delayed, until some means could be devised to save it from the grip of Buonaparte; and the First Consul, by deliberately breaking some of his own undertakings in the treaty, set England free as to her undertakings also. Therefore Malta still remained in the hands of England, as did Egypt and the Cape of Good Hope, each a source of jealous longing on the part of the First Consul.

This state of tension steadily increased, until the breaking out of war became merely a question of days. Large numbers of English had seized the rare opportunity of a year free from fighting to travel in France; and at this time there were something like eight or ten thousand English, mainly of the upper classes, in that country.

It was unknown to them that, pending negotiations, the First Consul caused careful returns to be sent to himself of the names and addresses of all English people then within French borders. This bears a suspicious look, when read in the light of his after act, and possibly he already had in his mind the step which was soon to scandalise all Christendom. The French papers heartily assured English travellers of their absolute safety, even supposing that war should break out, and doubtless the editors of those papers meant what they said. Few men, if any, French or English, could have foreseen what was coming.

A homeward stampede took place, and the thousands were, by some accounts, rapidly reduced to hundreds. A good many lingered, however, not all detained, as were the Barons, by illness. War-clouds might threaten, but that private travellers should be affected by a declaration of war was a thing unheard of.

In May, suddenly at the last, though the step had been expected, the English Ambassador was recalled from Paris, and immediately the French Ambassador was recalled from London. Meanwhile, as a second step, the English Government, issuing letters of marque, seized a number of French vessels, which happened then to be lying in English ports. This, it was said, actually took place before the Declaration of War could reach Paris. If so, even though the deed was within English rights, being sanctioned by previous centuries of custom, one must regret its extreme haste. But no excuse can be found for Napoleon's illegal and cruel act of reprisal, which indeed appeared to have been planned beforehand.

Like a thundercrash came the order, before the close of May, arresting all peaceable English travellers or residents in France, and rendering them "Prisoners of War," or "Détenus," to be confined in France during the pleasure of the First Consul.

Here is the shortened form of that direful order, as it was printed in English newspapers, spreading dismay through hundreds of English homes, and awakening a burst of anger against the man who had dealt the blow.

"The Government of the Republic, having heard read by the Minister of Marines and Colonies a despatch from the Marine Prefect at Brest, dated this day, announcing that two English frigates had taken two French merchant vessels in the Bay of Audierne, without any previous declaration of war, and in manifest violation of the laws of nations;

"First: It is prescribed to all commanders of squadrons or naval divisions of the Republic, captains of its ships and other vessels of war, to chase those of the King of England, as well as those vessels belonging to his subjects, and to attack, capture, and conduct them into the ports of the Republic;

"Secondly: Commissions will be delivered in course to those French privateers for which they are demanded;

"Thirdly: All the English, from the age of eighteen to sixty, or holding any commission from His Britannic Majesty, who are at present in France, shall immediately be constituted Prisoners of War, to answer for those citizens of the Republic who may have been arrested and made prisoners by the vessels or subjects of His Britannic Majesty, previous to any declaration of war.

"The First Consul,
"(Signed) Buonaparte."

(To be continued.)