But on the Continent of Europe the course of public events was very different. The year had been ushered in by a letter of Bonaparte to our Sovereign, containing pacific professions expressed in general terms. An answer was given, not by the King, but, according to diplomatic usage, by our Minister for Foreign Affairs to the French Minister in the same station ; expressing a similar wish for peace ; but adding, that it was incumbent on us to consult our allies, particularly the Emperor of Russia. The French ridiculed the assertion of our being on confidential terms with that court; but Russia had, in fact, begun to listen to the proposal of forming against France a coalition on an extensive scale. The basis of this compact was a treaty sign od at St Petersburg in April. Russia, Austria, Swe den, Naples, all acceded to it, and hopes were en tertained of the co-operation of Prussia. Bonaparte, apprized of this, affected to be absorbed in arrange ments for immediately invading England, but secret ly prepared to march his troops from Boulogne to the Rhine. After throwing on the Austrians the odium of aggression, by allowing them to attack Ba varia before he acted, he proceeded to execute a plan singularly adapted to the overweening confi dence of his opponent, General Mack, who, by this time, had traversed Bavaria, and advanced to Ulm. By making forced marches, and by violating part of the neutral territory of Prussia, Bonaparte reached first the flank, and soon after the rear of the enemy, who clung, with blind pertinacity, to the position of Ulm. The result to the Austrians was a series of checks in the field,• and, eventually, the surrender, by capitulation, of more than 30,000 men. The road to Vienna was thus opened to Bonaparte. He march ed thither, crossed the Danube, proceeded north ward, and at Austerlitz, on 2d December, displayed his military combinations in all their lustre, gaining, with forces not superior, a victory, which compelled Austria to immediate peace ; and thus, by one blow, broke up the coalition.
Such was the alternation of fortune by sea and land, that the next year had hardly commenced, when fresh successes were obtained over the French navy. A division of the Brest squadron, after land ing troops in the Spanish part of St Domingo, were overtaken by a superior force, and three sail of the line captured, and two burned. Admiral Linois, re turning from India, was captured in the Marengo of 80 guns ; and, at a subsequent date, of a squadron of frigates detached from Rochefort for the West In dies, four fell into our hands.
It was under these circumstances, that a negotia tion for peace was for some months carried on at Pais. It began in consequence of an overture from Talleyrand, eagerly embraced by Mr Fox ; and Lord Yarmouth, who happened to be under detention in France, was made the first medium of communica tion and conference. In its more advanced stage, the negotiation was entrusted to Lord Lauderdale ; and, at one period (in September), the conciliatory tone of the French inspired a hope of peace ;—a hope soon disappointed, when it was found that the offers of Bonaparte were followed by the demand of Si cily ; and that, while professing an ardent wish for peace, he was extending his usurpations in Germany, and secretly preparing to subvert the power of Prussia.
The humiliation of Austria left Bonaparte at li berty to direct his manoeuvres, both diplomatic and military, against her northern rival. Affecting great indignation at the friendly disposition shown by Prus sia the preceding autumn towards the coalition, he demanded the cession of a portion of her territory in the south-west, and, in return, transferred to her Hanover, in the hope of kindling the flame of dis cord between her and England. The Prussians ac
cordingly entered Hanover; the local government making no resistance, and our Cabinet taking no re taliatory measure, except the detention of vessels bearing the Prussian flag ; a measure adopted not in the spirit of hostility, but to satisfy popular clamour in England. The discussions between France and Prussia continued during the summer of 1806, and, from the blind confidence of one party, and the art of the other, assumed at last a serious aspect. The battle of Jena (see the article FRANCE, towards the close) deprived Prussia of her army, her capital, her fortresses ; and her court was fugitive in the north of Poland, ere there had been time to send, or even to concert the sending of succours from England. The Grenville ministry, less eager than their predecessors to embark in Continental war, confined themselves to sending a general officer (Lord Hutchinson) to the Russian head-quarters, and to the grant of a limited subsidy. For some time, the difficulties of the coun try, and the firm resistance of the Russians, particu larly at Eylau, encouraged the hope of arresting the progress of Bonaparte ; but this hope was disap pointed by the battle of Friedland, and still more the approximation of the court of Russia to that of France.
The treaty of Tilsit excited alarm, less from its specific provisions, than from the probable conse quences of the co-operation of the contracting powers. Among these, some persons reckoned, or pretended to reckon, the equipping against us of the Danish navy, a force of sixteen sail of the line, not manned or ready for sea, but capable of being fitted out without a great sacrifice. The ministry of 1807 founded their claim to public favour on a system of vigour, on a course altogether opposite to the cautious tions of their predecessors. No sooner were they ap prized of the treaty of Tilsit, than, without waiting for its effect on the Danish government, they deter mined on the as yet unexampled measure, of taking forcible possession of a neutral fleet. A powerful armament of 510,000• troops, and twenty-seven sail of the line, prepared ostensibly against Flushing and Antwerp, was directed to proceed to the Sound, there to await the result of a negotiation at Copen hagen. This negotiation was entrusted to a special envoy, who represented the danger to Denmark from France and Russia, and demanded the delivery of the Danish fleet to England, under a solemn stipu lation of its being restored on the termination of our war with France. The Danes, justly offended at this proposal, and aware that their agreeing to it would ex pose, them to the loss of the continental part of their territory, refused; our envoy returned on board our fleet; our army was landed, and Copenhagen invested by sea and land, while a part of our fleet cut off all communication between the Continent and the island on which it stands. After a fortnight passed in pre parations, a heavy fire was opened on the city, and continued during two days with great effect. A capi tulation now took place ; the citadel, dock-yards, and batteries were put into our hands, and no time was lost in fitting the Danish men of war for sea. All stores, timber, and other articles of naval equipment, belong ing to government, were taken out of the arsenals, embarked and conveyed to England.