g the Maltese article in the treaty of Amiens. Prussia, alarmed
by the near neigbourhood of Mortier, hardly dared to remonstrate.
Denmark alone showed any symptom of active resentment. She marched
30,000 men into her German provinces; but finding that Austria and
Prussia were resolved to be quiescent, was fain to offer explanations,
and recall her troops. The French General, meantime, scourged Hanover by
his exactions, and even, without the shadow of a pretext, levied heavy
contributions in Bremen, Hamburg, and the other Hansetowns in the
vicinity of the Electorate.

These successes enabled Napoleon to feed great bodies of his army at the
expense of others, and to cripple the commerce of England, by shutting
up her communication with many of the best markets on the continent. But
he now recurred to his favourite scheme, that of invading the island
itself, and so striking the fatal blow at the heart of his last and
greatest enemy. Troops to the amount of 160,000, were mustered in camps
along the French and Dutch coasts, and vast flotillas, meant to convey
them across the Channel, were formed, and constantly manoeuvred in
various ports, that of Boulogne being the chief station.

The spirit of England, on the other hand, was effectually stirred. Her
fleets, to the amount of not less than 500 ships of war, traversed the
seas in all directions, blockaded the harbours of the countries in which
the power of the Consul was predominant, and from time to time made
inroads into the French ports, cutting out and destroying the shipping,
and crippling the flotillas. At home the army, both regular and
irregular, was recruited and strengthened to an unexampled extent. Camps
were formed along the English coasts opposite to France, and the King in
person was continually to be seen in the middle of them. By night
beacons blazed on every hill-top throughout the island; and the high
resolution of the citizen-soldiery was attested, on numberless
occasions of false alarm, by the alacrity with which they marched on the
points of supposed danger.[47] There never was a time in which the
national enthusiasm was more ardent and concentrated; and the return of
Pitt to the prime-ministry (March, 1804) was considered as the last and
best pledge that the councils of the sovereign were to exhibit vigour
commensurate with the nature of the crisis. The regular army in Britain
amounted, ere long, to 100,000; the militia to 80,000; and of volunteer
troop