in the fortress of Cronsborg. She embarked at Elsineur, and landed at Stade in the Hanoverian dominions, where she was received with distinguished honours.

From thence she repaired to the castle of Zell, which had been rendered fit for her reception, and where the liberality of her brother, the king of Great Britain, provided her a becoming household, composed principally of Hanoverian nobility of both sexes. Here the queen, who was under no sort of restraint or confinement, except that which her rank and dignity necessarily imposed, had frequent drawing rooms, at which persons of condition were presented; and a theatre was fitted up for her amusement in the castle, where dramatic pieces were frequently performed.

Never was any princess more universally beloved; and never were the advantages of adver sity on a mind naturally strong, well disposed, and good, more strikingly exemplified than in her. She possessed excellent talents, numerous resources, and great accomplishments; and, had her life been prolonged, she would doubtless have made ample atonement for the errors into which youth, inexperience, and flattery, had precipitated her while on the throne of Denmark. She is said to have carried on an epistolary corre spondence with Christian. She died of A. D. a malignant fever at the age of twen1775. ty-four years, and will be considered by posterity as an amiable and unfortunate princess, whose errors were the result more of situation, example, and court-seduction, than of character or intention.

T

A. D.

This year, the court of Denmark formed an alliance with Russia, Prussia, and 1800. Sweden, in which the armed neutrality of

the north was again revived; and by which the sovereignty of the seas, so long maintained by England, appeared likely to be endangered. This measure is said to have been occasioned by some Swedish and Danish vessels having been detained on their voyage by British ships of war, and carried into an English port. No sooner was it known that this convention had taken place, between the northern powers, than the British ministry dispatched Lord Whitworth, his majesty's embassador at the court of Russia, to Copenhagen; where by his address, aided by an English squadron under the command of Admiral Dickson, who threatened to bombard the Danish capital, the misunderstanding seemed to be adjusted in a friendly and satisfactory manner. The courts of England and Denmark agreed that the Danish vessels carried into Deal should be immediately released; and that the discussion, relative to the asserted right of the English to visit convoys, should be adjourned to a future day.

It was hoped that matters were settled for the present, and that the question would not be resumed till a more proper opportunity. But, probably through the influence of Paul I. another convention was concluded between the courts of Russia, Sweden, and Denmark; immediately after which, immense preparations were made by those powers to get ready a large confederate fleet of ships of war, which were to enter the North sea, and, having formed a junction with the armaments of the Batavian republic,

republic, to act in a hostile manner against Great Britain. England, however, informed of these preparations and of the intended destiA. D. nation of the fleets, equipped a large force with great expedition, which sailed from Yarmouth under the command of sir Hyde Parker, and lord Nelson, and arrived in the Categat.

1801.

The British ministry, unwilling to to commence hostilities with Denmark, and wishing to adjust the dispute which existed between the two countries in a friendly manner, endeavoured, but without success, to compromise the difference by negociation. The English admiral, therefore, sailed into the Sound with the fleet, and found that the Danes had moored in the front of Copenhagen a strong line of vessels, which they deemed impregnable. Lord Nelson, who volunteered his service on the occasion, attacked them on the second of April. The obstacles which he had to surmount were most formidable; but no effort of art, no advantage of nature, could resist the steady valour, the skill and judgment, of this able and enterprising commander. The immediate point of assault consisted of six Danish ships of the line, eleven floating batteries, and several schooners. These were supported by the islands called the Crowns, by four sail of the line moored in the mouth of the harbour, and by some batteries on the isle of Amak.

After an engagement, which continued four hours, and was bravely contested on both sides, the Danish line of defence was completely destroyed, and the English fleet approached the city, threw bombs into the arsenal, and threatened

the

the destruction of Copenhagen. At this interesting moment, the humanity of Lord Nelson induced him to send a flag of truce to the enemy, and to consent to a suspension of hostilities. An armistice was agreed on for fourteen weeks; and Great Britain having concluded a treaty with Russia, by which the right of searching neutralvessels sailing to belligerent ports was fixed on as an equitable, and it is to be hoped a permanent, basis, Denmark was invited to accede to the convention, and, accordingly, became a party in the treaty.

PRUS

་

PRUSSIA.

CHAP. I.

The History of Prussia, to the Accession of

THOUG

Frederic II.

HOUGH Prussia has for a long time been divided into the German and Polish districts, it was certainly formerly united under the same princes, subject to the same government, and inhabited by the same people, who were probably descendants of the Sclavonians, the general stem of most of the northern nations. Stella conjectures that it derived its name from the Borussi, a particular race of the Surmati ; who, migrating from the foot of the Riphean mountains, were tempted by the beauty and fertility of the country to settle in it.

This kingdom consists at present of various territories disseminated over Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and the northern regions, and which have been partly acquired from legal succession; but the greatest part of them have been obtained by war, violence, and usurpation. The principal divisions which compose this monarchy are ducal, now regal, Prussia, situated in Poland; Brandenburg, Prussian Pomerania, and Swedish Pomerania, in upper Saxony; Magdeburg, and Halberstadt, in lower Saxony; Glatz, in Bohemia; Minden, Ravensburg, Cleves, Lingen, Meurs,