was regarded when thofe fecurities became neceffary; how many claimants ftarted up at once to the feveral dominions of the house of Auftria; how vehemently their pretenfions were inforced, and how many invafions were threatened or attempted; the diftreffes of the Emperor's daughter, known for several years by the title only of Queen of Hungary, because Hungary was the only country to which her claim had not been difputed; the firmness with which she ftruggled with her difficulties, and the good fortune by which she furmounted them; the narrow plan of this effay will not fuffer me to relate: let them be told by fome other writer of more leisure and wider intelligence.

Upon the Emperor's death, many of the German princes fell upon the AuAtrian territories, as upon a dead carcafe, to be difmembered among them without refiftance. Among thefe, with what ever justice, certainly with very little generofity, was the King of Pruffia; who having affembled his troops, as was imagined, to fupport the pragmatic fanction, on a fudden entered Silefia with 30,000 men; publishing a declaration, in which he disclaims any defign of injuring the rights of the house of Auftria, but urges his claim to Silefia, as arifing from ancient conventions of family and confraternity between the boufe of Brandenburg, and the princes of Silefia, and other bonourable titles. He fays, the fear of being defeated by other pretenders to the Austrian dominions, obliged him to enter Silefia without any previous expoftulation with the Queen, and that he shall strenuously espouse the interefts of the boufe of Auftria: (ii. 575.]

Such a declaration was, I believe, in the opinion of all Europe, nothing lefs than the aggravation of hoftility by infult; and was received by the Auftrians with fuitable indignation. The King purfued his purpose, marched forward, and in the frontiers of Silefia made a fpeech to his followers, in which he told them," That he confidered them rather as friends than fubjects; that the troops of Brandenburg had been always eminent for their bravery; that they

would always fight in his presence; and that he would recompenfe those who fhould diftinguish themselves in his tervice, rather as a father than as a king.”. [ii. 576.]

The civilities of the great are never thrown away. The foldiers would naturally follow fuch a leader with alacrity; efpecially because they expected no oppofition. But human expectations are frequently deceived.

Entering thus fuddenly into a country which he was fuppofed rather likely to protect than to invade, he acted for fome time with absolute authority: but fuppofing that this submission would not always laft, he endeavoured to perfuade the Queen to a ceffion of Silefia; imagining that the would cafily be perfuaded to yield what was already lost. He therefore ordered his ministers to declare at Vienna, "That he was ready to guaranty all the German dominions of the houfe of Auftria; that he would conclude a treaty with Auftria, Ruffia, and the maritime powers; that he would endeavour that the Duke of Lorrain should be elected Emperor, and believed that he could accomplish it; that he would immediately advance to the Queen two millions of florins; that, in recompenfe for all this, he required Silefia to be yielded to him." [iii. 40.]

These feem not to be the offers of a

prince very much convinced of his own right. He afterwards moderated his claim, and ordered his minister to hint at Vienna that half of Silefia would content him.

The Queen answered, That though the King alledged as his reafon for entering Silefia, the danger of the Auftrian territories from other pretenders, and endeavours to perfuade her to give up part of her poffeffions for the prefervation of the reft, it was evident that he was the firft and only invader, and that till he entered in an hoftile manner, all her eftates were unmolested.

To his promises of affiftance fhe replied, That the fet an high value on the King of Pruffia's friendship; but that he was already obliged to affift her against invaders, both by the golden bull, and F 2 5

the

With regard to his intereft in the election of an Emperor, the expreffed her gratitude in ftrong terms; but added, that the elections ought to be free, and that it must be neceffarily imbarraffed by contentions thus raised in the heart of the empire. Of the pecuniary affiftance propofed the remarks, that no prince ever made war to oblige another to take money, and that the contributions already levied in Silefia exceed the two millions offered as its purchase.

She concluded, That as fhe valued the King's friendship, the was willing to purchafe it by any compliance but the diminution of her dominions, and exhorted him to perform his part in fupport of the pragmatic fanction. [iii. 42.] The King finding negotiation thus ineffectual, pufhed forward his inroads, and now began to fhow how fecretly he could take his measures. When he called a council of war, he proposed the question in a few words; all his generals wrote their opinions in his prefence upon feparate papers; which he carried away, and examining them in private, formed his refolution without imparting it otherwife than by his orders.

He began, not without policy, to feize firft upon the eftates of the clergy; an order every where neceffary, and every where envied. He plundered the convents of their stores of provifion, and told them that he never had heard of any magazines erected by the apostles.

This infalt was mean, because it was unjuft; but those who could not refift were obliged to bear it. He proceeded in his expedition; and a detachment of his troops took Jablunca, one of the trong places of Silefia; which was foon after abandoned for want of provisions, which the Auftrian huffars, who were now in motion, were bufy to intercept.

One of the most remarkable events of the Silefia war, was the conquest of Great Glogaw, which was taken by an affault in the dark, headed by Prince Leopold of Anhalt Deffau. They arrived at the foot of the fortifications about twelve at night, March 8. 1741, and in two hours were mafters of the place. In attempts of this kind many accidents happen which cannot be heard without furprise. Four Pruffian grenadiers who had climbed the ramparts, miffing their own company, met an Auftrian captain with fifty-twomen: they were at first frighted, and were about to retreat; but gathering courage, commanded the Auftrians to lay down their arms; and, in the terror of darkness and confufion, were unexpectedly obeyed. [iii. 138.]

At the fame time a confpiracy to kill or carry away the King of Pruffia was faid to be difcovered. The Pruffians published a memorial, in which the AuAtrian court was accused of employing emiffaries and affaflins against the King; and it was alledged in direct terms, that one of them had confeffed himself obliged by oath to destroy him, which oath had been given him in an aulic council in the prefence of the Duke of Lorrain.

To this the Austrians answered, That the character of the Queen and Duke was too well known not to destroy the force of fuch an accufation; that the tale of the confeffion was an imposture; and that no fuch attempt was ever made.

Each party was now inflamed, and orders were given to the Austrian general to hazard a battle. The two armies met at Molwitz, and parted without a complete victory on either fide. The Auftrians quitted the field in good order; and the King of Pruffia rode away upon the first diforder of his troops, without waiting for the laft event. This attention to his perfonal fafety has not yet been forgotten. [iii. 1872 223.]

After this there was no action of mach importance, the Auftrians having abandoned Silefia. But the King of Pruffia, irritated by oppofition, transferred his intereft in the election to the Duke of Bavaria.

The

The time at which the Queen of Hungary was willing to purchase peace by the refignation of Silefia, though it came at laft, was not come yet. She had all the fpirit, though not all the power of her ancestors, and could not bear the thought of lofing any part of her patrimonial dominions to the enemies, which the opinion of her weaknefs raised every where against her.

In the beginning of the year 1742, the Elector of Bavaria was invested with the Imperial diguity, fupported by the arms of France; master of the kingdom of Bohemia, and confederated with the Elector Palatine, and the Elector of Saxony, who claimed Moravia; and with the King of Pruffia, who was in poffef. fion of Silefia..

1

Such was the state of the Queen of Hungary, preffed on every fide, and on every fide preparing for refiftance: fhe yet refufed all offers of accommodation; for every prince fet peace at a price which fhe was not yet fo far humbled as

to pay.

The King of Pruffia was among the most zealous and forward in the confederacy against her. He promifed to fecure Bohemia to the Emperor, and Mo. ravia to the Elector of Saxony; and finding no enemy in the field able to refift him, he returned to Berlin, and left Schwerin his general to profecute the conqueft.

The Pruffians, in the midst of winter, took Olmutz, the capital of Moravia, and laid the whole country under contribution. The cold then hindered them from action, and they only blocked up the fortreffes of Brinn and Spielberg.

In the fpring the King of Pruffia came again into the field, and undertook the fiege of Brinn; but, upon the approach of Prince Charles of Lorrain, retired from before it, and quitted Moravia, leaving only a garrifon in the capital.

The condition of the Queen of Hungary was now changed. She was a few months before without money, without troops, incircled with enemies. The Bavarians had entered Auftria; Vienna was threatened with a fiege, and the Queen left it to the fate of war, and re

tired into Hungary; where the was received with zeal and affection; not unmingled, however, with that neglect which must always be borne by greatnefs in diftrefs. She bore the difrespect of her fubjects with the fame firmnels as the outrages of her enemies; and at laft perfuaded the English not to despair of her prefervation, by not defpairing herself.

Voltaire, in his late hiftory, has afferted, that a large fum was raised for her fuccour by voluntary fubfcriptions of the English ladies. It is the great failing of a strong imagination, to catch greedily at wonders. He was mifinformed, and was perhaps unwilling to learn by a fecond inquiry, a truth less fplendid and amufing. A contribution was by news writers, upon their own authority, fruitlessly, and, I think, illegally, propofed. It ended in nothing. The parliament voted a fupply, and five hundred thousand pounds were remitted to her...

It has been always the weakness of the Auftrian family, to spend, in the magnificence of empire, thofe revenues which fhould be kept for its defence. The court is fplendid, but the treasury is empty; and at the beginning of every war, advantages are gained againft them, before their armies can be affembled and equipped.

The English money was to the Auftrians, as a fhower to a field where all the vegetative powers are kept unactive by a long continuance of drought. The armies which had hitherto been hid in mountains and forefts, started out of their retreats; and where-ever the Queen's ftandard was erected, nations fcarcely known by their names, fwarmed immediately about it. An army, efpecially a defenfive army, multiplies itfelf. The contagion of enterprise spreads from one heart to another. Zeal for a native, or deteftation of a foreign fovereign; hope of fudden greatness or riches; friendship or emulation between particular men; or, what are perhaps more general and powerful, defire of novelty, and impatience of inactivity, fill a camp with adventurers, add rank

to

:

to rank, and fquadron to fquadron. The Queen had still enemies on every hand, but he now on every hand had armies ready to oppofe them. Auftria was immediately recovered the plains of Bohemia were filled with her troops, though the fortreffes were garrifoned by the French. The Bavarians were recalled to the defence of their own country, now wafted by the incurfion of troops that were called barbarians; greedy enough of plunder, and daring perhaps beyond the rules of war, but other wife not more cruel than those whom they attacked. Prince Lobkowitz, with one army, obferved the motions of Broglio the French general in Bohemia; and Prince Charles, with another, put a ftop to the advances of the King of Pruffia.

It was now the turn of the Pruffians to retire: they abandoned Olmutz, and left behind them part of their cannon and their magazines: and the King, finding that Broglio could not long oppofe Prince Lobkowitz, haftened into Bohemia to his affistance; and having received a reinforcement of 23,000 men, and taken the caftle of Glatz, which being built upon a rock scarcely acceffible, would have defied all his power had the garrifon been furnished with provisions, he purpofed to join his allies, and profecute his conquefts.

Prince Charles, feeing Moravia thus evacuated by the Pruffians, determined to garrifon the towns which he had just recovered, and pursue the enemy; who by the affiftance of the French would have been too powerful for Prince Lobkowitz..

took a different road, and left the Pruffians to their own fortune.

The King continued his march, and Charles his purfuit. At Czaslaw, the two armies came in fight of one another, and the Auftrians refolved on a decifive day. On the 17th of May, about seven in the morning, the Austrians began the attack. Their impetuofity was matched by the firmness of the Pruffians. The animofity of the two armies was much inflamed the Auftrians were fighting for their country; and the Pruffians were in a place where defeat muft inevitably end in death or captivity. The fury of the battle continued four hours: the Pruffian horfe were at length broken, and the Auftrians forced their way to the camp; where the wild troops, who had fought with fo much vigour and conftancy, at the fight of plunder forgot their obedience, nor had any man the leaft thought but how to load himfelf with the richest spoils. While the right wing of the Auftrians was thus employed, the main body was left naked; the Pruffians recovered from their con fufion, and regained the day. Charles was at laft forced to retire; and carried with him the ftandards of his enemies, the proofs of a victory, which, though fo nearly gained, he had not been able to keep. [iv. 238.]

The victory, however, was dearly bought; the Pruffian army was much weakened, and the cavalry almoft totally destroyed. Peace is eafily made when it is neceffary to both parties; and the King of Pruffia had now reason to believe that the Auftrians were not his only enemies. When he found Charles advancing, he had fent to Broglio for affiftance; and was anfwered, that "he muft have orders from Verfailles." Such a defertion of his moft powerful ally difconcerted him, but the battle was unavoidable.

When the Pruffians were returned to their camp, the King hearing that an, Auftrian officer was brought in mortally wounded, had the condefcenfion to vifit him. The officer, ftruck with this act of humanity, faid, after a short con. verfation, "I fhould die, Sir, content

edly

edly after this honour, if I might first fhow my gratitude to your Majefty, by informing you with what allies you are now united, allies that have no intention but to deceive you." The King appearing to fufpect this intelligence, "Sir," faid the Austrian," if you will permit me to fend a meffenger to Vienna, I believe the Queen will not refuse to tranfmit an intercepted letter now in her hands, which will put my report beyond all doubt.

The messenger was fent, and the let ter tranfmitted, which contained the order fent to Broglio; who was, "1. forbidden to mix his troops on any occafion with the Pruffians; 2. he was ordered to act always at a distance from the King; 3. to keep always a body of 20,000 men to obferve the Pruffian army; 4. to obferve very closely the motions of the King, for important reafons; 5. to hazard nothing, but to pretend want of reinforcements, or the abfence of Belleifle."

The King now with great reafon confidered himself as difengaged from the confederacy, being deferted by the Sa xons, and betrayed by the French; he therefore accepted the mediation of K. George, and in three weeks after the battle of Czaflaw made peace with the Queen of Hungary; who granted to him the whole province of Silefia; a country of fuch extent and opulence, that he is faid to receive from it one third part of his revenues. By one of the articles of this treaty it is ftipulated, "That neither should affift the enemies of the other."

Having thus obtained Silefia, the King of Pruffia returned to his own capital; where he reformned his laws, for bid the torture of criminals, concluded a defensive alliance with England, and applied himself to the augmentation of his army.

To enlarge dominions has been the boaft of many princes; to diffufe happinefs and fecurity through wide regions has been granted to few. The King of Pruffia has aspired to both these honours, and endeavoured to join the praise of legiflator to that of conqueror.

To fettle property, to fupprefs falfe claims, and to regulate the adminiftra tion of civil and criminal juftice, are attempts fo difficult, and fo ufeful, that I fhall willingly fufpend or contract the hiftory of battles and fieges, to give a larger account of this pacific enterprife.

That the King of Pruffia has confidered the nature and the reasons of laws with more attention than is common to princes, appears from his differtation on the reafons for enacting and repealing laws: A piece which yet deferves notice, rather as a proof of good inclination, than of great ability. For there is nothing to be found in it more than the moft obvious books may supply, or the weakest intellect difcover. Some of his obfervations are juft and ufeful; but upon fuch a fubject, who can think without often thinking right? It is, however, not to be omitted, that he appears always propenfe towards the fide of mercy. "If a poor man," fays he, "steals, in his want, a watch, or a few pieces, from one to whom the lofs is inconfider able, is this a reason for condemning him to death?"

He regrets that the laws against duels have been ineffectual: and is of opinion that they can never attain their end, unless the princes of Europe fhall agree not to afford an afylum to duellifts, and to punifh all who fhall infult their equals, either by word, deed, or writing. He feems to fufpect this scheme of being chimerical: "Yet why," fays he,

"fhould not perfonal quarrels be fubmitted to judges, as well as questions of poffeffion? and why fhould not a congrefs be appointed for the general good of mankind, as well as for fo ma ny purposes of lefs importance?"

He declares himfelf, with great ardour, against the use of torture, and by fome mifinformation charges the Englifh that they ftill retain it.

It is perhaps impoffible to review the laws of any country, without discovering many defects and many fuperfluities. Laws often continue, when their reafons have ceafed. Laws made for the firft ftate of the fociety, continue unabolished when the general form of life