No. 17.—The Madrid Gazette of the 31st March, contains the follow31st March, contains the following passage:

As the nature of the proceedings which took place in the Escurial is only known by an account which was published the 27th October last year, the king our sovereign being desirous that all his subjects should know how his royal person, as well as several persons employed by government, acted on that occasion, has ordered a brief account to be published of this business, which is much better understood after the discoveries which have been made among the papers of the Prince of Peace, which contain amongst others the following particulars: the 28th of October last, the late king sent several papers to the Marquis de Caballero, secretary of the general department of justice, which papers, he said, had been found among the papers of the Prince of Asturias, our present king and sovereign. The papers consisted, first, of a few sheets stuck together, written in his majesty's own hand-writing; 2dly, of a similar paper, also written by his majesty; 3dly, of a letter, dated Talavera, the 28th of May, written in a disguised hand, and without a signatare; in the 4th place, of a paper, containing different figures, designed to form a system of cyphers, with

one written leaf without a signature. The first paper is a memoir, the object of which is, with the most profound respect, to represent to the late king, the unjust proceedings of Don Manuel Godoy, prince of peace. This memoir contained a variety of particulars concerning the proceed ings, fortune, injustice, and despotism of that person. The Prince of

Asturias threw himself at the feet of

his royal father, requesting him, that in his presence an inquiry might be instituted by those of his majesty's subjects whom he thought most wor thy of his confidence, or whom chance might present to him, inte the truth of the facts stated in the memoir; and if convinced thereof, to dismiss the Prince of Peace from his royal presence, and banish him with his whole family: such a step, were it only considered as a measure of precaution, would diffuse joy throughout the whole kingdom.This memoir contained several other observations, all tending to promote the welfare and prosperity of the nation.

They are here passed over in silence, because what we have men tioned of the contents of the memoir is quite sufficient to form an opinion of its tendency and nature; but it must not be omitted that the Prince of Asturias concluded it by intreat ing his father, in case he should not approve of the object of his memo rial, to have the goodness to keep it secret, in order to avert the dangers to which he, (his son,) would other wise be exposed. The letter dated Talavera, is written by Don John Esquoquix, canon and prebendary of the church of Toledo, late instructor of his majesty. It is an an swer to several questions proposed to him.

The system of cyphers is a means frequently made use of for corresponding in secret matters of great importance. The single leaf, with out signature, is written by one of the prince's servants, whom he had dismissed from his service, and has nothing to do with the present busi

ness.

The following day, (the 29th of October,) at midnight, the secretary general of the cabinet and the provisional president of the council, met by order of the late king in his apartments, who gave it as their opinion, that his present majesty should be examined concerning the contents of those papers. His present majesty was accordingly called into the apartments of his royal father, where he was arrested, and precluded from all intercourse with any person, except some new attendants appointed on the occasion. During the same night all his present majesty's servants were arrested.

On the 30th of October the late king sent an order to the Marquis de Caballero, signed the same day and published all over the kingdom, whereby our king and sovereign was declared a traitor, together with his servants. According to the deposition, upon oath, made by his present majesty, and four secretaries of the departments of justice and war, that order was entirely written in the hand-writing of Don Manuel Godoy, prince of peace, who at that time was in Madrid.

The original order could not be annexed to these proceedings, because, in such cases, the original is always returned to the king, and the copy dispatched and published.

The same day, the 30th of October, finding himself confined, and

precluded from all communication, he deemed it right to make public what he had done for the benefit of his country; and in order to extricate himself from the state of oppression to which he was reduced, he declared the same day, the 30th of October, to the Marquis de Caballero, that with a view of promoting the prosperity of the Spanish empire, he wished to marry a French princess of the blood, and that the steps he had already taken for that purpose were perfectly his own, and without compulsion; and that whatever he had done had no other object than to open the eyes of his royal parents with regard to the implicit confidence which they placed in Don Manuel Godoy; that, fearful lest he should continue to make an improper use of his influence and power, his majesty has judged it necessary, for the welfare of the kingdom, to give the Duke of Infantado a power of attorney in his own, (the king's,) hand-writing, to assume the command of the troops in New Castile, in case of the decease of his royal father. At that time the Prince of Peace arrived at the palace of the Escurial, and having entered the apartments of his present majesty, he presented to him the copy of a letter by which his present majesty was made to ask pardon of his royal father. His majesty being desirous not to refuse this new pledge of his veneration for his royal parents, signed the letter which is annexed to the decree of the 5th of November.

His majesty being perfectly convinced that neither the Duke of Infantado nor Don John Esquoquix, the author of the letter dated Talavera, are guilty of any misconduct,

Having judged it expedient to give the same direction to all the forces of our kingdom, in order to maintain security of property, and public tranquillity against enemies, as well exterior as interior, we have thought it fit to nominate our cousin, the Grand Duke of Berg, lieutenantgeneral of the kingdom, who, at the same time, commands the troops of our ally, the emperor of the French. We command the council of Castile, and the captains-general and governors of our provinces, to obey his orders. In the same quality he shall preside over the junta of the govern

ment.

Given at Bayonne, at the Imperial Palace, stiled the Palace of the Government, May 4, 1808.

(Signed) I, THE KING.

NO. 19.-PROCLAMATION. Spaniards! My beloved subjects, perfidious men seek to mislead you. They would put arms into your hands against the French troops; they seek alike to arm you against the French, and the French against you. The sacking of all Spain, calamities of every kind, would be the result. The spirit of faction, the sad effects

of which I have already felt, is still in motion. In the midst of these important and critical circumstances, I am occupied in concerting with my ally, the emperor of the French, all that concerns your welfare. Beware of listening to the enemies of it. All those who speak to you against France, thirst for your blood; they are either the enemies of your nation, or agents of England, who are busily availing themselves of circumstances, and whose intrigues would involve the loss of your colonies, the separation of your provinces, or a series of years of trouble and calamity for your country.

Spaniards! trust to my experience, and obey that authority which follow my example, and think that, I hold from God and my fathers; there is no prosperity and safety for in the position in which you stand, Spaniards, but in the friendship of the great emperor our ally.

Given at Bayonne, from the Im-
perial Palace, stiled Palace of
the Government, May 4.
I, THE KING.

No. 20.-To the Supreme Council of
Castile, the Council of Inquisition,

&c.

In the present extraordinary circumstances, we have resolved to give a new proof of our affection towards our beloved subjects, whose happiness, during the whole course of our reign, has been the constant object of our solicitude. We have therefore abdicated all our claims upon the Spanish kingdoms in favour of our friend and ally the emperor of the French, by a treaty which has been signed and ratified, and which stipulates for the integrity and independence of the Spanish kingdoms,

and the preservation of our holy religion, not only as the predominant, but as the sole and exclusive religion in Spain.

We have therefore thought proper to send you this letter, that you should conform yourselves thereto, publish its contents, and make every exertion in support of the emperor Napoleon. Display the utmost frankness and friendship towards the French, and, above all, direct all your care to preserve the country from insurrections and tumults.

In the new condition upon which we are entering, we shall frequently turn our eyes towards you, and happy shall we be to know that you enjoy peace and contentment.

Given at the Imperial Palace,
May 4.

I, THE KING.

No. 21.-Resignation of the Crown of Spain by King Charles IV. and the Prince of Asturias.

Napoleon, emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, and Charles IV., king of Spain and the Indies, animated equally by a desire to put an end to the anarchy to which Spain is a prey, and to save that brave nation from the agitation of faction, and the convulsions of civil and foreign war, and place it in the sole position which, in the extraordinary circumstances in which it is now found, can maintain its integrity, guarantee its colonies, and enable it to unite all its means to those of France to obtain a maritime peace; have resolved to combine all their efforts, and to regulate by a particular convention interests so dear to them: to this effect they have appointed,

His majesty the emperor of the French, king of Italy, and protector of the confederation of the Rhine, the general of division Duroc, grand marshal of the palace;

His majesty the king of Spain and the Indies, his serene highness Manual Godoy, prince of the Peace, count of Evora Mont, who, after having exchanged their full powers, have agreed as follows:— Art. I. His majesty King Charles having, during his whole life, only had in view the happiness of his subjects, and constantly adhering to the principle, that all the acts of the sovereign ought solely to attend to that object; as the present circumstances can only be a source of dissensions the more fatal, because factions have divided his own family, has resolved to cede, and does cede, by these presents, to his majesty the emperor Napoleon, all his rights to the throne of Spain and the Indies, as the only means, in the state at which things have arrived, which can re-establish order it being always understood, that the said cession only takes place in order that his subjects may enjoy the two following conditions:-i. The integrity of the kingdom shall be maintained. 2. The prince whom his majesty the emperor Napoleon shall judge proper to be placed on the throne of Spain shall be independent; and the limits of Spain shall undergo no alteration.

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II. The catholic, apostolic, and Roman religion shall be the only one in Spain; no reformed religion shall be tolerated there, and still less infidelity, according to the usage now established.

III. All acts contrary to those of our faithful subjects, since the revolution of Aranjuez, are null and of