Disarmament and retrenchment—Cheaper provisions—King applied to Parliament to pay his debts—The Prince of Wales claimed the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall—Parliament pays the King’s debts—Abolition of the Income Tax—Signature of the Treaty of Amiens—Conditions of the Treaty—Rush of the English to France—Visit of C. J. Fox to Napoleon—Liberation of the French prisoners of war 45 CHAPTER VII. Proclamation of Peace—Manner of the procession, &c.—Illuminations—Day of General Thanksgiving—General Election—A dishonoured Government bill—Cloth riots in Wiltshire—Plot to assassinate the King—Arrest of Colonel Despard—Trial and sentence of the conspirators—Their fate 55 CHAPTER VIII. Strained relations with France—Prosecution and trial of Jean Peltier for libel against Napoleon—Rumours of war—King’s proclamation—Napoleon’s rudeness to Lord Whitworth—Hoax on the Lord Mayor—Rupture with France—Return of Lord Whitworth, and departure of the French Ambassador 65 CHAPTER IX. Declaration of War against France—Napoleon makes all the English in France prisoners of war—Patriotic Fund—Squibs on the threatened invasion—“The New Moses”—Handbill signed “A Shopkeeper”—“Britain’s War-song”—“Who is Bonaparte?”—“Shall Frenchmen rule over us?”—“An Invasion Sketch” 74 CHAPTER X. Invasion Squibs continued—“The Freeman’s Oath”—“John Bull and Bonaparte”—“The Eve of Invasion”—“A Biography of Napoleon”—“Britons, strike home”—Enrolment of 400,000 Volunteers—Napoleon at Calais—Apprehension of vagrants, and compulsorily recruiting the Army and Navy with them—Patriotism of the nation—Preparations in case of reverse—Beacons—Spies—The French prisoners—Emmett’s rebellion in Ireland—Its prompt suppression—General Fast—Relief of the Roman Catholics 89 CHAPTER XI. Caricatures of the Flotilla—Scarcity of money—Stamping Spanish dollars—Illness of the King—His recovery—General Fast—Fall of the Addington Ministry—Debate on the Abolition of the Slave Trade—Beacons—Transport—Election for Middlesex—Reconciliation between the King and the Prince of Wales 104 CHAPTER XII. Doings of Napoleon—His letter to George III.—Lord Mulgrave’s reply—War declared against Spain—General Fast—Men voted for Army and Navy—The Salt Duty—Withdrawal of “The Army of England”—Battle of Trafalgar and death of Nelson—General Thanksgiving 112 CHAPTER XIII.