THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE, 
« 
No. 104. | 
gi atl 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
STR, 
HE philic mind has lately been im- 
preifed with the belief that an inva- 
fion of tnis couniry is not only a pofible, 
but even a probable event. 
Aveusr 1, 
I would by ro means difcourage the 
prepsracions which are making to meet 
the ‘threatened atrack ; but I conider it my 
duty to expofe a faife impreflion, which 
has lately tended to deitroy the confi- 
cence between man and man, that ts fo 
eflential t> the welfare and profperity of a 
commercial nation like Britain. 
My countrymen ought to feel, that, in 
order to fucceed in his defign, it is not 
enough that the CHieF CoNnsuL of 
FranCE, in the furor of his ambition, 
fhrould vuz/l, w/b, or threaten, an invafion 
of this country! Before he can enable 
any formidable force to effect a landing, 
he has great and expenfive preparations to 
m2ke, he hasdifficulties ofa phyfical nature 
to encounter, and he has, the vigilance, 
the power, and the peculiar refources of 
th's country to overcome. 
In the firft place he muft colleét toge- 
ther from various ports the numerous vef- 
fels and fmall cratt which are neceifary 
to tranfport his army ; but as_ the 
coalis of France and Holland are cover. 
ed wth our cruizers, very few of them 
would efcape; and it may be prefumed, 
without the hazard of contradiftion, that 
four out of five of thofe veffels moving 
along the French coat from one port to 
another, would either be captured or de- 
ftroyed. 
Suppole this difficulty furmounted, and 
a multitude of veffels affembled in any 
port of France, fufficient for the tranfport 
of an army, what would be the obvious 
policy of the Britifh Government ?— 
They wou'd inftantly commit toour brave 
failors and foldiers the tafk of entering 
fuch port, and of burning, fcuttling, and 
finking the whole of the aflembled fleet. 
The more of them, the more certain 
would be their deftruction ; and there is. 
not a fingle port of France or Holland, 
(Breit excepted, and that portis not fuited 
to the purvole,) that could prote& them 
from the aitack of our fuperior and refo- 
Jute naval forces. 
Moniuzux Mac. No, 104, 
1803. _ [No. 1, of Vou. 16. 
Should one attack be d-feated, it would 
be renewed again and again, till our ef- 
forts were crowned with fuccefs, and the 
enemy’s armament rendered ulelefs, or an- 
nibilated. 
Until, then, we have totally failed as - 
affailants, the idea of a ferious or formi- 
dab'e invafion ought to be treated wih 
utter contempt by every man of common 
fenfe or prudence. ‘The enemy may per- 
chance vomit on our coalts a few hundred 
troops, the unhappy victims of their ma- 
lice—they may rep-at the follies of Fi/b- 
guard and Killala ; but fuch invafions as 
thofe will ferve rather to keep alive our 
national fpirit, than to exciie in us any 
ferious alarm! —- 
Should it be urged, that the enemy 
may make preparations in feveral ports at 
the fame time, with a view to tianfport 
feveral armies ; I apply the fame fyftem of 
offence to feveral ports as to one, and with 
greater certainty of fuccels.* They cans 
not launch a boat, or drivea nail, in any 
one of their ports, without being feen or 
heard by our bold and vigilant cruizers : 
a ftate of matured preparations on their 
part, and the moment of reiterated and 
fuccefsful aflault on ours, will,. therefore, 
always accompany each other, till the ene- 
my are tired of the expences and ufelefs. 
toil of preparation. 
In this view of the fubje&t, it will 
{carcely be neceflary to fuppofe that the 
enemy's armament will ever be able to 
make their appearance at fea. Should 
they, however, baffle our affaults, fo as 
to preferve the integrity of their fleet, and 
have the temerity, in the face of our na- 
val forces, to come out of their harbours, 
the Englifh cruizers, who every day ‘clofe- 
ly watch their motions, and could be at 
no lofs to anticipate their precife inten- 
tions, will, of courfe, be affembled in 
fufficient force to lay all the hopes of the 
enemy, and the fearsof our women and 
* .As I confidera defcent tobe a moft ridi- 
culous bugbear, Ilay no ftrefs on the abfur- 
dity of fuch a feparation of the enemy’s 
forces, nor on the additional certainty of their 
being fucceffively cut to pieces, fhould they 
in this divided manner attempt or effect a 
landing. 
. — ghildrens 
