794 
Steps. were thereupon taken by 
his majesty for opening a regular 
negotiation by ministers daly au. 
thorized, in order to ascertain, in 
a manner the most. satisfactory 
and authentic, whether peace could 
be. obtained on terms honourable 
to the king and his allies, and con- 
sistent with the general security of 
Europe. 
During these proceedings, a mi- 
nister, sent by the emperor of Rus- 
sia to treat for the same import- 
ant object, in concert with his 
majesty’s government, was induced, 
by the artifices of the enemy, to 
sign a separate treaty, on terms _ 
equally repugnant to the honour 
and interests. of his imperial majesty. 
Unmoved by this unexpected 
event, the king continued to nego. 
tiate precisely on the same prin- 
ciples as before. He relied with 
a confidence which experience has 
amply justified, on the good faith 
and steadiness of an ally, in concert 
with whom he had begun to treat, 
and whose interests he had main- 
tained throughout with the same 
firmnessas hisown, 
The French government, on the 
contrary, eJated with this advan- 
tage, of which it boasted as equal 
in importance to the most decisive 
victory, departed in every confer- 
ence mere aud more widely from 
its own offers and engagements. 
Not only did it take upon itself to 
change at its own will the basis of 
the negotiation with Great Britain, 
but it violated, in points, still more 
important, every principle of good 
faith with Russia. The chief in- 
ducement offered to that power as 
the price of all the sacrifices extort- 
ed from her minister, had been 
the preservation of Germany. Yet, 
before the decision of Russia on 
/ 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
this treaty could be known, France 
had already annihilated the whole 
frame and constitution of the Ger- 
manic empire; had reduced under 
her own yoke a large proportioa 
of the states and provinces of Ger- 
many; and, not content with this 
open contempt of obligations so 
recently contracted, had at the 
same time instigated the Porte to 
measures directly subversive of her 
subsisting engagements with Russia. 
While such conduct was pursued 
towards his majesty, towards his 
allies, and towards all independent 
powers, there appeared so little hope 
of any favourable issue to the nego- 
tiation, that his majesty’s plenipo- 
tenttaries demanded their paseporty 
to return to England. 
This demand was at first atnded 
by an unusual and unexplained de- 
lay, and the French government, 
afterwards, by some material con. 
cessions, accompanied with intima- 
tions, that others of still greater, 
consequence might be the result of 
further discussion, procured a. re~ 
newal of the conferences, which 
were protracted from day to day, 
till at length it was announced at 
Paris that the emperor of Russia 
had indignantly rejected the unau- 
thorised and separate treaty signed 
by his minister. 
In consequence of this important 
event, the strongest assurances were 
given to his majesty’s minister, 
that France was now prepared, to 
make sacrifices to a great. extent, 
in order, by secuting peace with 
Great Britain, to re-establish’ 
tranquillity of the world. 
The object of these assurances 
appeared, however, to be that of 
engaging his majesty to a separate 
negotiation, to the exclusion of his 
allies ; a proposal which his majesty 
had 
the _ 
