proportion of the landed property of the kingdom, and almost all the military and civil offices, are confined to that privileged clafs the ariftocratic branch of the legislature, fupported by this immense chain of connections and dependencies, rifing far above all competition: whereas in England, the descendants of the nobility, the heirs of the title only excepted, are immediately blended with the general mafs of the community, and their political interests stand confequently in unavoidable and direct oppofition to those of their nearest relatives, as composing a distinct and privileged order. Thus the nobles of England are placed in that precise rank which properly belongs to the most illuftrious order of citizens in a free and well-governed community. Invested with the highest dignity, though not the highest power, of the ftate, they compofe an hereditary fenate, peculiarly qualified, from that diffimilarity of views and interests by which, as a distinct branch of the legislature, they must be neceffarily actuated, for the province of revifion, and resistance to ambitious or infidious innovation ---standing as a perpetual barrier against all attempts to encroach upon the conftitutional prerogative of the crown, upon which they depend as the firmeft bafis of their own authority. For the weight of the democracy in the English constitution is such, as to preclude the aristocracy from the faintest hope of success in any conteft for pre-eminence which might fucceed the eventual reduction or annihilation of the regal power. It cannot certainly be pretended, that the progreffive improvement of former ages, or even the important and beneficial changes which took place at the Revolution, were the refult of any comprehenfive abstract speculation; they were such as the emergency of the occafion rendered obvious and neceffary; and we speak of the wisdom of the conftitution, not with a reference to the fpeculative fagacity of individuals, but to the practical advantages and firm contexture of a form of government finished, undoubtedly, more more through happiness than pains. It is true, indeed, that, through the grofs inequality of the present system of representation, destined, doubtless, if Liberty survive, to undergo a radical reform, a degree of influence is exerted by the executive power over the legislative, inconfiftent with the true spirit of the conftitution, and productive of the most injurious effects. Under fuch a government as that established in Sweden, it can excite no aftonishment that the intrigues of foreign courts should very powerfully and senfibly operate. In fact, from the æra of that establishment, all the apparently weak and capricious tranfactions of this kingdom were guided folely by the predominance of the different political factions, the violent and malignant conflicts of which were excited and perpetuated by the moit fhameless corruption, univerfally practifed, and almost openly avowed. The whole power of the ftate virtually refting in the hands of the nobles, no advance was made, or design entertained, to extend to the nation at large the bleffings of civil liberty. And the people feeling themselves in no degree relieved from the oppreffion of the ancient government, notwithstanding the system of political liberty recently established---of the excellence of which they heard indeed much, but comprehended little---were loud in their complaints of the misconduct and tyranny of their rulers. The fixed policy of the leading men originally concerned in framing the new form of government, who were perfons of virtue and probity, and, in all probability, far from being fenfible of its imperfections, was, to renounce all ambition of foreign conquefts, and affiduously to cultivate the friendship of Ruffia, the fuperiority of whose power they had so fatally experienced. And the influence of Ruffia continued, with little interruption, to predominate in their counfels till the X 2 * Count Horne is faid to have been the perfon principally concerned in the establishment of this conftitution-a nobleman of unquestionable abi lities and integrity. the meeting of the diet in 1738, when, through the profufion of French gold previously distributed amongft its members, a great majority appeared determined to abandon the alliance of Ruffia, and to enter into a strict connection with the court of Verfailles; which flattered them with the chimerical hope of recovering, by a rupture with the court of St. Petersburg, their long-loft provinces. And, at the instance of the French minifter, war was actually declared by Sweden against Ruffia, without any just reasons, or even plaufible pretences; the real motive on the part of France being, as the queen of Hungary observed in her manifesto, to prevent the czarina from interpofing in the affairs of the empire. This unjust and impolitic war was undertaken by Sweden at a time when the armies of Ruffia were returning triumphant from the Turkish campaigns; and the fuccefs was such as might be reasonably expected. The Swedish army in Finland was deftroyed, and the whole of that country loft. The generals Lewenhaupt and Buddenbroek were facrificed to the fury of a faction. The government of Sweden, alarmed at the rapid progress of the Ruffians, were compelled to folicit a peace, which was granted upon very moderate terms, Ruffia restoring the whole of her conquests, a small district to the eastward of the Kymen only excepted. And, in return, the Swedes renewed their alliance with Ruffia, and agreed to appoint Adolphus Frederic, bishop of Lubec, a prince of the house of Holstein, nearly related to the empress Elizabeth, fucceffor to the prefent king; the young duke of Holstein, grandson of the elder fifter of Ulrica, being destined to the fucceffion of Ruffia, as nephew to the emprefs, on his previous and formal renunciation of all claim to the crown of Sweden. In allufion to this tranfaction, as likewife to the late difpofition of the crown of Poland, the imperial ambaffador at Petersburg obferved to the emprefs, "that he wished his court had found it as eafy to keep poffeffion of kingdoms as it was to Ruffia to give them away." Though Though France had thus, by the perfidy of her own policy, loft one useful ally, fhe made vigorous efforts to indemnify herself by the acquifition of another-the contiguous kingdom of Denmark. From the memorable æra in which the Danes made a voluntary furrender of their ancient liberties to the monarch, the kings of Denmark had been poffeffed of authority not inferior to that of any fovereigns in christendom; and the want of ability rather than of inclination, had fince prevented them from making a more confpicuous figure in the general history of Europe; as they never appeared reluctant or scrupulous in embracing any favorable opportunity of aggrandizement. Christiern V. who acceded to the throne A. D. 1670, waged unsuccessful war with the Swedes, in the vain hope of recovering the beautiful provinces of Halland, Schonen, and Bleking, loft by his father Frederic III. and ceded to Sweden by the treaty of Rofchild, 1658. Chriftiern dying in 1699 was fucceeded by his fon Frederic IV. who joined the confederacy against Charles XII. was befieged by that monarch in his capital, and compelled to submit to the terms dictated by Sweden, under the mediation of England and Helland, at the treaty of Travendahl. After the decline of that monarch's fortunes, Frederic renewed the war, and seized upon the duchies of Bremen, Verden, and Slefwic, the latter of which was guaranteed to Denmark by king George I. in return for the ceffion of the two former to Hanover. This monarch dying A. D. 1730 was succeeded by Christiern VI. a fagacious and pacific prince, who afpired, nevertheless, when the fucceffion to the throne of Sweden was vacant, to revive the ancient and celebrated union of Calmar; and to combine, by an indiffoluble federation, the three Scandina vian kingdoms, into one empire, under one head, in the perfon of his fon. Flattered with the aid and aflistance of France in the accomplishment of this great object of his ambition, he relinquifhed, at this period, the alliance, and refused the fubfidies, of Great Britain, in order to connect himself himself with that rival power. But notwithstanding that the idea of this union was very popular in Sweden, and was fupported by a very strong party in the diet, the oppofing politics of Ruffia proved finally fuccefsful; and the king of Denmark had the good fenfe to defift from the farther profecution of a project which it was become too hazardous to attempt to enforce, although great military preparations had been made for that purpose. But the czarina declared, "that, if the Swedes were attacked, she would affift them with the whole force of her empire. The good underftanding between Denmark and Great Britain was, immediately on the relinquishment of this vifionary scheme, reftored and cemented by the marriage of Frederic, prince royal of Denmark, with Louisa, youngest daughter of his Britannic majefty, which took place towards the conclufion of the prefent year. The king of Denmark furvived this alliance, which was productive of general fatisfaction to the inhabitants of both kingdoms, little more than two years. princefs Mary, third daughter to the king of England, had, at a period fomewhat anterior to the events now related, been married to Frederic, prince of Heffe Caffel, nephew to the king of Sweden, and prefumptive heir to the landgraviate. The At this time admiral Matthews commanded with high reputation the British naval force in the Mediterranean. The Corficans having revolted from the dominion of Genoa, and elected a German adventurer for their fovereign, by the name of king Theodore, were fupported and encouraged by this commander, in revenge for the partiality fhen by the Genoefe to the French and Spanish arms in Italy; though these brave iflanders were, in the fequel, for gotten and abandoned to their fate. Stores having been landed at Civita Vecchia for the ufe of the Spanish army under the count de Gages, the British admiral declared it to be a violation of the neutrality profeffed by his holinefs the POPE, and threatened a bombardment of that city; but defifted in confequence |