Description:

Napoleon Bonaparte
Sheffield, England, August 9, 1803
British Poet Invokes God's Aid against Imminent French Invasion
Printed document
[NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.] "W. R.," Printed Document, "Reflections on the Threatened Invasion," August 9, 1803, Sheffield, England. Swansea: D. Evans and Son, [1803]; originally published in The Star (London, England), August 19, 1803, p4/c1. The identity of "W. R." is unknown. 1 p., 7.5" x 9.5". Attached to backing cardstock; some soiling; very good.

This poem by an unidentified Sheffield poet urges the British to trust in God in the face of an imminent invasion by French forces under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. The poem was originally published in the London Star in August 1803 and reprinted in this broadside form by D. Evans and Son in Swansea, Wales.

Excerpts
"Let us then no longer confide / In fleets and in armies alone; / Tho' Britain should boast on her side / The bravest and best ever known." (c1)

"In God let us trust, who, if good / It seem in his sight, can divide / The waves of the wide rolling flood, / And dig a foe's grave in the tide." (c2)

"And should the proud Leader of France, / His mad schemes of conquest to try, / With his host of invaders advance, / While the ocean is calm as the sky; / At God's word, the rude billows would rise, / And the floods in the white-breaking spray, / Clap their hands as they toss to the skies / the legions of France in dismay." (c2)

Historical Background
In the aftermath of the French Revolution, France was at war almost continuously from 1793 to 1815, interrupted only briefly by the Peace of Amiens (1802-1803) and Napoleon's exile to Elba (1814-1815). Instead of attacking Great Britain directly, Napoleon unsuccessfully attacked British interests in Egypt.

Although the Treaty of Amiens temporarily brought an end to nearly nine years of warfare, it ended when Great Britain declared war on France on May 18, 1803, and Napoleon again considered invading England. He built a new armada and assembled the Grande Armée of 100,000 soldiers at Boulogne, across the English Channel from southeastern England. In response, Great Britain had a Regular army of 50,000 in Great Britain and attempted to raise another 50,000 as an Army of Reserve but succeeded in recruiting only 35,000. The British also hoped to rely on local militia.

The British Royal Navy kept an effective blockade of the English Channel, and Napoleon sent a French fleet to attack British interests in the West Indies to lure the Royal Navy away. In August 1805, in expectation of the French fleet's return, Napoleon planned to launch the invasion, but the French fleet's failure to appear forced him to cancel the plan.

After two years of tension, by September 1805, Napoleon had to divert the invasion force of his Grande Armée to march against the Austrians, who had declared war on France. After decisively defeating the Austrians at Ulm and Austerlitz, Napoleon hoped to return to the French coast and renew plans for an invasion of Great Britain. However, on October 21, 1805, the naval Battle of Trafalgar ruined Napoleon's plans, when Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet destroyed the combined French and Spanish navies.

We are proud to include items consigned by the Manuscript Society in this auction. These items come from the estate of well-known manuscript dealers Forest G. & Forest H. Sweet and Julia Sweet Newman. Forest G. Sweet was an early leader of the Manuscript Society as well as a rare book scholar. The proceeds from your purchase of these items will benefit the work of the Manuscript Society. You can learn more about them, and become a member of the Manuscript Society, at www.manuscript.org.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.5" x 9.5"
  • Medium: Printed document

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