As in the event of any of the volunteers in the county under your grace'scharge being either placed on permanent pay and duty, or ordered out on actual service, they are to be subject to military discipline, and to all the provisions contained in any act of parliament for the punishment of mutiny and desertion, by any articles of war made in pursuance thereof, in all cases whatever: it appears to be expedient, that your grace should lose no time in directing the commandants of the different corps, in the case of their being so called out, to cause the articles of war to be read to their corps, as soon after their first assembling as may be practicable, and to repeat the same from time to time as opportunity may be given, in the manner practised in the militia and regular forces. I have the honour to be, my lord, Your most obedient servant, C. YORKE. His majesty's lieutenant of the co. of Sussex. Pursuant to the above order, I do hereby direct that all commanding officers of yeomanry and volunteer corps within the county of Sussex, do pay due obedience thereto. RICHMOND, &c. Goodwood, Jan. 27, 1804. Note from Mr. Drake to the Bavarian minister of state, baron Montgelas, delivered at Munich, March 30, 1801. The undersigned, envoy extraordinary from his Britannic majesty, has been informed, that his electoral highness has been pleased, at the requisition of the French government, to give a hint to all noblemen, who quitted France during the revolution, and may now be found in his dominions, to leave the same within ten days, without excepting those who are dependent on the British government. Although this account appears to be tolerably authentic, the undersigned cannot give any credit to it, without receiving a confirmation thereof from his excellency baron Montgelas, as he is too well convinced of the just and generous sentiments of his electoral highness, to believe that his highness could have consented to such a demand from a power, which has formerly declared, by the fourth article of its own constitution, that there are not any relations left existing between it and the persons against whom that measure is supposed to be (12) taken : : taken this deprives it of the right to assume any authority with respect to them; a principle which your excellency owned yourself, at a time when it was in agitation to prohibit in this country the decorations of the French monarchy. The undersigned is the more justified in his supposition, that he must have been misinformed on this subject, as knowing how sorely the feeling heart of his electoral high ness must be afflicted, if obliged to exercise any rigour towards persons against whom no cause of reproach can be alleged; unless it be a reproach, that they have shown themselves so firmly devoted to their duties, and to that sovereign house with which his electoral highness formerly stood connected in so many respects. The undersigned is moreover convinced, that it could not escape the enlightened wisdom of his electoral highness, that a similar exercise of rigour, against those respectable and already so very unfortunate persons, would form a rueful example of the fate awaiting those who, in a moment of danger, are inclined to remain true to their lawful sovereign; and which example may induce them to swerve from their duty, at the very moment when a sovereign stands most in need of the efforts and actual proofs of their attachment. The undersigned has therefore the honour to request baron von Montgelas to clear up his doubts on this subject, and to inform him, whether the measure in question will extend to the officers of the late Condéan army who are attached to the British government, that he may be enabled to acquaint his court thereof, and to await the commands of his sovereign accordingly. NOTE TROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. Munich, March 31. I have just received a notice of so very extraordinary a nature, but which is so important of itself, and for the consequences which may 1esult from it, that, though I am very far from crediting it, I think it a duty 1 owe to my sovereign, to whom my person and services belong, as well as to his highness the elector himself, immediately to inform your excellency thereof. The said note is in substance to the following purport: that a seizure of the British ministry at Munich is in agitation, in the manner of that which took place with respect to his highness the duke of Enghien at Ettenheim, in the territory of the elector of Baden, but with this difference, that the second seizure will not be effected by a body of troops, but by men secretly sent to Munich, and its neighbourhood, by different roads. With respect to the moment and particulars of the execu tion, I have no detailed accounts; and I own to your excellency, that the difficulties of the enterprise appeared to me from the first too great, the project itself too extravagant, and at the same time too dreadful, to be fully convinced of its existence: on the other hand, it cannot be concealed, that the example of events which have very recently occurred, as it were, under our eyes, is little calculated to inspire confidence. However this may be, and little as this notice has affected me personally, yet it Sir, TRANSLATION. Madrid, April 7, 1804. Your excellency has undoubtedly read the conversation ascribed to us by the French official gazetteer, concerning the late events in Paris. As I flatter myself that my colleagues, and the enlightened persons of the court, will not be apt to credit stories so ridiculous and so diametrically opposite to the principles which they know me to profess, I might perhaps have dispensed with noticing a calumny which must reflect upon its authors; and should merely have invited your excellency to estimate the accuracy of other accounts proceeding from the same source, by this, of which you are at once the judge and witness. And yet, as it appears that the writer of that article presumes to ground his statement on the testimony of your excellency, it appears to me, that I should, in some man. ner, be wanting to my own justi- . fication, and to the representation with which I am intrusted, were i to neglect appealing to that very testimony myself. Besides, the official character of that accusationi seems to demand an equally formal and authentic contradiction. These considerations induce me to apply to your excellacy, and to request that you will declare whether any such conversation did really pass between us, in which I asserted the principle imputed to me by the official gazetteer, and above all, as maintained by him, before the Paris news arrived: in short, whether your excellency acknowledges the answer ascribed to you, and which concludes by a very intelligible threat of assassi nation. (Signed) J. H. FRERE. To his excellency the Sir, Madrid, April 8, 1801. I have actually seen, that in the Madrid article, inserted in No. 184 of the gazette, an account is given of a conversation between us; and I was waiting, sir, for your ap plication, to remove by my answer the unfavourable opinions you might have formed. But, as in this kind of business the degree of probability entirely depends upon opinion, and our conferences having taken place without either witnesses or hearers; and as it is impossible, therefore, that they should have been transmitted to the gazetteer with truth or accurary ; I deem the justification you require from me perfectly useless, since it will be indifferent to the editor of the gazetteer, whether he publish a contrary statement tomorrow, the value set on those accounts being (13) relative relative to the truth they contain. Such has been my opinion when I have seen my character blackened in still darker colours; and he, who should endeavour to restrain the actions of men whom fortune has placed out of his power, would obtain no other end than that of giving himself constant uneasiness. (Signed) THE PRINCE OF PEACE. Mr. Frere, minister of England. Sir, Madrid, April 10, 1804. I have the honour to acknow. ledge the receipt of your excellency's note, and you will see, by the date of this, that I have well reflected, before I determined to renew so unpleasanta subject: but, in truth, the longer I weigh the expressions of your excellency's note, the less I find that they answer the purpose for which it was dictated, namely, to remove the unfavour able opinions I might have formed. Your excellency does me the honour to observe, that you expected me to take such a step; it was not, therefore, quite superfluous in itself. And indeed, since I was to make application to your excellency, I do not see how it was possible for me to prefer a demand more moderate, or how I could now desist from it, without obtaining, some way or other, a satisfactory answer. I am fully aware how delicate and dif ficult the present circumstances are; but, if your excellency did not think it proper directly to oppose the official gazetteer's assertions, it would, at least, have been possible, by stripping his statement of ali authority, to reduce it to that vague and conjectural character which you yourself have ascribed ter: for this purpose nothing more was required, than that your ex cellency should assure me you never had divulged any particulars of our conversation, since it is evident, that the Moniteur did not mean to cite furtive and clandestine witnesses, but the very person of your excellency. Your excellency might likewise have given a very plain and very natural testimony only time I spoke with you upon in my favour, namely, that the the subject, I expressed an opinion precisely the reverse of that which the gazetteer pretended to cite. (Signed) J. H. FRERE. To his excellency the Aranjuez, April 13, 1804. The editor of the French gazette supposing, in his No. 184, that a conversation had taken place between you, sir, and me, has been wanting in the consideration due to my character, by believing me capable of entering upon subjects unworthy of the greatness of soul which adorns me. I do not complain of his offence, and you cannot calm the perturbation of your mind at being implicated in it. How shall I be able to persuade you? I have nothing to add to the reflections contained in my preceding note: may this answer to yours of the 10th prove more satisfac tory, and let vague opinions circulate in arbitrary prints. (Signed) THE PRINCE OF PEACE. J. H. Frere, esq. minister of his Britannic majesty. impelled me to take the step I have towards your excellency; and though that greatness of soul Y. E. has so just a title to claim, had lessened the importance of these considerations in your eyes, I should still have flattered myself, that you would show some indulgence for the weakness of those, who, on being conscious of those distinguished qualities which raise people above calumny, think, that there are instances in which a man, without being wanting to his own dignity, is called upon to show some respect for public opinion. But, if our notions upon the subject be greatly different, the situation we are in is no less so. On my part, I am charged with having maintained an atrocious principle, while they put in the mouth of Y. E. sentiments worthy of your character, and such as all who are not strangers to your loyalty, must know that you yourself could have wished to have had ascribed to you, had I been capable of holding the language attributed to me. I cannot, therefore, conceal, that in the denial of your excellency to disavow that conversation, I look in vain for that greatness of soul which you invite me to imitate, when silence on your part costs you nothing but the sacrifice of my reputation, inasmuch, at least, as it depends upon your suffrage. Seeing myself deprived of this advantage, there still remains for me the satisfaction to think that I can desist from further importuning your excellency upon the subject, and that I am able to await, without that perturbation of mind you ascribe to me, the decision of the public, the opinion of my colleagues, and that of the enlightened persons in this court. They have -hitherto been pretty decidedly in Sir, Madrid, April 19, 1804. I cannot avoid returning an answer to your note of the 17th instant; as, although its contents do not vary from the former one, concerning the opinions entertained in France upon your character, and mine, I see that you touch on other points of greater importance, such as the dignity of your sovereign, and the public opinion. This question is too serious, and ought not, therefore, to be blended with private interests. I will never believe that the king of England gives his ministers directions derogatory from his majesty and dignity; I respect his high rank as I should, and will not consent, sir, to your making a court business of what is merely personal: you know, sir, that whenever you have called to converse with me, I have answered, that political affairs were not within my province, and that the king my master had his secretary of state, through whose medium the demands of foreign courts were to be transmitted to him. To the other ambassadors and ministers I made the same observation; so that I have received their visits as mere acts of goodness and civility from them. Under such circumstances, therefore, causes ought not to be confounded with subsequent events, nor ought what depends (14) upen |