The Reign of George III. - (Continued.) page 17

The result was the offer of Norway co Sweden as the price of Bernadotte's adhesion to the proposed alliance. England also offered to Sweden as a colony, Surinam, Demarara, or Porto Rico.

But all this could not have prevailed with Bernadotte - who leaned fondly and tenaciously towards France with her old associations - had not the unbearable pride, insolence, and domineering spirit of Napoleon repelled him, and finally decided his course. So late as March, 1811, Bernadotte used this language to M. Alquier, the French ambassador, when pressed by him to decide for France: - " I must have Norway - Norway which Sweden desires, and which desires to belong to Sweden - and I can obtain it through another power than France." "From England, perhaps? " interposed the ambassador. " Well, yes, from England; but I protest that I only desire to adhere to the emperor. Let his majesty give me Norway; let the Swedish people believe that I owe to him that mark of protection, and I will guarantee all the changes that he desires in the system and government of Sweden. I promise him fifty thousand men, ready equipped, by the end of May, and ten thousand more by July. I will lead them wherever he wishes. I will execute any enterprise that he may direct. Behold that western point of Norway. It is separated from England only by a sail of twenty-four hours, with a wind which scarcely ever varies. I will go there if he wishes!"

But Napoleon could never listen to the transfer of Norway; that was the territory of his firm ally, Denmark: Finland, but not Norway. In October of the same year an English agent landed at Gothenborg, under a fictitious name - eluded the French spies - traversed, by night, woods, bogs, and hills - and, in a small village of the interior of Sweden, met a Swedish agent, where the terms of a treaty were settled, in which Russia and Turkey, England and Sweden, were the contracting powers; in which Sweden was to receive Norway, and renounce for ever Finland; and Alexander and Bernadotte were to unite all their talents, powers, and experience against France. In December following, the Swedish aristocracy were astonished to see the countess Armfeldt, wife of général Armfeldt - a Finn, and hitherto one of the most decided partisans of the ancient dynasty - appear at a soirée of the prime minister, Engleström, decorated with the portraits of the two czarinas, the dowager and the reigning empress - to hear that she was appointed lady of honour at the court of Russia, and to see the crown prince enter, take his seat beside her, and, in a long conversation, pay her the most flattering attentions. In the following January the sudden invasion of Swedish Pomerania by the French showed that the crisis was come, and that henceforth Napoleon and Bernadotte were irreconcileable opponents. The proud, brusque words of Napoleon, when Charles XIII. appealed to him for aid on the loss of Finland - " Apply to Alexander, he is great and generous " - were now taken up by Bernadotte. It was a fatal speech.

From that time offers of alliance and aid poured in from all quarters. Prussia - ready to rebel once more against the common enemy - sent secret messages, and was, at the same time, concerting common measures with Russia. The insurgents of Spain and Portugal, where Lord Wellington was in active operation - even the old Bourbon dynasty - paid court to him. Moreau returned from America to fight under his banners, and emigrants flocked from all quarters to combine their efforts against the universal foe - Napoleon. We have traced out these particulars somewhat at large, for they are new and curious, opening up the great scheme by which they led to the final overthrow of Napoleon. For the further progress of it we must wait till the year 1812.

In England a remarkable event closed the year 1810 - the appointment of a regency. For some time the old malady of the king had returned upon him. He had not attended to open and close the last session of parliament, and there was a général impression as to the cause. But, on the 25th of October, when parliament had voted the celebration of a général jubilee, on the king's entrance upon the fiftieth year of his reign, it was announced publicly that his majesty was no longer capable of conducting public business, and the house of commons adjourned for a fortnight. This was a melancholy jubilee, so far as the king and his family were concerned; but the nation celebrated it everywhere with an affectionate zeal and loyalty. The royal malady had been precipitated by the death of his favourite daughter Amelia. On the 20th or 21st of October, he visited her on her death- bed, and she put on his finger a ring, containing her own hair, and, with the motto, " Remember me when I am gone." This simple but sorrowful act completed the mischief in progress, and George retired from the bedside of his dying daughter a confirmed lunatic. The princess died on the 2nd of November, but her father was past consciousness of the event.

At the end of the fortnight, lord Grenville and lord Grey pointed out the necessity of proceeding to appoint a regent. Ministers replied that the physicians were confident of his speedy recovery; but, as there were repeated adjournments, and repeated reports of the physicians still holding the same language, the sense of parliament prevailed; and, on the 17th of December, Mr. Perceval moved that, on the 20th, they should go into committee on the question of the regency; and on that day the same resolutions were passed as had been passed in 1788 - namely, that the prince of Wales should be regent, under certain restrictions; that the right. of creating peerages, and granting salaries, pensions, and offices in reversion, should be limited specifically, as in 1788. The royal dukes made a protest against these limitations; but, on the 30th, they were confirmed by both houses, with additional resolutions for the care of his majesty's person and the security of his private property, which passed on the last day of the year 1810.