Star.
London, England, 1805-12-19 00:00:00

PRIVATE LETTER.

Visas's, Nov. 34—After the treachery of Murat
had prevented the removal of many valuables, and
of the military (lores already packed up, and ready
to be fent towards Moravia, the booty of the French
on the day of their entry here was iromenre ; and
it was therefore thought, that the affurance of Bo-
naparte in a proclamation, " of refped being (hewn
to perfons and property" was fincere, and not ano•
Oct. artifice to obtain plunder. We had, however,
foon reafon to repent of our credulity. No fooner
had the enemy occupied our watch houfes and gates,
than all petfons found in the greets were civilly (hip.
ped of their money, watches, jewels, and trinkets, (hoe
and knee buckles, and even of their hats, bonnets,
handkerchiefs, &c. &c. ; fo much fa, that nobody
dared to go out, before another proclamation ordered
the foldiers, under pain of death. not to pillage in
the fired!. This proclamation was acoorfipanied with
a requifltion in money and in clothing to the arnonnt
of forty-two millions of florins, not including all the
plate of palaces, private houfes, convents, and
churches, which were feized ca mei, in the sight af-
ter the entry of the French. In the fame night alto.
moll cellars were broken open, wines and vihuals
Bolen ; and not a houfe efcapsd the marauders, who
took every thing portable, on which they could lay
their hands. Its the vicinity of this capital, in a
circle of five leagues, nine hundred houfes were bro-
ken open and plundered ; and the officers as well as
the men, forced us here to buy for ready money their
Bolen goods. Many individuals, fuppofed to be
rich, were laid under a private contribution, calcu-
lated to amount to half their fortunes ; and thofe
who could or would not pay, were imprifoned as
hofiages, but threatened every infant with death, as
refradory, or rebels to the commands of the Empe-
ror' of the French•

Within the fira forty-eight hours that we were
curled with French fraternity, upwards of fix hundred
women and girls were violated, many of the latter
under ten years of age ; and when we complained.
we were laughed at, as Prince Murat confidered thefe
occurrences merely as bagatelles, though the ccrpfes
of fcveral murdered females, lying in the (beets,
proved that the ravifhers had alto been plunderers
and alfaffins, and that virtue and innocezce had not
fubmitted to outrages without refinance. So many
and infamous provocations, caufed tome retaliation.
Many of the Ftench officers and foldiers were killed
when in the fleets after dark, and others were
wounded or difappcared, without it being known
what became of them. A general domiciliary vifit
was then ordered, under pretext of fearching for
arms, but in fag to feizc or extort fretb plunder.
Nearly defperate by infults and luffetings, the
people collefted in numbers ; and though only armed
with bludgeons and knives, attacked one of the
French watch houfes in the old town, and carried it
they were, however, loon attacked in their turn and
mot!of them cut to pieces. For fear that this af-
fair might incite to a general infiareftion, the infur-
gents were Ityled emilfaries of Ruffia and England ;
and a third proclamation promifed all peaceable in-
habitants full protation for their per4Ons and pro-
perty ; and that ail violence fbould meet with a fum-
mary puniffiment. On the next morning, indeed, a
froldier who had aolen a filver Awn was isnot, but at
the fame time the whole contents af the atop of a
goidlinith was carried away by one of Nforat's Aid-
de-Camps, for the ufe of the aortic... A tariff of
fafety was then eftabliffied, and a card, finned by
Mind, for which a Muis d'or hai been paid, is an
evidence that the beater has acquitted the quota of
his contributions, and is under the proration of tb,
French.