liberty in that nation to fear its future consequences, should the ar. rangements that had taken place in that country be permitted to endure any length of time. They were persuaded that a short space would suffice to produce effects of great importance. The Poles, it was notorious, had resolved to sacrifice every consideration to that of establishing their independence on the most solid foundation. All classes unanimously concurred in this determination: that independence once firmly secured, they might gradually proceed in those improvements of their country, which, from its natural goodness and fertility in productions of the first use and consequence, would, in a few years, raise it to a state of great power. Notwithstanding its dismemberment, it still consisted of spacious provinces, and contained upwards of eight millions of inha, bitants a population which, under skilful management, might be rendered amply sufficient for the purposes of national industry and defence; especially as all descriptions of people were firmly prepared to undergo all domestic hardships, and to deny themselves all superfluities, in order to set on foot and maintain such an army as might repel the aggressions of their neighbours.

Such, indeed, was the fixed reso, lutions of all the people of Poland. There was no district, no town of the least note, of which the inhabitants did not form themselves into associations, for the purpose of forwarding every patriotic scheme of which they were capable. The rich contributed their money, and the poor their personal exertions. Nothing, in short, was wanting in this general combination of the pub

lic and private energies of the nation, but to have resorted to them at an earlier date. The powers inimical to Poland kept so watchful an eye upon all its proceedings, that not the least transaction escaped them, wherein they could be concerned. They were particularly attentive in preventing the importation of arms and warlike stores into Poland. Previously to the revolution, the king, aided by the patriotic party, had endeavoured to establish manufactories of arms, and foundaries of cannon: but these were objects so entirely new, that they proceeded very slowly. Expecting shortly to need them iu a very extensive degree, the government directed large purchases to be made, wherever they could be found. But it was daily more difficult to procure them upon any terms, Germany, the great mart for all works in iron and steel, was in possession of their enemies. The armourers of Brandenburg, and of Saxony, were for. mally prohibited from supplying the Polish agents. The fabricks of other parts were almost exhausted, or too remote. The trade of Dantzic was under the control of Prus sia; and little, or rather nothing, could be transmitted through its territories into Poland, without the inspection and permit of the Prussian toll-gatherers, who were uncommonly strict in the execution of their official duties, and suffered no article to pass that appeared of a suspicious nature, or which they deemed contrary to the intentions of their government,

In this state of pressure and per. plexity, the Poles were compelled to have recourse to every medium that ingenuity could devise. The old fire-arms, long laid aside as [B3].

useless,

useless, were now sought after, and furbished a-new with the utmost care and dexterity; and no means were omitted to supply the multitudes that daily offered their ser. vices, with a readiness and zeal that shewed they would want very little tutoring to become excellent sol. diers. No time, in truth, was to be lost in training them. Though the armies of Prussia and Austria were at this time in preparation, for the execution of those designs that had been formed by the empe. ror Leopold, and the king of Prus. sia, yet the power alone of Russia was sufficient, at this juncture, to carry on the designs concerted by those three potentates against the Polish nation.

If the difficulties to be surmounted in the providing of arms, were great, those that were encountered in the raising of money, were not less, if not greater. Notwithstanding the since rity of the people at large, in their at. tachment to the new system, it was incumbent on the government to add as little as possible to the exist. ing taxes, the weight of which was severely felt, in a country not possessed of many pecuniary resources. The method which appeared the most judicious, and least burden. some, for the procuring of the large supplies that were wanted, was the sale of the starosties, the name given to those lands and estates bestowed by the crown upon individuals, for thei: public services or expences. These were held for life, with the privilege of disposing of them to others, who remained possessors during the life of the seller. These starosties were very numerous and considerable: a loan was according ly proposed, with security for the sums advanced on the sale of those

benefices. The secret emissaries of the three partitioning powers, were exceedingly active in obstructing this measure, and the lenders were few, in proportion to the many that had been expected, consid ring the reasonableness and value of the purchases. But the terror propagated through the kingdom, by the agents of Russia, deterred the monied people. The securities, however good in themselves, appeared insuf ficient, when they were weighed against the dangers threatened from Russia. Thus, that resource from which, at any other season, the expeétations formed would have been abundantly answered, did not, at this perilous time, serve the purposes for which it had been so confidently held out.

In

It was now daily becoming manifest, that a desperate struggle would very soon ensue with Russia, and that the independence of Poland must be maintained at a heavy charge of blood and treasure. order to meet this formidable enemy, the king had early laid plans of de fence before his council, every member of which concurred in its approbation. It included all persons proper to be trusted with arms. The burghers, in all the cities and towns in the kingdom were included in the list, by which means it afforded a prospect of a numerous and respectable militia,which would in a short time, through the patri. otic zeal of every man for the com. mon cause, be rendered able, by constant and assiduous discipline, to face a hostile invasion, with well. founded hopes of resisting it. This plan was digested in such a manner, as to put arms in the hands of every citizen in his turn, and, by a con tinual rotation, regularly train all

people

people indiscriminately to the use of arms and military exercises, and thus to convert every able-bodied man into a soldier.

Had this plan been adopted, at the time when it was proposed, it is highly probable, that the know. ledge of tactics which would have been acquired, when added to the warlike disposition of the Poles, and the patriotic spirit that animated all men, must have thrown many more obstacles in the way of their enemies than those, unfortu. nately for Poland, they had to contend with. The plan itself was unobjectionable; but the spirit of self. ish pride, so long and so rootedly the character of the Polish nobility, frustrated this wise and patriotic scheme. To confide in an army of citizens was repugnant to the principles in which that order had been bred. Terrified at what had happened in France, they protested against the project of arming the nation, lest, when having arms in their hands, the people should claim more authority than became them, and conscious of their strength, should refuse obedience, and challenge an equality of rights and power."

Fatally for Poland, the prudence and patriotism of the king were unable to surmount the prejudices of the Polish nobles. They continued, notwithstanding his remonstrances and expostulations on the temerity of their conduct, immoveably fixed in the determination to expose their country to all hazards, rather than part with those privileges, that enabled them to tyrannize over their countrymen.

It was in the midst of this opposition to the just and salutary views of the king, that the court of Petersburgh, having completed its pre

parations against Poland, ordered the Russian ambassador at Warsaw to declare its intentions to the king and the diet. This declaration as serted a right and an obligation, on the part of Russia, to take part in whatever related to the government and the affairs of Poland. It complained, in violent terms, of the change that had taken place in the constitution, which it represented as a total subversion of the ancient Polish liberty; and as effected chiefly by factious violence, and supported by an outrageous mob. t charged the diet with countenancing opprobrious language, respecting the conduct and intentions of the empress. It recapitulated a variety of particulars, tending to cri minate the Poles, as guilty of op pression and barbarity towards the subjects of Russia. It asserted the new government to be a tyranny, established against the sense of the nation, the most respectable part of which had applied for protection, and a restoration of the former government, to the court of Petersburgh. Induced by these motives, the empress had determined to take an active part in their behalf; and, at their request, to restore the ancient order of things in Poland; and to treat as enemies all those. who should oppose her endeavours to accomplish that object.

Such was the substance of the declaration, delivered on the 18th of May, 1792, by M. Bulgakow, the Russian ambassador at Warsaw, to the Polish government. A notification of this kind had been some time expected, and excited, therefore, no surprise. On laying it be. fore the diet, the king observed, in explicit terms, that the design of the court of Petersburgh was evi[B 4]

dently

dently to subvert the constitution they had established, and to bring the king under subjection. He warmly exhorted the diet, never to submit to such ignominious treat ment, but manfully to support the system they had adopted. He advis d them, at the same time, in addition to the efforts of the Polish nation to repel this unjust aggression, to apply to that ally on whom they had the clearest right to depend on this exigency. This was the king of Prussia. That prince had, in the face of Europe, openly concurred in the -measures pursued by Poland, particularly those which had been embraced with the view of shaking off the influence of Russia, and in the negotiations with the Porte; but especially in the forming a govern ment, with which he could contract a firm and durable alliance. That government had been framed, and this alliance had been contracted accordingly; and he had thereby engaged to assist Poland in maintain ing its independence and dominions against all hostile attempts, first by mediation, and, were that to fail, by employing a force sufficient, in conjunction with that of Poland, to resist the attempts of its enemies.

The king's address was received with unanimous satisfaction. He was invested with the supreme com. mand of the Polish armies; and it was resolved, that for all the da, mages sustained by private individuals, in consequence of the entrance of Russian troops into Poland, indemnification should be made to the sufferers, at the expence of the public. The Polish nobles, convinced of the danger their country was in, desisted from the opposition they had so imprudently made to the arming of the nation. They

universally agreed, that the forces al ready on foot should be augmented by one hundred thousand men, and that arms should be distributed among the people. The Polish nobility displayed great patriotism on this occasion: some sent all their plate to the mint, others made large donations in money; many raised and maintained companies of horse and foot, and even whole regiments; warlike implements and stores, in large quantities, were provided by numbers; several trains of artillery were furnished in the same manner. Prince Radzivil, reputed the richest nobleman in the kingdom, presented it with ten thousand stand of arms. No efforts, in short, were omitted to put the nation in a posture of defence. All family feuds and private altercations were now laid aside, and a cordial union succeeded between all individuals and parties.

Had this spirit, and these measures, been adopted a year before, Poland would probably have found itself in a situation to meet its inva. ders on a footing of some parity. Numbers of resolute men abounded in every part of the country; and, had the scheme of forming them into a regular militia taken place, it was computed, that more than four hun dred thousand might with facility have been embodied. Prepared for action by the constant training of a whole twelvemonth, and animated by the love of their country, and that hatred to the Russians, long implanted in the poles, the contest between them would not have been easily de. cided, and might have lasted long enough to produce some movements in favour of the latter, by those who could not be deemed indifferent spectators of their fate.

It had indeed, shortly after the revolution, been suggested, by some of the soundest politicians, and truest friends of Poland, to follow up the decisive step that had been taken first, by every domestic exer. tion that could possibly be made, to invigorate and strengthen the nation internally; and next, by forming connexions with those powers that would naturally be glad of an opportunity to secure themselves from the domineering influence of Russia. Denmark and Sweden were pointed out as powers with whom an alliance might be formed, highly beneficial to both the contracting parties; the latter, especially, was governed by a prince who, though driven by ne. cessity into a pacification with Russia, had incessant provocations to plead against it, from its continual machinations in Sweden to excite or foster variance between him and the Swedish nobles. Nor was Turkey forgotten in this plan of opposition to Russia. Peace, it was true, was restored between these powers; but the ambitious views of the court of Petersburgh were well known; and the undeniable necessity of self. defence would have amply justi. fied the Porte in forming a league with Poland, reciprocally defensive of their dominions. It was obvious, that were this country added to that immense empire, so formidable an increase of power would enable it to give the law to all its neighbours, and extend its influence through all Europe.

These admonitions were founded on the discernment of all sensible persons in Europe. Support from Prussia could not, with any prudence, be depended on. Engaged with Austria in the invasion of France, its attention was too deeply

taken up with their joint projects in that kingdom, to be employed in any others; and they were both justly considered as willing to accede to whatever Russia might pro. pose respecting Poland. It was, therefore, with much disapproba tion, that the judicious viewed the readiness of the Polish government to continue its negotiations with the courts of Berlin and Dresden; from neither of which any positive deter mination could be procured. As to the court of Vienna, it retained too much of its characteristical haughtiness to assume dissimulation; and the Poles were at no loss, after the uncordial treatment of their ambassador at Vienna, to conjecture its real intentions.

In the mean time, the Russian army, destined for the invasion of Poland, had entered its territories. It consisted of sixty thousand men, and near one hundred thousand more were in readiness to support it, if necessary. This army was accompanied by a few Polish noblemen, personal enemies to the king, and to all his measures. The principal among these were, the counts Braniki, Potocki, and Rezewuski, with a small number of their respective dependents. The presence of these noblemen in the Russian army was intended as a sanction to its proceed. ings in Poland. The court of Pe.. tersburgh affected to consider them as the representatives of the majority of the Polish nation. It was on that pretence the empress founded the right of interfering in the settlement of its affairs. But the falsity of these pretensions was of universal notoriety. These noblemen were held in little estimation in their country; and their adherents were extremely inconsiderable, both in

regard