90] 
that what was gained hy con- 
quest, might be resumed on re- 
conquest. Prussia was the first 
claimant on this ground; and Mar- 
shal Blucher, on his entrance into 
Paris, sent to demand from M. 
Denon, director of the museum, 
every thing in it belonging to 
that kingdom: Denon referring 
the affair to a future negotiation 
with his government, he was 
wrested in a military manner, 
ind threatened with being con- 
ined in a Prussian fortress. His 
compliance was the consequence 
of this menace, and Prussian 
commissaries carried off not 
only the spoils of Berlin and 
Potsdam, but of Cologne and Aix 
Ja Chapelle. For a considerable 
time the French were suffered to 
flatter themselves that this retri- 
bution would be limited to the 
power most hostile to them; but 
at length the recovery of the 
rich plunder of the Belgian 
churches became an object to 
the new king of that country, as a 
means of ingratiating himself 
with the catholic clergy, and the 
British government supported his 
application, The Duke of Wel- 
lington thought it incumbent up- 
on him to afford the aid of his 
soldiers in removing some of the 
great works reclaimed by the 
Belgian agents; and having been 
much reflected upon in France 
for his conduct on this occasion, 
he wrote a letter to lord Castle- 
reagh in explanation, which was 
made public. The paragraph with 
which it concluded was probably 
not less grating to the feelings of 
the French, than the act itself. 
“It is to be wished (says his 
Grace) as well for the happiness 
of France, as of the world, that 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
if the French people are not al- 
ready convinced that Europe is 
too strong for them, they may 
be made to feel that however ex- 
tensive for a time their tempo- 
rary and partial advantages over 
one or more of the powers of 
Europe may be, the day of reta- 
liation must at length come. Ac- 
cording to my feelings, then, it 
would not only be unjust in the 
sovereigns to gratify the French 
people, but the sacrifice they 
would make would be impolitic, 
as it would deprive them of the 
opportunity of giving the French 
nation a great moral lesson.” 
The Austrians then began to 
make reclamations for Venice, 
and the famous Corinthian Horses 
were carried off under the eyes of 
the king from the  Tuilleries. 
The Pope obtained restitution, 
through the influence of the Bri- 
tish minister, of the valuable pro- 
ducts of art and literature carried 
away from Rome. The other 
Italian states recovered their lost 
treasures ; and, at length, amidst 
the groans, exclamations, and 
execration of the Parisians, the 
gallery of the Louvre was wholly 
stript of all its foreign spoils, and 
reduced to the productions of 
French artists, and the few other 
articles of legitimate acquisition. 
The extreme unpopularity 
thrown upon the King and 
Court by these occurrences may 
be inferred from the circulation 
of a paper purporting to be a 
letter of the late French minis- 
ters to the King, explaining the 
motives for their retiring. It 
contained many severe strictures 
on the encouragement at court of 
factions, to the injury of legiti- 
mate authorities, and obviously 
eS 
