Talleyrand carefully avoided making mention of Sicily. The conduct of the British cabinet exhibited an enlightened and generous policy. Fresh instructions were given to Lord Lauderdale, to support the interests of Russia, to oppose every proposed measure that could be injurious to her; and not to give up Sicily: his lordship was also instructed, not to sign any treaty except provisionally; and such treaty not to have its full effect until peace should be concluded between Russia and France. But his lordship was ordered to communicate to the French plenipotentiaries the conditions upon which, (according to the full and perfect knowledge his Britannic Majesty had of the intention of that court,) would be willing to negociate with the French govern ment; to reduce them into the form of a treaty in the event of their being agreed to on both sides; and to insert an article in the provisional treaty between Great Britain and France, by which his Britannic Majesty should engage to employ his mediation for the purpose of obtaining the accession of his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias to the said treaty. When the above propositions were submitted to Bonaparte, he ordered Talleyrand to address a note to Lord Lauderdale, which was couched in very haughty and indignant language. It is evident that the Emperor Napoleon was incensed at the steady perseverance of England, in behalf of her late ally the Emperor of Russia; as also the demand made with respect to Sicily. Napoleon had been notorious for his rude conduct to ambassadors, when he could not make their courts subservient to his interest. Had it not been for Talleyrand, it is more than to be suspected, that his angry and boisterous passions would have urged him, not merely to put a stop to the pending negociation, but, to offer some gross insult to the English Ambassador. The Earl of Lauderdale made a spirited and appropriate reply to the note, and the conferences were renewed. The French plenipotentiaries still refusing to accede to the propositions of the British minister, the latter demanded his passports: his lordship duly received them, accompanied with a final note on the business; it was there stated, that the principles of Mr. Fox had been abandoned by his coadjutors in the cabinet; that in thus departing from the basis originally laid

down,† there could be no rational hope of the negociation terminating happily.

The arrival of Lord Lauderdale in England was hailed as an auspicious event, France having imperiously called for sacrifices which, if submitted to, would have covered Great Britain with shame and infamy.

The treaty between France and Russia, which the Emperor Alexander refused to ratify, consisted of the following articles :

1. Russia granted to France, Cattaro, as well as all the places occupied by her troops in Dalmatia; in return for which France consented to restore Ragusa to its former state; and to abstain from hostilities against the Montanegrins.

2. The Republic of the Seven Islands to be declared independent; but have granted for four thousand Russian troops to be stationed there.

3. The independence of the Ottoman Porte to be recognised, and the integrity of its possessions guaranteed by both parties.

4. The French to evacuate Germany in three months; and the Russians to withdraw all their troops from the Mediterranean, except that corps which they were allowed to leave in the Seven Islands.

5. Majorca, Minorca, and Ivica, were to be transferred from Spain to the Duke of Calabria, with the title of King of the Baleoree Isles, on condition that the ports of these islands should be shut against the English during the continuance of the war.

When this treaty was discussed in the cabinet of St. Petersburgh, it was found that the Charge des Affaires so far from having acted agreeable to the tenure of his instructions, had acted diametrically opposite to their sense and spirit; and it was upon this basis that his Imperial Majesty was urged not to ratify it. The base author of this disgraceful treaty received a punishment not adequate to his treachery, he was merely banished from the court; an evidence that there was a deal of French influence yet prevailing in the Russian court.

We shall now direct our attention to the important

+ Mr. Fox died during this negociatiou; a memoir of him will appear in the following Chapter.

scenes now about to be exhibited in Prussia.

In conse

quence of the disputes which we have already noticed, between that power and France, it was manifest that an appeal would finally be made to the sword. Accordingly a powerful army was levied by his Prussian Majesty, the command of which was given to his Serene Highness the Duke of Brunswick. The head-quarters of the Prussian army were at Naumburg; but on October 10, it was removed to Weimar. The left of the Prussian army was commanded by Prince Hohenloe, under whom were Prince Lewis of Prussia, and General Tauenzein; the right was commanded by General Ruchel; the centre was directed by the Duke of Brunswick, his Prussian Majesty in person, and General Field-marshal Mollendorf: the rear guard was commanded by the Duke of Saxe Weimar; and the army of reserve was under the command of Prince Eugene, of Wirtemberg, but these troops were not called into action. General Blucher, with a large corps, also joined the army. The whole force of the Prussian army was estimated at one hundred and fifty thousand men.

The French army with Bonaparte at its head, arrived at Bamberg on October 6, and two days after it was on its march to attack the Prussians, who were encamped at Auerstadt, on the left bank of the Saale. On October 8, the French army advanced in three divisions; the left was commanded by Marshals Augereau, and Lannes; the centre was commanded by the Grand Duke of Berg, General Bernadotte, and Marshal Davoust; and the right was led on by Marshals Ney and Soult. This latter division advanced to Planen in Upper Saxony: the centre division passed the Saale, at Saalberg, and advanced to Schleitz, where a body of ten thousand Prussians were encamped under General Tauenzein. Here an action ensued, in which the Prussians sustained great loss. The French now marched on to Gera, and General Lannes entered Cobourg, and advanced to Saalfield, where he attacked Hohenloe's advanced guard, commauded by Prince Lewis of Prussia, and obtained a complete victory; Prince Lewis unfortunately fell in this action. In this engagement six hundred Prussians were killed, one thousand taken prisoners, and thirty pieces of cannon were also captured. After this signal success, VOL, H.-28.

BB