1802-1803 that France was strong enough to retain her conquests in Europe; The Treaty of Amiens had scarcely been signed before the On the outbreak of hostilities Bonaparte gave reasonable offense to the British nation by throwing into prison about 10,000 British travelers, though it had always been the custom to give 1804 time to such persons to leave the country after a declaration of war. As he had no other war on his hands than that with Great Britain, he seized Hanover and assembled a large army at Boulogne to invade England. At once a volunteer army stepped forward to aid the regular army in the defense of the country. From one end of the country to the other some 300,000 volunteers of all classes were busily drilling. Public opinion soon demanded a stronger ministry than the existing one. On May 10, 1804, Addington resigned. General opinion called for Pitt as Prime Minister at the head of a ministry taken from both parties, so that all disposable talent might be employed in the defense of the nation. The king insisted that Pitt should promise never to support Catholic Emancipation, and should exclude Fox from the new ministry. Fox at once consented to be passed over, but Lord Grenville refused to join if Fox was excluded. "I will teach that proud man,” said Pitt,“ that I can do without him," and on May 18 Pitt again became Prime Minister, though with but a poor staff of ministers to support him. Chapter LIII THE ASCENDENCY OF NAPOLEON. 1804-1807 LEADING DATES REIGN OF GEORGE III., A.D. 1760-1820-PITT'S SECOND PRIME T HERE was scarcely an Englishman living in 1804 who did not regard Napoleon as a wicked and unprincipled villain whom it was the duty of every honest man to resist to the death. This conception of his character was certainly not without foundation, yet he gave to France an excellent administration, and also gave his sanction to the code of law drawn up by the jurists of the Republic, which was now to be known as the Code Napoleon. He also took care that there should be good justice in his courts between man and man. Hence, exasperating as his annexations were to the great sovereigns of Europe, they were not popular grievances. A country annexed to France, or even merely brought, as most of the German states now were, under the influence of France, found its gain in being better governed. On May 18 Napoleon was declared hereditary Emperor of the French. His power was neither more nor less absolute than it had been before. Neither the French Revolution nor the French Empire was to be resisted by governments acting without a popular force behind them; and in 1804 it was only in England that the government had a popular force behind it, and could therefore oppose to Napoleon a national resistance. Every day that saw a French army encamped at Boulogne strengthened that resistance. Napoleon was, indeed, so certain of success that he ordered the preparation of a medal falsely stating itself to have been struck in London, as if the conquest of England had been already effected. Strong as Pitt became in the country, he was weak in Parliament. Before the end of esreta, on was fup" J. h thatcen ship's after e ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN TO DO IS DUTY" at the Battle of Trafalgar, October S indet i sa le the ny's feet, we' fnd ng thera there, he z. back in ur de By of Bis ay ↑ Caller, wys Lapne T Suepush ship, we taken, and t'e rest cd that it bohelf Ivas sive! from ted per tria h. Cadiz. W Though the ne |