with their malevolence. But what I do not pre. sume to censure, I may have leave to lament.

For a wise man, he seemed to me to be governed too much by general maxims. One or two of these maxims, flowing from an opinion not the most indulgent to our unhappy species, and surely a little too general, led him into measures that were greatly mischievous to him. self; and for that reason, among others, perhaps fatal to his country; measures, the effects of which I am afraid are for ever incurable. He made an administration so checkered and speckled; he put together a piece of joinery sa crossly indented and whimsically dove-tailed; a cabinet so variously inlaid; such a piece of diversified mosaic, such a tesselated pavement without cement; here a bit of black stone, and there a bit of white: patriots and courtiers king's friends and republicans; whigs and tories; treacherous friends and open enemies; that it was indeed a very curious show, but utterly unsafe to touch, and unsure to stand on. The colleagues whom he had assorted at the same boards stared at each other, and were obliged to ask, "Sir, your name," &c. It so happened, that persons had a single office divided between them, who had never spoken to each other in their lives; until they found themselves, they knew not how, pigging together, heads and points in the same truckle bed.

In consequence of this arrangement, having put so much the larger part of his enemies and opposers into power, the confusion was such, that his own principles could not possibly

have any effect or influence in the conduct of af. fairs. If ever he fell into a fit of the gout, or if any other cause withdrew him from public cares, principles directly contrary were sure to predominate. When he had executed his plan, he had not an inch of ground to stand upon. When he had accomplished his scheme of administration, he was no longer a minister.

When his face was hid but for a moment, his whole system was on a wide sea, without chart or compass. The gentlemen, his particular friends, in various departments of ministry, with a confidence in him which was justified, even in its extravagance, by his superior abilities, had never in any instance presumed on any opinion of their own. Deprived of his guiding influence, they were whirled about, the sport of every gust, and easily driven into any port. And as those who joined with them in manning the ves sel, were the most directly opposite to his opinions, measures, and character, and far the most artful and most powerful of the set, they easily prevailed, so as to seize upon the most vacant, unoccupied, and derelict minds of his friends, and instantly they turned the vessel wholly out of the course of his policy. As if it were to insult as well as to betray him, even long before the close of the first session of his administration, when every thing was publicly transacted, and with great parade, in his name, they made an act, declaring it highly just and expedient to raise a revenue in America. For even then, even before the splendid orb was entirely set, and while the western horizon was in a blaze with

his descending glory, on the opposite quarter of the heavens arose another luminary (Charles Townshend) and for his hour became lord of the ascendant, who was officially the re-producer of the fatal scheme, the unfortunate act to tax America for a revenue.

CHAP. XC.

Peter the Third, Emperor of Russia, is Deposed, Imprisoned, and Murdered. A. D.

1762.

PETER III. grand prince of Russia, and duke of Holstein, mounted the throne, possessed of an enthusiastic admiration of his Prussian majesty's virtues, to whom he gave peace, and whose principles and practices he seems to have adopted, as the directories of his future reign. He might have surmounted the effects even of those peculiarities, unpopular as they then were in Russia; but in his rage for innovation, he made more regulations in a few weeks, than a prudent prince would have hazarded in a long reign. Being of a rash and irregular turn of mind, he in many instances shocked the prejudices of his people, even while he consulted their interests.

He disgusted both the soldiery and clergy, the two chief supports of absolute sway; the former, by the manifest preference which he gave to his Holstein guards, and to all officers of that

country; the latter, by his contempt of the Greek church, and certain innovations in regard to images, which made them apprehend the introduction of Lutheranism, in which he had been bred; but more especially, by an attempt to moderate the revenues of ecclesiastics, and his order that they should no longer be "distinguished by beards.”

These were great causes of discontent. But Peter's most dangerous misfortune arose from a domestic feud, from the bosom of his own family. He had long slighted his consort, Catharine, of the house of Anhalt Zerbst, a woman of a masculine disposition and strong understanding, by whose counsels he might have profited, and now openly lived with the countess of Woronzoff, niece to the chancellor of that name. To this lady he seemed to be devoted with so strong a passion, that it was generally believed he had some thoughts of throwing the empress into a convent, and raising the countess to a partnership of his throne.

The dissatisfied part of the nobility, clergy, and chief officers of the army, taking advantage of this domestic dissention, assembled, and for. mally deposed the czar in his absence, and invested Catharine with the imperial ensigns. She marched at their head in quest of her husband, who was solacing himself with his mistress at one of his houses of pleasure, and expressed the utmost surprize at being told the sceptre was departed from him. When convinced of the fatal truth, he attempted to escape to Holstein, but was seized and thrown into prison, where

he expired in a few days, of what is called an hemorrhoidal cholic, to which he was said to have been subject. After what had passed, his death occasioned no speculation. It was, indeed, an event universally expected. Princes dethroned by their subjects, are seldom allowed to languish long in the gloom of a dungeon. The jealousy of the successor, or the fears of some principal conspirator, commonly cut short their moments of trouble.

Catharine II. since so much celebrated for her liberal policy, began her reign with flattering prejudices. Though a foreigner herself, she wisely dismissed all foreigners from her service and confidence. She sent away the Holstein guards, and chose Russians in their stead. She revived their ancient uniform which had been abolished by Peter III. and frequently condescended to appear in it. She restored to the clergy their revenues; and, what was of no less importance, the privilege of wearing beards! She conferred all the great offices of state on native Russians, and threw herself entirely on the affections of that people to whom she owed her elevation.

CHAP. XCI.

The History of the late unfortunate Matilda, Queen of Denmark.

CHRISTIAN VII. the present king of Denmark, married his Britannic majesty's youngest