sesto, on that occasion, the northern confederacy was loon formally concluded and declared to the world. It was figned on the 16th of December, 1800, by Ruffia, Sweden, and Denmark, and on the 19th by Pruffia, as an acceding party. The principles of the northern confederacy had been before recognised in a treaty between Pruffia and America. It was nearly the fame with the armed neutrality of 1780, and the treaty between France and America already noticed; but fomewhat more favourable to belligerent powers at fea, and lefs to neutrals, It was required that the captain and half the crew fhould be the fubjects of the state to which the neutral ship should belong.* When the king of Sweden, under the name of count Haga, was at Petersburgh, for the purpose of concerting with Paul the meafures to be purfaed in the armed neutrality, the emperor conferred on him the crofs of the order of St. John of Jerufalem, or, of Malta. In confequence of thefe hoftile measures exhibited in the north, the British government, on the 14th of January, 1801, ordered a feizure, not only, in the way of retaliation, on Ruffian fhips, but on all vessels belonging to any of the confederate powers, at that time in any of the ports of Great Britain, thofe of Pruffia excepted. And letters of marque were granted for the purpose of capturing a great variety of richly laden fingle vellels, as well as fleets, which were known to be working their way to the Baltic. A great number of veffels belonging to the northern powers, but motily to the Danes and Swedes, were stopped in our ports, and many taken at fea. Of 450 Swedish ships that were abroad, it was estimated that 200 were either feized at fea, or detained in English harbours. On the day after that on which the order was iflued, for laying an embargo on the northern flips, January 15, a rote was prefented by lord Grenville to the Danish and Swedish ambaffadors, at London, refpecting the embargo that had been laid on the Danish and Swedish veffels. The fubftance and import of it was, "that his Britannic majefty, being informed of the reestablishment of the armed neutrality of 1800 and 1801, and of the naval preparations in the Baltic, had determined immediately to adopt the most effectual measures for repelling the attack he had already experienced, and to oppote the effects of the confederacy armed against him. An embargo had been laid on all the Danish and Swedish firips in the ports belonging to his majefty. But, in the execution of this meafure, his majefty would take care, that no violent or fevere proceedings fhould be exercifed, on the part of his majefty, towards innocent individuals. His majefty was fill animated by the moft anxious defire that the circumftances which had rendered thele fleps neceffary might cease, and that he might be enabled to return to thofe relations with the courts of Stockholm and Copenhagen, which exifted between them, till that mutual good understanding was interrupted by the prefent attempts to renew former pretensions." To this note the Danish ambassador, count Jarlsberg, * See convention between Sweden and Ruffia for the re-establishment of an armed neutrality. State Pape s, vol. xiii. [H4] replied. replied, "that with respect to the principles of the northern powers, concerning the facred rights of neutrality, they had not been abandoned. Ruffia, in her bellige rent quality, had only fufpended the application, and Denmark and Sweden had, by their convention of the 17th of March, 1794, declared, in the face of all Europe, that their fyftem of protection, in favour of innocent commerce, was invariable. Hence it followed, that his Danish majefty now only renewed ties which had not ceafed to exift." The baron, therefore, protested against proceedings of fo hoftile a nature. The Swedish envoy, baron Ernfward, faid, that, as the difpute between the Ruffian and English courts related to the island of Malta, and the declaration of the Danish court referred to the convention of 1780, he could fee no juft reason, why the Swedish court, which had given no juft caufe of complaint to the English, fhould be attacked in fo hoftile a manner before any anfwer had been given to the infinua tions contained in a note from the English to the Swedish miniftry, at Stockholm, 31ft of December.* In conformity to orders from his mafter, he protested formally against the embargo laid on the Swedish fhips, and all lofs or damage that might be thereby occafioned. He demanded, in the moft forcible terms, that, in pursuance of the treaty of 1661, the embargo might be taken off, the continuance of which could no otherwife be confidered than as a defigned and premeditated declaration of war on the part of England, as well by the de tention of the convoy, as in refpec to the affair of Barcelona." When Lord Grenville's notification was received at Stockholm, all Swedish fhips were immediately ftopped from going to England, and an embargo was laid on all English ships in the Swedish harbours. After fome farther civil remonstrations on both fides, the Swedish minifter quitted England. If Sweden and Denmark could have been detached from their connexions with Ruffia by any amicable means fhort of relinquishing the maritime claims of Britain, the court of St. James's would doubtlefs have come to an amicable adjuftment. But, even from these claims it feemed disposed, in fome measure, to recede in favour of Pruffia, for the fake of peace with a monarch who had it fo much in his power not only to distress Great Britain, but to annoy the fovereign of this kingdom by attacking the electorate of Hanover. Lord Carysfort, the English ambassador at Berlin, in repeated notes, reprefented the violent proceedings of Paul, and the unjust and hostile defigns of the northern powers in general, with many expreffions of confidence, that notwithstanding various reports and appearances, his Pruffian majefty had not entered into the confederacy, to support by force principles in common with other powers, whose hostile views against his Britannic majesty had been openly proved. The last of thefe notes, dated at Berlin, January 27, 1801, concluded with the *Notes nearly of the fame date had been fent to both the Swedish and Danish mini ftry, demanding a frank and fatisfactory explanation of the negotiations that had been carried on at St. Petersburgh. expreffion expreffion of a firm reliance, that "whatever sentiments the Pruffian government might entertain, in regard to the new principles of the armed neutrality themselves, it was too juft, and knew too well what fovereigns owed to their people, and to one another, to favour for a moment the defign to employ force in order to induce his Britannic majefty to acknowledge a code, which the latter deemed inconfiftent with the honour and fecurity of his crown." Lord Carystort received, in anfwer, from the Pruffian minifter, count Hogwitz, a note, bearing date, 12th of February. It ftated, among other particulars, "that his Pruffian majefty could not fee without the utmost grief and concern, the violent and hafty meafures to which the court of London had proceeded against the northern naval powers; the negotiation that had been lately carried on among whom was founded on juftice and moderation; as the communication of a copy of the convention to fuch of the belligerent powers as had the juftice and patience to wait for it would fully prove. The British government had, in the prefent, more than in any former wars, ufurped the fovereignty of the feas; and, by arbitrarily framing a naval code, which it would be difficult to unite with the true principles of the law of nations. It exercifed over the other friendly and neutral powers an ufurped jurifdiction, the legality of which it maintained, and which it confidered as an imprefcriptible right, fanctioned by all the other tribunals of Europe. The fovereigns had never conceded to England the privilege of calling their fubjects before its tribunals, and of fubjecting them to its laws, in cafes where the abuse of power had got the better of equity, and which were but too frequent. The neutral powers had always had the precaution of addreffing to it the most energetic proclamations and protefts; but experience had ever proved their reclamations fruitless. And it was not surprifing that, after fo many repeated acts of oppreffion, they had refolved to find a remedy against it, and for that purpose to eftablish a well-arranged convention, which fixed their rights, and placed them on a proper level, even with the powers at war. The naval alliance, in the manner in which it had just been confolidated, was intended to lead to that falutary end: and the king hesitated not to declare to his Britannic majefty, that he had again found in it, his own principles, that he was fully convinced of its neceffity and utility, and that he had formally acceded to the convention, which had been concluded on the 16th of December, laft year, between the courts of Ruffia, Denmark, and Sweden. His majefty was, therefore, among the number of the contracting parties, and had bound himself, in that quality, not only to take a direct fhare in all the events which interefted the cause of the neutral powers, but also, in virtue of his engagements, to maintain that connexion by fuch powerful meafurcs as the impulfe of circumflances might. require. Unpleasant as the extremes might be to which England had proceeded, yet his majefty doubted not the poffibility of a fpeedy return to conciliating and peaceable difpofitions, and he relied on the fentiments of equity which, on former occafions, he hadi had the advantage of meeting with in his Britannic majefty. It was only by revoking, and entirely taking off the embargo, that affairs could be brought to their former fituation. While thofe meafures exifted, which had been reforted to from a common principle, and against an alliance which could no longer be fhaken, the hoftile retolution which would be the confequence, would be the neceffary refult of the treaty, and the Pruffian minifter was authorized to declare to the minifter of his Britannic majefty," that the king, while he exprefied his concern at events of which he had not been the caufe, would facredly fulfil the engage ments which had been prefcribed to him by treaties." From this pote it was evident that Great Britain had nothing to expect from the neutrality of Prufha. Among the meatures, which the impulfe of circumflances required, were the two which the British government had greatly apprehended: the exclufion of the English commerce from the great rivers of Pruffia, and the invafion of Hanover. A declaration was illued, on the 30th of March, by the king of Prutia, to the royal and electoral college of Banover, in which, after an enumeration of events which he alleged, faticiently proved that the court of London had no inclination to defift from her inadmifiible demands, and a cept the propoled means of amicable conciliation, he faid, that he was "compelled, in conformity to the obligations he had contracted, to take the most efficacious measures in fupport of the convention, attacked, and to retaliate for the holtile proceedings against it. For this purpose, he would not only fhut the mouths of the Elbe, the Wefer, and the Ems, but likewife take poffefs fion of the ftates belonging to his majefty the king of England, as elector of Brunswick Lunenburgh, fituated in Germany. The king of Pruflia accordingly demanded, and expected from the electoral college of privy counsellors at Hanover, that they would fubmit to this difpofition without delay or reply; and that they would voluntarily obey the or ders which fhould be given, relative to the occupation of the elec torate by the Pruffian troops, and likewife relative to the electoral countries. What his Pruffian majefty principally demanded, was, that the Hanoverian corps, which had hitherto occupied part of the northern line of demarcation, should be difarmed and difbanded, with a proportional part of the other troops, He alto required, that the generals and other officers should engage, in writing, not to ferve against his majefty the king of Pruffia; but, on the contrary, to follow ftrialy his orders, until the prefent affair fhould be brought to a conclufien. For the troops that thould continue to be embodied, he appointed particular ftations. All the other places were to be delivered up to the Pruffian troops. The Pruffian troops to be fubfifted at the expense of the electoral territory, commencing from the end of the month of April. cafe of a voluntary fubmiftion, his majefty was difpofed, and ready to promife tolemnly, not only to the nobility, but to the burgeles and all the inhabitants of the electorate, the complete enjoyment of tranquillity, and the fecurity of their property; but, on the contrary, thould the government and the ge neral officers attempt to impede the execution of the measures taken, In and and uppose the entrance of the Pruffan troops, his majesty would be obliged, though again his inclination, to revoke his promifes, and to treat the electoral ftates in a hoftile manner."-To thefe conditions, by a convention, concluded on the 3d of April, 1801, the regency of Hanover confented, only expreffing their hopes that the number of Pruf fian troops would be diminished, as much as poffible, to eafe the country and the inhabitants. The Pruffian troops entered the territory of Hanover, and were pofted chiefly on the banks of the Elbe and the Wefer. An embargo was laid on the Britifh fhipping; but a number of veffels that had taken on board their cargoes of grain were faffered to depart, and fail for England.→ The firmnefs and the moderation of the Prufian king formed a ftriking contraft with the capricious rage of his ally the emperor of Ruffia. Never was war carried on, by any power, with greater dignity, civility, and decorum. About the fame time, a body of Danish troops, to the number of 15,000, under the command of prince Charles, landgrave of Heffe, a field-marhal in the Danish fervice, and father-in-law to the prince royal of Denmark, there called the crown prince, took possession of Hamburgh, in order, as was de. clared, by a notification publifhed at the exchange of Hamburgh, April 5, to top the British navigation and trade on the Elbe. An embargo had already, on the 29th of March, been laid on the British hips at Copenhagen, and the other ports of Denmark, When the intentions of prince Charles of Hefle were announced to the fenate of Hamburgh, March 25, it fent deputies, on the 29th, to his highness, at Penneberg, a town of Holftein, about fifteen Englith miles from Hamburgh, to make the ftrongest reprefentations against a measure fo violent and unexpec. ed. The prince, without hesitas tion, declared his intention to fummon the city to furrender to his troops next morning, and even to ufe force in cafe of refiftance. At the fame time, the deputies received the most fatisfactory affurances that no fears ought to be entertained for the independence of the city of Hamburgh, or the property of individuals; and farther, that his highnefs would be fatisfied with the pof. feffion of the gates and walls, with out requiring any troops to be quar tered in the city. The fenate af. fembled in the night, unanimously refolved, that it was better to vied to force than to expose the city to greater force, in confequence of any refiftance. On the morning of the 23d, the gate, called the Millenthor, and a part of the fortifications, were immediately given up to a corps of Danish troops, and without the least interruption of the public tranquillity. The British conful, at Hamburgh, confidering the critical fituation of affairs, had given repeated information and advice to the captains of British vessels in the Elbe to accelerate their departure. Some took the warning: others, not easily believing that any thing te rioully hoftile was to be apprehended from the Danes or Pruffians were not in hafte, and were detained accordingly. The English miniftry, in fuch preffing circumftances, naturally had recourfe to a mode of conduct, of the fame nature with that which had been attended, at leaft, with partial and temporary fuccefs, about |