LON 
wealth of the Britifli metropolis. No former occafion 
within our memory, was more diftinguilhed by the re- 
fpeclability and opulence of the company. It was 
not a party-meeting; for men of all parties were equally 
ardent and zealous in the caufe of the people of Spain. 
And we faw, therefore, the heads of all the great com¬ 
panies of the fiift mercantile and banking houfes, together 
•with feveral mini Iters of the country, ftatefmen out of 
place, foreign minifters, and other illuftrious characters— 
all eager to teftify to the illuftrious deputies from Spain, 
the intereft which they felt in the deliverance of their 
country. The company did not fit down to dinner till 
feven o’clock. There were fix tables lengthways, and 
one crofs-table in the large room, in which 318 noblemen 
and gentlemen fat down ; and in the adjoining room there 
were" 72, making together 400 perfons ; and it is not an 
exaggeration to fay, that their .united property was not 
lefs than fifteen millions of money.—The decoration of 
the head-table was fplendid. The parterre, or fand-work, 
reprefented, in one place, Britannia offering her afiiftance 
to‘ Spain ; in another, Fame fupporting a medallion, on 
which were infcribed the names of the different provinces 
of Spain which flood foremoft in refilling the common 
enemy; in another, the figure of Time crowning the 
Spanifli patriot’s flag with laurel ; in another, the figure 
of Hope leaning on the rock of Juftice ; in other parts, 
the arms and ftandards of Spain intermixed with thofe of 
England, with different mottos, fucli as “ Vencero morir,” 
“ Succefs to the Spanilh Heroes,” &c. &c. The orna¬ 
ments flood from feven to eight feet high ; pourtraying, in 
one part, the battle of the Nile, with the blowing up of 
l’Orient; in another, trophies of flags, &c. &c. at the 
tops of all, the royal ftandards of England and Spain ; 
the whole finiftied with garlands and bouquets of flowers, 
China figures, vales, &c. &c. 
That generous fpirit, which always evinces itfelf in the 
metropolis whenever opportunity occurs, foon fuggefted 
a fubfcription in favour of the Spaniards. A numerous 
and refpeClable meeting of the merchants and traders of 
London, was held on the 9th of December, at the fame 
tavern, for the purpofe of inftituting a fubfcription in aid 
of the patriotic armies in Spain. The lord-mayor was 
called to the chair ; who, on taking it, obferved, that the 
caufe for which they had met together was of fo glorious 
and meritorious a nature, and fpoke fo powerfully for it¬ 
felf to the hearts of all prefent, that little or nothing was 
left for him to fay, further than to exprefs the pride he 
felt in prefiding over fo highly refpeflable a meeting, and 
the intereft which, he was perfuaded, every true Englifh- 
man took in its fuccefs.—Mr. Rowcroft thought it necef- 
fary to inform the meeting of fome circumliances which 
had occurred relative to it. Thole who had propofed to 
call it, had, in the firll place, confidered the popular feel¬ 
ing which prevails fo tlrongly in favour of Spain, and 
which would, he trailed, be made manifeft by the mea- 
fure which was now recommended. They had alfo af- 
certained that government would fee with pleafure fucli a 
manifeftation of the public mind refpedling the Spanifli 
caufe, and that Inch a meafure would be very pieafing to 
the Spanifli deputy in this country, admiral Apodaca, 
who would thankfully receive, and fpeediiy tranfmit to 
his own country, whatever funis fliould be fubfcribed for 
its ufe. Due notice was then given of the meeting, which 
had drawn the attention of minifters, who were anxious 
that every appearance fliould be avoided which would 
feem like a reflection call upon them, for omitting any 
exertion that it was in tlieir power to make in aid of the 
Spanifli caufe. This feeling had induced Mr. Perceval, 
the chancellor of the exchequer, to write a letter to the 
lord-mayor (which had been received only a few hours), 
explanatory of the aids which government had already 
furniflied, or were now furnilhing. He then read the letter, 
which was to the following effect:—“My Lord ; Under¬ 
standing that a meeting is to be convened under the fanc- 
tion of your lordfhip, for the purpofe of promoting afub- 
D O N, 179 
fcription for the purchafe of flioes, clothes, and other ne- 
ceffaries, for the Spanilh army, I feel it neceffary to furnifh 
you with the fullelt information of what has been already 
done, and what is now doing, by government for thofe 
objefls. I hope I fiiall not be fo far tnifunderft.ood, as to 
be fuppofed defirousof repreffing any proof which the city 
of London may be difpofed to give, of that fentiment 
which is felt fo generally in this country ; but I feel ap- 
prelienfive, that, unlefs great caution be ufed, fome injury 
might be done to that caufe which it is the objedl of this 
meeting to promote. I therefore think it neceffary to in¬ 
form you, that, as to the purchafe of flioes, which is Hated 
as the ill'll object of the fubfcription, government have 
taken every means of procuring an abcndant fupply. 
From the orders they bad given, not only in England, 
but in Ireland and Scotland, they expert-to be furniflied 
with 40 or 50,000 paira-month for the Britifli and Spanifli 
armies. If the zeal of individuals were to go farther, 
there would be a great danger that it would create a com¬ 
petition, which would raife the price, and be otherwife 
injurious. The fame obfervation would alfo apply to a 
fubfcription for the purpofe of buying uniforms or cloth¬ 
ing. With regard to arms, ammunition, and field-equi¬ 
page, it is unneceffary for me to make any remark, as I 
underftand that fucli articles are not within the contem¬ 
plation of thofe gentlemen who are about to promote the 
fubfcription in view. The money, however, which may 
be fubfcribed might be applied to the purchafe of other 
articles, which could not interfere with thofe on which, 
government are occupied, and which would have the ad¬ 
vantage of manifefting unequivocally to Spain, that, be- 
fides the government of this country, file lias with her the 
ftrong willi and general feeling of the people.”—A com¬ 
mittee was appointed ; and the fubfcriptions quickly 
amounted to a very large fum. 
When the real flate of affairs in Spain became manifeft 
to all Europe by the flight of king Jofeph from Madrid, 
and the concentration of the French forces on the defiles 
of Bifcay, and on the Ebro, Bonaparte’s farcafms againft 
the inl'urgents, and his mifreprefentations of fa<5ls, were 
interrupted for a long time, as well as his military ope¬ 
rations. Not a word was faid of Spain. Even the Moni- 
teur was filent. The world entertained great curiofity to 
know what face would be put on the flight of Jofeph, and 
the inactivity of the French in Spain. It was given out by 
the French government at Madrid, that the king found it 
neceffary to retire for a time from that city, for the benefit 
of his health ; which was every-where made a lubjecl of 
ridicule. But nothing at ail was faid on the matter in the 
newfpapers of France, Italy, or Germany. It was evident 
to Bonaparte, that the Spanifli infurreclion was of too fe- 
rious and formidable a nature to be treated lightly in re- 
fpe£l of either words of aftions. It was manifeflly not to 
be cruflied but by a very large force, and a larger one too 
than any he could march againft it, if the Germans fliould 
avail themfelves of fo inviting an occafion to throw off 
his yoke ; and, above all, if the emperor of Ruftia fliould 
fwerve from the treaty of Tilfit. Orders weretranfmitted 
from Paris to the members of the Confederation of the 
Rhine, to call out their refpeiftive quotas. Of fhe Ger¬ 
man troops of this confederation, 80,000 were taken into 
the pay of France, clothed in the uniform of French fol- 
diers, and fent into France to garrifon the towns quitted 
by French regiments fent to reinforce the French army in 
Spain. By this manoeuvre, it was his objeft to render it 
impoffible for the German princes to revolt from him to 
Auffria, while at the fame time he flationed a force in 
France better for Tome of his purpofes, fuch as that of en¬ 
forcing the confcription, than that wjiich it replaced ; in- 
afmuch as Germans would not be fo likely as the French 
regiments to fympathife and coalefce with the people. 
But, whatever might be the inclinations or the attempts 
of the Germans, they were not to be confidered as formi¬ 
dable, if the Emperor of the North, as Bonaparte had af- 
fefted to flyle him, fliould abifls by his engagements. 
3 Alexander* 
