of Holftein Gottorp, who had married a fifter of LETTER Charles XII.

IN these ambitious projects the hoftile princes were encouraged, not only by the youth of the king of Sweden, who had fucceeded his father, Charles XI. in 1697, when only fifteen years of age, but by the little estimation, in which he was held by foreign courts. Charles, however, fuddenly gave the lie to public opinion, by discovering the greatest talents for war, accompanied with the most enterprizing and heroic fpirit. No fooner did the occasion call, than his bold genius began to fhewitfelf. Instead of being difconcerted, when told of the powerful confederacy that was forming against him, he seemed rather to rejoice at the opportunity, which it would afford him of difplaying his courage. Meanwhile he did not neglect the neceffary preparations or precautions. He renewed the alliance of Sweden with England and Holland; and he sent an army into Pomerania, to be ready to fupport the duke of Holstein, his brotherin-law 19.

ON Holstein the ftorm firft fell. The Danes, led by the duke of Wurtemburg, and encouraged by the prefence of their fovereign, invaded that duchy; and after taking fome inconfiderable places, invested Tonningen, while the Ruffians, Poles, and Saxons, entered Livonia and Ingria. The moment Charles was informed of the invafion of Holftein, he refolved to carry war into the kingdom of Denmark. He accordingly left his capital, never more to return thither, and embarked with his troops at Carlfcroon; having appointed an extraordinary council, chofen

10. Ubi sup.

from

XX.

A. D. 1699.

A.D. 1700

PART II.

A. D. 1700.

from the fenate, to regulate affairs during his abfence. The Swedish fleet was joined at the mouth of the Sound, by a combined squadron of English and Dutch men of war; which William, as both king of England and Stadtholder of Holland, had fent to the af fiftance of his ally. The Danish fleet, unable to face the enemy, retired under the guns of Copenhagen, which was bombarded; and the king of Denmark, who had failed in his attempt upon Tonningen, was himself cooped up in Holstein, by fome Swedish frigates cruifing on the coaft.

In this critical feason, the enterprising spirit of the young king of Sweden fuggefted to him the means of finishing the war at a blow. He proposed to besiege Copenhagen by land, while the combined fleet blocked it up by fea. The idea was admired by all his generals, and the neceffary preparations were made for a defcent. The king himself, impatient to reach the fhore, leaped into the fea fword in hand, where the water rofe above his middle. His example was followed by all his officers and foldiers, who quickly put to flight the Danish troops that attempted to oppofe his landing. Charles, who had never before been prefent at a general discharge of mufkets loaded with ball, asked major Stuart, who ftood near him, what occafioned the whistling which he heard. "It "is the found of the bullets," replied the major, "which they fire against your majefty." Very well !" faid the king: "this fhall henceforth be my "mufic "."

THE citizens of Copenhagen filled with confternation, fent a deputation to Charles, befeeching him

11. Voltaire, ubi fup.

not to bombard the town. He on horseback received LETTER the deputies at the head of his regiment of guards. They fell on their knees before him; and he granted A. D. 1700. their request, on their agreeing to pay him four hundred thousand rix-dollars. In the mean time the king of Denmark was in the most perilous fituation; preffed by land on one fide, and confined by fea on the other. The Swedes were in the heart of his dominions, and his capital and his fleet were both ready to fall into their hands. He could derive no hopes but from negociation aud fubmiffion. The king of England offered his mediation the French ambaffador alfo interpofed' his good offices; and a treaty, highly honourable to Charles, was concluded at Travendale, between Denmark, Sweden, and Holftein, to the exclufion of Ruffia and Poland 12.

WHILE William was in this manner fecuring the peace of foreign nations, the moft violent difcontents prevailed in one of his own kingdoms. The Scots, in confequence of an act of parliament, agreeable to powers granted by the king to his commiffioner, and confirmed by letters patent under the great feal, for eftablishing a company trading to Africa and the Weft Indies, with very extenfive privileges, and an exemption' from all duties for twenty-one years, had planted, in 1698, a colony on the ifthmus of Darien, and founded a fettlement, to which they gave the name of New Edinburgh. The whole nation built on this projec the moft extravagant ideas of fuccefs; and, in order to fupport it they had fubfcribed the very large fum' of four hundred thousand pounds sterling '3. The fituation of the fettlement, it must be owned, was well chofen; and, two hundred thousand pounds of 13. Burnet, book vi.

12. Hift. du Nord, tom.

the

PART II the money being raised, much might have been feaA. D. 1700. fonably expected from the persevering and enterprising spirit of the people, animated by the hope and the love of gold.

BUT the promife of the futute greatnefs of New Edinburgh, the intended capital of New Caledonia, proved its ruin. Its vicinity to Porto Bello and Carthagena, at that time the great marts of the Spaniards in America, and the poffibility which its fituation afforded of cutting off all communication between thefe and the port of Panama on the South Sea, whither the treasures of Peru were annually conveyed, filled the court of Madrid with the most alarming apprehenfions. Warm remonstrances were accordingly prefented, by the Spanish ambaffador at the court of England, on the subject. The English also became jealous of the Scottish colony. They were apprehenfive that many of their planters, allured by the profpect of gold mines, with which New Caledonia was faid to abound, and the hopes of robbing the Spaniards with impunity, would be induced to abandon their former habitations, and retire thither; that ships of all nations, to the great detriment of the English trade with the Spanish main, would refort to New Edinburgh, which was declared a free port; that the Buccaneers, and lawless adventurers of every denomination, would make it their principal rendezvous, as it would afford them an easy paffage to the coafts of the South Sea, and by that means an opening to all the treasures of Mexico and Peru 14.

INFLUENCED by these confiderations, and afraid of a rupture with Spain, William fent fecret orders

14. Id. ibid.

to

XX.

to the governor of Jamaica, and to the governors of LETTER all the other English fettlements, to hold no communication with the Scottish colony; nor, on any pre- A.D. 1700. tence whatsoever, to fupply them with arms, ammunition, or provifions "5. Thus deprived of all support in America, and receiving but flender fupplies from Europe, the miferable remnant of the Scottish fettlers in Darien were obliged to furrender to the Spaniards. Never, perhaps, were any people fo mortified, as the Scots at this difafter. Disappointed in their golden dreams, and beggared by their unfortunate efforts, the whole nation was inflamed with rage and indignation against William; whom they accufed, in the most virulent language, of duplicity, ingratitude, and inhumanity. Proper leaders only were wanting to have made them rife in arms, and throw off his authority.

NOR were the people of England in a much better humour. Apprehenfive the fecond partition treaty might involve them in a new continental war, they loudly exclaimed against it, as an impudent invasion of the rights of nations. And the powers on the continent, in general, feemed equally diffatisfied with that treaty. The German princes, unwilling to be concerned in any alliance which might excite the refentment of the house of Auftria, were cautious and dilatory in their answers: the Italian ftates, alarmed at the idea of seeing France in poffeffion of Naples, and other districts in their country, fhewed an averfion against the partition-treaty: the duke of Savoy, in hopes of being able to barter his confent for fome confiderable advantage, affected a myfterious neutrality: the Swifs cantons declined acceding as gua15. Burnet, ubi sup.

rantees;