expected from fuch a feries of fuccefs: For, the enemy making it their first care to lay waste the countries through which the Ruffians were to march, the difficulty and hazard attending their receiving provifions, would have difpirited almost any other troops in the world. And, when we confider them many hundred miles in an enemy's country, depending on no other fuccour or fupply than what reach'd them by the fame tedious rout themselves had taken, to find them vanquifhing armies far fuperior in number to their own, muft fufficiently evince their abilities for war, and the advantages they would have procured for their Imperial Mistress, had they been employed to fubdue countries as eafily kept as conquer'd. took Perecop when oppofed by an army double the number of his. The Bashaw taken at Oczakow, and another brought by Count Lacy from the Crim, are both prifoners at large in A Petersburg. The affairs of the GERMAN empire are at prefent in an indifferent fituation. At the opening of last campaign, the Imperial armies marched into the B field with loud declarations of retrieving the credit of the German army, faid to be loft by the ill conduct of the valiant and greatly unfortunate Count Seckendorf: but, inftead of gaining honour or advantage for his Imperial MaCjefty, his forces feem to have given ground almost as faft as the Ottomans Velt Marthal Munich (under whom came to take it; while the governors of the Earl of Crawford served voluntier the garrisons they left, deftitute of men laft campaign) ftands confefs'd the great- and provifions, to the mercy of the eneeft General Europe can now boaft: that my,fell victims to their friends, for taking great commander having difplay'd fuch D the beft fteps left in their power. courage and conduct; fuch boldness to In this place it is scarce poffible to aattack, and wisdom to avoid an en- void dropping a tear to the memory of gagement, when not promifing of vi- the brave and long-experienced Genectory, as equals what we most admire ral Doxat, who was executed at Belin the greatest heroes of antiquity: And grade for the furrender of Nifla; and every action of this General discovers fo E the valiant Count Cornberg, whose big much caution and preventive care, that heart broke under arreft, for delivering it is not eafy, on fome occafions, to up Orfova, when he had only 150 men know which deferves moft praife, the left to bring out of it. Hard is the folpolitician or the foldier. dier's lot, who can only fave his life by victory, when he is deftitute of every thing neceffary to obtain it! Whatever were the motives of his Imperial Majefty for commencing hofilities against the Turks, the fortune that has hitherto attended his arms cannot any way have anfwered his expeGetation; for, befide the lofs of feveral thousand fubjects, if we believe fome accounts which came with great appearance of truth, a confiderable diftrict of country has been loft on the fide of Tamifwaer, &c. And 'tis allowed, by advices from Vienna, that the Turks, after having affembled an army in the neighbourhood of Belgrade, have demanded contributions of that province, and also of Croatia. Velt Marthal Lacy has likewife fupported his character with great honour, F through the various, difficult and dangerous expeditions he has been employed in; in all which he has acted as much for the honour and interest of his Imperial Mistress, as the nature of the operations affigned him would admit. The two laft campaigns he was engaged with a very fierce and active army of Tartars, headed by a large body of veteran Turkish troops, who used their utmost kill to diftrefs and harafs this General in a country that was their own, while H his whole army had not a pint of water without obtaining it by the fword: yet, under these, and numerous other hardfhips, he poffeffed himself of feveral advantageous pofts, overcame those bodies of the enemy which attack'd him, and This infuccefs of the Imperialists cannot poffibly be attributed to the want of men, or of skilful commanders; for, notwithstanding the loffes the empire has fuftained of Generals within thefe few years, his Imperial Majefty is ftill poffeffed of Count Koniglegg, Seckendorf, Khevenhuller, Palfi, Hilbourg- A haufen, Wallis, and feveral others, who have given the world convincing marks of their fitness for command. ving been required by one Prince to make Bishops, &c. and a privilege infifted on by another to be excufed the payment of what had hitherto been efteemed a facred tribute; nor has his temporal authority been thought fufficient to prevent the march of fome troops through his dominions, he having been one week glad to furnish provifions for the fame regiments, which POLAND was fo reduced by the blood the week before he forbad entring his and confufion which attended the ele- B territories: And,if the humour of leffenEtion of its prefent Sovereign, that the ing his authority fhould continue among neutrality fhe has hitherto endeavoured thofe Princes who profess an obedience to preserve in the difputes between her to his decrees, it is to be apprehended, neighbours on all fides, is by far the if he has a kingdom at all, it must not moft eligible conduct of any, in a king- be of this world; but that he will be dom whofe ftrength was fo near being C obliged, in good earnest, to feek it in exhausted by its own inteftine broils: And this neutrality was the more neceffary for Poland, fince, had that crown declared for either of the contending parties, its dominions would almost inevitably have become the theatre of the D war, from its convenient fituation for that purpose, and the known maxim of all commanders, to remove the scene of action into an enemy's country. E The Grand Seignior has more than once affured his Polish Majefty, that not the fmalleft injury shall be done the PoJifh territories by the Turkish troops, if he continues to preserve an exact neutrality in the prefent contefts between the Porte, Ruffia and Germany. And the Emperor and the Czarina, tho' F fo extraordinarily affifting to raise his Polish Majefty to the throne he now enjoys, have generously confidered the difficulties furrounding him, and have not demanded that affiftance, which he could not well have refufed, however fatal G it might have proved to his fubjects. The state of the feveral fovereignties of ITALY has called the publick attention for fome years; and, whatever interefts have influenced the Princes pof- H feffed of that country to diftrefs the Ecclefiaftical State, the Holy Father has always, however reluctant, confented to what has been infifted on by his neighbours, as well as to the demands of more distant crowns; a right ha another. Don Carlos appears now to be fixed in the quiet poffeffion of the kingdoms of NAPLES and the Two SICILIES; he having been acknowledged as Sovereign of thefe dominions by most of the European Princes, as well as by his Holinefs, whote acknowledgment always trots hard after poffeffion: And these kingdoms, being joined in one Prince, whofe fole care will be their good go. vernment, will probably make a confiderable figure in the affairs of Europe; though their strength was fcarce difcernible while in the hands of a Prince whofe greater dominions swallowed the attention neceffary to promote the intereft and advantage of thefe: it being certain, that his Neapolitan Majefty has made feveral regulations tending to the eafe and advantage of his fubjects; and his marriage with the Princess Royal of Poland has met with the general approbation of the friends of both crowns. CORSICA has long furnished fubject of fpeculation to the politicians of Europe. The accepting Baron Theodore as Sovereign of that island; his fudden departure from thence; his detainment and quiet release in Holland; his appearance at fome other places; his return to Corfica, and reported cold reception; and the great quantities of ammunition, beration, (while the fate of war feem'd precarious) determined on a neutrality in the contests between the Christian Powers and the Turks; probably not a little to their advantage; having thereA by fecured their plains from blood, and their trade from interruption. munition, &c. he fent thither during his abience, and took with himself; the large fums he must have expended, and the feeming impoffibility of his raifing any fum at all: have baffled the penetration of the most discerning: For, as we have been often told, that this itinerant Monarch is supported by fome crown, which the world little imagines to be concerned in his fortunes, it is natural to think, that the present fituation of his affairs would have discovered the canals of the aids he has from time to time received; but, by what appears by the laft advices from Italy, every thing relating to him remains as much a fecret now as at his first attempts on royalty. C Some inteftine broils, which threatned the utmost danger to the republick of GENEVA, have been accommodated B by the mediating hand of France, and the cantons of Zurich and Bern; and the city restored to its former tranquillity. A difference has for fome time fubfifted between his SARDINIAN Majesty and the Emperor, concerning the pof feffion of fome fiefs in Italy, now in the hands of the Piedmontefe: but it is not probable that his Imperial Majefty will at present be fo ftrenuous in D his demands as at another time; the affiftance of Savoy, and every other ally, being much wanted in the general defence of the empire. The interpofition of his Moft Chriftian Majefty to reconcile, as 'tis commonly phrafed, the Corficans and Genoefe, at firft alarmed the friends of Theodore with apprehenfions of being obliged to fubmit to the unlimited power of their former detefted governors: But, when the French troops were landed, and the articles of accommodation came upon the carpet, their fears in fome measure decreafed; it not being eafy to determine, from the tedious method in which this E propofed reconciliation has advanced, what is the real intention of the French court with regard to that island. The feizure of Theodore at Naples, and his confinement in the caftle of Gaeta, has thunder-ftruck most of our Corfican politicians; as it is not easily reconcileable with an opinion which prevailed with many, of his being privately fupported by Spain: But, from accounts of his eafy confinement, and his chearfulness under it, there is not great probability of his being under much apprehenfion from either the French or Genoefe. The acceffion of the Duke of Lorain to the Great Dukedom of TuS CANY, has not yet been attended with the many benefits his new fubjects promise themfelves from the prefence of a Prince fo univerfally esteemed. PRUSSIA has not been concerned in the troubles of Europe, any farther than the troops its Sovereign, as Elector of Brandenburg, fent to the affiftance of his Imperial Majefty; though the good order of his Pruffian Majefty's forces is known to all his neighbours; nor are F his grenadiers equalled by any nation in the universe. G H DENMARK has, within a few years, greatly improved her commerce; the establishment of an East-India company at Copenhagen having diffused a spirit of trade over great part of the Danish dominions. And his Danish Majesty, during the last year, has made feveral good regulations in the religious ceremonies of his fubjects; having abolish'd the exorcisms used in their baptism, and removed the confeffion-chairs out of the churches: though the people, ever fonder of ceremony than religion, expreffed fome refentment at firft, but are now tolerably reconciled to the altera The VENETIANS, after a long deli- tion. The The trade of SWEDEN has likewise been much increased; an Eaft-India company being established at Stockholm, many improvements made in their manufactures, and a treaty of commerce concluded with the Grand Sei- A gnior. About the middle of last year, his Swedish Majefty's health was fo precarious, that, with the confent of the ftates of his kingdom, he refigned the government to the Queen his confort, B who was Queen-regnant at the time of their marriage. Nothing remarkable has happened in PORTUGAL fince the return of the English fleet from Lisbon; the court of Spain having defifted from those C measures which fuch uneafiness to gave his Portuguese Majefty, as called for the interpofition of Great Britain. D SPAIN has, during the last year, been freer from action by fea or land than for fome time before; which some attribute to the difficulties attending the demands of Great Britain relating to the injuries fuffered by the fubjects of his Britannick Majefty from the fubjects of Spain; which are faid to have em- E ployed the Spanish councils in an extraordinary manner. But it is not improbable, that the full fettlement of Don Carlos in Italy, the appointment of Don Philip to be High Admiral of the Spanish monarchy, and the fixing the Cardinal Don Lewis (aged now above nine years) in the archbishoprick of Toledo, may have given fome prefent fatisfaction to the fortunate mother of those Princes. And 'tis certain that the appearance of the British fleet in the Streights must be a curb to any enterprize by fea, though we have not yet received intelligence of any engage ment. F G FRANCE has been engaged in no war H fince the campaigns in Italy and on the Rhine, the expedition to Corfica having been attended with no blood yet: tho' the office of Mediator has diftinguished the Gallick name of late years, in the af fairs of Geneva and Genoa; and has allo been often earnestly offered to reconcile the Turks and Germans, and, what is ftill more remarkable, the crowns of Great Britain and Spain: But her good offices, however it happens, are more readily offered than accepted.-Cardinal Fleury continues in the adminiftration with general applause from the people, though his Christian Majesty's behaviour to the parliament of Paris has no way increased the liberty of France, nor diminished the prerogative of the crown, The STATES GENERAL of the U-nited Provinces give the utmost attention to every step taken with regard to an accommodation between Great Britain and Spain: for, fhould a rupture break out between the two crowns, it would be difficult for the States General to avoid being affected one way or other. Notwithstanding the powerful alliances of his Serene Highnefs the Prince of ORANGE, his fucceffion to the eftates of his late Majefty K. William is not yet determined. The fucceffion to the dutchies of BERG and JULIERS has called much of the publick attention during the laft year. And the claimants have lately fo much increased, that the fettlement of that long-depending inheritance is a far from being in any likelihood of plea-a fing them all. The attention of the fubjects of GREAT BRITAIN is fo generally bent toward the negotiations with the court of Spain, that as nothing final is yet published on that head, we must refer to fubfequent advices for the determinations relating to that momentous affair. to fuch of our readers as have not been very converfant in the transactions abroad, it may not be amifs to add the few following remarks on such other countries as will most probably furnish matter of intelligence. A PERSIA, after a long fcene of war and confufion, was fcarcely fixed in a ftate of peace and ferenity, by the various labours and fucceffes of its prefent Sovereign, Kouli Kan, before the fucceffor of Merriweis, the first of the modern diitarbers of the tranquillity of that kingdom, raifed fuch a rebellion in the province of Candahar, as has employed the whole force of the nation for fome time; and no advices have fufficiently confirmed the reports of their being yet reduced to obedience. I CRAFTSMAN, Jan. 6. Formerly gave my readers a little eflay on the New Year, and exhorted them to begin it with political regeneration. But I cannot boast of much fuccefs in this attempt, for eleven years paft; though we have fince had several excellent laws made to prevent unlawful gin-drinking, smuggling and stageplaying, which I hope have had the deBired effect, by the affiduous care of our vigilant magiftrates, both civil and military. But the greateft, political diftempers ftill remain to be cured.- Luxury, corruption, avarice and ambition are as rampant as ever.-Our taxes are as high, Cand our debts I am afraid not much diminished.-Our trade and manufactures continue in the fame languishing condition, and will every day grow worse, unlefs fome fpeedy remedy be applied.These caufes have spread a face of poverty over the whole nation; especially the diftant manufacturing ones, which hath excited multitudes of poor wretches to several acts of violence, notwithstanding our army, as well as the Riot and Black Acts. Nobody can pretend to E fay that they have been worked up to thefe outrages by feditious writings, which very few of them can read or understand; and I have not yet heard any Gentleman malecontent charged with fecretly abetting them. No, thefe tumults are plainly Fowing to the want of employment, the finking of their wages, and the dearness of provifions, occafioned by high duties on most of the neceffaries of life; which affect the mafter-workmen, as well as the poor labourers, and difable them to pay Gʻthe ufual price.—The fame bad confequences extend to landed Gentlemen, by the breaking of their tenants, or the fall of their rents, which few of them, at this time, are able to bear :-Nay, it may go farther ftill; for where nothing H is to be had, the government cannot be fupported, and even the King muft lofe his right. The kingdom of MOROCCO has, fince the death of Muley Ifmael, been involved in one continued agitation of D government, in rapine and blood; the numerous offspring of that Prince having furnished several competitors for the throne, of parties fufficient to diftrefs every province of that unhappy nation. Muley Hamet Aebey, and Muley Abdolmolech, the two first antagonifts, being dead, the conteft lies now principally between Muley Abdallah, who, by his numerous cruelties, has fhewn himself a true fon of his fanguine father, and Muley Ben Lariba, who is faid to be the most humane and polite of all his brothers. The intereft and protection of the PLANTATIONS in America depend fo much on the negotiations now on the carpet, that little can be faid till the difputes with Spain are terminated; and though the many reports of the Spaniards having feized Georgia are without confirmation, there is too much room to believe they are not fo good neighbours as could be wifhed an infant colony, which requires affiftance from all around it; whereas this fettlement can hope for none from the fide of the Spaniards, and not too much from Carolina. These are truths well known to every Gentleman, who lives the leaft in the country, and does not fatten upon the fpoils of the publick in this town, which |