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me to reinforce the army of the Ban

nat.

"Laxemburg, June 7, 1789.

"My dear general d'Alton, the minifter will inform you, agreeable to the inftructions with which this courier is charged, that the time is come once for all to finish, with a good or ill grace, the perplexing affairs of the Netherlands. Wearied with their continuance, and convinced that the evil is but augmented by delay, I have refolved to cut fhort difficulties. If things proceed as they should do, without the employment of force, fo much the better; if not, it must be applied with prudence, but with firmnels and energy; there must be no doubt, no hefitation; nothing fhould be undertaken but what must be finished, and nothing finished till all be fubdued.

"The more or lefs blood that may be fhed in the attempt ought not* to be taken into the account when the object is to fave all, and at once to finish thefe eternal tumults. Relying then on the zeal and tried fidelity of the military in general, and on your wifdom, my dear count, I affure myself that in every circumftance which may require your aid, you will fuftain the operations of the government, fo as to give them effect, without regard to any other confideration.

"Above all, in the prefent moment, I cannot fufficiently recommend to you, my dear general, to be indulgent to the temper of the troops, by avoiding the little vexations which arife out of too fevere difcipline, too much exercife, but more particularly too great nicety in matters of mere drefs and parade; which are not fo eafily enforced with thefe people of the Netherlands (who rather approach the difpofition of the French) as with the German and Hungarian foldiers you have been used to command. The fame caution is neceffary with refpect to the officers, with whom you must at times diffemble certain effervefcencies.

Does the code of Auftrian tyranny contain fentiments fo horrible! Here contemplate the philofophy of Jofeph II. The blood of his fubjects ought not to be taken into the account; no obstacle must impede his projects, but the very last drop must be

"Vienna, Aug. 6, 17891

"I have received, my dear general d'Alton, your report of the 27th of July, which informs me of the affair at Louvain; and I am extremely well pleafed with the conduct of M. de Gontrouel, and the troops under his command. As in this infurrection, neither rights, privileges, nor religion were in queftion, but the fole defign was to rob and pillage, it is not poffible to be too fevere with this mob of rafcals, either by judicial proceedings against thofe whom you may feize, or by dif miffing all refpect for them, and terrifying them by force of arms. do not comprehend the expreffion of plundering the houfes of the royalifts; that the difaffected fhould be publicly known feems inevitable, and, if fo, it were aftonishing fhould they be tolerated and left undisturbed while the loyal were pillaged.

But I

"I fee alfo, by your report, that the alarm for revolt was given in the churches; thefe, therefore, ought to be remarked and punished, fince properly fpeaking they have excited the infurrection.

"It is to be hoped the delirium which reigns in France will not be of long duration, but that at length thefe devaftations will cease; and thence, efpecially if the French fhould afford us a good example, tranquillity may be reestablished in our provinces."

In a letter of Aug. 23, 1789, the emperor, fpeaking of France, fays, "The new conftitution of France has not been very polite to the high clergy and nobility; and I still doubt much if all these fine things can be put into execution.

"Hetzendorf, Sept. 20, 1789. "Count de Trauttmansdorff has perhaps already acquainted you with the project which has been formed to engage fome men of the finest figures among the French guards to defert, and enrole themselves in the regiments of the Netherlands in order to excite them fhed, that his purpose may be obtained.This fingle letter would fuffice to ftamp his fame: nothing more is wanting to tranfmit to pofterity a sketch of the cruel and fanguinary fentiments of this regal tyrant, "-PREFACE.

to mutiny; it would be well if we could difcover fuch villains, that after enrolling them we might make an example by inftantly executing then. At prefent it would be prudent if the French deferters on being enrolled were fent to Luxemburg, to be removed into Germany, where they will be more fecurely guarded than they can be with

you.

"The verses which have been made on the non-commiffioned officer of the regiment of Ligne who obtained the medal are very good of their kind.

"The movements of the Dutch," fays the emperor to his general, in a letter dated O&. 5, 1789, "do not give me any inquietude, and while the king of Pruffia does not declare openly against us, we have little to fear from thein; and fill lefs, as the difpofitions which are made by the prince Statholder arife rather from a fear of the flame among his own patriots, which yet lies concealed beneath the afhes.

"Vienna, Oct. 31, 1789. "I am perfectly fenfible of the painful fervices that you, and the military under your command, render me in the Netherlands, which are of a nature much more difficult than if you were oppofed to an enemy in an open country; fecing, the danger of the former lies mafked. You may affure the troops that I do full justice to their zeal, and fhall reward them as if they fought against the Turks*!

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"The memorial which, my dear neral, you have tranfmitted to me, on the part of fome Dutch refugees, refem bles their heated imaginations, which has ever given an excentricity to all their conduct. You will politely dif mi's them and their projects, the execution of which would induce the most

"It is fcarcely poffible to exprefs his tyrannical intentions with more energy. Throughout his letters his cruelty is glaring; he delights in iiluing the command for murder, and anticipates the joy of execution. Of this, his letter of the 5th of November 1789, is a ftriking example: he there boldly pourtrays the atrocity of his character: he orders the immortal Vandermerfch to be hanged in effigy, till fuch time as he can have the pleasure of executing him in perfon. "What tyrant ever dared publicly avow the pleafure he took in murder! Hearts, VOL. II.

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vexatious circumftance which could happen to us: namely, to draw upon us the arms of Prutha, England, and the prince of Orange with all his allies, while we should have nothing to oppofe to them but our own forces, and fome miferable Dutch patriots; nor could even thofe act without France, who certainly has neither the means nor the inclination at prefent of giving us the smallest affiftance. Pofitively reject, therefore, every propofal of this kind; and be affured that we cannot too anxiously guard against measures which may embroil us with any one of those powers.

"Vienna, Nov. 5, 1989.

"My dear general d'Alton, I last night received your exprefs of the 28th of October, and leave you to judge of the effect which its contents have pro duced upon me. Little could I expect that the military would be expofed to a repulfe from fuch a mob of people; ftill lefs, that it would happen in a manner fo difgraceful.

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"I conclude that you, have fummoned colonel Vandermerfch by found of drum. As it is not probable that he will appear, you will hang him in effigy till we shall have the pleasure of executing him in perfon.

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Vienna, Nov. 27, 1789. "My dear general d'Alton, I have received your report of the 18th of this month. The affair which has happened at Ghent, of which you give me intelligence, is a blow which I feel too fen fibly to exprefs, and which I believe to be decifive. Without entering into further difcuffions, I mult charge you to employ all poflible means that may ferve at least to diminish the unfortunate confequences which might be the refult the moft hardened in guilt, endeavour, at. leaft, to palliate their conduct; they with not to appear cruel; they feign to punish with regret; affect the femblance of juftice, even when moft unjuft; and, at the very moment when vengeance is in act, feek to diminish its odium, by feigning pity they do not feel. It was referved for Jofeph II. to afford the world an example of a man, or rather of a monfter, who unimpaffioned awaited the pleasure of executing in perfon."-PREFACE.

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of the various mortifying events which have arisen from falfe meafures, and enterprises alike ill conceived and ill executed.

"It is my intention to fend count de Cobenzl from hence, into the Netherlands, in quality of my commiffioner, and charged with the neceffary powers,

IN

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in which commiffion you will be included."

Subjoined to this collection is a letter from the count de Cobenzl to count de Trauttmansdorff, informing him that all difpatches for the emperor were in future to be received by the count.

HISTORY OF THE THEATRE.

AUGUST SEPTEMBER.

N addition to the productions of the Haymarket Theatre, we have to notice a petit piece, called MODERN BREAKFAST, written by a youthful fon of Mrs. Siddons, and performed on the 11th of Auguft. But the arduous task of compofing for the ftage, is by no means fuitable to the prefent genius of this juvenile writer; and it is hoped his parents will divest themselves of a partiality, which can only tend to make them ridiculous.

Another trifling piece alfo appeared on the 13th of the fame month, entitled TASTE and FEELING, from the pen of a gentleman of more experience -a clergyman! Bob Glutton, (one of the principal characters) who remembers no occurrence in his travels, fave the dainties of which he partook, is not a new character; it may be found in Mr. Colman's Man and Wife. Another, fir Benjamin Anecdote, whose propenfity may be gueffed by his name, is alfo liable to the fame objection as the firft; being a counterpart of the Gregory Gazette of Foote, but flat and infipid. The puns were not of the beft fort, nor judiciously introduced;

they did not arife naturally out of the fubject. On the whole, however, this dramatic caricature poffeffes fome merit,

On the 4th of Sept. a musical piece, by Mr. O'Keeffe, called The BASKETMAKER, was reprefented, taken from the well-known Peruvian tale of the fame name; but the fcene is removed to the borders of Canada. In this attempt, our author has quitted, unsuccessfully, his ufual file of equivoque and broad humour, in which his merit chiefly confifted: the audience were of course highly diffatisfied, but they permitted it a full hearing; to which the mufic by Dr. Arnold, and the scenery by the manager, contributed much. The two principal characters were ably fupported by young Bannister and Mr. R. Palmer.

Mr. O'Keeffe, hardly ever apparently difcouraged, has fince made a variety of alterations in this piece; and it has been fince repeated.

About the middle of this month the Haymarket Theatre closed for the feafon, with which we shall conclude this article, neither Drury Lane nor Covent Garden having as yet produced any thing new.

REMARKABLE DOMESTIC EVENTS.

SEPTEMBER,

CIRCASSIAN SLAVE.

1790.

to treat her as his own. He has by his will bequeathed her two thousand T the taking of Belgrade, the late florins, which, however, is not to be A wars druck with paid to her till the has attained the age

the appearance of a poor little Circaffian flave girl, about ten years old, but very pretty. Feeling himfelf greatly interefted at the fight of this unfortunate child, he determined to have her baptized, and

of twenty-four years, when he is to receive principal and intereft. Since his death, this affectionate child, whofe name is Teekla, has wept and lamented almoft inceffantly.

INSCRIPTIONS.

Some time ago, the large bell of the cathedral of Glasgow was broke, and

afterwards fent to London to be refounded; within thefe few days it has been returned, bearing the following infcription

IN THE YEAR OF GRACE

M.CCCCC.LXXXXIIII

Marcus Knox, a merchant, zealous for the interests of the reformed religion, caused me to be fabricated in Holland, for the ufe of his fellowcitizens of Glafgow, and placed with folemnity in the tower of their cathe dral. My function was announced by the imprefs on my bofomME AUDITO VENIAS DOCTRINAM

SANCTAM UT DISCAS,

and I was taught to proclaim the hours of unheeded time. CXCV years had I founded these awful warnings, when I was broken by the hands of inconfiderate and unskilful men.

In the year M.DCC.XC. I was caft into the furnace, refounded at London, and returned to my facred vocation. -Reader!

THOU, ALSO, SHALT KNOW A RESURRECTION,

May it be unto eternal life!

UNTITLED NOBILITY.

The following letter was lately written by the duc de Fitz James, the lineal defcendant of marfhal Berwick, natural son of king James II. to the king of France :

6 SIRE,

Geneva, Aug. 10, 1790. "At a time when the nations of Europe view with aftonishment an affembly of your fubjects (whom your majefty has been pleafed to acknowledge as the National Affembly) deftroy a body of nobility, the most illuftrious that ever exifted in any monarchy, and whofe most glorious title was that of the fupporters of the throne; permit me, Sire, the head of a family who have the honour of reckoning kings among their ancestors, to requeft of your majefty to be pleased to receive, in the name of myfelf and family, the oath which we have made to live and die faithful to your interefts, and to rally at the cry, ever dear to Frenchmen, of Vive le Roi! Vive

Honneur! and to shed in your fervice the last drop of our blood, which ungrateful France has already feen flow for the maintenance of its glory, and that of your illuftrious ancestors.

it impoffible for me to have my "The difperfion of that family renders letter figned by all the noble and loyal gentlemen which compofe it; but, Sire, I have the unfpeakable happiness of being able to answer for them, as I do for myself, that the fame blood flows in our veins, and the fame inclination to shed it in your majesty's fervice, and that our hearts are the fame as they ever were. ter in a place where, from age to age, our Condefcend, Sire, to depofit this let pofterity may fign it; and that it may be an evidence fo much the more glorious that no human force can deftroy,

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It is not in the power of misfortune to destroy great fouls. The honour I feel of having fome drops of the noble blood of Henry the Great flowing in my veins, fhould be a pledge to your maand I am able to exclaim with a hero of jefty, that mine preferves its full energy; your noble All is loft but our honour. The truly unfortunate are thofe who will not join their voice to mine; and who have not the noble mind to make the fame oath as I have made. I am, &c.

race,

(Signed) "FITZ JAMES.” SKETCH OF BURNS, THE SCOTTISH.

POET.

Burns, the poet, is now a farmer in Dumfries-fhire. A fmall place, which he has in the Excife, makes an addition to his income. He has a wife and two children. The cares which thefe feveral relations demand, would, one might fuppofe, leave him but little leifure for the purfuits of poetry; yet we are told that he occafionally facrifices to the Muse; and, what is more, that he has been endeavouring, by ftudy, to make up the defects of his original education. What is remarkable, we are informed that he writes English profe not only with purity, but elegance, and has been attempting to compofe a farce. Whether ftudy may have the effect of deftroying the originality of his genius, or only of lopping off its redundancies, we fhall not pretend to fay. He fome time fince erected a stone to the memory

X x 2

of

of the unfortunate Ferguson, his pre. deceffor in Scotch poetry; a tribute which was highly worthy of one poet to another, and which reflects not lefs honour on his heart, than his writings on his genius,

PEDESTRIAN.

On Saturday the 28th ult. at ten minutes past four o'clock, the celebrated walking Powell arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral, and after touching a part of it, three huzzas were given by the populace, when he was conveyed away by a hackney coach.

He fet off from the Monument on Sunday the 22d at twelve o'clock at night for York, and reached that city at half past one on Wedneíday. His wager was thirteen guineas to twenty that he would walk to York, and return, in five days and eighteen hours, which he performed in five days, fixteen hours, and ten minutes.

He reached Stamford in Lincolnshire, on Monday night, which is about ninety miles, and arrived at Doncafter on Tueday night very late. He returned from York as far as Ferrybridge on Wednefday; on Thursday he flept at Grantham, and on Friday on this fide of Bigglelwade. The whole time he took, was one hundred and thirty-fix

hours and ten minutes.

He appeared to be very much fatigued when he returned, yet he could have been in town more early had it been neceffary. Some perfons met him at St. Alban's; a confiderable number at Barnet; and when he reached Smithheld, there was a very great crowd, not only of pedestrians, but of carriages and horsemen,

Mr. Powell is clerk to an attorney, in New Inn, and is now fifty-feven years old. He performed the fame journey feventeen years ago, and was allowed fix days to do it in, but accomplished it in about fix hours and a half within the limited time.

MURDER.

The beginning of this month the following tragical affair happened at a lodging-house at Garflang, in Lancathie: One Thomas Whitehead and his wife, Mary, being in company with Margaret Riley and another woman,

all travellers, and alike disguised in liquor, they began to quarrel about fome meat boiling for fupper. Mary Whitehead, it feems, began the quar rel, and her husband going out of the houfe, Margaret Riley ftabbed her under the ribs on the right fide, with a hawked bill or gardener's knife, so that partof her bowels came out. The neigh. bours being alarmed by her cries, Margaret Riley, to excuse herself, faid it was no more than a fham labour that fhe pretended to, though he wanted feven weeks of her time. In confe quence, however, of her dreadful fituation the lingered in extreme torment till the Sunday afternoon, when she was delivered of a child, which died in a quarter of an hour, and the expired herself on Monday morning in great agonies. The Coroner's Jury having brought in their verdict wilful murder againt Margaret Riley, the was committed to Lancaster Castle.

Early this month, a daring robbery and inhuman murder was committed on the body of Sufannah Watts, a girl about feventeen years of age, fervant to Mr. W. Brewster, of Swinefhead near Bofton, who had been to vifit her parents, and was found by fome horsemen about three hundred yards from Swinefhead, weltering in her blood, her head nearly fevered from her body, fuppofed to have been done by a reaper's hook. One of her pockets was turned infide out, the other cut off. The girl had no more than eight pence in money, which the villain took, together with a pair of finall oval plated buckles, and a pair of white cotton ftockings. The perpetrator is not yet discovered.

SUICIDE.

On Friday morning, the 27th ult. between leven and eight o'clock, a woman of the name of Davis was found dead in her bed in Clement's-lane, Claremarket, with a knife fticking in her throat; fhe was difcovered in this fituation by a woman who lodged in the fame houfe. Her goods, it feems, were feized for the rent, and a man put in poffeffion, which, perhaps, had fome effect on her mind. She was thirty-fix years of age, remarkably industrious, well behaved, and handfome. From marks on her neck it appeared as

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