the ftyle of compofition, or manner of execution, to which his Pruffian majefty has attached himself, fulfilled my ideas of perfection. Here, as elsewhere, I fpeak according to my own feelings: however, it would be prefumption in me to oppofe my fingle judgment to that of fo enlightened a prince; if, luckily, mine were not the opinion of the greateft part of Europe; for, fhould it be allowed, that his Pruffian majefty has fixed upon the Auguftan age of mufic, it does not appear that he has placed his favour upon the beft compofers of that age. Vinci, Pergolefe, Leo, Feo, Handel, and many others, who flourished in the best times of Graun and Quantz, I think fuperior to them in tafte and genius. Of his majesty's two favourites, the one is languid, and the other frequently common and infipid,—and yet, their names are religion at Berjin, and more fworn by, than thofe of Luther and Calvin. There are, however, fchifms in this city, as elsewhere; but heretics are obliged to keep their opinions to themselves, while thofe of the establishment may fpeak out: for though an univerfal toleration prevails here, as to different fects of chriftians, yet, in mufic, whoever dares to profefs any other tenets than those of Graun and Quantz, is fure to be persecuted, The mufic of this country is more truly German than that of any other part of the empire; for though there are conftantly Italian operas here, in carnival time, his Pruffian majefty will fuffer none to be performed but thofe of Graun, Agricola, or Haffe, and of this last, and beft, but very few. And, in the opera house, as in the field, his majefty is fuch a rigid difciplinarian, that if a mistake is made in a fingle movement or evolution, he immediately marks and rebukes the offender; and if any of his Italian troops dare to deviate from ftrict difcipline, by adding, altering, or diminishing a fingle paffage in the parts they have to perform, an order is fent, de par le Roi, for them to adhere ftrictly to the notes written by the compofer, at their peril. This, when compofitions are good, and a finger is licentious, may be an excellent method; but certainly fhuts out all taste and refinement. So that mufic is truly ftationary in this country, his majefty allowing no more liberty in that, than he does in civil matters of government : not contented with being fole monarch of the lives, fortunes, and business of his fubjects, he even prescribes rules a their most innocent pleasures, THE THE General ftate of affairs. Poland. Ruffia. Retrospective view of the war, and its confequences confidered. Ceffion of Holstein. Revolt in the Crimea. Infurrection in the government of Oremberg. Ottoman empire. Prepara- tions by the new Grand Signior for carrying on the war. Great Ger- manic powers. Revival of obfolete claims. State of the empire. Abolition Nature of the Fruitless iffue of the negociations for a peace at Bucharest. T 4 CHAP. CHA P. III. State of the Ottoman Empire at the opening of the congress at Bucharest, Abilities of the Grand Vizir; time of the ceffation profitably employed; unwearied perfeverance in establishing order and difcipline in the army. French conjul at the Dardanelles becomes a renegade, and establishes a military febeol. War in Syria. Ali Bey reduces Joppa, and marches at the head of an army for the recovery of Egypt; is defeated in a bloody battle near Cairo, and taken prisoner, by Mahomet Bey Aboudaab; bis death. Tribute fent from Egypt; good confequences of the reduction of that country. Cheik Daher. Armaments in the Black Sea. Some account of Hoffein Bey. Dreadful plague at Bagdat and Baffora. Ruffia. Obferva. tions on the armiflice. Migration of the Torgut tribe of Tartars. Fleet in the Baltic; alliance with Denmark; ceffion of Holftein. Grand Duke's marriage. Duke of Courland. Ruffian marine. Iue of the war in Georgia. Silver mines difcovered. Magnanimity of the Empress; conduct with respect to the commercial failures; attention and regard to the English merchants. Parties in Ruffia. [23 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 partitioning powers. Memorial; threats; anfwer; declaration from the Pruffian minifter. Ferment in the diet. Warfa 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 act 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 Bohemia Court of Berlin; conduct obferved with refpect 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. CHA P. V. [35 Pacific difpofition of Spain; conduct with trade with the Eaft Naval preparations in the French and Spanish ports. the French king. Marriage of the Count de Artois. refpect to England; Scheme for establishing a direct Indies. Portugal; edict to prevent flavery from being perpetual. Court of Rome; abolition of the Jefuits; charges against them in the Pope's bull; CHA P. VI. General fate of public affairs previous to the meeting of parliament. Mi- niftry. Parties. State of the Eaft-India Company; fhort review of its affairs, with the causes of its prefent embarrassment; Supervifion; appli- cation to government for a loan. Parliament meets. King's Speech. Se- cret committee. Debates on the establishment for the navy. Report from the fecret committee. Bill for reftraining the Eaft-India Company, with respect to the supervision; debates; witnesses; counsel; fecond report from the fecret committee. Bill paffed in both boufes. Proteft, Expedition against the Caribbs in the island of St. Vincent. Some account of Jolutions moved, and rejected upon a divifion." Treaty concluded with the Caribbs. Petition from the captains of the navy for an addition to their half-pay; oppofition to the petition; received upon a divifion, and the re- queft complied with. Fate of the Diffenters bill. Motion relative to tefts required in the univerfities; rejected by a great majority. Propofals from the East-India Company for a loan. Papers. Refolutions great debates; bill pajjed. Protefts. Speech from the throne. Abstract of an At for the better preventing the counterfeiting, clipping, and otherwife diminishing the Gold Coin of this Kingdom. Abstract of an Act for the better regulating of the Affize and making of Bread. The humble Address, Petition, and Remonftrance, of the Lord-Mayor, Alder- men, and Livery, of the City of London, in Commen-Hall assembled ; The humble Petition of the United Company of Merchants trading to the Eaft- Company, to the Right Hon. the Lord-Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common-Hall affembled. fembled, against the Eaft-India Regulating Bill. The bumble Petition of the United Company of Merchants of England trading [ibid. The |