neither was their proteft admitted in any of the courts of judicature; which was a notorious and public breach of the laws, as well as a violence to the Diffidents.

From this period, till of late, there were no permanent diets in Poland, and the affairs of the Dif fidents fell every day into greater confufion. At the diet of 1764, both the two former fatal conftitutions were confirmed; and it was enacted, that for the future, accufations might be brought againft the infractors of thofe laws, before any of the courts of justice without diftinction.

Our readers have already feen in the laft volume, the proceedings in the diet of that year; the applications that were made in favour of the Diffidents by the mediating powers; and the declaration made by the diet at its breaking up, in anfwer to them. We then forefaw that the conclufions of the diet, were as little likely to give fatisfaction to the powers who had interested themselves upon the occafion, as they were to redrefs the grievances of the fufferers. The promife made by the declaration, that the Diffidents fhould be fupported in their privileges accord. ing to the conflitutions of 1717, 1736, and 1764, and that the bifhops fhould confider their reli gious griefs; was in fact an affurance, that the three violent and deftructive laws, which at once ftruck at their rights, liberties, and fafety, thould be inforced to the utmott against them; and that their grievances should, for the future, be referred to their moft implacable enemies.

As this evafive, pitiful declaration, unworthy the reprefentatives

of a great nation, could not fucceed with the powers for whom it was intended; fo the Empress of Ruffia, as one of the nearest and the most immediately concerned, was the firft who fhewed her difapprobation of it. In the mean time the Diffidents, being fenfible that mildnets and fubmifion would only encrease their dangers and hardships, under the prefent prevailing party, who fought their deftruction to encrease their own ftrength, and perhaps with a view to unhinge every part of the com monwealth, in this fituation be gan to form confederacies in the different parts of the kingdom, for their mutual prefervation and de. fence. Though their once numerous and boafted nobility, were at prefent reduced to little more than two hundred families, exclusive of thofe in the dutchy of Courland yet they were animated to a bold attempt, by a fenfe of the wrongs they had fo long endured, the immediate injuries which they all experienced, and the total deftruction which they believed was preparing for them.

;

The firit act of confederacy was en- March 10th, tered into at Sluck, 8767 by the nobles and citizens of the Greek communion, and the two evangelical confeffions in the great dutchy of Lithuania. This act of confederacy was figned by a pumber of the nobility, who appointed Major General Grabowfki to be their marshal, and a council to affist him. About the fame time, a confederacy

was entered into March zoth. at Thorn, by the

nobility of the kingdom of Poland, who appointed Lieutenant

Gene

L

10

General Göltze to be marshal of the confederacy, with a council confibing of twenty-four members to affift him. This act of confederacy was figned by three hundred and eight members besides the mar fhal Many of the Catholics, urged by various difcontents, muit have joined in this confederacy, elfe it is hardly conceivable, when the numbers of Diffident nobility are reduced to that lowness, which we have mentioned above, on the fame authority with the rest of the account, fuch large bodies could have been formed. In fome time after, the three great cities of Thorng Elbing, and Dantzick, published at Thorn an act of acceffion to this confederacy.

Im the mean time the Empress of Ruffia fent a strong augmen tation to her forces that were already in Poland, and pub lifhed a declaration, wherein, be fides reiterating the former remonftrances and complaints which he had ineffectually made, the animadverts severely upon the cone duct of the late diet; avows her approbation of the general confederacies; declares her intention to fupport them with her utmost powers that the fhall look upon any perfon or perfons that offer theman injury, as her enemies; and that her troops have orders to act accordingly, and to procure a full reparation from thofe who fhould venture to attack them either in their perfons or ef fectsus

5. The Diffidents preferved a temper and moderation in their acts of confederacy, their manifeftoes, and all their other writings upon this occafion. They modeftly recapitulate their fufferings, they

make no remarks, nor ufe any pointed invectives against their. perfecutors; they talk with great reverence of the Roman Catholic religion; profefs the greatest regard, love, and obedience to the king and the republic; and declare that nothing but inevitable neceffity, the fenfe of impending danger, which threatened them and their families with certain, and almost immediate deftruction,, together with repeated evidences that the laws were no longer a protection, and were broke through in every inftance, could have urged them to enter into their present union, though formed only for their own defence. In a word; the whole tenor of thefe writings fhewed, that they wanted nothing but to fit down in peace and fecu rity; and every defire of diffenfion feemed very remote from their prefent difpofition..

The Pruffian minifter delivered at this time, a very strong decla ration from his matter, to the king and the republic, wherein he com mented feverely upon the declara. tion made by the diet to the for reign minifters, and expreffed great diffatisfaction at the contradiction, duplicity, and injustice to the Dif fidents, which were couched in the very terms of it. He complained of the little attention that was paid to his friendly reprefentations up on the fubject, declared his appro bation of the confederacy, and his intention to coincide with the Emprefs of Ruffia in protecting of it, and in procuring justice for the Diffidents. The confederacy was farther encouraged by the declarations of England, Sweden, and Denmark, which were all in its favour. However, no power but

[B] 4

Ruffia

Ruffia took a very active part in this business.

The example the Diffidents had given of entering into a confederacy, was foon followed by the generality of the Roman Catholic nobility throughout the kingdom; fo that there were twenty-four confederacies formed in the great dutchy of Lithuania only. As these confederacies were formed in oppofition to fome political innovations, they were diftinguifhed from the Diffidents by the appellation of Malecontents. Every one of the confederacies had a claufe inferted in their articles, whereby they acknowledged the juftice of the claims made by the Diffidents; and declared their refolution to have them reinstated in their rights and immunities.

In the midst of all thefe commotions, the ftricteft order was preferved throughout the kingdom, and we fcarce hear an inftance of a fingle outrage committed in any part of it. While affairs were in this fituation, Prince Charles de Radzivil, remarkable for being obliged to quit his native country, and having his eftates laid under fequestration, for the part he acted in oppofition to the election of the present king, arrived in Poland; he was received with the greatest joy by the people, and was immediately declared, with great powers, marhal of the general confederacy of Malecontents. This prince af fumed all the ftate and dignity of a fovereign; he published an univerfalia, in which he declares that ail those who do not adhere to the general confederacy, fhall be treat ed as enemies to their country. Among other extraordinary afts,

The king feems to have been a filent fpectator of all these transactions; which, it cannot be imagined, afforded him any degree of pleafure. He gave an audience to prince Radzivil, which it was obferved continued only for a few minutes: upon the whole he fhewed a coolnefs and command of temper, which has perhaps been feldom feen in fuch circumftances, but which was very convenient, where refiftance was impoffible. It should be observed, that all the different confederacies, whether Malecontents or Diffidents, had taken at their first formation> an oath of the fricteft fidelity to the king; and that it was alfo the firft part of the oath that was prefcibed by Prince Radzivil.

All parties feemed to agree, that nothing could restore the peace of the republic, but the fummoning of an extraordinary diet: this measure was adopted, and the king iffued orders accordingly. The dietines were in many places very tumultuous, and fome mifchief was done; fome of the no bility cried out, that they made a part of a free people, and exclaimed against a foreign military

force,

force, and the pretences of an affiftance that ruled with the greateft degree of defpotifm. In fome places the Ruffian officers, who attended at all the dietines, were infulted; however their oppofition fhewed rather their difcontent than their power. It was evident that the diet was only a form; and that the Emprefs of Ruffia was the only governing power in Poland. The most refractory of thefe nobles were fufficiently punished; the Ruffian troops being fent to live at free quarter upon their eftates. In the mean time, the tribunal of the general Sept. confederacy was opened 25th. with great folemnity, in the palace of Prince Radzivil; where the re-union of the confederacy of the Diffidents, and of the general confederacy of the Malecontents, was declared.

At length, the fo much

October wished and hoped for 5th. event took place; and

the diet met at Warsaw. The king began, by addreffing the affembly with a most pathetic speech, in which he strongly recommended concord to the members. This was followed by a speech from the Bishop of Cracow, much to the fame purpose as that he had made laft year; he inveighed warmly against the pretenfions of the Diffidents, and reminded the king in the strongest terms of the oath he had taken to fupport the Catholic faith; and concluded by obferving, that it was not fufficient for his majesty to bear the title of an orthodox prince, but that he fhould be fo in reality. The diet, without proceeding to the election of a marshal, agreed, that prince Kadzivil fhould perform the functions of that office.

Having met again on the next day, the affair of the Diffidents was carried on with great warmth. This induced Prince Radzivil to adjourn the diet to the 12th, in hopes that fome of the present heat would wear off, and that a better method of treating the affair might be concerted in the interval. During this time every expedient was used, to qualify the heat of the oppofite party, and to bring them into a difpofition favourable to a happy accommodation. A plan was alfo concerted, which it was thought would be the most effectual one to anfwer the defired purposes; which was, that the diet fhould appoint a certain number of commiffioners, out of the three orders of the ftate, to whom it fhould grant full powers to fettle with the Ruffian embaffador, and finally to conclude upon all matters relative to the Diffidents.

All the attempts to introduce good temper, or even moderation, proved fruitlefs; and this third meeting of the diet proved more turbulent and tumultuous than the others. The bishops of Cracovia,› Kiovia, and fome other prelates, together with feveral of the magnates, fpoke with more vehemence than ever, againft all the pretenfions of the Diffidents; and declared they never would confent to the establishment of a commiffion with full powers to enter into conferences with the Ruffian embaffador upon that fubject. Several of the deputies answered them with great warmth; and the animofity among them rofe to fuch a degree, that the marshal was obliged to prorogue the meeting to the 16th.

The

The Ruffian troops, who had for fome months nearly furrounded, as well as interfected the kingdom of Poland, had now clofely. invested the city of Warfaw, and were in poffeffion, and kept frict guards upon all the avenues lead ing to it. The day after this tu mult in the diet, fome detachments of their troops entered the city, and having feized the Bihops of Cracow and Kiovie, together with Count Rzewufki, the Waywode of Cracovia, and his fon, and fome other deputies, they carried them off prifoners. As nobody knew at firit the deflination of these grandees, nor even where they were carried to, this affair caufed a great and general conternation. But though it intimidat ed fome of the deputies belonging to that party; yet it only served to inflame others. Many people blamed the noble prisoners for the virulent and unguarded expreffions they had made use of, in fpeaking of fome of the great pow. ers who had interested themselves in favour of the Diffidents. On the other hand it was alleged, that every deputy at the diet ought to fpeak his fentiments freely, and that if he exceeds the bounds of decency, with respect to any foreign power; it belongs to the tri bunals of the kingdom to proceed against him judicially for it.

In this critical fituation, the king feemed to have need of the greatest wifdom, and of the utmost extent of capacity, to devise means to guard against the dangers with which the ftate was furrounded; the hope of which, from the turbulence of the diet, grew every day more precarious. His majesty is faid to have deli

vered himself in the following terms, in a conference he had upon this fituation of affairs

you

There is little knowledge requir ed to govern a veffel when the winds are favourable. A kilful. pilot fhould know how to withftand the ftorm without abandening the helm. I have feveral times entertained the defign, as I ftill, do, of abdicating the crown, the burthen of which I feel, but that my love for my country made me alter my refolution. You ought, all, gentlemen, to confider the melancholy circumstances which, you have drawn upon us. I have conftantly employed all my en-' deavours for the good of the flate; but few among you have affilted me with your fupport; and I find · myfelf abandoned by the greater. part: yet I can affure you, that if I had taken the course of abandoning you in my turn, would now have found yourselves in a miferable fituation." The fourth meeting of October the diet, notwithstanding the abience of the molt turbulent members, was extremely tumultuous, and great heat and ani. mofity was hewn by the different parties. The King, the Prince Primate, and the Nuncio of Podolia, made very pathetic and conciliating fpeeches; but it feemed as if nothing could caim the violent fpirit which possessed the members. However, the diet haying again met the following day, it was at laft concluded, after long debates, to adopt Prince Radzivil's propofal, and to appoint a commiffion to fettle the affairs of the Diffidents. This commiffion confifted at firft of fourteen members, but was increased to about

16th.

fixty R