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suspect they will fall harmless to the ground.

PROTEST AGAINST BONAPARTE.

PIUS VII, PONTIFF.

The dark designs, conceived by the enemies of the Apostolic See, have at length been accomplished. After the violent and unjust spoliation of the fairest and most considerable portion of our dominions, we behold ourselves, under unworthy pretexts, and so much the greater injustice, entirely stripped of our temporal sovereignty, to which our spiritual independence is intimately united. In the midst of this cruel persecution, we are comforted by the reflection that we encounter such a heavy misfortune, not for any offence given to the Emperor or to France, which has always been the object of our affectionate paternal solicitude, nor for any intrigue of worldly policy, but from an unwillingnes to betray our duties. To please men, and to displease God, is not allowed to any one professing the Catholic religion, and much less can it be permitted to its head and promulgator.

As we, besides, owe it to God and to the church to hand down our rights, uninjured and untouched, we protest against this new violent spoliation, and declare it void and null. We reject, with the firmest resolution, any allowance which the Emperor of the French may intend to assign us, and to the individuals composing our college. We should all cover ourselves with ignominy in the face of the church, if we suffered our subsistence to depend on the power of him who usurps her authority.

We commit ourselves entirely to Pro vidence, and to the affection of the faithful; and we shall be contented piously to terminate the bitter career of our sorrowful days. We adore, with profound humility, God's inscrutable decrees; we invoke his commiseration upon our good subjects, who will ever be our joy and our crown; and after having in this hardest of trials done what our duties required of us, we exhort them to preserve always untouched the religion and the faith, and to unite themselves to us, for the purpose of conjuring with sighs and tears, both in the closet and before the altar, the Supreme Father of Light, that he may vouchsafe to change the base designs of our persecutors,

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Given in our Apostolic Palace, del Quirinale, this 10th of June 1809. (Lovc. Signi.) PIUS PAPA VII.

EXCOMMUNICATION OF BONAPARTE.

PIUS VII. PONTIFF.

By the authority of God Almighty, and of St Paul and St Peter, we declare you, and all your co-operators in the act of violence which you are executing, to have incurred the same excommunication which we, in our apostolic letters, contemporaneously affixed in the usual places of this city, declare to have incurred, all those who, on the violent invasion of this city on the ad of February of last year, were guilty of the acts of violence, against which we have protested, as well really in so many declarations, that by our order have been issued by our successive Secretaries of State, as also in two consistorial collocations of the 16th of March and the 11th July 1808, in common with all their agents, abettors, and whoever else has been accessory to, or himself been engaged in, the execution of those attempts.

Given at Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore, June 10th, in the 10th year of our Pontificate.

(Lovc. Sigi.) PIUS PAPA SEPTIMUS.

AUSTRIA AND FRANCE.

The foreign papers which have been received, though they come down to a very late date, throw but little light on the state of the negotiations between Austria and France. The armistice, there is reason to believe, has been renewed, though no official notification of that renewal has appeared in the French papers. According to some accounts, it was prolonged to the 5th of October; according to others, to the 30th of October; and a month's notice, according to some, is to be given before the renewal of hostilities. But, according to the best authenticated accounts, it was to continue only to the 16th of September. Meanwhile, the general opinion in Germany seems to be, that the war will be renewed. Bonaparte has been incessantly employed in reviewing his troops. Passau and Vienna are strongly fortified; and every exertion has been made to strengthen the bridges oyer the Danube at Vienna. The Emperor

peror of Austria is no less actively employed; levies are incessantly arriving from Hungary; and, besides the troops of the line and the militia, a levy en masse is raising, comprising the whole male population of the country. This levy is called the landsturm, and great hopes are entertained of its efficacy. That the Emperor Francis has not sunk into despair, is evident from the following general orders subscribed by himself, which have found their way, it is diffi cult to say how, into the Munich Court Gazette:

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:

My beloved subjects, and even my enemies, know that I did not engage in the present war from motives of ambi. tion, or a desire of conquest; self-preservation and independence, a peace consistent with the honour of my crown, and with the safety and tranquillity of my people, constituted the exalted and sole aim of my ambition. The chance of war disappointed my expectations, the enemy penetrated into the interior of my dominions, and overran them with all the horrors of war; but he learned at the same time, to appreciate the public spirit of my people, and the valour of my armies. This experience, which he dearly bought, and my constant solicitude to promote the prosperity of my dominions, led to a negotiation for peace. My Ministers empowered for that pur pose have met those of the French Em peror. My wish is an honourable peace ; a peace the stipulations of which offer a prospect and the possibility of dura tion. The valour of my armies, their unshaken courage, their ardent love of their country, their desire, strongly pronounced, not to lay down their arms till an honourable peace shall have been obtained, could never allow me to agree to conditions which threatened to shake the very foundation of the monarchy, and disgrace us. The high spirit which animates my troops affords me the best security, that, should the enemy yet mistake our sentiments and disposition, we shall certainly obtain the reward of our perseverance.

Comorn, Aug. 16. 1809. FRANCIS." The conduct of the French at Vienna shows clearly the attachment of the inhabitants of that city to their own Sove reign. We select the following articles as a proof of this:

Vienna, Sept. 7.-The Duke of Aver

stadt has issued a proclamation, in which he says that all those who shall keep up any dangerous correspondence with the Austrian army, or who shall send to it provisions, arms, stores, or any recruits raised in the countries occupied by the French armies, shall be considered as traitors, and punished as such. The following proclamation has been just published and stuck up :

"A great number of arms has been found buried under ground near this capital; ten thousand muskets have been seized just as they were entering Presburgh; several millions of florins were hid at the time that the French entered Vienna; they have been discovered and seized. Several millions of bank notes, and a great number of bills belonging to the Austrian Government, are still hidden in different places. His Majesty, being desirous of rewarding those who help to make such discoveries, grants the quarter of the value of the thing found to whoever shall cause to be discovered either muskets or warlike stores, soldiers' clothing, bank-notes, money, or claims belonging to the Austrian Government. These declarations may be made in writing, or verbally, either to the Intendant General, or even to the Governors of provinces, or, in fine, to any French agent.

"At the Head quarters of Schoenbrunn, the 7th of September 1809. "ALEXANDER,

Prince of Neufchatel, Vice-Constable,

Major-General of the army."

The works undertaken by the French engineers at Spitz for the defence of Vienna are not yet completely finished. They are also mounting on the bastions of the city large pieces of artillery.The regency of Lower Austria has published that their resources are inadequate to meet the requisitions and contributions of war, and that it is constrained to levy a personal tax upon the inhabitants of Vienna and the provinces. In consequence thereof, the bishops, prelates, and abbots, are to pay 150 florins each, the canons 50, the deacons and curates 10; all other ecclesiastics 3; and the subaltern monks 2.-The princes are to pay 500, the counts 150, the barons 40; the knights, privy counsellors, vice-presidents, Aulic counsellors, proprietors of ground and buildings, wholesale merchants, bankers, 15;

actual

actual counsellors, agents of court, and other persons of that description, 12, &c. None will be excepted but Mi nisters from foreign Courts, and their sufte; subjects of the Ottoman Porte; infirm old men who are in the hospitals; the friars of the Order of Mercy, and those of St Elizabeth; and children under 12 years of age.

The following are stated, in recent Jetters from Vienna, as the respective positions of the French and Austrian armies at the beginning of September: -The corps of General Hiller has de. scended the Danube to Cest, and forms the left wing of the army. The corps of Prince Hohenzollern is established en the side of Gran; the other corps are encamped on the left bank of the Danube, either on the side of Comorn, or towards the frontiers of Bohemia and Moravia, where its last link connects with the first of the army of the Archduke Ferdinand. Gen. Guilay commands in Croatia.

The French positions are as follow: -The army of Italy occupies the territory of the coast of the Adriatic, Carinthia, Carniola, Styria, and a part of Hungary: its headquarters are at Raab, and Marshal Macdonald has his at Gratz; Marshal Oudinot occupies the banks of the Morava, which separates Hungary from Moravia. The Duke of Dantzic occupies Upper Austria, Saltzburgh, and the frontiers of the Tyrol. Marshal Massena occupies the western part of Moravia, and Marshal Davoust the eastern; the Bavarian division is at Lintz.

Since the French had been in possession of Trieste, they had committed the most wanton acts of plunder on the inhabitants, which had been permitted by their Commander, in revenge for their readiness to permit commercial intercourse with England. An order from Bonaparte directed that the city should be laid under a contribution of fifty mil lions of francs. This exorbitant demand could not be complied with. A remonstrance, asserting the inability of the people to pay this demand, was drawn up and sent to Napoleon, signed by the most respectable part of the inhabitants; but, instead of affording the relief prayed for, about 40 of the merchants and heads of families, who had put their names to the remonstrance,

were taken into custody, and confined in the fortress, their counting houses closed, and their property seized. A second deputation from Trieste had reached Vienna, where it had been for 20 days, and on the 30th of August had not been enabled to obtain an interview with either Napoleon or his Minis

ters.

The last German papers give an account of the changes in the German army which have taken place. The Emperor Francis has taken upon himself the command of the army. General Bellegarde commands under him. His Imperial Majesty has called to his council Generals Chastellar, Kienmayer, and Ducas. Klenau has the command which Bellegarde had formerly. Among the Archdukes, John and Ferdinand only preserve their command. This account, however, is at variance with the statement in the Prague Gazette of the 11th Sept. which, among other articles, publishes the following order of the day, issued when Prince Charles resigned the command:

"Zittau, July 31.-Very important reasons have induced me to request his Majesty to accept my resignation of the command of the army intrusted to me. I yesterday received his consent, and at the same time his orders, to transfer the chief command to the General of Cavalry Prince of Lichtenstein. While I leave the army, I take the most lively interest in its fate. The perfect conviction I have of its bravery, the confidence I place in it, and the constant habit of dedicating my exertions to its service, under this separation, indescribably painful, I flatter myself that it participates in, and returns this sentiment. (Signed) CHARLES."

The Archduke Charles, it is said, is an advocate for the renewal of hostili

ties, and has resigned, because the Emperor was of a different opinion.

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July, though Sir Arthur Wellesley's letter was dated Talavera, August 1.General Cuesta has also given an account of the battle, in which he bestows due praise on the British General and his gallant army.

Since that battle affairs have taken rather an unexpected turn in Spain, indicating that the French forces in that unfortunate country are much more numerous than they were supposed to be.Our information proceeds entirely from the Portuguese papers, the accuracy of which cannot be altogether relied on, though in the main we believe that the statements which they give are correct. While Generals Wellesley and Cuesta were occupied with Victor and Sebastiani, Soult having united with Ney and Mortier, marched suddenly along the borders of Portugal to Placentia, in order to attack the British in the rear, cut off their supplies from Portugal, and place them between two fires, Sir Arthur having early intelligence of Soult's march, suddenly fell back from Talavera upon Arcobispo and Almarez, secured the bridge across the Tagus, and retired to the south bank of that river. Victor, aware of the retreat of the combined army, again advanced and occupied Talavera a second time, and it would seem that nothing could prevent him from joining his army with that of Soult, and thus advancing upon Sir Arthur with an immense superiority.

This unexpected retreat of the British army has induced many persons in this country to consider the Spanish cause as hopeless, and to blame the conduct of the Spaniards in a way that, to say the least of it, betrays great ignorance of the state of Spain. We will not take upon us to vindicate the conduct of the Junta altogether, tho' even they have been blamed more severely than they deserve. But both the Spanish Generals and soldiers have behaved with the greatest prudence and steadiness. Cuesta declined encountering the French in a pitched battle, as it was obvious that his new raised levies could be no match for French veterans in the open field. It is not want of courage, but of discipline and order, that make raw troops so inferior to veterans in the open field. No men could display more bravery, and few ever displayed so much, as the defenders of Saragossa;

yet, even with Palafox at their head, they could not stand against their enemies in the open field. But if the war in Spain last a year or two longer, the Spanish troops will become veterans in their turn, and, from their past conduct, and the character of the nation, it is easy to see that they will not be inferior to their enemies in any military quality whatever.

Sir Arthur Wellesley, it is said, has been declared Generalissimo of the Spanish armies. This, if true, is a very great advantage, as it will put an end to that want of unity and plan which has hitherto been so injurious to the Spanish cause, The plan of the French Generals it is easy to see. They meant to draw Sir Arthur into the centre of Spain, and then to surround and destroy his army at once. Victor retired till Sir Arthur had advanced far enough, and till Soult had got into the proper position. Then Victor advanced to attack the British army. His superiority was such, that he cálculated upon a decisive victory, and Soult with his troops, were to intercept and destroy the remains of the defeated army. It reflects not a little upon Sir Arthur's military talents that he was able to penetrate and disappoint this plausible plan. Victor was defeated, and the bridge over the Tagus seized before Soult could reach it. The French Ge nerals in Spain seem to be guilty of an error in bringing matters to an issue before Bonaparte can send them re-inforcements; whereas, in the present situation of Europe, decisive battles answer better for Sir Arthur than dilatory and defensive operations.

The following are the positions of the British army in the beginning of Octo

ber:

The army are hinted. Head-quarters at Badajos. General Sherbrooke's division extends from Loban to Merida; a brigade of German artillery is at Loban; a troop of horse artillery at Merida, and also some cavalry. General Craufurd's light brigade of infantry is at Neisa and Portalegre; another division of the army is near Campo Mayor and Albuquerque; the 4th garrison at Badajos, and the 27th at Lisbon; a park of artillery, consisting of four brigades, is encamped near Badajos. The convalescent sick are at Elvas, the worst

cases

cases have been sent to Lisbon; the light cavalry is at Villa Viciosa and the neighbourhood. The army is extremely sickly-about 7000 sick, wounded, &c. The light cavalry is almost dismounted; a remount for the 14th and 16th arrived from England, under Major Archer. That fine regiment the 1st, or royal dragoons, commanded by that excellent officer Gen. Slade, land ed, and marched into Belem (ten days from Cork,) 700 strong, in high order. Scarcely a transport in the Tagus, and only the Barfleur and Semiramis ships

of war.

We regret to learn by private letters from Lisbon, that Sir Arthur Wellesley had been seized with a fever and ague, occasioned by excessive fatigue, and that it had been necessary to remove him to Lisbon for a change of air. He was however much recovered, and it is said that his visit to Lisbon was to make some arrangements for the better provisioning of his army.

The siege of Gerona, by the latest accounts from Catalonia, still continues with unabated violence. Its defence bids fair to rival that of Saragossa itself. Had every fortified town in Spain made as desperate a resistance as Gerona, the progress of the French would have been effectually checked. The following is an extract of a letter written by a lady in Gerona to her friend, describing the siege:

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My dear Friend-It is now nine o'clock at night, and we have had an hour's respite, after a bombardment of three days without a moment's interruption. I can find no words capable of giving you an idea of the horrors of this scene. The enemy has 11 mortars, all of which are discharged at once. We have 40 balls that have fallen at our own threshold. The Cathedral is in front of us, and they knowing it is full of people, and that the magazine of gunpowder is adjacent to it, direct their aims at that edifice. But God assists us, and although six balls have fallen upon the Cathedral, one only has passed through it, which indeed has killed 13 women, and wounded 14; but this is nothing, considering the number of people in the church. All the engineers allow that there never was a more severe bombardment. The shells are 12 and 14 inches in circumference, and they enclose combustibles which often Occasion conflagration where they fall.

Yesterday two very large ones exploded before our house, and the Royal Hospital has been on fire ever since yesterday morning; but the sick and wounded have been removed. The houses are almost all destroyed; but notwithstanding this general mischief and ruin, it is astonishing to see the people of the city, and in particular the women, at the doors of their houses, and passing along the streets without fear, and even the military express their surprise at the insensibility of the citizens, male and female, to the dangers to which they are exposed."

Gen. Blake had however, been successful in introducing into Gerona, a very large convoy of provisions, with a considerable reinforcement to the garri.

son.

On the 28th of July, (the day of the memorable battle of Talavera,) the Marquis of Wellesley landed from an English frigate at Cadiz. He was recei ved with the most enthusiastic joy by all ranks. A vast multitude flocked down to receive him, and his carriage was drawn by the populace, a thing very unusual in Spain.

A detailed account is given in a letter from Cadiz, of the 13th August, of the honours paid to the Marquis of Wellesley on his arrival there. On the 7th a grand entertainment was prepared, at which the Marquis, his suite, the heads of the government, army, navy, and other departments, the British admiral and other officers of distinction, the Sicilian ambassador, the Pope's nuncio, several of the first Grandees, and other Spanish noblemen, the principal British merchants, and others connected in the trade of both countries, were present. James Gordon, Esq. presided, and Duncan Shaw, Esq. was vice-president. After dinner, the healths of their Majesties George the Third and Ferdinand the Seventh were drank with three times three. Subsequently the healths of the' Emperor of Austria, Gen. Sir A. Wellesley, the Archduke Charles, his Holiness the Pope, &c. were drank with three. The party afterwards attended a ball at the Theatre, which was attended by the nobility, gentry, and merchants resident in Cadiz and the vicinity. The Theatre was brilliantly illuminated. A transparency was placed at the end of the saloon over the stage, with a device complimenting General

Cuesta

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