aged and venerable duchess dowager, the mother of the duke, aud sister of the commander in chief the duke of Brunswick, and the hereditary prince of Weimar, with his imperial consort, the sister of the emperor Alexander, retreated precipitately to Brunswick; but the duchess, even after the fatal issue of the battle of Jena was foreseen, retired within the walls of her palace, and waited the event with calmness and resignation. She had assembled round her the ladies of her court, and generously offered an asylum to the English, whose situation was then so perilous. Her amiable friend Miss Gore, with her aged parent, since deceased, and Mr. Osborne, a gentleman who formerly filled a diplomatic character in several of the continental courts, were among the select party whom the duchess collected together in a wing of the castle, while the state apartments were opened for the reception of the unwelcome and terrific guest. During the awful 14th of October, the duchess and her friends were immured in their recess, and had no nourishment but a few cakes of chocolate found by accident. When the fortunes of the day began to be decided (and that took place early in the morning), the Prussians, retreating through the town, were pursued by the French, and slaughtered in the streets. Some of the inhabitants were murdered, and a general plunder began. In tlie evening the conqueror approach. ed and entered the palace of the duke, now become his own by the right (!) of conquest. It was then that the duchess left her apartment, and, seizing the moment of his entering the hall, placed herself on the top of the staircase, to greet him with the formality of a courtly reception. Napoleon started when he beheld her: "Qui étes vous? (Who are you?)" he exclaimed with his characteristic abruptness. "Je suis la duchess de Weimar (I am the duchess of Weimar.)" "Je vous plains," he retorted fiercely, "j'ecraserai votre mari (I pity you, I shall crush your husband.)" He then added, "I shall dine in my apartment," and rushed by her. The night was spent, on the part of the soldiery, in all the horrid excesses of rapine. The inhabitants were exposed, without defence, to all the licentious excesses of a military, intoxicated with victory. The duchess and her friends remained in a state hardly less deplorable; for though not exposed to personal danger, their feelings were sharpened by a finer sensibility.-Though exhausted by suffering, the duchess had resolved not to abandon the unhappy inhabitants, without an effort in their favour. Accordingly, she sent her chamberlain early in the morning to inquire concerning the health of his majesty the emperor, and to solicit an audience. The morning dreams of Napoleon had One instance only the writer of this article is induced to single out, from the accident of his being personally acquainted with the unhappy subject of it. The apartments of an old gentleman (he was upwards of 70) were broken into, and every thing in them rifled and destroyed. The soldiers had found below some fowls, and insisted that he should instantly pluck them. He very placidly complied, and began his task, they deriding him in the performance of it. Upon his rising, however, to fetch his spectacles, he was knocked down, and beaten so cruelly that he died, bd possibly soothed his mind to gentleness, or he recollected that he was a monarch as well as general, and could not refuse what the emperor owed to the duchess he accordingly returned a gracious answer, and invited himself to break fast with her in her apartinent. On his entrance, he began instantly with an interrogative (his favourite figure): "How could your husband, madam, be so mad as to make war against me?" "Your majesty would have despised him if he had not," was the dignified answer he received. "How so?" he hastily replied. The duchess slowly and deliberately rejoined, "My husband has been in the service of the king of Prussia upwards of 30 years; and surely it was not at the moment that the king had so mighty an enemy as your majesty to contend against, that the duke could abandon him. A reply so admirable, which asserted so powerfully the honour of the speaker, and yet conciliated the vanity of the adversary, was irresistible. Buonaparte became at once more mild, and, without noticing the auswer already received, continued his interrogatories. "But how came the duke to attach himself to the king of Prussia?"-"Your majesty will, on enquiry, find, that the dukes of Saxony, the younger branches of the family, have always followed the example of the electoral house; and your majesty knows what motives of prudence and policy have led the court of Dresden to attach itself to Prussià rather than Austria." This was followed by further inquiries and further answers, so impressive, that in a few minutes Napoleon exclaimed with warmth, Madame, vous étos la femme la แ plus respectable que j'ai jamais connu; vouz avez sauvez votre Mari. "Madam, you are the most estimable woman I ever knew-You have saved your husband!"-Yet he could not confer favour unac companied with insult; for reiterating his assurances of esteem, be added, “Je le pardonne, mais c'est a cause de vous seulement; car, pour lui, c'est un mauvais Sujet." I pardon him, but it is entirely on your account; for, as to himself, he is a bad subject." The duchess to this made no reply; but, seizing the happy moment, interceded successfully for her suffering people. Napoleon gave orders that the plundering should cease; and afterwards ordered that Mr. Osborne should be released, who had in the mean while been arrested. There are not wanting those who have affected to consider this incident as honourable to the conqueror. But the praise of geuerosity cannot well be given where the motives of policy are apparent, The court of Weimar is connected more closely than any other with Russia, by the marriage of the em-" peror Alexander's sister with the hereditary prince. Buonaparte has never overlooked the necessity of ultimately conciliating the favour of Russia. It is the only power on the continent of Europe which he had a motive to conciliate. Subsequent events have shewn, that his efforts have not been ineffectual; and it is not the least of his victories, that we see the emperor of the North in the train of his instruments and accessaries. After the departure of Buonaparte from Weimar to Berlin and Po land, he continued to express the same opinion of the duchess that he first uttered. uttered. When the duke waited I had few opportunities of writing to upon him at Dresdeu, he was wurm my friends. Many interesting events, in her praises; he added, however, therefore, which have occurred since “ But your soldiers are the worst I we parted, must remain undescribed ever saw; two-thirds of them de- till we meet, or at least till I shall be serted before the contingent joined under less inauspicious influence. It my army." The duke might have may be useful, however, to give you replied, Sire, when my soldiers some idea of our expedition and miswere tighting against you, not one adventure ; it will correct some false of them deserted." impressions which have gone abroad, When the treaty, which secured and which, in fact, have been circuthe nominal independence of Wei- lated by the enemy. mar, and declared its territory to be “ Sir Sidney and myself are treated a part of the Rhenish league, was in a manner which has no parallel in brought from Buonaparte to the military history. The enemy endeaduke by a French general, and pre- vour to justify this treatment by afsented to him, he refused to take fixing to our expedition a motive and it into his own hands, saying, with character incompatible with the laws more than gallantry, “ Give it to of war. my wife: the emperor intended it “ The following is the manner in for her.” which we fell into the hands of these barbarians: “ Having anchored on the morning Capture of the late Captain Wright of the 17th of April, in the outer and Sir Sidney Smith. road of Havre-de-Grace, with the Diamond alone, we discovered at anThe following is an extract of a chor in the inner road an armed luge letter from the lamented captain ger. A project was immediately conWright, the celebrated companion ceived of boarding her in the night by and fellow-prisoner of sir Sidney means of our boats. In justice to the Smith, and who, it continues to be merit, and indeed necessity, of this believed, was murdered whilst a pri- project, in a national point of view, soner in the Temple. It gives a it is necessary to inform you, that this more detailed account than any' that was the only remaining vessel which has yet appeared, of the manner in continued to annoy the English trade which sir Sidney Smith and captain within the limits of our squadron. Wright became prisoners: She had been recently equipped at Havre ; carried ten three pounders “ Paris, Dec. 6, 1796. and foriy-five men ; was conmanded “ Seven mouths of captivity has by a bold, enterprizing man, with a indeed broken off almost all means private commission; and sailed so of intercourse between us, but it has well in light winds as to have more not blunted the remembrance of my than once eluded the pursuit of our friends at home, I still retain a frigate, when returning from the grateful sense of the sincere interest English coast. Her first depredations which I know you all feel in whatever on our trade were of a magnitude to personally concerus me. For nearly warrant the risk of a small sacrifice in three months previous to my capture, her capture; and sir Sidney had estaVOL. XLIX. 3 0 blished blished it as a point of honour in his heavy enough to hold her against the squadron, that an enemy's vessel, strength of a very rapid tide, that within the limits of bis command, rushed into the Seine. All the boats should not even pass from port to were sent a-head to tow, and every port. sail was set, but it was all in vain. “ The force employed in our en- After all these fruitless efforts, we terprize consisted of the launch, tried the effect of a small kedge, armed with an eighteen-pounder car- without hope of its holding. The ronade and muskets, four other boats vessel dragged it a long way, and at with muskets, including a two-armed length brought up. wherry, in which sir Sidney. con- “Here, therefore, we lay anxiously manded in person, and carrying in all expecting day-light, to discover the fifty-two persons ; viz. nine officers, extent of the evil we had to encounsix of which were from twelve to six- ter, or for a propitious breeze to asteen years of age; three servants, and sist our escape. Day-light at length forty seamen. We were all volun- appeared, and terminated our susteers; were disposed to surmount all pense. Our position was in the last obstacles that should oppose our pur- degree critical: we were half a league pose ; not a breath of air--not a higher up the river thian Havre, the ripple on the water; the oars were town and harbour of which was now muflled; and every thing promised in motion, in hostile preparation. the happiest success. We quitted the Nothing now remained for us, but ship about ten o'clock, preceded by to make every possible preparation sir Sidney Smith in his wherry. · Ar- on our parts for a desperate and unrived within sight of the Vengeur, we equal conflict. The vessel, however, Jay upon our oars to reconnoitre her was destitute of every material article position, and to receive definitive or- of defence, such as grape-shot and ders. This done, we took a broad match. There was not a single round sheer between her and the shore, in of the former, and the latter was so order to assume the appearance of bad, that it would never fire upon fishing-boats coming out of the har- the first application. It was resolved, bour, and thereby protract the mo- however, to fight as long as the lugment of alarm: in this we succeeded ger would swim, in the expectation beyond expectation, and afterwards that, hy protracting our surrender, a rowed directly towards her, reserving prosperous wind might deliver us, our fire till she should commence the even in the last extremity. All Havre action. This happened after hailing was now in motion to attack us ; us within about half-pistol-shot;— some shot had reached us, whilst we the boats returned it in the instant, were in the act of discharging our and within less than ten minutes we prisoners, and sending them on their had got possession of the vessel. parole to Honfleur; for, with his “ It was now that we first disco- usual -hunanity, sir Sidney Smith vered our difficulties. The enemy proposed to send them 'away clear had very wisely cut their cable during from the dangers of a battle in which the action, the vessel had therefore they could not co-operate. They rebeen drifting towards the shore all ceived his kindness with gratitude. this time, On perceiving it, we “ The attack now commenced. sought in vain for a second anchor, We got under weigh to attack a large lugger lugger that was advancing, whilst the boats were detached to rake her with grape shot and musquetry. The result was, that she sheered off. We had not, however, escaped clear: her grape and musquetry had greatly disabled our rigging, and wounded some of our best men: your young friend, Charles B. was amongst the number. This action was scarcely over, when we were surrounded on all sides by a variety of small craft, crowded with troops; and another action immediately commenced, more desperate, and more unequal than the former. Sir Sidney ordered all the musquets to be collected, and loaded, and made such a distribution of them, that each man was enabled to fire several rounds without the necessity of reloading; the midshipmen reloaded them as fast as they were discharged. In this manner an inces sant fire was kept up for some time. No breeze, however, appeared, and resistance was evidently in vain, as the country was assembling. In a word, we were compelled to surrender." evening. He said, when he put the pot to his mouth, something rose in his throat and choaked him. He swallowed, as he thought, about a tea-spoonful, and then was seized with a trembling, and cramp in his arms and legs, and a sensation of pricking, as if pins or needles were run into his flesh. His appetite failed him on Saturday last. Yesterday he ate a small piece of mutton, which made him sick at his stomach. He has eaten nothing this day; though he said he could swallow any thing, except it were in a liquid form; but has no desire for food. He said he was attacked on Thursday last with a violent pain in his right arm, from his shoulders to the ends of his fingers. This pain left him on Saturday night. He rubbed the arm with hartshorn and oil, and wrapped it up with flaunel, on Saturday. Mrs. Metcalf informed me, that on his seeing any liquid poured out for him to drink, even before he takes hold of the pot, he begins to tremble, and the choaking seizes him. She said, in attempting to drink, he becomes convulsed, his eyes look glassy, and he stares in an unusual and frightful manner. The case thus clearly de monstrated, I desired Mrs. Metcalf to go with me into another room. I did this that I might not alarm her son, by questions necessary for further information. Neither Mrs. Metcalf nor her son had the slightest suspicion of the cause, or the nature of this dreadful calamity. I asked Mrs. Metcalf, whether her son had been lately bitten by any dog? The very question so much alarmed her, that she was for a few minutes in a state of distraction. When she was able to speak, she exclaimed with a loud shriek, that he had been bitten in the hand by a dog |