opponent of the French party, recommended an active support of the latter, in his present contest with the Louvestein party in the Dutch provinces. The duke of Brunswick also very deservedly enjoyed a considerable share of his majesty's confidence. His good sense and beneficence, as well as his military genius, entitled him to that distinction. But, being a prince of a less sanguine temper than either of the former, and not so ardently desirous of power, he stood aloof during the struggle, expecting the time when a sense of his merit, and an occasion for his services, would induce the king to place him at the head of his council.* The ascendency which Hertzberg acquired, and the determination that he gave his sovereign to the interests of Great Britain, had a material influence on the politics of Europe, and especially on the councils of France.—The late king, after the treaty of peace in 1763, being disgusted with the mea 66 ،، sures Mirabeau gives the following character of the duke of Brunswick in his Secret History of the Court of Berlin. "Certainly this prince would not be deemed an ordinary man, even among people distinguished by their merit. His countenance bespeaks profound thought and ingenuity 06 -a desire to please blended with firmness and even severity. He is polite, even to affectation; "he talks with precision, and even elegance; but it may be seen that he endeavours to do it, and "frequently he is in want of the word by which he would express himself. Praise, when " embellished with the graces, and delicately wrapped up, is agreeable to him. However able his "chief minister, M. de Feronee, may be, the duke has the superintendence of all affairs, and gene"rally decides for himself. His correspondence is immense, and is a department confined to his own personal regard; for he is not rich enough to pay so many correspondents, and few cabinets are so well-informed as his. His affairs in every branch are excellently conducted. When ❝he came to the sovereignty in 1780, he found his state burthened with a debt of near 40,000,000 ❝of livres; but he has administered his financial department so well, that, with a revenue of 100,000 louis d'ors and a sinking fund into which he has thrown the subsidies paid by England, "by the year 1790 he will have liquidated not only the debts of his government but those of the "states." This last fact is confirmed by monsieur Segur; who, after speaking of his merit as a general, gives us these traits of his character in other points of view." His genius and mildness "made him generally beloved; his subtle, but faithful policy, inspired confidence; his philosophy, "partaking of the ideas of the age, attracted the esteem of the learned; decent in his pleasures, "enlightened in his choice, beneficent without prodigality, economical without avarice; he had in 66 a few years, with a moderate revenue, extinguished forty millions of debt with which his country was loaded. His ties of kindness with the king of England did not blind his policy: like "prince Henry, he adhered to the system of attention to France; and, although ambition, which was his ruling passion, had twice induced him to command armies destined to fight against the "French, it is certain, that if Frederic William had suffered himself to be guided by him, the "affair of the stadtholderate would have terminated by negotiation; and Prussia would not have "undertaken a war against the French revolution, conducted without success, and concluded "without glory."-Mirabeau's Court of Berlin. 1. 19. and Segur's Frederic William. 1. 33, 66 1786 1786 sures of that ministry which had been formed in England under the auspices of lord Bute, before the close of the war, and persuaded that good policy required that he should, by every possible means; weaken the house of Austria, made it a grand object of his policy to loosen France from its attachment to the court of Vienna. And notwithstanding the weight which Marie Antoinette and the Austrian party had in the French council, yet he flattered himself with the hopes of effecting his purpose during the transactions between the emperor and the Dutch states. It was well known that de Vergennes, Lewis's confidential minister, was well disposed to the Prussian interests; and that the king himself was sensible of the danger which threatened all the neighbouring powers from the emperor's ambitious and enterprising disposition. Frederic preserved the ground which he had gained, by declining to take an active part in the affairs of Holland; contenting himself with interposing his kind offices in favour of the stadtholder. But the court of Versailles, on a discovery of the preponderance of Hertzberg's counsels, thought it politic to secure themselves in the emperor's amity; to court the empress of Russia's friendship; and to act more resolutely in support of the stadtholder's enemies. Whatever the sentiments of Frederic William's subjects might be on these matters of foreign policy, his first domestic measures were such as confirmed their prepossession in his favour.-His retaining in his service the ministers of a sovereign under whom they had enjoyed such unparalleled glory and prosperity, could not but be satisfactory to them: and the effect of his prudent conduct was increased by the declaration made by him in council," that his purpose was to preserve peace with his neighbours, to "restrain their ambition; to support the honour of the Prussian arms; never to engage in an unjust war; to exercise the strictest discipline among his troops; and at no time to make an arbitrary use of his authority that he wished to govern with justice, and would not give any of "his subjects occasion to complain of the slightest oppression."—His edict for liberty of conscience and freedom of worship to all who professed the catholic, reformed, and protestant faith, was, throughout, expressive of regard for religion, as well as of a liberal mind. And his edict relative to the liberty of the press was such an effort as might be expected from a des cr potic prince who affected popularity. It was more guarded than that published by the emperor: and whilst it made a specious shew of freedom, it restrained the privilege by the previous inspection of all works by certain colleges appointed for that purpose: in other words, it was the freedom of publishing what the court thought fit." Another measure by which his majesty recommended himself to the affections of his people was the tacit disapprobation that he expressed of his uncle's conduct, in the contempt shewn by him for the German language and literature and his decided predilection for those of France; which he not only did by introducing the French language at court, but by causing it to be used in all public offices, and by his patronage of French philosophers and poets. Frederic William, on the contrary, testified a marked preference for the vernacular tongue; "Germans we are," said he in council, "and "Germans I intend we shall continue;" and, in proof of his determination, gave orders that the German language should be restored to its proper rank, and patronised men of merit who wrote in it. The king, moreover, gave a proof of his judgment and regard for his people by the freedom granted by him to the commerce of grain, and to the sale of sugar; by the abolition of the administration of tobacco, which prohibited its culture; by suppressing the monopoly for supplying the army; and by freeing the people from the obligation of lodging the troops gratuitously.*—By such popular and judicious measures did this monarch afford his people and the world at large a pleasing anticipation of his future conduct. he 1786 DENMARK. THE prince royal, whom we have seen assuming the reins of government two years since, afforded the Danes sanguine hopes of happiness under his administration, not only by his attention to business of state, but by that taste for literature and knowledge in general which is the most infallible proof of a liberal and enlarged mind.—As a patriot, he directed his chief regard to the restoration of letters and the study of history, and antiquities h Segur. 1. 28. i Idem, 25. Ann. Reg. 166. in * Segur. 1. 27. 1786 1786 in his country. Feeling that his thoughts were called to nobler objects. than the amusements of a court by the station which he filled, he devoted a considerable part of his revenue as well as his time to these objects. He employed judicious antiquaries to examine the public archives and private depositories in Denmark and Norway, in order to explore whatever might elucidate these matters. And Iceland, the great repository of the ancient Runic learning, was also ransacked, to discover and redeem from oblivion. the remains of antiquity.-Such researches, if not of essential service to society, in themselves, are at least objects of a rational curiosity, and afford exercise to the understanding; and are, as such, deserving of royal patronage. In his political conduct the prince prudently avoided interfering in the disputes among the neighbouring states; and by a strict adherence to neutrality he enabled the Danes quietly to pursue their commercial interests, and gradually to restore themselves to that degree of prosperity which was compatible with their ill-constituted government. 1786 aa SWEDEN. THE Swedish monarch has been charged with vanity and an affectation of singularity; and his ambition may have had a mixture of these weaknesses. But his conduct in other respects bore evidences of a great mind. Sensible of the reproach attached to the inhuman practice of putting the question by torture, to extort a confession of guilt, he, at this time, abolished it in his dominions. His demeanour towards the states, assembled this year at Stockholm, † did not betray a disposition to abuse the power which he had usurped by a tyrannical exercise of it: nor did the states themselves, though deprived of a considerable part of their rights by the late revolution, discover any thing of that servility which marks the behaviour of nations inured to slavery. Although they refused their consent to several proposals made by his + In May. a Ann. Reg. 57. b Segur's Fred. William. 1. 16. aa Life of Pius. 2. 109. Segur. 1. 17. his majesty, yet he expressed no resentment: and the utmost harmony prevailed between them. It is pleasing to observe the natural genius of a once free people thus bidding defiance to human institutions, and, though in a latent state, yet ever ready to exert itself whenever a favourable opportunity is presented. 1786 RUSSIA. CATHARINE had been successful in extending her frontier: but every extension of it added to the difficulty of governing her vast empire.—Of all the nations, which she had subjected, or was desirous to subject, to her dominion, the Tartars inhabiting the countries bordering on the Euxine and the Caspian seas, and the hordes scattered through the dreary regions of Caucasus, were the least disposed to yield obedience to her. These nations were not equal to a contest with the imperial armies in a pitched battle, on account of the advantages which the Russians derived from discipline, from the use of artillery and fire-arms, and from skilful commanders. But they were naturally brave; passionately fond of freedom and attached to their peculiar habits; and though easily dispersed by a regular army, yet it was difficult to subdue them; because, when routed, they could elude the pursuit of a victorious enemy by flying to the mountains, or the trackless steeps, or deserts, known to themselves only.-The Cuban Tartars, who were now at war with the empress, had also the advantage of that ardour which religious enthusiasm inspires; their banners being blessed and upheld by the shiek Mansour, a prophet who had lately made his appearance in the East. a A desultory war had commenced in 1784: and a victory over the Tartars in that campaign had been dearly gained with the loss of a brave general; a prince of the house of Hesse Rhinfels, who fell in the action with them. -In the ensuing year, a hard-fought battle terminated in the capture of a Tartar khan, his two sons, and a nephew, who were brought prisoners to Petersburg: and great slaughter was, in consequence, made among the Tartars 1786 b Ann. Regist. 168. VOL. III. E a Idem. 145. |