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principles admitted, the question would be, with what power were we to form alliances Politicians agreed, that it would be wife to ally with Germany against France; but to this there were many apparently infuperable difficulties, and, among them, the equality of the powers of Pruffia and Auftria. Which then of these two leading powers was it prudent to ally ourselves with? The diffentions in the Netherlands, and the connexion of Auftria with France, rendered an al liance with her impolitic; but the connexion of Pruffia with Holland, and the intereft we had in Holland, fhewed the wifdom of choosing Pruffia. If that treaty, then, already fanctioned by the houfe, was advantageous, it certainly would be wife to prevent Pruffia from falling into a fituation by which the would be rendered less likely to give an effectual aid in times of neceffity, than fhe was in at the time of our forming an alliance with her. It was therefore neceffary to fupport Turkey as a check upon Auftria; for, as long as the Porte maintained its importance, fo long would Pruffia be to us a valuable ally. When Auftria was in alliance with us, France, as a check, had an alliance with the Turks; and when Auftria was allied with France, it was politic for us to be in alliance with Turkey. He begged the house to confider in what a dreadful state the affairs of Turkey were, prior to our interference; that the fupport of the Turks was involved in our alliance with Pruffia; that our interference was therefore neceffary; for, if no fuch interference had taken place, Pruffia, by her alliance with us, would have been exposed to Austria and to France, and have been rendered unable to afford us affiftance. In cafe of a war between England and France, Auftria would have taken up the whole attention of Pruffia; but by Turkey being fupported, fhe would create a divifion in the force of Auftria, and Pruffia would be left at liberty to aid us with the whole, or a confiderable portion, of her ftrength, He admitted that France was now in no fituation to occafion alarm; but the probability was, that, in a fhort time, fhe would be in poffeffion of a vigorous government. If that government fhould be a restoration of the old fyftem, or of any thing near it, we should be again fubject to her intrigues; but fhould the be enabled to obtain a free government, the would become a more powerful nation, and a more formidable rival than

the had ever yet been.-If France were united, fhe would rife again with the greateft fplendor: fhe wanted nothing but a wife government, to make her the terror of her neighbours. In her prefent fituation he would be the laft to advise any meafure that might add to her troubles; but he confidered it, the duty of minifters, and the policy of Great Britain, to take the advantage of her prefent debility, by promoting treaties with Continental pow ers, that might add to our strength, and fecure us against all events.-The alliance with Pruffia prefented itself as the first step to our Continental connexion: Prussia, when Holland was endangered, marched an army into that country, for its prefervation from the grafp of France, and for the maintenance of our interest in the fafety of the States: Pruffia was as much endangered by the progrefs of the Ruffian and Auftrian arms against the Porte, as we had been by the attempt to overrun Holland: as Pruffia came forward on that occafion for our intereft, we were bound to come forward on the present in fupport of the intereft of Pruffia. Having thus ftated the policy of our alliance with Prüffia, he entered into a refutation of the affertion, that the war, on the part of the Turks, was a war of aggreffion; he took a review of the conduct of the Emprefs, in obtaining the Crimea, in her promoting a rebellion in Egypt, in her laying claim to Beffarabia, Wallachia, and Moldavia and into the repeated conceffions fhe forced from the Porte, until they were under the neceffity of hazarding a war for the fafety of their remaining dominion in Europe. The armament was taken up, for the purpose of obtain ing the beft poffible terms of peace for the Porte, fo endangered. In propofing terms of peace to nations at war, it was always neceffary to confider on whose fide the juftice and the fuccefs of that war was. In the prefent, all the juftice was found on one fide, and all the fuccefs on the other. In that fituation the terms moft likely to conciliate, were thofe found ed on the ftatus quo; but though thofe terms were not fully obtained, it could not be denied that the Empress had lowered her terms as foon as she became ac quainted with the interference of England and Pruffia in fupport of the Turks; for, prior to fuch interference, the had stated, as her ultimate terms, founded in extrene moderation, the demand of the ceffion of Oczakow, and the erection of Beffarabia, Wallachia, and Moldavia, Ff2

inta

into an independent fovereignty, under a prince profeffing the chriftian faith; and which, if agreed to, would nearly have put an end to the Turkish empire in Europe. After her propofal of thofe terms, the Imperial arms were attended with continued and confiderable fuccefs; what then induced her to lower thofe terms, and to forego her moderate demand, of taking from Turkey three of its principal provinces, to erect into a fovereignty for a prince, whom it would not have been difficult to guefs, was intended to have been honoured with it, but our armament?-By the interpofition of England and Pruffia, the ftatus quo had been obtained from Auftria, and by the fame interpofition, Ruffia had lowered her claims. But it was contended, that immediately upon Ruffia's claiming Oczakow, and the district between the Bog and the Dneifter, our armament fhould have ceased, and thofe terms ultimately obtained, should at first have been admitted. This would have been grossly impolitic; for to have given better terms to Ruffia than to Auftria, when both were equally fituated, might have given occafion to the Emperor, who never was very remarkable for good faith, to feize the opportunity of refufing to fulfil his engagements; the confequence of which would have been, that the Turks would again have been involved in a double war, and this country expofed to the ridicule of Europe, for not having gained by their interference a fingle advantage for the power whofe intereft they had efpoused.He was confident, that had it not been for the divifion in that houfe, and for the divifions promoted out of the houfe, the Emprefs might not have contended for thofe terms the ultimately did contend for. The gentlemen on the oppofite fide of the houfe had not, in his opinion, faved their country from a war, but had prevented a fuccefsful termination to the negotiation. He juftified Adminiftration, in ultimately admitting the ceffion of Oczakow, which they at firft oppofed, upon the ground that that policy might be wife when a war was uncertain, and fuccefs probable, which might not be wife when fuccefs was doubtful, and war certain.He was one of thofe who thought that the public opinion out of the house ought to be attended to, and that, upon the prefent occafion, minifters might, confittently with their duty, act upon fuch opinion. There were cafes, however, in which, by acting upon public opinion,

they might do their country much mifchief, and among thofe cafes would be a breach of treaty. In reply to the accufation against Administration, for not having difarmed as foon as the propofals of the Empress were made known, he said, we fhould not then have obtained any modification; fhe certainly was not bound by her laft proposals, they having been rejected when firft offered to us; nor would he have obtained them, had fhe not have been enabled to avail herself of a divifion in this country.-In the course of the negotiation, the Empress obtained three great victories over the Turks; it ought then to be matter of joy that the did not avail herself of thefe victories, and of our divifions, to increase her demands.

It had been afked, whether we were bound by treaty fo to affift Pruffia? He would admit we were not; neither was Pruffia bound to affift us by treaty in preventing Holland from falling under the attempt of France. The principle in both cafes was the fame, it was a mutual and honourable attention to the interefts of each other. It was the duty of ministers to watch with a jealous eye every change in the affairs of the continent, and to attend to the maintenance of the balance of power, which, though it might not accord with the opinions of many of the prefent times, would be found an attention founded in policy and justice; which policy, had it been adopted, would have prevented the long and bloody wars in the time of king William and queen Anne.

He thanked God, the prefent times were not favourable to wars of ambition and conquest: they were now reprobated throughout Europe; but in England, above all other countries, it was right they should be reprobated, for on peace our greatnefs as a nation depended: the interefts of the country refted on permanent peace. Let gentlemen therefore confider what has been gained by the interference of adminiftration; let them look to what was the ftate of Europe, and what the probable future increate of wars, before the interference of Pruffia and England, and then let them compare the small expence of obtaining the peace of Europe, with the great increase of our revenue, occafioned by that peace. He trusted, that when gentlenen examined the fubject, they would find that ministers had acted neither as impolitic nor bad men; but that what they had originally propofed was right; that what they had ob tained was confiderable; and that they

would

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WINDSOR

[From SALMAGUNDI; a Miñellaneous Combination of Original Poetry.']

AS my devious course I steer, Fancy, in fairy vifions clear, Bids, to beguile my 'tranced eyes, Paft joys in sweet fucceffion rife: Refreshing airs she bids me breathe Where, Afcot, thine enchanting heath, Impregnated with mild perfume, Bares its broad bofom's purple bloom: Gives me to view the fplendid crowd, The high-born racer neighing loud, The manag'd steeds that fide by fide Precede the glittering chariot's pride, Within whofe filken coverture Some peerless Beauty fits fecure, And, fatal to the foul's repofe, Around her thrilling glances throws. Hence, Fancy, wing thy rapid flight O'er oaks in deepeft verdure dight, Whofe writhed limbs of giant mould Wave to the breeze their umbrage bold; Bear me, embowering fhades between, Through many a glade and vista green, Whence filver ftreams are feen to glide, And towering domes th' horizon hide, To Leonard's foreft-fringed mound *; Where lavish Nature spreads around Whate'er can captivate the fight, Elyfan lawns, and profpects bright As vifions of expiring faints, Or fcenes that Harcourt's pencil paints. Bear me where, 'mid enamell'd meads, Redundant Thames his bounty sheds, Teeming with many a plenteous freight; Where o'er the vale, in antique ftate

Imperial Windfor's turrets frown,
And maffy fanes of old renown.
Give me to gaze with ardent eye
On gorgeous spoils of Chivalry;
To ken aloft the radiant rows
Of banners won from Britain's foes:
Recall the glorious deeds of yore ;
Shew the dark mail that Edward wore;
The falchion fhew, whofe thund'ring stroke
Creffy's pale ranks impetuous broke;
From whofe fell glare appall'd with dread
Proud Gallia's trembling chieftains fled,
Or on its edge deftruction found,
And dyed with regal gore the ground.
Give me, fair Fancy, to pervade
Chambers in pictur'd pomp array'd!
Peopling whofe ftately walls I view
The godlike forms that Raffaelle drew;
I seem to fee his magic hand
Wield the wondrous pencil-wand,
Whofe touches animation give,
And bid th' infenfate canvaís live;
Glowing with many a deed divine
Achiev'd in holy Palestine.

The Paffions feel its potent charm,
And round the mighty master swarm ;-
Lo, where Difmay with haggard gaze †
The death-fmote Hypocrite furveys;
Beholds his eyes convulfive roll,
And Fate arreft his fordid foul!

Lo! motionlefs Attention ftands ‡,
Where to the firmament his hands
Sublime the great Inftructor rears!
While Athens, rapt in wonder, hears
Truth's energetic voice proclaim
Her unknown God's tremendous name!
Deep read in fuperftition's lore,
Behold capricious Zeal adore |
(In fublunary weeds array'd)

The fabled Gods her fears have made!

* St. Leonard's Hill, in Windfor Foreft, the refidence of the hon. general Harcourt. + Cartoon.-The death of Ananias, in the royal apartments at Windsor Castle.

Cartoon.-Paul preaching at Athens.

Cartoon.-Paul and Barnabas at Lyftra,

Those,

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Hark! from the honied lips they flow • Of Maia's Son!-Can Man difpenfe Activity to impotence?

Can energy of mortal hand

I

The fhrunk, diftorted limb expand?
Inveterate force of ills confound,
And bid the lame with transport bound?-
'Tis Jove's,the unexampled deed!
To Jove th' Ifaurian Steer fhall bleed!
To Jove the rich libations pour!
Braid in bright wreaths each blooming
flow'r,

• Swell each loud ftrain of feftive mirth,
To gratulate the Gods on earth!'
Artift fupreme! by nature taught
To clothe with life each glowing thought,
Too foon the Deftinies confpire
To quench thy pencil's glorious fire;
Too foon the foul that warm'd thy clay
Afpir'd to realms of endless day,
On wings of ecftafy, to join
Sages and faints, a band divine,
Whofe awful forms (ere death withdrew
The veil that darkens mortal view)
Heav'n bade thy penetrative eye
Amid her dazzling courts defcry;
Thence bade thee trace the faultlefs line,
Th' expreffive grace, the chafte defign,
The mien that love and awe inspires,
And wakes Devotion's pureft fires.
Thy memory, ftill to genius dear,
Britain's enlighten'd fons revere;
And grateful hail their Monarch's name,
Whofe liberal care thy labours claim:
To heights impervious heretofore
Who bids immortal fcience foar;
Far feen in venerable pride,
Whofe regal feat, expanding wide
Its portals at his high beheft,
Hails ev'ry Art an honour'd gueft:
Beneath whofe mild aufpicious reign
The Genius old of Greece again,
Awaken'd from his deep repose,
In Reynolds' living canvafs glows;
(Where Grace and Energy divine
With Beauty truly blent combine)
And braids his deathlefs bays around
The British Raffaelle's brows renown'd.
Lo by his daring hand portray'd
The fanguinary fcene difplay'd
Where martial peers, in glittering mail,
Unfold their pennons to the gale;
O'er Normandy's dismantled plains
Where iron-clad Contention reigns;
And Havock waits (his treffes wet
With gore) thy nod, Plantagenet!

Wafted from Albion's Ifle afar,
Where wake her fons the ftorm of war;
Where, ravish'd from the parent fem
the Victor's diadem,

Το
grace
Thy Lilies, France, no more affume
The fplendour of their wonted bloom;
No more with peerless luftre glow,
But foil with blood their native fnow!-

Now o'er the braid from Fancy's loom
The rich tints breathe a deeper gloom;
While, confecrated domes beneath,
Secluded from the eye of day,
Midft hoary fhrines and caves of death,
She bids her penfive votary stray :
Brooding o'er monumental cells,
Where awe-diffufing Silence dwells ;
Devotion wakes her hallow'd ftrain,
Save when along the lofty fane
When the vast Organ's breathing frame
Echoes the voice of loud acclaim,
And the deep diapafon's found
Thunders the vaulted iles around.
From the broad window's fretted height..
Streams the rich flood of mellow'd light,
That bids the pav'd expanfe below
With hues of gold and crimson glow,
Reflected from the gorgeous pane,
Where picture holds her lafting reign:
Where, in translucent glories dight,
Celestial forms arreft the fight;
Th' enraptur'd gazer's pow'rs controul
And bathe in ecftafy the foul.
While rang'd in reverend majesty,
The taper fhafts afcending high,
To decorate the crifped roof,
Their mingling branches fhoot aloof;
Where blazon'd in projecting gold,
Flame the proud crefts of Barons bold.

To LAURA MARIA.

WHEN Venus, by Jove was fent

down from the skies,

To charm filly mortals with love's fickle fnare;

The weapons she bore were a pair of blue

eyes,

Whofe darts lurk'd in ambush, to bid us, beware!

But Juno was jealous, and fuch was her

rage,

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That Prudence no longer her vengeance

controul'd;

Minerva was fent the fair nymph to en

gage,

Aud in Wifdom's dull chain the sweet forc'refs to hold.

The Victories of Edward the third, and Edward the Black Prince, painted by

Mr. Welt.

How

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For our foft poet I confefs fome fear. PROLOGUE to A DAY in TURKEY, or Perhaps you'll fay,- Two marriages for

the RUSSIAN SLAVES.

Spoken by Mr. HARLEY.

NOT from the prefent moment fprings our play,

Th' events which gave it birth are paft

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While the proud foldier in ignoble chains, Was from his country dragg'd to hoftile plains.

Thus was her bold imagination fired When battle with its horrid train retir`d; Yet, fure the story which fhe then combin'd,

Should not to drear oblivion be refign'dNo-let it till your various pations raife, And to have touch'd them, oft', has been her praise:

love!

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O, may the long adorn this chosen isle,
Where the best gifts of fate unceafing finile!

*The lines, diftinguished by Italics, are from the pen of Delia Crufcá.

When,

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