180 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



CHAP. XV'. 



Condition of France at the Close of the Campaign. — Probable Fieivs and Ob- 

 jects of Uonaparte. — State of Austria — OJ Russia. — Conduct of Prus- 

 sia during the War- — Inactixiti/ and probable Misfortunes. — Magnani- 

 mity of Sweden. — Inejfectiial Campaign in the North of Eiirpoe. — 

 Causes thereof. — Denmark. — Spain. — Jtalj. — Turkey. — General Obser- 

 vations. 



IN order io preserve that conti- 

 nuity of narrative so essential to 

 historical detail, in our last two 

 chapters, we have but partially 

 touched upon the transactions of the 

 rest of Europe, and have confined 

 ourselves solely to the cause, pro- 

 gress, and termination of that ex- 

 traordinary campaign, which esta- 

 blished the predominancy of France 

 npon the continent, and which, it 

 ■was not to be doubted, would be 

 still farther secured to her in the 

 pendinsj negociations opened at 

 Fresburgh. The battle of Aiister- 

 litz. or as it has been more familiar- 

 ly denominated, the " battle of 

 the tliree er.iperors," has, in its 

 evi-nl. C'luroundi'd all speculation, 

 ami the " liuw ?nuch," or " how 

 liftle," whieh will content the con- 

 queror, remains to be develo])cd 

 in the early months of the ensuing 

 year. 



It is indeed a most alarming re- 

 trospecf, to conl'-mplate the ag- 

 grandizement of the French na- 

 tioHj "within a few shoit years. 

 The periods of its former greatest 

 exaltatitm fade in the comparison. 

 The dominion of Charlemagne car- 

 ried within it the seeds of its own 

 dissolution : and a superior character 



to that of Louis the fourteenth set li- 

 mits to the ambition and empire of 

 the latter. But no talents, power, 

 or combination, in opposition to 

 Bonaparte, seem calculated (o check 

 his progress; but, on the contrary, 

 serve in their effect to swell his ca- 

 reer with fresh victories, and add to 

 his strength by increasing con- 

 quests. 



It would be now tedious and un- 

 important to pretend to enquire 

 into the causes of this vast accretion 

 of power, which, with very little 

 let or impediment, has been pro- 

 gressive, under every form of govern- 

 ment, which France has assumed 

 since her great revolution. That 

 eventfid scene has passed rapidly but 

 distinctly before our eyes: the drama, 

 however, has not yet closed. And 

 it will require the calm of a period 

 still far remote from tlie present, 

 when the mind shall be enabled, in 

 the undisfurbcd possession of its 

 powers, to appreciate fairly the 

 weight of evidence on all sides, and 

 appropriate the wonderful effects 

 we have witnessed, to their true 

 causes. Suffice it, that we behold 

 the vast population of France, of 

 her conquests, and that of her al- 

 lies, all directed to forward the 



Tiews 



