THE ANNUAL REGISTER, OR A VIEW OF THE HISTORY, POLITICS, LONDON: 1798. THE PREFACE. HE portion of history now presented to the Public, occupies confiderably more than double the space allotted to that head in our former volumes. It comprizes the transactions of much more than a fingle year; and the period to which it relates, is the most critical and interesting in the prefent century, perhaps in the whole fucceffion of centuries from the reign of Charlemagne. With the events, here narrated, began a new era in the fyftem of Europe. The long eftablished balance of power, fhaken by repeated wars, and fettled again by renewed treaties, has been overturned both in the North and South; the received law of nations has been antiquated; and not only forms of government, but the first principles of politics, and morals, have undergone a revolution. On such a subject, we thought it our duty to spare no pains in the compilation of documents, and the investigation of facts, which could, in the least respect, tend to elucidate an epoch, likely to engage the particular atten a 2 tion 2611 R.R.. |