122- 



AxMNUAL REGISTER, iSOi. 



*' £or(oil to, i \ orrlcr to save Eng- 

 *' land from tlie extraordinary 

 " sihut Oil in wliicli she was placed, 

 '^ from the great acquisition to 

 " France of recent dominion and 

 " power." The same aitthority 

 dilated on the " horror" with 

 ■which the prince of peace received 

 such a declaration, and the strong 

 reply, which he was said to hare 

 made, Mas indicative of tiio'-e feel- 

 ings of detestation and disgust it 

 liad excited. In addition to this 

 statement, the Monittur added, by 

 way of observation, " 'i'hat while 

 " England was employing the count 

 " D'Artois as an assassin, one of the 

 '* individuals of his family, the duke 

 ** D'Enghien, perished under the 

 *' sword of justice !" 



The British minister, equally sur- 

 prised and olfendod at a statement, 

 originating in authority indeed, but 

 totally unfounded in point of fact, 

 lost no time in requiring a contradic- 

 tion thereof from the prince of 

 peace, in terms certainly strong, but 

 perfectly respectful. IJut the an- 

 swer returned was little satisfactory, 

 and was couched in atone and style 

 not at all calculated for conciliation. 

 The prince of peace neither alRruied 

 nor denied tiie reality of such a con- 

 Tersatioii, but, in an evasive and in- 

 conclusive manner, replied, " that it 

 '• was inipoBsihle the editor of the 

 " journal complained of could be 

 *' accurately informed of what did 

 " really pass between him and the 

 *' embassador," and, " that who- 

 '* ever should endeavour to restrain 

 *' the actions of men, whom fortune 

 '• had placed out of his power, u)ust 

 '• give himself constant nncasi- 

 *' ness !'' 



Mr. Frere, who certainly did not 

 consider this frivolous and unmeafi- 

 ing communicatiou as a sufficient 



answer to his remonstrance, irri- 

 mediateJy again addressed the priftce 

 of peace^ and observed, " that the 

 " latter might either have altogether 

 " denied the having made use of the 

 " alleged expressions, or, if the ex- 

 " isting circumstances rendered it - 

 " a delicate matter positively to 

 " contradict a French ollicia! state- 

 " ment, the prince mijht, at least, in 

 " fairness, justice, and propriety, 

 " have taken from its authority, by 

 " his assurance, to the embassador, 

 " that he had never divulged any 

 " conversation which might liavc 

 " passed between them." 



The reply of the prince (o this 

 firm but temperate note, was yet 

 more vague and absurd than his for- 

 mer tAKumunication upon the Sam« 

 subject. It was, in substilnre, that 

 the French editor had been wanting 

 to that consideration due to his (the 

 prince's) character, in supposing that 

 the latter could have entered ujtoi! 

 subjects unworthy of, " the great- 

 '■ ness of soul" which adorned 

 him ; he however did not complain,, 

 and he fiierefore thought Mr. Frerei 

 should not! The English minister 

 immediately replied, with somO 

 warmth, that those sentiments at- 

 tributed to the prince Avere such as 

 the former would himself have wish- 

 ed to be attributed ta him, but that 

 those which were actually implied, 

 a,s belonging to him, were of a very 

 difierent description : — Nor could 

 he, in tire refusal to disavow a con^ 

 versation which never had taker! 

 place, perceive any piortiori of that 

 " greatness of soul" which "adorn- 

 ed" his excellency, and which he, 

 M r. Frere, was called upon to imii 

 tate! 



It will easily be believed, that a 

 correspondence, which assumed such 

 a toue, and was conducted in such a 



temper, 



