4th Nov.

were made on the part of the mediating powers; among which, that of Mr. Wroughton, the British minifter, (which the reader will fee in our state-papers), is remarkable, as well for its energy, as the tender and friendly terms in which it is expreffed. Thefe fteps, instead of mollifying, ferved only 21ft Nov. to exasperate the diet, which fell into violent heat and diforder; and many of the members demanded with great impetuofity, that the propofal of the Bishop of Wilna fhould be figned. The king finding the members were in a great ferment, attempted to adjourn the feffion to another day; but not being able to accomplish it, his Majefty retired from the affembly. Then the Prince Primate was preffed to continue the 'feffions; and the marshal of the diet went fo far, as to declare in the name of his party, that he would not quit the palace till this affair was fettled. This importunity induced the Prince Primate to retire likewife; upon which the nuncios were fo irritated, that they fuddenly left the fenate, in order to go to their own place of meeting, and finding the door locked, would have broke it open, if fome of the fenators had not interpofed, and moderated their fury.

In a few days after, 24th Nov. the propofal of the Bi

fhop of Wilna was a gain read; and there was not a member of the affembly who dared, or would oppofe it; fo that it was generally approved, and afterwards figned. By this decifion, all the conftitutions against the

diffidents, which we have already taken notice of, particularly thofe of 1717, 1723, 1736, and 1764, were revived and confirmed.

Some time before this, a ftrong memorial was delivered, at the motion of the Bishop of Wilna, to Prince Repnin, the Ruffian ambaffador, upon the fubject of the Ruffian troops that had entered Poland; and to infift upon their immediate departure out of that kingdom. This memorial produced no manner of effect, and feemed to be very little attended to on the contrary it was faid, that orders were given to quarter fome of thofe troops on the estates of the Bishop of Wilna, and others, who were most remarkable for their viclence in the proceedings against the diffidents.

The last day of its fitting, the diet feem- 29th Nov. ed to have recovered greatly from that heat and violence with which it was fo lately agitated. The affair of the diffidents was again brought under confideration, on which they fat feventeen hours, and came to the following refolution: "We have received, with all poffible confideration, the declarations which the ambaffador of her Imperial Majelty of all the Ruffias, the Prince de Repnin; the minifter plenipotentiary of his Majefty the King of Pruffia, M. Benoit; the English minifter, Mr. Wroughton; and the Danish minifter, M. de St. Saforin, have prefented, in writing, on the part of their refpective fovereigns, in favour of the Greeks and diffidents in the kingdom of Poland and great duchy of Lithuania. We affure thofe minifters

that

that we will fully maintain the faid diffidents in all the rights and prerogatives to which they are in itled by the laws of the country, particularly by the confitution of the year 1717, &c. and by treaties. As to the griefs of the diidents, in refpect to the exercise of their religion, the college of the Moft Reverend Archbishops and Bishops, under the direction of the Prince Primate, will endeavour to remove those difficulties, in a manner conformable to juftice and neighbourly love. The regulation drawn on this fubject, fhall be inferted in the acts of the metrique, and from thence communicated to all those who shall require it-We charge the chancellors of the two nations to report this refolution to the ambaffadors and minifters above mentioned."

The fame day the epifcopal college figned nine articles, which were depofited among the archives, in favour of the Greeks and Proteftants. By thefe, the diffidents are allowed the free exercife of their worship, in all the places where they have been allowed by the laws to have churches: they may repair thefe churches, or build them; but they are not to enlarge their extent; they are to be allow. ed burying-places, but the funerals must be performed without any ceremonies, except what are permitted by law. Where they have no churches, they may have divine service in their own houfes; and the Greek priests may baptize, marry, and bury, provided they pay the established clergy their legal fees, &c.

This regulation was figned by all the prelates, except the bishop

of Wilna, who refused to do it, and the bishops of Ermoland and Samogitia, who were not prefent at that affembly. It is far from being probable, that the mediating powers, who claimed and expected much greater, will be at all fatisfied with thefe conceffions; nor is it well to be conceived, confidering the vicinity and power of two of them, if they.perfitt in their folicitations, how the Poles can avoid complying with them.

The fituation of the King of Poland upon this occafion is truly pitiable; bleffed as he is with a great and enlarged mind, with extenfive parts, and a liberal education, there is little doubt, that he is in himself an enemy to persefecution; and would with, without any foreign application, to be able to redrefs thofe grievances, which through his circumfcribed. power, and the prejudices of his country, he is at prefent reftrained from attempting. It must add to his fenfibility, that, upon this occafion, he is obliged to differ with thofe powers whom he is under the greatest obligations to, who had a confiderable fhare in procuring him his crown, and with one of whom he has had a perfonal acquaintance and friendshipHis anfwer to the minifter of Ruffia is remarkable: "I have not forgotten (fays his Majefty) the obligations I am under to the Emprefs of Ruffia, among the means which God Almighty made ufe of to raife me to the throne; but when I came to it, I promised the exact obfervation of my religion through-.

out

my kingdom. If I was weak enough to abandon it, my life and my throne would be expofed to the juft refentment of

my

my fubjects. I am threatened with forcible means to oblige me to do what is afked of me, which would reduce me to an extremity equally unhappy. I perceive danger in whatever refolution I may take; but I had rather be expofed to fuch as my duty and honour in

duce me to make choice of; and from this time I join with my country, in defence of our holy religion." A fentiment arifing, it is to be hoped, rather from the neceffity of his fituation, than from principles favourable to perfecution.

T has been obferved, that it is eafier to conquer half the world, than to fubdue a fingle prejudice, or error; most nations have a degree of fuperftitious attachment to thofe habitudes which they derived from their ancestors, which feemed to come along with them into the world, and with which they have been nurfed, and brought up. Wife princes have generally been very cautious how they attempted to combat thefe particular prejudices; though they have, without ceremony, frequently overturned the political, civil, or even religious fyftem of their countries; yet, except Peter the Great, they generally fuffered the inhabitants to wear their beards their own way. Of all the nations in Europe, the Spaniards feem the moft tenacious of their old customs, and of thofe peculiarities which they inherit from their ancestors; among thefe, a cloak, a long fword, and a flapped hat, have, from time immemorial, been looked upon as diftinctions, which

were the birthright of every true Spaniard.

The prefent King of Spain had received an early tincture of French manners, together with a ftrong predilection for every thing belonging to that nation. By his long refidence in Italy, he had alfo acquired a great affection for the nives, as well as modes of that country; though there is a wide difference between the manners of the two nations; yet as they agree in being oppofite to thofe of the Spaniards, it is no wonder if the peculiarities of the latter appeared difgufting to him. Upon his acceffion to the crown of Spain, he was attended by a number of his Italian favourites, who were followed by fhoals of their dependents. It was foon found, that the foreigners had an entire poffeffion of the King's ear; one of them, the Marquis of Squillacci, became prime minifter: and others fucceeded to places of lefs confequence. Foreign councils produced foreign meafures; the

nation was precipitated, much against the cafe of all true Spaniards, into a destructive war (in which it had no manner of concera) with England; the confequences were as difgraceful, as the manner of entering into it had been raft and unadviled.

The fame counfels ftill prevailed; the foreigners, not content to rule the Spaniards, wanted to metamorphofe them into a new people, to make them Frenchmen, or Italians. Intoxicated by the power which they poffeffed over the sovereign, they blindly fplit upon the rock which has been fo generally fatal to favourites, by fetting the collective body of the nation at nought; and vainly imagined that a whole people may be offended with impunity.

A fevere edict was published gainst the wearing of flapped hats, and long cloaks; which was put in execution with an ill-judged rigour. The minifter had alfo granted a monopoly in favour of a certain company, who were allow ed an exclufive right to fupply the city of Madrid with provifions, by which means the prices of bread, oil, &c. were confiderably augmented; and thefe commodities making the principal part of the food of the poorer people, the confequences were fevere1. felt, and excited a general diffa

tisfaction.

It must be observed in juftice to the Italian minifter, that fome of is regulations deferved praife; among which was that for lighting the streets of Madrid, for which parpofe he had above 5000 lamps fxed in that metropolis. And if the invincible averfion of the people to the minifter, and at

tachment to their own customs, could have been got the better of, the prohibition of concealed weapons, and difguifes, would have prevented many of thofe diforders, which to much difgrace the police of that city.

On the 23d of March, about four o'clock in the afternoon,

1765.

a young gentleman dreffed (in defiance of the edict) in a long cloak, and broad bever, was ftopt near the palace by a centinel, whom the gentleman attempted to flab for intercepting him; the centinel prefented his mufket at him, but did not fire. The gentleman thereupon immediately gave a while, which feems to have been a concerted fignal, and fome hundreds of people came in a few minutes to his affiftance, who were fired upon by the Walloon guards, and after feveral were killed, the reft were difperfed. They foon affembled, however, again in prodigious bodies, and overpowered the guards, after an obftinate engagement, in which it is faid 70 or 80 of the fol. diers were killed. They then proceeded to the house of the Marquis de Squillacci, who escaped out of it by a back-way, having fent his carriage, with the blinds up, a contrary road, in order to deceive the populace; which ftratagem taking effect, they pursued the carriage in hopes of finding the minifter in it, and were fo enraged at the disappointment on coming up, that they tore it to pieces. They then demolished the Marquis's houfe; after which they purfued him to the Dutch ambaffador's, whither he had fied for refuge; but from whence he alfo efcaped on the appearance of

the

the rioters. The Dutch ambaffador having affured them, that the Marquis was not at his houfe, they proceeded to break all the lamps, and obliged every body they met in the streets, whether on foot or in carriages, to let down the brims of their hats. They alfe dragged the bodies of the Walloon guards, fome of whom it was faid were not quite dead, with great cruelty and barbarity through the streets, and offered them numberlefs indignities; thefe guards had fired upon, and killed many of the populace. Towards midnight, they quietly difperfed, and the city feemed to have recovered its former tranquillity.

Next day the rioters affembled in greater bodies than before; and marched to the royal palace, to the number as was faid of thirty thoufand, where they infifted on fpeaking to the king. This being at length complied with, the king appeared to them about five in the evening, in the great balcony in the middle of the palace. The mutineers then made the following propofitions to his Majefty; that he should discharge bis Italian mi nifters, as they were determined to be governed only by their own countrymen; that the feveral offenfive edicts lately paffed, fhould be repealed, the prices of bread and oil reduced, and the monopoly for fupplying the city with provifions totally fuppreffed; and laftly, that his Majefty fhould give his royal word, never after to call any person to an account for what had paffed on the prefent occafion; and that, upon thefe conditions, they would difperfe, and continue good fubjects. The king thought proper to comply with thefe de

mands, and the rioters retired from the palace. In their return they happened to meet the Earl of Rochford, the English ambassador, in his coach, whom they faluted with the general acclamation of Vivad la libertad; fome of them then defired that his Lordship would put on his cloak and beaver, which he having readily complied with, they cried out, No French fashions; peace with Eng. land, and war with all the world befide.

The mutineers having difperfed, and retired quietly to their refpective homes, the city of Madrid was as calm in a few hours, as if no fuch disturbance had happened. This quiet however was not of a long continuance; the king and royal family having thought proper to quit that city, at one o'clock 25thMars the fucceeding morning, retired to Aranjuez; whither they were followed by the Walloon guards, who had fuffered feverely in the late fcuffle, and were mortally hated by the people.

Nothing could equal the furprife and rage of the people, when they difcovered in the morning, that the king and royal family had retired from the palace. They cried out, their fidelity was fufpected; and running immediately together in large bodies, they stript the invalids of their arms, who quietly fuffered them to be taken, without making the smallest resistance.

A large body of the populace, confifting of 10,000 men, then furrounded the city, and fuffered neither carriage, mule, or man to go out; while the Spanish guards kept clofe in their quarters, and