verely punished; but none of the offenders were delivered up to undergo the knout, or be fent to Siberia; and two years after the emprefs complained that justice had been refufed to her.

"

It was probably to filence the outcry of the Ruffian party on this mifadventure that the proceedings against prince Poninski, which had flept for many months, were now fuddenly refumed. He was under bail to abide the decifion; but forefeeing the event, privately withdrew from the capital. He was met, however, bythe veryofficer from whom he had escaped the preceding year, and by him re-conducted to the diet. There was no hesitation about his conviction; the only queftion was whether he should receive fentence of death or banishment; and it was with difficulty carried for the latter. He was decreed to lofe his 30th Aug. rank, honours, and employments, and condemned to have his orders of knighthood torn away by the common executioner; to be led through Warfaw, and proclaimed a traitor; to leave the capital in twenty-four hours, and the country in four weeks; after which time, if found within the territories of the republic, he was to fuffer death.

by his fon to the king; and after having been ferved at table from the royal kitchen, he was permitted to remain till it was dark before he was led through the streets, that his fhame might be the lefs expofed, though darkness could not fave him from the reproaches and infults which were thowered upon him by the people, and the very women, as he paffed along.

With this example before their eyes, the diet took into confideration the plan of the conftitution fubmitted to them. Their firft measure was to acknowledge the catholic church as the dominant religion of the ftate; but at the fame time, to manifeft the charity which they felt towards their fellow citizens of other communions, a decree which they had fome little time before passed in favour of the Greek archbishop of Kiow, was carried into effect, and he was admitted a member of the fenate; an honour which his predeceffor with all his endeavours had never been able to obtain.

The project of a cardinal law now followed, establishing the unity of the domains of the republic for ever. It was perhaps unwife, and fuch as no ftate ought to adopt, as it did not leave that difcretion which the supreme power in every country must have for the general good. But it fell in with the public alarm relative to the defigns of Pruffia on Dantzic and Thorn, to which it plainly pointed, and in confequence it was highly popular. The propofed law ran that "the kingdom of Poland and

grand dutchy of Lithuania, with "their refpective principalities, pa"latinates, territories, districts, fiefs, "towns and ports, united reciprocally for ever by folemn conven"tions, fhould remain always in

"that

This folemn declaration was given to the wishes of the whole nation: the next refolution was Sept. 9th. calculated to gratify the nobility at fome hazard of diffatisfaction to the third ellate, who were already offended at the poftpone ment of a propofition which had been made in their favour, immediately after the new plan of a conftitution had been produced, and which was founded on their memorial of the preceding year. In addition to this they now beheld the exercife of the legislative and executive powers confined by law to the equeftrian order alone, in conjunction with the king. The developement of this principle gave occafion to very fpirited debates in the two next fittings, a question being raifed, Whether places vacant in the fenate and the miniftry fhould be left to the nomination of the king, as well as the great offices of dignity around the throne, and of trust in the provinces? It was ftrenuously contended, that by the abolition of the permanent council, all its powers fell to the nation; but the king, on the fecond night, having patiently heard all the arguments against himself, at laft arose to vindicate this prerogative. "It had exprefsly been guaranteed to him (he obferved) by the nation in the pacta conventa, which, as he had never in. fringed, he could not have forfeited.

He declared, that he had never fought the increase of his own power; he had never in any inftance wished even the maintenance of that power to which he had the most indubitable right, if it should fairly appear to be inconfiftent with the public welfare. Did he believe the prerogative in queftion to be of that nature, he would be the first to move its extinction. But it could not be of advantage to the nation to take from him the means of rewarding merit. and conferring bounty: and if the country had fuffered mifery, all the world knew the caufe, which could not be ascribed to that prerogative of the crown." This appeal to their juftice and their confciences prevailed: and foon afterwards the reft of the article, comprizing the remaining cardinal laws of the future conftitution (freedom of fpeech in the diet and dietines, the liberty of the prefs, and other provifions in favour of the fubject) paffed. without oppofition.

But the great reform of all in the government now came to be difcuffed: whe- Sept. 20th. ther the elective monarchy,which had fubfifted ever fince the death of Sigifmond-Auguftus, in 1572, and which Poland had now generally learned to confider as the fource of her calamities, fhould not be changed for an hereditary fucceffion? The point had been before incidentally agitated, and the elector of Saxony mentioned, whofe lineage and education were in a great measure Polifh; who was defcended from the family of Jaghellon, and had in his veins the blood of the great Sobieski; whofe grandfather and great-grand father had reigned over the republic, and who himself spoke the language of the country with fluency and elegance. But a preliminary

measure

measure was firft to be carried: it was neceffary that it fhould be previously refolved to name a fucceffor in the life of the king.

When this was moved, inftead of a direct oppofition, an artful alarm was profeffed for the fafety of the king. It was faid, that to name a fucceffor and founder of a future dynafty, was to open a door to all forts of intrigue, to divide the affections of the people, and create a fort of rival to the throne, who might not be contented to wait the courfe of nature. This drew up the king, who avowed that, " confident in the affection of the nation, he did not feel the flighteft fufpicion of fuch a danger. But if it was a question, whether the fafety of his own perfon or that of his country fhould be expofed, no man could hefitate without a crime. Grant ing even, that his life was actually endangered by the law now to be paffed, he would a thousand times prefer that it fhould be daily put to the most imminent hazard, rather than that his country fhould be deprived of the only law, which could for ever preferve it from the horrors of civil war, and for ever withdraw it from foreign dominion, from which Poland now had the honour of having effected her emancipation. At the fame time he de clared, that bound as he was by the original pact of his own elevation to the throne, he had never taken a fingle ftep relative to the fucceffion, nor would he have any share in fuch a measure, unless he were fet at liberty by the exprefs will of the nation."-The 'affembly was deeply impreffed with his generous difdain of all perfonal confiderations, his religious regard to his faith, and his deference to the public will. As by an inftant impulfe the members all

crouded round the throne with an enthufiafin which his fpeeches on many occafions excited, and entreated to have the honour of kiffing his hand. When the ceremony was over, prince Sapieha, the marfhal of Lithuania, proposed that provincial affemblies should be called together, for the purpose of asking their confent to chufe a fucceffor in the life of the king. It was refolved accordingly, without a diffenting voice; and two days after, univerfals to that effect were difpatched to the feveral palatinates, ftates, and districts.

The next step, of recommending the elector of Saxony as the fucceffor, occafioned warm debates on the 25th and 26th; but this too, having the approbation of the king, was carried at laft without a divifion; and the wishes of the reprefentative body in this refpect, were made known by new uniDated Oct. 9th. verfals. No previous care however, feems to have been taken for the purpose of engaging the elector himself in the fcheme of the future conftitution, at the head of which he or his defcendents were hereafter to be placed. It was even faid at the time, that his determination, not to accept the throne unlefs with the common confent of the three great conterminous powers, was no fecret. But perhaps it was thought that a fceptre voluntarily offered to his hand might invite him, though a prince of moderate ambition, to incur fome little hazard for the happiness of a whole nation, that had fhewn so noble a confidence in him: and StanislausAuguftus felt that to tender it at leaft to a foreign potentate, who, besides his natural connection with the country, had fhewn himself fo worthy to reign, was the furest test

to

to prove the purity of his own motives in exerting himself for the aggrandifement of the crown.

Since the convention of Reichenbach, the king of Pruffia had not given any direct intimation of his defire to obtain Dantzic and Thorn: but while he feemed moft indifferent about them, he most plainly fhewed that they were never out of his fight. A scheme of a commercial treaty was brought forward, by which the inhabitants of Poland were to be allowed the right of importing and exporting through New Fahrwaffer without touching at Dantzic, on paying a duty of only two per cent. while Dantzic was still to continue paying 12 per cent. till future provifion fhould be made on that head. The merchants of Dantzic faw this infidious liberality in the light of a bribe, intended to purchafe the acquiefcence of their fellow fubjects in their ruin. Immediately the city was in a high ferment; and a deputation, charged with inftructions of rather a violent nature, was fent to Stanislaus-Auguftus, against the remonftrances of the council and the magiftrates, who in vain endeavoured to perfuade moderation. These delegates were well received not only by the king but the committee who had the conduct of the negociation; and Stanislaus

" and this refolution, fixed and unchangeable, will excite and en"courage us to attempt all poffible "means for effecting it." Nor were promifes all that was obtained. The project of a free navigation of the Viftula was abandoned; and a counter-project, highly advantageous to the trade of Dantzic, was fubflituted. This of course was communicated to the court of Berlin; but no answer for the prefent was given.

The legal duration of the diet was now nearly at an end, and none of the details of the constitution were definitively fettled. To have left this important part of their work wholly to the chance of the fame members, or a majority of them, being returned to ferve in the next diet, would have been to endanger all their past labours, as well as their remaining defigns. This had been early foreseen. So long fince as the preceding June, a general refolution on the fubject had been paffed, after a difcuffion of eight days. The sentiments of the king on that occafion deferve to be recorded, as strongly making his difinterefted zeal for the good of his country. Being afked by fome of his friends, Why he wished to prolong a diet which had given him fo many mortifications, when he might hope to fee one fo much more favourably disposed towards him? « That is true,

re

plied he, "but then I fhould risk

thing turn us from it in the end;

the overthrow of many things "well done by this diet, because they have not had time to complete their plans, and to reconcile the nation to their work by the experience of its utility." The mode in which the existence of the prefent diet was to be continued, now preffed itfe'f on their confideration. It was firit resolved that notwithstanding

notwithstanding the meeting of the dietines, the exifting diet should still continue to fit; and ftrong protefts being entered againft this unufual course, a temporary and particular law was made to legalize it on this occafion, and to fix the convocation of the dietines for the 16th of November. It was then moved by M. Matufcwitz, nuncio of Brzefc in Lithuania, that it fhould be recommended to the palatinates to reelect the fame reprefentatives, unlefs they had fpecial reafons for changing individuals, and to continue the diet under the fame confederation and the fame marfhals. The king fupported the propofition, and it was taken to be debated on a future day. It was difcuffed two days, and ultimately paffed almoft unanimously. At length the addition of an equal number of new members was fuggefted, and enforced with all the perfuafion and authority of the king. The double diet in confequence was decreed. It was ordered that under this form the prefent confederation fhould laft two years more, during which period it was hoped that the conftitution would not only be finished, but time be allowed for fome fhort trial of its practical effects.

The moment was not favourable to the interests of the dominant party. Their foreign politics in connection with Prufia had no longer the public opinion on their fide; and the citizens and burghers began loudly to proclaim their confidence fhaken, by the paffing of the cardinal law which excluded them from all share in the legislative power. A letter on this fubject, written by M. Decker, late prefident of the burghers, and addressed by him on his death-bed to the marfhal Malachowski, was printed, and

read with great eagerness. It con tained a folemn remonftrance and affecting adjuration; it indirectly charged a breach of faith in not granting the effect of the memorial formerly prefented. In the mean while count Sziznefa Potocki, who was at the head of the ordnance depariment, and all his connections, were indefatigable in publishing and fpreading protefts, manifeftoes, and libels of every form, against the late proceedings of the diet; especially against their prolongation of their own existence, and this new monfter, as t ey confidered it, of a double reprefentation. The great popular leader M. Suchodolcki b gan to abate of his enthufiafm in the Pruffian caufe. The oppofite party vifibly gained ground among the nuncios; and the grand general Branicki, who had married a niece of Prince Potemkin, openly and ftrenuoufly fupporting that fide, left Warfaw to cultivate his intereft, and influence the approaching elections.

The Pruffian party, however, had ftill a clear majority, notwithstanding all the efforts of their adverfaries: and immediately before the opening of the dietines they had recourse to a meafure, happily and wifely calculated to conciliate the mercantile intereft. Two hundred of the principal bankers, merchants, and arti zans were admitted in one day into the order of nobility; and fhortly afterwards this lift was followed by another, as well as by a refolution opening a wide entrance to ftill greater numbers from all the provinces.

At the fame time, to ftrike terror into the party of the grand general Branicki, who had been accufed by the brother of the late grand treafurer, and who was now pursuing a line of politics connected with the