Star.
London, England, 1808-01-21 00:00:00

GOTTENBURGH.

Extract of a Lctter from a Gentleman at Gottenburgh, to his
frond in Fdinburgh, dated Dec. 18, 1807.

" The deplorable state to which poor Prussia is
now reduced cannot be expressed. I was dissuaded
from going to Memel, on account of the extravagant
preteniions of the French, of which they did not then
knovrthe particulars. We know them now officially,
and they are indeed such as jsstify every apprehension
.that ?russia must soon be annihilated. Bonaparte
ilesnands the five fortresses of Stettin, Custrin, Glogau,
'Colberg, and Graudentz—the maintenance of their
garrisons, which are to consist of 40,000 French
.troops—annual payments of five millions of dollars,
till the whole contribution of the country is made up
—and land, to the amount of fifty millions of dollars,
to be divided among his officers, so that the utmost
of the revenue that will be left the poor King, will be
about 94 millions of dollars, and in that situation it
is totally impossible for the country long to exist.-
- The Emperor of Russia has, little to his credit, aban-
doned his former friend, though it was in consequence
of his promises that the King (of Prussia) did not ac-
cept of the favourable terms offered him after the fa-
mous battle of Eylau ; and, while the French force is
daily increasing on the frontiers of Russia, the Rus-
sians are marching towards Finland, and amuse them-
selves with plans of going to the East Indies,
44 In Denmark we had every appearance of en-
joying tranquillity, till the late measures turned the
scale. That unhappy country is now totally ruined ;
and the Prince Royal, whose character at one time
stood so high, now proves himself a fit instrument in
the hands of Bonaparte, listening solely to his own
passions, and regardless of the fate of his miserable
subjects,. What will happen to this country /Swe-
den), GOD alone knows. The King has been three
days here, and has conducted himself ire such man-
ner as to gain the heart; ot'all that ipiimached
I Batter myself that the-country will be justified in

plating the Mutest senfidence in his prudeno,lowl.
paeity. It is generally understood that he sral, as
long as poisible, observe the strictest neutrali7, and
that he will use every precaution to avoid giving of
fence to either party. I most ardently'wish ht stay
be successful, for surely no monarch of the present'
day deseryes.succeu so much ; and, in addition to the
firmness he shews as a king, he proves himself the
best husband and the best father in the country."

By the last intelligence from Holland, it is now be.
Llieved that facilities are to be afforded to American
;shipping. According to a new code American ships
:are permitted to enter the Dutch ports, and dispose of
their cargoes, even though they may have touched at
an English port, or been searched by an English crui-
zer, provided they pay a certain amount of contribu-
tion. This new code is understood to have been fra-
med by Talleyrand, and it is calculated to answer the
several purposes of conciliating the Americans, rais-
ing an additional revenue for France, supplying the
Continent with certain necessary articles, particularly
colonial produce, and so far defeating the object of
our orders of Council. But notwithstanding this new
code, the American vessels which are now in our har-
bours, in consequence of our orders of Council, shrink
from proceeding to Holland, in consequence of a dis-
trust excited by a letter received yesterday from an.
eminent house at Amsterdam. The writer of this
letter, after alluding to the indulgences we have men-
tioned, observed, that still he would not recommend
American ships to venture into Dutch ports, lest Go-
vernment should prove inconsistent, and swerve from
' those indulgences." Some vessels, however, are about
to sail, which were originally destined for that coun-
t try ; but such as were not so destined are not likely to
avail themselves of any indulgence afforded in Hol-
land ; for the Ministers, refusing to grant any licence
to neutrals to change their original destination unless
bond be given for the payment of any duties which
Parliament may impose upon their cargoes, determines
them not to apply tor such licences.

Letters from Memel, of the 16th ult. present a most
afflicting detail of. the calamities produced in that
city by a scarcity of provisions. The scarcity is in-
deed such as almost to amount to a famine, abated ,
in its severity only by the.desertion of a vast number
of the inhabitants. The town is therefore :wally de-
populated. His Pi-ussian Majesty is still at-Meinel;
benevolently acting in. using the small means svhich
he has heen -permitted. to retain, to alleviate the dis-
tress of Isis people.

Yesterday, at two o'clock, his MAJESTv held a pri-
vate levee at the Queen's Palace, which was attended
by—
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Orr Archbishop of York, the
Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Common:, the.
Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward ; the Dukes of Nloittrose
and Portland ; Earls Grey, Aykstord, Winchelsea (in waiting),
Chadians, Bathurst, Camden, Westmorland, and Dartmouth; Vis-
count Castlereagh ; Lords Hawkesbury, Heathfield (gold stick),
Mulgrav*,Hutthinson, Arden, Brownlow, Bolton, and Burgherst;
the Dean of Vl'inchor ; Major General Sir George Prevost ; the
Rev. J. W. Blomberg ; Messrs. Villiers 'groom in waiting;., law.
ktner, Canning, Perceval, and St. Leger.

The following had the honour of being presented
to his MAJESTY :
' Earl GREY, on succeeding to his title. The Noble Earl deli-
vered to his Majesty the Older of the Bath worn byt he late Larl.
Lord Hurt HMSO r, on his return from his mission.
Lord BROWNiow, by Lord AIDED:' on his corning to his title.
Mr. ST. Ltcst on being appOinted Vice Chamberlain, to her
Royal Highneis the Princess of WAtts, by the Earl of DART-
MOUTH. . •

Lord BOLTON, 011 coming to his title, by the LORD Cu As.
CL LLOR.

Lord Beano zusr.-by his father the Earl of Wt3TMORLAND,
upon his return from Sicily.
The Rev. T. W. BLostnenr., on being appointed Clerk of tit.:
Closet to the Prince of WALT.

Major General Sir G tole e PIILLVOST, on being appointed
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Commander of the
Forces, with the local rank of Lieutenant General.

The Archbishop of YORK. did homage before his
MAJESTY, on being elected to that See.
His MAJESTY gave private audiences to the Arch:
bishop of Canterbury and the Cabinet Ministers, and
held a Privy Council, at which the Speaker of the
House of Commons attended ; at which time his'
Majesty's speech for the opening of the Session of
Parliament this day, was taken into consideration.
The Archbishop of YonK was introduced and
sworn in a member, and took his seat at the Board
accordingly.
Yesterday her MAJESTY and Princess Er.tzanyrn
honoured Lady CHARLOTTE FINCH with a morning
visit.

On Monday the Prince of WALES went in the car-
riage with her MAJESTY and Princess Actit:s•rn, from
St. James's Palace to the Queen's to dine.

The Ducher;s of YORK and Princess CHARLOTTE: of
WALES likewise dined with their MAJESTIES and the

Princesses.

The Princess CHARLOTTE of WALES was not at the
Drawing-mom, on Monday, as erroneously stated in
several papers. Her Royal Highness merely accom-
panied her MAJESTY in her carriage from the Queen's
Palace to her private apartments iu St. James's, and
when her MAJKs-ry went to the Drawing-room, she
returned to her house in Warwick-street.

Lord ERIK►vF g►ves a grand dinner, on Saturday,
to a party of friends, at his house in Lincoln's-inn-
fields.

Yesterday the following Members of the House of
Peers dined with Lord HAWKENBURr, at his house in
•
Charles-street, St. James's-square :
The Lewd Chancellor, the Duke of Portland, Marquis Welles-
ley, Earls of Chatham, Camden, Westmorland, Dartmouth, Win-
chelsea, Aylesford, Bathurst, Sandwich, and (;:.11 'wily; Lords
Molgrave, Kenyon, Harrowby, and. Walsinglsam.
After dinner, the Speech, which is to be this day'
delivered in his MAJr.s,-eN's name, was read.
The CIiANCF.I.LOR of- the. ExeriEut.:Ea* entertained
the felloWiog compan.y—te slinner : •
Lortiolin Thyme, .Lordliamiltbh; Sir James' y,.ike
Speaker a the House of Cummon,, the Attorney ,
Evan Nekran, !and John Nicoll, and Messrs. Cat
ning 'Ellis, Long, Elliot, 'Wellesley, .nnghbridgt• Johnson,:
Wat6yDundas dinskes Bourne, Ewer. W.ird,•
and
Pole:
•