expired, in a few months after this period, at once the object of pity, of abhorrence, and of admiration.

The young king of Sweden, Guftavus IV. having recently attained to the age of majority, the regency of the duke of Sudermania, his uncle, who had governed that kingdom for four years with great wisdom and moderation, was now at an end; and it was foon perceivable that the fame caution and fagacity no longer governed the Swedish councils, which feemed, from this time, to be entirely under the influence of the court of St. Petersburg. Baron Stael, the Swedish ambaffador at Paris, was replaced by M. Renhaufen, a determined enemy of the republic. Representations having been made to the court of Stockholm, without effect, against this nomination, M. Renhausen received a peremptory order from the minifter of the police to leave Paris; and the French envoy, in return, received a fimilar notice to quit the city of Stockholm; and all appearances portended a fudden rupture between the two nations. This event might poffibly be retarded by the unexpected death of the emprefs of Ruffia, who died at this critical juncture, Nov. 6, 1796, by a stroke of apoplexy, without any previous illness; retaining, to the age of fixtyseven years, her health, her vigor, and talents for government, unimpaired and undiminished. Conformably to her artful and infidious policy, fhe had, from the very commencement of hostilities against France, exerted her influence in fomenting the flames of difcord, and in inftigating other potentates to the attack, while fhe herfelf ftood aloof from the conteft, at a safe and cautious diftance. She did not hesitate very openly to exprefs her contempt of the measures of the English court, and of the political abilities of the minifter by whom they were chiefly directed; profeffing great admiration of the talents of Mr. Fox, whofe fagacity and eloquence had fo happily, in a late instance, prevented a rupture between Great Britain and Ruffia; and whofe buft, wrought by the famous fculptor Nollikens,

in obedience to her order, the caused to be placed between thofe of Cicero and Demofthenes. This extraordinary woman, who had attained the fummit of power by very queftionable, if not criminal means, governed the empire of Ruffia, for the space of thirty-four years, with uninterrupted fuccefs and reputation: but the glorious actions of her reign were blended with injuftice, and ftained with cruelty; and, in the accomplishment of her ends, the never hesitated with refpe&t to means. Her fucceffor in the imperial throne of the Ruffias was her only fon by the late czar Paul Petrowitz; of whom the emprefs had entertained fo great a dislike and jealoufy, that he was, during her life-time, little known in any public or political capacity. But the general idea formed of his character was very far from being favorable to the new emperor, who, by the few acquainted with his difpofition and temper, was faid to be weak, violent, haughty, and capricious.

Nearly at the fame time alfo died Victor Amadeus, king of Sardinia, in an advanced age:---an event which produced no fenfible effect upon the general politics of the contiHe was fucceeded in his precarious throne by his fon the prince of Piedmont.

nent.

BOOK

BOOK XVII.

Seffion of Parliament, 1796-7. Pacificatory Speech from the Throne. Remarkable Proteft of Earl Fitzwilliam. New Levies of Marines, Militia, and Cavalry. Statement of Finance. National Loan. Illegal Advance of Money to the Emperor. Motions of Mr. Grey and of Mr. Fox relative to the fame. Message from the King to both Houses of Parliament, announcing the Failure of the Negotiation for Peace. Debates upon the Meffage, and Addrefs to the Throne. State of Parties. Derangement of the Affairs of the Bank of England. Bank of England frops Payment. Affairs of the Bank inveftigated by Parliament. Second National Loan. Pacificatory Motions, by the Earl of Oxford and Mr. Pollen. Dangerous Mutiny in the Fleet, Important Motion of the Earl of Moira refpecting Ireland—And of Mr. Fox on the fame fubject. Petitions to the King for the removal of Minifters. Addrefs for the Removal of the First Lord of the Treasury moved by the Earl of Suffolk. Addrefs for the Dif mission of Minifters moved in the House of Commons by Alderman Combe. Motion by Mr. Grey for a Reform in Parliament. Motion of the Duke of Bedford for the Difmiffion of Minifers. Scottish Militia Bill. Seffion of Parliament terminated. Project of a new Administration-Rejected by the King. Military Transactions in Italy. Battle of Rivoli. General Provera furrenders. Capitulation of Mantua. AuArians retreat beyond the Brenta. Capture of Trent. General Buonaparte enters the Ecclefiaftical States. Surrender of Ancona, &c. Plunder of Loretto. Plunder of Loretto. Peace of Tolentino. Ambaffy to St. Marino. Archduke Charles fuperfedes Marfbal Alvinzi. Auftrians entrench themselves behind the Tagliamento. Entrenchments forced. Infpruck and Brixen

322

captured by the French. General Buonaparte offers Peace
to the Archduke. Auftrians again defeated at Neumark and
Hunfmark. Alarm of the Court of Vienna. Critical Si-
tuation of General Buonaparte. Preliminaries of Peace
figned at Leoben. Subverfion of the Venetian Government—
And likewife that of Genoa. Foundation of the Cifalpine
Republic. Operations on the Rhine. Defcent of the French
on the Coast of Wales. Victory obtained over the Spanish
Fleet by Sir John Jervis. Unfuccessful Attack on the fle
of Teneriffe. Capture of Trinidad. Failure at Porto Rico.
Victory over the Dutch Fleet by Admiral Duncan. Interior
State of France. Royalift Confpiracy against the Govern-
ment. Formidable Oppofition to the Directory in the Coun-
cils. Triumph of the Directory. Fresh Attempt of the
Court of Londen to negotiate with France-Lord Malmef-
bury a fecond Time appointed Ambassador-Progrefs and
abrupt Conclufion of the Negotiation. State of the Gallican
Church. Origin of the Sect of the Theophilanthropists.
Treaty of Campo Formio. Congress at Raftadt. State of
America. Extraordinary Reception of the American Com-
miffioners at Paris. Arreft of the Portuguese Ambassador.
Death of Count Bernstorf-And of the King of Prussia.
National Thanksgiving.

THE new parliament was convened at a season of the

year unusually early, viz. the 6th of October (1796). The
fpeech from the throne afforded much fatisfaction, as the
"I have omitted no endea-
harbinger of returning peace.
"for fetting on foot negotiations
vours," said his majesty,
to restore peace to Europe, and to fecure for the future the
general tranquillity. The fteps which I have taken for this
purpose have at length opened the way to an immediate and
direct negotiation, the issue of which muft either produce
the defirable end of a just, honorable, and folid peace, for
us and for our allies, or must prove beyond dispute to what
cause alone the prolongation of the calamities of war muft

be

be afcribed. The fortune of the war on the continent has been various, and the progress of the French armies threatened at one period the utmost danger to all Europe; but from the honorable and dignified perfeverance of my ally the emperor, and from the intrepidity, difcipline, and invincible spirit of the Auftrian forces, under the auspicious conduct of the archduke Charles, fuch a turn has lately. been given to the course of the war as may inspire a wellgrounded confidence that the final result of the campaign will prove more disastrous to the enemy than its commencement and progress for a time were favorable to their hopes."

The addreffes moved, being expreffed in general and moderate terms, were acceded to with little oppofition in both houses; excepting that lord Fitzwilliam, who had imbibed, in all their extent, the violent opinions of Mr. Burke, and who confidered peace with France as involving in it danger, mischief, and ruin to England, entered on the journals of the peers a very elaborate proteft, affigning no less than ten diftinct reafons for refufing to concur in an addrefs of approbation for setting on foot the prefent, negotiation.

Mr. Fox congratulated the house of commons that his majefty's minifters had at length done what he had for three years earnestly advised; but he lamented that this measure had not been adopted before a hundred millions had been fpent, and a hundred thousand lives been facrificed, in this bloody and fruitlefs conteft. He faid he did not wish to recollect, much lefs to retaliate, the reproaches and invectives formerly pronounced against him, as degrading by his counfels the dignity of the British nation, and laying' his majesty's crown at the feet of the French republicans.

On the 18th of October the house of commons refolved itself into a committee to confider that claufe of his majefty's fpeech which alluded to the intention manifefted by the enemy to attempt a defcent on thefe kingdoms. In ad