and that its acquiefcence in the measure, proceeds only from the neceffity of the prefent conjunc

ture.

The first circumftance that feemed to indicate any change in the fyftem of the court of Vienna, was the throwing out of fome hints of fome ancient claims, which the ftates of Hungary were faid to bave upon Poland. Though thefe were but imperfectly expreffed, they were fufficient to excite a confiderable alarm in a country, which had already too many caufes for being fufpicious of the defigns of its neighbours; upon which the Emprefs-queen wrote a letter with her own hand to the King of Poland, in the month of January, 1771, wherein, after the ftrongeft aifurances of unalterable friendship for him and the republic, and a requeft that the motions of her troops fhould give no alarm to either, the concluded by affuring him, that the never had entertained a thought of feizing any part of his dominions, nor would ever fuffer any other power to do fo.

Notwithstanding the apparent fincerity of thefe declarations, others of a different nature were published in the courfe of that year by her troops in Poland. By thefe latter, the claims were renewed in general terms, but without any particular fpecification of their nature or extent, it being profeffed, that they fhould continue dormant until the conclufion of a peace, when they fhould be properly examined, and fettled in an amicable manner; it was however declared, with an apparent reference to thofe claims, that certain territories, which were occupied by the Auftrian troops, fhould be protected from all infults

whatsoever, whether on the part of the Ruthians or the Confederates.

The equivocal conduct of Auftria was ftill continued, and though the fatal treaty of partition was figned early in the year of Feb. which we treat, no apparent change took place in it for 1772.

feveral months after. It would feem as if the court of Vienna had been at firft either afhamed of the infamy, or shocked at the enormity of this tranfaction; for it is faid, that Count Kaunitz, the Imperial prime minifter, upon the question being clofely put to him near two months after, by fome of the foreign minifters, denied it in the ftrongest and most folemn terms.

It may be a matter of doubt, whether the infidious artifices of the court of Berlin in exciting the troubles, or the delufive appearances of friendship shown by that of Vienna, were in the event more deftructive to the unfortunate Polanders. It has been confidently afferted, that the former of thefe powers, with-a premeditated defign to bring matters to fomething near their prefent crifis, first urged the Diffidents, by repeated affurances of effectual fupport, to embark haftily in the defign of recovering their ancient rights and privileges, and then encouraged the governing part of the nation to perfevere in their oppreflions, by private affurances to the moft bigotted, and fome of the most powerful members of the diet, that he would take no active part in their favour; until by thefe indirect means the whole kingdom was fet in a flame. The enormity of fuch a conduct makes it to be hoped, as well for the fake of royalty as of human nature, that

the

the charge is not founded in truth, But if it fhould be otherwife; even this crooked fyftem of policy, could have fucceeded only in part, if the falfe lights hung out by Auftria, operating upon the pre-conceived opinion formed of her difpofition and political views, had not encouraged the Poles to that ruinous and unavailing perfeverance and obftinacy, which without a due attention to the feason, or waiting for time or opportunity, firft precipitated Rullia into extremities, which The probably had neither forefeen nor intended, and having covered their country with a deluge of blood, has terminated in its final deftruction.

Enclofed, as the Confederates were at the end of the preceding year, by the Ruffian, Auftrian, and Pruffian armies; and abandoned, as they feemed to be, by their only allies, who were negociating a peace upon fuch unequal terms, as afforded but little hopes of their being much confidered, it was naturally to be expected that their oppofition would have been entirely at an end, and that the leaders would either have obtained the best terms they could from Ruffia, or have retired into other countries, in hopes of fome happy concurrence of circumftances, which might have reftored tranquillity and fecurity to their own, Their conduct, however, was directly the reverfe; and in this hopeless state of their affairs, they meditated new enterprizes, and carried on the fame ruinous kind of war, which had fo long defolated the country. In the beginning of the Feb. 2d. year, they had the feeming good fortune to furprize the citadel of Cracow, which they had

already rendered remarkable by the fiege which they had fuftained in it, in the beginning of thefe troubles. About the fame time, they had various flirmishes with the Ruffians, and the Polish crown troops, in fome of which they acted with a good deal of vigour; but all thefe efforts only ferved to wea ken themfelves irretrievably, by the continued flaughter of the nobility, and to compleat entirely the ruin of the country. The citadel of Cracow, Tyniec, Czenftochaw, and molt of their other fortreffes, were foon after befieged by the Ruffians; fome of thefe, particularly the castle of Cracow, and the fortress of Tyniec, made a moft obftinate defence, and held out a furprizing length of time, the garrifons having endured unparalleled hardships before they furrendered.

In the beginning of May, Marfhal Zaremba, feeing that their affairs grew every day more hopeless, fent an officer of diftinction to the king and the miniftry at Warsaw, to make an offer of furrender, for himfelf and his party, which confifted of about two thousand men; but at the fame time defired to be informed to whom he should furrender; whether to the republic, or to the Ruffians and Pruffians, by whom they were furrounded, The anfwer was truly laconic: he was told, That as he had not confulted them in forming the confederacy, they had no advice to give him in the prefent exigence. There feems to be but little doubt, that this answer was dictated by the Ruffian minifter, who probably did not now think it proper, that the king fhould exercife any act of fovereignty, or that a door should be opened for an intercourse, and com

munion

munion of interests, between him and the Confederates; as it can fcarcely be fuppofed, that in the prefent fituation of affairs, he would, if left to himself, have acted fo cruelly, and fo contrary to his interefts, as to cut off at once the greater part of the nation from all hopes of peace and accommoda

tion.

Marshal Zaremba now propofed his terms where the power was lodged for receiving them. He was treated with great diftinction by the Ruffian commander in chief, with whom he entered Warfaw, in a manner that carried more the air of a triumphant general, than that of a rebel or fugitive. The conditions were very moderate; he and his general officers bound themfelves by oath to enter into no, other confederacy, and agreed to refide at Warsaw till a pacification took place; the inferior officers, upon giving fecurity for their future behaviour, were permitted to retire to their houfes in the country, and fuch of the common men, as had not escaped to the other confederacies, were incorporated with the Ruffian or Polish troops. The king had the mortification, to have one of his own fubjects, whose direct fubmiffion to himself he had a few days before refufed, now introduced to him upon more equal terms, by a Ruffian officer, under the fanction of a Ruffian treaty. Tyniec, and the caftle of Cracow, ftill held out, and were not taken till the latter end of June, or beginning of July. In the mean time, a body of Auftrians had joined the Ruffians to carry on the fiege of the first; the garrifon being reduced to the utmost extremity, and preferring any change of con

dition, to that of a fubmiffion to their natural and inveterate enemies, they entered into a private treaty with the Auftrians, and permitted them to take poffeffion of the fortrefs, without the knowledge or confent of the Ruffians.

The Ruffian officers, who had too long made their own will the fu preme law in every transaction with the Poles, could ill brook an inftance, which fhewed that it was not equally omnipotent with other nations, and the lofs of a place which they confidered as their own. The matter had like to become ferious; and they ftill made a fhew of carrying on the fiege, though the Auftrians were now the defenders of the place. Whether it was, that the officers on either fide were not fully apprized of the defigns of their respective courts, and the nature of the connection between them, or that natural antipathy and contempt were fuperior to any bands that could unite thefe ill-paired allies, however it was, frequent bickerings paffed between them about this time: and it was as much as the two courts could do, to prevent their animofity from fhewing itself in a dangerous manner.

June 9th.

The Auftrians having feized the royal faltmines at Wielickza, Bochinia, and fome other places, which were a principal fource of the king's private revenue, and the Pruffians having cut him off from the remainder of it, which principally arofe from the duties in Royal Pruffia, the wretched monarch found himself in the hands of his pretended and officious friends, bereft of all the means of fubfiftence. The Auftrians did not yet, however, compel the crown officers and ma

giftracy

giftracy to perjury, by obliging them to take oaths contrary to their allegiance. At the falt-works, they proceeded no farther than to oblige the officers to fign an act, by which they engaged to fulfil the duties of their places, not to fend the falt elsewhere without order, to obey no orders but thofe given by the commander in chief, and to keep the money arifing from the works till they received farther inftructions.

Át length the time arrived, when the actors in this ftate farce, had attained confidence enough to throw by their marks, and to appear in their proper forms without any difguife. The King of Pruffia, who was lefs attentive to appearances, had for fome time made no fecret of his intention, and had dignified his acquifitions, as if they had been countries lately difcovered, by the title of New Pruffia. AmaSept. 18th. nifefto was delivered at Warfaw, by the Ruffian and Pruffian minifters, in the name of their refpective fovereigns, which was feconded a few days after 26th.

by the minifter from the Emprefs-queen, in which the three powers openly avowed their intentions. This declaration was foon after fucceeded by fpecifications from the different powers, of the countries which they had agreed refpectively to appropriate.

It would afford little ufe or entertainment, to enter into a long or particular difcuffion of thofe ftate formulas, which are publifhed in compliance with eftablished cuftoms, and to blindfold the vulgar, without its being intended that they fhould convey either truth or argument. The manifefto fets out with a detail of the laudable intentions and friendly offices of the Emprefs

of Ruffia, in all of which, fhe is faid, to have been either openly or tacitly feconded by the other two powers; general complaints are made, of loffes fuftained, and expences incurred, in confequence of the frequent troubles in Poland; the spirit of difcord which has feized the nation, is greatly lamented, and a moving defcription given of the miferies it has undergone, and of its prefent deplorable fituation, at the fame time, that the total diffolution of the ftate is foretold to be the confequence of the prefent anarchy and diforder, if not timely prevented. It is acknowledged, that this event would probably deftroy the harmony and friendship at prefent fubfifting between the three great powers, which puts them under a neceffity of taking a decifive part in fuch critical circumftances, and with one accord, to take fuch effectual measures, as would re-establish tranquillity and good order in Poland, and put the ancient conftitution of that kingdom, and the liberties of the people, on a fure and folid foundation.

Thus far, nothing can appear more generous or laudable, than the conduct and intentions of the great allied powers. We are however foon informed, that as Poland is to be fo highly benefited by the mu tual friendship and harmony which now fo happily fubfifts between them, it is alfo right, that they fhould derive fome advantage them. felves from this fortunate concord, while it lafts, the uncertainty of its continuance being moft emphati cally acknowledged. Thus circumftanced, as they have respectively very confiderable claims on the poffeffions of the Republic, they will

not