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covering its natural ftrength and vigour.

The island of Corfica enjoys very few advantages from nature and fituation; and this dear-bought conqueft, in time of univerfal peace, proves the reftlefs and incroaching difpofition of the French miniftry, at the fame time that it evinces their folly, as the perpetual poffeffion of it will never be adequate to the blood and treasure wafted in this fruitless acquifition.

It feems as if the king of France had loft his intellects and funk into dotage long before his death, by the choice of his minifters, and the pernicious measures he permitted them to purfue. The French nation judged, from his unconcern at the death of Madame Pompadour, that he was glad to be rid of an imperious and infolent mistress, who began by sharing his royalty, and finished by engroffing it to herself. Yet the coquetry, wantonnefs, and levity of Madame Barré, who by dint of art tried to fupply the unkindness of nature, enfnared the weak, unguarded monarch, who could not please her as a man. It was by her malignant infinuation that the duke of Choifeuil was difgraced, and the duke D'Aiguillon, the moft unpopular nobleman in France, impeached and convicted by a fovereign court of judicature of the moft odious acts of oppreffion, was not only fcreened from juftice and exemplary punishment, but nominated prime minifter, and admitted to the king's confidence and familiarity, to the fcandal and univerfal reproach of the nation.

The two minifters of the finances during this reign, who have amufed, deceived, and been laughed at by the French nation, for their extra

vagant and ridiculous projects, are M. de Silhouette and the abbe Terray, both loft in vain, idle, and frivolous fpeculation. The laft did not blush to own, in 1769, that the king was infolvent; and he purfued measures pretty much fimilar to thofe practifed by the regent to recruit the royal finances.

This monarch was prompted to the exertion of his prerogative beyond the attempts that ever were made by Lewis XIV. in the meridian of his oftentatious power: the fuppreffion of the Jefuits, a religious" order, whofe intrigues, wealth, and politics, aimed at the fupremacy of Chriftendom, was one of those bold ftrokes of authority: the other most odious and unpopular act of royalty was the diffolution of the parliaments of the kingdom, and the creation of new courts of judicature in their place. Though the parlia ments of France had affumed to themfelves a fhare of the legislative power, which they never had in their inftitution, they were beheld as the guardians of the people, and made a noble stand for their liberty and property, against the oppreffive edicts of the crown. Lewis XIV. in the height of his difpleafure exiled them for a time, but he never carried his refentment farther.

Lewis XV. encouraged, by his royal munificence, men of letters and artists, and fometimes admitted them to his prefence; not that he was a judge of literary merit and the fine arts, but he was told the glory of a king chiefly confifted in the princely rewards and diinctions granted to merit. He died unlamented by a loyal people, whom he had too long injured and impoverished, and left, like Lewis XIV. the state in its decline, to

the natural efforts of its vigorous conftitution.

This monarch was feized, in his old age, with the fmall-pox, which had already been uncommonly fatal in his family; and, after a few days illness, died at Verfailles, on the 10th of May, 1774, in the fixty-fourth year of his age, and the fifty-ninth from his acceffion to the throne *.

Some Particulars of the Life of Charles Emanuel III. the late King of Sardinia.

As the House of Savoy is one of the most ancient and illuftrious in Europe, having produced no fewer than thirty-four fovereigns, celebrated for their victories and political talents; and as there is no kingdom in Italy with the ftrength and state of which it imports us fo much to be well acquainted as Sardinia, whofe power, under the late king, was exerted for the nobleft purposes in preferving the freedom and independency of his own Jubjects and his allies; we apprehend the following fetch of his tranfactions, compiled from the best authorities, will not be unacceptable to our readers.

ICTOR AMADEUS, the first

VICTOR

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his father, Charles duke of Savoy, in the year 1675, and that by a very furprising accident. He was then a boy, and had just begun his exercises. His father, who had a

true forefight of his great qualities, was extremely fond of him; and, coming one day to fee him ride, the young prince had the misfortune to be thrown from his horfe with fuch violence, that thofe about him cried out he was killed; which affected the duke to fuch a degree, that he fainted upon the fpot, and died in a few days of the fright. His mother, the dowager of Savoy, governed his dominions during the minority of Victor Amadeus, who foon after espoused Anna Maria of Orleans, only daughter to Philip duke of Orleans, and brother to Lewis XIV. by Henrietta Maria, daughter of our King Charles I. fo that he became nearly allied to our royal family, and his fon, the late king of Sardinia, was the first prince of the Popith line after the heirs male of the houfe of Stuart, but excluded from this fucceffion by the act of fettlement.

Charles Emanuel was born at

Turin the 27th of April, 1701; fing uncommon abilities during the and gave fingular proofs of poffelearly part of his life. In the year 1722, he married the princess Ann of Neubourgh, who died a few months after. In compliance with

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year 1724, he entered into a second matrimonial union with Polyxena, princefs of Heffe Rhinfels, by whom he had iffue Victor Amadeus duke of Savoy, born the 26th of June,

The late dauphin of France married Maria Jofepha of Saxony, who died at Versailles, the 13th of March, 1767, aged thirty-five years, by whom he had iffue,

Lewis Auguftus, the prefent king, born 1754, who was married in the year 1770, to Maria Antonietta, fifter of the Emperor of Germany, born 1755. L. Stan. Xavier, Count de Provence, born 1755.

Charles Philip, Count D'Artois, born 1757.

Maria Adelaide, born 1759.

Elizabeth Philippa, born 1764,

1726, who now poffeffes the throne of Sardinia; Eleonora Theresa, Maria Gabrielle, and Maria Felicia. Whilst prince Emanuel was employed in the education of his family, the king, worn out with the continual fatigues of a long and active reign, was defirous of paffing a few years in retirement with the countefs St. Sebaftian, whom he had privately married, and refolved to renounce the throne in favour of his fon. This extraordinary refignation took place in the month of September 1730, and was made with great folemnity, in the prefence not only of the great minifters of his court, but alfo of almoft all the nobility, and perfons of diftinction, in his dominions. He referved to himself an annuity of one hundred and fifty thousand livres per annum; and, having recommended moderation to his fon, and fidelity to his fubjects, refigned his crown with the utmost appearance of fatisfaction.

Emanuel mounted the throne (which his father had quitted) in his thirtieth year; and, a fhort time after, was not a little embarraffed at the efforts Victor Amadeus made to recover the reins of government, which he had fo folemnly refigned. The old king, at the inftigation of the lady he had married, grew diffatisfied with his private condition, and began to form defigns of refuming his dignity, which he profecuted in a manner fuitable to fo wild and inconfiftent a project, and to the character of the perfon at whofe inftance he was weak enough to attempt it. The young king acted a very wife and difcreet part. He called together the great officers of state and the nobility, and, having acquaint

ed them with the neceffity he was under to fecure his father's perfon, he demanded their advice: and they were unanimously of opinion, that as well for the fake of his fubjects as himself, he fhould continue to adminifter affairs with the fame fpirit, œconomy, and prudence, which he had fhewn from the time he had mounted the throne.

In following their advice, he thewed himself a true father to his country; for there is nothing more certain, than that it was with the utmost reluctance and concern that he took the only measure that was left for him to take, that of confining the old king to the palace of Montcalier, where he remained to the day of his death, which was the laft of October, 1732, in the 67th of his age.

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In confequence of a rupture between the houses of Auftria and Bourbon, which happened on the death of Auguftus king of Poland, in the year 1733, his Sardinian Majefty figned an offenfive and defenfive alliance with France, to which Spain afterwards acceded. The true defign of this wife prince in making this treaty was that expreffed in his manifefto, viz. reitoring the balance of power in Italy, where he thought the house of Auftria had acquired too great an afcendancy.

It is at least certain, that many of the Italian potentates had just reason to complain of the conduct of the court of Vienna; and that notwithstanding this, their complaints were very little regarded; which, joined to his own particular grievances, induced his Sardinian majefty to believe, that, if the plan laid down in this alliance could be carried into execution, the affairs

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of Italy would not only be put into a better condition for the prefent, but that all things might be pro"perly fettled, on a right and folid bafis, for the future. When the French army began to pafs the Alps, Count Traun, at that time governor of Milan, was fo little apprised of the true ftate of things, that he offered his Sardinian maje fy all the affiftance in his power, to impede their paffage; to which the king anfwered coldly, that they did not come as enemies.

Marshal Villers commanded the French army, and, his Sardinian majefty having joined his troops, the conqueft of the Milanefe was very foon atchieved. The king made his campaign in perfon, as he likewife did the next year; but, the queen falling dangerously ill, he was constrained to return to Turin in the latter end of the month of June, 1734 and during his abience was fought the famous battle of Parma. Count Merci commanded the Imperialists; he was extremely ill of the gout, but that did not hinder his taking poft on the right of the first line of his infantry, in his armed chair, where, with great coolnefs and intrepidity, he gave his orders till he was mortally wounded. The French general was monfieur de Coigni, who having been lately deceived by the Imperialists palling the Oglio, and penetrating into the Parmesan, which he thought impractable, he was the more concerned to recover his reputation by gaining a battle. This rendered the difpute very obftinate and very bloody; for fome people fay, that there never was an action, in which the business was determined by fmall arms, that lafted longer than this, except the enfuing battle of Guaftalla.

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The Imperialists were obliged to retire; but prince Lewis of Wirtemberg, who fucceded count Merci in his command, brought his forces in very good order to Reggio, and, the field marshal count Koningsegg coming to take the command, it was not long before he made the French fenfible of his fuperior capacity; for, on the 15th of September, 1734, he paffed the Secchia, furprised a part of the French army, and obliged marthal Broglio, who was a horfe officer, and ought to have known the fords better, to make his escape without his breeches. This brought on the battle of Guaftalla, which was fought on the 19th, and therein the king of Sardinia commanded in perfon. He had already gained a great character in public and private life; he was the father of his family and of his people; enjoyed in his court the pleasures of a regular and amiable economy, at the fame time that he was revered and adored by his fubjects. He had fhewed a reach in politics much fuperior to his age, but his behaviour in the battle of Guastalla obfcured all that he had hitherto performed, and the fplendor of that victory, which was entirely owing to his perfonal courage and his conduct, threw his former great actions into fhade, fince all Europe rung now with his praises as a hero.

In the beginning of the next year died his queen, which however did not hinder the king from appearing again in the field, where count Koning fegg found himfelf obliged to yield to the great fuperiority of the allies, and the kill of the Spanish general, the duke de Montemar, one of the ablest proficients in the art of war then in

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Europe. All the Imperialists had to do was to preferve their last stake, the important city and fortrefs of Mantua; and this they did till the preliminaries were fettled and figned at Vienna.

On this occafion his Sardinian majesty had a convincing proof of the steadiness, good faith, and upright intention of the court of France; for, the British miniftry having concerted with the court of Vienna a plan of peace, by which Tortona and the Tortonefe, Novara and the Novarefe, together with the Vigevanafque, were to be detached from the duchy of Milan, and annexed for ever to Piedmont, the French court, by a clandeftine negociation, deprived him abfolutely of one of these districts, and only left him the choice of the other two, in which fituation he preferred the former. These preliminaries were figned October 3, 1735; and were in every refpect favourable to France, injurious to her allies; fatal to the house of Auftria, and destructive of the balance of Europe.

It was from this time that his majefty pursued, with the greateft fteadiness, his original fyitem of reftoring and preferving, to the ut most of his power, the balance of Italy, by preventing the encroachments of either of the two great families, whofe quarrels have fo long disturbed the peace of that country, and indeed of all Europe. At the preffing inftances of his fubjects he confented to a third marriage; and, in the month of March, 1737, efpoufed the princefs Elizabeth Therefa, fifter to the late emperor, then duke of Tufcany, a princefs who joined all the accomplishments that are amiable VOL. XVII.

in her fex to all the virtues that were requifite to adorn her high station.

After the death of Charles VI. emperor of Germany, new troubles arofe from the pretenfions of the Spaniards, who attacked part of the queen of Hungary's dominions in Tufcany. Emanuel fupported her with great fpirit; and, when the Spaniards marched an army towards Turin, he defended his country fo effectually, that the enemy, after attempting to force his intrenchments at Villa Franca, were obliged to abandon their defign of penetrating through the country of Nice; and they were alfo defeated in another attempt they made thro' the valley of Barcelonetta. It is true, that in the winter they fell upon the duchy of Savoy, and made themselves masters of it; but the king foon drove them out again, and covered that country till the clofe of the year, when, by dint of fuperior force, they became mafters of it again. By this time the face of affairs was fomewhat changed in Europe, and his Sardinian majefty was more at liberty to avow his real intentions; which, when he found himself fecure of being fupported by his allies, he did without fcruple; and his troops had a very confiderable fhare in the famous battle of Campo Santo, which was fought in February 1743, in which Count Afpremont, who commanded the forces in chief, loft his life. It is very true, that, after the Court of Vienna thought fit to recal Marshal Traun, and fend Prince Lobkowitz towards the frontiers of Naples, his majesty did not appear extremely vigorous in fupporting that meafure; but the reafon is very plain, and was no other C

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