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aged and venerable duchess dowager, the mother of the duke, and 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 charaeter 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 terri fic 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

the 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 aceident 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.

had 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 breakfast with her in her apartment.

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 answer 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 Prussia 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 êtes la femme la

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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 reilerating his assurances of esteem, he 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 generosity 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 emperor 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 Poland; 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 Dresden, he was warm in her praises; he added, however, "But your soldiers are the worst I ever saw; two-thirds of them deserted before the contingent joined my army." The duke might have replied, "Sire, when my soldiers were fighting against you, not one of them deserted."

When the treaty, which secured the nominal independence of Weimar, and declared its territory to be a part of the Rhenish league, was brought from Buonaparte to the duke by a French general, and presented to him, he refused to take it into his own hands, saying, with more than gallantry, "Give it to my wife: the emperor intended it for her."

Capture of the late Captain Wright

and Sir Sidney Smith.

The following is an extract of a letter from the lamented captain Wright, the celebrated companion and fellow-prisoner of sir Sidney Smith, and who, it continues to be believed, was murdered whilst a prisoner in the Temple. It gives a more detailed account than any that has yet appeared, of the manner in which sir Sidney Smith and captain Wright became prisoners:

"Paris, Dec. 6, 1796. "Seven months of captivity has indeed broken off almost all means of intercourse between us, but it has not blunted the remembrance of my friends at home. I still retain a grateful sense of the sincere interest which I know you all feel in whatever personally concerns me. For nearly three months previous to my capture, VOL. XLIX.

my friends. Many interesting events, therefore, which have occurred since we parted, must remain undescribed till we meet, or at least till I shall be under less inauspicious influence. It may be useful, however, to give you some idea of our expedition and misadventure; it will correct some false impressions which have gone abroad, and which, in fact, have been circu lated by the enemy.

"Sir Sidney and myself are treated in a manner which has no parallel in military history. The enemy endea vour to justify this treatment by affixing to our expedition a motive and character incompatible with the laws of war.

"The following is the manner in which we fell into the hands of these barbarians:

"Having anchored on the morning of the 17th of April, in the outer road of Havre-de-Grace, with the Diamond alone, we discovered at anchor in the inner road an armed,lugger. A project was immediately conceived of boarding her in the night by means of our boats. In justice to the merit, and indeed necessity, of this project, in a national point of view, it is necessary to inform you, that this was the only remaining vessel which continued to annoy the English trade within the limits of our squadron. She had been recently equipped at Havre; carried ten three pounders and forty-five men; was commanded by a bold, enterprizing man, with a private commission; and sailed so well in light winds as to have more than once eluded the pursuit of our frigate, when returning from the English coast. Her first depredations on our trade were of a magnitude to warrant the risk of a small sacrifice in her capture; and sir Sidney had esta 30

blished

blished it as a point of honour in his squadron, that an enemy's vessel, within the limits of his command, should not even pass from port to port.

"The force employed in our enterprize consisted of the launch, armed with an eighteen-pounder car ronade and muskets, four other boats with muskets, including a two-armed wherry, in which sir Sidney commanded in person, and carrying in all fifty-two persons; viz. nine officers, six of which were from twelve to sixteen years of age; three servants, and forty seamen. We were all volunteers; were disposed to surmount all obstacles that should oppose our purpose; not a breath of air-not a ripple on the water; the oars were muffled; and every thing promised the happiest success. We quitted the ship about ten o'clock, preceded by sir Sidney Smith in his wherry. Arrived within sight of the Vengeur, we lay upon our oars to reconnoitre her position, and to receive definitive orders. This done, we took a broad sheer between her and the shore, in order to assume the appearance of fishing-boats coming out of the harbour, and thereby protract the moment of alarm: in this we succeeded beyond expectation, and afterwards rowed directly towards her, reserving our fire till she should commence the action. This happened after hailing us within about half-pistol-shot;the boats returned it in the instant, and within less than ten minutes we had got possession of the vessel.

"It was now that we first discovered our difficulties. The enemy had very wisely cut their cable during the action, the vessel had therefore been drifting towards the shore all this time. On perceiving it, we sought in vain for a second anchor,

heavy enough to hold her against the strength of a very rapid tide, that rushed into the Seine. All the boats were sent a-head to tow, and every sail was set, but it was all in vain. After all these fruitless efforts, we tried the effect of a small kedge, without hope of its holding. The vessel dragged it a long way, and at length brought up.

"Here, therefore, we lay anxiously expecting day-light, to discover the extent of the evil we had to encounter, or for a propitious breeze to assist our escape. Day-light at length appeared, and terminated our suspense. Our position was in the last degree critical: we were half a league higher up the river than Havre, the town and harbour of which was now in motion, in hostile preparation. Nothing now remained for us, but to make every possible preparation on our parts for a desperate and unequal conflict. The vessel, however, was destitute of every material article of defence, such as grape-shot and match. There was not a single round of the former, and the latter was so bad, that it would never fire upon the first application. It was resolved, however, to fight as long as the lugger would swim, in the expectation that, by protracting our surrender, a prosperous wind might deliver us, even in the last extremity. All Havre was now in motion to attack us; some shot had reached us whilst we were in the act of discharging our prisoners, and sending them on their parole to Honfleur; for, with his usual humanity, sir Sidney Smith proposed to send them away clear from the dangers of a battle in which they could not co-operate. They received his kindness with gratitude.

"The attack now commenced. We got under weigh to attack a large

Jugger

igger that was advancing, whilst the oats were detached to rake her with grape shot and musquetry. The reult was, that she sheered off. We

ad not, however, escaped clear: er grape and musquetry had greatly *isabled our rigging, and wounded ome of our best men: your young iend, Charles B. was amongst the cumber. This action was scarcely over, when we were surrounded on all sid 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 releading; the midshipmen reloaded them as fast as they were discharged. In this manner an incessant 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."

Dr. Moseley's Account of a singular
Case of Hydrophobia.

Chelsea Hospital, Monday Evening,
Nov. 9, 1807.

This afternoon, at three o'clock, Mrs. Metcalf, No. 2, Comptonstreet, brought her son, Mr. Frederic Michael Metcalf, to me for advice, at my house in Albany, Piccadilly.

He informed me, that he was attacked about four o'clock yesterday morning with a difficulty in swallowing any liquid, which he first perceived when he attempted to drink some porter, the remains of a half pint which he had on the preceding,

He

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 ale a small piece of mutton, which made him sick at his stomach. 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 haitshorn 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 s'ares in an unusual and frightful manner. The case thus clearly demonstrated, 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. Metcaif, 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 302

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