HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
that “* he desired to be understood, 
«that in all parts of the world, we 
‘“had a naval force much more 
“than adequate to cope with the 
“force of any power in Europe; 
“and, that at home, it was amply 
“sufficient to meet any French 
*€ force ; which indeed, consisted of 
“ nothing better thar fishing boats,. 
“and existed only in the minds of 
“a few gentlemen on the other 
*€ side of the house* !” Thus, in the 
face of the nation and of all Europe, 
was made a specific declaration,by a 
a minister, which left the public to 
conclude, that the alleged causes 
of our arming did not exist; and 
that they were simulated by the 
king’s government, for the purpose 
of covering the real grounds of our 
hostile preparation, which were 
such as would not, or could not be 
avowed! it is but justice to state, 
that the same person who had 
' made this extraordinary acknow- 
ledgment, + endeavoured by an 
entire and immediate retractation, 
to explain it away, and give it the 
semblance of a mere professional 
boast; but it was too late, the 
assertion remained in its full force, 
and subsequent facts abundantly 
confirmed the impression it had 
made. 
During the painful and agitating 
suspence in which the nation was 
held pending the negociation with 
France, one of the most daring and 
infamous frauds ever attempted to 
‘be put into execution, was practised 
on the public credulity, though not 
with all the success, with which the 
contrivers of it had flattered them- 
selves. At the moment when the 
197 
anxiety of the nation was highest, 
on the fifth of May between eight 
and nine o’clock in the morning, 
a person, habited like a government 
messenger, in a travelling dress, and 
in vast haste, delivered a letter at 
the marision house, purporting to 
have come from the office of lord’ 
Hawkesbury, secretary of state for 
foreign affairs, and directed to the 
lord mayor of the city of London, 
To it a seal resembling that of 
office, was artfully affixed, and his 
lordship, having no doubt of the au- 
thenticity, lost no time in commu- 
nicating its contents to the city 
with the usual publicity: they 
announced, the joyful intelligence 
of an amicable adjustment, of all 
matters in dispute between Eng- 
land and France, in the usual 
forms of official communication. 
The news spread with the rapidity 
of lightning, throughout all parts of 
the city; and the satisfaction and 
joy of every class of the people, 
were excessive. At the stock ex- 
chance, the funds rose above five per 
cent; nor was it till nearly three 
hours had elapsed, that the whole 
was discovered to have been a 
fabrication, doubtless for the pur- 
pose of taking advantage of the 
public delusion, by the sale of 
stock either real or fictitious, at the 
advaneed prices it had created! 
The consternation and confusion 
which followed upon the discovery 
of the imposition, it is impossible te 
describe; business of every kind 
was suspended : and the elation it 
had inspired, now fell into the 
opposite point of dismay and appre- 
hension, It is not our object 
* Alluding to the bench on which sat what was called the new opposition, 
t Captain Markham, one of the Lords of the Admiralty. 
to 
