in their power towards remedying the evil complained of, and preventing, if possible, the growth of others.

The Princess of Asturia is a worthy grand-daughter of Maria Therese, of Austria, and seems to inherit her character as well as her virtues. She agreed with her Royal consort, that after having gained the affection of the queen, by degrees, it would be adviseable for her to insinuate some hints of the danger that threatened their country, and the discontent that agitated the people. The Prince of Asturia was to act the same part with his father, as the Princess did with his mother. As there is no one about the persons of their Spanish Majesties, from the highest lord to the lowest servant, who is not placed there by the favourite, and act as his spies, he was soon aware that he had no friend in the heir of the throne. His conversation with their Majesties confirmed him in this supposition, and that some secret measures were going on to deprive him of the place he occupied, if not of the Royal favour. All visitors to the Prince and Princess of Asturia were, therefore, watched by his emissaries; and all the letters or memorials sent to them by the post, were opened, read, and, if contrary to his interest, destroyed, and their writers imprisoned in Spain, or banished to the colonies. These measures of injustice, created suspicion, disunion, and, perhaps, fear, among the members of the Asturian cabal, as it was called : all farther pursuit, therefore, was deferred until more propitious times, and the Prince of Peace remained undisturbed and in perfect security, until the rupture with your country last Autumn.

It is to be lamented, that with all their valuable qualities and feelings of patriotism, the Prince and Princess of Asturia do not possess a little dissimulation, and more knowledge of the world. The favourite tried by all means to gain their good opinion, but his advances met with that repulse they morally deserved, but which, from policy, should have been suspended or softened, with hope of future accommodation.

Bournonville, the ambassador of our court to the court of Madrid, was here upon leave of absence when war was declared by Spain against your country, and his first secretary, Herman, acted as charge d'affaires. This Herman has been brought up in Talleyrand's office, and is both abler and more artful than Bournonville: he posesses also the full confidence of our minister, who,

in several secret and pecuniary transactions, has obtained many proofs of this secretary's fidelity as well as capacity. The views of the cabinet of St. Cloud, were, therefore, not lost sight of, nor its interest neglected at Madrid.

I suppose you have heard that the Prince of Peace, like all other ignorant and illiberal people, believes that no one can be a good or clever man, who is not also his countryman, and that all the ability or probity of the world is confined within the limits of Spain; on this principle, he equally detests France and England, Germany and Russia, and is, therefore, not much liked by our government, except for his imbecility, which makes him its tool and dupe. His disgrace would not be much regretted here, where we have it in our power to place or displace ministers in certain states, whenever, and as often as we like. On this occasion, however, we supported him, and helped to dissolve the cabal formed against him; and that, for the following reasons:

By the assurances of Bournonville, Buonaparte, and Talleyrand had been led to believe, that the Prince and Princess of Asturia were well affected to France, and to them personally; and conceiving themselves much more certain of this, than of the good disposition of the favourite, though they did not take a direct part against him, at the same time they did not disclose what they knew was determined on, to remove him from the helm of affairs. During Bournonville's absence, however, Herman had formed an intrigue with a Neapolitan girl, in the suite of the Princess of Asturia, who, influenced by love or bribes, introduced him into the cabinet, where her mistress kept her correspondence with her Royal parents. With a pick-lock key, he opened all the drawers, and even the writing-desk, in which, he is said to have discovered written evidences, that though the Princess was not prejudiced against France, she had but an indifferent opinion of the morality and honesty of our present government, and of our present governors. One of these original papers, Herman appropriated to himself, and dispatched to this capital, by an extraordinary courier, whose dispatches, more than the rupture with your country, forced Bournonville away in a hurry, from the agreeable society of gamesters and prostitutes chiefly frequented by him in this capital.

It is not, and cannot be known yet, what was the exact plan of the Prince and Princess of Asturia and their adherents; but a diplomatic gentleman, who has just arrived from Madrid, and who can have no reason to impose upon me, has informed me of the following particulars :

Their Royal Highnesses succeeded perfectly in their endeavours to gain the well-merited tenderness and approbation of their sovereigns, in every thing else, but when the favourite was mentioned with any slight, or when any insinuations were thrown out concerning the mischief arising from his tenacity of power, and incapacity of exercising it, with advantage to the state. The queen was especially irritated, when such was the subject of conversation, or of remark; and she finally prohibited it, under pain of her displeasure. A report even reached their Royal Highnesses, that the Prince of Peace had demanded their separation and separate confinement. Nothing could, therefore, be effected to impede the progress of wickedness aud calamity, but by some temporary measure of severity. In this disagreeable dilemma, it was resolved by the cabal, to send the queen to the convent, until her favourite had been arrested and imprisoned ; to declare the Prince of Asturia regent, during the king's illness, (his Majesty then still suffered from several paralytic strokes) and to place men of talents and patriotism, in the place of the creatures of the Prince of Peace. As soon as this revolution was organized, the queen would have been restored to full liberty, and to that respect due to her rank.

This plan had been communicated to our ambassador, and approved of by our government; but when Herman, in such an honest manner, had inspected the confidential correspondence of the Princess of Asturia, Bournonville was instructed by Talleyrand to warn the favourite of the impending danger, and to advise him to be beforehand with his enemies. Instead of telling the truth, the Prince of Peace alarmed the King and Queen with the most absurd fabrications; and assured their Majesties, that their son and daughter-in-law, had determined, not only to dethrone them, but to keep them prisoners for life, after they had been forced to witness his execution.

Indolence and weakness are often more fearful than guilt. Every thing that he said, was at once believed; the Prince and

Princess were ordered under arrest in their own apartments, without permission to see or correspond with any body; and so certain was the Prince of Peace of a complete and satisfactory revenge for the attempt against his tyranny, that a frigate at Cadiz was ready waiting to carry the Princess of Asturia back to Naples. All Spaniards, who had the honour of their sovereigns and of their country at heart, lamented these rash proceedings; but no one dared to take any measures to counteract them. At last, however, the Duke of Montemar, grand officer to the Prince of Asturias, demanded an audience of their Majesties, in the presence of the favourite. He began, by begging his sovereign to recollect, that for the place he occupied, he was indebted to the Prince of Peace; and he called upon him to declare, whether he had ever had reason to suspect him either of ingratitude or disloyalty. Being answered in the negative, he said, that though his present situation and office near the heir of the throne was the pride and desire of his life, he would have thrown it up the instant that he had the least ground to suppose, that this Prince ceased to be a dutiful son and subject; but so far from this being the case, he had observed him in his most unguarded moments-in moments of conviviality, had heard him speak of his Royal parents, with as much submission and respect, as if he had been in their presence. "If," continued he, “ the Prince of Peace has said otherwise, he has misled his king and his queen, being, no doubt, deceived himself. To overthrow a throne, and to seize it, cannot be done without accomplices, without arms, without money. Who are the conspirators, hailing the Prince as their chief? I have heard no name but that of the lovely Princess, his consort, the partaker of his sentiments, as well as of his heart. And his arms? They are in the hands of those guards, his Royal parent has given to augment the necessary splendour of his rank. And as to his money? He has none but what is received from Royal and paternal munificence and bounty. You, my Prince," said he to the favourite, (who seemed much offended at the impression the speech made on their Majesties)" will one day thank me, if I am happy enough to dissuade dishonourable, impolitic, or unjust resentments. the approbation of posterity I am certain."" If," interrupted

Of

the favourite, "the Prince of Asturia and his consort will give up their bad counsellors, I hope their Majesties will forget and forgive every thing with myself."-" Whether their Royal Highnesses," replied the Duke of Montemar, " have done any thing that deserves forgiveness, or whether they have any counsellors I do not know, and am incompetent to judge; but I am much mistaken in the character of their Royal Highnesses, if they wish to purchase favour at the expense of confidence and honour. An order from his Majesty may immediately clear up this doubt." The Prince of Peace was then ordered to write, in the name of the King, to his children, in the manner he proposed, and to command an answer by the messenger. In half an hour the messenger returned, with a letter addressed to the favourite, containing only these lines: "A King of Spain is well aware that a Prince and Princess of Asturia can have no answer to give to such proposals, or to such questions." After six days. arrest, and after the Prince of Peace had, in vain, endeavoured to discover something to inculpate their Royal Highnesses, they were invited to court, and reconciled both to him and their Royal parents.

MY LORD,

LETTER XLVIII.

Paris, September, 1805.

I WILL add, in this letter, to the communication of the gentleman, mentioned in my last, what I remember myself of the letter, which was circulated among our diplomatists, concerning the intrigues at Madrid.

The Prince of Peace, before he listened to the advice of Duke de Montemar, had consulted Bournonville, who dissuaded all violence, and, as much as possible, all noise. This accounts for the favourite's pretended moderation on this occasion. But though he was externally reconciled, and, as was reported at Madrid, had sworn his reconciliation even by taking the sacrament, all the undertakings of the Prince and Princess of Asturia, were strictly observed and reported by the spies whom he had placed round their Royal Highnesses. Vain of his success and victory,