BOOK speedy and melancholy termination of this unequal contest. 179+. A Prussian army, under general Elsner, marched to the attack of Cracow, which surrendered at discretion on the 15th of June. Nearly at the same time his Prussian majesty advanced towards the city of Warsaw, defended by Kosciusko in person with such skill and courage that the Prussians were compelled, after a blockade and siege of two months, to retreat with loss and disgrace to the frontiers of Silesia. The Russians, in the mean time, were gradually making progress on the side of Lithuania; and on the 18th of September, in a general engagement near Brzesc, defeated the insurgents, whom they obliged to retreat across the Bug. The invaders, now under the command of general Suwaroff, the bloody and barbarous conqueror of Ismail, marched forwards in full confidence of victory to Warsaw, designing in their way to form a junction with the detached corps of general Ferfen. With a view to prevent this project, Kosciusko, at the head of his brave Poles, on the 10th of October attacked Ferfen with undaunted intrepidity. The courage displayed by the Russians was not inferior, and they had the advantages of superior numbers and discipline. After a conflict of five hours the Poles were totally overpowered; and Kos XX. ciusko himself, having received a dangerous BOOK wound, was obliged to surrender. The fate of Poland was instantly decided. The generals 179* Ferfen and Suwaroff, on effecting their proposed junction, proceeded to Warsaw, defended by Madalinski and other brave officers-a formidable line of batteries being opposed to the enemy. But the ferocious Suwaroff was not to be intimidated by any obstacles, and he immediately ordered his soldiers to mount to the assault in the same manner as at Ismail, using only the sabre and bayonet. After a severe contest of eight hours all resistance on the part of the Poles ceased, and the fight was converted into a massacre. But the most remark. able circumstance in the conduct of this horrid business is, that nearly ten hours after the Russians, apparently satiated with blood and slaughter, had rested upon their arms, the carnage and pillage of this devoted city commenced anew. The beautiful suburb of Praga was set on fire, and vast numbers not only of men, but of women and children, perished in the flames or by the sword. One of the remaining chiefs of the insurrection, count Potocki, was now deputed to general Suwaroff, to implore the mercy of that relentless barbarian, who received his application with extreme haughtiness, observing that a treaty was unnecessary that the empress was BOOK not at war with the republic-and that his comXX. mission was merely to reduce the rebellious 1794. subjects of Poland to obedience. He, how ever, deigned at length to grant to the prayer of Potocki the lives and properties of the wretched remainder of the inhabitants. But even in this extreme exigency some high-minded patriots refused to take any part in this capitulation; among these was general Wawrzecki, governor of the city, whom Suwarrow nevertheless received with unexpected marks of civility, ordering his sword to be returned to him; but the haughty Pole would not accept the proffered boon, saying "That his sword was become useless, since he had no longer a country to defend." On the 9th of November, the Russian commander made his triumphal entry into Warsaw, traversing that dreadful scene of desolation and destruction in profound and terrific silence. Having made a solitude, he called it peace. That the impiety of this transaction might keep pace with the barbarity of it, a solemn Te Deum was celebrated on the 1st of December, for the success of the imperial arms of Russia, and the offerings of guilt were presented on altars polluted by profaneness, and red with human gore. The Polish chiefs, Kosciusko, Potocki, &c. were sent, under a strong military escort, to Peters Final parti tion of Po. land. burgh, and thrown into dungeons; and the un- BOOK happy monarch himself was ordered to repair first to Grodno, and then to Petersburgh; where 1794. he soon ended his days, without exciting, after the high hopes on very slender grounds, conceived of him in the commencement of his reign, the slightest emotion either of esteem or regret A third and final partition of the unfortunate kingdom of Poland after a short interval took place, conformably to a new convention (signed) at Petersburgh, October 24, 1795), between the crowns of Russia and Prussia, to which Austria acceded; and the very name of Poland was from this time blotted out from the map of Europe †. Such were the exploits performed on the eastern side of Christendom by the high and very dear allies of England, jointly engaged with her in a confederacy which had for its professed * Stanislaus Poniatowski, late king of Poland and grand-duke of Lithuania, died at Petersburgh, February 12, 1798. + According to the terms of this convention, which were such as might have authorised the Prussian monarch to assume the title of king of Poland, the new allotment to Prussia extended along the Niemen, Grodno on the right bank remaining with Russia, to Niemirow on the Bug, to Sierek at the confluence of the Narew, thence to Swidig, then following the left bank of the Vistula to the mouth of the Plica, to Czanowice, and then drawing a straight line to the Vistula close to Cracovia. XX. BOOK object the restoration of religion, of social order and regular government-exploits which infi1794. nitely exceeded in atrocity and barbarity any Political occurrences in crimes which, surrounded as she was with enemies, and irritated by every species of provocation, had been in the very crisis of her revolution perpetrated by the atheists and anarchists of France. The crowns of Sweden and Denmark still persevered in their wise determination of observing a perfect impartiality during the present war; and in the course of this year (March 27, 1794) à convention was concluded between them, by which they agreed to protect the freedom of commerce in the Baltic on the principles of the armed neutrality of 1780, equipping jointly a fleet of sixteen ships of the line, in equal proportions, for that service; and by the tenth article the Baltic is declared to be a neutral sea, absolutely and altogether inaccessible to the armed ships of the different and distant powers at war. The prudence and circumspection of the America. American government could not prevent those remote states from being involved in the troubles which so violently agitated the European kingdoms. General Washington, president of the Union, in his speech to both houses of congress, December 3, 1793, urged upon them the neces |