The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-07-26 00:00:00

P FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. GERMAN PAPERS. \ Viet, Wk. suLys. The nervy of Italy has joined the grand Army since the lit ; they amount Itegether to t 71,000 men. ell • c'Airike.,rOli• 12. Ws Majesty arrived on the rh'iltsl i achtetistein. The corps of the Duke u! Aistanteit bal dmgenthe enemy from Bamberg, and tet , n - from ^2 to 300 pritionors. The corps of tere'Dulte o: Iltuuswiek . retreated on the 6th. . FROM THE FRENCH PAURS. .._... MINISTRY OF THE MARINE. IMPORT Of CAPGAIN POTILT TO Tilt: 1111111111111 T Or MARINE. " Sta—On the eth April, ut half-pest eleven in the morning.. weather thirk, and a fresh breeze from W.N. W. lies Majesty's frigate Niemen itrirkr in • command, I diecocered an enemy's frigate, a. t two lees .and a half to leeward. I iin- MIN tAy tackeitto starboard ; but I scarcely made , i t mil. when I perceivertanother frigate to leewr•rd of the former, whiA obhged me to change my course, add stand off with all the tail I could carry. " Ae live tit the evening the wind changed to N.E. siith sqaalls; at which time the frigate in my wake tippea-c.t teinive somewhat the advantage of tailing. At 1.!;' past seven, I lost eight of the frigate to leeward. and the ether was distant about two leagues N.W. quarter N. At eight o'clock, she WHO men longer in sight ; and I immediately changed toy course, still carrying a pre:* dit sail. " At tii:ve-qaarte.rs pest 1111.1tt, a frigate apurared te the windward, and soon approached within half einittea shut. She made some signals, which were . answered by the vessel to leeward. and which I son po.ed to be one of those that chased me in the course of ~ , e day. The fire instantly commenced with the bow and lawn chasers of both ships. At half punt eleven, ally riggiug was much cut ; and not wishing to exposes myself to further damage, I decided on engaging. " A quarter of an hour afterwards, the action be gan at potok.sliot, tinder easy sail. Both *hip* made rise of various mancrivrcs until two o'clock. when I di.covered that the enemy was endeurour ing to lay same athwart hawse, by bearing down upon We. I adopted the sante nraudeuvre, and then - tacking to windward,. I passed under his stern. its whielcsituatiort I gave I - a hrtt+tisit!. My inteit tiou weeds board ;. but the enemy a t veided it by dropping to leeward. which give me the advan tage ef thewind. At hair-past two, I lost lay wizen tuast ; the larboard netting caught tine. The ene my, who was emelt crippled, availed himself , 44 thw accident. end. dropping astern. attacked eircr en the quarter. Ten minutes atter, the wreck •ofd the ,na.t was cleared, the tire extinguished. 14141-1 lorcniklit nay broadoitie to beef. " Within a quarter of three, t lied the satisfac- ' Lion to see the enemy lose in,. 'mato' and intern masts, and immediately melte mil bsjlire the wind, drawing along the two meats, which' retarded his sailing. He could only t a.-ry /NA 1411 lt6 foremast, which was shattered with vette. •• In about fifteen inn:ales my Brat Lieutenant, Valin inf ., air...! I :• - that the enemy 'had struck, end that titcy ',..urd-.: .3 ta mop tiring. I ordered;lll. Kara • . air in take possession of her, bit we mono tot. a , :sier frigate bear down to her maistauce...4. Sin , r.ade ,signals to her, and fired some musket shot et fete. I then renewed the action with four Wilms only, otv crew beau;; employed i.. repeirnig, damages, with the intention of fighting the 'lli.h frigate. which was only n short distance from its. " The action soon began with her, with repeated cries of ' Long live the Emperor !' Site lay along side me only a shoat time. My riggiug was is too bad a state to enable due to present lair from-riiii ging on lily starboard-quarter. from winch l eortltl not bring my gnus to bear on her. of italf-past four my maintop caught Mc so violently, that it was impossible to extinguish it, particiderly! as the bit elegiac had been rendered uuserviceaMe by a shot. Shortly aster, the mainmast fell by thti board, and encumbered the gulls, athich could tibt, be hrosgfit to hear ell the first frigate. Tins res. sel took part tin time action by firing Otto my bow., and this was my position when, at three quarter, post Poor, I struck to the ArriAtisa, of 414 gone ; -IO eighteen*, 2 nines, and Ift thirty-two pound ear- ~.. . . ron.nita. •• The Antealai, which I engaged for six hours and a WIC was of the same force. " Vonr ExcAlency will be pleased to take notice. that before thy drethnsa came up, which hail her') cruisni l : on the coast of Spain (for it was not tin: , fri gate t h at chased me iii the dov-time). the Amethyst hail only her foremast " The tV Pnren had then all her masts (except her foremast) avid sada a goal deal shatterert indent, but capsble of heing soon repaired. I had then only ea 111191 billed MIA 'WM6IIII/.111. o I learned from spine French prisoners wl,o•m•re on hoard the Amethyst, that wilco she Cew,...1 her fire. iivar low o'clock, they wernohlig.-11 to leave the bold, on account of the great quantity of Meier she geode. “ This bravery &Third en this nrca.inti by the 11,ffierrs and (-revs of the Airmen. i• a!ouve my praise; and I reque.t that your Excellency will procure them that reward of which they are most aintitiour. icorpely. to autnnit their conduct to Ilia Nlaieetv's tention. I).v Porter:' THE PHITISH PRESS. LONDON'. WEVNESDAV, I I.Y ~~ ~. , ~~~. unfavourable, they still remitted than that even ing. The bustle and' preparation in ` the Dawns I were also estrawie ; and it was %tonally supposed re, tblit ph' approach of the Pertsmouth ttiliensa tellt DoeilVelleilfd be the signal for the ships in the • powastitipt satodot weigh. The wind, we . believe, ,ellmtioNOldeenie entreat?. and we may, there- Awe, peruse, that the Expedition had not wailed 1 / 1 1411016 lime particulars on this most import• Mt sedieet see given in our subsequent columns, Mader the head " Expedition." The Lord Nelson packet arrived on Monday, at ihrwich, from Heligoland, with dispatches fur 14 0evernment. She sailed on the 22d, and has also brought Hautburgh Papers to the pith, sod Prague to the loth instant. The eeth and 26th French Bulletins had reached Heligoland previous to the departure of the Lord I'Veists ; and the dis patches received by Government are generally sup posed to contain the Austriau account of the late battles at Eneersdorf and Wagram. The official documents, and all the other uceounts. whether vablic papers or private letters, brought by the packet, concur with the report winch we gave yes terday, from Holland. in stating, that lieu APART,. had gained by the late battles only a few miles of the Austrian territory ; that the conflict hail been most benguinary, and the loss very greet, but near ly rival on both ; and that th - e Aliattiists had effected their retreat in good order. Letters from NM no are to the same effect, and it is the nearest point to the immediate theatre of oar. from which we have any intelligence. We have made a few 'extracts front the Hamburg!' nod Prague Papers, but they contain no teceat military news. We have received Paris papers to the 16th, and Dutch to the list inst. The recent intelligence Aldrich they contain relates priucipally to Spain. All thwoutempts of General BLAKE to re-occupy Surigesmi have failed, and he has been obliged to withdraw entirely from Arregon. We have Cte . Meted from one of these papers, the French se em:lit of the desperate action between the frigates. the Mewls and the Amethyst. Sir MICHAEL SET 1101.11ell aCCOOnt of the action. and capture of the Fettle]) frigate, is txfore the public, and eon. esquently the French report is only interesting as a specimen of French falselsionl and gareamade. 7 f, The more frequently we peruse, and the more ,Itteptirely we study, the 25th and zlith Didletios, the draper is the impression made on us by the in• etiogiteities, obscurities, and contradictions with thyy abound. BON APARTE. in the species dissertation on the respective prisiiion and eir mmemmoss of the two armies, with which be pre. faces the *twat, weans to admit the necessity ins posed on Inns for passing the Danube, in order to `tome to the world the interior ty of the A ti.tirieo, to the French soldiery. His description of the manner in which he crossed the river, of the three bridges prepared or coostnicted far that purpose. of the ,stupendous length of the bridge oL a single piece, of the celerity with which they were placed, of the moment chneen to effect his passage. and, of his " ceasing the whole army to spread itself the immense plain of Eisaeradorf," after turnine the extremity of the enemy's left wing—these fee tures are' 'admirably deliimatid, and in every line we riecoganie a great Coannauder. CASA& might hese , owned the composition, whieli is lucid, clear, end ritelligible to every capacity. It is obvious, that-he deceived and out-inatitionvred the Arch whose fortified camp he turned with ',rah gioos ability, and then compelled him to fight in a new position. But. though his tactics, the veloci ty and precision of his movements, his unity of de sign, the secrecy sad intelligence of his operations, superintended by himself in person, and sustained by the first Generals it. Europe, enuldeil NAPOLEON thus to render inefficient the military defences enn stnicted by the Austrians, victory, by no ntealei, seems to have followed. He occupied. indeed, af ter fighting the whole dey, till nine in the evening, the intrenched camps of the enemy ; which, in or to give it theatrical effect, a circumstance that he sieve, omit*, lie describes, " as fulling of their own accord, as if by enchantment." Yet, we find, as fa; as the studied ambiguity, into which he re lapse*, will- allow es to comprehend his meaning, that he failed in the cominviicement of the battle of Wagraig, ip tudeavouriow to take passeviiwn el the village of that ,same. lie admits it most tine quirocally ; attributing to the d.trkto , , , . the unfor tunate circumstance of the French and Saxons Grin;; on each other. Subsequent to this accident, his language implies great embarrassment in the Freill'h army. " The dispositions," says hr, "of the French General and the Atistriao Gement were ii:verttal. The Emperor passed the night in accu mielistinj his forces towards his centre, where lie was to person." This picture more resembles Although all the necessury Preparations hare Iit:NMI the Vth at A.gincourt, the night heftier the beer, made, r a nee surorduy, fur the c„ urr _m urr io hattle, than the victorious .NAPOI.LeN, after tri• upon Admiral Lush Gtmeiv.e• at l'art*raouth, it ionphing, as he pretends, at Enzersdurf. Whoever did not commoner toi Alonilay, and it was generally rails the account of the engagement at ;Vagrant, understood that it wou.d not sit until the Exp..- as rclutA by BONA e.altrig, will see, that it wit , not dition had sauced. Our readers may expect from toil) obstinately disputed--it was nearly gained— us an early and faithful report. by the Archduke ; whn, while be attacked Massa - in the village of Wagratii, contrived to ostlistssit Final seders haring been receii eel ion . .tlandnY the left Fr,sich wing by 3utto toisea. In this extra. Portsmouth, for the part of the FA:.4 . ..lition fitted I m e t ) NApoi,gurs's tor.euee of min. mod unstrilin out there I. 1 • 11 / witho ut (Mu ). the transports'Mak talents, aided by simile, relicts on die part of stisy r d down to St. Helen's, but the wind bviiig his Oteets, en.ibled him, after a city long contest, .1 .54 anrslt in •••4 wiles • •t^• • • 6. ,ny to snatcli the victory from the twiny. They then retreated. But how After ten o:Wit, the' comity foilght only to effect his retreat.. At twelve, this witfmatlifest. It was conducted in disorder. Long before dark, the enemy was out tf NOM, if this be not a clear admission that then• was so pursuit, words cannot convey any taeeaning• The fact, stripped of its decorations slid orna ments, is this. BONAPARTE, by a most scientific and admirable feint, passed the Danube, and at tacked the Archduke on his left flank: After two days desperate fighting. he finally succeeded in forcing the Austrians to retreat into Moravia. But lie appears to be hardly equal to following up his advantage. Three days afterwards, he remained still at %Volkersdnrf.—Will he evacuate Vienna ? Can lie retain it) Can he still retain Lintz, too, and the whole line of the Danube, down to Rash. in Hungary, while he follows the Archduke into Moravia and Bohemia ? May ant the Archdukes Joao and FERDINAND cross the Danube., in turn, and attack the French ?—These are serious ques tions. We must wait for further advice.. before we form any decided opinion. We have seen two,letfers, written by officers of distinctiou and intelligence in the army of Sir AR- Tills Watutst.v.e. Both are dated in the last clays or June, from Abram'', only twenty-four haure before the ferces.were expected to commence their march towards Speeds!) Eetrernadura. It is with concern, but not with astonishment ; for, we were prepared to expect the fact ; that we find the information relative to Vat French, Spanish, and British armies, is equally discouraging. By the re- Port of an Act:rot' rank, who had been sent from Sir Atlanta, to CUF.ITA, Su order to ascertain hie num bers and condition, it appeared that this General, So whom the Supreme Junta entrusts the principal army of the State, has not been able to assemble under his command more than about .)8,000 infan try, and 6300 cavalry. The latter troops are well mounted and make a good appearance : but the infantry want arms, and have not above 31,000 mus kets, of which many are old and defective, or me lee,. Curare had received recent and accurate re turns, on which he relied, transmitted from almMt every part of Spain. relative to the French forces remaining in that Kingdom, in the first week of , June. The garrisons were estimated at 22,000. The troops of the Tine, at 103,000 ; of which 01,000 were effective. VicTult, SkiIAsTIANI, Nest and Souvr, were all expected to concentrate their forces, in Leon, Old Castile. and Arragon, if it should be deemed expedient or advisable to evacu ate New Coatile cud Madrid, in order to retire be hind the Ebro. Some surprise seems to have lieeu felt in the British Camp, at the maguitude of the French femur still remaining beyond the Pyrenees ; to cape. which from the Peninsula, the allied armies of England and Spain were considered to be wholly inadequate. The British troops of the line amounted, on the 43,1 of June, to 31,400 = but above eOOO were sick or non-etfective. About '2BOO more were expected to jolt' from Lisbon, autl two regiments, it was under stood. were on the way from Gibraltar to the Tague. But no absolute reliance could be placed on either reinforceroeut. Some silver was arrived from Cadiz to pay the troops, bet shoes were still in great &- mend. The B. kink cavalry fell little short amino : Unfortunately, the regimental saddles continued to distress the horses ; nearly half of them had sore backs:U.so were unable to be mounted, when these letters were wirttro. Such is the recent state of the respective military force in Spain ; whether, with pitch means, and such Allies, whatever may be their loyalty or attuchnient to the cause of FERDINAND VII. we can reasonably hOpe and undertake to march to Madrid, and to maintain ourselves in that capital agsitig the French armies on the Ebro ; it is for Ministers to determine. The men who sent Sir ARTHUR to Portugal in 1808, only to supersede him ; wha fired the cannot, to celebrate a Conven tion which an man approved ; and who . afterwards sent the Geiteral, that concluded it, before a milt. Court of Inquiry the Ministers who employed Mr. I:REEF. at Seville, while they thwarted or im peded every operation of Sir Joeir Moose ; such a Cabinet nay he expected to coueumniate its own inivenaliagement, and to complete, in 1809, the series of errors Liegnititi 1808. It has been esiascousequenee of an ex pression in the beginning of the Twenty-sixth Bul letin, that the preceding battles did not terminate greatly in favour of llorsaraere. This opinion is, however, wupported only by a mistake. The Twen ty-sixth Bulletin is made to lwgiu in the transla tion in the following manner :-- 0 The enemy's re treat is a defeat :" whereas the French expressions are "Iw retreite de f envoi eat rase deroute." This altogether destroys the as-aimed grounds upon which it is maintained. that the battles of Entaers- Jeri and Wagram were not importaut victories, fur the English is clearly this :—'t The enemy is re treating w confusion sod disorder." The 1 hrondefte privateer. of Marseilles has cap tured two vessels t n the Mediterranean ; nue en Auglo-Aneericaa, laden with 30,000 pieces of min keel,. end other inerchandise--the other, a Spanish vesxcl, with lierilk. They have both been car ried auto Frejus. At aloe o'clock this morning, after a very sultry day and iii,;llt, a sudden torrent of rain came on, accomp ini•ol be thnnder met inm•li vivid lightning. The Master and Wartime of the Rakers Com puny, waited yesteeelee ea the Lotto M Alroa, to vet the muse sod price of bead:-..Nis Leed.l,,p, of-1 to rxamiaiti the eleslweigherie report, wee plea*. ed to order bread to fall one penny per peck. "1 i elk . PORT/tr. - • • St a--Sume very apPropriste express acs Is year paler o f Saturday last, and another preeediag, saggestleg da Rd. lowing IMPROMPTU : SUM TOTAL Ow POLLTISAL TALIWIT to £ OSILT4III Covet how ydu will, ism sever here ems Ind Trevisegr genies, or see master-stind . ruse conceited coswagesential pals, Great iu the little, !Weis she gest. Ohl C.tto, according to Plutarch, tells as titer—. Yin cornstgail24 is vsk rts:sit. it re 4 oweitailor (nela, amersthriet.—Ptirt. Apoph. Fouls that in trifles busy Ire, In matters grave of state, dye see, Will always set most sillily THE . EXPITDITION. A maid, weisetaat to become the mite Of one who job's the Expeclitiou straight; Objected, from upiuiou , thst ao sous The calla of war mum Musk the ImeMyrsieses. Ffe, better skillet in ministerial tame, Assured the maid of dilatory baste; 'fold her that mighty minds move slowly ow, While after them lags lazy Expedition. The maid complies, he clasps bee Uhlmann% Mu suckles mandate wrests bun from her charms; He views the fleet, secure °f favouring gales, Aud taker boons log lease until it sails. HAYMARKET THEATRE. stir Last night, after Mr. Di non D's Ploy. The nisei. Sag of the Fioert, which continues to attract br.i liaut rte crowded hotoies, the Entertainment if The Critic was performed at this l'iseatre.-11r. Jonas was very happy to the character of Puff, in which he introduced the following novelties, as his mew contribution to the newspapi :-- " A plan for giving strength to the yr...jetted brislgo whirls will join Surrey to Catherinc•Ttrert, and acconsmod.or tie crowds lhat will dock over to view the new Theatre la e u• vest garden." " An Essay, anticipate's; she onrcesce of one gra. , d Raped'. flue ; and to pi ophs ey, that v,b...irver our brave fellows coo. thru exertion. will subdue the i.rideo: our e▪ nemies, and increase the (hay and inacpcusirsaces of oar eussairy." T. vise sallies produced a very good eirect, awl received much applanyv. The vi hole entertisi,i mem of the rii4ht proved highly wateful, ni, went on' with eelot. lire Royal iihrhilear the Prui cers SOPHIA Of th.ot:Lß)reß art iii Hie Manager's Box. His Royal Il4hiiraii the Duke of CUMBER LAMB was also present in the Stage ilox. III.4IIIIIIIIENSWIINIIIIG Mr. and Miss HOLMAN concluded their engage. 'Deist, last night, at the Cheltenham Theatre, where they are .iiceeetied by Mr. and Mrs. C. K ate, for °tie night only, on their way to Rath They will he succeeded by Mr. Br.salcaesto, Mo. Coosa. Mrs. Eberle, and the celebrated rope dancer, Mr. Mama. Mr. BARTLEY and Mr. TIMENIN are become Joist proprietors of the Glasgow Theatre. Worcester !Laces, next week, are expected to pprove unusually attractive. Lord Fou t y' s W earer , lArSt. Domingo, and Lord axeolds's Vic es*. are the favourites. Mr. Fawettrr makes his appearance, thin week, at the Edinburgh 'filestre. The late ihrgside Races produced good sport. The company was of the first clues; among whine were : The Earl and Casettes of Egliatemi, the Purl of Romney Lon! and Laity Elphsatton; Lord, Lady, and Lady J. Mont. souse/Se ; the Ladles Slarsham , Sir Charles Douglas ; Sw John Maxwell; Mr. Mrs. and Mimes Ilanailtuo, Siluslrum ; Colonel Blair, of Blair; Mr. &Tanen, of Aurhisliceity Mr. Graham., of Gartscire; Colonel Driehaus, of Bingham y Cul Boyle, of Showalter'; Cul. aid Mr*. Hamilton, yammer. of Sundrune ; Gen. and Mrs. Dunlop; Mr. and Mrs. esT gow, of Steanigreenso ; Mr. and Mrs. Baillsie; Cul. White Mr. Napier, Mr. Hainstos, and many other respactslX manse.. Mn. E•wratiosed her engagement at the York Theatre, ou Saturdse lest, in the parts of Bearrices in the Comedy of Mach Ads abet Notifies ; Flora, in the It arce of The Midnight Harr. Miss fivricise commences her engagement et the Scarborough Theatre, on Monday next, in the part of Lt.:. is //reedy, in the Comedy of The belle's Stratagem. A grand Oratorio was performed in the Cathedral of Glasgow, on Monday se'iiiiight, in honour of the memory of the late much-lamented Sir Jolts MOORE ; on which occasion Mt.. Dimwits and Mr. BEL Lost displayed their vocal talents to great advantage. Mr. Casimir's company are perfoirsairm with great eclat at the Swansea Theatre; during the race week the play of The Exile wits.gut 6,p with great splendour. Masteril. Cutely displayed considerable talent in the part of the Prises. Mr. ELLISTOR and Colonel Getirttnt, we un derstand, have taken the Pantheon to Oxford -street, and have obtained a license to perform dramatis pieces there next season. Mr. Etttstore proposes to expend 13,0001. in preparations and arrarigc. ments, to make it worthy the patronage of the ' public. We understand a new patent is promised to Mr. TALSOT. to open a Summer Theatre is Dublin. His Grace the Duke of timeworn, is only Oulu. ful whether he can do so with preplerty, Mitch question is submitted to the Ayrifneny-Ovms- SAL for his opinion. The Duke of MONTROIS passed, last week, through Edinburgh, on his way to Buchanan house. Tuesday last, a person of the name of TAYLOR, a prissier, in Chester, undertook for a wager of a guinea. to pick up too stones, and return indivi dually with them to a basket placed at the covet ' utencernent of the distance, each stone being orm yard asunder, in the space of 47 minutes : he so. courplished the arduous task in 414 1111311 tell, and • few aaconila, to the full satisfaetiou of the specta tors present. The distance is near!) live miles au,' three.quarters.