To what cause then is the abolition of flavery owing? Nothing is more certain, M. Laget tells us, than that this happy change in the condition of mankind is entirely owing to the gofpel of Chrift, and that the ineftimable bleffing is enjoyed only by those who have received the gofpel. Thofe nations which have not yet received it, are ftill funk in all the horrors of flavery. If it be asked, by what means was this aftonishing revolution brought about, as there is no exprefs law in the gospel for reftoring liberty to flaves? It is the glory of the gofpel, our Author answers, that it did not produce this mighty change at once, but prepared the way for it by a wife and gracious inftitution, and brought it about as it were by infenfible degrees. It was neceffary, at firft, to conceal this mystery of love and charity from flaves, and to act upon and influence the minds of mafters; it was from the mafters themfelves this mighty bleffing was to be obtained. Had the founders of the church offered liberty to flaves, their mafters, deprived of so valuable a part of their property, would have exclaimed against it as a flagrant piece of injuftice; the flaves would have committed the moft enormous crimes; it would have been a fignal for a general revolt; the earth would have been overwhelmed with the blood of its own inhabitants; and the gofpel of peace would have been difhonoured by adopting the cruel maxims, and employing the weapons, of the vileft ufurpers. This is part of what our Author has advanced upon a very important fubject, but we must refer our Readers to the fermon itfelf, and to the hiftorical notes annexed to it. In the fifth fermon, M. Laget fhews the advantages of religious worship, and the inftitution of an order of men, whose bufinefs it is to fpread and preferve the knowledge of evangelical truths. ART. VII. Journal de Pierre le Grand depuis l'annie 1698, jufque à la Conclufion de la Paix de Neustadt.-Journal of Peter the Great, from the Year 1698, to the conclufion of the Peace of Neufladt. Tranflated from the Ruffian Original, printed from the Manufcripts corrected by the Hand of his Imperial Majesty, &c. 4to. Pag. 501. Berlin. TH HE brilliant atchievements of Peter the Great, having excited general. curiofity, naturally became the fubject of feveral hiftories, written at different periods, and in different languages but all of them, without excepting that of M. de Voltaire, have been very defective through the prejudices or mistakes of their refpective Authors, and their want of fuffcient information. To remedy thefe defects, her majefty, the prefent Emprefs, commiffioned Pr. Michel Schtfcherbatow, Editor Editor of the work before us, to vifit the archives in the cabinet of Peter the Great; where he found the prefent journal, written by order of that prince, and in many places corrected with his own hand. A final revifion of the work was indeed prevented by his Majefty's death; but the Emprefs Catharine, his confort, appears to have directed an impreffion of it; which was unfortunately neglected, notwithstanding a title-page had been prepared for the purpose: an edition of it has however been fince printed in the Ruffian language, at the expence of her Majefty the reigning Emprefs; and a copy of the work having been carried from Petersburgh to Berlin by Prince Henry of Pruffia, the celebrated Formey, at his defire, engaged M. Simon de Schtschepotieff, a young Ruffian officer then refiding at Berlin, to undertake the prefent verfion. Mr. de Formey himself has carefully revifed the tranflation, and fuited it to the nature of the subject. The Journal begins with an account of the motives which determined his Majesty to return from abroad into Russia, and proceeds to a relation of the caufe, commencement, and progrefs of the Swedish war, until its termination by the peace of Neuftadt. It is befides occafionally interfperfed with accounts. of fome of the legislative and executive acts of government, and of several domeftic occurrences in that interval. But in truth almost the whole work confifts of minute local defcriptions of the different movements of the Ruffian forces; their various fieges, battles, and other operations; the returns of the numbers and ranks of those who were killed, wounded or made prisoners, and of the quantities of arms, ammunition, and stores taken, on different occafions. The narration is generally cold, tedious, and uninterefting; animated by few obfervations, fentiments, or reflections, that can poffibly delight or extend the imagination, excite the curiofity, or inform the judgment of a reader. But notwithstanding thefe defects, the Journal collectively, must be esteemed a valuable depofitary of facts, to which future hiftorians will doubtless recur with confiderable advantage. We fhall felect a few particulars for the entertainment of our Readers. In the course of this year (1699) the prefs was placed on a better footing, and they began to tranflate and print different productions, treating of science, artillery, mechanics, and other arts; as well as books of hiftory, and almanacs. A marine academy was opened; and thofe for other sciences and arts began to be gradually introduced. The number of schools for the Latin tongue was increased, and fome for the German, and other languages, were founded. At the fame time the Czar gave permiffion to his fubjects to leave their country, in order to learn the fciences among foreigners; which had been before forbidden under pain of death and he not only gave them permiffion, but compelled them to do it. The Czar judged it expedient, likewife, that the ancient Ruffian habit, which refembled the Polifh drefs, fhould be laid afide; commanding his fubjects to cloath themselves after the fafhion of other Europeans †, and to fhave their beards. When the year 1699 had elapfed, he commanded the feaft of the new year to be celebrated on the first of January, and the cuftom of beginning the year on the hrft of September was abolished. The following account is given of the tranfaction which obtained for Peter the title of Emperor, and which allo occafioned an act of the British parliament for protecting ambaffadors and their fervants from arrefts, * At that time (1710) Mr. Whitworth envoy extraordinary from the Queen of England to the Ruffian court, received the title of ambaffador extraordinary, and on the 5th of January he had a public audience, at which, by order of the Queen his miftrefs, he employed the title of Emperor, in fpeaking to his Majefty; and in the letter which the ambaffador delivered from the Queen, the fame title was found, inftead of the ancient one of Czar. The cause of this embaffy was to excuse the affront which had been offered to the Ruffian ambaffador, M. Matheow, in England, as having been occafioned by a popular commotion in favour of a merchant. The fact is as follows. When, in 1708, this ambaffador was directed by his court to quit London, and proceed to Holland, he gave notice to his creditors to make their feveral demands, which he immediately dif charged; excepting a certain intricate and exorbitant account of goods which were charged feveral hundred pounds fterling above their worth; this he referred to fome of his people, directing them to examine the goods, and estimate their true value. The merchant, however, not confidering M. Matheow as an ambaffador, but treating him as a private gentleman, and without waiting for the refult of the examination, or the confequent anfwer, caufed him to be arrested in his coach, in the midft of the city, and carried to prifon. Some hours after, when the foreign minifters were informed of this tranfaction, they made complaints to the court, treating this attack as a cominon outrage, in which they were all concerned. The am + Particularly the English; as we are told by all the hiftorians. Afterward Lord Whitworth. See his Account of Ruffia, Review, vol. xix. p. 439. baffador baffador was confequently foon released, and complained highly of this, treatment to the Queen; but without waiting for her answer, or even for an audience of leave, he fet out for Holland, agreeable to his former inftructions.' Befide the apologies made by the Queen, in the letter written by her Majefty, the ambafador auded others in the speech which he made in prefence of all the foreign minifters, and of a very numerous audience; declaring at the fame time. that he made thefe excufes by her majetty's command, and that they ought to be confidered as if pronounced by berfelf. After this audience, the English ambassador had feveral conferences with the Ruffian minifiers, at which the difference in queftion was terminated to the fatisfaction of both parties; and inftead of the difcord which had nearly arifen between the two courts, the ancient friendship and harmony were fully re eftablished. It is fcarce neceffary to obferve that feveral particulars relating to this tranfaction which have been mentioned by English writers, are not confirmed in the preceding account, but that it very nearly agrees with Mr. Whitworth's narrative, which may be feen in the volume of our Review above referred to, or in the ambassador's book, at large. The journal contains a very particular relation of the memorable engagement at the river Pruth, with its confequences; of which we shall give the following extract: At length (June 1711) a council of war was held to determine the operations of the campaign, and the means of obtaining provifions; for in a country ruined like 'alachia, fcarce any thing could be had. For this reafon it was determined to keep the troops near Jaff, and to establish magazines. Nevertheless being informed that the Turks had not yet all palled the Danube, the Hojpodar and chief of Wallachia intreated his Majefty to stop the enemy at that River; reprefenting at the fame time, that on the other fide of the river of Ciret there were large magazines, which the Turks had amafied in the country of Multianck, in the villages near Brailow, without having provided for their defence. This was confirmed by Caftriot, enyoy of the Hofpodar of Multianck, and by count Thomas Cantacuzene. Notwithstanding the hazard of following this advice, his Majefty, unwilling to difcourage thefe chriftians, who had implored his aid, confented to this dangerous enterprize; hoping thereby to obtain provifions; and, after teveral confultations, he convinced himself of the practicability of preventing the enemy from paffing the Danube: in confequence of which it was refolved to march all the troops to the right of the Pruth, kee ing the river always between ourfelves and the Turks, unt Nn 3 should come to a place called Faltzi; the enemy being unable to pass from the other fide, on account of the great marfhes lying below that place. From thence it was intended that General Renn, with half the cavalry, fhould pafs through the woods, and approach the river Ciret, to feize the magazines before mentioned; and after rejoining the main army near Galatia, and establishing a magazine, to march towards the enemy. According to this plan, our march was continued until the 7th of July in the evening, when advice was unexpectedly brought from General Janus, who with the cavalry had preceded the infantry feveral miles, importing that the enemy had already paffed the Pruth; in confequence of which he was ordered to retreat toward the infantry. We afterwards found this intelligence to have been falfe, for the Turks at that time had not paffed the river, but were ftill on the oppofite fide; and Janus, had he done his duty, might have prevented their paffage. Nevertheless he retired towards the infantry, and thereby encouraged the Turks; who after paffing the Pruth, purfued him with their light troops and felect cavalry: but when his Majefty in perfon advanced with a party of infantry to meet General Janus, the Turks retreated, and thereby afforded him an opportunity of joining the reft of the forces without any lofs. Thus the enemy prevented our design of feizing Faltzi, and paffed the Pruth with all their forces; thereby cutting off all communication between the main body and the detachment under General Renn; in confequence of which his Majefty refolved to march directly towards Ciret; but on account of the high intervening mountains, and the want of water, this defign could not be executed. Befides, all the horfes in the army were greatly weakened through the want of forage, as all the grafs of the fields had been deftroyed, even to the roots, by grafshoppers. The divifions of the generals Weid and Repnin were ftill in the rear; for which reafon it I was determined, at a council of war, to retreat until all the forces fhould have rejoined each other in a place proper to engage the enemy. The fame evening, firft the baggage, and then the different regiments were put in motion, and reached the divifions of the Generals Weid and Repnin before morning. The 9th in the morning, the Turks fell upon our rear guard with their cavalry and infantry: this guard confifted only of the regiment of Préobragenfki, which in retreating, sustained an attack of near five hours, and preferved themselves from being cut off from the main army. Afterwards all the forces began their march, and the Turks, always increafing in number, continued their purfuit. The fame day, at noon, on account of the exceffive heat and fatigue which the troops fuffered, and particularly the regiment of |