by the bigotted members, and partiticularly the metropolitans of the former; who regarded the Christians of the Catholic communion with much greater abhorrence than they did the Mahometans, or any race of infidels, among whom they were fcattered. The effects of this mortal antipathy have ever been difplayed, in every part of Afia, even to the remoteft Eaft, where the Armenian clergy had fufficient influence with the government, either to raise a perfecution or to procure any other means of obftructing the progrefs of their fellow Chriftians. The prefent patriarch of that church, befides being blinded by his fanaticifm, being by nature exceffively cruel, carried on a perfecution against his unfortunate countrymen, the Catholic Armenians, which ferved, in fome degree, to recal the memory of thofe that had diftin guifhed the early ages of Chriftianity. It feems that this man, being enabled to make large prefents to fome of the minifters, had acquired fuch intereft at court, that his wretched countrymen, being no objects of concern with them, (and it being befides a general maxim of government, never to interfere in the religious difputes of Chriftians) were abandoned entirely to his mercy. The gallies, and the moft infectious dungeons, were filled with thefe miferable people, where, his influence ftill following them, they were.continually beaten and tormented by their inhuman mafters or keepers, who were happy to be paid for gratifying their native and habitual cruelty; at the fame time, that thofe of condition and opulence were glad to fly their country, and abandon a great part of their VOL. XXVII. that effects, in order to escape the perfecution. One of the Chriftian minifters refident at the Porte, touched with the calamities of these people, thought thefe tranfactions fo inconfiftent with the natural beneficence of the grand fignior's mind, and his abhorrence of all manner of cruelty, that, well judging the perfecution was carried on without his knowledge, he took an opportunity of laying a full ftate of all the particulars before him. Nothing could exceed the aftonishment and regret fhewn by the emperor upon this information. He immediately iffued an order, that the unhappy victims fhould be reftored to their liberty, and ample fatisfaction made for their effects; and, not fatisfied with curing the prefent evil, he iffued an ordinance, forbidding that any perfon whatever fhould in future be perfecuted, in any part of the Turkish empire, on account of religious principles; and declaring, that he would have the Roman Catholics particularly refpected, and that they fhould enjoy in the fulleft manner the liberty of exercising their religion. The pacific difpofition of the Porte, and the terms propofed in confequence of it, were of no avail in bringing about an accommodation with her two great and ambitious neighbours. Their demands appeared fo exorbitant, that it became a question, even with the wife and moderate, whether it were not better at once to put every thing to the hazard, than to be trained on through degrading conceffions to a ftate of imbecility, which would not leave them the means or power of even rendering their fall glorious. The demands made by Ruffia were [C] faid faid to be no less than the full poffeffion of the Crimea, the isle of Taman, the Cuban, and Budziac Tartary, with the fortrefs of Ockzacow, and other ceffions of lefs importance. On the part of the em→ peror, befides Imaller matters, was required the full reftitution of all that had been ceded by the treaty of Belgrade, including that city itfelf, with a confiderable part of the provinces of Walachia, Servia, and Bolnia; thefe ceffions to be followed by fuch a demarcation of li. mits, as would afford a fatisfactory frontier for their future fecurity; the free navigation of the Danube, and of the Turkish feas, being in all cafes to be confidered as a preliminary, from which there was no receding. All fides prepared for the most decifive holility, and the preparations were immenfe on all. The year 1783 accordingly exhibited fuch an apparatus of war on the northern and eastern borders of Europe, as had never before been beheld, even in those martial regions. The Danube groaned, through the better part of his courfe, under the weight of the prodigious artillery, and the immenfe quantities of ammunition and provifion, which the emperor forwarded from his hereditary flates to the frontiers. The troops which he had already in Hun gary, and the adjoining provinces, were estimated at more than 130,000, and others were advancing from different quarters. The artillery which he now fent to frontiers that were at all times well provided with that article, was eftimated at more than 1500 pieces. Indefatigable in all his purfuits, he vifited Hungary and the adjoining provinces early in the fummer, and examined perfonally the ftate of the garrifons, magazines, lines, and armies. The Ruffian forces were at the fame time advancing through different parts of Poland, and through all the countries from the Don to the Nieper, towards the scene of action. Their preparations were, as ufual, immenfe; that government never hefitating at any expence, with refpect to labour, men, or the means of fupply in war. On the other hand, the Porte had drawn great bodies of their Afiatic troops into Europe; fo that their armies on the frontiers, or the ap proach to them, already exceeded 150,000 men. Their Janiffaries and European troops were in good condition; and their armies in general were better provided, and upon a much better footing, than they had been in the late war. They had procured a great number of European officers, particularly French, to come into their service; among these were feveral engineers, and they were indefatigable in the im provement of their artillery, and in endeavouring to introduce the Euro pean modes of difcipline, clothing, and arms, in their armies. The Janiffaries and foldiers fhewed, upon this occafion, a docility which had never been expected from them: indeed the bigotry and prejudices even of the common people were vifibly wearing away; fo powerful are the effects which misfortunes, joined with the example of their rulers, can produce in the manners and tempers of men. The captain bafhaw, who was the life of all their military improvements, as well by land as on his own element, had formed fuch a marine on the Black Sea, as to be far fuperior to the Ruffian naval force in that quarter. He had likewife a confiderable fleet for the Archipelago and Mediterranean fervice; but that was the Ottoman weak fide; and they feemed to dread Ruffia more there than on any other. A treaty of fome fort or other, but whether of commerce, alliance, or both, we are not well informed, was about this time concluded between Spain and the Porte. It was, however, ftrongly reported, that the great object of this treaty on one fide, was an engagement entered into by the other, that no Ruffian fleet, beyond a certain fpecified number, fhould in future be permitted to enter the Mediterranean on terms of hoftility. However this may be, the Porte, furrounded almoft as the was by her formidable enemies, had ftill one confolation in referve. She knew, that as France was now difengaged from the war with England, the would not be abandoned to abfolute deftruction by all the western powers. Nor was it to be fuppofed, that the king of Pruffia, or even Sweden, could have been filent or inactive fpectators of fo great an acceffion of power, as the fpoils of the Ottoman empire would afford, to their already too formidable neighbours. At all events, the Porte prepared vigoroufly for war. No details being given by those who have the only means of accurate information of the tranfactions on the fide of Crimea, and the different Tartaries, it is exceedingly difficult to form any thing like a con. nected narrative, from fcraps of information occafionally picked up, and where, being frequently left entirely in the dark, the events can only be explained by their more ftriking and public confequences. It appears upon the whole, from this fort of lights, that the Ruffians had, in fome part of the preceding year, entirely defeated the new Khan of the Crimea, and obliged him to abandon the peninfula; that his party were either difperfed or fubdued; and that the conquerors had made themselves mafters of all the confiderable fortreffes and ports of that country. That, befides fubduing the Cubar, and other neighbouring Tartars, they had extended their power over no fmall part of the mountains of Caucafus, towards the borders of Georgia and Armenia, the petty states in those parts becoming their vaffals, under the name of receiving their protection. That Solomon, the Chriftian prince of Mingrelia, being restored to his principality by their affiftance, submitted to the same state of vaffalage; which, in fact, was no more than changing his afters; his country having been, from time immemorial, under a fimilar subjection to the Turks. The prince Heraclius of Georgia, ever watchful of occafions of advantage, having, during the late war, feized the double opportunity of the troubles in Perfia, and the weakness of the Porte, to renounce his fealty to both powers, had of courfe entered into a ftrict alliance with Ruffia. It is to be observed, that the Ruffian accounts have conftantly misreprefented this bufinefs, they ftating, that the prince Heraclius, as well as Solomon, had, at his own defire, become a vassal to the emprefs. The fact is however otherwife. Heraclius was too ftrongly fortified in the faftnefs of his country, and at too far a dif tance, to be compelled to fuch a measure; and he was too proud and too wife to become a flave without occafion. He had, through the courfe of no fhort life, bravely encountered, and fortunately furmounted, many and great dangers, to fave or to free his country from the lowest degradation of abject vaffalage. He has happily fucceeded in obtaining for it, and for himself (though by a precarious tenure) a freedom as perfect as unexpected. He could be little difpofed to refign it now, who, through the weakness of his two fuperior lords, even while he acknowledged their dominion, had for many years been in the habit of letting his fealty and allegiance hang very loofely about him. This war in the Crimea had not proceeded without difficulties, although the particulars of them are not publicly known. The Ruffian manifefto, which was published as a juftification to the world of her conduct in taking poffeffion of the Crimea, ftates the expences of the war at twelve millions of roubles, (which does not fall far fhort of three millions sterling) and seems to confider that expence as a foundation for one of the emprefs's claims upon that country. The fame piece, in ftating the lofs of lives upon the occafion, obferving that their value is ineftimable, refrains accordingly from giving an account of the number. In the mean time, the Ruffian khan abdicated his throne, and transferred the fuppofed right to the dominion of his country to the emprefs. This was no lefs than an abfolute fale of a people and their country, the khan receiving confiderable eftates in Ruffia for the pur. chafe. It feems remarkable, that neither this abdication nor purchase are fpecified as affording any title or claim to Ruffia upon the country; nor indeed are they at all taken notice of in the manifefto. In that piece, which is figned by the emprefs, and dated at Peteriburgh on the 8th of April, 1783, (although it did not make its appearance until late in the fummer) the Crimea, the Cuban, and the ifland of Taman, are declared to be for ever annexed to her dominions. It ftates, that the great fucceffes which enabled Ruffia to fubdue the Crimea in the late war, and to have retained it, if fhe had fo chofen, at the peace, would have afforded her a full right to its dominion. But that, and many other conquests, were facrificed to her defire of eftablifhing the public tranquillity, and the friendship between the two empires, upon the most permanent foun dations. That thefe motives had induced her to ftipulate for the freedom and independence of the Tartars, as the means of cutting off every poffible caufe of future dif fenfion. The failure of this defign, and all the fubfequent troubles of the Crimea, are partly attributed to the fecret infinuations and conduct of a certain unnamed (but well underflood) power, in fomenting the difcontents, partly to the restlefs temper of the Tartar nation, and partly to their being fo long accustomed to fervitude, that the greater part of the people were incapable of underftanding or enjoying the benefits of that freedom and independence, which had been obtained for them. To indemnify Ruffia for the expence of money and blood she had already been at, to prevent fimilar confe quences quences in future, for the prefervation of the public tranquillity, and to remove all caufes of farther con. tention between the two empires, were held out to be the objects of the prefent measure. The Tartars were affured that they fhould be placed upon an equality with the ancient fubjects of Ruffia, and that they fhould enjoy the most abfolute liberty of confcience, with the full exercife of their public worship and religious ceremonies. This manifefto was anfwered by the Porte in fo masterly a manner, both with refpect to ftyle and matter, that it might be confidered as a model for fuch documents. After pointing out, and feverely animadverting upon, the encroaching difpofition, and the over-ruling fpirit, of the court of Petersburgh, and examining and invalidating the pretended claims upon the Crimea, it proceeds to expofe, in a very ftriking point of view, that wantonnefs of power, and inordinacy of ambition, which could extend them to the Cuban, to the ifle of Taman, and to the fovereignty of the Black Sea. It puts the queftion, What pretenfion of right can Ruffia have to territories annexed for ages to the dominions of the Porte? Would not fuch claims on any part of the Ruffian empire be inftantly repulfed? And can it be prefumed that the Sublime Porte, however defirous of peace, will acquiefce in wrong, which, however it may be difguifed by ambition under the colour of policy, reafon and equity muft deem abfolute ufurpation: What northern power has the Porte offended? Whofe territories have the Ottoman troops invaded? In the country of what prince is the Turkish standard difplayed? Con tent with the boundaries of empire affigned by God and the Prophet, the wishes of the Porte are for peace; but if the court of Ruffia be determined in her claims, and will not recede, without acquifitions of territory which do not belong to her, appealing to the world for the juftice of its proceedings, the Sublime Porte muft prepare for war, relying on the decrees of Heaven, and confident in the interpofition of the Prophet of Prophets, that he will protect his faithful followers in the hour of every difficulty. In the midft of all thefe appearances of war, and preparations for it, negociations for a peace, under the mediations of France, were continually carried on at Conftantinople; and the people of that capital were forbidden, under the fevereft penalties, from holding any difcourfe whatever upon the fubject or defign of the vaft armaments, by fea and land, which were inceffantly making or paffing before their eyes. It was obfervable, that although. the preparations for immediate war made by the emperor, at leaft equalled, if they did not exceed in magnitude thofe of Ruffia, yet the apprehenfions of the Porte feemed principally to lie the other way, and their greateft efforts were directed to that fide. It is not impoffible but they retained hopes, that if things proceeded to abfolute extremity with the one, means might be used to mollify the other, by fuch large conceffions as neceffity might then dictate, and it would be their intereft to make. The bathaw of Belgrade, and their other commanders on the frontiers, were accordingly inftructed, not only to refain from all things which [C] 3 could |