XXI. 1783. JOSEPH II. her son, early discovered that rage BOOK for innovation, without discrimination or judgment, which has in the sequel rendered his name so unfortunately memorable. His character was however as yet very imperfectly known, and Europe thought much better of this monarch, both in regard to the rectitude of his disposition and the extent of his capacity, than TIME, the grand umpire of opinions, has eventually confirmed. Ignorant of the sciences belonging to the art of government," says a writer who intimately knew both the man and the monarch," his intercourse was with people still more ignorant than himself. His ideas were confused, and he attempted in vain to emancipate himself from vulgar prejudices. His pride would admit of no contradiction. He desired to appear infallible, and to impart this infallibility to all his officers. Flatterers and deceivers pressed round the throne, and, terming his obstinacy firmness, and his restlessness love of glory, steeled his heart, naturally obdurate, against noble and exalted sentiments; and assured him that he would become the greatest of princes, and obscure the glory of the great FREDERIC. Finding insurmountable obstacles to every innovation tending to good, he adopted measures of violence in preference to policy, and would have been in time the greatest of tyrants*. *Vide Memoirs of the baron Trenck. BOOK His reign nevertheless commenced with an act of beneficence, truly imperial, in the promulgation 1789. of letters-patent, granting the free exercise of their religion to the protestants all over the Austrian dominions. By a second edict, he declared all religious foundations in the Austrian Netherlands exempt from all foreign ecclesiastical jurisdiction; and other regulations were adopted for the purpose of reducing the number of religious houses, and of discountenancing all monastic institutions. Journey of the pope to Vienna. The Roman pontiff, Pius VI., whose zeal for the church was very great, alarmed at these proceedings, declared to the emperor his intention, notwithstanding his advanced age, to make in person a journey to Vienna, in order to confer with his imperial majesty on the subject of these recent and dangerous innovations. The emperor in reply assured his holiness, that his heart was truly catholic and apostolic; but that with regard to the late regulations, they had been made with due consideration and good advice; and that, having already decided upon them, his holiness's journey was in this view entirely superfluous. The pope however would not be deterred from the execution of his design, and on his actual arrival at Vienna in the spring of 1782 he was treated by the emperor with the highest demonstrations of respect and affection: but no alterations whatever XXI. 1783. as to public measures took place, as may easily be BOOK supposed, in consequence of this visit, which ill comported with the prescriptive haughtiness of the Vatican. The very attempt to effect a change in the imperial system of policy by any personal efforts of argument or eloquence was a certain indication of weakness and vanity. On his return to Rome, the holy father had the mortification to find his journey the object of very general ridicule; and an anonymous pasquinade declared, "that what Gregory VII., the greatest of priests, had established, Pius VI., the most contemptible of priests, had destroyed." The emperor on his part gained by *The celebrated cardinal de Bernis, whose discernment and knowledge of mankind were of the superior class, used, as we are told, every possible means to dissuade the pope from his preposterous resolution of visiting the emperor. "Every body (said the cardinal in a letter afterwards published) is of opinion, that you are about to take an improper step, which, without being of the smallest advantage to the Holy See, will be a disgrace to the pontifical dignity. Even at Rome it is already turned into ridicule. Now you know with what effect that weapon is used against religion and its ministers. Those who are about your person dare not oppose your wishes. They are ill acquainted with the spirit of courts and the spirit of the age. For Heaven's sake then, holy father, suspend the execution of your project, till you know the sentiments of the courts of France and Spain, and of such others whose opinion ought to have any weight with you."-" You see (said the cardinal) that the emperor tells you before hand, that nothing is capable of making him change his determination. Why then should BOOK his multiplied, rapacious, and precipitate reforms, XXI. no increase of reputation with truly enlightened 1783. persons, who clearly perceived that his unbounded love of power was not blended with any just principles of philanthropy or philosophy. The good understanding of the Russian and Ottoman empires had recently suffered great interruption, in consequence of the opposition of interests involved in the election of a khan of the Tartars, with respect to which neither power, agreeably to the terms of the late peace, had a right to interfere. An explanatory agreement at length took place (March 1779), by which the khan Sahim Guerai, elected through the influence of Russia, was acknowledged as lawful khan of the Crimea by the Turkish government. In the year 1782, nevertheless, these disturb ances were revived, and the czarina entered into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the emperor, in the evident expectation of an immediate war with the Porte. And haughty memorials were delivered by the ambassadors of both the imperial courts at you take so degrading a step to no purpose?" Finding his bold though friendly remonstrances, which the pope however took in good part, of no avail, he concluded his last note with the expression" Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem." And from this time he was accustomed to say, "I see well that the reign of Pius VI. will in the end cost him many a tear."-Vide Life of Pope Pius VI. XXI. 1783 Constantinople, insisting that the Ottoman court BOOK should not henceforth interpose in the affairs of the Crimea; nor encroach upon the prerogatives of the princes of Moldavia and Walachia; nor oppose the free navigation of the Euxine. Soon after this the khan of the Tartars, in conformity doubtless to the pre-concerted plan of the imperial courts, signified his resolution to resign his crown into the hands of the czarina. After some affected hesitation, her imperial majesty declared by a public manifesto, dated April 1783, her acceptance of this resignation, and her determination to take once for all the peninsula of the Crimea, together with the island of Taman, and the province of Cuban Tartary, on the other side of the Straits of Caffa, extending to Circassia, under her own immediate administration. The court of Constantinople, roused by this new and unexpected attack, replied to the Russian manifesto with unusual animation and energy.— "What pretensions of right (say they) can her imperial majesty have to territories annexed for ages to the dominion of the Porte? Would such claims on any part of the Russian empire not be instantly resisted? And can it be presumed that the Sublime Porte, however desirous of peace, will acquiesce in what ambition may term policy, but justice and equity would deem usurpation? What Christian |
