fectual. We now proceed to take notice of fome other particulars refpecting the engagement, not mentioned by lord Nelfon.

The carnage on board the Danish thips was exceffive. It was calcufred by the commander-in-chief, Oliver Fifher, at 1800. The veffels were crowded with men, and from fome fingular neglect, probabiv originating in the idea of the wonnded being fo near the city that they could not be immediately accommodated there, there was not, on board their block fhips, a fingle furgeon. When our people boarded them, they found hundreds bleeding to death. As foon as the fire of the Danish line had flackened and lord Nelfon perceived that the fhips and batteries of the enemy were in his power, he went to his cabin, and wrote a letter to the prince royal reprefenting the expe. diency of allowing a flag of truce to pals, and ftating, that if this was denied, he fhould be under the neceffity of deftroying the floating batterics, now in his power, while it would be impoffible to fave thofe brave men by whom they were defended. This note was addreffed, **To the brothers of Englishmen, the Danes." When, in confequence of this representation, he received permition to land, and went on Thore to adjust terms of conciliation, he was received by the brave and generous Danes, with the loudeft acclamations, and treated by the

The

accomplished prince of Denmark with every mark of respect.* immediate confequence of their conference was an armiftice, which foon led to an amicable convention. The dreadful engagement heard, feen, and felt on the Danish fhore, wound up the feelings of all ranks to the highest pitch of fenfibility: but all individual hopes and fears feemed to be loft in a general blaze of patriotic ardour. Fron the crown prince, whofe cool intrepidity and judgement were gloriously difplayed in the fight of his people. and of Europe, to the humbleft citizen, one heroic mind and purpofe feemed to animate and unite the whole. Never had the Danish valour, in the brightest periods of their hiftory, fhone out with more diftinguifhed luftre. The daring

pirates of the ninth and tenth cen turies did not exhibit greater intrepidity and prowefs in invading, than their defcendents of the nineteenth century did in refifting an invafion from England. If the recollection of a common origin, à fimilarity of manners, and long habits of commercia! and social in tercourfe, tends to imprefs on the two nations a conviction that they are fitted and deftined to be good friends to each other, the ever-memorable battle of Copenhagen, not more glorious to the one party than the other, ought to be a long memento, that they are not lels fitted to be mutually dreadful and deftruc

+ See State Papers.

VOL. XLIII.

[I]

tive

tive enemies. Lord Nelson told the crown prince's aid-de camp, colonel Lundholm, who waited on him refpecting the proferred flag of truce, that the French fought bravely, but that they could not have food an hour, the fight which the Danes maintained for four. I have been in 105 engagements, faid he, in the course of my life, but that of to day was the most terrible of all." Admiral fir Hyde Parker in his difpatches to the admiralty, faid, "Were it poffible for me to add any thing to the well earned renown of lord Nelfon, it would be by affert ing that his exertions, great as they have heretofore been, never were carried to a higher pitch of zeal for his country's fervice."

The Swedifli fleet at Carlfcrona, left that port the 31ft of March, but was prevented from joining the Danes by contrary winds. Surmifes were current that the Swedish government was more eager to incite the Danes than to take themfelves a fhare in actual hoftilities, But they were wholly groundless.

On the 22d of March the Danish and Swedish ifles in the Weft Indies were reduced by a fquadron under admiral Duckworth.

The propofals made by lord Nelfon,in the conference with the prince of Denmark, are faid to have been these. it, That Denmark should recede from its alliance with Ruffia. 2d. That the English fhould be permitted to repair their fhips in the Danifh docks. 3d. That the wounded on board the English fleet should be taken care of in Danifh hofpitals. The last of thefe conditions was readily granted: the others rejected. An armiftice however was agreed to, and prolonged from day to day. A notice of fix hours, in

cale of an intention of renewing hoftilities on either fide, was to be given previously to the termination of the armistice. What paffed in different converfations between the Danish prince and the English viceadmiral has not been yet difcloted. But whatever were the points that impeded a pacification on the purt of Denmark, they were given up in confequence of intelligence, that the emperor of Ruffia, Paul I. was found dead in his bed on the night that followed the 22d of March. This fudden and important event was joyful to all, the French government excepted, and furprising to few! For more than a year paft Paul had exhibited multiplied fymp toms of infanity, as has been probably remarked by the readers of our annual narratives. In this the predominant ingredient was generally anger and rage. When dispatches were prefented to him from the British government,containing terms of conciliation, he returned them unopened, after piercing them in many places with a penknife. In a review of fome troops in front of his palace, an officer was thrown from his horfe and diflocated his arm. The brutal emperor, instead of fhewing any figns of compaffion, kicked the officer, as he lay on the ground, with his foot, Yet his madness, though ftill fomewhat tinctured with violence, was tometimes mixed with a degree of whimfical humour. In private converfation with a nobleman of his court, without any provocation or preliminary he gave him a hearty Dap in the face, adding, This falutation with my hand Paul," alluding to one of the epiftles from Paul, the apostle. A few days before the young king of Sweden, who had gone to con

cert

clared for the laws and fyftem of his auguft grandmother. It was among the first acts of his reign, to give orders that the British failors and mafters, who had been taken from the several British fhips, in a state of fequeftration, and fent to various towns throughout the Ruffian dominions, fhould be fet at liberty and carefully conducted to the feveral ports from whence they were taken. All prohibitions against the exportation of corn were removed: and the exportation of all kinds of grain was permitted. Peace and good understanding were re-cftablished between the courts of London and Petersburgh, and all difputes between Great Britain and the northern powers, were amicably adjufted. By this fettlement the northern powers obtained two material points: firft, a limitation of the right of fearch; and fecondly, a diminution of articles deemed contraband of While the negotiation was going on, we had a fleet in the Baltic of 25 fail of the line, and nearly 45 frigates, floops, bombs, and gun-vellels. The chief divifion of the fleet, under lord Nellon and admiral Graves, lay in Kioge-bay; and another, under admiral Totty, off Bornholm. Captain Murray, with a fmall fquadron, was off

war.

Dantzick; and lord H. Poulett cruized with a few fhips off Roftock. The Danish troops evacuated Hamburgh: the free navigation of the Elbe, Wefer, and Ems was restored; and the court of Berlin gave affu rances that, after certain arrangements fhould be made for the quiet of Germany, the Pruffian troops fhould evacuate Bremen and Ha

nover.

The termination of hoftilities between Great Britain and Denmark was attended with fome pleafing and affecting circumftances, fuch as might be expected in a reconciliation of friends. The honourable colonel Stuart, who commanded the military on board our fleet, and whofe gallantry was greatly praifed by lord Nelfon, after an armiftice was agreed on, brought over a letter from the prince of Denmark to our good king, his uncle. When the embargo, that had been laid on the Danifh fhips in the British ports, was in confequence of the pacification, taken off, the expenfe of both laying it on and taking it off was defrayed out of the English treafury. This mild and liberal proceeding gave general fatisfaction not only to the government and people of Den mark, but also to the people of England.

CHAP.

HOUGH the difficulties and

Great Britain, from the commencement of the war, had been very great, the fituation of this country, in the three firft months of 1801, had become critical and alarming almoft beyond any former example. Repeated efforts to circumfcribe had only ferved to extend the power of France. The fouth and weft of Europe, fubdued by the arms, or crouching under the power of that mighty ftate, was detached from all co-operation, in the war with England, or dragged into the ftream of hoftility against her. The northern powers, envious of our commercial and naval greatnefs, and inftigated by the intrigues of Buonaparte, revived claims inconfiftent with both; and were prepared to maintain them by armies and armaments. At a time when the British nation, hard pressed by karcity, and threatened with

Elbe, and the Baltic, these ports were fhut against her. To crown the feries of calamities, the execu tive council of the king was in the act of diffolution, and that at a time when a fevere indifpofition rendered it impoffible for the retiring minifters to return, into the hands of their fovereign, the badges of their office.

One conceffion after another, on the part of the British government, during the whole courfe of the prefent reign, had abundantly fecured to the Irish catholics their civil and religious rights; and admitted them, too, into as great a participation of political power, as was thought compatible with the tranquillity of the ftate, and even with folemn and religious engagement. They were only excluded from fitting in parlia ment, and from holding about thirty public offices. The men of pro[13]

perty