The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-11-22 00:00:00

r

-r

THE BRIT

SH PRESS.

• LONDON,
WEDNESDAY. Novumaeit 21.

It is with great regret we express' strong doubts
of the victory so long reported to have been obtain..
ed in the Met:iterraiiean by Lord Cou.tenwoon,
over the Toulon squadron.—Letter4, we under-
stand, have been received from the Warspite, of 7.1
guns, the Hon. Captain Itt.acawouto, of the date
of the 7th inst. brought home by a store-ship,
which suet her leagues ou thi, side Cape
}'inisterre. Thee state that the Tualati fleet was
at sea, and th,t Lord Cut.t.tsiii%viiou's fleet haul
sw&red severely Inn terrible ;late of v ind, and had
pit into Minorca. We believe that Mr. :4:II:till/ALM
rec rived an account Rota his son, now on board
IVaryite, to this yffet.t. It will be seen, on
• oridE BRITISH PRESS or :Monday, that
ii corrtspourls with the accounts brought by the
Irar frigate, given iti this riper out that day. lo
the wean tune the annexed reports are circulated
as follows, and copied Irwin THE GLune.
The folloaing Bull, titi- has been published by
Coves ntnent, its containiii.4 such particulars as have
come to their Itonwle.lge

" .4 vessel trout Port NI sbun arrived at Gibraltar on the ,2ot h
ult. and gave information to Capt. Fayettuan, of the Formi-
dable, that the rtelllb fleet, consisting of 17 sail of the line,
had put to sea from TOlllOll on the 2ut of that inmith. This
infuramtion was communicated to the master of the above
vessel by the Tunaze frigate, off Mahon ; he was also inform-
ed thattord Collingsruud had left that place in pursuit of the
French, with Ir, sail of the line ; two sail of the line had also
passed Mahon ou the uotli to join him, and another sail of
the line was stationed off Cape Sebastian, near the Bay of
now."

In addition to the above, w•e hhve alio to coin-
nattuicate the s.• Mowing extract of a letter from
Cette:—

4. The 425th of this mouth ',October) we hive
had the misfortune to see stranded on our shores
two ships of the. line—the /Musk, of 80 gtios,
Commanded by Vice-Alinit al BA CD;11 ; and.
the Lion, of 74. These two ship 4, with the
Berm's( 74. and two frigates, and two gabares.
served as an escort to a convoy winch sided from
Toulon a few days before, destined for Barcelona.
Abreast of Cape Creus, near Rusts, 13 or 16sail of
the enemy gave chase to the convoy, as well as to
its escort. It is hoped, that the transports, to the
• number of 20, will have reached the Bay of Reenss.
The Borer's, the frigate Pauline, awl a gabal.e. en-
tered the Port of Cette on the same day (256).
" What is most to be regretted, is, that the fed-

boring dsy six of the enemy's slips of the line di-

rested their course to the two French ships which
were stranded, with the intention of burning them ;
and Vice-Admiral B.tuotm, seeing it was impos-
' bible to care them, took the desperate resolution or
destroying them hituielf by lire."

We have received some more Paris rapers, of
the same date as those from which we made some
extracts yesterday. In addition to the formation
of the new kingdom of lllyris, mentioned in the
late French papers, Ilanover seems destined to
form a kingdom, or at least an append:l;4e to our,
under the sovereignty of a favourite Member of th'e
Confederation of the lihine.
Austria is not the only Continental Power which
N•POLEON has compelled to surrender her feeble
remains of maritime commerce. Prussia is shout to
be stripped of the port of 'Memel, which is to be
added to the. Russian empire. It appears also that
while the Bavarians have commenced operations
en the northern frontier of the lyrol, and hate
resetrafed to lospruck, the Viceroy of Italy,
descending from' Vienna by Leolten, has arnverl
at N'illach no the Eastern side. Villach is situate
on the [)rate, to Carinthia, and, by it. occupation,
the Tyal is completely snrmundrd with enemic.,
and assailed by two armies acting noun two of its
sides. The Viceroy, on his arrival at I'illach, pub-
lished a Proclainati*ii to the Tyro!ese, (Aiming
them pardon, upon their in conformity
with the shistilatimi of the ri cent 'treaty between
France and Austria.

I.Ve are perms 114,1 Ca.tt cAto-trot contr.:hot;
mare to thr• etste..ta;nos...t or nor r-ader4, and per-
hapN Ilot to ...:t:*.•oc !ion. that: whiz
isoto cor. en;iceted :wilA nt vi. tkr: %%mous parti-
culars woich .re I. heard r,!7ille:: to it:is ce4RTE'S
;he iir..seat state of France, awl the pro.
•-•-t.. ur iupirris-'4l pl,totrr of thin forint,h!do• (!surver.
"I';toss.4;l, f!ons n.iture of massy of :ibege eirccina-
s. troe.e., At' CA:11.1 no .0-ails ccuch for their mullion-
A.' cart assert tipit they are credited in
Cie li..t codes ui th:s metro; 0!:,, am,ol;‘, tbo,..e who
have acres, 1., III( of C.111:111..11tdi
intrl-
ligence. or tip: fact of LUN VAL,TE'S having 'men
attar kml, t. Is,:c at Schoen:winos, with epileptic
....17.1et:Pl. or a Selitre. alt.! :Curto;.o::tiem•ripttott, un
thotl.t is t iitortanied. If L'orais•xfs journey to
Vienna dirt not vullirirutly prove it, the return of
NaPol.t:ON to France, without stoppin4 either at
Nympheisborg, or at Stutgard, or at Baden, its all
which places, most expensive preparations had been
nia:le hr hi 4 Vros,hll Kinpo and Grand Didtrs, tor
his reception, would of itself carry conviction to the
most incre lo!ous mina. In ozbidion to this devia-
tion trim. his ottlivary U.ne t.f conduct, it is obvious
that he Ivos neither visited St. Clonal, Melmsip,on.
nor the Tuilleries, since his return. In order to
conceal hi, saute of hadth,.,Fontalubleau has beers

silectad far %is residence , where he is at the distant.
of forty miles from Paris, and lag liable to general
obserratton.

It is positively asserted, and we believe on good
grounds, that his disorder is of that particular spe-
cies of the nervqus class, denominated catalepsy.
In this malady, we ore assured, that the whole frame
is instantaneously convulsed; the b,idy and all the
limbs remaining immoveable, in the attitude of the
person, when seized with the at. Lassitude,
la-
tigue, and frequently some degre of intellectual
inaptitude or debility, follow the departure or ces-
action of the paroxysm. It is even pretended, that,
since BONAPARTE'S return to Fontaitibleau, Mac-
aw• having been summoned to attend hire in the
closet, found him, on entering it, transfixed, in a
posture that indicated great emotion, standing
erect, and his right *rut raised. The aspect of such
a phantom, in the shape of the Corsican Emperor,
it is added, threw the Doke of Rival into no small
aaitixernent. Nor was it till he aPproached and
touched his master, all whose limbs and blame were
still and motionless, that he could be convinced of
the reality and nature of NAPOLEON'S disease. We
confess, that, however circumstantially related this
anecdote may be, we incline to rank it with the
stories of the hamlkerchitl, given some days ago,
and to consider it as more picturesque than true.
As little do we believe that the strength of his men-
tal faculties has been in any degree impaired or
diminished by the disease in question. That he
hunts, does business with his Ministers, and sees
many individuals, principally those of his own fa-
mily, is unquestionable.
The fable of his having determined to repudiate
111 idiinieBONAPARTE, and of the approaching arrival
of the Factor of SAXONY at Paris, accompanied by
his (laughter, the Princess ; who, it is well known,
refused to give her hand to JESOIII. in 1807, but
who, it was pretended, is soon to become his Em-
press ;—.all these stories, if they ever had any foun-
dation, are, we believe. now abaadoned and re-
jected.. It is not, indeed, very probable. that any
man, labouring under such attache as we have
described, should be willing, or disposed, to con-
tract a matrimonial alliance, however much motives
of state-policy might seem tct dictate, or recom-
mend it. There is. however, another anecdote,
whichseemstoiobtain belief. It is, that BONAPArre,
conscious of his utter inability to reduce the Spa-
nish colonies to subjection, even though he should
completely succeed in subjugating the Peninsula
beyond the. Pyrenees to his own, or to dotterel's
dominion, has determined on liberating FERDI-
NAND the Vllth from his prison at Valency, and on
sending him out to reign in Mexico. This idea
has always been regarded es probable, oor do we
think it unlikely to be realised. The unfortimate
FERDINAND, surrounded by tile agents of the ty-
raot, must become the instrument of his policy,
and may serve, it is naturally supposed, to retain,
in the obedience of NAPOLEON, the immense re-
gions beyond the Atlantic, from California to Cape
norm But, even on this supposition, which is liable
in the execution to many impediments and diffi-
culties; yet the Philippine Islands, the Canaries,
as well as the Balearic Islands, and the forts on the
coast of Barbary, would, probably, he beyond the
reach either of FERDINAND, or of his Corsican

Ruler.
Relative to the internal state of France, its mi-
sery, depopulation, and discontent, many, and lip-
pirently well-authenticated, retationsare circulated.
We neither believe, nor can contradict them. But,
even if they are true in their utmost extent, we de
not see to what important results they would lead.
BONAPARTE, though lie denominated himself, in
Inod, Emperor of the French, and though he has
fixed the seat of Ins üblirped empire at Paris, on
the .Seine, i., in Got, the Sovereign, after having
bcou the Conqueror, of Europe. Ile holds all his
subjects iii•awe by terror, not by love, or by venera-
tion, or by preicription, or by hereditary right and
title. The French have nothing in common with
more than the Poles or the Danes. 1-le is not
even a native of the country ; and he may bay, with
CatacutA, Otferint, nietwantP. Ile has,
very properly, treated them as exhausted maniacs,
whom he has chained to the floor. They may
still, indeed, rave, nr complain ; but their menaces.
or their entreaties, are equally impotent. Ile nei-
ther allows them to trade, nor does he even pay the

very workmen whom he forces to labour ou the
public edifices. fie conscribes their yonth; and

even his Imperial Guards he melts down in the
erui ible of perpetual war. But, Europe is just as
1131,11 Ii iii. as France ; and it is indisputable, that
lie is now about to send fifty thousand soldiers into
Spain ; of which number, four-fifths are Prussians,
compelled to light his battles in Castile, or in An-
dalusia. This machinery certainly requires a urns-
ter-inind and hand to regulate it; hat, while it
Lists, its impulse is stupendous, and almost irre-
sistible. Ile knows even when, how, and to what
extent, to relax, nr to concede to the wants of his
subjects. As a proof of it, and a recent one, he has
permitted several merchants of Baurdeaux to re-
pair to London, in order to sell their wines. They
are now here, in this Capital. The fact. is Meow-
testible. Such are more of the best authenticated
particulars of NArot.note, and of France, which
have come to our knowledge.

We have been amused for some time past with.
the tricks and intrigoes (donate of the daily pope's,

•

particularly Nose of The Courier and The Notafag
Chrosiele.—The Editors of these two Printi are'the
best Mends in the world, oat of doors. Indeed, we
beliere, they are not ishatned to acknowledge their
readiness to play into each other's hands, behind the
curtain, while, to the public, they vapour, swagger,
and vow vengeance, with :i fury, sufficient to alarm
the police; and make honest and unsuspecting
men dread, that, instead of shaking hands mnst
cordially, when they meet in the Strand. they were
determined to cut each other's throats.

The principle, however, is not new in the history
of the public [treas. Formerly The Morning Chro-
nicle contrived to have itself considered and called
the leading print of Opposition, but it long since
forfeited every pretence of claim to the title ;
the mutual complaints of the leading Print of Op-
position and the lending Print of Government,
having been bandied backwards and forwards, un-
til the town became disgusted with the imposture,
and it was laid aside. The calling, we suppose,
was a profitable one, as The Morning Chronicle ap-
pears, for some time past, to have greatly regretted
its loss ; and accordingly an attempt has been
made to resume the principle, but in a new dis-
guise. For this purpose, The Morning Post, which,
with all its imperfections on its head, may fairly
claim the title of the leading, if net the only morn-
ing print of Government, is passed by, and The
Morning Chronicle thinks fit to single out The
Courier as its opponent; a challenge which, however
preposterous, the latter most gallantly accepts, and,
filled to the muzzle, discharges its honest fury
and indignation against The Chronicle.—We
knew very well that this explanation may prove
ungrateful to many of our readers, because we fear
that the public are too apt to attend to the prin-
ciples and doctrines promulgated in the public
prints; without considering their motives, and the
particular circumstances which influence those who
conduct them. NVe are led to tilt* remark, by an
article which appeared, yesterday, in The Morning
Chronicle, epon the subject of the riots which have
so long disgraced this Metropolis, and deprived the
public of all their usual entertainment at Coveut-
garden Theatre. For forty successive-nights, during
which these riots have continued, in defiance of the
laws, avid the opinion and judgment of Magistrates,
Juries, and Judges, has Thy Morning Chronicle,
pretending to be the organ of opposition, and so re-
ceived and understood, come forth, the daily selvo-
cate and instigator of those riots. And upon what
grounds? Why, it says, that .. the advance of
prices, although not satisfactorily explained, is the
least part of the question ; but that its sense of mo-
rality cannot be reconciled to the private buses," and
(oh! dreadful offence!) that we," the Editor cf
The Morning Chroniek, told Mr. litaints., a
twelvemonth ago, before a brick was laid, and be-
fore the ill-digested plan of the new 'Theatre was
formed, we told him that Englishmen must aban-
don their national character, before they would sanc-
tion such a novelty."
That is—for these are the identical words of
The Morning Chronicle—that the very intelligent
and disinterested Editor of that print, was deter-
mined ta oppose the plats of the new Theatre, be-
fore he knew what it would be.. Now, of the many
base, elisions, and malignant motives to which the
conduct of The Chronicle, in the present instance,
hat been ascribed, we will not charge it with one.
We will takethe case upon its own statement ; and,
as to its first point, .. that the advance of prices is
the least part of the question," we wish to know how
this statement is borne out ? The watchword from
the beginning has been 0. P. meaning Old Prices.
The great ground of opposition f the beginning
has been the advance of the prices. It was so un-
derstood by the Proprietors, and so acknowledged
by their adveraarier, when the former shut up the
Theatre for the purpose of submitting the affairs of
their concern to the inspection of a Committee, un-
der the idea, that if the propriety of an advance up-
peered in the report, all opposition most crave of
course. So much for the falsehood of the assertion
that the advance of price was n minor consideration,
or the least part of the question ; if, indeed, con-
trary to oar belief, the ostensible grounds of the
riots were any thing snore than mere pretences.
But let it be so : ‘Ve will suppose 7%e Morning
Chronicle felt quite elitterently on the subject
from the populace, that the great objection to
them, the advance of prices, was none to it; that
there was no sympathy whatever between them ;
and that, while they kicked against the price, the
morality or The Morning Chronicle was only
shocked by the " Private Boxes."—A stranger
might be tempted by this objection to suppose that
private boxes are a novelty in a London theatre.—
That there were no private boxes in old Drury-
lane ; in the old theatre of Covent-garden ; or even

in that sanctuary of all virtue, the • Opera-house,
in the liar-market. but it seems that the
private boxes, which, in the late house, extended
along the sides, are, in the new, continued round, so
as to make • segment of a circle4We have heard of
Mother Cole's morality, and alsw of the morality of
Joseph Surface, in The School fur Scandal ; but
these characters have existed only on the stage. In
real life, nothing has been known ao outrageous its
the morality of The Morning Chronicle. The squeam-
ishness of coquettes and old maids, is downright
profligacy tad wantonness, when compared with
the delicacy of this sensitive pleat ; and we are at

''"'W--

a loss to conjecture where it was got, unless pica..
up, along with its ideas of architecture, upon the
Strand. Our readers may think, perhaps, that we
have•dwelt too much' upon a contemptible 111).
feet—we mean, the, shameful attacks upois
vent-Garden 'theatre, and the peril/mil alms(' bt
every person v.l,n dots not join in -the Em.
and-cry to run it down. Independent of au si t
of justice to the Proprietora of the Theatre,
wish to protect the great mass of talent,
and property in this country, called the Oppositiot,
from the foul attempt which has heen made to 6.
grade them as partizans In the comperat,e!;
trivial controversy of a criticism upon• the mei,
tectoire of Covaot-Garden Theatre. The man;
we mean is the party of the GREYS and the (Mtn..
NIECES, which The Morning Chronicle deserted no'
the last Session of Parliament, when it mtliNtt,l
metier the banners of Colonel WAROI.V. A. u,
stated, however, in the beginning• of thia
The Courier, and other tools of Mr. I'ii
ever ready to avail themselves of un oppoy: unity t.,
lessen and depreciate a set of men whom they dread,
have endeavoured to implicate that most restive--
able body in the conduct of The Morning Chronich.,
From that degradation and disgrace we would
think them perfectly free from all possible suspicioe;
but The Morning Chronicle condescends to thi„k
otherwise, as, in its number of yesterday, with a p..
nerous forbearance and devotion, it begs to assure
its readers, that all the vile means of falsthoorh,
shani advertisements, libels, &e. which it has directed
for 40 days to the flagitious purpose of exciting riot
in the theatre, and running down the KEMBLE fa-
mily. were all of its own contrivance. Whatever
error nr bla tie," says The Chronicle, " there may
be in our opinion upon this topic, it is certainly ail
our owa, and is imputable to no party—fot we hale
had so confederates on the occasion." Genera..,
print! We wish now that it will inform us what potty
it means; whether Mr. Wsatita's or Lord Guts-
VILLE'S ?—lt certainly deserted the Gaz•vtutrt
for the Waitot.r.s, and we have never yet leartivif
that it has been able to regain its former ralaud.

Ilia 111x.isterT is expected in town, this day, to
hold a prelate Lee and Privy Council, at the
QuESN'S Palace.
Yesterday, Sir Det•to Dtomss held a yonlohe
lay, at his Office, in the Horse Guards, and gave
uudierees to a number of Military Officers.
There appears to he no end to the Expeditious of
Ministers. To the aninor class in that system, Tyit.g
111 weakness and imbecility with the tertian' ex-
peditions to Ischia and Prticids, in the Bay of
Naples, we have to add that which sailed from
Sicily, on the 2:34.1 of September, which is at
length ascertained. The troops Lave landed, arA
taken possea•ion of the islands of Zouite, Ci-
plialtmia. sod St. Marc, part at the late lonian Re
public.
The two Navel Officers lately promoted. theueh
dead for some tiwe, are not the only cases of error
in the new Jubilee list. We understand, that
Major Ceserwritnitt, who quitted the navy forty
years ago for the Fumy, is among the naval Lieute-
nants recently pronoottql to the rank of a Master
and Commander in Mr. CaomEa's list.

A correspondent at Stornoway says, .• An tnem
privateer has lately made its appearance on this
coast, and has greatly excited the alarm of the
habitants. This news has been communicated
by the Captain of a ship which has been driven an
Shore at loclishiel,- being closely pursued by the
privateer, which, he says, captured two VOW'S OR
the same day."
Though, to the high honour rind distivignhhed
praise of this nation, celebrated i,efnre the late
Jubilee for its philanthropy, almost all chooses have
been thereby warmed with the glad-
dening rays of general joy ; yet it is to tic, in soma
measure, regretted, that sr have not head of its
extension and communication to a ciarai of men, the
most nseful, laborious, loyal, and not the hest ne-
cessitous, fur being, the most respectable of ai y
under heaven, viz. that port of the inferior Cl. :or
of the Established Church of Englund, styli ii
penriiary Curates, with small iucuo,es and large
families.

.......
The blaster and Wardens of the Bakers' Com-
pany waited on the Loan MAYOR, yeater4..sy, to set
the assize and price of bread. His Lordship, after
examining the Menlweighers' account, ordered t:.e
price to he continued at ts..tirl. the Quartern La,f
Wheaten, sad Household ls.
Mr. l'irvat.r.," the gentleman echo had Ili% sku:l
fractured by a fall from his tandem, in Wigmon•
street, was last night considered in a fair way of re-
covery, though not pronounced by the Faculty net
of thug. r.
A most dreadful murder and mblitry were com-
mitted on the evening of Tuesday last. at
hunt, mar Bridgwater: Thoina, Gage, a emu t
to Mr. henry Stylimr, murder"! his master's ai:e.
by cutting her head quite open with a hatchet ;
then robbed the house of tan ten.pound notes, a
watch. and various other articles ; afterwards I e
stole his master's mare, and a ith his booty r0de....•
, and has not since been heard of., . .

On Friday night some thieves tore down their.%
roiling which was ptsweil en Ken,inutop-sordvn
wall, near Bayswater, to prevent pent's,' fr.....
ing the same, and carried it oil without bring &
covered: they likewise tore up the of 11,4,
archways which were placed there fvr the ports-•e
of preventing the swans frota straying out "I the
gardens. It is supposed a cart must hart. hien em-
ployed, as the quantity of iron taken away is vcry
considerable.
A tire broke out in a cottage belonging to a
.pon!
women in the Edgware-road on Saturday
which consented the eyrie, and Mrs. HOLDING, the
owner, wee burnt. The deceased was a ferias,
teller of co asiderable notoriety, and it was suprr-
ed that the See was occasioned by her I eying left v
candle burning in • chair by the bed-side, as I.#‘
was in *state of istebriation at ten o'clock, at a pub'
tic-house in the•noighbourhood, tom which plats'
friendlyleaude led hoc home.