Third Columm.

the same direction by the column from its | ten paces distance so effectually, as totally position near Gerasdorf. The enemy hav- to rout the enemy, upon which gen. ing been discovered from the eminences Veesey, at the head of a division of Klenau, near Hirschstetten to be near Aspern and attacked the enemy's cuirassiers with such Esslingen, the brigade Veesey was de- energy, that their retreat was followed by tached against the latter place, and the that of the infantry.-flereby the army brigade Winzingerode to dislodge the along the whole of its line was disengaged enemy from Aspern. The column de- from the enemy, obtained communication ployed before Hirschstetten, in two lines, on the left with the corps of prince Hoin order to support the advanced guard, henzollern, and became possessed of the and leaving Aspern to the right, followed important post of Aspern. The enemy upon the plain, at a proper distance. being in full retreat attempted no further The brigade of Winzingerode, however, attack, and confined himself merely to a met with so spirited a resistance in its at- cannonade. The corps remained during tempt upon Aspern, that an attack upon the night under arms. The enemy rethe front alone was not likely to be at-peated, indeed, his attacks on Aspern, but tended with success; the cavalry, there- they all proved unsuccessful. fore, of the advanced guard was pushed forward from Aspern on the left, in order to support the attack on the flank with This column, according to its destinathe two batteries of cavalry, as well as to tion, had began its march from its position facilitate the junction with the third co- at Seiring, by the road of Sussenbrun and lumn, which was advancing by Breitenlee. Breitenlee. Some divisions of O'Reilly's At the same time the regiment of Reuss light horse and chasseurs formed the adPlauen was ordered to the right of Aspern, vanced guard of the column, and at three with a view to an attack on that place, o'clock in the afternoon met near Hirschthe rest of the corps was formed into close stetten, the left wing of the enemy, which columns of battalions. Meanwhile the consisted mostly of cavalry.-As about enemy formed his left wing, which he this time the first and second columns adrefused, towards Aspern, and his right vanced intrepidly upon Aspern, and the upon Esslingen. Thus he advanced with enemy began to fall back to his position columns of infantry and cavalry upon the between Esslingen and Aspern, lieut.-gemain army, while an extremely brisk neral Hohenzollern, ordered up his batcannonade supported him. A line of 12 teriers, and a very brisk cannonade comregiments of cuirassiers formed the centre nienced on both sides.-The first line of the second line of the enemy, giving to formed in close columns of battalions, and the whole an imposing aspect.-Mean- advanced with the greatest resolution while the attack of a battalion of Reuss upon the enemy, when his cavalry suddenPlauen on Aspern was repulsed, and it ly rushed forward in such disproportionate gave way, being thrown into consterna- numbers, and with such rapidity, that tion by the loss of its commander, but it there was scarcely time to save the artilrallied immediately after. Count Belle-lery which had been brought up, and the gard ordered gen. Bacquant to renew the attack with the regiment of Vogelsang, and to carry the village at all hazards. The latter obeyed the order with the most brilliant success, and Aspern, though defended by 12,000 of the best of the enemy's troops, was carried by storm; Bacquant being assisted by the regiment of Reuss Plauen, by a battalion of archduke Rainer, and by the brigade of Maier of the third column. To frustrate this attack, the enemy advanced with two columns of infantry, supported by his heavy cavalry, upon the main army, repulsed the two regiments of Klenau and Vincent's light horse, and fell upon the infantry.The latter expecting him with their firelocks ready, and with cool intrepidity, fired at

battalions were left to defend themselves by their own unsupported exertions. This was the remarkable moment in which the regiments of Zach, Joseph Colloredo, Zettwitz, Froon, a battalion of Stein's, and the second battalion of the Archduke Charles's legion, under the conduct of lieut.-general Brady, and generals Buresch, Maier and Koller, demonstrated with unparalleled fortitude what the fixed determination to conquer or die is capable of effecting against the most impetuous attacks. The enemy's cavalry turned these battalions on both wings, penetrated" between them, repulsed the squadrons of O'Reilly's light horse, who were un ble to withstand such a superior force, and in the confidence of victory, summoned thes

in the first engagement, to advance from its position near Gerasdorf to Breitenlee; and the short night was scarcely sufficient to complete the respective preparations for the commencement of a second tragedy.

Battle of the 22d of May.-Corps of lieutenant-general Hiller.

with spirit by the horse artillery. About seven in the evening 3,000 horse were again detached towards the point of union between the cavalry of the corps of reserve and the left wing of prince Hohenzollern, and fell en masse upon the brigades of cuirassiers of generals Kroyher, Klary, and Siegenthal; but by the steady intrepidity of the Blankenstein's and Riesch's With the morning's dawn the enemy reregiments, who with the utmost gallantry newed his attacks, which far surpassed in made a sudden attack on the enemy's flanks, his cavalry was again repulsed, It was a conflict of valour and mutual eximpetuosity those of the preceding day. and part of it, which had fallen upon some of the regiments of the new levies, placed guards compelled gen. Wacquant to abanasperation. Scarcely had the French in the third line, was cut off and there taken. Meanwhile night came on, and it don Aspern, when the regiment of Klebek was passed by the Prince in the best state of again penetrated into the burning village, drove back the choicest troops of the enemy, preparation on the ground which he had and engaged in a new contest in the midst gained from the enemy. For the first of the conflagration, till, at the expiration time Napoleon had sustained a defeat in of an hour, it was also obliged to give Germany. From this moment he was reduced to the rank of bold and successful rushed in, and at the first onset gained way. The regiment of Benjovsky now generals, who, like himself, after a long possession of the church yard, the walls series of destructive achievements, expe- of which field-marshal-lieutenant Hiller rienced the vicisitudes of fortune. The immediately ordered the first division of charm of his invincibility was dissolved. No longer the spoiled child of Fortune, pioneers to pull down, and the church, together with the parsonage, to be set on by posterity he will be characterized as fire. the sport of the fickle goddess. New hopes by some battalions, commanded by gen. Thus was this regiment, supported begin to animate the oppressed nations. Bianchi, at length enabled to maintain itself To the Austrian army the 21st of May at the entrance of the village, after overwas a grand and glorious epoch, that must coming the resistance, bordering on desinspire it with a consciousness of its strength, and a confidence in its energics. pair, opposed by the flower of the French Overwhelmed by our irresistible infantry, army. Neither could the enemy produce its proud opponents were extended in the any farther effect upon the bushy meadow, dust, and the presence of their hitherto force there to be supported by two batafter lieut.-general Hiller had ordered the unconquered Emperor was no longer capable of snatching from the heroes of talions of Anton Mittrowsky's and a battery; on which the Jagers, St. George's, Austria the laurels which they had acand two battalions of Vienna volunteers, quired.-Napoleon's glory was obviously drove him from his advantageous position, at stake. New efforts were to be expected which he never afterwards attempted to the following day; but he was also obliged to fight for his existence. By means of recover.-At about this time the left wing fire-ships sent down the Danube, the Arch- of the corps was likewise placed in secuduke had caused the enemy's bridge on rity by three batteries sent by the lieut.general to support the general of cavalry, the Lobau to be broken down, and its recount Bellegarde, and the latter maintained pairs would take up several hours. Meanwhile Napoleon had already in the evenhis ground against the most desperate ating been joined by the corps of gen. Oudi-Hiller kept his position on the left flank tacks of the enemy. The lieut.-general not; and all the disposable troops followed from Vienna and the Upper Danube, and were transported across the river in vessels as fast as they arrived. The Archduke, on his part, ordered the grenadier corps, which had not any share

of the enemy, and the victory was decided in this quarter. The corps was therefore again formed in two lines, and thus awaited the approaching events.

(To be continued.)

LONDON:-Printed by T. C. HANSARD, Peterborough - Court, Fleet - Street;

Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent Garden :-Sold also by J. BUDD, Pall-Mall.

VOL. XVI. No. 4.] LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1809.

[Price 1s.

"What mighty contests rise from trivial things!"

POPE.

97]

TO THE

INDEPENDENT PEOPLE OF HAMPSHIRE.
The Pauper's Action.
GENTLEMEN,

[98

last, saw the court crammed even to suflocation; and all this on account of a thing the most trifling, that the law can, when administered by a judge, possibly take notice of, and that, in spite of all that could be done by all the machinations of In the poem, from which my motto is all the parties, high and low, concerned taken, you will, I dare say, recollect, that in the scheme, obtained from me damages the poet records the important conse- to the amount of only three pounds, six quences that resulted from a gentleman's shillings, and eight-pence; you, who were catting off a lock of a lady's hair. Dispro- eye-witnesses of the scene, and who had portioned as those consequences were to the means of hearing, from my neightheir cause, they are, I think, surpassed, bours, the real state of the facts, and the in that respect, by the consequences, which real motives of the action; you must have have resulted from the running away of a ceased to feel any surprize whatever on CARTER-BOY from my service, which act has the subject; but, to those, who were not at produced, probably, a greater noise and Winchester; to those whom the story has bustle, and excited more curiosity and more reached only through the news-papers, it interest in this county, than any act or event must seem utterly astonishing, that all this that has taken place within the long reign | out-cry should have been made, that all of the present king; that is to say, almost, this interest should have been excited, by hali a century. Notwithstanding this, an act, the commission of which should however, I should not, in this elaborate call for damages to the amount of only manner, have addressed you upon the sub- one-third part of ten pounds. A London ject, had the noise and bustle been con- paper, called the MORNING POST, has filled fined within the county. My intention almost the whole of its columns, of Saturwas merely to have contradicted, in the day last, with an account of this trial, to county-papers, the falshoods, which had the exclusion of even the French Bulletins, been spread abroad. But, perceiving that which record the battle of Wolkersdorf; the TRIAL, which took place at Winches- that battle, which, perhaps, will decide ter, last week, relative to this affair, has the fate of the European quarter of the been made, in the London ministerial world. The fall of Austria appears, with prints, a subject of vast importance, the these gentlemen, to be a mere trifle, when ground-work of new calumnies, and the compared with a hope of bringing me intended means of injuring that great pub- down; the struggle between the Emperors 'ic cause, in the supporting of which our Napoleon and Francis seems to be but a Enemies know me, to be instrumental to thing of secondary importance, while the utmost of my power: perceiving this, there is a struggle between me and my I think it necessary to enter fully into the carter-boy. This paper, upon the face of subpect in my own work, in order that the it, seems to say: There has, to be sure, refutation may circulate as widely as the been a battle in Austria, and the last charge; that it may even go beyond it," hope of our only remaining ally seems and that, in countries where an English "now to be completely annihilated; but, ministerial paper is never seen, the cha- never mind that, loyal reader, for, look racter of such publications may be made " here! here we have Cobbett in damages known. "to the amount of 31. 6s. 8d."—According to this print, the damages against the three parties, were laid at a thousand pounds. Pretty modest for a pauper's being held in duress during about seven hours; but, was it not, then, very much

Those amongst you, Gentlemen, who were at Winchester during the last week, and who, of course, heard the universal buz, saw the knots of people, in all parts, laying their heads together, and who, at

64

none.

like a defeat to get but ten pounds out of" tic life. He was oppressive and severe the thousand? I am sued for 3331. 6s. 8d. and the jury say, that, at the most, I ought to pay the odd 31. 6s. 8d., just about the amount of the wine that almost every man drinks in a fortnight, and I drink The damages laid, appear to have been very well proportioned to the story. They seem to have swelled up together; and, when they came into the court, and had to face an honest and intelligent jury, who were not to be imposed upon by either rant or cant, they both together shrunk into just a hundredth part of the magnitude they had assumed; and, if the jury could have been informed of the whole of the facts, they would have shrunk into nothing, for not one farthing of damages would have been awarded; but, as we shall see, by-and-by, the action was so contrived as to put it out of our power to produce any of the most material facts to the jury, who were, therefore, obliged to give their verdict upon evidence brought all on one side.

around the whole circle which his power " and influence extended to, the sequel of "which would ill accord with his profes❝sions. The other Defendants were Blacksmiths."These are the words, attributed to the counsel for the pauper plaintiff'; these are the words published as part of the speech of a man who was assigned to plead the cause of this papper. Who, then, can be fool enough to believe, that this action was advised and carried on for the sake of the pauper? And who can refrain from admiring the good sense and firmness of the jury, who, by their verdict, defeated the real object of the scheme? The Morning Post has inserted a part of Mr. BOROUGH's speech not much less interesting, which part the Portsmouth paper has omitted. It is that where he expresses his hope, that the jury will make a distinction between the parties; that they will take the burthen of damages off the other two, and lay it all upon Mr. Cobbett.

After this, it is hardly necessary to say to any man of common discernment, that the pauper was a mere cat's-paw in this action; that his pretended sufferings made no part or particle of the real motive of the action; and, in short, that the whole thing, from the beginning to the end, was a mere invention for the purpose of misrepresenting my character, and of causing it to be believed, that, while I am preaching against public oppressors, I am, as to all those who are under my power, myself an oppressor. This was the point; this was the jet of the plan; this was the purpose for which a little village attorney was set to work to bring forward the pauper and his family, and to ferret out evidence even amongst the servants that were still living in my own house. But, though this conclusion must be drawn by every man of common sense, still I think it may be useful to relate minutely all the circumstances of this transaction, from which, better than from any general description, you, Gentle men, and the public in general, will be abe form a just opinion of the conduct of the several parties concerned.

That this action was not brought for the sake of the pauper the jury appeared to be very well convinced. Indeed, the real object of it was clear enough to every person of common discernment, the moment it was discovered whence came the advice to bring the action, namely, from a bench of magistrates at DROXFORD, composed as we shall by-and-by see. This object is clearly enough explained in the speech of M. BOROUGH, one of the counsel for the pauper, the substance of which speech has been published in the Portsmouth newspaper, in these words." The Plaintiff "was a labouring man, residing in the parish of Droxford, Hants, in the service "of Richard Goodlad, esq. a Magistrate for "the county. The Plaintiff was of quiet and honest habits. The Defendant, Cobbett, was the well known Author of the Political Register; who, for the last five or six years, had been resident at Botley, in "that county. He was long the pretended "friend and advocate for the liberty of the subject, and the privileges of English-to At the public Meetings in that county, he had taken a conspicuous part in declaiming against the abuse of power, and was then addressing weekly letters to "the people of Hampshire, urging the neces"sity of a Reform in the state, in order to "preserve the ends of freedom, and the true spirit of the English Constitution; "bu the character which he assumed was badly supported by his conduct in domes

"

"men.

A lad, about 16 or 17 years of age, named JESSE BURGESS, was my servant in husbandry, in the month of March last, and had been so for about two months, or a little better. Some time in the latter end of February, I found fault with him for coming in to breakfast before he had cleaned out his stable; and, on the first of March, I found fault with him, and that, too, in