There is not any one inference that is fo frequently suggested by the study of hiftory and politics, as the inability of princes to control futurity, and the conftant change of human affairs. An alliance has been formed between

POLAND AND PRUSSIA,

Though it is not yet twenty years fince Frederic II. of Pruffia concerted the difmemberment and partition of that kingdom with Auftria and Ruffia. The Auftrians and Ruffians, who had fo long been confidered as the natural allies and friends, are now greatly eftranged, and indeed we may fafely fay hoftilely difpofed towards England: while the king of Sweden, the ally and almoft the dependent of France, has thrown himself into the arms of Great Britain and the triple alliance. The late revolution has fequeftered France, for a time, from the fyftem of continental politics: but before that event, the court of Verfailles had entered into a fecret treaty, and was fecretly aiding Auftria, the enemy of France for three centuries, to extend her dominion and power, by conquefts on the fide of Turkey. The famous family compact among the branches of the family of Bourbon has probably received its death's-wound. New fentiments, new cares, and new orders, have taken place in,France, and await Spain, Naples, and Parma.

Among the belligerent powers in Europe, the most brilliant part, without doubt, has been acted by the king of Sweden, who had the courage to attack the empress of Ruffia, fortified by the alliance of Auftria and Denmark, and in the career of victory over the Turks. The king has been governed, it would feem, by a maxim of his illuftrious relation, the late king of Pruffia, who fays, that in great affairs no man, however difcouraging the circumstance in which he is placed, needs to be afraid to strike a blow, provided that he does it with courage, and goes on with prudence and perfeverance; friends and conjunctures will arife, which, rightly improved, will carry him through all difficulties. The Swedes, though they have not made any conquests, have yet galled the Ruffians not a little, and fully fuftained the martial renown of the Swedish nation both by fea and land. The activity and perfonal courage of the king in raifing an army of Delecarlians, when he was deferted by fo many of the regular regiments; and in haftening, by a moft rapid journey, almost alone, to forbid the surrender, and to defend GOTTENBURG against the invading Danes, prefaged other inftances of heroifm, when the Danish troops returned within their own confines, and a truce was brought about between the Danes and Swedes, by the interceffion of Pruffia and England. The valour of the king's brother, the Duke of Sudermania, fhone for with equal luftre at sea.

Yet,

Yet, on a review of the conduct of Sweden, in her late attack. on Ruffia, we cannot help doubting whether there was not more of spirit than of military prudence: we mean, not in her making war at all, but in her mode of making it. Had the king of Sweden, instead of encountering the Ruffians at fea, and leadingan. army into the Ruffian territories by a long land-march, delayed the commencement of hoftilities until the Ruffian fleet fhould have failed out of the Baltic, and then moved his troops over in tranfports, under the protection of his ships of war, into Livonia, Lithuania, and Courland, his campaign, one would imagine would in all likelihood have been more productive.

But here again we are to confider, that the king of Sweden. had entered into engagements, and was fubfidized by the Ottoman court, to whom he performed excellent fervice, by crippling and detaining the Ruffian fleet in the Baltic. It must be owned, that it is impoffible for a fpectator to judge with any degree of accuracy concerning the conduct of princes, without being ac quainted with their fecret councils. We readily acknowledge this and we hope by this acknowledgment, and the candour with which we give the pro and the con of every thing, according to appearances, and to mark the varying shades that overcaft the political horizon, will obviate thofe fneers and cavils that many who hear of the fuccefs will be ready to throw out against this monthly fpeculation.-To return to our subject.-Sweden is to be confidered as the ally of

TURKEY,

And Turkey, not yet difpirited or exhaufted, as combined with Sweden, Poland, Pruffia, Holland, and England, in hostile defigns against the ambitious powers of the Ruffians and Auftrians. The movements and military preparations in Poland and Pruffia on the one part, and Gallicia on the other, indicate the approach of a general war in Europe.

Such are prefent appearances; but a few, a very few alter-. ations in the political drama, even a fingle incrient, may totally change the denouement and iffue of the whole. The fate of Europe hangs, perhaps, on the life of one man. His death might turn war into peace. A new order of affairs might probably furnish new matter for uncertain, conjecture and anticipation. Of the illness of the

EMPEROR

we have had, for years, repeated accounts; and the latest of thefe prefage a speedy diffolution. His indifpofition, water in the thorax, is certainly of fuch a nature as defies the power of medicine; and though, by means of palliatives, he may be enabled to prolong a miferable existence for a short period, that

period cannot be extended verylong. It therefore becomes a very natural queftion, What effects would the death of the emperor, in all probability, produce on the face of Europe. And here a new character is introduced on the theatre, whofe mild and gracious afpect announces peace on earth, and good-will towards men.

THE GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY

is diftinguished by all that good-nature which belongs to the Auftrian race. Though his talents are not above mediocrity, yet fincerely defirous of doing good, he employs them to the beft purposes. His code of laws, abolishing capital punishments; prohibiting that remain of barbarity, imprisonment for debt; and breathing, on the whole, a spirit of philanthropy, fhew that this prince is more ambitious of emulating the virtues of an Aurelius than the abilities of a Julius Cefar. The tyrannical measures of his brother, the emperor, refpecting the inhabitants of the Low Countries, he disapproved. He makes no fcruple to condemn the turbulent ambition of Jofeph in plain terms. There is not a doubt but the councils of this prince, on his acceffion to the Auftrian, and perhaps to the Imperial throne, will be wholly pacific. The alliance between the courts of Petersburgh and Vienna would be diffolved; war would be at an end with the Turks; an open rupture with the triple alliance would be obviated; and, what is of the greatest political importance, a voluntary return, perhaps, of the Belgic Provinces, on certain conditions for the security of their privileges, under the amiable reprefentative of the Houfe of Burgundy. We confider this event to be of the greatest political importance, because the growth of a new power, that muft divide and agitate the nations, would be thus prevented. It is not, in this obfervation, implied that the prevention of fuch a power is a thing to be defired, being clearly of opinion that the more the human race is divided into different nations, the more is the energy of the human mind excited and displayed in various talents and virtues; we speak not of what is right in morals, but probable in politics.

Even if the emperor fhould unexpectedly recover fome toler rable fhare of health, and be able to refume the reins of government, which it is faid he has committed to a council, it is not improbable that an attempt would be made to appeafe the Belgic nation, by transferring the fovereignty of the Netherlands from the emperor to fome other member of the House of Auftria. This would be a kind of falvo for the honour of the emperor, and preferve his influence at the fame time in the Low Countries. It was thus that Philip II. of Spain, when he found himfelf unable to fubdue the revolters, transferred the government of the Netherlands to the Archdukes Ferdinand and Ifa

bella.

bella. One practical inference may be drawn from these obfervations by the States-General of the Belgic Provinces. They fhould be very cautious how they give offence to the volunteers and patriots, and all the reasonable and enlightened part of the Belgic nation, by any thing that looks like a defign to retain the fupreme power in their own hands, without confulting the prefent inclinations; and future fecurity of the people. A plain road lies before them, if they are to make an option between a limited monarchy and an ariftocratical tyranny. It is now certain that there will foon be an election of a

KING OF THE ROMANS.

But as there are eight electors, and no provifion is made for the cafe of an equal divifion of votes by the law of the empire, what is to be done if this poffible cafe fhould actually happen? When the choice of an emperor was limited by an imperial edict to a few electors, the number fixed on was feven. This obviated the difficulties of the cafe we have fuppofed; and there were political reasons why there fhould be feven electors rather than feventeen, or any other number. But the reafon alleged by the civilian Bartholus, who drew up the preamble to the edict, is very curious, being entirely cabbaliftical. He fays there fhould be feven electors correfponding to the feven candlesticks in the Revelations, the feven churches, and the feven theological virtues. There were lately nine electors. The death of the Duke of Bavaria has reduced them to eight.

THE KING OF GREAT-BRITAIN,

in order to qualify himself for voting in the election of a King of the Romans, will, in the courfe of the enfuing fummer, appear at an Imperial Diet in Germany. This point is fixed, and preparations are making for his journey. Various circumstances connect this country with Germany more closely than it has been for thirty years past.

SESSIONS OF PARLIAMENT.

There has not been any extraordinary bufinefs carried on hitherto in the prefent feffion of the British parliament. The ufual fubfidies have been voted for the civil and military establishment. The circumftances of the times might, in the opinion of fome, juftify a reduction in both the army and navy. But what almost all are agreed in is, that the Duke of Richmond's additions to the fortifications of Gibraltar, and his fcattered fortifications on the coafts, instead of our centrical fortress in the middle of Jamaica, and one or two more of our islands, is not only a needless, but a most mischievous waste of the public money; because such extended, in place of compact fortifications,

require

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require more troops to man them, and prefent a broader faee and more points of attack to the enemy. Administration are aware of all this, but ftill think it neceffary to humour the æde-mania of the Duke of Richmond. Yet half the public money that is spent upon thefe injudicious projects would attach to the p rfon and views of the minifter three times the fupport that his grace gives to his measures.

It is not probable that Mr. Pitt was fincere in the counte→ nance he gave to Mr. Wilberforce's bill, any more than he was in his own bill for a reform of parliamentary representation. But the hopes held out to the negroes have had fuch effects in the West Indies, that the planters are seriously alarmed, and dread infurrections and murder.

TEST-ACT.

We look forward now to the debates in parliament concerning the teft-act; which will hold a fimilar place among great and interesting debates that the fkirmishes of kites and crows hold among campaigns and battles. What is it the Diffenters complain of? If they be fincere religionists, if their minds be really fet on things above; if they are indifferent to all earthly concerns, and look, according to the profeffion of their faith, with eager expectation, to a city that is to come; who interrupts them in their heavenly career? Have they not the full enjoyment of religious liberty? But if they are more interested in the affairs of earth than in thofe of heaven; if they are lukewarm believers, or, as is faid, freethinkers, Why do they startle at ceremonies which are at least innocent? Does any man pretend to have more sense than Julius Cefar? Yet Cefar, who was a freethinker, did not hesitate to accept the office of PONTIFEX, MAXIMUS. The Diffenters are active, able, ambitious, closelyunited, and perfevering in their pursuits. Their great delight, fince they are not allowed to build up, is to pull a noble edifice to pieces. Let them be once vefted with the executive, and they will carry their inroads into the legislative government.

THE TRIAL OF MR. HASTINGS,

which was at first an object of curiofity, then of ridicule, and afterwards of ennui and disgust, begins now to excite sentiments of indignation. The character of Mr. Haftings has stood the teft of a fevere inquifition. This is univerfally acknowledged; while every mouth is full of the refentments and the political views that hath urged a disappointed and defperate party against

him.

Communications for THE ENGLISH REVIEW are requefied to be fent to Mr. MURRAY, No. 32, Fleet-ftreet, London; where Subfcribers for this Monthly Performance are refpe&fully defired to give in their Names.

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