HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
Great Britain fairly accepted the chal- 
lenge thrown out by Fran¢e, when 
her governmentvaingloriously assert- 
ed she was no longer able to con- 
tend single handed against her. The 
British government, in justice it 
must be said, wished that the war 
“should solely exist between Great 
Britain and France.’ The latter, 
- (though the challenger) found it ne- 
cessary, meanly to force the weaker 
powers to engage in her assistayce. 
Holland, contrary to her evident in-’ 
terest and wish, as'well as the Italian 
republic, were compelled to become 
parties; and consequently while the 
commercial interests of the latter 
were severely injured in the course 
of the year, the former lost ail her 
West Indian colonies: Spain and 
Portugal were likewise compelled to 
furnish pecuniary assistance to 
_ France in so open and extensive a 
manner, that it rested entirely with 
the generosity and magnanimity of 
Great Britain, whether they should 
not be considered as involved in di- 
_ fect acts of hostility. Independent- 
dy of these measures, which the 
French government embraced as 
part of its war system; it took a 
step at its commencement which 
had never before been heard of 
among civilized nations, and which 
had always been protested against 
as an act of barbarity disgraceful 
even at Constantinople or Algiers. 
Whader the pretence of making pri- 
Soners of war of those Englishmen 
‘enrolled in the militia of their coun- 
“ry it seized indiscriminately: upon 
all the nobility, gentry, andcommer- 
‘tial agents who had incautiously put 
‘themselves within the reach of Bo- 
“Naparte in France, and who were en- 
gaged in travelling in any ef those 
countries occupied by the French 
Re Vox, XLY. 
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289 
armies, and either shut them up in 
prisons, or confined them to particu- 
lar places as prisoners of war-upon 
their parole, and who were not to 
exceed the limits there assigned 
them! This wanton outrage on all 
the established courtesies of civilized 
nations, did not promise any (the 
slightest) advantage to France, and 
can only be considered as an angry 
and capricious display of the, power 
and ill humour of the usurper who 
had seized upon its government : 
this act of wanton cruelty was far- 
ther aggravated, by its having been 
preceded by a perfidious promise to 
the English, that they. should enjoy 
the protection of the government 
after the departure of the British 
ambassador, as extensively as 
during his residence. Those were 
the principal measures taken by 
France in the first year of the war, 
On the part of Great Britain, her 
first object was to raise the military 
strength of the country trcin the de- 
plorable state of reduction which we 
have already detailed, and lay a 
foundation for its permanent defence . 
without being obliged to have re- 
course to excessive loans ; and se- 
condly, to annoy her encmies 
as much as_ possible, both in 
their colonies and commerce. In 
the first object the government were 
successful beyond its most sanguine 
hopes and expectations.” The Eng- 
lish nation was so exasperated at the 
haughty tone and menacing language 
employed by France, that anunani- 
mous disposition pervaded all the 
classes of society, to bear any hard- 
ship or make every sacrifice, rather 
than suffer their country to He at 
the proud foot of the tyrant of 
France. Every measure proposed 
by government for strengthening the 
: “country 
