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and abilities, in fuperintending the building of feveral fine fhips upon the English model. In a word, nothing is left untried or undone, by which Ruffia may become a great maritime power. A small fquadron, confifting of four ships of the line and a frigate, under the command of Admiral Greig, was fent very late in the feafon, to reinforce the fleet in the Mediterranean; and it is fuppofed a very trong force will be fent on the fame fervice, upon the opening of the Baltic.

The war and conquefts in Georgia, of which we heard so many extraordinary accounts, have come to nothing. General Sukatin and twelve officers, were the wretched remains that returned to Peterfburg, of an army that had fo long been reprefented as triumphant, and as aiming at no less than the fubverfion of the Turkish empire in Afa. They attributed their misfortunes to causes that were at all times to be forefeen; to the impracticability of the country, the want of fufficient force, and the impoffibility of neceffary fupplies; to which fhould have been added, the native bravery of the inhabitants, and their total difinclination to fubmit to a Ruffian government.

Some new filver mines that have been discovered in Siberia, feem to promise an indemnification to Rufa for the treasure of which fhe has been drained by the war. That wide and forlorn region, that was fo long unknown, and feemed wrapt up in an eternal winter that rendered it inacceffible to mankind, teems with inexhaustible treasures, and will in time prove the Peru and Potofi of the north. These new mines have afforded upon their first VOL. XVI,

opening 45,000 pounds of fine filver, which is faid to have been obtained with little difficulty or expence. The emprefs, according to her ufual magnificence, has bestowed on the intendant of the royal mines, who made the discovery, a princely fortune, and has ordered that they may be worked with all diligence.

The ill fuccefs of the campaign afforded an opportunity to the emprefs of fhewing her magnanimity, by not throwing the leaft blame upon her commanders or armies; on the contrary, Count Romanzow feems to ftand as high in her favour, as he did in the most fortunate periods. As fpectacles have always been found neceffary in defpotic governments, either to divert the people from thinking of public affairs, or, upon certain occafions, to keep up their fpirits, a reprefentation of the taking of Giurgewo from the Turks, was exhibited, at confiderable expence, and with great applaufe, at Petersburg. Upon this occafion, a regular fortification was erected and defended, and all the military forms obferved, and approaches conducted, to the final fpringing of mines, making a breach, and taking the place by

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court banker, that the British merchants fhould be fupplied with any fums of money that were neceffary to fupport their credit, in the prefent trying exigency; and took every other measure that could fhew how much the had the commercial interests of her country at heart, as well as her particular regard to a friendly and allied power.

Great divifions feem to have prevailed this year in the court of Petersburg, the extent and nature of which are little known. Two parties, which took the names of their respective leaders, and feem to divide the empire, have, however, been avowedly formed, upon the great question of war or peace. The former of these, under the aufpices of Prince Orlow, are eager for a continuation of the war, and of obtaining all the fruits from its paft fucceffes, as well as from thofe in expectancy, that they are capable of affording; the fecond follow the opinions of Count Panin, who is a zealous advocate for peace, and does not want fufficient arguments, to fhew its expediency, if not neceffity. The emprefs has

beftowed her favours and honours fo equally upon those leaders, that it looks as if the thought it neceffary to trim between the two parties; Prince Orlow refumed his functions early in the year, in confequence of a letter written to him in her own hand for that purpofe ; and Count Panin has been called upon in the fame manner, fince its conclufion, to exert his great faculties for the fecurity and prefervation of the empire. It is however faid, that the emprefs, upon all occafions in the council, has given her opinion for the continuance of the war.

Such differences of opinion would be of little confequence, if other marks of discontent had not appeared, in different parts of the empire, as well as at court. Of the causes or effects of these little can yet be faid. It was however obferved, that in the midft of the fplendour and magnificence of the Great Duke's nuptials, and of the fumptuous feftival's that enfued, difcontent, fufpicion, and apprehenfion, were in many countenances too vifible to be concealed.

CHAP.

CHA P. IV.

King of Poland's circular letter. The grand council of the nation affembled at Warfaw. Measures for the holding of the diet. Articles prefented by the minifters of the petitioning powers. Memorial; threats 3 anfer; declaration from the Pruffian minifter. Ferment in the diet. Warfar furrounded by the foreign troops. Protefts against the diet. New confederacy, under the auspices of the allied powers. Foreign troops enter the city, and are quartered in the palaces of the principal nobility. Heavy contributions threatened to be impofed. Peremptory order to the diet, to conclude the act of ceffion within eight days. The ad paffed, in the diet and fenate, and figned by the King. Delegates appointed, and the diet breaks up. New fyftem of government propofed. Treaties concluded by the delegation with the minifters of the allied powers, and ratified by the King. Some particulars of the treaty with the King of Pruffia. Emperor. Dearth, and depopulation in Bobemia. Court of Berlin; conduct obferved with respect to the new provinces ; Jews; Dantzick; fortitude of the citizens of Thorn; Jefuits protected. Denmark; treaty with Ruffia. Sweden; calamities in the provinces; preparations; Finland peasants; letter from the King to the Count de Hopken.

TH

HE King of Poland, in his circular letter for the calling of the fenatus confilium, which was to meet at Warsaw, on the 8th of February, 1773, informs the fenators, that their meeting had for its object, the prefent diftressful ftate of their country, invaded and divided between three neighbouring powers; and encourages them to hope, that if they concur with him with temper and unanimity, in fuch measures as fhall appear most eligible in their unhappy fituation, that Divine Power, who had fo miraculously rescued him from the hands of the affaffins, when there did not appear a glimpse of hope for his deliverance, would ftill, in some manner interfere, for the preservation of their country, and its deliverance from a foreign yoke.

It is one of the preliminary requifites in Poland, for the convocation of a diet, that the king at

a stated time, previous to its intended meeting, fhall write circular letters to the feveral palatinates, for their holding dietines, or meetings for the election of deputies, at a time appointed; in which letters he alfo acquaints the nobility with the causes for holding the diet, and the feveral matters that are to come under its confideration. By this means, as the electors are acquainted with the nature of the business that is to come before them, they have an opportunity to inftruct their reprefentatives as to the matters which they are to grant, or to refufe.

The minifters of the partitioning powers, accordingly prepared a number of articles against the meeting of the grand council, which contained fuch matters as they intended fhould be particularly laid before the diet. The principal of thefe were, that the ftates of the [C] 2 kingdom

kingdom fhould acknowledge in the presence of the King, that the rights claimed by these powers to the provinces of which they had taken poffeffion, were refpectively founded in justice; that when their pretenfions have been approved of and confirmed in the diet, the new frontiers of the kingdom fhall be regulated and confirmed for ever by the ftates; that to render this purpofe the more effectual, a map fhould be taken of the country, in which the boundaries fhall be exactly delineated, and then confirmed, as before, for ever; that as a farther fecurity to the permanence of these arrangements, trearies shall be entered into with the other powers of Europe for their confirmation; and that as the preceding conftitution of Poland occafioned great prejudices to the kingdom itself, that the power of their kings was limited and much diminished; and that the disorders occafioned thereby extended even to the neighbouring countries, it was neceffary to make fome confiderable alterations in the conftitution, the neceffity and legality of which fhould be acknowledged by the ftates.

In the mean time, thofe fenators whofe lands lay in the fequeftered provinces, were forbid to attend or act in the fenate, and as many more ftaid away upon choice, who would have no fhare in the prefent tranfactions, the whole number of that body that that could be collected, (which fhould have been confiderably more than a hundred) amount ed only to about thirty. And left the King and the fenate fhould for a moment forget the mifery of their fituation, and imagine they were met as free men, to debate upon

the affairs of their country, memot rials, full of reproaches and threats, were delivered by the minifters `of the allied powers, charging them with tergiverfation and delay, and appointing a limited day for the convocation of the diet, with denunciations of the fevereft vengeance in cafe of failure.

Feb. 19th.

In the answer, from the King and the fenate, to thefe memorials, figned by the great officers of the kingdom, much complaint is made of the extreme rigour and harshness of their proceedings, which is aggravated still more, by the extraordinary file, tone, and manner of the memorials, with the fhameful neglect of all appearances of refpect to the King and to the republic; they appeal to the neceffity, which urged their paft condefcenfions, and their prefent, to fhew that their conduct could not deferve the reproaches, nor demand the threats, that are thrown out upon them; that the King with the fenate, having taken into confideration the ferious menaces and imminent dangers which have been announced in case of refufal, he has yielded to the defire of the three courts, and in confequence appointed the 19th of April for the meeting of the diet. It is laftly folemnly requefted, that the allied powers will cause their troops to

evacuate the territories of the republie, previous to the meeting of the dietines, in order that the elections and the diet may proceed with full liberty, and that the fenfe of the nation may explain itself without constraint or danger.

No great bufinefs was done in the fenatus confilium, except appointing the time for the diet, returning the foregoing anfwer, mak

ing

ing an application to Ruffia for the enlargement of the Polish prisoners, who had been kept fo long confined in that country, entering into a refolution to profecute the criminals who had made the attempt upon the King's life, and the making of ineffectual applications to the powers who were guarantees of the treaties of Oliva and Velau, for their good offices and mediations at the approaching diet.

As the partitioning powers had already cut off a confiderable part of the fenate, they took the fame measures with refpect to the diet, by prohibiting under unlimited penalties, the dietines or elections from taking place in the new provinces, In thofe parts of the kingdom where they were permitted to take place, great diforders prevailed; and though letters were read from fome of the bishops, earnestly entreating them in the name of God to forget their animofities, to chufe proper reprefentatives in the prefent critical fituation, and to think only of faving their diftreffed country, the nobility were notwithstanding divided into violent factions; much blood was hed in feveral places, and many of the dietines broke up fruitlessly, with out any election.

The Prince Czartoriski, greatchancellor of Lithuania, the primate of Poland, the chancellor of the kingdom, the grand Marshal, with many other of the nobility, repaired to Cracow, and disclaimed all connexion with the enfuing diet at Warsaw, which they reprefented as a packed convention, that was entirely in the hands and the power of that tyrannical triumvirate, who had already spoiled and divided the kingdom. This body, which grew

very confiderable, both as to numbers and quality, earnestly entreated the King to join them, for the purpose of affembling a free diet; but as that prince had neither the power, nor, probably, inclination, to come into their measures, the defign came to nothing.

In the mean time, as a fresh memento of their condition, and to prevent any hesitation in the part they were to act, Benoit, the Pruffian minifter at Warsaw, delivered a declaration, in which it was hoped, that the diet would approve and ratify all that had hitherto passed with refpect to Poland; but if it fhould happen otherwife, his mafter would not only retract the promifes he had made with respect to that kingdom, but would make the Polanders fenfible that he was not to be offended with impunity, and that as he could well do without either their approbation or ratification, they fhould pay dear for their ill-timed obftinacy.

During thefe tranfactions, and the fubfequent fitting of the diet, the countries round about Warsaw were filled with foreign troops, and the foldiers lived at little less than difcretion. Indeed their licentious. nefs was fo intolerable, that it seemed as if their mafters wanted to urge the unhappy natives to fuch a degree of defperation, as might throw them headlong upon the points of their fwords; or that at beft, they were determined to ruin the remaining country fo effectually, as that it fhould require the time and industry of ages for its recovery. However that may be, it does not appear, fetting all motives of juftice and humanity far out of the question, that it was right policy in thofe powers, to

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indulge,

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