fixty; their meetings were in the houfe of the Ruffian embassador; and the diet, to give them time finally to fettle, and thoroughly to examine into, the important fubject in which they were engaged, was prolonged to the first of February.

To this commiffion the republic of Poland is indebted for the profpect of a lafting harmony between the different parts of which it is compofed; and the Diffidents, for the restoration of their juft rights and privileges, and their future fecurity in the enjoyment of them. The commiffionNov. ers, after many meetings, 20th. at length figned their refolutions, which were then tranfmitted to Moscow for the approbation of the Emprefs; after which they are to be paffed into a law, and confidered as one of the fundamental conftitutions of the republic.

Though these refolutions are not authentically published; yet they are known to be founded upon the following bafis; That the Catholic is to be confidered as the predominant religion in Poland; of which profeffion the king is always to be. That the Diffidents,

both clergy and laity, with respect to worship and all other matters, are to poffefs equal rights, privileges, and immunities, with the Roman Catholics. And that a fuperior tribunal, confifting of an equal number of members of the three religions, is to be formed: the prefident of which is to be a Roman Catholic, a Greek, or a Proteftant, alternately; and that all difputes whatsoever, relative to the Diffidents, are to be judged by it.

During these transactions, feveral applications were ineffectually made for the enlargement of the grandees who had been feized by the Ruffians: Prince Repnin, however, fatisfied the minds of the people, by declaring they were not in clofe confinement, but were at large under the care of a detach-' ment at Wilna, where they were treated with all the respect due to their quality. The Emprefs of Ruffia, upon an application that was made on this fubject, is faid to have made anfwer, that these nobles were poffeffed with fo turbulent a fpirit, that their liberty would deftroy all the pains fhe had taken for the peace and happiness of the republic.

TH

HE expulfion of the Jefuits this year from the Spanish dominions, is perhaps one of the

most remarkable incidents that has happened in the courfe of the prefent century. This event was

not

not more extraordinary in its nature, than it was unexpected at the time, and unforeseen by the fufferers. Mankind have beheld with amazement a nation, not only the moft violently attached to the Roman Catholic religion, but also to the principles, interefts, and views of the court of Rome, fuddenly deftroy, and almoft totally annihilate, a religious order, which had its birth and nurture in itself, and that had been long looked upon as the principal ftrength and fupport of the papal power.

This order, which had fo long ruled the cabinets and guided the confciences of kings; which had extended its power and influence into every quarter of the world; and which had great poffeffions, and still greater connections, in the very country from which it was profcribed; now beheld its unhappy members, fugitives, outcafts of all mankind, refuted admittance by every nation in Europe, even by the fovereign pontiff, to whom they were fo zeal. ously attached; and after wandering about the feas, failing from port to port, enduring numberless hardthips, and finding every port fhut against them, were at laft happy to meet an afylum, which was procured for them with great difficulty in the barren ifland of Corfica.

Such is the uncertainty of human affairs, and fuch the influence that time has upon opinions, that this mighty blow was ftruck without the leaft difturbance; with fcarce a murmur from the fufferers, and scarcely a remonftrance in their favour from these they might have thought their friends. The time has been, when an at

tempt of the fame nature might have overturned the best founded government in Christendom.

This event fufficiently fhews the great latitude that a freedom of thought and enquiry has gained in countries that were hitherto the moft wedded to particular forms and opinions. It alfo evidently fhews, that bigotry is not the reigning vice of the present age; whatever complaint may with too much justice be made of the progrefs of infidelity.

The real motives for this extraordinary expulfion have not been declared; thofe general ones, that have been given out, are founded only upon uncertain furmifes. The king, in the ordinance which he iffued for their banishment, talks only in general terms of keeping his people in due fubordination, of tranquillity, juftice, &c. but profeffes other juft, urgent, and neceffary causes, which he referves within his own breast, This compendious method of condemnation, for caufes referved in the judge's breast, and only known to him, who is at once the accufer, judge, and avenger of crimes, which he does not fpecify, may upon many occafions be very useful to fovereigns. But however this order may have merited the rigorous treatment, which they met on this occafion, the mode and cir cumftances of the proceeding against them furnish a ftriking inftance of the miferable infecurity of private property, and the continual danger which all the natural rights of mankind are in of being violated under a defpotic government.

Some are of opinion, that the Jefuits had been the secret infti

gators

gators of all the late tumults that had happened in Spain; and confequently of the banishment of the Marquis de Squillacci, the king's favourite minifter. Others attribute to them fchemes ftill deeper laid and more dangerous, which, they fay, the king fortunately difcovered in time. It is poffible that the example fet by France and Portugal, together with the powerful influence which the former power has upon the court of Madrid, might have had its full weight upon this occafion. The Spaniards in general are much averfe to this French influence; and it is afferted that the Jefuits, probably from refentment of the sufferings of their brethren in France, had taken great pains to encourage and heighten this diflike.

Many other causes have been affigned, which might have contributed to the extirpation of this fociety. Their conduct in Paraguay, with respect to the kings of Spain and Portugal; the contumacy with which they not only refufed to fubmit to their edicts, but even opposed their troops in the field; might have given juft grounds for the court of Spain to free itself from a body full of ambition and of power. They are alfo faid to have monopolized, in a great degree, the commerce in the Spanish Weft Indies, to the great prejudice of the ftate, as well as to the detriment of individuals; and they are charged with holding opinions, and publihing tenets in their writings, which were not only deftructive to religion, but fubverfive of all kingly government.

The fecrecy with which all the measures leading to this event were

conducted, and the filence with which they were put in execution, were circumftances as remarkable as any that attended it. The Jefuits, notwithstanding their extenfive correfpondence and connec tion, and their ufual good intelligence, were furprized in their beds, without the least time to avert the danger, or the fmalleft warning of the impending blow. This will appear the more extraordinary, as the king's ordinance, which was published upon the occasion, shews, that these measures were the refult of a council, held the 29th of the preceeding January; and that the king's commiffion to the count de Aranda for the execution of them, was iffued on the 27th of February.

Between eleven and twelve at night, the Mar. 31, fix different houses of 1767. Jefuits in the city of Madrid, were furrounded by large detachments of regular troops; who, having got open the outfide doors, the bells were immediately fecured, and a fentry placed at the door of each cell. When every neceffary measure was taken, the Jefuits were ordered to rife; and, being affembled, they were acquainted with the king's commands, and were then affifted in packing up fuch things as were requifite for their journey. In the mean time, all the hired coaches and chaises in Madrid, together with feveral waggons, had been fecured, and diftributed in proper places; fo that, without any lofs of time, they began their journey to Carthagena very early in the morning, and were escorted by a ftrong and numerous guard. All this was effected without the leaft

noise or disturbance; the inhabitants of Madrid were in their beds, and knew nothing of what paffed till they heard it to their great furprife in the morning, when the affair was entirely over.

On the third day after, in the morning, the Jefuits college at Barcelona was invefted by the civil and military power; the members were fent off guarded for tranfportation, as thofe at Madrid had been; and their effects were feized upon and fealed up. The fame ́measures were put in execution at the fame hour in every part of Spain. The packets, which conveyed the orders upon this fubject to the governors, were inclosed in letters, which gave directions, that they should not be opened till a certain hour; after which no perfon, to whom any part of the orders were communicated, was to quit the governor's fight till they were executed. In the mean time orders were fent to the fea-ports, to examine all perfons who fhould attempt to take their paffage to any part of the Spanish Indies, and to keep the ftricteft watch, that no Jefuit, in any difguife, fhould pass that way. Ships were alfo provided, and the prifoners were by different embarkations conveyed to Italy.

The king then published his pragmatic fanction, or royal ordinance, for the expulfion of the Jefuits. By this ordinance, the temporalities of the company, in every part of the Spanish dominions, are feized to the king's ufe. In the temporalities are included all their goods, chattels, and eftates of every fort, but without prejudice to the real incumbrances affecting fuch eftates. The priests belong

ing to the fociety are to have fmall life annuities. The foreign brothers, which were pretty numerous, were entirely excluded from the benefit of these alimentary annuities, which were confined to native Spaniards.

It was declared by this ordinance, that if any of the expelled Jefuits fhould quit the ecclefiaftical ftate, into which they were to be tranfported, or fhould, by their actions or writings, give the court any just cause of refentment, fuch perfons fhould be immediately deprived of the penfions affigned them. But the fevereft injunction of all, and which made their hopes of a livelihood entirely precarious, was, that if the company caused or permitted any of its individuals to write any thing contrary to the respect and fubmiffion due to the king's refolution, under title or pretext of apologies or juftifications, tending to disturb the peace of his kingdoms, or fhould in any other manner, by their private emiffaries, make attempts of that nature; in fuch cafe, which was, however, faid to be unexpected, the whole penfions were to cease and determine.

By the other atticles, no part nor body of the company, nor any individual belonging to it, are ever to be re-admitted, under any pretence, or for any cause whatfoever; nor is the council, or any other tribunal, ever to admit of any application upon that fubject. On the contrary, the magiftrates are to exert the most rigorous meafures, and to punish, as difturbers of the public peace, all the abettors of fuch an attempt. All correfpondence with Jefuits is forbid. den under the fevereft penalties,

Silence

Silence is ftrictly enjoined to all the king's fubjects upon this occafion; and any perfon who ventures to write, declaim, or make any ftir, for or against thefe meafures, is declared guilty of hightreafon. This law is extended to all the king's dominions, as well in the Indies, as in Europe and elsewhere.

In the mean time, the news of this event was received at Rome with the greatest aftonishment; and before it could in any degree wear off, fourteen tranfports, under convoy of three Spanish men of war, arrived at Civita Vecchia, with 970 Jefuits on board. The governor refused to let them land till he had received inftructions, and immediately difpatched an exprefs to Rome. The arrival of this exprefs threw the people into a great ferment, and the pope immediately fummoned a congregation of cardinals to confult upon the occafion. The refult of this council was abfolutely to forbid the reception of the Jefuits in the ecclefiaftical dominions; and orders were given to the governor of Civita Vecchia, to take fuch methods as fhould effectually prevent their being landed.

About this time the King of Spain was faid to have wrote the following laconic letter to the pope, as an explanation of the motives for his procedure again the Jesuits :

"Holy father,

"All my tribunals having judged that the fathers Jefuits are of no fervice to my kingdoms, I could do no lefs than conform to their representations. Of this, as a fon of

the holy church, I acquaint its fupreme head. I recommend your holiness to the divine keeping."

These reasons not appearing fatisfactory, two couriers were fent to Madrid, who, it is faid, made the following representations: That, if the Jefuits are guilty, they are not fufficiently punished; but too much so, if they are innocent.

That the laws feem to require, that citizens shall not be driven from their country, till they have undergone a trial, to make evident the proofs of their crimes. That as to the rest, tho' it is in the power of his Catholic majefty to treat his subjects in fuch a manner as may feem fit and convenient to him; yet he cannot oblige any other fovereign to give them an afylum in his dominions. That if the Catholic powers fhould all think proper to fupprefs the different religious orders in the countries under their dominion, and confign them to the disposal of his holinefs, not only the ecclefiaftical ftate, but the whole country of Italy, would be too small to contain fuch a number of new inhabitants.

No notice was taken of these re. presentations. In the mean time the convoy at Civita Vecchia, after lying fome time in the har bour, received orders to proceed to Bastia; and the French court made ufe of its influence with the republic of Genoa, to receive the Jefuits in the towns that remained in its hands in the island of Corfica. At length the embarkation from Civita May 22d. Vecchia arrived at

Bastia ;