of which for above a century, would bear testimony against your courage, if the weakness of your government had not been alone to blame. You ally yourself with the English, who have so often wounded your pride and your independence, who have so long ravished from you, by open violence, and even in time of peace, the commerce of your colonies; who, in order to intimate to you their prohibition of your neutrality, caused their decrees to be preceded by the plunder of your treasures, and the massacre of your navigators; who, in fine, have covered Europe with proofs of their contempt for their allies, and for the deceitful promises they had made to them. You will without doubt recover from your error, You

will then groan for the new perfidies that are reserved for you. But how much blood will flow before this tardy return to your senses? The English, hitherto absent from all great conflicts, try a new fortune on the continent. They ungarrison their island, and leave it almost without defence, in the presence of an enterprising and valiant king, who commands a French army, and who has already snatched from them the strong position of the island of Caprea. What then will be the fruit of their efforts? Can they hope to be able to exclude the French from Spain and Portugal? Can the success be doubtful? The emperor himself will command his invincible legions. What a presage does the heroic army of Portugal offer to us, which, struggling against double its force, has been able to raise trophies of victory on the very land where it fought to such disadvantage, and

to dictate the conditions of a glorious retreat? In preparing for a new struggle against our only enemy, the emperor has done all that was necessary for the maintenance of peace on the continent. He must reckon upon it without doubt, inasmuch as Austria, the only power which could disturb it, has given the strongest assurances of her disposition, in recalling her ambassador from London, and desisting from all political communication with England.-Still Austria had recently made armaments, but they took place certainly without any hostile intention. Prudence, nevertheless, dictatedenergeticmeasures of precaution. The armies of Germany and Italy are strengthened by levies of the new conscription. The troops of the confederation of the Rhine are complete, well organized, and disciplined.-One hundred thousand of the grand army leave the Prussian states to occupy the camp at Boulogne, while Denmark, henceforth safe from any English invasion, is evacuated by our troops, which are concentrated and centralizing themselves. Before the end of January, the battalions withdrawn to Spain will be replaced on the banks of the Elbe and the Rhine.-Those which quelled Italy, last year, return to their former destination,Such, messieurs, is the external șituation of France.-In the interior, the greatest order in all parts of the administration, important ameliorations, a great number of new institutions, have excited the gratitude of the people.The creation of titles of nobility have environed the throne with a new splendor, This system creates in all hearts a laudable emulation.

It perpetuates the recollection of the most illustrious services paid by the most honourable reward. The clergy have distinguished themselves by their patriotism, and by their attachment to their sovereign and their duties. Respect to the ministers of the altar, who honour religion by a devotion so pure, and virtues so disinterested! The magistrates of all classes every where aid, with their utmost efforts, the views of the sovereign and the people, by their zeal facilitate the operation of their authority, and by the manifestation of the most affecting sentiments, exalt the carriage and ardour of the troops.Soldiers, magistrates, citizens, all have but one object, the service of the state; but one sentiment, that of admiration for the sovereign; but one desire, that of seeing heaven watch over his days, too just a recompense for a monarch who has no other thought, no other ambition, than those of the happiness and the glory of the French nation.

sow distrust and jealousy in the councils of those who are combined to resist her oppressions: and if, among the nations which groan under the tyranny of French alliance, or among those which maintain against France a doubtful and precarious independence, there should be any which even now are balancing between the certain ruin of a prolonged inactivity, and the contingent dangers of an effort to save themselves from that ruin; to nations so situated the delusive prospect of a peace between Great Britain and France could not fail to be peculiarly injurious. Their preparations might be relaxed by the vain hope of returning tranquillity; or their purpose shaken by the apprehension of being left to contend alone.-That such was, in fact, the main object of France in the proposals transmitted to his majesty from Erfurth, his majesty entertained a strong persuasion. But at a moment when results so awful from their importance, and so tremendous from their uncertainty, might be depending upon the decision of peace or war, the king felt it due to himself to ascer tain, beyond the possibility of doubt, the views and intentions of his enemies.-It was difficult for his majesty to believe, that the emperor of Russia had devoted himself so blindly and fatally to the violence and ambition of the power with which his imperial majesty had unfortunately become allied, as to be prepared openly to abet the usurpation of the Spanish monarchy; and to acknowledge and maintain the right assumed by France, to depose and imprison friendly sovereigns, and forcibly to transfer to herself the allegiance of independent

independent nations. When there fore it was proposed to his majesty to enter into negociation for a general peace, in concert with his majesty's allies, and to treat either on the basis of the uti possidetis (heretofore the subject of so much controversy), or on any other basis, consistent with justice, honour, and equality, his majesty determined to meet this seeming fairness and moderation, with fairness and moderation, on his majesty's part, real and sincere.-The king professed his readiness to enter into such negociation in concurrence with his allies; and undertook forthwith to communicate to them the proposals which his majesty had received. But as his majesty was not connected with Spain by a formal treaty of alliance, his majesty thought it necessary to declare, that the engagements which he had contracted, in the face of the world, with that nation, were considered by his majesty as no less sacred, and no less binding upon his majesty, than the most solemn treaties; and to express his majesty's just confidence that the governinent of Spain, acting in the name of his catholic majesty Ferdinand VII. was understood to be a party of the negociation.-The reply returned by France to this proposition of his majesty casts off at once the thin disguise, which had been assumed for a momentary purpose; and displays, with less than ordinary reserve, the arrogance and injustice of that government. The universalSpanish nation is described

"the Spanish insurgents:" and the demand for the admission of the government of Spain as a party to any negociation, is rejected as

inadmissible and insulting.-With astonishment as well as with grief his majesty has received from the emperor of Russia a reply, similar in effect, although less indecorous in tone and manner. The emperor of Russia also stigmatizes as" in"surrection," the glorious efforts of the Spanish people in behalf of their legitimate sovereign, and in defence of the independence of their country; thus giving the sanction of his imperial majesty's authority to an usurpation which has no parallel in the history of the world. The king would readily have embraced an opportunity of negociation, which might have afforded any hope or prospect of a peace, compatible with justice and with honour, His majesty deeply laments an issue, by which the sufferings of Europe are aggravated and prolonged. But neither the honour of his majesty, nor the generosity of the British nation, would admit his majesty's consenting to commence a negociation, by the abandonment of a brave and loyal people, who are contending for the preservation of all that is dear to man; and whose exertions in a cause so unquestionably just, his majesty has solemnly pledged himself to sustain.

amiable monarch, and the whole royal family, from the most powerful, cunning, and perfidious of tyrants. Although the continental powers of Europe, all subdued and held in great subjection, more by the subtle, sordid, and immoral policy of the tyrant, than by the force of his arms, cannot aid us directly by rebelling, or declaring war against the common oppressor, yet they assist us indirectly and passively, by engaging a great part of his armies in the keeping in obedience some of them, and watching the others. All of them, even France herself, have their attention fixed upon Spain, hoping from its intrepid inhabitants, liberty and independence. As soon as the Spaniards shall have shaken the superiority of their opposers, not one of them will fail to take up arms for his annihilation; because not one of them will fail to behold his black intrigues laid bare and frustrated, or to convince himself that the terrifying opinion hitherto entertained of his power, has been more the effect of the artifices, by which he has been able to seduce them, than by the number, skill, and valour of his troops. But upon us is imposed the duty, and to us is reserved the glory of striking the first blow. To us, Spaniards, Providence has left the alternative of being the first people of Europe, and the deliverers of all of them, or of being the most wretched of slaves. The general will of all has been long pronounced, in the most solemn and expressive manner. Almost alto gether disarmed, our best resources dispersed and disorganized; our marine destroyed; our enemies masters of the capital, and of the

most important fortresses; the nation impoverished, social virtue despised, our manners corrupted, and vice enthroned, we have in an instant recovered our ancient dignity and character, vanquished obstacles which could yield only to patriotic heroism. While we believed that our public disorders might be ephemeral, being accidental, and produced by the blind confidence of our sovereign in a perverse favourite, our innate loyalty obliged us to endure them with resignation and constancy; but no sooner did we clearly perceive that the ty rant of France sought to avail himself of those disorders, in order to enslave us, as he had enslaved our sovereign-in order to entangle us in the same toils in which he had already caught Italy, Holland, Switzerland, and the greater part of Germany, and in order to convert our robust and honourable arms into vile instruments of his ambition and rapacity-then it was that all our provinces, cities, towns, and villages, as if on a sudden they had awakened from a profound lethargy, recollected their imprescriptible rights, and recovered all the energy necessary to defend and preserve them. In the short space of eight days, every Spaniard, animated by an enthusiasm as ardent as patriotic, resolved to perish or take vengeance of the tyrant; and Providence instantly favoured their just and valorous determination. The satellites of oppression, who had till then arrogated to themselves the epithet of invincible, were finally conquered, for the first time pursued, hunted like wild bears, and obliged to take refuge either in the recesses of the Pyrennees, or in the strong places

which had been surprised by the base arts of fraud, perfidy, and treason. But, Spaniards, it is still to be seen whether these first and brave efforts of your valour are to resemble the sudden flashes of an expiring torch, or the first flame of a pile, whose fire, growing every instant more luminous and active, does not cease till it has no sub

stance to devour. The first would take place were you to prefer your apparent and individual interests to the public welfare, which is truly substantial-if you suffer yourselves to be misled by selfishness, or distracted by private passions-if you divide yourselves into factions or parties and, in a word, if you are not convinced that it is, above all things, indispensably necessary that you should make great sacrifices, in order to complete your great enterprise, and one day enjoy the glory you are to reap with it. In this enterprise your device should be, die or conquer. But you will overcome all obstacles, if you assert and boldly maintain this your irrevocable resolution; for neither does fortune generally forsake those who meet danger with unshaken firmness, nor can God deny his aid to those who purpose to defend his cause with sound and deliberate resolution. Spaniards, do not doubt it. War ought to be henceforth your chief element. Your endeavours should be directed to the maintaining of it with intrepidity and constancy; and whatever is capable of weakening those efforts, you should consider as the first link in the chain of your future slavery, and as impediments to the delivery of your adored Ferdinand.-In his name, and after the maturest exa. mination, the supreme central

junta have resolved, that besides the increasing numbers of troops. already constituted and even organized, and which are now marching towards the Pyrennees, to repel, attack, and drive away the foe, 250,000 warriors shall be enlisted, organized, and instructed in arms, agreeably to the rules prescribed in the regulations and provisions which are to be published for that purpose.-But at the same time that his majesty flatters himself that those forces, added to those which will be furnished by the English and Portuguese, our allies, will be able to destroy his mortal enemy, he foresees, at the same time, the great convenience, and even necessity there will be that in the metropolis, and in all the provinces which remain without garrison or armed force, there should be raised loyal bodies, interested in preventing disorders, and capable of arresting banditti, deserters, and evil-disposed persons, who may purpose to satiate their ambition or rapacity by disturbing the public tranquillity. Honour, union, fraternity, forgetfulness of injury, a disregard of what is or what we may fancy due to us, internal and mutual peace and concord among the citizens, and, in a word, all the virtues which constitute true patriotism, these are the planks which alone can save us from the threatening shipwreck. The suggestions and discourses which might stifle and make cool these virtues, would be so many hemlock cups fraught with death, so many hidden snares placed by malice or imprudence in our path, on the brink of the precipice. To preserve then those virtues, and maintain tranquillity in all the towns, and especially in the

larger;