to be carried into execution, were fixed by a special convention between France and Prussia.

The Prussian fortresses in Silesia, that held out the longest against the besieging French, were Glatz and Silverberg. They capitulated at last about the end of the campaign, begun the 5th and ended on the 21st of June. Graudenz and Colberg, though vigorously besieged, still held out when a negotiation for peace was entered into at Tilsit. The siege of this last place was fatal to thousands of the French. If all the governors of Prussian fortresses, from the 14th of October 1806,to the 14th of June 1807, had been animated with the fidelity, and persevering courage of general Blucher, the issue of the war might have been very different. It was at this siege that colonel Schill, whose heroism, loyalty, and patriot. ism skone forth so conspicuously in the north of Germany in 1809, first attracted the attention and admira. tion of his countrymen. He was in the situation of a Prussian captain retired from service, when the misfortunes and dangers of his country called his courage and military skill into action. He was extremely successful, during the siege of Colberg, in harassing the French at the head of an irregular levy. It was this officer that took general Victor pri. soner, on his way to Dantzig; when he also intercepted a treasure of 100,000 ducats belonging to the enemy. The king of Prussia, as a reward for his services, raised him to the rank of colonel, and gave him the command of a regiment. Neither the loss of so much and so fine territory, nor of revenue, nor of population, was so severe a wound, at least a wound so severely felt by the Prussian monarchy, as the

degrading conditions on which he was suffered to retain what remained; a military road across Silesia, for opening and maintaining a communication between the king of Saxony's German dominions, and his new duchy of Warsaw, and the shutting up of all the Prussian ports against England: those very ports through which he had just received arms, and other succours. The more atten. tively one considers the pacification at Tilsit, the more he will perceive the Machiavelian policy and deeplaid designs of Buonaparte: and farther designs in the formation of that treaty than any yet seen or suspected, may, probably, be un folded by time. The fine duchy of Silesia would not, it may be presumed, have been restored to Prussia, if, in the hands of the Prussians, it had not been calculated to serve as a constant source of hostility be tween the courts of Berlin and Vienna. The military high-way across Silesia, was in like manner cal culated to foment jealousy and discord between the courts of Berlin and Dresden; while it was to be at the same time wholly under the media. tion, that is, the controul of France. The confederation of the Rhine strengthened by the creation of the new kingdom of Westphalia, was rendered too powerful to be shaken by any aggression on the part of Austria on the one hand, or of Russia on the other. And this same kingdom of Westphalia, which it should seem was intended to be pre-eminent among the other members of the confederation, was to receive far ther accessions of territory, by the annexation of any other states that might he thought proper by his majesty the emperor Napoleon. And the emperor of all the Russias N2

engaged

stitution or system of fundamental laws, that should secure the liberties and privileges of the people of the said duchy, and be consistent with the security of the neighbouring states. This constitution, framed on the model of that of France, was presented, approved by Napoleon, by the grace of God and the constitution, emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, and signed by him, and countersigned by his secretary of state, Maret, at Dresden, so early as the 22d of July. The city of Dantzig, with a territory of two leagues around it, was restored to her former independence, under the protection of his majesty the king of Prussia, and his majesty the king of Saxony, to be governed by the laws by which she was governed at the time when she ceased to be her own mistress. For a communication between the kingdom of Saxony and the duchy of Warsaw, his majesty the king of Saxony was to have the free use of a military road through the states of his majesty the king of Prussia: this road, the number of troops to be allowed to pass at once, and the resting places with magazines, to be fixed by a particular agreement between the two sovereigns, under the mediation of France. Neither his majesty the king of Prussia, his majesty the king of Saxony, nor the city of Dantzig, were to oppose any obstacles whatever to the free navigation of the Vistula, under the name of tolls, rights, or duties. In order, as far as possible, to establish a natural boundary between Russia

and the duchy of Warsaw, a certain territory, heretofore under the do. minion of Prussia, to be for ever united to the empire of Russia.— This territory added two hundred subjects to those of the Russian em pire.-Their royal highnesses, the dukes of Saxe Cobourg, Oldenburg, and Mecklenburgh Schwerin, were each of them to be restored to the complete and quiet possession of their estates: but the ports in the duchies of Oldenburgh to remain in the possession of French garrisons till a definitive treaty should be signed between France and England; for accomplishing which, the mediation of Russia was to be accepted, on the condition that this mediation should be accepted by England in one month after the ratification of the present treaty. Until the ratification ofa defi. nitive treaty of peace between France and England, all the ports of Prussia without exception, to be shut against the English. His majesty the empe ror of all the Russias, acknowledged the confederation of the Rhine; his majesty Joseph Napoleon, king of Naples; his majesty Lewis Napoleon, king of Holland; and his im perial highness prince Jerome Na poleon, as king of Westphalia: a kingdom to consist of the province ceded by the king of Prussia on the left bank of the Elbe, and other states then in possession of his ma jesty the emperor Napoleon. Thes were the most generally importan articles in the treaties. There wer others relating to private estates an other property, more interesting no doubt, to individuals. The ti and manner in which the differer stipulations in the treaties* we

to be carried into execution, were fixed by a special convention be. tween France and Prussia.

degrading conditions on which he was suffered to retain what remained; a military road across Silesia, for opening and maintaining a communication between the king of Saxony's German dominions, and his new duchy of Warsaw, and the shutting up of all the Prussian ports against England: those very ports through which he had just received arms, and other succours. The more attentively one considers the pacification at Tilsit, the more he will perceive the Machiavelian policy and deeplaid designs of Buonaparte: and farther designs in the formation of that treaty than any yet seen or suspected, may, probably, be unfolded by time. The fine duchy of Silesia would not, it may be presumed, have been restored to Prussia, if, in the hands of the Prussians, it had not been calculated to serve as a constant source of hostility be tween the courts of Berlin and Vienna. The military high-way across Silesia, was in like manner calculated to foment jealousy and discord between the courts of Berlin and Dresden; while it was to be at the same time wholly under the media. tion, that is, the controul of France. The confederation of the Rhine strengthened by the creation of the new kingdom of Westphalia, was rendered too powerful to be shaken by any aggression on the part of Austria on the one hand, or of Russia on the other. And this same kingdom of Westphalia, which it should seem was intended to be pre-eminent among the other members of the confederation, was to receive fat ther accessions of territory, by the annexation of any other states that might he thought proper by his majesty the emperor Napoleon. And the emperor of all the Russing engaged

The Prussian fortresses in Silesia, that held out the longest against the besieging French, were Glatz, and Silverberg. They capitulated at last about the end of the campaign, begun the 5th and ended on the 21st of June. Graudenz and Colberg, though vigorously besieged, still held out when a negotiation for peace was entered into at Tilsit. The siege of this last place was fatal to thousands of the French. If all the governors of Prussian fortresses, from the 14th of October 1806,to the 14th of June 1807, had been animated with the fidelity, and persevering courage of general Blucher, the issue of the war might have been very different. It was at this siege that colonel Schill, whose heroism, loyalty, and patriot. ism shone forth so conspicuously in the north of Germany in 1809, first attracted the attention and admira. tion of his countrymen. He was in the situation of a Prussian captain retired from service, when the misfortunes and dangers of his country called his courage and military skill into action. He was extremely successful, during the siege of Colberg, in harassing the French at the head of an irregular levy. It was this officer that took general Victor prisoner, on his way to Dantzig; when he also intercepted a treasure of 100,000 ducats belonging to the enemy. The king of Prussia, as a reward for his services, raised him to the rank of colonel, and gave him the command of a regiment. Neither the loss of so much and so fine territory, nor of revenue, nor of population, was so severe a wound, at least a wound so severely felt by the Prussian monarchy, as the

N 2

though by far the weakest, was forced by her situation to sustain the first shock, by which she lost the greater part of her states. In this disastrous situation, the king refused to listen to overtures of peace, but magnanimously retired with the sad remains of his troops to the extremity of his kingdom, where he was joined by his ally. The struggle was renewed in vain. Peace was dictated by the conqueror not far from the frontier of Russia. From Memel, July 21, the king of Prussia addressed to the subjects of the ceded states, the following most affecting proclamation: "Dear in. habitants of faithful provinces, districts, and towns; My arms have been unfortunate; the efforts of what remained of my army, have been of no avail. Driven to the outermost boundaries of my empire, and seeing my powerful ally conclude an armistice and sign a peace, it only remained for me to imitate his example. Peace was concluded necessarily on terms prescribed by circumstances. It has imposed on me and my house, it has imposed on the whole country, the most painful sacrifices. The bands of treaties, and of reciprocal love and duty, the work of ages, have been broken asunder. My ef. forts have proved in vain.-Fate ordains it, and the father parts with his children. I release you completely from your allegiance to myself and my house. My most ardent prayers for your welfare will always attend you in your relations to your new sovereign. Be to him, what ye have been to me. Neither force nor fate shall ever efface the remembrance of you from my heart."-By another proclamation of the same date, non-commissioned officers and

privates of the Prussian army, born in the provinces of southern Prussia, and new eastern Prussia, were sent home to their friends and families:" and the officers and cadets had his majesty's leave to enter into the ser vice of the new sovereign of those provinces. This was an act of paternal consideration and goodness on the part of the king, as the officers and cadets might not so easily as the privates have found otherwise, suita. ble means of subsistence. At the same time he both recruited, and carried on the reforms that he had begun to in troduce into his army in Dec. 1806. Having experienced in the late disas trous war, how little dependence was to be placed on foreign adven. turers in his service, it was decreed that no strangers should thenceforth be admitted into the Prussian army. Another regulation was made of equal or greater importance. Promotion in the army, even to the first stations, was opened to persons of distinguished merit of all ranks, without any consideration of birth: and punishments were inflicted on treachery in both military and civil departments. The punishments in, flicted on traitors to Prussia, were, doubtless, regarded with an evil eye, by him in whose cause the treachery was committed. The vigour, and the magnanimity of the king of Prussia, may not, probably, be soon forgotten by the jealous and vindictive Buonaparte: to whom, as to all tyrants, virtue and high spirit must always be an object of suspicion and hatred. In the mean time, the French troops remained longer than the periods fixed by treaty for their removal, and the multiplied exactions, on various pretences, of the French intendant

Daru,

Daru, were an intolerable burthen to the oppressed people. The king strained every nerve, through the intercession of the emperor Alex. ander, and by all other means he could devise, to obtain some mitigation of those cruel contributions; and not altogether without success. The young king of Sweden was now the only potentate on the continent of Europe that refused to bend his neck to the domination of Buonaparte. It has been mentioned above, that on the 18th an armistice was concluded between the Swedish and French generals at Skatklow, to be continued till ten days should have expired, after notice of an intention to resume hostilities: which term of ten days was afterwards, by an additional article, extended to thirty. But the king of Sweden, having himself assumed the com. mand of his army in Pomerania, immediately declared his intention to acknowledge only the first stipulation of a term of ten days. In the mean time, notwithstanding the armistice, the Swedish navy held all the ports on the Baltic, in the possession, or under the influence of France, in the strictest blockade, and carried on bostilities at the mouth of the Trave, and against the corps of French and Germans, besieging Colberg. Remonstrances were made on this subject, a correspondence ensued about the meaning and terms of the armistice, and, at the king of Swe. den's request, a conference was held between his majesty and marshal Brune, June 4. at Skatklow, which lies within the Swedish territory. The marshal being admitted to the presence of the king, after a short silence, said, “ I come here by order

of your majesty." The king imme. diately told him, that he wanted to speak with the marshal himself, that they might come to a clear understanding respecting the additional article of the armistice of Skatklow, and declared his unalterable resolu tion to recognize only the first armistice.-The conversation, after this, turned on the general situation of affairs in France; the allegiance due by the French to their legitimate king; the virtues and talents of that prince; and in a word, the principal topics that are usually insisted on by the French loyalists. The king also brought under the marshal's consideration the instability of the present violent order of affairs in France; spoke of the king's proclamation, in which he promised to all the officers who should return to their duty, the continuance of their. rank, aud plainly attempted to shake his adherence to Buonaparte, and draw him over to the cause of Lewis XVIII. his legitimate sovereign. In this conference, the king displayed extensive information and prompti tude of understanding, as well as the sublimest sentiments of virtue and religion. The French general, though precluded by his situation from any display of honour, virtue, or religion, sustained the part he had to act, uniting firmness in his own cause, and quick recollection and good sense, with all due respect for the person of his Swedish majesty.

From the first day of the king's arrival at Stralsund, he had been in. defatigable in his exertions for im proving the fortifications of Stral sund, and for the erection of new works on the island of Rugen. His army at Stralsund consisted of about