aftronomers from every part of Europe are preparing to go to behold that remarkable event.

We obferve with pleafure, upon this occafion, that English artificers preferve the rank they have hitherto held in the mechanics fubfervient to this fcience. The acamedy at Petersburgh has ap. plied to a member of the royal fociety of London, to procure the neceffary inftruments for the pur. pofe of proceeding fuccefsfully in that important obfervation. Mr. Ramouky, who was the writer upon this occafion, candidly acknowledges the great joy of the academy, and their obligations to Mr. Short, for procuring them thofe inftruments; and confeffes their doubts of being able to anfwer the views of the Emprefs, till they had received his letter. Our readers will fee two letters upon this occafion, in the Appendix to the Chronicle.

With refpect to internal policy; the Emprefs of Ruffia has undertaken a great and arduous task, and worthy of an exalted mind. The laws of this vaft empire were voluminous to a degree of the greateft abfurdity, were perplexed, infufficient, in many cafes contradictory, and fo loaded with precedents, reports, cafes, and opinions, that they afforded

an

eternal fcene of altercation, and were fcarcely to be reconciled or understood by the very profeffors of them. The particular laws of the different provinces were alfo continually interfering and clafhing, and caufed fuch confufion, that the whole prefented an endlefs chaos, and effaced almoft every trace of original fyftem or defign.

This Augean ftable the empress has determined to clean; to which purpose the fummoned .deputies from every province in the empire to attend her at Mofcow, there to form an entire and new code of laws for the government of the whole. The fuccefs, attending this patrotic attempt, will, we hope, make a part of the fubject of our future obfervations.

We have already had an opportunity of taking notice of the good qualities of the prefent Grand Seig nior; his humanity to his brothers, and the perfect and friendly good neighbourhood he has obferved in all the troubles of Poland, are much to his honour. He continues to give fresh opportunities of extolling his character, and has in a recent inftance again departed from the rigid policy of the Porte, by admitting the young prince of Wallachia to fucceed his father in that office. He has had alfo an opportunity of fhewing his humanity and benevolence, on occafion of one of his men of war which took fire in the harbour of Conftantinople, and was the cause of a great many fhips belonging to his fubjects being confumed. Upon this occafion, though it was after midnight, he attended in perfon, and gave his orders with the greatest activity, to prevent the farther dreadful effects of the conflagration; and gave directions that the unhappy fufferers fhould be paid their full loffes out of his treasury.

But the particular circumstance of his life, which may poffibly preferve his name with great ho nour to pofterity, when even the cruel and ferocious conquests of his predeceffors are loft in obli

vion, is the encouragement he has given to the introduction of the art of printing in his dominions. He has alfo iffued orders for the tranflating of several of the most valuable books from the European languages into the Turkish. It will not require the aid of a very warm imagination, in fome degree to conceive the great revolutions in the manners of the people, and in the policy of the ftate, which the introduction of learning into that mighty empire might probably occafion. Upon the whole, this prince's reign has been hitherto marked with a lenity, gentlenefs, and equity, which have been till now but little experienced un

der the Ottoman line.

The piratical states of Barbary have entirely thrown off that dependance which, ever fince the days of the famous Barbaroffa, for above two hundred years, they have had on the Turkish empire. A Serafkier, who was fent by the Porte to Algiers, to demand twenty years tribute, which was then due, was anfwered by the Dey, that he was firmly refolved not only to refufe to difcharge the arrear, but alfo to pay any tribute for the future; that the ftate of Algiers was abfolutely free and independent of the Porte; that it ftood in no need of the Porte's protection; and that he, the Serafkier, might return to Conftantinople with that anfwer. The Serafkier was not more fortunate in the execution of his commiffion to the rest of thofe ftates, on each of whom he had demands of the fame nature, and received answers from them all nearly to the fame purpose. We do not find that the Porte has taken any measures in

confequence of this refufal, either to enforce the demand, or to refent the contempt fhewn to its autho rity; nor is it probably that the prefent ftate of its marine will admit of fuch an attempt.

In a government conftituted like this it is not eafy to fay what ef fects, caufes, even in appearance the moft trifling, may produce. Many fymptoms of weaknefs manifeft themselves in this great empire. A little prince of Georgia has been capable of giving it a confiderable alarm. The piratical ftates of Barbary do not think it worth while, as we have feen, to purchafe its protection. An infurrection of peasants in a frontier province, which would in fome countries be little more than an object of police, may have there ferious confequence on the ftate.

An infurrection of this kind has happened this year in the province of Montenero, which is tributary to the Grand Seignior, but which borders upon the Venetian Dalmatia. The country is rough, mountainous and in a great meafure inacceffible; the inhabitants partake of the nature of the foil and fituation, and are rude, ferocious, and warlike, Thefe people are of the Greek religion; and though they have at different times paid tribute, both to the Turks and Venetians, yet, from their fituation and other circumftances, they have efcaped that total ftate of fubjection and fervitude, to which the neighbouring poffeffors of a happier foil, and more acceffible country, were fubject.

A foreigner, who exercised the profeffion of a phyfician, and went by the name of Stefano, has for fome time refided amongst these

people,

people. This adventurer, who is defcribed to be a man of fine figure and great address, taking advantage of their ignorance, and of a violent attachment which, from religion and fome former benefits, they have to the Muscovite name and nation, has publicly declared himfelf to be the Czar Peter the Third; and pretends that the report of his death was defignedly fpread at the time by his friends, to favour his escape, which he happily effected.

Under the favour of this name, and by the affiftance of the Caloyers (Greek monks) who have warmly feconded his pretences, and who have a great influence over the inhabitants, he has got himself received and acknowledged as the Czar, not only by the people, but by the bishop and all the other orders; and is faid to be already at the head of fome thousand foldiers.

This adventurer is faid, though probably without foundation, as

it is ufual to magnify fuch matters, to have money in great plenty, and to diftribute it among his foldiers with the utmoft profufion. The province contains, it is faid, 30,000 men able to bear arms. This affair, not only giving fome alarm to the Porte, but also to the state of Venice, their troops in Dalmatia have been ordered to affemble upon the frontiers, under the command of a general. After all, it is probable that this infur

rection will not be attended with

any other confequences, than its being a fresh inftance of the cafe with which a daring impoftor may for a fhort time delude an ignorant people, and of the almoft certain deftruction to the undertaker which finally concludes the attempt. This is not a fuitable period of time for the revival of counterfeit Demetrius's; nor could they now fet capital cities in flames, lay nations waste, and wade through torrents of blood as heretofore.

term,

THOUGH we
HOUGH we gave a fhort

volume

of the causes of difpute that fubfifted between the Roman Catholic and the Diffident parties in the

difputes have become every day kingdom of Poland, yet, as thefe fince more interefting, both in refpect of the confequences to the parties principally concerned, and

of

of the high powers who are mediators on the occafion, we imagine a clear but concife account of the nature and origin of them will not 'be unacceptable to many of our readers.

Poland, properly fo called, was originally circumfcribed within very narrow bounds; the inhabitants, between the 9th and 10th centuries, were converted to the Christian religion, as it was then profeffed by the church of Rome. About the fame time a converfion was begun in many of the neighbouring provinces, which were then independent ftates, and who at different æras embraced the Chriftian religion according to the Greek mode of worship. In procefs of time many of thefe neighbouring ftates, by conqueft, by right of fucceffion, by marriage, or by compact, became united to the kingdom of Poland; upon all which acceffions the new provinces were upon an exact equality with the old in every refpect, and each obferved their own particular modes of worship.

The greatest and most remark able of these acceffions was that which took place upon the Anno marriage of Jagellon, great 1386. duke of Lithuania, to the daughter and heirefs of Lewis king of Poland. By this marriage the great duchy of Li. thuania, together with the provinces of White Ruffia, Podlachia, Volhinia, Podolia, and foon after wards Red Ruffia, became annexed to the kingdom of Poland; with this diftinction, that the union between the kingdom and the great dutchy depended only upon the continuance of the Jagellonic line; that family being the natural fove

reigns of Lithuania. The inhabitants of all these provinces were of the Greek religion, as well as thofe of Moldavia, Wallachia, and the Ukraine, which were added to the kingdom by the fuccefsfors of Jagellon; fo that by these great acceffions the members of the Greek church became at that time vaftly fuperior, both in numbers and power, to thofe of the Roman Catholic perfuafion. It feemed a felicity peculiar to Poland, that this difference of opinion in religious matters, between the members of the fame nation, had produced none of thofe ill confequences, thofe animofities and difputes, which other countries had fo fatally experienced from the fame caufes.

It is to be obferved that the conftitution of Poland was originally very different from what it is at prefent. While her kings fucceeded to the kingdom by hereditary right, fhe had no fhare of that boafted liberty, which she has afpired to fince; by the extinction of the Jagellonic line, in the perfon of Sigufmund Anno Auguftus, fhe has affum. 1572. ed the form of a republic, and made the crown entirely elec. tive. Under the kings of the Jagellonic, as well as the more ancient races, the inferior nobility had no power; the prerogatives of royalty were almoft the only legiflative power, and formed the code of laws. To give an exact idea how much the liberty of the nobility was limited, it is fufficient to remark, that the fecurity of their perfons was not allowed them, but by a privilege from Jagellon, by which he promifed that no perfon fhould be imprisoned,

till he had been convicted of fome erime by a court of judicature.

Upon occafion of the difturb ances which were caufed by the Huffites, in Germany and Bohe mia, Uladislaus Jagellon, who was brother-in-law to the Anno emperor Sigifmund, caufed 1424. fome fanguinary laws to be paffed in Poland, to prevent the introduction of thefe doctrines, confidered as herefies, into his dominions. At this period, and for many years after, the epif copal courts had great powers, which proved very uneafy to the Polish nobility, and kept them in fome respects in a kind of fervitude; as excommunications diveft ed them of the power of acting in the diets and dietines. This grievance was at length removed, with great joy to the nation, though with no fmall difficulty, by that great prince Sigifmund Auguftus.

The reformation began very early to make a great progrefs in Poland, infomuch that the majo. rity of the fenators and nobility became members, either of the Lutheran or Reformed communions. We are to obferve that the word Reformed, in the writings upon this fubject, always fignifies the Calvanifts, in contradiftinction to thofe of the Lutheran profeffion. To prevent all the mifchiefs and dangers that might arif among the citizens on the fcore of religion, Sigifmund Auguftus paffed a law at the diet of Vilna, on the 16th of June, 1563, which law is ftill preferved among the archives of the fupreme tribunal of the grand dutchy of Lithuania; where. by it is declared, that all thofe of the equeftrian and noble orders,

whether of Lithuanian or Ruffian extraction, in every part of his do-minions, even though their anceftors had not gained the rights of nobility in the kingdom of Poland, fhall, provided that they profefs the Chriftian religion, be entitled to, and enjoy, all the rights, privileges, and liberties, to which they are naturally intitled by their rank and nobility. Likewife that they are to be admitted to the honours and dignities of the fenate and crown, and to all noble trufts; that they fhall be promoted, each according to his merit and dignity, to all dignities and confiderable trufts; and no one shall be excluded from them for the fake of religion, provided he be a Chriftian.

The fame prince, five years af terwards, at the diet of Grodno, in 1568, granted letters of confirmation on the fame fubject, wherein the fame articles are recited word for word; and, to prevent the conftruction in their own favour, which fome prevailing denomination of Chriftians, in prejudice to the rest, might put upon the words-provided he be a Chriftian-he made ufe in the letters of confirmation of the following memorable ones of whatever Chriftian communion or confeffion foever he be.

It is to be remarked with atten tion, as an obfervation upon which much of the knowledge of the fubject depends, that thefe conceffions and declarations are stated to have been made during the great tranfaction of an union between the kingdom of Poland and the great dutchy of Lithuania. This was the greateft and most confequential event, with refpect to the two nations, that ever happened, and was happily accomplished by this prince; fo

that