Star. — 1805-12-19 (London, England)

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 Bonaparte 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 after 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 broken 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, calculated 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 Emperor' 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 affair might incite to a general infiareftion, the infurgents were Ityled emilfaries of Ruffia and England ; and a third proclamation promifed all peaceable inhabitants full protation for their per4Ons and property ; and that ail violence fbould meet with a fummary 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 Aidde-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.