to him in writing, the orders I am charged with from my court, as well in favour of his Royal Highness Prince Charles, as relatively to the late Duke Biron and his fons, I have the honour to make known to his Excellency the Great Chancellor, that with refpect to the latter, the invariable intentions of her Majefty are, that her own interests, and the most powerful reafons of ftate, permit her not to confent to the re-establishment of Mr de Bi-. ron, or his fons, in the duchy of Courland; and that, on the contrary, her Imperial Majefty will confider, both as agreeable to herfelf, and advantageous to the republic, the election of his Royal Highness Prince Charles, which, by gi ving to Courland a new fovereign, will re-establish that duchy in its ancient form of government. It is for thefe immoveable reafons that I am authorifed to decline and reject teadily every propofal which may be previously made for the deliverance of Mr de Biron, and his family, and hurt the defired election of his Royal Highness Prince Charles. Done at Warfaw, the 23d October 1758. GROSS." We have, from the London gazette, the following accounts of a diet of the kingdom of Poland.

"Warfaw, Oct. 6. On the 4th instant a propofition was made in the affembly of the diet, for the election of a new marfhal; but on fome objections being ftarted, the affembly was adjourned to the next day; when the fame question was brought on again: and it being propofed by a member, that they fhould begin by clearing the house of fuch nuncios as had no right to be there; and the ex-, pulfion of young Count Bruhl being de. manded, as one who, being no Polander, either by birth, or naturalization, could not poffibly, as was afferted, be admitted into that affembly; in a moment fabres were drawn, and all fell into confufion. But the tumult being after fome time appeafed, inquiry was made for the first perfon who drew his fabre, that he might be punished according to the rigour of the laws, which is immediate death: but this inquiry was without fuccefs. During the combuftion, one of the nuncios of the court-party made a manifeft for the breaking up of the diet, which occafioned a fecond adjournment; and if that nuncio does not withdraw the manifeft, the diet must be accordingly at an end, after fitting two days only.”

“Warfaw, Oft. 9. The member who,

had given in a manifeft against the continuance of the diet, being departed for the country; as he could not be found, and that manifeft confequently could not be retracted, the affembly was broken up of courfe the next day."

On the 9th of September, a marriage. between the Princels Willielmina Caro lina, the King of DENMARK's fecond daughter, born July 10. 1747, and Pr. William, hereditary Prince of Heffe, born June 9. 1743, was publicly declared at the court of Copenhagen.

The following remarkable declaration, bearing date the 19th of Auguft laft, has been delivered to the King of Poland's refident at PETERSBURG.

HER Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias

fincerely commiferates the distressful condition of the King's electoral dominions; and, deeply affected with the mournful accounts which the refident hath communicated to her, will immediately caufe the ftrongest reprefentations to be made to her Majesty the Emprefs-Queen, and to his Pruilian Majefty, not only by their minifters refiding at this court, but also by her own minifters at Vienna and Berlin. She will prevail with those two powers to withdraw their armies from the territories of Saxony, till the general peace; and not only evacuate the electoral refidence, but alfo all the countries dependent thereon; to the end that his Majesty the King of Poland may be restored to the full enjoyment of all that belongs to him as Elector of Saxony. On the other hand, fufficient affurances fhall be given to the two powers at war, that the frontiers of the refpective dominions of Auftria and Pruffia fhall not be molefted on the fide of Saxony, and the countries dependent on it. For this end, the dominions of Saxo y fhall be occupied by the Saxon troops, whofe number cannot be fufficient to give ground of jealoufy or fufpicion to either of the belligerent powers. If this regu lation fhould take place, her Imperial Ma jetty is ready to guaranty it, if that fhould be neceffary.

This declaration is delivered to the refident in answer to the pro memoria which he lately prefented; that he may inform his court of her Imperial Majefty's intentions on an object "fo interesting to the King.

0&.1762.

lin, to open a negotiation upon the subject. Instead of all the Ruffian troops marching directly home, as had been formerly ordered, the Empress had determined to leave a confiderable corps on the Viftula in Poland; befides which 40 or 50,000 men will be diftributed in Courland, Livonia, and Efthonia. This change of measures is variously talked of. Some think that it is occafioned by the fteps which the court of Copenhagen has taken relative to the adminiftration of Holstein, of which more afterwards; while others flatter themselves, that it is only a confequence of the mediatorial views which Ruf úa has adopted.

They write from Petersburg, of Sept. 7. that the Empress had declared her inteution, that the estates which were taken from the clergy in the late reign fhall be restored to them; that the board call ed the Economical Chamber, which took cognifance of the affairs of the clergy, fhall be abolished; and that a new board fhall be established, composed of ecclefiaftics and feculars, depending immediately on her Majefty alone, whole bufinefs shall be, to settle the affairs of the clergy on a permanent footing, agreeably to the views of Peter the Great, and the canons of the church.

With refpect to affairs in GERMANY, after the obftinate action at Brucker Muhl on the 21ft of September, and the furrender of Amoneburg the 23d, the Allies and French remained on the oppofite fides of the Ohme, without any thing of con⚫ fequence happening; fo that the French Marshals feemed to defpair of again opening their communication with Caffel. While Pr. Ferdinand was endeavouring to prevent the junction of the two French armies, and for fome time afterward, that city was only blockaded. But after he had taken a commodious fituation for covering a fiege, and given his antagonists an opportunity of trying whether they were able to diflodge him, the heavy bat tering cannon was again brought, and the trenches were opened Oct. 16. with the lofs of about 20 men killed, and feveral wounded. The garrifon made feveral fallies to prevent the approaches, but without fuccefs. On the 22d, Gen. Diefbach, commandant of the place, made a fally with the whole garrifon, and obliged the ordinary guard to abandon the trenches; but Fr. Fredrick of Brunswick, at the head of four battalions, coming quickly to their support, drove the enemy back into the

547 town, before they had time to damage the works. Letters from the neighbourhood of the Wefer fay, that the garrison of Cafel had turned out of the town a bove 1000 families, who had no provifions to fubfift on. The foldiers were on very fcanty allowance, having only a pound of bread made of oats each in the twenty. four hours. According to late advices, the French household-troops were march. ing home; and the Prince of Conde, with feveral battalions, was going to Duffeldorp, where he was to have his head-quar ters - The wound which the hereditary Prince of Bruntwick received in the af fair of Johannesberg, proved much more dangerous than was at first fuspected. A bout the beginning of October, he was feized with a fever, occafioned, as fuppofed, by the working of a splinter, which was perceived to be coming away from the bone. By latest accounts, however, he was reckoned to be out of all danger, and was every day fitting up feveral hours.

Оп

During a great part of the campaign, Pr. Henry of Pruffia kept the fuperiority in Saxony; but M. Daun, finding that he was not able to raise the siege of Schweid. nitz, detached about 20,000 men to re inforce the Auftrians and army of the Em pire in that electorate, and Gen. Haddick was fent to take the command in chief, in the room of General Serbelloni. the 27th and 28th of September Pr. Henry's advanced pofts were attacked, and ob liged to retire. The 29th Gen. Had dick attacked the Prince's left wing, and the Lanfberg, fituated in the front of Gen Hulfen's right. The fire of the artilry and fmall arms lafted upwards of fix hours, and the Auftrians were at length repulfed, with confiderable lofs in killed and wounded, befides 300 prisoners. Notwithstanding this, his R. Highness, feeing the danger he was expofed to from the vast fuperiority of the Auftrians, decamped from Pretchendorff on the 30th, at three in the morning, and retired to Freyberg, without the enemy's perceiving his retreat. Gen. Hulfen likewife quitted his pofition, and occupied the camp of Katzenhauzen.- What we think further neceflary at prefent concerning af fairs in that electorate, is in the words of the London gazette thus. Hamburg, Oct. 26. Advice was received here lat night from Berlin, that on the 15th inftant, Gen. Haddick's army, with that of the Empire, gained a confiderable advan tage over- Fr. Henry near Freyberg, in

which

which the Pruffians had loft near Ioco men killed and wounded, befides eight pieces of cannon. Upon which Pr. Henry retreated with his army, during the night, to Siebenlehn, which his R. Highnels effected in the greatest order. How ever, the day following he approached again within a German mile of Freyberg, and hoped foon to recover that place. Before this affair happened, his Pruffian Majefty detached from the army under his command, twenty-fix battalions and feventy fquadrons, to reinforce that under his brother Pr. Henry; which reinforce ment, it was hoped, would oblige the enemy to quit their prefent position, and enable his R. Highness to regain the fuperiority he has had during the campaign." The fiege of Schweidnitz has been vigorously pushed on, and a brave defence made by the befieged. Before the end of Auguft, Gen. Guafco, governor of the place, had offered to capitulate, on condition that the troops under his command should be allowed to march off with the honours of war; but his Pruffian Majefty would hearken to no other treaty than that the garrison should surrender at difcretion. We have the following article verbatim from the London gazette.

"Breflau, Sept. 5. On the night between the 1st and 2d inftant, the mine, or globe de compreffion, as it is called, was played off; but not with the fuccefs that was expected; owing in part to its being placed at too great a distance, and partly to the vigorous refiftance made by the befieged, who fallied out in the night between the 29th and 30th of Auguft, and deftroyed part of the gallery of the mine, by rolling of bombs and other combuftibles into it, to which they fet fire. This damage was, however, repaired the next day; and the night between the 31ft of Auguft and the ift inftant, the garrifon made three different forties, but without fuccefs. The Pruffians have begun to work upon another mine, which, it is expected, will be finished in a few days." This fortrefs was both befieged and defended with great vigour. We are informed, that the chief engineer on the fide of the Auftrians was one Criboval, and on the fide of the Pruffians, one Le Febre, both Frenchmen, who had long carried on a paper-war against one another, on the attack and defence of fortrefles. Thus they have had an opportunity of friving to confirm their respective theories by pracNice,

The approaches of the befiegers

C

were much retarded by the falling of bea vy rains, and the rifing of fprings, a as by the obftinate bravery of the be ged. At length, about two in the after noon of Oct. 8. a bomb accidentally e into the casemate of the fort N° 2. there was a quantity of gunpowder; tre blowing up of which filled the ditche the fide next the town, and killed a jor, seven other officers, and 200 This accident, joined to the Prot fpringing a mine in the night between 8th and 9th, which totally ruined the vered way, induced the commandant capitulate; the garrifon being to go the place with drums beating, and i the honours of war; and then to lay d their arms, and render themselves pri ers of war. Agreeable to this capit tion, the garrifon marched out in morning of the 11th. Its ftate my learned from the following article tak from the London gazette.

66

“ Breslau, Oct. 17. The prisoners fr Schweidnitz have been brought in da in different convoys. They amount, all, to between 6 and 7000 men, bec the fick and wounded, who could not b transported, and are faid to be ab 1700. Among the prifoners are 130 ficers, one lieutenant-general, and major-generals. There were kille! the garrifon, during the fiege, near men; fo that their whole number be fairly reckoned to have been 100 befides 150 dragoons and hullars. T lofs of the befiegers is not known with certainty, but is reckoned at 3000 killed and wounded."

His Danish Majefty claims to be adm niftrator of Holftein-Gottorp, jointly the Empress of Ruffia, till the great D Paul Petrowitz come to be of age. greeably to this he caused placarts to affixed to the most public places of K capital of that duchy, and appointed miniftrators to act in his name. Th placarts were torn down by order the Empress of Rullia; but thel D commiflaries fixed them up again. added, that a discovery has been s that fome of the records of that duke have been defaced and altered; a cumftance, which, if true, must further noise.

As to the military difpofitions and rations of the SPANIARDS and PORT GUESE, we give the following arti verbatim from the public papers.

“Lebron, Aug. 29. Since Count de

well known that he makes great complaints against several of the King's fubjects, on account of the diffatisfaction which they new to the English troops, and refufing to furnish them with what is reafonable. He allo complains of a great number of Portuguese officers, whofe difobedience and idlenes have already fruftrated the execution of fome fchemes that have been formed against the eneany.

His Majefty has laid afide all thoughts of going to the army, and has wrote a circular letter to his generals to exhort them to do their duty, and pay a proper regard to the great abilities of Count de la Lippe. At the fame time he fets before them the great force of his ally, the King of England, and the weakness of the Spaniards.

A lift of the King's forces, including the Briti auxiliaries, which is aflured to be authentic, is handed about here, according to which the whole amount to about 56,000 men."

"Lifbon, Sept 19. The Spanish army is at Caftel-Blanco, but eight leagues from the camp of Abrantes, the only barrier remaining between the enemy and this capital."

Madrid, Sept. 28. The laft letters from the Count d'Aranda, dated from the head-quarters at Caftel Blanco, import, that the whole army was reunited in that camp; that the twelve French battalions formed the left; and that it was to continue its march in four divifions, which would be regulated by the motions of the enemy."

The following accounts of affairs on that fide, are from the London gazette of Oct. 30.

Copy of a letter from the Marshal Count de la Lippe to the Earl of Egremont, dated Macao, Oct. 10. 1762.

THE

HE enemy having moved the bulk of their army to Caftel Branco, we kept the pafs of the Alveito ftill occupied by a detachment of Portuguese troops under the Count St Jago, confifting of four battalions, fix companies of grenadiers, and a regiment of cavalry. Brig, Gen. Burgoyne advanced to occupy the fouthern banks of the Tagus, over-againft Villa Velha, where the great road from Caftel Branco croffes the river into Alen tejo. The enemy, on the ift day of this month, made feveral movements towards both these advanced corps, placing the

Count de Maceda, with 6000 men, overagainst the corps of Count St Jago, attacking upon his right the old Moorish cattle of Villa Velha, and upon his left a final poft commanded by a major at the defile of St Simon. Brig. Burgovne fupporting the Villa Velha caftie across the water, the enemy was obliged to employ feveral days, before they could get poffeffion of it; but they made themfelves mafters of the pailiges of the mountains, two days before the taking of the cafle. They met with very little refiftance at St Simon; and the corps of Count St Jago being, in that fituation of things, in the utmost danger of being attacked by very fuperior forces in front and rear, I thought it neceffary for Lord Loudon to march, with the four battalions at that time incamped near the Portuguefe army, in order to protect the retreat of Count St Jago, whofe poft it was not proper, for feveral reafons, to fupport with all our forces. Lord Loudon advanced with the greateft expedition; and after the outpofts of Count St Jago were withdrawn, and the works levelled which had been thrown up for the defence of the pafs, and might now have been employed against us, Lord Loudon, with the four British regiments, fix companies of Portuguese grenadiers, 50 of Burgoyne's dragoons, and about as many Portuguese cavalry, remained upon the heights of Aftalliardes, till the Portuguefe infantry had filed off by the road of Soubreira Formoza. The enemy attacked the rear with feveral battalions; but Lord Loudon's prefence, the activity of Major M'Bean, who cannonaded the enemy very briskly, and the admirable countenance of the British troops, who, finding the enemy preffed hard, faced as bout, and marched up to them with great vivacity and good order, obliged the most forward of their battalions to retire in a manner not unlike a flight; and the whole column of ours continued their march unmolefted, and without any lofs, towards Cardigas. The enemy, on account of thefe motions upon their right, having weakened the corps they ftill had near Villa Velha, Brig. Burgoyne thought the opportunity favourable to attempt an attack against the troops and artillery they had left. He therefore ordered a detachment, compofed of 100 British grenadiers, 200 of Gen. Crawfurd's regiment, and 50 light dragoons, led by the gallant Lt-Col. Lee, to ford the Tagus