ART. II. Memoirs of the Life and Reign of Frederick the Third, King of Pruffia. By Jofeph Towers, L. L. D. 12s. Boards. Dilly. 1788. 8vo. 2 Vols. T is the lot of greatnefs, and more particularly of "great greatnefs," as the Poet fo forcibly expreffes it, to have its every action carefully attended to. "O Place and Power, millions of falfe eyes Are ftuck upon thee! Volumes of report Run with most falfe and moft contrarious quefts A memorable, but melancholy truth! Hence we may account for the cenfure which has been fo repeatedly paffed on fome parts of the conduct of the great Frederick; and which, by the way, his prefent Biographer has likewife very liberally beftowed on him. How far the monarch in queftion may, by his actions, have incurred this cenfure, we fhall now inquire, as fummarily as poffible. Dr. Towers, in the volumes here prefented to us, has entered into a detail of the principal circumftances in the life of the Pruffian hero, and related them, generally, with fufficient fidelity. We are at the fame time forry to obferve, that he has on many occafions fallen in with popular prejudice, and attacked with afperity the fovereign whom, as a candid as well as faithful hiftorian, it was his duty to defend from every kind of mifrepresentation. He confiders him in his military capacity, it is true, as a renowned and fuperior character; but, from the general tenour of his hiftory, he seems to view him as Cromwell is viewed by Pope, as damned to everlasting fame;-and this on account of his invafion, as it is ftiled, of Silefia; his feizure of papers in the Cabinet of Drefden; the Partition of Poland, &c. The whole of which proceedings, and the reafons which evidently urged to them, have (we speak it with confidence) been unfairly reported to the world. As the greater part of the reign of Frederick is faid to have been compofed of acts of violence and oppreffion toward his neighbours, we proceed to confider the primary deed of injustice with which he is charged, namely, his inroad into the Duchy of Silefia, and which is thus reprefented by Dr. Towers. The death of the Emperor Charles VI. the last male heir of the house of Auftria, who died on the 29th of October 1740, was an event that greatly interested all Europe, and awakened the ambition of fome of its most powerful princes. By virtue of the Pragmatic Sanction, or law, by which the fucceffion to the hereditary dominions of the Houfe of Auftria was fecured to the female heirs of the Emperor Charles VI. in cafe he should die without male iffue, that fucceffion devolved to the Archduchefs Maria Therefa, the Emperor's eldest daughter, who was married to Francis of Lorrain, grand Duke of Tuscany. This immenfe inheritance comprehended the kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia, the province of Silefia, Auftria, Swabia, Upper Upper and Lower Auftria, Stiria, Carinthia, Carniola, the four forest towns, Burgaw, Brisgau, the low countries, Friali, Tirol, and the Duchies of Milan, Parma, and Placentia. The Pragmatic Sanction had been guaranteed by almoft all the powers of Europe; notwithstanding which, the Emperor of Germany was no fooner dead, than four claimants appeared for the inheritance of the Auftrian dominions. Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, laid claim to the kingdom of Bohemia, on the ftrength of an article in the will of the Emperor Ferdinand I. brother to Charles V. made about two centuries before. Auguftus III. King of Poland, and Elector of Saxony, exhibited pretenfions to the whole Auftrian fucceffion, in Nirtue of the right of his wife, eldest daughter of the Emperor Jofeph, elder brother of Charles VI. The King of Spain founded his claim to all the poffeffions of the Auftrian family, in his being defcended from the confort of Philip II. daughter of the Emperor Maximilian II. and the King of Sardinia revived an obfolete claim to the Duchy of Milan.' The affairs of Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary, were in this fituation, when a new and unexpected enemy started up, who was more artful in his manœuvres, and more alert in his operations, than any other of the claimants of the whole or any part of the Auftrian inheritance. This was the King of Pruffia, whofe great object, from the very commencement of his reign, appears to have been the aggrandifement of his dominions; and who confidered the death of the Emperor as a circumftance favourable to his views.' It foon afterwards appeared, that he meant to take advantage of the prefent embarraffed ftate of the Queen of Hungary's affairs, to revive fome claims of his family to the Duchy of Silefia, by virtue of old treaties of confraternity, but which feem to have been either obfolete or annulled. He did not, however, at firft, fully avow his intentions. For in a curious manifefto which he published, affigning reafons for ordering his troops to enter into Silefia, which was dated at Berlin the 1st of December, he, obferved that the Empire, and the House of Auftria, in confequence of the death of the Emperor, and the dif putes about the fucceffion, were without a head, and expofed to dangerous troubles, of which a part had manifefted themfelves already, and others were ready to break out, As to himself, he faid, he had always been folicitous for what tended to the good and preservation of the Duchy of Silefia, &c. &c.' This is, furely, a partial ftatement of the affair. The declaration, or curious manifefto,' as it is called, fhould have been given at large. Had this been done, it would have appeared, that the claim of the Pruffian Monarch to the Duchy of Silefia was founded in reafon and justice: that is to fay, in the right of purchase a right which had defcended to him from his anceftors; for, though they had certainly relinquished their pretenfions to the province in queftion, because they were not in a condition to fupport them; yet as this was not the cafe with the reigning King, he refolved on maintaining his rights, his indefeafible rights, very wifely confidering that they were no way diminished, but rather ftrengthened and confirmed by time. Silefia too, it fhould be remembered, is the barrier to the Pruffian dominions on the fide of Hungary; and it would have been unpardonably negligent in Frederick, at a feafon when Europe was in a flame refpecting the right of fucceffion to the Imperial throne, had he not availed himself of the opportunity to fortunately arifing to him of giving fecurity, as far as he could, to his crown and people. The feizure of papers in the Archives at Drefden, is ftated in this performance as follows: On his arrival at Drefden, the King of Pruffia was lodged at the houfe of the Countess Moczinska; and he fent one of his officers to wait upon the Queen of Poland [his Polish Majefty was then in his camp at Pirna], with the ftrongest affurances that the and her family fhould be treated with the utmoft refpect and regard. Sentinels, however, were pofted within the palace in which the Queen and royal family refided; as alfo at the door of the fecret cabinet, where the papers relating to foreign tranfactions were depofited. The Queen intreated the Pruffian monarch to remove the fentinels which he had pofted within the palace, and contiguous paffages, agreeably to the affurances that he had given, that all due refpect fhould be obferved towards the royal family. But Frederick was fo far from complying with her requeft, that he ordered the guards to be doubled, and fent an officer to demand of her majefty the keys of the fecret cabinet. The Queen obtained this officer's confent that the doors fhould be fealed up; but he afterwards returned with orders to break them open. Her majefty then placed herself before the door, and faid, that fhe trufted fo much to the promife of the King of Pruffia, that he could not believe he had given fuch orders. The officer affirmed that his orders were pofitive, and that he durft not disobey them; but the continued in the fame place, declaring, that if violence was to be used, he must begin with her. The officer returning to acquaint the King with what had paffed, ber majefty conjured the minifters of Pruffia and England to remind the Prudian monarch of his promife. But her reprefentations had no effect. The officer "The Duchy of Silefia was an ancient fief of the kingdom of Bohemia, and was formerly divided into feveral little fovereignties, governed by Dukes, vaffals of the King of Bohemia. Thefe Dukes had agreed with the Electors of Brandenbourg, that, upon failure of heirs male, they should fucceed to their dominions. But the Houfe of Auftria, being called to the throne of Bohemia, pretended that those agreements were abfolutely null, inafmuch as they had not been ap-. proved by the fovereign to whom the poff-flors were vaffals; and the ancestors of the King of Pruffia not being in a fituation to make good their claims by force of arms, they were obliged to diffemble. However, they took care at certain junctures to renew their pretenfions, and feveral times refufed large fums of money, which the Court of Vienna offered them to give up their rights." See Memoirs of the King of Pruffia. London. 1758. See allo Memoires de la Maison de Brandenbourg. When money is thus liberally offered, we may eafily judge of the validity of the claims. returned returned with fresh orders to ufe force, whatever oppofition her Po lith majefty might make against it in perfon. The Queen was at length compelled to withdraw, the doors were forced, the chefts broke open, and the papers fized. The papers, of which the King of Pruflia thus obtained' pofiefion, were the originals of those negociations between the courts of Drefden, Vienna, and Petersburgh, of which he had before procured copies, in confequence of the trea chery of a Saxon Secretary." The matter, as here reported, appears to be an act of the greatest injuftice and oppreffion. But again we must observe, that the Memorial of the King of Pruffia, together with the original papers and documents found in the cabinet at Drefden, and on which the faid Memorial is founded, fhould have been given by Dr. Towers to the world. By fuch a publication it would at once be seen that the monarch was under the neceffity of acting in the manner he did *. This is in no fort a matter of opinion. The vouchers are irrefragable, and not to be dif puted. They exhibit the moft pofitive, the moft "damning proofs" of treachery. Was then the Pruffian monarch, poffelfing thus the documents in queftion, tamely to wait for the attack of an enemy combined against him, and with a fuperior force? Was he quietly to fit with his hands before him (as a member of a certain affembly fo prettily observed on a certain occafion) when the principal powers of Europe were arming to difpoffefs him of his rights? No-He would affuredly have been laughed at by thofe very powers, and deservedly too, * In proof of this, we will transcribe a paragraph or two from the aforefaid documents. The King of Pruffia, it is true, procured copies of them through the treachery' of a Saxon fecretary; but Dr. Towers will fcarcely tell us, we prefume, that the act of bribery was criminal on the part of the King. The originals, however, being neceffary to a thorough conviction of his enemies, he broke open the archives to obtain them. But nothing elfe was touched by him. Treaty entered into between the Courts of Saxony and Vienna. Ex. Par. 1. His Majefty the King of Poland, Elector of Saxony, and her Majefty the Queen of Hungary, have agreed by the prefent feparate and fecret act, that neither the one nor the other shall lay down their arms till, befide the conquest of all Silefia, and the county of Glatz, the King of Pruffia be further reduced." Extract of a Letter from Count de Flemming to Count de Bruhl ; Vienna, June 1756. "There is reafon to prefume, that it has been concerted between the two Imperial courts of Vienna and Ruffia, that the latter, the better to conceal the true reafons of her armament, fhould allege the fpecious pretence of thereby keeping herself in a condition to fulfil her engagements contracted in the laft. fubfidiary treaty with England; and, when all the preparations are finished, then to fall fuddenly upon the King of Pruffia.” the Mos But in the contrary, he took an active and enterprifing part *. deration is greatly and juftly extolled by moft men. particular fituations, moderation is pufillanimity: every thing may be loft by delay. Of the truth of this, no man was ever more. fenfible than Frederick. Dr. T. makes not the full allowance for circumftances; but confiders the challenging Prince as confequently ambitious. Should we not, however, bear in mind, that the caufe of the aggreffor may be juft? War is undoubtedly an evil; but it is admitted on all hands that it may be a neceffary evil; and when a Prince is once engaged in a fate of hoftility, it would furely be abfurd to tell him that he is not to push his conquefts according to his ability. It was the practice of the Pruffian monarch, and thence he acquired his military fame. No violence, however, was committed: no injury was done to the defenceless inhabitants of the conquered places, unless it were occafionally carrying off corn and cattle for the actual fupport of his army, and for which the man of reflection must acknowlege that there was abfolute neceffity, furrounded as the hero was, at all times, by an hoft of foest. We read with admiration the accounts of the battles of Marathon and Arbela. We extol the valour and conduct of the victors with an enthufiafm fuited to the events. In the year 1756, the King of Pruffia, in confequence of the confederacy of the courts of Vienna, Petersburgh, and Drefden, marched his troops into Saxony. France and Sweden foon after declared against him. He had to contend with the united force of Auftria, a great part of the Empire, Ruffia, France, and Sweden, and this for a confiderable number of years. Yet bravely refifting the cowardly and difgraceful combination of his enemies (themselves being clearly the aggreffors), he is accufed by his Biographer of ra pacioufnefs of every kind, with the fuperadded charge of inhumanity. Not fuch were the fentiments of England's council, who, in defence of his conduct and his caufe, granted him, between the years 1756 and 1760, four feveral fubfidies, amounting in the whole to the fum of two millions fix hundred and eighty thoufand pounds fterling. + Dr. Towers is very fevere on the conduct of the K. of P. in levying contributions on the towns of the enemy, for the better fubfifting of his troops. But the Doctor's animadverfion ferves no other purpose than to exhibit his want of acquaintance with the practices common to a state of war, especially with regard to frontier towns. It may here be proper to obferve, that the Ruffians exacted heavy contributions. They burnt the Pruffian villages, and committed rapes on the wives and daughters of the inhabitants; but not a word is faid by Dr. T. of the injustice and inhumanity of any of their proceedings. The Auftrians too, on entering Brandenbourg, demanded fix hundred thousand crowns: they alfo plundered the fuburbs of Berlin. But fill our Author makes not a fingle comment on the matter. . REV. Dec. 1788. K k Why |