[233] Ambassador to Russia, 1804–06, and again in 1807.
[234] Jerome Bonaparte’s ship, the Veteran, was one of Admiral Villaumez’s fleet, now France’s sole hope on the high seas. Originally detailed for the Cape of Good Hope, Villaumez had crossed over to the West Indies on hearing of the capture of the African settlement by the English. He was unable to elude the vigilance of Sir Thomas Cochrane, and three squadrons under the command respectively of Sir John Borlase Warren, Sir Richard Strachan, and Admiral Louis were despatched to confront him. Villaumez seeing that his fleet could not hope to escape en masse, gave the order for his ships to separate. Only one however, was successful in regaining France safely, and Jerome was only able to save his crew and guns by running his ship ashore on the coast of France. Sir John Warren’s fleet was despatched with exemplary haste, but lost several days at Spithead owing to contrary winds. To this delay Mr. Allen, in the Annual Register for 1806, attributes the escape of Villaumez’s squadron.
Sir John Borlase Warren (1753–1822), son of John Borlase Warren, of Stapleford, Nottinghamshire. He entered the Navy in 1771, and saw much service. He became Rear Admiral in 1799, and was sent to Russia in 1802 to compliment Alexander on his accession.
[235] Mr. Fox had been lent Chiswick House by the Duke of Devonshire, and was moved there at the end of July.
[236] Near Malmesbury, in Wilts.
[237] The funeral was fixed for October 10, by a curious coincidence the anniversary of his first election for Westminster.
[238] The new appointments were, Lord Howick, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Mr. T. Grenville, Admiralty, in place of Lord Howick; Mr. Tierney, President of Board of Control, in succession to Mr. Grenville; Lord Sidmouth, President of the Council, in place of Lord Fitzwilliam; and Lord Holland, Lord Privy Seal, in place of Lord Sidmouth.
[239] Lord Holland states fully his reasons for accepting office in a letter to Lord Lauderdale, dated September 22. It is published in Memoirs of the Whig Party, ii. 53.
[240] Early in March Murat was given the Duchy of Berg and Cleves, ceded to Napoleon by Bavaria, and other territories claimed by Prussia were occupied by French troops a month later—this without any communication to the Prussian Cabinet.
These and other arbitrary actions, following closely on the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine, opened the eyes of the Prussians to the true policy of the French Emperor, but the final blow to their amour propre was the discovery of their Ambassador in France, Lucchesini, that Napoleon had cheated them over Hanover, by his willingness to restore it to England, and that he threw no obstacles in the way of the immediate re-establishment of the Kingdom of Poland.