which has been received with general execration; we mean his seizure of the Duke d'Enghien, son of the Duke de Bourbon, by surprise, in the neutral territory of Baden, upon a charge of being actively engaged in plots against the French Government. This unfortunate youth was hurried to Paris, tried immediately by a court-martial, and condemned to be shot on the same evening by torch-light, in the wood of VinNo sophistry can palliate the enormity of this murder, at the foulness of which every generous and noble heart must feel the strongest indignation.

cennes.

Another violation of neutral territory was exhibited in the seizure of the person of Sir T. Rumbold, the British minister at Hamburgh, also by military violence, who was sent to France, and imprisoned for a short time; but subsequently released at the intercession of the King of Prussia. The outrage of the seizure and assassination of the Duke D'Enghien, which amounted on the part of the French Government to an abjuration of the laws of nations, excited the warmest feelings of resentment in the Emperor Alexander, who, through the medium of his ambassador, D'Oubril, not only remonstrated against so unprecedented and scandalous a proceeding, but also insisted upon Napoleon's adopting, in concert with him, such measures as would place Europe in a state of security. To this peremptory requisition a decided negative was given, and all diplomatic correspondence between the two governments entirely ceased. Napoleon, unable to wreak his resentment upon this country in any effectual manner, (for the sailing of a small squadron from Rochefort for the West Indies, which levied some contributions, and captured a few merchantmen, does not deserve the name of an exception,) resolved to renew his threats of invasion. For this purpose he built an incredible number of small vessels at Boulogne and other convenient stations on the French coast; whither he marched a very large army. The attack of these divisions in their progress, with various fortune, furnished continual employment to the smaller vessels of the English navy. It is now known that Napoleon did seriously meditate a descent, which would certainly have

been attempted, at every hazard, but for the ignorance and incapacity of his naval officers, on whom he relied for assembling such a force in the channel as would have given them, according to his calculation, a temporary superiority. Whilst his preparations were in progress, upon dictating and receiving a suitable invitation from the legislature of the Italian Republic, Napoleon repaired to Milan, where he assumed the iron crown of the ancient Gothic kings of Lombardy; declaring at the same time that after his demise, the crowns of France and Lombardy should never be worn upon the same brow.

While these imperial and royal pantomimes were exhibiting, Spain, who had assisted France with her treasures, had now exhausted the patience of Great Britain. The capture of 4 frigates returning from South America with specie, before a declaration of war on the part of this country, converted her opponent's neutrality into open warfare, and hostilities immediately commenced. The indisposition of the Emperor Alexander towards Napoleon, the rapid strides of the new Emperor to the acquisition of the dictatorship of Europe, and the imminent danger apprehended to the liberties of the great commonwealth of states, produced a coalition against France, of which Russia, Sweden, and England were members. Preparations for war were made on the part of Austria, which produced strong remonstrances from Napoleon to that Government. Every thing presaged approaching hostility; but as yet the door of negociation was not entirely closed. Suddenly the Toulon fleet set sail, raised the blockade of Cadiz, and was reinforced by the Spanish squadron, then composing an armament of 18 ships of the line. Had the combined fleet proceeded northward, it was strong enough to have raised in succession the blockade of the different squadrons on the French and Spanish coasts, and thus accumulating its strength, have composed an armada of 74 ships of the line in the channel. Then, and then only, an opportunity might have been afforded of realizing his menace of an invasion; but instead of pursuing this bold and decided measure, the combined squadron proceeded to the West In

dies, and arrived at Martinique, where it lingered in inglorious inactivity.

It was at this time that Lord Nelson, who, with 11 ships of the line was cruising in the Mediterranean, was apprised of the sailing of the Toulon fleet; but mistaken as to their real object, this great commander, the boast and bulwark of his country, proceeded almost as far as Egypt in pursuit of them. Undeceived with respect to their destination, he followed them to the West Indies; and such was the terror of his name, and the pusillanimity of the French admiral, that in despite of his important numerical superiority, he returned to Europe. On approaching Ferrol, he was encountered by a squadron of 15 ships of the line, under Sir Robert Calder: an action ensued, which terminated at night, and ended with the capture of 4 sail of the line. The remainder of the combined squadron escaped under cover of a dense fog, and of the darkness, into the harbour of Ferrol. Thus ended Napoleon's schemes of invasion; and from that moment he prepared to resist the formidable confederacy which was on the eve of assailing him.

The French troops proceeded to the Rhine. The armies in Hanover and Holland were likewise directed to proceed southward on a line of march vertical to the Danube. On this occasion the allies committed a fatal error. It was generally, but most falsely imagined, that Napoleon was taken by surprize, and that he was unprepared for the conflict; acting under this impression, their preparations were not commensurate, either in extent or celerity, with the gigantic power, and still more formidable genius, with which they had to contend, the Austrian army crossed the Inn, and took possession of Bavaria, which they treated in every particular as a conquered country, levying contributions, and paying for their supplies in depreciated Austrian paper. In the mean time the Electoral troops, amounting to upwards of 20,000 men, had proceeded to Ingolstadt, where they took a position under the protection of that fortress. A gross mistake was here committed by the

Austrian Government. No steps were taken to conciliate the Elector, and he was compelled to submit to the invasion of his dominions from inevitable necessity; but he entered into a close alliance with Napoleon, the bitter fruits of which shortly appeared.

After halting a few days in Bavaria, the Austrian general, Mack, with an army of upwards of 80,000 men, advanced into Swabia, and penetrated nearly as far as the defiles of the Black Forest. Napoleon having made all the necessary arrangements, addressed the senate, ordered the formation of two armies of reserve of 80,000 men each, published a manifesto justificatory of the war on his part, and presented, through the French minister, at the Diet of Ratisbon, a memorial, in which he endeavoured to recriminate upon Austria, departed from Paris, and arrived at Strasburgh the latter end of September, 1805, accompanied by the Empress Josephine.

The French army immediately crossed the Rhine, and advanced by rapid marches to the Danube. Napoleon pro ceeded to Ludwigsburgh, the residence of the Elector of Wirtemburgh, on 3d October, where he was sumptuously entertained; and when he compelled the Elector to incorporate his troops with the French army. The cavalry of that army, commanded by Murat, pushed its patroles into the defiles of the Black Forest, where they remained in position several days, with a view to deceive the Austrian commander, and lead him to conclude that he would encounter the French army in its front; whereas, by the bold and masterly plan of Napoleon, the points of union of the different corps of his army were to be Dettingen and Donawert; thus interposing a superior force between Mack and the Austrian territory, and rendering a junction with the first Russian army, then rapidly approaching the Inn, impracticable. In prosecuting this design, Napoleon crossed the Danube at and above Donawert, and spreading the forces under his immediate command to the southward, occupied a line so as to bear immediately on the flank and rear of the Austrians in the vicinity of Ulm. In the meantime Murat attacked and defeated a division,

consisting of 12 Hungarian battalions, proceeding from the Tyrol, on the left or northern side of the Danube. This detachment was completely routed with the loss of 4000 prisoners, their artillery, baggage, and 8 standards. The corps under Ney assailed the strong position of Guntzburg, and the line of the bridges connected with it. The action here was obstinate and sanguinary, but the French prevailed, and the Archduke Ferdinand was compelled to retreat to Ulm, with the loss of upwards of 3000 men. Having so far succeeded in his plans, Napoleon detached Bernadotte, with the corps under his command, reinforced by the Bavarians, to the Inn, to observe the Russian army, now increased by the addition of some Austrian troops. Bernadotte was enabled to take up a strong position on the banks of the river, holding the allies in check, and preventing them from taking any measures to avert the catastrophe which menaced the army under Mack.

Thus secure from all assaults in his rear, Napoleon vigorously pressed the Austrians, who were constrained to relinquish the outworks which defended their position at Ulm. After a most gallant opposition on 11th October, Soult having proceeded to Meiningen, surrounded it, and the garrison, composing a great part of the left wing of the Austrian army, capitulated. Pursuing his victorious career, he advanced to Biberach, whither the Archduke Ferdinand had retired; and, understanding that he had quitted that place for Ulm, Soult took possession of the pass of Bregentz: the result of these combined manoeuvres was the complete investment of the army under the immediate orders of Mack. The Archduke Ferdinand, who foresaw the inevitable destruction of this corps, separated himself from his ill-fated comrades, and, with a considerable force, took the road to Franconia. He was closely pursued by the divisions under the order of Murat and Lannes, who compelled General Werneck, with a force of 12,000 men, to surrender; but, after losing the greater part of his artillery, the Archduke, with the wreck of his gallant army, sought and found refuge in the mountains which separate Bohemia from Franconia. The situation of Mack