nature as would render it incapable of discharging its own functions, without their continual interference and affif

tance.

As nothing has been finally concluded with refpect to the new government, and the prefent appearances are not favourable to the opinion that there foon will, it is of little confequence to be particular as to the propofals that are faid to have been made upon that head. In general it feems to have been the intention, (if any thing of the fort was really intended) that a nominal elective monarchy, with fcarcely any power in the hands of the King, and fome new reftrictions on the qualifications of election, fhould ftill be continued; that no foreigner, nor any perfon within the 4th degree of confanguinity to a late King, should be capable of filling that office; that the eftablished religion fhould be the catholic, and the King always of that profeffion; that the King fhould not have the power of conferring either employments or honours; but that all power fhould be lodged in the hands of a permanent council of ftate, in which the King was to prefide with only a fingle voice; and that this council was not to be reftricted to the fenate, but that others of the nobility were capable of compofing it, as well as the fenators.

It was alfo faid, that the troops of the republic were to be limited to twelve thousand; but that for her further fecurity and happiness, the allied powers were to afford her five thousand men from each, which she was to keep in her territories at her own expence.

Nov. 19th.

The separate treaties of peace, alliance, guarantee, and partition, having been concluded between the delegation, and the minifters of the allied powers, were at length ratified by the King. These treaties, besides an exprefs and definitive ceffion, of those provinces which had been already given up in the diet, and profeffions of unalterable amity, contained a mutual and irrevocable renunciation of all claims and pretenfions on each other. In the treaty concluded with the King of Pruffia, the republic confents to annul the 6th article of the treaty of Velau, by which the reverfion of Ducal Pruffia, in the failure of iffue male in the house of Brandenburgh, was fecured to Poland; and fhe now gives up all Pruffia, with its fiefs and depen

dancies for ever to the King his heirs

or fucceffors, whether male or female. A refervation is however made in favour of Dantzick, with all its districts, and the town of Thorn, with its fuperiorities, to both which the King renounces all claims. And to prevent the poffibility of all future claims and difputes, which might arife from those articles of the treaty of Velau, which quadrate not with the prefent ftate of things, fifteen specified articles of the faid treaty, are totally abolished, and the republic renounces for ever, all reversions and feudal obligations.

The districts of Great Poland, on the Brandenburgh fide of the river Netze (called in the maps the Notec) together with the diftricts of Lauenburg and Butow, and the right of redemption to the territory of Draheim, are also ceded in the fame manner; and the treaty of Bydgoft, which was executed in the year 1657, is annulled, excepting one ftipulation which is in favour of the house of Brandenburgh.

The most remarkable paffage in this treaty, is in the article, in which the republic undertakes to guaranty thofe provinces which are ceded to the King, with an exception to one power, who is, to be afterwards fpecified, and with whom the republic is not obliged to maintain a war, upon the King's account. The King of Pruffia alfo engages, in concert with the other powers, to protect the republic from the resentment of the Porte; and to use his mediation and good offices, that the Turks may conform to the terms of the pacific treaty of Carlowits, which it is declared has not been infringed by any of the late transactions.

The King of Pruffia ftipulates on his fide, for the protection and fecurity of the Roman Catholics in the new provinces, in all their civil and ecclefiaftical rights and poffeffions, in the fame manner as they had been under the former government; and he guaranties all those future regulations which fhall be concluded at Warsaw, by the minifters of the three contracting powers and the delegates of the diet, whether with refpeft to the form of government, or in favour of the diffidents of the Greek and evangelic communions; all which regulations are to be ratified in a separate act, and confidered as a part of this treaty.

The affairs of Germany have not been very interesting, except fo far as they

have

have been connected with those of Poland, or may be fuppofed to have fome influence on the conduct of the war. The continual augmentation of thofe immenfe armies, which muft, in the nature of things, either give, or overthrow all laws in that empire, is now become fo familiar, as no longer to excite alarm, or even furprize. This paffion or rage for the converting of all mankind into foldiers, has fo equally poffeffed the two great Germanic powers, that neither of them could in that refpect, pretend to fnatch the palm of honour without evident injuftice to the other.

If we can credit the accounts that have been published, the emperor has this year drawn 80,000 recruits from his hereditary dominions, of which Hungary only yielded 50,000, befides thofe that were raised in the new Polish territories, which have now obtained the fanciful appellation of the kingdoms of Galicia and Lodomeria. Thus this prince is nearly at the constant expence of a war, while he undergoes all the perfonal fatigues that the most active general could in that fituation; his armies forming continual and remote encampments along his wide extended frontiers, and, he as conftantly on horfeback, either in the act of travelling between, or of immediately fuperintending them. It was computed that in the tour he made this fummer, he travelled on horfeback above 700 German miles, which are confiderably more than equal to 3000 English. In this tour, he only eat once in the 24 hours, which was on the evening of each day, and that of fuch fare, as without any preparation, happened to be ready at the places where he stopped; after which he lay upon a ffraw bed, without any other covering than his cloak; as if he emulated Charles the twelfth of Sweden, and intended to form fuch another iron conftitution; whilft he carefully imitates the political character of the King of Pruffia,

The Emperor spent a confiderable time at Lemburg, or Leopol, (the metropolis of the province that was anciently called Red Ruffia, as it is now of all the new Auftrian dominions) which was equally convenient for attending to the government and fettlement of his new fubjects, to the conduct of the great armies which he poured into Poland, and to the tranfactions which were to take place at Warfaw. As the King

of Pruffia and his brother fet out for Silefia, about the 'ame time that the Emperor did on his tour, it was imagined that another conference would have been held between them, which might perhaps in its effects, have been decifive of the future fate of some other countries; it does not however appear that any meeting took place between those princes.

However ambitious the designs of this prince might be, or have already shown themselves, he ftill continues by the fimplicity of his manners, his attention to bufinefs, and his affability, to confirm the affections of his subjects in a very high degree.

As this æra feems particularly fatal to the affumed powers of the court of Rome, it could not be expected that a prince of the emperor's character, should overlook any of those that militated with his own internal rights. He has accordingly claimed the investiture of all the Bishopricks in his hereditary dominions, and has already proceeded to the exercife of this right, by appointing the Bifhops that are to fucceed in four or five fees, that became vacant in Bohemia and Hungary. This innovation has occafioned great trouble at the court of Rome, where the example, with respect to other Roman Catholic powers, is confidered as dangerous, as the meafure is in itfelf prejudicial to its interefts. The Pope has accordingly used every means, and is faid to have offered to make great conceffions to prevent the emperor from perfevering in a refolution, that ftrikes fo fatally at the basis of papa! power. It is however said that all conceffions and applications upon this head have proved ineffectual, and that the emperor continues immoveably fixed in his determination.

The calamities that have been occafioned by the dearth in Bohemia, and fome other of the hereditary countries, exceed all defeription. In the former patticularly, gold and filver are faid in a great meature to have lost their usual effects, aud to become, almoft, incapable of procuring food of any fort; fo that the rich and the poor were finking equally under one general calamity. We have before obferved, that the ravages made during the preceding year in that kingdom by fickness were dreadful. It appears that in the firft eight months of the year1772, the deaths in that kingdom amounted to 168,331, which more than

doubled

doubled the number of births in the fame fpace of time; and it was fuppofed that the deaths during the last four months, were in full proportion to thofe of the preceding. And though the fury of the diftempers feemed confiderably exhausted foon after the opening of the prefent year, they were not entirely abated, until the late harvest (notwithstanding the most extraordinary tempefts, and unheard of devaftations by field mice) brought food and health at the fame time to the diftreffed, people.

To prevent, fo far as human forefight may do, the return of fodreadful a calamity, has been an object of confideration with the Emperor. To this purpose he has propofed to the ftates of Bohemia. to abridge one third of the ftatute work, which the peasants are obliged to perform for their lords, and which hitherto was fo great, and took up fo much of their time, that they were rendered utterly incapable of cultivating their own farms to any advantage. This humane and neceffary measure, has however been Arongly oppofed by the great lords; but as the Emperor perfeveres in his intention, there is no doubt of his fucceeding; as those matters which would prove impracticable to other princes, ceafe to be difficulties with thofe that are beloved by their fubjects.

The further politics of the court of Berlin, are, as ufual, ftill fecret. With respect to his military preparations, the king has not fhewn lefs affiduity, than his younger, though not more active, neighbour, He has accordingly found means, with very little additional expence to strengthen his armies by an encrease of between 40 and 50,000 effective men, which he has done by increafing the companies of foot, from 169, their former compliment, to 210 men each, without the addition of a single officer in so great an augmentation. He has alfo made an alteration (which however trifling it may feem, will, it is faid, be of great confequence) in the ram-rods of his feldiers muskets, which in confequence of this regulation, are made exactly alike at both ends, whereby the foldier will fave the time, which he before loft, by turning the ram-rod in charging; and it is faid that by this improvemenr, together with that of a new exercise, and Manœuvres in firing, in which they have been laborioully inftructed, the foldiers are arrived at fuch perfection, as to fire

twice as often now, in a given time, as they could before; though they were then reckoned the quickest at firing of any troops in the world.

The preffing of men for the army has been carried on with as much affiduity throughout the Pruffian dominions, as it could have been in the hottest war, so that even firangers have not been exemp ted from it. The new acquifitions have been particularly drained of their able men, who are fent into garrison till they become perfect in their new occupation, while the veteran troops are drawn out to be ready for immediate fervice. Thus a double purpose is answered, and as the old army is ftrengthened by the addition of a new one, thofe provinces are proportionally weakened, fo that if war fhould take place, they are render ed incapable of doing any thing effectu al towards the recovery of their liberties. The King is faid to have framed a new regulation, by which one half of the foldiers, are by an alternate fucceffion, to be conftantly employed during peace in agriculture and manufactures, while the others as closely attend to their military duties. Though this regulation carries a fpecious appearance, it may be doubted whether it will be productive of any very extraordinary advantages to agriculture, as the precarionfness of the affiftance will always throw a damp upon the spirit of the farmer.

The western Pruffia is already brought under the fame military government with the rest of the King's dominions, the whole of which may be confidered as a vaft encampment, of which Berlin.composes the head quarters. Complete lifts have been made out of all the cities, towns, and villages, in the new acquifitions; of the houses and poffeffions; the number of inhabitants of all ages in each, and their respective occupations. All the males of a certain age, that have not been taken to fupply the army, are enrolled in the militia, have received an uniform, and are obliged to learn their military exercifes. It is alfo said, that every male child when born, receives a military collar, and ten-dollars, by which he is ever after confidered as a foldier immediately in the King's fervice, and thereby liable to all the rigour of the military law. This ac count, however, requires a degree of confirmation, which it has not yet recei ved; as one of the first, and moft

popular

popular acts of the prefent King's reign was the taking off that fhameful badge of flavery from the necks of feveral thousand children, on whom it had been impofed by his father.

The Bishop of Warmia in RoyalPruffia, is a prince of the Empire, and was by the ancient conftitution prefident of the kingdon, and poffeffed, under the kings of Poland, little less than entire fovereignty in his diocefe, the nobility being immediately dependent upon him, and exempted from all the royal jurifdictions, The people accordingly flattered themfelves, that though they had changed their paramount lord, they would in a certain degree efcape the fate of the rest of the kingdom, and ftill continue under the immediate government of their bithop. Such an independence in any part of his dominions, was little fuited to the views and difpofition of the king of Pruffia; he accordingly ftripped the bishop of all his temporal and juridical rights, and put the people upon the fame footing as to government with the reft of their country

men.

All business of almost every fort, had for time immemorial been carried on in Poland by the Jews. Exclufive of those Occupations of merchandizing, brokerage, and money-dealing, which are common to them in other countries, they here fu perintended the noblemen's families, were their agents, factors, and managers of their eftates, and the physicians, furgeons, apothecaries, inn keepers, dealers, and tradefmen of the country. By this means they formed a very great and confiderable part of the nation; and though the industry, (arifing from their freedom) of the natives of Pruffia, rendered them less neceffary in that country, they were even there very numerous. The King of Pruffia however, whether from a particular diflike to this part of his new fubjects, or with a view to obtain great fums of money from them, and perhaps alfo to acquire fome knowledge of the extent of their riches, published an edict, by which all thofe Jews in the new acquifitions, who were not poffeffed of a capital of 1000 crowns, were peremptorily commanded to quit the country within a limited time. This fevere profcription, which broke through all the ties of blood, connexion, acquired habits, and country, occafioned a deputation of twelve elders of the Polish fynagogues, to intercede with the King for their un

fortunate brethren; in confequence of which application, accompanied with a prefent of 70,000 crowns, he remitted fome part of the severity of the edict, by reducing the qualification for living in the country to 500 crowns, and enlarging in certain cafes, the term limited for their departure.

Another edict was iffued, by which all religious bodies of whatever profeffion, and the governors of hofpitals and the public charities were obliged to fend in an exact account of their respective incomes to the royal chamber at Marienwerder. By a third ordinance, all perfons were forbid, whether in town or country, to difmifs any of their men fervants, without firft giving notice to the King's commiffaries and obtaining their licence for fo doing. These are fome of the effects which every order of people have already experienced from the change of government.

The king's conduct with respect to Dantzick, has been extremely various. The fate of that city is ftill fo uncertain, that a detail of the proceedings relative to it, would be as useless as void of entertainment.

At different times, the application of the maritime powers, and of the Ruffian minifter, feemed to have operated in favour of the city; and fuddenly after, without any apparent cause, the fame violence and threats have again taken place; the tolls, excifes, and port duties, have been fufpended, renewed, taken off, and laid on; and every later account, teemed with new measures or regulations, which overthrew the former. It appears that the Ruffian minister, who acted the part of a mediator, has fupported the king's claim to a part of the harbour, which in effect gives him the command of the whole. This claim is founded upon the territorial rights of the abbey of Oliva; which though they had generally lain dormant for feveral centuries, and the city had the free occupation of the channel in question, from which only its value arofe; yet these rights were at certain times claimed, and about half a century ago, became fo much an object of litigation, as to lay the foundation for a law fuit, which was commenced with the city of Dantzick at Warfaw; but which was never decided.

Upon the ratification of the treaty of ceffion at Warfaw, by which the king gave up his claims on Dantzick, except

rights to the harbour which he ftill retained, he withdrew his troops from the three fuburbs of Schiedlits, Stolzenburg, and Schotland, which he had before fortified, and declared royal towns, as well as from the other pofts they occupied in the neighbourhood of the city, only infifting upon being repaid a large fum of money which he had laid out in the fortifications and to engineers, together with fome other demands, and being for the future acknowledged as the protector of Dantzick. Some tranfactions, however, which have taken place fince the clofe of the year, fhew that this unfortunate city is ftill in as precarious a fituation as it had been before; and that the only certainty it has left, is the lofs of its liberties, and of its antient power and Splendor.

The conduct of the Pruffians with refpect to Thorn, bears fo great a fimilitude to that which they obferved at Dantzick, as to make it needless to enter into the particulars. Too much, however, cannot be faid in praise of that virtue, fortitude, and unconquerable perfeverance, with which the magiftrates and inhabitants have, under a blockade of two years, withstood all the violences of rapine, and the menaces of power, and fhewed themselves equally proof against want, temptation, and danger; who have had repeatedly the hardinefs to declare, when apparently furrounded by inevitable deftruction, that they knew of no fovereign but their lawful prince, and that in the last extremity, they would freely part with their lives, fooner than refign their liberties into the hands of unjuft power. By this noble and determined refolution they have hitherto preferved them.

While the Jesuits have funk under the vengeance of the Roman Catholic powers, and the Pope himself has put the finishing hand to their deftruction, the King of Pruffia affords them that asylum and protection, which they are denied in all other countries. It would be of little confequence to refine upon the motives or policy of this conduct; the king himself, in a letter to his agent at Rome, accounts for it by obferving, that by the treaty of Breslau he had guarantied the religion in the ftate it then was; that he had never met with better priests than the Jefuits; and that he might inform the Pope, that as he was of the clafs of heretics, he could not grant him a difpenfation for October, 177

breaking his word, nor for deviating from the duty of an honeft man, or a king. As the Jefuits are poffeffed of feveral confiderable colleges in Silefia, it remains to be feen, whether they will pay obedience to the Pope's bull under the protection of a proteftant prince.

The late revolution in Denmark has not been productive of any particular change, in the internal government, or public conduct of that country. Some feverities to printers, and fome harsh orders against the people's affembling and meeting in any confiderable numbers, feemed rather to fhew a weakness in government, than any real caufe for fuch fufpicious proceedings, which should only be practised in cafes of the greatest danger and neceffity. The Sieur Thura having written a piece entitled the Prognofticators, which reflected feverely on the authors of the late revolution, was condemned by the high tribunal to fuffer the fame punishment which Struenfee and Brandt had already undergone.

The dangers which were apprehended from abroad, may be fuppofed to have had fome fhare in promoting the internal quiet. It is certain that the state of affairs in Sweden, and the motions made on the fide of Norway in the beginning of the year, were not a little alarming to the court of Copenhagen. The garrifons in that country, notwithstanding the feverity of the climate, were accordingly repaired and reinforced in the depth of the winter; and the troops were every where augmented, and put in the best condition. The fame diligence was ufed in equipping a contiderable fleet, and in preffing and raifing 6000 additional failors; for which purpose, all thofe in foreign fervice were recalled, and fuch other measures purfued, that foon after the opening of the Baltic, twelve fhips of the line were fit for immediate fervice.

The treaty with Ruffia, by which Denmark has obtained the exclufive fovereignty of the dutchies of Slefwic and Holftein, and thereby become mistress of the whole Cimbric Cherfonefe, may be confidered as the moft fortunate and advantageous that the ever concluded. Befides the getting rid of a dangerous neighbour, where the joint fovereignty would afford eternal matter for debate and contention, and in a great measure prevent all improvement on either fide, the has now, by the poffeffion of the

Eeee

whole