reconciled himself to the refolution of falling under its ruins? On the whole, we must attribute to him the character of a great, though, perhaps, not of a good prince-a falfe religion, and falfe notions of human rights and liberties, cannot fail to deprave the heart.

Thus terminated a war, which, at least for the prefent, fecures the British interefts in India from the apprehenfion of a formidable enemy. The permanence of our empire there will depend upon caufes which we cannot calculate with exactnefs; upon the genius and talents of fome enterprising warrior, who fhall have addrefs to combine and unite the native princes in a common caufe; upon the state of political affairs at home; or, perhaps, upon the fubordination and freedom from faction of the British foldiers themselves. The time, however, seems remote when a change of this kind is likely to happen; it will depend upon circumftances which no man can forefee, whether fuch a change will be for the detriment or advantage of Britain.

The dominions of Tippoo were divided among the conquerors, admitting, on motives of policy, the Mahrattas to a fhare, though they had taken no part in the war. To the company the part allotted was the province of Canara, and the districts of Coimbatoor and Daraporam, all the territory between the British poffeffions in the Carnatic and thofe of Malabar, with the forts and ports forming the heads of all the paffes above the Ghauts on the Table Land, and the fortrefs, city, and island of Seringapatam. To the Nizam were affigned the districts of Gooty and Gurrumconda, together with a tract of country along the line of Chitteldroog, Sera, Nandidroog and Colar. To the Mah.

rattas were given Harponelly, Soonda, Anagoondy, Chitteldroog, and a part of Biddenore, except the frontier fortreffes. A defcendant of the ancient rajahs of Myfore, about 5 years old, was fought out, and placed upon the throne, under certain conditions; and the fons and. relations of Tippoo were removed into the Carnatic.

If we may make the abrupt tranfition from the eastern to the western continent, from fcenes of war and devaftation to thofe of peace and enlightened policy, we hall take a fhort review of the affairs of the United States of America during this period. We fay a fhort review; for happy, truly happy is that country which affords the fewest materials for the pen of the hiftorian. Though the American republic, however, was happily freed from foreign conteft and domeftic tumults, it fustained an irreparable lofs in the death of the venerable Washington. This melancholy event took place on the 15th of December, 1799, and was occafioned by an inflammatory fore throat, the first tymptoms of which appeared only three days previous to his death. We have been not inattentive obfervers to the career of this illuftrious man, from the period of his affuming the command of the revolutionary army of America; and we do not hesitate to pronounce him the greateft character of modern times; and, perhaps, with all the embellishments of fabu lous and partial hiftoriaus, there is fcarcely one in the annals of antiquity that will bear a comparison. In him prudence was united with vigour; wifdom with patriotifm; courage with disintereftednefs. If he had ambition, it was of the pureft kind; exempt from that felfifhnefs with which this paffion is too commonly united; and he built his fame upon N 2

1

, the

the proudest and moft folid bafis, that of his fervices to his country, and his love of human kind. That rare and valuable quality, improperly called common-fenfe, because in reality it is the leaft common, never appears to have deferted him, whether in council or the field, in the moment of depreffion, or in the till more dangerous crifis, that of his elevation; and he is one of the very few of whom it may be afferted, that he fcarcely ever faid or did a foolish thing. He was one of thofe who are formed by Providence to be the founders of empires; and, if we look to fecond caufes only, we may venture to affirm, that to the talents of Washington America is more indebted than to any other circumftance for its liberty and independence. With probably few of the advantages derivable from a regular and claffical education, his eloquence was that of the heart, and generally affected the hearts of thofe to whom it was addreffed. Indeed, there is perhaps scarcely to be found more perfect specimens of pure and genuine eloquence than his anfwer to the proclamation of general Bur. goigne in 1777, and his farewell oration on refigning the prefidency of the United States. Without methodical and early inftruction in the modern school of tactics, he was enabled to affume the command of a great army, and to contend, under infinite difadvantages, with the first generals of Great Britain. Without the regular fucceflion of office, and the difcipline of diplomatic fcience, he was perhaps the first flateiman of the prefent age. He founded a government, he maintained it in external and internal tranquility, and left it in a ftate of unexampled profperity.

Mr. Washington commenced his military and political career at

an early period of his life. Be fore the age of twenty he was ap pointed a major in the colonial militia of Virginia; rather, we may fuppofe, from refpect to his family, which was opulent, than from a knowledge of his talents, which were untried. On the commencement of hoftilities between the French and English, in the war of 1754, he was fent to negotiate with the French governor of Fort Du Quefne, to afcertain the boundaries of the colony, which was in fact the caufe of the difpute. He fucceeded in averting the invafion for the moment; but, hoftilities breaking out in the following year, he accompanied the unfortunate general Braddock, as lieutenant-colonel of a provincial corps. It is faid that Washington conducted the retreat with fill, and with the fame intrepid calmnefs which diftinguifhed his fubfequent conduct. From the year 1758, when he quitted the fervice on account of his health,. he appears to have lived at his feat of Mount Vernon, in the most perfect retirement, till the difaftrous. conteft which took place between the mother country and the colonies once more called him into action. He was chofen a member of the American congrefs, which met at Philadelphia in 1774; and was foon after appointed to the command of the provincial army. Of his great talents and confummate judgment that defperate and difficult conteft affords the beft of proofs; and the character of Washington is written by the hiftorian in every detail that he has given of the incidents of the war. Yet it is remarkable, that fuch was the humanity of this incomparable man, that he never could afterwards bear to converse on a fubject which would have adminiftered to the vanity of almost

any.

any other individual. "Sir," faid he one day, to a foreign gentleman, "I obferve you with me to speak of the war. It is a converfation I always avoid. I rejoice in the eftablishment of the liberties of America; but the time of the truggle was a horrible period, in which the best men were compelled to do many things repugnant to their nature."

At the clofe of the war he again went into retirement; but the diforders arifing from paper currency, and an unfettled government, once more called forth his attention. When a new conflitution was framed for the United States, he was chofen prefident. He feems to have accepted it rather from neceffity than choice; and afterwards to have re. linquished the honour in compliance with his own inclination, when his country feemed to have no further claim or call for his fervices. In a word, his conduct exhibited to the world the character of a truly great and good man-epuheis fo rarely united, that they have almost been fuppofed incompatible.

Of the nature of the difpute between the American and French republics we have never yet received fuch fatisfactory information* as to enable us to lay the true ftate of it before the republic. The hardships on individuals from the fearch and capture of American veffels were undoubtedly great and eruel; and the conduct of the French

directory, and their minifter Talleyrand, in a certain mysterious transaction, must be confidered as infamous, unless it be cleared up more to our fatisfaction than has hitherto been done. The conduct of the American government, however, in this inftance, has afforded an example of political wisdom and forbearance which rarely occurs on this fide of the Atlantic. Inftead of too haftily refenting the infolence and rapacity of the French directory, they took advantage of the change of government, and difpatched an embally to negotiate with the first conful. In the beginning of March Meff. Murray and Elfworthy, the American commiffioners, arrived at Paris. The adjustment of the queftion, however, appears to have occupied no inconfiderable time, and it was not rit! the 30th of September that a treaty of peace and amity was figned at Paris. We do not know that all the particulars of this treaty have as yet been made public. The trade of both countries is fecured, it is faid, by it on terms of equality; and it is provided, that if either party fliall be at war, and the other at peace, there fhall be no fearch of neutral veffels, while failing under convoy. Thus the claim is relinquifhed without agitating the quef tion of right; but in the official report of the affairs of France, prepared by Regnier, it is infinuated that no fuch right can exift.