tory, however, was, in their own language, dearly obtained, is equally clear; and that no considerable permanent or immediate advantage resulted from their success may be presumed, as, instead of passing the Pregel in pursuit of a routed enemy, and instead of pushing on to Koningsberg, (which, in a moment of incorrect prophecy, Berthier informed the empress Josephine that the French army would reach on the morrow,) they were content to retrace their steps to their former cantonments, and to defy the enemy again to disturb them in their winter quarters.

The havoc resulting to both armies from this sanguinary contest occasioned great exertions to be made for reinforcements. The Emperor Alexander and the Archduke Constantine not long after joined the Russian army with upwards of sixty thousand troops; and the efforts of Napoleon to repair his loss and accumulate a force fully equal to the great struggle which still remained, were unremitting; the greater part of the eighth corps of the grand army, which had been. employed under General Mortier in the north of Germany, was ordered to march to the more critical theatre of hostility; and from the different recruiting stations throughout France and the conquered countries, multitudes were repeatedly sent off to join the imperial standard on the Vistula. It appears, as already intimated, to have been the expectation of Bonaparte that his arrangements, previously to the battle of Eylau, would have secured to him the possession of Koningsberg: this anticipation, however, being by no means verified, he adopted the plan of caution and prudence, and bent his efforts particularly now, to the reduction of Dantzic. This place had, for some time, been invested, but the siege was now urged with extreme pressure and perseverance. The garrison consisted of 16,000 men, under the command of the Prussian general Kalkreuth, an officer of tried loyalty and skill.— The difficulties attending the besiegers, from the nature of the ground, so easily inundated, were far from inconsiderable; the battering train was obliged to be conveyed from

Stettin and the fortresses of Silesia, along roads in the most complete want of repair. These difficulties, however, and the storms and rigours of the season, were incapable of furnishing any effectual interruption. The troops who surrounded the place consisted, in a great degree, of the auxiliaries of France, of different prejudices, habits, and languages, but whose efforts, under the direction of Marshal Le Febvre, were effectually combined by a happy union of encouragement and discipline, and who, in repelling the sorties of the besieged, and in advancing the progress of the works, displayed astonishing alacrity and perseverance. The exertions of the commander of the fortress were, on the other hand, no less striking and meritorious; his vigilance and energy, in this situation of high responsibility, were incessant operation. Nothing was neglected which could contribute to the means of defence, or to the annoyance of the enemy.

Both the Russians and Prussians made strong efforts to save the place, but all their valour and exertions were unable to preserve it, and the garrison, after losing 7000 men, were compelled to capitulate. This conquest was of great consequence to Bonaparte, who, in the mean time used every effort to detach the King of Sweden from the confederacy; but failing in this he ordered Stralsund to be invested. Reinforcements being received in this place, the French were repulsed with loss, but Marshal Mortier soon recovered the ground, and discomfited the Swedes with great loss.

With a view to guard against any attempt on the part of the British, whose preparations began to excite considerable alarm, the Dutch troops, which had been co-operating with the French in Germany, were ordered to their own territory, on a supposition that an attempt might be intended against Holland and to provide against any efforts in the Baltic, a corps of observation was ordered to be formed, without delay, under the command of Marshal Brune. It was an object of great importance to Bonaparte, in these circumstances, to detach the King of Sweden from his alliance; and the attempts

for this purpose, which had formerly been unsuccessful, were renewed with increased urgency and offers. The efforts for direct pacification being ineffectual, a prolongation of the notice to be given before the recommencement of hostility at Stralsund was the next object of French policy, which was extremely desirous of extending the period from ten days to a month. An article to this purpose had, indeed, been agreed to by the French and Swedish generals; but, in a conference between the king of Sweden and General Brune, at Schlatkow, relating to the armistice, and originating in the request of Brune for explanation on some points, in which it had appeared to be grossly violated, this article was decidedly rejected by his majesty. The king, at the same time, expressed his attachment to the cause he had so long ardently espoused, and made so explicit an avowal of his principles and feelings, as to leave little hope in the French general that any thing but the necessity of his affairs, or the representations of his subjects, could induce him to retire from the contest.

An account of this conference was published by the royal command, and was interpreted by different parties according to the nature of their political tendencies, as exhibiting a singular instance, on the part of the sovereign, of magnanimity or indiscretion. He attempted to shake the firmness of the French general's attachment to the existing government of his country, and reminded him of a king to whom he owed allegiance, possessing at once, all the virtues which can adorn a throne, as well as all the rights which can entitle him to it, now wandering in poverty and exile. Treason was imputed, without any very circuitous phraseology, to the French nation. A complete counter revolution was adverted to, as an affair of the highest probability. France was designated as the scourge of Europe; and to oblige it to restore its dethroned monarch would, it was intimated, be a fair object of continental hostility; and, should the standard of Louis XVIII. be abandoned by all the world besides, the king declared that it should ever be unfurled in Sweden.

Such conduct rather surprised them who were then unacquainted with the true character of his Swedish majesty. But his threats were heard with coolness by the French general, who conducted himself with great propriety during this singular and unexpected conference. The surrender of Dantzic added considerably to the disposable force of the French, but did not appear to offer any immediate and effectual inducement to Bonaparte to quit his almost impregnable positions. Two mighty armies, however, when the season was favourable for their operations, could not be long nearly within view of each other without the alternative of pacification or sanguinary and destructive hostility; and the confidence still entertained by each party preventing any successful attempts for the former, circumstances soon occurred which drew on an obstinate and decisive conflict.

On the fifth day of June the Russian army were in motion; and, with the whole of their right wing, attacked three divisions of the French army. From two of these they met with a repulse; but in the attack, conducted by General Benningsen and the grand duke Constantine, on the division of Ney, the French general was obliged to fall back and abandon his positions and magazines. Liebstadt and Gutstadt were both evacuated, and the corps of Ney was conducted by him to Ackendorf. On the eighth, however, Bonaparte arrived at the general's camp at Deppen, and immediately ordered an attempt on those important stations, by the corps of Ney and Lasnes, the imperial guard and the cavalry of reserve. This formidable force was opposed by the rear guard of the Russians at Glottau; but, at length, recovered all the positions in advance of Gutstadt, and occupied the town by main force, the contest being continued in its very streets, with the most horrid and destructive carnage. The Russians now fell back upon Heilsburg. Before this place was posted a formidable body of infantry and cavalry supported by sixty pieces of cannon. The French, however, pressed on and gradually gained considerable ground. Both parties fought with

the most determined bravery; but, as night advanced, the Russians were compelled to retreat to their entrenchments. Here they were expected to make a stand. The manœuvres of the French were, therefore, now directed to cutting off the retreat of the Russian right wing to Landsberg, in which Berthier was principally concerned; while Davoust threw himself along the Alle to the right of Heilsburg to preclude the retreat of their left. Demonstrations of an intention to attack were, in the mean time, made by the Russians in their entrenched camp. These, however, it appeared, were only a cover to the plan which had been now resolved on, to abandon even this chosen and formidable position; and, on the night of the eleventh, accordingly, they began to pass the Alle, quitting the whole country to the left, and leaving to the disposal of the enemy their entrenchments, magazines, and wounded. From the fifth to the twelfth the loss of the Russians amounted to nearly 20,000 men. They were pursued by the light cavalry of the enemy to the right bank of the Alle near Bartenstein. Light corps advanced in various directions to cut off their retreat to Koningsberg. The Duke of Berg proceeded towards the latter place, supported by Davoust and Soult; while Bonaparte himself, with the corps of Ney and Mortier and the imperial guard, immediately pressed on to Friedland.

On the 14th, the anniversary of the battle of Marengo, a circumstance of which the French emperor did not fail to remind his troops, and which naturally produced the most enthusiastic recollections and exertions, the grand struggle took place. The Russian army was fully deployed, the left wing extending to the town of Friedland, and its right reaching a mile and a half in the opposite direction. Bonaparte having reconnoitred, determined to attempt the town of Friedland, in the first instance; and, having changed his front, ordered the extremity of the right wing, under General Ney, to advance to the attack. At half past five Marshal Ney began to move forward. The division of Marchand,