TH HISTORY. Hey write from CONSTANTINOPLE, of Dec. 3. that the caravan of pilgrims, returning from Mecca, to which place in Arabia almost all the Turks endeavour to go at least once in their lives, for the fake of vifiting Mahomet's tomb, had been attacked by a large body of Arabs, who deftroyed, it was faid, between 50 and 60,000 perfons; that this defperate and unprecedented proceeding was fuppofed to have taken its rife from the Arabs being difgufted on account of the removal to Aleppo of the Bafhaw of Damafcus, who was greatly esteemed by them as a generous able man, the Kizlar Aga having put in his room one of different principles, who deprived them of fome part of their dues which they receive from the pilgrims; that as the chief of the Black Eunuchs was the caufe of all that had happened by the change, which he effected merely to ferve his own interested views, the Grand Signior ordered his head to be fent for from Rhodes, whither he was lately banished, and to be expofed to public view in the capital; and that there were few families there, but what had loft fome friend or relation by the unfortunate incident.-Later advices bear, that the caravan was attacked by a numerous body of the Arabs, fome fay from 30 to 40,000; that the action lafted fixteen hours; that they firft cut off the Pafcha of Sidon, who marched out as ufual to supply the pilgrims with provifions; that the Emir Hadge, or commanding pafcha, offered them 1000 purfes of money to defift; but they refufed any terms, out of a mere principle of revenge, for their tribes being laid afide as conductors or guards to the caravan, and others fubftituted in their place; and it was thought that the removal of their favourite, Ezade Pafcha, from that post to Aleppo, had alfo fome fhare in it; that upon the fugitive foldiery who convoyed the caravan, re. turning to Damafcus, thofe in the town rofe up in arms against them, as traitors to their faith; and that a great flaughter enfued, and continued fome time: but, according to pofterior advi ces, all was quieted there. It is added, that the Pafcha of the caravan fled to Gaza, with about 15 or 16 of his people, and it is thought he will lofe his head. The value of the riches taken by the Arabs, or difperfed in the deferts, is faid to be immenfe, as the Turkish empire is fupplied from India with all forts of valuable merchandise, fpices, &c. by that caravan. A like accident happened in 1694, under Achmet II. Letters from PETERSBURG bear, that Count Efterhafi, the Imperial minifter there, has given the strongest affurances that the fubfidies promifed by the Emprefs-Queen fhall be punctually paid. As no lefs ftrong affurances have been given on the part of his Moft Christian Majefty, that he will steadily adhere to and faithfully perform his engagements, we are told that the court of Petersburg is refolved to perfift in the new fyftem, and with that view has fettled the difputes which so long fubfifted about the frontiers of Finland, to the entire fatiffaction of the Swedes, in order to induce them to carry on the war against his Pruffian Majesty. Advices from Warfaw, of January 7. bear, that Gen. Fermer, who then commanded the Ruffian army lately under M. Apraxin, had received pofitive orders to renew hoftilities against the territory of Pruffia, and that he had accordingly detached the light troops which were in the neighbourhood of Memel, and ordered them to advance towards Konigsberg. A letter from Dantzick, dated Jan. 18. fays, they had juft received advice, that the Ruffian army arrived the 10th before Konigsberg; that on its approach the garrifon in that city and at Pillau had withdrawn, after nailing up the cannon; and that the inhabitants of Pruffia fled on every fide. Another letter from the fame place, and of the fame date, published in the London gazette, is as follows. "The advices relating to the motions of the Ruffians are ftill uncertain; but the apprehenfion of their approach has made the inhabitants of Konigsberg begin to provide for the worst, by fending their most valuable effects effects to this city."- -Later accounts from Dantzick, of Jan. 25. & 27. fay, that on the 22d an advanced party of the Ruffian army entered Konigsberg, and that Gen. Fermer was expected every moment; that the few Pruffian troops that M. Lehwald left in Ducal Pruffia to guard the frontiers had marched towards Marienwerder, with artille ry, &c. in order to defend the passage of the Viftula against the invaders. It is added, that one corps of the Ruffians is to proceed by forced marches into Pomerania to the relief of the Swedes, while another corps is to crofs Poland, in order to make a diverfion in Silefia. Letters from STOCKHOLM advise, that Col. Campbell's negotiations at that court have not had the fuccefs which there was reason to expect; that the King of Pruffia's enemies are indefatigable in their endeavours to defeat all Mr Campbell's measures; and that the French ambaffador had affured the miniftry, that they would foon receive a confiderable remittance from his court. Other accounts bear, that though the Britifh envoy's errand may not have anfwered in every refpect, yet it is like to produce fome happy effects; that a great change at the court of Stockholm is fuppofed to be not very diftant; and that perhaps we shall foon fee Sweden unite its forces with those of his Pruffian Majefty. Mr Campbell fet out the 13th of December on his return for London. About the beginning of November, a memorial, in juftification of the condoct of the court towards the King of Pruffia, was fent to all the Swedish minifters at foreign courts. From this piece the following paragraphs are felected. "By the declarations that have been delivered to the diet of Ratifbon in the name of his Swedish Majefty, it is fufficiently proved, that he confented to the hoftilities already begun against the eftates and countries of the King of Pruffia, only in quality of guarantee of the peace of Weftphalia, and not at all with felf-interefted views. For feveral years past his Majefty has had but too many caufes to complain bit terly of the King of Pruffia. The grie vances he had to alledge againft him, would have authorised him to declare war against him, in order to obtain juft fatisfaction for the fame; but his Majesty intending that his conduct should in all points correfpond with his natural way of thinking, avoided blending his parti cular concerns with the interests of the empire. On these principles, he wanted, in the first place, to fee what steps the King of Pruffia would take, that he might take his measures in confequence. The execution of the guaranty of the peace of Weftphalia implying no hoftilities between Sweden and Pruffia, his Majefty did not prefume that the King of Pruffia would be guilty of proceedings, which, as they concerned Sweden directly, muft produce, betwixt the two courts, an abfolute enmity, instead of relative hoftilities, like thofe that naturally refult from engagements for guarantying the treaty of Weftphalia." The after part of this memorial charges the King of Pruffia, with ordering Count de Solms, his minifter at Stockholm, to depart fuddenly, without taking leave; and with menacing and fending away from Berlin, Oct. 2. in the evening, Baron Nolcken, the Swedish minifter, ordering three officers to conduct him to the frontiers. About the middle of December, a memorial, in anfwer to that published by the court of Sweden, to juftify their invafion of his Pruffian Majefty's dominions, was fent to all the Pruffian minifters at foreign courts. We infert the mott material paragraphs of it, viz. "If the court of Sweden's enterprise against a prince who had room to expect her friendship, has furprifed all Europe, they cannot be lefs furprifed at the reafons alledged by that court, to glofs over fo fingular a procedure. The memorial that has lately appeared on this occafion, is fuch, both in form and fubftance, that one fhould look upon it as a fpurious piece, had it not been disper fed by the Swedish minifters themselves. The frivolous pretext of the guaranty of the peace of Weftphalia, has been fo folemnly refuted in the declarations de livered livered by the King's prder to the diet of the empire, that one might have hoped it would never more be brought into play. One need but obferve the conduct of the Swedish court from the beginning of this war to the present hour, to be convinced, that fhe does not act as guarantee, but as an infringer of that peace. It was the King that had a right to claim the guaranty thereof. An unprecedented league formed against his dominions, and condemned by the peace of Weftphalia, ought to have fecured to him the affiftance of thofe who were charged to maintain that peace. He might, efpecially, have depended upon it from a Proteftant power, that was no way linked by treaties to the courts of Vienna and Saxony. The King did not delay to infift up. on these confiderations. So early as the month of November 1756, the court of Sweden was formally required by his Majefty to interpofe her good offices, and to grant him the affiftance he could juftly demand of her as guarantee of the peace of Weftphalia. His Swedish Majefty's anfwer was not, indeed, fuch as there was reafon to expect. He declined, under various pretexts, the calledfor fuccours. Nevertheless, it was coached in terms which made one hope for the ftrictest neutrality, and left not the leaft room to expect an open rupture between the two courts. The language of the Swedish miniftry was always conformable to this first declaration. They endeavoured to perfuade the Count de Solms of the conftant friendship of the court of Sweden for his Majefty; and more than once they pofitively affured him, that if the fituation of affairs did not permit that court to ftand up in favour of the King, he might at least depend upon it, that he would never fide with his enemies. The part fhe was feen to act foon after at the diet of the empire, feemed to belie the fincerity of thofe promifes. It was then, especially, that they made use of the moft plaufible arguments in appearance, to palliate their proceedings, and take off, as much as poffible, the o dium they were fufceptible of. They alledged decorum, which would not admit of their falling off from the French court. They availed themfelves of a majority (fo called) in the diet; but they intimated, at the fame time, that this was only a bare formality, which could not be of any confequence. The military arrangements that were begun foon after, gave more light into the real defigns of Sweden. The Count de Solms received orders to come to a friendly explication with the Swedish miniftry about them, and not conceal the fufpicions which thofe arrangements must neceffarily produce. The anfwer given him plainly fhewed the plan they had laid to furprife the King. They formally denied that any warlike preparations were intended: they pretended, that the regiments that were going to be tranfported to Stralfund, were but the fame which had formerly been part of the garrifon of that city: they even laid fome ftrefs on the fituation of the court of Sweden, and the reason that should hinder her from commencing a war, in order thereby to make Count Solms believe, that there was nothing to be feared from that crown: nay, they went fo far as to affure him, that she would not fend fo much as a fingle man against his Majefty. It feems they were for making ufe of the appearances of friendship, in order to lull the King into a falfe fecurity, and to ftrike more effectually the intended blow. However, the King was very far from entertaining a wrong notion with regard to the views of the Swedish court. He knew what he had to truft to, and was not ignorant of the projects formed there. He had intelligence of that fecret convention whereby Sweden was engaged to make a diverfion in favour of his Majefty's enemies, and by which the court of Vienna, not content with feizing herfelf upon the poffeffions of her neighbour, had promised Sweden the poffeffion of part of Pomerania. The King knew that it was the acquifition of this province, ceded by the moft folemn treaties, and fold for confiderable fums to the late King of Pruffia, which was the object of Sweden's ambition, and the true reafon of her enter prife, whilst the peace of Weftphalia was to be the pretext. The Swedish court never will be able to wipe off the reproach fixed upon her here. She has betrayed her own fentiments in this refpect. Scarce had the formed the defign to attack the King, than they publicly talked at Stockholm of the conquefts they were going to make; and as foon as the Swedish troops had fet foot on Pruffian ground, there appeared placards and declarations, in which they appropriated to themfelves, ia plain terms, Anterior Pomerania, by the law of arms. They releafed the fub. jects from the oath of allegiance they had taken to their fovereign: they excited them to rebellion and fedition. The officers who commanded thofe troops, took care to diftinguish the provinces whofe poffeffion had been ftipulated for Sweden, from thofe which they meant to leave in the King's hands: they did not diffemble, that the former fhould be fpared, and the latter treated as enemies; which was accordingly done, by exact ing from these exceffive quantities of provifions and forage, and the most exorbi tant contributions. Compare this conduct with that of a guarantee of the peace of Weftphalia, and you will perceive at the first glance, whether Sweden can lawfully affume fo fair a title. On this head the King is willing to abide by the judgment of the fenfible part of mankind. If the Swedifh court intended to fulfil the obligations imposed on her by that guaranty, or had the even thought this was the time to avail herfelf of it against the King, her good offices ought at leaft to have preceded hoftilities. She ought to have laboured to appeafe the troubles of the prefent war by her mediation, and employed therein the time fixed by the laws of the empire. Far from feeking impofe upon the King's friendship by affembled fpeeches, the ought to have given him friendly notice of the neceffity he was under to fulfil her engagements, ad not recurred to the latt extremities 1 the King fhould have rejected all conVOL. XX. ciliatory methods. In a word, the ought to have obferved all the gradations which the treaty of Weftphalia prescribes in exprefs terms for thefe cafes. It appears, that the inconfiftency of this conduct is understood even in Sweden. It can only be by way of falvo for the flagrant contradictorinefs thereof, that the author of the Swedish memorial has recourfe to the distinction between a direct war and a relative war; a distinction as obfcure as new, and never yet known in the law of nations; and now invented only to give a fort of colour to the moft unjust pretenfions. The King is entirely ignorant of the grievances complained of in the Swedish memorial, and which it has not been thought proper to specify; nor can his Majefty recollect, that he ever gave occafion to any which could adminifter the leaft reafon for a rupture between the two courts. He has done, on his part, every thing in his power to gain the friendfhip of the court of Sweden. He ftrove to ftrengthen the bands thereof, by a defenfive treaty, innocent in itself, but very advantageous to the court of Sweden, and of which that crown has reaped the fruits more than once. He never chofe to concern himself in the domeftic affairs of the kingdom; and although he might have been authorifed to do fo, by the examples of other powers, and by the moit aggravating circumftances; yet he ever thought himself bound to obferve the refpect due to a free and independent kingdom. And it depended on Sweden alone to fecure to herself a friend, whofe fentiments were fo much the lefs to be fufpected, as they were founded upon a conformity of interefts, and cemented by the ties of blood." Then, after retorting the charge of indecorum with refpect to the minifters, the memorial concludes thus. "It is therefore in vain that the court of Sweden ftrives to juftify a conduct, which will be approved by none but them to whofe defigns it is fubfervient. The fending back Baron de Nolcken, and the departure of the Count de Solms, are as flender a juftification of her continuing the war, as the guaranty of the peace F of 34 Auftrian account of the battle of Lila. of Weftphalia was of her beginning it. At COPENHAGEN two men of war The effufion of blood was, indeed, very great: but, I believe, the refult will prove more to the advantage of the Imperial than the Pruffian army; by reafon that the lofs was near equal; and that if there was a difference with regard to the number of the flain and wounded, it feems to me, that it was in favour of the Im Vol. xx They perialifts. The Pruffians will not gain an inch of ground by this event. will be obliged to fight anew, which will only in the end weaken them, or they muft feek out for winter-quarters. Breflau and Lignitz are provided with ftrong garrifons, and with provifions and ammunition in abundance. The Imperial army, by its pofition near Schweidnitz, covers that place, fecures the communication with Bohemia, and fo keeps in awe the Pruffian army, that it cannot execute any thing against thefe two places, otherwife than by citing them to furrender: for to effect any thing real, there would be a neceffity of investing and befieging them in form. This is what the King of Pruffia is not likely to attempt, near an army, which, whatever reinforcements this prince may receive, will alfo be reinforced on its fide, and will always be fuperior in number to But now I will him; and I dare fay, will not fail to equal him in courage. lay before you a clear and diftin&t idea of the action of the 5th. It is expedient previously to obferve, that it were to be wifhed, that, after the taking of Breflau, the Imperial army had been in a condition to purfue the broken remains of the Prince of Bevern's army, to beat or difperfe them, and at the fame time to march against the King of Prufia, who came to cover a retreat. But the neceffary celerity in fuch a cafe was not practicable. The Imperial army had fuffered much in the action of Nov. zz. The infantry wanted fhoes and flockings, which they were under a neceffity of being furnished with, before they could fet out on their march; the cavalry, extremely fatigued, had occafion for reft to recruit their fpirits, and it was not till the 4th of this month that they were in a condition to march against the enemy. This interval of time, which the King of Prufüa gained, a time always precious in war, facilitated the affembling of the troops difperfed by the action of Nov. 22. together with the arrival of the numerous garrifon at Glogaw, and a part of the heavy artillery of that place, as alfo, a confiderable detachment, as it is prended, from Marfhal Lehwald's ar my |