d at this moment, from her
desire to remain in amity and maintain her commercial
intercourse with Great Britain, of which, as he was pleased to
express himself, she was on the point of becoming the victim;
and to ask of me to explain to you the full extent of her
dangers, in the confidence that you would give her all the
assistance in your power which her perilous situation requires,
without waiting for instructions for the purpose from his
Majesty's government; it not being the interest of England that
this country should be conquered by Russia, although the same
alliance no longer existed between his Majesty and the Swedish
government. Buonaparte has evaded the repeated solicitations
of Sweden to take into his own hands the management of the
negociation for a peace, which this country is willing to enter
into with all her enemies; and has referred her for the terms
of such a peace entirely to the court of St. Petersburg. This
court, meanwhile, has manifested the most marked discontent at
the delays which have already taken place in the negociation;
and has insisted, as a preliminary condition to the treating
for peace, that this country should enter into the alliance
against Great Britain. She has also declared the kind of
armistice concluded by her generals at an end; and Baron
Schwaren, who had been sent on a mission to St. Petersburg,
which place he left the 24th ultimo, returned here on the 6th
instant, bringing intelligence of very formidable preparations
which are making in Finland for the immediate invasion of this
country, while the Russian army at Torneo has been considerably
reinforced.

Baron de Lagerbjelke gave me the assurances of the Duke of
Sudermania, that every effort shall be made on the part of
Sweden to repel the meditated attack of Russia, and that his
Royal Highness is determined not to yield to the conditions of
peace proposed by her, as long as he has the means of defending
himself; but he proposes that your excellency should on your
part aid him in his defence, by displaying first a part of the
fleet under your command in the Sound and on the coast of
Denmark, to deter the Danes from making an attack on the
southern provinces of Sweden, while the troops and sailors
necessary for the defence of this part o