GENERAL HISTORY. 



[169 



CHAPTER XV. 



Napoleons Speech to the Sejiate, and Decrees. — Revolution in Holland, 

 —Movements of the Crown Prince. — Hanover recovered.— Address to 

 the Tyrolese. — Proclamation of Hillar to the Italians. — Assembly of 

 Sovereigns at Frankfort. — Bremen and Embden liberated.— The Dal- 

 jtiatian Coast and Trieste possessed by the Atistrians.—Pro/rress of the 

 Revolution in Holland. — Breda taken. — Schowen and Tolen reco- 

 vered. — Declaration of the Allied Poxvers ; and of Napoleon. — Lu~ 

 beck liberated. — Operations of the Crown Prince in Holstein, and Ar- 

 mistice with the Danes. — Origin of the War between Sweden and 

 Denmark. — Surrender of Dresden by the French. — Capitulation of 

 Stettin. — Swiss Neutrality, and its Infraction, — State of Saxony, — 

 Frankfort made independent. — Annexation of Hildesheim to Hano- 

 ver.— Insurrection in Tyrol. — Passage of the Rhine, and Fraiice In- 

 vaded. — Decree of Napoleon appointing Commissioners extraordi' 

 nary.— Geneva entered by the Allies. — Sicily. — Malta, — Gibraltar. 



THE disastrous and disgraceful 

 return of Napoleon, pursued 

 to the very borders of his empire 

 by powerful armies united for his 

 destruction, could not fail to pro- 

 duce a strong sensation in the 

 minds of the French people, who, 

 though studiously kept in igno- 

 rance of every unfavourable event, 

 were no longer to be deluded 

 with regard to circumstances 

 brought directly in their view. 

 The tone therefore now to be 

 taken was, an apparent frankness in 

 stating the situation of the coun- 

 try, joined with confidence in its 

 remaining resources, and an ap- 

 peal to all those patriotic senti- 

 ments which operate upon the sub- 

 jects even of despotic governments, 

 when elevated by ideas of past 

 grandeur and success, or roused by 

 the imminent hazard of what re- 



mains most dear to them. On 

 Nov. Hth, Napoleon, seated on his 

 throne, and surrounded by all the 

 dignitaries and great officers, re- 

 ceived the senate in full ceremony, 

 whose president, count Lacepede, 

 made a short address, touching 

 upon the defection of the allies 

 of France, and their refusal to en- 

 ter into negociations for peace, 

 and concluding with protestations 

 of loyalty. His Majesty the Em- 

 peror replied in the following 

 terms. " Senators, I accept the 

 sentiments which you express to- 

 wards me. All Europe was with 

 us a year ago ; all Europe is now 

 against us ; it is, because the opi- 

 nion of the world is directed by 

 France or England. We should, 

 therefore, have every thing to 

 dread, but for the energy and 

 power of the nation. Posterity 



