nterests of his own people, he was called upon o proportion his concessions to the exaggerated estimates which his enemies had formed of the benefits derived to his allies, from the continental armistice; and when, on such grounds as these, conditions were insisted on which even these could not warrant, it became necessary to state distinctly, that his majesty neither recognised this principle, nor, if he did, could he agree in this application of it."

On the 21st of September, an answer was returned to Lord Grenville's official communication, by Mr. Otto, who expressed the deepest regret that the principles of conciliation contained in his note were not acceded to. "It was," he said, “not merely with a view to discuss those principles, but in order to propose fresh means of reconciliation, that he felt it his duty to request, in his letter of the 16th, an interview with his excellency." And he announced to the English minister, that the intentions of the first consul were anew detailed in the projet which he had the honor to inclose.

The second projet of France differed from that of England, chiefly in two points :-first, in the extraordinary stipulation, that six French frigates should have the liberty of sailing from Toulon, of unlading at Alexandria, and of returning without being searched; and, secondly, that the restriction respecting ships of war, in the fifth article, should be confined to ships of the line.

On the 23d of September, an official note was addressed by Mr. Otto to Lord Grenville, in which he again expressed his regret, that the want of more direct communication with his majesty's ministers had rendered it impossible for him to give his official overtures the necessary explanations. He now stated, that in conformity with the advice which he had transmitted to Lord Grenville on the 4th instant, notification was given of the cessation of the continental armistice at the term which had been fixed upon; but the counter-projet of the British ministry, dispatched by the under-signed on the 8th of this month, having reached Paris on the 10th, and his majesty having appeared to be convinced that his ally would not withhold his consent to an admissible armistice, the first consul determined for eight days to retard the renewal of hostilities. Orders were immediately dispatched to the armies of Germany and Italy; and, in the event of those orders arriving too late in the last-mentioned country, and of the French generals having obtained successes in consequence of any military operation, they were ordered to resume that position which they occupied on the precise day on which hostilities were recommenced,

Lord Grenville in his reply (September 24th) renewed his charge of duplicity, or rather of

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fraud, against the first consul, and endeavoured BOOK IV. to support this accusation by a reference to dates. "The first proposal," he said, "made on the part CHAP. VIII. of France for a naval armistice, was dated Angust 24-the notices for terminating the continental armistice were given by the French generals on the 27th and 29th of August: the orders for that purpose must, therefore, have been actually sent from Paris before the 24th." His lordship insinuated, that the only satisfactory evidence which the French government could now give of the sincerity of its disposition for peace, would be by engaging with facility in a joint negociation with the king and the emperor. This statesman added, "that no man who considers the past events of this contest with attention, or who is capable of judging with accuracy of the present situation of affairs, can believe, that, if the present war is to be terminated by a succession of treaties between the different powers now engaged in it, any permanent or solid basis of general tranquillity could be established."

Still persisting in his resolution not to submit to a personal interview with Mr. Otto, his lordship informed that gentleman of "the appointment by his majesty of a proper person to confer with him respecting the different proposals for a naval armistice. This step," his lordship said, "affords a new proof of his majesty's disposition to bend himself to every reasonable facility which can contribute to a general pacification." The person appointed was Mr. G. Hammond, under-secretary of state, who received from Lord Grenville very ample and detailed instructions respecting the business on which he was to treat. However, in the conference which took place between Mr. Hammond and Mr. Otto, September 25, the French minister made no scruple to acknowledge, "that the fourth and fifth articles contained the only points to which his government attached much importance; and such were its sentiments respecting them, and he conceived that it would not consent to any armistice of which they did not form a part." On the 7th of October, in a second conference between Mr. Otto and Mr. Hammond, the latter was in few words informed, "that the several important events which had recently taken place, had completely changed the basis upon which the proposed arinistice was to have been established, and put an end to the negociation: that the first consul was, notwithstanding, invariably disposed to receive any overture relative to a separate negociation between England and France; and that the mode of such overture entirely depended upon the option of his majesty: that the first consul would either grant a passport to a plenipotentiary of the king of Paris, or, if his majesty preferred that the preliminary negociations should be begun at London, special powers would be transmitted to Mr. Otto for that

BOOK IV. purpose." But on the 9th, Mr. Hammond in formed this gentleman, by letter, that his majesty CHAP. VIII. must steadily decline to enter into any measure tending to separate his interest from those of the powers who should continue to make common cause with him in the prosecution of the war.

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The session of parliament having commenced with a speech from the throne, Nov. 11th, towards the conclusion his majesty adverted to the unsuccessful negociation recently carried on with France, the papers relative to which he had ordered to be laid before parliament: "You will see in them," said his majesty, "fresh and striking proofs of my earnest desire to contribute to the re-establishment of the general tranquillity. That desire on my part has hitherto been unhappily frustrated, by the determination of the enemy to enter only on a separate negociation, in which it was impossible for me to engage, consistently either with public faith, or with a due regard to the permanent security of Europe."

In the house of commons, Dec. the 1st, Mr. Sheridan moved an address to the throne, assuring his majesty," that the house had taken into their most serious consideration the papers relative to the negociation for peace with France; and that the result of their reflexions on that important subject, founded as well on due examination of the documents now referred to them, as on experience of the past conduct of most of his majesty's allies, was an humble but earnest desire that his majesty would omit no proper opportunity which might arise, consistently with the good faith ever preserved on the part of his majesty, of entering into a separate negociation with the government of France for a speedy and honorable peace; and further, to implore his majesty not to sanction any new engagements which should preclude such a mode of negociation."

The object of this address, which was the only practicable mode of obtaining peace, was exclaimed against by Mr. Windham, as so extravagant, and even ridiculous, that it wholly precluded the necessity of any observation. He warned the house against listening to the counsels of those who wanted to make a peace of pure love with a jacobin republic, and to take from them the fraternal embrace; and he prayed God to avert such a peace from this country.

Mr. Grey, in a very able speech, acknowledged there were so many objections to the principle of a naval armistice, that ministers were justified in refusing to accede to it; although admitting the principle-the terms proposed by the French did not seem unreasonable. But, though the propoBut, though the proposition of joint negociation was involved in so many difficulties, the enemy offered us an opportunity of treating separately for peace. The precise point here was, whether, knowing as we did the disposition of our allies on former occasions, and

particularly the general conduct of Austria in the present war, ministers were entitled to sacrifice the peace of the country to the prospect of any advantages to be derived from joint negocia tion? The interests to be attended to were so discordant; the compensations to be made were so much the subject of jealousy; and the propensity to opposition was encouraged by so many circumstances; that it was no wonder to perceive joint negociations so seldom attended with cordiality, or followed up with success. And, upon considering the present case in all its bearings and relations, he thought ministers highly culpable in refusing to treat separately for peace. Their incapacity and want of foresight being evident in the whole transaction, he would give his cordial support to a motion, the adoption of which tended to disentangle the nation from its present embarassments.”

Mr. Dundas, on the other hand, declared, "that it would have been very unwise, engaged as we were in an arduous contest with such an enemy as France, to separate ourselves from such an ally as Austria." And he reminded the house, that by an established maxim of our constitution, in all questions of peace or war, the decision belonged to the king, and that it was not the province of that house to interfere, unless on very great and important occasions; and such occasions could scarcely occur, except where the interposition of the house ought to be accom panied with an advice to his majesty to choose new counsellors. On a division, there appeared for the motion 35-against it 156 voices.

The domestic situation of Great Britain was at this period exceedingly afflictive and alarming. The harvest of the last two years had been beyond all precedent scanty and unproductive; and, although just apprehensions of a scarcity had been very generally entertained in the autuma of 1799, the ports were not opened for a free importation of corn till the ensuing spring. The additional consumption and enormous waste aris ing from a war of such unbounded extent and expence, greatly, though unavoidably, enhanced the evil; and the rapid and excessive rise of every article of provisions, during the summer and the autumn of the present year, menaced the kingdom with the dreadful prospect of absolute famine. England, with the riches of the world flowing into her lap, was dying of hunger, and, like Midas, starving in the midst of her gold.

It being a very prevalent and popular notion, that the present alarming scarcity was, if not primarily caused, yet at least artificially enhanced, by the evil practices of engrossers, forestallers, and regraters, the law was enforced against these different classes of delinquents with great severity; The statutes relating to offences of this equivocal nature had been indeed repealed; but offences

they still remained at common law; and, in various instances, persons engaged in those branches of trade which naturally led to commercial speculations in the necessaries of life, were in the highest court of criminal justice convicted and punished. A vehement clamour was raised all over the kingdom, against corn-factors and millers of the greatest respectability and eminence, as engrossers, forestallers, and regraters. In the month of August, riots in many parts of the country, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, &c. became very frequent and alarming. The houses of bakers, mealmen, &c. were violently attacked; and no corn-factor could sleep in his bed with security.

In the succeeding month, these barbarous and disgraceful commotions extended to the metropolis; but the lord-mayor, Combe, a man of courage and address, immediately took the necessary precautions to secure the public peace. It was observed that the Quakers, who deal largely in this branch of commerce, were the peculiar objects of the popular rage, notwithstanding the general beneficence and attention to the poor which mark the character of that truly respectable sect. The riot becoming more serious, his lordship, accompanied by several of the aldermen, addressed the people on the folly and danger of their conduct, reminding them of the obvious truth, that unless the dealers were protected in bringing their corn to market, both rich and poor must alike perish. At length, finding his expostulations of no effect, and that they were proceeding to the commission of the most violent outrages, he read the riot-act; and, with the assistance of the constables, secured several of the rioters; with great humanity forbearing to order the volunteers, who soon reached the spot, to fire upon the misguided and deluded populace-thus, by his firm and judicious conduct, acquiring high and just reputation, not only in the metropolis, but throughout the kingdom.

A royal proclamation immediately issued for the suppression of riots and tumults; and the Duke of Portland, secretary of state for the home department, on occasion of the riots in the midland counties, wrote an excellent letter to the Duke of Marlborough, lord-lieutenant of the county of Oxford, stating " the necessity there must be for the exertion of all the lord-lieutenant's great influence and authority, to combat and counteract the prejudices which had operated, no less powerfully than unfortunately, in disposing a very large part of the community to believe the scarcity artificial, and owing to the views and speculations of certain interested and rapacious men, who took advantage of the difficulties and distresses of the times to enrich themselves at the expence of the public." The letter then adverted to the notoriously unfavorable circumstances of

the two last seasons, as fully sufficient to account BOOK IV. for the present dearth; and the lord-lieutenant was instructed to prosecute, without distinction, CHAP. VIII. all persons concerned in any acts of violence, or modes of intimidation, in the most vigorous, ex1800. emplary, and impressive manner, which the power, military as well as civil, under his command, would most speedily and effectually enable him to do.

A singular incident happened in London, on the 15th of May, threatening the life of the king, when his majesty, accompanied by the queen and princesses, went, as usual, to the theatre. On the king's entering the box, a man near the orchestra suddenly stood up, and discharged a pistol. On the report of fire-arms, and the confusion which ensued, his majesty stopped short; but upon the immediate seizure of the assassin, came forward, and waved his hand, to show that he was not hurt. Notwithstanding this alarming interruption, the play was performed to the end, when the king and royal family withdrew, amid the loud gratulations of the audience.

The wretch who made this horrid attempt immediately underwent a close examination, in the presence of the Duke of York, who happened to be in the theatre at the time. His name was James Hadfield. He had for some years served · as a dragoon in the 15th regiment, and was, during that time, distinguished for his courage and good behaviour. At Lincelles he received several sabre-wounds in the head, and had been left three hours among the slain: these wounds had ever since extremely impaired his intellect; and he appeared, at the period of this attempt on his majesty's life, as well as on many former occasions, to be totally deranged. He had made use of a horse-pistol, loaded with a brace of slugs; and as he was known to be a dexterous marksman, it was wonderful that the king escaped unhurt. No cause appeared which should have induced him to the perpetration of this crime; but he talked, on his examination, in a mysterious way, of dreams, and of a great commission which he had received in his sleep. He underwent a second examination before the privy-council, but nothing more interesting transpired. On the 26th of June he was brought to trial before the chief justice, Lord Kenyon. The Duke of York deposed to his personal recollection of the man, as one of his orderly dragoons. His exemplary behaviour in that capacity was fully proved; and the wounds received in the king's service being notoriously the cause of the dreadful insanity under which he laboured, the trial was stopped, and the jury were directed to bring in a verdict of NOT GUILTY. The wretched maniac was immediately, by order of the court, conveyed to the hospital appropriated to persons of that compassionable description. Upon this occasion, ad

BOOK IV. dresses of sincere congratulation were presented to the throne from all parts of the kingdom.

CHAP. VIII.

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Soon after the life of Bonaparte was attempted on a similar occasion; not by one person, but by several, as it was said, which sufficiently proved that the consular government did not give general satisfaction. On the 24th of December, as the first consul was going in his carriage from the Thuilleries to the opera, he passed through the Rue Vicaise, a narrow street, in which stood a sort of car of somewhat uncommon construction, and placed so as apparently to obstruct the way. The coachman drove rapidly; but scarcely had he, with great dexterity and good fortune, passed the car a minute, when it blew up with a most dreadful explosion; greatly damaging many of the adjoining houses, and wounding several individuals very dangerously. The velocity with which the carriage moved saved the first consul,

against whose life this machine, filled with combustibles, was no doubt solely designed and directed. Divers of the assassins concerned in this atrocious plot were discovered and brought to trial, and in different modes were punished. But it made a deep and lasting impression upon the mind of the first consul, whose character, from this time, acquired a strong tincture of suspicion and severity. A striking proof of this was exhibited in the subsequent promulgation of an act of government, sanctioned indeed by the senate, by virtue of which 132 persons, accused of disaf fection, were sentenced to banishment without any previous trial; and special tribunals were also, by a legislative decree, erected throughout the entire extent of the republic-armed, in all cases, relative to offences against the state, with new and despotic powers, and superseding the constitutional use of juries.

DURING this year the naval power of Great Britain was remarkably conspicuous. The ports of Alexandria, Toulon, Cadiz, Brest, and Flushing, with the island of Malta and the fortress of Belleisle, were all blockaded nearly at the same time. The French, unable to send supplies to Egypt, notwithstanding the boasted preparations of Admiral Gantheaume, derived no benefit from their late successes. A numerous garrison, in possession of one of the strongest fortresses in the Mediterranean, was reduced to great extremities; while the combined naval force of France and Spain, confined to the harbour of Brest, and rendered totally useless, was become a burden, instead of a defence, to the respective powers to which it belonged. So decisive, indeed, had been the superiority of England on the ocean, that, since the commencement of the war, no less than 320 ships had been taken from the French, 89 from the Dutch, and 75 from the Spaniards, of which 78 were of the line; while 49 were all that were captured from England, and of these 3 only

were vessels of force.

So great was the success of the British navy, that it was intended at the commencement of the campaign to make a powerful diversion in favor

of the allies, by means of an irruption into the southern provinces of France; and an army, chiefly composed of Austrians and emigrants, was to have been landed there from our fleets stationed in that quarter. The sudden return, however, of Bonaparte, and, above all, the change which he effected in the French government, prevented the execution of a design, from which great things had been expected.

Other measures being adopted, Lord Keith appeared with a strong squadron off Genoa, and assisted General Melas in conducting the siege of that city, (as already mentioned in this book, Chapter V.) Some ships detached by the viceadmiral, in conjunction with others sent thither by the King of Naples, contributed greatly to the reduction of the fortress of Savona; and when the imperial commander found it necessary to convert the attack of the former place into a blockade, Captain Morris, of the Phaeton, seized twenty-one corn-vessels; and Captain Oliver, of the Mermaid, took and destroyed nine, which had been previously cut out by Lieutenant Corbett, although moored close to a fort within the small islands of Croisette. Thus the British eruisers, by intercepting all supplies, actually

produced a surrender, in consequence of the famine that ensued. In addition to this, the city itself was four times bombarded; and although its capitulation cannot be ascribed to this measure, it afforded a new opportunity for the display of British valour. Captain Philip Beaver, of the Aurora, who was employed on the occasion, learning that the enemy intended to board the flotilla under his command, was resolved to anticipate the design; and notwithstanding a large galley, a cutter, three armed settees, and several gun-boats, after appearing in array off the Molehead, had assumed a position under the batteries, he attacked, boarded, carried, and brought off their principal galley, La Prima, with 257 men on board!

About the same time, the western departments of France were frequently menaced by the appearance of hostile armaments, and kept in continual alarm by partial debarkations. Sir Edward Pellew, in the Impetueux, with a flying squadron and three troop-ships, made an attack on Quiberon, June 4. The Thames and Cynthia having cannonaded the south-west end, and silenced some batteries, Major Ramsay landed with a small body of soldiers, and destroyed them. The same commander was also successful in an attempt upon the Morbihan, having seized several sloops and gun-vessels, and burnt a national corvette of eighteen guns, by means of a detachment from the Queen's regiment, assisted by the gun-launches under Lieutenant Pinfold.

During the night of June 11, Sir John Borlase Warren succeeded in an attack on a convoy at anchor, near a fort within the Penmarks, and by means of the boats of his fleet, under the direction of Captain Martin of the Fisguard, cut out a gun-boat, two armed vessels, and six merchantmen. Nor was this all; for a small squadron was soon after chased into Quimper river, and a battery stormed and blown up. So indefatigable was this officer, that, in the course of a few days more, he sent in several boats, under the direction of Lieutenant Burke, to attack some armed vessels and a convoy, moored so as to form a strong line of defence within the sands of Bourneuf Bay. Fifteen sail of merchantmen, and four vessels intended for their protection, were all burnt upon this occasion; but in returning, some mistake having taken place relative to the passage over the sand-banks, the adventurers were consequently exposed to the fire of 400 French soldiers, and 4 officers and 88 men were made prisoners. The commerce of the enemy was considerably annoyed by the naval exploits which actually stopped for a while the coasting trade of the French but what was of still greater consequence, they intercepted the supplies of wine, brandy, flour, and provisions, intended for the fleet off Brest. Soon after this, July 7, Captain

pen

Inman, of the Andromeda, with a detachment of BOOK IV. armed vessels and fire-ships, made an attack on four frigates (one of which carried a broad CHAP. IX. dant) anchored in Dunkirk Roads, and Captain Campbell of the Dart succeeded in boarding and carrying La Desirée, of forty guns; but the rest cut their cables and escaped, by running down the inner channel within the Braak sand.

In the course of this year, some remarkable instances of individual courage and subalternmerit occurred worthy of particular notice. Jeremiah Coghlan, accompanied by Mr. Silas Paddon and a few sailors in three boats, captured, in the month of August, a gun-brig, mounting three long twenty-four and four six-pounders, full of men, moored with springs to her cables, at the entrance of Port Louis, although within pistolshot of three batteries, surrounded by several armed craft, and not a mile from a seventy-four gun ship and two frigates, the former carrying an admiral's flag. Le Cerbere, the prize, was given up by the squadron, as a testimony of approbation for so gallant an exploit. A few days afterwards, Lieutenant Burke boarded a privateer carrying eighteen nine-pounders and 161 men, in Vigo Bay, and towed her out from under the batteries, notwithstanding the desperate resistance of the master and crew, the former of whom was killed.

On the 4th of September, Captain Lewis and Lieutenant Schomberg of the Minotaur entered the roads of Barcelona at night with a detachment of boats, and cut out two armed vessels, under a heavy fire from the ships of war, four strong batteries, ten gun-boats, and two schooners, mounting a couple of forty-two pounders each, while the fort of Mount Joui endeavoured in vain to make them desist from their enterprize. This exploit had nearly produced a war between Spain and Denmark.

In the course of the spring of this year, April 5, the fort and island of Goree surrendered to three British men of war in a very unaccountable manner. Sir Charles Hamilton, in the Melpomene, of forty-four guns, accompanied by the Ruby and Magnanime, having learned that some French frigates were anchored in that neighbourhood, proceeded in quest of them. In the mean time, conceiving that the garrison might be intimidated by his appearance, he dispatched a lieutenant with a verbal message, demanding the governor to capitulate. That officer," anxious," as he very kindly said, "to spare blood-shed," immediately agreed to surrender; after which, the factory of Jool was taken possession of also, and Great Britain thus acquired a settlement of some value without loss or expense.

A secret expedition having been fitted out about the middle of summer, it was generally supposed that Belleisle, a fortress at a little dis

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