FRA 
flep. I have, I hopd, fufficiently proved to the world, 
that I fear none of the chances of war ; it befides pre¬ 
sents nothing that I need to fear. Peace is the with of 
my heart, but war has never been contrary to my glory. 
I conjure your majefty not to deny yourfelf the happinefs 
of giving peace to the world, nor to leave the fatisfaftion 
to your children; for, in fine, there never was a more 
fortunate opportunity, nor a moment more favourable, to 
filence all the paflions, and liften only to the fentimentsof 
humanity and reafon. This moment once loft, what end 
can be afligr.ed to a war which all my efforts will not be 
able to terminate ? Your majefty has gained more within 
ten years, both in territory and riches, than the whole ex¬ 
tent of Europe. Your nation is at the higheft point of 
profperity ; what can it hope from war ? To form a coali¬ 
tion of fome powers on the continent ? The continent 
will remain tranquil: a coalition can only increafe the 
preponderance and continental greatnefs of France—To 
renew internal troubles? The times are no longer the 
fame. To deftroy our finances? Finances founded on a 
flourifhing culture can never be deftroyed. To take from 
France her colonies ? Colonies to France are only a fecon- 
dary objedl: and does not your majefty already poffefs 
more than you know how to preferve ? If your majefty 
would but reflect, you mull perceive that the war is 
without an objedt, without any prefumable refult to 
yourfelf. Alas! what a melancholy profpedt to caufe 
two nations to fight for the fake of fighting—the world 
is fufficiently large for our two nations to live in it; and 
reafon fufficiently powerful to difcover means of recon¬ 
ciling every thing when the wifti for reconciliation exifts 
on both tides. I have, however, fulfilled a facred duty, 
and one which is precious to my heart. I truft your ma¬ 
jefty will believe in the fincerity of my fentiments, and my 
with to give you every proof of it, &c. &c. Napoleon.” 
To this letter the following official anfwer was given 
by the then Englith fecretary lord Mulgrave, in a note 
directed to M. Talleyrand, minifter for foreign affairs in 
France, dated January 14, 1S05 : 
“ His majefty has received the letter which has been 
addreffed to him by the head of the French government, 
dated the fecond of the prefent month. There is no ob¬ 
ject which his majefty has more at heart than to avail 
himfelf of the firfl: opportunity to procure again to his 
fubjedts, tlfe advantages of a peace, founded on a bafis 
which may not be incompatible with the permanent fe- 
curity and effential interefts of his ftates. His majefty is 
perfuaded that this end can only be attained by arrange¬ 
ments, which may at the fame time provide for the future 
fafety and tranquillity of Europe, and prevent the recur- 
renceof the dangersand calamities in which it is involved. 
Conformably to this fentiment, his majefty feels that it is 
impoffible for him to anfwer more particularly to the 
overture that has been made him, until he (hall have had 
time to communicate with the powers of the continent, 
with whom he is engaged in confidential connexions and 
relations, and particularly wftth the emperor of Ruffia, 
who has given the ftrongeft proofs of the wifdom and ele¬ 
vation of the fentiments with which he is animated, and 
the lively intereft which he takes in the fafety and inde¬ 
pendence of Europe. Mulgrave.” 
In the fittings of the legiftative body, 15th Pluviofe, 
(Feb. 4,) the counfellors of ftate Segur, Begonen, and 
Deffoles, officially communicated this anfwer; which 
was followed by addreffes to Napoleon, proffering to him 
the utmoft fupport of the government, in carrying on the 
war with effeift againft the king of Great-Britain. To 
thefe addreffes the emperor replied in a fpeech to the 
following effect: 
“ Soldier, or Firft Conful, I had only one fentiment— 
as Emperor, I retain the fame—and that is, a wifti for the 
profperity of the French people. I have been fortunate 
enough to contribute to this objeX by my vidlories, to 
confolidate it by treaties, to ftem the torrent of civil dif- 
cord, and to pave the way for the reftoration of morals, 
V©L. VII. No. 475. 
N C E. 8(55 
fociety, and religion. If t am not cut off by death in 
the midft of my labours, I hope to be able to leave to 
pofterity a recolleXien which will either ferve as the ex> 
ample or reproach of my fucceffors. 
“ When I refolved to write to the king of England, I 
made a facrifice of the moft dutiful fentiments, and the 
pureft motives. I was influenced' by a defire to fpare the 
blood of my people. I (hall ahvays be ready to make the 
fame facrifices. My fame, my happinefs, 1 have placed 
in the welfare of the prefent generation. 1 was defirous, 
as far as lay in my power, to render philanthropic and 
magnanimous ideas the prevalent ones of the prefent age. 
It belongs to me, in whom thofe fentiments cannot be 
afcribed to weaknefs ; it belongs to us, to the belt natured, 
the moft enlightened, and moft benevolent people, to re¬ 
mind the nations of Europe, that they make together but 
one family, and that every undertaking which they exe¬ 
cute in their civil divifions, militates againft the general 
welfare. 
“ It would have afforded me the higheft gratification, 
at fo folemn an epoch, to look to the empire of peace 
throughout the world ; but the political principles of our 
enemies, and their recent conduct towards Spain, fliew 
fufficiently with how much difficulty this can be attained. 
I have no vvifh farther to extend the territories of France ; 
I am only defirous of maintaining their integrity. I have 
no with to exercife a domineering influence over Europe ; 
but I am not at all difpofed to give up that which I have 
already acquired. No ftates fhalI be incorporated with 
the empire ; but 1 fliall not facrifice my rights, or the ties 
which attach me to the ftates which 1 have created. 
When England fliall be convinced of the impotence of 
her efforts to agitate the continent; when fhe Ihall know 
that flie has only to lofe in a war without end or motives; 
when fhe fliall be convinced that France will never accept 
other conditions than thofe of Amiens, and will never 
confent to leave her the right of breaking treaties at plea- 
fure, by appropriating to herfelf Malta; England will then 
arrive at pacific fentiments—hatred and envy have only 
their time. 
“ Gentlemen,Deputies of the Legiflative Body, I depend 
upon your aflifiance; you will uphold the valour of my 
army, in which I have the happinefs to place the utmoft 
confidence.” 
The emperor then held a fplendid levee, attended by 
all the newly-created princes and dignitaries of the ftate, 
and by a great number of the principal officers of the 
army, to whom he delivered the ribbon of the legion of 
honour; declaring, at the fame time, “ that this order 
was intended to unite the inftitutions of the different ftates 
of Europe with the French empire, and to ftiow how much 
all thofe would be refpeXed, who eftablilhed themfelves 
on a footing of amity and concord with France.” 
In the mean time a plan wasprojeXed for a formidable 
and general attack to be made on the Britifh Weft-India 
iflands, by a confiderable body of troops under general 
Legrange, efcorted and covered by a powerful fquadron 
under admirals Villeneuve and Mentz, with which force 
a Spanifh fleet was alfo to co-operate. The divifion of the 
fleet commanded by admiral Mentz, called the Rochfort 
fquadron, with Lagrange’s troops 011-board, anchored be¬ 
fore the ifland of Dominica on the 21ft of February 1805, 
and at day-break on the 22d, made good their landing, 
and affailed the town of Rofeau, which capitulated, after 
being in flames. The French general, however, aXed 
with confiderable humanity ; he exerted every mean* of 
flopping the progrefs of the conflagration ; and, after being 
convinced, from the fpirited refiftance made by the Englilh 
general Prevoft, in Fort Rupert, that theconqueft of the 
ifland was not to be eft’eXed, he levied a contribution of 
i6,oool. upon the town of Rofeau, and on the 27th re¬ 
embarked his troops, and the fquadron fleered for Gua- 
daloupe, where it,was joined by Villeneuve's fquadron 
from Toulon, with 10,000 troops ; and the Spanifh fqua¬ 
dron from Cadiz, under the command of admiral Gravina. 
10 L The 
