ally, into the truth of the fact, and, surprising him in my room, I found in his possession, the cypher of his correspondence, and of the instructions he had received from the vile conspirators. In consequence of this discovery, I immediately convoked the governor and council, in order that they might make the necessary inquiries; the result has been the detection of several malefactors, whose imprisonment I have ordered; as also the arrest of my son, at his residence. This is an additional aggravation of the affliction I labour under; but, however painful to my feelings, it must be submitted to, as it is of the utmost importance to the suppression of such a conspiracy. At the same time that I direct the publication of this affair to my subjects, I cannot avoid express ing to them the regret by which I am agitated; but that regret will be alleviated by the demonstrations of their loyalty. You will take the proper measures to have this decree circulated in due form. "CHARLES R." "By command of his majesty, I transmit this decree to your excellency, in order that it may be duly promulgated. "Signed by the ministers, and addressed to all viceroys, &c." Madrid, Nov. 5.-This day the king addressed the following decree to the governor ad interim of the council of Castile: "The voice of nature unnerves the arm of vengeance; and when the offender's want of consideration pleads for pity, a father cannot refuse listening to his voice. My son has already declared the authors of that horrible plan which had been suggested by the evil-minded. He has laid open every thing in a legal form, and all is exactly consistent His con with those proofs that are required by the law in such cases. fusion and repentance have dictated the remonstrances which he has addressed to me, and of which the following is the chief: "Sire and Father,--I am guilty of failing in my duty to your majesty; I have failed in obedience to my father and king. I ought to do nothing without your majesty's consent; but I have been surprised. I have denounced the guilty, and beg your majesty to suffer your repentant son to kiss your feet. FERDINAND. "St Laurent, Nov. 5." "Madam and Mother, --I sincerely repent of the great fault which I have committed against the king and queen, my father and mother!-With the greatest submission I beg your pardon, as well as for my obstinacy in denying the truth the other night. For this cause, I heartily entreat your majesty to deign to interpose your mediation between my father and me, that he may condescend to suffer his repentant son to kiss his feet. FERDINAND. "St Laurent, Nov. 5." "In consequence of these letters, and the entreaty of the queen, my well-beloved spouse, I forgive my son; and he shall recover my favour, as soon as his conduct shall give proofs of a real amendment in his proceedings. I ordain also, that the same judges who have heard this cause from the commencement, shall continue the process; and I allow them to conjoin others, as colleagues, if they shall find occasion. I enjoin them, as soon as it shall be finished, to submit to me their judgment, which shall be conformable to law, according to the magnitude of offences, and the quality of offenders. They ought to take for a basis, in reducing the heads of the accusation, the answers given by the prince to the interrogatories which he has undergone; they are copied and signed by his own hand, as well as the papers also in his writing, which were seized in his bureaus. The decision shall be communicated to my councils and to my tribunals, and be circulated among my subjects, in order that they may acknowledge my compassion and my justice, and may alleviate the affliction into which they were thrown by my first decree; for in that they saw the danger of their sovereign and their father, who loves them as his own children, and by whom he is beloved. (Signed) "D. B. MUNOZ." By the royal decree of the 30th of October, inserted in the circular letter, which is addressed to you the 31st of the same month, his majesty has deigned to make known to his council, that his august person, thanks to the assistance of God, has been delivered from the catastrophe which threatened it. ( On this subject the council has proposed to his majesty to allow it,, as well as all the people and communities of the kingdom, to return thanks for this favour to the Omnipotent, by a solemn festival. His majesty having deigned to consent to the wish of his council, has resolved to give it immediate execution, and has determined to give the necessary orders for such a festival in the capital and its dependencies. This order of council, with a view to its due execution, is hereby communicated to you M. M. the archbishops, bishops, prelates, seculars, and regulars of the holy churches, desiring you to acknowledge to me the receipt of the present decree. (Signed) D. B. MUNOZ. Madrid, Nov. 7, 1808. No. 15Secret Treaty between his Catholic Majesty and his Majesty the Emperor of the French, by which the high contracting parties stipulate every thing respecting the future condition of Portugal.Fontainbleau, October 27, 1808. We, Napoleon, by the grace of God and the constitution, emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, having seen and examined the treaty concluded, arranged, and signed at Fontainbleau, Oct. 27, 1808, by general of division Michael Duroc, grand marshal of our palace, grand knight of the legion of honour, &c. in virtue of the full powers conferred by us upon him for this purpose, with Don Eugenio Izquier do de Ribera y Lezaun, honorary councillor of state and of war to his majesty the king of Spain, who was also furnished with full powers by his sovereign, which treaty is of the following tenor :— that His majesty, the emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, and his catholic majesty the king of Spain, wishing to regulate by common consent the interest of the two states, and to determine the future condition of Portugal, in a way shall be consistent with sound policy as to both countries, have named for their ministers plenipotentiary; that his majesty the emperor the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, general of division Michael Duroc, grand marshal of the palace, grand knight of the legion of honour: and his catholic majesty, the king of Spain, Don Eugenio Izquierdo de Ribera y Lezaun, his honorary coun is to say, of cillor of state and of war, both which ministers have exchanged their full powers, have agreed as follows: Art. I. The province of Entre Mino y Duero, with the city of Oporto, shall be made over, in entire property and sovereignty, to his majesty the king of Etruria, with the title of king of northern Lusitania. II. The province of Alantejo, and the kingdom of the Algarves, shall be made over, in entire property and sovereignty, to the Prince of Peace, to be by him enjoyed under the title of prince of the Algarves. III. The provinces of Beira, Tras los Montes, and Portuguese Estremadura, shall remain undisposed of until there be a general peace, to be then disposed of according to circumstances, and conformably with what may be agreed upon between the two high contracting parties. IV. The kingdom of northern Lusitania shall be held by the descendants of his majesty the king of Etruria hereditarily, and according to the laws of succession which are established in the family on the throne of Spain. V. The principality of the Algarves shall be held by the descendants of the Prince of Peace hereditarily, and according to the laws of succession which are established in the family on the throne of Spain. VI. If there should be no descendants or legitimate heirs of the king of northern Lusitania, or of the prince of the Algarves, these countries shall be disposed of by investiture by the king of Spain in a manner so that they shall never be united under one head, or annexed to the crown of Spain. VII. The kingdom of northern Lusitania and the principality of the Algarves shall acknowledge as protector his catholic majesty the king of Spain, and in no case the sovereigns of those countries shall make peace or war without his consent. VIII. In case that the princes of Beira, Tras los Montes, and Portuguese Estremadura, held in sequestration, should devolve at a general peace to the house of Braganza, in exchange for Gibraltar, Trinidad, and other colonies, which the English have conquered from Spain and her allies, the new sovereign of these provinces shall have, with respect to his catholic majesty the king of Spain, the same obligations as the king of northern Lusitania, and the prince of Algarves, and shall hold them under the same conditions. IX. His majesty the king of Etruria cedes the kingdom of Etruria, in full property and sovereignty, to his majesty the emperor of the French and king of Italy. X. As soon as the provinces of Portugal shall be definitively occupied, the different princes who are to possess them shall mutually appoint commissioners to ascertain their natural boundaries. XI. His majesty the emperor of the French and king of Italy guarantees to his catholic majesty, the king of Spain, the possession of his domi nions on the continent of Europe, situated to the south of the Pyrenees. XII. His majesty the emperor of the French and king of Italy engages to recognize his catholic majesty, the king of Spain, emperor of the Two Americas, when every thing is ready for his majesty's assuming that title, which may be either at the general peace, or at farthest within three years therefrom. We have approved, and do hereby approve, of the preceding treaty, and all and every of the articles therein contained. We declare it to be accepted, ratified, and confirmed: and promise that it shall be inviolably observed. In witness whereof, we have exe cuted these presents, signed with our hand and sealed with our imperial seal, at Fontainbleau, the 29th day of October, 1808. (Signed) NAPOLEON. CHAMPAGNY, The Secretary of State. Secret Convention concluded at Fontainbleau between his Majesty the King of Spain, and his Majesty the Emperor of the French, by which the two high contracting parties adjust all that relates to the occupation of Portugal-At Fontainbleau, 27th October, 1808. NO II. Napoleon, by the grace of God, and the constitution, emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, having seen and examined the con vention concluded, arranged, and signed, at Fontainbleau, on the 27th of October 1808, by the general of division Michael Duroc, grand mar shal of our palace, grand cordon of the legion of honour, &c. in virtue of the full powers with which we thereto conferred upon him, on the one side; and, on the other side, by D. Eugenio Izquierdo de Ribera y Lezaun, honorary councillor of state and of war to his majesty the king of Spain, equally furnished with full powers by his sovereign-the tenor of which convention is as follows: of His majesty the emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, and his catholic majesty the king of Spain, being desirous of entering in to an arrangement with respect to the occupation and conquest of Portu gal, according to the stipulations the treaty signed this day, have ap pointed, viz. His majesty the empe ror of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, the general of division Michael Duroc, grand marshal of his palace, grand cordon of the legion of honour, and his catholic majesty the king of Spain, Don Eugenio Izqui erdo de Ribera y Lezaun, his honorary councillor of state and of war, who, after exchanging their full powers, have agreed upon the fel lowing articles. I. A body of French imperial troops, consisting of 25,000 infantry and 300 cavalry, shall enter Spain, and march direct for Lisbon: they shall be joined by a body of 8000 Spanish infantry and 3000 cavalry, with 30 pieces of artillery. At the same time a division of Spanish troops, consisting of 10,000 men, shall take possession of the province of Entre Minho Douria and of the city of Oporto; and another division of 6000 men, also consisting of Spanish troops, shall take possession of Alentejo, and the kingdom of Algarves. III. The French troops shall be subsisted and maintained by Spain, and their pay shall be provided by France during the time occupied by their march through Spain. IV. The moment that the combined troops have entered Portugal, the government and administration of the provinces of Beira, Tras los Montes, and Portuguese Estremadura, (which are to remain in a state of sequestration,) shall be vested in the general commanding the French troops; and the contributions imposed thereon shall accrue to the benefit of France. The provinces that are to form the kingdom of northern Lusitania, and the principality of the Algarves, shall be administered and governed by the generals commanding the Spanish divisions which shall enter the same; and the con=tributions imposed thereon shall accrue to the benefit of Spain. V. The central body shall be under the orders of the commander of No. (Signed) NAPoleon. The Secretary of State. the French troops, to whom also the VI. Another body of 40,000 French troops shall be assembled at Bayonne by the 20th of November next, at the latest, to be ready to enter Spain for the purpose of proceeding to Portugal, in case the English should send reinforcements therein, or menace it with attack. VOL. I. PART. I. My habitual infirmities not permitting me to support any longer the important weight of the government of my kingom; and having need, in order to re-establish my health, to enjoy private life in a more temperate climate, I have decided, after the most minute deliberation, to abdicate my crown in favour of my heir, my most beloved son, the Prince of Asturias. Consequently, it is my royal will, that he be forthwith acknowledged and obeyed as king, and natural lord D |