situation, or the profligacy of their character, who had lately filled the office, was obliged, fron exercising the functions of ministers of by illness, to retire from its arduous duties, religion but since that period, all who of- and there was not the slightest hesitation in fered themselves at the quarter-sessions, pro- the minds of ministers, whom they should vided they took the oaths, and made the de- recommend to supply the vacancy:-the claration required by law, obtained the re-eminent services rendered to the army by quisite certificates, not only as a matter of the duke of York left them no choice; and course, but as a matter of right. In order as to the proceedings on a former occasion, to remedy this evil, he proposed, that, to en- alluded to by the noble lord, they pledged title any man to obtain a license as a preach- the house to nothing. On this occasion, er, he should have the recommendation of at several gentlemen who had, during the proleast six respectable householders of the con- ceedings in the year 1809, taken part against gregation to which he belonged; and that the duke of York, did not hesitate to avow, such congregation should be actually willing either that they had been formerly carried to listen to his instructions. Those who were away by the current of public opinion, or itinerants were to bring a testimonial, stating that they considered the case, as it now prethem to be of sober life and character, to- sented itself, in a different point of view. gether with the belief that they were quali- The votes for lord Milton's motion were forfied to perform the functions of preachers. ty-seven; against it, two hundred and ninetyThe effects expected from this bill were, six; constituting a majority of two hundred that improper and unaccredited men would and forty-nine in favor of the reappointhave been prevented from assuming the ment.-The nation at large seemed to have most important of all duties,-that of in- been affected with a similar change of opinstructing their fellow-creatures in the prin- ion, and the duke resumed his post with all ciples of religion and virtue. As it might, the facility of a public functionary who had however, have been occasionally perverted quitted his office without imputation. to purposes of intolerance, it is better, perhaps, that it was lost.

His majesty's health, in the early part of the year, underwent several variations; but On the twentieth of May, Perceval opened in the report of the queen's council, made the budget for the year. The supply voted on the sixth of July, a few days before the for the public service amounted to about prorogation of parliament, which took place fifty-six million pounds, including a sum of on the twenty-fourth, it was stated that his two million pounds granted to the govern- health was not such as to enable him to rement of Portugal, and one hundred thousand sume the personal exercise of the royal pounds as an eleemosynary aid to the dis- functions. tressed Portuguese. The loan for the pres

AMERICAN DISPUTES.

ent year, he stated at twelve million pounds, THE orders in council not being repealed the interest on which he proposed to dis- on the second of February, Pinkney, the charge by an additional duty on British and American minister in London, was recalled, foreign spirits. He further stated it to be and had his audience of leave of the princehis intention to impose an additional duty on regent on the first of March, from which timber, pearl and pot ashes, and foreign lin- time the American ports were open to the ens, which, with a tax of one penny per ships of France, and closed against those of pound on cotton wool, imported from the England. An encounter which took place United States of America, he estimated at between a British sloop of war, the Little eight hundred and sixty-six thousand six Belt, commanded by captain Bingham, and hundred pounds. Owing, however, to the the American frigate called the President, opposition made to the principle of taxing under commodore Rodgers, had nearly a raw material, the proposed duty on cotton proved the signal of open war between the wool was abandoned; and a tax upon hats, two nations; but their respective governwhich had long operated as a burdensome ments disavowed the issue of any hostile orand vexatious impost on the fair trader, ders to the commanders, and were disposed while it sunk into insignificance as a sub- to take no further notice of the affair. In ject of revenue, shared the same fate. the spring, an envoy extraordinary was sent One of the earliest acts of the prince-re- to the United States on the subjects in disgent, after his assumption of the royal func-pute, but he found it impossible to effect an tions, was the restoration of his brother, the adjustment without exceeding his instrucduke of York, to the post of commander-in- tions, by holding forth an expectation that chief of the army-a measure which induced the orders of council would be repealed lord Milton to propose a vote of censure on On the meeting of Congress of November the advisers of it. The chancellor of the the president recommended vigorous meaexchequer acknowledged the responsibility sures of preparation, both by sea and land. of his majesty's servants in recommending in consequence of the hostile inflexibility of the measure in question. Sir David Dundas, the British cabinet: the finances of the

American government, however, seemed but colors. In the Indian sea, three French little suited to meet the expense of a war; frigates, with a reinforcement of troops for and the friends of peace, though outvoted in the Mauritius, having appeared off that islthe legislative assemblies, put some confi- and after its capture, they were pursued by dence in the prospect of loans and taxes to three frigates and a sloop, when one was cool the martial ardor of a people unaccus- taken; another escaped after having struck; tomed, like those of Europe, to acquiesce in and the third, having proceeded to Tamatasuch burdens. va, which had been repossessed by the French, was there captured, with the fort and the vessels in the harbor. In every direction the enemy's coast was kept in continual alarm; and in none could his vessels, armed or unarmed, move in safety.

MEASURES AGAINST BRITISH COM-
MERCE.

CAPTURE OF JAVA-NAVAL ACTIONS. THE Dutch settlements in the island of Java, from which the mother country had, in the days of her prosperity, derived great wealth and consequence, were now destined to augment the preponderating power of Britain in the East, a formidable expedition being fitted out against them by lord Minto, A son was born to Napoleon on the twengovernor-general of India, who intrusted the tieth of April. The ancient title of King command of the troops to Sir Samuel Auch- of Rome, which had long lain dormant, was muty, and accompanied them in person. On immediately revived for the young prince, the fourth of August, a landing was effected and he was welcomed with all the extravaabout twelve miles eastward from the city gant adulation usually bestowed on the heirs' of Batavia; and on the eighth, the city of of absolute monarchy or extensive dominion. Batavia surrendered without resistance. The Nothing, however, could for a moment digarrison retreated first to Welterzeede, and vert the attention of the ruler of France then to a fortified position or intrenchment from his favorite object,-the exclusion of which surrounds Fort Cornelis. On the English commerce from the continent; and twenty-sixth a general assault of the works while the French people were substituting was ordered, when the lines were forced-horse-beans for coffee, and extracting sugar the fort was stormed-and the whole of the from beet-root and palm sea-weed, they were hostile army was killed, taken, or dispersed: called upon to applaud the wisdom and goodGeneral Jansens fled with a few cavalry, ness which dictated the exclusion of colonial but he was soon compelled to capitulate, and produce, and the burning of British merthe whole island of Java surrendered to the chandise. The conscription law was applied British arms,-which after this event had to the levying of seamen in the thirty marineither an enemy nor a rival, from the Cape time departments, and the quotas liable to of Good Hope to Cape Horn. serve in the years 1813 to 1816, were placed In the Italian seas a brilliant achievement at the disposal of the minister of marine.was performed by four frigates, under cap- At Antwerp twenty ships of the line were tain Hoste, against a French force of five ordered to be built, and the basin was renfrigates, and several smaller vessels, with dered capable of containing fifty sail. Spanfive hundred troops on board, destined to ish prisoners were employed in the dockgarrison the island of Lissa. Confiding in yards and fortifications; and men of all their superiority, the French attacked the countries were collected to man the fleet. English with more than their accustomed About this time it began to be apparent that skill, following up that skill with a consider- no great cordiality subsisted between Buoable share of activity and bravery. The un- naparte and the emperor Alexander; and in conquerable spirit of British seamen, how- an answer to an address from a council of ever, was most brilliantly displayed on this commerce, he complained that Russia had occasion; and the result was, that the ship not caused his decrees to be respected; addof the French commander, who fell in the ing, "I am, and always will be, master of action, was destroyed, and two were cap- the Baltic."

tured. A fourth escaped after striking her

CHAPTER XL.

Surrender of Tortosa and Olivenca-Battles of Barossa and Albuera, and various Operations of the contending Armies-Loss of Tarragona and Valencia-Capture of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz-Lord Wellington enters Spain-Battle of Salamanca- --Capture of Madrid-Retreat of Allies to Portuguese frontier-Parliament assembled The King and Regent-Overtures to Lords Grey and Grenville-Assassination of Perceval-Ministerial Negotiations-Riots in Manufacturing Districts -Repeal of Orders in Council-War by Americans-Proceedings in Parliament -Invasion of Russia by Buonaparte-Battles of Smolensko and Borodino-Destruction of Moscow-Disastrous Retreat of the French-Invasion of CanadaActions at Sea-Meeting of Parliament-Charges against Princess of WalesAppointment of Vice-Chancellor-Declaration on the American War—Treaty with Sweden-Proceedings and Prorogation of Parliament.

SURRENDER OF TORTOSA.—BATTLES OF wing of the enemy was rapidly ascending. To retreat in the face of an enemy superior

BAROSSA AND ALBUERA.

On the second of January Suchet made in numbers, and so advantageously posted, himself master of Tortosa, the siege of would have exposed the allies to great which was truly honorable to the Spanish danger: relying, therefore, on the courage name; and on the twenty-second Olivenca of his troops, an immediate attack was dewas taken possession of by Soult, almost termined on by the English commander, without being defended. On the latter day which was executed with the utmost bravery, died the gallant and truly patriotic marquis and in an hour and a half the French were de la Romana, in a fit of apoplexy, at Bada- in full retreat; but after so unequal a conjoz. Within a month afterwards, his corps, test, the allies found pursuit impracticable. the command of which had devolved on The enemy lost about three thousand in general Mendizabel, was totally defeated by killed, wounded, and prisoners, including Soult. general Bellegarde, and many other officers, An expedition sailed from Cadiz, under killed, and generals Rupin and Rousseau the command of lieutenant-general Graham taken, with six pieces of cannon. The Engand Don Manuel La Pena, to attack the lish loss in killed and wounded amounted to French who were employed in the siege of twelve hundred and forty-three, amongst that city, and to open a communication with whom were several officers high in estimathe Isle de Leon, in the absence of a con- tion. Admiral Sir Richard Keats ably secsiderable part of the besiegers' force. On onded the operations of the army, and a the morning of the fifth of March, this force, small body of seamen and marines stormed comprising a body of English, Spaniards, and dismantled the works of the enemy at and Portuguese, arrived on the low ridge the mouth of the Gaudaleté. General Graof Barossa, about four miles from the mouth ham, finding it impossible to procure supof the river Santi Petri. A spirited and plies, withdrew the next day across the successful attack on the rear of the enemy's Santi Petri, and afterwards returned to the lines at Santi Petri, opened the communi- Isle of Leon. La Pena, who was blamed cation with the Isle of Leon; after which for not having more effectually co-operated general Graham moved down from the po- with the British, returned with his forces sition of Barossa to the Torre de Bermesa, to Cadiz; and the French resumed the about half-way to the Santi Petri, to secure blockade. the communication across that river, over General Massena began his retreat from which a bridge had been recently thrown; Santarem, where he had never found an opbut the general, when he advanced into portunity to engage lord Wellington with the middle of the wood through which his any favorable prospect. The van-guard of route lay, received notice that the enemy his lordship, however, attacked his rear near was advancing towards the heights of Ba- Pombal, and drove it from its position, on rossa, and, considering that position as the the eleventh of March; but this advantage key to Santi Petri, he immediately made a was much more than counterpoised by the counter-march, to support the troops left for loss of Badajoz, which, after a vigorous reits defence before this corps, however, sistance, surrendered to marshal Soult on could wholly disentangle itself from the the same day. Massena, continuing his rewoods, the Spanish troops on the ridge of treat through Portugal, was closely pursued Barossa were seen retiring, whilst the left by lord Wellington, having been attacked

on the fourteenth, and forced to abandon a running nearly parallel to the little river strong position near Cazac Nova; he was Albuera. Several of the Spanish corps, alalso obliged to change the line of his retreat, though they made forced marches, were unin which he was harassed by the militia able to join the army till the middle of the under colonels Trant and Wilson, and was preceding night. The French began the driven from the Tierra di Moira, with the attack, in which they attempted, after pushloss of six thousand prisoners. General ing across the river, to turn the right flank Beresford, on the twenty-fifth of March, at- of the allies, and to carry the village and tacked the advanced-guard of marshal Mor-bridge of Albuera in front; and they suctier, and pursued it to the gates of Badajoz; ceeded so far as to drive from their ground and on the fifteenth of April he forced Oli- the Spanish troops, who were posted on the venca to capitulate. On the tenth of the heights to the right of the line, and to ocsame month the Catalonians took Figueras cupy their place. In this situation they were by surprise, having maintained intelligence enabled to keep up a raking fire upon the with the Italian troops in that place. Lord whole position of the allies, so that it beWellington attacked the rear of Massena's came necessary to recover it; and the most army on the third of April, near Sabergal vigorous efforts were made with that view, on the river Coa; and after a spirited con- at the point of the bayonet. A dreadful test, the French position was carried by the carnage ensued, by which some regiments bayonet. His lordship was in turn attacked were nearly annihilated; occasioned, prinby Massena, in his position of Fuente de cipally, by a body of Polish lancers, who Honore, on the third of May, and the French broke in, unperceived, upon the rear of the gained some advantage at the commence- right division, commanded by lieutenantment of the action, which was retrieved by colonel Colbourn. One regiment, the thirtythe British before night; the battle was re-first, alone escaped the fury of this attack, newed next day by the enemy, but they and kept its ground till the arrival of the were at length obliged to recross the Agueda, third brigade under major-general Houghton, without accomplishing the object of throw- who fell, pierced with wounds, as he was ing a body of troops into Almeida. The cheering his men to advance. At length, garrison of that fortress, however, succeeded however, the enemy was driven back, with in evacuating the place, and blowing up the great slaughter, across the river. The main works, on the night of the tenth of May. attack being thus frustrated, that of the These events established the fame of the village, upon which no impression had been British general-in-chief. Massena, rapidly made, was relaxed, and the remainder of pursued by the English, conducted his re- the day was spent in cannonading and skirtreat in the most able manner; but his route mishing. Soult retired to the ground he had was tracked by the most horrible desolation; previously occupied; and on the night of and he and his followers were accused, by the seventeenth he commenced his retreat the British commander, of acts of cruelty towards Seville, leaving Badajoz to its own and wanton mischief which would have defence, and relinquishing the care of many disgraced a horde of barbarians. of his wounded to the allies. In this battle,

By the eighth of May general Beresford though it ended so honorably to the allies, had invested Badajoz, and repelled, though the British sustained a greater loss than in with some loss, the sorties of the garrison: any action previously fought in the Peninsula, scarcely, however, had he commenced the and its influence was seriously felt on subsiege, when intelligence arrived that mar- sequent occasions: but the steadiness and shal Soult had left Seville, with fifteen thou- gallantry of the troops obtained the highest sand men, and was marching to its relief. commendations, as well from their comThis information was confirmed on the night mander as from both houses of parliament; of the twelfth of May; in consequence of though the generalship displayed was not which the English commander immediately equally applauded, as it was known that lord suspended his operations, removed the bat- Wellington was of opinion, that the heights tering cannon and stores to Elvas, and, hav- on the right should have been occupied by ing been joined on the fourteenth by the British troops. Spanish generals Castanos and Blake, he Shortly after this engagement lord Welprepared to meet the enemy. Soult, in the lington joined general Beresford, leaving his afternoon of the fifteenth, appeared in front army, in the north of Portugal, under the of the allies with a force of about twenty command of general Spencer, and the siege thousand men, having been joined in his of Badajoz was recommenced. The French march by a corps of five thousand, under army opposed to general Spencer was now Latour Maubourg. The allied army com- commanded by marshal Marmont, Massena pleted its dispositions for receiving the ene- having been recalled to Paris. It soon apmy on the morning of the sixteenth: it was peared that the French were resolved that then formed in two lines, on a rising ground, Badajoz should not fall, if they could possi

bly prevent it; and, in order to enable Soult army of eighteen thousand men; by which again to advance to its relief, Marmont de- event three hundred and seventy-four pieces tached fifteen thousand men, under Drouet, of cannon, and immense magazines, also fell to reinforce him. Lord Wellington there- into the hands of the enemy. The comfore resolved, if possible, to gain possession mencement of this year was distinguished of Badajoz, before the French army, thus by the raising of the siege of Tariffa, which reinforced, should advance for its relief; and, had been bravely defended, by a small garfor this purpose, two different attacks were rison of English and Spaniards, from the made against it. But both attempts were twentieth of December to the fourth of Janunsuccessful, and the siege was soon after uary, against eleven thousand men, under raised. marshal Victor. On the nineteenth of JanLOSS OF TARRAGONA AND VALENCIA. uary, lord Wellington, who was now in a ON the twenty-eighth of June, Suchet condition to resume offensive operations, cartook Tarragona by assault, when a most in- ried Ciudad Rodrigo by assault, after a forthuman slaughter of the inhabitants took night's siege, where he captured the heav place; on the first of August general Blake train of the French army. Major-genera was repulsed in an attack on Niebla; and M'Kinnon fell, mortally wounded, in the on the ninth Soult defeated the army of Mur- breach; and the loss of men was consideracia, in the vicinity of Baza. On the four-ble. On this occasion a vote of the cortes teenth the Spaniards surprised the French conferred on lord Wellington the rank of a in Santander; on the nineteenth Figueras grandee of Spain of the first class, with the was retaken by the French general Macdon- title of duke of Ciudad Rodrigo. In the ald, after a tedious blockade; and on the eastern parts of the kingdom the patriotic twenty-fifth the Spanish general Abudia generals carried on the war against the was defeated by Dorsenne, in the neighbor- common enemy with considerable spirit. hood of Astorga. Lord Wellington formed The French commander, Montbrun, was the blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo on the compelled to retire from before Alicant, affourth of September; but the French hav- ter an ineffectual cannonade of the fortress. ing collected all their troops from the north The French attacked general Lacy, who and from Navarre, to that which had retreat- was posted on the heights of Atafalla, near ed from Portugal, on the twenty-fifth lord Tarragona, on the twenty-fourth of January, Wellington retired, and his rear was attack- when the patriots eminently distinguished ed by the advanced-guard of Marmont. The themselves; but, overwhelmed by the numinfantry, however, forming a square, and bers and discipline of the enemy, they were presenting a firm front, retreated without ultimately obliged to retreat to the mounbeing broken. It is in such contests of man tains. By the treachery of its governor, the to man, that the superiority of mind and town of Peniscola, a place of great strength, manhood is decided; and happily the deci- seated on a bold promontory overlooking the sion was uniformly in favor of British troops Mediterranean, was soon afterwards surin the sharp contests on the frontiers of Por- rendered to the French. tugal. General Hill, with a division of the allied army, by a series of bold and skilful CAPTURE OF BADAJOZ. manœuvres, surprised and completely routed GENERAL BALLASTEROS defeated, near a French column, commanded by general Malaga, a French corps under general MarGirard, on the twenty-eighth of October, ausin, on the sixteenth of February. On taking one thousand four hundred prisoners, the sixteenth of March lord Wellington the whole of Girard's artillery, baggage, and again invested Badajoz; on the thirty-first commissariat, together with the contribution he opened his fire; and, on the sixth of of money which he had levied at Merida. April three practicable breaches were made, Suchet having taken the town of Murviedro, when an assault in the night was determined and invested the castle, which is built on the upon. Simultaneous attacks on different ruins of the ancient Saguntum, general parts of the works were planned, of which Blake attacked him on the twenty-fifth of that on the castle, by escalade, conducted October; but the former was victorious, and by lieutenant-general Picton, was the only the castle capitulated on the twenty-sixth. one that succeeded; and his third division Suchet passed the Guadalquiver on the was established in it by about half-past elevtwenty-sixth of December, defeated the pa- en. In the mean time the breaches in the triots, and compelled Blake to retire within bastions were vigorously assailed by other the walls of Valencia. The baron d'Eroles, divisions; but the assailants, after six hours' on the other hand, had defeated the French hard fighting, and considerable loss, were near Perigeorda, on the twenty-sixth of October.

1812.-On the ninth of January, the important city of Valencia capitulated, with an

obliged to retire, the garrison having employed every imaginable contrivance for repelling the assault. The possession of the castle, however, which commanded all the