Επιστολή των μελών της προσωρινής κυβέρνησης της Ζακύνθου προς τον George Canning, σταλμένη από την Ζάκυνθο χωρίς ημερομηνία (λογικώς το φθινόπωρο ή αρχές χειμώνα του 1809), με την οποία εκφράζουν την ευγνωμοσύνη τους για την απόφαση της Βρετανίας να καταλάβει το νησί τους και εν γένει τα Επτάνησα,ενώ σημειώνουν και την σημαντική παρουσία και συμμετοχή του Φορέστη. Προτότυπο και αγγλική μετάφραση.
To His most excellent Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland
Most gracious Sovereign,
The provisional government of the inhabitants of Zante ventures to lay with exultation at your majesty’s feet the homages and the gratitude of the whole population of this island.
Of the Seven Ionian Islands Zante was the first which had the good fortune to see itself benefited buy Your Majesty’s invincible arms, and, with a liberality worthy the greatness of the British nation reinstated into its political freedom under Your high and powerful protection.
That happy change grew more and more precious by the rapid success of the wise military dispositions by means of which the hostile batteries were destroyed and overcome, and the enemy driven into the principal port of the islands, where he was very soon attacked and vanquished.
All this was executed without disturbing the tranquility of the inhabitants and without any injury to the city, owing to the vigilant providence of their Excellencies the Brigadier General Oswald and Captain Sprenger who headed your Majesty’s forces, as well as to the useful cooperation of that excellent Minister of Your Majesty, Mr. Spiridion Foresti.
He the faithful organ of Your Majesty’s Court was enabled by his Sovereign’s munificence to display always great zeal and interest for the prosperity of the Republic of the Seven Islands and knew how to combine successively scrupulous exactness in his public services with the humanity of calling the attention of the Royal Throne to the mournful picture of the calamities, under which his country groaned and with the intercession which finally led to its relief and liberation.
Three other sister islands were successively and rapidly delivered and are in the enjoyment of the same happiness.
There is certainly no person that does not exult and break out into tender and respectful expressions of indelible gratitude and reverence towards Your Majesty and the generous and invincible British Nation.
The tears of bitterness which the inhabitants of these islands shed were dried by British liberality and converted into rejoicing by their happy destiny and the fortunate lot of their latest prosperity to be confidently expected under the perpetual defence of the great nation that liberated these islands.
The respectful provisional government of this island in the name of the whole population prostrate themselves on their knees at the fleet of Your Majesty to offer the dutiful sentiments of their gratitude and devotion, as also to beg permission of submissively supplicating Your Majesty to be pleased graciously to continue to them the high and powerful protection granted them, since it alone is capable of maintaining the liberty generously restored to them and of ensuring to them forever that happiness which they have began to enjoy.
(ακολουθούν τα ονόματα των επιφανών Ζακυνθίων)