it be or be not the hand-writing of De Berenger, I will not (for
it is not my province) draw the conclusion which might be drawn from
looking at that letter; it appears to me evidently an artificial,
upright, stiff hand, as contrasted with the ordinary natural character
of hand-writing of that gentleman. It is sometimes useful to look where
the same words occur in different parts of the same letter; and when you
come to look at the words, "I have the honour to be," in one part of the
letter, and the words "have pledged my honour," &c. in the other; they
present in the first instance, a more angular formation of letters than
I have generally seen, and with reference to the idea thrown out of this
being written in great haste, it is not impossible that this gentleman
having meditated the whole contrivance before-hand, should have brought
this letter down with him, ready written and directed from town, and
that he had called for pen and ink merely to go through the appearance
of writing a letter, and which he might fold up as if for the purpose of
being sent; but that he might hand over to Wright, of Dover, the letter
he had brought with him, not trusting to the hurry of the moment for the
proper formation of one. I do not say that such is the fact; but it is
clear that the letter produced, is the one he actually sent; for he says
afterwards to the witness, Shilling, that he had sent a letter to
Admiral Foley, in order to apprize him that the telegraph might work;
the Dover express-boy proves that he carried the letter given to him, to
Admiral Foley, and what letter can that be, if it is not this, which is
proved to have been delivered to Admiral Foley? This letter was
calculated to impress the Admiral with the belief, that the allies had
obtained a decisive victory, that Bonaparte was killed, that the allies
were in Paris, and that peace was likely to take place immediately.
After the calamity of the long war we have had, ending as indeed it has
ended, in the fulness of glory; we all feel that we have had an abundant
measure of glory, though painfully earned; every body recollects the
sort of electric effect produced upon this town the moment the news now
under consideration arrived; the funds were raised preternaturally; one
cannot indeed on looking back, account for it, how the omnium should
have been up to twenty-eight at that time; there was a considerable
elevation beyond that price during the course of that day; it ro