1790

him generalissimo of the Belgic army. Yet, with strange inconsistency, which can be imputed to corruption only, in a short time they abandoned him to his incensed adversaries.-The general, being thus betrayed, was committed, a close prisoner, to the citadel of Antwerp; affording a useful lesson to those who may feel themselves inclined to risk their fortunes on the support of a faction.

The settlement of Leopold's affairs in the low countries was facilitated by the propitious events which had taken place in other quarters.--He had been distressed, on his accession to the Austrian hereditary dominions, by a powerful party in Hungary; who, not content with his taking the accustomed oath at his approaching coronation, required him to sign a number of articles, importing redress of grievances and security from oppression. But Leopold, though surrounded with dangers and embarrassments, firmly refused to consent to any diploma but that which the constitutions of Charles the Sixth and Maria Theresa contained.*

Here, as in the low countries, he was favoured by the divisions that prevailed among the malecontents, as well as by his own prudence and good fortune. Whilst he was strengthened by his election to the crown. of the Romans and his subsequent coronation as emperor, Hungary became a scene of party feuds between the adherents of the great palatines and those of the nobles and others who opposed them.-The result was that, after some resistance, the malecontents, perceiving their weakness, thought it prudent to drop their opposition: that the crown of Hungary was placed on his head at Presburg with great demonstrations of loyalty.|| And Leopold, whose good sense told him that the greatness of a sovereign depends on the love of his people and the maintenance of the rights, interests, and dignity of his crown, after having attended to the latter in his treaty with the Porte and his Prussian majesty and in his transactions with the Hungarians, adopted the most effectual means of securing the former, by voluntarily granting them what he had refused to cede as a matter of obligation. Moreover, that he might give them every security for the enjoyment of their immunities, addressing himself to his eldest son, who was present at the celebration, "I hope," said he, "that you will

66 never

November 15.

September 30. and October 9.

* Idem. 170. 73.

› Annual Register. 1791. 31.

"never forget that you are my son; but should it ever be your lot, in the "execution of your office, as palatine of Hungary, to be obliged to defend "the rights of the nation against your father, I desire that you will then

forget that you are my son, and you will act strictly in support of the "laws." Then, addressing the people, "this, my beloved son, I present "to you as a pledge of my sincere regard for you; that he may act "between you and me as a disinterested mediator and promoter of mutual "affection."!

This happy settlement of affairs in Hungary soon led to a termination of the troubles in the Netherlands. His subjects in the provinces had paid but little attention to a conciliatory proclamation issued by him after his elevation to the throne of the empire. They were disgusted with the tyranny of their present governors, and especially with the imprisonment of Vander Mersch; yet they could not be immediately prevailed on to throw themselves under the power of the house of Austria, whose oppression they had repeatedly experienced; and general Schoenfield, who now commanded their forces, was still enabled to keep the field with a strong army. But the arrival of a large reinforcement to the imperialists under Bender turned the scale in favour of the emperor's cause.-A numerous but undisciplined revolted army entering the province of Limburgh, that general, affecting fear of their superior force, retreated before them, till they had reached a narrow pass between Huy and Liege; when he attacked them suddenly, and drove them from the field with the loss of above 7000 men slain. After this defeat the revolters could no longer make a stand. The cities and towns of the Netherlands opened their gates to the conquerors.-Vander Noot and Van Eupen, being deserted by their partisans and abandoned by their protectors, made their escape. And a negotiation was opened at the Hague between his imperial majesty and the Belgic provinces, by the mediation of Prussia, Great Britain, and Holland. The result of this was a treaty guaranteed by the mediators, which not only secured the inhabitants of the provinces in their ancient rights and privileges, but gave them further security for the enjoyment of them; and also, to render them perfectly easy under their new sovereign, it granted a full amnesty to the revolters.TM

PRUSSIA.

1790.

+ October 14.

In September. H December 10.

Idem. 34.

1 Annual Register. 174.

1790

SWEDEN AND RUSSIA.

GUSTAVUS perceived that, notwithstanding his forces had acquired honour by their behaviour in the late campaign, no advantage had been gained to compensate for the vast expences of the war; that greater efforts must still be made, and that too under more unfavourable circumstances, or he must sue to his haughty enemy for peace, and accept such terms as she might think proper to grant to him. He knew that he must rely on the commons for the extraordinary supplies requisite for a vigorous prosecution of hostilities: and therefore, with his characteristic boldness, he resolved, at all hazards, to conciliate their attachment. With that view, regardless of the offence which it would give to the nobles, who had hitherto exclusively filled the chief offices in the state, he issued a declaration, importing, that all orders of the state had an equal right to serve the country in all situations for which they should be found duly qualified by their talents; it being contrary to reason that any order should monopolize those appointments. This measure had the desired effect. The states were ready to strain every nerve in support of a prince who had shewn such regard for the lower orders. Considering the contest as a common cause, to prevent that ascendency which the empress of Russia had before possessed by her influence among the nobles, they imposed heavy taxes to answer the exigencies of government, dividing the public burthens with all possible equality.

That he might give the greatest effect to his efforts, Gustavus, regardless of the climate, drew his men of iron into the field early in the year; and,

penetrating

a

Annual Register. 1791. 180.

penetrating into Russian Savolax, he possessed himself of three strong posts within twelve leagues of Petersburg.† Alarmed at their approach, the empress dispatched general Ingelstrom with 10,000 men to recover fort Karnankoski, the most important of them. It was guarded by 3000 men only. Yet such was their invincible firmness, that the Russians were obliged at last to retire, after several desperate conflicts in which they lost 2000 men.b

The duke of Sudermania, whose fleet of galleys was co-operating with the land forces, was equally adventurous. Soon after the affair of Karnankoski, he made a bold attack on the Russian fleet in the harbour of Revel; but failed in his enterprise: the wind shifting, he, with difficulty made his way out of the harbour with the loss of a 60 gun ship.-His majesty was more successful in an attack on a division of the Russian fleet at Fredericsham; where he took thirty-eight galleys and destroyed a great number of their gun-boats.-Being inferior to his enemy in strength, he depended for success on the boldness of his enterprises and the valour of his troops. He had often been successful; and good fortune made him confident.Whilst he was employed in a descent on the coast of Carelia, his brother, with his fleet, attacked a division of the enemy lying at Wybourg. But before he could effect his purpose, admiral Ischitschakoff with the grand Russian fleet, and the prince of Nassau with his galleys, arrived before the place, and blocked up the Swedes in the harbour. In this perilous situation, the duke was reduced to the alternative of either surrendering to the greatly superior force of his enemy, or forcing his way through their fleet. Without hesitation he preferred the latter; but seven or eight ships of the line were lost in the encounter, or driven upon the rocks.-The Russians did not, however, long enjoy their triumph. Gustavus, undismayed by misfortune, prepared, with all possible dispatch, to retrieve his loss. Having collected a fleet of galleys, he gave battle to the prince of Nassau on his passage to Fredericsham.4-The action that ensued, which continued two days, was fought with the fury of combatants who were rivals in prowess and heated by national animosity. In the result, victory declared for the Swedes;

1790

+ In April.

May 30.

July 3.

+ July 8.

b Annual Register. 1791. 181.

1790

Swedes; and, among other testimonies of it, they captured forty-five of the
Russian galleys, and took above 4000 prisoners.

Both the belligerent parties were now weary of a war which promised
them no advantage.-Gustavus had exerted the valour of his troops and his
own strength and energy in vain. He had exhausted his own resources: he
perceived that the friendship of those who had encouraged him to embark
in the war did not extend to the taking up arms in his support. And
Catharine, having lost her German ally by the treaty of Reichenbach, was
desirous to free herself of so formidable an enemy as Gustavus, that she
might employ her whole force against the Turks and bring a war to a con-
clusion which called off her attention from the affairs of Poland.-Under
these circumstances a peace was easily brought about by the interposition of
Spain, and was signed at Varela; || by which it was agreed,
"that each power
"should retain what he possessed: that their prisoners should be restored
"without ransom: that the treaties of Abo and Nystadt were thereby con-
"firmed.-Catharine no longer talked of the Swedish constitution. Gusta-
"vus renounced all claims to the possessions conquered by his ancestors.
"He obtained permission to export grain from Livonia. The salutes of
ships were regulated. It was agreed also to appoint commissioners for
"the demarcation of limits: and the two courts promised themselves that
they should strengthen their connexion by a close alliance.”

Although the empress, who was thus relieved from the war in the Baltic, had been victorious over the Turks, and her enemy was weakened by the death of sultan Achmet and the accession of Selim to the throne, who was far his inferior in policy, yet she could not but be solicitous to bring the southern war also to a conclusion, when she reflected on the exhausted state of her finances, on the disposition of Great Britain and Prussia to oppose the extension of her dominions, and the scheme, laid by Frederic William to undermine her ascendency in Poland. It was her policy, therefore, by a strong effort, to force the sultan to sue for peace.We have seen, in the German history, the success of the joint operations of the armies under the prince de Cobourg and general Suworow, at the opening

Annual Register. 1791. 87. 89. and Tooke. 3. 262.

August 14.

Segur. 2. 170.