XXIII. 1788. BOOK and inconsistent policy of the emperor, the depu ties, notwithstanding his previous menaces of vengeance, were most graciously received at the imperial court. The sovereign The sovereign professed himself well-disposed to restore their antient privileges as contained in the Joyeuse Entrée, and intimated an intention of visiting the Netherlands, to take measurcs with the states for the welfare of the people. In the mean time count Murray, the Austrian governor, published a proclamation, completely revoking the late proceedings, and re-establishing the antient government. Happily for the people of Flanders, the capricious politics of the emperor had by this time directed their views to a distant and opposite quarter. The advantages acquired by Russia, in consequence of the treaty of 1784, excited the chagrin and envy of that monarch; and the Turkish empire at this period presenting an easy and inviting prospect of conquest, a negotiation was set on foot with this view between the two imperial courts; and in the spring of 1787 a conference took place between the czarina and the emperor at the new capital of Cherson, whither the empress of the Russias had with great pomp and splendor repaired, in order to her inauguration as sovereign of the Taurica. Scarcely did she deign to affect concealment of her hostile intentions; and over one of the gates of the city she caused to be inscribed, "This is the gate which leads to BYZANTIUM." XXIII. tween Rus The Ottoman Porte, fully apprised of the BOOK machinations of the imperial courts, took a hasty 1788. resolution, notwithstanding her own extreme war beunpreparedness for commencing offensive opera-vend tions, to publish an immediate declaration of war Turkey. against Russia-in the hope probably of being able to conciliate the emperor before his plan of hostility was fully matured. This however was a vain expectation; the emperor ordering, after a very short interval, a memorial to be delivered by his ambassador at Constantinople, stating, "that he was compelled by treaty to assist his ally the czarina with 80,000 men; and if this should be considered by the Porte as an act of hostility, he was prepared for every event." Not waiting the answer, he made, on the 2d of December 1787, a most perfidious attempt to surprise the fortress of Bel. grade. Being disappointed in this enterprise, he thought proper to offer an apology for his conduct, which only served by its futility to demonstrate the weakness of the government which condescended to accept it. tween the and Otto man The imperial manifesto, containing a formal War bedeclaration of war, at length appeared, February imperial 1788. Contrary to the antient barbarous practice, the ambassadors of both the imperial courts were suffered to depart from Constantinople without molestation. The answer to the Austrian declaration, in a calm and dignified manner, reproaches XXIII. 1788. BOOK the emperor with "wantonly violating a peace of fifty years' continuance, without being able to allege injury or pretext. Numerous instances are adduced, in which, for the preservation of peace, the Sublime Porte had complied with unreasonable requisitions and they justly observe, that they had never upon any occasion taken advantage of the embarrassments of the house of Austria, but had always acted with a liberality and good faith ill requited in the present instance." The operations of the Germans were in the commencement of the war far from successful. Little impression could be made upon the Turkish frontier; and no sooner had the grand-vizier taken the command of the army, than the Turks became the assailants; and the emperor, who commanded in person, after suffering repeated losses, was com pelled to a precipitate and disgraceful retreat, leaving the Bannat and the Lower Hungary to the mercy of the enemy. On the western side, however, where the famous mareschal Laudohn commanded, the towns of Dubitza and Novi were reduced, after a vigorous defence. On the eastern quarter, the city of Choczim surrendered, September 29th, to the united arms of Russia and Austria. And before the end of the year, the important fortress of Oczakow, after sustaining a siege of several months, was carried by storm; the Russians marching to the assault over the frozen snow, XXIII 1788. with which the trenches were filled. A decisive BOOK superiority in the Black Sea was also obtained by the repeated victories gained on the part of the Russians by the prince of Nassau over the famous Turkish admiral Hassan Pacha. the north. Rupture Sweden and In the mean time the king of Sweden, actuated Troubles in by that spirit of unprincipled ambition, so usually the characteristic of princes as to be deemed scarce between ly the object of censure, and prompted likewise by Russia. the king of Prussia, and the powers in alliance with the court of Berlin and inimical to Russia,* entered suddenly, at the head of a considerable army, * The politics of the court of London, at this juncture, are thus described by the Count de Segur, ambassador of France at the court of Berlin. 66 England, in concert with Prussia, inflaming the courage of the Turks, exciting the hopes of Poland, instigating the ambition of the court of Sweden, fomenting the troubles of Brabant, deceiving the probity of Spain, and supporting the stadtholder's pretensions against the states of Holland, made all Europe in a short time an immense field of intrigues, of discord, and of carnage." In vain, as the same historian observes of the king of Sweden, had the great Frederic his uncle in complimenting him upon the revolution which had increased his authority, recommended to him to be pacific, and warned him that since there were now four monarchies in Europe, each of which could assemble 400,000 soldiers, a king of Sweden with an army of 25,000 men ought no longer to entertain the hope of playing a great part in Europe. Gustavus had frequently said that a war was necessary in order to characterise a reign: and not contented with repose, he desired at all events to be a conqueror. Memoirs of Frederic William II, vol. I. p, 62. XXIII. 1788. BOOK the territory of Russian Finland, whence the idea of passing by a direct and rapid march to Petersburgh seemed not wholly chimerical. But a subject of bitter chagrin awaited him in the absolute and pertinacious refusal of his officers to engage in offensive war, on the patriotic ground, or perhaps the traitorous pretext, that the king had not, agreeably to the provisions of the constitution of 1772, obtained the previous consent of the states. The court of St. Petersburgh, on the first intimation of the attack from Sweden, had called for the aid and assistance of Denmark, conformably to the terms of the treaty of alliance subsisting between the two courts. Denmark had been for some years past under the administration of the prince royal, whose knowledge and prudence, far exceeding the immaturity of his age, were the happy result of a good natural understanding, improved to the utmost by an excellent and admirable education. The prince regent, on his accession to power, had restored the former ministers of the Danish court, displaced by Struensee, to their offices, amongst whom was the count de Bernstorf, whose wisdom and firmness have in the course of events been rendered very conspicuous. On the present occasion, the court of Copenhagen entered entirely into the views of the czarina; and in the month of September, 1788, a large body of Danish troops, commanded by prince Charles of Hesse |