fyftem of government. These were debated a long time with great heat and violence; at length the queftion was put, "Whether it be "proper to make any innovations "in the conftitution of the kingdom?" which was carried in the negative in the order of the nobles, as it had been before in thofe of the burghers and peafants. A refolution then paffed, "That no "propofitions fhall be made any "more in this diet, tending to alterations or amendments of the "fundamental laws." The court however fhewed great ftrength upon this occafion; the majority against their intereft in the order of nobles, upon the firft queftion, being only twenty-fix; the whole numbers were, 457 to 431.

Though the dietcontinued fitting the remainder of the year, nothing very material was done. The fecret committee renewed the treaty of fubfidy with France; and that power is to pay up the arrears of the old one, which are very confiderable. An augmentation of the troops has fince taken place; but it is certain that Sweden is in no condition to enter into a war with Ruffia. The former gave up the fword, when it gave up Livonia. That province was the granary that fed its people; it fill does fo by permiffion of the Ruffians in fuch a fituation, a war must be carried on against difficulties, that neither bravery nor skill can furmount. Such an event would however at prefent be very troublesome to Ruffia,

The friendly part which Engand has taken, (not without fome confiderable rifque to the fecurity of her own commerce) in receiving and affifting the Ruffian fleet, both

at home and in the Mediterranean, does honour to her faith as an Ally. It is certain that Ruffia is the only power that can at prefent balance the proteftant fcale, against the preponderating weight of the two great houfes of Bourbon and Auftria; to which may now be added Sweden, and poffibly Portugal. The maritime powers in particular act right, in cultivating and cementing the closest union with Ruffia.

With regard to Holland, her affairs are now in fo happy a fituation, as to call but for a very flight account. The Prince Stadtholder, not only enjoys the love of the people in a very high degree, but feems equally poffeft of the confidence of the ftates. Whether it is to be attributed to the happy genius of the house of Orange, or to whatever other caufe, it is certain that public affairs are conducted with new order and vigour in the united provinces. An augmentation has been made in their troops, and difpofitions have for fome time been making, towards putting their marine upon a refpectable footing.

France has fucceeded in its defign upon Corfica; that inland now makes a part of its domain. All Europe were filent witneffes to a direct breach of a treaty to which the principal powers in it were parties; and to the ruin of a brave people, because they did not think themfelves the property of their invaders. Happily for mankind, neiter the ftate of the finances of France, nor the weight of its national credit, are at prefent encouraging to an immediate attempt of the fame nature, upon any other of its neighbours. The late fuc

cefs

cess is however flattering; the fame fupineness may happen to prevail in fome other inftance.

The bankruptcy and total fufpenfion of the French East India company, is a striking proof how far that country is from having recovered the violent fhocks which it received in the late war. The fatal ftroke given to national faith, credit and honour, by the late violent measure of ftopping the payment of the intereft arifing on the public funds, and taking away the benefit of furvivorship in the tontines, will be feverely felt in any future one. Upon the whole, war does not feem, at prefent, to be at all a defirable object to France. Notwithtanding thefe appearances, France is now faid to be arming in several of her ports, particularly thofe in the Mediterranean. It is certain that the naval expedition of the Ruffians, is far from being to the liking either of this court or that of Madrid, and the armaments they are making feem to befpeak an oppofition to it. If this fhould be the cafe, England can scarcely avoid becoming a party, and the greater part of Europe will probably be engaged in the conteft.

The court of Spain, fenfible of the loffes it fuftained in the laft war, has not only used the utmost diligence to replace them, but is taking the most effectual measures to prevent any danger of the fame nature for the future. They have accordingly built fuch a number of men of war, both in the Spanish and West Indian ports, that the navy is much more formidable now than it was at the commencement of the war. The fortifications of the Havanna are improved and

augmented in fuch a manner, that it is now faid to be impregnable. The Spaniards are alfo making a formidable fettlement at the mouth. of the Miffiffippi, where they have again taken poffeffion of new Or leans under the command of general O Riely, who landed there with a very confiderable body of forces, and after having executed feveral of the principal inhabitants without any form of trial, fent others of them to France in chains, where they were diftributed among the ftate prifons.

Portugal continues in the fame ftate of weakness and diforder, which has particularly marked its government for a great part of this century. Whether the taking of Mazagan, the laft place which they held on the coaft of Morocco, be a real lofs to Portugal, otherwife than as fome diminution of mili tary honour, is very problematical'; it has however brought on a peace with Moracco, which must be ufeful, though perhaps humiliating.

The fpirit of the politics of Portugal has been, for fome time paft, to diminish ecclefiaftical power, riches, and influence; neceffary preliminaries to any great improvement of that country; but which have not hitherto been accompanied with other regulations equally prudent. The meafures taken in Portugal, on this and all other occafions, are fuch, as rather difguft by their harfhnefs, often by their cruelty and injuftice, than they ferve the public by the goodness of the principles.

The late attempt faid to have been made upon the life of the king, is told in fo frange a manner, and every thing relative to it

is

is hid in fuch darkness, that fome are induced to doubt even of the fact; certainly no opinion can be formed of its nature. It may perhaps be an effect of the general diflatisfaction with the prefent adminiftration, which has fo long prevailed among the people.

The prefent emperor of Morocco feems to poffefs a degree of ability, much fuperior to what has appeared of late years among the monarchs of that empire. The conduct and difcipline obferved by his army at the fiege of Mazagan, was new and unheard of among the Moors of the prefent times. The faith with which he religiously obferved the terms of capitulation, was the more remarkable, as the conduct of the Portuguese governor upon that occafion, might have been thought, by a lefs barbarous prince, a fufficient caufe for acting otherwife.

This prince, who is ambitious and enterprifing, feems very defirous to establish a confiderable maritime force. The treaties of peace which he has concluded with Spain and Portugal, fhew that in this defign, he is influenced by confiderations fuperior to the fordid track of piracy purfued by his predeceffors. The Grand Signior having made a requifition to him, as well as to the piratical flates of Barbary, for their affiftance against the naval armament of the Ruffians, this prince has promifed to fend 20 hips upon that fervices and the piratical fates have agreed to fend five fhips each. He has alfo forbid his fubje&ts from fupplying the Ruffians with provificns or neceflaries of any kind.

As thofe humane and generous

actions which do honour to human nature, fhould neither be overlooked or forgot, we cannot refrain from giving our readers the following letter, which was wrote by this prince to the grand mafter of Malta, in which his own words do him more honour, than any account we could pretend to give of the tranfaction."

"In the name of God, the fole Almighty, to the prince of Malta, grand mafter of the religion of St. John, and to all his council, the emperor of Morocco, Fez, Mequinez, &c. wishes health and profperity. In compaffion of feveral Tufcan flaves, who have been long in my poffeffion, and have never yet been demanded of me, I fend them all to be prefented to you by my fecretary Abladi Salciti: by this means procuring myfelf at once the double fatisfaction of making you a prefent, and of reftoring liberty to thofe unfortunate people. If you had no captives of ours in your poffeffion, I fhould defire nothing of you in return; but as I know you have, I fhall with great pleafure receive fuch as you may be pleafed to fend me."

This letter was attended by thirty-feven Chriflian flaves. The grand mafter treated the fecretary with all the honours, which he would have fhewn to an ambaffador from any of the first European powers; and fent back the fame number of Moorish captives by him. We have too good an opinion of the generofity of the grand master, to believe that he had any more in his poffemon. A few generations of fuch princes, might civilize the most barbarous nation.

CHAP,

THE

HE inclemency of the winter, which in cold climates generally affords a temporary refpite from the fury of war, cannot have that effect when the Tartars are a party in it; on the contrary, that fevere feafon opens to them a new line of action, and is the time in which they commit the greatest ravages. Though the frength of the Ruffian lines, and the good difpofition that was made of their troops to cover the frontiers, were a confiderable check upon thefe cruel incurfions, they could not entirely prevent them; by which means the Ruffian Ukraine, as well as the adjoining provinces of Poland, fuffered greatly. Large tracts of country were every where burnt and deftroyed, and numbers of captives, and great quantities of cattle, continually carried off. General Romanzow, who commanded on the fide of Tartary and the Ukraine, did all that could be done to prevent thefe mifchiefs; but the country was fo open, and the line of defence fo far extended, that no vigilance was fufficient to guard it in every part against the defigns of fuch an enemy.

There were about 60,000 Turks posted during the winter in different places between Choczim,

Bender, and Oczacow. The greatest part of the grand army was affembled in the neighbourhood of Adrianople; another part was ftationed near Varna, a port town of Bulgaria, upon the Black Sea, and a third near the Danube. The Afiatic troops were very fickly, and fuffered two grievances, which feemed to them equally intolerable, the, coldness of the climate, and the want of coffee: both of which were fo feverely felt as to cause a very great defertion. The Turks being apprehenfive that the Ruffians would take advantage of the hardineis of their troops to carry on a winter campaign, and being fenfible of their own inequality in fuch a fervice, had destroyed or removed all the provifions that were to be found in the countries near the Niefter; a circumstance which now feverely affected their own troops in that quarter.

The following was faid to have been the ftate of the Ruffian armies in the beginning of the fpring.

That under the command of Prince Gallitzin, was composed of 31 regiments of foot, 40 regiments of horse, and five of Huffars; together with 9000 Coffacks, a train of artillery of 100 pieces of cannon, and a fuitable body of en

gineers.

gineers. The regiments of foot confifted of 2000 men, and thofe of horfe of 800 men each; by which estimation, this army, exclufive of the train of artillery, confifted of 71,000 foot, including the Coffacks, and of 36,000 horse, including the Huffars. The other army, under general Romanzow, contained 11 regiments of foot, four of horfe, and fix of Huflars, befides 10,900 Coffacks, amounting by the fame rule of calculation to 40,900 men, and the two armies confifting of near 150,000.

While the armies were employed in covering the frontiers, and in preparing for the enfuing campaign, the court of Petersburg was equally engaged in providing funds for the fupport and carrying on of the war. The contributions impofed upon the peasants were accordingly augmented a ruble and a half each per annum; which it was computed would raife one million and a half of rubles yearly. The province of Livonia was taxed 100,000 rubles per annum; and that of Efthonia 50,000. All perfons in civil employments are to pay 20 per cent. out of their falaries, and those that keep carriages are to pay five rubles for each horfe. It is however promifed, that these taxes fhall continue only during the war.

The empress alfo created, upon this occafion, a new council for political and military affairs, at which he is to prefide herself; and the has appointed feven noblemen to be members of it. All bufinefs, whether political or military, is to be under the direction of this council, and every member is to give his opinion in writing, upon the subjects that come before

them; all the difpatches must be figned by the emprefs. To neglect nothing that might contribute to the fuccefs of the war, this princefs applied to her allies for the fuccours which they had ftipulated by treaty to furnish in certain circumstances, and which fhe now infifted upon receiving either in money or men.

In the months of February and March, Crim Gueray, Kan of the Tartars, at the head, fome accounts faid of 70.000 Tartars, fupported by 10,000 Spahis, having broke the Ruffian lines of communication, penetrated into the province of New Servia, which he totally ruined, having burned almoft every village in it. By thefe accounts he carried off 14,000 families captive, took above 100,000 head of cattle, and burnt 154 towns and villages; and that the Ruffians having united to oppofe his return, he fought a bloody battle with them, in which neither fide had any caufe to triumph.

On the other hand, the Ruffian accounts take no notice of any lofs fuftained in New Servia, nor of the expedition in general; but give a fhort account that the Tartar Kan, having, at the head of a confiderable army, intended to attack fome redoubts, in which ge neral Ifakow with about 4000 men was pofted, that general bravely marched out to engage them in the field, and gained a complete victory over them.

Both these accounts are probably in a great measure true. The de vaftation made by the Tartars in New Servia, is not to be doubted; the number of the captives, and the greatnefs of the spoil, we may believe exaggerated. That in the

courfe