HLS TORY ‘OF EUROPE: 
empire. It is indeed natural 
that unlimited power should be ex- 
erted, when vested in the hands of 
a tyrant: if was once considered 
natural in the sovereigns of Europe, 
to unite in ‘setting bounds to such, 
wherever and whenever it should be 
found. Itis also necessary here to 
state, thatin the course of the conver- 
sation which preceded the delivery 
of this exposition of the intentions 
of the first consul, in the event of 
the equipment of armaments in 
England, that M. Tallyrand declar- 
ed, that the French government 
would always consider the refusal 
to evacuate Malta, as ‘the com- 
mencement of hostilities. 
The exasperation and fury of Bo- 
‘naparte, which had already mani- 
fested itself in the note, of which 
we have above given the substance, 
broke out into ungovernable rage at 
his own court, on his public day, 
and in the presence of the diploma- 
tic body of Europe there assem- 
bled. Thus violating every princi- 
‘ple of hospitality—of decoruam— 
of politeness (once, alas! the dis- 
tinguishing trait of the court of 
France) and the privileges of am bas 
sadors, ever before held sacred. 
theappearance of lord Whitworth in 
the circle, he approacted him with 
equal agitation and ferocity —pro- 
ceeded to descant in the bitterest 
“terms, on the conduct of the En- 
‘glish government—summoned the 
Sministers of some of the foreign 
courts, to be the witnesses to ths 
‘Yituperative harangue— and con- 
eluded, by expressions of the most 
“angry and menacing hostility. The 
English ambassador did‘ not think 
it diviseable to make any answer to 
this brutal and ‘ungentlemanly at- 
tack — and it terminated by the 
Sad “ 
ed, 
267 
first consul retiring to his apart- 
ments, repeating lis last phrases, 
till he had shut himself in; leaving 
nearly two hundred spectators of 
this wanton display of arrogant im- ~ 
propriety, in amazement and. cone 
sternation ! 
We are confident that every Bri- 
tish bosom niust beat high with in- 
dignation, at the recital of the par- 
ticulars of this insult to their coun- 
try, in the person of the represen- 
tative of its monarch. It will cer- 
tainly not lessen their emotion, to 
be told, that so satisfaction was 
claimed, and none afforded for this 
outrage. The English ambassador 
contented himself with taking the 
first opportunity of declaring to M. 
Talleyrand (thereby anticipating the 
contents of a dispatch from the En- 
glish government, authorizing him 
so to do.) that he must discontinue 
his visits to the Thuilleries, if he 
were again to be exposed to this spe- 
cies of insult; and by receiving the 
assurances oF the French minister, 
that nothing of the kind would again 
occur. The latter however stat-, 
that it was incumbent on the 
first consul, who considered himseli 
as personally insulted, by the charges 
brought against hi by the Enelish 
government, to exculpate himself , 
in the presence of the ministers of 
the different powers of Europe !— 
We must ever be of opinion, that 
to rescue the national honor and 
dignity from the disgrace which at- 
tached upon both, trom the sevies 
of insult and aggression eudured 
from France, for nearly a tweiye 
month without a murmur or re- 
monstrance, the hour was now 
come; and that an instantaneous 
termination of the negociation, and 
the ‘departure of the English am- 
bassador 
