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dered to advance towards the Da. nube to support them; and an army was assembled in Asia, at the head of which it was announced that the Grand Vizier would take the field in spring, bearing the sacred standard of the empire. The naval armaments of the Ottomans, as far as their means would allow, corresponded to their military preparations. Their fleet was got in readiness and manned with the best sailors they could procure; and to prevent any hostile designs upon their capital, orders were given to put the castles of the Dardanelles in the best possible state of defence. The ambition and injustice of the Russians seemed to have infused life and activity into the worn-out and exhausted carcase of the Ottoman power, which once the terror, had long been the scorn of Christendom.

In the mean time the Russians ander Michelson, after having completed the conquest of Moldavia, entered Wallachia, and having de feated a body of troops, which the ayan of Ruschuk had sent to oppose them, they took possession without resistance of Bucharest,* the capital of that province, and from thence sent detachments in all directions. At the close of the year they were masters of the three provinces of Moldavia, Bessarabia, and Wallachia; and threatened to cross the Danube, and join the revolted Servians under Czerni George; who after gaining repeated victories over the Turks, and nearly driving them from Servia, were at this time em. ployed in the siege ot Belgrade.

Never had there been a period when the Turkish empire seemed in

greater danger of immediate destruc. tion than the present; Egypt in a state of anarchy; Mecca and Medina in the hands of the Wachabees; Bagdad independant; the Servians flushed with victory, and masters of nearly the whole of their fruitful province; the janizaries discontented with the European tactics introduced into the army; the councils of the Divan distracted by the opposite factions of France and England; a Russian army on the banks of the Danube; a French force collected in Dalmatia; an English fleet cruizing before the Dardanelles, and a ship of war at anchor within sight of the seraglio; all professing friendship and attach ment to the Porte, but all denouncing enmity against it, unless its counsels were submitted exclusively to their direction. By what accidents the Ottomans have obtained a respite from the dangers that encompassed them, by what mismanagement they were thrown into the France, and how they afterwards escaped from the resentment of the English, forms part of the history of the succeeding year, which it is not our business at present to anticipate.

Towards the end of November an English fleet of three ships of the line and four frigates, commanded by admiral Louis, made its appearance off Tenedos, and two vessels, the Canopus of 74 guns, and the Endymion of 44, passed through the Dardanelles without opposition, and cast anchor before Constantinople. The Canopus was afterwards employed in carrying away from that city Italinski, the Russian ambassador. The Endymion

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to maintain it against the enemy, they sent forward a detachment to Lowicz, to defend the passage of the river Bzura. But this corps was attacked on the 27th of No. vember by the advanced guard of the grand duke of Berg's division, and driven back with loss to Blonie. General Benningsen, who commanded the Russian army, having in the mean time received more accurate information of the French force marching against him, determined to abandon Warsaw and repass the Vistula with his troops, and not coutent with this retrogade movement, he continued his retreat beyond the Narew. The French entered War. saw on the 28th and 29th, and applied themselves immediately, with the greatest industry, to fortify the suburb of Prag on the opposite side of the river, and to re-establish the wooden bridge over the Vistula, which the Russians had burned in their retreat. The same military precautions were taken at Thorn by marshal Ney, and at Zakroczym by marshal Augercau. At both places bridges were thrown over the Vistula, protected by formidable works, which at once facilitated the advance of the army, and secured, if necessary, its retreat. In addition to these measures of precaution, the fortresses of Custrin, Stettin, Spandau, Wittenberg, Erfurt, and Magdeburg were placed in the best possible state of defence, and strongly garrisoned, forming a chain of posts between the French army in Poland and the heart of Germany. And, besides compelling the confederates of the Rhine to furnish their full contingents to the army, a message was sent from Berlin to the French senate, before the departure of the emperor to Poland, desiring that

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the conscripts of 1807, who by law could not be called out to serve till the following September, might be placed at his disposal on the 1st of January, 1807. This prudence and caution, worthy of an experienced general, and most suitable to the circumspect and wary character of Bonaparte, appeared to the Russians the result of fear and apprehension; and this conceit filled them with a barbarous exultation and stupid confidence in their arms. That such should have been the impression on the Russians, who know no tactics but marching straight forward to battle, and have no resource after battle but victory, does not in the least surprise us; but that the same opinion should ever have prevailed elsewhere, does indeed fill us with astonishment; we cannot, however, forget, that for a short period there were men of understanding who seriously believed, that the conqueror of Austria and Prussia was afraid of the half-civilized half-disciplined savages of the north.

The Russian general Benningsen having formed a junction behind the Narew with the second division of the Russian army under the command of Buxhoevden, and further reinforcements having arrived with Kamenskoy, who had been appointed by the court of St. Petersburg commander in chief of the army, the Russians began again to advance, and fixing their head quarters at Pultusk, threatened to drive the French over the Vistula. But while they were anticipating triumphs, and celebrating with fireworks at Sierock the junction of their three armies, a small French detachment passed in the night over the Narew, and before morning had entrenched itself so strongly, that the Russians could

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not afterwards dislodge it. A bridge, similar to those thrown over the Vistula, was immediately constructed and fortified with works; and when this was finished, the whole French army began at once to move forward, in order to bring the united Russian and Prussian armies to a general engagement.

The French emperor having left Berlin on the 25th of November, and remained at Posen till the 16th of the following month, receiving addresses and congratulations from the Poles, arrived at Warsaw on the 18th; and on the 23d, put himself at the head of his army and crossed the Narew. The French army was distributed in the following mauner. The right, consisting of the divisions of Lannes, Davoust, and the grand duke of Berg, and commanded by Bonaparte in person, having crossed the Narew at the above-mentioned bridge, was opposed to the left flank of the Rus. sians, who were so injudiciouly drawn up by their generals as to be exposed to its attacks in this unfavourable position. To the left of this great division of the army was the corps of Augereau at Zakroczym on the Vistula, and at a still greater distance in the same direction was the corps of Soult, which had crossed that river at Polock. The French left, consisting of the divisions of Ney, Bessieres, and the prince of Ponte Corvo, after having advanced from Thorn to Golub, and from thence to Sierpsk, was directed to attack the Prussians under general Lestocq, and, by a rapid movement, to cut off their communication with the Russians. These orders were executed by Ney and Bessieres with their accustomed promptitude and success. The chief actions were at

Bieznn and Soldau, in both of which the Prussians were defeated with considerable loss of men and artil lery, and thereby prevented from forming a junction with the Russians. These actions took place on the 23 and 26th of December. The operations of the French right began on the night of the 23d, by an attack on the village of Czarnowo, on the Narew, where the Russians were in great force, and had erected batteries; but, after an obstinate resistance their batteries were carried, and their troops dislodged by the French. Next day, the army under Kamenskoy was driven from its entrenchments at Nasielsk, and compelled to fall back several leagues; and the same day Augereau passed the Wkra at Kurscomb and defeated a body of 15,000 men, who disputed with him the passage of that river. On the 25th, there was no action of consequence. Russian columns, broken and dispersed, retired before the French in disorder, and nothing saved thei from being entirely cut off, but the shortness of the days, which was favourable to their escape, and the badness of the roads, which prevented the advance of the French artillery. At this critical moment Kamenskoy, the Russian commander in chief, left his army and retired to Ostrolenka. The cause of his de. parture has been variously explained. His enemies gave out, that the late reverses of the army had disordered his mind, and rendered him incapable of the command. But there are some who pretend, that he was the only one of the Russian generals who was aware of their danger, and. and that he left the army in disgust and despair, when he found his authority insufficient to curb the inconsiderate

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inconsiderate ardour of the younger generals, who were determined on risking another engagement. In consequence of the departure of Kamenskoy, the command of the Russian army was divided between Benningsen and Buxhoevden, the former at Pultusk, and the latter at Golomyn. Both were attacked by the French on the 26th, and both made an obstinate resistance. They were both, however, driven from their positions, and forced to retreat with precipitation, leaving behind them great part of their baggage and artillery. Soult had been sent forward by another road to cut off their retreat; but the horrible sloughs, the consequences of rain and thaw, retarded his march, and saved them from total destruction. According to the French accounts, the Russians lost in these actions 80 pieces of cannon, all their ammuni. tion waggons, 1200 baggage carts, and 12,000 men, killed, wounded, and prisoners. Their own loss they admit to have been 800 killed and 2000 wounded; among the latter were six general officers, and one general of dragoons was killed. After the action of the 26th, the French army went into cantonments on the banks of the river Orzyk, and the emperor Napoleon returned to Warsaw.

An account of the battle of Pul. tusk, claiming the victory for the Russians, and making no mention of the preceding engagements, or of the battle of Golomyn, was ad

dressed by general Benningsen to the emperor of Russia, and published in the Petersburg gazette. Similar intelligence was transmitted to Vienna and other parts, and eagerly disseminated over Germany and the north, where implicit credit was given to it by all who had suffered from the oppression of the French, or who trembled at the pro. gress of their arms. It was added, that besides this disaster in the field, dysentry and other camp diseases were making dreadful havoc in their armies, and had already greatly reduced their effective strength. The confidence with which these accounts were circulated, and the minute detail of circumstances with which they were accompanied, imposed for a time on the most sceptical and desponding. Some of those, who in former wars had most despaired of success against France upon the continent, from any league or combination of its princes, began now to indulge in chimerical expectations, and to hope from Russia and Poland what Austria and Prussia had contended for in vain. But this delusion was of short duration. The grossness of Benningsen's misrepresentations was soon detected, and certain intelligence was obtained, that though the French soldiers were far from enjoying such exemption from sickness as the official bul letins announced, the diseases prevalent in their army were neither so general nor so fatal as reported and believed by their enemies.

CHAP. XI.

Rupture between Russia and Turkey. -Causes that led to it.-Invasion of Moldavia and Wallachia by the Russians.-State of the Turkish Empire. — Continuance of War between the Russians and Persians.-Intercourse between France and Persia.-Austria displeased with the Russians for invading Turkey.-Internal Affairs of Austria.-Courts of Inquiry.-Military Reforms.-Conduct of the King of Sweden.-Annexation of Holstein to Denmark.-Holland erected into a Kingdom in favour of Lewis Bonaparte.-Internal Affairs of Holland.-Speech of his Batavian Majesty at the opening of the Dutch Legislature-Domestic Affairs of France.-Strains of Flattery addressed to Bonaparte-at Munich-at Paris-Meeting of the French Legislature.-Opening Speech of the Emperor.-Report of the State of the Empire by Champagny-Imperial Decrees.-Venice annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.-Naples given to Joseph Bonaparte.-Berg and Cleves to Murat.-Guastalla to Prince Borghese.-Neufchatel to Berthier.-Revival of Feudal Benefices in Italy. -Benevento assigned to Talleyrand-and Ponte Corvo to Bernadotte.--Order of the Iron Crown.-Message to the French Senate, communicating the Berlin Decree.-Report on the French Finances.-Revival of the Tax on Salt.-Convocation of the Jewish Sanhedrim at Paris.-Co-establishment of the Jewish with the Catholic, Lutheran, and reformed Religions. -Ideas of Religious Toleration entertained in France.-Prohibition of Commerce in English Goods throughout Switzerland.-Proclamation of the Papal Government against harbouring Malcontents in the States of the Church.-Warlike Preparations in Spain-suddenly Countermanded.Danger of Portugal during the Negotiation between France and England. Threats of invading that Kingdom by the French.-Earl St. Vincent sent with a Fleet to the Tagus with offers of Assistance to the Portugueze Government.-Army assembled at Plymouth.-General Simcoe and Earl of Rosslyn sent to Portugal.-Instructions of the English Commissioners.-Result of the Expedition equally useful and honourable to England.

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