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London, England, 1808-10-11 00:00:00

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say, that the Counsellors whom your Majesty calls perfidious,
Save never advised me to derogate from the love, respect, and
honour that I have always profe3sed to your Majesty, whose va-
luable life I pray (lon to preserve to a happy and good old age.
" i cast myself at your Majesty's Royal feet, your most dutiful
son, (Signed) " YLILDINAND.
" Bayonne, May 4, 1808."
No. X.
Letter from the King to his Father Charles IV.
" Venerable Father and Lord--I deposited in the r,.%-al hands
of your Majesty on the Ist instant, the renunciation of the: Crown
in your favour. I have believed it to be obligatory upon 're to
modify the renunciation by such conditions as were agreeable to
the respect due to your Majesty, to the tranquillity of my demi-
talons, and to the preservation of my honour and character. It is
not without great astonishment, that I have seen indignation pro-
&seed in the royal mind of your Majesty, by modifications dic-
tated by prudence, and called for by the love that I bear to my
subjects.
Without any other ground, your Majesty thought proper to
Insult me in the presence of my venerable Mother, and of the Em-
peror, by appellations the most humiliating; and not content with
this, you require my renunciation without any conditions or re-
strictions, under pain that I, and those who composed my council,
should be treated as conspirators. In such a situation of things, I
make the renunciation which your Majesty commands that you
may return to the Government of Spain, in the state in which
you were on the 19th March, when your Majesty made the spon-
taneous abdication of your Crown in my favour.
" May GOD preserve the valuable life of your Majesty many
years, which is the prayer of your loving and dutiful son, prostrate
at your royal feet. (Signed) " TIRDINAND.
" Bayonne, 6th May, 1108."
No. Xi.
Note of the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, M. de Chant-
pagny, in Reply to one from D. Pedro Cevallos, in which it
is complained, that a Cabinet Courier dispatched by order of
Ferdinand the Vllth with Documents for Madrid, had been
detained, and in which he applied for Passports for another.
" The Minister for Foreign Affairs has received the Note
which Seignor de Cevallos did him the honour to address to him,
complaining of the obstruction of the courier of his Excellency.
This measure was occasioned by a notification, that his Imperial
Majesty had required, that no other King should be acknow-
ledged than Charles the IV. From this results as a necessary
consequence, that the Emperor cannot admit in his territory any
act in the nature of a passport given in the name of any other
King, and for the same reason that the Minister could not coun-
tersign the new passport which Seignor Cevallos had sent him.—
But he hastens to apprise you, that all the letters which the cou-
rier conveyed, and which have been detained, have been put into
the hands of the French Postmaster, who will provide that they
shall be sent to Burgos and Madrid with the greatest punctuality,
and the same will be done as to all others, that the Spaniards,
whether in France or Spain, choose to have conveyed, either by
the ordinary post, or by a French Courier. All will be trans-
ported to their respective destinations with the most scrupulous
exactness, and the correspondence between the two States, far
from experiencing any interruption, will acquire new activity.
" M. de Champagny, in sending this note to Seignor De Ceval-
los, has the honour to assure bins of his high consideration*.
" Bayonne, April 29, 1808."

• While the Emperor intreated the King to reneunce the
throne in hi favour, no difficulty was made in countersigning the
passports that I gave in his Royal name, but as soon as the French
Government saw its hopes disappointed, it refused passports to
every dispatch.
No. XII.

Resignation by Seignor D. Pedro Cevallos of his Office of Minis-
ter for Foreign Affairs, into the hands of Joseph Napoleon, on
the 28th of July.
Sir—At the time your Majesty had the goodness to invite me
to continue in the employment of Minister for Foreign Affairs, I
believed that I ought to submit to your notice some reflections,
according to which your Majesty could neither have the least
cc.nfidence in me, or I the least security in your Majesty's pro-
tection, since I found myself injured, and easefully watched by the
Emperor your august brother, whose influence over your Majes-
ty's mind entild be in no respect favourable to me.
4' Your Majesty persisted in your resolution, telling me that
you were anxious to have near you persons possessing the esteem
of the nation; but I having no other wish than to return to my na-
tive land, which had been denied me after two in nths applica-
tion to his Imperial and Royal Majesty, it was necessary for me
to accept the nomination of your Majesty, to put an end to the
lamentable separation from my family, and my fellow countrymen,
reserving always the right which no one can renounce, of adhering
to the vote of the majority of the nation, in case it should nat be
disposed to acknowledge your Majesty for their Sovereign.
" To your Majesty I have since shewn, that Spain is almost
unanimously opposed to recognize you as King; and if this
claim be wanting to you, there Is no other by which your Majesty
can continue Sovereign of these kingdoms. Thus circumstanced,
I should be a traitor to my own principles, if I were to continue
to exercise a Ministerial capacity, accepted under sush circum-
stances, and not from a devise to have any influence in the Go-
vernment of your Majesty, which I renounce from this moment,
to go into retirement, where I will consecrate to my unhappy
country my wishes and tears for its calamities and distresses,
which I should be glad to remove, for the happiness of a nation
noble, generous, loyal, and brave.

APPENDIX
Respecting the manner in which the Grand Duke of Berg obtain•
ed by surprise an order from the Junta of Government to deli-
ver over to him the person of the prisoner D. Manuel Godoy.
" Ever dace the Grand Duke of Berg, Lieutenant-General of
the armies of the Emperor, set his foot on the territory of Spain,
he endeavoured, by every possible artifice, to impress a general
opinion, that he came for our happiness, and to effect certain
useful reforms in our Government ; studiously giving it out, that
he would protect the cause of the Prince of Asturias, and that he
would oppose the Prince of Peace, who was the object of univer-
sal hatred with the nation. Neither did he neglect to give forth
some hints of the great influence of the Queen in public effairs.
It was very well known that this only was necessary to captivate
the affections of the oppressed Spaniards; and SiRCC his mission
bad for its object what we have since seer., it must be acknow-
ledged, that the calculations of the Emperor of the French his
Muter were well-grounded.
" As, however, all things in this world are subject to change,
the ever-memorable movements at Aranjuez occurred, and sub-
verted all this plan. Scarcely had the Grand Duke of Berg be-
come acquainted with them, than he alters his scheme, and ap-
peared to take a great interest in the fate of Don Manuel Godoy,
with whom he held correspondence of the nearest intimacy, al-
though he was not personally known to him. It was not conceal-
ed from Isis sagacity, that the Royal Parents took great interest in
the protection of their favourite. Then it was that he began to
take the most efficacious measures to liberate Godoy from prison;
but all this was ineffectual as long as their beloved king Ferdinand
VII. remained as Madrid.
" The Grand Duke of Berg was not dismayed by this cir•
eumstence; but scarcely had his Majesty arrived at Burgos, when
he renewed his application to obtain what he had long wished;
threatening, in case a negative was given, that he would use the
fore* at his disposal to effect his purpose.
" The Junta, nevertheless, resisted Isis first application, and
consulted the King as to what they ought to do in such crirical
circumstances. His Majesty was pleased to acquaint tlicrn with
the answer he had given on the same subject to the Emperor of
the French, who had himself solicited the release of the prisoner;
and which answer is as fn lows:
• The Crand Puke of Berg and the Ambassador of your Im-
perial and Royal Majesty have, on different occasions, made ver-
bal applications that von Manuel Godoy, prisoner Inc a crime
against the Stxe in the Royal Palace of Villaviciosa, should be put
at the disposal of your Majesty.
• Nothing would be more agreeably personally to myself than
to accede to your wishes, but the consequences would be so se-
rious if I were to do so, that I thiek it right to submit them to
the prudent consideration of your Majesty.
' Consistently with one of the duties of my situation, which is to
administer justice to my people, I have ordered the most dignified
of the tribunals of my kinBdorn to judge Don Alannel Godoy ac-
cording to the laws. I have promised to my people that I would
Publish the rail! of &process on which depends the honour of a
great number of my subjects, and the preservation of the rights
of any Crown. Throughout the whole extent of my dominions,
there is not a single district, however small. which has not addres-
sed complaints to the throne against the prhoner. An my subjects
have signified their joy in a remarkable from the moment
that they were inforred (tithe arrest of Dos'7s luel Godoy, and
t„...„.• • she deetkon thisan have their eyes
icause

Your Majesty, a wise legislator anti a great warrior, can easily
determine tie weight of these considerations; but if your Majesty
feel yourself interested in the life of D. Manuel Godoy, I give you
my royal word, that if, after a full examination of his case, be
should be condemned to death, I will remit that punishment, in
consequence of the interposition of your Imperial Majesty.
May GOD preserve the life of your Imperial Majesty many
years." (Signed) ' FERDINAND..
' Vittoria, April IS, IttOn.'
" The Royal order of the same date also apprised the Junta, that
if the Grand Duke of Berg renewed ids applications in favour of
Godoy, he should be answered, that this business wus in treaty be-
tween the two Sovereigns, and that the result depended exclusive-
ly on the decision of the King. His Majesty having been informed
that his royal parents (ill informed no doubt) had complained to
the Grand Duke of the ill treatment of the Prince of Peace in his
prison, his Majesty commanded me, notwithstanding his convic-
tion of the delicate treatment observed by the Marouis Castelar,
that I should direct him, that the greatest care shou:d be taken of
the health of the prisoner, which I did under the same date.
" Scarcely had the Emperor received the letter of the King,
when with his accustomed haughtiness he abused it, and wrote to
the Grand Duke of Berg, truing him that the Prince of Asturias
had put prisoner, Don Manuel Godoy, at his disposal, and cons-
mandiag him vigorously to claim the surrender of his person. No-
thing more was necessary for Murat, whose character is naturally
daring and violent, and he sent the following note to the Junta:—
The Finywror and King having informed his Imperial and
Royal Hig:iness the Grand Duke of Berg, that his Royal High-
! ness the Prince of Asturias had just written him, telling him that
, be referred the fate of the Prince of Peace to his disposal; his
Highness in consequence directs me to inform the Junta of the in-
' tentions of the Emperor, on ateourt of which I repeat the request
for the delivery of the person of the Prince, that he may be sent
1 into France.'
' This detc rtnin at ion of his Royal Highness the Prince of Astu-
rias, net-hips, has not yet reached the Junta. In this case it ap-
pears that his Royal Highness-must wait for the answer of his
Majesty the Emperor; but the Junta will see, that to answer
the Prince of Asturias will be to decide a differew_ question, and
it is known that his Imperial Majesty cannot recognize as King
any other than Charles IV.
' I beg the Junta to take this note into their consideration, and
to have the goodnessto answer me on the subject, in order to give
an explanation to his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke, of their
decision.

...
• The Government and the Spanish nation will see in this reso-
lution of his imperial Majesty, only a new proof of the interest
he takes in Spain; because, in removing to a distance the Prince
of Peace, he wishes to deprive malevolence itself of the possible
belief that King Charles will restore to power and to confidence
one whom he has resigned for ever ; and further, the Junta of
Government certainiy will de justice to the exhalted sentiments
of his Majesty the Emperor, who would not abandon his faithful
ally. I have the honour to offer to the Junta the assurance of my
high consideration.
' The General in Chief of the Etat Major• General,
Madrid, April CO, 1808. • AvorsTo BELLIARD.

" He added, verbally, to this note such atrocious and unheard
of threats, that the Junta, no doubt fearful lest they should be rea-
lized, and that the tranquillity of Madrid would be shaken, had
the weakness to accede to the proposition, and commanded the
Marquis de Castelar, by order of the King, the same night, to de-
liver up the prisoner, which, In fact, was done with great repug-
nance on his part, and on the part of all the Office s who bad
him in custody.
" A proper regard for truth requires that it should be said, that
Don Francisco Gil, Secretary of State and of Marine-kill:in., and in
consequence Member of the Junta of Cover: matt, oppte.ed the
surrender of the prisoner, because it was nut authorized by the
King. •
" It is difficult to conceive how, after such din rt aces as those
that are stated, the Junta of Government should proceed to in-
form the Council and the public, by the means of two Exraordi-
Rary Gazettes, that the Prince of Peace had been delivered up by
order of the King. The same difficulty recurs, how this • Junta
could endeavour to excuse its weakness, distorting expressions
of the official correspondence; as for example, a passage in the
Dispatch addressed to the Council, which this Tribunal, in its
Manifest, folio 14 of the Qr.arto, cites in the following terms :
' As to what respects the prisoner Don Manuel Godoi, the King
commands me to inform the Juitta, In order that they may make
the proper use of this notice, that his hlajosty esteems too highly
the wish expressed by theEznperor of the French, not to gratify it,
extending at the same time generwity In favour of a criminal who
had offended the Royal Person.'
" With little reflection, it ought to have oreurred to them, that
this supposed order was not intended to give liberty to the prisoner,
but that the King was disposed to extend gent osity towards him
out of respect to the Emperor. In order to kre.w what species of
generosity this was, it was only necessary to rieur to the decree
which his Majesty addressed to the Council, and which it has in-
serted, folio 15 of the same edition. Under the same date of the
18th of April. a royal order was addressed to the Marquis de Cas-
telar, notwithstanding his Majesty's firm persuasion that his Royal
Parents laboured ender a mistake, direcrlng that every care should
be taken of the health of the prisoner; and if at the same time the
King had commanded that the Junta of Gevern:a.nt should have
set him at liberty,such a precaution with regard to his health would
have been idle and ridiculous. Besides this, v. hen the Junta of
Government gave an account to the King of the considerations
and motives that they had for setting the prisoner at liberty, which
are the same that have been stated, his Majesty commanded mt
to reply in the following terms
• The King is trade acquainted with the motives, the Junta of
Government had for the delivery of the prisoner without his oidee
" The two chief Officers of the first Secretary of State, and Of
the Cabinet of his Majesty, and his Secret:a-it a of Decrees, Dom
Eusebio de Bardaxi y Azara, and Don Luis de Onis (through
whose hands they were passed) certify this statement of the Junta,
and cf the reply of the King. ,
" I have considered it to be my duty to publish these transar-
tiona, that the whole nation may be informed of the circumstances
w:iich occasioned the surrender of Don Manuel Godol, which is
falsely attributed to his Majesty, who never could think of aban-
doning the solemn promise he gave to his beloved people, to judge
him according to the laws and that we should on this account be
More strongly confirmed in the ardent affection we cherish for
our beloved King Ferdinand VII. whom Goo restore as soon as
possible, for the completion of our happinees.
' We, Don Eusebio Barthel y Azara, and Don Luis de Onis;
Secretaries of Decrees to our Lord the King, and Principal Offi-
cers of the First Secretary of State, and of the Cabinet, certify
the fact of the representation of the Junta of Government, and
the answer returned to it by the King; and that they were cop-
calved in the terms stated by the most Excellent Seignor Dow
Pedro Cevallos, in his Expesitieni ; the documents having peeved
through our hands, and which we authenticate by our bignature4,
Vigued) EUSEBIO DI BARDAYI Y AZAPA.
Ltlli de ONIS..
' Madrid, Sept. ; 1208: