There were no objections and he resumed his seat, shuffling his papers into order.
‘There have come to my notice developments in the situation – intelligence that is of extreme gravity to the security of this kingdom. I shall detail them to you …’
By the time he had finished there was an appalled silence.
‘All of Europe under Bonaparte,’ the home secretary murmured, shocked. ‘It doesn’t bear thinking of.’
‘Not the least of it, sir. Conceive of above a hundred battleships launched at our shores. With a dozen Nelsons we could never withstand it.’
‘And the threat to Ireland, a land war,’ quavered Portland. ‘In all my days, I cannot recollect-’
‘So my previous comment stands proud. That a supine submission to the will of Napoleon will not answer, only a savage thrust at his vitals as will-’
‘This we’ve discussed ad nauseam, Canning. There’s nothing within our power that can go against the tyrant.’
With a look of savage triumph, Canning wheeled on Castlereagh. ‘But there is. And one calculated to solve our other problems in a bold stroke.’
‘Oh? I’d no doubt be entertained to hear it.’
‘You shall, I promise. Now, all our present troubles stem from one thing – that by subverting Russia, Boney is seeking to clap Europe behind a ring of iron that excludes us both from all trade with the continent and our vital – no, crucial – naval stores out of the Baltic. End to end, we face an unbroken and hostile shore that will ensure we must capituglate for want of essentials.
‘At the same time he will concentrate the fleets of the continent into one colossal force that even our entire navy combined is powerless to resist. The writing is on the wall – in one month, at most two, having completed his conquests and forced a peace, he will be ready to turn on us with all the power and resources of a conquered continent.
‘Gentlemen. Time has finally run out for us all. What I propose is the only sanction.’
‘We’re still listening,’ Castlereagh drawled, fiddling with a pencil.
Canning winced but ignored him. ‘We break the ring of iron and at the same time secure this crucial Baltic trade.’ All attention now on him, he continued more quietly: ‘I have explicit intelligence that I’ve no reason to reject. It reveals that pressure will be put on Denmark to deny us the Baltic by closing the Sound, failing which Bernadotte on the Elbe is poised to invade and seize their fleet. I’ve information that suggests the Danish will conform. First Lord of the Admiralty?’
Mulgrave nodded. ‘Oh, yes. A trustworthy captain by name of Pembroke swears that he witnessed the Danish fleet in Copenhagen preparing for sea. Stores, equipment on the wharves, all signs of-’
‘Thank you. I’m as well in possession of a dispatch from our head of mission in Denmark, Benjamin Garlike. He points out with understandable unease that the fortress of Kronborg, commanding the entrance to the Sound, has been considerably reinforced with artillery. To cap it all, the Danish charge d’affaires in London, Rist, is unable to account for any of these developments or to lay before me the true position of the kingdom of Denmark in respect of the treaties of Tilsit.
‘With the loss of the Russians to our cause it can mean only one thing. That Denmark sees its best interest in siding with Bonaparte.’
‘Foreign Secretary, I mislike where you are leading us,’ Portland’s querulous voice interrupted. ‘Are you suggesting-’
‘Your Grace, I beg you will allow me to finish. If the Russians were to join with the Danish, at the very least, sir, they have made the Baltic a French lake, which is a dolorous prospect indeed. Therefore what I put forward to you is this. In the time left to us we pre-empt this catastrophe. In one swift move we strike to drive a cleft into the centre of Bonaparte’s continent, isolating the Russians in the east and at the same time preserving our Baltic interests. Gentlemen, I propose that we should demand of the Danish that they surrender into our keeping their entire fleet. Without it they are powerless to block the Sound to our Baltic trade and at the same time it not only sunders Bonaparte’s ring of iron but ensures he can never later use that fleet against us. In fine, we will have broken his domination of the continent.’
‘A valiant plan,’ Castlereagh said acidly, ‘with but one flaw. Denmark is strictly neutral and this …?’
‘Quite,’ Portland fussed. ‘There’s no question that England can demand such of a neutral. Supposing they do not comply? We shall then be obliged to step down from our demand with grievous loss of countenance.’
‘We do not back away. If necessary we bring force to bear that-’
‘Sir, do not quibble! That would be nothing more or less than a calculated and deliberate attack on a neutral country in clear violation of every tenet of civilised conduct. This administration will not be a party to such-’
‘Then, sir, you are putting your name to this government’s abject submission to the Emperor Napoleon’s will!’
‘Ah, this is a hard matter. It beseems we should think on it long and hard before-’ Portland tried.
‘There’s no time!’ rapped Canning. ‘If we’re to move at all, it has to be before Bonaparte has consolidated his seizure of Prussia, before he can then turn and himself take the Danish fleet. And above all before the Baltic ices over when it’ll be too late to do anything.’
‘If the Danes resist and we assault them, Russia will declare war against us immediately,’ Castlereagh said quietly. ‘Are you prepared for that?’
‘They’re Bonaparte’s creature. They’ll do so anyway.’
Perceval leaned forward. ‘Has anyone considered what the cost of alienating Denmark would be? No? Then I’ll remind you all that eighty per centum of our current exports to the continent are brought in by us and transhipped through Danish ports. We stand to lose all of this, in the sum of uncountable millions, should we offend them.’
‘It might not come to that. The Danes are a practical race. They’ll see where their best interests lie.’
‘And if they do not?’ Castlereagh drawled. ‘I for one am not forgetting our late lamented Lord Nelson before Copenhagen in as hot a battle as any he fought. Since then there’s little doubt but that they’ve taken steps to increase their defences. I rather think they’ll be confident enough behind them to defy our entire fleet, with or without a Nelson, and then where will be your threats?’
Canning raised an eyebrow. ‘I do concur. Copenhagen is probably impregnable from the sea – but not from the land.’
‘Are you … are you seriously considering a landing and siege?’
‘The appearance of a force of unanswerable might in the Sound. A great fleet equipped with the means to do so. The Danes will see that while Bonaparte is a threat we are a promise. They will give up their fleet into our safe custody and we will withdraw, our breaking of the iron ring complete.’
‘A show of force!’ mocked Castlereagh, his contempt plain. ‘Since when-’
‘Swiftly done, no warning – do recollect, they’ll know we’ve successfully made landing before at the Cape and again at Buenos Aires, no matter how it turned out later. In any case, our object here is not to take territory, only to bring pressure to bear sufficient for them to think to release their fleet. That’s all.’
‘And if your mighty fleet fails to move them?’
‘Then our hand is forced,’ Canning said evenly. ‘A landing is made in overwhelming numbers as will oblige them to accede to our request.’
‘Our demand!’ snapped Castlereagh. ‘And the world will see that England has attacked and assaulted a neutral country in furtherance of its own-’
‘Prime Minister!’ rapped Canning, leaning forward in his intensity, his face pale. ‘This is too much. I require that you demand of the secretary of state for war that he reveals his own design to preserve England from ruin.’
‘Why, er …’
‘Failing which,’ he ground out, ‘he’s desired to hold his tongue.’