The journal of Elizabeth Lady Holland (1791-1811) Volume 2 (of 2)Holland, Elizabeth Vassall Fox, Lady
History
The journal of Elizabeth Lady Holland (1791-1811) Volume 2 (of 2)
Holland, Elizabeth Vassall Fox, Lady
Holland, Elizabeth Vassall Fox, Lady, 1770-1845 -- Diaries
The Russian Proclamation, which declares the necessity of Wallachia
and Moldavia being occupied by their troops,[248] has excited alarm
and distrust in the Austrian Cabinet. Those Courts are wrangling about
punctilios, just as if Bonaparte were not alive. The Austrians want
to coalesce with Russia, but they are afraid and undecided; however,
Pozzo di Borgo, who is in the Russian Military Service, is despatched
to Vienna to see whether he can bring about any co-operation. Little
can be expected even if he does, Bonaparte has so completely secured
his rear and kept a communication with France by means of menacing and
cajoling, that all attempts against him are idle.
[Sidenote: KING OF SWEDEN]
The King of Sweden, tho’ very wrong-headed, and ill-gifted with that
rare commodity common sense, has some notion of honour and high sense
of it. Bernadotte, either at Altona or Hamburg, made some overtures to
the Swedish Minister, saying that Bonaparte had always considered the
King of Sweden as the only high-spirited Monarch; talked of the old
alliance between France and Sweden, and threw out hints of Bonaparte’s
willingness to give him Norway. The only notice the K. of Sweden
bestowed upon this was a severe reproof and recall of his Minister for
listening to any proposals from the French, and giving instructions
to have the whole proceeding laid before the Danish Government, in
order to show them the perfidy of the French, who were soliciting their
friendship.[249] Our Government intend to augment his subsidy, and hold
out a prospect hereafter of giving him ships to assist in the conquest
of an island, Martinique or Guadalupe. The Danes are terrified, and
will yield Holstein if the French should be peremptory; not, it is to
be hoped, with impunity on our part.
The Opposition are full of jokes against Tierney; they say the
dissolution was entirely his scheme, that by its suddenness they might
be taken by surprise and unprepared, but that it appeared that he
himself was the least prepared, and the most surprised. He lost the
Borough.[250]
An abundance of speculators have gone with English goods to Buenos
Ayres, enough to make a glut in the market, and merchants have sent
over, it is said, to buy English goods, as they will be quite a drug
there. Auchmuty[251] is gone with considerable reinforcements thither.
General Craufurd’s[252] expedition is to land at Val Paraiso in the
South Sea; it was delayed so long that the passage by Cape Horn
would be impracticable, therefore they must go round the Cape, a
voyage of eight months. This expedition was delayed on account of the
negotiation. Peace was once expected, but even then it was a mistaken
policy, in my humble opinion, as Bonaparte is an enemy who will respect
you more, if you will not only show your teeth but bite with them too.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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