portant poft in Moldavia, fituated on the river Pruth, near its confluence with the Danube. They however met with lofs upon fome other occafions, particularly in an unfuccessful attempt upon the ftrong citadel of Brailow, defervedly esteemed as the key of the principality of Walachia, and one of the most important paffes on the Danube.

On the fide of the Ukraine and Tartary, count Panin has failed in his attempt upon Bender: he has however fuccessfully ravaged the neighbouring countries of Budziac, and the Little Tartary, from whence his parties drove a prodigious prey of cattle. On the other hand, the calga, or brother to the khan of the Tartars, has made a fuccessful irruption into the Ruffian territories on the left of the Borifthenes, from whence he is faid to have carried above ten thousand unhappy people into captivity. Such is the cruel afpect of war among these fierce na

tions.

General Romanzow has fixed his head-quarters at Laticzew in Podolia, and has cantoned the bulk of his army along the banks of the Niefter. In this fituation he keeps the confederates in awe, and is near enough to fupport the generals Proforowiki and Elmpt, in the fuperiority which they have acquired in Moldavia and Walachia: a pofition abfolutely neceffary, as the Turks will undoubtedly make the moft vigorous efforts as foon as the feafon will admit, for the recovery of thefe fine provinces. Count Panin's army is ftationed on the borders of the Ukraine, in fuch a fituation as moft effectually to cover that and the adjoining Ruf

fian provinces, from the incurfions of the Tartars.

It may however feem ftrange, that general Romanzow did not advance with the bulk of his army into the newly acquired provinces, or even push on to the banks of the Danube, and endeavour to become mafter of the principal posts upon that river, while the terror and diforder of the Turks operated in its highest degree. It is little to be doubted that this measure was thought of, and it is as probable that there were ftrong reafons against the adopting of it. It might have been objected, that Poland would by this means have been in a great measure abandoned to the licentiousness of the confederates and the fury of the Tartars. That the safety of the grand army would be endangered, at fuch a diftance from its pofts and magazines, and with fuch enemies as the Tartars, befides the numerous garrifons of Bender and Oczakow, in its rear; and that the army commanded by count Panin, which had an extenfive and difficult frontier to defend, would thereby be entirely expofed. It is alfo to be imagined, that notwithstanding the natural fertility of these provinces, the miferable havock that was made in them both by friends and enemies for a full year, muft make them utterly incapable of providing fubfiftence for a confiderable army.

No fatisfactory account has been published of the progrefs of the Ruffians on the fide of Georgia. The famous count Tottleben, fo remarkable for his difgrace in the laft war, having in confequence of a moft fuppliant petition, been re

ceived into the emprefs's favour, has been employed upon this expedition. As this general had before ferved in the countries adjoining to the Cafpian, he feems to have been well qualified for this fervice, and it is faid that he has been joined by prince Heraclius, and that they have committed feveral hoftilities on the fide of Armenia. It does not however appear, that their operations have hitherto been productive of any very extraordinary effects.

The misfortunes of the laft campaign, do not seem to have funk the Grand Signior's fpirit. The preparations for war both by fea and land are carried on with unremitted ardour; and it is faid that he refuses to listen to any terms of accommodation, that are at all degrading, or inconfiftent with his dignity. In this fpirit he has received judicial informations in the divan, from the civil officers of Moldavia and Walachia, of the facility with which the Greek inhabitants of thofe provinces fubmitted to the Ruffian government, and has thereupon declared them rebels, and according to the cruel mode of the eastern nations, ordered man, woman and child to

be extirpated. It is alfo faid, that he has fignified to the republic of Venice, in a high and haughty tone, that their obferving a bare neutrality, would not in the prefent ftate of affairs be deemed fufhcient; but that they muft avow themselves, either as friends or enemies.

The unfortunate Moldovani Ali Pacha has been degraded and ba nifhed to one of the Greek islands, and Halil Bey, of whom we have no prior account, is appointed grand vizir in his room. It is faid that the fultan intends to command the army in perfon, and that the Turks, difpirited by their ill fuccefs, and their fears worked upon by fome ancient prophecies, are very unwilling to ferve, and form difmal apprehenfions of the event of the war. It is not to be wondered at, that the imaginations of a people, fo exceffively credulous and fuperftitious as the Turks, fhould in fuch circumstances be eafily worked upon. The weaknefs of the government, the licentioufnefs of the foldiery, and the want of able and experienced officers, are however the real prognoftics that forbode danger to their empire.

CHAP

S the Ruffians were obliged to withdraw their principal force from the interior parts of Poland, to oppose the defigns of the Turks and Tartars upon the frontiers, fo the ruined and almoft expiring confederacies began, immediately upon their departure, to revive and fhew new figns of vigour in every part of the kingdom. Among the earliest and most active upon this occafion, were the nobility of the grand dutchy of Li thuania, who had fo lately been obliged to fubmit to whatever terms the Ruffians were pleased to prescribe. The opportunity of their

abfence was now eagerly March embraced for the hold1769. ing of a general meeting, where a new confederacy was formed, and Mr. Sickanowicko appointed their grand marshal. At the fame time they published a ftrong and fpirited manifefto, in which, after charging the Ruffians with numberless infractions of the laws of nature and nations, they declare with great energy," That as they are attacked in their honour, abridged of their liberty, ruined in their fortunes, and driven

from their houses; and that having no other refource than defpair or a glorious death, they are determined to fpill the laft drop of their blood, in defence of their civil and religious liberties."

It probably would not be speaking correctly, to fay that this example was followed; the impulfe was general, and the effect feemed equal in every part, as foon as the reftraint was taken off. New confederacies were accordingly every where formed, and the country afforded, during the whole year, a continued fcene of anarchy, bloodfhed, and mifery. It is however probable that all these evils were increased, by a cruel and ill judged manifefto published early in the fpring by prince Gallitzin, in which it is declared, that temporizing, or a feeming neutrality, fhall afford no protection; that the Poles must avow their principles and intentions, and that Ruffia was determined that country fhould contain only friends or declared enemies. This unjust, if not impolitic declaration, must have urged many of the grandees, who intended to enjoy the quiet and fafety

of

We find that the capital city of Warfaw, notwithstanding the prefence of the king and prince Rep nin, and the protection of the Ruffian garrifon, was more than once in imminent danger from the confederates: who poffeffed the adjoining countries in fuch a manner, that the pofts have not arrived for weeks together. That the king, a helplefs fpectator of the miferies of his country, has been obliged to iffue proclamations, in which he requests of the confederates not to deftroy the falt works, a measure which would be fo fatal to the nation in general. The king has alfo fent minifters lately to the courts of Ruffia, Great Britain and Holland, as guarantees to the treaty of Carlowits, and to thofe of France, Spain, Auftria, Pruffia and Sweden, as guarantees of that of Oliva, for their friendly intervention. It has also been talked of, that a general confederacy under the king's immediate aufpices is to be formed, for the calling and protection of a new diet, in which cafe the Ruffians will be requested to withdraw their troops from the kingdom.

The celebrated chiefs of the confederacy of Bar, the counts Potocki and Krafinski, who drew fo much of our former attention, and were fo principally concerned in the troubles of this country, have had no immediate fhare in the interior transactions of it during the prefent year. As they were obliged to retire with the body of confederates which they commanded, under the Turkish protection, they accordingly became a part of that army which acted upon the frontiers, where they probably bore a full share in all the actions of the

campaign. It is evident that they behaved with great bravery, as the grand fignior, fo late as the month of October, fent his own felictar, or fword-bearer, from Conftantinople to the camp, to invest count Potocki with a furred robe, and to prefent him with a fabre and three hundred purfes, as a reward for the fervices performed by him in the Ottoman army. This is the greatest military honour in that fervice, and was new to a Chrif tian; it alfo fufficiently refutes the accounts that had been fo often published, that these noblemen had at different times been either killed by the Ruffians, or maffacred by the Turks.

Since the retreat of the Ottoman army from the borders, as the Ruffians were thereby enabled to pay a greater attention to the affairs in Poland, and to employ more troops upon that fervice, fo the confederates have been continually haraffed, and have met with a great number of very fevere loffes. It fcarcely feems poffible, in the prefent fituation of affairs, that, without the intervention of fome other powers, or fome very extraordinary change of fortune in favour of the Turks, a fingle confederacy can exist much longer in Poland: a confummation of their calamities, moft fincerely to be withed for by all who are partakers of them; as any fubmiffion to power is better, than fo fatal and ineffectual a refiftance.

Such is the glimmering profpect we are afforded, of the fituation of affairs in this unhappy country. A nearer view would represent a picture more difgraceful to human nature; fullied with the most dreadful exorbitances, and stained with

the