Lug. 1762. Affairs in Turky and Ruffia. HISTORY. Letters from CONSTANTINOPLE, by the way of Naples, advife, that the Bahaw of Bagdad, on his death-bed, ap. pointed himself a fucceffor, as if his poft was independent, and in his difpofal. According to thofe letters, the Grand Signior, not chusing to ratify a nomination fo injurious to his authority, has appointed another, and intends to fend a powerful army for enabling him to take poffellion. It is added, that he who was ominated by the late Bashaw, is making lifpofitions to maintain his dignity. The public papers have for fome time aft abounded in accounts relating to the dethroning of the late Emperor Peter III. of RUSSIA, and what has happened in that empire fince. The moft material accounts of the motives to, and manner of, that great revolution, additional to thofe in our laft, are as follow. "Cologn, Aug. 3. All political converfation turns wholly on the important revolution that has juft happened at Peterburg. Advices of good credit aflure us, that the principal motives for depofing the Emperor was the difregard he fbewed to the Emprefs, for whom he openly difcovered an averfion, and the affiduities he had long paid to a fultanefs. The change he attempted to make in the Greek religion, likewife contributed not a little to this fudden revolution. He wanted the images and pictures to be taken out of the churches, and the Greek priests to be drefled like the Lutherans. The Archbishop of Novogrod, whom he fent for, told him what would be the confequence if he perfifted in his refolution. The Czar made anfwer, that he would be obeyed; and that he alfo in tended to open Lutheran churches in Ruffia. The Archbishop, whom he banifhed for eight days, immediately acquainted his brethren; and the whole body of the clergy was foon informed of what was in agitation. The clergy alarmed the people for their religion; and the alarm was the fooner taken, as the Emperor had actually fent for two able Lutheran clergymen to dispute with and baile the Greek priefts. Add to all this, the Czar's imprudence in throwing out a hint that he intended to confine the Empreis before he fet out for the army, with which the was foon acquainted. Never thelefs, this princefs refolved to have perfunal conviction of the defons that were VOL. XXIV. forming against her. 437. For this end the took an opportunity to fay to the Emperor, that the hoped, that in cafe he fhould leave Peterburg, he would place fo much confidence in her, as to appoint her regent in his abfence. The manner in which he answered her, convinced her at once, that what he had been told was not without foundation. She immediately took her refolution to haften the execution, of that defign which was effected on the 9th paft.-After the Emperor was arrefted, the mob, worked up by the priests, called out to have the Emperor delivered to them dead or alive, and the crown placed on the head of the Emprefs. foon as her Majefty was proclaimed, the difpatched couriers to all the courts of Europe, beginning with Vienna, then Warfaw, Verfailles, and Denmark." As ; "Hague, Aug. 5. We have received by the laft letters from Petersburg the following circumftances of the revolution that has happened in that city. The Hetman, the Chamberlain Teplow, the Attorney-General Glebow, and . the Baron Orlow, major of the guards, were the perfons more immediately concerned in the execution of the project that removed Peter III. from the Imperial throne. This obftinate prince obferved no rules of prudence or moderation, either in his public proceedings or in his private conduct. He had offended the clergy, who are a numerous, powerful, and popular body, by attacking their beards, (which Peter the Great had attempted to demolith in vain) [xiii. 190.]; and what. was ftill worse, by diminishing their revenues, and changing their ecclefiaftical difcipline, and religious rites. He had offended the Rufian grandees by his warm attachment to the Prince of Holstein, and the Germans. He had thocked all orders of the nation by his fudden and precipitate change of the political fyftem which had been purfued by his predeceffor, and by his blind zeal, and unbounded affection, for the King of Pruffia, whom he took for his infallible guide in religion, politics, mufic, war, &c. Befides all this, his private intrigues with one of the nieces of Chancellor Woronzoff, whom, it is laid, he loved as well as he could, gave umbrage to the Emprefs, whom he had never loved to much purpofe; and it was even fuppofed that he had formed the defign of thutting up her Majcity in a cloitter, and of raifing the Countess of Woronzoff to the dignity of Emprefs. Nay, authentic lett is 3 M f.om from Petersburg declare, that the Emprefs was actually confined to her chamber at Peterhoff, when, by the means of fome officers that received notice of the plots that were forming against her, the made her escape. This account of her confinement, however, merits confirmation, as it comes from a partial hand. Be that as it may, the Empress came early in the morning to Peterfburg in a careless undrefs, with all the marks of hurry and precipitation about her, affembled the troops, and caufed herself to be proclaimed Emprefs of Ruffia. She found the clergy affembled in the cathedral, addreffed herfelf to them, obtain ed their approbation of the ftep fhe had taken, and administered to them and the Ruffian grandees the oath of allegiance. After this fhe harangued the guards and the garrifon, whom the found difpofed to fecond her defigns; and, cloathing herself in the uniform of that regiment, fhe put herself at its head, and marched towards the Emperor; after having fecured the Prince of Holstein, the Senator Woronzoff, the Countefs his daughter, whom the Emperor loved, the Adjutant Gudowitz, who was Peter's principal favourite, and the Cabinet Secretary Wolkow, with feveral others. When the came thus armed to Peterhoff, fhe fent a ftrong guard to Oranjebaum, where the Emperor was, after he had attempted in vain to fly to Cronstadt. The officer that commanded this detachment was commiffioned to ask the Emperor, Whether or not he would ab. dicate the empire by a folemn deed figned by his own hand? At first he hesitated; but feeing himself abandoned on all hands, and even by his Holftein guards, he fubmitted to what the Empress required, went into his coach, drove to Peterhoff, where he drew his fword, and gave it up with all his dominions into the Emprefs's hands. Some letters fay, that he prefented the three following conditions: 1. Security for his life; 2. The enjoyment of his poffellions in Holstein; and, 3. The liberty of repairing thither with the Countefs Woronzoff. Which conditions were refufed." "Hague, Aug. 6. We learn every day, by letters from Ruffia, fome frefh particulars relative to the dethronement of the Czar. It is fuppofed the Grand Chancellor Woronzow had a great hand in it; because that minifter having taken the liberty to remonstrate to the Czar against his extravagant zeal for the King of Pruf fia, the recall of the exiles from Siberia, the difpofal of employments, and the incroachments on the clergy, the Emperor flew into a passion, and threatened to have him baftinadoed if he fhould mention those things again." ورا. We are informed, that when the late Emperor went to Ruffia, he was not much difpofed to embrace the manners of the people; but that his confort acted quite another part, ftudying their language, affiduously complying with their customs in every thing, and expreffing on all occafions a great zeal for the Greek church. "Petersburg, July rv. N. S. When his Imperial Majefty firft declared to the fenate his refolution to change the political fyftem of the empire, and join with the King of Pruffia, that refolution was generally applauded, although it is now alledged as a strong reason for setting him aside." 66 Peterburg, July 19. The following is an extract from the journal of the proceedings of the fenate of the 18th. "The Chevalier de Panin reported to the fenate, that the Empress having refolved to go to fee the corpfe of the late Emperor Peter III. and afterwards to alfift at his funeral, he was apprehenfive that the fhock would be too much for her tender heart, and that he would aban don herself to excefs of grief, the rather as fhe had wept inceffantly ever fince the heard of his death; and that he and the Hetman Count Rafomowsky had endea→ voured to divert her from her refolution; but without effect: Whereupon the fe nate, fearing fome fatal alteration in her Imperial Majefty's health, waited upon her in a body, to befeech her to change her purpose. At last, but not without regret, fhe yielded to their humble represen tations; which was notified to the senate by the Attorney-General." Das satis S The Emperor's corpfe was carried to the monastery of Newfky, dreffed in the uniform of Holftein, with boots and fpurs; and thus accoutred was expofed to public view the 19th of July. After that, the following notice was given to all the in habitants of Petersburg. oo That the Emprefs gave them full affurances of her favour and protection. 2. That all perfons poffeffed of portraits of the deceased Em peror, of whatever nature or kind they might be, must bring them to the governs ment. 3 That every proprietor, or tee nant of houfes muft fend their domefties, of both fexes, to the clergy, in order to take T ake before them the oath of allegiance kind homage to her Imperial Majefty. The corpfe having been still exposed to public view till the 21ft, it was then buRied in the monastery of Newsky, without picuneral pomp. Some letters have affert d, that the late Emperor was poifoned an chocolate. The following is communicated as an authentic anecdote, by a arentleman who refided for a very confiderble time in Ruffia. "About fifteen to rears ago, a grand gala day was appointhad to be held at Petersburg, to which the rincipal perfonages of the kingdom were nvited. It being known, that the [then] Duke of Holstein (the late dethroned Pedeer III.) was to dance that night, fome erfons about the court meditated his detruction. With this view, they corruptd his laundress, who poisoned the water n which his linen was washed. The Duke danced; but no fooner begun to grow varm, than he found himself extremely I. As his diftemper increased upon him, e retired, attended by a numerous train e of weeping friends, all greatly alarmed at he fuddennels of the danger. In this fitution some short time paffed away; when, it laft, a princess of the Dolgorucki famiy, who was fuppofed to have born him a Secret kindness, making her way through the croud, afked thofe about his Highnefs, whether the Duke had still the fame fhirt on as he danced in? Having faid this, the immediately vanifhed, and was never afterwards heard off. The laundrefs alfo difappeared. But thofe in attendance being wife enough to take the hint, the dy ing prince was ftripped of the envenomed Shirt, just time enough to fave his life, but not to prevent the ill effects of the poifon for, from that period to the hour of his death, it is faid, his fpirits were feldom free from a kind of drowsy languor, which made him appear perfectly ftupid at times, and hence have arifen thofe various reports of his being a drunkard, an idiot, &e." In the manifefto of the prefent Emprefs Catherine II. dated July 9. N. S. published in the Petersburg gazette of the 13th, the words its enemies are fubftituted in the room of its greatest enemy, which terminated the second motive on the firft appearance of that manifefto [378]. Private letters from that country advife, that among the late Emperor's papers feveral letters were found, written with the King of Pruffia's own hand, advifing and exhorting that prince, to make no alteration in 1 439 have the established Greek church, and to no difference with his fenate; by which admonition the Prussian monarch bas ob tained the greatest esteem and kindness of the new Emprefs. It is added, that the has concluded a new treaty with his Pruf fian Majefty, confirming that which was made between him and the late Emperor her confort on the 5th of May laft, in vir tue of which the King is to pay her a fum of money, towards reimburfing a part of the expences of the war. Whatever way the Empress Catherine's fentiments toward his Majefty may have been mollified, there are repeated accounts of fuch a new treaty from different quarters, particularly from Berlin. According to letters from Hamburg, of Aug 13. that Emprefs had affured the King of Denmark, that the defigned to live in good harmony and friendship with him; but would not give up the juft claim that the late Emperor her confort had to part of the Danish Holftein, which will be demanded fo foon as her son Prince Paul Petrowitz is of age. The new Emprefs has declared to Mr Keith, that the is refolved to live in the ftrictest friendship with the King of G. Britain, and will fecure to his fubjects all the privileges and immunities which they enjoyed under her predeceffors. We are informed, by an article in the London gazette, dated Petersburg, July 23. that Prince George of Holstein (the late Emperor's brother) has been prefented with a fum of money, and is conti nued ftadtholder of Holstein; for which country he then proposed to set out forthwith. The following manifefto has been publifhed with respect to the Empreis's coronation. CATHERINE II. by the grace of Cod. Empress and Autocratrix [independent ruler] of all the Ruffias, &c. We have expounded in our manifefto of the 9th of July, [June 28. O. S.], the reafons that, induced us to mount the Imperial throne of Ruffia. The whole world have from thence been acquainted, that zeal for the true religion, love for our native coun try, the fincere defire of our subjects to fee us feated on the Rufian throne, and themselves delivered from the various great perils with which they were mena ced, were the only motives that induced us to undertake that enterprife; by which, we have obeyed the dictates of our confcience; which (being justly alarmed) 3 M 2 had the duty then required of us, towards God and his holy church, we fhould be anfwerable for fuch difobedience before his most tremendous tribunal. The Almighty, who reigns fupreme over all the kingdoms of the earth, and difpoles of them all according to his divine will, has fo bleffed our just and falutary undertaking, that we have afcended the throne in quality of Sovereign, and have extricated our country from all the above mentioned dangers, without any effufion of blood. We have likewife had the fatisfaction to fee, with what great marks of affection, and joy, this work of Providence towards us was received by all our faithful fubjects, and with what zeal they took the folemn oath of fidelity, of which we have already had the most convincing proofs. had admonified us, that if we declined Falckenberg. The intention was, if ! practicable, to attack the left flank of the main body of the French army, posted between Hildenberg and Mellungen, while Gen. Sporcken fhould engage their front, and Pr. Frederick of Brunswick their right: Gen. Sporcken was to pafs the Eder at Feltzberg, and Pr. Frederick at Brunclar. Pr. Ferdinand found, upon reconnoitring so close to the enemy as to be expofed to the fire of three batteries, that their pofition was too ftrong, and too well provided with troops, to risk an attack. While his Serene Highness was doing this, he left his army formed in co. lumns, prefenting only the heads of the columns to view; but obferving the enemy to be imbarraffed, he formed, vat eight o'clock in the evening, within cairnon-fhot; and Gen. Sporcken began to cannonade them. At ten o'clock at night his Highness withdrew the troops to the heights of Falckenberg, leaving the picquets advanced to keep the fires burning, in order to deceive the enemy. At two o'clock in the morning he marched to repaís the Schwalm at Harte, and the Eder at Nieder Melrick. Sufpecting, however, that the French would decamp in the night, he left Lord Granby on the Falc kenberg, with orders to stay till day. light; and in cafe the enemy had retired, to take poffeflion immediately of the high grounds of Mellungen. His Lordship found, that the French had paffed the Fulda in the night, and executed the of ders he had received. Thus Pr. Ferdinand obliged them to abandon a poft they gave out was not to be forced, without riking a double action, and which could not fail to coft a great many lives.si no To teftify to the Most High our ac knowledgments of the efficacious fuccours which he has granted to us in this undertaking, and that we hold the empire folely by his almighty hand, we have, after the example of our illuftrious predeceffors of Ruffia, and according to the cuftom of the faithful Emperors of Greece, and also of the ancient Kings of the people of Ifrael, who received the unction of the Holy O at the beginning of their reign, refolved to receive this fanctified unction in like manner, and to be crowned, with the affiftance of God, in the month of September next, at our refi dence at Mofcow. Which we have ordered to be made known throughout our empire by printed manifeftos. There has been lately found in a vault near Cafan, a buft of the widow of Ju lius Cæfar, extremely well executed. This is thought fufficient to fhew, that the kingdom of Cafan was once under the dominion of the Romans. The diet of SWEDEN, which affembled in October 1760, separated June 21. 1762. According to our laft accounts of affairs in GERMANY, the Allies had gained a confiderable advantage over the French, the 23d of July, in the neighbourhood of Gaffel. Before Pr. Frederick of Brunfwick left the intrenched camp which the French had on the Kratzberg, he demolifed all the works there. Dr. Ferdinand having crofled the Eder, on the 25th at night, with three brigades of infantry, and eight fadrons of horfe, joined the Marquis of Granby on the heights of 1 noft of the army he commanded on the Lower Rhine, in order to difengage D'Eistrées, and Soubife from their imbarraff ments; the hereditary Pr. of Brunswick it the fame time marching oppofite to im,with the troops that had been afembled under him in the neighbourhood of Munfter. On the 4th of August, the Arince of Conde's army paffed the Dille,in deffe at Herborn, and incamped at Hoen olms, having detached four regiments to Hadenbach, and puthed fome detachments of the Allies between Marburg and Gie en. Before that time, the French Marfhals Etrees and Soubite had begun to inrench themselves along the Fulda, beween Caffel and Melfungen. About the th of Auguft, Pr. Ferdinand laid feveral ridges on that river, in order again to ttempt an attack; but a fudden rain welled it too much for its being prudent o venture the troops across it. Notvithstanding this, the Allied army gained Come advantages; and a body of them yas afterwards fent over the river, which ook poft opposite to the centre of the eemy's camp. The French made feveral igorous attempts to diflodge them; but were conftantly repulfed with lofs. A little pening was made in the communication of the French armies by the Prince of Condé forcing the pofts of the Allies at Ulrichstein, Pattenberg, and Franckenberg; and Gen. Stainville that at Friedewalde. The Prince of Condé endeavoured to force the poft at Homburg on the Ohme; in which he failed; as he did likewife in an attempt upon the left of the hereditary Prince's corps at Ramrot, on the 9th. On the 16th, the French evacuated Gottingen, fome way within the electorate of Hanover, after deftroying the works of that place, which had coft them a great deal of expence, and fetting fire to the powder-magazine; by the explosion of which 50 men of the Saxon troops in conjunction with them were killed, the ramparts of the town almost all blown up, and the houses confiderably damaged. That fame day they abandoned Munden, a town in the fame electorate nearer to Guffey On the 17th at night, the affembled:French army, under the Marfrals Seubife and D'Etrées, marched off by its left, in the pace which lies between Spangenberg and Lichtenau. Pr. Ferdinand followed it the 18th, and incamped at Homberg on the Ohine. The hereditary Prince was to posted, as to be 441 able to join the main body of the Allies; and the Prince of Condé had marched by his right towards the town of Fulda, in order to cover the retreat of the main French army, and have an opportunity of joining it. We give the following as publithed in the London gazette. "Hague, Aug. 31. We have an ac count from the army, that Pr. Ferdinand's head-quarters were on the 26th paft at Mahr. The French continue to retire. His Serene Highness was to march that day to Ulrichttein, between the Fulda and the Lahn. The two Marshals had pafled the town of Fulda, and were ap proaching the Main, without having yet been able to join the Prince of Condé, whom the hereditary Prince continues to follow, having fucceflively obliged him to decamp with lots from Grunberg, and other places. On the 25th past, that Prince being upon the march with fome light troops, with a view to attack the rearguard of the French army, fell in with the main body, and was received with a violent canonade, by which he loft 30 men, and was obliged to leave three field-pieces behind him upon his retreat. Pr. Frederick of Brunswick had inveft. ed the town of Caffel, which is faid to be in great diftrefs for provifions." Accounts from the French army reprefent the rencounter which happened be tween the hereditary Prince, and the Prince of Conde, on the 25th, as a confiderable victory gained by the latter; but without mentioning any other par ticulars, than the taking of the three pieces of cannon acknowledged in the preceding account. We are told, that the garriton of Caffel confifts of 11 battalions, and fome cavalry. The Marquis d'Auvet, with part of the French troops from the Lower Rhine, laid fiege to Ham in Weftphalia, in the night between the 20th and 21st, and threw into it a great many red-hot bullets. In the night between the 25th and 26th the flames blazed very violently, and fe veral houfes were ruined; but on the approach of 4000 men detached from Pr. Ferdinand's ariny, M. d'Auvet thought fit to decamp, and retire again to the Rhine. With respect to Pr. Henry of Pruffia's army in Saxony, they write from Berlin, of july 27. that Gen. Seidlitz had routed the army of the Empire, and made pri feners a major, a captain of hore, four other |