were to be restored. 4th. That two of the fultan's three eldeft fons were to become hoftages for the due performance of the treaty. On the 26th the two princes, each mounted on an elephant, richly caparifoned, proceeded from the fort to lord Cornwallis's camp, where they were received by his lordfhip with his ftaff. The eldeft Abdul Kalick was about ten, the youngest, Mooza-ud-Deen, about eight years of age. The princes were dreffed in long white mulin gowns, with red turbans richly adorned with pearls. Educated from infancy with the utmost care, the fpectators were astonished to behold in these children all the referve, the politeness and attention of maturer years. The kindnefs with which they were received by the British commander appeared to afford them vifible fatisfaction. Some prefents were exchanged on both fides; and the fcene is deferi ed by an eyewitnefs as highly interefting. It was the 19th of March before the definitive treaty was finally adjufted. The allies were probably exorbitant in their demands, and Tippoo and his courtiers appear to have exerted their utmost abilities, in artfully endeavouring to gain time and to mitigate the terms of fubmiffion. Tippoo however at length gave a reluctant confent, as it is faid, to the terms preferibed by lord Cornwallis; and the definitive treaty was delivered by the young princes with great folemnity into the hands of his lordship and the allies. pointe, for a confiderable time, the fanguine hopes of its warm fupporters. It would, however, be unjust to withold our approbatio from lord Cornwallis in every thing that refpects the conduct of the concluding campaign. Nothing that found Judgment could devile, or activity effect, appears to have been omitted. We have reafon to believe, alfo, that the humanity and goodness of his lordfhip were confpicuous during the whole of the enterprize; and his moderation and found policy in the concluding feenes cannot be too highly extolled. If his lordthip, by the treaty which he has concluded, has established a proper balance of power in India, he has certainly effected much towards the fecurity of our Indian poffeffions; and though in the nature of things, poffeffions at fo great a distance cannot long remain a dependant part of the British empire, yet as human policy, at the beft, cannot look far forward into futurity, to maiat in them in peace and profperity, even for a few years, is no mean atchievement; and to provide against the violent anticipation of that feparation, which the natural courfe of events will probably one day effect, with little tumult or agitation, is not only an advantage to the prefent goLeration, but is probably a benefit conferred even upon pofterity, Diflionoured as w/ fear the Britifh name has too frequently been in thofe regions, and though our footiteps have been too often marked with blood, yet there is reafon to believe that the civilization and intellectual improvement of the natives will be eventually promoted by an intercourfe with Europeans. The philofophic mind cannot contem plate without pleasure the probable approach of that period when the * Major Dirom. Thus happily terminated a war, the good policy of which was greatly queftioned by fome of the most competent judges of Indian politics; and the conduct of which, from a variety of unfortunate circumftances, difap 1792. G empire empire of prejudice fhall be diffolved in thofe delightful climates; when the human intellect, once more restored to its natural vigour, fhall affume its rights; and when Freedom herself fhall perhaps erect her banner in thofe devoted territories where Defpotifm now only waves her blafting wand. Should fuch a period ever take place, the Eaft will once more become the feat of science, of arts, and of politenefs; and the northern regions will have reflected back to its fource that knowledge, and thofe communications, in an improved state, which emanated from that ftation where man first appeared in the character of a focial, civilized, and rational being. CHA P. V. Remarks on the general State of Europe, in 1792. Affairs of SWEDEN. Retrojpect to the Revolution of 1772. Difcontents of the Nobility and others. Imprudence of Guftavus III. Diets. Diet at Geffle. Confpiracy formed. The King receives an anonymous Letter. Affaffinated at a Mafquerade. Affaffin detected Several of the Nobility arrejied. Confeffion of Aikarftrom. His Trial and Punishment. Sentence on the other Confpirators. Death and Charaster of the King. Wife conduct of the Regent. POLAND. Reflections on the combination of Defpots. Defenceless State of Poland. Perfidy of the. Neighbouring States. Negligence of the King. Unjuft proceedings of Ruffia. folves of the Diet. Declaration of Ruffia. The Country invaded. Bafe conduct of Prufia. Engagements between the Ruffians and Poles. Retreat of Prince Poniatowski. Cruelty of the Ruffians. General Engagement, and defeat of the Poles. Submiffion of Poland. Proteft of the Patriots. HE clouds which had been Tcollecting for fome time in the political horizon burft in the commencement of the year 1792 into a formidable and deftructive ftorm, and the wild and ferocious conteft which we forefaw between the felfhnefs of defpotifin, and the unbridled exceffes of popular frenzy, deluged with blood the faireft plains of Europe. Sweden, from the circumftances of its government, and the mifconduct of its monarch, was not likely to preferve, for any length of time, its internal tranquillity. The caufe of the public difcontents may very properly be traced up to the famous revolution in 1772; but to explain that, as well as the fubfequent events, a ftill further retrofpect will perhaps be neceffary. Re Few of the nations of Europe have difplayed more fpirit and ener gy of character than the Swedes. The reclaiming of their liberty, under the juftly celebrated Guftavus Vafa, was a noble exertion, and confidering the darkness and general ignorance of the age in which it was effected, it was a wonderful event. Under the conduct of Guftavus Adolphus, Sweden stood forth as the bulwark of the proteftant caufe; and even under the frantic and falfe heroifm of Charles XII. the nation was refpected, while the wild projects of its king were held up as the mark for cenfure or for ridicule. Under the different viciffitudes of fortune wich its military le ders experienced, the freedom of the nation ftill remained unviolated. Du ring the military frenzy which prevailed under Charles XII. it may indeed be faid to have fuffered a momentary eclipfe, but that monarch expiated by his blood the injury he had done to his country; and on the acceffion of his fifter, Ulrica Eleanora, and her husband the prince of Heffe, a better order was established by a folemn compact between the fovereigns and the people. The secret history of the late govei nment of France is not yet known with precifion; the memorials of its crimes and its machinations appear to have perifhed with their authors. Thus far however is fufficiently known, that from the period in which this ambitious court was disappointed in its project of univerfal dominion by the power of its arms, it applied itself with equal affiduity to the milder, but perhaps more certain means of intrigue and corruption. The traveller who retained his cloak against the ruder efforts of the ftorm, relinquished it to the gentle influence of warmth and funshine. France conquered by negociation more than the could by her prowefs. Spain, Auftria, Naples, Rome, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, even Portugal and Sardinia, with most of the smaller ftates of Europe, were, from time to time, entirely under the direction of the cabinet of Versailles. The machinery acted with apparent automotion, but the fprings and directing forces were in the hands of the minifters of Louis. It is generally believed that the late Swedish revolution was planned in the closet of Versailles. Guftavus III. it is well known, refided there for fome months previous to his acceffion to the throne, and innumerable circumftances ferve to prove that he acted on a preconcer ed plan. The measure, in the views of France, had a deeper aim than the immature judgment of the young king led him to fufpect. While the only object appeared to be to make Guftavus abfolute; the real intention was to render him the dependant and the penfioner of France, to detach him from his own. people, the more firmly to bind him to a foreign interest. The circumstances of perfidy with which the revolution of 1772 was accompanied, were not likely to leave a favourable impreffion, with refpect to the character of the king, on the minds of the people, and particularly of the nobility. While he externally courted popularity, he was aiming to deftroy whatever was popular in the ftate. While he made profeffions the most flattering, difclaimed the title of king, and af fected to call himfelf only the first citizen of the republic, he was meditating the downfall of all that wore even the guife of freedom. While with his lips he pronounced the folemn oath by which he bound himfelf to maintain inviolate the conftitution of 1720, his heart must have been internally confcious of the intended perjury. The revolution left many difcontented fpirits among perfons of the first rank and character in the nation: and baron Pechlin, a nobleman of great worth and popularity, was among the most ftrenuous of its opponents. Defpotic power is often not lefs difficult to maintain than to acquire. Aftanding army was the only inftrument by which Guftavus could preferve his ufurped authority; and yet to levy exorbitant taxes would not, in fuch a fituation, have been a prudent meafure. The intrigues of France were, therefore, triumphant on this occafion, he became of neceffity the penfioner of that court, and the connexion was not diffolved till the finances of France became unable to fupport the detail of the public expences, and till the wife and upright adminiftration of Neckar directed the attention of the late monarch from foreign projects to internal economy and improvement. Bereft of this refource, it is generally believed that the neceifitous king locked anxiously round for a fource to fupply his preffing wants, and it is as generally believed that his exertions in favour of the Otto man cause in the late war were very amply rewarded. Of the nature of the connexion which afterwards took place between Guitavus and the court of Peterburgh but little is known. It is probable that he was the dupe of that infatiable power, whofe views might be diftantly directed to the poffeflion of Sweden, when he had fufficiently exhaufted his force in the abfurd crufade in which under her influence he was about to engage. In the mean time the Swedish nation had beheld the blood and treafure of the country fquandered away in quarrels, in which they could not poffibly have the most diftant interest. They beheld fomething ftill more alarming. They beheld their king, under the influence of an infiduous cour, upon the point of railing his ftandard in the public defence of the caufe of defpotifm, and faw him degraded to be a captain of banditti, marching to plunder the treafures and crush the rifing liberties of France. It was in the diets particularly that the high fpirit of the Svedith nobility was manifefted, and the very first of thefe which met after the revolution, manifested that the feeds of diffention had taken deep root in the minds even of those who fwayed the highest offices of the state. In this diet, which met in 1778, the king attempted to re-establish the ancient claffes among the Swedish nobles, viz. the high nob lity, the equeftrian order, and the gentry. Each clafs was to vote fparately, and as every question was to be dee'ded by the majority of the claffes, that is by the union of any two; the king flattered himself that a majority in the fuperior claffes would be eafily obtained, and that in this manner the people would be abused with the fhew of reprefentation, while the fubftantial power remained in his own hands. In this expectation however the views of the fovereign were difappointed. The higher orders, who felt more and more their own confequence, proved untra&table; and the lower house who faw them felves degraded by this arrangement entered into a ftate of implacable oppofition. A motion by Mr. Hummelkein to afcertain and limit the royal prerogative put a fudden termination to the diet. The regifters, &c. were fealed up, and have ever fince remained unopened in the royal clofet. The diet which affembled in 1796, was not more fatisfactory to the views of Guftavus. Most of the measures prop fed by the king (the main object of which, it must be confefled, was to replenish his exhaufted treafury) were rejected; and to obtain one point, the eftablishment of granaries under his infpection, he was obliged to relinquifh a prerogativewhich was attached to the crown by the old conftitution from the reign of Guftavus Adolphus, that when the orders of the diet fhould be divided on any queftion, the determination fhould be referred to the king. This diet broke up with unequivocab Symptoms ymptoms of diffatisfaction, and with mutual recriminations between the king and its leading members. It is not furprising that after fuch experience of their refractory conduct, the king fhould have been avere to the affembling of the states at the commencement of the late war. The revolt of the army at Frederickstadt, and the urgent want of fupplies compelled him however to affemble a diet again in 1789. The difcontents which had prevailed in the former feffions feemed to increase in this. Some popular laws were notwithstanding paffed; ia particular the privileges which the nobility had before exclufively enjoyed, were by a law of this diet extended to all fettled inhabitants of the kingdom. This circumftance, and the attention which was paid by the king to the inferior orders of citizens probably enabled him, with the concurrence of the people, when the difputes increased, to imprifon the leaders of the difaffected nobles, among whom were the barons Degeer, Maclean, Stiernhold, counts Horn, Ferfen, and Brahe, &c. The vicemarshal colonel Liljehorn obferved a very guarded conduct, but was generally confidered as ill affected to the measures of the court. Several young gentlemen of fpirit, among whom were counts Ribbing, Delagardie and Stenbock refigned their places; the ladies deferied the drawing rooms and affemblies; the places of public amufement were closed for want of a refort of company. In the end a kind of compromife took place. The prifoners were fet at liberty, and the king obtained his object with refpect to fupplies, &c. and concluded the diet by abolishing the power of the fenate, which was a further step to arbitrary power and extremely obnoxious to the nobility. Averfe as Guftavus muft neceffarily have been rendered to thefe affemblies, his neceflities in the beginning of 1792 compelled him once more to fummon a diet; but every precaution was employed to render it as little injurious as poffible to his ufurped authority. The proclamation for affembling the diet was iffued only three weeks previous to its meeting, fo that the elections were made in hatte, and the patriotic party had no time to make any arrangements with respect to their choice of reprefentatives. Instead of affembling in the capital, the ftates were ordered to meet at Geffle, a folitary fituation on the Bothnic gulf, and 70 miles from Stockholm. The diet during the whole of its deliberations was furrounded by mercenary troops. Thus the expectations of the public were completely frustrated. No reform was effected, nor was any cenfure paffed upon the king for the manifeft infraction of both the old and new conftitutions, in entering into war without the confent of the ftates. In his great object, however, Guftavus found himfe'f in fome meafure difappointed; the diet were still too parfimonicus to fatisfy either his neceffities or his wishes, and he was obliged to reft contented with only a part of his demand. The . diet was diffolved on the 24th of February, 1792. Though the diffatisfaction which the conduct of Gustavus had excited was thus prevented from burting into an open flame, ftill the evil was not eradicated, and the sword of faction impended over his devoted head. Not only the nobles, but the people were averfe to the crufade against France. The country was already fuficiently exhauit:d of its population and its induftry; the finances were miferably deranged: immenfe loans G 3 had |