revive at once in the minds of my people. All has fucceeded happily; and I have faved my parent country, and myfelf, without injury to one fingle fellow-citizen.

You are greatly mistaken, if you believe here has been any other aim, but liberty and law. I have promifed to govern a free people; this vow is more facred as it was voluntary; and what has happened fhall never lead me from a purpose, which was not founded merely on neceffity, but also on conviction. Far from affecting liberty, it is licentioufnefs I fhall deftroy: and, with it, that arbitrary fway with which this country has been ruled: transforming all into an orderly and fettled government; fuch as the ancient Swedish laws eftablifh; and fuch as Sweden before enjoyed under my greatest predeceffors.

This is the purpofe I have had in view, in all that now is doing: to establish a true liberty, which alone can render you, my dear fubjects, a happy people; by fecurity, under the law, and by the law, in all your poffeffions; by the exercife of all honeft profetiions; by an impartial diftribution of juftice; by regular order in cities, and throughout the country; by careful endeavours to promote the common good; by giving to every one the enjoyment of it, in peace and fafety; and, to crown all, by a true picty, free from hypocrity and fuperftition. All this can be obtained alone by establifhing for the government of the kingdom, a fixed, unalterable law, whofe very letter must not be perverted: which must bind not the king alone, but muft bind in the fame manner alfo

the states; and which must be incapable of being repealed or alter

ed otherwife than by the free confent of both; which fhall permit a fovereign, zealous for the profperity of his country, to confer with the states, without their looking on him as an object of terror: and which fhall finally unite together the king and the ftates, in one common intereft, the welfare of the kingdom.

Such a law, as binding to my felf as you, is that which I fhall now direct to be read before you.

You will perceive easily, by all I now have spoken, that, far from following any private views, all has been done for the fake of the country: and if I have been compelled to difplay before you truth, in its full light, I have done it, not in animosity, but only out of regard to your real welfare. I doubt not therefore you will receive all with thanks; and that we fhall together, by thefe means, lay a fubftantial and firm foundation for your true happiness and liberty.

Great kings, immortal in their fame, have fwayed the fceptre I now hold. It would be the highest prefumption in me to aim at å refemblance of them: yet in my zeal and love for you, I emulate them all; and if you wear the fame heart with me for our parent country, I hope the Swedish name will regain that honour and respect, which it acquired in the years of our anceffors.

The Almighty God, from whom nothing is hid, fees my heart, and all its fecret thoughts this moment. May he shower down his grace and bleffing on your determinations!

would, nor could feparate, before care had been taken of his majefty, and the kingdom, by that fupport, which the general economy in all its branches requires; his majefty has found neceffary, graciously to lay before the states of the realm, for their confideration, the following points, viz.

1. That the ftates agree, and fettle all concerning the public grants.

2. That, according to ancient precedents, and to the law of the kingdom, funeral and coronation expences are to be found and entered in the treafury, under their diftin&t denominations.

3. As his majefty cannot know the extent of these two articles, and how far the other appropriated fums will be fufficient for the wants of the kingdom in thefe times; his majefty graciously defires the states of the realm to appoint certain perfons among the three orders which regulate the bufinefs of the bank, according to the 47th article of the form of government; with whom his majefty may confer concerning the means, which in fuch a cafe might be procured, and which require fome fecrecy.

4. That the states of the realm, by the regulations they are taking about THEIR BANK, do put it in fuch order, that it may (the fooner the better) contribute towards reinftating money, and the courfe of circulation, into its proper channel.

The ftates of the realm will agree with his majefty, that the fituation of the kingdom requires, and the wifh of the whole kingdom is, that his dyet, which now has lafted

about fourteen months, with great expence to the country, may fpeedily be discontinued therefore, and as his majesty has much at heart, particularly during the prefent hard times, to afford relief to his loyal fubjects, in this regard; his majefty's gracious will is, that the states of the realm do take these points under fo fpeedy a deliberation, that his majesty, within a fortnight at most, may receive the humble opinion of the states concerning them; during which time the ftates will have also an opportunity of forming the (fo called) * Decifion of the dyet.

And concerning the firft point, relating to the fubfidies in general, as well as the coronation and funeral fupplies, the ftates of the realm, animated with the warmeft zeal and defire to fupport your Majefty and the country, to the utmost of their power, have moft humbly chofen fuch methods of railing them throughout the whole kingdom, as your Majesty will graciously perceive by the prefent exprefs; regulated upon the fame plan with the act of fubfidies of the year 1769, with fome very fmall alterations.

Refpecting further your Majefty's me gracious propofition concern ing the finances and pecuniary affairs of the kingdom, the states of

do likewife, with all fubmiffion, acquaint your Majefty, that they, on thefe important tranfactions, have continued in their confidence the fame perfons, to whom, from the beginning of the dyet, they have entrusted the affairs of the bank and the finances; and, for the reft, they wait your Majefty's farther gracious commands.

The ftates moft fubmiffively recommend themselves to your Majefty's royal grace and favour.

Speech of the King of Sweden to the States, at the clofing of the Dyet, Sep. 9, 1772.

go in the fecureft and at the fame time the most desirable way, when they prefume to refer this matter, of fo great a confequence to the kingdom, to your Majefty's fuperior judgment and gracious regulations, and flatter themfelves with the most humble and moft joyful hope, that your Majefty will be pleafed to look upon this, as well as on all their other faithful endeavours, with your royal grace and fatisfaction; to which end, in the name of the states, I now humbly deliver to your Majefty all the acts relating to thefe matters, with all that belongs to this object, with due fubmiffion.

And as your Majefty moft gracioufly has ordered, that a committee might be felected out of the ftates, which may have the favour humbly to deliberate with your Majefty during the prefent dyet, upon thofe matters which require fecrecy, when it fhall please your Majefty fo to command; therefore the states

affuredly will ftand recorded among the most important in our annals, I clofe it with a repeated and newfelt gratitude to the hand of the Moft High, who has defended, in fo eminent a manner, this our parent country, and diffipated those heavy clouds which threatened liberty, and my people, with the most extreme deftruction. This dyet began in mourning, and the tendereft diftrefs, bereaved of an affectionate king, and a moft beloved father; your deliberations were continued under the influence of difcord and party hatred; and it feemed as if the divine Providence would fuffer all the misfortunes felt by our forefathers now to arife to their extremeft height, that it might fhew its powerful hand, exerted in the change which now has happened, with more diftinguifhed ftrength and efficacy.

A revolution perfectly happy, conducted only by the Almighty Providence, has at once closed and

united thofe many breaches, which had, for more than a whole century, fhook the fabric of the kingdom, and by that union has made, of a divided nation, a free, a powerful, an unanimous, an independent people, zealous for their coun try's good, and careful of its proper interefts. In fuch a fiate is the kingdom now delivered up by you into my hands: liberty is confirmed, the laws are fixed, and concordis once more re-established among you.

It is eafy for you to conceive the tender fenfations with which I now behold you, affembled before the throne. The few days that have paffed fince this important change has been established, have given me the most abundant and the most affecting proofs of your love and your unbounded confidence in me: I have feen thofe virtues revive in your hearts, and thofe great qualities fhine forth in your actions, with which your ancestors honour ed their periods: virtues which all the while had lain concealed in your hearts, and which the conition of the times has now again

difclofed,

That vigour, that unalienable attachment to king and country, for whichthe Swedish nobility have for ages been diftinguished, has at this time thone forth again, and given me its effectual support.

In the order of clergy are revived fubmiffion to the decrees of the Mod High, and zeal for his hcnour; obedience to the government, and a tender love for concord and the public good. Cultivate thefe fentiments with the frictest care among your brethren.

The zeal and care of the house of Burghers for preferving the commerce, and the dignity of the king

dom have again difclofed themfelves, as foon as their real good, their well-being, and profperity, have been permitted to make ftronger impreffion upon them.

In the order of pealants, a rever rence for God and government has alfo appeared: as foon as they were left to themiclves, they confulted nothing but that love for their country, which has at all times been the character of the Swedish husbandmen.

I part with you to-day, therefore, with the moft joyful and the most grateful heart, fince you have, with me, revived the ancient Swedish liberty, fettled it on ground never to be thaken,and eftablished a form of government which promotes it; fince you, united with me by the ftrongest ties, may look forward to fucceeding happier ages. My care and my endeavours, I affure you, fhall be unlimited, in anfwer to your confidence; and while you, by an union among yourselves, by wife economy and moderation, fupport my endeavours for the ge neral good, the improvement of the kingdom will be fure, and my hope accomplished, that I may at the end of fix years, receive you here again, in peace and in tranquillity; a loyal, happy, and united, a free and independent, and a generous people.

I wish you now a happy return to your feveral provinces: and I remain to all, and every one, af fectionate, with all kingly grace and favour.