g98 ANNUAL RE 
France, that the affairs of Italy 
should be settled by those two na- 
tions in concert; that the king of 
Sardinia should have a compensa- 
tion for the loss of Piedmont; and 
that the independence of the king- 
dom of Naples should be compietely 
respected. On all those points Bo- 
naparte evinced marked disregard, 
Yndas we have already observed, 
by the conduct of Sebastiani at 
Corfu, proved that it was his in- 
tention to dispossess the emperor 
of these islands. So many provo- 
cations and insults’ undoubtedly 
must have deeply affected the 
mind of Alexander: the year, 
however, was permitted to pass 
over, without any decided oppo- 
sition to France, from him or any 
of the continental powers. 
The attitude of Europe at the 
close of 1803, may be thus stated: 
while France was extending her 
fiant-arms from the Adriatic to 
the Baltic, and scorned to bound 
her dominions on the north by the 
Rhine, oreyen the Elbe; Germany 
seemed lost in-apathy or the slug- 
gishness of despair! Italy was di- 
rectly governed as a province of 
France ; ; while Spain, Portugal; 
and the Hanse Towns, were neces- 
sitated to furnish such contribu- 
tions in money, as were demanded 
by the French government. 
Arrived at this height of power 
and military glory, there was no 
greater object left for the ambition 
of Bonaparte, than the conquest of 
GISTER, . 1803. 
England, But vast as his fortune 
had hitherto been, when opposed to 
the continental powers of Europe, 
it seems to have been constantly 
kept in check by the better genius 
of England. In Syria, in Egypt, 
in Malta, and in St. Domingo, he 
has constantly found the greatest 
and most promising of his ambi- 
tious projects rendered abortive, 
by the valour of the British arms,— 
It isnot then to be wondered at, 
that the tyrant of France should 
strain every nerve, and risk every 
danger, to destroy the only nation 
which has the will and thé power 
to oppose him. 
The exertions and the means how- 
ever employed for the invasion of 
England, have only served to raise 
the spirit of the British nation, to de- 
fénd their coasts and chastise an in- 
solent invader. Although somealarm 
was created at the moment, by the 
preparations of France; long be- 
fore the year had expired, all sense 
of fear gave way toa justconfidence 
in the high and well-regulated 
spirit of a great, free,and enlight- 
ened nation, rising in defence of 
its independence and existence.— 
A confidence however in some de- 
gree damped by the consideration, 
that energies and resources so vast, 
were intrusted to an administration, 
whose wisdom and talents the nation 
considered by no means adequate 
to the arduous task, of employing 
thein for its protection, and for the 
annoyance of so powerful an enemy, 
CHAP 
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