J B 0 f Political History of EUROPE. Continued from p. 656. Y the fecond, it is recommend Bed to the people to keep with in their houfes, with their doors locked, and to wait quietly the iffue of those measures that it fhall be neceffary to take for the public fafety, as the King has been obliged, at the hazard of his life, to make ufe of those powers which are inherent in him, to rescue the kingdom and himself from that ufurpation, which is now, more than ever, intended to be forced upon both. The people are charged not to obey any orders, but thofe which come directly from himfelf, and are threatened with the confequent punishments if they oppofe them. The third of these pieces does not in any degree anfwer the avowed purpofe of its title, and only gives the people in generai to understand, that the King had received information of a defign to obtrude an ariftecratical government on the kingdom, which had induced him to take refolute measures for its deliverance, of all which they should hereafter be fully informed; and charging them. not to be milled by groundless and ill-defigned reports, and to obey no orders but thofe which they fhould receive from himself, or his brothers. All these pieces were published immediately on the day of the revolution, which fufficiently fhews, if there could otherwife be any doubt of it, that this extraordinary measure did not haftily arife from any immediate information, or from any tranfaction that morning with the fenate, but was the refult of a deep and well-concerted defign, which provided for every thing previously that could occur in the execution. The next morning the King received the oaths of the magiftrates, January, 1774. the burghers, and the college of Stockholm, by which they were bound to obey him only, and not the fenate, or their deputies; and a book was opened in one of the apartments of the palace, wherein all thofe in general were to fubfcribe their names, who were willing to take the oath of fidelity. The fenators and great officers, who refufed to take the oaths, were all strictly confined, among whom were baron Rudbeck, count Heffenftein, the chief magiftrate Soenderblad, the fifcal Engeftroem, the King's fecretary Helfingius, the fecretaries of the nobles, baron Cederftroem, count Kalling, and general Strufenfeldt, the three fecretaries of the clergy, two of the burghers, and the two fecretaries belonging to the order of peasants, These were foon after acquainted by the King, that they must take their final refolution, either to swear to the new form of government, or to quit the kingdom for ever, and to give a categorical answer within a month. The following day being appointed for abolish. Aug. 21. ing the old form of government, and the establishment of the new, the King affembled all the states in a Plenum Plenorum for that purpofe. Such decifive measures were taken for the completion of this great act, as committed nothing to the hazard of chance, or to the caprice of fortune. A large detachment of the guards took poffeffion, in the morning, of the fquare where the houfe of nobles ftands; the palace was invested on every fide with troops; all the garrifon were under arms; every thing carried not only the appearance of war, but of the immediate attack of an enemy; while cannon were brought in and C planted planted in the great court of the hall where the ftates were affembled. Being thus conveniently fecured in this place of terrors, it was not a matter of much confideration, whether they should accede to the propofitions that were to be made to them. The King opened the fcene, by entering the hall in all his regalia; foon after which, having the filver hammer of Guflavus Adolphus in his hand, he made himself the fignal for filence, an office which was ufually executed by a fenator; but none of that body were in the prefent affembly. The King then made a long fpeech to the ftates, in which he reprefents the deplorable ftate to which the nation was reduced by the two great factions that divided the people; that by this means they were fevered, as it were, into two separate nations, who united only in the mangling of their country; that the rancour, revenge, and perfecution that proceeded from this ftate of difcord, was productive of new revolutions, that grew at length into a periodical difeafe, which disfigured the whole commonwealth; that commotions which fhook the realm, fprung from the ambition of a few; that ftreams of blood had been poured, fometimes by one party, and fometimes by another and that the people were always the facrifices to quarrels, in the event of which they had but little concern that the only end of their rulers had been to fortify their own power; and that every thing had of neceffity been adapted to that purpofe; that where the law was clear, the letter of it had been perverted; and where it had been palpably repugnant, it had been broken through; that nothing had been facred to a people in flamed with hatred and revenge; and that the feeds of confufion had, in the end, extended fo far, that it became a declared opinion, that a majority was above the law, and owned no restraint but its own pleasure. That thus liberty, the nobleft of the rights of men, had been tranfformed into an infupportable aristocratical tyranny, in the hands of the ruling party, which was itfelf enslaved, and led at pleasure by a very fmall number of its body. That the notice of a new affembly of the ftates made every one tremble; that far from confidering how the affairs of the nation might be beft tranfacted, they were only bufied in getting together a majority for their party, that they might be fcreened from the infolence and lawless violence of the other.The King then lays, or infinuates, a charge of the blackeft dye. He fays, If the interior fituation of the realm ftood thus endangered, how hideous was its external afpect ! I blush to speak about it: born a Swede, and a King of Sweden, it fhould be an impoffibility for me to believe that foreign fchemes fhould govern Swedish men; and that the very basest means fhould have been employed for that purpofe. You know what it is I mean; my blushes ought to make you deeply fenfible into what contempt the kingdom has been thrown by your quarrels. The King, after this heinous charge, enters into a recapitulation of his own conduct, and into animadverfions on that of the prefent dyet; in the latter of which he obliquely renews the most culpable part of the former charge, without that delicacy which had before affected him; in what relates to himself, he fets forth the pains and induftry which he had used to unite them, and the means which he had propofed, or intended, to remedy those numberless evils; and called upon upon any one of them, who could difavow what he faid, to do it boldly. He fays, that he hoped his endeavours would have released them from thofe chains which foreign gold, inteftine hatred, and avowed licentiousness, were on the point of fixing upon them; and that the hideous examples of other countries thus enflaved, might have afforded them a threatening warning; but that all had been in vain ; that they had been misguided on one hand by their leaders, and on the other inflamed by their private animofities; that nothing could reftrain or fet bounds to their violence; that the principal and moft virtuous men among the citizens were facrificed, thofe in office who were of the greatest merit degraded, whole bodies of the magiftracy difmiffed from their employments, and the forced complaints of the people confidered as rebellion.That God himself feemed to have manifefted his wrath against their iniquitous conduct-the earth refufed to produce her fruits, and a fcarcity defolated the whole country; that they had applied no timely remedy to prevent or relieve this calamity, though he himself had ftrenuously urged this fubject to them; and that they had fat a whole year, and were a great burden to the country, without their being of the smallest utility. That in these unhappy circumftances, when one province of the kingdom, urged by despair, had taken up arms, and the reft were bewailing and fighing, without fpeaking, he faw no alternative but to feize the means by which other free nations had been faved from oppreffion and violence, and that Sweden herself had already been faved under the standard of Gustavus Vafa; that all has fuc-, ceeded, and that he has freed him felf and his country without injury to any citizen; that the purpose he had in view, far from affecting liberty, was to establish it, and to deftroy licentiousness ; to render the people happy, by affording them the moft perfect fecurity in every refpect, by and under the law; that these benefits could only be obtained by eftablishing, for the government of the kingdom, a fixed unalterable law, whofe very letter must not be perverted; which muft equally bind both the King and the flates, and which must be incapable of being repealed or altered, except by the free confent of both; that fuch a law, as binding upon himself as upon them, was that which was now to be prefented to them; that those who fhall believe that he has fought any thing befides liberty and equity, will be grossly deceived; that he had promifed to govern a free people, and that this vow is the more holy as it is voluntary; and what has paffed fhall not divert him from a defign, which is not founded on neceflity, but on conviction.-He then makes reiterated profeffions of the good government which he intends to establish, and to perfevere in; and obferves, that from all which he has now faid, they will eafily underftand, that fo far from having had on his fide the smallest private view, every thing he had done was from the love of his country. He concludes with an appeal to that Supreme Being, who knows the bottom of his heart, and a warm with, that he may fhower down his bleflings on the accomplishment of his decree. The King then made a folemn renunciation, upon oath, of all abfolute fovereignty and power, and that he did not even defire or wish for it; after which he ordered the new form of government to be read to the ftates by the fecretary of revifion. This piece, which is of a great length, confifts of fifty feven articles, the most effential of which are-That the King is to choose the fenate himfelf-That he is to call the states together when he pleases, and to feparate them alfo when he pleafes, after they have at any time continued fitting for three months That the contributions are to be given by the ftates; but if not granted within three months, the old ones are to remain in cafe of invafion, or preffing neceffity, the King may impofe fome taxes for raising money till the ftates can be affembled-When the flates are af fembled, they are not to deliberate upon any thing but what the King pleafes to lay before them-That the King is to have the fole difpofition of the army, navy, and finances, and of all the employments civil and military. When the whole of this piece was read through, the King aked the plenum, if they would give him their oath to obferve this form of government. We may readily conceive, that no affembly was ever more unanimous: there was not a fingle diffentient voice, nor the fmallest debate; and the whole af fembly were immediately fworn upon the spot, in the King's prefence. He then ordered the speakers of the respective orders to come to the table, and to fign and feal the new form; which was allo immediately complied with. This great work being thus finally accomplished, the King, with a laudable piety, food up, and faid, that it was proper to thank Almighty God for his affistance, in bringing about fo happy an event; and then, pulling a pfalm-book out of his pocket, he began to fing the Te Deum, in which the whole affembly with great reverence accompanied him. The King then graciously permitted them all to kifs his hand after which he quitted the room, and the states separated without knowing whether they were ever to meet again. The next morning all the old fenators received their difmiffion, by letters which the King fent refpectively to them; and he conferred the dignity of fenators and counfellers of the kingdom on fifteen noblemen, of whofe attachment he was fatisfied. As favourite names, and terms, and forms of little confequence, have frequently great influence upon the opinions of the populace, this prince was too artful a politician to neglect making a proper ufe of them; for, whatever appearance of trifling or affectation fuch matters may convey, if the end, in politics, is frequently allowed to juftify the means, let them be ever fo wicked, it may well preferve from contempt thofe that are ridiculous. As the names of the two Guftavus's were very dear to the Swedes, the King accordingly miffed no opportunity of fhewing his attachment to the memory of thofe great men, of holding them up as models, by which to regulate his conduct, and of infinuating some resemblance, at least, between his own fituation and theirs. We have already feen the parade with which the filver hammer of Guftavus Adolphus was difplayed at the plenum; the King did not lofe fight of this object upon the appointment of the new fenate, and the letters of vocation, which were fent to the members upon that occafion, were a directtranfcript of thofe that had been ufed in the time of the former great prince. At the fame time, to fhew his own attention to the distresses of the people, and to confirm the odium which he had already brought upon the ftates, by attributing to them the famine which prevailed, he caufed ten thousand measures of meal, of twenty pounds each, to to be diftributed amongst them; which, though infufficient to afford them any effectual relief, was equal to the purpofe for which it was defigned. The doubt of the ftates, with respect to their being again affembled, was foon removed. Every thing was now changed, and they no longer feemed the fame men. The marinal of the diet opened 25th. the plenum with a long fpeech in praife of the King, mix ed with pious acknowledgments to Heaven for the blettings of the late happy revolution. The different orders had no other emulation than in ass of adulation and fervility; and no other business than to execute whatever they were ordered. The King made a short fpeech, in which he preferved the fame tone and manner which he had hitherto fo fuccefsfully practised; he returned thanks to Heaven, which had that day enabled him to address them with that confidence, and that ancient Swedish fimplicity, which had been in ufe in the time of his ancestors; that as they had all now but one common aim, which was the good of the nation, it was neceffary, for that purpose, that the affembly of the ftates fhould be fpeedily terminated; that therefore his proposals were very concife; that the exigencies of the ftate were great, and that frugality fhould not be wanting on his fide: He then recommended concord and unanimity in their deliberations, and affured them, that whatever they granted fhould only be emed to their own good.. The propofitions contained, that the ufual contributions fhould be agreed to and confirmed; that an extraordinary fupply fhould be furnihed, for the expences of the late King's funeral, and for thofe of the coronation; that, as it could not be determined how far the amount of thofe two articles, together with the ordinary revenues, might be fufficient to answer the neceflities of the state in thefe times, a fecret committee might be appointed, cholen from the three orders who direct the affairs of the bank, with whom the King might deliberate upon the means to be used in certain cafes in which fecrecy might be neceflary; and laftly, that the flates fhould fpeedily put the affairs of the bank into fuch a condition, as would effectually facilitate all money tranfactions. The states were alfo informed, that it was the King's pleafure, that they should immediately take thefe matters into confideration, and determine finally upon them within fourteen days, as it was neceflary that the dyet fhould at that time be terminated. The day was concluded by a grand deputation from the four or ders, confifting of 120 perfons, to return thanks to the King for his paternal care, by which the nation had been restored to its true liberty, and to defire that a medal might be ftruck in commemoration of that happy event. The fubfequent meetings of the dyet were productive of nothing but compliances, in the fulleft terms, with the King's requifitions. The grants for the ufual and for the extraordinary fupplies, with refpect to the funeral and coronation expences, were immediately paffed. A motion was, however, made in the affembly of the nobles, that the fupplies fhould only be granted for a limited time, as well in conformity to the ancient constitution, as to the practice of the late government; and it was therefore propofed, that the grant should be reftricted to the term of fix years. This reftriction was ftrongly oppofed by the court party, and particularly by the marshal of the dyet, who |