GENERAL FAST--ADULTERATION, AND COMPULSORY SALE OF STALE
BREAD--WAR IN EGYPT--THE BOULOGNE FLOTILLA--NEGOTIATIONS
FOR PEACE--RATIFICATION OF PRELIMINARIES--RECEPTION IN
ENGLAND--GENERAL REJOICINGS.
It is sad to take up the very first number of the ‘London Gazette’ for
1801, and find ‘A Proclamation for a general Fast,’ which was to be
held on February 13, the reason wherefore is stated thus: ‘WE, taking
into Our most serious consideration the heavy Judgments with which
Almighty God is pleased to visit the Iniquities of this land, by a
grievous Scarcity and Dearth of divers Articles of Sustenance, and
Necessaries of Life &c.’
The war bore grievously on the Commons, and, consequently, Napoleon was
in like measure abhorred. Nothing short of the thought of approaching
famine could have caused Parliament to pass, and the king give his
royal assent to,[60] ‘An Act to prevent until the Sixth Day of
November, One Thousand Eight Hundred and One, and from thence to the
End of Six Weeks from the Commencement of the then next Session of
Parliament, the manufacturing of any fine Flour from Wheat, or other
Grain, and the making of any Bread solely from the fine Flour of Wheat;
and to repeal an Act, passed in the Thirty-Sixth Year of the Reign of
His present Majesty, for permitting Bakers to make and sell certain
Sorts of Bread, and to make more effectual Provision for the same.’
This took effect on January 31, 1801.
‘An Act to prohibit, until the First Day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and one, and from thence to the End of Six Weeks next
after the then next Session of Parliament, any Person or Persons from
selling any Bread which shall not have been baked Twenty-four Hours.’
This Act was 41 Geo. III. cap. 17, and it recites the reason in the
preamble: ‘Whereas it is expedient to reduce as much as possible, at
the present moment, the consumption of Wheat flour. And whereas it
appears a considerable saving would arise if Bread was prohibited from
being sold until it had been baked a certain time, &c.’ The penalties
of non-compliance ranging from 5_s._ to 40_s._
Here is a receipt given for adulterated bread: ‘Improvement of bread,
with economy of flour, and saving of expense:--Take one pound of ground
rice, put it in cold water sufficient to cover it, and something more,
boil it, and it will absorb all the water, and weigh four pounds; mix
four pounds of flour with it, knead them well together, and lighten
them with yeast, like common bread, and they will produce ten pounds
ten ounces of excellent bread, which will not cost more than twopence
halfpenny per pound, and will save one half in the consumption of
flour. N.B. this bread will keep moist a week.’
When we remember that bad bread was on January 1, 1801, 1_s._ 9¼_d._
per quartern loaf, on March 5, 1_s._ 10½_d._, and although it dropped
after harvest as low as 10¼_d._, yet closed December 31 at 1_s._
0¼_d._, and that this bad bread had to be eaten stale, all through
Boney, we cannot wonder that the people did not love him. His direct
presence was brought home to all and every one daily, by means of that
most susceptible bodily organ, the stomach. It was hitting John Bull in
a very vulnerable part.
The war in Egypt still kept on, and in February reinforcements of
15,330 men, under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, set sail in
a fleet of 175 vessels or ships. In March they defeated the French
under Menon, the renegade, but at the cost of the life of the brave
Abercrombie.
On April 19, Rosetta surrendered to our forces, and on June 27 Cairo
capitulated, on condition that General Belliard, with all his troops,
arms, and baggage, should be taken back to France. On their march back
to the coast, Menon, finding his cause hopeless, surrendered on the
same terms, and thus ended the French occupation of Egypt.
With Napoleon’s concordat with the Pope we have nothing to do, except
that his satirists here did not forget to contrast his attendance at
the solemn _Te Deum_ at Notre Dame with his pseudo-Mahometanism in
Egypt. What more affected us, was the arming along the Channel coast,
and the Flotilla at Boulogne, which was to act as transport for the
army for the invasion of England. The French themselves laughed at
these little cockle-shells of boats, _teste_ Madame Junot:--
‘Boulogne was designated from the year 1801, as the chief station
of the enterprise against England. The greatest activity suddenly
prevailed in all ports of the Channel; camps were formed on the
coast, divisions of light vessels were organised, and multitudes were
built. The Flotilla, as it was called, created apparently with the
greatest exertion, and all the apparatus of preparation, spread, as
was intended, alarm on the opposite shore. The Boulogne Flotilla was
composed of extremely light boats, so small, that at Paris, where
everything forms the subject of a jest, they were called walnut shells.
Brunet, who at this time was a truly comic actor, performing in some
piece which I do not remember, was eating walnuts, the shells of which,
after a little preparation, he launched upon some water in a tub by
his side. “What are you doing?” said his fellow actor. “Making des
péniches,” replied Brunet. This was the name by which the flat-bottomed
boats of the flotilla were known at Paris. But poor Brunet was made
to atone by twenty-four hours’ imprisonment for his unseasonble joke
on the Government; and the day after his release the same piece was
performed. When Brunet should have made the interdicted reply, he was
silent. The other actor repeated the inquiry as to what he was doing.
Still Brunet made no answer, and the other with an air of impatience
proceeded: “Perhaps you do not know what you are about?” “Oh yes!” said
Brunet, “I know very well what I am about, but I know better than to
tell.” The laugh was general, and so were the applauses; and, in truth,
nothing could be more droll than the manner in which this was uttered;
Brunet’s countenance in saying it was of itself sufficient to provoke
universal hilarity.’
But, in very truth, John Bull was not much frightened: there was
Nelson, and his fleet, and people had great faith in them. But Nelson
could do little against this passive fleet. On August 3 he bombarded
Boulogne, sunk five gunboats, and damaged others; and on the 15th of
the same month he tried to capture, or destroy, these gunboats, but
was unsuccessful in his attempt, as the French had chained them to the
shore.
We now come to the principal event of the year, the Peace--over which
there was much coquetting. As early as March, Lord Hawkesbury, the then
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, addressed a letter to M. Otto,
signifying King George’s desire to enter into negotiations for the
restoration of peace.
These negotiations for peace were naturally noticed, and one very
good etching, by Roberts, ‘Negotiation See Saw,’ shows Napoleon and
John Bull engaged in that pastime seated on a plank ‘Peace or War.’
Bonaparte says, ‘There Johnny, now I’m down, and you are up--then I go
up and you go down Johnny--so we go on.’ John Bull does not enjoy the
situation so much, but grumbles, ‘I wish you would settle it one way or
other, for if you keep bumping me up and down in this manner I shall be
ruined in Diachilem Plaster.’
A somewhat elaborate etching, also by Roberts (no date, 1801), depicts
‘John Bull’s Prayer to Peace, or the flight of Discord.’ He is on his
knees praying the following to Peace: ‘Sublime Descendant of Happiness,
incline thine ear to the Petition of thy poor Patient, worn out
oppressed I. Bull, who humbly prayeth thee that thou would’st in the
first place exert thy influence, and be the means of restoring to me
again those lost Liberties and Privileges I have been so basely rob’d
of, and that you would’st be pleased also to put a speedy stop to cruel
monopolizing, and e’er it be long, send me thy attendant Plenty, to
comfort me and my long suffering numerous Family, and may that horrid
Demon Discord never return again.’ Peace, whom the eye of Providence
watches over, replies: ‘Thy Prayer shall be fulfill’d, Plenty awaits
thee with all her blessings, her pace is slow but sure.’ Bonaparte and
Pitt, who is represented as covered with serpents, are retreating.
On October 1, preliminary articles of peace with France were signed
at Lord Hawkesbury’s office at Downing Street, by his Lordship, and
M. Otto on the part of the French Government, and great were the
rejoicings at the event, although not so great as they might have been.
The ‘Times’ of October 3 says: ‘The public were so impatient to express
their feelings on the occasion of the News of the Preliminaries of
Peace being signed, that almost all the public streets were illuminated
last night. This was evidently not the wish of the Government, who
have deferred a general illumination until the ratification of them
comes back from France. Accordingly, none of the Public Offices were
illuminated, nor either of the Theatres. The ratification of the
Preliminaries is expected from Paris on Tuesday next.’
No wonder ‘the public were so impatient to express their feelings,’
their joy must have been so great. Long-suffering, they had borne the
burden and heat of a long war, cheerfully too, and gladly must they
have welcomed its conclusion.
In Paris the joy was the same. The ‘Times,’ October 10, says: ‘The
Intelligence ... was announced to the inhabitants of Paris by
discharges of Artillery, and was proclaimed by torch light throughout
the streets. At night there was a general illumination. Never was joy
more fervently expressed.’
One of the most practical tests of renewed confidence was the great
variation of 3 per cent. Consols--in September 58¼; in October 69½.
On October 10 came the preliminaries, ratified. Let us see the
‘Times’’ account:--‘London October 12th. On Saturday morning, at ten
o’clock, General Daurostan,[61] _Chef de Brigade_ in the Artillery,
and Aide de Camp to General Bonaparte, arrived at M. Otto’s house in
Hereford Street, with the ratification of the French Government of the
Preliminaries of Peace signed on the 1st inst. between Lord Hawkesbury
and M. Otto in Downing Street.
‘The Preliminaries were ratified in Paris on the 5th; but General
Daurostan was not dispatched till Wednesday evening, in order to give
time for a magnificent gold box to be made, in which the ratification
was enclosed to Lord Hawkesbury. The General was also delayed by his
carriage breaking down upon the road.
‘After breakfasting at M. Otto’s, the General, accompanied by the
Minister, and Mr. St. John (Mrs. Otto’s brother), proceeded to
_Reddish’s_ Hotel, in St. James’s Street, where he dressed, and
afterwards went to Downing Street. On their way thither, the populace
took the horses from the carriage, and drew it through the principal
streets. As soon as the Ratifications had been exchanged, Lord
Hawkesbury sent a letter to the Lord Mayor.... General Daurostan cannot
fail to communicate to his Court the very flattering manner in which
he had been received in London. His carriage having been drawn to St.
James’s Street, he alighted and came forward to the window, and bowed
to the populace. On his way to Downing Street, they drew his carriage
through the Park. Lord St. Vincent happening to be at the garden-gate
of the Admiralty, the mob gave the gallant Admiral three hearty cheers,
who, in return, recommended them to take care of the strangers, and
not to overturn the carriage.... It is understood that there will be
another illumination this evening. The Bank and Post Office have given
notice of their intending to do so.’
Cobbett foamed at the mouth over this Peace, and his utterances are so
caustic as to be well worth reproduction.[62] ‘We request our readers
to observe, that henceforth we shall be very particular in what we say
about the most illustrious Sovereign Consul Buonaparte. Oh! how we
shall extol him! We shall endeavour to give our readers the earliest
information, when he rises, breakfasts, dines, sups, and spits.
With all reverence, we shall treat of his lovely, chaste, and bonny
Queen--thus by way of a touch:
‘It is with superlative pleasure we inform our readers, that the last
news from France represents the health of the First Consul to be
improving. This glory of the world, is returned to his country palace
at Malmaison.
But it was after October 10, when the Ratification had arrived, that
Cobbett’s wrath boiled over, and he appears at his finest. In the
number for October 12, he gives vent to his impassioned feelings in
words like these:[63] ‘On Saturday last, such a scene was exhibited in
this metropolis, as we never expected to have lived to witness, and
having witnessed it, we care not how soon we resign our existence!
... a vile degraded rabble, miscalled Britons, took the horses
out of the carriage which contained the two French Citizens, Otto
and Lauriston--the latter of whom they mistook for the brother of
Buonaparte--and dragged it from Oxford Street to Downing Street; then
back through the Park, and, not content with taking the usual carriage
road, dragged it through the Mall, a place appropriated, exclusively,
as a carriage road, to the use of the ROYAL FAMILY!!!’
But Cobbett had good reason to be sore, for the mob had smashed the
windows of his dwelling-house in Pall Mall, and at his office in
Southampton Street, because he would not illuminate; so he takes his
revenge in a peculiar manner. ‘He did not know that there existed in
the country, any force whatever, to compel his Majesty’s subjects to
exhibit, at night, manifestations of joy at an event which, in the
morning, he had stated his reasons for believing to be a subject of
deep concern. But he has unfortunately found himself mistaken; and he
is, therefore, under the necessity of apprizing his readers, that,
until the principles of the British Constitution, and the laws of the
realm, which have ever been objects of his fervent admiration, and
most zealous support, can rise superior to the destructive rage of a
senseless and infuriate rabble; until he can derive that protection
from the Police of the Country, which every subject has a right to
claim, but which he has, hitherto, been unable to obtain; until, in
short, that “_tumult_ of exultation,” and that “_delirium_ of joy,”
which a Ministerial writer so emphatically described, and so earnestly
wished, might _increase_, shall have subsided, the publication of The
Porcupine will cease, and the mob be left to exercise their vengeance
on an empty office.’
But he did not long leave the populace thirsting for his utterances,
for the paper was resumed on October 15.
At length all parties pleased to yield,
A treaty was in London seal’d;
And Nap with pleasure had to say
That England own’d his Cons’lar sway.
The Royalists were vex’d at this,
They took the treaty much amiss;
It seem’d (as for a time it was)
Destructive of the Bourbon cause.
This Amiens treaty, as ’twas termed
Was in October month confirm’d;
And London, tho’ so ill repaid,
Illuminations grand display’d.