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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est f Ilm6 d partir de I'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessalre. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. r errata d to It le pelure, pon d U 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 *^ THE HISTORICAL AND ■ 'f Political Mercury :^> V* NUMBER I. X- For S E P T E M B E R, 1759. *• ... . ^ ^. By Monf. Maubert de Gouvert. Tranflated from the French. It ■^^^i^^A^A « LONDON: Printed and fold by J. Townsbnd, at the Comer of White Friers, in Fleet-Strtet. '■£■1 11 II T .J I - 1 U i Q T T. ^J JL i. u » JH r cv { i ^ -^ ir *' ^ V-.> >I CJ. * «' J * •» » *■ <*' .TN V->> I? « T i. J JL )■ .IV> A \ b\ 4 •v« 'I j:aM »,-*•*/» '" I2i ft, i "C \ J ,:v:. O- CI O J ; ui »-mm-».~;.- - .r ' o 2 \ .' * If'obn '(^j r« Q 1^ tJ ft * *'^ '" - * * -s f jf-. . ' • •j.'.rr.'.n*'"'! *f ; Right Honotjrablb .♦ ^ r ,» WrLLlAM PITT, Efqj ■ i» -• ^* »■ »#i..ji>»,^it 'i ^ i ' $ . 1 .-,. i r t * . Principal Secretary of State. SIR, PERMIT me at" time when mod: pro- ductions of the prefs claim a fandtion from your name, to prefix it to a work of this nature, which more immediately con- cerns you in your political capacity. It is true, I am introducing to you a perfon who fonfeiles himfelf to be in the pay of an enemy, ' ' but IV DEDICATION. but Plato has long fince obferved, that it is from an enemy only we can form a pro- per judgment of ourfelves ; and how happy are we in finding, that in our very word light we Ihine out with fo much fplendour ! The charader of integrity which he ftrives hard to appropriate to France, is too glaring to need any comment. He feems to be no ftranger to the mterefts of thebeiS^erttii jJtowefi^s, and the recapitulation he gives us of our fuc- ceflfes in Europe, Afia, Africa, and Ame- rica, with his obfervations upon them, appear kiixk6 like ^ c^ioltattbn IVom *oikr (feqfcittJ^h addrefles, than the fentiments of a dec'ared enemy : So facred, fo powerful is Truth, that even thofe who ftrive with -a pro^ffed intention 'to feffii^, cSnnb't "help fecurfing to her aid, and fometimes make ufe of her coin, while they think they are putting off the coun- terfeit pieces of fallhood. We muft acknow- ledge, that he hasfpoken one truth/that eve- nglimman will^ive his ^fleht to, handW^ at you are the 6nl!y 'court rhinifei-'tliat evA* coul^ fetaih the afe^Idh's t>l 'tTie blboA^; Arid in retiirh to thfs kcknowlec^metil: 1^ will iidd, 'that 'the author of 'this piece is'tht only 'peribh Svho coifUi ^e 'lb *far bftafhbiffra • ' with th N. DEDICATION. ed, that it rm a pro- how happy vorft h'ght lour! The es hard to ng to need ftranger ►^efi^s, and ' our fuc- md Ame- n, appear bc]^i%ti^li 1 dec'ared ■ i Truth, profefled purring to ' her coin, , the coun- t acknow- that eve- ), hahM^ 'tliat ev<% ment W6 ece IS tnfe larhbiff^ witt #ith Truthv Withtowt a define of embracing her. The cauies he affi^s for the proieitc it^ are fkr froien being the ingeiiiuous fenti- ments of his hearty and the liniments he hits placed in his pourtrait of England, feem ftolen from thofe of France ; his palliations are no proofs, and his calumnies far from de- monflrations : The fuccefles which heaven has given his maj^fty^s arms ftnce your adminiftra- tion, are the bed proofs of the juftice of our caufe •, as our victories have been fignal, we xnuft afcribe them only to heaven; and heaven can never give its fafi(5tion to any thing un- juft. The prefent flourilhing ftate of our marine, which he relates with fo much admi- ratbn, is another proof of your fuperior wif. dom and our fuperior happinefs ; happy arc wethaft dur 'cti:!1t;k^s have no other refources but railing and obliquy to palliate their crimes and conceal their lofles ; and happy are we indeed to live under fo glorious and mild a. government, which * not defirous of conceal- ing from its fubjeds /:»e inveftivcs of its bit- tereft enemies, but leaves each individual to the didtates of his. own bread. Whom then C'tti \Vc 'prtilfe biit heaven for having given us fo good a king ? Whom can we honour but ft DEDICATION. but fo good a king) for having given us {o able a mihider ? and whom can we Ibve but fo able a minifter for having fo well feconded the views of fo good a king ? « -. ^- - :::ki ■('■•■ . ;-■ * a. ■V ' I .«i: I am, SIR, ■ c • > J i 1 1 ^ . a J J c. \ J > ' I t . , » ■> ., ♦ ;: o' ..J 4 . . t I With due Submifliori, ^ -.1 /: t, . • ^' r > , Your great Admirer, ,! L^ ,. ; li : , ^i ■ .j: ( • ' rf .... J • .■ » I . I I i * i 1 The Tranflator. V n us Co bve but conded K««:e(«)sJ:e(«)e()O09()e(5e(K:e0e(5903;>3f>^^ 'K vr • PL J :3(!0(i09j«3e()90e()e()^5e()!<59(!9()e09C)3C)e()809(. ^ T THE ,1 .n I - » ori. ...>i HISTORICAL AND to '.('I (' i ": Political Mercury. For SEPTEMBER, 1759. ' urer. ttor. ■ti C H A p. I. jin IntroduSlion fo the prefent Syjlim of Politics in Europe, jnOOOOOf*! E A R is the firlt paffion of man in a S)9C ^ate of nature. It is alfo in fociety the ^ 381 firft and moil powerful fpring of his MM actions. Frequent experience of the in- slLiS^MMJlR feriority of his power gives him fuch a diftruft that, unlefs agitated by feme violent paflion, he would chufe that way of living which expofes him the lead to danger. But he is fuhjetfl to ihofe violent paflions B which The HISTORICAL Sept. which heating his blood give him a boldnefs that de- prives him of his inclination to peace, his natural ftate. A fociety formed on the bcft poflible plan, would without doubt preferve longer than ours the union and concord filablifhed by the legiflature between its members. But fooner or later this harmony will grow weaker, and fall into diforder; for the property of any compounded thing, is to difunite and difTolve itfelf. Nothing then is more chimerical, than the idea of a perpetual peace, between numerous focieties, among whom different interefls and prejudices nourilh the buds of moft violent paffions. The fermentation or eruption of thefe violent paffions have given their particular form to focieties ; ilates have from thence taken their conftitutions. It was for the fake of defending themfelves or attack- ing others, that people chofe chiefs, and thefe chiefs, whom their elevation could not free from all the weak- nefTcs of humanity, (which is common to them with ihofe they govern) have judged but rightly one of the other, in not prefuming too much on their refpedlive attachments fo the principles of equity, and on their mutual tafte for concord and peace. From hence fprung that fcience, fo differently conceived of, under the name of politico, the ftudy of which is devolved to fovcreigns, and thofe who fliare under them the cares of government, and which is nothing more than the art of providing for the happinefs of one nation, without prejudicing the welfare of others, or fearing their refcntment. In judging thus rcfpeftively, fovereigns are allowed to mix diffidence with their reciprocal friendihips, and alfo to adl againfl one another as enemies without dif- gracing their proceedings by perfonal hatred. It is from the dlfTorent manner of their confidering things, that their grievances are founded, andthe peremptory confideratiou of the good of their flate and their peopb, always juf- ilty ill era as to tlic intention. They < i % Sept. iC$ that de- atural ftate. uld without tid concord ibers. But er, and fall ided thing, len is more :e, between iterefts and Fions. The Qlons have have from 1 or attack- lefe chiefs, the weak- with thofe the other, ttachments lal tafle for at fcience, )f politics, and thofe mcnt, and ng for the he welfaxe allowed to hips, and ithout dif- is from the that their ifideratioii Iways juf- They I 1 1 ,759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 9 They excufe and ought to excufe in each other the dc- ftruflive projeds, and the means of putting them into execution. It is in the order and nature of thingw to divide He will by late others, i^arm in the f his defign He will a- ;ir forgotten I'eir old pre- M-fuI in the i becaufehe tizens, who Jrtionis ge- and a »»/- )pe, from a alance. A over Lewis or Charles nuing with the High with his 3wis XIV. : to it, by I refpeflful quiet. '759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. quiet. The houfc of Bavaria drew into its interefts the greateft part of Germany. It threatened Holland with entire dellruftion. It was the moil univcrfal. monarch in Europe, without having perhaps a quarter of the forces of that part of the World. Charles VI. uniting the crown of Spain to the Imperial crown, would have brought back the times of Charles V, with this advan- tage over that emperor, of being far more in cdeem than he, with the Germanic bady. The fortune of war delivered Europe from the firft danger. The peace of Utrecht faved it from the fecond. The balance continued in a (late of inadion near twenty years. The parties employed that time to examine their own fituation and to repair their lofTes. The principal powers defirous of peace, of which they knew the want, laboured unanimouily for its continuance. They fufpefted the infufficicncy of this pretended bal- ance, which had cod them their money and the blood of their fubjefls. But their minifters of flate did not dilHnftly ftrike at its defers ; or they (hook off the thoughts of them for want of knowing what to fubftitute in their room. It was ftill upon the ancient balance that the two rival houfcs tried their Ilrength in 1733. But one of them had net rallied her party ; and fo prevented by a ready accommodation the lofles with which fhe was threatened by the unexpcdcd coldnefs of her prin- cipal partifans. France then gained the dutchies of Bar and Lorrain, the enjcyment of which Ihc alUgued to king Staniflaus, as an indemnification ; and of which fhe ftipulated the reverfion to her crown after the death of that prince. Scarce was this treaty concluded when England made its complaints and reproaches againft this principal article. The court of Vferf'ailles knew they repented of having C aban- fTi lO The HISTORICAL Sept. «!; abandoned the emperor ; and that the ancient allies of the houfe of Auftria, growing warm again in its interefts, would ferve it on the firft occafion with more prepara- tions and greater ardour, as if to gain pardon for their former defedlion. Cardinal de Fleury prime minifter of France, feemed to fear this approaching crifis, and was defirous to exempt Europe from thefe calamities. Hfc got the king his mafler to endeavour to extinguilh diis proud rivalfhip, equally fatal to the two houies and their allies. But fo great a work could not fo foon gain a folid foundation. The death of the emperor Chailes VI. happening before the confidence between the courts of Vienna and Verfailles was thoroughly fixed, rekindled in France and its allies their old prejudice. A defign v\'as formed to fubllitute the houfe of Bavaria in the room of the houfe of Auftria in the balance, and in fuch a manner to weaken the new head of the contrary party, by the difmembering the dominions of which he claimed the inheritance, that from that time he fhould not have neither the forces nor the credit of his predecefTors. The power of Pruffia broke out then for the firft time, from that political obfcurity, in which the preceding king laboured to increafe and ftrengthen it. It declared againft that party, at whofe expence it could make new acquifitions ; and feigned a reconciliation with it, after having forced it to purchafe this reconciliation by the cefiion of Silefia. The court of Vienna, with regret, made a facrifice of which it forefaw the dangerous con- fequences. It diflembled its fears, and even flattered itfelf that the happy fuccefs of the war ^ainft its prin- cipal enemy, might on the other fide render an equiva- lent for this lofs. But his Prufllan majefty returning to the charge in 1744, with the hope of fnatching fome other morfel which might lie conveniently iituated for him; Sept. lent allies of k its interefts, lore prepara< ion for their le minifter of ifis, and was imities. He ctinguifii diis » hou(es and fo foon gain peror Chailes ;en the courts ed, rekindled :e. A defign ivaria in the , and in fuch sntrary party, :h he claimed luld not have ecefTors. the firil time, he preceding It declared Id make new with it, after ation by the with regret, ngerous con- ven flattered ainft its prin- ;r an equiva- returning to Itching fome fituated for him; 175^ And POUTICAL MERCURY. 11 a, him ; the Aaftrian minifter thought it necefTary to take precautions againft an enemy who fo openly difcovered a projeA formed to raife himfelf upon the ruins of the houfe of Auftria. They negociated with RuiHa a de- fenfive treaty in I745« As it was evident that in regard to a power altogether military, there was no medium be- tween reducing it, or being crulhed by it, this treaty was made only againft the king of Pruflla the aggreflbr, and ftipulated to (hare whatever countries they could take from him in repulfing this aggrefllon. His Pruftian majefty knew too well the flownefs attending means purely defenfive, to be alarmed at this treaty. He boldly put himfelf into the cafe fuppofed by the contrading parties. He invaded Saxony, gave battle there, forced the elector to abandon his capital, and at laft to preferve his eleftorate from the moft grievous ca- lamities by a diiadvantagious peace, of which hedi£lated the conditions. This was enough to confirm the court of Vienna in her fears for the future. She knew no other remedy but that which flie had fruitlefsly pre- prepared. She endeavoured to make it more efficacious by renewing her engagements with Ruffia, the following year. The pragmatic war (for fo one may call the laft, which was terminated by the treaties of Breflau, Drefden, and Aix-la-chapelle) ought to be a guide to the powers who are friends to the peace of Europe. They may there fee that the two houfes gained by it but that weaknefs which necefHtated them to make the beft ac- commodation they could ; and that the lefs powerful allies of France and the Emprefs Queen, were the vidims of the war, while the more powerful making themfelves to be afUgned by the one, at the expence of the other, a C 2 recom- FT a The HISTORICAL Sept. . ^11 ■ If It;, I!' ' ( !li 1' !l ) rccompence for their fuccours, aggrandized thenifelves by the lofles and dl/graces of both parties, They could fee after the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, that in pretend- ing to fight for the balance, the Prnflian power was arrived to a height capable of overturning it. The Pruffian power, entirely military, could not with- out rifquing its ruin, form and execute alone fo bold a projeft. But prepared as it was for the ofFenfive, it could not ruin itfelf but after having deftroyed every thing which it at firft attacked ; it might promife itfelf to fur- mount the danger, if it had afllflance only from one of the chief powers of Europe ; and they knew its clofe connexions with France. The Auftrian power weakened by difmemberings and by a long war, had fcarcely forces fufficicnt for the defenfive. With a neighbour lefs power- ful or bold it would have wilhed for peace, that it might introduce or cftablifh in its different dominions a regu- larity of adminiftration fcarcely known before this reign. It took its old allies into its confidence, and in binding its connexions with them, let them fee it defired nothing more than fecurity and tranquility. It behoved it to make known its pacific difpofitions at the court of France, but with no view to prepare it to feal a reconciliation by an alliance. Such revolutions to be durable require many yoarr. to bring them to maturity ; and it is faft, that the Auflrian miniflry either did not imagine this change, or did not think it poflible. Their only concern was to dif- fipatc the diffidence and jealoufy of the French miniftry, and to put them on their guard againfl the pretences which the King of PrufTia might make to them to fup- jioTt him in cafe of a rupture. It was necefTary to go to the fource of the divifion between the two houfes, and to deftroy in its very firfl principle the leaven of jincient rivahUp. For this grand political operation, it wat i Sept. thenifelves hey could n pretend- power was I not with- : fo bold a /e, it could very thing felf to fur- om one of V its clofe weakened cely forces lefs power- at it might IS a regu- this reign, in binding ed nothing i it to make ranee, but tion by an juire many % that the change, or was to dif- h minift ry, : pretences ni to fup- ;flary to go wo houfes, : leaven of jeration, it wai i 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 13 was necefTary to have a ftatefman as equally regarded for his birth, rank, and charafter, as for his manner of tranfadling affairs, with a dignity of mind above intrigue and chichanery ; a ftatefman who had acquired fuch a re- putation for integrity and refolution, that his word, like that of the famous count d* Eftrades, might be taken and received by way of fecurity for that of his court. The Emprefs Queen made choice of count Kaunitz, the pro- moter and principal co-operator of the peace of Aix-la- Chapelle. This nobleman found the court of Verfailles en- gaged with the king of Pruffia, but as well difpofed in re- guard to himfelf as he had room to hope. During a ftay of four years in France^ he fatisfied himfelf with letting the French penetrate into the fyftem of his court, ex- amine the principles of its politics, convince itfelf of the reflitude of the views and of the firmnefs of the re- folutions of his fovereign. An efteem was eftabliihed between the two miniftries : this was the fruit of the embafTy ; and his Ajcceffor was only charged to improve it. Till 1755 all Europe was in a time of tranquillity. The fecret praftices which were going on in Sweden, and the augmentation which the king of Pruffia made in his armies, while the other powers of Europe were weakening themfelves by continual red udlions, awakened again the fears of the court of Vienna. The diftrufts which crept into the difcuflions of the French and En- gli(h concerning their pofleffions in America, foretold an approaching ftorm. The court of Vienna judged it neceffary to take meafures equally capable of laying the ftorm, or enabling it to fupport it : the treaty of England A^ith Ruffia was its work. The moft skilful politicians could not forefee that this alliance, which promifed to confine the quarrel of France and England to a war by fca, would ceafe to be approved of by his Britapnic fr* I:? 'Ii h I. l( i. lit i If The HISTORICAL Sept. Britannic majeily. The union of the Ruflian and Auftrian forces, for the fecurity of the ele^orate of Hanover, undoubtedly obliged France to renounce her intended fcheme of a diverfion there, by magnifying to his Pniflian majedy the danger of attaching himfelf to that court ; and from thence refulted peace to the Continent of Europe. This was not the intention of the king of PrufTia. If that deferves praife as a (Irokc of genius which has plunged Europe into a mofl difmal war, it muft be al- lowed that the method this prince took to overturn this whole difpofition, is a mafler-piece in its kind. He im- mediately protefted that he would not fuffer any foreign troops to enter Germany. The king of England per- ceived that to force fuch a barrier the Rufllans mull have fo long a time, that France would either frullrate the op- pofition, or gain over the opponent, and invade either by her own arms, or thofe of Frufita, the eledlorate of Hanover. The people of England would not hear fubfldies mentioned, and England had not an ally in a condition of ftruggling without afliftance againft either of the two kings. His Piuflian majefty diredly laid hold of the alarm, to offer the king of England to take him- felf the eledorate under his protection againft all that ihould make any attempt upon it. A hundred and twenty thoufand foldiers ready for adlion rendered this a tempt- ing offer, and made it accepted. This proteftion of the eledorate of Hanover authorized the king of Pruffia to put his armies in motion. Saxony, Bohemia, and moft of the States of the Empire, were from that time at his difcrction. The demand of -a paffage became in the hands of his Pruffian majefty a knife with two edges. If a paffage was allowed him, he pretended for fecurity •f his return, to retain feme places under colour of a maga- i Sept. nd Auflrian r Hanover, r intended ing to his felf to that ontinent of Pruffia. If which has muft be al- verturn this d, He im- any foreign igland per- s mud have Irate the op- de either by ledlorate of d not hear in ally in a j^inft either ly laid hold ;o take him- inft all that and twenty lis a tempt- ftion of the )f Pruffia to ia, and mod ; time at his came in the . two edges, for fecurity colour of a maga- 1759. Ani POLITICAL MERCURY. Hf magazine. If a paflage was refufed, he alledged the neceflity of prote^ng Hanover, 'againfl the enemies France would ftir up againft it. That obligation im- ported the baring up the way againd theie powers, and to make a rampart to the electorate, of all that lay near it, fo that one way or other, that monarch divided the empire, or fubjeAed it to his yoke. The treaty between the two kings, eleAori, was made the i6th of January 1756, they appeared to infill equally upon the guaranty, which they grant to the dates of the Emprefs Queen. But the king of England allows to his new ally, the exclufion he gives to the Low Countries. It was this exception which made it known to the court of Verfailles, that its former ally facrificed it to his ambition, and that he payed the king of England, (by the promife of his attacking France) the promife which his Britannic majefly made him to concur in ag- grandizing the power of Pruffia in Germany. The Emprefs Queen had placed count Kaunitz, at the head of the foreign affairs, and had appointed count Stahremberg, to fucceed him as ambaflador to France. The miniftry of France was certain not to find in thofc two noblemen any of thofe little fineffes which fpin out fmall matters, and make great ones mifcarry. The equa- lity of danger to the two powers, was an argument equally powerful to their miniflers. It ought to have formed a connexion : It formed an union. The firfl of May 1756, the minifter of the Emprefs Queen, figned an inflrument of neutrality ; the minifter of France gave one of fecurity for the Low Countries, as far as it depended On their king, and the fame day the two powers con- trafted a defenlive alliance. It is to this treaty we muft impute the birth of the prcfent fyftem of politics in Europe. C H A P. i6 : f I , i ■' i« ■ (■ III/'.' ■ 1 "I , ! (., ■■■'" m. ! ■.;(' The HISTORICAL CHAP. ir. rept« ^j» Hijiorical Difcourfe on the ConduH of fe{li i*i, I'l 13 The HISTORICAL Sept. It was forgot that his Pruflian majefty himfelf had invited the Catholics to build a church at Berlin, and that he himfelf gave the plan of that fuperb edifice; that he had granted patents to priefts and monks, to go to raife and colleft in Europe the contributions of the Ca- • tholics to defray the expences of this ornament of his capital ; and finally, that his majefty made at Rome connexions of the fame nature as thofe of Catholic powers. This was all forgot to fee nothing but the fpii'it of intolleration which that monarch pretended to in the affair of '^e count of Wied-Runckel : and he was honoured for his zeal. This firft proof of the efFefts that religion might have, convinced the court of Berlin, that if it could make him hi looked on in this point of view by the Prote^ants in Europe, they would excufe ever)' thing he did in favour of the motives and the intention they fuppofed him to have. His minifters and his writers dwelt much upon this new charafterilHc in the pieces they delivered into the Diet of the Empire. The Evangelic Bod/ divided, and the greatell part of them were brought to believe that the Pruflian quarrel was a concern of their own. Political prejudice had met with credit, as well as reli- eious. Thofe princes and ftates who judged cooly, confidered which of the two allied houfes they IhouJd go over to : Each dillruiting his own judgment as to his choice, waited till the others had declared theirs. Even thofe to whom the power of Pruflia was formidable, ap- peared to fear leail it fhould be annihilated. Thofe who were attached to it, laid great ftrefs on the necc^Tities of prcferving it, that it might be a refuge for the Prctc- iKints. The minillcrs of France and Auftria, at firil found in foreign courts, nothing but diftrult, irrefolu- tion and coolness. The i&* Sept. mfelf had erlin, and ifice; that , to go to af the Ca- • lent of his at Rome f Catholic ig but the stended to ;1 : and he night have, I make him otdlants in d in favour jfed him to much upon livercd into d/ divided, to believe ' their own. ell as reli- iged cooly, |they Ihould nt as to his leirs. Even idable, ap- Thofe who ecc^ities of the Prctc- ■ia, at firil It, irrefolu- 1759* And POUTICAL MERCURY. >t The two houfes were far from having this high opi- nion of their united forces, or from flattering them- felves with thcereftion of a fort of tribunal crf"aibitration for the other powers. At Vienna and Verfailes, the alliance had been projefled and formed as a dam abib- lutely neceffary to prevent an imminent inundation ; and the two courts were fo little certain of its efficacy, that they encouraged one another to bear with refolution their firft loffes, to draw other powers into the confederacy, and to hope that the common enemy, too well prepared for the fhock to be immediately repelled, would be tired out by their perfeverance, and exhauiled by its own efforts. They concluded indeed, that their power was greater and more folid, and that they had many more re(burces than England and Pruflia. But they did not difguife to themfelves that (like an anuitant playing ^gainit a deep gamefter who has his whole on the board) they, might be embarraffed by too great flakes a long time, and perhaps greatly diftrefled by their lofs ; fo that it might end in their ruin if fortune fhould fix herfelf againft them. The endeavours of the minifters of France and Auftria in foreign courts, to inlpire other fovereigns with a deAre to accede to the alliance, brought back infenfibly the greateft part of Europe to this juft idea of the confede- racy. The inftances made upon this fubjeft at Pcterf- burg, Madrid, Turin, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, demonftrated that the general intereft had produced the reconciliation of the two houfes, and that they only propofed to make themfelves a bugbear to the enemies of the repofe of Europe, and to eftablifti a fure refuge for the powers expofed to oppreffion. It was abfurd to fuppofe the principal powers would unite to divide Europe between them. The union that fuch a project fuppofed, would have become impoflible the \cry mo- ment ii The HISTORICAL Sept^ !:;.,!!. \m '!!;.'; ?' ment of its execution. The court of Ruflla promised in the month of June, that acceffion which they gave to the alliance in the beginning of September ; the States General of the United Provinces appeared at the fame time convinced of the reftitude of the inten- tions of the contradling parties : the king of Sardinia's fears were entirely removed : the fenate of Sweden, having no fear, nor taking any precautions but on account of the preparations of the king of Pruffia, , joined with the king of Denmark to protedl the freedom of their commerce againft England : the courts whom the fpirit of party, or engagements already entered into, did not influence, declared, that they approved of the intention of the alliance of Verfailes, and that they tvere difpofed to concur with it. But this conviftion, which was the refult of an exami- nation of fafls, and of impartial refledlions on things, had no hold on thofe nations in whom Prufllan politics had awakened the prejudices and fufpicions con- cerning religion. The king of Pruffia entered Saxony the 29th of Auguft 1756, with a hundred thoufand men ; fifteen days after, he did not diflemble his coming thsre as an enemy and conqueror. The oppreflbr of the firft Proteftant flate, did not the lefs pafs for the defender of Proteftantifm. The people of Saxony themfelves ex- cxifcd the irregularity of this manner of taking pofleffion. Thofe of England and the United Provinces ap- plauded it, and prayed for its happy fuccefs. Switzer- land, vvhofe exiftence, if I may fo fay, is in the hands of Prance and the houfe of Auftria, by the fubfiftance it draws from thofe ftates, and which it could not draw elfewhere, refoundcd with acclamations in favour of the king of Pruffia ; and fome Imperial cities, whom fear kept from declaiing for him, favoured him as much as thcv I i m Sept; |(na protnifed which they September ; appeared at jf the inten- of Sardinia's of Sweden, t)ns but on of Pruflia, the freedom courts whom ady entered approved of ind that they of an cxami- ns on things, illan politics ncions cen- tered Saxony oufand men ; :oming thsre )r of the firft e defender of lemfelves ex- ng pofTeflion. rovinces ap- fs. Switzer- i the hands of fubfiftance it Id not draw favour of the , whom fear a as much as thcv .:;•< 5f 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 25 they could by the carclcflhefs and flownefs of thf »r obe- dience to the Imperial decrees. With thefe difadvantages did the courts of Vienna and Verfailles begin upon the defenfive againft the courts of Berlin and Hanover. The miniftry of France, before it entered upon its re-union with the Audrian miniftry, tried to embroil that of the courts of London and Ber- lin. The duke of Nivernois was at Berlin in the begin- ning of 1756, and returned without having gained more on the difpofition of the king, than the minifter of the Emprefs Queen oa the refolutions of his Britannic ma- jefty. The two monarchs had fixed their party. The king of Pruflia marching to the rendezvous of his troops, at the end of Auguft, faid loudly to the Englifh minifter, Mitchel, that he ivas going to do the hujlnefs of the king his majiery to nuhom be recommended his. The preparations confidered, with which the court of Berlin began its operations, it would have overturned all ebftacles, if it had been lefs confident of fuccefs. We may fay that its miftakes have difordered its great ftrokes of politics. By the haughtinefs with which the monarch maintained his firft proceeding, he brought upon himfelf all at once the principal powers, whofe divifiOB was neceflary to his views. The invafion of Saxony forced the Empire to declare itfelf for its laws. The thundering ads which followed it, obliged the guaranties of the peace of Weftphalia to appear under that quality. The feverity with which the houfe of Saxony was treated, gave to his moft Chriftian majefty a family intereft in its defence. The reiterated infults which were offered by the king's order to the count of Brogllo ambafl'ador of France, made that which was its intereft become a point of honour. The indircd menaces made ufc of at the court of Peterolrargli b)- tlie Englifti minifter, ^ Sir t Hi::!:;! \ ■::■ ihi'; •;■ , r C ■•! .'I: !-=:: 111 m m all ill % iiknilil,:; 14 The HISTORICAL ;. Sept, Sir C. Hanbury Williams, irritated Rizflit. Finallyi the tone of the demands and anfwers of his Pruffian majefty* On all fubjeAs, difgufted the greateft part of the fove- reigns. Every orte judged this monarch on the ancient principles of the law of nations which he overturned ; and they faw no other means but the humbling him, to prevent his eflablifhing a new law of nations, all the principles of which referring to thofe of the court of Berlin, would be dictated by a military and conquering genius. The politics of the allied courts confined themfelves to their uniting ftill clofer, and exhorting each other to perfeverance, in giving reciprocally new afliirances of their fteadinefs. Sovereigns accountable for their en- gagements to God, and to the good of their ftate, can give no other guaranty of their fidelity to fulfil them, but the refpedl they owe to themfelves. In confirming and renewing their contradls, they feem to expofe them- felves to the difgrace of ficklenefs, if they violate them ; and ftiame, which is their ftrongeft curb, becomes the greateft fecurity for their condudt. France declared war againft England the 9th of June. She was miftrefs of Minorca the 27th. Difengaged in regard to theEnglifli by their hoflilities and by their declaration of war of the 17th May, fhc fet upon fortifying Dunkirk. In conjunftion with the court of Vienna, (he explained hcrfelf 10 the States General on her land armaments, and perfuaded them fo well of the Juftice of her taking up arms, that their High MightinefTes confirmed their neutrality, in fpite of the motives fupported by the En- glifh for a contrary choice. Prefently after the inVafion of Saxony, tlie Emperor fummoned together the princes and ftates of the Empire, and made them begin their proceeding!! againll the violator of the public peace, ac- cording^ ■4- Scpti Finally^ the Can snzjc&Yt of the fbve- the ancient overturned ; ling him, to ons, all the the court of conquering hemfelves to Lch other to iflurances of )r their en- their ftate, 9 fulfil them, I confirming !xpofe them- iolate them ; jccomes the declared war s miflrefs of ► the Englifh f war of the he explained aments, and her taking irmed their by the En- the inVafion the princes begin their : peace, ac- cording ■;*■ I 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 25 cording to the terms of the Germanic confHtution. The king of France declared in Oftober, that his guaranty of the treaty of Wcftphalia, drew him beyond the bounds of the alliance of Verfailles j and that bcfidcs the twenty- four thoufand men that he engaged to fumilh , the Em- prefs Queen with, he would give to the Empire an afliftance which fhould not be limited but by its wants. To render it more efHcacious and more agreeable, he augmented the German regiments in his fervicc one third ; he alfo raifed new ones. Ruffia notified the fame difpofitions with the fame eclat. Her minifters in all the courts had orders to declare, that fhc had embraced the caufe of the royal eleftoral houfe of Saxoiiy,; and a little after, count Beftuchef, her grand chanceljor, de- duced her motives in a letter to the primate of Poland. The refolution of the three confederate powers gave fuch an afTurance in the Diet of the Empire, that the margrave of Anfpac, and the landgrave of HefTe-Darm- iladt, both attached to Pruffia by blood and religion, dared boldly to prefer the intereft of the Germanic body to his, and give their vote againfl him the loth of Ja- nuary 1756. To this bold and noble policyj the court of Berlin oppofed fubtilties, intrigue and violence. Having made the hereditary prince of Hefle (to whom he had granted an aflylum) aprifoner at large, he afTured himfelf of that coun- try, even for the time in which the reigning landgrave fhould in any manner ceafe to favour the caufe of Britain. The year following he ufed much the fame precaution with the ducal houfe of Brunfwic, who was attached to him paitly by inclination and partly by neceflity. When circum- flances obliged the reigning duke to change, the prince his fon, prefumptive heir, was allured into the aimy of Hanover, where his inclination to arms, artfully flat- ; E tered. I r ^.. 'l«^i: (M S6 ^THfeHlStORlCAL Sept. 'tered, caufcd him to retain the troops of the duke his father, in fpite of their beihg recalled. Tht tttim of Berlin, accuftomed to fee the princes of Anhak in its armies, treated all that houfe as fubjedls. It Aaggel^d -the duke of Saxe Gotha with chimerical hopes, And fixed 'his fide by more real threatcnings. It required tif the Polanders to make a bulwark of themfeWei for him againft the Ruffians ; and afterwards citing the old treaty of Vehlau in 1658, which the houfe of Brandenburg Jiad never executed, it demanded of them a fuccour of 4000 men which the two ftates promifcd refpeftively. Turning itfelf afterwards towards Denmal'k, it took no nnoticeof its quality of eleftor, which gave up its mafter -to thei^fentmentof the Germanic body; and demand- ing of his Danifli majefty an alliance as king of Pruffia, 'it tried to draw fuccours from thence, which it Would have very well known how to have employed according -to Its occafions in either quality. It afterward attempteU •foembarrafs the Germanic body, by applying to him- felf the laws of mutual defence, which are a part of it$ conftitution. It «cc«fed the king of France, and the Emprefs of RufTia before the Diet ; and making a jeft •of the declarations which committed to thefe two auxili- ary powers the defence of the Empire, and the ven- ' geancc of the oppreffed houfe of Saxony j the Pruffiah niinifter at Ratiibon pretended that the dominions of tte •king his mafter being invaded by the armies Of France ■and RufTia, the Germanic Body ought to affift him witJi • thofe fuccours which the members of the Empire owe to 'each other againft -a foreigner. But the greateft hopes of the court of Berlin had laid on the fide of Sweden. The king of Pruffia, conneded with Hanover, to whom •Bremen and Verden, (ancient poffeflions af Sweden) Hre valvitble acciuifitions i mora iftcUfted towards t"-'-' extend- I '« !(l : w L Sept. :he duke his rht «Mirt of nhaU in its It ft&ggel«d M, jind fixed required df Wei for him le old treaty ^i^ndenbtif^ a fuccour of refpeftively. , it took no ip its mafter nd demand- ig of Pruffia, ch it would ed according •d attempteU ing to hint- i part of it$ ncc, and the alcihg a jcft two auxili- nd the ven- the Pruflian inions of the of Franee nil hirn witli npire owe to eateft hopes of Sweden, er, to whom of Sweden) ed toward s exterxd- KS9' And POLITICAL MERCURY. ^ extending itfelf into Swedifh Pomerania, than ofi^ring to the Swedes the reH'tution of its difmembered pro- vinces : little to be credited, finally, upon the proflf^f s relative to Livonia, which is in the hands of the Ruf- fians, he was not in a capacity to offer to Sweden any (4- tisfaftory return for the fcrvices he required of her. His emiflaries at Stockholm gave him advice of a cab^l fornwfd for the overturning the prefent government, and 're-eftabiliihing of defpotifin. This revolution had beeji formed upon the plan of that of Denmark in 1660, wi;h this difference onjyj is was with their full confent, afvd to free the commonalty from flavery, that the magiftracy and people of Copenhagen undertook to deliver king Frederic HI. from thofe fetters with which the nobility had (hackled the royalty ; and it was by a maflacre of the fenators, magiftrates, and citizens of Stockholm* that a fmall number of difcontented noblemen, at the head of a troop of defperate fellows, propofed to.fet frqe the royal authority from that deference it had been obliged in Sweden ever fince 1720, to pay to the four orders of the kingdom. Mutinous foldiers, outlaws, diflioneft fervants, mechanics, whom lazinefs and want fitted for the moil defperate attempts, were the inflri^- ments choien by three or four ambitious men, to raife the throne upon the ruins of liberty. They fuppofed the king would not have rejeded the fruit of an at- tempt, in vn^ich he had not had any concern, and that he would even be obliged to gathej* jt to. hinder the kingdom from falling into a flate of anarchy. They fuppofed that a foreign war would become ne- cefTary to fend away the facUous zrA malecontents, and to re-eftablifh quiet within the ftate. They fuppofed he would ehufe for his enemies the powers who were gua- rantees of th^form of adminiftratipn lately ruined. The E 2 con- 1 ,;1;h1:' 'i I- I ■ ;. 'i/. '(■ !!i l;!|(. m '28 • •' The HISTORICAL • Sept. conrpiracy was difcovered, prevented and puniflied, it the end of June 1756. The guilty did not impute any 'Wfiffg to the court of Berlin ; even thofe who efcaped the purfuft, did not aik an afylum of it. There are ftrong prefumptions that, without being concerned in the pro- jefl, the court of Berlin promifed itfelf tcr draw advan- tage from that revolution, if it had taken place. It was his views on this fide which caufed him to make to the court of Vienna that fingular propofition of a truce for two years. It was furprifing to hear talk of a truce, be- tween two powers whom a folemn treaty of peace had reconciled. But the king was not ignorant of the al- liance of 1746, between the two Emprefles, who pro- mifed to make a common caufe againft him, in cafe cither of them was attacked. A general convention of truce for two years, had bet" a renunciation on the part of the court of Vienna, for thnt fpace of time, to every engagement entered into before, againft the Pruflian power ; and the Emprcfs of Ruflia attacked by the aux- iliary of the rtew Svvedifh government, could not any mor^' have had a right to the fuccours ftipulated in the defenfive alliance of 1 746. The court 9f Berlin en- deavoured to co.'f.eal this fecret reafon of its inftances for a truce. The more he knew that the Auflrian minifters guefled at It, the more art he employed to render their refufal fufpefted. His minifters and his writers ftrove to make it appear, that there was a defign formed to make war, and attack the king. But they gave over the accufatlon, as foon as they were afked, what confi- dence the court of Vienna could fake or infpire in a truce, fhe for whom and againft whom, ihey accounted a folemn treaty, not a fufficient fecurity. '^""'^ The court of Berlin could not well know with regard to Sweden what to expeft till after the feparation of the * ■ * ilutes ■f'/.f. :;..'iiii'^' mi, • Sept. iniflied, it mpute any ifcoped the are ftrong n the pro- aw advan- 6. It was ke to the a truce for truce, be- peace had of the al- who pro- n, in cafe vcntion of m thfe part , to every le Prufllan y the aux- d not any 5ulated in lerlin en- ances for minifters nder their ters ftrove brmed to ^ave over lat confi- "pire in a accounted th regard on of the Hates And POLITICAL MERCURY. 29 Bat it little feared ii 'i « ;' -f- »7i;9- ftates aflemblcd at Stockholm, nation torn by faftions. It judged of it as it did of Po- land. The Englifh minlftcr at Pctcrfburg gave him hopes that the Ruffians could not aft agairtft him. It doubted of the affeftion of the people of England. But a certain courier of the envoy Mitchel, robbed in the be- ginning of June on the territories of Brandenburg, had informed him that in his alarms for Hanover, his Bri- tannic majefty would confcnt to many things ; and to lead the Englifh nation as far as they would the only only bufinefs was to engage it. It was little diflurbed at the armies of France, which the diycrfion againft Ha- nover mull ftop in their march againft the center of the Pruffian forces. It was not ignorant that thePrufliati power was hated in Saxony. But it knew that his forces there were ftill more feared, and that the court of Dref- den convinced of the inutility of its ftanding on the de- fenfive, hoped to be received as a neutral by putting it out of its power, by a redudlion of its troops, to infringe the neutrality. A powerful party in the Empire promifed to baffle the deliberations of the Germanic Body. It believed that the war would continue for fome time, between the two powers of Auftria and Pruffia ; and had reafon to hope, prepared as it was for the attack, the Pruffians would overthrow the enemy before their allies could come to their afliftance ; or at lead that the firft operations of the Pruffian armies would put the king in a conditioi) of facing them all. - It was after thcfe combinations that his Pruffian ma- jefty brifkly invaded Saxony, the 29th of Auguft 1756. He had then a 160,000 difciplined troops. With fuch a body of forces it. was unnecefTary to proceed with all the evil pretences of chicanery, to the ufiirpation of a dcfeuQC-j '■\ m ■iV S,.i 30 The HISTORICAL Sep* derencelefs country. An unjud adion* and unlawful in itfelf, acquires new degrees of enormity, by the ftraini it gives to the moil facred and generally received laws to juftify it. The court of Berlin aggravated its wrongs^ and left nothing to fay in its excufe. ••^.- . • • • . • * ^j The declaratioa of Ruflla upon the ufurpation of Saxony, made them adopt at Berlin methods of defence of a new nature. The courier from Cracovia to Vienna was aflaflinated in the territories of Poland, and the letters defigned for Auftria were taken away. Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, minifter from England and Hanover at Peterfburg, implored the generofity of the Emprefs ojf Ruflia in favour of the eleftorate of Hanover, which he faid was afflided with famine ; and he demanded per- miflion to buy for the eleftorate, in Livonia, corn which he intended for the Pruflian magazines. A certain pcr- fon named Lambert, provided with a brevet of an ©fficer in the Pruflian fervice, was fent to one of the fhrtheft parts of Poland to burn the magazines of pro- vifions and forage that the Ruflians had laid up there. The countries of Anhault and Mccklembourg were con- quered without a declaration of war. The opinion ef being formidable and hated by the fovereign prince..-, who did not join with her, carried the court of Berlin to treat as enemies all that came within \u reach. His Pruflian majefty made war, as if he was determined to ■die in it, or fure to end it without being called to ac- account for its operations. After the ufurpation of Saxony, that monarch had committed more outrages, caufed more lofs and damage, than he could repair. He determined himfelf by reflexion, for that fide, which theEnglifli had taken through pride and animofity. He Tefpefted no body. Never two powers, fo quickly united by intereft, have been ^ t% Sep*. unlawful in y the drains received laws i its wrongs, ifurpation of is of defence ia to Vienna nd, and the . Sir Charles and Hanover le Emprefs of cr, which he manded per- i, corn which \ certain pcr- brevet of a^ :o one of the izioea of pro- laid up there, arg were con- 'he opinion cf ;eign prince;-, mrt of Berlin reach. His determined to called to ac- ufurpation of ore outrages, could repair, lat fide, which limofity. He intereft, have beea »759- And Political mercury. n principles, ts England 3" and been fo well agfetd in principles, Pruffia. Both having chofe their enemy, determined to fur- prize him. They both fell all at once upon him, with- out any regard to the ellabli(hed law of nations. Both confulted only their own convenience in their hoftiliries ; nnd they regarded ancient treaties and later conventions, only as far as they could accommodate them to their own intereft. Reiolved only to yield to force, they held every thing lawful, that they had power to execute. The moft moderate hiftorian cannot, without being de- ficient in truth, extenuate thefe accufations. ' ' ' ■ The foundation of the quarrel between France and England is of a nature not capable of being decided but by arms , becaufe the two powers have an equal intereft in not de'^fting from their preteniions. The moft able men of the two kingdoms, have made the beft of their vcfpcftive arguments ; but have not convinced their an- tagonifts : it would be rafhnefs to determine between them. But if -each of the two nations could adjudge itfelf in confcience the gain of the caufe as to the grounds, it is quite otherwife as to the form. The En- gliih writers themfelves are content to cxcufe their pro- ceedings. - ' • ' • • The hoftilities committed without anj declaration in America againft the French, who trufled to treaties, in a word, the war made in a time of full peace, appears to themfelves a monftrous irregularity, which they would have entirely condemned, if it had not been diftated by the intention and hope which his Britannic majefty had to terminate by it at one ftroke the differences in America, and to fparc Europe, by this rapid execution, the con- tagion of the war of Canada. Indeed if admiral Bof- cawen had fucgeeded in deftroying' all that the French • had mms mm $% ■ > H mi ■;;isi., % 1C ]fp!i{l„: ..■•JlJ Hi 'i 'A i |a .The HISTORICAL ;.. Sept. had then at fea, * .general Braddock, conformably to his inftrudions, had crufhed the French on the Continent of America, before they had put themfelves in a pofture of defence ; France muil have quitted, at leaft for fome time, maintaining its pretenfions to a country where it jnuft have begun to re-eftablifh itfelf ; and its marine be- ing abfolutely deflroyed, would have been obliged to fmo- ijier its refentments , till it had created a new one ; which would have infured to Europe many yesurs of Peace. The intention of the Britilh miniflry was to extinguiflj the fire, by quickly confuming the fuel that kept it alive. But admiral Bofcawen, did but weaken the marine of France. General Braddock faffered himfelf to be furr^und- ed by thofehelj^pped tofurprize. From that time the war in America was on an equal footing, and the French marine did not defpair of being able to defend themfelves at fea. The pnglifh polices, which fuccefs would have excufed, had nothing to difguife its injuilice; it was judged hardly of by moft of the powers of Europe ; and its old allies believed they did enough in its favour if they did not openly condemn it. "r-To /i •! w: The court of London knew the difcredit it was brought into, and flattered itfelf with recovering it by fome coup d'eclat. It publilhed that it was upon the defenfive againft France, it pretended that the thing was demon- firated, and as if it was a fail above all objeftion, at tl>e fame time th at it demanded of the republic of Holland the fuccours iHpulated in the like cafe, it fent its fhips into the Meufe to embark there 6,000 auxiliaries. This was a ftroke of genius. In a lUte governed by many heads it is proper to hurry on a refolution on doubtful points ; it is certain to mifcarry if they give time for re- flexion to wife and dear fighted men. But the republic was already prepaied. The indifcreet zeal of one part/ " ■ had ^ brmably to e Continent in a pofture aft for fome ry where it marine bc- ged to fmo- one; which i of Peace. extinguifh cept it alive, marine of )e furrqund- le the war in ench marine elves at fea. Lve excufed, dged hardly ts old allies bey did not kvas brought it by fome he defenfive was demon- lion, at tl>e of Holland ent its ihips ries. This ;d by many on doubtful ime for re- :he republic f one patty had «;59- And POLllriCAL MERCURY. 33 had raifed a diftruft in the other. Every one came to the aflembly with his opinion already iixed, and the refult was that England was not in the cafe thaf required them to fend fuccours. Six cities of the province of Holland held out againft the whole body of nobles, and thirteen other cities of that province. It was in the month of March 1756, France made powerful armaments in her ports on the ocean and in the Mediterranean. The bulk of the Englifh feared at the fame time an invafion in the three kingdoms, and an expedition againft Minorca. But the government pretended to be no ways uneafy about the firft. It being the intereft of the court to have an army in the countiy it obtained of the parliament to call in mercenaries, in default of the allied troops, for the de- fence of the two iflands. It was filent as to Minorca, and its fdence was fmcere. It was fo far from fufpefting that the court of France dared to attempt any thing on the ofFenfive in Europe, that a confiderable perfon in the privy-council, took the embarkation of marflial duke de Richlieu, as a new proof that the French were reduced to the laft extremity in America. He maintained, that nothing lefs would do than fo great fuccour under a com- mander of charafler and rank, to raife up the courage of their Canadians. The admirals Byng and Weft de* parted from the ports of England two days after the marfhal left the ports of Provence with the fleet. They had not pafled the Streights when he had already made himfelf mafter of Mahon, and formed his attacks againft the fortrefs of St. Philip ; and the Britifli fquadron feemed to have been equipped, not fo much with a view of fighting, as a certainty of frightening the French fleet. Minorca was conquered the 27th of June. The lofs was imputed to Byng, who payed for it with hu head ; and to fatisfy the refentment of the nation, F the :: if' ( < li' %i Mill, t!(;?K;i;,j. 34 The HISTORICAL Sept. the court puniflied the governor of Gibraltar, for having too puncluaUy followed his inttruftions. This officer, whofe commiflion enjoyed him not to weaken thegarrifon but by an order under the great feal, rcfufed Tome bat- talions to admiral Byng, who only produced an order under the privy feal. They made him accountable for the confequences of his refufal. The council of war fufpended him for a year, and muldcd him fix weckj pay ; the king cafliiered him. Already the Britifli miniftry had the fame fyftem of politics for foreign affairs as the court of Berlin. With- out regard to the welfare of other ftates, it endeavoured to put itfelf above their refentment. It was changed in December 1756. Mr. Pitt, was at the head of the ad- miniftration, and had given the principal employments to his friends and relations. This minifter knew the ftrengih of his country, and the prejudices of his countrymen, inllead of being confined like his pre- decefibrs in the ufe of the one and the other, by engage- ments v/ith the court, he found a particular fatisfadtion in availing himfelf of thefe prejudices to put all the forces of the kingdom in aftion. His hope was founded on the animofity of the people; and he perceived that to carry it to its higheft point he muft fix it to this fentiment alone. The inveterate hatred againft France was- fufficient without doubt to inflame their minds. But that pafiion was to be nouriflied by the hope of fpoil, and this fpoil was but very moderate, if the neutral powers, allowed by virtue of their neutrality to carry on a trade for France, put her in a condition to appear at fea, only with veflels fit for fighting. From that time the neutral flates were treated much upon a footing with enemies. Their complaints and their threatenings were received with an equal indifference, It W9fi out of pure X COIU' v'/U ii /.I, Sept. r, for having This officer, 1 thegarrifon ed fome bat- :ed an order ountable tor incil of war n fix weck^ me fyftem of erlin. With- endeavoured ; changed in d of the ad- smployments knew the iices of his ke his pre- by engage- IV fatisfa^ion put all the was founded ;rceived that fix it to this gainfl France their minds, ope of fpoil, r the neutral / to carry on to appear at n that time footing with tenings were s out of pure com' And POLITIC AL MERCURV. r•^. 1759.' Ana rui-iii^/iij m£.«>v^\jiM. 3j complaifance to the En^Iifh party in Holland, that the t firitifh minlftfy did not pnblickly difown the modifica- r tions propofed to the republic : It was wifhed that the ; Slates had had lefs patience, for in augmenting the dano^ers of England, they would have flrengthened the moving fpring of the Englifh nation. Mr. Pitt had at firfl givQn this fpring all its play, by an operation which had made him tribune of the people. He had declared that he would free the nation from foreign fubfidies, of which they impatiently bore the burden ; and he kept his word in abandoning to themfelves the king of Pruflla, and the eleftorate of Hanover. Having fatisfied them in this firft prejudice, he prefently drew an advan- tage from the other. For a long time the Englilh had believed themfelves powerful enough not to ftand in need of any but their own forces againfl their enemies, and they thought the empire of the {(fa. was fufficient of itfelf for this purpofe. This dextrous minifter gave them the empire of the fea as their only intcreft and pro- pofed to them to dircft all their efforts towards this ob- jeft. He was unanimoufly applauded. All degrees in the kingdom gave themfelves up to hope. Acquifition ap- peared certain; they troubled their heads but little about "hat it muft coft, becaufe they thought themfelves furc cf being abundantly indemnified by the acquifitions tliat would be made. Thus it is that one man only changed the face of the Britifli affairs. France was not prepared for an enemy who braving every method and breaking every meafure attacked her defperately. The powers interelled in the freedom of the fea, were as aftonilhcd as France, and would not rifk oppofing a tor- rent the impetuofity of which could not he of long du- ration. France was contented to confine it in its couiie, a^ much as fiie could, and the other powers delayed to F 2 revenee I. Mm. i^ II ■ li 3^ The HISTORICAL Sept. revenge its ravages till the le/Iening of its (burce ihould , take away the fear of its return. The court of London faw with chagrin its fyftem reverfed by its nunifler. It could not believe that the affairs of the Continent ought to be fo indifferent to it ; and it thought the nation pow- erful enough to divide itfelf with fuccefs between one and the other. Mr. Pitt paid for his obflinacy with his difgrace. But that only rendered his perfon and admi- niflration more dear to the people, his affiflance more necefTary to the court. They complied too much in capi- tulating with him, to make him reaffume his poll. He x.-itered upon it again the end of July. Europe had not had time to recover itfelf from the ?>larm which his po- litics had given it. In Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Zealand, Flanders, and even in Italy itielf they feared a minider who admitted no other rule of his operations but his convenience. The king of the two Sicilies and the Grand Duke took precautions for the fecurity of their ports. Sweden and Denmark in conjunftion fent a fleet into the Baltic. The States of Holland propofed to add more veflels, to the twelve they had ordered to be equipped the nth of January this fame year. The Emprefs Queen trufted to the French troops the keeping and defence of the cities of Oilend and Newport. By this capitulation with the court Mr. Pitt had en- engaged to relax of his indifference to the affairs of the Continent. The electorate of Hanover, and the king of PrufTia, had great need of this fudden converfion. But the mlniiler owed to himfelf to contrive and to bring on by degrees his change from one extreme to the other. He could not or he would not prevent the embarraflinent out of whirh the duke of Cumberland got by the con- vention of Clorterfeven the 8th of September 1757. As a rccompence h^ was readj to countenance the inflation of i(.n ii >7S9* Aad. POLITICAL MERCURY. 37 )urce fliould of London unifier. It inent ought lation pow- Etween one cy with his I and admi- bnce more ich in capi- > poft. He )pe had not kich his po- , Holland, they feared i operations Sicilies and fecurity of nftion fent d propofed ordered to rear. The lie keeping ort. itt had en- fairs of the the king onveriion. d to bring the other, arraflinent y the con- 757. As infra^lion of of it two months after. He made the beft of the vifto- ries of Rofbach and Liffa to the people of England, who grew fo fond of the conquering monarch, as to receive" with enthufiafm a plan of a fubfcription, for a gratifica- tion for the Pruflian troops. This fame people who had requited in January 1756, the refufal of the fubfidies promifed to the allies of England, this people to whom their favourite had haidly dared propofe in February of the fame year, a gift of 20,000 1. fterling, for the de- fence of the ele£lorate of Hanover, received with accla- mation in February 1758, a treaty of alliance and fub- fidy confirming the old ones ; and the 1 2th of Augull following a new convention, which agreed to pay to the king of Pruffia two millions fterling for his alliance of three years. General York was fent on purpofe to his Pruffian majefty to tie thefe new knots. Mr. Goodrick was to go from Silefia to Sweden in quality of miniller from England, with inftruftions from the king of Pruf- fia. This prince became the foul of the Britifti council, and mafter of the Hanoverian army, which was rein- forced with 10,000 Englifh. The court of London, at fid! domineered over by its minifter, fucceeded in either getting the fuperiority over him, or in gdning him over them : The thing is not without example ; and the earl of Bath, (formerly Mr. Pulteney) furnifhes a recent one. But the minifter is become a courtier without ceafing to be a favourite of the nation : This fad is fuigular in the hiflpry of England. ^ ' The allies of the two kings, ele(5lors, had they had more confiderable forces, and the fituation of theiv do- minions been in a lefs forced dependance on thefe two courts, had yet taken fo ftrong engagements with them, th;it they were lefs in their alliance than in their fervice. Nur did thi'v cofldu*^ themfehcs but on tJitir prrndples*, and 3« The HISTORICAL Sepu * H :| Im IH' '''M k sf^' '•'■ ■ 'lii'i (•■; 111 ;.' H ■ 4' 111' M': and according to their inftru^ohs. The. landgrave of Hefle and the duke of Brunfwic fubfcribed to the con- vention of Clofterfeven on the 8th of September 1757, which appeared to the king of England, in his quality of eleftor of Hanover, the only way to fave his fon, his' dominions and his army. It is probable that they fub* fcribed with fincerity. The landgrave of Heffe con- vinced that every thing was finiflied with refpe£l to the eledorate of Hanover^ to whom he had hired out his troops, fought of France the fubfidies which were ne- ceflary to keep them on foot. The treaty which he offered the i8th of September 1757, confifted of 10 articles. In the fecond his ferene highnefs renounced all intelligence with the enemies of France, and its allies. In the third he promifed his fuffrages and offices in the empire according to the inilruAions of the court of France. In the fourth he prefents his troops to France to ferve her againft whom Ihe pleafes ; except only his Britannic majefly. In the loth his ferene high- nefs aflured himfelf of the affiftance and proieftfon of of France, againft the enemies whom this convention might draw upon him. By letters couched in the firongeft terms to duke Ferdinand his brother, the hereditary prince his fon, and the regency of Ha- nover, the duke of Brunfwic proved that he would re- al'y purchafe at the price the conqueror fhould put, the return of his troops. But as foon as the two kings, cleflors, had declared their refolution, of breaking the convention of Clofterfeven ; as foon as they had made it known they were in a condition to maintain this Tnfradlion : The duke and the landgrave drawn by too powerful allies, did not delay to adopt their reafons, and to juftify themfelves by their example. Powerful I i^r'^, :\* Sept. ' idgrave of > the con-' tbcr 1757,'; Ills quality lis fon, his' t they fub- " Heffe con- eft to the red out his li were ne- ' which he (led of 10 renounced :e, and its and offices f the court I troops to fes ; except erene high- •oceftion of convention hed in the rother, the icy of Ha- e would re- td put, the two kings, breaking ,s they had maintain thid awn by too leir reafons. Powerful >759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 39 Powerful in the aiTembly of the States General, by the princcfs governante, and the numerous party that her royal highnefs had there, the Britiih minilly made a jeft of eluding the complaints and braving the refent- ment of the maritime provinces. The illnefs of the king of Spain rendered them quite ea(y about the em- ployment of the forces of that monarchy. To give the people the better opinion of them, they diflembled the reafon of their fecurity in this refped, and boafled they could embarrafs the heir of Ferdinand, by giving him a competitor. But that languor in which the malady of the king kept the court of Madrid, and the misfortunes and intefline divisions of Portugal were what made them brave the opinion people had conceived of them in thefe two ilates. For fome time the court of London had amufed the people of England with a treaty of alliance ofi'enfive and defenfive with the king of Sardinia. From time to time, they made them hope that Ruflia would detach itfelf from the alliance of Verfailles. Their po- litics like thofeof the court of Berlin, had neither any grand objedl, nor any e;ctraordinary manoeuvre. The two courts placed their confidence and all their rcfources in the force of their arms, ,' . CHAP. m. ^ ^// Account of the Operations of the Marine fince the Com^ mencement of the yp'ar, IF we were to date the beginning of this war at the firfl: hoftilities committed in America, it would be very difficult to fix the epocha. The French at firft go no higher than the murder of Jumonville, the 23d of May 1 754. The Englifli cite the burning of their factories of the Blockhoufe and Truckhoufe in Virginia in the month ^1 4«> The HISTORICAL cpt. month of Odkober 1753. The French then give out as the iirft ftcp taken in breach of the peace, the building of the fort of Ofwego, raifed by the Englifh in 1727 ; the En- glifh do not place their firft grievance till the year 1753, which they draw ' from the ereftion of Fort du Quefne, Some little wooden forts in a country almoil a defert in North America, appeared to be a fubjeft hardly worthy pf arming the two moft powerful nations of Europe. jBut the objeft of the quarrel feems of the greaieft im- portance, when one obferves that thefe vaft regions of North America have very little riches for Europe, but the produce of the commerce with the natives, who are exiled to thefe dei'erts. It is the hunting of the favages which makes the bails of the commerce of North America; ^nd the ancient pofTefllons of the Englifh and French have been fo badly divided, that one of the two nations, cannot get the better in refpeft to its rights and preten- fions, without entirely cutting off the commerce from the other, or depriving him of the gain. Canada which belongs to the French, extends a great way into the Continent. It is contiguous to thofe deferts and vaft forefls inhabited by the favages. The commerce be^ tween the French and the favages muft naturally arife from this neighbourhood, and was nouriihed and im- proved by the favour of it. The Englifh are in poffeflion of the countries next the fea ; and the high mountains, which are on the back of them form, if one may fo fay, a barrier between them and the favages. Even though, the favages had ^n affedion for the Englifh, yet the difficulties of the journey would give them a diftafte to that corefpondence, and it would be only by paying a much higher price for their furrs, that the Britifti colo- nies could obtain (he preference over the French. Com- merce on this footing CQuld not long maintain its rival- (hip, .^ * m,ii out as the ling of the ; the En- yrear 1753, lu Quefne, I defert in ily worthy »f Europe, eaceft im- regions of pe, but the ) are exiled iges which America; nd French vo nations, nd preten- lerce from lada which into the 5 and vaft imerce be^ urally arife i and im- 1 poffeiTioTi mouiltaifts. nay fo fay, en though, 1, yet the diftafte to y paying a ritifli colo- h. Corn- its rival- ihip, 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 41 (hip, every thing being equal in other refpefls. But the Englifh have a dircft and eafy communication with Europe by fea; and the French of Canada cannot fend any thing to France or receive any thing from France, but by the river St. Laurence, of which the navi-^at'on, always long and dangerous, is not open for more than half the year. The Englifh are then certain to regain on one fide by their commerce in Europe, what they loofe on the other ; while the French loofc in Europe the advantage they have in their commerce in America. Such was the ftate of things, when Canada was not ac- quainted with its communication with Louifiana, ano- ther French colony. The Canadians have difcovered at laft that by lakes, the river of St. Laurence, and the river Ohio, Canada and Louifiania might aflift each other, and that the MiHiflipi which runs into the fea, pre- fented to the two colonies an opening uninterrupted all the year for their concerns with Europe. This line of com- munication is a curve line which hems in all the Bri- tifli pofleffions by being on their backs ; and which by pafllng fome times acrofs, fometimes on the borders of the countries inhabited or frequented by the favages, feems like a net ftretched out to intercept all that they carty to the Englifli. The revolution that this uii'co- very caufed in commerce was fcon felt. The French had in their favour the convention which the fovereigns of Europe have made among themfelves, to acknow- ledge the firft occupier for the true proprietor in the three other parts of the world. The Englilh pleaded a law perhaps very juft in itfelf, but which is not admitted into the praftice. They pretended to have a right to difpute the lawfulnefs of an acquifition entirely deilruc- tive to them. The courts of Verfailles and London ap- peared at firft ready to prefer the law of nature to the G conven- 4» The HISTORICAL Sept. ; i. mm I I. I convention. They jointly endeavoured to iind out modi-* £cations, and to fettle by a reciprocal condeicention contradictory pretsnfions. The two kings would pro- bably have diflinguiflied their reign by a new teflimonial of their love of peace, if all their commi/raries had as w«ll adopted their intentions as they knew them ; if they had endeavoured to have made the convention and the law corrcfpond together as much as poflible, difcnried ra-^ ther the nature and fpirit, than the titles of the refpedive pretenfions, they would have quitted the old divifion of North America between the two nations, to make a new one, in which the exchanges ikilfully managed anight have rendered tlie fruits of the new difcovery common to both nations. Unhappily Mr. Shirley having too high an opinion of the forces of England, thought it was more eafy and more advantagious to take from the French their acquifitions, than to agree together on a partition. His vigorous imagination formed tlie plan, and his warm difpofition direfted the execution. The trade with the favages becoming exdufive to the En- gliih, ceafcd to be difadvantagious to them ; and it be- came exclufive as foon as they cut off the communica- tion, newly difcovered, of Canada with Louifiania and with the fea by the Ohio, and its ancient communica- tion with France by the river St. Laurence. The French of Canada would become the faAors and brokers of the Eritiih colonies, if they preferved their fettlements j or clfe fuperior forces would oblige thofe, who they had not entirely tleftroyed, to capitulate ifor their return tv Europe. This plan prefented to the duke of Cumberland by Mr. Shirley, was reliflied by the Britifti miniftry, then guided by Mr. Fox. That prince gave his military in- Itruftions to thoj'e who were charged with the execution. • - . - General Sept. tmodi- 'cention aid pro- timonial s had as ; if ihey and the rnrfed ra" refpe^ve divifion to make a managed difcovery ley having thought it ; from the sther on a tlie plan, tion. The to theEn- and it be- [ommunica- iifiania and [ommunica- ^he French :ers of the jments; or 10 they had return W [berland by liftry, then lilitary in- execution. General ,759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 43 General Bradock received them in November 1754. They were found in the original among his papers, af- ter his defeat the year following. During the tinje the two courts fcemed wholly employed in finding fome means of an accommodation, the forces of England went to America and divided among them the projcfted operations. Four little armies were to aft at the fame time. And marching by four different routs to the rendezvous, which was the center of the pofleffions and of the forces of the French, each was to clear the country of the French who had fettlements there ; to take and deftroy the forts which covered Canada, and finiih the conqueft, before the news of their enterprife could reach Europe. The fanguine difpofition of Mr. Shir- ley did not allow him to fuppofe any obflacle. He had reckoned upon the fucceffes of each of the four armies ; and the grand blow which they were to ftrike together, was refolved on with fo much confidence, that it muft fail if either of them was not exaft to its time. Louif- burg was to be blockaded, and the gulph of St. Lau- rence fliut up. Mr. Shirley was to be joined by general Bradock at Ofwego, when mafter of fort Du Quefne, and of the lake Erie. The two armies were to fubdue the forts of Niagara and Frontenac, to come near the fort of Montreal to join the army of Mr. Johnfon, who having left a garrifon in Crownpoint and other forts, ihould have been joined above lake Champlain by the fourth army for the conqueft of Fort Sorel. The four armies being united, to march to Quebec. The fuc- cefs of the firft operation reduced to nothing this mag^- nificent plan : General Bradock intercepted in his march near fort Du Quefne, was befet by a band of French and Indians, who entirely deftroyed his little army. Mr. Shirley too weak then to undertake his projeded con- . . , G 2 quells 44 Hie H T S T O R T C A T; bVpt. I "I' «]ueft', nnd even to dare to keep the field, fcnt to acquaint his two colleagues with his retreat, and a inform the penfation for oppofed not. It the prepa- hat flie only evenge them '1756, there le prifons of crcd, an ac- commo- 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 45 commodation the leaft favourable would have been of advantage to her, provided it had only l)ccn provifional. Rcfolvcd 10 build (hips, and to breed up feamcn, it had otc.'ifion for all thofc alTillanccj which peace alone can give for changes of fuch conffcjucnce which concern the noblcll parti of the interior adminiftration. The F-nglifli guefTed at ii ; and they perceived that as two or tiirce years would give them ftrcngth to reclaim thefe extorted ceflions, it was ncccffary for them to draw her out of her feigned moderation by the ob- ftinacy of their infults, and to make them drop at any rate their defign of Co dangerous a delay. The people were irritated in France, and demanded that they would attempt to favc by an honourable war, the reni.iind«r of their marine and commerce, which a longer patience would fufter to be brought to nothing. The court only waited for this difpofition in the people. It fpoke and wrote with rcfolution to the Britifh minillry upon its wrongs, and upon the fatisfadlion his moft Chri- ilian majefty required. Prepared for a refufal, it ha,d made its difpofitions to rcfent it. ' '. • It was in January 1756, that the court of Verfailes re- ceived the idea and plan of an expedition upon the Idand of Minorca. The conqueft was in itfelf of very little confcquence to France. But the lofs was of great confequence to the Englifli, who from that time could not preferve their commerce in the Levant, but; by maintain- ing a powcrfnl fleet in the Mediterrai ^an, which it had been abfolutcly impoflible to have kept there, if a French fquadron always at fea, or ready to put to fea, had fe- cured the powers of Italy from any ill confequences attending the refufal of their ports to the Englilh. An armament was equipped at Toulon with a dif- patch which did honour to the admiralty of France. It )■' I M 46 The HISTORICAL Sept. in,' It conMed of iz (hips of the line and five frigates, with feme traniports. The duke de Richlieu who was in- truded with the command of this expedition, put to Tea the 8th VI April, and landed his men in the bay of Citadela the 18th. The Englilh being furprized, aban- doned fort Fomel the 19th. The French army con- fiding of between 12 and 14,000 men encamped the 2oUi at Marcadal. The artillery marched the 21ft, while the commander of the fleet GalUflonniere went to block up the grand harbour of Mahone. The marfhal duke arrived the 2 2d before the city which gives name to the harbour, and was mailer of it the fame day. The Englifh fhut themfelves up in fort St. Phillip, and ;ae other forts belonging to it. This fortrefa is one of the bcft in Europe. Defended by a good garrifon, and by officers who underflood their bufinefs, it would have obliged an army much more coniiderable than that which now lay before it to raife the fiege. But the En- glifh being too fecure, had negleAed to provide for its defence. The colonels of the four regiments of the garrifon were not in the ifland ; and they had not been over careful in keeping their corps complete. The place had for engineers, only two officers of infantry, who had any knowledge of what relates to artillery. The governor was a man refpedlable for his great age, but incapable by his infirmities to perform the duties of ' his poft ; almoft alway confined to his bed, he could not infpire confidence and boldnefs in his garrifon. His de- fence of Sterling caflle againft the young pretender in 1746, had raifed his reputation at London ; and his reputation (which he has maintained hitherto by the ad- drefs of the then Britifh miniflry, and the death of ad- miral Byng) had a great fhare in the fuccefs of the French army. It kept the Englifh in their fecurity. Of fucK 4 ' "i Scp^ ates, with 3 was in- put to fez he bay of ed, aban- rmy con- imped the the 21 ft, re went to e marfha;! ives name ay. The , and ;ae one of the n, and by 3uld have :han that It the En- ide for its ts of the not been te. The infantry, artillery. ;reat age, duties of :ould not His de- ender in and his the ad- of ad- of the ity. Of fuch i 1759, And POUTICAL MERCURY, 47 fuch a number of veflels which were in their ports or ac iea, they ordered but zo, and thoie badly equipped, t9 fuccour general Blakeney, and they thought it ibon enough for them to go on the 7th of April. Ad- miral Bofcawen was fent with a better fqaadron to lie before Breft, to brave the French by a ufelefs blockade. The admirals Byng and Weft appointed to relieve Mi- norca* did not pafs the Streights before the 27th, and there was wagers laid in London, that they would bring back prifoners Mr. de Richelieu and his little army. They touched at Gibraltar, the governor of which too punflual to his inftruflions, refufed to put two battalions of that gairifon on board their veflels. The two admi- rals were the 2 2d of May in fight of Minorca. Fort St. Charles was already taken, the trenches were opened the loth before St. Philip. Mr. Galiffionere, whofe orders were to prevent any fuccour from entering the ifland, went to meet the Englifh fquadron, rather with an intention to bar up the way than to fight it. Admiral Byng equally attached to his purpofe, would not fight againft an enemy who intended to retreat, and who re- folved to defend himfelf in a manner that would leave his conqueror in a fltuation to attempt nothing. He en- deavoured to draw off" a part of the French fleet, which he hoped to difperfe ; and his defign was to fend away the fliips which had beat the enemy immediately after that advantage ; while with the reft of his fleet, he made head againft Mr. Galiflionniere. He did not fucceed ; and he appeared to his countrymen guilty of cowardice, for which they condemned him to death. They would have pitied him more if he had not been, the promoter of that rigorous law by which he was tried. This vehement accufer of the admirals Matthews and Lellock in another war, maintained that a fca officer deferved p Hi ir. i if?' •fiiil 4^ ' The HISTORICAL " Sept. deferved death when he did not do all that he could. As he had taken the more prudent ftep, the people of England were pleafed to think that he would have fuc- ceeded better if he had taken the more couragious one.' The proof of the contrary was fcarcely poffible to a nation naturally more couragious than circumfpefl, and he was condemned according to the due courfe of law. Byng's retreat was on the 20th of May, thi^^^e days before his Britannic majefty had publiflied a declaration of war againft France, who had anfwered no otherwife than by re-eftablifhing the port of Dunkirk. The ilege of fort St. Philip, lafted till the 27th of June. Jef- feries and Cunningham who voluntarily ferved as en- gineers, had let the befiegers approach, although the greateft part of the works remained intire. Marfhal de Richlieu, thought that men fo full of confidence in their walls, might not have taking the proper pre- cautions againft an afTault, and he refolved to make one. Fortune feemed to declare for him by letting Mr. Jef- feries fall into his hands, the man whom Blakeney moft confided in. This officer was taken in a fally precifely the night before the day appointed by Richlieu, for the general attack. In fadl, the 27th of June the three prin- cipal forts were carried fword in hand. They were de- fended with bravery. But as they were attacked with as much conduft as courage, it was not an equal match. France braved and provoked a whole year by an enemy infinitely fuperiour, revenged ^erfelf of him at one blow, humbled him, and covered herfelf with glory. Within only fixteen days after fhe had anfwered the de- fiance of England, by a declaiation of war, fhe took from her one of her moft valuable pofTeffions, if I may fbfay, before her eyes. It was a very favourable om-'n, for her operations againft hei in more diftant countiies. The i75§- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 49 e could, eople of lave fuc- ous one.' ble to a pea, and )f law. hi«^e days eclaration otherwife The fiege une. Jef- ed as en- though the Marlhal )nfidence in proper pre- ) make one. ng Mr. Jef- ikeney moft [ly precifely [ieu, for the three prin- ley were de- Iked with as ual match. )y an enemy [him at one rith glory* jred the de- [r, (he took ts, if I may •able om"n> t countiics. The The Britifh miniflry imagined they could difguife it to the Englifh nation, by oppofing to it the ridiculous ac- count of tne taking the ilies of Chaxey, in the begin- ning of July, by commodore Howe. Thele little iflands hardly known by French geographers, and which till then were not to be found in the Engliili maps, are two rocks near the coail of Aunis. The farmers of France have upon the leaft a lodge for a body of their officers, fiationed there to prevent a contraband trade. The largeft contains about fifty poor fifliermen's huts. Ex- cept firing the tower guns, they celebrated at London, the conqueft of the iflands of Chazey, as a revenge for that of Minorca. At Paris they call it the parody. The court of Verfailles found unknown refources to maintain its glorious beginning. They fet to work in all their ports, and added to their own fome thoufand foreign workmen in the dock-yards. The taking of the famous fort of Ofwego in America, proving the fuperiority of her land forces, permitted her to give herfclf up entirely to the care of the marine. At the end of December, Ihe fent a powerful fquadron from port I'Orient, equiped by the Eaft-India Company. The treatment which the oihcers and foldiers v/ho embarked received, encreafed tiieir emulation and zeal. Mr. Laily, general of the land forces, had an appointment of 100,000 livres. The officers and foldiers, befidcs double pay till their return, received a new cloathing, fuitable to the climate of the Indies. The veilels well ftored with ."^munition and well rigged put to fea, and got clear without any hinderance. A royal fquairon departed irom Toulon the 27th of January fcllovving. Another went the 30th for the great and little Antilles. In the beginning of April there were fevcn Iquadrons equiped. 11 Iheir 50 The HISTORICAL Sept. il^ 'ii: yfi Their commanders were d'Ache, de Ecaufremont, de la Clue, de Conflans, de Foligny, de Salveit, and du Revert. The Britifli miniilry who llruggled againft Mr. Pitt, was at laft obliged to give way to this favourite of the En7lifli people ; who made it his principal care to put all the maiitime forces of that nation into a£Hon. France was prefently obliged to return every where to the defcnfive, except in the Indies, where the fquadron . of M. d'Ache, afted offenfively againit the Engliih Iquadrons, while M. de Lally was preparing, by the tonquell of the province of Camate, for the attack of IVIadrafs, the principal eilablilhment of the Englifh in Afia. There were in all the ports of England, confi- derable armaments, which the new mim'fter knew were of no other ufe there but to con fume the public treafure. In September a fleet of thirty fliips of the line, and near two hundred tranfports, on board which were embarked twelve thoufand ibldiers, failed from Portfmouth, and uent to attempt a defcent on the coaft of Aunis. They promifed themfelves at London, the taking and burning of Rochcfort. This expedition did not prove fo fatal to the French. Admiral Hawke and genera] Mordaunt, thought it bell to return to the Englilli ports, after hav- ing took, ruined, and quitted the little ifland of Aix. "^rhis opeiaiion which anfwered fo little the greatnefs of the armament, did not difcourage Mr. Pitt, while he caufcd troops to be tranfported to y\merica, he fent large fquadrons to block up the ports of France, and in the fpiing of the year 1758, he fent out at the fame time three fleets, who were charged with three different commifiions of equal importance. Admiral Bofcawen, was to conquer Ifle-Iloyai or Cape-Breton. Admiral Kf-lbourn, was tomnnfiioned to lecure the navigation of the Meuiteri-autan. 'l\\c .'idnuiali. Ilr.wke and Hov/e, had ^1759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 5» had it in charge to intercept the neutral fhips, which traded with France, and to make defcenls on the coalls of Normandy and Britany. Admiral Bofcawen fulfilled with as much fuccefs as honour the whole of his in- AruAions. Admiral Holbourn, kept M. de la Clue, in the port of Carthagcnn, and took two of four ve/Tels with which M. du Quefne. was going to join this chef d*efcadrc. The two other Engliih admirals per- formed part of what they were fent to execute. They alarnied Britany and Normandy. The troops which they landed the beginning of June at Cancalle, put the French in fear for St. Maloes, one of the fuburbs of which was reduced to alhes, by the fire of the cannons and mortars of the vcifels. About fixty merchant fhips mod of them neutral were confumed, and the reimbarkation made without any fs. The fleet in the beginning of Auguft, covered anotner defcent neai- Cherbourg, in Normandy. The Englifh troops were on fhore from the 7th to the 1 6th, and they employed that time in demolifliing the port of Cherbourg, one of the fineft and moft ufeful works of this reign. Emboldened by thefe fuccciTes the Engliih admirals, made a third debarkation more con- nderable than the others, not far from Morlaix. But the duke d'Eguillon, gave them a diifcrent reception from that which tliey had at Cherbourg. He fell on their rear-guard the 1 1 th of September, and by the lofs which he occafioned to them of three thoufand men, put them ontof humour with thefe kind of expeditions. The Englifti troops on the continent of America were not more fuccefsful. M. de Montcalm, beat general Abercrombie, in July 1758, near fort Ticonderago. But the ifland of Cape-Breton, was in the fame month fubjeded to the Briti(h government, by tlie taking of Louifbourg, Admiral Bafcawen was admirably v^ell n 2 fc- i 11 i; \ ■ . !^:. ill; * fatal to commerce, than that of Cape Breton. Tov/ards the month of July 1756, the board of admiralty had profecuted an expedition againft. the Engliih fettlemcnts on the coall of Guinea. A little fquadron was armed for this purpofe. It fet out from the ports of Britany in November, under the command of Mr. de Kcrfaint. But this fquadron employed itfelf in diilurbing the Ncgroe trade, dellioying fome couning houfes, and not finding themfelves in a condition to at- tack the forts, it returned to Breft at the end cf 1757, after having left at Martinico and other places, about 1300 Negroe flaves which they had taken from the En- glifii. I'he Britifli minifter knowing the weaknefs and importance of their eftablifliments on this coaft, was afraid of a fccond expedition, and determined to take from the French the iHand of Goree and their poffeflions in Senegal river, places which put them in a ftate of acling oftenfively, by furnlihiag them with a port and~ magazines. Tliey depended in France, on the natural flrength cf tiie little ifland of Goree. But it held out but a day againll the Englifli fquadron ; and the 30th of pcccmber 1758, the garrifon furrendered by capitula- •* tion. i^'( 'V(! r. ■il'l Sept. of the arthy of are not . The lurence, n Ame- up the lave at- \ntillcs. d fcarce received n that of 756, the 1 againft. A^little out from ommand xd itfelf couning on to at- :f 1757, tion. 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 53 tion. The 9th of May the year following, Gaudeloope, the fecond of the little French Antilles, underwent the fame fate after a defence of three months. St. Do- mingo and Martinico were the only pofleffions that France now had in thefe feas. The court of Verfailles ftill kept in the port of Martinico a fquadron of nine fhips and two frigates, under the command of Mr. de Bompart ; and the EngUfli grew cool upon the defign they had to attack this iiland. France has felt that it was impoflible to put her marine in a flate that was ne- ceflary to recover its loffes with common armaments. She has projefted an invafion upon the three king- doms ; and ihe makes no fecret that it is by the fuccefs of her arms in Great Britain, that flie hopes to do her- felf juftice for her pretenfions and lofles in America. They work with fingular ardour in the ports of Britany and Normandy. The troops ordered for the embarkation, are at their ftations. There has been invented a kind of tranfport boof s, fwifter and more commodious than tha old ones. The Engliflx miniftry feem by their defenfiva preparations, to have fome opinion of this projedt of an invafion. They omit nothing to difconcert the one, and difturb the other. Two powerful fquadrons form, fince the beginning of the feafon, the blockade of Breft and Toulon ; a third, not fo large, blocks up Dunkirk ; and a fourth, yet weaker, has been ordered to deftroy by a bombardment the boats wliich are building at the mouth of the Seine. Admiral Rodney who commands this laft, came before Havre de Grace, the 3d of July, and he returned to the ports of England the 8th. Ac- cording to his report which the admiralty made public, he had ruined the French armament. According to the letters from Havre, he had damaged three boats, and burnt a lodging houfe, The 29th of Augufl he returned with / 1 (i: H I4. ■/•: 54 * The HISTORICAL Sej*. a great number of bomb veffels, but he was received by the flat bottom boats, armed with canon, which hindered the approaching of the frigates ' " ^^ " ' ' ' : For thcfe three years the fquadrons of RuflJa, Sweden, and Denmark, have been guarding and fecuring the navigation of the Baltic, where the Englifli have not thought it neceffary to fend any fhips of war. Laft February the admiralty of England reckoned at fea and in the ports of the three kingdoms, 230 kings fhips, of which more than 120 are of the line. France in the moft flourifhing times of its marine, has not had more than 100 fhips of the line, and 60 frigates. The republic of the United Provinces, ruined by famous, decrees armaments, the expencc of which it leaves to the province of Holland, who is frighted at it. It feems to think that the marine of France cannot be entirely crufhed, or that of England maintain that em- pire of the fea which its fuccefs in this war has acquired. Portugal and Italy can do nothing, and it is not known what the new king of Spain will do. CHAP. IV. ■1;' ■•'Ml, i ■ I ' 11 ^ Recapitulation of the principal Military Operations to the frjl of September y 1 759. , TH E court of Drefden was intirely in a ilate of fecurity in the middle of the year 1756. She had di {banded a great number of her troops ; and a con- fiderable part of thofe fhe kept on foot was in Poland. Her artillery was in the arfenals., and not a magazine formed throughout the eledorate. Count Rutowfki, field-marfhal of Saxony, re-afTembled and united the troops ■■;(! Mm Sept. •eceived by ch hindered a, Sweden, curing the I have not war. Laft at fea and ings Ihips, France in as not had gates, ruined by * which it ;hted at it. cannot be I that em- acquired. lot known «759- And POUTICAL MERCURY. 5S tions to the a ftate of ^6. She nd a con- ti Poland, magazijie Utowfki, lited the troops troops that were di(per(ed in their quarters. Three days after that the Proflian armies had entered the ele^rate, he placed himfelf with 15,000 men, the whole of the Saxon army, in a camp betwenKonigilein andPyrna, which by the ftrength of its fituation made amends for the fupe- riority of the Pruffian troops. The king of Pdand re- paired to this camp the 30th of September ; a train of artillery came there fr«m Drcfden the fame day. In the account given of their provifions gathered in hafte fince the 28 th of Augufl, they found that this little army had fubfillance enough for 15 days. They reckoned on an accommodation between the two kings. V\ity fortified themfelves in their camp ; they leflened the ration* one ♦^'-'.rd ; they refearched the villages which wer^ witL .) their reach for more ; they were irf hopes of fub- fifting till the end of September. *TiIl the 10th the king of Pruffia let them flatter themfelves with the hopes of a treaty of neutrality. But when his van had pene- trated into Bohemia, he declared that he would allow the king of Poland to take no other part, but that of uniting his intereft and fortune with him. The refufal caufed him to treat Saxony as an enemy's country : He he refolved to block up the Saxon camp, as it was not to be forced. The king, eleftor, was determined to hold out to the laft, to join his little a: my to the Em- prefs Queen's, after liaving (lopped tlieir common enemy before his lines, as long as he poUIbly could. Count Rutowfki concerted this affair with marflial count Brown, who commanded the Auftrian army, which afTembled in Bolicmia. The bIoci:ade which the Pruf- fi&ns had made about the camp, Icit no opening bur a defile almoft impradlicablc. The Saxons flattered them- felves they fliould be able to rurmount thcfc dilficulties, A bridge of boats was to be ilung oxqv tJie Elbe under tiie ti l,v| Mi !:!'11 m I., . id- 'fi" •1 L - «IH' li! |# . THE HISTORICAL Sept. the protedtion of the fortrefs of Konigflein. This little army having attained the height of Ebenheit, was to divide itfelf into two columns, one of which leaving the mountain of Lilieilein on the left, was to march to-, wards ProfTcn, while the other fhould attack the abattis of the woods of LilieAein, and march, making head againft the Pruflians who were come from Pima, to form the rear-guard of the army engaged in the defiles rill it arrived at the heights of Scandau. There the Sax- ons were to find 12,000 Auflrians with which they fhould have gained the camp of Budin. This retreat was fixed to the night of the 1 1 th of Oftober. In order to hold out till this time, the radons of bread were leflened, the hoifes reduced to mere pafturr, Marlhal Brown was dtfirous of advancing on the day appointed : He went from Budin to Lowozitz, to difturb the king of Pruffia on the fide of Bylin and Brix, while by a (hew of an attack upon HennerfdorfF, the Saxons were to appear refolved to difengage thcmfelves by their left. This motion brought on the battle of Lowozitz the iirft of Oftober, between the army of marflial Brown and the PrufTians. This engagement did not change their defign. It was on the loth or 11th that they were to get the boats up that were at Pyrna, in order to make a bridge of them near Konigftcin. Count Rutowfki went to attack the Pruffians at Wukfladel where they fhut up the pafTage of the Elbe. They were forced from their port. But a Uorm l\indering them from getting the boats up, they were obliged to tranfport by land the pontoons which were at Pyrna. That caufed fome diibrder and retarded the building the bridge. They difpafrched an exprefs to count Brown, to dcfire him to flop his march 24 hours. This general was on the march towards Lichtenhayn, when lie received this billet. The Prufiians who could • no Sept. no >7JP» And POLITICAL MERCURY. i ' 97 no longer be miAakcn on what fide the retreat was de- fifncd, reinforced all their polls there, fo that coun( Brown, who was to march to Schandau, could not iMi> Vance farther than Litchtenhayn, where he cn€aiQpe4 opf^dfito the Pruflians. In the night between the nth and 1 2th, the SaxOn army defiled on the bridge which it had flung uoder the cai.non of Konigdein. A ter< rible rain fell. The ways were fpoilt, the horfes wore away by hunger, could not move ; the artillery ftucl^ in tlio dirt, and Hopped up the pafTage ; the grenadiert and the refl of the infantry undertook to clamber up an irapraAicable mountain, even the cavalry attempted it. It was four o'clock in the afternoon, and they had been on the march 1 7 hours, when at length they arrived on the height of Ebenheit. They formed themfelves into many lines there ; and difpatched an exprefs to count Brown to concert with him the precife time of the double attack of the Pruflian pofts. The wind was fo high that the fignals of the cannons, agreed upon, could not be heard. They perfuaded the kirg to re- turn to the fortrefs of Konigftein, not to add to the misfortunes of Saxony by hazarding his own pcrfon. The 14th at fevcn in the morning, an exprefs from count Brown brought word that he had not been able to get beyond Lichtcnhayn. The Saxons had been 7 a hours under arms without taking any nourifhment. They had ftill five hours maich before they got to thq enemies laft poft, which was defended by two others, fortified with trenches and redoubts. Count Rutowfki held a confultation in a new council of war, who were unanimoufly of opinion to capitulate with an enemy whom it was impoffible to get at to fight. This littlq Saxon army fuxrendered prifoners of war. I " This ; f f 1 ^., ^.^\ i '■% The H I S T O R I C A L Sept. .•*■ ' This was a terrible misfortune to Saxony. But tha enemy found an interruption to the joy it gave them. While the king of Pruflla was detained by the Saxoits, count Brown, and prince Picolomini had alTembled snd formed two armies. Bohemia was fhut up againfl him. The king of Pruffia, who in England and Holland pre- tended to the honour of a compleat viAory at Lowozits, was obliged to return into Saxony, and take up his quarters there, which he did not leave till the loth of March the following year 1757. The difpoiitions for this campaign announced great events. A Ruilian army aflembled at Riga fince the month of December, was marching acrofs Poland for Pome- rania and Pruflla. France made preparations to enter Germany with a powerful srmy. The Emprefs had two in Bohemia, one of which was under the command of count Brown till the arrival of prince Charles, and the other was commanded by marfhal count Daun. Count Brown had direfted the eftablifliments of the polls which were to cover Bohemia. He was told, that fome of them were not fo good as they ought to be, but he could not believe himfelf to be millaken. His Tror was at- tended with terrible confequences at the beginning of the campaign. The king of Pruffia divided all his troops into five armies, four of which were deftined for Bohemia, and the fifth for Pruflia and Pomerania, un- der the command of field-marlhal Lev/aid. The four armies marched at the fame time for Bohemia, that un- der the king's orders by Aufing, the prince of Deflau's by Egra, count de Schwerin's by Silefia, and the prince of Bevern's by^Reichenberg. Reichenberg was a poft of confcquence, and that which the Auftrians had endea- voured to make marlhal Brown have a diftrull of. It was •I . >759- And POLITICAL MERCURY 19 un- was forced the i8th, and all the others; which it un- covered were neoeflarily quitted. Prince Charles arrived at the army while it was afTembling, and he conduced it towards Prague, where all the Prufllan troops were to join. His royal highnefs encamped in fight of this city, oppofite the mountains of Wifcherad, and pro- pofed to wait till count Daun joined him, with the arm/ ander his command. The king of Prufiia hazarded every thing to prevent this jun^on. He offered them battle the 6th of May in the morning. The plan of this monarch was to keep the left of the Aullrians in awe, and to extend the corps of marihal de Schwerin fo that it fhould flank the right which oppofed him. The bat- tle began on the right, and the prince had the advan- tage there. His grenadiers broke through the firfl line of the PrufTians, and pierced to the fecond. Marihal count Brown was wounded, and obliged to leave the field. As his left could not be attacked, the prince drew- from thence, as many men as he could, to reinforce his right, where he perceived that all the aflion would pafs. . But the Auftrian cavaly did not maintain its former re- putation. Their general who thought the battle put off till next day, was prefled in point of time by the re- peated orders of the prince, and by the attack of the vnemy. The (quadrons drawn up in a hurry, fuilained but two charges, and went off at the third. The flank of the infantry was expofed. The prince took all the fecond line of the center, to reinforce his right afrefh, and not being able to reilore the battle, he fell back on his center, and carried it with the left and a part of the right into Prague ; which was the prefervation of this capital, and of the kingdom. The king did not reap from this vidlory the fruits he had promifed himfelf. He detached the prince of Bevem with 25 or 30,000 I z men 'ill ■ I IK 69 The HISTORICAL ScYit. If ri, ft 7 i -1 . 1 ',;|V. ,■) men agninJl marftial Daun, and he made the city of J*rague his principal objeft, which he reckoned to tako with the prince and the 30,000 men his royal highnef* had with him there. Marflial de Schwerin was killed in the battle. The other generals in whom his majclly con- fided) were trained up under him, ; nd not one of them doubted of the fuccefs he promifed himfelf. "./.v v. ; c < - The precious time that the king confumed, count !Daun employed in increasing his army, by keeping himfelf in a condition to receive his reinforcements. He appeared to the king to be too circumfpett, and th<> monarch was reiblved to go and force him to a. b9ttle« 'Till the 1 ith of June the marfhalhad contented himfelf with ftcuring his encampments and fubfiAeoces. H© marched the 12th. He left count Nadaili in the camp* to maik the march of the army which he carried entirely into his new camp; without the prince of Bevern't making any motion, though he was in fight. The 13th, the count endeavoured to draw the prine« to an, engagement, who waiting the king's coming, wa9 ^fr^d to engage in any aftion. Tha prince decamped the 14th to draw near the reinforcement which the king was Bringing to him in pcrfon. He cam9 to Gintitz, fol». lowed by the marfhal as far as Kaurfin* H«e his higj^* nefs faced about ; and was joined by his majefty, wh& brought with him 10,000 men, and a numerou$ arti}-» lery. The i6th the marjfhal came to Kirchcnau, where he paflbd the following day. The night of the 17th he kept his army under arms, and had advice that the king was coming to him along the caufeway by Collin. His majefly made a halt the 1 8th at eight in the morning. He refted till noon without llirring, making his difpo- fitions for the attack, and ordering every thing to flank the Aullrian camp. His army confirted of 40,000 men. - . The ^ 1, »759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 0% lank The marfljal watched all his motions. He faw th« monarch preparing himfelf to fall upon the right with the choiceft of his forces, and to poft the reft of his troops in fuch a manner, that fliould threaten the center and the left of the Auftrians, without engaging in the fight. Under cover of his firft ranks, the marlhal fent z reinforcement to his right without the king's perceiv- ing it. That prince charged according to his plan at two in the afternoon. The refinance he found fhewed him that his fcheme had been difcovered. Convinced that the marfhal would keep himfelf on the defenlive, he thought he could draw off his left without ilriking a, flroke ; and at the fame time that he gave his orders to retreat, he fent orders to his right to charge. The left of the Auitrians was now become the weak part. But the marihal did not give the king time to pufli the at- tack with his right. He charged the Itft of the Pruf- figns which he had been content to repulfe five times. This attack was not forefeen and overthrew every thing. The four regiments of Saxon cavalry attacked a propos and with wonderful imp^tuofity. The whole left of the enemy *s aripy was difordered, and this diforder gained upon the whole front of the army which re- treated in confuAon. For the five firil hours after the battle, his Prufiian majefty was loft to all hiftorians. They find him again the 20th in his line before Prague, where his return was of no other ufe but to let him be witnefs of a new check. Prince Charles being well in- formed that his Pruffian majefty was gone to fight count Daun, availed himfelf of that diverfion to make him- felf, his troops and the city independent of the fuccefs of that battle. In the night of the 19th he reconnoitred the lines where the king had left marlhal Keith, and on the 20th in the morning he attacked them with fuch order !■ -■I . ii i^r i m Mi 62 The HISTORICAL ■Sept. ! I '■ "'J .i ■ / '^m' order and vigour, that they wei-e forced in all the chief attacks. The Prufllans lofs in thefe two adlions was- 6000 killed, 3000 deferters. and 4000 prifoners, and they had full 7000 wounded, and left 50 pieces of can- on and 22 colours. The king of Pruflla endeavoured to hide his misfortunes in the account which he pub- liflied. But when the confequence of thefe two battles had fixed the public opinion with regard to the con- queror, he then chofe to prefer the reputation of his arms to his perfonal reputation : And in the letters which were publiihed as his, and which he never de- nied, he agreed with a noble franknefs, that he had tired fortune by his exceffive confidence in her, and he had the courage to chufe that his misfortunes r.iould be attributed to his imprudence. It is thus that he ex- plains himfelf to my lord m^lhal his lieutenant-gover- nor of the county of Neuf-Chatel. This confelfion might comfort the Pruflian troops ; but it did not impofe on the conquerors. During the whole month of July, the Pruflian army was continually retreating. The generals Nadafti, Hadick, Laudhon, ' Palfy, Morocz, and Kleifeld purfued it without inter-' miflion. General Beck plundered and deftroyed a whole: column of its baggage. Defertion too (another plague • of a beaten army) defolated it beyond belief: From the 18th to the 27th of January, 1600 deferters received ' pafiports from prince Charles. At the end of Jdly that * prince was in Lufatia with his whole army. He attacked ' the Pruflians the 8th of September at Gorlitz, killed 2000 men and general Winterfeld, in whom the king greatly confided. There remained to his Pruflian ma- jefty nothing but Saxony which he had furprized, the recovery of which v/as entmfted to the armies of France ' and the empire. The 1759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 6$ ^ The court of Vienna made its armies march into Si- kfia under the command of prince Charles, who had Riarflial Daun under him. General Hadick detached with 3400 men, to make incurftons into Brandenburg, dared to advance as far as Berlin : He prefented himfelf the 1 6th of Oftober before that capital; forced one of the gates and obliged it to pay a contribution of 200,000 crowns, and then deceiving prince Maurice of Deflau, who came to cut off his retreat, got fafe the 23d to Hoyes Werda, with all his troops and all his booty. Schweidnits had capitulated the 12th of November. The prince of Severn attacked in his fortified camp the 22d had been totally defeated, and prince Chailes in purfuing his viftory had taken him prifoner. Every thing foretold a glorious end of this campaign, when the misfortune of a French army changed the face of affairs. At the end of the month of March 1757, the French troops had entered the country of Cleves. A powerful army, at firft under the orders of the prince of Soubife and afterwards commanded by the marfhal d'Eu-ee, had advanced ftep by flep into Weftphalia and had marched to tb 3- ueft of the elcftorate of Hanover, for which his Bia. tc majefty had refufed the neutrality wliich the Emprefs Qj ,n had offered him. The duke of Cum- berland (who arrived at Hanover the i6th of April) haflened the moie to form an army as the king of PruiTia by abandoning his eflates of Cleves, left that eleftorate without a barrier. His royal highnefs obliged to retire fucceflively from all the pods where he counted to make head on this fide tke Wefer, had accepted and loll a battle the 26th of July. His retreat by his right to- wards Stade, had delivered up the eleftorate to the French. Purfued by them he had preferved himfelf from a total defeat, or an entire furrender ; but by making .''1. '. i \i S: *;•' ll,:' ■f 11 t 'I HI I I'll' H t ^4 The MISrORICAL Sept« making widi marfhal Richlieu (fucceflbr to marfhal d' Etrcc) the convention of Clofterieven of the 1 8th of September,, which difarmed and difbanded hi? trooptv Thoie of France had fpi cad themfelves over the ele^o- rate : The marfhal Richlieu had carried them as f^r aft Halherftadt; On the other fide, the prince of Soubifii (who had left the command of the anay in Weflphalia m take that of 39,000 men, which his Chri^an majefty was: to join to that of the Empire) had ieized HefTe and reduced Thuringia, thinking to fummon Leipfic the a4th of OSober, and ready to join Richlieu, he fcemed fure to take Saxony from the king of PruiSa, and to diflate to him before Magdebourg the articles of his re- conciliation with the allied powers. This rapid fuccefs was followed by a very great i?e- verfe. The Hanoverian army was at length flopped oa the other fide of the Wefer, and the duke of Cumber- land who commanded it was refolved to wait the ene- my's coming. His right was defended by the fortrefa Hamelin. He had ^ morafs in his front, and his left extended to fome mountains which were traverfed with ravins. The duke could only be attacked on the left, and by a very fmall front, and rven to do this it was neceflary to gain his flank by winding round the moun- tains. Me firs, d' Armentieres and de Chevert were charged with this operation, and they conducted it with fuccefs. On the 20th of July 175:7, at fi^ o'clock in the morning, the artillery of the two armies gave the fignal. The cannonading lalled on both fides till nine ; about that time the left of the Hanoverian army was flanked by Meflrs. d' Armentieres and Chevert, and the vidlory feemed decided ; when on a fudden a rumour fpread through the greatell part of the French army, that they were cut off. Seme officers witliout permiflion vL , fpread . , ,!«' land 1759. And POLITICAL MERCbRY. 5$' fpread this alarm to others, with orders to fecure their retreat, by marching back again. Marftial d' Etree, obliged to believe the reports which came from, places he could not be prefent at, fufjpcnded the army from a6ling ; he would have had fome difficulty to have faved it, if the duke of Cumberland hadhad knowledge of this unlucky accident. But this prince had alr^:cdy given over the battle for loft. His left, flanked by MefirJ* d' Armentieres and de Chevert, was expofed in front to the fire of the right of the French. He feared its total deflru6lion ; and he hal^ened to draw it back towards the centre, which was joined to the ri^ht. His royal highnefs retired to Copenbruck. The miftake in the French army only hindered the marflial from purfuing his viftory. The fruits of it remained for marflial Rich- lieu, who fucceded him in the command. M. de Rich- lieu took the command of the army the 3d of Auguft. The countries of Hanover and Biunfwic were open ; he made a conqueft of them before he went to the Hano- verian army, which v/as drove up behind Bremen, and under Stade. He difperfed it by the convention of Clofterfeven the 8th of September, and fpread his troops from one end to the other of this large country. But on the faith of the convention, he diftributed them in fuch a manner that their fecurity in their quarters, de- pended on the good faith of the Hanoverians, and their fidelity to their convention. Neverthelefs, this conven- tion was fufceptible of doubts, explications and inter- pretations of which it was likely the Hanoverians would take the advantage if ever they found themfelves in a condition to avail themfelves of them. . . .. ; Their inability in this refpeft would have lafted till the end of the war, if the combined armies of France and the Empire had had the fuccefs which appeared in- K dubitable. m !i./' >; * .a S' I i;i 66 The HISTORICAL r I! '^.:i Septt dubltable. In advancing into Saxony and the dutch/ of Magdebourg, they were in a capacity to fall upon the back of the violators of the capitulation, without dif- continuing their operations. The king of Pruflia having had his army beaten by the Ruflians at Jagernfdorff the 30th of AuguH, was equally prefled on all fides. The retreat of count Apraxin the day after his viftory, was but a refpite from which his Pruffian majefty could draw but little hopes, becaufe he knew better than any body how little durable the caufe of it was. The bad (late of his affairs put the royal family and his majefly's own fervants under the greateft uneafmefs. The margravefs of Bareith had already written to Voltair to colled toge- ther all that philofophy afforded, of confolation, for a prince who had a foul capable of rifiiig above that fortune which would have crufhed him. His majelly hadened the beginning of November into Thuringia, where the com- bined armies had retired to wait for him. He had fcarcely half of the men, which they had; and he found them on a field of battle which was the choice of their generals, and every thing to their advantage. On the 5 th they were in view. The motions which the king caufed the cavalry to make, to give room to his infantry, and to fupport it, appeared to the combined aimies a difpofition for a retreat. The troops quitted their pofls, and forming themfelves into columns, haflened to ccme up with him. In the very moment of this confufion, his Pruffian majefly fell upon their left which he took in flank ; the viftory was prefently decided. The confequence was furprifing. But the king of Prufiia ap- p.'ared fatisfied with having overcome. He flew from Thuringia intaSilefia, where prince Charles after having beaten the prince of Bevern in his lines the 22d of No- vember, had made himfelf mafler of Breflau. The 'iiii',;:;-;.,. Wit (» jfthis /hich The [a ap> Ifrom iving No- The 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. ^-j The prince of Severn being obliged to be witnefs of the taking of Schweidnitz, was reduced to cover Brc- flau. He had made choice of a very advantageous camp at the confluence of the Oder and the Loh, having this river in his front, the Oder on his right, Breflau at his back, and his left entirely covered by a line drawn from Breflau to the Loh. His infantry was behind fome vil- lages intrenched and provided with artillery. The vil- lage of Cofel ferved for a fupport to his grenadiers, in the angle, which the two rivers form in uniting. The grenadiers were fupported by the cavalry. This was the principal place of prince Charles's attack. His highnefs caufed two bridges to be flung over the Loh at this angle, and fent over general Beck at the head of the Pandours and Croats. While he defeated the Pruflian grenadiers, the prince attacked the front of the village of Pitfnitz, which fupported their left. The infantry which defended it made a vigourous refinance. But at laft it gave way. The other villages on the line were forced much about the fame time. The Pruflian general retreated with a very fmall number of his men, the greateft: part having been either killed or taken. The viftory was purchafed at a very dear rate. The battle had been compofed of many aflions equally brilk and bloody. The conquerors loft there about 6000 men, among whom were a great number of of- ficers. The king of Pruflia brought with him from Thu- ringia and Saxony the beft of the troops he had left. He joined them to the garrifon he drew out of Glogau and other places, and to the broken remnants of the army of Bevern, and he came upon Breflau, with between forty and forty five thoufand men. The Auftrian army not- withftanding what they had loft in the battles of Gorlitz, K z Zittau. % \ V ■! ! '*•* ft! 68 The HISTORICAL Sept. t\ 'i li i,i!-i Sittau, and the fkirmifli of the 2 2d was nearly of the fame force. The foldiers who liad fo lately gJiincd a fignal vidory were full of ardour. In vain the general would have reftrained them. Befides this ardour made him hope well of the battle. The Auftrian army v/as at five o'clock in the morning at Leutlien or Lifla,. According to the refult of the council of war, held in the morning:, his royal highnefs had formed his left wing of the corps of count Nadafii, and ilx thoufind men of Wurtcmbcrg, in order to extend the line. 'I'hrfe laft were ported in a wood. They believed th'^y could depend on them there. General Luchcfi, had the right. It was ported in a man- ner fo as not to fear being attacked. But through an ex- cefs of cijcumfpedion he afkcd for a reinforcement, and the referve was fent to him. The king of Pruffia caufed the left to be attacked ; they did not withftand the fhock. The fix thoufand of the Wuvtemberg troops gave way, and put the Bavarians and all the Auftrians into con- fuiion. The referve not being now at hand to fupport them, it was not polTible to rally them. The king had time to turn all to his left. The prince attempted a divcrfion on his right, and charged the enemy in flank, but the diforder of the left threatening to fprejid to the centre, his royal highnefs retreated, leaying aboyt te^ thoufand dead, wounded, and prifoners, He rallied on the hills in fight of the field of battle, and rtop^ the enemy. His retreat v/as to Schweidnitz. At the review on the 6th, the army was found to confift of thirty thoufand men. Half of it was put under the command of general Spiecher, who flung himfelf into B,reflau, which he held out but to the 20th. This ca- pital of Silefia was given up by a capitulation, whicl^ jjjflde its numerous ^arrifon pjifoners of war. -'lirh -¥vS^ At I of thq into ca- 4 4* f759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 69 The rigour of the feafon put an end to this bloody campaign, which the king of Pruffia finifhed, in draw- ing back the little Swcdiih army to Stralfund, which had advanced into Pomerania. The hiftory of Europe in its mod important crifis has not any campaign ib deftruftivc. There were feven pitched battles, and three great ikirmifhes, in lefs than eight months. Every battle ieemed to have decided the quarrel ; and it only ferved to animate the conquered to make greater efforts. For- tune not deciding between the two parties, favoured each in their turn, and in the very moment when one muft have yeilded, if fhe had not proved inconilant. The battle of the 1 8th of May at Chotzemitz, and the flege of Prague, would have eftablifhed the fuperiority of the Pruffian power, if prince Charles and maHhal Daun had not gained a viAory, and this power was paft reco- very if the king had loft the viftory at Rofback, or at Lifla, five months after. The fltirmiflies of Rechenburg, Gotliz, and Zittau, might pafs for battles. The Rufliah aimy beat the Pruffian, which ws^ in Pomerania, under the command of general Lewald, but its general did not draw any fruit from his advantage. The army of Fnance followed its viftory of Haftenbeck, with the conqueft of the countries of Hanover and Brunfwic, and at the (2nd of the campaign it was on each fide of the Rhine. prince Ferdinand followed the French army to the very brink of the river, and he paffed the winter in Weftphalia. In the fpring he occupied moft' of the pofts on the other fide of the Rhine, and he dared to rifque the paflage. The boldnefs of the attempt is as fiir- prizing as the facility he found in the execution of it. The French troops abandoned Cleves, and falling by degrees back as far as Crevelt, flood their ground there pn the 2ift of Jur,B. The prince marched to this army en IM B m n rm ■y 4 JO The HISTORICAL Sept. on the 25d, attacked it in its camp, and beat its left, which being neither reinforced nor fupported, made a very brave refiftancc to no purpofe. The Hanoverian army maintained it felf on this fide the Rhine, perhaps more by good fortune than management. It ventured to penetrate as far as the Meufe ; and it might have perifhed there. M. de Contades, who fucceeded the prince of .Clermont, in the command of the French army, was mailer of the poll of Wachtendonck, the only paflage prince Ferdinand had left to rejoin his magazines of Rees, Xante, and Emerick. He had detached M. Chevert to go on the other fide of the Rhine, to take poll at the head of the bridge of Emerick. The Hanoverian army was cut oft'. Fortune did miracles for it. The prince marched to Wachtendonck, where he only found two hundred volunteers of a French regiment. General ImhofF with fix battalions went to meet M. Chevert, .and obliged him to retire with lofs. The prince repalTed the Rhine the 8th of Augull. He continued the war upon an equal footing during the reft of the campaign. The Ikirmilhes o^ Sunderlhaufen the 23d of July, and of Lutzelberg the loth of Gftober, both in Hefle, were glorious for Meflrs. Broglio and Chevert, who had the greateft Ihare in the victory. But no confequcnce at- tended it. The French army on the lower Rhine, took up its quarters on this fide of the river, and that which had attempted to penetrate into Hefle, retired by degrees ■to Franckfort and Hanau, and cantoned about thefe two cities, where it had its head-quarters. The king of Pruflia began the campaign with ftill .more eclat than prince Fedinand. His majefty leaving Bohemia behind him, (the invafion of which fome fata- lity feemed to render alway fatal to him) opened the campaign of 1758, by the fiegc of Olmutz. He was be- bm 1759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 7» before the city the ad of May. Never had a military entcrprife occafion to be conducted with more expedi- tion. All the Auftrian forces were in the army com- manded by marfhal count Daan, and this army which had fcarely thiity thoufand veterans, encreafed and be- came more expert at their arms every day. It was not long before the king knew that an eiTential part of the military art had been negleded in the Pruflian difcipline^ His engineers ierved equally bad both his intereA and his impatience. After ten weeks labour, his majefty had fcarccly finilhed his approaches. Count Daun em- ployed this time to incorporate his new levies into his old regiments, to infpire them with the fpirit of the corps, to exercife them, to accnflom them to be near an enemy. Always in camps, where he run no ri/k of being hemmed in, he pat himfelf out of danger of being forced to fight, he meafured, if I may fo fay, the time and the opportunities of fuccouring the place. He kept the befieged in hope, and the beiiegers in fear, till the ill of July. His light troops got on the back of the Pruinan camp, which drew its provifions and ammunition from Silefia by Sternberg. They fell upon a grand convoy which was all its refource, and at the fame time the marfhal in going on the other Me of the river, opened to his enemy away by which he wifhed him to retreat, and fecured the Auftrian countries where he was afraid he might penetrate. The lofs of the convoy and this morion of the marfhal's faved Olmutz. His Prufiian Majefty had nothing more to do, but to break up his camp. The zd of July, after a ufelefs fiege of two months, he marched from that place, and croffiag Bohemia in fix days incamped in the county of Glatz. The marfhal was afraid to purfue him. His army wa« not fufiiciently trained to follow clofely troops accuilomed |0 ■< ; '■ M '.t • . m i It .The HISTORICAL Septi to forced inarches, and all pofitlohs were not equal to' him againll an ehemy who had in rcferve were with to • recover iiis army in cafe of a check. Marching at his cafe he counted, he meafured every flcp, which brought him nearer the Pruflian army, and the 6th of September he had removed the theatre of war in:o Saxony. The fanaticifm of religion and fear had fpoiled the fpirit of the people of the cleAorate. Weighed down under a yoke of iron, the unhappy Saxons more willingly hoped for a mitigation of their misfortunes on the part of their oppre^Rn*, than an end of them from their deliverers. The menaces and feverity of the firft rendered them at- tentive to the means of pleafing him. They were infen- fible to the pvomifes and the afTiftances of the others. The Aullrians in Saxony were really in an enemy's country. ■ The operations were concerted between count Daun and the general of the Ruflian troops. This lad was to have avoided a battle, till the armies of the two £m- prefles were at hand to fupport each other, to reap all the fruit of the viftory, or to guard againft the confc- quences of a i-everfe. But the king who was defirous at any rate, to hinder this jundion, quitted his army in. Saxony, and . with his befl troops marched againft the Ruffians, whom he found near ZorndorfF, in the new Marehe of Brandenbourg. He attacked them on the. 25th of Augufl. General Count Fermer made his dif- pofitions entirely to fuftain the ihock. His army divided into large bodies almoft fquare which joined one another, feemed as the front of an edifice with its two wings bent inwards. It fuftained the Ihock with aftonifliing firmnefs. But the king yvithout being difcouraged fent back to the charge, the troops which he had called off, an i fent them there after having formed them afrefa at i;is eafe. Tkcy were frefh troops, who at length made their way. c ; through ■\^\m ^759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. f$ rh through, the Rufllan ccrtre, at the point near the left wing. The (laughter was great on both fides ; and night feparatcd the two armies, without knowing who had overcome. Each had abandoned the field of battle, which he believed he had loll, and retired from it. In the night, M. de Dcmicourt, major general in the Ruflian fervice, rallied a conddcrable body, and re- turned to take ponTeflion of the field of battle, where he claimed the vidlory for his general, by whom he was fupported the next day. They expcdlcd a frefh adlion be- tween the two armies. But on the 27th the general count Fermor made a retreat which he continued to do till he got again into Poland, where he took up his quarters. The lofs was pretty near equal on both fides in the battle. But the Ruflian army was badly provided with amunition and provifions, and even with artillery. In the mean while the battle of ZorndorfF confirmed his majefty in the opinion he was in the very beginning of the war, that the Auftrians and French were not his mofl formidable enemies. The monarch, well informed that count Fermor was marching back, haflened to his army in Saxony. Prince Henry his brother had covered Drefden, in fuch a manner, as to make the redufUon of this refidence a long affair, and count Daun, who ought lot to have undertaken it while he was uneafy for the operations of the Ruflian army, was far from thinking of it, after having heard of the bloody and fruitlefs battle of ZorndorfF. The court of Vienna thought of the fiege of Neifs, in Silefia ; and the mar- (hail feconded its views, in detaining the king in Saxony. It was too late to attempt the recovery of the deflorate. The enemy was too powerful ; and the feafon too fax advanced, for them to hope to eftablifh and fortify them- ielves in the conqueft, fufficiently to take up winter X quarters iA III »'■■' PI -.1 ,8! f. ' 74' THE HISTORICAL ^epi.' f'J^ I i !.i ■; ( ■'. quarters there. The marfhal kept the king within' bounds by his incampments ; he diflurbed him^ he fa« tigued him. He quitted at lad his camp at Stolpen the 5'th of Odober and as fecretly as pofHbte, ^s upon lit depended the fafety of his march acrofs the narrow paiTages of the mountains in which he might be takeit in flank. He was already in the vall6y of Cunewalde, and had took up his quarters at Cruf!a, when his ma- jefly had advice that he had quitted Stolpen. He de- tached after him the light trodJ)s, which were repulfed with lofs by the rear-guard. This march was conducted by count Lafci. The army was on the 7th at Kittlitz, near Lobau. The king came the 8th to Bautzen, ftaid there the 9th, and prevented by a motion the attack the marflial was projedling of a body of troops polled on the WeifTenberg. The loth early in the morning, his' majcfty caufe tne hills of Hockkirchen to be took pof- feftion of. He drew up his right wing there, extended his left to Rodewits, and had a rivulet in his front. Count Daun was almofl: within cannon (hot of the cann(Mi of the advanced ports of the king. He changed his right, and advanced it, in order do draw it up on the the little mountain of Strumberg. He Ilrengthened it with grenadiers and largt cannon. A party of his left went forward toward Bautzen ; and the artillery was placed in a manner fo as to fweep the plain. ThemaJ*- jhal caufed fbme abatties to be piade in the woods which cover the mountains, and furni^ed \hefe woods with Croats, that he might fecure the cOhimunicatiioyi^^itli M. de Laudhon, who was at Mitchewits. His centra was defended by two hilis which commanded it, htid which he caufed to be fortified ftitl more. The king of Pruflla did not hefitate to believe that the mar^al pro- poil'd to eftablilli himfclf in this Camp, and to fpend the remainder mu a759' And POLITICAL MERCURY 75 {remainder of th« campaign there. When the motions of the royal army had made it certain tHat his majeiiy was entirely bent on thf ofppniiye, the marjfhal aug- mented his fecarity by marches and counter marches, which he made with fmall bodies, and which an enemy attentive to every thing, did not fail to take for m^rks of perplexity, and inquietude. At lenght in the night between the 13th and 14th, he brought, all at once, his whole army on the enemy's flank. It wou^l have been a prodigy if the different corps had arrived punc- tually at the appointed places and hour. The ba4 ways retarded fome in their marching during the night; and theje was not in the attadc all the concert laid dowji in the plan. But the furprize was not lefs compleat in the Prufiian army, which faved its left from total ruin, only by the fQK§ of its difcipline, and the great aptne^ 3t gives the foldiers in the moft difficult evolutions* The march had been direfted in three columns, o^f which one that was compofed of cavalry had been obliged to make fome ftop. The Prufiian infantry (nf its own accord flung itfelf into the village of Hochkir- fihen ; and by the obftiuaey of its reflAance it gave timf to the king to make difpofitions for a retreat. Thi$ battle cofi his Prufltan majefty between 6 and 7000 |(illed» near the fame nomber wounded, the heavy an4 light baggie of his army, his camp where the tents v;ere all ilanding, and above 100 pieces of canon. We do not know which to admire moft, either the marfliai who puts fuch an enemy to default, or the king whQ recovers himCejf ie9m fo great a lofs, under the veiy eyes of fuch an advjtirfary. The monarch pitched his new camp not more than four leagues from the field of battle. Eight days after this terrible check, his army wanted for nothing ; and an advantage managed with L 2 fo ■|>i ll :'■ VLiI vi - 1 r ',1 ;;,. {' I'' ,.f I r\i: I 1!^ •:H il 76 ' ♦The HISTORICAL Sept. fo much art, brought on with fo much ingenuity, had fcarce any other confequence to the Auftrian army, than to make the foldier retire into his quarters, with an efteem of himfelf, and a confidence in his general. The marfhal quitted Saxony when the weather did not per- mit him to keep the field any longer. His army and the corps which were in Silefia, did not diilurb the ene- my in the eftablifliment of their quarters, nor \vcre they difturbed by thpm. Each incapiped on his own poflef- fions. The Swedes retired to Stralfund. The army of the Empire after having received a check, retired into Thuringia and Franconia. The Rufiians wintered in the kingdom of Pruflla which they had conquered, and behind the Vartha. If was believed that the following campaign would open early on all fides. The king of Pruflia formed a plan of adUng in ge- neral upon the ofFenfive ; and on the ift of March he opened the campaign. A detachment was fent into Po- land to deftroy the magazines of the Ruffians there, and it badly executed its dellihation. Prince Henry pene- trated into Thuringia at the fame time, and prince Fer- dinand of Brunfwic, with the beft part of the Hanoverian army, marched to HefTe : He came to Fulda v/ithout having met the enemy. His Pruffian majefty went at length himfelf from Brcllau the 23d, pitched his camp at Landfhut, and gave general Fouquet a body of 20,000 men to penetrate into Moravia. The French army under the orders of marfhal Con- tades was on the lower Rhine, and in its quarters. A body of 26,000 men was cantoned between Hanau and Frankfort, and was commanded by the duke de Broglio. It was by the defeat of this body that the king of Pruffia fcckoned to begin his operations. Prince Ferdinand had about 40,000 men of the troops of Hanover, Heffe, and Brunfwic, And POLITICAL MERCURY. 11 Brunfwic. He found the ways worfe than he thought them, and he did not arrive till the 12th of April within reach of the duke de Broglio. The French gene- ral had been prepared for 1 5 days to receive the enemy. He had examined every part of the defence he could tnake, and of the attack which the Hanoverian genera! could contrive. He was fure of repulfing the enemy if his officers followed their inflruflions, and the foldiers maintained their pofts bravely. He was feconded accord- ing to his wiflies. The action began the 13th at 10 in the morning, and did not end till night. The prince was obliged to retire after loofing between . 6 and 7000 men. As they were willing to referve for the grand army the honour of the campaign, the duke de Broglio returned into his quartets, and the prince after having fufFered fome damage in his rear-guard from M. Blaifel, had leifure to repair his loffes in the coun- tries of Hcffe, Brunfwic, and Hanover, where he went. Although its advantages have been neglcdled, the vic- tory of the duke de Broglio is one of the moft famous in this war, becaufe there was fcarce any one fo necef- fery. It was upon the fate of this body of the French army that the king of Pruflia had founded all his plan of the campaign. If the duke de Broglio had been defeated, the army of the Empire was fun'ounded, and the king, by incorporating them into his troops, would have made them keep for him the country they defended againft his majefty. The troops of the Emprefs would not Jiave been capable to preferve Bohemia; and prince Henry, by taking poflefllon of it, would have put marfhal Daun and his army at the difcretion of the king his brother. The Ruffians were not in a condition to take the field fo foon. The battle of Bergen difconcerted all this plan, Prince Henry rcpulfed in Bohemia flung himfelf to no purpofe r^ 7« /The HISTORfC^^Y JSqjJ. fiivrpofe into Franconia, where he could not IbUow the Germanic array in its retreat, withoat danger of having ■the Auflrians on his back, who were coming from Bo.- iiemia. General Fouquet met with the marquifs de ViUb Who made head againil him on the frontiers of Mora;^ via, and followed him in his retreat as far as under iNoiia. Morflud Daun who was advantagioufly incampe^ «£ Git&hin, only waited for the drcampaig of the royal «nDy, to force a pa/Tagt into Sikfia, or to fight it. Hi« aajeily was obliged to abandon entirely the offenfivCf and to regulate all his motions by thoie of the allieti feAaies. 'Till the month of July he appeared to drea4 his enemies as much as they feared him : Froip his camp at Landfhut Co his camp at Lewanberg, and from Leweo^ berg to landfhut were all the marches he permitted him-^ ^if to make. To draw him out of this war of chicanery, it was neceffary that the approach of the Ruffian army ihottld oblige him to leave ibmethjng to fortune. Count Bohna had orders, in the beginning of July to advance as far as Pefnania, to meet the Ruffians commanded then by general count Fermor« and to attack them jUrong or weak wherever he found them. The count came as far as Pofen, where the Ruffians were incamped. But he judged it net po^tble to attack them ; and he believed, it more to the purpoie to prcferve his army to defend or cover Brandenboifl-g. The monarch had, without doubt, his reafbns for giving that order, he did not pardon ftount Dehna for having evaded it. The command of the array was taken from him ; and general WJedel was font in his place. M. de Wedel arrived exadly on the eve of the day, that count Soltikow, who had fucceeded count Femior, had pitched upon for the attack. The Pruffian army advantagioufly encamped beheld Zulli- ohau, ^\'as net acceiTible but on its left which could be flanked. And >6f itlCAL MtiRctmy. ir:« 7$ flanked, ^e kuflian general was determined ap(Hi diis plan, and executed it admirably. M. Wedel did not know it till after its execution ; and to render it ufelefs he changed his front, and marched by his left to the enemy, with an intention to out-flank him. His in- tention being guefled at and prevented, lie thought of Kis retreat, leaft the Ruffian right fhould cut it -off by ex- tending themfelves along the Oder. He took that ftep tOo late. The Ruffians had already taken pofleffion of the Way, and had cannon there. The only thing that now remained for him to do, was to go ftreight to his enemies and force a way through. But he had not per- ceived a morafs feparated his left from the Ruffian right. The charge which he made was repulfed becaufe he did not make it with the whole front of his left. Then he tliought to make another by getting over the mountains and woods which were in his rear. His troops fur- mounted all difficulties ; they came by this rout into the plain, where they formed themfeves oppofite theenemy'g right, beginning the attack with their own right, and making it pafs along to the whole front of the Ruffian right. It is difficult to conceive how the Ruffians did not fink under it. Their fecond line could not even affift the firft with its fire. This engagement lafted two hours. General Wedel faw his men repulied ; he quitted the iield, and rallied them on the hills. The next day he pafled the Oder. His rear-guard was overtaken in itv paflage, loft five regiments, and a great part of the baggage. Croffijn and Francfort thsn opened their gatef to the conquerofii who threatened Berlin. The king haftened to make a rampart to his capital with a new army. He went thitli*n- with his beft troupsy to which he joined the broken remnants of his defeated army; and at the head of 60,000 rnen, h» marched *ill ill ■I", I fU So The HISTORICAL SepL I I r' , !■ marched (li%ight to the Rufilans, who were reinrorced by 20,000, that general Laudhon had brought with him from the camp of marlhal Daun. The two armies were in prefence of one another the 12th of Auguft in the morning. Fortune, which was for the king from ti o'clock in the morning, till five in the evenings failed him. The incredible iirmnefs of the Ruffian in* £mtry, and a charge well condudled by general Laudhon, fixed the viftory on their fide. Count Soltikow was on the defenfive. The king promifed himfelf to make him appfehenfive for his centre, and for his right, by fome troops v/hich he held ready to fall upon one or the other, or on both together j and all the fhock was de- figned againft the left, taken at the fame time in flank. But the Ruffian general difcovered the fcheme and hopes of his Pruffian majefly. He difappointed them by break- ing his fecond line and fending it to fupport the flanfc of his left. The Pruffians broke through it, but the Ruffian infantry loft ground without being difconcerted, without breaking their ranks. The moment that the; Pruffians, taken in flank and cut ofi^by general Laudhon, wanted to halt, and form themfelves againft their new enemy, he charged them furioufly ; and pufhing his advantage without giving them time to breathe,, left no other part to the king but that of a fpeedy retreat. Since thefe two great adlions the war is entirely chang- ed on this fide. The king obliged to re-aflemble all his foxes, can compofe but two armies of them, which make head againft count Soltikow and count Daun. Sax- ony, an acquisition efteemed fo necefl"ary by his Pruffian majefty for his defence, hath been abandoned to tho army of the empire, which is making the conqueft of it without ftriking a blow. Pomerania and the Marches are open to the iiwedcs. 'A compleat vidlory would fcarcely , m.:. 17S9' And POLITICAL MERCURY. 81 fcarcely put the monarch upon an equality with Kis en<^*. jnies. A new defeat would entirely ruin his aitairs. \ Prince Ferdinand, more fortunate th^ at the beginning of the campaign, beat the army of France at Minden the I ft of Auguft, and by taking the poft of Coefield, which was the key of the communications of the French with what they had behind them, he obliged marflial Contades to make his retreat on the other fide of the Wefer. Warm in the purfuit he has not allowed the yanquifhed time to recover themfelves. All their heavy baggage having been taken, they muft draw near their frontiers again. All the fruit of the campaign has been loft. The French are returned behind Marburg, to maintain their communication with Franckfort and the Rhine. The battle of Minden was fought on a dif- pofition much like that of Hochftedt. The French therp had their cavalry in the centre ; and twelve or fifteen battalions broke them. But this difpoiition (inexcufeable at Hochftedt) would have rendered the vidlory compleat at Minden, if the right under the orders of the duke de Broglio had been ftrong enough to beat the twenty thoufand Hanoverians of which prince Ferdinand had formed his left, and which were intrenched behind a battery of thirty pieces of cannon. M. de Broglio had but twenty two battalions ; he could not attack ; and the marflial had reckoned that after having routed general de Vangenheim, and his twenty thoufand men, he would have fallen on the flank of the centre of the enemy, which the cavalry of his o^n Qentre would have attacked in front. France 'us not been more fuccefsful on the continent of America. She has only fent there fmall reinforce- ments withprovifions and ammunition, while theEnglifli fend whole armies, fupported by powerful fleets. This M ap- ! ■if- m lUi fii li r*ntnr^rotL{tAt «qjtt appaitfnt inidifFerefKre toward the firft ofejeA of the wari hath contributed to put the Britifh Miniilry on their Huard againft th# intended invaiion of the three Idnr- dotns. They mod have looked on it for certain as it svai the only riiburce the French had left, and the tnoil teady way to indemnify them for all their lofles. Th^ fort* du Queftie, dfwego, Ticonderago, Crown-point/ l4laj;.ira, are in the p6{feffion of the Englifli generals^ ^Qnefcec is befieged ; ftioft of the f^vages have chang^ their fide» and are become fo much the more teiribl^ enemies to the French, a« they beKeve France has aban- ^doned them. M. de Vaudreuil hath afTembled all th f <:j ill. - '••' >'''■" '■"■ w« \ \i't!i- .!\l T H E HISTORICAL 'I,' v« AND Political Mercury. NUMBER II. * 1 ..{ For OCTOBER, 1759. J5 v.» \ By Monf. Maubert de Gouvert. Tranflated from the French. 'K'!l ^ li i.f': ^ «!.■ LONDON: Printed and Sold by J. Townsend, at the Corirer of V/hite Fliers, in Fleet-Street. Mill I ) I! » • «» If ^(';-? \ -./I •< .•• .r^ uii' ^. * » -•.-. 1 ,. '..<■.: S«LJ9(j6()9(5fi(50(56()9()6(56(56(56()?(58(i^5e()9()9()8( THE HISTORI C A L AND Political Mercury. For OCTOBER 1759. C H A p. I. . 0/ Political Jfairs* E are not to expeft much cabinet intrigue and contrivance in a war like this, where M *^ M the interefts of the belligerant powers are gM too real, and too well known to admit of MMMJk any temperament. The aggreflbrs have difcovered their views, they have publifhed their pre- tenfions in a manner which leaves no room to doubt, N that ./' 'i «.-'i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I tea|2J 12.5 tii Uii 12.2 2.0 m L25 IMU 11.6 #. /I /: /A wV^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 M ^ 84 The HISTORICAL oa. that nothing lefs than the impoffibility of fupportlng them will ever induce them to deflft ; and the powers united for their common defence, have bound them- fehres to each other, not to flieath the fword, till they have received fiill and ample (atisfafUon for all their Complaints : In this tragedy the military men are thofe who a£t the principal parts ; the ftatefmen, polled be- hind the fcenes, give the a6lors the Agnal, regulate their motions, and watch the favourable minute, (a minute as yet hid in the womb of time) to appear in their turn on the ftage. The court of Berlin, relying entirely on the fortune of her arms, employs all her ufual methods of perfuafion, to extenuate the blows which thefe arms have received. The court of London, whom advantages aqually folid and glorioas have inipired with better grounded hopes, magnifies thefe advantages in the eyes of her fubjcfts, in order to encreafe their aiFeftion for her ally. Both, really or apparently miftaken, behave as if time was on their fide ; as if fear or intereft was to procure them new allies ; as if their enemies were to be difunited, and made to renounce the plan concerted be- tween them, through difguft, wearinefs. or want of money. Certainly, the king of Pruffia would not have been fo ready to hazard the battle of Cunnerfdorff, had he not greatly at heart to difguife the importance of the lofs fuftained by him at that of Zullichau ; and .his powerful genius would have contrived mezms to recover from a third blow, which fortune perhaps has in (lore for him, and he is now going to meet, were he not perfuaded that it is as much his intereft to put a goo• «i ] i •dng wer» liem- thcy their thofe dbe- their linute rturn aneof laiion, leived. y foUd mnded of her or her ^e as if was to e to be Itcd bc- ant of \i have if, had of the md his recorer {tore he not a goo4 he fete ■sin the back, to ^ » I ♦ * 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. ^^ to the fame level with his enemies. The lofs of another battle is fufHcient to crulh him. The cautious conduft of the generals that oppofe him, would leave him in a flate of violence with all his forces wound up to the highei^ fh-etch. In this condition, his own perlbnal courage, and the alfiflance of his allies, would be his only refource. This affiftance indeed, th .* Britifli miniihy (eems de- termined to afford his Pruflian majelly. When in the year 1757 they declared for the meafures, which they had fo long oppofed, when they adopted the connexions formed by their fovereign with the powers of Germany, they did it with a refolution to a£t in confequence with equal eclat and vigour. But reduced by the principles of the Englilh conftitution, to the necefllty of hazarding nothing, and of carrying nothing with a high hand, they cannot anfwer for a communication of the forces and treafures of Great Britain, but as far as they may be able to make the people approve it ; and this people, (b ready to take fire, gave their minifters juft grounds to fear, that they will hereafter rail at an alliance, all whofe charges they mud bear, with the fame enthufia(m« with which they have hitherto declared themfelves in favour of a viflorious ally. It is impoflible to determine, whether it is from a regard to this fituation of the Bri- tiih miniilry, that the king of Pruffia has made fuch facrifices to the reputation of his arms, or whether it is through a fondnefs to immitate his Pruflian majefly, that the Britifh miniftry has adopted his principles. l*he operations produced by thefe principles, though not equally detrimental to England, have however proved very burthenfome to her. The expenfive blockade of Brelt, the fruitlefs expeditions of admiral Rodney, the enormous charge of making new levies at home, all thefe N 2 prepa- ■ri H : m m 'i-.'j M ^/ The HISTORICAL oa. preparations (unlefs the court of London. may. have in them fome particulal- views upon her own dominion?) cxpofe her minifters to the moft terrible reproaches from the nation, which, when it comes torefledl on the great expence of carrying on the war, will call them to' an account for all thefe meafures, taken to baffle an invafion, which they thcmfetves always pronounced impoffible. In fad, if this projeft was made ufe of by France mere- ly as a lure to confine the Britifli forces to their ifland, and reduce England to a Hate of uneaflnefs and expence, the court of Verfailles has a better right to boaft of this ftroke of policy, than the court of London. If the En- glifli had permitted the French fquadron to come out of port, a few unhappy or even drawn battles, would at leaft have weakened this infant marine, too feeble to give any effedlual afTiftance to her American fettlements. The fleets of France would have thought themfelves happy, after keeping the fea for fome time, to be able to hide themfelves in port again, and mull in the inte- rim have fuffered equally with thofe of Great Britain, by the wear of (hips and lofs of men infepaiable from a a fea campaign. The alarm of an invafion, therefore, whether true or falfe, has faved France the trouble and the expence of afting on the defenfive ; and by oblig- ing England to lay afide all thoughts of the grand blows ■fhe had prepared to ftrike, it has exhaufled, to no man- ner of purpofe, forces againft which France was in no condition to make head. We Ihould greatly impofe upon onrfelves, were we to imagine, that the projefl of an invafion had been difconcerted by the blow given Monfieur de la Clue's fquadron. If this projedl was real, four fhips could not be fo eflential, as that the lofs of them ftiould make it mifcarry. The court of Verfailles would not ha\ e refplved on an expedition by fea, like > > ♦ ( «759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. 87 > > ♦ ( this. this, without making allowance for the accidents fo frequent on that element. If therefore, fuppofing the French were ferioufly bent on attempting an invafion, they have now renounced it, it is not in the engage- ment off Lagos, we muft look for the caufe of their not carrying it into execution. It is well known that Monf. de la Clue had orders to leave at Cadiz, five fhips out of the twelve which compofed his fquadron, and nothing certain can be faid in regard to the deflination of the remaining feven. The condud of the Britifli miniftry, by continuing the admirals Hawke, Broderick, Boys and Rodney, in their prefent flations, and offer- ing further encouragement for raifing the militia and re- cruiting the ilanding forces of great Britain, at the fame time that they affirm, that the project of an invafion is either chimerical, or has at leafl failed if it ever exiiled, becomes a riddle not to be explained, but by confidering a fhew of the great fuperiority of the Britilh forces, as the principal objedl of all their efforts. Nor can we fee any thing, befides this political pa- rade, in the orders, by which prince Ferdinand has con- dufted himfelf fince the affair of Bergen. He was ex- prefsly enjoined to difpute inch by inch all the ground on this fide of the Wefer, in fpite of the perpetual rjfk this obflinacy might expofe him to, of being intercepted or overpowered in his retreat. Since the battle of Miii- den, this general received orders to proceed in the fame manner, and prefs the French army in a manner fitter to eftablifh the reality of his viftory, than to enable him to reap the fruits of it. The court of London, it muft be owned, has fucceeded in making on her fubjefts that imprefTion fhc wanted, fo that not a good Engliihman is now to be found, who 4oes not believe that Great Britain may fafely bid de- fiance m T! m S3 The HISTORICAL oa. i'V' w '' ['■4 fiance to all the other powers of Europe. B«it there are men in England, who argue as Hanno did in the fenate of Carthage, and doubt of the reality and folidity of advantages, which are publiflied only when new fupplies of men and money are called for. Thefe un- believers are men of fortune, credit, and power. Since the battle of Minden, England has rung with the reports of a fpeedy tranfportatiwi of lo or even 20,000 Englifh troops to reinforce prince Ferdinand's army, but the op- portunities, which this prince had of making ufe of fo confiderable a reinforcement, are now elapfed, without his receiving more than 5 or 600 Scotch highlanders, with recruits for the regiments that fufFered during the campaign. The Britilh miniftiy, after having vainly en- deavoured to impofe upon the public in regard to the vidlories at ZuUichau and Cunnerfdorff, gives out with great aflurance, that the Imperial army of Ruflla, which Itruck thefe two great blows, has been forbid by its fovereign, to reap any advantages from them ; nay, th^y have publiflied the particulars of an alliance betwen the cmprefs of Ruflla, and his Britannic majefty, fixing at 3co,ocol. flerling the annual fubiidy for which this princefs is to facrifice her allies. This is the freflieft flroke of the Britifli miniftry's policy. We have little to fay concerning the fchemes of the allies of England and Pruflia. It is not probable that the landgrave of Hefle and his council have avowed the advice given by Monf. de Donnep, his highnefs's miniller at Ber- lin, to make ufe of an irapoflure in order to render the French oilious to the Heffians, and hinder fuch df the latter, as had fled their country, to return to it when re-conquered by the former. It is one of thefe little tricks, which always turki out to the difadvantage of thole who contrive them, and which one fcarce pardons in 1 1 1 1 in 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 89 in favour of the zeal which di£lates them. M. Donnep's advice was falfely to charge the French with enlifting by force into their foreign regiments all the Heflians that returned to their country. "'' ' , It is very doubtful, whether the duke of Brunfwick had in view the intereft of the common caufe in ftrengthening the ties of blood, which have fo long fubfifted between his family and that of Brandenbourgh. There are but few houfes of the Proteftant religion, info which the fove- reigns of the firft rank of the fame communion are fond of marrying ; and in all appearance, religion is the only political motive for the choice, which the margrave of Bareith has made of a daughter of the reigning duke. The court of London, at prefent fo liberal of her fub- fidies, has not offered any to this prince : Her intereft cannot increafe in Germany j (he no longer continues to flatter her fubjefts with the hopes of finding a fupport in the king of Denmark. But her fentiments in re- gard to the court of Spain, ftill remain a profound fecret. Ferdinand VI. departed this life' the jo:h of Auguft, and the queen dowager of Philip V. whom the late king's teftament and the eventual letters of the prefent king her fon invcfted with the regency, was called to it by the feveral councils of the kingdom. The private in- firudions of the prefent king exprefsly imported that every thing fhould proceed in the old channel during his abfence, unlefs where it might be found abfolutely re> quifite to depart from it, and the queen regent has ftricl- ly conformed to thefe orders. The fhips of war, that lay in port, put to fea merely to convoy his majefty home to his new dominions, and the war and admiralty offices have done no bufinefs, but what related to the interior concerns of the monarchy. The courts of Europe may conceive great hopes from the accefTion of Charles III. to I ,' 1 -I M ■>'■ f 'I p go TKe HISTORICAL oa. ill ■I : to* the throne ; but none of them can determine with any certainty what part this monarch may take in the prefent crifis of affairs. People at London don't think like thofe at Pans and Vienna, on the arrangements already made, or to be made hereafter, in order to fecure the peace of Italy. But if thefe arrangements procure the king of Sardinia either proportional addition of ter- ritory, or full fecurity for what he already poffeffes : It never will be in the power of an Englifli fleet to create frelh difturbances in that part of Europe. The coffee-houfe politicians, who are fure to difcover ambi- tious views in all the proceedings of crowned heads, pretend to have difcovered in the match now depending between the firft archduke and the princefs of Parma, the bafis of a new partition treaty. They don't refleft, that tho* young princefTes have been fometimes the feals of alliances between fovereigns, they never were the prin- cipal objedls of any, unlefs they had territories to give away, along with their hands, to their future conforts. Certainly, the court of Vienna does not confider the princefs of Parma in this light. The age of this prin- cefs rendered her the moft fuitable match for the young prince ; and the Emprefs Queen, intent upon procuring her fon's happinefs, would have been determined to make this choice by the perfonal accomplifhments of the young princefs, though her Imperial and Apoftolical majefty faw nothing in this match capable of increafing the friendfliip, between the two houfes. An alteration' in the prefent fyftem of Italian affairs muft, if we may believe thefe politicians, be the unavoidable con- sequence of this marriage. The infant duke, father of the princefs, is to have Tufcany, along with the dutchy of Fetrara, in lieu of which the ftate of Sienna is to be made over to the Pope. Placentia and its de-' pendancies 1759* And POLITICAL MERCURY. ^t pendancies are to pafs into the hands of the king of Sardinia, who will cede his ifland to the infant duke, now becon»c king. France, in fine, is to purchafe theft permutations by giving Lorrain as a portion to the youn|; princefs. . . • . : J i- It is not in a crifis of fuch importance as the prefent, that princes bellow thrir thoughts on unintercfting objcdls. The courts of Vienna, Verfailles, and Pe- terfburgh, have not as yet fo much as deliberated on the fatisfa€tion, which the king of Pruffia and his allies owe to the other powers of Europe. Thefe three courts know too well, that however neceflary it may be, it is equally difficult, to bring fuch enemies to terms. As they have not fuffered themfelves to be diftieartened by the unpefted check given to the French army at Minden, fo neither have they permitted themfelves to be dazzled by the two great viclories of Zullichau and CunnerfdorfF. They have agreed on the propereft methods of flopping the confequences of the firft, and gathering the fruits of the latter. It cannot be expeded, that the communi- cation between three fo diftant allies fhonld be very fpcedy, or that any one of the three, how clofe foever the connexion between them may be, fhould lofe fight of her own private interefts. The Ruffians muft think on it more than once, before they withdraw from the banks of the Oder, to penetrate into Saxony. Pru<- .-oe re- quires that in all important undertakings, gr«. .cr re- gard fhould be had to pofTible mifcarriages than eventual fucceffcs, and it was very pofHble that the king of Pruffia might, after abandoning Saxony and part of his electorate of Brandenburg, find means to make the Ruffian army melt away, if I may be allowed the ex- preffion, in the midft of its conquefls, by. ihtercepting O the i*;;3 < if ;f' 'I les 9« The HISTORICAL oa. the troops deHined to reinforce and recruit it. It was the bufinefs of the Auftrian general to purfuc the ope- rations fitteft to bring on a final decifion of the quarrel, and confidering the irrcfolution into which the expec- tation or rather want of frelh inftruftions threw the Ruffian general, it became a capital concern of the Emprefs Queen to make ufe of her army to cover her own territories, and have her general at hand to aft con- formably to the plan fettled at Peterfburg. The French, fcrioufly determined to alarm the Englilh as much as poffible with the fears of an invafion, and having for that purpofe drawn all their land forces to the fea coall, wifely concluded that any new mifcariiage, which might happen to them in Germany, mufl end in the compleat ruin of their army there. This army was France's only rcfource, in cafe the invafion did not fucceed ; and an invafion could not take place, but in proportion as this army ferved as a bulwark to the power which undertook it. The natural confequence of this double obfervation was, to endeavour at nothing more than keeping prince Ferdinand at as great a diftance as poffible from the Lower Rhine, which was naked and without defence ; to check his progrefs by the firft tenable place on this fide of Hcfle, and ftrive to recover the lofs of the battle, by making the enemy equal lofers by the campaign. . tn o'-T: > This is the true fecret of the inconfequences obfer- vable in the military operations of the confederate powers. The generals of their feveral armies were to behave abftradcdly from the ordinary rules of their art. It was no longer their bufinefs merely to carry on the war, but to carry it on in concert with the miniflers of . Hate. They faw themfelves obliged to Ihare in the per- plex- i;59- Aad "OLiTICAL MERCURY 93 plcxities of the cabinet, and regulate their condujfl by its daily inftruftions. Reduced to the neccflity of being conflantl); on their guard againft the temptations of fa- vourable opportunities, they not only were obliged, in not improving them, to flcreen themfelvcs againrt the confequences of fuch omiflion, but even omit them fo as to fecure their return. Their fituation mull be al- lowed to have been very difadvantageous, confidering they had to deal with an enemy, who regulates himfclf entirely by the iflue of his military operations, and makes his cabinet depend on his armies ; who makes war be- caufe in war he has placed all his hopes and all his re- fources. Conftantly enterprizing without running any rifk but that of being repulfed, he watches and even creates opportunities, and makes himfelf mailer of them. He may give full fwing to his audacity, while his ud- verfaries are obliged to be always circumfpeft, and mud keep within the bounds of this perpetual circumfpeftion. He ftill continues to maintain among the publick that military reputation, which is of fuch confequence in military affairs. The French, by adling merely on the defenfive, appear weakened and even exhaulled, they are fufpefted of being weary of the war, or difcourged by the ill fuccefs of it, while people, by the king of Pruflia's beginning to a6l offenfively again, are made to doubt of his late mifcaniages. The reputation of the Pruffian troops and of the powerful genius that animates them, has been encreafed by marihal Daun's conHancy to avoid coming to blows with either army. By thefc notions we may perfeftly account for all the militai) operations of the lall month. O £ C K A P. m 94 The HISTORICAL Odi CHAP. II. '\U Of Military Ajfain. TH E hereditary prince of Brunfwicic, by Turprizing the poll of Coesfeld the firft of Auguft, cut off the retreat of the French through Weftphalia. Marftial Contades, after the lofs of the battle, found himfelf under a neccflity of making the movement, which a viftory would have fecured. He pafTed the Wefer, and took port on the right fide of that river. Had the French army been thrown into that terrible diforder, in which the Ha- noverian relations have reprefentcd it, it is impofliblc to account for its not having been more vigoroufly pur- fued by prince Ferdinand, then maftcr of all the polls on that fide of the river. If, on the oiherhand, the French troops did not fuffer more by that aflair, than the'French relations allow, it is furprifing, that as there lay no fortified place in their way, they did not pene- trate into the eledorate of Havovcr, where they might have fupplied the lofs of their own magazines by feizing upon thofc of prince Ferdinand. The fortrcfs of Ham- meln on their right was at too great a diftance to give them any uneafmefs ; Two days march might have carried them to the wall: of Hanover, v/here prince Ferdinand would not have ventured to follow them, till he had been rejoined by the hereditary prince. It wa« a flroke equally Aire and bold. We cannot imagine that itcfcapcd the rar;acity of the French generals ; but then they cculd not but think it of fome importance to have along with them the heavy baggage of their army, which ky at the other fide of the Wefer, and therefore concluded that the befl thing they could do was to return up that river, keeping pofleflion of the » defiles. I759* And POLITICAL MERCURY. 9; ddilcs, and when they had rejoined their baggage, march back to the Hanoverian army. But unhappily this baggage fell into the hands of the enemy. There has appeared a relation, in form of an apology, for the troops who had the care of it, but as this piece is act authentic, we cannot take upon us to cenfure or acquit them. By the time the marfhal received an account of this unhappy affair, he was retreated too far to face about and rifk a blow at his purfucrs. He had nothing left but to precipitate his march towards HefTe, left he ihould find the defiles in his way occupied by the enemy^ As he had no magazines in that part of the country, it was impoffible for him to maintain his ground in ir, Co that the only thing he could do, was to cover Franconia with his troops, and make what hafle he could to places capable of fupplying him with provifions. This long and painful retreat was not efFecled without blows. The hereditary prince of Brunfwick came up with the rear- guard of the French array at Einbeck the eighth, at- tacked it with fpirit, and was bravely received. This rub coft his highnefs about 1000 men killed and wor.ided. The loth Monf. de St. Germain repulfed fuch another attack with equal fuccefs in the defiles of Minden. Monf.. d'Armentieres, who after taking Munftcr was going to lay ficge to Lipftat, received intelligence during his inarch, that the lofs of the battle and the marilial's re- treat had brought the Hanoverian army between his flying camp and the French army. In this conjunfture the furefl flep he could have taken was to march back to . Munfter, or make the bell of his way to the Lower Rhine. But as he had along with him a quantity of provifions and ammunition, which might be ufeful to . the grand army, he ventured to convey them to it, and fucceded in the attempt. The corps under his com- 1 :4 li I i m^ ^^W f'l I.. i 7: ll 95 The HISTORICAL 06!. mand confifted of 18 battalions and 28 fqnadrons, be- fides 3000 light troops. This was adding to the grand army more than it had loft, and enabling it to repair its mifcarriages, if it bad only been able to f< rget or fupport the lofs of its baggage. By the 12th, all the different bodies were united in the neighbourhood of Caflel, and marflial Contades had replaced the artillery that fell into the hands of the enemy. This genera* propofed to make good his footing at CafTel : He little imagined that prince Ferdinand ftill entertained hopes of being before him at Franckfort, or that his highnels was willing, by miffing his blow, to run the rift of lofing the fruits of his viftory, and the advantages he might expect during the remaining part of ^he cam- paign. Meflrs. de Broglio, de Chevreufe and d' '* r- mcntieres were pofted on his left, with orders to make head againft the Hanoverian army in cafe it ihould attempt to penetrate by the right ; but prince Ferdinand broke all thefe meafures, and by a motion iiore to the right than the French generals thought he vould ven- ture, came on boldly and encamped the 18 th "-Corback. This made it neceflary for marftiai Contades to aban- don CafTel and Hefle. The 19th therefore he marched by Fritzlar and Marpurg, after leaving 400 n- 1 at Caf- lel to capitulate for 1500 fick and wounded, ho could not follow him. This city wa - occupied th' lame day by the Hanoverians. Their army arrived th^ i th at Mengeringhaufen. Prince Ferdinand was equally intent on annoying Monf. de Contades in his retreat to Franc- fort, and to carry oft* Monf. d* Armentieres at Wolffbha- gcn. The French general fliifted his quarters time enough to avoid the blow ; but one of his advanced pofts was obliged, for want of timely notice, to retreat by a rout different from that, which had been prefcribed to it. / J759' And POLITICAL MERCURY. 97 it, and anothier poft, upon which it was to fall back, was, in confequence of its not receiving the general's orders, or early advice of his difappointment, over- powered and taken. The different bodies of the French army, by falling back fucceffively one upon another towards Francfort, at laft took poft the beginning of September, in. the neighbourhood of GiefTen and Wetz- Jar. Here the marfhals d' Eftrees and de Contades re- folved to remain, till jwince Ferdinand fhould force them to a battle, or Monf. d' Armentieres diverfion in Weft- phalia Ihould draw his highnefs back to the Lippe. Neither happened. Monf. d' Armentieres relieved Mun- fter, and could do no more, as general ImhofF lay in the neighbourhood with a confiderable body of troops. Prince Ferdinand confined himfelf to the attack and fur- prize of pofts. He attempted that of Wetzlar the 18th of Sentember, but was reprlfed by the duke of Broglio. He fent fome detachments to his right, as far as the Rhine, with no better fuccefs. At length lie retreated the 27th. The French army kept its ground. The greateft lofs fuftained by it fmce the battle of the firft of Auguft, fell upon its different corps of light troops, and and its advanced pofts, feveral of which were furprizcd, furrounded, or overpowered by numbers. The Pruffian troops have met with no fuch accidents in the countries invaded by them. The right of war, eftablifhed by their generals, immediately changes the inhabitants of the conquered country into zealous fubjeds, and leaves them no choice between betraying their prince and their 'Country, and beggaring their families. The French re- quired nothing more of the community that had deliver- ed itfelf into the hands of their fovereign's troops, than a reparation of their lofs. The Pruflians would have crufhed it to pieces, had one of its members neglected i tQ ) II A? .1 u ¥'■ • f. i'. I ii ■m i;;^t 98 The H I S T O R I C A L OO. 11 , ? 1 $ I l- ■ vt'J r1 to give them a fmgle advice. The new right of war is rigorous and even unjufl ; but it is ufeful. The inftniftions of their Englifh and Pruflian ma* jeilies, which recommended to prince Ferdinand not to give the French time to breathe, fhouId» one would ima* gine, have been recalled after the battle loft by the latt- ter at CunnerfdoriF the 21ft of Auguft. The I0& of more than 1 5000 men dire£lly after that of bctweeai 5 and 6ooo> which the battle of Zaillichau coft him, rendered a reinforcement neceilary to him for the pre- fervation of Saxony. One half of prince Ferdinand*s army was fufHcient to guard the defiles of Minden and Eimbeck, or even recover part of Hefie ; which was the fame thing as to drive the French as far back as Wetz-^ lar. Nothing more however was required of his highr nefs, than to fend feme fmall detachments of light troops towards Thuringia, where they had no fuccefs. The king of Pruffia was willing to retrieve his lofs without any foreign aififtance. The Ruffian and Auflrian armies having ceafed to a£l againft him, he imagined that he was making head againfl them, and flopping their career^ But in the mean time, he had the mortification of feeing Saxony, that precious pledge, refcued from him by a third enemy from whom he little expefted fuch a blow ; and he is embarrafTed by a Swedifh army, whofe efforts 7 or 8000 men might have eafily baffled. It is ufelefs to give a journal of the four great armies. Th^ Auflrian and Ruffian generals could attempt iiothingv till their courts had concerted a plan for their future operations. For one whole month, they fought lel^ to gain new advantages, than to lofe nothing Ojf thofe they had already obtained : Their adverfa- ries, equally able and daring, were at liberty to im- prove every opportunity, by keeping themfelves at a proper 15; .., I7S9« ' And POLITIGAL MERCURY. ^ proper diftance. Marftial count Daun, however, during this monA of obftrvation found means to throw a new furprize in the way of the king of Pruflla. Tlus mo- narch, emboldened by his excellency's ina^on, had de- tached fome confiderable bodies of troops into Pome- rania and Saxony, fo as to fcarce leave himfelf between 25 and 30,000 men. Monfieur Fouquet, his general in Silefia, had to deal With a body of Auftrians equal to his own : The marquis de Ville had taken poll in the irt- pre^nable camp of Gorlitz, from whence he covered Bohemia, and kept prince Henry at bay. The king had advanced as far as Lubben in Lufatia. The field- marfhal, who lay at Sorau equally at hand to attack the monarch and the prince his brother, tliought himfelf on the eve of cruftiing one, and then returning to overwhelm the other: He gave orders for marching the 1 2th to Calaw, but t>vo miles diftant from Lubben. The camp was breaking up, when he re- ceived advice that prince Henry having marched to- wards Gorlitz, Monfieur de Ville had fallen back to- wards Bautzen and uncovered Bohemia, and the Auflrian magazines. It was now therefore no longer time to deliberate : He marched towards Lohiz and Bautzen to reinforce his army with that of Monf. de Ville, and came to threaten prince Henry to pin him up in ibihe corner of Bohemia, in cafe he ventured into it. With all his celerity, however, he could not fave fome fmall ma- gazines that the prince had fent fome light troops to deftroy. But he fo far over-awed his royal highnefs, that having immediately called in all his detach- ments, he kept himfelf on the defenfive in his camp of Gorlitz, where he gucfled the marflial would foon xome to attack him. In faft, the Auftrian army left Bautzen the ?3d, and marched towards Reichenbach p and '■■1 4 'J 'M ■1 :\i i; ■ill :f lOO The HISTORICAL oa. ,!i:- im and Landfcron, where the marftial made his difpoiitiocs for attacking the intrenchments of Gorlitz the next day. The prince did not think proper to wait for him ; he decamped the fame night, direAing his march towards Sorau. This movement coft him part of his baggage, which was taken by fome detachments the marfhal fent after him, while he purfued him himfelf with the bulk of this army ; one would imagine, that his royal highne(s .could not avoid fighting, or being overtaken in his re- treat, but all on a fuddcn he changed his route, and falling back towards Rothenburg, where he croffed the Neifs, he reached Hoyerfwerda, by a forced march of two days and two nights. The marOial had not fore- feen fo bold a ftroke. It was now no longer in his power to hinder the prince from joining general Fink in Saxony ; all he could do, was to prevent his getting the ftart of him in that eleftorate. He likewife changed his route, and by marches equally forced, came within fight of Drefden the 29th, and there crofler' \e Elbe to throw hinifelf between the Pruflian annj and that ca- pital. The prince has joined general Fink behind Meiflen. The marftial feemj refolved to march up to him. By all appearances we may eveiy day expeft the news of another engagement. Generals of abilities nearly equal are not very ready to come to a deciiivc adion. In the interview at Guben between the mar- fhals Daun and Soltikow the zzd of Auguft, it was re- folved, that the latter Ihould march into Cilelia, and the former, watching equally the motions of the king's army and that of the prince his brother, Oiould make it his chief bufinefs to over-awe the firft. The king, on his fide, fecmed to leave to tlie prince his brother the c^re of obferving the Ruflian army. It became equally re- quifite. to change both thefe plans after the fuccefsful march «759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. loi inarch of his royal highnefs towards Gorlitz. Saxony became the objeft of the prince, and the prince's army the objeft of marlhal Daun. The king marched in purfuit of the Ruffian army, and this army, reinforced the 15th of September by 10 Auftrian regiments, \vith which Laudhon*s corps had been augmented, has en- tered Silefia, where marching towards Glogau, as it were to befiege that place, it takes great care not to cxpofe its left flank, and to keep the king of Pruflia on on its right, in order to fecure the country behind it, and the banks of the Oder. ' '■ '■ ' ' '" ' The operations of the German army, reinforced by a body of Auftrian troops under general Haddik, have been much more ufeful than brilliant. Its general, the prince of Deuxponts, by taking Leipfick, Wittemberg and Torgau, paved the way for the recovery of Dref- den. But afraid to weaken himfelf too much, by leav- ing in thefe three places garrifons ftrong enough to de- fend them, he foon faw the glory of his conqueft im- "paired. A general Wunfch fuddenly ftarting up, as it were, in the middle of Saxony, (for we fcarcely know how he came into it) with between 4 and 5000 men, retook Wittemberg and Torgau, had the afTurance to prefent himfelf before Drefden in order to relieve it, came by taking Leipfic to confole himfelf for his want of fuccefs before the capital, and afrer fcowering the whole Eleftorate with amazing fecurity, put an end to his carreer by joining general Fink, v/hom the king of Pruffia had fent to recover Drefden. Thcfc two Pruflian bodies have formed an army of between 18 and 20,000 men, to meet which, and give it battle, the prince of Deuxponts marched the 19th .towards MciiTen. The Pruffian general took the wifeft meafures to fecure his retreat, making, as if he intended to attack the right *P 2 win S ^^ t V; ■ it -«->«lt', 102 T4ie HISTORICAL cet. II " -I ^hile his artillery and. ^J wing of the German army- gage filed off in order to gain the heights of Meiflen. The prince altered his pofition, to cover his right ; and general Fink took advantage of the time which thefe movements required. The 20th was fpent in fkirmiOies between the advanced polls. The prince attacked the main body of the Pruffians the morning of the 21ft. The artillery played very briflcly and did great execution. The Pruffian cavalry did not fecond its infantry. Gene- ral Fink pretends that it was a drawn battle ; but it is certain, that his lofs was greater than that of the Ger- man army, that this adion interrupted his march to- wards Drefden, that prince Henry found him in the camp to which he retreated after the action, and in fine, that he did not think proper to purfue the army of the Empire, when on the 23d it marched back to its former camp of WilfdrufF, where it ftill remains, under tlie pro- teftion of all marfhal Daun*s forces. The Swedifli army took the field very late. We muft look for the firft caufes of this dilatorinefs in the fecrets of the cabinet. The count de Lieven, a lieutenant- general in the Swedifh fervice, returned from Peterfburg the middle of July, with the plan of operations that had been agreed upon there. The army put itfelf in motion the beginlng of Auguft, and encamped the 27th at Bartow, after having occupied the polls which the Pruffian general left defencelefs by the retreat of de Kleifl. It met with no obflacle in croffing the Pene. The fort ^f Ukermunde furrendered to it, and the lieutenant-gene- ral count de Ferfen having forced the poft of Swina, it was impoffible for the ifland of Ufedom to hold out. The Swedifh general encamped at Pafewalk, made him- felf mafler of the caftle of Lochnitz the 6th, and thereby opened a fecure road for his convoys. The loth, a little fquadron of Swedifh gallies attacked, took, or dif- perfed •T.t.rtWirflitJS"'''- ■ •*^ t-^ w'.W''*^ #**S**^:9***'i^ '-'i^-if"-^:-^'--".'ii^.:'^- m. ^^^^^ 1759- And POUTICAL MERCURY. 103 perfed the Pruflian vefTels, which defended the Frich- HafF, and the conquefl of the ifle of Wollin was the fruit of this advantage. At length the king of Pruflia fcemed to grow uneafy at the progrefs of th^s little army ; and detached general de Manteuffel againft it. Neither the capacity of generals, nor the courage of the troops under them could ever make amends for the flowncfs and irrefolution infeparable from confederacies. 'Tis in war that defpotifm is ufeful, or rather abfolutely requifite. Rome, fo jealous of her liberty, fubmitted to the yoke of arbitraiy power, as foon as war became any thing more than a bare exercife for her. The dif- iiculty of eftabliihing a harmony between four armies, each depending on its own court, and that court at fo great a diftance from the three others, has conilituted the chief advantage of his Pruflian majelly during thefc three campaigns. The court of London has left thii monarch mailer of the operations of all the armies in Germany, and his majefly has done no more than bare- ly keep himfelf on a level, though not without lofe, with the confederate armies. It is impofTiblc to determine exaftly, how the campaign may end with this prince. If Saxony remains in the hands of its deliverers, the mar- ihals Daun and de Soltikow will have done this cam- paign a great part of what would otherwife be the bufinefs of the next ; and if the prefervation of Saxony ihould happen to be the fruit of a new viftory, Ger- many may flatter herfelf with the hopes of an approach* ing calm. , ; . , r . ,, This German war, produced by the quarrel between France and Great Britain , is for thefe two powers, an incident that can conclude little or nothing, though re- latively to the general fyftem they are deeply concerned in it. Their pofleflions in America form the ground of l^i« quarre!. Their rivalfliip in trade and navigation creates % m 1 '!l -'^"^■■'^-^l**f^\f: -■^'^isafcif^^SaiaSi^ ^'' 104 The HISTORICAL Oft. ri ; ■)i ■I' ' rfi ill-. creates and keeps up the animofity between them. *Tis in America, *tis on the fea, or by an invafion of England that the difference between them mull be decided. The prepa- rations for a defcent begun in the ports of France are ftill carried on with the fame brifknefs. England abated no- thing of her aftivity in making the propereft di{po(ition» to defend her coafts and fea-ports. She ftill maintains a fquadron in the Mediterranean under the orders of admi- ral Broderick; another much ftronger, of about4o men of war, on the coaft of Britanny ; a third under admiral Rodney on the coaft of Normandy ; a fourth before Dun- kirk, commanded by commodore Boys ; and is aftually preparing a fifth to cruife in the chanii'el, under the command of admiral Callis. Thefe powerful eiForte have procured her no advantages in Europe, but the inaflion of the French marine ; but the counter-blow of thefe efforts has been feverely felt by France on the con- tinent of America. Her fettlements in Canada, left to themfelves, have been fuccefllvely invaded and carried by the different bodies of the Englilh troops, that are to unite before Quebec. The JFrench governor of Ca- nada, who has loft every thing but that capital and Mount-Real, has re-afTembled all his forces to defend the former. The Englifh, to whom we are obliged to truft for all our accounts from this part of the world, fay that the little French army confifts of about 14,000 men, and that their general Wolfe, though but 8000 ftrong, has had the affurance to lay flege to Quebec, without ftaying to be reinforced by the other gene- rals his colleagues. If this is true, we may give fbme credit to the report of the French general having been defeated. It is not probable, that with this fuperiority he Ihould not endeavour to improve fo fair an oppor- tunity. CHAP. i .»7»' 1'.; v\ And POLITICAL MERCURY. • * ■ • * 1" ^'^ CHAP. m. ^ O/* //&# C/W State of Europe. ici ■)* . ..'3.. • TH E origin of fovcreign power has been for a long time a queftion among divines. No doubt they had in view to ftrengthen public tranquillity, by refer- ing direAly to religion the fundamental convention of fodety. But they impofed upon themfelves, in de- riving immediately from the divine law, the rights of fovereigns and the duties of fubjeAs. The divine law has done nothing more than ratify the contraft, which originally conftituted on6 and the other, and confecrate the refpeftive convention, byprofcribing in a fpecial manner the perjuries, with which the breach of it is at- tended. In a word, the authority of the heads, and the obedience of the members, being the bafis of fociety, • the divine law has provided for the folidity of this bails by propping it with all its moft folemn and dreadful inftitutions. Before God dictated to Mofes the Jewifli • law, there were focieties and even great empires, both diverfely formed. But they may be referred to two ■ kinds, which have not varied but as to certain modifi- cations indifferent in regard to the fubftance. It was by force, or voluntary concourfe, that focieties were firft formed. In thefe of the firft kind, the conven- tions were few and abfolute, becaufe they were didlated by mafters, who admitted no meaning but their own, and who either looked upon themfeves as incapable of abufing power, or were defirous to fecure to them- felves the liberty of abufmg it with impunity. The focieties formed by thefe abfolute chiefs encreafed by the addition of others, whom they obliged to incorpo- rate themfelves with the original fociety, or who of themfelves applied for incorporation. The firft re- ceived 'HI « ■ ' ^1 I! 3106 The HISTORICAL oa. t, t; fl k ceived the laws of the conqueror, the lad obtained leave from him to retain their old laws. It is thus that the great flares, founded and aggrandized by arms, have compofed their civil code. The focieties formed by a voluntary concourfe, multiplied their conventions in proportion to the degree of liberty, with which the in- dividuals compoilng them concurred. Thefe, careful to guard againil any abuTe of that authority, with which they entrufted one or feveral heads, thought proper to explain themfelves concerning all the fenies, in which the different concefUons made by them might be takea. Each was watchful to render its private fecurity inde- pendent of caprice. In giving themfelves chiefs, who fhould interpret the laws without being able to over- rule them, they thought proper that an autiiorized commentary fhould fornifh them with opportuni- ties of difputing with thefe interpreters the juflnefs of their interpretations. Hence the incidental que- ftions and the formalities, in the tribunals of thofe flates, where the power of the head is limited. Monf. de Montefquieu takes it for granted, that the Jhortnefs fif juridical proceedings^ in any ft^te, is the mea/ure of its freedom : That in tbofey fwbere fuits at lain are at- tended fwith leaft trouble and expence^ either the right of property is lefs real, or lefs folidly ejlahlijhed ; and that *wbere differences are decided by ijoords or bloius only, the wel- fare of the people is in the hands ofabfalute mafiers. The hiflories of all ages favour this principle, pro- vided we do not honour with the name of govern- ment that Gothick anarchy, in which every man made his fword the meafure of his pretenfions. Four thoufknd lawyers, and double that number of attbrnies, who thrive in London on the quarrels between private perfons, compared with the fmall number of gown-men, which it ^tl- 1759. And jPOLITICAL l\p|lCURY. 107 which the Frcderician Code admits of in the dates of his Pruilian majedy, make it an eafy matter to And that the other differences which fubfiA between the two monarchies are on an exa^ level with this difproportion. By the iame datum too, we might pretty exaftly mcafure the degree ot liberty enjoyed by the other people of Eu- rope, j^^^^, ; t of X .. • i4.^ . •^ni'A'. • Of R U S S I A. The vaft empire of Ruflia is one of thofe founded and encreafed by arms. 'Till Iwan Bazilowitz afcended the .throne in 1568, the laws were no better ihan old cuf- toms, or oral traditions ; and even of thefe there was no colleftion. 'Till the reign of Alexis Michaelowitz, the Rujpan Code was confined to Iwan's compilation. But this lafl Czar digefled and made additions to it in 1649, ' and his fucceffors have added their decrees to it. The , Czar Peter was no flranger U> its monftrous imperfec- tions. But he was afraid to undertake the corredlion of them, as it could not be done without fubdividing that authority, the fole enjoyment of which he aimed at, and . lofing a great deal of that, which he already enjoyed. The partition of the ancient empire of the RufHas into , fourteen governments, received no alteration from the ac- . quifitions of Peter. The conquered provinces have, to a trifling matter, preferved their ancient laws ; and there . has been erected for them at Peterfburg a fupreme cham- ^ ber of appeals, compofed of members chofen from the great tribunal of Mofcow. Each of the ancient govern- . ments is divided into diftridls, called Vaivodes, where judges, refiding on the fpot, take cognizance of dif- putes ,for fmall matters, and decide them as expedi- j^tioujly, 3s the moil expeditious Cadis of Turkey. The Q^ more i i i;; I: r ' I 1 ' i ![■• 1 1' '"■■•,: ti\b<'. It I % 1 08 tlie'HIlSTOiirCAt '6a. more considerable caufes are carried before' die m1^Utfi[] of the Vaivode, from whence there lies ah ippeal b iHe great tribunal of Mofcbw, called Stuftni^PncM, The proceedings every whei« are very (hort, and trials f<^ criminal matters generally end in the corporal punliih- ment of the guilty, ^e peafant is bond-ni'an to ihe nobleman, and the nobleman himfelf is bond-m'an ^o the monarch, who obliges himfelf in nothing to his people, but to govern them according to the natural law and the Greek religion. ^ ' 'Till the reign of Peter tile Great, die throne of Riif- fia was hereditary in a diredl line ; and as often as the ^pofl*e/rors failed of iflhe, tne nation had ' the right 6f chufing itfelf a fovereign. It was by the finfftkgts ''of the nation, that the family of Romanow, which has reigned fince the year 1^13, received the crown. Peter the Great, whom family misfortunes had deprived 6f his fon, and whom a wel^nterrted t^ndernefs attached to the emprefs Catherine, enabled, that for the future the fuccefllon to the throne fliould be at the difpofal of the laft pofleflbr, without any Vfegard to proximity of Wood; and his edidl is become a law of the empire. Thus, af- ' ter having united to the crown the rights of the Patri- arch, the Czar Peter left his fucceiTors the moft exteiifive defpotifm on the fa'-e of the barth. Every thing is re- fered to the fovereign, every thing flows from Mm. The fenatc, the council of war, the iynod, the great civil tribunals, owe their aftivity and their exiftehce to his willand pleafUre. The pain of death, formcriy'To cruel and withal fo common in this empire, is flill 'pr6- ■ nounced, but no longer infli^ed. The humanity of the reigning emprefs has profcribed this punilhment. To de- ftrfliJftivor 17^. An4 POLITICAL MBRCUftY. 109 ft)udiv< of the hunuui ipedei. Mutilation, and baniih- mcnt to Siberia, are niw become the punKhment of the. Sreateft criminali. Of S V E D E N. Revoludons which ftnke at the natare of a govern- moit* generally end in a tranfition from one excefs to another. Liberty, in Sweden, was almoft as ex- tenfive aa ilavery in Ruflia, when Charles XI. afftmbled the ftates of the kingdom in 1680, to complain to them of the Hcence and little fubordination, to which be attributed the ill (uccefi of the war, which the good offices of France had jull put an end to. From a limited monarchy, fuch as it was under Gullavus Adolphus and Charles X. the government of Sweden fell into an oli- garchy during a long minority. The ienators (tiled Chemfelves councillors of the kingdom ; they confidered themfelves as mediators in their own right between the king and th^ flates ; they gave themfelves out for the cenfors of the adminiftration, and the pedagogues of the monarch. They divided between them the different de- partments, and feldom accounted for their behaviour to any one but themfelves. The king was, in a mannei:, under their guardianfhip. Charles XL at the head of his armies, felt all the weight of this dependance ; and the people* accuftomed to conquer under other kings, readily attributed the continual lofles, which they had fuftained in the war againil the ele^or of Brandenburg and the king of Denmark, to the corruption of the government. Charles took advantage of theie difpofitions to revenge himfelf and break his chains. He refolved to correft the abufes, and perhaps all he at firfl prefumed to hope, was to be Q.2 able is !'.« y-^njt^imJMit'^. ■wVsa* «t* it li^:^ :i' * I M-Ji m. lid The HIStORICAt'"'^ Oft. able to reftore to the royal authority the fuperiority it had under Guftavus Adolphus asA Charles X^ But the eale, with which he accompliftied his defigns, gave him a tafte for abfolute. power ; and the complaifance of the dates holding out to the end, he new-modelled and en- tirely changed the conftitution of the government. A chamber of juftice, which he called tbe great com-^ mijfion^ enquired into all the alienations of the crown lands, and all the malverfations in the different depart- ments. The fenators, till then above the laws, were obliged to fubmit to this tribunal, which making tlie odium of its proceedings fall upon the ftatcs, from whom it held its fupreme authority, carried its feverities to a degree of vexation and cruelty. The fenators and moft powerful members of the nobility, beggared by the enormous reftitutior.s to which it condemned them, were forced to give way. They were no longer cohfidered but as the king's counfcllors ; and Charles even thought proper to leave them nothing of that dignity but the empty title. As he found himfclf pinched by the For- mulary which imported, that the king nvas hound to go- fvern nvith the advice cf thefenate^ he caufed a vague de- claration to be made by the deputies of the aflembly, that all things fhould be underftood without any preju- dice to the royal authority ; and he backed this declara- tion by an edift wliich he ifTucd of his own motion, and which iniported, riiat leaving to the terms of the law their entire force, he would govern the kingdom with the advice of the fenate ; but that he referved to himfelf the right of determining, in what cafes he might (land in need oi its advice. The enthufiaftick love, which the burrhers and the peafants bore their monarch, being fupportcd ^i jf^^. And" POLITICAL MERCURY. iii fdft'p'drted by the jealoufy, \vHh which they at theTarrte tlrhfe eyed che nobility, Charles gave it no time fo cool. Having extraordinarily called the ftates two years after, . he played off the bittemefs, that prevailed between' the two paltiei, with lb much dexterity, that he caufed the mijoHty to confer upon him the power of putting the kingdom upon luhatever footing he ^lea/edy and hy ^whatever means he jhould think proper. . - . ; - , ■ i v ? * >; j • ^ {^ * t'rdm this moment the Swediih government became ab(btute. The king in 1686 ordered thofe laws to be digeiled, which Charles IX. had corredled in 1608, and- Guflavus Adolplins had augmented ten years after. Hfc added to them ibme explanations, and a great many new articles, both favourable to that kind of admini- flration which he had eftabliflied. This code was infufH- cient for a country, where the Roman laws hid never.. been received. The confufions during the reign of Charles XII. but jufl permitted the evil to appear, with- out leaving room to apply a remedy. But it was the firfl objeftof the ftates, as foon as the death of Charles XII. ilvithout pofteilty left them at liberty, if not to chufe themfelves a king, at leaft to capitulate with him. . ^{ \ Th^ aflembly called at Stockholm the 3 ift of January', 1719, deftroyed in a day all the work of two reigns. The four orders unanimoufly enafted, that for the fu- ture they fhould enjoy the right of chufing their king, without the children of the poffeflbr enjoying any other privilege but that of being preferred, when equally pof. fefTed of all the qualities required. They decreed, that for the future the legiilative power Ihould refidc in the ftates ; that no taxes fhould be raifed without their confent ; that peace and war fhould be made only •i I m -■■r :)\\ 1'.: m, ■4 1I»I .trie HISTOI^IiCy^L P^t ■:ri m '^•a ■ -J 1 .1 :i- given in fiiU ibnate ; that the oath o£ allegiance, tQ be taken by both land and fea officers, (houM be to the kiitg» the kingdom, and the ftates ; that, in fine, the nobles in. adl capital zSaks ihould be Tubje^ to no oth^r jurifdi]^.Qn» but that of the great tnbund or. council of the court, called Hoof'Rathen, This new form of government was agreed to by queen Ulrica Ekonora, ftftei to Charles XII. This was-a conilitution as contrary, to that which it fucceeded, as this laft had been to that it had deih:oyed. The marihal of the nobles, the archbiihop of Upial, the firft burgomafler of Stockholm, and the fecretary of the peaiant6, figned and ratified it in the name of t^ei Qcders they repreiented. In the month of April of the following year, the queen having defited leave to afib-: cjate prince Frederic of Hefie. her kufi>and to the throne, the ilates £gnalized the return of their authority by r^r fiiiing her requefl. They infixed on her firfl abdicating it herfelf, and, as if her refignation in favour of her ^u(e had been a iimple and pure abdication, which rendered the throne vacant, they exaSed fi-om the pnnce the fame capitulation they could have done from a can^ didate, who had no other title to it but their fufirages.- The queen was convinced that the defpotifm of the late kbg had been the caufe of Sweden's misfortunes. She . ^ fincerely can- rages, le late She Icerely •^759. Arid' P^friCAll 'MERCtJRY. ' iij Stircftely Wv^ftiir c6fiiit*)r; tod wsls ihfjjirta by the trti©^ |ldry bf 'reilfinng'it^to its laWs. The pi4hc*e her fpdtffc 'i^f ihe finiflifu^'h'atld to the Wdfk fhe tad begun, iitid peAips he wciit too fkri He b6und hihifelf 'to irtfortn the ffit^stif'evttyihihg, ihAt might TO^ ledge relative to thefHt^ftablilhiWicnt of arbilftfcty povWr. He Freed from'their^^th^orfidelity th* fiwii' orders' bf the kingdom, 'in'cafe^'e attcnij^tcd to altci* tKeniw con- ■ftitution. ^is Was more^than enough 'to c6Afiiih It. The balittice was no f6nger cqoal between die tv^o ■poSxrcrs, One ofihiiri, w^ich rec6vered inorethan it Had loft, ' Shuft " natdr^Hy "fiaire - been un^afjr for the prefehra- tion of itrriewkoqmird'pririieges. The other, whkh 'had parted with tnore of its prerogative thin was reqin- ' iite, mifft as' riatorally • have been watchful' to find out an opportiihity of ' retritving its lofs. There couM not therefore but -arife a mntual diffidenfce and jealoufy be- tween the two ^parties, the feeds of' which mu{V inevita- bly fhow themfelves, asibon as they ciiirie to be better ac- quainted with their new fituation. The charm of ncv- velty fufpended this fermentation. The king and the Hates, whohtid fb much bufinefs on' their hands relative to the general welfare, were a long time without trying their lival powers. Iiiiihe affembHes^bf 1721 and i)'34, both thefe powers conenrred to-the-cotnpofition of a ne\v civil code, which was. publifhed in 1736 with the confent of the ftates, backed by the king's approbation. The ancient forms made ufe of in the adminiftration of juftice were re-eftabliftied. The peafants, or hulband- men. Who cOniptife the third "ellate in^ great kingdom that can fcarce reckon more than three cities, had perpetu'.l tribunal; erefted in their ftveral diftrifls, where tweh*e oi i i (• .'ill H'j;' y Is I. ' f J' 4.1 ■ III li'.' <- i':i J. i. J .1 i if I* ,ji4 - The H^^TOAIC A;L Q^. . of them, ftilcd affeflbrs or afljilant ji^gcs of a inay^r :.i>aine4 by the king, form that judgnacnt of jcicr? or i cjinals fo.mjichinfiftedupon in^cS«Qn laws, Qf^vhJ^h ; it was the bell ipflitmion. Thex?c jies^ appeal ix^ . ^is ordinary feat, of jufti^e to one of the ^elve piay^- -cial tribunals. Thegovernorprcfides^nthefelaft, ^yhiqh •; follow him wherever he .pleafes to ivc his refide^ce. . Thefe are our .ancient itenerant cojurts of Exchequer. They judge in the laft inl|ance in all^lEurs that are jn9t , over complex, or of any great importance. But an appeal ( from theni isgenerally^fanted, and is made to onepf the three.great tribunals, which are called the fqpren^e r tribunals of the court : That whifjH, takes cognizance 9f the affairs of Sweden Proper, fifs at Stockholm : That , for Gothland at Jenkoping : Finland has her own at Abo. Each of thefe three great tribunals confills of a prefident, vice-prefident, feme counfellors, and leveral affiflant judges : The forms are eafy in ordinary proceed- ings, but it is quite otherwife in great caufes. Sweden is a royal republic ilill in its infancy. Her conftitution, . formed in halle, has as yet acquired nothing, but what is , abfolutely neceffary for its exigence. Time will acquaint . her by degrees with, what ftie ftill wants : Inftrufted by experience, Ihe will remedy by new regulations the incon- , veniences which flie did not forefee at her firft fettipg out. Of D E N M A R K. ; ;^ Chiirles XIL of Sweden, in the revolution of 1680, . took for model Frederic III. of Denmark, who in 1660 , had eftabliflied the royal authority upon the ruins of the avithority, whether lawful or ufurped, of the Danifh no- bility. The tw'> revolutions were pro4uccd by the fame caufes. i-t; m »7S9» And POLITICAL MERCURY. m I -I cjaiifes, and the fame fprings brought both to a bearing. 6ut the genius and chirafter of the two fovereigns have giV'^n theun a very di0i:rent turn. Frederic (ought to be abfolute, becaufe he judged it nece/Tary for the welfare of his people ; Chiles aimed at defpotiim through tafte. The iirft, having pi-ocured an abfolute poA\'er to be lodged in him^ by three of the four orders compofing the nation, made hafte to limit this power by publifliing laws. The other, afraid to declare openly, that he want- ed to govern alone, eluded the terms of the law which he fhould have annihilated, and by this want of boldnefs, through which the pretenfions of the fcnators were per- mitted to fubfift, he placed in the firft order of the kingj- dom feeds of difcontent, which could not fail of break- ing out fooner or later in fome lefs fevere or lefs profpe- lons reign. He appeared always intent upon things a- bove his authority ; and Frederic, on the contrary, had ntothing more at heart, than to make it appear on all oc- cafions, that he would aim at nothing tliat did not fall fhortof his. It was in 1665 that he iiTued the famous edift, called fbe Royal LeiVf which he figned himfelf, and made all his people accept by an irrevocable oath. The nobility, feeing the clergy, the burghers, and the peafants, com- bined \vith the king againft them, grew tired of refifting the torrent. They fubmitted like the three other eftates ; and Frederic, content with having ftript them of their abufive rights and privileges, granted them a compofi- tion as advantageous, as the nature of the new govern- ihenl would allow. .'i The political conftitutlon ma^e the firft objeft of the Vbyal law. Since the beginning of the fifteenth century, the inheritance of the crown had been in a ftate of per- i ' R ^ petual V ' I'M .\ ■ % m ri6 TheHlsYoiriCAL Oft. . . u i I ^1, ■ T>efQal fluAuatlon/ and now wahted little of being' elec- tive. The royal hw oiclained, thiat the kihgdom'for ^e ' fiituife fhotild be indivifible, and that the pcffierity of ' Frederic III. ihould fucceed to the throne, with due ' regard to 'antiquity of line and proximity of blood ; ' the ih'dlei to be always preferred to the. females, and a r priiiciefs born of a ihale to a prince born of a female. The fe4hg*s majority was fixed at 13 years. The regency was leift to the nomination of the dying monarch, in de- •' fault of which the law appoints the queen-dowager, and in \iCT (lead, if dead or re-married, the firft prince "of the blood joint regent with fevcn ef the'deceafed king's minifters. El very thing is to be decided in this council of regency by a plurality of votes*, but the queen regfent is allowed two. The privy council of ftate has the kihg for prefident, and is to be compofed of no more than four counfellors. Under this council are two chanceries, 'the Danifh for the affairs of Denmark and Norway, and ' the German for thofe of Slefwick, Holftein, Oldenbpurg, and ail foreign affairs of ftate. The Lutheran religion, which is that of the ftnte, doesnoC- abfolutely profcribe the other communions. But it is. death by law for any Catholick m '^•'^ XniW • ; '^Frederic had no time to be a legiflator for civil af-* fairs. Content with firft correfting the moft glaring abufes, he commiffioned a man of gr^at learning, called Erafmus Vinding, to whom he gave a place in his coun- cil of date, to colledl and digeft all the lav/s andcuftonis of Denmaik. Vinding applied himfdf to this tafit from 1 66 1 to 1669, when Frederick died, before it was finiflied.. Chrillian V. his fon and fuccefTor, preffed the work, and caufed it to be examined fi\e or fix times by the ablefl men of his kingdom. At laft he approved it, and in the beginning of 1683, pub- iifhed as much of the Chrifian Code as relates to Den- mark. The other parts, relating to Norway, Iceland, and Jutland, did not appear till the year 1667. They confifted of nothing but the ancient laws of thefe coun- tries new-moulded. Jutland refers hers to the reign of Waldemar II. in 1240. They had bonowed a great deal from the Cannon and Saxon laws. The amend- ments were of little importance. The Nowegian Co.is is in the main the fame with the Daniih. All the difr ference between them is in recrard to forae old cuftoms, which the legiHator thought proper to r£fpe«l:1 or to tolc^- rate. This p0litic.1l condcfcen/jon of the kings of Denmark, iecures to their people all the real blelllng« of liberty under an absolute defpotifm. Every o/der of the ftate has its own particular tribunals. Thole of the nobility and burghers have nothing fingular iix their form, but their being iliort. But thoie of the peafantr, have the advantage in this refpctfi. The tribunals for the firii complaint confifts of a juigc named by tlve R kin?-. ,'. It m fe 4i : 1 1 ■,i, I nS The HISTORICAL ' ' Oa. I king, and eight of the chief inhabitants of the placd where the difpute arifes, who a£l as his afTiftants. Theie courts fit once a week. Both plaintiffs and defendants are their own lawyers and attornics. From the judg- ment of thefe courts there lies an appeal to the tribunals of the feveral dillrifts, which are compoied of two judges, afllAed by the principal freeholders. They fit once a month. Thofe of Ringftadt in Zealand, Oden- fee in Funen, Viborg in Jutland, and Mariboe in Lap- land are the principal. In fine, the fupreme court is at Copenhagen, and fits almoft the whole year. Here the parties may employ lawyers and produce writings. In the finall towns ^here are tribunals compofed of a pro- voft or kind of flierifF, feveral burghers and a regifter. 'Tis the fame thing nearly in the great towns. But there lies an appeal from this court to the body of the magiftrates. The king always referves to himfelf a right of a more ample re-hearing, in cafe cither of the parties Ihould think proper to apply for it. Of E N G L A N D. ti ^i ii 'f ' t \ ; f The civil ftate of England is blended with the poli- tical. But it has not, by a great deal, been fo much im- paired by revoktions. The Englifli derive their beft laws from the reign of Gothick barbarifm. They are even indebted lo thefe times of ignorance for the beft inftitutions obferved in their law proceedings. Moll of the civil laws have been altered by the c)ianges, which the politJcal conftitution has fuffered. At one time it was necefiary to accommodate them to the interefts of the fovereign, and at another time to the interefts of thofe, who ftruggled againft him. The liberty of indi- viduals has fuffered greatly by the fhocks, which ferved to I7J9- •i;t And POLrnCAL MERCURY. 119 to ietde and confirm, what is called thv liberty of the nation. For want of diftinguifhing this 'double liber- ty, and the ufe made of the lafl, the ableft wiiters have been miftaken in their accounts> of England. In the eyes of a man brought up under a well regulated monarchial government, every En^liHnnan' appears an independant being, who may with impunity carry hi» liberty to a degree of licentioufnefs. A republican, who does not fuffer himfelf to be impofed upon by fome ilriking circumilances, and who meafures the liberty of a people by the exadl proportion that exiils between the different orders of the flate, can perceive nothing in England, but the mere ihadow of true civil and political liberty. He is told that the people of England are free, and that they give laws to their king ; but he fees at the fame, time that forae great men, more or lefs in number, either enflave the nation to the will of the prince, to whofe pleafure they have devoted themfelves, or render it refradlory to his wiihes, when he has not gained them. He fees the principal civil laws dudcd or op- pofed by contrary laws, and in vain endeavours to find out, where is the necefiity that, to defend aay laws, the protestors of fuch laws ihould be placed above them. The laws have received no portions of the autho* rity from time to time wrefted from the monaixh. AH the lofles of the moi^rchy have turned ^o the advan- tage of an oligarchy, which the people relilhed merely by gratuitoufly attributing to it virtues, which they did not think a monarcljy poffefied of. ' ■ ' ^r ' ' . ! Canute, who conquered England in 1017, gave her the laws of Denmark, which St. Edward reformed and incorporated with the ancient Anglo-Saxon and Britifb laws. The governrnent was then Gothic or feudal, as in moll of the other countries of Europe, On the deajt^ . . • of . Ill ' t i 1 i 1 :.vn| (?;. m H ■ 1' ij 'Mi 1 >*,-. I' *t m I i- 1^ i,': - 'kU 4.-, *', JVfa ■«.i\ pi i 120 V The HISTORICAL oaj ofCanut« without children, the Iktes of EVigland,' then compofed of barons and prelates, difpofed of the crown. William the biaftard, duke of Normandy, (et up fo^ Edward's heir, and the viAory he obtained in a great battle, procured him the fucceflion.- H^ was bothcon-^ qneror and I^giflator. He not only impofed the lawft of Normandy on the Ehglifh, but made them receive thcfo liws in the original language. AW the law writings and pleadings were iw the Norman language. 'Till the reign of John, furnamed Lack-letn/f, England fuffcred no revolution but in common with France, and the other fbudal governments. Her kings gave the towns privi- leges, which'ln fome refpefts put them on a level with the barons. But Henry II. fon to the conqueror, 'en- deared himfelf to his fubjefts by abolifhing a law wl ich feemed to be made for flaves. William had forriA them, on pain of death, the ufe of candle-light or fire in their houfes after eight o'clock at night. This was not a regulation that merely regarded the police, and copied, as Mr. Voltaire would have it, from the Northern nations. It was an excellent precaution to prevent cl.in- deiline affemblies, and noduntal' contl-rences, where generally able chiefs prepare the infurreftion of people, who hate the yoke ; this was the defign of the edift. The people prejudiced in favourof the king by this con- ceffion, fubmitted without murmtiring to his order for cffablifhing uniform weights and meafures all over England. This prince confirmed himfelf in the good- will of his fubjedls, by reviving the laws of St. Ed- ward, defpifetf by the conqueror. In fine, he figned a charter or collection of different conceffions made by him to his fubjefts. His whole family having- peiiihed by the lofs of a veflel, on board of which they were croffing over from Normandy to England, Stephen of Anjou, con- fer over :ood- Ed- led a by iflied were n of njcu. .17(^9. Add POUTIOAL MERCURY 121 Ahj^* married to Mathilda, fucoedded Jbim. The crown was difputed with this laft, hy a'balUnl iOf Ro- bcrt, ddtftibn t>f the Utc king. He w^s luider a ne- ceffity of providiag fot hi» defence, and left the Idng- domiii the fame condition >ncarly that he had found it, to Henry U. his fon. He intended to have im- proved the civil flbte< of England, but vna Aopt Aiort in hit fifft attempt*. '-He: began' by foufbiding his fiib- jed»to appeal tavthe^wurt of Rome,. and ilyotild iiave the dergy-jfubrait to 'the :fccular tribunals. Thomas Beckett arohbifhop of Canterbury, declared Himfelf the churdh's champion, and made head «gaioftr the king, who Toon loft patience, and in a fit of anger, invited his faithful fervants to f id him of a mauj whom he treated as a Teditiou* p«fon. :Upon this fotne courtiers, over ihafly^to.lerve him,' went and murdered the prelateia his church. The fteps taken by Rome to pufiifh thi^ crime rendered the - whole reign ftormy. That of Richard, furnamed ZfMr/ of Lion, who fucceeded him, was not more quiet. This prince gave into the rage of the prufades, which depc^ulated. and impoveriihed Europe. He left his throne to his brother John, {^x[- mmt^ Lack-land. John was cited to the court of peers by the king of France, Philip Auguftus, to anfwer for the murder of his nephew, ion to his eldeft brother, ^vas. condemned by it for contumacy, and flript of the Fief> he held under the crown of France. He was foon after excommunicated by pope Innocent III. but warded off the ill confequencesv with which this blow might be be attended, by acknowledging himielf a vaiTal and tributary of the holy fee, and became contemptible in thq eyes of his fubjeds. He was juft on the point of being dethroned by them,, when he difavmed them by a kind 'of ;ui .; ii ■■ k..., ' \ /.'!!l 1> ' I ^i:n ^ '' 1 i k I , Tf2 V Tkc HISTORICAL va. of capitulation, known by the name of the Great tlimr* ter or Charta Magfki^ ^^^ '•ni iJr./ <*.v»,j«|ui» «*w nwo-j** • This forced convention,' which John would have re- called foon after he had granted it, contains the prin- cipal 'Anglo-Saxon laws digefted by Edward the con- feflbr, annulled by William the conqueror^ reftored by Henry I, and continually attacked and mifconftrued by hit Aioceflbr* AH the pretenfions of the nation, as to their political liberty, have been formed to this i'lti A great number of the 6y articles compofing this char- ter, relate to the feudal government, which no longer exifts. The others conftitutfc' the ground and form of diftributive juftice. John, in the preamble of this con- vention,. IHlcs it a favour. He there fixes the nature of it, by declaring that it is a ceiHon which he makes of his rights to his people. The loth article abolifhes the right of feizing the immoveabe goods of folvent debtors, who chufe to pay out of their moveable goods. By the nth, the lawful redrefs of the creditor is con- fined to the feizure of the moveables and rents of the debtor, and a recourfe agaihft his fecurity. The 12th and 1 3th, make a Angular diftin£tion between the debts contrafted with Chriftians, and thofe contrafted with Jews. If the debtor at his death leaves an heir that- is a minor, the minor is only obliged to pay the principal, < ' — ^ • . • .V i . nor WW it »7^ And POLITICAL MERCURY. M '2J and even that fame he need not pay till of age. The dow- ager is not bound for the whole debts of her deccafcd huf- band; and if his effeAs fcarcefaffice to pay his debts, there muft firft be deduftcd from them, wherewith to maint.iin the children according to their condition ; the jew mud take up with the remainder. The i6th article contain) the title of the houfe of commons. John thereby grants to all the cities and towns, to the barons of the Ciiique- Ports, and to the other ports, the privilege of fending deputies to the Common Council (the fame thinor as the parliament) there to regulate the contributions. In the 1 8th article it is faid, that general notice fh all be given of the holding of the Common Council, or gencrai aiTembly, 40 days before it is to meet, and that the cb- jeft of its future deliberatio.is fhall ?t the fame time be made public. The 22d article fixes the tribunal of juftice, which ufed to follow the king, and points out to it the affairs, of which it is not to take cognizance. The 23d article forbids the itenerant judges to rem ne from the places where they were commenced, fuch ca* ll-s as they may not have time to decide there, and orders fchefe caufes to be brought into the court of King's-Bench, and all appeals from the itinerant judges tobebrooghtinto the fame court, which fits in the capital. The 25th ar- ticle fecures a competent fubfiftance and his implements of hulbandry to the guilty and amerced tenant, as like- wife to the merchant wherewith to carry on his com- merce. Their faults are to be rated and punifhed by the oaths of twelve of their neighbours of allowed pro- bity. By the 27th article, the counts and barons are to be tried by thnr peers. By the 28th, all ecclefi- aflical goods are exempted from fines for any faults com- mitted by their po.Teflbrs. By the 34th, the clfefts of S perfcns 'i ■I :jf t I'i -At ■'\ 124 The HISTORIC A oa. perfons dying inteftate, go to the natural heirs. The 38th iecures all thefubjeds in thepoffeffion of their pro- perty : The king renounces the right his officers here- tofore claimed of taking for his fervice their horfes, car- riages, &c. The 41ft, renders the fifhery free in all rivers. The 42d, aboliihes the letters of recommenda- tion in favour of either of the litigant parties. The 43 d, eftablifhes one kind of weight and one kind of meafure for the whole kingdom. The 44th, promifea the gratuitous making out of orders for the trial of fuits. The 47 th, enacts^ that no man Ihall be obliged to vin- dicate himfelf on oath on the flmple accufation of an officer of jufticef. The 48th forbids any man whatfoever to be arrefted, imprifoned, llript of his property, or put to death, till he has been judged by his peers ac- cording to tlic ancient Anglo-Saxon laws. The liberty of commerce is fecureJ by tlie 50th. By the 58th a woman is not admitted to bring a criminal adion againfl, or fue for the imprifonment of any man, but the murderer of herhulband. By the 60th the itenerant judges are to perform their circuits twice a year, viz. at Eafler and Michaelmas. The 62d fixes the falaries payable to the Iherifts and itenerant judges. The donation of im» moveables to religious houfes is forbid by the 63d and 64th. To know how lirtle the civil laws, on which the li- berty of individuals depends, have gained by the diffe- rent revolution?, which ]»ave produced in England the liberty of the nation, we need only compare with fqme articles of the great charier the prclbnt pra£lice in fi- milar cafes. The ancient common-council is the parlia- ment. The third eftate, to which the great charter at moft granted the p]i\ ilege of remonftrating, aflumed a fhare laie 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 12 j jhare of the legiflative power in the reign of Edward IV. But no regaid is paid to the 1 8th article, by which it was ilipulated, that at the time of calling this common- council, which ftiould be done 40 days before that on which it was to meet, the king ihould make known what were to be the obje£ls of its deliberations j and in confe- quence of this omiffion, the deputies, coming to parlia- ment without any inftruflions from their conftituents, ap- propriate to themfelves that authority, of which they are only the depofitaiies, and leave no real influence in public affairs to that portion of the people, of which they ftile themfelves the reprefentativcs. Commiffa- ries not accountable for their behaviour, and mif- taken deputies decide like mailers, when they fhould only a6l as interpreters. Their goods and perfons enjoy the proteftion of the law of nations. John gave up the cuftom of carrying off for his fervice the horfes and carriages of his fubjecls. The famous law of habeas corpus was made to foften the infradlion of the 48th article of the gre^t charter ^ which admits of no imprifonment till the peers of the criminal have pro- nounced it juft. The habeas corpus has fuppofed the pof- fibility of imprifonment without any fuch previous dif- cuflion, and only ferves to enlarge the prifoner where it -does not appear that he has been imprifoned upon the oath of the accufer in criminal, or the plaintiff in civil matters. This law, the benefit of which is attended with great expence, has been fufpended more than once. The court found herfplf confined by it ; and in 1722, on the general fe::r of the pretender and a confpiracy, the parliament gave up to the dire«Slion of the miniflers, all thofe they fhould think proper to fufpedl. By the 2d Article of the great charter y the creditor is allowed no re- 3 % courle % ii'll I \v. MA .1; f 11 116 The HISTORIC Ai. Oft. conrfe but againft the goods and fecurity of the debtor. The law at prcfent gives him immediate rccouifc againft the debtor's body. We muft allow, however, that this fevere law, fo favourable to the malice of fecrct enemies, is often correfted by others, called Afts of Infolvency, made purpofely to free the bodies of imprifoned debtors, and even fugitives for debt, furrcndering themfelves within a limited time, from the claws of the creditors, to whom they only leave a recourfe againft their debtor's elFefts. Thefe particular laws are generally made on the accefilon of a king, the calling of a new parliament, and other grand events. The courts of juftice have been pretty much the fame for feveral ages paft. In cafes not provided againft by an exprefs law, the judges have recourfe to the common law, which is nothing elfe but the Romah law. The eccle- fiailical court, and the courts of Admiralty, have their own maxims to go by. The canon law is admitted,' when not found to clafh with the received fenfe of Scripture, and the king's fupremacy. The afts of parliament ge- nerally build upon the Saxon and Norman laws, whofe meaning it is no difficult matter to explain fo, as to make them coincide with present circumftances and the views of the legiflature. Juflice is adminillered at the king's or the kingdom's expcnce. Civil and criminal fuits are both tried before the ordinary judges. Before the party ac- cufed can be brought to trial in crim.inal affairs, the fail muft be unanimoufly judged to exift by 24 men of the neighbourhood, and of equal condition nearly with tlie party accufcd. Thefe men are fummoned toge- ther by the fheriff, who is the ofncer charged with the execution of juftice, and fworn before the judges who are to try the fuppofed criminal. The body of thefe men is railed the prand jury, and every man in particular a jury- man. oa. .^1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 127 .man. There is another jtuy, called the petty jury, compoied of 12 men like the former, who affift upon oath at all trials both for civil and criminal nutters. To ■ form this petty jury, according to whofe unanimous opi- nion the judge muft decide, the fheriff fnmmons a num- ber of perfons, whofe names are drawn out of a box, and as they come up, the parties concerned may refuie 12, without giving any reafon for their reflifal, and as , aiany more as they can objed any thing material againft ; and in this they are allowed great latitude. Thefe men may afk what queflions they plcafe during the couHe of the trial. When over, one of the judges recapitulates all that has been faid on both fides, makes his remaiics thereon, explains fuch points of law, as the jurymen may be fuppofed not to underftand, and then fends them into an adjoining chamber to confider furtlier of . the matter. It now flands upon them to fift the proofs with all the diligence they are matters of, for not only they are locked up, but denied all manner of nourifti- ment, and even the ufe of fire and candle light, till they unanimoufly agree. One of them, chofen by the reft, and called tlieir foreman, fpeaks for all, and does it very laconically. In criminal matters the prefident or judge alks him, " Guilty or not guilty ;" and in civil matters, •* Who do you find for, tlie plaintiiF or the defendant;** to which the foreman barely anfweis, " Guilty," or *• Not guilty," in the firft cafe, and in the fecocd, " For the plaintiff," or " For the defendant." The judge then pronounces fentence, or gives a decree con- formable to the opinion of the jury, and the directions of the law. Foreigners, in criminal cafes, are allowed juries compofed half of foreigners and half of natives. There is no appeal from a fentenc6 delivered in confe- cyience of a petty jury's verdift in criminal n^atters j but :; lies an appeal in civil matters to the houfe of peers, which like wife judges in the firft inflance its own members in criminal affairs, and all other perfons im- peached before it by the houfe of commons, who are the • grand inquefl of the nation, and whofe profecutions the king cannot check, as he may thofe before the other courts. But this is to be underftood of criminal affairs, for in thofe between fubjeft and fubjeft the king never interferes. The three tribunals, called the court of King's-Bench, court of Common Pleas, and court of Exchequer, have each but four judges, including the prefident : They form the body of magiftrates, known by the name of the twelve great judges of England. The prefident of the court of King*s-Bench is filled, lord chief jullice of England ; the prefident of the common court, lord chief jiiflice of the Common Pleas ; and the prefident of the Exchequer, lord chief baron <)f the Exchequer. The twelvegreat judges have feats Jr parliament in the high chamber, /. e, the houfe of p«ers ; but fit there merely to be confulted. England is .759- And~POLmCAL MERCURY. la^ 19 divided into eight circuits or cantons, which the , twelve judges divide aniong themfelves, in order to make the tour of eveiry one of them twice a year, and admini- Iler jullice wherever it i& required of them. Befides the grand tribunals already mentioned, and the courts form- , ed by the itenerant judges, diere are inferior courts held ^ every three months by local magiftrates, called jnilices of. the peace, for the deciiion of fmaller matters, both ci- vil and criminal. In fine, there is a fourth grand tribu- nal, called the high court of Chancery, held by the keeper of the great feal of England, commonly called lord- keeper, and fometimes lord high chancellor of England. The bufinefs of this tribunal is to fupply the deficiencies . and mitigate the rigour of the laws of the realm ; and he may for this purpofe flop the pioceedifigs of all the other courts. In capital cafes, treafons excepted, the proceedings are generally very fhort.* There is both in the head and heart of the Englilh criminals a ferocity, which renders life in- different to them. Many of them have been known not only to negledl the ordinary means of defence, but affifl in their own conviftion, to be the fooner delivered from a Itate of uneafinefs . The crime is proved by the coj-pus delist orteflimonyoffafts, and that of vvitnefTes. Thejudgefirfl addrefTes the criminal with the words, " Guilty or not *• guilty ?" and it is remarkable, that though the rack is not ufed in England, and the kind of der.th never va- ries, the jud^e fo eafily draws from the accufed this con- felTion, which dooms him to punifhmcnt. It is one of the charafteriftic qualities of the EngliHi, to refpefl both the laws, and the interpreters of them to fuch a degree, AS to hear with fubmiffion the fentence of death, which the former dictate, and the latter pronounce againfl them. Tlicy He under a prejudice, Vv'hich though ufeful in fome refpciJls, is in the main repugnant to the good of •I' J •i i i il\ 150 The HISTORICAL oa. .». ;7 ■41 It r :i^j f M B'il L. of fociety, and that is, that paniihments inflided by jiifHce, however feverc they may be, are no more than paternal corrections, that leave no ftain behind them. The man without education carries before his judges A xlowniih and brutal franknefs. The man of quality pa- tiently fuffers the moft mortifying difcuilions, and fub- mits to the rigours of the law with a degree of polite- • nefs and reiignation unknown in other countries. The Engliihman, in the hands of the julUce of his country, ' becomes all on a fudden another being. *Tis the reverfe in civil matters. There he displays all the finefTe and " fabtility attributed to the Normans. Two or three years are but a fhort period for the moft trifling fuits. • Of the U N I T E D PROVINCES. : The republic is compofed of feven fpvereign provinces. Each province has its independent towns : And thefe towns have in the afTemblies of the ilates of their reipec- tive provinces the fame rights, that the province itfelf enjoys in the afTemblies of the ftates general. As the jdates general cannot make either peace, war, truce, or new alliance, or impofe taxes, without the unanimous confent of the provinces ; fo the provincial ftates cannot form any refolution in regard to thefe points without the confent of thofe towns, which have a voice in the provin- cial aflembly. The deputies of the provinces to the ftates general, and of the towns to the provincial ftates, are reprefentatives void of power or allien, whofe bufi- nefs confifts in perpetually aiking and receiving inftruc- tions, upon affairs of importance, from the provinces and towns which deputed them. The fovereignty is, if I may ufe the expreflion, minced and divided among the afTemblies of the provinces, and the fenates of the towns ; it muft be patched up together for every aft it is to produce. The 1759' And POLITICAL MEIICURY. 131 The towns and provinces have equal fulFiages v/ithout any regard to their extent, their opulcrxc, or their ftrength. The voice of Holland is of no more weight than that of Overyflel, though the former contributes twenty times at leaft more to the expcnces of the ftate than the latter. The fuffrage of the little town of P>ir^ merent is in the ftates of the province equal to that of Amflerdam. 'Tis a miracle how harmony has fo long fubfifted in fpite of fo much fuel for difcord, and where there exift fo few means of refioring it. The famous treaty of confederacy concluded in the year 1589, known by the name of the Union of Utrecht, feemed to eftablilh a kind of fupreme tribunal, which fiiould definitively decide the differences between the feveral provinces, not fo much in qualiy of judge, as that of mediator and friendly arbitrator. But the confederates did not fo much as determine the nature of this tribunal. They did not point out the juft bounds of its authority; and the re- ftriftions, under which they laid it in certain refpefts, clafhed with the powers they gave to it in others. . .^ The feven provinces of Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Overyflel, Friefiand, Groninguen, and Gelderland, agreed among themfelves at Utrecht to unite fo as to make but one province, and that no treaty or convention fhould ever break this union, leaving however to every province a full enjoyment of its rights, privileges, fta- tutes, and cuftoms. Every town made the fame ftipu!a- tion for itfelf ; and it was unanimoufly decreed, that in the differences, which might arife between fome particu- lar provinces, the others Ihould not be allowed to inter- pofe otherwife than as interceffors and pacific mediators. It was likewife ordained, that all affairs relative to peace, war, alliances, and taxes, Ihould be decided by a plura- lity of voices J but that neither peace, war, alliaiices, * T m m . II: :|'; I U-, I f ft-', ' m. 'It tif 132 The HISTORICAL Oa. or levies of money, ftiould be made without the unani- mous confent of the feven provinces ; that all difputes ■ however concerning thefe matters fhould be provifionally refered to the arbitration of the governors of the United Provinces. Every province likewife referved to itfelf the power of making fuch regulations as (he might think proper in regard to ecclefiaflic affairs. But it was enabl- ed, that all contefts, in which but one particular pro- vince might be interefted, fhould be refered to the arbi- tration of the reft, and that thofe, in which all the pro- vinces might be interefted, fhould be fubmitted to the decifion of the governors, whofe fentence, pronounced within the month, fhould be executed without oppofi- tion. The difiiculties, which might arife in regard to the treaty of union itfelf, were to be left to the ftates general, and in cafe of any divifion in the aflembly, the governors were to fix the true meaning of the contro- verted articles. In fine, both flates and governors gua- rantied the treaty of union, and bound themfelves to in- force the articles of this treaty, and punifh the breach of them, by whatever perfons committed, notwithfland- Ing any privileges, liberties, or exemptions, pleaded by fuch perfons. ,* ,.„ „. ,,. .. •_.,:. .,, The fuperiority of the governors became the bafis of the union of the feven provinces j and thefe provinces never had any thing more at heart, than to withdraw themfelves from this fuperiority, and make themfelves independent. They have always confidered, as the firfl fubjedl of the republic, this great officer, whom they eftablifhed for their judge and arbitrator. Nay, twice did they fupprefs the office itfelf for feveral years together, without ereding any other in its flead. They have not however been free from divifions in regard to the eflen- lial points of the conlliiuuon. But the republic has re- '• ' • ■■ ' ' 'r tiieved I'^tt^t ^ * I'^i i} -': Winces idraw felves lefirft they (e did jther, (e not jfl'en- is re- ieved 1759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. trieved of herfelf feveral fliocks, which would have dc- ftroyed any other ftate equally defedlive in its fundam^cn- ^ tal principles. The nature of the country, the geniu^j ^ and charafter of its inhabitants, the fituation of the fbvcral , provinces, obliged to depend on each other for mutu?il ^ fupplies,have correfted the radical vices of the conflitution, ^ and re-eftabli(hed peace and concord among the moft tur- bulent and refractory fpirits. This country, to which n a- ' ture has almoft refufed every thing, and which fupplie? the whole univerfe with the means of the moft exquifite ■ ^ luxury, has nothing to tempt the greedinefs of an uf^ rper^ Entirely given up to commerce, the inhabitants thrive merely by their labour and induftiy, which liberty alon? cheriftiesandfupports. Nothing but the ftrongefl prejudice^ j ^ liberty can infpire, can lender fupportable the enormou^ taxes and imports, neccflary for the prefervation of the country and the fupport of its forces. Sir Williain , Temple has obfeiVed, that a plain difh of fifti, boiled ir\ fait and water, contributes, before it reaches the tabic, thirty-two times to the ftate. 'Tis this idea of liberty ^ which renders the people obedient to their magiftrates, whofe authority, not ^afficiently pointed out, has often been guilty of the greateft abufes. The civil government is altogether municipal. The nobles or magiftrates are the depofitaries of the fovereignty of the towns. . The adminiftration of juftice belongs entirely to the burgomafters and flierifls, who are chofen by the towns themfelves, or the ftates of the province. The ftadt- holder, who is the great ofiicer named governor in the treaty of union made at Utrecht, has the right of chu- fmg one out of the three perfons prefented to him by the eleflors to fill thefe ofHces. As moft aftairs relate to commerce, the adminiftration of juftice is very expedi- tous ; and the feizure of the oftender's effeds is one of the firft proceedings. T 2 Of i n :| ; 1 >34 fim The HISTORICA^i ■yi LliA oa. ;./--.';. »ri •!^.h.37.a4- or G E R M A N Y. ;iTj^ V' *.*'. i^ir. . I. "^.It IS very difficult to give a clear idea of the civil ftatc of Germany, without faying fomcthing of its political ^ate. The fanatifni of the Crufades had not in Ger- many the fame confequcnces, that attended it in other ftates of Europe, where it confirmed the monarchical go- vernment by ruining the great vafials. The emperors might have reaped the fame advantages from it» coul4 they but have given all their attention to the interior concerns o? Germany. But their broils with the fove- ieign pontifs perpetually diftradled them, and the princes and towns found, means to avail thcmfclves of this dif-. traftion. The extindion of the ancient houfes of Au- ftria and Suabia, by the violent death of the two laft jprjnces who were beheaded at Naples, compleated ia 1268, the confufion of thefe provinces, then without a ibvereign. The lords and the towns either aflbciated together, or made war upon each other, for the fake of Independency. An almofl twenty years interregnum, left alf at liberty to eUablifh themfelves firmly in their fefpeftive ufurpations. When Rodolphus afcended the Imperial throne, there was not a fmgle nobleman or powerful community in Suabia and Alfatia, that did not afFefl to be an immediate feudatory of the emj^iire. The prince gained over to his intereft the fovereign pontiffs, by ceafing to fupport the beft part of the ruinous preten- fions of his predecefibrs upon Italy, and in a fhort time, by his wifdom and courage, reilored the Impeiial dignity to its ancient lullre. But as it was by force of arms^ he had humbled all thofe, who had failed in their allegiance to him, he could only reduce them, and had not time to impofe laws upon them. This v/as a talk ready pre-; : pared for his fucceilbr, if he had had the views of Ro- dolphus *M »759- And POLITICAL MERCURY. *M dolplius as well as his military talents. His reign was trouUed by civil wars. Albert, who Aicceeded him, was equally unliappy, and Henry VIL who reigned af- ter Albert, couki not reilft the deftre of re-eftablHhiiig the empire im Italy. The terrible perplexities, into which this enter]mze planged him, were not able to give Jiis fucceiSbr Lewis of Bavaria a difgaiib for it. 1 his prince, attacked by Pope John XXII. undertook to bring him to reafon by force of arnots ; and Germany was replanged into diibrder and coni'ulion during a reiga of thirty years. At length Charles IV. who by a voy- age to Rome had got an opportunity of knowing th« difficulties, with whkh the re-eftabliihment of the em- pire in Italy would be attended, applied himielf to givt it a permanent form in Germany. The Golden Bull, which he publifhed in 1356, takef in equally civil and political matters. But we may fetf by the principal ob)e£ls of it, that Charles wanted thtf geniu& requifite in a legiflator. It fixes the rank and tjio rights of the electors, the ceremony of the eleftion and coronation of the emperor ; lays down fome rules con- cerning challenges, which was then the moft common method of deciding differejices among people of all ranks and conditions. In the courfe of his reign he caufed to be pafTed in the diets feveral edi^s, to hinder the lords and towns from terminating their quarrels by But he wanted authority to inforce them. Vin- arms. ceflas, his fon and fucceflbr, was a monfter, who for the Ipace of thirty years, made Germany again the thea>« tre of all the horrors attending civil wars and anarchy. Sigifmund, who reigned after him, applied him^lP more to the troubles of the church, and the pacificatiort of them, than to the affairs of the empire. Albert II, afcended the Imperial throne after the death of Sigif- mund, M The HISTORICAL oa. M ■ ■* * hi > .3(5 mund, and fecurcd himfclf the pofTcfllon of it by force of arms. Aware of the neceflity of dividing Gennany into fevcral diih-ifls in order to maintain good order there when rcftorcd, he divided it into four circles. A great diet, which he held at Nuremberg in 1438, the very year of his acceflion, approved this regulation, and fe- veral others, which he laid before it relating to the pub- lic fecurity. This prince reigned but two years ; and this rough draught of a reformation appeared fo difficult a work to continue and Aipport, that the Imperial crown was rcfufed as a burthen by a landgrave of Hcfle. Fre- deric of Aullria, to whom it was offered, accepted it, and fignalizcd the beginning of his reign by refufing the crown of Bohemia, which it would have been unjuft in ]nm to accept. This debate, which procured him uni- verfal efteem, had no happy confequences. He was fome years after fufpefted of defigns upon the inheri- tance of the minor, whofe proteftor he had declared himfelf. His long reign was overcaft. Hiftory, too at- tentive to his different wars and the treaties by which he terminated them, has not: done him juftice in regard' to the numerous efforts he made in the diets, to re-efta- blilh laws and good order. The provincial tribunals had recovered fome form ; and the moft crying diforders had a curb put upon them, when in 1493 he left the Im- perial throne to his fon Maximilian, whom he had pro- cured to be crowned king of the Romans in i486. ' Scarce had Maximilian afcended the throne, when he' began to apply ferioufly to the reformation of the feveral branches of civil and political goverriment. He called a diet at Worms, for the year 1495 ; and at this diet all the cleftors, princes and fiates, whom he had invited to it, aififted. The members, being equally fenfible with their head of the neceiHty of fubordination, the conilitution he pro- 1759- Agd POLITICAL MERCURY. 137 propofcd was unanimoufly received. This conftitution im- ported, that the emperor fhould be univerrally acknow- ledged in his quality of fupreme judge, that all forcible methods ihould be ftridUy forbidden, and all the quairels between the different princes and dates, ihould fbr the future be decided by a fovereign tribunal compofcd of Judges chofen "by the emperor and the empire. This tribunal is known by the name of the Imperial chamber : It was transferred from Francfort to Spire, and from Spire to Wetzlar, where it has continued fince tho year 1696. It is compofcd of a great judge and two prcfidcnts named by the emperor. In 17 19, the num- ber of afTiftant judges, was limited to 25', and this num- ber is feldom compleat. ^* ' ; :4 I'^. , ., mu 'J.' To regulate the proceedings of this great tribunal, it was requifite to point out exaftly tlie bounds of its jurif- diftion, and provide for the execution of its decrees, by a power equally refpeftable and free from fufpicion. Maximilian adopted Albert's plan, and propofed to di- vide the empire into circles, in each of which the mod powerful and reputed inhabitants fhould be fpecially charged to maintain the public peace. At fird there were but fix of thefe circles, which are ftill called the Ancient Circles, But conventions were made foon after with the eleftors for incorporating their Hates and thofe of the houfe of Auflria with the reft of Germany, and then there were ten circles. The four laft being, thoic of Auftria, Higher Saxony, the Higher Rhine and Burgundy, had but one director each. The fix others have two each. The bufincfs of the diredors is to call the aflemblies of their refpeclive circles, to dire6l tlieir deliberations, and fee the decrees relating to the public welfare duly executed. The arch-duke of Aaftria is the Jiredor of the circle of that name. The eledor of Mentz ;% I 'I l)t The HISTORICAL- Oft. Mentz alone direfts Aat of th^ Higher Rhine, as the elcftor of Saxony does that of Hither Saxony. Th* elector of Bavaria and the arch-bifliop of Saltzbnrg have the dire^on the circle of Bavaria. The circle of fran- conia is direfted by the bifliop of Bamberg, and alter- iiatcly by the margraves of Bareith and Anlpach, wht> relieve one another every three years. The duke of Wirtembcrg and the biihop of Conflance are diredors of the circle of Suabia. The biihop of Worms and the eledor Palatine are direftors of the circle of the Lower Rhine. The bifliop of Munfter and the inheritors of the ftate of Cleves, have the dircftion of the circle of Weftphalia. The houfe of Brunfwick and the pofleffor of the arch-bifhoprick of Magdeburg are direftors id, the circle of Lower Saxony. Befides its direftors, every circle has a general of its own nomination, and whofe colleagues and fubalterns it likeWife names. Nothing now feemed wanting that could contribute to maintain or eftablilh public tranquillity. But experience foon demonllrated, that this one fuprcme tribunal was unequa! to the necef. fities and extent of the Empire. Maximilian propofed to the princes and ftates the Aulick Council, an ancient Imperial tribunal, to which he gave a new form. The Aulick Council is compofcd of a prefident, ihe vice- chancellor of the Empire, a vice-prefident, and 17 affiftant judges, all named by the emperor. This tribu< nal takes in the fame countries and caufes with the Im- perial chamber, and has exadlly the fame jurifdidion and authority, The proceedings of the Aulic Council are the famd v.'ith thofe of the Imperial chamber. Caufes are to be termin.ited in either of the two tribunals, before which they have been firft brought. There lies no ap- peal ■■•*, ik Lm- tion amti w fore ap- peal 1759. An4 WUTJPAL M?ReU1^fi ^ peal from one to the other. Thofe parties, who think themfelves aggrieved, may indeed demand a re-hearing of their cau:G;, and it is never fefuied. In the Impend chamber, this re-he^ring U gri^nted on a petitioa to the elector of Mentz, an4 in the Anlick Couqc^ Aipon one to the Emperor. In bpdi couits the in- fprination^ are taken, and (e^tence pronounced, in thci Emperor's name. Each of .the two ^bnnals has its priyiledgedcaufes. The members of tj]|<^ Impi^^ cham- ^r are ^lyedl to no other t^bunal. All fuits relating 4p ^he reserved |jight« of the Emperor, belong to the Aulick Coijincil. The c;aufes come before both^ eitheif idire^ly or by way of appeal. The firft however alway? :^po!fea lurevious proceeding, which is C9nfidere.d a^ a firft appHcatioQ, axid which is the remains ^f ai) in- iU.(Vtipn % on ipot during the troubles and diiqrd^r? o^ &V^''^y» hy cppfederacies b^een jfjMnilies aad tpwns. A$ ther^ jpr^y^iled at that time a general confi^fion* ;^ C^^ti^i^on ur^4 to be aiked wip the point of tihe jfvyord, jt wafi agreed, that the cpiifed^ra.te5, before they taflie fo Wpws, flipwld r^fer their 4ifp>*?cs tp |in arbf- ^?ition. T^ fiiendly pipfeej^pg W4s cj^ll?d ^«^ 4t^rt^^i^, ?f d is l^ljkjj^^jr^ |jy the j^igaje ot At; ^r^^¥es. But ii^ the greateft part.of tjie E|npirft, it con- fift« in ap api^iqjftipji^ tp ihp %i?i^fif^ fqp commiUZaries to aa as n^^i^tpr?^ The A^jjipk !pQ,ui»cil ft^iits up af the deat^ of the ^pierof . T'hp XAipeiial chaj^be j: neyo* Jpfes it<5 authority. TJ^ki a)J thf iciTenti^l ^diffei^nj:^ between iJm| two courp. The fpr^w qf profAP4^^ ?^P ;i^i abyfe, wh^<;h the abj^ft mn of Qcfmany have oi^ljr deepened ii> /Iwying to fatbAW ; ^4 the juHfdi^p «^ the yic^^ ^ring rh^i^eg^inp, ^ of jj pf^tis^l^ ;^;:i-n:: ''1 t, ii 01 « 1 .i ♦The rilSTORIC^ti '^ O^t. r.l Of FRANC E< 11)^^45 R^vyl^Uiisiyii , The difor4e;-s pf feudal government have been earned. to greater lengths ip France than in any other countiy of Europe. Not one of them appeared at a greater diftance froni the happinefs of receiving good laws.' The royal ai^thprity tl^ere had no other methods left but thofe of juridical proceedings or open war, to awe its great >'ijTals. The inveftiture of fiefs was become a itiere matter of form, and the inheritance of them, all to tlie Saliclc law, was as univerfally allowed of, as the rightpf fuccellion to other efFefts between privktfe per- fons. The lords in France were more independent of the king, than they are in Poland, where the fiefs are employments for life at the king's difpdfal. The great vafTals tliere wcrie more fbvereign than in Germany, where^ even in times of the greateft confufionj, the inveftitute,' which the EmperPr &lone could confer, waS a fteceflary title to obtain poiTefllbn. The cohftant attention of the kings of France to avail themlelves of the faults o^ their vaflals, and to reunite to' the cn-own by alliancd or devolution the principal fiefs, has brought back thi^ powerful ftate to a monarchial ^vfei-nment fooner and eafier,' than it could be reafonably cxpedted.' They inte- rested in their pretehfiPns thfe j)eo|^le knd under vaflkis, by couhlenaticiiiig them in appeials made from the de-i crees given againft them in the courts of their refpeftive lords. The rPyal commiflibncrs' fent into the pro- vinces to receive the'compldints and redrefs the grievances of 'the injured parties, ^gaVe occafiorf to difcuflions, of Svhith the firrfinefsf of tlife crown prociiredit the«dvantage.' By degrees • the people' difcbvered a protcftor,- and the vaflals a mafter. Both were already accuftomed,'by the '"■'■■■ , , . , annual all the 1759. And POLITICAL MJ^RCURY. 141 annual. vlfits of theroyalcommi^ioners,.tothe jurifdiiflion of a fupreme trjbunal ereded by the king, when Philip ■ the Handfome fixed in the capital the court of juflic^, which for a long time had been attached td the king's court. The iriftitution (if the parliament of Paris, which was erefted'but one year before that of Thoulofe, is ge- nerally referred to the year 1301. The other pa:rli{£- mehts were fucceffively erefted in the provinces, on the model of theft two ; but their infancy is fo obfcnre, that we dare not affirm any ihing touching their primi- tiye conltitution and prerogatives. Princes of the blood were prefidents of the parliament of Paris during its in- fancy. The couhfellors, at firft twelve in number, were lords. All the bifliops were counfeHors bom, and in right of tiieir digiiity alone enjoyed a feat and delibera- tive voice. Philip the Long, under a pretence of piety, fiript thtifn of this difliiiflion. He publifhed an 4$4» which he coi'rbBorated witii a decree pf his^ own it^ 1466. All the pariiaments. of France hold l^eir anthoii^ and activity from the Icing, whofe jcommiffion is fent to them every year^ for opening dier chamlbers the i^ of November. Tliey fit conftantly tiH the 7th of Setptember, when the vacat^ns be|;in. Sutjuftice is equally adminiftered durinjg; thefe two months by a chamber called t^e .chamBer of or who hafve no tafte for the profeffion, exa^ the price of the place from the aperibn, upon whom it is coniered. The number of chambers is not the fame in every parliament^ but ic proportioned to the extent of their refpefUve jurifdic- tions. The parliament of Paris, whbfe jurifdiftion com- the oT ij^g. And POLITICAL l^fiRGt/kY. f^j comprehends one third of the. kingdom, has nine chani- bers, viz. (he gfeat chamber, the chamber called ite la fournelU for criminal affairt, five chambers of ihqqefts, where ftrits are prepared, and two chambers of couit requefts, which ihare with the hodfhold chamber of re- ^uefts the cognizince of privileged ciufes. The nom- fcef of members belonging tb each chamber has always ^fepended upon the will of the king, who his ofeen mado the miiltiplication of them a refource, in exigencies of ftatey by felling the new cteated offices. Cuftotn and the king's ordontiances compofe the law, by which the parliaments govern themfclves. LiiWis XIV. tried ia give a new code, bat could neveir britig it to perfe£iiort. The ableft jurifconfults, thb ^^h they acknowledge the perplexities and contradi^on which fb many local cu^ toms, often clafhing with each other, create in the ad« iiiiniftration of jaftice, have never Ventured to decide, whether it Wbuld be proper to form a general Code, which fhbuld f^bmit the whole kingdom to the fanie kwi and the fame proceedings. " i " f !;a:i!i>ri no Of S P A I N*-. lo '. The. SpahiA monarchy aflumed.a new face under J^'erdinaiid and Ifabella. Their joint conquefl of the kingdom of Granada re-united all the provinces, and put an end to the Mooriih government, after it had laft- ed more than eig^t centuries. This conqueft made a re- volution, and prefented an excellent opportunity of giv- ing new laws to all Spain. It was impoffible, that peor pie, till then entirely difterent in point of manners, cus- toms, and religion, and brought up in a boundlefs ha- tred and antipathy, fliould get the better of their preju- dices, and be reconciled in fo many refpefls, but by means of a new codcj which putting both the conque- rors M 144 The HISTORICAL oa. I ■■ rors and the conquered on the fame level, fhould make them lofe in a fociety, where they would be blended without diflinfUon qne with the other, the habits they ^ had contraded of mutually hating and defpifing eaqh other.. Ferdinand did not want either genius or policy for this work. UiAappily the union between him an4 . Ilabella had not united their dominions ; and the two . ibvereigns piqued themfelves unfeafonably, upon pr^- fcrving to their different provinces, ancient privileges, which the revolution put them in a condition to adjuil, by ^ force or by fair means, to a new conilitution of the mo- narchy. Cardinal Ximencs, their firil niiniiler, was more defirpus of converting than of giving, good laws to , the conquered. Inftead of prefenting the Granadians to the Cafiillians and Arragonians as new countrymen^ fub- jedl to the fame fovereigns, he ftrengthened the religious prejudices of the ancieat Chrijftians to the difadvantagp of the Moors ; and by making the adoption of the lail depend on their fubmiffion to the Catholic churchy he annexed to this adoption a mortifying idea, fufficient to hinder them from fuing for it, or reliihing the advantages of it when obtained. The Sj>aniards, on their fide, accuftomed themfelves to think, that to adopt the Grana- dians, it was requifite to faqrifice to religion their perfo- niil pre-eminence, and their piety was, foon conquered by their felf-love. They dcljpifed the Moors, and made them fenfible of it. It was now eafy to forefee, that the lail would (bon become rebels or flaves. The tribunal of the Inquiiition was but ill calculated to mend their condition. Cardinal Ximcaes thought himfelf but too happy in barely preventing fo ill conftituted a monarchy from fallino- into difbrder and confufion. Moft of his regulations v/erc political and ecclefiaftical. He paid great refpec^. to sdl the ancient culloms, and even the abufes • 1-4 k M oa. 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. 14^ abuies in civil affairs, unlefs where both claihed with the fovercign authority. Charles V. on his arrival ini- Spain, found its provinces upon their guard againft the adminiftration of a prince bred in a foreign country, and' to manners and cuftoms di^erent from theirs. He con« - firmed all the privileges, and did no more than inforce the execution of the local laws, which he found already eftabliflied. The foreign wars he undertook fcarce per- mitted him to do more. Philip his fon and fuccefibr, who devoted himfelf entirely to the cabinet, might have been a legiilator. But he bent all his thoughts and all his viewstotheacquifitionofabfolutepowe^. His policy, ever more fubtile than found, engaged him to ftrip the provinces of their prerogatives, and made him negleft to replace thefe prerogatives with laws for the government of the peo- ple. By favour of a rebellion, true or falfe, which he hatched himfelf by means of his confident Antonio Pc- ries, he aflumed a right of puniihing the two Cafliles and Arragon by the fuppreffion of their liberties. In the- cpurfe 6f his reign, he iffued edifls in proportion as there ilarted up cafes to which they were applicable : This was living from hand tp mouth. He caufed all thefe edidls to be compiled. Philip IV. and Philip V. added to them their own edids and thofe of their predeceffoi-Sy and the tribunals govern themfelves by both one and the other. In genera}, the civil ilate of Spain is a mon- fbous jumUe of the Roman law and the two ancient compilations of the Gothic kings and Alphonfus X. This lafl has taken its name from its divifions into feveu parts, and is called Paftita oV Leges feptem partitartm. The other is called the Book of Judges. There is beiides acolle£lion of 83 laws made in the ftates held at Toro, in the year 1500, un4er Ferdinand and Ifabella, and Krhich are called Leges Taiiri. Their obfcurity renders them of little ufe in pradice. The > -i * H6 The HISTORICAL'.rtA O^ 1 The council of CrIKIc may be coniidercd ts fhe fa- prtme tribunal of £pain. This court takes cogitizancfi tif matters of grace and jaftice, and likcwife intermeddles with ilate affairs. It receives appeals fr.om all the pro^: vincial tribunals except that of Navarre, its prefident: has been always confidered, in point .of authority, a« the lecond perfon in the kingdom. His pcribnai prla-' leges render him in a manner ind^ndent. The lights • of this important office have been curtailed fay fevcrai ktt^s, llnce Phillip II. Philip V. gave it tlie fibveceft^- Uoiv, by appearing to fupprefs the office itfelf. The head of ^e council of Callile is now called GeverMt,: and the court is even a^ liberty not to grant him any of the piivileges formerly belong^g to the preiidents. This council has but 24 affiftant judges ; and is divided into fix chambers, one of which takes cognizance of ilatv affairs only. The paities may apply to the king's oounoil, £oT a re-heariag of fuits decided by the couwul: of Caflile. But t^en it is without prejudice to the de- cree given by this council ; which muil be proviAon^dijr executed. The petitioner muft beiides depofit a confider- able fum to obtain leave to proceed, fo that people very feldom have cecourie to this remedy. The governors bf > provinces are at die head of all affairs in their ietpe£\iv9i- governments, and preiide in their fupreme couiits of jtiitice. The great cities, which ace not c^^itals of ancient kingdoms, have councils whole pisfidents juie: fiKedCortcgidor, dieib Coiregidors take oogniESiice ia-' di&2cntly of civilond criminal matters, aad^tfaoTe raenelyc' xegardingthe polipe. The little towns and boroughs iuncotf Akaides and Regidors, whofe authority is«seiy-coii&der« aisle, iince the communities kavei»e€)|i obliged to ^f Icdb t^uettn&ivcs, aand make good the pub% re^ei^ues f>K f'C Ke 1759. And Political mercury. 147 The eftablifliment of the Inquifition will ersr be iai obflacle to a good civil government in Spain. It ii perhaps the fear of ilriking againft this monftfous tribd- nal, and incurring its hatred, that has hindered the flatef-* men, and even the kings of Spain themfelves, from at« tempting to reform this branch of legiflation. Queen Ifabella imagined ihe was doing a thing agreeable td God, when (he elfabliflied in her dominions this court« which fhould not have fubfifted longer than the ex-* travagant zeal that gave it birth. Ferdinand con-* fidered the Inquifition as a neceflary yoke for the new- ly conquered Modrs, in order to make Chriftians and good fubjeds of them, without bringing ,upon the royal authority the odium and refentmenti which fuch me-< thods of proceeding muft naturally e^ccite. He faw nof farther. It was not long before this formidable tribunal terrified the people into fubjeflion ; and having taken this hold of them, infenfibly infpired them with that blind relpeft, which fear produces. It is on religion that afe built the prejudices, which it has fo deeply fixed in the minds of men. The people, enflaved by it, would Oppofe the man, who fhould attempt to break theii* thains. t."" - •^'' -yr ■:----•- - - r ;• - --^^^^ • Theife are four tribunals of the Inquifition in Spain, none of which acocount for their profecutions or execu- tioils. They may confine a man on the leaft fdfplcion ; they abiblve^ difcharge, and ftigmatize ; confifcate, and put to death without giving any reafon for their fen- tences, but the equity with which they fuppofe theni diftalcd. Their jurifdidion is over matters relating to religion "; and they know fo well how to extend the re-* Nations of religion, that nothing can efcape them. Nay, the grandees of Spain have no other method, of evading the defpotifm of the Inquifition, but that of' intereft- X ing I 'Ut u U9 The H I S T O R I C A L Ocl. ing it in their defence. They have fpecially devoted themfclves to the fupport of its jurifdifUon, and among their titles place that of its Clienf. It is impoffible to eftablifli a general form m the adminiflratibn of jufticr, ds long as a tribunal is permitted fo exiil, which con- founds all the departments, and which acknowledging no bounds to its authority, admitting no fixed and certain rules to proceed by, nor even the principles of common law in its judgments, may at its pleafure call before it all manner of caufes, and latilh the parties from their natural judges. r^^n.,f» Of P Q R T U G A L. • The late king of Portugal John V. feemed aware of the ncccflity of oppofing a dike to the delpotifm of the Inquifuion. He obtained fot himfelf the charge of grand inquifitor of Portugal. But it is lo be feared, that when the kings his fuccefTors ihall have fucceeded in melting down,^ if I may be allowed the expreflion, and blending together the fecular and ecclefiaitical autho- rity, they will take a liking to the arbitrary power rc- iulting from fuch an union. The dates affembled at Lamego in 1181, by Alphonfus firft king of Portugal, founded the political conftitution by laws, which were publilhed in 23 articles. On the houfe of Braganza*s ac- ceillon to the throne in 1641, the ftates explained and confirmed thefe ancient laws of Lamego. They hav^ all to a triifle provided againft every future contingency relating to the fuccefllon to the throne, to the titles and iiuihority of their kings, the prerogatives of the nobi- lity, the liberties and immunities of the people. , The Roman law with its gloffes, was for a long time the fole rule of all the tribunals in Portugal. Atprefent, the king's edids have taken place of it j and it is only coa- \^{ ive ' ■ . f* " * 1759. And POLITICAL MERCURY. ^ J49 .confulted in cafes, where the fovereign has had no oppoFr tunity of pronouncing. King Emmanuel caufed the edifb of his predecefTors to be collefled ; and the king of Spain, Phillip III. caufed a new complladon to be pub- Jifhed at Lilbon in 1602. There are two fovereign tri- bunals in Portugal, one at Porto and the other at Lif- bon. They have .each a chancellor for prefident. They admit no member that cannot prove, that he has per- formed a nine years courfe of fludy, thrice publickly fuftained a law thefts, and has fuccefsfully vundergon/e fix examinations. In any other country this would be a ilrong prejudice in favour of a judge's capacity. 3ut the deplorable ftate of letters in Portugal, will not permit us to attribute any other udvantagc to fuch a candidate, than a great Aock of patience, and perhaps fome tafte for the ufelefs queftions of the fchools. There ^re befides 24 fubaltern tribunals in the provinces to ad- jninifler juiUce to the people. The nohiUty.and the clergy have their particular judges, and the affairs relaxing to ;he domain are brought before officers, which enjoy aa exclufive cognizance of them. The king has about his perfon a council, which is called the Palace Council, whofe jurifdidion and rights are as ^xtenfive as thof^ of the council of Caflile. There lies an appeal to this court from thofe of Porto and Lifbon ; but it cannot in- termeddle with any caufes that the Inquifition has once taken hold of. The four tribunals of the Inquifition eftabliihed in Portugal are not as famous as that of Goa^ though they differ in nothing from it. w^ ,> 0£ I T A L Y. - ^ , The greateft part of Italy Ihares with Spain and Por- ti^al the diforders, into which the tribunals of the Inqui- X 2 fition I5» The H I S T O R I C A I, O^, t , -1 a. ^ fition throw the civil drpartmcnts. The Inquifition however han nltftained from giving them thofc horrible fpcvithout any form of procefs. It enters into the fmalleft details. f;5 1759. Acd POUTICAL MERCURY. 151 details, excepts nothing, fparcs no one, can do every thing, and is accountable only to itfclf. Thii dcfpotic tribunal is double. One has ten members, the other but three. Both have the fame unlimited power, and arc equally rough and precipitate in the ufe they make of it. To be tolerably fecurc at Venice, g. man muft either be loll in the crowd, or have no cn^- my, or procure powerful proteftors, or in fine, fuppofe that ten or three men know every thing, and arc en* dowcd with every virtue. Let a man form ever fo fub- limc ideas of the prudence and circumfpedion of thefc fuprcme magiftraies, he muft tremble to think, that he may be toiiclcmned by them, without fo much as deferv- jng to be brought before them, and tliat there is no re- medy againft their decrees. Continually expofed to in- formers, whofe accufations are received without proofs to fupport them, or their even (hewing themfelves, both ftrangers and citizens enjoy but a prccavious and uncer- tain exiftence. Under the cloak of liberty, Venice is really without civil laws. The countries fubjedl to the republic have ancient cuftoms, which are obierved in their law proceedings. We don't well know what their influence is in the Adriatic territories and in the iilandsi. In the fubjcdl provinces. K.i4fled the terra firnia ftate^ namely, the Veroneze, the Paduan, the Brefcian, and the Bergamafco, moft civil fuits foon become criminal* on account of the monflrous licence caufcd by the impur nity of aflaffins. The indulgence of the fovereign in jhis refpedl is one of the myfteries of Venetian policy. The houfe of Savoy has been {o happy, as to prefcnre ltd territories from moft of the diforders common to the ^ther ftates of Italy. For feveral reigns paft, it has copied after France, and has even outdone the inftitux tions of that kingdom in ieveral refpe^, during the lafl >ind the prefent reigns. The .■I * ■• ^ d»« n ' t 152 ' The HISTORICAL O^, ' The Lombard laws and the Roman law arc in /everal countries of Italy blended with the feudal law and the Imperial immunities. 'Tis a chaos fcarce worth attempt- ing to reduce into order. The republic of Genoa ex- plains by her modern edidls the ancient conventions which Ihe entered into with the communities become her fubjefts, in proportion as ihe encreafes her power. The Medicis might have made themfelves fbvereigns, and wanted courage to become legiflators. Rome is equally wonderful in her civil and in heir political ftate. Both may pafs for mafter-pieces of the human underftanding. We fhould have lefs rea- fon to be furprized at the fkill, with which the fovereign pontifFs have blended with the particular jurifdiiftion they enjoy in their own ftates, that which religion owes to them in all the ftates of Chriftianity, ha:d they made thefe inftitutions in thofe times of con- fufion and ignorance, in which princes ufed to im- plore the proteftion of the Holy See agaihft their refrac- tory fubjefls ; and thought themfelves happy to be able to purchafe from the popes, the fupport of an authority more revered than their own. Even in that cafe it would be fomething extraordinary, that, the times having en- tiriely changed, the fovereign pontifs fhould have pre- ferved the channels after the fources had failed. But it was in the very verge of its declenfion, as to temporal power, that the court of Rome eftabliftied the form of her civil government, and at a time that both princes and people, having recovered the knowledge of their rights and their duties, fhould be apt, one might ima- gine, by carrying to excefs their independency of Rome, to revenge themfelves of her for having abufed their veaknefs. A3 to what concerns the ecclefiaflical flate and its ca- pital tribunals, all to the difference of names, they are almofl 1 ^'-i their 1759. , Attd POLITICAL MERCURV 153 almoil the fame as in other ftates. The fovereign pon- tiPs vicar is an inipeftor-general both civil and cede- fiaftical ; and, in fome matters of lefs confequence, fu- preme judge. The governor of Rome calls up to his tribunal criminal affairs, and decides them without ap- peal ; but his fentences of death are to be figncd by the pope. The fenator of Rome, who is always a Gran- ger, is the ordinary Judge of the people, in civil and criminal affairs. He has three lieutenants, each oJT whom forms a feparate tribunal. The fentence is not definitive, *till after the decifion of the fuccefllve appeal to each of them. The Roman confervators are charged with every thing relating to arts, agriculture, and com- merce. They take care to fee the cuftoms and ftatutes duly obferved, and prefide over the markets. The con- gregation of the confult is a kind of fovereign court for all the ecclefiaftical Hate. That of good gonjertment does jnflice to the communities and injured vaflals ; revenue afiairs are the chief objeft of its jurifHiflion. Thefe are the tribunals of the pope, as fovereign of Rome. Of thofe common to all the Chriftian world, the principal is that of the Rota. It confifts of 1 2 prelates, of whom two are Spaniaids, one a German, and one a Frenchman, all named by their refpeftive fovereigns. The eight others are Italians. Thefe 12 prelates are filled auditors of the Rota. There lies an appeal to them for all the beneficiary affairs of Chriftendom. They compofc tliree tribunals, from each of which the parties pafs fucceffively to another. To gain a caule, the three decrees mufl coincide ; and after this triple judgment, there ftill remains the remedy of what they call a civil 'petition, by means of which a re-hearing may be ob- tained. The auditors fcrve without fee or reward, but the i, Is ca- are loft f -1 r V' i|4 The HISTORICAL, &c. O^: the Ants are not the lefs chargeable, on account of the writings and the vacations of the clerks. Several fub- altem tribunals |>repare and digeft the caiiles, that are to d^ppear before tile Rota. The penitenciary and dater/ are pretty unlverfally known, and cannot be anaHzedj, iVlthout entering into particulars inconiiiilent with the defign df this abridgment. The congregation of the. frofaganda takes in all the mifllons in the Icnown world* l^rved by the fecqlar or regular clergy. That of thc» initx permits or forbids the reading of books, and regu- ktes the ftu^es of the greateft part of the Catholick Wtirld. That of ecdefiafiical Immumties keeps qp the cdliikeidons of the court of Rome with all the Catholick cdnrts by continual difcufiions. The congregation of Jndutgenciesf and that of Ritest or church ceremonies, eftabfifhes a perpetqal circulation between the fovereign pontif and all the clergy> &c. Tis not without good teaibn that the court of Rome flatters herfelf with a du-r ration ec[ual to that of the Catholick. church* ■Mi'l' ^' V "■ .'..tJoJ^' ,^l|^^^if^ %,v -lb siii'Uoa iky- i&ti^^'!ii^_%.tm ^iriiMimh% f»^'£KB..oftl^fc,S£coiu> Number, "^j^ -dio 3ti vsnx mhfi3si->st^ ,jF("-i-dv/ 'k ...... : '^.. aa.siT ,-*.v ,**y •km ml '.V;i n m