110 



On the Inefficacij of the Pike, 



[Sept, 1, 



•nf! of tbem, wLich they were informed 

 contained ti;c rcmriins of oh Englifliman, 

 t\hty tore out, the body, and threw it into 

 the firf-ets, tre;itinK it with evoy indij;- 

 nity. In the neighbourhood round 11a- 

 mtl they laid the people under contribu- 

 tions, perpetually carrying away their 

 pro\eiider and cattle by force. 



It was the fate of Hanover to fulTcr 

 t^ei■y way by its accideiitul connection 

 niih England. The raifchief intended 

 to the Englidi trade, by the blockade of 

 the Kibe and Weler, fell ultimately upon 

 us and the t^vo cities of Hamburg; and 

 Bremen. Om- tranht trade on the Elbe 

 wa-. thus alraoli totally ruined. 

 ■ The little pro^ ince of Ofirabnrjr, v^hofo 

 principal occupation and fubfillence lay 

 m the manufacture and exportation of 

 linen, which it fcnt to Spain and Ame- 

 rica, received a check from the llop- 

 pa;:e of the regular navigation. The 

 pnjdnce of this trade to the province (in 

 which almoit every pcafant had his loom) 

 was abo-.c. a million of dollars yearly be- 

 fore tlie blockade. Although the navi- 

 gation to llamburi; aaus kept up in part 

 by the way of Tonni-igcn, and that to 

 Biemcn by the Jahde, yet the delays, 

 lolVes, and charges arifmg from this cir- 

 cuitous mode of conveyance were very 

 injurious to the merchant : — not to men- 

 tion that every article paffmg througli 

 Hanover was obliged to have a certificate 

 to fpecify that it had not paid Englidi 

 cufioms, wliich was another circumftance 

 that cr.haiiced the price of all commodi- 

 ties to the purchafer. 



In the mean time England was carry- 

 ing on an unmolefied trade, by the river 

 Ems, in iMndcn, Leer, Meppcn, and 

 other places. The French attempted, in- 

 deed, to moleft the progrel's of Englilh 

 goods from Meppen to Frankfort, and 

 other parts of Gennany, and pr(5fitcd by 

 the fupfiofed arrival of fome Hre-arms on 

 Englilh account, to occupy the town with 

 niilitarv. The fne-arms v.ere, ofcourfe, 

 not difroA ercd ; but for the pi-ccentioii of 

 fiich an importation, they tliought proper 

 to continue th.ere till the King of PruUia, 

 who was then not fo complaifant to the 

 French as he has been iince, pofitively 

 iiififted on the perfect freedom of the Ems 

 na\ication, and on the evacuation of 

 Wejipen, \^hirh was acceded to. 



(jne alleviation of our dillreffes is en- 

 titled to notice ; namely, that the French 

 Generals who had the command in Ha- 

 nover were men of as good character, 

 and of as much humanity, as could be 

 expected from perfons ferving fuch a de- 



tcdable tyrant as Bonaparte. ' They kept 

 the flrictelt dilcipline in the anny to pre- 

 vent every irregularity, and foftened the 

 rigour of the commands they were obliged 

 to lilue as much as lay in their power. 

 Mortier being recalled at the end of live' 

 months, in confequence of his elevation 

 to tliC rank of Marilial, DcUblles fuj)- 

 plied his place till the arrival of Iknia- 

 dotte. Under the adminilhution of the- 

 latter, our countr)' was greatly relieved 

 by tlie fylicm of economy he introduced 

 into the whole army. Tne maintenance 

 of the Generals in Hanover was reduc<d 

 one-half, by their being obliged to have 

 their food from the royal kitchen, and 

 that of the Generals in the provinces 

 one-third. The officers were enjoined, 

 on their honour, to have their meals at 

 their own expcnce, for which they re- 

 ceived additional pay every month. — 

 'i'he privates were, in like manner, rc- 

 Ihicted lo their allowance, and not per- 

 mitted to demand any thing but vegeta- 

 bles, and the preparation of their food, 

 lie alio kept a ftrict eye over the com- 

 mill'aries, and lowered their talaries. In 

 all thcfe regulations he appeared to be 

 guided by a conlldcration for the people's 

 diftredes; and, in jullice to his charafter, 

 it ought to be nate<l, that he was friendly 

 to the poor, and performed many aits of 

 charity from his own private parte. 



You have here a correct detail of what 

 we liave fuftercd in Hanover from the in- 

 valion of the French ; at foinc future 

 period I may, perhaps, communicate to 

 you forne obl'ervations on the cliaracler 

 of the Frenclt military, and fome iuiec- 

 dotcs of their private conduct during their 

 llay in our country. 



To the Editor of the Monihh/ ^laguzinc. 



SJK, 



ON perufing the rational and patriotic 

 obfervations of Mr. Arthur Young, 

 on the fubjcct of National Defence, I was 

 ("truck by one great and alarming error of 

 opinion, which is very generally preva- 

 lent, and of which the complete and fa- 

 tisfactory detection, through the medium 

 of your valuable rilaga/ine, may conduce 

 to good. 



1 allude. Sir, to the plaufiblc argu- 

 ments that have been urged, from time 

 to time, in favour of the pike, as a wea- 

 pon likely to be employed with c.lctt 

 againll an invading enemy. ' 



The authority of Marlhal Saxc might 

 foem indifputable to him wiio ftudies bat- 

 tles on clallic ground, and lights over il- 

 luitrious cumpaii^us in his clolct ; eut we 



RlUlt 



