1805. Advance of the archduke CHAP. advanced from Hungary, within a day's march of LXXIV. Vienna, with his army in excellent order, amounting to 80,000 men; and on summoning the city to surrender, was informed of the suspension of hostilities. Severe must have been the mortification of Charles on this gallant prince and his brave companions in arms, to find their country, to whose deliverance they were hastening, prostrate and bound at the foot of a man, who in the hour of triumph suffered no generous impulse to soften his political resolves, but proceeded with inexorable deliberation to despoil his victim and appropriate or partition the plunder. Vienna. Treaty of A DEFINITIVE treaty was signed at Presburg on Presburg. the 26th of December, by which the emperor of Germany recognised Bonaparte as king of Italy, and renounced in his favour the Venetian territories ceded to Austria by the treaties of Campo Formio and Luneville. He ceded to the king of Bavaria the margraviate of Burgau, the principality of Eichstadt, the country of Tyrol, and the lordships of Voralberg. His possessions in Franconia, Suabia, and Bavaria, were divided between the king of Bavaria, the king of Wirtemberg, and the elector of Baden. The county of Salzburg and of Berchtoldsgaden belonging to archduke Ferdinand, were incorporated with the Austrian empire, and the. archduke received from the king of Bavaria in compensation the territory of Wurtzburg. The total cessions of Austria by this treaty were estimated at 1297 square miles, containing a population of 2,716,000 souls; and the consequent loss of revenue was estimated at 16 millions of florins, about £1,600,000 sterling. These estimates afford but imperfect data for calculating the diminution of power and influence which she sustained in abandoning her possessions on the side of Italy, and in relinquishing to the vassals of her victorious rival the line of country through which she formerly maintained her connection with Switzerland. Vienna Prussia. WHILE Austria was purchasing a peace on these CHAP humiliating terms, a treaty was concluded at Vienna LXXIV. between France and Prussia, the ostensible ob- 1805. ject of which was, to secure the tranquillity of the Treaty at north of Germany. It stipulated that Bonaparte between should suspend the march of his army against Ha- France and nover, and send no more troops into that country, and that the forces of the allies should be withdrawn and replaced by Prussians. The whole of Hanover the electorate was in consequence occupied by the transferred troops of Frederick William, with the exception of Hameln, where the French retained a garrison, and of Lauenburg, which was held by the Swedes. In exchange for Hanover, Prussia ceded Anspach and Bayreuth in Franconia, Cleves in Westphalia, and Neufchatel and Valengin in Switzerland. to Prussia. against the BONAPARTE was not slow in manifesting the ab- Bonaparte's solute authority which he had acquired over the declaration affairs of Italy. On the morning after the signa- Neapolitan ture of the treaty of Presburg, he issued a pro- dynasty. clamation from his head-quarters at Vienna, declaring that the Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reign. This act of vengeance was grounded on the alleged violation of a treaty concluded on the 8th of October, by which the French agreed to withdraw their troops from the territory of the king of Naples, who on his part engaged to remain neutral during the war, and to repel by force any encroachment on his neutrality. He had per mitted the landing of a Russian force of 14,000 men, and of a body of English, amounting to about 10,000, and had made preparations for carrying on active hostilities in concert with them. The expedition was said to have been undertaken to create a diversion in favour of the Austrians in the north of Italy, a service which might have been of some avail, if its destination had been to. Venice. After the disaster in Moravia, the em peror Alexander dispatched orders for his troops in the Neapolitan territory to re-embark and re I 4 turn CHAP. turn to Corfu; and the British general sir James Craig, withdrew with his forces into Sicily. LXXIV. 1806. death of Mr. Pitt. THE total failure of the continental coalition Illness and greatly augmented the gloom and disquietude which had begun to prevail in England in consequence of the alarming illness of Mr. Pitt. At the close of the former session of parliament this distinguished statesman had been compelled, by the decline of a constitution originally delicate, to relinquish all active share in public business, and retire to Bath; from whence he returned in the commencement of the year, in a state of debility and exhaustion, augmented by anxiety and disappointment. He expired on the 23d of January, in the 47th year of his age, after having directed the affairs of this country for a longer period than any former minister. Under his auspices her maritime supremacy was confirmed by a series of most splendid victories; her colonial acquisitions were greatly extended; but her public burthens were enormously augmented. He laboured successfully to preserve her from the contagion of the revolutionary principles which desolated France, and exerted himself with equal zeal, but with less success, in resisting the military despotism by which that power threatened to subjugate the continent. As a financier, he displayed great ability in the accumulation of public resources; but it may be questioned whether he displayed great political wisdom in the distribution of them. In forming continental alliances he relied too implicitly on the influence of money for ensuring to Great Britain that ascendancy in foreign courts to which by her generous aid she was entitled. But whatever may have been his errors, he is entitled to the praise of upright, of magnanimous intention; and in reviewing his unwearied exertions for the public service during a period of unexampled difficulty, it may be truly said, "non sibi sed patriæ vixit. CHAP. LXXV. Change of ministry.—Overture from France. -Negociation. Pro LXXV. 1806. of a new lord Gren ON the death of Mr. Pitt, the king proposed to CHA P. appoint lord Hawkesbury his successor, but that nobleman deeming the post too arduous, was permitted to retire from administration, and received the wardenship of the Cinque Ports as a mark of the royal regard. Lord Grenville was Formation then consulted by his majesty on the formation of ministry a new ministry, and no objection was made to his entrusted to proposal of taking the advice of Mr. Fox on that ville and subject. In the course of the negociation, intima- Mr. Fox. tions were given on the part of the new candidates for office that certain changes might be necessary in the department of the army under the superintendance of the duke of York; but strong objections were made to them, and the arrangements were on the point of being abruptly terminated. At 1806. CHAP. At length, on the 3d of February, lord Grenville LXXV. was called to another audience, and it was arranged that there should be no changes in the government of the army without his majesty's knowledge and approbation. The following appointments then took place lord Erskine, lord high chancellor; earl Fitzwilliam, lord president of the council; lord Sidmouth, privy seal; lord Grenville, first lord of the treasury; lord Howick, first lord of the admiralty; the earl of Moira, master-general of the ordnance; earl Spencer, secretary of state for the home department; Mr. Fox, secretary of state for foreign affairs; Mr. Windham, secretary of state for the department of war and colonies; lord Henry Petty, chancellor of the exchequer. The lord chief justice Ellenborough was admitted to a seat in the cabinet. The duke of Bedford went to Ireland as lord lieutenant, accompanied by Mr. Elliot as chief secretary. Mr. George Ponsonby was appointed chancellor and keeper of the seals in Ireland, and sir John Newport, chancellor of the Irish exchequer. Mr. Sheridan succeeded Mr. Canning as treasurer of the navy; general Fitzpatrick was appointed secretary at war; sir Arthur Pigott and sir Samuel Romilly, attorney and solicitor general. Numerous other appointments took place in the subordinate offices of government; and it was remarked, that so complete a change had not been effected since the commencement of Mr. Pitt's first administration. In reference to the principal station in the cabinet, a parliamentary arrangement became necessary. On his accession to power, lord Grenville held the office of auditor of the exchequer, which is incompatible with the functions of a lord of the treasury. As it was not to be expected that he would resign a place which he held for life, in consideration of his appointment to one from which he might be removed at the pleasure of the crown, a bill was passed, enabling the auditor of |