civil war raged with fury on the banks of the Rio de la Plata.

A few political events of secondary importance will close the year 1809. With some of them the peace and welfare of England were apparently involved, and an awful crisis approached, in which the fate of the British empire was to be decided.

The insolent Napoleon, swoln with conquest, announced to his senate the conclusion of "the fourth punic war." This war had been raised against him after the battle of Austerlitz, and concluded with the peace of Erfurth. The conquest of the Illyrian provinces had extended his empire as far as the river Saave, giving him a command of the eastern coast of the Adriatic, and the Levant, with the power of treating the Ottoman empire as it might deserve; or as she behaved towards England. Rome, the ancient mistress of the world, was formally annexed to the imperial crown of France, and the unworthy descendants of those Romans who received the Gauls in the forum, travelled to Paris, and did homage at the footstool of a tyrant. This change in the Papal dominions was decreed from Bayonne in the preceding year, when the boundless ambition of this upstart of fortune grasped at once the sceptres of Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Arrogant with repeated victories, intoxicated with the uninterrupted good fortune which for fourteen years had attended his arms, having long discarded every moral and religious feeling, Napoleon quoted the Scriptures in support

of his ambition. In his answer to the Roman deputies, the poisoner of Jaffa, the murderer of D'Enghien, of Wright, of Palm, of Toussaint, and of a million of soldiers, said, "I render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's!"

A reflecting and contemplative mind could not but look with deep solicitude on the prosperity of the wicked. The eye of faith alone could gaze unmoved, and wait the unerring results of Divine justice. England, and England alone, still stood firm "against the world in arms." The unhappy Gustavus, the virtuous and heroic king of Sweden, was humbled, and driven from his throne by the intrigues of Bonaparte, and the treachery of his own subjects. His adherence to the cause of England was his only crime. The Duke of Sudermania, who succeeded him as regent, at first declared himself the friend of England, and the enemy of Russia, unless she gave honourable terms to Sweden; but the power of that small kingdom was soon overwhelmed; Pomerania and Finland had been torn from her, and she was compelled to make peace on any terms. Gustavus, by a bloodless revolution, was deposed on the 13th of March, 1809, and his family are exiles from their native land. Sweden made peace with Russia in October, 1809; and with France early in January, 1810. She received back Pomerania and the principality of Rugen, on condition of excluding our commerce from her ports; in other words, adopting the continental system.

France made peace with Austria, October 15th, 1809, upon terms most unfavourable to Great Britain; and in a letter on this subject, addressed by Napoleon to Alexander, dated Schoenbrun, 10th October, we find the following remarkable passage:

I send your Majesty the English journals. You will there see that the English ministers are fighting amongst each other; there is a revolution in the ministry, and all is perfect anarchy. They have recently occasioned the death or destruction of from twenty-five to thirty thousand men, in the most horrible country in the world. It would have been just as well to have thrown them into the sea. General Wellesley has had the extreme imprudence to commit himself in the heart of Spain with thirty thousand men, having on his flanks three armies, consisting of ninety battalions, and from forty to fifty squadrons, while he had in his front the army of the king, which was of equal force: it is difficult to conceive such an act of presumption. The United States of America are on the worst terms with England; and seem sincerely and seriously disposed to approximate to our system.

On the 3d of December, when he addressed a speech to the legislative body, he prematurely boasted, that "he was marching on Cadiz and Lisbon, when forced to tread back his steps and plant his eagles once more on the ramparts of Vienna, thus terminating in three months the fourth punic war. When I shall shew myself beyond the Pyrenees, the frightened leopard (England) will fly to the ocean to avoid shame, defeat, and death. My friendship and protection will, I hope, restore tranquillity and happiness to Spain."

HOURS

2 D 2

OXFORD

LIBRARY

CHAP. V.

1. Meeting of parliament-Speech from the Throne-Debates on the Walcheren expedition-Vote of thanks to Lord Gambier-Narrative of Lord Chatham-Resolution of the House -Committal of Sir Francis Burdett-Changes in ministryVigorous measures-Siege of Cadiz-Treachery of the Junta -Heroism of Albuquerque-Cadiz summoned to surrenderRefuses-Honourable banishment and death of Albuquerque -Divorce of Josephine, and marriage of Napoleon with Maria Louisa-Abdication of Louis, king of Holland, and annexation of that country to France-Attempt of Napoleon to obtain the repeal of our orders in council-Disputes with the United States of America-Death of the Crown Prince of Sweden-Election of Bernadotte to that station-Hostility of Sweden against England-War raging with renewed fury in Europe--Fruitless attempt to release the King of Spain from Valençay-Actions in the North Seas and Channel. 2. War on the coast of Spain-Affairs of Mediterranean-Captain Fane taken prisoner-Sicily-Action between the Spartan and Neapolitan squadron-Attack on Santa MauraSiege of Cadiz Capture of Matagordo by the French-Arrival of Admirals Pickmore, Purvis, and Keats-Particulars of the siege-Death and character of Lord CollingwoodSuccessful enterprises of Captains Waldegrave, Hoste, and others.

3. East Indies.-Attack on the island of Bourbon by Commodore Rowley-Its reduction-Du Perrée takes the Windham and Ceylon-Gallant action and escape of the Astell-Observations-Attack by Captain N. J. Willoughby, at the Point du Diable, and capture of Isle de la Passe by Captain PymSingular position and daring conduct of Captain Willoughby -Du Perrée enters Port South East with his squadron-Battle of the 23d of August-Capture and destruction of four British frigates-Log of the Nereide-Court-martial-Noble defence of the Ceylon by Captain Charles Gordon--Brilliant

conduct of Commodore Rowley-Capture and re-capture of the Africaine-Death of Captain Corbett-Capture of La Venus, and re-capture of the Ceylon-Arrival of Vice-admiral Bertie-Preparations to attack the Isle of France-Expedition-Forces employed-Surrender of the island-Capture of Amboyna by Captain Tucker-of Banda by Captain Cole. 4. West Indies.-Capture of Guadaloupe, and complete reduction of all the French islands in the Caribbean seas-Thanks of parliament to the Admiral and the forces-Observations on the order of merit bestowed on the army, and withheld from the navy-Loss of the Lively, Nymphe, Pallas, and Minotaur.

THE expedition to the Scheldt, unfortunate as to the period of its commencement, as it had been fatal in its termination, confirmed the public in the opinions which had been circulated upon it with amazing industry. The opposition was powerfully assisted by the Walcheren or polder fever, which, while it gave its numerous daily victims to the grave, increased the popular clamour against the reputed authors of the national calamity.

The accounts from the Peninsula were not more cheering, and the meeting of parliament was anxiously looked to as the only hope of saving the empire.

Parliament met on the 23d of January: the speech from the throne recapitulated the events of the preceding year, in the best colours of which they were susceptible. The reduction of the island of Walcheren, the situation of Sweden, the expulsion of the French from Portugal, the battle of Talavera, the resolution of the provisional government of Spain to assemble the cortez, the recom