The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

378 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
criticism. Even the war with Prussia and Russia, she held by a very insecure tenure that very elecin which Napoleon was soon afterwards engaged, torate, the price of her neutrality at Austerlitz, and
would in all probability have renewed the hostilities which was farther purchased at the expense of war
between France and England, supposing them to with England. Her ministers, while pressing France
have been terminated for a season by a temporary to confirm the cession of Hanover, had the mortifipeace. Yet Napoleon always spoke of the death cation to discover that Napoleon, far fiom regarding
of Fox as one of the fatalities: on which his great' the Prussian right in it as indefeasible, was in fadc
designs were shipwrecked; which ihakes it the negotiating for a general peace, upon the condition,
more surprising that he did not resume intercourse amongst others, that the electorate should be rewith the administration formed under his auspices, stored to the King of England, its hereditary soand who might have been supposed to be animated vereign. While the disclosure of this double game
by his principles even after his decease. That he showed Frederick William upon what insecure
did not do so may be fairly received in evidence to footing he held the premium assigned to Prussia by
show, that peace, unless on terms which he could the treaty of Vienna, farther discovery of the pro..
dictate, was not desired by him. jects of France seemed to impel him to change the
As the conduct of Prussia had been fickle and pacific line of his policy.
versatile during the campaign of Ansterlitz, the Hitherto the victories of Napoleon had had for
displeasure of Napoleon was excited in proportion their chief consequences the depression of Austria,
against her. She had, it is true, wrenched from and the diminution of that power which was the nahim an unwilling acquiescence in her views upon tural and ancient rival of the house of Brandenburg.
Hanover. By the treaty which Ilaugwitz had But now, when Austria was thrust back to the eastsigned at Vienna, after the battle of Austerlitz, it ward, and deprived of her influence in the southwas agreed that Prussia should receive the electoral west of Germany, Prussia saw with just alarm that
dominions of the King of England, his ally, instead France was assuming that influence herself, and
of Anspach, Bareuth, and Ne.ufclltel, which she that, unless opposed, she was likely to become as
was to cede to France. The far superior value of powerfil in the north of Germany, as she had renHanover was to be considered as a boon to Prussia, dered herself in the south-western circles. Above
in guerdon of her neutrality. But Napoleon did not all, Prussia was alarmed at the Confederacy of the
forgive the hostile disposition which Prussia had Rhine, an association which placed under the direct
manifested, and it is probable he waited with anxiety influence of' France so large a proportion of what
fobr the opportunity of inflicting upon her condign had been lately component parts of the Germanic
chastisement. He continued to maintain a large Empire. The dissolution of the Germanic Empire
army in Swabia and Franconia, and, by introducing itself was an event no less surprising and eambartroops into Westphalia, intimated, not obscurely, rassing; for, besides all the other important points,
an approaching rupture with his ally. Meantime,: in which the position of Prussia was altered by the
under the influence of conflicting councils, Prussia annihilation of that ancient confederacy, she lost
proceeded in a course of politics which rendered thereby the prospect of her own monarch being,
her odious for her rapacity, and contemptible for the upon the decline of Austria, chosen to wear the imshort-sighted views under which she indulged it. perial crown, as the most powerful member of the
It was no matter of difficulty for the Prussian fideration.
forces to take possession of Hanover, which, when One way remained to balance the new species of
evacuated by Bernadotte and his army, lay a prey power which France had acquired by these innovato the first invader, with the exception of the fobrtress tions on the state of Europe. It was possible, by
of Hamelen, still occupied by a Frenlch garrison. forming the northern princes of the German empire
The electorate, the hereditary dominions of the into a league of the same character with the ConKing of Great Britain, with whom Prussia was at federacy of the Rhine, having Prussia instead of
profound peace, was accordingly seized upon, and France for its protector, to create such an equiliher cabinet pretended to justify that usurpation by brium as might render it difficult or dangerous for
alleging, that Hanover, having been transferred to Bonaparte to use his means, however greatly enFrance by the rights of war, had been ceded to the larged, to disturb the peace of the north of Europe.
Prussian government in exchange for other districts. It was, therefore, determined in the Prussian caAt the same time, an order of the Prussian moalrch binet to form a league on this principle.
shut his ports in the Baltic against the admission of This proposed Northern Confederacy, however,
British vessels. These measures, taken together, could not well be established without communicawere looked upon by England as intimating deter- tioii with France; and Bonaparte, though ofeiring
mined and avowed hostility; and Fox described, in no direct opposition to the formation of a league,
the House of Commons, the conduct of Prussia, as a sanctioned by the example of the Riine, starited
compound of the most hateful rapacity with the such obstacles to the project in detail, as were likely
most contemptible servility. War was accordingly to render its establishment on an effectual ftooting
declared against her by Great Britain; and lier flag impossible. It was said by his ninisters, tihat Nabeing banished firom the ocean by the English poleon was to take tie HFatse;tic towns inder hIis
-;rllizers, the mouth of the Elbe and the Prussian own imnmedli; lte protectionl; tilt the wvise primce
seaports were declared in a state of blockade, and who govened Saxonyv showtvd no' desire to b:cole
her trade was subjected to a corresponding degree a nemlber f tile lr oprosd e('o.,li,-l;;lt:d,; ald thit
of distress. France wvnuld elll-it. in- p,-uer to hte i)m-c di ini1)
leanmitme, it was the fate of Prussia to- findj that such a imleasa.;e. inlly, tlle Lai(ISgrive of -iese-s