She

caufes, neceffary to herself. feemed to rife from a banquet of victory, to which the might return, whenever leizure ferved, and appetite invited. It was only her bufinefs to take care that the fervices fhould not be removed, nor the way barred against her return.

The peace was fuch as was to be expected from the circumstances on both fides; and feemed to be found. ed on the principles we have ftated. It fowed fuch numberless feeds of contention, that the fucceffion of the crops could fcarcely fail under any management and the fuel for lighting up future wars was fo thickly fpread, that it feemed as if nothing lefs than the inability of both parties, or the destruction of one, could ever bring them to a final conclufion.

The peace, however, fuch as it was, was then indifpenfably neceffary to the immediate prefervation of the Turkish empire: but from the nature of its conditions, and the never-ending train of confequences which they were capable of producing, could no longer be endured by the party aggrieved, than while fome degree of fimilar ne. ceffity was prevalent. We have accordingly feen, that within fo fmall a fpace of time as five years from the conclufion of the former bloody war, and notwithftanding all the difadvantages under which one party ftill laboured, a new war was just upon the point of breaking out between the two empires; and was only prevented by a new treaty of pacification, which took place on the 21st of March, 1779. Though France had the honour of bringing about that accommo. dation, and though her interference had undoubtly great weight in the

bufinefs, it is certain that Ruffia was not at that time by any means fully difpofed to war: and that neither her own internal fituation, nor the fate of public affairs in Europe, rendered it a feafon favourable to the accomplishment of her defigns in any extenfive degree. But at all events fhe would not give up any material part of what he had gained; nor, to avoid prefent inconvenience, admit of any fuch innovation, as might intercept her prof pects, and prevent, when the proper feafon arrived, the further profecution of her defigns.

On the other hand, her adverfary, feeling himfelf wrung in every part by the conditions and confequences of the late peace, and fully perceiving that the evils and dangers already produced would, inftead of leffening, every day increase, thought it better, without regard to comparative eft:mates of ftrength and weakn. fs, to put every thing to the hazard of war, than to fubinit, without an effort, for the fake of a fhort-lived fecurity, to the filent but inevitable approach of ruin, under the infidious cover of peace. The Porte accordingly captiously evaded, or peevithly refused a compliance, with many of the conditions, and things were proces ding fit to the laft extremity. Under thefe circumftances, however, on both fides, the opportune mediation of France could not be an unwelcome relief to either: mutual conceffions were accordingly made, and the affair was patched up for the prefent.

But the great fource of difcord was ftill left open. The pretended independency of the Crimea afforded fuch an opening to Ruffia into the very heart of the Turkish empire, and fuch opportunities of

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interference with the various Mahometan and christian states which had been more or less dependant on the Porte in Europe and in Afia, that it was fcarcely poffible for any lafting tranquillity to fubfift between the two empires. Though the Turkish feas had at length been mot, unwillingly opened to Ruffia, yet the mode and extent of that commerce, the regulations to which it was or was not to be fubje&t, the double paflage through the Bofphorus and Dardanelles, whether from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, or from the Baltic and Ocean to Conftantinople and the Black Sea, with the trade to the Greek islands in the Archipelago, and the defign. ed impediments thrown in by the cuftom-houfes, afforded all together (and all aggravated by the original ill-will which accompanied the conceffion) inexhaustible fources of litigation and contest. A claim made and infifted on by Ruffia, of establishing confuls in the three provinces of Moldavia, Walachia, and Beffarabia, was exceedingly grievous to the Porte; which befides con. fidering them as licenced fpies, was well aware, that they would act as agents and negociators with the Greek princes and inhabitants of the two former, who would therefrom be in a conftant ftate of preparation for rebellion.

Under thefe circumstances of continual embarraffment and apparent danger from without, the celebrated Haffan Bey, the captain bafhaw, (whofe name we have heretofore had an opportunity of mentioning, with fome part of that refpect due to his character) was indefatigable in his endeavours to curb the violences, and to reftrain the diforders, to which the late war had afforded

birth and nurture, and which had spread anarchy and defolation through almost every part of the empire. He had fucceeded in these attempts bey ond whatever could have been expected, from the forlorn ftate of the Ottoman affairs at the conclufion of the war. He reduced, and chaftifed, with a feverity which, confidering their enormities, could not be deemed illaudable, the most powerful rebels of the empire: he refcued the celebrated and beautiful province of the Morea, (the antient Peloponnefus) from the. cruel invafion of the Albanians ; he cleared the coafts of Syria and the leffer Afia of those defpots, whofe petty wars and ravages had every where fpread defolation and ruin; and reitored order, quiet, and fecurity to thofe commercial regions. But his mot fignal fervice, and which abundantly fhews (more efpecially as he had not the fortune of being enlightened by a liberal education) his natural magnanimity, and the comprehenfivenefs of his mind, was his over-rule ing in council the defign of exterminating the Greeks, which had been intended as a punishment for their defection in the late war, and to prevent fimilar or greater dangers in future. Not fatisfied with warding off that fatal blow, he obtained a general amnefty for that people; and has fince taken care to have it fo faithfully obferved, as is fuppofed to have occafioned no fmall change in their difpofition. But the abilities and exertions of that great commander and minifter could only reach to the correction of fome of the most glaring, and immediately dangerous enormities.

Notwithstanding the treaty of pacification fo lately concluded, differences

in all ages. confidered liberty as the moft invaluable of human bleffings. The means ufed by Ruffia to gain a ftrong party in the country, to fupport their khan, could only reach to a limited portion of the people; but a great majority were highly diffatisfied at thefe proceedings, and wished to be again governed by their own princes, in their own way. They likewife pre. ferred a connection with the Ottomans, with whom they had been fo long united, who were of the fame religion, and in conjunction with whom they had partaken of fo much glory and fpoil in war, than with a nation, which, befides being Chriftian, they had been in the habit, through many ages, of regarding either with contempt or enmity.

The difcontented party were encouraged and fupported by the Tartars of the Cuban, as well as the Nogais, and even by fome of the more diftant nations or tribes of that people, who could not but be alarmed at the manner in which Ruffia was fpreading her influence and authority on all fides, and apprehenfive of becoming victims to her power and defigns in their turn. Nor will it be imagined that the Porte itself did not fecretly encourage the ill difpofition of this people to Ruffia and to her khan; efpecially as he did not prevent feveral of her Mahometan fubjects, in the Afiatic countries bordering on the Black Sea, from taking an open and active part in the enfuing troubles of the Crimea.

The devastation which the city of Conftantinople fuftained by fire, in the course of the year 1782, has fcarcely been equalled. Befides feveral preceding loffes, and being

unufually haraffed by the plague, on the 23d of July in the evening a fire broke out in the quarter called Ballatta, which was moftly inhabited by Jews, and a molt populous part of the town. The wind being high, and the weather for fome time preceding very dry, it fpread with the utmoft rapidity, and threatened the whole city with destruction. During feventeen hours that it lafted, the grand fignior, the vizir, and other great officers of flate were conftantly on horfeback, ufing every exertion to flop the progrefs of the flames, and to animate the people to their duty. The number of houfes deftroyed was calculated at ten thousand, befides mofques, churches, and other public edifices.

But this fire, dreadful as it was, feemed only a preparotary notice to that unfortunate city of the calamity to which it was immediately deftined. In fomething fhort of a month, about ten o'clock at night, on the 22d of August, a fire broke out in the quarter called Gibali, fituated towards the middle of the harbour; and this being enraged by a high north wind, was foon extended to fuch a degree, as baffled all efforts for its fuppreffion, and feemed to put an end to all hope. The violence and intenfeness of the fire were fo great, that one of the largest and ftrongest palaces, that of the aga of the janiffaries, totally difappeared in less than ten minutes after the flames had reached it.

The flames proceeded from fea to fea, and burned the interior of the feven towers, at the oppofite extremity of the city. In that direction the fire raged three miles in length, through the richeft and beft inhabited ftreets, carrying a front

of fometimes a mile broad, and fometimes lefs, as the irregular hilly fituation of the city would admit. It then branched out in various directions, fo that there feemed at one time no less than eleven diftinct conflagrations. Molt of thefe were only flopped by the fea, confuming the very wharfs, and every thing to the water edge. A great but unknown number of people perifhed; one part being furrounded and intercepted by the flames, and the other, more happily throwing themfelves into the water, to escape a more dreadful fate.

This conflagration (which perhaps has not been exceeded by any recorded in history) continued to rage with unremitting fury for fixty-two hours; the wind blowing fiercely almoft the whole time. If the damage was not entirely irreparable, it was, however, impoffible to afcertain, in any degree, the amount of the loffts. The fufferings and diftrefs of above two hundred thousand people, involved at once in ruin and calamity, and left without refuge or fhelter from the weather, would ftill lefs admit of defcription. It was fuppofed that about two-thirds of that vaft and populous city had been deftroyed by the late and the prefent fire; and that above 40,000 houfes then lay in ruins. The deftruction of public edifices was proportioned to that of private buildings. All the cham bers of the janiffaries, above 50 mofques, 300 corn-mills, and zco public ovens, were deftroyed. The lofs of a number of great magazines ftored with provifions (a vaft fupply of which is always neceffarily kept in hand to prevent the danger of a famine in that overgrown metro.

polis) was among the evils moft fenfibly and immediately felt.

The direction of the wind happened to be favourable to the feraglio, and to what might be confidered as the government quarter of the city, which accordingly efcaped the defolation. The grand fignior, and all the minifters of the Porte, attended, and diftributed money without count to the people. The faft of the Ramazan was fufpended, and every fubfequent meafure purfued, which could afford relief, or even fatisfaction to the people.

But the public fermentation was too extreme to be easily allayed. The repeated misfortunes and prefent miferies of the people seemed infupportable.

A revolution had been the ufual confequence of much lefs fevere and afflicting trials; and though the good qualities and popularity of the grand fignior, along with the firmnefs of the captain b.fhaw, might poffibly enable them to weather the danger, it was however neceffary to hold out fome object of blame to the people, on which they might vent their illhumour. The facrifice of an unfortunate minifter, however blamelefs or deferving, is indeed the great refource of defpotic governments in cafes of great public difcontent. Happy is it thought when the victim is accepted as a whole offering.

Yfed Mehemet was accordingly depofed from his office of grand vizir, in two days after the fire had been fubdued; and Jeian Mehemet, a man, at least of equal, if not fu perior abilities, and more fortunate, was appointed his fucceffor. The late minifter paffed through the ordeal of removal with more impunity, than had been ufually experienced