religion of
the majority of Frenchmen, and of the consuls, guaranteeing stipends,
though on an abjectly mean scale, to the clergy, and placing the entire
patronage of the French Church in the hands of the first consul. Never
since the French revolution had the Church been thus acknowledged as the
auxiliary, or rather as the handmaid, of the state, and probably no one
but the first consul could have brought about the reconciliation. After
such exertions, even he may have sincerely desired an honourable peace,
as the crown of his victories, or at least as a breathing time, to
enable him to mature his vast designs for reorganising France. Perhaps
he did not yet fully recognise that war was a necessity of his political
ascendency, no less than of his own personal character. The French
people still clung to republican institutions; and the consulate was a
nominal republic, with all effective power vested in the first consul.
Time was to show how largely this unique position depended on his unique
capacity of conducting wars glorious to French arms; for the present,
France was satisfied, and longed for peace.

The English ministry, too, was impelled by strong motives to enter upon
the negotiations which resulted in the peace of Amiens. Not only was
Great Britain crippled by the loss of nearly all her allies, but the
high price of bread had roused grave disaffection,[2] and intensified
among British merchants a desire for an unmolested extension of
commerce; above all, English statesmen now recognised the consulate,
under Bonaparte, as the first stable and non-revolutionary government
since the fall of the French monarchy. Both countries, therefore, were
predisposed to entertain pacific overtures, but the very fact that these
were in contemplation stirred both sides to further endeavours in order
to secure better terms of peace. A French squadron, commanded by Admiral
Linois and containing three ships of the line besides smaller boats, was
making a movement for the Straits of Gibraltar in order to strengthen
the force at Cadiz. Sir James Saumarez with five ships of the line and
two smaller vessels engaged Linois off Algeciras on July 5, but the
French ships were supported by the land batteries, and one of the
British ships, the _Hannibal_ (74), ran aground, and Saumarez was
eventually compelled to leave her in the hands of the enemy. This
victory was hailed with delight throughout France, but it was fully
retrieved a week late