| CHAPTER I. |
| PAGE |
| Retrospect of Eighteenth Century—Napoleon’s letter to George III.—Lord Grenville’s reply—French prisoners of war in England—Scarcity of provisions—Gloomy financial outlook—Loan from the Bank of England—Settlement of the Union with Ireland | 1 |
| CHAPTER II. |
| Accident at a Review—The King shot at, at Drury Lane Theatre—Behaviour of the Royal Family—Biography of Hadfield—His trial and acquittal—Grand Review of Volunteers on the King’s birthday—The bad weather, and behaviour of the crowd | 8 |
| CHAPTER III. |
| High price of gold—Scarcity of food—Difference in cost of living 1773-1800—Forestalling and Regrating—Food riots in the country—Riot in London at the Corn Market—Forestalling in meat | 16 |
| CHAPTER IV. |
| Continuation of food riots in London—Inefficiency of Police—Riots still continue—Attempts to negotiate a Peace—A political meeting on Kennington Common—Scarcity of Corn—Proclamation to restrict its consumption—Census of the people | 23 |
| CHAPTER V. |
| The Union with Ireland—Proclamations thereon—Alteration of Great Seal—Irish Member called to order (footnote)—Discovery of the Planet Ceres—Proclamation of General Fast—High price of meat, and prosperity of the farmers—Suffering of the French prisoners—Political dissatisfaction—John Horne Tooke—Feeding the French prisoners—Negotiations for Peace—Signing preliminaries—Illuminations—Methods of making the news known—Ratification of preliminaries—Treatment of General Lauriston by the mob—More Illuminations—Manifestation of joy at Falmouth—Lord Mayor’s banquet | 32 |
| CHAPTER VI. |
| Disarmament and retrenchment—Cheaper provisions—King applied to Parliament to pay his debts—The Prince of Wales claimed the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall—Parliament pays the King’s debts—Abolition of the Income Tax—Signature of the Treaty of Amiens—Conditions of the Treaty—Rush of the English to France—Visit of C. J. Fox to Napoleon—Liberation of the French prisoners of war | 45 |
| CHAPTER VII. |
| Proclamation of Peace—Manner of the procession, &c.—Illuminations—Day of General Thanksgiving—General Election—A dishonoured Government bill—Cloth riots in Wiltshire—Plot to assassinate the King—Arrest of Colonel Despard—Trial and sentence of the conspirators—Their fate | 55 |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
| Strained relations with France—Prosecution and trial of Jean Peltier for libel against Napoleon—Rumours of war—King’s proclamation—Napoleon’s rudeness to Lord Whitworth—Hoax on the Lord Mayor—Rupture with France—Return of Lord Whitworth, and departure of the French Ambassador | 65 |
| CHAPTER IX. |
| Declaration of War against France—Napoleon makes all the English in France prisoners of war—Patriotic Fund—Squibs on the threatened invasion—“The New Moses”—Handbill signed “A Shopkeeper”—“Britain’s War-song”—“Who is Bonaparte?”—“Shall Frenchmen rule over us?”—“An Invasion Sketch” | 74 |
| CHAPTER X. |
| Invasion Squibs continued—“The Freeman’s Oath”—“John Bull and Bonaparte”—“The Eve of Invasion”—“A Biography of Napoleon”—“Britons, strike home”—Enrolment of 400,000 Volunteers—Napoleon at Calais—Apprehension of vagrants, and compulsorily recruiting the Army and Navy with them—Patriotism of the nation—Preparations in case of reverse—Beacons—Spies—The French prisoners—Emmett’s rebellion in Ireland—Its prompt suppression—General Fast—Relief of the Roman Catholics | 89 |
| CHAPTER XI. |
| Caricatures of the Flotilla—Scarcity of money—Stamping Spanish dollars—Illness of the King—His recovery—General Fast—Fall of the Addington Ministry—Debate on the Abolition of the Slave Trade—Beacons—Transport—Election for Middlesex—Reconciliation between the King and the Prince of Wales | 104 |
| CHAPTER XII. |
| Doings of Napoleon—His letter to George III.—Lord Mulgrave’s reply—War declared against Spain—General Fast—Men voted for Army and Navy—The Salt Duty—Withdrawal of “The Army of England”—Battle of Trafalgar and death of Nelson—General Thanksgiving | 112 |
| CHAPTER XIII. |
| Nelson’s funeral—Epigrams—Death of Pitt—His funeral—General Fast—Large coinage of copper—Impeachment of Lord Melville—The Abolition of the Slave Trade passes the House of Commons—Death and funeral of Fox—His warning Napoleon of a plot against him—Negotiations for peace—Napoleon declares England blockaded | 120 |
| CHAPTER XIV. |
| Passing of the Slave Trade Bill—Downfall of the “Ministry of all the Talents”—General Fast—Election for Westminster—Death of Cardinal York—Arrival in England of Louis XVIII.—Copenhagen bombarded, and the Danish Fleet captured—Napoleon again proclaimed England as blockaded | 132 |
| CHAPTER XV. |
| Gloomy prospects of 1808—King’s Speech—Droits of the Admiralty—Regulation of Cotton Spinners’ wages—Riots in the Cotton districts—Battle of Vimiera—Convention o
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