itself, and would not repay the labour of com- 5 
 pilation or perusal. It may be sufficient to i 
 mention, that after much alarm, and many | 
 vehement discussions, the good people of' 
 Paris were informed, that the state was en- 5 
 dangered by the intrigues of royalists, and | 
 that exile would be imposed as a mild punish- ; 
 ment for men, whose guilt deserved all the 5 
 rigours of the law. The individuals marked « 
 out for this punishment were sixty-four in ; 
 nundjer, chiefly deputies, among whom were i 
 Pichegru, Des Molieres, Boissi d'Anglas, La » 
 Riviere, Bourdon, Pastoret, Villaret Joyeuse, $ 
 Simeon, Rovere, and Lafoud. Both assemblies 5 
 joined in the vote of exile to the province of > 
 Guiana, m Inch they sarcastically described as } 
 " a fine country, so that there was nothing 5 
 very alarming in the proposed transportation." » 
 The prisoners were cruelly treated in their I 
 passage, and many ol them fell victims to the \ 
 insalubrity of the climate. Barthelemy, | 
 Pichegru, Ramel, Willot, and four others, \ 
 at length escaped to the colony of Surinam, 
 and some of the fugitives found their way to 
 England. As a conser|uence of the late pro- 
 ceedings, the places of Carnot and Barthelemy 
 in the directory were supplied by Merlin and 
 Francois de IVeufchateau. 
 
 The re-establishment of internal order, and 
 tlie conclusion of an advantageous peace 
 with the continental enemies of France, might 
 have been expected to satisfy the exorbitant 
 anibilion and soothe the malignant passions 
 of the French directory. But success, while 
 it augmented their ability to prosecute hosti- 
 lities, administered to their appetite for con- 
 tinual warfare ; and they determined to employ 
 the extensive and formidable resources, whicJi 
 were left by recent events at their undivided 
 disposal, to the destruction of the only power 
 wliich yet remained to counteract their injus- 
 
 tice and rapacity. Menaces of invasion Avere 
 circulated in the official papers, and in the 
 speeches of the public functionaries. Troops 
 were assembled on the frontiers of France 
 and Normandy, and Buonaparte was ordered 
 to take the command, that the haughty 
 islanders might be severely chastised and 
 effectually humbled. While preparations 
 were expedited in the ports of France, Flan- 
 ders, and Holland, with every demonstration 
 of earnestness in the prosecution of the de- 
 sign, the English parliament resumed its 
 deliberations. 
 
 In the speech from the throne, the long 
 delay and final rupture of the negotiation 
 were attributed to the evasive conduct, the 
 unwarrantable pretensions, and the inordinate 
 ambition of the French, and in particular to 
 their inveterate animosity against these king- 
 doms. Thus compelled to persevere in hos- 
 tilities, his majesty had the satisfaction of 
 knowing, that tne country possessed means 
 and resources proportioned to the nature and 
 demands of the contest. The state of the 
 war Avould admit some diminution of charges, 
 but a heavy expence was still unavoidable ; 
 and the true value of any tempoi'ary sacrifices 
 could only be estimated by comparing them 
 Avith the importance of effectually supporting 
 the public credit, and convincing the foe of 
 the continued spirit and undiminished power 
 of the nation. After the address had been 
 unanimously voted, the papers relative to 
 the conferences of Lisle Avere examined by 
 both houses, and received their approbation. 
 Had the conduct, indeed, of his majesty's 
 government been less judicious and concilia- 
 tory, in the late negotiations, than it actually 
 Avas, they might have commanded the appro- 
 bation of the senate, in consequence of the 
 absurd secession of Mr. Fox, the duke of 
 Bedford, and the other leaders of opposition, 
 from parliamentary attendance, alleging the 
 inutility of contending against hired majorities. 
 They forgot, in the mortification and enthu- 
 siasm of the moment, that the election of a 
 member of parliament presujjposes his at- 
 tendance on his public duties, that by retain- 
 ing the privileges of members without per- 
 forming their functions, they Avere virtually 
 annihilating the rights of their constituents, 
 and precluding the claims and exertions of 
 more active or less timid candidates. It is 
 not by the mere display of numbers on an
 
 CHAP. XLIV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 .'>49 
 
 important question that an able and spirited \ and latent eloquence ; and by repressing or 
 opposition benefit their country, but by the ' ' 
 dirtiision of their sentiments through every 
 class of the community, by the example 
 which they present to embryo patriotism, 
 
 shaniui!;", even m hen they are unable to ovoi- 
 conif, the imbecility, the folly, or the pro- 
 fusion of an obnoxious ministry. 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1798.] 
 
 Plans of National Defence — Duel hetween Messrs. Pitt and Tierney — Affairs of Ireland — 
 History of the Rebellion — Invasioji of that Country by the French, who are discomfited 
 and taken prisoners — Receptioii of Buonaparte at Paris — The Expedition to Egypt — 
 THE BATTLE OF THE NILE. 
 
 THE proceedings in parliament, at the 
 commencement of the year were chiefly 
 directed to the means of national defence. 
 Ten thousand additional seamen were voted 
 by the commons, the habeas corpus act was 
 again suspended, and a bill was introduced 
 to ascertain how many male adults, were 
 willing to act in a military capacity. The 
 supplies were augmented to £28,490,000, 
 and in the sequel were advanced to' 35 mil- 
 lions. Among other expedients of finance 
 new duties were imposed on tea and salt; 
 all who used armorial bearings were com- 
 pelled to pay for that distinction, and the 
 funded capital was reduced by the redemp- 
 tion of the land-tax. A bill was passed for 
 the more eflectual manning of the navy, and 
 in order to check the treasonable and sedi- 
 tious efforts of the piddic jomnals, it was 
 enacted, that the names of the editor and 
 printer of every new^paper should be regis- 
 tered in the stamp-oflice. In the debate on 
 the ])ropriety of the bill for manning the navy, 
 Mr. Pitt expressed his sentiments in lan- 
 guage so vehement, as to produce a challenge 
 
 from Mr Tierney : and a bloodless duel vras 
 the* consequence. The pious supporter of 
 relicrion and social order selected the Lord's 
 day for this illegal combat ! 
 
 Ireland was a subject of frequent. enquiry 
 and animadversion ; but ministers repre- 
 sented the circumstances as too critical for 
 public discussion ; and, on the 22nd of Juno, 
 parliament was prorogued. Before the pro- 
 rogation, the storm that had long been ga- 
 thering in Ireland at length burst out, and the 
 sister island became a scene of rebellious 
 uproar. Having seen the fatal eftects of 
 coercion, that was attempted towards the 
 colonies, the British minister, from the latter 
 years of the American war, adopted towards 
 Ireland a much more liberal and 'enlightened 
 system of policy. The penal statutes again.st 
 the Roman catholics were repealed ; they 
 held their land on the like tenns with the 
 protestants ; they enjoyed, in short, every 
 right and franchise in common with the 
 former, saving only the offices of state, and 
 the privilege of sitting in parliament. The 
 Irish catholicsi deemed themselves injured by
 
 550 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLV. 
 
 the restrictions which contimted, instead of 
 being favoured by the relief bestowed ; anfl 
 desired a participation in tlie privileges that 
 were still withheld. The protestants, con- 
 sidering the catholics as still unaltered, con- 
 ceived that the admission of a sect, so 
 superior to their own in number, to an equality 
 of privileges, would be eventually a surrender 
 of their own acquisitions and possessions ; 
 outnumbering and overpowering them in 
 parliament, the catholics might claim and 
 recover the possessions of their ancestors, of 
 which they very naturally deemed the pro- 
 testants usurpers. The lower classes of 
 catholics, grossly ignorant and superstitious, 
 and governed by their priests, were inflamed 
 with the greatest rancour against the pro- 
 testants, whom they abhorred as heretics, as 
 well as detested inteilopers. These were 
 their relative sentiments at the time the 
 French revolution began to agitate all the 
 neighbouring countries. Whatever sentiments 
 might be entertained of the concomitant ex- 
 cesses, \he revolution itself was imputed to 
 the obstinate perseverance of the old govern- 
 ment in its abuses. ^V hen the extraordinary 
 events happened on the 10th of August, 
 1792, which overturned the French monarchy, 
 the hopes of the reforming parties, both in 
 England and Ireland, Avere equally elated ; 
 they now thought tlieir wishes would infalli- 
 bly be accomplished, and that the dread of 
 the people would operate so powerfully upon 
 their rulers, that these would hardly venture 
 any longer to reject their demands, with .<uch 
 terrifying consequences before their eyes, 
 arising from the king of France's opposition 
 to popular demands. To promote the changes 
 which they desired, certain persons formed a 
 society, to which they gave the name of 
 United Irishmen. This institution, projected 
 and organised by Wolfe Tone, proposed to 
 connect the whole Irish nation together, with 
 a professed purpose of a general melioration 
 of their condition, by a reform of parliament, 
 and an equalization of catholic with protes- 
 tant privileges, without any exceptions civil 
 or political. The plan of union was formed 
 on unity of object, connexion of instruments, 
 and a co-operation of means, that combined 
 .secrecy of proceeding with efficacy of counsel 
 and conduct. No meeting was to consist of 
 more than twelve persons ; five of these 
 meetings were represented by five members 
 
 I in a committee, vested with the management 
 ; of all their adiiirs ; from each of these com- 
 ; juitiees, which were stiied " baronial," a 
 ! deputy attended in a superior committee, that 
 ; presided over all those of the barony or dis- 
 ! trict. One or two deputies from each of 
 I these superior committees, composed one of 
 < the whole county, and two or three fiom 
 5 every county committee composed a proviu- 
 ! cial committee. The provincial committees 
 \ chose in their turn five persons, to superintend 
 \ the \>hole business of the nation ; they were 
 I elected by ballot, and only known by the 
 J secretaries of the provincial committees, wl.o 
 ; were officially the scrutineers. Thus, though 
 ! their power was great, their agency was in- 
 j visible, and they were obeyed without being 
 ! seen or known. W hether the designs of 
 I these associates were originally to effect a 
 t complete separation of Ireland from Britain, 
 has not been ascertained as a fact ; but there 
 is no doubt that in the progress of their 
 concert they had formed such a project, and 
 that parliamentary change, and catholic 
 emancipation, were only pretences with the 
 heads and principal agents of this confederacy, 
 in order to unite the greater numbers in the 
 execution of their designs. The protestants, 
 persuaded that, whatever their purpose nn'ght 
 be, the ferment which they were agitating 
 must be inimical to the existing establish- 
 ments, under the protection of which they 
 held their privileges and property, formed 
 counter-associations, and assumed the nan;e 
 of Oravgemcn, in honour of king William, 
 the vindicator of protestant security, and the 
 establishei" of protestant property and power 
 in Ireland. The Orangemen proposed to 
 disarm the catholics. Bodies of these asso- 
 ciated to resist the attempts, and assumed 
 the name of Defenders. Between the Orange- 
 men and Defenders various feuds took {)Iace, 
 accompanied with great disorder, ferocity, 
 and depredations, with some bloodshed on 
 both sides. The United Irishmen did not 
 immediately amalgamate with the Defenders, 
 who were rather violently outrageous than 
 systematically designing. In then), however, 
 they saw ready and willing instruments, when 
 their own deep-laid schemes should be 
 mature for open and avowed execution. Nei- 
 ther the prevalent broils, nor the several 
 machinations, were unknown to the French 
 rulers ; they despatched one Jackson, a
 
 CHAP. XLV.] 
 
 GEORGE Iir. 
 
 551 
 
 native of Ireland, and a protcstant clcrgjnian, 
 but now an emissary of France, as a spy to 
 Britain and to Ireland, in order to sound the 
 disj)ositions of tlie people. Jacksoi), in 
 Ireland, formed a connexion with Wolf Tone, 
 Hamilton Rowan, and some of their asso- 
 ciates, and proposed a plan of insurrection, 
 in order to facilitate a French invasion. In 
 England, Jackson had trusted his schemes 
 to an intimate friend, one Cockayne, an 
 attorney. This person communicated the 
 projects to Mr. Pitt, and undertook to ac- 
 company his friend to Ireland, in order far- 
 ther to discover his intentions and plots to 
 government, from which he was to receive 
 the sum of £300, if, through his means, the 
 capital conviction of his friend should ensue, 
 (^ockayne, being thus engaged to accompany 
 his friend to Ireland, and pretending to par- 
 ticipate in the i»lot, was introduced to Rowan 
 and other conspirators. A plan was formed 
 for concerting a French invasion of Ireland ; 
 Jackson wrote several letters to correspon- 
 dents abroad, explaining the state of Ireland, 
 and the outlines of the project. The letters 
 being sent to tlie post-ollice, Cockayne, who 
 liad perused them ail, gave information to 
 government ; the letters were seized ; Jackson 
 w as tried ; Cockayne was the sole oral 
 evidence; but the papers coinciding with 
 Jiis evidence, rendered the case so clear, that 
 the jury, without hesitation, found the de- 
 fendant guilty. Jackson was condemned to 
 die ; but by suicide anticipated execution. 
 By this discovery the correspondence with 
 France was suspended : Tone and Rowan 
 made their escape. Lord Fitzwilliam was 
 now arrived in Ireland, commissioned, as he 
 conceived, to terminate all disputes in that 
 country, by making the concessions which 
 tlie Roman catholics demanded. Such also 
 was the general persuasion of the Irish them- 
 selves ; but as it was frustrated, and lord 
 Fitzwillianj recalled, the discontents became 
 deeper and more extensive than ever. From 
 this time the United Irishmen proceeded with 
 ujore despal(;h and decision in their arrange- 
 ments ; a military organization took place in 
 tlie several ])rovinces ; arms ^^ere procured, 
 pikes fabricated, and every preparation was 
 made to enter upon the execution of their 
 schemes. The chiefs, and men of superior 
 abilities and weight, who had now joined the 
 
 association. 
 
 intended nothing less than a 
 
 thorough revolution, and an abolition of all 
 church establishin(n)ts ; while the common 
 jjeople sought principally to be discharged 
 from the payment of tythes and ecclesiastical 
 dues to the protestant clergy ; in order to 
 obtain which, it was easy to per.suade them 
 that a total change of government was neces- 
 sary. The activity of the leaders was inde- 
 fatigable, and most extensively successful ; 
 those of their numbers who had absconded, 
 on the discoveries made by or through 
 Cockayne, were now^ in Fiance, and had 
 settled a correspondence between their Irish 
 associates and the French go\ernment. A 
 proposal was made, l>y which the French 
 were to assist the Irish with a considerable 
 body of forces, to enable them to throw off 
 their connexion with England, and form 
 themselves into a republic. The offer was 
 accepted ; and lord Edward Fitzgerald and 
 Mr. Arthur OConnor were appointed to 
 settle the terms of a treaty. For this jiurpose 
 they went to France, met general Hoclie in 
 the summer of 1796, and arranged the busi- 
 ness of the projected invasion, which was 
 destined to be executed the following Novem- 
 ber. In the latter end of autumn, intelligence 
 arrived from France, that the expedition was 
 deferred till the following spring, when Eng- 
 land should lie invaded at the same time. 
 Hence it happened, that when the French 
 armament arrived oft' the coast of Ireland, 
 towards the close of the year, the Irish that 
 were to second them, being wholly unap- 
 prised of their coming, were in no state of pre- 
 paration, and the determined spirit of loyalty, 
 displayed by the friends of government, awed 
 its adversaries ; the' French, therefore, had 
 not landed, but had returned to their own 
 coast. The government was indeed veiy 
 vigilant, and had, long before this, procured 
 an act to be passed, anthori.sing the magis- 
 trates to proclaim martial law, in case of 
 imminent danger. A proclamation accor- 
 dingly was made, and put in force at the 
 arrival of the French. The disappointment 
 of this expedition did not discourage the 
 consj)irators from prosecuting their plans. 
 The chiefs of the Irish association .sent Dr. 
 Macnevin, an able man, of great importance 
 in the combination, as minister to France. 
 He informed the French go\ernment, that if 
 they Avould invade Ireland, the numbers 
 ready for insurection were immense ; that
 
 652 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLV. 
 
 l''>0,000 would rise in Ulf^ffr alone. He also 
 'aid before tluni a plan ofatfack, deiiiaiided 
 from Iheiii a supply of arms and money, and 
 j)articularly recommended, that the French 
 plenipotentiaries, then treating- at Lisle >vith 
 lord Malmsbury, shonld be instructed to 
 make a dismemberment of Ireland trom 
 ilniiland a condition of the peace ; lie so- 
 lenm'ly engaged, that all advances made for 
 the service of Ireland, and all the expences 
 already incm-red, should be reimbursed as 
 pioon as atlairs were settled, and its indepen- 
 dence secured. France agreed to their otlier 
 requests, but the government declared its 
 inability at the present to supply them with 
 nioney. iNIeamvhile this conspiracy proceeded 
 with such secrecy, that, though the penetra- 
 tion of the Irish government discovered strong- 
 grounds for suspicion, yet no precise infcnnia- 
 tion was procured ; they did not, till the 
 month of April 1797, obtain certain intelli- 
 gence of the transactions that were carried on 
 in many parts of the kingdom. Government 
 learned that, on the 14th, a number of sedi- 
 tious people were to meet at a house in Bel- 
 fast ; on this information, it was entered by 
 a party of the military, and two of the asso- 
 ciation committees were found actually sit- 
 ting ; their paj)ers were seized, and sufficient 
 <locuments appeared, to bring at once to 
 light the nature and extent of the plot in 
 agitation. This important discovery led to 
 others in various places, and the danger and 
 magnitude of the conspiracy were clearly 
 ascertained. Goveinnnent immediately em- 
 ployed precautions of .every kind; enforced 
 the aet itgainst illegal donventions ; searched 
 for arms, and seized 'great quantities. In 
 operations requiring military force and sum- 
 mary execution, where there is a collision of 
 attack and resistance, bk)odshed is unavoid- 
 able ; but the malcontents set the example 
 of violence, by plundering houses, and mur- 
 dering the innocent inhabitants. The soldiers 
 Mere not slow in retaliation, nor always dis- 
 criminating in punishment. Both parties of 
 Irishmen were inflamed by reciprocal suffer- 
 ing, and the acts of both 'bore the stamp of 
 infuriated passion, and unrestrained licen- 
 tiousness. The conspirators, fust in recent 
 frangression, were the most atrocious in bar- 
 barous acts ; but their advocates imputed 
 their conduct to the indignant resentment 
 of men tJiat had sufltred long\mder systematx 
 
 oppression, and m endeavouring, by the most 
 violent exertions, to break their chains on the 
 heads of their oppressors, little cared though 
 these oppressors should be crushed in the 
 struggle. Ireland was now a scene of dis- 
 ortler, robbery, and massacre. In this situa- 
 tion of things, the Whig party, consisting 
 chiefly of men of similar sentiments, both in 
 general and temporary politics, with those 
 of Messrs. Fox, Sheridan, Erskine, and their 
 coadjutors in England, in May proposed the 
 conciliatory measure of parliamentary reform. 
 In contentions between government and 
 numerous bodies of the governed, conciliation 
 is generally the soundest policy, if adopted 
 before the passions be violently inflamed, and 
 the projects matured. Conciliatory measures, 
 when adopted, appeased America ; and, if 
 the system had been uniform, there is a moral 
 certainty, that the war and all its dreadfid 
 consequences might have been prevented ; 
 spontaneous sacrifice, on the part of the 
 F'rench monarchy, if offered at the first ap- 
 pearance of a spirit of liberty, might ha\e j 
 preserved the greater part of what, by too | 
 long tenacity, it was compelled to relinquish ; 
 but conciliation, to be effectual, must be 
 offered in the early stage of discontent, be- 
 fore resentment contracts inveteracy, and 
 concerted resistance requires force. After 
 rigid rejections of suppliant petitions, con- 
 cession offered to men in arms, appears either 
 the retraction of precipitancy, or submission 
 of fear ; and instead of restoring confidence 
 and attachment, encourages revolt by repre- 
 senting it likely to succeed. Lenient mea- 
 sures were then too late ; government and the 
 legislature acted wisely in rejecting them at 
 so advanced a period of the conspiracy ; 
 thwarted in this attempt, the Whigs withdrew 
 from parliament. 
 
 Ireland was at this time in adeplorable 
 state ; the occupations in civil life were de- 
 serted, and the people were intent ev^ery 
 where on preparations for war; those who 
 weie peacefully disposed coidd promise ! 
 themselves no security ; they were plundered ' 
 by the malcontents, who collected in nume- 
 rous armed bodies, and committed every 
 species of outrage and devastation. Pix)- 
 ciamations were issued, threatening severe 
 punishments on the offenders ; but they were 
 as little regarded as the offers of pardon to 
 those who forsook tlie rebellious associations.
 
 CHAP. XLV.] 
 
 GEORGE Iir. 
 
 553 
 
 Tlie conspirators expected a general insur- 
 rection, to take place in tlie sunnner of tiiis 
 year, and to be seconded by France. In 
 July, they received information tl)at two 
 armaments, one from Holland and the other 
 from Brest, Mere ready to sail for Ireland, 
 whenever thiy eonld elude the British fleets ; 
 they therefore postponed the intended rise, 
 and waited with impatience ftir the arrival of 
 the promised auxiliaries ; bvit the defeat of 
 the Dutch fleet, in October, was a fatal blow- 
 to their hopes. France, they knew, bad for 
 maritime effort trusted chiefly to Spain and 
 Holland, and their expectations from both 
 had been blasted by Jervis and Duncan. I 
 But another forfimate circumstance for the 
 British interests in Ireland was, that the 
 objects of the malcontents and the F"rench 
 republic were totally different. The Irish 
 consj)irators sought the formation of their 
 country into a republic, independent of Bri- 
 tain, and also of France. The French pro- 
 posed to subdue Ireland, and to form it into 
 a government like the Batavian republic, 
 dependent on themselves. The Irish, con- 
 sidering their own object, desired the direc- 
 tory to send 10,000 men, who would be a . 
 very efficient body of auxiliaries, without \ 
 being dangerous to the principals. The 
 French, to promote their purpose, proposed 
 to send 50,000 men, which, they did not 
 doubt, wciuld be able to model the whole 
 island according to their views and pleasure.' 
 Finding the Irish, however, averse to their 
 plan of invasion, they turned their attention 
 to objects which they deemed more advan- 
 tageous and more practicable. Tliey now, 
 therefore, received the propositions of the 
 conspirators w ith great coolness ; and the 
 Irish, despairing of any effectual assistance 
 from the French republic, prepared for an 
 insurrection, without waiting for co-operation 
 from the continent. In the spring of 1798, 
 they employed themselves in dispositions for 
 war ; and meanwhile, in every part of the 
 country, were guilty of the most savage 
 atrocities. The benevolent spirit of lord 
 Moira, still hoping the conciliation might be 
 eflectual, proposed pacificatory measures ; 
 but government assured his lordship, that 
 any jnofl'ers of the kind would be unavailing, 
 and lord Moira's conciliatoiy motion was re- 
 jected Such . was the secrecy of the chief 
 conspirators, . that, though the plot was 
 
 4 B 
 
 discovered, jet the names of the plotters 
 were not found out. At latt one Keynolds, 
 who had become an United Irishman, re- 
 flecting on their atrocious designs, was struck 
 with remorse, and communicated their in- 
 tentions to a friend, who prevailed on hinj 
 fully to disclose the business and agents to 
 government. On this discovery, fourteen of 
 the chief delegates were seized in the house 
 of Mr. Oliver Bond. Lord Edward Fitz- 
 gerald escaped ; but, being afterwards dis- 
 covered, he resisted the officers sent to appre- 
 hend him, in the scuffle was mortally wounded, 
 and died a few days after. The remainino: 
 conspnators, now^ grown desperate, proposed 
 a general insmrection, to be executed in the 
 night of the •24th of May ; but captain Arm- 
 strong, a militia officer, who had insinuated 
 himself into their confidence, and pretended 
 to be an accomplice, apprised government of 
 their designs. The two Sheares of Dublin, 
 Neilson of Belfast, and several other chiefs, 
 were arrested on the 23rd of May, and the 
 metropolis was put into a state of perfect 
 security against any attempt. The conspira- 
 tors, thus deprived of their leaders, though 
 scantily provided with arms and necessaries, 
 determined, notwithstanding, to execute 
 their project of general insurrection. They 
 began rebellion on the 24th of May, by 
 attacking Naas, a town fifteen miles from 
 Dublin ; but they were repulsed by a body 
 of Irish militia luwler lord Gosford. A band 
 of insurgents, at the same time, took posses- 
 sion of the heights of Kilcullen ; but they 
 were dislodged by general Dundas, and 
 between one and two hundred were killed 
 and taken. To detail the various engage- 
 ments which took place in this warfare, 
 would exceed the space which the plan of 
 the history allows ; I shall therefore confine 
 myself to the chief agent-s, operations, and 
 results. The insurgents, fighting with un- 
 disciplined courage, were frequently victorious 
 over smaller numbers ; but inflamed by their 
 furious priests, where they prevailed, exer- 
 cised a savage barbarity, unknown in the 
 annals of civil society. The regular soldiers 
 of the loyalists were not numerous ; but the 
 Irish militia fought with distinguished fide- 
 lity, valour, and eflect, against the rebels. 
 The English militia, being at their own 
 instance permitted, by an act of parliament, 
 to assist their loval fellow-subjects, several 
 35
 
 654 mSTOUY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XLV. 
 
 regiments crossed the cliainiol, and were > country. The inattention of the French to 
 most powerfully instrumental in supporting j the atiairs of Leland by no means arose from 
 the cause of government. To pass over | supineness ; they were occupied with very 
 desultory skirmishes, the first great scheme ; grand and soaring projects. Their power 
 of rebel operation was in the counties of! was at this time enormous ; Holland, Spain, 
 Carlow and Wexford ; a large body of them » and Italy, were appendages of the French 
 having been repulsed at the former place, I empire ; Austria w as prostrate at its feet ; 
 being reinforced, proceeded to Wexford, | the mountains and fastnesses of Switzerland 
 amounting to 15,000 ; part of the garrison | had not escaped the invading ambition of 
 jnarched out to give them battle, but they ! this potent neighbour ; unprovoked by ag- 
 vere surrounded and entirely defeated. lii > gression, the republicans had entC'red, pillaged, 
 a few days after, the insurgents took the town ; and revolutionized these brave cantons. Ire- 
 of Wexford, and a great number of prisoners. | land they saw was inaccessible to their 
 In their farther progress, being repulsed and ! schemes of subjugation; England, always 
 infuriated by revenge and priestly instigation, j terrible, was, in the year 1798, become a 
 they murdered their prisoners in cold blood. | nation of soldiers. From Caithness to Kent 
 General Lake, on the 21st of June, gained | and Cornwall, the united nations were in 
 a complete victory, the consequence of which I arms ; internal conspiracies were quashed, 
 was, that this tumultuary insurrection was > and all hearts and hands were joined in 
 entirely crushed. In the north of Ireland, a \ defiance of the French. The leaders of 
 rebellion also broke out ; but the insurgents 5 opposition, who had so often predicted the 
 were completely overcome at Ballynahinch, | evils that would arise from a persistence in 
 and the w hole rebellion was quelled before ; the war, were among the readiest to meet the 
 the end of June. After that time various ; enemy, if he invaded Britain. Buonaparte 
 scattered parties, taking refuge in the fast- ; was aware that Britain contained more formi- 
 iiesses and mountains, invested the adjacent \ dable opponents than he had ever encoun- 
 country, but were rather marauding banditti, j tered ; the defiles and precipices of the Alps 
 that disturbed the police, than insurgents i and Appenines, guarded by myriads of 
 that rebelled against the government. The | Austrians, fighting for their viasters, could 
 most formidable of these parties was com- ; be surmounted ; but the plains of Sussex 
 manded by the daring and noted adventurer, ! and Kent, containing hands and hearts of 
 Holt, who at length surrendered himself to i free-ljorn Englishmen^ fighting for themselves, 
 government. The discovery and seizure of | would, he well knew, be impassable. Con- m 
 
 the principal conspirators prevented this \ vinced of the hopelessness of any direct ■ 
 
 rebellion being carried on with efficient con- 1 attempt upon England, the French govern- I 
 
 cert. In the south, it consisted of detached 5 ment and the general formed a very grand 
 multitudes, driven by their priests to despe- \ scheme of conquest, which would ultimately 
 rate valour and savage cruelty ; in the north, | extend to the richest possessions of Great 
 chiefly inhabited by protestant dissenters, it } Britain. 
 
 was by no means so general in extent, nor so | Before the minds of men were recovered 
 merciless in operation. The rebellion in i from the agitation, into which they were 
 Ireland appearing, both to the viceroy and { thrown by the rebellion in Ulster and Mun- 
 to his majesty, to require a lord-lieutenant, i ster, their attention w as called to disturbances 
 who could act in a military as well as civil ; of a verv alarming nature in the county of 
 capacity, lord Camden therefore requested to I Connauglit. The agents of the Irish rebels 
 be recalled, and the king appointed marquis | at Paris, deluded by their own passions, and 
 Cornwallis his successor. The rebellion ; deceived by the representations of their i)«r- 
 being finished, the new viceroy adopted a | tisans in Ireland, had persuaded the directory 
 plan of mingled firmness and conciliation, 5 that the British nation was ripe for revolt, 
 which, executed with discriminating judg- ; and that if a French fleet should appear ofi' 
 ment, tended to quiet Ireland, and prepare I the coast, the flames of rebellion would in- 
 matters tor a permanent plan, to prevent tlie I stantly burst forth. In compliance with j 
 
 recurrence ot such jiernicious evils, and to ; these representations, general Humbert was ' 
 
 promot*? tlie industry and prosperity of the I sent with about loOO^ men, on board three
 
 CIlAl'. XLV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 dUfy 
 
 fiinfitcs, to make a descent on the north of 
 Ireland. Tlnit officer, appearing in llie bay 
 of Ivillala nnder English colours, easily 
 eflected a landing;, having repulsed a small 
 l)0(ly of men, m ho were hastily assembled to 
 oppt^se him. The bishop's j)alace, to which 
 the fencibles and yeomen retired after their 
 repulse, being incapable of defence, was 
 occupied by the French commander, who 
 assured the bishop, that he came to give the 
 Irish liberty, and free them from the English 
 yoke. He then hoisted a green flag in the 
 front of the ])alace, with the Irish words, 
 " Erin go bragh,'" Ireland for ever ! and in- 
 vited the people to join his standard, as the 
 means of acquiring political and religious 
 freedom. The difficulties attending the 
 enterprise of the French general were not 
 surmounted by his repeated appeals to the 
 patriotism and piety of the nation. To alien- 
 ate Ireland from the sister country, ' it was 
 necessary to conciliate the protestants, as 
 forming a large proportion of its numbers, 
 while the catholics could only be seduced to 
 espouse the cause of France by the as- 
 surance of an absolute ascendancy in church 
 and state. The latter were dissatisfied on 
 perceiving the lukewannness of their allies 
 with respect to religion, and the French 
 general was disappointed on discovering the 
 obstacles opposed to his success. Leaving, 
 however, the castle of Killala under the pro- 
 tection of colonel Charost, he advanced with 
 all possible despatch to Castlebar, and rein- 
 Aue- *>« foi'f'ed by .3000 rebels, repulsed a 
 ^" " ■ body of forces brought against him 
 by general Lake. Their triumph, in conse- 
 cjuence of this victory, which was attended 
 with considerable loss on the part of the 
 loyalists, was of short continuance. On the 
 api>roach of an army conducted by lord 
 Cornvvallis, finding himself greatly outnum- 
 bered, Humbert embarked precipitately for 
 France. 
 
 The effects of this repulse were rendered 
 more complete by a subsequent event at | 
 Pea. x\dmiral sir J. Borlase Warren, falling 
 in \\\\\\ a French squadron of one ship of the 
 line and eight frigates, freighted with troops 
 and stores for Ireland, captured the Hoche 
 man of war, and several frigates, and the 
 remainder, except two, fell into the hands of 
 the English. Such was the result oi an in- 
 vasion, which can only be ascribed to the 
 
 4 B 2 
 
 erroneous impressions entertained by the 
 French government of the general disposition 
 of the Irish people, and their mistaken con- 
 fidence of the prevalence of catholic dis- 
 affection. 
 
 The accounts received, of the state of 
 Ireland, were productive of very alile and 
 animated debates The mutinous disposition 
 of the peasantry, whether prolestant or catho- 
 lic, was assigned as a reason for coercive 
 measures, and lord Grenville ascribed the 
 disturbances to an extended and connected 
 plan between France and the conspirators. 
 On the other hand, the extreme distress of 
 the nation, and the hardships which they 
 endured, were painted in glowing colours by 
 lord Moira, and others, who had been eye- 
 witnesses of their miseiies. The opposition, 
 in both houses, recommended a change of 
 system, and the adoption of lenient instead 
 of coercive measures. But on a motion being 
 proposed, that his majesty might be em- 
 powered to " take all such measures as 
 might be necessary, to disappoint or defeat 
 any designsor enterprises of his enemies, and 
 as the exigency of his aflairs might require," 
 an address of approbation v\as past by a 
 large majority. The same success attended 
 the exertions of the minister in the establish- 
 ment of a tax on income, as a substitute for 
 a triple assessment. The measure' was stre- 
 nuously opposed, chiefly by the advocates of 
 the mercantile interest, who justly and power- 
 fully disputed the propriety of subjecting the 
 merchant's and the tradesman's property and 
 accounts to the scrutiny of a tax-gatherer. 
 These and other reasons, for the rejection of 
 the measure, were outweighed by a convic- 
 tion of its general expedience; and in ,r-Qq 
 the ensniug year, the bill was adopted 
 as a permanent resource of finance. 
 
 In the mean time, the British ministers were 
 employed in endeavouring to revive the coali- 
 tion. They had reason to expect, that the new 
 king of Prussia would abandon the policy of 
 his father, and join the confederacy. A 
 change of councils in the court of Russia 
 was propitious to their views, and a nego- 
 tiation for an offensive alliance was immedi- 
 ately opened with the cabinet of Petei-sburgh. 
 
 The military operations of the English 
 were confined to an expedition under major- 
 general Coote, which landed in the ueigh- 
 bourhood of Ostend, and prepared to destroy
 
 5o6 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 lChap. vlv. 
 
 Hie sluices of the Bruges canal. The service 
 ^vas executed with trivial loss ; but as the 
 wind and surf prevented the re-embarkation 
 of the troops, it became necessary to form a 
 defensive post on the sand-hills. An attack 
 was made on the invadei's, by a force which 
 far outnumbered them ; and, though they 
 fought with distinguished courage, their 
 front was broken, and their tlanks completely 
 turned. In this perilous situation, their com- 
 mander, who was wounded, called major 
 Binrard to a consultation, and it was re- 
 solved, that a general svirrender should take 
 M on P^'ice. Abovit 50 men w ere killed in 
 iuay -U. ^j^g conflict, and about 1100 sub- 
 mitted to captivity. 
 
 Thk exultation and imanimity of the 
 French people, at this period of the war, 
 presented a striking contrast to the discon- 
 tents so prevalent in the British empire. 
 In the applauses and confidence of the 
 French nation, Buonaparte received the 
 great reward of all his toils, of all his perils, 
 and of all his victories, in the applause of his 
 fdlow-citizens, and the grateful acknowledg 
 inents of the government he had served. He 
 had quitted Paris almost as a simple indi- 
 vidual, without fame, distinction, or notoriety, 
 and he was aljout to return, the conqueror 
 and pacificator of Europe. Had he lived in 
 the times when the Roman generals returned 
 to their country in triumph, he would have \ 
 been attended by the armies which shared | 
 his victories, by the spoils of conquered na- 
 tions, and by vanquished pnnces, tied to his 
 chariot wheels ; but in civilized times these 
 indecent spectacles are out of fashion, and 
 Buonaparte was too modest, or too prudent, 
 to revive them. lie set out froni Italy with 
 the simple equipage of a private gentleman, 
 attended only by two generals, two aides-de- 
 camp, u secretary, and a physician. At 
 Geneva he dined with the French resident, 
 and, having been expected for some time, 
 relays of horses were waiting for him on the 
 road, and immense crowds of people Avere in 
 earnest expectation to behold him. At 
 Mondon, where he had slept the night before, 
 he was received with great honoms by the 
 celebrated colonel Weiss, the bailiff of the 
 place, a man wtll known r>y his political and 
 philosophical w ritings, Iry' his zeal for liberty, 
 and mistaken admiration of Buonaparte. 
 Near Avenche his carriage broke down, and j 
 
 he was obliged to walk for some miles. One 
 among the crowd of spectators, which had 
 assembled to see him, speaks of liini thus : 
 " 1 had an opportunity of being Aery near 
 to him, and he seemed to me to be always 
 talking to those around him as if he was 
 thinking about something else ; he has the 
 mark of great sense ii,i his countenance, and 
 an air of profound meditation, w hich reveals 
 nothing that is passing within ; he seems con- 
 stantly big with deep thought, which will 
 some day or other influence the destinies ot 
 Europe. A burgess of Morat observed with 
 astonishment the figure of the general. Mow 
 small a stature for so great a man, cried he, 
 loud enough to be heard by one of his aides- 
 de-camp. He is exactly the height of Alex- 
 ander, said some one. Yes, said the aid-de- 
 camp, nor is that the onli/ (rait of reseniblajiee. 
 He left Geneva on the 22nd of Noveniber, in 
 the evening, and arrived the next night at 
 Bern. At Faubroun, a little village nine 
 miles from Bern, he supped with a large 
 party, who had out of respect and curiosity 
 accompanied his train ; and after that he 
 went on to Solcure. All the towns through 
 \\ hich he passed in the night were illuminated. 
 At Basle he stopped some hours, walked 
 round the toAvn, and leceived a long and 
 fulsome address from the burgomaster. In 
 passing through Lausanne, they had prepared 
 a great fete for him, which he did not seem 
 to enjoy ; three citizens stopped his carriage, 
 and presented to him three young women, 
 Avho repeated some fine complimentary verses, 
 w hich they had got by heart ; an immense 
 crowd assembled about him, and testiiied 
 great joy by their shouts and acclamations. 
 He thanked them with great good humour, 
 but seemed to have more need of sleep than 
 of compliments ; he appeared indeed every 
 Aihere to shew a profound contempt for 
 popular opinion and popular applause. He 
 spoke very little to strangers, through his 
 whole journey, and seemed to be sensible 
 that every word he said would be noted." 
 
 The government of Bern had sent a deputy 
 to him at Milan, who accompanied him on 
 his journey, and had a son with him, a boy 
 about thirteen years old, and of very quick 
 parts, much above his age. Buonaparte 
 seemed always very fond of talking to him. 
 He found him one day with a map of Swit- 
 zerland. What are i/ou looking at there .*
 
 CHA"?. XLV.] GEORGE III. 5o7 
 
 said the general. Some parts of my own \ will become erf your master, the elector, after 
 country, which I am not acquainted with, re- \ the sii-niuir of peace? Duriiic: his short stay 
 plieil the youth. Do you know that prnt ? \ at that place, he gave another specimen of 
 .vaid linonaparte, pointine,- to Porentru. That \ what the powers of Europe had to expect 
 thicH not belong to us, vi\)\\Qi\ i\w \o\\\h. JFe ; from him and the French republic, by his 
 mean to give it you, returned the general, j treatment of count Ferzeu, the envoy of 
 And what do you mean to ask in exchange * \ Sweden to the congress, a man well known 
 said the boy. Nothing, said Buonaparte, we \ for his attachment to the court of France. 
 will make you a present of it. Nothing ! re- ; and his hatred to the revolution. When he 
 turned the youth thoughtfully, Ah ! timeo \ was introduced to him, Buonaparte received 
 Danaos et dona ferentes. Buonaparte im- ; him coolly, but with civility ; and then asked 
 mediately threw his arms about him iu a piim what minister the court of Sweden had 
 rai)ture, and said to his father, Take care of\ at Paiis. I'o which the count replied, with 
 this boy s education; he will be no common\<i\\<\ent confusion. None! Buonaparte thou 
 vian some day or other. \ ex))ressed his surprise, that the king should 
 
 When he came near to the little village of i send a person to meet the plenipotentiaries, 
 Faubroun, which is surrounded with thick | who was essentially disagre*.'able to ever)' 
 fir-trees, he got out of iiis carriage and walked ; Freiich citizen. He remarked, that the king- 
 to tlie inn, humming the tune o\ paisible bois. x would be much oflended if a French mini.ster 
 He talked very freely with the landlord, and j would be sent to Stockholm, who had eu- 
 asked him if he paid many taxes? No, said | deavoured to excite the people to insurrec- 
 X\iii nvM\, we hardly knoioivhut they arc. Have \ ^ioi\ :, and by the same rule the French re- 
 you no land of your otvn ? Yes, about £50 5 public could not suffer his majesty to send 
 a year. Do you pay no taxes for that ? Yes, \ men too well known for their attachinent to 
 the tylhes and quit rent, tvhich are no more \ the old coiu't, to face the ministers of the 
 than the annual icages of one of my husband- \ first nation on earth, which well knew how 
 vien ; I reckoned that in the expence oj work- 1 to preserve its dignity. The count retired 
 ing viy land, and I paid for it accordingly. \ much irritated and confused, saying, he 
 Does your government levy no tax upon the \ slioidd report to his majesty what he had 
 land! None. Jtfoiv then does it jjay its ex- ^ just heard. 
 
 pences ? With the produce of its domains, I Buonaparte, after his arrival at Paris, 
 whichare not only sufficient for the purpose, \^\innnc:A every opportunity of being noticed ; 
 hut leaves a balance every year. You are very \ he lived in a small house, and retired street; 
 7vell satisfied with your government then, 1 \ he received very little company ; he avoided 
 suppose, ^nd so I ought to be, replied the ' all crowded places, and never ^^ ent out, but 
 lanillord, with a government that docs great \ in a plain carriage with two horses ; he dined 
 good to the poor, and no harm to the rich. //' | sometimes with the diflierent ministers of 
 all this be true, said Buonaparte, turning to \ state, and never appeared but twice at any 
 one of his officers, these are the happiest peo- \ public meeting ; in doing this he complied 
 j)lc in the world. -Aye, said the inn-keeper, ; with his natural disposition, which is grave 
 and I wish all people were equally so. And | and reserved, he sliewed his contempt for 
 yet this is the people whose happiness he I popular applause, and avoided giving any 
 thougiit fit to destroy. | oflence to the directory ; he had no douI>t 
 
 Buonaparte, after passing through Swit- 1 formed the design of overturning them, but 
 zcrland, stopped at Radstadt, to open the I he saw that the time was not yet arrived, 
 conferences of the congress, and interchanged i Before he left Italy, the directory had ap- 
 tiiere, M'ith the Austrian commissioners, the \ pointed him to the command of the army of 
 ratification of the treaty of Campo Fornwo. \ England, a mere nominal tiust, intended only 
 The deputy of Mentz talked nmch to him of; to amuse and mislead. 
 
 J lie integrity of the German emperor, which I The policy of Buonaparte appears to have 
 he seemed to treat with derision. Upon I been to gain popularity, by seeming to avoid 
 which the baron Albini threatened him with | it, by great moderation, and by his publiclj 
 1.30,000 Russians ; at which Buonaparte, i expressing an aversion to Jacobin principle* : 
 smiling ^\ith contempt, said to him, IFAa^ ; he dreaded their power as a party, thouyh aa
 
 558 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLV. 
 
 individuals they were men suited to his pur- 
 pose. In every ii).stance, where he has had 
 an opportunity, he has shewn himself an 
 enemy to discussion and freedom of senti- 
 juents. The new constitutions of Italy were 
 framed entirely by himself, with as little of 
 the popular leaven as possible ; all the lirst 
 legislators and public officers were of his own 
 appointmeut, and before he left Milan he 
 ordered all the popular societies to be closed. 
 He constantly addressed the militaiy, as the 
 guardians and preservers of the different con- 
 stitutions which he had established ; and 
 events have proved that he is fonder of 
 military power than of any other. The treaty 
 of peace was entirely his own framing;, and he 
 advised the directory to diminish the force 
 of the coalition, by making- separate treaties 
 fiith the different allied powers ; he advised 
 also tiiat moderate terms should be granted 
 to the emperor, in order to induce the others 
 to treat, seeing that, although vanquished, 
 he was not oppressed. 
 
 The ceremony of his presentation to the 
 directory was attended with eveiy degree of 
 splendor and parade, which so great an 
 occasion required, the greatest perhaps that 
 ever occuried to any human being, all cir- 
 cumstances considered ; the chief governors 
 of a nation, long renowned in arms, in arts, 
 and manners, were to receive a general, who, 
 by his prowess and talents, had vanquished 
 the most formidable armies ever sent into the 
 field, and by so doing had preserved the in- 
 dependence of his country against a con- 
 federacy formed for its destruction ; it Mas 
 llie greatest triumph which human nature 
 could achieve ; it was the triumph of valour 
 and genius in the cause of liberty ; ami, 
 although it had been considerably tarnished, 
 it had not lost all its original splendor. The 
 great court of the Luxembourg was IJie 
 place chosen for this superb spectacle ; it 
 was covered with an extensive awning, and 
 the wails were decorated with hangings of the 
 national colours and military trophies ; at one 
 end was an altar, surmounted with statues of 
 liberty, equality, and peace, and ornamented 
 with the different standards which had been 
 taken from the enemy ; on each side of the 
 altar were seats in a semicircular form, com- 
 posing a vast amphitheatre, and destined for 
 the constituted authorities and the conserva- 
 tory of music ; from the walls were suspeudcd 
 
 the colom-s of tlic different armies of tlie 
 republic ; an immense croud lined the coint 
 and windows of the palace, and all the 
 neighbouring streets were filled with those 
 who could not gain admission within ; the 
 air ptMpetnally resounded with their accla- 
 mations and shouts of joy. At twelve o'clock 
 at noon, the sound of cannon announced the 
 commencement of the f6te, and the proces- 
 sion, M hich consisted of the directory, the 
 ministers of state, and constituted antl)o- 
 rities, began to move from their ditfereiit 
 places of meeting towards the Luxembourg ; 
 after they had arrived, and were all seated, 
 the president' of the directory gave orders to 
 inform the foreign ministei'S, the minister of 
 war, and the generals Buonaparte, Joubert, 
 and Andreossi, that the directory were ready 
 to receive them. The music began a beauti- 
 ful symphony, which was soon interrupted 
 by the sound of repeated shouts, rending 
 the air, of Long live the republic ! — long live 
 Buonaparte ! — long live the great nation ! 
 The noise continued to increase, the crowd 
 kept pressing forward, every eye sparkled 
 with expectation and curiosity, and turned 
 towards the great door; Buonaparte entered; 
 the enthusiasm of the people was at its 
 height, not a single person was silent, but all 
 cried out with one impulse and with one 
 accord. The deliverer of Italy, — the puciji- 
 cator of the co7itinent f Buonaparte came 
 forward with calmness and dignity. It was 
 the most sublime moment that a mortal 
 could experience ; the greatest trial to the 
 feelings of a man ; yet he shewed the same 
 coolness he had done in the midst of battle. 
 He was accompanied by the minister of 
 foreign relations, the minister at war, and his 
 aides-de-camp ; the music played the hymn 
 to liberty, and every one stood up uncovered. 
 When he had arrived at the steps of the 
 altar, he was presented to the directory by 
 Talleyrand, in a speech suited to the occasion ; 
 after it was finished, all seemed eager to hear 
 the conqueror of Italy, the simplicity and 
 modesty of whose appearance formed a fine 
 contrast to the grandeur of his situation, and 
 every one present figured him at the bridge 
 of Lodi, at Areola, at Campo Formio. A 
 profound silence immediately took place, 
 while the great negotiator presented to the 
 president of the directory the emperor's rati> 
 fication of the treaty, and spoke as fol.'ows :—
 
 CHAP. XLV.l 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 65S 
 
 " Citizen Directors, 
 
 " The Frtiirh people, in order 
 to be free, had to conihivt Mith kings ; to 
 ohtain a constitution fuiinded upon reason, 
 they had to vanquish projudices of eigliteen 
 centuries. The constitution of the third 
 year, and you, have triumphed over all obsta- 
 cles. Religion, feudality, and royalty, have 
 successively govcMiied Europe ; but the peace 
 which you have concluded dates the aera of 
 representative governments. You have or- 
 ganised the great nation, ^vhose vast territory 
 is circuniscril)ed by the limits which nature 
 herself has placed. You have done more. 
 The two most beautiful part? of Europe, 
 formerly so celebrated for the arts, the 
 sciences, and the great men, which they 
 produced, see, with renovated hope, the genius 
 of liberty rise from the tomb of their ancestors. 
 Tiiese are the two pedestals on which the 
 destinies have placed other nation.'?. I have 
 the honour to present the treaty signed at 
 Campo Eorniio, and ratified by his imperial 
 majesty. Peace gives the earnest of liberty, 
 prosperity, and glory to the republic. AVhen 
 the happiness of the French people shall 
 rest on well-formed organic laws, all Europe 
 will become free."' 
 
 The hero had scarcely finished when shouts 
 of acclamation seemed on all sides to reach 
 the clouds. Long live the republic / Long 
 live liuomipurte ! were the general cry. The 
 president answered, him in a very long speech,' 
 and afterwards gave him the fiaternal em- 
 brace, in which he was follo^\ed by the other 
 members of the directory. The scene was 
 witnessed with the great emotion of all pre- 
 sent. Buonaparte descended from the altar, 
 and the minister of foreign relations conduct- 
 ed him to an arm-chair, which was prepared 
 for him, before the diplomatic body. The 
 conservatory of music then performed the 
 C'hmnit de Jlelour, the words by Chenier, and 
 the music by Mehul. The other generals 
 were next presented, and received and re- 
 turned addresses suitable to the occasion ; 
 after which they took their different seats 
 prepared for them in front of Buonaparte, 
 and the music played the Chaunt de Depart. 
 The directors then dissolved the sitting, and 
 returned to their palace with the rest of the 
 procession, in the same order in which they 
 came. The spectators saluted Buonaparte 
 with the same acclamations at his departure 
 
 I as at his entrance. A magnificent dinner 
 was given at the Luxembourg, to the general 
 and an immense number of civil and military 
 olficers ; the evening concluded with a ball 
 at the house of the minister of the interior,, 
 and thus ended this august. ccuemony. 
 
 BuoNAP.AiRTE has at all times aflected the 
 character of a man of science, and a lover ot 
 letters ; there can be no stronger proof of ii 
 than his placing the title of member of the 
 national institute before that of general. At 
 a literaiy dinner given by Fram^ois de Neuf- 
 chateau, he pretended to converse with eveiy 
 scientific man in his own line ; with Lagrange 
 anil La Place he talked of mathematics, Avith 
 Sycyes of metaphysics, of poetry with Che- 
 nier, of politics with Gallois, and \\ith Dau- 
 nou of legislation and public law : he affect- 
 ed in Italy to be the patron of letters, but it 
 does not appear that they flourished much 
 under his protection ; and if we might judge 
 from his subsequent conduct, he has about 
 as much respect for literature as he has for 
 religion. The day after his nomination to 
 be a member of the institute, in the class 
 mechanics, he addressed a letter to Camus, 
 the president, in which is the same afiected 
 modesty, and the same pretended respect for 
 literature, which he had formerly shewn, to 
 impose upon tho.se who did not understand 
 him. 
 
 " Citizen President, 
 \ " The good opinion of the dis- 
 
 tinguished men, who compose the national 
 institute, does me the highest honour. 1 
 perceive that, before I become their equal, I 
 must be a long time their scholar. If 1 knew 
 one method more expressive than another, of 
 testifying my esteem for them, I should 
 employ "it. The only true conquests, and 
 those which leave no regret, are they which 
 we obtain over ignorance. The most honour- 
 able and the mast useful of all employmejita 
 is to extend the bounds of human knowledge. 
 The true power of the French lepublic ought 
 henceforth to consist in appropriating to itself 
 every great discoverj'. 
 
 (Signed) ' " Bvonaparte." 
 
 At all fetes and dinners which were given 
 to Buonaparte, the simplicity of his dress and 
 manner seemed pointedly to indicate his reai 
 grandeur and superiority ; for where every
 
 660 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [C'HAP. XLY. 
 
 one else was snpevbly dressed, in order to do > so, both from pride and from policy, but it 
 him honour, he liiniself always appeju-pd in a | cost him nuieh hiiniiliatiou and self-deni:d ; 
 plain coat and A\ithout powder. The cere- | he could not easily level himself to an equality 
 mony of his installation at the national insti- 1 with Merlin, Freron, and Charles Duval. To 
 tute Mas intended to be kept entirely private; | be compelled to court any man, was to him 
 yet as the day was publicly known, the room | a costly sacrifice of pride to andjitioii ; and yet 
 vas crowded as soon as it was opened ; for I he felt hinjs'jif in the power, not only of the 
 wiicrever he could be <seen, he was never I people, but of individuals, whom he inwardly 
 without a crowd. At five o'clock, the mem- j desj^ised, of Rewbell, Sycyes, and Lepaux, 
 bers all took their places, Buonaparte, among ; of the Jacobins and the royalists ; somethiuij 
 the rest, in a plain grey frock, the dress he > was to be done to withdraw him from this 
 generally appeared in ; there was nothing | state of inactivity, and submission, both of 
 particular, therefore, to point out the man ! which were e(iually painful to him ; the 
 who so lately conquered so many armies, | expedition to Egypt was, therefore, no doubt, 
 overturned so many states, and created so j his own suggestion ; it had long been a 
 many new ones ; neither his stature, his » favom-ite project w ith the old court whenever 
 manners, nor his dress, distinguished him ; they were at wav with Turkey ; and though 
 from the crowd ; and yet, from the great I France was now at peace with her, that was 
 eclat of his name, he attracted the notice of i no objection either with him or the directory ; 
 every one .present ; the moment they found j for they must be sturdy moralists or timorous 
 him out, the room rung Avith applauses, which ; politicians, who, when they want to go to 
 were repeated whenever any allusion to him \ war, cannot find a jiretence, or suffer theni- 
 occuned in any of the speeches, or any * selves to be restrained by any motive of 
 thing which could be applied to the hero of l honour or conscience ! 
 
 France. | For the three months during which Buona- 
 
 The next public ceremony, at which he \ parte remained at Paris, he was no doubt 
 appeared, was the disgraceful celebration of i employed in concerting measures with the 
 the 21st of January, and there he wished to ; diiectory for the great expedition which was 
 seem ashamed of his company ; he was ,* to destroy the English power in India, and 
 seated among (he members of the national | open a new source of trade and riches to 
 institute as a private individual, and took so $ France. The secret v^ as j)reserved most 
 much pains to conceal himself by hanging I strictly, and the public kept in a state of 
 down his head, and drawing himself together, | perpetual oscillation as to the future employ- 
 that he was not perceived till the ceremony ; nient of Buonaparte : at one time he was 
 was nearly finished ; he was then noticed \ going to Brest to command an expedition 
 with loud and repeated applause. While at 5 against England ; at another to Rastadt to 
 Paris, some one expressed himself surprised \ hasten the tardy conferences of the congress ; 
 at his allowing the emptor such favourable > and to countenance this latter deception, he 
 conditions of peace; to which Buonaparte*! actually wrote to count Cobentzel to meet 
 coolly replied, I teas jdai/ing vingt un, and\ him there the very day on which'^ he arrived 
 stood at tiventy. \ at Toulon. The idea of restoring liberty to 
 
 1798 Though Buonaparte must have « Egypt and Greece had been first suggested 
 been flattered, and in some measure ! in a speech of Monge to the directory, in 
 gratified, by all the marks of public favour > j)resenting to them the definitive treaty of 
 which he received at Paris, yet there is every ; peace with the emperor, a speech which rises 
 reason to believe that he did not feel himself; to the utmost height of French bombast in 
 at ease. From the authority of Carnot it is \ every sentence. — " The glory of the army of 
 known, that the <lirectory hated, and wished ; Italy resounds even to the farthest corner of 
 to destroy him, and he was not ignorant of 5 Egypt; the Arabians of the desert talk of 
 this himself; he despised them as men, and | nothing else in their tents. A gleam of hope 
 he envied their power. In the army he was ; has enlightened the minds of the descendants 
 on his throne, without a superior and without ! of the Greeks, and their hearts have leaped 
 a rival ; at Paris he was no more than a | for joy. The little children of Sparta and 
 private citizen, and he wished to be thought j Athens sing in French the hymn which formttf
 
 CHAP. XLV.] GEOUGE III. 561 
 
 )ur battalions, and led them to victory ; they « war ever returned to France. Such is the 
 Avill soon sing- that of our triumphs; and ! havoc that ambition makes among mankind ! 
 
 these liymns, like the hymns of Orpheus, 5 The tirst news of the expedition was that of 
 will pass from mouth to mouth in every ; its having taken Malta, after a very short 
 
 nation, and descend to posterity !" The « resistance ; which, considering- the strengtii 
 Turkish ambassador, having heard of this | of the place, excited no very unjust suspicion 
 speech, preferred a formal complaint to the J of treachery. 
 
 minister of tlie foreign dc])artment ; to which ; The proclamations and addresses which 
 he replied, that it ought to have given no i Buonaparte issued, before and after his taking 
 alarm or offence, as it was not the speech of » possession of Egypt, contain professions 
 any person in office, but the mere imautho- \ alnjost ridiculous, with promises never per- 
 rised voice of an individual, and for wliich i formed, and expressions of cruelty not to be 
 the government ought not to be called to > justified. Among the orders issued at 
 account. | Malta, there is one which contains two arti- 
 
 The tirst direct intimation of Egypt being ^ cles, more barbarous than the Greek in which 
 the object of the expedition, was given in a j it is written, if it was written in Greek, which 
 report to the council of five hundred by : I take upon the authority of the Intercepted 
 Echasseriaux the elder, but supposed to > Correspondence, vol. 1st; the Freiich is to 
 have been wiitten by Talleyrand, upon the : be found in the Operations du Buonaparte, 
 colony of Sierra Leone, and upon coloniza- > published at Paris by Didot. The articles 
 tion in general. This report was read on the ; alluded to are as follows : — " All the Greeks 
 12tli of April, the very day on which the | of the isles of Malta and Gozo, who preserve 
 s(;avans set out to join the expedition at \ any connexion with Russia shall be put to 
 Toulon. After describing the advantages ; death All Greek vessels, which sail under 
 of colonization to France, the reporter en- > Russian colours, shall be inmiediately sunk 
 larged upon one country peculiarly suited to » when they fall into the hands of the French.' 
 that purpose, and at length named Egypt. \ At Malta he addressed a letter to the bishop, 
 " W hat more glorious enterprise," said lie, ; which, when compared with his proclamation 
 " than for a nation, which has already given » to the inhabitants of Alexandria, shevs how 
 liberty to Europe, to regenerate in every I little credit is to be given to either, 
 sense a country, which was once the centre « 
 
 of perfect civilization, when barbarism over- 5 To the Bishop of Malt.\. 
 
 spread tlie rest of the universe, and to carry 5 
 
 back to their antient nurse the sciences, the ; " I have learned with sincere pleasure, 
 
 arts, and industry. Here then the French | good Mr. bishop, the kind conduct and re- 
 republic ought to jjlant a new colony." ; ception which you have shewn to the French 
 Buonaparte arrived at Toulon on the 9th \ troops. You may assure the people of vour 
 of May, 1798, to take the counnand of the i diocese, that the catholic, apostolic, and 
 troops destined for this famous expedition, ; Roman religion, A\d\\ not only be treated 
 and his presence inspired a degree of anima-i with regard, but its ministers especially pro- 
 tion and confidence among them, which set « tected. I know no character more respect- 
 their minds at ease as to the nature and sue- ; able, nor more worthy of veneration, than a 
 cess of the undertaking. The army was ; priest who, inspired Avith the true spirit of 
 composed of the veterans from the army of I the gospel, is persuaded that his duty ordains 
 Italy, and amounted to about 36,000 men. « him to render unfeigned obedience to the 
 Tlie We^X, which consisted of 15 sail of the i temporal power, to nuiintain peace, tran- 
 line, two of them armed enJiiUc, 14 frigates, i quillity, and union in his diocese. I request 
 and several sloops of war, with about 100 j you immediately to repair to the town of Mal- 
 transports, sailed from Toulon on the 21st ; ta, and to preserve, by your inlluence therej 
 of May, 1798; the whole was commanded ; harmony and tranquillity among the people, 
 by admiral Brueys, atid completely provided ; I shall be there myself this evening. I re- 
 with every thing re((uisite for a long voyage : ; quest also, that at my arrival you will intro- 
 of these, not above oOOO men and o ships of! ducc to me all the priests, and other chiefs 
 
 4 c I 3G
 
 bii'2 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap, xlv. 
 
 belonging to Malta, and the surrounding 
 villages. Be assured of the desire which I 
 have, to prove to you the esteem and con- 
 sideration which I have for j^ou personally. 
 " On board the L'Orient, June 13th." 
 
 ' The next intelligence, though it announced 
 tliat the French troops had been landed, was 
 accompanied by details of the dreadful action 
 of the 1st of August. The directory received 
 the two accoujits together, but they prudently 
 chose to publish the best first. After sailing 
 for Candia, appearing oft" the coast of Egypt, 
 and almost resigning the pursuit in despair, 
 the gallant and indefatigable Nelson, on his 
 second visit to the Egyptian shores, had the 
 happiness to descry the enemy's ships in the 
 port of Alexandria. The squadron of war 
 was stationed at anchor in line of battle, in 
 the bay of Aboukir, to the number of sixteen. 
 They were moored close to the shore, their 
 line describing an obtuse angle in its form, 
 flanked by numerous gun-boats, four frigates, 
 and a battery of guns and mortars on an 
 island in their van. Their position presented 
 the most formidable obstacles ; but the ad- 
 miral viewed them with the eye of a seaman 
 determined to attack, and declared that 
 where there was room for an enemy's ship to 
 swing there was room for ours to anchor. No 
 further signs were necessary, than those 
 which had been already made. The designs 
 of the admiral were fully known to the whole 
 squadron, as it was his determination to con- 
 quer or perish in the attempt. The Goliath 
 and Zealous had the honour to lead inside, 
 and to receive the first fire from the van-ships 
 of the enemy, as well as from the batteries 
 and gun-boats with which the \au was 
 strengthened. These two ships, with the 
 Oiion, Audacious, and Theseus, took their 
 stations inside the enemy's line, and were 
 immediately in close action. Each chose his 
 antagonist, raking the French ships which 
 they ]iassed in taking their respective stations. 
 The Vanguard, the admirals ship, took its 
 station on the outside of the enemy's line. 
 Having been folloMcd by the remainder of 
 liis ships, a close engagement succeeded, 
 which lasted several hours after the close of 
 day. In less than two hours, hvo of the 
 French shij)S were taken, and three dismasted. 
 The darkness was only interrupted by the 
 
 flashes of fire from the ships in action, and 
 from tiie enemy's batteries and gun-boats, and 
 the stillness of night rendered the roar of 
 artillery, with which the shores resounded, 
 more tremendous. A fire was observed, at 
 ten minutes after nine, on board the L'Oiient, 
 the French admiral's ship. The first emotion 
 of Nelson, on receiving this intelligence, was 
 concern for the lives of those who were about 
 to perish. He himself had been severely 
 wounded ; and, after performing his religious 
 duties with the chaplain of the regiment, and 
 appointing captain Hardy, of the La Mutine, 
 his successor in the command of the Van- 
 guard, was informed, to th-e enthusiastic joy 
 of the seamen, that his wound was superficial. 
 On receiving information that the sailois of 
 the L'Orient were placed in a situation of 
 imminent danger, he forgot the torment of 
 his wounds in the enthusiasm of his benevo- 
 lence. He came immediately on deck, and 
 ordered captain Berry to make every practi- 
 cable exertion. A boat, the only one that 
 could swim, was instantly despatched from 
 the Vanguard, other ships, in defiance of 
 difficulties, followed the example, and by 
 their exertions about 700 men were saved. 
 The light thrown by the fire of L'Orient 
 on the surrounding objects, enabled the com- 
 manders to perceive with more certainty the 
 situation of the two fleets, the colours of both 
 being clearly distinguishable. The cannonade 
 was partially kept up, to leeward of the cen- 
 tre, till about ten o'clock, when the L'Orient 
 blew up with a tremendous explosion. An 
 awful and deathlike silence of some minutes 
 ensued, when the wreck of the masts and 
 yards, which had been carried to a vast 
 height by the force of the explosion, fell into 
 the water, and on board the surroxmdiiig 
 ships. A port fire from L'Orient fell into the 
 main royal of the Alexander, but was extin- 
 { guished by the active exertions of captain 
 Ball. After the occurrence of this impressive 
 scene, the firing re-commenced, with the 
 ships to leeward of the centre, and continued 
 till twenty minutes past ten, when there was 
 a total cessation of firing for about ten minutes, 
 succeeded by a revival of the cannonade, 
 which again ceased at three in the morning. 
 
 After the victory had been secured in the 
 van, the British ships which were able to 
 move had borne down on the unengaged ships
 
 CHAP. .YLV.] 
 
 GEORGE 111 
 
 6G3 
 
 of the enemy. The Artemise fued a broad- 
 side, and struck her colours ; but the Frencli 
 captain, having- thus surrendered, treacherous- 
 ly .set fire to his ship, and, -with part of his 
 crew, made his escape on sliore. At eleven 
 o'clock J^e Genereux and the Guillaunie Tell, 
 with two frigates, cut their cables and stood 
 out to sea, pursued by captain Hood in the 
 Zealous. But as there remained no other 
 vessel to su|)port the chace, the Zealous was 
 recalled. Captain Troubridge, in the Cullo- 
 den, which had run aground during the 
 action, was now disengaged. On the morn- 
 ing of the third day, the Tonnant alone 
 remained on the scene of action ; and, being- 
 dismasted, she was obliged to strike to the 
 Theseus and I.eander. fSuch was the event 
 of a battle, the luost decisive in itself, and 
 the most important in its consequences, of 
 any upon record. Of the whole French fleet, 
 only the two ships of the line and the two 
 frigates already mentioned had the fortune to 
 escape. Nine ships of the line were taken, 
 two ships and a frigate were burned, one was 
 sunk. The influence of the victory* of the 
 
 Nile on the policy of the continental powers 
 was !»mnediate and decisive, and materially, 
 tended fo the formation of the subsequent 
 confederacy. 
 
 As far as Rosetta, distant about thirty 
 miles from Aboukir, the battle, by the aid 
 of glasses, was seen by Fiench ofHcers, from 
 its nnnarets and towers. An interesting part 
 of the prospect aflbrded by the dawning 
 morning was, the adjacent shores all lined 
 with natives, regarding with astonishment, 
 both in the conquered and conquerors, the 
 terrible heroes of the north. As a sublime 
 eflbrt of naval genius, the history of England 
 herself afibrds no instance more brilliant than 
 the battle of the Nile. The head that pro- 
 jected the plan of attack, the hearts and 
 hands that carried it into execution, deserve 
 not merely the cold narrative of the historian, 
 but the ardent description of the epic poet. 
 Were Homer to rise from the dead, he would 
 find a subject worthy of his muse in the 
 British sailors and the British officers, headed 
 by the British Nelson. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1799. 
 
 Debates on the Union of Jrdand with the Sritish Empire — Continued Suspension of the 
 Habeas Corpus Act — The Rise, Progress, and Conclusion of the Ctinpaign in Italy. 
 
 r' had long been observed and lamented, 
 that the people of Ireland, owng to deep- 
 rooted evils, arising from religious tenets, 
 from social habits, and political circumstances, 
 had not kept pace with other countries in 
 agricultural improvement, in the advance- 
 ment of commerce, and in the civilization aud 
 
 4 c 2 
 
 » refinement of manners. As the best prepa- 
 j ration for a gradual removal of these evils, it 
 I was now proposed to render the empire more 
 ; entire and compact, by an union of the British 
 I kingdoms, on the broad basis of an equality 
 I of interests, a reciprocity of privileges, and 
 \ a unity of power. Even the rumour cU" this
 
 561 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLVI. 
 
 project excited in Ireland strong sensations 
 of disg-iist, and in the Irish iiouse of commons 
 all the efJbrts of the ministry coidd only pro- 
 cure in one division a majority of one, and 
 in another a preponderance of two votes. In 
 subsequent discussions, each party alternately 
 prevailed. 
 
 1700 Addressing the commons of Great 
 Britain, Mr. Pitt insisted on the ex- 
 pedience of ap|)lying-, to the case of Ireland, 
 that principle of union, which had been so 
 advantageously brought into practice, at a 
 time MJien alarming discord prevailed between 
 the English and Scottish parliaments. He 
 did not say that any serious disagreement 
 existed between the Irish legislature and tJiat 
 of Britain ; but, from the independence of 
 the former, and the risk of its being occasion- 
 ally influenced by local prejudices, or by the 
 arts of factious demagogues, he apprehended 
 tliat a material variance might sometimes 
 arise, on points essential to the welfare of the 
 empire. The danger, he observed, was the 
 more alarming as the French were still medi- 
 tating, in concert with Jacobinical traitors, 
 an absolute disjunction of Ireland from tlie 
 empire, with ^hich it had been so long con- 
 Uected. 
 
 The outlines of the plan were repeatedly 
 discussed in both houses. It v.as assailed 
 by the sarcastic wit and nervous oratory of 
 Sheridan, the more chaste and dignified elo- 
 quence of Grey, the acuteness of Tierney, 
 and the casuistry of Lawrence. The earl of 
 Moira opposed it chiefly on the ground of its 
 repugnance to the Avishes of the people of 
 Ireland, while earl Fitzwilliam and lord Hoi- \ 
 land resisted its enactment because they con- \ 
 ceived that it was unnecessary, and might be 
 highly injurious to the connection which it 
 was intended to cement. 
 
 None of the arguments adduced could 
 prevail upon the cabinet to abandon the 
 scheme. It was merely postponed for a year, 
 and this delay tended to strengthen the 
 ministerial interest in the Irish house of 
 commons. A niajority of 42 members voted 
 against the popular cause. This commanding 
 su))criority continued, until all the articles, 
 framed according to the outlines which had 
 been sketched and voted in England, Avere 
 included by the two houses in an address to 
 his majesty. The diflerent provisions were 
 successively examined and adopted by the 
 
 British lords and commons, and the .^^ 
 bill at length received the royal assent. 
 It contained eight articles. By the three 
 first, an union of the tM o realms, a confirma- 
 tion of the protestant succession, and a con- 
 solidation of the parliaments, were estab- 
 lished. The next stipulation adjusted the 
 mode of securing the interests of Ireland, in 
 the combined legislative body. For this 
 purpose four prelates were ordered to sit 
 alternately in each session, and twenty-eight 
 temporal peers were to be chosen for life, 
 while two members for each of the thirty-two 
 counties, and thirty-six citizens and burgesses, 
 were to represent the Hibernian commons. 
 The fifth article united the churches of Eng- 
 land and Ireland, leaving that of Scotland 
 still distinct. By t'he sixth it was provided, 
 that the people of Great Britain and Ireland 
 should be entitled to the same privileges, and 
 be on the same footing, as to encouragements 
 and bounties on articles of conmierce, being 
 the grov.th, produce, or manufactures of 
 either country. The seventh left the public 
 debt of each kingdom on a separate basis, 
 with regard to interest and final liquidation, 
 and required that the expenditure of the 
 United Kingdom should be defrayed in the 
 proportion of fifteen parts for Britain, and two 
 parts for Ireland ; but, after the lapse of 
 twenty years, it was to 'be at the option of 
 the parliament to continue this arrangement 
 or fix a new rate. The eighth article pro- 
 A ided for the maintenance of the laws which 
 were then in force, and for the preservation 
 of the regular courts of judicature, subject, 
 however, to such alterations as might appear 
 to the legislature advantageous and expedient. 
 The circumstances of continental warfare 
 were peculiarly propitious to the views and 
 interests of Britain, and to the independence 
 of Europe. Scarcely had the new sovereign 
 of Russia ascended, amidst the acclamations 
 of the people, the throne so splendidly filled 
 by his mother, than he displayed an enthu- 
 siasm in the cause of European independence, 
 against French aggression, that good men 
 Avere willing to attribute to the wisdom of 
 his })olicy, and to the rectitude of his feelings. 
 So early as December, 1798, a provisional 
 treaty was concluded betAveen the courts of 
 London and St. Petersburgh, by which the 
 emperor of Russia agrees to assist England 
 with 45,000 land forces, to be directed
 
 CHAP. XLVI.] GEORGE III. 56.S 
 
 towards the support of Prussia, provided she I and the possession of Milan, divided a great 
 js willing- to take nn active part against the \ part of his forces in pursuit of four diflorent 
 connnon enemy. A subsequent treaty, by \ objects. On llie west and in front, he had 
 which a Russian orce, naval and military, } to follow uj) his operations against the army- 
 was placed at the disposal of tl)e English > of Moreau, in order to hasten his retreat, and 
 government, for service in the United Pror I force him to abandon Piedmont and Genoa, 
 vinces, was concluded in 179.0; and all ; before he received reinforcements; on the 
 doubt respecting the intentions of the Rus- ; north and on his right to penetrate into the 
 sian court was removed by the actual arrival ; valleys above the lakes, and to facilitate the 
 of a Russian force on the banks of the Adige. > movements of the left of the archduke's army 
 
 By the misconduct of Scherer, and the } beyond St. Gothard ; on the east, and be- 
 consequent successes of the Austrians, the \ hind him, Kray besieged Mantua with a body 
 French army had already been reduced to « of about 25,000 men, while general Klenau 
 the most perilous situatioji. It continued its \ invested Ferrara and blockaded Bologna, the 
 retreat by its right beyond the Oglio, and by I vigorous defence of which places caused a 
 its left beyond the Chiusa. General Kray, ; very favourable division to that portion of the 
 •\\ho had already marched his vanguard to | French army which was retreating from 
 Gorito, passed the Mincio with his main 5 Naples and Rome towards Tuscany, under 
 army, and pushed his advanced guards as 5 the command of general Macdonald ; and 
 far as these two rivers. Having been joined { towards the south, and on his left, 8uwan-o\T 
 by general Melas, who was to have taken the > had detached general Ott, with a strong 
 conunand of the army, but who left it in the ; division, to supjiort general Klenau, to stop 
 Jiands of Kray, till the arrival of general I the progress of Macdonald's army, to seize 
 Suwarrow-, that general reached Verona with ; the passes of the Appenines in Upper Tus- 
 the vanguard of the Russian army, and, press- i cany, and intercept the communications with 
 ing the march of his columns, joined the | that country and the Ligurian republic, la 
 Austrian army, the command of which was ; this manner the whole of Italy wiis occupied 
 immediately assigned to him. ; by the French and imperial armies, the difl'er- 
 
 I Against such hosts of foes, it was vain | ent divisions and posts of which were thus 
 for the French to attempt to struggle. In ! intermingled. From the centre of Loinbardy- 
 the situation in which Moreau was placed, J to the two seas, there was not a place or a 
 retreat was victory. All the frontier places j post, whether supported by the French armies 
 of the Cisalpine rppTd)lic were now left open I or insulated, which was not attacked or 
 to the allies ; and the head-quarters of the ! defended with vigour. There was not, in the 
 French were finally removed to Milan. * vast circle of the Alps, Or in the long chain 
 
 It would lie equally superfluous, and in- 1 of the Ap))enines, a single pass, which had 
 consistent w ith the limits of a general history, | not at this moment a relative importance, 
 to detail with minuteness the military opera- { with respe-ct to the immediate operations, or 
 tions of the armies under the command of; which was not seized on, or disputed, either 
 Suwarrow himself, or connected with the \ by detached troo])s, or by the inhabitants of 
 plans of hostility that it became his duty to | the country, which composed an auxiliary 
 accomplish. I shall merely select from the > force, of which diversity of opinion, con- 
 various narratives of this memorable war, ; straint, or victory, augmented coulinually the 
 such events as were remarkable above the « number. 
 
 rest for the singularity of the circumstances | Wr shall look in vain into the history of 
 by which they were accompanied, as deter- : the wars of Italy, lor a period bearing any 
 mined by their importance the result of the i resemblance to the present; as we have 
 succeeding conflicts, or tended to display, in ; never seen a conquest so rapid, or which 
 a forcible and impressive aspect, the skill of; appeared more solid, than that of Buona- 
 the Russian generals, and the bravery and I parte, if it be true that change inthe form of 
 fortitude of the Russian soldiers. ; government, the disposal of the resources of 
 
 H.wiNG reached the centre of Lombardy i the whole of the public force of a state coii- 
 more rapidly than he had conceived it possi- i firm the dominion of conquerors, — never, at 
 ble. Sum arrow, after the passage of the Adda, ; the same time, were so uiauy advantages lost,
 
 5G6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. XLVI. 
 
 SO many moans of preservation destroyed, in « of the Po, had forced back the vanguard of 
 SiO short an interval, and ahuost, as it were, | the French beyond Voghera near Tortona. 
 at a single blow. | In aid of this movement, and with the view 
 
 SuAVARROw having thus disseminated his i of seizing, at a later period, the passage into 
 forces, Moreau, after the passage of the Adda, J the country of Genoa by the Appenines, 
 and the evacuation of Milan, nrade his re- * Suwurrow took post at Bobbio, on the road 
 treat in good order, in three columns : that | from Piacenza to Genoa, 
 of the right marching from Lodi upon Pia- ; General Kray, after the taking of Pcs- 
 cenza ; that of the centre by the road of; chiera, had marched upon Borgo-forte, and 
 Milan to Genoa, upon Pavia and Voghera ; ; assembled all his forces around Mantua, 
 that of tlie left by Vigerano and Psovana. \ The garrison made frequent sallies, some of 
 While the main of the army retreated thus ; wJiich became serious impediments. The 
 upon the Ligurian republic, Moreau went to \ siege of the castle of Milan was begun (May 
 Turin, where he put a stop to disorders i 5tli) by general Latterman ; and on the same 
 which had taken place, made preparations j day general Kaini opened the trenches before 
 for the evacuation of this city and the arse- J Pizzightone, of which he gained possession 
 nal, and provision for the defence of the i in four days, from the blowing up of a powder 
 citadel, which he contided to general Fio- j magazine, when the garrison capitulated, 
 rella. He also re-esta})lished the communi- 1 consisting of 600 men. Ferrara, Bologna, 
 cations, which, if not altogether cut oft", were ; Ravenna, Fort Urbin, and Ancona, still held 
 at least interrupted by parties of the insur- 1 out. Suwarrow's main army was much 
 gents ; the preservation of which communi- 5 diminished by these ditterent operations and 
 cations was highly important, on account of ; diverging movements, which, considering the 
 the succours which he expected from Swit- ; weakness and situation of the French, were 
 zerland by the Vallais, Mount St. Bernard, i not only inexpedient and useless, but lost 
 and the valley of Aust ; from the southern ; him the opportunity of exterminating the 
 departments by Mount Cenis and the valley i whole of the French armies in Italy, and of 
 of Susa ; and from Briancon by the valley; opening a passage into the southern depart- 
 of Exiles. Unable, with an army reduced > ments of France. Suwarrow's ignoiance 
 to about 25,000 men, to defend, with any ; of his advantages, and the skilful tactics of 
 hopes of success, the plains of Piedmont, to | Moreau, preserved both. The Russian 
 cover the country of Genoa, and keep up its ; general, nevertheless, kept close on Moreau, 
 connnunications on both sides, which were ; and attempted to dislodge him from the 
 so important, as well for the junction of his J strong position he had taken, which was a 
 army with that of Naples, as for the arrival ; kind of entrenched camp, where be had forti- 
 Mav 7 ^^ succours by Nice, Moreau left : tied himself, behind the Po and the Tanaro, 
 Turin, and transferred his head-quar- ; between Valenza and Alessandria. Toi tona 
 ters to Alessandria. He had previously taken ; was attacked by general Chasteler, -, r 
 a position under Tortona, extending his advan- ; who blew up the gates under the fire '^ " 
 ced posts on his right towards the Appenines, ; of the castle, into which the French garrison 
 in order to narrow this interval as much as pos- 1 withdrew. The greater part of the allied 
 sible, and favour the retreat of Macdonald, by ; army, increased by Kaim's division, after the 
 retaining Suwarrow on the left side of the Po. I taking of Pizzightone, passed the ^ ^_ 
 Suwarrow, meanwhile, had advanced as far as ; Scrivia, and encamped at Torre ^ 
 Mav 1 ^'*'^'^' ^^^^ detached from his right ' Garafolo. General Karaczay was detached 
 ' ^ 'a strong vanguard, under Vukasso- ; with a corps to take possession of Novi, 
 vich, to take possession of Novarra, and » Serraville, and Gavi. This movement of 
 other places evacuated by the French, with \ Suwarrow by his left flank, and the advance 
 orders to ascend the Po as far as Turin, and ; of his light troops into the country between 
 divert Moreau s attention to his rear by at- ! the course of the Tanaro and the Appenines, 
 tacking, and even flanking his left wing. At \ did not shake the French generals deter- 
 the same time, general Hohenzollern marched ; mination. Moreau had flanked his right by 
 upon Piacenza with a part of the left of the i Alessandria, his left by Valenza, and had 
 allied army; and, ascending the right side | thrown strong detachments into Casal and
 
 CHAP. XLVI.] GEORGE lU- 
 
 OCT 
 
 Venua ; nor was lie deceived with respect | 7000 men, leading himself the cavalry. He 
 to Smvanow's projects, who menaced the i first attacked and hroke the chain of ad- 
 riiiht wiiin- of the French army, and its com- 1 vauced posts of the cossacks at Marenzo, 
 niniiicatious with Genoa, only to surprise a ! and pursued them to Santo Giuliano, and 
 passage over the Po on his left, and to sur- 1 then detached a body of troops, by his left, 
 round and engage it in a general and decisive ; to drive in the advanced posts of general 
 action. This jtioject was seconded by the ; Melas, and march upon the camp of Torre 
 attacks of the inhabitants of Mondovi, Che- i di Garafolo, under the command of general 
 rasco, Ceva, and Oneglia, who took arms on | I.usignan, whom he forced to abandon his 
 a sudden. These insurrections were already ! position, and whom he separated, for some 
 so strong and so well organised, that a bat- > time, from a body of seven Russian battalions, 
 talion which was marching to join the French I under prince Pankriazian ; these two impe- 
 army was attacked and dispersed. IVIorcau's | rial divisions, after considerable loss, rallied 
 jjosition was such that, had he lost a battle, j at length against the French, who retreated 
 his retreat on either side the Appenines be- 1 across their bridges to Alessandria, 
 came almost impossible. ; This was the last eflbrt made by Moreau 
 
 ^, This attack against flie left of ; to preserve this position. Suwarrow, whose 
 
 ^ ^^ general Moreau was attempted by Hiead-quarters were at Lumello, hastened the 
 
 a vanguard of the imperial troops, who, i attack on the French posts on the right side 
 having passed the Po above Valenza, had ; of the Po, above Valenza ; general Vukasso- 
 been very rudely treated and driven back, i vich also attacked and carried Ca.-al. The 
 But the tbllowing day the afl'air became more i French entrenched camp being no longer 
 serious; a Russian division of 7000 men, ; tenable, Moreau, forced to evacuate Valenza 
 under the command of general Schubarf, 5 and Alessandria, made good his retreat, after 
 passed the river below Valenza, near the '^ having proviiled for the defence of the citadel 
 continence of the Po and the Tanaro, and I of the latter place, and marched his army by 
 marched towards Pecetto, between Alessan- 1 Asti and Chierasco upon Coni. He a,i„ . 90 
 dria and Tortona, in order to cut the line of | detached also a body of troops, on ^ 
 the French. The lirst shock of the Russians ; his right, to occupy Ceva and Mendovi, to 
 wasmetbyth.e division under general Grenier; i open the communications with (lenoa, and 
 when Moreau, attacking them in flank with j that part of the coast ^^ hich had been inter- 
 the division under Victor, the Russians were | rupted by the insurrections of the peasants, 
 dri.veu back, and a great number killed or | This position was the best which he conld 
 drowned in the Po, amongst whom was the | have taken, to receive the reinforcements 
 Russian conimander. After this second ! which he expected from the southern de- 
 attempt, Suwarrow determined to march his | partments of France, and by Oneglia, Finale, 
 main body along the left side of the Po to { and the other small sea-port'5. 
 Turin, in order tO(Uslodge Moreau from his | By manauvres thus skilfully combined, 
 camp, anti make him fall back, either on the 5 Moreau not only saved the wrecks of Scherer's 
 frontiers of France, or retreat into the Ligu- 5 army, but gave time to general Macdonald to 
 rian republic. With this view, general | reach the frontiers of the Lignrian republic ; 
 Mav 16 Vnkassovich made an attack at | and enabled general Perignon, who had 
 ^ ■ Perrua, Ponte Stura, and Casal, | come a few days before to the aid of this 
 while a part of the troops under general > place, to stop up the passages on the side of 
 Melas, on tlie right side of the Po, received i the mountains, to strengtlien his means of 
 orders to pass, the night following, over to i defence, and secure such advanced positions 
 the left side, and march upon Candia. AVhe- 1 as might best favour tlie junction of the two 
 ther Moreau had information of this project, ; armies. 
 
 or perceived certain movements in the Rus- 1 Suwarrow, who had taken disadvantage- 
 sian camp at Toire di Garafolo, where there > ous positions on both sides the Po, below the 
 onglit to have remained but an inconsiderable i double continence of the Bormida and the 
 body, he threw a bridge, during the night, i Tanaro, had been unable to execute his plan 
 over the Bormida, near Alessandria, and | of surrounding the French army in the camp 
 passed it in the morning with a column of > of Alessandria. Aft^r the evacuation of this
 
 Jb6S HISTORV OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. XLVf 
 
 place, which he now occupied, he formed the i that also on the frontiers of CalabriE. ; and 
 blockade of the citadel with the division of | leaving- the camp of Caserta, marched ]., 
 general Schweikosky ; a corps under general * by Home upou Florence, leaving a ^ ' 
 
 Seckendorf had advanced on the .side of the ! strong garrison at Fort St. Elmo, Vapua, and 
 Acqui ; and tlie centre of the allied army, ! Ga;ta. The hr.st division, conjmanded by 
 under the order.s .of general Melas, had » general Olivier, whicli traversed St. Gennano 
 marched upon Candia. Considerable falls : and Isola, found the country in uisurrection ; 
 ©f rain retarded for some days these marches, > two villages were taken by storm, and almost 
 directed against Turin, on both sides the ; the whole of the inhabitants perished in the 
 Po ; gen'erat Melas, having crossed the Sesia, > attack The patriots of Naples had seen the 
 M 9C ^<5"'^i"^^t^ lii'^ march to the Stura. ; retreat of tlie French with consternation, as 
 The Russian divisions under general | did also those of Rome ; in this last city a 
 Karaczay passed this river and the Doria, > garrison was left, which, in case of attack by 
 and took an advantageous position in face ; superior forces, was to retire into the fort of 
 of the Chartreuse. The corps under general | St. Angelo. 
 
 Vukassovich advanced by the right side of; Generals Gauthier and Miolis, who com- 
 the Po, and took post on the right side of : nianded the corps of French troo])s in Tus- 
 Capuchins ; the city of Turin, thus invested, « cany, had made preparations to receive the 
 ■lyx ^2- '^^'^^ cannonaded and summoned to | army of Naples, and had formed a camp of 
 ^ ■ surrender, M'hich the French com- t observation between Florence and Bologna, 
 mander, Fioreila, refused, and returned tiie | closing up all the passes of the Appenines. 
 fire of the besiegers; but a bondj having set ; Suwarrow had not a moment to lose, to hin- 
 fire to a house near the gate of the Po, the \ der a junction which might disconcert his 
 armed iidiabitants took advantage of the dis- ; designs, and change the whole face of affairs, 
 order, and having seized on the gate, opened ; The celerity of Macdonald's march with so 
 it to the allies. The garrison, consisting^ of ; considerable a force, the manu?uvres of general 
 about 30U0 men, retired to the citadel ; the ; Moreau, and the firmness of the corps of 
 division of general Kaim occupied the town, | observation in Tuscany and in the Bolognese, 
 that of prince Pankrazian the environs ; ; had now rendered a possible tiling the most 
 while the generals Frolich and Zoph formed ; ditlicult retreat that had ever been attempted, 
 a camp of observation on the road of Pignerol. > It was on this account that Suwarrow 
 Ten weeks only had passed from the begin- j pushed on with vigour his sieges, a kind of 
 ning of hostilities on tiie Adige, until Suwar- ! warfare tiiat hindered him from disposing of 
 row encamped within sight of the frontiers 1 all hi.s forces in the field, and which had 
 of France. ; retarded his operations against Tuscany, and 
 
 But though Suwarrow had made this pro- 1 against the intermediate positions occupied 
 gress in front, he had jet behind him an j by the French. The siege of Milan, where 
 army, against which it was necessary to t he had sent general Hohenzollern, with a 
 assemble no inconsiderable force. General \ reinforcement of five or six battalions, was 
 Macdonald, on the news of the retreat from ! interrupted, from the necessity he was under 
 before Mantua, had evacuated the kingdom ; of sending succours to the prince of Rohan, 
 of Naples. He had ordered a camp to be s who had to contend against superior forces 
 formed at Caserta and Madoloni, and created | between the lakes of Como and Lugano, at 
 at Naples a numerous national guard. Fort j the entrance of the Italian bailiwicks, where, 
 St. Elmo, Capua, and Gstta, Avere provisioned ; notwithsfanding the insurrection of the in- 
 as if destined to undeigo a siege ; the govern- 1 habitants in his favour, he had not been able 
 inent was organised ; and tlie Neapolitans | to maintain himself against Lccourbe. The 
 were well disposed to defend themselves, j French at length weie obliged to retieat from 
 Several English vessels were cruising at the J Lugano across Mount Cenere to Bellinzone, 
 'entrance of tlie road, and intercepted every | and regain Switzerland by the Levantine 
 kind of connnunication by sea. As soon as | valley ; after w hich the imperial troops were 
 Macdonald had received positive orders from ! recalled, and the trenches opened ]y|„„ 9'j 
 .Scherer to join the army of Italy, he recalled ; against the citadel of Milan, the ^ 
 the division which n\ as in the Pouille, aad j commander of which capitulated, and
 
 CHAP. XLVI.] GEORGE llf. x>(^ 
 
 ohtamed for his sanison, consistnia; of 2200 ; riglit in Italy, and the other from his left m 
 men, a free passage ami the honours of Avar, ; Switzerland, to support the continual attacks 
 witii the condition only of not serving- for a j of the corps of j^c neral iJeliegarde, whose 
 year against the imperial armies. The citadel I ami it was to tiislodge the French from the 
 of Ferrara, liaving a garrison of l-'iOO men, i whole chain of the lihetian Alps to St. Go- 
 surrendered at the same time to general ; tliard, which operation ()ecanie more difficult 
 Klenaii, on the same conditions. Ravenna ; from the stuhborn resistance, the active and 
 was taken a few days afterwards, the peasants I skilful war, which the French generals, Le- 
 aiding the attack ; a few other posts, of very ; courbe, De Solles, and Loison, waged against 
 secondary importance in the Roman republic, : him. 
 
 surrendered successively ; and Ancona was i Moreau, too weak to keep up a line of 
 bombarded by a combined squadron of seven | defence from Mount St. Gotltard to the sea, 
 Russian and Turkish ships, and six frigates, > parallel to the attacks made against him, I, ad 
 under the orders of vice-admiral Pastokin. ; been forced to abandon both this great sup- 
 The siege of Mantua was still continued > port of his left, and his conniiunications with 
 i.r .„ under general Kray. who, having ; Massena, after receiving by Switzerland all 
 
 ^^ ^" repulsed a brisk sally of the garrison, ! the reinforcements which he could have ex- 
 received orders to draw ofl' his troops, leaving > pected, in the difficult situation in which 
 anumber sutlicient to keep up the blockade, ; Massena found himself; thus situated, he 
 which were afterwards reinforced by other j fell back on his right, to cover, with what 
 divisions, and to form with those troops, and j forces he had left, the Ligu'rian republic, and 
 with the divisions of Ott and Hohenzollern > to preserve untouched the barrier of the 
 on his left, a new army, of which he after- ; Appenines, so as to give Macdonald the 
 wards took the connnand. His lirst object ; means of effecting his retreat. Suwarrow, by 
 was to force the French to evacuate Bologna, < taking possession, with his main army, of the 
 which they defended vigorously, aided by ; interval which Moreau was forced to abandon, 
 <ne brave Bolognese, because it was in fact j by keeping up continual attacks, and a war 
 the place which w as of most importance to i of posts in the passes of Switzerland, and by 
 them beyond the Appenines, and tlie situation j determining to finish the conquest of Pied- 
 of the place cutting the roads, and retarding > mont by the taking of Tin in, which the 
 the marches of the allies tov\ards Tuscany, i Russian general had not been able to pene- 
 yiekled the most favourable protection to | tratc, served Moreau's views to their full 
 the retreat of the army of j\ a pies. It was ; extent. Suwarrow had so unskilfully maiiuju- 
 only by dislodging the French from this in- ! vred his immense army, that he could neither 
 termediary point, that Kray could rally his > surrotmd Morean, dislodge him from the 
 forces, and march to meet general Macdonald, ; Appenines, nor collect a sufficient force in 
 whohadalready reached the Tuscan territo'-y; i L'pp<r Tuscany to take the ofiensive against 
 liis vanguard was at Florence, Leghorn and } the French divisions, successively augmented 
 Lucea had been put in a state of defence, in i by the vanguards of general Macdonald. 
 order to provide a last retreat towards the i Every retrograde march, by which Moreau 
 sea, if it shoidd be found impossible to eflcc- ; had fallen back to the JFreuch frontiers, 
 tuate the junction of the two armies by the ; would have doubled the space which his 
 Liguriau territory. | colleague had to measure. Even as he was 
 
 It appears that the principal part of the ; situated, IMoreau's camp at Coni was nearly 
 plan concerted between the archduke and j fifty leagues from Macdonald's advanced 
 Suwarrow, was to cut off successively the i posts on the frontiers of Tui^cany, at the same 
 communications of the two French armies of; time that he drew as near as he could towards 
 owitzerland and Italy, and to open, in the i the French frontiers, in order to favour the 
 speediest manner possible, the comnuinica- > arrixal of the f(reble rt-inforcements, which 
 fions Isetween the two imperial armies, by the ; came to him by the Col de Tende. From 
 conquest of the north of Italy, the Milanese, I this place he detached a division under gene- 
 and Piedmont. It has been Vemarked. with > ral Victor, to cross the Ligurian republic, to 
 what order and constancy those two generals I join the army of Naples, to put ^Macdonald 
 alternately detached troops, the one tVom his | in a situation to act on the ofiensive, and opeu 
 
 4 D 20
 
 570 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. xLvri 
 
 the frontier passes, so as to reach Genoa. 
 The French had retaken Mondovi, and 
 Ulocked np Ceva ; but general Vukassowich, 
 who liad possession of Carmagnole, Alba, 
 and Cherasco, disengaged those two places. 
 Moreau, by these manoeuvres at Coni, drew 
 otf, as much as lay in his power, the attention 
 and principal forces of the allied army. 
 
 SuwARRow, after the taking of Turin, had 
 sent the principal divisions of his army into 
 the valleys of Susa, Marienne, Aust, and 
 L^icerne, where the Vaudois had taken arms 
 in favour of the French, raising alarm on the 
 old frontier of France, and threatening to open 
 an immediate passage across the Alps, and 
 to turn by the department of Mount Blanc, 
 the last line of defence in Switzerland. The 
 menace and the alarm were equally vain. 
 Moreau's position on the ilanks of the Russian 
 general, which he had neither been able to 
 foresee nor to prevent, and a French army 
 in his rear, rendered every farther progress 
 impracticable. Suwarrow had hoped to keep 
 Moreau continually inhis front, and imagined 
 that he should thereby have prevented the 
 junction wth Macdonald more easily than 
 if he had stopped his pursuit, and taken his 
 positions at the heights of Genoa, where, 
 however, he would more readily have accom- 
 plished his purpose. 
 
 After thus disposing of part of his forces, 
 Suwarrow marched in person against Moreau, 
 who, straitened in his positions, after leaving 
 June 7 ^ strong garrison in Coni, withdrew « 
 to the Col de Tende, communicating ; 
 with this place. The other principal passes \ 
 of the Alps, Mount Cenis, the pass of Susa, ; 
 and the little St. Bernard, w ere put in a i 
 respectable state of defence ; and neither at 5 
 Brian^on, nor in any other part of the frontier, ; 
 were there any bodies of French troops con- ; 
 siderable enough to operate any of those | 
 diversions, which, as the French army was j 
 situated, were as easy as they would' have i 
 been useful. General Xantrailles, whose ; 
 division had been destined by Massena to ; 
 teiiiforce Moreau"s left, after reclucing the m- 1 
 surgents, had limited his operations to the | 
 takhig a position in the Upi)er Yallais, not J 
 daring to hazard a descent towards Italy. | 
 The sieges of Tortona, Alessandria, and I 
 Turin, were pushed on, in the meanwhile, | 
 with great vigour. | 
 
 Macdonald, who had been joined by 
 
 June 17. 
 
 general Victor, marched forward 
 from Piacenza upon St. Giovanni, 
 a village at six miles distance, on the left 
 side of the little river of Fidone, behind 
 which general Ott had retreated ; his advanced 
 posts on the Trebbia having also fallen backt 
 general Melas came up to his assistance at the 
 beginning of the action with his vanguard. 
 Macdonald, who had despatched a colainit 
 on the road of the castle of St. Giovanni, en- 
 deavoured, with his right, to detach the left 
 of the imperialists, and take possession of 
 the road to Pavia and the Po, in order to 
 surround the centre of the position of general 
 Melas, who had taken the command, and 
 cut off the communication with the forces 
 which followed him. This first attack was 
 repulsed by the Austrians ; Ott's division, and 
 a part of general Frolich's, maintained their 
 position till the arrival of Suwarrow, with a 
 strong advanced guard of Russian troops ; 
 the engagement then became general, and 
 lasted till night, when the French withdre'sr 
 to their positions between the Tidone and the 
 Trebbia. 
 
 The next day, Suwarrow, having t, p io 
 assembled all his troops, took mea- 
 sures for a decisive engagement. Macdonald 
 also made preparations, ranging his army in 
 line of battle, on the left side of the Trebbia. 
 The allies formed four columns ; the first, or 
 that of the left, on the side of the Po, was to 
 march by Calendand upon Ponte de Mora; 
 the second followed the road on the right of 
 Piacenza ; the third marched upon Vaccari ; 
 — these three columns were composed of 
 Russian troops ; — the tburth on Rippalta 
 and Sau Georgio, destined to turn the left of 
 the French, was formed by the divisions of 
 Ott and Frolich. These dispositions, and 
 the necessity of letting the troops breathe, 
 retarded the attack till five in the evening ; 
 as soon as the columns came up, notwith- 
 standing the difiiculty of the ground before 
 the French line, there were no other maneeu- 
 vres than a furious shock on the whole front 
 of the two armies. Tl>e French w ere beaten, 
 and lost this second battle, after an obstinate 
 resistance which cost much blood on both 
 sides. 
 
 Macdonald, nevertheless, did not retreat 
 to Piacenza, but withdrew behind the right 
 side of the Trebbia, nieditating another effort 
 
 agamst 
 
 the troops of Suwarrow, whose
 
 CHAP. XLVI.] 
 
 CEORGE Iir. 
 
 &n 
 
 infantry, particularly, was home clown with 
 fatJt;iie. The next day (15th), therefore, 
 while they thouiilit him iu full retreat, Mac- 
 doiialtl attacked the allied army in his tnrn, 
 with the {greatest impetuosity. He repulsed 
 at first all the advanced posts on the Trehhia, 
 aud sent across the Po one of his columns, at 
 the same time that another passed the Trehbia 
 to turn the right flank of Suwarrow, whose 
 troops were almost surprised. General Melas 
 sustained the fir.st attacks with the Austrian 
 cavalry ; the carnage was horrihie, and all 
 the country, from St. Giovanni to Piacenza, 
 between the Tidone and the Trehl»ia, was 
 strewed with dead ; this latter river was 
 choked up with corpses. The Polish legion, 
 inider Dumhrowski, surrounded by Russians, 
 formed themselves into a square battalion, 
 defended themselves with desperation, and 
 were almost entirely destroyed. INotwith- 
 standing all his efforts, Macdonald's army 
 was forced to repass the Trebbia. Suwarrow, 
 complimented on his victory, is said to have 
 answered in the words of tlie general of an- 
 ticpiity, — Victory ! anot her such and ice are 
 Tuined ! 
 
 Dlrino the night which followed this 
 third day of dreadful and desperate combat, 
 Macdonald re-entered Piacenza, which he 
 evacuated the next day, obliged to abandon 
 3000 men, who were wounded, among whom 
 were the four generals, Rusca, Salni, Olivier, 
 and Chambran. Macdonald, who had him- 
 self received several wounds, as had also 
 gen<^ral Victor, made his retreat in good 
 order, in two columns, of which one followed 
 the great road of Parma, and the other the 
 foot of the mountains. He pretended to be 
 directing his march upon Modena, and to be 
 returning to his camp at Pistoia ; but he 
 took posts at Fornovo, ascending the valley 
 ofTanaro, and took the road of Sestri, to 
 enter into the Ligurian republic, and effect 
 his junction with More^u. Generals Ott, 
 Klenau, ami HohenzoUern whose corps he 
 had di.spersed in his march upon Piacenza, 
 united at Parma, and went in pursuit of hiin. 
 
 Si'W.\nRow had repaired, by the quickness 
 of his march, and the gain of the battle of St. 
 Giovanni, the fault of having divided his 
 forces by insulated operations, which had 
 given Macdonald time to finish the most 
 (liflicult of retreats, and to reach, Mithout 
 obstacle, the places, positions, and reinfurce- 
 
 4 D 2 
 
 ments, whiclj had doubled his means. If it 
 was a premeditated design on the part of 
 Suwarrow, it may be said that fortune 
 justified his temerity ; for it was evident that, 
 with less activity, and without this extra- 
 ordinary march, the combination of the two 
 French generals did nt>t leave him the chance 
 of victory ; he would have found them with 
 their forces united at Voghera, where he 
 could not have attacked them, without ha- 
 zarding the fate of his army. 
 
 In fact, while he was attacking, with the 
 whole of his forces, Macdonald's army in 
 Trebbia, Moreau, after having marched a 
 strong detachment upon Bobbio, commanded 
 by general Lapoype, sallies forth from (Jenoa 
 as from an entrenched camp, \\ith an army 
 fresh and reinforced, of about 25,000 men, 
 and marched by Bocchetta, Gavi, and ]\ovi, 
 upon Tortona. The Austrian divisions, under 
 general Bellegarde, were attacked and dri\en 
 from their positions at St. Guiliano, Cassini, 
 Grando, and Spinelta, aud forced to retreat 
 precipitately across the Bormida. Among 
 the advantages of this victory Mas the raising 
 the blockade of Tortona. Suwarrow, fol- 
 lowing up his victory at St. Giovanni, had 
 continued the pursuit of Macdonald beyond 
 Piacenza, and hoped to have come up with 
 him on the Tara, and by rallying the corps 
 of Klenau and HohenzoUern, surround him 
 before he crossed the mountains ; but, on 
 receiving news of the victory of Moi-eau over 
 general Bellegarde, he abandoned tbe pursuit 
 of the army of Macdonald, which he confided 
 to general Ott, ami departed with the best 
 portion of his army to meet Moreau, and 
 stop his progress. This counter-march Mas 
 not less rapid than the preceding. It was 
 whilst he was on his return, that Suwarrow 
 received news of the stuTender of the citadel 
 of Turin, against which batteries of j„„g jo 
 300 pieces of artillery had been 
 erected, and plied so briskly, that in two 
 days the fire of the besieged was e.xtinguished, 
 a great number of officers of artillery and 
 cannoneers killed, and magazines destroyed. 
 The commander, Fiorella, demanded a capi- 
 tulation, aud obtained terms similar to those 
 which had taken place at Milan aud Ferrara. 
 This unexpected event was, at this moment, 
 of so much the greater importance to the 
 allies, as the corps of general Kaini, now 
 free, Mas already ou foot to join the grand
 
 572 
 
 HISTORY OF R^GLAND. 
 
 [(illAP. XLVr. 
 
 army. Tlie efforts and activity in the defence 
 on the j)art of the French generals, vho had 
 not as yet received the reinlbrcenienls %\hicli 
 they expected from France, engaged Su- 
 varrow to press the rallying of his troops in 
 every quarter. General Vukassowich liad 
 orders to bring near the main body the column 
 of IJussian auxiliary troops, newly arrived on 
 the Adige ; in short, the army, which was 
 slowly forming at Naples, and which had 
 only a few insulated posts before it, occupied 
 by Macdonald's rear-guard, was summoned 
 to hasten, with all possible speed, to the 
 north of Italy. Suwarrow's army, reinforced 
 by the corps under general Iladdick, amount- 
 
 June 25. 
 
 ed to 00,000 men. Moreau, after 
 another engagement with Belle- 
 garde and Kaim, having an army but a third 
 of the number of the allies, was obliged to 
 fall back on Genoa. Thus, at the end of 
 June, the allied forces were masters of almost 
 the w hole of Italy, and of nearly half of the 
 Helvetic republic, when a sort of involuntary 
 truce, or suspension of carnage, took place on 
 both sides the Alps, while both armies waited 
 for reinforcements to begin anew the labours 
 of death. 
 
 We left Macdonald making his retreat 
 into Tuscany, after the bloody battle near 
 Piacenza, where 20,000 men had been killed 
 and wounded. 
 
 This retreat would have been extremely 
 difficult, if Suwarrow had continued to press 
 upon his rear-guard with the whole of his 
 forces, and had turned them on the side of 
 the mountains, whilst generals Klenau and 
 Hohenzollern, who had rallied l^etween 
 Reggio and Modena, bad attacked it on the 
 flank, and retarded their march ; but the 
 success of the diversion, operated by Moreau, 
 had recalled Suwarrow and the main of his 
 army towards Alessandria. Macdonald re- 
 treated into Tuscany, marching in two 
 June 9.1 <^olumns ; one by the road of Mo- 
 dena, which he surprised, an»l the 
 other by Tornovio. The right column threw 
 reinforcements into Bologna, which, garri- 
 soned chiefly by Cisalpines, continued to 
 .make a most spirited deftnce, and also into 
 Fort IJibin ; and, whilst Moreau supported 
 at Bobbio the division of general Lapoype, in 
 order to protect the left of'tlie army of Naples, 
 June 27 ^I^<^'^<J"'i'd resumed his former po- 
 xitionsat Lucca and Pistoia. 
 
 Macdonald was imable to make any 
 longer resistance to the imperial forces beyond 
 the Appenines ; the desertion of the Cisalpine 
 general Lahotze having weakened his right, 
 and the progress of the insurgents of Arezzo 
 exciting the people of Florence, he deter- 
 mined to finish his retreat, and evacuate Tus- 
 cany altogether. Though it was more than 
 uncertain, whether the artillery and baggage 
 could be transported from Leghorn to Genoa, 
 on account of the English squadrons cruising 
 before those ports, Macdonald did not 
 hesitate in attempting this desperate measure, 
 and from the first days of Julj' he sent off 
 his column of artillery, with a strong escort, 
 which was destined to reinforce the gaj-risoit 
 of Leghorn. He left Florence, broke j . „ 
 up his camp at Pistoia, marched 
 upon Lucca vith the best of his army, re- 
 duced to about 1.3,000 or 14,000 men, and 
 began to file ofi" by Sarzana. This march 
 was slow and painful, and it w;is only to- 
 wards the end of the month that the head* 
 of the column reached the environs of Genoa. 
 Tuscany was innnediately reinforced by the 
 allies, united with the insurgents of Arezzo, 
 the mass of which was increased, so as to 
 form a corps of 30,000 men, under tlie orders 
 of general Jugheranni. The advanced guard 
 of general Klenau entered Florence, t i , o 
 when the people rose, and, destroy- ^ 
 
 ing every mark of the domination of the 
 republic, re-established the ensigns of the 
 old government. 
 
 The garrison of Leghorn, and that of 
 Porto Ferrajo, formed the last rear-guard, 
 and retreated also by Sarzana. General 
 Argnbet, who had made preparations for a 
 vigorous defence, and reinforced the garrisons 
 of Fort d'Antigano, threatened by the insur- 
 gents, recei\<'d orders to evacuate j , „ 
 Leghorn. He concluded a capitu- ^ 
 
 lation with the old governor, the Tuscan 
 geu'cral LaviMette, by whom he secured the 
 retiMat of tlie garrison of Porto Ferrajo, and 
 the free return of the sick. The evacuation 
 was executed with order and fidelity, and the 
 old administration was re-established the 
 same day ; the last French troops evacuated 
 Pisa and Lucca, and general Macdonald, 
 forced to leave behind him or destroy his 
 heavy artillery, his camp equipage, and the 
 remains of the rich si)oils of Italy, finished 
 ; his retreat. This army, which, after its re-
 
 <:nKP. JcKvr. 
 
 GGOITGE III. 
 
 575 
 
 Pinion lo the divisions which occupied Tus- 
 cany a month before, aniounfcd to upwards 
 of .■;0,000 men, was now reduced to nearly 
 18,000; but not a corps of this army, sur- 
 rounded by snjierior forces, and wliose fotal 
 liiin seemed inevitable, liad been forced to 
 lay down its arms, neither on the fiehl, nor 
 in any post, unV'ss it were in a few forts, sucli 
 as those of lJri)in, Sienna, and St. Leon, 
 whi(di sniTcndered only when their defence 
 tould be 6f no farther utility. 
 T np SuwARROw, who had joined 
 ^^^ ' ^neral Bellegarde between Tortona 
 and Alessandria, called in the corps of generals 
 Knini and Vukassowich, and marched upon 
 Moreau, vho, haviui;,' fallen back on JNovi, 
 soon evacuated this post, and retreated 
 by the Bochetta into the Ligurian t-erritory. 
 
 Thl'S terminated that series of marches, 
 mana'uvres, and engagements, which, for six- 
 weeks past, had kept the troops on lioth sides 
 in continued action. Moreau employed him- 
 self in reinforcing his posts at the outlets of 
 the valleys, and had taken position jtt Sarena, 
 to secure his rear and his communications 
 with Nice, waiting the arrival of the wrecks 
 of Alacdonald's army in this vast entrenched 
 camp, too extensive, without doubt, for an 
 army of 40,000 men, who were to occupy the 
 opposite extremities on the side of Tuscany 
 and France, but too circumscribed, from the 
 want of resources and the difficulty of com- 
 munications. 
 
 The main of the allied army encamped on 
 the river, at the entrance of the valley of 
 Orbe, vhich position covered the attacks of 
 Tortona aijd Alessandria ; general Belle- 
 srarde, who, after the irruption of general 
 Aloreau, had been unable to caiTy cii the 
 blockade, and had limited himself to covering 
 that of Alessandria, was charged with the 
 regular siege of this last place, which Su- 
 •narrow hastened in proportion to its impor- 
 tance for the ifst of his operations. The 
 ■(1 , , first parallel being hnished, and 
 ^ ■ twenty-one batteries ready to open, 
 the French commander, Gardanne, was sum- 
 moned, and refused to surrender. The works 
 were continued with unremitting ard-^ur, and 
 the fortress was heated by the constant play 
 of 210 pieces of cannon. Six days after, not 
 ouly was the second parallel finished, but the 
 covered way was taken, lodgements made, 
 tops carried to the foot of the ramparts, and | 
 
 batteries erected to 0])eii a bn^ich. ' General 
 Gardanne, thinking it impossible to sustain 
 an assault, proposed a capittdation, » , ^ 
 which was accepted, and the gani- "^ " ' 
 
 SOU; consisting of 2600 men, remained pri- 
 soners of war. • Suwarrow fixed his head- 
 «]Oarters in Alessandria, the conquest of 
 which had cost him dear, in the loss of general 
 de Chasteler, the chief of his slaft', and whose 
 activity and talents had been .so eminently 
 useful to him during the siege of Alessandria. 
 Moreau, who had not sufficient forces to 
 attempt the relief of the place, to complete 
 his junction, extended his line to the frontier 
 of France, without abandoning either Genoa 
 or the Bochetta, (the defence of which he 
 augmented) or the other passes of the Appe- 
 nines ; lie fixed his head-quarters at Corneg- 
 liano, and took there positions and posts at 
 Ultri, Savona, Vado, and I..oano, which had 
 been occupied by the French army in 179(5. 
 General Colli had been detached with a small 
 corps, and occupied an intrenched position 
 between the Bochetta and Sena Valle ; after 
 having made those dispositions which coidd 
 alone secure the possesssion of the Ligurian 
 territoiT, and the successive arrivals of rein- 
 forcements', Moreau resigned the command 
 of the army to general Joubert. 
 
 Suwarrow, after the taking of Alessandria,' 
 had marched a part of his army anew into 
 Piedmont, had invested Coni, attacked Fe- 
 nestrelles, and sent general Haddick, with a 
 corps of 12,000 men, up the valley of Aust, to 
 penetrate into the Vallais, as the former 
 positions of this division had become useless 
 since the retreat of the French beyond the 
 Appenines, and the arrival of the second 
 auxiliary corps. The column detached under 
 the orders of the prince of Rohan had not 
 discontinued its skinuishes in the upper val^ 
 leys, or ceased harassing the principal posts 
 of the French. This coluu)n, reinforced, 
 undertook at length more serious enterprises, 
 suth as that of the little St. Bernard, which 
 caused great alnrm, and forced the French to 
 keep a considerable strength in those quarters. 
 General Hati^y, who commanded ther^ com- 
 plained of the naked state in which fhe im- 
 portant frontiers of Dauphiny were left ; 
 every thing indicated, that the great exvi'rtion 
 would be directed towar\l.=; that pnrf, if once 
 the French army could he constrained to 
 pass the Var.
 
 674 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. XLVI. 
 
 But the great and inestimable advantage 
 ■which the aUies gained from the battle near 
 Piaceuza, was the tranquillity in which 
 general Kray's army was left to continue the 
 siege of Mantna. The fruit of his victory, 
 ■which Suwari-ow was most eager to obtain, 
 the taking of Mantua, was to justify his pro- 
 jects, rectify his plan of operations, and 
 permit him to send as efl'ective succour to 
 the archduke as that which he had received 
 from him. 
 
 Nothing was spared to hasten the surren- 
 der of Mantua ; the quantity of artillery was 
 augmented ; near 600 pieces and mortars 
 were destined for this siege ; artillery, of a 
 ))ore judged for a long time useless, was also 
 transported thither ; two Austrian regiments, 
 and the corps of Russian artillery, reinforced 
 the besieging army. All the country people, 
 forty miles round, were obliged to labour in 
 their turn at the works. 
 
 The garrison of Mantua consisted of 
 10,000 men, under the command of general 
 Latour Foissac, an engineer of the old regime. 
 General Kray attacked the place on the 
 south side, and carried first the outward 
 posts, such as the Cerese, the head of the 
 bridge which covered the sluice, and the 
 communications with the works of the Faux- 
 bourg dn The, separated from the main land 
 by an arm of the Mincio. The trenches 
 ivere opened opposite to this Fauxbourg 
 during the night of the 13th and 14th of July, 
 under favour, it is said, of a kind of truce, 
 during which the commander of the place 
 celebrated the anniversary of the French 
 revolution. The fire from the town, which 
 was very brisk, when the opening of the 
 trench was perceived, did not hinder the first, 
 and soon after the second, parallel from being 
 connected and finished ; the batteries were 
 completed in less than a week. 
 
 This })rincipal attack was seconded by 
 those directed on the other forts, detached 
 from the body of the place on this .side the 
 lake, such as the horn-work of the gate 
 Pradella, and Fort St. George, against which 
 approaches were made at the same time. 
 The i)rincipal sluice having been broken, and 
 the draining of the water having facilitated 
 the works and the establishment of new bat- 
 teries, which weie to protect the passage of 
 Bajnolo, general Kray attacked the entrench- 
 tncnts ia the dykes between Cerese and the 
 
 Fauxbourg, 
 hand. The 
 
 ui 
 
 July 2G. 
 
 July 28. 
 
 the 
 the 
 
 which were carried sword 
 next day, the French 
 evacuated Fort St. George. The 
 horn-work of the gate Pradella, which, from 
 the opening of the third parallel at the fort 
 of the glacis, they apprehended might be 
 carried by storm, was also abandoned, after 
 spiking the pieces. The allies lodged them* 
 selves in this work, whence they comman<led 
 the body of the place ; the garrison was said 
 to be so weakened, as to be ineilective for 
 the service ; the greater part of the officers 
 ■were in the hospitals ; the batteries of the 
 Isle du The were dismounted ; and the 
 quantity of bombs, which fell in this part 
 of the works, rendered eveiy manoeuvre of 
 the artillery, — every kind of defence, — im- 
 possible. 
 
 Thus situated, the commander 
 accepted the capitulation offered 
 him by general Kray, and gave him up 
 keys of Mantua, •which had been in 
 hands of the French since February, 1797. 
 Two days after, the garrison marched out 
 with the honours of war by the citadel, and 
 grounded their arms on the glacis. Con- 
 formably to the capitulation, this garrison 
 was to be escorted to the frontiers of France, 
 and not to serve till exchanged. General 
 Latour Foissac, and all his staff, •were de- 
 tained prisoners, and conducted to Gratz, to 
 remain three months, after which they were 
 permitted to return into France on their 
 parole, not to serve till they had been ex- 
 changed. 
 
 That Mantua had been traitorously given 
 up admitted of no doubt at Paris, and ia 
 proportion to the value of the place was the 
 indignation against the connnander who had 
 surrendered it, and the late govermnent, who 
 had entrusted to a man, said to be of sus- 
 pected character, a place so eminently im- 
 portant. The directory ordered a court- 
 martial to be formed to try Latour Foissac, 
 as well as the connnander of the citadel of 
 Turin, who was likewise suspected of treason. 
 The former has since published a justification 
 of his conduct, and demanded the trial 
 ordered by the directory, Avhich, had it taken 
 place, might have thrown further light on 
 the suspected proceedings of part of the 
 members of the late govern)nent. Of the 
 importance of this surrender fur the ulterior 
 operations of the allies, a judgment may
 
 CnAP. XLVI.] GEORGE III. o7a 
 
 readily be formed. . Italy almost entirely re- \ of Moreau the command of the French army, 
 conquered, — for Rome and Ancona could ; he had divided the reinforcements and the 
 not long resist all the forces of the allies, — ; succours uith which the French govemnient 
 all their means, all their mapizines collected ; had augmented his forces, and signalised his 
 together at the moment of the arrival of the i arrival ; the remains of the army of Macdo- 
 reinforcements, threw so great a weight into > nald, which formed the right, had drawn 
 the balance, that nothing could compensate j nearer Genoa, and a new repartition of th» 
 to the republic the advantage of the diversion ; command of the divisions had been made 
 caused by Mantua, which place had, in the 5 "ith a view to ulterior operations. Macdo- 
 present circumstances, and in the general i nald returned to France to take repose, well 
 •state of affairs, an importance almost incalcu- 1 purchased by one of the most painful as well 
 lable. As long as it occupied general Kray l as most glorious retreats ever effected, and 
 and his army, Suwari-ow could not act with > which neither a complete success in his last 
 vigour either against Switzerland or Nice, j march, uor the victory which he was so near 
 The new plan of defence of the frontier of; gaining, could have rendered more great or 
 France was established during this state of • more memorable in the eyes of those who 
 suspense and observation, to the advantage i know how to appreciate the true talent of 
 of the party inferior in number ; and every i the general, and his intrepidity in the exe- 
 day that it was prolonged was actively em- > cution. 
 
 ployed in repairing losses, and preparing new j General St. Cyr commanded the right, 
 obstacles to the great exertion, the general \ general Perignon had taken the command of 
 attack meditated by the allies. Suwarrow, | the left wing, and, having received orders to 
 by the fall of Mantua, regained the full march forwards to the heights, took posses- 
 liberty of his movements, and tunied back to | sion of the advantageous position of Milles- 
 the simjile combination of mutual and alter- > simo, celebrated by the entrance of Buona- 
 nate succour between the archduke's army I parte into Italy, of Murialto, and Callizano, 
 and his own. In short, the fortress of Mantua, i near Ceva, which gave him the command of 
 which was the trophy for general Kray of the ; the valleys of Tanaro and the Bormida, and 
 victory of Magnan, was at that time the J also to the line of the advanced posts of the 
 most sensible loss the French republic could j French army ; a more solid support, and 
 have experienced. j which, being more distant from the borders 
 
 SrwARnow, persisting in his resolution of; of the sea, afforded a greater facility for ma- 
 leaving no place behind him, and of getting \ nauvres, and made better provision for tlie 
 po.vsession of the whole of the flat country, | means of retreat. The former surrender of 
 l)tfore he made any attempt against the i Ceva, when it was attacked by the insurgents. 
 Ligurian republic, or against the frontier of | had already caused much injury to the 
 F^rance, pressed the siege of Tortona, and \ French ; and, under the present circuni- 
 blockaded Coni more severely, watching the j stances, that support woidd have been of 
 French posts at the entrance of the defiles, j very considerable advantage to them. The 
 and of the little valleys of the Appenines ; 5 commander, who had had the weakness to 
 whilst general Klenau, who had piusued to | surrender it, had just been shot at -Genoa, 
 the entrance of the river of the East Mac- 1 The centre and right of the French army, 
 donald"s rear-guard, took possession of Sar- 1 passing from Montenotte to Campo Freddo, 
 zana, of F'ort Lerici, and of all the positions j pushing their advanced posts into the valley 
 in the gulf of Spezzia, where the FVench | of Erro, and that of Orba, were covered by 
 occupied only the fort of St. Maria. The ; the Bochetta, and commanded, in front of 
 whole of the corps of the great allied army : this defile, the ivar in the valley of the Scrivia. 
 drew nearer each other, and assembled iu • An advanced guard occupied the post of 
 tlie plain between Orba and Serivia ; the i Govi ; that of Serravalla had been forced to 
 army which had besieged Mantua, under ; capitulate. 
 
 general Kray, was expected ; the speedy \ Joubert, who had taken his head-quarters 
 capture of the citadel of Tortona was to be i at Campo Marino, between Savona and 
 the epociia and the sicnal of new attacks. I Montenotte, behind his left, after havim^ re- 
 
 SiNCE Joubert had received from the hands i connoitred with Moreau all his jiosiljons.
 
 576 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLVt. 
 
 tletonmiVed l\) miAf'k vigorous eflbrt to niarcli 
 hi'i army into the plains, and maintain him- 
 self there, after he should have forced Su- 
 waiTOw to raise the sie^e of the citadel of 
 TortO!ia. He invited Moreaii to defer his 
 departure, in order to aid him ^vith liis coun- 
 xnls. Moreau generously accepted this invi- 
 tation, and took a command under his ordei-s. 
 4 ^. ^., After havinjr detached from the 
 ' ^ ''■ ■ left and centre, strong advanced I 
 guards, and taken advantageous positions in 5 
 the valleys of Orba and Borniida, Joubert 
 formed on that side three colnmns of attack ; 
 the fii-st followed the valley of the Bormida, 
 directing itself upon Acqni by the road of 
 Dego : the second descending by the valley 
 of Erro, marched upon Castel Ferro ; the 
 tliiixl, moving from C'ampofreddo, following 
 the little valley of Len er, and afterwards that 
 of Orba, was to enter the plain by Ovedo. A 
 fourlli column, stronger than the rest, and 
 really destined to raise the blockade of Tor- 
 tona, descended by the defiles of. the Bochet- 
 ta ; this column was commanded by general 
 St Cyr, to whom Moreau and general De- 
 solles had united themselves to serve as 
 guides, for an operation which they had 
 already executed at the battle of St. Gio- ' 
 ranno. The same day, general Belleg-ardes 
 corps, which occupied before Acqui the 
 positions of Trezzo and Bistauga, was vigo- 
 rously attacked. Joubert, who pushed the 
 left at Basalluzzo, which permitted him to 
 cover the movement of a column, which was 
 detached from the right below the Scrivia by 
 Casano di Spinoin, was to follow the moun- 
 tains which continue on the right side of this 
 river, and march upon Tortona. This move- 
 Inent, which Suwarrow could no longer 
 hinder, but by dislodging the French army 
 from this strong position, decided him to 
 attack it the next morning. The 
 attack began by the right of the 
 allies under general Kray against the left of 
 the French, where Joubert commanded in 
 person. The action was scarcely begun, 
 when the general, to whose talents and cha- 
 racter the French of all parties render equal 
 justice, wishing to animate by his presence a 
 rhar;:e of infantry, crying out, Foniard ! 
 forunrd ! was struck with a ball, which 
 pierced his heart. He fell repeating, till he 
 evpired. Forte ar d ! fontard ! 
 ■ When general Kray eudeavoured to turn 
 
 Aug. 16. 
 
 Novi, the Russian general, Pangration, at- 
 tacked in front, but both were repulsed ; the 
 Russian division, under general Derfelden, at 
 the centre, and the left wing of general ^lelas, 
 then received orders to attack the first by the 
 road of ISovi, and Melas, by ascending (he 
 left side of the Scrivia ; but this dor.ble 
 attack had no better success than that of the 
 other two generals ; Derfelden tried in vaiu 
 to gain the heights on the left of Movi. The 
 two armies were now engaged along the 
 whole of their line ; the carnage was horrible. 
 At three in the afternoon, general Kiays 
 corps having been repulsed with great loss, 
 Suwarrow tried a second attack against the 
 heights of iSovi, with the Russian divisions 
 under the orders of generals Derfelden, Pan- 
 gration, and Milloradovitsch ; but the resist- 
 ance of the French was such, that they kept 
 their position, notwithstanding reiterated 
 charges of the columns. The centre of the 
 allied army was almost entirely destroyed in 
 the charges, which Suwarrow sustained and 
 renewed three times with vmshaken constancy, 
 notwithstanding their bad success in order to 
 occupy, or at least check the centre of the 
 French army, which he could not force. 
 Moreau, who had taken the command after 
 the death of Joubert, fought in person, and 
 performed, as well as the generals St. Cyr 
 and DesoUes, prodigies of valour. 
 
 Meanwhile general Melas, with eight 
 battalions of grenadiers, and six of Austrian 
 infantry, which formed the left wiug of the 
 army, having reached tl;e first heights of 
 Novi, on the side of Pietalle, and despatched 
 general ^»obili"s corps along the lell bank 01 
 the Scrivia, attempted to turn entirely the 
 right of the French army ; he reached Sarra- 
 valla, which he unblocked ; he took posses- 
 sion also of Arquata, and marched on by the 
 road of Sarravalla upon Xovi. He attacked 
 the right flank of the French with generaj 
 Frolichs division ; the front of this attack 
 was formed by the first battalion of Fursten- 
 berg. and by the brigade of general Lusignan, 
 who in the first charge was vigorously re- 
 pul-sed, desperately wounded, and made 
 prisoner. General Melas supported this 
 column, which formed the right and the 
 chief strength of his attack, by a second undet 
 the orders of general Laudohn ; a thud, 
 headed by the prince of Lichstenstein, had 
 olJersto pass the line of the French to tiie
 
 CHAP. XLVI.] 
 
 CCORCE III. 
 
 677 
 
 rear of their right, seizing, at the same time, 
 on whatever advantaj^eoiis points should be 
 found ill the intervals of t!ie coUinins, Melas 
 strtiiotliened this movement bv batteries, 
 corresponding to the direction of the troops ; 
 this nianrcuvrc decided the victory. 
 
 Towards live in the evening, general Melas 
 attacked in flank, with the grenadiei-s of 
 Paar, the post of Novi, \\hich had cost so 
 mnch l)lood from the beginning of the action, 
 and whi( h Moreaxi had just reinforced in this 
 part, to cover the retreat which he had now 
 ordered ; the French w«»re constrained to 
 abandon it, finding themselves almost sur- 
 rounded ; the cohimn of the prince Lich- 
 stensttin having cut off tiieir communication > 
 wiih Gavi, they could retreat only by their 
 left tiank upon Ovada. This retreat was 
 executed at first iu good order ; but the 
 artillery having choked up the road in passing 
 thiongh the village of Paslurano, the division 
 vhich formed the rear-guard found the 
 yillage so incumbered, that, forced to halt, 
 it was thrown into disorder, and soon over- 
 taken by the corps of general Karaczay, 
 ■whom Suwarrow had sent in pursuit. The 
 French geii< rals, Perignon, Groveby, and 
 Parthenau, niade the last exertions to rally 
 their rear-guard, but could not succeed ; all 
 three were wounded and made prisoners, as 
 ■well as the Piedmontese general, Colli. ^Night 
 put an end to the con:bat. 
 
 TiiE French had d.efended, not only with 
 valo-ar, but with the courage of despair, 
 against the multiplied attacks of troops as 
 valiant and greatly superior in number, a j 
 
 position very strong by its nature, and 
 covered by trees and bushes, which rendered 
 access to it very difficult on every side. 'Jhis 
 position was still more formidable by a nume- 
 rous artillery, advantageously placed, and 
 very well served. But in the same degree 
 that their confidence had been supported 
 through the whole day by those advantages 
 of ground, and by the little success of the 
 attacks of general Krays corps, and of liie 
 Russian divisions against the left and centre, 
 so was the loss of the French great, and their 
 retreat precipitate ; v*hen general Melas, by 
 his able manauvres, had succeeded in dis- 
 lodging their right. 
 
 Jf we except the battle of Malplaquet, 
 gained by the duke of Marlborough and 
 prince Eugene, against mar.vhal de Villars, in 
 1709, where .30,000 men perished; and that 
 of Frankfort on the Oder, in 1759, between 
 the Prussians and the Kussiaiis, when Fre- 
 deric II. left nearly 20,000 men on the held 
 of battle, and did not abi.ndon it till he n ade 
 as horrible a carnage of the Russian infantry ; 
 no other battle, in the last century, was as 
 bloody as that of INovi. The loss on both 
 sides is estimated, at the loN>est, to amount 
 to S.'i.OGO men. As at Malplaquet, the two 
 armies engaged on all points of their line, did 
 not cease destrojing each other as long as 
 the day lasted ; or as at the battle of Frank- 
 fort, v\ here general Laudohns finemanauvre 
 decided the victory, the advantage remained 
 uncertain at Novi, till the moment v\hen 
 general Melas succeeded in turning the right 
 wing of the French. 
 
 4 R 
 
 37
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1799.J 
 
 Military Operations in the Tyrol, Switzerland, and Suabin — Fate of Naples — Termination 
 of 'the Cuno-ress of Rasladt — Expedition to Holland — Its Failure'— War mth Tip^oo-— 
 Slof-ming of Seringapalam — Death of the Mysorean Tyrant. 
 
 THE French had projected a vast plan ; retire to the Brisgau, the western extremity 
 of offensive operations, to be carried | of Suabia, on the frontiers of France. The 
 hito efi'ect by a junction between the armies « success and superiority of the Austrians Mere 
 ef the Rhine, Helvetia, and Italy. It \^as i owing, in a considerable degree, to their 
 evidently intended, by this co-operation, to J powerful body of cavalry. After this pi-os- 
 penetrate directly into the hereditary donii- j perous conunencement of the campaign, the 
 nions of the house of Austria. When war j archduke pursued his advantage, and again 
 was proclaimed, their forces were so disposed, J attacked Jourdan on the 25th. On the left 
 as to commence hostilities with immediate ; wing the republicans were at first successful, 
 eilect. They meditated an attack from three j but (he spirited exertions of pvince Charles 
 points in their Transalpine possessions. \ broke through their right wing and centre ; 
 General Bernadotte entered the Lower Rhine. ; ihe battle was renewed the next day, and the 
 Massena comwianded on the side of Switzer- j French, completely defeated, fled in all 
 land, and entered the Grison territory ; while : directions. 
 
 Jourdan, m ith the main army, made Suabia | Massena, with the army of Switzerland, 
 the scene of his operations. The archduke ; had made considerable progress into the 
 Charles, having taken the command of the i Tyrol ; but, on learning the defeat of Joiir- 
 iniperial forces on the Rhine, issued a pro- j dan, withdrew into the Grisons. Hotze 
 clamation, addressed to the generals and j having by this time levied a considerable 
 armies of the empire, containing a plain un- i force, prepared to march in the same direc- 
 .varnished statement of the conduct of the ; tion, encouraged by the insurrections of the 
 French towards other nations, and towards I Swiss, who, as soon as they heard of the 
 Germany, dwelling particularly on the trea- 5 Austrian successes, manifested their eager- 
 cherous negotiation at Rastadt. Meanwhile I ness to escape from the tyranny of their op- 
 Jourdan penetrated rapidly into Sual)ia, and i pressors. The detachments which Massena 
 arrived near tlie lake of Constance. Massena | h^f' ^^^^ '" t'^^ Tyrol were compelled to 
 advanced into the country of the Grisons, 1 evacuate that important country; and, while 
 captiued the fortress of Lnzicnsteig, and j general Hotze advanced into the Grisons, the 
 established his quarters at Coire, the capital ; archduke, by his victories over Jourdan, was 
 of the country, before the army of general \ enabled to send his left wing to Switzerland, 
 Hotze was sufficiently strong to make effec- j to c'>-operate with Hotze in annoying Mas- 
 Alarch 21 ^"^^ opposition. The archduke, \ sena, and assisting the insurgents. 
 
 'in an engagement with the army i The army of the Danube, having fled 
 of the Danube, compelled the republicans to 5 before the victorious Austrians, had now 
 retreat. General Jourdan was compelled to I recrossed the Rhine ; Jourdau was super-
 
 CHAP. XLTII.] 
 
 nEORGE III. 
 
 67d 
 
 scded, and AfasRena appointed commander- ,' covered with woods. On fhig ridgp, Ma«- 
 iii-ciiief. The arcli(l(ilv<-, in consequence, ; seua, aftt-r f)eiiig driven from liis posifioni 
 approached Switzerland, which soon Itecau;e J near the left bank of tfn- Rhine, liad posted 
 the chief theatre of Transalj^ii.e war. The > himself with great stieiiiilli a)id skill, and 
 rapidity of the river Rhine, which divided the i had collected the principal part of his army, 
 hostile annies, prevented the archduke for ; The right wing was posted on Zuricliberg^, 
 several weeks from coming to action with the ; the highest of the tiills, which commanded 
 enemy. Meanwhile generul Bellegarde, after > tlie whole ridge. This position was covered 
 repeated and obstinate engagrnients in the ; with thick woods, in which were considera^ 
 Grisons, was finally victorious, and drove the i ble abaitis, surrounding the hill, and defended 
 enemy from a great part of that country. The ; by redoubts. As this was the most important 
 cantons of Schwitz and Uri rose against the ; part of the position, it was defended by 3 
 French, and general Hotzo eflectcd a jiniction i numerous body of infantry. The left wing 
 with the army of Bellegarde, their combintd ; ^vas placed upon the lower eminences of tliff 
 forces extending tov.ards the arn)y of the ; same ridge, and the approaches to it were 
 archduke. By ihe 10th of May, insurrection ; protected by the same means of defence a.? 
 liarl spread to Underwalden and the ^V'alloon ; those to tlie light. The ground occupied 
 country. Ten tin u>;nid of the insurgents i by the centre vvas much more open and 
 attacked and defeated a considerable body ; accessible ; but was completely coAered by 
 of the French. A communication was opened ; a chain of redoubts. The left flank was 
 between the ailitd army of Italy, Eeliegaidf/s ; furtiicr covered by a corps posted towards 
 in the Grisons, and the archduke's on the " Caden. Massena displayed considerable 
 Rhine; so that they were enabled to rein-; iext'erity and judgment, in choosing a po- 
 force each other, or co-op'iate, as occjision i sitio>i so diflicult to l.-e forced, aid which was 
 required. May ih.e 14;h, g< i:eral Hotze niacie ; peculiarly inimical to the operation of cavalry, 
 a successful attack on the French troops in ; in which the Austrians bad a decided suf)e- 
 
 the Grison couiitiy, retook Luziensteig, dis 
 lodging them fiora all ilieir positions, cap- 
 tured 16 pieces of cannon, with 'iOOO prisoners, 
 and drove die enemy to the left bank of the 
 Rhine. General Mossena gained a partial 
 advantage over a division of the archduke's 
 army ; but was, notwithstanding, obliged to 
 retreat. The archduke soon afterwards 
 crossed the Rhine, and occupied positions on 
 the left bank. Insurrection against the 
 FreiK h now^ extended as far west as Bvrne. 
 
 riority. There was, however, one defect in' 
 this position ; in (ase of a defeat, the A\hole 
 army would be obliged, from the narrowness 
 of the ground, to defile through the town of 
 Zurich, where tlierewas only one bridge over 
 the Liniat. If, therefo'e, the position occu- 
 pied by the right wing had been forced, a 
 total route must ha\e been unavoidable. Early 
 in the morning of the 4th of June, the im- 
 perial army advanced to attack the repub- 
 licans ; general Hotze's corps marched off 
 On the 'iilh, a sanguinary action was fought I to the left, crossed the Glat, formed on the" 
 betwteu part of Hotze's arm) and the Fiench, ; enemy's right Hank, and began the attacks 
 in which great loss was sustained on both i of the Zurichbtrg. The enemy defended 
 sides. On the *27th, Hotze, after entering | tlie post with the greatest obstinacy. As it 
 the canton of Zurich, attacked and forced a; vvas of the utmost importance to the French 
 Btrong position of the enemy on the river i to keep the Austrians as far distant as possi- 
 Tliur. Want of forage, for a short time, kept ; ble from their eiitrmched camp, they sent the 
 the main army of the Austrians somewhat ; most powerful reinforcements to their troops' 
 inactive ; but, having recei\ed supplies, they i posterl on the Glar, and brought such a num- 
 inarehed further into Switzerland, and after a ; ber of batteries to bear upon the Austrians, 
 series of severe actions with Massena, nuule i that they not only cheeked the progress of 
 theiiisehes matters of Zurich, and the inter- > the division before Sthwammendingen, but 
 jac tut country, as far as the Grisons. Mas- ; repulsed the troops which had advanced to 
 Sena was eumpelied to fall back to Zug. i the ubattis, and even I'hreatened the right 
 
 j_fj„ Between the rivers Glat and Limat i flank of Rosenberg's corps near Seebach. 
 tlure is a considerable chain of hills, ; 'i'his manauvre iniluced the areh«luke to 
 running nearly pamllel to these rivers, and j reinforce the advanced guard near Seebach, 
 
 4 £ 2
 
 680 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIUP. XLVII. 
 
 with a brigade of infantry under prince 
 Renss, and part of prince Aniialt Cotiieu's 
 division of cavalry. At the same time, field- 
 marshal lieutenant count Wallis was ordeied 
 to march, with two battalions of grenadiers, 
 and the archduke Ferdinand's regiment of 
 infantry, by Schwammendingen to the Zu- 
 richbeig-, and to carry the enemy's entrench- 
 ments by the bayonet. The grenadiers 
 speedily obtained possession of the out-works, 
 and penetrated into the abattis, where general 
 HiJler and count Wallis were woanded. 
 The enemy being posted behind the abattis, 
 in superior force, it was impossible to ad- 
 vance ; but, though driven from some of the 
 out-works, they maintained their position on 
 the Zurichberg, till night put an end to the 
 action. The loss of the French amounted 
 in killed and wounded to 4000 men ; that of 
 the Austrians to 5800. On the following day, 
 the archduke Charles reconnoitred the enemy's 
 entrenchu;ents, and detirmined, notwith- 
 standing tlieir formidable at^pect, to take 
 tliem, if possible, by stonii. He ordered his 
 troops to take refuge in sight of the enemy, 
 who, astonished and alarmed at the boldness 
 and steadiness of his conduct, retiied pre- 
 cipitately on the 5th, with the main body of 
 their army, tovvards Baden, leaving in their 
 entrenchments 25 cannon, 3 howitzers, and 
 18 ammunition waggons. On the following- 
 day, the archduke took possession of the 
 entrenchments, with a strong advanced guard, 
 and soon after occupied the town of Zurich, 
 arid fixed his head-quarters at Kloten. Mas- 
 sena look a new position, between the lake 
 of Zurich, the Limat, and the Reuss. Prince 
 Charles, observing the strength of. his rival's 
 position, and e.xpecting to be reinforced by a 
 body of Russians, rested for a while on his 
 arms, contenting himself with supporting an 
 insurrection of the enemies of France in the 
 Vallais. That he inight make a diversion in 
 favour of the army under his own immediate 
 command, he gave every assistance in his 
 power to the forces under the Austrian gene- 
 ral on the Rhine, who had lately acquitted 
 himself of his commission by the reduction 
 of lleidclburg. The affairs of the allies now 
 wore a mere auspicioiis aspect than at any 
 former period of the war. The archduke 
 had been successful in Switzerland, and 
 Bellecarde and ilotze in the Grison count rv, 
 wlule;".Su\yarrovv, with the support of an 
 
 English fleet, had restored the cause of the 
 confederates in Italy. But a turn was now 
 given, to the fate of the campaign, by one of 
 «hose vigorous efforts which the French were 
 accustomed to make, amidst scenes of dis- 
 traction and civil disorder, favoured by the 
 dissensions and imbecility of the confede- 
 rates. 
 
 At a crisis when the French appeared to 
 be nearly overpowered, a considerable num- 
 ber of conscripts uas levied, and two addi- 
 tional armies were collected, to act in Pied- 
 moat and on tlie Rhine. Massena and Le- 
 courbe entered on active w'ar in Switzerland. 
 The latter prepared the way for the move- 
 ments of the grand army, by driving the 
 Austiians from the cantons of Schweitz and 
 Uri. Thus far they were indebted chiefly to 
 their ovvn good conduct for their success ; 
 but they were now to derive advantage from 
 the errors of their antagonists. At the instant 
 when Massena was meditating a general 
 attack, general Korzakof arrived at Zurich 
 with a fiesh Russian army. Had the Aus- 
 trians been prepared to reap the intended 
 benefit from this reinforcement, the campaign 
 might have terminated prosperously. But 
 the resolutions recently adopted by the court 
 of Vienna liad frustrated the plan arranged 
 by their generals, and a reinforcement, wliich 
 might have given them a decided advantage, 
 only tended to protract the disasters which 
 attended their arms. Had tlie German princes 
 acted with an energy proportionate to the 
 crisis, and supplied their full contingents of 
 troops, the archduke might have provided 
 for the defence of their frontier on the Rhine, 
 while he availed himself of Korzakofs sup- 
 port to drive Massena out of Switzerland. 
 Unfortunately, he was compelled by their 
 inertness to disconcert the arrangements of 
 the campaign, by leaving Hotze and the 
 Russian general to maintain tlieir positions 
 against a much superior force in Switzerland, 
 while he marched* with the grand army 
 towards the Rhine, to rescue the palatinate 
 arid the duchy of Wirtemberg from the ra- 
 vages of the enemy. The Russians, under 
 SuM'arrow, defended by their own valour, and 
 aided by the movements of Kray, reached 
 the' mountain of St. Gothard, and arrived 
 safely in Switzerland. Korzakof, with ano- 
 ther army of Muscovites, stationed himself 
 near the middle of a line extending from the
 
 CHAP. XLVII.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 681 
 
 Rhine to the lake of Wallenstadt. Massena, 
 taking advautaj::e of the unfortunate error 
 coniuiiltetl b\' the archdnke, in leaving Swit- 
 zerland to its fate, before Snwanow hat! 
 reached his ultimate destination, or joined 
 vith Korzakof, resolved to attack tlie posi- 
 tions of the latter, before the arrival of his 
 superior. His designs were executed with 
 skill and success. Hotze, whom the arch- 
 duke had entrusted wilh the defence of 
 Switzerland, was surprised near the Linth, 
 and lost his life in the conflict. Petrasch, 
 who succeeded to the conunand, coidd not 
 prevent the troops from retreating in disorder. 
 Korzakof repulsed the invaders for a time, 
 but was defeated with great loss, and Zurich 
 was taken by storm. Suwarrow continued 
 to advance, with his usual confidence; but 
 met with spirited opposition in his progress. 
 He was attacked in the valley of Mutten ; 
 and, though he prevailed so far as to repel 
 the enemy in many obstinate engagements, 
 his progress was obstructed by INfassenas 
 judgment and superior knowledge of the 
 country. Korzakof, in the mean time, re- 
 paired to SchaHhausen, and Petrasch to 
 Fcldkirch, while the corps of Conde, and 
 the Bavarian troops, posted themselves near 
 Constance. The possession of that city was 
 warmly contested ; but, notwithstanding all 
 the efibrts of the duke d'Enghicn and general 
 Bauer, it was seized and retained by the 
 French. Suwarrow, disappointed in the 
 expectation of Austrian reinforcements, and 
 disgusted with the selfish policy of the Aus- 
 trian court, which he strongly suspected of 
 instructing the archduke to desert and betray 
 )iini, eflected a junction with Korzakof at 
 Feldkirch ; and, on reviewing his troops, 
 found that, of the 50,000 men sent into the 
 field by his sovereign, S-O.OOO only remained. 
 f\ f q At Augsbui-gh, he was gratified by 
 an order from his court to withdiaw 
 his troops froiu the Russian territories ; and, 
 iu consequence of his departure, the princi- 
 pal seal of war v\as removed from Switzer- 
 land to the banks of the Rhine. 
 
 The success of the allies was not confined 
 to the continent of Italy, but extended to 
 Sicily. About the same period, during which 
 the loyal Neapolitans were making every 
 eflbrt for the restoration of the legidar 
 government, their fellow-subjects in Sicily 
 were endeavouring to co-operate with their 
 
 proceedings, by means of the British fleet. 
 Lord JNelson took on board, for this purpose, 
 a few Sicilian regiments, along wiih the 
 gallant hereditary prince. Oil ti.eir passage 
 from Palermo to ISfples a despatch overtook 
 them from lord Keith, with the news of the 
 French squadron having again put to sea. 
 Our fleet was therefore obliged to return to 
 Palermo, to disembark the troops. In con- 
 sequence of this return, the rcpul)licans bcgaa 
 to resume their courage ; and Ruftb, appre- 
 hensive that English assistance might not ar- 
 rive, ofiered tenus to the adherents of France, 
 who had now retired to the castles. Lord 
 Nelson, afterwards learning that lord Keith 
 had been reinforced, set sail a t^tcond time 
 from Palermo, and arrived in the bay of 
 Naples. In the mean time, cardinal lUiffo 
 had concluded a convention with the French 
 and with the Neapolitan rebels, which the 
 British admiral condemned as injudicious 
 and disgraceful. His lordship declared, that, 
 not having been ratified by his majesty's 
 authority, the treaty was null and void. By 
 one of its articles, a pardon was granted to 
 adnu'ral prince Carraccioli, the chief of tlie 
 1 evolutionary party. Lord Nelson ordered 
 the prince to be immediately arrested and 
 carried on board the Mercury, a Ncapolita?i 
 frigate, where he was tried by a court-martial, 
 and hanged in 24 hours after the sentence 
 was pronounced. Cardinal Ruflb had given 
 permission to the French army to carry their 
 plunder and their valuables to a place of 
 safety, and to choose their residence in any 
 part of the Neapolitan dominions. These 
 conditions were violat< d by lord Nelson, and 
 many rebels were apprehended. Nothing 
 was now wanting, to the re-establishment ot 
 the king on his throne, but the expulsion ot 
 the French from St. Elmo, the citadel of 
 Naples. From its commanding situation, it 
 could not be taken by stomi ; batteries were 
 therefore erected by the English and Rus- 
 sians, and a severe and constant fire kept up 
 for ten days. The parapets were destroyed,' 
 and many guns dismounted, while the fire of 
 the enemy produced no effect on the bes»iegers. 
 Sixty 32-pnuuders, under the direction of 
 captain Ilallowell, were opened within 150 
 yards of the castle ; and, after two hours' 
 battering, a flag of truce was hoisted, and 
 the garrison surrendered, on condition of 
 being sent to France, but not to serve till
 
 583 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. XLVII. 
 
 exchanged. The Kms: of Naples regained a | subsided into a spirit of rational enquiry, 
 temporary pc^session of li is tlirone. : when they were gratified by the unexpected 
 
 The French general, on receiving infbrma- ; appearance of their favourite general, to 
 Hon that the arcliduke was withdrawn into ; lead them to vengeance aud to victory. 
 Suabia, seized the favourable moment to ; Of all the enterprises against the French 
 enter on active hostilities ; and, after levying « republic, which promised to be easy in their 
 a contribution on Frankfort, recovered Man- ; execution and effectual in their consequences, 
 heini. Here he was impeded in his career | the invasion of Holland presented the most 
 by the arrival of tlie archduke. That prince, ; alluring aspect. It was calculated to pro- 
 having provided for the defence of the Orison ; mote a powerful diversion in favour of the 
 country, returned to the defence of Germany ; J confederate armies on the Rhine, and it was 
 and, fixing his head-quarters in a well-chosen ; generally presumed, that the enemies of 
 position, counteracted with skill the intentions ; England, who had so basely betrayed our 
 of his enemies. At the close of the cam- 1 cause at an early period of the war, were now 
 paign, he obliged them to raise the blockade ; awakened to their true interest by observa- 
 Nov 4 of Phiiipsburgh, and, after cvacua- > tion and experience. Upon this latter pra- 
 ting iManheim, to repass the Rhine. ; sumption chiefly, a treaty was concluded 
 The congress of Rastadt had been attempt- ; between London and St. Petersburg, for a 
 ing, or pretending to attempt, during the | .joint expedition to deprive the French of 
 early part of the present eventful year, to ; their ascendancy in Holland, and enable the 
 adjust the political claims of France, the ; friends of the allied cause to declare their 
 e!n])ire, and its dependencies. But its de- 1 sentiments. With a view to the attainment 
 liberations were about to be closed by a ' of these objects, admiral Mitchell , „ 
 catastrophe, ^\ hich has never been explained j sailed from Real, w ith a fleet, on °' 
 
 upon credible authority. In the evenina: of 5 board of \\ hich was the first division of the 
 the 21st of April, the courier of the French j British forces, consisting of 1200 men, corn- 
 legation was arrested on the road to Seltz, \ manded by sir Ralph Abei'crombie. The 
 find conducted to the quarters of the Austrian | admiral was instructed to join lord Duncan, 
 general, Barbaczy. Alarmed and offended » who was to co-operate in the enterprise. 
 by so unexpected an occurrence, and at ! Their descent was made at the Helder point, 
 the refusal of the Austrian court to give ; which forms that mouth of one side of the 
 satisfaction or explanation, the French pleni- \ Zuyder Zee, opposite to the Texel Island, 
 potentiaries demanded their passports, and \ They were vigorouslj opposed by a strong- 
 began their departure from Rastadt on the ' body of French forces ; but the British troops 
 dark and stormy night of the 28th. Torches ; behaved with great firmness, and the landing 
 were canied before their carriages; but ; was eflected with the loss of 500 men, under the 
 scarcely had a quarter of an hour elapsed, \ protection of admiral Duncan's fleet. The 
 when intelligence arrived, that the carriages ! Frenchgarrisonbeing withdrawn from the Hel- 
 had been attacked by the Austrian hussars, > der, a detachment ^^ as sent to take possession 
 and the ministers murdered. Bonnier was ; of that fortress; and in consec^uence of this 
 dragged from his carriage, and cut in pieces. | success, one of the chief objects of the expe- 
 Robergot was slaughtered ; and Jean Debrie ; dition was accomplished by the surrender of 
 was left for dead, but revived ; and, after i the Dutch fleet, under admiral Story, con- 
 wandering in the adjacent forest during the | sisting of H ships of the line, and some 
 night, escaped to the house of the Prussian ; smaller vessels. Their next object was 
 minister at Rastadt. The papers of the i Alktnaer, the principal fortress between the 
 legation were carried off, conveyed to the ; Helder and Amstertlam. The intelligence of 
 Austrian commandant, and claimed in vain. ; tlie surrender of the fleet alarmed the Pata- 
 Though the court of Vienna denied all parti- i vian government. It was unknown how far 
 cipation m the act, it presented, an<l perhaps < the contagion might spread ; and a member 
 too justly, a copious theme of declamation to ; of the directory, accompanied by a minister 
 the citizens of France, and of «Ma<AoHa ; at war, and four representatives of the people, 
 against the hostile powers of Europe. IN or : were commissioned to confer with general 
 had the agitation of the public mind in Paris | Brune, and enquire into the present state
 
 CHAP. XLVII.] GEORGE III. 583 
 
 of the forces, and the disposition of the • himself of ^ favourable intermission of winds 
 officers. I and rains, the duke of York altered his po- 
 
 t By great exertions, a small army had been | sition on the 1st of October, with an intention 
 collected. It was composed of the national ; to give battle on the ensuing day. On the 
 volunteer guards, raised by the to^T^ls and : morning of the 2nd, the army moved to (he 
 districts throughout the republic, and recent- • attack in four columns, commanded f)y 
 !y joined by part of the French succours. 5 Abercrombie, D'Essen, Dnndas, and Pulte- 
 Aftei' some skirmishing, the combined force, i ney. The hostile force consisted of 25,000 
 although its whole number was less than that > men, of which three lifths were French, under 
 of the English, ventured to attack the right ; the orders of general JJrune, while Daendela 
 and centre of the British lines. After a des- i had the command of the Dutch. The maio 
 pcrate conflict, they were obliged to abandon i body of the lirst column did not meet with 
 their station, and retire to St. Pancras, at the ,' great resistance in the early part of the day; 
 north of Alkmaer. Sir Ralph Abercrombie « but when sir Ralph approached Egmont, he 
 supposes the c.iemy's loss to have amounted I ^vas warmly opposed by a strong corps of 
 to aOO or 1000 men, and states his own at | French infantry, who were supported by a 
 200 killed, wounded, and missing. The \ considerable body of cavalry, and a train oi" 
 French trc^ps on the left made several des- : artillery upon the beach. A party of th^ 
 perate but unsuccessful attempts to carry the ; same column, under Macdonaid, had driven 
 English entrenchments behind the dyke of i the enemy from Campe, and the neighbouring 
 the Zyp, and the batteries in its front. On i sand-hills ; and some brigades of the second 
 the l.'3th, his royal highness the duke of j and third divisions forced Schorel and other 
 York arrived at the Helder, with about I posts. The vicinity of Bergen was a seen* 
 15,000 additional troops ; and soon after a i of impetuous conflict. The brigades of 
 body of Russians, amounting to about 10,000 ; major-general Coote and the earl of Chatham 
 men, disembarked at the same place. His j charged the foe in flank and rear, and occa- 
 royal highness innnediately assumed the ; sioned a disordered retreat. But they could 
 chief command. The Russians formed the ; not prevent their adversaries from occupying 
 right wing of the army ; and their guards, i the village in force, though they defended 
 posted at Pelten, were distributed, with the 5 ^vith efl'ect the heights which they had seized, 
 reghnents which had just arrived, along the i Macdonaid being closely engaged viith a 
 British lines. The allied forces now amounted | numerous and resolute body, Dundas sent a 
 to .35,000 men, and the duke, in conjunction I corps to assist that officer, and thus enabled 
 with general DHcrmann, resolved to hazard J him to proceed to the aid of sir Ralph, who 
 a speedy action. The Russians desperately ; had contended, for some hours, with a force- 
 advanced, j.-nil, in spite of all opposition, $ strongly posted. At length the cavalry were 
 pushe<l forward to Bergen. The column of ; baflled in an attack nj)on the British horse- 
 Abercronibie penetrated to Iloorn, and the j artillery, and, being charged witJi spirit by 
 tMO other colunnis were successful in their ; lord Paget, were driven towards Egmont with 
 attacks ; but the impetuosity of the Russians j considerable loss. The evening put an end 
 exposed fhem to so much dang< r, that the i to the engagement, and the English rested 
 retreat of the whole force became expedient. ; upon their arms. At day-break the retreat of 
 'I'hree thousand of the enemy were made "; the enemy gave the l^iglish an opportunity 
 prisoners, and 2000 killed or wrinnded , »f j of taking their several posts; but though 
 the British, aljove 1000 were deprived of life, ; they pushed forward for that purpose, they 
 wounded, or captured, and of the Russians ; were prevented by fatigue froni effectually 
 2000. A few days after this baltle, a rein- J harassing the republicans. The nunil)er of 
 forcement of (3000 Russians arrived very i killed and wounded British condiatants sui*- 
 opportunely to replace the loss which they i passed the amount of the sufferers of oul" 
 had sTistained. The inclemency of the wea- 5 parent country during the present war, ex- 
 tlit-r began to impede military operations, | ceeding 2500 men. Of the Russians, about 
 vliich were rendered still more difficult by ! O'OO surrendered or were captured-. 'J'heln.^s 
 the marshy nature of the country. Availing ; of the French and Dutch was much Uiore
 
 684 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAXD. 
 
 [chap. XLVII. 
 
 considenible ; but the numbevs of our J great advances in liis warlike preparations 
 wou'.Hieil orticers uhi'ost roiuitt-rba lanced thei before the close of the late year ; aud the pro- 
 other advantages which we had gained. » pitious events before related gave him a fair 
 The eneuiy having occujjied a very defen- 1 prospect of success. But that he might 
 sible position, the duke resolved upon another ! a\ert the evils of war, if it coulil be done 
 attack before the erection of new works. The > consistently with the company's safety, and 
 Russians, who took a principal part in the I the dignity of the crown, he proposed, by 
 contiict, were relieved in a most critical situa- ; letter to the sultan, to send an ambassador 
 lion by the advance of sir Ralph Abercrombie, I to Seringapatam, to attempt the restoration 
 and the action became general along the line ; of a good understanding between them, in 
 from the Limmen to the sea. The allies > the way of negotiation ; informing him, at the 
 were left masters of the field. The Russians ; same time, that he had received intelligencie 
 who were killed or missing were above 380, ; of his hostile correspondence with France, 
 aud 753 were wounded. The British victims | To this Tippoo, after much delay, returned 
 were about 100 ; 725 were wounded, and ; an evasive answer, indirectly declining a 
 COO were represented as missing. Brune, « compliance with the governors proposals, 
 having soon afterwards received his reinforce- » and evidently intended to deceive, and to 
 ment, and having possessed himself of a ; protract the correspondence, whilst he should 
 strong position in the neighbourhood of the j strike some decisive blow, in conjunction 
 posts to which the allies advanced, and the > with his confederates, 
 weather becoming daily more unfavourable, i The sultan's intentions were notorious ; 
 
 it was deemed advisable to withdraw to a 
 position which they had before occupied near 
 Schagenbrug. His royal highness, in this 
 emergency, despatched his secretary to lay 
 the particulars of his situation before the 
 
 yet that he might afford him every opportunity 
 of amicable accommodation that was com- 
 patible with his plan for the ensuing cam»- 
 paign, lord Mornington, soon after his arrival 
 at Madras, on the last day of December, 
 
 ministry. A suspension of arms was the ; despatched another letter to him, wherein he 
 result of this appeal, and accorded with the % indirectly charges him with the basest peiiidy. 
 
 opniion of his officers. A convention was 
 adjusted bet\yeen the commanders of the 
 opposite armies, providing for the speedy 
 departure of the duke and his forces, re- 
 tjuiring the delivery of 8000 French and 
 3)iitch prisoners of war, taken before the 
 present canipaign, and prohibiting the com- 
 mission of any injury by the retiring army. 
 The last stipulation was unnecessary. It 
 was in the power of the invaders to secure a 
 
 I by giving him in detail all tlie information 
 i which he had received relative to the negotia- 
 I tions and arrangements which he had entered 
 ! into with France, whilst he was congratu- 
 ! laling the governor on the victory of the 
 ; English fieet in the Mediterranean, and at 
 i the same time repeated his overtures for a 
 : negotiation. To this Tippoo, five weeks 
 ; after, returned an answer which conveyed a 
 i direct insult. After his accustomed bonibas- 
 vetreat to their ships by inundating North < tic exordium, he said, with an air of indifl'er- 
 ilolland ; bijt the duke of York was incapa- J ence, that, "being frequently disposed to 
 Lie of this act of inhumanity, propitious as * make excursions and hunt, he was accord- 
 it might have proved to ulterior operations, ; ingly proceeding upon a hunting excursion. 
 Oct 1ft '^^ consented to purchase a freedom i You will be pleased to despatch major Dove- 
 from molestation by the surrenrler ; ton, about whose coming your friendly pen 
 of his prisoners vs ilhout exchange. The j has repeatedly written, slightly attended." 
 allied troops were embarked with all possible j The governor-general, having thus throwu 
 despatch, the British for England, the Rus- j the blame of aggression on his adversary, with 
 sians for Jersey and Guernsey; and, as it I the accumulated guilt of the grossest perhdy, 
 frequently happens in unsuccessful enter- j settled his plan of operation with his allies, 
 prises, mutually accused each other of im- i and })repared for a vigorous proBecution of 
 Lecility and misconduct. i warlike comicils, as the only means to avert 
 
 It \vill now be necessary to retiirn to the ; the iuipending storm. The troops on the 
 ftflairs of ludia. Lord Moriiiugton had made J Madras cstabiishmeut, assembled at Yellore,
 
 CHAP. XLVII.J 
 
 ORORGH III. 
 
 &80 
 
 Avere reinforced with 4000 men from Beiin:al, 
 by the (jOOO subsidiary Biitisli troDjjs uliicli 
 were witli the uizain, and 6000 of that prince's 
 best cavalry, and as many sepoys The 
 coniniaiid of these forces, which fonned to- 
 geti)er one of the finest armies that ever took 
 the field in India, attended by an excellent 
 train of artillery, and well provided with 
 ail kinds of military stores, was vested in 
 general Harris, an officer of distinjjnished 
 merit. And wsvhon the correspondence with 
 Tippoo Sultan v\as seen to be fruitless, he 
 pas ed the ghauts (straits) to Kyacottah, on 
 the borders of Mysore ; whilst 2;«:!ieral .Stuart, 
 with the Bonihay forces, was instructed to 
 co-operate with him on the Malabar coast, 
 and colonels Read and Brown were stationed 
 witli a strong- body of troops in the southern 
 districts. 
 
 Tippoo and the French government, in 
 the niean time, had been carrying on their 
 negotiation, each power intending to make 
 the other an instrument for ejecting his 
 own political designs ; the former for taking 
 revenge on a power to which he bore a mortal 
 hatred, and reinstating himself in his lost 
 dominions, the latter for supplanting the 
 English in their East India trade and terri- 
 torial possessions. F"or the final adjustment 
 of their treaty of alliance, Tippoo had des- 
 patched general Dubuis, lately arrived from 
 Mauritius, as bis ambassador to the French 
 executive directory, in tie late year, to solicit 
 the support of 10,000 or 15,000 troops, and a 
 large naval force, in ('riving the English out 
 of'Mindostan. To induce them to enter into 
 alliance with him, he proposed, " that all the 
 conquests which may be made from the 
 enemy, excepting those provinces wiiich the 
 king has been obliged to cede to the English, 
 the Mahrattas, and the nizam, shall be equally 
 divided bit ween the t«o nations, and accoril- 
 ingly to their respective convenience." And 
 in the confidence \\ith which this alliance 
 inspired him, the sultan opened the campaign. 
 
 WiiiLsT the c<nnmander-in-cliief was 
 moving with the grand army from the east, 
 general Stuart had advanced to the opening 
 of what is called the Pondicherrum Giiaut, 
 in the range of mountains which surround the 
 Mysore country, and had taken a position in 
 the territories of the Coirga rajah, a fVienc'.ly 
 power. His army was {)osted there in liri- 
 gadcs, on accouutof the nature of the countrv, 
 
 4 F 
 
 ANhich precluded the possibility of a more 
 C()mj)act encan pment, when the advanced 
 division, under Montre.ssor, was suddenly 
 attacked by Tippoo, with a strong body of 
 cavalry, in tlank and rear. This brigade did 
 not exceed 1400 men, and it was separated 
 from the other divisions by extensive jungles, 
 or thickets ; but there maintained their 
 ground with impenetrable finnness against 
 the superior numbers of the enemy ^ho sur- 
 rounded them, till Stuart brought them relief; 
 and the event of a severe conflict ^as, that 
 the Mysoreans were defeated, and driven 
 I from the field with great slaughter. Tippoo 
 J Sultan, afier halting a few days at his camp 
 near Periapatam, retired to the defence of 
 Seringapatam. 
 
 General Harris had, in the mean time, 
 been movnig slowly from his station at Kya- 
 cottah towards Seringapatam ; the vast en- 
 cund)rances of his army preventing greater 
 despatch. On his approach to ]Vlale\elly, 
 Tippoo, who bad before sent out parties to 
 harass him on his march, and to distress him 
 by laying the country waste, advanced with 
 his grand army, and offered him battle. In 
 the engagement that ensued, the right ^^ing 
 of the allied army attacked Tippoo's whole 
 force, and after a fierce coiiHict, broke his 
 line of infantr\ on the right, and put them to 
 tiight. Their left wing immediately gave 
 \\ay. Their cavalry, meanwhile, having 
 made an unsuccessful attempt on our artillery 
 and baggage, they dispersed on all sides, and 
 left the confederates a victory, easily obtained 
 with the loss ot seven men killed and fifty 
 wounded. 
 
 INoTwiTHSTANDiNG this success, general 
 Harris ex})ecte(l farther obstruction in his 
 approach towards a city, on the preservation 
 of which the fate of the Mysoiean empire 
 depended. To avoid this, after making a 
 feint on the right, the way by which lord 
 Cornvvallis had approached, he turned sud- 
 denly to the left ; and, having easily eHected 
 his passage of the C'auvevi, the enemy beit g 
 prepared to oppose him in another quatter, 
 he advanced to his place of encampment, 
 within two n)iles of the city. 
 
 The preparatory movements were all equally 
 successful. While the commander-in-chiei 
 Masonl.'is march, colonels Head and Brown 
 vere well em|)loyed in re<lncii:g (he forts in 
 (he Earamaul countrv, and collecting pro- 
 37
 
 586 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLVil. 
 
 visions for the grand army. And when it 
 had reached its destined point, colonel 
 Floyd, with his cavalry, marched to meet (he 
 Bombay army, and escorted it safe to Serin- 
 ga})atam ; Cummer ul Dien, who was sent 
 against it, not daring to give them battle. 
 
 The sultan, who no doubt reflected on the 
 event 3f the last siege, and was desirous, 
 perhaps, to protract his enemy's operations, in 
 hopes of receiving a reinforcement from 
 Trance, or expected that the want of pro- 
 visions, in the course of a long siege, might 
 constrain the confederates to retire, or that 
 the elements might come to his aid at 
 tJie approaching monsoon, now endeavour- 
 ed to retard the generals operations by 
 opening a correspondence with him. In a 
 short letter to the commander-in-chief, he 
 declared, that he had adhered to treaties, 
 and asked what was the meaning of the 
 approach of the English army, and the hos- 
 tilities commenced by it. To this the general 
 replied by referring him to lord Morningtons 
 letters. 
 
 ISoT a moment, meantime, was lost by the 
 confederate generals. As the besiegers were 
 making their approach, they were incessantly 
 galled by the discharge of niusquetry and 
 rockets from the numerous works thrown 
 up for the defence of the city ; and their 
 ranks were thinned by the fire from the ar- 
 tillery of the fortress. But danger, with all 
 the painful incidents of war in a sultry cli- 
 mate, without wholesome water to quench 
 their thirst, were set at defiance, and incessant 
 labour in the trenches was borne with cheer- 
 fulness. 
 
 The siege had been carried on eleven 
 days ; the enemy were dislodged from their 
 advanced posts ; and the allies had erected 
 their first breaching batteries, when Tippoo 
 made overtures for a treaty. In reply to 
 these, the allied general sent him the pre- 
 Ihninaries of j)eace ; the chief of which were, 
 that he should cede one half his territories in 
 perpetuity to the allies — that he should pay 
 two crore of rupees to indemnify them for 
 the expences of the war — and should renounce 
 the alliance of France for ever. 
 
 Periloi's as was the sultan's .situation, he 
 was determined to continue the war at all 
 hazards, resting on the strength of his for- 
 tress, and the bravery of his troops, rather 
 than accede to such ruinous and disgraceful 
 
 I terms of peace. He chose to fall wilh arms 
 in his hands, rather than sutler the chastise- 
 ment of his breach of faith. 
 
 A DREAD of scarcity stimulating tlie be- 
 siegers, their operations were pressed with 
 increasing ardour. The breaching batteries 
 being erected, the roar of artillery on each 
 side was tremendous ; and the scene became 
 more interesting and awful, as the assailants 
 aj)proached nearer to their object. 
 
 The sultan's situation now grew, every 
 hour, more critical. On the twentieth day 
 of the siege, he made his last efibrt to a^ ert 
 his total ruin, by negotiation ; and, in reply, 
 was referred to the propositions before sent 
 him, with a small variation as to the number 
 of hostages required by the allies. 
 
 When it was seen that even despair did 
 not constrain him to yield to them, the bat- 
 teries were opened on the last day of April, 
 and in three days a practicable breach was 
 made. The assault was then ordered, under 
 the conduct of general Baird, supported by 
 colonels Dunlop and Sherbrooke, appointed 
 to command the two divisions. Valorous 
 exertion was now to take place, requiring 
 unwearied perseverance. When Baird canie 
 into the trenches, and drew his sword, as the 
 signal for the attack, three cheers resounded 
 along the line. The advanced guard then, 
 under cover of the fire from the batteries, 
 plunged into the Cauveri ; and, bearing down 
 all resistance, they intrepidly .s])rung to the 
 breach, the forlorn hope leading the way: so 
 rapid was their ascent, that, whilst the rear 
 division were struggling through the river, 
 (their passage being rendered more diHicult 
 by the lo.ss of their guide,) they saw the 
 British standard fixed on the top of the breach, 
 and heard the shout by which it was an- 
 nounced. 
 
 The victory, however, was not yet wen. 
 Tipjjoo now j)roved that, whatever were his 
 vices, he had personal bravery worthy of a 
 better fate. Placing himself at the head of 
 his guards, on hearing of the assault, he 
 hastened towards the breach, and rallied 
 his retiring troops. Inspired with fresh 
 courage by his presence, they made another 
 firm stand, and the battle was continued with 
 desperate fury. Amidst a dreadful scene 
 of carnage, when the sultan, finding himself 
 left almost alone, was passing from the ram- 
 part tow ards the palace gate, he w as slain h>
 
 CHAP. XLVIl ] GEORGE III. ' 5^7 
 
 a conflict uith a body of the assailants that | liad served, of the exercise of tlie sovereiTi 
 sunouiuled him. | power; hut, that his usurpation might lujt 
 
 When this event -vvas known, the contest | excite a revolt, he adected to 2,ovprn wilh the 
 soon ceased. General Baird took possession ; concurrence of the monarch, wlio was in fact 
 of the city ; and the troops in the palace, : his state prisoner. On the death of Kistna 
 where the yount? princes were, being sum- |in 1790, the less cautious and politic Tippoo 
 moned, were oljliged to surrender at discre- ; Sultan laid aside this veil. Yet the son and 
 tion. By the deatii of the sultan, nnd the | widow of the degraded prince were suffered 
 reduction of his capital, the allies in effect j to live in poverty. This heir to the Mysorean 
 gained possession of the whole Mysorean j kingdom, only five years of age. was now. by 
 dominions; the fortresses in different parts, ; a wonderful turn of fortune, brought from 
 after making little resistance to the forces j obscurity to be placed on the throne of 
 sent against them, were subdued, and the i Mysore. The good policy as well as the jus- 
 bravery of the English soldiers was rewarded I tice of this proceeding, obtained it general 
 by exhaustless treasures. Happily for the I approbation. By raising the rightful heir to 
 company and the British government, the j the sovereignty, the company secured an ally, 
 mode of settlement most conducive to their 5 who was bound to them by' the ties of grati- 
 interest was sanctioned by equity. Hyder | tude and interest, and the act was recom^ 
 Ali had dispossessed the rightful rajah, | mended to the neighbouring powers by the 
 Kristna Raije Warrier, in whose army he * prospect of permanent tranquillity. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1799.] 
 
 Operations of Buonaparte in Egypt — Insurrection at Cairo— -Poisoning and Massacre at 
 Jaffa — ISiege of St. Jean D Acre — Disasters of the French Army — Escape oj JBiwyia- 
 partej'roni Egypt, and his return to Frajice. 
 
 IT will now be necessary to resume the ' July, he began to prepare for the purpose, 
 narrative of Napoleon's progress in : In the midst of the bustle, a vessel was dcs- 
 Egypt, from the monuiit of his critical escape ; critd at a distance, which was taken to be 
 from the pursuit of Lord ISelson. The fortune ; a part of the English s(juadron. Buonaparte, 
 of Buonaparte, in this instance, seemed to ; on hearing the alarm, exclaimed in the utmost 
 have been as kind to hin> as usual, for the : agitation, Fortune, ivilL thou abandmi me ; I 
 English fleet had left Alexandria only two ; only ask five days, and then do thy uorst. 
 days before the French one anived ; hearing, i Fortune was still constant to him, for the 
 therefore, that the English were so near, he « vessel proved to be a Erench one. The 
 ■was extremely desirous to eflect a landing; < landing nas eflected with great diliiculty, on 
 accordingly, in the evening of the 2nd of ; account of a strong north wind, which raised. 
 
 4 F 2
 
 5S8 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLVIII. 
 
 the surf a consideraBle lieiglit, and rendered 
 it impossible for many of the boats to get 
 near the shore. At one o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, ho\vever, Buonaparte landed, and jiut 
 himself at the head of 3000 men, whom he 
 divided into three columns, and, notwith- 
 sjtanding the darkness of the night, he 
 marched on to Alexandria, ^vithout cannon 
 and without cavalry. The heights which 
 conunand the city were defended by about 
 300 horse, which the French fired upon and 
 soon dispersed. 
 
 The rest of the French array having landed 
 by ten the next day, thej joined the advanced 
 guard, making in the whole about 23,000 
 men, and commenced the attack of Alexan- 
 dria, a place in a great measure defenceless, 
 having nothing but mud walls, ill supplied 
 with artillery. The garrison consisted of 
 aliout 500 janizaries, and the city was de- 
 fended by 5000 mamelukes, with whom the 
 French had a short engagement ; they lost 
 about 150 men, who might have been spared 
 l»y summoning the place, but it was thought 
 proper to begin by striking terror, and ac- 
 cordingly the French took the city by assault, 
 and murdered all who came in their way, 
 even those v\ho fied to their mosques for 
 asylum, Buonajiarte, to rouse the emulation 
 and flatter the vanity of his troops, gave orders 
 that all those who were killed m the engage- 
 ment sliould be buried under Pompty's pillar, 
 have their names inscribed on its base, and 
 the circumstance be inserted in the orderly 
 book of every regiment. 
 
 The city of Alexandria having been given 
 up to massacre and pillage for the space of 
 four hours, the general at length commanded 
 the carnage to cease, and endeavoured to 
 restore confidence and tranquillity ; the next 
 day all was quiet, and the people began to 
 sell their fruit at.d provisions; to the French. 
 Buonaparte then addressed two proclama- 
 tions, one to his soldiers and the other to 
 the natives ; the first advises them to refrain 
 from plunder, which, after the licence so 
 lately given, was not likely to be attended to ; 
 in the next he tells the people that he is the 
 friend of Mahomet, and will resfiect their 
 religion, which he could hardly expect them 
 to believe, after the recent violation of their 
 mosques, not merely by the presence of men 
 calling themselves Christians, but of Chris- 
 tiana who caii»e there to murder. 
 
 PROCLAMATION. 
 
 " For a long time, the beys of Egypt have 
 insulted the French nation and its merchants. 
 The hour of their punishment is arrived. For 
 a long time this horde of slaves from Caucasus 
 and Georgia have tyrannized over the fairest 
 part of the world ; but God has ordained 
 that their empire should now be at an end. 
 People of Egypt, they will tell you that I am 
 come to destroy your religion ; believe them 
 not ; answer that I come to restore your 
 lights, to punish usurpers, and that I respect 
 God, Mahoniet, and the Koran, more than 
 the manielnkes. Tell then) that all men are 
 equal before God. Wisdom, talents, and 
 virtue make th.e sole difl'erence among them. 
 What wisdom, what virtues, or what talents 
 distinguish the mamelukes, that they should 
 exclusively possess all that can render life 
 desirable or pleasant? Is there a beautiful 
 spot of ground, it belongs to the mamelukes; 
 is there a beautiful female slave, or a good 
 house, it belongs to the mamelukes. If 
 Egypt is their farm, let them shew the lease 
 which God has granted them ; but God is 
 ji'.st and merciful towards his people, and all 
 the Egyptians are equally entitled to hold all 
 offices ; let the wisest, the best-informed, and 
 the most virtuous govern, and the people 
 will be happy. You had formerly great cities, 
 g'reat canals, and great commerce among you ; 
 what hath destroyed them but the avarice, 
 the injustice, and the tyranny of the mame- 
 lukes? Cadis, Cheiks, Imams, and Tchor- 
 badjys. Tell the people that we also are 
 true musselmen. Is it not ice tvho have de- 
 \ iiroycd the pope, who said that we must make 
 war against the musselmen ? Is it not we 
 who have destroyed the knights of Malta, 
 because those foolish men believed that God 
 intended them to make war against the mus- 
 selmen ? Is it not we who have, at all times, 
 been the friends of the grand seignior, and 
 the enemies of his enemies ? The mame- 
 lukes, on the contrary, have they not ah>ays 
 been revolting against the authority of the 
 porte, whirh even now they refuse to ac- 
 knowledge? They consult nothing l)ut their 
 own caprice. Thrice happy they who Mill 
 be with us ; they shall prosper in their for- 
 tune and their rank. Ha[tpy they who shall 
 be neuter; they shall have time to know us, 
 and they will be on our side : but miserable.
 
 CHAP. XLVIIl.J 
 
 GEORGE MI. 
 
 589 
 
 dirice niiserablf, tliey ^vho shall arm for the 
 luaiiiehikes, and tij;lit against us ; tliere shall 
 he no hope for them, they shall perish." 
 
 To prove the truth of this last declaration, 
 he threatens fne and sword to all who shall 
 oppose the arms of the French, and tijen 
 signs as usurJ — Buonaparte. 
 
 The bombastic style of the last paragraph 
 somewhat resembles the ludicrous boast of 
 Falsiaff, when he hears of the kings death, 
 Happy arc they that have been wy Jriends, 
 and ivoe to the lord chief justice. 
 
 This proclamation was rather a rude be- 
 ginning for a man who came to extend the 
 blessings of civilization, to revive the arts and 
 sciences, and release the inhabitants of the 
 country from the bondage of the Turks and 
 mamelukes ; but the whole afl'air, the more 
 it is developed, deserves to be considered as 
 a farce, if it was not too much of a tiagedy ; 
 it was a series of deception and trick, of 
 murder, plunder, and tyranny from beginning 
 to end, and seems to have been contrived for 
 no other purpose than to find food for the 
 insatiable ambition of a man, who had not 
 room enough in Europe, and required some 
 new field to exercise his restle?;s and destruc- 
 tive spirit. The letter wliich Buonaparte 
 addressed to the widow of admiral Brueys 
 shews that, if he cannot feel himself, he knows 
 what other people feel. I have attempted to 
 transfuse the beauties of this epistle into the 
 3'lnglish language ; but they cannot be trans- 
 fused into any language ; it is therefore not 
 to be wondered if I have failed. 
 
 " Your husband was killed by 
 a cannon-ball, in fighting nobly for his coun- 
 try ; he died without sufiiering for a moment, 
 and his death is envied by all good soldiers. 
 I feel sincerely for what you must sutler. 
 The moment ^^ hich separates us from the 
 person whom we love is teirible ; it insulates 
 us from every thing around us, and causes 
 convulsions of agony ; the faculti'S of the 
 soul are almost annihilated, and we hardly 
 preserve any connexion with the world but 
 in a dream. Men appear to us more cold, 
 more selfish, more wicked, and more odious 
 than they really are. We think in this situ- 
 ation, that if there was nothing which com- 
 j)elled us to live, it were better for us to die ; 
 but after these first emotions, when \\c press 
 
 our infants to our breast, tears and sentiments 
 of tendcruess awaken nature within us, and 
 we live again for our children. Yes, madam, 
 let me advise you to see them instantly ; let 
 them soften }our heart to the tender impres-; 
 sions of melancholy ; you will weep over 
 them, you will watch over their infancy, and 
 cultivate their youth, you will speak to them 
 of their father, of your own suflisrings, and of 
 the loss which they and their country have 
 sustained. After having thus re-attached 
 yourself to the world by filial and maternal 
 love, endeavour to set some value upon the 
 lively interest which I shall never fail to take 
 in all that concerns the widow of my friend. 
 Be satisfied that there are at least some men 
 in the world, how few soever they may be, 
 who deserve to be considered as the only 
 hope of the wretched, because they feel for 
 their suflerings with sensibility. 
 " 2nd Fructidor, 6th year. Buonaparte." 
 
 Having secured the possession of Alex- 
 andria, Buonaparte attempted to conciliate 
 the natives by further professions of esteem, 
 and some few tokens of friendship ; he then 
 set out to meet the only enemies he pretended 
 to oppose, viz. the mamelukes. The army, 
 after suflering severely from thirst and fatigue 
 in passing through the desert, at last came 
 to the banks of the Nile ; and such was 
 their ardour to drink, that they threw them- 
 selves into it with their clothes on, and drank 
 most copiously. In a few minutes they were 
 recalled to their ranks by beat of drum, for a 
 party of the enemy was in sight ; they w ere 
 in number about 800, well-armed, and all on 
 horseback ; they attacked the division of 
 general Desaix, and after a severe engagement 
 were completely repulsed. This Mas calle«l 
 the battle of lUiaminych. The next com l>at 
 was more severe ; the mamelukes were in 
 greater force, and fought with greater obsti- 
 nacy, but were finally <lefeated. This battle 
 Mas' fought near the village of Chebrekeis. 
 The next engagement, uhich was still more 
 severe, decided the fate of Cairo, which 
 Buonaparte entered, after an obstinate resist- 
 ance of the beys ; he speaks highly of the 
 resolution and firmness of the mamelukes, 
 who contended with the nu)5t determined 
 valour ; from its being fought \\\ sight of 
 those stupendous monuments, this battle was 
 called the bailie of ihe pyramids.
 
 690 
 
 HISTORY OP EVGLAND. 
 
 The first thing after the taking: posses.'sion 
 of Cairo, Mas to settle soinethiiig- like a go- 
 vernment, but what was given to the wretched 
 natives hardly deserved that name. Its first 
 object, like that of most other governments, 
 was to raise money, and the soldiers v^ere to 
 be the tax-gatherers. A divan of seven 
 persons was appointed in every province, 
 who, assisted by the French troops, were 
 " to repress sedition, collect the taxes for- 
 merly paid to the beys, and enlighten the 
 people." It may here be enquired what was 
 become of the s(;<(vans, to whom the latter duty 
 seemed exclusively to belong ; perhaps they 
 4id not like the soldiers for their coadjutors, 
 and thought that, though men may be silenced, 
 t,hey cannot be enlightened, by the bayonet. 
 
 Bdon.^parte, having now secured the 
 possession of Cairo, set out to finish the 
 conquest of Egypt, and pursue the refractory 
 beys, who had fled before them. Ibrahim, 
 the principal of them, had taken refuge in 
 the deserts of Syria. Maurad Bey was 
 closely pursued by general Desaix ; but 
 tliough his troops wer^ chiefly dispersed by 
 the various engagements which he had sus- 
 tained, he was neither taken nor vanquished. 
 
 Towards the latter end of October, 17&8, 
 a dreadful insurrection broke out among the 
 inhabitants of Cairo, who, it a|)pears, were 
 far from being satisfied with their new mas- 
 ters. On the 22nd in the morning, general 
 Dupuis, hearing that a great crowd had as- 
 sembled near one of the principal mosques, 
 mounted his horse and put himself at the 
 head of twelve of his cavalry, in order to 
 disperse the mob, who pretended that dis- 
 content at the taxes was the sole cause of 
 their meeting. Finding them, however, not 
 disposed to retire, he attacked them : they 
 returned the attack with stones and other 
 JTiissiles, by one of which the general was 
 so severely wounded, that, being taken home, 
 he shortly after expired. The Turks con- 
 tinued to assemble in still greater multitudes; 
 they betook themselves to their mosques, 
 which they endeavoured to fortify ; the 
 French forced the gates of most of them, and 
 put the wretched insurgents to death. They 
 were not however dispirited ; fresh numbers; 
 succeeded the slain, and the carnage lasted 
 for three days, during which time above 
 3000 men, women, and children v,e.ve put to 
 the sword 'i'ht; proclamation to the peo]>le 
 
 [chap. XLvtrr. 
 
 of Cairo, after this in?iurrectix>n, is too gross 
 to be read with patience. 
 
 " People of Cairo, — perverse men have 
 led you astray, and they have perished. God 
 hath commanded me to be mild and merciful 
 towards the people, and I have been so 
 toward.^' you all. Is there a man among you 
 so blind as not to see that fate directs all my 
 operations ? Is tlicre a man among you so 
 incredulous as to doubt that the whole of the 
 universe is subject to the empire of destiny. 
 Let the enemies of the people know, that, 
 when the world began, it was written, that 
 after having destroyed the enemies of Islam- 
 ism, and overthrown the cross, I should come 
 from the farthest part of the west to fulfil the 
 task that is imposed upon me. Make the 
 people see that in more than tv>enty passages 
 of the Koran, that which has happened has 
 been foretold, and that which will happen is 
 equally explained. I might demand of each 
 of yiu to tell the most secret thoughts of liis 
 heai't, for I know them all, even those whicli 
 you have never divulged to any one ; but the 
 day will come, when all the world shall know, 
 by evidence too strong to be denied, that I 
 am conducted by orders from above, and 
 that no human eflbrts can prevail against me. 
 Happy they who are the first to attach them- 
 selves to me." 
 
 The weakest credulity could hardly for- 
 bear to smile at such shameless audacity. 
 He then names a divan of sixty persons, to 
 render justice to the people, and attend — 
 not to their interests, but the interests of the 
 French republic. 
 
 Buonaparte, notwithstanding every act of 
 hostility v. hich he had committed against the 
 porte, still wished that power to believe, that 
 the French republic was desirous to preserve 
 the friendship ^\hich had subsi>ted between 
 them. His object, in this pretence of amity, 
 was to hinder the Turks, if possible, from 
 entering into an alliance with Great Britain, 
 and combining the forces of the two nations 
 in an attack upon the French, who were now, 
 by the destruction of their fleet, deprived of 
 succours from home ; but the disguise was a 
 veil too tliin not easily to be seen through, 
 even by the most dim-sighted politicians, and 
 conse(|uently all his professions of friendship 
 I were treated as they deserved by both nutiunt.
 
 CHAP. XLVIIl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 691 
 
 Tlie Turks formed a (rcnfy of alliance with 
 tlio English, and (hoy entered into vigorons 
 measures, agreeable to the interest of both, 
 to drive the French out of Egypt. Buona- 
 parte, notwithstanding his fraudulent ])re- 
 tences, did not neglect the most active means 
 to prevent tiie cond)ination of his enemies, 
 and accordingly lie pnpared an expedition 
 into Syria, to punish the Djezzar Pacha for 
 his friendly reception of Ibrahim Bey, and to 
 destroy the preparations of the porte, and the 
 EnglisI], against Egypt. Before he de])arted 
 for the grand expedition, he was desirous to 
 get possession of .Sue/, in order to secnre Jiis 
 great object, the possession of India, and 
 likewise to ascertain the existence of the 
 canal, which was said to join the Red Sea 
 and the Mediterranean. He departed for 
 Suez on the 22ntl of December, and took 
 possession of it on the Clh of January. He 
 there learned that the djezzar had been nomi- 
 nated paclia of Damascus and Egypt, that 
 he was collecting his troops to oppose him, 
 
 and that a part of them had already approach- 1 which, after several sallies and an obstinate 
 ed El Arish, which was only one day's jour- 1 resistance, was taken, and most of the gani- 
 
 to do yon harm. Send me your answer by 
 the messenger, who has full ))o\vers to treat 
 with you. I shall set out for St. .lohn d'Acre 
 on the 24(h of the month ; 1 must before that 
 time have your answer." 
 
 To this epistle no reply was returi>ed. 
 
 The garrison of El Arish, having for some 
 days resisted general Hegnier's division, was 
 severely attacked by the remainder of the 
 army under Buonaparte, and at length sur- 
 rendered. The whole of the trooj)s, without 
 further opposition, marche<l forward through 
 the desert, and arriving at Gaza, from which 
 the enemy retreated, tiiey took possession of 
 the town, and found in it a great quantity of 
 provisions and military stores, 'llie place 
 w as treated as friendly, and in the usual style 
 of French amity was immediately put under 
 military authority. The army then proceeded 
 through an immense santly desert to Jaf^k, 
 where the enemy were in great force. The 
 French therefore began to besiege the town, 
 
 ney from the desert. After getting every 
 thing in readiness for his march into Syria, 
 he sent his battering artillery to be shipped at 
 Alexandria, and cave orders to admiral 
 Perree to sail with the Juno, the Aceste, and 
 another frigate, to cruise before Jafl'a, and be 
 ready to co-operate with the army on shore ; 
 
 son put to the sword ; but the rest flying to 
 their mosques, the French soldiers nobly 
 refused to pursue an unresisting enemy, and 
 spared all those who implored their mercy. 
 
 A TALE of horror nnist now be related, 
 which, were it not tM ice authenticated on the 
 honour of a British officer, and uncontra- 
 
 but, before his departure, he addressed the { dieted even by French audacity, is so re 
 
 following letter to the djezzar : — 
 
 " Since I came into Egypt, I 
 have told you many times, that my intention 
 w as not to make war against \ou, but against 
 the mamelukes. You have given no answer to 
 my rej)eated overtures. 1 told you that I de- 
 sired you to drive Ibrahim Bey from the fron- 
 tiers of Egypt ; so far from that, you have sent 
 troops to Gaza, and even to El Arish, \\hi(h is 
 six leagues within the territory of I'^gypt. I will 
 march in a few days against St. John d'Acre. 
 But why should 1 take away the few years 
 that remain from the life of an old man whom 
 I have never seen. I wish to be merciful not 
 only towards the ])eople, but towards the 
 great. \ou have no reason to be my enemy, 
 for you were formerly the enemy of the 
 mamelukes ; become again my friend, and 
 the enemy of the mamelukes antl the English, 
 and 1 will do you as much good as I intended 
 
 ; pugnant to humanity, and the feelings of 
 \ civilized nations, that we might well refuse 
 to give it credence. Buonaparte, after ex- 
 pressing nnich resentment at the forbearanc** 
 lately manifested by his troops, determined 
 to put their (tbedience to a still stronger test, 
 and compel them to become executioners in 
 cold blood ; for finding himself encund)ered 
 with the maintenance of 3»00 prisoners, 
 whom he had taken in his difierent engage- 
 ments, he commanded the greatest part of 
 them to be marched to a rising ground aboiTt 
 a mile from JaMa, and there Murounded by 
 general Boxs infantry ; at the sound of a 
 signal gun, the whole division fned, and th« 
 nnfortmiate Turks fell dead by Inindreds ; 
 happy had they all innnediately expired, but 
 the soldiers in mercy finislied with the bayo- 
 net those whom the bullets had spared. 
 Buonaparte, looking (hrough a telescope, 
 sur^eved the horrid scene, and expressed the
 
 593 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. ALVIII. 
 
 most sava.^e satisfjiclion when it Mas com- > 
 pleled, for lie had a:ood reason to apprehend \ 
 the reftiisal of liis troops to execute so nefa- » 
 rious a coininand. Kleber indeed refused to | 
 comply with the order, unless he received i 
 written instructions ; but Buonaparte sent « 
 his faithful Berthier to compel obedience, | 
 and the deed was instantly performed. The ; 
 putiefaction of the dead bodies is said to | 
 have produced the pestilence which after- ; 
 wards caused such havoc anions; the French i 
 soldiers, so that Buonaparte got rid of more ; 
 than he intended. Previous to this horrid ; 
 massacre, he inspected the whole body of! 
 prisoners, with a view to select those belong- ; 
 ing to the towns which he intended to attack ; ; 
 among the rest, an aged janizary attracted « 
 his notice. Old man, said he sharply, what \ 
 do you do here ? 1 must ansiver that queslion, \ 
 replied the Turk, by aslcino- yon the same, and \ 
 you ivill no doubt reply, I came to serve my \ 
 sntldu ; so do I to serve mine. Buonaparte ! 
 smiled ; upon which some person present | 
 said to one of his aides-de-camp. He is saved, l 
 No, said the officer, that smile does not pro- 
 ceed from benevolence, but reven<>e ; remember 
 what J say. The janizary was left in the 
 ranks, and sufl'ered. Dr. Wittman, wlio was 
 afterwards at Jafia, declares that he saw the 
 spot where this hoirid massacre had been 
 committed, and that it was whitened with the \ 
 bones of the Turks thus inliumanly mur- 
 dered. 
 
 Another tale, not less horrid, yet remains 
 to be told, which makes blacker, if possible, 
 the atrocity of Buonaparte's character. The 
 sick among the army at Jati'a, being too 
 numerous to be attended to or maintained, 
 Buonaparte sent for a physician, to whom he 
 hinted, that he must be relieved from such an 
 incunibrante ; but the physician, indignant 
 at so honid a proposal, refused to comply : 
 he then sougl)t for some other man more 
 suited to his purpose, and found an apothe- 
 cary, who con>e!ited to administer opium in 
 sufficient doses to relieve him from all further 
 trouble; it was accordingly uii.\ed up with 
 some sort of pleasant food, and 580 soldiers 
 were thus despatched. Some have denied 
 the possibility of the fact, from the difficulty 
 of supposing that any man, bred in a civilized 
 country could be so coolly cruel ; but it must 
 be remembered, that Buonitparte is a Corsi- 
 oun, aud subsequent events have also added 
 
 a testimony to his cruelty beyond denial or 
 doubt. 
 
 Having secured the possession of Jafla, 
 and taken Caiffa in his route, he proceeded 
 to St. John d'Acre, where, for the tirst time, 
 he found himself not invincible. On the lOth 
 of Ap'il he opened his trenches against the 
 place ; and here he felt severely the loss of 
 his battering artillery, which had fortunately 
 been taken at sea by sir Sidney Smith, and 
 was soon to be employed against him, under 
 the direction of colonel Phillipeaux, a French 
 emigrant officer of engineers. The troops of 
 the pacha, though not regularly disciplined, 
 were three times more numerous than those 
 of Buonaparte ; they were well supplied with 
 provisions, while his were almost destitute of 
 food ; in addition to this, he was obliged to 
 send oti' part of his forces, (originally not 
 more than 10,000, when he left Cairo) to 
 oppose a host of mamelukes, janizaries, and 
 Arabians, who intended to attack him ou 
 one side, while the djczzar made a sally on 
 the other. Hearing that they were about 
 to join their forces, he sent off general Junot 
 to prevent such a junction, who defeated one 
 of their armies near the village of Loubi. 
 Buonaparte, being not yet satisfied of their 
 complete discomfiture, sent Kleber with an 
 additional force to oppose them ; biit, finding 
 that their numbers still increased, >he -Vient 
 himself with the main army, and completed 
 their destructie)ii in the battle of Fouli. Having 
 thus prevented all further annoyance froni 
 the natives of the country, he returned to 
 the siege, which, by the vigour and activity 
 of the English, became daily more difficult. 
 
 The maritime fortress of Acre, calledj|i).jr 
 the Greeks Ptolemais, so celebrated foiFflie 
 sieges it sustained in the holy wars, has been 
 successively in possession of the kings ot 
 Egypt, the Romatis, the Arabs, the Christians, 
 and the Turks. It has a good harbour, and 
 is well situated for commerce. On this ac- 
 count it was chosen for an emporium by the 
 enterprising Faccardino, the chief of the 
 Druses, who, throwing off his subjection to 
 the Turks, opened a commercial correspond- 
 ence with the Florentines, then under the 
 auspices of Cormo de Medicis, aud otiier 
 European princes. 
 
 To obstruct the operations of Buonaparte, 
 it was agreed, that sir Sidney and Djezzar 
 Pacha should act with their iiuited forces for
 
 I 
 
 ' ' ' ' iii| ii| I ||N||i|i '' r I
 
 CHAP. XLVIIl.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 59.3 
 
 t]ie relief of Acre, Mliile commodore Hood, 
 who had l)lockaded Alexandria since tiie 
 battle of the INile, .should continue on his 
 station, encourage the Arabs in their exer- 
 tions. The French army prosecuted the 
 siege with unwearied diligence and bravery. 
 But they laboured under great disadvantages 
 from the want of heavy artillery and ammu- 
 nition, in consequence of the capture of the 
 flotilla. 
 
 Being apprised, immediately after his 
 return, of the approach of a fleet of transports 
 and corvettes, Buonaparte redoubled his 
 exertions, and carried on his approaches with 
 snch vigom" and success, that the assailants 
 were enabled to fix the French standard on 
 the outer angle of the tower. In this critical 
 period of the siege, when, with a bravery 
 tiiat merited the ])raises of their antagonists, 
 tliey were mounting a breach which was I 
 practicable only by means of scaling ladders, 
 sir Sidney Smith came with his crew s to the 
 .support of the garrison, and the animation 
 which his presence and that of the antient 
 pacha inspired, enabled them to give the 
 assailants a complete repulse. IVotwith- 
 standing this misfortune, Buonaparte returned 
 to the assault ; and, by the advice of the 
 pacha, his own troojis were suffered to de- 
 scend from the rampart. A dreadful conflict 
 ensued, in the result of which the French 
 were driven back with great slaughter. At 
 tliis period of the siege a dervise was sent 
 by Buonaparte with a letter to the pacha, to 
 propose a cessation of arms, w hile the bodies, 
 whose stench had become intolerable ancl 
 threatened to occasion a pestiltnce, should 
 be buried. But before an answer could be 
 ntunu'd, another assault was given, which 
 proved as inefiectual as the former. Buona- 
 parte now discovered that, partly owing to 
 the defects of his position, and ])artly to the 
 bravery of the English, all his exertions for 
 the capture of the town were fruitless and 
 destructive. 
 
 Ai-TKR sixty days of unsucce«sful attack, 
 he resolved to retire from the walls of Acre ; 
 and tlie gcnerale was beat at nine in the 
 evening of the 21st of May. The de|)arture 
 of the army was efiected with the greatest 
 secrecy and des|ratch ; for, as it began in the 
 evening, the enemy were not apprised of it 
 till next morning, when, to tlieir greal bur- 
 prise, hardly a trace of the Frtneli remained. 
 
 4 G 
 
 Buonaparte, with his nsual cruelty, set. fire to 
 several villages, which had given him offence 
 on his march, and put the wretched inhabi- 
 tants to the sword. In thirteen days he 
 airived at El Arish, and in thirteen more at 
 Cairo, where botli the garrison and inhabi- 
 tants were surprised at his speedy and orderly 
 return, after having, in five months, traversed 
 twice the most iidiosjntable desert, and en- 
 countered so n)any enemies, of nations and 
 manners so difl'erent. Though he had gained 
 one great point, by dispersing the armies that 
 were destined against Egypt, he had not 
 done all that he intended ; the punishment of 
 the djezzar remained incomplete, for the 
 English had enabled him even to boast of a 
 victory, and Syria could not, like Egypt, be 
 considered as conquered. Thus was the 
 haughty Corsican foiled in one attemj)t, at 
 least, to extend his baneful dominion ; and 
 Syria, though yet governed by a tyrant, is 
 not insulted with the name of liberty. 
 
 During Buonaparte's expedition into 
 Syria, the province of Bahreyh was throv.n 
 into revolt by the following curious circum- 
 stance, which is related in one of his des- 
 patches to the directoiy. — " A man, who 
 came from the interior of Africa, joined tlie 
 Bedouins, callinghimself the angel El iMahdy, 
 announced in the Koran of Mahomet, Two 
 hundred Moghrebyns arrived a few days 
 after, apparently by chance, and put them- 
 selves under his command. This impostor 
 pretended that lie had come down from 
 heaven in the midst of the desert ; and, 
 though he was entirely naked, he scattered 
 gold among the people, which he had the 
 art to conceal about his person. Every day 
 he dipped his fingers in a bowl of milk, and 
 passed them over his lips ; this, he pretended, 
 was the only nourishment he took. He at- 
 tacked Uenieidiour with his party, and sur- 
 prised sixty of oiw nautical legion, whom he 
 put to death. Flushed with this piece of 
 success, his disciples increased, and he 
 caused them to believe that, by throwing a 
 little dust upon our camion, he could hinder 
 the powder from taking fire, and make the 
 balls fall from our muskets before the eyes of 
 true believers, and nund)ers of people attested 
 the miracles which he had |)efornied. General 
 Lcfebvre marched from Rliamanych, with 
 4()(i nien, against the angel ; but, perceiving 
 his followers increasing every instant, he 
 SB
 
 594 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. XLVni. 
 
 fouiuL it impossible to bring them to reason 
 by a mere shou of reisisUmce ; he therefore 
 drew up his men in order oi battle, and fired 
 upon theui ; they seemed to press forward 
 agaiiist our cannon, insensible of danger : at 
 night, when they came to count their killed 
 and wounded, which amounted to above a 
 thousand, they were probably convinced that 
 the almighty does not peiform miracles any 
 loiiger. General Lanusse arrived at Demen- 
 hour tlie 15th of Floreal, attacked them 
 again, killed near 1500, and reduced the 
 village of Demenhour to ashes. Tlie angel 
 himself, being wounded, began to feel his 
 zeal a little cooled, and sought a retreat in | 
 the deseit, attended by numbers of his par- ; 
 tisaiis. Tliere is no reasoning with those 
 vhoni reason cannot penetrate. The nature 
 of this revolt contributed to hasten n)y return 
 into Egypt. This ridiculous scene was no 
 doubt concerted before-hand, for it happened 
 just at the time when the Turkish fleet, 
 which I destroyed at Acre, was to arrive at 
 Alexandria." 
 
 Buonaparte, soon after his return to 
 Cairo, finding that the Turks, seriously bent 
 ©n the recovery of Egypt, had anchored in 
 Aboukir bay a fleet of 100 sail, and after 
 landing 10,000 men, had taken the castle of 
 Aboukir, were daily augmenting their force, 
 determined to attack them. He set out from 
 Cairo on the Itith of July, and on the iGth 
 was prepared to give them battle. The en- 
 gagement was severe, but short. Ten thou- 
 sand Turks were slain or driven into the sea, 
 and the garrison of Aboukir, impressed with 
 the utmost terror of the French, did not lire 
 a gun. Having, hoMevei, received reinforce- 
 ments from the fleet, they regained their 
 
 spirits, and refused to capitulate. Shortly 
 after, the communication being cut off,' and 
 seeing no means of relief or defence, they 
 offered to lay down their arms, the French 
 innnediately entering the fort which they 
 had so lately possessed. This was the last 
 exploit of Buonaparte in Eg\ pt ; for the news 
 he had received of the dissensions at home, 
 of the defeat of the French armies abroad, 
 and of the renewed vigour of the coalition, 
 determined him to abandon his troops, and 
 take the first opportunity of returning to 
 France. He imparted his design to general 
 Berthier alone, and wrote to ailmiral Gau- 
 theaume to provide him a frigate, and inform 
 him when tlie English and Turkish fieets 
 were out of sight. He received this welcome 
 information at six in the evening of the IBth 
 of August, and at nine he sent his orders to 
 all whom he intended to take with him, to 
 meet him at an appointed time and place, 
 but not to open their instructions till they 
 arrived there. Having so far coiriplied with 
 his request, they found that his instructions 
 required their immediate departure from 
 Egypt. They lost no time, but left their pro- 
 perty behind them, and their horses on the 
 beach. Buonaparte also left sealed orders 
 for general Kleber, appointing him to the 
 command of the army, and, on the 23rd of 
 August, 1799, he got on board, but was de- 
 tained by contrary winds in the bay of Abou- 
 kir till the 25th, when, after avoiding all the 
 English cruisers, he arrived at Ajaccio in 
 Corsica, at which place the vessel was wind- 
 bound till the 7th of October, and on the 9th 
 he landed at Frejus, and found hiiuself once 
 more in France.
 
 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1799.] 
 
 Consequences of Bvonaparte's return to France — His splendid Reception — Dissolution of the 
 Directory — Buuriaparte appointed I'^irst Consul— Mxpectations entertained from his acces' 
 sion to Power. 
 
 THE Xme state of public affairs is hardly 
 ever to be learnt from public papers 
 and addresses. It is fortunate when private 
 coniniunicatioiis, like the intercepted letters 
 from Egypt, fall into our hands ; for they 
 draw aside the veil, and expose the great 
 projects of ambition in their naked deformity. 
 These papers contain some very curious 
 particulars relative to the expedition, and 
 paint in very strong colours the privations, 
 the sacrifices, and disappointment of the 
 whole amiy ; they shew how thousands suf- 
 fered by separation from their friends and 
 country, by disease, by thirst and fatigue, to 
 gi'atify the inordinate ambition and unruly 
 spirit of one man ; they show also that this 
 favoured country, which had been described 
 in such glowing colours by former travellers, 
 this land of promise, which was held out by 
 Buonaparte as flowing with milk and honey, 
 and likely to yield so rich a harvest to the 
 French adventurers, was in many parts little 
 better than a desert, and its inhabitants in a 
 state far removed from the comforts of society ; 
 yet the soil is capable of cultivation, and we 
 all know it has been cultivated so as to render 
 the labourer a hundred-fold ior his labour ; 
 but the rrench had neither time nor inclina- 
 tion to make the most of their conquest, 
 though it was the opinion of the best-informed 
 among their oflicers, that Egypt was a coun- 
 try capable of aflording them the highest 
 advantages as a colony. 
 
 'J'he institute was accomm'^dated at Cairo 
 with two of the houses of the richest beys, 
 
 4 G 2 
 
 and two others added to them ; in these the 
 n)embers resided : they had also an immense 
 garden, containing above thirty French acres, 
 well planted, and having a number of terraces 
 raised above the reach of the PSile in its times 
 of overflowing ; this garden served them for 
 their botanical collection, as well as for com- 
 mon and useful plants. They had an exten- 
 sive aviary, filled with many rare and beau- 
 tiful birds, and their large room of meeting 
 was fitted up in a most magnificent style, 
 with many French articles of furniture, the 
 property of the beys, to whom the house had 
 belonged ; among these was a large and 
 superb time-piece by Berthoud. 
 
 To make a fair estimate of the evil and 
 the good which have resulted from the expe- 
 dition to Egypt, we must not be so far blinded 
 by the one as to lose sight of the other. The 
 murder, distress, and misery of innocent men, 
 whether among the conquerors or the con- 
 quered, are undoubtedly evils of no small 
 magnitude, and wdl lie heavy on the heads 
 of those by whom they were either wantonly 
 occasioned or aggravated. The example of 
 that treacherous violation of civilized customs, 
 bj which Egypt was invaded, when her go- 
 vernment was at i>eace with the French, is 
 also an evil which requires much good inten- 
 tion and many good consequences to palliate ; 
 and I must douht vvhellier the sum total of 
 the advantage which has resulted, either to 
 the natives of Egypt or the rest of tlie world, 
 can balance the fatal precedent of so gross 
 au attack upon the laws of society. The
 
 696 IllSTORV OP ENGLAND. fCIIAP. XLIX. 
 
 blessing of civilization nre so great, as almost ; takes place in its government, iuclepeudent 
 to make amends for any price that may be ; of a simple change of sovereigns, it will 
 paid for them ; bnt at this enlightened period I always be held ont as an inunediate object 
 of the woiid are nations to be civilized with > for colonization, and as the nieans of ulti- 
 the sword ? God forbid ; though in early ; mately subverting the Englisli power in 
 times tl ey owed their refinement to their ; India. 
 
 bemg hrst conquered ; but did the Freiicli | The return of Buonaparte to France was 
 attempt to civilize the natives of Egypt ? 5 inconsiderately hailed with exultation and 
 Ceita nly not. ''i'he pomp of a public insti- ; rejoicing by all the friends of their country, 
 tnte was more intended to gratify the curi- i ^^ho considered him as the determined i'oe 
 osity and vanity of scientific men, than to | o( anarchy, and the support of regulated 
 instruct the ignorant and polish the natives ; ; liberty ; wherever he passed, Peace, peace, 
 so that they were left, as to civilization, ; resounded from every quarter, and his wlule 
 nearly in the same state in which they were | journey from Frejus to Paris was a continued 
 found ; yet they may, incidentally and even-; triumph, or procession. The government, by 
 taiihy, by a further conmiunicalion witli | their odious exactions and oppression, bad 
 Europeans, in consequence of their country ; arrived at such a height of unpopularity, that 
 becoming an object of competition, learn I the necessity of a change seemed evident to 
 something valuable from the arts, manners, i every one ; the only question was, how and 
 and customs of civilized nations; though it | whom it was to beetliected. The sudden return 
 is to be apprehended, that the specimens ; of Buonaparte put an end to the difficulty ; 
 they have witnessed of French cruelty and ; for there is no doubt that Sycyes had sug. 
 tyranny are more likely to disgust them with ; gested to Moreau the expediency of his over- 
 foreign manners, than to make them see the i turning the old government, and putting him- 
 <lefects of their own. In fact, all nations are > self at the head of a new one; but his 
 best civilized by the quiet intercourse of ; modesty and love of ease caused him to de- 
 commerce. The greatest, and perhaps the ; cline the proposal, and to name Buonaparte 
 only advantage Mhich has been derived from | as a person better suited for such an achieve- 
 t-he French and British expeditions to Egypt, ; ment. Had it pleased providence to have 
 is the more accurate knowledge which has ; given Moreau the ambition of Buonaparte, or 
 been obtained of the country ; of her natural, ; Buonaparte the gentle nature of Moreau, it 
 moral, and political state ; of the present ; vvould have been fortunate for France and 
 mode of living, and her remains of antiquity ; j for Europe ! 
 
 all these, however, are rather objects of; Immediately on his arrival at Paris, Buo- 
 curiosity than of real use, and can hardly i uaparte had a private audience of the direc- 
 atone for the manner in w hich such know- 1 tory ; the courts and all the streets leading to 
 ledge has been procurei). I apprehend, i the Luxembourg were crowded with specta- 
 iherefore, that the evils which the army and ! tors eager to behold him, and he seemed njore 
 natives of Egypt endured, from the first de- ; sensible of these demonstrations of joy thaa 
 parture of tlie expedition till the French i formerly ; he shook several soldiers by the 
 finally evacuated the country, infinitely over- ; hand, who had served with him in Italy, and 
 balance any trifling advantages which may j appeared more open and afiable in his man- 
 be derived to any of the parties concerned ; ; ners than usual ; he was dressed in a grey 
 and that the whole deserves, now that it is j riding coat and without uniform, a Turkisii 
 fully and completely understood, to be trans- ! sabre hung in a silk scarf over his shoulder, 
 niitted to posterity, as the most detestable i his hair was cut quite short, and without 
 series of ambition, tyranny, and cruelty that ; po'^'^'^^*" i his tawny complexion, acquired by 
 ever disgraced the annals of civilized society, i the burning sun of Egypt, gave him an ap- 
 aiid will foini one of the strongest articles in j pearance of greater manliness and strength 
 the impeachment of human nature against ; than before he left Europe. 
 Buonaparte. .Sliould that unfortunate conn- ; Buonaparte arrived at Paris on the IGth 
 try ever again fall into the hands of the French, ; of October, and on the Dth of INovember the 
 it may |K,ssil/ly eA'perience still fai theruiisery ; ! constitution of i79o was overturned. During 
 and, till some great change for the better | tlus perioti we must suppose hiin to have beet*
 
 CHAP. XLlX.j 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 697 
 
 employed in conceiting measures for effecting ; the decree in execution, and for that purpose 
 
 his grand purpose ; accordingly very little 
 , is said of liim, and lie seldom appeared in 
 pidjlic. On tiie 7tli of INoveniber, a great 
 dinner was, given by the directoiy and the 
 councils to I>uoiiaparte and Moreau, in the 
 church of St. Jnlpice (then the ttniple of vic- 
 tory); the company consisted of 750 guests, 
 a|id was no donbt intended to dcct ive those 
 ■who were so shortly to he overthrown, with nn 
 appearance of friendship and fraternity. The 
 toast given by the presnlent of the directory 
 "Was "Peace,"' and that l>y the general "An 
 union of all parties ;" neverthelesa it was 
 evident that this was a mere dinner of cere- 
 mony ; the whole company viewed each 
 other with distrust ; there was neither miith 
 nor conhdence ; and, though the meeting 
 pretended to efl'ect an union of parties, it 
 Served only to put them farther asunder, 
 iinoiiaparte quitted the room after a few 
 toa.sts were given, and none of the company 
 staid long ; the whole ceremony did not last 
 three hours, and. within three days after, the 
 great explosion which had been long pre- 
 paring l)UEst forth ; nay, on that very evening 
 the mode of operation was concerted, ijyeyes 
 no doubt emitted the tirst spark, which ftll 
 upon Moreau, but was damped by his un- 
 ambitious temper. The next, however, was 
 
 appointed conuiiandei of all tlie troops iu 
 l*aris, as well as of the jiuard of the assemblies 
 and the national guard. This deciee was 
 passed by a great majority, and Buonaparte 
 immediately appeared at the bar, attendi d by 
 Ikrthier, Aloreau, Lefebvre, Macdonald, and 
 others. Being informed by the president of 
 his appointment, he spoke as follows : — " The- 
 repuljlic was on the brink of ruin, but your 
 flecree has saved it. Woe to those who wish 
 for anarchy whoever they be. I and my 
 brave companions in arms will arrest their 
 course. Let us not seek in the past, exam- 
 ples to justify the present. For nothing iu 
 history resembles the conclusion of the IBth 
 century, and nothing in that resembles the 
 present moment. We wish a republic found- 
 ed on liberty, on civil liberty, and national 
 re{)resentation, and «e will have it. I swear 
 it, and I swear it also in the names of my 
 brave connades." 1 swear it, was immedi- 
 ately retmiied by the other generals, and the 
 sitting was dissolved, amid the cries of hong 
 live the repvblic ! The decree of the coun- 
 cil was carried to the council of 500, who 
 soon after adjourned their deliberations to 
 the next day at St. Cloud. The committees 
 of inspection from the two councils remained 
 in the room belonging to them, to concert 
 
 more successful, for it lighted on Buonaparte, x measures, as the urgency of affairs might 
 who instantly took lire, and commnnicated \ require ; and Buonapwrte assembled his 
 
 the llame by decrees to a larger and a larger 
 number, till, on the 7th, several deputies, and 
 others in the secret, met at the house of Le 
 Mercier, and concerted measures for the 
 grand display, which it was agreed should 
 take place dp. the 9th ; and accordingly the 
 connniltee of inspectors belonging to the 
 council of autients, at five o'clock in the 
 morning of that day, sent messages to 150 
 chosen members of the council*, (very few of 
 whom were in the secret,) to meet at eight 
 o'clock in the Thuilleries. When they were 
 assendjled, it appeared that the most violent 
 ef the Jacobins, in number about 100, were 
 left out. Cornet, reporter of the committee, 
 opened the meeting with a speech, in which 
 he stated very fully the dangers of the repub- 
 lic, and the movements of the factions, and 
 ended with proposing that the assembly, 
 according to the 10-ind and 103rd articles of 
 the constitution, shouhl adjourn to St. Cloud, 
 that Buouaparte should be charged to put 
 
 staff at tl.c same place, to give all the requi- 
 site orders for the preservation of tranquillity, 
 and the removal of the councils to St. Cloud. 
 The walls of Paris were soon covered witli 
 two proclamations ; one addressed to the 
 national guard, and the other to the troops 
 of the line, both expressed with Buonaparte's 
 usual energy. On the first news of the de- 
 cree of the council of antients, he had re- 
 paired to the Thuilleries with 10,000 troops, 
 and guarded every avenue to the place so 
 effectually, that no one was permitted to pass, 
 either into the courts, the garden, or within 
 the w alls of the castle. He had formed all 
 his dispositions, and harangued his troops ia 
 the great court ; while three of the directors, 
 and all the rest of Paris, were completely 
 ignorant of what was going forward. Syeyes 
 and Roger Ducos, the latter of whom was 
 entirely governed by the former, being both 
 in the secret, waited in silence the result of 
 the meeting. Sjeyes was walking in tbc
 
 698 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XLIX. 
 
 garden of the Luxembourg, and Ducos was | 
 in his own apartments, when they were in- 1 
 formed of wliat had passed ; they repaired | 
 immediately to tlie Thuilleries, and joined " 
 the two committees of inspection, the generals, 
 and the rest of t-he military, in deliberating 
 upon the measures to be taken, for putting 
 tlie decree in execution, and providing for 
 the public tranquillity. Barras knew what 
 Lad hapi)ened long before his colleagues, 
 Gohier and Moulins, for he had been re- 
 quired to give in his resignation very early in 
 the morning, and the lady through whom the 
 request came, was empowered to ofler him 
 any pecuniary assistance he might require ; 
 he at tirst appeared to be violently initated, 
 tut in a little time he became more calm, and 
 acknowledged that the government required 
 some vigorous individual at its head, for it 
 Avas impossible it could go on with tive peoj)le, 
 who had no contidence in each other ; but 
 still he refused to give in his resignation. 
 Gohier, who was that morning to have break- 
 fasted with Buonaparte, Mas extremely sur- 
 prised when he got up, to find what had 
 passed, but particularly at the decree for 
 transferring the assemblies to St. Cloud ; he 
 went, however, into the audience chamber of 
 the directory, and sent for his colleagues. 
 Moulins, who was equally surprised, came 
 to him inmiediately ; but they were both still 
 more so, when they heard that Syeyes was 
 gone to the Thuilleries : they then sent for 
 Ducos, and found he was there also. Barras 
 was summoned next, and he refused to come. 
 Gohier sent immediately for La Garde, the 
 secretary-general, and ordered him to register 
 a decree which he dictated to him ; but La 
 Garde answered, that as two members could 
 not make a majority of the directory, it was 
 impossible for liim to do as reqiiested. Mou- 
 lins, having now learnt part of what had 
 happened, became extremely agitated, and 
 proposed inimediately to send a guard to 
 invest the house of Buonajiarte, and keep 
 him a prisoner ; but he was told that it 
 would be impossible, for every soldier then in 
 Paris was under Buonapartes conunand. 
 General Lefebvre was next summoned, but 
 he confirmed that which ihey had before 
 heard, and said that, as he was under the 
 orders of Buonaparte, he could not march a 
 fingle man without his permission. They 
 thea began to find tiiat it was all over with 
 
 them, and that nothing remained for them 
 but to retire into the obscurity from wlience 
 they had been taken, and submit quietly to 
 their fate. In a few minutes tlie Luxem- 
 bourg was invested with a strong guard, (gent 
 there by Buonaparte. 
 
 According to the terms of the constitu- 
 tien, it was requisite that the act for tians- 
 ferring the assemblies to St. Cloud should be 
 signed by a majority of the directory ; Gohier, 
 theiefore, being desirous to resign his power 
 with a good grace, went to the Thuilleries, 
 and adding his name to those of Syeyes and 
 Ducos, performed the last act of his autho- 
 rity ; yet still he seemed unwilling to part 
 w ith his dignity : he repented of what he had 
 done, and, w hen they came to demand of him 
 the great seal of state, which was in his pos- 
 session as president, he refused to give it up; 
 as soon as he returned to the Luxembourg, 
 where a strong guard was set over him till 
 the 19th at night, he was told that the powers 
 of the directory had ceased, and that a new 
 government was formed. He asked to see 
 the decree for appointing the consuls, and 
 after it v\ as shew n him, he retired very quietly 
 to his house at St, Chaumont. 
 
 Moulins needed no very long intreaty to 
 give in his resignation, for fear had so com- 
 pletely got possession of him, after he found 
 what liad passed, that when a deputation was 
 coming to him for the purpose, he jumped 
 out of a window, which looked into his 
 garden, and hid himself among the bushes 
 till he could get quietly away ; but nobody 
 went after him, they thought him of so little 
 consequence. — A lit man to govern a nation. 
 
 After Gohier had signed the decree ol 
 translation, Syeyes and Ducos immediately 
 gave in their resignation, and Barras soon 
 after did the same by his secretary Botot, 
 whom he sent to Buonaparte, and remained 
 in his carriage near the Thuilleries till Botot 
 returned with the result of the meeting. Buo- 
 naparte was in the apartment of the inspectors 
 when Botot desired to speak to him. He 
 was introduced by Courtois, and having given 
 in the paper, requested to know if the general 
 had any thing to say to his master. "Tell; 
 liini," said Buonaparte, " that I desire to hear 
 no more of him, and that 1 trust I shall ever 
 make the authority respected which is com- 
 mitted to me." '1 lien raising his voice loud 
 enough to be heard by the grenadiers wlio
 
 CHAP. XLIX, 
 
 CeORGE III. 
 
 699 
 
 were standing: at the door, said, " What have 
 you dune with the couiiti y Avhicli I left you 
 so tlourishiiig- ? 1 left you peace, and I have 
 found war. I left you victory, and 1 lime 
 found defeat. 1 left you the treasures of 
 Italy, and I lind nothins,- but oppression and 
 poverty. Where are tlie hundred thousand 
 heroes, my companions in arms, uhoni 1 left 
 covered with j;lory ? What is become of 
 iheni ? Alas, they are no more ! This state 
 of things cannot last long; in three years if 
 will end in despotism. l>ut we are for a 
 repidilic founded on the basis of equality, 
 (•i\il liberty, and political toleration. W you 
 believe the assertions of the factions, w-e are 
 the enemies of the republic ; we who have 
 strengthened it by our lal ours, and cemented 
 it by our blood ; but we wish for no better 
 patriots than thehravemen who have suffered 
 in its service." This harangue was higldy 
 applauded by all who heard it, and Botot 
 retired in confusion to acquaint his master 
 with what had passed. Barras determined 
 to go immediately to his country-house ; but 
 being alarmed for his personal safety, he 
 requested a party of horse to attend him, 
 which was immediately granted. Syeyes and 
 Ducos, not thinking it prudent to sleep at 
 the directorial palace in the Luxemhourg, 
 staid all night in the Thuilleries. 
 
 The next day being the 10th of November, 
 in conformity to the decree, the two councils 
 repaired to St. Cloud ; the picture gallery I couched in 
 was appointe<l for the council of antients, and \ ttrms as sec 
 the orangery for the council of five hundred. 
 The troops had arrived before them, and 
 taken possession of every avenue to the 
 castle, so that the deputies could not pass 
 without shewing their medal, nor any other 
 individual without producing a ticket signed 
 by the committee of inspection, and these 
 tickets ^^ere few. The sitting, v\hich had 
 been appointed for twelve, did not commence 
 till two o'clock, owing to the preparations of 
 the workniei; not being finished. The debates 
 were opened by a speech from Gaudiu, pro- 
 posing a committee of seven members, to 
 tale into consideration the best means of 
 providing for the public safety ; and it was 
 expected that this motion w(>uld have been 
 imn ediately canied : but, as (he meetu'g v\as 
 very fully attended, tic Jaco' i?is gave it a 
 
 strong and tnnndtuf^us opposition : this in 
 some measure disconcerted the revolutionary 
 
 party ; and the fault was Buonaparte's ; for 
 it had been proposed the night before, tluit 
 no member should be admitted without pro- 
 ducing a ticket signed by the inspectors, by 
 which the Jacobins would have been el'lectu- 
 ally e.xcliuled ; but he opposed the rueas'ire, 
 not supposing that the Jacobins were so 
 powerful : this had nearly overturned the 
 whole scheme, and given the victory to the 
 opposite faction. Scarcely had Gaudin 
 finished Jiis motion, when several !r;en)i»ers of 
 the opposition darted forward into the tribune, 
 all eager to be heard. The cry of Doiin vilJi 
 tJif dutiuors ! became general. Others ex- 
 claimed. Tilt roiislitutwn or den tit ; we are 
 vol tilniifl nf (jiij/ofiels, zee trill die ut Din post / 
 And some proposed that every Uifn.ber should 
 take afresh an oath to preserve the constitu- 
 tion. The other party were so much thrown 
 off their guanl, that the cry of Lotto- Uie the 
 conslitulion ! became general, and the motion 
 for taking the oath was agreed to ; tliis was 
 a great victory for the Jacobins, as it gave 
 them time, which was all they wanted, for 
 the ceremony of the oath took up tvNO hours ; 
 when this was over, various jiropositions were 
 ofiiered, and nothing settled ; the confusion 
 was now complete. Several motions were 
 proposed and adopted, totally opposite to the 
 intention of those who had occasioned the 
 removal to St. Cloud, Barras sent a letter to 
 the assembly, importing his resignation, yet 
 such guarded and ambiguous 
 seemed to intimate a desire to be 
 employed in the new government, and the 
 letter gave rise to a considerable debate, 
 whether the assembly should proceed to the 
 election of a new director: great part, if not 
 thevil.ole. of this confusion arose from the 
 defeclixe measure.s of Buonaparte: he had 
 suffered the majority of the niembers who 
 Mere well disposed towards a change of go- 
 vernment to come to the assembly, totiilly 
 ignorant of vvJiat was intended ; in conse- 
 quence (f which they were easily induce<l to 
 belies e the extravagant reports that were 
 circulated by the opposite party ; and worst 
 of ail he had prevented the exclusion of the 
 Jacobins, v ho had produced all the confusion, 
 'ihe danger now became in^niinent ; the pro- 
 bability of insurrections being excited in 
 Paris and the consequent danger of a civil 
 war, required tiat some vigorous nieasureg 
 should be taken to cempJete the revolution so
 
 600 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. XLIX. 
 
 auspiciously begun. Buonaparte, hearing 
 what had passed, became violently agitated ; 
 he hardly knew what to resolve, and perhaps 
 \yas never so much ofl'his guard in liie midst 
 of a battle : his tirst measure was to proceed 
 to the council of antients, and inform them of 
 the confusion which prevailed in the council 
 of 500 ; he entered unarmed, and, being 
 favourably received, harangued them in a 
 stile of great animation to tiie following pur- 
 port : — " Representatives of the people, you 
 are placed in no common circumstances ; you 
 are on the mouth of a volcano which is ready 
 to devour you. Permit me to speak to you 
 with the frankness of a soldier, and the can- 
 dour of a citizen zealous /or the welfare of his 
 country. You informed me of your dangers, 
 and 1 hastened to your assistance with my 
 brother soldiers. Is not the blood which we 
 have shed in battle a sufiicient proof of our 
 devoted attachment to the republic ? Have 
 they who dare to lift their voices against us 
 given similar pledges ? They speak of a 
 military government, and a conspiracy. Alas ! 
 the most dangerous of all is that which 
 surrounds us every where, that of the public 
 misery, which continues to increase. Have 
 not ignorance, folly, and treason reigned long 
 enough in our country ? have they not com- 
 mitted sufficient ravages? What class has 
 not in turn suffered by them ? Have not 
 Frenchmen been long enough divided into 
 parties, eager and desirous to oppress each 
 other. The time is at length arrived, to put 
 an end to these disasters. You have charged 
 me to present you with the means, and I will 
 not deceive your expectations. If I had any 
 personal or ambitious objects in view, I 
 needed not to have waited till this time to 
 realize them. Before my departure, and 
 since my return, I have been often solicited to 
 take the reins of government. I could make 
 discoveries which would silence the greatest 
 part of my calumniators ; but I will content 
 myself with saying that Barras and Moulins 
 entreated me to overturn the govermnent and 
 place myself at the head of aflairs. I rejected 
 their overtures, because liberty alone is dear 
 to me, and because I never wish to serve any 
 faction or party whatever. I wish to serve 
 the French people alone. Let us not then 
 be divided. Unite your wisdom and your 
 firmness ta the force which surrounds me, 
 and I will devote myself to the safety of the 
 
 republic." "And of the constitution," ex-' 
 claimed Linglet. " The constitution !" re- 
 plied Buonaparte with indignant warmth. 
 " Does it become you to name it ? What is 
 it but a heap of ruins ? Has it not been suc- 
 cessively the sport of every party ? Have 
 you not trampled upon it on the 18th Fruc-{ 
 tidor, ihe 28th Floreal, and 28th Prairial ? 
 The constitution ! Has not every kind of 
 tyranny been exercised in its name since the 
 day of its establishment? Who can be safe 
 under it ? Is iiot its insufficiency manifested 
 by the numerous crimes Avhich have been 
 committed in its name, even by those who 
 are swearing to it a contemptuous fidelity? 
 All the rights of the people have been un- 
 worthily violated, and to re-establish them on 
 an immoveable basis we must endeavour to 
 establish in France republican liherty." 
 Though it is imjiossifjle to deny the praise ot. 
 eloquence to this extempore harangue, it 
 cannot lay the same claim to honesty or' 
 sincerity. 
 
 Buonaparte having mentioned the names 
 of Banas and Moulins, and hinted at many 
 others as enemies to liberty, several members 
 thought it proper to interrupt him, being 
 desirous at that time rather to unite men 
 together than to sow the seed of further dis 
 union ; Cornudet, however, proposed that 
 spectators should be turned out, and Buon:i- 
 parte be called upon to declare whom he 
 alluded to, in a secret committee ; but he, 
 either thinking that he had gone too far, or 
 tliat the time was too important to be wasted, 
 reminded the council of the critical state of 
 affairs, and then addressing himself to the 
 military who were on guard, promised, if they 
 did their duty, to restore order and harmony ; 
 leaving the assembly, he went in haste to the 
 connnittee of 500; the' report of his coming 
 had occasioned a great bustle, every one rose 
 up, and all »yes were turned towards the 
 principal entrance. In passing from the one 
 council to the other, he perceived the grena- 
 diers of the legislative body walking quietly 
 about, and their arms piled up in ditlerent 
 sta.nds ; he innnediately called out, To arms, 
 soldiers, and follow nie ; being sufficiently 
 sensible of what he had to encounter ; and iu 
 this instance he was perhaps more indebted 
 to fortiuie than at any other period of his life, 
 f , he was certainly in greater danger. Buo- 
 naparte entered the council of 5U0 precisely
 
 CHAP. XLIX.j 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 001 
 
 at live o'clock la tlie afternoon, attondecl by 
 twenty or thirty solciiers, who reuiaiiietl at 
 ihe bjftoni of the room, wliile he proceeded 
 to the top iiiiarined and uncovered. iVo 
 sooner had he advanced near the president's 
 chair than the confiisiion became compU'te. 
 Some dew to tiie tril)uiie, and otliers to tlie 
 general, exclaiinint; vehemently, D(nvn icil/i 
 the tyimil ! doirn uit/i /he diclalor ! while 
 othns cried on(, Kill him, kill him ! at the 
 same time aiming at him with poignards, 
 pistols, and fists. Arena, a Corsican, stiuck 
 at hiin with a dagger, and Avonld probably 
 liavelini.-jhcd him, had not a grenadier, named 
 Thonic, received the stroke on his arm. IJy 
 another blow the general w as slightly wounded 
 on the cheek. Buonaparte for a moment was 
 lost, and it is said he had fainted, when 
 general Lefcbvre, with the grenadiers, flew to 
 IjIs defence, surrounded him, and carried him 
 out ; he then mounted on horseback, and 
 attempted to harangue the troops, but in very 
 faint and whining- terms ; and going to the 
 ronnnittte of inspection, he infoimed them of 
 what had passed, but took no vigorous mea- 
 sures to combat his enemies, who were now 
 in a great measure triumphant. After he 
 had cpiitted the council of oOO, they decreed 
 that the council of antients had no right to 
 give him the command of the troops, as that 
 power belonged alone to the directory. Lucien 
 Buonaparte, the president, was attacked on 
 all sidt s, and nearly put to death : finding, 
 therefore, his authority despised, and his life 
 in danger, he darted from the chair, indig- 
 nantly threw down the insignia of his oilice, 
 and mounted the tribune with an intent to 
 defend the conduct of his brother; he at- 
 tem])ted several times to speak, but could 
 not make himself heard ; tears of agony and 
 indignation flowed down his cliceks, and he 
 vas on the point of giving liijnsclf up to his 
 enemies, when, all on a sudden, a company 
 of grenadiers entered the chandler, by com- 
 mand of the general, and carried him off; he 
 found his brother in the court of the castle, 
 in the greatest agitation and agony, drcadhig 
 the defection of the troops, irro.'^olute, hesi- 
 tating, and confused ; and all v ould certainly 
 have been lost, had not Lucien, with great 
 presence of mintl, iumiediately mounted a 
 liorse and harangued tlie troops; he stated in 
 strong terms tlie dangers of the country from 
 the triumph of the Jacobins, and concluded 
 
 4 a 
 
 w ith these energetic words : — " General, sol- 
 diers, and citizens, they only are the repre- 
 sentatives, who have followed me out of ihat 
 seditious assembly ; they who remain there 
 must be expelled by force. The troops 
 instantly cried out, Long live BuoiKipdile ! 
 Intio- liie the republic I A company of gre- 
 nadiers was innnediately ordered to clear the 
 chandjer. The spectators jumped out at the 
 windows, but the mend)e)s remained till they 
 entered. The drum beat, the soldiers marched 
 in, and stopped at the bottom of the room. 
 A general of brigade requested that all those 
 mendjers who regarded their safety would 
 retire and join the president ; many followed 
 his advice. Another officer mounted the 
 president's chair, and said with a loud voice, 
 " Representatives, the commander-in-chief 
 requires that you all quit this room." Many 
 of them shewing signs of unwillingness and 
 resistance, theofiicer called out, " CJrenadiers, 
 advance." The drum beat, the grenadiers 
 came forward, and a disgraceful scene of con- 
 fusion ensued. The deputies, in their haste 
 to get out, tumbled over each other; some 
 ran to the doors, others to the windows, and 
 in a few minutes the chamber was empty : 
 they were received by the people on the 
 outside with hootings and hisses ; and some 
 of them were so ashamed of their conduct 
 that they threw ofl" their insignia of office, 
 many of which were found next day in the 
 ditches and plantations around. 
 
 Why Buonaparte should in this instance 
 have been deserted liy his usual resolution 
 and presence of mind, can finly be accounted 
 for by the greatness and novelty of the occa- 
 sion. Valour, with a soldier, is chiefly 
 mechanical ; and he who trembles in the first 
 battle will enter upon the second or tliird 
 with undaunted bravery ; besides, the heat 
 and agitation of an engagement preclude all 
 thought and reflection, in a great measure, 
 and have no time for the consideration of 
 danger or consequences ; so that the same 
 man who will fearlessly nihance to the can- 
 non's mouth, has often been known to trcnd)le 
 at the rustle of a leaf in the calm, still, dark 
 hour of night. To the noise and danger of 
 battle Buonaparte was well accustomed, and 
 habit had there rendered him inaccessible to 
 fear; but this was a new occasion, and one 
 on whidi the greatness of his future life de- 
 pended ; tljc risk of a battle was not to be 
 3B
 
 602 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 i IIAP. XLIX 
 
 compared to it ; and, having time for reflec- 
 tion, this thought j)resented itself fully to his 
 mind, and overwhehned him. 
 
 The council of antieiits, after hearing what 
 had passed in the other assembly, proceeded 
 to some resolutions and debates of little im- 
 portance; but, finding- that they could not 
 decide any thing etlectually, without the 
 initiative from the council of 500, determined 
 that all the members of that council, who 
 could be brought together, should immediate- 
 ly assemble ; and accordingly, about nine 
 o'clock in the evening, a large number being 
 collected, they met in their former apartment, 
 under the presidency of Lucien Buonaparte. 
 Their first proceeding was to inform the 
 other council of their having met, and the 
 next to pass a vote of thanks to the command- 
 er-in-chief, and the officers who had co-ope- 
 rated with him in saving the country from 
 the violence of the anarchists. Chazal then 
 proposed that a secret committee of five 
 members should be appointed, to take into 
 consideration the means of forming a ne%v 
 government ; after this was adopted, Lucien 
 Buonaparte quitted the president's chair, 
 mounted the tribune, and pronounced a most 
 animated and eloquent harangue, on the 
 disasters of the republic, arising from the 
 misconduct of the late government, and the 
 necessity of appointing a hew one. His 
 speech was received with the loudest applause, 
 and repeated cries of Lo?)jo- live the lepxiblic. 
 Boulay de la Meurthe soon after returned 
 with the report of the secret committee, con- 
 taining a project of a decree for appointing a 
 new government : he prefaced his motion by 
 a long speech, in which he enlarge/! on the 
 profligacy and incapacity of the directory, 
 as well as on the defects of the constitution 
 itself, and the necessity of a strong executive 
 power to give solidity to the state, and pre- 
 vent the return of anarchy. The first article 
 of the decree declares, " that there is no 
 longer a directory." The second " that there 
 shall be created provisionally an executive 
 consulate, to consist of three member, Syeyes, 
 Ducos, and Buonaparte, who shall bear the 
 name of consuls of the French republic." 
 The next related to tlie legislative power, 
 which it left to be settled by the two coun- 
 cils on their meeting at Paris, but appointed 
 
 two committees, in the mean time, to draw up 
 the form of a new constitution. The council 
 of 500 then composed a proclamation, ad- 
 dressed to the French people. At one 
 o'clock in the morning, the council of antients' 
 announced their approbation of the proposed 
 decree. Fregeuille then m'ned, that the 
 three consuls should be invited to the sitting, 
 and take the oalh of fidelity to the sovereignty 
 of the people, &C. before which the president 
 addressed the assembly and the consuls in a 
 suitable speech, and measures were then 
 taken to insure the tranquillity of Paris, which 
 were in a great measure supei-fluous, as 
 there had been no disposition shewn to in- 
 surrection or tumult, though various, contra- 
 dictory, and alarming reports had reached 
 the city of what was passing at St. Cloud. 
 
 The consuls returned to Paris about four 
 in the morning on the 1 1 th of November, and 
 entered upon their functions that same day, 
 after taking the refreshment which nature, 
 after so much fatigue, both of mmd and body, 
 required. The first sitting of the provisional 
 consulate was eniployed in the nomination of 
 many individuals to places of importance ; 
 the seal of the republic was changed ; and 
 the newspapers were stopped at the post- 
 office, and new ones printed, to inform the 
 departments of all that had been transacted, 
 and in the evening an address from the con- 
 suls was read through all Paris by torch-light 
 to the same purport, though Buonaparte had^, 
 on the night of the lOlh, addressed one of the 
 same sort to the citizens of St. Cloud. 
 
 The new consuls were received at Paris 
 with every testimony of satisfaction and ap- 
 plause, and on the 12th of November they held 
 their first sitting at the Luxembourg, where 
 the inscription, " Directorial Palace," 
 was taken down from the principal gate, and 
 replaced by the following, " The Palace of 
 THE Consuls of the Republic." The two 
 committees held their meetings also in tlie 
 same place, which they continued till the 
 15th of December, when the new constitution 
 was proclaimed. In the niean tinie they 
 repealed some of the most odious and op- 
 pressive law s of the directory, which prepared 
 the people to expect the happiest eflects from 
 the operations of the new government.
 
 CHAPTER L, 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1800.] 
 
 His Majesty's Messncre—-Overlures of Peace from Buonaparte — Debates on the policy of 
 ■ iheir Rejection — Renewed Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act — Discontents excited bii 
 
 the existins^ Scarcity — Naval Operations — Failures at Cadiz and Ferrol — AJfai>s m the 
 , JRust Indies — Jiritisli Expedition to Egypt — Italian and Gernuui Campaign — Battles of 
 
 3Iarenoo and Hohenlinden — Peace between France and Austria. 
 
 iN the meeting of parliament, early in 
 
 this year, the attention of the two 
 
 o 
 
 liouses was calleil, by a niessage from his 
 majesty, to a letter wiiich Buonaparte, now 
 first consul of France, had addressed to lord 
 Grenvilie, on the subject of peace ; earnestly 
 intieating' his Britannic majesty to unite him 
 in restoring tiiat blessing- to the world. This 
 letter was laid before parliament, together 
 with the s^rretary's answer, expressing his 
 sovereigns feelings in terms of much diidain. 
 After adverting to the origin of the war, and 
 the calamities which had been brought on 
 the world by the restless ambition of the 
 French rulers, to their disregard of the most 
 solenm treaties, and the necessity of resistance 
 to such a power, for the " preservation of 
 whatever remains in Europe of stability, for 
 property, for personal liberty, for social 
 order, or the exercise of religion," he declares 
 his sovereign's willingness to accede to over- 
 tures of peace, when he shall be convinced 
 of tlie sincerity of the French governors, and 
 their capacity of maintaining those relations 
 of amity, in which their predecessors in office 
 had proved themselves deficient. " But the 
 conviction of such a change,"' he said, " can 
 result only from the evidence of facts. The 
 best and most natural |)iedge of its reality 
 and permanence, would he the restoration of 
 -that line of princes which for so many cen- 
 turies maintained the French natir)u in pros- 
 perity at home, and in considmalion and 
 
 4 H 2 
 
 respect abroad ; such an event would at once 
 have removed, and will at any time remove, 
 all obstacles in the way of negotiation and 
 peace. It would confirm to F^rance the un- 
 molested enjoyment of its antient territory, 
 and it would give to all the other nations of 
 Europe, in tranquillity and peace, that secu- 
 rity whiqh they are now compelled to seek by 
 other means. But desirable as such an event 
 must be, both to France and to the world, it 
 is not to this more exclusively that his majes- 
 ty limits the possibility of secure and solid 
 paciiication. His majesty makes no claim to 
 prescribe to France what shall be the form 
 of her government, or in whose hands she 
 shall vest the authority necessary for con- 
 ducting the afiairs of a great and powerful 
 nation. His majesty looks only to the secu- 
 rity of his dominions and those of his allies, 
 and to the general safety of EmopL-. Whenever 
 he shall judge that security can in any mea- 
 sure be attained, as resulting either from the 
 internal situation of that country, from whose 
 internal situation the danger has arisen, or 
 from such other circumstances, of whatever 
 nature, as may produce the same end, his 
 majesty will eagerly embrace the opportunity 
 to concert with his allies the means of inmie- 
 diate and general paciiication. Unliappily, 
 no such security hitherto exists ; no such 
 evidence of the principles by which the new 
 government will be directed ; no rea^-onal-'le 
 ground by which to judjje of its stability. In
 
 604 HISTORY OP EXGLAVD. [CHAP. L. 
 
 fliis situation, it can, for tlic present, only « The secretary was answered by a speech 
 remain for his majesty to pursue, in con- | from the dnke of BedforrI, in which lie point- 
 juHctiou with other powers, those exertions i edly condemned tlie conduct of administra- 
 of just and defensive war, which his regard to ; tion in rejecting the overtures for a treaty; 
 the liappiness of his subjects will never permit ; he derided tiie wild scheme, which he as- 
 him either to continue beyond the necessity S cribed to the miui.stry, of restoring the French 
 in which they originate, or to terminate on ; monarchy, as a preliminary of a negotiation ; 
 any other grounds than such as may best ; and, in the most forcible language, he depre- 
 contrihute to the secure enjoyment of their > cated the evils which must ensue from the 
 tranquillity, their constitution, and their ; continuance of war, Avhen the people should 
 independence." In answer to this letter, I be driven to despair by the enormous burden 
 Monsieur Talleyrand, the French minister > of taxes. Upon these groiuids, he moved 
 for foreign afiUirs, endeavoured to vindicate 1 for a counter address, recommending the 
 his government from the charge of aggression, I renewal of a negotiation for peace. The 
 and imputed the blame of that war, which > prevailing sentiment in the two houses, how- 
 had proved go calamitous to the unprovoked ! ever, was seen to be, that great as were the 
 attack which the coalesced powers had made 5 evils of war, it was advisable to bear them 
 on the French frontier. He endeavoured to i with patience, rather than purchase a preca- 
 obviate the objections which his majesty had > rious peace by concession, which would 
 made to a treaty, on the ground of the insta- ; enable our enemy to execute the design 
 bility of the French government, by saying 5 which he was insidiously meditating, of re- 
 that we had treated A\ith the republic when J commencing hostilities when he should be 
 its constitutional system presented neither | better prepared for them ; and the result was, 
 the strength nor the solidity which it con- ; that the motion for the address was supported 
 tained at present. And he again invited his ; by a majority of 79 to 6 in the house of lords, 
 majesty to open conferences lor peace. In j and 260 to 64 in the house of commons, 
 reply to this, the British secretary again in- J The administration were encouraged to 
 sisted on the validity of what he had before; pm-sue this resolute line of conduct by the 
 assigned as the causes of the war, and re- 5 disgust which several of the continental powers 
 peated his declaration of his sovereign's dis- j had conceived against the French government, 
 •position to pacific councils, whenever they ; and their subsequent change of councils. "We 
 could be adopted with a properregard to these- i have seen the king of Naples, and otlier 
 ."ecurityofhisowndominionsandofall Europe. ; Italian powers, croiiching under the rod ot 
 Lord Grenville, in support of his motion 5 Buonaparte, and the emperor frightened into 
 for an address on his majesty's message, des- | a treaty of peace at Canipo Formio, to save 
 canted on the unjust and unprincipled con- i his (xerman dominions from sharing the fate 
 duct of the French republic towards those | of the Milanese. In consequence of this, a 
 mcnarchs and states which had made trial of » congress had been opened at Rastadt, to 
 il.s faith, by entering into treaties with the | negotiate a peace between the Germanic body 
 governing powers in it ; and on Buonaparte's ; and the French republic. This, however, 
 breach of faith towards the Cisalpine republic, i failed of success. The parties had retired 
 towards the iNlaltese, and towards the porte. ; from Rastadt, more incensed by the incidents 
 He argued hence, that it might aa ell be sup- ; which had occurrrd during the conferences, 
 posed that he did not at present act on more I The imperial Aulic council had vindicated 
 honest or disinterested principles ; that he > themselves by a decree, in which it charged 
 was desirous of a temporary cessation of > the French govermnent with a notorious de- 
 hostilities, as a means of relieving the French | parture from the pacific principles on which 
 govermnent from the pressure of numerous > it professed to act, pointing out the particular" 
 and alarming diihculties ; of deriving great ; instances in which it had dtviated from them, 
 benetit to their commerce by opening the I The emperor and king of Naples had entered 
 ports of France, now blocked >ip by oin* ; into an alliance for their mutual defence, 
 fleets and cruisers ; and of consolidating his • against a power which had so grossly de- 
 own power by rendering the nation these i ceived them. And the diet at Ratishon 
 services. ; passed a spirited coiiclusuin, wherein the
 
 CiUP. l] 
 
 GEORGE Ilf. 
 
 C05 
 
 German princes and states are called upon to I did not omit to try tlieir strength on tliis 
 
 join the emperor in vigorous preparations for : ground. Early in the session Mr. Sheridan 
 
 tlie defence of the empire against the enter- : moved f«n- an investigation of I his ;ifluir. Lord 
 
 prises of tlieir common enemy. I Holland made amotion of tiie some imporf iu 
 
 These events were propitious to (he views ; thehonse of peers, and enforced die piopiiety 
 
 of the English ministry, and they difi not iieg- > of an encpiiry with ai<rnineiitativo and impres- 
 
 Jcct to avail themselves of them to renovate ; sive elo((aence. After expatiating on the 
 
 the confederacy against France. The Cer- ; merits of the im-asure, and expiessing his 
 
 manic states had resumed their arms in the ; sense of the good coiidnctof the officers and 
 
 late vear ; but their resoinces were soon ex- ; troops employed on tlie expedition, he came 
 
 Iiausfed. The emperor then had rec«nrse, I to the object of his motion : " It is necessary," 
 
 for pecuniary aid, to that power whose alliance | said he, " to demonstrate the truth by a fair 
 
 \vas seldom sought, and whose frieiulshij) was ; investigation. By no other course can you 
 
 seldom remembered but in the hour of dis- ! satisfy the demands of your national honor, 
 
 tress; 1 neetl not say, that the power applied ; and your military reputation. At a moment, 
 
 to was his Britannic majesty, nor that the ! too, when it is decided that the war should 
 
 suit was granted. To relieve the emperor's » be continued to a ])eriod which we cannot 
 
 pressing tinaucial exigencies, arising from the j fix in idea; when new expeditions are, it is 
 
 vast expences of the war, his Britainiic ma- ? rumoured, to be undertaken, it becomes you to 
 
 jesty agreed, by a ccnvention now entered ; ascertain how they are likely to be conducted, 
 
 into with him, to advance hinj the sum oi'\ by inquiring wliat had been the ability and 
 
 £l',000,0()0. to be repaid by annual instal- ? the wisdom displayed by those who plan and 
 
 ments of £-20,000 after the conclusion of j conduct them. It is not proper to inquire, 
 
 peace. In pursuance of tliis nieasiu'c, and j wiiether ministers may not be again encourag- 
 
 others of a similar nature which his majesty | ing those delusions by which they have been 
 
 might find it expedient to adopt, to empower ; before misled ? They rely upon the favorable 
 
 the confederates to carry on the war wi^h ; dis()osition of the French people to justify 
 
 greater force and energy than had been before j their attempts for the restoration of the house 
 
 done, the premier moved " that a sum, not } of Bourbon. The proportion of the disaffected 
 
 exceeding £oOO,000, be granted to his majesty 
 to enable him to make such advances as 
 might be necessary for the purpose of insuring 
 a vigorous co-operation of the emperor of Ger- 
 many, the elector of Bavaria, and others, in 
 the ensuing campaign against the common 
 enemy." After a warm discussion this motion 
 was approved by a majority of \&2 to 19. 
 inon TuouGH borne dov\n by the minis- 
 ter's strong phalanx, the opposition 
 -were not «lisheartened. Availing tliemselves 
 of every favorable incident, they rallied after 
 every defeat, and came again to the encounter. 
 The merits of the war and the expediency of 
 continuing it were made the subjects of discus- 
 sions, by several motions in the house of com- 
 lUDiis, in the course of the session ; but a vast 
 Hi;ijority a[)peared, on every question, in sup- 
 port of the measures of government. 
 
 Could any thing have discredited the pre- 
 mier's talents, as a war minister, in the eyes 
 of the nation, or weakened his party in the 
 legislature, ihe ill success and disastrous issue 
 of tlie late expedition to llolKnd would, pro- 
 bably, have had that efi'ect. The ministry 
 
 in France seems, however, to be less than it 
 was in Holland. If the expedition to the 
 Heldcr failed by the rashness, the negligence, 
 or incapacity of ministers, will you encourage 
 them by your acquiescence in past miscon- 
 duct and former disgrace, to embark in 
 schemes so much more doubtful in their 
 policy, and likely to be so much more peri- 
 Ions in their consequeiues. I move, there- 
 fore, that the house resolve itself into a com- 
 mittee, to enquire into the causes of the 
 failure of the late expedition to Holland." "• 
 
 The motion was opposed with much ability 
 by Mr. Dundas, Mr. Perceval, and Mr. Ad- 
 dington in the lower house, and by earl 
 Spencer, and lord Mulgrave in the house of 
 peers. They maintained that the expedition 
 liad been undertaken on rational grounds, 
 and that the imperialists had been essentially 
 assisted in their contemporary operations. A 
 great majority in both houses gave their voice 
 against the motion for an inquiry. " 
 
 So formidable were the evils which threaten- 
 ed the kingdom from a cons])iracy of domestic 
 malcontents with our foreign enemy, that it
 
 COG 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 had been deemed expedient to make a tem- 
 porary saciifire ol' liie grand pailadimn of 
 the British ciistitution, (he Itabeus corpus 
 act. A rei:eMal of the suspension being- 
 proposed in both houses, varni debates en- 
 sued. The injustice and the danger of thus 
 tampering m ith the most valuable right of 
 British subjects, was strenuousl\ enforced 
 by its opponents. "It was the oj)inion (said 
 lord Kins;") of the most eminent ]>olitical wri- 
 teis, that this act ought never to be suspended, 
 but ou occasions of the most urgent necessity. 
 Those occasions had been pointed out in the 
 two last years; we were then apprehensive 
 of internal insurrection and foreign invasion, 
 but now they at ere desired to continue the 
 suspension still farther, without any shadow 
 of reason being adduced for doing it. The 
 present mode of proceeding, by his majesty's 
 minister, he therefore regarded as a prelude 
 to rendering it perpetual.'" Lord Hollanrl 
 obsened, that the dreadful atrocities which 
 marked the revolution, the horrid crimes 
 which had been committed in the name of 
 liberty, and the final subjugation of France 
 to a military government, had occasiontd 
 many to incline to arbitrary power, and adopt 
 Toiy and high-church principles, who were 
 formerly animated by a hatred to slaveiy. 
 On this principle he recommended a resist- 
 ance to the sacrifice of national right to pre- 
 rogative. In answer to these arguments, it 
 was maintained, that the horrid principles 
 v.hich had occasioned the suspension of the 
 habeas corpus had been weakened, but not 
 v/holly eradicated ; that the disaflected, they 
 had reason to apj)rehend, were prevented by 
 fear of punishment from prosecuting their 
 malicious designs ; that, as there was the 
 s^ame reason for strengthening the hands of 
 government, it was incumbent on the commu- 
 nity to submit to a temporary deprivation of 
 privilege, in order more efl'cctualiy to enjoy 
 the benefits of the English constitution*. 
 Upon these principles, the bill for a continu- 
 ance of the suspension, and another for 
 continuing an act for the better security and 
 punishment of such persons as should attempt 
 to seduce his majesty's subjects from their 
 allegiance, passed the two houses, and re- 
 ceived the royal sanction. 
 
 OuK attention is called to those tumults at 
 the British capital, which enhanced the diffi- 
 culties of administration at this perilous 
 
 [chap. l. 
 
 crisis, and proved tlie expediency of those 
 precautionary measures which had been 
 adopted. The rigorous treatment of some 
 prisoners, for seditious proceedings in the 
 Cold Bath prison, aflorded them an occasion 
 of complaint; they mutinied against the 
 keeper, and attempted to liberate themselves. 
 The populace, then assembling tumultwously 
 about the prison, would willingly have as- 
 sisted them in effecting their purpose, and 
 were not without difficulty dispersed. 
 
 A FEW days after, a seditious paper was 
 found posted on the monument, inviting the 
 people, who were distressed by the enormous 
 price of bread, to redress their own griev- 
 ances. An alarming tumnlt ensued in con- 
 sec[uence ; and some outrages were commit- 
 ted towards those who were supposed to 
 have aggravated the public distress by using 
 indirect means to riiise the price of bread. 
 HappilyvJiowever, the tiunult was quelled by 
 the timely interposition of the city magistrates, 
 assisted by the volunteer corps ; and the 
 turbulence of the populace was repressed by 
 the spirited and judicious behaviour of the 
 lord mayor, and the beneiicence of public- 
 spirited individuals. 
 
 So serious v^ere the evils which threatened 
 the nation from the immoderate dearth, that 
 the city of London, and other places, earnest- 
 ly intreated his majesty to consult the legis- 
 lature respecting the best m.ode of remedying 
 or palliating them ; and his majesty, of his 
 paternal care, instantly complied with their 
 petitions ; and, assembling a parliament early 
 in the autumn, admonished the two houses 
 to niake the neans of alleviating this distress, 
 and preventing its return, the special object 
 of their regard. After this he adverted {{> 
 the correspondence which had taken place 
 between his ministers and the French govern- 
 ment, on the subject of peace, and the causes 
 of its failure, and deilared his aident desire 
 to restore that blessing to his people. 
 
 After a discussicn of that part of his 
 majestys speech which relateil to the dearth, 
 in the course of which various opinions were 
 given respecting its causes, some of which 
 discovered more of passion and prejudice 
 than of information and reflection, Mr. Pitt 
 proposed two irn>des for the relief of 'he 
 public. One was an increased importation ; 
 the ether, a combination of oconouiy with 
 the use of substitutes forwheateu bread. The
 
 CI! '.p. L.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 mi 
 
 latter measure was particularly eligible at such 
 51 ciisis as the present, not only on account 
 of its eiiect, but the Ceeling- wiiich it discovered 
 i'ov the sufferers, and a disposition to alleviate 
 their snfl'erings, and even to share with them 
 in their distresses. The general sense of the 
 lower house corresponding- with the premier's 
 recomujendations, they voted bounties on the 
 importation of various kinds of grain ; and 
 three bills were afterwards proposed and 
 passed, " to prohibit the use of grain in the 
 distillation of spirits and the manufacture of 
 starch ; to prohibit the exportation of rice ; 
 arid to enable his majesty to prohibit, for a 
 limited time, the exportation of provisions." 
 A select committee was moreover appointed 
 to enquire into the causes of the high price, 
 and to devise the best remedies for the scar- 
 city of food. 
 
 Amidst these scenes of national disquiet 
 and distress, the success of our maritime 
 forces afforded the only agreeable object of 
 contemplation. The first of these, deserving 
 our notice, were actions to annoy "nnd dis- 
 tress our enemy. In the month of June, sir 
 tdward Pellew, with the squadron and land- 
 forces under bis command, made descent on 
 the peninsula of Quiberon in LSretagne, de- 
 •stroyed the enemy's forts, and took or burned 
 the small vessels of war lying there ; after 
 which lie intercepted several ships laden with 
 provisions destined to Brest, destroyed the 
 batteries near Quimper river, and took five 
 small vessels of war moored in Boornauf boy. 
 An exploit, performed by lieutenant Coghlan, 
 on this expedition, deserves to be particu- 
 larised. That gallant young oflirer, in a ten- 
 oared cutter, with only a midshipman and 18 
 sailors on board, attacked and boarded a 
 gun-brig, mounting three 24-pounders and 
 fonr C-po«nders, having "87 men on board, 
 lying within pistol-shot of three batteries at 
 the entrance of LOrient harbour, and, after a 
 sharp conflict, made prize of the l>rig. 
 
 About the same time, sir Charles Hamilton, 
 with bis squadron, made himself master of 
 the isle of Goree, on the African coast, with 
 the dependent factory of Joul. In the month 
 of July, captain Canipliell, in the Dart, made 
 an attempt on the shipping in the road of 
 Dunkirk, and took the La Desiree. 
 
 These enterprises vere followed by others 
 of greater importance in the latter part of the 
 campaign In the month of August, sir 
 
 John Borlase Warren sailed, with the fleet 
 connnanded by him, and a body of troops on 
 board, under sir James Pnlteney, on a secret 
 expedition. The primary object of it was 
 the conquest of Belleisle ; but when it was 
 seen that the work.s on that island were so 
 strong as to render an attack on it unwar-' 
 rantably hazardous, he sailed for the Spanish 
 coast, with a design to attack Ferrol. A 
 descent was made nt.'ar that port, and a skir- 
 mish ensued with a body of Spaniards, in 
 which the British troops gave them a repulse. 
 On reconnoitring the port from the neigh- 
 bouring heights, however, the commanders, 
 who were also informed by the prisoners that 
 it was prepared for defence, thought it ad- 
 visable to re-embark the troops. 
 
 Although the British government was 
 not encouraged to persevere in these enter- 
 prises, against the coasts of our several ene- 
 mies, by any signal advantage which had 
 arisen from thence, yet it was deemed ad- 
 visable to continue them, as the best means 
 to distract their attention ; and, as a cover 
 for the grand expedition, projected for the 
 ensuing campaign, against that French settle- 
 ment in Egypt \^hich Buonaparte intended 
 to be the first step towards the subversion of 
 the Briti.sh power in India. Before the close 
 of this campaign, lord Keith's fleet of twenty- 
 two sail of the line and twenty-seven frigates, 
 with 20,000 landmen on board, commanded 
 by sir Ralph Abercrombie, appeared off 
 ('adiz, and threatened an attack on that city. 
 The governor addressed a pathetic letter to tl)e 
 admiral, representing the deplorable condition 
 of the place, where the plague at this time 
 raged, and intreated him not to embitter the 
 afifiction of the citizens, and bring down their 
 execrations en his head, by adding the evils 
 of war to the hieap of their calauiities. The 
 admiral and general replied, " that as the 
 ships in the j)ort were to lie employed iti 
 augmenting the naval force of the Fiench 
 republic, and jirolonging the calamities of 
 Europe, an attack v^aS to be averted only by 
 a surrender of those vessels. The governor 
 rejecting these proposals with disdain, pre- 
 parations were made for a descent. But 
 when the strength of the place was con- 
 sidered, with its state of defence, and other 
 circumstances, it was thought expedient to 
 retire. 
 
 The British amis, iu the mean time, had
 
 608 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. t. 
 
 bopii crowned with success in difterent parts | for battle !" Tlie advantnge of European di*;- 
 
 ofthe world. In the East Indies our settle- 
 ments were secured by the death of Tippoo 
 Sultan, and the hnal overti)row of liis do- 
 minion. In tiie West Indies, the Dutch settle- 
 Jiiesits of Surinam and Curacoa had fallen into 
 onr hands. And the conquest first of Mi- 
 norca, and afterwards of IMalta, so essential 
 to t!e success of onr meditated enterprises 
 in the Mediterranean, were events which 
 cheered the spirits of the British nation, and 
 gave tijem a j)leasing anticipation of good 
 fortune. Anionc; other advantages, these ports 
 afforded excellent stations for the different 
 divisions of our deet ; where they were pre- 
 pared to enter upon the memorable expedi- 
 tion to Egypt, which arrived at Marraorice in 
 the beguHiing of the ensuing year. 
 
 By the intrigues of Buonaparte a treaty 
 had been concluded between the French go- 
 vernment and the Porte, for the evacuation of 
 Egypt by tlie invaders. It was signed at El 
 Arish by the respective ministers, on the '24th 
 of January, and unfortunately obtained the 
 consent of sir Sidney "Smith on the part of 
 Gr. at Britain, though virtually contrary to his 
 instructions, and decidedly inconsistent with 
 the policy of the cabinet of St. James's. The 
 English court, w hich was desirous to render 
 every possible service to the emperor, whom 
 it had encouraged to renew the war, and knew 
 thattheforces.ifsuflered to leave Egypt, would 
 be employed against him in Italy or Germany, 
 had dispatched positive orders to admiral lord 
 Keith not to consent to any capitulation for 
 the French troops in Egypt or in Syria, unless 
 they should lay down their arms, surrender 
 themselves prisoners of war, and deliver up 
 all the ships and stores, in the port of Alex- 
 andria, to the allies. Thenegotiation, of course, 
 fell to the ground ; and Kleber, being debar- 
 red from leaving a country which had become 
 hateftd to his troops, prepared for the re- 
 sumption of active hostilitifs. 
 
 When the grand vizier, Joseph Bashaw, 
 had gained possession of El Arish, he pro- 
 ceeded, with an army of 40,000 effective men, 
 towards Cairo, and encamped, March "lOth, 
 at Heliopolis, within five miles of the city. 
 Kleher then advanced to give him battle, and 
 endeavored to animate his men by exclaiming 
 in the laconic style of a general confident o"f 
 success: " Soldiers! To the insults of our 
 eneniies wc shall reply l>y victories : prepare 
 
 1800. 
 
 cipline and of the European .system of war 
 was immediately seen. The French army, 
 which did not amount to more than 15,000 
 men, steadily received an onset from the jani- 
 zaries, and, advancing in their turn to the 
 attack, soon put their enemy to flight, After 
 some vain attempts to rally they retreated pre- 
 cipitately to Jafia, and lost half their numbers 
 by hunger, fatigue, or desertion ; while Kleber 
 was consoled in his distress by a victory ob- 
 tained with the loss of only 10 men killed, and 
 about 40 wounded. On his return to 
 Cairo he found the city in a state of 
 revolt, and the people impressed with a belief 
 that he had sustained a total overthrow. Mus- 
 tapha Aga, superintendent of the police, had 
 been put to death, and all who favored the 
 interests of the French had been massacred, 
 or imprisoned. Kleber uud\pceived the people 
 respecting the battle of Heliopolis, concluded 
 a treaty with Mnrat! Bey, and, after several 
 sanguinary assaults, reduced the Turks to ;i 
 capitulation, by which they abandoned the city. 
 
 The plans of Kleber were well calculated 
 to ensure the comfort and security of his 
 troops, to recruit their resources, and retain 
 the natives in obedience. But his skill and 
 his patriotism did not screen him from the 
 shafts of malice. A faction was foruicd 
 against him at the head of which was Menou, 
 and reports were industriously circulated that 
 he had sold Egpyt to the Turks by the treaty 
 of El Arish. On the 13th of June the gene- 
 ral was walking on the terrace of his garden 
 when he received several stabs from a poig- 
 nard, which proved immediately fatal. Me- 
 nou was suspected of having employed os 
 instigated the assassin, but no evidence 
 transpired to justify the charge, nor before 
 his execution by impalement did the criminal 
 make any confession of the causes, or the 
 advisers of the act. 
 
 After the interment of Kleber the ferociou.s 
 but feeble Menou assumed the title of com- 
 mander-in-chief. We have seen that lord 
 Keitli refused to sign the treaty of El Arish, 
 because it was contrary to the instructions 
 received from his government. But it is neces- 
 sary to observe that the ratifications of that 
 treaty, which were exchanged on the 8th of 
 January, 1800, could not have been known 
 to the English government when the instruc- 
 tions were given, because the latter were de-
 
 CHAP. L.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 G09 
 
 ppatched in the preceding inoiifli. Though 
 miofficially coiiohuled, the ii)iuisteis confirmed 
 the treaty as soon as ihey were apprized ot 
 I'he transaction. On the 9th of June lieu- 
 tenant Wriglit arrived at Cairo with a flag 
 of truce hcarinii' despatelies from the vizier 
 and sir Sidney Sn)ith, but Menou, who was 
 well aware that the colonization of Egypt 
 ■was Buonapartes fa\onrite oltject, and asso- 
 ciated the most extensive views of personal 
 ambition wiiU the desire of i>ratifying the first 
 consul, refused to renew tlie negotiation. On 
 learning this refusal the IJritish ministry im- 
 mediately issued orders to sir Ralph Aber- 
 crombie and lord Keith, with the fleet and 
 land forces already employed upon the Span- 
 ish coast, to proceed on an expedition to the 
 coast of ligppt. 
 
 TtiK reje<lion of Buonaparte's overture to 
 the king of England threw the odium of con- 
 tinuing tiie war on this country, and gave him 
 all the advantages which could arise from the 
 circulation of that opinion. His earliest 
 care was to restore peace at home, and he 
 succeeded in smothering hostility. The 
 rebt-iliun in f/a Veiidee was tranquillized 
 partly by force and partly by deceit; and to 
 conciliate the religious part of the nation a 
 decree was issued commanding tlie solemn 
 burial of the late nnfortnnale pontilf. He 
 passed a decree allowing the return of all 
 emigrants who had not borne arms against 
 their country, and abolished many inhuman 
 and unjust institutions. 
 
 The first act of liuonaparte towards a more 
 vigorous prosecution of tlie war, was the for- 
 mation of the army of reserve at Dijon, com- 
 posed chiefly of conscripts and of the loyalist 
 and pacified troops from La Vandee. It 
 aiiiounted to nearly 50,000 men, and was com- 
 manded by Berthier, a man not more accus- 
 tomed to the rigours of war, than to all tlie 
 subtleties of negotiation and intrigue. 
 
 Buonaparte having resolved to open the 
 Italian campaign in person, gave orders to 
 the army of reserve to wait for him at Genoa. 
 On the 12th of June he reviewed the vanguard, 
 under the command of general Lasiies, and the 
 next day the whole was in motion for mount St. 
 Bernard. In passing through Switzerland he 
 charmed the people by the simplicity, ease, and 
 afTability of liis manners. At Genoa Buona- 
 parte paid a visit to madame Saussure, the 
 widow of the celelirated mineralogist, and 
 
 4 I 
 
 conversed with the utmost freedom and afla- 
 bility. At the house of the prefect, where he 
 suj)ped, he related several laughable anec- 
 dotes resjiecting Egypt, and might almost 
 seem to have forgotten, in the hilarity of social 
 intercourse, the cares of ambition and the 
 ravages of war. Trusting to the resources of 
 his invincible mind, he promised his troops, 
 at Dijon, tliat in two dtcades they should be 
 at Milan, and he performed his promise aftei- 
 a series of difliculties, such as were never 
 before so rapidly surmounted by human 
 strength. The park of artillery was assembled 
 at St. Pierre, and the mind which had con- 
 ceived the project of the passage had also 
 provided the means. The great guns were 
 dismounted, placed in hollow trees, and drag- 
 ged by a certain number of soldiers in pro- 
 portion to their weight, the wheels were car- 
 ried over men's shoulders upon poles, the axle- 
 trees and empty waggons were placed upon 
 hurdles, constructed at Auxonne for the pur- 
 pose, and mules were loaded with annnuni 
 tion contained in boxes of fir. Five hundred 
 livres were promised to the men who convey- 
 ed each cannon and its waggon, which they 
 nobly refused, and the rest of the baggage 
 belonging to the army was carried by the sol- 
 diers. The path across the mountains was in 
 many parts so narrow that there was not 
 room for more than- one man to go at once 
 without the danger of beingburied in the snow. 
 Such was the efl'ect of fatigue that they freq uent- 
 ly, when almostexhausted. dipped their biscuit 
 in the snow-water, and fouiwl it a delicious 
 morsel. On their airival at the convent of 
 Great St. Bernard each man receievd a glass 
 of wine to revive his spirits. They had tlun 
 eighteen miles to descend till they passed the 
 steepest part of the mountain, and la re tha 
 greatest difficulty commenced. At every step 
 they met with immense chasms formed by 
 the snow which had melted. The hoi-sts 
 were, with extreme care, scareely kept from 
 slipping, and the men. notwithstanding all 
 their j^recaution, could with difficulty hohl 
 their feet so as to preserve themselves and 
 their horses in the- path, and prevent their 
 being precipitated together into the gulpU 
 beneath. Buonaparte himself sat dow n upon 
 his breech, sliding about two huinlred feel, 
 while his aides-du'Camp went before him. 
 
 At the top of this immense mountain is 
 situated the c;»nvent of Bernardine mouks> 
 39'
 
 610 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CIIAP. l/. 
 
 who have (nken their residence tliere for the ; rnre to render "themselves popular, and all 
 purpose of snrconriiia; distressed travelh'rs, i who had been cast into prison or robbed of 
 and a more dismal residence can hardly be > their possession for their attachment to the 
 conceived; sterility every where surrounds j French, were restored to their families and to 
 them, not a shrub, not an herb is to be found, ^ their ])roperty. 7^e Detail was celebrated for 
 the severity of the cold completely destroys ; their deliverance from the Austrian yoke, and 
 all vegetation ; and not even a bird hovers ! Buonaparte aflected peculiar respect to the 
 within sight of their wretched abode. One j heads of convents and to the rest of the 
 vast monotonous prospect of ice and rocks ! Italian clerg'y. 
 
 extends on every side ; no sound is heard but > The evening before the battle of Marengo 
 that of wind, hail, and falling snow, descend- ; Buonaparte went alone and surveyed atten- 
 ing in immense masses piled up by the hand | lively the plain on which it was to be fought, 
 of nature, which hang from the rocks in fright- ? He had been on horseback from morning to 
 fnl supenses, and when they fall overwhelm ! night, and returned to the camp completely 
 every thing beneath to the extent of many j drenched with wet. His legs were so bc- 
 acres. It is on this savage spot, 1800 feet ; numbed with the cold and rain, that when he 
 above the level of tbe sea, that the holy fathers ! dismounted he walked with pain and dif- 
 Jiave chosen to tix their abode for the purpose > hculty. they brought a few faggots and he 
 of benevolence. If they have a summer of | dried himself before a miserable fire in a miser- 
 three months, and that oidy for three hours ! able hut. At day-break on the 14th of June, 
 in the flay, they think themselves fortunate. ; the troops were awoke by the sound of can- 
 When in winter the wind and snow have i non at a distance ; and in a few minutes after 
 blocked up the path, the guides, who are | a slight repast, the whole army was in the 
 accustomed to the country, come with their i field. About eleven o'clock it was found that 
 mules to find it out again, and pass and re- i the Austrians had attacked the outposts of 
 pass till they have beaten it down. This | the French. Buonaparte immediately mount- 
 operation frequently employs them two or i ed his charger and hastened to the scene of 
 three days, and during this time, if it should « action. The enemy's line extended above six 
 liappen to freeze, they take the opportunity ; miles ; for though it was interrupted by the 
 of provisioning the convent. ; Bormida, that river was fordable in many 
 
 The strong fortress of Bard, situated in ? places. The object of the Austrians was to 
 the midst of rocks and precipices, yet remain- \ gain Voghera, and thus cut of the j-etreat of 
 ed to impede the progress of the army. But I the French. They charged with incredible 
 Buonaparte, to whom nothing seemed inipos- ; violence, and though not above two thirds of 
 sibie, determined upon taking it, and after im- ; the whole French army was engaged, the 
 niense difficulty and fatigue, on the part of ! combat was terrible. Orders were given to 
 the assailants, the fortress at length surrender- \ the troops stationed in the rear to advance, 
 ed. The general himself was at one time so | but the division of Desaix was still at a great 
 worn out tliat he slept tvvo hours upon the } distance. The French had not expected the 
 ground, and the troops filed past him making | battle to commence so early, and were, there- 
 as little noise as possible lest they should i fore, in some measure unprepared. The left 
 disturb his repose. ; wing, under general Victor, began first to give 
 
 HAViNoat length surmounted by his talents, > way, the infantry retreated, and the cavalry 
 his courage, and his perseverance, all the | were repulsed. On the right wing also the 
 obstacles opposed to his progress by art and j enemy gained ground, and followed up their 
 nature, he arrived (May 23rd,) before Turea, I advantage with rapidity. Buonaparte ad- 
 which he captured by escalade; digressed i vanced iu front to prevent a retreat; and his 
 troiu the grand road to Turin, and attacking ; body-guard of horse, leaving his person, took 
 a body of 8000 Austrians posted to oppose 5 an active part in the combat. The consular 
 him at Romagna on the Sessia, he drove them | guard of infantry, amounting to 500, without 
 with great slaughter from their entrench- j the aid of cavalry or artillery, sustained a 
 nients. Mis second entry into Milan was i tremendous attack of the enemy, and though 
 scarcelv less brilliant than the first. The i compelled to yield retreated with as much 
 Austrians had not, in the meantime, taken > order as if they were on the parade. Yet
 
 CHAP. L.j CEOnCE III. Oil 
 
 all tlipse fflbi^s 'vpfc iiioflcctnal. The retnat • Melas, finding so many difficulties in his 
 became general, ilio ceiitrt tiuvo way, inid i centre, from the obstinate re-sistance of the 
 the enemy turned both \vinp;s of the Fiench. J French, imagined that, by extending his wings, 
 Buonaparte exerted all his energy to animate i he could surround them eiitirelj, and thus 
 the remainder of the troops, who defended : cut o/f their retreat. This movement pre- 
 the road, and a delile through which they » vented him from |)prceiving the arrival of 
 were passing, inclosed on one side by a ; the reserves. Buonapaite availed himself of 
 thicket, and on the other by a large and lofty ; this inadvertence, formed the enenjy into 
 Tiueyiud. The village of Marengo dank<d > close columns, and poured his compact and 
 the left of this place, so cruelly niemoril)le. ; recruited force upon the enemy with an ardour 
 Tliirty pieces of caimon, well served, thun- i which nothing coidd resist. In a moment the 
 dered upon the French, cutting in pieces < defile was cleared, and the Austrians repuLsed 
 both nieii and the trees beneath which they ; at every point. The French bore down all 
 sought protection, while the falling branches j before them ; the division of Desaix leaped 
 of the latter terminated the existence of the j over hedges, ditches, and mounds, while thnt 
 wounded. At four o'clock in the afternoon, ; of Victor, on the right, carried the village of 
 withm a radius of six miles there were not in j Marengo, and lievv towartls the Bormida. Tin- 
 front above CIOOO infantry with their stand- i intrepid Desaix, falling upon the village of 
 ards, 1000 horses, and six pieces of cannon i St. Stephano, entirely cut ofl" the Austrian 
 fit for service. All that remained together of; left wing ; but at the moment of his triumph 
 the army were emploved in defending the I he received a v\ound from a lousket-ball, 
 detile already nnntioned. At this terrible ; vvbich terminated his valuable life. He fell, 
 luoment, when all around him was " danger, ; lanientt d by his conntiy, and j)ilied even by 
 strife, and fear," when the earth was strewed : his enemies ; for he was a man possessed, of 
 with the dead and the dying, and cannon- > all the milder virtues, united to the valoui» of 
 baiis were ttaring Tip the ground under his ! a soldier. His last words v\en' worthy of 
 horse's feet, Biu^naparte gave his ordeis w it h ; his life, "leli th.e first consul," said ho to 
 all his usual coolniss. He saw the teir.))est, ; the young Le Brun, who stood beside him, 
 without seeming to regard it. His counte- i " that 1 only regret 1 have uot lived long 
 nance was unchanged; nor did he appear, ; enough to Ik; kn(iv\n to po>lerify." When 
 even for a minute, more than usually agitated. ! Buonaparte lu arc! that he had fallen, he ex- 
 It wa.s to the system of reserves, to which » claimed, in the heat oftheengageim-nt, •' Why 
 he was pectdiarly partial, and whi<;l), if he ! is it uot permitted nie to weep ?" The battle 
 did not invent, he had ronsideral)ly improved, j laste<l not long after his death ; for the troops, 
 that his confidence and tranquillity nnist be ; inflamed with resentment at the loss of their 
 chiefly ascribed. Conscious that a consider- ; beloved commander, charged with redoubled 
 able uundjer of troops remained, who had rot ; ardour, and soon put an end t(j the combat. 
 yet appeared before the enemy, ami who now j The Anstrians fled in every direction, and 
 were firdered to come up as the hi;.t reserves, | night closing upon their defeat, alone pre- 
 he rallied the defeated and difjierseii divisions ; seived them from entire destruction, 
 which had already been repulsed, and e,Y- i Tins ended the fatal battle of Marengo, 
 flainied, " Becollect it is nly custom to sleep « which, had it established the liberty, and n«it 
 on the field of battle.' 'j'his reproof had ; the slavery of I'rance, might have been con- 
 the desired eflect, and many of the forces ; sidered as one tif the most fortunate events in 
 returned to their duty, animated v\ith fresh • modern history. Buonaparte was every 
 ardour. Victory and fortutie, which seemed ; where in the h.ottest of the fire, and came out 
 .to have forsaken their favomite son, ap- ; unhurt, with all those who attended him. 
 ])eared again on his side. The Austrians were ■ 8on:e one remarking this circnuistaiice, he 
 unable to force the defile which was so nobly ; replied, " Mv fortune doubtless preserved 
 defended ; and the reserves of the French, as . them." 
 
 iiuonaparte ha<l arrarige<l from the begin- | Immediately previous to the battle of 
 ning of the battle, began tfl* come up. The ; Marengo, the Austrian general Melas was in 
 divisions of IJonnier and Pesaix arrived, ^ ti'ii ])Osse?sion of Lynibardy and I'iedmont ;. 
 and nothing couUl retard their inipetuosilv . ♦ and, with the aid of the. Engli.' h tieel, undfe-c- 
 
 4 1-2'
 
 (513 
 
 MISTdftY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. L,' 
 
 lord Keifli, he held the wretched remains of 
 Champioiiet's army blocked up in the environs 
 of (ienoa and Savona, while the other divi- 
 sions of the French forces were driven for 
 refuge to the most defensive positions among 
 tiie Alps. The siege of Genoa had been 
 converted into a blockade, after several severe 
 conflicts, in which both parties lost a multi- 
 tude of men. General Massena, with a small 
 French and Cisalpine garrison, found con- 
 siderable difficulty in preserving order 
 among the inhabitants, of whom, during the 
 blockade, 15,000 perished ; many by famine, 
 others by epidemic diseases. When he 
 agreed to a surrender of the place, he would 
 not sutler it to be called a capitulation ; he 
 and the brave garrison merely consented to 
 retire. 
 
 An engagement at Montebello preceded 
 Ihe decisive battle of Marengo. The Aus- 
 trians had the advantage for some hours ; 
 but when the division of general Watrin had 
 arrived, to support the French van, the re- 
 publicans prevailed, and drove their adver- 
 .saries towards Voghera, capturing about 
 4000 men. The victors awaited at St. Juli- 
 ano for the arrival of the rest of the army. 
 'J'hcir perseverance and activity were crowned, 
 as we have seen, by the victory of Marengo, 
 and the whole aspect of Italy underwent a 
 total change. The immense exertions of the 
 Austrian court, the triumphs of Suwarrow, 
 and all the misfortunes of the republican 
 generals, were obliterated by the events of a 
 single day. Melas requested the favour of a 
 truce, and agreed to the surrender of Genoa, 
 so lately and so dearly purchased, and of the 
 principal fortresses of Piedmont and the 
 Milanese. 
 
 Compared with the campaign of Italy, that 
 of Germany was not highly important. In 
 the battles of Engen and Moskirch, the exer- 
 tions of general Kray on the one hand, and of 
 Moreau on the other, did not secure to either 
 of these commanders the undoubted honours 
 of victory. Subsequent engagements opened 
 to the French a passag-e into the heart of 
 Ba\aria, and the usual course of plunder 
 ensued. 
 
 In the late armistice, Buonaparte had 
 prudently stipulated, that neither party 
 should send troops into Germany. General 
 Kray, being by this stipulation deprived of 
 all reinforcements from Italy, was obliged 
 
 (Jidy 1.5th) to conclude an armistice Mith 
 Moreau. Negotiations were then oj)ened by 
 count Julian at Paris, and preliminaries were 
 signed on the basis of the treaty of Campo 
 Formio, upon which Buonaparte insisted, as 
 an indispensable condition. While, however, 
 there remained a ray of hope, the emperor 
 was determined not to submit to stipulations 
 so humiliating and injurious. Kncouraged 
 by a loan of two millions from Great Briuiin, 
 he refused to ratify the treaty, declaring that 
 his ambassador had exceeded his powers. 
 Each party now pie})ared for the renewal of 
 hostilities. The archduke, notwithstanding 
 his dissatisfaction with the present measures, 
 was prevailed upon to place himself at the 
 head of 30,000 men, for the defence of Bohe- 
 mia, now threatened by Augereau from Fiau- 
 conia, and the emperor took the field in person, 
 after conferring the command of the grand 
 army on the archduke John. The armistice, 
 which had been prolonged to the beginning 
 of November, having now expired, hostilities 
 were recommenced with great vigour. Se\ eral 
 battles were fought by the grand armies near 
 the banks of the Tun, in some of which the 
 Austrians, reinforced by the prince of Conde'8 
 troops, were successful. But even their suc- 
 cesses proved eventually unpropitious. Em- 
 boldened by his good fortmie, the Austrian 
 prince attacked Moreau (Dec. 3rd) at Hohen- 
 linden. Unfortunately, owing to the drifted 
 snow which fell, the centre column came to 
 the field of battle before it could be supported 
 by the other divisions. Moreau, seizing the 
 favourable moment, sent one division of hi.s 
 army to pierce between the Austrian centre 
 
 \ and left wing, and attack the former in flank 
 and rear. The movement succeeded in the 
 conflict which ensued ; and the Austrians, 
 though they behaved with signal bravery, 
 were finally thrown into disorder. The right 
 wing made a bold eflbrt to turn the fortune 
 of the day, but without success. At the 
 close of a hard-fought battle, the Austrians 
 
 i were driven from the field with the loss of 
 above 5000 men and 80 pieces of artillery; 
 and the French army, in consequence of their 
 victory, took possession of the city of Saltz- 
 burgh. The court of Vienna was fdled with 
 terror, at the approach of the victorious 
 armies ; and the emperor, in despair, agreed, 
 with the consent of Great Britain, to treat 
 for peace separately, and coudescendcd to
 
 K 
 
 *^"*'* ^■'^ gbouge III. gj, 
 
 undertook to stipulate, not only for hinlseltM or „ 'X 1^1°^/'^ 
 
 but in the name of the Germanic body. By j manic* body collitL^r^f'' '^ .*''" ^•*^'- 
 
 these n.eans the French governn.ent ^ver"! ""I ting ^r^on^l'sU;^^^^ 
 
 saved from the ungracious and scarcely prac- ^ his maiestv nil L i f ^ *''^ ^''^^^^'J'- 
 
 ticable task of settling the indena.tiel/ and ! the ^^'^l^o^h:^:^^^''- ''"^"' 
 
 enforcmg the execution of tiie treaty- anrl I ..sfoJJi.i/ i i .i • *^ "'*^ P""C"ploK 
 
 they likewise evaded the prolix.tiel and'derays I. n se f t^ .i^e " T^'^''''^' ^'-''■'^'' ^^""^ 
 
 inseparable from a congress. The peace of ^ wiMntr, ^ *- pnnces an indemnity 
 
 Canlpo Fonnio formed t!.e basis ol" K ^re J rrranl\inen7P"Se";'7'r^. \l subseqnenlf 
 
 sent. The cession of the Bekic province^ ^' ^^m.ufl fi f • ''''}^'^ *"* *^^ Cisalpine 
 
 the county of Falkenstein, anZthe SkH .i ? \T^J^^ T"^*"^^ ^r^'H that state, ^an.I 
 
 Adige, were to belong to Austria ; and thus ! eonle ofthps. « t '71'^''^ ' =^»^'l 'eft the 
 Mantua, as part of 'the Cisalpine,' came in?o ^ C ot ^Ten ^'l?;. *' -jopt^uch 
 
 the possession of the French The republic J prober ^fW Ih T * ^^^ "-'S''^ j"'^^*^ 
 
 ^yas to enjoy the countries on the left ba^.k of i K^Vor suppl es to Z'p '"'^T''*'^?'' ''^"^ 
 thelihme; the Brisgau was to be given as to ce-U o^K,^^^^ 
 
 an indemnity to the duke of Modena ; and ! Ltions " L mS. Tr^'"^^"> '^'^ '^''' 
 the fortresses on the right bank were o be I remlh. in flT ^^'^ ^'™'^'^ ^^'^re to 
 
 restored by the Fre„ch,%n the exp L con^^ pe iod • b,^ present positions till that 
 
 dition. that they should remain in^the sta^e froop. were to^e o.?' '^7 1' *'^f- ""'''^'•'^' 
 they might be found at the time of the evacu! 1 sessfons of h^s m.£ f^ the hereditary pos- 
 at.H \U. last stipulation, .o vaguel, ex- 1 ^::Z^r^irXX/ <^;,^^^^^^^
 
 CHAPTER LI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1001.] 
 
 Changes coyiseqvent upon the Union— ^Meetino- of the Imperial Parliament — Debates — Catho- 
 lic Question — Dissenlions in the Cabinet — Chavf^e oj JMinistry — 3Tr. Addinu^ton appointed 
 Chancellor of the Exchequer — Expedition to Egtjpl — ^Sunguinary Conflicts belxceen the 
 French and English — Buttle of Alexandria — Death of Sir Ralph Aiercrombie — Eracu- 
 ation of Egypt by the French. 
 
 IN preparing for the legislative uuiou 
 between (.ireat Britain and Ireland, which 
 Avas to take eflect at the beginning of the 
 
 donis were also subjected to suitable altera- 
 tions ; a new great seal was made, and 
 changes adapted to the occasion were intro- 
 
 present year, goverumeut adopted several x duced into the book of Common Prayer, and 
 essential measures. The style of the king | the form of ordauiing and consecrating eccJe- 
 ♦mdergoing a necessary alteration, the opp^r- \ siastical persons. The members of the privy- 
 tunity was embraced of resigning a trophy \ council of Great Britain renewed their oaths ; 
 which had been held for so many ages, the > a large promotion took place, both miiitaiy 
 glorious attestation of British valour, the title x and naval, and some noblemen of Ireland 
 of " king of France.' The executive direc- \ were advanced to the dignity of peers of the 
 tory, feeble and justly contemned as they { united kingdom. 
 
 were, had, during the negotiation at Lisle, j The legislative union also clianged -.ont 
 insisted on tliis renunciation ; and there was 5 the form and title of parliament. It 
 every probability that the consular govern- ; was no longer called tlie parliament of Great 
 meut, more fortunate and respected, and j Britain, but that of the miited kingdom of 
 apparently more iirui, would in any future J Great Britain and Ireland, or sometimes the 
 treaty make a similar requisition. The na- 5 imperial parliament. The house of lords was 
 tion, desirous of peace, would hardly endure ! augmented by the introduction of one arch- 
 to hear of a protracted war, with all its at- 5 bishop and three bishops of Ireland, appoint- 
 tendant expences, for the sake of a mere ; ed to sit in rotation of session, and by 'ift 
 title ; and ministers, aware of this fact, acted ! temporal peers, electt d by the body of the 
 discreetly in yielding to the evident temper ; Irish peerage for life. Into the' house of 
 of the times, and making, by their own choice, i commons the union introduced 100 new 
 a change, Avhich might otherwise have been J menii)ers, of whouj (14 were representatives 
 extorted as the demand of the enemy, rein- ; of counties, 9 of cities, 2ti of borouglis and 
 forced by the clamour of the people. The J towns, and one of the imiversity of Dublin, 
 title, therefore assumed by his majesty on X Many able lawyers were of opinion, that 
 the union was, in Latin, Georgius Tertius, \ on this occasion a dissolution of parliament 
 JJei gratia, JJritanniarum rex, Jidei defensor ; \ ouis,ht to have taken place; but a contrary 
 and in l''nglish, George the Third, by the | opinion prevailfd, and the first parliament of 
 grace of (Jod* of the united kingdom of Great ; the united kingdom of Great Britain and 
 Britain and Ireland, king, defender of the \ Ireland was composetl of members elected 
 faith. The arms and flags of the united king- ; for a period, which by law nu;st determine in
 
 CHAP. LI.j GEORGE III, ^jj = 
 
 three sefisions at f,utl.ost, acl.le.l to otI,..,s J under all the diffirultics of ^^^r have cnni.H 
 
 :;!;srr^^"^r ^^'^^^^■^^ ^^^^^ ^^'-^'y^"'>i--^..ta.ext..tthe.;^i^;;.:r:.s;;^ 
 
 A,,..,. 1. ■ . ? '^"'^•'*. commerce, and roveijue of the comifiv " 
 
 Afteu some delay lu (he nro-rcss of (he ' An iddre^^ r.V .t...,.L . r * ■ ' 
 
 two houses, the king observed, that, at a n)lessin-s, and evnlted in the uririfTnu ,..!.! 
 people, he derived ^reat satisfaction from the srhemes nf fho ..^r.^i. , r i 
 
 be.,,, ™„u ,, f„,. ,1 's,,. ,,„,, . ,„,, ,„,„. ^ Ka'-ii'Smii ".r*,, :. let;,";;'",;:. 
 
 self of the advice and assistance of the united concur in lint i,nt nf tLn^^J-i.tcl i [ 1 
 
 listingm^l.ed by the accomplishment of a : he proposed an inquhv into the eenei-ilsMfP 
 h^hp^'"f'^'^'"•^'"*^"*'r[^ consoli-|of 'the' nation, ami into t^ condTct o^^ 
 tiate the strength and resources of the emnii-e Mninistrv Tl.e ..i I ^f Po^ ^ouuuc i oi rof 
 and to cement more closely the interests 'an^d i Tt th^allel^d"^ old'oT~st'^^^^^^^^^^ 
 aflecions o my subjects, will, I trust, be examination,%nd^ngeL .sly T/uod^ t m 
 tn-r.fj "'"I•'^^^^^ ^''«^ ^''.?«"'-' ^"^••Sy. and ; if we had bv treaty, fu cons.d^era lon of com 
 
 ^" " ;.;i on i:S""^""" "'T •"■" i ""^^"' advantage^'relinquishST^ any o " 
 fer red wi , 1"^'^"''='' '{ '■^^"^'•«^- "« >'e- nation, during a particular war. our supposed 
 ductof I n. ^^'■"' ^"f ''^»'''*' *°"^^ con- right of naval s'earch. this single exiepf .. 
 peared tf rnir?; "r- '"'f °" " 'J^' I ^^^'^ «-'^vcrsive of th^ claim wkh rega o 
 peaicd to be more engaged m endeavours to Uny other people. Such a ria-ht he ^-.iJi 
 
 Thtri 'T i" M "' '^"■"'^ ^^ '\' ^"^*«'' •'■'"Pi'-^' i '=«"•'! o^'Iy ari e from the neceS t'y imnosci' 
 
 ohtlt'lil^^'''^^^^^^ ^".^«»"'^ "^y^ state of war trdXdVuri^t 
 
 t],Till '"ordinate ambition of France, from destruction, by restrainin.^ the operations 
 
 than m cuncerting the means of mutual de- of those who, bv mercantile ad miX en h . 
 
 ^:::^;^""ii''"'-' t't\ "^^^ i"---'>^ o---'emiest;iLi:^r;h!^,i^ 
 
 nnd'^iol nt ^•"•"^dverted on the unjust us. Nothing but the right of sdf-preseiva ion 
 but . . ^'"'''^i'llS' «f "-l'^ ^"'^••t of Peters- « could give us any justffiable power over h" 
 b mg. and censured the convention lately con- i con.ine'ce of an -independent ^jeonle ^nd ? 
 
 new code' ;"^"?- '" ," "^'"'^'"'' '^^ '^''^ ^^ ' '^'^"'•' ""^ -'^horise TJo inte f^re with he 
 
 theriVM /'i'T :T ^"' "'^«'-'«tent with Urade of one nation more than with that of 
 
 iouiitf •• ''''''" '"^ *'*" '"'"'•"^'^ ^^ *'"^ ^ •'^""^''^'•- ^^ ^^''^ J>^d converted the right of 
 
 A..^« the request of ample supplies fi-om I hl^^^^ml^i" Uiril^^S'tc^r^Sy To 
 
 h^ trdebi's'^rV'ii 7""'"^^ ''ri -'^p-f"^tio„, and tii;? r i^^^ou 
 
 I di ine cieli heiations of both houses would warfare had not placed us in a situation in 
 
 provu'rS' benelr'o? T ^"'^ ^'^'^^^ ^^^ ^^■'''^•' ^'^^ ^^'^'^ coLuerce ^f TnVufS'pL r 
 prLotn' Off? I ^ """""' ^">dof M-as incompatible with our defence. J^ord 
 SveTS of hk d"" • t''^ l""^P^'"ty of Gi-enville di.l not strictly answer this argu- 
 them on. cordial l^'"'"'""^" • "^^ i^'^^^^'-^'^ i ",'^"t, but denied that a convention by which 
 otic en 1 vn?« . . .?T'^?'t^ ^''^"' P^*''- *''^ ^^^'•^'^^ of ^''^ '«^^ of nations, in a par- 
 o n'^a;^'? 1 ;rt^^^^^ ^"!' ""'^' '■'^'-^ = ticular case, might for a limited tim^ be wa-ed. 
 
 tuni / nffl\ ^ n y^elf of the earliest oppor- : could invalidate the right itself Such a con 
 
 C^s Jo "'". T^^ '?^ '''■"''"' "''^'''' ^" i '^"^'^'■«"' he thought, w^a. meiely an exception 
 honour I? w iTl^'ft- T .^ '"''"'''^ '^"'^ ^'■"'" ^''" general r.,le, and rather implied than 
 .Seit 4' "'''^^'^"'•'^ '7 the truest and most I disproved the e.xistence of the right. Th« 
 ton of our en "' "'if'^^^'-.the d.sposi- earlof .Moira wished to have the giound of 
 Jestoie to the s^bie!^. f '"''•':' '."f "'"f '"^ ^ *'"^ approaching hostilities with the northern 
 U.e bLsin^s of n "'•', T'i ^'"^''''•" i P""'"""^ '^'•^^'■'y ^t^'^'*'' ^'^f^^'- »'"« J'ouse should 
 
 ami a ...ment tho TJ' ''I t'"^--*^ '.y,^'"""''" i S-ve its sanction to a war which might perha,»s 
 rrl.\ * • ! ,■ =^d vantages which its nil : be avoided without diso-.are 1 o.d Ehlo.i 
 from our internal situation, and which, even kforme.-ly Mr. Scott) discussed Jhe quSn
 
 616 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 respectini^ the right of searching neutral ves- 
 i^els, and argued that it wns a part of the law 
 of nations, originating from the rights of nature, 
 vviiich no convention or treaty could destroy. 
 It was connected, he said, with the idea of 
 self-defence; for any nation which, profess- 
 ing to be neutral, should convey to our open 
 foes the implements and stores of war, would 
 in fact, by furnishing the means of our de- 1 
 struction, become our active enemy. A de- I 
 reliction of this right would be highly inju- 
 rious, if not fatal to our maritime interests 
 and naval glory. A new war would cer- 
 tainly be a very great evil ; but it would be 
 less pernicious than the consequences of such 
 a sacrifice as that which he now opposed. — 
 When the house divided, only 17 peers voted 
 for an alteration of the address, while 73 were 
 content with its being an echo of the speech 
 of the sovereign. 
 
 In the house of commons, Mr. Grey ar- 
 . gued that the obnoxious convention was not 
 so decidedly hostile to this country as to 
 justify on our part measures of op(-n war. 
 Thfc claims of our court, he said, ought to be 
 examined by the test of justice, before re- 
 course should be had to sanguinary violence. 
 Our naval ascendency ought to be studiously 
 — ^ireserved, as the source of our glory and the 
 bulwark of our safety ; but he hoped that 
 the maintenance of that distinction would 
 never depend upon any claim inconsistent 
 with the legitimate interests of other ind<>pen- 
 dent nations, or with the substantial pri.nci- 
 pies of justice and equity. Mr. Pitt contend- 
 ed for the assertion of a claim sanctioned by 
 the most weighty authorities, and oiiserved 
 that, in addition to the law of nations, to 
 established practice, and the opinions of courts 
 of maritime law, he could adduce the strict 
 letter of engagements with the three northern 
 powers, requiring a ditierent conduct fcom 
 that which they were at the present moment 
 preparing to adopt. He could also show, 
 'that Sweden, when engaged in a war against 
 Uussia, bad acted upon the very principle 
 which we wished to enforce, though she now 
 refused to submit to it ; and Denmark, in the 
 last autumn, had solemnly promised not to 
 send out another convoy till the point should 
 be determined ; yet that court was now ready 
 to maintain by force of arms the stipulations 
 of a confederacy similar to that of the year 
 1700. Would it be prudent for Cocut Britain 
 
 [CHAP. Lr. 
 
 to acquiesce in sucli violations of treaty, to 
 endure such glaring insults? Would it be 
 expedient to give opportunities for the navy 
 of her foes to be recruited, to connive at the 
 supply of blockaded forts with warlike stores 
 and provisions, or to suffer neutral nations, 
 by hoisting a flag upon a sloop or a fishing- 
 boat, to convey the treasures of South Ame- 
 rica to the harbours of Spain, or the naval 
 stores of the Baltic to Brest or Toulon ? Such 
 acquiescence would tend to the ruin of cm- 
 naval preponderence ; and, if we should lose 
 that advantage, the spirit of the country 
 would be in a manner annihilated. 
 
 An amendment promotive of an inquiry 
 was rejected by a majority of 182, the numbers 
 being 24-5 and 63. When the address was 
 reported, Mr. Bankes lamented that it con- 
 tained no intimation of a desire of renewing 
 the negotiation with France : the secretary at 
 war replied, that the time was unpropitious 
 for treating, and coolly argued, that greater 
 evil was to be dreaded from an early peace 
 than from a continuance of the war : Mr. 
 Nicholl recommended a change of the minis- 
 trj% that the return of peace might be accele- 
 rated ; but Mr. Wilberforce said, that such a 
 change was uimecessary, as Mr. Pitt and his 
 associates had given sufficient evidence of 
 their pacific disposition. The address was 
 then voted without a division. 
 
 In these debates occasional reference was 
 made to the case of the Hibernian catholics, 
 whose claims, after the completion of the act 
 of union, formed a particular subject of dis- 
 cussion in the cabinet. The premier and lord 
 Grenville represented an acquiescence in the 
 wishes of those sectaries as necessary for the 
 |»erfect consolidation of the interests of the 
 united kingdom, and affirmed, that, as no 
 danger could arise from it, j>olicy required 
 the concession. Several of the royal coun- 
 sellors expressed opposite sentiments ; and 
 his majesty took a decided part in the dispute, 
 alleging that the oath taken by him at his 
 corouation precluded his assent to a scheme 
 which might in its consequences endanger the 
 religions establishment. As this repugnan-ce 
 obstructed the recommendation of the mea- 
 sure to the parliament, and diminished the 
 probability of its success, Mr. Pitt declared 
 that he conceived himself bound by his duty, 
 his conscience, and his honour, to resign that 
 situation in which he was not at full libertv
 
 CHAP. LI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 617 
 
 to pursue liis Ideas of ec|uity and public 
 beneiil. His ivsioualiou was acoepled, as was 
 also that of lord Gr( iiville ; and earl Spenser, 
 at the same time, reliiiqiiislicd all concern in 
 the aflairs of (he admiralty, which he had 
 directed with credit to himself and advantage 
 to his country. 
 
 Whethkr the reason alleged by Mr. Pitt 
 for his retreat from office forjne<l his real 
 motive, or was uicrely a pretext, may fairly 
 be doubled. I am inclined to nnagine, that 
 he was le.ss influenced on this occasion by 
 the disappointment of his hopes of gratifying 
 the catholics of Irtlaiid, than by a wish to 
 extricate himself, with some appearance of 
 honour, from that unpleasant situation in 
 which he had involved himself by his decla- 
 rations and his conduct during the war. He 
 was convinced tliat peace \m!s the general 
 desire of the nation ; and, beiig apprehensive 
 that his ertbrts for procuring it would not be 
 successful, as he had rendered himself highly 
 obnoxious to the rulers of France, he resolved 
 to give way to the appointment of a successor, 
 and thus make an opening for an efliectual 
 negotiation. 
 
 The motives by which he was evidently 
 influenced were honomable to himself, and 
 promised the most propitious consequences 
 to the nation, and his candour and magna- 
 nimity were met with equal delicacy and 
 judgment on the part of his sovereign. Mr. 
 Addington, long the intimate friend of IMr. 
 Fitt, wjis selected by the king to the ofiice of 
 his first minister. He received his majesty's 
 commands to attend him at Buckiiigh;im- 
 lioiise, and was there directed to turn his 
 attention to the formation of a ministry, of 
 which he should be the leader. On this 
 
 tryn)g occasion. 
 
 Mr. Addington acted with 
 
 becoming candour and characteristic integri- 
 ty. He apprised Mr. Pitt of the interview to 
 which he had been called ; he even endea- 
 voured to avert, as far as his influence ex- 
 tended, an event which he regarded as detri- 
 mental to the interests of his country ; and, in 
 his letter to tlie house of commons, he ex- 
 pressed, in the language of truth and since- 
 rity, his regret at leaving the speaker's chair, 
 Ml so melancholy an occasion, guided solely 
 as he was by the respect which was due to 
 the mandate and the wishes of his sovereign. 
 Lord Ilawkesbury was seU-cted for the \a- 
 e^ucy occasioned by the resignation of lord 
 
 4 Ji 
 
 Grenville, and the earl of St. Vincent suc- 
 ceeded to lord Spenser. Mr. Pitt ren;ained 
 in office after the virtual appointment of his 
 friend, that he might adjust the ii;itional ac- 
 counts, and regulate the suj»plies of the year. 
 
 The recurrence of the sovereign's mental 
 indisposition retarded for a v\hile the public 
 business. It was apprehended that a regency 
 would be necessary ; but the return of health, 
 after an illness of three weeks, enabled his 
 majesty to renew his attention to afiairs of 
 state. He then gratilied Mr. Addington with 
 a formal app'^intmcnt to the two olhees which 
 Mr. Pitt had so long enjoyed, substituted 
 lord Hobart and Mr Charles Yorke for Mr. 
 Dundas and Mr. Wyndham, who had fol- 
 lowed the exanij)le of resignation, and ap- 
 pointed the earl of Hardwicke to the post of 
 lord lieutenant of Ireland. 
 
 Previous to the lesignation of Mr. Pitt, 
 the most vigorous eflbrts had been made to 
 bring the war to an honourable conclusion, 
 antl his measures were followed up by the 
 most strenuous exertions of the nev\ ministry. 
 The hands of government were strengthened 
 by the unanimous support whieh, for a while, 
 the ci-(lev(inl ministers cordially aflbrdid to 
 their sncces.sors, and the liberality with which 
 the parliament granted the supplies. Among 
 the last objects of warfare which had demand- 
 ed the attention of the preceding ministry, 
 the expedition to Egy]»t was one of the most 
 |)rominent and arduous; and public curio- 
 sity was now intensely directed to its pro- 
 giess and .its issue. 1 have already recorded 
 the proceedings of the expedition, fiom its 
 arri\al off the bay of Cadiz to its ultimate 
 destination for the shores of Egypt, and it 
 will now be necessary to trace the operations 
 of the forces, from their landing to the final 
 evacuation of the country by the French. 
 
 The fleet of lord Keith, with our army 
 under general Abercrcmibie, arrived in Mar- 
 movice liarbour, uj)on the coast of Coria, on 
 the 28th of "December, 1»00. Having waited 
 there nearly two months, during which time 
 a small reinforcement arrived from England, 
 it sailed for Egypt on the ^-ind cf February, 
 18(»1. "^I'lie troops, in health and spirits, 
 arrived in Aboukir bay on the •2nd of March, 
 1801, at ten A. M. A sham descent had 
 been practised in Marmorice to exercise the 
 soldiers. It was found by this, that fiOOO 
 men might be lauded in the most perfect order,
 
 618 
 
 IHSTORV OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LI. 
 
 aid readj' for immediate action, in the short 
 space oi" twenty-three minutes. Their pas- 
 sage Iiad been boisterous. Several Greeic 
 transports parted from the fleet during a gale 
 of wind, and disappeared for many days, with 
 part of the 12th and 2(>th, and Hornpesch's 
 regiments of dragoons. From these circum- 
 stances, and the lateness of the day, the 
 landing was postponed to the day following, 
 and therefore a great advantage lost. Had 
 the landing been attempted then, there Avonld 
 have been no opposition. The enemy, al- 
 though long before informed of our approach, 
 •was totally unprepared, and the lives of many 
 brave soldiers would have been saved. The 
 army was unable to land on the folloviing 
 day, and thus the enemy gained time to col- 
 lect their forces. Preparations were accord- 
 ingly made for a stout resistance. The suc- 
 ceeding morning was equally unfavourable, 
 and six days were lost in the same maimer. 
 During all this time, the English fleet con- 
 tinued in sight of the French army, and were 
 at length so little regarded, that the F'rench, 
 becoming dupes to the delay, actually be- 
 lieved that the whole was merely a feint to 
 cover operatio)is in another quarter ; and 
 that our real intention was to set off in the 
 night, and land at Jafla on the coast of Syria. 
 This delay, however, was not solely OAving 
 to the weather. A part of it may be referred 
 to another <;ause. Major M'Arras, chief 
 engineer, had preceded the fleet fjom Mar- 
 morice, to reconnoitre the country. He had 
 been twice on the Egyptian shore, and with 
 the greatest success. He had observed the 
 lake of Aboukir; had surveyed all the ad- 
 joining territory ; ascertained the difl'erent 
 heights ; and selected a convenient spot for 
 landing. Having finished all his plans, he 
 unfortunately ventured on shore a third time, 
 to confirm their accuracy, and was observed 
 l)y a French armed boat at the very instant 
 he was putting off to return to his ship. The 
 Avind was against him, and the crew of his 
 bojit, finding every efibrt ineffectual, fell 
 alongside the enemy, and surrendered. By 
 a most dastardly instance of cruelty on the 
 part of the Frencdi, they ])oured a volley of 
 musketry into the l)oat, after the surrender 
 had taken place; by Mhi<-h major M'Arras 
 was killed. Our fleet arrived very shortly 
 after this disaster ; and the comniander-in- 
 chief, instead of obtaining the information 
 
 expected, was compelled to wait till the busi- 
 ness of recointoitring, now become more 
 difficult than ever, could be accomplished^ 
 
 Thus was the descent of our army ^o_. 
 postponed until the 8th of March. The * *' 
 French had now gained even more time than 
 they thought proper to use as the means of 
 defence, and were stationed on the sandy 
 heights eastward, and within gun-shot of 
 Aboukir castle, between that fortress and the 
 entrance of the lake Said. The spot selected 
 for landing was immediately under this hill, 
 and that a worse place could hardly have 
 been chosen, is evident from this circumstance, 
 that the enemy had, besides their artillery 
 upon the heights, a covering for their flanks 
 of eight field-pieces on the right, and four 
 upon the left. These, together with the guns 
 of the castle, bore down upon the place of 
 landing. The day prior to the descent, sig- 
 nals were made to cook three days' provisions 
 for the troops, and for the boats of every de« 
 scription to put off from their respective ships, 
 and to repair to the Mondavi brig, as a point 
 of rendezvous, when a false fire should be 
 shown from the Foudroyant, the ship of the 
 commander-in-chief. On the following morn- 
 ing, the 8th of March, at three o'clock, A. M. 
 the expected signal was made. Eveiy boat 
 instantly repaired to the several ships to take 
 in their quota of troops; and then proceeded 
 to the appointed station, close under the hill, 
 about three miles from the enemy, whence 
 they were to move according to the order of 
 battle. Thus they all remained, until the 
 whole of the reserve was collected around the 
 Mondavi. 
 
 Never was any thing conducted with 
 greater regularity. The French, to theiv 
 astonishment, as they afterwards i-elated, 
 instead of bdiolding a number of men landed 
 pell-mell, saw the British troops preparing a 
 regular line as they advanced in their boats, 
 although the wind was directly in their teeth, 
 and finally landing in regular order of battle, 
 under the heaviest fire perhaps ever experi- 
 enced. Shells, camion-balls, and grape-shot, 
 coming with the wind, fell like a storm of 
 hail about them ; yet not a soldier quitted his 
 seat or moved, nor did a single sailur shrink 
 from the hard labour of his oar. Not a mus- 
 ket was suffered to be charged luitil the 
 troops coidd form upon the strand. They 
 were commanded to sit still in the boats ; and
 
 CHAP. LI. J GEORGE III. Cli^ 
 
 this comiiiand, with inconreival)le firmness, ! Meiion, coinniaiicler-in-rhief of the French 
 (lid these men obey ; with tlie exception ; army, was in Cairo. Intelligence had been 
 only of retnrnini!;, for each volley of shot from j repeatedly sent to him, accompanied by en- 
 their enemies, three c,eneral cheers, an ellect ; treaty, that he wonid hasten to the relief of 
 of ardonr, in which their ollicers fonnd it j Alexandria. The French described him as a 
 impossible to restrain them. The feelings of; pompous, obstinate, corpulent man, entirely 
 those who remained in the ships were rot ; absorbed in composing' or deliveringharani^ncs 
 proof against such a sight. Several of our j to his soldiers. ISo persuasion could induce 
 brave seamen wept like children ; and many > him to move. He considered the affair of our 
 of those n|)on the <|uarter-decks, who attempt- i invasion as of little importance. Until our 
 ed to use telescopes, suflered the glasses to > army had actually gained footing in the coun- 
 fall from their hands, and gave vent to their t try, and twice defeated the French troops, 
 tears. | he took no measures to interru|)l their j)ro- 
 
 BuT the moment of triumph was at hand. ; gress. According to the French statement, 
 For three long miles, pulling in this manner ? general Friant with a body of cavalry, amount- 
 agaiust the wind, did our brave tars strain > ingto 1.500 men, was the only force upon the 
 every sinew. Several boats were sunk by the i spot to oppose thelanding of the English army, 
 hnrsting of the shells, and about 270 men i Had the resistance been greater, and Menou 
 •were killed before they reached the shore. J present, it is believed that the superior ad- 
 At length with all their prows touching the ; vantages of the French position would have 
 l)each at the same instant the boats grounded. ; rendered a descent upon the coast imprac- 
 Tlien a spectacle was presented that will be ; ticable. 
 
 ever memorable. Two hundred of the French I A skirmish took place on the 12th of 
 cavalry actually charged into the sea, and ; March. In this atlair the 12th regiment of 
 were seen for a few seconds hacking the men ; dragoons, by too precipitate a charge, sufter- 
 in the boats ; these assailants were every one > ed considerably. Colonel Archdale, who 
 killed. It was now about ten o'clock in the | commanded it, lost an arm, receiving a shot 
 forenoon ; and within the space of six minutes | at the very instant he was raising his sabre as 
 from this important crisis, the contest was j a signal for his troops to advance. This did 
 decided. The 42nd i-egiment leaping up to ; not prevent him from leading his men gal-- 
 their middle in water, formed rapidly upon > lantly through a body of the enemy much 
 the shore ; and with a degree of impatience i superior in nunil>ers. Captain Butler of the 
 nothing could restrain, without wailing to ; same regiment was also taken prisoner. This 
 load their muskets, broke from the main line ; brave but rash action was publicly noticed by 
 before it could be formed, and ran gallantly I the commander-in-chief, and a caution added 
 op the hill, sinking deep in the sand at every 5 against the ill effects of such intemperate 
 step they took. In this perilous situation a ; valour. 
 
 body of French cavalry pushed down upon ; On the 13th, the following day, our army 
 them; but, instead of being thrown iiito any I attacked and drovjj the enemy from the heights 
 «lisorder, they coolly received the charge upon j to which they hjwl retreated after the action 
 the points of their bayonet; and the rest of > of the 8th. This battle was desperately fought 
 the army coming up, routed the enemy on all ; on both sides. The residt, however, proved 
 sides. The French fled with the greatest ! the superiority of the English bayonet. The 
 precipitation. Our troops had been taught to ; French were found on this occasion to have 
 expect no quarter, and, therefore, none was | used bullets and cannon-shot of copper and 
 given. The wounded and the dying neither; brass, generally deemed a dishonom'able prac- 
 claimed nor obtained mercy ; all was blood \ tice, as calculated only to gratify cruelty and 
 and death. Humanity remembers some things i malice. The slightest wounds so inflicted 
 she may wish to forget. Let us expres.<j a | are said to be mortal. This species of ammu- 
 hope that British glory will not often i)e thus ; nition was obtained tVom the sheathing of the 
 impaired by such unnecessary havoc on a ; ships in the port of .Alexandria. Several of 
 subdued enemy. Our loss in killed and | those balls were exhibited in the lieet, and 
 wounded amounted to ofJO. I some of them were afterwards fotmd in the 
 
 When our troops lauded Jarjues Abdallah | sand where the action took place. This 
 
 4 K 2
 
 C-20 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CILVP. LI. 
 
 action, it was reported, was not duly fullowed 
 up. The enemy were allowed to establish 
 themselves in a most advantageous position, 
 upon some heights, whence it was found ex- 
 tremely difHcult to dislodge thorn. To this 
 place our army pursued them, and then re- 
 treated to an eminence near some ruins, 
 rendeied afterwards renowned as the theatre 
 of the most dreadful carnage during the battle 
 of the 2 1st. 
 
 AI)out the 19th Menou arrived in Alex- 
 andria, pouring forth a torrent of abuse against 
 the garrison and troops who had opposed the 
 landing of the English army. He reproached 
 them in one of his turgid harangues, with 
 " allowin<>' to their everlasting shame, civ. army 
 of hemes to be chastised by a mob of Em^lish 
 schooiboijs." The fat tigureof Menou, added 
 to his blustering and gasconading manner, 
 rendering him a pleasant object of ridicule to 
 the vivacity natural to the French, who dis- 
 tinguished him by the name of Cochon General. 
 Immediate preparations, however, were made 
 for a general attack upon the English with 
 his whole force, pour les a7ineantir, as he ex- 
 pressed it. The day for this great event was 
 fixed for the 2 1 st, when our army was to be 
 surprised before daylight in its encampment, 
 routed, and tumbled into the lake Aboukir. 
 
 At the hour appointed the attack was made. 
 In the beginning of it the French conducted 
 themselves with admirable skill. It is cer- 
 tain our army did not then expect them, al- 
 though for two preceding nights the soldiers 
 had been ordered to lie down upon their 
 arms, and to be ready at a moment's notice. 
 They came silently on, and in good order. 
 With amazing perseverance they even crept 
 upon their hands and knees through the fear 
 of alarming our videttes. The French videttes, 
 however, were observed to draw nearer and \ 
 nearer to ours, until, at length, the English I 
 Nentinel observed the French army close 
 behind, coming slowly on in a line. This 
 man gave the alarm by tiring his piece and 
 retreating with all possible expedition. The 
 French instantly and rapidly charged up the 
 hill, beginning a false attack upon our left, 
 and carrying a redoubt by means of the 
 bayonet; intending thus to draw our atten- 
 tion from its right where the main assault was 
 designed. This project, however, was soon | 
 perceived by our commander and failed of its \ 
 effect. It was still dark. The firing ceased \ 
 
 upon the left, and was soon heard very warm 
 upon the right. To that point, therefore, 
 general Aberrrombie directed all his atten- 
 tion, although both armies discharged their 
 artillery without discerning a single object, 
 except during the tiashes of the cannon, when, 
 as an ofhcer l)elonging to the reserve assured 
 us, the French, army was not otherwise 
 visible, although now so near, than by the ap- 
 pearance of a long black line, disclosed 
 during those momentary coruscations. As 
 dawn appeared, the French were found to 
 have succeeded in turning our right wing; 
 and a party of their cavaliy were actually 
 seen advancing to tiie rear of the 28th regi- 
 ment. The prudence and gallant conduct 
 of this regiment gave the ti\rA favourable turn 
 to the conflict of the day. Cavalry in the rear 
 of the infantry have generally the power to 
 throw them into disorder. It was at this 
 critical moment, decisive as to the fate of 
 Egypt, that an adjutant of the 28th gave the 
 word, rear rank rio-hi about, face. This was 
 readily obeyed ; and the soldiers, with astonish- 
 ing tirmness and presence of mind, sustained 
 a severe attack in front and rear at the same 
 time, without a single man moving from. his 
 place. At this juncture the 42nd regiment, 
 coming up to aid the 28th, were themselves 
 everwhelmed and broken by a body of the 
 enemy's cavalry. Still, though dispersed, 
 they resisted to a man, and were seen so inter- 
 mingled with the enemy, that the flank com- 
 panies of the 40th, stationed in the openings 
 of the ruins upon the right, were afraid to tire 
 lest they should destroy them. Menou had. 
 promised a louis to every French soldier who 
 might be concerned in establishing a position 
 in that building, and several attempts were 
 made for the purpose. The 58th had been 
 stationed therein the beginning of the action, 
 with a part of the 23rd, and had already re- 
 pulsed a column of the enemy in its attack 
 upon this place; when during the severe con- 
 flict sustained by the 28th in front, three 
 columns forced, in behind the redoubt where 
 that regiment was stationed, and while some 
 of them remained to curry on the attack upon 
 its rear, the principal part penetrated into the 
 f|uadrangular area formed by the ruin. Here 
 they were received by the 58th and 23rd, and 
 followed by a part of the 42nd, who cut off 
 their retreat, so that a most desperate conflict 
 ensued. Our men attacked them like wolves.
 
 €nAP. Ll.J 
 
 CEORGR III. 
 
 G!2i 
 
 with less ardotir tliau valour, tlis)>laying a 
 dej^reo of inlrepidity notliiiii;- could resist. 
 After spendinn- all iheir aniiniuiition, they liad 
 recourse to stones, and the hiitt end of their 
 pieces, transtixinsf the French with their 
 bayonets against the \valls of the building, 
 until they had covered the sand with the 
 blood and bodies of their enemies, Avhere 
 they remain heaped at this hour, a striking 
 nionnment of the honor of that day. Not 
 fewer than 700 Frenchmen were buyonetted 
 or shot among- those ruins. 
 
 By some vuiaccoiuitable negligence, the 
 principal part of the artillery and annnunition 
 had not been brought to the station then 
 occupied by our army ; hence originated a 
 saying, that the French had been beaten by 
 an enemy destitute of artillery. Certain it is, 
 that both the '2JUh and the 4-2nd regiments, 
 towards the termination of the conquest, were 
 reduced to the necessity of throwing stones. 
 General sir llalph Abercrombie, with a view, 
 as it is related, of rallying the 42nd, hastened 
 towards the dreadful conflict in the ruin upon 
 the right, and was nearly surrounded by a 
 party of French cavalry. A dragoon made a 
 thrust at him ; but sir Ralph, receiving it 
 between his breast and his left arm, wrested 
 the weapon from his antagonist. At this 
 moment, an English soldier, seeing another 
 ride towards the general to aim a blow at 
 bim, and being without a ball, thrust his 
 rauH-od into his piece, and with it shot a dra- 
 goon. Soon after, sir Ralph was seen without 
 his horse, the animal having been shot under 
 him, when sir .Sidney Smith, couiing up, sup- 
 plied him with that on which he was mount- 
 ed. It was on this occasion, that sir Ralph 
 presented to sir Sidney the sabre he had 
 wrested from the dragoon. Soon after, our 
 venerable commander received in his thigh 
 the fatal shot, of which he afterwards expired. 
 
 \ i( TORY now declared itself for the Eng- 
 lish, and it may be said to date from the 
 moment when Abercrombie received his 
 mortal wound. Five French generals were 
 killed. Mt iiou"s horse was shot under him. 
 It is said that he wept when he beheld the 
 fate of the day, and exerted himself in vain 
 endeavours to rally the retreating army. 
 Among the wounded on our side were gene- 
 rals Oakes, Moore, Hope, and sir Sidney 
 ♦Smith. The loss sustained by the French 
 
 was not less than 4000. Eleven hundred of 
 their dead were buried by our own troops. 
 After the action l)otli armies maintained the 
 same positions they had occupied l)efore the 
 battle. The French also left behind 400 
 hor.ses killed, two pieces of camion, antl thf 
 standard of the regiment so proudly termed 
 Invincible, inscribed with the names of the 
 principal scenes of Buonaparte's triumph in 
 Italy. The glory of securing this trophy 
 belongs to Anthony Lutz, a private in the 
 Minorca regiment. It had first been taken 
 by major Stirling, and consigned to the care 
 \ of a Serjeant in the 42nd regiment, named 
 \ Sinclair, from whom it was wrested by the 
 * French. It was afterwards recovered by 
 Lutz, Avho received the reward and honours 
 due to the achievement. 
 
 After the 21st of March, the affairs of the 
 expedition remained at a stand. The death 
 of sir Ralph Abercrombie threw a gloom over 
 every thing. Although general (now lord) 
 Hutchinson followed precisely the plan which 
 was understood to be general Abercrombie's, 
 the regret of the army and navy was only 
 expressed by murmurs and discontent. INo 
 one, however, as the event has proved, could 
 have devised a more wise scheme for the ul- 
 timate deliverance of Egypt. He directed 
 the operations of the army successively to 
 the different stations held by the dispersed 
 forces of the enemy : subduing them one 
 after another, instead of allowing them to 
 combine their strength, he was enabled to 
 effect what no other plan of carrying on the 
 \ campaign could possibly have brought to 
 l>ass. If matters did not proceed as speedilj 
 as before, they proceeded safely and surely. 
 
 The first effort was to cut off all connnnni- 
 cation between the garrison of Alexandria 
 and the rest of Egypt. This w as effected by 
 destroying the canal of Alexandria, and there- 
 by not only preventing a supply of fresh 
 water, but also causing the w aters of the lake 
 Aboukir to fall into the antient bed of the 
 lake Marcotis. The canal was cut through 
 in two ))laces ; the current, rushing vehe- 
 mently down a steep of eight feet, soon car- 
 ried away the intervening mound, and pro- 
 du< ed an inundation, extending to sucii a 
 prodigious distance, overall the de.sert to the 
 east ami south of Alexandria, that, before the 
 I middle of May, the French (than whom no
 
 <)22 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LI. 
 
 people show more alertness in converting even 
 disaster to some advantage) had a flotilla of 
 gun-boats on this new-created sea. 
 
 About this time, Fort Julian, upon the 
 Rosetta branch ol'tlie IVik-, was taken by the 
 English and Turks, wiiich was followed by 
 the evacuation of Rosetta. Rhamanceh, an 
 important fort, w as then attacked and carried ; 
 by tlie capture of this place all communication 
 with Alexandria was said to be interrupted. 
 Immediately after this capture the English 
 army began its march to Cairo. Their rout 
 was along the banks of the Nile. They pro- 
 ceeded about ten miles a day, suffering much 
 as well from the heat as dews. Barelos and 
 Damietta, upon the coast, were abandoned 
 by the French. On their route over the inter- 
 vening sand and trackless desarts, the gene- 
 ral and his troops were cheered by the intel- 
 ligence that the grand vizier, assisted by a de- 
 tachment under major Holloway, had gain- 
 ed, May 15th, a complete victoiy at El Hauea, 
 over a body of forces sent by Reliiard to op- 
 pose his march from Balbeis, and had pur- 
 sued the enemy to the plains of Heliopolis. 
 This event and the capture of two valuable 
 convoys on their progress, which afforded the 
 army a seasonable supply of provisions and 
 camels, and the intelligence that soon arrived 
 of tlie surrender of fort Lesbe and the fort of 
 Damietta to our arms, anin)ated the troops 
 with sanguine hopes of the final success of the 
 expedition. Encouraged by the representa- 
 tions of the Turkish grand vizier, and of the 
 other generals with whom he obtained an 
 interview at Menouf, general Hutchinson con- 
 certed his plan for the reduction of the city, 
 and having crossed the Nile on a bridge con- 
 structed of small vessels, was preparing for 
 an attack on the enemy's forces posted at 
 Gaza, when a flag of truce arrived from general 
 JBelliard. An interview, in consequence, took 
 place between generals Moran and Hope, 
 and a capitulation was concluded, by which 
 it was agreed, that " the French forces should 
 be conveyed to the French ports in the Medi- 
 terranean with their arms and effects within 
 fifty days from the date of the ratification ; 
 men of letters and naturalists were permitted 
 to retain their papers and collections; an 
 exoneration was granted to such of the people 
 as had adhered to t!ie cause of France; and 
 jt was stipulated that Menou might avail him- 
 
 self of these conditions for the surrender of 
 Ale.xandria, provided his acceptance of them 
 was notified to the general commanding before 
 Alexandria, within ten days after receiving 
 the communication made to him." The sub- 
 se(]ueiit ratification (June 26th,) of this treaty 
 surrendered to the English general full pos- 
 session of all that t!)e French had held in the 
 interior parts of Egypt, and opened a flatter- 
 ing prospect of final success. His anticipa- 
 tions of good fortune were soon confirmed by 
 the arrival, a few days after the capitulation, 
 of 5000 troops under sir David Baird. That 
 gallant general, on learning the state of afiairs 
 in Egypt, had set sail from India in the month 
 of December 1800, by the course of the Red 
 Sea, but terminated his voyage too late to 
 gratify his passion for military fame, or his 
 zeal for the service of his country. During 
 these successes in the interior, general Coote 
 was invested with the coujuiand of the forces 
 left to maintain the ground which the British 
 army had occupied before Alexandria. His 
 army, although reinforced with 1800 men from 
 England, was too weak to enter upon active 
 operations, till the several divisions of the 
 grand army had arrived from Cairo. 
 
 When general Menou was informed of the 
 surrender of that city, and particularly of that 
 article in the treaty which concerned himself, 
 he expressed uiuch indignation, and declared 
 that he would bury himself in the ruins of the 
 city rather than surrender it to the enemy. 
 All the forces being assembled before Alex- 
 andria, the English gun-boats having passed 
 through the cut from lake Aboukir to Mare- 
 otis to assist in the siege, and lord Keith 
 having prepared to co-operate in the Mediter- 
 ranean, hostilities were commenced with great 
 vigour. They were continued for twelve days, 
 and considerable advances were maile by the 
 besiegers ; when, finding all his efforts inef- 
 fectual, Menou sent an aid-de-camp to desire 
 an armistice for three days, which was granted 
 him, but could not be renewed, even at his 
 earnest request. General Hutchinson de- 
 clared that he would recommence hostilities 
 if an answer to his |)roposals were not in- 
 stantly given. A capitulation was then con- 
 cluded of the same purport with that signed 
 by Belliard, such as eiubraced every de- 
 sirable object, without unnecessarily driving 
 [ the conquered to despair, and which delivciv
 
 CHAP. LI.] GEORGE III. Q2!i 
 
 ed Es;ypt, and consequently India, from the j trade. Paul I. in a fit of derangement, liavii.*; 
 miseries and the dangers of French possession i assnmed the title of grand master of the order 
 and invasion. t of knights of Malta, and being refused pos- 
 
 While Great Britain was thus extending j session of that island, which he had taken by 
 the glory of her arms, her commercial prospe- i blockade, ordered the English vessels in his 
 rity was endangered by the combination of; ports to be detained, and their crews to be 
 the maritime powers against the fundamental j marched into the interior of the country, pre- 
 principles of her naval existence, and against i vailing, at the same time, on the Danish and 
 the exercise of that right of search, which is « Swedish courts to concur in the formation of 
 indispensible to the prosecution of her foreign ; an armed neutrality. 
 
 CHAPTER I.IL 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1801.] 
 
 Hostile Measures of Great Britain affainsi the Northern Powers — Admiral Parkers Fled 
 parses the Sound — Battle of Copenhagen — ^7id Armistice — Farther Operations of the 
 Eu<rlish Admiral — Conduct of the Emperor Paul — His Sudden Death — Declaralion of 
 the Emperor Alexander — Hamhuri(h occupied by the Danes — Declaration of the Ki?}"- of 
 
 Prussia to the electoral States of Hanove) And Convention between him and the Regency — 
 
 Danish and Swedish Islands in the West Indies taken by the British — Conventions for the 
 neutraiily of the Elbe — And the Evacuation of Hamburgh — Occurrences in the Bailie — 
 Convention between Russia and Great Britain — Spain declares War against Portugal — 
 Military Operations — Peace of Badajos — And Treaty concluded by the Portuguese and 
 French Government. 
 
 WHILE the flames of war were gra- • while the eye ranged along the ocean, we 
 dually expiring in the southern par s I every where beheld the British fleets travers- 
 of the European continent, the progress of • ing it, triumphant, 
 the northern alliance presaged events of in- 5 Denmark, as the most ostensible 
 calcuhible consequence to the future inter- ; agent in provoking the dispute, and 
 ests of the maritime powers. The iilarm ex- ; as nearest and most advantageously situated 
 cited in the minds of the inhabitants of this ; for an attack, was selected to be the first that 
 country by the magnitude of so extensive a | should experience the weight of our indigna- 
 confederacy, M'as gently suppressed by a \ tion. Singly she could not presume to enter 
 strong confidence in our nu\y, which has 1 the lists with Britain. Her Dopulation, extent, 
 maintained, witli increasing glory, the safety ; and revenues, being comparatively scanty, the 
 and dignified attitude of the nation. Amidst | scale of preparation, both military and naval, 
 reiterated ceuhtires on ininisterial incapacity, i must in time of war ne apportioned to her 
 we enjoyed one source of houe&i exuilatioii ; ^ feeble resources. A long repi/se had rendered
 
 624 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LII. 
 
 r:oubtfiil the skill and courage of her soldiers ; 
 and her seamen, notwithstanding the favour- 
 able state of her commerce, were not inured 
 to maritime warfare. In fine, her power was 
 little ; her experience less. Yet roused to 
 exertion by th.e supposed violence and aggres- 
 sion of Britain, she had hastily arranged what 
 means of defence the sudden hostility of the 
 latter allowed her time and opportunity to 
 collect. Her enemy, in the full vigour of a 
 naval strength, which eight years of war had 
 (completely matured, could instantly divert 
 part of that force to crush a weak antagonist. 
 The confederated powers must have calcu- 
 lated, that Eng!an<l, intimidated by the ap- 
 parent greatness of the combination, would 
 a second time temporise with their measures ; 
 or that her attention was so much attracted 
 by the contest with France, as to afford them 
 time to assemble a fleet for their protection. 
 They do not seem to have ever surmised that 
 she would anticipate their designs by attack- 
 ing them singly, before their defensive plans 
 Mere completed. 
 
 The British fleet arrived in the 
 ^^'' Cattegat on the 20th of March, and 
 next day Mr. Drummond presented a note 
 to the Danish government, and had an inter- 
 view with the minister. In this ullimalum he 
 required Denmark to secede from the north- 
 ern alliance, grant a free passage through the 
 sound to the fleet, and consent that Danish 
 vessels should no longer sail with convoy. 
 The answer given by count Bernstorff was an 
 explicit and firm refusal to abandon the con- 
 federacy. Mr. Drummond, therefore, left 
 Copenhagen in the evening, on his return 
 home. Admiral Parker, on the 28th, sent a 
 flag of truce to colonel Strieker, commandant 
 of the fortress of Conenberg, with a despatch, 
 importing that the hostile conduct of Den- 
 mark, and the dismissal of the English charge 
 d'affaires from Copenhagen, rendered it 
 necessary to demand, whether the fort would 
 permit the ships to pass without molestation. 
 The colonel, by direction of his court, gave a 
 positive refusal ; upon which Parker replied, 
 that he considered the answer as a declara- 
 tion of war, and would immediately com- 
 mence hostilities. Accordingly, on the 
 morning of the 30th, he entered the Sound, 
 a few of his headmost ships maintaining a 
 brisk cannonade with the Danish batteries, 
 but the rest without firing a shot. The five 
 
 vessels in the van sustained some damage ; 
 but, by keeping towards the Swedish side, 
 the whole fleet passed without any material 
 injury. The town of Helsinberg, on the 
 Swedish coast, is an open place ; and by 
 antient stipulations, the court of Stockholm 
 are not allowed to erect any f.>rtifications 
 there, that no obstruction may be given to 
 the rights of Denmark to the toll duties. "No 
 opposition, therefore, wasattenipted, or could 
 be made, by the Swedes to the passage of 
 the English, 
 
 What ])reparations time would permit, 
 were made, to put the capital in a state of 
 defence. The harbour of Coj)enhagen is 
 surrounded by the fortifications of the town. 
 Its entrance, which is secured every night by 
 a boom laid across it, is so narrow, that one 
 vessel only can enter at a time. The citadel 
 forms a regular fort, with five bastions, a wet 
 ditch, and several advanced works, and de- 
 fends the passage on one side, while it is 
 protected on the other by a strong block- 
 house, well mounted with heavy artillery. 
 Batteries had also been erected on the island 
 of Aniack, which shelters the harbour from 
 the surge of the sea, and contributes greatly 
 to the security of the anchorage. The haven 
 is capacious ; and, being surrounded by a 
 wooden gallery, exhibits a most interesting 
 scene, particularly when the port is crowded 
 with ships. In the approach by sea, Copen- 
 hagen is seen lying at the bottom of an ex- 
 tensive bay in the form of an immense amphi- 
 theatre, and gently sloping to the water's 
 edge, so as to present to the spectator an 
 expanded view of all its extent and grandeur. 
 The docks are in the centre of the city, and 
 the harbour at present contained ten or eleven 
 sail of the line, all newly built or repaired, 
 and in excellent order. Besides these, a 
 number of old vessels had been equipped for 
 the purpose of forming an external line of 
 defence, which will more particularly engage 
 attention. 
 
 The crown prince took the command ia 
 the city, and put himself at the head of the 
 military and armed burghers. He was inde- 
 fatigable in his exertions ; superintending- 
 every thing, shewing hiniself every^ where, 
 inspiriting the courage of the people, and 
 rewarding their zeal. The houses of the in-r 
 habitants were provided with pails of water 
 ! for extiugiiishing flames, and the fire coia-
 
 CHAP. Lll] 
 
 GEORGE lit. 
 
 G-2.3 
 
 panics staiioned near tlie most exposed parts ; 
 of the oily. Mortar and ijun l)att<ries were 
 erected in tlie most approved defensive points, 
 and wherever they eould be broujjfiit to bear 
 apaiiist ships ; and all the appro;;(hes to the 
 tvwu were fortitied, from the narrow channti 
 called the Grounds on the sontli, to its north- 
 ern extremity, where the eitadel is situated. 
 The crown batteries, two forts con.structed on 
 pifes, were mounted with artillery, the largest 
 witli tifty-two tw<nt;^-foiir or thirty-six pound- 
 ers, and four mortars, and the otiier witii 
 thirty-six pieces of the name caiiltre. in a 
 line with tlie city, and along the edge of the 
 channel, seven men of war, (one ))ierced for 
 74 guns, the rest for (iO and under) two fri- 
 g»t<}», and six sniaUer vessels, carrying from I 
 18' to '24 caimon, lay aground. All these ; 
 ships were old ludks cut down into pontoons, | 
 or floating batteries, which were again com- 5 
 manded by two f?hips of 70 guns and a fri- 
 gate, in the inner road, oft' the crown batteries 
 to the north, while two old sixty-fours were 
 moored on the flat to flie right of the entrance 
 into the arsenal. 
 
 After recoinioitnng the enemy's position, 
 the Briti.sh admiral resolved to make the 
 httack with his fleet, in two divisions. Lord 
 jVelson, with twelve sail of the line, four fri- 
 gnt^s, foursloops of war, two fire-ships, seven 
 bolnb' vessels, and all the small craft, pro- 
 cee(i(»d to llie southward, in order to approach 
 by the IVlifblle Ground to the kings Diep. 
 tie had jSrevionsly explored the channel, 
 which was iy ndered more doubtful and intri- 
 cate by the ren)oval of the ordinary sea-marks 
 and huoys. Admiral Parker, with seven or 
 riglit nren of w ar, and the rest of the fleet, 
 were to weigh at the saTue moment, and me- 
 nace the crown batteries, and four ships of 
 the line at t!ie cntrajice to the arsenal ; and 
 likewif-e to cover the disabled vessels as tliey 
 came out of the engagement. 
 
 On the 1st of April, lord Nelson's division 
 weighed, and stood through the chatmel. In 
 the afternoon he anchored Avithin reach of the 
 ♦ nemy's shells, a few of which fell among the 
 ships, atid would have greatly annoyed them 
 daring the night, in the midst of so hazardous 
 a navigation, if, fortunately, the Danes had 
 not ceased firing. At six next ni(»rning, the 
 signal was made to prepare for action, when 
 the vessels proceeded to their stations. Ad- 
 jniral Parker's division, at the same time, 
 
 1 L 
 
 bore away, under a press of sail, for his point 
 of attack; l>ut, on account of the nature of 
 the plan, and the line of approach, the wind, 
 which was favourable to JNelson, was the 
 rever.se to the other ; so that this division w an 
 but slightly engiiged in the subsequent battle. 
 
 As soon as his lordship's leading ship passed 
 those of the enemy lying towards the south, 
 admiral rischer, the Dajiish c()nunander-in- 
 chief of the outer rang^^ of defence, gave the 
 signal for action. The English, as they came 
 up, formed in close line. The Agaaienmon, 
 unable to weather the shoal of the Middle 
 Ground, was obliged to anchor beyond can- 
 non-shot. The I'Jussel and liellona al.so 
 grounded; yet, although not in the stations 
 assigned them, they sliared in the engage- 
 ment, and particularly the latter. The Poly- 
 phemus appears likewise to have kept at too 
 great a distance ; but this was amply con*- 
 pensated by the favomable larboard positiott 
 of the Desiree frigate of 40 guns, which jaked 
 the enemy's most southerly ve*se] froui stenj 
 to stern, without her being able to return a 
 shot, and after she had been previously saluted 
 by the fleet in passing. 
 
 Between ten and eleven, the engagement 
 became general ; and as the winding channels 
 and shoals did not allow llie combatants to 
 retreat, the issue on either side was complete 
 victory or dc-truction. The Danish courage 
 might not peihaps be stimulated to the same 
 degree of desperation as was that of the a.s- 
 sailants. To these there was no friendly 
 harbour, and no coast fnnn whence they 
 could derive succour and safety ; to those 
 again, their proximity to the shore aflorded 
 an easy esca|)e at the termination of the con- 
 te.-4. lu taking their stations, the English 
 vessels had been thrown into some confusion ; 
 and tl>€ Monarch and Detiance, the mo.st 
 northern ships, being much exposed to the 
 strongest quarter of the enemy, and a little 
 subjected to the iied-hot balls of the crown 
 batteries, were repeatedly on fire. IJut the 
 moment the whole line was formed, with the 
 bombs ranged abreast of the midmost ships, 
 the- British opened such a tremen<lous dis- 
 charge, that both fleets were sYton enveloped 
 in smoke, flames, hormr, and death. 
 
 For nearly i'we hours, the battle rr.ged with 
 
 the most des-tructive fury. By foiu' o'clock, 
 
 all the Danish vessels lying to the «outli o( 
 
 the CVowtis, one frigate exc^ivted, wer<; aban- 
 
 -lU
 
 626 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. Utl 
 
 doned by their crews, and either taken, sunk, | duties of humanity, even towards an enemy. 
 
 or burned. Those captured were so damaged 
 by the enemy's fire, that they became mere 
 ■wrecks, and m ere destroyed after the engage- 
 ment, one block-ship and four gun-ships only 
 being preserved. The loss of the Danes 
 amounted to sixteen or eighteen hundred 
 men, killed and wounded ; and that of the 
 British to nearly a thousand. If admiral 
 Parker had been able to come to close action 
 with the left wing of defence, consisting of the 
 
 A short iirmistice, however, v,as consented 
 to, which being prolonged to the 9th, a new 
 one was then concluded, to continue for four- 
 teen weeks, with a notice of fourteen days 
 before recommencing hostile operations. It 
 was stipulated, that the Danish ships of war 
 should remain in their present situation, as 
 to equipment and position, and the treaty of 
 armed neutrality, as far as related to Denmark, 
 be suspended during the truce. On the 
 
 crown batteries, and the four men of war and \ other hand, neither the British tieet, nor any 
 the two gun-brigs that flanked and supported » other British naval force, were to molest the 
 them, the success of the day would have j city, or any of his Danish majesty's ships, or 
 been more complete. The long duration of j trading vessels of his subjects, on the coasts 
 the battle may be ascribed, not only to the j of the difterent islands and provinces of Den- 
 enemy's valour, but to the circumstance of | mark, Jutland included. Admiral Parker 
 the British vessels having struck the ground ; was allowed to provide himself at Copen- 
 in their approach. Nine of our men of war, i hagen, and all the Danish ports, with every 
 and all the heavy frigates, were in full action, | thing necessary for the health and comfort of 
 and two other ships of the line in considerable 1 his crews. The prisoners taken by the Eng- 
 play ; in short, the Agamemnon alone, by I lish were to be landed ; and for them, and the. 
 her unfortunate situation, was prevented from \ wounded set on shore after the battle, an 
 participating in the glories of the tight. In | acknowledgment was to be given, that they 
 their protection of the outer line of defence, ? might be accounted for, in favour of Great 
 the Danes seem, most injudiciously, not to j Britain, in the unfortunate event of a renewal 
 have employed their mortar-batteries on shore. ; '' "' 
 The British bomb-ketches threw shells during ! 
 the whole of the engagement, but without any : 
 consequential effiect, and perhaps with the » ceeded, 
 sole intention of preventing the approach of | letter to 
 aid to the exterior line, and, if possible, an- I Danes," 
 
 noying the inner harbour 
 
 There still remained the left line of defence, 
 which was composed of the men of war, and 
 a range of fortifications mounting about 100 
 pieces of artillery. The destruction of the 
 
 of the war 
 
 At the conclusion of this armistice, 
 Nelson, from whom the overture first 
 and who had addressed his 
 " the brothers of Englishmen, 
 obtained an interview with 
 i crown-prince, which terminated in the most 
 5 satisfactory conviction, that the Danish go- 
 1 vernment was now inclined to measures of 
 ; permanent conciliation. The hopes of his 
 
 lord 
 
 pro 
 
 first 
 
 the 
 
 the 
 
 I lordship, and the interests of humanity, were 
 right vA-ing enabled the English fleet to warp ; at this time promoted by the violent and un- 
 themselves into deeper water, and take a > expected death of the Russian monarch, 
 more advantageous position. Towards the $ The conduct of Paul, since his accession to 
 close of the action, lord Nelson sent a flag of ; the throne, was certainly not calculated to 
 truce ou shore with oflers to negotiate. His > inspire the minds of mankind with a love of 
 
 monarchical government. His restless ca- 
 price and violence hud alienated the afl^ections 
 of his subjects ; and as all military and civil 
 offices, and even the liberty and fortunes of 
 individuals were held by a tenure so very 
 
 negotiate, 
 proposals were, 
 
 1. That Denmark should recede from her 
 alliance with Russia. 
 
 2. That the English should be permitted 
 to repair their ships in the Danish docks. 
 
 And, 3. That the wounded should betaken | insecure, his severity excited a general alarm 
 care of in the hospital*!. > and dissatisfaction among the higher classes. 
 
 The two first articles were positively re- } The vexatious police he established, and his 
 jected, with the additional declaration, that «. numerous, contradictory, and ephemeral edicts 
 Denmark still possessed, courage aiid strength ; rendered in.'^;u})povtable a residence in the 
 to defend her independence ; but as to the I capital. His rupture with England was uu- 
 third, she should/ never omit to exercise the > popular, for Russia, having no trading vessels
 
 CHAP. LII.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 G-27 
 
 of lier own, had carried oh witli the former a 
 very heiieficial ami extensive coiuinercc, 
 Avhirh served to confirm the connexion of the 
 two states. During the latter years of Cathe- 
 nne, ofhces were obtauied and preserved by 
 liberal donations only to her favonrites, whose 
 avarice or extravagance reqniriiio: constant 
 supplies, it was found prudent to overlook the 
 gradual introduction of a system of depreda- 
 tion on the revenue and commerce of the coun- 
 try. It would be erroneous to suppose that 
 the interests of the people were calculated 
 upon at the court of St. Peterburf^h, where 
 the grandees, or persons in superior stations, 
 are alone recogui.sed to have a political 
 existence. 
 
 On the departure of the young king of 
 Sweden, who had paid a visit to the Russian 
 capital while the treaty of neutrality was ne- 
 gotiating, a singular article appeared in the 
 court gazette ; but its private history is not 
 sufficiently known to warrant our giving it 
 as indubitable and autlentic. Whether this 
 eccentric production owed its origin to the 
 "whim and disordered intellects of an emperor, 
 whether it flowed from the sportive fancy of 
 some humourist, or was a forgery modelled 
 by the dark poli<:y of a cabinet intrigue, we 
 presume not to decide. Among the many 
 tales circulated respecting it, the most jjlau- 
 sible ascribed it to the following incident. 
 The emperor, on the day preceding, had 
 exhibited a tournament in honour of the king 
 of Sweden ; — a diversion of which Paul was 
 fond, and partook as a combatant. In the 
 evening ihc festive cup circulated; and, 
 during the entertainment, his imperial majesty 
 received a despatch from Buonaparte, witli 
 some caricatures from England representing 
 him as a madman. The conversation turning 
 on the northern league, and the amusements 
 of the day, the monarch, tired with the s{)irit 
 of chivalry, resolved to insert a challenge to 
 the European potentates, in the conclusion 
 of which he declared himself insane. From 
 a wish, he said, to terminate a war which 
 liad raged for eleven years, he intended to 
 propose a place, \\here the royal warriors 
 might enter the lists, attended by their most 
 distiujiuished ministers and generals, in the 
 capacity of squires. 
 
 TiiK time was v. hen this intimation would 
 liave rousted the valour of every sovereign in 
 Christendom, and attracted myriads of re- 
 
 4 L -2 
 
 doubted knights ; but Paul, thongli grand 
 master of the chivalric institution of ?vialtii, 
 found himself exposed to the general sneei 
 of ll.at inglorious race, whose pmiy arms are 
 nioie befitting the distaft' than the lance. Not- 
 withstanding tlie sarcasms so liberally be- 
 stowed on his majestvs plan, it was, perhaps, 
 not (he most irrational mode of settling the 
 quixotic difiiLiences of these monarchs. It 
 was not, like ordinary warfare, sanguinary, 
 tedious, and expensive ; it allbrded every 
 imperial cli-impion an honourable opportunity 
 of acquiring practical experience of that 
 species of tilting, in which he can involve his 
 subjects with so little repugnance ; and, 
 moreover, it had the additional recommenda- 
 tion of aflbrding pastime to those, whose 
 honest industry is taxed to support panto- 
 
 i mimic exhibitions no less ridiculous. 
 
 ^ This famous challenge employed the con- 
 jectures of politicians for a few months ; but 
 these were absorbed in the more important^ 
 afiairs of the north. The English armament 
 had just appeared in the Sound, when the 
 Russian capital was thrown into consternation 
 by intelligence that the emperor was-r-nmr 
 dered. 1 shall refer to the historian of 
 Russia, the detail of the less know n particu- 
 lars of this transaction, and merely record 
 those facts which are generally acknowledged. 
 After spending the day in hilarity and good 
 health, Paul had retired to rest at half-past 
 nine o'clock, and at twelve he was found 
 dead in his bed-room. A tit of a])oplexy was 
 publicly assigned as the cause of the event ; 
 but the conspiracy was intrusted to too many 
 persons to remain long a secret. The prin- 
 cipal regicide is reported to have been count 
 Zid»ow. This minion was the last favourite 
 of the late empress, — if we may degrade our 
 pen by using the softened phraseology of an 
 ini(]uitous court. Even in her old age, the . 
 frail Catherine indulged herself in that wan- 
 ton dalliance, to which she had devoted her 
 earlier lite. Zubow, who had ofticiated in 
 this ignoble station, lost his power on the 
 death of his niistn ss, and fell into neglect, 
 or v\as disgraced by her successor. In rcr 
 venge, the daring adventurer associated wiih 
 a party of the ministers, who had formed a 
 |)lan to dethrone and confine the emperor, but 
 mIio were, by intervening circumstances, ii». 
 duced to follow up their scheme by putting 
 him to death. As the publication of th*
 
 628 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CIIAP- LI I. 
 
 challeuge was generally ronsidered to be a ; have be*n despatched by the Russian anibas- 
 prelude to the dethronement of the emperor, j sador at Copenhagen to admiral Paiker, was 
 and tlie elevation of his son, these events had « the bearer of a declaration from the emperor 
 been confidently circulatetl in England six ; Alexander, intimating the accephuice of the 
 •weeks before Hieir occnrrence ; — a circum- | ofl'er which the British court had made to his 
 stance M-hich exposed the English ministry ; predecessor, to terminate the dispnte by an 
 to the calnmnious insinnation of their being ; amicable convention. Faithful, he said, to 
 privy (o the afiiiir : but the most exception- » the engagements entered into with the cotnts 
 able part of their conduct was their open i of Stockholm, Berlin, and Copenhagen, he 
 satisfaction at the fate of a man, whom they j had signified to them his resolution not to 
 once revered as a divinity, and now branded I act but in conjunction with his allies, in 
 as a lunatic. i whatever might concern the interests of the 
 
 Ik this manner died Paul I. at the age of; neutral powers. He could not have expected 
 46, after a bustling reign of four years and \ that the British court would UHdertake a 
 four months ; and was succeeded by his son, j hostile attack against Denmark, at the very 
 Alexander, — a young man, who had hitherto j time its envoy at Berlin was authorised to 
 displayed those bland virtues which adorn a ! enter into conferences with the Russian 
 crown, and that piety which beatiiies a saint. | minister in that city. The measures taken 
 His fate excited no regret, except among his | by his majesty originated solely from a desire 
 immediate dependants. If his subjects had ; for peace, and were meant to prevent a des- 
 brought him to the scaffold for his tyranny, ' tructive misunderstanding between the con- 
 the cry of revenge would have resounaed « tending powers. The acts of warfare against 
 through Europe ; but as his death was effect- ; Denmark, and the arrival of a hostile f^eet, 
 ed by titled ministers and nobles, according | would have frustrated his majesty's wish t© 
 to the antient and revered form of court- > preserve tranquillity, had not the attack upon 
 etiquette, it did not draw forth one solitary ; his allies preceded the proposal made by him 
 expi-ession of honor from the surrounding 5 to the court of London. But as the English 
 ])rinces. That the young monarch partici- 5 had sailed for the Sound before he ascended 
 pated in tlie rebellion against his father, it ; the throne, he would await the measures of 
 would be extremely unjust to aver ; but as he • the British cabinet, when it should be in- 
 instituted no inquiry respecting it, we cannot ; formed of that event. Admiral Parker was 
 applaiid his aftection as a son, oi- his justice ! therefore required to desist from all farther 
 as a sovereign. Perhaps he felt himself unable 5 hostilities against the i^ags of the three united 
 to bring the ])rincipal conspirators to condign j powers, or be held personally responsible for 
 punishnrent ; yet as this state of pupilage ; the consequences that might ensue from a 
 must have s^on elapsed, his forbearance pro- > prosecution of the war. His majesty con- 
 vokes animadversions, which 1 feel no incli- ; eluded with repeating his professions of a 
 nation to hazard. On his accession he pub- ; disposition to restore concord, although he 
 lished a proclamation, announcing his reso- ? declared himself prepared to repel force by 
 lution to govern the people committed to him | force. But the justice and moderation of 
 by the Almighty according to the laws and ; the Britith cabinet must enable him to recon- 
 heart of her who rested in God; and, to 5 <^il<' the demands of humanity, which he owed 
 leave no doubts as to the identity of this glo- » to his croMn, and the interests of his allies, 
 rifled female, he added, — the enipress Cathe- j The substance of these proposals by Russia 
 rhie the Great. Among the first acts of his ! was, that the right of search should be re- 
 administration, he repealed all the obnoxious | cognised, but with the limitation, that it be 
 ukases of his predecessor, and removed the i exercised only by public ships of war, and 
 restraints imposed on commerce. A spirit of i not by privateers or letters of marque; that 
 benevolence apjieared in his measures, and | the search of vessels under convoy should 
 the people hailed him as the tutelary genius | take place instantly, and in presence of an 
 of the empire. ; officer, or other person, deputed by the es- 
 
 Ihe news of Paul's death reached Berlin i corting ship ; that if, upon the investigation 
 on the^.3rd of April, and Stockholm on the i of her papers, it was thought justifiable io 
 4th. The messenger whom I mentioned to | stop and detain a vessel, the reasons should
 
 CHAP. LI I.] 
 
 GEORGE Mi. 
 
 629 
 
 1)6 notified by the cnptors to the escort ; and 
 tiiat it should be hft to luuicable nesotialion, 
 to ascertain what niticles were to be cunsidei'- 
 ed contraband of war. It is obvious that 
 these terms recoj^nised the riiiht of search, a« 
 far as any useful purpose could require, while 
 they endeavoured to excl-ide abuses incident 
 to its exercise ; in fine they were suftieiently 
 ample to meet the denianrls of Britain, but 
 certainly much short of tliose claimed' by 
 Denuiark. 
 
 Upon the day preceding that on Avhich the 
 English fleet passed the Souud into the Baltic, 
 prince Charles of Hesse, with a body of 4000 
 Danish troops, took possession of Hanil)urgh ; 
 and four days afteiwards laid an embargo oa 
 all English ship.?, goods, aud other property. 
 When intimation of this proposed visit of his 
 royal highness, with the corps he commanded 
 in the neighbourliood, was given to the senate, 
 they sent a deputation to make the iJiost 
 urgent remonstrances. They even threatened 
 opposition ; but the prince, after hearing them 
 with great coolness, took out his watch and 
 said. Gentlemen, it is now eii>lit d clock ; by 
 this time to-morrow morning I will be at your 
 gates. 
 
 The motives which induced the Danish 
 court to this step, were made public in a 
 manifesto circulated by the prince. It pur- 
 l)ortpd that the atta(;ks of the English govern- 
 ment, in opposition to all the principles of the 
 law of nations, on the navigation of the states 
 which had confederated for the purpose of 
 securing and maintaining the rights of neutral 
 flag.s ; and its arbitrary and hostile measures, ; 
 notwithstamling the most pressing and con- 
 tinued remonstrances, had inijjosed on these 
 states the disagreeable necessity of adopting 
 every means which might serve to bring it to 
 a more just way of thinking. As the exclu- 
 sion of the English connuerce from the Eli)e 
 appeared an eflectual mode of promoting this 
 object ; and as the possession for a time of 
 the iuij)eriai city of Hamburgh was considered 
 as unavoidably necessary for that purpose, 
 his Danish majesty, obliged to give way to a 
 crowd of imperious circumstances, had 
 charged his excellency to carry the measure 
 into execution with the troops Jinder his com- 
 mand. Bui the priuf^e declared that he would 
 conform himself to the positive orders he had 
 received, and most vigilantly take care, that 
 the strictest discipline should be observed by 
 
 the troops while they remained in the ci(y, 
 and that the tranquillity, property, and muni- 
 cipal rightsof the inhabitants should not only 
 be undisturbed and unmolested, but assidu- 
 ously guarded and prescrvt;d. 
 
 LuiJEC aud 'i'raveninunde were, at the 
 same time, occupied by a Danish corps under 
 prince Frederic of Hesse ; and on the 2f)th» 
 an cjubargo was laid in all the ports of Den- 
 mark on what English goods rcniaiued in 
 them; but strict iitjunrlions were given to 
 provide for the conii'ort of the crews. All 
 these steps were taken in concert with his 
 Prussian majesty, whose envoy, general 
 Schulluud)erg, presented a declaration, ou 
 the 30th, to the regency of Hanover, respect- 
 ing tlie occupation of the electorate by Prus- 
 sian troops. In consequtMUX', said the gene- 
 ral, of the oppressions \. iiich neutral navi- 
 gatiou and conunerce hod experienced on 
 the i)art of tlie English navy since tlin 
 !)eginning of t4ie war, the different courts 
 interested could no longer refrain, after so 
 many useless complaints, from adopting- 
 more effectual measures to protect the violated 
 rights of their subjects. Having alluded t« 
 the convention between Denmark, Sweden, 
 and lliissia, to which his majesty had ac- 
 ceded, he stated that the contracting paitie* 
 were on the pohit of communicating it to the 
 belligerent powers, and forming with them the 
 arrangements necessary for its observance, 
 when England, by an unexpected and hosfije 
 proceeding, disconcerted their friendly de- 
 sign, and laid an embargo on all the ships of 
 the maritime northern states in her ports. 
 
 The king, continued he, couhl not be sup- 
 posed to have looked on this conduct witli in- 
 difference. He sent to the court of Loudou 
 a formal avowal of his accession to the treaty 
 of St. Petersburgh, and, at the .vame time, 
 pointed out the means by w hicli the diflerencei; 
 might be acconnnodated, and a rupture avoid- 
 ed. England did not adopt this expedient, 
 but persisted in treating us enemies the flags 
 of the north, and informed the courts of 
 Sweden and Denmark, that the embargo 
 would not be taken off, while they remained 
 atlached to the confederacy ; and soou after- 
 wards an English fleet arrived on the coasts 
 of Zealand. From these circumstances it 
 appeared that the British cabinet would not 
 desist from its inadmissible demands. His 
 majesty, therefore, was forced, in conformity
 
 630 
 
 UJSTOItY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. Lll. 
 
 ^vith his engagements, to follow the most 
 efficacious means of supporting the conven- 
 tion, and resist the hostility directed against 
 Jiini. For that purpose he would not only 
 ^^hut up the months of the Elbe, the Weser, 
 and the Enibs, but take possession of the 
 electoral states of of his Britannic majesty ; 
 and he rctjuired the regency to submit to this 
 arrangement without delay or reply, and exe- 
 cute willingly the orders for carrying it into 
 effect. He demanded that the Ilanoverian 
 corps, stationed in observance on the line of 
 demarkation, should be disbanded, with a | 
 proportionate nundjer of other troops ; and \ 
 that the generals and officers should promise, * 
 in writing, not to serve against Prussia, but, 
 on the contrary, follow the king's orders, till a 
 final settlement of the differences. After 
 pointing out the cantonments of the troops re- 
 tained in service, and enjoining the surrender 
 of all the strongholds, his majesty announced 
 to the electoral college of ])rivy connsellors, 
 and military connnanders, that all cimnexion 
 between him and the king of England was to 
 cease, and that the public authorities were to 
 be responsible to no other power than Prussia. 
 In the hope of a voluntary submission on 
 tTieir part, he solemnly promised to protect 
 persons and property ; but if they attempted 
 to prevent the execution of the measure, and 
 oppose the entrance of the troops, he would 
 be obliged to treat them as enemies. He 
 concluded with counselling them to submit, 
 and thereby prevent the rigorous steps which 
 would inevitably be taken in case of refusal. 
 The military establishment of Hanover 
 an)ounted to 20,000 men, of whom prince 
 Adolphns of England was at that time com- 
 mander-in-chief. But as this force did not 
 authorize any resistance on the part of the 
 regency, and the emperor of Germany was 
 unable or not inclined to interpose, the oc- 
 cupation of the electoral territories was ac- 
 complished without opposition. On the 3rd 
 of April ; the regency published a conven- 
 tional declaration acquiescing in the wishes of 
 bis Prussian majesty, and issued the neces- 
 sary orders to enforce obedience. Tiie prin- 
 cipal part of the troops were disbanded, and 
 the rest distributed in different caiitouments. 
 The fortress of Hemeln and other ])!aces of 
 stre!igth were evacuated, and delivered up to 
 t!ie Prussians, detachments of whom spread 
 themselves through the electorate. Bremen 
 
 was likewise occiipit'd on the 12th, but with- 
 out any interruption being given to its trade 
 with Great Britain. 
 
 At the commencement of the dispute with 
 the noithern powers, rear-admiral Duckworth 
 was sent to take possession of the Swedish 
 and Danish islands in the West Indies. On 
 his arrival at Antigua he took on board 1500 
 troops under the command of lieutenant-gene- 
 ral Trigge, and proceeded against St. Bar- 
 tholomew, which belonged to his Swedish 
 majesty. He reached the island on the 20th 
 of March, when the governor, being totally 
 unprepared, surrendered upon the first sum-; 
 mons. After this success part of the arma.^ 
 ment was detached to the Danish island of 
 St. Thomas. The rest being opportunely 
 joined by a reinforcement from England, sail* 
 ed to the Swedish settlement of St. Martin, 
 and a landing being effected on the 24th, the 
 commandant, after a few smart skirmishes, 
 surrendered by capitulation. As soon as 
 they had obtained possession of St. Martin, 
 the British commanders spt out with most of 
 their forces to the island of St. Thomas, off 
 which 'they were joined by the division^ sent 
 from St. Bartholomew. The governor, on 
 being summoned, consented to the terms of- 
 fered to him. From this place part of the 
 armament directed its course to the Danish 
 colony of St. Croix, where it arrived on the 
 ."Jlst, and on the same day took possession of 
 the island by capitulation. St. Eustatius 
 having been abandoned by the French and 
 Dutcli troops, the inhabitants sent a deputa- 
 tion to St. Kiitts, to place the settlement under 
 the j)rotection of the English ; and a small 
 party of a hundred men were accordingly 
 dispatched to occupy it. 
 
 REAR-admiralTotty, who had been detach- 
 ed to the Baltic, with a reinforcement of four 
 sail of the line and sixteen inferior vessels, 
 arrived on the 5th of May in Copenhagen 
 roads. The alarm which the Danes had pro- 
 duced by occupying Handjurgh, occasioned 
 a very serious interruption to commerce ; and 
 as the cause of that measure had ceased in a 
 certain degree, an arrangement was made, on 
 the 7th, by the prince of Hesse and the Bri- 
 tish envoy at lliat city, by which the neutrality 
 of the Elbe was to be coni|>let(ly restored, 
 and free entrance and return Liraiited to every 
 vessel, whatever flag it might bear. lu case 
 of a renewal of hostilities bi.'tweeu lingland
 
 CHAP. Ltl.j 
 
 GEORGE UI. 
 
 631. 
 
 and Denmark, the ships then in the Elbe 
 were not to he subjected to einbar£;,o or mo- 
 lestation ; and all English goods or property, 
 arriving after the date of the convention, were 
 to be free in every case from sequestration or 
 search. Great Britain, in return for these 
 conditions, vias to grant passes to Danish 
 vessels, bound frv)in the harbours of the Elbe 
 to Greenland or INorway. Admiral Parker 
 had already declared, in answer to a letter 
 from admiral t'ronstedt, by order of his 
 Swedish majesty, that he would not interrupt 
 the Danish, Swedish, and Russian commerce 
 in the Cattegat and Baltic, in consequence of 
 the pacific sentiments expressed in the Rus- 
 sian declaration ; and that he had readily 
 complied with the emperor's wish for an 
 armistice, until the present differences between 
 Great Britain and the northern powers should 
 be adjusted. 
 
 Lord St. Helen's was appointed plenipo- 
 tentiafv on the part of Great Britain, and 
 sent to Copenhagen, whence he was to repair 
 successively to the courts of Stockholm and 
 St. Petersburgh. To give weight to his 
 proposals, the British fleet traversed the 
 Baltic iu several directions, — one division 
 lying in the Sound, a second cruising off 
 Oarlscrona, and a third off Revel. On the 
 20th of May, the Danes evacuated Hamburgh 
 and Lubec, assigning as their reason for this 
 step, that his majesty, in consequence of the 
 late events, having essentially altered political 
 relations, was induced to make a correspond- 
 ing change in the measures which he had 
 adopted. He thought proper, therefore, to \ 
 remove those obstructions to English com- i 
 nierce on the Elbe, which were considered as | 
 necessary to oppose the hostilities commenced » 
 by the court of London. The free navigation 
 of the river having been already re-established 
 by the convention between the prince of 
 He.<se and the British envoy, circumstances 
 no longer required the occupation of Ham- 
 bui^h by Denmark ; and as his majesty, 
 when he resolved on that measure, solemnly 
 and publicly declared that he yielded to the 
 imperious and unavoidable pressure of these 
 circumstances only, he was the more readily in- | 
 clined to limit its enforcement to the duration 
 of the cause, which produced that necessity. 
 This evacuation, however, was probably the 
 •result of the reiterated applications and pe- 
 remptory tone of the British minister. 
 
 Although the Russian cabinet manifested 
 a disposition to terminate all disputes in an 
 amicable manner, they did not abandon de- 
 fensive preparations. As soon as the harbour 
 of Revel was bee from the ice, twelve Rus- 
 sian ujeu of war left it on the •2nd of April, 
 and sailed to Cronstadt, in order to effect a 
 junction with .thirty-two more lying at that 
 place. This force was formidable, in point 
 of number at least ; and as lord Nelson, on 
 whom the command of the English fleet de- 
 volved by the recal of admiral Parker, had 
 oidy twenty-four sail of the line, and a final 
 adjustment had not yet been accomplished, 
 it became a matter of prudence not to allow 
 the Swedish and Russian fleets to unite, until 
 something definitive should take place re- 
 specting the points in discussion. His lord- 
 ship, tlierefore, intimated to adnnral Cron- 
 stedt at Carlscrona, that, although the former 
 British connnander, at the request of tlu* 
 enqieror of Russia, consented not to interrupt 
 the Swedish navigation, he was not himself 
 directed by his government to abstain from 
 hostilities, if he met the Swedish fleet at sea. 
 But he requested admiral Cronstedt, whu 
 could not mistake the object of this commu- 
 nication, to consider it as a friendly step. 
 
 While liis lordship appeared alternately 
 off Revel and Cronstadt, the emperor Alex- 
 ander consented to remove the embargo oi> 
 British ships in Russian ports, and onlered 
 the crews to be released. His example wa*. 
 immediately followed by the king of Sw eden. 
 Lord St. Helen's, on his arrival at Copen- 
 hagen, had several conferences with the 
 Dani.«;h ministry' ; but not being able to hr'nvr 
 the affair to a conclusion, be continued his 
 journey to St. Petersburgh, while count 
 Bernstorff repaired to London. On the iOth, 
 his lordship reached the Ru6.sian capital, 
 where Duroc, the French envoy, had arrived 
 on the 24th ; and at the same time M. de 
 Markow, who was appointed to succeed th<^ 
 Russian charsre d'affaires at Paris, set out 
 on his destination. From the migrations of 
 these diplomatic agents, mankind augured 
 events favourable to a peace. 
 
 The northern powers, notwithstanding 
 these transactions, continued to strengthen 
 their naval depots. The whole Russian fleet, 
 consisting of sixty sail, of which thirty-five 
 were of the line, were concentrated at Cron- 
 stadt, the defensive works of the town com-
 
 032 
 
 HIStORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LH. 
 
 pleted, atuT several block-stiip?, and other 
 armed vessels, fitationed at the entrance ol' 
 tile road and liarbour. Carlscrona, and the 
 adjacent parts, were ])laced in as formidable 
 a condition as the abilities of the Swedish 
 monarchy permitted ; and the Danefs liad 
 repaired their losses. The settlement of the 
 existing differences may, therefore, be con- 
 sideled as fortunate for this countrj', without 
 any disparagement to the transcendent valom* 
 of our seamen, and the intrepidity of admiral 
 Nelson. On the 4th of June, the embargo 
 on Danish and Russian vessels in the ports 
 of Great Britain and Ireland was taken off 
 by an order of the privy-council ; and, on the 
 same day, count Woronzow, the former Rus- 
 sian minister at the court of London, pro- 
 duced his new credentials, reinstating him in 
 the character of envoy extraordinary and 
 minister plenipotentiary. A convention was 
 concluded at St. Petersburg!!, on the 17th, by 
 the Russian ministry and lord St. Helen's, to 
 which Denmark and Sweden were invited to 
 accede, and, on doing so, m ere to receive back 
 their ships and colonies. The terms were 
 similar to the proposals accompanying the 
 declaration. The contracting parties engaged 
 to abide by the ordinances prohibiting any | 
 trade in connnodities which are contraband \ 
 of war, .with the enemy, against whom one 
 of them might be in a state of hostility. 
 The ships of neutral nations were at liberty 
 to sail to the harbom-s and coasts of the 
 belligerent powers, and the effects on board 
 «f tliem, with the exception of contraband ^$ 
 
 articles, or tlie property of an enemy, were to 
 be free. 
 
 At'TER the conclusion of the treaty of 
 C'ampo Formio. the French government wen.' 
 at leisure to turn their attention towards 
 Portugal, which had hitherto eluded theii- 
 vengeance. A convention was concluded 
 (March 21st) between France and Spain, by 
 which it was stipulated, that they should 
 form a combined army, to oblige Portugal to ' 
 detach herself from her alliance with Eng- 
 land, and to occupy a fourth of the Portu- 
 guese territory till the conclusion of a de- 
 tinitive treaty of jieace, and other conditiojis 
 were stipulated, absurd in themselves, and 
 never carried into execution. To enforce the 
 acquiescence of Portugal in the establi8he<l 
 conditions, the prince of peace invaded Lusi- 
 tania, and was opposed by the duke d'Alfrens ; 
 but these two witless and feeble generals, 
 after doing little more than look at each 
 other, advised their respective courts to 
 accommodate the dispute ; and a negotiation 
 was accordingly commenced, which termi- 
 nated in a treaty, as ridiculous in itself as 
 gratifying to the generals. During these 
 transactions, the British government des- 
 patched a competent naval force, having n 
 body of troops on board, to take possessioti 
 of the island of Madeira ; an enterprise which 
 they accomplished without any opposition. 
 The measure was adopted, not from any 
 design to share in the plunder of our ally, but - 
 to prevent the possible cession of that island f 
 to France.
 
 CHAPTER LIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1802.] 
 
 Coyidusion of the Definilive Treaty of Jmiens — Debates upon that Subject — Attacks on the 
 Public Character of Mr. Pitt — Speech of Mr. Wyndham on the policy of the Preliminary 
 Treaty — Vote of Thanks to the late Administration — Attempt to destroy the First Consul 
 of France by the Infernal Machine — His ffradunl Aduance to despotic Power — Expedition 
 to Mareuiio — Conquest of the Island — Touissaint L'Ouveiture is entrapped by the French 
 General, and sent to France, ivhere he dies a miserable Death — Subjugation oj Suiizerland 
 — liuonaparte is declared Consul J'or Life. 
 
 INTELLIGENCE of the final conquest 
 of i2,a;ypt reached Paris before tlie Bri- 
 tish cabinet could be apprised of it, through 
 an inconsiderate permission, granted by gene- 
 ral Hutchinson to the French connnander, to 
 despatch a swift-sailing vessel to apprise his 
 government of the event, the moment the 
 capitulation was signed. It is too mnch, 
 perhaps, to expect the general and the poli- 
 tician to be united in the same person ; but 
 without meaning to impute culpable negli- 
 gence to tlie British general, it is impossible 
 nut to lament that he did not take special 
 care, in the critical state in which Europe was 
 then placed, that his own government slio\dd 
 be first apprised of an event, of whic h the 
 interest of tlie conntry re(|nired tliat they 
 should receive the earliest possible informa- 
 tion. In consequence of the knowledge thus 
 obtained, the first consul derived an important 
 advantage, in a treaty of peace which he 
 hastily concluded with the Turks, and which 
 contained many provisions highly favourable 
 to the rrencli, who had gros^ly violated 
 every agreement which they had entered into 
 with the porte, and who had even invaded 
 her firritory in time of peace, — ami greatly 
 prejudicial to the English, who, from the im- 
 portant assistance tlury h?.d rendered to the 
 Turks, and from tht'ir hononral)le and disin- 
 terested conduct towards them, on all occa- 
 
 4 M 
 
 sions, were entitled to every return which 
 justice, generosity, or gratitude could confer. 
 The evacuation of Egypt, (the Turkish am- 
 bassador not knowing that it had actually 
 taken place) was the consideration held out 
 by the French, for the benefits which they 
 claimed, and the privileges which they ac- 
 quired, by this new treaty. 
 
 It was the more necessary to impart infor- 
 mation of tliis imj)ortance to the British 
 ministers, with all possible expedition, as 
 they were engaged in a negotiation for peace 
 with the French ; and, had the expulsion 
 from Egypt been known to them, it is fair to 
 suppose, that they would have insisted upon 
 terms more favourable than those which they 
 actnally obtained. The negotiation was 
 carried on in London, between lord Hawkes- 
 bnry, on the one hand, and Louis ^^ illiam 
 Otto, w ho had been some time resident in this 
 country, as a commissary for the exchange of 
 prisoners, on the other ; the former, by a 
 departure from the established rules of diplo- 
 matic etiquette, ha\ing consented to rednce 
 himself to a level with a private citizen of 
 France. It had continued in the whole of 
 the sunnner of 1001 ; and in its progre.*>s 
 many im})ediments arose, and some, curious 
 tliscnssions took place, relative to the liberty 
 of tlie press in this ( onntry, which the C'orsi- 
 can consul was fearful might be employed 
 40
 
 C34 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. mi 
 
 to delineate tlie liideous features of iiis o\sii 
 character in the colours of truth. M'ith every 
 disposition to concede, as far as possiMe, the 
 British ministers made a iirni stand at this 
 point, and lord Hawkesbury resisted, strongly 
 and resolutely, every attempt to encroach on 
 that freedom of discussion, to which much 
 of the excellence of the British constitntion 
 may fairly be ascribed. At length, the cabinet 
 of Paris, having received Menou's despatches 
 from Egypt, hastened the conclusion of the 
 business ; and, on the 1st of October, the 
 preliminaries were signed by lord Hawkes- 
 bury and M. Olto, and the event was innne- 
 diately connnunicated to the public through 
 the accustomed channels. By this treaty. 
 Great Britain restored to Fi-ance and her 
 allies every possession or colony taken from 
 them during the war, with the exception of 
 the Spanish island of Trinidad, and the Dutch 
 settlement at Ceylon. The cape of Good 
 Hope was to become a free port ; and Malta 
 was to be restored to the order, but under the 
 express guarantee and protection of a third 
 power, to be fixed upon in the definitive 
 treaty. In order to bring that treaty to a 
 speedy conclusion, lord Cornwallis was des- 
 patched to France ; Amiens was the scene 
 of negotiation appointed by the first consul ; 
 and his brother, Joseph Buonaparte, received i 
 full power to treat with the British plenipo- x 
 tentiar}\ In the course of the discussion I 
 Avhich ensued, France, with her usual artifice, » 
 started fresh difficulties, and preferred fresh 
 demands ; which occasioned so much delay, 
 that it was supposed by many that war 
 would be renewed. On the 2-5th of March, 
 however, matters were finally arranged, and 
 the seal was put to the treaty Sf Amiens, 
 Avhich differed but little from the preliminaries 
 of London. Malta was to be garrisoned by 
 JVeapolitan troops, till such times as the 
 knights could form a sufficient force them- 
 selves, for the defence of the island, the in- 
 dependence of which was to be secured by 
 France, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Russia, 
 and Prussia. 
 
 Thus ended the revolutionary war, in de- 
 feat of all the hopes and expectations which 
 had been formed, of indenmity for the past, 
 and security for the future ; and in the ac- 
 complisliment of all those gigantic plans of 
 subversion and conquest, which had been 
 conceived by the first founders of the French 
 
 republic, and pursued with unremitting ac- 
 tivity by all-4!er suc<;essive rulers. By the 
 peace of Amietis, a great part of the continent 
 of Europe was laid prostrate at the feet of 
 France ; and French influence remained pre- 
 dominant, from the German Ocean to the 
 l)ay of Naples. In short. Jacobinism triumph- 
 ed ; her child and champion established his 
 ascendancy ; her firmest advocates were 
 honoured and rewarded ; and the stamp of 
 success was given to her boldest projects. 
 Not one of the objects which the princes, 
 originally confederated against France, pro- 
 fessed to have in vievv was attained. On the 
 contrary, her ]>ower was extended, her terri- 
 tories were enlarged, her influence was in- 
 creased, and her principles had surmounted 
 every obstacle opposed to their progress. 
 Her government, it is true, had assumed a 
 new form, less terrific in appearance than the 
 murderous system of Robespierre and his 
 sanguinary associates, but more despotic in 
 reality. A militarj despotism, formed out 
 of the elements of Jacobinism, destroyed 
 every vestige of civil liberty, and imposed the 
 most galling and odious fetters on the minds 
 as well as on the persons of the people. 
 
 England indeed escaped the yoke to 
 which the powers of the continent had, in a 
 greater or less degree, submitted. She had 
 secured her constitution and her government 
 from the effects of that revolutionary poison, 
 which had destroyed so many antient institu- 
 tions, and which had subverted so many 
 thrones. She had even enlarged her domi- 
 nions by the acquisition of an important set- 
 tlement in Asia, which afforded her the long- 
 sought-for advantage of a safe and conuno- 
 dious harbour for her fleets in the Eastern 
 Ocean ; and by an island in the AVest Indies, 
 of consequence more from its relative situa- 
 tion to the Spanish main, than from its pro- 
 duce or probable revenue. She had also kept 
 inviolate her faith with her allies, and had 
 preserved her national character pure amidst 
 surfomiding corniplion. Here ends the 
 catalfigue of lu-r afhantages. In every other 
 point she had ceinpletely failed. None of 
 the objicts Mliich she had pursued, in com- 
 mon with the other powers of Europe, had 
 she been able to attain. Her failure, indeed, 
 was not owing to any defect, either of wis- 
 dom in her councils, or of vigour in her 
 eflbrts. She had bounteously opened hei
 
 CHAP.' LIIl] GEORGE III. 03-3 
 
 treasures to those who fought for the pre- ; in her aspect, that not only the unthinking 
 serration of social order against revolutionary ; niultifu(h-, l)ut men of ])liilanthropic feelings, 
 anarchy ; she had niatle ever> exertion which ; and good intentions, are apt to rush into her 
 her undaunted sj)irit could suggest, and her ; embraces, without any previous examination 
 ample resources couunand. And had her j of her principles, and without attention to the 
 allies hut displayed equal wisdom, resolution, ; mischievous jjoison which sometimes insidi- 
 and vigour, their united ertorts must have I ously lurks beneath her charms. Thus the 
 been crowned with success. ; preliminaries were received by the public 
 
 .„ Thk terms of this treaty were cer- ; with every demonstration of unbridled joy ; 
 
 *" tdiidy not such as the relative state of I and the reflecting few, who, looking beyond 
 the contending parties could justify. If i the snperticifs of things, and feeling, perhaps 
 J'Vance were mistress of the continent, Eng- I too acutely, for the honour and tlignity of 
 land was queen of the ocean. If the latter J their country, refused to join in the general 
 could make no impression on the continental ; delirium, experienced the usual n)arks of 
 territory of her enemy, she was invulnerable, I popular resentment. The public satisfaction 
 at all points, from his attacks. She com- : was increased by the conclusion of the de- 
 manded the commerce of the world ; she had i hnitive treaty ; and the people indulged them- 
 taken the principal colonial possessions of; selves with delusive dreams of permanent 
 France and her vassals, and had wrested from | tranquillity, and with a confidence of enjoying 
 them every resource but what arose from the > all the blessings which peace, abstractedly 
 interior of their respective countries. They ! considered, is calculated to produce, 
 could not dispute with her the empire of the | In parliament, the preliminary treaty was 
 sea; they could not attack any portion of- defended by Mr. Pitt, who, though he. 
 her dominions; and, with a reduced military ; thought better terms ought to have been ob- 
 estab'lishment, she might have maintained, at « tained, preferred the acceptaixe of the con- 
 a conjparatively little expence, which her ; ditions which had been procmed, to a farther 
 monopoly of trade would am]jly supply, a i continuance of the war. In liis speech on 
 contracted system of naval warfare, which | tliis subject, (Nov. 8th, 1801) he acknow- 
 would secure to her the possession of all the ; ledged that the restoration of the monarchy 
 advantages which she actually enjoyed, and | of France would have been more consistent 
 enable her to aggravate the distress of her ; with the wishes of himself and his colleagues, 
 enemies, to destroy their conmierce, to dimi- ; and with the interest and security of the 
 uish their revenue, and to cripple their re- j country, than any other state of thing.s ; but 
 sources of every kind. Thus circumstunced, ; they had never insisted on such restoration 
 she might and ought to have commanded i as the sine qna non of peace. The great 
 much more advantageous terms of peace : in > object of the war was defence for ourselves, 
 addition to Ceylon and Trinidad, she should ; and for the rest of the world, in a war waged 
 have insisted on retaining the cape of Good i against most of the nations of Europe, but 
 Hope, and on the unconditional retention of; against us with particular malignity. Secu- 
 the sovereignty of Malta. But the inordinate i rity was our great object ; there were diflerent 
 desire for peace, displayed by the new mini.s- ; means of accomplishing it, with better or 
 ters, and the weakness of their plenipoten- 5 worse prospects of success ; and, according 
 tiary, gave an advantage to the French, in I to the diflierent variations of policy occaMoned 
 the negotiation, of which they skilfully availed J by a change of circumstances, we still pur- 
 themselves. Hence it was, that, by the i sued onr great object, security, 
 treaty of peace, while France was suffered to j Mr. Pitt confessed, at the same time, that 
 retain all the conquests she had made. Fug- i he gave up his hopes of restoring the antient 
 land submitted to restore every place which i monarchy of France, with the greatest re- 
 she had taken from France. By this conduct I luctance ; and he should to his «Iying day 
 the British cabinet gave a kind of sanction to : lament, that there were not, on the jnirt of the 
 the monstrous principle of ?//(/u/a<A//'///, j other powers of Europe, efforts corresponding 
 which the revolutionary legislators of Paiis i to our own, for the accomplishment of that 
 had the audacity to promulgate. i grcit work ; there were periods, during the 
 
 Pe.\ce, however, has something so alluring ; conliuuance of the war, iu whicU he had 
 
 4 M -2.
 
 636 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 , TCIIAP. LIU- 
 
 "hopes of 0111- lieiiig- al.le to pirt together the 
 scattered fragments of that great and vene- 
 ral)le edifice • to restore the exiled nohdity 
 of France; to re-establi-sh a government, 
 certainly not ftee from defects, l)ut bnilt upon 
 sober and regular foundations, in the stead of 
 that mad system of innovation which threaten- 
 ed, and had nearly accomplished, the de- 
 struction of Europe. 
 
 Me si fata meis patereutur ducere vifain 
 A iispiciis, et spontf mca componerc curas ; 
 Uibein Trojaiiuni primum, diilcestpie meorum 
 lleli(|iiias colcvcm, Priami I'acta alta manerent, 
 El rcciiliva tnatiii possuissoin Pergama victis. 
 
 Tiiis, it was true, had been found unat- 
 tainable ; but we had the satisfaction of know- 
 Hig, that we had survived the violence of the 
 revolutionary fever, and we had seen the ex- 
 tent of its principles abated ; we had seen 
 jacobinism deprived of its fascination ; we 
 had seen it stripped of the name and pretext 
 of liberty ; it had shown itself to be capable 
 only of destroying not of building, and that it 
 must necessarily end in a military despotism. 
 Mr. Pitt trusted, that this important lesson 
 would not be thrown away upon the world. 
 Disappointed in our hopes of being able to 
 drive France within her antient limits, and 
 even to raise barriers against her farther in- 
 cursions, it became necessary with the change 
 of circumstances to change our objects, for he 
 did not know a more fatal error than to look 
 only at one object and obstinately to pursue 
 it when the hopes of accomplishing it no 
 longer remained. If it became impossible for 
 us to obtain the full object of our wishes, 
 wisdom and policy both required that we 
 should endeavour to obtain that which was 
 next best. In saying this he was not sensible 
 of inconsistency, in his former language or 
 conduct, in refusing to treat with the person 
 who now held the destinies of France ; be- 
 cause, when he formerly declined treating with 
 him, he expressly said, that, if events should 
 take the turn which they had since taken, he 
 fchonid have no objection to treat with him. 
 
 The peace, however, was strongly con.- 
 demned l)y Mr. Winhani, who truly repre- 
 sented it as an armed truce, entered upon 
 tvithout necessity, negotiated without wisdom, 
 and concluded without honor. He consided 
 it as producMve of no one advantage to the 
 country, bnt us pregnant with ruin. He drew 
 si masterly picture of the actual state of 
 
 France, and ridiculed the idea that Buona- 
 parte, having established an al)solnte monar- 
 chy in his own person, would ijeconie the most 
 determined enemy of that jacobinism, towliicii 
 he was indebted for the dignity he enjoyed, 
 and the power he exercised. Mr. Windham 
 admitted, that Buonaparte, like other-dema- 
 gogues and friends of the people, having de- 
 luded and gulled the people sufficiently to 
 make them answer his purpose, would be 
 ready enough to teach them a diflerent lesson, 
 and to forbid the use of that language towards 
 (limself, which he had before taught them as 
 perfectly proper towards others. Never was 
 any one, to be sure, who used less manage- 
 ment in that respect, or who left all the 
 admirers of the French revolution, within and 
 without, all who admired it as a system of 
 liberty, in a more whimsical and laughable 
 situation. Every opinion for which they had 
 been contending was now completely trodden 
 down and trampled upon, or held out in 
 France to the greatest possible contempt and 
 derision. The members of opposition, Mr. 
 Windham remarked, had really great reason 
 to complain of having been so completely left 
 in the lurch. There was not even a decent 
 retreat provided for them. But, though such 
 was the treatment which the principles of 
 the "Rights of Man," and of the " Holy duty 
 of insurrection," met with in France, and on 
 the part of him who should have been their 
 natural protector, it was by no means thq 
 same with respect to the encouragement 
 which he might choose to afford them in other 
 countries. Though they used none of these 
 goods in France for home consumption, they 
 haa always a large assortment by them ready 
 for foreign markets. Their jacobin orators 
 were not to be looked for in the clubs at Paris, 
 but in the clubs of London. There they 
 might talk of cashiering kings, and use other 
 language of a similar import ; but should any 
 orator, more flippant than the rest, choose to 
 hold forth in that strain, in the city where the 
 great consul resided, in the metropolis of 
 liberty, he would soon put him to silence in. 
 the May adopted ia the reign oHhe Good Wo- 
 man. Buonaparte being invested, in virtue 
 of the Rights of Man, with despotic power, 
 coidd atlbrd to sanction the pronudgation of 
 those doctrines in other countries, of which 
 he would nol snli'er the least whisper in his) 
 own. While ho was at the head of an absolute
 
 CIIAP. Llll. 
 
 georgh: hi. 
 
 637 
 
 iiiniKircliy in Franoe, Iip iiiignt l»e the promoter 
 and cliaiupioii of jacoMn insurrection any 
 where else. The ohject as well as the wicked 
 nature of jacol)iiiisni in England, which, while 
 it would rehel against the lawful authority of 
 its own government, was willing to enslave 
 itself to France, found no difficulty in allow- 
 ing to him these two opposite characters ; and 
 I\lr. Windham knew no reason why the house 
 should suppose him disinclined to accept them. 
 
 This was a correct delineation of the spirit 
 of the French government, and was well cal- 
 culated to expose the strange misconception of 
 those who thought, and wliomaintained, that, 
 bec:ause liiionaparte had assumed kingly rank, 
 and regal power, he would not sutler the same 
 means to be used for s\d)vertiMg the thrones 
 of his enemies, as those which he had adopted 
 tor the destruction of that of his lawful sove- 
 reign ; and for raising his friends in other 
 countries, to the same eminence which he 
 enjoyed himself, so as to establish his influ- 
 ence beyond the limits of his personal power. 
 To suppose that there was any magical charm 
 in the instrument signed at Amiens, that 
 could make the consul abandon every prin- 
 ciple which he had publicly consecrated, 
 and forego every design which he had secretly 
 cherished ; that would produce in short a 
 radical change in his mind and conduct, anu 
 work a moral and political regeneration, so 
 as to convert a cruel, atrocious assassin, into 
 a mild and virtuous sovereign, was to admit 
 a supposition which credulity alone could 
 tianclion, and which common sense must 
 reject. 
 
 It was remarkable in these discussions, that 
 the peace was supported by iVIr. Pitt and 
 most of his personal friends, while it was 
 opposed by nearly all the Portluiid party who 
 had joined his administration soon after the 
 connnencemeut of the war. The head of that 
 party, indeed, the duke of I'ortland himself, 
 joined the new ministry, and concurred with 
 them in thrii opinions of the peace ; while on 
 the other hand, lord Grenville and his family 
 united wilh Mr. Windham and the other 
 opponents of the measure. This circum- 
 stance strengthens the belief that Mr. Pitt 
 had the present perio<l in view, when he suf- 
 fered the caiiiolic question to induce him to 
 abandon his jiost. For had his administra- 
 tion continued, it is clear that a serious dif- 
 ference in the cabinet must have occurred, 
 
 and it is a matter of doubt whether, on ;? 
 division, Mr. Pitt would not have been left in, 
 a minority. A consideration of this nature 
 was sufficient to fix his resolution, if, in point 
 of fact, he had any doubts on his mind as to 
 the propriety of his resignation on the ground" 
 of the catlxjiic claims. 
 
 A farther difference occurred between the 
 several parties in the house of commons, re- 
 specting the establishment necessary to l)e 
 ujaintained after the conclusion of peace. By 
 those who considered the peace as nothing 
 more than oh armed truce, as it was described 
 by a mendjer of the new ministry, Mr. Charles 
 \orke; or even by those who, like Mr. Pitt, 
 were more sanguine in their expectations of 
 its continuance, but who were, at the same 
 time, highly jealous and mistrustful of the 
 French government, contended that the 
 establishment should be unusually large, and, 
 in some degree, commensurate with the danger 
 to which the nation would be exposed. While, 
 on the other hand, those who thought with 
 Mr. Fox that the French, when left to them- 
 selves, were a harmless, an inoffensive people, 
 incapable of injury or injustice to a neigh- 
 bouring state, and only stimulated to acts of 
 hostility, by wanton and unprovoked aggres- 
 sion, insisted on the propriety and necessity 
 of an ordinary peace establishment. In all 
 these questions the ministry, supported by 
 Mr. Pitt, carried with them a decided ma- 
 jority in parliament ; and had, untloubtedly, 
 the voice of the public on their side. 
 
 The part which Mr. Pitt nowtook in parlia- 
 ment upon all questions, was precisely that 
 which every independent and conscientious re- 
 presentative of the people ought to take. He 
 connected himself with no party; he joined, 
 neither the minister nor the opposition ; he con- 
 sidered every question submitted todiscus.sion, 
 on the ground of its own merits, that is, iu its 
 tendency to forward the public service and- 
 to promote the public welfare. If he thought 
 a measure condu(i\e to the object which he 
 professed to have in view, and found that 
 object laudable, he did not stop to inquire 
 by whom it was introduced, but carefully ex- 
 amined its various parts ; and if, after such 
 investigation, he found the measure defective, 
 he honestly endeavoured, by .the exertion of 
 his talents and experience, to supply the de- 
 fects to the best of his judgment ; if it appear- 
 ed to him wise and good, he gave it his.
 
 Oijs 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LIII. 
 
 unqualified and cordial support ; and if lie i 
 judtjed it to lie radically defective, he op- \ 
 po^ed it willi finiiiiess; and decision. Such 
 was tlie line of conduct ^vhich he pursued, 
 with undeviatinjy rectitude, at this new aera 
 f)i' iiis political life. The ministers were, on 
 various occasions, indebted to his advice still 
 more than to his parliamentary vote; and had 
 the premier continued to pay it tliat attention 
 which it so richly deserved ; had he not 
 formed a false estimate of his own power, 
 influence, and resources ; had he not im- 
 puted to positive desert that strength which 
 arose from a combination of fortuitous cir- 
 «umstances, his political career might have 
 been greatly protracted, aiul Mr. Pitt's last 
 days might have been passed remote iVora the 
 tnrmoils of office, and bustle of a court. 
 
 On the 5th of April, ISOJ, when the minis- 
 ter ojiened the budget for the year, Mr. Whit- 
 bread endiraced the opportunity of attacking 
 Mr. Pitt's system of tinance, by expressing 
 his exultation at the supposed desertion of 
 it by his successor, from the circumstance of 
 bis having recourse to a loan of 25 millions. 
 Mr. Pitt, however, resolved that no misre- 
 presentation of any part of his public conduct, 
 however weakly urged, should pass without 
 an answer, made the assailairt's blows recoil 
 upon himself. 
 
 In the following week, (April 12th) another 
 attack was made, not merely on the public 
 character of Mr. Pitt, but on his whole 
 system of policy, and on all the measures of 
 his administration, by sir Francis Burdett, 
 who concluded a long and tedious philippic, 
 in which he enumerated every ground of 
 objection which had been urged, and rejected J 
 by the house, for the last twelve years, with ; 
 a motion for a committee of enquiry. He i 
 was answered by lord Temple and Mr'. Arch- j 
 dall. The last of these gentlemen, after de- ; 
 lineating in strong and just colours the pro- \ 
 niinent features of Mr. Pitt's administration, i 
 and alluding to the generosity manifested to \ 
 foreigners, added, " Let other nations, when \ 
 they think of this, tell the honourable baronet I 
 what is now the English character abroad. > 
 And let this united nation, when it looks \ 
 back to the contrast, — on the one hand the | 
 ministry calling forth the virtues of the coun- } 
 try, and placing them in unison with those 1 
 of the sovereign, — on the other a selfish and ; 
 disaffected party, in their Jacobin uniform of | 
 
 thread-bare sophistry, and patch-work de- 
 clamation, who once were troublesome, and 
 might have become formidable in the course 
 of this war of principle, as well as power, had 
 they not been defeated by arguments, as well 
 as by facts, and at last driven into obscurity 
 with the indignation of the public, — let this 
 i)e recollected, and the honourable baronet 
 have the pleasure and the pride to tell what 
 is now the English character at home."' Mr. 
 Archdall then pronounced a strong panegyric 
 on the personal character of Mr. Pitt ; and, 
 having referred, in illustration of his positions, 
 to various parts of his public conduct, he 
 concluded with this jjoiuted rensark, — " If 
 after this some one should come forward to 
 criminate his merits in the parliament which 
 witnessed them, even he would presume to 
 speak what Mr. Pitt need not condescend to 
 speak i\>y himself; — tliat to this house it 
 would be enough to say, what his illustrious 
 father said before him, low hnoic these hands 
 are clean ; and to his accuser it would not 
 be too much to say, — 
 
 '* Disce piier virtutein ex me verumque laborem, 
 " f ortunam ex aliis. '' 
 
 The question was met by a direct negative, 
 which was supported by 246 members, while 
 39 only countenanced the motion. 
 
 Uninstructed by this example, Mr. John 
 jVicholls made a similar attem})t on a subse- 
 quent day, (the 7th of May) when he moved 
 a vote of tlianks to his majesty for Inning 
 removed the right honourable William Pitt 
 from his councils. The awkward construc- 
 tion of this gentleman's mind a])])ears to have 
 betrayed him into the connnission of perpe- 
 tual blunders. As on a former occasion, he 
 attempted to support his argument by a pre- 
 cedent which made directly against it, so on 
 the present occasion he proposed to thank 
 his sovereign for an act which he had never 
 performed. The king did not remove Mr. 
 Pitt from his councils, but Mr. Pitt, as lias 
 been seen, removed himself. The issue of 
 this curious motion was such as might have 
 been expected, by any one but the person 
 that moved it. The vote of censure was 
 converted into a vote of approbation, and 
 the motion ended in a generous acknowleflg- 
 inent of the services of him whose good name 
 it was intended to tarnish.
 
 CHAP. LIII.J GEORGE III. 639 
 
 The anieiidment, in the first instance, was } account of the great and important sa-vices 
 moved by lord Beli;iave in flie following i which lie has rendered liis countrj." 
 words; " It is the opinion of (his house, that j These independent tributes of justice 
 by the wisdom, energy, an<l firmness of his I from opulent individuals, who spoke the real 
 majesty '8 councils during the late ardnous j sentiments of their minds, careless whom thev 
 contest, supported by the unparalleled exer- > might please, or whom offend, could not faU 
 tions of our fleets and armies, and by the I to be highly gratefnl to the honest patriot, 
 magnanimity and fortitude of the people, the j who felt that he deserved them. The amend- 
 bonour of this country has been uj)held, its I nient was farther supported by his successors 
 strength united and consolidated, its credit : in office ; and, notwithstanding all the efforts 
 and commerce maintained and extended, and i of opposition, was carried by a decisive ma- 
 our invaluable constitution preserved against ; jority of more than four to one. The same 
 the attacks of foreign and domestic enemies." ; success attended a motion which iinmediatel3- 
 It was not to be supposed that an amend- ; followed this decision, proposed by sir Henry 
 ment of this nature would pass without ani- | Mildmay, for a vote of express and separate 
 mad version or resistance, from that party in > thanks to Mr. Pitt; — 211 voted for it, and 
 the house who had uniformly opposed all the ; -'32 against it. 
 
 measures of Mr. Pitt's administration. It i These attacks on the character of Mr. 
 was not left to the impotent eftbrts of the ; Pitt tended only to call forth a more open 
 insignificant mover of the original question to ! display of attachment on the part of his 
 oppose it. The whole phalanx of opposition ; friends. On the 28th of May, a festival was 
 united on the occasion; Mr. Grey, Mr. i held at Merchant-Taylors' Hall, in comniemo- 
 Erskine, and Mr. Fox, spoke long and vehe- i ration of his birth. And, it has been truly 
 mently against it. On the other hand, the | observed, on no similar occasion was ever 
 amendment was strongly and ably sujiported I witnessed so large a concourse of men, emi- 
 by the young nobleman who moved it, by sir I nent in rank, station, and talent ; and never 
 Henry Mildmay, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Samuel ; was such a celebration distinguished by so 
 Thornton, and sir Robert l*eel. Sir Robert, I much genuine enthusiasm. 
 a conuuercial man himself, bore testimony to ♦ While Buonaparte was triumphant abroarf, 
 the unrivalled kiiowledg<' of Mr. Pitt in the ! and his intrigues were about to complete the 
 commercial concerns of the country. His j subjugation of Europe, a conspiracy at home 
 disinterestedness, he maintained, was as con- ; had nearly put an end to his career ; it was 
 spicnous as his knowle(Ig(; ; for he had been ; composed of Jacobins, royalists, and niode- 
 the benefactor of his country, and had neg- | raters, men of ruined fortunes and disappointed 
 lected no one's interest but his own. " It | ambition, who united in one common project 
 has, indeed, been said," pursued sir Robert, > of anarchy, for the sake of pillage or pronio- 
 " that though he did not enrich himself, he > tion ; they were animated with no patriotic 
 secured his influence by bestowing pensions ; desire to free their country from slavery, for 
 and titles on others. But he had no occasion i Buonaparte had not proved himself a tyrant ; 
 to have recourse to such arts ; he hud secured ; but, though the scheme failed, it gave him a 
 Kufficient support by honourable measures ; 5 pretence to assume an authority inconsistent 
 three parts of the house, who were incapable i with liberty, and with his flattering profes- 
 of being bribed, were his friends."' Sir Robert > sions on the loth of November, 1801. The 
 was of opinion, that the house ought to j instrument intended for his destruction was 
 bestow on Mr. Pitt some more solid mark of; a canvas machine, which, by some misma- 
 its approbation than a vote of thanks ; and ; nagement, exploded too late, and sufj'ered 
 that it would be a disgrace to the nation to i him to pass by, on his road to the opera, 
 allow such a man to retire to languish in '| unhurt. Some intimation of this plot had 
 poverty. " I, for one,"' said the baronet, j been given to the minister of j)olice on t\r,^ 
 " would be happy to contribute to prevent 5 day before it happened, and he informed 
 this ; not from any personal motives, for I ; Buonaparte of it the next morning ; he re- 
 liave not the honour of being acquainted i plied, with great, indifference, "That's your 
 vith the right honourable gentleman, but on i aflair, not mine." " Will you go to the opera.
 
 640 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LIII. 
 
 then?" said the minister, " Without doubt," 
 retinned the coiisiii. 
 
 The lirst circumstance which testified the 
 disposition of Buonaparte to dispense with 
 the constitution, and to govern by his own 
 will, \\as a law which he j^ot passed in the 
 two legislative councils, by a very small 
 majority, for the creation of a special criminal 
 tribniial, suspending tlie trial by jnry, and 
 ♦•nahling' the jiulges to pronounce sun)mariiy 
 on all oftences adecting the safety of the 
 state, or in any measure violating the social 
 compact, — a latitude of expression which 
 put the life of every man in danger. The 
 judges were partly civil and partly military, 
 and were permitted to decide meiely in 
 written evidence. The precedent of such 
 an attack upon the constitution was fatal ; 
 wherever there are certain principles estab- 
 lished as the guarantee of liberty, they should 
 be guarded with the utmost jealousy, for the 
 first inroad may be considered as breaking 
 down the whole. Buonaparte's advances to 
 supreme power, with all the state dignity 
 Mhicli attended it, were slow and regular; 
 the tricks and trappings of state were as- 
 sumed first, to see how they would be re- 
 ceived ; the etifpiette of a court, the estab- 
 lishment of a levee, of drawing-rooms, and 
 all the pompous ceremonials of monarchy, 
 were seemingly well relished by the Parisians, 
 who had not yet lost all their aflection for 
 royalty ; the appellation of female citizen was 
 abolished, and the antient feudal title of 
 Madame was restored ; and though the name 
 of citizen, as founded on political equality, 
 could not be easily dispensed with by a 
 people who had not entirely forgot the late 
 revolution, yet the term lMonsie\u- was allowed 
 to be used at pleasure : all these things 
 seemed to indicate pretty strongly, that tlie 
 first consul wished to banish the remend)rance 
 of that revolution which had given him his 
 place, and to be thought to possess an autho- 
 rity long established. Mis attacks upon 
 liberty corresponded with his approach to 
 en)pire ; and almost every day produced 
 some new violation of thatsacred right, for 
 which the French had suffered so much 
 calamity. The increase of the consular guard 
 took place about the same time with the dis- 
 n}issal of the councils ; and the re-establish- 
 Jiient of religion had not long preceded either. 
 
 Buonaparte always affected to be ^o^n 
 the patron of science and literature, 
 and his brother Lucien was the dispenser of 
 his bounty, the Mecajuas of his favours ; for 
 Lucien too pretended a passion for literature, 
 and by the help of his dry-nurse, Foutanes, 
 delivered two or three well-turned speeches, 
 which gained him the fame of possessing 
 taste and liberality. Tyrants do well to 
 purchase the praises of men of letters, that 
 they may make a decent figure with posterity ; 
 but all the writers in the pay of Buonaparte 
 will not be able to efface the recital of his 
 enormities, nor to varnish over the hideous 
 blemishes of his character. The paltry pen- 
 sion of £ 100 a year, granted by the govern- 
 ment to the virtuous St. Lambert, ruined b^ 
 the revolution, and eighty years of age, was a 
 poor recompense fur his philoso])hy and 
 poetry ; yet when governments plead poverty 
 in such cases, as the minister, Lucien, did iu 
 his letter to the aged marquis, they mean it 
 an excuse for their profligacy and neglect of 
 merit. 
 
 Among the many other schemes to entrap 
 
 tlie confidence of the nation, and make them 
 believe that Buonaparte was sincerely in- 
 terested in the public welfare, was the method 
 adopted by the minister of the interior to 
 extend the boundaries of knowledge, and 
 promote the improvement of the country ; for 
 this purpose he commenced a correspondence 
 with the prefects of departments, with the 
 i school of medicine, the society of agriculture, 
 ' and class of sciences belonging to the pid)li". 
 institute, for the sake of ubtaining a sta- 
 tistical account of the country ; all this had 
 the effect of imposing upon the public, but it 
 produced little good, and was soon abandon- 
 ed ; the man who adopted it had neither 
 steadiness of disposition, strength of mind, 
 nor virtuous principle sufficient to pursjie 
 such an undertaking, and bring it to matur 
 rity ; he was a man of lively talents, but not 
 possessed of solidity requisite for so great a 
 purpose ; and neither he nor the great consul 
 himself were hearty in the cause ; they had 
 both adopted the cant of philosophy, without 
 embracing its principles ; and their only object 
 was to delude the people w ith an idea of their 
 being actuated by patriotic motives, which 
 they neither felt nor understood ; this will be 
 a sufficient key to all Buonaparte's schemes
 
 CHAP. LinJ 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 641 
 
 of public good, for he neither possessed the 
 desire nor the means of promoting general 
 improvement ; he knew that this was an age 
 ill wliich men talked nuich abont it, and some 
 actually intended it ; but he had no further 
 view himself than to fall in with the temper 
 of the times, in order to gain himself just so 
 much popularity as may be requisite to the 
 support of liis po\\ er. 
 
 liuoNAPARrE, soou after he had obtained 
 the consulship, began to feel his way, in 
 order to try how far he might proceed, and 
 to sound the temper of the people ; he very 
 early dropped a hint, of his expecting some 
 greater reward of his services than what 
 they had already conferred ; for in July, 
 1800, he declared to a committee, which had 
 been sent to hun for some unimportant pur- 
 poses, " that aflor the time of his consulship 
 was expired, and for a year longer, he would 
 accept nothing from the people ; but if, 
 after that period, tiiey chose to apply to him 
 the article of the constitution which decrees, 
 that some great recompense sliall be given to 
 those warriors who have signalised themselves 
 in defence of the republic, he would then 
 acce|>t their kindness with gratitude." It is 
 not improbable, that the very article alluded 
 to was inserted for the purpose of being so 
 applied. 
 
 A CIVIL code was one of the greatest wants 
 of France ; for after a revolution which had 
 subverted all old institutions, even to the 
 laws which regulate the conduct of men 
 towards each other, so as to secure the per- 
 sons and property of individuals, it was re- 
 quisite that these articles, of the first neces- 
 sity, should be placed on some solid basis, 
 and preserved from tiie effects of passion and 
 private interest, which are too apt to influence 
 the conduct of mankind. Buonaparte, there- 
 fore, in order to provide for these pressing 
 wants of the people, which cannot remain 
 unsatisfied without the danger of the whole 
 social fabric coming to pieces, charged the 
 minister of justice to appoint a conimittee, 
 for the purpose of enquiring into the nature 
 ^f the dilfereut civil codes now existing, to 
 decide upon that which it would be most 
 proper to adopt, and to discuss the principal 
 bases of legislation in civil afl'airs. The 
 minister named Portalis, Tronchet, Bigot, 
 J'rcamcneau, and Moleville, who, some time 
 after, ijublish^d the project of a civil code, 
 
 4 N 
 
 ; prefaced by a long and able essay, explaining 
 ' the princij)les on which they had proceeded, 
 derived from the established laws, the cus- 
 toms of society, and applicable to the present 
 times. The result of their studies was also 
 officially communicated to the tribunal of 
 cassation, and to the tribunals of appeal, who 
 returned it to the minister of justice, with 
 their remarks, which were also published. 
 After this project had been the subject of 
 public and private discudsion for six months, 
 it was revised and drawn up afresh, in the 
 council of state, by the section of legislation, 
 and then presented to the legislative body, 
 and by them to the tribunal, where several 
 of its obnoxious articles underwent a severe 
 examination, and were finally rejected. The 
 chief consul had himself attended to the 
 particulars of the code, during the whole 
 time it was before the council of state ; his 
 vanity Mas piqued that any of it should be 
 rejected, and his pride was irritated to find 
 any opposition to his will ; he therefore with- 
 drew, in disgust, the remaining articles, by 
 a message, which stated, that the time was 
 not yet come, when such great discussions 
 could be conducted with temper. The code 
 was, however, revised, and submitted to a 
 more complying set of judges, for several of 
 the refractory members were excluded by 
 new elections. Several of its articles went 
 peaceably through the assemblies, not en- 
 tirely Avithout opposition, yet none of them 
 were rejected ; it had now passed the two 
 councils, and remained to be tried by the 
 great test of all human inventions — expe 
 rience. 
 
 The farce of liberty, which Buonaparte 
 had so often got up with success, was again 
 represented by the consulta at Lyons, and 
 the Italians Avere to pay the expence ; 450 
 of the most enlightened and respectable men, 
 according to French account, were chosen iu 
 the Cisalpine republic, to become the puppets 
 of Buonaparte's pleasure, and tlie instruments 
 of his ambition ; these men, as if not a spark 
 of libertv or jiatriotism was to be found 
 amongst them, declared, with one voice, that 
 the sovereignty of the country could be con- 
 ferred on no one more properly than Napo- 
 leon Buonaparte ; as if, because he was the 
 man to whom they were indebted for their 
 liberty, therefore to him they must surrender 
 it : thus, after a pompous speech from their 
 41
 
 04-2 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. Lin. 
 
 president, and another speech from Buona- 
 parte, they threw tliemselves at his feet, and 
 desired him to become the liead of their go- 
 vernment : in all this farce it was easily to be 
 seen, that both sides liad carefully rehearsed 
 their parts, that he had told them what to say, 
 and that they knew pretty well what he 
 would answer. The first act was thus ended : 
 they proceeded to the .-second, in which was 
 brought forward a thing called a constitution, 
 Avhere the differeni powers of government 
 were so jumbled together, that not one of 
 them could be clearly discerned, except the 
 supreme power of the president ; but all 
 these pains were only to disguise despotism ; 
 this, at least, however, was a compHment to 
 the spirit of the times, for tyranny cannot 
 now be swallowed in the gross, and to make 
 it palatable it must be gilded with the name 
 of liberty. The power and influence of Buo- 
 naparte would, no doubt, always have been 
 con.siderable in a state which, in a great mea- 
 sure, owed its existence to the sword ; but 
 it never was supposed that he meant to place 
 himself at its head, and rule like a superior 
 being, in a country where he could have no 
 personal presence. 
 
 Though Buonaparte had forfeited almost 
 every promise that he made, both in France 
 and Italy, and blasted every hope that was 
 formed of him ; yet, in some respects, both 
 countries were in a better situation than they 
 were before the revolutions which happened 
 in each, except so far as concerned tlie cha- 
 racter of the individual by whom they were 
 governed, for these revolutions in both sup- 
 pressed many exclusive privileges, which 
 exalted the few at the expence of the many ; 
 and the mass of the people are also relieved 
 from the enormous accumulation of property, 
 whether landed or personal, in few hands ; 
 they were freed from the load of an arbitrary 
 aristocracy, and an insolent, purse-proud 
 clergy, with which they can hardly ever again 
 be oppressed ; but for this relief they were 
 not indebted to Buonaparte ; whatever pres- 
 sure they could sustain would be imposed on 
 tlunn, if he found it in his power ; all of 
 which they were deprived they attributed 
 to him. 
 
 The unexpected news of the preliminaries 
 of peace being signed between England and 
 France, on the 1st of October, 1801, diffused 
 a general joy over the civilized world ; some 
 
 were even sanguine enough to believe that it 
 would never be disturbed, while others thought 
 it might last a few years, till the strength of 
 both parties was recruited ; but those who 
 believed it only to be a hollow truce for a 
 few months, proved themselves the best 
 politicians ; they had belter calculated the 
 effects of power upon Buonaparte's mind, or 
 knew him better than those who supposed 
 him sincere and honest. 
 
 The council-general of the department of 
 the Seine, with the servility of a Roman 
 senate in the times of the empire, proposed 
 to erect a monument to Buonaparte, w hich 
 he refused with great appearance of modest 
 dignity ; but he had higher things in view, 
 and it was no great proof of self-denial in a 
 man w ho always despised popular applause ; 
 his answer, however, was well conceived, and 
 well expressed ; — " The idea of dedicating 
 monuments to men who render themselves 
 useful to their country is honourable to 
 nations ; I accept your offer ; let the place 
 be marked out ; but leave to fitture ages the 
 care of constructing the statue, if they con- 
 firm the good opinion which you entertain of 
 me." Nero said almost the same thing when 
 the senate returned him their servile thanks ; 
 for his answer was, " Qiium meruero ;" and 
 Nero began his reign somewhat like Buona- 
 parte. 
 
 To dazzle the eyes both of the French and 
 English at once, a splendid display of pious 
 mummery was got up, to celebrate the res- 
 toration of religion and the return of peace ; 
 the 18th of April, 1802, was appointed for 
 the purpose of a grand religious ceremony in 
 the church of Notre Dame, at which the 
 consuls whole family were present ; and, 
 had his moral worth been equal to his civil 
 exaltation, it would have been a gratifying 
 spectacle for his uncle and his mother ; but 
 if they knew his heart, they must have been 
 inwardly depressed, when they compared it 
 with the eminence to which he was raised, 
 and sighed to think how much that eminence 
 had cost humanity, and how dearly it was 
 yet to be preserved. The sword of Buona- 
 parte, as if to indicate his future exaltation 
 to empire, w as consecrated by the archbishop 
 of Paris ; all the splendour of religion, and 
 all the pomp of the state, were brought into 
 action, to impose upon weak minds, and con- 
 i nect in their ideas the altar and the throne.
 
 CHAP. Lin.] GEORGE IH. ff43 
 
 The conduct of Buonaparte to the wretched } and cruel, for, had he'been actuated by honest 
 inhabitants of Hispaniola forms the blackest I and virtuous motives, he would never have 
 feature of his character, if any one can be > souf^ht to subjut^ate a man who had done so 
 blacker than another, where all is cruelty, ra- i much good as Touissaint, and whose power 
 pacity, cunning, anger, pride, and malevolence. | was equally as legal as his own ; in point of 
 The island of Mis))aniola, after it was ceded {justice he had no right to do so, and it was 
 to the French in 179'), by the treaty with I cruel, because it must inevitably cost many 
 Spain, had suffered, under all the successive 5 thousand lives, and hazard the disturbance of 
 tyrants of France, the miseries of anarchy, ; a fertile and flourishing colony ; in direct 
 oppression, and cruelty ; it had been torn in | contradiction to all these considerations, 
 pieces by its own inhabitants, and by the » Buonaparte being satisfied with nothing short 
 petty despots sent to rule it. In order to put | of the sovereignty and subjugation of the 
 an end to these agitations, the directory, in | island, fitted out at an enormous expense a fleet 
 1797, appointed the black general, Touissaint | of 26 ships of war, and an army of 25,000 
 Louverture, who had defended it so nobly | men, to enforce the obedience of Touissaint. 
 against the English, and shewn every disposi- \ By sword and pestilence was the cause of the 
 tion to restore internal tranquillity, connnan- $ blacks avenged, for not 1000 of all these un- 
 der-iu-chief and governor-general of the island, s fortunate men ever returned to France ! The 
 Touissaint was a man of no common talents, ^ command of the army, which was chiefly com- 
 for, though born and bred a slave, he was en- ; posed of veteran troops, whose residence in 
 dowed with all the milder virtues of a Chns- » France perhaps caused the consul some dis- 
 tian, and by his generosity and noble manners, ; quiet, was given to his brother-in-law general 
 put to shame the most enlightened Euro- 1 Le Clerc, a fit agent of despotism. To assume 
 peans ; by his influence over the blacks, he | the appearance of moderation and humanity, 
 l»erforuied all that was expected of him, ; Buonaparte addressed a proclamation to the 
 and restored the island to such a state i inhabitants of Hispaniola, and a letter to 
 of order and tranquillity, that cultivation » Touissaint, in which he invites the former to 
 •went on more rapidly than ever, and ; adhere to their allegiance, and the latter to 
 its prosperity almost daily advanced. Such 5 accept the office of lieutenant under Le Clerc, 
 was the state of things when Buona- > whom he appointed captain and governor-gene- 
 parte was chosen chief consul of France ; and | ral of the island. 
 
 Touissaint, thinking, no doubt, that by the i Two things are remarkable in this procla- 
 same right he might be chief consul of llispa- i mation, its deceitful profession, and its af- 
 niola, drew up a constitution for the island, ; fected language. Buonaparte, in addressing 
 similar in principle to that of the French con- ; the natives of different countries, generally at- 
 stitutional assembly, and differing solely in 5 tempted to adapt his style to theirs, but the 
 the choice of the executive power, which was » sentiments were always his own, fierce, ter- 
 confided to him for life, with the power of i rific, and arbitrary. To Touissaint he speaks 
 nominating his successor. The first article » the language of flattery, but, at the same time, 
 of the constitution acknowledged the depen- 5 that of authority; he reminds him of his 
 dence of the island on France, but that pro- i former services, and intreatshim not to depart 
 fession of dependence, itwas easily to beseen, ; from the allegiance he owes to France; and, 
 was merely nominal, and inserted with a view ; in order to ensure his obedience if possible, 
 to save appearances ; for, by this new con- 1 he sent his two sons, who had been educated 
 stitution she was, in fact, separated most i in the mother country, on condition that they 
 essentially ; she was rather the ally than the ; were to remain with hiui if he put himself into 
 dependent of France. Buonaparte notchoos- « the power of Le Clerc, but if not, they were 
 ing to tolerate the creation of an independent ; to be retained as hostages for his future sub- 
 sovereignty in any country which had formerly | mission. 
 
 belonged to France, or willing that any man, • The French fleet arrived at the Cape on 
 whom he thought he could enslave, should he ; the '2nd of February, 1U02 ; the general dis- 
 jndependent of him, determined to bring | patched an officer on shore to inform Chris 
 Touissaint to an explanation, or to reduce him I tophe, the commandant of the place, that lie 
 by force; the attempt was illiberal, unjust, $ was sent by the first consul to take possession 
 
 4. N 2
 
 C44 HISTORY OP EVGLAND. [CHAP. LIll. 
 
 of the island, and to receive the subcnission of; fessions, in his state of the repul)lic for the 
 lheiiihal)ita!i'ts; hesenthiiiitlieproclaniationof ; year 10, are no proof to tlie contrary, yet even 
 Buonaparte, and his own, also t{'Hi:i^'liiin that ; his treachery should never he believed with- 
 he expected' no opposition wonld be pven to ; ont evidence. 
 
 the laiidiii"- tlie troops. To this, Christophe, > On the 5th of May the blacks submitted to 
 no doubt l)V the orders of Touissaint, replied, ; the terms of the French; the children of 
 that he would not acknowledge the authority ; Touissaint Mere restored to him, and le re- 
 of France, nor suffer a man to land. After ! tired to his estate at Gonaive, a fatal example 
 nuicli interchange of messengers, and the final | of mistaken confidence in Buonaparte. Here 
 refusal of Christophe, the French general j was an opportunity for the exercise of cle- 
 landed his whole army in different parts of j mency and justice; but as, in the first in- 
 ihe island, and thus commenced the most ; stance, it appeared that nothing but nncon- 
 desperate and horrid war that history can pro- J ditional submission would satisfy the impe- 
 duce, for the French set the example of giving ; rious temper of the hrst consul. He was not 
 no quarter. The account of the meeting be- I to be gratified but by the basest treachery, 
 tween Touissaint and his sons is related by ! and accordingly, under the pretence of a con- 
 Coisnon, their tutor, in a letter to the minister i conspiracy, which he had hardly time to medi- 
 of the marine, and though it is evidently | tate, much less to execute, the wretched 
 written to convey an unfavourable impression { Touissaint was, in direct violation of the most 
 of the black general, yet it bears a strong testi- i solemn treaty, seized, with his whole family, 
 mony to his affectionate disposition and high i at the dead of the night, put on board a 
 minded generosity. The crafty preceptor, > frigate, and sent in irons to France, front 
 when he saw the father and his sons melted ; which he never returned, but was dispatched 
 in tears, hanging upon each others necks, ; in some manner best suited to the vengeance 
 judged it a favourable opportunity to touch | of the tyrant. An act of treachery so abhor- 
 him on his fidelity. " Is it," said he, " Touis- ; rent to all the customs and sentiments of 
 saint, the friend of France, whom I am about | civilized nations could only have been per- 
 to embrace?" " Can you doubt it?" replied « petiated by any other man on the coast of 
 the general ; his son Isaac then related all i Africa or the wilds of America. But Bnona- 
 that had been told by the chief consul and | parte's ambition and love of power rendered 
 the captain general. Touissaint listened with > him a savage at the most civilized period of 
 the most profound silence. "I then," says ; society. When the ngroes are calumniated as 
 the tutor, " presented to him the box contain- j cruel, stupid, and incapable of civilization, 
 ing the consul's letter, which he read, and ; let the character of Touissanit be contrasted 
 appeared satisfied. I entreated him to de- ! with that of Buonaparte, and then let it be 
 clare that he had no knowledge of the cruel- ; said which reflects most honor or most dis- 
 ties which had been committed at the Cape, ; grace on human nature. The blacks of His- 
 and pressed him to surrender himself to the : paniola have since too severely avenged the 
 captain general." Thus far the narrative of ; cause of liberty and the murder of Touissaint ; 
 the tutor; but he omits to add, that this i but who can wonder at the sanguinary ex- 
 great man, after hesitating and almost yield- 1 cesses of savage Africans, when they can 
 ing to his proposal, suddenly replied, " No, ; plead the example of civilized Europeans; 
 I cannot betray my brethren and my God, | let those who teach "bloody instructions" 
 take back my children since it must be so." ; forbear to wonder if they are put in practice ; 
 The next day Touissaint wrote to Le Clerc, I it is only to be lamented that the punishment 
 and the correspondence was continued for ; in general does not full %v here it ought, 
 some time, but neither party being satisfied ; The imperious nature of Buonaparte was 
 with the other, hostilities recommenced with ; again displayed in the constitution which he 
 greater vigour than before. It has been as- ; dictated to Switzerland at the point of the 
 .serted, that Le Clerc, finding himself sure of; sword ; that unfortunate country, which was 
 victory, published an order, by which all the I once theabodeof peace, happiness, and virtue, 
 blacks were delivered to the former power of | was the last to feel the tyranny of the French, 
 their masters, but this has never been sufH- j after they had departed from the original 
 ciently proved, for though Buonaparte's pro \ priuciples of the revolution, and detemiined
 
 CHAP. LlIl.J GEORGE HI. G45 
 
 to new iiiodfl the jrovrrnnient of every coun- 1 few zealous republicans who remained la the 
 try within their reach, and plunder others i tribunate, and an explanation was required 
 after they had exhausted their own. Swit- ; of tlie government ; but the explanation, far 
 zerland hail been compelled to adopt every i from doing- away the force of the word, 
 successive whim of the French constitution- ; evinced more strongly the intention with 
 makers, and to suit themselves to tiie fickle ; which it had been applied. The line drawn 
 variations of their taste ; but not relishiue^ j lor presentations at the court of the firit 
 entirely the last constitutional dish, which > consul shewed also his design to take his seat 
 was hashed up for them by the high-seasoned i among the legal monarchs of Europe ; and 
 cookery of (kspotisni, they determined to > every opportunity which arose was eagerly 
 resist the French mandates by force ; for a ; embraced, to display the same disposition ; 
 while tliey held out again.Srr their oppressors, ; in his letter to the unfortunate Touissaint, 
 with a spirit worthy of those Avho supported j when he speaks of himself, he uses the word 
 William, but French gold and French in- 1 We, which is the appropriate distinction of 
 trigues having divided their councils and » sovereigns, and it was afterwards not very 
 their forces, they were no longer able to 5 unfrequently nor unintentionally employed, 
 oppose the French arms ; the diet at Schweitz, j Among the many means which Buonaparte 
 the head-quarters of insurrection, dissolved ; employed, to pave the way to his assumption 
 itself, and thus was sealed the doom of Swit- ; of supreme hereditary power, the press was 
 zerland as an independent country, though it ! an engine too powerful to be neglected ; and, 
 seemed good to the supreme will of the chief ♦ to the disgrace of literature, and the scandal 
 consul to accommodate the constitution he I of France, he found men of talents who were 
 gave them, in some degree, to their antient ! willing to serve in the base oflice of pioneers 
 habits and prejudices, and to rule them with > to his ambition, and hirelings in the causo 
 a rod of iron not quite so heavy as formerly, i of despotism ; the press was completely en- 
 
 Thk proclamation which he addressed to j slaved ; no publication was permitted, wliieh 
 the Swiss, in order to allay the confusion he ; had not the sanction of government ; and 
 and his predecessors had caused among that ; even the English prints were of too free a 
 unhappy people, is the we plus ultra of his > a complexion to be admitted into a counti"v, 
 insolence, arrogance, deceit, and perfidy ; ; w hich was in a state of preparation for slave- 
 when tyrants speak of patriotism and public | ry ; Buonaparte not only said what the people 
 happiness, it is the lion in the skin of the | should not read, but what they should read ; 
 iandj — the crocodile alluring to destroy — the i tor he left them nothing but the venal efl\i- 
 wolf in sheep's clothing — and such was i sions of men completely in his pay, and hired 
 Jliionaparte. ; to degrade the public mind by their mean 
 
 The time was now approaching, when 5 and abject sentiments. The liberty which 
 liuoiiaparte was no longer to keep any terms | remained in England became the object of 
 with republicans, or profess any further re- j their perpetual indignation ; the freedom of 
 spect for those principles which brought him ! election, which is not very great for a people 
 into power ; to discerning eyes, he had long j who boast of their political privileges, was 
 shewn a contempt for every thing connected \ attempted to be proved rather a detriment 
 with a republic, and given indisputable proofs I than a blessing ; in short, a regular system 
 of his attachment to monarchy, not theore- J of depreciation was commenced against 
 tically, as a fonn of government which he | every thing wliich could tend to revive the 
 jtreferred, but as relating to his own person, ; cause of the people in France, and every 
 and adiuding the utmost means of gratifying I thing was said to enforce the necessity of 
 his aud)ition. Among many other things ; returning to the principles and practices of 
 a[>iiarently trifling, which seemed to shew his i arbitrary monarchy; such men as Kctderer, 
 predilection fur royalty, was the word " sub- J FV'vee, and Portalis, who had formerly been 
 jects," which crept, not unintentionally, into ; the zealous advocates of liberty, now lent 
 the treaty of peace between France and | themselves to forward the views of a crafty 
 iJussia ; tor when the word subjects is used, j tyrant, v>Iio was sapping the fundamentals of 
 as applied to the people, all idea of a rcpub- i every thing great and valuable in the human 
 lie is abandoned : the term gave alarm to the i mind, in order to prepare bis subjects, as he
 
 646 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LIII. 
 
 had already dared to call them, for the most ; The degradation of the French was not the 
 depressing slavery. The unbounded incite- I only subjection required to advance the ani- 
 ments to luxury and dissipation which were j bitious projects of Buonaparte ; the Gom- 
 constaiitly held out to all ranks, by opening ; plete subjugation of the other nations of 
 houses for !)alls, gaming, and lotteries, were » Europe was also requisite to complete Jiis 
 no doubt intended to corrupt and degrade ; purpose, and this was to extend, not merely 
 the public mind, and make the people more ; to their power, but even to their minds ; 
 ready to receive the yoke of despotism, while > they were to be rendered not merely passive, 
 Buonaparte, to suit his ])urpose in another I but timid ; not merely humbled, but self- 
 quarter, was preaching morality to the insti- \ abased ; not merely despised by others, but 
 fute, and religion to the clergy. } ashamed of themselves : they were to exhibit 
 
 The first blaze of the great fire, which was ? a s])ectacle such «s a civilised Europe had 
 to consume the vitals of liberty in France, > not lately seen, of on^ insolent, imperious 
 burst out on the 6th of May, 180-2, by an ; individual trampling upon the necks of all 
 unexpected and audacious proposal in the 5 the other potentates ; they were to revive the 
 tribunate, to decree some striking mark of | times of popery, when Gregory VII. inflated 
 national gratitude to Buonaparte ; this wish t with spiritual pride, as Buonaparte was with 
 was carried to the chief consul by a deputa- i temporal ambition, extended his proud do- 
 tion appointed to congratulate him on the ; minion over France, England, Germany, 
 peace with England, and he returned an i Hungarj% Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and 
 answer in the same style of fulsome philan- J Dalmatia, when he treated kings and princes 
 thropy he had so often used on former occa- j as subjects, and mounted on horseback, with 
 sions; it is. indeed, a melancholy consideration i his feet on the neck of an emperor, while two 
 for the honour of human nature, and the good ; monarchs held the stirrups of his saddle, 
 of mankind, that in almost every public decia- ; The first scene of Buonaparte's drama 
 ration of public men, particularly throughout ; being finished with success and applause, 
 the French revolution, and more particularly | the conservative senate were to play their 
 with Buonaparte, so many things must be j part next, and decree him an addition of ten 
 understood by the direct contrary of what is J years to the term originally assigned for the 
 expressed. The words patriotism, country, ; consulship, but to the two other consuls they 
 philanthropy, public happiness, and social j decreed oidy their gratitude, keeping them 
 good, in the mouths of a certain set of men, i very properly in the back ground; for this 
 are expressions which mean nothing but ; favour he returned them a gracious speech, 
 ambition, vanity, and self-interest ; yet, on j full of affected patriotism, self-denial, and 
 the other hand, it is some consolation to re- > humility. During the discussion of this 
 fleet, that these professions bear testimony ; decree in the senate, Lanjuinais, one of the 
 to the spirit of public opinion, and that, in- 1 few republicans left in France, observed, 
 stead of the empty names of glory, honour, ; " that it Mas rather singular the French 
 and renown, they shew, that in order to gain \ should give themselves a master from that 
 the public confidence, men must pretend at ! very island, whence the Romans disdained to 
 least to consult the public good in things ; take their slaves. On which it has been 
 nmreconducivetogeneralhappiness than fame I happily said by Peltier, "that the Romans 
 and glory. Lewis XIV. cheated the French | were at liberty to choose their slaves from 
 by flattering their vanity, Buonaparte cheated I whence they pleased, but not their masters." 
 thnn i)y pretending to consult their interest. | So it is with France. The two other consuls 
 The whole afl'air of Buonaparte's advance | then came forward and declared, that the 
 to the supreme })ower must be considered as \ resolution of their colleague to accept the 
 a sort of tragi-comedy, by which the French \ honour conferred on him, is a s])leudid homage 
 people were deceived, and cajoled into a I to the sovereignty of the people ! and decreed, 
 surrender of their most valuable rights, their | that the people shall be consulted on that 
 liberty and civil equality ; and every succes- ; which concerns their dearest interests, " Shall 
 sive scene must be regarded as preparing for ( Napoleon Buonaparte be consul for life r" 
 the great denoument of the piece, which ends i and for that purpose registers shall be opened 
 in hereditary empire. i in the ditlereat communes of the republic, for
 
 CHAP. LIII.] GEORGE IH. 647 
 
 taking the votes on this important question. ; from the people themselves, but as they were 
 This was in appearance a mark of respect to | slow in fillin<^ up the registers, it is most pro- 
 the people, but, from the manner in which it « bable that tliey were both bullied and calum- 
 was conducted, turned out to be an insult. ; niated ; on the lOlh of August, however, the 
 The military power was too strong to suffer J senate thought proper to close the registers 
 any man to give a negative which might en- > and proclaim the result of the election, which 
 danger his life or at least his liberty, and the ; was easily foreseen ; they then passed a decree 
 nund)er of votes, actually given, bore a very I declaring Buonaparte consul for life, which 
 small proportion to the population of France. ! was presented to him with a fulsome speech 
 One solitary instance of exalted virtue was, i from Bartelemy, in the midst of a diplo- 
 however, found amidst the general debase- ; matic audience, to which the chief consul 
 ment ; Carnot, who was formerly banished to P'eturned an answer such as might be ex- 
 Cayenne by the infamous directory, and who I pected from him, tilled with exultation at 
 had been dismissed from o'Hice by the more i the past, and professions for the future ; " I 
 infamous Buonaparte, braved his ruin, and } am happy," says he, " to have been called by 
 gave a negative : — " I have signed my own ; him from whom all things emanate, to restore 
 proscription," said he, when he did the deed, | justice, power, and equality on earth." Either 
 but it passed without notice. The success ; this is blasphemy, or we must deny the bene- 
 which attended this part of the drama gave i volence of tiie Deity. Here the first act of 
 the actors spirit to go on with the piece, and j the piece closes, and never was a drama pre 
 the next scene opened with the question, ; sented to the public more replete with inci- 
 "Shall Napoleon Buonaparte nominate his ; dents of the most important nature, 
 successor ;" This was pretended to come * 
 
 CHAPTER LIV 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1803. 1804.] 
 
 Determined Antipathy of Buonaparte towards England — His Remotistrarice to the English 
 Ministers — Trial of Peltier — His Britannic Majesty^ s Declaration — State of Ireland — 
 Establishment in France of the Legion of Honour — Detention of the English Resident in 
 France' — Domestic Politics — Contentions in Parliament — Debates upon the Peace, and on 
 the Sitiiation of the Country — Imbecility of the Addington Administration — Menaces of 
 Buonaparte towards England — Inactivity of the British Administration — Political Dis- 
 cussions and Intrigues — Eord Grenvilles Letter — Mr. Pitt resumes the Reins of Power — 
 Buonaparte is exalted to the Throne of France, with the title of Emperor — Motion of Mr. 
 Pitt respecting the Military Force— Trial and Execution of Colonel Marcus Despard and 
 his Associates Jor High Treason. 
 
 THE feverish peace or rather the uncer- • ligent Englishmen, who had lately visited 
 tain truce, which had been concluded i France, lliat nothing was farther from the 
 at Amiens, was rapidly drawing t6 a close. J wish and disposition of Buonaparte than to 
 It was indeed easily perceived by those intel- ; maintain a state of r^al peace and cordial
 
 g^g HISTORY OF ENCLAXb. [CHAP. LIT- 
 
 1 M n.Mfo,-,, TTp never could for- : had assumed (lie sovereignty, under the dene- 
 
 'rrnoW oS^ on vl ich she had made i n.ination of ..resident of the Italian republic, 
 give the nob eopposmon^ p.-^nce • he ; for such Nvas the title now assumed by the 
 
 oi-'Se^^he' " I.^^S^.-tu;^t;:iic:n as Cisaljnne republic. He had united the 
 « S , non he calling despotism which he kinj^dom of Sardnuaand the duchy of Parma 
 h, established H^ his^ew^n.pire. and the i to France; and he had taken effectual n.eans 
 iberlv of her press through the medium of | for nvetimg the chanis ot Switzerland, 
 which the most bitter truths ^vere couveyed $ Possessed of power so extensive and 
 to his irritable mind, was a source of constant; inflated by success so unexpected, Inioua- 
 di^quiet and of incessant complaint to. one | parte was httle solicitous to aflord proofs o 
 whSse conscience acknowldged that his crimes | a pacific disposition to the o^hf enemy ha 
 .et the powers of exaggeration at defiance, had resisted his efforts with eftec . In tact 
 I„ rapid proo-ress he had risen to the summit i the stand which England alone had made 
 of supreme power, and a trembling people i against his towering ambition, had severely 
 had recently conferred on hnn the consulate i galled his pride, and increased he inveteracv 
 for life But the extent of his authority at j of his hatred. The idea that she should 
 home only served to render him more impa- i presume to question his omnipotence, while 
 tieut of contradiction abroad, and as he had i the trembling powers of the continent sub- 
 succeeded in subduing, by military terror, all i mitted their necks to his yoke, was lutoler- 
 onnositionin his own territories,- he had the ; able to a mmd which acknowledged no honour- 
 presumption to imagine that he could as ; able principle of action which was inac- 
 easily silence the voice of reproach in other * cessible to every laudable sentiment, which 
 countries The success indeed which had • regarded all competition as an intolera hie pre- 
 attended all his nefarious attempts in the dif- 5 sumption, and opposition to his will as an 
 ferent states of the continent, seemed to i unpardonable crime . „ . , 
 
 justifv this opinion, all preposterous, as in ^ With this disposition, the Corsican consul 
 fact it was He had brought his negotiations ; betrayed in all his cominunications with the 
 ip Germany, consequent to the peace of Lune- J British cabinet, an overbearing and insnp- 
 >ille, to a successful termination; and having j portable pride. First to M. Otto and after- 
 rendered Russia and Prussia the simple tools 5 wards to his ambassador, general Andreossy. 
 of his power, he made his will theirlaw ; plun- 1 he sent instructions to complain of the tree- 
 deriug the ecclesiastical princes of the empire, : dom of those anunadversions which the public 
 to indemnify those whose territories he had i writers of Great B/itain passed upon his cha- 
 seized on tile French side of the Rhine ; and ; racter and conduct Those complaints were 
 taking special care to reward most amply | reiterated as well by raUeyrand as by the 
 those wretched potentates who had displayed i first consul himself to brd Whitworth, who. 
 the most cowardly subserviency to hisinterest, | in November 1802, had repaired to P^i s as 
 and the most base treachery to their lawful ? ambassador to the l;rench court. In all the 
 chief. Among these the petty sovereigns of | commumcataons which took place on tbis 
 Baden, BavaHa, and Wurtemburgh, were : subject, Buonaparte betrayed "ot only a 
 raised by him to the dignity of electors, as h^^'tulence of ten.per ii^tterly incompatible with 
 preparatory to their subsequent elevation to j the new character which he had to support 
 the rank of kings. He had been equally sue- 1 and a profound ignorance of the laws anc 
 cessfulinrevivingtheantientjealousvbetween 5 constitution ot this country He could no 
 the Prussian monarch and the emperor of|be persuaded that the British government 
 (icnnanv. The former of these monarchs, 5 were unable, to exercise over the press tlie 
 with a littleness of soul, an imbecility of mind, | same unlimited power, the same boundless 
 and a miserable want of foresight, while ! tyranny, which he himself exercised over 
 intent on the humiliation of a rival no longer 5 every public writer throughout his vast domi- 
 formidable, and on the pursuit of petty 5 uions. With him it was literally 6«c i>o/o, «c 
 schemes of personal aggrandisement, en-\ jubeo, stet pro ralwne volmilas ; h\s woia eii- 
 ■ larged the influence and>ower of an impla- \ forced obedience to every mandate wlucli ins 
 cable enemy, and prepared the way for his | wayward disposition prompted him to issue 
 own destruction. lu Italv, also, Buonaparte i It was impossible then to make him unders^aiiU
 
 CHAP. LIV.] 
 
 GEORGE Tir. 
 
 649 
 
 that in England the ministers were subject to 
 the same legal restraints as the lowest subject 
 of the realm ; that tlicy could proceed only 
 according to the forms of law ; and that, if 
 what the law deemed a Z/ie/shoidd be uttered 
 or written against the fust potentate of 
 Europe, he must have recourse to the same 
 mode of j)roceeding which is prescribed to 
 Englishini Ml themselves under similar circum- 
 stances, in order to punish the offender. 
 Reasoning of this kind was lost upon a man 
 who acknowledged no law but his own will, 
 and who daily doomed his subjects to banish- 
 ment or death, in virtue of his own assumed 
 authority, without trial, and viithout the 
 observance of any legal form. Every attempt 
 to procure new laws, for imposing additional 
 restraints upon the press, having proved 
 fruitless, as might have been anticipated, and 
 the first consul remaining unconvinced by the 
 forcible and judicious observations of lord 
 Hawkesbnry, a constant state of irritation 
 and ill-will continued to prevail between the 
 two countries. 
 
 From general complaints the great consul 
 descended to particulars, and, in the autumn 
 of 1802, l)e direr ted his agent. Otto, to prefer 
 complaints against certain English ])ublic 
 writers, and against Peltier, who conducted 
 a journal in the French language, entitled 
 U Ambigu. 
 
 Althoigh, as lord Hawkesbnry had perti- 
 nently observed in his instructions to Mr. 
 Merry, who was then at Paris, the French 
 press poured out constant libels against the 
 English government, — libels too authorised 
 by the French cabinet ; although Kheinhardt, 
 the Jacobin representative of J>uonn parte at 
 Hamburgh, had violated the neutrality of the 
 .•<enate, and iiad compelled them to insert a 
 most virulent attack upon the English go- 
 vernment in the Hamburgh paper; although 
 Buonaparte himself had pul>licly uttered 
 similar libels : and although, to use the 
 words of lord Hawkesbury, " it might indeed 
 with truth be asserted, that the period which 
 liad elapsed since the conclusion of the de- 
 fniitive treaty had been marked by one con- 
 Inuied series of violence, aggression, and 
 iii^nlt, on tlie part of the French government ;' 
 so ardent was the desire of the liritish minis- 
 ters to gratify the Corsican, and so averse 
 were they to any line of conduct which could 
 iiave even a tendency to produce a renewal 
 
 4 
 
 I of hostilities between t!ie two countries, that 
 they instructed the attorney-general to file 
 a criminal information against Peltier, in 
 compliance with the demand of Buonaparte, 
 preferred through the medium of Otto. The 
 cause was tried i)efore lord Ellenborough, on 
 the 21st of February, 1803 ; and in the course 
 of that trial such principles were advanced 
 in support of the prosecution, both from the 
 bar and the bench, as, were they to l)e re- 
 ceived as the law of the land, would eflectu- 
 ally annihilate the lilierty of the press, and 
 impose eternal silence on the historic muse ! 
 It was stated as a crime "to bring Napoleon 
 Buonaparte into great hatred and contempt 
 among the liege subjects of our lord and 
 king." It is with concern I observe, that the 
 whole prosecution was marked by that strong 
 political prejudice, which, wherever it occurs, 
 pollutes the pure cuirent of public justice. 
 The defendant was convicted, but tlie re- 
 newal of hostilities was allowed, inconsistent- 
 ly enough, to secure him from punishment. 
 Indeed the first consul was less complaisant ; 
 not one of the numerous libels which ap- 
 peared in France, against the British govern- 
 ment, was made the subject of prosecution or 
 of punishment. Nor could they well be so 
 made, since they were all published under 
 the express sanction of the first consul himself; 
 
 At the very time when this extraordinary 
 trial was pending, the difierence between the 
 two governments was such as to render hos- 
 tilities unavoidable. At the latter end of 
 February, lord AVhitworth had a personal 
 interview with Buonaparte, in which the 
 latter so far forgot himself, or rather so far 
 sunk his assumed in his real character, as 
 personally to insult the British ambassador, 
 and to threaten his government, in the pre- 
 sence of other diplomatic characters. On 
 this occasion he o|)enly avowed his ambitious 
 designs, clearly developed his views upon 
 Egypt, (which indeed had Ijeen fully ex- 
 plained in a report previously made by his 
 agent, Sibastiaui, who had been sent in a 
 military capacity to that country,) boldly 
 justified bis unprincipled usurpations in Swil- 
 ze:lan<l. Piedmont, and Italy, and peremj)- 
 tcrily insisted on the innuediate evacuation 
 of Malta, as the sine qua non of continued 
 peace. 
 
 By tlie treaty of Amiens, the king ,pnQ 
 had stipulated to restore, within a 
 41
 
 650 
 
 rrisTORV OP England. 
 
 [chap. lit. 
 
 given time, the island of Malta to the order 
 of St. John, under the express guarantee of 
 its independence and neutrality by the prin- 
 cipal powers of Europe. Circumstances, how- 
 ever, tending to destroy the independence 
 of the order itself, by depriving it of a con- 
 siderable portion of its revenue, had subse- 
 quently arisen, which rendered it highly 
 imprudent to carry that article of the treaty 
 into effect. Besides the stipulation had been 
 made m ith a reference to the relative situa- 
 tion of the contracting parties at the time of 
 concluding the treaty. That situation had 
 ex]ierienced a material change, by the fresh 
 acquisitions of territory Mliich Buonaparte 
 afterwards made, and by the consequent 
 addition of power which he had secured. The 
 (.'orsicaus intention also to dismember the 
 Turkish empire, and to monopolize the com- 
 merce of the Levant, — objects against which 
 speciiic provisions were made in the treaty, — 
 was too notorious not to call for measures 
 of precaution on the part of Great Britain. 
 The British ministers, indeed, were to blame 
 only for having carried a system of concilia- 
 lion and concession to a greater length than 
 was compatible with the dignity of the na- 
 tional character. It was easy to perceive, 
 from tlie very beginning of the peace, that 
 such a system would have no other effect on 
 the mind of Buonaparte, than to increase its 
 insolence and presumption. And, to say the 
 truth, he had more reason than would be 
 generally admitted, to infer from what had 
 been borne Avhat would be borne ; though 
 his inference proved inijust, from his igno- 
 rance of the real character of the English 
 nation. At last the inutility of every attempt 
 to make the irritable and perverse Corsican 
 recede from the fixed purpose of his mind, 
 and to listen to the claims of justice, became 
 so obvious, that the British ambassador re- 
 ceived orders to return to England. He 
 accordingly left Paris on the 12th of May, 
 IBO."], and on the 18th of that month the 
 declaration of the British cabinet was pub- 
 lished. Thus, after a peace of little more 
 than thirteen months, from the conclusion 
 of the treaty of Amiens, — if that can be called 
 a peace which brought with it no friendly 
 disposition, no symptom of returning amity, 
 no suspension even of aggressive measures, 
 on the part of France, — the nation fount! 
 itself, by the obstinate temper and insatiate 
 
 J ambition of a low-born usurper, once more 
 exposed to ail the dangers of protracted war- 
 fare ; and the public were compelled to 
 acknowledge the wisdom and foresight of 
 those statesmen and writers, who had early 
 warned them to place no reliance ou a con- 
 tinued state of abstinence from hostility, 
 which depended entirely on the will of an 
 individual, who subjected his passions to no 
 controul, who confined his hatred within no 
 bounds. 
 
 The state of Ireland demanded no small 
 portion of the attention of ministers. The 
 flames of rebellion, though stifled for a time, 
 had never been completely subdued ; and 
 the lurking spirit of discontent threatened to 
 break out into open revolt. Even the con- 
 ciliatory conduct of lord Hardwicke did not 
 secure the viceroy from an attempt to subvert 
 his power, to assault his person, and to over- 
 throw the government. On the 2.3rd of July, 
 a body of insurgents, under the direction of 
 Robert Emmett, whose brother had been 
 deeply engaged in the rebellion of 1798, flew 
 to arms, murdered the lord-chief-justice and 
 colonel Brown in the streets of Dublin, and 
 for some hours spread consternation and dis- 
 may throughout the capital. The shops and 
 houses were shut up in the middle of the 
 day, and the officers of the volunteers and 
 yeomanry were intercepted as they repaired 
 to their respective quarters. Fortunately 
 for the public, the insurgents passed the 
 whole day in useless acts of licentious vio- 
 lence, till they were attacked by two parties 
 of fifty men, belonging to the 21st regiment, 
 and in a few minutes compelled to fly. Their 
 leaders then efl'ected their escape, and the 
 insurgents retired to their homes. Emmett, 
 and others of the chief conspirators, were 
 soon after apprehended, tried, and executed. 
 
 Though the friends of liberty and moral 
 melioration ehuig to Buonaparte as long as 
 they could believe him honest, even after he 
 had given many indications to the contrary ; 
 yet wlien the prosjicct of a rupture with this 
 country had irritated him to the highest pitch 
 of resentment, and urged him to transgress 
 even the connnon bounds of decency, and 
 his deternunation to accomplish our ruin, 
 could no longer be concealed ; even those 
 who forga\e him for re-establishing popery, 
 for asking the consulship for lii'e, for demand- 
 ing the suppression of English newspapers,
 
 CHAP. HV.l GEORGE III. 651 
 
 (no lougerabletogivehim creditfora single vir- ; justice, and as if intentionally to shew the 
 tue,) acknowledsied themselves to be deceived J njockery of the late appeal to the people in the 
 by their own hopes and hy his specious subtlety, 5 strongest light, he caused the new constitu- 
 and with all the honest feelings of insulted ; tion to be passed through the conservative 
 patriotism, joined in the common execration J senate with only one day's deliberation, and 
 of a deceitful and unprincipled tyrant. J promulgated in the form of a law the day 
 
 Thk most dangerous institution of Buona- ; after, with great public solenuiity. 
 parte, which had in view the support of his ; While Buonaparte was lluis successful at 
 future throne, was the legion of honour, which, ; home in establishing arl)itrary power, he was 
 like Washington's order of Cincinuatus, was ; not less so abroad in new nujdelling the Ger- 
 an insidious attempt to introduce aristocratiral > man empire, and teaching the other powers of 
 distinctions, and destroy republican equality, ; Europe a lesson of subjection to his will, 
 which suffers no one to rise above its level but J Thearrangementof theindemnitieshaving pro- 
 by their n^erits, their talents, or official autho- j ceeded with German slowness, little suited to 
 rity. It is a motley progeny of spurious birth, 5 his hasty, imperious temper, he prevailed on 
 engendered between a republic and an em- 5 the emperor of Russia, by false professions and 
 pire, before their union was complete, and » promises neverfultiUed, to join with him in the 
 bears a resemblance to both its parents, | office of mediator for settling the different 
 though it will probably be of little use to > claims of the various parties, whose jarring 
 either; inasmuch asitembraces all ranksof the ; interests were not likely to be soon adjusted 
 people it bespeaks republican origin, and as it is i by theslow medium of discussion ; accordingly 
 founded on the ])rinci])leof honour itresembles ! these two potentates agreed upon a settlement 
 its imperialfather ; but as honour ceases to be ; which was submitted to the German diet, 
 honourable when bestowed upon knaves, this J and with some slight variations, accepted as 
 institution neither promised to consolidate the ; the conclusum of this tedious affair. By this 
 new government nor to strengtiien public mo- ! arrangement bishops were unfrocked, cities 
 rality. The sword was sheathed for a time be- j were disfranchised, and new electors created, 
 tween England and France, yet the pen was let i men were transferred from one master to 
 loose with intemperate violence; the Moniteur ; another like cattle in a market, towns and 
 on the one side, the Times and the Sun on » principalities were bargained for and sold 
 the other, alternately pouring forth the full \ like herds of sheep and o.\en, and civil corn- 
 stream of their contempt against each country, » munes conveyed like goods and chattels at a 
 to degrade their constitution, government, | sale or an auction ; all this was the blessed 
 and resources ; from all tiiis it was perceived ; result of Buonaparte's conquests in Italy, or, 
 by many, that the ])eace which had been ; properly speaking, the result of the first 
 hastily patched up could not be of long dura- ; coalition against French liberty. A passage 
 tion : which party was most in fault it is ; in the Mercure de France speaks the senti- 
 difficnlt to say ; it shewed, however, that the | ments of Buonaparte on this subject in a 
 hostile mind was not vet subdued on either J language not to be misconceived: — "Pro- 
 side, and therefore was likely soon to break ; tectress of Italy, arbitress of Germany, and 
 out again into armed violence. > the terror of other nations, France has eleva- 
 
 The legion ofhonour was no sooner decreed, | ted her friends, humbled her enemies, and es- 
 than Buonaparte resolved to (jueiich the last i tablished herself in a country which the treaty 
 sparks of liberty which remained in the con- ; of Luneville seemed to have delivered from 
 stitntion, and for this purpose it was new | external war onlv to give her up to an intes- 
 modelled, so as to leave not even the embers i tine war of secularizations and indemnitie.s. 
 which might burst out into a flame, not satis- ; Buonaparte has realized the wishes of 
 fied with having the power of arbitrary im- i Henry IV^ and the schemes of cardinal Rich- 
 prisonment, arbitrary banishment, and arbi- > lieu ; their projects are accomplished, and 
 trary suppression of every species of writing, ; F"rance is avenged of the degradation which 
 even toasixpenny pamphlet, which displeased '| she had sutlcred by a departure from the rout 
 him, he determined to reduce every civil | whi.:h tlu y had traced out.'' 
 office to an entire dependence on himself, ; To banish completely the simplicity of the 
 and 10 control even the administration of i republican •regime, and to recal the forms of 
 
 4 o 2
 
 {352 HISTORY OP ENGLAT^rD. [CIIAP. tlV- 
 
 anaichy, in order to prepare for the essence, : after the declaration of hostilities, Avas tiie 
 Buondoarte decreed, that the dresses of all i detention of the English, who, under the 
 the public functionaries of justice should be ; general protection of the laws of hospitality, 
 nearly such as they were under the old go- ; had gone to visit the land of wonders, which 
 vennnent, wishing, if possible, to obliterate i the short interval of peace had rendered 
 entirelv tlie republican axiom, of estimating I accessible to their curiosity, and had remained 
 everv man by his raerit, and by no other | there under the special promise of security, 
 standard. The best friends of monarchy, | .So extravagant a violation of all the rights 
 who are also friends to the gradual meliora- 1 of nations, and the laws of civilized war, is 
 tiou of mankind, have long since acknovv- 5 not to be found in the annals of modern 
 ledged the inutility of forms. Nothing re- ; history, and was a dreadful specimen of the 
 mained for him but, by force or by fraud, to ! manner in which the contest was to be con- 
 prevent the opposition of England to his ; ducted on the part of France ; but, in the 
 schemes of universal doniinion ; England ; heat of his vengeance, nothing was too 
 alone excited his jealousy by her commerce, 5 horrid for him to execute, and after such an 
 by her liberty, and her weight in the atlairs of 5 act, nothing in his conduct, however extra- 
 Europe ; to ruin the first, he endeavoured to ; vagant, could excite wonder. It is a singular 
 shut her out from all communication with the 5 instance of good fortune that our countrymen 
 continent ; to destroy the second, he attempt- ; were not put to death, and it was not im- 
 ed to silence the freedom of her press ; and ; probable they yet might suffer, 
 to reduce the third, he began to sound the ; The renewal of hostilities, after so short 
 temper of our government, by laying down, | an interval of tranquillity, exposed the fallacy 
 ill his official publications, a new system of; of those hopes, and the weakness of those 
 )K)licyfor the different states of Europe, by | expectations which the new ministers, and 
 which Great Britain, on account of her in- > their literary partisans, had fondly cherished 
 sular situation, was supposed to be excluded ; and sedulously diffused respecting the per- 
 from all continental alliances, was declared 5 manence of the peace of Amiens. Mr. Ad- 
 to be unequal to contend single-handed with | dington had even flattered himself, that, in 
 Trance, and therefore to be reduced either ! calculating its probable duration, he might 
 to slavery or insignificaiice. Had our minis- : assign it as long an existence as any peace 
 tcrs been such traitors to their country as to ; concluded in the last century. It is matter 
 sid^scribe to this doctrine, and meanly to i of sui-prise, indeed, that any one who had 
 accept the share of importance Avhich was | attended to the principles of the revolutionary 
 allotted her by the lion-like justice of Buona- i government of France, to the public conduct 
 parte, his dominion had then been complete, ; of its successive rulers, and to the sentiments 
 and England, even at this moment, might > and disposition miiCoimly displayed by the 
 have been a department or a dependant of ; man who had recently usurped the sovereign- 
 France. Their refusal to submit to this \ ty of that unhappy country, could, for one 
 arrangement produced the full display of; moment, have drawn a conclusion so utterly 
 Buonaparte's character, and leaves hiin strip-; destituteof foundation, in the premises whence 
 ped to the world in all his naked deformity ; he I it was deduced. But the premier was un- 
 has thrown off completely his whole disguise, ; willing to dispel, in his own head, the de- 
 wilh all the violence and impatience of an i lirium which he had excited in the heads of 
 assassin who is reduced to defend himself by ; the great majority of the people. The peace 
 force, when his intentions are found out. ; was his darling child ; it was at once the 
 His conduct to lord VVhitworth is too well 5 end and the reward of his ambition ; it was 
 Icnown in every cottage in Great Britain to be ; the idol at whose shrine he bowed, with 
 repeated ; it was the first public instance of; blind and superstitious reverence ; it was the 
 his being thrown ofl'his guard, and was such ; basis of his popularity ; the great specimen 
 a violation of decorum as seemed to set at ; of his political wisdom ; his paramount claim 
 defiance all the established forms of society. | to pre-eminence of patriotism ; the fonnda- 
 The coolness of the English courier formed a ; tion of his fame ; the theme of his admira- 
 striking contrast to tlie Corsican's indecency. ; tion ; the object of his daily contemplation ; 
 Buonaparte's first measure of violence, | the constant food of his self-approving mind.
 
 CHAP. LIV] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 C03 
 
 Tlie rude hand of tlie Corslcan, however, had 
 abruptly dispelled tiiis strange delusion ; and 
 the minister had now to contend with diffi- 
 culties of a far diftereiit description, and 
 wiiich recjiiirod the exertion of far different 
 talt'uls, from those which presented them- 
 selves at the conferences of Amiens. 
 
 Mr. Pitt, who had thought the peace an 
 experiment ne(>ess;uy to be made, and who 
 was persuaded that, unless it were tried, the 
 nation at large would never be brought to 
 discredit the groundless assertions of that 
 factious party, which had incessantly repre- 
 sented the war as equally useless, unneces- 
 sary, and unjust ; and had uniformly insisted 
 on the pacific disposition of the French go- 
 vernment, and consequently that they would | 
 never give that full, cordial, and unanimous 
 support to the prosecution of the war, which 
 is at all times desirable, and which is often 
 necessary to insure success to the efforts of 
 -the government, now stood forward on the 
 renewal of hostilities, to give, the ministers 
 the same manly and independent support 
 whi( h he had liitherto afforded to all such of 
 their measures as he could conscientiously 
 approve. \ 
 
 In the discussions which took place in i 
 parlian)ent, upon this subject, those members j 
 who hail opposed the peace proved the most > 
 C'Mispicuousand determined opponents of the i 
 principle on which the war Avas renewed. 
 But they narrowed the question too much by 
 contending, that the refusal to surrender 
 Malta was the sole cause of renewed hosti- 
 lities. It must, indeed, be admitted, that 
 the grounds on which the ministers and their 
 supporters defended the peace, justified, in 
 some degree, this contracted view of the 
 subject. It had been stated, by the author 
 of the Memoirs of Mr. Addington, whose 
 sentiments were assuredly approved by the 
 ministers, that the AVar being a war of con- 
 servation, not of aggrandisement, a war de- 
 fensive to secure ourselves, not offensive to 
 injure others, the conditions of the peace 
 corresponded with the professed objects for 
 which, at first, we had entered into the con- 
 flict ; for by these we maintained our consti- 
 tution unimpaired— our territories undimi- 
 nished — our national honour untarnished. 
 Besides these advantages, we had gained two 
 valuable islands, and a large tract of country 
 in the East Indies. It was farther contended. 
 
 that as the Brili.sh emju're, now left alone, had 
 no object for which to contend, with anv 
 prospect of .success, the protracting of war 
 Mould be but to waste treasure, to shed blood, 
 and to exliaust strength, for no useful piu- 
 pose whatever ; an act this, of political im- 
 IMudence, if not of "moral wickedness, when 
 the war could be terminated on conditions of 
 peace, fair, equitable, salutary, and honour- 
 able ; and such, the ministers insisted, the 
 conditions of the peace of Amiens were. If 
 this were a true state of the case, the argu- 
 ments of tliose who opposed the grounds oa 
 Avhich the war was renewed, would be irre- 
 sistible. For certain it is, that if the mini.s- 
 ters had siurendered Malta, peace might have 
 been prolonged, at least for a short time. 
 And if^ we had no object for which to contend 
 with any prospect of success, at the period 
 when the treaty of Amiens was signed ; and 
 if by that treaty we had tsecured the profess- 
 ed objects of the war ; if the aggrandisement 
 of France were really, as it was contended^ 
 not an object of sufficient consequence to 
 justify a continuance of the contest ; and if, 
 as was also maintained, all the objections to 
 the surrender of Malta were umeasouable, 
 our object having been " to rescue it from 
 foreign domination, not to capture it as a 
 common spoil of war," and therefore it would 
 be unjust to retain it; if all this were admit- 
 ted, as it was by ministers, the renewal of the 
 war could uot be defended. For no act of 
 France, subsequent to the definitive treaty, 
 could make such an alteration in the state 
 of Europe, as, consistently with the princi- 
 ples thus laid down, could be of sufficient 
 consequence to justify the British government 
 in departing from that pacific system, which 
 had led to and followed this treaty. Besides, 
 if there were no prospect of success in con- 
 tending with France, for any object of nation- 
 al importance, at the period in question, 
 certainly that prospect was not at all bright- 
 ened by the ministerial operations during the 
 short interval of peace. A very large portion 
 of our army had been disl)anded ; the greater 
 part of our fleets dismantled ; our naval arse- 
 nals nearly exhausted ; and, from a miserahlt* 
 system of mistaken economy, no care had 
 been taken to replenish our naval stoies with 
 such articles as were indisjiensably necessary 
 for the equipment of a large fleet, at the com 
 mencenient of a war. The mini«t(irs, then.
 
 654 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LIV. 
 
 had much the worst of the argument on this 
 point. 
 
 But taking up the argument in another 
 point of view, and without any reference to 
 the dicta of ministers, the renewal of hosti- 
 lities was as much an act of necessity as the 
 original war in 1793. For although France 
 iiiul taken several steps to increase her power, 
 between the period of the prelinunary tieaty 
 and that of the definitive treaty, yetstillshe had 
 made further strides towards the unlimited ex- 
 tension of her dominions and intluence, which 
 fnliy justified agovernmentactuated by becom- 
 ing principles of national dignity and of national 
 security, principles more noble and expansive 
 than those on which the peace of Amiens was 
 formed, to declare war against her. The 
 relative situation of the two countries had ex- 
 perienced, by the progressive acts of Buona- 
 parte, a material change ; and it was manifest 
 to the world that his policy was directed to 
 the attainment of such an ascendency in 
 Enrofje, as would enable him to prescribe 
 laws to surromiding nations, and to contend 
 snccessfnlly with the only power which had 
 set his threats at defiance. Here was a legiti- 
 mate ground of war ; such a ground as had 
 induced our ancestors both whigs and tories 
 to fly to arms, in order to chastise the inso- 
 lence, to repress the ambition, and to check 
 the career of their natural enemy. Farther 
 acts of aggression, too, had been committed 
 by Buonaparte in sending agents to Egypt, 
 and to different parts of the British territory, 
 avowedly for commercial purposes ; (though 
 most of them were military men,) for in fact for 
 no other purpose than that of taking correct 
 accounts of all those matters and objects 
 which a power, wishing to conquer a countrj% 
 and to reduce it under its own dominions, 
 would be solicitous to obtain. 
 
 It was on these grounds that Mr. 
 Pitt defended in parliament the justice 
 and necessity of the new war ; of the merits 
 and nature of which he took a luminous view, 
 when it became the subject of discussion, in 
 the house of commons, on the 20th of May, 
 1803. He then expressed his conviction that 
 some system far more vigorous and effectual 
 than any which had yet been adopted, M'ould 
 be found necessary both in our finance, and 
 in the preparation for national defence. On 
 tiie provisions to be made for these two pri- 
 mary aiid paramount objects, it would priu- 
 
 1803. 
 
 cipaily depend, in his estimation, whether we 
 could effectually disconcert the favourite pro- 
 jects, and disappoint the main hopes of our 
 enemies. It was evident that if they indulged 
 themselves in any expectation of success in 
 the present contest, it was built chiefly on the 
 supposition that they could either break the 
 spirit and shake the determination of the 
 country, by harassing us with the perpetual 
 apprehension of descent upon our coasts, or 
 that they could impair our resources, and 
 undermine our credit, by the effects of an 
 expensive and protracted contest. To defeat 
 the first of these purposes, it was not, in his 
 judgment, sufficient to make those military 
 and naval preparations, which would prevent 
 any invasion, that might be attempted, from 
 being ultimately successful ; (an event whicli 
 he trusted he was justified, in common with 
 others, in considering as utterly impossible,) 
 but to make such vigorous and extensive 
 arrangements for national defence, as might 
 diffuse a sense of the most complete security 
 against even the temporary impression to be 
 produced by such an attempt, and might 
 enable every individual to lay down his head 
 in rest, in the persuasion and confidence that 
 nothing was omitted which could enable us 
 at once to meet and repel the danger, at any 
 moment, and in any quarter, in which it might 
 threaten us. 
 
 In order to defeat the second object, that 
 of wearing out our resources, IMr. Pitt trusted 
 the house would, from the beginning, form a 
 system of finance, not with a view only to the 
 expence which might be necessary in the first 
 year of the contest, but that they would look 
 at once to the possibility of its being pro- 
 tracted to as long a periorl as that which had 
 been lately terminated ; that they would con- 
 sider fully what, on the probable scale of the 
 war, would be the whole extent of the bur- 
 thens necessary to be imposed on that sup- 
 position. He was persuaded that it could 
 only be by providing, at the outset, means 
 adequate to the whole extent of these pur- 
 poses, that we could, in fact, prevent the ulti- 
 mate amount ofour expences from being un- 
 necessarily, and, perhaps, intolerably aug- 
 mented ; or that we could ensure the best 
 chances, either of bringing the contest to a 
 speedy conclusion, by convincing the enemy 
 of our ability to maintam it, or could meet its 
 continued exigencies, if necessary, without
 
 CHAP. LIV] GEORGE HF. ()05 
 
 the annual roonrrence of growinj^ and acrn- ; nbinulant reason we liad to be jjrateful to 
 miilatcd embarrassments. He trusted, there- » Providence for the distinction which we oi- 
 loie, that ministers would feel the necessity I joyed over most of the countries of Europe, 
 of l)riiiging botli these points under consider- ; and for all the advantages and blessings which 
 ation, with all practicable promptitude and j national wisdom and virtue had hitherto pro- 
 dispatch ; and that if possible not even a fort- 5 dnced, and which it now depended on per- 
 iiight might be suflered to elapse, without ! severence in the same just and honou-rable 
 enabling parliament to adopt such measures > sentiments, still to guard and preserve, 
 as would convince both France and the world { It had been well for the ministers had they 
 that we had, from that hour, provided the J followed this able, manly, and judicious ad- 
 means of supporting the force, and of defray- x vice ; but it very soon appeared that they were 
 ing the expenditure, which might be necessary i but ill qualified for guiding the helm of state 
 for the maintenance of our internal security, ; in such a stormy and tempestuous season ; 
 and for the vigorous and effectual prosecution ; and the nation became convinced that the 
 of the v/ar, to any period to which it could | solemn and stately tone and demeanor, the 
 be reasonably expected to extend. He was | sterile knowledge of parliamentary forms, and 
 aware that these measures could not be ef- \ that superticial information respecting com- 
 fected without material and extensive per- ; mon constitutional points that may be col- 
 soual sacrifices, and without great additional ; lected from any of our elementary law books, 
 burthens, which must, in a certain degree, i which suffice to qualify a man for the dis- 
 affect the ease, convenience, and even com- 5 charge of tlw; monotonous and laborious duties 
 fort of many classes of society. He lamented ; of speaker to the house of commons, are by 
 these consequences as much as any man ; i no means adequate to constitute an able mi- 
 and if he saw any prospect that, by present ; nister of state. Nor were they more slow 
 concession, we could obtain a real and de- ; to acknowledge the diflTerence between the 
 siraide interval of peace, security, and repose, i talents necessary to make a good commander 
 he should be as anxious as any man to avoid 5 of the fleet, and the abilities necessary 
 the necessity of such arduous and painful I to form an official first lord of the admi- 
 exertions ; but, under the present circum- i ralty. 
 
 stances, a weak and timid policy would, per- 1 In the month of June 1803, colonel Patten 
 haps, scarcely even postpone the moment > brought forward a formal motion of censure 
 when they would become indispensable for ; on the ministers, comprised in five resolutions, 
 our existence, and would infallibly expose | which substantially charged them with having 
 us to the certainty of a similar struggle at no | deceived the nation and betrayed the inler- 
 distant period, without those means which ; ests of the country, by holding out hopes of 
 we now possessed, and with a diminished i continued peace, at the very time, when ac- 
 chance of finally conducting it to a successful | cording to their subsequent declarations they 
 issue. At that moment we had not an option | knew that France was pursuing an unvaried 
 between the blessings of peace and the 5 course of aggression, violence, and insult. As 
 dangers of war. From the fatality of the j a proof of their incapacity and criminal inat- 
 times and the general state of the world, | tention to their duty, it was stated in one 
 Mr. l*itt observed, we must consider our lot ; of these resolutions, that on the 16th of Octo- 
 as cast by the decrees of Providence in a ; ber, 1802, counter orders were despatclied by- 
 time of peril and trouble. He trusted the 5 ministers, revoking the orders before given for 
 temper and the courage of the nation would > the surrender of the Cape of Good Hope, and 
 be conformable to the duties which such a i of the other conquests made by England 
 situation iniposed, that we should be pre- > during the late war ; and that the final orders, 
 pared, collectively and individually, to meet ; in consequence of which that settlement was 
 it with that resignation and fortitude, and, at I actually evacuated, were issued on the ICth 
 the same time, with that active zeal and ex- ; November, when the hostile spirit of France 
 ertion, which might be expected, m propor- ; had (as was afterwards avowed by ministers) 
 tion to the magnitude of the crisis, from a J been manifested for more than six months, ])y 
 brave and free people; and that we should ; one continued series of aggression, violence, 
 remendjer even in the hour of trial, what i and insult^ for which, neither reparation nor
 
 636 
 
 HlSTOllY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LIV. 
 
 redress had, till that moment, been attained ; 
 that the oflensive principle had already been 
 distinctly advanced of excluding his majesty 
 frOfin all concerns in the aflhirs of the conti- 
 nent : that the Sjianiish and other priories had 
 already been withdrawn from the order of 
 MaltTi ; riedmont. Parma, Piacenza, and 
 Elba, Iiad been annexed to France ; Switzer- 
 land had been attacked and subjugated ; and 
 the remonstrance of his majesty's govermnent 
 upon that subject had been treated with in- 
 dignity and contempt; the territory of the 
 Batavian republic Avas, at that very moment, 
 still occupied by the armies of the chief con- 
 sul of France, and its internal administration 
 still controuled by his interposition ; aud the 
 French government v;as then actually en- 
 gaged in the pursuit of those plans and mea- 
 sures for the subversion of the Turkish em- 
 pire, to which his majestj'"s declaration re- 
 ferred, as a violation of the treaty of peace ; 
 that in directing, under such circumstances, 
 the final surrender of the Cape, without having 
 previously explained and arranged the differ- 
 ences and complaints which then actually 
 •subsisted betAveen tire two governments, his 
 majesty's ministers acted in contradiction to 
 the sense which they had themselves mani- 
 fested of their own duty, and had, improvi- 
 dently, exposed to danger some of the most 
 important interests of his majesty's dominions. 
 Mr. Pitt, in considering this question, 
 diflered from both sides of the house ; for, 
 on the one hand, he did not think that suffi- 
 cient proof of the alleged misconduct had 
 been made to justify the charges preferred in 
 the resolutions, to their full extent, and there- 
 fore he could not vote for them ; and, on the 
 other, the justification offered by ministers 
 did not satisfy him that their conduct was 
 exempt from blame ; and therefore he could 
 not vote for a direct negative on the resolu- 
 tions, which would be tantamount to a de- 
 nial of all ground of censure. For this rea- 
 son he moved, that the other orders of the 
 day should be read. Though it is perfectly 
 clear, that, in his view of the subject, he 
 could not conscientiously adopt any other 
 mode of proceeding, he was, nevertheless, 
 blamed for his conduct by both parties. The 
 ministers thought that, as he could not concur 
 with their opponents, he ought to have voted 
 with them ; and the oj)position conceived 
 that, a.s he could not justify the whole con- 
 
 duct of the ministers, he ought to have joined 
 in their vote of censure. But Mr. Pitt was 
 of no party, and consequently his conduct 
 was not influenced by party motives. He 
 did not consider whether the effect of his 
 vote might tend to secure ministers in their 
 seats, or drive them out. Tlie real merits of 
 the question were alone allowed to bias his 
 judgment, and to intinence his vote. He, 
 indeed, expressly declared, that his esteem 
 for many members of the administration 
 should not prevent him from tl)e strict dis- 
 charge of his duty, and from concurring in 
 an address to the throne for their removal 
 from office, if tlie papers upon the table 
 afforded evidence of their incapacity, mis- 
 conduct, or criminality. But as they did 
 not, in his opinion, supply such evidence, it 
 would have been a gross deviation from moral 
 rectitude, and political honesty, to vote for 
 a motion founded on a supposition that they 
 did supply it. On the other hand, if he 
 thought that ministers had not acted with 
 sufficient caution, vigilance, and firmness, he 
 could not, without a sacrifice of conscience, 
 concur in a vote which went to exempt them 
 from all imputation of blame. In short, his 
 conduct upon this, as upon all important 
 occasions, was that of an honest, upright, 
 independent member of parliament. As in 
 administration, so " in retirement" — to use 
 the words of one who had well studied Mr. 
 Pitt's character — " we see him displaying the 
 same greatness, the same activity, the same 
 patriotism. His loyalty depended not upon 
 o/Tice ; his love of his country was equally 
 evident in every situation. Instead of a 
 peevish secession from the discharge of his 
 public duty, or a hostile obstruction to the 
 measures of the new administration, which 
 must instantly have sunk under the weight 
 of his opposition, he gave them the best 
 claim to credit, by an open declaration in 
 their favour, and by a direct avowal of his 
 determination to assist them while they acted 
 upon the principles wiiich had been the rule 
 of his own conduct. This assistance he 
 gave publicly and privately, with a zeal and 
 disinterestedness, of which there is no other 
 instance in the history of political parties." 
 Mr. Pitt took an active part in all the 
 I discussions on the best means of d(>fending 
 I the country against the threatened invasion 
 { of the eiieiyy, at this critical period. The
 
 CHAP. LIVj GEORGE III. 6o7 
 
 national defence was a subject to wliicli, it j awful responsibility of their situation. It 
 appears, he had directed all the powers of i would not be enougii for thc-in to say that our 
 his active, acute, and comprehensive mind. ; preparations were i^reat ; they ought to he 
 The measures proposed by ministers, for the ; complete. He postponed, however, the fuU 
 general defence of the country, in tiie summer ; declaration of his sentiments on the actual 
 of 1803, had his support as far as they went ; ; state of the naval defence of the country 
 but it was his opinion, — an opinion, indeed, | till the lOtli of March, when he made some 
 in which the nation concurred, — that ihey « specific motions on the subject. 
 did not go far enough ; that government did ; His first motion was for au address to the 
 not seem to have a proper sense of the dan- « king, " tiiat he may be pleased to give diiee- 
 ger to which the country was exposed, and i tions to have laid befoie the house, an account 
 tiiat, consequently, they did not apply means ; of the number of ships of the line, ships of 
 of adequate strength for repelling it. In all « 50 guns, frigates, sloops of war, bombs, hired 
 the debates on this important point, Mr. Pitt ; armed vessels, &c. in conmn'ssion on the Slst 
 and Mr. Windham distinguished themselves | of December, 1793, on the 30th of September, 
 most; both of them difl'ering essentially from > 1801, and on the 31st of December, 1803, 
 ministers, in the measures wliicii they pro- I specifying the service in which they were 
 posed in 1804 ; both equally solicitous to « respectively employed." His next motion 
 render the military power of the state effi- ; was, " that an humble address be presented 
 cient for offensive as well as for defensive « to his majesty, for a copy of the contracts 
 purposes ; but not entirely agreeing with ; made, and the orders given, by the lords of 
 each other as to the most eligible means of 5 the admiralty in 1793, 1797, and 1803, with 
 producing that desirable effect. Mr. Wind- « respect to the number of gun-vessels to be 
 ham considered the volunteers as useless, if ; built, distinguishing the time at which such 
 not worse than useless, and contended for | contract was made, the period at which it 
 the necessity of an exclusive reliance on a j was to be brought to a conclusion, and the 
 regular army; while Mr. Pitt regarded a ; account of the sum to be paid for the perform- 
 formidable and regular force as indispensably » ance of it. His third motion was, " that 
 necessary ; but, at the same time, thought a ; there be laid before the hou.se a list of such 
 large body of volunteers as essentially im- 1 ships as have been built in the king's yards 
 portant to the defence of the country. | in 1793 and 1801. 
 
 In a debate on the 27th of February, 1804, ; Mr. Pitt acknowledged that the object of 
 Mr. Pitt reproved ministers for not liaving i these different motions was to obtain proof 
 taken sufficient care to render the volunteers 5 of a criminal neglect, in the board of aduii- 
 as useful and efficient as they were capable j ralty, to provide sufficient force for the de- 
 of being made, by proper discipline and in- ; fence of the country, in the present critical 
 struction in military evolutions. After point- ! situation of public afl'airs. He stated that, 
 ing out the means which appeared to him \ since the present lords of the admiralty had 
 most proper for remedying this defect, he I come into office, only two ships of the line 
 adverted to the low state of our naval prepa- ; had been contracted for, to be built in the 
 ration. In this statement he declared, he i merchants' yards, out of twenty-nine ships 
 was not influenced by the slightest prejudice 1 of the line; and tliat there were, at that mc- 
 against any man; on the contrary, in the > ment, docks and slips in the ri\er unoccupied, 
 whole of his observations, he wished to keep ; which were calcuted for building fourteen or 
 aloof from every description of asperity, ; fifteen ships of the line. He also charged the 
 which, he thought, ouglit n(it, upon any ac- « admiralty with having admitted the necessity 
 count, to be introduced in the course of that ; of gun-brigs, and other vessels di awing little 
 discussion. This was not a time for the | water, to counteract any efforts which might' 
 operation of any party spirit. Every mind • be made, by the immense number of light 
 should be engaged, every heart should be : vessels, stationed at Boulogne and elsewhere, 
 devoted to the consideration of public de- | for the avowed purpose of attempting a de- 
 fence ; and, in the prosecution of it, he ex- j scent upon some part of th British shores, 
 pressed his hojie that ministers would weigli ; Mr. Pitt expressed his surpiise at the oppo-' 
 well the sacred duty they had to perform, the 5 sitiou which was made to his motions, because 
 
 4 p ' 42
 
 €58 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LIV. 
 
 ministers had previously applied to him to be » harsh and severe measures ado]>ted by the 
 
 informed of the nature of them, and which i admiralty gave great disgust to the workmen 
 
 information he gave them ; and he understood ; employed in the dock-yards, and to every 
 
 that it was their intention to assent to two i description of persons throughout the naval 
 
 of them without any objections being sug- 1 department. From a mistaken principle of 
 
 gested. I (pconomy, blended perhaps with an unwar- 
 
 One of the most strenuous opposers of Mr. ; rantable confidence in tlie pacific disposition 
 
 Pitt's motions was Mr. Sheridan, who did | of the French cabinet, the naval stores were 
 
 not blush to declare, " that he could only be ; suffered to be wholly exhausted ; the hemp 
 
 actuated by factious and party motives." He { collected by the late ministers was publicly 
 
 was piobably led to piefer this most unfound- i sold, and the agents of France were the prin- 
 
 ed charge, by a consciousness of its applica- • cipal purchasers ; no care was taken to pro- 
 
 bility to his own public conduct for some } cure a fresh supply ; even the most advan- 
 
 years past. He could not bear the smallest J tageous offers of providing ship timber were 
 
 reflection upon a Whig minister; and there- i rejected ; th« shipwrights employed in the 
 
 fore sought to counteract the effects of Mr. I king's yards were abruptly dismissed, without 
 
 Pitt's plain statements, by a declamatory < being allowed to finish the vessels which 
 
 panegyric on the services of lord St. Vincent, J they had contracted to build; the ships 
 
 of which, however, he deemed it prudent to J which, upon the declaration of war, it was 
 
 avoid all specification. In the blindness of j necessary to send against the enemy were, 
 
 his zeal, he ridiculed the idea of gun-brigs, ; many of them, actually under repair ; and no 
 
 although the admiralty had recently acknow- j new ships were in such a state of forwardness 
 
 ledged their utility by ordering twenty of; as to afford a prospect of supplying the void 
 
 them to be built, and totally forgot that there { occasioned by the inevitable casualties of the 
 
 were numerous parts of our coasts, most ex- j service. In short, so incompetent a board 
 
 posed to attack, which ships of the line ; of admiralty had not been seen for a long 
 
 could not possibly approach ; and which, I series of years. 
 
 therefore, in the event of an attempt at in- 1 Mr. Fox, and other members of the ,„„. 
 ''-■■ -- * — lt>U4, 
 
 vasion, would admit of no other naval defence 
 than gun-boats, or armed vessels of a similar 
 nature. He proclaimed abuses in every de- 
 partment of the navy, and highly extolled the 
 zeal displayed in their correction ; although, 
 in fact, that zeal had been exerted only, or at 
 least chiefly, in a way the most prejudicial 
 to the naval service, and consequently the 
 most detrimental to the interests of the coun- 
 try. Lord St. Vincent, seeing nothing but 
 abuses, and blind, as it were, to the inesti- 
 mable services which the navy had rendered 
 to the country, under this system of imputed 
 corruption, began a radical nform, with all 
 the zeal and energy of a modern Whig. Ac- 
 knowledging even the existence of "abuses, 
 to a considerable extent, in that dei)arlment, 
 no man of sense, judgment, or reflection, 
 could suppose that they admitted of an in- 
 stantaneous cure. It was manifest, that if, 
 instead of alteratives administered by the 
 slow and cautious hand of prudence, to work 
 a gradual melioration in the constitution of 
 the navy, a rash empiric should administer 
 the most powerful medicines, he might chance 
 to kill where he proposed to cure. The 
 
 new whig party, took a different side 
 from that which Mr. Sheridan adopted, and 
 voted for the inquiry, in the full conviction 
 that it would terminate to the honour of their 
 favourite admiral. The inquiry, however, 
 w as strenuously resisted as unnecessary, and 
 as only calculated to waste the time of the 
 house, by the minister, who vied with the 
 opposition in panegyrising the first lord of 
 the admiralty. Nothing, however, but pre- 
 sumption and ignorance combined, could 
 have compared him with the late lord Chat- 
 ham, and have assigned to him the compli- 
 ment bestowed on that real patriot, — *' da- 
 nan et venerabife uomen, <j|'c." It is a matter 
 of doubt, whether unmerited praise is not 
 moie piejudirial in its effects than undeserved 
 censure. The latter may discourage, but the 
 former must disgust ; and it is more easy to 
 stimulate a discouraged spirit, than to con- 
 ciliate a disgusted mind. INo man ever en- 
 joyed so high a reputation, who had done so 
 little to deserve it, as lord St. Vincent. In 
 the whole course of his naval career, there is 
 not much to applaud, and very little to ad- 
 mire ; and whoever has taken pains to invets-
 
 CHAP. LIV.] 
 
 CEORGR III. 
 
 659 
 
 ti^^ate the details of tliat gallant action to 
 whicli he was indebted for his title and pen- 
 sion, must, if he be not influenced by preju- 
 dice, or biassed by party, acknowledge as far 
 as lord St. Vincent was concerned in it, there 
 was no opportunity for the display of par- 
 ticular skill, spirit or judgment ; while the 
 peculiar circumstances attending it must 
 satisfy the impartial mind, that never was 
 service so slight so profusely rewarded. 
 
 Besides there were, many defects in the 
 public character of this nobleman, which it 
 is not necessary for the historian to enumerate. 
 But lord St. Vincent was a whig; and party 
 spirit was suffered, as is unhappily too often 
 the case, to supply tlie place of superior 
 merit. It is true, however, that Mr. Pitt 
 himself concurred in the praises so bounti- 
 fiiliy lavished on lord St. Vincent. — " I ad- 
 mire," he said, " the uncommon valour, I 
 extol the vast renown, the glorious achieve- 
 merit* of lord St. Vincent. To him we are 
 highly indebted for shedding extraordinary 
 iustr*- on our national glory." But a.s, in 
 attentively examining the public services of 
 his lordship, I have not been able to discover 
 any solid ground for this admiration and 
 praise, J cannot acquiesce in its justice, by 
 whatever authority advanced. Mr. Pitt at 
 the same time expressed his opinion " that 
 between his lordship as a commander on the 
 sea, and his lordship at first lord of the admi- 
 miraity, there is a wide difference." 
 
 In hi.s reply Mr. Pitt entered more largely 
 into the subject than he had done in opening 
 his speech. Alluding to Mr. Sheridan's obser- 
 vations, he said, — " But we are amused with 
 a brilliant flash of eloquence, (not lately a 
 source of ordinary entertainment in this house,) 
 and we are told ' all this scheme of gun-vessels 
 15 a job.' This sentiment, clothed in a 
 wandering meteor, which fixed its ray of in- 
 dignation upon me, shall not so far dazzle my 
 organs of vision, as to prevent me from dis- 
 covering the way by which I may relieve my- 
 self from the terrors of its effulgence. It is 
 not necessary to conclude, because a service 
 has been converted into a job, that it is an 
 iis«?less service. If pernicious food had been 
 given to the honourable gentleman he would 
 not conceive it to be a reason for abstaining 
 from all nourishment ; so, in the former case, 
 we must learn to distinguish between acci- 
 dent and substance, and rejecting what is 
 
 4 r 1 ' 
 
 injurious, retain what is valuable." Mi- 
 nisters having boasted of the comparative 
 force of the navy, at a period when they 
 came into power, and at the time of the 
 present discussion Mr. Pitt stated, that in 
 1801 we had 101 sloops, whereas now we 
 had but 04; we then had 69 gun-vessels, we 
 had now 37 ; we then had 101 cutters, we had 
 now 52. 
 
 The difference between the statements of 
 ministers and those of their opponents, wa.s 
 so great, that nothing short of the production 
 of the official documents moved for by Mr. Pitt, 
 could suffice to ascertain the truth and to 
 satisfy the public mind. The ministers, how- 
 ever, pertinaciously refused to produce them, 
 and a majority of 71 sanctioned their resolu- 
 tion, 1.30 having voted for Mr. Pitt's motion, 
 and 201 against it. 
 
 The eyes of the country began to be open- 
 ed by these discussions to the incapacity of 
 Mr. Addington's administration. The neg- 
 lect not only to provide adequate means of 
 defence at home, but to animate the drooping 
 spirit of the continent, to resist the continued 
 encroachments and aggressions of France, 
 betrayed a systematic weakness, an absence 
 of wisdc'.u in council, and of vigour in action, 
 which demonstrated their inability to conduct 
 the affairs of the state with honour to them- 
 selves or with advantage to the nation. 
 
 In the year 1803 Buonaparte had the inso- 
 lence to address, through the medium of his 
 official gazette, the following language to the 
 British government : — " You shall not retain 
 Malta ; you shall not obtain Lampedosa ; 
 and you shall sign a treaty less advantageous 
 to you than that of Amiens." Such language 
 as this was never used with impunity to 
 
 { England before this revolutionary period ; 
 
 I and the only becoming ans%ver to it would 
 have been the most instantaneous adoption 
 of an active and vigorous system of oflfensive 
 warfare, a system which would have enabled 
 our fleets and armies to hurl destruction 
 on their insolent foe ; to keep his coasts in a 
 constant alarm; to exhibit his impotence 
 even for tlie purpose of self-defence, in a strik- 
 ing point of view to his subjects, his tribu- 
 taries, and his vassals ; and to rouse, by the 
 powerful operation of example^ iho dormant 
 energies of the continent into strong- aud effec- 
 tive action. But so far was Mr. Addingtoa 
 from the adoption or encouragement of sucb
 
 f,QQ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LIV. 
 
 decisive meafiiires, that he seemed lost iti self j the objection already stated, he conceived he 
 congratulation and in self confidence. It psad personal ground of complaint, as they 
 ini"ht naturally have been inferred that he J had pointedly attacked him in parliament, 
 wa" stnpified by the extraordinary height to i On this difference the negotiation l)roke off. 
 M'hich he had been unexpectedly raised; that; Mr. Addington made several appeals to the 
 his weak head felt giddy when he looked ; public through different channels, or rather 
 down from the proud eminence on which he ; perhaps appeals were nnide for him, Avith a 
 stood ; that his feet tottered nnder him, 'and | view to justify his own conduct, and to incul- 
 that the strength of his intellects proved in- ; pate that of Mr. Pitt, on the subject of these 
 adequate to sustain the awful weight of re- ; overtures. Various attacks were published 
 sponsibility which he had, without due con- ; on both sides, but all the powers of sophistry 
 sideration, incurred; had not the confident i were inadequate to conceal the plain state of 
 tone which he invariably assumed, the bold- > the question from the public eye. In fact, 
 ness with which he rejected the most judi- ; one moment's reflection will suflice to con- 
 cions advice, the assurance with which he j vince any rational being of the justice and 
 defended his own feeble, torpid, and impo- ; reasonableness of Mr. Pitt's proposal. Had 
 tent measures, forbidden the supposition that ; he acceded to Mr. Addington's terms he 
 he harboured the smallest doubt of the sutfi- | would have been placed in a situation in 
 ciencv of his own powers to guide the vessel | which no minister ever yet stood, and in 
 of the state in perfect security, through the j which it might have been impossible for him 
 storms and tempests that assailed her on ; to act with benefit to the country or with 
 everv side. I honour to himself. Solely responsible, in the 
 
 Whatever may have been the cause, it is ; eyes of the nation, for the measures of govern- 
 certain that no efforts, adequate to the emer- j ment, yet without influence and having but a 
 gencv, were made either to counteract the i single voice in the cabinet, in which those 
 effects of the enemy's boasted preparations, 5 measures must originate, he might, and very 
 or fo carry hostility to his own shores. The j probably would, have been not unfrequently 
 nation then was alarmed, and justly alarmed, I reduced to the degrading necessity either of 
 at the torpidity of the cabinet ; and the inci- i supporting in the house measures which he 
 pietit opposition of Mr. Pitt, whose friendly j had condemned in the cabinet, or else of 
 disposition to the ministers was well known, > publicly opposing his colleagues in office, and, 
 tended materially to increase the apprehen- 5 thereby, of producing dissentions which must 
 sions of the public. As soon, indeed, as a : have materially afi'ected the public service. 
 renewal of hostilities became unavoidable, | It was to avert this evil and to render his 
 Mr. Addington acknowledged the necessity ; services effective, that Mr. Pitt refused to 
 of giving additional strength to the cabinet, 5 come into oflice without the aid of colleagues 
 and for this purpose made some overtures to ; whose talents had stood the test of long ex- 
 Mr. Pitt in the spring of l«0;l. Mr. Pitt met I perience, and on whose principles and cordial 
 this proposal with becoming candour; he | concurrence he could place the firmest reli- 
 professed his readiness, should he be honour- j ance. His conduct then was equally dis- 
 fd with his mnjesly's commands for that ; tinguished by honour and by reason; and 
 purpose, fo form a strong and eflicient adnii- ; towering like the eagle on (he clifl', he might 
 nistration, including, of course, those states- : look down with contempt on the weak efforts 
 men with whom he had before acted ; parti- ; of the mole below to undermine the lofty emi- 
 rnlarlyearl Spencer, lord Grenville, and Mr. j nence on which he stood. 
 
 Windham. But such an administration by J After the rejection of these overtures, Mr. 
 no means suited the views of Mr. Addington, ; Addington's public conduct displayed some- 
 who if he did not retain the otfice»of premier, i thing like splenetic resentmesit, as if it were 
 to which it was scarcely to be supposed Mr. i an aflVont to the dignity of a new and untried 
 Pitt wotdd submit resolved, at least, to pre- ; premier to refuse to enlist under his bamiers 
 serve a majority in the cabinet. He there- $ on his own conditions. The possession of 
 fore olijtcted strongly to the admission of | power seems to have produced a revolution 
 eart Spencer, and lord fJieuville, and Mr. ; in his mind ; to have converted diflidence into 
 Wiudhaui, against whom, independently of { confideuce ; and conscious inferiority into
 
 CllAP. LlV.j GEORGE III. 651 
 
 assc-ited rinpcriority. He cevlaiiily from tin's i vested in the kins';. It is a principle sanc- 
 jjcriod received llie valuable advice of lliat ; tioiied too by tbe practice, as well as by the 
 eiiiinent statesman, to whom he was priiici- ■ tlieory of our constitution, and a priiicijde 
 pally indebted for his rise from the private ; conducive to the security of the nation. Mr. 
 ranks of society to an elevated situation in > Pitt assorted and niainfaintd this principle 
 life, with less deference and respect ; he ; ajjaiiist the attacks of Mr. Fo.v. On all 
 seemed to take di'light in associating- with ; other points these rival statesmen agreed, and 
 liim-elf, in the minority, one of the very few | the result of this concurrence of sentiment 
 public men who had betrayed a marked | was a strong; division, in whirli the ministers 
 personal enmity to Mr. Pitt; and rather i carried the cjuestion against the motion by a 
 anxious to stand forward in opposition to the ; majority of tifty-two. Two hundred and 
 motions which Mr. Pitt occasionally sub- ; lour having; voted for the motion of Mr. Fox, 
 mitted to the house. « and two hundred and (ifty-six against it. 
 
 But it was not to be supposed, that, what- j Two days after this discussion, on the :?-5tli 
 ever oontidence Mr. Addington might feel ; of April, another debate took place on the 
 in iiis own powers, or in the supjjort of his ; same subject, in consequence of a motion by 
 colleagues, his administration conld long ; Mr. secretary Yorke, for the house to resolve 
 withstand the united attacks of Mr. Pitt and i itself into a committee, on a bill for the sus- 
 li is friends, and of the other two parties in ; pension of the army of reserve act. Ihis 
 parliament, headed respectively by Mr. Fox ; motion was resisted by Mr. Pitt; and on the 
 and lord Crenville. Most of Mr. Addington's • division there appeared, in snpport of the 
 political associates were men of great respect- ; ministerial plan 240, — against it "203, leaving 
 ability in private life, of sound principles, i to the minister a majority of only 37. 
 and of good intentions ; but deficient in all > This additional mark of dissatisfaction 
 tlie great essentials of statesmen, and des- « with the conduct of ministers proved the 
 titute of that energy and decision which are > death-blow to their expiring power. They 
 indispensably necessary to the good govern- | immediately tendered their resignations ; and 
 luent of a country in turbulent and trouble- I the king, whose wishes were in unison with 
 some times. > those of his people, consigned to Mr. Pitt 
 
 The defence of the country was the great; <l"e task of forn)ing a new administration. 
 rock upon which the Addington administra- i When the strength of that cabinet, over 
 tion was destined to split. On the 23rd of! which Mr. Pitt presided for so many years, 
 April, 1804, Mr. Fox moved for a connnittee ; was considered, nothing appeared more easy 
 to revise the several bills which had been > than the lormation of a new- ministry. It was 
 l)roposed for the accomplishment of this ; naturally imagined that those statesmen who 
 great object, and for devising eflicient mea- I had so long and so cordially imited tlieir 
 sures for complete and permanent security. > eflbrts to preserve the state from danger, in 
 Mr. Pitt supported this motion, and again i the most perilous times, would be ready 
 took a comprehensive view of the actual state | again to stand forward in her support, and t© 
 of the country, as to its means of military > resume, in obedience to the call of their sove- 
 and naval defence. There was butOne point ; reign, the same situations which they had 
 on which he and Mr. F'ox ditiered on this | so ably and so honourably tilled before. Un- 
 occa.sion ;— the power vested in the kin* by ; happily it api)eared, that since their seces- 
 the constitution, of calling out all the .•-uli- ; sion from power, these noble persons had 
 jects of his realm to defend the country in | formed some new comiexions, or, at le;iM, 
 ease of invasion. Mr. Fox was certainly the ; had imbibed some new ideas, respecting the 
 first statesman who ever ventured to <juestion ; materials «if which a new administration 
 the royal prerogative in this particuilar. For > ought to be formed. They thought, but it is 
 nothing is more clearly laid down in all our; <lillicult to conceive by what tram of reason- 
 Jaw writers, antieut and nuxlern, than that |iug their minds had first been brought to such 
 the j)Ower of calling upon every description ; a conclusion, that no ministry could be e(h- 
 of his subjects to repair to his standard, when; cient, unless it were composed of the leading 
 the eitemy is about to invade his country, is > members of the three parlies iii parliament ;
 
 662 
 
 HISTOnV OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIA1». Lir. 
 
 those of Mr. Pitik, of Mr. Fox, and of lord 
 Grenville. Mr. Pitt bad no objection, if it 
 sliould be the king's wish, to admit Mr. Fox 
 into the cabinet; but his majesty objected 
 to this proposal, and supported his objection 
 on grounds, the validity of which no one 
 who had studied the public character, and 
 traced the public conduct of Mr. Fox, could 
 for a moment dispute. Mr. Pitt urged his 
 reasons, with becoming firmness, for the ex- 
 pediency of comprising Mr. Fox in the new 
 ministry ; but he did not think it compatible 
 %vith his duty as a subject, nor decorous as 
 a statesman, to press this point more strongly 
 upon the king, much less to make it the 
 ground of w ithholding his own services from 
 his sovereign and his country. 
 
 Lord Grenville, however, and his associates 
 in this new system, remained firm to their 
 purpose, and rendered a compliance with 
 their w ishes the sine qu& non of their return 
 to office. The following letter from lord 
 Grenville to Mr. Pitt was published, as the 
 defence of their conduct upon this occasion. 
 
 " My dear Pitt, 
 
 *' I have already ap- 
 prised you, that all the persons to whom, at 
 your desire, I communicated what passed 
 between us yesterday, agree with me in the 
 decided opinion, that we ought not to engage 
 in the administration which you are now em- 
 ployed in forming. We should be extremely 
 sorry, if, by declining this proposal, we 
 should appear less desirous than we must 
 always be, of rendering to his majesty, to the 
 utmost of our power, every advice of which 
 he may be graciously pleased to think lis 
 '"apable. No consideration of personal ease 
 or comfort, no aj)prehension of responsibility, 
 nor reluctance to meet the real situation into j 
 which the country has been brought, have '^ 
 
 hands. We see no liope of any efiectual 
 remedy for these mischiefs, but by uniting in 
 the public service "as large a portion a.s 
 possible of the weight, talents, and character 
 to be found in public men of nil descriptions 
 and without any exception." This opinion I 
 have already had occasion to express to you 
 in the same words, and we have, for some 
 time past, been publicly acting in conformity 
 to it ; nor can we, while we remain impressed 
 with the persuasion, concur in defeating an 
 object, for which the circumstances of the 
 times afford at once so strong an inducement 
 and so favourable an occasion. 
 
 " An opportunity now offers, such as this 
 country has seldom seen, for giving to its 
 government, in a moment of peculiar diffi- 
 culty, the full benefit of the services of all 
 those who, by the public voice and sentiment, 
 are judged most capable of contributing to 
 its prosperity and safety. The wishes of the 
 public, upon this occasion, are completely in 
 unison with its interests, and the advantages- 
 which, not this country alone, but all Europe, 
 and the whole civilized world, might derive 
 from the establishment of such an adminis- 
 tration, at such a crisis, would probably have 
 exceeded the most sanguine expectations. 
 
 " We are certaiidy not ignorant of the 
 difficulties which might have obstructed the 
 accomplishment of such an object, however 
 earnestly pursued. But when, in the very 
 first instance, all trial of it is precluded, and 
 when the denial is made the condition of all 
 subsequent engagements, we cannot but feel 
 that there are no motives, of whatever de- 
 scription, which could justify our taking an 
 active part in the establishment of a system 
 .so adverse to our deliberate and declared 
 opinions. 
 
 " I remain, 
 '■' My dear l^itt, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 anv 
 
 weight in this decision ; nor arc ice Jet- \ (Signed) " Grenville." 
 
 tered hy any engagement on the svbject, either 
 expressed or implied ; we rest our determina- » The want of that classical accuracy of lan- 
 tiou solely on our strong sense of the im- ; guage, which so generally marks the slightest 
 propriety of our becoming parties to system ; compositions of the scholar and the gentle- 
 of government, which is to be formed, at ; man, would load nic io question the autheu- 
 such a moment as the present, on the principle \ ticity of this letter, were it not for the con- 
 of exclusion. \ sideration that lord Grenville's neglect to dis- 
 
 " It is unnecessary to dwell on the mischiefs i claim it, would, if it were really a fabrication, 
 that have already resulted from placing the < subject his lordship to a charge of culpable 
 offices of government in weak and incapable ; contempt for public opinion, which it wouhJ
 
 CMAP LIV] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 Gm 
 
 be presumptuous to impute to liiin. Com- ; joiced at tlie event, because it was glorious to 
 {jelled, therefore, to receive it as the genuine | tiie enemies of his country ! If such conduct, 
 production of his lordships pen, it becomes > pursued systematically for the long term of 
 a duty to expose (he weakness and fallacy of; seventeen years, rlid not supply as strong, as 
 the opinion which it contains. : proper, as honourable, and as constitutional 
 
 It is perfectly clear from this letter, that > an objection as the mind of an Englishniaa 
 
 can conceive, to the admission of Mr. Fox 
 into the cabinet, no conduct whatever, short 
 of convicted delinquency, could constitute 
 an adequate objection. But there is another 
 
 the only obstacle which lord (Jren^ ille and 
 his friends considered as insurmountable to 
 an luuon with Mr. Pitt, was the kings ob- 
 jection to Mr. Fox, as a mendjer of the cabi- 
 net. Respect for the sovereign, rising para- » important point involved in this question, 
 mount to all delicacy or forbearance towards ; The constitution has, for the wisest purposes, 
 any of liis subjects, renders it necessary to | vested exclusively in the sovereign the right 
 call the readers attention to the probable ; of choosing theservants of (he crown, without 
 grounds on which that objection was founded, i exception or restraint. 'J'hat the right of 
 It must be remembered, then, that Mr. Fox i choice includes the right of rejection, it 
 had declared himself an enthusiastic admirer \ would be a waste of Mords to prove by argu- 
 of the French revolution, which produced ! meut. To call the latter right in question is 
 the murder of the king, the abolition of the \ to impeach the former, and to destroy one of 
 aristocracy, and a general system of oppres- \ the leading features of a monarchical govern- 
 sion and plunder; — that through the various » ment. 
 
 stages of that revolution, he pertinaciously * But it forms not one of the least extra- 
 adhered to his original opinion, and uniformly ! ordinary parts of this case, that lord Gren- 
 derided the notion of danger to a foreign ! ville and his associates were members of 
 state from the infusion of those principles * that cabinet, by whose advice the king erased 
 which had effected tlie destruction of the | the name of Charles James F'ox from the list 
 French monarchy. When these principles | of his privy-counsellors ;— a mark of degrada- 
 had made considerable progress in this coun- ; tion never inflicted, but as the punishment 
 try, — when all the sound part of the comnui- 1 either of declared delinquency or of imputed 
 nity were alarmed at the rapid progress of J disaffection ! Mr. Fox had never recanted 
 disaflection, — and when seditious societies, ) any of those principles, had never retracted 
 in every quarter, threatened to overthrow the ! any of those expressions, which had induced 
 venerable fabric of the British constitution, \ the members of the cabinet to advise the in- 
 
 Mr. Fox, though a word of discouragement 
 from his mouth in the senate would have 
 silenced the voice of treason, and have com- 
 pelled Jacobinism to retire within the inmost 
 recess of her den, not only forbore to utter 
 that word ; but all his speeches, in parliament 
 and elsewhere, were calculated to fan the 
 flame of revolt, and to animate the agents of 
 sedition. He systematically opposed every 
 measure suggested by Mr. Pitt and lord 
 Grenville, for stifling the rising spirit of 
 anarchy, and tor securing the church and the 
 throne against the attacks of their numerous 
 an<l infuriated enemies. Every legislative 
 attempt to check the [)rogress of treason and 
 sedition met, in Mr. Fox, with a most deter- 
 mined opponent. The war which parliament 
 and the nation at large had proclaimed to be 
 just and necessary, he uniformly pronounced 
 to be unjust and unnecessary. And lastly, 
 when peace was concluded, lie opcidy re- 
 
 tliction of this disgrace upon his head. If, 
 then, it had been proposed to them, inunedi- 
 ately after his exclusion from the privy-coun- 
 cil, to receive him as a member of the cabinet, 
 would they not have indignantly spurned 
 such a proposal, and have regarded it as an 
 insult to themselves ? It is impossible to 
 doubt, for a moment, that such would have 
 been their conduct ; for (he same acts, on 
 the part of Mr. Fox, which rendered him 
 unfit to be a privy-counsellor, must, a fortiori, 
 have disqualilied him for a seat in the cabinet ; 
 and it is clear that Mr. Fox stood, at this 
 moment, preci.«ely in the same situation, in 
 respect to his merits or demerits, as at the 
 period when he incurred the disgrace in ques- 
 tion ; or rather he now stood in a worse situa- 
 tion, since he had exhibited additional proofs 
 of the same sentiments, additional instances 
 of the same misconduct, which had drawn 
 upon him the signal mark of his sovereign's
 
 C64 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 {CIIAP. Lir. 
 
 displeasure. Here then lord Greuville had 
 acted himself upon that principle of excln- 
 sion, which he now considered an insurmount- 
 able bar to his acceptance of office. His 
 lordship too, it may he remarked, found no 
 deticieiicy of " weigiit, talents, or character," 
 in the administration of that day, from which, 
 not only Mr. Fox, but all his political friends 
 Avere excluded. The " public voice and 
 sentiment" supported that administration, 
 and there was not the smallest reason to 
 believe, that they would not have given an 
 equal support to a cabinet composed of the 
 same individuals, at the present moment. 
 INor will it be contended that, perilous as 
 the times unquestionably were, they were to 
 be compared, for extent of danger, to the 
 early periods of the revolutionary war, when 
 hostilities abroad were less formidable than 
 disafliection at home. Lord Grenville was 
 not asked to associate with " weak and in- 
 capable men," but with men whose strength 
 and capacity he had long experienced and 
 uniformly acknowledged. The grounds, 
 then, here urged by his lordship, for his 
 refusal to come into power, without Mr. Fox 
 for his associate, are not to be supported 
 eitlier by arguments or facts. 
 
 It is worthy of remark, that lord Grenville 
 expressly denied that he was fettered by any 
 f'ligagement, either expressed or implied, to 
 Mr. Fox or any other person ; and that he 
 did not conceive himself bound to make any 
 stipulations in favour of the catholic claims", 
 as the condition of his acceptance of office. 
 It would have been a novel sight, for (he 
 nation to behold an administration founded 
 on the hit it iidinarian system, admitting public 
 men of all descriptions, and without excep- 
 tion. By the establishment of such a basis, 
 public virtue would have been reduced to a 
 level with pulilic profligacy ; loyalty and 
 disaflcction, patriotism and treason, would 
 have been placed on the same footing ; and 
 tiie king might have boasted of ;i more motley 
 cabinet than any to be found in the history 
 of iitient or modern times. To suppose that 
 Mr. Pitt had ever publicly acted upon, or 
 privately admitted any sucli"levelling principle 
 us this, would be to admit a supposition at 
 variance with the whole tenor of his public 
 life. It was his wish, i;;deed, to form a 
 s-!rong and efhcieut admiuistration ; envy and 
 politicq,! ..animosity were strangers to his 
 
 bosom ; and he would \\illingly have acted 
 in the cabinet with Mr. Fox and his friends, 
 had it been the pleasuie of his sovereign to 
 receive them as his servants. But he never 
 had acted for a moment, and never would 
 have acted, on the strange notion of depriving 
 himself of the privilege of objecting to any 
 person, of whatever description, who might 
 be proposed as his associate in power, Lord 
 Grenville's statement, then, was loose, inde- 
 finite, iinguarded, and unwarrantable. Mr. 
 Pitt's conduct, when out of power, was 
 framed on no such opinion, but on a plain 
 simple sense of duty, which led him to coi;- 
 sider measures without reference to men, 
 and to vote upon every question, according 
 to his conscience, without considering what 
 description of men supported or opposed it. 
 
 Had the king yielded to the importunities 
 of combined parties, at this important con- 
 juncture, and suffered an administration to 
 be formed agreeably to the wishes of lord 
 Grenville, it is pretty evident, that the united 
 friends of his lordship and Mr. Fox would 
 have had a preponderating influence, and, 
 indeed, a numerous majority in the cabinet. 
 Whatever measures, therefore, they chose to 
 propose, must of course have been adopted, 
 or the administration must have been dis- 
 solved. Mr. Pitt then, in respect of weight 
 in the ministry, would have been placed in as 
 bad a situation as if he had met the overtures 
 of Mr. Addington in 1803, and become a pai t 
 of that administration. On the other hand, 
 if Mr. Pitt had been as peremptory as lord 
 Grenville in imposing on his sovereign a 
 minister, in whom he could not confide, and 
 to whom he had a strong and constitutional 
 objection, the king would have been rendered 
 a cypher in the state, — the tool, the pageant 
 of an aristocratic party, in whose hands all 
 the real power of the sovereignty would have 
 been vested. But, happily for the country, 
 Mr. Pitt knew his duty too well, and was 
 too resolute in the discharge of it, to load the 
 venerable head of his sovereign with sonow 
 and disgrace. He obeyed the royal com- 
 mands ; and, by the 12th of May, a new 
 ministry was formed, without the assistance 
 of the friends either of lord Grenville or ot 
 Mr. I'ox. 
 
 TuK cabinet was composed of Mr. Pitt, 
 first lord of the treasury, and chanceilor of 
 the exchequer; duke of Portland, president
 
 CIUP. LIV] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 66a 
 
 of the council; lord Eldeii, lord cliancellor; 
 earl of Westmorland, lord privy seal; lord 
 viscoimt Melville, lirst lord of the admiralty; 
 earl of Chatham, master general of the ord- 
 nance ; lord Hawkesbury, secretary of state 
 for the home department ; lord Harrowby, 
 secretary of state for foreign affairs ; earl Cam- 
 den, secretary of state for the department of 
 war and the colonies ; lord Castlereagh, pre- 
 sident of the board of controid for the affairs 
 of India ; and lord JMulgrave, chancellor of the 
 duchy of Lancaster. 
 
 Mr. William Dnndas was made secretary 
 at war; Mr. Canning, treasurer of the navy; 
 Mr. George Rose and lord Charles Somerset, 
 joint paymasters of tie forces; the duke of 
 Montrose and lord Charles Spencer, joint 
 paymasters general ; Mr. Huskisson and Mr. 
 Sturges Bourne, secretaries of the treasury; 
 sir William Grant, master of tlie rolls; Mr. 
 Perceval, attorney-general ; sir Thomas Man- 
 ners Sutton, solicitor-general ; lord Hard- 
 wicke, lord-lieutenant of Ireland ; lord liedes- 
 dale, lord chancellor; sir Evan Nepean, chief- 
 secretary ; and Mr. Corry, chancellor of the 
 exchequer. 
 
 1«04 When Mr. Pitt now resumed the 
 reins of power, he had no very en- 
 couraging prospect before him, to animate his 
 hopes or to stimulate his exertions. At home 
 the army and navy, particularly the latter, 
 were by no means in a situation which cor- 
 responded with the immense resources of the 
 country, and with the general spirit with 
 which they were appropriated to the public 
 service. The regular army had not been en- 
 creased to the extent necessary for hostile 
 operations ; while the most complete igno- 
 rance, and the most decided incapacity could 
 not have left the navy in a worse state, in 
 every respect, than that in which it was found 
 by Mr. Pitt, on his return to office. The 
 number of volunteers in the kingdom was 
 indeed great, but they had been assembled 
 without discrimination or judgment, and were 
 destitute of those rules and rcijulations which 
 are essential not only to tlie preservation of 
 discipliiie but ?o the prevention of discord and 
 anarchv. Tlie evils resultina; from this defect 
 became daily mure manifest ain! alarming ; 
 and it was evident that, without the adoption 
 of some regular system, evil would flow from 
 the very source of good. 
 
 ABROAOthe colossal power of France struck 
 
 4r Q 
 
 the astonished eye on every side. Buonaparte, 
 assigned no bounds to his andiition, imposed 
 no controul on his passions, prescribed no 
 limits to his vengeance. As he appeared 
 nearer to the authority and dignity of sove- 
 reign he seemed resolved to annihilate, if pos- 
 sible, the sad relicts of that unhappy race 
 which had given monarchs to France for so 
 many centuries. The duke d'Enghien, the 
 worthy representative of the house of Conde, 
 had, since the continental peace, lived in re- 
 tirement at the town of Ettenheim in the elec- 
 torate of Baden. In this neutral territory the 
 Corsican, who acknowledged no law but that 
 of force, resolved to seize him ; for which pur- 
 pose ne sent general Caulincourt, his aid-de- 
 Camp, with a body of cavalry, who entered 
 the electorate without ceremony, on the It'ith 
 of March, and coming unawares upon the 
 destined victim of the tyrant's rage, secured 
 the duke and several of his friends without 
 difficulty and even without oj)position. The 
 duke was immediately conveyed to Stras- 
 l)Mrgh, and thence, without delay and with- 
 out any interval of repose, to Paris, wliere he 
 was conducted to the same prison, the Temple, 
 which had been the last scene of his sove- 
 reign's miseries. He was not, however, per- 
 mitted to remain here, or to take the smallest 
 rest, but was hurried away to the castle of 
 Vincennes, where he arrived on tiie "iOth of 
 March : and that same evening,, exhausted 
 with fatigue, he was dragged before his 
 judges. A mock trial ensued, and the illus- 
 trious prisoner was found guilty of having 
 borne arms against the French republic, to 
 which he owed no allegiance, and of having 
 conspired to restore the French monarchy, to 
 which he .vas bound by every tie that is obli- 
 gatory on the human mind. In the night the 
 Corsican's brother-in-law, Murat, (now the 
 mock king of INaples.) with four other gene- 
 ral officers, among whom were his own 
 brother Louis Buonaparte, (the new sovereign 
 of Holland) and Dnroc, the Corsican's secre- 
 tary, arrived at the castle, under an appro- 
 priate escort of nunnelukes. The murderous 
 deed was performed by the consurs body- 
 guards. The duke died, as he had liv6d, 
 with the spirit of a christian soldier. He ex- 
 pressed his satisfaction that his assassins 
 were not Frenchman, (they were Italians,) 
 as his wretched countrym(?n would have one 
 crime less to answer for, Aud Heaven. knows t 
 42
 
 ggg HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CIIAP. LIV. 
 
 the black catalo<Tue of their crimes needed no » ed perfectly neutral and passive. Thus, for 
 addition. 5 ^^'^^ present, Buonaparte had no opposition to 
 
 This act of wanton and needless barbarity ; dread on the continent, although it was evi- 
 rendered the unprincipled ruffian by whom it 5 dentthat the resentment of Russia only waited 
 was committed an object of execration to the j for a more favourable opportunity to break 
 great mass of his new slaves ; and could there ; fortli into open hostility. Encouraged by this 
 have been an expedition directed at this mo- \ state of things the consul proceeded to ascend 
 nient, with a view to afford assistance and ; the last step on the ladder of ambition. When 
 protection to the discontented in France, there | all the previous preparations were made, ad- 
 is reason to believe that a very general insur- ; dresses were presented to him, by the legis- 
 rection might have been easily excited. But ; lative and municipal bodies and by the diffe- 
 the military despot had such a powerful force { rent armies, in the months of March, April, 
 at his command as to keep the people in that ab- { and May, (1804,) beseeching him to become 
 ject state of subjection which precludes'all at- ; emperor of the French. No extreme of base- 
 tempt at liberation, without the most powerful J ness in adulation, which the human mind can 
 foreign assistance, and which, indeed, almost > conceive, could exceed that by which these 
 stifles the wish to obtain it. The effect which 5 addresses were marked. A man stained with 
 the murder of the duke d'Enghien had upon » evfery crime, and whose hands were still reek- 
 the different potentates of Europe was such > ing with the blood of an innocent and a vir- 
 as to show the wretched situation to which i tuous prince, was, with the most astonishing 
 most of them were reduced. Russia and | contempt of decency and truth, held up as a 
 Sweden, indeed, evinced a spirit which would ; model of virtue. The slaves whom he ruled 
 have done credit to better times ; their remon- 1 with a rod of iron, who trembled at his nod, 
 strances were strong, pointed, and decisive; > and who held him in execration, were repre- 
 they breathed the language of offended ho- » sented as happy under his mild and {ree 
 nour and of wounded humanity. But they j government, and as ardently desirous to pe^;- 
 were addressed to a wretch to whose bosom ; petuate his reign. When the public had thu.s 
 humanity, honour, and remorse were equally j been apprized of the consul's intentions, a 
 strangers. The correspondence which ensued, | decree v.as finally passed by the senate on the 
 displayed on the part of the two northern | 18th of May, abolishing the constitution which 
 powers, a manly perseverance in the same j the senators and consuls themselves had so 
 honourable principles and conduct ; and on ; recently sworn to observe and maintain in- 
 the part of France a contempt of every thing i violate, declared Napoleon Buonaparte empe- 
 that is magnanimous, noble, and decorous •, ; ror of the French, and the imperial dignity 
 fraud, duplicity, and falsehood marked every > hereditary in the family of this upstart foreigner, 
 communication which issued from the black ; The new emperor then addressed an impious 
 cabinet of St. Cloud. The appeal which the i letter to his bishops, in which he ascribed his 
 emperor Alexander made, on this occasion, to 5 elevation to Providence, and ordered a T^e 
 the princes of the German empire, was re- ; Deum to be sung in all the churches on the 
 reived, with the solitary exception of the i glorious occasion. The bishops kept pace in 
 elector of Hanover, in a way which bespoke ! their adulation with the military and civil 
 their abject degradation, their miserable state : bodies, and framed new prayers adapted to 
 of dependence on a foreign usurper. Prussia, ; the new order of things ; while, to crown the 
 who might again have proclaimed herself the i whole, and to render as it were religion her-t 
 champion of violated justice, evinced a deter- « self the handmaid to usurpation, the pope was 
 inination to support the Corsican in every act, ; ordered to attend the ceremony of the coroiia- 
 however atrocious, unjust, and inhuman. ; tion, and with his own hands to place the 
 The elector of Baden too, who if he had pos- ; crown on the sacrilegious head of the usurper, 
 sessed one spark of honour in his bosom, : This ceremony, which put the seal to the 
 should have been the first to resent the viola- : degradation of France, took place on the 19th 
 tion of his teiritory, and the gross insult which : of November, in the cathedral of Notre Dame 
 he" had thereby sustained, vied with the Prus- ; at Paris, tlie same church in which, with more 
 sian monarch in professions of kindness and ; zeal, the senseless Parisians had a few years 
 respect for the base assassin. Austria remain- ' before worshipped a naked prostitute, as the
 
 CHAP. LIV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 em 
 
 goddess of reason, in obedience to the com- 
 maud of Buonapaite's friend and predecessor, 
 Maxaiiiilian Robespierre. 
 
 Mr. Pitt's attention was first directed to 
 the increase of the military force, with a view 
 to a co-operation with any of the continental 
 powers, who might be induced to make 
 another effort for the emancipation of Europe 
 from the tyranny of France ; and next to an 
 endeavour to ascertain the intentions of the 
 principal powers of the north, and to confirm 
 those intentions should they be found to cor- 
 respond with the enlarged views of the British 
 cabinet. On the 5tli of June he introduced a 
 bill for the creation of an additional force by 
 compelling every parish in the kingdom to 
 snpply, according to their respective popula- 
 tion, a certain number of men towards an 
 army of reserve destined to recruit the regular 
 army, which by this means Mr. Pitt supposed 
 would receive an annual supply of 12,000 
 men. This scheme met with considerable 
 opposition in all its stages and was ultimately 
 carried by a small majority. 
 
 It was evident, however, that the opposition 
 given to this bill was not exclusively influenced 
 by the objections which its opponents held 
 either to its principle or to its provisions, 
 much less to a concurrence in any other plan 
 which might constitute a fit substitute or 
 adequately provide for the defence of the coun- 
 try. It was natural, indeed, that on such a 
 subject great difference of opinion should pre- 
 vail, and that many should prefer from con- 
 viction one means of providing for the national 
 defence to another. But, in the present case, 
 the personal friends of Mr. Addington, with 
 that gentleman at their head, independently 
 of such objections, could not but feel a strong 
 desire to prove the inferiority of the proposed 
 plan to that suggested by the late minister ; 
 nor could they be expected to wish success 
 to the measures of one by whose effbrts prin- 
 cipally they had lost their own situations. 
 The members of the Grenville party were also 
 stimidated by the pangs of disap})ointed am- 
 bition ; while the keenest resentment sharpen- 
 ed the opposition of the excluded adherents 
 of Mr. Fox. The operation of the various 
 motives was too vi.-ible in the course of the 
 debates on the bill in question to escape 
 notice. Indeed, in the discussion of the 18f!i 
 of June, when the bill passed through one of 
 its stages, the spirit of party appeared, with- 
 
 4 Q 3 
 
 out the smallest attempt at concealment or re- 
 serve, and raged with such violence, that Mr. 
 Sheridan devoted the greatest part of a long 
 speech, on the motion for reading the amend- 
 ment.« to the additional force 'bill, to a com- 
 parison between the merits of the late and 
 those of the present ministry ; to a farsical 
 description of the latter ; and to an unqualified 
 panegyric on Mr. Fox. Indeed he did not 
 hesitate to declare, that these litigations of 
 party, that this contemptible struggle for 
 place and power, were of infinite more impor- 
 tance than the bill itself which went to provide 
 adequate mean* of defence for the country at 
 a season of considerable danger. There were 
 many circumstances by which this discussion 
 was marked most disgraceful to the character 
 of that house of commons : and eminently cal- 
 culated to deprive it of the esteem, respect, 
 and confidence of all serious friends to the 
 constitution of the country. On the 15th of 
 June, the opposition, at an early period of the 
 day, found themselves in greater numbers than 
 the ministerial side of the house, when they 
 had recourse to a party manoeuvre, which 
 might have been regarded as a masterly dis- 
 play of skill in the revelries of a tavern meet- 
 ing, but which when performed by the repre- 
 sentatives of a great nation, attached disgrace 
 to their proceedings. To Mr. Grey the honour 
 of this splendid triumph belonged. Aware 
 of his temporary advantage he suddenly press- 
 ed the question for the second reading of the 
 amendments, and carried a majority of six' 
 against it. The evil which such a stratagem 
 was calculated to promote was, however, 
 rendered harmless by a subsequent discussion 
 on the same day, when Mr. Grey's motion for 
 postponing the second reading of the amend- 
 ments for three months was rejected, and Mr. 
 Ryder's amendment for substituting " Mon- 
 day next" for three months was carried by 214 
 against 18o. During the debate Mr. Spencer 
 Stanhope, feeling that indignation which no 
 one, who was desirous of supporting the 
 dignity of the British senate, could fail to ex- 
 perience, truly represented, that the proceed- 
 ing of Mr. Grey would he considered- by the 
 rountt-y as disgraceful and contemptible. The 
 speaker, however, decided that by ;!ie appli- 
 cation of such epithets to any proceedings of 
 tliat house, he had been highly disorderly. 
 Yet three days after Mr. Sheridan termed the 
 majority of the house, on a recent division,
 
 '668 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 Si small, miserable, and pitiful majority, such 
 .as no minister could think, an honour to him ; 
 and represented the conduct of a portion of 
 that house as " mean, shabby, and unbe- 
 -comiii"- ;" the speaker did not feel himself 
 called upon to pronounce such language to 
 be disorderly or improper. 
 
 Is the opposition to this measure, were 
 evidently united all the persons who wished 
 to dispossess Mr. Pitt of his place, or at 
 least to produce a radical change in the 
 ministry ; and this wish had a greater in- 
 fluence on the votes of many, than perhaps 
 they were disposed to acknowledge, even to 
 themselves. Mr. Sheridan, having praised 
 the conduct of Mr. Adrlington, in resigning 
 when he had only a small majority in his 
 favour, inferred the necessity of Mr. Pitt's 
 resignation, because he had carried this 
 measure by a majority nearly as small ; as 
 if the merits of an administration were to be 
 appreciated by a single measure, respecting 
 which, there were probably as many difterent 
 opinions as there were leading members in 
 the house. This politician wilfully over- 
 looked the ndiiig cause of Mr. Addington's 
 resignation ; — namely, the evident weakness 
 of his general system of government, and the 
 want of contidence which it necessarily en- 
 gendered. 
 
 Mr. Pitt, in answer to this singular remark 
 of Mr. Sheridan's, pertinently observed, that, 
 broad as the iiint might be, it was not broad 
 enough for him to take it. He was yet san- 
 guine enough to believe the bill woidd pass ; 
 if it should not, all he had to lament was, 
 that the country would be deprived of the 
 increased means of security, which he flat- 
 tered himself he had provided for it. Should 
 he be disappointed in thai respect, it must 
 
 [chap. liv. 
 
 not be supposed that he should consider his 
 disappointment as a defeat. He should 
 merely treat it as the decision of the house 
 on the dry merits of the bill. If this scheme 
 should be rejected, another project, which 
 he trusted would be less objectionable, 
 should be submitted, and the Jmit should not 
 be taken, until he found his attempts to pro- 
 mote the public security utterly nugatory and 
 inetTectual ; then he should retire, not with 
 mortitication, but with triumph, — confident 
 of having e.xerted his best endeavours to 
 serve his country. Mr. Pitt said he would 
 not discuss how far a wider basis, for the 
 formation of his majesty's government, would 
 have evinced the wisdom of the sovereign ; 
 but he should not think the prerogative entire, 
 if they were permitted thus to deliberate on 
 its exercise, so far as to examine the propriety 
 or impolicy of inviting a principal person on 
 the opposite bench to participate in the pub- 
 lic councils of the state. Thus, to interfere 
 would be to alter the constitution of the 
 land, which, although free, was yet monarchi- 
 cal ; and, for the preservation of its liberties 
 and immunities, all its parts should be pro- 
 tected from violation. 
 
 The interest excited in the proceedings ot 
 the two houses of parliament was, for some 
 time, absorbed in the sympathy excited by 
 the trial and execution of colonel Marcus 
 Despard and his companions, for high trea- 
 son. They were arraigned on a special com- 
 mission, and the trial of the colonel was held 
 at the new sessions-house o.f Southwark, on 
 the 7th of February. After a long trial, they 
 were condemned to be executed. The colonel 
 bore his fate with exemplary firmness, but 
 protested his innocence to the last moment 
 of his life.
 
 CHAPTER LV. 
 
 GEORGE III 
 
 [1803 to 1805.] 
 
 History of the War with Holkar — Polity of Lord Mornington — Intrigues of Holkar — Ex- 
 ploits of Sir Arthur Wellesley — Spletidid Achievements of General Lake — "^rriumph of the 
 British Arms — Restoration of Peace to India — Union of the Parlies of Pitt and Adding- 
 toti — Charges adduced against Lord Melville — Resignation of Lord Sidmouth — Alarm ex- 
 cited in England by Menaces of French Invasion — State of Continental Affairs — Formation 
 of another Coalitio7i — Campaign of 1805 in Germany — Surrender of Mack — Capture of 
 Vienna— Battle of Austerlitz— Humiliation of Austria— BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR 
 — Death of Lord Nelson — Death of 3Ir. Pitt — His Political and Domestic Character. 
 
 AMIDSTthebarrennessof foreign events, ; west, was thws saved from the dangers of a 
 the details of the Mahratta war ex- j region, even more destructive, in the east. It, 
 ciltd unusual interest in the minds of the i had been intended that he should accompany 
 British people, who are seldom anxious on ; the troops to Egypt ; but lord Mornington 
 subjects connected with the affairs of India. I perceived that a new scene of danger v.as 
 On this occasion we were indebted, for the i opening in India, and therefore remanded 
 splendor of our political and military success, j him to his command at Seringapatam. 
 to the united talents of two illustrious brothers, I Notwithstanding the alliance between 
 whose names will shine with peculiar lustre ; the Mahrattas and the British governnient, 
 in the annals of their country. The marquis j the former had carried on a secret correspond- 
 of Wellesley, then lord Mornington, upon \ ence with Tippoo, endeavoured to excite his 
 the true policy of thinking nothing done ; family to oppose the settlement of Mysore 
 while aught remained to be performed, had ; after his death, and given unequivocal proof 
 planned an expedition against Batavia, in j of their hostile purposes, by refusing that 
 which his brother was to have acted under | portion of his territories which was offered 
 general Baird. His object was to expel the I them. The peishwah possessed, at this time, 
 French from the Indian seas ; and for tins ; merely a nominal authority ; his councils 
 purpose he meditated also the conquest of; were entirely coutrouled by Dowlut Rao 
 the isles of France and Bourbon, — a con- j Scindiah, who, with inferior talents and less 
 quest, the delay of which had occasioned so I discretion, had succeeded to the power of 
 heavy a loss to Ihe East India company. I his uncle, Madliagee Scindiah. This chief- 
 These plans were frustrated partly, it is said, | tain not only over-ruled his own sovereign, 
 because admiral Rainier made some demur I but was master also of the moguls person, 
 as to the extent of the governor-generals ! holding thus, in actual subjection, the de- 
 power, — as if such questions should have ; scendants and representatives of Seevagee 
 arisen when great objects of national policy I and of Aureng/ebe. Even oriental history 
 were to i)e <uidertaken ! General Baird was | presents few tragedies so frightful as that 
 called off witli iiis disposable force to Egy|;t ; > of Shah Aabnn, the last of the moguls ! He 
 and c<tloi»el \V(.llesley, who had so narrowly i had first protected and then promoted Gulam 
 escaped exposure to the fatal climate of the | Kaudir Khan, whom his own father had
 
 C70 IKSTORV OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LV. 
 
 banished for liis vices ; the favoured servant ; expecting by his means to oppose the British 
 of a weak prince easily becomes his master, i forces witii equal arn\s. A.M.de Boigne was 
 and Shah Aaluni soon found himsejf under a ; the first person that formed a body of regular 
 yoke that he could not shake off. Scindiah j troops in Scindiah's service, and he admitted 
 was marching against Delhi, and Gulain ; British as well as French officers indiscrimi- 
 Kaudir otfered to answer with his head for the « nately ; but M. Perron, when he succeeded 
 result if the mogul would march out with his j to the command, carefully excluded the for- 
 troops and give them a supply of money. 5 mer that he might estal)lish a military power 
 Shall Aalum objected that he had no money ; ; exclusively commanded by his own country- 
 the Khan offered to advance a sufficient sum, ; men. His force at this time amounted to 
 saying, all he had to do was to head the army, » about 16,000 or 17,000 regular and disciplined 
 the presence of a monarch being above half j infantry, a well appointed and numerous train 
 the battle. The mogul agreed ; but the next j of artillery, a body of irregular troops, and 
 day d letter from him, desiring Scindiah to i from 1-3, 000 to 20,000 horse; besides which 
 make all possible haste and destroy Gulam | he looked for reinforcements of cavalry from 
 Kaudir, was intercepted by Gulam himself ; the petty chiefs who were his tributaries or 
 However insufferable his conduct might have i allies. His revenues were about £1,700,000. 
 been he was now fairly justified in measures « A Frenchman never loses sight of the inter- 
 of self defence, and had he contented himself; ests of France — it is the best part of their natio- 
 with simply putting tlie mogul to death he ; »al character ; as it is the worst part of ours, 
 ■would have been little liable to censuie for ; that the honour and welfare of our country are 
 such an action. But this man had all the I habitually sacrificed to the most despicable 
 crueltyof the oriental character. He stormed ! passions, and the vilest purposes of faction. 
 Delhi, and entering the mogul's chamber > The French had been told that England must 
 knocked him down, knelt on his breast, and i receive her mortal wound in India, and M. 
 ■with his own hand pulled out one of his eyes. ? Porrou was just in such a situation as Buona- 
 Oneof the mogul's servants was made to pull | parte would have selected for striking the 
 out the other ; the palace was then given up ; blow. His head-quarters w^ere established 
 to pillage, and this ruffian going into the Ze- | near Coel, in a commanding position on the 
 nana tore the jewels from the noses and ears ; frontier of the British possessions, and on the 
 of the mogul's women, and cut off their arms | most vulnerable part of our extensive empire, 
 and legs. The most beautiful of the mogul's > Consistently with the safety of that empire his 
 daughters is said to have stabbed herself to | power could not be suffered to exist; but 
 escape the violence which he offered. There | before that question c^uld be brought into 
 rs some satisfaction in recording the merited ; discussion Scindiah provoked a war. A rival 
 punishment of a wretch like this; being unable i chief, by name Jeswunt Rao Holkar, disputed 
 to resist Scindiah he stuffed his saddle with I his right over the Peiswah. The founder of 
 precious stones and fled towards Persia ; on i Holkar's fjunily was a man of low birth ; 
 the second night he fell from his horse and was J and the orientalists who embellish or dis- 
 taken by his pursuers. Scindiah put him in | figure every thing with fable, say, that in his 
 irons and exposed him in a cage, then ordered j boyhood when he was keeping sheep and had 
 his ears, nose, hands, and feet to be cut off, j fallen asleep in the sun, the deadliest of the 
 and left him in that condition to expire. ; Indian serpents crept from its hole and ex- 
 
 Shah Aalum was thus revenged, but his ! tended its hood over his head to shield him 
 con(ytion was in no respect melioiated. Tlie i from the heat. Tlie fable is worth repeating 
 Mahrattas held him in the lowest subjection ; ; because a more appropriate tutelary genius for 
 and when Scindiah left Delhi and its sur- i an eastern conqueror could nol be imagined, 
 roundmg territory in the possession of M. j Holkar began his career with considerable 
 Perron, a French adventurer, who under his ; success ; the combined armies of the peish- 
 P-"^tecLion was forming an independent state, I wah and Scindiah inarched against him; 
 the French, wliile tiiey still used the name of; but the peishwah now conceived a hope o[ 
 the ag-ed and blind monarch, treated his per- i emancipating himself from the subjection in 
 son with the most barbarous indignity. Upon j which he was held ; and when the approach 
 thiBFrenchmanScindiahplacedgreatreliance, ;of Holkar diminished his fear of Scindiah.
 
 CHAP- 
 
 LV.] 
 
 GEORGE HI. 
 
 ^>7l 
 
 of 9700 men, including one regiment of Eu- 
 ropean horse, and two of foot ; and to these 
 were added 2-500 Mysore cavalry, the re- 
 sources of iMysore being now brought in aid 
 of the British government, which, before 
 marquis Wellesley's administration, liad been 
 so often endangered by the restless hostility 
 of that formidable power. 
 
 General VVellesley performed a long 
 march through llie Mahratta territory, at a 
 most unfavourable season, without loss or dis- 
 tress ; so well had he concerted the supply 
 and movement of his troops ! Here also he 
 turer, depending upon rapine, might acquire | manifested that talent, which was afterwards 
 a permanent establishment. But while the i so signally displayed in France ; in the mid.st 
 
 lie seized the opportunity of proposing an 
 alliance to the British government. It was 
 imniediately ratiMed by the governor-general, 
 and an agent was sent to Sciiidiah, for the 
 purpose of inviting him to the alliance, for 
 it was thought that all parties would now 
 find it advantageous to come to an ai::ree- 
 njent under the mediation of the British. 
 The peishwah, in whom the proposal origi- 
 nated, would regain his autliority by this 
 means ; Scindiah would be secured against a 
 rival, whom he was little able to withstand ; 
 and Holkar, who was at present a mere adven- 
 
 agent was on his way, the armies engaged in 
 battle, Holkar was victorious, and the peish- 
 wah, escaping to the C^^kan, signified to the 
 government at Bombay that it was his in- 
 tention to take refuge in that presidency. 
 Holkar, meanwhile, took possession of his 
 capital, and placing another puppet on the 
 throne, reigned there in his name. In this 
 state of things, both the governors of Madras 
 and Bombay t\iought it necessary, with- 
 out waiting for instructions from Bengal, 
 to prepare their disposable force for imme- 
 diate service. On the one hand, Holkar 
 earnestly applied to the resident of Poonah 
 to effect an accommodation with the peish- 
 wah ; Scindiah, on the other, requested a 
 continuance of British friendship towards 
 him and his dependent sovereign ; and 
 the peishwah, being now at liberty to act 
 for himself without controul from either, 
 signed a treaty at Bassein, in consequence 
 of which the British forces prepared to 
 restore him to his capital. The nearest 
 troops were those of the Madras presidency, 
 assembled at Hurrvhur, on the north-west 
 frontier of Mysore, under lieutenant-general 
 Stuart ; a detachment from this force was 
 ordered to advance into the Mahratta terri- 
 tory ; the conunand of this detachment re- 
 quired political judgment, not less than 
 military skill ; lord Clive, therefore, thought 
 it could not be confided, with so nnicli like- 
 lihood of advantage, to any person as to 
 ma jor general Wellesley, because of his local 
 knowledge, and his personal influence among 
 the Mahrattas, — an infiuence acquired dining 
 his conunand at Mysore, and his military 
 opeiations ajjainst Dhoondiah and other re- 
 fractory chiefs. The detachment consisted 
 
 of an enemy's country he maintained such 
 perfect discipline, and succeeded so entirely 
 in preventing all plunder and excess, that the 
 inhabitants, wherever he came, regarded him 
 as their protector and preserver. At Akloos.s, 
 he formed a junction with the nizam's sub- 
 sidiary force, under colonel Stevenson ; but 
 learning that Holkar h.ad lefl Poonah, where 
 Annut Rao (father of the puppet whom the 
 usurper had placed upon the throne) re- 
 ! mained with about 1500 men, he thought it 
 unnecessary to advance with the whole of 
 his force through an exhausted country, espe- 
 cially as it was now, more than ever, needful 
 that he should accelerate his march ; for he 
 was repeatedly apprised that Amrut Rao 
 had resolved to plunder and set fire to the 
 city, on the approach of the British troops ; 
 and the peishwah, who had still part of his 
 family there, sent an urgent request that he 
 would detach some of his Mahratta troops 
 to provide for their safety. Leaving, there- 
 fore, colonel Stevenson's force so distributed 
 that the whole might easily procure subsist- 
 ence, and speedily form a junction whenever 
 it was advisable, as soon as his own detach- 
 ment was within sixty miles of Poonah, he 
 made a forced march with the British and 
 Mahratta cavalry, and performed the whole 
 distance in thirty-two hours, the last forty 
 miles by night, over a most rugged country, 
 and through the difficult |)ass of the little 
 Bhoorghatit. He reached the city t-o unex- 
 pectedly, that Amrut Rao had only time for 
 fiight. Well has it been said, in those official 
 notes wherein these trausartions are so per- 
 spicuously related, and their policy so tri- 
 uniphnntly juslified, that the tirst effects of 
 the Brilisii influence in the ^lahratta domi
 
 672 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. LY. 
 
 nions were thus displayed in rescuing the 
 capital of the emj)ire from impending ruin, 
 and its inhabitants from violence and rapine ; 
 a circumstance equally honourable to the 
 British character, and propitious to the 
 British interests in that part of India. The 
 inhabitants, who had remained in the city, 
 ■nelconied the British troops as their deli- 
 verers ; and they who had iled to the adjoin- 
 ing hills, during Holkar's usurpation, imme- 
 diately returned to their houses, and resumed 
 their occupations. The peishwali returned 
 to his palace, where, for the first time, he felt 
 himself a sovereign in reality, as well as 
 in name. 
 
 SciNDi.4H, meantime, had collected a large 
 force, avowedly for the purpose of opposing 
 Holkar. But no sooner had the interference 
 of the British power delivered him from all 
 danger in that quarter, than he began to 
 negotiate with his old rival, and wTth the 
 rajah of Berar, for the purpose of subverting 
 the treaty of Bassein. After a long series of 
 professions, prevarications, and falsehoods, 
 in the true style of Asiatic policy, he at 
 length declared, that when he and the rajah 
 of Berar had met, the British resident should 
 1)6 informed whether it would be peace or 
 "war. There remained only this alternative ; 
 to submit to the insults of a rapacious and 
 faithless adventurer, suffer the Mahrattas to 
 dictate to the British government, and thus 
 sacrifice its dignity, its honour, and its in- 
 terests ; or, by an eflbrt equal to the occasion, 
 crush the audacious enemy, and cut up dan- 
 ger by the roots ; for it was well known that 
 Scindiah relied upon the skill and discipline 
 of M. Perron's army, and that his triumph 
 would be the triumph of French policy, and 
 would, more than any other event, prepare 
 the way for French ascendancy in .the East. 
 Happily for the British empire, there was a 
 strong hand at the helm. A cam.paign was 
 plaiuicd, upon a wider scaje than any Euro- 
 pean had ever before ventured to contemplate 
 in India. It comprehended almost the whole 
 of Hindostan, from Calcutta and Madras on 
 the eastern, to Bombay on the western side ; 
 and from Delhi in the farthest north, to 
 Poouah, Hyderabad, Guzerat, and Orissa. 
 The latter country was to be attacked from 
 Gangam and from Calcutta, thereby striking 
 an etiectual blow against the rajah of Berar ; 
 the government of Bombay would seize the 
 
 sea-ports and ten-itory belonging to Scindiah 
 iri (juzerat ; on the Oude frontier, general 
 Lake had to destroy the influence of the 
 French, and rescue the blind mogul from the 
 barbarous indignity with which he was treated 
 by those adventurers, thus at once extending 
 the power, and exalting the character of the 
 British ; in the Hekan, general Wellesley had 
 to oppose the confederated force under Scin- 
 diah and the rajah of Berar, to protect the 
 nizam, the peishwah, and deliver the com- 
 pany's possessions from danger. His position 
 was so important, so great his influence among 
 the Mahratta chiefs, and so great the con- 
 fidence reposed in him, that he was invested 
 with a distinct local authority, subject only 
 to the governor-general in council, but pos- 
 sessing full power to conclude upon the spot 
 wiiatever arrangements might become neces- 
 sary, either for the final settlement of peace, 
 or for the active prosecution of war. 
 
 The history of this memorable campaign, 
 which, in all its parts, was as ably executed 
 as it was wisely planned, belongs to the life 
 of marquis Wellesley rather than to his 
 brother ; but the duke of Wellington may 
 look back with pride upon the part which he 
 performed in it. The great danger in Indian 
 warfare is that of not being able to bring the 
 enemy to action. Hyder Ali viell knew the 
 advantage of this Parthian mode. An English 
 commander, weary of pursuing him,, once 
 wrote a letter to that able general, saying 
 how disgraceful it was for a prince like him, 
 at the head of a large army, to fly before so 
 small a force. Hyder replied, " Give me 
 the same sort of troops that you command, 
 and your wish for battle shall be gratiiied. 
 You will understand my mode of war in 
 time. Shall I risk my cavalry, which cost 
 1000 rup>.'es each horse, against your cannon- 
 balls that cost two pice ? INo ; I will march 
 your troops till their legs become the size of 
 their bodies. You shall not l:ave a blade of 
 grass, nor a diop of water. I shall hear of 
 you every time your drum beats, but you 
 shall not know where 1 am once a month. I 
 will give your army battle, but it must be 
 when I please and not when you desire it." 
 Hyder kept his word. Scindiah's army 
 seemed disposed to act on this policy, when 
 general Vv'eileslcy and colonel Stevenson 
 marched against him ; the former had about 
 9000 men in his division, the latter about
 
 CHAt». LIV.J CEORGL HI. 673 
 
 8000. The combined force of Scindiah and > a ford beyond their loft flank, and formed his 
 the rajah of Berar consisted of 10,.>00 re<>ular ; infantry in two lines, leaving the cavalry as 
 infantry, conniianded by French o/Ficers, (be- ; a reserve in a third, and keeping in check a 
 sides irregular foot,) a well equipped train of ; large body of the eneniv's cavalry by the 
 artillery exceeding 100 gnns, and between ! peishwali's and i^Jysore horse. The enen)y 
 30,000 and 40,000 hoise. It was of the utmost ; perceiving his intention, changed the position 
 importance to bring their main force to action. I of their infantry and guns, and bronglit them 
 When, therefore, the two British corps met « to bear u[)on the assailants witli consummate 
 on the 2 1st of September, at Badnapoor, gene- 5 skill and terrible effect. . Oflicers who had 
 ralV/ellesley determined that they should move ; made several campaigns on the continent de- 
 separately towards the enemy, and attack them \ dared that they had never seen cannon better 
 on the morning of the •21th. He took the | served than at Assye that day. The British 
 eastern rout beginning his march on the 22nd. I artillery had opened at a distance of 400 
 On the 2.'Jrd, when he reached Nanlnair, he ; yards ; general Wellesley saw that it could 
 found that the enemy were about six miles off, \ produce littleeffect against the formidable line 
 upon the very ground on which he himself^ opposed to it, and that it could not advance 
 had intended to encamp. He determined to I because so many men and bullocks were dis- 
 attack them without waiting for colonel « abled. Never was promptitude more reipiired, 
 Stevenson; it was better he thought to bring i and never was it more strikingly displayed 
 them to action with half the army than let | than throughout the whole of this days work, 
 them avoid an attack, which they would pro- > He gave orders to leave the guns, and for the 
 bably do if he delayed. Moreover he could { whole line to move-, lieutenant-colonel Max- 
 not wait for the junction without being him- 1 well, with the British horse, being instr icted 
 self exposed to that mode of harassing war; to protect the right ; the 74th regiment in this 
 which barbarous troops are best employed in | wing had suffered so much from the enemy's 
 waging, and which European soldiers can \ cannon that a body of Mahratta cavalry ven- 
 least endure ; a warfare which, affording to I tured to charge it ; colonel Maxwell charged 
 the defensive party little other stimulus than j them in return and drove them with great 
 that of perpetual alarm, wears down the \ slaughter into the Juah. The enemy now 
 spirits as well as the body. In these circum- i dismayed at the steady advance of the Bri- 
 stances the boldest counsel was the best ; and ; tish troops gave way on all sides ; they were 
 Charles XII. did not act more boldly at j driven from their guns ; and the British army, 
 IVarva, nor with more signal success. ; pressing on in pursuit, left the artillery which 
 
 The troops had already marched fourteen { they had thus bravely taken, behind theni. 
 miles ; a sufficient body was left for the pro- I They were not enough in number to secure 
 tection of the baggage and stores, the rest > advantages as they won them ; and. perhap-s 
 hastened on, and came in sight of the enemy i in the heat and exultation of victory, they diil .- 
 at one in the afternoon. The confederate | not recollect that it is a common practice 
 army was encamped between the Kaitna and ; among Indian troops to feign deatb in the 
 the Juah, two rivers wliicli run nearly paral- j hope of escaping it; with this hop& many of 
 lei toward the point of their junction. Their ; the Mahrattas threw themselves<lown among 
 line extended east and west along the north \ the guns, the conquerors passed them by, an(l 
 bank of the Kaitna; tiie banks of which i they seeing that another hope flashed uj)OJi 
 being high and rocky are not passable for I thorn rose and turned the guns upon the 
 guns except at places close to the villages. | victorious anny. The fugitives perceiving 
 Their right consisted entirely of cavalry, and i how marvellous a change was thus efl'ected ia 
 extended to the infantry which were encamped. | their favour, rallied, and the battle was to be 
 near Assye, a fortified village that has given I fought agair). Golonel Maxwell charged their 
 name to the battle. General VVellesley de- \ infantry, broke them again, but fell. General 
 termined to attack the left, where the guns j Wellesley, with the 7Bth, and a regiment of 
 and infantry were posted, though he had ar- ? native cavalry, once more attacked the for- 
 fived in front of their right; an attack upon '5 niidable artillerv, which had already mado 
 the vital part of their force he rightly thought ; such havoc among his men ; his horse was 
 would be decisive. He passed the Kaitna at ; shot under him, but the second attack proved 
 
 4 u 4J
 
 674 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [oil A P. LV. 
 
 as irresistible as tfie first, and the field with 
 ail the spoil was again his own — no more to be 
 contested. 
 
 The loss of the conqnerors was severe be- 
 yond all former example in India, a full third 
 of the victorious army being killed or wound- 
 ed. Never was any'victory gained against so 
 many disadvantages. Superior arms and dis- 
 rjpline have often prevailed against as great a 
 numerical difference ; but it would be describ- 
 ing the least part of this day's glory to say 
 that the number of the enemy was as ten to 
 one ; they had disciplined tioops in the field 
 under European officers, who more than 
 <loubIed tiie British force; they had 100 
 pieces of cannon which were served with per- 
 fect skill, and which the British, without the 
 aid of artillery, twice won with the bayonet. 
 Never was victory more bravely achieved, or 
 more complete; stores, auununition, camp' 
 equipage, bullocks and camels, standards, 
 and cannon were left upon the field ; 1200 
 dead were counted there, and the country 
 round was strewed with the wounded. It 
 produced proposals from the enemy, one of 
 iScindiah's ministers wrote to request that 
 general Wellesley would send a British of- 
 ficer to his masteris camp for the purpose of 
 negotiating terms of peace. England has 
 never in her Indian wars been fooled by 
 treaties out of what she has gained by the 
 sword. The general having none ^to controul 
 him was left to pursue the straight forward 
 policy of an active spirit and commanding 
 mind. He refused to treat upon these pro- 
 positions, because, as the request was not 
 made directly on the authority of Scindiah 
 and the rajah of Berar, they might afterwards 
 disavow the act of their minister ; and be- 
 cause it woidd appear if a British officer were 
 sent to the enemy's camp, that the iBritish 
 were soliciting peace instead of granting it to 
 a beaten enemy. He declared himself, liow- 
 ever, ready to receive, with all respect in the 
 British camp, any person duly authorized to 
 propose terms. It soon became obvious that 
 the Marhattas were temporizing, and he 
 lost no time in prosecuting his success. After 
 totally destroying Scindiah's -Persian cavalry, 
 and defeating the greater part of the Berar 
 infantry on the plains of Argaum, he stormed 
 the hill fort of Gawalgur and compelled the 
 rajah to purchase a separate peace by ceding 
 the provinces of Anttack and Balesore ; and 
 
 a fortnight afterwards Scindiah, in like man- 
 ner, submitted to such terms as the British 
 general thought proper to dictate; the other 
 parts of this marvellous campaign belong not 
 to our subject. Suffice it to say that M. Per- 
 ron retired before general Lake without ventur- 
 ing to give him battle; and his reputation re- 
 ceived a shock from which he was unable to 
 recover; the fort of Ally Ghur, which was 
 his usual residence and grand depot, and 
 which to any native power was imjn-egnahle, 
 was taken by storm. The victorious English 
 entered the city of Shah Jehan, and ofAii- 
 rengzebe, to ileliver their blind and oppressed 
 descendants from degradation and bondage. 
 The capture of Agra put them in possession 
 of the city of the great Akbar, and the fort 
 which has emphatically been called the kev 
 of Hindostan ; and the battle of Leswaree 
 completed the defeat of the enemy, and the 
 destruction of the French Toi-ce, Al. Perron 
 and his officers soliciting the British protec- 
 tion, because when their power was over- 
 thrown, " they found themselves just objects 
 of indignation in the country which they had 
 governed." General Wellesley, for his part in 
 this memorable campaign, received the first 
 fruits of those honours of which he was one 
 day to reap so abundant a harvest. A monu- 
 ment in memory of the battle of Assye waa 
 erected at Calcutta ; the inhabitants of that 
 city presented him with a sword, his own 
 officers with a golden vase ; in England the 
 thanks of parliament were voted him, and he 
 { was made a knight companion of the Bath. 
 ; The people of Seringapatam presented to him 
 \ an address on his return, which, to one who 
 ; felt himself deserving of the sentiments which 
 I it expressed, must be as gratifying as the 
 ! proudest distinctions. They had repose for 
 I five years, they said, under the shadow of his 
 I protection ; they had felt during his absence 
 1 in the midst of battles and victory, that his 
 ; care for their welfare had been extendetl to 
 ; them as amply as if no other object had occu- 
 ; pied his mind ; they were preparing in their 
 i seveml casts the duties of thanksgiving and 
 5 of sacrifices to the preserving God who had 
 5 brought him back in safety, and they im- 
 ; plored the God of all casts and of all nations 
 I to hear their constant prayer, whenever 
 > greater aflairs should call him from them, for 
 ; his hcahh, his glorv, and his happiness, 
 i On tlx; I'ith of January, lUOo, Mr. Ad-
 
 CHAP. LV] GEORGE III. 675 
 
 dington was raised to the peerage, by the I During the whole of tliese j)roceediii'j-s, 
 <itle of viscount Sidmonth ; and, two days j the ' new president of the council, and his 
 afterwards, succeeded the duke of Portland ; adherents, separated from the minister, and 
 ^s lord president of the council. The latter | took an eager and an active part in brin^ino- 
 
 nobleman had long been considered as a ; lord Melville to the bar of public justice ; 
 
 minister only in name ; his great age and | conduct which must liave been considered 
 infirmities having rendered him totally in- ; as a defection from tlie government, of whicli 
 capable of official functions. To tlie earl of; they formed a part, and must have been 
 Buckinghamshire, one of lord Sidmouth's | deeply resented by the minister. It wa.s 
 assured friends, were given the seals of the i also rumoured, that other cans* s of distaste 
 duchy of Lancaster, and his nearest con- 1 and disagreement existed between Mr. Pitt 
 nections were admitted to the privy-council. ■ and lord Sidmouth at this period ; that the 
 The return of the Addingtons to a share in | former was jealous of the inHueii^e wliic!) the 
 the administration, did not cause much sur- > latter maintained in a certain r-uartei-, which 
 prise either to the friends or the enemies of i had lately been manifested in the disposal 
 that party ; but that the minister should i of high ecclesiastical dignities ; and that, 
 again ally himself to the man, whose conduct | instead of gaining a useful aliy, Mr. Pitt l;ad 
 in office he had arraigned in terms of the 5 only exposed himself to the machinations of 
 bitterest sarcasm and the most severe invec- ; a dangerous rival. Whether u.ese reports 
 tive, and whom he had repeatedly held up to 5 were founded in trutli, it is not my proviiice 
 view, as ignorant and inefficient. Fortunately, I to decide ; but certain it is, that, on (he l-2t!i 
 an event occurred, which threatened, and « day of July, viscount Sidmouth and tl/e earl 
 actually produced, a dissolution of this ; of Buckinghamshire resigned their respective 
 strange and ill-assorted connection. Every \ offices, and were succeeded by earl Camden 
 effort of the opposition, to displace existing | and lord Hanowby. Some other changes, 
 ministers, having proved abortive, recourse ; too insignificant to be noticed, took place in 
 was had to a measure, which, it was hoped, • administration, but none conducive to its 
 Mould weaken the administration, by de- \ strength ; and thus did the minister find 
 priving it of the powerful assistance which piimself, at a most arduous moment, deprived 
 it derived from the knowledge and experi- 1 in the cabinet of the assistance of lord Mel- 
 ence of lord Melville. On the 8th of April, ? villc, and in parliaiuent of the aid of tho 
 Mr. Whitbread moved a string of resolutions, 5 members attached to the interests of lord 
 one of which, the eleventh, was couched in | Sidmouth, on both of which he had . 
 
 the following words: "That the right ho- > so much necessity to depend. His ^*^'*''- 
 nonrable viscount Melville had been privj' I embarrassments were augmented by the 
 to, and connived at, withdrawing from the | aspect of affairs on the continent, aiid the 
 bank of England, for the purpose of private > forma:tion of another and unfortunate coa- 
 interest and emolument, sums issued to him ; lition. 
 
 as treasurer of the navy, and placed to his | Since the commencement of the present 
 account in the bank, and has been guilty of; war, a co-operation of the great ))owers of 
 a gross violation of the law, and a high breach ! the continent against France was ard«'ntly 
 of duty." After a long and animated dis- < desired and sought by the British ministry, 
 cussion, the house divided on the resolutions, ; England had now snstained the contest, 
 and the numbers on both sides being equal, ? single-handed, for more than two years, 
 the speaker, Mr. Abbot, gave his casting ; without any decisive result being produced, 
 vote against the noble delinquent. Prepara- I Duinng this period, it is true, the war had 
 lions were immediately made for his trial > compelled France to cede to the Americans, 
 before the peers ; Westminster-hall was fitted • for a pecuniary equivalent, the rich and cx- 
 up for the purpose ; and the house of com- i tensive province of Louisiana ; and the 
 mons appointed managers to conduct the j blacks of St. Domingo were enabled by it 
 I)i-oceedings. As Mr. Whitbread hat! taken ; once more to expel the French, and recover 
 sui active and leading part in bringing the ; their independence ; but, notwithstanding 
 charges before parliament, he was also un- I these unfavourable circumstances abroad, 
 ••emitting in the prosecution of the trial. ;^ the suspension of her commerce on the ocean, 
 
 4 u 2 '
 
 670 HISTORY or ENGLAND. [CHAP. l.V. 
 
 and the blockade^ of lior ports, France con- ,' the power of France ; the reniotenesg of 
 tinned all-forniidabh- on the continent. ; Russia, and the indiflference she evinced fw 
 
 Thk hite war, \vliich had so totally de- I the ailairs of the south-west of Europe ; tiie 
 stroked the former poHtical condition of the t weakness of Austria, still unrecovered front 
 continent, added immensely to the strength 5 the severe losses she had sustained in the 
 of tlie enemy, a^id gave her councils, for a t late terrible war ; and the close alliance and 
 time, a decided superiority. Her boundaries, ; friendship of Prussia, and some of the Ger- 
 on the north, were extended to the Rhine, i man states, with France ; and which, no 
 the islands of which river she also occupied. ; doubt, was dictated to those powers by their 
 And Holland, which she had induced to » jealousy of Austria and Russia ; enabled the 
 make connnon cause with her in the war I French government to oppose succt ssfully 
 against England, was held in possession by \ all the designs and cfTortis of the British 
 her troops, under pretence of guarding her ; minister for producing a co-operation in his 
 against invasion, but really to overawe her J favour on the continent. 
 
 councils, and watch her movements. Hano- ; The eil'ects of this success, on the part of 
 ver, which had been invaded by France in | France, soon began to appear in the concen 
 the beginning of the contest, was still occu- > tration and evolution of her great power 
 pied by a French army ; and some of the j against England. Buonaparte, who, early 
 Hanseatic towns purchased their security by « in the contest, threatened to invade, and 
 furnishing France with the loans she de- ; make the heart of the British empire the seat 
 manded. ; of war, now actively engaged in preparing to 
 
 In the south, her limits and influence were j carry his threat into execution ; forests were 
 also greatly extended. Besides places of j cut down and conveyed to the coast, for the 
 less consequence, Savoy, Nice, Geneva, the ; purpose of constructing vessels fit for the 
 whole of Piedmont, the isle of Elba, and, J enterprise ; shipwrights, carpenters, and 
 lastly, Genoa, were successively added to ; other artisans, were every where ])ut into 
 France; and the Italian republic, by ac- i requisition ; and the ports and harbours of 
 rrpting Buonaparte for its chief, identified its \ France, and her dependencies, exhibited an 
 power and resources with those of the French > a<;tivity and bustle before unknown. Sol- 
 nation. Switzerland, an important acqui- i diers, ^t the same time, were marched down 
 sition, from the natural strength and situation ! in great numbers to the sea-side, and practised 
 of the country, and the virtue and valour of; in naval tactics; and the harbour of Bou- 
 its inhabitants, had lately been re-organised, 1 logne, contiguous to, and directly opposite 
 on the plan of Buonaparte, and was now ! the eastern shore of England, being appoint- 
 united to France in close ties of friendship, i ed the rendezvous for the diflerent vessels to 
 The pope owned absoUite submission; and ; be engaged in the invasion, was strongly forti- 
 the territories of the king of Naples, whose \ fied and secured against attack, 
 views were apprehended to be hostile, were i Thither, in a comparatively short space 
 overrun by Freiich troops. The king of 1 of time, swarmed munerous divisions of the 
 Spain, who had endeavoured to avoid taking ; enemy's flotilla ; so that the immense number 
 part in the war, was at length forced into i of their masts made it resemble a forest. The 
 its vortex ; the resources of that antient ! construction of these vessels was peculiarly 
 monarchy were also added to those of France, ; well adapted to the purposes for which they 
 already gigantic ; and, finally, Portugal, the i were intended ; drawing little water, they 
 only-remaining and trusty ally of England, > were ejiabled to creep along shore from the 
 was compelled to purchase a precarious neu- ; contiguous rivers and harbours in which they 
 trality, by giving considerable sums to the | were built; and, being protected by their 
 French government. 5 batteries on land, to enter Boulogne in spite 
 
 Under these propitious circumstances, ; of the eflbrts of our cruisers to intercept them. 
 Buonaparte exerted himself to preserve the I The ease, also, with with which they were 
 peace of the continent, that he might be at i built and managed, rendered them, in a little 
 liberty to bring tlic whole of his colossal | time, familiar to the soldiers, and admitted, 
 force to bear against England ; and for a ; without great loss of time or expence, their 
 time he succeeded. The very greatness of 5 accumulation to almost any number; and
 
 CHAP. LV] GEORGE III. f>T7 
 
 their sliape aiitl diinehsions were well rulcn- 
 lafed for conveying' troops a short distance, 
 and speedily ifaiiiinj^- the .shore. 
 
 BuoNAi'ARTic, who made frequent visits to 
 Boulogne, occupied himself in giving system 
 and activity to the immense mass of materials 
 for invasion which he had now collected. 
 "^rhe flotilla still prodigiously increasing by 
 the arrival of fresh divisions of vessels from 
 the neighbouring harbours, was regularly ex- 
 ei'cised ia inantruvring before the port ; and 
 the soldiers encamped on the heights above 
 Boulogne were frequently marched to the 
 
 the soundness of whi<h is more than doiil»f.e<f. 
 lost no time in joining her marine to that of 
 France. 
 
 Thus, in little more than two years {,nm 
 the connnen(X'ment of the war, the enemy 
 found himself at the head of a formid.i!)le 
 navy, which enabled him to commence ofiin- 
 sive operations by sea, and to give an imposing 
 aspect to his formidalde preparations for in- 
 vading England. His lirstefl'orts on the ocean 
 were to injure and intercept our conunerce, 
 and alarm us for the safety of our foreign pos- 
 sessions. This policy, besides diminishing 
 
 shore, and practised in embarking, landing, \ the elements of our resourcos. would force us, 
 rowing, and all the other movements necessary | he hoped, to detach a considerable portion of 
 to render them expert and eflicient in the pro- \ our military strength from home, and wouhJ 
 jccted expedition. The joint mana?uvring of ; also divide and distract our fleets. An nn- 
 the vessels and troops soon gave their opera- i connnon activity was seen to prevail in all the 
 tions a plan and daring well calculated to | enemy's ports from the Texel to Toulon ; and 
 make them formidable. Divisions of the ; notwithstanding the principal harbours in tins 
 flotilla containing troops at length ventured j inunense line of coast were blockaded and 
 outside their harbour, and, notwithstanding ; narrowly watched by our fleets, yet some 
 the interruption of a heavy fire from our ships, * strong squadrons of his ships contrived to 
 continued to raanceuvre and fight with great I slip out of port and form alarming junctions, 
 intrepidity ; and latterly their confidence had i Of this description were the combined 
 so much increased tlvat they generally sent ; French and Spanish fleet which sailed from 
 out a force for covering the arrival of any i Cadiz in April, and which, for the three follow- 
 fresh division from the attack of our ships. • ing months, kept the British empire in anxious 
 On these occasions smart actions ensued, and : apprehension for their objects and dc tination. 
 even the coasting division frequently display- 1 In July this formidable fleet returned to 
 ed great firmness, but having the advantage of J Europe from the West Indies, fortunately 
 a heavy fire from the batteries on shore, after ; without obtaining any object but that of alarm- 
 some close fighting, in which several lives | ing us. Steering, however, for the coast of 
 were lost^ aaid great bravery shewn on both ; Spain, they were fallen in with on the 22nd of 
 sides, the enemy's vessels for the most part j that month, by a division of our ships under 
 succeeded in escaping into Boulogne. '• i sir R. Calder ; and as the British admiral Avas 
 
 But Boulogne, though the great centre of i between the enemy and the land, an action 
 operations against England, was not the only j became unavoidable on the part of the coin- 
 point whence attack was threatened ; nor the ! bined fleet. Sir Robert commenced it by 
 flotilla which it harboured the ouly means of i .attempting to break the enemy's line so as to 
 carrying that attack into execution. Buona- i cut off his rear ; but this manoeuvre, so suc- 
 parte, when he projected the invasion of Eng- 1 cessful in the British fleet on a former occa- 
 land and devised the Boulogne flotilla for I sion, was defeated by a counter mananivre of 
 conveying Iiis army across the channel, also ! the French admiral, who, perceiving tl*e inten- 
 perceived the necessity of having a powerful ; tion of sir Robert, locked his fleet so as to 
 fleet without which his flotilla could be of no | render that intention nugatory. A smart 
 use. He diligently applied himself to increase « action then took place between "the two fleets, 
 his navy, and in no great space of time, from I in which the British tars displayed their u.sual 
 the extraordinary exertions made, the marine J bravery, and the French and. Sjxuiiards shew- 
 of France was elevated to a respectable foot- • ed great courage. A fog. and night coming on 
 ing. The same creative energy was also com- 1 put an end to the engagement ; and notwith- 
 nnmicated to Holland, where several ships of: standing two line of battle ships were captured 
 war were speedily equipped ; and Spain, ; during the iiction by our fleet, yet the enemy 
 lately precipitated into hostilities by a policy, ; claimed the victory. For the two following
 
 GTS HISTORY OF E.VOLAND. [CHAP. LV. 
 
 clays the two hostile fleets remained in sight ; Thus it was resolved, should the enemy's 
 of each othei-, but witiiout renewing the en- I armaments put to sea, and either by eluding 
 gagenieiit ; on tlie 26th the combined fleets j our fleets, or by an unlucky combination of- 
 were out of sight, and in a few days after \ other circumstances, succeed in gaining our 
 entered the port, first of Vigo, and then of j shores, to abide the event of the contest on 
 Ferrol. ; British ground. But just as this severe trial 
 
 The result of this engagement, though i in all probability approached, when Britain 
 nonoiirable to the British navy, was certainly ; was about to be plunged in all the horrors of 
 far short of the expectations of the British < an exasperated war, carried on in her very 
 nation, and of the brilliant victories which it I bosom and for her existence, events occurred 
 was lately in the habit of seeing achieved by i on the continent producing that co-operation 
 its fleets. The circumstances of the country i for which the British ministry had so long and 
 too were calculated to give it peculiar inter- i ardently sought, and which, by diverting the 
 est at the moment ; nor could the public well ; forces of France to new objects of hostility, 
 conceive how a British fleet, even though i suddenly relieved England from the menaced 
 inferior in numbers to a combined French \ invasion, 
 
 and Spanish fleet, had not succeeded in gain- \ Since the arrival of Buonaparte to the 
 ing a more complete victory. This maritime i supreme power of France in 1799, and more 
 enterprize of the enemy greatly increased his ! particularly after the treaty of Amiens, he 
 eonfidpnce ; detached squadrons put to sea > seems to have steadily pursued two objects, 
 with tlie view of annoying our commerce ; his i viz. his own aggrandisement and the cansoli- 
 large fleets seemed prepared to execute im- » dation and extension of the empire he govern- 
 portant movements ; and a general and simul- 1 ed. True to the first of these pursuits the 
 tatieous eflbrt of invading us from all his ports ; chief consul gradually advanced his aims, till 
 began, not without the appearance of reason, | at length he aspired to the imperial diadem 
 to be serious;ly apprt hended. | and obtained it. This singular and rapid 
 
 To meet the gathering storm the British i elevation rather surprised and disgusted than 
 minister had, from the moment in which in- \ alarmed the thinking part of Europe ; it was 
 vasion was threatened, employed himself in ; at once a brilliant display of transcendant 
 taking measures of defence. Tlie army was I abilities forcing their Avay from absolute hu- 
 increased to the utmost, which the means re- • mility to the pinnacle of human power, and a 
 sorted to Avere capable of producing; the > humiliating proof of the ascendancy over the 
 navy was carried to a magnitude before un- ; mind of ambition and the passions. It had, 
 known ; and tlie people, feeling the imminency I no doubt, its effect in disposing the conti- 
 of the danger, volunteered to arm in defence. • nental cabinets to irritation, and a circum- 
 In a few months more than 300,000 volunteers ! stance which occurred about the same time 
 aj>peared in arms, equipped and ready to 5 tended greatly to increase that eflect. The 
 take the field ; and, although not bred up in i duke d'Enghien, one of the house of Bour- 
 camps, most certainly fully determined to « bon, was arrested in the territory of the mar- 
 defend to the last their country and their ; grave of Baden, on a charge of conspiring 
 Jiomes. Troops were marched down in great i against France, by a party of French soldiers 
 numbers to guard the coast opposite France ; i sent across the Rhine for that purpose, and 
 the necessary orders were issued how to act i being conveyed to the French side of that 
 in case of actual invasion; signal posts were I river, he was immediately tried by a military 
 erected along the coast and for some distance ; commission, found guilty, and shot. Tlii.s 
 in the country, so as to give an early and ex- ; quick severity excited strong sensations 
 tensive notice of the enemy's landing, that 5 throughout Europe; the margrave of Baden, 
 troops might be speedily collected from all « in whose margravate the seizure was made, 
 quarters ; a strong fleet Was stationed in the i complained of a violation of territory ; the 
 Downs fo watch the movements of the enemy's i young king of Sweden, son-in-law to the mar- 
 flotilla in Boulogne, and to attack it in case ; grave of Baden, remonstrated with the French 
 it ventured out ; and arrangements were also ; goveriunent in a spirited manner on its viola- 
 made for calling cut, if necessary, the levy i tion of the independence of the German em- 
 eu -iitaise. ' \ pire. Notes to the same purpose were
 
 CHAP. LV.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 679 
 
 transmitted from the Russian and other courts 
 ooiicornfd in uiaintainini;- tlie integrity of tlio 
 (rernianio body ; all which complaints and 
 r«Mnonstrances, however, the French ruler 
 found means to appease and set at rest for 
 the time. 
 
 But the amhition displayed by Buona- 
 parte, in annoxinc; to his dominions territory 
 after territory, created feelings of a more 
 angry nature, M'hich ultimately rekindled the 
 tlanies of war on the continent. Whether 
 Buonaparte apprehended (he lurking hatred 
 of the continental cabinets to the new order 
 of things, added to the |)Ower and extent of 
 France, with the view of being better enabled 
 to defeat future hostility; or whether his 
 towering mind aspired 'to the empire as well 
 as throne of Charlemagne, and he increased 
 his strength for the execution of th^ mighty 
 enterprise, time will disclose ; certain it is, 
 that his measures were calculated for effecting 
 either view, as necessity might pre.ss, or cir- 
 cumstances invite ; and they were the mc^ans 
 of provoking a fresh confederacy against him. 
 
 The acquisitions which the late war gave 
 to France, no doubt left a severe rankling in 
 the bosoms of those whose territories had 
 been dissevered ; and although Austria, the 
 principal sufferer, had her losses on the Rhine 
 compensated by Venetian Istria, Dalmatia, 
 and other places, still she secretly sighed for 
 an opportunity of recovering her former mili- 
 tary fame, together with her wrested pro- 
 vinces. This disposition Mas favourable to 
 the views of Russia, whose monarch had 
 lately shewn considerable dislike to the pro- 
 ceedings of the French government, and who 
 now appeared disposed to become a party 
 in a coalition which would oppose and at- 
 tack it. 
 
 Accordingly the Russian cabinet engaged 
 ■with more than ordinary interest in the affairs 
 of the south of Europe. The annexations 
 and assumptions of power by Buonaparte 
 became matters of remonstrance from the 
 northern court, and a coolness between 
 France and Russia immediately ensued. 
 Some time afterwards, the British parliament 
 ▼oted a subsidy of five millions sterling, for 
 engaging the emperor of Russia in the Avar 
 with France. Sweden, no doubt emboldened 
 by Russia, treated the new French emperor 
 with little less than scorn ; while Austria, 
 though professing a desire for the re-estab- 
 
 lishment of general tranquillity, silently re- 
 joiced at the growing hostility, an<l prepared 
 for the desired moment, when siie might bo, 
 able to re-conquer her former possessions. 
 
 approacii 
 
 h of 
 
 Buonaparte, perceiving the 
 new coalition, exerted him>elf to destroy it, 
 and avert a continental war, which must 
 force him to abandon his enterprise agains.'- 
 iMigland ; and, with the assi.stance of Prussia, 
 he so far succeeded as to procure the nomi- 
 nation of a Russian envoy to bo sent to 
 Paris, there to negotiate a settlement of tiie 
 existing differences. This Russian envoy, 
 baron IVovosiltzof, had actually proceerled 
 as far as Berlin, on his way to Paris, wheii 
 news of the annexation of Genoa to the 
 Frencli empire reached liim in the Prussian 
 capital. He instantly determined to proceed 
 no furt])er, and a|>j)1ied to his court for 
 fresh instr;!ctioiis. The Russian cabinet 
 immediately recalled him. Prior to h\^ 
 departine, he comrinmicateil a short note to 
 the baron de llardenberg, and which note 
 the Prussian minister immediately inclosed 
 to the French minister, M. Laforet, then at 
 Berlin, declaratory of th6 reasons of his 
 return to Petersi)urgh, without having pro- 
 ceeded further on his mission ; and thus the 
 business of negotiation between France and 
 Russia was suddenly broken off. 
 
 But, although friendship and tne usual 
 intercourse between those two powers ceased 
 to exist, yet no actual hostilities took place, 
 owing to their remoteness from each other, 
 until some time after war had been renewed 
 between France and Aiistria. 
 
 The reason was this : the preparations of 
 Austria for war, abont the period when the 
 rupture of the negotiation between Russia 
 and. France took place, became too evident 
 to be longer concealed under the pretence of 
 merely exercismg the troops. Buonaparte, 
 who saw tlieir true design, took the alarm, 
 and declarations in the form of notes, on the 
 subject, were immediately passed between the 
 French and Atistrian ministers. 
 
 The first material note is from count do. 
 Cobentzel, (the Austrian minister at I'aris) 
 to Talleyrand ; it was delivered early in 
 August, in consequence of a conference held 
 between the two ministers. In this note, 
 which expresses great moderation, and an 
 anhnt desire for the restoration of general 
 tranquillity, -the emperor of Austria, after
 
 680 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 LCHAP. tv. 
 
 regretting deeply tlie failure of the proposed 
 negotiation, offers liis mediation, and invites 
 the court of St. Petersburgli and the Tlniil- 
 leries iinnicdiately to renew the negotiation 
 uliich was on the point of being opened, and 
 to which he promises to lend his most earnest 
 assistance. 
 
 To tliis note Talleyrand, by order of Buo- 
 naparte, then at Boulogne, returned, on the 
 1.3th of August, a long answer ; in which the 
 French emperor, after expressing how sen- 
 sibly he was aflected by the moderation of the 
 aforesaid declaration, and the readiness of 
 the emperor of Austria to interpose his medi- 
 ation, yet declines the latter emperor's offer ; 
 alleging that the present state of things, and 
 the insults ofiered him by Russia, must ren- 
 der it wholly fruitless, and involve the digni- 
 ty of the mediator. Buonaparte then goes 
 on to charge Russia with being averse to 
 ])oace, and does not hesitate to say, that the 
 expectation alone of co-operation from Aus- 
 tria led England to continue the war ; that, 
 tiierefore, the emperor of Austria had it in 
 liis power to make a declaration similar to 
 that of Prussia, " not to enter in any case 
 into a hostile project against France ;" to 
 restore peace to the v.orlu ; in which event, 
 he (Buonaparte) would immediately fulfil his 
 promise, of separating the crowns of France 
 and Italy for ever. " But if, on the other 
 hand," continues Buonaparte, " Austria, by 
 indecision, leave a doubtful opinion, and 
 authorise the English ministry to assert that 
 she belongs to a coalition ; if she continues 
 to keep 72,000 men in Italy, the emperor 
 ^vill be obliged to believe that she sees, with 
 a secret joy, a war which weakens France ; 
 and tiiat she tiiinks the moment favourable 
 for resuming hostilities, of which the present 
 generation must be tired of being made the 
 victims." 
 
 The French note next takes notice of the 
 military movements and preparations in 
 I'oland and Italy, and the forming an army 
 and magazines iii the Tyrol ; and after con- 
 juring Austria to make a declaration of neu- 
 Irjtlity, and confirm it by reducing her army 
 to the peace establishment, it emphatically 
 says, " for the interest of Austria herself, and 
 for the glory of her sovereign, his majesty 
 wishes that the emperor of Germany may 
 avail himself of the opportunity which is 
 oflfered to him. Tlie fate of his own states, 
 
 and that of Europe, is now in his hands. In 
 one hand he Indds the disturbances and tlie 
 revolutions, — in the other tlie general peace. 
 An important neutrality is sufficient to obtain 
 for him what he desires, and to insure the 
 peace of the world. The most efficacious 
 mediation of peace which Austria can make, 
 consists in preserving the most perfect neu- 
 trality, in the cessation of armaments, in not 
 obliging France to make a diversion, au<l of 
 leaving no hope for England of bringing 
 Austria over to her side." 
 
 Fresh intelligence of the movements and. 
 preparations for war, on the part of Austria, 
 being received, Talleyrand, in three days 
 after the communication of the above note, 
 presented a second one to the Austrian minis- 
 ter, by order of Buonaparte. 
 
 In this note, which is of a very decisive 
 nature, Buonaparte, after stating his disap- 
 pointment at the movement of troops and 
 other dispositions shewn by Austria, at a 
 time when he was entirely occupied in a war 
 with England, and had relied on the pacific 
 and friendly assurances of the German em- 
 peror, declares, that he is compelled to 
 demand a categorical and speedy explanation 
 of the object of these movements, which (he 
 states) already had the effect of forcing him 
 to postpone his projects against England, 
 and thereby make a more powerful diversion 
 in her favour. " Thus," continues the note, 
 " Austria has done as much as if she had 
 commenced hostilities." And after particu- 
 lai-ising the diflerent warlike steps taken by 
 the emperor of Germany, Buonaparte de- 
 clares, that protestations can no longer 
 satisfy him ; that he cannot admit any inter- 
 mediate state between that of war or of 
 peace ; that if Austria wanted peace, every, 
 thing in Austria must be restored to the 
 peace establishment ; but that, should Aus- 
 tria desire war, the French emperor will 
 have no other alternative than to throw back 
 upon the aggressor all the evils he would 
 bring, not only upon the present generation,, 
 but also upon his own estates and his own 
 family. 
 
 The French note then concludes by de- 
 manding. 
 
 I. That the twenty-one regiments sent to 
 the German and Italian Tyrol shall be with- 
 drawn, and those troops only allowed to le- 
 uiain who were there six months before.
 
 CHIP. LV.] , ■■ • GEORGE III. C8l 
 
 2. That the camp fortifications be dis- 1 declaration delivered at Vienna by the Rus- 
 contiinK'd. | sian ambassador, count Uasoumowsky, on 
 
 3. That tlie troops in Stiria, Carinthia, « the 31st of August, and in wiiich the emp^^ror 
 Friuli, and tlie Venetian territory, be reduced I Alexander coincides with the emperor of Ger- 
 to the numbers at which they stood six months ; many in the necessity of an immediate arma 
 before. » ment and also proposes to mareh two armies 
 
 And lastly, that Austria declare to Enp:- i of 50,000 men each, through Gallicia to the 
 land her firm and inishaken determination to j Danube, in order to combine the support of a 
 preserve an exact and scrupulous neutrality, ; powerful army with the negotiations for peac<*. 
 without taking a part in the j)resent <iisj)ute. j Thk Austrian answer concludes with the 
 To this menacing note, which had for its i following important declaration in the names 
 objecttheobtaininga categorical answerto the ; of the two imperial courts of Anistria and 
 question peace or war ; and im})uting to the { Russia : 
 
 court of'Vienna the ungracious part of having ; That they are ready to enter into a nego- 
 provoked the renewal of hostilities on the con- ; tialion with France, for maintaining the peace 
 tinent, the Austrian cabinet transmitted to 5 of the continent on the most moderate terms 
 Paris, early in September, a long and impor- * which are compatible with the general tran- 
 tant reply. ; quillity and security. 
 
 In this answer, which sets out with de- I That whatever shall be ihe issue of the 
 daring that the court of Vienna has )jo other J negotiations, and even should the connnence- 
 motive in its preparations than the maintain- i ment of hostilities become unavoidable, they, 
 ing peace and friendship with France, and > at the same time, pledge themselves to abstain 
 securing the general tranquillity of the con- ; from every proceeding tending to interfere 
 tinent; the German emperor, however, for the } with the internal concerns of France ; or to 
 first time speaks out»his sentiments ; he boldly i alter the state of possession, and the legally 
 charges France with havmg transgressed the | existing relations in the German empire ; or 
 treaty of Luneville by forcing governments on ; in the slightest degree to injure the rights or 
 the Italian, Helvetic, and Batavian republics, 5 interests of the Ottoman porte, the integrity of 
 contrary to their free will, and inconsistent ; whose dominions they are on the contrary 
 ■with the maintenance of a real political inde- ; prepared to defenfl to the utmost their power, 
 pendence, and which was stipulated and gua- | Finally, that the sentiments of Great Bri- 
 ranteed to these states by one of the articles ; tain are conformable with those herein ex- 
 of the above treaty. j pressed, and that she has displayed the same 
 
 Thi: Austrian note farther enumerates J moderate disposition for the restoration of 
 various other grounds of conqjiaint against | peace between her and France. 
 France, and observes, under such circuni- j This 1,'old and unexpected reply from Aus- 
 stances it becomes necessary for other j)owers | tria disclosed to r>uonaparte a formidable 
 to arm to support each other, and to join in ; confeileracy formed against him, and imme- 
 maintaining their own and the general se- 1 diately determined him to make preparations 
 curity. "Thus the military preparations of > to attack and disperse it. 
 the court of Vienna are provoked by those of ! Accokdingly the French army in Italy, 
 France, as well as by her neglect of all means > which continued to be reinforced from the 
 of securing an<l maintaining a true peace and I moment tlie Austrians were perceived to 
 future trantjuillity." M'he encroachments and I make movements in that quarter, was now 
 innovations in Italy are then charged upon \ rapidly augmented ; the priueipal fortresses 
 France ; and after noticing the failure of the I also were abundantly stored with provisions 
 late overtures towards a negotiation, the note 5 and ammunition ; and the whole Italian king- 
 says " the t mperor arms not witli hostile i dom was soon placed in a warlike attitude, 
 views; he -uins not to operate a diversion : iMora Italy Buonaparte quickly repaired to 
 against a landing in England ; the emperor i I5oulogne to direct the operations there in 
 arms for the maintenance of the peace exist- ; person, and no doubt to concert the plan of 
 ing between him and France." I the future campaign. The immense tlotiila 
 
 This long note next adverts to the wishes j which had been collected at this harbour, 
 of the cuq)ercr of Russia, as contained in u ; w ith'so much industry and ellort for the inva- 
 
 4 s 43
 
 682 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LV. 
 
 sioii of Kiiglaiid, was immediately ordered to 
 be dismantled and laid up, and the formidable 
 army intended for the darini^- enterprize, re- 
 ceived its rout, without loss of time, for the 
 Khine, and ha'd actnally commenced its 
 iDarch for that river early in September. The 
 troops also which had embarked at the Helder 
 au(J other ports speedily relanded and march- 
 ed for the same destination, and the French 
 emperor issued his decree, orderino- the 
 60,000 conscripts for the year 14 to join the 
 ajmy without delay. 
 
 The British minister being thus freed by 
 the appearance of approaching liostility on 
 the continent, from the menace of invasion 
 by the French, actively prepared to become 
 assailant in his turn. The circumstances of 
 the country for some time past, conspired to 
 atJbrd him a large disposable force ; the 
 regular army was well disciplined and ap- 
 pointed ; and the militia and volunteers were 
 fully equal to the defence of the empire at 
 home. Accordingly vigorous preparations 
 were made for fitting out a respectable force 
 to act against the enemy on the continent ; 
 transports for their conveyance were engaged 
 by government, and besides about 10,000 
 troops who had sailed from Cork in the latter 
 end of August, on an expedition under gene- 
 ral Baird, several regiments consisting of 
 cavalry and infantry both in England and Ire- 
 land, together wilh strong detachments of 
 artillery, received orders to hold themselves 
 in readiness for immediate foreign service. 
 
 Russia, who had been for some time busily 
 employed in completing her army to the full 
 war establishment, now resolved to augment 
 it still more considerably, and with this view 
 the emperor Alexander issued a ukase on the 
 1st of .Se])tember, ordering that in the whole 
 extent of the Russian empire four recruits be 
 taken fiom every five hundred sovds. A power- 
 ful Russian army passed, about the same time, 
 the frontiers, and directed its march towards 
 the Danube to join the Austrians ; consider- 
 able reinforcements had been sent by way of 
 the Black Sea and the Straits of Constan- 
 tinople to increase the Russian force in the 
 Seven Islands, and in conjunction with the 
 British troops already in the Mediterranean, 
 to threaten Italy ; while numerous transports 
 were collecting in the Baltic for conveying a 
 jpiat Russian and Swedish ar.niy to Swedish 
 Fomerania ; and which, with the expedition 
 
 preparing in England, was intended to recover 
 Hanover and enter Holland ; awd thus to make 
 a powerful diversion in the north, while the 
 grand united armies of Austria and Russia 
 reconquered Italy, and pressed France on the 
 south and on the east. 
 
 Buonaparte viewed this awful coalition 
 against him with a penetrating and deter- 
 mined ej'e ; he saw that if he waited till all 
 its parts were joined and brought to bear 
 against him in a whole, either its immense 
 pressure must sweep him from his throne, or 
 if by dint of great and gigantic exertions in his 
 favour, the French peoj)le enabled him to 
 resist the attacks of his numerous adversaries, 
 the struggle would be long and calamitous, 
 and the result it miglit lead to be equally 
 injurious to the safety of his crown as defeat. 
 
 On the other hand, by attacking the coali-; 
 tion while yet in embryo he would escajjei 
 those fornndable evils; and with an army 
 infinitely inferior to the aggregate of his ene- 
 mies (did he allow them time to u)eetinthe 
 field,) he would be enabled by enterprize 
 and celerity of movement, to attack and over- 
 whelm successively the ditierent divisions of 
 their yet disjointed force. 
 
 Perhaps no other conjuncture of circum- 
 stances could offer so grand and favourable 
 an opportunity for displaying the genius and 
 activity of the French chief and his followers. 
 While a niiglity coalition threatened to wrest 
 from him his conquests, and perhaps hiti 
 crown, a bold and decisive conduct might 
 not only succeed in averting the storm, but 
 give him the brilliant eclat of having thrown 
 back on his opponents the imminent danger 
 they had prepared for him. 
 
 AccoRDiNGL.Y Buonaparte redoubled his 
 exertions to seize the favourable moment ; 
 besides the powerful army rapidly marching 
 from Boulogne to the Rhine, the principal 
 part of the French troops in Holland and 
 Hanover were ordered to repair to the same 
 point ; extraordinary measures were had re- 
 course to for compelling the whole of the con- 
 scripts to march to the armies with the utmost 
 despatch ; and that the great body 'of the re- 
 gular troops might be withdrawn from France 
 in safety, the national guards were called out 
 for the purpose of maintaining internal order, 
 defending the coasts and frontiers, and of se- 
 curing the retreat of the army, and opposing a 
 strong barrier to the enemy in case of reverse.
 
 ClUr. LY.] GEORGE III. C8-3 
 
 I During these formidable preparations for > employed in collecliiig and maturing the 
 ■war, Biioiiaparto ordered his f/r«/j;'T f/V///fr/Ves i means for Iinstil(! n|)(rations. The public 
 at Ratisbon to induce the German diet to i j)rints were lilled witii accounts of the great 
 represent to the view of the emperor of ; pre|)arations making by the emperor of Ger- 
 Austria the dangerous step he was aijont to j niany ; they were reported to be of a grand 
 take, and to endeavour to dissuade him from ; and imposing nature, and, for a time, it was 
 replunging Europe into the horrors of a new ; supposed that Buonaparte was actually taken 
 war. JiacluT, at the same time, presented a ; by surpri.<:e. 
 
 note to the diet, which may be considered in; Napoleon, on the contrary, with more 
 the light of a nianife.^to against Austria. In | silence, and, as it afterwards apjieared, with 
 this note, Buonajiarte makes a solemn de- > more eflect, prepared to strike a decisive 
 claration of the sentiments by which he is ; blow. The circumstances of France enabled 
 actuated ; and after again charging Austria; him to collect a large army in a period com- 
 Avith being the aggressor, and insin\iating ; paratively short; and although, for some 
 tiiat her hostile intentions may, in the end, be | time, he appeared inactive, as if disconcerted 
 directed against Bavaria and the German ! by the sudden and unexpected movements 
 empire, he declares that he will consider as | of Austria, he found himself, in a few days, 
 a formal declaration of war directed against | sufficiently strong to commence oi)erations 
 himself, all aggressions which may I)e at- ; against his enemies, the rashness and ina- 
 tempted against the German body, and espe- ; bility of whose councils enabled him to exe- 
 cially against Bavaria. i cute his designs with prompt and destructive 
 
 This note, which had for its object to > rapidity, 
 detach the (ierman princes from the cause \ In the month of September, the French 
 of the emperor of Austria, and draw closer 5 troops were stationed on the heights of 
 the ties of friendsliip between them and | Boulogne, in Holland, and in Hanover. At 
 I'rance, was presented to the diet, in conse- | the call of their chief, they tied from the 
 qnence of demonstrations made by the Aus- ; coasts of the English channel, the North sea, 
 trians for crossing the Inn, and invading | and the northern extremity of Germany ; and 
 Bavaria. ; proceeding by forced marches,, in a fortnight 
 
 In a few days afterwards, Austria caused i crossed the Rhine. In a week more, they 
 a counter-declaration to be presented to the | passed, with the same rapidity, the moun- 
 Geri.ian diet. ; tains of Wittemberg, the Iller, and the 
 
 In tliis note the emperor of Austria retorts I Danube. Instead of wasting their resources 
 upon France the charge of disinclination to ' before the defiles of the Black Forest, they 
 restore peace, and repeats his desire to jiro- : left them on their right, and boldly and 
 mote that desirable end. He again asserts, | rapidly advanced by the plains of Bavaria, 
 that the object of his arming, in conjunction | The deceived general Mack, aj)prehensive 
 with Russia, is not otherwise interested, than | for hh retreat, retired from his positions near 
 to put a stop to the furtlier encroachments of I the Black Forest, and fell back upon the 
 France, and to secure his own safety. The \ llier, there to wait the junction of the first 
 Austrian monarch next assures his co-estates, \ Russian army, then rapidly advancing to 
 that, in case war should prove unavoidable, | reinforce him. By a series of skilful and 
 the legal state of the constitution and pos- > brilliant manauvres, Buonaparte counteracted 
 sessions of the German empire shall be main- \ this design, completely surrounded the city 
 tained inviolable ; and, iinally, in the event | of I.hn, and cut oft' the divisions of the 
 of war taking place, he calls upon the una- | Austrian army under prince Ferdinand, from 
 uimity, fidelity, and courage of the majority j the main army, connnanded by Mack. The 
 of the states of the en,pire, to enable hint to ; latter of these generals. influenc»d by coward- 
 ward off from Germany the scene of hostili- : ice or treachery, agreed, on the l(jth of Octo- 
 ties, and to carry into effect the salutary views j ber, to evacuate tlie city of Ulni, surrendering 
 of Austria and Russia. > the garrison of 30,000 men prisoners to the 
 
 M HiLST France and Austria were thus : enemy. In consequence of this disaster, 
 inaking mutual recriminatious, and threaten- ; ^'ienna was inmiediately abandoned by the 
 ing each other, both powers were actively 5 Austrian court, and BuonaDarlt iiia.de pre- 
 
 4 s 2
 
 684 tnsTORY or England. [chap. lv. 
 
 parations for the possession of that impor- ! hundred and fifty thou.yaud men,- were en- 
 tant capital. On the 10th of November, the ; icfaged in the tremendous conflict; and hotli 
 advanced ^nard of the French arrived before I armies fon!i:ht vitii tlie most desperate fur\-. 
 tiie city, and, on llie Htli, entered the town. : In a few hours, after cutting off the wliole 
 The French foinid in Vienna an inmiense > of the Russian left wing, they forced hack 
 t^nant.ity of military stores, which the A ns- I their right on Austkrlitz, the head-quarters 
 trians had not been able to remove ; annnn- > of the emperors of Russia and Austria. Or- 
 nition su/licient for three campaigns, and ; ders were immediately given for tlie Russian 
 njany pieces of artillery. j im))erial guard to advance, and re-establish, 
 
 The Russian army, under Korsakow, had, 5 if possible, the junction of the left wing with 
 in the mean time, been compelled to repass i the centre of the Russian army. The Rus- 
 the Danube. He was now pursued by Buo- ! sian guards immediately marched forwards, 
 jiaparte into Moiavia, and, on the loth of; led on by the grand duke Constantine, and 
 Aovend)er, was attacked by the corps of; attacked the French right wing, some batta- 
 Lasne.s and Murat in the vicinity of Holbrun. | lions of which they speedily routed. Buona- 
 He endeavoured to avert the impending blow ; parte, perceiving this movement, ordered the 
 by having recourse to a similar stratagem | French imperial guard to march and oppose 
 with that adopted by the French at the ; that of the Russians. A determined and 
 bridge of Vienna; ^nd, in the hopes of gain- j furious conflict ensued. Notwithstanding 
 ing lime to retreat, sent a flag of truce, pro- j the desperate valour of the Russian guards, 
 posing an armistice. The overture was re- » their courage was unavailing. The F'rench 
 jected, and an obstinate battle ensued, in 5 succeeded in repulsing them, and captured 
 which the Russians were defeated, with the * their standards, their artillery, and several 
 loss of 2000 killed and wounded, and 2500 5 officers, among whom was prince Repnin, 
 prisoners. On the 17th, Buonaparte moved i who commanded the cavalry of the Itussian 
 his head-quarters to Zuaim, and on the 20th \ imperial guard. At this moment, the centre 
 to Brunn. His operations were materially ^ of the French army, commanded by marshal 
 assisted by the successes of the French J Bernadotte, and the left wing, under Lasnes, 
 aimies in Italy and the Tyrol, which secured » were decisively successful. A corps of 
 the .strong positions in his rear, and liberated \ Russians, which had been surrounded and 
 several corj^s of the French army, who now » driven from all the heights, now occupied a 
 arrived to share in the glory and the dangers i position on the level edge of a lake. Buona- 
 of the Qerman war. | parte, from an eminence, whence he could 
 
 The Austro-Russian army was now posted | see all the great operations of the battle, 
 near Olnmtz, confident in its numbers, and l hastened to the place with twenty pieces of 
 deceived by a stratagem of Buonaparte into > cannon. The corps was immediately attacked 
 a belief that the enemy was unprepared for • and driven from position to position, until 
 battle, feeble, and dispirited. Napoleon pro- i the greater part were forced into the lake, and 
 posed an interview with the emperor of | perished in the water. About the same time, 
 Russia, and contrived that, on the arrival ; two Russian -columns, of 4000 men each, laid 
 of the latter in hi.s camp, it should bear the 5 down their arms ; and the principal part of 
 appearance of fear, sickness, and confusion. • the Russian artillery, amounting to more than 
 The Russians, elated by the report of their | 150 pieces of cannon, was taken by the 
 sovereign, calculated on the immediate de- 1 French. 
 
 struction of the French, and exulted in the » The Austro-Russian army lost, in killed, 
 prospect of surrounding them. In the midst 5 wounded, and prisoners, one third of their 
 of their exultation and self-security, they were j whole army; forty standai'ds, all their ar- 
 suddenly attacked by Soult in their left wing, > tillery, a great part of their baggage, and 
 which was completely turned ; the centre of i several generals. The French also sustained 
 the French, under Bernadotte, advanced, and | a considerable loss in killed and wounded ; 
 the left, under Lasnes, marched forward to i and so numerous were the latter belonging to 
 assault the enemy's right. A terrible can- ; both armies, that two days were employed 
 nonade now resounded along the whole line. 5 in performing towards them the offices of 
 Two hundred pieces of artillery, and one 5 humanity.
 
 I
 
 CHAP. Lv.] CKoncc iir. t 68-3 
 
 The first result of this decisive and extra- j fatigues and exertions had rendered so neceis- 
 ordin-.iry conflict was an interview at Suruc- ; sary. 
 
 chetz between the emperors of France and i By the terms of peace dictated by the con- 
 Austria, and the intelhi^ence at this moment \ queror in the capital of his fallen foe, the 
 received of the events in Sicily and Hanover j crown of Austria was compelled to resign its 
 tended to accelerate the conclusion of an » Venetian possessions in Italy, Venetian Dal- 
 armistice. A joint English and Russian force j niatia, the whole of the Tyrol, and its pos- 
 amounting to 14,000 men landed at Naples ; sessions in Suabia. Venice was to be added 
 early ir\ November, and were corditlly re- ; to the kingdom o'f Italy ; Dalmatia to France ; 
 ceceived by his Sicilian majesty. Incensed | and the Tyrol to the dominions of the elector 
 at this breach of neutrality Napoleon directed ! of Bavaria. The Bavarian elector and th». 
 Massena and St. (^yr to attempt the con- ; duke of Wirtemburg were caused |to erect 
 quest of Naples. The auxiliary English and > their states into monarchies, and received a 
 Russians had withdrawn. Resistance was \ considerable portion of the spoils of Austria 
 impossible, and the prince royal retired upon \ to enable them to support their new dignities 
 the approach of the French into Calabria, | with appropriate splendor. Having thus suc- 
 from whence he conveyed his forces to Sicily, ; ceeded in the humiliation of his enemies, with 
 whither the royal family and court had already I a rapidity nlmost unexampled ; and accom- 
 retired. \ plished every object of his most sanguine 
 
 jo„. Early in September preparations had ! ambition, Napoleon returned by the way of 
 been made for assembling -a powerful > Munich to Paris where he was receive/', bv 
 army of English, Russians, and Swedes in the ; the acclamations of the people, and by triuni- 
 north of Germany, with a view to re-occupy j plial honours. The consternation excited in 
 Hanover, attack Holland, and ultimately > England by the deplorable result of the bat- 
 invade the Netherlands. The united troops ; tie of Austerlitz was in some measure relieved 
 obtained possession, about the middle of No- ! by the unexfjected intelligence of the glorious 
 vember, ofall Hanover which had been evacu- j battle of Trafalgar, though exultation at the 
 ated by the French, except the fortress ofl triumph of onr arms vvas clouded by sincere 
 Haniein, which they still retained. The bat- | and general grief for the loss of our brave and 
 tie of Austerlitz, however, baffled the inten- » unequalled admiral. From the period of his 
 tions of the confederates, and enabled Napo- | departure from Portsmouth on the 29th of 
 Icon to despatch his forces to the relief of | September the gallant Nelson had sought thi» 
 Hanover. In this dilemma they were sud- I fleet of the enemy in all directions ; but it was 
 denly relieved by the interference of the king | the determination of Villeneuve, the French 
 of Prussia, who succeeded in forming an ar- 1 commander, not to leave Cadiz until he had 
 rangement with Buonaparte, by which it was x reason to believe that his force was one third 
 agreed that the Frencli armies, now on the » stronger than the British. Many circuin- 
 pointof attacking the allied forces in Hanover, j stances concurred to deceive him into such 
 should suspend their march on condition that I an opinion, and an American contributed 
 the combined English, Russians, and Swedes } unintentionally to mislead him by declaring 
 would evacuate the electorate, which was to \ that Nelson could not possibly be with the 
 be occupied by the troops of Prussia. | fleet, for he himself had seen him only a few 
 
 Immediately after the conclusion of the i days before in London. Relying upon this 
 armistice between- France and Austria the } intelligence and upon their superiority, which 
 Russian army commenced its retreat from the j was in truth sufti(;iently great, in an unhappy 
 states of the empire. The negotiators, prince ! hour they sailed fhom Cadiz. On the 19th 
 John of Lichtenstein on the j)art of the j of October the signal was made that they were 
 emperor of Austria, and Talleyrand for the I at sea. In the afternoon of the next day it 
 French emperor, rej)aired to Nicolburg to ! was signified that the enemy vveje determined 
 conclude a definitive peace. Buonaparte re- j to go to the westward, a " reiiolutiou/' said 
 turned to the palace of Schoenbrun near | the English admiral, " which they shall not 
 Vienna, and the French army prepared to ; execute if it be in the power of Nelson and 
 cujoy iu cantonments that repose which their \ Bronte to prevent them."
 
 GSG 
 
 HISTORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LV. 
 
 Hk had previous y arranged his plan of at- 
 tack. His oL'Ject was a (-lof^e and decisive 
 action. The order of sailing- was to be the 
 orcjer of battle, the fleet bi'ing arranged iu 
 two Inies of sixteen siiips, witii an advanced 
 squadron of eight fiist-sailing two-deckers. 
 The second in command having the entire 
 direction of his line was to break through tlie 
 enemy. When he approached the twelfth 
 ship from the rear he woukl lead through the 
 centre, and the advanced squadron was to 
 cut off three or four of the headmost ships in 
 the centre. The only difl'erence from this 
 plan on the day of action was, that the fleet 
 bore up by signal in two columns. The Bri- 
 tish force consisted of 27 sail of tiie line ; the 
 eitemy's of 33, and their superiority was 
 greater in size- and weight of metal than in 
 nHml)er.s. Four thousand troops were on 
 ])Oard, and a nuHiber of select riflemen were 
 'li.*ipprsed through the fleet. 
 
 Un Monday at day-break, the 21st of Octo- 
 ber, 1B05, a day which will be for ever memor- 
 able iu the British annals, the combined fleet 
 was descried about six or seven miles to the 
 eastward, cape Trafalgar bearing E. by S. about 
 seven leagues, tiiere being very little wind and 
 •that westerly. The commander-in-chief imme- 
 diately nmde the signal for the fleet to bear 
 >ip in two columns, as they formed in the 
 order of sailing, to avoid the inconvenience 
 and delay in forming a line of battle in the 
 usual manner, a mode of attack his lordship 
 previously conuuunicated to his officers, as 
 that alone calculated, " to make the business 
 decisive," in the last order he ever gave. They 
 were dated on the 10th of October, in con- 
 templation of the event which I am about to 
 ♦letaii, and which exhilut in the strongest 
 manner, the comprehensive mind of this great, 
 man, and his profound knowledge of his pro- 
 fession. Lord Nelson, in the Victory, led the 
 weather column, and the lloyal Sovereign, 
 admiral Collingwood, thelee. 
 :■ It had originally been the intention of 
 admiral Villeneuve, in the belief that the Eng- 
 lish fleet consisted only of 21 sail of the line, 
 to have attacked them in the usual line of 
 battle, with an equal number of vessels, 
 whilst twelve of his select ships, forming a 
 body of reserve to windward, were to bear 
 d<nvn and d(Hd)le on the British line after the 
 •.•.t.tioa had conimcnced, and thus place a 
 
 great portion of it between (wo fires ; every 
 otiu^r precaution had been taken by him to 
 ensure success : nearly ')()0()land troops were 
 distributed throughout his fleet, and his ships 
 were furnished with every species of com- 
 bustibles and fire balls, iu order to set the 
 adversary on lire, or ficilitate their boarding 
 when ojjportunity should oflbr. On perceiv- 
 ing, however, the real strength of the English, 
 the French admiral abandoned his first plan, 
 and formed his ships into one lino, with great 
 closeness and correctness : but as the mode 
 of attack was unusual, so the structure of 
 his line was new, forming a crescent con- 
 vexing to leeward. Admiral Villeneuve was 
 in the Bucentaure, of 80 guns, in the centre, 
 aiul the Prince of Asturias, of 1 12 guns, bore 
 the fiag of the Spanish admiral Giaviua, in 
 the rear; but the French and Spanish ships 
 were intermingled without any regard to order 
 of national squadron. The cond)ined fleet 
 thus situated, waited the attack with equtl 
 firmness and intrepidity. 
 
 Abqut noon, the dreadful contest began 
 by the leading ships of the columns breaking- 
 through the enemy's line, which was first 
 efiected by admiral Collingwood, in the 
 Royal Sovereign, in so gallant a nuxnner, a.s 
 to excite the admiratiou of both fleets. He 
 broke through about the twelfth ship from 
 the rear of the enemy, leaving his van unoc- 
 cupied ; the succeeding ships breaking- 
 through in all parts astern of their leaders, 
 and engaging the enemy at the muzzles of 
 their guns. At twenty minutes past twelve 
 the action became general. It had been the 
 intention of lord INelson to have penetrated 
 the enemy's line, between the tenth and 
 eleventh of his ships in the van; but, finding 
 it so close that there was no room to pass, ho 
 ordered the Victory, which bore his flag, to 
 be ruiton board the ship opposed to him, and 
 the Temeraire, his second, also ran on board 
 of the next ship in the enemys line, so that 
 these four ships formed one mass, aiul were 
 so close that every gun fired from the V'ictory 
 set the Redoubtable, to which she was op- 
 posed, on fire ; whilst the British sailors were 
 employed, at intervals, in the midst of the hot- 
 test action, in pouring buckets of water on the 
 flames in the enemy "s vessels, least their spread- 
 ing should involve both ships in destruction : 
 an instance of cool and deliberate bravery not
 
 CHAP. LV.l GEORGE I If. G87 
 
 to be paralleled in anlient or niodeni history. : colours on cvtry side, or flying the scene of 
 The action was equally severe around the j action in coufutsion, captain Hardy carried 
 Royal Sovereign, and in several other quai- 1 the glad tidings to the d\ing hero, who, after 
 ters. The enemy's ships were fought witli ; thanking God most fervently for the event, 
 the greatest gallantry ; but the attack Jipon J that he had survived to have it made known 
 them was irresistible. About three in the ; to him, and that he had been enabled once 
 afternoon, admiral (jravina, with ten sail of I more to do his duty to his country, expired 
 the line, joining the admiral's frigates to lee- > without a groan. 
 
 ward, bore away to Cadiz ; five more of their $ Bv a reference to the narrative of the 
 headmost ships in the van, under admiral ; French canuiaign on the ("ontinent, it will 
 Dumanoir, about ten minutc-s after, tacked j appear that the city of IJim was entered ia 
 and stood to the southward and to windward i triumph on the 20th of October, the day 
 of the British line. They were engaged, and ! preceding the battle of Trafalgar. In the 
 the sternmost taken. The remaining four ; disn)ay and consternation produced by the 
 escaped, leaving a noble prey to the British ; misfortunes of Austria, in the mind of the 
 fleet of tiinc/eeu shi|)s of the lino, with the j Biitish public, intelligence of the' battle of 
 three flag o/iicers, Villeneuve, the commander- ; Trafalgar opportunely arrived, to cheer the 
 in-diief, and the Spanish admirals, d'Aliva ,' spirits, and alleviate the desj)ondency of the 
 and Cisneros. At forty minutes after four, ; people. The misfortunes of our ally were 
 all firing ceased, and a complete victory was ! forgotten in the enthusiasm of general exul- 
 leported to lord Nelson, who, having been j tation ; and one consolation at least re-ani- 
 wounded early in the action, survived just ; mated the hopes and the confidence of the 
 long enough to hear the joyful tidings, and ; nation, that England had secured the domi- 
 died as he had lived, with the most heroic ; nion of the seas, and that the example of 
 resolution. ; lord ISelson would stimidate his successors 
 
 The heroic commander-in-chief had been » to a glorious perseverance in the career of 
 engaged in the Victory with the Redoubtable > victory. 
 
 of 74 guns, and sub.sequently with his old ; ^Vhere all were equally brave, it would 
 antagonist, the .Santissima Trinidada, of 140, I be difficidt to point out individual merit in 
 for more than an hour, having, at the same j this well-fought day. Captain Harvey, who 
 time, the Bucentaure of 80 guns, carrying the ; nobly seconded lord INelson, having been 
 French admiral Villeneuve on his quarter, i boarded by a French line of battle-ship on 
 At about fifteen minutes after one, standing | one side, and a .Spanish on the other, coni- 
 on the quaiter-deck, moving, as was his ; polled both, after a vigorous contest, to 
 custom when much pleased, the shoulder i strike their colours. A similar exploit was 
 and sleeve of his amputated arm up and i eflfected by captain Freemantle, of the Nep- 
 down, with great rapidity, he received a i tune. When five of the captured ships were 
 wound from a musket-ball, discharged by a i engaged so closely that the muzzles of the 
 marksman on the poop of the Bucentaure, | lower deck guns of the antagonists touched 
 which entered his left breast, and which he : each other, the French innnediately lowered 
 immediately declared to be mortal. To the : their ports, and deserted their guns upon the 
 last moment of his life, which now ebbed i deck, while, on the contrary, the English 
 fast, his solicitude for the event of the action I sailors were deliberately loading and firing 
 never ceased ; every consideration was dor- j their guns, with two, and often with three 
 niant, save an anxious wish for the glory of; round shot, which soon reduced the enemy's 
 his country. He repeatedly, while below, i ships to a perfect wreck. 
 
 demanded the news of the battle, and ex- i Such a victory could not be gained without 
 pressed the most lively satisfaction on being > serious loss. Captains Cook, of the Belle- 
 assured of immediate victory. About four, ; rophon, and Dufl' of the Mars, were deeply 
 his anxiety became extreme, and he repeat- : lamented. But every other feeling, even the 
 ediy sent for captain Hardy, who fought his j unmingled joy which would have resulted 
 ship. That officer could' not, consistently I from this glorious victory, were lost in the 
 with prudence, quit the deck ; at length, ; irreparable loss his country and the British 
 however, seeing the enemy striking the ; navy sustained hi the death of lord Nelson.
 
 688 
 
 IIISTOnY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. I.V. 
 
 The total of killtnl and wound cd was tliiis 
 estimated in the otlicial returns. 
 
 
 
 killed. 
 
 U'ounded. \ 
 
 lloyal Sovereign 
 
 47 
 
 04 1 
 
 Dreadnought 
 
 - 
 
 7 
 
 20 i 
 
 Mars 
 
 - 
 
 29 
 
 0.9 ; 
 
 Bellerophon 
 
 - 
 
 27 
 
 12.3 ; 
 
 Minotaur 
 
 - 
 
 3 
 
 22 : 
 
 IJevenge 
 
 - 
 
 28 
 
 51 ! 
 
 Leviathan 
 
 - 
 
 4 
 
 22 i 
 
 A}nx 
 
 - 
 
 2 
 
 i) ; 
 
 Defence 
 
 - 
 
 7 
 
 29 1 
 
 Deliance 
 
 - 
 
 17 
 
 53 i 
 
 Tota 
 
 173 
 
 408 
 
 This estimate is exclusive of the loss on 
 hoard the Victory, w hich was not reported. 
 
 The action had .scarcely terminated he- 
 fore a tremendous gale of wind arose, which 
 not only placed the captured ships, but the 
 captors, in a most dangerous situation. Both 
 had suffered seveiely, and the wind increased 
 to such a degree, that the whole fleet were 
 most perilously circumstanced. Many were 
 dismasted, all were shattered, and the whole 
 fleet was in thirteen fathoms Avater, off the 
 shoals of cape Trafalgar. In this dangerous 
 state, the skill and experience of admiral 
 Collingwood, the second in conunand, and 
 Avhose conduct, during the action, was emi- 
 nently conspicuous, were put to the utmost 
 test, nor was he found unecjual to the emer^ 
 gency. 
 
 On the death of lord Nelson, the command 
 of his conquering fleet, and the completion 
 of the victory, devolved on Collingwood, who, 
 as he had often done in the early part of his 
 life, now succeeded to the rank and appoint- 
 ment of his friend. 
 
 His exertions, immediately subsequent to 
 the battle of Trafalgar, though little calcu- 
 lated to display the prowess and intrepidity 
 of the accomplished seaman, were highly 
 creditable to his talents, his prudence, and 
 his tactical experience. On the 22nd, the 
 weather was still unfavourable ; but, on the 
 following day, the gale increased, and the 
 sea ran so high that many of the captured 
 ships drifted on shore. Towards the after- 
 noon, ten sail of the combined fleet, which 
 Jiad not been much engaged, pushed out 
 from Cadiz, in hopes of attacking, with ad- 
 
 vantage, the damaged and scattered English 
 ships. In this attempt, howevei-, they were 
 completely frustrated by the determined 
 countenance of admiral Collingwood, who, 
 collecting the least injured of his fleet, not 
 only protected his own disabled vessels, but 
 took possession of one (the El Rayo) belong- 
 ing to the enemy. Admiral Gravina's own 
 ship, the Prince of Asturias, being dismasted 
 by the violence of the gale, he returned with 
 his squadron to Cadiz. On the 24th and 2.5(h 
 the storm so much increased, that orders 
 were issued for the captured French and 
 Spanish ships to be destroyed. Five of these 
 vessels were sunk or burnt by the victors, 
 among which was the Santissima Trinidada 
 of 140 guns; nine were entirely wrecked, on 
 different parts of the coast, by the violence 
 of the storm, — many with their whole crews 
 on board. L'Achille, a French 74, blew up 
 during the action ; and four, by the almost 
 incredible eflbrts of the British ofliccrs and 
 seamen, were carried into Gibraltar. The 
 Santa Anne, and nine more of the enemy's 
 vessels, escaped into Cadiz in a battered con- 
 dition ; and out of that nuudjer five had 
 str.uck, but were abandoned by the English 
 in consequence of the violence of the gale. 
 
 In return for his important services on the 
 9th of November, 1805, admiral Collingwood 
 was created a peer of the realm, by the title 
 of baron Collingwood of Caldburne r.nd 
 Hethpoole, in the county of Northumber- 
 land ; and the two houses of parliament, in 
 addition to their vote of thanks, concurred in 
 the grant of £2000 a year for his own life, 
 £1000 of which descended to his lady, and 
 £500 ]ier annum to each of his two daugh- 
 ters. The corporation of Loudon, the patri- 
 otic fund, and other public bodies, voted him 
 honorary rewards. , 
 
 At the close of the battle of Trafalgar, the 
 Fiench admiral, Dumanoir, with four sail ot" 
 the line, escaped to the southward. Their 
 respite, however, from sharing the fate of 
 their ccnnpanions was of short duration. On 
 the nij^ht of the 2nd of November, cruising 
 off Ferrol, with four ships of the line and 
 three frigates, rear-admiral sir Richard Stra- 
 chau feli in with the fngiti\es and pursued 
 them all night, and during the whole of the 
 ne.\! d;iy. Early in the morning of th(i 4th^ 
 the Santa Margarita and I'hanix frigates,, 
 which had outsailed the ships of the line^
 
 CHAP. LV] GEORGR III. 689 
 
 iTiillantly commenced the action by firing upon | andcr made an effort, in person, to prevail 
 tlie enemy's rear, and considerahly retarded i upon the kin^ to adopt a more generous and 
 their Hijiljt. The action soon after became I noble, and, perhaps, a wiser part ; but al- 
 f'lose and t^eneral, and continued nearly three | tliough the former was received at Berlin with 
 hours and a hall, the enemy fis^htuia; \vith tlie I every demorjstration of personal respect and 
 s^reatest resolution and ohstinacy, when theii- > esteem, and with a splendor and consideration 
 four ships struck, after being rendered j worthy of his exalted rank and character, the 
 quite unniaiiaiicable. They proved to be ; imperial guest was equally misuccessful with 
 the Formidal)le of BO guns, captain Dumanoir, ; tlie ministers of the allied powers, and he was 
 and the Dugnai Truin, Mont IJIanc, and i obliged rapidly to return, baftJed and disaj>» 
 Scipion, of 74 guns each. The loss of the J pointed, to j)lace himself at the head of his 
 FrtMich was severe; tln'ir admiral was wound- ; armies, then advancing in aid of Austria. 
 ed, and one of tiieir eaptains killed ; the loss | liur in the course of the campaign, an event 
 on board the English ships was couiparatively ; occurred, which, had it produced those con- 
 trifling, liy this exploit of sir Richard Stra- i sequences which Europe had a right to expect, 
 chan, the last renmants of the Frencli and I would have materially altered the face of 
 Spanish comhined fleets, amounted to .3-3 ves- ; afi'airs, and most prol)aIjiy have determined 
 sels of the line, were brought into an English i the war to a far difl'erent issue. I have already 
 port; and of the whole of that formidable 5 alluded to the direct violation of the Prussian' 
 armament only three disabled shij)s remained ; neutrality, by a French corps, which marched, 
 to the enemy. A result so glorious to the I through the Prussian territoi-y of Anspach, 
 skill the courage, and the perseverance of our > from Wurtzburgh to the Danube. This step 
 officers and seamen, contributed in a material 1 was totully vmexpected by the Austrian com- 
 degree to sooth the mortification and alleviate i nw,nder-in-chief, who, conceiving that the 
 the depression excited by the contemplation ; force in question was destined for Bohemia, 
 of foreign affairs, and tended to counter- ; took his measures accordingly. Nor indeed 
 balance the effects of the nnghty victories and | was it to be supposed that at such a juncture, 
 splendid successes of the French on the con- ; Buonaparte would run the risk of provoking 
 tinent of Europe. It was even hoped that the ; the king of Prussia to hostilities, by an insult 
 conduct of Prussia might co-operate with the 5 so pointed and glaring, as the infraefion of 
 glorious intelligence of the battle of Trafalgar, ^ one of the first laws of neutrality. This por- 
 to reanimate the exertions of the minor powers, I tion of country, however, which had devolved 
 and give stability and effect to the measures ; to the Prussian crown, by the act of the last 
 adopted by the emperor of Russia. t margrave, was interposed between Wurtz 
 
 Tui. ministers of Austria, Russia, and Eng- M)nrgh and the Danube, to which river it 
 laud, at the court of Berlin, were not slow $ was of the utmost consequence to the sue- 
 in representing the danger to what remained ; cess of his plans, that the corps assembled 
 indc|)endent in Europe from the restless | at the former place, should proceed the short- 
 spirit <»f encroachment, by which the ruler of; est way, and in the least possible time. Buo- 
 the French nation was constantly actuated, i naparte, with that decision which marks 
 or to amplify the probabilities there existed ; his character, without the smallest hesitalioiii 
 of entire success should I'russia join her arms | ordered the march of his army, which, vA'Ur 
 to the new confederacy. In vain, however, | some slight show of opposition from tiie Prus- 
 was every art of persuasion to move the cold | siaa major llowen, at the head of 500 men, 
 and selfish councils of the court <(f Berlin, i passed through the territory of Anspach with- 
 to take ar)y part but that of putting the troops i out further molestation. 
 
 upon a war establishment, fdling the maga- ? Tun surprise and indignation of all ranks 
 zines, and providing the different corps with i of people throughout the Prussian dominions, 
 ramp-equipage; thus maintaining a neutrality I at this bold and unprecedented step, was ex- 
 indeed, but an armed and a suspicious one, < treme, and vengeance for the insult was dt;^ 
 ready to act on either side, as interest and i mauded from every quarter. The hopes 
 opportunity should suggest. When hostilities I of the allies were revived, and fresh soli- 
 were inevitable, and the Austrian and Russian : citations were poured in upon the king, to 
 forces had begun to move, the emperor Alex- ; declare himself a party in the war and thus 
 
 4 T 44
 
 (>00 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CIIAP. LV,^ 
 
 avenge liiinsplf for so gross an injury. The ; "Ot the least arduous pari of Iiis task, in a 
 British government lost no time in despatch- I government like ours,) defend his measures 
 ing lord Hanowby to tlie court of Berlin, on \ in parliament, against a formidable phalanx 
 a special mission, to negotiate a treaty, and ; of j)atriotism and ability. One great source 
 ofl'er subsidies in case of co-operation. And ; of his mortification was the disgrace and 
 even the government of Prussia itself seemed ; public trial of his colleague, lord Melville, — 
 roused by this flagrant breach of public ; a circumstance which, united with the dis- 
 law, to some sense of its dignity and its ! charge of his vast and complicated duties, 
 vroiigs. Immediate preparations were made ; bowed down his mighty mind, and preyed 
 for hostilities, the garrisons of Berlin and i upon a frame already enfeebled with care 
 Potzdam w'ere ordered to hold themselves < and disease. But the severest blow which 
 in readiness to take the field, and the regular ; this great man and genuine patriot received, 
 troops were ordeied to the frontiers. Scarce- i was from the successes of the French upon 
 ]y. however, had these demonstrations of > the continent. Inunediately after the tidings 
 energy been made, before the capture of; of the surrender of general Mack at Ulni, 
 Ulm, and the discomfiture of Mack, disposed | Mr. Pitt was observed to droop. His health, 
 the Prussian monarch to pass over the ailiont > already much impaired, became daily worse, 
 received ; count Haugwitz, the strenuous i and he was compelled, however reluctantly, 
 advocate of France, was despatched to i to quit all public business and repair to 
 treat with Buonaparte at his hcad-quar- » Bath, in the hope, rather than the expecta- 
 ters ; ami an accommodatiou was imniedi- i tion, that the use of the waters might produce 
 ately eftiscted. " ; a favourable change in his disorder. He 
 
 The intervention of the Russian emperor s returned to Putney Heath on the 10th of 
 in the cause of the degraded and insulted j January, 1806, and on his arrival was ad- 
 states of Europe, originated in the purest and ; vised to seclude himself entirely from busi- 
 niost disinterested motives, and his subse- i ness. The experiment was unsuccessful; 
 quent conduct was distinguished by every j he was seized with symptoms of the typhus 
 quality of the head and heart. Having i fever, his pulse rose to 130, he became inca- 
 superintended the arrang-ements and prepa- i pable of rational and coherent conversation, 
 rations necessary for sending three great j and, early on the 23rd of January, he ex- 
 armies into the field, he proceeded, on the i pired. 
 
 '!26th of October, to Berlin, where he gained > On the 27th of January, Mr. Lascelles 
 all hearts by his afi'able and engaging manners. 5 moved in the house of commons, that an 
 'On the fatal day of the battle of the three I humble address be presented to his majestr, 
 empenors, on the plains of Moravia, he « that " he will be graciously pleased to give 
 evinced the greatest personal courage and \ directions that the remains of the right ho- 
 niagnanimity. When the fortune of the day 5 nourable AVilliam Pitt be interred at the 
 became decidedly adverse to the allies, he ; public expence ; and that a monument be 
 charged the enemy three times successively ; erected, in the collegiate church of St. Peter, 
 at the head of his guards, and, by his gallan- I Westminster, to the memory of that excellent 
 try, not only secured the retreat of the re- \ statesman, with an inscription, expressive of 
 mainder of tl)e army, which would otherwise i the public sense of so great and irreparable 
 have been cut to pieces, but rescued and > a loss." The motion having passed by a 
 carried off the whole of the Russian artillery, ; great majority, Mr. Cartw right moved that a 
 previously captured by the French. : sum not exceeding £40,000 should be voted 
 
 The victory of Trafalgar excited the en- ; for the payment of Mr. Pitt's debts, — a mo- 
 thusiasm of the people, but it could not i tiou w hich passed without opposition. At 
 •soothe the disappointment or dissij)ate the I a meeting of the con)mon council of London, 
 sorrows of the minister. He had und«3rtaken j it was moved, that a monument be erected 
 alone to move the vast machinery of the tin Cuildhall, to the memory of Mr. Pitt ; and, 
 British empiie ; at once to provide her re- ; after some debate, the question was carried 
 sources at home, protect her interests abroad, \ by a majority of only 77 to 71. 
 conduct a war the most dangerous in which : Such were the trivial and parsimonious 
 Uritain was. ever engaged, and lastly, (and > honours paid to the memory of a statesman,
 
 CHAP. LV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 691 
 
 Vviio, with all his faults, was entitled to the 
 gratitudf! and admiration of his countiv, and 
 whose hereditary elainiA to res)>eet and con- 
 fidenee were not cnfeeMed by his personal 
 conduct and career. His oratory, however, 
 ■was the grand pillar of his reputation. His 
 deep toned voice, his warm and forcil)le utter- 
 ance, his slow, distinct, measured enuncia- 
 tion, his elevated and ornamented style, his 
 'on2^, involve<l, and apparently prenie<!itated 
 sentences, all impressed his hearers with an 
 opinion of his profonndness and dii^iiity. 
 Kvery period was delivered with pomp, every 
 sentimetit hreathed an air of importance. His 
 de<-lamation was always suited to the feelings 
 of his audience, and was always received with 
 buFsts of applause. Their attention was still 
 more forciidy attracted by the pointed sar- 
 casm in which he delighted. His irony was 
 keen, dii-ect, and cruelly persevering. He 
 never left his victim, however contemptible, 
 till he had broken every limb on the wheel. 
 The impression protluced by the striking quali- 
 ties of his oratory made its defects pass unper- 
 ceived. The tritest idea acquired importance 
 from the poup with which it was aimounced, 
 and amidst the miserable aiul abortive attempts 
 at haranguing which usually disgrace the house 
 of commons, the oratory of Pitt shone like a 
 meteor amidst the twinkling stars. 
 
 His figure was tall, his bones large, his habit 
 spare. His features were prominent and 
 coarse, and his mouth, which was always 
 
 4 T 2 
 
 open as he walked, evprrssed to those who 
 met hin), without knowing him, a conviction 
 of his ideotcy or indtecillity. His gestures 
 were ungraceful . Even when he harangued 
 he chiefly moved his head and his right arm, 
 which he brandished \\ith great violence but 
 in the same uniform direction. His private 
 life was distinguishefl by few ])eculiarities, 
 yet had considerabh; eflect on his political 
 reputation. Of a cool temperament he felt 
 little inclination towards the female sex, and 
 was considered Avholly free froni the vice of 
 incontinence; a circumstance which procured 
 him a high character for un.<potted morality, 
 and rendered him the idol of grave and religious 
 persons throughout the nation, in his latter 
 years this impressiou was somewhat diminislN 
 ed by the discovery that he was much ad- 
 dicted to the pleasures of the bottle, a dere- 
 liction which was attributed to the example 
 of his ffiend Mr. Dundas. He entrusted the 
 whole management of his private fortune to 
 his servants, and their careless profusion eu- 
 volved hiui in embarrassment. After his re- 
 signation he expressed to some of his confi- 
 dentail friends his resolution of returning to his 
 original jMofession the bar, for the purpose of 
 retrieving his ruined fortune ; a design at once 
 honourable to his courage, and to the dis- 
 interested honesty by which he had filled his 
 ofllice. To sum up his character in a few 
 words, his chief virtue was devotion to his 
 country, his greatest vice inordinate ambitioiia
 
 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 GEORGE III 
 
 [1806 to 1808.] 
 
 Accession of the Fox and Grenvilh Adminislration — Their Indiscretion — C/iarges against the 
 Marquis of Welleslcy — Proposal to assassinate Buonaparte — Negotiations toith France — Ex- 
 pedition to the Cape, and to Buenos Aijres—Affairs of Sicily — BATTLE OF MAID A — 
 Naval Operations — Capture qf' Linois — Vacillatitig Conduct of the King of Prussia — Battle 
 of Jena or Averstadt' — Buonaparte enters Berlin — Disturbances in India — Massacre at Vellore 
 — Death of 3Ir. Fox — Change in Ministerial Arrangements — Delinquency of Valiancy and 
 Davison — Abolition of the Slave Trade — DoiOnfall of All the Talents— Mr. Perceval is ap- 
 pointed Prime Minister — Conduct of the Emperor of Russia — Battles of Eylau and Fried- 
 land — Triumph of Napoleon — Treaty of Tilsit — Expedition to Copenhagen — Surrender rf 
 the Danish Fleet — Emigration of the Prince Regent of Portugal to the Brazils— Disgrace- 
 ful Expedition to the Dardanelles — Capture of Alexandria — Attack under General White- 
 locke on Buenos Ayr es — The Melancholy and Humiliating Residt — Disputes with America — 
 Orders in Council — Parliamentary Proceedings. 
 
 THE political arrangements occasioned | sible to himself for the salary of auditor, and 
 by the death of Mr. Pitt were not easily j to the public for the execution of his office, 
 concluded. Every attempt to form an ad- « The discontent excited by this arrangement 
 ministration composed of his surviving friends 5 among the great body of the people was aug- 
 was found to be abortive ; it was necessary to 5 mented by the appointment of lord Ellen- 
 have recourse to the intervention of lord Gren- * borough to a seat in the cabinet. The duties 
 ville, and after many obstacles the new ad- \ of a king and of a judge are obviously inconi- 
 ministration was finally arranged. The' i patible with each other, and, in cases of treason 
 cabinet was composed of the following mem- 5 or libel, the accused might reasonably object 
 bers, lord Erskine, lord chancellor ; earl Fitz- ! to the superintendence of a judge whose 
 William, lord president of the council ; lord I access to the royal presence in the capacity of 
 (Jrenville, first lord of the treasury ; viscount « a privy counsellor must ineVitably bias his 
 vSidmoutli, lord privy seal ; lord Howick, first ; opinions. Nor was it discovered, without the 
 lord of the admiralty ; earl Spencer, Mr. Fox, i warmest expressions of astonishment and in- 
 antl Mr. Wyndliam, secretaries of state for % dignation, that after all the declamation and 
 Jiunie, foreign, and war departrnents ; lord ; professions of so many years the opposition 
 Ilemy Petty, cliancellor of the exchequer ; I leaders adopted exclusively the principles of 
 and lord Elleiiboroiigii, lord chief justice. ; Mr. Pitt. The very individuals who had 
 The office of lord of the treasury, held by lord i most vehemently deprecated the imposition of 
 (irenville, was incompatible with that of ; the tax on property, raised that very tax from 
 the auditor of the exchequer, which he ; six and one-half to ten per cent.; extended 
 Jield for life, and a bill was therefore pass- | the limits of income to £100 per annum, and 
 .ed to enable, by an ex post facto law, the pos- ; subjected the houses of the people to the 
 .«(ssor of the latter place to hold the former, | scrutiny of an excise on beer brewed in pri- 
 proviiled he should name a trustee respon- J vate families.
 
 CHAP. LVI.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 693 
 
 Thesk errors, on the part of the new 
 ministers, were in some degree redeemed by 
 their prompt and decisive exertions for tlie 
 abolition of the slave-trade ; by the army 
 hill of Mr. Wyndhani, which admitted of 
 'limited service 5 and by their attachment to 
 toleration. 
 
 In the honse of commons, an unsuccessful 
 attack on the conduct of lord St. Vincent 
 was succeeded by a series of charc:cs against 
 the marquis of Wellesley. Mr. Paul, a gen- 
 tleman lately returned from India, prosecuted 
 an examination into that nobleman's delin- 
 quency Mith unabated perseverance. But 
 his firmness and intrepidity were counter- 
 acted by the meanness of his talents, the I 
 uncouthness of his manner, and his destitu- \ 
 tion of political influence. His charges, after 
 much discussion, terminated in a postpone- 
 ment of their consideration to a future 
 session. 
 
 The trial of lord Melville began on the 
 6th of May, and after the court had been 
 opened in the usual form, the charges against 
 his lordship were read by a master in chan- 
 cery. They consisted of ten articles. He 
 was charged with receiving, previously to the 
 10th of January, 178«, the sum of £ 10,000 of 
 the public money, for which he positively 
 refused to account ; with permitting Mr. 
 Alexander Trotter to draw money from the 
 bank, for other purposes than those of the 
 navy, and to place it with his private banker, 
 in his own name, and under his own controul. 
 The next article charged him with having 
 acted directly contrary to the law which had 
 been passed, to regulate the office of trea- 
 surer of the navy, (a law of which lord Mel- 
 ville himself was the proposer) by paying 
 into the bank of England, and placing to his 
 own account, large sums of the public money, 
 permitting ^Ir. Trotter, at the same time, to 
 apply it to his emolument. This charge also 
 maintained, that Mr. Trotter, with lord Mel- 
 ville's consent and privity, mixed the public 
 money, so placed in the hands of his private 
 bankers, with his own money, in such a 
 manner that it was exposed to great risk, and 
 completely put beyond the controul of the 
 treasurer of the navy. It was also charged, 
 that lord Melville was guilty of connivance 
 in the conduct of Mr. Trotter, who placed 
 the public money in the hands, and under the 
 controul, of Mark S'prott, who employed it 
 
 for his private benefit and emolument. The 
 next article charged lord Melville with par- 
 ticipation in the illegal profit which Mr. 
 Trotter derived from the use of the public 
 money ; and, in order to conceal the pecu- 
 niary advances which Trotter made to his 
 lordship, the parties agreed, in 180-3, to 
 destroy all vouchers and memorandums 
 which had passed between them. The last 
 article of importance charged lord Melville 
 " that while Mr. Trotter transacted his busi- 
 ness as his agent, he was, from time to time, 
 in advance to him in that respect, from 
 £10,000 to £20,000, which sums were taken 
 from the money placed in the hands of the 
 private banker ; that his lordship thus de- 
 rived benefit from the illegal acts of Mr. Trot- 
 ter, and that Mr. Trotter acted gratuitously 
 for his lordship, in consideration of his lord- 
 ship's connivance at the application of the 
 public money to Mr. Trottei'"s emolument, 
 without which connivance Mr. Trotter would 
 not have been able to make these advances. 
 
 The principal witnesses in support of 
 the charges were Mr. Trotter, and Mr. Mark 
 .Sprott, and though they failed in substan- 
 tiating the guilt of his lordship to the extent 
 imputed by Mr. Whitbread, yet they amply, 
 though reluctantly, proved that he had been 
 very remiss in the discharge of iiis duty, as 
 treasurer of the navy. Ten days were em- 
 ployed by the managers in bringing forward 
 and examining the evidence, and in the 
 speeches of Mr. Whitbread, and of the 
 solicitor-general. 
 
 Three days were afterwards employed by 
 the council for the defendant, in reply ; two 
 by Mr. Plumer, and the third by Mr. Adams. 
 The fourteenth and fifteenth days of the trial 
 were occupied by the managers in their reply 
 on the part of the commons, the legal argu- 
 ment being conducted by the attorney-gene- 
 ral, and the observations on the evidence 
 being a.ssigned to Mr. W hitiuead. On the 
 12th of June, the house of peers having ad- 
 journed to Westniiust*r-hall, the sentence 
 was pronounced. The lord-chancellor, after 
 the usual formalities, put the question, be- 
 ginning with the junior baron, " Is Henry 
 viscount Melville guilty, or not guilty ?" After 
 nund>eiiHg the votes, his lordship declared to 
 him, that " the lords had fully considered of 
 his case, and had found him 7tot guilty of 
 high crimes aiid'^lmisdemeanours, cliarged
 
 0)04 
 
 HISTORY OI ENGLAND. 
 
 [CffAP. LVl. 
 
 upon !)iin by tlitj impeaclinient of the house 
 «1" coniiiious."' 
 
 About ten days after Mr. Fox succeeded 
 to oflicc, he rtceived a letter fioni a person 
 calling liiniself (iuillet de Greviliiere, stating- 
 that he was arrived at Gravesend without a 
 ])assport, and re(|uestin2: Mr. Fox to send 
 Ijim one, as he had very lately left Faii.s, and 
 had something important to communicate. 
 Mr. Fox complied witli his request, and, on 
 tiie next mornini;-, he was admitted to the 
 closet of Mr. Fox, at his house in Arlington 
 Street. He proceeded to detail the object 
 of his journey, and to inform Mr. Fox, that a 
 plan had been arranged for the assassination 
 of Buonaparte, and a house hired at Passy, 
 from which it would be carried into effect 
 with certainty, and without risk. Surpri.sed 
 and confounded at the audacity of the vil- 
 lain, Mr. Fox, without enquiring further, 
 tlismissed him from his presence, and desired 
 that he might be sent out of the kingdom as 
 soon as possible. On reflection, however, he 
 ordered him to be detained, till such informa- 
 tion could Ite given to the French govern- 
 ment as might prevent the perpetration of 
 the crime. With that view, he transmitted 
 to M. Talleyrand a short and simple state- 
 ment of the occurrence, and received an 
 answer, containing a natural and well-turned 
 compliment to the honour and generosity of 
 Mr. Fox's character, and inclosing an extract 
 from the emperor's speech to the legislative 
 body, purporting that he Avas willing to make 
 peace on the basis of the treaty of Amiens. 
 Mr. Fox considered this communication as a 
 distinct overture, and pi-oceeded to answer 
 it with his accustomed promptitude and 
 frankness. A corn spondence ensued, of 
 <'onsiderable length ; and, in consequence of 
 its conciliatory tone, Mr. Fox solicited, as a 
 personal favour, the release of several of his 
 private friends, detained as prisoners at Ver- 
 dun. Among the pi rsons named by him was 
 lord Yarmouth, -who, together with his wife 
 and family, had resided in France since the 
 commencement of the war. On his lordships 
 1806 ^'"""''^^ i" London, early iii June, he 
 communicated the substance of his 
 fOJiversation with M. Talleyrand, in which 
 that minister stated, as the basis of a treaty, 
 the restoration of Hanover, and the possession 
 of Italy, conformably to the uti jJosmhtU: 
 The English ministry, uu the assurances of 
 
 lord Yarmouth, renewed their expressions of 
 anxiety to negotiate ; but, in the mean time, 
 the relative circumstances of the two nations 
 were materially changed by the victories of 
 Buonaparte, and Talleyrand openly asserted 
 the rigiit to take advantage of the late revo- 
 lution in afihirs. In the first interview with 
 lord Yarmouth, on that nobleman's return to 
 Palis, lie departed entirely from his exj)licit 
 offer of Sicily, and suggested the necessity of 
 negotiating with a formal plenipotentiary. 
 The instructions to lord Yarmouth, on thi.s 
 occasion, were distinct and peremptory. He 
 was directed to insist generally on the former 
 overtures, and to make the re-admission of 
 Sicily the sine <ji<(i iion of the production of 
 his full jjowers, which were transmitted with- 
 out delay. In the mean time, the conduct 
 and language of M. D'Oubril, the Russian 
 amiiassador, fully justitied the expectations 
 of Talleyrand. In defiance of his instructions, 
 he signed, without communicating his design 
 to the English ambassador, an absurd and 
 humiliating treaty. The circumstance, on 
 being communicated, so tar intimidated lord 
 Yarmouth, that he produced his full powers, 
 before the stipulated basis had been recog- 
 nised. The necessity of employing some 
 other negotiator was immediately felf, and 
 the important cliarge w as entrusted to lord 
 Lauderdale, who, convinced, even at tiie 
 commencement of his diplomacy, that the 
 French were insincere, was detained, under 
 various pretences, till it became the policy of 
 Britain, not less than of France, to await the 
 decision of the court of St. Petersburgh, 
 respecting the treaty with DOubril. On the 
 3rd of September, a courier brought the in- 
 telligence to Paris, that the emperor had re- 
 fu.sed to ratify the act of his own ambassador ; 
 and that event having been foreseen, lord 
 Lauderdale was instructed to consider the 
 two courts as having reverted to their former 
 situation, and to propose a joint negotiation 
 with our Russian ally. After much evasion. 
 Napoleon left Paris for the army, and was 
 accom})anied by Talleyrand. Champagny, 
 who remained to conduct the neg^otiation, 
 was neither authorised to relinquish the 
 claims of Joseph on Sicily, nor to acquiesce 
 in such arrangements as would satisfy the 
 court of Russia. All discussion was therefore 
 at an end, and lord Lauderdale peremptorily 
 demanded his passports..
 
 CHAP. LVI.] GEORGE III. (j().j 
 
 In tlie aiitninii of 1805, nn expedition liad > ly matured for risins: on the British troops. 
 l;ocii tn;(!( rtakcii against the capo of Good ; A coIi>ncl in the service of France, fornierlv 
 Hope. iMve (lioiisaiid land forces \vere con- ; a pastry-cook, of the name of Liniers, landed 
 tided to the direction of sir David Baird, and | 1000 men above Bnenos Ayres, while anned 
 sir Homo Popliam assumed the command of; levies from the country made an attack upon 
 the naval force, ""i'liey reached this southern > the town, and persevered in returning the 
 promontory of Africa on the 4th of Januaiy, I charge, although they Mere repidsed. The 
 lf!0(j, an<l on (lie Btii of the same month, sir | British were at length overpowered, and con- 
 David Baird htgan his niarcli towards Ca()e ; demned to the necessity of surrendennif 
 Town. The army having attained th.e sum- i prisoners of war. Sir Home Popham, having 
 luit of the lilup Mountains, the enemy were j obtained reinforcements from the (.'ape, al- 
 drawn up in tlie plain al)Ove, to the ninnher • tempted to recover Monte Video, but Wag 
 cf .3000. The attack was conmienced by the | obliged to desist. A body of troops, undei-. 
 'highland brigade, under general Fergu.son, \ colonel Vassal, were more fortunate in se- 
 by Mhose gallantry they were routed, after a ; curing the post of Maldonado, at which 
 short resistance ; and the com.niander-iu- ; place they continued to receive fresh suc- 
 chief, general Jansens, who retired to an ; coui-s, and to place themselves in readiuesT* 
 interior pass, with a remaining body, soon ; for a second, and, as it ultimately proved, a 
 after accepted of honourable terms, by which « still more disastroiis cauipaign. 
 lie was permitted, with his troops, to return to I The recent flight of the .Sicilian court did 
 Holland. I not discourage the British ministry from as- 
 
 8iR Home Pophani had frequently con- ; sisting them in their eftbrts for the recovery 
 snlted with Mr. Pitt and lord Melville, res- i of their dominions, sir John Stuart, who 
 pccting the ])racticability of invading Spanisli > had succeeded to sir James Craig, arrived, on 
 South America ; but he was afterwards given ; the 1st of July, in a bay in the gulf of St. 
 to understand, that a deference of Russia ; Eufemia, in the northern frontier of Lower 
 made such a measure highly improper and « Calabria. He found that general Regnier 
 inexpedient. "Elated, however, by the con- I Avas encamped at 3[ai(la, about ten miles 
 (juest of the Cape, and stimulated by the ; distant, witli an army nearly etjual to his own. 
 hope of pecuniary gain, he adopted the bold > Aware, at the same time, that the French 
 resolution of attempting, in defiance of autho- I general would be immediately' joined by 
 rity, some exploit in the Rio de Plata, and 5 numerous reinforcements, he delenuined to 
 persuaded sir David Baird to acquiesce and » advance and attack him before they should 
 co-operate in his j)lans, by lending him a I arrive. The two armies were separated by 
 portion of his troops. He entered the Rio > a plain, from fom* to six miles in breadili, 
 Plata in the month of June, with about 1(J00 ♦ extending from sea to sea, and bounded on 
 men, commanded by general Beresford. i the north and south by chains of mountain.'?. 
 Having disembarked on the 24th, about > The French occupied a strong position on 
 twelve miles from Buenos Ayres, the ships of; the sloping side of a wctody hill, below the 
 the line made demonstrations between Monte i village of Maida, having the river Lamato ki 
 Video and Maldonado, to alarm the inhabi- > their front, and their flanks strengthened by 
 tants. The British troops took possession I a thick impervious underwood. In nundxis 
 of the place, after a trivial resistance, and i they were greatly superior to the Fiiglish, 
 the enemy fled before them wherever they { having received the expectetl reinforcemeirts 
 made their appearance. The whole of the : before the battle. Their force is supposed 
 regular troops, usually stationed at these I to have been about 7000 me'.!, while that of 
 two places, were absent, and the city was ; the English did not amount to more than 
 defended by a raw militia, under the com- 1 4800. Had Regnier remained on the heights^ 
 mand of a timid and unskilful viceroy. A i the English must have attacked him undor 
 conquest of some little importance was thus ; circumstances of great disadvantage ; but 
 achieved, and a booty ac(|uired, to the amount I fortunately, bliiuled by an excessive confi- 
 f)f several unllions of dollars. The Spaniards, j dence, and an unbounded contempt of the 
 however, beheld with shame the trifling nnm- | enemy, lie quitted his strong position, and 
 her of their conquerors, and a plan was secret- • drew up his army on the plain. The Eng-
 
 69G 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LV!. 
 
 lish, surprised at the miniber of his troops but 
 undismayed bv their appearance, resolutely 
 advanced to the attack. After some fnin.n- 
 both parties ciiarged with the bayonet, and 
 advanced uith apparently equal resolution, 
 but the French astonislied at tiie firmness and 
 intrepidity of the Englislj, and struck with a 
 sudden panic, gave way after the bayonets of 
 the two armies had begun to crr)ss, and en- 
 deavoured to save themselves by flight. They 
 were overtaken with immense slaughter, and 
 the left wing of their army was totally routed 
 and dispersed. An etlbrt was then made 
 with the right to retrieve the honour of the 
 day, but they were resisted with great cool- 
 ness by the English left, and their cavalry 
 was thrown into disorder on attempting 
 to turn the English flank. An unexpected 
 fire from the 20111 regiment, which land- 
 ed during the action and came up at 
 this critical juncture, induced them to 
 abandon the field of battle with precipitation, 
 and to leave an undisputed victory to their 
 opponents. About 700 French were buried 
 on the ground, and 1000 prisoners taken, 
 among whom were general Compere, and 
 several other officers of rank. Their total 
 loss was estimated at 4000 men, while that of 
 the English was imputed, with little proba- 
 bility, at no more than 4-3 men killed, and 282 
 wounded. The victory of Maida was the 
 signal of general insurrection in both the 
 Calabrias, but sir .lohu Stuart reilecting oh 
 the smalluess of his forces, and disgusted by 
 the imprudence of the court who cherished 
 the insurrection by the influence of galley 
 .slaves, assassins, renegade priests, and the 
 lovers of murder and rapine, returned to Mes- 
 sina where he was succeeded in the chief com- 
 mand by general Fox. That officer was him- 
 self succeeded by sir John Moore, who soon 
 discovered that the great object for which a 
 British armament was stationed in the Medi- 
 terranean could not be sacrificed to the 
 caprices of the queen, and to the uncertain 
 prospect of recovering Naples. Kingdom 
 after kingdom had been subdued, throne after 
 throne had l;»een subverted, without teaching 
 the Neapolitan court that there is no solid 
 security to any government but the affection \ 
 of the people. While the queen and the duke 5 
 of Calabria projtcte<l the recovery of Naples J 
 by force of arms, the Sicilians, Iheir'only hopes, | 
 ■wt'Ui neglected and despised ; their grievances ; 
 
 remained unredressed, and to the disgrace of 
 England, her power, instead of being extended 
 to their relief, served only to supjwrt the arro- 
 gance and maintain the authority of their 
 tyrants and op|)ressors. 
 
 The accustomed superiority of the British 
 navy was maintained during the year 1800. 
 SirThomas Duckworth captured three French 
 ships of the line in the West Indies, driving 
 on shore and burning two other of the ships 
 which had escaped from Brest. Linois, the 
 French admiral by whom our connnerce in 
 the east had been long endangered, was, on 
 liis return home, intercepted by sir John Bor- 
 lase Warren. and brought to Britain, with a 
 ship of 80 and a frigate of 40 guns. 
 
 The mediation of Prussia, so officiously pro- 
 posed at the close of the preceding year, was 
 far from satisfactory to the emi)eror of France, 
 and his Prussian majesty, in pursuance of his 
 timid and humiliating policy, concluded a 
 new treaty, by which he agreed to annex 
 Hanover to his dominions, and exclude the 
 British flag from the ports of the electorate. 
 Measures of retaliation were inmiediately 
 adopted by the British government ; and the 
 portsof Prussia and her allies w^ere blockaded. 
 His Prussian majesty, finding that his 
 concessions did not secure him against the 
 further encroachments of Buonaparte, and 
 willing to evade the vigorous hostility of the 
 British government, humbly and earnestly re- 
 quested that an iMigiish minister might be 
 sent to the head -qiuuters of the Prussian 
 army at Weimar. Lord Morpeth immediately 
 proceeded to the place appointed, but his 
 celerity did not accord with the views of the 
 Prussian minister. He had determined to 
 regulate his answer to the English envoy by 
 the result of the campaign, which had been 
 commenced and arraigned against Napoleon 
 with equal presumption and precipitance. 
 He still indulged the expectation of retaining 
 Hanover should Napoleon be defeated. His 
 treachery was severely punished. After a 
 series of maoeuvres in which the self-confi- 
 dence and iiabecillity of the Pru-ssian generals 
 were equally conspicuous, their main force 
 was found unprepared and inactive in positions 
 between Averstadt, Weimar, and Jena. The 
 two armies were defended by the heights o( 
 the Saale, which seemed to present an inipreg- 
 nable station to the Prussians, and to opposo 
 an insuperable barrier to the l-'rench. BiU
 
 CHAP. LVl.] GEORGR III. 6.07 
 
 the iiia«lvcr(Giire aiul treachery of the Priis- < laiit Bluclicr, who finally siuTeiidered at 
 siaii generals o veil on keel these a(Iva!ilai>e.s, and ; Lubeck afier the city had hceii taken by storm, 
 u hen day broke they were attacked in tiieir ; The stronijest fortresses of Prussia were sur- 
 apparently iniprei-nable j)osition. The lij^ht ; rendered to the enemy without resistance, 
 troops of the centre of the French began the J The treachery of the ofhcers, combined with 
 action by o|»ening- a brisk fire on the Prussians ; the panic of the trnops, and the battle of Jena, 
 which enabled the French line to extend it- | seemed to have deprived the generals of their 
 self on the plain, and draw up in order of; honesty and understanding. The king of 
 battle. A thick fog obscured the early part; Prussia, in thi^ moment of alarm and distress, 
 of the day, and wlien it drew up the two j ap|)lied tu IVapoIi-on for an armistice, but the 
 armies beheld each other at less than the ; stipulations it contained were so dangerous 
 distance of cannon-shot. Two hundred and i and disgracefid that he refused his raiifica- 
 fifty thousand men, supported by 700 pieces > tion, and determined to persevere in his re- 
 of artillery, scattered deatii iri every direction. ; sistance, supported and reanimated by the co- 
 The evolutions of the French astonished and > operation of his Russian ally, 
 bewildered the slow and systematic Prussians, ; The momentous scenes which occurred in 
 whose ranks were ijroken, and whose artil- ! rapid succession on tlie continent of Europe, 
 lery, cavalry, and baggage were pursued in ; diverted the public attention from all collateral 
 triumjjh to Wein)ar. ; and more distant objects. Yet the empire of 
 
 While the Prussian centre and right were ; India, which forms so important a constituent 
 thus completely defeated, their left, repulsed ; of the British power, was at this time eiulan- 
 by Davoust in the repeated attempts to drive 5 gered by the imprudence and imbecillity of 
 hmi from the defiles of Ka-sen, was forced | sir George Barlow, the successor of lord 
 after a condjat of several hours to fall back J Cornwallis as governor-general of India. Aii 
 upon Weimar, at the moment when the broken I attempt was made by his orders to change 
 corps which had already reached that (ity ? the shape of the Sepoy tiuban into something 
 were attempting to retreat in the direction of; resembling the helmet of European light in- 
 Naumburg. The confusion arising from J fantry, and to prevent the native troops from 
 these oppftsing currents may easily be ; wearing on their foreheads the indications 
 imagined, and the innumerable baggage wag- i of their respective casts. These innovations 
 gons which blocked up all the roads to Erfurt, ; would in themselves have excited the iiuligna- 
 imped( d the retreat of the troops, and com- ; nation and alarm of the Sepoys, but their re- 
 pelled tliem to consult their safety by a preci- ! sentment knew no bounds when a report was 
 pitale and desultory flight. The king him- ; industriously circulated that the British 
 self quitted the high road and escaped from i government had determined by forcible means 
 tlie scene of disorder across the fields. Ac- j to conv(,'rt them to Christianity. The Euro- 
 cording to the French accounts more than I pean barracks at Vellore, containing four 
 20,000 Prussians were killed and wounded > companies of the (J9th regiment, were sur- 
 in this disastrous action, and 1/3,000 were > rounded by two batallions of sepoys in the 
 taken prisoners, \\hile the loss on their own ; company's service, wlio poured in a heavy 
 side amounted only to 1100, and 1000 wound- | fire of musketry at every door and window 
 ed ; an incredible and absurd computation j upon the soldiers. At the same time the 
 wlurh has since been refuted by respectable > European c entries, the soldiers at the main 
 authorities who estimate the loss of the tv\o ; guard, and the sick in the hospitals were put to 
 armies to have been nearly equal. The duke | death. Thehousesof the officers were plundei- 
 of Bnniswick was mortally wounded, and no ; ed, and their unfortunate occupants murdered, 
 commander-in-chief remained to issue general ; Uj>on the airival of the lUth dragoons, under 
 orders to the army, a circumstance Avhich i colonel Gillespie, the sepoys were innnedi- 
 contributed to augment the disasters of; ately attacked ; tlOO were cut down upon the 
 retreat. ; spot, and '200 taken from their hiding places 
 
 After the fatal and dreadful battle of! and shot. Of the four European companies 
 Avejstadt (or Jena,) Buonaparte continued I 104 perished, and many British officers of the 
 Jiis progress to Berlin, meeting with noopposi- i native troops were massacred by the insur- 
 tion except from the single band of the gal- • gents. Subsequent to this explosion a mutiny 
 
 4 u 44
 
 ff.08 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LVI. 
 
 occurred at Nundy-droog, and in one day ; the presidency of the council ; and Mas him- 
 450 Mahometan sepoys were disarmed and I self succeeded by lord Holland, as lord privy 
 expelled the fort. A spirit of general and ; seal. The confidence of the administration, 
 determined disaffection was visible at Banga- ; in the stability of these new arrangements, 
 lore, and prevailed throughout the adjacent \ was confirnipd by the dissolution of parlia- 
 rountry, to a degree which threatened the | nient, and the return of a large majority of 
 tranquillity and existence of our Indian 5 ministerial members. 
 
 empire. * The new parliament assembled, according 
 
 The critical situation of our Indian domi- ^ to appointment, on the 15lh of Deceniber, 
 nions, and every other subject of foreign and | 1806. The first business of the session re- 
 domestic policy, were now absorbed in the | lated to the report of the commission of niili 
 general sensation excited by the death of j tary enquiry, which, after detecting the minor 
 Mr. Fox. On Monday, the 7th of Se])tem- « inadvertencies of lord Melville, discovered 
 ber, he .«unk into an alarming state of insensi- ; abuses of the most enormous and extensive 
 bility and depression, and died on Saturday ; kind in the barrack department. It appeared, 
 the 13th, of a schirrus in the liver, the object ; that general Delancy, barrack-master general, 
 of sincere and general lamentation. The ; had been in the habit of drawing, through 
 remembrance of his personal failings was | the medium of Mr. Greenwood, the army 
 forgotten in the recollection of his public | agent, immense sums of the public money, 
 merits, and his exertions in the cause ofilong before they were wanted, and that, in 
 national freedom. » part only of his accounts, there were over- 
 
 Ma. Fox derived from nature a vigorous ; charges and mistatements to the amount of 
 capacity, which was early improved by a j no less a sum than £90,000. The third 
 liberal education. His conceptions were $ report of the commissioners related to Mr. 
 rapid, his fancy brilliant, his expression, ; Alexander Davison, a banker, who had been 
 except at the opening of his speech, fluent I lately tried for bribery at elections, and inl- 
 and unconstrained, his address open, fear- > prisoned for that offence. Soon after his 
 less, and impressive. Yet he was condemned i liberation from prison, he had been made 
 to sti'uggle with the disadvantages of appear- 5 treasurer of the ordnance, — an office in which 
 ance. His figure was unpromising, his mo- ; between three and four millions passed through 
 tions ungraceful, his voice shrill, and his | his hands, of the public money. It would be 
 delivery, at the commencement of his speech, J impossible to enumerate, within the limits of 
 indistinct and hesitating. As he grew warm, I an historical volume, the variety of frauds by 
 his words began to flow, his enunciation be- 5 which he contrived to convert his situation, 
 came clear and forcible, his countenance I and his connection with government, to the 
 glowed; in whatever he said there was an I purposes of peculation. By false certificates, 
 air of candour and earnestness, which irre- | by charging a per centage for agency, when 
 sistibly impressed his audience with a con- ; he himself was the purchaser and vendor of 
 viction of his sincerity. His abhorrence of 5 the articles sold, and unfair speculations, he 
 irar w as the noblest trait in his public charac- ; was enabled to amass a splendid fortune, a 
 ter; and his most determined enemies la- i part only of which he was compelled to re- 
 mented that the minister of peace should have S store by civil process ; part he voluntarily 
 been called by Providence from the service ; refunded, — an act of discretion, which in- 
 of his country, at so critical an emergency. 1 duced the judge, before whom he was tried. 
 The death of Mr. Fox was not succeeded \ to subject him to the mitigated punishment 
 by any immediate change in the party to ; of eighteen months imprisonment. The 
 which the offices of government were en- 5 wealth accumulated by this person, from the 
 trusted. Lord Howick succeeded Mr. Fox, ; plunder of the public, must have been ini- 
 as secretary for foreign affairs ; Mr. Grenville ; mense ; nor was he at any pains to conceal 
 becdme first lord of the admiralty, in place 5 his guilt, but seemed desirous to display it 
 ©f lord Howick ; Mr. Tierney was president | by the utmost splendour and magnificence, 
 of the board of controul, previously occupied 5 He was a purchaser of the most valuable pic- 
 Jby Mr, Grenville ; lord Sidmouth, on the ; tures and estates, 'and was in the habit of 
 resignation of earl Fitzwilliam, succeeded to | giving splendid and expensive entertainments
 
 CHAP. LVI.] GEORGE III. 699 
 
 to the prince of Wales, the junior branches of I and their refusal excited the displeasure of 
 the royal family, and ihe iioljility. j their sovereign. Tlic (iownfall of tlie ministry 
 
 The day appointed for tiie second reading 1 was first disclosed in a deliateon the reversion 
 of the bill for abolishinif the slave trade wus ; liill, when many severe remarks were made ou 
 Wednesday the oth of February, 1807; and I the cupidity of Mr. Perceval, who had been 
 notwithstanding the sopliistries and misrepre- | offered the chancellorship of the duchy of 
 sentations of the enemies of the bill, it was | Lancaster for life, on condition of his aocept- 
 carried by a majority of 100 voices to 30, a ! ing- a place in tlie new government. That 
 glorious and decisive victory to the perse- i gentleman, in reply, and to the astonishment 
 vering and indefatigable advocates of phi- i of the public, informed the house that he had 
 lanthrophy. | been ottered not only the sinecure just nien- 
 
 Thi; coniidence of the new administration ; tioned, but the post of chancellor of the ex- 
 in its strength, and its actual existence, were ; chequer, an appointment which implied a 
 of short duration. Lord Howick, on the Gth i total revolution in the ministry. After a short 
 of March, in pursuance of previous notice, J adjourunifnt parliament reassembled on the 
 had moved for leave to bring in a bill for; 8th of April, and in the mean time a new ad- 
 securing to all his majesty's subjects the pri- i ministration was formed, in whi(;h the duke 
 vilege of serving in the army or navy, upon > of Portland was erected first lord of the 
 their taking an oath prescribed by act of par- c treasury ; Mr. Perceval, chancellor of the ex- 
 liament, and for leaving them, as far as con- i chequer ; lord Elden, lord chancellor ; lord 
 venience would admit, the free exercise of ; Liverpool, secretary for the home department ; 
 their respective religions. This motion had ; lord Castlereagh, secretary for the war de- 
 been made in consequence of an assurance of i partment ; Mr. C-anning, minister for foreign 
 1807 his majesty to the catholics of Ireland, ; aflairs ; and lord Mulgrave, first lord of tbe 
 through the medium of the lord lieu- | ad<niralty. The changes thus announced 
 tenant, that the army and navy should be | in the councils of his majesty were received 
 opened to them. Doubts, however, as to the • by the people with the loudest acclamations, 
 extent of this measure had been entertained ; The impolicy with whieii the ejected ministry 
 by some members of the cabinet, who express- ; retained in the subordinate offices of state 
 ed their dissatisfaction in the strongest tenns ; ; the friends of their predecessors, to the neg- 
 and his majesty, apprised that the measure i lect of their own faithful partizans ; theaug- 
 was of far greater extent and productive of « mentation of the tax on income; the attempted 
 more important consequences than he had | establishment of a tax on private breweries, 
 imagined, retracted his promise. The minis- > and the uniform cupidity displayed in se- 
 ters then endeavoured to modify the l)i[l so i curing to themselves the most valuable pen- 
 as to reconcile it to the wishes of his majesty. ! siaus and sinecures, were not compensated, in 
 Failing in that object they abandoned it al- ; the opiniort of the nation, by the abolition of 
 together, but determined at the same time, in i the slave trade, the enactment of a bill for 
 vindication of their own character, to insert > limited military service, and their attachment 
 in the proceedings of the cabinet a minute, ; to catholic emancipation. Their foreigu 
 reserving to lord Grenville and lord Howick j policy was remarkable for enterprise wiih- 
 1. The liberty of delivering their opinions • out plan, and rvdpable inaction. Our sources 
 respecting the catholic question, '2. The pri- ; which, collected in combined and imporlant 
 vilege of submitting this question or any sub- I operation, might have affected the deliverance 
 ject coimected with it from time to time, ; of Europe, were wasted in detached and un- 
 according to circumstances, to his majesty'.s ; profitable expeditions, in which the force was 
 decision. But the ministers were called j inadequate to the object proposed, and the 
 upon, not only to withdraw the latter ; commanders were selected without any regard 
 reservation, but to substitute in its place i to distinguished merit or former services. ISo 
 a written oliliuution, pledging themselves i wonder therefore that an administration which 
 never again to l)riiig forward the measure they ; had boasted so much, and done so little, and 
 had abandoned, nor ever to propose any ; even that little i)a(lly, should have become 
 thing connected with the catholic question. ; the object of public resentment or derision. 
 From this proposal thev withheld their assent, C and bceii poiuted out to the finger of scorn 
 
 4 V i
 
 700 
 
 HISTOKY OF KNGLAN'D. 
 
 by the ironical appellation of " All the 
 Talents!" 
 
 The continent of Europe continued to pre- 
 sent a scene of obstinate and sanguinary war- 
 fare. In retreat, as in active conflict, Alex- 
 ander distinguished himself l»y his courage 
 and magnanimity. In the battle of Anster- 
 litz he secured by his gallantry the remainder 
 of the allied army, which but for him would 
 have been cut to pieces, and rescued and 
 carried off a great part of the artillery after it 
 Iiad been taken possession of by the French. 
 IN'or did his nobleness of mind, or magna- 
 nimity of conduct, desert hiin when the fatal 
 issue of that day decided the result of the 
 nvar. He made no proposals of peace or 
 protlers of submission to the conqueror, but 
 retreated, with his armies still unbroken, 
 towards Russia, preserving too formidable a 
 front for pursuit or molestation. 
 
 Deserted by her ally, and having no 
 interest in a war with France that could jus- 
 tify a personal perseverance in hostilities on 
 lier own part, every exertion was made, during 
 the year 1806, to obtain an equitable and 
 durable peace. For this purpose M. D'Ou- 
 bril was sent to Paris, and, as we have seen, 
 on the 20th of August, a treaty of peace was 
 signed by him on the one part, and by general 
 Clarke on the other. The Russian plenipo- 
 tentiary, however, having acted contrary to 
 liis instructions, Alexander refused to ratify 
 the treaty, and transmitted to the foreign 
 ministers, through the medium of general 
 baron Budberg, a note, in which, while he 
 conniinnicated his refusal, he declared the 
 sincerity of his wishes for the restoration of 
 peace. But tiie aggressions of France had 
 by this time provoked the resentment of Prus- 
 sia : the mighty preparations of Napoleon 
 evinced his determination to support his 
 injustice l)y an appeal to the sword ; and, 
 equally impelled by policy and feeling, Alex- 
 ander became the auxiliary and refuge of a 
 new ally. 
 
 It would be foreign from the purpose of an 
 History of England to record the disasters of 
 the Russian army, except as connected with 
 the affairs of Europe. The grand Russian 
 army towards the end of January was sup- 
 ported on one side by a corps of Russians, 
 under generals Lestocq, Pahlen, and Gal- 
 litzin, flanked on their right by the Frisch- 
 iiufl'and the Pregel, and covered on its left 
 
 [chap. LVf. 
 
 ; flaak by a corps under Von Essen. The coni- 
 i niand of the army, after the battle of Pul- 
 ; tusk, Avas given to general Benningsen. 
 ; The plan of the Russian general was to 
 ; turn the left flank of the French army, to 
 ; extenil his force along the river to Grandenz 
 i and Thorn, to reduce the enemy to the ne- 
 5 cessity of evacuating Poland, to straiten his 
 I quarters, and drive him into positions of diffi- 
 ; cultyand disadvantage. 
 
 i Bernadotte having been defeated near 
 i Mohringen, as he was advancing to surprise 
 I Koningsberg, Buonaparte resumed his offen- 
 ; sive attitude, and endeavoured to penetrate 
 ; between the centre and the left of the Rus- 
 ; sians, and to take such positions between them 
 I and the Pregel as should ena'ble him to cut 
 ; oft' their retreat. 
 
 I In pursuance of the plan already adopted, 
 I the Russian general retreated before the 
 i French army, not without sustaining consider- 
 ; able loss near Deppen, and at Gnlstadt, the 
 ! centre of his magazines. From the moment 
 ; that general Benningsen had been aware of 
 ; the numerical force to which he was opposed, 
 ! he had adopted the plan of retreating on the 
 i Pregel, which he did, fighting all the way, 
 ; with great loss, but invincible valour and 
 ; resolution. 
 
 I On the morning of the 7th of February", 
 5 before break of day, the whole Russian army 
 I filed off to occupy a new and advantageous 
 i position at the town of Eyiau. Between this 
 i town and a wood near Hoff, the rear-guard 
 i of the Russians was attacked by the French, 
 } and a part of it made prisoners. The van 
 ; guard of the enemy, pursuing their advan- 
 ; tage, discovered that the Russians had 
 I posted themselves behind the town. Both 
 I sides prepared for battle. At the distance 
 of a quarter of a league from EyIau is a flat- 
 tish hill, which commanded the entrances into 
 the plain or vallt;y, in which it is situated, 
 and was defended by three Russian regi- 
 ments. These three regiments were attacked 
 by an equal nmnber of French. A column 
 of Russian cavalry took the assailants in 
 flank, and threw one of their battalions into 
 great confusion ; and although some squa- 
 drons of dragoons, commanded by general 
 Klein, came up in time for the relief of the 
 disordered colunm, the Russians retained 
 their ground on the eminence. 
 
 In Eylau, where the Russians wished to
 
 CHAP. LVl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 701 
 
 maintain themselves, and wliicli tlie French 
 ■wore eager to possess before the niciirriil hat- 
 tie, the rontest was sanguinary. The llus- 
 sians had placed some regiments in a church 
 and the yard aroiuid it. Here tliey made a 
 most ohstinate resistance, and the post was 
 not taken till after a dreadful carnage on 
 both sides, at ten o'clock at night. The 
 night was spent by the two armies under the 
 canopy of lieaven, facing each other. One 
 division of the French army, under Le Grand, 
 was posted in front of the village ; and one, 
 under St. Hilaire, on its right. The corps of 
 Augereau was placed on its left. That of 
 Davoust had been detached in the evening 
 to stretch beyond Eyiau, and to come round 
 and fall on the left Hank of the Russians, if 
 they should not have changed their position. 
 Ney was also in motion, to outflank and fall 
 on them on the rigiit. 
 
 On the following morning, (February 0th) 
 the Russians conunenced the attack by can- 
 nonading the village of Eylau, and by the 
 division under St. Hilaire. The emperor, 
 with his guards, took post in the church and 
 Liirying-ground, which the Russians had so 
 obstinaUly defended the day before. 
 
 Thi: hill conunanding the entrance into 
 the plain, which the French had failed to 
 carry the day before, still presented itself to 
 ]3uonaj)arte as the most important object of 
 attack. Till this should be carried, the 
 centre of his army could not act olfensively 
 against the enemy, as, in order to do this, 
 it was necessary that it should stretch into 
 the plain. Marshal Augereau was therefoie 
 ordered to advance with his corps, and open 
 a cannonade against tliis commanding spot, 
 with 40 pieces of artillery belonging to the 
 imperial guard. A dreadful cannonade-easued 
 on both sides ; the armies being within half a | 
 gun-shot of each other, every shot took $ 
 eflect, and the slaughter on both sides was | 
 immense. At one time it appeared from the | 
 movements of the Russians, that, impatient! 
 of sufTering, without any decisi\e result, they | 
 had resolved to outflank the French on their i 
 left \ying. But in the .same instant, Davoust ; 
 with. his. sharp-shooters appeared, and fell on < 
 tlieir rear. Oh (his Augereau's corps filed oflj 
 in columns, Jo attack and occupy the centre j 
 of the Russian army, which might otherwise} 
 Jiave overwhelmed Davoust with suj)erior ! 
 iiumbers. The division of St. Hilaire fded 1 
 
 off", at the same time, to support Davoust, 
 and ultimately to facilitate a junction between 
 Davoust and Augereau, should his assist- 
 ance become necessary. No sooner had 
 these movements conunenced, than so thick 
 a fall of snow covered the two armies, that 
 they could not see beyond the distance of 
 two feet. The point of direction was lost, 
 and the French columns, wheeling too much 
 to the left, wan<lered in uncertainty. The 
 darkness lasted half an hour. When the 
 weather cleared up, 10,000 Russian infantry, 
 supported by cavalry and artillery, by be- 
 ginning to turn, threatened the division of St. 
 Hilaire with destruction. At this moment, 
 when ruin and defeat hovered over the French 
 army, the greater part of which was strag- 
 gling in columns, incapable of supporting one 
 another, the cavalry under Murat, sup|)orted 
 by the imperial guard uni\er Bcssicres, winding 
 round the division of St. Hilaire, extricated 
 the French from their critical situation, by 
 making a desperate and successful charge on 
 the formidable mass of the Russian infantry. 
 The cavalry, who attem))ted to oppose this 
 manamvre, were routed with great slaughfer. 
 Two lines of infantry were broken, and the 
 third, falling back, supported themselves on 
 a wood. The issue of the battle, which had 
 long been doubtful, was decided from the 
 moment that Davoust, whose progress had 
 been impeded by the weather, was at last 
 enabled to fall on the rear of the enemy, ami 
 drive them from the hilly jtlatform I liave 
 already mentioned. The Russians, after 
 repeated attempts to repulse that general, 
 retreated, leaving their wounded and IG 
 pieces of cannon on the field of battle. The 
 slaughter on both sides was dreadful. Ac- 
 cording to the French accounts, their own 
 Joss consisted of 1000 killed, anfl 5700 
 wounds ; that of the Russians, of 7000 men 
 left dead on the field of battle. According 
 lo the account of the Russian general, hi.s 
 own loss amounted to 0000 men, — that of the 
 French to lii,000 men. The French acknow- 
 ledge the loss of an eagle, and the Russian.? 
 claim the capture of a dozen standards. The 
 latter fought with undaunted valour and en- 
 thusiastic intrepidity ; and, considering the 
 disproportion in the numerical strength of the 
 two armies, Buonaparte liaving 120,000 men 
 engaged in combat, and the Russians about 
 80,000, the battle of Eylau must be regarded
 
 ro2 
 
 HISTORY or ENGLAND. 
 
 as one of the severest checks that lie had 
 hitherto received in his military career. 
 
 I SHALL hasten over the uniniportajit in- 
 cidents of the campaign that occurred be- 
 tween the battles of Eyiaii and Friedland, to 
 the occurrence of the latter, which decided 
 for a while the fate of Europe. On the 1.3th 
 of June, while the grand duke of Berg, and 
 Soult, and Davoust, had orders to nianceuvre 
 before Koningsberg, Buonaparte advanced 
 on Friedland. On that day the 9th regiment 
 of hussars entered that town, but was driven 
 out of it again by 3000 Russian cavalry. On 
 the next day, the Russians advanced on the 
 bridge of Friedland, with the intent of pursu- 
 ing their march to Koningsberg, and at three 
 
 in the morning a cannonade was heard. 
 
 It 
 
 is a fortunate day !" exclaimed Buonaparte, 
 " it is the anniversary of the battle of Maren- 
 go/' Various actions and movements now 
 took place, and both parties prepared for a 
 general battle. The several corps of French 
 arrived at their ap[)ointed stations by five in 
 the evening. Key was on the right wing, 
 Lasnes on the centre, Mortier on the left ; 
 Victor and the guards formed the reserve. 
 The cavalry under Grouchy supported the 
 Irft wing ; the division of dragoons of Latour 
 Maubourg was stationed as a reserve behind 
 the right ; and La Horsaye's division of dra- 
 goons, with the Saxon cuirassiers, formed a 
 reserve for the centre. The left of the Rus- 
 sian army extended to the town of Friedland, 
 and its right wing a league and a half in the 
 contrary direction. The position occupied 
 by general Benningsen on the left bank of the 
 Alia, was apparently one continued plain, but 
 intersected by a deep ravine full of water, and 
 almost impassable, which ran in a line be- 
 tv.een Donuiow and Friedland, where it 
 ffirnied a lake to the left of that place, and 
 separated the right wing of the Russians 
 (Voni their cintre. A thick wood, at the 
 distance of a mile and a half from Friedland, 
 on more elevated ground, fringed the plain of 
 ihe Alia, nearly in the form of a semicircle, 
 except at its extremity at the left, where 
 there was an open space between the wood 
 ;nnl the river. In the front of the wood, 
 about a mile and a half from l-riedland, and 
 nearly o])posite to the centre of the army, was 
 the small village of Henriscksdorf. The field 
 of battle was between the left of this village 
 niid the Alia, to tlie south of Friedland, 
 
 [CIIAP. Lvr. 
 
 Buonaparte, having reconnoitred the position 
 of the enemy, determined to take the town of 
 Friedland, and changing his front, and ad- 
 vancing on his right, began the onset with 
 the lirst part of that wing. The firing of 
 twenty cannon from a battery was the signal 
 of battle. At the same moment, the division 
 under general Marchand, supported on the 
 left by another division, advanced sword in 
 hand on the enemy, his line of direction being- 
 pointed towards the steeple of the town. As 
 soon as the Russians perceived that Ney.had 
 left the wood in which his left wing had been 
 posted, they endeavoured to surround him 
 with some regiments of cavalry, and a multi- 
 tude of Cossacks, but Latour Maubourg 's 
 divisions of dragoons rode up at Adl gallop in 
 the right wing, and repelled the attempt. lu 
 the mean time, Victor, who commanded a 
 corps of the grand army, erected a battery of 
 thirty cannon in the front of his centre ; and 
 his works, pushed forward four hundred 
 paces, greatly annoyed the Russians, whose 
 manoeuvres for producing a diversion were 
 fruitless. Ney was at the head of his troops, 
 directing the most minute movements with 
 his accustomed coolness ; and several Rus- 
 sian columns, that had attacked his right 
 w ing, were received on the point of the bayo- 
 net, and driven into the Alia. Many thou- 
 sands were lost in that river, and some ac- 
 complished their escape by swimming. In 
 the mean time, Neys left wing reached the 
 raveline which svnrounded the town of Fried- 
 land. The imperial guard of Russia, both 
 horse and foot, which had been placed there 
 in ambush, rushed suddenly on marshal Ney's 
 wing, which for a moment wavered. But 
 Dupont's division, which formed the right 
 wing of the reserve, fell on the Russian im- 
 perial guards, and defeated them with great 
 slaughter. Several other bodies were sent 
 from the Russian centre for the defence of 
 Friedland, but their etlbrts were in vain. Mar- 
 shal Mortier now advanced, and was sup- 
 ported by the fuHrtleers of the guard, under 
 the command of Savary. The French columns 
 pressed closely on the Russians, chiefly along 
 the sides of the ravine, which was thus ren- 
 dered as disadvantageous to the Russians as 
 advantageous to the French, in whose favour 
 the victory was now decided. The field of 
 battle presented one of the most horrible 
 spectacles of wounded and dying, that liad
 
 CHAP. LVl.J GEORGE III. 70o 
 
 occurred since the coiiuneiicoment of the ; of Warsaw, the sovereign of the former ^vas 
 campaign. Tlie ground between tlie wood ; to liave the free use of a niilitarv road, through 
 and the Russian batteries, about a quarter of; the states of his majesty the king of l*russia. 
 a mile, was, on the next day, a sheet of naked ; The five navigation of the Vistula, the resto- 
 human bodies, which friends and foes had, ; ration of Dantzic to its former independence, 
 <luring the night, mutually stripped, present- ; the exclusion of English vessels from the 
 ing a spectacle which the eye loathed with | ports of Prussia, and the acknowledgement, 
 disgust, but from which it could not remove. | on the part of liussia and Prussia, of all the 
 The decision of the battle of l'rit;dland I dignities, states, and confederations which 
 was the crisis at which both the contending ; Napoleon had conferred and formed, were 
 parties perceived the necessity of al)andoning I among the important articles of the treaty, 
 Jiostilities. The losses of Russia had been | which was well calculated to rivet the chains 
 great, the conscriptions of Buonaparte were | of dependent nations, and secure the domi- 
 exhausted, and a few more such conflicts as i nion of Napoleon on the continent. The 
 that of Eylau might threaten the destruction j fine duchy of Silesia was restored to Prussia, 
 of the Russian empire, while it might cause ; only that it might serve as a constant source 
 Napoleon to totter on his throne. It was the j of hostility between the courts of Berlin and 
 object of Alexander to protect his dominions | Vienna. The military high road across Sile- 
 from invasion, and of Buonaparte to remit ; sia was, in like manner, calculated to foment 
 the }jressure upon his people, and return a i jealousy and discord between the courts of 
 pacificator and a conqueror. On the 10th of $ Berlin and Dresden, while it was to be, at 
 June, Buonaparte with his guards entered > the same time, wholly under the mediation, 
 Tilsit, and on the 19th an armistice was pro-,; or in other words, the controul of France, 
 posed to the chief of tite French army, by the 5 In the present critical situation of jg^^ 
 emperor of Russia. In consequence of this j the continent, Denmark affected aneu- 
 overture, an armistice was agreed on at \ trality, which she was incapable of maintain- 
 Tilsit on the 2-2nd of June, by which it was ; ing ; and, alarmed by the nienaces, or jjur- 
 arranged, that hostilities on either side should ; chased by the bribes of Napoleon, she had 
 not be resumed without a month's previous I requested of the English government to be 
 notice ; and that a similar armistice should | excused from receiving our packet-boats at 
 be concluded between the French and the | the ports of Holstein and Sleswick. We re- 
 Prussian armies in the course of five days. | jected the proposal with disdain, and our 
 The boundary between the French and Rus- j determination was confirmed by private in- 
 sian armies was the Thalwag, or middle of I formation, that, in the secret articles of the 
 the stream, from the Kurischof, where it falls ; treaty of Tilsit, provisions had been mad*- 
 into the sea at Grodno, and a line from thence I for a northern confederacy, in w hich Den- 
 to the confines of Russia, between the Narew ; mark should become an active ally. The 
 and the Bug. Such was the formidable | British government at length prepared to 
 position of the French, while nothing remained I send into the Baltic a formidable naval and 
 to the king of Prussia but the small town and | military force, consisting of 27 sail of the 
 territory of Memel. The emperors of France i line, and a considerable numl>er of soldiers, 
 and Austria paid to each other complimen- 5 Lord Cathcart was entrusted with the direc- 
 tai7 visits on the rafts constructed on the \ tion of the army, and admiral Gambier with 
 Niemen, and concluded a treaty of peace, 1 the command of the fleet. Mr. Jackson was 
 dated the 7th day of July, 1807, which re- J selected to conduct the negotiation, and was 
 duced the kingdom of Prussia from the rank ; instructed to visit the residence of the prince 
 of a primary power to the state in which it ; royal, to call upon his royal highness for an 
 existed on the 1st of January, 1772, before | unequivocal explanation of the designs of 
 the partition of Poland. The" greater portion > Denmark, and, if these designs were not 
 of those provinces, which on that day formed | inimical, for a pledge of his sincerity, in the 
 a part of the kingdom of Poland, were an- ; surrender of the Danish fle<'t till the tenuiua- 
 nexed to the dominions of his majesty the i tion of the war. Should this proposal be 
 king of Saxony. For a conununicatioii be- I refused, Mr. Jackson was directed to assure 
 tween the kingdom of Saxony and the duchy i the court of Denmark, tliat the British arma-
 
 704 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LVI. 
 
 ment already arrived in the Sound vonld ; France on the norfbern fleets, and because 
 liberally and liononrably jjuaraiitee the pro- J they liad recourse to rej)eated evasions, m hen 
 tection, the security, and the enlargement of; strictly questioned respectins;- the vouchers 
 the Danish territories. 5 for the secret inforniaticfn uhicli they had 
 
 These proposals were rejected with dis- » received. Yet the facts Mhich ha\e trans- 
 dain ; and Mr. Jackson, discovering all pros- ; jjired since the assassination of the count and 
 pect of negotiation to be hopeless, took his « countess d'Aintraigues, at once support the 
 leave. The most vigorous preparations, on ; assertion of the ministry, and justify their 
 the part of the Btitish, v.ere immediately I refusal to disclose the names of their inform- 
 adopted, and the army landed at the hamlet ; ants. By those who have examined the 
 of Vedbeck on the IGth of August. After ; secret treaty of Tilsit, communicated by the 
 defeating several ineffectual attempts of the i unfortunate count, who received, in return 
 enemy to amioy its left wing, it closely in- « for that important service, £.3000 per annum, 
 vested Copenhagen on the land side. The i it cannot be doubted that France would 
 fleet, removing to an advanced anchorage, t have soon demanded and obtained the 
 formed an iujpeiietrable blockade by sea. On ; Dfi"i-'*h navy. Had it been ceded to our 
 the 2nd of September, the land batteries and ! expedition without resistance, little would 
 the bomb-vessels opened a tremendous fire ; have l)een said in England of the injustice of 
 ujion the town, with so much effect, that the t the measure. It was the dreadful circum- 
 cily, in a short lime, presented to the eye | stance of bombarding a capital, surprised in 
 «>ne vast body of flame and smoke. The ; time of peace, which awakened feelings of 
 ramparts returned a feeble fire, and that ofi honour and indignation in a very considerable 
 the English was for a while remitted, in the I portion of the English people. Believing that 
 expectation of some proposals from the < evidence of the enemy's designs couhl not 
 Danish government. But the assault was at ; prudently be produced, and that those de- 
 ls iigth renewed with such terrible vigour and | signs actually existed, and would have been 
 effect, that a trumpeter appeared at thciBri- ; successful, 1 nevertheless regard the expedi- 
 tisli outposts, proposing a cessation of Jirnis 5 tion as disgraceful and detrimental to Great 
 for 24 hours, as preliminary to a capituJation, J Britain, and impolitic in every point of view, 
 which was not concluded till three days « We ought not to have hazarded the discon- 
 afterwards, when the citadel, dock-yards, I tent of the people, the possibility of foreign 
 and batteries were delivered up to the Bri- ; niisrepresentation, and the iniluence of that 
 tish army. The admiral immediately issued < misrepresentation on the feelings and oj)inions 
 orders to rig and fit out the ships which filled ; of the continent, in such a cause. If the 
 the capacious basons, and had becm 'aid up ! fleets of the north had been brought out 
 in ordinary. At the expiration of the time t against us, t])ey were iiot more formidable 
 specified in the capitulation, they were con- : tlian those which we had so often defeated, 
 veyed to England, with the stores, timber, ; There did not exist an English seaman, whose 
 and every other article of ecjMipuient found ; heart would not have leaped for joy, if he had 
 in the arsenals, and arrived in safv;ty, with the | beheld our northern enemy on the seas. Less 
 exception of one ship stranded on the isle of* cost of treasure and of life would have been 
 H'lf'n. ; required lo destroy the combination than had 
 
 '1'here have been few public lueasm-es, i been expended in jjreventing it; no blood 
 upon which persons, accustomed to think ! would have been shed but in fair and open 
 alike, flifi'ered so widely as upon the expe- j battle ; no stain would have been cast on the 
 dition to Copenhagen. This could not have > humanity of England ; conquest would have 
 been the case, if its necessity had been so ! been glorious, and we should have rejoiced in 
 urgent as was supposed by one side, or the | a just and maidy triumph, 
 injustice so monstrous as asserted by the! Scarcely had the treaty of Tilsit confirmed 
 other. In my own opinion, formed from a J the humiliation of the north, before the views 
 careful examination of the documents, the { of Buonaparte were directed to the subjuga- 
 uuasure was just, but inexpedient. The J tion c.f the west of Europe. The couVt of 
 f.pposition claimed a triumph, because minis- \ Jjisbon was ordered to shut the PorfugUe^^e 
 ters produced no evidence of the designs of 1 harbours against Great Britain, to deiaiu all
 
 CHAP. LTl] GEORGE III. 705 
 
 tiie Britissh resident in the country, and to ! expedition was designed to inniience the 
 confiscate all British property. Without : neoofiations between Russia and tlic Porte, 
 awaiting the return of an answer, he directed > andthusefiect a favourable diversion in favour 
 tliat all Portuguese merchantmen theu in the | of the continental struggle. The British fleet 
 ports of France should be detained. As the . cast anchor at the Isle of Tenedos about the 
 prince regent of Portugal was anxious to gain ; middle of February, after being joined by a 
 time, he agreed to shut up his ports, but re- ; British frigate from the harbour of Coiistan- 
 fused to comply with the other two demands > tinople, in which our ambassador, Mr. Ar- 
 as incompatible with the law of nations and ; buthnot had effected his escape, under the 
 with existing treaties. Yet after mucii vacil- J apprehension of personal violence. Our fleet 
 lation he signed an order on the 3rd of Novem- | passed the Dardanelles, and made no return 
 ber for detaining the very few British ships, ; to the fire of the Turks, as a token of for- 
 and the trifling portion of British property, ? bearance. But, while passing the narrow 
 which yet remained in Lisbon. When this ; strait between Sestos and Abydos, they were 
 order was published lord Strangford removed i under the necessity of answering a very heavy 
 the British arms from the gate of his residence, I cannonade which was opened upon Iheni 
 made a formal demand of his passports, pre- j from the inner castles. Sir Sidney Smith 
 sented a strong remonstrance against the re^ | destroyed a small Turkish squadron, and the 
 cent conduct of the court of Lisbon, and ; marines spiked the cannon of a formidable 
 repaired on board a British squadron under ; battery. A fruitless negotiation now com- 
 the command of sir Sidney Smith, who in- » nienced, during which the Turks constructed 
 stantly blockaded the mouth of the Tagus. > other batteries along the shore. From the 
 In a few days tlie intercourse between the ; highest to the lowest orders of the people of 
 court of Lisbon and the British ambassador : Constantinople were employed in this work, 
 was again renewed. Lord Strangford, under i which they carried on with unbounded enthu- 
 fuU assurance of being protected and secured ': siasm, and which mounted 600 pieces of artil- 
 froni danger, went to Lisbon on the 27 th, 5 lery on batteries and breast-works. These 
 where he found the prince regent in a state of; were diiected by French engineers, wljom the 
 the utmost alarm in consetfuence of a French ; sultan had procured from Dalmatia. The 
 army under Junot, which had entered Por- • British ambassador oflered, in the mean time, 
 tugal and threatened Lisbon. It was promised ; to withdraw beyond the Dardanelles, would 
 to his royal highness, by lord Strangford, on i the porte deliver up theTurkish fleet and naval 
 the faith and veracity of his so\ereigii, that; stores, though the amity of Britain and Kus- 
 the British squadron then before the Tagus j sia should be declined. Should this be re- 
 should be employed for the purpose of pro- > fused they threatened to bombard the metro- 
 tecting his retreat from Lisbon, and his ; polls, a threat as futile as impolitic, for such 
 voyage to the Brazils. ; was the violence of the weather, that during 
 
 On the morning of the 29th of November ; the negotiation they could not approach the 
 the Portuguese tieet sailed from ther Tagus ; walls. Had the Turks been allowed another 
 with the prince of Brazil aiul the whole royal ; week to complete their batteries, it is even 
 family of Braganza, attended by their friends I doubtful Avhether the British squadron could 
 and counsellors. The fleet consisted of eight ; have escaped destruction. The admiral weigh- 
 sail of the line, with frigates, l>rigs, and Brazil • ed anchor to repass the Dardanelles on the 
 ships. On passing through the British squa- i 1st of March, an act of prudence which was 
 dron they were saluted with a discharge of; not accomplislKul without loss and danger. 
 21 guns, and these were returned by an equal ; Prodigious blocks of marble were thrown to 
 number. Four ships of the English line were j a distance by machines; one of which, weigh- 
 detached to escort the royal family, in con- > ing seven hundred weight, cut the main mast 
 junction with the Portugue.se squadron, to the i of the Windsor Castle man-of-war in two, and 
 Brazils. ; the ship herself was saved with difliculty. 
 
 At an early period of the year a British ; The British admiral sustained a loss of 'ioO 
 fleet was sent out under the connnand of sir i men killed in this ill-concerted and ill-fated 
 John Duckworth, consisting of seven sail of > enterprise. 
 
 the line, besides frigates and gim-boats. The ; General Fox despatched a force of 50OO 
 
 4" X 45
 
 nm 
 
 HISTORY OP ENOLAND, 
 
 men from ^Messina, under general Mackenzie, 
 to take possession of Alexandria. This object 
 M-as accomplished witii little difficulty or 
 bloodshed on tiie part of the British ; but in 
 an attack upon Kosetta a large portion of the 
 British were surrounded and cut oft' with the 
 loss of 1000 men, killed, wounded, and pri- 
 soners. In consequence of the change of 
 administration at home, no reinforcements 
 arrived from Great Britain, and the English 
 general agreed to the evacuation of Egypt on 
 condition that the Turks would restore the 
 prisoners who had been taken at Rosetta. 
 On the fulfilment of these terms the British 
 troops returned to Sicily. 
 
 When the late minister-s received informa- 
 tion of the recapture of Buenos Ayres by the 
 Spaniards they ordered general Crawford, 
 ^vho had been sent on an expedition to Chili, 
 to relinquish that enterprise, and to repair to 
 the Rio de la Plata. General Whitelocke, a 
 favourite of Mr. Wyndham, assumed the chief 
 command ; and the whole British force 
 amounted to 9000 men. On the 21st of June 
 general Whitelocke, with the main army, ad- 
 vanced through a marshy country and reached 
 Point Reduction. Major-general Gower with 
 the right column crossed the river at a ford 
 called Passo Cbico, and falling in witii a corps 
 of the enemy attacked and defeated it. Next 
 day general Whitelocke, having joined gene- 
 ral Gower, formed his line by placing sir 
 Samuel Auchmuty"s brigade on the left, ex- 
 tending it towards the t^onvent of the Recol- 
 letto. The place was t)ius nearly invested. 
 The town and the suburbs were divided into 
 squares of 140 yards ou each side, and each 
 division was ordered to proceed along the 
 street, directly in front, till it arrived at the 
 lasit square of houses near the river Plata, of 
 which square it was to take possession, form- 
 ing on the flat roofs, and waiting for further 
 orders. The muskets were unloaded, and no 
 firing was to be permitted until the columns 
 had reached their final points, and formed. 
 The issue of the conflict which ensued was 
 such &s might be expected from a pian so 
 ludicrous. Our troops uioving forward in 
 their appointed order, with unloaded muskets, 
 and iron crows with vvliich they had been 
 "•u-nished as in>p!ements for forcing the doors, 
 
 X assailed with a heavy and continued 
 
 "of musketry hand grenades, bricks, 
 
 ^s. The street* were intersected by 
 
 tCHAP. ITf. 
 
 deep ditches, and cannon planted behind 
 them poured volleys of grape-shot on our 
 advancing colums. Every householder, with 
 his negroes, defended his own dwelling, which 
 was in itself a fortress. Notwithstanding the 
 gallantry and temporary success of sir Samuel 
 Auchmuty, general Crawford and colonel 
 Duft' were compelled to surrender, while gene- 
 ral W'hitelocke himself occupied an advanced 
 I post on his centre. Alarmed at the loss of 
 2500 men, who fell a victim to his treachery 
 or folly, he negotiated with the enemy for the 
 restoration of the prisoners, and having agreed 
 to withdraw ln.s army from the river Plata, 
 returned " with all his blushing honour^ 
 thick upon him" to his injured country. He 
 was tried by a court martial and folind guilty, 
 butthe secretinfluence of his friends prevailed, 
 and he was simply cashiered. 
 
 On the 22nd af June a new parliament 
 was convoked, and after the opening of the 
 second session, the orders in council became 
 the subject for long and tedious discussion. 
 About the close of the year 1800 Buonaparte 
 issued his famous decree at Berlin, declaring 
 the British isles in a state of blockade, at the 
 very time that his own ports and dependencies 
 were actually blockaded by the British navy. 
 He afterwards shut the ports of all countries 
 under his influence against every vessel which 
 had cleared from Great Britain, subjecting 
 to confiscation every cargo which was either 
 the produce or manufacture of this country. 
 To support this regulation he afterwards 
 enacted that all neutral vessels, coming into 
 .'any port of his dominions, should bring with 
 them a certificate of oiisin, or an assurance 
 under the hands of the French consul, at the 
 port of shipment, that the cargo was neither 
 the produce nor the manufacture of Britain. 
 Every ship at sea destitute of such certificate 
 was proclaimed a lawful prize. The Gren- 
 ville ministry regarded this edict as nothing 
 more than an impotent bravado, and retaliated 
 by a mild decree interdicting the coasting 
 trade of the enemy. 
 
 In the month of November the Portland 
 administration issued their orders in council 
 containing two fundamental pr()j)Ositions ; the 
 first, that France and all its tributary states 
 should be held to be in a state of blockade, 
 and that all ves.se!s sliould be seized uhich 
 attempted to trade from any neutral port to 
 those countries, or from them to any neutral
 
 CHAP. IVI.] GEOROE IH. 707 
 
 port. The second was that all vessels should I extended to American ressels ; to ^vh^ch the 
 be liable to seizure which should have on | French government made answer, that the 
 board any such certificate of ori^^in as was > blockading" decree was not meant to be put in 
 required by the Berlin decree. Neutral ves- : force against the United States. It was proved 
 sels intended for a French or neutral port, ? from satisfactory evidence laid before the 
 were directed at all events to touch first at > house of commons, that neutral siiips had been 
 Great Britain, from which, after paying cer- j regularly chartered on voyages from this 
 tain duties, they might, in some cases, be J country to the European continent after the 
 allowed to proceed ; and in all cases they ; Berlin decree, precisely in the same manner 
 were permitted, and indeed enjoined, to come i as before ; that the prices of articles of colo- 
 to Great Britain when clearing out with a » nial produce and home manufactures, con- 
 cargo from any port of the enemy. 5 tinned the same in tiie markets on the conti- 
 AiMiiRK'A, from her exclusive enjoyment of ; nent after the Berlin decree, down to the 
 independence, found herself deeply interested $ orders in council; that the most extensive 
 in the operation of these jarring decrees, which I and opulent merchants in the neutral trade 
 might be said to place her between two fires. 5 had never heard of the condenmation of a 
 But in fact, the interests of Britain were as ; neutral vessel in the hostile ports ; and that 
 much involved in such a measure as those of? the rate of insurance of such vessels had not 
 America; and of course, her trade to that » been augmented by the Berlin decree, but 
 quarter of tiie globe began already to feel ; entirely by the orders in council. In viudi- 
 severely. Tiie orders were remonstrated t cation of the policy of these orders, it was 
 against by the American merchants, who pre- ; contended, that it was incumbent on us to 
 sented petitions to parliament to have them re- > reduce the enemy by distress to relinquish his 
 scinded. iN'Ir. Brougham, a very able lawyer, ; system of blockade, and allow the free ingress 
 pleaded their cause at the bar of the house ; i of our colonial produce and manufactures, 
 and it is only truth to assert, that he did ample | it was maintained, that the continent would 
 justice to that cause. The obvious tendency 5 not long or cahnly submit to the want of tea, 
 of the orders in coiuicil was declared by the ? sugar, tobacco, cotton, and foreign medicines, 
 petitioners to be well calculated to annihilate > The murmurs of 50,000,000 of people languish- 
 our neutral commerce, and that it liad in fact I iug for those luxuries to which they had been 
 reduced ouv American trade to a third of its | long accustomed, would compel Buonaparte 
 former extent. The ni.easure was justified by ; to relinquish the excluding system. When 
 the exordium to the orders in council, by main- ; ministers were employed in pleading for thi* 
 taining that the French decrees h^d exhibited ; probability, they were encouraging the smug- 
 an unprecedented system of warfare. Thesame ; gling trade between Great Britain and France; 
 preamble had stated, that neutrals had agreed | a trade which, according to its success, snp- 
 to these decrees of France, and submitted to ; plied the enemy with the very luxuries for 
 them as constitoting a part of the new system i the loss of which we hoped that the continent 
 of war. It was, however, jnoved, that the : would mutiny against its tyrant, 
 decrees of France were by no means unY>re- > The speech, at the next meeting of j„ 
 cedented, for in 1739, and 175G, under the ; parliament, which took place on tlie 
 old government of France, as well as at three > 31st of January this year, was unusually long, 
 subsequent periods since the French revolu- '^ and embraced a variety of topics; liie kno.wn 
 tion, decrees were issued by the enemy, for [ or supposed articles of the treaty of Tilsit 
 capturing all vessels laden even in part with ; were first adverted to, as from their alleged 
 the produce of Britain, and yet they had not | character, the justification of the attack upon 
 been followed by any such measure of reialia- : Zealand, and the sei2ure of the Danisii tle^^t 
 tion on the part of Great Britain. As to the i were to be justified. The speech contended, 
 Berlin decree, it was not true that France had j that, in compliance witli the articles of this 
 either enforced it, or America accpiiesced in ; treaty, a powerful and general continental 
 it. The ambassador of the United States, i alliance was to be formed both, against the 
 general Armstrong, was so far from agreeing ; connnerce and the naval rights and existence 
 with the Berlin d'^cree, that he had made ; of Great Britain; that the knowledge of this 
 Mpplicatiou to know- whetlier it was to be | intended alliance had induced his majesty 10 
 
 4x2
 
 ^Am 
 
 HISTOIIY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVI. 
 
 t'.ike the step vliich he had done, against 
 Oeiiniark. Ueo^ret was then expressed, that 
 lliis court should have been so irritated by 
 the seizure of its fleet, as to coniiuence im- 
 mediate and violent liostilities. During the 
 course of 1807, the designs of Buonaparte 
 had begnn to manifest tlieniselves ; and as 
 he had always been inimical to tiie Portu- 
 giiese government, on account of its well- 
 known and long-tried attachment to this 
 country, there was good reason to appreliend \ 
 that the French army in Spain would proceed ' 
 against Lisbon, and seize the Portuguese 
 fleet ; indeed Buonaparte made no secret of 
 his designs ; he demanded the delivery of 
 the Portuguese fleet ; this demand the Por- 
 tuguese government immediately communi- 
 cated to the British ministry, and his majesty 
 expressed his satisfaction that, by this timely 
 communication, not only had the fleet of his 
 ally been placed beyond the reach of the 
 common enemy, but the prince regent of Por- 
 tugal also, along with his fleet, had gone to 
 the Brazils, rather than submit to the demands 
 of France. 
 
 The disposition of Russia, Austria, and 
 the Ottoman porte, towards Great Britain, 
 •was then adverted to ; and his majesty re- 
 gretted, that over all these powers the influ- 
 ence of France was so great and complete, 
 that they were in a state of hostility with 
 Great Britain. Russia, indeed, after she 
 had, in fact, yielded herself up to France, 
 offered her mediation to bring about a peace ; 
 this mediation, though preferred by a power 
 by no means likely to be impartial, because 
 she was no longer independent, his majesty 
 did not reject ; but, as might have been 
 foreseen, it was completely fruitless. The \ 
 only power on the continent who had resisted 
 the offers of Buonaparte, and who remained 
 Hnintimidated by his menaces, vras the king of 
 Sweden ; him, his majesty had still the satis- 
 faction to possess as his ally. 
 
 The disputes between Great Britain and 
 America, were next adverted to ; commis- 
 sioners had been mutually appointed to dis- 
 cuss these, and bring about an amicable ter- 
 mination of them ; but though these com- 
 missioners had agreed on a treaty of com- 
 merce and amity, the president of the United 
 States refused to ratify it. "While things 
 were in this unsettled state, the affair o/ the 
 Chesapeak took ulace, which his majesty 
 
 most sincerely lamented, characterised as an 
 unauthorised act of force, for which his ma- 
 jesty did not hesitate to ofier immediate and 
 spontaneous reparation ; notwithstanding this 
 pacific and conciliatory disposition on the 
 part of his majesty, the United States still 
 cherisned a hostile feeling, which his majesty 
 hoped would give way to sentiments of 
 moderation and friendship. 
 
 The measures which had been taken to 
 distress France were the next topics of the 
 speech ; that power having passe<l a decree,- 
 by which the whole of his majesty's dominions 
 were declared to be in a state of blockade, his 
 majesty had retaliated in such a manner as, 
 he trusted, would not only render the French 
 decrees of no avail, but turn upon the enemy 
 those distresses and evils, which he intended 
 and hoped to liave inflicted upon us. The 
 speech thus concluded : " The eyes of Eu- 
 rope and of the world are fixed upon the 
 British parliament ; if, as his majesty con- 
 fidently trusts, you display, in this crisis of 
 the fate of the county, the characteristic 
 spirit of the British nation, and face, unap- 
 palled, the unnatural combination which is 
 gathered around us, his majesty bids us to 
 assure you of his firm persuasion, that, under 
 the blessing of Divine Providence, the strug- 
 gle will prove successful and glorious to 
 Great Britain. AVe are, lastly, commanded 
 to assure you, that in this awful and momen- 
 tous contest, you may rely on the firmness of 
 his majesty, who has no cause but that of his 
 people ; and that his majesty reciprocally 
 relies on the wisdom, the constancy, and the 
 afiectionate support of his parliament. 
 
 I HAVE dwelt thus long upon this speech, 
 because it will lay before the reader a sketch 
 of the relative situation of Great Britain and 
 Europe, at once luminous and complete. 
 
 The earl of Galloway moved the address 
 in the house of lords in a long speech, in 
 which he went over all the parts of the 
 speech ; the motion was seconded by lord 
 Kenyon, who confined himself principally to 
 that part which related to the preservation o.f 
 the fleet of Portugal, and the emigration of 
 the prince regent to the Brazils. The duke 
 of Norfolk next rose, and in very strong lan- 
 guage reprobated the attack upon Zealand, 
 and the seizure of the Danish fleet; he con- 
 cluded by moving, as an amendment, that the 
 clause, respecting the expedition, to the Bal-
 
 CHAP. LVI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 roa 
 
 tic, in the address, felioukl be omitted. Ldrd 
 Sidmouth, who still adlK'ied in several points 
 to the opposition, seconded the anieiidnieut 
 of the duke of Norfolk, The expedition was 
 strenuously defended by the earl of Aberdeen, 
 and attacked by lord Grenville; the latter 
 peer, in his speech, adverted also, at great 
 length, to the mediation of Russia, and con- 
 cluded by moving another amendment, 
 *' That it would neither be respectful to his 
 majesty, nor becoming the dignity of the 
 house, to give an opinion as to the piopri"ty 
 of rejecting the Russian mediation, till the 
 papers relative to that question were before 
 the house : ' both this amendment and lliat 
 of the duke of ISorfolk were negatived with- 
 out a division. A protest, against the deci- 
 sion of the house respecting the seizure of the 
 ])ani^h tieet, was entered and signed by the 
 duke of Clarence, lord Rawdon, (the earl of 
 Moira) the earl of Lauderdale, earl Grey, lord 
 lloJIand the duke of Norfolk, lord Sidmouth, 
 and lord Erskine. 
 
 In the house of commons, the address was 
 moved by lord Hamilton, and seconded by 
 Mr. Ellis ; but though the expedition to the 
 Baltic was reprobated by the opposition in 
 very strong terms, and though they also ob- 
 jected to the other parts of the address, no 
 regular amendment was moved, and the 
 question was carried without a division. 
 
 The British orders in council gave rise to 
 frequent and violent debates in both hou.'ses 
 of parliament ; they were discussed in several 
 points of view ; in the fust place, as afl'ecting 
 neutrals ; in the second place, with regard to 
 the injury which they would actually inflict 
 on France ; and in the third place, with res- 
 pect to the consequences which they would 
 produce on our own commerce and manu- 
 factures. In the house of commons, the 
 most strenuous and able advocates for the 
 orders in council were the cbaucellbr of ex- 
 
 I chequer, Mr. Stephens, and sir "William 
 ' Grant, the master of the rolls ; while they 
 Mere oj)posed by lord Henry Petty, Dr. Law- 
 rence, and in some respects by Mr. Windham. 
 In the house of lords, the orders in coun- 
 cil were opposed principally by lord Auck- 
 land, lord Erskine, lord King, lord Gren- 
 ville, aud lord Lauderdale ; \oid Erskine 
 opposed them principally on the ground that 
 they were decidedly against the law of na- 
 tions ; lords King, Auckland, and Lauder- 
 dale considered them (;hiefly in their com- 
 mercial character ; while lord Grenville took 
 a com|)rehensive view of them in every point 
 of light. They were alily defended by earl 
 Batluirst and lord Ilawkesburj'. In this de- 
 bate, lord Sidmouth and his party steered a 
 middle course ; he did not entirely condemn, 
 ^ nor did he completely approve of the ordei-s 
 sSin council ; but he wished fhey might be 
 "referred to a committee, that he' might have 
 an opportunity of fully investigating this 
 important subject. 
 
 America had complained most bitterly of 
 the orders in council ; and her complaints 
 were not removed by the introduction of the 
 license system : by this system she was still, 
 as far as lay within our power, deprived of all 
 intercourse with the continent ; while we our- 
 selves, the nation actually at war with France, 
 carried on a commercial intercourse with the 
 enemy, which we totally denied to a neutral 
 nation. This conduct, connected with the 
 frequent causes of irritation vhich existed and 
 operated between the United States and. 
 Great Britain, rendered the differences be- 
 tween thetn still wider, more numerous, and 
 more difficult to be adjusted ; and we shall 
 Snd, in the history of the following years, the 
 consequences of these difl'erences on our 
 commerce, aud consequently on our maritinie 
 power and prosperity.
 
 CHAPTER LVIL 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1808, 1809.] 
 
 Capture of the Island of 3Tadeira, and of Marie Galante-'— Glorious Exploits of Captain Har 
 dinge — State of Europe — Extent of Napoleon's Power— His designs on Spain- -Success oj 
 his Intrigues — He inveigles the Royal Faniily to Bayonne — Massacre at Madrid — General 
 rising of the Spanish People — Arrival of Sir Arthur Wellesley in Portugal — Battle of 
 Vimiera — Convention of Cintra — Military Affairs in Spain — Conduct of the Junta — Sieges 
 of Saragossa and Gerona — Arrival of Sir John Moore in Spain — Conferences at Erfurt h — 
 Extensive Diff'usion of the Spirit oJ' Independence in Spain — Advance of Sir John Moore 
 towards Madrid — He suddenly determines to retire — His Retreat from Astorga to Coruntta—' 
 Battle of Corunna — Death of Sir John Moore — Conclusion of our first Campaign in Spain. 
 
 OUR military transactions, in the begin- \ last to surrender prisoners of war. Their 
 ning of the year, were confined to the ; commander, however, was not to be found, 
 capture of a few islands. In January, advices \ and was either concealed in the island or had 
 were received that Madeira had surrendered \ effected his escape. 
 
 to a British force, under general Beresford I The destruction of the Dutch naval force 
 and sir Samuel Hood, on condition that it ; in the East Indies was completed by sir 
 should be evacuated and delivered up to the ; Edward Pellew. Previous to the coramence- 
 court of Portugal, whenever that sovereignty | ment of actual hostilities, sir Edvvar«l endea- 
 should be emancipated from the influence of I voured to obtain, from the commander of the 
 France. The Danish islands of St. Thomas i Dutch naval force at Grisee, on the eastern 
 and St. Croix were captmed, about the same > extremity of Java, the peaceable surrender of 
 time, by general Bowyer and sir Alexander \ his squadron. The Dutch commandant at 
 Cochrane, without resistance. The small j Grisee, M. Cowell, contrary to the law of na- 
 islands of Marie Galante and Deseada Avere ♦ tions, arrested the commissioners, and bade 
 taken in March, by a squadron under cap- j defiance to the English admiral. Sir Edward, 
 tain Selby. On the 23rd of August, an at- ; on receiving this intelligence, ordered the lin« 
 tempt was made by the enemy to recover pes- ; of battle-ships to be lightened and proceeded 
 session of the former island, but their boats j to Grisee with his wholesquadron. M. Cowell, 
 were intercepted by the Circe ; and tlie party J as soon as he saw the English approaching, 
 nliich had landed, cut oft" from the possi- ; scuttled the Dutch ships, and sent his pri 
 biiitv of escape, retired into the interior of i soners to Saurabaya, a town about 15 miles 
 the island. The news reached Barbadoes on ; higher up the straits. These acts of vio- 
 the 27th, and general Beckuith immediately ; lence and impolicy were formally disavowed 
 despatched lieutenant-colonel Blackwell, with i by the government of Sourabaya; and the 
 three companies, against the enemy. The ; security of the Dutch settlement was gua- 
 Freuch, who were strongly posted within i ranteed, on condition that certain forts 
 three miles of Grand Bourg, retreated before j should be destroyed, and the British t'orces 
 the British troops, who pursued them for ; be supplied w ith every necessaryv at the usual 
 4ve days and nights, and compelled them at ; prices.
 
 CHAP. LVII.] 
 
 GEORGE IIU 
 
 711 
 
 The last intelligence of (he year from India, 
 related to an action between tlie St. Fiorenzo 
 and La Piedpiontaise, one of the most |U,lorions 
 in tlie aonals of the British navy. 'I'he 8t. 
 Fiorenzo, commanded by captain (ieorge 
 Nicholas Hardinsje, carriofl .18 i;uiis, and lier 
 crew consi.sted of 180 men, cliiefly invalids. 
 Slie was in bad condition, and was reporteti 
 to be " rather safe than sound." The Pied- 
 montaise carried 50 IcMig 18 pounders, an<l 
 was manned with 5(J6 n>en. On the 4th of 
 March the St. Fiorenzo sailed from Pont de 
 Galle in Ceylon, ajid on the moining of the 
 (3th came in sight of three Indiamen, jnst as 
 the Piedmontaise was about t^ bear down 
 upon them. It was nearly midnight before 
 the English frigate conld approiich near 
 enough the enemy to engage ; she then ranged 
 iilong side him within a cable's length ; but 
 after a few minutes the Piedmontaise escaped 
 beyond the range of her shot, T\w St. Fio 
 Tenzo pnrsued all night ; shortly after day- 
 light the two ships recommenced (iring ot the 
 distance of half a mile, gradually closing to 
 a quarter. This was continued for about 
 two hours, when the Frenchman again set 
 sail, having again materially cripple<l his 
 enemy's rigging. The English repaired their 
 damage, kept sight of the Piedmontaise 
 during the night, bore down for action in 
 the morning, and about three o'clock came 
 wp Avith her within a quarter of a cable's 
 length. The victory, glorious as it proved, 
 was dearly purchased by the death of captain 
 Hardinge, who fell in the last action by a 
 grape-shot. The loss of the English was 
 13 killed, 2t wounded ; that of the French 
 60 killed, 122 wounded. 
 
 In the month of February a convention was 
 concluded between his maiestv and the kinjc 
 of Sweden, in which CJreat Britain agreed to 
 pay to the latter country £1,200,000 in twelve 
 monthly payments, (iustavns engaging in re- 
 turn to keepin readiness, forthe use and advan- 
 tage of Great Britain, certain proportions of 
 his army, his ships, and hi.s flotillas. The 
 ?^wedish admiral, Nauckhof, in pursnance of 
 this treaty, joined sir Samnel Hood, and 
 sailed in search of the Russian tleet. The 
 Sewowold, a vessel which had fallen to lee- 
 ward, struck her colours to the allies, but, 
 owing to the shallowness of the water, and 
 her closeness to the shore, could not be towed 
 
 ofl". She was therefore burnt, and the com- 
 bined fleets retired to their former station, 
 
 r>Y the treaty of Tilsit Buonaparte was left 
 master of the continent of Europe, the great- 
 est part being actually in his possession, and 
 the rest utider his coutroul. He pos.sessed a 
 more real and al)Solute authority over Ger- 
 many than the most powerful of her emperors 
 had ever been able to obtain. Switzerland, 
 which in former times liad so gloriously 
 asserted her iudejieudence, suHmitted to call 
 him her protector, received with obedience 
 his oppressive and barbarizingedicts, and sup- 
 plied men to fill up the enormous consump- 
 tion of his wars. Holding France, Flanders, 
 and Italy hiuj*ielf, he had established one 
 brother on the throne of Naples, made a 
 second king of Holland, and erected a king- 
 dom in Germany for a thiixl, with territories 
 taken indiscriminately from his foes and his 
 friends. His sister's tiusliand, Murat, pos- 
 sessed a principality, with the title of the 
 grand duke of Berg ; Eugene Beauharnois, 
 his wife's son, was married into the house oif 
 Bavaria, and ruled Italy as his viceroy ; his 
 uncle, cardinal Fesch, would, upon the next 
 vacancy, b«! placed at the head of the Roman 
 catholic chiu'ch. Never had any aaventurer, 
 in an enlightened age, and civilized world, 
 created such a fortune for himself, his family, 
 and his followers. His reputation, political 
 as well as military, was at the highest pitch ; 
 he had achieved more than Lewis XIV, had 
 attempted, and exerted a wi^er authority than 
 Charlemagne had claimed, v/hile the world, 
 <lazzled by the splendour of his successes, 
 was but too ready to forget and forgive' his 
 crimes. If ever man might have been satis- 
 fied with dominion and renown it was Napo- 
 leon Buonaparte ; but it is with ambition of 
 this kind as it is with avarice, " increase of 
 appetite grew by what it fi;d on." 
 
 iSp.AiN had lonsr been the submi.ssive ally 
 of France, and the first of the Spamsh Bour- 
 bons had never been so entirely directed bf 
 Louis the Great, as Charles IV. was by Buona- 
 parte. The Spanish government wa^ tho- 
 roughly corrupt in all its parts ; head, body, 
 and meujbers were alike diseased. The 
 profligacy of the court exceeded all former 
 example, it spread like a contagion, and af- 
 fected all the branches of administration. But 
 the great mass of the people reUiined the old
 
 712 mSTORY OF ENGLAND. I.CHAP. lYU. 
 
 national character, and tlie old national spirit j reconciliation between the royal parents and 
 with little change and no deterioration. Their ; their son. He wrote penitential letters froiu 
 apathv was mistaken by Napoleon for imbecil- 5 Ferdinand to the king and qneen, which he 
 lily, and their reserved and temperate virtue ; compelled the prince to sign while a prisoner, 
 for indiHerence to their political rights and t These confessions, indeed, contain nothing- 
 their national indejiendenco. Anticipating, ; which can be deemed very heinous, and every 
 therefore, no resistance from the Spanish i one of them may be supposed to allude to 
 people if he coidd once accomplish the coer- J the step taken by Ferdinand in writing to 
 cion of the sovereign, he proceeded with con- ; Buonaparte on the subject of his marriage, 
 lidence to the execution of a plot unparalleled ! But a decree addressed to the clergy, for a 
 in the history of human villainy. > solemn thanksgiving to God on account of 
 
 The first indication of his purpose was the ; the king's deliverance, was certainly meant to 
 enrollment of a considerable number of the ; convey the idea, that the prince had harbour- 
 Spanish troops, who might have opposed his J ed designs against the government, if not 
 intentions, in the armies of fiermany, and it ? even the existence of his royal father. A 
 became his second object to foment the seeds ; royal edict was, on the .5th of A'ovember, ad- 
 of courtly discord by secret interference in 5 dressed to the governor of the council of 
 the intrigues and enmities of the palace. The ! Castile, declaring that the voice of nature 
 French ambassador, Beauharnois, was in- ; had disarmed the hand of vengeance ; pity, 
 structed to suggest that the nuptial union of i and the intercession of the queen, had induced 
 Ferdinand prince of Asturif.s to a relative of! the king to pardon the guilt of his penitent 
 Napoleon, would be highly acceptable to the ; son, who had given ample information against 
 emperor. The anxiety of Ferdinand to avoid ' the authors of the horrible design. . 
 an union with a lady which had been sug- 1 In this situation of afiairs, a courier reached 
 gested by his greatest enemy, led him to i the palace of St. Laurence, with a treaty con- 
 accede to Beauharnois' proposition, on con- } cbided and signed at Fountainbleau, on the 
 dition of its meeting with the approbation of j 27th of October, by Isquierido, his catholic 
 his royal parents, and he wrote a letter to i majesty's plenipotentiary, and marshal Duroc, 
 the emperor of France expressive of his | in the name of Buonaparte. It was by this 
 ■wishes. An accusation was prepared against ; treaty agreed, that the province of Entree 
 him in the course of a few days, and he was ; Minho y Duero should be made over to the 
 arrested and confined in the monastery of St. 5 king of Etruria, with the appellation of king 
 Laurence. All the members of the different 5 of Northern Lusitania; the prince of peacj 
 councils of slate being assembled on the 3 1st of ; was to have the province of Alentejo aud the 
 October, a declaration was read (0 them by the j kingdom of the Algarves, to be enjoyed 1^ 
 king, stating a discovery that Ferdinand had | him under the title of prince of the' Algarves. 
 formed a conspiracy for dethroning his father. 5 By a secret convention it was agreed, that 
 It was given out, that he had been surprised i French troops were to be admitted into Spain, 
 in his own apartments with the cyphers of his 5 where they were to form a junction with 
 correspondence, which were given to be in- » Spanish troops, and march into Portugal. 
 Bpected by the council of Castile. It was J Forty thousand French troops were to be 
 immediately suspected by the Nvhole Spanish ! assembled at Bayonne before the latter end 
 nation, that this pretended conspiracy was > of November, to be ready to enter Spain if 
 nothing more than a groundless calumny, ; Great Britain should presume to send rein- 
 which Godoy, the j)rinc.e of peace, and ^ forcements to Portugal. 
 
 Buonaparte had fabricated betwixt them, for j The French troo})s, which were assembled 
 the purpose of removing the only obstacle by ; on the frontiers of Spain, continued inactive 
 which their designs were opposed. The j but a very short lime. About the beginning 
 incarceration of the prince of Astuvias, and ; of 1808, a corps entered Catalonia, gaining 
 the decree issued against his person, produced ; possession, on the Idth of February, of the 
 an effect the very reverse of what the infamous I town and citadel of Barcelona, aud the 
 Godoy had expected. He therefore receded i strong possession of Montjeux. To give 
 through fear, and pretended to bring about a ; some colour of justice to these movements, it
 
 CHAP. LVIl] GEORGR II!. 713 
 
 was said that the French were mArfliiiis to ; had entored the city two daj's before him, 
 leptl tlie insults of the iJritisli aniiy on the ; Tlie governor and garrison of Madrid sub- 
 coast of Spain ; and it was whispered that i mitte<l to the degrading act of being forced 
 there was reason to ajiprehend an invasion | to welcome an eneniys army, but the peof)Ie 
 of Algiers and JNIorocco. Some faint re- ; were in a state of complete fermentation, and 
 sistauce was made by the national troops at ; some mortal encounters happened between 
 Montjeux and Pampluna; but there appear- ; the jjeople of the two countries. The French 
 ed to be no organ of the general will, and ; were liilherio allowed to occupy the country, 
 though the Spanish troops advanced with | rather from the stupefaction of the Spaniards 
 rapidity from Portugal to Madrid, yet tlie ; than from cowardice; but when they per- 
 feeble court by whom they were directed, i ceived general Duhcsme throwing provisions 
 were employed in issuing orders that con- ; and ammunition into IJarcelona, they remon- 
 tradicted each other. The people at last ; strated strongly against such movements, 
 began to bethink, themselves. It was reported ;" Your troops," said Espetella in a letter to 
 that the king was making preparations to | the French general, " that occupied the 
 leave Aranjuez to go to Seville, in order to 5 citadel and fortress of Montjeux, might have 
 emigrate to his dominions in America. The > considered all the houses of Barcelona as so 
 well known character of the prince of peace ; many magazines, and the provisions they con- 
 rendered it extremely probable that he would i tain as their osvn. Your excellency occupied 
 give such advice, as his wealth was prod i- ; the fortresses in the name of the emperor and 
 gious, and he saw the impending storm, from « king as our ally ; and it was oidy on the faith 
 which he was anxious to withdraw; but it ; of this that the Spanish government consented 
 was believed that Ferdinand was so much j to its occupancy. The city gave you an honour- 
 attached so his country as to oppose the exe- 1 able reception, and shared with you the pro- 
 cution of any such design. The palace of the 5 visions destined for its own use." But a 
 prince of peace was attacked ; and though j fresh insult was offered to the Spaniards, 
 he found means to effect his escape, their I when the prince of peace was liberated by 
 majesties were obliged to appease the indig- 1 order of Buonaparte, although his imprison- 
 nation of the multitude, by declaring that | ment had diffused the greatest happiness 
 Godoy was discharged from his high offices | throughout tlie kingdom. It was intended 
 and commands, being permitted to retire | to bring him to trial, but the old queen 
 wherever he might think proper. Having fled j having interceded with Buonaparte, ol)tained 
 from Aranjuez to Madrid, the people of that; his release, and he set oiT innnediately for 
 metropolis were determined that he should i Bayonne. The grand duke of Berg held 
 not escape with impunity, they discovered i Madrid with a numerous army, yet it was im- 
 him in a garret, and committed him to a ; possible for the French to execute their plans 
 coranion prison. On the 19th of March, while ; while Ferdinand, the idol of the people, con- 
 these commotions continued, Charles IV. ; tinuetl in the capital. It was, therefore, an 
 published a formal abdication of the Spanish ^important object Avith the ambassador and 
 throne at Aranjuez; which was either the ; creatures of Buonaparte to prevail with the 
 result Oi" personal fear, or he was driven to i new king to leave that place, where they durst 
 the measure by Buonaparte, who, for the pur- Uuut arrest him. When general Savary arrived 
 pose of deluding Ferdinand, the favourite of | as a new envoy from Paris, he made known 
 the people, into his power, soon invited Inm to } the design of tlie French emperor to pay a 
 a fatal interview. ' | visit to Madrid, and hoped that Ferdinand 
 
 The new king first published a demonstra- ; would pay him the compliment of meeting 
 lion of his own innocence, confiscating the i him on his own frontiers. Into this snare the 
 effects of the prince of peace, and appointed > unsuspicious prince of Asturias unhapi)ily 
 the duke of Infautado, a popular nobleman, i fell. He was requested to go to Furgos, in 
 to be president of the grand council of Castile, i orderto procurethefavonrof Buonai>arte, from 
 He was known to be attached to the interests • that place to Vittoria, and then to Bayonne, 
 of Great Britain. He made his public entry : where in a short time he tbund himself in the 
 into Madrid on the '23rd of March, and the j handsof the French emperor. CMiarTes IV.and 
 French troops, under the grand duke of Berg, | his queen likewise reached Bayonnos together 
 
 4 V 45
 
 714 urBTonv OP evguno. [ciup. lvii. 
 
 with the liberated prince of peace. Buona- > Carlos replied, *• Emperor, I am not born to 
 parte found it no (iifficiiit matter to persnade ! be a king, but an infant of Spain." Ferdi- 
 the old king and (jneen to leave their donii- I nand said nothing, but Napoleon resumed 
 nions, having found it impracticable to escape > his discourse, and said, " Prince, yon must 
 to America; nor was it matter of regret to ■ choose between cession and death.' He was 
 the Spaniards that they had lost so weak a ; allowed six hours to come to a final deter- 
 sovereign, and a queen whose attachment to | niination. The threats of Napoleon were 
 the worthless, the unprincipled Godoy, had ; seconded by Charles, and Ferdinand made 
 made her still more unpopular. ; the lesignation which was commanded. His 
 
 Buonaparte, having secured so many ; coach of state and sword of honour were im- 
 members of the royal family, acted no longer; mediately taken from him: he was watched 
 under a veil ; but ordered Ferdinand and all ! by a party of militia, and the commandant of 
 his family to give up their right to the crown ; the guard became his only attendant, 
 of Spain and the Indies, The tyrant found ; Thus did the Spanish Bourl)Oiis pay the 
 it an easy matter to deal with Charles, the | price of their alliance with a faithless nation, • 
 queen, and Godoy ; and the king, declaring ; and a pertidious tyrant. The resources of 
 that his formal resignation was the result of i Spain had long been so entirely at Buona- 
 a popular tumult, reclaimed his right to the j partes disposal, that, if the country had ac- 
 sceptre, for the purpose of delivering it into i quiesced in this usurpation, it would have 
 the hands of Buonaparte. This was not the j produced only a nominal difference, as far 
 timid, passive conduct of his son Ferdinand, ; as other powers were concenied. In this 
 who would not consent to renounce his right ; light England might have regarded it ; it 
 to the throne, but on the express condition > mattered not to her whether Charles or 
 that it should not be alienated to any foreign 5 Joseph acted as Buonaparte's deputy in 
 powei-. He proposed that Charles should | Madrid ; but upon the Spanish colonies the 
 return to Madrid, to which city he would 5 effect might be most important ; and as Great 
 attend him, as a dutiful son ; that the great \ Britain had obtained, (at a dear price) some 
 council should be assembled ; that Charles j knowledge of the state and disposition of these 
 f^hould dismiss the detestable prince of peace 1 colonies, an expedition was prepared against 
 from his presenc e for ever ; and should the ; part of Spanish America, and sir Arthur 
 aged king resign the burden of government, it j Wellesley appointed to the command. The 
 should be transferred to none but himself. 5 troops were collected at Cork ; but before 
 The negotiations continued for some days, I they could set sail, the events of the 2nd of 
 during whieh the prince remained obstinate ; J May, 1808, altered their destination, and 
 but, on the 5th of May, a memorable con- i changed the fate of Europe. On that day 
 ference took place, at which were present > the people of Madrid, exasperated alike at 
 the emperor of the French, the old king and \ the treachery by which their prince had been 
 queen of Spain, the infant Don Carlos, Go- I kidnapped, and the insolence with which a 
 doy, prince of peace, some Sjjanish grandees, I foreign tyrant pretended to set a foreigner 
 and the minister. Pen Pedro Cevallos. After i and an upstart over them, rose against Murat"s 
 some time, prince Ferdinand was called into J army. The immediate result was what 
 it by his father, when the queen, in a trans- • drivellers and cowards would have predict- 
 port of rage, jtddressed liim as a tiaitor, mIio ; ed, — the defeat and massacre of the insur- 
 had long meditated the death of the king ; i gents ; but the effects were fully answerable 
 and very emphatically proclaimed her own ; to tlu hopes of the most heroic spirits that 
 rigid virtue, by saying, " I tell you to your i were stirring in that day's work. Never had 
 face, that you are my son, but not the son of; the blood of nsartyrdom been more profusely 
 the king." When proceeding in her re- '* shed, never did that holy seed produce a 
 proaches, she was interrupted by Buonaparte, ; n)ore abundant har\est. The people were 
 who said, " 1 give to iH'rdinand the rrown > n own down by grape-shot in the streets, they 
 of Naples, to Don Carlos that of Etrnria, I were bayonetted in their houses ; and, when 
 with one of my nieces in n-arriage to each of; the slaughter of the contest and of the pur- 
 them ; let them declar* if they be willing to i .suit had ceased, a military tribunal was 
 accept this oHer." After a short pause, Don | erected, to continue the butchery with the
 
 CHAP. LVII.J 
 
 GEORGR III. 
 
 716 
 
 forms of insulted justice. During many suc- 
 ceeding dajs, groups of thirty and forty at a 
 time Avere led to tlie Prado, the Puerta del 
 Sol, the Puerta de St. Vicente, the church of 
 N. Seuora de la Suledad, — all the most pub- 
 lic places of Madrid, — and there shot in the 
 presence of their townsmen, their friends, 
 their wives, their parents, and their children ! 
 It is worthy of n<ttiee at this time, that the 
 rutlian who presided at this military tribunal, 
 and directed these wholesale murders, was 
 general Grouchy, Buonapartes newly-crc- 
 atcd marshal, his fit instrument and faitiiful 
 servant. 
 
 The impulse of this movement at Madrid 
 was felt, like an electric shock, throughout the 
 whole peninsula. The Spaniards and Portu- 
 guese rose siumltaneously against their op- 
 pressors. Without a government, without a 
 leader, without armies, without concert, they 
 rose against the most formidable military 
 power which had ever yet existed, — a power 
 perfectly organised, with all its means in 
 readiness, whicli held the government and the 
 capital of both kingdoms in its hand, occu- 
 pied their fortresses, and was in actual pos- 
 session of both countries. There existed but 
 one nation, to which they could look for help. 
 Portugal was bonntl to England by ties 
 of inlniiato and most friendly intercourse, 
 almost coeval with her existence as a king- 
 dom. The Spaniards were at war with us ; 
 but they also knew the English character, 
 and called upon England as the natural and 
 sure ally of men engaged in so just and sacred 
 a cause. The feelings of the British people 
 were forcibly appealed to, and they were 
 universally excited. The war, which had 
 liitherto been carried on firmly indeed, but 
 almost without object, or prospect, however 
 distant, of its termination, assumed at once 
 a new character. We no longer looked 
 merely to seU-defence, thinking only how we 
 might ward the blow, vlien it should please 
 the enemy to strike ; we no longer reasoned 
 upon the practicability of his in\ading Ire- 
 land or England, and threw up works and 
 erected fortifications on our own shoies ; — 
 this sudden and cheerless state was ex- 
 changed for action and enterprise, for ardour 
 and enthusiasm, (ov hope and for joy, heroic 
 hope and joy, strengthened by every good 
 principle and ennobled by every generous 
 feeling. 
 
 4 Y 2 
 
 The expedition at Cork being ready, sir 
 Arthur Wellesley was ordered to sail for 
 Corunna, to cominunicale there v\ith the 
 junta of Galicia, and act as circumstances 
 might direct hiin. General Spencer, from 
 Gibraltar, would be instructed to join him, 
 and further reinforcements sent after him, as 
 fast as they could be titled out. Accordingly 
 sir Arthur set sail, and on the 20th of July 
 arrived at Corunna, where he found tidings 
 of the recent defeat which Cuesta and Blake 
 had sustained at Medina del.RioSeco. It 
 was such a reverse as was to be expected in 
 the outset of such a war. The men, without 
 orders, had marched against the enemy, as 
 soon as they heard of their approach, the 
 officers followed the imj)nlse of the men, and 
 the general endeavoured to direct the rash 
 impatience, which he did not attempt to re- 
 strain, being in reality neither able to con- 
 troid nor competent to guide it. The Spani- 
 ards were necessarily defeated by an enemy, 
 little, if at all, inferior in number, strong in 
 cavalry, and acting in a flat country ; but 
 they displayed great courage as well as ar- 
 dour, and Blake, in covering their retieat, 
 gave a promise of military talent, fiom which 
 much was expected. The French used their 
 victory cruelly, and committed the most 
 atrocious excesses afterwards. 'I hey were 
 commanded by Lasalle, an officer who had 
 been trained to atrocious deeds in the Egyp- 
 tian school. It was this man, whose division 
 fell in with sixteen stragglers of sir .John 
 Hope's army, and deliberately cut them 
 down, — an exploit of which Buonaparte- 
 boasted in his bulletins. This disaster had 
 not in the slightest degree dispirited the Gali- 
 cians : when the English oifered their assist- 
 ance, they assured sir Arthur that they were 
 in no need of men, and that his army could 
 no where be so usefully employed as in acting 
 against Junot, and dealing Portugal of the 
 enemy. They represented the enemy's force 
 as not exceeding 1-5,000 men ; and .said, that 
 the Portuguese had already' assembled an 
 army of 1(),000 at Porto. 
 
 To Porto the expedition proceeded ; and 
 sir Arthur, after a conference with the bishoj), 
 leaving tiie transports, went on to confer witl> 
 admiral Cotton off the Tagus. It was im- 
 possible to edict a landing there ; the bar, 
 the fortresses, and the Russian squadron in 
 the river, would have rendered the attenipt
 
 716 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVir. 
 
 too dangerous, if it had not been to be made 
 in the face of a superior foe. Peiiiche was 
 occupied by the eueiny, and there was no 
 nearer point at which a disembarkation could 
 be eflected, than the Mondego ; that point, 
 therefore, was chosen, and sir Arthur, having 
 sent instructions to general Spencer to join 
 him, met his transports on the 30th. There 
 lie received despatches from home, informing 
 him, that reinforcements of 5000 men, under 
 general Ludlow, were on their way, and that 
 10,000 more would speedily be sent, under 
 sir John Moore. This general was his supe- 
 rior officer ; but the command in chief would 
 be vested in sir Hew Dalryniple, who was to 
 come from Gibraltar, and sir Harry Burrard 
 was to be second in command. There was, 
 however, yet time for him to i-trike the blow, 
 before they shonid arrive to supersede him, 
 and nothing could be more prosperous than 
 the news from Spain ; the French squadron 
 at Cadiz had l)een taken possession of by the 
 Spaniards, and Dnpont, with his whole aryiy, 
 made prisoners in Andalusia. Buonaparte 
 had never received such a blow ; the loss of 
 men indeed was easily reparable, but the re- 
 putation of his armies was wounded, the 
 invincibles had been put to shame, the spell 
 which palsied the nations was broken ; ano- 
 ther such catastrophe might stir up the north 
 of Europe to imitate the glorious exaniple set 
 by the peninsula, and what was to preserve 
 Junot from the fate of Dnpont? With this 
 prospect, sir Arthur Wellesley, having been 
 joined by general Spencer, began his march 
 from Coimbra toward Lisbon. 
 
 The disposition of the Portuguese was 
 excellent. The events of their insurrection 
 against the French were little known at the 
 time, and have not yet been detailed in any 
 language except their own. It was a general 
 and simultaneous movement of the people, 
 which, under all circumstances, sir Arthur 
 Wellesley thought even more extraordinary 
 than that for which the Spaniards obtained 
 and deserved universal sympathy and admi- 
 ration ; it was made against far greater dis- 
 advantages ; and, while the British were on 
 the coast, an enemy's detachment was ra- 
 vaging Alemtejo, under genera! Loison,— a 
 man wiio, in an army infamous for its ex- 
 cesses, was distiiiguislied for his love of plun- 
 der and of i)lood. On the '2!)th of July, he 
 sacked the city of Evora, and in the carnage 
 
 which ensued, the clergy were marked out 
 as especial objects of vengeance, and hunted 
 like wild beasts. Whoever he went, his 
 soldiers were let loose to burn, to pillage, 
 and to destroy ; but these cruelties served to 
 repress the people only while he was present, 
 and left them more eager and more insatiate 
 for vengeance. This spirit was so general, 
 and such precautions were taken by the go- 
 vernors of Coimbra and Pombal, that the 
 French, for a long time, obtained little infor- 
 mation concerning the British troops. At 
 the first rumour, however, Loison hastened 
 from Alemtejo ; and crossing the river, took 
 a position between Thoniar and Santarem : 
 and Laborde, who had the reputation of being 
 the best general in that army, with generals 
 Thomieres and Brennier under him, entered 
 Alcoba^a with a strong detachment, and 
 pushed his advanced posts as far as Aljubar- 
 rota. The enemy were perfectly well ac- 
 quainted with the country ; in these points 
 ihey were always as well informed, as we, till 
 of late, were ignorant. They fell back as the 
 English advanced, and took post on the 
 heights of Rolissa, a village about two leagues 
 south of Obidos, remarkable as the first 
 ground whereon the British and French were 
 opposed to each other in the peninsular war. 
 Laborde had about 5000 men ; Loison, with 
 an equal force, was expected to join him on 
 the evejiing of the 17th. Sir Arthur Welles- 
 ley was informed of this, and made his attack 
 in the morning. The enemy had chosen his 
 ground well ; it consisted of narrow passes 
 and strong heights. Dispositions were made 
 for turning his left by a colunm of 1200 Por- 
 tuguese, and his right by major-general Fer- 
 guson, who had also to watch the motions of 
 Loison ; but the main attack was made boldly 
 upon the front and strength of the position, 
 where the principal column, under cover of 
 some olive and cork trees, was enable.<l to 
 approach and deploy without much loss. The 
 way was up raA ines, made by the rains, in 
 some places overgrown with shrubs, in others 
 impeded with crags, and hitherto only 
 thought practicable for goals. The middle 
 pass appeared the least difficult, and here the 
 assailants suffered the severest loss ; for near 
 the ff)p of this pass there was a small openinj^ 
 in the form of a wedge, which, at the point 
 nearest the English, was overgrown with 
 myrtle, arbutus, and those other shrubs,
 
 CHAP. LVII.l 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 7ir 
 
 which render the wilderness of this part of! 
 Portnn^al so beautiful. Here the French 
 posted an ambush of riflemen, and here colo- 
 nel Lake led his regiment instead of sending 
 forward to explore the ground as the pass 
 opened ; the French let half tlie regiment 
 enter, and then fired upon tiiem when they 
 were in close column. Colonel Lake fell; 
 a severe loss was sustained, but the men 
 pushed forward and won the pass. Here 
 the 29th and Dth regiments found themselves 
 for a considerable time unsupported, and 
 the enemy charged them thrice with great 
 resolution, but were as often repulsed. The 
 skill of the French was indeed as clearly 
 proved that day as their inferiority to the 
 Uritish soldiers, in those moments when 
 every thing depends on native courage. 
 During a contest which began at nine in the 
 morning and was not concluded before five in 
 the afternoon, they retreated in admirable 
 order from one difficult position to another, 
 losing none of the atlvantages which the 
 ground ottered, of which it was not the least 
 that the English were never able to avail them- 
 selves of their numerical superiority, the num- 
 ber actually engaged being far less than that 
 of the enemies whom they defeated. They 
 repeatedly attempted to recover what they 
 had lo.st, and when this hope was abandoned 
 they affected their retreat in good order ; for 
 as sir Arthur Wellesley wanted cavalry, and 
 troops and cannon could not be brought up 
 the passes without requisite speed, there was 
 no pursuit. Our loss was less than 500 men 
 killed, wounded, and missing; that of the 
 French was supposed to have trebled it, and 
 of their five pieces of cannon three were taken. 
 The battle, though neither in its scale nor its 
 consequences of much importance, becomes 
 interesting as the first in this long struggle, 
 and because in this trial the British evinced 
 that superiority in what may be termed na- 
 tional courage, which they maintained in 
 «very engagement from that day till they 
 closed their triumphant career before the walls 
 of Thonlouse. 
 
 On the same day that the battle of Rolissa 
 was fought, the Portuguese, by an enterprise 
 conducted with equal bravery and good for- 
 tune, recovered the important city of Abrantes, 
 •where Loison had left a garrison of 200 men. 
 That general, as well as Laborde, now fell 
 back to joiu^the main force of the French 
 
 which Junot was collecting about Torres 
 Vedras. Junot had left between .'iOOO and 
 4000 men in Lisbon, under Travot ; there 
 were three officers of rank in the French army, 
 who distinguished themselves by not insult- 
 ing, not injuring, and /lol robbing the inhabi- 
 tants, Travot, Chariot, and Bre'uiier. The 
 French now began to feel that character was 
 worth something, and Junot, in the proclama- 
 tions that he issued upon leaving Lisbon, 
 spoke of the virtues by which gmeral Travot 
 had obtained the friendship of the inhabi- 
 tants of Cascaes and Oeyras. In other re- 
 spects this paper was in the true French style, 
 save onlv that it was something below the 
 ordinary point of arrogance. 
 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley, meantime, was in- 
 formed that generals Akiand and Anstruther 
 with their brigades were ofi' the coast, and 
 he moved to Vimiera to protect their landing. 
 The larger reinforcements, under sir Harry 
 Burrard and sir John Moore, having been 
 delayed by contrary winds, were sixteen days 
 before they made Cape Finisterre from Ports- 
 mouth ; their instructions were not to go to 
 the north of Porto without obtaining informa- 
 tion. Sir Harry, therefore, removed to the 
 Brazen sloop with some of his staff, and, leav- 
 ing the convoy, proceeded first to the Douro, 
 then to tiie Mondego. Here he found letters 
 from sir Arthur, recommending that the troops 
 shoidd land here, and march upon .Santareu), 
 ill order to cut ofi'tiie retreat of the enemy in 
 that direction ; but the letter added that ther 
 must carry their own bread, for the resources 
 of the country were not to be relied on. 
 Upon wtigiiing this difficulty, and the pos- 
 siblf danger of not being in sufficient strength 
 to resist the enemy if they should retire with 
 their force upon that point, sir Harry Burrard 
 determined not to follow this advice, and 
 continued his course southward. This waa 
 on the 18th ; the next day he obtained ititel- 
 ligence of the battle of Uolissa, and thea 
 despatched an officer to sir John iNIoore, 
 directing him to land in the Mondego, and 
 proceed according to circumstances and his 
 own judgment. Moore accordingly reached 
 the Mondego on the 20th, and began to dis- 
 embark, but presently he received counter- 
 orders to follow sir Harry, who had changed 
 his mind, and was proceeding to the mouth 
 of the Maceira, where he arrived on the even- 
 ing of 20th, While the Etiglish tr»ops were
 
 718 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LVII. 
 
 thus divided, Junot had collected his force ; ; circumstances, the decision which he^\•asnow 
 he himself witli the advanced-guard took post ; called upon to make, appeared to sir Harry 
 in front of Torres Vedras, and the main body I Burrard most serious in ils consequences; 
 under Lahorde and Loison, were strong ; and should thearniy be checked in advancing, 
 posted behind the town. They covered the 1 he thought it impossible to calculate the 
 country with their cavalry, of which they had • disasters to which it would be exposed. He 
 about 1300, and sir Arthur could only learn t was of opinion, therefore, that they ought to 
 that their position was very strong, and their j wait for sir John Moore's division. Sir Ar- 
 whole strength assembled there. His own ; thnr represented that at least ten days must 
 plans were speedily formed ; sir Charles Stuart I elapse before these troops could land and 
 (a man whose eminent military talents were | become serviceable at Vimiera ; the two armies 
 never allowed an adequate field wherein to ; were so situated that one of thein must attack ; 
 display themselves,) had carefully surveyed | if the British advanced they would have the 
 this part of the country while he commanded | advantage of acting on the offensive ; in his 
 the British troops in Portugal, for it had not ! opinion they could reach Mafra before they 
 escaped him that upon this ground, in case of ; could be brought to a general engagement; 
 serious invasion, the kingdom must be either ; reaching that point he should turn the French 
 Avon or lost. His maps and topographical t position, and come more immediately in front 
 accounts were in sir Arthur Wellesley's .pos- ; of Lisbon, upon ground which he knew so 
 session. The French either did not under- ; well that he was desirous of making it the "• 
 stand the advantages which the ground offer- 1 scene of action. These representations were 
 ed them, or they believed that a defensive » unavailing ; the adjutant general, B. , general 
 system was not practicable on their part, | Clinton, and colonel Murray, the quarter- 
 because of the disposition of the people. Sir imaster general coincided in opinion with sir 
 Arthur determined to push his advanced- » Harry Burrard; and the orders, which sir 
 guard to Mafra on the following morning, > Arthur Wellesley had given for advancing on 
 turning the enemy's position by this movement ! the morrow, were consequently couuter- 
 and he then hoped to enter Lisbon in pursuit ! nianded. But a part of th^t general's opinion 
 of the retreating enemy. Having laid down ; was soon verified ; he had asserted that a 
 this plan and issued orders for putting it in ; battle could not be delayed, and, as he ex- 
 execution on the morrow, he heard of sir ; pected, Junot on the following morning 
 Harry's arrival and going immediately on » brought his whole force to attack the British 
 board to connnunicate with him, he explained ; army, before they should receive further rciii- 
 his intended measures v forcements. 
 
 But the new commander was more impressr % Thus was the enemy allowed to choose the 
 ed with the difficulties to be encountered, than ; place, the time, and the manner of attack ; 
 encouraged by the success that had hitherto i and they made full use of the advantage, for 
 attended the movements of the army. The < they brought the whole of their force to bear 
 streHgth of the enemy's cavalry, and their own i upon half the British army. There were in 
 want of that important arm of war, kept the ! the field about 14,000 French, and 1G,000 
 British troops at present close to their encamp- * English ; yet they engaged theui with a supe- 
 ment ; and the farther they might advance < riority of nearly two to one. To a general 
 from the ships, (upon v.'hi<h they depended ; of less promptitude, or to troops of less deter- 
 for bread,) the more severely would this infe- « mined courage, this would have been fatal ; 
 riority be felt. The artillery horses were ; but on this occasion the skill of the general 
 inefficient, they Were cast off cavalry, pur- ; was admirably seconded by the gallantry of 
 chased in Ireland, the old, and the blind, and ; officers and men. The intentions of the 
 the lame ; some of them had already died of ; enemy were deceived at every movement, 
 age, and others, though carefully fed, sunk i troops were moved with the utmost celerity 
 under what would have been easy work for; just when and where tliey were needed, -and 
 horses in good condition ; nearly a sixth part ! the heart, and the arm. and t!ie bayonet, did 
 had thus perished upon the way, and of those I the rest. ^A'hcrever the French made the 
 which we-re left many were nol worth the ; attack they were repidsed ; wherever they 
 forage which they consumed. Under these ; were attacked they gave way. Yet they were 
 
 )
 
 CHAP. XVII 3 
 
 oEonr.E in« 
 
 719 
 
 brave enemies ; and had they not been sullied 
 by such crimes, they might deserve for their 
 bravery to be mentioned with adnuratioii. 
 <.>ne charge \vhich they made upon major 
 
 the enemy, aad the country. Sir Harry had 
 hardly more knovvledge than sir Hew; and 
 ssir Arthur Weilesley, who alone was ac- 
 (juainted with all circumstances, had seen hiij 
 
 Ferguson's brigade will long be remembered \ opinion rejected and overruled at the moment 
 
 by those who witnessed it ; it was made by 
 the flower of the enemy's army with the 
 bayonet; they came resolutely to the point 
 
 when the tide of fortune was at its flood. 
 After seeing so fair an op])ortunity lost, he 
 may easily be supposed. to have felt a degree 
 
 of trial, atid in one instant their whole line | of indifference as to subsequent measure.s, 
 was cut down, so decisive was the superiority ! over which ho had no controul, and for which 
 of British courage when brought to this last « he was not responsible. There was an un- 
 test. Above 300 of their grenadiers were I usual delay in sending oft' intelligence of these 
 found dead in the line where they had been | proceedings to England, — -the first account 
 
 drawn up. 
 
 Such was the most lame and Impotent con- 
 clusion of the battle of Vimiera, which, had 
 it been followed up as sir Arthur Weilesley 
 wished to follow it, would have placed the 
 French army at the mercy of the conquerors, 
 liave enabled the Portuguese to obtaiu some 
 justice upon the robbers, and ruffians who 
 had so infamously oppressed them, and have 
 given a signal example to Europe. On the 
 morning after the battle sir Hew Dalrymple 
 arrived. The French had perceived that the 
 British did not know how to protit by the 
 advantage which they had gained • they sup- 
 posed it would be easy to make good terms 
 with men who .seemed so little to feel their 
 own .strength ; and they proposed terms ac- 
 cordingly, which, perhaps, not less to their 
 astonishment, than to the wonder and indig- 
 nation of Great Britain, were accepted. By 
 these terms they were to evacuate Portugal, 
 and be coii\eyed to France, with all tht;ir 
 arms, amniunition, artillery, baggage, and pro- 
 perty, then to be at liberty to serve again ; and 
 the Russian fleet in the Tagns was to be held 
 in deposit by tiie British till six months after 
 a peace should be concluded between Eug- 
 ' land and Russia, when the ships were to (je 
 restored, the crews being immediately to be 
 ■conveyed home in British vessels. Jt was 
 even agreed that the fleet should leave the 
 Tagus unmolested, but the admiral, sir C. 
 Cotton, refusetl to ratify such an agreement. 
 It is easier to account for the terms of this 
 jnenioralde convention than to justify or ex- 
 cuse them. When the connnand was in one 
 general in the morning, in a second at night, 
 and in a third on the morrow, there could 
 be no singleness of view, and therefore no 
 steadiness of conduct. Sir Hew landed 
 in utter ignorance of the state of the army, 
 
 actually came from the junta of Oviedo. This 
 delay seems to iniply a latent a[)prehension 
 in the commander that what he had to emu- 
 municate would not be joyfully received ; 
 men usually lose no time in despatching the 
 bearer of good tidings. How the tidings of 
 the convention of Cintra were received are 
 still fresh in remembrance. An outcry of 
 indignation was set up from all parts of the 
 kingdom, such as had seldom been known 
 before. It was unconnected with any party- 
 spirit or party-views ; it was the impulse of 
 true British feeling ; (he fair hopes of the 
 country had been withered at once, like 
 April blossoms by a snow blast ; our own 
 honour and the interests of our allies had 
 been sacrificed ; we had Hokod for a triumph 
 of moral justice, and of moral feeling, as well 
 as of our armies ; we had seen these things 
 forgotten and despised, and had been fooled 
 in negotiation out of what we had won with 
 the sword. 
 
 An assembly of ioO notables was held at 
 Bayonne, on the 17th of July, (1808,) on the 
 day set apart for the acceptance of the new 
 constitution. A magnificent throne and highly 
 ornamented altar, the service of which was 
 performed by the archbishop of Burgos, were 
 erected in the ch;;mber where they sat. 
 Joseph Buonaparte, to whom had been trans- 
 ferred the crown of Spain by his brother 
 iNapoleon, addressed the junta as their sove 
 reign, to which the president made a suitable 
 reply ; after which many niend)ers took the 
 oath of allegiance, and the junta attended his 
 levee. The Bayonne junta was said to pos- 
 sess a high and independent spirit, but in 
 transactions such as tliese we can only dis- 
 cover the reverse. 
 
 Joseph Bnonaparte entered the Spanish 
 territocj' on the yih of July, 1808, making hi«
 
 720 HJCTORY OF ENGLAND [CHAP. LVil. 
 
 public entrance into the capital on the 20th, ; bility of an ardent, devout, and loyal people, 
 attended by the members of the junta from i was awakened by the anniversary of the 
 Bayonne. His personal or body guard con- | tutelar saint of the prince, St. Ferdinand, 
 listed of 10,000 Italian and other troops, ex- i being the 27th of May, ^Then tlie insurrection 
 elusive of an army of 18,000 men, under the 5 began in different places. Don Niquel de 
 command of general Bessierres, who were ; Saavedra, in the kingdom of Valentia, wa.s 
 posted at Madrid in order to defend him. I put to fleath for opposing the insurgents, and 
 It was even more humiliating than theentrance J the same scenes were exhil)ited at Cuenc^a, 
 of the usurper into Madrid, to behold the $ Carthagena, Malaga, and Granada, in the. 
 names of some of its noblest grandees anions: i Castiles, and Estremadura. When it was 
 the officers of his household. Don Louis > known at Cadiz that the patriots had cor- 
 Mariano de Urquijo was chosen secretary of i responded with the British at Gibraltar, So- 
 state ; Don Pedro Cevallos, minister for i lana, the lieutenant-general of Andalusia, at 
 foreign relations; the duke of Parqne, the; the head of the French faction, came with 
 duke of St. Germain, the duke del Infantado, ; great rapidity to the city, thundering out pro- 
 the count Santa Collona, and the dukes of $ clamations against their designs; but the 
 Ossuna and Sotomayor, were his captains or 5 people, being led on by Spanish officers, rose 
 chamberlains. None of these men redeemed J and surrounded his palace, and while pro- 
 their honour by turning their backs on the ; claiming his attachment to Napoleon they put 
 usurper, till the mass of the people had set ; him to death. The establishment of provin- 
 them an example of patriotism at which they j cial juntas soon brought into unity these un- 
 were probably ashamed. Courtiers could | connected exertions. 
 
 suffer the degradation of the Spanish name;; The supreme junta of Seville took the lead 
 some of the nobility from pusillanimous de- ; in the affairs of the patriots, and with a for- 
 spair, and others, from hopes still more con- i tunate audacity exercised for sonie time all 
 temptible, submitted to the change of dinasty ; » the functions of sovereign authority. Avail- 
 but far nobler passions actuated the people, i ing themselves of some statutes in their con- 
 The flower of their regular army was serving i stitution, by which they were authorised to 
 abroad ; their north eastern frontier was in ; reject the orders of the supreme council of 
 the possession of French garrisons ; tlieir ; Madrid, when the capital was at any time in 
 capital, their interior, and the neighbouring i the hands of foreign troops, they proclaimed 
 kingdom of Portugal, occupied by 100,000 ; war against France, and Ferdinand VII. to 
 veteran French troops, under the command of ; be king of Spain. This pre-eminence in point 
 the best officers in Europe. Though they were I of authority was justly claimed by them from 
 without arms, ammunition, or treasury, and ; the circumstances of Andalusia. That pro- 
 abandoned by their government, they could i vince contained the greatest number of veteran 
 rise to combat with the masters of Europe, | native troops, the only foundery of cannon in 
 and pour a sort of contempt on the tactics ; the whole kingdom, and the most ample store 
 of Buonaparte himself. We must acknow- ; of arms and ammunition. It is likewise the 
 ledge, that in many instances, the conduct of; province in which Gibraltar is situated, and 
 the Spaniards has not kept pace with this i which could best receive assistance from 
 glorious commencement ; but, circumstanced | Great Britain. It is the province of opulence 
 as they were, to have risen with unanimity ; and resources. Tiiough the patriotic ardour 
 for a single moment, exhibits a picture of i was not strongest among the highest ranks, 
 heroism and patriotic virtue absolutely with- ; fhegeneral enrolment of the people was joined 
 out a parallel in the annals of modern history. ; by many of the dignified clergy and nobility. 
 The insurgents employed as a motto " The \ The bishop of St. Andero appeared among 
 Spanish blood shed at Madrid cries for ven- \ the patriots, and the count de Montego was 
 geance." \ unwearied in his exertions with respect to 
 
 Ever since the horrid and disgraceful mas- j enlisting and drilling the volunteers. Re- 
 Bacre at Madrid, the public mind had been ; emits were poured forth by the monasteries 
 very much agitated ; but a general insurrec- ; and the universities ; the standards of the 
 tion did not take place till the abdication of.' former bearing the names of saints, those of 
 Ferdinand was announced. The whole sensi- « the latter the names of Greek or Romafl
 
 CHAP. LVll. 
 
 GEORGC lU. 
 
 721 
 
 liproes. By an agreement betworn the Spa- 
 nish general Castanos and the patriots (if 
 Cadiz, on the one hand, and of the British 
 officers at Gibraltar, and inthe; Mediterranean, 
 on the other. l.,ord Colliugwood arrived with 
 his ships to take tlie command of the British 
 fleet off Cadiz, and general Spencer with six 
 or seven regiments from Gibraltar. Lord 
 Collingwood oflered to reduce the French 
 fleet in the harbour, but Thomas de Morla, 
 wIk) became governor of the city after tiie 
 execution of Solana, resolved that this should 
 be exclusively effected by the Spaniards 
 themselves. The canal of the arsenal con- 
 tained the French ships, so situated as to be 
 beyond the reach of the cannon of the castles, 
 as well as of the Spanish squadron then off 
 Cadiz ; but admiral Kosilly, by the exertion 
 of the gun-boats, bonjb vessels, and batteries 
 on the isle of Leon, near Fort Louis, was 
 obliged to surrender his fleet on the 14th of 
 June, consisting five ships of 74 guns each, 
 one frigate, and 4000 seamen and marines. 
 
 Information having been received, that 
 some French troops had assembled at Tavira, 
 in order to enter Spain on the side of Por- 
 tugal, by the river Guadiana, general Spencer 
 set sail for tliat river with his detachment, 
 and disembarked his troops at Ayamonte. 
 (jcneral Purvis had already sent three ships 
 to the nioutli of the Guadiana, which very 
 much alarmed the French, making them con- 
 centrate all the force at Lisbon, with the ex- 
 ception of a few detachments in fortified 
 places. The l*ortuguese likewise rose on 
 their op]>ressors, and implored assistaiice 
 from admiral sir C. Cotton who had the com- 
 mand of the British naval force in that quar- 
 ter. Friendship and alliance were established 
 between Great Britain and Spain, almost 
 without the ceremony of a proclamation, a 
 change of circumstances having produced so 
 great a change in their relations. Peace, 
 however, was formally proclaimed by the 
 juntas, with Britain, Sweden, antl Portugal ; 
 and the Portuguese provinces of Algarve and 
 Alentejo placed themselves under the protec- 
 tion of the junta of Seville. I'^nvoys were 
 sent to the transmarine establislin)ents of 
 Spain in the Americas, West Indies, and 
 Asia, inviting them to espouse the cause of 
 tile patriots, and of Ferdinand. King Joseph 
 bad sent out proclamations to those colonics, 
 but the vessels in which they were conveyed 
 
 4 z 
 
 were for the most part captured by the Bri- 
 tish, and the crews of such as had arrived, 
 were imprisoned by the transatlantic patriots. 
 Peace was proclaimed with Spain, in the 
 London (iazette, on the 5th of July. Many 
 thousand Spanish prisoners in Britain were 
 liberated, clothed, and sent home to join their 
 countrymen in arms. Besides the arms and 
 treasures which were readily forwarded by 
 government, the people of Great Britain tes- 
 tified their zeal in the cause of the j)atriots 
 by very liberal subscriptions throughout the 
 kingdou), while some corps of militia volun- 
 teered their services. 
 
 The junta of Seville published some ex- 
 cellent precautions, tending to give a proper 
 direction to that desultory mode of warfare 
 which they had resolved to adopt in pre- 
 ference to pitched battles. It would have 
 been a fortunate circumstance if the respec- 
 tive juntas had strictly adhered to truth, in 
 the calculations they made of their fighting 
 men. They were in hopes of terrifying the 
 F^rench by their exaggerations, but they were 
 thus deceiving each other, and their allies, as 
 the gallant sir John Moore felt by woeful ex- 
 perience. Including the army of Junot in 
 Portugal, the F'rench had about 100,000 men 
 in the whole peninsula, the half of which were 
 stationed at Madrid, or its vicinity. Detach- 
 ments from this vast body were sent to take 
 possession of Cadiz and \ alentia, the former 
 under Dupont, and the latter under marshal 
 Moncey. Bessieres was to guard the roads 
 between Madrid and Bayonne, and curb the 
 country as much as possible, by spreading 
 to the right and left. The Spanish general, 
 Cuesta, opposed this northern army with the 
 force of Galiicia, Asturias, Estramadura, and 
 Leon, together with those of some insurgent 
 districts of Biscay. General Castanos had 
 the chief connnand in the ibur kingdoms of 
 Andalusia, with the provinces of Grenada and 
 Valentia, which had united with Andalusia. 
 Admiral Cisneros was captain general of 
 Mercia; Don Joseph Palatbx, of- Arragon ; 
 and count Espetalla, of Catplonia. 
 
 When the army of Dupont left Madrid it 
 nniounted to -iO.tMK) men, with which he cross- 
 ed the mountains of the Morena, and descend- 
 ing into Andalusia, he captured and pillaged 
 Cordova. The French commander received 
 information at this place, that Castanos was 
 advancing with 45,000 patriots, which induced 
 46
 
 722 HISTORY OF ENGLAND- [CHAP. LVll. 
 
 hini to r«^tire, first to a stiong position behind ; nearly invested the town a second time before 
 the Guadalqniver, from whence lie fell back i the end of Jnne, and again got possession of 
 to Baylen. By the desnltory attacks of the > the heights in its vicinity. As the enemy 
 insurgents, he iiad aheady lost a number of; advanced, the people of Saragossa made the 
 his troops ; but his case was only rendered \ best possible use of their feeble means of de- 
 liopeless, when the judicious movements of » fence, tearing the very curtains from the 
 Castanos separated from him the whole di- ; windows, which they converted into bags, 
 vision of his army under general Wedel, to- ; and filled with sand, piling them up before 
 gether with a reinforcement under general I each gate in the form of a battery, and casting 
 JBeih'ard, on its way from Madrid. He made > a deep trench around each of them. In many 
 a bold attack on 25,000 of Castanos' army, as ; places, the gates of Saragossa are connected, 
 a last resource, but was repulsed with the I within the town, by mud-walls of gardens, in 
 loss of 3000 men, and forced to surrender at i others byijuildings, or by the remains of an 
 discretion, in which capitulation was compre- j old Moorish wall, which was even destitute 
 liended the division of general Wedel. It was j of a platform for musquetry. Through these 
 agreed that they should be sent home by sea. ! intervening houses and mud-walls, the intre- 
 The battle of Baylen was fouglit on the 20th ; pid citizens broke holes for musquetry and 
 of July. Equally unfortunate were the la- i cannon, and the houses in the environs of the 
 hours of general Moncey in Valentia ; for j city were either pulled down or consumed by 
 niarching upon that city, after defeating the ; tire. Gardens and olive grounds were, with 
 peasants at the passes of the mountains, he i the greatest cheerfulness, rooted up by their 
 began to cannonade its walls, when he was 5 proprietors, whenever they promoted the de 
 attacked by general Caro, w ith the covering ; fence of the city, or covered the approach of 
 army, beaten back to his camp, and reduced ! the enemy. The women, and even the chil- 
 to the necessity of flying to Madrid. Out of i dren, imitated the exertions of the men. 
 15,000 men whom he brought from the capi- : The industry and heroism of the citizens 
 tal, 1500 were taken prisoners, and 10,000 | were equally astonishing, and great was the 
 returned, comprehending a prodigious number i sagacity of those who conducted its defence 
 of wounded. The defence of Saragossa dis- i They manufactured gunpowder within the 
 played an heroism that was never surpassed ; city, notwithstanding it was on fire in every 
 in antient or modern times. On the 14th of I quarter. At the end of almost two months, 
 June, before it was practicable to organise 5 every effort to recover the adjacent height*; 
 any force for the protection of this defenceless j and environs had proved abortive ; and the 
 city, 9000 French took a position on the | bodies of the besieged were almost exhausted, 
 heights by which Saragossa is commanded, i but their courage was unimpaired. On one 
 A small party of cavialry penetrated into the ; (juarter of the lown the French opened a 
 town; but they paid dearly for their temerity, I most tremendous fire; the mud-walls were 
 and were cut off to a man. The people of J battered down ; the French columns had 
 Saragossa had planted some cannon, in great | entered the city, and were in possession of 
 haste, before the gates of the city ; and, in j half of it, even to the street in the centre, 
 some favourable situations without the town, ; when the French general demanded a capitu- 
 when these outposts were attacked en the i lation in these words ; " Head-quarters, Santa 
 15th of June, by a detachment of French j Engracia ; the Capitulation" And he was 
 troops, their main body endeavouring to ; answered in the following words : " Head- 
 storm the city at one of the gates, both which | quarters, Saragossa ; war to the knife." The 
 attacks were furiously and successfully re- 1 French occupied one side of the principal 
 sisted by the Saragossians. After single I street called Coso, and on the opposite side 
 discharges, they closed with and overpowered i the Arragonese threw up their entrenchments 
 the French, ;i party of whom, having entered | within a few paces of them. It was certain 
 the town, were cut to pieces, and Le Febvre ; and inevitable destruction to appear within 
 retired beyond the reach of their canncm, i this dreadfid interval during the day ; but the 
 losing 27 baggage-waggons and 400 cavalry | combatants olten rushed against the batteries 
 diirmg his retreat. The French, having ob- i of each other, across the street, during the 
 tallied reinforcements of artillery and troops, J night. The ainmunitioa of the Spaniards
 
 CHAP. LVir., 
 
 GEORCG III. 
 
 '23 
 
 began at length to fail, and the people in- 
 sisted on being led out against the enemy with 
 nothing bnt their knives. At tliis most dread- 
 ful period an opportune supply of ammuni- 
 tion and provisions arrived with 3000 Spa- 
 niards, Swiss, and vohinteers of Arragon, 
 who unexpectedly found their way into the 
 city under general Palafox. It was then 
 determined, that if the whole city of Sara- 
 gossa should be consumed, the patriots would 
 retire over the Ebro to the suburbs, and de- 
 fend them till they perished ; a resolution 
 which caused the people to shout for joy. 
 Tile conflict was continued from house to 
 house, from door to door, during eleven days, 
 when the French had lost the whole of the 
 city but about an eighth part. On the night 
 of the 1.3th of August the fire of the French 
 was terribly destructive, and when their bat- 
 teries ceased firing flames were seen issuing 
 IVom many parts of the buildings which they 
 occupied. On the morning of the 14th, to the 
 astonishment of the Saragossians, the enemy's 
 colunnis were beheld at a distance retreat- 
 ing across the plain, on the road to Pam- 
 peluna. 
 
 The French general, Duhesme, had been 
 instructefl to reduce Gerona in Catalonia, 
 at the same time when Le Febre marched 
 against Saragossa ; but after spending a 
 itionth in the siege, he was thrcatene(l in 
 flank I)y the insurgents, and retreated with 
 precipitation. The French with difficulty 
 preventetl the patriots from cutting off' the 
 ronununications of Firpieras, and investing 
 Barcelona. Such were the successes of the 
 patriots in the south and east, though their 
 tfforts in the north of Spain were not crown- 
 ed with so much success, having lost the 
 battle of Medina del Rio Seco, in the pro- 
 vince of Leon. 
 
 Whilr marshal Besseires despatched a 
 force against Saragossa he had also pushed 
 forward columns against Segovia, Ligrono, 
 Valladolid, and St. Andero, Segovia was cap- 
 tured, after the peasantry had been defeated 
 before its walls. The town and province of 
 Volentia were likewise disarmed, and the 
 members of the council of the captured towns 
 were deputed to go to Bayonne, there to sup- 
 plicate the forgiveness of Joseph Buonaparte, 
 aiui swear fealty to his Catholic Majesty. 
 General Merle had marched towards the 
 niouutaius of St. Andero on the 21st of June, 
 
 4 ■/. 2 
 
 and defeated the natives under the patriotic 
 bishop in one rpiarter, whilst general Ducos 
 drove them from post to post into the town 
 from other points. The French generals then 
 made their entrance into St. Andero on dif- 
 ferent sifles ; the peasants returned home, 
 and the city swore allegiance to the usurper. 
 But the most terrible blow to the cause of the 
 patriots was the defeat of the army of the 
 western provinces under Cuesta. That gene- 
 ral, whose forces included all the prisoners 
 which the British government had restored, 
 was attacked on the 14th of July, on the 
 high grounds of Medina del Rio Seco, by 
 the French general Bessieres. Every position 
 was carried which his raw troops had occu- 
 pied ; he lost the whole of his artillery, bag- 
 gage, stores, and the greater part of his army. 
 The Spaniards took their rout through Bene- 
 vento as far as Astorga, and were pursued 
 for many days, every place left behind them 
 surrendering as the enemy advanced. 
 
 It appears, however, that in spite of this 
 defeat the patriots entertained some faint 
 hopes of rallying under Cuesta, and that 
 the fugitives from Medina would obtain 
 reinforcements. When the news of the battle 
 of Baylen reached Madrid, the French im- 
 mediately began to fortify the Reteiro. On the 
 29th of July, in the evening, they began to 
 evacuate Madrid, on which day king Joseph, 
 with the remainder of thd troops, left the metro- 
 polis, proceeding towards Burgos, after he 
 had plundered the piddic treasin-y of the 
 plate and crown jewels of his unfortunate 
 predecessor. The Spaniards emphatically 
 said, " that Josejih had put the crown into 
 his pocket, which he durst not wear upon 
 his head." 
 
 While the government of Frahce could 
 not extinguish the flame of insurrection in 
 Spain, they were still less qualified to prevent 
 its explosion from being heard over the whole 
 of Europe. In vain had Buonaparte endea- 
 voured to impress the Spanish regiments in 
 the army, which he kept watching his recent 
 conquests in Germany, v/itli an idea that his 
 proceedings had received the sanction of the 
 most respectable part of their countrymen. 
 He published an account in the Monitenr 
 that those regiments had voluntarily come 
 forward to devote themselves to his cause, 
 and beg the honour of forming "the body- 
 guard of the new sovereign Jo&eph. Had
 
 724 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVn. 
 
 any such offer been ever made it by no means 
 agreed with the subset|uent spirit manifested 
 by tlie same troops, who, wh(-a informed of 
 tlie true state of their country, placed their 
 colours in the centre of a circle, around 
 Aviiich they formed, and after swearing an 
 oath of patriotism on their bended knees, 
 marched through the hostile battalions by 
 which they were surrounded, but none 
 thought proper to put their desperate courage 
 to the test. 
 
 Ten thousand Spaniards, under the mar- 
 quis Romana, on the islands of Langland, 
 Zealand, and Jutland, who had- thus emanci- 
 pated themselves from the tyrannical yoke of 
 the Fiench, were conveyed away by our fleet 
 in the Baltic, under admiral Iveates, and were 
 landed at Corunua on the last day of Sep- 
 tember, together with their stores, arms, and 
 artillery. 
 
 The legitimate government having been 
 installed at Arnnjuez, preparations were made 
 upon a great scale for completing the work 
 which had been so happily and gloriously 
 begun. The French had at this time about ; 
 G0,000 men in Spain, who occupied a strong \ 
 country, having the Ebro in their front, the | 
 river Aragon on their left, and the bay of| 
 Biscay on their right. Three armies were i 
 set on foot by the Spaniards, in the hope of | 
 expelling them ; that'on the right, ortheeastern 
 army, as it was called, under Palafox, the 
 deliverer of Saragossa ; the central, under 
 Castauos, whose delivertmce of Andalusia 
 liad rendered him deservedly popular; and 
 the left or western army under Blake, who, for 
 the reputation he had obtained at the battle 
 of Rio Seco, had been thus promoted. The 
 nominal force of these armies was 1.30,000 
 men; I)ut it is not probable that they amounted 
 at any time to more than half that number. 
 The Spanish army, before this revolution, had 
 Allien into the worst state of indiscipline ; and 
 during revolutions discipline is the last thing 
 which asoldier learns. Blake had indeed 10,000 
 with him, who, with their conmiander, the 
 marquis de Roma?ia, had been brought off 
 from Denmark by admiral Keates, in a man- 
 ner as well planned as it was dexterously 
 executed. These were good troops ; but ex- 
 cept these, the Spanish armies consisted 
 either of raw levies, or of men who had never 
 seen any thing more than the worthless routine 
 of their slovenly service. The officers were 
 
 equally inexperienced ; in tiie first ebullition 
 of national feeling, the local authorities as- 
 sumed the power of granting commissions, 
 and soon abused the power by granting them 
 to their friends and dependents, without any 
 reference to desert and talents. Men .'ii 
 abundance offered themselves, brave, hardy, 
 patient, devoted to their country, and hating 
 the pei'tidious enemy, with all the vehemence 
 of national and religious haired. But where 
 all were ready to learn there were none to 
 teach. The Spanish commissariat, always 
 bad, was now in so wretched a state that 
 the armies could scarcely be kept together. 
 Men, who in active service, bore without a 
 murmur the secret privations, were not equally 
 passive when they found themselves without 
 proper supplies in their own quarters ; a 
 sense of injury was felt, and acting as if the 
 contract between them and their governmeni 
 was broken, they made no scruple to forsake 
 their regiments and return home ; for in the 
 general overthrow there scarcely remained a 
 shadow of law. The obvious remedy for these 
 evils would have been to reorganise the army 
 by the assistance of British officers. But it 
 must be remembered that at this time the 
 British army did not possess that character 
 which it established during the peninsular 
 war; the French, aided too by many mis- 
 directed expeditions on our part, had per- 
 suaded the continental nations that we were 
 not a military people, and that they were as 
 decidedly superior to us by land as they 
 acknowledged themselves inferior by sea. 
 The Spaniards also, who are proverbially a 
 high minded people, were elated wi'h thei- 
 first successes, and woidd have regarded sucn 
 a measure as a degradation. They had a 
 confidence in the nature and extent of then- 
 country, the spirit of the people, the goodness 
 of their cause, and their old renown, which 
 did not allow them to contei;ij)late the thought 
 of subjugation to France as a thing possil»le. 
 This confidence may be called blind and 
 unreasoning, as their faith in Santiago and 
 Our Lady of the Pillar ; but it was rooted in 
 them. It exposed them often to loss, and to 
 defeat, and danger, but it always preserved 
 them from despondency, and in such a con- 
 test perseverance was sure of being successful 
 at last. 
 
 Buonaparte meantime had not been idle. 
 His first care was to keep the French people,
 
 CHAP. LV[[.] 
 
 (SEORGE III. 
 
 726 
 
 as far as possible, in isynorance of the events 
 vvliiclj had taken j)1;kc' in Si)ai!i. It is a 
 curious indication of liis fear of piildic opinion 
 lespcctinj^ this fresh war in -which he was 
 about to involve France, merely for liis own 
 personal ambition, that he caused it at tliis 
 time to be announced that the kin«f of Eng- 
 land was dead, and that the prince's first act 
 had been to chance his ministers, preparatory 
 to a change of policy on the part of Great Bri- 
 tain. He had expected to strike terror into 
 the Spaniards ; but after the capture of the 
 fleet, the surrender of Dnpont's army, and 
 the signal defeat of Le Febvres at Saragossa, 
 he saw that considcn-able eflbrts were re- 
 quired to crush the insurrection. Before this 
 was made it was necessary to be secure of the 
 continental powers ; for this purpose he had 
 a confeience with the emperor of Russia at 
 Erfnrtii, whicii terminated in an insidious 
 proposal of peace to England, the main object 
 being to secure the alliance of Russia in case 
 of an apprehended attack from Austria. It 
 was not till after his preparations were com- 
 plete that Buonaparte thought fit to publish 
 a detail of the aHairs of Spain, composed in 
 his usual style of misrepresentations and 
 falsehoods. In this ])aper it was affirmed that 
 the landholders, the enlightened men, the 
 superior clergy, were all animated with the 
 best sentiments ; but that the English faction, 
 which had always been very active in the sea- 
 ports and in Madrid, had taken advantage 
 of circumstances, and that England, in fine, 
 had brought about an insurrection by se- 
 ducing the monks and the inquisition ! The 
 excesses which the peo])le had committed in 
 their fear of treason, and their indignation for 
 the massacre at Madrid, were carefully re- 
 lated, and in this respect the paper is valuable, 
 jiothing of this kind being omitted. The loss 
 of the ships at Cadiz was not noticed ; it was 
 said that .Saragossa had been almost wholly 
 destroyed by mines, by bombardment, and by 
 fire ; but it was not said that the French iiad 
 been compelled to abandon the siege; the 
 only acknowledged reverse was the capture 
 of Dnpont. This unexpected event, it was 
 said, which was more important because it 
 encouraged the insmgents, the information 
 that the English threatened the coast of 
 (ialicia, and the heat of the season whicii was 
 unfavourable for rapid movements, induced 
 the king (meaning Joseph Buonaparte,) to j 
 
 concentrate his force, and place them in a 
 country less burning than the plains of New 
 Castile, which might at once ofler tliem a 
 milder air and more salulirious water. lu 
 sum, the principal anuy of the malcontents 
 had been destroyed at Rio Seco ; the body 
 of insurgents scarcely deserved to be taken 
 into account. Men of a right mind saw with 
 with sorrow that England had succeeded in 
 exciting a civil war in the heart of Spain ; 
 but the event could not be doubtful ; and all 
 that the English papers had published con- 
 cerning these transactions was false and 
 absurd. So completely had Buonaparte suc- 
 ceeded in shutting out information from the 
 countries under his controul, that bin grand 
 army of Germany, as it was called, which he 
 now ordered into Spain, knew nothing of 
 what had occurred there till they were in th« 
 country, and learned from the French upon 
 the spot the fate of Dupont and of Junot, and 
 tlie other disgraces and losses which had 
 been sustained. They learned it with astonish- 
 ment, but the impression was transitory. " Wc 
 thought," said M. Rocca, '• we were going 
 upon an easy expedition which would soon 
 be terminated ; conquerors of Germany, we 
 did not suppose that any thing could after- 
 wards retsist us." 
 
 One of the reasons assigned by the British 
 generals for granting such favourable terms 
 to Junot was, that the British army nn'ght be 
 able inmiediately to co-operate with the Spa- 
 niards; one of the effects of this convention 
 was to delay the effects of that cO-operalion ; 
 the transports, which should have carried the 
 British troops to those places where they 
 might have advantageously acted with the 
 Spaniards, being employed in transporting 
 the Frencli to their own country, that they 
 might lose no time in marching to act against 
 tiiem. The convention of Cintra was sigred 
 on the :50th of August ; in Augu.st it had been 
 determined that a British army should be sent 
 to act in the north of Spain, but it was not till 
 the (5th of October tliat sir John Moore re- 
 ceived his appointment to the command, and 
 \vas ordered to fornj a junction in Galicia or 
 Leon with 15,000 men, who had been sent to 
 Corunna under sir David Baird. No time 
 was then lost in making the necessary pre- 
 parations, and seeking for the necessary local 
 information; but so much had already been 
 lost, that sir John Moore, with his advanced--
 
 "id 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVII. 
 
 guard, did not rcacli Salamanca till the 15lh j Sweden, 
 of Npvember. Before lie entered that city, 
 lie heard that the Estremadiiran army, or 
 .^rmy of reserve, under count Belvidere, had 
 been routed at Burgos. 
 
 Buonaparte had made full use of the lei- 
 puix v/hich had been given him. 'J'he British 
 
 against 
 
 a combined attack from 
 Russia, J)enmark, and France. On the 17th 
 of that month, his army reached Gotteuburg, 
 but was not allowed to land. Sir John went 
 to Stockholm to communicate his orders, and 
 concert measures for the security of Sweden. 
 He there found, to his astonishment, that. 
 
 troops had scarcely begun their march from j although the Swedish army was totally in- 
 Portugal, before he had commenced his ope- ; suHicient even for defensive purposes, the 
 rations. His first object was to destroy I thoughts of the king were intent on conquesU 
 Blake's army, before it could be supported i It was at first agreed, that the English should 
 by the English. That army was successful • remain in their ships till some Swedish regi- 
 in the first action ; never did men behave I ments could be collected at Gottenburg, and 
 more gallantly, and never did any army endure s that the combined army should land and 
 severer privations : from the wretched state > conquer Zealand. The plan being examined, 
 of their commissariat, they were without ; it was found that the island of Zealand, inde- 
 clofhing, without shoes, and almost without J pendent of its fortresses, contained a regular 
 food, among the mountains and snows of ; force superior to any that could be brought 
 Biscay ; yet they made head against the i to act effectively against it ; and that the 
 enemy without murmuring. But the French ; islands adjacent were full of French troops. 
 
 continually brought up fresh troops to supply 
 the place of those that fell ; and thus, by 
 dint of repeated attacks, and by numbers 
 even more than discipline, succeeded in 
 
 which in small parties could pass over to it 
 with the greatest facilitJ^ It was then deter- 
 mined that the British alone should land in 
 Finland, storm a fortress, and gain possession 
 
 finally beating down and dispersing the best 5 of the proviuce. It was justly represented 
 of the Spanish armies. While Lefebvre and ; by sir Tohn Moore, that 10,000 British troops 
 Victor were thus employed, Soult and Bes- ; were not qualified to cope with the main 
 sieres attacked the army of Estremadura, i force of the Russian empire. The Swedish 
 which occupied the centre of the Spanish 5 monarch replied, " 1 shall compel you to 
 line of operations, for the armies of Castanos I execute any enterprise that I may judge to 
 and Palafox vvere now united under the com- ; be expedient." The British commander en- 
 niand of the former. This army was weak in j quired, "By what authority he could do so." 
 numbers, not exceeding 12,000 men, who 5 " By anthority from your own sovereign," 
 were mostly recruits and volunteers ; among j returned Gustavus. Sir John requested a 
 the latter were the students of Leon and ; sight of the document, but this proposal was 
 Salamanca, youths of high spirit, who were, | construed by the king into an imputation on 
 almost to a man, cut off, fighting with the ; his royal word ; and he ordered the British 
 most heroic and devoted courage. There ; commander to be arrested. Sir John, how- 
 remained only the army of the right ; Lasnes | ever, found means to escape from Stockholm 
 and Moncey were to act against this, in front ; in disguise, and brought his troops back to 
 and on the left, while Ney, coming upon the } Britain, in conformity to his instructions, 
 rear, was to cut oft" their retreat; the first! Sir John Moore enjoyed the highest repu- 
 part of the plan was carried into full effect, ; tation of any general in the British army. He 
 (^'astanos being defeated with great loss at ; was a man of acknowledged talents, and of 
 Tudela ; but Ney, stopping a day at Soria « tried courage ; indefatigable in business ; a 
 tor the sake of plunder, did not reach Agreda ; strict disciplinarian, but one who reconciled 
 till a day after the wreck of the Spanish army i all who were under him to that discipline, by 
 had passed through on their retreat. This ! his goodness of heart. But he was of a 
 last event, which com])leted the defeat of the ; melancholy temperament, and never contem 
 Spaniards along their whole line, took place 5 plated any thing lio|)efully. The difficulties 
 on the '2.'5rd of November, ten days only after > of his situation were very great : he perfi;ctly 
 sir John Moore had arrived at Salamanca. 5 understood the weakness and disorder of the 
 This last officer had been sent, in the I Spanish armies, and the imbecility of the 
 month of May, to assist our ally, the king of | government ; the character of the people he
 
 CH.VP. LVIl.j GEOUGR III. 727 
 
 <li(l not uiulerstaml so well; and judging | the question is what would that cabinet direct 
 from the apathy which he saw, he beli<n'ed ; were they upon tlie spot to determine ? It 
 that the French would have little more than | is of mucii importance that tliis should he 
 a march to subdue the country. " The pro- ; thoroughly considered ; it is comparatively of 
 bability," says he, in a letter to one of his | very little on whom shall rest the greatest 
 brotliers, " is that the French will succeed ; 5 share of responsibility. 1 am willing to take 
 and if they do it will be from no talent having | the whole or a part, but I am very anxious to 
 sjjrung up after the first effort, to take ad- i know your opinion." 
 
 vantage of the impulse, and of the enthusiasm 5 Siu John Moore's own judgment was for 
 w hich then existed. The Spaniards have not \ retreat. The day after he had thus written to 
 shewn themselves a wise or a prudent people. ! the British ambassador, advices reached him 
 Their wisdom is not a wisdom of iiction ; but I of the dispersion of Casianos' army ; upon 
 still they are a fine people; a character of ; which he immediately ordered sir David Baird 
 their own, quite distinct from other nations; > to fall back on Corunna and embark there, 
 and much might have been done with them. $ while he made for Lisbon ; and he desired 
 Pray for me that I may make right decisions, \ sir David would write to England, and beg 
 if I make bad ones it will not be for want of 5 that transports might be sent to the Tagns, 
 consideration." These words feelingly express ? adding these remarkable words, "they will 
 the state of the general's mind. He arrived, ; be wanted, for when the French have Spain, 
 by no fault of his own, too late in Spain to ; Portugal cannot be defended. ' Mr. Frere 
 assist the armies of Blake and of count Beloc- i was for the bolder course ; he argued upon 
 dere ; and while he waited six weeks at Sala- i the impoftance of preserving Madrid, for the 
 manca, to be guided by the course of events, I effect it would produce in Spain, and still 
 events occurred so rapidly, and such difficulties ; more in France; and he remarked " that the 
 appeared to crowd upon him on every side, that j siege of a capital by a pretender to the throne 
 he remained in a state of indecision. Creat j would be a circumstance decisive against him, 
 things have been effected in war by hope, i even if, in other respects, his claim were a 
 miraculous ones by despair ; but indecision i legitimate one. lie thought that a strong 
 can lead only to disaster and rwiin. From > force would soon be collected about the Bri- 
 the moment Blake's defeat was known, it ; tish if they advanced there; the remains of 
 became certain that Buonaparte would make i Castanos'army were falling back thither, and 
 for Madiid ; there were then two courses lor 5 thither the reinforcements from all parts would 
 the British general, which to choose, to ; be directed; of the people he had no doubt, 
 advance to Madrid, and take upon himself ! nor of the inhabitants of Madrid, who were full 
 the defence of the capital ; or to retreat, and • of resolution and determined to defend their 
 take up a defensive position. Sir John Moore ; town. Any retreat he deprecated; but in 
 perceived the alternative, and stated it to Mr. ! case sir John should differ from him in 
 Frere, the British minister at iVranjucz. ? opinion, he ventured to reconnnend retaining 
 
 " As soon as the British army has formed > possession of Astorga; a retreat'from thence 
 a junction, I must, upon the supposition that ■ to Corunna would be less difficult than through 
 Castanos is either beaten or retreated, march i Portugal to Lisbon ; and in that position he 
 npon Madrid and throw myself into the heart j might wait for cavalry from England, which 
 of Spain, and thus run all risks and share the ; would enable him toartin the plains of Leou 
 fortunes of the Spanish nation, or 1 must fall | and Old Castile." Every day now brought fresh 
 back upon Portugal." "The question," he ; tidings ; the French advanced rapidly upon 
 says fiirther, " is not purely a military one. ; Madrid, and the inhabitants became more 
 It belongs at least as much to you as to me i enthusiastic as the enemy approached. Their 
 to decide. Your communications with the i spirit had been tried aiul proved on the 2nd of 
 Spanish government, and the opportunities < .May ; and it had been shown at Saragossa 
 you have had of judging of the general state ; that no fortress is capable of such a fornji- 
 of the country, enable you to form a just esti- i dable defence as a great city when the inhabi- 
 mate of the resistance that is likely to be 5 tants are determined to defend it street by 
 offered. You are perhaps better acquainted ; street, and house by house. Mr. Frere com- 
 with the views of the British cabinet; and I municated this intelligence to sir John Mooro,
 
 728 
 
 ni^TOHY CF ENGLAND 
 
 [chap. LVM. 
 
 representing the propriety and necessity of 
 supportin^^ the Spanish jipople, anrl t;iking 
 upon himself any responsi!)iiity wiiicli might 
 attach to the advice. This despatcli he sent 
 by colonel Charmilly, a French emigrant 
 oflicer in the British 'ser^ice. But ^s Mr. 
 Frere was now informed of sir John Moore's 
 determination to retreat, in case he should 
 continue in that determination, he desired that 
 Charmilly might be previously examined in a 
 Opuncil of war. This was stated in a second 
 letter, which Charmilly v^as not to deliver 
 unless it was necessary. In writing it Mr. 
 Frere M'as not influenced by his zeal for the 
 public service alone ; he thought that a coun- 
 cil of war would exonerate the general from 
 any responsibility which he might be unwilling 
 to incur. Sir John Moore was exceedingly 
 indignant at receiving this letter; that feeling, 
 however, was soon subdued, and, upon weigh- 
 ing all circumstances, he determined to make 
 a forward movement, and recalled ^n* David 
 Baird. Before he could begin his march he 
 Y/as informed of the betrayal of Madrid ; 
 materially as the circumstances had now 
 changed, he thought it possible to strike a blow 
 against an enemy's corps under Soult, of 
 which he had obtained information by an 
 intercepted letter from Berthier. But the 
 movement had been (L^layed too long, and 
 was undertaken with little or no hope, — " it 
 was," he said, "of the most dangerous kind, 
 as he ran the risk not only of being surrounded 
 by superior forces, but of having his commu- 
 nication with Galicia intercepted ;" and he 
 advanced, in his ownwords, " bridle in hand, 
 and expecting to have a run for it." That 
 expectation was woefully fulfilled. Buona- 
 parte, with all his disposable force, hastened 
 from Madrid in the hope of cutting him of. 
 The army of Soult alone, was superior to that 
 of the British, and Junot with another corps 
 threatened our right flank, while Buonaparte 
 proceeded with so much rapidity that the 
 advanced-guard of his cavalry marched 
 through to Tordesillas on the same day that 
 the van of the British left Sahagun. Both 
 the French and the British were moving 
 towards Benevente, which was sixty miles 
 distant from the fortner, and forty from the 
 latter. The whole disposable force of the 
 French continued rapidly to advance; the 
 cavalry of Buonaparte came up with the 
 British Fear-guard at Benevente, and by the 
 
 gallantry and skill of lord Paget they were 
 repulsed. It was the intention of Soult to 
 cut oH'the retreat of the Ei:glish at Astorga, 
 but the manoeuvres of sir John rendered all 
 his efforts to accomplish thatobject ineffectual. 
 The iotal apathy of the Spaniards of Galicia 
 prevented the English general from halting it? 
 tliatprovince, and had he remained atAstor^-a. 
 it wotdd have been difficult if not impossiblo 
 to retreat to Corunna. Buonaparte joined 
 the army of Soult at Astorga, and perceiving 
 that sir John by the rapidity of his move- 
 ments had totally escapi^l the danger of being 
 surrounded, determined to proceed no farther 
 in person, and charged marshal Soult witli 
 what he called, in his own insolent language, 
 " the glorious mission of destroying the Eng- 
 lish army, of pursuing them to their point of 
 embarkation, and <lriving them into the sea."' 
 Never, in the most melancholy ages of 
 Spanish history, had a more miserable scene 
 been represented than was now to be wit- 
 nessed in the ranks of the retreating army. 
 The horses began ""to fad, the rain continued 
 pouring, the baggage was to be dragged, and 
 the men were to Avade through half melted 
 snows, the feet of the men as well as of the 
 beasts began to fail, more magazines were 
 left behind, more ammunition destroyed along 
 the way. Some of the men abandoned them- 
 selves to destruction, conscious that if they 
 proceeded they must die of cold, hunger, and 
 fatigue. Several got into the wine cellars, 
 and giving way to desperate excess were 
 found dead when the French entered tiie 
 town. That no horror might be wanted 
 women and children accompanied this wretch- 
 ed army. Some were frozen to death in the 
 baggage waggons, some died of fatigue and 
 cold while their infants were sucking the 
 empty breasts, and one female expired be- 
 tween her two babes in the drifted snow. 
 
 The different divisions had been ordered 
 to collect at Lengo, and the design of retreat- 
 ing on Vigo was abandoned. Several partial 
 actions occurred in the neighbourhood of the 
 former position, and it was the general opinion 
 of the army, that a successful resistance 
 might have been opposed, at that place, to 
 the collected forces of the enemy. On the 
 7th of January, 1809, the English general 
 perceived the French accumulating on his 
 left wing, to which he repaired in person. The 
 men Mere so aniniated by his voice aiu.1 ap-
 
 CHAP. LVlI.j GEORGE III. 72t> 
 
 pearance tliat they rushrd forward with ; majors advaiiririj too far in the parsuit re- 
 charged bayonet, driviiia^ back a coliiniii of j ceived many wounds, and was made prisoner, 
 the tMiemy, before wliicli they were at first j while the other major was mortally wounded, 
 retiring, with considerable slaughter. ; Thk conunander-in-chief then proceeded 
 
 On the 8th of January, at an early honr in ; to the 42iid regiment, and exclaimed " High- 
 the morning, the British army was assembled ; landers remember Egypt." They rushed 
 at Lugo in battle array, and od'ered to engage i im|)etnons]y forward, driving the French 
 the enemy. But the challenge was refu.sed, j before them till they were impeded by a wall, 
 and sir John determined to continue his retreat. I Affer .KComi)anying thein in this charge, sir 
 Whenever an opportunity occurred of facing i John dispatched captain Ilar^nge to order 
 the enemy the conduct of the British troops ; up a battalion of the guards to the left flank 
 was chearful, courageous, and exemjjlary ; i of the 42iid, which caused the officer com- 
 bnt in almost every instance of retreat their < manding the light infantry to apprehend that 
 demeanoiu- was insulting, licentious, and ; they were to be relieved by the guards be- 
 intemperate. On the road from Lwgo to i cause their amnuuiition was expended, and 
 Corunna their irregularities were as disgrace- > he began to fall back. The general discover- 
 ful as their insubordination was alarming. ; ing his mistake said to the Highlanders, 
 They arrived, however, January 11th, at the ;" my brave 42nd join your comrades; am- 
 latter place, twelve hours in advance of the ; munition is coming, and you have your 
 French, and arrangements were renewed to i bayonets !" On learning this they instantly 
 give the enemy battle. The position on the J moved forward. Captain Hardinge returned 
 heights at the greatest distance from Corunna, ; and pointed out to the general where' the 
 but the most interesting in respect of defence, i guards were advancing. The enemy kept up 
 was necessarily abandonetl to the enemy, as | a powerful and unremitted fire, and the artil- 
 the small number of tiie British were un- | lery played incessantly on the spot near 
 equal to the protection of so great an extent ; which they stood. Sir John was struck by 
 of ground, and a second range was occupied j a cannon-shot, which carried away his left 
 of inferior advanttige. The British were drawn > shoulder and part of the collar-bone, leaving 
 up in battle array on the 16th, in order to I the arm hanging by the flesh. He fell from 
 recei\ethe enemy, who conunenced a dread- J his horse on his back, his countenance re- 
 ful cannonade from eleven guns which they ; mained unaltered, and he seemed insensible 
 had planted on the heights, and five strong ; to pain. Captain Hardinge, who dismounted 
 columns were perceived advancing to attack « and took him by the hand, perceived that his 
 the British. The position of the English 1 eyes were anxiously fixed on the 22nd, which 
 right wing was unavoidably bad, and sir John ! was warmly engaged. On being told that 
 therefore commanded in person where his i they were advancing, his features sparkled 
 presence was most needed to animate, and > with delight. Colonel Graham, who now 
 his skill to direct the troops. It was soon ; came up to assist him, viewing the composure 
 discovered that the French extended far be- t of his features began to hope that he was not 
 yond the right flank of the British, which it > wounded, till he saw the dreadful laceration., 
 was tlieir object to turn. To prevent this : From the size of the wound it was vain to 
 manoeuvre fronj succeeding, one half of the ; make any attempt to stop the blood, and he 
 4th regiment, of which that flank was com- | consented to be removed in a blanket to the 
 posed, received orders to fall back, to refuse < rear. In raising him up his sword hanging 
 theiv right, and to form an obtuse angle with i on the wounded side touched his arm, and 
 the other half. This manoeuvre was most ! bee ime entangled between his legs. Captain 
 admirably performed, and they commenced a ; Hardinge began to unbuckle it, butliie gene- 
 heavy flanking fire. Sir John Moore called ; ral said in his usual tone and manner, " It is 
 out to them that this was exactly what he ; as well as it is. I would rather it should go 
 wished to have done, and rode on to the .")Oth, ! out of the field with me." He was borne by 
 commanded by majors rs'apier and Stanhope. « six soldiers of the 42nd regiment and of the 
 They penetrated an enclosure in front, and > guards. Hai-dinge observiug his composure, 
 grallantly charged the enemy, driving them ; expressed his confidence that he would be 
 t)ut of tine village of Elvina, "but one of their ; restored to the army and recover. Moore 
 
 5 a 46
 
 73© 
 
 irrSTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVII. 
 
 turned his head, and lookiiij? stondfastly at 
 the wound for a few seconds replied " No 
 Ilardinge, I feel that to he iinpossihle." 
 
 As the soldiers were carrying him slowly 
 along he made them frequently tinn round 
 that he might see the field of hattle, and listen 
 to the firing, and was well pleased when the 
 sound grew fainter. 'A spring waggon came 
 up l)earing colonel Wyncli who was wounded. 
 The rolonel :*«ked Avho was in the blanket, 
 and being informed that it was sir John Moore, 
 wished him to be placed in the waggon. Sir 
 John asked one of the Highlanders whether 
 lie thought the wiiggon or blanket was best. 
 The man replied the blanket would not shake 
 him so much, as he and the other soldiers 
 would keep the step, and carry hini easy. 
 They proceeded with 'their beloved coni- 
 man<ler to his quarters at C'ormma weeping 
 as they passed along. 
 
 In the mean time general Paget hastened 
 with the reserve to support the right wing, 
 and colonel Beckwith rushed on with the rifle 
 corps, and advanced on their flanking corps 
 so far as almost to carry ofl' one of their can- 
 non, but a greatly snperioi- force moved u|) 
 the valley and at last compelled him to retire. 
 General Paget, however, attacked this body 
 of the enemy which he repulsed, and rushing 
 on dispersing every thing before him till the 
 enemy, perceiving that their left wing was 
 entirely exposed, precipitately fell back. The 
 French then advanced on generals Manning- 
 ham and Leith, who commanded in the centre, 
 where they were more easily repulsed, the 
 ground being of a more elevated nature, and 
 more favourable for the management of artil- 
 Igryi, The position on the left was strong, 
 and here the eHbrts of the enemy were ex- 
 tretnely unavailing; but a body of them gain- 
 ed possession of a village on the road to 
 lietanzos, and continued to fire upon it, till 
 they were attacked by lieutenant-colonel 
 IVichoUs, and completely driven out. Night 
 now advanced, and the French had fallen 
 back in every part of the field ; but the firing 
 was not discontinued till darkness- concealed 
 the hostile parties from each other. 
 
 No victory, was ever gained under heavier 
 or more severe disadvantages. The French 
 force did not fall short of 30,000 men, and the 
 British did not amount, by this time, to 15,000. 
 The superiority of the French artillery was 
 equally great ; they had met British guns on 
 
 the road, sent off too late to the patriotic 
 armies, wnich they had turned back, and 
 employed against the British army. Our artil- 
 lery was already end^arked, and the Shrapnell 
 shells, which contributed so essentially to the 
 success at Vimiera, were not employed in this 
 more dangerous engagement. If we take into 
 view the moral and physical state of the two 
 armies,- the disadvantages under which the 
 British army laboured were still greater. The 
 French were clothed in the st<nes which they 
 had overtaken on the road ; they were elated 
 with a pursuit in which no man had been Imi- 
 ried beyond his strength, constantly receiving 
 reinforcements to their previously superior 
 numbers, while the British were in a state of 
 misery, to which no army had ever before 
 been reduced before a complete defeat; tliey 
 had lost their military chest, stores, baggage, 
 horses, women, and children ; their sick, 
 wounded, stragglers, and every thing but 
 their unconquerable courage. The British 
 loss in battle did not a?nount to 800 men, 
 while that of the French exceeded 2000. If a 
 British army gained a victory under circum- 
 stances like these, what might not have been 
 acconqdished by that army unbroken, with 
 all its means in readiness, and invigorated by 
 health, strength, pride, and hope ! 
 
 Sir John Moore lived to hear the joyful 
 news that the battle was won. " Are the 
 French beaten ? 1 hope the people of Eng- 
 land will be satisfied! I hope my countrv 
 will do n'ie justice." He then said to colonel 
 Anderson, who had been his companion in 
 arms for 21 years, '* Anderson, you know I 
 have always wished to die this May. You 
 will see my friends as soon as yon can :— tell 
 them every thing ; — say to my mother," but 
 here his voice entirely failed, and he became 
 very much agitated, not venturing to name 
 her a second time. 'i^.He sometimes asked to 
 be placed in an easier postm-e. " I feel my- 
 self so strong', I fear I shall be long dying." 
 In a short time after he pressed the hand of 
 Anderson close to his body, and die<l with- 
 out a struggle in the course of a few minutes. 
 He fell, as it had constantly been his wish to 
 do, in battle and in victory. Perhaps no 
 man in private life was ever more beloved, 
 and no general in the British army was more 
 universally respected. All men deemed him 
 worthy of the chief command. Had he been 
 more confiilent in himself, and inspired with
 
 Zi^^ M. SprU ii-'S'i-^ SU*-JS*anr. im» ref.JpjalAdi' .
 
 I
 
 CHAP. LVII.] GEORGE III. 731 
 
 less veneration for the French generals, he ; General Hope, who had now the chief" 
 would have been still more e(jual to the i coniinaiid, spent the night in embarking the 
 dilliculties of his arduous situation. Let it ; troops. They were at ten o'clock to march 
 always be remembered with gratitude, that | from the field by brigades, leaving strong 
 sir John Moore preserved the honour of | picquets to guard the ground, and give notice 
 Great Britain, when advised by some of his | if the enemy approached. General Beresford 
 generalofiicerstocoucludetheretreatby acapi- i occupied the lines in front of Coruuna with 
 tulation. He fougiit and he conquered, while } a rear-guard of 2000 men, to cover the em- 
 his victory deprived us of one of the greatest j barkation. General Hill was stationed on a 
 generals thateverfoughtatthehead of an army, i promontory behind the town, with a corps of 
 l«no He frequently said, that if he was : reserve ;. and almost the whole army was 
 slain in battle, he could wish to be ; enil)arked during the night; the picqnets 
 buried where he fell. At midnight the body j were withdrawn, and likewiseembarked before 
 was removed to the citadel at Corunna, a | day, little remaining ashore by day-light, ex- 
 grave was dug for him on the rampart there, ; cept the rear-guard and reserve. The French 
 by a party of the 9th regiment; no coffin ! pushed on their light troops to the heights 
 could be procured ; and the officers of his » of St. Lucia, which commanded tlie harbour, 
 stafl' wrapped the body, dressed as it was, in ; drew up some cannon to a rising ground, and 
 a military cloak and blankets. The inter- ; fired at the transports. During the night of 
 mentwas hastened ; for some firing was heard » the 17th and the subsequent morning, gene- 
 about eight in the morning, and the oflicers { ral Beresford sent off all the sick and wouiid- 
 were afraid that they should be ordered away, % ed who were in a condition to be removed ; 
 should a serious attack be made, in which case ; and, in fine, the rear-guard got into the boats, 
 they would not have the opportunity of pay- 5 no attempt being made by the enemy to inter- 
 ing him their last duty. The officers of his i rupt them. Such was the termiuation of our 
 staficarried him to the grave, and the chaplain i first campaign in Spain, 
 read the funeral service, after which the body i 
 was covered with earth. \ 
 
 CHAPTER LVIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. '^ 
 
 [1809.] 
 
 Tiivesfigntion into the Conduct of his Royal Highness the Dtike of York. — Second Campaign in 
 the Peninsula—BATTLEOF TALAV ERA— Retreat of Sir Arthur IVellesiey— Re- 
 newal of the War between. France ami Austria — Militanj Preparations — Capture of Vienna — 
 Battle ofAspern — Inactivity of the Archduke — Battle of Wag ram — Humiliating Treaty of 
 Vientia. 
 
 AMIDST the momentous events which > important subject of national interest to the 
 occured in every quarter of the globe, the 5 secret narratives of exalted licentiousness, and 
 tickle and inquisitive temper of the English 5 courtly scandal. The merits of the duke of 
 people was diverted from every seiious and ; York, as chief commander of the army, had
 
 732 
 
 HI«TORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVUl. 
 
 been long and generally acknowledged, but 
 the insinuations and aspersions of a lawless 
 and malignant crew diffused throughout the 
 peoj)le a jealousy of his power, and a con- 
 tempt of his character as cruel as unjust. 
 That he was in many instances guilty of official 
 indisci-etion, and that his private habits by 
 flo means accorded with the strictest rules of 
 virtue and morality, was admitted by his 
 friends ; but though he had sometimes com- 
 j)lied too readily with the wishes of a favourite 
 mistress, and in one or two instances sacrificed 
 the rules of promotion to tlv smiles of Mrs. 
 Clarke ; the ferment excited and the language 
 adopted respecting his personal failings, and 
 his public delinquency, were totally dispro- 
 portioned to his errors. 
 
 It is with unmingled pleasure that 
 * the historian is recalled from the con- 
 templation of triumphant corruption at home, 
 to the narrative of the victories abroad, 
 atchievedby the prowess of our military heroes. 
 Fresh troops meantime had been sent from 
 England to the Tagus, and on the 22nd of 
 April, 1809, sir Arthur Wellesley landed at 
 Lisbon ; the error of placing such a man 
 under the controul of inferior minds had been 
 severely felt, and he came now as commander- 
 in-chief. Thus far our government had groAvn 
 wiser by experience, l)ut it had not yet learned 
 to proportion the effort to the occasion. 
 
 While general Beresford, who had been 
 appointed commander-in-chief of the Portu- 
 guese, advanced from Coimbra, in a N. E. 
 direction, to act upon the enemy's left, sir 
 Arthur proceeded with all speed to the Douro, 
 and reached it after a few skirmishes. The 
 Portuguese eagerly brought boats ; an im- 
 mense standard of white cloth, bearing an 
 embroidered cross, was planted by the people 
 on the beach of Villa INova, and the opposite 
 wall of ]*orto, which runs along the river, was 
 lined with people waving white handker- 
 chieves, and with the most lively gestures 
 inviting their deliverers. General Murray 
 effected his passage at Avintas, about 
 a league from the city. Another division 
 embarked innnediately above Villa Nova; 
 and general Sherbrooke, taking advantage 
 of the weakness of the enemy in the town, 
 crossed directly from that suburb. They 
 made a vigorous attack upon the first troops 
 who landed; but failing in this, took flight, 
 and sir Arthur is said to have sat down to 
 
 the dinner which had tliat day been prepared 
 for marshal Soult. Beresford, mean time, by 
 a rapid movement, Irad reached Amarante, 
 where he drove in Loison's out-posts, and 
 iTcovered the bridge; then marched upon 
 Chaves, while Silveira hastened to occupy 
 the passes of Ruivaes and Melgacjo ; but for 
 this the Portuguese general was too late ; for 
 finding Amarante occupied, Soult turned to the 
 left, and leaving every thing behind him, "flecj 
 by way of Braga and Montalegre ; but the 
 British troops had then so far outstripped 
 their commissariat that they could proceed no 
 farther. 
 
 The French committed great cruelties i»i 
 their flight ; they burnt all the villages, and 
 murdered the peasants, many of whom were 
 found by the English hung up along the road 
 side. They suffered for their crimes, for every 
 straggler and every man who dropped by the 
 way was put to death without mercy by the 
 country people, before our advanced-guard 
 could come up. To overtake them was im- 
 possible :—" If an army," 8ays sir Arthur in 
 his desj>atches, " throws away every thing, 
 and abandons all those who are entitled to its 
 protection but impede its progress, it must 
 obviously be able to march through roads 
 where it cannot be overtaken by an enemy 
 who has not made the same sacrifices." Soult 
 therefore escaped with the loss of from 7000 
 to 8000 men, (a third of his army,) and the 
 whole of his stores, baggage, and artillery. 
 Sir Arthur then turned his face towards 
 Victor, who had just entered Portugal on the 
 side of Alcantara ; that general, however, 
 whose advance had only been designed as a 
 feint in Soult's favom% returned to his former 
 quarters at Truxillo, and if Cuosta had been 
 skilful enough to co-operate with the British 
 army, migiit have been cut ofl' by a movement 
 whicli sir Arthur meditated through Castello 
 Branco and Plasencia upon the bridge of 
 Almarez. Victor was aware of his darvger, 
 and retreated beyond that bridge, and the 
 British army then marched to form its junction 
 with the Spaniards in the same coxuitry on 
 the right bank of the Tagus, The Spaniards 
 had at this time two eihcient armies on foot if 
 they had been properly commanded ; that 
 under Cuesta, which the junta had re-establish- 
 ed with prodigious exertions after the battle 
 of Medellin ; and that under Vanegas, in La 
 Mancha, which had in like manner been 
 
 I
 
 CHAP. LVIII-l 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 '/33 
 
 refitted after its more opprobrious route to 
 Ciudad Real. The fonnrr was how united 
 to the British army ; and while Variegas on 
 the right alarmed the enemy for Madrid, sir 
 Robert Wilson and his Portuguese legion 
 communicated with the allies on the left, and 
 kept up a corres])ondenre with it. It was a 
 golden opportunity. JUionaparte had received 
 a tremendous check in Germany, and all his 
 exertions were required upon the Danube ; 
 the French in Spain were disheartened, and 
 jthey expected again to be driven beyond 
 the Ebro. 
 
 But the course of the British general was 
 impeded at the very moment when time thus 
 fairly offered his forelock. Vanegas perplexed 
 by orders and counter-orders, and having 
 neither the eye which sees all occasions, nor 
 the moral courage which incurs any respon- 
 sibility rather than let one pass, did not ad- 
 vance upon the capital as he ought to have 
 done, contenting himself with an useless can- 
 nonade of IVtIedo. And Cuesta would not 
 join with sir Arthur in making an attack upon 
 Victor before he should be joined by Joseph 
 and Sebastiani, for aheap of nugatory reasons, 
 one of which was that he scrupled at fighting 
 •ipon a Sunday ! His priests might have told 
 him that if his horse or ass had fallen into a 
 pit on the Sabbath day, it is the fool only 
 who woi'ld scruple to help them out, — much 
 less should a man scruple to stretch forth his 
 hand for the assistance of his sufll-ring country. 
 Victor employed the time well which had 
 been thus insanely given, and fell back upon 
 the army which was hastening to join him. 
 Had the attack been made when sir Ariliur 
 proposed, the victory had been certain, and 
 the possession of the capital would have been 
 the reward ; all <liflicullies concerning sub- 
 sistence would have been at an end. The 
 dirticultie.5 were now severely felt. The Spa- 
 nish commissariat was in the most miserable 
 state ; ours was at that time only in its ap- 
 prenticeship ; it was interfered with by that 
 of our allies; and owing partly to the nature 
 of our government, and partly to an excess 
 of honourable feelings in the British character, 
 'vf have sometimes sacrificrd the common 
 interest to an overstrained delicacy on these 
 points. A ))rnper search in Talavera would 
 have discovered large tpiantities of grain, for 
 the ample supply of both armies, at a time 
 when sir Arthur was actually disabled from 
 
 advancing by want of bread and means of 
 transport. Cuesta acknowledged this inability, 
 and advanced alone in pursuit of Victor, ex- 
 pecting to enter Madrid ; he received a check 
 at Tarrijos from tlu^ combined armies of the 
 enemy, and retreating twenty miles, recrossed 
 the Alverche, and again formed a junction 
 with the British. Sir Arthur then perceived 
 that having lost the opportunity of making 
 the attack, it must be his fate to abide it. 
 fie made his dispositions accordingly. Oa 
 the '24th of July, before one o'clock, the 
 brigades of artillery and reserve ammunition 
 marclied from their encampment, and as^ 
 sembled an hour before day-light near the 
 ruins of an old convent about a mile fron) the 
 Alberche, where the ammunition remained, to 
 be at hand if rerpiired. Two divisions of 
 infantry, and a bi-igade of cavalry, under lieu- 
 tenant-general Slierbrooke, forded the river 
 in front, while the Spanish army crossed it by 
 the bridge on our right in order to turn the 
 left flank of the enemy's position, but to the 
 great disappoiiitmeiit of the British, Victor had 
 retreated during the night to Santa Olalla. 
 General Slierbrooke's division proceeded to 
 Casalegas, one league beyond the Alberche, 
 an'd Cuesta continued the pursuit as far as 
 Torrijos, on the road from Santa Olalla to 
 Toledo. On the 26th Joseph Buonaparte 
 had concentrated the whole of his disposable 
 force between Torrijos and Toledo, amount- 
 ing to nearly 50,000 men. He advanced, on 
 thf same day, to Torrijos, and drove in the 
 iidvanced-guard of Cuesta, who retreated in a 
 disorderly manner across the Alberche to the 
 j)osition in front of Talavera. IJeutenant- 
 geiieral Slierbrooke at the same time with- 
 drew from Casalegas, leaving an advanced- 
 guard of one division of infantry and a brigade 
 of cavalry under tnajor general Mackenzie, in 
 the woods on the right bank of the Alberche, 
 between that river and the town of Talavera. 
 
 On the 27th the French advanced from 
 Santa Olalla, crossed the Alberche about two 
 o'clock in the afternoon, and attacked the 
 division of major-general Mackenzie, which 
 was ordered to retire to its station in the 
 position taken up by the main body of the 
 army. This movement was effected in the 
 l>est order ; the advanced-guard disputing 
 every foot of ground with the enemy who 
 were much superior in numbers. The posi- 
 tion occupied by the combined army extended
 
 734 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVIII. 
 
 nearly three mipRS, the riijlit flank protected 
 by the Tagus, and the feft resting on a height 
 which commanded th^ greater part of the 
 field of battle. On the left of the position 
 vas a valley running between the height and 
 the mountains, which took the direction of 
 Escalona. The Spanish army was posted on 
 the right in two lines. The town of Talavera, 
 in j)art surrounded by old walls, was occu- 
 pied by a division of their troops, and the 
 ground in their front was much intersected 
 witii olive grounds and vineyards, and with 
 mudbaiik enclosures. The right of the Bri- 
 tish line joined the left of the Spanish, and 
 extended to the height before mentioned. 
 The ground in front was open, but in many j 
 parts intercepted by deep gullies formed by 
 the rain from the mountains and at that time 
 dry. In the centre between the combined 
 armies was an unfinished redoubt, which did 
 not afford the least centre to the guns placed 
 in it, being merely an excavation of about 
 twenty feet wide, and two feet deep, with the 
 earth thrown up inside o^ it. As soon as the 
 advanced-guard was withdrawn the enemy 
 pushed forward, and about five o'clock in 
 the evening commenced a general action, by 
 a heavy cannonade, upon the British line, and 
 an attempt to take possession of the com- 
 manding height on our left near the valley. In \ 
 this attempt they were completely repulsed, ' 
 and driven back by the division under gene- 
 ral Hill. During the night a second attempt 
 was made an tlie height, of which the enemy 
 obtained a momentary possession, but were 
 again repulsed and pursued with great 
 slaughter nearly to their own lines. In this 
 state of alarm the night was spent. Daylight 
 discovered the contending parties drawn up 
 in order of battle as on the preceding night, 
 within 600 yards of each other. Nearly an 
 liour elapsed before a gun was fired, when 
 the action recommenced by a heavy can- 
 nonade on both sides, and by an attempt of 
 the enemy with two divisions of infantry to \ 
 8torm the height. They were once more " 
 repulsed by the bayonets of major-general 
 i I ill's division. From this period till about 
 mid-day the action was chiefly maintained by 
 the fire of artillery, that of the enemy being 
 considerably more numerous and of heavier 
 metal than our own. Tlieir shells were thrown 
 with great precision, and did considerable 
 execution. One of our aminunition waggons 
 
 was blown up, and we in return dismounted 
 several of their guns, and blew up two of 
 their tumbrils. During the interval after the 
 firing had ceased, the French were observed 
 to be drawing into line more cannon and fresh 
 troops, and forming in the rear several heavy 
 colunms of infantry. It was at this time 
 that the wounded on both sides were carried 
 off to the rear, and while engaged in this 
 painful duty the British and French soldiers 
 shook hands with each other, and expressed 
 their mutual admiration. 
 
 About two o'clock the French again ad- 
 vanced, in order once more to attempt the 
 turning of our left flank, and at the same time 
 to penetrate the centre with the main body of 
 their army. General Hill repulsed them on 
 the heights as before, while an irresistible 
 and sanguinary charge, made by the 23rd 
 dragoons and the 1st hussars of the king's 
 German legion, had the effect of checking a 
 column which advanced by the valley. Owing 
 to the great inequality of the ground and the 
 gullies with which it was intersected, the 
 cavalry were unable to preserve that solidity 
 so necessary in a charge, and their loss was 
 therefore considerable. Notwithstanding this 
 circumstance they penetrated a solid column 
 of the opposing enemy, but were in the end 
 obliged to retreat, after deciding, by their 
 powerful diversion, the battle in that quarter. 
 On the right the enemy had pushed on within 
 a short distance of the redoubt, when they 
 were repulsed by a vigorous charge with the 
 bayonets of general Alexander Campbell's 
 brigade, supported by two regiments of Spa- 
 nish infantry. At the same time 18 pieces of 
 cannon, which colonel Robe of the royal artil- 
 lery had planted in an oblique direction, Avere 
 brought to bear on the flank of the enemy's 
 column, and occasioned great destruction by 
 the fire of Shrapnell shells, both as they ad- 
 vanced, and as they retreated beyond the 
 reach of the British musketry. 
 
 As the enemy retreated from their grand 
 attack, the division of general Sherbrooke 
 made a charge with the bayonet ; but the bri- 
 gade of guards, having advanced rather too 
 far, became exposed to the fire of a heavy 
 battery of artillery, and of a line of infantry. 
 From this dangerous predicament, they were 
 extricated by the advance of the first batta- 
 lion of the 48th regiment, supported by gene- 
 ral Cotton s brigade of cavalry. King Joseph,
 
 CHAP. LVIII.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 -35 
 
 seeiii": himself foiled at all points, shortly after ; lower doMTi the river, some battalions occu- 
 comiiifnced his retreat across the Alberche j pied Presburg. The advanced guard was 
 to Santa Olalla, leaving a rear-guard of 10,000 « pushed forward near to the Danube, and the 
 men in the heights beiiind the river, but which | cavalry was posted along the banks of a small 
 lie also withdrew on the 31st. The loss sus- j rivulet, on ground covered and partly con- 
 tained by the British army, which entered the | eealed by bushes. Buonaparte, having re- 
 field as at) eriicient force of 18,300 men, con- 1 solved to attack the archduke in his |)osition, 
 fiisted of 34 oihcers, 7(j7 men, killedj 195 ! marched his army along the south bank of 
 
 ' "" the Danube, till it had reached the distance 
 
 of about six miles from Vienna. As the 
 French advanced, the archduke retreated, 
 and permitted tliem to extend along the north 
 l)ank of the Danube. Buonaparte, left at 
 liberty to iix on the held of battle, posted the 
 right w ing of his army on the village of Ess- 
 ling, and the left on the village of Aspern. 
 The archduke, on the21st, atday-break, called 
 the troops to arms, drew them up in order of 
 battle, and communicated to his generals the 
 plan of intended operations. 
 
 The French, under marshals Massena, 
 Lasnes, and Bessieres, were directing theic 
 march towards Hirchstettin, when they were 
 first met by the Austrian advanced guards. 
 The first day of conflict (May 21st) tennin.ated 
 without any decided advantage on either side, 
 but the attacks of the French, early >n the 
 morning of the 22nd, far surpassed, in impe- 
 tuosity, those of the preceding day. They 
 were both most sanguinary and destructive ; 
 and, on the night of the 21st, Aspern was iu 
 po.ssession of the Austrians, and Essling occu- 
 pied by the French. On tlie morning of the 
 22nd, Aspern was recovered by the latter, but 
 at the close of day they were driven from both 
 villages, eflected their retreat from the left 
 bank of the Danube, and took up a position 
 in the island of Lobau. In these tremendous 
 conflicts, the archduke Charles and the em- 
 peror Napoleon exposed their persons wherever 
 glory or expedience called fortheirappearance. 
 'J'he loss on both sides was lamentably great. 
 Eighty-seven oflicers of rank, and 4000 pri- 
 vates, with a proportionate number of wound- 
 ed, disap])eared from the ranks of the Aus- 
 trians. The loss of the French amounted to 
 27,700 in killed and wounded, and 2300 pri- 
 soners. Five of their generals were killed, 
 eight wounded, and two taken. .Many hun- 
 dreds of dead bodies floated down the Da- 
 nube, and a pestilential air was wafted along 
 llie theatre of death. 
 
 The inactivity of the archduke gave rise to 
 conjectures, which were too faithfully verified. 
 
 officers, 3718 men, wounded; nine officers 
 <'>44 men, missing ; making a total of 5307. 
 The loss of the enemy is estimated by captain 
 Stothert at 14,000, in killed, wounded, and 
 prisoners, and 22 pieces of cannon. 
 
 CuESTA was very unequal to the command 
 of an army in such times, and unquestionably 
 marred the campaign by his previous blunders ; 
 but in this instance he was justifiable ; for 
 he hardly begun his march before the French 
 were in sight. Sir Arthur now saw that his 
 only course was to retreat across the Tagus 
 before that retreat could be cut off; for he 
 was between two armies, each superior to his 
 own, and had seen how little in their present 
 state of discipline was to be expected from 
 his allies. The bridge of Almaraz had been 
 destroyed ; he crossed, therefore, at the 
 Puente del Arzobispo, and look a position 
 which enabled him to defend the passage at 
 Almaraz, and keep open the defiles of Delei- 
 tosa and Xaraicejo. A plan which Ney had 
 formed, of occupying those defiles, and cut- 
 ting him off from Portugal, was thus defeated ; 
 and the French, not thinking it prudent to 
 make any further movements against such an 
 enemy, turned their eflbrts against Vanegas, 
 ^vho, after a successful defence at Aranjuez, 
 WHS defeated at Almonacid ; but the French 
 purchased the victory with so severe a loss, 
 that they were not able to follow up their 
 success. 
 
 The contest in Germany presented a strik- 
 ing contrast, in its conduct and results, to 
 that of the peninsula. A ustria w as condenmed 
 once more to bow to the superior fortune of 
 the enemy; and after indiscreetly engaging 
 in hostilities, FVancis II. was compelled to 
 abandon his capital to the victors on the 10th 
 of May. The archduke Charles, having 
 h'arned the fall of Vienna, moved down on 
 the left bank of the Danube, for the purpo.se 
 of watching the movements of the enemy. He 
 li.\ed his head-quarters, on the 16th of .May, 
 at Ehersdorf, the chain of his outposts ex- 
 tending on the right a.s far as Krews, while,
 
 •736 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. lvui. 
 
 His apathy was tlie more inexcusable, as 
 Beauliarhois, the viceroy of Italy, after a series 
 ofsuccessiful movements, was enabled to effect 
 ajiinctiou with tiie grand French army early 
 ill June. Tlie French army then occupied a 
 loiio- line from Lintz to Raab. On the 4th of 
 .Inly, the whole of the French army was con- 
 centrated in and around the island of Loban. 
 So confident were the generals -of ultimate 
 \i(t()ry, that the French renamed the most 
 important positions, and the isle of Lobaii 
 was called Isle Napoleon. On the 2nd of 
 .July, St. Croix, Massena's aid-de-camp, took 
 j)ossession of an islet, called the Mill Island, 
 which was connected with the left bank of 
 \\\ii river by a little bridge. Here he threw 
 up works for the purpose of deceiving the 
 Austrians, and inducing them to suppose that 
 Essling would be attacked from that position. 
 The stratagem succeeded. Tlieir attention 
 ■was diverted from the real point of danger, 
 and the redoubt of Essling kept up a vigorous 
 lire in the diiection of these temporary works. 
 Prince Charles, supposing that the second 
 battle would be fought on the same ground as 
 tlie first, had tlnown up lines, of which the 
 right was protected by Aspern, the left by 
 Enzevsdorf. They were covered by redoubts, 
 surrounded l)y palisadoes and frizes, and de- 
 fended by more than \bO pieces of cannon. 
 I'erceiving, however, on the evening of the 
 4th of July, that his left wing was in danger 
 of being surrounded, so many of the French 
 liaving crossed the river, he sent orders to the 
 archduke John, to join at Maerbeck, with his 
 troops, and act in concert with the wing 
 which was endangered. There appeared no 
 inipediment to this movement. At ten o'clock 
 on the night of the 4tli, 1500 French crossed 
 from the right bank, silenced the Austrian 
 batteries, and drove their troops froni the 
 Moods of Muhllenten. At eleven, the batte- 
 ries from the three islets opened on Enzers- 
 florf, and that place was soon in flames. St. 
 Croix crossed, with 2500 men in barges, frons 
 (he great island, on the left also of the enemy's 
 works, to cover the construction of the bridges 
 whicii Dessales and the enginet is, directed by 
 General Bertrand, had prepared. The 
 iiight being utterly dark, and the rain falling 
 in torrents, favoured their movements ; and 
 when morning (hiwned, to the utter astonish- 
 ment of prince Charles, Buonaparte had ar- 
 ranged his whole army in order of battle, at 
 
 the extremity of the Austrian left wing, having 
 turned all his enlreiiched camps, and render- 
 ed all his works useless. By six o'clock 
 every fortification between Enzersdorf and 
 Essling was taken, and almost the whole of 
 the garrisons were killed or wounded. One 
 battalion repulsed the French at Enzersdorf 
 in two assaults, but it exhausted all its am- 
 munition, and at the moment when a supply 
 arrived the enemy entered the place. 
 
 Aftkr a series of complicated movements, 
 the archduke was compelled to abandon his 
 entrenchments, as well as the country between 
 Enzersdorf and Wagrain. On the morning 
 of July 6th, the battle was renewed. Buo- 
 naparte had passed the night in accumulating 
 his force towards the centre, while the arch- 
 duke, though perfectly familiar with Buona- 
 parte's system, absurdly weakened his centre, 
 to strengthen his extremities. In every attack, 
 whether made by the French or by the Aus- 
 trians, with fire-arms or the bayonet, the 
 latter had ratner the advantage. But Buo- 
 naparte, concentrating almost the whole of 
 his artillery, battered one single point of the 
 Austrian line, towards the centre, as if it had 
 been a fortress. To this tremendous thunder 
 there was nothing of the same kind to oppose, 
 as the Austrian artillery had been placed at 
 the two extremities of tlie line. The battle 
 was irrecoverable, and precipitately retiring 
 from the scene of carnage, the discomfited 
 archduke retreated to Moravia. Inunediately 
 after the termination of the conflict, a dread- 
 ful circumstance occurred. Between 3000 
 and 4000 men. chiefly Austrians, Mere re- 
 posing in a field of rye, which took fire, and 
 most of them, unable to move, from their 
 wounds or from fatigue, became victims to 
 the flames. Tlie French took ten pieces of 
 cannon, and 20,000 prisoners, among >vhom 
 were 400 officers, while his own loss Mas re- 
 ported by Buonaparte to amount to no more 
 than 1500 killed, and from 3000 to 4000 
 wounded. Considering all the circumstances 
 of the battle, and the tremendous fire on the 
 centre of the Austrians, their loss in killed 
 and wounded must have considerably ex- 
 ceeded that of the French, whatever it might 
 be. They stated their own loss, from the 
 5th of July, Mhen Buonaparte crossed the 
 Danube, till the termination of hostilities, at 
 17 generals, 847 officers, 30,471 men, and 
 4100 horses, killed, wounded, and cap.tiireil.
 
 CHAP. LVIII.] GEORGE III- 
 
 That of the Fronch llicy computed at one i 
 tliird less. Tlie field of battle was crowded : 
 with innumerable dead bodies, and the A us- « 
 triaii army was reduced in its retreat to; 
 00,000 meii. ; 
 
 Notwithstanding the loyal enthusiasm of; 
 the Austrian people, and the commotions ex- i 
 cited ill the Tyrol, by the gallant and eccen- j 
 trie Hoffer, all serious thought of resistance » 
 
 r37 
 
 to 'Buonaparte were now abandoned. Propo- 
 sals for an armistice were carried from the 
 emperor Francis to Napoleon, by prince John 
 of Lichcnstein, (July l-2th) whicii was agreed 
 to and signed immediately. Three montiis 
 after, the armistice was succeeded by a regu- 
 lar treaty of peace, which was dated at Vienna, 
 October 11th, 1809. 
 
 CHAPTER LTX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1809 to 1811.] 
 
 Exvedition to Wakheren-Caplure of Wahheren—DcplorahU Prevalence of Disease-Sir 
 FruHcis Bunlclt commiltcd to the Toicer— Affairs of Spain— Baltle of Busaco—Ketreat of 
 Lord ]yelli)i<>lon—Massena advances to the Portugtme Frontiers— Domestic Politics— In- 
 disijosi/ioH o? the King— Establishment of a Peoencif-Parliameuton/ Proceedtngs-Lavi- 
 palm in the Peninsula— Battles of Fnentcs de Onoro, Albvherc, and Barrosa. 
 
 THE war between Austria and France 
 began on the 8tli of April, 1809 ; the 
 batde of Aspern was fought on the -i-ind of 
 May, and known here on the 8th of June ; 
 the battle of Wagram was fought on the 6th 
 of July. The armistice, which ended in a 
 peace, was aareed upon the 12th of July ; 
 and on the -imh of July, sixteen days after 
 this, the expedition in aid of the Austrian 
 monarchy sailed from this country. 
 
 To conduct the army, constitutmg a great- 
 er land force of English soldiers than the 
 duke of Marlborough ever had under his 
 command, the person selected was the earl ot 
 Chatham,— a nobleman altogether unkno\yn 
 as an officer, and known only as a civilian for 
 iiis unsatisfactory conduct of the admiralty, 
 from which, on account of ttie univer.^al coni- 
 j)laints against liini, he had been removed by 
 his own brother. 
 
 5 B 
 
 All the arrangements of the expedition 
 fell under the official management of lord 
 Castlereadi, the secretary for the war depart- 
 ment. On the 8th of April, while the expe- 
 dition was in preparation, but three montiis 
 btifore it actually sailed, the secretary of state 
 for foreign affairs gave notice, that he would 
 resign \i lord Casilereagh was not removed 
 from his oflice. On the 28th of April, the 
 president of the council, lord Camden, ad- 
 mitted that it would be desirable that lord 
 Castlereagh, (still conducting the expedition) 
 should be turned out of office. On the 31st 
 of May, the secretary of state again repre- 
 sented'his intention of resigning, if the said 
 lord was ii^ot removed from the conduct of 
 the war ; and obtained a promise that he 
 should be removed. The cabinet permitted 
 him to conduct this important expedition ; 
 and, as >.oon us it had failed, revealed tJio 
 47
 
 738 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LIX 
 
 iotentioii (hey had long cherished of turning | he presented to his majesty a clandestine 
 him out of ofhce. The secretary for war and | memorial of the proceedings, 
 colonies then resigned, — and shot the secre- ; In consequence of despatching the e\pedi- 
 tary for foreign afihirs through the thigh on i tion jiiist as the season for fevers began, the 
 Wimbledon conmion. i return of sick was as follows. 
 
 In the mean time the French, who were j 0\ the 13th of September, rank and file 
 to be taken bv surprise, had thrown 5000 | only, 7020. On the 19th, 8123 ; the 21st, 
 men into Bergen-op-Zoom on the 3rd of Au- j 8684 ; 22nd, 8799 ; 23rd, 9046. 
 gust. On the 8th, 3000 men were thrown; It was in vain that every responsible officer 
 into Antwerp, and the armed workmen > implored relief and assistance to the sick, no 
 amounted to 6000. On the 10th of August, ; answer was returned to tlieir repeated appli- 
 25,000 French infantry were at or near Ant- | cations, and it was not till the greater part of 
 werp ; and 40,000 men with.in a day's march. > the forces were destroyed, that tlie ministers 
 On the 14th, water was let into the ditch of; at length determined on their recal. Such 
 Antwerp; and all the ships of the French line' was the termination of an enterprize which 
 had long before got up above Antwerp. The \ had effected nothing more than the capture of 
 armament sailed in two divisions. On the ! one ill-fortitied town in fourteen days, in the 
 arrival of the army in the islands of Wal- J jiroseoution of which 2000 men died, and 
 cheren and South Beveland, it was found that ; 10,000 caught the infection ; and which cost 
 the enemy was not disposed to make any ! the nation in lives 8000, and in n)oney between 
 resistance except in Flushing, which wa* | two and thiee millions. 
 
 invested on the 1st of August. On the 13th ; A circumstance occurred in the course of 
 the batteries were completed, and the frigates : the VValcheren enquiry, whicli, though trivial 
 and smaller vessels having taken their respec- < in its origin, led to important consequences, 
 tive stations, the bombardment immediately ; atul diverted the public mind from the con- 
 commenced. The town suffered dreadfully, ; templation of misforiune and disgrace. When 
 especially from Congreve's rockets. On the ; the examination of evidence commenced, Mr. 
 14th of August the line of battle ships can- ! York thought proper to enforce the standing 
 nonaded the town for some hours, and the ; order for the exdnsion of strangers from the 
 fire of the enemy was silenced. On the 15th, i gallery of the house of conunons, in order to 
 genera! Monnet, who comn)anded the gar- i prevent that mimediate publication of the pro- 
 rison of Flushing, demanded a suspension of J ceedings which in the case of the duke of 
 arms, whicli was succeeded by the surrender 5 York had irritated the minds of the people, 
 of the town. The garrison, amounting to ; Among the many animadverlious on this ob- 
 6000 men, were made prisoners of war. This ! noxious proceeding, there was one contained 
 fortunate result was rather owing to the iiube- ; in the placard of a debating society, which 
 cility of Monnet, than to the skill or vigour s being deemed a violation of the privileges of 
 of the conquerors. Our batteries and trenches » thecoaiiuons, its author, Mr. John Gale Jones, 
 were constructed witliont method or arrange- ; was summoned to their bar, and on the motion 
 ment ; our troops were posted within range ; of Mr. Yorke was committed to Newgate. 
 of the enemies' guns before any of the stores ; Sir Francis Burdett conceiving this to be an 
 necessary for the attack were landed, and the ; infringement on the rights and liberties of the 
 French were suftered to remain within musket ; subject, made a s|)eich in the house to that 
 shot of the British operations. The island of; effect, and moved that Mr. Jones should be 
 Cadsand, however, tlie oidy place from which ; discharged. His motion being negatived, he 
 the enemy could receive supplies or reinforce- ; published in a weekly paper, called " Cob- 
 ments, was left unoccupied by the English. ; bet's Political Register," a letter to his con- 
 Advantage was soon taken of the neglect, ; stitiients, lo which was apjiended an argu- 
 and 3000 Frencli troops passed over from ! nieiit in illustraiion and support of the doc- 
 Cadsand to Flushing. Three weeks after | trine which he had advanced respecting par- 
 the capture of the pl:u;e, lord Chatham dis- ; liameutary privilege. This paper was Inonght 
 covered that the obstacles to the passage of; under the cognizance of the house, and was 
 the Scheldt were insurmountable, and on the | voted to be a libellous reflection on its just 
 14th of September returned to London, where ; rights and privileges; in consequence of
 
 CHAP. LTX.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 739 
 
 vliirh vote he was ordered to be committed 
 to the Tower He resisted tlie warrant for 
 the avowed purpose of proving its illegality. 
 His door was defended by chains, and all 
 access, except to his intimate friends, rigidly 
 precluded. Piccadilly was crowded by thou- 
 sands of the lowest of the rabble, and the 
 military being called in, conducted themselves 
 ■with a patience and forbearance worthy the 
 character of English soldiers. After much 
 evasion on the part of sir Francis, and much 
 indulgence on the part of the sergeant-at-arms, 
 the deputy of the latter obtained access to the 
 person of the member for Westminster, by 
 entering the lower avenues of the house, and 
 after a formal resistance conveyed him to the 
 tower, attended by a military force. As the 
 imprisonment of a member committed by the 
 vote of the house of commons, expires with 
 the session, the friends of sir Francis pre- 
 pared to celebrate liis deliverance on the 20th 
 of June by a grand procession. A triumphal 
 car was prepared, the metropolis presented 
 an unusual scene of gaiety and fashion, and 
 in streets remote from the tower, the approach 
 of the patriot was expected with breathless 
 anxiety. Evening arrived and no sir Francis 
 appeared; at length an empty triumphal car 
 Mas observed to proceed slowly along in the 
 direction of the Haymarket, and it was an- 
 nounced to the disappointed multitude, that 
 as sir Francis had left town for Wimbledon, 
 without cominunicating with his friends, the 
 car must be considered as his proper repre- 
 sentative! It is to be lamented that in the 
 progress of this extraordinary atlair, from the : 
 
 test might have been abandoned in despair. 
 The new year was opened with vigorous 
 measures on the part of the enemy. They 
 forced the passes of the Sierra Morena almost 
 without resistance, overran the kingdom of 
 Andalusia, entered Seville, and were only 
 prevented from getting possession of Cadiz 
 by the celerity of the dnke of Albuquerque. 
 The junta was overthrown by a popular com- 
 motion ; but like the Spanish people they 
 comported themselves with dignity in their 
 overthrow, and did not give up their authority 
 till they had appointed a regency, and con- 
 voked the cortes. The seat of the new 
 government w as necessarily fixed in Cadiz ; 
 their last asylum and its authority might seem 
 to be confined to the isle of Leon ; for, except 
 Galicia in the north, and Valencia in the south, 
 and Catalonia, where fortress after fortress 
 was now falling, the French were nominally 
 masters of Spain. 
 
 Marshal Massena, who in the late Austrian 
 campaign had been made prince of Essling, 
 was appointed to the army selected for the 
 expulsion of the English from the peninsula, 
 and his first operation was to besiege Ciudad 
 Rodrigo, which his troops appeared before at 
 the latter end of April. Lord Wellington had 
 taken up a strong position upon the Coa, and 
 the Portuguese army had now been reorga- 
 nized and disciplined. Ciudad Rodrigo held- 
 out gallantly ; the trenches were opened on 
 the 15th of June, and though the works were 
 old and imperfect, and the place hardly to be 
 ranked in the third order of fortresses, Mas- 
 sena is believed to have lost 9000 men before 
 first resistance of sir Francis to the evening '■': it surrendered on the 10th of July. Almeida 
 which closed the procession, many lives ;| was his next object; the place was well pro- 
 should have been lost, many industrious ; vided, there was a sufficient garrison, an Eng- 
 iiidividuals have been deprived of their lind)s, \ lish governor, and lord A^'ellington at hand to 
 and momentous injury have been done to the { take advantage of any opportunity in their 
 morals of society. INor is this regret dimi 
 
 uished by the consideration that the question 
 iniu:lit have been as efiectuallv brought before 
 a judicial tribunal by a simple protest, or an 
 act of refusal, as by prolonged resistance. 
 The enthusiasm of the English ministry in 
 
 favour; but on the second day the powder 
 liiagazine blew up, and Almeida was no 
 longer tenable. At six in the morning of the 
 ■27th of September the enemy made two 
 desperate attacks on the position of the allied 
 army, the one on the rignt, the other on the 
 
 fiivour of the Spanish patriots almost atoned, } left of the Sierra de Busaco, but which were 
 in the opinion of a large majority of the Eng- j repulsed. 
 
 lish nation, for the errors and misfortunes of ^ The allied army, meantime, retrea-ted before 
 their general policy. Had not their determi- i the enemy by easy marches, and in perfect 
 nation to support the peninsular cause been i order ; instead of spreading panic by the 
 founded on the firmest conviction, and sup- > rapidity of their march, their steadiness and 
 ported. with exemplary consistency, the con- 1 admirable discipline inspired the peasantry 
 
 5 B 2
 
 740 IHSTORY OF ENGLAND. ~ [CIIAP. LIX. 
 
 with courage ; under their protection the j medicine, always returned, and on every. re- 
 Portuguese removed their property, destroyed i turn exhibited more dangerous and alarming 
 their mills, broke up the bridges, and laid the J symptoms. Her state preyed oi] the mental 
 country waste. In this manner lord Welling- i powers and feelings of the king; and towards 
 ton retired within the line of Torres Vedras. ; the end of October, he was reduced into tho 
 ' These works extended from the sea to the ; same melancholy state in which he had been 
 Tagus, at a point where tlie Tagus, being > in the year 1788. As, therefore, the sign 
 about twelve miles wide, protected them as i manual could not be obtained for the commis- 
 efficiently as the sea itself. Massena recon- « sion, parliament was obliged to meet on the 
 uoitre'd them ; he had promised to drive the } day appointed, the 1st of November, in the 
 English into the sea, but he thought it neces- \ hope that his majesty's malady would go ofl", 
 sary now to solicit reinforcements from Buo- 1 they adjourned ; but when they met again, 
 naparte before he ventured to make theattempt. | finding that it did not abate, committees were 
 Instead of collecting the provisions in | appointed for the examination of the phy- 
 magazines, ]\Iassena gave notice that the I sicians in attendance on his majesty ; the 
 soldiers were to provide themselves for two | result of this examination was, that, though 
 months, — a licence of general plunder, which ! the physicians believed his majesty would 
 produced all the waste and havoc that might \ recover, yet they could not state how soon, 
 be expected from it. The number of deserters i and they were all of opinion, that he was 
 was so great, that they formed themselves > totally incapable of exercising the roya! func- 
 into a kmd of little army, which they organised Hions. The important subject, therefore, of 
 into regular companies, and called the eleventh | a regency, after a lapse of 21 years, became 
 corps, electing general, officers, and subal- | once more the topic of senatorial debate and 
 terns. It consisted of more than 1600 men, i general conversation. 
 
 who frequently attacked the foraging parties! The great concern which occupied .„., 
 <:f the French, and made the prisoners join | the attention of parliament, and excited 
 them. They occupied the country about ; the public interest, at the commencement of 
 Caldas and Alceba^o, in full sovereignty, as | this year, was the supplying of that deficiency 
 an established army of avowed professional ; in the executive branch of the government, 
 robbers ; and Massena at last found it neces- j which the continued mental indisposition of 
 sary to send two divisions against them ; they I his majesty had created. After repeated 
 fought desperately ; butat length, being sur- ! adjournments of -parliament by the ministers, 
 rounded and overpowered, they laid down i in hopes of a favourable turn in the king's 
 their arras : the leaders were then shot. The ; malady, it appeared no longer possible to 
 men were again incorporated in their regi- ; avoid the measure of forming a regency ; and 
 nients, not being the less fit for the service in | the chancellor of the exchequer, Mr.Perce- 
 which they were employed. One of the j val, on December 20th, moved in the house 
 favourite sports of Massena's soldiers was to ! of commons three fesolutions, copied from 
 go a hunting for women, whom they sold to > those of Mr. Pitt on the like occurrence in 
 their officers, or to the best bidder. ' | 1788-9; the first, declarative of the present 
 
 / When the session was closed in the sum- 1 incapacity of the sovereign ; the second, of 
 mer of 1810, parliament was prorogued till | the competency of the two houses of parlia- 
 the 1st of Ps'ovember ; a few days previous to 5 ment to supply that incapacity; and the 
 that day, a proclamation was issued by the 5 third, that the proper mode of doing it would 
 king in council, stating it to be the royal plea- ; be by bill. Of these the first passed unani- 
 sure that it should be further prorogued. ; monsly ; the single negative of sir Francis 
 This proclamation was to have been followed, 5 Bnrdett attended the second ; but on the 
 as usual, by tl.e commission; but the royal j third Mr. Ponsonby moved an amendment, 
 sign manual could not be procured for this } " that an address should be presented to the 
 jiurpose. The princess Amelia, a favourite i prince of Wales, praying him to take upon 
 daughter of his majesty, had long laboured | hinu4olf the office of regent." On this motion 
 under a severe conqilaint, which, though it ; a division took place, in which the amend- 
 occasionally, and for a short time, yielded to | ment was rejected, the votes for it being 157, 
 a youthful constitution, and the power of ; against it 269,— majority for the ministeV 112,
 
 rilAP. LIX] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 74 J 
 
 111 the house of lords the same resolutions 
 were proposed and carried, after a similar 
 amendiueiit had been moved on the 3rd and 
 rejected, the division being, contents 74, non- 
 coatents 100, majority 2G. The arguments 
 employed on these debates were in general so 
 similar to those resorted to by the different 
 I)arties on tlie former occasion, that it is un- 
 necessary to recapitulate them. It is only 
 observable that the principle maintained by 
 Mr. Fox and othei*5 of the opposition, that the 
 prince of Wales, as heir apparent, succeeded 
 of course to the regency on such an emergency 
 as the present, seems in this instance to have 
 been abandoned. 
 
 According to the plan adopted by the mi- 
 iiisteis in conforming to the precedent of 1789, 
 the great seal was aflixed to a commission for 
 the opening cf parliament, which ceremony 
 took place o)i January loth ; and on the 17th 
 the regency bill vv'as committed. Its clauses 
 luideiweiit a fresh discussion in its passage 
 through the two houses, and various amend- 
 ments were projiosed by the opposition, but 
 Mere negatived by the ministerial majorities. 
 The last stand was made upon the duration 
 of the restrictions, which lord Grenville at- 
 tempted to reduce from twelve months to six, 
 but without success. In the debate on this 
 topic lord Grey renewed, with greater force, 
 a charge which he had on a former occasion 
 ])rought p.gainst the lord chancellor, respect- 
 ing his conduct in setting the great seal to a 
 «.ommis.sio!i for giving the royal assent to 
 various bills in 1804, while the king, who in 
 that year suffered a return of his infirmity, 
 ■vvas yet in a state re(|!iiriiig medical super- 
 intendence. He arraigned the chancellor, on 
 this accoinit, of a crinie little short of treason, 
 and forcibly urged the necessity of making 
 < ffectual provision in the present bill against 
 the recurrence of a similar circumstance. 
 The chancellor defended binisclf with vigour, 
 and professed his readiness to submit the 
 whole of his conduct on this occasion to the 
 strictest investigation. Before the house rose, 
 lord King, en the ground of. this charge, 
 moved that the name of lord Elden be ex- 
 punged fiom the list of the queen's council. 
 On a division there appeared for the n:otiou 
 (34, against it 189. 
 
 J^xcLUsiVE of parliamentary proceedings, 
 the domestic afuiirs of the British empire were 
 not in general highly inf<icstiiig during the 
 
 present year. The conmiercial distresses, 
 indicated by lists of bankrupts, more nume- 
 rous than were ever before known, induced 
 among the middle classes of society a kind of 
 desponding apathy, adapted to damp that 
 political ardour which, in a free country, is 
 continually exciting to action men of dis- 
 engaged minds. At the same time the uncer- 
 tain state of his majesty's health, and of the 
 consequent duration of the regency, and the 
 system of government likely to be pursued 
 under it, kept persons in the superior ranks 
 in a state of dubious expectation. With the 
 exception, therefore, of some feeble attempts 
 to awaken the public attention to the cause 
 ot parliamentary reform, and some of the 
 usual party contests in the city of London, 
 scarcely any occasions occurred to set i.n 
 motion considerable bodies on a political 
 account, in this part of the united kingdom. 
 Another exception might indeed be made, 
 witli respect to the alarm excited among dis- 
 senters by lord Sidmouth's bill ; but its opera- 
 tion was silent, and its effect was produced 
 before the public at large was apprized of its 
 existence. 
 
 The public tranquillity had been little dis- 
 turbed in England, notwithstanding the pres- 
 sure of the times, during the greatest part of 
 the year ; but before its termination a series 
 of disorders broke out which soon put on a 
 serious aspect, and were the prelude of a 
 riotous and mischievous disposition in a 
 large tract of the manufacturing districts, the 
 effects of which still continued to be the oc- 
 casion of much trouble and alarm. Their 
 commencement was in the neighbourhood of 
 Nottingham, the hosiers of which town haying- 
 been obliged, from the decrease of demand 
 for their manufactures, to discharge many of 
 their workmen, much distress necessarily en- 
 sued for v.ant of employment. This was 
 enhanced by the new application of a certain 
 wide frame in the weaving of stockings, where- 
 by a considerable saving of manual labour 
 was produced, and a consequent farther 
 diminution of Iiands. The rioters assumed 
 the name of Luddites, and acted under the 
 authority of an imaginary Captain Ludd, 
 which name seems to have signified not on* 
 individual, but a secret committee of manage- 
 ment. The spirit of tumult spread into the 
 neighbouring counties of Derby and Leicester, 
 in the manufacturing parts of wliich many
 
 742 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LIX. 
 
 frames were destroyed during the mouth of 
 Deceniher, thougli TSottiiighamshire still con- 
 tinued the principal scene of mischief, and 
 an advance of pay to the workmen had not the 
 ei^fect of restoring- order. Through the course 
 of this year, however, the evils were confined 
 to the districts of the hosiery manufacture. 
 
 Amidst the gloom of comnif^rcial distress 
 and tlie dissatisfaction si universally occasion- 
 ed by the accumulation of our financial 
 burdens, the fortitude, the valour, and the 
 philanthrophy of the Britisii nation in its 
 foreign policy and warfare, commanded the 
 admiration of Europe, and a gleam of exhili- 
 rating sunshine dispersed the darkness of 
 general depression. Lord Wellington liad 
 more than justified the predictions of his 
 friends, and had equally bafiied the aspersions 
 of his domestic foes, and the arms of his 
 military enemies. Beneath his auspices tlie 
 ablest generals of France had been beaten 
 and deceived ; with inferior numbers he 
 destroyed and exhausted her mostexpe;ienced 
 armies, and at the commencement of die pre- 
 sent year he was enabled for the first time to 
 resume offensive and decisive operations. 
 -oj. The French while they waited for 
 
 reinforcements had taken up a position 
 at Santarem, which lord Wellington did not 
 think it advisable to attack. Romana's army 
 which had joined lord Wellington, and, after 
 the death of its leader, had been detached for 
 the relief of Badajoz, under his successor 
 Mendizabal, was surprized and almost destroy- 
 ed, and the city itself scandalously given up 
 by its governor, at a moment when he had 
 received intelligence from lord Wellington 
 that Massena had begun his retreat, and that 
 he might rely upon speedy relief 
 
 Thi". retreat was conducted with great mili- 
 tary skill but not without some blunders. It 
 was known at the time that Ney and Massena 
 had quarrelled, but the cause of the dispute 
 was not known. It arose from some re- 
 proaches which the commander-in-chief made 
 to Ney for the slowness of his column, which 
 the latter attributed to the quantity of carts 
 and animals laden with plunder, collected as 
 they went along. In consequence of these 
 repPioaches, when they reached the Foz 
 d' Aronce, Ney ordered a guard to take pos- 
 session of the bridge, seize all the plunder 
 and burn it ; and the execution was begun 
 upon Massena's own share, who did not 
 
 venture to countermand the order, however 
 bitterly he resented it. Shortly afterwards he 
 deprived Ney of hrs command, which was given 
 to Loison. Having reached the frontiers, the 
 French were safe from further pursuit. Lord 
 AVellington, whose means were greatly inade- 
 quate to the demands upon them, leaving his 
 army, hastened to the Guadiana, to see if 
 Badajoz could be recovered, 
 
 Massena, in the beginning of May, atta<^ked 
 the allied army, in hopes of relieving Almeida 
 from its blockade. The chief scene of this 
 memorable action was at Fuentes DOnoro. 
 On the .3rd of May the enemy attacked that 
 village, which was defended in the most gal- 
 lant manner by the light infantry battalions 
 of major-general Picton's division, command- 
 ed by lieutenant-colonel Williams, of major 
 general Howards, and of the king's German 
 legion, aided by the second battalion of the 
 8.3rd regiment. These troops retained their 
 position, but lord Wellington having observed 
 the repeated efforts of the enemy to obtain 
 possession of the village, and fully aware of 
 the importance of that post in future operations, 
 reinforced it successively with the 71st, 79th, 
 and 2'tth regiments. The contest continued 
 till night, when the British remained in pos- 
 session of the place. The 4th was chiefly 1 
 spent by the French in reconnoitring, and their 
 principal efforts throughout the 5th were 
 directed against the village of Fuentes 
 D'Onoro. It was again defended by the 71st, 
 79th, and 24th regiments, under the conunand 
 of colonel Cameron, who was severely and 
 mortally wounded. The contest in this 
 quarter lasted till night, when the enemy re- 
 tired, leaving the allies in possession of the 
 village. On the 8th the enemy collected the 
 whole of their army, with the exception of 
 part of the 2nd corps, which remained opposite 
 Alameda in the woods near Gallegos. In the 
 night of the 9th they crossed the Alzava, cover- 
 ing their retrqat by their numerous ca\ airy, 
 and on the 10th the whole were behind the 
 Agueda, with the exception of one brigade of 
 cavalry, which remained near the bridge of 
 Ciiidad Rodrigo. 
 
 While these operations were carrying on 
 i along the line of the Tagus, other events, 
 ; scarcely less important. Mere transacting on 
 I the Guadiana. Marshal Beresford was march- 
 < ing with rapidity to the siege of Badajoz, and 
 • on approaching Campo Mayor attacked a-
 
 ^"^P- Lix.] " GEORGE in. 743 
 
 body o.f the enemy's horse which he drove to | obliqno line to the rear of the right, with his 
 the bridge of Badajoz, after capturing 200 | own right flank thrown back, whil^ aeneral 
 prisoners He then marched to ^tnrumenha, ; l^lake formed part of his first ine and nearlv 
 and established a bridge across the Guadiana, ; all his second ^ 
 
 On the 511. he passed the river, and advanced j The enemy commenced his attack at 9 
 for the purpose of obligmg the enemy to i o'clock, and, Jftera long and gallantresistance 
 retire from the province of Estremadura, ; gained the height upon which the Spa, kud, 
 previous to nnderlakmgthe siege of Badajoz. had been for.ned. As these heights ra.d 
 After a variety of comp heated manoeuvres he I and entirely commanded the whote position 
 arrived before that fortress. On the 4tji of ; of the combined army, it became necessary to 
 May he city was closely invested on the : make every effort to retake and maintain them 
 south by three brigades of infantry, a brigade ; Nearly at the beginning of the enemy's attack 
 of six pounders two squadrons of cavalry, i a heavy storm of rain came on which with 
 and subsequently by a great proportion of | the smoke from the Gring rendered it impos- 
 sir William Beresfords infantry. The fort of J sible to discern any thing, distinctly S 
 St. •.Christoval on the north side of the river, | had been extremely favourable to the enemy 
 and on an eminence commanding the bridge, ; in forming his columns. The risjht bri-ade 
 was bombarded, but without success. On : of general Stewart's division uude. lieutenant- 
 It'' rf'/'l^^^'T'r.'Trri'^ by marshal i colonel Colborne, proceeded to dislodge the 
 Beiesford that Soult had left Seville on the ; enemy on the heights, and finding that they 
 10th with 15,000. men, for the purpose of $ could not be affected by the fire, had recouii 
 raising the siege. He immediately made ar- ; to the bayonet. Unfortunately while in the 
 rangements to receive him, and on the 16th | act of charging, a body of Polish lancers 
 the whole of the combined ai-my, amounting! (cavalry,) which the atmosphere and the 
 ,1 nno"i^^^'' ^i""'"'' 7<^f Portuguese, and | nature of the ground had concealed, attacked 
 11,000 Spaniards, assembled in the morning ; the right brigade unexpectedly in the rear 
 tinder J,e command of marshal Beresford. ! and mowed down their ranks with destructive 
 rhe army was formed to receive the enemy $ fury. The .31st regiment on the left of' the 
 in two lines nearly parallel to the river Albu- j brigade alone escaped this formidable chai-e 
 hera, on the ridge of the gradual assent from i and kept its ground until tJie arrival of the 
 that nver, and covering the roads to Badajoz | third brigade under major-general Houghton 
 andVaherde General Blake s corps was on 5 who, in the act of cheering his men fel 
 the right in two hues ; its left on the Valverde ; pierced with wounds. Though the enemy's 
 road lomed the right of major-general William i principal attack was on this important point 
 Stevvarus division, the left of which reache.U he also made a continued attempt on that 
 to the Badajoz road, where commenred the ; part of the orioinal front of the combined 
 rigiit of major-general Hamilton's division. ; army at the village and bridge, which wcra 
 General Coles division, with one brigade of; defended by major-general Alten, and the 
 general Hamilton formed the second line of j light infantry brigade of the German leeioo 
 the British and Portuguese army. At eight J This point now formed the left, to which 
 o clock in the morning the cavalry of the J major-general Hamilton's division had been 
 enemy was seen passing the rivulet of Albn- j brought up, supported by a considerable body 
 hera considerably above the right of the allied | of Spanish cavalry. While the enemy's attack 
 position. Shortly after a strong force of ; continued on the right he attempted to turn 
 cavalry and two heavy columns of infantry | that flank with his cavalry, but by the able 
 marched out o a wood directly in front, as if > manoeuvres of major-general Lumley, his 
 I to attack the viHage and bridge of Albuhera. | endeavours were bafHerl Major-ffeneral Cole 
 mi.ing tills time the principal body of the ; observing the attack of the enemy,^iudicionsly 
 l-ieiich infantry, under cover of their very ; brought up his left a little, marched in line to 
 \ T'iT' l^r'-'Y^' ^,«^ (■''!"?: over the river ! attack the enemy's left, and contributed in 
 J.oisiaerabyaoove the right with an intention; conjunction with the brigades of general 
 X) tuin that Hank, and cut off the commnnica- i Stewart's division, to force him to abandon his 
 |ion with Valverde. Major-general Coles J situation, and retire precipitately on his ,t^ 
 division was therefore ordered to form an ; serve. In these charges the fusileer brigade
 
 ... HISTORY or ENGLAND. [CIIAP. LIX. 
 
 /44 
 
 . , , ,• ^- • 1.0,1 nnri fliP piipniv ' ^vitl^ consunimale skill, the eflorts of an enemy 
 was particu arly ,^1)^ l^S^^^^^^'^^Jh^^^^^^^^ ^.-eatlv superior in uvunher.s, l,e .as secretly 
 
 was pursued -/ /^ ;';,^,^,^^^^ re- 1 p-paring to besiege Ci.ubd Kodrigo. The 
 
 Albuhera A^'^'-^.^'IkYo still continued ; krst business was to restore the works at. 
 r' n'lho r;:;;eTi "^:i^^ on which ^ Almeida, so as to .make it a secure place of 
 ior -ashoit tune »^^' '"^ i^ ' ssion nor Ucposit for his artdlery and stores. 1 here 
 he could ne. her ;"^^- ^"> Xh had'co.n- I wa's a possibility that the place might be re- 
 cross the r.vulet. '^^\,^^ ;*;y;;Y;''^ "^^o,,. ^ ^lu.pd U blockade, for standing in a hostile 
 „.enced at nme o clock ' 1 h^ .V^« ''"°^/t°h^ i country, sixty miles from the nearest French 
 'iZL:::'^^ r Z ; U l Z::J^ \ canLSentsJ suppUes could not be thrown in 
 tl f X he . the Stot the day was passed in I without an escort at least equal in number to 
 
 Two thousand weie f«""% '^^f^ J3' ^^^^f;,,. the middle of September Ciudad Rodrigo was 
 
 cavalry. The loss of the ^ ''*^^ f "°""'^^^^^^^ : tj^^^t they would have been driven to the lines 
 one standard were aken '^.y;''^,f"^"7' ^,^^ $ ,j,ent should arrive, Marmont was to be join- 
 
 bosom t,l lie wound was d.esscd, «l.e., '»' i ;!^j^,_,i„ j|,^.i,.„„^,„i,,_ge„c.,ai HillMntimicI 
 *" AFTFRt'levicl<,rvorFmn,tcsDO..o,olordito alanu tlie... by repeated incmsions ; a„,l 
 Wdlta-to Ir ste e I a-ain t^ that part of hi. i lord Wellinstoi, tak„,g advantage of a moment 
 Wellmgton ia»teiie< a y marshal : whea Maniioi.t had <letachcd part ol hi', 
 
 force which he f '' l™"^' . "J' j' "^J^ to troops to assist Suchet in the conquest ot 
 
 temXl W ile this was pursued with | January, and earned it by storm on Iho 19lh, 
 mtenupreci, \vnuc hub "^^ 1 ..> fr>nr <Javq before Marmont coected an aruiv 
 
 miserably inadequate means, and with a ; loui day,'! Dtioie luainiu 
 heavy lo Js of meu,'soult and Marmont formed at Salamanca to ina. ch to n. "^"^ • J 
 a junction to relieve the garrison. The Bri- operaUons of the siege belong to tUt annab 
 ti«h general could not afibrd to -)" J-J; r''^^:i.n;riod 
 
 victories as Albuhera ; he therefore raised the 5 AT an cany pc ivTiJspn- abandoned- 
 
 siege, reerossed tl,e Guadian., and taking up j very day (^^^'•'•^^^f/' ;^^^^^^ 
 a position within the Portuguese frontier, de- his position at S^ntaiem -^ '»^" «»:^^'^ ^^'^ 
 filed their collected force, which he knew couUM glorious conflrc «;7' '''^ /^ ^^^Pj .'^^^^^ 
 «ot long be kept together. While lord We - | peninsula remote ^^P^J^r^'^^^^^l 
 lington, acting upon this confidence, baflled, i-the grnnd armies. A British toice exccetiui^
 
 CHAP. LlX.j GEORGE HI- 74^ 
 
 3000 men under lieutenant-^^eneral Graham, > ral Victor's army. Tlin former of these which 
 and a body of 7000 Spanish troops, com- 1 trained tli«i ascent of the hill, was attacked by 
 manded by general Lapena, were embarked > the British right wing, commanded by general 
 in the bay of Cadiz, in order to effect a com- 5 Dilkes, while the latter was engaged by the 
 •Lined attack on the rear of the French army ; left wing snpported by a battery of twelve 
 blockading that city. After some prelimi- ; guns. In less than an hour and a half from 
 nary operations, general Graham received i the commencement of the action, notwith- 
 directions from general La Pena to move to a « standing the base desertion of the English 
 .position about half way between Barrosa and i army by general Lapena with his Spaniards, 
 the river Santi Petri. As he proceeded on ; the enemy was in full retreat on ail parts, leav- 
 his march, he received- information that the ; ing behind them an eagle, pieces of cannon, 
 enemy had appeared in force on the plain ; 2 generals wounded and taken, witli many 
 and was advancing towards the heights of | other officers killed, and many prisoners. The 
 Barrosa. General Graham immediately coun- > exhausted state of the British troops and the 
 termarched in order to support the troops left 5 treachery of the Spanish general rendered 
 for the defence of the position of Santi Petri, | pursuit impossible. The number of Frencii 
 but before he could disentangle himself from ; in the action was about 7000, and their loss 
 an intervening wood, the advanced troops : was calculated at 3000. That of the victors 
 ■were seen returning from Barrosa hill, while ! amounted to 1243 killed and wounded, 
 the French were ascending it. With singular | Though the battle of Barrosa was among the 
 promptitude and skill the general instantly ; minor actions with respect to numbers, and 
 determined on attacking the enemy, for a re- $ produced no important consecjuences, yet the 
 treat under sucli circumstances would have ; ability and firmness displayed by general 
 endangered the whole allied army. The ; Graham acquired the gratitude and applauses 
 troops with which he was engaged were the ; of his country, and obtained him a rank among 
 two divisions under Rufin and Laval of gene- J our most deserving and able commanders. 
 
 CHAPTER LX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1811 to 1813.] 
 
 I* rogress of the American War — Conflict between the President and the lAttle £elt -Assas- 
 sination of Mr. Perceval — State Intrigues — Retention in Office of the existing JSIinistrif — 
 Repeal of the Orders in Council — Naval Actions between the Vessels of Great Rrituin and 
 America—Spanish Cam} " .--,-. ~ 
 
 of SALAMANCA—' 
 Retreat of Suonaparte — Oper 
 Wuvlzen — Conclusion of an Armistice. 
 
 WHILST a suspension of amity, or ! involved thetwonationsinimmediate hostility, 
 rather an alienation, was subsisting ; TheAmerican frigate, President, having fallen 
 between England and the United States, an in- i in with the British sloop of war, Little Belt, on 
 cident occurred which appeared likely to have ; the American coast, an action was brought oa 
 
 5 c 47
 
 74<J 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LX. 
 
 which terniiuatod in a severe loss of men to 
 the latter vessel. The circniristances in which 
 beth ])arties agree are the following. The 
 ships coming in sight of each other on the fore- 
 noon of the 16th of May, about 14 or 15 
 leagues from Cape Henry, captain Bingham 
 of the Little Belt, gave chase, and soon dis- 
 covered the other ship to be a man of war, 
 which, upon descrying him, bore down 
 towards him. Captain Binghani.made all sail 
 southwards, and was followed in chase by 
 commodore Rogers in the President, wlio 
 evidently gained upon the other. At half past 
 six, captain Bingham, who had discerned the 
 stars in the President's broad pendant, 
 brought to, hoisted his colours, had his guns 
 double shotted, and every preparation made 
 against a surprise. Commodore Rogers, who 
 affirms that he had not been able to make out 
 M hat nation the chase was of, took a position 
 to windward of her, and about a quarter past 
 eightgot within hail. JN ow come the variances 
 in the uarratives of the two commanders. Cap- 
 tain Bingham thus states the matter. " I hail- 
 ed and asked wliat sliip it was. He repeated 
 my question. I again hailed and asked what 
 shij) it was. He again repeated my words 
 and fired a broadside, which I immediately 
 returned.' Commodore Rogers on the other 
 hand says, " I hailed, what ship is that? To 
 this inquirj' no answer was given ; but I was 
 hailed by her commander, what ship is that? 
 After a pause of 15 or 20 seconds I reiterated 
 my first inquiry ; aud before I had time to 
 take the trumpet from my moutli, was answer- 
 ed by a shot that went into our main mast," 
 He goes on to state, that while he was in the 
 act of giving an order to fire a shot in return, 
 a shot was fired by the second division of his 
 ship, which was instantly answered by thiee 
 others in quick succession from his antagonist, 
 and soon after by his whole broadside. The 
 action, however, brought on, thenceforth be- 
 came general, and lasted about three quarters 
 of an hour, when a suspension ensuing, the 
 hailing was repeated, the ships recognized 
 each other, and parted for the niglit. In 
 the morning the President sent a boat on 
 board the Little Belt, with a message lament- 
 ing the unfortuue occurrence, and offering 
 every necessary assistance, which captain 
 Bingham declined. His spirit in maintaining 
 a force so superior (the desparity being 18 
 guns to 44) was worthy of his station, but was 
 
 attended with the loss of S2 men killed and 
 wounded, and great damage to the vessel. X 
 The American loss was very triding. " 
 
 The domestic politics of the year 1812 
 were amost exclnsively influenced by an 
 event unexampled in British History sinco 
 the time of Felton, and by the perpetration of 
 a crime pecidiarly repugnant to the feelings 
 of Englishmen. As Mr. Perceval (May 1 1th,) 
 was entering the lobby of the liouse of com- 
 mons, at a quarter past five o'clock, a person 
 of the name of Bellingham, who had placed 
 himself on the side of the door for that pur- 
 pose, fired a pistol at him, the ball of which 
 entered his left breast. Mr. Perceval inune- 
 diately staggered and fell. He was taken up 
 by Mr. W. Smith, and with the assistance of 
 other members was conveyed to the speaker's 
 apartments, but before he reached them, all 
 signs of life had disappeared. The assassin 
 had take)] so sui'eau aim, that the ball passed 
 through Mr. Perceval's heart at the centre. 
 
 As soon as the horror occasioned by this 
 catastrophe had somewhat subsided, a person 
 exclaimed, where is the villain that fired ? Bel- 
 lingham stept forward and coolly replied, I 
 am the unfortunate man. He made no at- 
 tempt to escape, and being interrogated as to 
 his motive for the deed, he said, " My name 
 is Bellingham, it is a private injury. I know 
 what I have done; if was a denial of justice 
 on the part of government." He was then 
 searched and carried to the bar of the house, 
 and it being ascertained that the act which he 
 had perpetrated was unconnected with any 
 public conspiracy, he was committed to New- 
 gate. He was executed on the IfUh of May, 
 and died with exem]}lary firmness in the 
 presence of a numerous buttranquil multitude. 
 
 The claim of Bellingham to redress for the 
 disappointments sustained in Russia, which 
 he adduced as a defensive plea, does not 
 appear to have rested on the slightest rational » 
 foundation. He fal.sely imagined himself to " 
 have been wronged by the Russian govern- 
 ment. An application made to the British 
 ambassador was disregarded, and for this 
 refusal he made the government at home re- 
 sponsible. He conceived himself entitled to re- 
 ceive from them the same sum, which he would 
 have recovered from the Russian govern- 
 ment had his complaints been favourably 
 listened to. The claim was such as ministers 
 were bound to reject, and Mr. Perceval fell a
 
 CHAP. L\-.] 
 
 * GEORGE III. 
 
 747 
 
 vixtim to a deriderl ministerial duty. His 
 tstiuiahle character in private lite, and his 
 ainiahle manners, joined to a fate so trai^ical, 
 threw an extraordinary interest over liis me- 
 mory. The provision made i'ur iiis family, 
 wiiich was no more than necessary to support 
 their rank, met with nniversal approbation. 
 His bitterest political enemies were the most 
 zealons to express their horror and regret, and 
 tli«ir anxiety to make every possible compen- 
 sation to his domestic circle, for a loss so ir- 
 reparable. With whatever sincerity he was 
 regretted by his political friends, they sus- 
 tained no political injury from his nntimely 
 end. After a long series of intrignes, in 
 which their opponents were found wanting, 
 they were retained in office by the express 
 command of the prince regent. 
 
 A MKASURE which had been refused to 
 motives of external policy, was now impe- 
 riously called for, by circumstances occurring 
 within the kingdom. The closing of all the 
 ports of the continent, joined to the suspension 
 of intercourse with America, had created a 
 measure of connnercial sut!ering, which had 
 not been experienced for ages. All the ma- 
 nufactures, which had been carried on with 
 a view to foreign consumption, were at once 
 annihilated. Patiently to endure snch suffer- 
 ings, is more than can fairly be expected from 
 the uninstructed classes of society. Commo- 
 tions arose in districts peculiarly affected, 
 which inspired the most serious alarm. They 
 were with difficulty prevented, by military 
 force, from breaking out into open insurrec- 
 tion. Crimes were committed, of a magnitude 
 before unknown in this country ; and a gene- 
 ral character of atrocity seemed to have in- 
 fused itself into the national disposition. Mi- 
 nisters felt the propriety, and almost neces- 
 sity, of yiehling to this cry of the nation. They 
 consented that an investigation slionld take 
 place, into the consequences which had fol- 
 lowed from the orders in coimcil, and into 
 the question, whether it might not now be 
 ■ expedient to revoke them. A committee of 
 the house was accordingly formed, and a great 
 mass of evidence collected. The lead Mas 
 soon taken by jMr. Brougham, an active young 
 statesman, who, I believe, understood ques- 
 tions of commercial policy better than most 
 of the senior niembers on either side. He 
 conducted the enquiry very ably, and with 
 that species of headlong force and impetuosity 
 
 & c 2 
 
 which (•haracterised all his exertions. It was 
 difficult to separate the effects of the conti- 
 nental exclusion, and of the orders in council. 
 The two indeed were anxiously confounded 
 by the party hostile to ministers. But it cer- 
 tainly appeared, that considerable distress 
 had arisen from these orders, and particularly 
 from the loss of the American trade, which 
 they had induced. The vote might have been 
 doubtful ; but lord Castlereagh anticipated it 
 by announcing, that the orders in council 
 were to be immediately recalled, and a trial 
 made of an opposite system. An order to 
 this effect appeared accordingly in the next 
 gazette, but did not reach America till war 
 had been declared by the president and con- 
 gress. 
 
 A NATURAL and .strong barrier of the Bri- 
 tish dominions in North America was formed 
 by the river St. Lawrence, and by the vast 
 lakes of Huron, Erie, and Ontario, through 
 which it successively passes. To have cross- 
 ed below the Ontario lake, would have formed 
 the most direct road to the heart of the coun- 
 try, and to the capital. But the river was 
 there at its greatest breadth ; and the passage 
 was defended by strong fortifications, and by 
 the conceptrated strength of the British 
 forces. To have crossed between Ontario and 
 Erie would have been liable to similar objec- 
 tions, thongh not quite to the same extent. 
 But the branch of the river between Erie and 
 Huron presented the point, at which this 
 natural barrier could be most easily overcome^ 
 Here the Americans possessed Detroit, a fort 
 of some strength. That of Michmel, Lin- 
 curk, and lake Huron, kept in check the 
 Indian tribes, who were well known to be 
 secretly attached to the British interest. The 
 proximity of their back settlements enabled 
 the Americans to anticipate here the arrival 
 of the British forces. Early in July, general 
 Hull crossed the St. Lawrence, took posses- 
 sion of Sandwich, from which the British had 
 retired, and made preparations for the siege 
 of fort Amherstsburg. He here published a 
 proclamation, inviting the Canadians to join 
 his standard ; and the prosperous aspect of 
 his afl'airs induced some to obey the call. But 
 this career of success was of short duration. 
 Captain Roberts, with a small British and 
 Canadian detachment, reached. Michillomaik 
 before any reinforcements could enter that 
 place ; and the garrison, which did not exceed
 
 748 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LX. 
 
 60, suiTontlered at the first summons. This ; The Macedonian frii^ate, captain. Cardeii, 
 event Mas a siijnal for all the American ; descried, in latitude 29, on Octoljer 2-jth, a 
 tribes to declare in favour of Great Britain, ; ship whicli proved to be a large frigate under 
 and to rise in the rear of the American army, i American colours. He closed with her as 
 General Hull, in the view of preserving his ; soon as possible, and the action began at nine 
 communications, sent successive large de- 1 in the morning. After an hour's firing, on 
 tachnientS under major Miller and colonel \ coming to close quarters, he found his anta- 
 M'Arthur. Meanwhile, general Brock, the > gonist so much superior that he had no claim 
 
 British commander, having brought up a 
 small reinforcement, determined, though still 
 inferior in number to the Americans, to ad- 
 vance without delay. Hull then began a 
 retro2:rade movement. Upon being pressed, 
 
 to success. He bravely continued the action 
 for two hours and ten minutes, when tlie 
 injuries his ship sustained having rendered 
 her a perfect wreck, while his opponent was 
 in good condition, he reluctantly submitted. 
 
 Jie withdrew to the other side of the St. Law- » Hi.s oppoiient was the United States, captain 
 rence. Genend Brock unmediately com- ' " 
 menced operations against the fort (»f Detroit, 
 by erecting batteries on the oj)posite bank. 
 
 Decatur. She was of the scantling of a 74 
 gun ship, mounted 68 guns, and had a com- 
 pliment of 478 picked men. The loss of 
 captain Garden's crew was 104 killed and 
 wounded. 
 
 Thi; last operation of imf>ortance by land 
 
 These soon began to act ; and in a day or two 
 
 after, the army succeeded in crossing the river. 
 
 (renenil Hull, being then summoned, made 
 
 no farther resistance, but surrendered himself, | was an attack on the British position of 
 
 with the fdrt and the whole garrison, amount- | Kingstown, on the Niagara river, by genera! 
 
 ing to upward of 2000 men, prisoners of war. ; Wadsworth with 1400 Americans. After a 
 
 The English frigate Guerriere, commanded J short but decisive conflict, general Wadsworth 
 by captain Dacres, on the 19th of August 5 and 900 of his army surrendered prisoners of 
 was brought to action by the American frigate | war to the same number of the British. The 
 the Constitution, captain Hull. The Guer- » loss on the part of the latter was small, with 
 riere rated 38 guns but mounted 49, with 26.3 ; the exception of general Brock who was killed 
 men on board ; the Constitution rated 44 guns > while cheering his men, in whom his country 
 but mounted 65, with a compliment of 4.50 | was deprived of an officer of distinguished 
 men. The engagement was sharp, but of i courage and ability. 
 
 short duration, for the Guerriere being totally » From the narrative of events so deeply to 
 dismasted, and rolling so deep as to render i be lamented by every friend to humanity, and 
 her guns useless, while the enemy was enabled ! every lover of his country, I gladly return t» 
 to rake her at pleasure, it became absolutely 5 the scene of warfare in the peninsula. The 
 necessary to strike her colours. Of the crew 5 campaign in Valencia, however calamitous, 
 15 had been killed and 63 wounded. Not ; served yet as a diversion in favour of the allied 
 the least imputation attached to the conduct ; army on the other side of the peninsula. The 
 of captain Dacres or of his crew, who yielded « motives have already been noticed, which 
 only to the irresisitble force of physical supe- ; induced lord Wellington to determine upon 
 riority. ; commencing a series of offensive operations. 
 
 On the I8th of October his majesty's armed ; These were doubtless" much strengthened by 
 brig, Frolic, fell in with the American sloop ; thedesire of relieving the present pressure upon 
 -I- Wasp, which the former brought to > the east of S|)ain. Early in January, there- 
 
 of war. 
 
 action, that she might save her convoy from 
 Honduras. She soon, however, became so 
 umnanagable that the Wasp was enabled to 
 assume a raking position, while the Frolic ; siege was pushed with extraordinary 
 
 could not get a gun to bear. Every officer 
 was therefore wounded, and only 20 of the 
 crew remained unhurt. The enemy boarded 
 and made prize of the brig, which was after- 
 wards recaptured by the VVyndluun, who at 
 the same time took the Wasp. 
 
 fore, notwithstanding the obstacles which the 
 season presented, the army crossed the 
 Agueda, and invested Ciudad Rodrigo. The 
 
 1812. 
 
 On the very first day the Bri- 
 tish succeeded in storming an outwork which 
 the French hail r;,ised, and which was ex- 
 pected to have piotracted the siege for u[»- 
 wards of a week. In ten days more the lines 
 1; were completed, and several breaches effected
 
 CRAP. LY] 
 
 GEORGR III. 
 
 749 
 
 ill the walls!. Tlie advances were not carried 
 quite so fast as is usual before an attack ; 
 hut, on considering all circumstances, lord 
 Wellington determined to hazard one. The 
 troops marched to tlie assaidt in five columns, 
 one of which, under general Pack, was des- 
 tined only to make a false movement, in order 
 to deceive the enemy. After a desperate 
 struggle every point was carried ; even the 
 false attack was converted into a real one ; 
 and the allies in less than half an hour after 
 commencing the assault^ were complete 
 masters of the place. The loss was consider- 
 able ; upwards of 1200 were killed or wound- 
 ed ; general Mackinnon, an officer of high 
 promise, was among the former; general 
 Caijfurd among the latter. But lord Wel- 
 lington justly considered, that as the French 
 army was now fast approaching, the British 
 lost less even by a severe siege tlian by a 
 battle and siege united. 
 
 Marmont had established his winter can- 
 tonments on the banks of the Tagus, with a 
 view both to convenience of supply, and of 
 supporting the operations against Valencia, 
 jn pursuance ot the latter object, he had de- 
 tached general Monthrun with oOOO men, to 
 take in the rear the army of Valencia. General 
 Monthrun was too late ; and having missed 
 his object, amused himself with attempting 
 a fruitless coup de tnaiu agauiHt Alicant, which 
 prevented his co-operating with the main 
 army. Marmont however, collected from the 
 the north and centre of Spain, a considerable 
 force, with which he arrived at Salamanca. 
 He there heard of the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo. 
 He advanced and oiiered battle ; which lord 
 Wellington, who had now no object to fight 
 for, prudently declined. The French army 
 then withdrew, not to its former situation, but 
 to establish itself in cantonments along the 
 lormes. 
 
 : In consequence of this last change the 
 forces of the contending parties were placed 
 in a situation \ery advantageous to the alljes. 
 Marmont and Soult being placed at the op- 
 posite extremities of the peninsula, their 
 armies could not co-operate, nor even hold 
 communicalon, unless in a remote and cir- 
 cuitous manner. The allied army was inter- 
 posed between them, and could direct its 
 united strength upon any point. This advan- 
 tage was very ably improved by lord Wei- . 
 lington. He caused the whole army, with the i 
 
 exception of a small coi-ps of observation, to 
 march rapidly from the north upon Badajdz. 
 All the preparations had been made for the 
 siege of that important fortress. The troops 
 newly arrived, combined with those formerly 
 under general Hill,^ composted a force truly 
 formidable. Operations immediately com- 
 menced. Notwithstanding the unfavourable 
 season which placed the troops up to the 
 knees in mud, the works advanced with ra- 
 pidity. The defence was conducted by the 
 same governor and garrison, who had for- 
 merly resisted with success all the eflbrts of the 
 allied army. At the end of a month, however, 
 the approaches were carried to the foot of the 
 walls, and a practicable breach was effected. 
 On the night of the 6th of April, therefore, 
 lord Wellington determined to storm the 
 place. The result was singular. The main 
 attack directed against the point where the 
 breach had been effected completely failed ; 
 and the British were repulsed with great loss. 
 But two false attacks made, one by general 
 Picton on the castle, the other by general 
 Leith on the bastion of St. Vincente, both 
 succeeded, and these false attacks took the 
 place. A lodgment i)eing thus established, 
 both in the castle and in the town, the gar- 
 rison immediately submitted. It was then 
 4000 strong. The loss of the allies exceeded 
 3000 ill killed and wounded ; being greater 
 than is usually incurred even in a sanguinary 
 battle. Nothhig, except the urgent necessity 
 of despatch arising from the critical situation 
 of the army, could have justified so great a 
 waste of British blood. 
 
 Meanwhile the French armies were in 
 motion. Soult having collected ail the forces 
 of the south, arrived on the 8th, at Villa 
 Franca. There hearing of the fall of Bada- 
 j.oz, he immediately retreated, and his rear- 
 guard sustained some loss. Marmont did 
 not attempt, as formerly, to effect a junction 
 with the army of the south. He began with 
 attempting to carry, by a. coup de main, first 
 Ciudad Ivodrigo, and afterwards Almeida. 
 Fiifding both places prepared to receive him, 
 he pushed forward info the interior of Por- 
 tugal, driving before him the British army 
 of observation. On arriving at Castello Branco, 
 however, he learned the result of the siege, 
 and evacuated that place on the very same 
 day that he entered it. No time was to be 
 lost in securing his retreat •, lord Wellington,
 
 r.'iO 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 ICIIAP. tT. 
 
 with the bulk of his aniiy, immediately began 
 a movement towards the north. 
 
 All tiie frontier barriers having thus fallen, 
 lord Wellington de.terniined no farther to 
 delay the expedition into Spain, which he 
 had long meditated. As a preliminary, he 
 directed general Hill, who still commanded in 
 the south, to endeavour to destroy the bridge 
 of Ahnaraz, which formed the only communi- 
 cation, lower than Toledo, by which a great 
 army could cross the Tagus. General Hill 
 performed this service, which was attended 
 with great difficulties, with the same skill, 
 activity, and genius, which he had displayed 
 formerly in the surprise of Girard. 
 
 On the 13th of June, the allied army broke 
 up from their cantonments on the Agueda, 
 and advanced into Spain. On the 16th, they 
 entered Salamanca, the French army retiring 
 before them ; and they were received with ex- 
 traordinary demonstrations of joy. The 
 French had erected in this place three forts, 
 which lord Wellington had hoped speedily to 
 reduce. They were found, however, to be 
 considerably stronger than was expected ; 
 the lirst attack was unsuccessful ; and it was 
 found necessary to wait for some days the 
 arrival of a battering train. The enemy hover- 
 ed round, endeavouring to communicate with 
 the garrison, and to throw in supplies ; but 
 all their attempts were frustrated by the ac- 
 tivity of general Graham. On the 27th, the 
 principal fort was stormed ; and the rest, 
 which depended on it, immediately surren- 
 dered. The French army then retired, and 
 look a position behind the Douro. 
 
 The F"rench broke down the bridges over 
 the Douro ; and lord Wellington was not yet 
 provided with the means of lorcinu' a passage. 
 iMarmout was joined by Boimet, which, with 
 other reinforcements, rendered his force equal, 
 ^)r superior to that of the English commander. 
 He determined, therefore, to act on the oflen- 
 sive. He repaired the bridge at Toro, and 
 passed over it a considerable body of troops, 
 with the view of exciting the ex})ectation, that 
 the remainder would cross at that place. Sud- 
 denly, however, this body was recalled, and 
 the whole army was carried, by a most rapid 
 march, thirty miles up the river, to Tordesil- 
 las. It there crossed, and placed itself on 
 the left flank of the allied army, whi(,'h was 
 with difliculty preserved from "being turned. 
 This brilliant manojvivre completely changed 
 
 the aspect of the campaign. Marmont had 
 now established a communication with Ma- 
 drid, so that all the armies in the north and 
 centre of Spain. were either united, or had the 
 means of uniting ; and they composed a force 
 decidedly superior to that of the allies. Mar- 
 mont, however, did not wait for their entire 
 junctioj), but continued to press forward. 
 Lord Wellington drew up his army in order 
 of battle ; but the French general, instead of 
 accepting, made it his object to turn the 
 British flank at different points. His'attempts 
 were defeated ; yet, by repeatedly threatening 
 the communication of the allies with Portugal, 
 he succeeded in inducing them to retire gra- 
 dually towards that frontier. On the 22nd of 
 July, both armies had crossed the Tonnes. 
 The British occupied a species of peninsula 
 formed by the river, which bends southwards 
 soon after passing Salamanca. The French, 
 
 \ who had crossed at Alba, were in a condition 
 to threaten the communication with Ciudad 
 Rodrigo. 
 
 Marmont seems to have felt an extraor- 
 
 I dinary elation at the success with which his 
 manoeuvres had hitherto been attended. He , 
 conceived at once the chimerical hope, en- 
 tirely to cut ofl'the English army. With this 
 view he extended his line, so that it might 
 inclose the allies within the position which 
 they had taken up. His force, however, was 
 not such as that this extension could be made 
 without unduly weakening some point. His 
 left became thus exposed to attack. The i 
 error thus committed was at once perceived | 
 and improved by the British coujuiander. 
 Nearly the whole army being instantly brought 
 opposite to the enemy's left, an attack was 
 commenced upon that wing. Three divisions, 
 under generals Leith, Cole, and Cotton, 
 charged in front, while general Pakenham 
 formed another across the enemy's flank. This 
 single movement decided the victory. The 
 left wing made no resistance ; the British 
 troops overthrew every thing opposed to them. 
 In the centre, the contest was more obstinate. 
 General Pack was repulsed in his attack upon 
 the hill of the Arapiles ; the fourth division 
 was forced to retreat before a French division ; 
 and the confusion was increased by general 
 Beresford being wounded and obliged to leave 
 the lield. These troops, however, being re- 
 inforced by those which had routed the 
 French left vvuig, victory soon declared alike
 
 CHAP. LX.f 
 
 GEORGE in. 
 
 7r)i 
 
 ill tl)eir favour. Only the ii,<>]it wing ikmv 
 resisted ; Imt as the whole of the allied army 
 could be directed against it, this soon shared 
 the fate of the two others. As the evening 
 closed, the whole force of the enemy was in 
 total rout. Favoured by the darkness, they 
 fled tlnough the woods and over the Tonnes, 
 the British army still pursuing. Their loss 
 on this day consisted, besides dead, of 7000 
 prisoners, 1 1 pieces of cannon, and 2 eagles. 
 Mannont lost an ami ; Bonnet was severely 
 wounded ; so that the care of saving the 
 wrecks of tlic army devolved on general Clau- 
 sel, the third in command. The loss of the 
 'British was not very considerable, compared 
 with so splendid a victory. About 700 were 
 killed, and 4000 wounded ; in which latter 
 number were included many of the general 
 oflicers. 
 
 Thk enemy fled towards the Douro, in 
 total rout and confusion : the road behind 
 them was strewed with baggage, ammunition, 
 and wounded. On the day succeeding the 
 battle, three French battalions, overtaken by 
 the English cavalry, laid down their arms, and 
 numerous prisoners were daily brought in. 
 'J'he enemy no longer attempted to defend the 
 passage of the Douro. Lord Wellington 
 crossed at Trudella, and on the 4th of August 
 entered Valladolid. He did not, however, 
 advance to Burgos, notwithstanding the im- 
 portance attached by him to the possession 
 of tiiat place, because no artillery was yet 
 come up, and because an important moral 
 effect might be produced by acting in another 
 direction. Leaving, therefore, a force under 
 general Paget, to observe the motions of the 
 enemy, he proceeded with his main body to- 
 wards the capital. A slight disgrace and loss 
 was sustained in an action of the vanguard, 
 in consequence of the Portuguese troops 
 having been struck with a panic, which ill 
 correspouded with their former conduct. But 
 upon the whole there was nothing which could 
 resist the progress of the allies. Joseph Buo- 
 naparte had not with him above 15,000 or 
 20,000 men, a large proportion of whom were 
 Spaniards. On the approach, therefore, of 
 the allied armies, he evacuated Madrid, and 
 retired to Almanza, on the frontier of Murcia 
 and Valencia ; — an advantageous position, 
 whence he could communicate either with 
 Soult or with Suchet. On the 12th of August, 
 tlie allied army entered the capital. The" Re- 
 
 tiro, though garrisoned by 1500 men, imnuiiN 
 ately surrendered, and Guadalaxara was at 
 the same time taken by the Einpecinado. To 
 render still more flattering the prospects of the 
 allied army, intelligence was received of the 
 arrival of a new ex])edition at Alicant. It 
 consisted of Britisii and Neapolitan troops 
 from Sicily, joined to a Spanish foree which 
 had l)een tiained at IMajurca, under British 
 oflicers. The whole consisted of 16,000 men, 
 completely disciplined, and every way quali- 
 fied for acting in the field. 
 
 The French had derived some advantage 
 from the absence of lord Wellington, during 
 his expedition to Madrid. They sent a strong 
 detachment westward, along the Douro, whicli 
 raised the blockades of Toro and Zamora, 
 and withdrew the garrisons fi-oni the forts 
 there erected. They advanced with the same 
 view to Astorga ; but that fortress had fallen 
 immediately before their arrival. They then 
 returned to Valladolid ; but eoon found this 
 place untenable, when lord Wellington began 
 te move towards the north. Upon his ap- 
 proach, they not only abandoned Valladolid, 
 but did not even attempt to cover Burgos ; 
 and they retired towards the Ebro. Lord 
 Wellington found, therefore, no difficulty in 
 investing the castle of Burgos, but soon 
 received intelligence Avhich induced him to 
 move in another direction. 
 
 SouLT, immediately on receiving intelli- 
 gence of the loss of Madrid, formed the reso- 
 lution to sacrifice every other object for the 
 recovery of* the capital. His rear-guard was 
 precipitately driven out of Seville by a de- 
 tachment under colonel Skerret and general 
 Cruz. At the same time, the positions in the 
 Sierra de Rondo were abandoned, and the 
 whole French anny directed its retreat upon 
 Grenada. Having collected, his divisioijs in 
 that city, he did not halt, but continued hi.s 
 route through the province, and througii Mur- 
 cia, to the Valencian frontier. 
 
 Having now collected his whole force, 
 Soult left a small body of troops in Valencia, 
 and then advanced, <j0,000 strong, upon the 
 capital. General Hill had repaired thither 
 from Estremadura, anil had been strengthened 
 by the junction of several detached Spanish 
 corps. He had still, however, no force sulli 
 cient to cope with the enemy. He was, there- 
 fore, ordered, with the view of preserving the 
 communication between the diHerent allie«l
 
 752 
 
 in«TORV OF ENCLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LX. 
 
 corps, to retire behind the Adaja Lord 
 Wellington himself raised the sie<j::e of Bnrgos, 
 and retreated to the same position. There 
 was no longer then any obstacle to the junc- 
 tion of ali the French armies, which \vas 
 immediately etlected. Sonlt now determined 
 to make a sacritice of every other object for 
 the sake of driving- the allied army beyond the 
 Spanish frontier. Ho again abandoned 
 Madrid ; and collecting- his whole force, 
 90,000 strong, marched against lord Welling- 
 ton. iSotwithstanding his snperiority, he did 
 not venture to attack. He merely threw him- 
 self into positions which menaced the com- 
 n)nniration of the allied army with Portngal, 
 and he fortified himself carefully in every 
 successive position. Lord Wellington, who 
 could not prudently attack a^n enenjy thus 
 numerous and strongly posted, had no alter- 
 native but to retire into Portngal. Retreat 
 is adverse to the British army ; it is almost 
 always the signal for an entire relaxation of 
 discipline. 
 
 Every circumstance now combined to 
 effect the downfall and discomfiture of Napo- 
 leon. The invasion of Russia conspired with 
 the disasters in Spain to prepare the way 
 for the deliverance of Europe. Russia seems 
 to have entered upon this contest, fully aware 
 of its great magnitude, and her exertions to 
 prepare for it had been very extraordinary. 
 By vast levies, she had accumulated an army 
 of 300,000 men, nearly triple of that which in 
 the preceeding war her utmost efforts had 
 brought into the field. Notwithstanding this 
 great preparation, she had determined, with 
 singular prudence, to follow a system strictly 
 defensive. The Dwina, whose course lay 
 considerably within her frontier, was fixed 
 upon as the first point where a stand was to 
 be made ; and along its banks a range of 
 fortifications and entrenched camps had been 
 erected. . 
 
 Meanwhilk, Buonaparte was not less 
 diligent in organizing all the means of success. 
 Prussia, held completely within his grasp, was 
 compelled to allow her whole military force 
 to be employed in this war against her own 
 independence. Austria agreed to furnish a 
 contingent of .30,000 men. Fifty thousand 
 men were withdrawn from Spain, and the 
 arndes ih.ere having in vain attempted to bring 
 the war to a termination, placcnl themselves 
 HOW in an attitude of defence. These troops, 
 
 with all that could be spared from the interior 
 of France, from Italy, and from every quarter 
 of Germany, began their march, so that they 
 might reach the Polish frontier at the season 
 favourable for opening the campaign. By the 
 beginning of June, about 300,000 men had 
 been there accumulated. Buonaparte himself 
 arrived on the 21st at Gumbumen, and deter- 
 mined immediately to cross the Niemen. 
 
 On the evening of the 'ISid of June, the 
 Fremdi army aiTived at Kowno. Their j)as- 
 sage was not disputed, a few cossacks only 
 appeared on the opposite bank. Bridges were 
 instantly thrown over, and the army passed iit 
 the coiuseof the night. Buonaparte immedi- 
 atsly pushed forward to Wilna, the Russian 
 head-quarters, and the capital of Russian 
 Poland. He entered it on the 28th. The 
 enemy had evacuated the place on the day 
 preceding, after setting fire to their maga- 
 zines and military stores. Buonaparte con- 
 tinued to advance on the road to Smolensk. 
 The weather was dreadful, rain fell in torrents. 
 Several thousand horses perished ; and part 
 of the artillery was buried in the mud. He 
 pressed, however, eagerly forward. On the 
 8th, Davousthad entered Minsk, from whence 
 he advanced and seized upon the strong place 
 of Borysow. On the 18th he arrived at Orcha, 
 and on the ^Oth, at Mohilow on the Dnieper. 
 Notwithstanding this rapidity, the corps of 
 Docturow, which had been stationed between 
 Sida and Grodno, found means, though with 
 difficulty and by a circuitous march, to arrive 
 at the Dwina. But the army of Bagration, 
 40,000 strong, and deriving additional impor- 
 tance ftom the high character of its coii- 
 mander, was irretrievably separated. Bagra- 
 tion successively attempted to rejoin the main 
 army by Wilna, by Minsk, and by Bobruysk, III 
 but every where found himself anticipated. 
 He had nothing left, therefore, but to cross the 
 Dnieper, and proceed towards Smolensk. 
 
 Buonaparte having so far succeeded, now 
 collected his force in order to attack the 
 Russians, while still unsupported by their left 
 wing. They were strongly entrenched be- 
 tween Dunaburg and Drissa ; yet upon the 
 approach of the enemy they formed the wise 
 resolution not to engage with a part of their 
 force against his united strength. They 
 broke up therefore, and retired to W^itepsk. 
 Buonaparte occupied and demolished the 
 entrenched camps, and then immediately folr
 
 CHAP. LX.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 753 
 
 lowed the Russian army. He crossed the 
 Dwiiia at Bechfukovitzki, and his advanced 
 posts came into contact with the rear of the 
 enemy. The Russians, however, who had not 
 yet been able to unite with Bairration, still 
 adhered to their determination of retreating 
 till that object could be accomplished. They 
 broke from Witepsk and proceeded to Smo- 
 lensk, where the junction, so lon:^- delayed, 
 at length took place. 
 
 In the course of these movements several 
 partial actions occurred, in which the Rus- 
 sians appear to have been uniformly suc- 
 cessful. Scbastiani was surprised opposite to 
 Dnnaburg. and a whole battalion cut off. 
 Bagration defeated a large body of French 
 cavalry. The Saxon troops, .3000 in number, 
 were surrounded and entirely captured by 
 general Tormesow at Kobrin. These achieve- 
 ments afforded a favourable omen, not only 
 of the l)ravery of the troops, but of the skill 
 and activity of the Russian generals ; quali- 
 ties, the exclusive possession of which had so 
 long been the boast of their adversaries. 
 
 Notwithstanding these favourable occur- 
 rences, the advantage of this campaign had 
 as yet been considerably on the side of France. 
 She had driven her adversary beyond the 
 limits of Poland ; she had forced him to 
 al)andon all his entrenched camps, with the 
 Dwina, the national barrier of his empire. 
 This occupation of Poland afforded to Buona- 
 parte a promise of considerable advantage. 
 His first act in entering Wilna was to proclaim 
 anew the kingdom of Poland. A diet was 
 immediately convened, and a constitution 
 framed. Every thing, notwithstanding the 
 attempt to exhibit a contrary appearance, was 
 evidently done by the sole dictation of a 
 single man. Still it was something ; they had 
 the name at least and the form of liberty ; and 
 as their co-operation was necessary, they had 
 a certain pledge of favourable treatment. 
 
 Buonaparte allowed his troops a short 
 repose after tlie succession of dreadful 
 inarches through which they had passed ; then 
 suddeidy collecting them he advanced upon 
 Smolensk. The Russians were prejjared to 
 receive him. Part of their army occupied the 
 place ; the rest was posted on the other side 
 of the river. During the course of the IGth, 
 the French made repeated and desperate 
 attacks upon Smolensk, but were uniforndy 
 repulsed with great slaughter. The city, 
 
 5 u 
 
 however, sustained severe damage, and was 
 set on fire in several places. In the course 
 of tlie following night the Russians withdrew 
 from it, and joined their force fui the other side 
 of the river. The whole united then began 
 their retreat on the road to Moscow, The 
 vanguard of the French, under Ney, attacked 
 their lear-guard at Valentina, but were re- 
 pulsed after an obstinate contest. Smolensk 
 formed now the only fortified position by 
 which Moscow could be covered, and a gene- 
 ral clamour arose among the ofhcers at its 
 being so soon relinquished. Government 
 were so far swayed by tiiis opinion that they 
 transferred the chief command from general 
 Barclay de Tolly to Koutousolf, a veteran of 
 seventy-five, who had distinguished himself in 
 a long series of wars. Succeeding events left 
 no doubt as to the extreme prudence of his 
 appointment. 
 
 Koj'TOUsoFF, although he disapproved the 
 evacuation of Smolensk, did not choose to 
 give battle in a country which no longer, af- 
 forded any advantageous position. He con- 
 tinued the retreat of the army towards IMos- 
 cow, while Buonaparte slowly and cautiously 
 followed. Although his approach to the 
 capital became so near, that unless some stand 
 were made, he must inevitably become master 
 of it, Koutousoflfnow assumed a position at 
 Borodino, which he considered as extremely 
 favourable, and in which he wished to be at- 
 tacked. The French emperor determined 
 upon attacking. He led therefore his troops 
 to battle. The contest was tremendous ; 
 scarcely does history record so awful a scene 
 of human destruction. Sixty thousand of 
 dead and wounded lay strewed on the field ; 
 I and yet its fortune remained undecided. The 
 loss on both sides was almost alike immense. 
 But on such occasions the advantage evidently 
 rests with the party which stood had on the 
 defensive. The Russians preserved their posi- 
 tion, which was all they had aimed at ; while 
 Buonaparte, unable to gain a victory, remain 
 ed baffled. He even retreated to some dis- 
 tance, though Cossacks only are said to l»ave 
 followed.. Among the many French ofhcers 
 who fell on this day, attention was chiefly 
 drawn by the infamous name of Caulincourt, 
 the midnight murderer of the duke of Enghien; 
 he fell in the field i)y a fiite of which he was 
 unworthy. On the Russian side a far more 
 illustrious chief received his mortal wound. 
 48
 
 754 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. LX. 
 
 Bagration, whose heroism had fornierl a pro- 
 minent feature in ill the recent Russian 
 achievements, closed here a life of glory. Ir- 
 reparahle were the loss, had there not at this 
 moment arisen a new race of conuDanders, 
 whose names, hitherto unknown to Europe, 
 were soon placed in the foremost rank of mili- 
 tai\y fame. 
 
 Buonaparte, soon after his retreat from 
 Borodino, was joined by the corps of Victor, 
 which secured to him still a nninerical supe- 
 riority over the Russians. Although he had 
 failed, therefore, in his attempt to break the 
 army, he determined, at whatever risk, and in 
 whatever manner, to possess himself of Mos- 
 cow. He immediately began to niraioeuvre, 
 with the view of turning tiie Russians. Kou- 
 tousoft' saw that he could defend Moscow 
 only by fighting a battle upon its site; he 
 considered its destruction as the conse- 
 quence; and he does not seem to have 
 been aware, how fully his government was 
 determined to sacrifice it to the safety of tlie 
 empire. He considered also, that his thinned 
 ranks might soon be filled from the militia of 
 all the neighbouring provinces, who were 
 crowding to join him. In pursuance, then, 
 ©f that cautious system, which from the be 
 ginning had been acted upon, he withdrew to 
 the south, and left open the road to Moscow. 
 Buonaparte advanced without opposition, and 
 on tiie 14th of September entered the Russian 
 capital. But here a dreadful spectacle pre- 
 sented itself. From one extremity to the 
 other, that antient and renowned metropolis 
 was in flames. The Russian government had 
 long resolved and meditated this plan, to de- 
 prive the invader of the fruits of victory. 
 Every thing which admitted of it having been 
 previously removed, persons appointed for 
 that purpose set fire t© the city in various 
 quarters, wherever the flames were most like- 
 ly to spread. All the fire engines had been re- 
 moved or destroyed. Before the French, there- 
 fore, could stop the pi'ogressof the flames, only 
 a tenth part of the city remained unconsunied. 
 
 The French army did not, amid the ruins 
 of Moscow, enjoy that repose and plenty 
 which they expected, and stood so much in 
 need of. The jtrovince in which they were 
 immediately situated, is not endowed with 
 any fertility which could qualify it for supply 
 ing their wants. The neighbouring govern- 
 ments, indeed, watered by tlie Volga and Oka, 
 
 formed the granary of Russia, an-d were bless- 
 ed with a luxuriance almost inconceivable. 
 But the French could derive little benefit from 
 this surrounding abundance. KoutousofT 
 took a position at a small distance to the 
 south of INToscow, in which he covered the 
 provinces of Tula and Kaloaga, which were 
 the grand scene of tliis fertility. This posi- 
 tion was so strong as to secure him against 
 attack ; and his strength and proximity 
 rendered it impossible for the enemy to sepa- 
 rate and occupy any extensive range of terri- 
 tory. On the other side general Winzingerode 
 was stationed with a large body of troops to 
 exclude the ewemy from the Petersburgh road 
 and the northern provinces ; a service which 
 he performed in the most distinguished man- 
 ner. Wittgenstein, who still defended the 
 line of the Dwina, had carried on a very suc- 
 cessful war in that quarter against Oudinot 
 and Macdonald. He had rendered it impos- 
 sible for them to form the siege of Riga, or to 
 nuike any serious impression on that pa.rt of 
 the empire. Reinforced now by 18,()(t0men 
 from Finland, he began a movement upon 
 Moscow. Every thing gave way before him. 
 St. Cyr who endeavoiu'ed to defend the impor- 
 tant position of Polotsk, w as completely routed 
 and driven beyond the Dvvina. Wittgenstein 
 then continued his victorious march upon 
 Witepsk, and upon the route by which the 
 French army communicated to the west of 
 Europe. This movement was combined with 
 another, which promised to render it com- 
 pletely decisive. 
 
 The exigency of her affairs had at length 
 induced Russia to purchase peace from 
 Turkey, by granting the demands of that 
 power to their full extent. Flushed by her* 
 former successes, she had required the cession 
 of Moldavia and Wallachia, and the establish- 
 blishment of the Danube as the southern 
 boundary of her empire. She now contented 
 herself with that part of Moldavia, the smallest 
 and least important, which lay on the eastern 
 bank of the Ruth. .She thus renounced, most 
 wisely, almost all her recent conquests on that 
 side, and was enabled to employ her whole 
 force in averting the imminent danger with 
 which herself was threatened. The army then 
 which had been employed upon that frontier, 
 immediately began its march through the 
 south of Poland. United with ti)at previously 
 stationed in \ olhynia, it formed an aggregate
 
 CHAP. LX.] GEORGE III. 755 
 
 of 80,000 men. The French communication; This disaster seems to have convinced 
 ^11 this side was supported by the Saxon > Buonaparte that iiis intended retreat could 
 Voops, and by the Austrian contingent under > no longer admit of delay. Reluctantly there- 
 the prince of Schwartzenburg. These the ; fore, and too late, he formed the resolution of 
 Russian army drove before it, separated com- ; abandoning Moscow. On the 19th of Octo- 
 pletely from the main army, and compelled to | ber the French army began its march, leaving 
 retire beyond the Niemen. Nothing then pre- ; only a garrison in the Kremlin. This last 
 vented it from forming a junction with the » measure seemed to have been adopted rather 
 force under* Wittgenstein, on the high road ; with a view to retard the advance of th« 
 leading to Moscow. The fate of the French ; enemy, than with any hope of retaining pos- 
 army had then been sealed. Cut oft' from ; session of the place. On the 22ri(l, general 
 their native country and all their resources, j Winzingerode arrived, drove the French gan- 
 they must have been completely enclosed ! rison out of Moscow, and re-established the 
 within the forests and wilds of Muscovy. » Russian ensigns in the Kremlin. Approach- 
 
 BuoNAPARTE could Hot be insensible to ; ing, however, too near the enemy with a view 
 the inuuinent perils which surrounded him. » of inviting a suspension of bloodshed, he was 
 There was evidently no hope of safety but to ; surrounded and taken prisoner. 
 fly, abandoning Moscow and all his con- ; Buonaparte on leaving Moscow, made a 
 quests ; yet from that step the most extreme ; feigned movement towards the Kalouga road, 
 reluctance withheld him. Vestigia M?///a * with the view of inducing the belief that this 
 reirorsum had as yet been his uniform motto; i retreat would be in that direction. Having thus 
 and to change it in the face of Europe, of his ) diverted the attention of Koutousoft' he innne- 
 allies, and his enemies, was a humiliation ; diately began to retreat by forced marches 
 scarcely to be endured. He now made re- | and with prodigious rapidity, on the road to 
 peated attempts to draw the Russian generals ; Smolensk. He himself, apparently with the 
 into a negotiation. To have made peace, | sole view of securing his personal safety, 
 almost on any terms, while Moscow was still | marched inthe van, surrounded by the imperial 
 1ms, would have preserved to him, at least, > guards, whom, amid all the late battles, he 
 the semblance of victory. His autagoni.sts, i had preserved unbroken. Eugene, the viceroy, 
 however, conscious of their own strength and • in whom he seems to have placed a confidence 
 of the dire necessity which urged him, turned i not justiried by any military achievements, 
 a deaf ear to every proposal. This was not ; brought up the rest of the army, with all the 
 the time for them to ti-eat. Having precipi- ; artillery and baggage. To them this march 
 tated himself into such a situation, it behoved : was dreadful. They had to force their way 
 him to extricate himself by his own efforts. ] through roads almost impassable, without 
 No resource remained, except that bitter one, « supply, without resources, with all the 
 vrhich nothing could longer avert. Yet even ; elements to contend against them. Clouds of 
 after the sacrifice had been made, it still re- ; cossacks hovered on every side, harassed 
 mained a difficult task to save the army. Their i them with contiTinal attacks, seized all the 
 stock of provisions was nearly exhausted ; > stragglers, and cut off the army in detail, 
 and to return by the road they had come, I Millaradovitch, a Russian general, ma<le a. 
 drained as it was of every resource, presented i vigorous attack upon the rear-guard and de- 
 a ho|)elcss prospeci' Buonaparte appears to ; feated it, with considerable loss. Platoft', 
 have conceived the plan of penetrating by the i near Visma, broke in with his cossacks, threw 
 route of Toula and Kalouga, which would | all into confusion, and carried off .3000 pri- 
 have led him through fertile and unexhausted ; soners, and 128 pieces of cannon. Their 
 districts. As a preliminary to such a march, i situation was truly critical ; for while Kou- 
 however, it was necessary to beat the Russian ; tousoff followed close behind, TchitzhagoflT, . 
 graiul army, which covered that road. Kou- j with the army from Volhynia and Turkey, 
 tousoft", perceiving that movements were i would soon block up all the avenues by which 
 making indicative oi" this intention, resolved to ; they could advance. No time was to be lost, 
 anticipate them. He attacked by surprise i to resume their march. On this they left 
 the advanced-guard of the French armv under ; Smolensk. But tlie calamitie>< whiclj'they 
 Murat, and tofall\ Jefeated it with tiie loss of; had experienced before arriving at that place, 
 3000 prisoners, and 60 pieces of camion. ' became as uotliing when compared with, those
 
 756 HiSTOUY OF ENGLAND. ^CHAP. tX. 
 
 M'liich now overtook tlicm. The frost set in ; cavalry and artillery. Wittgenstein and 
 Avith a severity scarcely known even in these ; Tchitzagotf having formed a junction^ coia- 
 climates. All tiie horses perished ; there | menced an attack upon the rear of the retreat- 
 vcre no longer any means of conveyance i ing army. The action was obstinate. Of its 
 either for the baggage or artillery ; all shelter, | result no very detailed or satisfactory account 
 Jill provisions failed ; and his army, lately so i has yet beeii received. It would rather ap))ear, 
 formidable, exhibited to mankind a spec- 1 however, that it had been in favour of the 
 tacle of woe, beyond, all that they had ever I French, and that the Russians sustained a 
 inflicted. The sword of the enemy soon can>6 ! repulse. Under favour of this Success, the 
 to complete the cnlamify. Koutousotl", who \ French army hastened, by forced marches, 
 with his main body had been marching by a 5 towards Wihia. No obstacle opposed their 
 route paiallel to that of the French, now uu- ; progress, and they arrived without having 
 expectedly attacked in the line of the retreat- i sustahied any farther important loss. And 
 ing army. Davoust's corps occupied the cen- 5 here, as some obscurity rests upon the sub- 
 tral part, connecting the advanced-guard with > sequent events, it will be convenient to close 
 the rear. This was the corps surprised by ; for the present, our narrative of military opera- 
 KoutousofT. The defence was vigorous, ; tions. Some others of a different description 
 Buonaparte himself commanding in person, < were meanwhile passing, but less worthy of 
 and exerting every etlbrt to save this vital ! attention. 
 
 point of his line. But all was vain ; the rout » Napoleon dete.rmined to set out for Paris, 
 was complete; nearly the whole corps, 24,000 ; At Smorgony, even [)efore the army had 
 strong, was destroyed or taken. He himself J reached Wilna, he assembled his generals, 
 flt'd from the field of battle. The destruction ; and leaving the command to the king of 
 of this' body separated entirely the rear-guard ; Naples, immediately took his departure. Ho 
 imder Ney from the rest of the army. This j travelled incognito, either from necessary a(- 
 whole force, completely surrounded, were ) tention to personal safety, or from being un- 
 compelled, after a vain resistance, to lay down I willing to exhibit himself to the world in such 
 their arms. In these two affairs the number * a humiliation. On the 18th of December he 
 of prisoners amounted to 21,000, besides i arrived at Paris, which he found tranquil, 
 nearly an equal number of killed and wound- ; His name and presence, still terrible, pre- 
 ed. More than half the French army was lost. } vented any other commotion; and he pro- 
 BuoNAPARTE, with all that remained of his > ceeded without fear or mercy, to drain the 
 troops, hurried forward to the Beresina. He j population and resour/ces of France, in order 
 hoped to effect his retreat by the way of ! that he might be enabled to appear in the field. 
 Minsk, which was the best, and led most « On April 15th Napoleon again set out for 
 directly to the Vistula. This road, however, | the army, and arrived at Meutz on the 20th. 
 was no.w occupied by TchitzagotT, who had i The French army, formidable in number and 
 entered Minsk, had possessed himself of the « appointment, consisted of twelve corps, 
 magazines and hospitals there deposited, and ; besides the imperial guards. The viceroy of 
 had seized every thing belonging to the enemy j Italy, Eugene Beauharnois, was appointed 
 which could be found in that quarter. He > second in command, and Berthier chief of the 
 was now prepared to dispute the passage of; staff'. The several corps were placed under 
 the Beresina. There remained, however, i generals and marshals long known in the 
 another route, leading directly (o Wilna and 5 service. Such was the mighty force with 
 Konigsberg, and by it the French army, | which the ruler of the fate of France moved 
 though more circuitous, might at length « to another, and, as Avas generally thought, a 
 arrive upon the Vistula. Buonaparte now ; concluding campaign. 
 
 made it his sole object to force his passage in ! The march of the different divisions of the 
 this direction. The Beresina, being now j French was directed so as to form a junction 
 near its source, was passed without ditHculty, $ near Jena, and upon the Saale, Marshal Ney, 
 and he formed a junction with the corps of; who took the lead on the left, arrived in front 
 Victor and St. C>r, which had been employed 5 of Erfurt on Ai)ril 21st, and the intermediate 
 in watcliing W ittgenstein. His force was now | corps were ra])idly closingin. The allied armies 
 raised to 70,000 men, of which the division ; of Russians and Prussians had for some 
 that had newly joined, still possessed its i time been concentrating in the neighbourhood
 
 CHAP. LX.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 757 
 
 of Leipsic. The death of the veteran chief, 
 Koutousoff, on his march, liad transferred the 
 supreme comniaiid to Wittgenstein, whose 
 head-quarters were at Doelisch, to the north 
 of Leipsic, whilst those of the Prussian gene- 
 ral Blucher were at Altenburg, to the south of 
 that city. The French commanders succes- 
 sively crossed the Saale with greater or less 
 opposition, whilst the Russian and Prussian 
 forces formed an union Ijctween Leipsic and 
 Altenburg. Napoleon joined his troops, and 
 took the command ; and the emperor of Rus- 
 sia and king of Prussia animated their respec- 
 tive armies by their personal presence. On 
 April 30th, Wittgenstein having received in- 
 telligence which convinced him that it was 
 the intention of the French to make a junction 
 between that part of the army which w?.s 
 Tinder the command of the viceroy, and the 
 main body, sent general Winzingerodes corps 
 from Leipsic on the road to Weissenfels to 
 make a reconnoissance. This corps came to 
 action on May 1st, by which it was ascertain- 
 ed that the enemy's chief force was in the 
 vicinity of Weissenfels and Lutzen, whilst the 
 viceroy's position appeared to be between 
 Leipsic and Halle. Wittgenstein therefore | 
 resolved to prevent the enemy's operations by 
 making a previous attack upon his principal 
 force, and with that view marched in tiie 
 night between the 1st and 2nd of May to the 
 defile of the Elster, in the vicinity of Pegan. 
 About noon, Blucher with the vanguard 
 moved to the attack of the French, posted in 
 Gross GroschtMi, which village he carried by 
 btorm after an obstinate defence. The battle 
 soon became general along the line, and con- 
 tinued with great carnage till near seven in 
 the evening. The result was, that the allies 
 kept possession of the lield, and that after the 
 following day had passed without fighting, 
 the French retreated, and Napoleon establish- 
 «d his head quarters at Querfurt. The losses 
 on each side are so diderently stated, that they 
 liannot be spoken of with any certainty. 
 
 The king of Saxony now joined his arras 
 to those of the Fretich emperor, in conse- 
 quence of which, marshal Ney was admitted 
 into Torgan. The French had already pos- 
 sessed themselves of Leipsic. Their troops 
 continued to advance, and the main army of 
 the allies to retire before them ; and on the 
 )2th and 15th, marshal Macdonald came in 
 contact with the Russian rear-guard under 
 Miloradovitch, and some actions of no great 
 
 moment were brought on. In the mean time 
 Ney and Lauriston crossed the Eibe at 'j'or- 
 gan, with the nitcntion of acting on the right 
 of the allies. The latter, who had conducted 
 their letreat in such good order a.s not to lose 
 a single gun, took up their first position on 
 tlie heights overhanging the Spree, with the 
 centre of the front line behind liantzun. On 
 t!ie lyth. Napoleon having joined his main 
 army, consisting of more than 100,000 men, 
 with a numerous artillery, planned an attack 
 upon the allies in front, whilst the force under 
 Ney, Jjauriston, and Uegnier, should move 
 from their position to the north of Bautzen, 
 and turn the right of the allies. Wittgenstein 
 having penetrated into this latter design, de- 
 termined to counteract it by a sepa;ate attack 
 on the corps of those generals, which he en- 
 trusted to Barclay de Tolly and D'Yorck. 
 They engaged with Lauriston and Ney on 
 the 1.0th, and a severe action is said, in the 
 Russian account, to have terminated m 
 fiivour of the allies. At least it is certain that 
 it frustrated this part of the plan. 
 
 On the 21st, another very sanguinary con- 
 flict took place. Napoleon, in person, taking 
 the conuiiand of his whole assembled forces, 
 moved at day break to the attack of the allies 
 in advance of Wurtzen and Hochkirchen. 
 The details of this engagement are not intel- 
 ligible without plans. The loss of the French 
 daring these two days is stated by themselves 
 at 11,000 or 12,000 men in killed and wound- 
 ed, and the duke of Friuli (Duroc) was among 
 the former. The allies also claim the capture 
 of 3000 French prisoners, and 12 pieces o» 
 cannon, and asserted that the enemy had no 
 trophies of war to show on their parts. It is 
 almost needless to say that tlie French state- 
 ments gave a very different view of these 
 results. The general event however was, that 
 the allies continued retreating, but in good 
 order, and intent upon taking every oppor- 
 tunity to check the impetuosity of their ad- 
 vancing foe. A brilliant affair in which the 
 Prussian cavalry under Blucher defeated, on 
 the 2tjth, a French division of infantry march- 
 ing from Haynau. under general Maison, is 
 mentioned with distinction in the dispatches 
 of sir Charles Stewart, the British resident 
 with the allied army. The diff'erent French 
 corps, however gradually advanced with no 
 ert'ectual opposition through Silesia towards 
 the Oder, and Napoleon established his head- 
 quarters on the 31st at Neumarkt, not far
 
 758 firsTORY OF England. [chap. lv. 
 
 from Breslan, which capital was entered by ; fully manned, which anchored in the passage 
 Laiiriston on June 1st. I opposite to Hamburg; and in the evening a 
 
 DuRiNO the course of these occurrences, ; Danish corps with ten pieces of artillery, 
 important transactions were taking place in j together with some cossacks, were drawn up 
 the north of Europe. Sweden was induced by : in aline along the sands, and Russian guus 
 the turn w.hicii afl'airs had taken, openly to ; were placed close to Altona. Things were in 
 join the cause of the allies. Of this resolu- i this situation, when the approach of a body 
 tioii she gave a public declaration by forming, ! of Swedes caused the Danes, on the 12th, to 
 in Marcli, a treaty of alliance and subsidy j quit Hamburg, and retire to their own terri- 
 Avitli the court of Great Britain. > tory, leaving however their artillery lor the 
 
 The advance of the French to the Elbe, 5 protection of the place. The Swedes, to the 
 having rendered it necessary for the divisions ; number of 1200, entered the town, in M'hicli 
 of Tettenborne, Domberg, and Tschernicheft* ; they mounted guard, and Hamburg again 
 to cross that river, they concentrated their ; flattered itself with security. They took part 
 ibrce at Hamburg. Davoust with about 10,000 ; in its defence against another attack of the 
 men, occupied Luneburg, Harburg, and i French on the 22ud ; but the crown prince 
 Stade, and stationed some small posts at ; found himself under the necessity of recalling 
 intermediate points on the Elbe. The ad- ; these troops. The protection of Hamburgh 
 vance of Sebastiani to Sulzwedel, caused | was therefore abandoned ; and on May .'50th, 
 AVaimoden, with the corps of Domberg and ; general Tettenborne, with all the mililary, 
 Tschernicheff, to post himself at Domitz ; and ; evacuated it, and 5000 Danes witii 1500 
 thus the defence of Hamburg was left to its » French, under .the command of general 
 own volunteers, with Tettenborne's Hanseatic ; Bruyere, made their entry unopposed. The 
 corps, and some Mecklenburghers. On the ; loss of Hamburg was severely felt both in u 
 8th of May, Davoust iuiving collected a body : military and a commercial view, 
 of men at Harburg, 'opposite to Hamburg,; Although Napoleon had astonished all 
 embarked them for an attack upon Wilhems- ; Europe with the eHbrts he had been able tc. 
 burg, an island in the Elbe, between the two i make after the destruction of his veteran 
 towns. They effected a landing, driving ; armies in the Russian campaign, and by his 
 before them the volunteers posted for the de- ; successes had retrieved in a great measure that 
 fence of the island. The utmost alarm, in the : military renown which he had been in danger 
 mean time, prevailed among the people of > of losing, yet he must have been sensible that 
 Hamburg ; among whom it was reported that ; his advance from the Saale to the Oder was a 
 Davoust had promised the soldiers five hours i series of hard fought battles, in which his best 
 plunder of the city. The drums beat to arms, ; troops were gradually melting away. En- 
 the streets were crowded with men running * couraged by the Austrian cabinet, which was 
 to the alarm posts, and the ramparts were ; now in a state of apparent neutrality, be trans 
 filled with atfrighted spectators. At length, | mitted to the emperor Alexander propo.sals 
 upon the advance of a battalion of Mecklen- ; for an armistice, preparatory to a congress 
 burghers, the enemy were beat back to their ; for a general peace to be holden at Prague. A 
 boats. At the same time a body of Hano- ; cessation of hostilities in consequence took 
 Terians and Lubeckers being marched to the ; place on the 1st of June, and the armistice 
 assistance of a corps, posted on Ochsen- i was ratified on the 4th. 
 
 "werder, attacked th^ assailants on the right | During the greater part of the present year 
 flank, and compelled them to retreat. On ; no events of iniportance occurred in the penin- 
 the morning of the 9th, the French appearing ; sula. The opposing commanders took advan 
 determined to renew their attempt, the Danish ! tage of the spring and summer to collect their 
 sub-governor of Altona went over to Van- » resources and arrange their future movements, 
 damme, the French commander, and expostu ; Lord Wellington prepared to execute a seriesr 
 lated with him on the attack upon a city in | of operations which might enable him to pass 
 their neighbourhood, in the safety of which ; the barriers of France ; and the same power 
 they- were so nmch interested, declaring that ; whose standard had continued unfurled while 
 the Danes would assist in repelling it, if per- > all Europe bent before the tyrant, was now the 
 Kiste4in. Receiving a rough answer, the gover- j first to inflict upon him this extreme and 
 nor, ou his return, sent three Danish gun-boats | signal humiliation.
 
 CHAPTER LXI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1813.] 
 
 Meeting of Parliament — Delates and Arrangements respecting the Charter of the East India 
 Conipani/ — Progress of the Catholic Question — The Motions and Speeches of Mr. Graltan — 
 Opposition of the Speaker — Rejection of Mr. Grattuns Mill. 
 
 ON the meeting of parliament after the 
 recess, (February 2iid, 1813,) the tables 
 ■were immediately crowded with petitions rela- 
 tive to the two great sul)jects which during 
 the present year had peculiarly occupied the 
 enquiries of the nation : the renewal of the 
 East India charter, and the claims of the 
 Roman cathohcs. The first of these ques- 
 tions related merely to local or private inter- 
 ests, and while the towns and commercial 
 bodies, which were at present excluded from 
 the benefits of East Indian commerce, con- 
 tended for the abolition of the monopoly, 
 every individual whose emoluments were de- 
 rived from the existing charter, equally con- 
 curred in opposing the principle of alteration. 
 On the 'I'lnd of March lord ('astlereagh in- 
 troduced the sul)ject l)y observing, that as the 
 East India charter was on the point of ex- 
 piring, it fell to tiie lot of parliament to decide 
 on the future government of a country coii- 
 tairiing threefold the number of inhal)itants 
 existing in this kingdom. He said that if he 
 and his colleagues had conceived that the 
 arrangements they were about to propose 
 would shake a system whicli would answer 
 all the great purposes of government, they 
 should have liesitated to suggest them, but 
 liis pro|)ositioii would not only abstain from 
 touching the principle of that system, but 
 would ren<ler it more applicable to the cir- 
 cumstances of the times. He then spoke 
 higlily of the government of the company in 
 India, and of the persons who conducied it, 
 and he assured the committee of his readiness 
 
 5. E 
 
 to change his opinions on the subject, though' 
 they were the result of mature consideration. 
 There were three propositions in this ques- 
 tion which his majesty's ministers had to con 
 sider. Whether the existing government in 
 India should be allowed to continue in its 
 present state ; whether an entire change 
 should be efi'ected in it ; or whether some 
 middle course could be adopted satisfactory 
 to all parties. With respect to the first he 
 was»strongly impressed with a conviction that 
 the perseverance of ministers in the present 
 system would be improper. There was no 
 reason for tying up during the period of 
 another charter the commerce of the country 
 from half the habitable globe, by placing it 
 under the administration of the company 
 alone, and excluding all other persons except 
 foreigners. The commercial sphere had 
 become too extended for the limited powers 
 of a chartered company, and it was the duty 
 of parliament not to con.sign the private trade 
 to thecontroul of their shipping system. He 
 was prepared to contend that the company 
 had taken a burthen on their shoulders 
 beyond their strength, and that the evif 
 arising from a want of capital, compelled them 
 to withdraw from the most beneficial bnmclies 
 of connnerce, to engage in other transactions 
 attended with inevitable loss. He gave some 
 e.xamples of these fact.s, and inferred the ex- 
 pedience of letting in the national capital to 
 t!ie relief of the company, on the principles of 
 the regulations adopted in 17!).}, or tlie im- 
 proved system of 1802. The other alternative 
 49
 
 r(>o 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXI. 
 
 of abolisliing the present ff}'stem, lie was cer- 
 tainly not disposed to admit, nnless all 
 arrangements between the company and the 
 jSublic should appear impracticable. Dis- 
 missing therefore the two extremes of the 
 question, he would proceed to state those 
 modifications of the existing system which 
 were the subject of certain resolutions to be 
 laid before the committee. After opening 
 the nature and purpose of these resolutions, 
 they were handed to the chairman of the com- 
 mittee, and read. They commenced with a 
 declaration, That if is expedient that all the 
 pri vileges, authorities, and immmiities, granted 
 to the East India company, shall continue and 
 be in force for the furtiier term of twenty 
 years, except as far as the same may hereinafter 
 be modified and repealed. The 2nd resolution 
 was to continue the present restraints to the 
 commercial intercourse with China, and the 
 company's exclusive trade in tea. The 3rd 
 contained a permission to any of his majesty's 
 subjects to export to, and import from all 
 ports within the limits of the company's 
 charter, such goods, wares, &c. as are allowed 
 by law, under certain enumerated provisions. 
 The 4th regulated the application of the rents, 
 revenues, and profits accruing to the company 
 from their territorial possessions in India ; 
 and the •5th regulated in like manner the appli- 
 cation of the proceeds from their sale of goods, 
 and the profits of private trade. The Cth 
 directed the application of the surplus reve- 
 nues of the company after the reduction of 
 their debt in India to ten millions sterling, 
 and that in England to three millions. The 
 subsequent resolutions declared the expe- 
 diency of allowing British ships built in the 
 East Indies to import goods, kc. from that 
 country during the present war, and to an 
 assigned period after it; of miking provision 
 for further limiting the granting of gratuities 
 and pensions to officers of the company; of 
 continuing the power in the court of direction 
 to supply vacancies occurring in the chief 
 offices in India; of limiting ihe number of 
 king's troops in future to be maintained by 
 the company in India; and of placing the 
 church establishment in British territories in 
 India luider the superintendence of a bishop 
 and three archdeacons. 
 
 On March 30th the examination of evidence 
 commenced in the house of commons, before 
 a committee of the whole house, with that of 
 
 Warren Hastings, esq. , and was continued 
 through a number of meetings, in which a 
 great many individuals who had served in 
 high stations in India were examined. On 
 April IfUh, so much of the time of the house 
 having been taken up with this matter, that the 
 general businessof parliament was interrupted, 
 lord Castlereagh moved for the appointment of 
 a select committee for the further inquiry into 
 the affairs of the East India company. A 
 debate ensued on the sul)ject, which ended 
 in a division, when the noble lord's motion 
 was carried by 95 against 37. The examina- 
 tions were then carried on before the select 
 committee for a considerable time longer ; 
 and in the mean time some of the same indi- 
 viduals were examined before the house of 
 lords. The mass of fact and opinion thus 
 produced, was of a bulk sufficient to fill a 
 volume, and will not admit of an abridgement 
 compatible with our limits that could afibrd 
 any idea of its substance. It stanrls upon 
 record as a curious document relative to the 
 state of India, though occasionally marked 
 with the particular views and prepossessions 
 of the persons contributing to it. 
 
 The examinations in the house of lords were 
 soon concluded by a motion of' the Marquis 
 of' Welleslei) for the production of certain 
 papers on East India tfiairs. In his speech 
 introductory to the motion, his lordship 
 charged the ministers with having brought in 
 their resolutions unexplained, unconsidered, 
 undebated ; and he thought that their lord- 
 ships were called upon to retrace their steps, 
 and to revert to t\\'> general sources of the 
 principles upon which they were to legislate 
 on this arduous question. He deprecated 
 any attempt to decide it upon the principle 
 that it was an anomalous state of things that 
 the same person shou'ld be merchant and 
 sovereign, ii it were an anomaly it had been 
 found very good in practice. Proceeding to 
 particulars, he said he was of opinion that the 
 India trade was essential to the company in a 
 comnjercial point of view ; and on considering 
 the resolutions, he dwelt upon the evils that 
 would arise from admitting British subjects 
 to trade to all the countries within the com- 
 pany's charter. He remarked upon various 
 omissions of important points in the resolu- 
 tions : and concluding with moving for a 
 number of papers which he specified. 
 
 The marquis was replied to by the earl of
 
 CHAP. LXI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 761 
 
 JBifc/dna-hcnns/iire, who produced several argu- 
 ments foe the advantage to In" derived from 
 openme; the India trade to individuals. 
 
 Lord Grenvitle then rose, and delivered his 
 opinion at length on the general subject. He 
 Uiought that the manner in which it liad 
 been taken up laboured under one funda- 
 mental defect, that of treating- as priucijial 
 what was in its own nature subordinate. The 
 interests of the East ludiacompany were made 
 the first object of consideration, whereas that 
 of the British crown, as sovereign of our 
 Indian possessions, ought to be regarded as 
 paranioiuit. It was now become a measure 
 of absolute necessity to make a ))ub]ic asser- 
 tion of the sovereignty of the crown in India, 
 and parliament must give laws for India, pro- 
 nouncing not upon a single and separate 
 question of general or local legislation, but 
 upon the whole principle and fiame of govern- 
 ment under which the British dominion in 
 that country shall henceforth be adujinistei'ed. 
 On this enlarged idea his lordship made a 
 iiuuilier of particular observations relative to 
 the policy proper to be adopted in Indian 
 affairs, which are incapable of abridgment ; 
 but upon the whole he decidedly approved of 
 admitting private merchants to a participation 
 in the trade. 
 
 Lord Wellesley's motion for the produc- 
 tion of papers was then put to the question, 
 and carried. 
 
 On May 31st, Lord Castlereagk moved the \ 
 order of the day in the house of commons, 
 for resolving itself into a committee of the 
 whole house, to consider further of the af- 
 fairs of the East India company. After a 
 debate concerning (he order in which the 
 resolutions were to be considered, his lord- 
 ship nidved the first, which was to declare 
 the expediency of the continuance of the East 
 India company with its privileges, &c. for a 
 further period, with the exceptions of certain 
 lirnitatioiis and nioditications. 'I'his motion 
 gave rise to some long and eloquent speeches, 
 in which the friends arul opposers of the 
 company's exclusive piivileges produced their 
 copious store of facts and arguments. The 
 resolution, however, was agreed to without a 
 division. 
 
 On Jime 1st, lord Castlereagh moved the 
 second rtsolution, declarative of the expe- 
 diency of leaving tlie intercourse with China, 
 aud the tea trade, in the hands of the company. 
 
 5 E 2. 
 
 A debate followed, in which the company's 
 monopoly was opposed by some speakers as 
 injurious and unnecessary, aud defended by 
 others. The resolution was, however, carried 
 with a division. 
 
 The debate in the third resolution, com- 
 prehending the important point of opening 
 the trade to the conipany's possessions in 
 India, occupied the committee on June 2nd 
 and .3rd, and was productive of a great variety 
 of statements relative to the company's prin- 
 ciples of government in that country, the con- 
 dition of the natives, their capability of im- 
 provement, the eflect of intercourse with 
 strangers, and the probable consequences at 
 home of rendering the trade free, which was 
 chiefly a repetition of tOj)ics already frequently 
 discussed in speech and writing. The cjues- 
 tion was at length put, and carried without a 
 division. 
 
 A NUMBER of other resolutions were agreed 
 to, some on\y pro forma ; and Mr. Lushington 
 reported from the committee all the resolu- 
 tions, in number fourteen, which were order- 
 ed for further consideration. 
 
 On June Hith, the resolutions being 
 brought before the house, several were read 
 and agreed to. The fUh, relative to India 
 built shipping, was negatived, lord Castle- 
 reagh having stated that he intended omitting 
 this subject in his bill. 
 
 The discussion of the third being resumed, 
 Mr. Baring moved an amendment, to confine 
 the return of vessels from India to the ])ort of 
 London ; and he intimated that if this amend- 
 ment was agreed to, he should propose to 
 limit this arrangement to the ])eriod'of five 
 years. A debate ensued, in wiiich many of 
 the former arguments relative to opening the 
 trade were repeated. On a division the votes 
 were, for the amendment, 43 ; against it, 131. 
 Majority 88. 
 
 Some other proposed amendments were 
 negatived without a division. Lord Castle- 
 reagh then proposed an amendment, providing 
 that with respect to places out of the com- 
 pany's charter, an apjilication for licences to 
 trade should be made only to the board of 
 controul, whoniight, if tluy thought it neces- 
 sary, consult the<lirectors. It was objected, 
 that there appeared no occasion for licences 
 at .ill to places not within the charter. The 
 amendment was, however, carried by 122 
 votes against 19. The third resolution was
 
 7G3 HISTORY OP ENGLANB. [CHAP. LM. 
 
 then passed. AH the otlicr resolutions were j had been paid to these applications in framing' 
 agreed to, except the 1.3th, relative to the ! the resolutions, that the 1.3th exj)ressed the 
 propagation of the christian religion in India, J opinion of the committee " that such measures 
 the debate on which was adjourned; and ! ought to be adopted as may tend to the intro- 
 leave was given for a bill to be brought in on ; duction among the natives of the British do- 
 the other resolutions, and they were ordered t minionc in India, of useful knowledge, and of 
 to be sent to the lords. | religious and moral improvement, and that. 
 
 On June \8th, the £arl of Jinclciugkamski re \ in furtherance of the above objects, sufficient 
 stated his intention to move for a committee * facilitie/s shall be afforded by law to persons 
 on the next Monday, upon the resolutions ; desirous of going to, and remaining in India, 
 received from the commons. | for the purpose of accomplishing these bene- 
 
 The £arl of Lauderdale deprecated pre- > voleut designs." 
 cipitation on such an important business, and \ Lord Casl/erenv-h premised his motion for 
 said that he had moved some days ago for » this resolution with some observations to cor- 
 tlie production of papers essential to its due i rect the misconceptions which had prevailed 
 consideration, which had not yet been laid i on this matter. He said that a very general 
 ijefore the house. \ idea had gone forth, that it was intended to 
 
 The Earls of Liverpool and Bucldri^ham- \ encourage an unrestrained resort of persons 
 sJiire spoke of the necessity of proceeding ! to India for religious purposes, on the same 
 without further delay ; and it was understood ; ground as it was imagmed that an unrestrained 
 that the papers would be ready at the time | commercial intercourse for commercial pur- 
 mentioned. ' ; poses with that country would be permitted. 
 On June 21st, the house of lords having ; The house would now be aware that the latter 
 resolved itself into a committee, the Earl of\ was a mistaken notion ; and he could say the 
 Jiuckinghamsliire, on moving the resolutions, > same of the former. It was, however, thought 
 went into a detail in order to shew the policy 5 by the framers of the resolution in question, 
 and expediency of adopting them. The reso- ; that no danger would arise from allowing a 
 lutions being read and agreed to, the Earl ofX certain number of persons, under the cogni- 
 Liverpool moved that the report be received > zance of the court of directors, who were 
 to-morrow. i again controlled by the board of' commis- 
 The 3Iajquis of LausdoiV7ie made a nnmher \ 8'iouers, to proceed as missionaries to India, 
 of animadversions upon the resolutions, in | As the house had adverted to the interests of 
 •which there were several points of great im- ; religion in the charter granted in 17i)3, it 
 portance and delicacy which required the most j would seem as if they were now less disposed 
 deliberate consideration of the house ; and > to the cause of Christianity than formerl^y, if 
 he moved, as an amendment, that the report | such a proposition had been omitted. He 
 be received that day three months. After ; then made some observations to shew that 
 some debate on the merits of the resolntiions, i there were no grounds for a})prehension from 
 in which nothing new was advanced, the > such an allowance, under proper controul, 
 house divided. For the original motion, 49 ; ; and that great good might result from it. He 
 for the amendment 14. Majority ,35. | then moved the resolution. 
 
 The adjourned consideration of the 1.3th » A long debate ensued, in which 3fr. Wil- 
 resolution, relative to the propagation of > ie^yb/re particularly distinguished himself as 
 Christianity in India, was resumed in the ; the advocate for i)roselyting attempts. In 
 house of commons on June 22nd. The extra- i his speech he adduced a number of facts, 
 ordinary zeal for religion which is a prominent ; many of which had appeared in publications 
 feature of the present time, had displayed it- ; on the suliject, and the purpose of which was 
 self in a great number of petitions to parlia- i to do away the motion of the impossibility of 
 nient from difierent places and societies in the I worliing any change upon the religious 
 island, during the course of discussions on i opinions of the Hindoos, to show the present 
 Indian affairs, requesting that, in the new ar- 1 wretched state of their morality, and the 
 rangment, provision should be made for the | mischiefs of their superstitions, and to answer 
 iiistruction of the natives in the principles of { some of the charges made against the niis- 
 the christian faith ; and so umch attention > sionaries. After soDie other members had
 
 CHAP. LXI.] 
 
 GEOIICE III. 
 
 703 
 
 spoken on each side of the question a division 
 tooic place, when there a|)peared, for the reso- 
 lution, 89 : against it, .30. Majority -53. 
 
 On June 28th Lord Castlereagh inove<l for 
 the house to go into a connnittee of the whole 
 house on the hill for continuing the charter of 
 the East India company, with its new regula- 
 tions. On this occasion, as if nothing had 
 already been said on the subject, speakers 
 arose, who at length gave their opinions on 
 the various topics connected with it ; in par- 
 ticular, the friends and partizans of the com- 
 pany fought their battle with great vigour, 
 thougii with no new weapons. The bill was 
 at length committed, and a day was appointed 
 for receiving the report. 
 
 Thi: connnittee being resumed on July 1st, 
 Lord Casllereairli recjuested that gentlemen 
 would in this stage confine themselves to the 
 consitleration of the particular clauses of the 
 bill, without any previous discussion on the 
 general principle. On the reading of the 
 second clause, relative to the trade with China, 
 Mr. Cmminq- rose, in pursuance of a former 
 notice, to move a limitation with respect to 
 time. After some preliminary observations 
 to shew that the continuance of such a mono- 
 poly was not necessary to the political power 
 of the company, he moved as an amendment, 
 that the exclusive trade to China should be 
 granted them for a period of ten years. A 
 debate followed on this topic, which was con- 
 cluded by a division, for the amendment, 29 ; 
 against it, G9 ; majority 40. 
 
 Mr. Philips projjosed as an amendment of 
 the clause, that notice should be given to the 
 public on the 10th of April, 181.3, that their 
 exclusive trade was to terminate in three 
 years, tl-.e substitution of April 10th, 1812. 
 
 This amendment was rejected by 59 votes 
 against 18. 
 
 When the clause respecting the propaga- 
 tion of Christianity was read, a decided o])po- 
 sition to it was declared ; and Sir T. Sidloii 
 moved the omission of the words in the pre- 
 amble of the clause, declaring the purposes for 
 which missionaries were to be sent to India, 
 and the substitution of the words " for 
 various lawful purposes." This motion re- 
 kindled the debate between the opposers and 
 the promoters of the .scheme for christianizing 
 India ; of the former of whom were the greater 
 number of those who had resided in that 
 country ; of the latter, those at home, who 
 
 are distinguished by the name of the evan- 
 gelical party. The substance of the debate 
 being only a repetition of the matter of prior 
 discussions, it will suffice to state the result, 
 which was a division, when there ap}>eared for 
 the original clause, 54 ; for the amendment, 
 32. Majority 22. 
 
 The consideration of the bill being resumed 
 on July 2nd, Lord Castlereaqh called the at- 
 tention of the committee to the clause relative 
 to the appropriation of the company's funds, 
 which, he said, had been generally misunder- 
 stood. It was not the design of the framers 
 of the bill to take out of the hands of the com- 
 pany the application of any funds of which 
 they were in legal possession, and of which 
 they might dispose to the general advantage 
 of the proprietors ; the great object in view 
 was to draw a precise line between the teiri- 
 torial and the commercial transactions of the 
 company. 
 
 Ox the clause ])voviding that 20,000 of the 
 king's troops should be maintained in India 
 by the company, Mr. R. Thornton, objected 
 that it w as a larger number than was hitherto 
 allowed by law to be employed. Lord Castle- 
 reagh said, that although a much smaller 
 nuniber had been named in the last act, yet 
 that in point of fact many more troops had 
 been found necessary, and that the number 
 employed was about 20,000. Our territory 
 in the East had trebled since 1793, whence 
 an increased luili'tary establishment was re 
 quisite. 
 
 On the clause respecting the appointnier.t 
 of a bishop and three aicluleacons, Mr. fV. 
 Dimdas stated that a majority of the British 
 residents in India were of the Scotch church, 
 and therefore would have no provision for 
 their public worshij) ; he therefore proposed a 
 clause for the appointment of three Scotch 
 clergymen, one at eacii presidency, with a 
 salary of a £1000 each. This clause was dis- 
 cussed, and no other argument was brought 
 against it, than that its principle would require 
 that wherever there was an establishment for 
 the episcopal church, there should also be 
 one for the presbyterian. On a division, the 
 clause was rejected by 20 against 18. At a 
 subse((uent discussion it was made known 
 that the company had given an assurance for 
 the maintenance of ministers of the Scotch 
 church at its own expense. 
 
 Of the further proceedings of the house af
 
 7()4 HrcTOBV OF ENGLAND. [CirAP. LXI. 
 
 commons respectinj? this hill to its final pass- ; majesty's siihjects may trade to and from any 
 iiia; (he house, it is unnecL^ssary to detail the > port within the United Kingdom, to and from 
 particulars. Complaints of precipitation were ; all ports within the company's present limits, 
 made by the friends of the company to the } China excepted, in ships navigated according 
 last • and the court of proprietors instrncted J to law, subject to the conditions hereafter 
 those directors who have seats in parliament ; mentioned. 
 
 to move for a delay till the bi]l in its amended J VII. The navigation act is not to prevent 
 shape should have undergone their considera- ; the importation of goods, tlie produce of any 
 lion ; but the minister was firm in resisting ; places within the charter, China excepted, 
 such motions. Some new clauses and amend- 5 VIII. IX. None but the company, or those 
 ments were proposed, and negatived, and the | whom it may licence, shall import tea from 
 third reading took place on July 13. In the | any place whatsoever, or export military 
 house of lords the progress of this bill was | stores to its possessions, 
 much more silent than iu the commons, few | X. Ships in private trade to the conipany^s 
 members seeming to interest themselves in j H™'ts shall only clear out trom, or import into. 
 its provisions after they had given a general ; such ports of the United Kingdom, as shall 
 opinion of it at its first introduction. The | be declared fit for the purpose by an order of 
 Earl of Lnuderdale was most conspicuous in ; council. 
 
 opposition, and he entered upon the journals j XI. Ships in private trade shall not pro- 
 of the house a protest against the second 5 ceed to any place within the limits of the 
 reading, in strong terms of censure, particu- 1 company's charter on the continent of Asia, 
 larly of the enactment which directs the i from the river Indus to the town of Malacca 
 yearly issue in India, for the purpose of in-; inclusive, or to any island within its govern- 
 vestments, of a sum equal to the payment 5 ment lying to the north of the equator, or to 
 madefrom the funds at home on account of the I the factory of Bencoolen, and its depen- 
 lerritorial clrarges of the preceding year. ; dencies, without a licence from the court of 
 
 The bill passed into a law just before the | dn-ectors ; and no such ship, unless specially 
 close of the session. And the following is an | authorized, shall proceed to any place -within 
 abstract of its clauses. 1 the said limits, except to one or more of the 
 
 Clause I. Declares that the former territo- i principal settlements of Fort William, Fort 
 rial acquisitions of the company in India, | St. George, Bombay, and Prince of Wales's 
 together with its subsequent acquisitions on ; Island. The directors are required to grant 
 the continent of Asia, or in any islands ; licences upon application, to the settlements 
 situated to the north of the equator, shall j above-mentioned ; and when application is 
 continue in its possession for a further term, | made for a special licence to other parts, it 
 to be computed from the lOtli of April, 1814. \ shall be at the discretion of the directors 
 
 II. That the exclusive right of trading to 5 whether or not to grant it; but in case of 
 China, and of tratficing iu tea, as now exer- i their refusal, they are subject to the controul 
 cised by the company, shall be continued to it. ; of the board of commissioneis for India 
 
 III. A PROVISO that on the expiration of; (board of controul,) who may oblige them to 
 three years notice, to be given by parliament ; issue the licence, recording their reasons for 
 after April 10th, 1831, and the payment of the 5 so doing. 
 
 debt from the public to the com])any, the said ; XII. No ship in private trade shall pro- 
 term granted to it, and its exclusive trade, » ceed to any place more to the north than 
 shall cease and be determined. ! eleven degrees south latitude, and between 
 
 IV. That nothing in this proviso, or in j the 04th and 150th degree of east longitude 
 other acts and charters, shall, however, de- ; from London (except the ports within the 
 termine the corporation of the company, or i company's limits above stated.) without a 
 prevent it from carrying on a free trade, in ; licence from the board of conunissioncrs, who 
 common with other subjects. ; are to frame rules'for granting the same ; and 
 
 V. Notice in writing signified by the i in cases not falling under the rules, they are 
 speaker of the house of commons, to be re- '« to record the special circumstances under 
 garded as a due parliamentary notice. ; which the licence is granted, and communi-^ 
 
 VI. From April lOtb, 1814, any of his *> cate them to the directors.
 
 CHAP. LXl] 
 
 ftEORGri in. 
 
 765 
 
 XUl. XTV. XV. XVI. No sliip in the 
 privat*^ trade uitliin the limit."? above stated 
 to be les.s than SoO tons ineasiirement, nor to 
 clear out without a manifest of her cargo, 
 and an attested list of persons and arms; 
 such list to be transmitted to the secretary of 
 the court of directors, if in England, and to 
 the secretary of the government, if in India. 
 
 XVII. No article of silk, hair, or cotton 
 wools imported under this act, are to be enter- 
 ed or taken out of any warehouse, except for 
 exportation, unless they shall have 'been 
 brought into tlie port of London, and de- 
 posited in tlio company's warehouses ; in 
 which case they shall be put up to public sale, 
 and if brought in by the owners, shall be 
 delivered out to them upon paying- the duties 
 and charges. 
 
 XVIII. The treasury, however, may au- 
 thorize such articles, when brought to the 
 out ports, to be removed to the port of Lon- 
 don for the purpose of being sold for home 
 consumption, under the same regulations as if 
 originally imported tliere. 
 
 XiX. Such articles imported either at Lon- 
 don or elsewhere, and taken out of the ware- 
 houses for exportation, to be charged duty 
 ad valorem. 
 
 XX. Nothing in this act is to extend to 
 prevent, during the further term granted to 
 the company, such furthe/ provisions by par- 
 liament as may be necessary for the carrying 
 on private trade directly or circuitously with- 
 in the company's limits, except to China, and 
 without prejudice to the restrictions here- 
 after mentioned with respect to the resort to 
 and residence of jiersons in the East Indies. 
 
 XXI. XXII. XXIII. Repeal of certain 
 subsisting acts relative to private trade. ' 
 
 XXIV. Goods imported or exported by 
 the company, to be stibject to the same 
 duties as those imported or exported in pri- 
 vate trade. 
 
 XXV. No duties imposed by the authori- 
 ties in India to be valid till sanctioned by the 
 court of directors, and approved by the board 
 of commissioners. 
 
 XXVI. XXVII. Repeal of the act 3.3 Geo. 
 III. granting a duty to (he company, on pri- 
 vate trade from the East Indies ; but with a 
 proviso that the repeal shall not release the 
 duty of 3 per cent, on articles of silk, hair, 
 and cotton wool deposited in the company's 
 
 . warehouses in London, or the duties on 
 
 articles imported from China, or the etigage- 
 nients between the company and the captains 
 and officers of their ships. 
 
 XXVI 1 1. XXIX. Regulations respecting' 
 security for the rates granted by parliament 
 to the East India dock company. 
 
 XXX. XXXI. Authority granted to make 
 use of India-built ships until August 1, 1814, 
 unless provision be made respecting the same 
 in the next session of parliament ; also, power 
 given to his majesty in council to authorize 
 private traders to use India-built ships durinar 
 the same term. Sncli ships declared not 
 liable to forfeiture. 
 
 XXXII. Regulations respecting ships en- 
 gaged in the southern Avhale fishery. 
 
 XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVL 
 Relate to persons desirous of going to India 
 for the purpose of promoting tlie religious and 
 moral improvement of the natives. If the 
 court of directors think fit to refuse the appli- 
 cations for permission made in behalf of such 
 persons, they are to transmit the applications 
 to the board of commissioners, who, if they 
 see no valid objection to granting the permis- 
 sion, may authorize the said persons to pio- 
 ceed to any of the company's principal settle- 
 ments, provided with a certificate of sanction 
 from the directors. The court of directors, 
 however, may make representations concern- 
 ing such persons to the board of commis- 
 sioners ; and those persons on arriving in the 
 East Indies are to be subject to the regula- 
 tions of the local governments. Further, the 
 governments in India inay declare the certifi- 
 cates and licences of such persons to be void, 
 if they shall aj)pear by their conduct to have 
 forfeited their claim to protection. 
 
 XXXVII. Governors in India not in 
 authorize the residence of any of his majesty's 
 subjects within the company's limits, without 
 a licence of the court of directors, except 
 under particular circumstances. 
 
 XXXVIII. The board of commissioners 
 may authorize persons to reside within certain 
 limits out of the company's government. 
 
 XXXIX. His majesty's subjects may go 
 and reside without licence at j)laces more 
 southward than 1 1 degrees south latitude, 
 more westward than 64 degrees east longitude, 
 and more eastward than 150 degrees. 
 
 XL. Unlicenced persons trading to or 
 going •within the limits of fin. company's 
 charter, otherwise than as allowed by thi?
 
 766 HISTORY OP ENGLAND ^CHAP. LXI. 
 
 act, to be subject to the penalties of illicit 5 to be emploj'ed, 1st, in repayment of the 
 traders. i capital of any public funds created for tlie 
 
 XLI. Shii's driven by stress of weather or j company ; 2ud. in formini;- a guarantee fund 
 accident within the proscribed limits not to be : not exceeding twelve millions, for security of 
 subjocted to forfeiture. 5 the capital stock of the company and its divi- 
 
 XLII. The board of commissioners in- » dend ; 3. any further surplus to be divided 
 Tested with full power to superintend and ; in the proportion of one-sixth to the company, 
 controul every instruction and regulation re- J and five-sixths to the public, 
 lative to the company's colleges and semi- I LX. If after reduction of the company's 
 naries. . ; debts they shall again increase, the surplus 
 
 XLIII. to XLVIII. Relate to the schools, j proceeds shall again be employed in the same 
 seminaries, and colleges of the company in 5 manner for the reduction. 
 "India and Englaiid. j After some further articles relative to the 
 
 XLIX. to LIV. Church establishment in ; payments and accounts of the company, the 
 India. A bishop and three archdeacons to i LXVlilth eiiacts that the board of commis- 
 be appointed ; their salaries ; episcopal juris- « sioners be invested with full power to controul 
 diction to be limited by letters patent from the i the appropriation of any part of the territorial 
 king; pensions to be allowed after fifteen 1 revenues of the company, except the sums 
 years service. » directed by this act to be issued in India for 
 
 LV. Application of the revenues arising } the purpose of making good payments at 
 from the territorial acquisitions in India. The i home on account of territorial charges, or of 
 order of precedence appointed is, 1st, in ; loans in India. 
 
 maintaining the military force; 2. in paying I By another article, the number of his ma- 
 the interest of debts owing by the company ; jesty's forces, for which payment is to be 
 in England ; 3. in paying tiie expenses of the i made by the company, is determined not to 
 company's establishments at their settlements ; J 3.\ceed 20,000, including commissioned and 
 4. towards the liquidation of the territorial ; non-commissioned officers, unless a greater 
 debt of the company, its bond debt at home, I number be sent to India on the requisition of 
 or such other purposes as the directors, with ; the court of directors. 
 
 approbation of the board of controul, may ; All the remaining articles relate to par- 
 order. \ ticular regulations respecting the company's 
 •LVI. A SUM equal to the payments made | servants, officers, judicial proceedings, &c. 
 from the commercial funds at home, on ac- i of M'hich it appears unnecessary here to give 
 count of territorial charges in the year pre- 5 an abstract, as being of little concern to the 
 ceding, is to beannudlly issued in India for j public in general. 
 
 the purpose of investment or of remittance to i The plan, of which these articles are an 
 England. 5 epitome, is in its general features sufficiently 
 
 LVII. Application of the profits of the i conformable to the dictates of justice and of 
 company in Great Britain, 1. in the payment « policy. It continued to the company the 
 of accepted bills of exchange ; 2. in providing ; sovereignty of India, the only probable method 
 for the j)ayment of otiier debts (the principal ; of governing so extensive and distant an 
 of the bond debt excepted ;) 3. in payment j empire without destroying the balance of the 
 of the dividend of India stock at the rate of ; constitution at home. The crown which 
 10 per cent, till the fund called the separate ; acted on the whole with great disinterested- 
 fund is exhausted, after ^VIlich, the dividend i ness, could not forbear availing itself of this 
 shall be 101 per cent ; 4. in reduction of the \ opportunitj'. Its influence in regard to the 
 principal of the debt in India, or the bond 5 nomination of governors-general received an 
 debt at home. 5 increase, and though that encroachment may 
 
 LVllI. Some regulations respecting home ; be lament .d, the actual transference of the 
 P'*<'f't^; i dominions of these vast regions from the 
 
 LIX. Wlien the debt of the company in i company to the crown, would have been de- 
 India shall have been reduced to ten millions | cidedly dangerous to our domestic liberties, 
 sterling, ami the bonded debt in Great Bri- < Foreign conquest, when extensive and coiir 
 tain to three millions, the surplus proceeds ^ ducted under the immediate sanction of a
 
 iiW.W. lAI.] GEOUGE HI. 767 
 
 court has nlwnys liten (lostriictive to public ; of tliese privileges be attended witli so imirh 
 freedom, aiul parliament would l)e capable of; danger as to justify their denial to so great an 
 exercising the sovereign fiuiclious. If so | extent. 
 
 rich a prize were once thrown loose, the i It is delicate and difTicult to predict by 
 coninianding influence of the crown would | reasoning the result of any political change, 
 soon attract it within its own vortex. It ; The most satisfactory mode is to enquire 
 does not appear, therefore, that a power ; what consequences have followed in countries 
 so extensive as would be required fur the ; wlitre the members of every ])ersnasion were 
 superintendence of so mighty an en)pire could 5 admitted to the highest ofHces of the slate, 
 be so safely entrusted to any hands as those ; In France, Sully and Neckar were pro- 
 by which it is at present held. It has been ; teslanls, and were a considerable time the 
 represented as an anomaly to have an Impe- \ guardians of the public welfare and the idols 
 rium in Impciio ; a sarcasm which would ; of the people. In Russia, political situation.s 
 equally apply to any other corporation en- i are thrown open without the smallest dislinc- 
 dowed with exclusive privileges and juris- j tion to all persons of every persuasion ; and 
 dictions. In the case now stated of a great j in the republic of Poland, the most perfect 
 and distant country, of which the government I equality prevailed between the adherents of 
 cannot be safely entrusted to the rulers of) all religions. Never, till the system of ex- 
 the state, no expedient appears so advan- ; elusion began, did the latter country become 
 tageous and unexceptionable as that of a » a pi ey to those dissensions, which finally ren- 
 com])any which, witli tiie means of support- i dered her the victim of her more powerful 
 ing its own rights and policy, contributes but ; neighbours. 
 
 in a minor degree to the influence of the j The weight of political opinioTi, as ex- 
 sovereign. 5 pressed by the greatest, the most virtuous, 
 No session of parliament had ever presented t and the most able of our statesmen, is de- 
 so favorable prospects to the friends of ca- j cidedly in favor of the catholics. All the 
 tholic emancipation as that which met at ; orators of the first distinction on both 
 the connnencenient of the present year. The ! sides, not only Fox, Bmke, and Sheridan, 
 question is of high importance ; and, having > but Pitt, Melville, and Wellesley, have shewn 
 l)ecome a badge of party, has acquired an 1 themselves equally zealous to promote this 
 interest superior to its actual couse(jue»ce. > measure. They have even considered a 
 About 4,000,0000 of the subjects of tl)is em- i failure in its execution as a sufficient ground 
 pire are, on account of their religion, excluded ; for relinquishing office. The second class 
 from certain rights and |)rivilcges which are ) of public men is nearly in the same predica- 
 enjoyed by the rest of their fellow citizens, i ment, and we must descend to the third and 
 Is this exclusion necessary ? does it impose i lowest before we find a decided opponent of 
 any severe hardship on those subjected to its ; the catholic claims. I do not say that even 
 restrictions ? does it originate in any sound 5 so great a concurrence of sentiment in men 
 or liberal views of policy ? > so eminent, ought to shackle the indepemb uce 
 It is vain to deny that there is a marked | of the mind, but it ought to abash theself-con- 
 •lifierence between toleration and power. ; fidence of the most resolute, and induce them 
 lie who is merely excluded from offices of i more seriously to examine the grounds of their 
 trust ami authority, suffers a hardship dif- ; dissent from such authorities, 
 ferent botli in kind and degree, from that 5 In the reign of king William, two circitm- 
 which he sustains, who, on account of his ; stances led to the severe proscription of the 
 religious tenets, is exposed to actual moles- j catholics. First, that there was a pretender 
 tation. But still the one is decidedly a hard- i to the throne whose exclusion rested upon 
 ship as well as the other ; by some minds, ; his holding that persuasion. Secondly, that 
 and those of the most elevated class, it will ; difference of religion was then, throngiinnt 
 be regarded as still more insupportable. That : Europe, a constant source of political and 
 a large proportion of the nation should be ; personal discord. The first of these circum- 
 subjected to the grievance, is therefore a i stances confessedly exists no longer; and in 
 serious malady in the body politic ; and it i regard to the second, the change is not less 
 ought to be inquired whether the admission ; complete. In vain is it urged that certain. 
 5 F 49 ^
 
 7G8 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXI. 
 
 doctors and h^ads of colleges have pro- 
 nounced that the catholic faith remains, and 
 must for ever remain, unchanged : that the 
 decrees of the councils of Tient and Con- 
 stance are still binding on all its votaries. 
 In Tain js it alleged, and possibly proved, 
 that -anti-social doctrines were propagated 
 by these councils ; such as, that no faith is 
 kept with heretics, and that the subjects of 
 heretical princes are absolved from their al- 
 legiance. The catholics are unable to deny 
 the authority of general councils without 
 ceasing to be catholics ; but they explain 
 these passages by denying that any such 
 doctrines were ever promulgated by general 
 councils. Their assertion on this point is, j 
 I believe, erroneous ; but, supposing it un- \ 
 true, they do not think themselves bound to 
 acqfuiesce in the doctrines of the councils to 
 which I have alluded. No man can fairly 
 be made responsible for inferences, the force 
 of which he does not admit. Even were it 
 otherwise, the opinions of a few retired 
 scholars are of trivial importance when com- 
 pared to the general conduct of men acting 
 throughout Europe. During the course of 
 the last twenty years, crimes in abundance 
 have been committed in every quarter of the } 
 globe ; but not a single instance can be ad- | 
 duced of that consequence arising from the 
 influence of the catholic or of any other re- 
 ligion. 
 
 That part of the question on which the 
 first and the greatest stress has been laid, 
 consists in admission to civil and military 
 offices. It appears, however, extremely 
 doubtful Avhether the complaints of the ca- 
 tholics on this subject be wise or reasonable. 
 Offices of a very high description are held 
 \\y catholics, and there does not appear any 
 legal obstacle why they should not obtain 
 the highest. The following is the tenure by 
 which they are held. At the period of the 
 union between England and Scotland, the 
 question was agitated whether the adherents 
 of presbytery, the established religion of the 
 latter kingdom, should be admissible to all 
 offices throughout the united empire, and a 
 compromise was made. It was agreed that 
 an annual act of indemnity should be passed, 
 by which all persons holding offices who had 
 omitted to qualify according to the last act, 
 should be relieved from the penalties attached 
 to such an omission. The catholics urge 
 
 that this tenure is precarious ; yet the dis- 
 senters have frequently taken advantage of 
 its conditions, which enable every descrip- 
 tion of sect to hold any office which the ex- 
 ecutive may choose to confer. Nor may it 
 be inexpedient on the part of the catholics, 
 and of their friends, to consider whether it 
 would not be wise to concentrate their strength 
 on objects of more vital importance. These 
 are chiefly two ; the right of sitting in par- 
 liament, and pecuniary provision to a certain ■ 
 extent for the catholic clergy. I 
 
 Towards the close of the preceding year, 
 a general representation had been formed of 
 all the catholics throughout Ireland, in de- 
 fiance of the prohibitory mandate of the 
 government. Their perseverance excited the 
 indignation of Mr. Wellesley Pole, who is- 
 sued an angry and injudicious proclamation, 
 which excited the most general discontent; 
 but the imbecile and officious zeal of that 
 gentleman having been repressed by the in- 
 terference of his colleagues, all the subse- 
 quent steps of the Irish government bare the 
 stamp of a cautious, moderate, and concilia- 
 tory spirit. The catholics, finding that they 
 could not be legally permitted to carry into 
 efTect their representative system, had recourse 
 to the legitimate expedient of an aggregate 
 meeting, and the storm subsided. 
 
 Ministry, with a conscientious sense of 
 duty, highly honorable to their integrity, had 
 agreed to leave the question of emancipa- 
 tion, to the unbiassed decision of parliament. 
 The opinion of the king was now entirely 
 out of the question. The prince had evi- 
 dently no objection to the measure, and his 
 former sentiments afforded a presumption 
 that he was attached to its promotion. A 
 great j)roportion, however, of the nation, Mas 
 still deeply embrued with the liorror and 
 dread of popery, and were supported by a 
 number in the higher lanks, not indeed states- 
 men of the first order, but highly respectable 
 men, zealous for the established church, and 
 impressed with the dread of innovation. An 
 association was formed by the title of the 
 protestant association, of which the object 
 was to resist all further concessions to the 
 catholics. This body derived considerable 
 lustre from the name of Granville Sharpe, the 
 venerable advocate of liberty and humanity. 
 All their liopes, however, were apparently 
 disappointed, beyond the possibility of
 
 CHAP. LXI] GE«««^ "'• '^^^ 
 
 revival by the declaration of led Castlereagh. ^ Why should they be sentenced to utfer and 
 r/I Tl? urfX.././ />m.»-.;J in favor of con- hopeless exclusion from ail political power ? 
 cesion The same opinion was avowed by J But in fact it is not power that hey desire 
 a lai^e proportion of the cabinet, was pro- 1 but protection. They desire not to be taxed 
 motedby'^the opposition, and was supported without their own consent ; not o be tned 
 rthat middle party of which lord Wellesley | by persons who are not only partisans but 
 JJ Mr ^lul were the leaders. are actually covenanted against them. They 
 
 and Mr Canning were the leaders. i are actually covenantee, againsi inem. . ..t.y 
 
 THEpaHa e^itary discussion of this im- i wish only for the.r liberties. They do not 
 Domnt^s bi'cT so^fte., already debated, i demand this or that office, but to possess 
 fha there viul I seem nothing left for farther their just civil quahhcat.ons. t is the pro- 
 Lr^ V ei t recomuenced with Mr. Grattan's • testants who ask for power. They des.re by 
 So n ; Sr^^^^^ for a committee on; their petitions to ke.p all the patro..age of 
 r cairn of the Ronian catholics. Three of Ireland in their hands ; to mainta.n a con- 
 Ihe sect ons of the bill of rid.ts having been : tinned ascendancy ; to govern the other sects 
 •ead on he motion of Mr. Vl.rke, Mr.'Orat- • of the country. The tendency ot their argu- 
 an rose andsaid he was happy that the ment is, that we ought to have a church 
 bono, able tent leman had caused 'those pas- I government. But ours is not a church govern- 
 sa^^eTto be^read from the bill of rights, since | ment ; it is a representative government, in- 
 he" w-^s decidedly of opinion that the quali- eluding all classes and re^.g.ons. 
 
 cat ons enumer^^^ in them as indispensable $ After some further observafons, to show 
 accompaniments of the sovereignt/ of »•- i the superior poUcyotg.intmso^^^ 
 empire ou-ht to form the preamble of any i their claims, to that of ' «'f"smg the n t le 
 birint'rcKluced into parlianlent for the relief j honourable gentleirmn P-^^-^-l.- 
 ofthe Roman catholics. After declarmgthatj say the a-t.-cathol cs,) ^'^^^ «^^^^ ^ - 
 biminruose was to move for a committee of land is already greatei than m an> otner 
 le^housei pursuance of the resolution ! country. I know very well that the pnu- 
 Mhich hou"h ma le by a former parliament, = ciples of every established church are in some 
 he lid not Think he ^7as guilty of an impro- 1 decree hostile to toleration : there is scarce y 
 prietvinrk^r^^^^^^ established church which will tolerate 
 
 ?o make son e o1,se;vations on the' petitions so extensively and ibera ly as a wise par- 
 ^h ch had een re en ed against the claims : liament oughttodo; butwhen it is mam a.ned 
 ^f' he Catholics.' He first c,l>iected to the = that toleration in ^l;';^^--^ ;XN mu^t 
 .mnner in which particularly in Ireland, j any other country, that it is peitect, 1 musi 
 hev had been obtaned. They had often t declare my opinion to be the reverse Mr. 
 
 !^.nblic officer to call people together insects, i without the latter, and has accompanied it 
 
 ^ iSi -r^e?^r Sn^f j-ts; I ^f SS~ 
 
 isp^cially to their petitmnii^anothev country ^ ment, ^^^^^^^^^^^ Zt^^^" that 
 ^Z:':^^^:\:"Zr;e.S::: ^: ;J house wm -U. it^.f inu> a^ommU^ 
 that the tone which the catholics ^-ve as- 1 of the whole houses to tak^^ 
 sumed, renders it unwise to grant their .laims^ J ^J^^ ^-J'^ ^^^ ^ ^.^^c.^,^ sut:je^ 
 But this is not the matter in question. I he | fecting '"!," JJf ;/> ^ ' ,_.. „^| ^jth a view to 
 question is one of allegiance ; and it may be | m Great ^"ta.n ami 1 elam^^^^ 
 asked. Can >ou in any of th.ir proceedings j which, a hna ^V'' ;^X .^^^^^ 
 char.; the catholics with want of alleoiance ? as may be condu^,^e to '»>^' f".^,^'"'^ " ,^ '-^^ 
 The \nti' catholics say that the catholics de- of the United ^!^^^J^'^^;^''^ 
 sire political power. Why should tliey not ? ; the protestant e.tabli«,hment, and the 
 
 5 F 2
 
 ^^^ HISTOUV OP ENGLAND. [fllAP. L\I. 
 
 general stisfactioii and concord of all classes | latioiis for th.e eccJosiastic-il ronrf „.,l . ,i 
 
 OFthesubsequentdebate,AvhenitisstatediHe concluded xvitl. moviuo- '' Tint wh . ^ 
 that It was cotrfnued by adjourm.ent during i view to suci, an adjusln ent' as n av bTcon 
 forty days, and that its printed report occu- : ducive to the peace and strenofh nf .1 
 pies the compass of a moderate volume, it united kingdom, to the .Sen it v of it . 
 M-iIl scarcely be expected that we sliould fill established church, and to the , tate cof 1 
 our pages with an abridgment, especially ; cord of all classes of his n7ajesty'rubiecr I 
 when no argument on the mam points was it is highly advisable to nrovide fn . nf ' ' 
 produced on either side which had not re- moval llf the civ'and m tary dilou- lifi;:" 
 peatedly been oflered in the many previous i tions under which his maiest\^s 11?, ■ .? 
 discussions of the same .subject ; and what tholic subjec s now h om liM, T ^ 
 there was of novelty, referred to the conduct i ceptions a I ndersuc lre;n!at^ 1 ''^" 
 
 of the Roman catholics in Ireland since their i be'found nece"rarv fo preserW u^^^^ 
 and the "'"t '-'^-ted by disappointed, i the protestant su'LessforTo t^^fe c o rt^^^ 
 and the circumstances of the ^ate petitions, cording to the act for the further i.nif;t:! 
 With respect to the latter, various remarks of the "crown, and bettesec^^^^^^^^^^^ I e tl' 
 were made by the d.Herent speakers on the | and liberties ^f the su iSc a for niS 
 conspicuous part taken by the establishment ing inviolate the protes an 'ep scona™^ 
 clergy in opposition to the catholic claims, ! of' England and Irelau am IthfLc ne 
 which some represented as a renewal of that I discipline, and govern n en ttlereo^ T^^ 
 
 Sen h^ "^^" *? h '^'"""^^ "'^"'^ '^^'^ '^^ = ^'^"'-''^ of Scotla^nd, and U^ do rme woith p 
 often been raised at the instigation of bigotry ! discipline, and government thereof as the sanf; 
 and wordly policy ; while others justified it are respectively by law estab iXd ' 
 as a reasonable measure of defence of the Thf Rio/J flr,.,^ // >^ , 
 protestant cause against hazards by i^ llH: j ri^J^j'' t^Trt tS^'t ^S 
 mag nary. Some of the most temperate opporUinity of entering his warni o 'io 2 
 debaters were advocates for the present against the course hitherto pursued and il!! 
 motion, on the ground that it was only re- i against the nieasure no pii^scT^' H^^^ 
 rleeming a pledge given to the country by its three plans had been proposed relative^ di 
 
 ZnTn ,''"'' "fl/'" "f^^"'^' question object in question. Ve first was fo un 
 should undergo a full consideration in order j limited and unconditional concess on nJ 
 to a final settlement. That, however, the J urged by the Irish Roman caZlicsnhet. 
 a arms excued throughout the country by the ; petition; but this had fo ncl few ad ocates 
 anti-cathohc petitions, and their operation on! in the house, and had been abTnd n^J I 
 the minds of mdividual members, had pro- 1 the right honom'i iflyerof the t"^^^ 
 duced a considerable effect, appeared from i as well as by his elor uent Ippoi^tei M ' 
 
 o thfn P '" ''''•'■°"' '^^'"'"""^ "'^'^ ''''' P'""*^^"- Th^ second\va for Sfie^ con* 
 of the preceding session on a similar motion. « cessions, with some legislative controul om 
 
 foi Mr cZf -''\''^''^\'^r' -PP^-red I parenfly that of the move^- .ukI undoub edF; 
 foi Ml. Grattans motion, 264; against it, ; that of Mr. Canning; but this was res sted 
 224 ; majority in its favour, 40. by the Roman catholics them.il e? who cuU 
 
 hJl nT'; ^^'"» «-^\'"''^' '^I'i^^' ^y ^''^ persecution, and inadmissib e co t,ouI 
 no Id t f ' , • /^u'T' T ^^"'"'^ "'^''' i 'T''^^ P'^^'^ i^ ^^1«« acknowledged to invohe ^ 
 moved the order of the day f^,r a comniittee repeal of the corporation and test acts The 
 AVI n U i f '""? '," *'" ''^'"'r r^^^''^"- i ^'''••''' t»-tof loi/castlereagh, was foi br?^^! 
 m ban,' -n r H ' V'""""' T^ ^^'7 'T" "^^ the Roman catholics wiUiin the reach of 
 he iXn cl^ ^'"'^"^ 'T '^"' that i political power with safety to the protestan 
 that ter.H 1 •"■'?•'''! '-f «!"*•«"«; . i'^t, j establishment, by obtaining' the concurrenceof 
 einoye • o' ^ ',?., d'sab.l.ties should be thehead ofthe Roman catl^lic church tosud 
 •1 m h ^id i.,1 'f establishnu uts m ! arrangements as shall be satisfactory to both 
 
 seen ed and 1 e tlZ^ ^t ?, ^" ^^^^^"'^"y P^^'*'^.^' This, however, is admitted at the pre- 
 ^cculea, and he then should propose regu- 5 sent time to be wholly impracticable. Havin-^
 
 CIIAI». LXr ] GEORGE IM. 77! 
 
 Stated tlicse plans, tlie riglit honourable | Several other members then save thoir 
 mcinher proceeded to object to the nie.isiire j opinions on the subject, which, at the present 
 now proposed. It began, he said, with a : state of the business, were rather anticipations 
 sweeping- repeal of all known securities as i of their intended line of conduct, than imine- 
 yet unknown. Some of the suggested secu- ; diateij^ called for; and on a division of the 
 rities he then considered and objected to ; i house there appeared, for the resolution 180; 
 and he spoke of the ill consequences that i against it 119 ; majority G7. 
 might result fron) a bill framed upon such | On April ;30th, Mr. Graf (an presented to 
 grounds, even if lying over to another session > the house his bill " to provide for the removal 
 by exaggerating the hopes of the Itoman ; of the civil and military disqualifications 
 catholics, and dissatifying the established I under which his majesty's Roman catholic 
 chin-ch. He did not wish, however, that mat- 1 subjects now laliour; and moved that it 
 lers should remain on the present footing, 5 .should be read the first time and p-.inted, 
 and there were certain important changes to i which was agreed to. He then moved for the 
 wiiich he could agree. The first of these 5 second reading of the bill on the 1 1th of May, 
 "wns tiie admission of Roman catholic military $ which was alsOxCarried. 
 
 oHicers to a larger share of the honours ofi Thk following is an abridged view of the 
 their profession, which he would to ranks of; most important contents of this bill, 
 command, except the very highest at home. | After a preamble declaring the inviolable 
 He would likewise give the Roman catholic ; establishment of the protestant succession to 
 soldier a legal right to his own religious | the crown, and the protestant national 
 worship in England as well as in Ireland : I churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland, 
 he would take away the necessity of English > and the expediency of- communicating to his 
 Roman catholics marrying in protestant I majesty's Roman catholic subjects the bless- 
 cliurches ; and would give full protection to > ings of free constitution, in order to put an 
 catholic worship from disturbance. He then ; end to all religious jealousies, and unite all 
 adverted to some other matters of regulation ; I the inhabitants of those islands in the defence 
 and concluded with saying, that he must > of their common liberties and government, it 
 give his decisive negative to the sweeping > enacts, that it shall be lawful for persons 
 principles of the proposition now laid before | professing the Roman catholic religion to sit 
 them. 5 and vote in either house of parliament, upcii 
 
 3Tr. Ponsonbt/ said, that the right honour- ; taking the following declaration and oath 
 able gentleman seemed entirely to have mis- i instead of the oaths of allegiance, abjuration, 
 understood the nature of the resolution, » and supremrcy, and the declarations against 
 which proposed nothing subversive of the,i transubstantiation and the invocation of 
 establishment, but coupled the measures for I saints. The oath which is of great length, 
 tlie relief of the Roman catholics with others ; contains a promise of allegiance to the king; 
 for its security ; and in coming to the details, i of su})porting the protestant succession to 
 it would be in the power of any gentleman ; the crown ; a renunciation of belief in the 
 dissatisfied with such securities to superadd | temporal jurisdiction of the pope or any 
 others. He made several remarks on the last 5 foreign potentate in these kingdoms, and of 
 speaker's idea of giving honours to the Roman > the validity of excommunication by the pope 
 catholics, but granting them no political | or council to depose princes ; a declaration 
 power, and affecting to make them conces- > that no act in itself immoral can be justified 
 sions which at the same time it was rendered ; on pretence that it is for the good of the 
 impossible forthem to receive ; and lie regard- I church, or in obedience to any ecclesiastical 
 ed it as an absurdity to retard the measure | power ; and that no sin can be forgiven at 
 
 with progress, lest the plan should not j)rove 
 acceptable to the catholics. 
 
 Sir J. C. Hippextey entered into a detail of 
 considerable length respecting the course 
 of proceeding which he would recommend 
 to the committee, and tlie objects which would 
 be proper for their deliberation. 
 
 the will of the pope, or any priest, without 
 sincere repo/itance ; a dechirniou that the 
 infallibility of the pope : not an article of 
 the Roman catholic church ; a disavowal of 
 any intention to subvert or disturb the present 
 church establishment ; and a promise to make 
 known all conspiracies, kc. for such a
 
 772 
 
 lllSTOaV OF KNGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXI. 
 
 purpose ; an«] finally, an attestation that this 
 oath is taken in the plain sense of the word, 
 without equivocation or reservation, and that 
 no power or authority can dispense with or 
 annul it. 
 
 It is f'urtlier enacted, that on taking the 
 above oath and declaration, it shall be lawful 
 for Roman catholics to vote for members of 
 parliament when duly qualified ; also to hold 
 and exercise all civil and military offices or 
 places of trust or profit, with the following 
 exceptions, viz. the offices of lord high chan- 
 cellor, lord keeper, or lord commissioner of 
 the great seal of Great Biitain, or lord lieu- 
 tenant, lord deputy, or other chief governor 
 or governois of Ireland ; also, to be a mem- 
 ber of any lay bodj' corporate, and to hold 
 any civil office or place of trust therein. 
 A proviso is subjoined, that nothing in this 
 act shall extend to the repeal of any laws in 
 force for establishing the uniformity of public 
 worship in the episcopal church of England 
 and Ireland ; or to make any change in the 
 ecclesiastical judicature of the realm; or to 
 enable a Roman catholic to present to any 
 ecclesiastical beneficence whatsoever ; or to 
 make it lawful for him to advise the crown as to 
 the disposal of any preferment intheprotestant 
 churfihes of England, Ireland, or Scotland. 
 
 It is further enacted, that every person 
 now exercising, or who shall hereafter exer- 
 cise, any spiritual function belonging to the 
 Roman catholic religion, besides the oath 
 and declaration above mentioned, shall take 
 a specified oath, the tenor of which is, that 
 the person will never consent to the appoint- 
 ment of any bishop or vicar apostolic, but \ 
 such as he shall deem to be of unimpeachable \ 
 loyalty and peaceable condnrt ; that he will \ 
 have no correspondence or communication 
 with the pope or see at Rome, or with any 
 tribunal established by their authority, or 
 with any person authorised by them, tending 
 to disturb the established protestant churches 
 of these kingdoms ; or any correspondence 
 at all with such persons or tribunals, on any 
 matter not purely ecclesiiistical. A further 
 enactment prohibits any person born out of 
 the United Kingdom, except such as are 
 born of British or Irish parents, from exer- 
 cising any episcopal functions in it, and also 
 requires a certain term of residence within 
 the United Kingdom before such functions 
 an be exercised. 
 
 We shall now proceed to give an uninter- 
 rupted, though necessarily very compendious, 
 view of the further parliamentary proceedings 
 relative to the catholic question, during the 
 remainder of the session. 
 
 On May lltli, the day appointed for tne 
 second reading of Mr. Grattan's bill, sir J. 
 Cox Hipptsley rose, according to the notice 
 he had given, to make a motion which he 
 stated to be to the following purpose : " That 
 a select committee be appointed to examine 
 and report the state of the laws afiecting his 
 majesty's Roman catholic subjects withia 
 the realm ; the state and number of the 
 Roman catholic clergy, their religious insti- 
 tutions, and their intercourse with the see of 
 Rome, or other foreign jurisdictions ; the 
 state of the laws and regulations affecting his 
 majesty's Roman catholic subjects in the 
 several colonies of the United Kingdom ; the 
 regulations of foreign states as far as they 
 can be substantiated by evidence, respecting 
 the nomination, collation, or institution of the 
 episcopal order of the Roman catholic clergy, 
 and the regidations of their intercourse with 
 the see of Rome." If this were conceded, 
 he should move that the committee consist of 
 twenty members, whom he named. The 
 honourable member the-n made an elaborate 
 speech, in which he entered into many par- 
 ticulars relative to the opinions of different 
 Roman catholic clergymen, as to oaths and 
 tests required by government, and other cir- 
 cumstances tending to shew the necessity 
 of furtlier investigation before the proposed 
 concessions were made. He concluded with 
 the motion al)Ove recited, which was seconded 
 by Mr. Ryder. 
 
 Mr. Grattan then rose to object to the 
 motion of his own friend, whose former good 
 services to the cause he liberally acknow- 
 ledged, on the ground of the long and in- 
 definite protraction of the measures for the 
 relief of the Roman catholics, which, after a 
 discussion that had already subsisted twenty 
 years, it would occasion. He gave several 
 reasons against the proposed investigation, 
 and then took a summary view of his oavh 
 bill, and replied to various objections to its 
 provisions which had appeared in the news- 
 l)apcrs as coming from ihe Roman catholics, 
 l)ut which, he contended, had not proceeded 
 from any public body, but were only thrown 
 out by individuals. He concluded witU
 
 CHAP. LXI.] 
 
 moving, by way of aiiieiulmeut, tlie order of 
 the (lay. 
 
 Mr. lii/dcr asked what would satisfy the 
 protestaii's shoidd this bill pass into a law ? 
 and he entered into some argumentation of 
 prove the necessity of such a further enquiry 
 as that proposed by the honourable baronet, 
 whose motion he should support. 
 
 3Ir. Caunino-, after expressing his surprise 
 at the versatility of the last speaker, in 
 seconding a motion brought forward by a 
 favourer of a cause which he had always op- 
 posed, made a speech full of wit and elo- 
 quence, in which lie exposed to ridicule the 
 idea of going into such a voluminous enquiry 
 as the honorable baronet had suggested, and 
 states the necessity of proceeding without 
 delay to an adjustment of the matter in ques- 
 tion. He then went to the consideration of 
 certain points relative to the bill, on which he 
 liad prepared amendments, and communi- 
 cated them to Mr. Grattaii. The first was, 
 the ascertaining the loyalty of the catholic 
 liierarchy ; the second, the prevention of 
 foreign influence ; the third, the finding some 
 security that the concessions to the catholics 
 should be met by a corresponding spirit of 
 conciliation on their parts. He touched upon 
 the principle of his amendments, though the 
 time was notyet come for their discussion. 
 
 Mr. Bat hurst and the ear/ of Di/sart, having 
 sj)oken in favor of the iionorable baronet's 
 motion, and lord Casllcreagh against it, the 
 liouse divided. For the amendment, (the 
 or«ler of the day,) 235 ; for the motion, 109 ; 
 majority against the motion, 48. 
 
 On May 13th-, Mr. Grattan moved the 
 second reading of his bill. An attack upon 
 it was opened by Dr. Dnigemm, who con- 
 cluded Ins speech by moving that the bill be 
 read a second tiire on that day three months. 
 Of the debate that ensued, it is unnecessary 
 to give any particulars. Dr. Dui<;enan's 
 motion was rejected on a division. 245 against 
 203, and the bill was read a second time, and 
 committed for the following day. 
 
 The i)ill, as amended by the committee and 
 ordered to be printed, contained a number 
 of new clauses, the principal scope of which 
 >vas to appoint two separate conmiissions, 
 one for Great J3ritain and the other for Ire- 
 land, consisting of Roman catholic eccle- 
 siastics, exercising episcopal functions, lay 
 Roman catholic peers or commoners, and 
 
 CEORGE Hi. 
 
 773 
 
 privy counsellors ; the principal secretary of 
 state being one, to which board of commis- 
 sioners the name of every person of the Roujau 
 catholic religion proposing to assume the 
 functions of a bishop or dean shall be noti- 
 fied ; and the said board shall report to his 
 majesty, or to the lord lieutenant, whether 
 they know or believe any thing which tends 
 to impeach the loyalty or peaceable conduct 
 of such person ; after which, it shall be lavv- 
 fid for his majesty or the lord lieutenant, by 
 and with the advice of the said commissioners, 
 to approve or disapprove of the said person ; 
 and any one exercising the above functions, 
 after disapjirobation, sliall be guilty of a mis- 
 demeanour. 
 
 To the same board likewise is to be de- 
 livered any bill, dispensation, or other instru- 
 ment from the see of Rome, or any foreign 
 person or body acting under its authority, 
 or under any other spiritual superior, which 
 is to inspect it, and if found to be unobjection- 
 able, shall report the same to his majesty 
 or the lord lieutenant, when it shall be en- 
 rolled in the office of the secretary of stale, 
 and then returned to the person delivering it. 
 
 On May 24th, the houfie being called over 
 according to order, it resolved itself into a 
 committee upon the bill as above amended, 
 when the right honorable the speaker, rose. 
 He began with enquiring, whether by means 
 of this bill, the desirable basis of general 
 satisfaction and concord was likely to be es- 
 tablished ? As far as we knew of the pro- 
 ceedings of the Roman catholics, some of the 
 most distinguished of the laity had declared 
 against it ; and the clergy were loud in their 
 cry against its ecclesiastical provisions. Of 
 the protestants, it was needless to ask whetlier 
 they would be satisfied with placing the 
 governnient, if not the crown, of Ireland, 
 within the reach of the Roman catholics, and 
 creating the means of surrounding the sove- 
 reign himsjelf with mini.steis of state of a le- 
 ligion hostile to his own right of succession. 
 The right honourable gentleman then pro- 
 ceeded to show that the principle of our con- 
 stitution was, exclusion of non-conformists to 
 the established religion from political power ; 
 and that if it had been relaxed with respect 
 to the protestant dissenters, it had been main- 
 tained in full force against the Roman catho- 
 lics ; and he went on to argue why it ought 
 to be so. He spoke of their admission iut«
 
 74 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXI 
 
 the parliament, tlie privy council, and the' 
 judiciary bench, as points that ought never 
 to be conceded. He then noticed some mat- 
 ters of necessary restriction, and some of 
 conce.<<sion, which had been omitted in the 
 bill ; but. were they supplied, he must repeat 
 his strong- protest against the larger innova- 
 tions ; they were departures from principle, 
 and brcakiiig down barriers against danger. 
 He next adverted to the guards and securities 
 proposed by the bill, and attempted to shew 
 their insufficiency ; and he spoke of the papal 
 supremacy, and its consef|uences, as a point 
 of fiith which will continue lived and un- 
 alterable among the Roman catholic popula- 
 tion of this kingdom. He concluded with 
 moving that the words " to sit and vote in 
 either house of parliament," in the first clause, 
 be left out of this bill. 
 
 As the personal weight of the speaker, and 
 liis train of argument, seem to have exerted 
 the principal influence on that side of the 
 question, it would be superfluous to notice 
 the repetition of the same arguments by 
 others, nor in the replies to them from the 
 opposite side, was any thing important pro- 
 duced, which had not been repeatedly urged 
 in the long discussions of this topic. The 
 clause in debate was by both parties regarded 
 as of the most fundamental importance in the 
 I)roposed bill ; and whilst the dangers of ad- 
 mitting Mere mustered in their most formi- 
 dable colours by one partj', the evils to be 
 expected from leaving the catholics in a dis- 
 satisfied state after their long expectations, 
 were as forcibly insisted upon by the other. 
 At length, the question being loudly called 
 for, a division took place, on which the votes 
 were, for the clause 247 : against it, 2.31 : 
 majority for its rejection, 4. 
 
 The members being declared, 3Ir. Poji- 
 sonby said, that as the bill, without this clause, 
 was neither worthy of the ai:ceptance of the 
 catholics, nor of the further support of the 
 friends of concession, he would move that 
 the chairman do now leave the chair, which 
 was carried without a division ; and thus the 
 bill was abandoned. 
 
 This result was greatly aided by some other 
 occurrences, which threatened a more fatal 
 influence than even the vote itself, should the 
 measure be adopted. The bill being founded 
 on certain securities to be given by the Roman 
 catholics, was manifestly nugatory, unless 
 
 they agreed to give these securities. It might 
 at least have been supposed that their con- 
 sent had l)een obtained l)efore the bill was 
 brought into parliament. On the contrar3% 
 no sooner were its provisions made known 
 on the other side of the channel, thati they be- 
 came the object of utter disgust and repro- 
 bation. The catholic body immediately as- 
 send)ltd, and expressed their feelings in a 
 manner the most decided and unqualilied. 
 In vain did Mr. Grattan insist that the report 
 of its proceedings was misreprespnted or in- 
 vented : that there existed in Ireland no 
 spirit innnical to the bill. Every new arrival 
 brought additional jjroofs of its prevalence. 
 In addition to the aggregate meeting, an as- 
 sembly was held of catholic bishops, which 
 spoke the same sentiments in language still 
 less measured. The result of Mr. Abbot's 
 motion was celebrated in Irelaiid as a jubilee. 
 The most bitter enemy to the object of the 
 bill did not feel any exultation at its failure 
 to be coujpared to that which was excited 
 in the breasts of those for whose relief and 
 benefit it was solely intended. 
 
 Upon the whole, from a view of the pro- 
 visions and fortunes of the bill, we are con- 
 firmed in our former opinion, that every at 
 tempt to bind a whole people by what are 
 called securities, must be vain and chimerical. 
 The expedients for this purpose must resolve 
 themselves into empty forn)s, or their opera- 
 tion must tend to cherish that discontent the 
 extinction of which is the grand object of 
 the measure. The danger to the constitution 
 would be increased when certain privileges 
 were conceded, unaccompanied by that con- 
 ciliation which was its principal object. If 
 it be judged that all the catholic demand:* 
 cannot be conoeded, it were better to grant 
 some of them, only unclogged by any con- 
 ditions which would destroy their conciliatory 
 efliect. The catholics would probably ac- 
 cept more gratefully a part oidy in the shape 
 of a free gift, than the whole in the form of a» 
 ungracious bargain. 
 
 The point on which the bill was rejected, 
 principally referred to the admission of ca- 
 tholic nien'.bers into parliament. Yet al* the 
 dangers which exist in catholic privilege ap- 
 pear ta arise from admission to office. The 
 influence of patronage and of power is more 
 dangerous than that of a senatorial vote; 
 Ireland returns one hundred members to vUe
 
 CHAP. LXl] GEORGE, HI. 775 
 
 house of commons, and contrasting the pro- ; It is impossible to conclude these remarks 
 pertv of the Irish protectants with tlienuiuliers i without recurring to the occasional indiscre- 
 of the catholics, it appears improbable that J tions of the aggregate meeting to which I 
 more than OO anti-protestant members would ; have already alluded. Forgetting the imme- 
 be returned. Tlie greater part of these indi- i diate object of its formation, and neglecting 
 viduals would be muderate and prudent men, $ the interests of the Roman catholics, it 
 •f large fortune, and consequently attached I actively interfered iu all the questions of 
 to the existing order of things. Their efforts i foreign and domestic policy. It even went 
 in favour of tlieir own religion would be mere > so far as to vote an address to the princess of 
 incipient efforts ; they might possess a certain > Wales on the enquiry into her character, 
 intluence by their votes and speeches, but^l and implored the interference iu favour of 
 there is no probability of their being able to j their claims, of the Spanish cortes, a prayer 
 carry against the immense majority of nuin- ; which was rejected by the latter with no 
 bars any measure dangerous to the protestant j equivocal indications of contempt, 
 establishment. • 
 
 CHAPTER LXII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1813.] 
 
 Pcrsccvlion of the Princess of Wales — Is deprived of the Society of her Daughter — ITer 
 Condiicl becomes the subject of a New Euf/uiri/ — Historif of the Delicate Investigation — 
 Triumph of the Princess — Criminality of Lady Douglas — Effects of the Proceedings on 
 the Public Mind. 
 
 AMONG the other objects of domestic | but on the most unsuspected testimony cof- 
 interest, the character and conduct of | roborated by the most substantial evidence ; 
 tlie princess of Wales, and the treatment of ; that if the charges had been disproved to 
 that august personage by her husband and i the satisfaction of her husband and her uncle, 
 natural protector, excited the most lively | they would have been excited by every 
 sympathy. The vagueness of th.e charges ; motive of policy and honourable feeling to 
 exhibited against her, and the mysterious and i have obliterated from her remembrance the 
 uncertain nature of the investigations to i vrrongs she had sustained, and by an open 
 Avhich she had been subjected, whi-le they | manifestation of their protection and confi- 
 excited the suspicions of the people and de- i dence, to restore her to all her domestic 
 graded the prince, gave additional conlidcnce j rights, and to all the honours of her exalted 
 to the accusers of his consort. It was naturally | station. 
 
 concluded that imputations of siirh inagni- | But now that the whole of theevidence has 
 tude as those which had partially transpired, I been submitted to the world, how changed is 
 would not have been preferred or received | the language of her adversaries! how de- 
 
 5 G 50
 
 77C 
 
 HISTORY or ENGL\1D. 
 
 [chap. LXir. 
 
 cidcdtlie revolution of sentiment even among 
 the frieads of her assiduous traduceis One 
 enthusiastic feeling of indignant sympathy 
 burst into expression, and awakened the 
 national spirit to avenge the injuries of in- 
 sulted and persecuted innocence. Even the 
 tools of power were compelled to join in the 
 public reprobation of her accusers, to rejoice j 
 at the satisfactory manner in which she was 
 able to meet their accusations, and to con- 
 fess that she was worthy of public love and 
 private confidence. 
 
 It becomes therefore a duty of serious im- 
 portance to enquire, by what motives the 
 prince of Wales lias been induced at a later 
 period to withhold from his legitimate consort 
 those marks of courtesy and attachment, 
 Avhich even at the moment of separation he 
 pledged his honour to observe, and how far it 
 was consistent with justice or propriety that 
 she should be deprived of the society of her 
 daughter. It is impossible that we should 
 estimate the motives of the prince regent, but 
 from those by wliich he was directed in the 
 original suspension of their nuptial inter- 
 course. The reason assigned by his royal 
 highness for the first separation was not that 
 her conduct was marked by indiscretion, but 
 that nature had not made them for each other. 
 But if the alienation of his conjugal tender- 
 ness was the consequence of positive aversion, 
 and not the result of previous attachment to 
 another, a prudent husband would have 
 sacrificed his peculiar feelings to the obser- 
 vance of that decorum which is seldom 
 banished from the palace of the prince without 
 being accompanied in its flight by many of 
 the noblest virtues. If the plea that nature 
 had not made them for each other, be admit- 
 ted .as an apology for the termination of con- 
 jugal intercourse, it cannot be received as a 
 justification of neglect. A man of generous 
 feelings or honourable principles, while he 
 lamented the exislence of a coldness that he 
 could not overcome, would have endeavoured 
 to soothe the disappointed hopes of an affec- 
 tionate wife by every demonstration of respect 
 and esteem. Ho vrould have regarded the 
 impedmient to their mutual happiness as the 
 strongest claim to his courteous and assiduous 
 attention, and the liberality of friendship 
 would have been some compensation for the 
 solicitude of love. 
 
 That spirit of generous gallantry, natural 
 
 to Englishmen, was still further enflamed into 
 expression l)y the political connection of the 
 princess nitli the popular orators, and by the 
 occurrence of an event fully calculated to 
 awaken the synijiathy of the public. The 
 prince and his advisers had determined to 
 withdraw the princess Charlotte from all 
 society with her mother. She was allowed 
 to see her only at stated times, and it was 
 finally intimated that the restriction would 
 be extended. The respectful forbearance of 
 the princess now yielded to the provocation 
 of the moment, and the fr)llowing spirited 
 letter of complaint first disclosed to the world 
 the precise nature of those dissensions whici* 
 divided the royal house. 
 
 Letter of the Princess of Wales to the Prince 
 
 Regent. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 " It is with great reluctance that I pre- 
 sume to obtrude njyself upon your royal 
 highness, and to solicit your attention to mat- 
 ters which may, at first, appear rather of a 
 personal than a public nature. If I could 
 think them so, — if they related merely to 
 myself, — -I should abstain from a proceed^ 
 ing which might give uneasiness, or interrupt 
 the more weighty occupations of your royal 
 highness's time. I should continue, in silence 
 and retirement, to lead the life which has 
 been presoribeil to me, and console myself 
 for the loss of that society and those domes- 
 tic comforts to which I have so long been a 
 stranger, by the retlections that it has been 
 deemed proper I should be afHicted without 
 any fault of my own, — and that your royal 
 highness knows it. 
 
 " But, sir, there are considerations of a 
 higher nature than any regard to my own 
 happiness, which render this address a duty 
 both to myself and my daughter. May ] 
 venture to say — a duty also to my husband, 
 and the people committed to his care? There 
 is a point beyond which a guiltless woman 
 cannot with safety carry her forbearance. If 
 her honour is invaded, the defence of her re- 
 putation is no longer a matter of choice ; and 
 it signifies not whether the attack be made 
 openly, manfidly, and directly, or by secret 
 insinuation, and by holding such conduct 
 towards her as countenances all the suspi- 
 cions that malice can suggest. If these ouyht
 
 CHAP. LXII.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 777 
 
 to be the feelings of every woman in England 
 who is conscious ihat she deserves no re- 
 proach, your royal highness has too soiuul a 
 judgment and too nice a sense of honour, not 
 to perceive, how mucli more justly they be- 
 long to the mother of vour daughter — the 
 mother of her wlio is destined, I trust, At a 
 very distant period, to reign over the British 
 empire. 
 
 " It may be known to your royal highness, 
 that, during tlie continuance of the re-<tric- 
 tions upon your roval authority, I purposely 
 refrained from making any lepreseutaiioiis 
 which n)igiit then augnient the painful diffi- 
 culties of your exalted station. At the ex- 
 piration of the restrictions I still was inclined 
 to delay takmg this step, in the hope that T 
 might owe the redress I sought to your 
 gracious an<l unsolicited condescensiitii. I 
 have waited, in the fond indulfjence of this 
 expectation, until, to my inexpressible morti- 
 fication, I find that my unwillingness to com- 
 j)lain, has only produced fresh grounds of 
 complaint; and I am at length compelled, 
 either to abandon all regard for the two dear- 
 est objects which I possess on earth, — mine 
 own honour, and my beloved child, or to J 
 throw myself at the feet of your royal high- | 
 ness, the natural protector of both. 
 
 " 1 PRESUME, sir, to represent to your royal 
 highness, that the separation, which every 
 succeeding month is makmg wider, of the 
 mother and the daughter, is equally injurious 
 to my cliaracter and to her education. I 
 .say nothing of the deep wounds which so 
 cruel an arrangement inflicts upon my feel- 
 ings, although I would fain hope that few 
 persons will be found of a disposition to 
 (liiuk lightly of these. To see myself cut off 
 fruiu one of the very few domestic enjoyments 
 left me — certainly the only one upon which 
 1 set aiiy value, the society of my child — 
 involves me in such misery, as I well know 
 •your royal highness could never inflict njion. 
 me if you were aware of its bitterness. Our 
 intercourse has been gradually diminished. 
 A single interview weekly seemed sufficiently 
 hard allowance for a mother's affections. — 
 That, however, was reduced to our meeting 
 once a fortnight ; and I now learn that even 
 this most rigorous interdiction is to be still 
 more rigidly enforced. 
 
 " BvT, while I do notveritureto intrude my 
 feelings as a mother upon your i-ovul hicli- 
 
 5 G ii 
 
 ness's notice, I must be allowed to say, tliat, 
 in the eyes of an observing and jealous world, 
 this separation of a daughter from her mother 
 will only admit of one construction — a con- 
 struction fatal to the mother's reputation. 
 Your royal highness will also pardon me for 
 adding, that there is no less inconsistency 
 than injustice in this treatment.— He who 
 dares advise your royal highness to overlook 
 the evidence of my innocence, and disregard 
 the sentence of complete acquittal which it 
 produced, or is wicked and false enough still 
 to whisper suspicions m your ear, betrays his 
 duty to you, sir, to your daughter, and to 
 your people, if he counsels yon to permit a 
 day to pass without a further investigation of 
 my conduct. I know that no such calum- 
 niator will venture to recommend a measure 
 which must speedily end in his utter con- 
 fusion. Then let me implore you to reflect 
 on the situation in which I am jilaced ; with- 
 out the shadow of a charge against me — 
 without even an accuser — after an inquiry 
 that led to my ample vindication — yet treated 
 as if I were still more culpable than the per- 
 juries of my suborn'd traducers represented 
 me, and held up to the world as a mother 
 wlio niay not enjoy the society of her only 
 child. 
 
 The feelings, sir, which are natural to 
 my unexampled situation, might justify me 
 in the gracious judgment of your royal Iiigh- 
 ness, had I no other motives for addressing 
 you but such as relate to my.«!elf. But I will 
 not disguise from your royal highness what I 
 cannot for a moment conceal from myself, 
 that the serious, and it soon may be, the irre- 
 parable injury which my daughtes sustains 
 from the plan at present pursued, has done 
 more in overcoming my reluctance to intrude 
 upon your royal highness, than any suflerings 
 of my own could accomplish: and if for hef 
 sake I presume to call away your royal high- 
 ness's attention from the other cares of your 
 exalted situation, I feel confident I am not 
 claiming it for a matter of inferior importance 
 either to yourself or your people. 
 
 " The powers with which the constitution 
 of these realms vests your royal higlmess in 
 the regulation of the royal family, I know, be- 
 cause I am so advised, are ample and un- 
 questionable. My appeal, sir, is made to 
 your excellent sense and liberality of mind in 
 the exercise of those powers ; aud I willingly.
 
 ■^78 
 
 77? 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. Lxri 
 
 hope that your own paternal feelings will 
 lead you to excuse the anxiety of mine for 
 impelling me to represent the unhappy con- 
 sequences which the present system must en- 
 tail upon our beloved child. 
 
 " Is it j>ossible, sir, that any one can have 
 attempted to persuade your royal highness, 
 that her character will not be injured by the 
 perpetual violence ofiered to her strongest 
 affections — the studied care taken to estrange 
 her from my society, and even to inten-upt all 
 communication between us ? That her love 
 for me, with whom, by his majesty's wise and 
 gracious arrangements, she passed the years 
 of her infancy and childhood, never can be 
 extinguished, I well know, and the knowledge 
 of it forms the greatest blessing of my ex- 
 istence. But let me implore your royal high- 
 ness to reflect how inevitably all attempts 
 toabate this attachment, by lorcibly separating 
 us, if they succeed, must injure my child's 
 principles — if they fail, must destroy her hap- 
 piness. 
 
 " The plan of excluding my daughter from 
 all intercourse with the world, appears to my 
 humble judgment peculiarly unfortunate. 
 She, who is destined to be the sovereign of 
 this great countrj% enjoys none of those ad- 
 vantages of society which are deemed neces- 
 sary for imparting a knowledge of mankind 
 to persons who have infinitely less occasion 
 to learn that important lesson ; and it may 
 so happai, by a chance which I trust is very 
 ) emote, that she may be called upon to exer- 
 cise the powers of the crown, with an expe- 
 rience of the world more contined than that 
 of the most private individual. To the extra- 
 ordinary talents with which she is blessed, 
 aud which accompany a disposition so sm- 
 gularly amiable, Irank, and decided, I wil- 
 lingly trust much ; but beyond a certain point 
 the greatest natural endowments cannot 
 struggle against the disadvantages of circum- 
 stances and situation. It is my earnest prayer, 
 for her own sake as well as her country's, 
 that your royal highness may be mduced to 
 pause before this point be reached. 
 
 " Those who have advised you, sir, to delay 
 so long the period of my daughter's com- 
 mencing her intercourse with the world, and 
 for that purpose to make Windsor her resi- 
 dence, appear not to have regarded the inter- 
 Tuplions to her education winch this arrange- 
 Jiient occasions ; both by the impossibility 
 
 of obtaining the attendance of proper teach- 
 ers, and the time unavoidably consumed in 
 the frequent journies to town, which she is 
 to take, unless she be excluded from all in- 
 tercourse, even with your royal highness and 
 the rest of the royal family. To the same 
 unfortunate councils I ascribe a circumstance 
 in every way so distressing both to my pa- 
 rental and religious feelings, that my daughter 
 has never yet enjoyed the benefit of confirma- 
 tion, although above a year older than the 
 age at which all the other branches of the 
 royal family have partaken of that solemnity. 
 May I earnestly conjure you, sir, to hear my 
 entreaties upon this serious matter, even if 
 you should listen to other advisers on things 
 of less near concernment to the welfare of our 
 child. 
 
 " The pain with which I have at length 
 formed the resolution of addressing myself 
 to your royal highness is such as I should in 
 vain attempt to express. If I could ade- 
 quately describe it, you might be enabled, 
 sir, to estimate the strength of the motives 
 which have made me submit it. They are 
 the most powerful feelings of affection, and 
 the deepest impressions of duty towards your 
 royal highness, ray beloved child, and the 
 country, which I devoutly pray she may be 
 preserved to govern, and to show by a new 
 example the liberal afl'ectiou of a free aud 
 generous people to a virtuous and constitu- 
 tional monarch. 
 
 " J AM, sir, with profound respect, and an 
 attachment which nothing can alter, 
 Your royal highness's most devoted, 
 
 and most affectionate consort, 
 
 cousin, and subject. 
 
 (Signed) 
 
 Caroline Louisa." 
 
 " Montague House, \ At li January, 1813." 
 
 It is impossible to approve of the utter and 
 silent contempt with which this letter was 
 received. It was sent again and again, by 
 the hands of lady Charlotte Campbell, and 
 always returned unopened. At length, after 
 a long series of letters and messages, it was 
 announced to her royal highness that an open 
 copy accompanying it had been read to the 
 prince, and that he " had not been pleased 
 to signify his pleasure thereon." Every step 
 now widened the breach. A few days after 
 its transmission, a copy of the letter appeared 
 in the Moruing Chronicle : io cousequenc*
 
 CHAP. LXII.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 70 
 
 of which, the prince and his advisers put a 
 stop to a visit hjiig delayed, whicli was to 
 have heeii paid by lier daughter on the fol- 
 Jowing day. Tliis detenninatieu was inti- 
 mated in a letter from lord Liverpool, to 
 •which the following answer was immediately 
 returned. 
 
 " Montague House, Blachheath, Feb. 15, 1813. 
 
 " Lady Anne Hamilton is conunanded by 
 ^er roj'al highness the princess of Wales, to 
 represent to lord Liverpool that the insidious 
 insinuation, respecting the publication of the 
 letter addressed by the princess of Wales, on 
 the 14th of' January, to the prince regent, 
 conveyed in his lordship's reply to her roj'al 
 highness, is as void of foundation and as false 
 as all the former accusations of the traduters 
 of her royal highness's honour in the year 
 180G. 
 
 " Lady A. Hamilton is further commanded 
 to say, that dignified silence would have been 
 the line of conduct the princess .would have 
 preserved upon such insinuation (more than 
 unbecoming lord Liverpool,) Hid not the effect 
 arising from it, operate to deprive her royal 
 Jiighness of the sole real happiness she can 
 po.ssess in this world — that of seeing her only 
 child. And the confidential servants of the 
 
 this view, as lenient measures were uncon- 
 genial to the court, it was determined to open, 
 anew the enquiry wfiich it was supposed had 
 been finally closed ; to derive from thence a 
 justification of the steps taken against the 
 princess, and to inflict such a measure of 
 mortification as might deter her hereafter 
 from &.iy presumptuous and offensive inter- 
 ference. In order to give the greater so- 
 lemnity to this procedure, the cabinet imnis- 
 ters were associated with the heads of the 
 church and of the law — the two archbishops 
 and the bishop of London, and the presidents 
 of the diflferent courts of justice. The minutes 
 of the former investigation, which had been 
 } sealed up and deposited in the office of the 
 { secretary of state, were opened and submitted 
 I to the perusal of those venerable persons, 
 and they were required to state their opinion, 
 whether, under all the circumstances of the 
 case, it were fit and proper that the inter- 
 course between the princess of Wales and her 
 daughter the princess Charlotte, should con- 
 tinue to be subject to regulations and restric- 
 tions." Several days wei-e spent in examining 
 the documents, and the consultation, and on 
 the 25th of February, a report was produced 
 precisely of the tenor most desirable to lliose 
 by whom the enquiry was instituted. 
 
 Kegent. 
 
 prince regent ought to feel ashauied of their 
 
 conduct towards the princess, in avowing J .Rfipori to his Royal Highness (he Prince 
 to her royal highness their advice to the 
 prince regent, that upon unauthorized and 
 Unfounded suppositions-, a mother and daugh- 
 ter should be prevented from meeting — ^a pro- 
 hibition positiyeiy against the law of nature. — \ 
 Lady Anne Haniilton is conunanded further | 
 to desire lord Liverpool to lay this paper J 
 before the prince regent, that his royal high- » 
 ness may be aware into what errors his con- j 
 fidential servants are leading him, and will ? 
 
 The following members of his majesty's 
 most honourable privy council, viz. 
 
 His grace the archbishop of Canterbury, 
 The right honourable the lord high chan- 
 cellor. 
 His grace the archbishop of Yo'rk, 
 His grace the lord primate of Ireland, 
 The lord president of the council, 
 involve him, by signifying a«d counselling { The lord privy seal, 
 snch commands." « The earl of Buckingh 
 
 j The earl Bathurst, 
 The a|)pearance of this correspondence; The earl of Liverpool, 
 had caused the deepest sensation througlK)Ut \ The earl of Mnlgrave, 
 the country ; and a strong disposition wais 
 
 lanishire. 
 
 felt to sympathize with a mother of illustrious 
 rank so peculiarly situated. The cabinet 
 was thrown into considerable agitation : 
 various meetings were held ; and it was at 
 length determined that some public proceed- 
 ing should take place, in order to counteract 
 the impression which had been made. With \ 
 
 Theviscouut iNlelville, 
 
 The viscount Sidmouth, 
 
 The viscount Castlereagh, 
 
 The right honourable the lord bishop of 
 
 London, 
 The right honourable lord Ellenborough, 
 
 lord rliief justice of tin* court of king's 
 
 Bench,
 
 780 
 
 HI?TORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXII. 
 
 Tlie right honourable the speaker of the 
 
 house of commons, 
 The ri^ht honourable the chancellor of the 
 
 exchequer, 
 The right honourable the chancellor of the 
 
 duchy, 
 His honour the master of the rolls. 
 The rigiit honouralile the lord chief justice 
 
 of the court of common pleas, 
 The right hono\trable the lord chief baron 
 
 of t'le court of exchequer. 
 The rii^ht honourable the judge of the high 
 
 court of admiralty, 
 Tlie ii2,ht honourable the dean of the 
 
 arches ; 
 Having been summoned by command of 
 your royal highness, on the 19th of February, 
 to meet at the office of viscount Sidmouth, 
 secretary of state for the honae department, a 
 communication was made by his lordship 
 to the lords then present, in the following 
 terms : — 
 
 " My Lords, — I have it in command from 
 his royal highness the prince regent, to ac- 
 quaint your lordships, that a copy of a letter 
 from the princess of Wales to the prince 
 regent having appeared in a public paper, 
 which letter refers to the proceedings that 
 took place in an inquiry instituted by com- 
 mand of his majesty, in the year 1806, and 
 contains among other matters, certain ani- 
 madversions upon the manner in which the 
 prince regent has exercised his undoubted 
 right of regulating the conduct and educa- 
 tion of his daughter the princess Charlotte; 
 and his royal highness having taken into his 
 consideration the said letter so published, 
 and adverting to the directions heretofore 
 given by his majesty, that the documents re- 
 lating to the said inquiry should be sealed 
 up, and deposited in the office of his majesty's 
 principal secretary of state, in order that his 
 majesty's government should possess the 
 means of resorting to them if necessary ; his 
 royal highness has been pleased to . direct, 
 that the said letter of the princess of Wales, 
 and the whole of the said documents, together 
 with the copies of other letters and papers, 
 of which a schedule is annexed, should be 
 referred to your lordships, being members of 
 his majesty's most honourable privy council, 
 for your consideration ; and that you should 
 report to his royal highness your opinion 
 
 whether, under 'all the circumstances of the 
 case, it be lit and proper that the intercourse 
 between the princess of Wales and her 
 daughter the princess Charlotte should con- 
 tinue to be subject to regulations and re- 
 strictions." 
 
 The remainder of the report contained a 
 decided approval of the restraint imposed 
 upon the intercourse between the princess 
 and her daughter, and care was taken in this 
 very courtly document to acquit the prince 
 i regent of every shadow of blame or suspicion 
 in prosecuting the enquiry. So unexpected 
 a report excited the just indignation of the 
 people. It was drawn up by the very men 
 who in a former investigation had pronounced 
 a formal sentence of unqualified acquittal. 
 The princess was condenmed without hear- 
 ing, without warning, without knowing, un- 
 less by common report, that any proceeding 
 had been instituted. The composition of the 
 court was clearly exceptionable. A majority 
 consisted of the cabinet ministers themselves 
 who had advised the measures on which they 
 were now sitting as judges. They were 
 parties, and on the received principles of 
 equity ought to have been excluded. The 
 princess immediately determined to appeal 
 from the decision of so interested and impro- 
 pr- a tribunal to the two houses of parliament. 
 Ill pursuance of this resolution, she wrote a 
 letter of which she transmitted two copies, 
 one to the speaker of the house of commons, 
 the other to the lord chancellor. She men- 
 tions in this document the report of which 
 she had received a copy. She states it to 
 contain aspersions on her character, vague 
 indeed, but totally unjust, deprecates the ir- 
 regular manner in which it had been drauu 
 up, and demands from parliament, a de- 
 liberate and solemn investigation of her whole 
 conduct. 
 
 The dignified personages to whom this 
 letter was addressed were certainly placed iii 
 an embarrassing situation. The chancellor 
 declined to communicate the letter to the 
 house of lords, but on the 2nd of March the 
 speaker rose, and stated to the house that he 
 had received on the preceding day, when 
 seated in the chair of that house, a letter pur- 
 porting to come from her royal highness the 
 princess of Wales, which she desired to have 
 communicated to the house. He did not
 
 CHAP. LXIll GEORGE III. ygj 
 
 however, -think that it caine in a sufficiently J gallery, he should not bring forward his nio- 
 au henticated form for sadi corannuncation ; \ tion that night, hut should Reserve to hi mselt 
 but, havuig since received a letter from the the right ot" renewing it on any future era 
 princess, acknowledging that yesterday's | sion. M,-. iy..„ cfeclared. Uiat vhe eve 
 letter was sen by her, he would, with the the honourable gentleman did renew hTnZ 
 permission of the house, now read it. tion, he should llso again move or cleaHne 
 
 A PAUSE ensued after the speaker had read i the gallery clearing 
 
 inV'"^l\7''f?''^''"»'l''^^"-.^'"^*'''"''''^«^'^ A CONVERSATION then eusued, in which 
 l^tTl ' apprehended It was impos- 1 TJir. W/albread urged Lonl CaslercaohZ 
 
 Mble that such a communication from so high I information respecting the report of the pri^^y 
 a quarter could be passed oyer in silence, counsellors alluded to in herVoval high, ess's 
 He had therefore waited till the noble lord 5 letter, which his lordship refused ?o g.Ve 
 opposite, a cnb.uet mmister, (lord Castle- Us there was no motion before the hoTse' 
 leagh,) had, by taking his place, given an in- ! Mr. Whitbread then read the report as pub- 
 timation that it was not hi« intention to make i lished from a newspaper, and observed, that 
 any proposition on the subject, And seeing I the public were i^^noLl of all the ciAMim- 
 10 other iiiember disposed to proceed in the j stances which had indueed the council to 
 business, he wished to ask the noble lord ! make such a report ; and said, that if no 
 whether it was his design to call the further ! other member would submit a motion to the 
 attention of the house to her royal highness's J house on lier royal highnesses petition, he 
 
 ^ f ^' n .1 1 .• 1 , ! ^^""'<* *^'" ^"- ^^''- ^- Johnstone, having then 
 
 J.ORD Castlereagh replied, that no person | given notice of liis int-ention to bring on his 
 was more sens.be llian himself of the im- ! motion on the following dav, the house ad- 
 portance and delicacy of the subject; butijourted 
 
 that observing a notice for a motion to be i On March 5th, the gallery being first 
 made two days hence relative to the princess -cleared, Mr. Cochrane Johnstone rose, and 
 ot Wales, he did not think it necessary at J declared in the first instance, that for the 
 present to enter on a consideration of the ; motion he was about to submit, he had no 
 transaction alluded to. j authority from the princess of Wales, and no 
 
 Mr. >r//i//ymjr/then enquired ifthchonour-i communication with any persons whatever 
 able member who had given the notice w^r, \ but that the proceeding had originated ex- 
 in the house ; and, finding that he was not, | clusively from himself. ^Ile ttien stated, that 
 le observed, that it might be expedient when ; a commission had been granted by the kino- 
 lie came, to eufiuire of him whether his mo- | in 1800, to lords Spencer, Grenville, Erskine" 
 tion was founded on any understanding with « and Ellenborouoli, to examine into certain 
 her royal highness. If it were not, it would i allegations that^had been preferred against 
 be for the house to decide on the propriety of i the princess of Wales, whose report, (which 
 taking her royal Jiighnesss communication ; he read,) contains the most unqualified 
 into their most serious consideration. Here i opinion, that the charge prodyced by sir John 
 the conversation ended. i and lady Douglas, relative to her bavin"- 
 
 On March 4th, the avenues of the house ; borne a child in 1802, was utterly destitute 
 of commons were crowded with a vast num- 1 of foundation; but concluded with some 
 Ik ;r of persons anxious to hear the debates on I strictures made by the commissioners in the 
 tins interesting subject, and the gallery was : levity of manners displayed bv the prinfesson 
 instantly filled on opening the door. xMany ; certain occasions. He next read a paper, which 
 poisons were also waiting below the bar as i he was ready to prove to have been dictated 
 auditors. Amotion, however, was unex- i by lord Ehlon, Mr. Perceval, and sir Thomas 
 pectedly made by Mr. Lygun, member for ; Plnmer, though signed by the princess of 
 Ayoicestershire,forexcluding strangers, which : Wales ; being a protest addressed to the kin-*- 
 of course was carried into efiect. J/r. i^e«»A'/ i against the report just mentioned, strongly 
 thereupon moved an adjournment, which I asserting her inno<;ence, and calling tjje 
 was negatived. Mr. Coiliranc Johnstone then \ dvAV^ea of her accusers a foul conspiracy, 
 jOse and said, that as the honorable gentle- 1 made f.c;;«;7r, and affording no appeal. Upon 
 )iau opposite had thought proper to clear the : this paper the honourable "uifcrabei- observed.
 
 782 
 
 HISTORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXII. 
 
 flial lie fully concurred in its sentiments on ; inons was certainly not the proper tribunal 
 the subject of the commission, and insisted ! for such a decision. It was equally inijjroper 
 that the charge against the princess before ; to bring before it for discussion the minor 
 that tribunal was nothing short of treason ; \ charges against the princess, or any unfor- 
 and that, if the commissioners had power to « tnnate differences which might exist between 
 acquit her of the crime charged, they had t any branches of the royal family. The only 
 equal power lo convict her. He thought, ! solid practical ground on which parliament 
 however, they had no authority to giTe a > could proceed, would therefore be, that 
 judgment on the occasion. As a question ; doubts attached to the succession of (he 
 of law, they left the matter as they found it. j crown. But iri the present case, not the 
 He understood that sir John and lady > smallest doubt was entertained on that sub- 
 Douglas persisted in their story; but if it Meet. The commissioners of 1806, did not 
 
 were notoriously false, why weVe they not 
 prosecuted ? He went on to remark, that 
 lie was informed no proceedings of the late 
 privy council, except the report, had been 
 transmitted to the princess ; but he sub- 
 mitted, that copies of all the examinations 
 siiould be given to her. The honorable mem- 
 ber concluded with moving two resolutions ; 
 the first of tiiese, consisting of several para- 
 graphs, contained in substance a relation of 
 the commission of 1806, and a declaration 
 agaiust its legal power to pronounce a judg- 
 ment in the case ; whence it was inferred, 
 that no legal decisiou had yet been made 
 agaiust the truth of the fact sworn to, of her 
 royal highness's being delivered of a male 
 child in 1802 ; and that, in consequence, the 
 house was called upon by a regard to the se- 
 curity of the throne and the tranquillity of 
 the state, to institute, while the witnesses are 
 living ou both sides, an ample and impailial 
 investigation into all the facts appertaining 
 to this subject. The second resolution was 
 for an address to the prince regent, to order 
 a copy of the above report to be laid before 
 (he house, with copies of a number of written 
 documents particularly specified. 
 
 The motion was seconded by Mr. John 
 Wharton. 
 
 Lord Castlereas;h then rose, and first re- 
 marked on the singularity of the honorable 
 mover's proceeding, whose second resolution 
 called for those very papers as matters of 
 information, on wliich his first resolution was 
 founded. He said that the only object of 
 the information called for, seemed to be to 
 persu:ide the house that such serious doubts 
 existed as to the succession to the throne as 
 required the iuterference of parliament. Cut 
 if the commissioners were not com[)etent to 
 decide upon the charge of her royal high- 
 ness's pregnancy in 1802, the house of corn- 
 
 make a comparative enquiry into the weight 
 of lady Douglas's testimony, compared with 
 that of other witnesses ; but they asserted, 
 that they had traced the whole hi.story of the 
 child in question, and fully established that 
 it was the child of another woman. Their 
 report was also solemnly confirmed by a 
 subsequent cabinet. No prosecution had 
 been instituted against lady Douglas, be- 
 cause, the case being laid before the crown 
 lawyers, although they were satisfied as to 
 the perjury, they saw difficulties in the way 
 of establishing it by legal evidence. On the 
 whole, he thought that calling for further 
 information would only be to make the par- 
 liament an instrument for gratifying that taste 
 for calumny which was so much the rase at 
 the present tune. 
 
 Sir Samuel' Romiily rose to give an account 
 of the proceedings of the commissioners of 
 1806, as far as he was concerned with them. 
 He stated that the measure was adopted, as 
 he believed, on the suggestion of lord Thur- 
 low ; and he testified as to the impartiality 
 with which the examinations at which he 
 was present, was conducted. He gave some 
 arguments in favor of the legality o'f such a 
 commission, and replied to the assertion, 
 that if they could acquit, they must. have an 
 equal right to condemn, by instancing the' 
 case of Margaret Nicholson, whose insanity 
 being ascertained before a committee of the 
 privy council, she was never brought to trial 
 for her attempt on his majesty's life. 
 
 Mr. Whilbread said, that he did not rise 
 to support the first resolution, concurring in 
 much that had fallen from the noble lord ; 
 but he thought, if the house dismissed the 
 subject without further explanations or pro- 
 ceedings, her royal highuess would be grossly 
 injured. When the noble lord talked of the 
 appetite for calumny, was he ignorant of the
 
 eilAP. LXII.] 
 
 GBORGB III. 
 
 783 
 
 / 
 
 inciny Hewspaper paragraphs, the teiKlency 
 of which was to lihel the priiictiss ? It ap- 
 j)ears, (he said,) that her royal hifjhness, iiiul- 
 iiia; that the intercourse between her and the 
 ])rincess her daugnter, was more and more 
 restricted, ad(hessed a letter to the prince 
 regent, which was thrice returned unopened. 
 At lengtli it was read to liiin, and the cold 
 answer returned was, that ministers had re- 
 ceived no coumiands on the subject. That 
 letter at length found its way to the pui>lic 
 prints, and then his royal highness, as prince 
 regent, summoned a privy council to consult 
 what to do, and their advice was, not to reft-r 
 to the present conduct of the princess of 
 Wales, hut the evidence of 1800. In the 
 proceedings of that year, the witnesses against 
 her are declared infamous, and their evidence 
 unworthy of credit, as applied to the prin- 
 cipal charge, yet the same is considtM'ed as 
 good when applied to levity of manners. It 
 Avas considered as insufficient to deprive her 
 of the honours other rank, and of access to 
 the king, and society with the princesses, yet 
 is now raked up to remove her from her child. 
 Mr. Wlulhread then read the minute of coun- 
 cil of 1807, signed by lor«ls lildon and Casiie- 
 reagh, which doubted the legality of the com- 
 mission of 1.800 ; yet, (said he,) these noble 
 lords go back to the same proceedings of 
 1800 as their guide. He next read that part 
 of the minute of 1807, which not only actjuits 
 the princess of every charge of criminality 
 broujjht against her by the Douglasses, but 
 exculpates her from every hijit of unguarded 
 levity attrii)nted to her by t,^ie counnissioners 
 of 1800. Do then, (said he,) lord Castle- 
 reagh or lord Eldon mean to escape from 
 their words ? The princess of Wales threaten- 
 ed a publication of her case, drawn up by 
 Mr. Perceval, lord Eldon, and sir Tiionias 
 PliiMier, if she was not received at court ; 
 this they advised her to do, with what other 
 feelings than that she was innocent — immacu- 
 late ? and is it to be endured, that this evi- 
 dence is to be raked u|) iti order to condemn, 
 defame, and punish? Mr. Whitbread con- 
 eluded a. speech of extraordinary energy, with 
 inoviiij; as an amendment to the motion, that 
 an address be presented to the prince regent, 
 praying that a copy of the report to which 
 her royal highness had referred, be laid be- 
 fore the house. 
 
 Lord C'a<>llcrcuf(h said, he would not enter 
 ~ 5 H 
 
 into details which it was inconsistent with 
 his duty to explain ; but he coniiileiitlv de- 
 nied the charge of inc;onsisteiiry that had 
 been made against himself and his colleagues. 
 He then made some severe renrarks on the 
 princess's letter, calling it an inflamed .state- 
 ment of all the topics of grievance that could 
 be ranked together with a view of efi'ecting 
 the object of her royal highnesss advisers. 
 There were no additional transactions im- 
 posed at this period that could have war- 
 ranted this letter. It was not by any moans 
 just to infer that any criminality was imputed 
 to the princess ; for the separation alone was 
 sufficient to justify the restraint, which should 
 be considered only as matters of regulation 
 arising out of that unfortunate circumstance. 
 
 Sir Thomas PInmer made a few observa- 
 tions in justification of himself, but declined 
 making any communication of the advice he 
 had given to her royal highness. 
 
 Mr. Stuart Wortley said, he felt warmly 
 on the occasion as a man of honour and a 
 gentleman, but could not vote either for 
 the original motion or the amendment. It 
 was not, however, the speech of the noble 
 i lerd which had induced him to come to this 
 determination, for that he had left the most 
 material points without any answer. The 
 honourabhi gentleman n)ade some remark on 
 the reports ""of 1800 and 1807; the last of 
 which, he said, was a comj)let>; acquittal as 
 to every point, and he much disapproved of 
 going back to the evidence of 1800, to form 
 a report upon the regulations necessary to 
 govern the intercourse between the princess 
 and her daughter. He concluded in the fol- 
 lowing remarkable manner. " He had as 
 high notions of royalty as any man ; but he 
 must say that all such proceedings contributed 
 to pull it down. He was very sorry we had 
 a royal family who did not take warning fiom 
 what was said and thought concerning them. 
 They seemed to be the only persons in the 
 country who were wholly regardless of their 
 own welfare and respectability. He woidd 
 not have the prince regent lay the Hatteiiug 
 unction to his soul, and think his conduct 
 would bear him harmless through all the 
 transactions. He said this with no disrespect 
 to him or his family ; no man was more at- 
 tached to the house of Hrunswick than he 
 was ; but had he a sister in the same situa- 
 tion with her roval highness the princess of 
 50
 
 "S4 
 
 HISTORY or ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. LXIl] 
 
 Wales, lie would say that she was exceedindy 
 ill treated." 
 
 Mr. Ponsonby spoke chiefly to contra- 
 dict the insinuation of the noble lord, that 
 the members ot opposition were concerned 
 in the publication of the princess's letter, or 
 the other proceedings in this transaction. 
 
 Mr. Whitbread, considering the princess's 
 reputation as now, by the confession of all 
 parties, placed beyond imputation or re- 
 proach, said he should not press his motion 
 to a division. 
 
 Mr. Yorke requested Mr. C. Johnstone to 
 withdraw his motion, which the latter refused 
 to do ; and the question being put, it was 
 negatived without a division. 
 
 It might now have been hoped and sup- 
 posed that the discussion of this unpleasant 
 subject was terminated, but the circumstances 
 which had appeared took strong hold on the 
 public mind ; party, as usual, interfered in 
 the business, and the newspapers were made 
 the vehicle of new attacks and recriminations. 
 
 On March 15th, Mr. W /litbrcad vose in the 
 liouse of commons, and after alluding to 
 various documents on the subject which had 
 appeared in newspapers notoriously under 
 the influence of government, desired to ask of 
 the noble lord (Castlereagh) or of any other 
 member, whether instructions had been issued 
 by the prince regent to the law officers of the 
 crown to prosecute lady Douglas for perjury ; 
 and whether, in the intei'val between February 
 12th, and March 5th, lady Douglas had been 
 examined as a credible witness by the solici- 
 tor of the treasury and a magistrate, in the 
 presence of sir J. Douglas ; and whether that 
 examination, or any other relative to the 
 princess of Wales still continues ? 
 
 Lord Cu.stlereag^h declining to answer vhese 
 questions till he should be informed of the 
 proceeding which it was the honourable 
 gentleman's intention to recommend to the 
 house in consequence, Mr. W. declared that 
 it was, either that the princess of Wales 
 should be brought to trial, or that lady 
 I^onglas should be prosecuted for perjury. 
 I^ord C. ihen said, that he did not consider 
 liimselfbound in duty to answer the questions 
 until the subject should be brought regularly 
 before the parliament. A warm conversation 
 then ensued, which was terminated by the 
 speaker, and the house proceeded to the 
 business of the day. • 
 
 On March 17, Mr. Whithread presented a 
 petition of sir John Douglas in behalf of him- 
 self and his wife, stating, that understanding 
 that the depositions they made respecting the 
 princess of Wales in 180t», were not made in 
 such a manner as would support a prosecu- 
 tion for perjury against them, if false, they 
 were ready and desirous to reswear the same 
 before any tribunal competent to administer 
 an oath which would subject them, if false, 
 to the penalties of perjury. This petition, 
 upon motion, being laid upon the tables, Mr. 
 W. rose to address the house. 
 
 He began with taking notice of lord Castle- 
 reagh's correction of his assertion, that the 
 cabinet of 1807 had acquitted her royal high- 
 ness from all imputations of criminality, his 
 lordship, as he had since been informed, 
 having prefixed the word legal, to imputation. 
 He also admitted that the house, correctly 
 speaking, had not passed a verdict of acquit- 
 tal, because it was not at a tribunal competent 
 to decide upon the question : but he con- 
 tended, that the noble lord himself, and the 
 cabinet, had pronounced such an acquittal. 
 He next affirmed, from the authority of sir 
 John Douglas himself, that lady Douglas, 
 from the 1.3th of February to the period of the 
 last debate, had undergone various examina- 
 tions by the solicitor to the treasury, before 
 Mr. Conant, on the subject, with the know- 
 ledge of the lord chancellor. He said he 
 had also heard that from the 15th of the pre- 
 sent month examinations had been going on, 
 and emissaries had been despatched to pry 
 into every circmostance of the life and de- 
 meanour of the 'princess of'Wales, since her|H 
 arrival in this country. Did the noble lord^i 
 know of this ? Did the lord chancellor know 
 of this ? If not, who are the secret advisers 
 of the prince regent ; Mr. Whitbread then 
 desired to call the attention of the house to 
 another circumstance. In the Morning Post 
 and Morning Herald of last Saturday were 
 published the depositions of lady Douglas. 
 In the latter of these papers, edited by a re- 
 verend gentleman who had lately been dis- 
 tinguished by honours and church prefer- 
 ments, after these depositions followed a 
 train of disgusting and atrocious documents, 
 the falsehood of which are known and 
 acknowledged, and which have been put into 
 the shape of a volume bearing the name of 
 the late Mr. Perceval, by whom the press
 
 CHAP. LMI.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 785 
 
 lias been said to have been correctcrl. That 
 right honourable scentleman tlionght, that for 
 the sake of the princess's jnstiiication it was 
 necessary to submit these details to the 
 jjublic, and consequently prepared a com- 
 ment to expose the falsehood of the story 
 and the villainy of those by whom it had been 
 raised ; but now that he is dead, and her 
 royal highness has been declared innocent by 
 two cabinets, these indecent statements are 
 given to the public eye. After some furtlier 
 observations on the hardships to which the 
 princess was subjected, Mr. Whitbread pro- 
 ceeded to say, that having been informed that 
 a pro.secution for perjury would not be, or 
 that it would be impossible to produce 
 such legal proof as would amount to a 
 conviction, he should forego his intended 
 motion for prosecuting sir John and lady 
 Douglas ; but he would state to the house 
 reasons to shew that some steps must be 
 adopted to bring the matter to issne. Of 
 the remainder of the honourable gentleman's 
 speech it is impossible to give an intelligent 
 abridgement in our allotted compass, we 
 shall therefore only notice some of the most 
 remarkable circumstances of the debate, and 
 its final results. Mr. Whitbread was led, in 
 the course of discussion, to take a view of 
 the evidence against the princess of Wales, 
 as it had been published, and also as it ap- 
 peared in a paper which had been put into 
 his hands that morning, professing to ccntain 
 an authentic copy of the examination of Mrs. 
 Lisle, a respectable lady who had been long 
 about the princess's person. On this he 
 made several free strictures, tending to show, 
 tliat if the questions put to her had appeared, 
 flie answers would have borne a different 
 aspect. In line, after solemnly calling upon 
 that house, the representatives of the people 
 of England, to become the protectors of an 
 innocent, traduced, and defenceless stranger, 
 he moved the foUowins resolution : 
 
 " That an humble address be presented 
 to his royal highness the prince regent, ex- 
 pressive of the deep concern and indignation 
 with which this house has seen pui)lications 
 so insulting to the honour and dignity of liis 
 majesty's royal family, so offensive to decency 
 and good morals, and so painful to the feel- 
 ings of his majesty's loyal subjects ; and that 
 tins house humbly requests that his royal 
 highness will give directions that proper 
 
 5 H 2 
 
 measures may be taken to discover and bring 
 to justice the persons concerned in commit- 
 ting or procuring to be committed so high an 
 ofiience, and for preventing the repetition or 
 continuance of such publications." 
 
 JLoifl Castterea<fh, in the beginning of his 
 reply, having said that the honourable gentle- 
 man, under the mask of defending the prin- 
 cess of Wales, had indulged himself in a 
 most personal, improper, illiberal, unfair, 
 and unparliamentary attack on the prince 
 regent, his words were taken down, and an 
 altercation ensued, which was terminated by 
 an explanation. His lordship then proceeded 
 to make remarks on the motion and speech 
 of the mover, and repeated his reasons for 
 not giving answers to the questions put to 
 him, and for thinking that the house was not 
 called upon to interfere in this matter. 
 
 After several other members had spoken 
 in the debate, Mr. Tierney moved as an 
 amendment to Mr. Whitbread's motion, (with 
 his acquiescence,) " That the printer and 
 publisher of tiie Morning Post, and of the 
 Morning Herald, do attend at the bar of this 
 house to-morrow, to answer by whose autho- 
 rity tliey had published the depositions before 
 the privy council, and from whom they had 
 received them." 
 
 3/r. Canning made a speech, which, by 
 its moderate tone, and his declaration, that 
 as far as he was concerned, the minutes of 
 the council in 1807 were a perfect acquittal 
 of her royal' highness, seemed to give general 
 satisfaction. 
 
 Mr. Wlulhread concluded the debate by 
 his reply ; and the question being put, the 
 motion was negatived without a division. 
 
 The remarks which had been made by 
 Mr. Whitbread in consequence of reading the 
 professed authentic copy of Mrs. Lisles ex- 
 amination, occasioned a remarkable conver- 
 sation in the house of lords on March 22nd, 
 in which house nothing had hitherto passed 
 relative to the subject of the princess of 
 Wales. 
 
 Lord Ellenbor(\itu;h rose, and after an intro 
 duction of great solenuiity, said, that in the 
 case alluded to, the persons intrusted with 
 the commission were charged with having, 
 fabricated an unauthorised document, pur 
 porting to relate what was not given in 
 evitlence, and to suppress what was given. 
 
 " This accusation (said his lordship,) is
 
 rsG 
 
 mSTOUY 01- ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LXn. 
 
 as false as bell in every part." He then pro- 
 ceeded to give an account of tlie mode in 
 M'hich every thing had been taken down fro'ni 
 the month of the witness, and afterwards read 
 over to, and snhscrihed by her. He spoke 
 of the folly and ignorance of supposing that 
 the testimony of witnesses should be re- 
 corded in the way of c(nestion and answer ; 
 and concluded a speech of great energy, by 
 again positively denying the truth of the 
 imputation'^ thrown npon the commissioners. 
 
 He was followed by the other noble lords 
 who composed this commission, Erskine, 
 Spencer, and Grenville, earh of whou), in 
 strong terms, asserted the fairness and cor- 
 rectness with which the evidence had been 
 taken and recorded, and disclaimed every 
 partial feeling on the occasion. 
 
 Lord Moira afterwards rose to exculpate 
 himself from the charge of unfairness in the 
 examination of a female servant of the prin- 
 cess, whose evideu'^e was contradicted by one 
 of the medical attendants. 
 
 3Ir. Whithread, on 1 he evening of the same 
 day, took notice of the attack which had 
 been made npon him in the other house, and 
 declared his mteiTticn of sending the paper 
 alluded to, to Mrs. Lisle, in order to obtain 
 her avowal or disavowal of its authenticity. 
 On the following day, he produced to the 
 liouse the answer he had received from that 
 lady ; which was an explicit acknowledg- 
 ment that the paper was a correct copy of 
 one she had written from her recollection, 
 immediately after she had been examined, 
 and of which she had transmitted a copy to 
 tlie princess of Wales at her command. Mr. 
 Whitbread now considered himself as entirely 
 cleared from the imputation of having been 
 imposed npon by the paper in Cjuestion ; and 
 he said, that if the same thing presented itself 
 to him at the present moment, he would fol- 
 low the very same course he had done, and 
 throw himself on the justice and candonr of 
 the public. 
 
 On March .31st, Mr. Whiihread rose in 
 the house to call its attention to a letter which 
 had appeared in the jjublic papers from lord 
 Moira to a mend)er of the grand lodge of free 
 masons, in which were some observations on 
 the evidence of one Kenny, since dead, end- 
 ing with the remark, that her royal highness's 
 fidvisers had long preserved an absolute 
 silence concerning it, " a forbearance only to 
 
 be solved by their being too cautious to touch 
 on the point while Kenny was alive." In 
 another passage of the letter it was stated, 
 that Partridge, lord Eardley's porter, was 
 known to be entirely devoted to the princess. 
 As lord Moira was about to leave England, 
 3Ir. Whitbread thought that he ought to be 
 called upon for an explicit declaration of his 
 meaning in these passages ; and he therefore 
 moved, " That a message be sent to the lords, 
 requesting their lordships to grant permis- 
 sion to the earl of Moira to attend at the bar 
 of this house, for the purpose of being ex- 
 amined as to his knowledge of certain circum- 
 stances connected with the conduct t»f her 
 royal highness the princess of Wales." 
 
 The speaker expressed his doubts con- 
 cerning the parliamentary usage with respect 
 to such a motion, there being no matter then 
 pending before the house on which the evi- 
 dence of a noble lord was required ; and lie 
 thought that their lordships would undoubt- 
 edly reject the application. 
 
 The same being the opinion of other mem- 
 bers, and there appearing a general disin- 
 clination in the house to renew the discus- 
 sions on this subject, Mr. W hitbread would 
 not press a division, and the question for the 
 order of the day was read and carried. 
 
 In the course of these delil)erations, the 
 Book, that is, the whole evidence taken before 
 the privy council in 1806, was multiplied 
 and circulated in a thonsaiuJ forms, and was 
 perused by the public with inconceivable 
 avidity. It would be obviously inconsistent 
 with the limits of an historical work, to enter 
 into the minute details of a mass so volumni- 
 ons and in many parts so little attractive ; 
 nor would decency permit me to record the 
 accusations of the unprincipled and infuriated 
 lady Douglas. Her declaration betrays 
 throughout, the total absence of purity, de- 
 licacy, and feeling. Many of the other wit- 
 nesses had been servants to the prince ; some 
 of their conclusions are founded on surmises 
 too ludicrous to be formed but under the 
 inftuence of prejudice ; on many important 
 points of testimony their assertions are dis- 
 proved ; and the utmost malice of the ene- 
 mies of the princess, even admitting the ve- 
 racity of the witnesses, can only extend to 
 convict her of levity and indiscretion. Thus 
 Cole says, that he heard Bidgood's wife say, 
 that she heard Fanny Lloyd say, that she
 
 CHAP. LXll] 
 
 croRcn III. 
 
 7K7 
 
 lieard Mary Wilson say, tliat slie, (Mary 
 Wilson,) had one morning seen tlic princess 
 and .sir Sidney Smith in such a position as 
 occasioned her immediately to faint away. 
 By a strange omission, the commissionens did 
 not examine INIary Wilson, tlie original be- 
 holder and sufferer by this strange spectacle. 
 Fanny Lloyd, however, the next link in the 
 chain, was examined, and she merely stated 
 that Mary Wilson had mentioned that she 
 saw sir Sidney and the princess in a public; 
 apartment, called the blue room, but said 
 nothingof the position in which they appeared, 
 or of any disastrous effects which the spec- 
 tacle had produced upon herself. The only 
 evidence that approaches to crimination is 
 that ofBidgood, who witnessed " in a mirror," 
 the embrace cf captaiix Manby and the prin- 
 cess ; a inode of observation e'|ually impro- 
 bable and fallacious. 
 
 It cannot be disputed, however, even by 
 the most enthusiastic friends of the princess, 
 that her conduct was frequently marked by 
 flagrant indiscretion. Sir Sidney Smith, cap- 
 tain Manby, Mr. Lawrence, the painter, and 
 many other individuals, were adn.itted to a 
 degree of familiarity inconsistent with her 
 station, and frequently at unseasonable hours. 
 Having indeed no direct power and no very 
 aujple fortune, her only means of influence 
 consisted in the flattering distinction con- 
 ferred by admission info her society, and she 
 was naturally tempted to avail herself of this 
 advantage to some extent. One, and the 
 principal use which she made of her leisure, 
 \va.s extremely laudable. She took poor boys 
 untler her charge, and bred them to the naval 
 service. Sir Sidney and the other com- 
 manders received these boys on board their 
 vessels, and superintended their conduct. 
 Among these was William Austin, the son 
 of a labourer in the dock-yards at Woolwich, 
 who was adopted by her royal highness when 
 an infant, and treated with all the tenderness 
 of a mother. The affection displayed for the 
 young protege supplied the enemies of the 
 princess with a plausible accusation of adul- 
 terous pregmincy, and lady Douglas strenu- 
 ously supported the charge by the boldness 
 and minuteness of her details. 
 
 The levity and indiscretion of the princess 
 may be excused by the circumstances of her 
 peculiar situation. She came from a country 
 and had moved in a sphere where the ia- 
 
 niiliarity of ranks and sexes, if innocent, was 
 not the object of censure to the same degree 
 as in English society. Left in a situation so 
 trying, without an English protector or ad- 
 viser, she had a right to claim that her con- 
 duct should not be subjected to the same se- 
 vere scrutiny as that of persons pla'^ed in 
 happier circumstances. 
 
 Ik any arguments were required to evince 
 the futility of the evidence adduced in crimi- 
 nation, they wonld be foiyid in the defence of 
 the princess, compiled by Mr. Perceval in 
 the name of her royal highness. It is ad- 
 dressed to the king, and refers to the report 
 oflSOG. This important document was suc- 
 ceeded by an appeal from the princess to the 
 justice and generosity of his majesty, stating 
 in forcible and j)athetic terms, the wrongs she 
 had endured from the macliiiiations of tho 
 enemies. The subjoined extracts will evinc<! 
 the spirit in which these appeals are com- 
 posed. 
 
 The commissioners, therefore, your ma- 
 jesty observes, going, they must permit me 
 to say, a little out of their way, begin their 
 report, by expressing a clear and decided 
 opinion, that his royal highness was properly 
 advised (for your majesty will undoubtedly 
 conclude, that, upon a subject of this im- 
 portance, his royal highness could not but 
 have acted by the advice of others,) in re- 
 ferring this complaint to your majesty, for 
 the purpose of its uwdergoing the investiga- 
 tion which has followed. And, unquestion- 
 ably, if the charge referred to, in this report, 
 as made by sir John and lady Douglas, ha(i 
 been presented under circnmstances, in which 
 any reasonable degree of credit could be 
 given to them, or even if they had not been 
 presented in such a manner, as to impeach 
 } the credit of the informers, and to bear in- 
 ! ternal evidence of their own incredibility, I 
 should be the last person, who would be 
 disposed to dispute the wisdom of the advice 
 which led to make them the subject of the 
 gravest and most anxious iiujuiry. And your 
 majesty, acting upon a mere abstract of the 
 declarations, which was all, that by the re- 
 cital of the warrant, appears to have beea 
 j laid before yonr majesty, undoubtedly could 
 j not but direct an in(]uiry concerning mycon- 
 > duct. For though 1 have not been furnished 
 I with that abstract, yet I must i)resume that 
 ^ it described the criminatory contents of these
 
 7SS 
 
 IIISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 FCHAP. LXir. 
 
 
 declarations, much in the same manner, as ; 
 they are stated in the re|)ort. And the crimi- | 
 nalory parts of these declarations, if viewed 5 
 vitiiout reference to those traces of malice I 
 and resentment, with which the declarations i 
 of sir John and lady Dongias abound ; if j 
 abstracted from all these circumstances, | 
 which shew the extreme improbability of the 5 
 story, the length of time which my accusers ; 
 had kept n)y alleged guilt concealed, the con- ; 
 tradictions observable in the declarations of; 
 the other witnesses, all which I submit to | 
 your majesty, are to an extent to cast the ; 
 trreate.^t discredit upon the truth of these | 
 declarations ; — abstracted, I say, from these ; 
 circumstances, the criminatory parts of them | 
 vere unquestionably such, as to have placed ; 
 your majesty under the necessity of directing- > 
 some inquiry concerning them. But that ! 
 tlio-e, who had the opportunity of reading ; 
 the long and malevolent narration of sir John i 
 and lady Douglas, should not have hesitated I 
 before they gave any credit to it, is matter of $ 
 tlie greatest astonishment to me. ; 
 
 The improbability of the story, would of; 
 itself, I should have imagined (uidess they j 
 believed me to be as insane as lady Dousrlas 5 
 insinuates,) have been sufficient to have stag- 5 
 gered the belief of any unprejudiced mind. ; 
 For to believe that story, they were to begin ; 
 with believing that a person guilty of so foul > 
 a crime, sohighly penal, so fatal to her honour, I 
 her station, and her life, should gratuitously, ! 
 and uselessly, have confessed, it. SuC'li a ; 
 ])erson under the necessity of concealing her ; 
 pregnancy, might have been indispensably > 
 obliged to confide her secret with those, to i 
 M'hom she was to look for assistance in con- i 
 <;ealing its conseqiiences. But lady Dougllis, ; 
 by her ovvn account, was informed by me of i 
 this fact, for no purpose whatever. She makes i 
 me, as those who read her declarations cannot ; 
 fail to have observed, state to her, that she ; 
 should, on no account, be entrusted with any | 
 part of the management by which the birth ; 
 was to be concealed. They were to believe j 
 that, anxious as I must have been to 
 
 also. 
 
 have concealed the birth of any such child,; 
 I had determined to brmg it up in my own ! 
 house ; and what would exceed, as I should ' 
 imagine, the extent of all human credulity, 
 that I had determined to suckle it myself : 
 that I had laid n,y plan, if discovered, to have 
 imposed it upon his royal highness as his 
 
 child. Nay, they were to believe, that I had 
 stated, and that lady Douglas had believed 
 the statement to be true, that 1 had in fact 
 attempted to suckle it, and only gave up 
 that part of my plan, because it made me 
 nervous, and was too much for my health. 
 And, after all this, they were then to believe, 
 that having made lady Douglas, thus un 
 necessarily, the confidante of this most im- 
 portant and dangerous secret ; having thus 
 put my character, and my life in her hands, 
 I sought an occasion, wantonly, and without 
 provocation, from the mere fickleness, and 
 wilfulness of my own mind, to quarrel with 
 her, to insult her openly and violently in n)y 
 own house, to endeavour to ruin her reputa- 
 tion ; to expose her infamous and indecent 
 drawings enclosed in letters to her husband. 
 The letters indeed are represented to have 
 been anonymous, but, though anonymous, 
 they are stated to have been written with my 
 own hand, so undisguised in penmanship and 
 style, that every one mIio had the least ac- 
 cpiaintaijice with either, could not fail to dis- 
 cover tliem, and, (as if it were through fear, 
 lest it should not be sufficiently plain, from 
 whom they came,) that I had sealed them 
 with a s«al, which I had shortly before used, 
 on an occasion of writing to her husband. 
 All this they were to believe upon the declara- 
 tion of a person, who with all that loyalty and 
 attachment which she expresses to your ma- 
 jesty, and his royal highness the prince of 
 Wales, with all her obUgation to the whole 
 royal family, (to whom she expresses herself 
 to be bound by ties of respectful regard and 
 attachment which nothing can ever break ;) 
 with all her dread of the mischievous con- 
 sequences to the country, which might arise, 
 from the disputed succession to the crown, 
 on the pretensions of an illegitimate child 
 of mine, nevertheless continued, after this 
 supposed avowal of my infamy, and my crime, 
 after my supposed acknowledgment of the 
 birth of this child, which was to occasion all 
 this mischief, to preserve, fbr near a twelve- 
 month, her intimacy and apparent friendship 
 with me. 
 
 Defence. 
 
 There may be circumstances disclosed, 
 manifesting a degree of condescension and 
 familiarity in my behaviour and conduct.
 
 CHAP. LXn] «EORGE III. 789 
 
 which in the opinions of many, may be con- ; fortunes of my situation." Your majesty will 
 sidered as not sufficiently guarded, dignified, I remember that I had not been much above a 
 and reserved. Circumstances however which I year in this country, when I received the fol- 
 my foreign education, and foreign habits, j lowingletter from his royallrighaess the priuce 
 misled me to think, in the humble and re- | of Wales, 
 tired situation in which it was my fate to live, ; 
 
 and wliere I had no relation, no equal, no 5 " Windsor Castle, 
 
 friend to advise me, were wholly free from \ April 30, 1796. 
 
 offence. But when they have been dragged ; " Madam, 
 
 forward, from the scenes of private life, in a | "As lord Cholmondeley informs me that 
 grave proceeding on a charge of high treason \ you wish I would define, in writing, the 
 and adultery, they seem to derive a colour ; terms upon which wo are to live, 1 shall en- 
 and character, from the nature'of the charge, { deavour to explain myself upon that head, 
 which they are brought forward to support. J with as much clearness, and with as much 
 And I cannot but believe, that they have 5 propriety, as the nature of the subject will 
 been used for no other purpose than to afford \ admit. Our inclinations arc not in our power, 
 a cover, to screen from view the injustice of I nor should either of us be held answerable to 
 that charge ; that they have been taken ad- \ the other, because nature has not made us 
 vantage of, to let down my accusers more x suitable to each other. Trant^uil and com- 
 gently ; and to deprive me of that full acquit- i fortable society is, however, in our power ; 
 lal on the report of the four lords, which my ; let our intercourse, therefore, be restricted to 
 innocence of all offence most justly entitled { that, and I will distinctly subscribe to the 
 me to receive. j condition which you req\iired, through lady 
 
 Whatever opinion however may be formed ; Cholmondeley, that even in the event of any 
 tipon any part of my conduct, it must in j accident happening to my daughter, which I 
 justice be formed, with reference to the situa- 1 trust Providence in its mercy will avert, 1 shall 
 tion in which I was placed; if I am judged ; not infringe the terms of the restriction by pro- 
 of as princess of Wales, with reference to the ; posing at any period, a coimection of a more 
 high rank of that station, I must be judged | particular uature. I shall now finally close 
 as princess of Wales, banished from the » this disagreeable correspondence, trusting 
 prince, unprotected by the support and the ; that, as we have completely explained oiir- 
 countenance, which belong to that station ; i selves to each other, the rest of our lives will 
 and if I am judged of in my private character, ; be passed in uninterrupted tranciuillity. 
 as a married woman, I must be judged of as ; "I am, Madacn, 
 
 a wife banished from her husband, and living | " With great truth, 
 
 in a widowed seclusion from him, and retire- ; " Very sincerelv yours, 
 
 ment from the world. This last consideration j (Signed) " GEORGE P." 
 
 leads me to reciu- to an expression of Mrs. 5 
 
 Lisle's examination, which describes my » Answer. 
 
 conduct, in the frequency and manner of my j 
 
 receiving the visits of captain Manby, though | The avowal of your conversation with lord 
 always in the presence of my ladies, as un- 1 Cholmondeley, neither surprises, nor offends 
 
 becoming a married woman. Upon the ex- 
 treme injustice of setting up the opinion of 
 one woman, as it were, in judgment u})on 
 the conduct of another ; as well as of estima- 
 ting the conduct of a person in my unfortu- 
 nate situation, by reference to that, which 
 might in general be expected from a married 
 woman, living happily with her husband, 1 
 have before generally remarked : but beyond 
 these general remarks in forming any estimate 
 of my conduct, your majesty will never for- 
 get the vei7 peculiar circumstances and mis- 
 
 me. It merely confirmed what you have 
 tacitly insinuated for this twelve-month. But 
 after this, it M'ould be' a want of delicacy, or 
 rather an unwordiy meaimess in me, were I 
 to complain of those conditions which you 
 impose upon yourself. 
 
 I SHOULD have returned no answer to your 
 letter, if it had not been conceived in teriuj* 
 to make it doubtful, whether this arrajige- 
 ment j)roceed.s from you or from me, and 
 you are aware that the credit of it belongs t» 
 you alone.
 
 790 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXII. 
 
 The letter which yon announce to me as 
 the last, oblig:es me to communicate to the 
 kino:, as to my sovereign and my father, botli 
 your avowal and my answer. You will tind 
 enclosed the copy of my letter to the kiuii". 
 I apprize you of it ; that I may not incur the 
 slightest reproach of duplicity from you. As 
 I liave at this moment no protector but his 
 majesty, 1 refer myself solely Jo hiui upon 
 this subjecr, and if my conduct meets his 
 approbation, I shall be in some degree at least 
 consoled. I retain every sentimentof gratitude 
 for the situation in which I find myself, as . 
 princess of Wales, enabled by your means, \ 
 to indulge in the free exercise of a virtue 
 dear to my heart, I mean charity. 
 
 Jt will be my duty likewise to act u))on 
 another motive, that of giving an example of 
 patience and resignation under every trial. 
 
 Do me the justice to believe that I shall 
 never cease to pray for your happiness, anrl 
 to be 
 
 Your much devoted 
 
 CAROLINE. 
 
 6th of May, 1796. 
 
 The date of his royal highness's letter is 
 the -.mh of April, 179(j. The date of our 
 marriage, your majesty will recollect, is the 
 8th day of April, in the year 1795, and that 
 of the birth of our only child the 7th of Ja- 
 nuary, 1796. 
 
 On the letter of his royal highness I ofler 
 no comment. T only entreat your majesty 
 not to understand me to introduce it, as af- 
 fording any supposed justification or excuse, 
 far the least departure from the strictest line 
 of virtue, or the slightest deviation from the 
 most refined delicacy. The crime, which 
 has been insinuated against me, would be 
 equally criminal and 'detestable ; the in- 
 delicacy imputed to me would be equally 
 t)dious and abominable, whatever renuncia- 
 tion of conjugal authority and afiection, the 
 a-bove letter of his royal highness might in 
 any construction of it be supposed to have 
 conveyed. Such crimes, and faults, derive 
 not their gniit from the consideration of the 
 conjugal virtues of the individual, who may 
 be the most injnred by them, however much 
 such virtues may aggravate their enormity. 
 Ko sucli letter, therefore, in any construction 
 of it, no renunciation of conjugal atHction 
 or duties, could ever palliate ihem. But 
 
 whether conduct free from all crime, free from 
 all indelicacy, (which I maintain to be the 
 character of the conduct to which Mrs. 
 Lisle's observations apply,) yet possibly not 
 so measured, as a cautious wife, careful to 
 avoid the slightest appearance, of not pre- 
 ferring her husband to all the world, might 
 be studious to observe. Whether conduct of 
 such description, and possibly, in such sense, 
 not becoming a married woman, could be 
 justly deemed, in my situation, an offence in me, 
 1 must leave to your majesty to determine. 
 
 In making that determination, however, it 
 will not esca]>e your majesty to consider, 
 that the conduct which does or does not 
 become a married woman materially depends 
 upon Avhat is, or is not known by her to be 
 agreeable to her husband. His pleasure and 
 happiness ought unquestionably to be her 
 law ; and his approbation the most favourite 
 object of her pursuit. Different characters of 
 men require difl'ereut modes of conduct in 
 their wives, but when a wife can no longer 
 be capable of perceiving from time to time, 
 what is agreeable or oflensive to her husband, 
 when her conduct can no longer contribute 
 to his happiness, no longer hope to be re- 
 warded by his approbation, surely to examine 
 that conduct by the standard of what OKght, 
 in general, to be the conduct of a married 
 woman, is altogether unreasonable and unjust. 
 
 What then is my case ? Your majesty 
 will do the justice to remark, that, in the 
 above letter of the prince of Wales, there is 
 not the most distant surmise, that crime, that 
 vice, that indelicacy of any description, gave 
 occasion to his determination; and all the 
 tales of infamy and discredit, which the in- 
 ventive malice of my enemies has brought 
 forward on these charges, "have their date, 
 years, and years, after the period to which I 
 am now alluding. What then, let me rej)eat 
 the question, is my case ? After the receipt 
 of the above letter, and in about two years 
 from my airival in this country, I had the 
 misfortune entirely to lose the support, the 
 countenance, the protection of my husi)and — I 
 was banished, as it were, into a sortof Innnble 
 vetireuient, at a distance from him, and almost 
 estranged from the whole of the royal family. 
 I had no means of having recourse, either for 
 society or advice, to those, from whom my 
 inexperience could have best received the 
 advantages of the one, and with whom I
 
 CHA.P. LXII.] GEORGE III. 791 
 
 coiil'J, most hecomiiiuly, liave Piijoyed the i of these proceedings, will Dot suffer yotir 
 comforts of tlie other ; and if in this retired, J royal mind to be prejudiced by ex parte, 
 unassisted, uiiprote<;ted state, without the ; secret examinations, nor niy character to be 
 check of a husband's authority, witiiout the i whispered away by insinuations, or sno^ges- 
 benefit of his advice, witiiout the comfort ; tions, which I have no op|)ortunity of jneet- 
 and support of the society of his family, a i ing. If any charge, which the law will re- 
 stranger to the habits and fashions of this I cognize, should be brought against me m aa 
 country, I sh<»uld, in any instance, under the « open and a legal manner, I should have no 
 influence of foreign habits, and foreign edu- ; right to complain, nor any apprehension to 
 cation, have observed a conduct, in any de- ; meet it. But till I may have a full oppor- 
 gree deviating from the reserve and severity ; tunity of meeting it, 1 trust your majesty will 
 of British manners, and partaking of a con- i not suffer it to excite even a suspicion to mv 
 descension and familiarity Avliich that reserve | prejudice. 1 must claim the benefit of the 
 and severity would, perhaps, deem beneath ; presumption of innocence till I am proved to 
 the dignity of my exalted rank, I feel confi- 1 be guilty, for, without that presumption, 
 dent, (since such deviation will be seen to ; against the effects of secret insinuation aiul 
 have been ever consistent with perfect inno- 1 ex parte examinations, the purest innocence 
 cence,) that not only your majesty's candour 5 can make no defence, andean have no se- 
 and indulgence, which, notwithstanding the ; curity. 
 
 reserve and severity of British manners, always ; Surrounded, as it is now proved, that 1 
 belong to the British public, will never visit it ; have been, for years, by domestic spies, your 
 with severity or censure. i majesty must, I trust, feel convinced, that if 
 
 Your majesty has seen what distriment my J I had been guilty, there could not have bc^u 
 character has, for a time, sustained, by the J wanting evidence to have proved my guilt, 
 false and maliciousstatemeutof lady Douglas, I And, that these spies have been obliged to 
 and by the depositions of the witnesses who > have resort to their own invention for the sup- 
 were examined in support of her statement. I port of the charge, is the strongest demonstra- 
 Your majesty has seen how many enemies I ; tion tiiat the truth, undisguised, and correctly 
 have, and how little their malice has been ; represented, could furnish them with no 
 restrained by any regard to truth in the pur- I handle against me. And when I consider 
 suit of my ruin. Few, as it may be lio|.( d, : the nature and malignity of that conspiracv, 
 may be the instances of such determinttj, ; which, I feel confident 1 have completely de- 
 and unprovfdced malignity, yet, I cannot flat- ; tected and exposed, I cannot but think of 
 ter myself, that the world does not produce > that detection, with the liveliest gratitude, as 
 other persons, who may be swayed by similar; the special blessing of providence, who, by 
 motives to similar wickedness. Whether the | confounding the machinations of my enemie.* 
 statement, to be prepared by the prince of; has enabled me to find, in the very excess 
 Wales, is to be confined to the old charges, ; and extravagance of their malice, in the very 
 or is intended to bring fonvard new circum- iweapons, which they fabricated and shaipened 
 stances, I cannot tell; but if any fresh at- ; for my destruction, the sufficient guard to. 
 tempts of the same nature shall be made by i my iimocence, and the effectual means of my 
 njy accusers, instructed as they will have | justification and defence, 
 been, by their miscarriage in this instance,! I trust therefore, sire, that I may now close 
 I can hardly hojie that they will not renew i this long letter, in confidence that many days 
 their charge, with an improved artifice, more > will not elapse before I shall receive from 
 skilfully directed, and with a malice inflamed i your majesty, that assurance that my just 
 rather than abated, by their previous disap- ; requests may be so com|)letely granted, a.** 
 j)oiutm»nt. I tht refore can only appeal to > may render it possible for me (wliich nothing 
 your majesty's justice, in which I confidently i else can) to avoid the painful discltKsure to 
 trust, that whether these charges are to be i the world of all the circutnstanc^s of that i»i- 
 renewed against me either on the old or on; justice, ami of those unmerited suffeiings, 
 fresh evidence ; or whether new accusations, ; which these [)roceedings, in the manner ia. 
 as well as new witnesses, are to be brought i which they have been contlucted, have brought 
 forward, your majesty, after the experience > upon me. — Letter to the Litis . 
 ' 3 I 51
 
 752 \ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXIIf. 
 
 It was impossible that disclosures of tliis ; liaials. On examining the flocuments, how- 
 kind could be made Nvithout materially af- I ever, no evidence of this accusation could 
 fecting the popularity of the prince regent, > be found, and the presumption tends to its 
 The rigorous proceedings adopted by his ; positive contradiction. The deposition of 
 command excited general reprobation, and j kdy Douglas contains within itself the proofs 
 his canse was feebly supported even by the ; of infuriated personal resentment ; and, had 
 most zealous of his. elected servants. It was I the charges which she advanced been the 
 generally asserted and believ,cd, that the i result of a studied conspiracy with the ex- 
 prince himself was the S'9cret mover of the » alted personage to whom they were addressed, 
 late investigations; that the most culpable lit may be presumed that their malignity would 
 means had been employed for accomplishing » have been studiously concealed beneath the 
 his purposes, and that lady Douglas was only i veil of more courtly language. 
 1 suborned instrument in more powerful 5 
 
 CHAPTER LXIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1813.] 
 
 Tmpnslnjr attitude of the Allies — Revolution in Holland — Rtiptm-e of t/ie Armistice — Ina.ir- 
 
 rectiou in the Tyrol — Battle of Dresden — Death of 3Ioreau — TVie Allies assemble round 
 
 JLeipsic — Napoleon is nearli) surrounded — BATTLE OF LEIPSIC— Disastrous retreat 
 
 of the French Army—7Viumpha)it conclusion of the Campaign on the part of the Con- 
 
 J'ederutes. 
 
 T^TEVER, perhaps in all the records ofjspicuons. The sovereigns of Europe, in 
 J^^ history, had there occurred a moment J suspense whether they should continue to 
 so pregnant with mighty events as that which > sit on their thrones, her great captains and 
 marked the conclusion of the armistice. The ; veteran armies formed by a warfare of twenty 
 great conqueror of the age could not but per- | years, the flower of her youth drawn fr.om the 
 ceive that his last game was to be played for ^ remotest extremities, all assembled to act 
 the empire of the world. It was now to be 5 their part on this terrible theatre of war. 
 determined whether Europe, whether all those 5 All that was most illustrious in Europe 
 regions on which chiefly depended the civili- ; hastened thither to witness and to share this 
 zation and improvement of the human race, | grand and final decision of the destiny of the 
 were to be restored to their native energies, ; world. 
 
 or be sunk iu hopeless bondage. The na- { The disastrous and disgraceful return of 
 tions were now to make their last struggle for | Napoleon, pursued to the borders of his eni- 
 their privileges as citizens, and their birth- > pire by powerful armies united for hisdeslruc- 
 right as men. And if such were the interests 5 tion, could not fail to produce a strong sen- 
 to be decided, the actors were not less con- ; sation in the minds of the French people ;
 
 Chap. lxiii.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 'D3 
 
 who, thouo'h studiously kept in ignorance 
 of every unfavorable event, were no longer 
 to be deluded with rej^ard to circuuistaiices 
 brought directly in their view. The tone 
 therefore now to be taken was an apparent 
 frankness in stating the situation of the 
 country, joined with confidence in its re- 
 maining resources, and an appeal to those 
 patriotic sentiments which operate upon the 
 subjects even of despotic govcrnment.s, when 
 elevated by ideas of past grandeur and suc- 
 cess, or roused by tlie imminent hazard of 
 what remains most dear to them. On JN'o- 
 vember 14th, Na[)oIeon seated on his throne, 
 and surrounded by a!l the dignitaries and 
 great officers, received the senate in full cere- 
 mony, the president, count Lacepede, made a 
 short address, touching upon the defection 
 of the allies of France, and their refusal to 
 enter into negotiations for peace, and con- 
 cluded with protest;itions of loyalty. His 
 majesty the em|)eror replied in the following 
 terms. *' Senators, I accept the sentiments 
 Avhich you express towards me. All Europe 
 was with us a year ago ; all Europe is new, 
 against us; it is, because the opinion of the 
 world is directed by France or England. 
 We should, therefore, have every thing to 
 dread, but for the energy and power of the 
 nation. Posterity will say, that if great and 
 critical circumstances presented themselves, 
 they were not superior to Fran<;e and me." 
 To meet the exigencies of the time, an impe- 
 rial decree was issued, imposing .'iO additional 
 centimes, additional to the duty for the cur- 
 rent year on doors, windows, and patents, a 
 double personal contribution on property 
 tax, and an additional tax on salt. And a 
 decree of the senate passed for the levy of 
 300,000 conscripts, with the preamble, " Con- 
 sidering that the enemy has invaded the fr'^n- 
 tiers of the empire on the side of the Pyrenees 
 and the north, and that those of the Rhine, 
 and beyond the Alps are threatened." By 
 the other decrees of the senate, the powers of 
 the deputies of the legislative body, of the 
 fourth series, were prolonged during the 
 Avhole of the approaching session ; and the 
 direct nomination of the president of that 
 body was invested in the emperor, who before 
 only chose one of five candidates presented 
 to him, manifest proofs of the apprehensions 
 he began to entertain of any thing like an 
 appeal to the people. 
 
 5 I 2 
 
 Av event more ominous to the French domi- 
 nation in Europe, and more auspicious to 
 the cause of political freedom, tlian any 
 which had hitherto occinred, was the Revo- 
 lulion in Hollayid, declared about this time. 
 Nothing could be more repugnant to tiie 
 maimers and sentiments of the people of the 
 United Provinces, or more fatal to their 
 interests as a trading nation, than their an-* 
 nexation to the French empire ; and thongli 
 inability to resist had awed them into sub- 
 mission, it cannot be doubted that a rooted 
 abhorrence of the yoke imposed upon them 
 was the prevalent sentiment of the Bataviaa 
 community. In the month of February a 
 conspiracy had been discovered at Amster- 
 dam for the purpose of subverting the exist- 
 ing government, in which a few obscure 
 persons attached to the house of Orange were 
 engaged ; but the [junishment of the coii- 
 sj)irators had suppressed the project iu its 
 infancy. At length, apparently from no pre- 
 vious concer^, but as tlie sudden burst of 
 public feeling, roused to action by the arrival 
 of the allied troops on the Dutch frontier, ou 
 the ].5th of November, the people of Am- 
 sterdam rose in a body, and w ith the old cry 
 of Orange Bovcn, universally put up the 
 Orange colours, and proclaimed the sove- 
 reignty of that illustrious house. Tiie popu- 
 lace displayed their hatred of the French by 
 burning the watchhouses of the custom house 
 officers, and three of their vessels ; and one 
 of the officers was killed in the scuffle, but 
 this was the only life lost on the occasion. 
 The example of Amsterdam was followed by 
 the other principal towns of the provinces of 
 Holland and Utrecht. The French autho- 
 rities \vere dismissed without injury, ._ „ 
 and a temporary government was pro- 
 claimed in the name of the prince of Orange, 
 composed of the most respectable members 
 of the old government, especially of those 
 who were not employed by the French. On 
 the lOth an administration v.as orgauized for 
 Amsterdam under the direction of the armed 
 burghers, and many of the leading citizens 
 took upon llu-mselves the care of preserving 
 good order. Similar measures were adopted 
 at the Hague, Rotterdam, and other places. 
 The infelligence of these events was brought 
 over on the 'il-st to London, by the baron, 
 Perpoucher and Mr. James Fayel, deputed 
 by the provisional government, to inform the
 
 7£)4 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXIIF 
 
 prirce regei.t and the prince of Orange of Ihe 
 revolution winch iiad taken place. They 
 Maitecl on tiie latter at his house in Ilarley 
 Street, and invited him in the name of his 
 countrymen to come and jnit liimself at their 
 head ; a call which he readily obeyed. A 
 cabinet council was immediattly summoned, 
 at wiiich his highness was present, and the 
 tuiaiiinious resohition was taken of affording 
 instant aid to the Dutch patriots with all the 
 force that the country could furnish ; and 
 never was a political measure adopted in 
 whi<!!i tiio English nation more heartily or 
 universally concurred. On November 25th 
 the prince of Orange embarked at Deal for 
 iioiland, on board his majesty's ship Warrior 
 74 guns, accompanied by the earl of Clan- 
 carty. So unpremeditated had been the 
 revolutionary movement of the Dutch, that 
 no regular military force was at hand to sup- 
 port the hazardous enterprise of abolishing 
 an organized domination ; and although the 
 French troops in the country were upon a low 
 establishment, there was nothing but an half 
 armed populace to oppose them. Their 
 commanders seem however to have been 
 struck with a panic by the suddenness of the 
 change. General Bouvet marched out of the 
 Hague at the head of 300 soldiers, mostly 
 Germans, who, when they had proceeded 
 about twelve miles, hoisted the orange 
 cockade, severely beat their commander, and 
 joined the patriots. It was, indeed, impos- 
 sible in the present state of the European 
 public to see how far defection from the 
 French usurped authority might proceed. 
 The evacuation of Amsterdam and Rotter- 
 dam was equally precipitate ; and the armed 
 douaniers, who seem to have formed the 
 chief military force, were glad to escape in 
 safety from places where they were peculiar 
 obje'cts of detestation. The tirst foreign aid 
 that arrived to give confidence to the revolu- 
 tionists was a body of 300 cossacks which 
 presented itself before Amsterdam on the 
 23rd of November, and was admitted into the 
 city on the following day. The remaining 
 French, shut up in the old town house, there- 
 upon surrendered ; and the cossacks, with a 
 party of burghers, took possession of the fort 
 between Amsterdam and Haarlem, which 
 surrendered by capitulation. These cossacks 
 were the foreruimt'rs of the Russian army 
 Hnder general Winzingerode, who, on entering 
 
 the Dutch territory, issued a proclamation 
 calling upon the people to rise in support o( 
 tlie good cau^e, and marching along the 
 Yssel, Zwoll, Zutphen, and Daveiiter, reach- 
 ed Amersforl on the "iSrd, whence he dispatch- 
 ed his cossacks. On the 24th, the French, 
 whose main force was posted at Gorcum, 
 having recovered their spirits, made a gene- 
 ral advance upon Amsterdanj, Woerden, and 
 Dordrecht. The attack upon Amsterdam 
 was repulsed, the assailants losing five pieces 
 of cannon. 1 he body which advanced on 
 Dordrecht, being opposed by the armed 
 burghers and the gun boats, was driven back 
 with considerable loss. At Woerden they 
 succeeded so far as to gain temporary pos- 
 session of (he place, in which all the outrages 
 were committed that brutality and revenge 
 could inspire. The prince of Orange landed 
 on the 30th at Schweling amidst the accla- 
 mations of a great concourse of people, and 
 immediately proceeded to the Hague, where 
 he was received by the constituted authorities 
 of that seat of govermiient. It is a remark- 
 able circumstance, and which may be produc- 
 tive of important future consequences, that 
 his serene highness was invited, on the com- 
 mencement of this revolution, to take the 
 reins of government, not under the ancient 
 title of stadtholder, but the new and indefinite 
 one of sovereign. Whence this alteration 
 originated has not been made public ; but 
 we may learn from the past history of Hol- 
 land, that the jealous friends of the house of 
 Orange have always been vigilant to take 
 occasion of the dangers and necessities of the 
 state, to enhance an authority perhaps too 
 limited for the exertion of the powers requisite 
 for the executive head of the commonwealth. 
 The post of the Brille on the day of the 
 prince's arrival declared in his favour ; and 
 no internal resistance to the revolutionary 
 movement was manifested except from ad- 
 miral Verheul, commander of the Texel fleet. 
 Notwithstanding the desertion of great part of 
 the Dutch sailors, he took possession with 
 the French mariners of the strong fort of the 
 Helder, and declared his resolution of main- 
 taining the authority which had placed him 
 in his command. The Prussian general, 
 Bulow, on November 30th, took Arnheim by 
 storm, the garrison of which was put to the 
 sword. Amsterdam being now considered 
 as in a state of security, the prince of Orange 
 
 i
 
 CHAP. LXlll] GEORGE III. 7f>0 
 
 made his solemn entry on December 1st, < soverei^ni. On November Gtli, lie moved his 
 amidst all the demonstrations of pnljlic joy, ! head-qiiarlers to Hanover. His entry was 
 usuil on t!ie reception of a sovereign ; now J preceded i.y a proclamation to tiie Haiiove- 
 prol)al)ly much more sincere than when they ; rians, in the name of the privy connsellnrs of 
 were lavisiied on tlie rnler of France. On | the kin/r of Great Britain, appointed to the 
 this event, the general commissaries of the ; electoral ministry of Brnnswickf-nnebM;]^, 
 national },n)vernnient issued an address to l for the state and cabinet. Its purpose was 
 the inhabitants, in which they announced the ;' to announce their resumption of tlie govern- 
 change in the snprenie authority in the fob | mcnt of the electoral dominions, and to con- 
 lowing terms. " It is not William VI. whom i firm the provisional commissions of govcrn- 
 the people of the Netherlands have recalled, j ment a|)pointed by the military authority, 
 without knowing what they might have to i At the same time the people were exhorted 
 hope or expect from him It is William I. j not to lay aside their arms, or relax in I heir 
 who. as sovereign prince by the wish of the > exertions till the liberation of Germany >lionld 
 Netiierlanders. appears as .sovereign among ; be completed and fully secured. The crowit 
 that people, which once before has been de- j prince proceeded to Bremen, which city he 
 livered by another W'illiam I. from the slavery ; entered on the 17th. He then received iiv- 
 of a foreign despotism. Your civil liberty I formation of the advance of the llnssiaii 
 .shall be secured by laws, by a constitution ; troops under Winzingerode to the Yssel, and 
 giving a basis to your freedom, and be better ; of the march of Bniow's army upon Arnheim, 
 founded than ever." The prince himself, on ; the results of which have been already men- 
 the following day, put forth a proclamation > tioned. It appears at this time to have lieeii 
 to the .same purpose, alluding to that /li^/ier \ hk intention to proceed in person to Hoi- 
 relalion towards the Netherlanders in which : land, and take the command of the Hu-ssian 
 he is placed in consequence of their desire; ; and Prussian troops employed in the recovery 
 and in accepting which,. " he sacrifices his ; of that country. 
 
 own opinion to their wishes, lie adverted; In this progress of restoration, which ap- 
 to the " still somewhat critical circumstances'' | peared to be the general order of the day, it 
 in which they were placed, and trusted in j conld not be thought extraordinary that the 
 their co-operation to efiect the complete de- > Tyrolese, who had been transferred against 
 liverance of tiieir country from a foreign yoke, i their will from Austria to Bavaria, should 
 The English guards now arrived on the coast ; : exhibit symj)toms of a wish to return to their 
 a Prussian and Russian general at the Hague | former n;aster. Some manifestations of ihks 
 concerted operations for the total expulsion ; kind undoubtedly were the cause of an ad- 
 of the enemy; and henceforth the progress ; drcvs " to the inhabitants o/ the Italian and 
 of the Dutch revolution is inseparably con- i Illyrian quarter of the Tyrol," issued at Bot- 
 nected with that of the allied arms. ; zen on October •24th, and signed Iloschmanny, 
 
 We now revert to the movements of the i privy connsellor of his imperial nifijesty. 
 crown prince of Sweden, which were of such j After adverting to the treaty of alliance and 
 essential importance to the liberation of the ; ann'ty signed between his imperial and a|)os- 
 north of Germany and the United Provinces. 5 tolic majesty and the king of Bavaria, and 
 After the battles of Leipsic, it had been his | the consequent cessation of all hostility be- 
 first intention to march on Cassel ; but va- ; tween the two powers, the subscriber declare.* 
 rious considerations induced him to direct > that the emperor of Austria will consider 
 his course more towards the north, one of; every violation of the Bavarian territo.ry, or 
 which, doubtless not the least efficacious, j resistance to the authorities established by 
 was the imniediate restoration of the electoral ; his ally, as an act of hostility against himself, 
 dominions to the crown of England. He left I He promises peace to the inhabitants of 
 his head-quarters at Muhlhausen on October > Tyrol, and hopes that every one will wait in 
 29th, and on the .31.st arrived a^ Gottingen, ; tranquillity the jiarticnlar indemnifications to 
 where his presence caused unbounded joy to I which he may have claims. He concludes: 
 the people, as the signal of their deliverance J "The fixing of the boundaries of eacli state 
 from an odious tyranny, and their return to i will not in future depend on the pleasure of 
 the inild and paternal rule of their legitimate « a single sovereign, or on the right of conquest.
 
 79(5 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXIII. 
 
 but oti the consent of other powers. Such ; at Laybach ; and, finding himself ninch in* 
 is the wish of my master — the object of this j comnioded by tiie position of Nngent, he at- 
 war — the spirit of the peace which must be » tacked it with a very superior force, but 
 conquered, and whicli shall restore their rights ; failed in his object; and the Austrians gained 
 to every people in Europe." ; possession of Istria, guarding the ridge of 
 
 Whilst Germany was the principal field ; mountains which run from Trieste to Fiume. 
 of the operations of the allied arms, the court ; Various movements ensued in consequence 
 of Austria was not inattentive to the libera- » of the viceroy's attempt to keep up a commu- 
 tionof'the north of Italy; and in addition ; nication with Trieste, which was threatened 
 to the efiTorts making on the side of Venice, 5 by Nugent, in concert with admiral Free- 
 and on the Adriatic, it sent a powerful army > mantle, the British commander in the Adri- ■ 
 across the Alps in the direction of Trent. ; atic. At length the French, after consideral)le 
 The baron Von Hiller, with the title of com- : losses, were obliired to retire across the 
 inander-in-chief of the imperial and royal » Lisonzo into Italy, leaving Gorizia in the 
 army of the Tyrol and of Italy, published a ; hands of the Austrians. On October 12th, 
 ]>roclamation to the people of Italy, dated ; the town of Trieste was occupied by the 
 at Trejit, October 2(Jth, in which he an- ; Austrian troops, and the siege of its castle 
 nounces that fie has passed the Alps with an | was commenced, the guns for the purpose 
 army of 00,0()() men, that he has turned at > being landed from the fleet with a body of 
 their sources the Isonzo, the Tagliamento, 5 marines. Detachments from various corps 
 the Piave, and the Brenta ; and that the de- 1 in British pay were also landed from Lissa 
 liverance of Verona, Mantua, and Milan, may ; to assist in the enterprize. The operations 
 shortly be expected. In energetic language, ; being pushed with great vigour, the garrison 
 he calls upon the Italians to join in the gene- > capitulated about the end of the month, and 
 ril deliverance of Europe from tyranny, and ; thus possession was obtained of the Dalma- 
 holds out the j)rospect of fresh armies coming i tian coast to the upper end of the Adriatic, 
 to their succour. ? This success was announced by a public 
 
 The city of Frankfort was now to be | notification from the prince regent on De- 
 honoured with such an asseml)lage of sove- 1» ceniber 11th, that the blockade between 
 reigns as have seldom been united in per- » Trieste and the southern end of Dalmatian, 
 son in maintaining a common cause. On ; was discontinued. On the same day the 
 ISovember 5th, the eniperor Alexander made | blockade was taken ofi'from all the ports of 
 Iiis entrance on horse-back at the head of; the United Provinces, except such as were 
 the Russian and Prussian guards, commanded ; still in the power of the French. The strong 
 by the grand duke Constantine. He was » fortresses of Zara, in Dalmatia, capitulated 
 soon followed l)y the Austrian emperor, ac- ; to the combined Austrian and Brilish forces 
 companied by a numerous and splendid at- ! on December 6th, after a cannonade of thir- 
 tendance, and several foreign ministers. 5 teen days, the garrison remaining prisoners of 
 They were afterwards joined by the kin^s of; war. 
 
 Prussia and Bavaria, and by several of the ; The crown prince did not himself march 
 sovereign jirinces of Germany. A treaty ; for Holland, as he a|)pears at first to have in 
 was about this time concluded at Fulda be- | tended ; but with the main body of his army, 
 tween the emperor of Austria and the king : about the end of November, crossed the 
 of Wurtemberg, by virtue of which the latter ; Elbe, with the view of forcing Davoust from 
 renounced the confederation of the Rhine, i the line of the Stecknitz. The relief of the 
 and agreed to join his troops with those of j suflering city of Hamburg was another ob- 
 the allies. Well might Napoleon say, when 5 ject, which, howe\er, was not yet to be ac- 
 thus deserted by kings of his own creation, | complished ; and the separation of Deiunark 
 " all the world is now against us." ; from its alliance with France, was a more 
 
 Previovisly to these latter transactions, i remote purpose, which the Swedish prince 
 various operations had been carrying on in j could not fail to keep in view. 
 Carniola and Istria, between the forces of the ; In Holland, the cause of national inde- 
 viceroy Eugene Beauharnois and general | pendence proceeded with all the success that 
 Nugent. The former hud his principal force ; could be expected from the unanimity of the
 
 CHAP. LXin.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 707 
 
 people, and the zealous efforts of the allies 
 for its support. Surcours from England 
 were cnritiimally aniviiis,-, and that alile gene- 
 ral, sir Tlioiiias Graham, was noiiiiuated to 
 the chief conniiaiid of the British forces. A 
 proclamation of tiie prince of Orange from 
 the Hague, on December <jth, enters more 
 explicitly into the subject of the change of 
 constitntion, than had hitherto been done. 
 After mentioning the necessity of delaying 
 for some time, his solemn installation in the 
 sovereignty towhith he had been invited, his 
 highness expresses his hope in the course of 
 a few weeks, he shall be able to announce 
 to tiie nation, and also to sub'.nit to his fellow 
 countrymen, a constitntion which, under a 
 monarchial form, which they themselves ha>e 
 chosen, may secure to them their morals, 
 their personal rights and privileges, in one 
 word, their antient freedom. In the mean 
 time he declares that he has taken the reins 
 of government into his own hands, and dis- 
 solves the subaisting government of the 
 United Netherlands. By another procla- 
 mation, dated December 9th, the prince 
 earnestly calls upon the Netherlanders to pro- 
 mote, by voluntary contributions, a general 
 arming for the complete liberation of their 
 country from the French. The town of 
 Helvoetsluys being evacuated by the French 
 garrison on the night of the 5th, afforded a 
 desirable landing place from England, which 
 had before been wanting. The dotilla sta- 
 tioned there sailed to VVilliamstadt, which 
 fortress also was deserted by the French on 
 the 10th, the garrison retiring towards Ber- 
 gen-op-Zoom, after ineffectually attempting 
 to destroy the flotilla. The important town 
 of Breda, the capital of Dutch Flanders, was 
 about this time taken possession of by 300 
 of Benkendorff's cossacks, who appeared 
 before it. 
 
 During the armistice. Napoleon took up 
 iiis residence chiefly at 'Dresden, where 
 he employed himself in reviewing the rein- 
 forcements of troops that were frequently 
 arriving from France, and in occasional visits 
 to the fortified places in the vicinity, which 
 were diligently strengthened, and put in the 
 best possible state of defence. Negotiations 
 proceeded but slowly, and a convention was 
 signed at Newmarkt for the prolongation of 
 the armistice to the 10th of August. The 
 members of the proposed congress assembled 
 
 at Prague ; who were, on the part of the 
 French emperor, the count de Narbonne and 
 Canlincourt ; on that of the emptror of Rus- 
 sia, the privy cou.isi-lhit I) Anstett ; (A' the 
 king of Prussia, baion ilufubolt ; of the em- 
 peror of Austria, the count Metternich. 
 .Meantime all Germany resoiuided wiih pre- 
 parations for the renewal of war. The kiiig 
 of Prussia published a decree for a levy en- 
 niasse in 1ms dominions, for its internal de- 
 fence, whilst its regular arn)y shouhl be em- 
 ployed in concert with that of the other allies. 
 But it was to Austria that the public atten- 
 tion was chiefly directed, where the great 
 augmentation of the forces, and the warlike 
 measures of diflerent kinds, announced de- 
 signs of higlior purpose than merely maintain- 
 ing a posture of neutrality. Towards the end 
 of .July, the troops of the line quitted Vienna, 
 and the burgher guard performed duty in 
 the city and suburbs. Levies were carried 
 on through all the hereditary dominions ; 
 the arsenals were filled with artillery and am- 
 munition ; an extensive enrolment or insur- 
 rection was organized in Hungary. On the 
 other side, Bavaria took the alarm, and levied 
 additional forces, besides placing its fortresses 
 in the best condition. 
 
 At lemjth the armistice terminated without 
 having produced the effect of opening a road 
 to peace ; and Barclay de Tolly, now com- 
 mander-in-chief of the allied army, announced 
 from his head-quarters at Reichenbach, to 
 the French general, the prince of Neufchatel, 
 the reconnnencement of hostilities on August 
 17th. On the 11th, count Metternich de- 
 livered to the count de Narbonne, at Prague, 
 a declaration of war by Austria, against 
 France. This important docun)ent, si\ led a 
 manifesto, began with adverting to the part 
 which Austria had been compelled to take 
 in the wars that for twenty years past had 
 desolated Europe, during which his imperial 
 majesty's only object had been self-preserva- 
 tion, and the n)aintenaiice of the social system, 
 without any views of conquest or aggrandize- 
 ment. He then took notice of the cession of 
 his provinces on the Adriatic, which was the 
 result of the war of liiOM, and which would 
 have been a still more sensible blow, had not 
 at the same time the whole continent been 
 closed by a general destructive system pro- 
 hibiting all commercial intercomse. Con- 
 vinced of the injpossibility, iu the existing
 
 798 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap, rxiii. 
 
 vState, of Europe of any ini})rovemeMt in fts 
 political condition from the exertions of in- 
 tiividiial powers, and that a peace of some 
 continuance was necessary for the restora- 
 tion of his own and the neighbouring states, 
 he made a sacrifice of what was dearest to 
 liis htart, and " exalted above all common 
 scrn))!es," consented to an alliance which 
 might incline the stronger victorious party 
 to a course of moderation and justice ; an 
 effect which he liad the more reason to expect, 
 as at the time the emperor Napoleon had at- 
 tained the point at which the preservation of 
 his conquests was a more natural object than 
 a struggle after new possessions. In 1810, 
 however, he resolved to unite a considerable 
 portion of the north of Germany, with the 
 free cities of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck, 
 to the mass of tlie French euipire, without 
 any other pretext than that the war with 
 •England required it. The manifesto proceeds 
 to make a number of observations on the ef- 
 fects of this usurpation, particularly on the 
 alarm it might justly excite in Prussia and 
 Russia, and considers it decisive of a future 
 rupture between Russia aiul France. It then 
 touches, in the way of apology, upon the part 
 Austria had been obliged to take in the war 
 with Russia, and on the events of that war. 
 Its result was a confederacy which presented 
 a point of union to the neighbouring states ; 
 and in all parts of Germany the desires of 
 the people anticipated the proceedings of their 
 governments. The Austrian cabinet, as far 
 back as December, took steps to dispose the 
 French emperor to peaceful policy •, but to 
 Jill its advances the answer was, that he would 
 listen to no proposals of peace that should 
 violate the integrity of the French empire, 
 in the French sense of the word. This was 
 the more mortifying to Austria, as it placed 
 her invitations to peace, made with the con- \ 
 sent of France, to other courts, in a false and 
 disadvantageous light ; and when a minister 
 was sent to London to invite England to 
 share in a negotiation for peace, the British 
 minister replied, " that they could not bf- 
 iieve that Austria still entertained hopes of 
 peace, when the emperor Napoleon at the 
 same time expressed sentiments which could 
 only tend to the perpetuation of war." It 
 now became evident that either by negotiation 
 or by force of arms a new state of things must 
 bediected. Austria njade preparations for 
 
 war, which even Napoleon acknowledged to 
 be necessarv. The actions which brousrht 
 on the retreat of the allies and the armistice, 
 rendered it still more impossible for the em- 
 peror of Austria to remain an inactive spec- 
 tator. The state of the Prussian monarchy, 
 in particular, attracted his attention ; its 
 restoration being the first step towards that 
 of the political system of Europe. As early 
 as the -month of April, Napoleon had sug- 
 gested to the Austrian cabinet that he re- 
 garded the dissolution of that monarchy as a 
 natural consequence of its defection from 
 France, and' that it now only depended on 
 Austria to add the most tlourishing of its pro- 
 vinces to her own state ; a sufficient indica- 
 tion that no means were to be neglected to 
 save that power either by negotiation or arms. 
 
 The manifesto then takes notice of the con- 
 gress of Prague, which, when first proposed 
 by Napoleon, was perfectly unknown to the 
 Austrian cabinet, which became acquainted 
 with it only by the medium of the public 
 papers. It states the reasons for the em- 
 peror's concurrence in this project, and his 
 acceptance of the office of mediator, with the 
 protraction of the armistice. Another attempt 
 for including the British government in the 
 negotiation is then mentioned, to which Na- 
 poleon at first gave his approbation ; but, 
 after various delays, finally refused to grant 
 passports to the persons who nvere to proceed 
 from France to England for the purpose. 
 Other circumstances are then mentioned to 
 shew that France was disinclined to any 
 serious step to facilitate a treaty. At length, 
 " the congress was at an end, and the reso- 
 lution which Austria had to form was pre- 
 viously determined, by the progress of the 
 negotiation, by the actual conviction of the 
 impossibility of peace, by the no longer 
 doubtful point of view in which his majesty 
 examined the great question in dispute, by 
 the principles and intentions of the allies^ 
 wherein the emperor recognized his own, 
 and finally, by the former positive declara- 
 tions, which left no room for misconception." 
 
 Such was the general substance of this 
 state paper, in which, though ably drawn up, 
 may bedisceined the difficulty of conciliating 
 the past measures of a temporary policy with 
 the principles of justice, and regard to the 
 public good, M'hich are represented as having 
 dictated so important a charge. It is maui-
 
 CHAP. LXIll] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 799 
 
 fest, however, that, as in the case of Prussia, 
 the new prospects open o( fieeiiig tlie Euro- 
 pean continent from an over\vhelniin<;' power, 
 wielded by insatiable aniliilioii, were the real 
 motives whicii induced Austria to desert her 
 connection with France, and join the allies ; 
 and if an apology were neces>ary for this con- 
 duct, the same which applied to Prussiii 
 would serve for her. The circumstance itself 
 was decisive of the future contest, Ibr such a 
 weight thrown into a scale nearly upon 
 the balance, could not fail to make it pre- 
 ponderate. The followina: treaty of alliance 
 between Austria, Russia, Pruf^sia, and (ircat 
 Britain, was the concomitant of this decla- 
 ration. 
 
 " Tk the name of the Most Holy and indi- 
 visible Trinity, his majesty the emperor of 
 Austria, king of Hungary and Bohemia, and 
 J)is majesty the emperor of all the liussias, 
 being anunated with the same desire of put- 
 ting a stop to the sufierings of Europe, and 
 to restore its future tranquillity, by a restora- 
 tion of y just balance of power among nations, 
 have detennined on continuing the war in 
 which they are engaged for that salutary 
 purpose, with the whole of the force with 
 which Providence has endowed them. As 
 they, at the same time, wish to extend the 
 effects of so beneficial a mutual understand- 
 ing, to sudi time when, after the intent of 
 the piesent war being fully attained, their 
 mutual interests will naturally require tLe 
 support of the order of affairs, which will be 
 restored by the happy results of it ; they 
 have, therefore, nominated and appointed the 
 following persons for fixing the articles of a 
 treaty of amity an<l mutual defence, and 
 furnished them with their instructions, viz. his 
 majesty the emperor of Austria, &c. &c. has 
 nominated IM. Cleiisens AVtiizel Lothur, count 
 of Mctternich- VVinnebourg- Ochsinhausen, 
 knight of the order of the golden fleece, &c. 
 &c. &.". and his majesty (he emjieror of all 
 the Russias M. Charles Robert, count of 
 Nesselrode, privy counsellor, &c. Sec. &c. who, 
 after having exchanged their full jiowers, 
 Mhich were found to be in good and proper 
 form, have agreed on the following articles : — 
 
 "Art. 1 — A sincere and perpetual amity 
 an<l unity sjiall take place between his majesty 
 Ijie emperor of Austria, &c. &c. and his ma- 
 
 5 k 
 
 jesty the emperor of all the Russias, their 
 heirs and descendants. The high c-ontracting 
 powers will therefore use their utmost en- 
 deavours for the preser\ation of the friend- 
 ship and good understanding mutually sub- 
 sisting between them, and .for avoiding every 
 th'HJg which might tenti to destroy the har- 
 mony and good understanding so happily 
 subsisting between them. 
 
 " Art. 2 — His majesty the emperor of 
 Austiia guarantees to his majesty the emperor 
 of all the Russias the possession of all his 
 states, provinces, and domains. 
 
 " Hismajesty the emperor of Russia, outhe 
 other hand, guarantees to his majesty the em- 
 peror of Austria, the possession of the slate.*, 
 provinces, and domains appertaining to the 
 crown of his iniperial and apostolic majesty. 
 
 " Art. 3.^ — In consequence of this mutual 
 guarantee the high contracting powers will 
 act in continual unanimity in such n)easures 
 as shall appear to them most proper and con- 
 ducive to the peace of Europe, and in case 
 of the states of the one or otlier of the said 
 powers being threatened with an invasion, 
 to interfere in the most active manner for its 
 protection. 
 
 " Art. 4. — But as that promised inter- 
 ference might not have the wished-for effect, 
 their imperial majesties engaged themselves, 
 from this moment forward:?, in case of one or 
 the other being attacked, mutually to assist 
 each other with a corps of G0,()()0 men. 
 
 " Art. 5. — This army shall consist of 
 50,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, and be 
 provided m ith a corps of field artillery, ammu- 
 nition, and all other necessaries, in propor- 
 tion to the number of troops above stipulated. 
 The puxiliary army shall arrive on the borders 
 of (he territories of the po«er altacked or nie- 
 naced with an invasion of its states, within 
 two months after such requests shall have 
 been made. 
 
 " Art. 0. — The auxiliary corps shall be 
 under the innnediate command of the com- 
 maniler-in-chief of the requiring power; it 
 shall be commanded by its own general, and 
 in all military operations regulated by the 
 rules of war. " The pay of the auxiliary army 
 sJiall be made by the requiring power, the 
 rations and portions of provisions, forage, &c. 
 supplied, as well as its quarters, and as soon 
 as the auxiliary army has passed thcbordcF§., 
 51
 
 800 
 
 HISTOnV OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [ClIAP. LXIM 
 
 and this in the same proportion as its own 
 troops is or shall be supplied, both in thetield 
 and in their quarters. 
 
 " Art. 7. — The militaryl operations and 
 the economy of the internal management of 
 these troops shall depend entirely and solely 
 upon their own connnander. They may not 
 be separated. Such trophies of victory and 
 booty as may be taken from the enemy shall 
 belong- to those troops who have taken them. 
 
 " Art. 8 — In case of the stipulated assis- 
 tance not being sufficient for that of the high 
 contracting powers, which may be attacked, 
 his majesty the emperor of Austria and his 
 majesty the emperor of Russia agree to con- 
 sult each other concerning the furnishing of 
 a more considerable assistance, according 
 as circumstances may require, and without 
 loss of time. 
 
 " Art. 9. — The contracting parties mutu- 
 ally promise to each other, tiiat in case one 
 or the other of them shall be obliged to take 
 lip arms, not to make any peace or armistice 
 Avithout its ally, that the latter may not be 
 attacked in hatn-d for the assistance given. 
 
 " Art. 10. — The envoys and ambassadors 
 of the high contracting parties, at foreign 
 courts, shall receive orders' to assist each 
 other by mutual interferences, and on all 
 occasions, wherein the interests of their 
 masters are concerned to act in perfect 
 concert. 
 
 " Art. 11. — The high contracting powers 
 have no other view in concluding this purely 
 defensive treaty of amity and alliance, than 
 that of guaranteeing their respective posses- 
 sions and to preserve the general peace, as far 
 as lies in their power ; they do not mean to 
 Inake the least encroachment on their earlier 
 and particular engagements which they have 
 entered into with their respective allies ; but 
 on the contrary, they each reserve to them- 
 selves the liberty of making, in future, treaties 
 Avith such powers, whose alliance, far 'from 
 causing any detriment to this treaty, might 
 give it still more force and activity. They, 
 nevertheless, promise not to enter into any 
 engagements contrary to this present treaty, 
 but rather will, by their mutual understand- 
 ing, invite and admit other courts, vvho enter- 
 tain the same sentiments, to a participation 
 of it. 
 
 '" Art. 12.— The present treaty shall be 
 
 ratified by his imperial and apostolic majesty, 
 and by his majesty the emperor of all tin,* 
 Russias, and the ratifications exchanged 
 within fourteen days, to be reckoned from the 
 day of its being signed, or sooner if pos.sible. 
 In testimony whereof we, the undersigned 
 plenipotentiaries, have by virtue of our full 
 powers, signed this present treaty of amity 
 and defensive alliance, and caused our seals 
 to be thereunto affixed. 
 
 " Done atTbplitz on the 9th of September, 
 (28th August) in the year 1813. 
 
 " CLEM. VVINZ. LOTHUR, 
 Count of Metternich-Winnebourg- 
 Ochsinhausen. 
 
 " CARL ROBERT, 
 
 Count of jNesselrode." 
 
 Address to the saxon soldiers on the 
 right bank ot the elbe. 
 
 *' Soldiers ! — You vvho since the occur- 
 rence of the 6th September, have been sepa- 
 rated from your parties, would not return to 
 them, because that you would no longer be 
 made the implements of the tyranny under 
 which your country suffers ; feel, likewise, 
 that it is unworthy of you to wander about in 
 the woods, and become burthensome to the 
 farmer, to whose safety and protection you 
 do not contribute, by making demands on 
 him which he cannot satisfy. Have you 
 fully determined (and who can blame you for 
 it?) not to return to the army, which is in 
 alliance with the French, and do you believe 
 that the time is near approaching when the 
 yoke of tyranny will be broken, and the neck 
 of our country be freed from the foot of its 
 oppressors ; when your parents, brethren, 
 relations and friends will no longer be tribu- 
 tary with their sweat and blood to those 
 foreigners. Take then courage and will to seize 
 the advantage of this period, and fight in the M 
 cause of liberty aud of your fellow-citizens 
 which is your own ; with the armies of the 
 noble nations, who are shedding their blood 
 in, and for Germany. 
 
 " Already have a number of your allies 
 and comrades of the troops of the confede 
 ration of the Rliine, entered the ranks of those i 
 who defend our common cause, who are ' 
 fighting for the liberation of Germany ; and 
 according to accounts received, the Bava- 
 rian aud VVurtemberg army, may, perhaps, at
 
 CUAP. LXIII.J 
 
 CEOIKJE iir. 
 
 801 
 
 this luoineiit, have shaken off the Frcncli 
 alliaiire, and on the 2.Jid of tliis month, the 
 JSaxon battalion of Koenig, whose comniaiider 
 is the under-signed, had already separated 
 itself from the corps of Uegiiier, and joined 
 tlie Swedisli army. 
 
 " Hkrk under the proteeliou and coinninnd 
 of the illustrious crown |nince of Sweden, 
 who WAS known and adored by you in the 
 Austrian campaign, as the prince of Ponte 
 Corvo, and as yqur conmiander, to whom 
 you were bound by the ties of the most lively 
 attachment and gratitude, who praised yonr 
 valiant exertions on the days of the 5th and 
 (>th of June, 1809, and who will now shew 
 you a nobler point of view, and give you more 
 suitable employn)ent, the battalion of Koenig 
 forms here the first battalion of a Saxon le- 
 gion, which we expect will be joined to )he 
 Saxon troops. 
 
 " Hktuiin then here, to ns, to your com- 
 rades ! assemble here, where you will again 
 find the greater part of your captive brethren 
 in arms to carry them against the enemies of 
 German liberty ; and the gratitude of yonr 
 countrymen, the blessings of yoiu" parents, 
 and the happiness of your families, will re- 
 ward you. 
 
 " OriiCERS who read thifs address, and 
 •who had earlier quitted the service, or who 
 possibly were led by accident into those parts, 
 even to them does the sacred cause of hu- 
 manity appeal, and to them likewise is tlie 
 road now opened for following iheir noble 
 desire. 
 
 " The commander of the 1st battalion 
 of the royal Saxon legion of the former 
 battalion of Koenig. 
 
 (Signed) " Major Von Bunou, 
 "In the name of the officers, non-com- 
 missioned orticers, and soldiers of the 
 sai<l battalion. 
 " Zeibal, 2^1/1 Siplember 1813." 
 
 The prince royal of Sweden, with the title 
 of generalissimo of the combined army of the 
 iiorlh of Germany, addressed a proclamation 
 to his troops from Cranienburg, on August 
 15th, in which he called upon their exertions 
 for restoring the liberty of Europe. He was 
 at Potsdam on the following day, and on the 
 18th i-emoved his head-quarters to Charlot- 
 teijbiirg-. As advice had been received that 
 5 K 2 
 
 tlie enemy were assembling in force at Ba- 
 reuth, with the intention of making a j)n.>h on 
 Berlin, he concentrated his army between 
 that capital and Spandiin, to the number of 
 nearly t)U,0()U u)en. Napoleon was at this 
 time actively employed, sometimes on the 
 banks of the Bober, sometimes upon the de- 
 bouches from Bol.'enua, and sometimes 0!i 
 the Elbe ; and various military operat/ons 
 took }»lace, the results of which were stated 
 in the French papers as favorable to his arms. 
 The two allied emperors and the king of 
 Prussia had an interview in the middle of 
 this month, at Prague, at w Inch capital several 
 detachments of the Austrian guard arrived. 
 Their conferences terminated in a plan of 
 offensive measures, of which the relation pro- 
 bably most to be depended upon, is contained 
 in different despatches from sir Charles 
 Stewart. From these it appears that the 
 first object of the allies was to attack the 
 enemy in front and rear, if he should still 
 maintain his forward positions in Lusalia. 
 and on the right bank of the Jilbe. For this 
 purpuse, while the main Russian army under 
 Barclay de Tolly, and the Prussian corps of 
 Kleist, with the whole Austrian army, were 
 to act from Bohemia, under the chief com- 
 mand of prince Schwartzenberg. Bluchers 
 corps d'armee, composed of a division of 
 Prussians, and two Russian divisions, was 
 to move from Silesia, and threaten the enemy 
 in front. Blucher accordingly advanced ; and 
 the enemy abandoning Buntzlau after destroy- 
 ing their works, he arrived on the Bober. He 
 was there attacked by the French in great 
 force on August -ilst, iVapoleon himself being 
 said to have conunanded in person ; and, 
 after a severe contest, Blucher retired witlj 
 loss. The grand armies on the Bohemian 
 side passf-d the frontiers on the 20th and 'ilst, 
 and were met by the enemy on the frontiers ; 
 and although the latter contested every inch 
 of ground, they were driven back towards 
 Dresden from all their positions. The priii- 
 <;ipal action was between the right corps of 
 the allies under Witgenstein, which had 
 pushed before the rest, and the French under 
 Gouvion St. Cyr, which terminated in the 
 retreat of the latter. The allies coiitiniicd to 
 move forward, till, on the 2(Jf h, their respective 
 advanced-guards encamped on the lieights 
 above Dresden. Ou the following day the
 
 802 
 
 HiSTOUY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXIII. 
 
 enemy abatifloned tlieir i^rouml before that 
 city, and witlidiew into the suburbs and into 
 diflerent works. 
 
 It ha<I been the business of several months, 
 during the oecnpation of ])resden by the 
 French, to stren^tlien it with fortifications, 
 on which all the art of the eng^ineer had been 
 bestowed, and Napoleon was within its walls 
 with a force estimated at 130,000 men. The 
 determination of t!io allied generals to make 
 an assault upon it cannot therefore but be 
 regarded as of extraordinary boldness. An 
 attack upon the Grossen Garten, or gardens 
 in front on the town, on the morning of the 
 27th by the light troops of Witgenstein and 
 Kleist, was attended with some loss. At 
 four in the evening of that day the allied army 
 in different columns moved to the grand 
 assault under a tremendous cannonade. The 
 Austrians took an advanced redoubt not 60 
 yards from the main wall, and the troops on 
 all sides, with the most undaunted courage, 
 approached dose to the town. But the 
 enemy retired from their outworks only to 
 take shelter behind new defences, and the 
 thick wall of the town resisted the impres- 
 sion of the artillery. At the approach of 
 night a sortie was made by the French guards, 
 amounting to 30,000 men, with the intention 
 to separate the allied troops, and to take one 
 Aving in front and rear. This was frustrated 
 by a skilful disposition, but no hope now 
 remained of carrying the place. The loss in 
 this assault is estimated at 4000 men, which 
 chiefly fell upon the Austrians. 
 
 Os the following dav the French became 
 the assailants. Napoleo'i, supported by an 
 immense artillery, moved to the attack of the 
 allies, who occupied a very extended position 
 on the heights surrounding Dresden. The 
 battle was chiefly carried on by cannonade, 
 though charges were made in different parts 
 by the allied cavalry, which had to contend 
 with bad roads and incessant rain. The 
 main bodies of infantry on each side did not 
 come into contact. Among the disasters 
 of the day was the mortal wound received by 
 the celebrated general Moreau, who had left 
 his retreat in America to visit his old fellow 
 soldier, the crown pi-ince of Sweden, and had 
 engaged in that party which he regarded as 
 the true cause of liberty and mankind. As 
 be was conversing with the emperor of Russia, 
 
 a cannon-shot wliicb passed through hi3 
 horse carried off one oi' his legs and shat- 
 tered the other; and after suffering two 
 amputations with groat fortitude, lie died in 
 the severest agony. The result of the day 
 was that the allies retreated in the evening 
 M'ith an acknowledged loss of 0000 or 7000 
 men. The French accounts of tho two actions 
 swell the losses to an exorbitant amount. 
 That the check was •^ f vere appeared from the 
 retrograde movements of the allies which 
 were directed upon Bohemia, across the range 
 of mountains which separate that kingdom 
 from Saxony. It was not lo be expected that 
 they should retreat uiunolested from such an 
 enemy as they had to contend with. A large 
 division of the French army, under generals 
 Vandanmie and Bertrand, crossing the Elbe 
 at Pirna and Konigstein, pre-occupied the 
 pass in the mountains at Osterwalde, through 
 which the Russian column under count 
 Osterman was to proceed on the road toTop- 
 litz ; and it became necessary for the Rus- 
 sians to force their way with the bayonet. 
 The reserves of the Russian guards were sent 
 to their support, and during the greatest part 
 of the day on the .30th they remained in 
 action with the enemy. The king of Prussia, 
 who was at Toplitz, made very able disposi- 
 tions to reinforce Osterman, and the result of 
 the day was the loss of 3000 killed and 
 wounded of the Russians, and a much 
 greater of the French. The following day 
 proved decisive res]jecting this division ot 
 the enemy, whose rapid advance rendered an 
 attack upon them necessary in order to give 
 time for the retiring columns of tiie allies to 
 fall back, and to extricate general Kleist, v/ho 
 was still engaged in the mo\u)tains. The 
 French hnd taken a strong po-^itiou at Kulm 
 three German miles from Toplitz, when an 
 united force of Prussians and Austrians, 
 under Miloradovitch and Coloredo, com- 
 menced their attack. In the midst of it Kleist 
 was seen descending the mountains on the 
 rear of the enemy, who, thus assailed on all 
 sides, Avas completely put to the rout, the 
 immediate fruits of the victory being the 
 capture of Vandanune and six other general 
 officers, all his baggage, 00 pieces of artillery, 
 and about 10,000 prisoners. 
 
 In the meantime the arms of the allies 
 were crowned with success in another
 
 CHAP. LXIII.] 
 
 CEORGE irr. 
 
 80.J 
 
 quarter. General Bliiclier liaviiii;: been 
 again attacked on August •22nd, near Gold- 
 berg, after a sanguinary contlict retired upon 
 Jauer. On the 2-')tl), niarslial Macdonald, 
 who occupied a very strong position near 
 that place, advanced with the expectation of 
 carrying it •, but he was himself attacked by 
 Blncher on the 2(}lh, and after a severe 
 action, terminated only by the night, the 
 French were driven back upon the Ivatsbaoh. 
 Tiiat river being swoln by rains, and its 
 l)ridges being broken afforded no passage 
 for artillery, so that on the following and suc- 
 ceeding day, the combat being renewed, the 
 French incurred a loss estimated at 18*,000 
 j)risoners, including a general of division, and 
 two generals of brigade, 103 pieces of cannon, 
 a great quantity of ammunition and provision, 
 two eagles, and other trophies of victory. 
 The allies continued to advance till, on Sep- 
 tember 2nd, Blucher, encamped near Gorlitz' 
 in Lusatia, was able to congratulate his troops 
 on the deliverance of Silesia from the enemy. 
 The crown prince of Sweden, whom we 
 left posted in advance of Berlin for the de- 
 feuiie of that capital, had his head quarters on 
 August .30th at Belitz, to the south of Pots- 
 dam. Parties from his army had been suc- 
 cessful against the French, and were in. pos- 
 session of several places further southward. 
 The prince, on September 4th, being on his 
 march, wjth an intention of crossing the 
 ]:^il)e, and proceeding towards Leipsic, was 
 informed that the enemy, after making a de- 
 monstration of passing to the leftside of that 
 river, had suddenly returned to their en- 
 trenchments in advance of Wittenberg. Con- 
 jecturing their intention to be either to attack 
 the comi)ined army as it was crossing the 
 Elbe, or to push for Berlin, he made a halt, 
 and soon learned that the enemy was march- 
 ing upon Zahne, where a worps belonging to 
 count Tauentzem's division was posted. They 
 attacked that post in the evening of the 4th, 
 but without success. On the 5th the attack 
 was renewed with a force so superior, that 
 the post, and another at Seyda were carried. 
 On the Gth, the crown prince having collected 
 the Swedish and Russian armies upon the 
 heights of Lobessen, was informed that the 
 enemys whole army, consisting of 70,000 
 men, and composed of the corps darmee of 
 the marshal duke of Reggio, of the generals 
 Bertraud and Regnier, of the duke of Padua, 
 
 and a body of Polish horse ; the M-liole 
 under the command of marshal prince of 
 Moskwa, Ney, was in full march upon .luter- 
 bock. He immediately directed general 
 Bulow, with the Prussians, to attack the 
 tlank and rear of' the enemy, before Tauent- 
 zein, who defended the approaches of the 
 town, should be overwhelmed by numbers. 
 The action soon commenced between the 
 enemy and the Prussians, who sustained 
 with great firmness the force of superior 
 numbers, whilst the Swedes and Russians, 
 after a long march, were getting into order of 
 battle. Part of their cavalry arriving at fidl 
 speed checked the effort of the enemy, and a« 
 soon as the columns began to ajjpear, the day 
 was decided, and the French beat a letreat. 
 They were vigorously pursued ; and the result, 
 on the 8th, was a return of the enemy's loss in 
 killed, wounded, and prisoners, at from 10,000 
 to 18,000 men, with more than 50 pieces of 
 cannon, and 400 ammunition waggons. Tlie 
 loss of the allies fell almost solely upon the 
 Prussians, who had from 4000 to 5000 killed 
 and wounded. This battle was fought near 
 the village of Dennewitz, whose name it 
 bears. The French retired upon Torgau, 
 still j)ursued by the light troops of the com- 
 bined army, who made 800 prisoners close 
 to the tete-de-pont of that town. Whilst 
 these events were passing in this quarter, the 
 prince of Erkmuhl (Davoust) in the night be- 
 .tween the 2nd and 3rd of September, evacu- 
 ated Schwerin in Mecklenburg, and retreating 
 in two colunms to Ratzeburg, the di\ision of 
 general Loison at the sanie time retiring from 
 Wirmur to Schoneburg. At this place the 
 Danes separated from the French, and march- 
 ed to Lubeck, where they left a garrison. The 
 whole French corps afterwards fell back be- 
 hind the Stecknitz, where they entrenched 
 themselves, having suffered considerable loss 
 in their precipitate retreat. 
 
 These important successes to th'e allied 
 arms more than compensated their failure 
 before Dresden, and on the 4th and 5th of 
 .September the combined army in Bohemia 
 made a forward movement, the effect of Mhicli 
 was to recal Napoleon from a uieditated 
 attack upon Blucher, who had fallen back 
 before the superior forces brought against 
 him. The Russians and^ Prussians, under 
 Barclay de Tolly and Witgenslein, re-entered 
 Saxony by Peterswalde and Marieuberg, and
 
 804 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXIII. 
 
 pushed the advanced posts withhi sight of 
 Dresdeii ; wliile prince Srhuartzenberg, with a 
 large part of the Austrian army, marched by 
 Aussig and Leutmeritz, and threw a great 
 force on the enemy's right in Lnsatia. On 
 tlie 8th, Witgenstein's corps, and a part of 
 Kleist's, under the command of general Zie- 
 theii, which had advanced to the Elbe, above 
 Dresden, were attacked by a strong body of 
 the enemy, which obhged Witgenstein to 
 evacuate the village of Dohna, and retreat 
 towards Peterswalde, Pirna being still oc- 
 cupied by Zeithen. The enemy continued to 
 advance on the 9th, while the allies fell back, 
 disputing every inch of ground. The Aus- 
 trians, who had advanced to Leutmeritz and 
 Aussig, were now ordered to counter-march : 
 and the allies began to collect all their forces 
 near Toplitz, in order to resist the numerous 
 forces of the enemy, with Napoleon in per- 
 son, who seemed to purpose a general attack. 
 By the 12th, they had advanced close to 
 Culm ; but at this time above half the Aus- 
 trian corps had rejoined the army, and had 
 taken a position with it. After a »econ- 
 iioissance, therefore, the French emperor 
 thought proper to commence a retreat. 
 
 On the 1 5th, prince Schwartzenberg caused 
 a general charge to be made on the enemy 
 wherever an advantageous opportunity could 
 be found, and several vigorous attacks were 
 the result. Count Pahlen was opposed by 
 a French advanced corps under general 
 Bohnet, which made a good stand, but was 
 at length obliged to retire. On the Kith, the 
 French occupied the mountain and heights 
 in front of iSollendorff in considerable force, 
 and on the 17th, INapoleon made an attempt 
 to turn the flanks of the allies, and at the 
 same time to force their centre, in which he 
 sc»ems to have had some partial success ; but 
 a timely and skilful ujovement of count 
 Coloredo defeated the plan, by attacking the 
 enemy's column which had gained the right, 
 and which was obliged to retreat with the 
 loss of 2000 or 3000 prisoners. The French 
 still retained possession of Nollendorfi' and 
 the heights, from which, however, they with- 
 drew on the 20th, falling back towards Dres- 
 den. At length the whole measured back 
 their steps to the Elbe, in wretched con- 
 dition, and having sufliered severe losses 
 among the mountains, as well from want and 
 fatigiie as from the enemy. By this expe- 
 
 dition, nothing more was effected than giving 
 a tempory check to th« allies in their eHorts 
 to regain the command of the Elbe, and ex- 
 pel the French from Saxony. 
 
 Blucher at this time was posted at Baut- 
 zen, where he maintained a communication 
 with the grand allied army. The crown prince 
 had his head-quarters at Zerbst, anil held 
 advanced posts on the Elbe, some detach- 
 ments of his cavalry acting on the left l)ank 
 of that river. Count Walmoden, coniniand- 
 ing a body of allies on the Lower Elbe, having 
 been informed that Davonst had detached 
 the general of Division, Pecheux, with his 
 corps, to the left bank of the Elbe, in order 
 to clear it and advance to Magdeburg, crossed 
 that river on September 14th, near Domitz, 
 and marched to meet him. On the 10th, he 
 brought the enemy to action, whom he en- 
 tirely defeated and dispersed, wit!» a loss of 
 from 1500 to 2000 men in killed and woimded, 
 and 1500 prisoners, with eight pieces of ar- 
 tillery. 
 
 The allies now began to put in execution 
 a grand plan of co-operation, which was to 
 be decisive of the result of* the campaign. 
 A large force, composed of Russians and 
 Prussians, with the entire Austrian army of 
 Bohemia, debouched fronii the passes through 
 Erzegebrig, and niarched by Chemnitz and 
 Freyberg towards Leipsic. The intelligence 
 of the movement determined the crown prince 
 to attempt the passage of the Elbe. 
 
 As he was making his preparations, he re- 
 ceived information from general Blucher, of 
 his intention to move his army to the Elbe, 
 and cross that river at Elsler. This he ef- 
 fected on October 3rd, and was immediately 
 after engaged with the 4tli French corps under 
 general Bcrlrf-nd, which was entrenched at 
 a neighboiuing village. A sanguinary con- 
 flict ensued, which terminated in the rout of 
 the French with great loss. Blucher after- 
 wards tixed his head-quarters at Kremberg, 
 and pushed his cavalry to Duben, within 20 
 miles of Leipsic. The crown prince, in the 
 niean time, whose advanced guard, after 
 taking possession of Dessau, had been obliged 
 to relinquish it, caused a bridge to be thrown 
 over the Elbe, lower down at Acken ; and 
 learning the success of Blucher,. he passed 
 his whole army on the 4tli, partly at that 
 place and partly at Ilosslau. The French, 
 under Ney, now retreated from Dessau, lest
 
 CHAP. LXIIll 
 
 GEORGB Iir. 
 
 805 
 
 thty isliouUl be placed between two fires, and 
 tbe crown prince took up his quarterii there. 
 Tiie situation of the Fn!nch was rendered 
 more critical by the parties of the allies which 
 Were .spreadiiii;- in his rear, and impeding 
 all communication between them and France. 
 PlatoH' covered the country on the fSaale and 
 Mnlda, and between them and the Elbe, with 
 detachments of his cossacks. The Russian 
 general Czernicheft' after three successful 
 actions, pushed on to Cassel, which he en- 
 tered by caj)itulation on the 30th of Septem- 
 ber, the petty kinu,- Jerome having only two 
 hours before taken his flight towards Frank- 
 fort. It was not long, however, before he 
 was replaced in his capital. In the north of 
 (jiermany, the allied arms obtained the same 
 su[)eriority ; and general Tettenborne, on 
 October 14th, entered Bremen by composition, 
 the g;irrison being allowed to depart on con- 
 dition of not serving against the allies for a 
 vear. 
 
 Leipsic being the point to which the great 
 efforts of the allies were directed, the pos- 
 session of which was of the highest importance 
 to each party. Napoleon found it necessary, 
 on October 7th, to quit Dresden in company 
 Avith tiie king of Saxony, and take post at 
 liochlitz, about 40 miles to the we';,t .if that 
 city, and 25 to the south of Leipsic. He 
 there assembled hi^ forces to the supposed 
 number of 180,000 men, exclusively of his 
 garrisons, which might amount to 30,000 
 more. They were chiefly stationed on the 
 right bank of the Mulda, on a line parallel to 
 that of the Elbe. Leipsic is placed nearly mid- 
 way between the Mulda and the Saale ; the 
 passage of the latter river, therefore, by the 
 army of the crown jjrince, would enable him 
 to advance upon Leipsic from the north west, 
 along its left bank, whilst the army from Bo- 
 hemia was making its approach by ('hemnitz 
 and Altenburg from the south. This move- 
 ment it was determined to execute, notwilh- 
 stauding the demonstration made by tbe 
 enemy on the Elbe towards Torgau and' Wit- 
 teaberg, and which gave an alum to Berlin. 
 On the 10th, the armies of the crown prince 
 and Blucher joined at Zorbig, when the pas- 
 . sage of the Saale was concluded upon. This 
 was elTected by Blucher at Halle ; and at this 
 time information was received that Platofi", 
 •with his cossacks, was at Pegau, and that 
 Kleist and Wittgenstein, ith the van-guard 
 
 of the Bohemian army, was approaching Al- 
 tenburg. At this n)omeritous period an iqi- 
 portant accession was made to the cause of 
 Germany by a treaty of alliance and concert 
 between Austria and Bavaria, signed on the 
 8th by prince Reuss and general V/rede, in 
 virtue of which the latter, with 5o,000 Ba- 
 varian troops, was to act with the Austrians. 
 When the antient enmity between these 
 powers, and the particular favours conferred 
 on the latter by the French ruler, are con- 
 sidered, a more convincing proof of the preva- 
 lent disposition throughout Germany to unite 
 in freeing the country from the yoke imposed 
 upon it by the ambition of Napoleon, could 
 not be given. 
 
 It was impossible that the numerous troops 
 collected round Leipsic could long remain 
 without coming to action ; indeed, the allies, 
 full of hope and spirit, had concentrated their 
 force with the resolution of beconiing assail- 
 ants the moment their dispositions should 
 be completed. It was the glorious lot of 
 that brave and able commander, general 
 Blucher, to lead the way to victory. Ad- 
 vancing from his position at Halle, on Oc- 
 tober 14th, to Gross Kagel, he pushed his 
 van on the great road to Leipsic, occupying 
 the villages on each side of it. The crown 
 prince gave orders to march to Halle on that 
 night ; but when his troops were in march, 
 he took up his heail-quarters at Sylbitz. 
 Blucher found the French forces under mar- 
 shals Marmont and Ney, and general Ber- 
 trand occupying a line in an open country, 
 comprehending several villages. The enemy, 
 after the first onset, gave up the advanced 
 villages, and retired to some distance, but ob- 
 stinately held some of the more defensible. 
 At one of these, named Mockern, a very 
 bloody contest took place, it being taken and 
 retaken five times. The corps of D York 
 was engaged at this spot, and suH'ered great 
 loss. At length this position was forced, 
 and the enemy were driven beyond the Par- 
 tha. The vilhiges in the v.oody ground on 
 the right were also the scene of sharp action, 
 in which the Russians under Langeron fought 
 against the corps of Ney. They were, how- 
 ever, linally successful, and night put an end 
 to the battle. The loss of the allies was se- 
 vere, amounting to 7000 killed and wounded, 
 including many commanders. The fruits 
 of victory were 12,000 killed, wounded, and
 
 806 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LVIir 
 
 prisoners, an eagle, and forty pieces of 
 cannon. 
 
 TuEartilierv thundered at intervals towards 
 Liebertwolkwitz. In the forenoon, wonnded 
 French, citiefiy cavalry, kept coming in singly. 
 There was no end to the marching of horse 
 anri foot, and the rolling of carriages. At 
 every ten paces yon met with corps de garde, 
 by whom every non-military person without 
 distinction, was ordered back. Napoleon 
 arrived abont noon, on the road from Berlin, 
 passed hastily throuijh the citj', and out at 
 the furthest Grinima gate, attended by some 
 battalions and squadrons of his guards. A 
 camp cliair and a table were brought in all 
 haste, and a great watch-fire kindled in the 
 open lield not far from the gallows. The em- 
 peror took possession of the head-quarters 
 prepared for iiim, whicli were any thing but 
 maguiiicent, being surrounded only by the 
 relics of tlie stalks and leaves of cabbages 
 consumed by his soldiers, and other objects 
 still more ofl'ensive. The table was instantly 
 covered with maps, which the emperor at- 
 tentively examined for a considerable time. 
 The spectators were allowed to approach 
 luiobstrncted, within twenty paces, but Na- 
 poleon did not appear to take the smallest 
 notice of those who surrounded him. A long 
 train of carriages from the Wurzen road, the 
 cracking of the whips of the postillions, and 
 the approach of a great nuuiher of horse- 
 soldiers and tall grenadiers, announced the 
 arrival of another distinguished personage. 
 It was the king of Saxony witli his guards 
 and retinue. He alighted, and a kind saluta- 
 tion ensued between him and his august ally. 
 The king soon afterwards mounted a horse, 
 and thus proceeded into the city. Napoleon, 
 meanwhile, remained wliere he was. He 
 sometimes rose from his seat, went up to the 
 wafch-fire, held his hands over it, rubl)ed 
 them, and then placed them behind him, 
 while with his foot he pushed the wood, con- 
 sisting of dry boards and rafters, to make 
 it burn more fiercely. At the same time 
 he very frequently took snuff, and poured 
 upon his hand tlie snndl quantity left in his 
 gold box. It was about four in the afternoon 
 when one of his aid-de-cainps came at full 
 speed from the city and made a report. The 
 emperor innnediately mounted his horse, and 
 at the head of his guards, which at this mo- 
 meut arrived, he proceeded to the Kohlgarten, 
 
 a subur!) of Leipsic, where, insensible to the 
 important and destructive operatious by which 
 he was surrounded, he quietly passed the night. 
 
 Ont the IGth, the grand army made a gene- 
 ral attack to the south of Leipsic, towards 
 VVaciier and Liebertwolkwitz. The country 
 being particularly adapted for cavalry, they 
 were chieHy employed in this engagement, 
 with a tremendous artillery of 600 pieces ou 
 both sides. Two solitary buildings in the i 
 centre of tlie enemy's position were occupied 
 by several battalions of infantry ; and, after 
 repeated attacks by the Russian infantry, 
 were carried M'ith great carnage. Murat then 
 brought forward the whole of the French 
 cavalry, and made a desperate push at the 
 centre of the allies, which for a time was , 
 forced ; but a charge of six regiments of j 
 Austrian cuirassiers, which nothing could 
 withstand, restored the position, and, after 
 much slaughter, the two armies remained 
 nearly on the ground on which the combat 
 commenced. 
 
 The 17th chiefly passed in preparation for 
 a renewal of the contest. The crown prince 
 moved from his head-quarters at Landsberg 
 to Brittenlield. Winzingerode's cavalry and 
 artillery had moved forward in the night near 
 the heights of Taucha. The enemy shewed 
 himself in great force in a good position on 
 the left of the Partha, upon a ridge parallel 
 to that river. Some Mecklenburg hussars 
 pushed into the suburbs of Leipsic, and took 
 three pieces of cannon and a few prisoners. 
 On the morning of the 18th, the different 
 armies advanced from the villages round 
 Leipsic for their grand attack on that city. 
 The first operation of the crown prince's army 
 was to force the enemy's right, and obtain 
 possession of the heights of Tauchas. This 
 was effected, and general Winzingerode took 
 about 3000 prisoners and some cannon, at 
 Taucha. The enemy's infantry soon after 
 abandoned the line of the Partha, and retired 
 over the plain towards Leipsic, occupying iuj 
 strength some villages to cover their retreat. 
 In forcing of these, considerable resistance 
 was experienced by tin; corps of Lungeron 
 and Bulow, but at length they were all carried. 
 A retiring solid sq^uare of French infantry was 
 thrown into such ""ionsternation by the rocket' 
 brigade under captain Bogue, that it surren- 
 dered after the tirst fire. During the action 
 in this part, 22 guns of Saxon artillery joined
 
 CHAP. Lxm.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 807 
 
 tlie allies, and were instantly turned ac^ainst 
 the enemy ; and two VVestplialian re£:;inients 
 of hussars, with two battalions of Saxons, 
 also came over, and readily accepted the 
 offer of the crown prince to lead tliem against 
 their former ally. On the southern side, 
 whence the grand allied army made its at- 
 tacks, the enemy resisted with great obsti- 
 nacy at various points, but were finally 
 driven from their posts, and a communica- 
 tion was established between the two armies. 
 The result of this important day was a loss 
 to the enemy of 40,000 in killed, wounded, 
 and prisoners, among the latter of whom were 
 many generals, (j5 pieces of artillery, and the 
 deseition of 17 German battalions, which 
 joined the victors with their generals and staff'. 
 The conquering armies remained during the 
 night on the ground they, had won. On the 
 morning of the I9th, the king of Saxony sent 
 a flag of truce to the emperor Alexander, 
 requesting him to spare the town of Leipsic ; 
 but that sovereign, considering it as a feint 
 to gain time, ordered an immediate assault. 
 Leipsic was taken after a short resistance, 
 the allies entering at eleven, two hours after 
 Napoleon had made his escape. There were 
 captured with it the king of Saxony with all 
 his court, the garrison and rear-guard of the 
 French army, amounting to 30,000, all the 
 sick and wounded, computed at 22,000 ; 
 the magazines, artillery, and stores. INothing 
 could be more complete than this success. 
 The emperor of Russia, the king of Prussia, 
 and the crown prince of Sweden, each at the 
 head of their respective troops, made their 
 entry from different points, and met in the 
 great square, amidst the universal acclama- 
 tions of the people, which were doubtless 
 sincere, since that unfortunate town had been 
 a dreadful sufferer from being made the great 
 hospital of the French army ; and the Saxons 
 had long manifested an impatience to be de- 
 livered from that thraldom to which their 
 sovereign's engagements with the French had 
 consigned them. General Cluohcr's great 
 services were rewarded by the rank of lield 
 marshal ; and marshal prince Schwartzen- 
 berg was decorated with orders by the em- 
 perors of Austria and Russia, and the king 
 of Prussia. 
 
 The retreat of the. French army was full 
 of confusion and disorder, and the piir.suers 
 were daily making prisoners, and capturing 
 
 5 L 
 
 cannon and other accompaniments of an 
 army. It was conducted across the Saale 
 by \Veissenfels, thence to Erfurt, Gotha, and 
 Eisenbach ; general D'Yorck closely attend- 
 ing their march, and taking every opportunity 
 of harassing them. The following particulars 
 are copied from a report of the operations of 
 the Silesian army in pursuit. 
 
 " An advanced corps of' marshal Blucher's 
 came up with the rear of the enemy at the 
 entrance of the defiles in the mountains, 
 within about a German mile of Eisenbach ; 
 the blowing up of several ammunition-wag- 
 gons, the destruction or abandonment of 
 baggage, and the capture of several stragglers, 
 was the inunediate consequence ; but the 
 enemy had penetrated far into the defiles, 
 where the ground was not favorable fur the 
 advance of cavalry, and it was only by fol- 
 lowing his march for the three subsequent 
 days, that the precipitancy and disasters of 
 his flight became obvious. For an extent of 
 nearly fifty English miles, from Eihcnbarh to 
 Fulda, carcases of dead and dying horses, 
 without nundjer ; dead bodies of men, who 
 had been either killed or perished through 
 hunger, sickness, or fatigue, lying on the 
 roads or in the ditches; parties of prisoners 
 and stragglers brought in by the qossacks ; 
 blown up or destroyed ammunition and bag- 
 gage-waggons, in such numbers as absolutely 
 to obstruct the road, sufficiently attested the 
 sufferings of the enemy ; whilst pillaged and 
 burning towns and villages marked, at the 
 same time, the ferocity with which he had 
 conducted himself The number of dead 
 bodies on the road had been considerably 
 augmented, from a resolution that liwd been 
 taken to carry oft' all the sick and wounded, 
 not resulting surely from any principle of hiv- 
 manity, but probably as matter of boast, in 
 the relations that might be given to the world 
 of the event, as several of these men were 
 found abandoned on the road, iu the last gasp 
 of hunger and disease, the dead and the dying 
 frequently mixed together, lying in groups of 
 six or eight, by half extinguished fires on the 
 road sides. Several of these men must have 
 been compelled to move o<i foot, as their 
 bodies were found on the road with the sticks 
 which they^ had endeavoured to support their 
 march, lying Ijy their sides. The imnd)er of 
 dead bodies might have been counted by 
 hundreds ; and in the space from Eisenbach
 
 808 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. Lxrir. 
 
 to Fulda, couk!, Le little less than a thou- 
 sand. Tlie enemy continued to be closely 
 pursued during the three day's march from 
 Eisenbach to Vach Hunfeld and Fnlda, and 
 frequent cannonading ensued at the head of 
 the advanced guard ; but the nature of the 
 country not permitting the cavalry to act, 
 the enemy escaped with only such losses as 
 have been enumerated." 
 
 The complicated movements and vicissi- 
 tudes of so important a conflict, are best 
 described in the language of actual observers. 
 The despatches of sir Charles Stewart are not 
 'ess remarkable for their candour and per- 
 spicuity, than the bulletin of Napoleon for 
 its unequivocal confession of the disasters 
 he had sustained ; and the merits of both, as 
 guides to the future historian, demand their 
 preservation. 
 
 Leipsic, October Wtit, 181.3. 
 
 My lord, 
 
 Europe at length approaches her de- 
 liverance, and England may triumphantly 
 look forward to reap, in conjunction with her I 
 allies, that glory her unexampled and steady ' 
 efforts in the common cause so justly entitle 
 her to receive. 
 
 I WISH it had fallen to the lot of an abler 
 pen to detail to your lordsliip the splendid 
 events of these two last days, but in en- 
 deavouring to relate the main facts, to send 
 them off without a moment's delay, I shall 
 best do my duty, postponing more detailed 
 accounts until a fresh opportunity. 
 
 'The victory of general Blucher, upon the 
 16th, has been followed, on the 18th, by that 
 of the whole of the combined forces over the 
 army of Buonaparte, in the neighbourhood of 
 Leipsic. 
 
 The collective loss of above 100 pieces of 
 cannon, 60,000 men, an immense number of 
 prisoners, the desertion of the whole of the 
 Saxon army, also the Bavarian and Wurtem- 
 berg troops, consisting of artillery, cavalry, 
 and infantry, many generals, among whom 
 are Regnier, Valiery, Brune, Bertrand, and 
 Lauriston, are some of the first fruits of this 
 glorious day. The capture, by assault, of 
 the town of Leipsic this morning, the maga- 
 zines, artillery, stores of the place, with the 
 king of Saxony, all his court, the garrison, 
 ami rear-guard of the Frencli army, all the 
 enemy's wounded, (the number of which ex- 
 
 ceed 30,000,) the narrow escape of Buona- 
 parte, who fled from Leipsic at nine oclock, 
 the allies entering at eleven ; the complete 
 deroute of the French army, who are en- 
 deavouring to escape in all directions, and 
 who are still surrounded, me the next objects 
 of exultation. 
 
 The further result your lordship can best 
 arrive at from an account of our military po- 
 sition. 
 
 It will be my endeavour to give you as suc- 
 cinct and clear an account as I am able, first, of 
 thegeneral and combined operations determin- 
 ed upon by the grand army ; and, secondly, to 
 describe what immediately came under my 
 own observations, namely, the movements of 
 the prince royal, and general Blucher. 
 
 My despatches up to the 17th, have de- 
 tailed the position of the allied armies up to 
 that date. It being announced by prince 
 Sohwartzenberg that it was the intention of 
 their majesties, the allied sovereigns, to renew 
 the attack on the 18th, and the armies of 
 the north and Silesia being directed to co- 
 operate, the following general disposition was 
 made : 
 
 I MUST here observe, that the attack on the 
 16th, by the grand army, occurred in the 
 neighbourhood of Libert Wolkovvitz. The 
 country beingparticularly adapted forcavalry, 
 a very sanguinary and hard combat ensued 
 with this arm, and an artillery, exceeding in 
 number 600 pieces, between the opposed 
 armies. Two solitary buildings, which the 
 enemy had occupied with several battalions 
 of infantry, and which formed nearly the 
 centre of the enemy's position, were attacked 
 by the Russian infantry, and after several re- 
 pulses, carried with amazing carnage. 
 
 The whole of the enemy's cavalry under 
 Murat, were then brought forward : they 
 made a very desperate push at the centre of 
 the allied ])osition, which for a short period 
 they succeeded in forcing. 
 
 To oppose this powerful cavalry, six regi- 
 ments of Austrian cuirassiers charged in 
 columns. Nothing conid surpass either the 
 skill or the desperate bravery of this move- 
 ment: they overthrew all before them; destroy- 
 ing, I am told, whole regiments, and returned 
 to their ground witli many prisoners, having 
 left 700 dragoons within the enemy's line. 
 
 Many officers were killed and wounded. 
 Genera] Latour Maubourg, who commanded
 
 CHAP. LX 1 1 1.] 
 
 GEORGE in. 
 
 HUU 
 
 the enemy's cavalry, under Murat, lost his 
 leg. Both armies remained nearly on tiie 
 ground on \v!)ich the contest commenced. 
 
 While tlie i^rand army was to commence 
 their attack on the morning- of tiie 18lh, from 
 their did'erentjjoints of assembly, on the prin- 
 cipal villages situated on the great roads 
 leading to Leipsic, the armies of the north 
 and Silesia were jointly to attack from the 
 line of the Saale, and upon the enemy's po- 
 sition along the Partha river. General Blu- 
 cher gave to the prince royal of Sweden 
 30,000 men, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, 
 of his army ; and with this formidable rein- 
 forcement, the northern army was to attack 
 from the heights of Faucha, while general 
 Blucher was to retain his position before 
 Leipsic, and use his utmost efforts to gain 
 possession of the place. 
 
 In the event of the whole of the enemy's 
 forces being carried against either of the 
 armies, they were reciprocally to support each 
 other, and concert further movements : that 
 part of the enemy's force which for some time 
 had been opposed to the prince royal of 
 Sweden and general Blucher, had taken up 
 a very good position on the left bank of the 
 Partha, having its right at the strong point 
 of Faucha, and its left towards Leipsic. 
 
 To force the enemy's right, and obtain 
 possession of the heights of Faucha, was the 
 iirst operation of the prince royal's army. 
 The corps of Russians under general Winzin- 
 gerode, and the Prussians under general 
 Bulow, were destined for this purpose, and 
 the Swedish army were directed to force the 
 passage of the river at Plosen and Mockau. 
 
 Thr passage was effected without much 
 opposition, general Winzingerode took about 
 3000 prisoners at Faucha, and some guns. 
 
 General Blucher put his army in motion 
 as soon as he found the grand army engaged 
 very hotly in the neighbourhood of the vil- 
 lages of Stollintz and Probestheyda, and the 
 infantry of the jjrince royals army had not 
 suflicient time to make their flank movement 
 before the enemy's infantry had abandoned 
 the line of the river, and retired over the plain 
 in line and column towards Leipsic, oc<Mipy- 
 ing Sonierfelt, Paunsdorff, and Schonfeldt, in 
 strength, protecting their retreat. 
 
 A VERY heavy cannonade and some bril- 
 liant performances of general Winzingerode's 
 cavalry marked chiefly here the events of the 
 
 day, except towards the close, when general 
 Langeron, who had crossed the river, at- 
 tacked the village of Schonfeldt, met with 
 (;onsideral)le resistance, and at first was not 
 able to force his way. He however took it, 
 but was driven back, when the most positive 
 orders were sent him by general Blucher, to 
 re-occupy it at the point of the bayonet ; 
 which he accomplished before dark. Some 
 Prussian battalions of general Bulow's corps 
 were warmly engaged also at Paunsdorff, and 
 the enemy were retiring from it, when the 
 prince royal dire-cted the rocket brigade under 
 captain Bogue, to form on the left of a Prus- 
 sian battery, and open upon the colunms re- 
 tiring. Congreve's formidable weapon had 
 scarce accomplished the point of paralysing 
 a solid square of infantry, which after one fire 
 delivered themselves up (as if panic struck,) 
 when that gallant and deserving officer, cap- 
 tain Bogue, alike an ornament to his pro- 
 fession, and a loss to his friends and country, 
 received a shot in his head, which deprived 
 the army of his services. Lieutenant Strang- 
 ways, who succeeded in the command of the 
 brigade, received the prince royals thanks for 
 the services they rendered. 
 
 During the action, 22 guns of Saxon ar- 
 tillery joined us from the enemy, and two 
 Westphalian regiments of hussars and two 
 battalions of Saxons ; the former were op- 
 portunely made use of in the instant against 
 the enemy, as our artillery and ammunition 
 were not all forward ; and the prince royal 
 addressed the latter by an offer, that he W(»uld 
 head them immediately against the enemy, 
 which they to a man accepted. 
 
 The communication being nowestaldished 
 between the grand attacks and that of these 
 two armies, the grand duke Constantine, 
 generals Platoff, ISlilaradovitch, and other 
 officers of distinction, joined the prince royal, 
 communicating the events carrying on in that 
 direction. 
 
 It seems the most desperate resistance was 
 made by the enemy at Probethede, St 1- 
 leritz, and Counevitz, butthe different columns 
 bearing on these points, as detaded in my 
 former despatch, finally carried every thing 
 Ijefore them. General Benningsen taking the 
 vilbges upon the right l)ank of the Keuts- 
 chove, having been joined by general linbna 
 from Dresden, general Tolstoy having come 
 up and ivlieved the former in the blockade 
 5l2
 
 810 
 
 IITSTORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 of that city, and general Guilay manoeuviing 
 with 25,000 Austrians upon the left bank of 
 the Elster, general Tliiehnan and prince 
 Maurice Lichtenstein's corps moved upon the 
 same river, and the result of the day was, 
 that the enemy lost above 40,000 men in 
 killed, wounded, and prisoners, 65 pieces- 
 of artillery, and 17 battalions of German in- 
 fantry, with all -their staff and generals, which 
 came over en masse during the action. 
 
 The armii.s remained upon the ground on 
 which they had so bravely conquered, this 
 night. The prince royal had his bivouac at 
 PannsdorfT; general Blucher's remained at 
 Witteritz, and the emperor's and the king's 
 at Roda. 
 
 About the close of the day it was under- 
 stood the enemy were retiring by AVeissen- 
 fels and Naumburg ; general Blucher re- 
 ceived an order from the king of Prussia to 
 detach in that direction. The movement of 
 the prince royal's army completely excluded 
 the retreat on Wittenberg, that upon Erfurt 
 had' long since been lost to them ; the line 
 of the Saale alone remains, and as their flanks 
 and rear will be operated upon during their 
 march, it is difficult to say with what por- 
 tion of their army they may get to the Rhine. 
 
 This morning the town of Leipsic was at- 
 tacked and carried, after a short resistance, 
 by the armies of general Blucher, the prince 
 royal, and general Ceunigsen, and the grand 
 army. Marshals Marmont and Macdqnald 
 commanded in the town ; these, with mar- 
 shals Augereau and Victor, narrowly escaped, 
 with a small escort. 
 
 Their majesties the emperor of Russia, 
 and the king of Prussia, and the crown prince 
 of Sweden, each heading their respective 
 troops, entered the town at different points, 
 and met in t!ie great square. The acclama- 
 tions and rejoicings of the people are not to 
 be described. 
 
 The multiplicity of brilliant achievements,' 
 the impossibility of doing justice to the firm- 
 ness that has befen displayed, the boldness of 
 the conception of the commander-in-chief, 
 field-marshal the prince Schwartzenberg, 
 and of the other experienced leaders ; to- 
 gether with the shortness of the time allowed 
 me for making up this despatch, will plead, 
 I hope, a sufficient excuse for my not sending 
 a more accurate or perfect detail, which 1 hope 
 however to do hereafter. 
 
 [CIIAP. LXIir 
 
 I SEND this despatch by my aid-de-camp, 
 Mr. James, who has been distinguished for 
 his services, since he has been with tiiis ar- 
 my : he has also been with me in all the late 
 events, and will be able to give your lordship 
 all further particulars. 
 
 ,1 HAVE the honour to be, &c. 
 (Signed) Charles Stewart, 
 
 Lieutenant-general. 
 To lord Liverpoo., 
 
 P. S. On the field of battle this day an 
 officer arrived from general Tetten!>orn, bring- 
 ing the information of the surrender of Bre- 
 men to the corps under his orders, and tlie 
 keys of the town, which were presented bv 
 the prince roval to the emperor of Russia. 
 
 C. S. 
 
 Nupoleoiis JBulletinfrom Erfurt. 
 
 "At six in the evening, the emperor or 
 dered his dispositions for the following day. 
 But, at seven o'clock, generals Sorbier and 
 Dulauloy, commanding the artillery of tlie 
 army and of the guards, came to his bivouac 
 to inform him of tlie expenditure of the day ; 
 95,000 cannon balls had been fired. They 
 inforn^ed him that the ammunition in reserve 
 was exhausted, and that there remained only 
 16,000 cannon lialls ; that this would scarcely 
 suffice for a cannonade of two hours, after 
 which no anuuiuiition would remain for ul- 
 terior events ; that the army had in five days 
 fired upwards of -220.000 cannon balls, and 
 that a further supply could only be furnished 
 at Magdeburg or Erfurt. This state of things 
 rendered necessary a prompt movement upon 
 one of our two largest depots. The emperor 
 decided for that of Erfurt, for the same reason 
 which induced him to come to Leipsic, to 
 enable him to appreciate the defection of 
 Bavaria. 
 
 " The emperor immediately gave orders 
 that the baggage, the parks, and the artillery, 
 should pass the defiles of Lindenan ; he gave 
 similar orders with respect to the cavalry 
 and the diflerent corps of the army, and then 
 repaired to the Prussian hotel, in the suburbs 
 of Leipsic, where he arrived at nine o'clock 
 in the evening. This -lircumstance obliged 
 the French army to renounce the fruits of the 
 two victories in which they had, with so much 
 glory, beaten troops greatly superior in num- 
 bers, and the armies of the whole continent 
 
 I
 
 CHAP. LXIII.J fiEORGE III. 811 
 
 But this inoveniont was not without (Jifliciilty. ; They briskly attacked the duke of Tarcnliiin 
 From Leipsic to Liiidoiraii there is a defile I and prince Poniatowski; they were repeatedly 
 of two leai^nes, witli from five to six bridges « repulsed, and in the act of defeiidinf^ the 
 oil tlie road. It was proposed to place GOOO I suburbs our rear-gnard effected its letreat. 
 men and 60 pieces of cannon in Leipsic, ; But the Saxons tiiat had remained in tiie city 
 wliich is a walled town ; to occupy that town ; fired upon the troops from the ramparts, wiiich 
 as a tete tie. file, to burn its vast suburbs in j oblii^ed them to accelerate their retreat and 
 order to prevent the enemy from effecting- a ; occasioned some disorder, 
 lodgment therein, and to give full scope of; "The emperor had ordered the engineers 
 our artillery on the ramparts to play, liow- ; to form fongades under the grand bridge 
 ever odious the treason of the Saxon army ; whicii is between Leipsic and Lindenau, m 
 was, the emperor could not resolve to destroy 5 order to blow it up at the latest moment, and 
 one of the finest cities in Germany ; to de- J thus to retard the march of the enemy, and 
 liver it up to the disorders of every kind in- ; give time for our baggage to file off. General 
 separable from such a defence, and that too * Dulauloy had entrusted this operation to 
 under the eyes of the king, who had iieen ; colonel Montfort. This colonel, instead of 
 pleased to accompany the emperor from ! remaining on the spot to direct it, and to 
 Dresden, and who was so sensibly afflicted ; give the signal, ordered a corporal and four 
 by the conduct of his army. The emperor ; sappers to blow up the bridge the instant the 
 chose rather to expose himself to the loss of; enemy should appear. The corporal, an 
 a Irw hundred waggons, than to adopt this ; ignorant fellow, and but ill comprehending 
 barbarous measure. At break of day, all the i the nature of the duty with which he was 
 parks, the baggage, the whole of the artillery, i charged, upon hearing the first shot dis- 
 the cavalry, the guards, and two thirds of the ; charged from the ramparts of the city, set fire 
 army, had already passed the defile. The | to the fougades and blew up the bridge. A 
 duke of Tarentum and prince Poniatowski ; part of the army was still on the other side 
 were charged to hold the suburbs, and to ; with a park of 80 pieces of artillery, and some 
 defend them long enough to allow the whole > hundreds of waggons. The advance of this 
 todeboiiche, and then to execute, themselves, * part of the army, who were approaching the 
 the passage of the defile towards eleven ; bridge, seeing it blow up, conceived it was 
 o'clock. At six o'clock in the morning, the 1 in the power of the enemy. A cry of dismay- 
 magistrates of Leipsic sent a deputation to | spread from rank to rank^ — -'The enemy are 
 thepriuce of Schwartzenberg, to beg that he | close upon our rear, and the bridges are 
 would not make the city the scene of an ac- ; destroyed ! The unfortunate soldiers dis- 
 lion that would occasion its ruin. At nine | persed, and endeavoured to effect their es- 
 o'clock the emperor mounted his horse, en- $ cape as well as they could. The tluke of 
 tered Leipsic, and paid a visit to the king, s Tarentum swain across the river ; count 
 He left this prince at full liberty to do as he | Lauriston, less fortunate, was drowned;— 
 pleased, and nottO(|uit his dominions, leaving J prince Poniatowski, mounted on a spirited 
 them to be exposed to that seditious spirit ; horse, darted into the water, and appeared 
 which had been fomented amongst the sol- i no more. The emperor was not informed 
 diers. A Saxon battalion had been formed ; of this disaster until it was too late to remedy 
 at Dresden, and joined the young guards. | it. In fact, no remedy would have been 
 The emperor caused it to be drawn up at 5 possible. Colonel Montfort, and the corporal 
 Leipsic, in front of the kings palace, to serve I of saj)pers, have been handed over to a court 
 him as a guard,'and protect him from the first j martial. 
 
 movement of the enemy. Half an hour after, | " It is impossible as yet to ascertain the 
 the emperor repaired to Lindenau, there to j losses occasioned by this unfortunate event, 
 await the evacuation of Leipsic, and to see ! but they are estimated at 12,000 icen, and 
 the last troops pass the bridges before putting i several hundred waggons. The disorder 
 himself in march. Meanwhile the enemy '; which it has occasioned in the army has 
 was speedily apprised that the greater part | changed the state of affairs. The French 
 of the army had evacuated Leipsic, and that | army, though victorious, is arriving at Erfurt, 
 there remained there only a strong rear-guard. | as a defeated arrwj nould have arrived there.
 
 812 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND- 
 
 [chap. LXIir. 
 
 It is impossible to tlescrir)0 tlie ipgrot whicli > 
 the army feels for priiico I'oniatow.ski, count ' 
 Lauriston, and all the brave men who perish- 
 ed in consequence of this fatal event, We 
 have no accounts of general Re<inier ; it is not 
 known whether he is taken or killed. The 
 profound grief of the emperor may be easily 
 conceived, who sees from inattention to his 
 wide dispositions, the results of so many 
 fatigues and labours completely vanishing ! j 
 *" On the 19th the emperor slept at Mark- ■ 
 ranstaedt; the duke of Reggio remained at 
 Lindenau. On the 20th the emperor passed 
 the Saale at Weissenfels. On the 21st the 
 army passed the Unstrut at Freyburg ; gene- 
 ral Bertrand took a position upon the heights 
 of Cosen. On the 22nd the emperor slept at 
 the village of Ollendorf On the 23rd he 
 arrived at Erfurt. The enemy, who iiad been 
 struck with consternation by the battles of 
 the lOth and 18th, has, from the disaster of 
 tiie 19th, resumed the courage and ascen- 
 dency of victory. The French army, after \ 
 such brilliant successes, has lost its victorious 
 attitude. We have found at Erfurt provi- 
 sions, ammunition, clothing, all that the army 
 stood in need of. The staft' will publish the 
 reports of the diflerent chiefs of the army, as 
 to the officers who distinguished themselves 
 m the grand battles of Wachau and Leipsic." 
 
 Such was the termination of this great and 
 dreadful succession of combats,, to which the 
 annals of Europe, ensanguined as they are, 
 had never yet produced a parallel. Never 
 had the work of destruction proceeded on so 
 vast and terrible a scale, nor had any field 
 been so deluged with the blood of her sons. 
 Famine and pestilence, which follow in the 
 train of war, weie there, and did their part in 
 the work of death. In viewing tills dreadful 
 scene, the philanthropic mind could only 
 console itself by reflecting that thus alone 
 could the injured cause of humanity be 
 avenged ; and that through this bloody portal 
 peace and freedom were to revisit the earth. 
 This was indeed a splendid and immortal 
 triumph, and never had so just a cause been 
 
 crowned with a success more "splendid and 
 decisive. 
 
 The retreat of Buonaparte was such as 
 miglit be expected with so powerful an enemy 
 behind, and clouds of light troojis far ad- 
 vanced before him. A daily loss of artillery, 
 baggage, and prisoners, marked his course 
 from the Saale to the Maine, and on approach- 
 ing the last mentioned river a new obstac e 
 was presented to his progress. With the 
 fortunes of Napoleon the friendship of Ba- 
 varia had declined, and the recent successes 
 of the allies determined the king of Saxony 
 to commence hostilities. He commanded 
 his general the celebrated Wrede, to march 
 upon the Maine. After possessing himself of 
 Wurtsburg that officer proceeded and took a 
 position in advance of Hanau, by which it 
 was necessary that tiie French army should 
 pass. Buonaparte was placed by this move- 
 ment in very imminent danger of destruction. 
 Had Bluclier followed by the same route 
 which he had taken, this issue could scarcely 
 have been averted. But the Prussian general, 
 by an unfortunate though very natural calcu- 
 lation, had supposed that as the Bavarian 
 army was on the Maine, Buonaparte would 
 not retire by that route, but would cross the 
 Rhine at Coblentz, upon which place he di- 
 rected his march. Buonaparte, therefore, on 
 approaching Hanau, could turn his whole 
 remaining military force, amounting to 70,000 
 or 80,000 men, against the Bavarian army, 
 which did not exceed .30,000. Wrede, how- 
 ever, with the most gallant determination ip- 
 solved to stand the unequal contest, and for 
 two days his army maintained it gloriously 
 with severe loss indeed, but without any de- 
 cisive defeat. Wrede himself received a 
 wound which threatened to prove mortal, but 
 from which he fortunately recovered. Mean- 
 while it was impossible with forces so inferior 
 to intercept the march of Buonaparte to 
 Frankfort. He did not stop in that city, but 
 continued his march, and on the 7th of ISo- 
 vember crossed the Rhine with his whole 
 army, leaving behind him all his conquests and 
 all his towering hopes of universal dominion.
 
 CHAPTER LXIV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1813.] 
 
 IFar in lite Peninsula — Pos^ition of the opposing Armies — Preliminary Operations — Advance 
 to Burgos and Vittoria- BATTLE OF VITTORIA, ^c — Investment of Tarragona 
 by Sir J. Murray, and his disgraceful Retreat — Operations of the Spaniards 
 
 Sebastian 
 
 taken by storm— Surrender of the Castle— LORD WELLINGTON 
 FRANCE — Jealous and envious Conduct of the Spanish Cortes. 
 
 ■Si 
 ENTERS 
 
 FROM the period of the retreat of the 
 allied troops into Portugal, in the close 
 of 1812, to the commencement of the ensuing 
 summer, the armies; opposed to each other in 
 the peninsula had remained in a state of 
 almost total inaction. The French were not 
 in a condition to act offensively ; and while 
 the war in the north continued, had nothing 
 more in view than to maintain the ground 
 which they still occupied. But on the part 
 of the allies, this interval was spent in vigorous 
 j)reparations for an active and decisive cam- 
 paign. Disappointment and mortification 
 iiuleed had marked the concluding scene of 
 that which had just elapsed ; yet a general 
 view of its result proved the successes which 
 Jiad crowned it to liave been by no means 
 fruitless. A large district of Spain, abound- 
 ing beyond all others in population and re- 
 sources, had been finally liberated ; and the 
 opportunity had been afforded of raising and 
 disciplining from it a very considerable army. 
 Tlie Spanish government still exhibited no 
 eminent proofs of vigour or capacity ; yet a 
 series of bitter experience had forced upon it 
 the conviction of those leading errors in their 
 policy, from which such fatal consequences 
 had arisen. They felt at last the necessity of 
 uniting all their military force under one head ; 
 and they became sensible also, amid the mist 
 of national prejudice, who that head ought to 
 be. The nomination, which had taken place 
 •Juriiig the last campaign, of lord Wellington 
 
 to be generalissimo of the Spanish armies, 
 was adhered to, and enforced. Thus was the 
 whole military strength of three nations united 
 in one commander, who was undoubtedly 
 best qualified to dii'ect their operations. In- 
 dependently of this advantage, the Spanish 
 armies had become more efficient, in conse- 
 quence of that sure though insensible process 
 by which new levies are gradually converted 
 into veterans. The tumultuary assemblages, 
 which, at the commencement of the war, had 
 fled at the first appearance of danger, could 
 now contend on equal terms with the most 
 highly disci])lined ti-oops in Europe. Spain 
 therefore was at length able to join a large 
 effective force to that which her allies were 
 assembling for her deliverance. This latter, 
 always formidable, was now raised consider- 
 ably above what it had been at any former 
 period. After the battle of Salamanca rein- 
 forcements were sent to the a:nount of up- 
 wards of 20,000 men, which, though they did 
 not arrive in time to follow uj) that success, 
 or to avert the final disaster of the campaign, 
 were now in readiness to take the field. Dis- 
 cipline had been restored by strict regula- 
 tions, enforced during a long period of repose. 
 The troops at present disposable might be 
 estimated at 80,000 British and Portuguese, 
 with 40,000 or 50,000 Sp:mish regulars; 
 while, as they advanced, a numerous guerilla 
 force might be expected to co-operate. To 
 these were to be adued, on the other side of
 
 814 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CH\P. LXIV. 
 
 the peninsula, an amount of -50,000 or 00,000 
 men, chiefly Spaniards intleed, hut a great pro- 
 portion of these trained under Britisli otficers. 
 
 The French force, on the other hand, was 
 still by no means inconsiderable. In tlie 
 utmost extremity of his aflairs, Buonaparte 
 had still clung to this guilty possession. 
 Even after the flower of his armies were 
 hUiied beneath the snows of Russia, and the 
 legions of the north were pouring down in 
 triumph on his subject states, he still did not 
 withdraw troops to any considerable amount. 
 Drafts were merely made for the purpose of 
 supplying officers to the immense levies then 
 raising ; and their place was supplied from 
 the new conscription. After the armistice 
 of Breslan however, when there appeared 
 room to apprehend the hostility of Austria, 
 some sacrifice on this side appeared neces- 
 sary ; and considerable detachments were 
 made for the purpose of reinforcing the grand 
 army on the Elbe. Souit also, who had long 
 had the chief direction of tlie war in Spai>i, 
 and had conducted it with distinguished 
 ability, was now called to another theatre ; 
 and, with the exception of Suchet, there no 
 longer remained a French marshal in Spain. 
 The force of the enemy was thus decidedly 
 weakened, and it appeared possible to lord 
 Wellington, at one grand sweep, to liberate 
 the peninsula from its long thraldom, and 
 drive all the French armies beyon;' the Ebro, 
 and even the Pyrenees. 
 
 The allied forces were spread nt this time 
 over a very extensive line. Lord Wellington, 
 with the main body of British and Portuguese, 
 occupied wide cantonments along the northern 
 frontier of Portugal. General Ilii), with a 
 part of the army, and with a Spanish force 
 under Murillo, was posted in Estremadura. 
 The second and third Spanish armies, com- 
 manded by the duke del Parque and general 
 Elio, were stationed, the one in La Muncha, 
 and the other on the frontier of Murcia 
 and Valencia. The force newly levied in 
 Andalusia, which was called the army of 
 reserve, had set out from Seville under the 
 command of general Henry O'Donnel, who 
 from his exploits in Catalonia, had received 
 the title of Conde de Abisbal. The conde, 
 in consideration of his military services, had 
 been raised to a place in the regency ; but 
 his proceedings in that capacity had not 
 given equal satisfaction. He had unfortu- 
 
 nately three brothers, all generals, but none 
 of them endowed with the same talents for 
 command as himself. To procure their ap- 
 pointment, was the result of a natural par- 
 tiality ; buttheiroperations wereattended with 
 failures, the disgrace of which fell upon him. 
 He lost in his new character the popularity 
 gauied in that which he had formerly exer- 
 cised ; and found it expedient to descend 
 from a station w hicli did not become him, to 
 another in which farther glory miglit be earn- 
 ed. The nation, whose confidence he still 
 retained in this capacity, hesitated not to 
 place him at the head of the army of Anda- 
 lusia. 
 
 To these different Spanish armies there is 
 finally to be added the army of Gallicia, 
 which was stationed on the frontier of that 
 province. The chief command in this and 
 the other northern provinces had been con- 
 ferred upon Castanos. It was at the parti- 
 cular recommendation and wish of lord Wel- 
 lington that he had received this appointment. 
 He was not a man of very brilliant parts, but I 
 extremely upright, zealous, and patriotic, as 
 well as attached to the English nation in so 
 peculiar a degree, that to give him the command 
 might be considered almost the same as giving 
 it to lord Wellington. The whole force of 
 the north of Spain, which, besides the regular 
 troops, comprehended numerous bands of 
 hardy guerillas, might therefore be consider- 
 ed as completely under the coutroul of the 
 British commander. 
 
 The positions of the allies formed thus a 
 very wide semicircle round those which the 
 enemy occupied in the centre of Spain. Upon 
 this cn-cumstance perhaps the latter founded 
 their hopes of a successful resistance ; con- 
 ceiving that by the rapid movement of their 
 concentrated forces, they might baffle attacks 
 made from such a variety of different quar- 
 ters. The plan of the campaign however, 
 which lord Welliuglon had foruied, was much 
 more profound and judicious. General Hilt 
 indeed at fhst threatened Madrid ; but as 
 soon as the season for action arrived, he turn- 
 ed to the left, marciied throngli the Puerto 
 de Banos, and joined the main army which 
 was assembled in the neighi)ourliood of 
 Ciudad Uodrigo. At the same time Abisbal 
 was proceeding through Estremadura ; and 
 the whole force of the ;dlied armies directed 
 its march northwards upon the line of the
 
 CHAP. LXIV.J 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 815 
 
 Douro. That river, flie largest 111 Spain, had I defend Valladoiid or the passage of the 
 in the preceding cunipaigii proved an iin- ; Pisuerga, but continued their retreat without 
 
 ; intermission till they arrived at Burgos. In 
 ; front of that place, all those corps which 
 » were called the armies of the centre of Por- 
 5 tugal and of the north, were assembled : and* 
 
 portant barrier ; and the French, who pos 
 sessed along its northern bank a series of for 
 titled positions, doui)tless hoped for a con 
 siderable time at least to dispute the passage 
 Lord Wellington, however, by a very able i as it formed the key of the north of Spain, and 
 
 arrangement, 
 this obstacle. 
 
 completely provided agamst 
 While the risiht wing of the 
 
 army advanced through Salamanca along 
 the country south of the Doiiro, the left, un- 
 der sir Thomas Graham, crossed at Torre 
 del Moncarvo, within the Portuguese frontier. 
 
 the last strong hold on this side of the Euro, 
 it seemed that here, if any where, a great 
 stand was to be made. The movements of 
 > the army evidently shewed tliat they were 
 sensible of its importance, and felt a dispo- 
 sition to defend it. Lord Wellington, after 
 and pursued their march along the northern j crossing the Pisuerga, allowed his army two 
 bank. This manoeuvre turned all the posts i days to repose from a march performed with 
 which had been established along that line. ; almost unparalleled rapidity. He then pushed 
 The successive dispositions now made, baffled i forward -with the cavalry and light troops to 
 at once all the provisions made by the enemy ; reconnoitre the enemy's position, and to place 
 for arresting the victorious progress of the > them under the necessity of taking some de 
 allies. Their detachments on both sides of ; cisive steps. They were found covering Bur- 
 the Douro, retreated precipitately ; and lord : gos in a strong position, with their right at 
 Wellington advanced without any obstacle, { Horraaza, and their left on the heights of 
 
 besides those which nature presented. On 
 the 24th of May, he broke up from Ciudad 
 Rodrigo,and arrived on the '28th at Salamanca, 
 near which place a small detachment of the 
 French rear-guard, which had not retreated 
 
 Estepar. The charge of British cavalry, 
 however, soon turned both flanks, and obliged 
 them to fall back behind the rivers Urbel and 
 Arlanzan. If, however, they had any inten- 
 tion of receiving the allied army in this po- 
 •with sufficient promptitude, was cut off. On i sition, it was soon relinquished. In the 
 the .31st, the left wing, under general Graham, > course of the following night, they withdrew 
 crossed the Esla, and, passing through Za- » their whole force through the town of Burgos, 
 mora, arrived on the 2nd at Toro. It had ; having first destroyed the works of the castle 
 now formed a junction with the Gallician J as completely as the short interval allowed ; 
 army, Avhich composed its extreme left. > and on the following day, all their tioops were 
 During the 3rd, lord Wellington halted at I in full retreat towards the Ebro. 
 Toro, in order that the rear, which had been J Lord Wellington did not pursue along- 
 detained by the difficulties of crossing the ; the main road, where the enemy would have 
 Esla, might have time to close in. On the | been prepared to dispute the passage of the 
 same day, the right wing, which had pro- ; river, and where his progress would have been 
 ceeded along the opposite bank, crossed the ; obstructed by the strong fortress and defiles 
 Douro by the bridge of Toro ; and on the | of Pancorho. As soon as he saw Burgos 
 4th, the whole army marched upon Valladoiid. I abandoned, he caused the whole army to 
 The French force on the Douro being thus j make a movement on its left, by less fre- 
 insufficient to stop the rapid advance of the J quented roads, with the view of passing the 
 allies, that at Madrid was placed in a very I Ebro near its source. The enemy, to whom 
 
 critical situation. By remaining there, it ^ 
 would soon be cut of!" from the other armies, | 
 -and from the high road leading to the French ; 
 frontier. The determination was therefore > 
 formed to abandon the capital without a ; 
 struggle. On the 27th, all the troops which ; 
 were there and on the Tagus, begun their > 
 Tetreat, and on the 3rd, crossed the Douro. « 
 Although, ho.vever, all the French armies; 
 were thus united, they did not attempt to i 
 
 5 M 
 
 therefore 
 
 Martin s 
 
 lie had 
 
 this majiccuvre seems to have been unex- 
 pected, liad made no provision for srnardins 
 these passages. Lord Wellington 
 crossed without opposition at .St. 
 Hocamunde, and Puente Aienas. 
 now not only overcome the barrier of tlie 
 Ebro, but was in a condition to threaten the 
 rear of the enemy and his communications 
 with France. 
 
 The British general now directed his marcfe* 
 5i
 
 816 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXIV. 
 
 upon Vittoria, vliich the French had made ; and nearly all the cavalry and artillery, made 
 their central depot in tlie frontier provinces. I dispositions for atlackin^? hotli tiinks of the 
 To oppose his proj^ress, tliey hastily collected I enemy's centre. The French were not pre- 
 at Ficas and Espejo such troops as were in ; pared for this attack ; they had weakened 
 the neii^hboinhood, or conid be thrown across » their centre for the purpose of making- their 
 from Pancorbo. These advanced to meet ; fruitless attack against the heights on the 
 the allies ; bnt thongh for a moment superior I left ; and seeing that, when thus hard pressetl, 
 in number, they were quickly repulsed. On ; their eflbrts to maintain this position would 
 the 19th, he arrived at Subijana on the Bayas, • be unavailing, they abandoned it, and tlie 
 when he was only twelve or fifteen miles J whole of their centre and left retreated upon 
 distant from Vittoria. The enemy had re- > Vittoria. Meanwhile general Graham, with 
 mained at Pancorbo, and seemed determined \ the British left, was carrying on those opera- 
 to maintain themselves if possible, in that | tions which were to render victory decisive, 
 strong position. Seeing, however, the allied ; The enemy had there a considerable force in 
 aruiy on the point of establishing itself on | advance of the Zadora, and occupying several 
 their rear, they broke up from thence on the 5 strong fortilied villages, by which the high 
 night of the 18th, and hastened to take up a i roads to Bilboa and Bayonne were defended, 
 position in front of Vittoria, which they | general Graham, whose force consisted 
 efl'ected on the l!)th. ; chieily of Portuguese troops, supported by 
 
 Lord Wellington spent the 20th in collect- 5 the .Spaniards under Longa and Giron, snc- 
 ing his divisions, which had been somewhat > ceedefl in expelling the enemy ffom all these 
 scattered by the rugged and ditlicult country : positions, and driving him across the Zadora. 
 through which they had hastily marched ; | The bridges, however, being strongly guarded, 
 and also in reconnoitring the position of the | he was himself unable to gain the other side, 
 enemy, with the view to an attack on the fol- ; until it had been cleared by the victorious right 
 lowing day. The whole front of the French I and centre ; the left then crossed also, and 
 army was covered by the river Tadara, which • joined in the pursuit. 
 
 flowed in an irregular line from north-east to i In consequence of general Graham's sucr 
 south-west, in front of Vittoria. The right \ cess, the French were cut oft' from the high 
 wing occupied that city and its neighbour- ; road into France, the most advantageous, 
 hood, and defended the passages over the I and that by which all their arrangements for 
 river immediately leading to it. The centre | retreating had been made. They were forced 
 and left extended downwf.rds along the | to retire by the more difficult and circuitous 
 Zadora, terminating at a range of heights near 5 rout of Pampeluna, upon which they had 
 the village of La Puebla. Upon these observa- » made no provision of fortified positions to 
 tions was founded the plan of attack for the i cover this movement. They had thus no 
 following day. | means of making a stand at any one point 
 
 The first operation of lord Wellington was » for a length of tune sufficient to enable them 
 to occupy, by means of Murillo's Spanish 1 to carry away their artillery and equipments, 
 division, the heights of La Puebla, on which \ Near Vittoria, therefore, the whole fell into 
 the enemy's left rested. In permitting this to j the hands of the pursuers. Never was an 
 be efl'ected with little resistance, they seem to | army so completely stripped. Baggage, ar- 
 have committed a capital error, of which they > tillery, animuuition, camp-equipage, all was 
 immediately became sensible ; and they made \ taken. Even vast quantities oftreasure were 
 vigorous efi'orts, and poured detachment after \ thrown down the rocks, and collected by the 
 detachment, in order to regain possession of | pursuing troops. The allied army, in this 
 them. Lord Wellington, however, supported unost legitimate plunder, found same solid 
 the troops posted tlicie in such a manner, > reward for the glorious toil through Mhich 
 that they were still able to maintain their ! they had passed. Of 153 pieces of cannon, 
 ground. Meantime, under cover of the pos- | the enemy carried with him one gun and one 
 .fession of these heights, general Hill crossed i howitzer only. They passed by Pampeluna, 
 the Ziadora, and was immediately followed ; but without stopping at that fortress, and 
 by three other divisions higher up. These | pursued their retreat over the Pyrenees iaXo 
 troops cou)posing the main force of the array, ; France,
 
 CHAP. LXIV] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 817 
 
 Having arrived at this point, I feel in- 
 clined to pause, and to take a general survey 
 of that splendid Jcareer by vvhicli an army, 
 setting- out from the opposite extremity, vt- 
 fected in one month the liberation of Spain. 
 Without admittinjr success as the infallible 
 criterion of merit, it seems yet impossible not 
 to allow, that this campaign was of the most 
 brilliant character. The resistless progress 
 of the allies was not effected by mere impe- 
 tuosity, but was founded upon a plan of 
 "which all the parts had been previously com- 
 bined and calculated. The most masterly 
 judgment appears in the arrangement, by 
 which the whole army, after threatening dif- 
 ferent points of the enemy's line, was suddenly 
 collected in the north, to act upon their rear, 
 and their communications with France. It 
 appears equally in those by which the lines 
 of the Douroand the Ebro were successively 
 turned, and those powerful barriers rendered 
 unavailing. The mere circumstance, that 
 the French, after eight months of preparation, \ 
 and with an army still so powerful, were un- \ 
 able at any one point to arrest, for a single \ 
 day, the progress of the allies, seems clearly 
 to indicate on which side lay the superiority 
 of military skill. Arrived at Vitloria, the 
 fate of Spain was almost decided ; yet it is 
 impossible not to admire the skill employed 
 in bafHing the obstacles presented by a 
 countiy of the greatest natural strength, of 
 "which the enemy had been long in possession. 
 The promptitude with which the attack was 
 made, couipelied the enemy to engage before 
 all their force Mas fully united ; for general 
 Clausel was still with two divisions at Logrono, 
 and general Fox with one division at Bilboa. 
 The short sketch of the battle which 1 have 
 given, sufficiently shews the ability of the 
 manoeuvres, by which the French left and 
 centre were driven from the advantageous 
 ground which they occupied. Lastly, the 
 success of general Graham, evidently unfore- 
 seen, and unprovided against by the enemy, 
 rendered the victory- complete. We di.s- 
 rover, in short, from beginning to end, a sys- 
 tem of the most daring enterprise, so regulated 
 by foresight and prudence, that in no one 
 instance did its operations fail of the most 
 brilliant sliccess. 
 
 Lord Wellington, with the main body, 
 followed the F'rench force %vhich was retreat- 
 ing by the rout of Fampeluna ; and on the,' 
 
 27th, that place was invested. So little had 
 the enemy foreseen the rapid sweep by which 
 the allied army was to be carried to the crest 
 of the Pyrenees, that this almost impregnable 
 fortress, and grand key of the peninsula, 
 was left with provisions for only a very few 
 months. Considering its strength, and tha 
 great loss that must have been incurred in 
 reducing it by force, it appeared more ad- 
 viseable to employ blockade, which, from 
 its unprepared state, could not be protracted 
 to a very long duration. After a short in- 
 terval, the charge of maintaining this block- 
 ade was committed to the army of reserve of 
 Andalusia, commanded by the Conde de 
 Abisbal. The Conde had previously reduced 
 tlie fortress of Pancorbo, which stdl inter- 
 rupted the communication of the allies along- 
 the high road between Burgos and Vittoria ; 
 the castle being of great strength, he com- 
 pelled it to surreiuler by cutting off the 
 supply of water, and the garrison, amounting 
 to 700 men, became prisoners of war. 
 
 General Clausel, on the day of the battle, 
 was with two divisions at Logrono, a con- 
 siderable town upon the Ebro. The result 
 of the action cut him off from the main body ; 
 yet he still lingered till the 25th, in hope* 
 perhaps of finding an opportunity to make 
 his way through. Lord Wellington thus 
 conceived the hope of cutting off his retreat 
 upon Saragossa, and detached a large force 
 to Tudela upon his rear, while another body 
 of troops marched direct upon Logrono.. 
 Clausel, however, then proceeded with such 
 expedition, that he reached Tudela before 
 the allies, and had then the rout open before 
 him to Saragossa. The British troops dis- 
 continued the pursuit, and Clausel was fol- 
 lowed by Mina, with numerous detachments 
 of Spanish light troops. The French general 
 did not attempt to make a stand at Sara- 
 gossa ; but, leaving a detachment under 
 general Paris, he passed by a circuitous rout: 
 through Taca across the Pyrenees, to rejoin 
 the main body. Paris, on the approach of 
 Mina, retreated in the same manner, leaving 
 merely a garrist)n in the castle, whi^h was 
 soon compelled to surrender. Thus was ¥t- 
 covereil almost without a struggle, this im- 
 portant city, so renowned for its inmiortal 
 defencCj which had C05.t two sieges and three 
 armies to France ; and thus clearly was it 
 proved, that its bulwuiks had not.beea, th,03S; 
 u M 2
 
 818 
 
 in«TORV OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. L\IV. 
 
 eitlier of nature or art, but merely the invin- 
 cil)Ie breasts of the men by whom it was de- 
 fended. 
 
 While these events took place on the right 
 of the army, general Graham, with the left 
 wing, composed chiefly of Portuguese and 
 Spaniards, advanced on the high road from 
 Vittoria to Bayonne. The French now 
 evacuated all their stations in Biscay, except 
 Santona and St. Sebastian ; and uniting their 
 garrisons to the divisioH of th*" army of the 
 north, which was at Bilhoa, they assendjled 
 a force somewhat more considerable than 
 had at first been supposed. They made a 
 pretty brisk stand in disputing tiie frontier 
 positions. The first ef!ort was at the junction 
 of the road from Pampeluna with that from 
 Bayonne; they posted themselves on a hill 
 commanding these two roads, and seemed to 
 determine to maintain. A vigorous attack 
 however, by lieutenant-colonel Williams, 
 quickly dislodged them. The enemy then 
 retreated intoTolosa, a town slightly fortified, 
 and by barricading the gates, and occupying 
 convents and large buildings in the vicinity, 
 they succeeded in rendering it a strong posi- 
 tion. It was necessary to bring forward a 
 nine-pounder, in order'to burst open one of 
 the gates. The allies entered, but it was 
 already dark, and the troops of all the dif- 
 ferent nations were confusedly mixed, and 
 could scarcely be distinguished. The per- 
 plexity thus occasioned, enabled the French 
 to escape with smaller loss than they must 
 otherwise have incurred. The enemy now 
 made their last stand on the Bidassoa, "which 
 forms here the boundary between Spain and 
 France. They were driven across it by a 
 brigade of the army of Gallicia under the 
 command of general Castanos, and they 
 burnt the bridge over the river. Port Pas- 
 sages, a harbour of considerable importance 
 at the mouth of the Bidassoa, was then taken 
 by Longa, and its garrison of 150 men made 
 prisoners. A Spanish division then invested 
 St. Sebastian. 
 
 From this brilliant career of thealliesin the 
 north of Spain, we must now turn to the opera- : 
 tions which took place on the eastern coast of: 
 the peninsula. In Catalonia and Valencia the 
 French still maintained a very large force, 
 and werein possession of numerous fortresses, 
 gome of which ranked with the strongest in , 
 Europe. The importance of this Hiilitary \ 
 
 force vt^as greatly increased by the dis- 
 tinguished ability of Sachet, under Avhose 
 command it was placed. This commander, 
 though of a temper peculiarly adapted to otJen- 
 sive operations, had been compelled to inter- 
 mit them by the deficiency of force and the 
 urgency of his master's circumstances. He 
 now occupied a position in front of Valencia, 
 at St Felipe, on the line of the Xucar. Tlie 
 allies on the otiier hand had collected a very 
 considerable folce in and near Alicant. Seve- 
 ral British and native regiments had been 
 withdrawn from Sicily ; a large force drawn 
 from the population of the neigh bou ring- 
 provinces, had been organized in the Balearic 
 islands under British otlicers, and was now 
 commanded by general Roche and*Whitting- 
 ham. These could act in combination with 
 the second Spanish army under general Elio, 
 which was drawn up along the frontiers of 
 Murcia. They remained however in a state 
 of inaction till the middle of April, when the 
 Anglo-Spanish army, under sir John Murray, 
 cameout of Alicant, and advanced to Castella. 
 General Elio at the same time took post at 
 Yesia and A'^illena. It appears however, that 
 these difierent corps had not been in a state 
 of sufficiently close combination. Suchet, 
 ever enterprising, saw the advantage which 
 might be derived from the oversight. Col- 
 lecting his whole disposable force, he on the 
 nth of April attacked the corps of general 
 Elio unsuj)ported by the rest of the allies, 
 drove it with some loss from Yesla, and 
 having invested the castle of Villena, com- 
 pelled it, with its garrison of lOOO men, to 
 surrender next day at discretion. Having 
 thus succeeded as to the Spanish army, he 
 proceeded to the attack of the British posi- 
 tion. On the l'2lh at noon he assailed the 
 advanced posts at Biaor, under colonel Adam. 
 The resistance was vigorous, and was main- 
 tained against a superior force for five hours; 
 and colonel Adam at length fell back upon 
 the main body only in compliance with the 
 orders of general Murray. Suchet, however, 
 not disheartened by this warm reception, 
 proceeded, on the following day, to attack 
 the main j)osition at Castella. It was one 
 of considerable strength. The right of the 
 allied army was defended along the whole 
 front by a deep ravine, while on the left, 
 where the ravine terminated, it occupied a 
 pretty extensive range of hills. "Suchet began 
 
 I
 
 CILVP. LXIV.] 
 
 GEOnCE III. 
 
 8!D 
 
 by threAteninsf the ris^ht with a strong body 
 of cav<jlry. The allied force, however, re- 
 mained secure in if.s strong position, and de- 
 clined au encounter upon this grovuid. Su- 
 cliet then, with all his columns united, made 
 a desperate attack against the range of hills, 
 upon which the left was posted. The allied 
 force, consistinjr of colonel Adam and general 
 Whittinghaiu's divisions, repulsed the onset 
 in the most gallant manner ; the enemy were 
 completely driven hack, and forced to com- 
 mence a hasty retreat. As his superiority in 
 cavalry gave him great advantages for pro- 
 ceeding in the direct line, general Murray 
 commenced a flank movement hy Alcov, in 
 hopes of reaching first the entrenched camp 
 at Felipe. It is stated, however, that the 
 French having reached Alcov only a quarter 
 of an hour before the allies, this plan was 
 frustrated. Sir John Murray then returned 
 to his position. 
 
 In this action Suchet for the first time ex 
 perienced the valour of British troops ; and 
 in contending with them was for the fust 
 time deserted by his wonted invincibility. 
 The allied army however did not make any 
 attempt to follow up its success. The advance 
 from Alicant indeed appears to have been 
 made less with a view of pushing forward in 
 that direction, than of seconding the grand 
 operation in the north of Spain, and of pre- 
 venting Suchet from detaching any of his 
 force in that direction. About the same time, 
 however, that lord Wellington began to move 
 from Salamanca, sir John Murray, under his 
 direction, undertook anew plan of operations. 
 On the 28th of May, he embarked at Alicant 
 the whole force under his command, and 
 sailed, on the 3lst, for the coast of Catalonia. 
 At the same time the duke del Parque, with 
 the third Spanish army, united himself with 
 general Elio, for the purpose of pressing upon 
 Valencia and the army of Suchet. 
 
 The combined force landed on the 3rd of 
 JuueatSalon Point, and immediately invested 
 Tarragona. At the same time a detachment 
 ■was sent against the fort of St Filipe," which 
 comnianded the, principal road leading from 
 Tortosa. This service was successfully ac- 
 complished by the exertions of colonel Pre- 
 vost and captain Adam of the Invincible. 
 Meantime sir John Murray continued for 
 eight or ten days the siege of Tarragona, but 
 the place stiH held out, and there appeared 
 
 no prosppct of reducing it, till after an interval 
 of the same duration. Intelligence was then 
 received that general Mathiew had set out 
 from Barcelona with 9000 or 10,000 men, and 
 had, on the evening of the 14lh, passed 
 through Villa Franca on his way to Vendrello, 
 only twenty miles distant from Tarragona. 
 It was also learned, that Suchet, with nearly 
 the i^ame force, had passed through Valencia, 
 and was evidently on his way to operate a 
 junction with Mathiew, and attack the allied 
 army. On considering these circum*tances, 
 sir John Murray conceived it impossible to ac- 
 complish his object, and determined to re- 
 embark his troops without delay. So urgent 
 did the danger appear to him, that a con- 
 siderable proportion of the caimon was left 
 in the trenches, lest, by the delay of a day, 
 the change of weather, or the arrival of the 
 enemy, should render the re-embarkation im- 
 possible. 
 
 The public in general, so far as I know, 
 were for the first time apprised r»f his existence 
 by learning that he had received a command, 
 second only to that of lord Wellington. 
 Envious obscurity had covered the military 
 exploits, if any, which he had hitherto 
 achieved. Hereditary wealth, I have under- 
 stood, gave him the control of five or six 
 votes in parliament; and so long as com- 
 manders arechosen from such motives, similar 
 results may be confidently expected. In 
 this view of the case, I feel no great anxiety 
 that sir John Murray's misconduct, however 
 great it may be, should be visited on his own 
 head. There is little doubt that he acted to 
 the best of his weak judgment; and if his 
 incapacity had remained a secret to others, 
 it were quite too much to suppose, that the 
 discovery should proceed from himself. The 
 blame rested with those alone who, from such 
 motives as I hinted at above, were induced 
 to commit such great interests into the hand.o 
 of one, of whose capacity to conduct them 
 no experience had been alibrdcd. 
 
 In considering the expedition more parti- 
 cularly, I would observe, that it seems scarcely 
 possible to avoid the suspicion of some error 
 either in the concej)tion or execution of it. 
 From the moment that the British landed so 
 great a force at Tarragona, it became obvious 
 to the plainest ca|)acity, that both from Aalen- 
 cia and from Barcelona, all the French 
 disposable troops would be instantly drawn
 
 Soo 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXIV. 
 
 towards that point, that every other object 
 M'onld for the time be considered as secondary. 
 What amount they could thusasiseml)le, nii;^ht, 
 with any toleiahie iiitoiuiation, have been 
 easily ascertained. If tiien that amount was 
 such that the British force could not even 
 think of facing it, this expedition was from 
 the beginning- quite hopeless ; it could serve 
 no purpose whatever to undertake it. At the 
 same time I entertain doubts whether the 
 disparity was so very extreme, a« sir John 
 Murray seems to have apprehended. A great 
 part of his troops were indeed Spanish ; but 
 they were disciplined and commanded by 
 British officers, and have shewn repeatedly 
 that tliey were capable of successfully main- 
 taining a contest with those of the enemy. 
 The two armies besides, which were to be 
 united against him, came from opposite and 
 distant quarters ; and the British were in 
 possession of all the high roads Ijy which they 
 could communicate. An active commander 
 might have seized the opportunity of striking 
 a blow before the junction ; and certainly 
 the difficulty was such as must have inter- 
 posed a considerable delay before it could 
 be ejected. With regard, above all, to the 
 leaving of the cannon in the trenches, it 
 surely behoves a commander to pause before 
 he exposed the British arms to so signal a 
 dishonour. No enemy was at hand ; nor 
 was there cause to dread that they would 
 soon be able to bring forward any thing like 
 a superior force. 'J'he M'hole danger Avas, 
 lest the weather, at yjresent favourable, should 
 change, and become unfit for embarkation. 
 Of this point, admiral Hallowell was the na- 
 tural judge; and his opinion, it a])pears, was 
 decidedly for remaining. He even engaged, 
 provided sir John Murray could merely de- 
 lay his departure till night, that he would 
 bring oft' every cannon. But the general, 
 " having taken his part," immediately put it 
 in execution ; a resolution in which, with 
 the information possessed by tlie" world, I can 
 .see no symptoms of any thing but the most 
 frightful panic. 
 
 General Murray wassucceeded in thecom- 
 niand by lord William Bentinck, a decided 
 improvemeni ; for lord William was under- 
 stood to possess abilities highly respectable. 
 He had not, ho\yever, had any opportunity 
 of particularly distinguishing himself; and I 
 do not see why, in an occasion of such im- 
 
 portance, a military man of the very first re^ 
 pntation, should not have been selected. 
 As he acted separately from lord Wellington, 
 seniority would here have been no bar. 
 Such an one seemed now absolutely necessary 
 to retrieve the condition of this mismanaged 
 and unfortunate army. 
 
 Lord William Bentinck conveyed the 
 troops back to Alicant. While Suchet march- 
 ed towards Tarragona, the Spanish generals, 
 the duke del Parque, Elio, and Villacanipa, 
 advanced from different points upon Valencia. 
 Sucliet, on hearing of the re-embarkation ot 
 general Murray, immediately hurried back, 
 in hopes of striking a blow against some one 
 of these corps ; but they all succeeded in 
 making their retreat without any serious loss. 
 
 Lord William Bentinck did not attempt to 
 renew the expedition against Tarragona, but 
 joined himself to the Spanish armies, pro- 
 ceeded in concert with them, to attack the 
 French force in Valencia. What resistance 
 Suchet might have made in other circum- 
 stances, it is impossible to determine ; but 
 the triumphant passage of the Ebro by lord 
 Wellington, left him now no choice but that 
 of retreat. On the 5th of July, he evacu- 
 ated Valencia, and retired towards the Ebro, 
 leaving garrisons in I'aniscola, Murviedro, 
 and Denia. The allied array, however, were 
 not detained by these barriers ; but, leaving 
 the fortresses invested, advanced, and crossed 
 the Ebro at Vinaras. The French having 
 then retired upon Barcelona, the allied army 
 blockaded Tortosa, advanced to Villa Franca, 
 and prepared to form the siege of Tarragona. 
 Suchet, however, determined upon making 
 a vigorous eflbrt to relieve this place. Uniting 
 to his army all the troops that could be 
 spared from Barcelona and the neighbouring 
 garrisons, he assembled a force of from 
 •20,000 to 2.5,000 men : on the 14th he ad- 
 vanced to Altafulla, and on the 15th drove 
 back the advanced posts of the British ariny. 
 Lord WiUiam Bentinck was unable to derive 
 any aid from general Elio, who was block- 
 ading Tortosa ; his force was thus inferior 
 to Suchet, at least in quality, and he had not 
 been able to gain any advantageous position. 
 He determined therefore to fall back, and 
 allow Suchet to enter Tarragona. The French 
 general did not, however, attempt to preserve 
 the place, or to maintain this advanced po- 
 sition. Having destroyed the woiks, he with-
 
 CJUP LXIV.] 
 
 GEOUGE Tir. 
 
 821 
 
 drew tlie frarrison, and a^ain retired towards 
 Barcelona. 
 
 In the beginning of September, the allied 
 army again underlook a forward movement. 
 It was encouraged by the belief, that a very 
 considerable part of tiie French force in the 
 principality had been recently withdrawn. 
 The rest remained at Barcelona, and alonir 
 the Llobregat. Lord Bentinck therefore es- 
 tablished his army at Villa Franca, and in 
 the villages in its front, extending as far as the 
 Llobregat mountains. The advance, under 
 colonel Adam and general Sarsfield, was 
 placed in the pass of Ordal, a post of very 
 great strength, and which commanded the 
 high road froln Barcelona. Meantiine intel- 
 li;!ience arrived that Snchet Mas collecting 
 liis army, and that 12,000 men had been 
 united at Molino del Rey. Lord Bentinck, 
 however, placed snrh reliance on the strength 
 of the position at (Jrda). as to be under no 
 apprehensiorj on that side. He conceived the 
 army assailable oidy by turning its left at 
 Martorell ; but, supposing the enemy to have 
 succeeded in that attempt, the retreat could 
 still have been effected without molestation. 
 At midnight of the 12th, however, the enemy 
 attacked the pass of Ordal with numbers so 
 greatly superior, that the corps defending it 
 was driven from its position, surrounded, and 
 forced to save itself from total capture by dis- 
 persion among the mountains. A consider- 
 able number of prisoners, and four pieces of 
 cannon, fell into the hands of the enemy. 
 The British army immediately broke up, and 
 .set out in full retreat towards Tarragona, and 
 closely pressed by the enemy's cavalry. That 
 in the rear of the British, however, though 
 inferior in number, covered by its gallantry 
 the retreat of the rest, and the army arrived, 
 without further loss, in front of Tarragona. 
 
 The conduct of the commander, upon this 
 occasion, does not seem to have been the sub- 
 ject of any very severe criticism : yet I can- 
 not help remarking, that as the troops em- 
 ployed acted with distinguished gallantry, so 
 signal a rout could have arisen oidy from their 
 being placed in a position which they had 
 not strength to maintain. There must have 
 been some want, either of infoiination or 
 judgment; chiefly, it will appear, ofthef<»rmer, 
 since the intelligence that the enemy had 
 withdrawn a great part of their army into 
 France, proved entirely erroneous ; and the 
 
 corps thus detached, was found not to have 
 exceeded 3000 men. 
 
 Thus terminated these inglorious move- 
 ments, in which the Anglo-Spanish army, 
 even in advancing, had failed at every poiiit; 
 while Suchet, in yielding to inauspicious cir- 
 cumstances, raised the reputation which he 
 had gained, during a period of prosperity. 
 No further attempt was made by the allied 
 army to advance. It being judg<^d expedient 
 that the grand effort against France should 
 be made on the side of the western Pyrenees, 
 the third Spanish army was detached in order 
 to co-operate with lord ^Vellington. Tlie 
 remainder of the troops remained on the de- 
 fensive. 
 
 It is time now to return to the operations 
 of the grand atmy. The two fortresses of 
 Pampeluiia and St. Sebastian forming the 
 keys of the principal entrance into Spain, 
 were invested, as we noticed, at the same 
 time ; and their fall might be considered as 
 in a great measure closing the Peninsula 
 against French invasion. Pampeluiia being 
 imperfectly supplied with provisions, was 
 subjected to a blockade, which, in the course 
 of a few months must, if not relieved, infallibly 
 rediice it. St. Seijastian was better prepared ; 
 and its maritime position rendered it almost 
 impossible to prevent succours and supplies 
 from being continually introduced. As it 
 possessed no strength, therefore, which pre- 
 cluded the hope of speedily reducing it by 
 force, that mode pf siege appeared most ad- 
 visable. Sir Thomas Graham, who con- 
 ducted it, began his operations against the 
 convent of San Bartholeme, which the French 
 had occupied in great strength, and Imd con- 
 verted into a formidable outwork. A battery 
 was established on the 14th ; yet, after it had 
 played for two days, the defences appeared, 
 still so strong, that a new one was begun ; 
 but this not being ready on the morning of 
 the 17th, general Graham determined, on 
 that day, no longer to delay the assault. The 
 valour of the British and Portuguese troops 
 surmounted every obstacle: the place was 
 stormed, the enemy driven down the hill on 
 which it is situated, and forced, after burn- 
 ing the village of St. Martins to withdraw 
 precipitately into the town of St. Sebastian. 
 The allies suffered some lo-ss by a too eagfer 
 pursuit. The trenches were now imme- 
 diately opened against the body of the place ;
 
 822 
 
 HIStORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. lxiv. 
 
 and there appeared a very fair prospect of its 
 being compelled to a speedy surrender. 
 
 Buonaparte, while occupied with the 
 great and final contest he was about to wage 
 on the banks of the Elbe, had in some 
 measure turned his attention from those 
 operations, of whicli the peninsula was the 
 theatre. He had recalled thence many of his 
 most distinguished generals, and even Soult, 
 who had long held the chief command. But 
 now, when in, one short month the whole of 
 Ids grand army had been swept out of Spain, 
 when the two grand frontier barriers were 
 about to fall, and leave tlie finest j)rovinces of 
 France itself exposQtl to hostile incursion, 
 alarm seized him, and he clearly saw that this 
 Avas a war, which, even under tlie most urgent 
 pressure of other wars, could not be overlook- 
 ed. Of the immense levies which were at 
 this time raising, part were directed to fill up 
 the exhausted ranks of the army now station- 
 ed withiu the French frontier; and Soult, 
 Avhose talents appeared alone equal to such an 
 exigence, hastened from Germany to reassunie 
 the chief command. The crisis was urgent ; 
 and as soon as the organization of the army 
 was. in any degree established, it behoved him 
 to make a grand effort for the relief of the two 
 fortresses, the reduction of which would give 
 a fatal blow to all the prospects of French 
 dominion. 
 
 Lord Wellington possessed a force con- j 
 siderably superior, on the Avhole, to that op- 
 posed to him, yet was his situation beset with 
 considerable difficulties. He had at once to 
 maintain and to cover sieges of places at 
 a considerable distance frouj each other. It 
 was thus impossible to avoid the inconye- 
 niencies of an army divided into several por- 
 tions. The Pyrenees afforded strong posi- 
 tions, yet were they unfavourable, in several 
 respects, to the present arrangement of his 
 force. They consisted of a number of long 
 and deep valleys, separated from each other 
 by lofty parallel chains. The troops which 
 defended each of these valleys were thus in a 
 great' measure cut off from all communica- 
 tion with each other. The enemy could 
 chuse the one by which they were to advance, 
 could throw their whole force into it, and 
 could push before them the division by which 
 it was guarded, while the others, separated 
 by ainiost inaccessible heights, could not , 
 arrive to their aid. Upon this position of the I 
 
 allies Soult founded his plan of operation. 
 He hoped by attacking separately one of the 
 covering armies to defeat and drive it before 
 him, and then throw himself on the flank and 
 rear of the other army. He thus flattered 
 himself not only with relieving the Idockaded 
 fortresses, but with driving the whole of the 
 allied armies in confusion behind the Ebro. 
 
 Of the two fortresses, St. Sqbastian alone 
 was in immediate danger ; it seemed probable 
 therefore that the first grand attack of the 
 enemy would be against the force by which 
 this siege was covered. Such seems to have 
 been the expectation of lord Wellington, as 
 he had established his head-quarters at 
 Lesaca, at a small distance from St. Sebas- 
 tian. The two roads leading to Pampeluna 
 were meanwhile covered by divisions of the 
 British array, one under general Hill in the 
 Puerta de Maya, the other under general 
 Byng, on the extreme right, at Itonsesvalles. 
 On the 24th of July, Soult attacked in great 
 force the position occupied by general Hill, 
 who, though driven from it first by superior 
 numbers, had recovered the most essential 
 point of it, and would soon have regained the 
 whole. But in the meantime an attack on a 
 much greater scale, with between 30,000 and 
 40,000 men, was made upon general Byng's 
 position at Konsesvalles ; and though rein- 
 forced by another division under sir Lowry 
 Cole, the British force was at length over- 
 powered, and comj)elled fo give way. They 
 took post at Zerbiri ; and general Hill, whose 
 rear was now threatened, fell back upon 
 Trurita. These corps had thus lost their 
 direct communication with the force under 
 lord Wellington, and were left alone to defend 
 the blockade of Pam[)eluna against the over- 
 whelming force with which the enemy were 
 pouring in to relieve it. Two British divi- 
 sions, witii a small part of the Spanish force 
 covering the blockade, took a position imme- 
 diately in front of the place. 
 
 On the 27th Soult arrived in sight of the 
 walls of Pampeluna, and immediately began 
 operations for its relief. Not having yet 
 brought up all his troops, he contented himself 
 with attacking a hill, which formed aii impor- 
 tant part of the British position. A Spanish 
 and Portuguese regiment, however, with the 
 40th British, defended it against all his efforts. 
 On the 28th, another British division arrived ; 
 and the enemy also reinforced, begana contest
 
 CHAP. LXIV.l 
 
 GEOncn III. 
 
 823 
 
 of the most furious and sangniiiary (icscrip- 
 tioii. His main eftbrts were directed against 
 the fourth division under general Picton ; 
 but they were every wliere frustrated, unless 
 at one point, where a Portuguese battalion 
 having been overpowered, the enemy were 
 enabled to estaldish themselves on our line. 
 By the united efforts of the neighbouring 
 regiments however they were driven from the 
 lieights with inunense loss, and were una!)le to 
 make any farther efforts on tliis side. In the 
 course of the 28th, generals Hill and Dal- 
 hoLisie arrived with their divisions, and placed 
 themselves in line with the rest of the British 
 force. On the 29th and ."Otii, these two 
 great armies continued to view each other, 
 neither daring tc attack the formidable 
 heights on which its Antagonist was posted. 
 But, in the course of these days, the enemy 
 silently withdrew a considerable body of 
 troops from their front, where the former 
 actions had taken place, and conveyed it to 
 their right, with a view of attacking the Bri- 
 tish left under sir Rowland Hill ; trusting, 
 from the natural strength of the original posi- 
 tion, that the troops remaining would still be 
 able to maintain it. On the 30th accordingly 
 general Hill was attacked, and obliged to fall 
 back from the range of hills which he occu- 
 pied to the one immediately behind. But 
 lord Wellington seeing the point weakened, 
 instantly seized the opportunity ; he detach- 
 ed lord Dalhousie and general ]*icton to drive 
 the enen^y from the formidable heights on 
 which their right and left rested, which being- 
 effected, the centre advanced to join in the 
 attack. These operations were crowned with 
 the most brilliant success, and the enemy 
 were quickly driven from one of the strong- 
 est positions which it was possible for troops 
 to occupy. The French were now in fidl 
 retreat towards their own frontier. In order 
 to cover this operation they placed a strong 
 rear-guard in the pass of Donna Maria, from 
 which however they were driven by lord Dal- 
 housie. This retreat now resembled a ilight. 
 Many prisoners were brought in, and a large 
 convoy, with baggage, taken at the town of Eli- 
 gondo. They endeavoured however to niake a 
 stand at the Puerto de Echala, immediately 
 within the Spanish frontier. But twoof their 
 <{,ivisionswere cjuickly driven from the heights 
 by a single British division; and the respec- 
 
 6 N 
 
 tive armies were placed in the'same position as 
 before theyha«| begun their formidable attack. 
 
 The generalship of Soult upon this occa- 
 sion appears to have been very brilliant, both 
 in chosing the point of attack where least ex- 
 pected, and in bringing nearly the whole of 
 his force to bear at once against it. At first 
 accordingly he carried every thing before him, 
 and arrived in sight, as it were, of the object 
 of his enterprise. Lord Wellington certainly 
 allowed at first some advantages to be obtain- 
 ed over him. It does not follow, however, 
 that he thus exposed himself to censure, 
 when I consider the extent of the operations 
 which he had xmdertaken, and which it was 
 most important to carry on at the same time. 
 On discovering the enemy's object, he em- 
 ployed his usual judgment and activity in 
 counteracting it. At the same time, the cir- 
 cumstance perhaps which most claims our 
 admiration, is the valour displayed by the 
 British troops, and, almost equally, by the 
 peninsula allies. I find, first, a very few divi- 
 sions resisting impetuous attacks from the col- 
 lected enemy ; and I find them afterwards, 
 when circumstances allowed them to become 
 the assailants, carrying by storm, often with 
 inferior numbers, positions that appeared 
 almost impregnable. The loKs on btjth sides 
 Mas great, perhaps nearly equal ; for in 
 neither was there any route, or any detach- 
 ments entirely cut off. It is estimated, on the 
 part of the allies, in killed and wounded, at 7000. 
 
 Meantime the assault of St. Sebastian, to 
 avert which had been the main object of 
 Soult's daring enterprise, did not lead to the 
 expected result. There is no department in 
 which the military character of France has 
 shone more conspicuously, nor any in which 
 British troops have sustained so many 
 failures, as in the defence and attack of for- 
 tresses. The general bravery and science of 
 French officers have been aided by that pro- 
 found scientific skill, which distinguishes the 
 nation, and which has been diligently ajiplied 
 to the improvement of the art of engineering. . 
 The superior knowledge tlms acquired, em-- 
 ployed with the usual alertness and activity of 
 Frenchmen, enabled them to employ not only 
 all the established resources, but to call forth 
 new and unexpected means of resistance. 
 The British troops, when the critical moment 
 came, found always, that instead of the bar... 
 53
 
 82'4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CIIAP. LXIV. 
 
 riers overthrown, new and unexpected bar- | With such ability and precision was this 
 riers had b^en raised. Thus it proved in the ! delicate action conducted, that the balls 
 present instance. A breach having been ef- ; passed within a very few feet of the British 
 fected, and the approach of the enemy ren- ; troops, without the latter sustaining any in- 
 dering it expedient to lose no time, the as-; jury. A powerful effect was soon produced ; 
 sault took place on the morning of the 25th. | and, after a succession of vigorous efforts. 
 Every thing was done which could be ex- 1 the storming party was at length established 
 pected from the gallantry of British troops, j within the town. Defences had been pre- 
 and part of the column even forced its way ; pared in the streets and houses, b«t these 
 into the town. But defences had been raised, ; were soon swept away by British impetu- 
 whicii poured upon its flanks such a torrent of : osity, and in an hour more, t!ie garrison were 
 grape and musketry, as soon convinced general I driven out of the town, and forced, after a 
 Graham that to persevere longer would be ; severe loss, to take refuge in the castle. On 
 a vain sacrifice of troops which deserved a ; the 9th of September, tije castle surrendered, 
 better fate. Immediately retreat was or- ! and the whole of this important bulwark 
 dered. In this attack, the royals, who ad- ; of Spain was transferred to its rightful pos- 
 vanred to the attack 400 strong, lost nearly ! sessors. 
 
 300 in killed and wounded. | The fall of so important a fortress was not 
 
 The bi-each having thus proved imprac- ; viewed with indifference by the French com- 
 ticable, all the operations of the siege were « mander. A force, chiefly Spanish, was 
 to begin anew. The repulse of the French < drawn up along the left bank of the Bidassoa, 
 army, however, left the assailants at full; in a position which covered all the approaches 
 liberty to carry then) on. The first object | to St. Sebastian. The enemy, in conse- 
 Avas to cut oft" the communication which the ; quence of the heights overhanging the oppo- 
 besieged carried on by sea with the coast of} site bank which they had fortified with can- 
 France. Sir George Collier, with a party j non, could connnand at any point the passage 
 of marines, stormed the island of Santa Clara, ^ of the river. On the morning of the 31 st, 
 which lies at the mouth of the harbour, and 5 the very day of the storming of St. Sebastian, 
 took the garrison prisoners. Meantime new ( he crossed it in greiit force, and attacked the 
 breaching batteries were raised, and carried | Spanish force posted on the hills at a little 
 forward with such vigour, that on the 31st > distance. The attack was repulsed at once 
 of August, it was determined to make a new j in the most gallant manner, and repeated at- 
 assault. The result of this, however, ap- j tempts met uniformly with the same result, 
 peared in the first instance still more un- i In the afternoon, having still the command 
 promising than the former. The enemy had ; of the river, they passed over an additional 
 employed the long interval now allowed them J body of troops, which, joined to the former, 
 in preparing defences of every possible and 5 made a new and desperate attack on the 
 conceivable kind ; and the breach, which at | Spanish position. They were instantly driven 
 a distance had appeared very ample, proved 5 back in the same prompt and gallant manner 
 to be of such a nature, that it would admit ; as formerly ; and the enemy, losing all hope, 
 the men only in single files. All^the works | entirely withdrew their troops. Lord Wel- 
 and buildings in its vicinity were filled with i liugton, who had not yet learned to place full 
 troops, who, covered by entrenchments and « confidence in the Spanish troops, posted a 
 traverses, could pour the most destructive i British division on each of their flanks; but 
 fire on the assailants. Jf any succeeded in ; their own valour was equal to the crisis, and 
 . gaining the narrow ridge of the curtain, which 5 no aid was necessary. This day, in short, 
 formed the only accessible point, such a sta- 5 may be considered as finally retrieving the 
 tion proved instantly fatal. Matters seamed ; tarnished reputation of the Spanish armies, 
 quite desperate, till the genius of the com- 1 Nearly at the same t-me that the French 
 mander suggested a resource. This was, to | made this attempt to penetrate by the high 
 direct the guns to be fired over the heads of | road to St. Sebastian, they crossed the Bi- 
 his own iroops against those works of the ene- 5 dassoa higher up, with the view of gaining 
 my from which so destructive a tire issued. | the place by a circuitous rout through Cyar-
 
 CHAP. LXIV.] 
 
 zan. They attacked a T>oi tuguese brigade, 
 which was th«?rc stationed, and which, though 
 reinforced by major-general Inglis, was un- 
 able to maintain the position which it occu- 
 pied. General Inglis, however, fell back 
 upon another, which equally covered St. 
 Sebastian. The enemy finding all their 
 attempts fruitless, withdrew behind the Bi- 
 dassoa. The immediate fall of the fortress 
 rendered it unnecessary to make any fintlier 
 efforts. 
 
 About this time some discussions of a very 
 unpleasant nature had taken place between 
 lord Wellington and the Spanish government. 
 His lordship had advanced into Spain in the 
 confidence, and with the understanding, that 
 the army of that country should be placed 
 under the command of officers on whose co- 
 operation he could place reliance. He had 
 particularly stipulated, that the chief com- 
 mand of the provinces through which he was 
 to pass, and of the arn)y levied from them, 
 should be entrusted to Castanos, an officer 
 not, as I already hinted, of no very shining 
 abilities, but of great worth, integrity, and 
 candour. The dignity of his character and 
 his conciliatory manners, rendered him an 
 admirable instrument for cementing together 
 the ill-according elements of the two nations. 
 It was in this capacity rather than in a mili- 
 tary command, that lord Wellington wished 
 to employ him While the Gallician army 
 was ably led by general Giron, Castanos went 
 through the provinces, maintaining order, and 
 forwarding supplies. An administration un- 
 friendly to him having come into power, took 
 advantage of this military inactivity t<j remove 
 him from the command which he held ; and 
 other changes were made contrary, as lord 
 Wellington conceived, to the engagements 
 originally made with him, and without his 
 advice and concurrence having ever been 
 asked. Such conduct to so great a man, and 
 to whom Spain was so deeply indebted, can 
 certainly admit of no justification. It arose 
 doubtless from a characteristic national pride, 
 from a want of common sense in action which 
 seems equally characteristic, and from a 
 jealousy, not wholly unnatural, of supreme 
 power lodged in a foreign commander. The 
 new officers, thus culpably appointed, ap- 
 pear to have been men of merit ; for among 
 them was Freyre, who commanded in the 
 
 GEORGE IfT. 
 
 823 
 
 action just related near St. Sebastian, and 
 certainly distinguished himself there in the 
 highest degree. In short, lord Wellington, 
 though in the first instance he addressed to 
 the regency a letter full of just indignation, 
 had the magnanimity not to suffer these 
 private wrongs to interfere with his exertions 
 for the public cause, and continued to con- 
 quer for the nation who thus injured him. 
 
 Every thing now indicated the intention 
 of the commander to cross the Pyrenees, and 
 carry the war into France. This measure 
 was delayed only until his rear should have 
 been secured by the fall of Pampeluna. In 
 the mean time it appeared expedient to lord 
 Wellington to cross the Bidassoa, and drive 
 the enemy from the posts which they were 
 fortifying behind that river. On the 7th of 
 October, sir Thomas Graham crossed and 
 drove the enemy from all the positions which 
 they occupied on that side. The Spanish 
 troops again distinguished themselves in the 
 most brilliant manner. At the same time the 
 right of the army attacked the enemy's en- 
 trenchments on the Puerto de Vera, and the 
 lofty mountain of La Rhnne, which they had 
 strongly fortified. This last enterprize proved 
 the most formidable of any. It was con- 
 ducted by general Giron, who now com- 
 manded the Andalusian army. These troops 
 mounted till they came to the hermitage at 
 the top, which they in vain attempted to 
 carry. Lord Wellington, on reconnoitring 
 the ground next day, determined to continue 
 the attack of the hermitage, with that of the 
 entrenched camp of Sane behind it. Ac- 
 cordingly the positions which formed the 
 strength of that camp having been carried,, 
 the enemy withdrew on the following ni<iht, 
 both from it and from the hermitage. The 
 object was now accomplished ; France was 
 entered ; and that territory, which for twenty 
 years had never been trodden by hostile foot, 
 now saw a mighty invading army established 
 within its frontier. 
 
 On the 31st of October, Pampeluna sur- 
 rendered, after a blockade of four months. 
 The garrison became prisoners of war, and 
 all the artillery and stores were given up. 
 It was satisfactory to find that the enemy had 
 not attempted to prolong the defence by any 
 \ iolation of the laws of war, in regard tc 
 supplying the inhabitants with food, and
 
 S^^ "'C'P'^nV OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXIV- 
 
 that none of the latter had been suffered to die j jyround Avhich they l>Aa occupied in possession 
 of famine. ; of the allied army. 
 
 Nothing now detained lord Wellington; As the action of this day consisted wholly 
 from pushing his victorious career into \ in the storming of entrenched positions, and 
 France; and the French, who had so lately 5 lasted from daylight till dark, the loss was 
 aimed at the entire subjugation of the penin- ; necessarily considerable. It consisted of 2500 
 sula, sought oidy to defend the approaches <tfi British and Portuguese killed and wounded 
 their own territory. They formed two sue- 5 besides Spaniards, of whose loss no regular 
 cessive lines of defence, the one along the ! account has been given. 
 
 river Nivelle, the other immediately in front > The enemy now retired into his last line of 
 of Bayonne. These, ever since tlie battle of; defence, which was formed by the entrenched 
 Vittoria, tiiey had been diligently employed ; camp in front of Bayonne. The left occupied 
 in fortifying; and till they were driven from ; the peninsula formed by the confluence of 
 them, the British could not advance into the ; the Adour and the Nive, fi-om whence it 
 interior of the kingdom. The better to pro- ; communicated with the army of Catalonia, 
 vide for its defence, a decree had been recently ; The right and centre extended from the left 
 passed, by which a new levy of 30,000 con- ! bank of theNive to the Adour belowBayonne; 
 scripts was to be drawn from the provinces ; and the front was here defended by an im- 
 immediately bordering on the Pyrenees ; and ; passable morass. Lord Wellinglon, on sur- 
 the reinforcements thence derived were be- ! veying a position thus defended by nature 
 ginning to. arrive. ; and art, judged it impregnable Dgainst any 
 
 Lord Wellington's advance was delayed i direct attack. The only means by which the 
 for a few days by the heavy rains, and con- ; enemy couUl be driven from it was by a 
 sequent state of the roads; but on the 10th ; movement to the right, to threaten his rear 
 the whole army was brought forward, and I and his communications with France. Opera- 
 was enabled to commence its attack upon the ; tionswereagain delayed by thecondition of the 
 French entrenched position along the Nivelle. ; roads ; but on the 8th of December generals 
 Their right was on the Spanish side of the ; Hill and Beresford were directed to cross the 
 river, in front of St. Jean de Lux ; while the % Nive with two divisions. The passage wa.s ef- 
 centre and left extended along the opposite ; fected almost without opposition ; the enemy 
 side, and occupied the villages and nioun- ; lost their coujuiunication with St. Jean Pied ■ 
 tains situated upon its bank. The right had » de Port, and were driven towards Bayonne. 
 been fortified so strongly that an attack in ; A detachment, which endeavoured to main- 
 front was judged impracticable, but it could 5 tain the town of Ville Franche, was expelled 
 be turned, if the centre were made to give ; by the 8th Portuguese regiment, and general 
 way. Against the centre therefore the main ; Hill placed his right upon the Adour. 
 attack was directed. It was conducted by j Soult could not be insensible, that unless 
 three British and one Spanish division, under ; some vigorous measures were taken to arrest 
 generals Cole, St. Cyr, Colville, and Giron ; ; this movement, his positions would soon be 
 and after a desperate resistance, the enemy ; no longer tenable. Not only would he lose 
 were driven from all the strong and fortified i his connnunication with France, but the 
 positions which they there occupied. At the i navigation of the Adour, by which his sup- 
 same time generals Clinton and Hamilton ; pile's were transmitted, would be in the hands 
 drove them from those which they occupied on ; of the enemy. He determined instantly 
 the left. All the heights on tl>e Nivelle being ; upon the most vigorous operations. His 
 thus carried, and the enemy's centre driven ; project was, with his whole force, to attack 
 back, loid Wellington immediately direct- ' that part of the allied army which had not 
 ed troops to advance upon the rear of their > passed the Nive, and thus induce them to 
 right, but before this movement could Ije-recal their advanced divisions. With this 
 completely followed out, night intervened. | view he concentrated his troops, leaving 
 The enemy took advantage of the darkness ; merely a sufhcient nnnd)er to defend the 
 to (piit tlieir impregnable position, and re- j works opjiosite to general Hill, and on the 
 tired upon Bidart, leaving the whole of the ^ morning of the 10th, made a most dcsperattf
 
 cnkP. LXiv.. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 827 
 
 attack upon the British left under general 
 Hope. He was repulsed with loss ; and, 
 after the action, two German regiments went 
 over to the allies. New attacks took place 
 in the afternoon of tiie following day and the 
 morning of the 12th, always with the same 
 result. The enemy were uniformly repulsed, 
 and general Hill continued to extend his line 
 from tlie Niveto the Adour. 
 
 SouLT having failed in this point of attack, 
 resolved to direct his efforts now against that 
 wing of the allied army which had crossed the 
 jVive. WJth this view, he passed a large 
 force through Bayonne to the other side of 
 that river, and on the morning of the 13th 
 made a desperate attack on the British right 
 under general Hill. Lord Wellington, fore- 
 seeing this attempt, had sent two divisions, 
 and part of a third, to reinforce that portioiv 
 of the army ; but, before their arrival, the 
 contest was decided : general Hill alone had 
 defeated the enemy, and driven him hack 
 upon Bayonne. 
 
 The British army being now completely 
 established upon the Adour, Soult found it 
 1)0 longer advisable to maintain his position 
 in fr.ont of Bayonne. He left his entrenched 
 camp, therefore, marched up the river towards 
 
 Dax, and estaWished himself on the small 
 river Gave, which falls into the Adour. Lord 
 Wellington had thus attained the object pro- 
 posed by these operations, the success or 
 which seems merited by the depth with which 
 they were planned, and the able and judicious 
 manner in which all the movements were 
 combined. 
 
 No further operations took place during 
 the present year ; and liiis campaign may 
 therefore be considered as closed. Never, in 
 the days of her former glory, had the British 
 risen to so lofty a height. Two great king 
 doms were at once delivered from slavery ; 
 and the power which lately threatened to 
 overwhelm them and all Europe together, 
 now saw her own frontier passed, defended 
 as it was by the mightiest barriers of art and 
 nature. Britain was not without co-opera 
 tion on the part of those for whom she fought ; 
 yet was this co-operation such as to leave to 
 her almost entire the glory of so splendid 
 a triumph. The same power, whose standard 
 had continued still unfurled, while all Europe 
 bent beneath the tyrant, was now the first to 
 inflict upon him this extreme and signal hu- 
 miliation.
 
 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1813.] 
 
 Loss of his Majesty's Frigate the Java, to the American Jive gun-Ship the Constitution — Gal- 
 laut hut tiufortunate exploit of Captain Irby — Vicissitudes of t lie Naval contest ivith America 
 and France — 'Declaration against America — Fhe Campaign in Canada and on Lake Erie- 
 Domestic events — Sentence upon the Himtsfor a Libel on the Prince Regent — Parliamentary 
 proceedings — State of Parties. 
 
 THE first of the naval events of the pre- 
 sent year was disastrous, but honour- 
 able to the British arms. His majesty's 
 frigate Java, captain Lambert, bound to the 
 East Indies, with lieutenant-general Heslop, 
 and the officers of his stafl'on board, descried, 
 on December 29th, 1812, oft' St. Salvador, 
 on the coast of Brazil, a strange sail, to which 
 she gave chace. The ship proved to be the 
 American frigate Constitution, which, short- 
 ening sail about two o'clock in the afternoon, 
 came into action. The American manoeuvred 
 for some time to avoid close combat, aiming 
 by firing high, to disable the masts of his an- 
 tagonists, in which he obtained some suc- 
 cess, having shot away the head of the bow- 
 sprit with the jib-boom of the Java, and much 
 injured the running rigging. Captain Lam- 
 bert, finding the enemy's raking fire very 
 heavy, ordered him to be laid on board ; but i 
 this was rendered impracticable by further | 
 damages to the masts and rigging, which left { 
 his ship quite unmanageable, with most of i 
 the starboard guns useless, from the wreck » 
 lying over them. At half past three, the | 
 captain received a dangerous wound, which > 
 obliged him to be carried below. From this \ 
 time till a quarter past four, the Java could 
 only fire two or three guns ; but her mizen 
 mast then being shot away, she fell off, and 
 many of her starboard guns were brought to 
 bear. The two ships were now brought 
 broadside to broadside, and both continued 
 
 to fight for some time in this position. The 
 Constitution then made sail ahead out of 
 gun-shot, to repair her damages, leaving the 
 Java a wreck, with only the main mast stand- 
 ing, and that tottering. Every attempt was 
 however made to put her in a state for re- 
 newing the action, but the main mast fell 
 over the side, and the star-board guns were 
 nearly all covered. The enemy now standing 
 forwards to make an attack, and preparing 
 to take a raking position, Mr. Chuds, the 
 first lieutenant, consulted his officers, whether, 
 in their disabled condition, with great part 
 of their crew killed or wounded, it would be 
 justifiable to waste more lives in continuing 
 a fruitless defence. The result was, that 
 they agreed in the painful necessity of striking 
 their colours ; and their victor, commodore 
 Bainbridge, gave a testimony of the des- 
 perate state to which .their ship was reduced, 
 by ordering her to be set on fire as soon as 
 the wounded were removed. The loss on 
 board the Java was very severe in officers and 
 men, and the gallant captain Lambert died 
 in consequence of his wounds a few days 
 after, and was interred with all military 
 honours in fort St. Pedro. The loss on 
 board the Constitution was also considerable. 
 The respective force of the ships was ; Java, 
 guns 46; weight of metal, 1034ib ; crew and 
 supernumeries, 377 : Constitution, guns 6o ; 
 weight of metal, 1490lb ; crew, 480. It 
 scarcely needs be added, after this relation^
 
 CHAP. LXV.J GEOnCE Ifl. 82.9 
 
 that the surving officers of the Java were most i turn of killed and since dead, was 51 ; of 
 honourably acquitted of blame for the sur- | wounded, 95. Among the former were three 
 render of their ship. ! lieutenants, and lieutenant Pascoe, of the 
 
 An action in which a serious loss was sus- \ Daring. Captain Irby was severely wounded, 
 tained, with no other advantage than the | He immediately proceeded homewards, and 
 gallant repulse of a superior foe, occurred in j arrived at Spithead on March 22nd, 
 an engagement between his majesty's ship i A brilliant service performed by the 
 Amelia, the honourable captain Irby, and a | Sicilian flotilla under the command of cap- 
 French frigate, off the coast of Africa. Cap- 1 tain Hall, aided by a part of the 75th regi- 
 tain Irby, being about to quit Sierra Leone < ment, was reported by sir Edward Pellew, 
 river at the close of January, was informed by -t the admiral in the Mediterranean, in the 
 lieutenant Pascoe, of the Daring gun-brig, ! month of March. Captain Hall, in a letter to 
 that he had been obliged to run his vessel on 5 lord William Bentinck, relates, that the 
 shore, and blow her up, in consequence of} enemy, having thrown up new works at 
 being chased by a French frigate, which, with | Pietra Nera, on the coast of Calabria, con- 
 two consorts, he had left at anchor off the j tided sr much in their strength, that a convoy 
 De Loss islands. Captain Irby despatched i of 50 armed vessels assembled to transport 
 lieutenant Pascoe to reconnoitre, who brought > timber and other government property to 
 intelligence that the force of the enemy was i Naples. On receiving this intelligence, cap- 
 two frigates of the largest class, L'Aretheuse | tain Hall, on the night of February .14th. pro- 
 and Le Rubis, with a Portuguese ship, their ; ceeded with two divisions of the flotilla, and 
 prize. Captain Irby, thereupon, determined I four companies of the 75th regiment, coin- 
 to cruize off those islands iu order to fall -in j manded by major Stuart, and arriving at day- 
 wiih any other English ships of war that J light, landed about 150 of the soldiers, with 
 might be coming down the coast, and protect ; an auxiliary party of seamen under the com- 
 the trade to Sierra Leone. One of the French j mandof lieutenant Le Hunt. Major Stewart 
 frigates stood out to sea on February 6th • \ immediately led them to occupy a height de- 
 and on the next day the other stood towards i fended by a whole battalion, w ith two troops 
 the Amelia, which had been lying off the > of cavalry, and two pieces of artillery. A 
 island of Tainara in the night. Captain Irby, ; most determined attack was made, which 
 with the hope of drawing her from her con- ; was resisted till the enemy's commander and 
 sort, continued standing to sea till sun-set, | most of his officers were killed or made 
 when, not perceiving the other ship from the ; prisoners, and the height was covered with 
 mast head, he shortened sail, wore, and stood > their dead. The flotilla, under captain Im- 
 to her. At forty-five minutes past seven, p. \ bert, in the mean time, was cannonading the 
 m. the two antagonists began firing within | batteries, which held out till they were 
 pistol-shot, and the action continued till | stormed by lieutenant Le Hunt with liis sea- 
 twenly-one minutes past eleven, when the > men. Every thing now came into the pos- 
 French frigate bore away, leaving the Amelia ; session of the assailants, who launched the 
 in an ungovernable condition, with her sails ; most valuable of the vessels and timber, and 
 and rigging cut to pieces, and her masts in- ; set the rest on fire. Of the enemy, 150 were 
 jured. During the action, the Amelia twice ! killed, and 163 wounded, and their guns 
 fell on board the enemy in attempting to | were taken. The loss of the victors was com- 
 thwart his hawse, when he made eflbrts to ; paratively trifling ; but the gallant major 
 board, but was repulsed. "The superior | Stewart was unfortunately killed by a musket- 
 force of the enemy, (says captain Irby,) the ; shot as he was pushing off from shore after 
 considerable quantity of gold dust we have i the re-embarkation of the troops, 
 on board, as well as the certainty of the other \ Another successful enterprize, in which 
 frigate coming up, would have prevented my ; the land and sea forces were conjointly en- 
 seeking a renewal of the action, if it had not 5 gaged, was the capture of the isle of Ponza, 
 been totally impracticable." The slaughter 5 ofl'the gulf of Gaeta, on the Neapolitan coast, 
 on board the Amelia was too good a proof, j Captain Napier, of the Thames, having takeo 
 together with the disabling of the ship, how \ on board lieutenant-colonel Coffin, jtud the 
 well the eneray'ii guns were served. The re- • 2nd,battalion of the 10th regiment, arrived off
 
 SlM) 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. LXV. 
 
 Ponza, accompanied by the Furieuse, on 
 Febiuarv 23rd. The harbour of the island 
 is about a qua-ter of a mile \vide, with a 
 mole at the extrcLiiity, defended by four bat- 
 teries, mountnig- Jen 24 and 18-pounders, and 
 two mortars. It was agreed, as the shortest 
 way of accompiishiiig their purpose, that the 
 two ships should be run into the mole, and 
 the place carrieol by assault. The weather 
 was unfavourable till the morning of the "ifith, 
 -when the ships bore up in close order with 
 a line breeze. Tiie enemy were prepared, 
 and opened their tire half an hour before the 
 ship's guns could be brought to bear, but with 
 little effect ; and when the ships began to fire 
 on bolii sides, the defenders soon retreated 
 into a strong tower. Colonel Coffin then land- 
 ed, and puslied his men for the tower ; but' 
 the conunandant, not waiting for the assault,' 
 hoisted a flag of truce, and capitulated, the | 
 garrison remaining prisoners of war. In this | 
 affair not a man was lost in either service. j 
 To the disasters which the American war | 
 has brought on the British navy, must be \ 
 added that of the destruction of the sloop of | 
 war, Peacock, of 18 guns. Captain Lawrence, | 
 of.tlie American sloop of war, Hornet, relates : 
 that on cruizmg from the coast of Surinam 5 
 to that of Demarara, after making the latter, \ 
 on the morning of February 24th, he discover- ; 
 ed a vessel at anchor, apparently an English i 
 brig of war. In beating round a bank in • 
 order to get to her, he descried another sail * 
 on his weather quarter, and edging down to ^ 
 him. This proved to be the Peacock ; and, j 
 after some manceuvring to get the weather- 5 
 gage, in which the American succeeded, the ! 
 action commenced about half past five, p.m. | 
 Captain Lawrence ran his antagonist close ! 
 on board on the starboard quarter, and kept » 
 up .so heavy a fire that in less than 15 minutes » 
 by his own account, but, that of some Eng- 5 
 lish who escaped, after an action of 45 minutes, | 
 she surrendered by hoisting a signal of dis- ; 
 tress. On sending a lieutenant on board the i 
 Peacock, it was found that her commander, ; 
 captain Peake, was killed, and many other ; 
 officers and men killed and wounded,' and j 
 that the ship was sinking fast, having six feet j 
 Avater in her hold. Notwithstanding every } 
 endeavour to keep hev afloat till the prisoners 5 
 Avere removed, she went down, carrying with ; 
 her thirteen of her crew, and three American i 
 Bailors. Four of her men had previously ; 
 
 taken her stern boat and got to land. The 
 Peacock was considered as one of the finest 
 vessels of her class, and appears to have 
 entered into the action with confidence of 
 success. The Hornet, however, was of some- 
 what superior force, and her fire, like that of 
 all the American ships which have engaged 
 the British, seems to have been truly formi- 
 dable. 
 
 Captain Black, of the VVeazle sloop of 
 war, sent an account from Lissa, on the coast 
 of Dalmatia, that on April 2.3rd he gave chase 
 to an enemy's convoy, making for the ports of 
 Tiau and Spalatro. The greater part of them, 
 with ten gun boats, bore up for the bay of 
 Boscaline, where he attacked them under a 
 fire of two guns, and 200 or .300 musketry. 
 Six of the gun boats were taken, driven on 
 shoie, and sunk, when four more arrived and 
 took part in the action, and running behind 
 a point, kept a galling fire with grape upon 
 the Weazle's people. After dark, boats were 
 sent in which destroyed all the gun-boats, 
 and eight sail of the convoy. 
 
 Admiral sir J. B. Warren, being of opinion 
 that a flotilla of small vessels might be use- 
 fully employed in penetrating the rivers at the 
 head of Chesapeake bay, detached, in April, 
 rear-admiral Cockbiu'n with a light squadron 
 for that purpose. This officer reported, on 
 the 29th, a successful attempt by the Fautome 
 and Mohawk on French town, a consider- 
 able distance up the Elk river, where was a 
 depot of stores. A resistance was made by a 
 six gun battery, but it was abandoned, and 
 the town and stores left to their fate. The 
 latter, consisting of flour and army neces- 
 saries, together with five vessels, were burnt. 
 Admiral Cockburne's second report, on May 
 3rd, gives an accomit of an attack upon 
 Havre de Grace, a place at the entrance of 
 the Susquehanna, where the Americans had 
 erected a battery. The attack was made by 
 two divisions of seamen and marines, who 
 drove the enemy from the battery and town, 
 set fire to some houses of the latter, and then 
 proceeded to a cannon foundry at some 
 distance, which they entirely destroyed, with 
 a number of guns, and also took 130 stand of 
 arms. A third report frcmi Sassafras river 
 relates successful attacks upon George town 
 and Frederick's town. A body of 400 militia- 
 men by whom they were defended was soon 
 dispersed, and the villages were destroyed,
 
 CHAP. LXV] GEORGE III. 831 
 
 with the exception of the lioiises of some 
 peareable iniia'oitants who took no part in the 
 hostilities. Some other places in which there 
 were no public stores or property, and no 
 preparations made for resistance, were spared ; 
 and thus tlie expedition terniinoted. 
 
 The capture of his majesty's sloop of war, 
 Vincejo, on the coast of Britany, by a French 
 flotilla of 17 gun-brigs and luggers, on May 
 8th, after a vigorous, but unavailing, resis- 
 tance against so disproportioned a force, was 
 another of the smaller disasters of the British 
 
 perceiving that the men were flinching from 
 tb.eirguns, he gave orders for boarding, and 
 (though he does not mention it) himself set 
 the example of leaping into the adverse ship. 
 In an instant the assailants appointed for the 
 service rushed in upon the enemy's decks, 
 driving all before them with inesistsble fury. 
 The Americans opposed a desperate but 
 disorderly resistance; and after a sanguinary 
 confiict of only two minutes they were beaten 
 from every post. The American colours were 
 > hauled down, and " the proud old British 
 
 navy. \ union floated triumphant over it." In another 
 
 The time, however, now approached in 5 minute they ceased firing from below, and 
 which the British flag was to receive a larger » called for quarter ; and the whole action wa.s 
 share of its accustomed honors from that foe 5 completed in fifteen minutes from its com- 
 against whom its glory had suffered a tempo- J mencement. So short had been the firing, and 
 rary eclipse. Captain P. V. Broke, of his j so much directed to immediate effect, that 
 majesty's frigate Shannon, whose station was I both ships came out from the engagement in 
 ofi' the port of Boston, had been singularly | beautiful order, their rigging undamaged, as 
 assiduous in exercising his men at great and ; if they had only been exchanging a salute, 
 small arms, and bringing them into a state of; Though nothing could be more entire and 
 the most perfect discipline. In that harbour ; glorious than the success, captain Broke had 
 lay the United States frigate, Chesapeake, ; to lament the loss of many gallant conn-ades. 
 captain Lawrence, a fine ship of 49 guns, ; He himself received a severe wound in the 
 18 and 32-pounders, with a complement of | head from a sabre. His first lieutenant. Air. 
 440 men. For this vessel captain Broke had ; Watt, was unfortunately shot in the very act 
 long been watching, desirous only of con- ^ of hoisting the victorious colours. The 
 tending with it on fiiir terms ; and that the ; whole loss was 23 killed, and 50 wounded, 
 enemy might not be prevented from coming ; out of a erew of 330. The enemy had about 
 out by the apprehension of having more than ; 70 killed, and 100 wounded. Among the 
 one antagonist to deal with, on the 1st of ; former were the four lieutenants, a lieutenant 
 June he stood close in with Boston light ; of the marines, the master, and many other 
 house, presenting himself as a challenger to j officers. Captain Lawrence died of his 
 single combat. He soon had the pleasure (to ; wounds at Halif;ix, where he was honourably 
 use his own expressioti) of seeing the Chesa- ; interred. The humiliating feelings of the 
 peake stand out of the harbour for the pur- j numerous spectators on shore, who, instead 
 pose of accepting the proffered contest. ; of a new triumph, saw their gallant ship in 
 (,'aptain Broke took a position between cape | so shout a time led away captive, may easily 
 .\ur and cape Cod, and then hove to, that j be conceived. A supposed explosion in the 
 nis antagonist might join him. The Ameri- I Chesapeake at a critical moment, i.<i meii- 
 can came down in a very handsome manner, j tioned by the Americans in excuse of their 
 with three of his national colours flying, full | defeat ; but of this no notice appears in the 
 of confidence, and, it is said, so certain of | narrative of captain Broke, whose success 
 .shortly returning victorious into port, that he | was obviously owing to a superiority of 
 had neglected to provide accommodations on ; courage and discipline. 
 
 board for the wounded, which was the cause J REAR-admiral Cockburne having received 
 of so much subsequent distress. The action ; directions from- sir J. B. Warren to put an end 
 })cgan at half past five, p. m. both ships steer- j to the commerce carried on by the Americans 
 ing full under top sails. After the exchange ; from the port of Dcracoke, in north Carolina, 
 of two or three broadsides, the Chesapeake | by means of inland navigation, and to destroy 
 fell on board the Shannoii, and thev were ; any vessels vvhich might be in that harbour, 
 locked together. Captain Broke went for- j anchored off the bar on July 11th, with a 
 ward to ascertain the enemy's position, and : light squadron, liaving on board delach- 
 
 5 o 53
 
 832 
 
 IIISTOUY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LX7. 
 
 ments of troops under lieutenant-colonel 
 Napier, and proceeded to put the design into 
 execution. Tliree divisions of boats and 
 smal.l vessels, with seamen and soldiers, being- 
 equipped, were sent into the harbour on the 
 moniing of the 12th, when a tire was opened 
 upon them by two armed vessels, the Anna- 
 conda sloop of 18 guns, and a schooner. They 
 were however soon silenced and taken pos- 
 session of by the first division of boats ; and 
 tlie troops landing upon the islands of Ports- 
 mouth and Ocracoke, became masters of 
 them without opposition, and thus command 
 was obtained of the channel between them 
 and the coast, through which the inland navi- 
 gation was conducted. 
 
 The adventurous spirit of British seamen 
 and marines, when acting on shore, has 
 seldom been more strikingly displayed than 
 in the capture of Fiunie in the gulf of Venice. 
 Admiral Freemantle reports to sir Edward 
 Pellew, that on July 2nd, with the squadron 
 under his command, he anchored opposite 
 Fiume, which was defended by four batte- 
 ries, mounting 15 heavy guns. On the 3rd 
 the ships weighed to attack the sea line of 
 batteries, whilst a detachment of seamen and 
 marines was to storm at the mole head. The 
 wind permitted only one ship to get up, which 
 silenced the second battery ; when the signal 
 being made to storm, captain Rowley, at the 
 head of the marines, carried the fort, and 
 captain Hoste took the first battery. Captain 
 Rowley, without loss of time, dashed on 
 through the town, disregarding the fire from 
 the windows, and a field j)iece placed in the 
 centre of the principal street ; and the sea- 
 men and marines drove the enemy before 
 them with his field piece, till he came to the' 
 square, where he made another stand, taking 
 po*t in a large house. From this he was at 
 length expelled ; and the different parlies of 
 assailants making a junction, the batteries, 
 field pieces, stores, and shipping were taken 
 possession of, the governor, oflicers, and sol- 
 diers of the garrison having all fled from the 
 town. This success was obtained with a 
 very trifling loss : and it was highly to the 
 credit of captains Rowley and Hoste, that 
 although the town was stormed in every 
 part, not an individual was plundered, nor 
 was any thing taken away except what was 
 afloat, and in the government stores. Of 
 90 vessels captured, more than half were re- 
 
 stored to their owners, 4.3 were sent to Lissa, 
 laden with oil, grain, powder, and merchan- 
 dize. A number of guns were rendered use- 
 less, and others were carried away, and 500 
 stand of arms, with powder and military 
 stores, were destroyed. On the 5th, the ships 
 moved to Porte Re, the forts of which had 
 been abandoned by the enemy. The destruc- 
 tion of the guns, works, &c. being completed 
 by the seamen, the squadron returned to its 
 station. 
 
 An instance of similar enterprise was re- 
 ported on August 18th by captain Usher, ©f 
 the Undaunted, ofi' Marseilles. An attack 
 was made on the batteries of Casris, between 
 that port and Toulon, protecting a bay in 
 which were a number of small vessels covered 
 by gun-boats. Light winds not permitting 
 the Undaunted to take her intended anchor- 
 age, the whole business was effected by a 
 party of marines under captain Coghlan, who 
 carried the citadel battery by escalade, and 
 drove the French at the bayonet's point from 
 all their defences to the heights above the 
 place ; after which the mole was entered by 
 the ship's boats, and all the vessels within it 
 were brought out or destroye*!. 
 
 The capture of an American sloop of war 
 in St. George's channel by an English vessel 
 of the same force, gave another timely proof 
 that the superiority of British seamanship 
 was still no empty boast. Captain Maples, 
 of the Pelican sloop of war, being directed by 
 admiral Thoirnborough to cruize for the pro- 
 tection of the "rade, descried on the morning 
 of August 14th, ofi' St. David's head a vessel 
 on fire, and a brig standing from her. He 
 immediately made chase, and at half past 
 five, p. m. came along side of the United 
 States sloop, Argus, of J 8 twenty-four pound 
 carronades, and 2 long twelve pounders. 
 After a warm action on both sides of forty 
 three minutes, the Pelican was in the act of 
 boarding, when the American struck her 
 colours. Her loss in killed anil w«9unded 
 amounted to about 40, among whom was her 
 commander. That of the victor was only 
 2 killed and 5 wounded ; so that in this in- 
 instance the superiority of fire was clearly on 
 the side of the English ship, whose comple- 
 ment of men was 1 10, whilst that of her anta- 
 gonist was 127. 
 
 The gulf of Cataro was the scene of some 
 spirited actions in October, in which the British
 
 CHAP. LXV.J GEORGE III. 8,33 
 
 navy displayed its usual enterprise. Captain ; C. Cole took on board the greater part of the 
 Hoste, in the Bacchante, joining the Saracen, | prisoners, and towed her into port. No great 
 captain Harper, and tinee gun boats, off" Ra- ; loss of men was sustained on either side ; 
 giisa, on October 12th, having been informed ; and the principal credit of the action was' 
 ot the state of the country about Cataro, and i given to captain Macdonald for his perse- 
 the ins.urrection of the Boccliese, or people of; verance in attending on the enemy's motions, 
 the Bocche (months) of the gulf, proceeded | A success of a siniihir kind was obtained 
 thither on the 13th, and forcing the passage i in the same month by the capture of the 
 between the Castel Nouva, and the fort of »; frigate La Trave, of 28 French eighteen 
 Rosa, anchored his squadron above Castel > pounders and 10 eighteen pound carronades, 
 Nouva. In the evening he detached the ; with a crew of .321 men, nearly all Dutch, 
 boats of the two ships and two Sicilian gun- j While sailmg under jury masts,' near tlie en- 
 boats, under the command of captain Harjjer, i trance of the English Channel, she was chased 
 to capture the enemy's naval force lying be- I on October 23rd, by the Andromache, cap- 
 tvveen St. George's island and the town of | tain Tobin, upon which she opened a fire 
 Cataro, in which he completely succeeded. ! from her stern guns ; but it was not returned 
 He then attacked and carried the island of! till a position was taken by the Andromache 
 St. George, the commandant and garrison of; in her weather quarter. She made a feeble 
 which surrendered at discretion; and thus ; resistance for about fifteen minutes, and then 
 an important post was gained, commanding ; struck her colours ; and her captor observes, 
 the narrow channel leading to Cataro itself. ; that such was the disabled state of her masts 
 On the 16th, Castel Nicova and fort Es- ; previously to the encounter, that any further 
 pagnol surrendered to the British force, the ; opposition would have been the extreme of 
 garrison remaining prisoners of war. Several ; rashness. 
 
 gun-boats, and a quantity of stores, were J The part taken by the British squadron 
 taken in this expedition, and the blockade > commanded by captain Farquhar of the 
 of Cataro by sea and land was the result. ; Desiree, in reducing the French batteries 
 
 A SUCCESS over a foe, little capable indeed 5 near the mouth of tlie Elbe, is reported by 
 of resistance, was reported in the same month ! that officer in a letter dated off Cuxhaven, 
 by captain sir Christopher Cole, of the Rip- ; December 1st, In co-operation with a body 
 poB. The Frigate Le Wesser, of 44 guns ; of Russian troops, a line of gun-boats can- 
 and 340 men, lost her main and mizen masts ; nonaded fort Napoleon on November 29th,^ 
 in a hard gale on October 16th. On the ; and in the mean time the ships were em- 
 18th, she was fallen in with, sixty leagues to ; ployed in landing guns, and constrKcting a 
 the West of Ushant, steering under jury masts ; seaman's battery within 400 yards of the 
 for Brest, by his majesty's sloop Scylla, cap- j strong battery of Phare, or Cuxhaven. This 
 tain Macdonald, who kept her in view till the ; was completed on the 30th, but before it 
 20th, when he met with the sloop Royalist, J began to fire, a flag of truce was hoisted by 
 captain Bremer, Avho volunteered to join him ! the enemy, and both batteries were surren- 
 in an attack of the enemy. The two sloops > dered, mounting 26 heavy guns and two mor- 
 bore up in close order, the Scylla on the ; tars, with a block-house and a garrison of 
 quarter, and the royalist on the bow of the > 310 men, who becauie prisoners of war. 
 frigate, and commenced an action, which'.; Within the last two days, (says captain 
 continued an hour and a half; when their > Farquhar,) the small detachment of Russian, 
 eails and rigging being much cut, they drew, « troops, commanded by colonel Rodinger, 
 cflfto repair damages. A man of war then 5 assisted by his majesty's squadron, have re- 
 appearing in sight, the Royalistwas despatched ; duced four strong batteries, consisting of 
 to convey intelligence of the situation of af- ; 50 heavy guns, 4 mortars, and 800 men and. 
 fairs ; and at day-light on the 31st, the Rip- ; officers, all made prisoners of war. Thissuc- 
 pon took the advantage of a breeze to close | cess was obtained without any loss on the 
 with the etiemy. The Le Wesser bore ufi ; part of the navy, and a trifling one on that of 
 to the Rippon and struck her colours, after ; the Russians." 
 
 having exchanged two broadsides with the > The events recorded in the preceding de- 
 Scylla. She was so much crippled, that sir ; tail of naval operations, w ill demonstralc that 
 
 5o2
 
 834 
 
 IIISTOIIV O!' ENGLAND. 
 
 :CHAP. LXV. 
 
 the boasts of American prowess on the ocean 
 were transitory, and disproportionate to the 
 occurrences on which they founded their ex- 
 ultation. Nor were the circumstances of 
 tlie campaign on land more creditable to their 
 valour or more propitious to their hopes. In 
 the mean time the policy of England was jus- 
 tified in the eyes of Europe by the following 
 important exposition from the oen of lord 
 Liverpool. 
 
 Supplement to the London Gazette. 
 Sulurday, January Qtli, 1813. 
 
 DECLARATION. 
 
 The earnest endeavours of the prince re- 
 gent to preserve the relations of peace and 
 amity with the United States of America 
 having unfortunately ffiled, his royal high- 
 ness, acting in the name and on the behalf of 
 his majesty, deems it proper publicly to de- 
 clare the causes and origin of the war, in 
 which the government of the United States 
 has compelled him to engage. 
 
 No desire of conquest, or other ordinary 
 motive of aggression has been, or can be 
 Avith any colour of reason, in this case, im- 
 puted to Great Britain : that her conunercial 
 interests were on the side of peace, if war 
 could have been avoided, without the sacri- 
 fice of her maritime rights, or without an 
 injurious submission to France, is a truth 
 which the American government will not deny. 
 
 His royal highness does not, however, 
 mean to rest on the favourable presumption to 
 which he is entitled. He is prepared by an 
 exposition of the circumstances which have 
 led to the present war, to show that Great 
 Britain has throughout acted towards the 
 United States of America, >vith a spirit of 
 amity, forbearance, and conciliation ; and to 
 demonstrate the inadmissible nature of those 
 pretensions, which have at length unhappily 
 involved the two countries in war. 
 
 It is well known to the world, that it has 
 been tlie invariable object of the ruler of 
 France, to destroy the power and inde- 
 pendence of the British empire, as the chief 
 obstacle to the accomphshment of his am- 
 bitious designs. 
 
 He urst contemplated the possibility of 
 assemblmg such a naval force in the Channel 
 as, combined with a numerous flotilla, should 
 
 enable him to disembark in England an army 
 suflicient, in his conception, to subjug'ate this 
 country ; and through the conquest of Great 
 Britain he hoped to realize his project of 
 universal empire. 
 
 By the adoption of an enlarged and provi- 
 dent system of internal defence, and by the 
 valour of his majesty's fleets and armies, this 
 desiirn was entirelv frustrated ; and the naval 
 force of France, after the most signal defeats, 
 was compelled to retire from the ocean. 
 
 An attempt was then made to eflectuate 
 the same purpose by other means : a system 
 was brought forward, by which the ruler of 
 France hoped to annihilate the conmierce of 
 Great Britain, to shake her public credit, and 
 to destroy her revenue ; to render useless her 
 maritime superiority, and so to avail himself 
 of his continental ascendancy, .as to consti- 
 tute himself, in a great measure, the arbiter 
 of the ocean, notwithstanding the destruction 
 oft his fleets. 
 
 With this view, by the decree of Berlin, 
 followed by that of Milan, he declared the 
 British territories to be in a state of block- 
 ade; and that all commerce, or even corres- 
 pondence with Great Britain, was prohibited. 
 He decreed that every vessel and cargo which 
 had entered, or was found proceeding to a 
 British port, or which, under any circum- 
 stances, had been visited by a British ship 
 of war, should be lawful prize: he declared 
 all British goods and produce, wherever 
 found, and however acquired, whether coming 
 from the mother country, or from her colo- 
 nies, subject to confiscation : he further de- 
 clared to be denationalized, the flag of all 
 neutral ships that should be found ofiend- 
 ing against these his decrees : and he gave 
 to this project of universal tyranny the name 
 of the Continental Sj'stem. 
 
 For these attempts to ruin the commerce 
 of Great Britain, by means subversive of the 
 clearest rights of neutral nations, France en- 
 deavoured in vain to rest her justiticatiou 
 upon the previous conduct of his majesty's 
 
 government. 
 
 Under circumstances of unparalleled pro- 
 vocation, his majesty !iad abstained from any 
 measure, which the ordinary rules of the law 
 of nations did not fully warrant. Never was 
 the maritime superiority of a belligerent over 
 his enemy, more complete and decided. Never 
 was the opposite belligerent so formidably
 
 CHAP. LXV.] GEORGE III. 83-J 
 
 dangerous in his power, and in his policy to 5 Britain, or her dependencies. At the same time 
 the liberties of all other nations. France had 5 his majesty intimated his readiness to repeal 
 already trampled so openly and systeniati- ; the orders in council, whenever France should 
 (•ally on the most sacred rights of neutral; rescind her decrees, and return to the acas- 
 powers, as might well have justified the | tomed principles of maritime warfare ; and 
 placing her out of the pale of civilized ua- < at a subsequent period, as a proof of his nia- 
 tions. \et in this extreme case Great Britain i jesty's sincere desire to accommodate, as far 
 had so used her naval ascendancy, that her | as possible, his defensive measures to the 
 enemy could find no just cause of complaint : | convenience of neutral powers, the operation 
 and in order to give to these lawless decrees i of the orders in council was, by an order is- 
 theappearanceofretaliation,therulerofFrance 5 sued in April 1809, limited to a blockade of 
 Mas obliged to advance principles of maritime $ France, and of the countries subjected to her 
 law unsanctioned by any other authority than | immediate dominion, 
 his own arbitrary will. ; Systems of violence, oppression, and ty- 
 
 Thk pretext for these decrees were, first, ; ranny, can never be suppressed, or even 
 that Great Britain had exercised the rights of I checked, if the power against which suvh 
 war ajiainst private persons, their ships, and | injustice is exercised, be debarred from the 
 goods, as if the only object of legitimate ; right of full and adequate retaliation : or, if 
 Iiostility on the ocean were t])e public pro- ; the measures of the retaliating power, are to 
 perty of a state, or as if the edicts, and the | be considered as matters of just offence to 
 courts of France itself, had not at all times | neutral nations, whilst the measures of ori- 
 eiiforced this rigiit with' peculiar rigour. ; ginal aggression and violence, are to be to- 
 Secondly, tliat the British orders of blockade j lerated with indifference, submission, or com- 
 instead of being confined to fortified towns, > placency. 
 
 had, as France asserted, been unlawfully ex- ; The government of the United States did 
 tended to commercial towns and ports, and i not fail to remonstrate against the orders in 
 to the mouths of rivers ; and thirdly, that > council of Great Britain Although they 
 they had been applied to places, and to I knew that these orders would be revoked, it 
 coasts, which neither were, nor could be : the decrees of France, which had occasioned 
 actually blockaded. The last of these charges > them, were repealed, they resolved at the same 
 is not founded on fact, whilst the others, even i moment to resist the conduct of both belli- 
 by the admission of the American government, ; gerents, instead of requiring France, in the 
 are utterly groundless in point of law. ; first instance, to rescind her decrees. Apply- 
 
 Against these degrees, his majesty pro- i ing most unjustly the same measure of re- 
 tested and appealed ; he called upon the 5 sentment to the aggressor, and to the party- 
 United States to assert their own riglits, and ; aggrieved, they adopted measures of com- 
 to vindicate their independence, thus nie- i mercial resistance against both — a system of 
 naced and attacked ; and as France had de- i resistance which, however, varied in the suc- 
 clared, that she wonld confiscate every vessel ; cessive acts of embargo, non-intercourse, or 
 which should touch in Great Britain, or be i non-importation, was evidently unequal in 
 visited by British ships of war, his majesty ; its operation, and principally levelled against 
 having previously issued the order of January I the superior commerce, and maritime power 
 1807, as an act of mitigated retaliation, was ! of Great Britain. 
 
 at length compelled, by the persevering vio- ; The same partiality towards France was 
 lence of the enemy, and the continued ac- 5 observable, in their negotiations, as in their 
 quiescence of neutral powers, to revisit, upon ; measures of alleged resistance. 
 France, in a more effectual manner, the mea- ; Amplication was made to both bellige- 
 sure of her own injustice; by declaring, in I rents for a revocation of their respective edicts; 
 an order in council, bearing date the Uth of; but the terms in which they were made were 
 November, 1807, that no neutral vessel should | widely different. - 
 
 proceed 10 France, or to any of the countries ; Of France was required a revocation only 
 from which, in obedience to the dictates of; of the Berlin and Milan decrees, although 
 France, British commerce was excluded, ; many other edicts, grossly violating the iieu- 
 without first touching at a port iu Great ; tral commerce of the United States, had been
 
 S36 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXV. 
 
 promiil{;:ated by that power. No security 
 was demanded, that the Berlin and Milan 
 decrees, even if revoked, should not under 
 some other form be re-established : and 
 a direct engagement was offered, that upon 
 such revocation, the American government 
 would take part in the war against Great 
 Britain, if Great Britain did not imme- 
 diately rescind her orders. — Whereas no cor- 
 responding engagement was offered to Great 
 Britain, of whom it was required, not only 
 that the orders in council should be repealed, 
 but that no others of a similar nature should 
 be issued, and that the blockade of May, 
 1806, should be also abandoned. This 
 blockade, established and enforced according 
 to accustomed practice, had not been object- 
 ed to by the United States at the time it was 
 issued. Its provisions were on the contrary 
 represented by the American minister resi- 
 <ient in London at the time, to have been so 
 framed, as to afford, in his judgment, a proof 
 of the triendly disposition of the British 
 cabinet towards the United States. 
 
 Great Britain was tlius called upon to 
 abandon one of her most important maritime 
 rights, by acknowleding the order of blockade 
 in question, to be one of the edicts which 
 violated the commerce of the United States, 
 although it had never been so considered in 
 the previous negotiations; and although the 
 president of the United States had recently 
 consented to abrogate the non-intercourse 
 act, on the sole condition of the orders in 
 council being revoked ; thereby distinctly 
 admitting these orders to be the only edicts 
 which fell within the contemplation of the 
 law, under which he acted. 
 
 A PROPOSITION so hostile to Great Britain 
 could not but be proportionably encouraging 
 to the pretensions of the enemy. As by thus 
 alleging that the blockade of May 1805", w^as 
 illegal, the American government virtually 
 justified, so far as depended on them, the 
 French decrees. 
 
 After this proposition had been made, the 
 French minister for foreign affairs, if not in 
 concert with tliat government, at least in con- 
 formity with its views, in a dispatch, dated 
 the 5th of August, 1810, and addressed to 
 the American minister resident at Paris, 
 stated that the Berlin and Milan decrees were 
 revoked, and that their operation w ould cease 
 . from the 1st of November following, provided 
 
 his majesty would revoke his orders in coun- 
 cil, and renounce the new principles of 
 blockade; or that the United States would 
 cause tlieir rights to be respected ; mea!)ing 
 thereby, that they would resist the retaliatory 
 measures of Great Britain. 
 
 Although the repeal of the Frnech de- 
 crees thus announced, was evidently con- 
 tingent, either on concessions to be made by 
 Great Britain, (concessions to which it was 
 obvious Great Britain could not submit,) or 
 on measures to be adopted by the United 
 States of America ; the American president 
 at once considered the I'epeal as absolute. 
 Under that pretence, the non-importation act 
 was strictly enforced against Great Britain, 
 wliilst the ships of war, and merchant ships 
 of the enemy were received into the harbours 
 of America. 
 
 The American government, assuming the 
 repeal of the French decrees to be absolute, 
 and effectual, most unjustly required Great 
 Britain, in conformity to her declarations, to 
 revoke her orders in council. The British 
 government denied that the repeal, which was 
 announced in the letter of tlie French minis- 
 ter for foreign affairs, was such as ought to 
 satisfy Great Britain ; and in order to ascer- 
 tain the true character of the measures 
 adopted by France, the government of the 
 United States was called upon to produce the 
 instrument, by which the alleged repeal of 
 the French decrees had been effected. If 
 these decrees were really revoked, such an 
 instrument must exist, and no satisfactory 
 reason could be given for withholding it. 
 
 At length, on the -2 1st of Mav 1812, 
 and not before, the American minister in 
 London did produce a copy, or at least what 
 purported to be a copy, of such an instru- 
 ment. 
 
 It professed to bear date the 28111 of April 
 1811, long subsequent to the dispatch of the 
 French minister of foreign affairs of the 5th of 
 August 1810, or even the day named therein, 
 viz. the first of November following, when the 
 operation of the French decrees was to cease. 
 This instrument expressly declared that these 
 French decrees were repealed in consequence 
 of the American legislature having, by their 
 act of the 1st of March 1011, provided, that 
 British ships and inercliandiso should be 
 excluded from the ports and harbours of the 
 United States.
 
 CHAP. LXV.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 837 
 
 By tins instruraeut, the only document 
 produced by America, as a repeal of the 
 French decrees, it ap|)ears beyond a pos- 
 sibility of doubt or cavil, that the alleged 
 repeal of the French decrees was conditional, 
 as Great Britain had asserted ; and not 
 absolute or final, as had been maintained by 
 America ; that they were not repealed at the 
 time they were stated to be repealed by the 
 American government ; that they were not 
 repealed in conformity with a proposition 
 simultaneously made to both belligerents, but 
 that in consequence of a previous act on the 
 part of the American government, they were 
 repealed in favour of one belligerent, to the 
 prejudice of the other ; that the American 
 government having adopted measures restric- 
 tive upon the commerce of both belligerents, 
 in consequence of edicts issued by both, 
 rescinded these measures, as they affected that 
 power, which was the aggressor, whilst tliey 
 put them in full operation against the party 
 aggrieved ; although the edicts of both 
 poweis continued in force ; and lastly, that 
 they excluded the ships of war, belonging to 
 one belligerent, whilst they admitted into 
 their ports and harbours the ships of war 
 belonging to the other, in violation of one of > 
 the plainest and most essential duties of a 
 neutral nation. 
 
 Although the instrument thus produced 
 was by no means that general and unqualified 
 revocation of the Berlin and Milan decrees, 
 w hich Great Britain had continually demand- 
 ed, and had a full right to claim ; and al- 
 though this instrument, under all the circum- 
 stances of its appearance at that moment, for 
 the first time, was open to the strongest suspi- 
 cions of its authenticity ; yet, as the minister 
 of the United States produced it, as purport- 
 ing to be a copy of the instrument of revoca- 
 tion, the government of Great Britain, desi- 
 rous of reverting, if possible, to the antient 
 and accustomed principles of maritime war, 
 determined upon revoking conditionally the 
 orders in council. Accordingly in the month 
 of June last, his royal highness the prince re- 
 gent was pleased to declare in council, in the 
 name and on the behalf of his majesty, that 
 the orders in council should be revoked, as 
 far as respected the ships and property of the 
 United States, from the 1st of August fol- 
 lowing. This revocation was to continue in ^ 
 .force, provided the government of the United i 
 
 States should, within a time to be limited, 
 repeal their restrictive laws against British 
 commerce. His majesty's minister in Ame- 
 rica was expressly ordered to decha-e to the 
 government of the United States, that " this 
 measure had been adopted by the prince re- 
 gent in the earnest wish and hope, either that 
 the government of France, by further relaxa- 
 tions of its system, might render perseverance 
 on the part of Great Britain in retaliatory 
 measures unnecessary, or if this hope should 
 prove delusive, that his majesty's government 
 might be enabled, in the absence of all irrita- 
 ting and restrictive regulations on either side, 
 to enter with the government of the United 
 States into amicable explanations, for the 
 purpose of ascertaining whether, if the neces- 
 sity of retaliatory measures should unfortu 
 nately continue to operate, the particular 
 measures to be acted upon by Great Britain, 
 could be rendered more acceptable to the 
 American government, than tliose hitherto 
 pursued." 
 
 In order to provide for the contingency of 
 a declaration of war on the part of the United 
 States, previous to the arrival in America of 
 the said order of revocation, instructions were 
 sent to his majesty's minister plenipotentiary 
 accredited to the United States (the execu- 
 tion of which instructions, in consequence ot 
 the discontinuance of Mr. Foster's functions, 
 were at a subsequent period entrusted to 
 admiral sir John Borlase Warren,) directing 
 him to propose a cessation of hostilities, should 
 they have commenced ; and further to offer 
 a simultaneous repeal of the orders in council 
 on the one side, and of the restrictive laws 
 on the Bi'itish ships and commerce on the 
 other. 
 
 They were also respectively empowered to 
 acquaint the American government, in reply 
 to any inquiries with respect to the blockade 
 of Mav 1806, whilst the British government 
 must continue to maintain its legality, — 
 " That in point of fact this particular blockade 
 had been discontinued for a length of time, 
 having been merged in the general retaliatory 
 blockade of the enen>y's ports under the 
 orders in council, and that his majesty' govern- 
 ment had no intention of recurring to this, or 
 to any other of the blockades of the enemy's 
 ports, founded upon the ordinary and ac- 
 customed principles of maritime law, which 
 were in force previous to the orders iu council.
 
 838 
 
 HISTOIIV or ENGLAiVD. 
 
 ■without a new nolire to neutral powers in 
 tlie usual foriD." 
 
 The American <2;overnment, before they re- 
 ceived iotiination of the course adopted by 
 the British government, had in fact proceeded 
 to the extreme measure of declaring war, and 
 issuing " letters of marque," notwithstand- 
 ing they were previously in possession of the 
 report of the French minister for foreign af- 
 fairs, of the 12th of March, 1812, promul- 
 gating anew the Berlin and Milan decress, as 
 fundamental laws of the French empire, un- 
 der the false and extravagant pretext, that 
 the monstrous principles therein contained 
 were to be found in the treaty of Utrecht, 
 and were tlierefore binding upon a!) states. 
 From the penalties of tliis code no nation was 
 to 1)6 exempt, which did not accept it, not 
 only as the rule of its own conduct, but as a 
 law, the observance of wliich it was also re- 
 quired to enforce upon Great Britain. 
 
 In a manifesto, accompanying their decla- 
 ration of'hostilities, in addition to the former 
 complaints against the orders in council, a 
 long list of grievances was brought forward ; 
 some trivial in themselves, others which had 
 been nuitnally adjusted, but none of them 
 such as were ever before alleged by the 
 American government to be grounds for war. 
 
 As if to throw additional obstacles in the 
 way of peace, the American congress at the 
 same time passed a law, prohibiting ail in- 
 tercourse with Great Britain, of such a tenor, 
 as deprived the executive government, ac- 
 cording to the president's own construction 
 of that act, of all power of restoring the re- 
 lations of friendly intercourse between the 
 two states, so far at least as concerned their 
 commercial intercourse, until congress should 
 re-assemble. 
 
 The president of the United States has, 
 it is true, since proposed to Great Britain an 
 armistice ; not, however, on the admission, 
 that the cause of war hitherto relied on was 
 removed ; but on condition that Great Britain, 
 as a preliminary step, should do away a cause 
 of war, now brought forward as such for the 
 li-rst time ; namely, that she should abandon 
 the exercise of her undoubted right of search, 
 to take from American merchant vessels 
 British seamen, the natural-born subjects of 
 Jiis majesty ; and this concession was re- 
 quired upon a mere assurance that laws 
 would be enacted by the legislature of the 
 
 [chap. l\v. 
 
 United States, to ])revent sncli seamen from 
 entering into thtir service ; but indej)endent 
 of the objection to an exclusive- reliance on a 
 foreign state, for the conservation of so vital 
 an interest, no explanation was, or could be 
 atforded by the agent who was charged with 
 this overture, either as to the main jirincipies 
 upon which such laws were to be founded, 
 or as to the provisions which it was proposed 
 they should contain. 
 
 This pioposition having been objected to, 
 a second ))roposal was made, again oflTeriug 
 an armistice, ])rovided the British govern- 
 ment woidd secretly stipulate to renounce 
 the exercise of this right in a treaty of peace. 
 An immediate and formal abandonment of 
 its exercise, as a preliminary to a cessation 
 of hostilities, was not demanded ; but his 
 royal highness the prince regent was required, 
 in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, 
 secretly to abandon what the former overture 
 had proposed to him publicly to concede. 
 
 This most ofiensive proposition was also 
 rejected, being accompanied, as the former 
 had been, by other demands of the most ex- 
 ceptionable nature, and especially of in- 
 demnity for all American vessels detained 
 and condemned under the orders in council, 
 or under what were termed illegal blockades 
 — a compliance with which demands, ex.- 
 clusive of all other objections, would have 
 amounted to an absolute surrender of the 
 rights on which those orders and blockades 
 were founded. 
 
 Had the American government been sin- 
 cere in representing the orders in council, as 
 tiie only subject of difference between Great 
 Britain and the United States, calculated to 
 lead to hostilities ; it might have been ex- 
 pected, so soon as the revocation of those 
 orders had been officially made known to 
 them, that they would have spontaneously 
 recalled their " letters of marque," and ma- 
 nifested a disposition immediately to restore 
 the relations of peace and amity between the 
 two powers. 
 
 But the conduct of the government of the 
 United States by no means corresponded 
 with such reasonable expectations. 
 
 The order in council of the 23rd of June, 
 being officially conuuuuicated in An)erica, 
 the government of the United Slates, saw 
 nothing in the repeal of the orders in council, 
 which should of itself restore peace, unless 
 
 I
 
 CHAP. LXV.j 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 839 
 
 Gieat Britain were prepared, in the first in- 
 stance, substantially to relinriuish the right 
 of impressiti"; her own seamen Avhen found 
 on board American mercliant ships. 
 
 The proposal of an ainiislice, and of a 
 simultaneous repeal of the restrictive mea- 
 sures on both sides, subsef|uently made bv 
 the commanding- officer of liis majesty's naval 
 forces on the American coiiist, were received 
 in the same hostile spirit by the government 
 of the United States. The suspension of the 
 practice of impressment was insisted upon 
 in the correspondence which passed on that 
 occasion, as a necessary preliminary to a 
 cessation of hostilities: — Negotiation, it was 
 stated, might take place without any sus- 
 pension of the exercise of this right, and also 
 without any armistice being concluded ; but 
 Great Britain was required previously to 
 agree, without any knowledge of the ade- 
 quacy of the system which could be substi- 
 tuted, to negotiate upon the basis of accept- 
 ing the legislative regulations of a foreign 
 state, as the sole equivalent for the exercise 
 of a right which she has felt to be essential 
 to the support of her maritime power. 
 
 If America, oy demanding this prelimi- 
 nary concession, intends to deny the validity 
 of that right, in that denial Great Britain can- 
 not acquiesce ; nor will she give countenance 
 to such a pretension, by acceding to its sus- 
 pension, much less to its abandonment, as a 
 basis on which to treat. if the American 
 government has devisetl, or conceives it can 
 devise, regulations which may safely be ac- 
 cepted by Great Britain, as a substitute for 
 the exercise of the right in question, it is for 
 them to bring forward such a plan for con- 
 sideration. The British government has 
 never attempted to exclude this question 
 from amongst those on which the two states 
 might have to negotiate : it has, on the con- 
 trary, uniforndy professed its readiness to 
 receive and discuss any propositiorj on this 
 subject, connng from the American govern- 
 ment : it has never asserted any exclusive 
 light as to the impressment of British sea- 
 men from American vessels, which it was 
 rot prepared to acknowledge as appertaining 
 equally to the government of the United 
 States, with respect to American seamen 
 when found on board British merchant ships : 
 ■ — But it cainiot, by acceding to siujh a basis 
 in the tirst instance, either absuuie, or admit 
 
 5p 
 
 that to be practicable, wbicb, when attempted 
 on former occasion'^, has always been found 
 to be attended with great difficulties ; such 
 difficulties as the British commissioners in 
 1806, expressly declared, after an attentive 
 consideration of the suggestions brought for- 
 ward '»y the connnissioners on the part of 
 America, they were unable tosunnonnt. 
 
 Whilst this proposition, transmitted 
 through the British admiral, was pending 
 in America, another communication on the 
 subject of an armistice was unofficially made 
 to the British government in this country. 
 The agent, from Mhoni this proposition was 
 received, acknowledged that he did not con- 
 sider that he had any authority himself to 
 sign an agreement on the part of his go\ern- 
 meiit. It was obvious that any sfipnialions 
 entered into, in consequence of this overture, 
 would have been binding on the British 
 government, whilst the government of the 
 United Stat.'s would have been free to refuse 
 or accept ti;eni, according to the circum- 
 slanc^s ';f the nnnnent : this proposition was 
 therefore necessarily declined. 
 
 After this exposition of the circumstances 
 which preceded, and which have followed 
 the declaration of war by the United States, 
 his royal highness the prince regent, acting 
 in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, 
 feels himself called upon to declare the lead- 
 ing principles by which the conduct of Great 
 Britain has been regulated iu the transactions 
 connected with these discussions. 
 
 His royal highness can never acknowledge 
 any blockade whatsoever to be illegal, which 
 has been duly notified, and is supported by 
 an adequate force, merely upon the ground 
 of its extent, or because the ports, or coasts 
 blockaded are not at the same time invested 
 by land. 
 
 His royal highness can never admit that 
 neutral trade with Great Britain can be con- 
 stituted a ])nblic crime, tl)e conniiission of 
 which can expose the ships of any power what- 
 ever to be denationalized. 
 
 His royal highness can never admit that 
 Great Britain can be debarred of its right 
 of just and necessary retaliation, through the 
 fear of eventually affecting the interests of a 
 neutral. 
 
 His royal highness can never admit, that 
 in the exercise of the undoubted and hithertrt 
 undisputed right of searching ueutial mer- 
 54
 
 mo 
 
 UISTOR.Y OP ENGLAND. 
 
 chant vessels in titne of war, the impressment 
 of Biitisli seamen, when found tlierein, can 
 be deemed any violation of a neutral flag. 
 IVeithei- can he admit, that the taking suet 
 seamen from on board such vessel, can be 
 considered by any neutral state as a hostile 
 measure, or a justifiai)le cause of war. 
 
 There is no right more clearly established, 
 than the right which a sovereign has to the 
 allegiance of his subjects, more especially in 
 time of war. Their allegiance is no optional 
 duty, which they can decline, and resume at 
 pleasure. It is a call which they are bound 
 to obey ; it began with their birth, and can 
 oidy terminate with their existence. 
 
 If a similarity of language and manners 
 may make the exercise of this right more 
 liable to |)artial mistakes, and occasional 
 abuse, when practised towards vessels of the 
 United States, the same circumstances make 
 it alsQ a right, with the exercise of which, in 
 regaid to such vessels, it is more difficult to 
 dispense. 
 
 But if, to the practice of the United States, 
 to harbour British seamen, be added their 
 assumed right to tranfer the allegiance of 
 British sulijects, and thus to cancel the juris- 
 diction of their legitimate sovereign, by acts 
 of neutralization and certificates of citizen- 
 ship, which they pretend to be as valid out of 
 their own territory, as within it, it is obvious, 
 that to abandon this antient right of Great 
 Britain, and to admit these novel pretensions 
 of the United States, would be to expose to 
 danger the very foundation of our maritime 
 istrength. 
 
 Without entering minutely into the other 
 topics, which have been brought forward by 
 the government of the United States, it may 
 be proper to remark, that whatever the decla- 
 ration of the United States may have asserted. 
 Great Britain never did demand that they 
 should force British manufactures into France ; | 
 and she formally declared her willingness 
 entirely to forego, or modify, in concert with 
 the United States, the system by which a 
 commercial intercourse with the enemy had 
 been allowed, under the protection of licences ; 
 provided the United States would act 
 towards her, and towards France, with real 
 impartiality. 
 
 The government of America, if Uie diffe- 
 rences between states are not interminable, 
 has as little riglU to notice the aO'air of the 
 
 JCHAP. Lxr. 
 
 Chesapeake. The aggression in this instance, 
 on the part of a British officer, was acknow- 
 ledged, his conduct was disapproved, and a 
 reparation was regularly tendered by Mr. 
 Foster on the part of his majesty, and ac- 
 cepted by the government of the United, 
 States. 
 
 It is not less unwarranted in its allusion to 
 the mission of Mr. Henry ; a mission under- 
 taken without the authority, or even know- 
 ledge of his majesty's government, and which 
 Mr. Foster was authorized formally and offi- 
 cially to disavow. 
 
 The charge of exciting the Indians to of- 
 fensive measures against the United States, is 
 equally void of foundation. Before the war 
 began, a policy the most opposite had been 
 uniformly pursued, and proof of this was 
 tendered by Mr. Foster to the American 
 government. 
 
 Such are the causes of war which have been 
 put forward by the government of the United 
 States, But the real origin of the present 
 contest will be found in that spirit, which 
 has long unhappily actuated the councils of 
 the United States ; their marked partiality in 
 palliating and assisting the aggressive tyranny 
 of France ; their systematic endeavours to 
 inflame their people against the defensive 
 measures of Great Britain ; their ungenerous 
 conduct towards Spain, the intimate ally of 
 Great Britain ; and their unworthy desertion 
 of the cause of other neutral nations. It is 
 through the prevalence of such councils that 
 America has been associated in policy with 
 France, and committed in war against Great 
 Britain. 
 
 And under what conduct on the part of 
 France has the government of the United 
 States thus lent itself to the enemy ? The 
 contemptuous violation of the commercial 
 treaty of the year 1800 between France and 
 the United States ; the treacherous seizure 
 of all American vessels and cargoes in every 
 harbour subject to the controul of the French 
 arms ; the tyrannical principles of the Berlin 
 and Milan decrees, and the confiscations 
 under them ; the subsequent condemnations 
 under the Rambouillet decree, antedated or 
 concealed to render it the more eflectual ; 
 the French commercial regulations, which 
 render the traffic oftlie United States with 
 France almost illusory ; the burning of their 
 merchant ships at sea, long after the alleged
 
 CHAP. LXV.l 
 
 George; hi. 
 
 841 
 
 repeal of the French decrees — all these acts ; 
 of violence on the part of France, produce 
 from the government of the United States, 
 only snch complaints as end in acquiescence 
 and submission, or are accompanied hy sug- 
 gestions for enabling France to give the sem- 
 blance of a legal form to her usurpations, 
 by converting them into municipal regu- 
 lations. 
 
 This disposition of the government of the 
 United States — this complete subserviency 
 to the Ruler of France — this hostile temper 
 towards Great Britain — are evident in almost 
 every page of the official correspondence of 
 the American with the French government. 
 
 Against this course of conduct, the real 
 cause of the present war, the prince regent 
 solemnly protests. Whilst contending against 
 France, in defence not only of the liberties of 
 Great Britain, but of the world, his royal high- 
 ness M-as entitled to look for a far ditl'ereut 
 result. From their common origin — from 
 their common interest — from their professed 
 principles of freedom and independence, the 
 United States were the last power in which 
 Great Britaiir could have expected to find 
 a willing instrument, and abettor of French 
 tyranny. 
 
 Disappointed in this his just expectation, 
 the prince regent will still pursue the policy 
 which the British government has so long, 
 and invariably maintained, in repelling in- 
 justice, and in supporting the general rights 
 of nations ; and, under the favour of Provi- 
 dence, relying on the justice of his cause, 
 and the tried loyalty and firmness of the 
 British nation, his royal highness confidently 
 looks forward to a successful issue to the 
 contest, in which he has thus been compelled 
 most reluctantly to engage. 
 
 Westminster, Jamiary 9th, 1813. 
 
 The attempts of the American army against 
 Canada produced nothing but disappoint- 
 ment and defeat. General Winchester, with 
 a division of the American force, consisting 
 of more than 1000 men, advanced in January 
 to the attack of fort Detroit, and obtained 
 possession of French town, twenty-six miles 
 from that place. Intelligence of the circum- 
 staiice being conveyed to colonel Proctor, he 
 Irastily assembled all the force within his 
 reach, amounting to 500 regulars and inilitia, 
 and 600 Indians, and attacked the enemy. 
 
 5p2 
 
 They made a desperate resistance in their 
 houses and inclosures ; but at length 500 of 
 them surrendered at discretion, and the re- 
 mainder, attempting to retreat, were most of 
 them cut off by the Indians. General Win- 
 chester himself was taken by Wyandot chief, 
 who delivered him to tlie British comma'idor. 
 The loss of the king's troops was :>4 killed, 
 and 158 wounded. In a trivial affair, the 
 Americans were still more unsuccessful 
 against sir George Prevost, at Ogflenbiu'gh, 
 but these disasters were in sorne (le<>ree coun- 
 terbalanced by the capture of York, the 
 capital of Upper Canada, by general Dear- 
 born. The British commaiuler in York was 
 general Sheaffe, whose force consisted of 700 
 regulars and militia, and 100 Indians. These 
 he had stationed in the woods near the land- 
 ing place, and a spirited resistance was kejrt 
 up till the arrival of general Pike with 700 
 men, and the approach to the shore of the 
 remainder of the assailants, induced the 
 British to retreat to their works. When the 
 Americans had advanced within 120 yards of 
 the main work ol'thetown, an explosion took 
 place from a magazine, of which the effect- 
 was to injure or destroy 100 of the assailants 
 and 40 of the defenders. General Pike lost 
 his life on this occasion, and was deeply la- 
 mented by the Americans. Meantime com- 
 modore Chauncey entered the harbour with 
 his flotilla, and opened a fire upon the British 
 batteries. General Sheaffe, after the explo- 
 sion, marched out of the place with the re- 
 gulars, and left the commander of the militia 
 to capitulate. All the ofiicers and men, mili- 
 tary and naval, remaining in the place, were 
 made prisoners of war, and the public store* 
 were delivered up to the victor 
 
 About the same time general Vincent, by a 
 still greater superiority of force, was obliged 
 to abandon fort St. George, which formed the 
 main point of defence on the Niagara frontier. 
 And to those disasters was added the failure 
 of an attempt made by colonel Baynes to 
 obtain possession of Sackett's harbour. The 
 detachment was landed, and the enemy were 
 driven with loss into their block-houses and 
 batteries ; but these were found so strong 
 that it would have been an useless waste of 
 men to attempt storming them. The British 
 force, therefore, re-embarked. 
 
 The temporary success of the Americans 
 on the lake»» combined with the repulse of
 
 842 
 
 HISTORY op ENGLAND. 
 
 CHAP. Lxr. 
 
 colonel Proctor rendered them masters of 
 Upper Canatia. They were seized with that 
 excess of exulfaiion fo which all popular 
 governments are liable : they already con- 
 sidered the whole of Canada as their own, 
 and pnltlidy announced their intention of 
 taking- Montreal as their winter-quarters. 
 The preparations by which these magnificent 
 Loasts were to be supported, appeared not 
 altogether inadequate to their fulfilment. 
 Three arn)ies, each amounting to nearly 10,000 
 men, in the end of October marched from 
 different points upon Lower Canada. While 
 general IIarrisoi\ proceeded along lake Erie, 
 general Wilkinson embarked his division on 
 Jake Ontario, and general Hampton marched 
 direct to Montreal.. These troops, however, 
 "were formidai)le onfy in number, and pos- 
 sessed no quali'ties that could enable them to 
 ■withstand the shock of troops under British 
 discipline. Hampton's whole corps was ar- 
 rested for a day by .300 Canadian militia, and 
 additional forces coming up, he immediately i 
 fell back and evacuated the province. > 
 Wilkinson succeeded in effecting a landing 
 near Kingston. But lieutenant-colonel Mor- 
 rison, who was stationed at that place with 
 a small detachment, immediately followed 
 him, and an action took place near Crystler's 
 farm, about twenty miles above Cornwall. 
 The American army, six times superior in 
 number, was totally defeated with the loss 
 of 1000 men. It then precipitately crossed 
 the St. Lawrence, and, abandoning its boats, 
 retreated across a diflicu.lt country to Platts- 
 burg. 
 
 The disaster did not stop here. On the 
 2-jth of December, a British and Indian force 
 having surprised fort Niagara, destroyed 
 or made prisoners the whole garrison. They 
 then crossed the river, attacked general Hull, 
 who had collected about '2000 men on the other 
 side, and put him totally to the rout. In 
 this manner the present year terminated with 
 a prospect of future success, as brilliant as 
 marked the close of the preceding. 
 
 The domestic, events of the year were few 
 and unimportant. Some sensation, however, 
 had been excited in the political world, by the 
 severe and unexpected sentence ])assed upon 
 the printer and editor of the Examiner. It 
 would be dangerous to comment on the vio- 
 lence exhibited by lord Ellenborongh in the 
 course of the trial, or on the disproportionate 
 
 cruelty of the sentence. They were con* 
 demned to an imprisonment of two years in 
 separate prisons, to a fine of £-500 each, and 
 to the production of securities fo" good be- 
 haviour during five years. The following is 
 the obnoxious paragraph which excited the 
 alarm of the attorney-general, and provoked 
 the vengeance of the regent. " Who, at all 
 acquainted with the true state of the case, 
 would suppose that this glory of the people, 
 (as he was termed by the Morning Post,) 
 was the object of millions of shrugs and re- 
 proaches ; that this protector of the arts, 
 this Maecenas of the age, passing by the artists 
 of his own country, had appointed a foreigner 
 to be his liistorical painter ; tiiat this breather 
 of eloquence could not say a few words to 
 his own regiment ; that this conqueror of the 
 arts was a disappointer of hopes ; in short, 
 that this delightfid priiu^e was a violater of 
 his word ; a libertine over head and ears in 
 debt and disgrace ; a despiser of domestic 
 ties ; a companion of gamblers and demireps ; 
 a man who has closed half a century without 
 one claim on the gratitude of the country, or 
 the respect of pos-terity." 
 
 The parliament re-assembled on the 4th 
 of November, after its adjournment; and the 
 prince regent delivered the following speech 
 from the throne. 
 
 My Lords and Gentlemen, 
 
 It is with the deepest regret that 
 I am again obliged to announce lo you the 
 continuance of his majesty's lamented indis- 
 position. 
 
 The great and splendid success with which 
 it has pleased Divine Providence to bless 
 his majesty's arms, and those of his allies, in 
 the course of the present campaign, has been 
 prod uctive of the most important consequences 
 to Europe. 
 
 In Spain, the glorious and decisive victory 
 obtained near Vittoria has been followed by 
 the advance of the allied forces to the Py- 
 renees, — by the repulse of the enemy in every 
 attempt to regain the ground he had been com- 
 pelled to abandon, — by the reduction of the 
 fortress of St. Sebastian, — and, finally, by the 
 establishment of the allied army on the frontier 
 of Frat)ce. 
 
 In this series of brilliant operations, you 
 will have observed, with the highest satis- 
 faction, the consummate skill and ability of
 
 CHAP. LXV.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 8-19 
 
 the great commander, fielcl-macslial the mar- ; 
 quis of Wellington ; and the steadiness and 5 
 iinconquerablespirit which have been equally > 
 displayed by the troops of the three nations, ^ 
 united under his command. 
 
 The tern)ination of the armistice in the 
 north of Enrope, and the declaration of war 
 by the emperor of Austria against France, 
 have been most happily accompanied by a 
 system of cordial union and concert amongst 
 the allied powers. 
 
 The effects of this union have even sur- 
 passed those expectations which it was cal- 
 culated to excite. 
 
 By the signal victories obtained over tiie 
 French armies in Silesia, at Culm, and at 
 Denevitz, the efforts of the enemy to pene- 
 trate into the heart of the Austrian and 
 Prussian territories, were completely frus- 
 trated. 
 
 These successes have been followed by a 
 course of operations, combined with so much 
 judgment, and executed with such consum- 
 mate prudence, vigour, and ability, as to have 
 led in their result, not only to the discomfiture 
 of all those projects wliich the ruler of France 
 liad so presumptuously announced on the 
 renewal of the contest, but to the capture 
 and destruction of the greater part of the 
 army under his immediate command. 
 
 The annals of Enrope afford no examples 
 of viclories more splendid and decisive than 
 those which have been recently achieved in 
 Saxony. 
 
 Whilst the perseverance and gallantry 
 displayed by the allied forces of every descrip- 
 tion, engaged in this conflict, have e.xalted to 
 the iiigliest pitch of glory their military cha- 
 racter, you will, I am persuaded, agree with 
 me in rendering the full tribute of applause 
 to those sovereigns and princes who, in this 
 sacred cause of national independence, have 
 so eminently distinguished themselves as 
 the leaders of the armies of their respective 
 nations. 
 
 With such a prospect before you, I am 
 satisfied that I may rely, with the fid lest con- 
 fidence, on your disposition to enable me to 
 afford the necessary assistance in support of 
 a system of alliance, which, originating chiefly 
 in the magnanimous and disinterested views 
 of the emperor of Russia, and followed up 
 as it has been with corresponding energy by 
 
 the other allied powers, has produced a 
 change the most momentous in the afl'airs of 
 the continent. 
 
 1 SHALL direct copies of the several conven- 
 tions which I have concluded with the north- 
 ern powers to be laid before you, as soon as 
 the ratifications of them shall have been duly 
 exchanged. 
 
 1 have further to acquaint yon, that I 
 have concluded a treaty of alliance and con- 
 cert with the emperor of Austria, and that 
 the powerful league already formed has re- 
 ceived an important addition of force, by the 
 declaration of Bavaria against France. 
 
 I AM confident you will view with par- 
 ticular satisfaction the renewal of the antient 
 connection with the Austrian government; 
 and that, justly appreciating all the value of 
 that great power to the common cause, you 
 will be prepared, sis far as circumstances may 
 permit, to enable me to support his imperial 
 majesty in tlie vigorous prosecution of the 
 contest. 
 
 The war between this country and the 
 United States of America still continues ; 
 but I have the satisfaction to inform you, that 
 the measures adopted by the government of 
 the United States, for the conquest of Canada, 
 have been frustrated by the valour of his ma- 
 jesty's troops, and by the zeal and loyalty of 
 his American subjects. 
 
 Whilst Great Britain, in conjunction with 
 her allies, is exerting her utmost strengtix 
 against the common enemy of* independent 
 nations, it must be matter of deep regret ta 
 find an additional enemy in the government 
 of a country whose real interest in the issue 
 of this great contest must be the same as our 
 own. 
 
 It is known to the world, that this country 
 was not the aggressor i<i this war. 
 
 I HAVE not hitherto seen any disposition on 
 the part of the government of the United 
 States to close it, of which I could avail my- 
 self consistently with a due attention to the 
 interests of his majesty's subjects. 
 
 I AM at all times ready to enter into discus- 
 sion with that government, for a concilia- 
 tory adjustment of the differences between 
 the two countries ujwn principles of perfect re- 
 ciprocity not inconsistent with the established 
 maxims of public law, and with the uiaritinic 
 
 rights of the British empire.
 
 844 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CFIAP. LXV 
 
 Gentlemen of the House of Commons, 
 
 I HAVE directed the estimates for the sor- 
 vices of the eiisiiinef year to be laid before you. 
 
 I REGRET tile necessity of so large an ex- 
 penditure, which I am confident, however, you 
 will jad^e to be unavoidable, when the extent 
 and nature of our military exertions are con- 
 sidered. 
 
 I ENTEHTAiN no doubt of youp readiness to 
 furnish such supplies as the public service 
 may require. 
 
 I CONGRATULATE you on the improved and 
 flourishing state of our commerce ; and I 
 trust, that the abundant harvest which we 
 have received from the bountiful hand of Pro- 
 vidence during the present year, will afford 
 material relief to his majesty's people, and 
 produce a considerable augmentation in 
 many branches of the revenue. 
 My Lords and Gentlemen, 
 
 I CONGRATULATE you, on the decided con- 
 viction which now so happily prevails through- 
 out so large a portion of Europe ; that the 
 war in which the allied powers are engaged 
 against the ruler of France is a war of neces- 
 sity ; and that his views of universal.domhiicxn 
 can only be defeated by combined and deter- 
 mined resistance. 
 
 The public spirit, and national enthusiasm, 
 which have successively accomplished the 
 deliverance of the kingdoms of Spain and 
 Portugal, and the Russian empire, now 
 equally animate the German people ; and we 
 may justly entertain the fullest confidence 
 that the same perseverance on their part 
 will ultimately lead to the same glorious result. 
 
 I CANNOT but deplore most deeply the con- 
 tinuance of this extended warfare, and of all 
 those miseries which the insatiable ambition 
 of the ruler of France has so long inflicted 
 upon Europe. 
 
 No disposition to require from France 
 sacrifices of any description inconsistent with 
 her honour or jnst pretensions as a nation, 
 will ever be on my part, or on that of his ma- 
 jesty's allies, an obstacle to peace. 
 
 The restoration of that great blessing, 
 upon principles of justice and equality, has 
 never ceased to be my anxious wish ; but 
 I am fully convinced that it can only be 
 obtained by a continuance of those efforts 
 which have already delivered so large a part 
 of Europe from the power of the enemy. 
 
 To the firmness and perseverance of this 
 country these advantage-* may, in a great 
 degiee, be ascribed. Let this consideration 
 animate us to new exertions, and we shall 
 thus, I trust, be enabled to bring this long 
 and arduous contest to a conclusion which 
 will be consistent willi the independence of 
 all the nations engaged in it, and with the 
 general security of Europe. 
 
 The corresponding address was moved in 
 the house of lords by Earl Digby, and 
 seconded by the Earl of Clare, who was 
 followed by Marquis Wellesley, and Lord 
 CJtENViLLE, both of whom declared their 
 entire concurrence in the sentiments express- 
 ed in the speech. The latter nobleman touch- 
 ed upon the condition of Holland, and the 
 obligiUion lying u|)on this country to promote^ 
 as far as it was within its power, the restora- 
 tion of independence to a state which has 
 fallen a victim to its alliance with Great Bri^ 
 tain. The Earl of Liverpool, after con- 
 gratulating the house on its unanimity, and 
 recapitulating the successes of the campaign, 
 said, with respect to the desirable object of a 
 general and permanent peace, that it would 
 be the policy of England, not only to give full 
 security to her friends, but to her enemies, 
 and that he himself could not countenance 
 any thing as demanded from his enemy, 
 which, if in the situation of that enemy, he 
 would not have been Avillingto part with. 
 
 The address passed without opposition. 
 
 In the house of commons the address was 
 moved by Lord Compton, and seconded, in 
 a speech of much studied eloquence, by Mr. 
 C. Grant, junior. Both sides of the house 
 concurred in approbation of the spirit display- 
 ed in the regent's speech, and the address was 
 voted nem. con. 
 
 On November 8th, there were laid on the 
 table of the house of commons copies of 
 conventions between his Britannic majesty 
 and tlie sovereigns of Russia and Prussia. 
 The first of these with the emperor of Russia, 
 was signed at Reicheuback on June 15th, 
 1813. By this first article, the emperor en- 
 gages to employ in the present war 160,000 
 troops of all descriptions, exclusive of gar- 
 risons ; in return for which the king of Gi eat 
 Britain engages to pay to Russia for the 
 service of the current year £1,333,334 sterling.
 
 CHAP. LXV.] GEOIIOE III. 845 
 
 by monthly payments, together witli £oOO,000 j ducal house of Brunswick. Prussia enjra^es 
 for the maintenance of the Russian navy now \ to employ an army of 80,000 men in the liehl, 
 in the English ports. Further, he agrees to | exclusive of garrisons ; and is to receive froai 
 join with the sovereigns of Russia and Prus- 1 England for the year 1813 £666,66G sterling 
 sia in the issue of federative notes for circida- j in monthly payments. The issue of federative 
 tion on the continent, for the expenses of war ^ paper is agreed for as above; and the British 
 solely, to an amount not exceeding five mil- j navy is to co-operate, when practicable, in 
 lions sterling, the reimbursement of whicli is i the defence of the Prussian states and com- 
 allotted in the following proportions ; Eiig- | merce, and in military expeditions for the 
 land three-sixths, Russia two-sixths, Prussia | connnon cause. 
 
 one-sixth. A commission is to be named | An additional convention with Prussia 
 by three powers for regulating the dis- | signed July 5th, relates to the transfer to the 
 tribution of this sam. In return for the j king of Great Britain of his imperial majesty's 
 maintenance of the Russian fleet, the Bri- | German legion, to be augmented to 10,000 
 tish government is to have the right of j men, for the sura of ten pounds fifteen shillings 
 employing it in any manner against the com- j per man yearly, exclusive of providing arras, 
 moH enemy. These reciprocal engagements \ ammhnition, clothing, and other charges. If 
 
 are to be continued as long as the war last : 5 the preceding treaties indicated a determi- 
 au(l each party binds itself to act in concert I nation in the government to spare no moneti 
 with the other, and not to enter into any sepa- X in following up the prospects of a successful 
 
 **r>4-^-k •»j-».-»ij-v#-i.i<-i.-v»-i '■■ri4-l-« tl-i^r^ /-i»-k Alt'*-* mr ?i-i»iy-vr-.j-vi-k»it-»y-i»-» r^C 4>l^n -_.^. ._ ^1. . • 
 
 rate negotiation with the enemy. ^ prosecution of the war, the measures intro- 
 
 In the convention with Prussia, signed at | duced in parliament for augmentin"- the 
 the same place, June 14th, it is stated, that i disposable military force of the country, were 
 the object of the war being to re-establish the \ equally a proof of the resolution as freely to 
 independence of the states oppressed by | supply the demand of men for the same pur- 
 France, it is essential to replace Prussia in » pose. Tiieascendancy of the ininisters whose 
 possession of her relative power, and to pre- j vigorous and liberal policy had been so 
 vent France from ever occupying any of the \ triumphantly rewarded by the succession of 
 strong places in the north of Germany, or ex- j events, rendered all opposition to these war- 
 ercising any sort of influence in that quarter ; ; likepreparatious ineffectual ; and after a short 
 and, on the other hand, Prussia is to co- 1 and comparatively silent session, parliament 
 operate in restoring to their hereditary states, | was adjourned 
 the house of Brimswick Lunenburg, and the ^.
 
 CHAPTER LXVl. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1814.] 
 
 Policy of thi Allies with respect to France — Invasion of that Country — The Confederates 
 advance into the Heart of France — Movetneiit of the Grand and Subordinate Armies — Hatlles 
 of Arcis sur Aube, and Montmirail — Napoleon and Slticlitr manoeuvre tvith alternate 
 success — Clutnge of Plan on the part of the Allies^ tvho advance lapidly to Paris, leaving 
 JBuo7iaparte in their rear — Operations of general Wreds a)id Prince Swart zenberg — Napoleon . 
 defeats General Priest and advances to Rhcims, 
 
 WHILE Napolfon was insulting ene- ; nentrality for a state which does not enjoy a 
 niies and subjects — was command- ; real independence, and which is governed by 
 ing the army of the national guard, — was as- i a foreign will. Such evidently was the situa- 
 sembling aad exercising his new levies in > tion of Switzerland under the dominion of 
 haste, — was crowding into his strong places ; Napoleon, who had declared himself iWerfia^w 
 an army of old troops, which could be of no ; of their confederacy. 
 
 assistance to him ; — when finally, after having 5 The allied powers announce to the people 
 decried the landstrum of the Prussians, as a » of France that they were abont to pass their 
 barbarous and useless measure for the pur- ; frontiers ; that they were by no means making 
 poses expected from it, he was himself ex- 1 war against France — " we are repelling from 
 horting all the French to point their arms, 5 us," said they, " the yoke which yourgovern- 
 and do every pc -sible injury to the enemy ; ; ment wished to impose on our country, which 
 the allies, after sweeping Germany, with the i has the sanje right to independence and hap- 
 e.xception of some garrisons, and a French j piness as yours." 
 
 corps which the prince of Sweden forced to ; " The maintenance of public order, respect 
 shut themselves up in Hamburgh, were dis- t for private property, and the most severe 
 playing their formidable armies along the > discipline, shall distinguish the passage of the 
 Rhine from Switzerland to Holland. i allied troops. They are not animated with 
 
 They were preceded by proclamations of i any spirit of revenge; they are not disposed 
 the (jth and subsequently of the 21st of De- { to repay France those evils without number 
 cember, 1813, addressed to all the powers of | which she, for the last twenty years, has l)een 
 Europe, to the French people, and to the j heaping on her neighbours and the most distant 
 Swiss. By means of these, the allied powers ; countries — the only conquest of which she is 
 informed the Swiss, that they would not i ambitious is that of peace. We hoped to find 
 respect their pretended system of neutrality ;; it before we should touch the French soil: 
 that it was to re-establish the law of nations ; we are now proceeding there to search for it." 
 that they appeared to violate them by entering } In saying that they were forced to come 
 on the Helvetic territory ; but that the justice J to search for peace in France, the allies alluded 
 of their cause, the necessity of attaining peace Ho their celebrated declaration of the 1st of 
 by pushing on the war in a lively manner! December, and to the circumstances of its 
 would justify them in the eyes of Europe and | promulgation. In that declaration they had 
 of posterity ; that there cannot be a real | announced that they otfered Napoleon a
 
 CHAP. LWl] GEORGE III. 847 
 
 peace which still might 1)0 termed glorions, ; cnmiiiaiidi',- in-chief marshal Blucher, formed 
 and which oidy deprived liim of ids excessive i of llie corps of I)"Yorck, in three rlivisioiis, 
 preponderance in Germany. He, on the ; of tlie corps of Kleist, in three divisions, of 
 otiier hand, declared on his side, that lie Iiad : the corps of Bnlow, in four divisions, of the 
 accepted, without restriction, ;dl its hases, ; four Russian corps of Tscherbatoff, Langeron, 
 and tiiat he had transmitted that acceptation ; Sacken, and Winzingerode, anil of the Saxons 
 to the belligerent powers, so far back as the 5th i under the prince of Saxe Weimar, and the 
 of Decendjer ; and in a demi-official article > baron de Thielman. 
 
 published in Paris on the 4th of January, he ; Srd, 'I'hr grand Swedish army, commander- 
 complained bitterly that the allies had not : in-chief the prince royal of Sweden, formed of 
 caused their declaration to be printed and ; the Swedish corps, of the five Un.-sian ccn-ps 
 published before the Gth or 7th of the same i of Benningseii, Tettenljorn, Doerberu, Ben- 
 month of J)ecember, after having received ; kendorf, Tchernitclufi", of which the first had 
 his acceptation of it. He represented this ; remained before Hamburgh ; and of an Anglo- 
 conduct as an act of bad faith toward him, J German corps, the Hanseatic troops, and the 
 and a proof of'the insincerity of their pacific i contingents from the petty states of the cou- 
 offers. These circumstances are necessary | federation. 
 
 to be remarked, as connecting themselves • 4th, The Anglo-Batavian army, com- 
 \Vith the causes which rendered a peace im- ; mander-in-chief sir Thomas Graham, 
 possible. i 5th, Thf. Anglo-Spanish and Portuguese 
 
 The same principles of moderation were ♦ army, on this side the Pyrenees, conimander- 
 nevertheless repeated, in offers of the same i in-chief lord Wellington. 
 
 nature, separately sent in the name of the | Gth, The Austrian army of Italy, con> 
 different powers, on the 1st of January, 1814, j mander-in-chief count Bellegarde. 
 at the moment when their troops were cross- ; 7th, The army of Naples, under the orders 
 ing the Rhine at three different points. We i of king Joachim, who had joined the coalition 
 may remark, that the proclamation of the ; by a treaty signed on the 11th of January, 
 prince of Schwartzenberg, of the date of the I 1814. The French journals estimated the 
 8th of January, addressed to the general dis- « three grand corps, whose operations extended 
 trict of Montbelliard, was the first in which ; on the Rhine, at less than 200,000 men, an 
 the arnved peasant, not clothed in military i estimation evidently too low, inasmuch as the 
 uniform, was threatened with death, and the < confederation of the Rhine, and the petty 
 communes which would defend themselves ; German states, had augmented the coalesced 
 devoted to the flames. Thus it happened, ; forces with 144,000 men, viz. .36,000 Bava- 
 that on one side, as well as the other, they J rians, 32,000 Hanoverians, Brunswickers, 
 had sought for opportunities of doing as much ; Mecklenburghers, and the troops of the 
 mischief as possible to their enemies, and i Hanseatic towns ; 23,300 Saxons, 12,000 
 were still looking for similar opportunities, j Hessians, 9,200 men of Berg, Waldeck, La 
 and that no side found fault with the prac- ; Lippe, &c. ; 9,200 men belonging to Wartz- 
 tice as unjust, but that side which received ; bourg, d'Armstadt, Franckfort, Isemboiu'g, 
 the injury. 5 and Reuss ; 12,000 Wirtendiurghers, and 
 
 At the opening of the campaign, the forces 5 10,300 men of Baden, Hohenzollern, and 
 of the invaders were divided into seven armies, i Lichtenstein, Prussia and Austria might have 
 1st, The grand Austro-Russian army, com- > an effective force of about 2-50,000, and Russia 
 mander-in-chief the prince of Schwartzen- ^ herself alone, 200,000. 
 
 berg ; this army was composed of the Aus- « The first operations of importance were 
 trian divisions of Cotoredo, Wimpfen, Guilay, } directed towards Switzerland. While the 
 Bianchi, Burbina, the princes Maurice and I prince Schwartzenberg was penetrating iit 
 Louis of Lichtenstein ; the Russian divisions | that direction on the 21st of Deceniber, Ids 
 ©f Barclay de Tolly and Witgenstein ; the i Bavarian division acting on the side of 
 Bavarians in three divisions, general-in-chief i Colmur, entered Alsacein that quarter, where,- 
 count Wrede, and Wirtemburghers under the > on the 24th, it was engaged. Huningueu was 
 vrince of Wirtend)urgh. : immediately blockaded, and Befort attacked ; 
 
 2nd, TiiE grand Prussian or Silesian army, | the garrison retired into the eitudel. Oa tlie. 
 
 d Q 54
 
 848 
 
 HTSTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 30th of December, Geneva shook off tlie yoke, 
 and forced tlie t>arrisoii to retire. The pre- 
 fect, wlio had ahandoiied the town, was de- 
 livered «p to a coint of enqniry ; this was 
 followed by a decree whicli charged the pub- 
 lic functionaries on tlieir responsibility to 
 contribute to the defence of the country. 
 The tone also of the journals, the spirit of 
 which emanated directly from the minister 
 of police, assumed an additional portion of 
 virulence ; it was seriously proposed in them 
 that the women and children should make 
 •war ; the women, it was observed, woidd be 
 very useful, and cause great destruction by 
 devoting themselves in the characters of young 
 Judiths or manlike Deborahs. 
 
 On crossing the Rhine, the allies issued a 
 proclamation well calculated to answer the 
 purposesof their invasion : in this proclama- 
 tion they declared that, though victory had 
 conducted them into France, t"hey had not 
 come to make war upon her; their wish and 
 object were, simply to repel far from them the 
 yoke that the French government endea- 
 voured to impose on their respective coun- 
 tries ; countries which possessed the same 
 rights to independence and happiness as 
 France. As conquest and splendour were 
 not their objects, they therefore called upon 
 the magistrates, land owners, and cultivators, 
 to remain at their homes ; as the progress and 
 stay of the allied armies would be charac- 
 terized by the maintenance of public order, 
 respect to private property, and the most 
 severe discipline : notwithstanding all they 
 had suftered, they were not animated by a 
 spirit of vengeance ; they knew how to dis- 
 tinguish and separate the ruler of France 
 from France herself; to him they attributed 
 all their calamities ; and not even were they 
 disposed to retaliate on the French nation 
 any of those calamities which the revolution 
 had brought on Europe. While Buonaparte 
 never made war but for the purpose of con- 
 quest, and to gratify his ambition, other 
 counsels presided over the allied raonarchs : 
 they indeed were ambitious ; they indeed 
 sought glory : but their ambition and glory 
 w^ere of a very opposite character from those 
 of Buonaparte ; the only conquest which was 
 the object of their ambition and glory was 
 that of peace ; but not such a peace as Buo- 
 naparte had often mocked Europe with ; 
 but a peace which should secure to their own 
 
 [chap. l.wi. 
 
 people, to France and to Europe, a state of 
 real repose. " We hoped to find it before 
 touching the soil of France ; we come hither 
 in quest of it !" 
 
 Much was naturally expected from this 
 proclamation ; especially if the allies, on their 
 tirst entrance into France, acted strictly and 
 conscientiously up to the spirit of it. They 
 had been accused of dilatoriness in their mo- 
 tions : but no sooner had they crossed the 
 Rhine, than this accusation could no longer 
 justly be made. Marshal Blucher's army 
 crossed this river in three columns ; general 
 St. Priest at Coblentz, who made himself 
 master of that town, and took 500 prisoners : 
 generals Langeron and D'Yorck passed at 
 Caul), and took Bingen, forcing a strong po- 
 sition, and defeating a corps of the enemy ; 
 and general Sac ken passed at Manheim, and 
 drove the enemy from an entrenched position. 
 The whole amount of Blucher's army was 
 80,000 men ; while at the same time Brabant 
 was entered by an army of 50,000 n)en, to 
 co-operate with whioh a considerable force 
 was sent from England. But it was not only 
 with her troops and money that this country 
 was determined to assist the allies in their 
 glorious purpose of restoring peace and tran- 
 quillity to Europe : as it was natural to sup- 
 pose that che downfall of Buonaparte, or, if 
 he displayed a sincere desire (or peace, % 
 treaty with him would take place, it was pro- 
 per, in either case, that Britain, who had done 
 so much, and who was so much interested in 
 the result, should have a person well acquaint- 
 ed with her real interests, present with the 
 allied armies. Lord Castlereagh was accord- 
 ingly selected for this purpose ; and we shall 
 afterwards have abundant proofs, that no 
 other person could have been selected, better 
 qualitied for this high and arduous mission. 
 
 Let us now turn our attention to Buona- 
 parte in Paris. He still remained there, 
 notwithstanding th« sacred territory of France 
 was invaded ; nor was there any evidence 
 that he was effectually preparing to meet tlie 
 allied armies : ho did not even boast of his 
 means : it was indeed staled that there were 
 12,000 men at Metz, but that was the largest 
 number stated to be any where, except at 
 Paris. Indeed he seemed to be reduced to 
 the necessity of adopting language, in his ad- 
 dress to the French nation, very ditlerent (rom 
 that which he had formerly employed ;-'r-
 
 CHAP. LxvrJ GEoUGE in. 849 
 
 " Beam, Alsace, Franolie Cointe, are in- ; (listance of Paris, \\h\]e the Frencli armies 
 vaded. I call upon the French to succour ; whicii Buonaparte Iiad hitherto lieen ahle to 
 the French. Peace, and the deliverance of; collect were by no means adequate to resist 
 our territory, ouu,lit to be our rallying? cry : > them. 
 
 t/ic question is 7iow no more to recover the con- 1 Bf.fore the end of .January the situation of 
 quests we have made" \ Buonaparte was still more desperate and de- 
 
 NoTWiTHSTANDiNG, however, this cbanp:e ■ iira<Iino- : at that time Marmont had fled to 
 of tone in Buonaparte, he found the Frencii ; Verdun; Victor to Comnicrcy ; Mortier to 
 nation very reluctant in coming forward > Chaumoiit, and Macdonald to Nannir ; while 
 against the allies ; and the regular armies ; the allies occupied Lorraine, as Car as the 
 ^vhich still remained to him were by no means ; Meuse; all Alsace, Franche, Compte, and 
 equal to cope with them: they therefore ad- | great part of Burgundy. Under these cir- 
 vanced into France with little or no oppo- ; cumstances Buonaparte still remained at 
 sitioii or resistance. By themiddle of January, i Paris ; and, being unable to rouse the French 
 part of the allied army occupied Langres, an ; nation, at last determined to sue for peace, 
 antient and considerable town, 100 miles ; The allied sovereigns had taken up their 
 within the French frontier : until the allies i head-quarters at Chatillon ; and thither Can- 
 reached this town, there was not a shot fired j lincourt was ordered by Buonaparte to pro- 
 at them by any but the military; but here : ceed, to negotiate a peace: but as lord 
 the inhabitants fired at them, though without ; Castlereagh had not yet joined the allied 
 effect. The principal French armies which ; sovereigns, the French ambassador was 
 Buonaparte bad been able to collect, were ; obliged to await his arrival, 
 under the command of marshals Victor and | Ix consequence of the rapid advance ofthe 
 Marmont: the former advanced into Alsace, 5 allies, and the total indifference ofthe French 
 ■where be met the Bavarians under general ; nation to the apparently approaching fate oi 
 De Wrede : the French, however, were com- ; Buonaparte, the Bourbon family naturally 
 pelled to evacuate this province, and, being » began to be reanimated with the hopes that 
 pursued by the Bavarians, they were brought ; they would at last be restored to their country. 
 to action in Lorraine ; the engagement was ; The allies, indeed, had carefuMy abstained 
 .severe, and long contested : but at length the > from even intimating to the French nation 
 French were defeated with great loss, and 5 that they wished the restoration of the Bour- 
 retreated on Luneville. The cossacks, ac- | bons ; on the contrary, at this period there 
 cording to their usual custom, were greatly | was reason to believe that they were willing 
 in advance, and by the middle of January i to treat with Buonaparte. The English 
 had pushed on between Epinal and Nancy. I government, though more averse to make 
 That these troops should have been able to | peace with him, yet were not disposed to go 
 come so near Paris, is a convincing proof of; against the plans of the allies; but it was 
 the inadequacy of Buonaparte's means eflTec- ; generally believed that the prince regent was 
 tually to repel the allies. The second French j strongly inclined to support the cause ofthe 
 array, under the command of Marmont, was i Bourbons. Louis the XVIIIth himself was 
 ordered to oppose the advance of Blucher ; | unable, from age and infirmity, to take an 
 but neither in relative force nor equipment ; active part in the restoration of himself and 
 was it equal to this object. Marmont there- ; family : but Monsieur, the duke d'Angouleme, 
 fore retreated before the Prussian general to $ and the duke de Berri, more young, active, 
 the Saare, behind which river, and within the | and enterprising, enil)arked for the continent 
 frontiers of Old France, he took up a posi- ; towards the end of January, 
 tion : his retreat was much harassed on one 1 In" the midst of these dilTiculties and 
 flank by count Sacken, who occupied Worms, | dangers, Buonaparte still remained at Paris. 
 Spires.'and Deux Pouts ; while on the other « His stay there was accounted for in different, 
 flank he was approached bv general D'Yorck, ; ways : some were disposed to think that he 
 who occupied Treves and Saar-Louis. From ; was so completely bewildered and astounded 
 this sketch it is evident, that even within a | at the imminence and magnitndeof his danger, 
 montli after the allies had crossed the Rhine i as to be totally deprived of all his faculties ; 
 they had approached within no considerable i others conceived that he was engaged at. 
 
 5 a 2
 
 8.>0 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. lxvi. 
 
 Paris in preparin*;; tliose measures tJiat would 
 ertectiiiilly .serve to defeat the allies : and in 
 this idea they were contirnied by the recol- 
 lection, that on many former occasions he 
 had been silent, and apparently inactive, at 
 the very period when he was !i!)out to burst 
 forth with renewed energy. The truth pro- 
 bably was, that he was afraid to leave Paris : 
 he well knew that at this city the seeds of dis- 
 content and dissatisfaction were not only 
 more abundant, but of more rapid vegetation, 
 than in any other part of France ; and that 
 if, on his leaving- Paris, that city rose against 
 him,liis fate was Inevitably sealed. That he 
 bad lost his usual energy, in the midst of his 
 dangers, was by no means true; as, while he 
 continued in Paris, he was constantly employ- 
 ed in endeavouring to recruit his armies, and 
 to replenish his tinances : in the former he 
 ■was not so unsuccessful as in the latter ; 
 troops he obtained, though not in sufficient 
 numbers, nor of the best description ; but his 
 finances were in a most deplorable state ; 
 and to add to his disasters, in this respect, 
 before the &nd of .January the national bank 
 of France encountered such difficulties as 
 amounted nearly to a stoppage. This evil 
 Buonaparte was by no means calculated to 
 remedy, even under more favourable cir- 
 cumstances ; he had no idea of any thing but 
 force ; or if force could not possibly be 
 applied, as in the present instance, his mea- 
 sures displayed the profoundest ignorance of 
 political economy. By the report of the 
 directors of the bank, it appeared that their 
 ready money amounted only to £U00,000, 
 which, from the eagerness of the holders 
 of notes to obtain payment, would be ex- 
 hausted in a few days. In order, therefore, 
 to prevent the draining of the bank, it was 
 announced that, whatever number of notes 
 might be presented for payment in the course 
 of a «lay, not more than £20,000 would be 
 
 Eaid ; and that no one could apply to the 
 ank to change bank notes, unless he were 
 the bearer of a number which had b*en de- 
 livered to him by the mayor of his quarter. 
 
 At length on the '25th of January Buona- 
 parte left Paris, having been preceded on the 
 roth by Berthier, and having previously con- 
 fided the regency, during his absence, to 
 Maria Louisa, — The French armies about 
 this time were assembling within the line of 
 the Meuse; Chalons on the Marne being the 
 
 point towards which Macdonald, Marmont. 
 Victor, and Mortier were retreating from dif- 
 ferent quarters. The allied armies at the 
 same time were concentrating and pressing 
 on the same point: Blucher by the wav of 
 Nancy and Toule; and Schwartzenberg, who 
 had the chief command of the Austrian and 
 Russian armies, by Langres and Chauruont. 
 About the eiul of this month the two grand 
 armies of the allies came entirely into com- 
 munication ; when it was determined by the 
 allied sovereigns, as a mark of their special 
 confidence in marshal Blucher, to place at 
 his disposal the Austrian corps of general 
 Giulay and of the prince of Wurtemberg. 
 The French arn)y at tliis time were strongly 
 posted, with their right at Dienville, about 
 three miles above Brienne ; their centre at the 
 village of La llotherie, and their left towards 
 Tremilly ; a village and wood in front of their 
 left being also occupied. Marshal Blucher, 
 having been reinforced, made his dispositions 
 to attack the enemy ; and on the 1st of Feb- 
 ruary general Sacken moved fioiu IVannes in 
 two colunms; the first on Dienville, the se- 
 cond on La Rotherie, while a reserve of 
 <J000 Russians yvas posted on the heights be- 
 tween Trannes and Maison. The whole of 
 the force of the allies, which they brought 
 into action on this occasion, amounted to 
 between 70,000 and 80,000 men ; that of the 
 enemy was about the same strength, consist- 
 ing of the cor])s of Victor, Marmont, and Mor- 
 tier. Both Buonaparte and Berthier were 
 engaged in the contest; and on the other side 
 the emperor of Russia, the king of Prussia, 
 and prince Schwartzenberg were spectators 
 of it; it was indeed the first grand engage- 
 ment within the French territory. 
 
 After some skirmishing and cannonading: 
 m tlie plain, an obj<tinate contest began on 
 the hff, for the position of La Giberie, which 
 the prince of Wurtemberg at length succeed- 
 ed in carrying. Buonaparte, fully aware of 
 the importance of this position, endeavoured 
 to remedy the disaster hv moving a corps to 
 the left ; but in this nu^venient he was pre- 
 vented by the watchfulness and skill of mar- 
 shal Blucher, who drew the whole of the 
 force under Sacken towards the centre, 
 leaving count (iiiday alone to atinrk Dien- 
 ville. In consequence of this movement on 
 the part of rdncher, a most desperate en- 
 gagement took place at La Rotherie, which
 
 CHAP. LXVI.] GEORGE HI. 85! 
 
 formed the key of the enemy's disposition. ; confirmed by the behaviour of the allied 
 At this place Buonaparte led on his troops in ; troops, as well as by the conduct of the allied 
 person, and at first was successful: but the i sovereigns ; for t lie most strict and orderly 
 allies fought with most determined perseve- ; discipline was preserved ; and in no rases, 
 ranee and courage; they knew that they j except where the inhabitants fired on them, 
 fought under the eye of their sovereigns ; j did they retaliate on Frenchmen the cruelties 
 and they were moreover animated by the | which their respective countries had suffered 
 example of Blucher, whose great pi owess ; from them. That the sovereigns were sincere 
 and skill were on this occasion wlxitted by i in their desire for peace, wa-s &»ifliciently 
 his deadly antipathy to Buonaparte. > manifested by their treating with Buonaparte 
 
 At La Rotherie the combat lasted till ten I at the very time that their armies were vic- 
 at night, when the Russians remained masters ; torious in the very heart of France ; for the 
 of the town ; though the French held the ; negotiations still continued ; and it was after- 
 ground beyond it, and at midnight of the 1st ; wards known that the ambition and madness 
 of February were in possession of the heights ; of Buonaparte were the only causes which 
 of Brienne, It was not, however, till two ■ prevented them from terminating in peace, 
 hours after the Russians became masters of i After the battle of Brienne, the prince of 
 La Rotherie that general Giulay succeeded in « Schwartz(id)erg fixed his head-quarters at 
 gaining possession of Dienville. Such was « Troyes, ;irid marshal Blucher at a place about 
 the result of the battle of the 1st of February. 5 tv. :ty nides to the north of Troves. — It was 
 About one o'clock in the morning of the < nai -rally supposed that the latter would 
 2nd, Buonaparte, being completely bafded in ; follow the course of the river Aube, until he 
 all his attempts to re-occupy the village of La « united his army with that under the prince in 
 Rotherie, notwithstandmg lie himself directed \ the neighbourhood of Nogent, and after the 
 the attack of the young guards on that place, ; junction, force Buonaparte to fight. But the 
 where he was opposed in person by marshal J planof Blucher was different : from the bank'* 
 Blucher, decided upon a retreat, with the ; of the Aube he marched northwards in the 
 loss of 73 pieces of cannon and 4000 prisoners. I direction of the Lower Marne. About the 
 He drew off his troops in two columns, one | same time Buonaparte, accompanied by Ney, 
 upon Lesmont, and the other upon Lassi- > Mortier and Marmont, left iVogeut, and pro- 
 court. They were followed at day-break by ; ceeding 30 miles to the north, attacked a 
 part of the allied army; and the French were! Russian corps and took the whole of them 
 compelled to continue their retreat on Troves, ; prisoners. On the following day the head- 
 and thence on Mogent. On the 5th of Feb- i quarters of Blucher were,at Bergeres ; on the 
 ruary the corps of Macdoiiald was defeated ; 13th he advanced to attack Marmont at 
 by DYorck, between Vitry and Chalons, t Etoges, who had between 8000 and 9000 men. 
 with the loss of three cannon and several j The enemy however gradually retired, his 
 hundred prisoners. > rear suffering very considerably from the 
 
 The allies were determined not to lose the I cossacks. In the mean time Buonaparte 
 fruits of their victories by delay : on the 7th ; marched from Chateau Thierry, generals 
 thev occupied Troyes, one of the richest and i D'Yorck and Sacken having retired from 
 luost considerable towns in France. The J that place behind the Marne. On the I4tli 
 circumsiances attending their occupation of; Buonaparte, having joined Marmont. made a 
 this town fully confirmed his opinion that the ; sudden and very im|)etiious attack on Blucher, 
 people of France were indifferent to the fate | who was inferior in numbers, and particularly 
 of their emperor ; for, notwithstanding all his | in cavalry; he therefore determined on are- 
 promises of peace, all his representations of; treat, and for this purpose formed his infantry 
 the cruelties of the allies, and especially of the ! into squares. — On these the enemy made tfi* 
 cossacks, and notwithstanding he invoked ; most desperate attacks ; but they were re- 
 thein by every tiling which he thought dear j ceived with such undaunted firmness, that 
 to Frenchmen to rise eti masse, they were in 5 not one of the squares was broken. After a 
 almost every instance immoveable, maintain- ; very severe and unequal contest, which con^ 
 ing a most rigid and inflexible neutrality. | tinued for upwards of four hours, marshal 
 
 In this disposition they were undoubtedly \ Blucher, observing a large corps of cavalry
 
 852 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVI. 
 
 posted in his rear, resolved to force his way 
 through it : this he e/lected by opening a 
 heavy tire of artillery and musketry. But 
 when he reached Etoges at night, he was 
 assailed by a body of infantry, which had 
 penetrated through by-roads, on his flanks 
 and rear: he was therefore again under the 
 necessity of renewing the attack : and this 
 obstacle being also overcome, two divisions 
 of Blucher's army occupied for the night the 
 position of Bergeres. The total loss which j 
 he sustained during this incessant fighting 
 was nearly 4000, in killed, wounded, and 
 prisoners. The loss of the French, however, 
 ■was stated to be much greater, as Blucher 
 was very superior to them in point of artillery, 
 from which he poured on them a tremendous 
 and most destructive fire. 
 
 While these events were going on in this 
 part of France, general Winzingerode, who 
 had already made himself master of Rheims, 
 advanced against Soissons : at this place 
 Buonaparte had fixed a reserve camp, which 
 the general attacked with great impetuosity. 
 The contest was sharp, but not of long dura- 
 tion : the issue was, that 2 generals and 3000 
 men were taken, and the allies obtained pos- 
 session of the town. 
 
 General Alsufief at Camp d'Aubert, was 
 attacked in that position and defeated with 
 considerable loss ; but on the 11th general 
 Sacken rallied the division of D'Yorck, and 
 attacked the French. The battle, which was 
 named from the villatre of Montmirail, was 
 warmly contested, and its result indecisive. 
 Sacken, however, found it expedient to re- 
 treat, and was pursued by Napoleon, losing 
 in his retreat 2000 men. At this critical 
 juncture, Buonaparte was informed that Blu- 
 cher had determined on attacking marshal 
 Marmont near Etoges. He immediately re- 
 linquished the pursuit of Sacken, united 
 himself with Marujont's division, and com- 
 pelled Blucher to retire from Vauchamp. 
 General Winzingerode entered Laon in force 
 on the 14th, and took 3000 men and 23 pieces 
 of cannon. 
 
 General Witgenstein now advanced to- 
 wards Pont Sur Seine, and general Wrede 
 towards Bray ; the French abandoned the 
 left of the Seine, and destroyed the bridges, 
 which were re-established by the allies ; and 
 general Wrede advanced towards Provins. 
 
 General, Witgenstein crossed at Pont Sur 
 
 Seine, generals Bianchi and Giulay were at 
 the same time marching on Montereau, and 
 measures were adopted for placing the grand 
 allied army on the left of the Seine, with the 
 right at Mery, and the left at Montereau, with 
 the prince of Wirtemberg'sand general Wrede 
 and Witgenstein's at Provins and Villeneuve. 
 
 O.v the Kith, dispositions were made to 
 remove the head-quarters of the grand allied 
 army to Bray, and generals Witgenstein and 
 Wrede's corps by Nanges towards Melun. 
 On the 17tli, Fontainbleau was taken by 
 counts Ilardegg and Thuan, and general 
 Platoff. On the 17th, Buonaparte attacked, 
 with a large corps of cavalry, at Nanges, the 
 advance of general Witgenstein's corps, under 
 count Pahleu, and tlrove it back with consider- 
 able loss, both in men and artillery. Prince 
 Schwartzen berg then withdrewhisarmy behind 
 the Seine. On the following day the French 
 vigorously attacked at Montereau the prince 
 royal of VVirtemberg's corps, charged with the 
 defence of the bridge at that place ; they were 
 repulsed with loss. The attack was again 
 renewed in the evening, when the French suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining some advantages. 
 
 On the 21st, field-marshal Blucher, with 
 the army of Silesia, effected his march 
 upon Mery, which town was already occu- 
 pied by general count Witgenstein, who had 
 reconnoitred the enemy to be in some force 
 opposite to him, between Chartreand Merigny. 
 The count, on the arrival of the veteran field- 
 marshal, withdrew his corps, and early in 
 the morning of the 22nd, took the direction 
 of Chaudrigny. Scarcely had the posts he 
 left in front of the town been relieved by the 
 army of the field-marshal, at about eight 
 o'clock in the morning, when marshal Oudinot, 
 with two corps, commenced an attack from 
 the opposite side of the river. 
 
 It not being, however, the immediate ob- 
 ject to carry on any operation on the left 
 bank of the river, arrangements were im- 
 mediately made for burning the bridge over 
 the Seine, that divides the town in two 
 parts, and for defending that on tiie other 
 side of the river. Whilst field-marshal 
 Blucher was himself superintending the dis- 
 positions for the effect, the town itself, in 
 three places, fell a prey to the flames. The 
 wind, from being very high, rendered it im- 
 practicable to subdue the flames ; and the 
 project, therefore, of defending the town by
 
 CHAP. LXVl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 853 
 
 any considerable body of infantry, could not 
 be executed. A few tirailleurs were all that 
 could be employed ; and marshal Oudinot, 
 \vho had not any obstacle on his side of the 
 liver, advancing rapidly, the bridije was set 
 fire to, hut only one side of it consumed. 
 
 From nine o'clock till two, a constant 
 tiraillade ensn<.'d ; but the flames became so 
 geneial, that no more support could be sent 
 to the small party that had defended the 
 town, and the French were enabled to effect 
 a passage across the remaining part of the 
 bridge. 
 
 In the mean time field-marshal Blucher 
 drew up his army in two lines, in a vast plain 
 outside the town, having his cavalry in re- 
 serve, and was thus prepared to have taken 
 every advantage of the enemy, barl he at- 
 tempted to push any force across the river. 
 The view of this preparation, however, intimi- 
 dated him. 
 
 Marshal Oudinot had pushed over three 
 battalions, and, extending them along the 
 left bank of the river, began a vpry sharp fire, 
 with the design of coveringlhe furtheradvance 
 of troops from the river, uhen he was himself 
 attacked, driven into the town, and obliged 
 to recross the broken bridge, leaving several 
 prisoners and wounded behind him ; and at 
 sun-set each army remained at their respective 
 sides of the town. 
 
 0\ the morning of the 24th, field-marshal 
 Blucher threw three pontoon bridges across 
 the Anbe, near Baudniont, and crossed with 
 the whole of his army, having marched it 
 during liie night without being perceived by 
 the eneniy from opposite Mery. It bivouaced 
 on the night of the 24111, at and in the vicinity 
 of Auglure. 
 
 The field-marshal had received advices of 
 the apj)roach of different corps, by which he 
 expected to be joined ; and also intelligence 
 thiit marshal Marmont, emboldened by his 
 absence, had advanced to Sezanne. This 
 account determinefl tiie veteran chief to 
 break up from Mery, and to march against 
 marshal Marmont, whose apparent object was 
 to get in the rear of the allies. 
 
 On the approach of the Prussian fiebi- 
 marshal, Marmont retired to La Ferte sous 
 Jouarre, on the Marue. The peasantry re- 
 presented him to he dying in disorder, and 
 his troops si'cking shelter in the woods. At 
 Kabais, however, it was learnt that marshal 
 
 Mortier, with the young guard, had marched 
 from Chateau Thierry, where he had been 
 some time in observation of general Winzin- 
 gerode, to eflTect a junction with marshal Mar- 
 mont, their whole force amounting to some- 
 what between 1(),000 and 20,000 men. 
 
 To pass the Marne, therefore, in presence 
 of such aforce, with the probability tliat Buo- 
 naparte, hearing of the march of the army of' 
 Silesia in this tiirection, would detach a force 
 to the rear of it, became an operation of great 
 delicacy. Field-marshal Blucher conse- 
 quently made the following skilful dispo- 
 sitions, by which he menaced the comtnuni- 
 cations of the enemy with Paris, and com- 
 pelled him to evacuate La Ferte sous Jouarre. 
 
 The corps of general baron Sacken and 
 general count Laiigeron, weie directed to 
 march on Conlamiers and Chailly, and to 
 pursue their rout on the morning of the 27th, 
 towards Meaux. The corps of general 
 D'Yorck and general Kleist, after halting for 
 tliQ night at and in the vicinity of" Rebais, 
 were ordered to march at the same time to 
 La Fei te sous Jouarre. General Kortf, with 
 a reserve of 3000 cavalry, formed the rear- 
 guard at La Ferte Gaucher. 
 
 The demonstration towards Meaux was 
 attended by great results : marshal Marmont 
 and Mortier, who had united their force at 
 La Ferte sous Jouane, precipitately aban- 
 doned the town, leaving the river in front of 
 it open to the establishment of pontoon bridges 
 in every direction. Some yagers got over in 
 small boats, and took possession of the town. 
 The French head-quarters were at Nogent on 
 the 21st, and proceeded towards the city of 
 Troyes on the 22nd and 2.3rd. 
 
 On the 24th, Buonaparte, with his whole 
 army, covered the heights of Troyes, whilst 
 the allied advanced posts retired into the 
 suburbs. On the road of Sens an action took 
 place with the allied cavalry merely, which 
 repulsed the French attack. ,c- 
 
 At night-fall, Buonapr»rte occtipied the 
 suburbs of T'royes, which the allies had eva- 
 cuated. He made three attacks upon the 
 city, which were repelled by the valour of 
 general Volkmann and his brigade. Buo- 
 naparte at last proposed a convention for the 
 allies evacuating the city, and Troyes was 
 accordingly delivered up to him next day, at 
 six o'clock in the morning. 
 
 On the eosuing morning, Buonaparte made
 
 8.34 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 his entry into the city, and immediately issued 
 the following decrees : 
 
 Imperial head-quarters, Troyes, Feb. 26, 1814. 
 
 Napoleon, emperor of tiie French, king 
 of Italy, protector of the confederation of 
 the lihine, njediator of the Swiss confedera- 
 tion, &c. 
 
 We have decroed and do decree as follows : 
 
 Art. 1. A list shall be drawn up of those 
 Frenchmen who, being in the service of the 
 allied powers, or under whatever titles have 
 accompanied the enemy in the invasion of the 
 territory of the empire, since the 20th of De- 
 cember, 1813. 
 
 Art. 2. The individuals who shall be com- 
 prehended in the said list, shall be summoned 
 without delay ; and all other business ceasing 
 before our courts and tribunals, to be there 
 judged and condemned to the penalties in- 
 flicted by our laws, and their property con- 
 fiscated to the benefit of the domains of the 
 state, according to the e.visting laws. 
 
 Art. 3. Every Frenchman who shallhavc 
 worn the badges of the decoration of the 
 antient dynasty, in the places occupied by 
 the enemy, and during his stay there, shall 
 be declared a traitor, and as such judged by 
 a military commission, and condemned to 
 death : his property shall be confiscated to 
 the profit ofthe domain of the state. 
 
 Art. 4. Our ministers are charged, each 
 as far as concerns him, with the execution of 
 this decree, which shall be inserted in the 
 biilletin ofthe laws. 
 
 (Signed) Napoleon. 
 
 After issuing the above decree, Buona- 
 parte caused the sieur Gau, an old en)igraut, 
 and the sieur Viderange, an old garde du 
 cx)rps, who had declared in favour of the 
 allies, and worn the crosses of St. Lonis, to 
 be arrested : they were then brought before 
 a commission of Provost marshals, and con- 
 demned to death. 
 
 Prince Schwartzenberg continued his 
 retrograde march as far as the Aube and 
 Chaumont, to which places the head-quarters 
 ofthe allies were withdrawn. But the move- 
 ments of field-marshal Bluchers army nowcom- 
 pelled Buonaparte to n>arch against him. He 
 accordingly quitted Troyes and began thepur- 
 .«uit of Schwartzenberg on the 27th of Feb- 
 ruary. He took with him the fiower of his 
 
 [CIIAP. LXVf. 
 
 troops, consisting ofthe M^hole of his guards, 
 the corps of marshals Marmont and Mortier, 
 and a considerable body of cavalry, leaving 
 a small force only, under marshal Oudinot, to 
 observe the grand army ofthe allies. 
 \ Oudinot immediately united his force with 
 the cavalry divisions of generals Milhaud and 
 Nansouty, and proceeded to an instant at- 
 tack of the allied position on the Aube, which 
 was defended by the army corps under count 
 Witgenstein, and that under general Wrede. 
 
 The attacks of the French, who had 
 peremptory orders to force this position, were 
 very severe. Bar sur Aube was taken by 
 the French, and their troops occupied the 
 heights of Arconal, and the wood of Levigny, 
 with the apparent view of carrying the heights 
 of VernonCait, which were the centre ofthe 
 allied position. 
 
 As soon as the allied columns were formed 
 and in readiness to march, the prince 
 Schwartzenberg, the conmiander-in-chief of 
 the allies, who was with them at the very com- 
 mencement of the action, ordered a general 
 attack on all points occupied by the French. 
 The advanced posts of count Witgenstein 
 were withdrawn upon the reserves of prince 
 Gortschakofi"; while general Pahlen, with 
 his cavalry, supported by the infantry of 
 prince Eugene of Wirtemberg, penetrated 
 over the heights of Arantiere and Levigny, 
 in the rear ofthe French. At the same time 
 the reserve infantry, and the divisions of Rus- 
 sian cuirassiers, drove them from the heights 
 of Vernoufait, which they had mastered by a 
 warm attack. The French cavalry thrice 
 charged to cover their flying infantry; but 
 the grape-shot from the Russian artillery 
 posted there, drove them back in disorder. 
 They still occupied the heights of Arconoal 
 with strong masses ; but a well ordered 
 flank march of general Volkmann's, in con- 
 cert with another under the direction of the 
 Bavarian colonel Hertling, expelled them 
 from this position also. At the same time 
 general Wrede stormed and took possession 
 of Bar sur Aube. The victory was now de- < 
 cided, and the French fled in disorder to- 
 wards Vandoeuvres, where they were followed 
 by the allies. 
 
 The French suffered severely in this battle ; 
 more than 1000 prisoners, and among them 
 colonel Moncey, the brother of the marshal, 
 two pieces of cannon, and some hundreds of
 
 CHAP. LXVI.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 855 
 
 muskets were the fruits to thie allies of this 
 victory. Prince Schwartzenberg and count 
 Witgeustein were both likewise slightly 
 wounded. 
 
 Prince Schwartzenberj^, having repelled 
 this attack, determined himself to attack on 
 the .3rd. The corps of general Witgenstein 
 "was directed by I'iney to turn the left of the 
 French at the village of Laubrussel, and to 
 threaten their communication with Troyes, 
 by marching in the direction of St. Parre. 
 General Wrede was directed to wait ihemove- i 
 ment of general Witgenstem, who was then \ 
 to attack the bridge of La G.uillotoire, and to 
 move upon the enemy's front. The prince 
 roval of Wurtemberg was at the same time to 
 attack the French position at La Maison 
 Blanche. 
 
 The circuitous road by which the corps of 
 general Witgenstein was directed, prevented 
 its arrival on the French flank till near three 
 o'clock in the afternoon. Prince Eugene of 
 Wurtem!)erg, commanding one of its divisions, 
 immediately announced the commencement 
 of tlie attack, by moving along the heights 
 towards Laubrussel, driving the enemy before 
 him, and at last by storming and carrying the 
 village. General Witgenstein instantly sup- 
 ported this attack by all the artillery of his 
 corps. Count Pahlen, upon the right, made 
 a shew of threatening the Frencli rear. 
 
 At this moment prince Schwartzeuberg 
 directed five battalions of Bavarians to pass 
 the Barce near Courteranges, establish them- 
 selves in the wood on that river, and place 
 themselves in communication with the Rus- 
 sians at Laubrussel. This movement was 
 immediately carried into execution. General 
 Wrede then stormed the bridge of La Guille- 
 toire, drove the enemy from it with loss, and 
 thus carried the whole of their position. 
 
 Marshal Oudinot, finding himself threaten- 
 ed on every side, retired with his army along 
 the road towards Troyes ; and several suc- 
 cessful charges were made upon him in his 
 retreat by the cavalry of general \Yitgenstein. 
 The results of this action to the allies were 
 10 pieces of cannon, 54 officers, and .3000 
 prisoners. The I^rench were diiven to the 
 village of St. Parre ; their rear-guard only 
 remained there, the rest of their force defiled 
 during the night through Troyes. 
 
 At nine o'clock in the morning of the 4th, 
 general Wrede again advanced against thein 5 
 
 5 R 
 
 they retired, and after being summoned to 
 surrender, Troyes capitulated, on the con- 
 dition of having half an hour to evacuate it. 
 Prince Schwartzeuberg, as soon as the stipu- 
 lated time was past, directed all his cavalry 
 to pursue upon the road towards Nogent. 
 
 Whilst affairs were thus proceeding upon 
 the Aube, Buonaparte, as already stated, 
 having quitted Troyes on the 27th of Feb- 
 ruary, arrived on the Aisne on the 4th of 
 March, and determined on the following day 
 to attempt retaking Soissons ; but on the 
 evening of the 3rd of March, field marshal 
 Blucher, with the army of Silesia, had effected 
 a junction with the corps of generals Win- 
 zingerode and Bulow, at Soissons, and on the 
 following day, the tield-marshal, to whom the 
 command of the whole had been entrusted, 
 took up a position on an extensive plateau 
 to the left, and in the rear of the town of 
 Soissons, with his right close to the village of 
 Lafl'aux, a-nd his left near Craone. 
 
 The town of Soissons was defended by 
 ten thousand Russian infantry, of the corps 
 of general count Langeron, under the orders 
 of general Rudzewich. On the 5th, soon 
 after day light, the attack was commenced 
 by the French ; their troops succeeded iri 
 obtaining possession of the greater part of 
 the suburbs, uin-oofed the houses, and kept 
 up a constant fire from them upon the 
 allied troops on the walls of the town, until 
 night put a termination to the contest 
 
 Buonaparte had entrusted the operations 
 of this day (the 5th) to the divisions of mar 
 shals Mortier and Marmont. In the morning 
 of the (jth they had given up the contest and 
 retired, and Buona.parte made a movement to 
 the right. In the afternoon of that day he 
 effected the passage of his army across the 
 Aisne at Bery le Bac, and at about tw o o'clock 
 in the afternoon commenced an attack on the 
 left of the position occupied by marshal 
 Blucher's army near Craone. At the same 
 time he put in* motion some strong columns 
 towards Laon by the way of Corbeny. To 
 oppose those manoeuvres the following dis- 
 positions were made by the Prussian field 
 marshal. 
 
 A CORPS of 10,000 cavalry, under general 
 Winzingerode, was directed to inarch by the 
 way of Chrevrigny aiul Presle, and throw 
 itself in the line of the enemy's communica- 
 tions across the road from Corbeny to Laon-
 
 856 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LXVI. 
 
 General Bulow, with 20,000 men, was direct- 
 ed to march and occupy Laon. The corps of 
 generals D'Yorck, KU^ist, and Sacken, were 
 ordered to incline towards the infantry of 
 general Winzingerode, which sustained the 
 extremity of the position near the villages of 
 St. Martin Craone. 
 
 The battle began on the Gth. Under 
 cover of the wood of Corbeny the French 
 made their approaches, and sent forward large 
 bodies of skirmishers ; these were supported 
 by artillery, but were repulsed, and tiie 
 firing ceased with the night. The lighting 
 of this day was therefore only with the skir- 
 mishers. 
 
 On the morning of the 7th the French had 
 desisted from their march upon Laon, and field 
 marshal Blucher directed the corps of generals 
 D'Yorck and Kleist to move across the river 
 Delette, in the direction of Presle and Lenilly, 
 to sustain the movement of the cavalry tmder 
 general Winzingerode, and, together with the 
 corps of general Bulow, make an attack on 
 the French right. Should Buonaparte push 
 forward against the point occupied by the 
 infantry of general Winzingerode near Craone, 
 general Sacken was ordered to the support 
 of the latter, and to attempt to turn .the 
 French left, should they make their attack on 
 the other side. If pushed by a superior force, 
 he was directed to fall back on the road to 
 Laon, and draw in the garrison on Soissons 
 These defensive manoeuvres were so masterly 
 as to merit this detail. 
 
 The French began the attack at eleven 
 in the forenoon, with their whole force, 
 amounting to 60,000 men, against the point 
 where Winzingerode's Mifantiy were posted. 
 Marshal Blucher immediately rode to the 
 spot where the cavalry was supposed to be 
 formed, to direct the operations in that quar- 
 ter; but some difficulties had opposed the 
 march of his cavalry during the night, and 
 it was found to have advanced no further 
 than Presle. General Kleist's infantry, which 
 had marched in the morning, reached Feticia ; 
 but the advanced-guards of the cavalry alone 
 had come up, and it had thus become impos- 
 sible to accomplish the movement which 
 Blucher had projected against the right of 
 the French. 
 
 The allied corps posted near Craone was 
 in the meantime exposed to a most severe and 
 powerful attack. Generals count Strogonoff"; 
 
 and Woronzoff defended, this position ^yith 
 the utmost determined obstinacy. They 
 were at length, however, oliliged to retire, 
 upon which thev fell back upon Laon. 
 
 Blucher now took up a position in front 
 of Laon. The elevated plateau on which the 
 town itself is situated was occupied by the 
 corps of general Bulow. In this position 
 Blucher was again assailed, under cover of a 
 thick fog, before day-light in the morning of 
 the 9th. The density of the atmosphere con- 
 cealed all Buonaparte's movements, and he 
 obtained possession of the villages of Semilly 
 and Ardoii, close under the town, and which 
 may be regarded as its suburbs. The mus- 
 ketry reached the walls of the town, and con- 
 tinned without intermission, until about 
 eleven o'clock, when the fog began to dis- 
 perse. 
 
 As soon as the fog had dispersed, Blucher 
 made an attack, and tlie French were driven 
 from Soniilly. Bluchev next directed his 
 cavalry from the rear to advance and turn 
 their left Hank. General Woronzoff advanced 
 at the same time with his infantry, drove in 
 the French posts, sustained a charge of 
 cavalry, and maintained himself in an attitude 
 to keep the French troops in check until the 
 allied cavalry could advance. A part of 
 general Bulow's corps was also ordereil to 
 advance against the village of Ardon. The 
 French sustained a fire for about half an hour, 
 and then were compelled to retreat. 
 
 While the cavalry of the allies was taking 
 a circuit round from the rear, and at about 
 two o'clock in the afternoon, the French 
 advanced a column of sixteen battalions of 
 infantry, with cavalry and artillery, along 
 the high road from Rheims. General D'Yorck 
 was directed to oppose these troops, and 
 general Sacken ordered to general DYorck's 
 support. At this quarter the battle became 
 most general and <lecisive. 
 
 The French troops opened a formidable 
 battery of forty pieces of cannon, and ad- 
 vanced in a firm and undaunted manner. 
 Their commander found a colunm of attack, 
 and was moving forward to the village of 
 Althies, when prince William of Prussia, who 
 was advancing to the village at the same 
 time, met these troops half way, and over- 
 threw them. 
 
 The French now began to retreat. It was 
 at first executed in good order ; but the
 
 CHAP. LXVI.} 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 8o7 
 
 allies pressing them ■warmly, some confusion ; 
 ensued, and the retreat was converted into t 
 flig,l)t. The French troops were puisucd as | 
 fiir as Corbeny, losinj^- nuicli artillery, bag- ; 
 g;ige, and many prisoners, by the way \ 
 
 On the right no particular advantages were 
 obtained i)y the allies bv'jond ihe expidsinn 
 of the French from the villages at the foot of 
 the hill of Laon. General VVoronzofl", towards 
 the close of the day, again attacked the 
 French in this post with the greatest vigour ; 
 but he had large masses opposed to him, and 
 the ground presented difliculties against the 
 active co-operation of his cavalry. 
 
 Notwithstanding the discomfiture ex- 
 perieiiced by the right of Buonaparte's army 
 on the 9th, he renewed and continued his 
 attack with the rest of his force dm-iiig the 
 ■whole of the succeeding day, the 10th. 
 
 The plain, below the city of Laon, is in- 
 terspersed with villages and small woods, 
 which soon became the scene of very obsti- 
 nate contests. A wood near the village of 
 Claiy was taken and retaken four different 
 tinies, and remained finallj' in the possession 
 of the allies. The infantry of general Win- 
 zingerode's corps, under the command of 
 general count Woronzoff, were the troops 
 there engaged. In the centre and left of the 
 position, the French troops maintained them- 
 selves. At about half an hour before sun 
 set, on the 11th, they advanced a body of 
 skirmishers, supported by two battalions of 
 infantry, (the rest of his array remaining in 
 reserve,) and attacked the village of Semilly, 
 close under the walls of the town, A bat- 
 talion of Prussians, of general Bulow's corps, 
 immediately threw itself iu the road, and, 
 being supported by the tire of the troops 
 from each flank, compelled the French to re- 
 tire iu disorder and with loss. 
 
 . If we examine the operations of these several 
 days, viz. from the 3rd of Mart;h to the 10th, 
 ■we shall find that they amounted to those cir- 
 cumstances which decided the campaign, — 
 not, indeed, so much because these circum- 
 stances were absolutely decisive in themselves, 
 as that they compelled Buonaparte to a mea- | 
 
 5 R 2 
 
 sure which ended in his ruin. The follow- 
 ing, if condensed into points, was the substan- 
 tial matter and character of these engage- 
 ujents. 
 
 1st, The army of Blucher, i. e. the Silesian 
 army, effected its union with generals W'inzin- 
 gerode and Bulow, its Russian reinforcements 
 on the .'ird of JMarch, at Soissons ; it was 
 raised to 90,000 in number, and took up its 
 position behind and iti the town of Soissons. 
 
 2nd, On the oth, Buonaparte came up 
 with an army of 60,000, and made an instant 
 a>sault on Soissons, with the purpose of re- 
 covering it. The battle continued from the 
 morning of the 5th till night ; and at night 
 one half of the town was in possession of the 
 French, and the other in that of Blucher. 
 
 3rd, On the morning of the Gth, Buonaparte 
 made a flank march, and came upon the left 
 of the allied position at Craone. On the fol- 
 lowing morning, the 7th, Buonaparte began 
 the battle by an attack on general Winzinge- 
 rode, and compelled the allies, (the greater 
 part of the Russian cavalry having been 
 left behind,) to retreat v.ith great loss upon 
 Laon. Buonaparte had clearly the advantage 
 this day. 
 
 4th, Both armies employed the day of the 
 8th in movements and manoeuvres. On the 
 morning ot the 9th, the French, under cover 
 of a mist, reached the hill upon which the 
 town of Laon is situated, and attacked Blu- 
 cher iu his position with great animation aiid 
 valour. The battle of the 9th was renewed 
 on the morning of the 10th ; and, after two 
 days of fighting, Blucher retained his position 
 at Laon ; ■while Buonaparte, despairing to 
 force it, changed the line of his march, and 
 took the road of Rheims in the direction of 
 the Aube. In the course of his route, he de- 
 feated general Priest, and continued his march 
 towards prince Schwartzenberg, who was 
 advancing towards the Seine ; but, having 
 now learned the loss of Rheims, and the de- 
 feat of general Priest, again fell back to Arcis 
 on the Aube, and in that position awaited 
 Buonaparte, who was proceeding by forced 
 marches a?-ain.st liim.
 
 CHAPTER LXVII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1814.] 
 
 Negotiations with Buonaparte — Declaration of the Allied Powers — Thei/ arrive he/ore Paris, 
 irhich capitulates — Napoleon retreats to FoHtainbleau, and abdicates the Throne — He departs 
 for Elba — Louis XVIII. leaves England, and is received in Paris ivith universal accla- 
 mations — Military operations in the South of France^BATTLE of THOULOUSE — 
 Splendid achievements of Lord Wellington — His merits are rewarded bi/ the gratitude of the 
 Nation. 
 
 WHILST the events recorded in the j together at the expence of the blood, of \\\e 
 preceding chapter were passing, pa- i fortune, of the welfare of a wliole generation, 
 cific overtures were made by Buonaparte to » The allied sovereigns, led bv conquest to 
 the allied powers, through the medium of his i the Rhine, thought it their duty to proclaim 
 minister, Caulaincourt, who repaired to Cha- 5 to Europe anew, their priiiciples,their wishes, 
 tillon-sur-Seine for that purpose, where, on | and their object. Far from every wish of 
 the 4th of February, he was met by the minis- 1 domination, or conquest, animated solely 
 ters of the allied potentates, counts Stadion | by the desire to see Europe restored to a just 
 and Rasumowski, lord Castlereagh and baron ; balance of the different powers, resolved not 
 Humboldt. I to lay down their arms till they had obtained 
 
 These proceedings will be best explained I the noble ol)ject of their eff'orts : they made 
 by the declaration of the allied powers, which s known the irrevocableness of their resolutions 
 was published on the day of their termina- 1 by a public act, and they did not hesitate to 
 tion, March 18th. It is as follows. 5 declare themselves to the enemy's government 
 
 \ in a manner conforuiable to their unalterable 
 Declaration of the Allied Powers on breaking \ determination. 
 
 off the Negotiations at C'hatillon. \ The French government made use of the 
 
 ; frank declarations of the allied powers to ex- 
 
 The allied powers owe it to themselves, to i press inclinations to peace. It certainly had 
 their people, and to France, as the negotia- i need of the appearance of this inclination, 
 tions at Chatillon are broken off, publicly to » in order to justify in the eyes of its people, 
 declare the reasons which induced them to ; the new exertions which it did not cease to 
 «nterinto negotiations with the French govern- ^ require. But every thing, however, convinced 
 ment, as well as the causes of the bi'eaking off | the allied cabinets, that it merely endeavoured 
 the negotiations. i to take advantage of the appearance of a ne- 
 
 MiLiTARY events, to which history can | gotiation, in order to prejudice public opinion 
 produce no parallel, overthrew, in the month | in its favour, but that the peace of Europe 
 of October last, the ill-constructed edifice i was very far from its thoughts, 
 known under the name of the French empire: » The powers, penetrating its secret views, 
 an edifice erected on the ruins of states, lately j resolved to go and conquer in France itself, 
 independent and happy, augmented by her | the long desired peace. Numerous armies 
 conquests from antient monarchies, and held « crossed the Rhine ; scarcely were they pass-
 
 CHAP. LXVIl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 859 
 
 ed the first frontier, when the French minister 
 for foreign affairs appeared at the outposts. 
 
 All the proceedings of the French govern- 
 ment had henceforth no other object, than 
 to mislead opinion, to blind the French people, 
 and to throw on the allies the odium of all the 
 miseries attendant on an invasion. 
 
 The course of events had given the allies 
 a proof of the full power of the European 
 league. The principles which, since their 
 first union for the common good, had animated 
 the counsels of the allied sovereigns, were 
 fully developed ; nothing more hindered them 
 from unfolding the re-construction of the 
 common'* edifice ; these conditions must be 
 such as Avere no hindrance to peace after so 
 many conquests. 
 
 The only power calculated to throw into 
 the scale indemnifications for France, Eng- 1 
 land could speak openly respecting the sacri- n 
 fices which it was ready to make for a general \ 
 peace. Tlie allied sovereigns were permitted 
 to hope that the experience of the late events 
 ■would have had some influence on a con- 
 queror, exposed to the observation of a great 
 nation, which was, for the first time, witness, 
 in the capital itself, to the miseries he had 
 brought on France. 
 
 This experience might have convinced that 
 the support of thrones is principally depen- 
 dant on moderation and probity. The allied 
 powers, however, convinced that the trial 
 which they made must not endanger the mili- 
 tary operations, saw t'hat these operations 
 must be continued during the negotiations. 
 The experience of the past, and afflicting re- 
 collections shewed them the necessity of this 
 step. Their plenipotentiaries met those of 
 the French government. Meantime the vic- 
 torious armies approached the gates of the 
 capital. The government took every method 
 to prevent, it falling into our ftands. The ple- 
 nipotentiary of France received orders to 
 propose an armistice, upon conditions which 
 were similar to those which the allies them- 
 selves judged necessal'y for the restoration of 
 a general peace. He offered the immediate 
 surrender of the fortresses in the countries 
 which France was to give up, on condition of 
 a suspension of military operations. 
 
 The allied courts, convinced by twenty 
 years experience, that in negotiations with tlie 
 French cabinet it was necessary carefully to 
 distinguish the a])jKirent froin the real in- 
 
 tention, proposed, instead of this, immedi- 
 ately to sign preliminaries of peace. This 
 measure would have had, for France, all the 
 advantages of an armistice, without exposing 
 the allies to the danger of a suspension of 
 arms. Some partial advantages, however, 
 accompanied the first motions of an army col- 
 lected imder the walls of Paris, composed of 
 the flower of the present generation ; the last 
 hope of the nation, and the remainder of a 
 million warriors, who,{either fallen on the field 
 of battle, or left on the way from Lisbon to 
 Moscow, have been sacrificed for interests 
 with which France has no concern. Imme- 
 diately the negotiations at Chatillon assumed 
 another appearance. The French plenipo- 
 tentiary remained without instructions, and 
 went away instead of answering the repre- 
 sentatives of the allied courts. They com- 
 missioned their plenipotentiaries to give in 
 the project of a preliminary treaty, containing 
 all the grounds which they deemed necessary 
 for the restoration of the balance of power, 
 and wliich a few days before had been repre- 
 sented by the French government itself, at a 
 moment, doubtless, when it conceived its 
 existence in danger. It contained the ground- 
 work for the restoration of Europe. 
 
 France restored to the frontiers, which, 
 under the government of its kings, had in- 
 sured to it ages of glory and prosperity, was 
 to have with the rest of Europe, the blessings 
 of liberty, natural independence, and peace. It 
 depended absolutely on its government lo 
 end, by a single word, the sufierings of the 
 nation ; to restore to it with peace, its colonies, 
 its trade, and the restitution of its industry. 
 What did it want more ? The allies now 
 offered, with a spirit of jiacification, to discuss 
 its wishes upon the subject of mutual con- 
 venience, which should extend the frontier.'* 
 of France beyond what they were before the 
 wars of the revolution. 
 
 Fourteen days elapsed without any an- 
 swer being I'eturned by the French govern- 
 ment. The plenipotentiaries of the allies 
 insisted on the fixing a day for the acceptance 
 or rejection of the treaty of peace. They 
 left the French plenipotentiary the liberty to 
 present a contre prvjet, on condition that this 
 contre projet should agree in spirit, and in 
 its general contents, with the conditions pro- 
 posed by the allied courts. The 10th of 
 March was fixed, by tlie mutual consent of
 
 860 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVIF. 
 
 both parties. This term being arrived, the 
 French pleiiipofeDtiary produced nothing- 
 but pieces, the discussion of which, far from 
 advancing the proposed object, could onlj; 
 have caused fruitless negotiations. A delay 
 ©f a few days was granted, at the desire of 
 the French plenipotentiary. On March 15th, 
 he at last delivered a oo«/re /J/o;e/, which left 
 HO doubt that the sufferings of France had 
 not yet changed the views of its government. 
 The French government, seceding from what 
 it 'had itself proposed, demanded, in a new 
 projet, that nations, which were quite foreign 
 to France, which a domination of many ages 
 could not have amalgamated with the French 
 nation, should now remain a part of it ; that 
 France should retain frontiers inconsistent 
 with the fundamental principles of equi- 
 librium, and out of all proportion with the 
 other great powers of Europe ; that it should 
 remain master of the same positions and \ 
 points of aggression, by means of which its 
 government, to the misfortune of Europe and 
 that of France, had effected the fall of so 
 many thrones, and so many revolutions ; that 
 members of the family reigning in France 
 should be placed on foreign thrones ; the 
 French government, in short, that government 
 which, for so many years, has sought to rule 
 no less by discord than by force of arms, was 
 to remain the arbiter of the externa.1 concerns 
 of the powers of Europe. 
 
 By continuing the negotiations under such 
 circumstances, the allies would have neglect- 
 ed what they owed to themselves ; they" would 
 from that moment have deviated from the 
 glorious goal they had before them ; their 
 efforts would have been turned solely against 
 their people. By signing a treaty upon the 
 principles of the French projet, the allies 
 would have laid their arms in the hands of 
 the common enemy ; they would have be- 
 trayed the expectations of nations, and the 
 eorifidence of their allies. 
 
 It is in a moment so decisive for the wel- 
 fare of the world, that the allied sovereigns 
 renew their solemn engagement, till they have 
 attained the great object of their union. 
 
 France has to blame its government alone 
 for all its suffering. Peace alone can heal 
 the wounds which a spirit of universal do- 
 minion, unexampled in history, has produced. 
 This peace shall be the peace of Europe ; 
 110 other can be accepted. It is at length 
 
 time that princes should watch over the wel- 
 fare of the people without foreign inthience; 
 that nations should respect their mutual inde- 
 pendence ; that social institutions should be 
 protected from daily revolution; property 
 respected, and trade free. 
 
 All Europe has absolutely the same wish 
 to make France participate in the blessings 
 of peace — France, whose dismemberment the 
 allied powers neither can nor will permit. 
 The confidence in their promises may be 
 found in the principles for which they con- 
 tend. Whence then shall the sovereigns infer 
 that France will take part in the principles 
 that must fix the happiness of the world, so 
 long as they see that the same ambition, which 
 has Inought so many misfortunes on Europe, 
 is still the sole spring that actuates the govern- 
 ment ; that while JPrench blood is shed iu 
 torrents, the general interest is always sacri- 
 ficed to private ? Whence, under such cir- 
 cu'.nstances, should be the guarantee for the 
 future, if such a desolating system found no 
 check in the general will of the nation ? Then 
 is the peace of Europe insured, and nothing 
 shall iu future be able to disturb it. 
 
 Buonaparte reached Arcis on the 21st, 
 and made an attack to repel Schwartzenberg, 
 which wholly failed. Having failed in his 
 attempt to debouch from Plancy and Arcis, 
 across the Aube, and abandoned his ideas of 
 attacking prince Schwartzenberg at Menil la 
 Comtesse, Buonaparte was guided in his 
 next operations by the desire of preventing 
 the junction of the armies of prince Schwart- 
 zenberg and marshal Blucher. Did he not 
 succeed to the utmost in this object, it was 
 evidently his best policy to force their union 
 and their communications as far to the rear, 
 and make it as circuitous as possible. It was 
 further made manifest to the allies, by inter- 
 cepted letters, that Buonaparte was of 
 opinion, that the movement he determined 
 upon on the rigiit of prince Schwartzenberg,, 
 might induce him to fall back towards the 
 Rhine, for fear of losing his communications ; 
 that he thus Avould be able to relieve his 
 places, and be in a better condition to cover 
 Paris. It generally occurs, that manoeuvres 
 are made with the advance, or the head of 
 an army; but Buonaparte, in his present 
 undertaking, pushed his object so far, by the 
 passage of the Aube with his whole army.
 
 eilAP. LXVII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 8G1 
 
 near Vitry, as to have left himself completely 
 open to that bold and maitniticent decision 
 which was immediately adopted. 
 
 Buonaparte put his whole army in motion 
 on tlie evening of the 21st for Vitry. That 
 night he remained at Sommepuis ; on the 
 following day his advanced corps arrived at 
 Vitry, and summoned the place. It had been 
 placed in a tolerable state of defence, and it 
 liad a garrison of between 3000 and 4000 
 Prussians. Marshal Ney endeavoured by 
 every menace, to obtain a surrender ; but the 
 Prussian colonel resolutely refused, and held 
 the town, which reduced the French com- 
 mander to cross the Marne by bridges con- 
 structed near Frignicourt. Buonaparte here 
 passed liis whole army on the 23rd and 24th, 
 and it was immediately ascertained to have 
 taken the direction of Saint Dizier. Three 
 objects might be now in his view. By the 
 movements round the right of the allies to 
 force them back ; if this failed, to operate 
 upon their communications, and even proceed 
 to form a junction with marshal Augereau ; 
 or finally by moving to his fortresses of Metz, 
 &c. prolong the war by resisting on a new 
 line, while he placed the allies in the centre 
 of France, having taken the best precautions 
 in his power for the defence of his capital. 
 
 The allies, on the 22ud, having crossed 
 to the right \H the Aube, lost no time in 
 adopting the bold resolution of forming the 
 junction of the two armies to the westward, 
 thus placing themselves between the French 
 anny and Paris, and proceeding with a united 
 force of at least 200,000 men to the capital of 
 the French empire. 
 
 In order the better to mask this move- 
 ment, the march of the allied army was made 
 from Pougy, Lesmont, and Arcis, on Vitry ; 
 and his imperial majesty tiie emperor of 
 Russia, by two extraordinary marches of 
 eighteen and twelve leagues,' established his 
 head-quarters with those of the field-marshal 
 at Vitry, on the 24th. A brilliant capture of 
 several pieces of cannon, 1500 prisoners, and 
 a large number of caissons was made by 
 general Augerawski, of the cavalry of the 
 Russian guard, on the 23rd ; and on this day 
 and the preceding, several advanced-guard 
 affairs took place between general Wrede's 
 corps, the prince of Wirtemburg, and the 
 enemy. 
 
 According to the vulgar rules of military 
 
 tactics, after the grand union of the two ar- 
 nties, no other measure was to be expected 
 tinin offering battle to Napoleon ; but in- 
 stead of this, the confederate forces no sooner 
 came in contact, and shook hands upon I heir 
 meeting, than they instantly began their steady 
 and daring march upon Paris. 
 
 The corps of Marmont, Mortier, and Ar- 
 righi, had followed the army of Blucher, with 
 the intention of keeping him on the Aisne ; 
 and when Napoleon made his retrograde 
 movement on Arcis, they were on march be- 
 tween Vitry and La F6re Champenoise, to 
 join him. Marmont pushed forward a corps 
 in the night of the 24th of March, upon Vitry, 
 without knowing that it was still occupied 
 by the confederates, having supposed that 
 they had followed the movement of Napoleon. 
 The prince of Wirtemburg and general 
 Rajewsky, with their several corps, the Rus- 
 sian reserve cavalry of the guard, and a part 
 ofBlucher's cavalry, fell in with Marmont's 
 corps, charged and broke it,the remains I'etreat- 
 ing to La Ferte Gaucher, on the road to Paris. 
 A very large and complete artillery park fell, 
 on this occasion, into the hands of the allies. 
 The two divisions of Pactod and Amey were 
 I surrounded, and, after a warm afJair, the 
 5 whole of them were taken prisoners near La 
 Fere Champenoise. The emperor Alexander 
 and the king of Prussia were present at this 
 engagement. 
 
 There is not, perhaps, in the history of 
 modern ^campaigns, a stratocratic manoeuvre 
 upon a grander scale to be found, than that 
 which the confederates had now put in prac- 
 tice, by interposing themselves between Buo- 
 naparte and Paris. The boldness of this 
 memorable operation of the allies, evidently 
 unnerved Napoleon's whole system, over- 
 turned the basis of his plans, and placed him 
 in the state of a mariner endeavouring to steer 
 his vessel without a compass, lie faced 
 about, it is true, making a ieint of marching 
 by the way of Bar-sur-Aube, direct to Paris; 
 .but, as if alarmed and confounded, instead of 
 proceeding on the line of the Marne, to throw 
 himself on the rear of the allies, and to ofier 
 battle, whatever it might cost him, he made 
 a Hank inaich from the Marne to the Aube, 
 and from thence behind the Seine, and by 
 this short-sighted and bewildered measure 
 hastened, in a superlative degree, his own 
 downfall and destruction.
 
 802 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LXVir. 
 
 Blucher, at the hear! of his army, eiiiere*! 
 Etoges on the 2-5rh of March, and pressed 
 forwards by the way of Montmirail towa'ds 
 Meaux. Marshals Marmoiit and Mortier 
 drew hack to Sezanne. Generals Yorck and 
 Kleist, liaving- arrived the same day at Mont- 
 inirail, detached a body of their cavalry on 
 the road to Sezanne, and broke np by break 
 of day on the 2Gth, to cnt off the enemy in 
 the direction of La Ferte Gaucher. They 
 found La Ferte occupied, soon dislodged the 
 enemy, and' established themselves in the 
 place. The French fled towards Coulomiers, 
 closely pursued by the Prussian cavalry and 
 a brigade of infantry ; they were overtaken 
 near the town, charged, and dispersed ; and 
 300 prisoners, together with a number of tum- 
 brils, were taken froo) them. The Silesian 
 army reached Meaux on the27th, in the utmost 
 order and regularity. In the afternoon, the 
 rest of Marmonts and Mortier's corps ap- 
 peared on their march from Sezanne to Cou- 
 loumiers. The powerful and well-directed 
 artillery of Yorck's and Kleist's corps, which 
 opened their fire upon the French colunms, 
 as they marched in advance down the road, 
 forced them to file off from the high way, and 
 to throve themselves into the bye-roads to- 
 wards the Seine. If the allied cavalry had 
 happened to have been on the spot, the re- 
 mainder of these two French corps would 
 have fallen into their hands, or have been cut 
 in pieces. 
 
 .Between La Fert6 Jouarreand Meaux, an 
 attempt was made by a body of 10,000 na- 
 tional guards to impede the march of Blu- 
 cher's army. They put. on a good counte- 
 nance, and seemed determined to dispute 
 the further advance of the allies ; and the 
 brave general Von Horn, being detached to 
 charge them at the head of his brigade of 
 cavalry, executed his orders with such ce- 
 lerity, courage, and firmness, that one of 
 their masses of infantry was entirely broken 
 up and cut in pieces, the rest put to the rout, 
 and the French general, who commandetl 
 them, taken prisoner by general Von Horn 
 himself. 
 
 The corps of Marraont and Mortier being 
 now completely deranged, retired at all points, 
 on the ■28th of March. When making good 
 their retreat through Meaux, they blevv up an 
 immense magazine of gun-powder, without 
 any previous notice to the inhabitants, and 
 
 then pursued their retrograde march to Claye. 
 The corps of Yorck and Kleist came up with 
 the enemy at this latter place, and, after a 
 desperate conflict, which lasted till late at 
 niglit, they succeeded in dislodging the 
 French, and occupying Ville-parisis and 
 Montsaiglc. 
 
 During these operations, the Silesian 
 army defiled over the bridges of the Marne, 
 near Tripo -t, which had been re-established, 
 notwithstanding tlie cannonade of the French. 
 
 It was on the 29th of March that the grand 
 confederate army began likewise to defile 
 over the bridges near Triport and Meaux. 
 The preconcerted union of Schwartzenberg's 
 and Bluchers army was now fully accom- 
 plished, in order of battle. The confederate 
 army pursued the high road to Paris, while 
 the Silesian army filed oft" on the road from 
 Mery to that capital. 
 
 Marshals Marmont and Mortier had adr 
 vanced, by forced marches, with the shattered 
 remains of their corps, by the way of Melun, 
 towards Paris, and had taken a position in 
 front of the wood near Landy : they were 
 attacked by the advanced-guard, and driven 
 back upon Pantin The grand head-quarters 
 were at Bondy on the 29tli : in the mean 
 time Blucher pushed forwards two principal 
 corps to the right, in the direction of Mory, 
 Draucy, and St. Denys, to" reach Mout- 
 martre. 
 
 The French had taken a position in front 
 of the heights of Montmartre, under cover of 
 some hasty intrenchments they had thrown 
 up, and lined with 150 pieces of artillery ; 
 their line extended to the villages of Pantin, 
 Romainville, and Belleville. The confederate 
 force consisted of about 8000 regular troops, 
 and 3000 national guards. The canal, and 
 the nature of the ground altogether, rendered 
 his position a strong one, particularly as the 
 allied cavalry had no extent of ground to make 
 a charge. In the interim, Napoleon had is- 
 sued orders to defend the capital to the last 
 extremity, being himself as he announced, on 
 his march to relieve it. 
 
 Bluchers conduct, under the difficuli^^ 
 circumst^ances in which he undertook this 
 memorable march on Paris, may be accounted 
 a master-piece of discretion and firmness. 
 Tiie bold measures of the field-marshal, tlie 
 splendid feats he jierformed, bis well-chosen 
 commanding positions, his energy of action.
 
 CHAP. LXVII.J GEORGE IM. 863 
 
 aiul tlie efficiency ofliis dispositions on tlie > fioni Paiitin (owards Paris, forcing the ene- 
 field of battle, all alike point him out as a i uiy's battery near Viilette to draw back its 
 military hero, not only worthy of the wonder ! ri«fht wing, as the reserves and the artillery 
 and admiration of the age in which he lives, ; of Von Torek's and Kleisf^ corps came into 
 but of future generations. 5 action, and thereby enfiladed the whole of 
 
 Preparations for a general attack on the » the French battery. The enemy retreated 
 enemy's position at Montmartre were vigour- j instantly into Viilette, but again faced ai)out, 
 ously carried on during the 30th of March. \ and, although hard pressed, endeavoured to 
 It was the plan of the allies, that the grand ; charge with a large body of cavalry, supported 
 confederate army, under theprinceof Schwart- ; by infantry and artillery. It happened that 
 zenberg, should assault the heights of Ro- j the cavalry of Yorck's and Kleist's corps had 
 niainvilie and Belleville, while the Silesian ; begun to form at Ferme le Ronvroy, and 
 army was ordered to carry those of Mont- > two regiments of Prussian hussars boldly 
 uiartre. ; met the enemy's charge, repulsed them witii 
 
 Marshal Blacher made the following ar- ; heavy loss, threw themselves upon their in- 
 rangenients with the several corjis of which | fantry, and put the 'whole to rout, taking 
 liis arnjy was composed. General count ; their guns sword in hand. 
 Langeron's corps formed his right wing, and | Four battalions belonging to general Woron- 
 thoseof Von Yorck and Kleist, his left. The | zow's corps, taking advantage of th'» favour- 
 corps under the command of general Winzin- j able moment, stormed La Viilette at the 
 gerode remained in reserve, and that under j same time, and the enemy fled in the greatest 
 general Von Sacken was still in position near | confusion, leaving their artillery and mat(-riel 
 Meaux. General Von Bnlow covened Sois- ; in the hands of the victors: they were briskly 
 sons. The general directed count Langeron ; ])ursned to the very barriers of Paris. On 
 to take Audervilliers, to blockade St. Denys | the road from Pantin, the guards had likewise 
 if it would not suiimit, and to advance with I penetrated to the barriers from that side. 
 his main body towards C'lichy, for the pur- 5 The whole of the enemy's positions were, in 
 pose of attacking Montmartre from this side. | tiiis manner, either turned or stormed, about 
 Generals Von Yorck and Kleist were ordered ; half past three o'clock, P. M. when the firing 
 to assault Montmartre from the routes of • ceased on both sides. 
 La Vilette and La Chapelle. ; Flags of truce now appeared to entreat a 
 
 The confederate grand army began their i suspension of hostilities, as the city of Paris- 
 attack upon the enemy's lines at Pantin, at ; would submit. They were conducted to the 
 five o'clock, A. M. ; that of the Silesian army ; august sovereigns who had arrived near the 
 did not commence till near eleven, A. M. at i barriers, and an armistice was granted for 
 which time Romainville and Pantin had been ; four hours, to afibrd time for the French 
 already carried by the allied army. The j force to defile into Paris, 
 enemy still occupied Ferme le Ronvroy with j Imagination can scarcely form an idea of 
 infantry, supported by a battery of 18 pieces ; two situations more opposite to each other, 
 of cannon, very advantageously planted, i than that of one army flushed with aseries of 
 The advanced-guard, under major-general ; continued victories, and another depressed 
 Katzeler, carried the place itself, but could i vvith the mortifying reflection of unvaried 
 jot debouch out of it, until the enemy's bat- s discomfiture. The one rushes on with the 
 tery was first silenced. The artillery neces- ; cheerful confidence of certain conquest; the 
 sary for this operation did not arrive on the ; other proceeds with a reluctant diffidence, 
 ground till near three o'clock, P. M. along : Jesulting from a humiliating retrospection 
 with Winzingerode's corps, whose operations ; of experienced defeats. 
 
 werefavoured l)ytlie corps of Yorck and Kleist i During these events, the corps of general 
 filing oft' to attack in conjunction with count ; Langeron had continued its movement, thosie 
 Langeron. ; of Yorck and Kleist kept up a brisk can- 
 
 The reserve of grenadiers, and a brigade j nonade, and advanced upon Montmartre. 
 of guards appertaining to the grand army, and j The village of La Chapelle was already car- 
 s^upported by six battalions under prince ; ried, and the assault upon Montmartre upon 
 Wjlljaw of Prussia, had just made an attack | the point Of being attempted as the intelU-^ 
 
 5 s ' 55
 
 864 i!r«TonY or England. [chap. lxtu. 
 
 j^ence of the armistice readied tliem. But ; but seldom during tlie course of many ceii- 
 roiiut Laiia;eroii hoiiig at a greater distance, ; tiiries. They were escorted and surrounded 
 liis infantry had already stormed the lieights ! by all their distinguished generals, and cnd- 
 ofMontmartre on that side, and taken twenty; less tiles of horses formed their train. The 
 pieces of cannon, before the report arrived. I ga/ing multitude saluted them as they pass- 
 
 Prince Schvvartzenberg and BIncher were J ed with reiterated acclamations of " Vive 
 now at the head of their respective armies, \ rempereur Alejinulre .' Vive Ic Roi de Prusse ! 
 ill positions from which they could cau- I Vive Louis XV III / Abas Napoleon / La 
 nonade at their pleasure the city of Paris. ! //rt?.fc' .^ La paix / 
 
 The whole of the barriers were delivered up > The allied monarchs proceeded through 
 to the confederates in the course of the ! the suburb St. Martin, across the boulevards 
 evening, and on the follovving morning, the | to the place of Louis XV., and from thence 
 31st of March, the caj)ital of the French 5 to the Champs Elisees, where their respective 
 empire was in the hands and at the mercy of; troops defiled in the utmost order before them, 
 the confederate monarchs. At seven in the j St. Dcnys capitulated on the ;ilst of 
 morning, the whole of the French regular ; March. All the military trophies which had 
 troops, under marshal Marmont, evacuated ! been previously taken from the allies, were 
 Paris, in virtue of a convention entered into ; found in Paris, or in the Dome des invalides, 
 for that purpose. i from which latter place they were taken 
 
 The glorious trophies of the .31st of March i away by detachments of Russsian and Prus- 
 consisted of 70 pieces of artillery, .3 standards, ; sian guards on the 1st of April, 
 and 500 prisoners. » Napoleon had. in the mean time, halted at 
 
 Scarcely was the issue of the battle of La 5 Fontaiidjieau. His marshals and princes re- 
 F^re Champenoise and its consequences \ nounced their obedience to him, and appear- 
 known to Napoleon, when, on the 27th of 5 ed in Paris to await their fate from the deci- 
 March, after piishing aside the two corps of j'sions of the august allied monarchs. Upon 
 Winzingerode and Czernicheff, he hastened 5 this important occasion it was seen, that the 
 from Bar sur Aube to Troyes, and on ol)serv- ; marshals, who had hitherto acted as an united 
 ing- that Paris was lost to him, he proceeded > and formidable body for the meretricioH^ 
 in the direction of Sens to Fontainbleau, ; glory and unjust aggrandisement of France, 
 where, on the 4th of April, he issued his last ; not only took part with the confederates, but 
 order of the day. J almost inunediately accepted posts under 
 
 Thus ended the plans he had formed for the ; Louis XVUI. Many were pleased to ob- 
 welfare of Europe, the subjection of Russia, 5 serve, " that the matter in issue was, in fact, 
 and the oppression of Germany and Italy. • whether a good, just, and liberal constitu- 
 But it must not be forgotten, that Providence 5 tion was or was not to be maintained in 
 achieved the work, that its hand might be J France ; whether the wild ideas of'universal 
 visible to all. The German nation has in 5 conquest, and of theory, were to overwhelm 
 particular to hail the hour of its deliverance, ; the wholesome maxims of established practice 
 with unceasing sentiments of pious gratitude. ; and well founded experience ; and whether 
 It has recalled it from a state of bondage to ; those laws, under which Europe had flourish- 
 the bright certainty of tuture honour and 1 ed for such a series of years, were to be 
 happiness, and |)revented the ditl'usion of ; rendered null and subverted by a tyrant, un- 
 those principles which directly tended to ! sanctioned by the people, at the head of a 
 destroy all pri perty, subvert the laws and i detested aristocracy, and the dread and 
 religion of a country, and to introduce the ; abhorrence of neighl)onring nations." 
 wild and rnllian system of rapine, falsehood, > As Frenchmen, nearly and deeply inter- 
 espionage, and impiety. j ested in the real welfare of France, the mar- 
 I'hcir majesties the emperor Alexander J shals seemed to hasten to convince the world 
 and the king of Prussia put themselves at 1 that the hapjuness of the French people was 
 tlie head of their victorions guards, and made i their sole object. They were eager to aii- 
 their trium[)hal entry into Paris, between ten ■ nomue, that they held the principles and the 
 andeleven o clock A. M. of theSlstof March. ; system of their forn>er sultan as treasons 
 Jt was one uf those grand spectacles thatoccur 5 towards France, aud incompatible with the
 
 CHAP. LXVII.] 
 
 peace of Europe. On this c^reat, tliis solid 
 basis, the ans^ust allies listened to their arjjii- 
 ments of secession, and believed and trusted 
 their promises and protestations. Tt was a 
 critical period. To have done less would 
 have cast an odium on the noble and generous 
 conduct of the allies ; and to have done more 
 would have implied a want of wisdom and 
 Bound policy. 
 
 The following is the Capitulation oj Paris : 
 
 The four hours armistice which had been 
 agreed upon, for the purpose of treating on 
 the conditions relative to the occupation of 
 Paris, and to the retreat of the French corps 
 therein, having led to an arrangement to that 
 effect, the undersigned, after being duly autho- 
 rized by the respective commanders of the 
 opposed forces, have adjusted and signed the 
 following articles : 
 
 Art. 1. The corps of the marshals dukes 
 of Treviso and Ragusa shall evacuate the 
 city of Paris on the .31st of March, at seven 
 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 Art. 2. They shall take with them all the 
 appurtenances of their corps d'armee. 
 
 x\rt. 3. Hostilities shall not recommence 
 until two hours after theevacnation of thecity ; 
 that is to say, on the 31st of March, at nine 
 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 Art. 4. All the arsenals, military establish- 
 ments, worksho])s, and magazines, shall be 
 left in the same state that they were in pre- 
 vious to the present capitulation being pro- 
 posed. 
 
 Art. 5. The national or city guard is 
 entirely separated from the troops of the line ; 
 it is either to be kept on foot, or disarmed, or 
 disbanded, according to the ulterior disposi- 
 tions of the allied powers. 
 
 Art. 0. The corps of the municipal gen- 
 darmerie shall in every respect share the fate 
 of the national guard. 
 
 Art 7. The wounded and the stragglers, 
 remaining in Paris after seven o'clock, shall 
 be prisoners of war. 
 
 Art. 8. The city of Paris is recommended 
 to the generosity of the high allied powers. 
 
 Done at Paris the 31st of March, at two 
 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 (Signed) Count Orloff, aide-de-camp 
 of his majesty the etnjjeror of all the 
 Russias ; colonel count Paan, aide- 
 
 CEORGE III. 865 
 
 de-camp-general of marshal prince 
 Schwartzeid)erg; colonel Baroy Far- 
 rier, attached to the etat-major of his 
 excellency the marshal duke of Ra- 
 gusa ; colonel Denys, first aide-de- 
 camp of his excellency the marshal 
 duke of Ragusa. 
 
 DECLARATION. 
 
 " The armies of the allied powers have 
 occupied the French capital. Tiie allied 
 sovereigns meet the wishes of the French 
 nation: they declare, that if the conditions of 
 the peace required stronger guarantees, when 
 the object in view was the restraining of 
 Buonaparte's ambition, they ought to be more 
 favourable, as soon as, by returning to a wise 
 government, France herself shall ofler the 
 assurance of tranquillity. The allied sove- 
 reigns proclaim, therefore, that they will 
 treat no more with Napoleon Buonaparte, or 
 with any of his family ; — that they respect the 
 integrity of ancient France, such as it existed 
 under her legitimate kings; they may even 
 do more, because they always profess the 
 principle, that, for the happiness of Europe, 
 France ought to be great and strong ; — that 
 they will recognize and guarantee the con- 
 stitution which the French nation shall give 
 itself. They accordingly invite th^ senate to 
 appoint a provisional government capable of 
 providing for the wants of administration, and 
 of preparing such a constitution as may be 
 adapted to the French people. The inten- 
 tions which I have expressed are conmion to 
 me, with all the allied powers. 
 
 ALEXANDER.' 
 
 " By order of his imperial majesty, 
 
 " The secretary of state, 
 " Count de Nesselrode.'* 
 
 " Paris, March 31, 1814, af three o clock in 
 the afternoon.' 
 
 The senate lost no time in accepting the 
 invitation contained in the above address of 
 the emperor Ahwandor ; they assemblerl on 
 the 1st of April and chose a coujuiittee of live 
 members, with Talleyrand, prince of Bene- 
 vento, at their hea<l, to form a provisional 
 government, and decreed that the euiperor 
 Napoleon had ceased to reign. The eii:peror 
 however had collected about •20,(»00 men in 
 the neigldjonrhood of Fontainii'eau. He 
 addressed them in an animated speech, which 
 5 s 2
 
 80G 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 TCUAP. LWII 
 
 was received by the soldiers with enthusiastic 
 acclainatioiis of " Loii^ live the emperor ! 
 Loiifflive i\apoleon." But the marshals pre- 
 sent were far from conciirrins; in these expres- 
 sions of attachment. Wlien admitted to 
 Napoleon's presence they acquainted him 
 that all was lost, that at most he could collect 
 only -56,000 men tiiat he had not two days' 
 provision, and that the only means of safety 
 was to abdicate in favour of the kin<^ of 
 Home. Intimidated by reproach and advice 
 to which he was so little accustomed, he 
 signed his own abdication on the 4th of 
 April, and addressed an order of the day to 
 his army, in which, after contrasting forcibly 
 and justly the former servility and present 
 tergiversation of the senate, he intimates that 
 if he is the only obstacle to peace, he is ready 
 to make the last sacrifice for France, and that 
 he has sent Ney, Gaulaincourt, and Mac- 
 donald to Paris to arrange the negotiations. 
 The mission of these generals, which had for 
 its object the continuance of Buonaparte's 
 power under the pretext of a regency to be 
 •administered either under her own name or 
 that of her son, failed of success. His off'ers 
 being rejected, Buonaparte then gave in tli^ 
 following declaration : 
 
 " The allied powers having proclaimed 
 that the emperor Napoleon was the only 
 obstacle to the re-establishment of the peace 
 of Europe, the emperor Napoleon, faithfiv^ to 
 his oath, declares that he renounces the 
 thrones of France and Italy, and that there is 
 no personal sacrifice, even that of life, which he 
 is not ready to make to the interest of France. 
 
 " Done at the palace of Fontainbleau, 
 April ()th, 1814." 
 
 After the publication of this document, 
 other negotiations ensued which did not 
 relate to questions of policy, power, or govern- 
 ment, but of pounds, shillings, and pence. 
 On the nth of April was signed the famous 
 treaty by which Buonaparte abandoned for 
 himseli'and for his family the thrones of half 
 the world, and stipulated oidy for the empty 
 titles of his better dajs, a retreat to the 
 obscurest corner of his late dominions, and a 
 pension of two millions of livres per annum 
 (about £8.3,000) from the civil list of Louis 
 XVIII. Finally on the 12th, he signed the 
 formal instrument of abdication on the part 
 of himself and family. 
 
 After many indications of reluctance and 
 apologies for delay, he left Fontainbleau for 
 the island of Elba. We shall not enumerate 
 the various details of his conversation and 
 demeanour, since they rest on aiithority too 
 suspicious for authentic history. It is cer- 
 tain however that his reception in the course 
 of his journey to the coast testified the ut- 
 most abhorrence among the lower orders of 
 tlie people. Every species of insult attended 
 his progress, notwithstanding he was accom- 
 panii^d by four commissioners : count Sco- 
 valof from Russia, count Koller from Austria, 
 count de Waldberg from Prussia, and colonel 
 Campbell from England. He was followed 
 by 14 carriages, and his escort employed GO 
 post-horses. On iho night of the 28th of 
 April heendjarked from St. Rapheau, a short 
 distance from Frejus, in his British majesty's 
 ship the Undaunted, and on the 3rd of May 
 landed in form on the island of Elba. 
 
 A i>iFFERENT sceuc was at this moment 
 witnessed by the shores of England. Louis 
 XVIII. , who had been preceded by the didce 
 d'Artois, entered London in triumph, and 
 tended by the prince regentproreedcd to Dover. 
 After a passage of three hours he anchored in 
 the roads of Calais, from whence he proceeded 
 by slow stages, amidst the acclamations of the 
 people, to the capital of France, where he was 
 received with apparent testimonies of the 
 most fervent, general, and unlimited attach- 
 ment. Unhappily for the interests of 
 humanity the occurrence of these important 
 and propitious events was not received at the 
 head-quarters of the armies of the south till 
 the termination of many sanguinary conflicts. 
 On the 7th of April, colonel Cooke left Paris 
 for the express purpose of acquainting lord 
 Wellington with the abdication of Buonaparte. 
 This officer was accompanied by colonel St. 
 Simon, who was employed by the provisional 
 government to give marshals Soult and Sucbet 
 information of the same event. Their mis- 
 sion was sacred, and respected as far as the 
 banks of the Loire, but after passing that 
 river they were arrested on their road to 
 Thoulouse. In consequence of this unfor- 
 tunate circumstance the military operations 
 of the respective commanders were continued 
 with activity and vigour. 
 
 At the commencement of the year, the 
 British army commanded the navigation both 
 of the Nieve and the Adour ; and lord Wei
 
 CHAP. LXVII.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 807 
 
 liiit^toii, taking- into consideration the neces- 
 sity of iixing the basis upon wiiicli tlie.corn- 
 nierce of the ports of Frencli Navarre to the 
 sontii of the Adour should be regulated, de- 
 clared that those ports were open to all na- 
 tions not at war with the allied powers ; a 
 duty of five per cent, ad valorem, being paid 
 upon all articles except grain and salt, and 
 stores for the use of the army. An order of 
 council was also published in England, 
 granting permission for British vessels to 
 trade to these and such other ports as might 
 be under the ])rotection, or in the military 
 occupation of his majesty's arms. To this 
 then were the decrees of Berlin and Milan 
 come at last ! The tyrant, who had endea- 
 voured to shut the ports of all Europe against 
 British ships, and had well nigh at one time 
 accomplished his barbarous and barbarizing 
 purpose, saw England at this time regulating 
 the commerre of his own ports, and levying 
 duties in France, — not after his example, 
 with blind and senseless rapacity, but upon 
 those principles of moderation and equity 
 upon which her power is raised, and by which 
 her prosperity is supported. The right of 
 our army was between the Adour and the 
 Nieve ; the centre and the left were posted 
 between the Nieve and the sea ; and in this 
 position they remained till the beginning of 
 February, etijoyiug the resources of a faithful 
 country, with little molestation from the ene- 
 my's army, and none from the inhabitants. 
 This state of things was concealed as much 
 as possible from the French people, Buona- 
 parte persisting till the last in that system of 
 •falsehood by which he had so long deceived 
 and flattered them to their ruin. It could 
 not indeed be disguised that lord Wellington 
 was wintering in France ; though by what 
 train of events he should have arrived there 
 the French were left to guess. But it was 
 asserted, that he had been defeated in the 
 actions before Bayoune, Avith the loss of 
 15,000 men ; — that he now thought of nothing 
 more than entrenching himself* in his own 
 lines, — that the position which general Clausel 
 had taken, alarmed him,— his situation be- 
 came more and more critical, — the misunder- 
 standing between the Spanish and British 
 troops increased every day, — the British com- 
 mander began to perceive that that part of 
 the French army which remained in the camp 
 at Bayonne would cut off his retreat, — in 
 
 fine, that there was consternation in the 
 British army, and that while they were in 
 want of provisions, their convoys were wreck- 
 ed upon the coast of the Laudes, and sup- 
 plied the French detachment with beef and 
 clothing, and packages of prest hay, which 
 were sent to Bayoune, and there served out 
 to the troops. While the Moniteur, in its 
 official articles, boasted thus of a chance ship- 
 wreck, and attempted to delude the people 
 in its 'usual strain of falsehood, that part of 
 the French nation who remembered and re- 
 gretted the state of the country under the 
 Bourbons, beheld the progress of the British 
 arms with satisfaction, because it offered a 
 hope of the restoration of the legitimate 
 government, and that state of security and 
 peace which could be attained under no other 
 auspices. The hopes of the exiled family 
 had also recovered ; and, before the duke 
 d'Angouleme went to the British camp, an 
 agent of Louis XVIII. arrived at Bourdeaux. 
 Part of his commission was to see M. de la 
 Roche Jaquelein, and tell him that the king 
 depended upon him for La Vende. 
 
 The name of Roche Jaquelein is one which 
 France will remember with pride in better 
 days : few families have displayed more de- 
 votion, or made greater sacrifices in an 
 honourable cause. In the first Vendean war, 
 the marquis de la Roche Jaquelein had dis- 
 tinguished himself by a generous enthusiasnj 
 and heroic devotion. One of his proclama- 
 tions to his soldiers concluded with these 
 impressive words, — Si faiance, suivez mot- 
 si je recule, tiiez vioi, si je mcurs, vciiifez moi — 
 twenty years afterwards, his brother, the heir 
 of his name, his virtues, his glory, and his 
 fate, put himself at the head of the Vendeans, 
 repeating, with a noble and affecting sim- 
 plicity, the very words of his illustrious bro- 
 ther. " If I advance, follow me, — if I fall 
 back, shoot me, — ff I <lie, revenge me. 
 Nothing, however new or striking, that elo- 
 quence could -have uttered, would have 
 ecjualled the pathos of this simple repetition, 
 which, besides being calculated to excite all 
 the feelings which a leader would wish to 
 inspire, was moreover a peculiar claim on 
 their confidence, and the most touching pane- 
 geric of his illustrious brother, and the heroii- 
 royalists who filed with him. 
 
 M. DE LA Roche Jaquelein immediately 
 went through Aujou and Touraine, and found
 
 868 
 
 HISTORY 'OF ENGLAND. 
 
 lchap. lxvii. 
 
 littie difficulty in roiizin^ again that spirit 
 viiich the national convention had"/ouncl it so 
 difricnlt to suppress. A plan was formed for 
 dehveriiig Ferdinand VII. ; but the person 
 who was to imve headed the enterprise died 
 at the time when it should have taken place. 
 Roche Jaquelein's designs were suspected ; 
 and he was warned by an express from M. 
 Lynch, that orders were given for airesting 
 him, and bringing him, dead or alive, before 
 M. Savary, the worthy minister of police 
 under Buonaparte ; he escaped to Bourdeaux, 
 and from theuce, with great difficulty and 
 imminent danger, got to the British head- 
 quarters, \^here he assured lord Wellington 
 that Bourdeaux would declare for the king 
 as soon as a British force shouhJ approach it. 
 He would fain also have persuaded the British 
 general to send a few hundred men, who 
 should land him on the coast of Poitou, and 
 divert the attention of the troops, while he 
 pursued his way alone, and called up the 
 faithful people who had exerted themselves 
 so biavely, and suffered ^o severely in the 
 most frantic and ferocious time of the revo- 
 lution. Lord Wellington listened with great 
 interest to these representations ; but he 
 doubted whether the attachment of the people 
 to the Bourbons was what M. de la Roche 
 Jaquelein believed it to be, and he did not 
 feel himself authorised to detach troops upon 
 an expedition such as was proposed, espe- 
 cially when he was on the eve of great opera- 
 tions ; for he was at this time preparing to pass 
 the A dour. 
 
 About the middle of February, the right 
 of his army advanced, cut off the enemy's 
 communication with St. Jean Pied de Port, 
 and drove them successively across the 
 Bidouze river, the Gave de Mouleon, and 
 the Gave d'Oleron. These movements obliged 
 marshal Souit to weaken his force in Bay- 
 onne, and withdraw his ti-oops from the right 
 of the Adour, above the town. While one 
 part of the army was thus employed, sir John 
 Hope prepared to cross the Adour below 
 Bayonne, a service in which admiral Penrose, 
 with a naval force, was anxiously waiting to 
 co-operate. A corps of 600 men, under 
 general Stopford, crossed on the evening of 
 the 23rd, upon rafts made of pontoons : they 
 were attacked by the enemy, who hoped to 
 overpower them before they could be rein- 
 forced ; but, by the assistance of a rocket 
 
 brigade, the French were repelled wilh con- 
 siderable loss. In the night, a breeze sprung 
 up, and enabled the vessels to reaci the 
 month of the Adour ; and the boats which 
 had been collected to form a bridge across 
 the Nieve, endeavoured to find a passage 
 through the surf. The first, which was se- 
 lected as the safest for such an attempt, and 
 had the principal pilot on board, was overset ; 
 the second succeeded in reaching the beach, 
 and the rest returned to wait the chance of 
 the next tide, " it being scarcely possible," 
 says the admiral, " that one in fifty could then 
 have effected the passage." A pilot was 
 landed to the south-west of the river, who 
 might walk from thence to the Adour, and 
 make signals from within the bar to guide 
 the vessels through the safest parts ; without, 
 there appeared nothing but one long and 
 heavy line of surf; the bar, at all times a 
 difficult one, being at this season especially, 
 dangerous. But the zeal and intrepidity of 
 British seamen will overcome all obstacles 
 which are not absolutely insuperable ; and 
 with the next tide the boats and vessels, 
 vying with each other, crossed this tremendous 
 surf, and ran up the river in triumph, the 
 officers displaying on this occasion a gallantry 
 and skill which has seldom been equalled. 
 With these boats, a bridge of about 800 
 yards was throM'u across the river ; and the 
 troops, thus having accomplished their ar- 
 duous undertaking, invested Bayonne. 
 
 The right of the army meantime was en- 
 gaged' in more extensive operations. Mar- 
 shal Beresford, on the 23rd, attacked the 
 enemy in their fortified posts on the left of 
 the Gave de Pan, and compelled them to re- 
 tire within their tete-de-pont at Peyrehoradf. 
 On the 24th, the allied troops crossed the 
 Gave de Pan, destroyed the bridges, and col- 
 lected their force near Orthes. The position 
 was very strong ; their riglit was upon the 
 heights on the road to Dax, and occupied the 
 village of St. Bocs, the left upon the heighfs 
 above Orthes, defended the passage of the 
 river. Marshal Beresford attacked the right, 
 and carrieil the village ; but the ground was 
 so narrow tiiat the troo])s, after repeated at- 
 tempts, could not deploy to attack the heights; 
 and Lord Wellington, perceiving that it was 
 impossible to turn the enemy by their right 
 without extending his line too far, (an error 
 of which he had taught the French on a
 
 CHAP. LXVII.J GEORGE 11 r. 869 
 
 formeroccasion so severely to repent,) changed ; shell in which he was niirsed as a cra<lle. 
 his plan, and, bringing up two other divisions, 5 Here we had a hospital established, where 
 attacked this wing on the left, dislodged it : Les Sceurs de la C/mrile attended upon our 
 from the heiglits, and secured the victory. « sick and wounded soldiers. One of the first 
 Sir Rowland, who liad forced the passage of; measures of the revolntionary government, 
 the Gave, seeing the state of the action at | after what they themselves calied the general 
 this time, moved upon the enemy in a direc- ; devastation, was to recai these ntins, whose 
 tion vvhich threatened them with such fatal 5 want had been severely felt in all the hos- 
 consequences, that the good order in which | pitals. " Orca Jait," said M. Portalis, " la 
 they had begun to retire was exchanged for ; triste experience, que cles mercewdres sans 7Hotif 
 a precipitate flight ; the cavalry charged at \ interieur qui puisse les all ticker constamment a 
 the favourable moment; the fugitives thxew \ leurde voir, nesauraieiit remp/ncer despersounes 
 away their arms to facilitate their escape, and j ainimeses pur I'esprit de la religion, cest a dire, 
 when darkness put an end to the pursuit, the > par un priwcipe qui est superieur aux seidimens 
 whole country wjis covered with tlieir dead. J </e la nature, et qui pnuvant seul motiver tuu^ 
 In this action lord Wellington was struck I les sacrijices, est seid capable de nous /aire 
 by a spent musket-ball on the thigh ; he did ; braver tons les de<(outs et tons les danoers." 
 not mention this till the business of the day ; Louis XVI. wishing to improve the state of 
 was over, but then it was nec^issary to lift i the hospitals in France, sent a member of 
 him from his horse, for he could neither move ; the academy of sciences to England, to in- 
 uor stand without assistance. ! quire into the manner in which such estab- 
 
 This may not be an improper occasion to ; lishments were conducted here. The agent 
 observe, tliat the personal behaviour of this ; praised them as tho-y deserved, but remarked 
 great captam has been, on all occasions, as ; that two things were wantinii', — the zeal of 
 perfect as his conduct as a general ; — to say j the French parochial clergy, and the charity 
 that he is brave, is to give him a praise which ; of the hospital nuns. This digression may 
 he shares with all his army ; but that for > be excused in gratitude to a most usefid and 
 which, above all other officers, he is distin- I exemplary order, to whose pious offices so 
 guished, is that wonderful union of the coolest ; many of our wounded countrymen are be- 
 patience with tiie hottest courage, — that sense ; holden ; perhaps also it may lead to some 
 of duty which restrains him from an osten- ; useful thoughts. 
 
 tatious exposure of a life, of the value of; While general Fane took possession of 
 which he could not afTect to be ignorant ; 5 Pan, marshal Beresford marched upon Bour- 
 and that brilliant gallantry which, on the ; deaux, M. de la Roche Jaquelein preceding 
 proper occasions, flashes terror into the eyes : him to prepare the royalist party. Tlie pro- 
 of the enemy, and kindled in his own army ; gress of the British troojis was no longer im- 
 an enthusiasm which nothing can withstand. | peded by deep roads and numerous streams. 
 
 Heavy rains agaui impeded the progress | which, owing to the deva,statinn of the woods 
 of the victorious troops. As soon as the rivers \ on the French Pyrenees, became impassable, 
 had fallen, and the bridges which the enemy » and inundate the country more frequently 
 had destroyed could be repaired, lord Wei- j than in former times. From Bayonne to 
 linglon sent a detachment to occupy Pan, ! Bourdeaux, extends a sandy track well 
 the capital of Beam, a country on many ac- 1 known by the name of Les Landes, which, 
 counts memorable, and for this among others, i totally uncultivated as it is, yields a better 
 that it is not only the most beautiful part o(\ revenue than any other land in the country ; 
 France, but, before the baneful revolution, | the pine-trees, with which it abounds, 
 cut up the happiness of a whole generation | being regularly tapped for resin. Over 
 by the root ; it was one of the most favoured | these sands the British forces advanced 
 parts of the world, the division of property i without opposition ; they were received an 
 and the industry of the people combining | deliverers ; the magistrates put on the white 
 witli every circumstance of soil, surface, and ; cockade, and Louis XVliL was proclaimed 
 climate, to render the iidiabitants happy. ; in Bourdeaux. The hopes and wishes of the 
 Travellers are still shewn at Pan the chaml)er I Jjetter part of the French people were now 
 in which Henry IV. was boin, and the tortoise- ; no longer doubtful ; if any event could put
 
 870 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. Lxvrr. 
 
 nn end to the accumulated evils under which 
 France was su.%ring:, it was the restoration 
 ot the Bourbons, and to that desirable event 
 ?!1 things were tending. The appearance of 
 that family, whose expulsion the French na- 
 tion had much reason to regret, and the man- 
 ner in which it was now evident that Great 
 Britain favoured their cause, called forth a 
 pioclamation from marshal Soult, which 
 rkarly shewed what was to be expected 
 from him, and from those officers who, like 
 liini, had served the tyrant in all his bloody 
 pu'-poses, without scruple and without re- 
 morse. " Soldiers," said he, " there will be 
 no repose for us till this hostile army shall 
 be annihilated, or till it shall have evacuated 
 the territory of the empire. It does not sus- 
 pect the dangers which surround, nor the 
 perils which await ; but time will teach this 
 army, as well as the general who commands 
 ic, that it is not with impunity that our ter- 
 ritory is invaded ; that it is not with impunity 
 that the French honour is insulted. The 
 British general has had the audacity to incite 
 you and your countrymen to revolt and se- 
 dition. He has dared to insult the national 
 honour : he has had the baseness to excite 
 the French to betray their oaths, and to be 
 guilty of perjury. Yet a few days,' and those 
 who have been capable of believing m the 
 sincerity and delicacy of the English will 
 learn to their cost that the English have 
 no other object in this war than to destroy 
 France by itself; to reduce the French to 
 servitud-e like the Portuguese, the Sicilians, 
 nnd all the other people who groan under 
 their yoke. Let these deluded Frenchmen 
 look to the past ! tliey will see the English 
 at the head of every conspiracy, of the over- 
 throw of all principles, of the destruction of 
 all the establishments of greatness or in- 
 dustry, to gratify their inordinate ambition 
 and their ini^iatiable avidity ! Does there 
 exist a single point known to the English on 
 thesurface of the globe where they have not 
 caused to be destroyed, by seduction or vio- 
 lence, the manufactories which rivalled or 
 ecli|)sed their own ? — Soldiers ! let us de- 
 vote to opprobium and general execrations, 
 every Frenchman who shall have favoured \ 
 the projects of the enemy : there is no longer 
 any l)ond between them and us ! Honour and 
 fidelity is our motto ! Om- duty is marked 
 feat J obedience and discipline^ implacable 
 
 hatred to traitors, and to the enemies of the 
 French mime ; interminable war to those who 
 would divide in order to destroy us, as well 
 as to the wretches who would desert the im- 
 perial eagles for any other standard. Let us 
 have always in our mind fifteen ages of glory, 
 and the innumerable Iriuiuphs which have 
 rendered our country illustrious ! Let us 
 contemplate the prodigious efforts of our 
 great emperor, and his signal victories, which 
 will eternize the French name ; let us be 
 worthy of him, and then we may bequeath 
 to our posterity without a stain, the inherit- 
 ance which we have received from our 
 fathers." Marshal Soult needed not to have 
 exhorted the French soldiers to become 
 worthy of their emperor, they were already 
 worthy of him. Bear witness, Jafla ! bear 
 witness, Madrid, and Porto, Ucles, and Tarra- 
 gona ! bear witness, the wrongs, the sufferings, 
 and the curses of all Europe, at that moment 
 moving in arms against him from the Tagus 
 and the Elbe, the Danube, and the Moskwa. 
 United Europe was victorious : the tyrant 
 fell ; and Paris, opening her gates to the al- 
 lied armies, received a king, whose restoration 
 delivered France at once from foreign ene- 
 mies and internal oppression. But Buona- 
 parte's adherents, clinging still with super- 
 stitious hope to the fortune of their leader, 
 prevented the intelligence from reaching lord 
 Wellington till he had once more humbled 
 his boasting opponent. Marshal Soult, 
 having retired from Couchez to Lembage, was 
 driven from Lembage to Vic Bigorre. At 
 Vic Bigorre, M. Carel assures us that he beat 
 the English, defeating tiieui with a loss on 
 their part of 2000 men, while the French had 
 not so many as 7-3 liors de combat. This vic- 
 tory, however, was kept so secret at the time, 
 that neither the French themselves nor lord 
 Wellington's army ever heard of it till M. 
 Carel communicated the information to the 
 world two years afterwards. All that was 
 known at the time was, that general Clinton 
 drove marshal Soult's rear-guard from Vic 
 Bigorre, and that the enemy retreated in the 
 night to Tarbcs. Buonaparte and Josephine 
 had rested in Tarbes on their way to Bay- 
 onne in 1808, when the abominable usurpa- 
 tion of Spain was plotted ; a monument had 
 been erected in the town, in commemoration 
 of this imperial visit, and that journey in its 
 coasequetices teiminated iu now bringing a 
 
 1
 
 CHAP. Lxvn] 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 871 
 
 Ti'ctorious enemy's army io Tarbes. LonI 
 Wellington hastened to attack the French 
 there ; they retreated ajjain, but with con- 
 siderable loss, and took shelter in Thonlouse: 
 the weather onte more favonred them by 
 impeding: the movements of their antagonist ; 
 and Soult, takingadvantageof the time which 
 was thus affortled him, fortified a position 
 ill front of that city. The extent of Thou- 
 louse is disproportionate to its popniation : 
 it is in length, from north to south, about two 
 miles, and a mile and quarter in breadth 
 from east to west; the inhabitants are com- 
 puted at not more than G0,000. The canal of 
 Brienne, so called from the cardinal archbishop 
 of that name, connects the Garonhe with the 
 canal of Languedoc, about two miles from 
 the town, the navigation of the river in Thou- 
 louse being impeded by a weir for the use 
 6{ the corn mills. It is magnificently exe- 
 cuted, and is broad enough for several barges 
 to pass abreast. The two canals and the 
 river surround three sides of the city. Of the 
 three bridges over the Garonne, which Thou- 
 louse possessed in the days of its prosperity, 
 one oidy is left ; and the suburb, which the 
 enemy had fortified with strong fieldworks 
 in front of the antient walls, formed a good 
 t6te-de-pont ; t6tes-du-pont were formed also 
 at the bridges of the canal, defended by mus- 
 ketry in some places, and in all by artillery 
 from the old walls. A height extended east- 
 ward from the canal, and to the river Ers ; 
 all the roads from the eastward pass orer 
 this height ; the enemy had fortified it with 
 five redoubts, which were connected by 
 lines of entrenchments. They had indeed, to 
 use lord Wellington s words, " v.ith extra- 
 ordinary diligence, made every preparation 
 for defence." They had broken the bridges 
 ever the Ers by which their right could be 
 approached ; but as the roads from Areige 
 to Thoulouse were impracticable for artillery 
 and horse, and nearly so for infantry, the 
 British general had no alternative, and pre- 
 pared to attack his antagonist in this formi- 
 dable position. 
 
 One bridge over the Ers at Croix d'Orade 
 the enemy bad left standing, thinking they 
 could at any time destroy it. Colonel Vivian 
 with the 18th hussars attacked a superior 
 body of cavalry here, drove them tlnougli the 
 village, took 100 prisoners, and seciired this 
 important post. Here marshal Beresford 
 
 5 T 
 
 crossed with two divisions, carried the village 
 of Mont Blanc, and moved in three cohniins 
 of lines up tli(» left of (he Ers, over most 
 difficult ground, in a direction parallel to trie 
 enemy's position ; and liaving reached the 
 point at wliicii lie turnerl it, he formed his 
 lines for the attack. General Freye «ith the 
 Spanish corps under his connnand, a.s soon 
 as he saw that marshal Beresford was ready 
 on his side, attacked the eiuniy in front. 
 They advanced with great spirit in two lines 
 under a heavy fire of musketry ami artillery, 
 the general and all his staff at tlieir luad ; 
 both lines were soon lodged under some batiks 
 immediately under the enemy's entrench- 
 ments ; but when they attempte<i to move 
 round the left tiank of the French, they were 
 repulsed ; and the French following their 
 success turned the right of the assailants by 
 both sides of the high road leading from 
 Thoulouse to Croix d'Orade, and compelled the 
 whole corps to retire with considerable loss. 
 The Spanish general and his staff" distinguish- 
 ed themselves greatly on this occasion, and 
 their troops rallied as soon as the light divi- 
 sion, which was immediately on their right,, 
 moved up. General Meudizabal, who was 
 present as a volunteer, was wounded, but 
 kept the field ; and one Spanish regiment 
 kept its position under the enemy's^ entrench- 
 ments till it was ordered to retire. Mean 
 time marshal Beresford had been more suc- 
 cessful on his side. He attacked and car- 
 ried the heights on the enemys right, and 
 the redoubt which covered that flank, and he 
 lodged his troops on the same height with 
 the enemy. They were, still in possession of 
 four redoubts, of the entrenchments, and 
 some fortified houses ; and before niiushal 
 Beresford could attack these, he was obliged 
 to wait till his artillery could be brought up, 
 which, owing to the badness of the roads, he 
 had left in Mont Blanc. By the time this 
 was effected the Spaniards had re-formed, and 
 the attack was then renewed on both points 
 with the most determined valour. The mar- 
 shal continued his movement along the ridge, 
 and carried, with general Pack's brigade, the 
 two principal redoubts and fortified houses 
 in the enemy's centre ; a desperate etTort was 
 made to recover them, but in vain. Marshal 
 Beresford pursued his advantage, and the 
 Spaniards, moving in like manner upon the • 
 point, the French were driven from the twtt'. 
 56
 
 872 
 
 ni«TORT OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVII 
 
 redoubts and entrenchments on the left, and 
 the allies remained in possession of the whole 
 range of lieijjhts. Sir Rowland meantime 
 had driven the enemy from their exterior 
 works in the subnrb on the left of the Garonne 
 within the aiitient wall ; and the army was 
 established on three sides of Thonlon.se. 
 
 Thoulouse is a name which brings with it 
 a painfnl reflection to an Englishman's mind, 
 when he remembers the history of a catholic 
 crusade under an English leader; henceforth 
 the name will be coimected with lord Wel- 
 lington's wars, and bring with it a proper 
 feeling of national exultation. Thebattlewas 
 fought on Easter Sunday ; long will that 
 Easter be remembered by the Thoulousans ! 
 the wounded French were brought from the 
 field of battle as they fell, to the gates of the 
 town, and thence conveyed by the inhabi- 
 tants to the hospitals. They are said by the 
 French themselves to have beeti innumerable. 
 Marshal Sonit talked of defending the town 
 and burying himself and his army under its 
 ruins, and the people had all the horrors of 
 Saragossa and Tarragona before their eyes, 
 and dreaded those reprisals which might so 
 naturally be expected from the Portuguese 
 and Spaniards. The city and the army were 
 in reality at that time at the conqueror's 
 mercy; but lord Wellington, though he had 
 not been apprised of the deposition of Buona- 
 parte, knew that the event was at hand, and 
 that no circumstances could long delay it. 
 Wishing, therefore, to avoid all further effu- 
 sion of blood, he suffered Soult and his 
 troops to file off <luring the night of the 11th 
 under the cannon of the British army without 
 firing a shot; and on the following morning 
 the allies entered the city as deliverers. The 
 perfect order which they observed, so utterly 
 unlike the rapacious conduct of the French 
 armies, excited the utmost admiration in the 
 inhabitants, who, in the eulogium of gratitude, 
 coH)pared Wellington to Turenne. Lord 
 Wellington is wronged by the comparison ; 
 Tnrenne's memory is stained by the ravage of 
 the Palatinate, but the character of the Bri- 
 tish commander is stained with no such spot. 
 The battle of Thoulouse occasioned the allies 
 a loss of 4600 men ; the victory was decisive, 
 and such a victory of wholesome effect, much 
 as the circumstances are to be regretted which 
 occasioned the expense of a needless battle 
 
 ignorance of the repeated defeats which their 
 armies had sustained ; and this policy had 
 been surprisingly successful : the vain and 
 unreflecting character of the people seconding, 
 in this respect, the artifices of the govern- 
 ment. Here the superiority of the British 
 troops was exhibited in a fair theatre and 
 upon an ample scale ; the whole people of 
 Thoulouse were spectators and witnesses ; 
 they saw their veteran troops, under leaders 
 of great experience, undoubted skill, and 
 high reputation, attacked in a position which 
 they had fortified with extraordinary care; 
 they saw them beaten there and driven from 
 thence, and they beheld them file off under the 
 guns of the British army, at the mercy of the 
 British general. 
 
 On the evening of the 12th the dispatches 
 from Paris arrived ; the restoration of the 
 Bourbons was announced to marshal Soult, 
 and that general only proposed a suspension 
 of hostilities till he could ascertain the real 
 state of public affairs. Lord Wellington then 
 put his army in motion to pursue him ; but 
 on the 17th marshal Soidt informed him that 
 he formally acknowledged the provisional 
 government of France. And here lord Wel- 
 lington finished that career which he had 
 begun at Roliza, and which, when all cir- 
 cumstances are considered, may truly be 
 regarded unparalleled in military history, if 
 any thing seemed wanting to the triumph of 
 Wellington and England, it was that the Bri- 
 tish flag, which had led the way into France, 
 should have entered Paris also : — complete 
 as the triumph was, it was scarcely po.ssible 
 not to feel something like regret that it had 
 not thus been consunmiated. Who could then 
 have apprehended that this consummation 
 was only for a short time deferred ? 
 
 It seemed not unreasonable to suppose that 
 the duke of Wellington would, for the re- 
 mainder of his life, enjoy in peace the honours 
 and rewards which he had so well deserved, 
 and which had been so properly bestowed. 
 Leaving the army which he had so often con- 
 ducted to victory, he joined the allied sove- 
 reigns at the court of Louis XVIII.; and 
 there for the first time met general Blucher, 
 the most glorious of his fellow labourers in 
 the deliverance of Europe ; little did they 
 foresee in what manner the acquaintance 
 \ which they then began was to be cemented; 
 
 The French had systematically been kept iu i and how their names in inseparable uni(^tt
 
 A?B>/W^^f. ■?!.-»£•. .nw: tf Wto- Pm: Sfir.'.'.I.-.'.rf. ,:*ij
 
 CHAP. LXVIl] GEORGE III. 8*3 
 
 Mould descend to the latest posterity. F'oni ; of his services as a preneral. Having been 
 Paris tlie duke repaired to Madrid, where i appointed in the summer ambassador extra- 
 Ferdinand confirmed all the honotnvi which ; ordinary and plenipotentiary to the court of 
 the cortes had conferred upon him, and ; France, he obtained by his Hrnniess, prompti- 
 created him captain general of Spain. Re- ; tude, and address the most valuable conces- 
 turning to England, he was received with | sioiis to the canse of European freedom, and 
 every mark oflove, and gratitude, and honour, ; of humanity at large. 
 
 which the prince, the legislature, and the 5 On the arrival of his lordship at Paris, ap-^ 
 people, could bestow. He had never yet j pearances were propitious to the stability oF 
 taken his seat in the house of lords, and now i the Bourbons, and the constituted authorities 
 at his iirst introduction was placed in the J iiad already adopted the most energetic mea- 
 highest rank of the peerage, his various ; sures in support of the new government. A 
 patents of viscount, earl, marquis, and duke, i deputation had been sent to London, to in- 
 being read on the same day. Here he received ; vite the presence of the king, and on present- 
 the thanks and congratulations of the house « iug their report after their return, it was read 
 on his return from his command on the con- j before the senate, who appointed a comrais- 
 tinent, and for the great, signal, and eminent i sion (o consider it. On the evening of the 
 services which he had so repeatedly rendered ; Sth of April the commission made its report, 
 therein to his majesty and to tlie public. ; and a constitution was unanimously adopted. 
 The house of commons appointed a deputa- i by which Louis was restored under the 
 tion to congratulate him on his return, and | sanction of the following articles, 
 the dake attended the bouse in person to ; 1. The French government is monarchial, 
 express his thanks. This was a memorable ; and hereditary from male to male in order of 
 scene ; all the members uncovered, rose, | primogeniture. 
 
 enthusiastically cheered him as he entered ; » 2. The French call to the throne Louis', 
 the speaker, in an admirable address, touch- ; brother to the last king. 
 
 ed upon those parts of his military character » 3. The antient nobility resume their titles ; 
 for which Wellington is more peculiarly to ; the new ones preserve theirs hereditarily ; 
 be praised ; the implicit faith whicli he com- i the legion of honour shall retaui its prero- 
 municates to his soldiers; the confidence ; gatives. 
 
 which he had ever felt in himself and his ; 4. The executive power belongs to the 
 cause, and the manner in which he had united | king. 
 
 armies of such different and discordant mate- ; " 5. The king, the senate, and the legislative 
 rials under his command. " It is not," said ! body concur in the making of laws: those 
 the speaker, " the grandeur of military sue- \ relating to contributions can be proposed only 
 cess which had alone fixed our admiration or » in the legislative body : the sanction of the 
 commanded our applause ; it has been that ; king is necessary for the completion of a law. 
 generous and lofty spirit which inspired your 5 6. There are 150 senators at least; and 
 troops with unbounded confidence,* and ; 200 at most ; they are named by the king; 
 taught them to know that the day of battle | their dignity is immoveable, and hereditary 
 was always a day of victory ; that moral > from male lo male ; the piesent senators are 
 courage and enduring fortitude, which in ; retained ; the revenues for the support of the 
 perilous times, when gloom and doubt bad : senate are divided equally between them, 
 beset ordinary minds, stood nevertheless vm- > and to pass to their successors ; in cases of 
 ehaken, and that ascendancy of character ; death without male posterity, the portions 
 which, uniting energies of jealous and rival | return to the public treasure. The senator® 
 nations, enabled you to wield at will the fate i who shall be named in future cannot partake 
 and fortunes of mighty empires." The occa- i of this endowment. 
 
 sion indeed had called forth the efforts of the « 7. The princes of the blood and of the 
 country, and success could not be doubtful; royal family are, by rigiit, members of the 
 when our mighty means were entrusted to I senate : the functions of a senator cannot be 
 hands which knew how to direct them so j exercised under 21 years of age. 
 well. Nor is the gratitude of the British i 9. Each department shall send to the legi.^* 
 nation confined to the mere acknowledgment ; lative body the same number of deputies it 
 
 5x2
 
 874 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CHAP. L.WII 
 
 sent before : tlie duration of tlis fuiicdon of 
 the deputies is fixe<l at five years. 
 
 10. The legislative body sliall assemble 
 each year on the 1st of October: the kiii^ 
 may convoke it extraordinarily : he may ad- 
 journ it: he tiiay also dissolve it : but, in tiie 
 latter case, another legislative body must be 
 formed, in three months at the latest, by the 
 electoral colleges. 
 
 11. The legislative body has the right of 
 discussion : the sittings are public. 
 
 13. jN'o member of the senate or legislative 
 body can be arrested without a previous 
 authority from the body to which he belongs ; 
 the trial of a member of the senate or legisla- 
 tive body belongs exclusively to the senate. 
 
 14. The ministers may be members either 
 of the senate or legislative body 
 
 1-5. Equality of proportion in the taxes is 
 of right: no tax can be imposed or received, 
 tinless it has been first consented to by the 
 legislative body and the senate. The land 
 tax can only be established for a year. The 
 budget of the following year, and the ac- 
 counts of the preceding year, are presented 
 annually to the legislative body and the 
 senate, at the opening of the sitting of the 
 legislative body. 
 
 16. The law shall fix the mode and the 
 amount of the recruiting of the army. 
 
 17. The independence of the judicial per- 
 son is guaranteed. No one can be removed 
 from his natural judges. The institution of 
 juries is preserved, as well as the publicity of 
 trial in criminal matters: the penalty of con- 
 fiscation of goods is abolished. The king has 
 the right of pardon. 
 
 18. The judges are for life, and irre- 
 movable: the commissions and extraordinary 
 ■tribunals are repressed, and cannot be re- 
 established. 
 
 21. The person of the king is sacred and 
 inviolable: alt the acts of the government 
 are signed by a minister. The ministers are 
 responsible for all which those acts may con- 
 tain in violation of the laws, public and pri- 
 vate property, and the rights of citizens. 
 
 22 The freedom of worship and of con- 
 science is guaranteed : the ministers of wor- 
 ship are treated and protected alike. 
 
 23. The liberty of the press is entire, with 
 the exception of the legal repression of of- 
 fences which may result from the abuse of 
 that Hberty. 
 
 24. The public debt is guaranteed. The 
 sales of the national domains are irrecoverably 
 maintained. 
 
 •ii5. No Frenclmian can be prosecuted for 
 opinions or votes which he has given. 
 
 26. Every person has a right to address 
 individual petitions to every constituted 
 authority. 
 
 27. All Frenchmen are equally admissible 
 to all civil and military employments. 
 
 28. All the laws existing remain in vigour, 
 until they shall be legally repealed. The code 
 of civil laws shall be entitled, The civil code 
 of tlie French. 
 
 29. The present constitution shall be sub- 
 mitted to the acceptance of the French people, 
 in the form which shall be regulated. Louis 
 Stanislaus Xavier shall be proclaimed king 
 of the French, as soon as he shall have signed 
 and sworn, by an act stating, " I accept the 
 constitution : I swear to observe it, and cause 
 it to be observed." This oath shall be re- 
 peated in the solemnity, when he shall re- 
 ceive the oath of fidelity of the French. 
 
 A few days after his entrance iTito Pari.s, 
 the senate was presented to the king, when 
 the prince of Benevento (Talleyrand) address- 
 ed him to the following purport : — " The 
 return of yonr majesty restores peace to 
 France, and secures peace to Europe : from 
 you alone could these blessings proceed ; 
 hence the gratitude and enthusiasm with 
 which you are every where received ; the joy 
 expressed on this occasion cannot be feigned ; 
 it is truly national. The kingdom of your 
 fathers has been laid waste ; you succeed 
 to it after 20 years of ruin and misfortune : 
 the reparation of so great a state of disorder 
 requires the devotion of great courage : the 
 more difficult the circumstances are, the more 
 power and preponderence ought to be given 
 to the royal authority. A constitutional 
 charter has been framed, which will unite all 
 interests to the throne, and fortify the first 
 will with ?he concurrence of all wills. The 
 nation and the senate, full of confidence in 
 your majesty, desire, with you, that F"rance 
 may be free, in order that the king may be 
 powerful." His majesty received with great 
 satisfaction the sentiments and homage of the 
 senate. 
 
 In a very short time, however, some gloom 
 
 and apprehension began to appear in Paris, 
 
 { in consequence of the declaration of the king.
 
 C1I.VP. LXVII.J 
 
 GBORGB III. 
 
 875 
 
 In this he stated, tliat being anxious to in- 
 voke that mutual confidence so necessary 
 to his own repose and the happiness of France, 
 he had attentively read the plan of the con- 
 stitution proposed by the senate in the session 
 of the 6'lh of April ; and thonj;h he acknow- 
 ledged tiiai the bases were good, yet a great 
 II timber of articles bore the appearance of tlie 
 precipitation with which they had been di- 
 gested, and could not, therefore, in their 
 actual form, become the fur)damental law 
 of the state. As the wish of his majesty was 
 to adopt a liberal constitution, he also wished 
 it to be wisely considered : but not thinking 
 it proper to accept one which it would be 
 iiidisperjsably necessary to alter, he called 
 together for the 10th of June the senate and 
 legislative body ; and in the mean time he 
 would choose a commission out of these two 
 bodies, for the purpose of considering the 
 constitution, to which he would give the fol- 
 lowing guarantees as bases : the representa- 
 tive governiiieiit to be maintained as it ex- 
 isted, divided into two bodies, viz. the senate, 
 and the chamber composted of deputies of 
 the departments. The taxes to be freely 
 granted ; public and individual liberty se- 
 cured : the fiberty of the press respected, 
 saving the necessary precautions for the pub- 
 lic tranquillity. The liberty of worship gua- 
 ranteed. Property to be inviolable and sa- 
 cred ; the sales of the national estates to be 
 irrevocable. The ministers, being respon- 
 sible, may be prosecuted by one of the houses 
 of the legislature, and tried by the other. 
 The judges to be irremoveable, and the ju- 
 dicial power independent. The public debt 
 to be guaranteed : the pensions, honours, 
 and rank of the military to be pi:eserved, as 
 well as of both the antient and new nobility. 
 The legion of honour to be maintained. All 
 Frenchmen to be admissible to employments, 
 civil and military. No individual to be dis- 
 turbed for his opinion or votes. 
 
 As the stability of the government of Louis 
 depended, in a great measure, on the ad- 
 herence of the marshals, and, through them, 
 of the army, their sentiments on the counter- 
 revolution were anxiously looked for. Many 
 of them were not slow in giving in their adhe- 
 sion ; and, if tL( / had simpl3' contented 
 themselves with expressing their fidelity to 
 their new sovti-ign, and their hopes that, 
 by his restoration, peace would be secured 
 
 to France and Europe, no blame could have 
 been attached to them ; but many of tlitrn, 
 in their acts of adhesion, indulgi'd in the most 
 violent and outrageous language against Buo- 
 naparte ; language which we are far from 
 contending was not strictly warranted by hi^ 
 conduct, but which came with an ill grace from 
 men who had been his instruments, while he was 
 fortunate and powerful, in the execution of 
 his most unprincipled and tyrannical actions. 
 Soult and Davoust were amon«; tlie last who 
 sent in their adhesion ; the latter commanded 
 in Hamburg, where he had been guilty of very 
 great atrocities and cruellies. 
 
 On the 30th of May, the definitive treaty 
 of peace was signed at Paris ; the following- 
 are some of its most prominent articles. 
 
 The first article not only .stipulates iu the 
 usual form for perpetual p?;ice and amity 
 between the high contracting parties, but 
 also for tlu'ir mutual exertions to preserve 
 peace between all the states of Europe. 
 
 The '2ud, .3rd, 4th, and 5th, restore to 
 France the limits of January 1st, 1702, 
 (prior to which, it is to be observed, she had 
 seized Avignon and the countries inclosed 
 within her frontier,) and make some further 
 additions, which at various points appear to 
 be merely arrangements of convenience, all 
 in favour of France, indeed, but not amount- 
 ing, in the whole, to a cession of serious im- 
 port to the tranquillity of Europe. Beyond 
 these limits, France renounces all those ab- 
 surd pretensions to sovereignty, seizerainty, 
 or paramount authority, for the acquiiiition 
 of which the mad Corsican shed .such oceans 
 of French blood. The navigation of the 
 Rhine is to be free. 
 
 The Gth provides that Holland shall re- 
 ceive an accession of territory, with proviso 
 that the prince sovereign shall never wear 
 a foreign crown ; that the states of Germany 
 and Switzerland shall respectively form in- 
 dependent confederations ; and that Italy, 
 exclusive of the countries to be restored to 
 Austria, shall consist of independent sove- 
 reignties. 
 
 The 7th confirms Malta to Great Britain. 
 
 The 8th restores to France all the colonies, 
 fisheries, factories, &c. which she possessed in 
 1792, except St. Lucie, Tobago, and the Isle 
 of F" ranee. 
 
 The 9th and 10th contain the consent ol 
 Sweden to the cession of Guadaloupe, and
 
 876 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVII. 
 
 that of Poniigal to the cession of French 
 Guiana. 
 
 The nth, 12th, 13th, and 14th, relate to 
 the time and manner of making the colonial 
 restitutions, and provide that, for the avoid- 
 ance of future contest, France shall erect no 
 fortresses in tiie East Indies. 
 
 Thk 15th and 16th restore to France two 
 thirds of the shipping in the harbours given 
 up by her in consequence of the convention 
 of A|Dril23rd. This stipulation applies prin- 
 cipally to Antwerp and Flushing, of which 
 the former is, in future, to be only a commer- 
 cial port. 
 
 The articles 17 to 31 inclusive, contain the 
 usual stipulations for protectio-n of all interests 
 ■which may be afiecled by the changes of 
 dominion, whatever may have been the po- 
 litical conduct of the parties interested. By 
 the 21st and 23rd, it would seem that some 
 parts of Germany and Italy will remain 
 chargeable with the sums originally imposed 
 on them to maintain the grand dignitaries 
 of France, the senators, the legion of 
 honour, &c. 
 
 The 32nd article provides for a congress 
 to be held at Vienna by the plenipotentiaries 
 of all the powers of Europe, to regulate the 
 arrangements requisite to carry this treaty 
 into full effect. 
 
 By the 1st additional article to the treaty 
 \vith Great Britain, both parties agree to use 
 their joint efforts at the congress for a general 
 abolition of the slave trade, France in the 
 meanwhile promising to abolish it within five 
 years. 
 
 The following additional articles are alike 
 honourable to both countries, by the engage- 
 ments which they mutually contract for the 
 discharge of all just debts, and the annulment 
 of all unjust confiscations on either side ; 
 and England, with her characteristic genero- 
 sity, consenting that, after full justice has 
 been done to her subjects, the balance due 
 to her for the maintenance of prisoners of 
 war, which must be inunense, shall be freely 
 given up to France. Lastly, to crown the 
 whole, commercial arrangements for the mu- 
 tual benefit of both countries are promised. 
 
 Respecting the success of the allies, the 
 dethronement of Buonaparte, the restora- 
 tion of the Bourbons, and the consequent 
 peace of Europe, there was considerable con- 
 troversy in England : the point debated was, 
 
 not whether these were desirable events, (for 
 on that all were agreed,) but whether these 
 events had been brought about by following 
 the principles and the advice of Mr. Fox, or 
 of Mr. Pitt. The adherents to the principles 
 of the latter contended that Europe had been 
 restored to independence and liberty, peace 
 and happiness, principally or solely, by the 
 firmness of Britain in that contest ; and that 
 this firmness and perseverance had always 
 been inculcated and acted upon by Mr. Pitt : 
 and that his successors in office, by following 
 his example, had at length proved, by the 
 result, the soundness of his views, and his 
 high merit as a statesman. The adherents 
 of Mr. Fox, on the contrary, maintained that 
 Europe had been saved entirely by acting 
 on his principles and advice ; that he was 
 as sensible as Mr. Pitt could be of the tyranny 
 of Buonaparte, but regarded all resistance 
 to it as vain, which did not spring from the 
 people acting in concert with their respective 
 governments. He therefore was adverse to 
 the coalitions of Mr. Pitt, because, by our 
 subsidies, we induced those states to come 
 into the contest who v»ere not prepared for 
 it, and endeavoured to unite those, who were 
 not sufficiently avvare of their common dan- 
 ger to lay aside their jealousy of one another. 
 With respect to the mass of the people, he 
 contended that they were nearly indifferent 
 to the result of the contest which their respec- 
 tive sovereigns held against Buonaparte, be- 
 cause they did not dread being exposed to 
 more tyranny and oppression under liini, 
 than they already suffered. It was therefore' 
 necessary to give the people an interest in the 
 contest, which, according to Mr. Fox, could 
 only be done by giving them more liberty. 
 Mr. Fox, however, does not appear to have 
 been aware, that there was another mode by 
 which their interests in the contest might 
 be excited ; and that this mode would be 
 followed by Buonaparte himself, who would 
 thus prepare the way for his own downfall. 
 It is sufficiently evident, that the great bulk 
 of the people would not rouse themselves in 
 the contest, unless they had good reason, 
 either to fight for their own sovereigns, or 
 against Buonaparte ; and it may well be 
 doubted, whether, if their own sovereigns 
 had, agreeably to Mr. Fox's advice, granted 
 theni a greater portion of civil and religious 
 liberty, this would have been an adequate
 
 CHAP. L-xvn.] 
 
 GEORGR III. 
 
 '87^ 
 
 Ptiimilns to their exertions, since the promise . promise and expectation of a J^reater portion 
 of this would have been to most of tliem the ; of civil aufl relii^ionH liberty. In our opinion, 
 promise of what they <liti not utuler'^taiifl, or I therefore, the do-vnfal! of Bnonaparte, and the 
 could not relish, and therefore did not desire. > consequent restoration of independence and 
 It may eveuibe doubted, whether tl)e prospect > peace t(t Europe, was not dwin'^- to the niea- 
 of being freed from those acts of pensonal de- i snres of Mr. Fox having been ;»nr-!t!ed; but 
 gradation and oppression, to whi(di they had \ wasindireclly and incid<vitalIvowin«- to oerse- 
 been so Ion* hai)itnated that they scarcely ; vcrance in the [)lons of Mr. Filt ; n:ost essen- 
 felt them, would have roused them ; whereas > ti.illy, in the first place, to the universal 
 Buonaparte, by loadini^ them with a species ; detestation which tl'.e tyranny of Buoiaparte 
 of tyranny, to which they were unaccustomed, > createil ; and next, to his annihihtin-;-, bv his 
 and, moreover, that tyranny proceeding from a | campaign in Itnssia. tin; mean« which he'pos- 
 foreigner, and being indicted by foreign » sessed for repressing the effeots of that nni- 
 soldiers in every mode most galling to national » versal detestation : thus illustrating this grand 
 feelings, touched the cords of indignation • a?id salutary trnih, tiiat tyranny and amhi- 
 and resistance, and roused those against liiin, ; tion will always work, out tlieir ou'u over- 
 who never would have been roused by the » throw. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVIIl. 
 
 CJEORGE III. 
 
 [1814.] 
 
 Deliverance vf Europe — Exultation of the English Peoph — Misunderstanding' between the 
 Prince and Princess of Wales — The latter is refused admission to the Drawing Room — 
 Trial and Punishment of Lord Cochrane for Fraud—War in Norway — Cession of that 
 Kifigdom to Sweden — Affairs of the 7-est of Europe — Cessions in Italy — Ferdinand returns 
 f o Madrid — Consress at Vienna. 
 
 THE spontaneous expression of public 
 feeling among all classes of the peop'e 
 of Holland ; therecal of the prince of Orange ; 
 the deliverance of Handinrgh, and the res- 
 toration of commercial freedon) to the Bel- 
 gian states, were the immediate and natural 
 results of the victories of the confederates. 
 An unfortunate attack on Bergcn-op-Zoom, 
 conducted bv sir Thomas Graham, clouded, 
 indeed for a time, the aspect of Belgic adairs ; 
 but the misfortune uas temporary, and the 
 benefit of English co-operatiou decisive. We 
 
 forget the former treachery and apathy of the 
 Dutch in our determination to sacrifice all 
 minor feelings to the deliverance of the 
 world. The exultation of the British 
 peojile at the late propitious concurrence of 
 events was universal and sincere. We had 
 bravely fought the fight, and looked forward 
 to an ample reward for our persevering and 
 unwearied exertions in the blessings of a 
 long and glorious peace. The visit of the 
 en)peror of Russia, the king of Prussia, the 
 duchess of Oldeuburgh, and the gallant and
 
 878 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVIIJ. 
 
 veteran Blucher, considerably enhanced the 
 general feeling of hilarity ; and the subse- 
 quent festivitiej in the parks nnd«r the 
 auspices of the prince regent, however im- 
 perfectly designed, orthonglitlessly conducted, 
 wore hailed as the harbingers of happiness 
 aud of plenty. 
 
 The national gaiety, however, was in some 
 degree overcast by tlie pernicious influence 
 of that fatal misunderstanding which had 
 so long prevailed between the prince regent 
 and his consort. At a moment when every 
 subject participated in the general festivity, 
 when every selfish and private feeling seemed 
 to l)e absorbed in one universal sentiment of 
 gratitude and joy, the princess alone was 
 sentenced to huniiliation, privacy, and neg- 
 lect, by the mandate of her husband, who 
 intimated, through the medium of a letter 
 from the queen, that her appearance at the 
 drawing-room could not be admitted. To 
 repeat the history of the formal correspond- 
 ence between her majesty and hpr daughter- 
 in-law, would be equally unpleasing and 
 superfluous. It produced, however, a mo- 
 tion in the house of commons for an increase 
 of her annual income ; and, after some 
 discussion, in which lord Castlereagh 
 generously offered £50,000 per annum, and 
 Mr. Whitbread regarded £35.000 as sufficient- 
 ly ample, the latter of thesesums was adopted. 
 ^Scarcely had the grant been made, when the 
 public attention was attracted in a more than 
 usual degree, to the disputes in the royal 
 feraily by the sudden elopement of the prin- 
 cess Charlotte, in a manner by no means 
 accordant with the forms of a court, or with 
 the habits of her sex. The prince regent, 
 accompanied by the bishop of Salisbury, 
 had repaired to Warwick-house, to remon- 
 strate with his daughter on her rejection of 
 the prince of Orange as a suitor. Deeply 
 affected by the language of her monitors, 
 she escaped by the back stair-case, entered 
 a hackney-coach without a head-dress, and 
 drove to Connanght-house, the residence of 
 her mother. The princess of Wales, per- 
 plexed by this unusual incident, proceeded 
 to the house of parliament, and consulted 
 her political friends on the best line of con- 
 duct. The result was, that the princess 
 Charlotte was persuaded to accompany the 
 duke of York to Carlton-house, whence she 
 was afterwards removed to Craubourne lodge 
 
 in Windsor forest, where she was placed 
 under the care of new attendants. Her au- 
 tumn, under the pretext of a pain in her knee, 
 was spent at Weymouth. 
 
 Greater agitation has seldom perraded 
 the public mind, than was evinced in the 
 sympathy excited by the trial and condemna- 
 tion of lord Cochrane. The effects of the 
 recent intelligence from France had been 
 productive of the most extraordinary influence 
 on the funds, which had arisen to the enor- 
 mous premium of 28 per cent. This unex- 
 ampled and pernicious rise was occasioned 
 by an extensive and infamous conspiracy, 
 in which the principals were men of suspicious 
 character, but intimately connected by inter- 
 course and family alliauce with lord Coch- 
 rane. The committee of the stock exchange, 
 though little scrupulous themselves, on other 
 occasions, preferred an indictment for the 
 conspiracy ; and the persons tried were 
 Charles Random de Berenger, sir Thomas 
 Cochrane, commonly lord Cochrane, the 
 honourable Andrew Cochrane Johnstone, 
 Richard Gathrone Butt, Ralph Sandon, 
 Alexander M'Rae, John Peter Holloway, 
 and Henry Lyte. The crime charged, was 
 a conspiracy for raising the funds, and thereby 
 injuring those who should become pur- 
 chasers, in them ; the court was the king's 
 Bench, Guildhall, before lord Ellenborough, 
 on June 8th and 9th. The case for the prose- 
 cution having been stated by Mr. Gurney, 
 the first witness called was John Marsh, 
 master of the Packet-boat public house, at 
 Dover. His evidence went chiefly to prove 
 the fact of a gentleman, drest in a grey great 
 coat and a red uniform under it, with a star, 
 knocking at the door of the Ship inn, early 
 in the morning of February 21st, whom he 
 assisted to get into the inn, and who said 
 he was the bearer of very important despatches 
 from France. He was fully satisfied that 
 Berenger was this person. This evidence 
 was confirmed by that of Gourley, a hatter, 
 who was at the time in Marsh's house. 
 
 Mr. St. John, who was then at the Ship 
 inn as a traveller, deposed in like manner to 
 the arrival of a person who asked for a post 
 chaise, to his dress, and to the identity of 
 Berenger as this person. 
 
 Admiral Faley was then called to prove 
 the receipt of a letter despatched to him as 
 port admiral at Deal, by express from Dover»
 
 CHAP. LXVIII.] GEORGE III. 879 
 
 from a person at the Ship inn, who signed I deposed, that on the 20th he went out in a 
 himself R. Du Bourg, lieutenant-colonel and | new great coat. 
 
 aid-de-camp to lorcl Cathcart, and which i With the main plot, in which Bereii^er 
 was proved to be in the hand-writing of; was ihe cliief actor, another was stated to 
 Berenger. The purport of the letter was \ he connected, involving M'Rae, Sandon, 
 to acquaint the admiral that he was just ; Lyte, and Holloway. With respect 'to this, 
 arrived from Calais with the news of a great !'the first witness called was Thomas Viun, 
 victory obtained by the allies over Bnona- « an accountant, who deposed to have been 
 parte, who was slain in his flight by the I applied to by M'Rae for the purpose of 
 Cossacks, and that the allied sovereigns, were ! engaging to ijssist in a hoax upon the stock 
 in Paris, where the white cockade was uni- ; exchange, by personating a French officer 
 versal. A post chaise boy was then examined ; along with him, which he refused to do. 
 who drove a gentleman in that night from ! A female witness, a fellow lodger with 
 Dover to Canterbury, and another from ; M'Rae and his wife, deposed, that M'Rae 
 Canterbury to Sittingbouni, and a third ! brought home, on February 20th, a parcel 
 from thence to Rochester. They deposed ; with two opera coats and two opera hats, 
 to the receiving of Napoleons from him, and ; the coats being like those of officer>, with 
 the latter boy to his dress, agreeing with the i some white ribbon for cockades ; that he 
 former descriptions. ? said they were for tlie purpose of deceiving 
 
 Mr. Wright, of the Crown inn, at Ro- ; the flats, and that he must go down to 
 Chester, brother to Wright of the Ship, at ; Gravesend — that on the next day she met 
 Dover, (who was prevented from appearing | him in London, apparently much tired, and 
 by illness,) next gave evidence of the persons J that he brought back a l)nndle containing 
 coming to his house, of his dress in the great » one of the coats and hats, and the cockades ; 
 coat, red uniform, star, and military cap, and i and that he said he was to have £50 for what 
 of his conversation relative to the news he ; he had done. 
 
 brou'^ht ; and was positive that Berenger ; Mr. Foxall, master of the Rose inn, at 
 was tlie man. Other inn-keepers and drivers i Dartford, then deposed as to receiving a 
 continued the chain of evidence to that of; note from Mr. Sandon, dated from North 
 a Dartford 'chaise-driver, Thomas Shilling, ; Fleet, on Monday, February 2Ist, desiring 
 who gave a very circumstantial account oi \ him to send a chaise and pair, and^ to have 
 carrying Berenger to the Marsh gate. Lam- ; ready four good horses to go to Londonwitli 
 beth, and there seeing him into a hackney- | all expediiiorj, — that in consequence, his 
 coach. The driver of this coach, William j chaise brought from North Fleet Mr. Sandou. 
 Crane, then deposed to the canying him to | and two gentlemen with white cockades in 
 No. 13, Green street", Grosvenor square, and \ tiieir bats, who iu)mediately proceeded tq 
 leaving him ; also to the circumstance or ; London with the four horses. A driver de- 
 his red uniform under a great coat, and to | posed to carrying these persons, the horses 
 his taking with him into the house a small i being decked with laurels, over Londoa 
 portmanteau ; and thus was completed the > bridge, through Lombard street and Cheap- 
 process of tracing Berenger from Dover to > side, and thence to Marsh gate, Lambeth, 
 lord Cocbrane's house in London. ; where they got out, haviiig taken off their 
 
 The next circumstance brought forwards : military hats and put on round ones. It 
 for the prosecution, was that of the fishing | was then proved by Mr. Francis Bailey, that 
 up by a waterman on the Thames, of a bun- I Holloway confessed before the committee 
 die containing a coat cut to pieces, a star, | of the stock exchange, that he was a con- 
 embroidery, ik.c. which was recognized by j triver of this plot, and that Lyte confessed 
 a military accoutrement-maker, to be the ; himself and M'Uae to have been the persons 
 same that he sold on February 19th, to a J who accompan;< J Sandon in the post chaise, 
 person who mentioned its being wanted for | The next body of evidence produced re- 
 one who was to perCorm the office of a foreign i lated to the stock concerns of Mr. Butt, 
 officer, and who also purchased a niililury ; Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, and lord Coch- 
 regitnental coat, and a military cap. : rane. The most material points went to the 
 
 Thk persou with whom Berenger lodged, | close connection between these three persons, , 
 
 6.,u * oQ
 
 880 
 
 HISTORY OF BXGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVlfl. 
 
 to the vast amount of omnium which they 
 held on the mornini>- of the day in which the 
 fraud took place, to the sale of the whole on 
 that day, and to the circumstance of Mr. 
 C. Johnstone's havinsf taken a new office in a 
 court adjoining the side door of the Stock 
 Exchano;e asjainst that day for Mr. Fearn, 
 their principal broker, without having pre- 
 viously acquainted him with his intention. 
 An affidavit by lord Cochrane was then read, 
 which admitted the coming of Berenger to 
 his house on February 2 1st, but stated that 
 he was in a green uniform, which he took off, 
 putting on a black coat which his lordship 
 gave him for the purpose of waiting on lord 
 Yarmouth. The affidavit further averred 
 that lord C. had no knowledge whatever of 
 the imposition, and stated that he had given 
 instructions to his broker to sell out the i 
 whole «f his omnium at a rise of one per cent. 
 
 Mr. Le Merchant WAs next examined with 
 respect to a conversation held with Berenger; 
 and he deposed, that having asked him how 
 he could go to North America under thecem- 
 niand «f lord Cochrane (as he had said his 
 intention was) with the embarrassments he 
 lay under, ; B. replied that he was easy on 
 that score, because, for the services he had 
 rendered lord C and Mr. C. Johstone, where- 
 by a large sum might be realized in the funds 
 or stocks, lord C was his friend, and told 
 him he had kept a private purse for him. 
 The honourable Alexander Murray, a pri- 
 soner in the King's Bench, also deposed to a \ 
 great intimacy between Berenger and Mr.* 
 Cochrane Johnstone. 
 
 Another examination of witnesses to a 
 considerable length was consequent upon 
 the capture of Berenger, who had absconded 
 at Leith, when there was found in liis pos- 
 session certain papers and bank notes, which 
 last he was very urgent to have restored to 
 him, but which were detained, others of cor- 
 responding value being given to him. From 
 an entry in his memorandum book there 
 appeared to be a sum of £540, part of which 
 he had expended, and the remainder was in 
 the notes in his possession. All these notes, 
 as well as most of those he had paid away, 
 were with great industry traced to lord Coch- 
 ranfe, Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, and Mr. Butt. 
 This closed the evidence for th-e prosecution. 
 
 The business on the following day com- 
 menced with the evidence for the defendants. 
 
 Letters were produced which passed between 
 Le Merchant and lord Cochrane, and which 
 went to contradict the evidence he had given. 
 
 Lord Melville was then called for the pur- 
 pose of proving that admiral sir A. Cochrane 
 had made application to be allowed the 
 service of Berenger, in his command on the 
 North American station. Colonel Torrens, 
 secretary to the commander-in-chief, was ex- 
 amined to the same point, as was Henry Gol- 
 burn, esq. The intention in these examina- 
 tions was to confirm lord Cochrane's state- 
 ment, and to shew a connection between the. 
 parties independently of any other trans- 
 actions. King, a tin-plate worker, next de- 
 posed to lord Cochrane's being at his manu- 
 factory in Cock Lane, on the morning of the 
 21st, whence he was called by a note brought 
 to him by his servant, Dewman, a servant of 
 lord Cochrane's deposed to a gentleman's 
 coming to their house in a hackney coach, 
 and writing the note, which he brought to 
 his lordship. Mr. Tahourdin, solicitor to 
 Berenger, was called to prove that Mr. Coch- 
 rane Johnstone had employed Berenger to 
 make a plan for a projected building in some 
 premises belonging to him, and had paid him 
 money for it. Two receipts were produced 
 for such payments, signed by Berenger, the 
 last for £200 dated February 26th, 1814. 
 This witness also absolutely denied the letter 
 sent to admiral Foley, at Peal, to be the 
 hand writing of Berenger. The earl of Yar- 
 mouth spoke to Berenger's having been adju- 
 tant of the corps of Cumberland's shaip 
 shooters, and thought the letter to admiral 
 Foley very unlike his usual writing. Two 
 other persons also deposed to their belief that 
 this letter was not of his writing. 
 
 A SERIES of evidence was then brought to 
 prove an alibi with respect to Berenger. The 
 first of the witnesses were W. Smith and. 
 his wife, who were his sei^vauts, and who 
 swore to his sleeping at home on the night of 
 February 20th. Then followed an ostler of 
 some livery stables at Chelsea, who swore to 
 Berenger's being there on the evening of the 
 20th. Other depositions were made to the 
 same effect, which it is not material to enu- 
 merate, since from the rank and character of 
 the persons no regard seems to have been 
 paid to their testimony. Here the case for 
 the defendants terminated. 
 
 Lord EUenborough summed up th«
 
 CHAP. LXVIII.] GEORGE III. ggl 
 
 evidence with great niiiiuteiiess, making ; ary 14th, witli the sovereigns of Sweden and 
 various observations on different parts. He i Great Britain. In the first of these, after a 
 particularly dwelt upon the evidence of the | declaration of the renewal of peace and 
 identity of the person taking a chaise from I amity between Denmark and. Sweden, the 
 Dover, and traced to lord Cochrane's hou.se, J king of Sweden engages his mediation for the 
 with Berenger; and of the disguise he wore, ; sanie purpose with Russia and Prussia ; and 
 and the colour of his uniform, which he seem- | on the other hand, the king of Denmark eu- 
 ed to think proved in such a manner that no i gages to take an active part in the common 
 doubt could remain ; and from these circum- 1 cause against the French emperor. The 
 stances, and bissubsequent change of apparel, i entire and perpetual cession of Norway by 
 he drew a strong inference of lord Cochrane's | Denmark, and of Pomerania and the isle of 
 privity to the plot. ; Rugen by Sweden, is then declared, and 
 
 The jury retired at ten minutes after six in ; reciprocal stipulations are made for the pre- 
 the evening, and returned at twenty minutes > servation of the rights and privileges of the 
 before nine with a verdict, finding all the de- ; ceded countries on both sides. The king ot 
 fendants guilty. i Sweden finther promises to use his best en- 
 
 Op the subsequent proceedings relative to 5 deavours with the allied powers, to procure 
 lord Cochrane's application for a new trial, ; for Denmark, at a general peace, a full equi- 
 and a motion in arrest of judgment, it is | volent for the cession of Norway. In the 
 sufficient here to mention, that these attempts i treaty with Great Britain, the articles in sub- 
 were void of effect, and that on June 21st all ; stance were, that all conquests were to be 
 the i)ersons charged, with the exception of; restored, with the exception of Heligoland, 
 Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, who had absconded, I which was to remain in the possession of 
 were called up to receive sentence. This ; England ; that the prisoners of war on both 
 ■was pronounced by Mr. Justice Le Blanc, i sides were to be liberated ; that Denmark 
 and was to the following efl'ect : — Lord Coch- ; was to join the allied armies with 10,000 men, 
 rane, and Richard Gathrone Butt were con- ; on the condition of a subsidy from England of 
 denined to pay to the king a fine of £1000 I £400,000 ; that Pomerania'was to be ceded 
 each, and J. P. HoUoway of £-500; and these | to Denmark in lieu of ^^orway ; that Stral- 
 three, together with De Berenger, Sandon, i sund was to continue a depot for British pro- 
 and Lyte, were sentenced to imprisonment in | duce ; that Denmark was to do all in her 
 the Marshalsea for twelve calender months, i power for the abolition of the slave trade ; 
 Further, lord Cochrane, De Berenger, and | and that England was to mediate between her 
 Butt, were to stand on the pillory for one ; and the other allies. The effect of these tre.ities 
 hour before the Royal Exchange, once j as far as related to the co-operation of^the 
 during tli^ir imprisonment. This last part of i Danish troops with the army of the crown 
 their purushment was afterwards remitted. | prince of Sweden, has been already noticed. 
 
 The only subject of foreign policy on i But all difficulties 'with respect to these 
 which the ministry were formidably opposed, ; compacts were not overcome by the acqui- 
 in argument, or in numbers, was their acqui- > escence of the king of Denmark. Thepeople 
 escence in the invasion and partition of ; of Norway are well known to possess a high 
 Norway. It was clearly discernable at i and independent spirit ; and though they have 
 the close of the last year that Denmark, ; long ceased to constitute a separate nation, 
 deserted by the ally, to whose fortune hers ; and have been annexed to a monarchy which 
 had unhappily been attached, and invaded by : circumstances have rendered nearly absolute, 
 a force which she had nothing adequate to | they have been able to preserve constitutional 
 oppose, had no other part to take than that | privileges, which, combined with their de- 
 of acquiescence in the conditions imposed ; tached situation from the seat of govern-- 
 upon her, of which the most galling was, | ment, have secured to them a considerable 
 undoubtedly, the resignation of that portion ; share of practical freedom. It was scarcely 
 of her dominions to which she owed one of; to be expected that such a people would: 
 her crowns, and a great part of her conse- I readily snhnjit to be transferred, without 
 quence. Her submission was sealed by | asking their consent, to a new master, 
 treaties of peace concluded at Kiel, 011 Jauu- J especially to the sovereign of a country against; 
 
 5 u 2
 
 882 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [ClUP. LXVIir. 
 
 •Which that national enmity had been long 
 fostered, which usually exists between bor- 
 dering neighbours. This dislike too, liad 
 recently been aggravated by the severe policy 
 of Sweden, in intercepting all supplies of 
 provision to Norway after a year of scarcity ; I 
 the consequence of which is said to have 
 been the death of 5000 persons in the diocese 
 of Drontheim, of famine and disease. Their 
 governor, at this juncture, was Christian 
 Frederic, hereditary prince of Denmark, 
 and duke of Schleswig Holstein, a prince 
 apparently of an active and enterprising 
 character. On January 18th, an officer 
 having arrived with the ratification of the 
 treaty concluded between Sweden and Den- 
 mark, the prince repaired to the country- 
 seat of the chamberlain, Mr. Carsten Anker, 
 Dear Christiana ; and on the 28th he assem- 
 bled the most considerable persons, civil, 
 military, and ecclesiastical, together with 
 the merchants and deputies who were met 
 to regulate the affairs of the national bank. 
 After laying before them the treaty, he asked 
 them if it was their opinion that the people 
 of Norway were dis()osed to assert their 
 antient independence against the claims of j 
 Sweden. Their answer was, unanimously, 
 in the affirmative ; and they earnestly be- 
 sought the prince to remain at the head of 
 the government, resolving at the same time, 
 to effect his nomination to the title of prince 
 regent of Norway. The prince, who doubt- 
 less had already settled his plans, immediately 
 proceeded to the frontiers, thence to Roroas, 
 and finally across the mountains to Dron- 
 theim. He was every where met by the 
 people from the hills and vallies in crowds, 
 accompanied by their wives and children, 
 who exclaimed, " We will conquer or die 
 for old Norway's freedom ;" adding, in their 
 plain and afi'ectionate mode of address, 
 *' Thou shalt not leave us." On arriving at 
 Galbrandsthal, a pass famous for the ex- 1 
 termination of a band of Swedish invaders 
 by the mountaineers, the prince alighted at 
 the marble pillar commemorating the event, 
 and having read alfmd the inscription in the 
 words of un old ballad, " Woe to every Nor- 
 wegian whose blood does not boil in his veins \ 
 at the view of this monument '" he asked 
 the surrounding peasants, if they were willing 
 to imitate this noble example ? and was an- 
 swered by a thousand cousentmg shouts. I 
 
 Entering Drontheim, he alighted at the house 
 of general Von Kroijh, where the principal 
 citizens were assemi>led at a solenu) enter- 
 tainment. The venerable host, eighty years 
 of age, was unable, through infirmity, to join 
 the company ; but he caused himself to be 
 led in at the close of the entertainment, and 
 amidst universal acclamations, drank the 
 health of Christian as regent. The prince, 
 after a stay of four days at Drontheim, re- 
 turned to Christiana. On the following day 
 all the bells of the city were rung, and the 
 cannon wt-re fired, the town guards and 
 troops paraded the streets, and the prince re- 
 paired to the principal church, where he took 
 an oath as regent of Norway. On the ll)th 
 of February, the Danish flag was taken down, 
 a funeral dirge playing the while, and the 
 Norwegian colours were hoisted amidst loud 
 acclamations. A council of state, consisting 
 of 17 persons, was appointed, and the prince 
 issued proclamations to the people of Nor- 
 way, to the bishops, the civil officers, the 
 army and navy, a circular letter to the clerg}', 
 and an address in the French language, to 
 all Europe. . In his proclamation to the 
 people, after adverting in indignant terms 
 to tlie forced cession of their country, he 
 called upon them to assert their independence, 
 promising to stay among them aad hold the 
 reins till an assembly of the most enlightened 
 men of the nation should have formed a wise 
 constitution, on whom it should depend 
 whether he was to continue in the trust now 
 reposed in him. The ■ subject of another 
 proclamation was, the abolition of privateer- 
 ing, and the relation which was to subsist 
 between Norway and other nations. Its 
 preamble acknowledged as a particular 
 benefit conferred on Norway by the kisig of 
 Denmark, before he absolved the nation 
 from its oath of allegiance, that he had given 
 it peace with Great Britain. It proceeded 
 to declare Norway at peace with all the 
 powers, except that which should violate 
 its independence, or attack its frontiers ; and 
 to proclaim free access to all its ports, to 
 the ships of all nations, with the permission 
 of importing every kind of merchandise by 
 such vessels as should bring two-thirds of 
 their cargoes in grain or other provisions. 
 
 On February 24th, the Swedish count. 
 Axel Rosen, appeared at Christiana, com- 
 aiissioned to put in execution the treaty of 
 
 I
 
 CHAP. IXVIII.j GEORGE III. 885 
 
 peace between Denmark and Sweden. He ; was deputed to England with instructions 
 was introduced to prince Christian, in pre- 1 to procure, if possil)le, the accession of Great 
 sence of the chief officers of state, when he 5 Britain to tlie independence of Norwaj-. 
 exhibited his powers as plenipotentiary, | He was admitted to a conference with lord 
 and as bearer of the proclamation of the king ; Liverpool, in which that minister stated to 
 of Sweden to the people of Norway. The | him the situation and determination of the 
 prince said, that in the present state of affan-s ? British government ; and in consequence, 
 he could not receive the proclamation, and | Mr. Anker was desired to return to Norway, 
 that in lieu of all other answers, he n)ust J The part taken by this court was afterwards 
 communicate the declaration which he had ; openly declared in a notification made on 
 made in the face of all Europe, by which Nor- 1^ April 20th, by command of the prince regent, 
 way asserted her independence. Having « to the ministers of friendly powers in Lon- 
 read tliis, count Rosen observed, that after i don, that necessary measures had been taken 
 such an unexpected declaration, nothing re- 1 for a blockade of the ports of Norway by 
 niained for him but to return immediately. ; the British navy. The administration was 
 A conversation ensued between the prince i doubtless of opinion, that Great Britain 
 and the count, in which the latter waved all > having been a party in a treaty by which 
 discussion of the points at issue between ; the cession of Norway to Sweden was stipu- 
 the nations, and finally left the audience > lated, it was incumbent upon her to make 
 room. The prince afterwards wrote a letter ; use of her power to bring this cession t© 
 to the king of Sweden, enclosing his decia- ; eflect. 
 ration, and stating the motives of his conduct. 5 Different parties in the mean time, as 
 
 The proclamation of th'e king of Sweden ; might be expected, were making their a.\>- 
 to the Norwegians above alluded to, con- ' pearance in Norwaj\ Some persons, dread- 
 tained an engagement of leaving to the na- ; ing the approaching conflict, were inclined 
 tion the power of establishing a constitution $ to submission to Sweden. Others enter- 
 on the basis of national representation, and » tained the idea of forming a republican form 
 the right of taxing itself, and affirmed his | of government. The majority were attached 
 determination not to amalgamate the finances i to the cause of national independence, but 
 of the two countries. « looked to prince Christian as the head under 
 
 The king of Denujark, probably conscious i whom it was to be established and main- 
 of lyinjy under .the suspicion of having se- i tained. At the diet, held in the month of 
 cretly romented this spirit of i-esistance to a ; April, these different opinions were brought 
 compulsory treaty, addressed a letter to the | forward ; but a great majority concurred in 
 magistrates and people, dated April 13th, ; placing the crown of Norway upon tlie hf^ad 
 in which he explicitly disavowed their cause, ; of Christian, with descent to his posterity, 
 expressed his displeasure with what had > The legislative power in the new constitu- 
 been done by prince Christian, and his ; tion was given to an assembly consisting 
 resolution to acknowledge no other authority ; solely of landed proprietors. The new kinjj 
 in Norway than that of the king of Sweden. { was proclaimed on the 19th, when he dis- 
 He forbade all the officers nominated by him i solved the diet with a speech. This decisive 
 to accept or retain any employment in it I step committed the nation to a determined 
 during its present state ; and recalled all 5 resistance to the coercive transfer of their 
 those who were natives of Denmark, under | country, and to all the attempts of the allied 
 pain of forfeiting their rights, as Danish « powers for persuading the Norwegians into 
 citizens. > submission. One of these was made by the 
 
 That hopes had been entertained by the ? prince regent of England, who despatched, 
 Norwegians of the countenance of England ; » in the beginning of June, Mr. Morier as en- 
 the country fondly looked up to on the con- ; voy to Norway. That gentleman, finding 
 tinent of Europe as the general patron ofJ that the diet had been dismissed before his 
 public liberty, is manifest from the clause ; arrival at Christiana, put a declaration ii)t<* 
 in the proclamation of prince Christian, above I the hands of the govermnent then established, 
 quoted ; and after the meeting of the diet i but without recognizing its legitimacy, men- 
 of the kiugdooi convoked by him, Mr. Anker ; tioning, that the object of his mission was
 
 884 
 
 lII«TORV OP ENGLAND. 
 
 to explain to prince Cliii.stian "and tlie Nor- 
 wegians the situation of the British govern- 
 ment with respect to its engagements with 
 Sweden and the allied powers, and its de- 
 termination to act up to them with sincerity 
 and vigour. 
 
 A FINAL effort at pacification was made by the 
 allied powers, of which a particular relation 
 was given in a set of state papers published by 
 Chrisitian Frederick, in quality of king of 
 Norway, under the date of Jtdy 26th. It 
 begins with stating, that on the 30th of June 
 there arrived at Christiana the following 
 envoys : baron de Steigenstesch, for Austria ; 
 major-general Orloff, for Russia ; Augustus J. 
 Foster, for England ; and major baron de 
 Martens, for Prussia ; who, on July 7th, pre- 
 sented a note to his majesty (by them address- 
 ed to prince Christian Freed rick of Denmark,) 
 which follows. In this paper he is formally 
 summoned to return within the lines of his 
 duties, on refusal of which he will have to 
 contend with forces which he cannot resist ; 
 he is informed of the orders of the king of 
 Denmark, whose first subject he is, to this 
 purpose ; he is told that the subscribers do 
 not come as mediators between Norway and 
 Sweden, but rather as heralds of arms, 
 cliarged with the execution of the treaty of 
 Kiel ; that, however, the character of the 
 prince of the Norwegian nation has induced 
 them to enter into modifications which are 
 not within the literal meaning of their instruc- 
 tions, but which they have adopted from the 
 wish of furnishing his highness with the most 
 lionourable means of descending from the 
 elevation to which circumstances have unfor- 
 tunately raised him. As prince Christian 
 had positively declared that he could only 
 replace in the hands of the diet the rights he 
 had received from the nation, the convoca- 
 tion of that assembly was deemed necessary, 
 and for that purpose a truce was proposed by 
 his highness, to which they readily acceded, 
 but the conditions they mentioned were all 
 successively rejected. They finally offered 
 an armistice upon the following basis : 1. A 
 solemn engagement from his highness to 
 resign into the hands of the representatives 
 of the nation all rights he received from them, 
 and to use inftuence to induce them to con- 
 sent to the union. 2. That the country be- 
 tween the Glommen and the Swedish frontier, 
 the isles of Walcheren, and the fortresses of 
 
 [chap, lxviii. 
 
 Frederickstadt, Frederickshall, Frederick- 
 sein, and Kongswinger, shall be evacuated 
 by the Norwegian troops ; the country to be 
 declared neutral, and the fortresses to be 
 occupied by Swedisli troops. 3. After the 
 occupation of the fortresses, the blockade of 
 Norway to be raised in respect to the porta 
 of Christiania, Christiansandj and Bergen, 
 during the period of the truce. To this 
 ultimatum they require a categorical answer, 
 and they declare, that whatever it may be, 
 they shall consider their negotiations as ter- 
 minated. 
 
 In his answer to this note. Christian begins 
 with stating his reasons for accepting the 
 crown offered him, and hoping for the inde- 
 pendence of Norway ; bnt since the great 
 powers of Europe have determined other- 
 wise, he is persuaded that the safety of the 
 country requires that they should submit to 
 the law of the strongest, and he is ready to 
 make the sacrifice demanded from him. He 
 acknowledges it to be his duty to make 
 known to the nation the dangers with which 
 it is surrounded, and to represent the advan- 
 tages to be derived from an union with 
 Sweden ; but should a brave though' useless 
 resistance be its determination, he will remain 
 faithful to his engagements, and never sepa- 
 rate his fate from the nation's. With respect 
 to the second basis, he acceded to the evacu- 
 ation of the country, isles, and fortresses 
 specified, with the exception of Kongswinger, 
 which, being on the north of the Glommer, 
 he thinks ought to be left to the Norwegians. 
 But with regard to the occupation of the for- 
 tresses by Swedish troops, he represents 
 to them that the inevitable consequence 
 would be a general rising of the people, and 
 in that case he must prefer war against the 
 enemy to the civil war which he must incur by 
 outraging the constitution in the eyes of the 
 nation. As to the third basis, he observes, 
 that the raising of the blockade of Norway, 
 which is an indispensable condition of the 
 truce, must be extended to all ports on the 
 coast, if it is to be wished that it should be 
 regarded as a real benefit. On these several 
 points he further refers to his letter to the 
 king of Sweden, which he subjoined. 
 
 In a note to the envoys of the allied powers. 
 Christian desires from them the guarantee 
 of the basis of union which the king of 
 Sweden may accept, as well as of the ariuis-
 
 CHAP. LXVIII.l 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 P85 
 
 tice in all its points. Their answer expresses 
 disappoliitnieut that not one of three bases 
 of an drniistice has been fully accepted ; and 
 affirms, that they are coinpelled to rest their 
 hopes of the success of tlieir ueiiotiation upon 
 the j^enerosity of the king of Sweden. With 
 respect to the guarantee, they are convinced 
 that none of the powers of wiiom they are the 
 representatives will object to it, wlien all 
 points are definitively settled. They farther 
 desire the immediate publication of their offi- 
 cial notes, for the information of the people 
 of Norway. The envoys had their audience 
 of leave on the 17th, and returned towards 
 Sweden. Christian departed on tiie 2 1st to 
 Moss, whence he was to repair to head-quar- 
 ters. His letter to the king of Sweden was 
 afterwards returned unopened. 
 
 The return of the envoys was generally con- 
 sidered as a signal for war, and the course of 
 exchange at Copenhagen accordingly suffer- 
 ed a considerable depression. Denmark, 
 indeed, was placed in a very uneasy situa- 
 tion by the events in Norway. Though their 
 king J)ad done every thing in his power to de- 
 monstrate that he had no concern in the pro- 
 ceedings of the Norwegians, it was thought 
 proper by the allies to keep him closely 
 watched ; and for that purpose a body of 
 Russian troops had penetrated into Holstein, 
 where they were to be joined by a corps of 
 Prussiaus. The crown prince of Sweden in 
 the mean time was extremely active in his 
 military preparations, and in a proclamation 
 to his soldiers, dated Winnesberg, July 17th, 
 he tells and repeats to them, " there is no rest 
 for us till the union and independence of the 
 Scandinavian peninsula are obtained by the 
 annexation of Norway to Sweden." He, as 
 well as the king of Sweden, made trial of 
 their powers of persuasion upon the Nor- 
 wegians before they employed force, and it 
 may- be interesting to give a summary of the 
 arguments made use of by the crown prince 
 in his proclamation to the people of Norway. 
 He begins with telling them that, destined by 
 nature to an union with the Swedish nation, 
 their fate was decided, when by the peace of 
 Kiel the king of Denmark ceded to Sweden 
 his rights over Norway. He next states all 
 the advantages which accrued to Denmark 
 from that treaty, and the merits of vSweden in 
 having withstood " the idol of the day." Pro- 
 ceeding to more direct reasoning, he informs 
 
 the Norwegians, that small states are always 
 moved by the more powerAd ; that they 
 themselves are unable to form an insulated 
 government ; and that the purpose of tlie 
 man who misleads them is to reunite the 
 crown of Norway to that of Denmark. He 
 dwells upon the mutual advantages that 
 Sweden and Norway wdl derive from their 
 union, and asserts that such a measme had 
 been the intention of the great Gustavns. He 
 speaks of the brave arn)y which he is leading 
 back from a campaign as glorious as it is 
 astonishing, and of their desire to be received 
 rather as brethren than enemies. He affirms 
 that Sweden will not lay down her arms till 
 she has accomplished an union necessary to 
 her safety and repose, and conjures them to 
 avoid the calamities of war by accepting the 
 offer of independence, liberty, and the gua- 
 rantee of all their privileges. Such was the 
 general strain of this soldier-like piece of 
 eloquence, in which, " the argument he sum- 
 med up all in," that of superior force, was 
 obviously the only one calculated to operate 
 upon the feelings of a people who were in- 
 spired with high notions of their national 
 rights. Accordingly it failed, like all other 
 addresses of the kind, and the final appeal 
 was made to the sword. 
 
 The war began with a naval action. The 
 Norwegians had stationed a flotilla near the 
 Hualorn islands, protected by a number of 
 batteries raised upon them. On July 2(ith, 
 the Swedish admiral, baron Pike, made a 
 signal for his fleet and flotilla to weigh and 
 move to the attack of the Norwegians, but a 
 calm prevented them from reaching a proper 
 station during that day, so that the attack 
 was postponed till the following morning. 
 The Norwegian conunander, however, did 
 not wait for the event, but during the night 
 evacuated the islands in such haste, that the 
 cannon of the batteries for the most part were 
 thrown into the sea ; and, when day approach- 
 ed, he was seen in full retreat to Frederick- 
 stadt. This success was obtained by the 
 Swedes without the loss of a man. On the 
 27th the crown prince put himself in march 
 with his whole army for Norway. The king 
 of Sweden, who had formerly been a naval 
 commander, chose to take a personal part in 
 this expedition, by going on board the Great 
 Gustavns at Stromstad. On July 3()th ti)e 
 second Swedish corps d'armee, near 20,(H>0^ 
 
 /
 
 886 HISTORY OP ENGLAND , [CHAP. LXVlII. 
 
 strong crossed the frontier with very little > forced the strong position of the Nor^i'e- 
 
 resistance and occupied two advanced posts ; I gians at Isebro on the 10th ; and on tlie 1 1th, 
 
 and on the same day, the crown prince, with > the abandoned port and batteries of Sleswig 
 
 the duke of Sudermania, made a reconnoi- ; had been taken possession of; and that 
 
 sance into Norway from his head quarters at I general Vegesac had defeated, with great 
 
 Stromstad. 5 loss, the enemy, who had 6000 men and 10 
 
 It would be uninteresting to give a nar- i pieces of cannon. On the 12th, prepara- 
 
 rative of all the incidents of this petty cam- i tions were n7ade for passing the Glommen ; 
 
 paign on the south eastern part of Norway ;> and on the next day the bombardment of 
 
 and we shall confine ourselves to a notice i Frederickstein was commenced. The pas- 
 
 of the more important transactions. Major- I sage of Kojolberg was forced after a brave 
 
 general Gahn, who on July 31st had entered ; resistance, and the crov.n prince made dis- 
 
 Norway, making an attempt on August 2nd ; positions for surrounding, with a very su- 
 
 to force a strong position, was driven back > perior force, the army of prince Christian, 
 
 with some loss; and on the following day | posted near Moss. Further resistance would 
 
 found the enemy, who had taken a circuit- ; now have been mere desperation and an 
 
 ous rout in his rear with a superior force. \ useless sacrifice of lives. Christian made 
 
 An obstinate and sanguinary action ensued, \ proposals, which the crown prince accepted. 
 
 in which the Swedes made good their retreat I He resigned the government, and gave or- 
 
 tvith the loss of a gun, 20 baggage-waggons, ; ders for the surrender of Frederickstein ; and 
 
 and a considerable number of men killed, i that famous fortress of Frederickshall, before 
 
 •wounded, and prisoners. Admiral Pike, | which Charles XII. lost his life, just as or- 
 
 having on the 2nd of August received orders > ders were about to be given for planting the 
 
 from the crown prince to attack Krajero, i scaling ladders. A convention was signed 
 
 three bodies of troops were landed upon the i on August 14th, at Moss, between ti)e crown 
 
 island, supported by gun-i)oats and armed ; prince, in the name of the king of Sweden, 
 
 vessels. The Norwegians retreated, and a i and the Norwegian government, of which 
 
 battery surrendered after a cannonade. ♦ the following are the articles. 1st, Prince 
 
 Frederickstadt was summoned ; and, on j Christian shall, as soon as possible, convoke 
 
 refusal, was attacked by the gun-boats and ; the states-general of Norway according to 
 
 bomb-vessels. On tlie 4th, this fortress de- J the mode prescribed by tlie existing consti- 
 
 sired to capitulate, and the conditions being i tution. 2nd, The king of Sweden shall com- 
 
 settled, the Swedish troops entered it and j municate with the diet by his commissioners. 
 
 Kongstein in the evening. The garrison, of I 3rd, The king promises to accept the con- 
 
 1.300 or 2000 men, were not made prisoners 5 stitution formed by the diet of Eswold, with 
 
 of war; but having signified their submission ; no other changes than are necessary to the 
 
 to the king of Sweden, were permitted to | union of the two kingdoms, and will make 
 
 return home. Frederickstadt commands the ; no further alterations but in concert with, the 
 
 passage of the Glommen, and is regarded as ! diet. 4th, The promises of the king and 
 
 the key of Christiana. ; prince royal to the Norwegians shall be 
 
 A BULLETIN, dated August 11th, from ; strictly fulfilled. 5tli, The diet shall assemble 
 
 the Swedish head-quarters, mentions other ; at Christiania. Gth, Amnesty is declared for 
 
 successes on their side, and that they were > all past expression of opinions, and good 
 
 masters of the left bank of the Glommen i treatment is promised to all Norwegian. 
 
 tron\ lake Ocjorn to Frederickstadt. It i civil and military functionaries. 7th, 'J'he 
 
 charges the Danish officers with being the j king of Sweden engages his good offices with 
 
 cause of keeping up the hostility of the Nor- ? the king of Denmark to obtain a revocation 
 
 wegians, who, nevertheless, are said to desert ; of all ordinances promulgated since January 
 
 the army in numbers, and that the mhabi- 5 14th, 1814, against the public functionaries 
 
 tants of the towns and villages came in ; and the kingdom of Norway. A convention 
 
 crowds to take the oath of allegiance. This | was at the same time concluded between the 
 
 unequal contest was now rapidly drawing to i Swedish and the Norwegian troops, by which 
 
 a conclusion. The next Swedish bulletin | were declared a cessation of hostilities, and 
 
 lueutioned that general Alderereutz had 5 the raising of the blockade of the Norwegian,
 
 CHAP. Lxvni] 
 
 CCOrtGE Ht. 
 
 887 
 
 ports, with various vej: illations a«, fo the ■ days without provisions. Among the cir- 
 «lisliaiKling the Norwegian , national troops, ; cumstances preceding the convention of Moss, 
 fonr- regnlar regiments excej)fed. It hlso • it is mentioned that the connnandant o. 
 mentioned the nnmber of tlie Swedish ti-oops i Frederickstadl gave np his fortress without 
 to remain in the kingdom, the line of de- ; a shot ; that two generals behaved so ill that 
 markation, &c. with a particidar stipulation ; they were cashiered ; but tiiat the command- 
 that, in order to secure the freedom of de- | ant of Frederickstein, geniMal Ohme, iiad 
 liberation in the diet, no troops of either ; declared that he would defend himself to 
 country should approach within thrte miles ; the last extremity; and that colonel Kreds 
 (Swedish) of the place of its sitting. Tiiis > had assembled about 10,000 peasants near 
 convention was ratified by the Danish and ; Kongswinger with the intention of falling 
 Swedish princes. Prince Christian, on | upon the rear of the Swedish army. But 
 August lOth, issued a proclamation to the ; this would have been a fruitless attempt 
 Norwegians, in which he informed them of; against such regular troops as the Swedes, 
 the stejis which brought on the war, of the » and such a general as the crown ju'ince. 
 circumstances attending the Swedish inva- i Further, if the war had been protracted by 
 sion, and of the events which had rendered ! drawing it to the northern ])arts of the king- 
 necessary the acceptance of the conditions > dom, the blockade of the ports would have 
 j)roposed in the armistice and convention. ; involved those sterile regions in the miseries of 
 He farther mentioned having, by a rescript, i famine. The mercantile part of the nation 
 summoned an extraordinary <liet to meet at ; deserted the cause of independence as soon 
 Christiania on the 7th of October next ; and ! as they found that England had declared 
 concluded with assuring them, that nothing % against it. , 
 
 hut imperious necessity could have iriduced ; The diet of Norway liaving assembletJ, 
 liim to act as he had done, and that their J prince Christian, whose health and spirits 
 Avelfare had always been the object which < had been afiected by the mortifications he 
 he pursued. Although it was evitlent that ; had undergone, sent his resignation; and 
 the Danish prince had not given np the i the next day set out for Lauv.ig, accom- 
 canse of Norwegian independence until its ; panied by general Ilaxthausen, and several 
 maintenance was placed beyond all human i others of the late ruling members who would 
 probability, there was still the renmant of a | not cpiit him. Although a British sloop of 
 part which, in the disappointment of their ; war was waiting to convey him wherever 
 eager hojies, regarded the termination of the | he pleased, he refused the offer, and meant 
 contest as the result of perfidy. Some per- I to embark in a Danish cutter.. He declared 
 sons, who in the Swedish account, are quali- ; that he would not go to Copenhagen, but 
 tied " as piofessing tiie j)rinciples of jacobin- i would be landed at Sanderbery in the Rett; 
 ism," excited on the 19th, a po])ular tumult J and thus terminated his short lived royalty, 
 in Christiania, in which the house of general ! the assumption of which, whether dictated 
 Hnxthausen, the friend and confident of j by patriotism or ambition, was an indication 
 jn-ince Christian, was attacked, and its win- i rather of'spirit than of political wisdom, 
 dows and Amiiture destroyed. Tlie general 5 On October 20th, the Norwegian diet, by 
 being at that tnne at his country house, the ; a majority of 47 voices to 5, came to the 
 mob pursued him thither, and his life was 5 following resolution. " Norway shall, as 
 orly saved by the speedy arrival of a body ; an integral state, be united to Sweden under 
 of Norwegian cavalry. The crown prince, ; one king, with the preservation of its con- 
 informed of this occurrence, intimated to the 5 stitution, subject to such necessary altera- 
 council of state at Christiania, that if they itions as the "welfare of the country may 
 did not possess sutHcient autinjrity to pre- i require ; having at the same time regard to 
 serve the public tranquillity, he should be ; the union with Sweden. These alterations, 
 obliged to (M(ler his troops "to pass the line | which his Swedish majesty has recognized 
 of denrarkalion, in order to protect the ; in the convention of Moss, are to be con- 
 peaceable inhabitants of the ca{)ital. Ha\- ; sidered and determined on by the diet as 
 thausen, it appears, was charged with having i speedily as possible; and as soon as this 
 sufleicd the Norwegian army to be three ; has been done, the diet will solemnly elect 
 
 57 5 x '
 
 888 
 
 JIISTORV OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXVm. 
 
 and acknowledge the kin£^ of Sweden, 
 his majesty Charles XIII, as the constitu- 
 tional king of Norway." This resolution 
 was made public in a proclamation of the 
 representatives of Norway to their country- 
 men. The election of the king by the diet 
 took place with entire unanimity, on Novem- 
 ber 10th ; and seven of its members were 
 deputed to convey the intelligence of this 
 event to the crown prince of Sweden. His 
 royal highness, accompanied by his son 
 prince Oscar, set out from Frederickshall 
 for Christiania on the 8tli, and on the lOlh 
 re|)aired in state to the hall of the diet. He 
 delivered a speech, which was repeated in 
 the Swedish language by prince Oscar ; after 
 which the assembly took the oath of fidelity 
 to the king, and his royal highness delivered 
 to the president his majesty's promise of 
 governing according to the national laws. 
 On the following day, field-marshal count 
 d'Essen was invested with the dignity of 
 stadtholder of the kingdom of Norway. 
 
 'On the 13th, a solemn Te deum was cele- 
 brated" in the cathedral church of Christiania, 
 and an eloquent discourse composed for 
 the occasion was delivered by the bishop of 
 Aggerhaus. Thus the great national act was 
 completed, in a manner which at least bore 
 every semblance of being free and voluntary. 
 
 The diet was closed on the 26th with a 
 speech from the crown prince ; the following 
 paragraph of which afi'ords an intimation of 
 Avhat may have occurred in the discussions 
 on the constitution : " if, in passing rapidly 
 from an absolute government, to one founded 
 on the laws, the wishes which you have some- 
 times expressed have been mixed with fears 
 and disquietudes, they must be ascribed to 
 the recollection of times and of relations 
 which no longer exist. You were animated 
 with the zeal of defending the rights of the 
 people ; the king was desirous of recognizing 
 them, and he was induced so to do, as much 
 by his particular sentiments, as the free con- 
 stitution of Sweden." 
 
 The events which took place in Hanover, 
 tierminated in the addition of a new regal 
 title to the British crown. It had beeu de- 
 termined in the councils of the allied powers, 
 that the states of Germany should remain 
 independent, and join in a federal union. 
 In consequence, several of the powers con- 
 curring in the invasion of France, invited the 
 
 prince regent to renounce that title, and in 
 its stead as*nune that of king, which would 
 facilitafe the arrangements of the confederate 
 powers. All the foreign plenipotentiaries 
 recognized the new dignity of the British 
 sovereign ; and a proclamation was issued, 
 announcing the change to the Hanoverian 
 people. 
 
 The restoration of Ferdinand to Spain, 
 conduced but little to the happiness of the 
 people, or to the cause of freedom. He 
 had scarcely arrived in his capital, (May 14th) 
 than he enforced the menaces held out in a 
 previous proclama"tion, in which he had de- 
 nounced as guilty of high crimes and misde- 
 meanours, the most eminent patriots, and 
 most virtuous members of the Cortes. That 
 respectable body was immediately dissolved, 
 and its members treated with cruelty and 
 insult. Many individuals, who liad shed 
 their blood and expended their fortunes in the 
 cause of Ferdinand, were sentenced in re- 
 turn for their misplaced attachment, to exile 
 or a prison. The inquisition was re-establish- 
 ed, and the pope's Nuncio, an individual 
 warmly attached to the cause of Napoleon, 
 was recalled to court with every indication 
 of respect: a circumstance highly flattering 
 to the pride of Pius VII, who had already 
 resumed the pontifical chair, established the 
 antient government of Rome, and restored 
 the order of the Jesuits. 
 
 The king of Sardinia was restored to his 
 dominions, and Genoa, which was occupied 
 by British troops under the command of lord 
 W. Bentinck, after remaining some time be- 
 neath the authority of a provisional govern- 
 ment, was ceded to Sardinia as an addition 
 to her former territory. All the other dis- 
 tricts in the north of Italy, became a consti- 
 tuent part of the Austrian empire ; and the 
 antient republic of Venice was annexed to 
 her dominions. A treaty was concluded 
 between that power and the king of Naples, 
 who meditated an invasion Of the papal 
 states. King Ferdinand was restored to the 
 throne of Sicily, and announced his accession 
 in a proclamation from Palermo. Such were 
 the arrangements of the united congress 
 from which so much was expected, and 
 which so little was performed. So incau- 
 tious indeed, and so little suspicious of any 
 sinister event, were the princes, counsellors, 
 and ambassadors, assembled at \ienua, thai
 
 CHAP. LXVIII.] GEOHGE III. 
 
 thai the later months of the year were ex- 
 pended in a series of anuisements and fes- 
 tivities. The allied nionarchs appeai-ed to 
 forget, in the intoxication of the moment, 
 their own professions and the interests of 
 JEurope. It was destined that from this state 
 
 889 
 
 of apathy and selfish indifference, a dreadfid 
 and unexpected event should rccal them to 
 reason and to justice: siioidd impress them 
 with a sense of mutual danger, and reanimate 
 their exertions in the cause of European in- 
 dependence. 
 
 CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1814.] 
 
 American War — Plans of the British Government. — General Wilkinson's retreat from Lower 
 Canada — Conciliatory measures — Failure of Sandy Creek — Affairs of Erie and Cldppaica — 
 Operations in Passammaquoddy — Hay and the Chesapeake — Capture of Washington — Expe- 
 dition against Alexandria — Death of Sir Peter Parker at Belluir — Attempt on Baltimore 
 — Death of General Ross — Sir George Prevost proceeds against Plattsbnrg — Defeat of 
 the British Flotilla on Lake Champlain — British Expedition to Florida — Treaty of 
 Peace signed at Ghent — Capture of the American ship President by the English fri<rate 
 the Endymion — Defeat of the English, and death of Sir Edward Pakuiliam before ^eiv 
 Orleans. 
 
 AS soon as Europe had been restored to ; 
 peace by the dethronement of Buona- ; 
 parte, the British government resolved to ; 
 prosecute the American war, with a great ; 
 accession of means and vigour. Two dis- i 
 tinct modes of conducting hostilities were ; 
 intended : an invasion of the coasts of the ; 
 United States, and (after the protection of i 
 Canada had been secured,) the conquest of > 
 so much of the adjoining territory, as might ; 
 in the event of a future war, efl'ectually guard i 
 that province from intrusion. It was expected ! 
 also that when the intelligence of the down- ; 
 fall of Buonaparte reached America, Mr. i 
 Madison would feel the necessity of making > 
 peace ; or would become unpopular by per- ; 
 severing in hostilities, and be compelled to j 
 resign. These expectations were fallacious. ; 
 The successes of the allies in France, were i 
 not credited by the people of America-; 
 
 and when they were established beyond all 
 doubt, a majority of the nation lamented 
 
 the intelligence, and 
 
 glowed 
 
 with tenfold 
 
 impatience to humble the pride of a great, 
 victorious, and envied rival. 
 
 In the midst of all their defeats by 
 land, and of the dismay produced by the 
 intelligence from Europe, the Americans were 
 still successful by sea ; and their good for- 
 tune on this element, not only inspired them 
 with the hope that they should become in 
 the lapse of time the masters of the ocean, 
 but cast a gloom over Britain even while 
 she was hailed by the rest of Europe, as 
 having powerfully aided in restoring to the 
 continent the blessings of independence and 
 tranquillity. 
 
 On the morning of the 21st of June, in 
 latitude 48, longitude 1!, the Reindeer sloop 
 of war, commanded by captai^i Marnier;: 
 5x2- 
 
 / 
 
 II 
 
 /
 
 890 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXIX. 
 
 perceived an enemy to the leeward, and in- 
 stantly gave ciiase. Abont three o'clock, 
 tiie ships were close t02;ether, when the action 
 commenced, and we.s kept up with the most 
 determined spirit for twenty-tive minutes. 
 At tlie end of this time, the Captain of the 
 Keindeer, the purser, and 27 men, were kiiled, 
 and 40 wounded, among whom were all the 
 officers. After making several unsuccess/"ul 
 attempts to board, she was under the neces- 
 .'^ity of striking to the enemy, whicii proved 
 to be the Wasp American sloop of war, com- 
 manded by captain Blakely. The dispro- 
 portion between the two ships in size, was 
 very considerable. The Wasp was of the 
 burden of nearly 800 tons, mounting 20 
 ,'52-pounder carronades, besides two long 
 12-pounders, and having on board 175 men ; 
 Avliile the Reindeer was little more than 380 
 tons, nionntingonly 16 24-ponndercarronades, 
 besides two long 12-pouuders, with two long 
 sixes, and had only 98 men and 20 boys. 
 Captain Manners fought his vessel against 
 his very superior enemy, in the most gal- 
 lant manner, but lost his life in attenipting 
 to board after receiving fourteen wounds. 
 The loss of the Wasp in men, and in wear 
 and tear, -was fully equal to that of the 
 Reindeer. Some consolation for this and 
 sinn'Iar misfortunes, in which skill and in- 
 trepidity were equally unavailing, was de- 
 rived from the capture of the Essex, under 
 captain Porter, by the Pha?be, captain Hill- 
 year. The Essex, mistaking the strength of 
 her enemy, left the port of Valpairdiso, situ- 
 ated on the eastern coast of South America, 
 on the 28th of March. She was pursued by 
 the Phoebe and the Cherub, and attempted 
 to gain the weather-gage, but failed in the 
 attempt, and lost her main top-mast. On 
 this she attempted to regain the port she had 
 quitted, but was obliged to relinquish that 
 intention, and to anchor near the shore. 
 Observing that the Phoebe was preparing to 
 anchor within cannon-shot, the American 
 <:aptain cut the cable of the Essex, and a 
 serious conflict ensued, which continued for 
 three hours, when the Essex struck her 
 colours. Captain Porter, however, Wirnish- 
 ed the fame acquired in consequence of 
 his brave and spirited resistance, by conniving 
 at the escape of some of his men, after the 
 ship had surrendered. 
 
 Nor were the operations on laud less in- 
 
 dicative of mutual hatred and hostility, than 
 the conflicts of the rival powers on the ocean. 
 In the early part of February, the American 
 army, undergeneral Wilkinson, continued to 
 occupy its position on the frontier of Lower 
 Canada, at the P'rench mills on the Salmon 
 river ; but between the 12th and 16th of thai 
 month, the troops abandoned this station, 
 after partially burning their blockhouses and 
 barracks, which had been erected at vast 
 expence, and destroying their river craft and 
 batteaux. They carried away their ordnance, 
 and the greater part of their military stores. 
 Two regiments proceeded to Sacket's har- 
 bour, and the remainder to Burlington and 
 Plattsburg, where general Wilkinson took 
 up his head-quarters. The reason for this 
 movement is stated to have been the enormous 
 expence incurred in supplying troops at 
 such a distance with provisions, and their 
 daily decrease by sickness and desertion. 
 As soon as their retreat was made known to 
 sir George Prevost, he detached a partv to 
 press upon their rear-guard, which took pos- 
 session of a quantity of provisions and stores, 
 and completed the destruction of their block- 
 houses, barracks, and boats. The American 
 general remained quiet in his new position 
 till march 30th, when, collecting a large 
 force from Plattsburg and Burlington, be 
 attacked, at an early hour, the outposts of the 
 con)munication leading from Odell town to 
 Burtonville and La Cole mill, the chief at- 
 tack being directed on the latter post, which 
 was under the command of major Hancock. 
 The enemy brought a battery to bear upon 
 it, which occasioned two attempts to take 
 the guns, but both were unsuccessful. The 
 resistance by the British conmiander, how- 
 ever, was so judicious and spirited, that after 
 the enemy had persevered in the attack till 
 night fall, he withdrew his guns and retreated, 
 without attaining his object, after sustaining- 
 severe loss. That of the defenders, British 
 and Canadian, amounted in killed, wounded, 
 and missing, to Gl. 
 
 An expedition under the command of 
 general Drummond and commodore sir Janies 
 Yeo, against the American fort Oswego, 
 on lake Ontario, was imdertaken in the be- 
 ginning of May. After a reconnoisance of 
 the defences of the place on the .5th of the 
 month, the attack was made on the 6th, by 
 a select detachment of troops, and the
 
 CHAP. LXIX.j 
 
 CEOnCE III. 
 
 891 
 
 squadron of armed vessels on the lake. The' 
 landing of the troops was effected under a 
 heavy fire from tlie fort, and the enemy 
 posted on the brow of a hill, and in the 
 woods ; but notliiiig could retard the ad- 
 vance of the assailants, uho gained possession 
 of the fort in ten minutes. The whole of 
 the garrison made their escape except about 
 60 men, half of whom were severely wounded. 
 There were taken seven heavy guns intended 
 for a large ship of the Americans newly 
 launched on the lake ; and other guns, 
 cordage, and naval stores, were sunk by 
 themselves in the river. After the barracks 
 in the town and fort had been burnt, and all 
 the damage done to the works that was prac- 
 ticable, the troops were re-embarked, bring- 
 ing away a quantity of stores. The prin- 
 cipal advantage aimed at by this expedition, 
 appears to have been, preventing the com- 
 pletion of the enemy's armament on the lake, 
 and especially the equipment of their new 
 ship, wliich was calculated to carry 64 guns. 
 A LARGE American force under major- 
 general Brown, computed in the British ac- 
 counts at 6000 men, crossed the Niagara river 
 on July 3rd, and advanced into Canada, 
 having driven in the picquets of fort Erie, 
 and summoned the garrison, which, to the 
 number of 170, surrendered prisoners of war. 
 They then proceeded towards the British 
 lines of Chippawa, their attack upon which 
 Avas anticipated by the sortie of major-general 
 
 order, and without further loss. That al- 
 ready incurred was however serious, amount- 
 ing in killed, wounded, and prisoners, to 
 about a third of the troops engaged. The 
 loss of the Americans was also coirsiderable. 
 Thf. 0|)eration of the British armaments 
 on the coast of the southern American states, 
 had hitherto been on a small scale, and cal- 
 culated rather to alarm and irritate, than to 
 produce any considerable effects ; but in this 
 year the resolution was taken of striking 
 some important blow in these quarters. A 
 large naval force was employed under the 
 chief command of vice admiral sir Alexander 
 Cochrane, lun ing on board a powerful land 
 force, commanded by major-general Ross. 
 In the begiiming of August, admiral Coch- 
 rane was waiting in the Chesapeake for the 
 arrival of rear-admiral Malcolm, with an ev- 
 pedition from Bermuda. Being joined by 
 him on the 17th, the admiral was iiiformed 
 by rear-admiral Cockburne, whom he found in 
 the Potowmac, that the American commo- 
 dore Barney, with the Baltimore flotilla, 
 had taken shelter at the head of the Pa- 
 tuxent. This circumstance afforded a pre- 
 text for ascending that river to attack him, 
 while the ultimate destination of the com- 
 bined land and naval force was the American 
 capital, Washington. To this city the best 
 approaches are by port Tobacco on the 
 Potowmac, and Benedict on the Patuxent, 
 from both of which are good roads to Washing 
 
 Riall, at the head of about 1500 regidar | ton, and the distances are nearly equal. It 
 
 Troops, besides militia and Indians. This 
 commander made his dispositions in the 
 afternoon of the 5th, for attacking the in- 
 vaders, who had taken a position with their 
 right on the Niagara, strongly supported by 
 artillery ; and their left on a wood, with a 
 Ivody of Indians and riflemen in front. In 
 the action which ensued, after the American 
 light troops had been dislodged, the" king's 
 regiment was moved to the right, whilst the 
 royal Scots and 100th regiment were ordered 
 to charge the enemy in front. They ad- 
 vanced witli great gallantry through a 
 destructive fire, from which they suffered so 
 severely, (the commanders of each regiment, 
 lieutenant-colonel Gordon, and lieutenant- 
 colonel the marquis of Tweedale, being both 
 wounded,) that it was found necessary to 
 withdraw them, and commence a retreat to- 
 wards Chipi)awa, which was effected in good 
 
 being determined to enter the Patuxent, the 
 admiral sent a force to bombard fort Washing- 
 ton, situated ten or twelve miles below the 
 city ; and a man of war, with some small 
 vessels, were sent up the Chesapeake above 
 Baltimore, by way of diversion. The army 
 being landed on August 19th and 20th, at 
 Benedict, general Ross marched to Notting- 
 ham on the 21st, and to Upper Marlborough 
 on the 22nd. Admiral Cockburne, in the 
 mean time, \'/ith the barges, armed launches, 
 and other boats of the fleet, having .the ma- 
 rines on board, proc(>eding up the Patuxent, 
 on the flank of the army. When they ap- 
 proached the station of commodore Barney 
 with his flotilla, that officer did not wait an 
 attack, but set fire to his vessels, all of whitii, 
 to the number of 17, were blown to pieces, 
 except one, which was captured. The ex-, 
 pedition was now within sixteen miles «i
 
 802 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXI\. 
 
 Washington ; and tlie force of the Americans : By the capture of Wasliington, the Aine- 
 beinjE^ ascertained to be only such as would i rican government not only sustained a severe 
 authorize an attempt to carry the capital, ; loss in property, but incurred much reproach 
 general Koss determined in making it. He | from the nation, especially from ihe party 
 put his troops in motion on tiie evening of the i adverse to the war, as having been the oc- 
 23rd and on tiie •24th reached Bladensburg, ; casion of a disgrace, which it had taken no 
 on the eastern bank of the Potowmac, about 5 eflectual measures to prevent. A vulnerable 
 five miles from Washington. ; f)art of the republic was now exposed, and 
 
 The enemy was now discovered on the 5 men's minds were impressed with a sense of 
 opposite side of the river, strongly posted on ; inuninent danger, where before it had been 
 two commanding heights, formed in two lines, ; regarded only as a remote possibility. On 
 his advance occupying a fortified house, 5 the other hand, it cannot be concealed, that, 
 which, with artillery, covered the bridge over ; the extent of devastation practised by the 
 which the British troops were to pass. They i victors, brought a heavy censure upon the 
 were in number, 8000 or 9000 men, with 300 ^ British character, not only in America, but 
 or 400 cavalry, commanded by general ; on the continent of Europe. It is acknow- 
 Wi4ider, and composed of troops drawn from $ led ged, tiiat strict discipline wa«! observed 
 Baltimore and Pennsylvania. The dispo- ; while the troops were in possession of Wash- 
 fiition for an attack being made, the British j ington, and private property was anxiously 
 light brigade soon carried the fortified house, | protected ; but the destruction not only of 
 tlie enemy retiring to the higher ground. The j every establishment connected with war, but 
 assailants rushed on, and, with an irresistible i of edifices consecrated to the purposes of 
 charge, drove the first line upon the second, 5 civil government, and affording specimens 
 which also got into disorder, and fled with « of the advance of the fine arts among a rising 
 rapidity, leaving the British in fnll possession ! people, was thought an indulgence of am- 
 of the field. Of the American artillery, 10 imosity more suitable to the times of barbarism, 
 pieces fell into the victors' hands, its com- > than to an age and nation in which hostility 
 mander, commodore Barney, being wounded, ; is softened by sentiments of generosity and 
 and taken prisoner. The British loss in this i civilized policy. 
 
 action did not exceed 250 in killed and | If there be such a thing as humanized war, 
 wounded. i its principle must consist in inflicting no 
 
 After a short halt, general Ross marched $ other evils upon an enemy than are necessary 
 to Washington, which he reached at eight 5 to promote the success of warlike operations, 
 o'clock in the evening, and he immediately ; This indeed may be construed so as to admit 
 began the destruction of the public buildings. I of a wide scope of mischief; and it will 
 Those committed to the flames were the ; sometimes scarcely be possible to draw the 
 tYi/;«7o/, including the senate house and house 1 line between allowable and illicit injury, 
 of representation, the arsenal, the dock-yard, J But there are cases in which no ambiguity 
 treasury, war-otiice, president's palace, rope; exists, and those of the destruction of useful 
 walk, and the great bridge across the Potovv- | or ornamental works, the purpose of which 
 mac; in the dock-yard were consumed a 5 is altogether pacitic, seem to be of this kind, 
 frigate nearly ready to be launched, and a ; History presents many instances of the hostile 
 sloop of war. The object of the expedition i conflagration of palaces, which have seldom 
 being effected, it was determined to with- ; failed to be reprobated as acts of unmanly 
 draw the troops before any greater force of; vengeance. Retaliation, indeed, has usually 
 the enemy could be assend)led ; and a re- 5 been the pretext for hostilities exceeding the 
 treat was accordingly commenced on the ; prescribed measure ; and in the present case, 
 night of the 25th. The army reached Bene- J the excesses committed by the Americans in 
 diet on the 29th, and re-embarked on the ; their invasion of Canada, have been made the 
 following day, having met with no molesta- ; apology for the devastation of Washington, 
 tion on their return ; and nothing could be 5 But it has appeared in the preceding nar- 
 more complete than the success of this daring ; rative, that due retribution had already been, 
 enterprize, the credit of suggesting which is ; inflicted for those enormities, with the pro- 
 given by the general to adniiral Cockburne. ■ inise that the punishment should not be
 
 CHAP. LXIX.] 
 
 GEORCfi HI. 
 
 89a 
 
 carried farther without frftsh provocation. If 
 the matter be considered in a simply political 
 light, it can scarcely be thought desirable 
 that unnecessary severities should be prac- 
 tised, which must leave a deep and durable 
 resentment in the bosoms of a people, with 
 whom a restoration of the relations of peace 
 and amity is so much to be wished. Such 
 reflections as these vill naturally occur to 
 every one, who has at heart the honor and 
 moral reputation of his country, as well as 
 its character for military prowess. 
 
 It has been mentioned that a part of the 
 operations against Washington, consisted in 
 dispatching a force against fort Washington, 
 situated upon the Potowmac below that city. 
 Captain Gordon of the Sea Horse, the com- 
 mander of this expedition, proceeded with 
 several other vessels up the Potowmac on 
 August 17th ; but for want of pilots was not 
 able, after severe labour, to reach the fort 
 till tlie 27th. On the evening of that day 
 he began the bombardment of the place, the 
 effect of which was such, that after the ex- 
 plosion of a powder magazine, the garrison 
 evacuated it, and possession was taken of 
 the fort and batteries at day-light on the 28th. 
 A number of pieces of heavy ordnance were 
 found spiked in the works, the destruction 
 of which, with their carriages, was com- 
 pleted by the captors. The populous and 
 ronnnercial town of Alexandria, situated 
 higher on the same river, thus lost its 
 sole protection ; and captain Gordon hav- 
 ing no obstacle to his advance against 
 it, buoyed the channel, and placed his 
 shipping in such a position as to enforce 
 compliance with the terms which he had 
 resolved to insist upon. The common coun- 
 cil of Alexandria in the meantime having 
 assembled, unaniaiously conciuTcd in a re- 
 solution, stating, that the forts for the defence 
 of the district having been blown up by their 
 own men, and abandoned without resistance, 
 and the town being left without troops or 
 means of resistance to the hostile force now 
 in sight, they have with reluctance been com- 
 pelled to authorise an arrangement with the 
 enemy, by which it has been stipulated, that 
 during their continuance before the town 
 they are not to be molested. The conditions 
 proposed by captain Gordon, and acceded 
 to by the corporation of Alexandria, imported 
 
 that the town, with the exception of public 
 works, should not be destroyed, nor the in- 
 habitants in any manner molested, on com- 
 pliance with the foiluwing articles : — that all 
 naval and ordnance stores, pubhc and pri- 
 vate, be given up ; that possession is imme- 
 diately to be taken of all the shipping, the 
 furniture of which must be sent on board 
 by their owners ; that the syjik vessels are to 
 be delivered in the state they were in on the 
 19th ; and that merchandise of every des- 
 cription must be instantly delivered up, in- 
 cluding all such as has been removed from the 
 town since the U)th ; and that refreshments 
 are to be supplied to the P>ritish squadron 
 at the market price. This capitulation was 
 signed on the 29lh, and the whole of the 
 captured vessels which were sea-worthy, 
 being 21 in uuml>er, were fitted and loaded 
 by liie 21st. Captain Gordon being now 
 informed that great preparations were making 
 by the Americans to oppose his return, de- 
 termined to quit Alexandria, without waiting 
 to destroy the remaining stores which he 
 had not the means of bringing away. Con- 
 trary winds impeded the progress of the 
 squadron down the river, and the grounding 
 of one of the ships afforded the enemy an 
 opportunity of . attempting its destruction, 
 and raising batteries to command the channel. 
 The skill and gallantry of the different com- 
 manders, however, enabled captain Gordon 
 to bring back in safety all his ships and 
 prizes ; and he was at anchor in the Chesa- 
 peake on Septcnd)or 9th. 
 
 We have next to notice an attack upon a 
 body of American militia posted at Bellair, 
 by sir Peter Parker, captain of his majesty's 
 ship Menelaus, lying in the Chesapeake. 
 From information received of their nundier 
 and position, sir Peter landed about 120 men 
 on the night of August 30th ; and marching 
 at their head up the country, found the 
 enemy drawn up in line before thefr camp in 
 the midst of woods, an<l in much greater 
 force than had been represented. He did 
 not, however, hesitate to attack, but as he 
 was animating his men, he recei\ed a mortal 
 wound. The other officers gallantly con- 
 tinued the combat, and forced the enemy to a 
 full retreat; but the inequality of their num- 
 bers rendered it expedient to fill back to the M 
 beach, carrying Avith them their wounded. " 
 
 /
 
 894 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. IAIX. 
 
 Besides the death of their brave commander, \ and six pieces of artillery, was descried posted 
 the assailing party incurred a loss of 41 killed J under cover of a wood, and in dense order 
 
 and wounded 
 
 The approach of the equinox rendered it 
 tnisafe for the British fleet to proceed imme- 
 diately to sea out of the Chesapeake, and 
 act according- to a concerted plan of fiu'ther 
 operations; it was agreed between atJmiral 
 Cochrane and ^'eneral IJoss, to employ the 
 intermediate time in an attempt upon the 
 important maritime town of Baltimore, which 
 had been thrown into the utmost alarm by 
 the fate of the neiglibouring capital. The 
 adn:iral accordingly sailed up the bay, and 
 on September lllii, anchored off the mouth 
 of the Patapsco river, on the north side of 
 which, round a kind of bason, Baltimore is 
 situated. On the following day the troops 
 Were disembarked at the distance of about 
 1.3 miles from the town ; the approach to 
 which is through a peninsula, formed by the 
 Patapsco and Black rivers. An entrench- 
 ment extended across this neck of land. 
 
 lining- a paling which crossed the main road. 
 Dispositions were immediately nvade by 
 colonel Brooke for a general attack, which 
 beiran bv the light brigade driving- the enc- 
 my's skirmishers upon his main body with 
 great loss. The rest of the troops pressing 
 on with rapidity, in less than fifteen minutes 
 tlie Americans were entirely broken and dis- 
 persed ; leaving on the field two pieces of 
 cannon, and a considerable number of killed, 
 wounded, and prisoners. The day being 
 now far advanced, the fatigued troops halted 
 for the night on the ground on which the 
 enemy had been posted ; and the commander 
 received a communication from admiral 
 Cochrane, stating that the frigates, bomb 
 vessels, and flotilla of the fleet would take 
 their proposed stations on the following 
 morning. At day break on the 13th, the 
 army advanced ; and at ten o'clock occupied 
 a position a mile and a half to the eastward 
 -which the Americans were diligently em- j of Baltimore. This town is completely sur- 
 pleyed in completing, when they precipitately | rounded by detached hills, on which were 
 abandoned the work on the approach of the ! constructed a chain of pallisaded redoubts 
 British forces. Two miles beyond this port < connected by 'a small breast work. These 
 the advance of the British were engaged with i works were defended, according to the best 
 the enemy's riflemen, covered by the sur- > information, by about 15,000 men, with a 
 rounding woods ; and at this spot general ; larg^ train of artillery. Relying, however, 
 Ross received a mortal wound in his breast, i on the quality of his soldiers, the British 
 He immediately sent for the second in com- j commander had planned a nocturnal attack, 
 mand, colonel Brooke, and after giving him I in which the superiority of the enemy's ar- 
 liis instructions, and recommending his young i tillery would have been less felt; but on the 
 family to the protection of his country, ex- * evening of that day a message from the ad- 
 claiming, "My dear vvjfe!" he dropt sense- 5 miral informed him that the entrance to the 
 less. " Thus (says colonel Brooke) fell, at i harbour was closed in such a manner by a 
 an early age, one of the brightest ornaments » barrier of sunken vessels, defended by gnn- 
 of his profession ; one who, either at the ? boats and fortifications, that a nearer ap- 
 head of a regiment, a brigade, or corps, had | proach of the ships was impracticable. It 
 alike displayed the talents of command ; ; was in consequence agreed by both com 
 who was not less belbved in his private, than ; manders, that the chance of capturing the 
 enthusiastically adm.ired in his public charac- ; town was not an equivalent for the probable 
 ler ; and whose only fault, if it may be I loss which would be incurred by storming 
 deemed so, was an excess of gallantry, en- i the heights. The colonel therefore moved 
 terprize, and devotion to the service." A j back three miles from the position which 
 tribute not less warm and affectionate is paid i he had occupied, where he halted to see 
 to his memory in the dispatch of the naval 5 whether the enemy would be induced to quit 
 commander. ; his entrenchments and follow him. ]\o de- 
 
 ^ T^E van of the British continued to press | monstration of that kind being made, the 
 forward, pushing before it the enemy's light | army, on the 15th, was moved down to the 
 troops to within five miles from Baltimore ; ; place of re-embarkation^ carrying with it 200 
 where a corps of about 6000 men, with cavalry « prisoners, many of them belonging to the
 
 CHAP. LXIXj GEORGE III. QQ^ 
 
 best families in Baltimore. Tlie general > officer to surrender, arranp^emonts were made 
 alarm and confusion excited by this attempt, i for disembarking the troops; before, liow- 
 the necessity to the enemy of sinking a num- i ever, this conld be done, the place was evi>- 
 ber of vessels, and burning a rope walk and i cuated, after biov ing up tlie magazine ; and 
 other public buildings, and tlie rout to whi(;h J the militia, who wjre assembled for its de- 
 lie had been put in a general action, were | fence, dispersed immediately upon their laiici- 
 farther consolations for the failure of an j ing. An American iVigate,'the John Adams, - 
 enterprize conducted with the characteristic ! having run up the river for safety as high as 
 spirit and activity of the British troops. The; the town of Hamden, where she' had landed 
 heaviest loss sustained was that of the la- | her guns and mounted them on shore by way 
 mented general. The killed and wounded in | of defence ; it was next detormintid to send 
 the action of the 12th, did not amount to 300. ja party in order to capture or destroy her. 
 Military op<;rations were in" the mean | A naval force was a{>pointed for this oxpe- 
 time carrying on with various fortune in the i dition under the coimnand of captain Barrie, 
 vicinity of the Canadian lakes, and on the ; supported by a detachment of artillery and 
 northern border of the American territory, i troopscommanded bylieutenant-colonel John; 
 On August 12th, captain Dobbs made a gal- < and for their protection against any collection 
 lant attack witii his boats on three schooners | of the armed population, a regiment was sent 
 Avhich were anchored close to fort Erie, for 5 to occupy the town of Belfast. The expe- 
 the purpose of flanking the approaches to ; dition proceeding up the river, landed at a 
 that fortress, two of which he carried sword ! cove three miles from Hamden, and on the 
 in hand; the other escaped by cutting its > morning of the .3rd, attacked the enemy, who, 
 cables. This success induced general Drum- 1 computed at double their number, were 
 mond to make an attempt on the fort, against > posted in front of the town on a height, 
 which he opened a battery on the 13th. Its * strengthened with artillery on the tlanks. 
 effect on the enemy's works was such that | After a short contest, the enemy's strong 
 an assault was resolved upon, which took ; position was forced, and the frigate was set 
 place two hours before dayliiiht on the 15th, i on lire by themselves, the batteries for its 
 at two different points. Both unfortunately » defence being deserted. The expedition 
 failed. In the principal attack, after the j pushed forwards to the town of Bangor, which 
 assailants had made a lodgement in the fort ; was surrendered without resistance ; and a 
 through the embrazures of the demi-bastion, $ brigadier-general, with a number of others, 
 and turned the guns against the enemy, some i delivered themselves up as prisoners, and 
 ammunition took fire, and caused a tre- « were admitted to parole. Twenty-two pieces - 
 niendous explosion, by which almost all the > of cannon were taken in these actions, in 
 men who had entered the place were dread- 1 which the loss was very trifling. After this 
 fully mangled ; and a panic being commiini- ; success on the Penobscot, the only remaining 
 rated to the rest, the attack was abandoned, ; fortified post of the Americans between that 
 and the whole retreated to the battery. The ; river and Passamquoddy buy being that of 
 loss on thisoccasion wasvery serious, amount- 5 Niachias, lieutenant-colonel Pilkington was 
 ing in killed, wounded, and missing-, officers ; sent to reduce it, assisted by a naval force 
 and men, to 9G2. ; under captain Hyde Parker. This was 
 
 An expedition up the Penobscot river was I effected without any loss, on September 
 undertaken in the month of September, for | 11th, and a capitulation was entered into* 
 the purpose of reducing the inhabitanis of > by vvhich the whole brigade of the country 
 this part of the province of Maine untler the I of Washi^igton engaged not to bear arms 
 British dominion. A combined sea and i against his Britannic majesty during the 
 land force, under rear-admiral Griffith and > present war. On thoir return to Halifax, 
 lieutenant-general sir J. C. Sheibrooke, sailed j general Sherbrookeanda(hniral Griffith issued 
 from Halifax for this destination, and on : a proclamatioii, declaring that they had taken 
 Sej)iember 1st, reached, the fort of Castine, ; formal possession, f(»r his majesty, of all the 
 situated u|)on the peninsula on the eastern I eastern side of the Penobscot river, and all 
 fc;ide of the Penobscot. The fort was sum- | the country lying between it and the boundary J 
 inoued j and on the refusal of the American | line of iSew Brunswick, including all tha V^ 
 
 o Y o /
 
 800- 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXIX 
 
 islands near and contiguous to the shores 
 thereof, and establishing a provisional goveru- 
 luent for the same. 
 
 In correspondence with the vigorous mea- 
 sures adopted at this period for tiie prosecu- 
 tion of the war in other parts of the United 
 States, the governor-general of Canada, sir 
 <i. Prevost, assembled all the disposable force 
 in the lower province of that country, and 
 on September 1st, entered the state of New 
 York, and occupied the village of Champlain, 
 near the lake of that name. His force was 
 estimated at 14,000 or 15,000 men, among 
 wliom were a number of veterans, who had 
 served in lord Wellington's army ; and the 
 commander- and appointments were such as 
 to give sanguine hopes of success. His first 
 operations were directed against Plattsburgh, 
 a fortified place on lake Champlain, which 
 was garrisoned by the American brigadier- 
 general Macomb, with about 1500 effective 
 men of different descriptions. The British 
 army advanced by slow marches, gallantly 
 surmounting every obstacle thrown in its 
 way by the enemy, and on the Gth had ar- 
 rived within a mile of Plattsburgh. The fol- 
 lowing days were occupied in brmging up the | 
 battering train, and making approaches ; \ 
 and it was planned that the attacks should \ 
 besupported by the co-operation of the British \ 
 naval force on lake Champlain, consisting of? 
 a frigate, a brig, two sloops of war, and some { 
 gun-boats, under the command of captain > 
 Downie. On the morning of the 11th, this ; 
 flotilla appeared in sight of Plattsburgh, and, I 
 bearing down, engaged at anchor in the bay j 
 off the town : at the same time the land bat- \ 
 teries were opened against the fort, and J 
 threw in a continued shower of balls and » 
 bombs. The British flotilla was opposed by | 
 the American commodore M'Donough, with I 
 a force nearly equal, and the conflict was t 
 fierce and bloody. Captain Downie was \ 
 unfortunately killed at the very beginning of i 
 the engagement ; and the rudder of his ship ; 
 being disabled, and the brig commanded by 5 
 captain Pring, becoming qviite unmanageable, ; 
 botli vessels were left almost at the mercy j 
 *){ the enemy. The lesult, after an action of 5 
 two hours, was the capture of the frigate, \ 
 the brig, and the two sloops, after a loss of ^ 
 84 killed, and 110 wounded. Captain | 
 Downie and two lieutenants being among ? 
 the former. The Americans lost 49 J 
 
 killed, among whom were two oflicers, 
 and 57 wounded. The firing from the land 
 against the fort, continued till sun-set ; and 
 attempts were made by the parties to advance 
 to an assavdt of' the works, but were foiled. 
 The destruction of the naval force bavins: 
 now put an end to all hopes of success, it 
 was thought necessary by the British general 
 to abandon the enterprise. The cannon were 
 Avithdrawn from the batteries, and at two 
 o'clock the next morning tlie whole army 
 began its retreat, leaving the sick and wound- 
 ed to the humanity of the foe. Great quan- 
 tities of 'provision were likewise left behind 
 and destroyed ; and the American accounts 
 speak of finding on the ground, or concealed, 
 a large quantity of shot, shells, ammunition, 
 entrenching tools, &c. The estimate of loss 
 of every kind, sustained by the British troops, 
 as made by the Americans, rises very high ; 
 but the return sent by sir G. Prevost, of 
 the loss in action of general de Rotterburg's 
 division, from the Gth to the 14th 0/ Septem- 
 ber, does not amount to 2-50. Deserters, 
 who were probably numerous, are not in- 
 cluded. The Americans being now collected 
 from ail the circumjacent country, the British 
 drew back to their lines, and every idea of 
 penetrating into the territories of the United 
 States was relinquished. Such a conclusion 
 of an expedition from which so much had 
 been expected, naturally excited dissatisfac- 
 tion ; and the letters from Canada were filled 
 with severe censures of the governor-general ; 
 but it is aftirmed that he fully justified his 
 conduct to the persons in power. 
 
 An action before fort Erie terminated more 
 favourably for the British arms. On Sep- 
 tember 17th, the Americans stationed in that 
 fort, joined by volunteers from the militia, 
 made a sortie with their whole force, esti- 
 mated at-5000 men, upon an intrenched position 
 of major-general de Watteville, occupied by 
 the 8th, and de Wattevi lie's regiments. Under 
 cover of a heavy fire from fort Erie, and 
 favoured by the weather, they succeeded in 
 turning the right of the picquets without 
 being perceived ; and attacking the picquets 
 and their supporters, whilst another column 
 attacked in front, they gained possession of 
 two of the batteries. As soon, however, as 
 the alarm was given, troops were assembled 
 to oppose the enemy, by whose steadiness 
 and bravery they were finally repulsed, the
 
 CHAP LXIX.] GEORGE TIf. 897 
 
 batteries and entrenchments were recovered, ; had posted themselves in an island called 
 and tiie assailants were compelled to retire i Barataria, in an arm of the sea runniii!^ up 
 with precipitation to their works, leaving | towards the Mississippi below New Orleans ; 
 two hundred prisoners, and wounrled. The ; in which he acquainted La Fete with his ar- 
 loss of the British in this afl'air was, how- ; rival, and made him large offers for his assist- 
 ever, very serious, consisting of about 600 I ance. We have no further direct information of 
 killed, wounded, and missing. | the proceedings of lieutenant-colonel Nicholls; 
 
 While these warlike opr rations were going i but a letter from maior-general Jackson to 
 on beyond the Atlantic, the commissioners I the American secretary at war, dated Mobile, 
 of the two contending powers were actively ; September 17th, communicates an official 
 engaged in Europe in negociations for the ; report from major W. Lawrence of his suc- 
 restoration of peace. It has already been | cess in repulsing an attack by a British land 
 mentioned, that after a proposal on the part ; and naval force upon fort Bowger, on the 
 of the Americans to treat under the media- ; point of Mobile, on the I5th. From this 
 tion of Russia had been declined by the < relation it appears that the British expedition 
 British government, it was mutually agreed \ hore down at noon on that day directly for 
 upon, that Gottenburg should be the place | the fort, when an American battery opened 
 for holding the conferences. Circumstances » on the foremost ships, and the action became 
 afterwards produced a change in favour of > general. It continued till seven, at which 
 Ghent ; at which city the British commission- j time the leading ship was so much disabled, 
 ers, lord Gambier, Henry Goulbourn, esq. and ; her cable being cut by the shot, that she 
 William Adams, esq. arrived August tJth ; » drifted on shore wiihin six hundred yards of 
 the American commissioners, Messrs. J. ; the battery, where she was exposed to such 
 Quincey Adams, J. A. Bayard, H. Clay, ! a tremendous cannonade, that her remaining 
 and Jonathan Russel being there already, i crew set her on lire and abandoned her ; and 
 The proceedings of this negociation were | she ble.v up at ten o'clock. Another ship 
 laid before the American congress by the ; and a brig retired, having sufiered much 
 president, on October 10th. i injury ; and the whole fleet stood out to sea 
 
 Om ISovember .5tl), the American garrison | in the night. General Jackson mentions, that 
 evacuated fort Erie, having tirst blown up | he has since discovered that the ship des- 
 the works, and completely demolished the | troyed was the Hermes, of from 24 to 28 
 place, and retreated to their own shores, j guns, captain, the hojiourable W. H. Percy ; 
 Military operations were at an end in this ; and the other ship was the Carron, of the 
 quarter. j same force, captain Spencer, said to he the son 
 
 A British expedition was undertaken in ! of earl Spencer, the loss on board of which 
 the autumn in the gulf of Mexico, of which i was 85 men killed and wounded. Among 
 we have only some imperfect accounts through ; the latter is named colonel iS'icholls of the 
 the medium of the Anserican papers. From | marines, doubtless the lieutenant-colonel 
 these it appears that lieutenant-colonel Ni- > IVicholls above mentioned. The British land 
 cholls, styling himself commandant of his i force is said to have been 110 marines, 20 
 Britannic majesty's forces in the Floridas, ; artillerists, and 200 Creek Indians, 
 issued a proclamation to the people of| In the prospect of an indefinite continu- 
 Louisiania, dated Pensacola, August 29th, ? aiice of the war, with more vigorous exertions 
 in which he stated himself to be at the head j on the part of Great Britain, measures were 
 of a large army of Indians, disciplined and j proj)osed in congress by the American govern- 
 ^ommandcd by British officers, and seconded \ ment, for making defensive preparations 
 bv the aid of a numerous British and Spanish ; adequate to the emergence. A letter was 
 squadron of ships of war; and called upon | laid before the military connnittee of the house 
 all the settlers m that province to contrilnite ; of representatives, from the secretary at war, 
 their aid in abolishing the American usur- $ dated October 17th, introduced by some pre- 
 pation. He also adfhessed a letter to mon- 1 fatory observations relative to the nature and 
 sieur La Fete, or Fitte, a Frenchman, tlie cap-; iiiq'ortance of the war in which they were 
 tain of a baud oV outlaws or pirates, as they ! engaged. The letter itself contained a report 
 are terraeo man American paper, who ; of what was deemed necessary to place tlie^ 
 
 5 y 2
 
 898 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. Lxfx. 
 
 war establishment on a pi'oper footing ; two 
 articles of whirl) were, that the present 
 jnililary establishment, amounting to 62,448 
 men, shonld be preserved and rendered com- 
 plete ; and that an additional permanent 
 force of at least 40,000 men should be raised 
 for the defence of the cities and frontiers, 
 under an engagement that such corps should 
 be employed within certain specified limits. 
 For carrying into execution the plan of 
 augmenting the army, a bill was introduced, 
 providing that the white male inhabitants of 
 the United States, between the ages of 18 
 and 45, should be distributed into classes of 
 25 in each ; every class to furnish one able 
 bodied man to serve during the war ; that \ 
 assessors should deterfnine the territorial 
 precincts of each class, so that the property 
 •in each division should be as nearly equal 
 as possible ; that in case of failure, a penalty 
 should be levied on each class, to be divided 
 among them in proportion to the property 
 of individuals ; and that every five male in- 
 habitants liable to military duty, who should 
 join to furnish one soldier during the war, 
 should be exempt from service. 
 
 But events Avere taking place at Ghent, 
 which rendered it extremely probable that 
 there would be no necessity for carrying into > 
 eflfect the regulations of this bill. On the 
 8th of August, the British and American 
 commissioners met at this city. The former 
 were lord Gambier, Mr. Goulbourn, and Dr. 
 Adams. The American commissioners were 
 John Quincey Adams, J. A. Bayard, H. 
 Clay, John Russel, and Albert Gallatin. The 
 iiegociations were very protracted, and -at 
 last terminated unexpectedly in a pacific 
 manner. The treaty of peace was signed at 
 'Ghent on the 24th of December, ratified 
 immediately by the prince regent, and trans- 
 mitted without delay to Washington for the 
 ratification of the president. Its conditions 
 are as follows. 
 
 1. All discussion of British maritime 
 rights is waved on both sides. 
 
 2. Mr. Madison does not insist on Eng- 
 land giving up the prizes captured in re- 
 taliation of the Berlin and Milan decrees. 
 
 3. The Indian allies of England are left 
 as they were found in 1812. 
 
 4. England gives up all her conquests, 
 and particularly the province of Maine, of 
 which our commanders had taken permanent 
 
 possession, by a solemn proclamation, in 
 which an oath of allegiance was demanded 
 from the inhabitants. We retain, however, 
 the islands in Passammaquoddy bay which 
 were ours by the treaty of 1783. 
 
 5. CoMMissiONEKS ou bolh sides are ap- 
 pointed to arrange the communication between 
 Quebec and Upper Canada, and all otiier 
 disputed questions of territory. 
 
 6. The British are allowed the exclusive 
 enjoyment of the right of fishing on our own 
 coasts at Newfoundland, and of trading to 
 our own settlements in the east Indies. 
 
 The unavoidable delay between the actual 
 conclusion of the treaty, and the circulation 
 of that important intelligence, enabled the 
 English navy to retri<^ve for the second time, 
 the honors we had apparently lost. The 
 President was one of the largest frigates 
 yet sent to sea by the United States ; and 
 was connnanded by cajjtain Decatar, the 
 ablest ofticer in that service. The President, 
 accompanied by the Macedonian armed brig 
 of 420 tons, laden with provisions, sailed 
 from New York during one of those gales 
 in which the blockading squadron under 
 captain Hayes, was driver' out to sea. From 
 the orders which had been issued the track 
 of the two vessels was speedily known ; and 
 the next day the English squadron, consist- 
 ing of the Majestic, captain Hayes ; Tenedos, 
 captain Hyde Parker ; Endymion, captain 
 Hope; and Pomona, captain Lnmley, made 
 all sail in chace. The President made every 
 effort to escape by cutting avvay the anchors, 
 and throwing overboard every moveable ar- 
 ticle. The British squadron made equally 
 strenuous exertions to come up with her; 
 but only the Endymion of 40 guns, captain 
 Henry Hope, could overtake her, about five 
 in the evening. The Endymion about half-past 
 five commenced close action, yard-arm and 
 yard-arm. The conflict was continued with 
 great gallantry and spirit on both sides for 
 two hours and a half; when the Endymions 
 sails being cut from the yards, the enemy 
 got a-head. Captain Hope taking this op- 
 portunity to bend new sails to enable him to 
 get his ship a-long-side again, the- action 
 ceased till the Pomona bearing up at lialf- 
 past eleven o'clock and firing a few shots, 
 the enemy hailed, to say that he had already 
 surrendered. The Endymion was inferior in 
 number of men, tonnage, guns, and weight
 
 CHAP. LXlX.j 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 899 
 
 of metal. After the artioii, the President 
 had six feet water in her iiold. The En- 
 dymion had 10 men killed, and 14 wounded. 
 ^Vlien the President struck, 13 British rene- 
 gadoes, who had joined her crew, jumped 
 over-l>oard to escape the ignominious death 
 which awaited their desertion, and perished 
 in the waves. The force of the Endymion 
 was 48 ftuns of all sizes — men 340, tonnage 
 1.377. The force of the President was -59 
 guns, — crew, 490 men ; tonnage, J GOO ; ]^er 
 killed and wounded at least 100. 
 
 It is with reluctance that I turn from this 
 display of naval prowess, to the melancholy 
 result of our military operations on the Ame- 
 rican continent. On the evening of the 2oth 
 of Uecemher, major-general sir E. Paken- 
 ham, an officer of distinguished merit, who 
 had served in the peninsula, arrived and 
 assumed tiie command of the army employed 
 on the southern coast of America, hefore 
 New Orleans. He found the troops in po- 
 sition in a flat country, with the Mississippi 
 on its left, and a thick aiid extensive wood 
 on its right. The front of the army was 
 open, aTid it could clearly distinguish the 
 enemy's line. The position of the enemy 
 was as follows. On the left bank of the 
 river it was simply a straight line, with a front 
 of one thousand yards and a parapet ; the 
 right resting on the river, and the left on a 
 wood, which had been made impracticable 
 for any body of troops to pass. This line 
 was strengthened with flank-works, and had 
 a canal of four feet deep, but of unequal 
 width. It was supposed to narrow on their 
 left. About eight heavy guns were in po- 
 sition on this line. The Mississippi is here 
 about 800 yards across, and they had on 
 the right bank a heavy battery of 12 guns, 
 which enfiladed the Avhole front of the po- 
 sition on the left bank. 
 
 Preparations were made on our side 
 with very considerable labour to clear out 
 and widen a canal that communicated with 
 a stream by which the boats had passed up 
 to the place of embarkation. By opening it 
 into the Mississippi, the troops could be 
 conveyed to the right bank, and the co-opera- 
 tion of armed boats could be secured. 
 
 The disposition for the attack .was for- 
 midable and judicious. A corps consisting 
 of the 85th light infantry, 200 seamen, 400 
 niaiines, the 5th West India regiment, and 
 
 four pieces of artillery, under the command 
 of colonel Thornton, was to pass over during 
 the night, and move along the right bank to- 
 wards New Orleans, clearing its fro;<t until 
 it reached the flanking battery of ihe enemy 
 on that side, which it had orders to cany. 
 
 The assault of tlie enemy's line in front 
 of the British was to be made by the brigade 
 composed of the 4th, 21st, and 44th regi- 
 ments, with three companies of the Soth, 
 under major-general Gibbs, and two com- 
 panies of the fusileers, and the/43rd, under 
 major-general Keane. Some black troops 
 were destined to skirmish in the wood on the 
 right, and the principal attack was to be 
 made by major-general Gibbs. Tlie first 
 brigade, consisting of the fusileers and 43rd, 
 were placed as his reserve. Tlie attacking 
 columns were to be provided with fascines, 
 scaling-ladders, and rafts, before day-light. 
 An advanced battery in our front of six 
 18-pounders, was thrown up during the 
 night, about 800 yards from the enemy's 
 line. The attack was to be made at the 
 earliest hour. Unexpected difficulties in- 
 creased by the falling of the river, occasioned 
 considerable delay to the entrance of the 
 armed boats, and of those destined to land 
 colonel Thornton's corps, by which four or 
 five hours were lost; and it was not until 
 past five in the morning that the first flivision, 
 consisting of 500 men, were over. The ar- 
 rangement of the general movement was 
 lost by this delay, and in a point of the last 
 importance to the attack on the left bank 
 of the river, although colonel Thornton ably 
 executed his instructions. The loss of time 
 attending that corps, occasioned a sinn'lar 
 misfortune on the left bank, and the attack 
 did not take place until the columns were 
 discernible from the enemy's line at more 
 than 200 yards distance. As they advanced, 
 a continued and most galling fire was opened 
 from every part of the American line, and 
 from the battery on the right bank. 
 . :;The brave conunander of the forces, wh© 
 never in his life could refrain from the post 
 of honour, !^aud sharing the danger to which 
 the troops were exposed, 
 the front, to animate them 
 and was seen with his hat 
 them on the edge of the 
 seconds only elapsed before he receiver 
 two wounds on his knee, and another whicJi 
 
 gallopped on to 
 by his presence, 
 ort', encouraging 
 "lacis. A few
 
 t)00 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXIX. 
 
 was almost instantly tatal, in liis body ; he | colonel, two majors, five captains, two lieu- 
 fell in the arms of Mr. Mac Dongal, his aid- | tenants, two ensigns, 11 Serjeants, one driim- 
 de-camp. The effect of this iii sight of the | mer, 266 rank and file, killed. — ^two inajor- 
 troops, together with major-general Gihbs ; generals, three liutenant-colonels, two majors, 
 and major-general Keane, being both wound- i 12 captains, 38 lieutenants, nine ensigns, 
 ed, at the same time, were irreparal)le. The ; one staff, 54 serjeants, nine drummers, 1120 
 preparations in crossing the ditch had been ; rank and file, wounded. Three captains, 
 unavoidal)ly delayed, a circumstance which > 12 lieutenants, 13 Serjeants, four drummers, 
 caused a wavering in the column, and which j 452 rank and file missing. Total loss, 
 in this silnation could not be avoided. 1 2137. 
 
 General Lambert, advancing with the re- > Having thus brought to a close our ac- 
 serve at about 250 yards from the line, had ; count of the military and naval operations 
 the mortification to observe the whole fall- i against the Americans, it is impossible not 
 ing back upon his corps, in the greatest ; to reflect on the inade(|uate nature of our 
 confusion. After making the best reflec- I efforts when compared with our resources 
 tionsof which he was capable, he kept the i and expectations. The disappointment of 
 ground the troops then held, and went to ; the nation fell more heavily on account of 
 meet vice-admiral sir Alexander Cochrane, ; the contempt with which we had regarded 
 and tell him that he should not renew the | the enemy, and of the glory which we had 
 attack. The army remained in position until ; lately gained against a much more cele- 
 night, in order to destroy the 18-pounder i brated foe. Both these circumstances in- 
 battery which they had coustrncted in ad- | fused into the minds of a large portion of 
 Vance on the preceding night. They retired ; the British people a vindictive wish that 
 without molestation, resuming the ground ; our government would not make peace with 
 they occupied previous to the attack. ? the United States till we had redeemed our 
 
 In addition to the lamented death of sir | naval and military character. But the minis- 
 E. Pakenham, the loss of the English was ; ters, with all their faults, deserved at least 
 severe, and probably exceeded the Gazette ; the praise of good intention, and sacrificed 
 accomit, which represents that loss as fol- i every revengeful feeling to the rcTestablishr 
 lows. One major-general, one lieutenant- , ment of mutual friendship. 
 
 » 
 
 CHAPTER LXX. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1815.] 
 
 Attachment of the French Army to Napoleon — National dissatisfaction ivith the Bourions — 
 Its causes — Deportment of Napoleon at Elba — He escapes, and advances to Paris at^nosi 
 tvithout opposition — Commotions in the Capital — Treachery of Ney and Massena.. 
 
 THE most considerable part of the 5 by the French nation. His name, though 
 French army, and particularly the im- ; proscribed, and the imperial edgit, were 
 nerial guard, had never joined in the execra- j bound to their minds with indissoluble af- 
 lions with which their chief had been loaded « fection : and as they claimed an important
 
 CHAP. LXX.J 
 
 GEORGE Iir. 
 
 901 
 
 sliiirc ill the establisliiDPnt of his militarj' 
 glory, so they had continued to sympathize 
 ill his disgrace. Such were the honourable 
 feelings of a considerable number ; but the 
 greater part, who felt not these generous sen- 
 timents, looked back with regret on those 
 halcyon days, when the plunder and oppres- 
 sion of conquered and invaded nations ad- 
 ministered to their Inst, their luxury, and 
 their avarice. To the latter, the banishment 
 of Napoleon had been the death blow of their 
 military hopes, and their enjoyments. With 
 fond regret those heroes of the eagle looked 
 back on tlie auspicious days in which, till 
 interrupted by the return of peace and the 
 Bourbons, rapacity and carnage had been 
 the business of their lives. The whole of 
 the military were thoroughly embrued with 
 the idea that they alone constituted the na- 
 tion ; that they were the first, if not the only 
 order in the state, and that the rest of the 
 people were nothing better than pequins, 
 (contemptible tvretches.) Buonaparte was 
 well apprized of the <lisposition of the army, 
 and of its obedience to liis mandate he was 
 no less assured. Concert and preparation 
 with forces devoted to his cause were un- 
 necessary. Confiding in their attachment, 
 he does not appear to have made any specific 
 arrangement, or adopted any regular plan of 
 inarch ; but as soon as a favourable oppor- 
 tunity of escape presented, to have trusted 
 entirely in the treason of the marshals and 
 the defection of the soldiery. 
 
 Political and moral causes, combined 
 with the peculiar situation and sentiments of 
 the military order, to favour the success of 
 his unexpected enterprise. The events of 
 the revolution had tended io degrade the 
 Bourbons in the eyes of the people, and to 
 render their names the watch-words of alarm, 
 or the theme of contemptuous ridicule. It 
 was now twenty-five years since tiiey were 
 driven from the sovereignty and the country, 
 during all which time its affairs had been 
 conducted without reference to them or their 
 pretensions. From this great fact alone it 
 is obvious that more than five-sixths of the 
 active population have come into existence 
 since the exile of the Bourbons : those who 
 iiad attained to manhood before their disap- 
 pearance, can only have heard of thein during 
 that long interval, as objects of contempt or 
 hostility ; and the stale of things which fol- 
 
 lowed upon their f wrnilsion, however fruit- 
 ful of crimes and barren of substantial com- 
 forts, gave rise to a series of events highly 
 flattering to the national vanity, and capti- 
 vating beyond measure to the self-ambition of 
 the bold and aspiring part of the community. 
 The princes, by whose expulsion the mi- 
 litary reputation of the country was thus 
 extended, had neither endeared nor distin- 
 guished themselves ])y any great and dazzling 
 exploit, or trait of magnanimity, by which 
 their memory might have been exalted in 
 popular recollection. They had emigrated 
 ingloriously in pursuit of personal safety, 
 and had never headed or animated by their 
 presence, the gallant attempts of their ad- 
 herents. They had taken refuge and gene- 
 rally resided among the continental enemies 
 of the French nation, who had been reduced 
 by its armies to the lowest state of subjec- 
 tion : and in the estimation of the French 
 people, were little better than the insignifi- 
 cant dependantsof those weak and misguided 
 monarchs, who had been compelled to kiss 
 the feet of the republic, and whose kingdoms 
 had been rent, scattered, or given away at the 
 nod of their imperial master. 
 
 From this retirement they came back at 
 last, not in consequence of the impatience, 
 or the enthusiasm, or the wishes of the 
 people, but in consequence of a series of 
 disasters, by which the power of France 
 was repressed, its triumphs were overthrown, 
 and the deepest mortification was inflicted 
 on that national vanity which had been their 
 support under oppression, and their delight 
 in the days of national prosperity. The 
 restoration crowned the first triumphs of 
 her enemies, and was efiected by the slaughter 
 of her citizens, the desolation of her fields, and 
 the humiliation of her national greatness. The 
 government" was overthrown by Russian and 
 Prussian armies, who seated upon the tiironea 
 prince who had not .been heard of for twenty 
 years, nor distinguished by any imposing 
 \ qualities. 
 
 I The internal condition of France had been 
 ' altered during his absence, at least as much 
 > as its exterior relations. The original pos- 
 sessors of property, rank, and office, had all 
 been disj)laced along with the reigning fa- 
 mily ; and their various titles and places beeu 
 settled upon other individuals. The whole 
 state and structure of society was changed ;
 
 902 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. lxx. 
 
 innninerable multitudes had fairly boii2;lit, i peace with the government of France, of 
 and dih'gently improvetl the property sold J whatever persons it might be composed, 
 and transferred at different stages of the > Lonis did not claim the crown as his lawful 
 revobition ; and ahnost all who had l)een ; right and inheritance, but accepted the ofler 
 promoted to oflice or obtained distinction, | that was made, and assented in substance to 
 had deserved the elevation they had reached, ; all the conditions by which it was qualilied. 
 by the cultivation of their talents or by emi- i By this act he became at once a constitutional 
 nent services. INor is it to be forgotten, that ; king. Yet began by calling himself Louis 
 along with many miseries and wrongs, the | XVJII, though no Bourbon sovereign after 
 revolution was productive of much substan- > Louis had ever i)een acknowledged by the 
 tial benefit to the great body of the people. | nation ; and the first hour of his accession 
 Seignorial tyranny, and ecclesiastical exaction 5 he declared to be the 21st year of his reign, 
 had been entirely destroyed. The barrier ; He then, without noticing the invitation by 
 between the noblesse and lower orders was i which he was called to France, and which 
 thrown down, and the admiration of the peo- j he had accepted, declared that he owed his 
 pie exclusively confined to that military rank j throne, after Cod, to the "prince regent 
 which only evinced its deformity in foreign ; of England." He ordered a monument to 
 and concjuered countries. i be erected to the memory of deceased 
 
 The return of the Bourbons was con- 5 emigrants ; and ennobled by a special grant 
 sidered as an act of insult and oppression | the family of George Cadoudal, who had 
 on the part of the allies, even by the en- ; come into the country with the avowed pur^ 
 tliusiastic admirers of their family and prin- ; pose of assassinating its former sovereign, 
 ciples. The humiliation of receiving a sove- i The liberty of the press, which had been 
 reign at the mandate of foreign monarchs, i solemnly promised on his arrival, was after- 
 was deep and universal. Little confidence 5 wards retracted, and the productions of tha 
 could be placed in the firmness of the king | loyalists were alone to be circulated without 
 on subjects of policy, whatever might be ; challenge. A royal edict was proclaimed 
 thought of his intentions. It was obvious ; for the formation* of schools, and subscript 
 that a thousand amiable and a thousand ! tions were opened for the support of the 
 excusable feelings would induce the king to i young nobility, iu which no names but those 
 restore their estates and dignities to the | of an antient family could be admitted. The 
 emigrants, their privileges to the nobility, ; nomination to foreign embassies and othef 
 and its original powers to the crown. Such ; places of dignity, was confined almost ex- 
 vvas the impression of these inevitable con- | ciusively to persons of the same descriptioni 
 siderations, that in March 1814, all the con- i To these alarming indications of the spirit 
 siderable men in France, all who by station, j of the Bourbons were added some more 
 or talent, or reputation could guide its ' ' ' • • ■ 
 opinions, or deternine its conduct, had 
 interests opposed to the return of the king ; 
 and felt that they would be placed by 
 that event in the condition of offenders 
 to be punished, or delinquents to be for- 
 given. 
 
 This then was the situation in which the 
 present sovereign of France stood at his first 
 accession in April 1814. The virtuous part of 
 the nation was ardently attached to the person 
 of the king, but alarm was the general feel- 
 ing. This distressing and obvious truth 
 was felt by the sovereign and his adherents. 
 It was -evident tbat even the offer of the 
 crown on the part of the allies, was influ- 
 enced by no attachment to the Bourbons, 
 !nit by the expedience of concluding a speedy 
 
 substantial, though less provoking infractions 
 of the charter thus ungraciously promulgated. 
 The abolition of the droits reuiiis had been 
 promised with much parade and solemnity, 
 and shortly after, the payment was exacted 
 with more than usual rigour. The charter 
 had declared that no tax or import should 
 be raised without the consent of the legis^la- 
 ture, yet a yai'iety of taxes were levied by a 
 mere order of the chancellor. In like man 
 ner the charter had declared that all tlje 
 courts- of justice should remain as they were, 
 until altered by a special law ; but the king, 
 after proposing a law to the chandier of re- 
 presentatives (or new modelling the court de 
 Cassation, and lindijig that it was not likely 
 to be adopted, adjourned the chamber, and 
 re-organized the court of his own authority j
 
 CHAP. LXX] 
 
 GEORGE irU 
 
 903 
 
 diminishing the number of judges, and chang- 
 ing several on the reduc<»(l establishment. 
 
 It is not easy to decide on the justice or 
 injustice of these acts. Some of them may 
 be thought unavoidable, and the rest expe- 
 dient. But they certainly were calculated 
 to impress a prevailing sentiment of alarm 
 and disgust upon the minds of the nation at 
 large ; to offend the most eminent servants 
 of the former government ; to convert the 
 neutral into decided enemies, and to supply the 
 hostile with the means of inflaming discontent. 
 
 The system of taxation and of feudal 
 tyranny so intimately connected with the 
 existence of the Bourbon dynasty, was re- 
 membered with universal detestation by that 
 part of the nation which had experienced 
 its severity ; and the rising generation na- 
 turally associated the name of Louis with all 
 the evils of which their fathers so bitterly com- 
 plained. The seignorial and sovereign rights 
 were enforced with a cruelty and rigour, that 
 rendered even the system of lettres de Cachet, 
 comparatively lenient and humane. The 
 gross iniquity, indeed, which attended these 
 lettres and the Bastile, during the whole 
 reign of Louis XV, made them esteemed in 
 England by the ignorant and superficial, as 
 the most prominent features of the despotism 
 of France. They were certainly carried to 
 an excess almost incredible, and were actually 
 sold with blanks, to be filled up with names at 
 the pleasure of the pm'chaser, who was thus 
 enabled, in the gratification of private re- 
 venge, to tear a man from the bosom of his 
 family and bury him in a dungeon, where he 
 would exist forgotten, and die unknown. But 
 such excesses were not common; and they 
 were reduced almost to nothing, after the 
 accession of Louis XVL The great mass 
 of the people could suffer little from such 
 engines ; but the feudal and seignorial rights, 
 the weight and enormity of the taxes, the 
 pressure of tythes, the unlimited power of 
 oppression and insult, vested in the land- 
 holder and proprietor, were still remembered 
 by the generation which had witnessed the 
 horrors of the revolution, and were deeply 
 impressed on the minds of their children. 
 The return of the Bourbons was considered 
 by the nation at large, as the signal of re- 
 currence to those oppressive and arbitrary 
 exactions which had first awakened the spirit 
 of resistance ; and the emissaries of Buona- 
 
 parte were not unsuccessful in extending and 
 enflaming their first alarm. 
 
 Such was the state of parties in France 
 at the moment when Napoleou projected bis 
 return from the isle of Elba : nor can it be 
 disputed iliat a great proportion, if not a 
 majority of the people, ardently expected 
 his restoration. His opponents were chiefly 
 influenced by the personal character of the 
 king, and by the humanity of his general 
 conduct. 
 
 Talleyrand earnestly advise<i that the 
 king should neither grant nor promise the 
 smallest power to the marshals. There was, 
 however, a broad line of distinction betweeu 
 men like Oudinot and Marniont, who were 
 without reproach, and such men as Soult, 
 Suchet, ISey, Massena, and Davuust, whose 
 names were infamous throughout Europe for 
 the excesses aiid cruelties which they had 
 committed. A regard to public decency, to 
 the moral feeling, and therein the goneral 
 interests of mankind, to the honor of France, 
 and to its own immediate security, should 
 have led the new government to make this 
 distinction. Louis should as little have 
 thought of trusting power to these men, 
 flagrant and branded as they were, ars of re- 
 calling Billard Varennes from Cayenne, or 
 appointing Barrere and Mehee de la Touche 
 to offices in the state. There were persons 
 who supposed that those who had risen under 
 Bonaparte, and enriched themselves by pil- 
 lage, would be contented under any goveru- 
 ment which should leave them in quiet 
 possession of the rank and plunder which 
 they had obtained ; and the manner in which 
 marshal after marshal sent in his adhesion to 
 the Bourbons, seemed to counteuance this 
 opinion. But there are certain habits from 
 which reformation is nearly impossible ; and 
 soldiers who had been moulded to Bona- 
 parte's purposes, must be as miserable in re- 
 tirement and inactivity, as the drunkard when 
 deprived of the drams with which he exhili- 
 rates exhausted nature, and obtains a respite 
 from those wretched sensations which are the 
 consequence and the punishment of habitual 
 excess. Experience has abundantly shewn, that 
 men who make war like robbers, haveever heeu 
 unable to endure the listlessness, and perhaps 
 the reflection of peace. Thus it was with 
 the White companies of the fourteenth century; 
 thus it was with the first conquerors of 
 5 z
 
 004 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. hXX 
 
 America; and they who had acquired po- 
 litical wisdom, where alone it is to be learnt, 
 from studying the history of past aijes, and 
 regarding the nature of man, knew that thus 
 also it must be with the soldiers of Buona- 
 parte. The Bourbons thought otherwise ; 
 restored to the throne of Fiance, they felt 
 as Frenchmen, — this was to be expected, it 
 w:as natural, and as it should be ; but with 
 the levity of Frenclunen, and perhaps it may 
 oe thought, with that moral insensibility 
 which is but too characteristic of the nation, 
 they began to pride themselves on the military 
 reputation which France had acquired under 
 the tyrant, forgetful how that reputation had 
 been stained by every imaginable crime, and 
 every possi_ble disgrace. " Honour," said 
 a royalist writer, "' had taken refuge in the 
 army when driven from the rest of France !' 
 In the days of Robespierre this was true ; 
 the armies, when they refused to butcher 
 their British and Hanoverian prisoners, were 
 deservedly the pride of France. In the days 
 of Buonaparte it was false ; he changed their 
 character ; the civic and chivalrous spirit, 
 the honourable feeling which had been 
 cherished by Kleber, and Pichegru, and 
 Moreau, woidd have counteracted the views 
 of one who aimed at empire; he therefore 
 corrupted the soldiers in ord-er to make them 
 fit instruments for enslaving the nation ; he 
 indulged them in pillage, he habituated them 
 to excesses, he fleshed them in massacre, till 
 he made them the scourge of Europe and 
 the reproach of France, the most formidable 
 and the most flagitious of the human race. 
 
 "The obstacles," says Mr. Eustace, "which 
 Louis XVIII. will meet with, will arise not 
 from the army ; for though discontented and 
 ferocious, they are broken and divided, com- 
 mf nded by officers who are loyal, and checked 
 by the national guards." This was a strange 
 error ! Divided ! — yes, — like a pack of blood- 
 hounds who run loose in the village, ready to 
 assemble and hunt in company at the first 
 call of the huntsman ! It will not now be 
 doubted that Buonaparte had this reassem- 
 blage in view when, after his compulsory ab- 
 dication, betook leave of his old guard. 
 
 " During twenty years," said he, " that we 
 have acted together, I have been satisfied 
 with you. Pity not my fate. I shall be 
 happy when I know tiiat you are so. I 
 might have died : nothing would have been 
 
 more easy for me; but I still wish to pursue 
 the path of glory. What we have done I 
 will write. I cannot embrace you all, but 
 I w ill embrace your general. Come, general ! 
 J Let the eagle be brought to me that 1 may 
 also embrace it ! Ah, dear eagle, may the 
 kisses which I bestow on you resound V) 
 posterity." 
 
 Language like this was well calculated 
 to be long and deeply remembered. The 
 banishment of Napoleon to Elba rather in- 
 flamed tl)an repressed the attachment of his 
 partisans ; the situation of the island was 
 singularly favourable to any plan of corres- 
 pondence or escape ; and the negligence of 
 the European governments, combined with 
 the treacherous machinations of the secret 
 enemies of Louis, to facilitate the designs 
 of the revolutionists. For many months sub- 
 sequent to his exile, the time of Napoleon 
 was passed in social and condescending in- 
 tercourse with the inhabitants of the island, 
 in entertaining them with routs and assem- 
 blies, in forming the plan and directing the 
 embellishments of a rural chateau, and in 
 visiting the English frigates ; but about the 
 middle of autumn, a marked change was 
 visible in his manners and his habits. He 
 had evinced the greatest predilection for the 
 society of sir Neil Campbell, the English 
 commissioner, and had received innumerable 
 visitors of various ranks and nations with the 
 most conciliating frankness. It vvas not till 
 ^ the arrival of some of his family and friends 
 J who had just left Paris, that he became 
 i restless and dissatisfied, secluded himself 
 5 from social intercourse, and totally neglected 
 5 the embellishments of the island. At the 
 end of February, sir Neil Campbell, though 
 highly suspicious of Napoleon's intentions, 
 and though he had communicated his sur- 
 mises to the British government, was absent 
 on important business in Italy, The oppor- 
 tunity was too favourable to be lost, and Na- 
 poleon determined on the execution of his 
 long meditated enterprise. 
 
 He had purchased at Jenoa some small 
 feluccas, some ammunition at Naples, and 
 a few arms at Algiers, On Ftbruary 25th, 
 he presided at a f6te which he gave to his 
 Lilliputian court, and was unusually cheerful 
 and affable. On the succeeding day, he re- 
 viewed his little army, and at th-^ir dismissal 
 ordered them to prepare for immediate ser-
 
 CHAP. LXX.] GEOriGE III. 005 
 
 vice, and to assemble on the same parade > Frencli name ? Are these kings for the 
 at six o'clock in tiie evening:. At tha*. hour | French ? No ! comrades, — the age and the 
 he suddenly appeared among- them, formed | poople demand another kind of leader, 
 them into a hollow square, and placing him- i What say you, soldiers ? Are you prepared 
 self in their centre, unfolded his purposes i to follow me, and to partake my fortune, 
 and views. He represented to them, in a i my glory, and, if they should arise, my perils 
 speech replete with that popular and military I and my" labours." This harangue was an- 
 eloquence for which he was so peculiarly | swered'by themost enthusiastic acclamations; 
 distinguished, that fortune now favoured j and Napoleon, placing himself at the head of 
 them an opportunity to prove Uiemselves Hiis small army, conducl^'d them at once to 
 worthy of their former fame, and their ^ene- 1 the place of embai kation, leaving behind liiiu 
 faVs confidence ; that it had been the con- I the following proclamaiion. 
 solation and delight of his retirement to form ; 
 
 them 'to the discipline and noble daring o(\" General Lassi, Governor of t lie Island of 
 soldiers; t-hat France, Belgium, and Italy, | Elba, Chamberlnhi of his Imperial Majesty 
 invited him to resume the imperial crown ;i Napoleon, 6j-c. ^c. 
 and that he had been compelled to abdicate ,* 
 
 the sovereignty not by the will of the French, | " Inhabitants,-- Your august sovereign 
 but by an overwhelming foreign force. He > is called, by Divine Providence, to his antient 
 asserted that the grmul alliance had been i glory, and has left this island, of which he 
 sincedissolved, by thedivisions,thejealousies, I has confided the command to me, and the 
 and the narrow personal views of its .mem- > internal government to six of j'our most dis- 
 bers ; that Italy was deceived, Germany ! tinguished fellow-citizens ; to your own tried 
 sacrificed, Poland enslaved, Saxony extin- > attachment and valour he leaves the defence 
 guished, and Russia, Prussia, and England, I of the place, and the maintenance of good 
 were the dividers of the spoil. France had I order. I leave, said he, the island of Elba, 
 now recovered the 300,000 men whom the J highly satisfied vv.ith the conduct of its in- 
 cruelties of the season had rendered prisoners I habitants. — I entrust to them the defence of 
 in Russia : persecuted by the Bourbon | the island, to which I attach the greatest im- 
 government, they now wandered destitute j portance. I cannot give them a stronger 
 through France ; and their well known at- ; proof of confidence than in leaving, after the 
 tachment to his person was rewarded with i departure of the troops, my mother and mv 
 insult and beggary. I sister to their care. The members of the 
 
 "And will not these men," he continued, ; junta, and all the inhabitants of this island, 
 " return to the general who remembers them ! may rely on my afiection and special protec- 
 as ardently as he is remembered by them ? ; tion. Inhabitants, this is a most fortunate 
 Fellow soldiers, comrades in glory and in i and memorable epoch for you : upon your 
 arms! for such you are about to become, « conduct alone depends your glory and future 
 judge of them as you would judge of your- | felicity ; continue to obey, implicitly, the 
 selves, and answer me from your own feel- | wise dispositions of the junta, and the orders 
 ings, whether my brave soldiers will pass ; which the public authorities may have to 
 over to my enemy and theirs, or whether J issue under these circumstances. Rejoice, 
 again seeing my standard shining in the sun, ; Elbese, and do not allow yourselves to be 
 and my imperial eagle again elevated in its } contaminated by the pestiferous insinuations 
 own skies, they will re-seek their standard, » of the enemies to good order, 
 their eagle, and their general, and again con- ; " Porto Ferrajo, 27th Februwi/, 1815." 
 duct them to the throne which belongs to ; 
 
 them. What are the Bourbons to them or 5 His whole force comprehended 700 men 
 us? Who is there in France that at all re- | of his old guard, 300 Corsicans, and 140 
 members, but recollect at the same time their i Poles ; and his fleet consisted of a brig, 
 mad extravagancies and their contemptible < (L'Inconstant,) mounting 26 guns, and six 
 debaucheries ? In the course of 300 years | small transports. At eight o'clock bis little 
 did they add an acre to the French terri- ! army was embarked. The fire of a cannon 
 tory, or an unit to the lasting glory of the ; gave the signal of departure, and they sailed 
 
 5z2
 
 .006 
 
 nisTonv OP enqlano. 
 
 {chap. lxx. 
 
 from .the harbour entluisiastically shouting, 
 *' Paris or death !" The ni^ht was clear ai»d 
 beautiful, the wind favourable, and fortune 
 seeni«d to smile on the enterprize. .Sir Neil 
 Campbell, the Knglish commissioner, was in 
 Italy : no cruizer appeared in sight, and be- 
 fuie the dawn they hoped to double the 
 island of Capraia. But the wind, which at 
 tirst wafted them gaily on, gradually died 
 away. At day break they had made only 
 six leagues progress, and were yet between 
 Capraia and Elba. To add to their alarm, 
 some vessels were seen in the offing. The 
 danger was inuninent. The captain and the 
 greatest part of the crew advised a return to 
 Porto Ferrajo. Napoleon, finding that the 
 cru'zers consisted of two French frigates and 
 a brig, determined to declare himself, and 
 try the inHuence of his na.iie. But he was 
 not required to execute so bold a resolution. 
 He had long and successfully manoeuvred to 
 lull suspicion ; had frequently visited the 
 English ships, and had made frequent ex- 
 cu'sions to the neighbouring islands. His 
 own brig and another which he had bought, 
 had frequently sailed to Genoa and Leghorn. 
 The English and French crnizers were thus 
 accustomed to meet his iiag, and on (he pre- 
 sent occasion paid no attention to its appear- 
 ance. Towards noon the wind freshened a 
 little, and at four in the afternoon they were 
 off Leghorn. Suddenly a ship of war ap. 
 peared before the wind, in the opposite 
 direction to the brig. A consultation was held, 
 and it was resolved first to attempt to deceive 
 the cruizer, and if unsuccessful, immediately 
 to board her. The soldiers were concealed 
 between the decks, and the two vessels ran 
 a-long-side of each other. The cruizer-proved 
 to be the Zephyr, captain Andrieux: Taillade, 
 a lieutenant of the Inconstant was personally 
 known to him, and undertook to conduct the 
 conference. Assuming a careless air, he 
 hailed the Zephyr,, and demanded whither 
 she was bound. It was answered to Livor- 
 iiia. Andrieux then enquired in his turn 
 whither the Inconstant was proceeding. Tail- 
 lade replied without hesitation to Genoa, 
 and offered to undertake any commission 
 which captain Andrieux might have to exe- 
 eute. At the same time he invited him on 
 board to spend a few hours with an old 
 messmate. Andrieux was completely de- 
 ceived, and thanking the lieuttuant for his 
 
 I civility, but excusing himself on account of 
 want of time, sailed on, and the two brigs 
 were soon out of sight of each other. During 
 the night of the 27th, the wind continued 
 to freshen, and at day-break on the 28th, a 
 seventy-four gun ship was seen at a distance 
 of four league.s making for St. Florent, or 
 Sardinia. It did not perceive, or did not 
 think it necessary to hail the little flotilla. 
 At 7 in the morning of the 28th, they dis- 
 covered the road of Noli ; at noon Antibes 
 was in sight, and at three o'clock in theniorning 
 of the first of March, they entered the gulf of 
 Juan, at a short distance from Frejus in the 
 department of the Var. Previous to the dis- 
 embarkation, Buonaparte mustered his troops 
 on deck, and ordering them to tiirow the 
 cockade of Elba into the sea, presented 
 them with the national colours. They were 
 received amid the shouts of " the emperor 
 for ever." 
 
 A CAPTAIN of the guard with 25 men was 
 disembarked to take possession of a small 
 battery which might have annoyed the land- 
 ing of the troops, but which was found to 
 be completely unoccupied. In the afternoon 
 Buonaparte disembarked the whole of his 
 forces, and leaping upon the French territory 
 exclaimed with exultation, " there is an end 
 of the congress." 
 
 An officer with twenty-five men was dis 
 patched to Antibes to invite general Corsiu 
 the governor of the place to join Napoleon, 
 but the comniandant rejected the overture 
 with contempt, and imprisoned his unwel- 
 come visitors. Another officer was sent with 
 a second summons, but he shared the fate 
 of his precursor. A third emissary presented 
 himself to reclaim the prisoners, and to com-- 
 mand general Corsin under the most dreadful 
 threads of military punishment, to repair to 
 the gulf of Juan with the civil authorities. 
 This last messenger was likewise detained. 
 
 Irresolute what plan to pursue. Napo- 
 leon bivouacked on the sea side in a vineyard 
 surrounded by olive-trees ; but reflecting on 
 the consequences of this repulse, the neces- 
 sity of proceeding before the news of it 
 should reach the interior of the country, he 
 commenced his march at one o'clock in the 
 morning, and leaving Antibes unmolested, 
 proceeded to Cannes. 
 
 Hib unexpected appearance produced a 
 smiument of mingled astonishmeni joy,
 
 CHAP. LXX.J 
 
 GEORGE Iir. 
 
 907 
 
 and fear ; and his presence occasioned in 
 the whole of the country through which he 
 passed, a scene of magical illusion, easier to 
 be conr»prehended than described. It re- 
 sembled the effect of a sudden and strange 
 apparition, on a crowd of unreflecting gazers. 
 Continuing his progress to Grasse, he found 
 the town deserted, A report had been spread 
 that a troop of Corsairs had landed, and were 
 ravaging the'coontry ;^ but the fears of the 
 popNiace subsided as soon as they had learned 
 the truth. The mayor was required to 
 furriish rations for the followers of Napoleon. 
 He nobly replied that he acknowledged 
 no authority but that of Louis XVIfl. 
 The inhabitants, however, returning in crowds, 
 opened their shops, and were easily induced 
 to supply the wants of the soldiers. He 
 left here six pieces of cannon, which he had 
 brought from Elba, tinding that they incom- 
 moded and retarded his march. He now 
 endeavoured to circulate his proclamations ; 
 but the printer at Grasse refused to print 
 them, and Napoleon had not time to resort 
 to force. At four o'clock in the afternoon, 
 he arrived at the village of Cerenon, having 
 travelled twenty leagues in the first day. 
 On March 3rd, he slept at Bareme, and on 
 the 4th at Digne. At the latter place, as 
 at Cannes, he was received by the peasants 
 with enthusiastic acclamations. Leaving 
 the main body of his troops behind, who 
 were unable to keep pace with the rapidity 
 of his march, he proceeded with only ten 
 horsemen and forty grenadiers, and on the 
 5th arrived at Gap, from whence he issued 
 his first proclamations, thousands of which 
 were soon dispersed through the country. 
 They claim the rank of historical documents, 
 as specimens of the peculiar kind of elo- 
 quence with which he so successfully ad- 
 dressed the troops and the populace. 
 
 " Bay ofjxum, March Is/, 1815. 
 " Napolkon, by the grace of God and the 
 
 constitution of the empire, emperor of the 
 
 French, kc. &c. &c. 
 
 TO i HE FRENCH PEOPLE. 
 
 " Frenchmen ! — The defection of the 
 duke of Castiglione delivered up Lyons, 
 without defence, to our enemies ; the army 
 of which I confided to him the command 
 was, by the nundier of its battalions the 
 bravery and patriotisni of the troops wliich 
 
 composed it, fully able to beat the Austrian 
 corps opposed to it, and to get into the rear 
 of the left wing of the enemy's army, which 
 threatened Paris. 
 
 " 'J'he victories of Champ Avhert, of Mont- 
 mirai/, of C/inteau TJiicru/, of Vaticluwtp, of 
 Mormans, of Montereau, ofCmojw, of Rheims, 
 of Arcy-sur-Aube, and of St. Dizier ,• the 
 rising of tln^ brave peasants of Lorraine, of 
 Champagne, of Alsace, of Franclie Compte, 
 and of Bourgoin, and the position which I 
 had taken on the rear of the enen)y's army, 
 by separating it from its magazines, from its 
 parks of reserve, from its convoys and all 
 its equipages, had placed it in a desperate 
 situation. The French were never on the 
 point of being more powerful, and the flower 
 of the enemy's army was lost without vn- 
 source : it would have foiuid its grave in 
 those vast countries which it mercilessly 
 ravaged, when the treason of the duke of 
 Ragusa gave up the capital and disorganized 
 the army. The unexpected conduct of those 
 two generals, who betrayed at once their 
 country, their prince, and their benefactor, 
 changed the destiny of the war. The dis- 
 astrous situation of the enemy was such, that, 
 at the conclusion of the affair, which took 
 place before Paris, it was without ammu- 
 nition, on account of its separation from it* 
 parks of reserve. 
 
 " Under these new and important circum- 
 stances, my heart was rent, but niy soul re- 
 mained unshaken. I consulted only the 
 interest of the country. I exiled myself on 
 a Fock in the middle of the sea. My life was, 
 and ought to be, still useful to you. I did 
 not permit the great number of citizens, wha 
 wished to accompany me, to partake my lot. 
 I thought their presence useful to France ; 
 and I took with me only a handful of brave 
 men, necessary for my guard. 
 
 " Raised to the throne by your choice, • 
 all that has been done without you is ille- 
 gitimate. For 'lb years France has had new 
 inlerests, new institutions, and new glory, 
 which could only be s^ecured by a national 
 government, and by a dynasty created under 
 these new circumstances. A prince who 
 should reign over \ou, who should be seated 
 on my throne by the power of those very 
 armies which raTaged our territory, would 
 in vain attempt to support himself with the * 
 principles of feudal law \ he would not hof 
 
 J
 
 008 
 
 HISTORY or ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. L\X, 
 
 able to recover the honour and the rights of 
 more than a small number of individuals, 
 enemies of the people, ^vho, for '25 years, 
 have condemned them in all our national 
 assemblies. Your tranquillity at home, and 
 your consequence abroad, would be lost for 
 ever. 
 
 " Frenchmen ! — In my exile I heard your 
 complaints and your wishes ; yon demanded 
 that government of your choice which alone 
 was legitimate. You accused my long slum- 
 ber; you reproached me for sacriticing to 
 my repose the great interests of the country. 
 
 " I HAVE crossed the seas, in the midst 
 of dangers of every kind : I arrive amongst 
 you to resume my rights, which are yours. 
 All that individuals have done, written, or 
 said, since the capture of Paris, I will be for 
 ever ijrnorant of: it shall not at all influence 
 the recollections which I preserve of the nn- 
 portant services which they have performed. 
 There are circumstances of such a nature as 
 to be above human organization. 
 
 " Frenchmen ! — There is no nation, how- 
 ever small it may be, which has not had the 
 right, and which may not withdraw itself 
 from the disgrace of obeying a prince im- 
 posed on it by an enemy momentarily vic- 
 torious. When Charles VII. re-entered 
 Paris, and overthrew the ephemeral throne of 
 Henry V. he acknowledged that he held his 
 throne from the valour of his heroes, and 
 not from a prince regent of England. 
 
 " It is thus that to you alone, and to the 
 brave men of the army, I account it, and shall 
 always account it 
 thing 
 
 lives iu fighting against us in the ranks of 
 foreign armies, cursing our tine France, shall 
 they pretend to command and controul our 
 eagles, on which they have not dared ever to 
 look ? Shall we endure that they should in- 
 herit the fruits of our glorious labours — that 
 they should clothe themselves with our 
 honours and our goods — that they should 
 calumniate our glory ? If their reign should 
 continue, all would be lost, even the memory 
 of those immortal days. With what fury do 
 they pervert their very nature? They seek 
 to poison what the world admires ; and if 
 there still remain any defenders of onr glory, 
 it is among those very enemies whom we 
 
 have fought on the field of battle. 
 
 I heard 
 
 yonr 
 
 through all obstacles 
 
 " Soldiers ! in my exile 
 voice : I have arrived 
 
 and all perils : your general, called to the throne 
 by the voice of the people, and educated under 
 your banners, is restored to you ; come and 
 join him. 
 
 "Tear down those colours which the 
 nation has proscribed, and which for 25 years 
 served as a rallying signal to all the enemies 
 of France : mount the cockade tri-colour : 
 you bore it in the days of our greatness. 
 
 " We must forget that we have been masters 
 of nations ; but we must not suffer any to 
 intermeddle in our affairs. 
 
 " Who shall presume to be master over 
 us ? Who, would have the power ? Recover 
 those eagles which you had at Ulm, at Aus- 
 terlitz, at Jena, at Eyiau, at Friedland', at 
 Tudela, at Eckmuhl, at Essling, at Wagrani, 
 my glory to owe every i at Smolensko, at Moscow, at Lutzen, at 
 
 \ Vurken, at Montmirail, Do you think that 
 
 V 
 
 " By the emperor. (Signed) Napoleon. 
 " The grand marshal performing the func- 
 tions of major-general of the grand army. 
 (Signed) Count Bertrand." 
 
 " Gulph of Juan, March 1st, 1815. 
 " Napoleon, by the grace of God and the 
 
 constitution of the empire, emperor of the 
 
 French, &c. &c. ^c. 
 
 TO THE ARMY. 
 
 " Soldiers ! — We were not conquered : 
 two men risen from our ranks betrayed our 
 laurels, their country, their prince, their bene- 
 factor. 
 
 "Those, wbon> during 25 years we have 
 seen traversing ail Europe to raise up ene- 
 mies ajjainst us ; who have passed their 
 
 the handful of Frenchmen, who are now so 
 arrogant, will endure to look on them ? They 
 shall return whence they came, and there if 
 they please they shall rei-gn as they pretend 
 to have reigned during 19 years. Your pos- 
 sessions, your rank, your glory, the posses- 
 sions, the rank, the glory of your children, 
 have no greater enemies than those princes 
 whom foreigners have imposed upon us : 
 J^hey are the enemies of our glory, because 
 the recital of so many heroic actions, which 
 have glorified the people of France fighting 
 against them, to withdraw themselves from 
 their yoke, is then' condemnation, 
 
 " The veterans of the armies of the Sara- 
 bre and the Meuse, of the Rhine, of Italy, 
 of Egypt, of the West, of the grand army, are
 
 C«AP. LXX.] 
 
 GEORGE III 
 
 909 
 
 all humiliated : their honourable wounds 
 are disgraced ; their successes were orinies ; 
 those hei'bes were rebels, if, as the enemies 
 of the people pretend, the legitimate sove- 
 reigns were in the midst of the foreign armies. 
 
 " Honours, rewards, affection, are given 
 to those who hate served against the country 
 and us. 
 
 " Soldiers ! come and range yourselves 
 under the standards of your chief; his ex- 
 istence is only composed of yours ; his rights 
 are only those of the people and yours ; his 
 interest, his honour, his glory, are no more 
 than yonr interest, your honour, and your 
 glory. Victory shall march at the charge- 
 step : the eagle, with the national colours, 
 shall fly from steeple to steeple, even to the 
 towers of Notre-Dame. Then you will be 
 able to shew your scars with honour ; then 
 you will be able to glory in what you have 
 done ; you will be the deliverers of the coun- 
 try. In your old age, surrounded and es- 
 teemed by your fellow-citizens, they will 
 hear you with respect while you recoimt 
 yonr high deeds ; you will be able to say 
 with pride : — ' And J, too, was part of that 
 grand army, which entered twice the walls 
 of Vienna, those of Kome, of Berlin, of Madrid, 
 of Moscow ; and which delivered Paris from 
 the foul blot which treason, and the presence 
 of the enemy, imprinted on it." 
 
 " Honoured be those brave soldiers, the 
 glory of the country ; and eternal shame to 
 those guilty Frenchmen, in whatever rank 
 fortune caused them to be born, who fought 
 for 25 years with the foreigner, to tear the 
 bosom of the country. 
 
 " By the emperor, (Signed) Napoleon. 
 
 " The grand marshal performing the func- 
 tions of major-general of the grand army. 
 
 Bertrand." 
 
 On the 6th, Napoleon hastened towards 
 Grenoble. As he parsed through St. Bennet 
 with his advanced-guard, the inhabitants pro- 
 posed to ring the tocsin, to assemble the vil- 
 lagers, and to accompany him in a mass. 
 He refused their oflTer in a complimentary 
 reply. That evening he slept at Gap ; but 
 his advanced-guard was ordered to proceed 
 during the night They reached the village 
 of Mure, where they met the advanced-guard 
 of the troops from Grenoble, who were ap- 
 proaching to oppose the progress of Napo- 
 
 leon General Cambronne, who commanded 
 the troops of Buonaparte, proposed a parley, 
 but he was answered that all eonimunication 
 was forbidden. The soldiers of Louis, how- 
 ever, retreated three leagues before 40 ot 
 the adherents of Buonaparte. As soon as 
 Napoleon was infornied that his progress 
 would be contested, he resf)lved to practise 
 one of those stratagems which do inhnite 
 credit to his talents and his courage. He 
 proceeded to the royal troops, accompanied 
 only by one or two officers. Arriving within 
 pistol-shot, he alighted, and, advancing to 
 the right of the battalions, which apparently 
 only waited for the command to tire upon 
 hini, he bared his bosom and thus addressed 
 Uicm. " Behold me. If there is one soldier 
 among you wishes to kill his emperor, let him 
 come forward from the ranks and fire upon 
 me !"' The effect wa.s instantaneous and 
 sublime. The arms of every soldier were 
 hurled on the ground, and the air resounded 
 with the cries of " Long live the emperor." 
 The guard and the soldiers rapturously em- 
 braced : the latter tore off the white cockade 
 and mounted the national colours ; and 
 Buonaparte, thus reinforced by troops ac- 
 customed to celerity of movement, advanced 
 witii rapidity to Grenoble. 
 
 The garrison of that place was composed 
 of the 7th and 11th regiments of the line, 
 the 4th hussars, and the fourth of artillery. 
 The last was the very regiment in which Buo- 
 naparte 2o years before had commenced his 
 military career, and in which his memory was 
 yet i«lolized. The 7th was commanded by 
 colonel Labedoyere, who had lately received 
 his appointment from the king, and the deco- 
 ration of the legion of honour, and who had 
 therefore taken the most solemn oaths of 
 allegiance and fidelity. He had no pLTsonal 
 ground of complaint against his sovereign ; 
 he had no connexion with the conspiracy, 
 and shared in the general surprise when the 
 landing of Napoleon was announced ; but 
 misled, according to his own confession, " by 
 illusions, by recollections, and by false ideas 
 of honour, his country spoke a chimerical 
 language to his heart ;" and he suddenly re- 
 solved to join the cause of the invader. His 
 soldiers were too well disposed to second 
 his intentions ; and he had scarcely begun to 
 acquaint them with his wishes, when he was 
 interrupted by the shout of *' the emperor / 
 
 /
 
 910 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXX. 
 
 for ever !" He allowed theoi no time for 
 reflection ; but, affixing an eagle to a willow 
 branch, hastened to effect his treasonable 
 purpose. 
 
 General Devillers, hearing from a' dis- 
 tance the shouts of the infatuated soldiery, 
 hurried to the ramparts. The regiment had 
 then cleared the gates, and was almost out 
 of sight. He hastened on foot by the road 
 which they had taken, and accidentally 
 meeting a horse, galloped after the deserters. 
 Overtaking tlie rear of the column, he pre- 
 vailed on about 100 to return to their duty. 
 But when he reached the Iread of the column, 
 M'here the colonel was surrounded by his 
 officers, neither his entreaties nor his menaces 
 were heard. The only reply of Labedoyere 
 was, " My country and honour !" These 
 words sufficiently explain his motives, but do \ 
 
 not palliate his crime- \ 
 
 The disaffection of Labedoyere was the \ 
 signal for general revolt. It encouraged the 
 timid and decided the wavering. He has 
 since atoned for his treason by the forfeiture 
 of his life. Madame Labedoyere was so 
 much affected by her husband's treachery, 
 that she immediately quitted him, and sought 
 protection with her relatives. But she re- 
 turned to cheer the lonely hours of his im- 
 prisonment ; and when he was arraigned and 
 condemned, pleaded most pathetically, though 
 unsuccessfully, iu his favour. 
 
 His forces being nearly doubled by the 
 addition of Labedoyere's regiment, Buona- 
 parte fearlessly advanced towards Grenoble, 
 and at nine o'clock in the evening arrived at 
 the suburbs. The gates were shut, and the 
 ramparts were lined by the troops which com- 
 posed the garrison, whom the commandant, 
 general Marchand, was vainly exhorting to 
 resist the invader. The keys were forn^ally 
 demanded. It was answered, that Marchand | 
 had carried them away. Some little delay » 
 occurring, a tumultuous movement took place \ 
 among the troops and the inhabitants, who I 
 filled the ramparts. Buonaparte was recog- 5 
 nized at a little distance. A sudden shout ! 
 burst from every lip ; and the cannoneers i 
 \vho stood at their pieces with lishted matches, | 
 instantly extinguished them, aiid joined in ; 
 the acclamations. The engineers of Na- j 
 poleon now prepared to force the gates. | 
 They had scarcely commenced their opera- ; 
 tions, when the whole gafrisou threw down ; 
 
 their arms, trampled the white cockade under 
 foot, and, rushing to the gates, burst them 
 open. Napoleon entered Grenoble at ten 
 o'clock, amidst an immense crowd, composed 
 of the populace and the soldiers, who thronged 
 from every quarter to gaze upon his person, 
 and salute him emperor. He was greeted by 
 the mayor and civil authorities ; and general 
 Marchand was brought before him, but im- 
 mediately released. Buonaparte pressed him 
 to assume the government of the town. •' I 
 may appeal to yourself," replied the general, 
 " that I once served you faithfully ; your 
 abdication released me from my allegiance, 
 and I have since sworn fidelity to the Bour- 
 bons. Here is my sword, I can again submit 
 to become a prisoner, but I can never be a 
 traitor." 
 
 Napoleon mused for a moment. He was 
 evidently and deeply affected. "General," 
 said he, " take back your sword. You have 
 hitherto used it as a true soldier, and I respect 
 you too much to urge you now to use it in 
 any way which your conscience would dis- 
 approve. You are at liberty to depart." 
 
 On the morrow, Buonaparte gave audience 
 to the municipality and chief officers of the 
 troops. The harangue of the mayor was 
 couched in the most disgusting and servile 
 language of flattery. At ten o'clock he re- 
 viewed his troops, and then proceeded to- 
 wards Lyons ; but his progress was no 
 longer marked by that anxious rapidity which 
 had attended his first movements. He was 
 now confident of success. The treason of 
 the garrihon of Grenoble had placed him at 
 the head of an army of 10,000 men, with a 
 considerable park of artillery ; and the pre- 
 possessions in his favour were too general 
 and too decided to admit the slightest fear of 
 opposition from the people. 
 
 The first intelligence of Buonaparte's land- 
 ing in France was received at Paris on the 
 5th of March, in two telegraphic despatches, 
 the first of which described the invading 
 army as amounting to 1600 men, and the 
 second as consisting of 1000. Regular in- 
 formation had been transmitted of this mo- 
 mentous event by the prefects and magis- 
 trates of the district of the Var ; but, strange 
 to say, their letters and communications were 
 found six weeks after, unread and unopened, 
 in the bureau of the mini.ster of the home 
 department. On receiving the telegraphic
 
 CHAP. LVX] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 '911 
 
 dispatches, the dismay and astonishment of 
 the Bourbons were unbounded. I^ouis im- 
 mediately predicted tlie most fatal results. 
 His royal highness Monsieur set out in the 
 njgiit for Lyons. Couriers were dispatched 
 on all sides with orders for the troops to 
 march immediately and form an army of 
 .30,000 nien, including- 4000 cavalry. Orders 
 Mere at the same time sent that the duke 
 of Angoul^me, then at Bourdeaux, should 
 march to Rheinis with the duke of Taren- 
 tum (Macdonald) under him, and take the 
 command of the royal guard, whose number, 
 3800, was to be increased to 13,000, by the 
 accession of troops collected from the 8tl) 
 and 9th divisions. The duke de Berri, a 
 choleric and haughty individual, was likewise 
 • about'to join the army, but Macdonald and 
 St. Cyr entreated him to relinquish the de- 
 sign, assuring him that his interference would 
 be the death-warrant of his family. This 
 prince had bee^i unable to reconcile himself 
 to the generals of Buonaparte, and the for- 
 mer enemies of his house, and had rendered 
 himself unpoj)ular by some indiscreet, and 
 contemptuous language which he had used to- 
 wards the most meritorious of the marshals. 
 
 A PROCLAMATION was immediately dis- 
 patched to all the departments in which 
 Napoleon Buonaparte was declared a traitor, 
 and all the military and civil authorities, and 
 even private citizen? were required to appre- 
 hend liini, and bring him before a council of 
 war, which on proof of his identity, was to 
 punish him witli death. The same punish- 
 ment was denounced against all who accom- 
 panied or assisted his invasion, unless within 
 eight days of the date of the proclamation, 
 they sent in their submission to some military 
 or civil authority. All seditious meetings 
 and seditious language were forbidden under 
 the same penalty, and another proclamation 
 commanded the immediate assembly of the 
 two chambers. 
 
 The ambassadors of every foreign power 
 presented themselves the next morning before 
 his majesty, assured him of their attachment 
 to his interests, and expressed the most heart- 
 felt respect for his virtue and humanity in the 
 midst of tlie most arduous circumstances. 
 The municipal body of Paris assembled and 
 voted an address to the king, couched in 
 language nearly similar to that which a 
 fortnight afterwards welcomed INapoleon in 
 
 G A 
 
 language not less ardent, nor loss sincere. 
 To all appearance the tickle and unprincipled 
 populace were devoted to the king. They 
 assembled in crouds at the Thuilleries. The 
 second day after the arrival of the news, 
 Louis was overpowered by tlieir expressions 
 of grief and affection, and waving his hand 
 to demand silence, thus addressed theirr. 
 " My heart overflows with joy that my people 
 testify so much affection. I am delijihled to 
 behold my children thus surround me." 
 
 The conspirators of Paris were themselves 
 alarmed by these demonstrations. They were 
 well aware of the disaffection of the troops^ 
 and that those who were ripest for revolt, 
 had been placed on the very route which 
 Napoleon must pursue; but they were startled 
 at this unexpected display of patriotism in 
 the capital. Tlieir hopes were in some de- 
 gree revived by learning that the infamous 
 Lefebvre Desnovettes, had attempted to se- 
 duce the troops in the north, and that he had. 
 marched his regiment of chasseurs from 
 Cambray to Conipeigne, with the iniention of 
 leading them to Lyons.. Owing, however, 
 to the exertions of baron Lyons, the major 
 of the regiment, he was deserted by all his 
 troops except two officers, w ho were pursued 
 and taken. Lefebvre himself escaped and 
 joined Napoleon. 
 
 Marshal Mortier the duke of Treviso, who 
 commanded the troops stationed in the north, 
 had left Paris to return to his head-quarters 
 at Lisle, when he met on the indirect road he 
 had taken, a body of troops consistmg of 1 0,000 
 men, on their march to Paris. The astonished 
 marshal demanded whither they were march- 
 ing, and found that they had received orders 
 to advance upon Paris to save the city from 
 pillage, and rescue the king from the hands 
 of the populace. He examined the order.?, 
 perceived that they were forgeries, and justly 
 concluded that these troops were the agents 
 of a concerted plan to till Paris with regular 
 troops, to awe the national guards and the 
 populace, and to prepare for the arrival of 
 Napoleon. Without communicating his .sus- 
 picions, he ordered hissoldiers to march back 
 to their former quarters. 
 
 Monsieur and the duke of Orleans ar- 
 rived at Lyons, where they were joined by 
 marshal iSIacdonald. The majority of ihe 
 inhabitants were favourable to Napoleon, but. . 
 a strong party of royalists yet reaiained iuY 
 58 '
 
 \ 
 
 912 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXX. 
 
 the city, and the young men of the principal I prefects. He named Cambeciires minister 
 families formed themselves into a jj;uard of; of justice, Carnot of tiie interior. Fouche 
 honour, for the immediate protection of the 5 of the polico, and Davoust minister of 
 count D'Artois. On the following day the j war. He annulled all the changes which 
 troops of ti)e garrison were reviewed. To j had been made by the king in the tribunals. 
 his elaborate harangue, his own escort and ; He cashiered all the generals and otlicers 
 the guard of honor replied with acclamations 5 who had been appointed since the restoration, 
 of tJie king for ever, but the troops of the ; He exiled to the distance of thirty leagues 
 line maintanied a mournful and obstinate \ from Paris, every individual attached to the 
 silence. The eftbrts of Macdonald were « civil or military establishment of the king 
 only met by sarcastic and licentious vul- | and the princes. He re-established the im- 
 garity. Yet he was unwilling to despair. ; perial guard in all its privileges. He cou- 
 He ordered two battalions of infantry to pro- | demned to death all the princes of the house 
 ceed against the enemy who hadjust reached ; of Bourbon who might be seized on the 
 the suburb of La Guillaterie. Macdonald ; Fiench territory, and sequestrated the pro- 
 ordered two batallions of infantry to proceed i perty which had been restored to the emigrants, 
 against them, and placed himself at their | The rank of noblesse was abolished. The 
 head. As they crossed the bridge that led j white cockade, the decoration of the lily, 
 to the suburb, a reconnoitring party of the i the orders of the Holy Ghost, St. Louis, and 
 4th hussars, which had joined INapoleon at 5 St. Michael were suppressed, and the tri- 
 Grenoble, Ibllowed by a tumultuous popu- i coloured flag and cockade again adopted, 
 lace, exclaiming, " long live the emperor." > In a decree more solemn than the rest, he 
 The moment was decisive. The troops on ; suppressed the chamber of peers, dismissed 
 each side rushed forward, and exchanged | the deputies of the departments, and ordered 
 the fraternal embrace. The menaces and ; the electoral colleges of the empire to as- 
 entreaties of Macdonald were alike unheard, i semble at Paris (where he would arrive be- 
 The voice of authority was disregarded ; 5 fbre them) to frame a new constitution, and 
 they forgot their allegiance, and increased the 5 to assist at the coronation of the empress 
 army of the invader. In this moment, how- I and of the king of Rome, 
 ever, when they shamefully violated their I In the mean time marshal Soult, whose 
 allegiance, they exhibited a sentiment of ; fidelity was at least suspicious, was dismissed 
 honour, which it is pleasing to record. Mar- | from the councils of Louis, and the duke of 
 shal Macdonald was surrounded by the fdrces I Feltre (general Clarke) declared minister of 
 of Buonaparte and made prisoner. The I war. Intelligence was at this moment re- 
 troops who had deserted him no sooner per- | ceived from the south which filled the hearts 
 ceived his situation than they ilew to his I of the loyalists with transport. It was otHci- 
 rescue, conducted him safely within the | ally announced by some treacherous prefect of 
 gates, and returned to join the followers | a distant department.'that the duke of Orleans 
 of Napoleon. | had routed the advanced guard of Buonaparte 
 
 All was evidently lost, and Monsieur has- } before Lyons. The delusion was dissipated 
 tily quitted Lyons. Even the guard of honour j in a few hours by the arrival of Monsieur 
 now forsook him, and one horseman alone j himself, who reported his unsuccessful mis- 
 had sufficient courage and fidelity to attend I sion. The king was then urged to retire to 
 him. At nine in the evening Buonaparte j the northern departments or to Belgium, but 
 entered Lyons. On the next morning he | he determined to remain in the capital so 
 reviewed the whole of his army, which now ; long as a possibility remained of arresting 
 assumed a formidable appearance. He had ; the invader's progress. The marshals, the 
 now nothing to dread, and finding it expe- i national guard, the representatives of the 
 dient to halt at Lyons to refresJi his harassed | people, and the civil authorities, vied with 
 followers, he assumed the imperial state, ; each other in their ardent professions of eter- 
 and began to issue his proclamations and j nal attachment and devotion, 
 ^^crees. , ; On the 9th of March, marshal Ney has- 
 
 He first re-organized the government and \ tened to the Thuilleries, threw himself at the 
 apooiuted his ministers, counseUors, andj feet of the king, renewed his protestations
 
 CHAP LXX. 
 
 GEORGE ni. 
 
 913 
 
 of (gratitude and his oath of fidelity, and 
 besought his majesty to employ hira in the 
 " impious war" which the bri<:an(l arrived 
 from Elba had commenced. He drew his 
 sword partly from the scabbard, and pledged 
 himself on forfeiture of his head, to bring 
 Napoleon to Paris dead or alive : adding, 
 that he deserved to be brought in a cage of 
 iron. The sovereign, impressed by these as- 
 surances, received the marshal with more 
 than usual favour, accepted his oflers of ser- 
 vice, and entrusted him with the conuuand 
 of the army which was concentrated at Lons- 
 le-Saulnier. As the marshal retired from the 
 presence of the king, he exclaimed, " that will 
 be the happiest day of my life, in which I shall 
 be able to give the king a convincing proof of 
 my respectful devotion." In the honesty of 
 his heart the good monarch placed the fullest 
 confidence in the fidelity of the general, and 
 meeting madarae Ney two days afterwards, 
 he said to her with emotion, " Madame, you 
 have a husband whose loyally is equal to his 
 
 courage. 
 
 AVhen Ney arrived on the 12th of March 
 at Lons-le-Saulnier, he assembled his staff 
 and harangued them in favour of the royal 
 cause. Finding that they were undecided, 
 he renewed his efforts, but his audience 
 listened to him with impatience, and at length 
 declared that they would only fight for the 
 emperor Napoleon. The marshal retired in 
 a state of extreme agitation, and during the 
 night he was visited by some emissaries of 
 Bnonaparte, who delivered to him letters from 
 general Bertrand, replete with the boldest 
 and most infamous falsehoods : assuring him 
 that the enterprize of Napoleon was concerted 
 with the emperor of Austria, and that a 
 useless and vain resistance would expose 
 his country to the horrors of a civil war. 
 The hesitation and perplexity of the mar- 
 shal presented a striking proof that the 
 most eminent military talents are some- 
 times combined with a very low degree of 
 mental vigour. He had sworn to be faithful 
 to the king: "his country "(he said in his 
 defence) in the person of the king had ex- 
 acted that oath : but his country in the 
 person of the emperor absolved him from 
 it. This sophism led him astray, and he 
 joined the partizans of Napoleon. Previous, 
 however, to the actual commission of this act 
 of apostacy, he testified the sincerity of bis 
 
 zeal for the interests of his country and of 
 hiunanity, by the transmission of a letter to 
 Napoleon, from which the following is an 
 extract. " I am induced to join you, nei- 
 ther by respect for your character, nor at- 
 tachment to your person. You have been 
 the tyrant of my country. You have car- 
 ried destruction into every family, and des- 
 pair into the greater part. You have troubled 
 the peace of the whole world. Swear to 
 me since fate has recalled you, that you 
 will employ the future in repairing the evils 
 that you have brought on France. Swear 
 that you will live for the happiness of the 
 people. I charge \ou to take up arms for 
 this purpose alone, to preserve our country 
 from invasion and dismemberment, and never 
 again to pass our natural limits, to attempt 
 useless and fatal conquests. On these con- 
 ditions I eonsent to join you, to preserve 
 my country from the agonizing struggles 
 with which it is menaced." On tlie suc- 
 ceeding day he published the following 
 proclamation. 
 
 " ORDER OF THE DAY." 
 
 Marshal, prince of Moskwa, to the troops 
 under his command. 
 
 Officers, subalterns, and soldiers. 
 
 The cause of the Bourbons is for ever lost. 
 The legitimate dynasty which the French 
 nation adopted is about to reascend the 
 throne ; to the emperor Napoleon, our sove- 
 reign, it alone belongs to reign over our fine 
 country. Of what consequence is it to us. 
 whether the noblesse of the Bourbons again 
 expatriate themselves, or consent to live in 
 the midst of us ? The sacied cause of liberty 
 and of our independence will no longer suffer 
 under their fatal influence. They wished to 
 degrade our military glory ; but they have 
 been deceived. That glory is the fruit of at- 
 tempts too noble to permit us ever to lose its 
 remembrance. 
 
 " Soldiers — Those times are"^ gone by 
 when the people were governed by the suffo- 
 cation of their rights : at length liberty tri- 
 umphs ; and Napoleon, onr august em peror> 
 is about to contirm it for ever. Hereafter 
 shall that noble cause be ours, and that of 
 all Frenchmen ! A truth so grand nmsl 
 penetrate llie hearts of 'liose brave men that; 
 I have the honour to cominaud 1 
 6 A 2 
 
 / 
 
 /
 
 914 
 
 HfSTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 " Soldiers— 1 have often led you to vic^ 
 tory ; now I lead you to join that immortal 
 phalanx with which the emperor Napoleon 
 approaches Paris, and which will be here 
 within a few days, and then our hopes and 
 our happiness will be for ever realized, — 
 Vive i'empereur. 
 
 (Signed) Prince of Moskwa, 
 
 Marshal of the empire. 
 Lons-le-Smdnier, March \3th, 1815." 
 
 The prince of EssHng, (marshal Massena,) 
 w^ho commanded the department in which 
 Napoleon landed, published at Marseilles, 
 on the 9th, a proclamation, M'hich was cal- 
 culated to impress the world with the belief, ! 
 that there had been no previous correspond- 
 ence or co-operatfon between him and the 
 invader ; and, that he had by no means con- 
 nived either at his landing or progress. 
 
 " Inhabitants of the town of Marseilles. — 
 The enemy has passed with too great ra- 
 pidity over the frontiers of my government 
 to admit of his being opposed ; but I have 
 given information in sufficient time to all the 
 authorities who can stop him in his march. 
 
 " Every measure of precaution which cir- 
 cumstances prescribed, has been taken by 
 me ; I have written to the governor-general 
 of Lyons, to the lieutenant-general of the 7th 
 division, to the prefect of the Drome ; I have 
 ordered a pursuit even beyond the limits of 
 the 8th division, the corps disembarked from 
 the island of Elba, by a lieutenant-general, 
 who has not only sutficient force in troops 
 of the line, but also detachments of the brave 
 national guards of the towns of Marseilles, 
 Aix, and Aries, and who has received orders 
 to call to his assistance all those whom he may 
 stand in need of. 
 
 " The measures which I have advised have 
 had all the success which could be expected 
 from them. 
 
 *' They have prevented the enemy from 
 finding on his passage the auxiliaries on whom 
 he reckoned. 
 
 " I AM already officially informed that the 
 
 [chap. LX\. 
 
 debouches of the Val, Drome, and the valley 
 of Nyons are guarded. 
 
 " That a correspondence has been es- 
 tablished between Gap and Valence by the 
 mountains of the Diois, to direct the troops 
 according to occurrences. 
 
 " All these dispositions ought to tranquil- 
 lize you. 
 
 " On the other hand, I shall see that the 
 tranquillity of the peaceful citizen is not 
 troubled, and I can assure you, that, seconded 
 by the raarejuis d'Albertas, your prefect, and 
 your other magistrates, I shall be able to pre- 
 serve it in its integrity. 
 
 " Inhabitants of Marseilles, — You may 
 reckon on my zeal, and an my devotion. 
 I have sworn fidelity to our legitimate king. 
 I shall never deviate from the path of honour. 
 I am ready to shed all my blood for the sup- 
 port of his throne. 
 
 "The marshal of France, duke di 
 Rivoli, governor of the 8th military 
 division. 
 
 " Prince D'Essling." 
 
 Marseilles, March 9th, 1815. 
 
 This hypocritical proclamation must have 
 been calculated to inspire the friends of the 
 Bourbon cause with no little confidence. 
 In addition to this, the duke of Belluno, 
 (marshal Victor,) in an order of the day, an- 
 nouncing to his troops at Sedan the arrival 
 of Buonaparte, made use of the following 
 words : 
 
 " All Frenchmen will be ready, if neces- 
 sary, to repel their enemy, the man who has 
 tyrannized over, desolated, and betrayed 
 France during twelve years, as well as the 
 satellites assisting in his robberies. It is 
 the national honour, the king, the constitu- 
 tional charter, and the country, which must 
 be defended. Soldiers, your sentiments are 
 known to me, and if we are called to assist 
 
 ' M 
 
 in the destruction of the factious, we shall 
 fulfil our duty, our oaths, and our august 
 and good king will be satisfied with our ser- 
 vices."
 
 .-.A^.J'uf'rihi-X tf^-X —
 
 ■I'
 
 CHAPTER LXXI. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1815.] 
 
 £uonaparles reception at Melun — His triumphant entry into Paris — Declaration of Congress — - 
 Letter of Napoleon to he Allied Monarch s — He arranoes the plan of a new Constitution 
 atid assembles a Field of May — Sanctions the liberty of the Press, 
 
 THE number of national guards, volun- 
 teers, and other troops collected at 
 Melun to oppose the progress of Buonaparte, 
 was no less than 100,000 men. The best 
 spirit seemed to prevail amongst them. They 
 appeared devoted to the cause of the king, 
 and eager to meet and repel the invader. A 
 powerful artillery strengthened their jiositions. 
 Relying on their numbers, they had left the 
 town, the rocks, and the forest of Foiitaine- 
 bleau unguarded, preferring the flat plains 
 of Melun, where the whole of the army 
 might act at once against the comparatively 
 small band of the invader. On the 19th, 
 Buonaparte reached and occupied Fontaine- 
 bleau, without the least opposition He had 
 with him at the time only 15,000 veteran 
 troops, but other divisions were following 
 his course, or advancing to support his right 
 am:! left flanks on parallel lines of march 
 
 Ney, whose corps had been 
 to 30,000 men, had previously communicated 
 to the court a declaration signed by the 
 whole army under his command, both oflicers 
 and privates, in which they stated that they 
 respected him too much to deceive him ; that 
 they would not tight for Louis XVHI, but 
 that they would shed all their blood for 
 Napoleon the great. This declaration did 
 not entirely extinguish the hopes of the 
 Bourbons. They still relied on the good dis- 
 position of the troops at Melun, and blinded 
 
 augmented 
 
 by the addresses sent up by many garrisons 
 and provinces at the very moment of their 
 defection, still believed that their cause would 
 be espoused by the nation as its own. Early 
 on the morning of Monday the 20th of March, 
 preparations were made on both sides for 
 the expected encounter. The French army 
 was drawn up in etages on three lines, the 
 intervals and the flanks armed with batteries 
 The centre occupied the Paris road. The 
 ground from Fontainebleau to Melun is a 
 continual declivity, so that on emerging from 
 the forest, the traveller has a clear view of 
 the country before bin), while those below 
 can easily descry whatever appears on the 
 eminence. An awful silence broken only 
 by peals of martial music, intended to confirm 
 the loyalty of the troops by repeating the 
 loyal airs of Vive Henri Quatre, and La 
 Belle Gahrielle, or by the voice of the com- 
 manders and tlie march of the divisions to 
 their appointe<l ground, pervaded the king's 
 arn)y. xVll was anxious expectation : the 
 chiefs were conscious that a moment would 
 decide the fate of the Bourbon dynasty; 
 and the troops impressed with a secret awe, 
 at the thought of meeting in hostility with the 
 men whom they had been accustomed to obey. 
 On the side of Fontainebleau no sound as 
 of an army rushing to battle was heard. If the 
 enemy were advancing, his troops evidently 
 moved in silence. Perhaps his heart had failed'
 
 916 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 him, and he had retreated during- tlie night. 
 Jf so, France was saved, and Enrope free. 
 At lengtli a light trampling of horses became 
 audible. It approached. An open carriage, 
 attended by a few hnssars and dragoons, ap- 
 peared on the skirts of the forest. It drove 
 down the hills with the rapidity of lightning : 
 it reached the advanced posts, — " Long live 
 the en)peror," burst from the astonished 
 soldiery. " Napoleon ! Napoleon the Great," 
 spread from rank to rank ; for, bareheaded, 
 .Bertrand seated at his right, and Drouet at 
 his left. Napoleon continued his course, 
 iiow waving his hand, now opening his arms 
 to the soldiers, whom he called " his friends, 
 his companions in arms, whose honour, whose 
 glories, whose country, he now came to 
 restore." All discipline was forgotten, dis- 
 obeyed, and insulted : the commanders-in- 
 chief took to flight : thousands rushed on 
 his passage : acclamations rent the sky. At 
 that instant his own guard descended the 
 hill, the imperial march was played, the eagles 
 were once more exhibited ; and those, whose 
 deadly weapons were to have aimed at each 
 other's hfe, embraced as brothers, and joined 
 in universal shouts. In the midst of these 
 greetings, Napoleon passed through the 
 whole of the royal army, pursuing his course 
 to Paris, and arrived at eight o'clock in the 
 evening at the Thnilleries. It was not till 
 the next morning that his arrival was gene- 
 rally known. His own troops were left at 
 Foiitainebleau. 
 
 On the morning of this day, (March 20th,) 
 It was known in Paris that Louis XVIII. 
 had left his capital at midnight, and the 
 Boulevards were crowded by thousands of 
 the lower classes, who assembled to witness 
 the entrance of Buonaparte ; but he eluded 
 their vigilance, and entered his palace in dis- 
 guise, after dismissing the 20 infantry, by 
 whom he was attended. 
 
 The representatives of the European powers 
 assembled in congress at Vienna, had con- 
 cluded their deliberations. The continental 
 hionarchs had arranged the various territories 
 on which each was to seize and annex to his 
 dominions. The four principal powers had 
 gained as much as the jealousy or the policy 
 of their neighbours would permit them to 
 appropriate to themselves ; and the sove- 
 reigns hud announced their departure for 
 their respective capitals, when information 
 
 fciIAP. LXXI. 
 
 of the landing of Buonaparte at Frejiis un- 
 expectedly clouded their self-satisfaction, and 
 disturbed their complacency. The intelli- 
 gence that he bad quitted Elba arrived on 
 the 7th of March at Vienna; and four days 
 of anxiety and suspense passed over before 
 they learned his real destination. They then 
 determined by some prompt and unequivocal 
 manifesto, to declare the line of policy which 
 it became necessary to pursue ; and on the 
 13th the following manifesto was published, 
 
 " The powers who have signed the treaty 
 of Paris, assembled at the congress of Vienna, 
 being informed of the escape of Napoleon 
 Buonaparte, and of his entrance into France 
 with an armed force, owe it to their own dig- 
 nity, and the interest of social order, to make 
 a solemn declaration of the sentiments which 
 this event has excited in them. — By thus 
 breaking the convention which has established 
 him in the island of Elba, Buonaparte 
 destroys the only legal title on which his 
 existence depended — by appearing again in 
 France with projects of confusion and dis- 
 order, he has deprived himself of the protec- 
 tion of the law, and has manifested to the 
 universe, that there can be neither peace nor 
 truce with him. — The powers consequently 
 declare, that Napoleon Buonaparte has 
 placed himself without the pale of civil and 
 social relations ; and that, as an enemy and 
 disturber of the tranquillity of the world, he 
 has rendered himself liable to public ven- 
 geance. — They declare at the same time, 
 that firmly resolved to maintain entire the 
 treaty of Paris of the 30th of May, 1814, and 
 the dispositions sanctioned by that treaty, 
 and those which they have resolved on, or 
 shall hereafter resolve on, to complete and to 
 consolidate it, they will employ all their 
 means, and will unite all their efforts ; that 
 the general peace, the object of the wishes of 
 Europe, and the constant purpose of their 
 labours, may not again be troubled ; and to 
 guarantee against every attempt which shall 
 threaten to plunge the world into the dis- 
 orders and miseries of revolutions. — And al- 
 though entirely persuaded that all France, 
 rallying round its legitimate sovereign, will 
 iujuiediately annihilate this last atteu)pt of 
 a criminal and impotent delirium ; all the 
 sovereigns of Enrope, animated by the sani^ 
 sentiments, and guided by the same prin-
 
 CHAP. LXX.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 917 
 
 ciples, declare that if, contrary to all calcu- 
 lations, tljere should result from this event 
 any real diini2;er, they will be ready to give 
 to the king of France, and to the French na- 
 tion, or to any other goveriinieut that shall 
 be attacked, as soon as they shall be called 
 upon, all the assistance requisite to restore 
 public tranquillity, and to make a cominon 
 cause against all those who should under- 
 take to compromise it.— Tlie present decla- 
 ration inserted in the register of the congress 
 assembled at Vienna, on the 13th of March, 
 1815, shall be made public. 
 
 " Done and attested l)y the plenipoten- \ 
 tiaries of the high powers who signed the 
 treaty of Paris. Vienna, l3th of March, 1815. 
 Austria. — Prince MetternicJi, baron 
 
 Wissenberg. 
 France. — Prince Talleyrand, duke of 
 Dalberg, Latourdu Pin, count Alexis 
 and Noailles. 
 Great Britain. — Wellington, Claucarty 
 
 Cathcart, and Stewart. 
 Portugal. — Count Pamella Saldonha 
 
 Lobs. 
 Prussia. — Prince Hardenberg, baron 
 
 Humboldt. 
 Russia. — Count Rasumowsky, count 
 
 Stacekelberg, count Nes.selrode. 
 Spain. — P. Gomez Labrador. 
 Sweden. — Lafmenhelm. 
 
 The return of Buonaparte to France at 
 the head of an arnjed force, had annulled all 
 the rights which had bee-ii given him by the 
 treaty of Fontainebleau, and had again placed 
 him in a state of hostility with the confederate 
 powers. Nor was the zeal of the allied po- 
 tentates confined to mere declarations. On 
 the very evening that intelligence of the land- 
 ing of Buonaparte arrived at Vienna, a courier 
 was despatched by the emperor Alexander 
 to St. Petersburgh, to .order the immediate 
 inarch of the imperial guard ; and soon after- 
 wards messengers were sent to the dominions 
 of all the princes, with instructions to com- 
 mence the most active operations, and to 
 march every disposable soidier to the frontiers 
 of France. 
 
 At this moment an event occurred which 
 caused considerable sensation. Several per- 
 sons arrived in the villages near Schoenbrunn, 
 the residence of the infant IVapoleon, the 
 young king of Rome. Among these was 
 
 count Montesquieu, a near relative of the 
 governor of the child. He gained admit- 
 tance to the interior of the palace, under the 
 pretence of visiting his aunt, and attempted, 
 by corrupting some of the domestics, to carry 
 off the son of Maria Louisa. The time was 
 appointed, and the carriages were in waiting, 
 when the plan was rendered abortive by the 
 prying curiosity of the waiting maid, who 
 listened to the conversation of the con- 
 spirators. She immediately, hastened to 
 the imperial palace with the important in- 
 formation. But the police had been pre- 
 viously informed of the whole plot, and suf- 
 fered it to proceed to the last moment, that 
 they might secure all the accomplices. At 
 the very moment wheii a maid, attended by 
 one of the chief conspirators, was ascending 
 the steps of the carriage with the little Na 
 poleon in her arms, the officers appeared, 
 and the whole band was arrested. The 
 scheme was evidently planned, that the infant 
 might be sent to Paris, as a pledge for the 
 conduct of Maria Louisa, and of her father. 
 On the iSth of March, the following treaty 
 was entered into by the allied powers. 
 
 His majesty the king of the United King- 
 dom of Great Britaiii and Ireland, and hiii 
 majesty the king iif Prussia, having taken 
 into consideration the consequences which 
 the invasion of France by Napoleon Buona- 
 parte, and the actual situation of that king- 
 dom may produce, with respect to the safety 
 of Europe, have resolved, in conjimction 
 with their majesties the emperors of Russia 
 and Austria, to apply to that important cir- 
 cumstance the principles consecrated by the 
 treaty of Chaumont. 
 
 We have consequently resolved to renew, 
 by a solemn treaty, signed separately by 
 each of the four powers, with each of the 
 three others, the engagement to preserve 
 against every attack, the order of things so 
 happily established in Europe, and to deter- 
 mine on the most efTectual means of fulfilling 
 that engagement, as well as giving it all the 
 extension which the present circumstances so 
 imperiously call for. 
 
 I. The high contracting parties above- 
 mentioned, solemidy engage to unite the re- 
 sources of their respective states for the pur- 
 pose of maintaining entire, the conditions of 
 the treaty of peace concluded at Paris tha 
 
 .7
 
 918 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [CIIAP. LXXI. 
 
 30th of May, 1814 ; as also the stipulations 
 deleimined upon and signed at the con- 
 gress of Vienna, with the view to complete 
 the dispositions of that treaty, to preserve 
 them against all infringement, and particu- 
 larly against the designs of Napoleon Buona- 
 parte. For this purpose they engage in the 
 spirit of the declaration of the 1.3th of March 
 Jast, to direct in common and with one ac- 
 cord, should the case require it, all their 
 efforts against him, and against all those who 
 may have already joined his faction, or shall 
 hereafter join it, in order to force him to de- 
 sist from his projects, and to render him 
 iinal)le to disturb in future, the tranquillity 
 of Europe, and the general peace ; under the 
 protection of which the rights, the liberty, 
 and the independence of nations had recently 
 been placed and secured. 
 
 II. Although the means destined for the 
 attainment of so great and salutary an ob- 
 ject, ought not to be subjected to limitation ; 
 and although the high contracting parties 
 are resolved to devote thereto all those 
 means which in their respective situations 
 they are enabled to dispose of, they have 
 nevertheless agreed to keep constantly in the 
 field, each, a force of 150,000 men, complete, 
 including cavalry, in the proportion of at 
 least one tenth, and a just proportion of ar- 
 tillery, not reckoning garrisons ; and to em- 
 ploy the same actively and conjointly, against 
 the common enemy. 
 
 III. The high contracting parties recipro- 
 cally engage not to lay down their arms but 
 by common consent, nor before the object 
 of the war designated by the tirst article of 
 the present treaty, shall have been attained, 
 nor until Buonaparte shall have been ren- 
 dered absolutely unable to create disturb- 
 ance, and to renew his attempts to possess 
 himself of the supreme power in France. 
 
 ,-IV. The present treaty being principally 
 applicable to present circumstances, the sti- 
 pulations of the treaty of Chaumont, and 
 particularly those contained in the Kjth ar- 
 ticle of that treaty, shall be again in force as 
 soon as the object actually in view shall have 
 been attained. 
 
 V. Whatever relates to the command of 
 the combined armies, to supplies, &c. shall 
 be regulated by a particular convention. 
 
 VI. The high contracting parties shall be 
 allowed respectively to accredit lo the gene- 
 
 rals commanding their armies, officers who 
 shall have the liberty of corresponding with 
 their governments for the purpose of giving 
 information of military events, and of every 
 thing relating to the operations of the armies. 
 
 VII. The engagements entered into by 
 the present treaty having for their object the 
 maintenance of a general peace, the high con- 
 tracting parties invite all the powers of Eu- 
 rope to accede to them. 
 
 VIII. The present treaty having no other 
 end in view but to support France, or any 
 other country which may be invaded, against 
 the enterprises of Buonaparte and his ad- 
 herents, his most Christian majesty shall 
 be specially invited to accede to it ; and in 
 the event of his majesty requiring the forces 
 stipulated in the second article, be requested 
 to make known what assistance circum- 
 stances will enable him to bring forward in 
 furtherance of the object of the present treaty. 
 
 Separate Article. As circumstances 
 might prevent his majesty the king of the 
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire- 
 land from keeping constantly in the field the 
 number of troops specified in the second 
 article, it is agreed that his Britannic majesty 
 shall have the option either of furnishing his 
 contingent in men, or of paying at the rate 
 of £30 sterling per annum, for each cavalry 
 soldier, and £20 per annum for each infantry 
 soldier, that may be wanting to complete the 
 number stipulated in the second article. 
 
 The eighth article of the treaty which in- 
 vited the accession of the king of France, 
 seemed to include a determination on' the 
 part of the allies to reinstate the Bourbons 
 on the throne ; and to obviate the suspicion 
 of any intention to dictate to the French 
 people any particular form of government, 
 the prince regent of England, when he 
 transmitted the ratification of the treaty to 
 Frankfort, accompanied it by the following 
 wise and honourable 
 
 DECLARATION. 
 
 " The undersigned, on the exchange of the 
 ratifications of the treaty of the 25th of March 
 last, on the part of his court, is hereby com- 
 manded to declare that the 8th article of the 
 said treaty, vvherein his most Chri-stian majesty 
 is invited to accede under certain stipulations, 
 is to be understood as binding the contract-
 
 u
 
 CHAP. LXVIII.] 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 J)19 
 
 ing parties on pnncipliis of mutual security 
 to a common eft'ort against the power of 
 Napoleon Buonaparte, in pursuance of the 
 third article of the treaLy, hut is not to i)e 
 uiulerstood as binding his Britannic majesty 
 to prosecute the war, with the view of im- 
 posing on France any particular form of 
 government. 
 
 However solicitous the prince regent must 
 be to see his most Chrintian majesty restored 
 to the throne, and however anxious he is to 
 contribute in conjunction with his allies 
 to so auspicious an event, he nevertheless 
 feels himself called upon to make this de- 
 claration, on the exchange of the ratitications, 
 as well in consideration of what is due to 
 his most Christian majesty's interests in 
 France, as in conformity to the principles on 
 ■which the British go\eriimei)t has invariably 
 regulated its conduct." 
 
 Well assured that the liberality and pro- 
 fusion of the British ntition would be com- 
 mensurate with the present emergency, the 
 exertions of the continental powers were 
 unbounded. Every road was thronged with 
 troops hastening by forced marches to the 
 Sambre and the Rhine, One corps followed 
 another in endless succession, and the whole 
 population of Europe seemed to have risen 
 HI arms, to overwhelm and destroy the dis- 
 turber of their peace. The congress was 
 removed from Vienna to Frankfort, a city 
 conveniently situated near the probable thea- 
 tre of war. 
 
 A FEW days subsequent to bis entrance 
 into Paris, Napoleon assembled the soldiers 
 M'ho had remained, and addressed them in 
 a speech replete with invectives against his 
 enemies, and assurances of restoring the 
 glory of France, and of the military character. 
 He told them that he had only landed with 
 <JjOO men, because he had relied on the af- 
 fection of his people, and on the remembrance 
 of his old soldiery : that he had not been 
 disappointed ; that he (hanked them ; and 
 that this newly acquired glory belonged to 
 them and to the people. His address to the 
 troops was followed up bj an appeal to the 
 nation at. large, in which he ascribed to the 
 confederates, intentions the most pacific, and 
 attempted to prove that with the exception 
 of Prussia, their various interests would 
 prevent their interference with the aflairs of 
 France, While these representations were 
 
 G B 
 
 j assiduously circulated in all the public jour- 
 nals, and through the mediu'.n of ail the 
 emissaries of the departments, a decree of 
 the congress dated the 13th of March, arrived 
 and put to flight these airy visions of peace, 
 by intelligence that the empress and her son - 
 were detained at Schenbrunn. Napoleon 
 now appeared before his ministers and coun- 
 cil, convicted of falsehood. The ministers 
 had reason to complain that by a system of 
 wilful delusion he had committed their per- 
 sonal safety, and demanded as the condition 
 of their fidelity, that he should immediately 
 submit to the articles of a new constitution, 
 by which the monarchy should be strictly 
 limited. In order to evade their importuni- 
 ties, Buonaparte consented to assemble at a 
 Field of May, in which the electors of the 
 departments should recognize his title to the 
 
 i throne, and adjust the restrictions on the ex- 
 ercise of the sovereign power. 
 
 On the 24th of March, J.ouis arrived at 
 Ostend, completely enfeebled by anxiety, 
 disease, and fatigue, three weeks alter the 
 duke and duchess of Angouleme had en- 
 tered Bourdeaux. The inhabitants of the 
 maritime towns had sufJ'ered the most severely 
 by the protracted wars of the revolution, and 
 they therefore welcomed the return of the 
 Bourbons with the utmost enthusiasm. The 
 duke had lately visited all the southern 
 provinces, and harl inspected the fortifications 
 of Bourdeaux, and on his second arrival, a 
 fete was given to him and the duchess by 
 the principal merchants. In the midst of 
 the festivities, a courier arrived with dis- 
 patches for the duke, containing the fearful 
 intelligence of the landing of Napolton. His 
 royal highness was unwilling to damp the 
 public joy, and concealed the purjiort of 
 liis letters, but quitted the city at midnight. 
 In the morning the duchess connuunicated 
 the news to the magistrates, and on the 
 following day all the civil and military au- 
 thorities came uninvited, to ofler their protes- 
 tations of attachment and renew their oaths 
 of fidelity. But, as the progress of the em- 
 peror became known, theardourof the troops 
 gradually subsided, and though the citizens 
 glorietl in their loyally, the cries of sedition 
 resounded from the barracks. The com- 
 mandant of the fort of Blaye, an im|iori?uit 
 outpost, openly defied the con-minds, am 
 
 ' refused the solicitations of the pnncess B 
 59 
 
 ^ /
 
 920 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 ,CHAP. LXXI- 
 
 her orders, a corps of troops was sent to 
 the fort sufficient to occupy it for a sliort 
 time, if admitted, but too weak to attempt the 
 reduction of the place should they be re- 
 fused admittance, which proved to be the case. 
 They then returned peaceably to Bourdeaux. 
 The insagacity and humanity of the duchess 
 D'Antjoidenie in sendinc; so weak a detach- 
 ment, probably prevented the destruction of 
 he city. Encouraged by the active exertions 
 of M. Laisnes the mayor, the duchess re- 
 doubled her efforts to inspire the Bordelese 
 witii loyalty, and to place the town in a pos- 
 ture of defence. The troops of general Clausel 
 now approached. The duchess summoned 
 the governor in great haste, and willing to 
 spare the town from the horrors of assault, 
 declfared her resolution to march out at the 
 head of the garrison and attack the foe. 
 She ordered a general to conduct her to the 
 Chateau de Trompette, with the purpose of 
 exciting the troops to rally round her in that 
 commanding situation. The general hesitated, 
 observing that she would be in danger. " 1 
 do not ask you " said she, " if there would 
 be any danger, I only order you to conduct 
 me. She rode up to a circle of officers on 
 the Esplanade, whom she harangued, exhort- 
 ing them to fidelity, and to the renewal of their 
 oaths, in presence of the enemy. Observing 
 their coldness and hesitation, she exclaimed, 
 1 see your fears, you are cowards, I absolve 
 you from the oaths already taken ;" and 
 turning her horse she left them, and imme- 
 diately embarked on board an English fri- 
 gate. The inhabitants of Bourdeaux fol- 
 lowed her to the shore, with lamentations and 
 with tears. She gave to the populace her 
 snawl, her gloves, and the feathers of her 
 hat, which were cut into shreds and distri- 
 buted among the crowd. After her departure, 
 general Clausel entered the town. 
 f The expedition of the duke of Angou- 
 leme to the south of France, after the unfor- 
 tunate occurrences at Bourdeaux, were for 
 a while successful ; he collected an army of 
 6000 men, and in his first encounters with 
 the troops of Buonaparte, obtained consider- 
 able advantages. But the loyalty of his 
 soldiers was soon seduced, he was betrayed 
 by his confidential officers, and was con- 
 strained to surrender to general Gilly. His 
 force was sufficiently respectable to ensure 
 honourable conditions. An universal amnesty 
 
 was granted. The lives and property of his 
 followers were secured, and the duke re- 
 ceived safe convoy to Cette, where he was 
 to embark for Spain or England. He had 
 scarcely set out on his journey, when general 
 Grouchy arrived, and assumed the chief com- 
 mand of Napoleon's army. Imagining that 
 the former commander had exceeded his 
 powers, he would not permit the duke to 
 proceed to his place of destination, and dis- 
 patched a courier to Paris for instructions. 
 Buonaparte could not refuse to accede to 
 the terms granted by general Gilly without 
 incurring the utmost opprobiium, and in his 
 present critical situation, he was not unwil- 
 ling, by performing an act of simple justice, 
 to claim that praise which he had seldom 
 been ambitious of deserving, the praise of 
 clemency. In his orders to Grouchy on this 
 subject he says, "the ordonnatice of the 
 king dated March the 6th, and the declara- 
 tion signed by his ministers on the f3th 
 at Vienna, might authorize me to treat the 
 duke of Angoul6me as that ordonnance and 
 that declaration proposed to treat me and my 
 family ; but adhering to the views which ia- 
 ducefl me to order that the niembers of the 
 Bourbon family should be permitted to leave 
 France freely, my intention is, that you should 
 give orders for conducting the duke of 
 Angouleme to Cette, where he shall be em- 
 barked, and that you watch over his safety 
 and protect him from all bad treatment. 
 You will merely take care to recover the 
 money which has been removed from the 
 public chests, and to require the duke of 
 Angoul^me to bind liimself to the restitution 
 of the crown diamonds, which are the pro- 
 perty of the nation. You will also make 
 known to him the enactments of the laws 
 of the national assembly, which are renewed, 
 and which apply to the members of the fa- 
 mily of Bourbon who may enter the French 
 territory." The laws thus mentioned subject 
 the Bourbon family to the punishment of 
 death, if they pass the boundaries of F'rance. 
 
 On the second of April, he issued a justi- 
 ficatory manifesto, of which the following is 
 an abstract divested of its verbiage. 
 
 The treaty of Fontainebleau has been 
 
 violated by the allied powers, and the house 
 
 of Bourbon, in what respects the emperor 
 
 Napoleon and his family, and in what res- 
 
 j pects the interests and the rights of the French
 
 CHAP. LXXJ.J 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 921 
 
 rialioii. He profluces eis^ht instances to siip- 
 po;t his accusation, of which the principal 
 are the following: — 1. The empress Maria 
 Louisa and her son were to obtain passports, 
 an(i an escort, to repair to the emperor; but 
 far from performing their promise, the hus- 
 band and wife, father and son, were separated 
 under painful circumstances, when the firmest 
 mind has occasion to seek consolation and 
 support in family and domestic affections. — 
 3. The duchies of Parma and Placentia were 
 given in full property to Maria Louisa, for 
 herself, her son, and her descendants. After 
 a long refusal to put her in possession, the 
 injustice was completed by a complete spo- 
 liation, under the illusory pretext of an ex- 
 change, without valuation, proposition, or 
 sovereignty, and without her consent. — 4. 
 Eugene, the adopted son of Napoleon, was 
 to have obtained a suitable establishment 
 out of France ; but he has had nothing. — 7. 
 Napoleon was to have received 2,000,000, 
 and his family 2,500,000 francs per annum. 
 The French government has constantly re- 
 fused to discharge its engagements ; and 
 Napoleon would have soon been obliged to 
 disband his faithful guards for want of the 
 means of paying them, had he not found an 
 honourable resource in the coiidnot of some 
 bankers and merchants of Genoa and Italy, 
 who advanced 12,000,000, which they had 
 offered to hira." 
 
 The statements and animadversion con- 
 tained in the preceding document piesent a 
 singular contrast to the subdued and con- 
 ciliating tone adopted in the subjoined state- 
 papers. 
 
 Letter to the Sovereigns of Europe. 
 " Sire, my brother — You have, no doubt, 
 learnt in the course of the last month, my re- 
 turn to France, my entrance into Paris, and 
 the departure of the family of the Bourbons. 
 The true nature of those events niust now be 
 made known to your majesty. They are the 
 results of an irresistible power, the results of 
 the unanimous wishes of a great nation which 
 knows its duties and its rights. The dynasty 
 wliich force had given to the French people 
 ■was not fitted for it : the Bourbons neither 
 associated with the national sentiments nor 
 manners — France has therefore separated 
 herself from them : her voice called for a ; 
 
 liberator : the hopes which induced me to 
 make the greatest sacrifices for her, have 
 been deceived : I came ; and from the spot 
 where I first set my foot, the love of rpy people 
 has borne me into the heart of my capital. — 
 The first wish of my heart is, to repay so 
 much affection by the maintenance of an 
 honourable jjeace. The restoration of the 
 imperial throne was necessary for the happi- 
 ness of tlie French people. It is my sin- 
 cerest desire to render it at the same time sub- 
 servient to the maintenance of the repose of 
 Europe. Enough of glory has shone by turns 
 on the colours of the various nations. The 
 vicissitudes of fortune have often enough 
 occasioned great reverses, followed by great 
 success. — A more brilliant arena is now 
 open to sovereigns, and I am the first to 
 descend into it. After having presented to 
 the world the spectacle of great battles, it 
 will be more delightful to know no other 
 rivalship in future, but that resulting from 
 the advantages of peace, and no other strug- 
 gle but the sacred one of felicity for our peo- 
 ple. — France has been pleased to proclaim 
 with candour this noble object of her unani- 
 mous wish. Jealous of her independence, 
 the invariable principle of her policy will be 
 the most rigid respect for the independence 
 of other nations : if such then, as I trust 
 they are, are the personal sentiments of your 
 majesty, general tranquillity is secured for 
 a long time to come ; and justice, se'ated oq 
 the confines of the various states, will, of 
 herself, be sufficient to guard the frontiers. 
 
 Napoleon. 
 
 The proclamations and declarations of 
 the allied powers were secretly circulated 
 throughout France by the counsellors of 
 Buonaparte themselves, in the hope that by 
 reducing him to a state of dependence on 
 the opinion of the people, he might be com- 
 pelled to surrender many sovereign preroga- 
 tives. His counsel chamber became the 
 scene of vehement contention, and he was 
 at length induced to conciliate the attach- 
 ment of the council of state, by a solemn 
 promise to abide by their wishes and advice 
 in the formation of a new constitution. Having 
 thus divided their strength, and lulled their 
 suspicion, he took advantage of their apatliy, 
 tied from the Thuilleries, seized possessior 
 of the impregnable palais Bourbon, 
 6 b 2 
 
 ■</
 
 922 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXXI. 
 
 rouurled by a body of bis guard, and pub- | cellor, tbat the new constitution was ac- 
 hshed the outline of a new constitution of ; cepted by an almost unanimous concurrence 
 hif? own arrangement, under the title of j of votes. This was succeeded by a discourse 
 " an additional" act." Independent of the | of the emperor, after which, he signed the 
 arbitrary doctrines it contained, the mode \ additional act, to which he swore upon the 
 of promulgation without the sanction of any > Evangelists to adhere. After taking the oath, 
 public body, was evidently dangerous to 5 Napoleon descended from his throne, threw 
 national freedom : the people, who had been | aside his raanteau, and, advancing towards 
 elated by hopes of the most sanguine kind, | the middle of the Champ de Mars, distributed 
 witnessed the publication of so arbitrary a I his eagles to the troops of the line and the 
 document with aversion, and waited with im- 5 national guard as they passed before him, 
 patience an opportunity to express their dis- $ and swore to defend their colours. The air 
 approbation in the treld of May, which '.ad \ was then filled with the sounds, ten thousand 
 now been transferred to the first of June, ; times repeated, of You swear! We sicear ! 
 But Napoleon was well aware of the dangers | The ceremony l)eing ended, the people re- 
 tha.t might arise from the assemblage of a > turned to their homes, having found what was 
 deliberating mass of 20,000 to 30,000 citizens, x meant by the Field of May. On the Sunday 
 It was declared that no travelling expenses ^ following, the emperor, in conformity with 
 should be granted to the electors, and that \ the ceremonials of the new constitution, went 
 the constitutional act should not be discussed. ' in high military pomp to instal the legislature. 
 Votes were taken at the town-houses and ; which immediately elected M. Lanjuinais, 
 other places under the influence of the em- • an individual peculiarly obnoxious to Buo- 
 peror, instead of personal attendance ; and \ naparte, to tlie presidentship of the chamber 
 all mayors, municipal officers, and other in- \ of representatives. Notwithstanding the 
 dividuals obnoxious to B'uonaparte, were de- 1 chagrin occasioned by this circumstance, 
 prived of their official stations. After these \ he complacently expedited all his civil adairs, 
 arrangements had been made, a spacious j such as the installation of his chambers of 
 temporary amphitheatre was erected in the j commons and of peers ; informed them that 
 Champ de Mars; and the sloping banks which $ his first duty called him to meet the formi- 
 rise around it were crowded with people. | dable coalition of emperors and kings that 
 Its immense plain was filled with cavalry. ; threatened their independence, and that the 
 An altar was placed opposite the throne, J army and himself would acquit themselves 
 which was erected in the amphitheatre. | well : recommending to them the destinies 
 Here the votes collected from the depart- ! of France, his own personal safety, and, above 
 ments or given by the electors present, were ; all, the liberty of the press. When the cere- 
 cast up, and formally proclaimed, but un- i monials were completed, Buonaparte, smiling 
 accompanied by the slighest evidence of their J within himself at his reshackled slaves, set 
 Talidity. Napoleon arrived at one o'clock, i oft" for the frontiers. The prize which was 
 accompanied l)y his three brothers, Joseph, i now contested was of no ordinary worth : 
 Lucieii, and Jerome. The ceremonj^ began | the leaders who were about to meet his 
 with high mass ; after which followed a ; hostile presence, bore names of no vulgar 
 speech from the deputy appointed to ha- | renown, and the v/orld hung in dread atten- 
 rangue tlie emperor, which he pronounced, I tion on the deep tragedy about to be per- 
 ptanding upon one of the steps of the throne, t formed. 
 TItPii came the declaration of the arch-chan- •
 
 CHAPTER LXXII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1815.] 
 
 Extraordinary promptitude and aclivilif of Napoleon — Co-operalinn of the King of Naples — • 
 Jilisf or tunes of that Prince — First advantages of the French in lielgiinn — Batik of Ligny — 
 Kepulse of the Prussians — Danger of Ulucher — Affair of Genappe — Preparations for the 
 last and decisive conflict— BATTLE OF WATERLOO— Noble resistance of the 
 Guards — Fall of Sir Thomas Picloo'—Gallantry of the Duke of [Vdhngton — Fury of 
 Napolwn-— Approach of the Prussians. 
 
 MO part of Na]ioIeon's political life, 
 marked as it has always been by the 
 most rapid and extraordinary promptitude in 
 military preparation, presents such a display 
 of activity, as the brief interval which oc- 
 curred between his resumption of the im- 
 perial sceptre and his second abdication. 
 Altiiougli the conciliation of the liberalists, 
 and the depression of the loyalists, occupied 
 much time, and though it was necessary to 
 sacrifice many days to the national love of 
 shews, ceremonials, and processions, he was 
 never for an instant diverted from his pur- 
 pose. While he seemed to be fully engaged 
 in the political discussions of the various 
 parties, with harangues, and parades, and 
 reviews of corps of children under twelve 
 years old, his more serious preparations for 
 the struggle which he was destined to en- 
 counter, were as gigantic in their character, 
 as incessant in their progress. Every effort 
 w as used to excite the population to assume 
 a warlike attitude, and to move forward corps 
 of national guards, who might relieve in gar- 
 rison the troops of the line now called into 
 active service. At the moment when he was 
 invoking in the Champ de Mai a mock as- 
 sembly of the people, and was acting before 
 the nominal representatives of the nation a \ 
 
 political comedy, the real tragedy was in 
 active preparation. Cannon, muskets, arms 
 of every description, were forged and issued 
 from the manufactories and arsenals, with 
 incredible celerity. The old corps were re- 
 cruited from the conscript of 1814 ; retired 
 veterans were again called fortli to their ban- 
 ners ; new levies were substituted under the 
 various names of free-corps, federes, and 
 volunteers ; the marshal spirit of France was 
 again roused to hope and energy ; and the 
 wliole kingdom seemed at once transformed 
 into an immense camp, of which Napoleon 
 was the leader and the soul. One large army 
 defiled towards Belgiuni, where the neigh- 
 bourhood of the English and Prussian troops 
 excited alarm ; other armies were assembled 
 in Alsace, in Lorraine, in Franch6 Compte, at 
 the foot of the Alps, and on the verge of the 
 Pyrenees. It only remained to be discovered 
 on which side the storm was to burst. 
 
 Buonaparte, depending on the co-opera- 
 tion of Murat, and hoping that he would be 
 able at least to make a permanent diversion, 
 has destined the north of Italy for the first 
 scene of active and personal warfare. A 
 serious triumph in that quarter would have 
 been sufficient to divert from the main struggle 
 the whole force of Austria, already sensible
 
 924 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fCHAP. LXXII 
 
 from sad experience of the vulnerable iiatine 
 of her Italian territory. Many of the Russian 
 troops would probably have been detached 
 to her assistance ; and, while a triple barrier 
 of fortresses and garrisons of the first order, 
 was opposed on the frontier of Flanders to the 
 English and Prussian armies, Buonaparte 
 him-iclf might have taken the field, on the 
 theatre of his original triumphs, and have 
 removed the war from the French territory 
 with the certainty of success. But Austria, 
 on tliis occasion of pressing alarm, exerted 
 herself with an activity unknown to her an- 
 nals ; and the troops which she rapidly moved 
 forward to meet Murat, exhibited, in the 
 first conflict, the military superiority of the 
 northern warriors. The Neapolitan army 
 iled with such celerity, and so little resist- 
 ance, that the campaign was ended almost 
 as soon as it began ; and their conmiander 
 fought refuge in France, unsuspicious of the 
 fate which so soon awaited him. The dis- 
 comfiture was attended by the most disad- 
 vantageous consequences to Buonaparte, 
 who was at this moment threatened by hostile 
 armies advancing from all sides, and com- 
 pelled to await the conflict on his own ground. 
 The diversion in Italy was no otherwise 
 felt than as it encouraged the allies, by 
 proving how easily that power is overthrown 
 which has no root in old institutions, nor in 
 the hearts and minds of men. It scarcely 
 interrupted the advance of the Austrians 
 from Italy. A second Austrian army drewj 
 toward the Upper Rhine ; on the Lower 
 Rhine the Russians and Bavarians were to 
 enter ; the Prussians assembled in Flanders 
 to co-operate with Wellington ; and the I 
 Spaniards, whose armies had taught the » 
 French to respect them, prepared to cross the 
 Pyrenees. Thus threatened on all sides, 
 Buonaparte's only hope vvas to strike a blow 
 which should intimidate the allies, and break 
 up the alliance ; on former occasions he had 
 found this policy successful, and he now 
 avowed his intention of opening the campaign 
 on the Meuse and Sambre, and breaking the 
 centre of the allies. Thus to make his plans 
 public was in the spirit of his military policy ; 
 if the enemy did not believe him, he took them 
 unprepared ; if they did, the confidence which 
 it implied would be likely to depress them 
 as much as it encouraged his own ti-oops. 
 Blucher and Wellington were neither to be 
 
 deceived nor intimidated. They would wil- 
 lingly have been the assailants ; but the allies 
 were to move simultaneously on all points ; 
 the enemy had necessarily the advance in 
 his preparations, and he had the advantage 
 not only of attacking when, but also ivhere 
 he pleased. They could not therefore venture 
 to weaken one part of the long line which 
 they occupied for the sake of strengthening 
 another, and thus were sure that wherever 
 the attack was made, it would be with a 
 great superiority of numbers. 
 
 The French never took more pains to in- 
 flame the ardour and increase the confidence 
 of their troops. The minister of the interior 
 announced that Louis had reduced the army 
 to 175,000 men, but that Buonaparte had 
 already added 200,000 to its amount, and 
 that before August it would behalf a million, 
 exclusive of the national guards. Buona- 
 parte himself, at his first review, assured tlte 
 troops that if the allies brought 600,000 against 
 him, he would oppose them with 2,000,000. 
 On the 31st of May, when the grand melo 
 drama of the new constitution was exhibited 
 in the Champ de Mars, after the swearing 
 and the Te Deum were over, he delivered the 
 eagles to the troops, and they swore to de- 
 fend them. " And you, soldiers of the im- 
 perial guard," said he, "" you swear even to 
 surpass yourselves in the campaign which 
 is about to open, and to die rather than allow 
 the invaders to dictate laws to your country ?" 
 As if this were not sufficient to stimulate 
 them, Carnot moved, in order, as he said, to 
 add to the glory and enthusiasm of the ar- 
 mies, that they have deserved well of their 
 country ; — a motion which called forth the 
 proper remark, that as yet they had not done 
 any thing fresh to distinguish themselves. 
 
 The enemy, who were very desirous of ex- 
 aggerating their numbers before the battles, 
 have been not less solicitous to diminish them 
 since the event. Fortunately these are good 
 grounds upon which to compute the force 
 that was assembled upon the Sambre and 
 the Meuse. There were five corps of in- 
 fantry, each amounting to 24,000 men. Of 
 the infantry of ihe imperial guard, (30,000 in 
 all,) .0000 at least may be supposed to have 
 been with Buonaparte, these being the flower 
 of all his forces on whom he could more es- 
 pecially rely. We have thus 140,000 foot. 
 In cavalry they were very strong ; Ney had
 
 CHAP. LXXll] 
 
 GEORGE in. 
 
 926 
 
 four divisions of 2000 each : and Buonaparte 
 had with him on the Itlth, a great variety of 
 heavy and light horse, not to be cbmputed at 
 less than 18,000,-26,000 in all. The sum 
 therefore is lfi(j,000 men, and adding no 
 more than 400 artillery, the French army 
 Avas 170,000 strong. Buonaparte couunanded 
 in person, with marshal Soult for his major- 
 general. The e.\-king of Westphalia, prince 
 Jerome, commanded on the left, Marshal 
 Ney was in the centre, and marshal Grouchy 
 on the right. TJie five corps were under 
 generals Erlon, Reille, Vandamme, Gerard, 
 and Lobau. Marshal Mortier, who should 
 have commanded the young guard, was con- 
 lined to his bed at Beaumont, by rheumatism. 
 
 The Prussian army ocnsisted of fom* corps, 
 under generals Ziethen, Bulow, Bortsel, and 
 Thielman ; prince Blucher commanding, with 
 count Gneisenau for his quarter-master-ge- 
 neral Three of these corps, with cavalry and 
 artillery, are estimated at 80,000, in the bat- 
 tle of Ligny ; and Buonaparte afterwards 
 rates one corps, which had been thinned in 
 number at that battle, at 15,000. The full 
 force of the Prussians may therefore be rec- 
 koned at 100,000. 
 
 Thp duke of Wellington had under his im- 
 mediate command a motley army, of which 
 the British part did not exceed 33,000. The 
 German legion, which may be esteemed equal 
 to our best troops, amounted to 7000. There 
 were about 20,000 Hanoverians, raw levies, 
 but who had been trained by British officers, 
 with great care, during the two preceding- 
 months ; 10,000 Brunswickers, whose fidelity 
 and courage were not doubted, and who 
 proved themselves worthy of their heroic 
 leader ; and about as many Belgians and 
 Dutch, who were not so well to be relied on. 
 Of the whole force, which may thus be com- 
 puted at 80,000, about half were good troops, 
 and half tolerable. According to this esti- 
 mate, the allied armies in Flanders amounted 
 to 180,000; the French opposed to them 
 170,000: the trifling diflTerence in numbers 
 was more than compensated by the compo- 
 sition of the French army, which consisted 
 w holly of veteran troops of one nation ; and 
 by the advantage which they possessed of 
 chusing their point of attack. 
 
 In the second week in June, the French 
 army began to concentrate about Maubeuge 
 and Avesnes : this indicated an intention of 
 
 entering Belgium at that point where the left 
 of the British army joined the right of the 
 Prussians ; of separating the two armies, and 
 taking possession of Brussels, which, if the 
 attempt were successful, would be open to 
 the invaders. On the 14th, Buonaparte is- 
 sued an address to his soldiers from Avesnes, 
 choosing that day because it was the anniver- 
 sary of the battle of Marengo and Friedland, 
 and, as he said, had twice decided the des- 
 tiny of Europe. " Then, said he, as after 
 Austerlitz, so after Wagram, we were too 
 generous ! We believed in the protestations 
 and in the oaths of princes whom we left on 
 the throne ! Now, however, coalesced among 
 themselves, they would destroy the independ- 
 ence and the most sucred rights of France — 
 They have commenced the most unjust of 
 aggressions. Let lis march then to meet 
 them ! Are they and we no longer the same 
 men ? Soldiers ! at Jena, against these same 
 Prussians, who are now so arrogant, you 
 were one against three; and at Montmerail, 
 one against six ! Let those among you, who 
 have been prisoners of the English, «letail 
 to the hulks, the frightful miseries which 
 they suffered ! The Saxons, the Belgians, 
 the Hanoverians, the soldiers of the confede- 
 ration of the Rhine, lament that they are com- 
 pelled to lend their arms to the cause of prin- 
 ces, the enemies of justice and of the rights of 
 all nations ; they know that this coalition is 
 insatiable! After having devoured twelve 
 millions of Poles, twelve millions of Italian.s, 
 one million of Saxons, six millions of Bel- 
 gians, it must devour the states of the 
 second rank of Germany ! The madmen ! A 
 moment of prosperity blinds them. The op- 
 pression and humiliation of the French peo- 
 ple are beyond their power. If they enter 
 F>ance they will there find their tomb. Sol- 
 diers ! we have forced marches to make, 
 battles to fight, hungers to encomiter ; but 
 with steadinesss, victory will be ours ; the 
 rights, the honour, the happiness of the coun- 
 try will be re-conquered ! — For every FVench- 
 man, who has a heart, the moment is arrived 
 to conquer or perish !" 
 
 His first attack was directed against the 
 Prussians. The points of concentration of 
 the four Prussian corps were Fleurus, Na- 
 mur, Aucy, and Haunut; at anyone of these 
 points the whole army might be united in 
 four-and-twenty hours. The movements be-
 
 926 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 [ClfAI*. LXXII. 
 
 gan upon the side of Fleurus — ground upon 
 " hich Jourdan won that military reputation 
 over the Austrians, which he lost to the 
 English at Talavera and Yittoria. Reille 
 couinienced the attack by driving in the 
 Prussian posts upon the Sauibre, at three in 
 the morning of the 15th. General Ziethen 
 iiad collected the first Prussian corps near 
 Fleurus, and, according to the French, was 
 defeated with the loss of '2000 men and five 
 j)iecesof cannon ; they themselves losing only 
 ten men killed, and eighty wounded. Cer- 
 tain it is that the Prussians suffered severely, 
 but they are not men to be destroyed in the 
 proportion of 20 to 1 in battle. Charleroi 
 Mas taken by the enemy, and Buonaparte 
 made that place his head-quarters. The 
 French continued their march along the road 
 from Charleroi towards Brussels, and, on the 
 same evening, attacked a brigade of the 
 Belgians and forced it back from Frasne to 
 the farm house, on the same road, called 
 Les Qnatre Bras, because at that farm the 
 roads from Charleroi to Brussels, and from 
 Kivelles to Namur, intersect each other. 
 
 Blucher had intended to attack the ene- 
 my as soon as possible ; and, with this intent, 
 the three other corps of his army liad been 
 directed upon Sombref, a league and a half 
 from Fleurus, where Thiehnan and Borstel 
 were to arrive on the loth, and Bulow on the 
 following day. The duke of Wellington's 
 army was between Ath and Nivelles, which 
 would enable him to assist the Prussians, in 
 case, says their official account, the battle 
 .should be fought on the loth. The duke 
 knew that Buonaparte had collected some 
 l/*rce behind the Sambre; he thought it 
 probable that he would unite in that quarter 
 ^everal corps which vere in the act of mov- 
 ing in different lines — he felt convinced, that 
 if Napoleon assenibled the army in this 
 j»osition, Brussels must be his object ; and 
 he knew^ that there were three distinct roads 
 by which he might push forward on Brussels. 
 Bonaparte might come on the side of Namur, 
 or of Charleroi, or of Mons ; the British 
 army was therefore stationed near Brussels, 
 in a smaller circle concentric with the fron- 
 tier line, and ready to be collected in any of 
 the three directions that Buonaparte might 
 take; but the duke further considered it as 
 sjiost probuble that Bonaparte would advance 
 by CJiarleroi, and therefore the anny, though 
 
 ready to be moved at either of the three 
 roads, was principally concentrated towards 
 this. On the night of the 15th, tlie duchess 
 of Richmond gave a ball at Brussels, at 
 which the dukes of Wellington and Bruns- 
 wick, and lord Uxbridge, with many other 
 officers, were present; there they received 
 the intelligence that the work of death was 
 begun; and many of our officers,. who were 
 dancing till mid-night, were, within a few 
 hours, in action, and received their death 
 wounds in their ball-room dress! In the midst 
 of the festivities, the bugle sounded and the 
 drum beat in Brussels. In less than an hour 
 the troops began to assemble in the park; 
 they received four day s rations ; and at four 
 in the morning sir Thomas Picton's division 
 marched towards Namur. General Pictoii 
 himself had arrived from England that very 
 night. In the first uncertainty of the ene- 
 my's intentions, the march of our divisions 
 was directed upon Nievelles, Brain le Comte, 
 and Enghilu, according to the situation of 
 the cantonments ; but as soon as the move- 
 ments of the French were ascertained, the 
 whole army was ordered to move upon Les 
 Quatre Bras. Early in the morning, the 
 prince of Orange, reinforcing the brigade 
 which had been driven fronj thence, had re- 
 gained part of the ground, and commanded 
 the connnunicafion leading from Nievelles 
 and Brussels, uith Blucher's position. 
 
 The Prussian army was at this time posted 
 upon the heights between Bry and Sombref, 
 and bc-yond the latter place, and occupied 
 with a large force, the two villages of St. 
 Amand and Ligny, in front of those places. 
 Both these villages are situated upon a small 
 stream flowing through flat nieadows ; it is 
 called the Ligny in the oflicial accounts, but 
 is too small and insignificant to have ob- 
 tained a name upon the spot. The left wing 
 of the French, under Ney, was at Frasne, 
 opposed to the British at Les Quatre Bras ; 
 the right, under Grouchy, was in the rear of 
 Fleurus. The superiority of numbers with 
 which he attacked the Prussians might have 
 seemed amply sufficient, even to a general 
 less confident and less presumptuous. He 
 brought up not less than 110,000 uien against 
 80,000. First, about three in the afternoon, 
 they attacked the village of St. Amand, and, 
 after a vigorous resistance, carried it; their 
 efforts were then directed against Ligny.
 
 CHAP. LXXIl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 .027 
 
 Ligny is a large vil!;\p;e; tlie lioiises well 
 huilit of-stone, but roofed wiHi tliafch. Here 
 the contest was maintained with the utmost 
 obstinacy for live hojirs ; tliere was little room 
 for tnancEuvring ; the niaio stnii>g!e was in 
 the viriage itself, each army luiviiig-, behind 
 that part which it occupied, «reat masses of 
 infantry, who were continually reinforced 
 from the rear, and from the hei<;hts on both 
 flanks. There were several farm houses in 
 the village enclosed with walls and gates ; 
 these were occupied as so many fortresses by 
 the Prussians ; and the French, notwith- 
 standing their superior numbers, were four 
 times driven out. About 200 cannon from 
 both sides were directed against this unfor- 
 tunate village, and at length it look fire 
 in many places at once. Sometimes the 
 battle extended along the whole line. About 
 five,, the Prussians, with Blucher at their 
 head, recovered St. Amand, which had been 
 twice lost and won, and regained '-he heights 
 of La Ilaye and Little St. Amand. At this mo- 
 ment Blucher might have profited greatly by 
 his advantage, ifBulow's corps had arrived ; 
 his right wing could then have charged with 
 good prospect of success. But the march of 
 this corps had either been miscalculated, or 
 the nature and state of the roads had not 
 been taken into the account. From the 
 duke of Wellington he could receive no as- 
 sistance, for as many of his troops as had 
 come up were themselves perilously engaged 
 with superior numbers. As evening ad- 
 vanced, the situations of the Prussians be- 
 came more hopeless, — tiiere were no tidings 
 of Bulovv, — the British division could with 
 difficulty maintain its own position at Les 
 Quatre Bras ; the whole of their own force 
 hud been brought into action, and the French 
 began to derive that advantage which fresh 
 troops, and a great superiority of numbers, 
 secure, when armies are equal in discipline 
 and in courage. In this emergency, Blucher 
 had nearly closed his long and illustrious 
 life. A charge of cavalry, which he himself 
 led on, failed ', the enemy pursued their ad- 
 vantage, his horse was struck by a musket- 
 ball, and galloped more furiously for the 
 wound till it, dropped dovvu dead, and Blu- 
 cher wasentaugleil under it, and stunned by 
 the fall. His own people did not see hiui, — 
 the last Prussian horseman passed by, and 
 there reujained i.'une with him but an ad- 
 jutant, who, with an honourable self-devotion, 
 
 Gc 
 
 alighted to share his fate. Happily, in the 
 eau;erness of pursuit, the enemy past hinj by ; — 
 they were in their turn repulsed by a second 
 ciiarge, and in their retreat, past him a second 
 time with equal rapidity ; then, and not till 
 then, he was extricated from under thehorse, — 
 immediately he mounted another. 
 
 Had this excellent veteran been recog- 
 nized by the enemy, tliey would probably 
 have butchered him. The hatred between 
 these two nations is of the deadliest kind ; 
 France had inflicted the deepest woi.mds 
 upon Prussia ; in her hour of victory .she 
 had trampled upon the Prussians, plundered, 
 outraged, and insulted them ; and Prussia, 
 though as yet she had retaliated none other 
 MTougs, had taken full revenge. Blucher 
 was especially hated by the French, because 
 no general, except our own, had so long and 
 so determinedly resisted them. It has been 
 said that the corps of generals d'Erlon and 
 Vandamme had confederated, and hoisted 
 the black flag ; whether or not this were 
 done, it is certain that the French gave little 
 quarter in this action, and that the Prussians 
 asked for none. When the night Mas closing 
 in, a division of the enemy's infantry, favoured 
 by the darkness, made a circuit round the 
 village unobserved, and took the main body 
 of the Prussians in the rear. Some regiments 
 of cuirassiers at the same time forced the 
 passage on the other side. The PrussianSj 
 though defeated, were not dismayed; they 
 formed in masses, repelled all the attacks of 
 the enemy's cavalry, retreated in such order 
 that the French did not deem it prudent to 
 pursue them, and formed again within a 
 quarter of a league from the iield of battle. 
 Their loss was little short of 20,000 men. The 
 people of the village, who had the best nutans 
 of judging, affirm that that of the French was 
 greater. No prisoners Mere made, except 
 those who were left wounded on the field. 
 Fifteen pieces of cannon were taken. 
 
 M.\RSHAL Ney meantime, with all the rest 
 of the French army which had come up, 
 amounting at the very least to 40,000 men, 
 attacked the British at Les Quatre Bras. 
 There had l)een much skirunshing about 
 this pomt during the whole of the morning; 
 the main attack was made after three o'clock. 
 The Brunswick corps of the 5th divisioi. had 
 happily arrived, and n)aintained the position 
 will) the most signal mtrepidily, under tjie 
 prince of Orange, the duke of Brunswick, 
 o9
 
 928 IH3T0RY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXXII. 
 
 sir Thomas Picton, sir James Kempt, and i upon Wavre. This movement, of which the 
 sir Denis Pack. The prince of Orange was » duke of Wellington does not seem to have 
 at one time surrounded ; a hattalion of Bel- ; been previously apprized, rendered it neces- 
 gians delivered him ; he took off the insignia i sary for him to fall bqck also. He had 
 of his order and tiirew it among them, saying, ; travelled through this part of the country at 
 " Children, you have all deserved it !" They 5 a time when there was no appearance that 
 fastened it to their colours on the field of | hostilities would be so soon renevved, and see- 
 battle, amid cries of" Long live the prince!" | ing every thing with a soldier's eye, had ob- 
 They swore to defend it till death, and many ! served, that were he ever to fight a battle 
 fell while they were pronouncing the oath. ; for the defence of Brussels, Waterloo was 
 Picton was wounded — but knowing how I the ground he should chuse. The retreat 
 much was to be done, he would not > began about noon on the 17th, and was well 
 mention his wound, lest he should be x covered by the cavalry and horse artillery, 
 hindered from being present in the subse- \ A large body of French cavalry, headed by 
 quent actions ; and it was not till after his j lancers, followed with some boldness, es- 
 death that this wound, so heroically con- } pecially at Genappe, where the little river 
 cealed, and dressed only with a piece of torn \ which runs through the town is crossed by 
 handkerchief, applied to it in secret by sir { a narrow bridge. But the pursuit was not 
 Thon)as Picton himself, was discovered, i vigorous, and his corps of lancers paid dearly 
 The duke of Brunswick, in the ardour of; for their temerity; they were actually /iWc/t 
 battle, rashly exposed himself amidst the i </«?/'« by a column of our heavy cavalry, and 
 fireof small arms ; a musket-ball went through * all perished: the state of the weather and 
 his bridle hand into the belly, and entered ! the soil prevented the enemy from acting 
 the liver; he died in a few minutes. In this ; upon the flanks of our columns ; a storm 
 action, which was neither less obstinate, nor | from the south-west had come on with thnn- 
 (in proportion to the forces engaged,) less 5 der and lightning, and heavy rain, and ren- 
 bloody than that of Ligny, the French had ; dered the fields knee deep in mud. Between 
 many circumstances in their favour. They ; five and six in tlie afternoon the whole army 
 were not only superior in numbers, but s had reached the ground appointed, 
 they were comparatively fresh, whereas the; The position which the duke of Welling- 
 allies had been marching from the preceding | ton occupied was in front of the village and 
 midnight. The fields were covered with 5 farm of mount St. Jean, about a mile and a 
 corn growing as high as the tallest man's ; half in advance of the little town of Waterloo, 
 shoulders ; availing themselves of this, and | on rising ground, with a gentle declivity in 
 of an inequality of ground, they posted a ; front. It crossed the high roads from Nie- 
 strong body of cuirassiers so as effectually ! velles and Charleroi to Brussels, nearly at 
 to conceal them ; and the 79th and 42nd > the point where they unite. The right was 
 regiments were thus taken by surprise. The ; thrown back to Merki Braine, near Braine 
 former, which suffered most severely, would ^ La Lende ; the left extended on a ridge 
 have been destroyed, if the 42nd had not ; above Ter la Have, a hamlet which was 
 come up. Forming itself into a square, it ; strongly occupied : both wings were so 
 was repeatedly broken, and as repeatedly ; posted as to derive all advantage which the 
 formed again. Of this regiment, which was | nature of the ground would allow. The left 
 800 strong, only 36 privates and four officers | wing conuuunicated with the Prussians by 
 are said to come out of the field unhurt. ; a road leading to Ohain. A walled mansion. 
 Generals Atten, Halket, Cooke, Maitland, | called Hougoumont, was in front of the right 
 and Byng, successively arrived, and the troops I centre ; and in front of the left centre, a farm 
 maintained their ground till night. | called La Haye Sainte. The position was 
 
 BuLow's corps arrived during the night ; good, for the country, which affords no 
 at Gembloux. At break of day Thielman ; strong ones ; but the British ajiny and the 
 fell back in that direction from S. nibref, » British generals had driven the French from 
 where he had retained his position ; and J positions in the Pyrenees, and being accus 
 the first and second corps retreated behind | tomed to attack and defeat the enemy on 
 the defile of mount 8t, Guibert. Marshal | some of the strongest situations in the world 
 Blucher determined to concentrate his army ; they required no vantage-ground, when it was
 
 CHAP LXXII.] 
 
 CEORGE rif. 
 
 929 
 
 f heir turn to be attacked tlieniselves. Lord 
 \Vellii)gtoii wrote to marshal Blucher that he 
 was resolved to accept the battle in this po- 
 sition, if the Prussians would support liini 
 with two corps. Jiluclier promised to come 
 with his whole aniiy; never was there a man 
 from whom siuh a promise could be better 
 relied on. And he proposed, if Buonaparte 
 did not begin the attack, that the allies 
 should do so, v>!th their whole united force. 
 
 IN oTwiTHSTAN DING the boasts of the French, 
 they had failed in their chief object ; they 
 had not, as marshal Soult asserted, succeeded 
 in separating the line of the allies ; and the 
 actions of the 16th, severe as they had been, 
 were but preludes to the dread fid drama 
 which was now to be represented. The 
 junction of Bulow's corps had made the 
 Prussians as strong as they were before the 
 late engagement; lord Wellingtons army, 
 having lost about 5000 in killed and wound- 
 ed, may be computed at 75,000, the united 
 forces therefore would amount to 155,000, 
 and the 170,000 of the French having been 
 diminished 10,000 or 15,000, the armies now 
 to be brought against each other were not 
 unequal in numbers. 
 
 The rain, which had continued heavy 
 throughout the night, began to abate about 
 nine in the morning, when Buonaparte, whose 
 head-quarters that night had been at Planche- 
 iiois, a farm some little distance in the rear 
 of the French line, and about fifteen miles 
 from Brussels, put his army in motion : the 
 position which they occupied was 'on a ridge 
 immediately opposite to that of the British, 
 at a distance varying from 1000 to 1-200 or 
 1300 yards. Their right was on the heights 
 in front of Planchenois ;' their centre at a 
 little country tavern and farm, famous from 
 that day in history for its appropriate name of 
 La Belle Alliance ; their left leaning on the 
 road to Brussels from Nivelles. The cuiras- 
 siers were in reserve behind, and the imperial 
 guards were in reserve upon the heights. 
 Croucliy and Vandamme had been detached 
 toward Wavre against the Prussians ; and 
 the sixth corps, under count Lobau with a 
 body of cavalry, was in the rear of the right, 
 I'eady to oppose a Prussian corps, " which," 
 says an official French account, " appeared 
 to have escaped marshal Grouchy, and to 
 threaten to fall upon our right Hank." Buona- 
 parte had obtained inionuation of this, and 
 
 it was confirmed by an intercepted letter 
 from one of the Prussian generals: but of 
 the strength, temper, and disposition of the 
 Prussian army, he seems to have been wo- 
 fully ignorant. Reversing, however, his plan 
 of the 16th, and perhaps considering Blucher 
 as in no state to renew the contest, he di- 
 rected the great body of his force against 
 lord Wellington, thinking to bear down the 
 British army by dint of nun)bers. He brought, 
 therefore, against their 75,000, three corps of 
 infantry, and almost all his cavalry, amount 
 ing with artillery, to no less than 110,000 men, 
 40,000 more being in reserve, or awaiting the 
 Prussians on the right. 
 
 The two points of the greatest importance 
 in the British position, were the farm of 
 Hougoumont with its wood and garden in 
 front of the right, and that of La Have Sainte 
 in front of the left. In the early part of the 
 forenoon, the French army was paraded al- 
 most as if Buonaparte thought to intimidate 
 his opponent by the display of so formidable 
 a force, and about noon, or a little earlier, 
 the action began by a furious attack upon 
 Hougoumont. Soult and Ney attacked it with 
 one corps, and the French came on with 
 their usual shouts and their usual ini])etu- 
 osity. This point lord Wellington had 
 strengthened as much as possible during the 
 night : a detachment of the guards was sta- 
 tioned there, and the garden and wood were 
 lined with Nassau troops as sharpshooters. 
 These troops disputed the ground gallantly, 
 and when tliey were compelled to retire under 
 cover of the house, the Coldstream and the 
 Third, drove back the enemy. Within half 
 an hour 1500 men were killed here in an 
 orchard not exceeding four acres in extent. 
 Great efibrts were made by the assailants : 
 they surrounded the house on three sides, 
 and they set it on tire with shells, and burnt 
 a great part of it nearly to the ground. But 
 they were compelled to desist from the at- 
 tack, and fresh English troops recovered the 
 wood. Throughout the day the enemy made 
 repeated eflbrts in great force to obtain pos- 
 session of this imjjortant point, but it was 
 defended with the utmost gallantry to the 
 last. Artillery on both sides was directed 
 against this wood, and almost every tree 
 bears marks of the tremendous confiicL; their 
 branches shattered and the trunks pierced. 
 Generations and perhaps centuries hence, 
 6 c 2
 
 930 
 
 inSTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXXII, 
 
 the woodman, when he feels his axe strike 
 iipon the imbedded balls, will remember 
 Wellington and the battle of Waterloo. * 
 
 This attack upon Hougomont was accom- 
 panied by a heavy fire from more than 20.0 
 pieces of artillery upon the whole British 
 line, and under cover of this fire repeated at- 
 tacks hnd been made, first by infantry only 
 — then by cavalry only — and lastly and prin- 
 cipally by cavalry and infantry together. 
 One of these latter was so serious, and made 
 with such numbers, that general Alava says 
 it required all the skill of the British com- 
 mander to post his troops, and all the courage 
 and discipline of his soldiers to withstand the 
 assailants. This was the attack on sir Tho- 
 luas Picton's division, and in which that 
 gallant officer fell. The duke himself hap- 
 pened to be in this part of the field at that 
 moment. The French advanced up to a 
 hedge, (tiie only one in the country, and which 
 gives its name to three or four neighbouring 
 hnmlets,) which extends along the heights 
 where the British left was placed — some of 
 onr foreign corps who were posted behind 
 this hedge, gave way ; but the duke moved 
 up some British troops, and the enemy was 
 driven off with immense loss. It was at this 
 time sir Thomas Picton fell : at the moment 
 when the enemy, astonished at seeing their 
 charge met in this manner, fired, and re- 
 treated, a musket-ball struck his right temple, 
 went through his brain, and, passing through 
 the skull on the opposite side, was retained 
 ■by the skin. A helmet might probably have 
 saved the life of one of the most distinguished 
 and gallant officers in the British service. 
 Indeed, the enemy in this action found the 
 full advantage of defensive armour, which we, 
 strangely as it would seem, have not yet 
 adopted. The French cuiraso is made pigeon- 
 breastefl, so that unless a nuisket-ball be 
 fired very near, it is turned off ; and it is kept 
 polished that the balls may more readily 
 slant aside ; the hinder part fits the back ; 
 they are stuffed with a pad, fastened on with 
 a cla.>p, and are pnt on and off in an instant. 
 The weight of the whole is about sixteen 
 pounds, not enough to occasion any incon- 
 veiiience to an able bodied man. The men 
 who were thus armed, were the flower of the 
 French army : it was required that they 
 slioidd not be less than six feet high, that they 
 should have been twelve years in the service, 
 
 have served in three campaigns, and main- 
 tained a good character. Their horses are 
 proportionably good. Thus armed, and 
 thus mounted, they possessed a most im- 
 portant advantage over the British troops ; 
 the great points of weight and strength in 
 our cavalry having been sacrificed for the 
 sake of activity and display ; the error had 
 been felt in Spain ; it was still more severely 
 felt at Waterloo. The enemy had another 
 advantage, in the use of the lance, the most 
 formidable, if not the most efficient weapon 
 with which a iiorseman can be armed, as had 
 been proved to our cost at Albuhera. 
 
 iHK attack in which general Picton fell, 
 proved fatal also to sir William Ponsonby. 
 He led his brigade against the Polish lancers, 
 and checked their charge. Acconipanied 
 by only one aid-de-camp, he got into a plough- 
 ed field, where his horse stuck ; he was 
 badly mounted, for he had not expected to 
 be in action so soon, and his own charger was 
 not arrived. A body of lancers approached 
 him full speed ; these men have always dis- 
 tinguished themselves by their barbarity : 
 sir William saw that his death was in- 
 evitable, for the horse was incapable of ex- 
 tricating himself; but he hoped the aid-de- 
 camp might escape, and, taking out the 
 picture of his lady, and his watch, was in the 
 act of delivering them to his care, when the 
 enemy came up and speared them both. The 
 brigade revenged their commander so well, 
 that the Polish lancers were almost entirely 
 cut to pieces before the day was over. T(vo 
 eagles were taken in this charge ; two of 
 those imperial eagles which had been given 
 to the French troops only seventeen days 
 before in the Champ de Mars, and whicli, 
 in sight of the people of Paris, they had 
 sworn to defend, and to perish if necessary 
 in defending them. The bearer of one had 
 well performed his oath ; it was defaced with 
 blood in the struggle, and the eagle was 
 severed from the pole by the cut of a sabre. 
 These standards were inscribed with the 
 names of Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, Friedland, 
 and Wagram. It has been a matter of sur- 
 prise to some, why more eagles were not 
 taken — the reasons are, first, that the niunber 
 of eagles is very small • each regiment has 
 but one eagle, though it has four battalions ; 
 so that in our army there are eight colours 
 for the same uumber of men to whom one
 
 CHAP. LXXII.J GEORGE III 1)31 
 
 V armv srets me 
 
 . a^ 
 
 eagle is assigned — secondly, it appears from ; when I ffct into a scrape, in^ 
 the order book of one of the French regi- ; out of it." The men on their part amply 
 nients, which was picked up on the field of; returned the confidence which they so wefl 
 battle, and is now before us, that the eagles i deserved. " Bless thy eyes," said a soldier 
 had not been generally distributed to the j in Spain, when lord Wellington passed by 
 army, and that only a ftiw favoured regiments i him for the first time after he had returned 
 had yet had them ;— and thirdly, it is sur- 1 from Cadiz to the army, " Bless thy eyes, 
 prising that one eagle ever should be taken, | I had rather see thee come back than see 
 for tjiey are purposely made portable, and i 10,000 men come to help us.' On this day 
 easily detached from the staff; and it is a : both men and leaders were put to* the proof; 
 practice of the French, with that mixture ofj none of tlieir former fields of glory, many 
 rhodomontade and meanness which chiirac- 1 as they had seen together, had been so stub- 
 terized them under Buonaparte, to boast tlmt | bornly contested, or so dearly won. All this 
 they had secured their eagles when the stafii while there was no appearance of the Prus- 
 and colour were abandoned, and the eagle \ sians ; and, well as the British army stood 
 itself was iu the pocket of some runaway j its ground, many an anxious eye was direcied 
 ensign. ; towards the quarter irom whence they were 
 
 It was only on the left of the centre that j expected. 
 t2ie enemy obtained a temporary success ; ; Blucurr had put his army in motion at 
 some light troops of the German legion had J break of day. The corps of Borstel and 
 been stationed in the farm of La Haye Sainte ; I Bulow were to march by St. Lambert, oc- 
 the French succeeded in occupying the com- ; cupy a positioji there under cover of the 
 munication between them and the army, and X forest near Fritschermont, and take theenemv 
 when all the ammunition of the besieged { in the rear when the moment should appear 
 was expended, they carried the farm house, ; favourable. Ziethen's corps was to operate 
 and, it is said, put every man to the bayonet. > on the right flank of the enemy by Oliain, 
 This enabled them, about two o'clock, to 5 and Thielman to follow slowly, and aflbrd 
 occupy a small mound on the left of the road I succour in case of need. But the two first 
 near where the hedge joins the road from j of these corps had been placed on the east 
 Brussels to Charleroi, and just opposite the J side of the river Dyle, at Wavre; they had 
 gate of the farm ; and from this position they ; to cross by a narrow bridge, and, to add to 
 never were dislodged till tiie grand advance ; the delay which this necessarily occasioned, 
 of the British army about seven in the even- 5 the houses in the street leattling to it were 
 ing. The battle continued with the most i on fire, so that the infantry passed with dif- 
 desperate intrepidity on both sides, Buona- > ficulty, the cavalry and artillery with still 
 parte continually bringing forward his troops {greater, and the powder tumbrils not at all 
 in considerable masses, and the British and ; till the fire was extinguished. The passage 
 Jier allies resolutely resisting them. The ; too by the defile of St. Lau^bert was far more 
 duke of Wellington was every where; always 5 difficult than had been expected, so that when 
 ■where the struggle was most arduous, in the J it was half past four in the afternoon, only- 
 hottest tire and front of the danger, he was 5 two brigades of Bulow's corps had arrived 
 seen, as Waller says of lord Faulkland, ; at the covered position assigned them. But 
 
 > there was not a moment to be lost, and the 
 
 cxposinsr his all-knowiiiff breast, {general resolved immediately to begin the 
 
 Among tlie thioug as cheaply as the rest. > attack with the troops which they had at 
 
 J hand. Their way was through the forest of 
 Never were his exertions more needful ; J Soigny, which extends over many leagues of 
 sometimes he was rallying broken infantry, ; country, and from whence Brussels is sup- 
 sometimes placing himself at the head of; plied with fire-wood. By good fortune the 
 formed squares. No man indeed ever had 5 peasant who guided them was a man of more 
 more confidence in his troops, or did more ; than common sagacity ; and, instead of 
 justice to them. " When other generals," he ; coming out of the forest at Fritschermont, 
 has said, " commit an error, their army is ? he proposed to descend into the valley lower 
 '•ost by it, and they are sure to be beaten ; ; down, and come out iu a direction toward
 
 932 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [CHAP. LXXII. 
 
 Planchenois, nearly on the French reserve, s supported by the proper reserve, must have 
 Tlien, said he, we shall take them all. In > secured the victory ; but which, because 
 the best concerted plans of war something > it was made in an insulated manner, and 
 must always be greatly affected by adven- I before affairs were terminated on the right, 
 titious circumstances ; and the Germans have » became fatal, ' Neither the British nor the 
 ivell observed, how much depended on this ; Prussian accounts notice any such error; 
 peasant, who, had he been less disposed | nor indeed does this statement accord with 
 to serve the allies, or less intelligent, might ; the remainder of the narrative, which was 
 easily have led them into a hollow way, where ! drawn under Buonaparte's direction, or by 
 their cannon could not have past. Buona- 1 hinisetf. He says that as there were no means 
 parte saw them coming out from the wood, * of countermanding this movement, all the 
 and asked one of his adjutants who they ; cavalry ran to support their comrades; that 
 were ; the adjutant, looking through the glass, ; for three hours numerous charges were made, 
 replied, they are Prussian colours ; Buona- ; several squares of the British were broken, 
 parte turned pale, and shook his head, with- 1 and si\ standards of light infantry taken ; 
 out answering a word. ; that the Prussians in their flank attack were 
 
 General Bulow had only two brigades ; first kept in check, and then repulsed by 
 and a corps of cavalry. Count Lobau was i general Duhesmewith the young guard ; and 
 stationed on the rear of the French right to ; that tinally they fell back, they had exhaust- 
 oppose them, and all the means in reserve • ed their forces, and on that side there was 
 vere ready to succour him, and to overwhelm ; nothing now to fear. This was the moment 
 the Prussians when they should advance. ; for an attack upon the British centre ; it 
 Relying upon this disposition, Buonaparte ; was made ; and he proceeds to say ' the day 
 says, he led an attack upon the village of | was won, the French occupied all the po- 
 Mont St. Jean ; (by which he means the > sitions which lord Wellington held at the 
 heights of Mont St. Jean, with a farm of the 5 beginning of the contest ; and after eight 
 same name ; the village being, as we have ; hours fire and repeated charges of foot and 
 already stated, far to the rear, and on a se- » horse, all the army saw with joy that the 
 parate line of hills ;) from this effort he ex- ; battle was gained, and the field in their power.' 
 pected decisive success, this being, in fact, » But unluckily the British aimy were not of 
 the vital part of lord Wellington's position: ; the same opinion ; they did not know when 
 but here he accuses the French of a move- i they were beaten ; and making an unceremo- 
 ment of impatience, so frequent in their f nious attack upon the rejoicing enemies, the 
 military annals, and frequently so fatal to 1 French, Buonaparte fairly confesses, took 
 them. The cavalry of reserve, according to 5 fright and ran away. JSow, as the battle 
 his account, having perceived a retrograde $ was won before this accident of the panic, 
 movement made by the English to shelter j it is palpably inconsistent to attribute its loss 
 themselves from the French batteries, crown- 1 to the movement of the cavalry three hours 
 ed the heights of Mont St. Jean, and i before the English thus un*accountably re 
 charged the infantry ; a movement, he says, | -^overed — w hat iu reality they had never 
 tvhich, if made at the proper moment, and [ lost.
 
 CHAPTER LXXIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 [1815.] 
 
 Exertions of Napoleon — Advance of the Prussians — Rout of the French Army- — Flight of 
 Buonaparte — Loss of the contending Armies — State of the FIELD of WAT EH LOO 
 after the Battle— Exultation of the Eiglish Peojile — Honours paid to the Duke of tVellinQ-- 
 ton — Return of Napoleon to Paris — His seco7id Abdication — Advance of the Allies to the 
 Capital — Jt surrenders — Restoration of Louis — Residts of that Event — Napoleon seeks re- 
 fuge on board an English Ship of War and is exiled to St Helena — Conclvsion. 
 
 IN this decisive and desperate contest, 
 Buonaparte did all for victory \vhich 
 man coidd do ; and his officers and men se- 
 conded him with ability and energy worthy 
 of a better cause. His great object — his 
 only hope — his sure means of success was 
 to overpower the English before the Prussians 
 could arrive in any force ; he therefore made 
 a perpetual repetition of attacks with horse 
 and foot, supported by the whole of his ar- 
 tillery. It was one of those efforts by which 
 he has more tiian once decided the fate of a 
 campaign. Under cover of as tremendous 
 a cannonade as ever was witnessed upon a 
 field of battle, he formed his cavalry into 
 masses, brought up the whole of the elite of 
 his guards with his reserves, and made an 
 attack upon our centre, which, if it had been 
 possible to quail the spirit of a British army. 
 Mould have proved successful. Our cavalry 
 was driven to the rear of our infantry; — our 
 advanced artillery was taken. Every battalion 
 that was instantly in square was broken ; — 
 more than once did Wellington throw him- 
 self into one of these squares, and await the 
 result of a charge, in full reliance upon the 
 steadiness of the men, and ready to stand 
 in- fall with then). The troops advanc«^d by 
 echt'lons to cover the guns. On arriving 
 nearly at the line which their cavalry had 
 
 deploy, thougli almost surrounded by the 
 enemy's horse. For about an hour the con- 
 flict at times appeared doubtful : the car- 
 nage which- ensued was such as the British 
 army had never before experienced. Shocking 
 as the slaughter was, it would have been 
 much greater had it not been for the state 
 of the ground, which was thoroughly soaked 
 with rain ; for although this, by preventing 
 dust, afforded better aim to the artillerists, 
 many shots never rose after they touched the 
 ground, and none bounded so often as they 
 would otherwise have done; and the shells 
 frequently buried themselves, and, when they 
 exploded, threw up the mud like a fountain. 
 This continued for about an hour, though 
 Buonaparte would make us believe that the 
 French cavalry had stood their ground in these 
 tremendous circumstances for three hours — 
 a manifest impossibility. The fact, as it 
 did occur, is sufficiently surprising : for the 
 French cavalry were on the plateau ia 
 the centre of the British position bt.-tween 
 the two high roads, for three-quarters of an 
 hour, riding- about among our squares of in- 
 fantry, all firing having ceased on both sides. 
 It was now that the duke advanced his 
 squares forward to recover and protect the 
 guns— he called to the centre the cavalry 
 which had been detached to the flanks, and 
 the French cavalry was at length driven off. 
 
 occupied, the French infantry appeared, and ^ 
 
 it became necesfeary for some battalions to \ After this, and till seven in the evening, re-
 
 93^ 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LVXIII* 
 
 peated attacks were made along the whole 
 i'ront of the centre, so frequent and so close 
 to one anorher, that it was impossible to dis- 
 tinj;uish them. About seven, Buonaparte 
 made a last and desperate effort to force the 
 left of the centre of the British army near 
 La Have Sainte ; he made it Avith cavalry 
 and infantry, supported by artillery ; and the 
 more to encourage the men he deceived both 
 them and their generals. Labedoyre, whom 
 he had made a general and a count, for that 
 treason which has since received its due, but 
 not its appropriate punishment, brought a 
 message to marshal Ney from Buonaparte 
 that marshal Grouchy had arrived and was 
 attacking the enemy ; this intelligence he 
 spread among the soldiers as he rode along 
 the lines. However politic it might have 
 been to raise the spirits of the soldiers by 
 this delusion, Ney very naturallj^ expresses 
 his indignation at discovering that Grouchy 
 ■was far distant, and that the troops who 
 had arrived were enemies instead of friends. 
 The attack, however, was made, and for a 
 few moments, but only for a few, with hope. 
 The first brigade of guards advanced to meet 
 the leading division, and poured in so well 
 directed a fire as literally for a time to make a 
 chasm in it. Ney led the attack : he has 
 disgraced his country an.d himself by the 
 most abominable cruelty, and the most ag- 
 gravated treason ; but on this day he per- 
 formed all that could be required from a 
 «oldier and a general, and lie says that 
 officers and men displayed the gi'eatest in- 
 trepidity. General Friant fell by his side, 
 his own horse was killed, and he fell inider 
 it. He, however, who knew that if there 
 were to be any. punishment inflicted for the 
 foulest crimes, he himself mnst stand in the 
 first lank of offenders, did not shrink from 
 danger ; sword in hand, he remained on 
 foot; and he appeals to those who survived 
 the battle, if he was not among the last to 
 quit the scene of carnage. This attack bad 
 been made with what was called the middle 
 fjuard — the young guard was on the right 
 with Lobau — the old guard, hitherto un- 
 touched, was in reserve at the bottom of the 
 ascent up which the middle guard charged — 
 when the latter were routed, a cry, says the 
 French accounts, was heard, ' All is lost, 
 the guard is beaten f this was natural, and 
 is j.robably true; and when the remains of 
 
 the middle gnard in their flight threw them- 
 selves into the ranks of the old gnard, it 
 was impossible but that some disorder must 
 have ensued even in the ranks of those tried 
 veterans. 
 
 Blucher, as well as Ney, had been ap- 
 prized of Gronchy's movement, but more 
 truly. About s\x o'clock he was informed 
 that Thielman had been attacked near AVavre 
 by a superior force, and that they were dis- 
 puting possession of the town. This intelli- 
 gence did not disturb the veteian general ; 
 he wellknew that the battle must be decided 
 at Waterloo, not at Wavre ; any thing which 
 might, happen there was of little moment, 
 anil lie therefore steadily pursued his course. 
 At haif-past seven the whole of BorsteKs 
 corps and part of Bulows had successively 
 come uj), and at this time it was evident that 
 Buonaparte's attack upon the British — the 
 last effort of fury and despair, had failed. 
 Ziethen's first column at this time also arrived 
 in the enemy's right flank near the village of 
 Suiouhen, and instantly charged. As the 
 Prussians past our left columns in their ad- 
 \ vance, they cheered them with that exultation 
 which the determination and sure hope of 
 conquering inspired, and all their bands 
 played ' God save the King.' Wellington 
 perceiving their movenients, and seeing the 
 confusion of the enemy, took that great and 
 decisive step which has crowned his glory 
 and saved Europe. He advanced with tlis 
 greatest celerity the whole line of his infantr)% 
 supported by the cavalry and artillery ; he 
 put himself at the head of the foot guards, 
 spoke a few words to them, which were an- 
 swered by a general hurrah, and then, he 
 himself guiding them on, the attack was 
 made at all points, and in every point with 
 the most perfect success. Tlie Prussians 
 soon after rushed forward on the enemy s 
 right, at ihe pas de charge, and made their 
 attack under the most favourable circum- 
 stances; their troops descended into the 
 plain and formed into brigades in the greatest 
 order, and fresh bodies continually unfolded 
 themselves issuing from the forest on the 
 height behind. J'^ven if the British army 
 had not repulsed the enemy, assailed hiin, 
 and already driven him to flight, this move- 
 ment of the Prussians would have been de- 
 cisive ; it must have forced the French to 
 retire 5 if they had succeeded in their eftorts
 
 CHAP. LX.YJH] 
 
 GEORGB III. 
 
 9So 
 
 ii;^aiiist lord Wellington, it would liave pre- 
 vented them from pioiitiiig- by tlie success, 
 but being made at a moment when the British 
 had seemed the victory, it rendered that 
 victory complete beyond all expectation, all 
 hope, almost it n)ii;lit be said beyond all 
 former example. Suave qui peut was the cry 
 in Buonapartes army. A total rout cannot 
 be moie I'nlly acknowledged than it is by 
 his own account. " A comeplete panic," 
 he says, " spread through tlie whole field of 
 battle — the men threw tiiemsehes in the 
 greatest disorder on the line of communi- 
 action — soldiers, cannoneers, caissons, all 
 pressed to this point ; the old guard which 
 was in reserve was infected, and was itself 
 hurried along. In an instant the whole armv 
 was nothing but a mass of confusion ; all the 
 soldiers of small arms were mixed pell mell, 
 and it was utterly impossible to rally a single 
 corps. The enemy, who perceived this as- 
 tonishing confusion, immediately attacked 
 with their cavalry, and increased tlie disorder, 
 and such was the confusion owing tonight 
 coming on, that it was impossible to rally 
 the troops and point out to them their error. 
 Thus a battle which had been terminated, a 
 day of false manoeuyres which itad been rec 
 tilled, the greatest success which had been 
 ensured for the next day, all were lost by a 
 moment of panic terror." 
 
 Buonaparte's station during the battle had 
 been upon the Charleroi road at the handet 
 of La Belle Alliance, a little to the right of 
 the middle of the French position. In the 
 early part of the day he had reconnoitred the 
 ground, and directed the movements from a 
 sort of scatiulding, observatory, or telegraph, 
 Avhkh had been erected for some ichnogra- 
 jjhical purposes ; but he afterwards seems to 
 have remained personally at La Belle Alli- 
 ance. — There, says general Gneisenau, he 
 gave his orders ; there he flattered himself 
 with the hopes of victory, and there his ruin 
 •was decided. Towards this farm, which, 
 because of its elevated situation, was visible 
 fiom every side, the march of all the Prus- 
 sian columns was pointed ; and there, when 
 night had closed in, and the rout of the 
 enemy was complete, Blucher and Welling- 
 ton met in the pursuit and congratulated 
 each other as victors. In commemoration of 
 the alliance then subsisting between the 
 Uritibh and Prussian iiatious, of the union 
 
 D 
 
 of the two armies, and their confidence in 
 each other, Blucher desired that the battle 
 should bear the name of La Belle .Alliance. 
 The British general, finding himself on the 
 same road with this excellent veteran, left 
 the piHsuit to him, on account of the fatigtje 
 of the British troops, who had then been 
 twelve hours in action, and who were by no 
 means fresh when the day began. Blucher 
 assured hjrd Wellington that he would fol- 
 low the enemy through the night; he assem- 
 bled all the superior officers, and gave orders 
 to ^nd the last horse and the last man in 
 pursuit, welcome orders, and obeyed as 
 liearlily as they were given. The British 
 army then halted, formed on the hill, and 
 gave the Prussians three cheers as they 
 passed ; a moment which all who were pre- 
 sent will remember, as having given them the 
 sublimest emotion of their lives. The pursuit 
 could not have been delivered over to better 
 hands ; the enemy had deserved no mercy 
 from the Prnssians, and tiiey fouivd none. 
 Both on this day, indeed, and on the 16th, 
 the conduct of the French had been brutal. 
 An English ensign, a youth of seventeen, 
 being taken in the first action, was led to 
 Buonaparte, who asked him if he thought he 
 could overtake the British army before they 
 embarked for England ! this youth was sent 
 to the rear of the French troops, where lie 
 was stripped almost naked, and severely 
 beat when he remonstrated ; and when at 
 length jietting sight of the general who con>- 
 manded the division, he claimed his protec- 
 tion as a British ofiicer, the rutfian answered, 
 we will treat yon all in the same manner. 
 Their lancers speared many prisoners in cold 
 blood ; and when one of our. ujosl lamented 
 officers received a wound and fell senseless, and 
 probably dead, from his horse, a Frcnchmau 
 stept out and beat his head with the butt-end 
 of a muskef. Tims insolent, and thus bru- 
 tal, thus inhuman in success, they were 
 equally treacherous and abject in defeat; 
 many threw down tiieir arms and i>MrreiK!ered, 
 then, watching their opportunity, took them 
 up again and fired at those who spared them. 
 Some of these villains were deservecily sabred; 
 and tlic Prussians, during the night, took 
 ample revenge for their loss on the iUth, and 
 for the cruelties which the French had theu 
 exercised. 
 
 The confusion of this lout is repretf'utcil 
 60
 
 936 
 
 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 
 
 fCIIAP. Lxxin. 
 
 as hulicroiis by those who witnessed it, when 
 they recollect it apart from its liorrors. 
 One 'letter says, " we were among infantry, 
 imperial guards, and others with large fur 
 caps, who were throwing down their arms, 
 and many of them roaring pardon, on their 
 knees." " Our brigade," says another, "darted 
 into a medley of lancers, cuirassiers, infantry, 
 dragoons, guns, &c. — such a scene, I can 
 hardly help laughing at the recollection. 
 They were fairly cowed ; great hulking 
 cuirassiers, galloping as hard as they could, 
 tumbling off to save themselves." Tiie 
 strength and stature of these men, which 
 made them so formidable in battle, the mo- 
 ment they were tainted with fear made them 
 appear contemptible ; the very advantages 
 upon which they prided themselves in their 
 courage, making cowardice more conspicu- 
 ous. Here were to be seen cavalry throwing 
 themselves off their horses in the hope that 
 they might better evade pursuit on foot ; 
 and in another {Jlace the foot soldiers were 
 dismounting the cavalry that they might 
 mount and ride off themselves. At Sala- 
 manca, nidit and darkness saved the French 
 after their defeat ; but the moon rose upon 
 the field of La Belle Alliance, and in broad 
 moonliiiht the Prussians kept up the chace. 
 The French were now routed beyond re- 
 demption, — the road, says general Gneisenau, 
 resembled the sea-shore after some great ship- 
 wreck ; it was covered with cannon, caissons, 
 carriages, baggage, arms, and wreck of every 
 kind. Those of the enemy who were fore- 
 most in the flight, and did not expect tu be 
 so promptly pursued, attempted to repose for 
 a time, — presently the Prussians were upon 
 them, and thus they were driven from more 
 than nine bivouacs. In some villages they 
 seemed to recover courage when beholding 
 only their own numbers, and made a shew of 
 maintaining themselves, — but when they heard 
 the beating of the Prussian drums, or the 
 sound of the Prussian trumpet, the blast of 
 which was as dreadful as if it summoned 
 them to the last judgment, their panic re- 
 turned, and they renewed their flight, or ran 
 into the bouses, where they were cut down 
 or made prisoners. Eight hundred of their 
 bodies were found lying here, where they had 
 suffered themselves (it i» a German who 
 speaks) to be cut down like cattle. General 
 Duhesrae, who commanded the rear-guard, 
 
 fell in this place. A black hussar oi the 
 duke of Brunswick's corps, sacrificed him 
 to his master's memory. "The duke fell 
 yesterday," said the Brunswicker, " and thou 
 shalt also bite the dust;" and so saying, he 
 cut him down. 
 
 The British army on the preceding day had 
 experienced the inconvenience of crossing 
 the narrow bridge at Genappe, though their« 
 was a leisuie movement, made in excellent 
 order, and with the spirits of the men un- 
 changed. The French had now to cross it 
 in the utmost confusion of haste and terror : 
 Buonaparte, whose first thought in danger 
 had been how to secure his own personal 
 safety, rode off with his staff, and a Wallaon 
 peasant who lived near La Belle Alliance, 
 whom he ordered to guide him by a bye-rOad 
 to Charleroi. There is a bridge over the Dyle 
 at a village not far from Genappe ; Sucotte, 
 being perhaps as much confounded by the 
 events of the day as the emperor Napoleon 
 himself, and somewhat also by the company 
 in which he found himself enlisted, did not 
 remember this bridge, so he led the emperor 
 to Genappe, where the waggons were wedged 
 sixteen deep upon the causeway ; and they 
 were an hour and a half before they could 
 make way through the press. Buonaparte 
 effected his flight through this town about 
 half an hour after midnight. The fugitives 
 made their last attempt at rallying here ; they 
 entrenched themselves with cannon and over- 
 turned carriages, and commenced a brisk fire 
 of musketry, when the Prussians approached; 
 some cannon-shot, followe<l by a loud hurrah, 
 sufficed to frighten away all thought of farther 
 resistance ; and the flight and pursuit were 
 continued with increased fear on the part of 
 the enemy, and unrelenting ardour on the 
 part of the conquerors. Buonaparte's car- 
 riage with his hat, and sword, and papers, 
 and the insignia of all his orders, were found 
 at Genappe. His travelling library also was 
 taken, consisting of nearly 800 volumes, in 
 six chests : among these books were a French 
 Homer, a French Ossian, the Bible, and the 
 Pucelle of Voltaire. The spoils which were 
 lying along the road tempted the Prussians 
 and abated their speed, otherwise, it is said, 
 that scarcely a man of the beaten army could 
 have escaped ; as it was, the pursuit was 
 not given over during the night. The loss 
 of the enemy was great, even beyond that at
 
 CHAP. LXXIII.J 
 
 GEORGE in. 
 
 037 
 
 Leipsic ; they stopt in their flight till they 
 had passed all tlieir fortresses ; the allied 
 armies passed them also ; and when Buona- 
 parte, after having excited the Freiuii armies 
 to rebellion, and led them for the third time 
 todestrnction, reached the capital, he brought 
 with him tidings of his total and irreparable 
 defeat, and that Blncher and Wellington were 
 on the way to Paris. 
 
 The French army were never more skilfidly 
 directed than in this uiemoral)le action, and 
 never had they fonght so well. They had, 
 indeed, every motive of which such men are 
 sirsceptible, for exerting themselves to the 
 utmost ; the pride of former victories, shame 
 and indignation for late defeats, and the 
 bitterest hatred of the enemies to whom they 
 were opposed, — nations whom they had 
 \vronged, and outraged, and insulted, and 
 despised ; and by whom they had been beaten, 
 and humbled, and forgiven. Only by suc- 
 cess could they justify to their own country 
 anew the audacious enterprise in which, they 
 were engaged ; only by success cotdd they 
 egilimate the government of the usurper for 
 whom they had forsworn themselves; only 
 by success could they hope to escape the 
 penalties of treason and rebellion. Victory 
 would have given them every thing ; their 
 old supremacy, their old renown, their old 
 days of militaiy license, of rapine and free 
 quarters, would be restored ; their leader 
 had told them that the moment was arrived 
 for every Frenchman who had a heart, to 
 conquer or to perish. And it might have 
 been thought that in this instance he would 
 have acted up to his professions ; that how- 
 ever he might, on former occasions, have 
 braved public opinion by flying from his 
 armies in their utniost need, he would now 
 at least ha'Ve played the man, and perished 
 bravely in the ruin which he had brought 
 npon himself and his adiierents. But Buona- 
 parte's spirit has nothing of the heroic cha- 
 racter, — the love of life with him is stronger 
 even than the love of empire; he clings to 
 the carcase like a ship-wrecked sailor, he 
 knows into what an abyss he must sink 
 when that miserable bold can no longer be 
 maiiifniiied. He was therefore among the 
 foremost in flight. M.ushal Ney assures us 
 that before the end of the bailie he had dis- 
 appeared, — but the soldiers performed their 
 part better ; it was not until the defeat was 
 
 irreparable that they fled, and till eveiy 'effort 
 of skill, and courage, and fury, and despair, 
 had been exhausted. The British troops 
 were no novices in war, — yet they who had 
 witnessed the bloody coiitlict at All)uliera, 
 and the murderous a^^sauits at Ciudad 
 Rodrigo, Badajoz, and St. Sebastian, never 
 belield such slaughter as at Waterloo. The 
 loss of the British and Hanoverians there 
 and on the 10th, amounted to not less than 
 13,000 men, and 750 olhcers, — a proportion 
 which evinces how obstinate and perilous 
 must have been the Conflict ; of these nmre 
 than two-thirds must have fallen at Waterloo. 
 The Prussian loss we have no grounds for 
 computing ; at Waterloo it could not have 
 been great, because they were s( arct-Iy en- 
 gaged before Ziethen's ariival consunnnated 
 the defeat of the enemy. On the side of 
 Wavre, where Thielman was attacked by 
 Grouchy and Vandamme with superior force, 
 it must have been greater : the whole loss of 
 the Prussians, from the commencement of 
 the campaign till their triumphant entrance 
 into Paris, has been officially stated at .'38,000. 
 But the loss of the French in the last great 
 battle, and the rout, exceeded that of all the 
 allies in the whole campaign twice told. A 
 wide and sweeping destruction overtook 
 them ; a vengeance as signal as their crimes. 
 Many of the prisoners had been at Leipsic, 
 but this they said was much worse ; nous 
 sommes ecrnscs, was their remark. Blncher's 
 expression in his first despatch was, that the 
 whole French army was in a state of perfect 
 dissolution. Even this was not hyperbolical ; 
 their baggage, equipage, tumbrils, artillery, 
 the whole of what is called the material, were 
 taken ; they began the day 100,000 strong, 
 and by their own account, when the wreck 
 of the army had collected and united with 
 Grouchy's corps, they did not amount to 
 00,000. 
 
 Ihe state of the field of battle is too dread- 
 ful for description. Let us rather relate snch 
 facts as are honourable to oin- nature, and 
 luitigate and relieve these horrors. It has 
 been said in the French papers that the 
 British soldiers exerted themselves to form 
 litters and carry off" the wounded French 
 from the field. Some ofonr wounded who 
 had still the use of their limbs, employed 
 themselves in binding up tl»e wounds of their 
 enemies, and administering to their wants: 
 Ou 2
 
 938 
 
 msToav OP England. 
 
 and in Brussels, people of the first rank 
 atteiUled the woinuied night and day. And 
 it marks, in the most gratifying manner, the 
 good conduct of the British army while 
 quartered in Brussels previously to the bat- 
 tle; and the inhabitants sought with the 
 greatest anxiety among the wounded for 
 their former guests, and took them to their 
 houses and their care as old .friends. It 
 marks too the character of the different 
 nations, that among the pillage of the dead, 
 French novels are enumerated, (we know of 
 what description !) and German testaments. 
 Tlie enemy's cannon was brought trium- 
 phantly into Brussels, ornamented with rib- 
 bands and flowers : some bore the cypher 
 of Louis XVI, others had the words Liberty 
 and Equality, the greater number had the 
 mark of Napoleon. The joy of the Belgians 
 may well be conceived ; however averse they 
 might be to the arrangement which united 
 them to the Dutch, — a catholic to an heretical 
 people, — nothing could be so desirable in 
 its immediate efiects as such a victory, which 
 saved them from the license of Buonaparte's 
 army, his contributions and his conscriptions, 
 and relieved them from the presence of the 
 allied armies. They were flattered also by 
 the part which they had borne in the suc- 
 cess, and the manner in which the prince of 
 Orange had signalized himself: he had be- 
 haved with distinction in Spain, and had 
 now added to his former renown, — but 
 not without receiving a severe wound. 
 Throughout the north of Germany, wherever 
 the heavy hand of France had been felt, 
 (and whither had it not extended ?) the people 
 exulted as much now when their deliverance 
 was secured, as they had done in the pre- 
 ceding war, when it was first obtained. At 
 Hamburgh, it is said, such universal joy 
 had never been displayed as when the news 
 of the victory arrived : a public thanksgiving 
 was appointed, a collection in the churches 
 was made for the sufferers, and on the day 
 •which had been thus set apart for the duties 
 of religion and charity, the tomb of Klop- 
 stock was restored, which Davoust had 
 thrown down, as if in hatred toward the 
 senseless dust of him who had endeavoured 
 to make the Germans feel as a nation, and 
 to keep alive in them the love of freedom 
 and of their country. 
 
 The feeling which this battle produced in 
 
 [chap. LXXfJI. 
 
 England will never be forgotten by the pre- 
 sent generation. Accustomed, as we were, 
 to victory, upon the land as well as upon 
 the seas, since the star of Wellington had risen; 
 confident, as we were, in our general and in 
 our army, even they who were most assured 
 of success, and of speedy success, dreamt 
 not of snccess so signal, so sudden, so de- 
 cisive. Tiie glory of all former tields seemed 
 I to fade before that of Waterloo. At Cressy, 
 I at Poictiers, at 'Agincourt, the ease with 
 which victory bad been obtained appeared 
 to detract from the merit of the conquerors ; 
 there the multitude of the enemies had been 
 delivered into our hands by their own inso- 
 lence and presumption. Blenheim had been 
 less stubborn in the conflict, less momentous 
 in the consequences; and all the previous 
 actions of our great commander from Vimeiro, 
 or from Eastern Assye, to Thoulouse, now 
 seemed mere preludes to this last and greatest 
 of his triumphs. Heavy as was the weight 
 of private sorrow which it brought with it; 
 severe as was the public loss in the fall of 
 Picton and Ponsonby, and of so many others, 
 the flower of the British youth, the pride 
 and promise of the British army, still we 
 were spared that grief, which on a former 
 occasion had abated the joy of the very 
 multitude, and made thoughtful spirits al- 
 most regret the victory of Trafalgar. The 
 duke's aides de camp — men endeared to him 
 by their long services in the career of glory, 
 and by their personal devotion to him — fell, kill- 
 ed or wounded, one after another. Of those 
 who accompained him during this ' agony of 
 his fame,' his old friend the Spanish general 
 Alava was the only one who was untouched 
 either in his person or his horse. At one 
 moment, when the duke was very far ad- 
 vanced, observing the enemy's movements, 
 one of his aid-de-camp's ventured to hint 
 that he was exposing himself too much, the 
 duke answered with his noble simplicity, ' I 
 know I am, but I must die or see what they 
 are doing.' 
 
 The first consideration, when joy and as- 
 tonishment admitted leisure for it, was how 
 to express our sense of this great exploit, 
 how to manifest our gratitude to the army 
 and its leader, how to discharge our obliga- 
 tion — the mighty debt which was due to the 
 living and the dead. There remained no 
 new title for Wellington ; from his knighthood
 
 CHAP tXXIM.I 
 
 1 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 9Sd 
 
 to his dukedom he had won them all; there 
 reiuaiued im new distinctions of honour, he 
 had exhausted them ail : but the pcuiianient 
 added two hundred thousand pounds to its 
 former munificent grant, in order that a pa- 
 lace, not less niagniticent than that of Blen- 
 heim, might be erected for the general who 
 had surpassed the achievements of Marl- 
 borough. The merits of the army also were 
 properly estimated, and the rewards, as they 
 ought to be, were extended to every rank 
 and every individual. Every regiment wiiich 
 had been present, was permitted from thence- 
 forth to bear the word Waterloo upon their 
 colours; all the privates were to be borne 
 muster rolls and pay lists of their respective 
 corps as Waterloo men ; and every Waterloo 
 man allowed to reckon that day's work as 
 two years' service in the account of his time 
 for increase of pay, or for a pension when 
 discharged. The subaltern officers were in 
 like manner to reckon two years' service for 
 that victory ; and a beneht not less important 
 was extended on this occasion to the whole 
 army, by a regulation enacting, that hencefor- 
 ward the pensions granted for wounds, should 
 rise with the rank to which the oflicer at- 
 tained, so that he who was maimed when an 
 ensign, should, when he became a general, 
 receive a general's pension for the injury 
 "which he had endured. These were solid 
 substantial benetits, such as the army had 
 well deserved, and as it became the govern- 
 ment to confer. More was yet due, and the 
 legislature were not slow in expressing the 
 universal feeling of the nation. They decreed 
 that a national monument should be erected 
 in honour of the victory, and in commemora- 
 tion of the men who fell : and upon the 
 suggestion of Mr. William Wynn, it was de- 
 termined that the name of every man who 
 had fallen, should be inscribed upon this 
 memorial of national glory and public grati- 
 tude, Mr. Wynn suggested also that a 
 medal should be given to each of the sur- 
 vivors, of the same materials for officers and 
 men, that they who had been fellows in 
 danger might bear the same badge of honour. 
 And to shew how deeply the sense of ho- 
 nour will act upon the minds of brave men 
 m however humble a situation, he related a 
 fact which we repeat here, because it cannot 
 be too generally known. After the battle 
 of the Nile, a gentleman caused a medal to 
 
 be struck in honour of that action, and at 
 his own expense gave it to every uian in the 
 victorious iieet. Some of these men, com- 
 mon sailors, have been known after many 
 years, when dying upon a distant station, 
 to make it their lust request, that tiiis medal 
 should be sent home to their friends. Let 
 us hope that what was done by a liberal in- 
 dividual, may now be done by a wise and 
 grateful government ; and if the medal should 
 be given to all the allies who were in the 
 Held that day, its moral inHuence would be 
 such that few subsidies would ever have been 
 so well bestowed. 
 
 Lord Wellington described his own feel- 
 ings, after the battle, in a letter to the earl 
 of Aberdeen, to whom he had the painful task 
 of conmiunicating a brother's death. ' I can- 
 not,' he said, 'express to you the regret and 
 sorrow with which lconten)plate the losses the 
 country and the service have sustained, — none 
 more severe than that of general sir William 
 Gordon. The glory resulting from such ac- 
 tions, so dearly bought, is no consolation to 
 me, and 1 cannot imagine that it is any to 
 you. But I trust the result has been so de- 
 cisive, that little doubt will remain but our 
 exertions will be rewarded by the attainment 
 of our first object ; then it is that the glory 
 of the actions in which our friends have 
 fallen may be some consolation.' 
 
 Language like this is indeed honourable 
 to him from whom it proceeded. Lord Wel- 
 lington spake from his heart. This victory 
 had been too severely purchased to bring 
 with it any of that exhilaration with wliicli 
 victory is usually accompanied, — the friends? 
 with whom he had so often rejoiced alter a 
 victory, had fallen by his side, and during 
 the greater part of the ensuing day he was 
 in tears. But his expectations of the result 
 were not fallacious. The allied armies moved 
 upon Paris, where the proceedings of the 
 ephemeral government evinced how little 
 ability there was to resist their progress. 
 The tyrant, who had twice returned to that 
 capital alone, after leading armies to destruc- 
 tion, seems to have imagined, that he might 
 a third time depend upon the servility and 
 patience of a degraded and deluded nation. 
 L^pon his arri\al he informed his chamber 
 of peers, that he had come to Paris to con- 
 sult with the minister of war on the means 
 of restoring the material of the army, and to
 
 940 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 fcilAP. LYXIII. 
 
 consult with the chambers on the legislative 
 measures which circumstances required. The 
 chamber of peers declared itself permanent ! 
 they declared that any attempt to dissolve 
 them was a crime of high treason ; that 
 whoever might render himself guilty of such 
 an attempt would be a traitor, and should 
 immediately be condemned assucli ; and they 
 decreed that the army had deserved well of 
 their country ! La Fayette also moved the 
 same absurdities, saying, ' that for tlie first 
 time the chamber then heard a voice which 
 the old friends of liberty might yet recognize, 
 — that this was the moment to rally round the 
 old tri-colouted standard that of 1789 — that of 
 liberty, of equality, and of public order.' 
 The old frit nds of liberty did indeed recog- 
 nize his voice, but they recognized it with 
 sorrow ; the restoration of the Botnbons had 
 given to France as much liberty as he had 
 contended for in 178!) ; more, far more than 
 she deserved— more, far more than she was 
 capable of enjoying ; it had restored also 
 that foreign and domestic peace, that peace- 
 ful industry, that public order, which the tri- 
 coloiued standard had banished. One mem- 
 ber j)roposed a solemn declaration that the 
 Frencli nation renounced forever all conquest, 
 and all otlensive and ambitious war! That 
 they would never again take up arms but 
 for the defence of their territory, to avenge 
 the outrages committed against their dignity, 
 if reparation could not be obtained by means 
 of negociation, or for the defence of an ally 
 unjustly attacked. The scenes which ensued 
 remiiitied us of the disorders, the squabbles, 
 and the absurdities of the national conven- 
 tion ; doubtless, v\e shoidd ere long have 
 been reminded of the ferocity and madness 
 of that convention also, if the victorious 
 army had not been at hand. Emboldened 
 by that thought, one speaker ventured to call 
 for the abdication of the emperor, several 
 voices seconded tb.e motion; and Buonaparte, 
 was found as pliable as usual when his own 
 personal safety came in question. Still, 
 however, confiding in his partizans, and in 
 the heterogeneous assemblies who were impli- 
 cated with him, when he gave in his own 
 abdication, declaring that he oflered himself 
 as a sacrifice to the enemies of France, and 
 that his political life was terminated, he pro- 
 claimed his sun emperor of the French, by 
 tlie title of JNapoleoii II. This subterfuge 
 
 was but coldly received ; and when Lucien 
 Buonaparte, whom this measure would have 
 placed in the situation which he most covet- 
 ed, supported it, he was reminded that he 
 was not a Frenchman, and had no right to 
 deliver an opinion upon the subject, having 
 none to a seat in that assendjiy. The person 
 who supported it with most vehemence was 
 Labedoyere. The abdication, he observed, 
 was indivisable, — meaning by this phrase, 
 that it was conditional, and became void 
 unless the young Napoleon were admitted 
 to the succession. He said, ' that if the assem- 
 bly would not acknowledge the son, the father 
 ought to keep the sword in his hand, sur- 
 rounded by the soldiers ;' and he proposed 
 that every Frenchman who quitted his colours 
 should be declared infamous, that his house 
 should be rased, and hts family proscribed. 
 ' Then,' said he, ' we shall have no more 
 traitors.' So natural is compassion to an 
 English j)ublic, that Labedoyere was pitied 
 when he received the punishment due 
 to his treason and rebellion ; but the senti- 
 ments which he delivered on this occasion 
 shew that he was ready to renew the horri(t 
 scenes which Westermann, and Turreau, and 
 Rossignol exhibited in La Vendee ; and little 
 mercy did thatman deservewhohad thusavow- 
 ed his own determination of shewing none. 
 
 The allies now advanced upon Paris, and 
 the Buonapartes absconded, hoping, as it 
 appears, to try their fortunes in America. 
 But the British fleet completed the work 
 which the British army had begun : the fallen 
 emperor fled from our armies to the coast, 
 he found it so closely watched l>y our ships, 
 that it was impossible to escaj-.e ; and no 
 alternative remained but to fall into the hands 
 of the legitimate government, to throw him- 
 self upon the mercy of the English, or 
 to escape their cruistts. The first of these 
 measures would have led to his immediate 
 txerulion, and he therefore set out for Roch- 
 fort with a trail* of faithful oflicers and do- 
 mtstics amounting to forty persons, who were 
 resolved to ally themselves to his fate. Two 
 frigates had been prepared for his reception . 
 at Rochfort, and had not his own indecision, 
 occasioned by his sei-ret wish to join the 
 troops asscndjltd on the Loire, delayed his 
 arrival on the coast, he might have escaped 
 to Airierica before the arrival of the British 
 cruisers to watch his motions.
 
 CHAP. LXXIII.] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 941 
 
 The duke of Wellington remained at 
 Waterloo till the 19lh of June, to provide 
 for the wounded, to rest his troo-ps after so 
 severe an action, and to re-orifaiiize them for 
 further operations. On the 20th he marched 
 to Binche, a distance of 30 miles, and issued 
 s^n Older of the day similar to that which he 
 had circuiat^d ou his first advance into the 
 French territory. The exemplary conduct of 
 the soldiers under his comnaand, presented 
 a striking contrast to the sanguinary and 
 revengeful acts perpetrated by the Prussians. 
 The provocations, indeed, on the part of 
 the latter to inveterate hatred of the French, 
 had been great and numerous, and they 
 .seized the opportunity of .sanguinary retalia- 
 tion. On the 20th, the duke of Wellington 
 continued his march to Malplaqnet, a dis- 
 tance of 17 miles, a»d crossing the French 
 boundary, advanced to Cateau-Cambresis, 
 whence he diHpatched a corps to take Cam- 
 bray. The walls of that place are tifty-tive 
 feet in height ; but general Colville, iinintimi- 
 dated by this circumstance, attacked the 
 town by escalade at four different points, 
 and the garrison retreated into the citadel, 
 with the loss of 130 prisoners. 
 
 In the expression of his good-will to Louis, 
 lord Wellington would appear to have as- 
 sumed a language which neither the temper 
 of the allies, nor the tone of his own court in 
 particular, can entirely justify. We had dis- 
 claimed all intention to stipulate for the 
 return of the Bourbons, and the allies had 
 come to no explicit declaration on the sub- 
 ject. Yet, on the arrival of Louis at Cam- 
 bray, that city was (J^livered to him in form, 
 as actual king of France. ?TleanwhiIe the 
 troops of Blucher were continuing their 
 march to Paris, while the miserable wreck of 
 the French army under Soult and Grouchy, 
 was hastening in a parallel direction to out- 
 strip the invaders, and defend the capital. 
 At Villars-Catterets, the two armies came in 
 contact. A severe engagement ensued, in 
 which the French were defeated, with the 
 loss of six pieces of cannon, and 1000 pri- 
 soners. They were likewise driven from the 
 road of Soissons, by which they had hoped 
 to penetrate to Paris. They then endeavoured 
 to take the road of Meaux, but were op- 
 posed by the coips of Bulow, and repulsed, 
 with the loss of 500 prisoners. They even- 
 tually, however, succeeded in arriving at the 
 
 metropolis before the fnvaders, and Grouchy 
 brought with him the greater part of the 
 artillery he had with him at Wavre, The 
 Prussians continued to advance, and on Uie 
 2ijth of June, had arrived in the neighbour- 
 hood of I'aris. 
 
 The duke of \yellington Iialted at Cateau. 
 to allow the pantoons and some necessary 
 stores to come up, alid on the 20th attacked 
 I*eronne, The horn-work, which covered 
 the suburb on the left of the Somuie, wa* 
 carried by storm with trifling loss, and tiie 
 town then surrendered, on condition that the 
 garrison should lay down their arms, and be 
 allowed to leturn to their homes. On the 
 28th of June, lord Wellington was at St. 
 Just, and on the 29th and 30lh pa.ssed the 
 Oise, and established himself with his right 
 at Rochebourg, and his left at the Bois de 
 Bondy. 
 
 In the mean time, the provisional ,o«c 
 government of France appointed com- 
 missioners to treat for peace, who repaired 
 to the camp of prince Blucher, and requested 
 a suspension of arms, while they proceeded 
 to the head-quarters of the allies with pacific 
 overtures. He gave them a peremptory re- 
 fusal, and would acquiesce in nothing but 
 unconditional submission, and the possession 
 of Paris. He did not, however, refuse their 
 passports, and they proceeded to Hagueneau, 
 where the coalesced sovereigns had now 
 arrived. After a long but unsatisfactory con- 
 ference, they returned to Paris, and found 
 the duke of Wellington and prince Blucher 
 ready to enter the capital, in pursuance of a 
 convention concluded in their absence. The 
 provisional government had acted with vigour 
 and activity. The fortifications were com- 
 pleted ; and additional troops to those of Soult 
 and Grouchy poured in from the south, the 
 national guard volunteered its service, the 
 federates "armed themselves with eagerness, 
 and the majority of the people shared in the 
 determination to preserve the sacicd capital 
 from a second humiliation. Overtures for an 
 armistice, and a private letter of Foiiclj^ 
 were, during these preparations, equally dis- 
 regarded. The troops of the allies bivouacked 
 beneath the walls of Paris, and many contlicts 
 ensued between the detached divisions of 
 Bluchers army, and parties of the French 
 stationed near Versailles. Observing the 
 lirmness and prudence of the allies, Uie
 
 942 
 
 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 
 
 [chap. LXXIK. 
 
 provisional government invifed the marslials 
 and generals to a council of war, at which it 
 was decided that all resistance must be fruit- 
 less, Fonche and Canlincourt proposed that 
 the city sliouhl he surrendered to Louis 
 XVIII. and argued that this procedlire would 
 cojiciliate a fainily under whose power it 
 Avas evident that they must return. But it 
 was finally determined to offer the surrender 
 of the city as a mere military transaction, 
 without refe;e!iceto any ])olitical question. 
 
 The main hody of the allies was now sta- 
 tioned on the left l)ank. of the Seine, where 
 the city was without defence. They were 
 masters of the village of Issy innnediately 
 under the walls, and could chnse the most 
 favourable monjeut of attack. The French, 
 on the contrary, were ranged out just with- 
 out the walls, and in the suburbs of Paris, 
 and were compelled to be upon their guard 
 at all the avenues of the inmiense space which 
 they had to defend. Unacquainted with the 
 determination of the government, they were 
 attacked i)y the allies on the 3rd of July, and 
 fougiit with the fury of despair. But the 
 French were repulsed at every point, and 
 fled to the interior gates of the city. As soon 
 as the government perceived that the conflict 
 was taking an unfavourable turn, they des- 
 patched a herald to the allied generals, de- 
 manding a suspension of arms for a few 
 hours, while commissioners could be ap- 
 pointed to treat of the surrender of the city. 
 To this proposal Weliington and Bluclier con- 
 sented, and the negotiations were not pro- 
 tracted. The following convention was in- 
 stantly arranged and signed by the com- 
 missioners. 
 
 The ;3rd ofJul\% 181.5, the commissioners 
 named by the connnanders-in-chief of the 
 respective armies, that is to say, the baron 
 Bignun, holding the portefeuille of foreign 
 afl'airs ; the count Guillemont, chief of the 
 general staff of the French army ; the count 
 de Bondy, prefect of the department of the 
 Seine, being furnished with the full powers 
 of his excellency, the marshal prince of Ech- 
 muhl, commander-in-chief of the French army 
 on one side ; and major-general baron Muf- 
 fling, fur lished with the full powers of his 
 highness the tield-marshal prince Blucher, 
 connnander-in-chief of the Prussian army ; 
 and colonel Hcrvey, furnished with the fidl 
 powers of his excellency the duke of Wel- 
 
 lington, commander-in-chief of the English 
 army on the other side, bave agreed to the 
 following articles : — 
 
 Art. I. There shall be a suspension of 
 arms between the allied armies, commanded 
 by Ids highness the prince Blucher, and his 
 excellency the duke of Wellington, and the 
 French army under the walls of Paris. • ■"' 
 
 Akt. II. The French army shall' put 
 itself in motion to-morrow, to take up its 
 position behind the Loire. Paris shall be 
 completely evacuated in three days ; and the 
 movement behind the Loire shall be effected 
 within eight days. 
 
 Art. III. The French army shall take 
 with it all its materiel, field artillery, military 
 chest, horses, and property of legiments, 
 without exception. All persons belonging 
 to the dep6ts shall be removed, as well as 
 those belonging to the difi'erent branches 
 of administration, which belong to the army. 
 
 Art. IV. The sick and wounded, and the 
 medical officers whom it may be necessary 
 to leave with them, are placed under the 
 special protection of the commanders-in-chief 
 of the English and Prussian arniies. 
 
 Art. V. The military and those holding 
 employments, to whom the foregoing article re- 
 lates, shall be at liberty, immediately aftertheir 
 recovery, to rejoin the corps to which they 
 belong. 
 
 Art. VI. The wives and children of all 
 individuals belonging to the French army, 
 shall be at liberty to remain in Paris. The 
 wives shall be allovve<l to quit Paris for the 
 purpose of lejoining the army, and to carry 
 with them their property, and that of their 
 husbands. 
 
 Art. VII. The officers of the line em- 
 ployed with the federes, or with the tirailleurs 
 of the national guard, may either join the 
 army or return to their homes, or 'the places 
 of their birth. 
 
 Art. VI II. To-morrovi, the 4th of July, 
 at mid day, St. Denis, St. Ouen, Clichy, and 
 Neuilly, shall be given up. The day after 
 to-morrow, the 5th, at the same hour, Mont- 
 niartre shall be given up. The third day, 
 the (jth, all the barriers shall be given up. 
 
 Art. IX. The duty of the city of Paris 
 shall continue to be done by the national 
 guard, and by the corps of the municipal geu- 
 dunnerie.
 
 CHAP. LXXIir.] GEORGK !!1. J)43 
 
 Art. X. The commanders-in-chief of the ! The baron De Mltflino. 
 
 English and l'iii.v»sian armies engage to i F. 13. IIkuvey, colonel, 
 
 resfject, and to make those under their com- ; Approved and ratified, the present sus- 
 inand respect, the actual authorities, so long as ; pension of arms, at Pari-s, the 3rd of July, 
 they shall exist. | 181.5. 
 
 Art. XI, Public property, with the ex- T . , /Sio-npH^ ^Marshal the prince 
 
 ception of- that which relates to war, whether : ^PP'^o^^" (:signed) ^ D'Echbiuhl. 
 it belongs to the government, or depends upon $ 
 
 the iiiniiicipal authority, shall be respected, | Coxeokmably with the terms of this con- 
 and the allied powers wiM not interlere in ; ventioii, the allied troops were p'ared in pos- 
 any manner with its administration and J session of the out post-; of the city on the 
 management. | day after the rapituiation ; and on tlie fjth 
 
 Art. XII. Private persons and property ; the barriers were deli vt red up, and the allie.s 
 shall be equally respected. The iidiabitants, J entered the capital. The military posis were 
 and, in general, all individuals who shall be j » irrendered without disturbance. The Eng- 
 in the capital, shall continue to enjoy their { lisli and Prussian picquets received the pass- 
 rights and liberties without lieing disturbed \ word from the national troops as regularly 
 or called to account, either as to the situa- i as if they were merely relieving guard ; and, 
 tions which they hold, or may have held, or j after the opposite parties had sainted each 
 as to their conduct or political opinions. < other in all due military form, the national 
 
 Art. XIII. The foreign troops shall not j guard peaceably returned to their respective 
 interpose any obstacles to the provisioning | habitations. The chamber of deputies dis- 
 of the capital, and will protect, on the con- i solved of its oWn accord ; the tri-coloured 
 trary, the arrival and the free circulation of I flag was torn from the towers of Paris, and 
 the ai-ticles which are destined for it. \ replaced bj the white standard of tlie Bour- 
 
 Art. XIV. The present convention shall 5 bons. The 8th of July exhibited in a re- 
 be observed, and shall serve to regulate the J volting point of view the fickle and servile 
 mutual relations until the conclusion of peace. I nature of the Parisians. When the arrival 
 In case of rupture, it must be denounced in | of the king on 'the road to Paris was an- 
 the usual forms, at least ten days before- ; nounced, multitudes who a few short weeks 
 hand. | before had rent the air with plaudits of Buo- 
 
 Art. XV. If difficulties arise in the exe- > naparte and execrations 3gainst the Bourbons 
 cution oTany one of the articles of the present i in the Champ de iMai, went out to meet him, 
 convention, the interpretation of it shall be I The acclamations were loud and universal. 
 made in favour of the French araiy and of; On entering the suburbs, he was greeted 
 the city of Paris. i with enthusiastic cries of "Long live our 
 
 Art. XVI. The present convention is > beloved monarch ! Long live Louis ! Louis 
 declared common to all the allied armies, 5 for ever, and none but hini ! The royal cai- 
 provided it be ratified by the powers on which i riage was surrounded by those very marshals, 
 these armies are dependent. " " > some of whom heve been sentenced by this 
 
 Art. XVII. The ratifications shall be ; very sovereign to exile or the block ; and by 
 exchanged to-morrow, the 4th of July, at 5 the municipal body which had lately sane- 
 six o'clock in the morning, at the bridge of i tioned all the plans and all the arbitrary ac- 
 Neuilly. 5 tions of Napoleon. The garden of the 
 
 Art. XVIII. Commissioners shall be ^ Thnillenes was thronged during the whole 
 named by the respective parties, in order J of the evening, (iroups of dancers occupied 
 to watch over the execution of the present 5 every walk and every lawn ; and when the 
 convention. ; king descended into the garden, the populace 
 
 Done and signed at St. Cloud, in triplicate, | so violently thronged around him to testify 
 
 by the commissioners above named, the day \ their joy, that he was glad to retire into his 
 
 and year before mentioned, * balcony, where he gratified the crowd with 
 
 (Signed) The baron Bignon. J the sight of him for more than half an hour. 
 
 Count Guillemont. * On the succeeding day the king announced 
 
 Count De Bondy. _ {his ministers. Tiie prince de Talleyrand wa* - 
 
 6 E UO
 
 944 HISTORY OP EVGLAND. [CHAP. LXXIfl. 
 
 appointed president of the council and ; those feelings would be enflamed on the dis- 
 secretaiy for foreign affairs ; niaislml St. Cyr, i closure of the following docuwent, with which 
 minister of war; baron Louis, minister of ; we shall conclude the diplomatic history of 
 finance; the duke of Otranto, (Foiich6,) ; the year, 
 minister of police ; the duke de Richelieu, | 
 
 minister for tiie department of the king's \ Protocol of the Conference between the Pleni- 
 honsehoid ; baron Pasquier, minister of I potentiaries of Austria, Russia, Great 
 justice; and count de J;tucour, minister of 5 Britain, Prussia, and France, on Mmiday, 
 marine. The object of the king was to in- s the second of October, 1815. 
 elude the leading men of all parties, and \ 
 
 thus inspire universal confidence. But he » After various declarations and conferences 
 was restored to his throne under the most } between the plenipotentiaries of Austria, 
 unfortunate circumstances. He was forced x Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, on the 
 upon the French people by invading armies ; { one side ; and the duke of Richelieu, ap- 
 tlie blood of the French had too liberally I pointed plenipotentiary of his majesty the 
 i^owed in the contest; and as the price of j king of France, on the other, it has been 
 his restoration, he was compelled to sub- i agreed upon to-day, that the relations be- 
 scribe to conditions humiliating to the glory | tween France and tlie allied powers, armed 
 of France. General Blucher, immediately j for the re-establishment and maintenance of 
 upon his entrance into Paris, sent a letter to ; the general peace, shall be definitively regu- 
 M. Denou, the director of the Museum, de- i lated upon the following bases : — 
 manding not only the surrender of the pictures j 
 
 and statues clauned last year, as belonging; 1. The boundaries of France as they were 
 to Prussia, but of all the treasures of art con- ; in 1790, from the North Sea to the Mediter- 
 tained in the Museum, as the plundered ; ranean, shall form the fundamental principles 
 property of the allies. M. Denou answered 5 of the territorial arrangements, so that those 
 that it was an affair which must be nego- \ districts and territories of former Belgium, 
 tiafed with the government, and that he would ; of Germany, and Savoy, which, by the treaty 
 not give them up. M. Denou was arrested ^ of Paris of 18M, were annexed to old France, 
 during the night by 20 men, and was threaten- 5 shall remain separated therefrom, 
 ed to be sent to the fortress of Grandentz, in » 2. Where this principle is departed from. 
 West Prussia. From this argument there \ the boundaries of 1790 shall be modified and 
 was no appeal ; and the objects demanded | better arranged, according to mutual con- 
 were delivered. Sentinels were placed along \ ventions and interests, both in regard to civil 
 the gallery of the Museum, at every twenty ; jurisdiction, so as to cut off inclosed dis- 
 steps ; hut this did not entirely prevent the i tricts, and assign, on both sides, a more re- 
 intrusion of the multitude, who bewailed > gular territory, and also in regard to military 
 with clamorous importunity this striking and ; jurisdiction, so as to strengthen certain weak 
 decisive proof of national humiliation. The | parts of the boundaries of the centerrainous 
 possession of the most valuable productions > countries. 
 
 of art, obtained by plunder or by artifice, had I In conformity to this principle, France cedes 
 cherished the vanity of the French people, 5 to the allies — • 
 
 and had been frequently the theme of tri- \ Landau, Saarlouis, Philippeville, and Ma- 
 umphant boast in the armies of Napoleon. ; rienburg, with those circle3 of territory which 
 To lose these trophies of conquest and 'ic- 1 are more fully laid down in the plan of treaty 
 tory was the subject of general lamentation ; ; proposed by the four allied cabinets, on the 
 not from any unusual attachment to, or su- i 20th of September. 
 
 perior knowledge of, the arts, but because* Versoy, with the necessary territory, shall 
 Jm Belle Paris could no longer be deno- ; be ceded to the Helvetic confederation, in 
 minated the grand and sole repository of : order to bring the canton of Geneva iji direct 
 painting and sculpture. If on subjects like ; communication with Switzerland, and the 
 these their sensibility was so acute, and (heir ; French line of customs shall be there es- 
 infligiiation so vehement, il may be readily ; tablished in the manner most convenient for 
 conceived to what a dt^ree of exasperation | the administrative system of both countries.
 
 CHAP. LXXIIl] 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 945 
 
 The works of Hiiningen sl)all he demo- 
 lished. The Fieiirli srovenimei.t binds itself 
 to erect no others within a distance of three 
 leai^nes from Basle. 
 
 E'rance relinquishes her rights to the prin- 
 cipality of Monaco. 
 
 On the other hand, the possession of Avig- 
 non and the Venaissin, as well as of the 
 county of Monipelgard, and the possession 
 of every other territory which is included 
 within the French hr>e, shall be anew secured 
 to France. 
 
 3. France pays to the allied powers, by 
 way of indemnity for the expences of their 
 last armaments, the sum of 700 million of 
 francs. A special commission shall fix the 
 mode, the periods, and the securities for this 
 payment. 
 
 4. A MILITARY line of the following seven- 
 teen fortresses, viz. — Conde, Valenciennes, 
 Bouchain, Cambray, Le Quesnoy, Maubeuge, 
 Landrecies, Avesnes, Rocroy, Givet, Me- 
 zieres, Sedan, Mommedy, Thionville, Longwy, 
 Bitche, and the Bridge-head of Fort Louis, 
 shall be occupied by an army of 150,000 men, 
 which tlie allied powers shall appoint. This 
 army, which shall be placed under the com- 
 mand of a general, chosen by these powers, 
 shall be wholly maintained at the expense of 
 France. 
 
 A SPECIAL commission shall fix all that relates 
 ■to its maintenance, which shall be regulated 
 in the Uest way for supplying all the wants 
 of the army, and, at the same time, the least 
 burdensome for the country. 
 
 The longest duration of this military oc- 
 cupation is fixed at five years. However, 
 on the expiration of three years, after the 
 allied sovereigns have weighed the situa- 
 tion of things and of mutual interests, as well 
 as the advances which may have been made 
 in the restoration of order and tranquillity 
 in France, they will come to a common de- j 
 cision with the king of France, whether the 
 above term of years may be shortened. 
 
 The plenipotentiaries having defininitely 
 adopted these bases, have concerted upon 
 the course to be adopted, in order to arrive, 
 in the shortest possible time, at a formal 
 arrangement, and have conse<4ueatly de- 
 termined, 
 
 1. That a general treaty shall be drawn 
 up, upon the bases above laid down, and 
 adding to them such articles as, by common 
 
 consent, shall be judged necessary to toni- 
 plefe it. The French government will nomi- 
 nate on its part, the person who is to unite 
 with those whom the four powers have 
 charged with the drawing up of the treaty. 
 
 2. That the commissioners appointed for 
 the military aHiiits shall proceed, conjointly 
 with the coMMiiissioners whom the- French 
 government shail appoint for this purpose, 
 to draw np a plan of convention to regulate 
 every thing relative to t!ie military occupation, 
 and to the support of the army emi»loyed in 
 this occupation. The same conmiissioners 
 shall also determine the maimer and the 
 periods of the evacuation of all such parts of 
 the French territory as are not coin})reiien(led 
 within the line of the military occupation. 
 
 :i. That a special commission appointed 
 for that purpose by the contracting parties, 
 shall draw up, without delay, a plan of con- 
 vention to regulate the mode, the periods^ 
 and the guarantees of the payment of the 
 700,000,000 of francs, to be stipulated by the 
 general treaty. 
 
 4. The commission formed to examine the 
 reclamations of several powers, relatively to 
 the non-execution of certain articles of the 
 treaty of Paris, shall continue its labours, 
 with the understanding, that it is to commu- 
 nicate them as soon as possible, to the pleni- 
 potentiaries \\i the principal negociation. 
 
 5. That as soon as these commissioners 
 shall have terminated their labours, the ple- 
 nipotentiaries shall unite to examine the re- 
 sults of them, — to determine on the definitive 
 arrangements, — and to sign the principal 
 treaty, as well as the different particular con- 
 ventions. This process verbal having been 
 read, the ])lenipotentiaries have approved 
 it, and 
 
 (Signed) Rasumowsky. Wessenbeho, 
 Castlereagh, CapoDIstria, 
 Richelieu, Humboldt, 
 Wellington, Hardenberg. 
 
 From the 3rd to the 10th of July, Napo- 
 leon resided at the house of the prefect of 
 Rochefort. He still cast a " longing lingering 
 look" at the prize which he had lost, and in 
 the struggle between ambition and a regard 
 to his own security, neglected the opportu- 
 nity of flight. In a paroxysm of momentary 
 despair, he took possession with his few at- 
 tendants, of the isle of Aix, reviewed his 
 G E 2
 
 916 
 
 HISTORY OF EXGLAVD. 
 
 ("chap. LXXIIl. 
 
 comrades, befan to repair tlie works, and 
 was convinced the next morning; of liis folly. 
 Every chance of escape was now cnt off', and 
 he had recourse to the singular expedient of 
 sending a dcxg of truce to the British com- 
 mandeV of the Belleroplion, requesting per- 
 mission to pass, and giving his word of honour 
 that he would proceed to America. To 
 this an unqualified denial was returned, and 
 captain Maitiand added that he would attack 
 the French squadron the moment it left the | 
 
 M'ith every person on board. He eagerly 
 read the English newspapers, and expressed 
 with freedom his opinion on every political 
 subject. His suite tieated him with the mo.st 
 profound respect ; hut he familiarly and 
 eagerly conversed with the officers of the 
 Bellerophon, and sometimes addressed hini- 
 sell'tothe private sailors and marines. 
 
 When he was asked his opinion of Wel- 
 lington, he generally attempted to evade the 
 question, but he never used a single expres- 
 
 harbour. Buonaparte now resolved to make ! sion derogatory to the duke's military talents. 
 
 a virtue of necessity, apd throw himself on 
 the generosity of the British nation. Two 
 of his officers were despatched to captain 
 Maitiand, proposing his surrender, on con- 
 dition that his person and property should 
 be sacred, and that on his arrival in England 
 he should be permitted to retire wherever he 
 preferred. The captain answered that he 
 had no authority to grant him terms, and 
 that all he could do would be to convey him 
 and his suite to England. His reply was 
 far from pleasing to Buonaparte, but his situ- 
 ation was desperate, and he at last embarked 
 with his suite on board a Hag of truce, and 
 proceeded to the Bellerophon. He ascended 
 the quarter-deck, advanced to captain Mait- 
 iand, and with much dignity of manner, thus 
 addressed him. "I am come to claim the 
 protection of your prince and of your laws." 
 The captain received him with all the respect 
 due to his former rank. The Bellerophon im- 
 mediately weighed anchor and sailed for Eng- 
 land, but did not arrive at Torbay till the 
 24th of July, Avhen the following letter was 
 transmitted to the prince regent. 
 
 " Royal highness, 
 
 " Exposed to the factions which di- 
 vide my country, and to the enmity of the 
 ^reat powers of Europe, I have terminated 
 my political career ; and I come, like The- 
 mistocles, to throw myself upon the hospita- 
 lity of the British nation. I place myself 
 under the safeguard of their laws, and claim 
 the' protection of your royal highness, the 
 most powerful, the most constant, the most 
 generous, of my enemies. 
 
 Napoleon." 
 
 BuoYfiiJ up by the expectation of obtain- 
 ing an asylum in England, he was cheerful 
 and affable, and soon ingratiated himself 
 
 When he was more than usually communi- 
 caiive, he frankly acknowledged that our 
 illustrious commander had proved himself 
 the first general of the age. 
 
 He sometimes spoke with animation, but 
 incoherently, of his own military achieve- 
 ments. " I ought," said he, " to have died 
 when I entered Moscow ; then I had attained 
 the very pinnacle of glory : but from that 
 hour reverses and disgrace have perpetually 
 attended me. And yet had I followed the 
 dictates of iny own mind, I might now have 
 been great and happy. I would have made 
 peace at Dresden, and at Chatillon ; but 
 Maret, with well meaning but fatal zeal, 
 persuaded me against it. Your fine country 
 I had once resolved to invade. It is per- 
 haps fortunate for me that my intention was 
 never executed. The cowardly traitor Vil- 
 leneuve would not obey the orders which 
 he received. I would have landed as near 
 Chatham as I could, and have dashed at 
 once for London. I might have failed, I 
 might have perished in the attempt, but the 
 prize was worth the hazard of the under- 
 taking." 
 
 In England, Buonaparte could not be 
 permitted to reside with comfort to himself, or 
 security to Europe ; nor could he have been 
 suffered to emigrate to any distant neutral 
 country, where intercourse with his ad- 
 herents might he frequent and unrestrained. 
 It was therefore determined to select some 
 isolated and soliiary spot, far removed from 
 the boundaries of political intrigue, and from 
 whence escape might be impossible. In 
 such a situation many unpleasant restraints 
 on iris personal liberty, many precautions 
 inconsistent ' with his private enjoyment, 
 might be remitted, without danger, to the 
 peace of Europe. 
 
 The island of St. Helena presented this
 
 CHAP. LXXIII.j GEORGE III. 
 
 tipot. Twelve hundred miles distance from 
 tlie nearest continent, containing init one 
 harbour within its circumference ; strong l)y 
 nature, impregnable by art, coniuianding f^i-oni 
 its declivities a view of the ocean on every 
 side, for more than 60 miles : this island pre- 
 sented a character and aspect so gloomy, and 
 yet so romantic, that providence might seem 
 to have designed it for the residence of some 
 illustrious and unfortunate exile. But though 
 it was evident that in the seclusion of St. 
 Helena, he would experience more real hap- 
 piness than he could have enjoyed in Eng- 
 land, where he must have been subjected to 
 a tenfold degree of espionage and suspicion, 
 Buonaparte learned the decision of the privy 
 council, through the uiediura of newspapers, 
 with the strongest expressions of rage and 
 indignation. At lirst he peremptorily de- 
 clared that he would not be taken from the 
 Bellerophon alive, and his suite fully par- 
 ticipated in hi.s emotion. When madame 
 Bertraud learned that she was to be secluded 
 for life on the barren rock of St. Helena, 
 she burst from the cabin, rushed towards 
 Buonaparte, who was then parading the 
 deck, threw herself at his feet, deliriously 
 clasped his knees, and then rushing to the 
 side of the vessel, would have precipitated 
 herself into the sea, had not her purpose 
 been violently prevented. Two days elapsed 
 before the arrival of the British commissioner, 
 during which interval Buonaparte had re- 
 flected on the inutility of resistance, and had 
 become reconciled to his fate. He again 
 began to shew himself to the crowds which 
 constantly surrounded the ship, and his coun- 
 tenance sometimes brightened into a smile. 
 Many hours of the day were spent in writing, 
 and among other compositions, he drew 
 up a spirited protest against th-e right of 
 banishment assumed by the British govern- 
 ment ; a document, which he afterwards 
 destroyed. 
 
 Sir Henry Banbury was the person offi- 
 cially charged with a communication to 
 government, importing that he would be 
 conveyed to the island of St. Helena, with 
 four of his friends, to be chosen by himself, 
 and 12 domestics. He received the intima- 
 tion without surprise, but protested against 
 the measure with the utmost energy. He said 
 that he had been forced to quit the isle of 
 £lb'a, by the breach of the treaty made wkh 
 
 r 9i7 
 
 him by the sovereigns of Europe: that he had 
 endeavoured to avoid hostilities, but he had. 
 been forced by the allies themselves; that whea 
 his enemies had declared in the face of tbe world 
 that he alone was the object of their enniit)', 
 he abdicated the throne of France in the full 
 confidence that they would adhere to their 
 solemn declaration, and leave the French to 
 the settlement of their owu affairs. His first 
 wish had been to retire to the distant country 
 of America, and there devote himself to 
 literary pursuits ; but disappointed in that, 
 he had next resolved to seek protection in 
 Britain, and had therefore fearlessly and un- 
 conditionally placed himself in the power of 
 the British government. It was not consist- 
 ent with the principles of the British con- 
 stitution to doom him to perpetual banish- 
 ment, without accusation and without trial. 
 
 He was now removed on board the IVor- 
 thuuibefland, and the officers who surrounded 
 him were instructed to address him by no 
 higher title than that of general. Count 
 Bertrand, the countess and their children, 
 count and countess Montholon, count Las 
 Cassas, and general Gorgaud, with nine men, 
 and three women servants, remained with 
 Buonaparte, and the rest were sent on board 
 the Euiotas frigate. Buonaparte's surgeon 
 alone, of all his attendants, refused to ac- 
 couipany him, and his place was supplied 
 by the surgeon of the IBellerophon. After 
 waiting a few days for provisions and stores, 
 the INorthumberland sailed for St. Helena, 
 and arrived there on the 18th of October. 
 Buonaparte was lodged in a private house, 
 until a suitable residence could be prepared 
 for his reception. During the first part of 
 the voyage he was the life of the crew, but 
 as he approached the place of his destinatioj, 
 his spirits flagged, and when the rugged and 
 barren rocks of St. Helena presented them- 
 selves to view, surrounded by the wide ex- 
 panse of a vast and almost unfrequented 
 ocean, he hurried to his cabin and burst into 
 tears. A lesson more instructive and sub- 
 lime, has never been impressed by the 
 moralist, or imagined by the poet. The re- 
 cords of human history contain no other 
 example of vicissitude so awful, of punish- 
 ment so just, yet merciful, of despotism so 
 rapidly accomplishing its own destruction by 
 the enormity of its offences against the li- 
 berties of mankind. But let not us who
 
 948 HlfiTORY OP ENGLAND- lCHAP LXXIH. 
 
 assume the merit of essentially promoting i passed before us with a disposition to improve 
 this desirable consummation, exult too much \ by the incidents it has displayed, and the 
 in the purity of our motives, and the integrity \ examples it has presented, and to close the 
 of our views. Our impolicy has been great, I page of recent history with a conviction that 
 our errors have been numerous ; and we are i the virtue of sove<reigns, the integrity 
 less a debtor to our own wisdom, virtue, and | op statesmen, and the freedom of em- 
 perseverance, than to the misfortunes and \ pires, are the only pledges of their 
 indiscretion of our enemies. It becomes our | glory, their happiness, and their sta- 
 duty to reflect upon the scene that has » bility. 
 
 PINIS. 
 
 ^tf ^^^k^^#'^^^'<^>* 
 
 ^^^,^^^ff^ ^^*v* »*^ 
 
 i.' M. MOBUI* AND qo. fclNTlES, J.UNOAV
 
 MWmil'f 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CONTINUATION. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 WILLIAM AND MARY. 
 
 1689 to 1691. 
 
 Accession of William. — The Convention con- 
 verted into a Parliament. — Discontents in 
 Scotland. — James arrives in Ireland. — Siege 
 of Londonderry. — Battle of the Boyne. — 
 Inglorious Conflict between the English 
 and French fleets. — Exploits of Marlbo- 
 rough in Ireland. — Conspiracies in London. 
 — Proceedings of Ginckle in Ireland. — 
 Affairs abroad. — Cruel Treatment of Mac- 
 donald. Pane 1 
 
 CHAP. IL 
 
 1692 to 1697. 
 
 Disaffection of Russel. — Victory of La Hogue. 
 — Siege of Namur. — Repulse of the Allies 
 at Steinkirk. — Debates in Parliament. — 
 Triennial Bill. — Operations in Flanders. — 
 Successes of Tourville. — Communications 
 between King James and Russel. — Death 
 of the Queen. — Military Operations. — Va- 
 rious Acts for the benefit of the Subject. — 
 A Conspiracy discovered against the Life 
 of William. — Distresses of Lewis XIV. — 
 Negotiations at the Hague. — Treaty of 
 Ryswick. 14 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 WILLIAM IIL 
 
 1697 to 1702 
 
 Proceedmgs in Parliament. — Establishment 
 of an East India Company. — Missionaries 
 
 to America. — Intrigues of Lewis. — Diffi- 
 culty attached to the Spanish succession. 
 — Reduction of the Land Forces. — Trial of 
 AVarwic and Mohun. — Valuation of the 
 forfeited Estates. — Discontents of the 
 Scotch East India Company. — Dismissal 
 of Somers. — Second Partition Treaty. — 
 Mortifications to which William is subjects 
 ed.— Death of the Duke of Glocester. — ■ 
 Discussions on the Treaty of Partition. — 
 Death of King James. — Impeachment of 
 Somers. — Acts relating to the Succession. 
 ■ — The King's Illness and Death. — His 
 Character; Page 27 
 
 \ 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 ANNE. 
 
 1702 to 1705. 
 
 Accession of Anne. — State of Parties.— The 
 Campaign abroad.^Expedition to Vigo. — 
 Gallant Exploit of Admiral Benbow. — Dis- 
 contents in Scotland. — Accession of Charles 
 to the Throne of Spain.-^EIections. — Skil- 
 ful and successful Operations of Marlbo- 
 rough. — Battle of Hochstedt, or Blenheim. 
 — Capture of Gibraltar. — Exploits of the 
 Earl of Peterborough in Spain. — Progress 
 towards the conclusion of a Union. — De- 
 bates on the Dangers of the Church. 39 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 1706 to 1708. 
 
 Progress of the Union.— lis Conditions. — Vic- 
 tories of IVlarlborough. — The Battle of 
 Raniillies. — Rising Influence of the Tories.
 
 u 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 — Siege of Barcelona. — Campaign in Spain. 
 — Capture of Majorca and Ivica. — A.cjuix- 
 otic Expedition against France. — State of 
 Foreicn Politics.— Bombardment of Tou- 
 lon. — Intrigues of Godolpliin. — Suspicious 
 Conduct of Harley.^ — Expedition in favour 
 of the Pretender. — Weakness of tlie King- 
 dom. — Battle of Oudenarde. — Arrest of 
 Count Martuof. — Return of Marlborough. 
 — Ludicrous Address to the Queen. — The 
 Distresses and Misfortunes of France. — In- 
 trigues of Marlborough to prevent a Paci- 
 fication. — Conclusion of the Conferences. — 
 Surrender of Tournay. — Battle of Malpla- 
 quat. Page 48 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 1709 to 1714. i 
 
 % 
 
 Commotions excited by Sacheveral's Sermon. | 
 — His Trial and Popularity. — Alienation of; 
 the Queen from her Minister. — Misfortunes $ 
 of Stanhope in Spain. — Progress of Mrs. | 
 Masliam in the favour of the Queen. — At- $ 
 tempt to assassinate Harley, — Marlbo- ? 
 rough's successful Campaign. — On his re- \ 
 tmii he is accused of Peculation. — Nego- \ 
 tiations for Peace. — Debates in Parliament. 
 • — Fatal Duel between the Duke of Hamil- 
 ton and Lord Mohun. — Private Sentiments 
 of the Queen with respect to the Succession. \ 
 — Conchision of the Treaty of Utrecht. — | 
 State of Parties. — Disputes respecting the { 
 Articles of Peace. — Tuibuleiiceof the Duke ^ 
 of Argyle. — Decline of the Earl of Oxford's 
 Influence. — Intrigues and Ascendancy of 
 -Conduct of the Elector of 
 -Dismissal of Harley. — Death of 
 the Queen. — Her Character. 59 
 
 Modification of the Test Act.—The South 
 Sea Bubble. — Administration of Walpole. 
 
 CHAP. VHI. 
 
 1721 to 1727. 
 
 7G 
 
 Proceedings m Parliament.— Alliance with 
 Sweden. — Banishment of Bishop Atterbury. 
 — Return of Bolingbroke. — Abdication of 
 Philip of Spain.— Expedition to the Baltic. 
 — Impeachment of the Earl of Maccles- 
 field. — Siege of Gibraltar. — Departure of 
 the King: for Hanover. — His Death, and 
 
 Character. 
 
 9} 
 
 Bolingbroke. 
 Hanover.- 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 GEORGE I. 
 
 1714 to 1720. 
 
 Accession of George \. — Appointment of the 
 Ministry. — Impeachment of the Earl of 
 Oxford. — Banishment of the Duke of Or- 
 mond. — Discontents of the People. — Exile 
 of Bolingbroke. — Rebellion in Scotland. — 
 Change of Ministry.— The Septennial Act. 
 — Afiairs of the Continent. — TSaval Ex- 
 ploits. — Financial Measures. — Discharge 
 of the Earl of Oxford.— The Bishop of Ban- 
 gor's Pamphlet. — Misunderstanding be- 
 tween the King and the Prince of Wales. — 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 GEORGE n. 
 
 1728 to 1736. 
 
 State of Parfies. — Examination of the Jails.— 
 Congress at Soissons. — Afiairs of the East 
 India Company. — Cruelties and Injustice 
 of the Spaniards. — Debates on a standing 
 Army. — Excise Bill. — Extraordinary Sui- 
 cide. — Marriage of the Princess of Wales. 
 ■ — Afiairs of Poland. — Campaign and In- 
 trigues on the Continent. — Murder of Por- 
 teus, and unexampled Outrage at Edin- 
 burgh. — Appeal in favour of the Prince of 
 Wales. — Corrupt Practices of the Minister. 
 — Progress of the Act for licensing the 
 Drama. 9G 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 1737 to 1744. 
 
 Disputes with Spain. — The Gin Act. — Hosti- 
 lities between Denmark and Hanover.— Pa- 
 cific Disposition of the Ministers. — Expe- 
 dition and extraordinary Success of Admiral 
 Vernon. — Capture of Porto Bello. — Expe<li- 
 tion to Carthagena, and its Failure. — Ba- 
 nishment from Court of the Prince of Wales. 
 • — Resignation of Walpole. — Conduct of the 
 new Ministry. — Foreign Afiairs. — Acces- 
 sion of the Empress Maria-Theresa. — Naval 
 Transactions.— Exi)loits of the King of 
 Prussia. — Battle of Dettingen. — The An- 
 nesley Cause. — Naval Operations of Mat- 
 thews and Lestock. — Anson's Voyage round 
 the World. — Death of the Emperor Charles 
 VII. — Battle of Fontenoy.— Change in the 
 Ministry. — Projected Invasion of England. 
 — Capture of Cape Breton. 107
 
 CONTENTS, ill 
 
 CIIAP. XI. J tration. — Situation and Eyploits of the 
 
 1744 to 1746 i King- of Pntssja. — Blockade of Pragiio. — ■ 
 
 I Retreat of the Duke of Cuiubcrlainl. — Vrc- 
 
 luvasion of tlie young Pretender.— He ar- ? tory of Ro^bach.— 'JVeaty of ClostepSteven. 
 
 rives at the Western Islands of Scotland.— i —Inhumanity of. the King of Prussia. 
 
 Proceedings of Sir John Cope.^ — Surrender 5 Pa<>e 144 
 
 of Edinburgh.— Battle of Preston Pans, i CHAP. XIV. ''' 
 ^ and defeat of General Cope.— Proceedings t 
 
 of'the Government and the Parliament. — i ^^'^'^ ^^ 1759. 
 
 General Alarm.— Siege of the Castle of j Expedition to Roclifort.— Capture of the Isle 
 
 Edinburgh.— The Pretender receives sup- j ofAix. — Failure of the Enterprise. — 'iVial 
 
 plies from France— enters Carlisle-pro-? of Sir John Mordaunt. — Naval Exploits. — 
 
 ceeds to Manchester— arrives at Derby— j Attempt on Louisburg.— Its Failure.— Dis- 
 
 retreats— is pursued by tl>e Duke of Cum- 1 asters in America.— Capture by the French 
 
 berland.— Entrance of the Duke of Cum- ; of Fort William Henry. — Successes in the 
 
 berland into Carlisle. — Defeat of the Cheva- I East Indies. — Recapture of Calcutta. — 
 
 liar at Culloden.— His wanderings, distress- : Treaty with Serajah Doulah.— Surrender 
 
 es, and return to France. — Trial and execu- 1 of Chandanagore.— Defeat of Serajah Dou- 
 
 tion of the Rebel Leaders. — Act relating to > lah. — His Assassination. — Attack upon St. 
 
 the Feudal Tenures of the Highlanders. $^ Maloes. — Capture of Cherburg. — The Eng- 
 
 Pa^e 119 5 lish defeated at St. Cas.— Fall of Louis- 
 
 CHAP. XII. ^ burg. — Defeat of the English at Ticondc- 
 
 I roga. — Naval Exploits. — Proceedings of 
 
 1746 to 1756. 5 Ferdinand.— Caujpaign of the King of 
 
 Successes of the French in the Netherlands. ; Prussia. 158 
 
 — Aflairs of Italy and Holland. — Siege and ; CHAP. X\ . 
 
 capture of Bergen-op-Zoom. — Naval Aflairs. J 1759. 
 
 — Negotiations for Peace. — Treaty of Aix- j ,^ . . - , -r. ,. . -ht ■ i r. 
 
 la-Chapelle.— Peopling of Nova Scotia.— : Unanimity of the Parliament.— National E.x- 
 
 Proceedings of Admiral Boscawen.— Mr. i ultation.—^k.venients of Prince Ferdinano 
 
 Pelham's Financial Plans.— Death of the 5 — l^attle ol Minden-Conduct cf Lord 
 
 Prince of Wales.— The Marriage Act.— I George Sackville.— Iransactions in the 
 
 Law for the naturalization of the Jews.— i f;^'^* Indies.-Enterprise of Lally.-His 
 
 Case of Elizabeth Canning.-Imbecility of! Disasters.-Naval Operations m the Indian 
 
 the Ministeis.-Negotiations and hostilities i ^eas.-Prmce Henry s Expedition mto 
 
 of England and France in America.-Com- \ Bohemia.- Prussians defeated at Meissen 
 
 mence^ent of the war.-Defeat of Brad-! -Expedition against Mart.mque.-General 
 
 dock at Fort de Quesne.-Attack of the j Amherst takes possession of 1 iconderoga 
 
 French on Minorca.-Extraordinary Con- $ and Crown Pomt.-Battle of Niagara. 1/a 
 
 duct of Byng.— His Trial and Execution.— i CHAP. XVI. 
 
 Change of Ministers. — Continental Affairs. ; 17'-q 
 — Struggles of the King of Prussia. — The I 
 
 Contest in America. — Capture of Oswego. | Proceedings in Canada. — Siege and Capture 
 
 — The Kingls Speech.— Unanimity of Par- 1 of Quebec— Death of Wolfe.— Naval Ope- 
 
 liament. ' 130 1 rations. — Defeat of the French off Logos 
 
 ^ by Boscawen. — Military Operations in Gcr- 
 
 CHAP. XIII. i many. — Disasters and Exploits of the King 
 
 1756, ^ of Prussia.— Capture of Berlin. 10& 
 
 War in India. — Classes of Indian Society. — » CHAP. XVII, 
 
 Expedition against the Pirate Angria. — * 1760. 
 Destruction of his Capital. — Capture ofj 
 
 Calcutta.— Horrible scene of human misery 5 Attempt of the French to recapture Qtrebec. 
 
 in the Black Hole.— Changes of Adminis- 1 —Their Failure.— Military Enterprises and 
 
 b 
 
 I
 
 If 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 ultimate triumph of the King of Pnissia. — 
 Movements of Prince Ferdinand.— -Battles 
 of Corbach and Wesel. — Death of George 
 II. — His Character. Faae lyo 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 GEORGE III. 
 
 17(51 to 1763. 
 
 Accession 
 dependent 
 
 of George III. 
 Marriaee 
 
 Judges made in- 
 J.V, of the King. — Mr. 
 Pitf resigns. — Lord Bute's Administration. 
 —War with Spain. — Capture of Martinico 
 and the Havannah. — Manilla reduced. — 
 Campaign in Germany. — Articles of Peace. 
 — Lord Bute resigns. — Mr. Wilkes sent to 
 the Tower. — General Warrants declared 
 illegal. — The North Briton burnt. — Pro- 
 ceedings in the East Indies. 210 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 1763 to 1771. 
 
 Imposition of Duties on the Americans. — The 
 Stamp Act. — Universal Discontent of the 
 Colonies. — Riots in Spitalticlds. — Aflbirs of 
 
 ' the East India Company. — Election of 
 Wilkes for Middlesex. — His expulsion and 
 re-election. — Argiunents adopted by both 
 Parties. — Address of the City of London. — 
 Intrepidity of Beckford. 228 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 1770, 1771. 
 
 Falkland Islands seized on by the Spaniards. 
 -:-Preparations for War. — Negotiations. — 
 Resignations. — The Dispute with Spain 
 adjusted. — Probable Motives which led to 
 that event. — Situation of France. — Meeting 
 of Parliament. — Misunderstanding between 
 the two Houses. — Proceedings of the House 
 of Commons against certain Printers. — Con- 
 duct of the Magistrates of Loudon. — The 
 Record of their Proceedings erased by 
 order of the House. — The Lord Mayor and 
 Alderman Oliver committed to the Tower. 
 — Resolutions respecting Mr. Wilkes. — Bill 
 to enable the East India Company to raise 
 a Military Force. 249 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 
 1772. 
 
 Seamen voted. — Petition of the Clergy to be 
 relieved from subscription to the 39 Articles. 
 
 — Royal Marriage Bill. — Lord Clive's de- 
 fence of his Conduct. — Bill for the relief 
 of Protestant Dissenters. — Lord North's 
 Jiuancial Schemes. — The Question respect- 
 ing tlie Middlesex Election decided in the 
 King's Bench. — Changes in various De- 
 partments. — Sudden Failures in London, 
 and their Consequences. Page 26g 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 1772, 1773. 
 
 Meeting of Parliament. — EmbaiTassments of 
 the East India Company. — Plan for sending 
 out Supervisors. — Secret Commitiee chosen 
 by the House of Commons, to enquire into 
 the state of the Company. — Report made 
 by the Chairman. — Discussion of the rights 
 which the Company possessed by virtue of 
 their Charter. — Bill to restrain the Company 
 from sending out Supervisors. — Petitions of 
 the Proprietors of India Stock to the House. 
 — Revenue drawn from the Company by 
 Government. — Abuses in Bengal. — Con- 
 duct of Administration towards the Com- 
 pany arraigned. — Proceedings of the House 
 of Lords. — Protest. — Enquiry into the Ex- 
 pedition against the Caribbs. —Condition of 
 the Island of St. V^incent at the Peace. — 
 Augmentation of the Half-pay of Captains 
 in the Navy. — The East India Company 
 apply to Parliament for a Loan. — Regula- 
 tions proposed by Lord North. — Reports 
 from the Select Committee. — The Company 
 permitted to export their Teas duty free. — 
 Remonstrance. — Address from the Com- 
 pany to Parliament. — Bill for regulating the 
 Company's Aflairs, as well in India as in 
 Europe. — Charges exhibited against Lord 
 Clive. — Reasons which probably operated 
 to defeat the Enquiry. — Protest of the Lords 
 against the Bill for regulating the East 
 India Company. — The Loan refused on the 
 Conditions prescribed. — The Company com- 
 pelled to accept it. — Vast Influence ac- 
 quired bv Government. — State of Finance 
 for the year 1773. 273 
 
 CHAP. XXIIL 
 
 1773, 1774. 
 
 Meridian Splendor of Lord North's Adminis- 
 tration. — Comparative View of the Ameri- 
 can Colonies and the Mother Country. — 
 Discovery of the Letters written by th*
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Governor and Lieutenant-Governor of the 
 Massachusetts Bay. — The House of the 
 Representatives petition the Kina; to remove 
 those Othcers. — Report of the Privy Coun- 
 cil thereupon. — -Tea destroyed at Boston. — 
 General Conduct of the Americans on the 
 arrival of the Teas. — Meeting of Parlia- 
 ment. — Message from his Majesty. — Bill 
 for shutting up ^he port of Boston. — Regu- 
 lation of the Government in the Province of 
 the Massachusett's Bay. — Debate on a 
 Motion to repeal the Duty on Tea.^ — Bill 
 for the Impartial Administration of Justice. 
 — Lord iSorth's Plan of iMiiance for the 
 year 1774. — Quebec Act. — Death of the 
 King of France. — American Congress 
 formed. — Petitions to the King.— Sudden 
 dissolution of Parliament. — Probable causes 
 which led to it. Pane 286 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 1774, 1775. 
 
 Evils foretold on the first settlement of Colo- 
 nies in America. — General Gage appointed 
 to the chief Command. — First Meeting of 
 the American Congress. — Feelings of the 
 English People. — Lord Chatham's Motion 
 in the House of Lords. — Mr. Burke's sys- 
 tem of American Government. — Conduct 
 of the Earl of Effingham.^ — .Sentiments of 
 the European States respecting the Contest 
 between England and America. — Evacua- 
 tion of Boston by the English. — Battle of 
 Bunker's Hill, and other Operations. 303 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 1775, 1770, 1777. 
 
 The Americans declare themselves indepen- 
 dent. — New York taken by General Howe. 
 ■ — Congress rerT?ove from Philadelphia to 
 Baltimore. — The House of Commons grant 
 an addition to his Majesty's Income. — Lord 
 Cornwallis takes Philadelphia. — General 
 Burgoyne and his Arin\ surrender to Gene- 
 ral Gates. 317 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. 
 
 1778 to 1780. 
 
 Failure of Negotiations with America. — Ad- 
 miral Keppel takes the conunand of the 
 Grand Fleet. — Naval Operations. — Trial 
 ' and acquittal of Keppel. — Trial of Sir Hugh 
 
 Palliser. — Man^nvre?, on the Coast of 
 America, of the hostile Fleets under Howe 
 and D'Estaing. — Cruelty and treachery of 
 Colonel Butler towards the Americans. — 
 Discontents in Scotland and Ireland.— Ex- . 
 ploits of Admiral Byron. — Return of D'Es- 
 taing to France. /'a^e 341 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. 
 
 1780. 
 
 Mr. Dnnnings celebrated Motion. — State of 
 the }*ublic Mind.^ — Alarming and destrnc- 
 tive Riots. — Naval Exploits. — Campaign in 
 America. — Trial and Execution of Major 
 Andre as a Spy. — War with Holland. — 
 Defeat of Colonel Baillie in India by Hyder 
 Ah. '353 
 
 CHAP. XXVIIL 
 
 1781, 1782. 
 
 State of the Public Mind. — Campaign in Ame" 
 rica. — Surrender of Lord Cornwallis. — At- 
 tack upon Minorca. — Exploits of Admiral 
 Rodney. — Siege of Gibraltar. — Its gallant 
 Defence. — Affairs in the East Indies. — Ori- 
 gin, progress, and conclusion of the Mah- 
 ratta War. 3tjG 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 
 
 1783, 1784. 
 
 Conclusion of the American War. — Its Influ- 
 ence in America.— Character of Washing- 
 ton.— Mr. Pitt's efl'orts in firnour of Parlia- 
 mentary Reform. — Mr. Fox's India Bill. — 
 Dismissal of the Coalition Ministry.- — Ac- 
 cession of Mr. Pitt. — Violent Debates in 
 Parliament.^ — Election for Westminster. — 
 Arduous Struggle of Mr. Fox. — Debates 
 on that Event. — Important Measures pro- 
 posed and carried by Mr. Pitt. 394 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 
 
 1785, 1786. 
 
 Debates on the subject of Parliamentary Re-^ 
 form. — Rejection of that ^Measure. — Irish 
 Afl'airs. — The Duke of Richmond's extra- 
 ordinary Scheme of National Fortification. 
 — Commencemtnt of Proceedings against 
 Mr. A\ arren Hastings. — Measures pre])ara- 
 tory to the Abolition of the Slave Trade- 
 Amount of several Voyages of Discovery. — 
 Death of Captain Cook.^Misfortmies and 
 Miraculous Voyage of Captain Bligh. 40S
 
 VJ 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 
 
 1706 to 1788. 
 
 Attempt on the liife of the King b^ Margaret 
 Nicholson. — Commercial Treaty with 
 France. — Establishment of a Settlement for 
 Convicts at Botany Bay. — Internal State of 
 France. — Origin and causes of the French 
 Revolution. — Character of Lewis XVI., of 
 his Queen, and of the principal Noi»les and 
 Courtiers. — Review of Continental Afiairs. 
 — Debates on the Impeachment of Mr. Has- 
 tings. Page 410 
 
 CHAP. XXXII. 
 
 1788, 1789. 
 
 Tranquil Situation of England. — Alarming In- i 
 disposition of his Majesty. — Grief and Loy- 
 alty of the Nation. — Debates, on the pro- 
 ?osal of a Regency, between the Ministerial 
 'arty and that of the Prince of Wales. — 
 Recovery of his Majesty.— National Exul- 
 tation. — Parliamentary Acts. — Bill for the 
 relief of Protestant Dissenters. — Changes 
 in the Ministry. 422 
 
 CHAP. XXXIH. 
 
 1789. 
 
 An historical Sketch (contmued) of the rise 
 and infant progress of the French Revolu- 
 tion ; including Anecdotes of the principal 
 Individuals connected with that important 
 Event, and developing the causes by which 
 it was occasioned and matured. — Affairs of 
 the Netherlands and of Turkey, 429 
 
 CHAP. XXXIV. 
 
 1790, 1791. 
 
 Disturbances in France. — Celebration of the 
 Anniversary of the Bastile.— Conduct of 
 France towards Foreign States. — Affairs in 
 Germany and the Netherlands. — Dispute 
 respecting Nootka Sound. — Motion for a 
 Repeal of the Test Act.- Transactions in 
 India. — Conduct of Russia and Prussia. — 
 The Second Session of Parliament. — De- 
 bates on the Measures adopted against 
 Russia, the Canadian Bill, &c. — Quarrel 
 between Messrs. Bmkc and Fox on the 
 subject of tiie I'^niicli Revolution. — Philan- 
 thropic Eslabiishmeiit at Sierra Leone. 440 
 
 CHAP. XXXV. 
 
 1791, 1792, 
 
 Internal State of France. — Indisposition of 
 the King. — Fli/iht of the Royal Family to 
 Varennes. — Their compulsory return to 
 Paris.— Disputes between the Courts of 
 Versailles and Rome. — Establishment of a 
 liew French Constitution. — State of the 
 Public Mind in England. — Riots at Bir- 
 mingham. — Opening of Parliament.— De- 
 bates on Political Reform.^ — Loyal and Re- 
 volutionary Societies. — Campaign in India. 
 — Retreat of Tippoo. — The English appear 
 before Seringapatam. — Tippoo concludes 
 
 Peace. 
 451 
 
 with Lord Cornwallis a humiliating 
 
 Page 
 
 CHAP. XXXVI. 
 
 1792, 1793. 
 
 Internal State of England. — Turbulence of 
 Parties.— The Question of AVar or Peace 
 considered.— Hostile Dembnstiations of 
 the Allied Powers. — Proclamation of the 
 Duke of Brunswick. — Its Influence on the 
 Parisians. — Attack upon the Palace. — 
 Lewis visits the National Assembly.— Com- 
 mencement of Military Operations. — Ad- 
 vance and disastrous Retreat of the AUies. 
 — Sieges of Lisle and Thionvi lie. — Successes 
 of Custine.— Royalty is abolished in France. 
 — Trial and Execution of the King. 462 
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. 
 
 1793. 
 
 Meeting of the British Parliament.— Debates, 
 on the prevalence of Sedition, and on the 
 Question of Peace or War.— The Question 
 impartially stated.— Military Operations. — 
 Treachery and Flight of Dumouriez. — 
 Sieges of Conde and Valenciennes. — Inter- 
 nal State of France. — Character of Itobes- 
 pierre. — A general review of English and 
 Continental Affairs. 477 
 
 CHAP. XXXVIII. 
 
 1794. 
 
 Effects of the Expedition under Lord Moira. 
 ■ — Conduct of the Duke of Portland. — De- 
 bates on ilie policy of the War, and on the 
 nianageniei.t of the Navy — Trial and Con- 
 denmaiion of Messrs. Muir and Palmer. 492
 
 00 STENTS. 
 
 rn 
 
 CHAP, XXXIX. 
 
 J794. 
 
 Debates on employing Foreign Officers in the 
 British Service. — State of tiie Continental 
 Armies. — Operations in the West Indies. — 
 Duplicity of the King of Prussia. — Military 
 Operations. — Arrival of the Emperor at 
 Brabant. — Military Operations in the vici- 
 nity of Brussels. Page 498 
 
 CHAP. XL. 
 
 1794. 
 
 Capture of St. Lucia and Guadaloupe. — Mes- 
 sage from his Maje.sty on the subject of the 
 exi.>iting Discontents. — Messrs. Adams and 
 H^rdy arrested. — Suspension of the Habeas 
 Corpus Act. — Defeat of General Clairfait 
 at Moueron. — Duke of York attacked, and 
 repels the French. — General Defeat of the 
 Combined Armies. — Gallant Defence of 
 Ypres. — Glorious Victory of Lord Howe 
 on the 1st of June. 50G 
 
 CHAP. XLI 
 
 — Personal Violence offered to his Majesty, 
 -r— Consequent Proceedings in Parliament. 
 
 522 
 
 1794. i 
 
 Thanks voted to Lord Howe. — Failure of our ; 
 Armies on the Continent.^ — Conduct of the ; 
 Allied Powers. — Fall of Robespierre. — ■ 
 Evacuation of Liege, and Retreat of the i 
 Combined Armies. — Disastrous Retreat of! 
 the English from Holland. — Trials of Tooke, ; 
 Hardy, kc. at the Old Bailey. — Their Ac- ; 
 quittal. — Close of the Campaign in Hoi- j 
 land. 514 j 
 
 CHAP. XLII. i 
 
 179.5. i 
 
 Opinions of the English Legislative Bodies. — « 
 Mr. Sheridan moves for a Repeal of the j 
 Habeas Corpus Suspension Bill. — Discus- ! 
 5ions on our Conduct towards France. — ; 
 Enquiry proposed into the Conduct ofj 
 Ministers. — Acquittal of INIr. Hastings — 
 Payment of the Prince of Wales's Debts.' — ; 
 Further Disasters in Holland. — Flight ofi 
 the Stadtliolder.^ — Renewal of the Cam- j 
 paign. — Establishment in France of the i 
 Directory. — Na\ai Operations. — Capture of « 
 the Cape of Good I.'ope. — Death of the \ 
 Dauphin of France. — Surrender ofTrinco-; 
 male. — Discontents of the English Nation. J 
 
 Page 
 
 CHAP. XLIIL 
 
 1796. 
 
 His Majesty's Message. — Cliarges against 
 Ministers. — Mission of Lord Malmsburyto 
 Paris. — His precipitate Departure. — Cam- 
 paigns in Germany and Italy.— Ascendancy 
 of l-'rance. — Dissolution of the B'iish Par- 
 liament, and proceedings of its S«ccessor. 
 — Deaih of Catherine of Russia. — Descent 
 on Ireland. — Capture of Dutch Settlements. 
 — Victory of Captain Elphinstone. 534 
 
 CHAP. XLIV. 
 
 175)7. 
 
 Resumption of pacific Negotiations with 
 France. — Their Failure. — Mutiny in tlie 
 Fleet. — Victory oti'Cape St. Vincent. — Ex- 
 peditions to Tenerifl'e and Trinidad. — Bat- 
 tle of Camperdown under Admiral Duncan. 
 — Campaigns in Italy f.nd Germany. — Sub- 
 jugation of the Roman, Genoese, and Vene- 
 tian States. — Armisticfof Leoben. — Treaty 
 of Canipo Formio. — Death of the King of 
 Prussia. — Convulsions in Paris. — Deporta- 
 tion to Cayenne.- — ^The French evince de- 
 monstrations of invading England. — Seces- 
 sion of the Opposition from their Parlia- 
 mentary Duties. 642 
 
 CHAP. XLV. 
 
 1798. 
 
 Plans of National Defence. — Duel between 
 Messi-s. Pitt and Tierney. — Affairs of Ire- 
 land.— History of the Rebellion.— Invasion 
 of that Country by the French, who are dis- 
 comfited and taken prisoners.— Reception 
 of Buonaparte at Paris. — The E.xpeditiou 
 to Egypt.— The Battle of the Nile. 549 
 
 CHAP. XLVI. 
 
 1799. 
 
 Debates on the Union of Ireland with the 
 British Empire. — Continued .Suspension 
 of the Habeas Corpus Act.— The Rise, 
 Progress, and Conclusion of the Campaign 
 in Italv. ^^'-^ 
 
 J.
 
 vin 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XLVII. 
 
 1799. 
 
 Military Operations in the Tyrol, Switzerland, 
 and 'Suabia.— Fate of Naples— Termina- 
 tion of the Congress of Rastadt. — Expedi- 
 tion to Holland. — Its Failure.— War with 
 "J'ippoo. — Storming of Seringapatam. — 
 Death of the Mysorean Tyrant. Page 578 
 
 CHAP. XLVHI. 
 
 1799. 
 
 Operations of Buonaparte in Egypt. — Insur- 
 rection at Cairo. — Poisoning and Massacre 
 at Jafla. — Siege of St. Jean d'Acre. — Dis- 
 asters of the French Army. — Escape of 
 Buonaparte from Egypt, and his return to 
 France. 587 
 
 CHAP. XLIX. 
 
 1799. 
 
 Consequences of Buonaparte's return to \ 
 France. — His splendid Reception. — Dis.so- | 
 lution of the Directory. — Buonaparte ap- \ 
 pointed First Consul. — Expectations enter- | 
 tained from his accession to Power. 595 \ 
 
 CHAP. L. 5 
 
 1800. i 
 
 His Majesty's Message. — Overtures of Peace 5 
 from Buonaparte. — Debates on the Policy | 
 of their Rejection. — Renewed Suspension 5 
 of the Habeas Corpus Act. — Discontents | 
 excited by the existing Scarcity.— Naval 5 
 Operations. — Failures at Cadiz and Ferrol. ; 
 — Aflairs in the East Indies. — British Ex- j 
 pedition to Egypt. — Italian and German | 
 Campaign. — Battles of Marengo and Ho- ^ 
 henlinden. — Peace between France and ; 
 Austria. t)03 5 
 
 \ 
 
 CHAP. LI. i 
 
 1801. j 
 
 Changes consequent upon the Union. — Meet- i 
 ing of the Imperial Parliament. — Debates, i 
 — Catholic Question. — Dissentions in the j 
 Cabinet.— Change of Ministry. — Mr. Ad- $ 
 dington appointed Chancellor of the Ex- 1 
 chequer. — Expedition to Egypt.— Sangui- \ 
 nary ContJCls between the French and ; 
 Ejiglish.— Battle of Alexandria. — Death of } 
 
 Sir Ralph Abercrombie. — Evacuation of 
 Egypt by the French. Page 014 
 
 CHAP. LII. 
 
 1801. 
 
 Hostile Measures of Great Britain against the 
 Northern Powers. — Admiral Parker's Fleet 
 passes the Sound. — Battle of Copenhagen 
 ■ — and Armistice. — Farther Operations of 
 the English Admiral. — Conduct of the Em- 
 peror Paul.— -His sudden Death. — Decla- 
 ration of the Emperor Alexander. — Ham- 
 burgh occu})ie(l by the Danes. — Declara- 
 tion of the King of Prussia to the Electoral 
 States of Hanover — and Convention be- 
 tween him and the Regency. — Danish and 
 Swediish Islands in the West Indies taken 
 by the British.— Conventions for the neu- 
 trality of the Elbe — and the Evacuation of 
 Hamburgh. — Occurrences in the Baltic. — 
 Convention between Russia and Great Bri- 
 tain.^ — Spain declares War against Portugal. 
 - — -Military Operations. — Peace of Badajos 
 — and Treaty concluded by the Portuguese 
 and French Government. 623 
 
 CHAP. LIII. 
 
 1802. 
 
 Conclusion of the Definitive Treaty of Amiens. 
 ■ — Debates upon that Subject. — Attacks on 
 the Public Character of Mr. Pitt. — Speech 
 of Mr. Wyndham on the policy of the pre- 
 liminary Treaty. — Vote of thanks to the late 
 Administration. — Attempt to destroy the 
 First Consul of France by the Infernal Ma- 
 chine. — His gradual Advance to despotic 
 Power. — Expedition to Marengo. — Con- 
 quest of the Island. — Toussaint TOuverture 
 is entrapped by the French General, and 
 sent to p'rance, vhere he dies a miserable 
 death. — Subjugation of Switzerland.- -Buo- 
 naparte is declared Consul for Life. 6'3'i 
 
 CHAP. LIV. 
 
 1803, 1804. 
 
 Determined Antipathy of Buonaparte towards 
 England.— His remonstrance to the English 
 Ministers. — Trial of Peltier. — His Britannic 
 Majesty's Declaration. — State of Ireland.T- 
 Establishnient in France of the Legion of 
 Honour. — Detention of the English resident 
 i-u France. — Domestic Politics. — Conten-
 
 CONTEXTS. 
 
 IX 
 
 tions in Parliament. — Debat<^s upon tlie 
 Peace, and on tlie situation of the Country. 
 — Imbecility of tlie Addint^^ton Administra- 
 tion. — Menaces of Buonaparte (owards 
 England — Inactivity of the British Admi- 
 nistration. — Political Discussions and In- 
 trigues. — Lord Grenvilie's Letter. — Mr. Pitt 
 resumes the Reins of Power. — Buonaparte 
 is exalted to the Throne of France, with 
 the title of Emperor. — Motion of Mr. Pitt 
 respecting the Military Force. — Trial and 
 Execution of Colonel Marcus De.spard and 
 his Associates for High Treason. Page 047 
 
 CHAP. LV. 
 
 1803 to 1805. 
 
 History of the War with Holkar. — Policy of 
 Lord Mornington. — Intrigues of Holkar. — 
 Exploits of Sir Arthur Wellesley. — Splen- 
 did Achievements of General Lake. — Tri- 
 iniiph of the British Arms. — Restoration of 
 Peace to India. — Union of the Parties of 
 Pitt and Addington. — Charges adduced 
 against Lord Melville. — Resignation of 
 Lord Sidmouth. — Alarm excited in England 
 by Menaces of French Invasion. — State of 
 Continental Aflairs. — Formation of another 
 Coalition. — Campaign of 1805 in (lennany. 
 — Surrender of Mack. — Capture of Vienna, i 
 — Battle of Auslerlitz. — Humiliation of 
 Austria. — Battle of Trafalgar. — Death of 
 Lord NelscMi.— Death of Mv. Pitt.— His 
 political and domestic Character. GQQ 
 
 CHAP. LVI. \ 
 
 1806 to 1808. \ 
 
 Accession of the Fox and Grenville Aydminis- 1 
 tration. — Their Indiscretion. — Charges * 
 against the Marquis of Wellesley. — Propo- 
 sal to assassinate Buonaparte. — Negotia- 
 tions with France. — Expedition to the 
 Cape, and to Buenos Ayres. — Affairs of 
 Sicily. — Battle of Maida.— Naval Opera- 
 tions. — Capture of I.,inois. 
 Conduct of the King of Prussia 
 of Jena, or Averstadt. — Buonaparte enters 
 Berlin. — Disturbances in India. — Massacre 
 at Vellore. — Death of Mr. Fox.— Change 
 in Ministerial Arrangements. — Delinquency 
 of Valiancy and Davison. — Abolition of the 
 iilave Trade.— Downfal of " All the Ta- 
 lents." — Mr. Perccvil is appointed Prime 
 
 -Vacillating 
 -Battle 
 
 Minister.— Conduct of the Emperor of 
 Russia. — Battles of Eylau and Friedland. 
 — Trium))h of Napoleon. — Treaty of Tilsit. 
 — Exijcilition to Copenhagen. — Surrender 
 of the Danish Fleet. — Emigration of the 
 Prince Regent of Portugal to the Brazils. 
 —^Disgraceful F^xpedition to the Darda- 
 nelles. — Capture of Alexandria. — Attack 
 under General Whitelocke on Buenos 
 Ayres. — The melancholy and hnmiiiatiiig 
 Result.— Disputes with America. — Orders 
 in Council. — Parliamentary Proceedings. 
 
 Page (l92 
 CHAP. LVII. 
 
 1808, 1809. 
 
 Capture of the Lsland of Madeira, and of 
 Marie Galante. — Glorious Exploits of Cap- 
 tain llardinge. — State of Europe.^ — Extent 
 of Napoleon's Power. — His designs on 
 Spain.— Success of his Intrigues. — He in- 
 veigles the Royal Fainiiy to Bayonne. — 
 Massacre at Madrid. — General rising of the 
 Spanish People. — Arrival of Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley in Portugal. — Battle of Vimicia. 
 ■ — Convention of Cintra. — Military Affairs in 
 Spain.— ^Conduct of the Junta. — Sieges of 
 Saragossa and Gerona. — Arrival of Sir John 
 Moore in Spain. — Conferences at Erfurth. 
 — Extensive Diffusion of the Spirit of In- 
 dependence in Spain. — Advance of Sir 
 John Moore towards Madrid. — He sudden- 
 ly determines to retire. — His retreat from 
 Astorga to Corunna. — Battle of Corunna. — 
 Death of Sir John Moore. — Conclusion of 
 our first Campaign in Spain, 710 
 
 CHAP. LVIIL 
 
 1809. 
 
 Investigation into the Conduct of his Royal 
 Highness the Duke of York. — Second Cam- 
 paign in the IVninsula.— Battle of Talavera. 
 — Retreat of Sir Arthur Wellesley. — Re- 
 newal of the War between France and Aus- 
 tria.— Military Preparations. — Capture of 
 Vienna. — Battle of Aspern. — Inactivity of 
 the Archduke.— Battle of Wagram.— Hu- 
 miliating Treaty of Vienna. 731 
 
 CHAP. LIX. 
 
 1809 to 1^11. 
 
 Expedition to Walcheren.— Capture of Wal- 
 cheren. — Deplorable prevalence of Disease,
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 - — Sir" Francis Burdelt Committed to the 
 Tower. — Afiairs of iSpain. — Battle of Bu- 
 saco.^Retreat of Lord Wellington. — Mas- 
 sena advances to the" Portuguese Frontiers. 
 T^Domestic Politics. — Indisposition of the 
 King. — Establishment of a Regency. — Par- 
 liamentary Proceedings. — Campaign in the 
 Peninsula. — Battles of Fuentes de Onoro, 
 Albuhera, and Barrosa. Page 737 
 
 CHAP. LX. 
 
 1811 to 1813. I 
 
 Progress of the American War. — Conflict be- \ 
 tween the President and the Little Belt. % 
 
 — Assassination of Mr. Perceval.— State 
 Intrigues. — Retention in Otfice of the 
 existing Ministry. — Repeal of the Orders 
 in Council. — Naval Actions between the 
 Vessels of Great Britain and America.- 
 Spanish Campaign. — Capture of Ciudad 
 Rodrigo. — Storming of Badajoz. — Battle 
 of Salamanca. — The Russian Campaign. — 
 Conflagration of Moscow. — Disastrous 
 Retreat of Buonaparte. — Operations in 
 the First Campaign of 1813. — Battles of 
 Bautzen and Wurtzen. — Conclusion of an 
 
 Armistice, 
 
 Page 745
 
 €0ntmti^ 
 
 CHAP. LXI. 
 
 1813. 
 Meeting of Parliament — Debates and Ar- 
 rangements respecting tlie Charter of the 
 East India Company — Progress of the 
 Catholic Question— The Motions and 
 Speeches of Mr. Grattan — Opposition of 
 the Speaker — Rejection of Mr. Grattan's 
 
 Bill. 
 
 Pa^e 769 
 
 CHAP. LXII. 
 
 1813. \ 
 
 Persecution of the Princess of Wales — Is de- » 
 prived of the society of her Daughter — Her * 
 Conduct becomes the subject of a New En- ] 
 quiry — History of the Delicate Investiga- 
 tion — Triumph of the Princess — Crimi- 
 nality of Lady Douglas — Effects of the 
 Proceedings on the Public Mind. 775 
 
 CHAP. LXIII. 
 
 1813. 
 Imposing attitude of the Allies — ^Revolution 
 in Holland — Rupture of the Armistice — 
 Insurrection in the Tyrol — Battle of Dres- 
 den — Death of Moreau — The Allies assem- 
 ble round Leipsic — Napoleoa- is nearly sur- 
 rounded — Battle of Leipsi(? — Disastrous 
 retreat of the French Army — Triumphant 
 conclusion of the Campaign on the part of 
 the Confederates. 792 
 
 CHAP. LXIV. 
 
 1813. 
 "War in the Peninsula— Position of the op- \ 
 posing Armies — Preliminary Operations — ' 
 Advance to Burgos and Vittoria — Battle of 
 Vittoria, &c. — Investment of Tarragona by 
 Sir J. Murray, and his disgraceful Retreat — 
 Operations of the Spaniards — St. Sebastian 
 taken by Storm — Surrender of the Castle — 
 Lord Wellington enters France — Jealous 
 and envious Conduct of the Spanish 
 Cortes. 813 
 
 CHAP. LXV. 
 1813. 
 "Loss of his Majesty's Frigate the .lava, to the 
 
 American five gun-Ship the Constitution- 
 Gallant but unfortunate Exploit of Captain 
 Irby — Vicissitudes of the Naval contest 
 with America and France — Declaration 
 against America — The Campaign in Canada 
 and on Lake Erie — Domestic events — Sen- 
 toHce upon the Hunts for a libel on the 
 Prince Regent — Parliamentary proceed- 
 ings — Stale of Parties. Pao-e 828 
 
 CHAP. LXVI. 
 1814. 
 
 Policy of the Allie.s with respect to France — 
 Invasion of that Country — The Confede- 
 rates advance into the Heart of France — 
 Movement of the GraiKi and Subordinate 
 Armies — Battles of Arcis-sur-Aube, and 
 Montmirail — Napoleon and Blucher ma- 
 noeuvre with alternate; success — Change of 
 Plan on the part of the Allies, who advance 
 rapidly to Paris, leaving Buonaparte in 
 their rear— Operations ^of Greneral Wrede 
 and Prince Schwartzenberg — Napoleon de- 
 feats General Priest and advances to 
 Ilheims. 840 
 
 CHAP. LXVII. 
 
 1814. / 
 
 Negotiations with Buonaparte — Declaration 
 of the Allied Powers — They arrive before 
 Paris, which Capitulates — Napoleon re- 
 treats to Fontainbleau, and abdicates the 
 Throne — He departs for Elba— ^Louis 
 XVIII. leaves England, and is received in 
 Paris with universal acclamations — Military 
 operations ih the South of France — Battle 
 of Thou louse — Splendid achievements of 
 Lord Wellington — His merits are rewarded 
 by the gratitude of the Nation. 868 
 
 CHAP. LXVIII. 
 1814. 
 
 Deliverance of Europe — Exultation of the 
 English People — Misunderstanding be 
 tween the Prince and Princess of Wales — 
 The latter is refused admission to the Draw- 
 ing-room — Trial and punishment of Lord 
 Cochranefor Fraud — Warin Norway—Ces- 
 sion of that Kingdom to Sweden— Affairs of
 
 via 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 the rest of Europe — Cessions in Italy — 
 Ferdinand returns to Madrid — Congress at 
 Vienna. 877 
 
 CHAP. LXIX. 
 1814. 
 
 American War — Plans of the British Govern- 
 ment — General Wilkinson's retreat from i 
 Lower Canada— Conciliatory measures — 
 Failure of Sandy Creek — Affairs of Erie 
 and Chippawa — Operations in Passamma- 
 q noddy Bay and the Chesapeake — Capture 
 of Washington — EKpedilion against Alex- 
 andria — ^Death of Sir Peter Parker at Bel- 
 lair— Attempt on Baltimore — Death of 
 General Ross — Sir George Prevost proceeds 
 against Plattsburg — Defeat of the British 
 Flotilla on Lake Champlain^ — British Ex- 
 pedition to Florida — Treaty of Peacesigned 
 at Ghent — Capture of the American Ship 
 President, by the English frigate the En- 
 dymion — Defeat of the English, and death 
 of Sir Edward Pakenham before New 
 Orleans. Page 889 
 
 CHAP. LXX. 
 
 1815. 
 
 Attachment of the French Army to Napoleon 
 — National dissatisfaction with the Bour- 
 bons — Its causes — Deportment of Napo- 
 leon at Elba — He escapes, and advances 
 to Paris almost without opposition — Com- 
 motions in the Capital— Treachery of'Ney 
 i>nd Ma&scna. 900 
 
 CHAP. LXXL 
 
 1815. 
 Buonaparte's reception at Melun — His tri- 
 
 umphant entry into Paris — Declaration c 
 Congress — Letter of Napoleon to the A 
 lied Monarchs — He arranges the plan of 
 new Constitution and assembles a field o 
 May — Sanctions the liberty of the Press 
 
 Page 91. 
 CHAP. LXXli. 
 1815. 
 
 Extraordinary promptitude and activity o 
 Napoleon — Co-operation of the King o 
 Naples — Misfortunes of that prince— First 
 advantages of the French in Belgium — Bat 
 tie of Ligny — Repulse of the Prussians — 
 Danger of Blucher — Affair of Genappe — 
 Preparations for the last and decisive con- 
 flict — Battle of Waterloo — Noble resistance 
 of the Guards — Fall of Sir Thomas Picton 
 — Gallantry of the Duke of Wellington — 
 Fury of Napoleon — Approach of the Prus- 
 sians. 932 
 CHAP. LXXIII. 
 1815. 
 
 Exertions of Napoleon — Advance of the Prus- 
 sians — -Rout of the French Army — Flight 
 of Buonaparte — Loss of the contending 
 Armies — State of the field of Waterloo after 
 the Battle — ^Exultation of the English Peo- 
 ple — Honours paid to the Duke of Wel- 
 lington — Return of Napoleon to Paris— 
 His second Abdication: — Advance of the 
 Alfies to the Capital — It surrenders — Resto- 
 ration of Louis — Results of that event — 
 Napoleon seeks refuge on board an Eng- 
 lish Ship of War and is exiled to St. Helena 
 — Conclusion. 932 
 
 BtvttttonS to iift JStnUtt* 
 
 Portrait of the Prince Regent to face Title — Landing of Allied Sovereigns 
 Landing of Willium [II ->- 
 
 Dfath of General Wolf 
 
 General Lee taken prisoner --------- 
 
 Death of Major Pierson .-,.-..- 
 
 Destruction of the Gun Boats -------- 
 
 Sir Sidney Smith defending the breach of Acre - - - - 
 
 Battle of Marengo «.--<-... 
 
 Death of General Abercombie - - - ' - 
 
 Battle of Austeilitz .-----. 
 
 Death of Kelson ._■-..--.- 
 
 Death of General Moore ' _._..---- 
 
 Entrance of llie Allies into Paris --..--- 
 
 Portrait of the Duke of VVeilin-'ton ...--- 
 
 Poitrait oi lord Hill 
 
 t reviewing the troops in Hyile Park 
 
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