late peace. Reviews, encampments, new manoeuvres, and propofed improvements in artillery or difcipline, keep the mind awake with all the fplendour and apparatus of war, and its image conitantly in view; nothing remains wanting, but chance, caprice, or ill humour, to furnish it with life and efficacy. Whilft the great potentates are occupied by thefe dangerous amufements, the leffer princes are immerfed in diffipation and pleasures. The free cities and towns, which were the nurseries of liberty, arts, and opulence, are, in refpect to power and confequence, dwindling to nothing, and their remaining immunities becoming every day more precarious. In this ftate of things, a particular combination of circumstances is only requifite, to occafion fuch a revolution in the Germanic fyftem, as would give a new colour to the affairs of Europe. It appears by the mufter roll, delivered at the conclufion of the foregoing year to the council of war at Vienna, that the Auftrian and Imperial armies at that period amounted to 235,000 effective men. Yet the bufineis of recruiting is ftill carried on, with as much induftry as ever. Such armies will of courfe difturb the flumbers of their neighbours; and their prefent movements rather thew an indecifion with respect to the objects of employment, than the fmalleft difpofition to ruft in idleness.

A handful of thefe troops was fufficient, in the course of the fummer, to throw the fage republic of Venice into the utmost confternation and terror. General Whelau, without any previous declaration or notice, marched into the Venetian Dalmatia, at the head of

only fix hundred men, where he took poffeffion of feveral towns and diftricts, and compelled the inhabitants to take oaths of fidelity and allegiance to their Imperial Majetties. Such violations of the law of nations are now grown fo fashionable, that it is probable that ancient code, the flow aggregate and refult of the wifdom and experience of mankind to leffen the miferies of war, will be totally obliterated.

It, however, appears, that through fome inattention, or unavoidable delay, the limits between the Auftrian and Venetian Dalmatia were not fo precifely defined by former treaties, as to cut off all poffible room for future altercation, and that fome matter of this nature was now brought up, to authorize the prefent invafion. It is indeed a common, though unjust and dangerous policy, for powerful and ambitious ftates, in their intercourse with the weaker, still to referve fome trifling claim or pretention undecided, which is fuffered to lie dormant, until the favourable conjuncture arrives that it can be revived with advantage: when the colour of right derived from a matter of fmall confequence, ferves to hide the enormity of that injuftice, which is extended to objects of the greatest.

The republic, according to eftablifhed and ancient cuftom, has endeavoured to cover weaknets, indolence and irrefolution, by negociation and intrigue. The lofs of thefe diftricts, however, if attended with no other confequences, would have been confidered by her as a matter of no great importance. But this violence was apprehended to be only a prelude to greater; and fhe trembled for other claims, [B] 4

or

or a new arrangement of dominion, without any, which were of a much more alarming nature. If things proceed in their prefent course, it will become no great matter of furprize to fee the common train of an ambaffador fent to dispose or take poffeffion of a kingdom.

The nature of fome difputes and jealoufies which have taken place between the court of Vienna and the regency of Hanover, has not yet been exactly afcertained, nor authentically explained. It appears, however, that the Directorial Envoy of Auftria, at the affembly of the plenipotentiary minifters of the empire, held at Regensburg, read a refcript from his court, which contained a number of grievous complaints against that of Hanover. Among thefe, that government was charged with feeking every opportunity of framing leagues, and fomenting factions among the states of the empire, in order to thwart and oppofe the views of the Imperial court. That this prejudice and diflike to their Imperial Majefties, and oppofition to their interefts, had manifefted itfelf in numberlefs inftances, although the houfe of Hanover, upon obtaining the electorate, had folemnly engaged to preferve a good understanding with that of Auftria. That their Imperial Majefties, though fingularly difgufted at the repeated oppofition, and frequent moleftation they had experienced in various tranfactions, fought, not withstanding, by amicable reprefentations made, even in London, to divert the electoral court from its conduct and principles; but that thefe endeavours having hitherto been fiuitlefs, they now found themfelves under a neceflity of declaring, that their conduct with refpect to that court for the

future, fhould be fuited to that which it had practised.

To thefe general complaints fome specific charges were added, which feemed of little moment, and related to the vifitation of the chamber of the empire, and to some impofts laid on in Hanover, upon goods belonging to the fubjects of their Imperial Majefties. The Hanoverian Minifters in their reply, delivered both in London and at Regensburgh, declared, that these charges were received with the greateft amazement by his Britannic Majefty, as he had on every occafion endeavoured to preferve the greatest harmony, and to cultivate the ftricteft friendship with the court of Vienna. That when the Hanoverian minifter oppofed the motions made by the Imperial minifters in the affairs of the German diet, he did it only from a truly patriotic principle; that every one who has a vote at the diet, has a right to oppose any motion which is contrary to his opinion; that differing in opinion is by no means an argument of any breach of harmony; that his Britannic Majesty would not reproach any perfon who differed from him in opinion, and therefore could expect no reproach on that account; and that it is not at all confiftent with the rights of the empire, that his Imperial Majetty thould refent any fuch difference of opinion. As to the affair of the impofts in the electoral dominions, it was faid, that the favour fhewn to the Imperial fubjects, by their being at any time free from them, depended merely on the generofity of the Elector; but was by no means to be confidered as an engagement or obligation. Thus the matter feems to refi at prefent.

The movements of the Aufirian

troops

not this year been productive of any incidents which are materially interesting to the public in general. The King of Sweden, as well from his own difpofition, as the example of his neighbours, pays the clofeft attention to military affairs, and has accordingly formed a very powerful army, and established a reIpectable marine; both of which he feems determined to carry to the highest degree of improvement. In other matters, he is very attentive to commerce, to the internal improvement of the country, and to prevent its depopulation, by the emigration of his fubjects, for which purpose the ancient laws upon that fubject have been renewed and enforced.

The greatest harmony feems at prefent to prevail between the courts of Stockholm and Petersburg, and a new treaty is faid to have been concluded, which, with some additional articles, confirms and renews all former ones fubfifting between the two ftates. In this ftate of good neighbourhood with Ruffia, and without any apparent object of conqueft in view, or caufe of apprehenfion, in any quarter, it would be difficult to account for thefe military preparations, did we not fee the general alarm, and fufpicion of each others defigns, which late tranfactions, and prefent appearances, have excited among all the princes in Europe. The marriage between July 7th, the Duke of Sudermania, 1774 the king's next brother, and the Princefs Charlotte of Holftein Eutin, daughter of the Prince Bishop of Lubeck, has been celebrated with great splendour and magnificence at Stockholm, and feems to have given general fatis

faction to the nation. Sweden has partaken fo happily of the benefits of a plentiful harveft, after the long miferies which it has undergone, that the king has permitted a free exportation of corn from all the ports of that kingdom. A circumitance which fufficiently denotes the extent of the blefling, in a country fo generally deficient in its produce of grain.

Denmark prefents nothing of confequence in the present year, except the marriage of Prince Frederic, the king's brother, O&. 21. with the Princess Sophia Frederica, niece to the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin, which was celebrated with great joy and feftivity at Copenhagen. A grand and magnificent project was formed, which, if capable of being carried into execution, would have been productive of confiderable utility. This was no less than to join the Baltic with the German Ocean, or North Sea, by a cut carried across the Peninfula, which is compofed of the Duchies of Holftein and Slefwic. Such an attempt has long been thought feasible, and a commiffion was now appointed for carrying it into execution. The defign is, however, laid aide for the prefent, either on account of the great expence, or of fome unforeseen difficulties, which were difcovered on examination. It has been long an obfervation with hiftorians, that few of those projects, which were intended in any great degree to counteract the operations, or to change the original defigns of nature, have been crowned with fuccefs.

The death of Lewis XV. King of France, concluded a remarkable period of two fuccefive reigns,

which, for their extraordinary length, are fcarcely to be paralleled in the authentic hiftory of any nation. This period, from the acceffion of Lewis XIV. in 1643, comprehends no less than 131 years. During this time, nine monarchs have fat upon the throne of England. It was also a period pregnant with great and remarkable events; in which amazing revolutions took place in the state of public affairs, and extraordinary changes, even in the general face of Europe. During that period, France had rifen to fuch a degree of power and glory, as even to grasp at univerfal dominion, and was deemed fo dangerous, as to excite a general combination of almoft the whole Chriftian world against her; and the funk at different parts of it, to the loweft ftate of ruin and diftrefs.

The fmall pox, which had already been fo fatal to his family, feized Lewis XV. in the fixty-fourth year of his age, and the fifty-ninth of his reign, and in a few

May 10, days put a period to his 1774. exiftence. The popularity, which in one part of his life had obtained the addition of wellbeloved to his name, had been long fince confiderably diminithed. Although the war of 1741 was diftinguished by many victories on the fide of France, the was much exhausted by it. The late war brought her to that degree of humiliation, that her pride would not fuffer her greatly to refpect a fovereign, under whom the kingdom did not fupport its former fplendour. After the peace, he did not feem to preferve that moderation in his expences and pleasures, nor give altogether that application to his affairs, which might be expected after

fo difaftrous a war. His difputes with his parliaments, and his dif folution of those bodies, detracted alfo fomething from that affection of his fubjects which diftinguished the early parts of his reign. But on the whole, he must be allowed to have been a very mild and merciful prince; wholly free from arrogance or ambition. Though there was nothing great or fhining in his character, he poffeffed a mediocrity of paffions and abilities, which rendered him capable of governing well, whilft he was himself well governed.

This monarch was fucceeded by his grandfon, Lewis XVI. who was then in the 20th year of his age, and was fon to the late Dauphin, by the Princefs Maria Jofepha, daughter to Auguftus III. King of Poland, and Elector of Saxony. The prefent king was married in the year 1770, to Maria Antonietta, of Auftria, daughter to the Emprefs Queen, and fifter to the Emperor of Germany.

The contagiousdiftemper of which the late king died, was foon communicated to the three Madames of France, whose tenderness and affection for a father had, during his illnefs, furmounted their fears of that dreadful diforder. As fome phyfical writers have been of opinion, that the fame caufes which produce that diforder in an individual, may probably operate at the fame time upon others of the fame blood and family, at whatever diftance, and without any direct communication of the infection, the nation now trembled for the fafety of the king and his brothers, and it was fcarcely. deemed an improbable event, that the whole royal family might have been fwept off by that fatal peft,