a small Russian army. Prompt in executing his resolves, Napoleon issued an imperial patent, creating his brother Joseph King of Naples, and sending a powerful army, under Massena, to establish him on the throne.

The details of this expedition are foreign to our history: it is sufficient to mention that Naples was subdued. Before we turn the attention of our readers from Italy, however, it may be proper to add, that in the course of the preceding year, 1805, Genoa was incorporated with France; another flagrant violation of a solemn treaty. A short time only had elapsed since the conclusion of the treaty of Presburg, before the effects of the convention, signed 13th December, 1806, between Prussia and France began to appear. Prussia ceded Anspach, Neufchatel, and some other possessions of small value to France; in consideration of which she was permitted to occupy Hanover. This she accordingly accomplished, by investing that country with her troops; and finding her scandalous pretensions opposed by the British sovereign, she took formal possession of the electorate, incorporated it with her own territories, and shut the mouth of the Elbe and the Weser against British vessels. The meanness of this proceeding could only be equalled by its impolicy.

Prussia was at this time playing a very dangerous game; by her hostile demonstrations against France, soon after, she offended the proud and lofty spirit of Napoleon beyond the hope of pardon. By violating at once, and in the most flagrant manner, every principle of moral justice, she had indisposed the only ally who could assist her with money; and she also hazarded the loss of the friendship of the Emperor Alexander, upon the preservation of whose amity her political existence depended. Yet this was the moment, when urged by her evil destiny, she hazarded the awful results of a rupture with Napoleon. Her motives were, first, the formation by Napoleon of the celebrated confederation of the Rhine, by which he detached all the princes whose territories were contiguous to that river from their connection with

the German empire, constituted himself their protector, and obliged them to keep, for his service, an army of 58,000 men.

Prussia had stipulated for leave to establish a confederacy of a similar description in the north of Germany, which was now contemptuously refused. The second grievance was, that in the negociation for peace between France and England, which took place at this period, Napoleon was fully disposed to have given up Hanover, although seized by Prussia, and annexed to her dominions with his consent and concurrence, to the Sovereign of Great Britain, in exchange for a valuable equivalent. This negociation failed; but Prussia was apprized of the treachery of her ally, or rather her confederate in guilt, and therefore resolved to enter the lists against Napoleon at a moment when every chance was decidedly hostile to her.

The perfidy of the French Ruler to Prussia in the course of this negociation has been fully established; it was equal in atrocity to that which was practised by Prussia towards Great Britain her hour of humiliation however was at hand. Several circumstances conduced to widen the breach between the two powers; among which we may notice the arbitrary requisition of Augerau upon the city of Frankfort, to furnish a contribution of 6,000,000 livres; and the execution, or rather we should say, murder, by the sentence of a French courtmartial, of Palm, a bookseller of Nuremberg, accused and condemned for the publication of an alleged libel on Napoleon.

Incensed at these outrages, Prussia commenced preparations for a war with France, and by an act of judicial infatuation, a particular day (the 8th of October) was fixed upon by the government as that on which hostilities were to begin.

The Prussian army, amounting to about 130,000 men, occupied a strong position on the banks of Saale. The French army, which was estimated at 180,000 men, was in Franconia. Napoleon, previous to his departure from Paris, caused a report to be published justificatory of the present war. He then advanced by the route of Bamburg and Wurtsburgh, to

the banks of the Saale; his right wings extended so as to describe a crescent, the horns of which pressed upon the flanks of either hostile wing. This position of Napoleon was selected with admirable judgment; it enabled him to interpose between the Prussian army and Saxony, and, in case of a defeat, cut off the retreat of that army in the direction of Berlin and Magdeburg.

The campaign was opened by an engagement between the corps of the French army, commanded by Bernadotte, and a division of the Prussians, headed by Prince Louis, at Schleitz, in which the latter were defeated, and their prince slain. Another partial engagement took place on the 10th, in which the Prussians were again beaten at Saalfeldt; but the most important disaster was the capture of the great Prussian magazines, an advantage which the French army derived from having completely turned the left wing of their enemy, whose situation was at this time extremely perilous. The conduct of their general, the Duke of Brunswick, who was nevertheless a brave and able tactician, was not as decisive and judicious on this occasion as might have been expected. Remaining inactive in a position almost impregnable if assailed in front, he permitted the French army to assemble its different corps, and to march nearly round his position, without attempting to change his arrangements, or to attack them during the operation, excepting by puny and ineffectual detachments. If these important errors were committed before the battle of Jena, the dispositions of the Prussian army were still more faulty on the eve of that tremendous conflict. They omitted to secure the passes on the high road to Jena, and particularly that of Kofen, which had been so neglected, that part of the French had actually penetrated within 300 paces of one of the Prussian columns, before it was even imagined that an attempt had been made to advance upon them in that quarter. These important positions were speedily occupied by Buonaparte, and so strengthened as to become nearly impregnable.

On the memorable 14th Oct. the two armies engaged. The battle was fiercely contested, but the skill of Napoleon, and the

superior force of his army, prevailed. In vain did the Prussians attempt to regain the important pass of Kofen; in vain did their cavalry, formerly so celebrated, charge the French wings. It is a well-known fact, that such was the distressed state of the Prussian army for provision and forage, that neither their horses nor men had received sustenance for 36 hours. In despite of all these disadvantages before the battle, the Prussians fought with distinguished bravery; but the Duke of Brunswick was mortally wounded towards the sequel of the action, and was carried off the field. From that disastrous moment there was no longer a commander-in-chief. The Prussian corps, nay, every regiment, fought separately in the position they had taken up. The plan of the battle, whatever it might have been, perished with its author, the Duke. In such a situation did the Prussian army remain when Murat (now created Grand Duke of Berg) charged at the head of the cavalry. The attack was irresistible, and the Prussian soldiers fled, preserving neither order nor discipline. The high roads in their rear were filled and blocked up by the baggage, in such a manner as to render it impossible for the fugitives to escape in that direction. The King of Prussia, who had displayed much personal courage in the action, quitted the field, when its fate was decided, escorted by a strong detachment of dragoons, and took the route to East Prussia. The loss of the Prussians was enormous; it is said to have been 50,000 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners, more than 20 generals, 300 pieces of cannon, and immense magazines. After the action, 14,000 men surrendered, with Marshal Mullendorf. A great part of the success of the day is to be attributed to the excellence of the French artillery. A Saxon regiment, amounting to upwards of 3000 men, were reduced to a few hundreds in the space of eight minutes, by being exposed during that time to an unmasked battery of grape-shot. Napoleon, before the battle of Jena, had addressed a proclamation to the Saxons, to keep alive their hereditary hatred of the Prussians. After the battle, he dismissed 6000 Saxon prisoners with their officers, and entering into a negociation with the Elector, that

prince was admitted a member of the Confederation of the Rhine, and his contingent fixed at 20,000 men.

The consequences of the battle of Jena were even more calamitous than the action itself. By disposing different corps of his army in such a manner as to be always in advance of the fugitives, in the direction of the Oder, the natural point of retreat and union for the scattered Prussian divisions, and by pursuing them without affording a moment's respite, he compelled the various bodies of Prussian troops, wandering over the country without concert with each other, or deference to a crowned head, to surrender prisoners of war. At Halle, the reserve of the Prussian army, which, by some fatal blunder had taken no part in the great battle, were encountered and defeated.

Of all those Prussian divisions, or rather fragments of an army, the only one which occasioned any serious inconvenience to the French, beyond the labour of the pursuit, was the force under General Blucher. This illustrious officer, who will hereafter occupy a distinguished part in our narrative, had under him a force of 20,000 men. By exertion almost incredible, and with a degree of military skill which reflects the highest credit upon his talents, he eluded any immediate action with the French corps appointed to subdue him, and inveigled three divisions of the French army (amounting at the least to 60,000 men) to a distance of nearly 150 miles (to Jena). When at last overtaken, and compelled to seek a temporary refuge in Lubec, his spirit animated the meagre and exhausted forms of his followers, who suffered the extremes of hunger and fatigue; nor were they conquered without a desperate action in the streets and houses of this town. But Blucher stood almost alone in this generous devotion to his country. An emulation of treachery and cowardice distinguished the commanders of the different Prussian fortresses, with the exception of those in Silesia. Magdeburg, the strongest citadel in Europe, Spandau, and many other places, surrendered almost without even a decent shadow of resistance. But prosperity had indurated the heart of Napoleon. Whilst we admire (and