* The weight and bulk of the NATIONAL DEBT computed 22. HISTORICAL AFFAIRS. A fummary of the public affairs of last year 1.-8. - Foreign affairs, Number of people in Four new fpecies of PLANE-TREES 24. Sweden 41. A dangerous kind of enthu-An effay to find the distance from the FIRST fiafm in Denmark 42. The King of Spain to the Bishop of Cuenca 46. American affairs. European goods difcouraged 48. and irregularities 49. ·Englife affairs. On fhortening courtmournings 51. Addreffes ib. Order for fix fmugglers to furrender ib. Extract from the act on which the order is founded 52. Acts paffed 53. Manner of preparing SALEP 8. The DOCTRINE and DISCIPLINE of the church of Scotland defended, in answer to A. B. S. D. and Philanthropos 9.-20. Preparations for obferving the TRANSIT of VENUS. The Emprefs of Ruffia to the Petersburg academy 20. M. Ramousky to Mr Short 21. Authentic opinion concerning INOCULA TION 21. HARVEST-SURVEYING proposed 23. MERIDIAN 24. FACTS relating to America 25. 30. SUTTONIAN method for fevers 32. NEW BOOKS, with remarks, &c. 37. POETRY. Vacation 33. The new-year ode 34 Epitaph on a mother and fifter ib. Apollo difappointed ib. Lady M. W. M.'s verfes in a garden ib. The statecoach 35. Want, an ode 36. Lady M. W. M.'s man in love ib. A moral reflection ib. LISTS, &c. Marriages, Births, Deaths, and Preferments 54, 5. Number of patients laft year in the Edinburgh and Aberdeen infirmaries 56. Amount of linen stamped for fale laft year in Scotland ib. Edinburgh mortality-bill ib. Prices of corn ib A fummary or recapitulation of the PUBLIC AFFAIRS of the year 1767. D Uring the last year we heard little of the rebellion in the ifland of Cyprus, and nothing about that in Egypt, which two gave the TURKISH government a good deal of uneafinets in 1766. Ano ther rebellion had been fet on foot by Heraclius, one of the chief princes of Georgia, between the Cafpian and Black feas, where the inhabitants are profeffors of the Chriftian religion, according to the principal tenets and practices of the Eaftern or Greek church. Having been long obliged, as a part of their tribute, to furnish the Grand Signior's feraglio yearly with a number of beautiful virgins, for which their country is famous, VOL. XXX. they wished to have that custom abolished, as fcandalous to their religion, and fhocking to thofe concerned in the girls on whom the unhappy lot fell of being made fuch victims. Prince Heraclius, a man of an enterprifing genius, having first learned the art of war himlelf by travelling in Europe, and sent a number of his best vaffals thither for the fame purpofe, took the field in 1765, with a powerful army. In 1766 he gained confiderable advantages over the Turks, one of which was the taking of Trebifonde, a city of Natolia. When that year was well advanced, there were accounts of a Turkish army of 60 000 men being on march against him through the Leffer A fia, while another confiderable body was in readiness to be tranfported along the Black fea, in order to cut off his retreat. Advices pofterior to those bore, that Pr. Heraclius had proposed to the Grand Signior an amnesty for himself and his affociates, on which condition they would fubmit to take the oath of fidelity, and to pay an annual tribute in money only; but that his Sublime Highnels refufed to make peace with the Georgians, on any other terms than their delivering up the Prince, to be fent to Conftantinople. According to the advices of last year, the Porte had agreed to conclude a peace with those people, on condition of their paying to the Grand Signior a yearly tribute of 18,000 piaftres, and delivering up to him twenty-four of their young native maidens; but it was thought this latter part, with refpect to natives of their own country, would not be complied with. It is to be here obferved, that they could eafily purchase young girls from elsewhere, such a trade being common in thofe parts. We had fubfequent accounts of Pr. Heraclius being at Vienna; then in Holland; and of his fending a prefent of fix beautiful camels to Paoli, general of the Corficans, with a fhort letter full of the glow of Oriental fentiments and ftyle. By latest advices of laft year, the Porte had received authentic information of another intended infurrection of the Georgians, and a Turkish army was on march towards the Black fea. There were accounts early in the year, that the states of Tripoli, Tunis, Algier, and Morocco, had pofitively refuted to pay tribute to the Porte; faying, they had no need of its protection, and infiit ing on their independency. POLAND furnished a number of hiftorical articles worth notice, throughout the whole of last year. A fhort recapitulation of preceding events is neceffary, to make thofe within that period be understood.. -Adecree had been made by the convocation-diet in 1764, during the inter-reign immediately before the elec. tion of his present Polish Maj-ty, in regard to all diflenters from the RomanCatholic religion, which more than any former one abridged the free exercife of their religion, and wholly excluded them from all posts and places under the government. That decree was confirmed by the coronation-diet beld after the election, notwithstanding remonftran ces by the courts of Petersburg and Berlin, backed by the influence of G. Britain and Denmark, to all which powers the Diffidents had applied for their good offices in the cafe. We had advice in 1765, that fomewhat was done, in a ju- dicial way, favourable to the Diffidents of Great Poland; but these were still in a confined and precarious way, and their civil privileges throughout the whole kingdom remained to be quite annihilated. An ordinary diet affembled, at Warfaw, the 6th of October 1766. Declarations by the courts of Petersburg, London, Berlin, and Copenhagen, were on that occafion prefented to his Polish Majefty, and laid by him before the diet. Thofe declarations required the re-esta-. blifhment of the Diffidents in their civil rights and privileges, and the peaceable enjoyment of their modes of worship, secured to them by laws of the kingdom, which had been obferved during two centuries, and confirmed by the important treaty of Oliva, concluded by all the northern powers, which could not be altered without the confent of all the contracting parties. The Bishops in general, fupported by many others, contended ftrongly for a confirmation of the decrees made against the Diffenters in 1717, 1723, and 1736, though the foreign powers who interested themselves in their favour had obferved in their declarations, that thofe decrees paffed in the midst of inteftine troubles, and were contradicted by the formal proteftations and exprefs declarations of foreign powers. After violent contests, the matter was referred to the Bishops and Senators, for their opinion. Upon report from them, the diet came to a refolution, That they would fully maintain the Diffidents in all the rights and prerogatives to which they were intitled by the laws of the country, particularly by the conftitutions of the year 1717, &c. and by treaties; and that as to their griefs in regard to the exercife of their religion, the college of Moft Reverend Archbishops and Bithops, under the direction of the Prince Primate, would endeavour to remove thofe ditficulties, in a manner conformable to justice and neighbourly love. This refolution was notified to the ambaladors and minitters of thofe courts which had prefented the declarations. On the 29th of November that year, the last day of the diet's fitting, the col lege lege of Archbishops and Bifhops figned nine articles, which were depofited among the archives of the kingdom. According to thefe, the Diffidents were to be allowed the free exercise of their religion in all places where they had been permitted by the law to have churches; and might repair those churches, or rebuild them, but not enlarge their extent. They were to have burying-places; the funerals to be performed without ceremonies, except thofe permitted to them by law. Where they had no churches, they might perform divine fervice privately in their houses. The Greek priests might baptize, marry, and bury, provided they paid the established clergy their legal fees. This regulation was figned by all the Prelates, except the Bithop of Wilna, who refused to do it, and two others, who were not present. Among the new laws made by that diet, there was one for reftraining the authority of the two great generals of the Crown and Lithuania; which, however, was not to take place till after the deaths of the perfons who then enjoyed thofe dignities. By that time a small body of Ruffian troops had marched to within two miles of the capital. It might easily have been foreseen, that a refolution to maintain the Diffidents in all the rights and prerogatives to which they were intitled by the conftitutions of the year 1717, and others fince then referred to, would give small fatisfaction to thofe Dillidents themselves, or to the refpectable powers who thought themfelves bound to take interest in their concerns. The Diffidents dated the begin ning of their fufferings from the very conftitution of 1717. The referring of their grievances to the Archbishops and Bishops was looked upon as a meature ftill more unreasonable than ever had been taken before, that being a body of men who had always been their oppofers, who had occafioned all the evils of which they complained, and by their station could not be favourable to them. A new infringement was reckoned to be made on the conflitutions of the kingdom, and the rights of the Diffidents, by endeavouring to draw them from the civil jurisdiction, under whofe power they ought to be, in order to fubject them to that of the clergy. Confequent to this view of the cafe, an additional body of about 15,000 Ruflian troops entered Poland. The Dillidents, having previously con certed matters with their protectors, entered into two confederacies, on the 20th of March last year, at Thorn and Sluck. One of them was figned by the Diffidents of Great and Little Poland, the other by thofe of the Great Duchy of Lithua nia. In the act of confederacy figned at Thorn, after taking notice of the ancient conftitutions, which confirmed the liberty of religion, and established a perfect equality among the nobility, which conftitutions had been declared fundamental laws of the ftate, particularly the conftitutions of 1573, and a good many others fpecified downward for above a century, which were fortified by a folemn oath, that no one fhould be oppreffed or perfecuted on account of difference of religion; a long recital is made of oppreffions, evils, and violences, endured by the Diffidents fucceflively fince the year 1717, in regard to their perfons, their churches, their rights, and their liber ties. The confederators obferve in the act, that all their hopes of redrefs from complaints, manifeftoes, and protests, had vanished fince the immediately preceding diet, when, instead of their fituation being rendered easier, thre conftitution of 1764 had been renewed and confirmed, which took from them even the fhadow of every one of their birthrights, and threatened them with entire deftruction. For these reasons they engaged and fwore, mutually to defend their ancient privileges, and the free exercife of their religion. At the fame time they protefted, that they would always remain faithful and obedient to the King; and refolved, that a deputation fhould be fent to him, to affure him of their fidelity, and fupplicate his protection. They invited thofe of the communion of Rome, and all true patriots, to unite with them in maintaining the fundamental laws of the kingdom, the peace of religion, and the rights of each one jointly with themfelves. They claimed, by virtue of public treaties, the protection of the powers who guarantee their rights and liberties, namely, the Empress of Ruffia, and the Kings of Sweden, G. Britain, Denmark, and Pruflia. Laitly, they pro tefted, that they had no intention of acting to the detriment of the Roman-Catholic religion, which they duly respected; and only afked the liberty of their own, and the re-establishment of their ancient rights. Lt-Gen. Goltz, staroste of Tuchel, was A 2 chofer chofen by the confederacy of Thorn to be their Marshal; and after his death, which happened April 24. his brother, Maj.Gen. Baron de Goltz, ftarofte of Graudentz. Twenty-four counsellors were appointed to affift him in every thing to be treated of and done. The three cities of Thorn, Elbing, and Dantzick, acceded to that confederacy the 10th of April. The confederation entered into by the Proteftant and Greek nobility of Lithuania, was to the fame purpofe with that now given an account of. They elected Maj. Gen. Grabowski to be their Marshal. This confederacy was acceded to by the Duke and Nobles of Courland May 15. with precautions in regard to that duchy particularly fpecified. Four deputies from the two confedera cies had an audience of his Polish Majefty the 28th of April, on the fubject mention ed in the acts of confederation; and received as favourable an answer as could be expected. The Prince Primate alfo expreffed himself in very kind terms to a deputation fent to him. It may be taken notice of here, that the then Primate having died June 18. the King nominated Count Podofki, recommended by the Emprefs of Ruffia, an evidence of his being favourable to the Diffidents, to be Prince Primate and Bishop of Gnefna in his stead. Soon after the figning of the confederacies, a new declaration of the Empress of Ruffia was prefented to his Polifh Majefty. In it the reprefented the concern it gave her, to behold a state, in the happiness of which she took fo much in tereft, attacked in its foundations, by a forcible feparation of a fixth part of the citizens from the body of the nation; alfo obferving, that this was not the only point which divided the Polish nation, and that it had for fome time concealed in its bofom the feeds of difcord, which threatened the public tranquillity. She declared, that he took under her protection the confederation of the Diflidents, as fhe was bound to do by the engagements of her crown; and intimated hier defire to have an extraordinary diet affembled, for pacifying the troubles of the flate, doing justice to all, and drying up the fource of every difcontent and divifion. She alfo declared, that her protection was not confined to the Dillidents only, but that every Pole, from the moment of his acceding to the plan of consiliation, should enjoy it in its full extent. The King of Pruffia, in a fresh declaration delivered about the fame time, faid he thought he had perceived fubfifting in the internal part of Poland, ever fince the laft interregnum, a root of diffenfions and troubles; and was convin➡ ced it was neceffary to think on the means of remedying matters. He declared, that the injuftice which had been acted towards the Diffidents was too great for him not to find himself engaged to approve the part they had taken, in forming themselves into a confederacy to pursue their rights; and could not forbear taking his measures in confequence with the Empress of Ruffia. He conclu ded with advifing the Polish nation to meet in a diet-extraordinary, for a general pacification among all its members. On occafion of opening the tribunals, the confederacies of Diffidents prefented manifeftoes, fignifying, that though they had no intention of stopping the course of justice, yet they would not permit any of their affociates, in their then circumstances, to be judged by, or called before, any of the tribunals, in any cafe or on any pretence whatever. At the fame time the Ruffian troops in Poland were gradually increased to about 30,000 men. On the 25th of May a great senatus concilium was held at Warsaw; in which it was refolved, that an extraordinary diet, for determining the affair of the Diffidents, fhould be opened the 5th of October. About this time great numbers of other confederations were formed throughout all Poland and Lithuania. As by far the greater part of them did not at all appear to be against the Diffidents, but against the administration of public affairs, into which they alledged innovations had been introduced, they were for fome time called Confederations of Malecontents. those confederacies published manifeftoes, in which they recommended to the inhabitants to quarter and treat the Ruffian troops as the defenders of the Polish liberty, proper perfons having been every where appointed to rate the value of provisions. All Prince Radzivil, who had been married to the King's fifter, who vigorously ftrove to difconcert measures taken for his Majefty's elevation to the throne, and had been in foreign countries from that time, returned home last fummer. Along with the news of this came information, that he had engaged to accede to the confederation confederation made at Sluck by the Diffidents of Lithuania. Count Branicki, Great General of the Crown, who had obitinately oppofed his Majefty's election, but was afterwards received into favour, and restored to his office, was faid to favour, under hand, the confederacy form ed at Thorn. All this was thought to be a little extraordinary, as both those noblemen publicly professed the Roman-Catholic religion. The different confederacies of malecontents formed in the twenty-four diftricts of Lithuania, united at Wilna the 72d day of June; and that general confe deracy re-established Pr. Radzivil in his liberty, estates, and honour, of which the flates of that great duchy had, in 1764, declared him to be deprived. On the 22d of June, Pr. Radzivil was chofen Grand Marshal of the General Confederacy of all Poland, which then began to be called the National Confedera. cy. It was faid to be composed of no fewer than 72,000 noblemen and gentle men. The general confederacy lent to the feveral way wodies of the kingdom, requiring their conpliance with the following articles: 1. That all the gentlemen who had not joined the confederacy fhould do it immediately; 2. That all the courts of justice should subsist as formerly, but not judge any of the confederates; 3. That the Marshals of the Crown fhould not pass any sentence without the participation of at least four of the confederates; and, 4. That the Marthals of the Crown and the treasurers fhould be immediately restored to the poffeffion of their respective rights. Pr. Radzivil fent a deputation, the tft of Auguft, to the commiffaries of war and treafury, requiring them to take an oath, importing, among other things, That they would be faithful to the King and the Confederates; alfo that they would fupport and protect the RomanCatholic religion, and the liberty and privileges of other religions. He like wife publifhed Univerfalia, in which he recommended to the nobility and gentry of the feveral provinces, to furnith their nunrios with ample inftructions, that at the diet they might deliberate, not only on the affairs of the Diffidents, but also thofe which effentially concerned all the orders of the state and the public good, particularly the maintenance of the fundamental conftitution, The Bishop of Cracow fent a very pathetic and zealous letter to the dietines affembled at Warsaw the 15th of August, in which he exhorted them to arm their nuncios with courage, by giving them orthodox and patriotic inftructions, that they might not grant to the Diffidents new advantages beyond those which the laws fecured to them, but only those which the conftitutions of the country, and treaties with foreign powers, exprefsly granted them. He obferved, that the King's univerfals for convoking the diet, mentioned only the confederacies of Thorn and Sluck, and entirely omitted the patriotic matters intended by their. augult neighbours, in regard to the fupporting of their principal laws, the perpetuating of their liberty, and the removing of thofe innovations which threatened to impair their happiness; and advised them to inftruct their nuncios in fuch manner, that they would not permit any thing to be treated of in the diet, but infift on another being convoked, whose univerfals might be analogous to the declarations of the powers concerned, and to the wishes of the nation. Such an appearance had the affairs of Poland affumed by this time, as greatly alarmed the court of Rome. The Pope therefore fent briefs, to the King, to the Great Chancellor, to the Nobleffe, to the Bifhops of the kingdom, and to the Prince Primate, with fuch arguments and exhortations as were thought moft proper to ward off the danger feared. Mean-while councils were frequently held at the Bifhop of Cracow's palace, where all the Prelates at Warsaw affembled. The King of Sweden not having actually done any thing in favour of the Diffidents upon their former applications, they addreffed a letter to him afreth, by which they intreated him to employ his good officcs for them, in confequence of the treaty of Oliva, in which Charles XI. one of his predeceffors, was a contracting party. His Majefty appointed Baron de Douben to be his refident to the King and Republic for that purpose, who arrived at Warsaw the 23d of September. An union of the confederacy of Diffidents with the general confederacy of malecontents, or of the nation, was effected Sept. 26. in the palace of Pr. Radzivil, who on that occafion expreffed great friendship for the Dillidents. Within a few days after, the Rulian troops in the capital were reinforced, and a confider able |