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rence not to his own merit, but to the afcendant which his mother

admirable prudence, the interior police of his kingdom, carried on his naval operations with great vi- had acquired over an old doating gour, and extended his conquefts monarch, firft poifoned his father on the continent of Africa. But, in order to prevent him from alterperceiving that the Moors and ing his deftination; and then, with Arabs fubmitted to his government the barbarous policy which prevails with the utmoft impatience, and wherever polygamy is permitted, being afraid that his continual de- and the right of fucceffion is not predations would, one day, draw precifely fixed, he put to death all upon him the arms of the Chrif his brothers whom he could get tians, he put his dominions under into his power. Alrafchid, one of the protection of the grand feignior, the eldeft, was fo fortunate as to and received from him a body of escape his rage; and finding a reTurkish foldiers, fufficient for his treat among the wandering Arabs, fecurity against his domeftic, as made feveral attempts, by the afas his foreign enemies. At fiftance of fome of their chiefs, to laft, the fame of his exploits daily recover the throne, which of right increafing, Solyman offered him belonged to him. But thefe provthe command of the Turkish fleet, ing unfuccefsful, and the Arabs, as the only perfon whofe valour from their natural levity, being and fkill in naval affairs entitled ready to deliver him up to his merhim to command against Andrew cilefs brother, he fled to Algiers, greateft fea-officer of the only place of refuge remaining, Proud of this diftinc- and implored the protection of Bartion, Barbaroffa repaired to Con- baroffa; who difcerning at once that might be

weil

Doria, the

that age.

verfatility
of mind, mingling the
arts of a courtier with the boldnefs
of a corfair, gained the entire con-
fidence both of the fultan and his
vizier. To them he communicated
making himfelf mafter of Tunis,
that he had formed of
the moft
that time,
flourishing kingdom, at

a fcheme

on the coaft of Africa,

which being approved of by them,
he obtained whatever he demanded
for carrying it into execution.
His hopes of fuccefs in this un-
dertaking

were founded on the in

gained by fupporting his title, re-
ceived him with every poffible de-
monftration of friendship and re-
fpect. Being ready, at that time,
to fet fail for Conftantinople, he
eagerness to
eafily perfuaded Alrafchid, whofe
obtain a crown dif-
pofed him to believe or undertake
any thing, to accompany him thi-
ther, promifing him effectual affif-
tance from Solyman, whom he re-
prefented to be the most generous,
as well as most powerful, monarch
in the world. But no fooner were

teftine divifions in the kingdom of they arrived at Conftantinople, than Mahmed, the laft king of the falfe corfair, regardless of all his that country, having thirty-four promifes to him, opened to the ful

Tunis.

fons by

tan a plan for conquering Tunis,

pire, by making ufe of the name of

different wives, named MI ey-Hafcen, one of the youngest and annexing it to the Turkifh emamong them; his fucceffor. That weak prince, who owed his prefe. this exiled prince, and by means of

C 4

the

the party ready to declare in his favour. Solyman approved, with too much facility, of this perfidious propofal, extremely fuitable to the character of its author, but aitogether unworthy of a great prince. A powerful fleet and numerous army were foon affembled; at the fight of which the credulous Alrafchid flattered himself that he would foon enter his capital in triumph.

But just as this unhappy prince was going to embark, he was arreft by order of the fultan, fhut up in the feraglio, and was never heard of more. Barbaroffa failed with a fleet of two hundred and -fifty veffels towards Africa. After ravaging the coats of Italy, and fpreading terror through every part of that country, he appeared before Tunis; and landing his me, gave out, that he came to affert the right of "Alrafchid, whom he pretended to have left fick aboard the admiral's galley. The fort of Goletta, which commands the bay, foon fell into his hands, partly by his own addrefs, and partly by the treachery of its commander; and the inhabitants of Tunis, weary of Muley-Hafcen's government, took arms, and declared for Alrafchid with fuch zeal and unanimity, as obliged the former to fly fo precipitately, that he left all his treafures behind him. The gates were immediately fet open to Barbaroffa, as the restorer of their lawful fovereign. But when Alrafchid himself did not appear, and when, instead of his name, that of Solyman alone was heard among the acclamations of the Turkish foldiers marching into the town, the people of Tunis began to fufpect the corfair's treachery; and their fufpicions being foon converted into certainty, they ran

to arms with the utmost fury, and furrounded the citadel, into which Barbaroffa had led his troops. But having foreseen fuch a revolution, he was not unprepared for it; he immediately turned against them the artillery on the ramparts, and by one brifk discharge of it, and of his fmall arms, he difperfed the numerous ut undirected affailants, and forced them to acknowledge Solyman as their fovereign, and to fubmit to him as his viceroy.

Of the great Admiral, and celebrated Patriot, Andrew Doria.

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UR author having given an account of the condition of the French army under Lautrec, at the fiege of Naples, after the Imperial fleet had been destroyed and the viceroy killed at the mouth of the harbour by Doria's nephew, proceeds as follows:

Thefe unexpected events retarded the progrefs of the French, and difcouraged both the general and his troops; but the revolt of Andrew Doria proved a fatal blow to all their meafures. That gallant offcer, the citizen of a republic, and trained up from his infancy in the fea-fervice, retained the spirit of independence natural to the former, and the plain liberal manners peculiar to the latter. A perfect ftranger to the arts of fubmiffion or flattery neceffary in courts, and confcious at the fame time of his own merit and importance, he always offered his advice with freedom, and often preferred his com plaints and remonftrances with boldness. The French minifters, unaccustomed to fuch liberties, determined to ruin a man who treated

them

them with fo little deference; and though Francis himself had a juft fenfe of Doria's fervices, as well as an high efteem for his character, the courtiers, by continually reprefenting him as a man haughty, intractable, and more folicitous to aggrandize himself than promote the intereft of France, gradually undermined the foundations of his credit, and filled the king's mind with fufpicion and diftrust. From thence proceeded feveral affronts and indignities put upon Doria. His appointments were not regularly paid; his advice, even in naval affairs, was often flighted; an attempt was made to feize the prifoners taken by his nephew in the fea-fight off Naples; all which he bore with abundance of ill-humour. But an injury offered to his country, tranfported him beyond all bounds of patience. The French began to fortify Savona, to clear its harbour, and, removing thither fome branches of trade carried on at Genoa, plainly fhewed that they intended to render that town, long the object of jealoufy and hatred to the Genoefe, their rival in wealth and commerce. Doria, animated with a patriotic zeal for the honour and intereft of his country, remonftrated against this in the highest tone, not without threats, if the measure were not inftantly abandoned. This bold action, aggravated by the malice of the courtiers, and placed in the most odious light, irritated Francis to fuch a degree, that he commanded Barbefieux, whom he appointed admiral of the Levant, to fail directly to Genoa with the French fleet to arreft Doria, and to feize his galleys. This rafh order, of which the moft profound fecrecy alone could have

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fecured the execution, was' concealed with fo little care, that Doria got timely intelligence of it, and retired with all his galleys to place of fafety. Gualto, his prifoner, who had long obferved and fomented his growing difcontent, and had often allured him by magnificent promifes to enter into the emperor's fervice, laid hold on this favourable opportunity. While his indignation and refentment were at their height, he prevailed on him to difpatch one of his officers to the Imperial court with his overtures and demands. The negociation was not long; Charles, fully fenfible of the importance of fuch an acquifition, granted him whatever terms he required. Doria fent back his commiffion, together with the collar of St. Michael, to Francis, and hoifting the Imperial colours, failed with all his galleys towards Naples, not to block up the harbour of that unhappy city, as he had formerly engaged, but to bring them protection and deliverance.

His arrival opened the communication with the fea, and restored plenty in Naples, which was now reduced to the laft extremity; and the French, having loft their fuperiority at fea, were foon reduced to great ftraits for want of provifions. The prince of Orange, who fucceeded the viceroy in the command of the Imperial army, thewed himfelf, by his prudent conduct, worthy of that honour which his good fortune, and the death of his generals, had twice acquired him. loved by the troops, who remembering the profperity they had enjoyed under his command, ferved him with the utmost alacrity, he let flip no opportunity of haraffing the enemy, and by continual alarms

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or fallies, fatigued and weakened them. As an addition to all these misfortunes, the difeafes common in that country during the fultry months, began to break out among the French troops. The prifoners communicated to them the peftilence which the Imperial army had brought to Naples from Rome, and it raged with fuch violence, that few, either officers or foldiers, ef. caped the infection. Of the whole army, not four thousand men, a number fcarce fufficient to defend the camp, were capable of doing duty; and being now befieged in their turn, they fuffered all the miferies from which the Imperialists were delivered. Lautrec, after ftruggling long with fo many difappointments and calamities, which preyed on his mind at the fame time that the peftilence wafted his body, died, lamenting the negligence of his fovereign, and the infidelity of his allies, to which fo many brave men had fallen victims. By his death, and the indifpofition of the other generals, the command devolved on the marquis de Saluces, an officer altogether unequal to fuch a trust. He, with troops no lefs difpirited than reduced, retreated in diforder to Averfa: which town being invefted by the prince of Orange, Saluces was under the neceffity of confenting, that he himself fhould remain a prifoner of war, that his troops fhould lay down their arms and colours, give up their baggage, and march under a guard to the frontiers of France. By this ignominious capitulation, the wretched remains of the French army were faved; and the Emperor, by his own perfeverance and the good conduct of his generals, acquired once more the fuperiority in Italy.

The lofs of Genoa followed immediately upon the ruin of the army in Naples. To deliver, his country from the dominion of foreigners was Doria's highest ambition, and had been his principal inducement to quit the fervice of France, and enter into that of the Emperor. A moft favourable opportunity for executing this honourable enterprize now prefented itfelf. The city of Genoa, afflicted by the peftilence, was almoft deferted by its inhabitants; the French garrifon being neither regu larly paid nor recruited, was reduced to an inconfiderable number; Doria's emiffaries found that fuch of the citizens as remained, being weary alike of the French and Imperial yoke, the rigour of which they had alternately felt, were ready to welcome him as their deliverer, and to fecond all his measures. Things wearing this promifing af pect, he failed towards the coast of Genoa; on his approach, the French Gallies retired; a small body of men which he landed, furprized one of the gates of Genoa in the night time; Trivulci, the French governor, with his feeble garrifon, fhut himfelf up in the citadel, and Doria took poffeffion of the town without bloodshed or refiftance. Want of provifions quickly obliged Trivulci to capitulate; the people, eager to abolish fuch an odious monument of their fervitude, ran together with a tumultuous violence, and levelled the citadel with the ground.

It was now in Doria's power to have rendered himself the fovereign of his country, which he had fo happily freed from oppreffion. The fame of his former actions, the fuccefs of his prefent attempt, the

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attachment of his friends, the gratitude of his countrymen, together with the fupport of the emperor, all confpired to facilitate his attaining the fupreme authority, and invited him to lay hold of it. But with a magnanimity of which there are few examples, he facrificed all thoughts of aggrandizing himself to the virtuous fatisfaction of eftablishing liberty in his country, the highest object at which ambition can aim. Having affembled the whole body of the people in the court before his palace, he affured them that the happinefs of feeing them once more in poffeffion of freedom, was to him a full reward for all his fervices; that more delighted with the name of citizen than of fovereign, he claimed no pre-eminence or power above his equals; but remitted entirely to the the right of fettling what form of government they would now chufe to be established among them. The people liftened to him with tears of admiration, and of joy. Twelve perfons were elected to new-model the conftitution of the republic. The influence of Doria's virtue and example, communicated itself to his countrymen; the factions which had long torn and ruined the ftate, feemed to be forgotten; prudent precautions were taken to prevent their reviving; and the fame form of government, which hath fubfifted with little variation fince that time in Genoa, was established with univerfal applaufe. Doria lived to a great age, beloved, refpected, and honoured by his countrymen; and adhering uniformly to his profeffions of moderation, without arrogating any thing unbecoming a private citizen, he preferved a

great afcendant over the councils of the republic, which owed its being to his generofity. The authority he poffeffed was more flattering, as well as more fatisfactory, than that derived from fovereignty; a dominion founded in love and in gratitude; and upheld by veneration for his virtues, not by the dread of his power. His memory is ftill reverenced by the Genoefe, and he is diftinguished in their public monuments, and celebrated in the works of their hiftorians, by the most honourable of all appellations, THE FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY, AND THE RE

STORER OF ITS LIBERTY

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on the last day of March, in the fifty-third year of his age, and the thirty-third of his reign. During twenty-eight years of that time, an avowed rivalfhip fubfified between him and the Emperor, which involved not only their own dominions, but. the greater part of Europe in wars, profecuted with more violent animofity, and drawn out to a greater length than had been known in any former period. Many circumftances contributed to both. Their animofity was founded in oppofition of intereft, heightened by perfonal emulation, and exafperated not only by mutual injuries, but by reciprocal infults. At the fame time, whatever advantage one feemed to poffefs towards gaining the afcendant, was wonderfully balanced by fome favourable circum

ftance

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