and that fuch profpects and hopes could only in times of peace afford gratification to the infatiate ambition of thefe two powers. millions fterling by the reform; while other, and probably lefs accurate eftimates, went to double that fum. Annual ftipends were allotted for the maintenance of the reformed prelates, abbots, abbeffes, canons, canoneffes, monks, and nups; which were, in fome degree, proportioned to their refpective rank or condition; but it was heavily complained that the portions" prefer a convent of nuns to a were fo fcantily measured, as to be fhamefully inadequate to the purpose., a A celebrated French writer, in touching occafionally upon the queftion of juftice, with refpect to the expulfion of the ecclefiaftics, and the confifcation of their goods, treats it in the following manner:-" [ "regiment of foldiers. If the firft "oppofe the intentions of nature, " they do not tear her to pieces: "if they violate their inftitution, "it is in order to perpetuate their fpecies; whereas the latter take "an oath to destroy them upon the firft fignal given by defpotifm. "The internal revolutions which "the emperor has effected in his "dominions have been greatly "applauded; but what a number "of objections might be brought "againit thefe eulogiums: at least, "the panegyriits of Jofeph the "Secord ought to tell us, what "juftice they find in driving a "ci izen from the profeffion which "he has embraced under the fanction "of the laws. I will tell them This circumftance afforded handle for rendering the whole measure more particularly odious than it otherwife might have been: and whatever means were used at home to stifle complaint upon the occafion, they could not reftrain the cenfure of foreigners upon the conduct of this prince. It was held out, that the object of plundering the church, and the deftination of its pillage, (inftead of being ap. plied to any ufefal or benevolent purpofes) was intended merely for the fupport of thefe fchemes of ambition, which hang poteff d his mini, and which, in concert with Ruffit, he was now endeavouring to bring to maturity. That though thefe fchemes went only in the first inftance to the overthrow of the Germanic constitution, and the fubverfion of the princes of the empire, they were not lefs inimical" perfecute them, but above all in their more remote views to the "do not rob them; for we ought interefts, repofe, and fecurity of the "neither to perfecute nor rob any European ftates in general. That (6 man, from the avowed atheist farther and more extentive parti- "down to the mot credulous tions of territory and power, including capuchin." the fea as well as the land, were already in their contemplation: 66 plainly, that there is as much injuftice in expelling a friar or a nun from their retreat, as in turning a private individual out of his "houfe. Defpife the friars as "much as you will, but do not Thus did the emperor fmoothly purfue with little noife, without * Coun de Mirabeau. See his Doubts concerning the free Navigation of the Scheldt, &c. English tranflation, note to p. 160. even exciting much admiration or furprize, without the fmalleft oppo. fition, either foreign or domeftic, and without in any degree forfeiting the name and character (which he feemed particularly fond of retain. ing) of a faithful fon of the church, thofe very meafures, which had drawn on Henry the Eighth of England, and on his kingdom, all the fulminations of the court of Rome; and which at a fill earlier period, would have been the means of pouring down inevitable deftruction on the one, and of involving the other in a difmal fcene of trouble and blood. Such are the wonderful changes which take place, not more in the affairs, than in the ideas, opinions, and principles of men, and fuch the facility, which a fortunate coincidence of times and feafons with circumftances and events, and a wife or happy application of action to both, may adminifter to the accomplishment of the greatest and most unexpected revolutions. CHA P. II. Retrofpe&ive view tontinued. State of the great powers on the borders of Europe and Afia. Ottoman Empire. Numerous fources of difcord with Ruffia. Successful endeavours of the captain bafbaw, notwithstanding the unfavourable ftate of public affairs, to quell rebellion and reflore order. He refcues the Morea from the Albanians; punishes the authors; and puts an end to the disorders on the coafts of Afia; prevents the intended extermination of the Greeks. Porte, after much contest, fubmits to the receiving Ruffian confuls in the provinces of Moldavia, Walachia, and Bessarabia. Troubles in the Crimea. Tartar Khan accepts a commission in the Ruffian service. Dreadful conflagrations in Conflantinople. Forty thousand boufes destroyed. Grand Vizir depofed, and fucceeded by Jein Mahemet, a man of parts and ability. Ruffian Khan depofed by the difcontented Tartars, and a new one elected, who is privately fupported by the Porte. Great differences between the two empires on that account: Long truce between the Porte and the court of Vienna on the point of expiring, which involves the former in new difficulties on that fide. Divan fit eight days debating on the question of a war with Rufia. Pacific refolutions adopted, through the influence of the captain bashaw, grand vizir, and mufti. Popularity of the grand fignior, and the firmness of his minifters, prevent any dangerous effect from the violent ferment of the people, who are clamourous for war; and whoje paffions are not less agitated by the pacific conduct of the court, than by the contemplation of their ruined city. Emperor openly avows his determination of fupporting the claims of Ruffia, as well as his own. Strong memorials presented, and harsh demands made, by the courts of Petersburgb and Vienna, toward the clofe of the year 1782. Hofpodar of Wallachia ftrangled. Excellent conduct of the grand fignior, with respect to the perfecution carried on by the Armenian patriarch. Vaft preparations for war on all fides in the year 1783. Treaty between the Porte and Spain. New Khan of the Tartars expelled by the Ruffans. Former Khan abdicates his throne, and afsigns his dominion and country [B] 3 10 to the empress of Ruffia; who iffues a manifefto affigning the caufes for her annexing the Crimea, Cuban, and ifle of Taman to her empire. Manifefto from the Porte in anfwer Notwithflanding the immenfe preparations and im mediate appearances of war, negotiations for a peace are carried on at Conftantinople under the mediation of France. In the height of the troubles the navigation of the Danube is opened to the emperor, two of whofe ships are received at Belgrade, and profecute their voyage to the Black Sea. Ottoman difficulties and enemies multiplying on all fides. Appearances on the fide of Venice. Troubles in Egypt. Perfians anack Baff.ra. Prince Heraclius invades Natolia. Treaty of commerce between Ruja and the Porte, is followed by a new treaty of accommodation between the two empires, which is concluded at Conftantinople in the beginning of the year 1784. Accommodation with the emperor. Spani expedition against Algiers. Earthquakes in Calabria and Sicily. THE HE diforders of the Ottoman empire were too numerous and inveterate, to admit of any effectual remedy, within the few years of uncertain peace that had elapfed fince the conclufion of the late unfortunate war with Ruffia. So much was to be done, that it would have required many years of tranquillity, and an unremitted purfuit of the wifeft and moft vigorous meafures, to have accomplished the reforms that were wanting in fo many departments of the ftate, and which, to produce their full effect, should have included the whole military and naval fyftem of that empire; the Turks having, partly through pride and bigotry, partly through native or habitual indolence, and ftill more than all, through a fucceffion of weak and inactive governments, fuffered the western nations to leave them a full century behind, with respect to tactics, to the conftruction and management of artillery, and to all improvements in the art of war. Their militia likewife, both of horfe and foot, which had been excellent in their inftitution, and had been farther reformed and much improved by the wife regulations of their great emperor, Soliman the Magnificent, have fince been fuffered fo thamefully to degenerate, that one highly and justly diftin. guifhed order of them has frequently proved more dangerous to the ftate than to its enemies, and a great part of the other has of late years been more an incumbrance and impediment to fervice, than an arm of frength and effect in the field. But the treaty of Kainardiac, in 1774, did not afford that ftate of fecurity which would have been neceffary for the accomplishment of fchemes of great and general reform and improvement. No fuch feafon of quiet and leifure has yet occurred; nor do the prefent appearances of public affairs indicate the near approach of it. The extraordinary fucceffes of Ruffia in the late war, and fill more than the fe, the unexampled weakness and d forder which the difcovered in her opponent, could not but enlarge her views to many new and before unthought-of objects. A wide field for enterprize and ambition was opened on the fide both of Europe and Afia. She granted prefent peace to her proftrate enemy, for peace was then, from many concurrent caufes, caufes, neceffary to herfelf. She 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 circumftances on both fides; and feemed to be founded on the principles we have ftated. It fowed fuch numberlefs 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 deftruction 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 neceffity 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 notwith. ftanding all the difadvantages under which one party ftill laboured, a new war was juft 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 accommodation, 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 profpects, 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, instead of leffening, every day increase, thought it better, without regard to comparative eftimates of ftrength and weakness, to put every thing to the hazard of war, than to fubmit, 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 evad. ed, or peevishly refufed a compliance, with many of the conditions, and things were proceeding fast to the last extremity. Under thele 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 atfair was patched up for the prefent. But the great fource et difcord was ftill left open. The pretended independency of the Crimea af. forded fuch an opening to Ruffia into the very heart of the Turkish empire, and fuch opportunities of [B]4 inter interference with the various Mahometan and chriftian tates which had been more or lefs dependant on the Porte in Europe and in Afia, that it was foarcely poffible for any laft. ing tranquillity to fubfilt between the two empires. Though the Turkish feas had at length been mott unwillingly opened to Ruffia, yet the mode and extent of that commerce, the regulations to which it was or was not to be subject, the double palage through the Bofpho. rus 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 con. ceffion) inexhaustible fources of litigation and contest. A clain made and infifted on by Rufi, of ella blishing confuls in the three provinces of Moldavis, 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 there. from be in a conftant ftate of preparation for rebellion. Under thefe circumstances of continual embar.ment 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 refeeft due to his char ciet) was indefatigable in his endeavours to curb the violences, and to retrain the diforders, to which the late war had afforded He re lirth and nurture, and which had spread anarchy and defolation through almost every part of the empire. He had ficceeded in thefe attempts Feyood whatever could have been expected, from the forlorn ftate of the Ottoman affairs at the conclufion of the war. duced, 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 coalts of Syria and the leffer Afia of those defpots, whofe petty wars and ravages had every where fpread defolation and ruin; and restored order, quiet, and fecurity to thofe commercial regions. But his most 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-ruling in council the defign of exterminating the Grecks, which had been intended as a punishment for their defection in the late war, and to prevent fimilar or greater dan. gers in future. Not fatisfied with warding off that fatal bipw, he obtained a general amneity for that people; and has fince taken care to have it fo faithfully obferved, as is fappofed to have occafioned no finall 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 moft glaring, and immediately dangerous enormities. Notwithstanding the treaty of pacification fo lately concluded, differences |