were carried on, in 1785, against the trade of all nations, except the English, with more than ufual fury. The Spaniards, in order to conciliate the protection of the Sublime Port, fent magnificent and rich prefents to the Grand Seignior. The corfairs paid as little regard to the injunctions of the Porte, as they did to the threats, the military preparations and attempts of the Spaniards. A fea-faring life, and the profeffion of piracy, has nourished, among the Moors, a vigour of chara&er not to be found among any other of the votaries of Mahomet, whofe religious enthufiafm has given way to time, and the more fteady and permanent operation of a luxuriant climate. RUSSIA. The policy of the emprefs appears to be, to maintain peace with her weftern neighbours, and to extend her fway over the feebler nations of the east. In the course of 1785 we find her, agreeably to this plan, fupporting the revolted prince of Georgia, building arfenals, fhips, and towns, and inviting trade to the Crimea, by opening free ports on the Danube and the Neifter, while the obferves peace with the Danes, the Pruffians, the Swedes, the Free Towns of Germany, and particularly cultivates a good correfpondence with the Emperor of Germany. GERMANY. There is not a country in Europe in which there is, on the whole, at this day, fuch a nerve of virtue and gene al improvement, as Germany. Commerce has very much enervated the maritime nations of fouthern Europe; and northern Europe is damped with cold, froft, and barbarifm: for the genial fun of the court of Petersburgh has not yet been able, in any great degree to melt thefe away in the vaft Ruffian empire; and Sweden and Denmark feem only to drag their fluggish fhips through feas and bays half ftagnating with ice, to fhores benumbed with cold and arbitrary power. In Germany we find foldiers, husbandmen, manufacturers, artifts, and philofophers, purfuing, all of them, their refpective employments and ftudies, with patient, fteady, and fuccefsful ardour. The ambition of the emperor has raifed against itself, in the courfe of the year under review, a ftrong bulwark, in a confederacy entered into by the King of Pruffia, the Elector of Saxony, the Duke of Deux-Ponts no inconfiderable power of himfelf, and heir to both branches of the Palatine family, the houfe of Brunswick, Heffe, Saxe-Gotha, the Prince of Anhalt, the Margrave of Anfpach, with other inferior powers that follow the counfels and fortunes of thefe leading affociates. The emperor pursues, with fteadinefs, and with no inconfiderable degree of fuccefs, the arts of peace; and this is not the age for making conquefts in Europe by arms. The Scheldt continues fhut towards the fea. Heavy contributions have, however, been raised upon the Dutch; fome forts and fmall territories have been ceded to the emperor; conceffions more important in their confequences than in themselves; they are an invitation to future encroachments, rather than than a gratification of prefent views. A very confiderable, and increafing trade, is carried on from Triefte to the Levant, and to Africa. The unhallowed trade of carrying flaves to the West Indies and America, has been grafped, as well as other branches of commerce, by the Imperialifts. The port of Offend, though widened, is not capable of a bulky, 'The trade here, though well enough adapted for a neat commerce. which flourished very much during the late war, has, in the course But, though it is not fo conof 1785, been obferved to decay. fiderable as it was during the war, it is much greater than it was before it and it has revived, in a very confiderable degree, a fpring of industry and adventure in the towns and villages of the Auftrian Netherlands. In these provinces, which have ftill retained, after witneffing fo many fieges, and battles, and political revolutions, a very high degree of civil liberty, the fertile foil is cultivated with infinite care and fkill, by a virtuous race of men, among whom the ground is parcelled out in lots, generally not exceeding fifty acres. A law has lately been paffed, by the States of Brabant, and, after their example, by the other provinces, limiting farms, at their utThe land is cultimost extent, to one hundred and fifty acres. vated by the induftrious hands who reap its fruits, who beflow an attention on every corner of their fields, employing the fpade and hoe in cultivating spots inacceffible to the plough. Population has thus been prodigioufly increafed in the Netherlands, and ftill continues to increase. Eafy taxes, perfect liberty, and fecurity of property, with abundance of all things at low prices, neceffary to life, render the Netherlands a fcene fit for all the mechanical arts. linen manufacture, that of lace, porcelain, tapestry, with fome remains of the iron, or rather copper, in Limbourg, and fome of the Walloon provinces, are ftill carried on, though faintly, in compariIt was not to be wondered fon of their former profperous ftate. that the emperor fhould conceive the project, and endeavour to reftore thefe provinces, by opening of the Scheldt, the THAMES of the Low-Countries, to the prerogatives of Nature, and their ancient fplendour. In this attempt, even the unconcerned fpectator, from a regard to ancient times, and a fenfe of natural right, wifhed him fucceis. But, in the courfe of 1785, the flemings faw all the movements of their beloved prince, towards this object, rendered abortive. Antwerp viewed the Scheldt rolling his deep and ferene tide by the foot of her walls into the ocean, of which, from her lofty battlements, fhe had a diflant profpect, and yet was forced to abandon, with deep regret, thofe commercial enterprizes to which The had begun to raife her views, with hope, and with exultation. EMPIRE. The The revolt of the Prince of Georgia, the movements of the new prophet, who has lately teen fent to purify, by blood, the Mahom medan medan faith; the fortifications of the Ruffians on the Black Sea; the demands of the Emperor, not yet refused, respecting Wallachia, and other parts of the Auftrian frontier; the liberty he has obtained of fending goods down by the Danube, and navigating the Black Sea; all thefe circumftances befpeak, in the strongeft language, the humiliation of the Turkish empire. In the decline of states, there is equal danger from internal infurrection, and foreign invafion; the relaxation of government equally encouraging both. If the encroachments of the Ruflians and Auftrians upon the Turkish domiminions are continued, and become more and more rapid, the Divan will be exceedingly puzzled, between a dread of foreign arms and domeftic tumults. For the barbarous populace, who, amidst all the weaknels of government, ftill retain much of their ftupid pride and infolence, incapable of penetrating into the debility of the ftate, and enraged at the conceffions made to Chriftians, will be in a temper to turn their fury, not against their enemies, but against the vizir, the captain pacha, and other officers of the crown; perhaps, against the Grand Seignior himfelf. Some great convulfion feems, therefore, to threaten the Ottoman empire. The Porte appears only to have this alternative; either to turn the fury of its fubjects against their enemies; or to futtain it, itfelf. In the courfe of 1785, ftronger fymptoms of diffatisfaction and contempt of the court have been manifefted among the fubjects of the Porte, than had appeared for many years before, occafioned by the neighbouring colony of the Rubians in the Crimea. It is in order to divert this fpirit of diffatisfaction, as fome conjecture, and to encourage an enthusiasm that may be turned to the advantage of the state, that the Divan has connived at the mad fallics of the new prophet. But this is, perhaps, a policy of too bold a nature for the prefent councils of Conftantinople. HOUSE OF BOURBON. The houfe of Bourbon never difplayed its power, its addrefs, its influence and authority, in the councils of nations, fo much, at any period, as in 1785. France, the elder branch, and the head of that powerful family, harmoniously fupported, in all her schemes, by the other branches, mediated, or rather dictated, a peace between the Emperor and the States General of the United Provinces - both of them powers, by fituation, as well as by ancient and repeated hoftilities, naturally her enemies. She maintained, and even extended, her influence in the councils of the Sublime Porte, from which the obtained, for herself, new commercial advantages, while, at the fame time, fhe cultivated a good correfpondence with the grand enemies of the Porte, the Ruffians. She negotiated, and still negotiates with the courts of Petersburgh, of London, and of Lifbon, for privileges of commerce. She relinquifhed the droits d'Aubaine, whereby the goods of foreigners reiding in France, the Swils and Scotch excepted, efcheated to the crown; and invited men, of all religions, kindreds, and languages, to fettle in her dominous with the privileges and rights of natural citizens. At At the fame time that the promoted among her neighbours, and pursued herself, the views and arts of peace, the continued to keep up a standing army, and to itrengthen her fleet, already formidable. Her neighbours, obfequious to her fway, or occupied fufficiently with their own affairs, faw her preparations without oppofing them; and, as far as we know, without even remonftrating against them. The councils of France, indeed, are apparently pacific; and fhe will, no doubt, be very well pleased to maintain the peace, as long as, by intrigue, negotiation, and the authority of her name, fhe can dictate in the affairs of Europe. By a strict treaty, and by affinity, France is, at this day, intimately connected with her ancient rival, the house of Auftria, with whom he had been at variance for a period of near three hundred years. She is alfo at peace, and almoft in unity, with the United Provinces, whom he had fo often fought to reduce. Here, then, is a face of affairs entirely new. But, it is probable, that fome of thofe accidents, which for ever vary the fcene of the world, will foon rekindle jealoufies between the great rivals Auftria and Bourbon, although the fituation of Europe may prevent thefe from breaking immediately out into open hoftilities. THE UNITED PROVINCES. The Seven United Provinces have, in the courfe of 1785, exhibited the moft unequivocal proofs of deep decline. They were torn with inteftine difcord; they were directed in all things by the councils and authority of France their most formidable enemy; and forced to redeem Maeftricht, with its adjacent territory, at the expence of an immense tribute to the Emperor In the predominancy of the Louvestein faction, we trace the arts of France, as well as her authority, in the pacification between the Dutch and Auftrians. The matter in difpute between the Stadtholder and the States General, appears to be brought to a crifis, by that prince's withdrawing himself from the Hague; but how the French fhall be pleafed to decide concerning it, time has not yet difcovered. Another proof of the devotion of the Dutch to the French, is the prefent they made to the heirs of the power and ambition of Lewis XIV. of two fhips of the line. Miferable complaifance! to prefent fetters for themselves, to the tyrant who only looks forward to a fit opportunity of impofing them. Although we have learned, both from books and converfation. that the origin, progress, and termination of the late difpute between the Dutch and the Emperor have been very generally understood, we conceive it poffible that fome of our readers may have been mifled in their conclufions on that ubject. We fhall, therefore, give a brief state of the matter, from which it will appear, that the Emperor did not make any claims on the Dutch in oppofition to treaties; and that the latter have not made any conceffions to the Empefor degrading in the eye of justice, however they may appear humiliating in that of political ambitiop, The The Republic of the United Provinces had not only extended their territories beyond the Scheldt and the Meufe, the natural boundaries that feparate the provinces from Flanders and Brabant, but had alfo obtained the fingular prerogative of placing garrifons in many of their frontier cities within the bounds of the Austrian Netherlands. Holland, alarmed at the dangerous vicinity of France, had very early difcovered the importance of keeping the catholic provinces,between that kingdom and the Republic, for a protection to her own ftate against France; and, with this view, readily fuccoured thofe provinces when they were invaded by Lewis XIV. The apprehenfions of the Republic were increafed, when the pretenfions of the houfe of Bourbon, in confequence of the will of Charles II. of Spain, to the fucceffion of that kingdom, threatened to join the frontier of France to that of the States; and, acordingly, fhe gave a more firm fupport than they had done before to that grand alliance which was formed for oppofing the domination of the family of Bourbon. The Republic at the treaty of Utrecht, in order to render the Auftrian Neitherlands a stronger bulwark to her own provinces against French encroachment, ftipulated, that certain cities on their fouthern frontier towards France, fhould be afligned as Barrier Cities, and that thefe fhould be garrifoned only by the troops of the States General. It appeared extremely humiliating to the Catholic Provinces of the Netherlands, that fome of their principal cities were to be garrifoned by the troops of a foreign power, and of a power too which had exhibited, by the fhutting up of the Scheldt, and other articles of the peace of Muniter, fo great, and, as it were, malignant a jealoufy of their profperity. But their oppofition to the Barrier-treaty was vain against the united power of Holland and England. Tournay, Menin, Ypres, with other cities fituated on the fouthern confines of the Auftrian Provinces, and forming one continued chain of fortreffes, were affigned as Barrier Cities against France, were garri foned with Dutch forces; and the expence of maintaining them was to be defrayed by the catholic provinces. The prefent fovereign of thefe provinces took other measures for freeing them from the degradations in which they were held, and the conftant expence under which they laboured in confequence of the peace of Utrecht. In the war carried on against the Netherlands by Lewis XV. the Barrier Cities, poorly defended by the Dutch, were reduced by the fuperior arms of France, and for the most part difamantled, before they were, by the treaty of Aix-la Chapelle, retored to their fovereigns. The Republic, not having fulfilled the article by which the had engaged to repair the fortifications of the Barrier Cities, the Emperor affirmed, with justice, that he was no longer bound to maintain the garritons of Holland, in places which in war were abfolutely untenable; and these garrifons, in confe. quence of the remonftrances and military preparations of the Emperor, evacuated the Barrier Cities. The encroachments of the Dutch on the Auftrian territories, beyond the bounds marked out by treaties, had been, by the late pacification, restrained: And the forts which they had built on ufurped ground thrown down. The City of Maettricht was retained by the Hollanders against an exprefs |