and the Ruffians not only regained their liberty, our began to make encroachments on Poland it A very unfortunate war alfo took place with Sweden, which was now governed by the great Guftavus Adolphus; the particulars of which will be found related under SWEDEN. At laft Sigifwund, worn out with cares and misfortunes, died 1629. 30.) POLAND, HISTORY OF, TO THE ELECTOS OF K. JOHN SOBIESKI. After Sigifmund's brath the affairs of Poland seemed to revive a ittle under Uladislaus VII.; for he obliged the Ruffians to fue for peace, and Sweden to reftore fame of her conquefts: but having attempted to abridge the liberty of the Coffacks, they revolted, and gave the Poles feveral terrible defeats. Nor was the war terminated in the lifetime of Uladi fans, who died in 1648. His brother and fucceflor, John Cafimir, concluded a peace with thefe Sangerous enemies: but the war was foon after newed; and while the kingdom was diftracted between these enemies and the difcontents of its on habitants, the Ruffians took the opportu of invading and pillaging Lithuania. In a I after the whole kingdom was fubdued by Curls X. of Sweden. Happily for Poland, how. , a rupture took place between the courts of *weden and Copenhagen; by which means the Funes were enabled to drive out the Swedes in 7. This was fucceeded by civil wars and cons with Ruffia, which so much vexed the king, that be refigned the crown in 1668. For two rars after the refignation of Cafimir the kingdom Elled with confufion; but on the 17th of 1670, one Michael Coribut Wiefnowifki, rly defcended from the house of Jagello, in a very mean fituation, was chofen king. gn continued but for three years; during time John Sobieski, a celebrated Polish gegave the Turks a dreadful overthrow, tho' - army confifted of more than 300,000 men; at this blow been pursued, the Coffacks would wise been entirely fubdued, and very advantage-terma might have been obtained from the ful4. Of that vast multitude of Turks only 15,000 ped, the rest being all either killed or taken: wwever, the Polish soldiers, being bound by the of their country only to ftay a certain time The field, they refused to purfue this fignal vicry, an: fuffered the king to make peace on any wt he could procure. Wie fnowifki died before rews of this transaction reached Cracow; and is death a new scene of confufion enfued, at la't the fortune of John Sobieski prevailed, de was elected king of Poland in 1674. 21., POLAND, HISTORY OF, TO ITS CONQUEST CHARLES XII. AND RESTORATION OF AUtres 1. John Sobieski was a moft magnani. and heroic prince; who by his valour and 1 conduct, retrieved the affairs of Poland, - entirely checked the progrefs of the Turks ward. These barbarians were everywhere teated, as related under TURKEY; but nottanding his great qualities, Poland was now thoroughly corrupted, and pervaded by a fpiof fection, that the latter part of this morch's reign was involved in troubles, through We ambition and contention of fome powerful no blemen. Sobiefki died in 1696; and with him fell the glory of Poland. Moft violent contests took place about the fucceffion; the recital of which would far exceed our limits. At laft FREDERICK AUGUSTUS I. elector of Saxony, prevailed; but yet, as fome of the moft effential ceremonies were wanting in his coronation, because the primate, who was in an oppofite intereft, would not perform them, he found it extremely difficult to keep his fubjects in obedience. To add to his misfortunes, having engaged in a league with Denmark and Ruffia againft Sweden, he was attacked with irrefiftible fury by Charles XII. Though Auguftus had not been betrayed, as indeed he almoft always was, he was by no means a match for the ferocious Swede. The particulars of this war, however, which ended in the conqueft of Poland, as they make great part of the exploits of that northern hero, more properly fail under SWEDEN. Here, we need only obferve, that Auguftus was reduced to the humiliating neceflity of renouncing the crown of Poland on oath, and even of congratulating his rival Staniflaus Leczinfki upon his acceffion to the throne, 12th Sept. 1733: but when the power of Charles was broken by his defeat at Pultowa, the fortune of Auguftus again prevailed; Stanislaus was driven out; and the former being abfolved from his oath by the pope, refumed the throne of Poland. (22.) POLAND, HISTORY OF, TO THE DISPUTES WITH THE DISSIDENTS. Since that time the Polish nation hath never made any figure. Surrounded by great and ambitious powers, it hath funk under the weight of their rapacity; fo that it now fearce exifts as a nation. This cataftrophe took its rife from various causes. On the 5th Oct. 1763, died FREDERICK II. elector of Saxony, and king of Poland. He was fucceeded, by Count Poniatowski, a Polish grandee, who was proclaimed, Sept. 7th, 1764, by the name of Stanislaus Auguftus, and crowned on the 25th Nov. the fame year. During the interregnum between the death of Auguftus II. and the election of Staniflans, a decree had been made by the convocation dict of Poland, with regard to the DisSIDENTS, or diffenters from the Popish religion. By this decree they were prohibited from the free exercife of their religion, much more than they had formerly been, and totally excluded from all pofts and places under the government. On this feveral of the European powers interpofed, at the defire of the Diffidents. The courts of Ruffia, Pru fia, Great Britain, and Denmark, made remonftrances to the diet; but the decree was confirmed by the coronation diet held after the king's election. In Oct. 1766, the declarations from the above courts were prefented to king Staniliaus Auguftus, at an ordinary diet, requesting the reestablishment of the Diffidents in their civil and religious rights, as eftablished by various laws for two centuries, and confirmed by the treaty of Oliva, concluded by ali the northern powers. The Popish party infifted for a confirmation of fome decrees made against them in 1717, 1723 and 1736. It was replied, that thefe decrees were made in the midft of inteftine troubles, and had been fince contradicted by formal deeds. At laft after violent difputes, the buliness was referred to the 30,000 men. the Bishops and Senators by the Diet. Upon a report from them, the Dict refolved, That they would fully maintain the Diffidents in all their civil rights, and as to their religion, the College of archbishops and bishops would endeavour to remove thofe difficulties agreeably to juftice and neighbourly love. Thefe refolutions did not fatisfy the Diffi lents. They confidered it as abfurd to refer the redrefs of their grievances to the very men, who had been the authors of them. About this time, the court of Petersburg, which had previoully fent a fmall body of Ruffian troops to within 2 miles of Warfaw, now fent an additional body of 15,000. The Diffidents, being thus affured of the protection of foreign powers, entered, on the 20th March 1767, into two confederacies, at Thorn and Sluck; one figned by thofe of Great and Little Poland, the other by thofe of Lithuania. The purpose of these confederacies was to exert themfeives in defence of their ancient civil and religious rights; and they claim éd by public treaties, the protection of Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Pruffia, and Ruflia. The cities of Thorn, Elbing, and Dantzic, acceded to the confederacy of Thorn, April roth, and the duke and nobles of Courland, to that of Sluck, May 15th. The emprefs of Ruffia, and King of Pruffia, continued to iffue forth new declarations in favour of the Diffidents, and the Ruffian troops in Poland were foon augmented to Other confederacies were also formed in different parts. All of them published manifeftoes, in which they advised the inhabitants to treat the Ruffians as their defenders. The different confederacies formed in the 24 diftricts of Lithuania united at Wilna, 22d June; and that general confederacy re-established Prince Radzivil, who had married the king's fifter, in his liberty, citates and honours, of which the ftates had deprived him in 1764. On the 23d June, he was chofen grand marfhal of the confederacy, thence called the National Confederacy, and then confifting of 72,000 noblemen and gentlemen. The Confederacy then took every measure that feemed proper to ftrengthen their affociation, by inviting the different waywodes to join them. The Catholics were equally active. The Bp. of Cracow fent a zealous letter to the Dietines at Warsaw on the 15th Aug. The Pope alfo fent his exhortations to the king, great chancellor, and nobility, &c. On the 26th Sep. 1767, the confederacy of Diffidents and that of the maicontents were united in Pr. Radzivil's palace. A few days after the Ruflian troops in the capital were re-inforced. On the 5th Oct. an extraordinary diet was held, but the affairs of the Diffidents met with fo much oppofition, that the Diet was adjourned to the 12th, which turned out equally tumultuous. Pr. Radzivil propofed to appoint a Commiffion, with full power to enter into a conference with Pr. Repnin, the Ruffian ambassador, on the affairs of the Diffidents. The bishops of Cracow, Kiow, and fome others, refufed to confent to this, and inveighed violently against the Diffidents; fo the diet became again tumultuous and was again adjourned to the 16th. But next day, the 13th, the Bithops of Cracow and Kiow, the Palatine of Cracow, and the Starofte of Dolmiki, were carried off by a Ruffian detachment. The crime alleged against them, in a declaration publifhed by Pr. Repnin was, that "they had been disrespectful to the empress of Russia, in attacking the purity of her intentions to wards the republic, tho' fhe was refolved to com tinue her protection and affiftance for preferving thi liberties of Poland, and correcting ail abuses", x Pr. Radzivil's plan however was at laft adopted and feverai new regulations were made in favou of the Diffidents. (23.) POLAND, HISTORY OF, TO THE FIRE PARTITION. The innovations above-mentionel foon produced a civil war, which at laft ended! the ruin of the kingdom. In the beginning ( 1768, a new confederacy was formed in Podi which was afterwards called the confederacy Bar. The intention of it was, to abolish. E force of arms, the new conftitutions in favour the diffidents. The members of the new con deracy likewife expreffed great refentment agai the carrying away the bithops of Cracow, & and still detaining them in cuftody. Podolia w reckoned the fittest place for the purpose of t confederates, as they imagined the Ruffians cod not attack them there without giving umbrage the Ottoman court: Similar confederacies, bot ever, were quickly entered into throughout t kingdom: the clergy excited all ranks of men exert themselves in defence of their religion; & with fuch fuccefs, that even the king's troo could not be trusted to act against these confe rates. The emprefs of Ruffia threatened the ne confederates as difturbers of the public tranqu lity, and declared that her troops would act gainft them if they perfifted. It was, howen fome time before the Ruffian troops were con derably reinforced; nor did they at firft seem i clined to act with the vigour which they mig have exerted. Many fkirmishes foon bappens between these two contending parties, in wha the confederates were generally defeated. I one of thefe the latter being worsted, and hard preffed, a number of them paffed the Niefter, ar took refuge in Moldavia. This province had fa merly belonged to Poland, but was now fubje to the Grand Signior: the Ruffians, howeve purfued their enemies into Moldavia; but to pr vent any offence being taken by the Porte, print Repnin wrote to the Ruilian refident at Coutta tinople, to intimate there, that the condu&t of th Ruffian colonel who commanded the party wi quite contrary to the orders of his court, as that therefore he would be turned out of his pol Great cruelty in the mean time was exer cifed i gainst the diffidents, where there were no Ruffia troops to protect them. Towards the end Oct. 1769, prince Martin Lubomirski, one of th fouthern confederates, who had been driven ot of Poland, and had taken shelter with fome of h adherents among the mountains of Hungary, ge a manifefto pofted up on feveral of the church of Cracow, in which he invited the nation to general revolt, and affuring them of the allistanc of the Ottoman Porte, with whom he pretende to have concluded a treaty. This was the begin ning of hoftilities between the Turks and Ruth ans, which were not terminated but by a vast et fufion of blood. Poland was the firit fcene o this war, and was foon reduced to the moft de plorable fituation. In the end of 1768, the peahants of the Greek religion in the Polish Ukraine, and province of Kiow, took up arms, and committed the greatest ravages, having, they faid, been threatened with death by the confederates Liefs they would turn Roman Catholics. A gent thele infurgents the Ruffians employed their arms, and made great numbers of them prfiners. The reft took refuge among the Haidamicks; by whom they were foon joined, and in the beginning of 1769 entered the Ukraine in conjon with them, committing everywhere the A horrid maffacres. Here, however, they were at at defeated by the Polish troops, at the fame te that feveral of the confederacies in Poland were keverely chaftifed. Soon after, the Chan of the Crum Tartars, having been repulfed with lofs an attempt on New Servia, entered the Polish tertones, where he left many frightful marks of binhumanity. This conduct, with the cruelties railed by the confederates, induced the Polifh Cracks of Braclau and Kiovia, amounting to az 30,000 effective men, to join the Ruffians, to detend their country against these deftroyers. Matters continued much in the fame way during trert of 1769; and in 1770, fkirmishes often happened between the Ruffians and confederates, which the latter were almost always worfted; but they revenged themfelves by the most barbacruelties on the Diffidents, wherever they could find them. In 1770, a confiderable number of the confederates of Bar, who had joined the Turks, and been exceffively ill ufed by them, Lame to an accommodation with the Ruffians, who took them under their protection on very Ederate terms.-Agriculture in the mean time d been fo much neglected, that the crop of was very deficient. This encouraged a Lamber of defperadoes to affociate under the denation of confederates, who were guilty of greater exceffes than those who had been unver forme kind of regulation. Thus a great part the country was at last reduced to a mere dekrt, the inbabitants being either exterminated, * cared off to stock the remote Ruffian plantawhence they never could return. In 1771, Be confederacies fprung up afresh, and increased to a prodigious degree. This was occafioned by Ser having been fecretly encouraged and fupwith money by France. A great number French officers engaged as volunteers in their ce; who, having introduced difcipline among her troops, they acted with much greater vithan formerly, and fometimes proved too hard for their enemies. Thefe gleams of fuccefs proved at laft their total ruin. The Ruffians were forced, and properly fupported. The Auan and Pruffian troops entered the country, and advanced on different other fides; and the federates found themselves in a fhort time entroy furrounded by their enemies, who feemed to have nothing lefs in view than an abfolute conyard of the country, and fharing it among them ves. Before matters came to this crifis, hower, the confederates formed a defign of affatli ting the king, on account of his fuppofed at VOL. XVIII. PART 1. tachment to the Diffidents. This extraordinary attempt was made on Sunday night, Sept. 3d, 1771, by about 40 confpirators, under 3 chiefs, named Kofinski, or Kutsma, Lukafki, and Strawenki; who had been hired and fworn to bring the king dead or alive to Gen. Pulaski, a Poifh no. bleman, and leader of the confederates, who pianned the atrocious enterprife. Mr Coxe, in his travels, gives a particular account of this daring outrage. The following are the outlines: The king, who had been vifiting his uncle Pr. Grarto rifki, was returning to his palace, between 9 and 10 p. m. in his coach, with 16 attendants, when he was attacked about 200 paces from the prince's house by the conspirators, who fired several shots into the carriage, wounded a Heydue, and put all the king's attendants to fight; then cut the king across the head with a fabre, feized him by the collar, and dragged him along the ground between their horfes at full gallop, for near 500 paces through the streets of Warfaw. They afterwards mounted him upon a horfe, and rifled his pockets, when the majority difperfed, leaving only 7 with him.—At laft all had left him, the night being very dark, except Kofinski, into whofe confidence he at laft got fo entirely, that Kofinski refolved to fave his life, upon the king's affuring him of a pardon. They ftopt at a mill, whence the king fent a line to Gen. Coccei, in. forming him of his miraculous efcape, and was immediately carried home, to the great joy of all Warfaw. Lukawiki and Strawenski were only beheaded and Kofinfki was fent to Semigallia, in the Pope's dominions, where he received an annual pention from K. Stanislaus; who alfo gave the miller a penfion, and a new mill on the Vif tula. Though the joy of the people, upon the king's efcape, was univerfal, yet neither the vir tues nor the popularity of the fovereign could allay the factious fpirit of the Poles, nor prevent the difmemberment of his kingdom. The parti tion of Poland was first projected by the king of Pruffia. Polith or Weften Pruffia had long been an object of his ambition: exclulive of its fertility, commerce, and population, its local fituation rendered it highly valuabie to him, as it lay between his German dominions and Eastern Pruflia. Frederic purfued this object, however, with all the caution of an able politician. On the commencement of the troubles, he fhowed no eagernefs to interfere in the affairs of this country; and although he had concurred with the empres of Ruffia in raifing Stanislaus Auguftus to the throne, yet he declined taking any active part in his favour against the confederates. Afterwards, in 1769, when the whole kingdom became convulfed with civil commotions, and defolated by the plague, he, under pretence of forming lines to prevent the fpreading of the infection, advanced his troops into Pouth Pruffia, and occupied that whole diftrict. Though now mafter of the country, and by no means apprehenfive of any refiftance from the difunited Poles, yet, as he was aware that the fecurity of his new acquifition depended upon the acquiefcence of Rullia and Aufria, he planned the partition of Poland. Ile communicated the project to the emperor, either L on their interview at Niefs in Silefia, in 1769, or in that of 1770 at Neuftat in Auftria; from whom the overture met with a ready concurrence. To aduce the emprefs of Ruffia to acquiefce, he difpatched his brother Henry to Peterburg, who suggested to the emprefs, that the house of Auftria was forming an alliance with the Porte, with which the was thien at war; that if fuch alliance took place, it would create a moft formidable combination against her; that, nevertheless, the friendship of that houfe was to be purchased by acceding to the partition; that upon this condition the emperor was willing to renounce his connection with the Grand Siguior, and would fuffer the Ruffians to profecute the war without interruption. Catharine, anxious to push her con, quefts against the Turks, clofed with the propofal, and felected no inconfiderable portion of the Polish territories for herfelf. The treaty was figned at Petersburg in Feb. 1772, by the Ruffian, Auftrian, and Puffian plenipotentiaries. It would be tedious to enter into a detail of the pleas urged by the three powers in favour of their feveral demands; it would be no lefs uninterefting to lay before the reader the answers and remonftrances of the king and fenate, as well as the appeals to the other ftates which had guaranteed the poffef fions of Poland. The courts of London, Paris, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, remonftrated against the ufurpations; but remonstrances without affiftance were ufelefs. Poland fubmitted to the difine.nberment not without the moft violent ftruggles, and now for the firft time felt and lamented the fatal effects of faction and difcord. A diet being demanded by the partitioning powers, to ratify the ceffion of the provinces, it met on the 19th of April 1773; and fuch was the fpirit of the members, that, notwithstanding the deplorable fituation of their country, the threats and bribes of the three powers, the partition treaty was not carried through without much difficulty. For fome time the majority of the nuncios appeared determined to oppofe the difinemberment, and the king firmly perfifted in the fame refolution. The amballadors of the three courts enforced their requifitions by the inoft alarming menaces, and threatened the king with depofition and imprisonment. They alfo gave out by their emiffaries, that in cafe the diet continued refractory, Warsaw should be pillaged. This report was industriously circulated, and made a sensible impreffion upon the inhabitants. By menaces of this fort, by corupting the marsbal of the diet, who was accompanied with a Ruffian guard; in a word, by bribes, promifes, and threats, the members of the diet were at length prevailed on to ratify the dismemberment. Of the difmembered countries the Ruflian province is the lar. gft, the Auftrian the most populou, and the Pullian the noft commercial. The population of the whole amounts to near 5,000,000 of fos; the firft containing 1,500,000, the fecond 2,500,000, and the third 860,000. Weftern Praia was the greatest loss to Poland, as by the difmemberment of that province the navigation of the Viftula entirely depends upon the king of Pruffia: by the iofs confequently of this diftrict, a fatal blow was given to the trade of Poland; for his Pruffian majefty has laid fuch heavy du ties upon the merchandize paffing to Dantzic, as greatly to diminish the commerce of that town, and to transfer a confiderable portion of it to Memel and Konigfburgh. The partitioning pow ers, however, did lefs injury to the republic by difinembering its faireft provinces, than by pa petuating the principles of anarchy and confulion and eftaluithing en a permanent footing that an tocratic kind of liberty, which is the parent faction, and has proved the decline of the repul lic. Under pretence of amending the contig tion, they confirmed ail its defects, and took e fectual precautions to render this unhappy cou try incapable of emerging from its deplorab ftate, as has been lately feen in the failure of moft patriotic attempt that was perhaps made by a king to reform the constitution of kingdom. (24) POLAND, HISTORY OF, TO THE REVOL TION IN 1791. That the virtuous and acco plithed Stanislaus fhould have laboured to ext cate himfelf and the great body of the people fre fuch unparalleled oppreffion, and that the me refpectable part of the nation should have wil to give themselves and their pofterity a better fa of government, was furely very natural and ve meritorious. The influence of the partitioni powers was indeed exerted to make the king tented with his fituation. His revenues, whi before did not exceed L. 100,000, were now! creafed to three times that fum. The repul likewife agreed to pay his debts, amounting to wards of L. 400,000. It beftowed on him altog hereditary poflefiion, 4 ftarofties, or governme of cattles, with the diftricts belonging to the and reimburfed him of the money he had laid for the ftate. It was alfo agreed, that the re nues of the republic fhould be enhanced to 33 8 lions of florins (near two millions Sterling), a the army fhould confift of 30,000 men. ter the conclufion of the peace with Turkey, I emprefs of Ruffia alfo made the king a prefent 250,000 rubles, as a compenfation for that part his dominions which fell into her hands. The bribes, however, were not fufficient to blind t eyes of Stanislaus, or to cool the ardour of his į triotifin. He laboured for pofterity, and w fuch apparent fuccefs, that on the 3d May, 175 a new contitution of the government of Poli was established by the king, together with t confederate ftates affembled in double number reprefent the Polish nation. That this was a p fect conftitution, we are far from thinking; but was probably perfect as the inveterate prejudi of the nobles would admit of. It deviated as ! tle as poffible from the old forms, and was draw up in 11 articles, refpecting the government the republic; to which were added 21 fectis, regulating the dietines or primary affemblies Poland. See § 31. Radzivil engaged to furnish 10,000 ftand of arms, and another a train of artillery. The courage of the new and haftily embodied foldiers correfponded with the patriotifm of their nobles. Prince Poniatowki, nephew to the king, was appointed commander in chief; and though his force was greatly inferior to the enemy, it must be confeffed that he made a noble stand. On the 24th of May, the enemy's Coffacks were repulfed and pursued by the patroles of the republic to their entrenchments. On the 26th, about one o'clock, the piquets of the republic difcovered a large body of Don Colfacks approaching the outpofts; and a fquadron of cavalry, commanded by Lieut. Kwafniewiki, fupported by Lieut. Golejowski with two fquadrons more, in all about 300, marched out to meet them. They attacked the Coffacks with fuccefs, but pur. fued them with more valour than prudence to the fide of a wood, where they found themselves drawn into an ambufcade, and furrounded by 2000 horfe, two battalions of chaffeurs, and fix pieces of cannon. The intrepid Poles bravely fought their way through the Ruflian lines, and killed upwards of 200 of the enemy. The Poles in this engagement oft 100 men and two officers; one of whom, Lieut. Kwaśniewski, was wounded and made prifoner. The remainder of the detach. ment reached their quarters in fafety. Perhaps the hiftory of man can fcarcely furnish an inftance of perfidy, meannefs, and duplicity, equal to that which was manifefted by Pruffia on this occafion. By the treaty of defenfive alliance, folemny contracted between the republic of Poland and the king of Pruflia, and ratified on the 23d of April, 1790, it was exprefsly ftipulated, That the contracting parties fhall do all in their power to guarantee and preferve to each other reciprocally the whole of the territories which they refpectively poffefs: That, in cafe of menace or in. vafion from any foreign power, they fhall afift each other with their whole force, if neceffary:'and by the 6th article, it was further ftipulated, bile means which they had long enjoyed of grati- that if any foreign power whatever fhall prefume |