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men of war anchored in front of Nervi. In the evening a deputation of the inhabitants arrived with a request that his lordship would not bombard the town, and desiring a suspension of arms for a few days, as by the accounts from France it was probable that peace must soon follow. The reply was, that these were arguments to use with the French general, who ought to abandon a place which he could not defend; and on the next day, after several communications, a convention was signed, by which Genoa was to be evacuated by the French troops, and to be taken possession of by the combined English and Sicilian army, and three ships of war were to enter the harbour. The magazines and property of the French government were to be placed under the seals of the British go"vernment, and every thing belonging to the French marine, to be delivered to the British navy. The losses on either side in making this acquisition were not considerable.

The military occurrences in Spain during this year have been of little importance. The greatest part of their country being freed from their invaders by foreign aid, the Spaniards appear to have been content to wait for the course of decisive events to effect their total liberation, whilst the French were reduced to a merely defensive part, with forces continually diminishing by drains for service at home. The civil affairs of Spain will make a very interesting chapter; but at present, we shall confine ourselves to those which were previous to the resumption of monarchical government.

On the 5th of January, the Regency and Cortes removed to Madrid, where they were received with all the solemnity due to the national representation and go-* vernment. The Cortes commenced its session on Jan. 15th, and on the 17th were waited upon by general Villacampa, governor of Madrid, accompanied by his staff. In a subsequent sitting they were informed by the Regency, that the emperor of Austria had sent an envoy with a note, in which he expressed a desire for the re-establishment of the ancient relations between the two countries. About the beginning of the year, Napoleon, sensible that Spain had been effectually rescued from his grasp, employed his art to work upon his captive Ferdinand's mind by a treaty, in which his restoration was covenanted on the condition of his procuring the evacuation of Spain by the English, with other articles favourable to the views of the French ruler. The treaty was in consequence signed, and sent to Spain by the hands of the duke de San Carlos, the Spanish plenipotentiary, who brought two let'ters to the Regency, one from Ferdinand, the other from Napoleon. The former they read; the latter was returned unopened. The Regency communicated the business to the Cortes at a secret sitting, which body expressed its entire satisfaction with what the other had done, and framed a decree which was publicly read at a sitting on the 30th. After a preamble expressing the desire of the Cortes to give a solemn testimony of good faith towards their allies, and perseverance against

the

the enemy, it confirms the decree of the extraordinary Cortes in 1811, by which the king was not to be acknowledged as free, or obeyed, till he had taken in the bosom of the national congress the oath prescribed by the constitution; it directs what is to be done by the generals on the frontiers upon intelligence of the king's approach, prohibiting the admission of any armed force with him, or of a single foreigner about his person; and it specifies the ceremonial to be observed on presenting the constitution to the king, and receiving his oath on its acceptance. The reading of this decree was accompanied with the applause of the auditors. A conversation ensued, respecting the publication of documents for the information of the people, when a member named Senor Reyna rose, and announcing that he had a motion to make, began with saying, "when our Sovereign Ferdinand was born, he was born with a right to the absolute sovereignty of the Spanish nation." He was immediately called to order by a number of voices; but insisting on his liberty as a representative of the people to utter his sentiments, he proceeded to assert that it was indispensable that Ferdinand VII, as having by the abdication of Charles IV, acquired the right of being king and lord of his people, should be in the exercise of absolute sovereignty the moment he crossed the frontiers. The greatest indignation was excited against the member by this unqualified declaration of the highest monarchical principles, both among the deputies and the auditors in the gallery, and mo

tions were tumultuously made for calling him to account. At length, Reyna being ordered to leave the hall, after some further discussion, the affair was voted to be referred to the consideration of a committee. It is to be added, that the Regency communicated to the English ambassador an explicit account of all that had passed relative to the treaty, of the contents of Ferdinand's letter, and of their own conduct in consequence, than which nothing could be more honourable and decided; as on the other hand it was manifest from the terms of the treaty, which were published, that Ferdinand had entirely lent himself to the designs of Napoleon.

Intelligence arrived at Madrid from the Baron d'Eroles, that the French garrisons of Lerida, Mequinenza, and Monzon, capitulated on Feb. 18th, remaining prisoners of war. It was afterwards announced that Gerona, Olot, and Puycerda were freed; that the blockade of Barcelona was become more strict, the enemy, after having, severely suffered in a sally, remaining quiet; and that the French were in possession of only three or four fortresses in Catalonia, together with Peniscola and Murviedro.

The state of affairs in France would now no longer permit the detention of Ferdinand. On March 24th, a message was sent by the secretary of state to the Cortes, informing them of the receipt of a letter signed by king Ferdinand VII, acquainting the Regency with his intention of setting out on the 13th, from Valencey for Perpignan, and his anxiety to arrive speedily in Spain, coming [D 2]

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by the way of Catalonia. The letter, upon motion, was brought to the Cortes and read. After acknowledging the letter from the Regency, and expressing his satisfaction with the nation's wishes for his return, which was no less his desire, in order to promote the felicity of his subjects, he mentioned his intention of proceeding as above stated, and concluded, "with regard to the re-establishment of the Cortes, of which the Regency speak to me in their letter, as well as every thing that may have been done in my absence usefully to the kingdom, it will always merit my approbation, as conformable to my royal intentions."

The letter was received with great applause; but during the reading, at the word subjects, in Spanish vasallos, a voice interrupted the secretary, saying, "we are not vassals!" A kind of apology was made for the use of this term, as proceeding from the king's ignorance of the constitution, by Senor Arispe, who made a motion for inviting the Regency to adopt the necessary measures for the king's taking the oath to the constitution, which was approved.

At length, on March 24th, Ferdinand arrived at Gerona, whence he sent a letter to the Regency, written with his own hand. It contained a general assurance of his wishes to do every thing that might conduce to the welfare of his subjects, and an expression of his happiness on finding himself on his own territory, amidst a nation and an army which had displayed so generous a fidelity towards him. A letter from general Copons, the com

mander in chief of Catalonia, mentioned that his Majesty had been escorted to the left bank of the river Fluvia, by marshal Suchet with a detachment of French troops, and that having crossed the river with a suite of Spaniards only, he had been attended to Gerona by the general. The following circumstance was communicated to the Cortes by order of the Regency. Marshal Suchet had wished to stipulate with gen. Copons, that the possession of the king's person should serve as a guaranty for the delivering up to the marshal of the French garrisons of the fortresses not yet in the hands of the Spaniards, as well as those of Lerida, Monzon, and Mequinenza; but as this proposal might have added 20,000 men to the French armies opposed to lord Wellington, the General had eluded it, and obtained the person of Ferdinand without acceding to such a demand. The thanks of the Cortes were in consequence voted to him. In Madrid the greatest rejoicings were made on the intelligence of the king's return, in which all ranks and parties appeared to con cur. His entrance into Saragossa on April 6th, was attended with the same manifestations of general joy. He proceeded on the 11th for Valentia, accompanied by the Infant Don Carlos; and nothing as yet appeared externally to dis turb the feelings of national satisfaction in his extraordinary resto. ration.

Another renovation of the ancient order of things effected by the prevalence of the allied armis, was that of the replacement of the head of the Roman Catholic Church

upon

upon his seat of authority. The very first act of the French provisional government was an order, that all obstacles to the return of the Pope to his own territories should be instantly removed, and every honour be paid him on his journey. His Holiness accordingly proceeded for Italy, and

having arrived at Viterbo, stopped at that place till the exiled cardinals could be assembled in order to attend him on his solemn entrance into Rome. The important consequences of this event will afford interesting matter for the remaining history of the year.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER IV.

Affairs of Norway-Treaties of Denmark with Sweden and England-Feelings of the Norwegians-Prince Christian Frederic repairs to Christiana-His reception-Proceeds to Drontheim-Returns to Christiana, and is declared Regent-His proclamations-Count Rosen's mission from Sweden-Address of the King of Denmark to the Norwegians-Mr. Anker's deputation to England-Notification of the blockade of Norway by the English-Parties in Norway-Diet-Christian proclaimed King and the Diet dissolved-Mr. Morier, Envoy from England-Delegation from the three allied Powers-Armistice proposed and rejected-State Papers-Envoy's return and preparation for war— Proclamation of the Crown Prince of Sweden to the NorwegiansCommencement of hostilities-Norwegian flotilla retreats-Swedes cross the frontier-Actions-Frederickstadt capitulates-Further success of the Swedes-Frederickstein bombarded Preparations to surround Christian's army-He resigns-Convention at Moss Christian's proclamation to the Norwegians-Tumult at Christiania-State of affairs before the Convention--The Diet assembled-Christian's departure— Election of the King of Sweden to the Crown of Norway-Close of the Diet.

W

HILST the grand contest in France was proceeding in a manner that foreboded a speedy termination, a cloud was gathering in the North, which was to produce a new storm of war, and for a time retard the restoration of the general tranquillity of Europe. It was clearly discernible at the close of the last year that Denmark, deserted by the ally to whose fortune her's had unhappily been attached, and invaded by a force to which she had nothing adequate to oppose, had no other part to take than that of acquiescence in the conditions imposed upon her, of which the most galling was, undoubtedly, the resignation of that portion of her dominions to which she owed one of her crowns, and

a great part of her consequence. Her submission was sealed by treaties of peace concluded at Kiel, on January 14th, with the Sovereigns of Sweden and Great Britain. In the first of these, after a declaration of the renewal of peace and amity between Denmark and Sweden, the King of Sweden engages his mediation for the same purpose with Russia and Prussia; and on the other hand, the King of Denmark engages to take an active part in the common cause against the French emperor. The entire and perpetual cession of Norway by Denmark, and of Pomerania and the isle of Rugen by Sweden, is then declared, and reciprocal stipulations are made for the perservation of the rights and privi

leges

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