order, and figned by his Jewith fecretary, carried the diftinction between a partial.and general war to a fill greater length, and ferioufly recommended to the Spaniards, inftead of attempting the defence of their African poffeffions, to follow the example now fet by his mafter, and to exert their utmost force in driving the English out of Gibraltar. All these papers teemed with an affectation of moderation, juftice, and humanity. The emperor's letter, together with the commencement of hoftilities against the garrison of Ceuta, which were announced by the officer who delivered it, and immediately fucceeded his return Q&. 23d. to the Moorish camp, were anfwered by the court of Madrid with a declaration of war. This breach of peace did not, however, prevent the Spanish monarch from difplaying an inftance of lenity and humanity, which was equally becoming the character of a chriftian prince, and confiftent with the principles of policy. Some fmall time previous to thefe tranfactions, a number of Spanish captives had been obtained from the regency of Algiers by the Emperor of Morocco, who fent them under the care of an Alcaide to Carthagena; in return for this act of generofity and mercy, the king ordered that the Alcaide fhould not only be prefented with the fubjects of Morocco who had been taken aboard Algerine veffels, but alfo with the old and wounded Algerines, who groaned out their wretched lives in captivity. It however happened, that these unfortunate people had not yet departed for their respective coun-tries; but the king commiferating their fituation, and properly confidering the hardship, that an event in which they were no ways concerned thould be the means of perpetuating their mifery, ordered that the former intention in their favour should be still fulfilled. Whatever other views might have predominated in the cabinet, it is evident from the moderate terms in which the declaration is couched, that this war was by no means wifhed for by the Spanish court. And notwithstanding the continual armaments which have been carried on in the ports of that kingdom, their garrifons upon the coafts of Africa feem to have been much neglected; nor were they upon this occafion fupplied with the alacrity which might have been expected. Indeed, it has long been a matter of furprize, that Spain, which has upon certain occafions entered wantonly into very dangerous and expenfive wars, fhould fo long have fuffered her trade to be harraffed, and her coafts infulted, by the piratical states of Barbary, On the other hand it is evident, that the Emperor of Morocco has totally miftaken the nature and extent of his force; and that his loofe, ill. difciplined troops, whatever effects they might produce in a defultory field war, are totally incapable of carrying on fieges. His artillery, and knowledge in its application and ufe, are equally defective. Upon the whole, it may not be too much to fay, that whatever might be the fate of leffer places, either of the fortreffes of Oran or Ceuta, is in itself capable, if properly garrifoned and provided, to baffle the united force and kill of all Africa. [C] 3 The The Moorith prince, however, like others who are unfkilled in the art of war, imagined that all things might be effected by numbers. He accordingly Dec. 8th. appeared before Melilla, at the head of a great army; the better and only ufeful part of which was compofed of horse, the foot in that fervice being of no value. If his train of artillery was confiderable, his engineers were contemptible; but he endeavoured to fupply thefe defects by the vigour of his attacks, and according ly cannonaded and bombarded the place with great fury. Melilla is fituated in the kingdom of Fez, (the ancient Mauritania Tingitana) and lies on the Mediterranean, oppofite to Almeria in Spain, and not far diftant from the Straits mouth. The fortifications were at best but indifferent, and had grown worse by neglect; and the place was in every respect badly provided for defence. Thefe deficiencies were, however, amply compenfated by the bravery and conduct of the governor Don Sherlock, a veteran officer of great honour, and of no lefs fkill in his profeffion. The emperor found his threats to intimidate, the viólence of his affaults, and his conciliatory propofals for an honourable capitulation, all equally fruitlefs. It is the error of raw generals, as it is of raw fwordímen, that they will attempt the practice of fcientific rules in action, which they either do not comprehend, or at best have not experience to execute. Upon this fyftem the Moorith prince would go through all the forms of a regular fiege, and damped the ardor of his troops, who hated labour and fatigue, and were therefore eager to form the town. If this had been attempted, it is more than probable, from the number and impetuofity of his new foldiers, with the weakness of the garrifon and works, that it must have been attended with fuccefs. In the mean time, fupplies of different kinds arrived, though flowly, from Spain, and fome artillery, which were much wanted, were carried with difficulty into the place. Some Spanish frigates were alfo brought near enough to fire with great effect upon the Moorifh camp and batteries; the former of which they threw into disorder, and deftroyed the latter; so that the enemy were obliged to abandon their works near the fea. Some unfuccessful affaults were nowmade upon the outworks, which, being attended with great lofs, entirely broke the spirit of the Moors. From this time the fiege languifhed. The bombs were probably rendered unserviceable, as we hear no more of their effect, which was at firft great. The Spanish artillery, as well from its fuperiority in point of metal, as in that of fervice, by degrees ruined that of the Moors. The fiege, however, in fome fort, continued for a long time, and entered deep into the enfuing year, which includes fome of the tranfactions we have recited. A fimilar attempt upon Penon de Velez, which lies on the fame coaft, was attended with as little fuccefs. The emperor feems to have attended more to prudence than honour, in directing the beginning of his warfare to the attack of the weaker places; a repulfe from Ceuta or Oran would have been productive of lefs difgrace, and would have lefs expofed his weakness. It seems as if this new warrior was already heartily tired of an adventure, for which he is fo unfitly qualified; and there is little probability that the war will be of any continuance. It is faid that the manufactories eftablished in Spain, under the patronage and by the immediate direction of the prefent king, have already arrived at such a degree of perfection, as to produce a faving of fome millions of piafters, which were annually fent out of the country for the purchase of those fabricks which are now fupplied at home. Such accounts are to be confidered as partly true and partly falfe, and their degree of authenticity estimated by reafon and experience. New manufactures, however vigorous in their growth, require a certain length of time, before which they cannot arrive at any degree of perfection. Their growth is alfo much checked or forwarded by particular habits and modes of life, which are always changed with difficulty. That the manufactures in Spain are at prefent in a thriving ftate, and may hereafter become of great confequence to themselves and other nations, is too probable; but that they have already produced the effects afcribed to them, cannot be admitted. The king has at length ftripped the inquifition of most of thofe powers which rendered it odious and terrible. It will, for the future, be little more than a college of enquiry into religious matters. Its jurifdiction and prifons are taken from it, and thofe powers happily restored to the civil tribunals. This measure will have an extraordinary effect, in promoting arts, manu factures, commerce, and learning, and will render Spain a fecure and happy refidence to strangers. The troubles at Palermo, in Sicily, have at length been happily compofed, to the fatisfaction of the people, without bloodthed or violence. The only punishment inflicted on that people, was the uncertainty of their fate, during the many months in which the rod feemed to hang over their heads. To this might be added, though of much lefs confequence, the tranfferring of the court, and of the seat of government, to Meffina. The court of Naples fupported its own dignity, by continuing the Duke de Fogliani in his office of viceroy, notwithstanding the clamours of the infurgents, until his removal appeared rather a matter of course, than a compliance with their defires or importunity. It acted ftill more wifely, in not hazarding the fate of a kingdom, and spilling the blood of the people, in a contest upon a fubject, which was in no degree adequate to the rifque and mifchief. Punithments, mercies, forbearance, and profecution, are rendered acts of wisdom or folly, only by their degree and application. The firft popular act took place late in the July 10th. fummer, and was the publication of a general pardon, without exception, to all the inhabitants of Palermo, who had been concerned in the late infurrection: this was accompanied by the removal of Count Corafa, and the appointment of the Prince of Villa Franca to the command in chief of the forces in Sicily; a meafure which had been long fought, and ardently wished for, by the people. About the fame time, the Duke de Fogliani held an affembly of the ftates at Cefalu; after which he paid a cuftomary vifit to the court of Naples; and, on the Auguft 13th. queen's birth-day, the Prince of Aliano was appointed viceroy of Sicily. The Archbishop of Palermo, the darling of the people, and particularly of the infurgents, having accompanied the late viceroy to court, was received and acknowledged as prefident of that kingdom. By fuch fimple and gentle methods has peace and happiness been confirmed on two kingdoms. confpire to render it of confequence. The irruption of the imperial troops into Dalmatia had given the republic fufficient caufe of alarm, and it was now too much to be apprehended, in the prefent reftlefs ftate of her neighbours, that an alliance was forming for ftripping her of a great part, if not the whole of her continental dominions. The republic applied with her ufual addrefs to negociation, for the prevention of thefe dangers: and with her ufual flowness, to the reinforcing of her troops, and the ftrengthening of her frontiers. 、 Some ambiguity obferved in the conduct, or fancied in the intentions, of the King of Sardinia, has in the courfe of the year adminiftred matter of speculation and uneafinefs to feveral of his neighbours. This prince had a difference with the state of Venice foon after his fucceffion, upon one of those subjects of etiquette and forin, for a punctilious obfervance of which, though of little confequence in their nature, the Italians are diftinguished from other European nations. It feems, that the republic did not fend two ambaffadors to compliment the king upon his acceffion, which she is said cuftomarily to do in the cafe of other monarchs. This matter was resented fo heinously by the court of Turin, that the Venetian minifter was commanded to quit that country, and his audience of leave refufed by the king. About the fame time the Sardinian minifter withdrew from Venice without taking leave. Such an affair would demand little confideration, and would be eafily adjusted, if other matters did not Nor were the King's conduct and views lefs fufpicious and alarming to others of his neighbours. The republic of Genoa, the city of Ge- · neva, and the immediately bordering cantons of Switzerland, were all apprehenfive of fome obfolete or dormant claims being revived, upon their respective territories. What foundation there was for this general alarm, cannot be de, termined. The King's power, fingly, was not fufficient for the effect: and it feems not easy to conceive, what fcheme of partition could be formed between him and any of the neighbouring great powers, which would not have been opposed by others. Perhaps this ftate of apprehenfion and fufpicion may principally proceed from the general complexion of the times, and the recent examples that have been prefented in other parts of Europe. However that may be, it feems to have fubfided in a confiderable degree towards the clofe of the year. It does not feem probable, that the death of the Pope will have Sept. 21ft. any extraordinary effect upon the public affairs of Italy. Such events are not now of of the importance that they have been. They, however, ftill adminifter opportunities for the exertion of those refined talents in negociation, intrigue, and the management of parties, which fo much diftinguith the Italians; and which are upon these occafions rendered fubfervient to the views of the great Roman catholic powers, intermixed with the particular policy of the ftates of Italy. Francis Laurentius Ganganelli, the late pontiff, was born at St. Angelo, in the duchy of Urbino, on the 31st of October, 1705; and was elected to fill the pontifical chair on the 10th of May, 1769, when he affumed the name of Clement the 14th. He found the fee of Rome involved in a dangerous conteft with the house of Bourbon, which threatened its very existence as a temporal ftate, and, by a prudent compliance with the neceflity of the times, he conciliated the favour of that family, and thereby recovered the territories which had been wrefted from the church, and restored it to peace and fecurity. It is not at all certain that this compliance was contrary to his own inclination; and it feems rather probable that he was not difpleafed fo fair an opportunity was prefented for the diffolution of the Jefuits. The late Pope feems to have been a man of a moderate character, neither very eminent for extraordinary virtues or abilities, nor degraded by weakness or vices. He is, however, faid to have been beloved and regretted by his fubjects, a chcumftance which is alone. fufficient to fix a valuable ftamp. upon his character. His reign was rendered troublefome by the colli fion of parties on the affairs of the Jefuits; and it is pretended that his latter days were embittered by the apprehenfions of poifon. Tho' this report was probably apocryphal, it is faid that he often complained of the heavy burden which he was obliged to bear, and regretted with great fenfibility the lofs of that happy tranquillity which he enjoyed in his retirement, when only a fimple Francifcan. He was, however, fortunate, in having an opportunity, by a fingle act, to diftinguith a fhort adminiftration of five years in fuch a manner, as will ever prevent its finking into obfcurity. His death was immediately attributed to poifon; as if an old man of feventy, loaded with infirmities and diforders, could not quit the world without violence. His proceedings against the Jefuits furnifhed a plaufible colour for this charge, and the malevolence of their enemies embellished it with circumftances. It feems even as if the minifters of thofe powers who had procured their diffolution, did not think it beneath them to countenance the report; as if falichoed was neceflary to prevent the revivalof a body, which had already funk in its full ftrength, under the weight of real mifconduct. The charge was the more ridiculous, as the pontiff had undergone a long and painful illness, which originally proceeded from a fuppreffion of urine, to which he was fubject: yet the report was propagated with the greatest induftry: and though the French and Spanith minifters were prefent at the opening of his body, the moft horrible circumftances were publifhed relative to that operation; and it |