_Death of Pitt--He is succeeded by Fox as Prime Minister--Negotiation with France--The Earl of Lauderdale sent to Paris as the British Negotiator--Negotiation broken off, in consequence of the refusal of England to cede Sicily to France--Temporizing Policy of Prussia--An attempt made by her to form a Confederacy in opposition to that of the Rhine, defeated by Napoleon--General Disposition of the Prussians to War--Legal Murder of Palm, a bookseller--The Emperor Alexander again visits Berlin--Prussia begins to arm in August 1806, and, after some Negotiation, takes the field in October, under the Duke of Brunswick--Impolicy of the Plans of the Campaign--Details--Action at Saalfeld--Battle of Auerstadt, or Jena, on 14th October--Duke of Brunswick mortally wounded--Consequences of this total Defeat--Buonaparte takes possession of Berlin on the 25th--Situations of Austria and Prussia, after their several Defeats--Reflections on the fall of Prussia._ [Sidenote: DEATH OF PITT.] The death of William Pitt [23d Jan.] was accelerated by the campaign of Ulm and Austerlitz, as his health had been previously injured by the defeat of Marengo. Great as he was as a statesman, ardent in patriotism, and comprehensive in his political views, it had been too much the habit of that great minister, to trust, for some re-establishment of the balance of power on the continent, to the exertions of the ancient European governments, whose efforts had gradually become fainter and fainter, and their spirits more and more depressed, when opposed to the power of Buonaparte, whose blows, like the thunderbolt, seemed to inflict inevitable ruin wherever they burst. But, while resting too much hope on coalitions, placing too much confidence in foreign armies, and too little considering, perhaps, what might have been achieved by our own, had sufficient numbers been employed on adequate objects, Pitt maintained with unabated zeal the great principle of resistance to France, unless France should be disposed to show, that, satisfied with the immense power which she possessed, her Emperor was willing to leave to the rest of Europe such precarious independence as his victorious arms had not yet bereft them of.