764 
tated words were eagerly caught*up. 
Every one impatiently expected the 
assembly for the presentation of fo- 
reigners, which madame Bonaparte 
holds once a month, Every one 
was prepared to draw. some infe- 
rences from it. It was as splendid 
as usual, The first cons) made his 
appearance, and said, on his en- 
trance, to the English ambassador, 
who was standing beside M. Mar- 
koff, ‘* We have been at war for 
twelve years, ‘The king of Mngland 
says that France is making immense 
naval preparations. He has been 
led into an error, In the French 
poris there are no preparations of 
any magnitude. ‘The whole fleet is 
gone to St. Domingo and the colo- 
nies, With regard to the ports of 
Holland, to which the message like- 
wise alludes, there are only the pre- 
parations for the expedition under 
general Victor, and all Europe 
knows its destination is for Lonisi- 
ana. The king says farther, that 
between the cabinets of Paris and 
London differences continue. | 
know of none. It is true that Eng- 
Jand ought to have evacuated Malta, 
and Malta is not evacuated ; and, as 
his Britannic majesty has bound 
himself by themost solemn treaty ever 
entered into, it is impossible to doubt 
of the speedy evacuation of that 
island ; and,’’ added the first consul, 
«¢ those who wouldattempt to frighten 
the French people should know, 
that it is possible to kill, but not 
to intimidate them.” 
During the course of the evening, 
when the first consul happened to 
be near M. Markoff, he said to him, 
half aloud, ¢* that the British minis- 
try wished to keep Malta for five 
years more. Such a proposal was 
insulting, and no treaties should be 
entered inio, which it was not re- 
ANNUAL REGISTER,” 1803. 
solved to observe.” At the conclu- 
sion of the assembly, when the En- 
glish ambassador was about to retire, 
the first consul said to him, ** Ma- 
dame the duchess of Dorset has spent 
the unpleasant part of the year at 
Paris. 
she may also spend the agreeable 
season, Bat if it should happen 
that we really must go to war, the 
responsibility is exclusively with those 
who deny the validity of their own 
contracts, since they refuse to ob- 
serve treaties which they had con- 
cluded.” 
These words of the first consul 
require no comment. ‘T hey explain 
completely his present opinions, his 
past conduét, and his resolution for — 
"It is Sufficient to comi~— 
pare them. with the tergiversations, | * 
the duplicity, the evasions, and the © 
message of the English government,. 
the future. 
in order to be enabled to decide on 
the justice of the dispute. 
Letter from Spiridion Foresti to Lord 
Hawkesbury, dated Corfu, Decem= 
ber 10, 1803. 
My lord, 
_ The last letters from my agent at 
Zante furnish me with the informa- 
tion that the Cornelia, French frigate, 
having on board Horatio Sebastiani, 
chief of brigade, and charged with 
a public mission on the part of the 
first consul of the French republic, 
came to anchor there on the 3d in. 
stant. The envoy finding that a 
vessel coming from Alexandria was 
subject to a long quarantine, and 
could not be permitted to communi- 
cate freely with the shore, applied 
to the delegate of that island for 
permission to land, which being 
‘granted bin, he was conduéted to 
He then» 
requested: 
the delegate’s apartments. 
It is my sincere wish that 
7 
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