The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-09-03 00:00:00

w•es ♦do LERESTING FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. coaaacrio PIINCIP•LLY BY ♦N SYS WITNESS. vsay IItrCIINTLY RITIJaVED raosa THE CON. TIMENT. TILSIT, MILMILL, RIGA• iva.•u, illitTot.•` O: stet •00 woun•ao, &C On the French soldiery taking possession of Til sit, the town was given up to plunder for two days, and scenes of excess, equally shocking to decency and humanity, took place : Order, however, was at length restored, and a new scene of things opened to the view of the astonished inhabitants ; the French troop,. (about 95,000 in number) released from the hardships Oa campaign, undertook to exemplify in a very sin gular way, that versatility of charaaer for which they ' , aye long been proverbial amongst their neighbours: they colleeted in the suburbs of Tilsit, the wreck of some hundreds of villages, (chiefly wood), wantonly destroyed in their progress, and with those they raised, in about thrm days, and as it were by magic, an exten sive town, after the German fashion, with many streets, and sufficiently large to accommodate their whole body; they next cut up a very fine wood in the neighbourhood, consisting of several thousands of trees, which they transported to the scene of their operations, and planted, in their luxuriant foliage, fn avenues in every street of this new Pandemonium; end to complete the whole, every man who had any thing like a tt Stock in Trade," opened a shop. Bonaparte': entering Tilsit. he took up his abode in the house of a person of respeEtalsility l who expressed his regret, that, in consequence of the plundering of the place, he had it not in his power to accommodate him in a suitable stile, a soldier having stolen all his plate; the Emperor expressed himself quite satisfied with his sitnatfon. His host took the liberty of introducing the subje& of his stolen plate a second and a third time, in hopes of having it restored ; at last the Emperor silenced him by a contemptuous answer ; at supper, the great man ask- 'ter some particular kind of wine; his hostess sea is a very submissive message to iallerm him, that they had been plundered of thee wine ; he said, it must be forthcoming..... Panetta MOW instantly dispatched through the town to procure it. but returned without sue sew ; he then ordered them to send to such a man (ate of his own thieves), in such a street and house, sad they wou)d bad what he wanted : this was ac sordingly done, and the wine was procured.-43nr jog the period of the negotiations. the two Em perors and the sing of Prussia dined together al most daily, and were seldom separated s dew of the party appeared determined to en)o# every luxury, whiles, at the same time, their armies. and espe cially the wretched and unsheltered inhabitants of the surrounding country. were experiencing all the horrors of famine. In Tilsit provisions were enor mously high ; amongst the rest. lump sugar was 6s per pound, and porter ss. a bottle; forage was aearly exhausted, the little hay which was left. sold at is. per pound, and the French dragoons fed their horses with rice. At Memel, every thing was confusion and dis tress ; all the churches (one excepted) were filled with the sick and wounded soldiers, and the wood. votk torn up, and converted into fuel, which was essecesliligly scarce and dear. And at Riga, for tuany dAys, hundreds of small waggons came in, laden with the Russian soldiery, ink, or suffering fit m wounds; these were deposited es the beach, in ordcr to their being shipped for their own country, mid, in this situation, they lay, exposed to the ieorching rays of the sun by day, and the chilling dews by night ; very few of them had a hat, or any other covering than a worn-out watch-coat, and tearcely a dressing to their wounds; in this situ. anion, they continued three days and n4l ts. dutin± which short period no .est than forty terminated their miseries in death, alid w-re w cesacely thrown into large holes dug i:: the sand for the purpose. One of these wretched beings, e' bei,:g placed in be grave with his lifeless companions, made a strug gle to extricate himself fr.im pr. mature inter.mnit, and was taken out, and survived tong enough to be carried nn board a transport; another, from the agony he suffered, was induced to beg, for pity's stake, that he might be buried Wier; which was ac cordingly complied with!!! The survivors bad no other sustenance than bread made of the worst part of rye, so lard, that it could not be eaten, and so c 'arse, that the French soldiers declared it was only fit for Rstsiama a il A ee . In surveying this scene of supreme wretchedness, its company with a llus.ian gentleman, our informant was accosted by one of these miserable beings, apparently in the last agonies of death, b tt ignorant of his language s oinion for an explanation; the begs you, for Christ's sake, to buy a little fresh bread." Affea must be to a mind possessed of the ipity, the .urroitmling multitude mast stnpid and anfeeliag in ner ialuosaat emphati,:all j r iglishutaa would taut have treated his q with that inhumanity, which the brat* Rus sian soldiers experienced from their countrymen end neighbours. With the circumstances and result of the battle of Freydlaad, the public are already pretty well ac quainted. It appears to have been sanguinary almost heyoed example ; it continued until boil' armies, as if hcrror•struck, and by mutual consent, ceased from the work of destrutlion, and stood gazing on each other, in awful silence, far a considerable time; on renewing the contest, the Prussians gave way, and Bonaparte, with his usual promptitude and pre sence of mind, instantly turned thtrn, and gained a dear-bought, bet decisive viecry. Another such would have been his ruin $ for it is well known, that he has drawn net of France, since the commence ment of hostilities with Prussia, at least 200,000 na tive Frenchmen, scarcely 25,000 of whom will ever return home. About six weeks after the battle of Eylats, an English Gentleman was led by cariosity to visit Ilse place, which was almost deserted by its inhabitants' the frost was just breaking up, and the streets pre sented a scene which chilled him wit► horror; they were covered with hundreds of the slain, most of which were naked, and exhibited the destradive of. fells of the bullet, the bayonet, and the tabre. The countenances of many were marked with all the fierceness of savage, and the agonies bf expiring na. ture ; one very tall and athletic man, he observed, had had his skull eleven by the stroke of a sabre, which was not stopped till it reached the lower jaw. He remarked, that the Russians and French were easily distinguishable by the difference in colour. After the battle, the French cut large holes in the ice, and threw hundreds of their deadinto the river; these, on the breaking ap of the frost, floated, and rendered the river a setae of horror, equal with that of the streets. he applied to hie cnm sumer 11 25, " lie la • ewe him a grog to bu lig match a scene mt S A bon spirit , it hnmani surveyed it with zh • difference ; our .;I %rad, that an FAO • tosNMAitg. It is now enificketly ascertained. that a Pad understanding subsisted between the Courts of Copenhagen and London, previous to the arrival of the British lea at the Sound, although the sub jects of both canines were unacquainted with this important circumstance. A person was dispatched to Copenhagen, an the first intimation of the fleet's approaching the Danish traitor?, from the for tress of Cronberg, for instralions how to ati : the answer was, that the British Beet must pass unmo lested. Admiral Gambier, in the Niue, if Wales, brought up of the Coll, in the afternoon or even ing ; and the following morals", weighed, with a fine breeze, and in a short deseke go his anchor within musket shot of the Castle of Croneerg. with twelve sail of the line, besides she flarship, end eleven vessels of war of inferior force. The shore was crowded with spalators. The Admirel fired a gun: this was the moment of anxiety and suspense In the extreme, as the Danes would have it the gun was 'duetted, and they expelled every instant that it would be returned in a hostile way by the gar , rison ; the while, however, ended in s salsa of 15 guns from the British fleet, which was warned by sine of 17 from !he fort. This friendly termina ' tion of the above business appeared to be highly satisfaaory to the Danes. Amongst the spedators, however. was a French gentleman, who seemed greatly chagrined he said to an acquaintance, who stood near hint, with a sasse s Se, year frita.h, I see, ere folliglag I" and pointed to the Bas ilan YLZST :—Yrs, Si.." replied the other, hat ,lure are your fries& r-. GA r rejoined the Frenchman, jest ewe She water." Before the gen . denten, who witsiesuid these circumstances. left Denmark, (about three weeks ago), the Great Man had intimated to the Danes, that they had nothing to do with the Continent—Providence having clearly d fined their boundaries by the Bette. KING OF PRUSSIA. The fare of the King of Proseia excites very ge neral commiseration amongst those who are Ae quair.ted with his chandler, and the circumstances of his case; after an that has been said of him, it appears (rum the testimony of those who are in every reap. a best qualified to judge, that the vsn dua of this ill-fete) Monarch, in a domestic point of view, has *Jailors's!, been highly estimable and exemplary He is known to be a kind and affec tionate husband and fataer ; socially considered, he is affable, humane, and benevolent ; and there is no proof ch.* he is dlficient in the best ft .1 a. lihcations requisite in a Sovereign. It would, however, seem, that he is greatly wanting in that Machiavelian po!icy which governs too many of the European Court, at the present day, and that his honesty may hive indireetly contributed to lay the foundation of his misfortunes. Happy would it have been for m takind, had all other Mossarehs adopted his governing principle' s Enrope, in such Casa, would at this moment have been repos log in the a: ins of peace, and the liens of mafiosos of our fellow-men, 'sacrificed to the mad ambition of a very few howniable individuals,) whose blood has deluged the earth in melancholy su:cession, *mild have been spared. Had doe Mager Prussia, however. not been cursed with dishonest advice in the Cabinet, and his armies headed by cowards and traitors in the field, his present unmerited and gall ing degradation, in all likelihood, would never have taken place. This is strong language, but it is the language of truth. It is a well-shows jars, that in different eagagemmts with the French, the Prussian Offi:ers, almost to a man, deserted their posts. and left the troops under their comma:.d to fight alone ; when the latter found there were none to head or dire then's, they very naturally gave way :—the disaster and defeat which followed are too generally known to recoire any re-statement When the issue of the battle of Freydland first reached the King of Prussia, he appeared exceed ingly afefled ; he has been observed slowly pacing ;he avenues of Memel, in the ta,tiform of his guards. quite alone, for hours, with his eyes fixed on the ground. and would frequently stand fixed so ora! spot, lost in thought, for half an hour together ; before our informant left Mental, however, he ap peared to have recovered, considerably, his wonted cheerfulness. LING OF' SWEDEN. Little information c.iii be Alf ,rded of this charac ter. His impetuosity of temper, it is justly feared, augurs small advantage to the cause in which he is engaged. His charader. it would seem, is form ing on the model of his renowned ancestor, Charles XII. justly termed by our excellent poet, Thomson, " The frantic Alexander of the North."—Let us hope, however, that his career will have a very dif ferent termination; he is quite a soldier, and seems ready to brave the hardships of a military life.—ln his condua, he is arbitrary, consistent with the na ture of the Swedish Constitution : a single anecdote will stAciently illustrate this last circumstance. One of his attendants (and who it would seem was a person of consequence) having offended him, the King, without the least ceremony, knocked him down: this instantly produced a sort of menace from the suffering offender, intimating that the insult would not ►e forgotten: the haughty Monarch, finding he bad carried matters too far, WAS fain to offer a sooth ing apology. EMPEROR OF RIISSIA. From the first intimation of the Emperor of Rut eia's intention to join his army, the consequences which followed that step were foreseen by many. It is well known that there is a powerful French Party in hi: capital, who are incessantly occupied in promoting the views and objells of Bonaparte ; these too are not ignorant of the real chars ter of Alexander, any more than his own senate, who ap pear to have been suffieiently aware, that his too easy temper and convivial habits might make him the dupe of French artifice, and lead him to sacri fice the interests of his empire by a dishonourable and disadvantageous peace ; and therefore they sent a positive injuntlion to General Bennigsen, either to lose the battle of Freydland, or retreat in the event of his gaining it. In either case, the senate expelled to have secured the object of peace, without sacrificing the interests of their commerce: Ben nigsen did lose the battle, but his master com pletely Disappointed the intentions of the senate. A gentleman of the first respellability told our inform ant, that he heard a French officer declare, that if the Russian and Prussian armies had stood firm for two hr,urs longer in the last engagement, the French must have unavoidably given way; this however could not be expected ; the fixed hatred and jealousy the Russians and Prussians bear to, and have of, each other, must, on every such occasion, necessarily tend to their disunion and discomfiture. Every thinking man who has visited, and who is acquaint ed with the real state of the Continent, is convinced that the operation of these destrultive principles, in combination with the ignorance and treachery in their cabinets and in the field, and their very gene. rai degradation, both moral and political, must render most, if not the whole, of the Continental States, in succession, and at no very distant period, an easy prey to the superior tactics, commanding irfluence, en! unbounded ambition of France. EMPEROR OF FRANCE. Every circumstance conneled with the political (bargees and condud of this most extraordinary men, indicates the most imposing superiority of mind ; not, however, of an enviable kind. It may. indeed, excite the anonishment of the wise and good, but Is in no tespeß calculated to secure their esteem. In many cf his persons! habits. Bonaparte carries his temperance and self-denial to an almost unparal leled extreme. it is well known. that at Tilsit be did not sleep more than two hours r the twenty' four. Night after night, a: twelve o'clock, he went alone to the residence of the Emperor Alexander. and continued with him until four in the mottling. In this case he was his own Negotiator ; and when two such heads corn* into collision, it is easy to pre diet the result. Bonaparte, oa every public occa sion, manifests to the world the most profound knowledge of human nature and national ellarallsr, sad never fails to tura this kuowledgs to his own advantage: it is the corn: ass by wl.ich he gou t sr his political progress with undeviating , access ask the Continent. Surroande Iby an army, ves-ft ins terests and views he affeets to assimilat e veid o his own, by a singularly-anomalous policy , ne ger-monkey management of stripes and caresses. eaaaly adapted to the circumstances of the time and temper of the people with whom he has had t‘ do, he successively wins over their besotted asquie... cence with his ambitious schemes of universal & a minion, and rivets their chains is the face cl assy. Darin tho lat.! nerciations, the kmperor and .r and the King of Prussia rot onl7 graced bi t rides, the one no his right, and the other on hand, but an express was dispatched for the I,>:fte' of Prussia to attend at Tilsit : she obeyed, a. • v „ escorted by two ±French Marsisals; and on h r rival on the opposite side of the river, ll:snap:urn ,:.- nsediately sent a message, expressive of his that he could not wait on bur personally, as st - ,e on enemy's ground ; but if she would CT, !!7i bridge to Tilsit, he should be prrud to ;ay her repeal: this she did, and he was instsctly in presence, and manifested the greatest politeness and attention to her. In his exterior appearance, he feels the utmost simplrcity and plainness, and siailtt his Marshals are tricked ollt in the most gently stile that can possibly be conceived, his own dress is plain green coat, without ornament or insignia, add a p!.sin cocked hat, with the tri-coloured cnckt.le. In his person, he is about the middle sift, and tenet inclined to be stout ; his countenance exhibits a sickly appearance—the natural consequence of hit and exertions, which ate such, as might be very sonably concluded, no physical constitstion eCtl;4 saibly sustain. From statements like the Foregoing, Many ar4 , highly important and useful inferences might lit drawn; they tend to prove, in the first place, trig there is a God that judgeth the earth, and that is most assuredly the moral governor of tht am. verse, and that when nations cast of his fear, and refuse to obey the calls of his mercy, they snail termer or later feel the dreadful egret% of his offend• ed justice—What t►inking man, who believes tits Bible to be the revealed will of God, witl hesitate for &moment to admit that the hand of the Almighty has been in the late awful calamities on the Conti nent, especially when he is assured of the extensive spread of infidelity, the systematic profanation of the Sabbath, and the almost universal licenti3us. nest of manners—a licentioasneus at which few Englishmen would not blush ; and whey he is fur. titer told, that blasphemy. lying, thieving, . nest, indecency of every kind. and suicide, are the order of the day, and that the inhabitants of Continent, are, generally speaking, not only en. tirely destitute of religious information; hut also manifest, on almost every common occasica, a to• tal dereliCtion of moral principle. We may, in the second place, infer, that Bona. paste. with all his ingenuity, cannot destroy the trade of this country with the Continent. When a nation has been the seat of war, its own nianufse. cures (even the most necessary) must be at a stand; with these it must be supplied from other coon:rico, and England alone has the mean: of supplying such demand, through the numbers and excellence of her artisans, and has the poser', through the vast pre dominance of her maritime strength; and so long as our grand enemy has not subdued and enslaved the wbole of the Continent, our meaufaehure, w:11 find their way thither, either through a di: l C " circuott.us route. Should Denmark prove rtier.d:y to our views, Zealand aiil be one of the gran ' depots of British merchandise; and if the Kirt3 Sweden continue firm, his country will fornisk ther.—We are confirmed in this idea by the deration of the nations of the Con!i%ett far behiad us in the useful arts; for it is blished fait, that almost every thing Caere, useful or ornamental in the arts, is the p our own COMM]. Thirdly, Should the Head of the Frent persist in his plan of ez,luding our mere from the Continent, we probably shall, in defence, seize every ship that may be found and cut off the supplies afforded by any other which might be friendly to his views. in promote their own.—This opinion is sireni by its correspondence with those of tlx lightened foreigners. Our informant was Prussian gentleman, that if Elsland aaee t• &Jut • rigor••• avast •f gnreral bloc especially if dm pt . step lii the issoyertalion prodmee, the whole Coaliment, is three moo, is in wN generaijame.—This ought to teach rica a lawn of prudence and caution in doe towards this country, against which. cote declares war. ber incalculably profitable name with the French colonies will be ruined single blow. Lastly, It is highly consolatory to such beyond the fl.:eting events of the ;moment, the corn; ass by which he govei s , tic gross with undeviating 'access cr Fbs Surro.ande I by an army, w't-se ire lts sirs he affects to assimilate with v sr pt iinguemlarelnyt of stri p es-anomalim and s policy c z tit7: ag wl to the circumstances of the times ed Ite people with whom he has had to ly wins over their besotted asqltie k . 1 ^ nbitious tchemes of universal do. T eta their chains is the face dope r , In sr nerciations, the kmperor Ale. li ng of Prussia rot onl7 graced Lis is his right, and the other on his !•rt weis was dispatched for the 1 ,):• ,, ,• 4 end at Tilsit : she obeyed, a. french Marshals; end on h .• kite side of the river, ll:snapsrtr ermine, expressive of his t wait on hot personally, as at - ,e iund ; but if she would CT, he should be prrud to gay her It's did, and he was iastintly in h:r inifested the greatest politeness and In his exterior appearance, het!: iimpheity and plainness, and walla tricked out in the most gandy be conceived, his own dress is 3 without ornament or inrigeia , ad.l It, with the tri-coloured cocks.2e. In about the middle sift, and ratites. set ; his countenance exhibits a sickly natural consequence of hit skh ate such, as might be very ed, no physical constitution ecti;d tuts like the foregoing, many ar4 it and useful inferences might Ile d to prove, in the first place, teat at judgeth the earth, and that 'es y the moral governor of the se. rhen nations east of his fear, and the calls of his Mercy, they snail iel the dreadful egret% of his offend- s thinking man, who believes the revealed will of God, will hesitate kiosk that the hand of the Almighty ate awful calamities on the Conti- when he is assured of the extensive ity, the systematic profanation of the almost universal licentious. t—a licentioasneus at which few Id not blush ; and whey he is fur. blasphemy, lying, thieving, kwd. )f every kind, and suicide, are the r. and that the inhabitants of th generallyy s a f ost religious every speaking , c i cm information; o i o c n n c o i i h c o u a n t: a also en . to. moral principle. e 11;n3 rnish an t iseing as e>: - wheth" prod a rtch ndirta orchardist ^tt• OWL lad at to.- her pore: I order erw.hentc roust t^ . told hy disisrainei (hale, iv' t e4otimitt: the, trona ach Arne- I her eon- lich, if she cable.com- Gioia at A ch as lork ant, to re-