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496 RISE OF THE CONTINENTALthat such an insult to his sovereign was not to be tolerated.The declaration of war which ensued, was unanimously approved in parliament,,in the address of thanks voted in reply to the king's speech.A terrible blow to Prussiancommerce.Fox was scarcely settled in the ministry, before he showedhis desire to negotiate a peace and; accordingly he availedhimself of the first opportunity of communicating his sentiments to the enemy. A plan having been formed for theassassination of Napoleon, Fox sent information of it to him,and thus had the opportunity he wished for of entering uponnegotiations with that potentate. Their many interruptionsand slow progress during the whole summer, only served toevidence the weakness of the declining minister ;while, bythe overthrow of the German empire, the establishment ofthe confederation of the Rhine, and the more and more warlike attitudes assumed towards Prussia, Napoleon clearly betrayed his ulterior designs. Fox continued to negotiate,and suffered himself to be put off with one proposal afteranother, which, from their very absurdity, ought to haveconvinced the most short-sighted politician that they wereonly meant to delude. A short time before the breakingout of the war with Prussia, he expired.1His administration had merely served as a foil for that of Pitt. The waragainst Prussia and Russia, which was terminated by thepeace of Tilsit, (July, 1807,) only falls within the sphere ofthis inquiry, from the influence which it had upon the continental relations of England opening negotiations with thatpotentate. The emperor of France succeeded in drawingRussia over to his side ;and had not Gustavus Adolphus,with untimely pertinacity, which soon cost him Finland, andeven his throne, adhered to his engagements, every tie bywhich England was still connected with the continent, wouldhave been snapped asunder ;and even this last was soonbroken.Of all the states of the North, Denmark alone a powerboth military and naval had been able to maintain its neutrality ;but even this was destroyed by England's demanding the surrender of her fleet, and enforcing this demand bythe bombardment of her capital.21On 16th September, 1806.2September 7, 1807.