emperor not having arrived there, he used Juke, and the ambassador Beauharnois. (3) Every body knows that the prisoner was at length delivered up to the French, and conducted under an escort by them to Bayonne. This step was solely owing to an order from the junta of government yielding to imperious circumstances and the peremp tory menaces of the grand duke, as is stated more at large in the appendix to this publication. Supplement to No. 16, Vol. XIV-Price 10d. U Spain, that he even went so far as to say: ing what could be the meaning of a recepI will suffer my head to be cut off, if, tion that he so little expected, when he was within a quarter of an hour of your ma-informed that the emperor was coming to jesty's arrival at Bayonne, the emperor shall not have recognized you as king of Spain and the Indies. To support his own consistency, he will probably begin by giving you the title of highness, but in five minutes he will give you that of majesty, and in three days every thing will be settled, and your majesty may return to Spain immediately.'-His majesty, how ever, hesitated as to the course which he should take; but anxious to redeem the pledge which he had given, and, above all, to relieve his beloved subjects from the cruel anxiety in which they were, he banished from his heart every apprehension of danger, and shut his ears against my counsels, and those of other persons in his train, as well as to the supplications of that loyal city, and determined to proceed to Bayonne ; his royal mind being incapable of suspecting that a sovereign, his ally, should invite him as a guest, for the purpose of making him a prisoner, and of putting an end to a dynasty, which, so far from having offended him, had given him so many striking proofs of its friendship.-Scarcely had his majesty set foot on the French territory, when he remarked that no one came to receive him, until, at his arrival at St Jean de Luz, the mayor made his appearance, attended by the municipality. The carriage stopped, and he addressed his majesty with the most lively expressions of the joy he felt at having the honour of being the first to receive a king, who was the friend and ally of France.Shortly after, he was met by the deputation of the three Grandees of Spain, who had been sent off to meet the emperor; and their representation, with respect to the intentions of the emperor, was not the most flattering. He was, however, now too near Bayonne to think of changing his course, and he therefore continued his journey.There came out to meet the king the prince of Neufchatel 2nd Duroc, marshal of the palace, with a detachment of the guard of honour which the citizens of Bayonne had formed to attend the emperor, and they invited his majesty to enter Bayonne, where a place had been prepared for his residence. This residence appeared to all, and was in reality, but little suitable to the rank of the august guest who was to occupy it. This remarkable and expressive neglect formed a singular contract with the studied magnificence which the king had employed in making the preparations at Madrid for the reception of his ally.-His majesty was doubt pay him a visit. His imperial majesty ar rived, accompanied by a number of his ge nerals. The king went down to the streetdoor to receive him, and both monarchs em braced each other with every token o friendship and affection. The emperor stai but a short time with his majesty, and they embraced each other again at parting.-Soo after marshal Duroc came to invite the kin to dine with his imperial majesty, whos carriages were coming to convey his majes ty to the palace of Marac: this accordingl took place. The emperor came as far a the coach-steps to receive his majesty, em braced him again, and led him by the han to the apartment provided for him.-Th king had no sooner returned to his residence when Gen. Savary waited on his majesty inform him that the emperor had irrevocabl determined that the Bourbon dynasty shoul no longer reign in Spain; that it should b succeeded by his; and therefore his impe rial majesty required that the king should in his own name and that of all his family renounce the crown of Spain and the Indie in favour of the dynasty of Buonaparte. would be difficult to describe the surpriz with which the royal mind of his majest was affected, and the consternation wit which all those who were nearest to his pers were struck at hearing of such a propositica his majesty was not yet recovered from L fatigues of a toilsome journey, when same man who had made him so many pa testations of security at Madrid and on th road, who had drawn him from his capit and his kingdom to Bayonne, on pretence adjusting matters of the greatest importing to both states, and of his being recogn by his imperial majesty, had the audacity be the bearer of so scandalous a proposal Ou the following day, I was sent for by emperor to his royal palace, where I fo the minister of foreign affairs, M. Chan pagny, waiting to enter upon a discussion the proposals verbally stated by gener Savary. I instantly complained of the p fidy with which so important au altair proceeded in; representing that the ki my master, came to Bayonne, relying the assurances given by general Savary, the name of the emperor, and in the sence of the dukes del Infantado, S. Cat D. Juan Escoiquiz, and myself, that imperial majesty would recognize him at very first interview between the two reigns in the imperial palace of Marac; when his majesty expected to witness nisters of the corps diplomatique, as well as all the persons about the court, were fully convinced, since all of them congratulated and complimented the new sovereign, with the exception of the French ambassador, who pretended that he had not been furnished with the necessary instructions, disregarding the example of his colleagues, who were as little provided with instructions from their respective courts I concluded with proving to him that the renunciation of the royal father was only the consequence of his majesty's predilection for the tranquillity of a private life, and his persuasion that his constitution, enfeebled by age and habitual indisposition, was incompetent to support the heavy burden of the government.—This' irrelevant objection having been got rid of, Mr. Champagny stated, that the emperor could never be sure of Spain, in case of a new war with the powers of the north," while the Spanish nation continued to be governed by a dynasty, who must regret to see its elder branch expelled from the moparchy of France.-I answered, that in a regular system of things, such prepossessions never prevailed over the interests of states, and that the political conduct of Ch. IV. since the treaty of Basle, afforded a recent proof that sovereigns paid little regard to family interests, when they were in opposition to the interests of their dominions; that the friendship between Spain and France was founded in local and political consider realization of this promised recognition, he | was surprised with the propositions above alluded to; and that his majesty had authoised me to protest against the violence done o his person, in not permitting him to eturn to Spain; and as a categorical and inal answer to the solicitation of the em peror, that the king neither would nor could enounce his crown in favour of another ynasty, without being wanting in the du ies which he owed to his subjects and to his wn character; that he could not do so in rejudice to the individuals of his own amily, who were called to the succession by he fundamental laws of the kingdom; nd much less could he consent to the stablishment of another dynasty, which ught alone to be called to the throne y the Spanish nation, in virtue of their original right to elect another family upon he termination of the present dynasty.The minister of foreign affairs insisted on he necessity of the renunciation which had een proposed, and contended that the abdiation signed by Ch. IV, on the 19th of farch, had not been voluntary.I expressed y surprise that the king should be imporined to renounce his crown, at the same oment that it was asserted that the renuniation of his father was not his free act. I vished however not to be understood as enering into such a discussion, as I could not cknowledge the smallest authority in the mperor to intermeddle with matters which vere purely domestic, and peculiarly belongations; that the topographical situation of g to the Spanish government; following this respect the example of the cabinet of aris, when it rejected as inadmissible the pplications of nis majesty, the royal father, 1 favour of his ally and first cousin the nfortunate Louis XVI.-Nevertheless, derous of giving to truth and innocence a stimony which they alone had a right exact, I added, that three weeks before he disturbance at Aranjuez, Ch. IV. in my resence, and that of all the other ministers of state, addressed her majesty the queen, ☐ these words: "Maria Louisa, we will retire to one of the provinces, where we will pass our days in tranquillity; and * Ferdinand, who is a young man, will take ' upon himself the burden of the govern ment."-I represented to him, that, on he 17th, 18th, and 19th, no violence was done to his majesty, in order to extort an abdication of his crown, either by the people who had risen purely from the apprehension that his majesty was going to remove to Seville, and thence to America; or on the part of his son, the prince of Asturias, or any other persons; of which facts the mi Besides, the two kingdoms was of itself sufficient to valour, when they saw their independence, and the security of their beloved sovereign, violated; that if unfortunately France should commit so atrocious an insult, that power would lose an ally whose armies, fleet, and treasure, had in a great measure contributed to her triumphs; that England, which had in vain attempted to shake the good faith of the Spanish cabinet, for the purpose of separating her from France, would avail herself of such a conjuncture to diminish the force of her enemy, and to augment her own, by pacific relations with a power which she would assist with money and with her forces by land and sea, in the glorious enterprise of defending our independence, and the security of our king and natural lord; that the feeble colonies of France would not in that event find the maritime forces of Spain employed in obstructing the plans of conquest entertained by Great Britain; and that the commerce of that power must inevitably come into competition at the Spanish market with the French merchandize, which is now peculiarly favoured.-Besides these considerations, having a direct relation to the interests of both states, I expatiated on others no less cogent, and connected with the character of the French cabinet. I reminded the minister, that, on the 27th Oct. last, a treaty was signed at Fontainbleau, wherein the emperor guar ranteed the independence and integrity of the Spanish monarchy as it then was; that nothing had since occurred which could justify its infraction on the contrary, that Spain had continued to add new claims to the confidence and gratitude of the French empire, as his imperial majesty himself had confessed, by the praises which he bestowed on the good faith and constant friendship of his intimate and first ally. What confidence, İ added, can Europe place in her treaties with France, when she looks to the perfidy with which that of the 27th of Oct. has been violated? And what must be her terror when she sees the captious means, the seductive artifices, and the false promises, by which his imperial majesty has confined the king in the city of Bayonne, in order to despoil him of the crown to which, with the inexpressible joy of his people, he has been called by the fundamental laws of the kingdom, and the spontaneous abdication of his august father. Posterity will not believe that the emperor could have given so great a blow to his own reputation, the loss of which will leave no other means of concluding a war with him, than that of total destruction and extermination.-This was the state of the discussion, when the em peror, who had overheard our conference, ordered us to enter his own cabinet, where, to my great surprise, I was insulted by his imperial majesty with the infamous appellation of traitor, upon no other ground, than that, having been minister to Ch. IV, I continued to serve his son Ferd. VII. He also accused me, in an angry tone, of having maintained, in an official conference with General Montion, that my master, in order to his being king of Spain, did not stand in need of the recognition of the emperor, although that might be necessary, in order to continue his relations with the French government. His imperial majesty mani fested still greater irritation on account d my having said to a foreign minister, accre dited to the court of Spain, that if the French army offered any violation to the integrity and independence of the Spanis sovereignty, 300,000 men would convince them that a brave and generous nation was not to be insulted with impunity.-Afte this ill treatment which I met with, whic was as satisfactory to my own feelings, c account of the real causes of it, as it ma painful on account of the royal personage, whose interests were in question, his impe rial majesty, with his natural asperity, entered into a conversation upon the points which had already been discussed. He was not insensible to the strength of my reasons and the solidity of the arguments by whi I supported the rights of the king, h dynasty, and the whole nation ; but s "I hat majesty concluded by telling me, "a system of policy of my own. You oug "to adopt more liberal ideas; to be s susceptible on the point of honour, an "not sacrifice the prosperity of Spain to the "interest of the Bourbon family." —Hs majesty, distrusting the apparent compa cency with which I received the attention which he was pleased to shew nie, as I wa taking leave of him, sent to inform the king, that upon the subject under discussion a more flexible negociator would be necessary. Whilst his majesty was considering whom he should appoint to succeed me in this negociation, one of the many puppets who played their parts in this intrigue, introduced himself o the Archdeacon D. Juan de Escoiquiz, 2nd persuaded him to pay a visit to the minister Champagny. He accordingly went, under the impulse of a most zealous regard for the interests of his majesty, and prevailed ca the minister of the foreign affairs, to com municate to him the most recent propositions of the emperor, which the said Seignor Escoiquiz immediately put into writing, and a literal copy of them will be 6 found in No. 4, of the annexed documents. -In this state of things, his majesty, impressed with the qualities which adorn the most excellent Seignor, Dou Pedro de Labrador, formerly minister to the court of Florence, and honorary councillor of state, invested him with full powers and suitable instructions, which may be seen in No. 4, ordering him to present them to the minister of foreign affairs, and to demand his full povers in return, and that the proposals of his imperial majesty should be communicated in an anthentic manner. Both those demands were rejected by the minister Champagny, under the frivolous pretext that they were matters of form, being wholly "unconnected with the essential object of the 'negociation.-Seignor Labrador insisted on the importance of both the one and the other requisites, especially in a matter of such great consequence, adding that without them he could discuss no subject, and that the king his master required them to vary the instructions, if necessary, that had been given him; but always in vain. Notwithstanding this, Seignor Champagny talked of the last propositions of the emperor, which were somewhat different from those presented by general Savary, but not less irritating and violent; and he concluded with telling Seignor Labrador that the prosperity of Spain and his own were at that moment within his power.-This minister answered that he would communicate to the king his master these new proposals. He made those reflections upon them which his talents, his zeal for the service of his sovereign, and for the good of his country, naturally suggested; and he stated that the welfare of his sovereign, and that of the nation, were inseparably united. He added, that to these two objects he had directed all his attention in various situations; and, lastly, he said that he readily admitted that his own pros perity depended on the issue, because his fidelity to the king of Spain, and to bis native country, as well as the reputation he had acquired by the faithful discharge of his duty, were connected with it. Seignor Labrador, before he terminated the conversations asked M. Champagny if the king was in a state of liberty? To which the French minister replied that there could be no doubt of it. On this, Labrador rejoined, then he should be restored to his kingdom. To this the Frenchman replied, that, in respect to his return to Spain, it was necessary that his majesty should have a right understanding with his imperial majesty, ' either personally or by letter.' --This answer, added to the other circumstances, left, no dub in the mind of the king, that he was actually at Bayonne in a state of arrest; however, to give more ostensibility to this violence extended towards his majesty, I sent a note (No. 5) by his royal, order, to the minister for foreign affairs, telling him that the king was determined to return to Madrid, to tranquillize the agitation of his beloved subjects, and to provide for the transaction of the important business of his kingdom; assuring M. Champagny at the same time, that I would continue to treat with his imperial majesty, on affairs reciprocally advantageous. No answer was given to this communication, nor had it any other effect than to increase the caution and vigilance before applied for the detention of his majesty.-Senor Labrador was certainly not a fit person for their purposes, for he was immediately got rid of under the pretence of his not holding a rank corresponding to that of Monsieur Champigny, and that his natural disposition was too inflexible.-The tricks of diplomacy could not prevail over the firmness of the king, or the zeal of his representatives, and the individuals of his royal household, who deliberated at a council (his majesty being present) upon the interests of the king and the nation; so that the emperor saw himself under the necessity of changing his plan, in order to accomplish his purpose, and he wished that the royal parents should depart for Bayonne, in order to make them the instruments of the oppression and disgrace of their son. For this purpose he ordered the Grand Duke of Berg to employ all his arts to accelerate their journey to Bayonne.-The royal parents required, that the Favourite should precede them in their journey, and the grand duke made various applications to the junta of government to obtain his liberty. The junta had no authority to liberate him, having in this point been laid under positive restraint by his ma jesty's orders from Vittoria, as has been al ready mentioned; but the council misled by the suggestions of his imperial majesty, and intimidated by the threat that the grand duka would obtain by irresistible force what would not be conceded as a favour, the junta or dered the release of Don Manuel Godoi, who was immediately conveyed to Bayonne, under an adequate escort. The decree No. 6, in the hand-writing of the king, is an authentic proof of the determination of his majesty as to this particular-The royal parents undertook their journey, and proceeded in it with too much rapidity for the unhappy state of health of Ch. IV. but the inexorable will of the emperor had |