their colonies, were substituting roasted
horse-beans for coffee, and extracting sugar from beet-root. The boast
of Napoleon, however, was pleasing to a vain-glorious people, and none
dared dispute his word. Subsequently to making it, accompanied by his
young empress, he visited Ostend, Antwerp, and Amsterdam, where
he announced the division of the departments of Holland, and their
proportion of the annual expenses. On his return to Paris, however, the
course of events bid fair to run more roughly with Napoleon than they
had hitherto done. All the cabinets of Europe were at this time anxious
to break their fetters, and a rupture with Russia had become inevitable.
The czar was offended by Napoleon's seizure of Oldenburg, the extension
of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and the continued occupation of Dantzic,
and prepared for a contest; and Napoleon replied to his menaces by angry
complaints, and by calling out fresh conscripts in order to meet him in
the field. At the close of the year 1811 the preparations for war were
on such a gigantic scale, that most men in France saw they would be
followed by an unprecedented campaign.

CHAPTER XXIX.

{GEORGE III. 1812--1814}

Meeting of Parliament..... Augmentation of the Civil List.....
Bill for Prohibiting the Grant of Offices in Reversion,
&c...... Changes in the Ministry, &e...... Attacks upon
Ministers..... Assassination of Mr. Perceval.....
Administration of Lord Liverpool..... Financial
Statements..... Population Returns, &c...... Bill for
Preservation of the Peace..... Bill to extend the Privileges
of Dissenters..... Prorogation of Parliament, &e......
Capture of Ciudad Rodrigo by the British..... Storm and
Capture of Badajoz..... Operations in Spain..... War between
France and Russia..... War with America..... Meeting of
the New Parliament..... Debates on the War with America.....
Financial Statements..... Renewal of the East India
Company's Charter..... The Catholic Question..... Curates'
Bill, &c...... Appointment of Vice-Chancellor..... Delates
on the Treaty with Sweden..... Prorogation of
Parliament..... Affairs of Spain..... American Campaign.....
Meeting of Parliament..... Bill for allowing the Militia to
volunteer into the Line.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

{A.D. 1812}

Parliament re-assembled on the 7th of January, when the speech of the
prince-regent