upon the decafe of its parents, be entitled to one half, and no more, of their effects and poffeffions; and the other moiety is to be divided equally among the reft of the chil

dren, whether male or female; but if there be but two children, then the estate and effects of the deceafed are to be equally fhared.

Thefe numerous regulations and establishments have not diverted his attention from commerce; a fubject which mankind at length begin to understand, and which feems now to occupy the thoughts of almost every civilized nation. Upon this principle he has declared Gluck tat, a ftrong town fituated near the mouth of the river Elbe, a free port, and has abolished all duties on veffels that may país the winter there, as well as on merchandize, whether brought to the place, or only paffing through. How much more liberal as well as politic are thefe fentiments than thofe of his ancestor, who attempted to make all fhips that paffed up or down the river, to pay a toll!

In respect to foreign affairs, the court of Copenhagen feems intimately connected with that of Peterburg. In confequence of this connection, upon fome extraordinary appearances in Sweden, and the apparent prevalence of the French party there, the king fitted out early in the feafon, a fquadron of eight men of war of the line, and two frigates. This fleet continued armed and ready for fervice the whole fummer, and probably had a great effect upon the meafures purfued in that country.

The extraordinary affembly of the ftates in Sweden, was not attended with the confequences,

which it is probably the oppofite parties feared or hoped. No change has been made in the form of government, nor has the king's power been enlarged. He is however. emancipated out of the hands of al. arbitrary senate, who were determined to thwart him in every. inftance, and whofe infolence he experienced upon every occafion. The French intereft, which had a principal fare in calling the diet, has fully fucceeded in establishing its own influence, which now predominates, and will probably continue to do fo, in the councils of that kingdom.

Great heats arofe between the king and the fenate, about the place to be appointed for the affembling of the ftates. The king wifhed and propofed Stockholm; but the fenate appointed Norkioping for the place of meeting. It is true that this place had been appointed, at the breaking up of the laft diet, for their next meeting; but this agreement was not at all binding on the king and fenate, who might appoint any other place that was more convenient. The king fhewed the great inconveniences that would attend meeting at this town, which is above ninety miles from Stockholm. That the fenate, who are obliged by their duty to fit in Stockholm, are obliged by the fame duty to compofe a part of the diet, and that to fulfil both at once, would be to effect an impoffibility. Nothing could however conquer the obftinacy of the senate, who feemed mechanically to oppofe the king in every thing. Without perhaps confidering, that feasonable and rational conceffion, would better anfwer the purpofes

of

of the Ruffian and English intereft, which they had been fuppofed to efpoufe; and would give fewer, and lefs plaufible pretences to their enemies. They, however, abfolutely refufed a compliance with the king's request, and contended, that the fenate fhould be divided, one part of it to remain in Stockholm, and the other to attend the diet.

The king upon this delivered a declaration to the fenate, which he got printed and published; in which he fhewed that this propofed divifion of it, was not only contrary to the fundamental laws of the kingdom, but in itself impoffible; that the fenate ought to have the king at the head of it: that he could not be at two places at the fame time: and, therefore, that part of the fenate, where he did not prefide, could not be authorized to tranfact any bufinefs of the state. He farther declared, that he could not but confider this ftep as an alteration of the conftitution of the state; as an infringement of the royal prerogative; and as an ufurped authority, which never was, nor never could be acknowledged, while the regal power, and that of the ftates, remained entire.

confidence of the ftates, and condemned to pay the extraordinary expences that attended their meeting at Norkioping. The principal charges against them were, their oppofing the convocation of the lates; their making Norkioping the place of meeting in fpite of the king; and a declaration they had made to the different colleges, in the preceding December, that the kingdom might be governed by the fenate without the king, and their afterwards upholding the fame principle in feparating the fenate.

May 6.

In the mean time, fome motions that were made in the difpofition of the troops, and fome measures that were taken for completing the regiments, having alarmed the neighbouring powers of Ruffia and Denmark, the king caused a declaration to be delivered to all the foreign minifters, in which he totally difclaimed the fmalleft intention of disturbing the public tranquillity. He declares that the interior affairs of the kingdom were the fole motive for convoking the states; and that from the harmony that prevailed in their deliberations, he did not doubt but all their refolutions would concur with his own patriotic views. He concludes by declaring, that if any thing fhould happen to disturb the tranquillity of the north, he never would have any occafion to proach himfelf with having been in the leaft the cause of it.

re

fyftem of government. These were debated a long time with great heat and violence; at length the queftion was put," Whether it be proper to make any innovations in the conftitution of the kingdom?" which was carried in the negative in the order of the nobles, as it had been before in thofe of the burghers and peafants. A refolution then paffed, "That no propofitions fhall be made any "more in this diet, tending to alterations or amendments of the fundamental laws." The court however thewed great ftrength upon this occafion; the majority against their intereft in the order of nobles, upon the first queftion, being only twenty-fix; the whole numbers were, 457 to 431.

Though the diet continued fitting the remainder of the year, nothing very material was done. The fecret committee renewed the treaty of fubfidy with France; and that power is to pay up the arrears of the old one, which are very confiderable. An augmentation of the troops has fince taken place; but it is certain that Sweden is in no condition to enter into a war with Ruffia. The former gave up the fword, when it gave up Livonia. That province was the granary that fed its people; it fill does fo by permiffion of the Ruffians in fuch a fituation, a war must be carried on against difficulties, that neither bravery nor fkill can furmount. Such an event would however at prefent be very troublefome to Ruffia,

:

The friendly part which England has taken, (not without fome confiderable rifque to the fecurity of her own commerce) in receiving and affifting the Ruffian fleet, both

at home and in the Mediterranean. does honour to her faith as an Aly. It is certain that Ruffia is the only power that can at prefent balance the proteftant fcale, against the preponderating weight of the two great houfes of Bourbon and Auftria; to which may now be added Sweden, and poffibly Portugal. The maritime powers in particular act right, in cultivating and cementing the clofeft union with Ruffia.

With regard to Holland, her affairs are now in fo happy a fituation, as to call but for a very flight account. The Prince Stadtholder, not only enjoys the love of the people in a very high degree, but feems equally poffeft of the

confidence of the ftates. Whether it is to be attributed to the happy genius of the houfe of Orange, or to whatever other caufe, it is certain that public affairs are conducted with new order and vigour in the united provinces. An augmentation has been made in their troops, and difpofitions have for fome time been making, towards putting their marine upon a refpectable footing.

France has fucceeded in its defign upon Corfica; that island now makes a part of its domain. All Europe were filent witneffes to a direct breach of a treaty to which the principal powers in it were parties; and to the ruin of a brave people, because they did not think themselves the property of their invaders. Happily for mankind, neiter the fate of the finances of France, nor the weight of its national credit, are at prefent encouraging to an immediate attempt of the fame nature, upon any other of its neighbours. The late fuc

cefs

cefs is however flattering; the fame fupineness may happen to prevail in fome other instance.

The bankruptcy and total fufpenfion of the French East India company, is a striking proof how far that country is from having recovered the violent fhocks which it received in the late war. The fatal ftroke given to national faith, credit and honour, by the late violent measure of ftopping the payment of the intereft arifing on the public funds, and taking away the benefit of furvivorship in the tontines, will be feverely felt in any future one. Upon the whole, war does not feem, at prefent, to be at all a defirable object to France. Notwithstanding thefe appearances, France is now faid to be arming in feveral of her ports, particularly thofe in the MediterIt is certain that the naval expedition of the Ruffians, is far from being to the liking either of this court or that of Madrid, and the armaments they are making feem to befpeak an oppofition to it. If this fhould be the cafe, England can fcarcely avoid becoming a party, and the greater part of Europe will probably be engaged in the conteft.

ranean.

augmented in fuch a manner, that it is now faid to be impregnable. The Spaniards are also making a formidable fettlement at the mouth of the Mifilippi, where they have again taken poffeffion of new Orleans under the command of general O Riely, who landed there with a very confiderable body of forces, and after having executed feveral of the principal inhabitants without any form of trial, fent others of them to France in chains, where they were diftributed among the ftate prifons.

Portugal continues in the fame ftate of weakness and diforder, which has particularly marked its government for a great part of this century. Whether the taking of Mazagan, the last place which they held on the coaft of Morocco, be a real lofs to Portugal, otherwise than as fome diminution of mili tary honour, is very problematical; it has however brought on a peace with Morocco, which must be ufeful, though perhaps humiliating.

The fpirit of the politics of Portugal has been, for fome time paft, to diminish ecclefiaftical power, riches, and influence; neceffary preliminaries to any great improvement of that country; but which have not hitherto been accompanied with other regulations equally prudent. The measures taken in Portugal, on this and all other occafions, are fuch, as rather difguft by their harfhnefs, often by their cruelty and injuftice, than they ferve the public by the goodness of the principles.

The late attempt iaid to have been made upon the life of the king, is told in fo ftrange a manner, and every thing relative to it

is

is hid in fuch darkness, that fome are induced to doubt even of the fact; certainly no opinion can be formed of its nature. It may perhaps be an effect of the general diffatisfaction with the prefent adminiftration, which has fo long prevailed among the people.

The prefent emperor of Morocco feems to poffefs a degree of ability, much fuperior to what has appeared of late years among the monarchs of that empire. The conduct and difcipline obferved by his army at the fiege of Mazagan, was new and unheard of among the Moors of the prefent times. The faith with which he religioufly observed the terms of capitulation, was the more remarkable, as the conduct of the Portuguese governor upon that occafion, might have been thought, by a lefs barbarous prince, a fufficient cause for acting otherwife.

This prince, who is ambitious and enterprifing, feems very defirous to establish a confiderable maritime force. The treaties of peace which he has concluded with Spain and Portugal, fhew that in this defign, he is influenced by confiderations fuperior to the fordid track of piracy purfued by his predeceffors. The Grand Signior having made a requifition to him, as well as to the piratical ftates of Barbary, for their affiftance against the naval armament of the Ruffians, this prince has promifed to fend 20 fhips upon that fervice; and the piratical states have agreed to fend five fhips each. He has alfo forbid his fubjects from fupplying the Ruffians with provifions or neceffaries of any kind.

As thofe humane and generous

actions which do honour to human nature, fhould neither be overlooked or forgot, we cannot refrain from giving our readers the following letter, which was wrote by this prince to the grand master of Malta, in which his own words do him more honour, than any account we could pretend to give of the tranfaction.

"In the name of God, the fole Almighty, to the prince of Malta, grand mafter of the religion of St. John, and to all his council, the emperor of Morocco, Fez, Mequinez, &c. wishes health and profperity. In compaffion of feveral Tufcan flaves, who have been long in my poffeffion, and have never yet been demanded of me, I fend them all to be prefented to you by my fecretary Abladi Salciti: by this means procuring myfelf at once the double fatisfaction of making you a prefent, and of reftoring liberty to thofe unfortu nate people. If you had no captives of ours in your poffeffion, I fhould defire nothing of you in return; but as I know you have, I fhall with great pleasure receive fuch as you may be pleased to fend me."

This letter was attended by thirty-feven Chriftian flaves. The grand mafter treated the fecretary with all the honours, which he would have fhewn to an ambassador from any of the first European powers; and fent back the fame number of Moorish captives by him. We have too good an opinion of the generofity of the grand mafter, to believe that he had any more in his poffeffion. A few generations of fuch princes, might civilize the moft barbarous nation.

CHAP