The Sun.
London, England, 1804-01-17 00:00:00

LONDON, JANUARY 37, ISo.}•

WE yesterday stated that a Message had been
received at the Theatre, in the course of the fore-
noon, that Tuna MAtes-riEs would not honour
Covent-garden Theatre with their presence. As
soon as the purport of the Message was known,
it gave rise to a variety of conjeaures and
reports, which it would be idle in U 5 to re-
They embraced the landing of the
Ene-
my--the discovery of a Plot—the change of
Ministry—and, what was likely to make a more se-
rious impression than any other, the sudden indis-
position of our beloved Monarch. The only cause
for the change in the intentions of THEIR MAJES-
Ti ES, consisted in His MAJESTY being affecled
by a rheumatic pain in his foot. He took
the diversion of hunting on Saturday, though he
felt symptoms of a cold in consequence of haVing
been over-heated from the unseasonable closeness of
the weather. When His MAJESTY returned to
ndsor from the chace, he was so stiff that he
'was obliged to be assisted in dismounting from
his horse, and in the course of Saturday even.
ing he felt a rheumatic affedion in one of his
feet. We are happy to say, however, that His
MAJE.TY'S health is otherwise as good as it
usually is, and as ali his loyal Subjets most kr-
yen:ly pray it may long continue to be. His MA.
J EST Y, we are happy to learn, is much relieved from
the rheumatic affection in his foot this morning.

peat.

Tfl E Foreign Journals vary so frequently, in their
accounts of the preparations on the Coast of France
and Holland for the Invasion of this Country, that
it would be vain to look for any thing like accurate
information upon the subject from them. Sometimes
they are represented to be so trilling, particularly in
Holland, as to be absolutely contemptible ; and at
other times they are represented as immense beyond
all precedent. The policy of the French, in circulat-
ing such a variety of rumours respeCting the amount
of their Force, and the time when the Expedition
is to be attempted, is extremely obvious, and one
that they have invariably adopted, whenever an In.
vasion of this Country was in agitation. Whoever
will refer to the Foreign Gazettes in the year
1756, will find similar details of the march-
ing of immense bodies of Troops to the Coast,
of the construCtion of innumerable Flat-bottomed
Boats ; they will find the time of the Invasion as
frequently fixed, and the same speculations upon the
possibility of evading our Cruizers in dark nights,
fogs, and calms. We arc therefore very little in..
clined to give implicit credit to the accounts which
we find in Foreign Journals upon this subjeCt, though
we think it cur duty to lay them before our Readers.

All the most authentic private accounts, however,
from Holland agree, that although the number of
Troops colleted in that quarter at the present mo.
ment i 9 not sufficient to warrant the supposition of
a formidable attack from thence, yet they all agree
also in stating, that there is a very considerable
number of Vessels in the different Ports, of five
or six hundred tons burden each, and capable of
conveying a very large body of Troops, and fitted
up for the purpose ready for such a service. What-
ever great attack is made upon this, Country (if it is
made at all), will be made from this quarter. It is
surely most probable that the ostentatious display of
collecting a large number of flat-bottomed Boats at
Boulogne, is for the purpose of attraBing our no-
tice to that part, when the great attack is to
.be made from another ; or, perhaps, for the pur-
pose of inviting us to make an attempt upon
that place itself, where the Chief Consul knows
he is so strongly fortified, that such an attack
must fail, and be attended with
:great loss on our
part.. The French Fleet at Brest has been ready
for sea for some time past, and it is now rumoured,
is more likely to be intended for the East Indies
than for Ireland; but is it improbable that Egypt
is its destination ? If it could slip out of Brest,
and join the Ships at Toulon, Lord NELSON, with
his present force, would be aukwardly situated.
We think this destination is at least as probable as
any we have heard conjectured.

The following Letter from Sch;edam, dated the
6th instant, received yesterday, gives a variety of
particulars relating to this subjeft, which very
strongly tend to corroborate the opinion, that the
Invasion will be almost immediately attempted.
" At Flashing, _the Inhabitants begin to think
more seriously than ever, that the Expedition against
England is aftually on the point of taking place.
If the English depend on the accounts which they
publish of the Small force which is on the Coast,
they will find themselves egregiously deceived..
The Island Of IValcherrn is, a: it were,

with Troops; and Where the Ft aiT CONSUL is daily
expeeted. Gen. I\OIONNET has of late daily received
and
.dispatched Couriers from and to Paris and the
Hague. The Commandant of the Artillery, Gen.
LE MAIRE, is arrived ; 'and the Troops are par.
:ially embarked, twenty men of each Company, to
accustom tl..em to a seafaring life ; and this mode of
embarkation is extended to the whole Corps by
turns. In the several Basons at Flushing, there
are no less than 300 Vessels, destined to take on
board from 12 to 15,003 men. It is thought that
the Van will be in a,condition to sail in a fcw days.
The number of Troops which the FIRST CoNsor,
has to inspeft on the Coasts, amounts to no less
than 200,000 men, all destined for embarkation :
thus England will shortly have in its bosom 900,000
fighting men, including its own force. General
MONNET, Commander in Chief of the Army in
Zealand, is indefatigable in nastening the prepara-
tions, in consequence of repeated and positive or-
ders received from his Government to that end.

a If any doubt existed as to the sailing of the Ex.
pedition, it would be done away by the considera-
tion, that the Ports and Basons on the Coasts are
all so crowded with Vessels, that there is no room
Left for those which are yet to arrive, before a part
of the Grand Armament is committed to the Ocean
and to Fate."

IN addition to the interesting Communication
which we made yesterday, respeaing the expeaation
at Gibraltar of Spain and Portugal being speedily
forced to take an aaive part in the War against us,
we understand that there are private Letters in
Town, received by the last Packet, of so late a date
as the 7th inst. which state the expeaation at Lis.
bon, of the decision of the Spanish Government to
embark in the War being soon announced. The
following is an Extract of one of the Letters, writ-
ten by an English Gentleman at Lisbon :

.. Lisbon, Jan. 7-

" It is almost a month since we had accounts from England,
and we begin to fear another Packet has fallen into the hands
of the French. LASNES has lately made another exac•
tion from the Portuguese Government, of nearly loe,oool.
Proportionate demands have been made upon Spain,
and our Minister at Madrid has made a declaration to that
Court, that any further Subsidies to the French will be con.
siderod by us as a violation of the Neutrality. Spain, how.
ever, is not in a condition to refuse any thing the French
demand ; and we are accordingly in hourly expeaa.
tion of a Messenger from Madrid, to announce the decision
of the Spanish Government to take an alive part in
the War against us. It is for the purpose of convey.
ing this news that the Packet has been so long detained
here : it is at last ordered to sail, though nothing deci-
sive has yet arrived from Spain. There is reason to hope
that Portugal will still be animal to maintain her Neutra.
lity. If the French mean to attempt the Invasion this win.
ter, it is high time to put their threats into execution, and
we almost take it for granted here, that the next Packet will
bring us the important news."

A Dub/;72 Mail of the 13th arrived this morning,
without any interesting information. •
Yesterday morning soon after 1 t o'clock His
MAJESTY'S phaeton and caravan, with the Servants'
luggage, arrived at Buckingham-house from Wind-
sor.
THEIR MAJESTIES 2ndPitnic ISSES arrived about
twelve.
The Earl and Countess of CHOLMONDIMEY return
next week from Norfolk, much to the regret of their
neighbours and the poor, as they have been conspi.
cuous for their hospitality and benevolence.
The Earl of COVENTRY has been recently affea.
ed with a very severe disorder in his eyes, which
has deprived him of the use of one of them.
Sunday His Royal-Highness the Duzeß of Yoitae,
General CALVERT, Mr. GREENWOOD, and a large
party of General Officers, dined with Lieutenant.
Colonel WHITE, on the KING'S Guard.
Mr. PITT, we find, did not go to Mr. CAN-
NING'S, as stated in most of the Papers. After
staying two days last week in Town, he returned
immediately to Walmer Castle, where he has been,
as usual, upon the alert ever since.
Early on Wednesday morning a firing was dig.
tinelly heard at sea from Berwick, which continued
all the afternoon, and from the manner of firing, it
seemed like chat of an engagement. sNo particulars
as yet are known respelling it.
Tomorrow being the Anniversary of our gra.
cious Sovereign the QUEEN'S Birth, the 2d Battalion
of the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, whose
turn it is to take the guard on that day, mount in
new clothing, the Bind in their state clothing ;
and His Royal Highness the Doxr of Yortze's beau.
tiful State Colours will be displayed on the occasion.
The Queen's Royal Volunteers are to have a grand
field-day at Ranelagh to.tnorrow the z Bth inst.
being the Anniversary of HER MAlEsTv's
Day, when they will fire a feu.de.joie in honour of
their august Patroness, the QuE EN. The Corps Avill
afterwards proceed to the Rotunda, where a superb
dinner will be provided for them at the expence of
the Officers.
Yesterday morning the Sheppy Volunteer In.
fantry, consisting of the Qurenborough, Sheerness,
and Minster Volunteers, had a grand Field-day,
when they went through the various evolutions
to the entire satisfaelion oldie Commanding
Yesterday morning, the Court-Martial which
commenced on Friday upon the investigation of the
charges exhibited again.stLieutenant -Colonel Bn cF,
resumed its sitting, and c ,ntinued in the examina-
tion of evidence till two o'clock. Adj, .:rned to
this morning.
The circumstance of Major Ds LANCIr having
been taken up by the-country people as a Spy, while
surveying the iliolderness Coast, has fern contra-
diaed by the i'rovineLd Print in which it
p.kt.td,