virtues he admired; but the match was prevented in consequence of the empress claiming for the queen the free exercise of her religion, which the duke alleged to be incompatible with the laws of Sweden. In 1796, Gustavus IV., having attained his majority, ascended the throne. His gentle manners and pacific dispositions at first gave presage of a tranquil and happy reign, but his marriage with the Princess Frederica of Baden (1797), whose sister the Emperor Alexander had espoused, brought him under the control of Russian influence, and ultimately involved him in that disastrous conflict which the sagacity of his uncle had avoided.

CHAPTER V.

Participation of the Northern Kingdoms in the French Revolutionary Wars, A.D., 1798-1810.

Pacific Policy of Denmark.-Disputes arising out of the Armed Neutrality. Northern Confederacy against Great Britain.Seizure of Swedish and Danish Vessels by English Cruisers. -Hostile Preparations of the Baltic States.-Critical Situation of England.-Appearance of the British Squadron in the Sound. Battle of Copenhagen and Destruction of the Danish Fleet.-Restoration of Peace.-Change in the Policy of Russia.-Alarm at the increasing Power of France.- Preparations for opposing her Encroachments.-Ardour of Gustavus IV. in the Cause.-General Coalition against Bonaparte.Confederation of the Rhine.-Victories of Napoleon.-Peace of Tilsit.-War between Sweden and France.-Conduct of Gustavus in Pomerania.-Siege of Stralsund and Retreat of the Swedes.-Neutrality of Denmark.-Causes of the Second British Expedition to Copenhagen.-Bombardment of the City, and Capture of the Fleet.-Hostilities with England and Sweden.--Invasion of Finland by the Russians.-Evacuation of the whole Province by the Swedes.-Arrival of a British Auxiliary Force under Sir John Moore.--Operations on the Frontier of Norway.-Refusal of Gustavus to make Peace with France.-His Abdication and Exile.-Duke of Sudermania elected King.-Changes in the Government and Constitution.-Renewal of Hostilities with the Czar.-Peace of Fredericsham, and Annexation of Finland to Russia.-Treaty of Jonkoping between Sweden and Denmark.-Death of the Prince of Augustenburg, Heir to the Swedish Throne.

DENMARK, which had so long enjoyed the blessings of repose, showed a prudent aversion to mingle in the revolutionary conflicts then raging over all Europe. Yet, by a singular turn of fortune, this pacific kingdom was the first of the Anti-Gallican confederates that was embroiled in actual hostilities with Great Britain-the moving principle of the original coalitions against France-and ultimately suffered more extensive injury from the effects of the war than any other of the Northern powers. The causes that led to this unfortunate collision between these two states

arose from a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the maritime law, promulgated by Russia in 1780, respecting the right of visitation and search in the case of neutral vessels. By that law, the privileges which England and other maritime powers had exercised for centuries were restrained. It had been adopted by Sweden, Denmark, and Prussia, who bound themselves by treaty not only to obey, but to enforce it upon all nations, and particularly upon Great Britain. Yet ten years did not elapse, until the authors of that new system found it convenient to violate their own regulations, and even to promote the schemes of Napoleon for organizing a Northern confederacy against England. The hostile disposition of the Swedish court was evinced in repeated acts of assistance to the enemy. A fleet of merchantmen trading to the ports of France was taken in January, 1798, by some British cruisers, and condemned, with their cargoes, in the Admiralty-court at London, by Sir William Scott, for refusing to submit to visitation and search. Another rencounter with a Swedish brigantine happened (September 4, 1800) in the harbour of Barcelona, which was then blockaded by two English menof-war. The government of Stockholm resented this interference as an insult offered to a neutral flag, but no active measures were taken to obtain reparation.

The same hostile feelings towards Great Britain were manifested by Denmark; but neither of these states would have ventured to provoke a quarrel had they not been secretly instigated by the Czar Paul I., who felt indignant at the refusal of England to put him in possession of Malta. Certain other incidents occurred, which converted this lurking hatred into acts of aggression. In the month of December, 1799, a skirmish with a Danish frigate, convoying a fleet of merchantmen, took place near Gibraltar, in consequence of her refusing to be searched by the British ships on that station. Lord Keith, the English admiral in the Mediterranean, requested the commander, Captain Von Dockum, to show his instructions, that he might ascertain whether they authorized his resistance to the usual examination; but the Dane declined to comply, alleging that he was forbidden to permit his convoy to be searched, and that in firing on the English boats he was only fulfilling his orders. The affair was represented to the government

at Copenhagen by Mr. Merry, the British envoy, and ad justed without difficulty.

A more serious collision, however, originating in the same cause, soon followed. Another Danish frigate, the Freya, in attempting to defend her convoy from the search of the English cruisers at the mouth of the Channel (July 25), provoked an engagement which occasioned loss of life on both sides. The frigate and the convoy were seized and carried into the Downs, when the commander, Captain Crab, was ordered to draw up a report of the whole transaction. As some apprehension was entertained that, in the existing temper of the Northern powers, this incident might lead to a renewal of the armed neutrality and an extension of the war, Lord Whitworth was despatched to Copenhagen with a special mission to offer conciliatory explanations; and to give his embassy the greater weight, he was supported by a considerable squadron under Viceadmiral Dickson, which reached the Skaw on the 15th of August. To procure intelligence, and facilitate communication with his lordship, Sir Home Popham had previously sailed in the Romney, and advanced as high as the mouth of the Sound. Matters assumed a hostile appearance; batteries were erected by the Danes on several places along the coast; the fortress of Cronborg was repaired, and the vicinity of Copenhagen put in a state of defence.

The subject was warmly debated by the British minister, who maintained that the principle on which his govern ment had acted was agreeable to the law of nations. Similar discussions took place in London between Lord Grenville and the Danish ambassador; but the formidable attitude of the English armament obliged the Danes to come to terms. A convention was signed (August 29), under the very walls of their capital, by the two plenipotentiaries, Lord Whitworth and Count Bernstorff; the substance of which was, that the Freya and her convoy were to be released, and repaired at the expense of Great Britain; the decision of the question as to the right of search was postponed for farther discussion.

This accommodation quashed, but did not settle, the dispute; neither did it meet with the approval of the Czar. That prince, who in 1799 had threatened Denmark with war for assisting the commerce of the French republic, was now

the most zealous partisan in forming a combination of the Northern powers in favour of the common enemy, whom he had engaged by treaty with Great Britain to resist with the whole force of his empire. Denmark and Sweden were openly invited to join him in the confederacy; his preponderating influence in these courts, added to their own commercial interests, induced them to comply with his peremptory request. His Swedish majesty, young and of a resolute temper, yielded at once to the solicitation, and he laboured with indefatigable ardour not only to complete his own naval equipments, but to accelerate the preparations of his neighbours. The Danes did not accede to the coalition without considerable hesitation, because their trade had never been more flourishing, or their navigation more extensive, than at that period. The commerce of Europe and both the Indies poured into their harbours, and their merchants had amassed a degree of wealth hitherto unexampled in the history of their nation. But the threats and importunities of the adjoining states, and the necessity of connecting themselves with some great power able to protect them, overcame their repugnance to war. The seizure of a Prussian vessel, and some other aggressions by the English, afforded to the court of Berlin à pretext for joining the union. The confederation of the four powers was formally concluded, and signed on the 16th and 18th of December (1800), at St. Petersburg; it was nearly similar to the armed neutrality of 1780, but rather more favourable to belligerent nations, as it required that the captain and at least half the crew should be subjects of the state to which the neutral vessel belonged.

In consequence of these hostile measures, the English government ordered a seizure (Jan. 14, 1801) of all ships in their ports belonging to any of the combined powers, except those of Prussia. A great number of merchantmen, richly laden, were seized on their way to the Baltic or detained in port; and of 450 Swedish traders, it was estimated that 200 were either captured at sea or arrested in British harbours. Count Jarlsberg and Baron Ehrensvard, the Danish and Swedish ministers at London, protested, in their notes to Lord Grenville, against the embargo, in name of their respective courts, and demanded that it should be removed, otherwise they would consider it equivVOL. II.-R