/ET. 22.] AND SCANDINAVIA. 177 



The partiality for a French alliance exists yet ; all 

 the men of property and consequence wish that, what- 

 ever government is established in France. The old 

 alliance may be established between France, Poland, 

 Prussia, Spain, Turkey, and Sweden, as a bar to 

 Eussia on the one hand, and England and the Em- 

 peror on the other. For England they do not conceal 

 their hatred ; and though their ships have been seized 

 by both sides, they are silent as to the one, and load 

 the other with abuse. When the fleet (said to be 

 worth half a million sterling) was lately seized and 

 condemned, to the great loss of the mercantile in- 

 terest in general, and the utter ruin of one, the 

 commander of the convoy who gave them up 

 was tried and condemned to be shot, and though 

 pardoned on the place of execution, yet sent for six 

 months to the fortress of Sveaborg. The King of 

 Sweden, too, wrote a letter with his own hand to our 

 king, who (some accounts say) left it all with his 

 ministers and judges ; others, that he gave no answer 

 at all. One of the accusations against Mr Hailes was, 

 his having appeared on Change the very day the news 

 of the capture came. D'Asp was recalled from Lon- 

 don, it is said, because our king turned his back on 

 him, which the King of Sweden pointedly did to 

 Hailes, and treated him with every mark of disrespect. 

 The people were furious, crying that he deserved to 

 lose his crown if he did not take vengeance. 



Buonaparte's return occasioned a dinner of a large 

 company, composed of some respectable people, and 



VOL. I. M 



