the campaign presented a series of the most rapid fucceffes. Cladova, Semendria, Czernitz, &c. followed the example of Belgrade. Orfova only attempted a serious resistance, and it was not reduced till after a long investment and blockade.

On the eastern fide, the prince of Cobourg, general of the Austrian army in Walachia, after gaining a confiderable advantage in an action fought near Foczan, attacked, in conjunction with the Ruffian general Suwarrow, with a very inferior force, September 22, 1789, the army of the new grand vizier, Haffan Pacha, a rafh and ignorant commander at Martinefti, and gained a complete victory. This was attended with the immediate capture of Bucharest, the capital of Walachia, and the almost entire reduction" of the country north of the Danube. In the mean time, Bielgorod on the Black Sea, and the city of Bender on the Tartarian frontier, furrendered to the arms of Ruffia, now conducted by prince Potemkin.

During this campaign the war in the north was carried on little to the advantage of Sweden: for although the king of Sweden had entirely re-established his authority, and taken a fevere vengeance on the individuals who by their audacious and inflexible contumacy had arrested the progrefs of his arms, he could not fo easily regain the advantages he had loft by that unexpected and unfeafonable oppofition. The immenfe power of Ruffia was now fully exerted. Sweden was reduced to act upon the defenfive in Finland; and various naval encounters took place, in which the bravery and superior skill of the Swedes did by no means compenfate for the Ruffian fuperiority of force.

In the enfuing campaign of 1790, the triumphs of the Ruffian arms over the Ottomans continued without any confiderable interruption. The progrefs of thefe barbarous conquerors had been throughout marked with blood and defolation; but the capture under general Suwarrow,

of

of the city of Ifmail, taken by storm December the 22d, 1790, exceeded in horror every action of the present war, and may vie with that of any preceding one. The gar rifon, confifting of the flower of the Turkish army, was maffacred in cold blood, and the inhabitants indifcriminately given up to the worse than brutal licentiousness of an enraged foldiery.

The military fucceffes of the Auftrians under the heroic Laudohn, ferved only to incite the faithless and perfidious Jofeph to renew his attempts against his fubjects of Flanders and Brabant. Count Murray, diftinguished by his lenity of temper, was fucceeded in the government by count Trautmansdorff; and the military placed under the command of general Dalton, an officer of approved skill, but of unrelenting and favage ferocity.

The new fyftem commenced with the revival of the former attempt against the univerfity of Louvain. This being refolutely refifted, the rector and profeffors were expelled by the point of the bayonet, Auguft 1788, and many lives loft by the indifcriminate firing of the foldiery. Similar outrages and exceffes taking place at Antwerp, Mechlin, &c. in confequence of the orders iffued by the government; and military law, enforced by military execution, being in a manner proclaimed through the provinces, a prodigious emigration of the principal inhabitants immediately fucceeded. The emigrants being favored and protected by the Dutch government, now under the influence of England and Pruffia, affembled in numerous bodies on the frontier; at length, in the autumn of 1789, they entered Austrian Flanders in great force, and in a very short space of time overran the whole country, a few fortreffes excepted, the Auftrians flying before them with the most disgraceful precipitation.

The emperor now once more offered, in the most flattering and concilatory language to restore to them their ancient conftitution, and even to endow them with addi

tional

tional privileges; but his overtures were rejected with fcorn. The states of Brabant affembling at Bruffels December the 22d, 1789, in concert with the deputies of the other provinces, formally difclaimed allegiance to the emperor, and proceeded to the appointment of an admiftration. General Vandermerfch, diftinguifhed for his patriotifin and bravery, was nominated to the command of the troops. M. Vander-noodt was declared prime minifter, and M. Van-Eupen fecretary of ftate.

In the month of January 1790, the plan of a federal constitution was formed by the BELGIC ftates-fuch was the appellation they now affumed, nearly fimilar to that of the united provinces. Unfortunately, however, it foon appeared that the leaders of the revolt, either little understanding or little regarding the effential rights of the people, had merely changed the imperial defpotifm to an aristocratical tyranny. The catholic religion was established in its most intolerant form, the power of arbitrary imprifonment was affumed, the liberty of the prefs difallowed, and the immunities of the privileged orders confirmed and even extended.

In the midst of thefe tranfactions, and while the infurgents were at the height of their fucceffes, died, February 1790, the emperor Jofeph. He was fucceeded in his hereditary dominions by his brother Leopold, grand duke of Tuscany, and who now took upon him the style and title of king of Hungary. This prince, as the fovereign of a small ftate, had acquired the reputation of moderation, and even fagacity. But in proportion to the elevation of his fituation his faults became more confpicuous, while his excellencies either wholly disappeared, or were henceforth very dimly feen.

Interefting as the tranfactions now related appeared in the view of Europe, they nevertheless yielded both in importance and fingularity to the events which were at the fame time taking place in the kingdom of France.

The

The appointment of the archbishop of Touloufe as fuc-1 ceffor to M. de Calonne, proved the fource of equal difappointment to the court and to the nation. On his elevation to the poft of minister, his patriotifm feemed to vanish; and, by lofing the confidence of the people, he deprived himself of the power of being ferviceable to the monarch. The project of the court to obtain the fanction of the affembly of notables to the measures in contemplation had proved wholly abortive; recourfe muft now again therefore be had to the parliament of Paris; and on the 12th of June 1787, an edict was fent to that body for enregistry, impofing a heavy duty on ftamps. Instead of a loyal and dutiful compliance, the parliament demanded the communication of fuch documents as fhould enable them to judge of the neceffity of introducing new taxes. That this was a juft claim, they faid, the very expreffion of verifying the royal edicts implied.

The refufal of this demand produced a refufal on their part to enregister the edict; and after violent debates, and repeated efforts of the patriotic party in parliament, it was at length voted that a national affembly would be neceffary previous to the impofition of a new tax, and a refolution at the fame time paffed to fupplicate the fovereign to affemble the STATES GENERAL of the kingdom.

In the remonftrance prefented on this occafion by parliament to the throne, the stamp duty is pronounced more dangerous than even the exploded gabelle; and they remark," that after five years of peace, after an augmenta tion of the revenue during the prefent reign of five millions fterling, it was fcarcely to have been expected that the name of TAX fhould have been pronounced by a beneficent fovereign, but for the purpose of alleviating the burdens of the people."

The answer of the king was peremptory and haughty. Far from conceding to the wishes and prayers of the par

liament,

liament, he rofe ftill higher in his demands. Referving to a future day the declaration of his intentions refpecting the ftamp tax, he transmitted to them a new edict of far greater importance, for commuting the exifting vingtièmes into a regular and equal land-tax," which from the zeal and loyalty of his parliament, his majefty was pleased to fay, he expected them immediately to register."

The parliament, affuming more intrepidity as the danger became more imminent, fummoned the peers of France on the following day, as was usual in great emergencies, to affift in their deliberations; and it was voted in full affembly, that the parliament perfifted in their refolution, and renewed their fupplication to the fovereign to affemble the states general of the kingdom.

Before the fecond addrefs could be prefented, a royal meffage was delivered, announcing the intention of the king to hold a bed of justice. The parliament, immediately re-affembling, came to feveral refolutions expreffive of their determined refiftance. The bed of justice was nevertheless held and in defiance of the refolutions read by the first prefident M. D'Aligre, the edicts were forcibly enregistered. Thefe proceedings, contemptuously defcribed as "the empty form of collecting by the keeper of the feals the opinions of the affembly, where no one could give a vote," were at the fubfequent meeting of parliament declared null and void, and expunged from their records.

This refolute oppofition of the parliament produced a wonderful effect on the already highly agitated state of the public mind. Such were, the apprehenfions entertained by the government of the general fpirit which pervaded the mafs of the people, that great numbers of the mili tary were affembled at Paris, and the members of the courts of justice were obliged to pafs to their fittings through armed ranks of foldiers with bayonets fixed.

VOL. II.

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