1801.] THE NORTHERN TREATY OF ARMED NEUTRALITY. 401 write, or say, thus:-"Tell him, I am now quite well, quite recovered from my illness; but what has he not to answer for who is the cause of my having been ill at all ?" Pitt, says Malmesbury, in his answer "by Willis," which answer was most dutiful, humble, and contrite, said he would give up the Catholic question."* 66 The new ministry was in office. Mr. Addington had succeeded Mr. Pitt, as Premier; lord Eldon had succeeded lord Loughborough as Chancellor. Loughborough had gained nothing by his intrigues, except the privilege of flattering the king in his casual visits to Windsor. Lord Grenville was replaced as Foreign Secretary by lord Hawkesbury; Mr. Dundas, Secretary of State, made way for lord Hobart; Mr. Windham, Secretary of War, was superseded by Mr. Yorke. Canning promised Pitt that he would not laugh at the Speaker's appointment to the Treasury. The substitution of respectable mediocrities in the great offices held by Grenville, Dundas, and Windham, was not likely to bring his sarcastic powers more under the control of his prudence. In the royal Speech at the opening of the Session, on the 2nd of February, it was announced that the court of Petersburgh had concluded a Convention with the courts of Copenhagen and Stockholm, for establishing a new code of maritime law, inconsistent with the rights and hostile to the interests of this country. The king, therefore, had taken the earliest measures to repel the aggressions of this hostile confederacy. On the previous 16th of December, a Treaty of Armed Neutrality had been ratified between Russia, Denmark, and Sweden, upon the principle that neutral flags protect neutral bottoms. To the remonstrances of the British Government, the emperor Paul answered by causing an embargo to be laid on all British vessels in his ports. On the 14th of January, a proclamation was issued by Great Britain, authorising reprisals, and laying an embargo on all Russian, Swedish, and Danish vessels. In a treaty of amity and commerce made in September, 1800, between France and the United States of America, it was stipulated that the flag should protect the cargo. The previous conduct of France to America had been grounded upon the most arbitrary assertion of the old maritime law of Europe. England had relaxed the strictness of the right of search and of blockade, in some exceptional instances. France had now a direct interest in encouraging the Northern powers in an armed resistance to that system of maritime law which England generally upheld; for the navies of France had been swept from the seas, and she could only obtain articles "contraband of war" through the ships of the Northern powers and other maritime neutrals, such as Prussia. Hostilities against these powers was a measure of national safety. An expedition to the Baltic had been planned and organized before the resignation of the Pitt ministry. Another expedition, whose destination was Egypt, had also been planned upon a magnificent scale-that of the united action of a body of troops under general Abercromby; of a detachment from India; and of an armament promised by the Grand Seignior. During the ministerial crisis of suspense, and after the change of government, there was no relaxation in the progress of these warlike demonstrations. On the 10th of December Abercromby had sailed from Malta in a fleet which carried seventeen thousand British troops; and had arrived in Malmesbury, vol. iv. p. 34. 402 EXPEDITION AGAINST DENMARK. [1801. the Levant in the beginning of February, where he found that the success of his operations must depend upon himself alone. On the 12th of March, a fleet of eighteen sail of the line, with frigates and smaller vessels, left Yarmouth roads for the Baltic, under the command of admiral sir Hyde Parker, with lord Nelson as vice-admiral. Both these expeditions were successful; and their success gave eclat to the early days of the Addington administration— although the honour, whatever it might be, of their conception, rested with the predecessors of "my own Chancellor of the Exchequer," as the king rejoiced to call his new minister. On the 21st of March the English fleet was in the Kattegat. Mr. Vansittart, who had come with the expedition as an envoy, had gone to Copenhagen in a frigate, with a flag of truce, to see if war could be averted by negotiation. He brought back an answer of defiance on the 23rd. The question then arose, whether Copenhagen should be attacked by the fleet. proceeding by the passage of the Belt, or by the passage of the Sound. Nelson was impatient of delay, and said to the admiral, "Let it be by the Sound, or by the Belt, or any way, so that we lose not an hour." The Danes had been working most assiduously at their defences, whilst Vansittart was negotiating and Parker was hesitating. M. Thiers suggests that the admiral was chosen because he was old and experienced, and knew how to conduct himself under difficult circumstances; that the vice-admiral was placed at his side, in case it were necessary to fight, for that Nelson was only fit to fight.* The issue of this great contest will shew us what Nelson was fit for. Orders were at last given to pass the Sound, as soon as the wind would permit. At day-break on the 30th the signal for sailing was given. In order of battle, Nelson leading the van, the fleet prepared to force the passage to the Baltic between the coast of Denmark and the coast of Sweden-the famous passage where every ship, from a far-gone time, had been compelled to lower her topsails and pay toll at Elsinore. The Danish side of the passage was guarded by Cronenburg Castle. On the Swedish side, at Helsenburg, separated in this, the narrowest part, by a distance of about three miles, there were no defences capable of resistance. The British fleet kept within a mile of the Swedish shore, and the guns of Cronenburg Castle were harmless. The whole fleet anchored at noon above the island of Huën, about fifteen miles from Copenhagen. The defences were surveyed, and being found very formidable, a council of war was held in the evening. Nelson opposed all arguments for delay, and offered to conduct the attack with ten sail of the line, and all the smaller vessels. Parker assigned him twelve sail of the line. But there were other perils than that of the fire of the enemy. The approach to Copenhagen was by an intricate and dangerous channel; and the Danes had removed or misplaced the buoys. Nelson, on the night of the 30th, proceeded himself in his boat to survey and re-buoy the outer channel. He was then meditating an attack from the eastward. This plan was changed; and on the morning of the 1st of April, the fleet took up another position off the north-western extremity of the Middle Ground, a shoal which extends along the whole seafront of Copenhagen, leaving an intervening channel about three-quarters of a mile wide. Close to the city the Danes had moored their ships. They had "Le Consulat et l'Empire," livre ix. 1801.] THE NAVAL BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN. 403 six sail of the line and eleven floating batteries, besides small vessels. Their line of defence nearest the town was flanked by two formidable works called the Crown Batteries. In the forenoon of the 1st, Nelson again reconnoitered the Danish position; and upon his return gave the signal to weigh. At about eight o'clock the ships dropped anchor, having coasted along the edge of the Middle Ground. Their anchorage was distant about two miles from the southernmost ship of the Danish line. Captain Hardy was employed in soundings, far into the night. When he reported that there was sufficient depth of water, there was no more sleep for the impatient vice-admiral. He was at work till morning with his clerks, preparing his orders for this day's terrible duty. "It was ten of April morn by the chime: As they drifted on their path There was silence deep as death; Well might the bravest have some doubts. The pilots had been ordered on board Nelson's ship. They were mostly mates of vessels in the Baltic trade. Their indecision perplexed and irritated the vice-admiral. He said afterwards, that heaven only knew what he must have suffered if any merit attached to him, it was for combating the dangers of the shallows in defiance of these pilots, who only wanted to keep their own heads clear of shot. The Edgar led the way. "The Agamemnon could not weather the shoal of the Middle, and was obliged to anchor.... The Bellona and Russell grounded.... These accidents prevented the extension of the line by the three ships." + The mistakes of the pilots led to the disasters of the Bellona and Russell; for they had said that the water shoaled on the larboard shore. Nelson came next to these ships, in the Elephant. He repaired the error, and led all the vessels astern of him safely on the starboard side. ‡ Captain Fremantle followed him in the Ganges. This officer says, "I dropped my anchor in the spot lord Nelson desired me from the gangway of the Elephant. In passing the line, my master was killed, and my pilot had his arm shot off, so that I was obliged to carry the ship in myself, and I had full employment on my hands."§ By half-past eleven the action had become general. Nine ships of the line only could take part in it. The diminution of Nelson's available force by one fourth caused those who were in the action to suffer more from the enemy's ships and batteries. Captain Riou, with six frigates and sloops, was to assist in the attack of the ships at the mouth of the harbour. "These accidents," writes Nelson, "threw the gallant and good captain Riou under a very heavy fire: the consequence has been the death of captain Riou, and many brave officers and men in the frigates and sloops."|| Admiral Parker, when the cannonade had lasted three hours, seeing how little progress to the scene of action had been made by three ships which he had sent as a reinforcement, gave the signal for discontinuing the engagement. That signal was No. 39. Nelson continued to walk the deck, without appearing to notice the * Campbell-" "Battle of the Baltic." Nelson's Dispatch-"London Gazette." See, for these nautical details, James's "Naval History," which is more accurate in these matters than Southey's "Life of Nelson." § Letter, dated April 4th, in "Court and Cabinets," &c., vol. iii. p. 151. || Dispatch. NELSON'S VICTORY-AN ARMISTICE CONCLUDED. [1801. "No. Acknow signal. "Shall I repeat it?" said the signal-lieutenant. and was killed as he hauled off from the tremendous fire to which he was exposed. About two the firing ceased along nearly the whole of the Danish line. But the vessels that had struck their flags fired on the boats that went to take possession of them. Fremantle says, the Elephant and Ganges were completely silenced, lord Nelson desired me "When the ships abreast of to go to him. He was in his cabin, talking to some Danish officers out of one of the ships captured, saying how anxious he was to meet the Russians, and wished it had been them, instead of Danes we had engaged. At this time he put into my hand a letter, which he meant immediately to send to the Crown Prince of Denmark in a flag of truce." It was the famous letter which he would not seal with a wafer, calling for wax and a candle, saying, "This is no time to appear hurried and informal:" "Vice-Admiral lord Nelson has been commanded to spare Denmark when she no longer resists. The line of defence which covers her shores has struck to the British flag; but if the firing is continued on the part of Denmark, he must set on fire all the prizes he has taken, without having the power of saving the brave men who have so nobly defended them." Fremantle says, aware that our ships were cut to pieces, and it would be difficult to get them "At this time he was out." A Danish superior officer appeared in about half an hour with a note from the Crown Prince, desiring to know the particular object of sending the flag of truce. Nelson wrote, that his object was humanity; that he consented that hostilities should cease; that he would take his prisoners out of the vessels, and burn or carry off his prizes as he should think fit; concluding with saying that he should consider this the greatest victory he had ever gained, if it should effect a reconciliation between his own sovereign and the king of Denmark. The firing having ceased entirely, Nelson lost not a moment in endeavouring to get out of his dangerous position amongst the shoals. "We cut our cables and ran out," writes Fremantle. ships were so crippled they would not steer. The Elephant and Defiance "The both ran on shore. We ran on shore, and the Monarch." There were six sail of the line and a frigate fast on shore before the batteries ceased firing. Nelson left the Elephant, and went to his admiral in the London, following the Danish adjutant-general, who had gone to the flag-ship to negotiate for terms. It was agreed that there should be a suspension of hostilities for four-andtwenty hours. During the night the boats of sir Hyde Parker's division were employed in getting the grounded ships afloat, and in bringing out the prizes. This great battle was fought on Good Friday. The next day Nelson went on shore, as arranged, for an interview with the Crown Prince. The accounts of Nelson's reception by the Danish people, on his way to the palace, differ. "There were neither murmurs nor acclamations," says Southey. Nelson himself told Fremantle that "he was hailed with cheers by the multitude, who came to receive him at the water-side." Some consider the cheers as a tribute to Nelson's humanity in sparing the conquered in the prizes, when * Southey-"Life of Nelson." 1801.] ASSASSINATION OF THE EMPEROR PAUL. 405 he might have destroyed them. Fremantle attributes the popular feeling to distaste of the quarrel with England: "The populace are much in our favour, and the merchants already feel the total want of commerce." After a negotiation which lasted five days, an armistice for fourteen weeks was agreed upon. The Danish government wanted an armistice for a shorter period, for Nelson said plainly that he required a long term that he might act against the Russian fleet. He finally prevailed. The Danish prisoners and the wounded were sent on shore; to be credited to the account of Great Britain in the event of renewed hostilities. The prizes, with the exception of one sixty-four, were burned. The stores found in the captured vessels enabled our fleet to be refitted. Nelson went off to the Baltic to look for the Russians; but a sudden event had changed the temper of the Court of St. Petersburgh. The emperor Paul had been assassinated. The czar of Russia was of a violent nature bordering on insanity, if he were not really mad. From being one of the fiercest haters of the French Revolution he had suddenly become an idolator of Bonaparte. Russia had sent her armies under Suwarroff to fight in the cause of the Allied powers in 1799. In 1800 Paul declared war against England, and burnt her merchant vessels. The suspension of the interchange of Russian products with British manufactures was fatal to the interests of the Russian proprietors of the soil. When they remonstrated, Paul threatened them with Siberia. Exile after exile was hurried away; the prisons were filled; executions were frequent; till the greatest and most powerful of the aristocracy began to think that their own safety could only be secured by the one terrible defence of enslaved populations against the caprices of their tyrants. His ministers, his wife, his children, were not safe from his fury. The palace in which he lived was guarded as a fortress. On the night of the 23d of March, the conspirators, by virtue of their military rank, obtained admission; and the czar was murdered in his bed-room. Bonaparte had the almost incredible meanness to promulgate in the Moniteur that the English government was to be suspected of this crime. The death of Paul destroyed one of his projects for the ruin of England. It broke up the adhesion of Russia to the Northern Treaty of Armed Neutrality; Sweden made no hostile demonstrations; and the armistice with Denmark was followed up by a general Convention in which all the disputes were adjusted. The French army in Egypt, when left by Bonaparte under the command of Kléber, had contended with very partial success against the Turks, under the command of the Grand Vizier; assisted by an English fleet commanded by sir Sidney Smith. The Allies recovered the fortress of El Arish; and Kléber, left with a force which he felt to be unequal to the retention of the country, agreed to evacuate Egypt, by a treaty signed at El Arish in January, 1800. One of the conditions was that the French troops should return without molestation to Europe. The British government refused to ratify the treaty; and Kléber renewed the war with increased vigour. He achieved victories over the troops of the Grand Seignior, which appeared to give the French secure possession of the country which they now expected that they should colonize. On the 14th of June, 1800, this most able of the French generals was assassinated at Cairo by a fanatic; and the command fell to general Menou. The expedition under general Abercromby was undertaken |