ftrongly recommended, as being poffeffed of fuperior talents for prefiding in his council. Upon his return to court, he declined refuming the fuperintendency of the marine; but accepted a feat in the privy council, and has fince, without any particular title, been the mover of all public affairs. Several ladies of high quality, who from their fervile affiduities to the late favourite, had long basked in the fmiles of the court, were now exiled from it; while the Dutchefs de Grammont, who nobly difdained to degrade her own dignity by fuch compliances, was recalled by a letter under the queen's own hand, and treated with every mark of diftinction and honour. Matters feemingly of little importance, are usefully attended to by princes, when they contribute in any degree to gain the good-will and love of their people. Small condefcenfions on their fide, before they have forfeited the good opinion of the other, create almost infinite funds of gratitude and affection. The young monarch, in paffing through Paris, on his way to Muette, was furrounded by incredible numbers of people, who rended the air with their acclamations of "Long live the king" ftruck with thefe unbought teftimonies of zeal and affection, he put his head out of the coach, and repeatedly exclaimed, “ Long live my people; your happiness fhall be the principal object of my care." The price of bread was lowered; and measures taken with merchants and other dealers for that popular purpofe. Several fchemes of œconomy were alfo introduced; which, though of no great confequence in themselves, and feldom long adhered to, or, if continued, only make an alteration in the channels of expence, without leffening the waste that runs off; are, however, highly flattering to the wishes of the populace; whofe prefent burdens feems the lefs intolerable, from the delufive hope of their being fome time or other lightened. Such deceptions are only calculated for the multitude; politicians know, and philofophers regret their futility. Though a change of councils took place foon after the king's acceffion, it was fome time before the old minifters were actually removed. The Duke de Aiguillon first refigned his office of prime minifter, which was not long after followed by the difmiffion of Maupeou, the great chancellor of France, and of the Abbe Terray, comptroller-general of the finances, The chancellor Maupeou re ceived no other difgrace than the lofs of his employment, and retired to his estate in Normandy, without any restriction being laid on as to the place of his exile. The Abbe Terray, in departing to the place of his banishment, attempted to pass the ferry at Choify, early in the morning, to avoid notice; but notwithftanding this precaution, he was known, and was fo obnoxious to the people, that they immediately affembled, and would have drowned him by cutting the rope of the ferry, if he had not been faved by the accidental coming up of a party of the Marechaufee at the inftant. The joy that was excited by the removal of thefe unpopular minifters, to whom were attributed the deftruction of the parliaments, and all the other obnoxious measures that had been pursued of late, may be easier conceived than expreffed. Nor were the hopes lefs ardent that were formed, with respect to the future conduct of public affairs. In the hurry of thefe changes, the friends and partizans of the Duke de Choiseul, were fanguine in their expectations that he would again be called to the government of the nation; while thofe who wifhed for a continuance of peace, and thofe who were jealous of his power, were equally apprehenfive of that event. The permiffion which he received to return to court, and the gracious reception which he met with, increased the speculations upon this fubject. But however it was, and whatever the views and intrigues of the court are or might have been, he was fuffered to return to his retirement, and has not yet taken any oftenfible fhare in the adminiftration of public affairs. The restoration of the antient parlia ments was the great object which attracted the attention of that kingdom. The measures hitherto purfued, feemed to point that way, and equally raised the hopes, and encreased the anxiety of the people. As the change of minifters did not immediately produce the effects that were wifhed, and the conduct of the court became more ambiguous, their minds became more agitated, until fears and difcontent feemed at length to preponderate. In this state of things, a folemnity approached, which gave the Duke of Orleans a fresh opportunity of fignalizing that zeal for the antient conftitution, and the restoration of the parliaments, which he had fhewn upon former occafions. It being neceffary that the parliament, the princes of the blood, the great offi cers of flate, together with those of fome particular departments, fhould attend the folemu funeral fervice of the late king, which was performed in the July 27th. church of the royal abbey of St. Dennis, where the religious fervice is intermixed or attended with feveral public ceremonials, relative to the demife of the late, and the acknowledgment of the reigning monarch; matters, which, like many others, derive their importance from antiquity and forms: the Duke of Orleans upon this occafion refused to attend, or to act in any manner in conjunction with the new parliament, and wrote a letter to the king, in which he fpecified his reafons for this refufal, and juftified his conduct in fo doing. This unexpected proceeding exceedingly difgufted the court; and this difguit was probably increased by the uncertainty of the effect which this example might have upon the other princes of the blood. The Duke of Orleans, and his fon, the Duke of Chartres, were accordingly in difgrace, and received a order not to appear any more at court. The other princes, in general, attended the ceremonial; the Prince of Conde having found a falvo for his fcruples, by a diftinction, that he did not act in confequence of his title or blood, but officially, as grand matter of the king's houfhold. The Duke of Bourbon feems to have fupplied the place of the Duke of Orleans, by going through thofe parts of the ceremonial, which were allotted to the first prince of the blood. This incident increafed the general difcontent, and the conduct of the court became fo myfterious, that the nation began to defpair. It feems, indeed, that the king and his council were far from being determined in their refolution, on a fubject which so much agitated the public, and that the refloration of the parliaments was for a long time very problematical. It happened, as it is reported, that the king, of an evening, took the air in his coach, upon the Boulevards, or antient ramparts of the city of Paris, which are now converted into a place of walking, amusement, and feftivity, for the inhabitants of that metropolis. Inflead of the joyful acclamations, which had hitherto furrounded him upon every public occafion, he now found an awful and profound filence to prevail wherever he appeared, and faw dejection and difcontent firongly painted in every counteThis fudden change in the fentiments of his fubjects, naturally affected nance. the heart of a youthful prince, and he had minifters who were willing to fix the impreffion. To this fimple circumftance have been attributed the great changes that followed. The recal of the Duke of Orleans to court, and the holding of feveral councils, at which he and the other princes were invited to affift, gave the first earneft to the people, that fatisfactory mea fures were likely to be purfued. Thefe appearances were foon followed by the king's taking off the letters de cachet, which had been iflued against the members of the old parliament; at the fame time preparations were made for the diffolution of the prefent, the members of which were fo obnoxious to the people, that guards were obliged to be posted for their protection. At length the day arrived Nov. 12th. for the re-establishment of This restoration was, however, attended with feveral modifications, intended to controul the pretensions of the parliament, which was now re-established. It is well known, that body had aflumed many powers during the minority and reign of the late king, the exercife of which could by no means be pleafing to the fovereign, who like all others, naturally wifhed to have his authority unlimited, and free from all reftraint whatsoever. The contests which arose upon that fubject, and their final iffue, in the general deftruction of the pariiaments of the kingdom, are fresh in memory. The prefent king, though willing to conciliate the minds of his people by the recal of the parliament, was equally averfe with his predeceffor to its pofleffing any authority, which could at all circumfcribe the plenitude of his own power. The fpeech which the king made upon this occafion in the bed of justice, explained his intentions. He first observes, that the measure which he now takes, may may serve as a proof of his tenderness for his fubjects; but he does not forget, that their tranquility and happinefs de mand, that he fhould preferve his authority in all its plenitude; and is well affured from the attachment and zeal of the prefent affembly, that they will give his fubjects an example of fubmiffion. In addreffing himself particularly to the members of the late parliament, he tells them, that the king his grandfather, was compelled, by their refiftance to his repeated command, to adopt fuch a meafure as his wifdom fuggefted, for maintaining his own authority, and fulfilling the obligations he lay under of rendering jultice to his fubjects. That himself has thought proper now, to recal them to the exercife of those functions, which they ought never to have quitted; and he defires them, to learn to prize his favours, and never to lose remembrance of their extent. The king then informs them, that they are to hear the reading of an ordinance, the several parts of which are conceived exactly in the letter and fpirit of his royal predeceffors. He declares he will not fuffer the smallest infringement to be made upon it; that his own authority, the prefervation of juftice, the happiness and tranquility of his people, all equal ly require that it shall be obferved inviolate He concludes, by declaring it to be his will, that all paft grievances fhall be buried in oblivion; declares, that he fhall ever behold with extreme difapprobation, whatever may tend to create divifions, or disturb the good order and tranquility which he wishes always to fubfiit in his parliament; and recommends to them, to be folely occupied in the faithful discharge of their refpective duties, and to co-operate with his wifhes, which are directed to promote the welfare and happiness of his fubjects. The ordinance now mentioned, may be confidered as a code of difcipline for the conduct and government of the parliament, and was immediately registered by the king's exprefs command. It conGifts of about fixty articles, and reduces the power of that body to limits much narrower than their former demands, Among those restrictions, the members are forbid to look upon themfelves as making one body with the other parliaments of the kingdom, or to take upon them the name of clafs, unity, indivifibility, or any other fynonymous terms. They are likewife forbidden to fend any remonftrances or arrets, relative to the affairs they may be employed about, to any other parliaments, except in fuckt cafes as are permitted by the ordinance. They are also forbidden to quit or defert the exercife of their functions, either by virtue of any refolution, deliberation, or other matter, except in cafes of abfolute neceffity, to be recognized by the first prefident, who is anfwerable to the king for the fufficiency of the caufe. Combined difmiffions are attended with forfeiture, and the guilt of petty treafon; the forfeiture to be adjudged by the king, peers, and council; and the grand council may replace the parliament, without any new edict for that purpose. The parliament is permitted, before registering edicts, declarations, or letters patent, to make fuch remonstrances or reprefentations as they shall judge neceffary for the good of the people; provided they do not deviate from the respect due to the king: and on condition that they thall be registered within a month at fartheft, from the day of the publication of fuch ediéts; with an exception, however, to a repetition of remonftrances, if the king should continue to receive them: but the parliament is forbidden to iffue any arrets which might tend to excite trouble, or in any manner to retard the execution of the king's edicts. The king concluded the business of this memorable day by a fhort speech, in which he obferved, that they were now informed of his pleasure, and from their zeal for the public good, and attachment to the true principles of monarchy, he expected they wou'd exactly conform to what he had prescribed; and promised them his protection and countenance, as long as they worthily fill the places which they occupied, and did not attempt to enlarge the bounds of the power which was granted to them. Thus by a fortunate concurrence of circumftances, has Lewis the XVIth. been enabled, not only to shake off the odium which had been incurred by the violent measures of his grandfather, but to convert it into a fource of popularity for himfelf; while at the fame time, without deftroying the name of parliaments, he has rendered them, to all ap pearance, much more fubfervient than before. He has at least drawn a fixed line, which their authority is not to tranfgrefs, whereas before it was indefinite. It remains to be feen, whether the parliament gained more by the evident neceffity the court has been under of re Bering ftoring them to their functions; or loft, by the terms on which that restoration has been obtained. The chatelet, and fome other boards or tribunals appertaining to the parliament, were afterwards reftored. Notwithstanding the fufferings they had undergone, and the ftrict terms to which they were now bound, the recalled members did not forget the fpirit of the antient parliament. Some bickerings foon took place between them and the king, upon the fubject of remonftrating and registering, to which the doubtful or different interpretation, which fome paffages in the late ordinance were capable of, afforded a foundation. These matters were soon settled by the king's authority and his anfwer to one of these remonftrances," That he must be obeyed," was conclufive. : The archbishop of Paris having again begun to renew the troubles which he had excited in the late reign, by the refufal of the facraments, the king fent for him to Verfailles, and is faid to have Spoken to him in the following terms: The king my grandfather exiled you feveral times for the troubles you occafioned in the ftate; I fent for you to tell you, that if you' relapfe, I fhall not exile you, but give you over to the rigour of the law." The unfortunate ifland of Corfica has, during the prefent year, afforded a dreadful fcene of blood and cruelty. The unhappy natives of that devoted ifland have experienced every degree of punifhment which the most determined tyranny is capable of inflicting: Racks, gallies, tranfportation from their country, and all thofe connexions that are dear to mankind, with perpetual flavery in the French Weft-India iflands. Thefe cruelties, founded on oppreffion and injuftice, have much difgraced the character of the French, as a civilized and humane nation. For, though the barbarous fierceness of the Corficans fhould be brought in justification, and shewn to be reftrained by none of thofe conventions which cuftom has established among mankind, the cause of its exertion, the defence of their natural rights and liberties, will, in a great measure, exculpate them with refpect to its irregularity, while the original flagrant and uncoloured injuice and ufurpation on the other fide, takes away every claim to the right of retaliation. It has been given out, that a plot was formed by the natives to cut off all the French in the ifland on Afcenfion-day; but that this horrid defign was fortunately discovered by a young woman to a Frenchman, who was her gallant. As no detail of this plot has been given, which might naturally have been expected, as a palliation of the fucceeding cruelties, this circumftance, together with the apparent improbability of its difcovery, and the marks it carries, of being founded on the historical fact of the Sicilian vefpers, all join to render its authenticity very doubtful. It however appears, that the averfion of the natives to the French is so invincible, that no benefits can disguise, nor fear restrain its effects; and the conduct of the latter fhews, that they confider extermination as the only remedy for this mortal antipathy. It would be useless, as well as befide our purpose, if we were even furnished with the means, to enter into any particular detail of the various efforts which have been exerted in the courfe of the year, by those intrepid defenders of their country, and affertors of their liberties, whom the lawless usurpers of their rights ftigmatize under the odious appellation of Banditti. It would offer too great a wound to humanity to repeat the cruelties that have been exerciled. It will be fufficient to obferve, that a fmall, but sharp and bloody war, such as fuited the weakness of the people, and the nature of the country, has been carried on in all the fastnesses and mountainous parts of the ifland. That the defection was so general, that it appears a great part, if not the whole, of the Corfican regiment, which had been raifed on purpofe by France, as a provision and employment for reftless and daring fpirits, and to engage the nobility in its interetts, joined the malcontents. That the loffes of the French were fo confiderable, that they were neceffarily reinforced by feveral regiments, and that their communications between the different parts of the ifland were frequently cut off. And that the war at length finally degenerated through the weakness and deftruction of the natives (after many acts of the most defperate valour, which required only a fplendid fcene of action, and learned people, to be handed down to the admiration of future ages) into the nature and resemblance of a general hunting, in which a large portion of the country is furrounded by a great body of armed men, who narrow the circle by degrees, until every thing within it becomes an inevitable prey. We with for the honour of human na ture, ture, that the account published of the conduct of the French in the Pieve of Niolo, might have been a mifreprefentation. The information, however, feems fo accurate, and the circumftances are fo particularly fpecified, befides the declaration of the unknown author, that if apy of the facts were controverted, he would establish them by authentic documents, that its being fuffered to pafs without queftion or contradiction, affords too much reafon to believe it authen tic. It appears that the inhabitants of the Pieve of Niolo, from their courage, averfion to flavery, and the natural ftrength of their country had continued fingle and unconquered, in the general fubjugation of Corfica. That their central fituation, from which the approaches were tedious and difficult, operating with the caufes we have affigned, had rendered all the efforts of the French for their conqueft, fince that period, equally fruitless. And that threats of the fevereft punishments, even of a general deftruction, having been repeatedly applied in vain, to intimidate thefe heroic affertors of the liberties of their country, the influence of religion was at lalt proftituted, to bring them to a fubmiffion. For this purpose, Aquaviva, one of their priests, a powerful and popular preacher, was first deceived himself, and then rendered an inftrument to the deception and ruin of his friends and countrymen. This man was perfuaded to hold out the olive-branch to the people; and his perfuafive eloquence upon a fubject to which religion fo happily applied, and for which eafe and fecurity were prompt advocates with his auditors, was foon productive of the defigned effect, and the Pieve of Niolo, upon the molt clear and folemn affurances, not only of a full and unlimited pardon for their palt refittance, but kindness and friendship for their prefent conduct, voluntarily fubmitted to the French government. A body of troops were accordingly admitted peaceably into the diftrict, who had no fooner taken poffeffion of their natural defences, than they treacherously feized forty-two of the principal inhabitants, who had formerly been the most active and brave in the defence of their country. Amongst those who were thus bafely circumvented, were one of the two chief magiftrates and judges of the district, and two nephews of the very meffenger of peace, the wretched prieft, Aquaviva. Of thefe unhappy victims, eleven, whofe names are specified, in October, 1775. cluding the judge and the priest's nephews, expired upon the rack, amidst the weeping eyes and bleeding hearts of their deluded friends, who in vain obtefted heaven and earth to avenge this perfidy. The furvivors of this devoted number were fent to augment the groans and increafe the afflictions of their countrymen, who already filled the dungeons of Baftia. Nor was the fate of the remaining inhabitants of Niolo much happier. A bitter sense of the loffes they had formerly fuftained in various conflicts with this miferable people, unfortunately prevailed with the French, over every fenfe of humanity and juftice. The whole diftrict was ruined and destroyed, the houfes burnt, and the cattle carried off in triumph by the foldiers as a prey. One Capracinta was remarkable for defending his houfe fingly against his numerous affailants, and after killing feveral of them, perished unfubdued amidst the flames. A ceffion of the island of Corfica to the king of Sardinia, or fome exchange to the fame purpose, has been much fpoken of during the courfe of the year. That ifland has certainly been hitherto a bitter morfel to France; and fuch a meafure were much to be wifled for the fake of humanity. The proceedings we have related, do not, however, feem to indicate any fuch intention. Many who confider the fate of Corfica, Dantzick, and Poland, will obferve with regret, that the fpirit and love of liberty, which had for fome ages honourably distinguished a very few nations in Europe, no longer furvive, or must at least conclude, that they have loft much of their priftine vigour, as it is evident that these events would not have been fuffered to have taken place at an earlier period. Declaration of War between Spain and Morocco. Moors befiege Melilla, and Penon de Velez, without fuccefs. Spanish Manufacturies. Inquifition deprived of its dangerous Powers. Italy. Troubles in Sicily happily compofed. Difference between the King of Sardinia and the Republic of Venice. Death of the Pote. Emperor of Morocco declares War against the Dutch. A Singular war, without an avowal of ill-will, or a pretence of injury, has taken place between Spain and the Emperor of Morocco. In the place of thofe ufual foundations or colours for a war, the Moorish prince, in a letter which he wrote to the Sept. 19, Gggg King |