mander, Mosse, lost his life, and also fifty of his men. Captain Riou was also killed, while engaging the ships in the mouth of the harbour. This sanguinary contest raged for four hours, and with great slaughter on both sides. Some of our ships suffered severely; bu seventeen Danish vessels, floating-batteries included, were sunk, burned, or captured.

As soon as the fire had slackened, though that from the Crown batteries still continued, Lord Nelson wrote the following letter:-" To the brave Danes, the brothers of Englishmen.-Lord Nelson has directions to spare Denmark when no longer resisting; but ifthe fire is continued on the part of Denmark, Lord Nelson must be obliged to set fire to all the floating batteries he has taken, without having it in his power to save the brave Danes who have defended them."-This letter had the desired effect. His Lordship landed, and an imme, diate convention was signed for a regular armistice for fourteen weeks.

Intelligence now arrived of the violent death of the Russian Emperor. Had that event been known before, the Danes would probably have submitted without a blow. His son Alexander succeeded to the throne, amidst the acclamations of general joy. It was the general opinion, that the Emperor was strangled in his palace, by order of Count Zouboff, on the 24th of March. The character of Paul was a compound of inconsistencies. Sometimes he was mild and humane, at others harsh and cruel; severe and imperious after moments of affability and condescension; resentful and unjust, after acts of moderation and equity. His capricious temper, his propensity to suspicion and credulity, his want of steadiness and principle, deprived him of real respect. His despotic conduct excited disgust, and his unbounded passions, by creating alarms, precipitated his ruin.

A revolution in the Russian cabinet of course followed this unexpected event. Alexander renouncing the politics of his father, assured the British Court of kis pacific intentions. The Courts of Stockholm and

Copenhagen relaxed in their zeal for the armed neutrality; and the King of Prussia, who had seized Hanover, lowered his tone. The British Admiral, at the request of the Russian Emperor, forbore to obstruct the Russian or Swedish trade and navigation. The respective embargoes were taken off, and the northern storm subsided before the prorogation of Parliament. Both Houses unanimously voted thanks to the gallant officers and intrepid sailors, who had so eminently distinguished themselves in this arduous enterprise.

.. A renewal of those machinations which had been checked by the late coercive laws, caused the Habeas Corpus Act to be again suspended, and a bill also passed for the prevention of seditious meetings. Martial law was also continued in Ireland, as the Union had not yet sufficiently tranquillized that country.

The election of the Rev. Horne Tooke for the borough of Sarum, now became the subject of parliamentary discussion. Lord Temple took the lead in this business, and a Committee was appointed to search for precedents. His Lordship contended, that in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James I. the inferior clergy petitioned for eligibility to seats in that House, but they did not presume to claim the right of sitting. The House, he said, had, on repeated instances, rejected clerical intruders, and established the principle of their ineligibility. As to Mr. Horne Tooke's alleged abandonment of the priesthood, he denied that a priest could divest himself of his ecclesiastical character. He therefore moved, "that the late election for Old Sarum should be superseded by a new choice.”—Mr. Addington was of opinion, that when the clergy sat in the House, they were not regarded as representatives of the people, and that there were no instances of the return of members described to be in holy orders. He wished that the dispute should be decided by a bill, rather than by a premature motion for a new writ. -Sir William Scott strongly recommended the bill, on the grounds of reason and law.-Mr. Horne Tooke con

tended, that nothing but positive assertion, unsupported by scriptural authority, by ecclesiastical law, church history, or parliamentary precedent, had proceeded from the advocates of the bill. He declared his readi ness to co-operate with the minister in a general act for the exclusion of the clergy, if it should afford a prospect of the increase of moral and religious wisdom; but he did not approve the practice of punishing an individual, by an ex post facto law. A bill, agreeable to the minister's proposal, excluding every priest from a seat in parliament, passed the Commons. In the Peers, Lord Thurlow was its chief opponent, as he was of opinion that the act was unconstitutional and unjust.

After some daring attempts upon several French ships in the Bay of Algesiras, by Sir James Saumarez, and near Cadiz, nothing of importance occurred till Lord Nelson was ordered to the coast of Boulogne, to ob struct, if possible, the preparations making at that port for an invasion. He made an attempt to destroy the armed vessels in that port, and, as only a few were sunk or disabled, a more serious attack was resolved on, when he reinforced his armament. The boardingvessels sailed in the night, in four divisions, under the conduct of Captains Somerville, Parker, Cotgrave and Jones, and also other boats, furnished with howitzers, joined in the expedition. Parker's division first approached, and commenced a most spirited attack; but an unforeseen obstacle defeated their sanguine expectations. A strong netting, traced up to the lower yards of the French vessels, was fastened by chains to the ground, and to each other. Many intrepid sailors were killed, and many were wounded. Captain Parker lost his leg and his thigh, and his boat would have been captured, had not a cutter seasonably towed her off. Captain Somerville silenced the fire of a brig near the pier-head; but, far from being able to bring her off, he found great difficulty in securing the retreat of his own boat. Captain Cotgrave, after an undaunted attack, met with no better success; and Captain Jones, from the obstructions from the tide, was only approaching the scene of action,

when the other officers were returning. All admired the zeal and courage displayed in this enterprise, while its success was universally lamented. Captain Parker died of his wounds after the return of the fleet to the Downs.

But to return to the interesting transactions of Egypt. Sir Ralph Abercromby and a powerful armament having reached the Bay of Aboukir, were obstinately opposed in their attempt to disembark. Incessant showers of shell and shot from the fort, from sandhills, and other posts, assailed their progress; and when they approached the land, vollies of musketry increased their danger. The first division that landed repulsed a troop of cavalry; and, on the arrival of others, they dislodged the enemy from their principal hill. Upwards of 700 soldiers and sailors were killed or wounded in this spirited rencounter. A general action soon followed. Sir Ralph wished to turn the right flank of the enemy, advantageously posted on a ridge, with their right near the canal of Alexandria, and their left towards the sea. But, anticipating the attack, they descended from their heights, and rushed into action. The British advanced-guard severely suffered, and it was not without difficulty they repelled their repeated assaults. Upwards of 150 of the English were killed, and 1100 wounded. After the surrender of Aboukir, another smart action took place. The French, at day-break, impetuously attacked the right, with a column of infantry and cavalry, and actually surrounded several regiments, but were so heroically opposed, that no advantage was gained. At length, General Stuart, with the foreign brigade, repulsed the cavalry; the dispirited infantry continued to act, but with a decline of spirit, and with weakened exertions. A formidable body also attempted to penetrate the centre, but failed in every effort. After this unsuccessful assault, the French retreated, and as the fortified eminences protected their troops, and the English were ill provided with cavalry, no pursuit was attempted. Sir Ralph Abercromby, never known to shrink from danger, was in the heat of the action, and received a mortal