called themselves the friends of the fea, and the enemies of all who fail upon it; and their names foon became terrible, from the ftraits of the Dardanels to thofe of Gibraltar. Together with their fame and power, their ambitious views opened and enlarged; and, while acting as corfairs, they adopted the ideas, and acquired the talents of conquerors. They often carried the prizes which they took on the coafts of Spain and Italy, into the ports of Barbary; and enriching the inhabitants by the fale of their booty, and the thoughtless prodigality of their crews, were welcome guefts in every place at which they touched. The convenient fituation of thefe harbours lying fo near the greatest commercial ftates, at that time, in Chriftendom, made the brothers with for an establishment in that country. An opportunity of accomplishing this quickly prefented itself, which they did not fuffer to pafs unimproved. Eutemi, king of Algiers, having attempted feveral times, without fuccefs, to take a fort which the Spanish governor of Oran had built not far from his capital, was fo ill advised as to apply for aid to Barbaroffa, whofe valour the Africans confidered as irresistible. The active corfair gladly accepted of the invitation; and leaving his brother Hayradin with the fleet, marched at the head of five thousand men to Algiers, where he was received as their deliverer. Such a force gave him the command of the town; and obferving that the moors neither fufpected him of any bad intention, nor were capable with their light-armed troops of oppofing his difciplined veterans, he fecretly murdered the monarch whom he

had come to affift, and caufed himfelf to be proclaimed king of Algiers in his ftead. The authority which he had thus boldly ufurped, he endeavoured to establish by arts fuited to the genius of the people whom he had to govern; by liberality, without bounds, to thofe who favoured his promotion, and by cruelty, no lefs unbounded, towards all whom he had any reafon to diftruft. Not fatisfied with the throne which he had acquired, he attacked the neighbouring king of Tremecen, and having vanquished him in battle, added his dominions to thofe of Algiers. At the fame time he continued to infeft the coafts of Spain and Italy, with fleets, which refembled the armaments of a great monarch, rather than the light fquadrons of a corfair. The devaftations which thefe committed, obliged Charles, about the beginning of his reign, to furnifh the Marquis de Comares, governor of Oran, with troops fufficient to attack him. That officer, affifted by the dethroned king of Tremecen, executed the commiffion with fuch fpirit, that Barbaroffa's troops being beat in feveral encounters, he himself was shut up in Tremecen; after defending it to the laft extremity, he was overtaken in attempting to make his escape, and flain while he fought with an obftinate valour, worthy of his former fame and exploits.

His brother Hayradin, known likewife by the name of Barbaroffa, affumed the fceptre of Algiers with the fame ambition and abilities, but with better fortune. His reign being undisturbed by the arms of the Spaniards, which had full occupation in the wars among the European powers, he regulated, with

admirable

admirable prudence, the interior police of his kingdom, carried on his naval operations with great vigour, and extended his conquefts on the continent of Africa. But, perceiving that the Moors and Arabs fubmitted to his government with the utmost impatience, and being afraid that his continual depredations would, one day, draw upon him the arms of the Chrif tians, he put his dominions under the protection of the grand feignior, and received from him a body of Turkish foldiers, fufficient for his fecurity against his domeftic, as well as his foreign enemies. At laft, the fame of his exploits daily increafing, Solyman offered him the command of the Turkish fleet, as the only perfon whofe valour and skill in naval affairs entitled him to command against Andrew Doria, the greateft fea-officer of that age. Proud of this diftinction, Barbaroffa repaired to Conftantinople, and with a wonderful verfatility of mind, mingling the arts of a courtier with the boldness of a corfair, gained the entire confidence both of the fultan and his vizier. To them he communicated a fcheme that he had formed of making himself mafter of Tunis, the moft flourishing kingdom, at that time, on the coaft of Africa, which being approved of by them, he obtained whatever he demanded for carrying it into execution.

His hopes of fuccefs in this undertaking were founded on the intestine divifions in the kingdom of Tunis. Mahmed, the laft king of that country, having, thirty-four fons by different wives, named Muley-Hafcen, one of the youngeft among them, his fucceffor. That weak prince, who owed this prefe

rence not to his own merit, but to

the afcendant which his mother had acquired over an old doating monarch, firft poifoned his father in order to prevent him from altering his deftination; and then, with the barbarous policy which prevails wherever polygamy is permitted, and the right of fucceffion is not precifely fixed, he put to death all his brothers whom he could get into his power. Alrafchid, one of the eldeft, was fo fortunate as to escape his rage; and finding a retreat among the wandering Arabs, made feveral attempts, by the affiftance of fome of their chiefs, to recover the throne, which of right belonged to him. But thefe proving unfuccefsful, and the Arabs, from their natural levity, being ready to deliver him up to his mercilefs brother, he fled to Algiers, the only place of refuge remaining, and implored the protection of Barbaroffa; who, difcerning at once all the advantages that might be gained by fupporting his title, received him with every poffible demonftration of friendship and refpect. Being ready, at that time, to fet fail for Conftantinople, he eafily perfuaded Alrafchid, whofe eagerness to obtain a crown difpofed him to believe or undertake any thing, to accompany him thither, promifing him effectual affiftance from Solyman, whom he re prefented to be the most generous, as well as moft powerful, monarch in the world. But no fooner were they arrived at Conftantinople, than the falfe corfair, regardless of all his promifes to him, opened to the fultan a plan for conquering Tunis, and annexing it to the Turkish empire, by making ufe of the name of this exiled prince, and by means of

the party ready to declare in his favour. Solyman approved, with too much facility, of this perfidious propofal, extremely fuitable to the character of its author, but altother unworthy of a great prince. A powerful fleet and numerous army were foon affembled; at the fight of which the credulous Alrafchid flattered himself that he would foon enter his capital in triumph.

But just as this unhappy prince was going to embark, he was arrefted by order of the fultan, fhut up in the feraglio, and was never heard of more. Barbaroffa failed

After

with a fleet of two hundred and fifty veffels towards Africa. ravaging the coafts of Italy, and fpreading terror through every part of that country, he appeared before Tunis; and landing his men, gave out, that he came to affert the right of Alrafchid, whom he pretended to have left fick aboard the admiral galley. The fort of Goletta, which commands the bay, foon fell into his hands, partly by his own addrefs, and partly by the treachery of its commander; and the inhabitants of Tunis, weary of Muley-Hafcen's government, took arms, and declared for Alrafchid with fuch zeal and unanimity, as obliged the former to fly fo precipitately, that he left all his treasures behind him. The gates were immediately fet open to Barbaroffa, as the reftorer of their lawful fovereign. But when Alrafchid himself did not appear, and when, inftead of his name, that of Solyman alone was heard among the acclamations of the Turkish foldiers marching into the town, the people of Tunis began to fufpect the corfair's treachery; and their fufpicions being foon converted into certainty, they

ran to arms with the utmoft fury, and furrounded the citadel, into which Barbaroffa had led his troops, But having forefeen fuch a revolution, he was not unprepared for it; he immediately turned against them the artillery on the ramparts, and by one brifk discharge of it, and of his small arms, he difperfed the numerous but undirected affailants, and forced them to acknowledge Solyman as their fovereign, and to fubmit to him as his viceroy.

of the great Admiral, and celebrated Patriot, Andrew Doria.

O

UR author having given an

an account of the condition of the French army under Lautrec, at the fiege of Naples, after the Imperial fleet had been destroyed and the viceroy killed at the mouth of the harbour by Doria's nephew, proceeds as follows:

Thefe unexpected events retarded the progrefs of the French, and difcouraged both the general and his troops; but the revolt of Andrew Doria proved a fatal blow to all their measures. That gallant officer, the citizen of a republick, and trained up from his infancy in the fea-fervice, retained the spirit of independence natural to the former, and the plain liberal manners peculiar to the latter. A perfect ftranger to the arts of fubmiffion or flattery neceffary in courts, and confcious at the fame time of his own merit and importance, he always offered his advice with freedom, and often preferred his complaints and remonftrances with boldness. The French minifters, unaccustomed to fuch liberties, determined to ruin a man who treated

them

them with fo little deference; and though Francis himself had a juft fenfe of Doria's fervices, as well as an high efteem for his character, the courtiers, by continually reprefenting him as a man haughty, intractable, and more folicitous to aggrandize himself than promote the intereft of France, gradually undermined the foundations of his credit, and filled the king's mind with fufpicion and diftruft. From thence proceeded feveral affronts and indignities put upon Doria. His appointments were not regularly paid; his advice, even in naval af-. fairs, was often flighted; an attempt was made to feize the prifoners taken by his nephew in the fea-fight off Naples; all which he bore with abundance of ill-humour. But an injury offered to his country, tranfported him beyond all bounds of patience. The French began to fortify Savona, to clear its harbour, and, removing thither fome branches of trade carried on at Genoa, plainly fhewed that they intended to render that town, long the object of jealoufy and hatred to the Genoefe, their rival in wealth and commerce. Doria, animated with a patriotic zeal for the honour and interest of his country, remonftrated against this in the highest tone, not without threats, if the measure were not inftantly abandoned. This bold action, aggravated by the malice of the courtiers, and placed in the moft odious light, irritated Francis to fuch a degree, that he commanded Barbefieux, whom he appointed admiral of the Levant, to fail directly to Genoa with the French fleet, to arreft Doria, and to feize his galleys. This rafh order, of which the moft profound fecrecy alone could have

fecured the execution, was conceal ed with fo little care, that Doria got timely intelligence of it, and retired with all his galleys to a place of fafety. Guafto, his prifoner, who had long obferved and fomented his growing difcontent, and had often allured him by magnificent promises to enter into the emperor's fervice, laid hold on this favourable opportunity. While his indignation and refentment were at their height, he prevailed on him to difpatch one of his officers to the Imperial court with his overtures and demands. The negociation was not long; Charles, fully fenfible of the importance of fuch an acquifition, granted him whatever terms he required. Doria fent back his commiffion, together with the collar of St. Michael, to Francis, and hoifting the Imperial colours, failed with all his galleys towards Naples, not to block up the harbour of that unhappy city, as he had formerly engaged, but to bring them protection and deliverance.

His arrival opened the communication with the fea, and restored plenty in Naples, which was now reduced to the laft extremity; and the French, having loft their fuperiority at fea, were foon reduced to great ftraits for want of provifions. The prince of Orange, who fucceeded the viceroy in the command of the Imperial army, shewed himfelf, by his prudent conduct, worthy of that honour which his good fortune, and the death of his generals, had twice acquired him. Beloved by the troops, who remembering the profperity they had enjoyed under his command, ferved him with the utmost alacrity, he let flip no opportunity of harraffing the enemy, and by continual alarms

or fallies, fatigued and weakened them. As an addition to all thefe misfortunes, the diseases common in that country during the fultry months, began to break out among the French troops. The prifoners communicated to them the peftilence which the Imperial army had brought to Naples from Rome, and it raged with fuch violence, that few, either officers or foldiers, efcaped the infection. Of the whole army, not four thousand men, a number scarce fufficient to defend the camp, were capable of doing duty; and being now befieged in their turn, they fuffered all the miferies from which the Imperialists were delivered. Lautrec, after struggling long with fo many disappointments and calamities, which preyed on his mind at the fame time that the peftilence wafted his body, died, lamenting the negligence of his fovereign, and the infidelity of his allies, to which fo many brave men had fallen victims. By his death, and the indifpofition of the other generals, the command devolved on the marquis de Saluces, an officer altogether unequal to fuch a truft. He, with troops no lefs difpirited than reduced, retreated in diforder to Averfa; which town being invefted by the prince of Orange, Saluces was under the neceffity of confenting, that he himself thould remain a prifoner of war, that his troops fhould lay down their arms and colours, give up their baggage, and march under a guard to the frontiers of France. By this ignominious capitulation, the wretched remains of the French army were faved; and the Emperor, by his own perfeverance and the good conduct of his generals, acquired once more the fuperiority in Italy.

The lofs of Genoa followed immediately upon the ruin of the army in Naples. To deliver his country from the dominion of foreigners was Doria's highest ambition, and had been his principal inducement to quit the fervice of France, and enter into that of the Emperor. A most favourable opportunity for executing this honourable enterprize now prefented itfelf. The city of Genoa, afflicted by the peftilence, was almost deferted by its inhabitants; the French garrifon being neither regularly paid nor recruited, was reduced to an inconfiderable number; Doria's emiffaries found that fuch of the citizens as remained, being weary alike of the French and Imperial yoke, the rigour of which they had alternately felt, were ready to welcome him as their deliverer, and to fecond all his measures. Things wearing this promifing afpect, he failed towards the coaft of Genoa; on his approach, the French gallies retired; a fmall body of men which he landed, furprized one of the gates of Genoa in the night time; Trivulci, the French governor, with his feeble garrifon, fhut himself up in the citadel, and Daria took poffeffion of the town without bloodshed or refiftance. Want of provisions quickly obliged Trivulci, to capitulate; the people, eager to abolish fuch an odious monument of their fervitude, ran together with a tumultuous violence, and levelled the citadel with the ground.

It was now in Doria's power to have rendered himself the fovereign of his country, which he had fo happily freed from oppreffion. The fame of his former actions, the fuccefs of his present attempt, the

at