CHAP. XL.

Affairs of the continent.-Objects of imperial combination.— Catharine prepares to vifit the Crimea.—Attempts to feduce the chriftian fubjects of Turkey.-At Cherfon fhe meets her confederate Jofeph.-State of the Turkish empire.—Commotions in Egypt.-Reasons which disposed Turkey to ftrike the first blow.-Treaty of the pacha with the Mamelukes.

-Catharine propofes extenfive ceffions by Turkey to Ruffia, as the only means of fecuring peace.—Turkey indignantly rejects thefe claims;-declares war against Russia.-Manifefto.-Counter-manifefto of Ruffia.-Jofeph II. without any provecation joins Ruffia against the Turks.-Mighty preparations.-Manifefto of the emperor.-Commencement of the campaign.-The emperor takes the field.-Generous indignation of the Ottomans against the imperial aggreffor.

-Wife and skilful conduct of the vizier.-Military reforms of the emperor.-Injudicious and precipitate, they difguft his foldiers.-Operations ineffectual.-Obliged to act on the de・fenfive. The Turks overrun the Bannat.-Dismay feizes the imperial armies.-Operations of Ruffia.-Effect of the aggreffive confederacy on neighbouring ftates,-on Great Britain.-Britain refumes her character of the protector of Europe.-Thwarts the imperious defigns of Catharine.Ruffians capture Oczakow.-State of Sweden.-Interfe rence of Catharine in the internal affairs of Sweden:-Attempts to ftir up revolt against Gustavus.-The king refents this conduct.-War.-Military and naval operations.Refractory Spirit of Gustavus's officers.-Defenfive confederacy between Britain, Pruffia, and the ftates-general.-Principles of this treaty.-Different views of Mers. Fox and Pitt on this fcheme of alliance.-Internal occurrences. -Retirement of lord Mansfield from the King's-Bench.Momentous improvements during his judicial fupremacy, efpecially in mercantile larv.-Strict and liberal interpreters of the law have their respective advantages and disadvantages.

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CHAP.
XL.

1788. Affairs of

the conti

nent.

Objects of the imperial combination.

tages.-Lord Mansfield of the latter kind.-Principle of his decifions in undefined and unprecedented cafes.-The Juftinian of English commercial law.-General character.

THE

HE attention of Europe was at this time princi pally occupied by the conduct and operations of its eastern powers. The confederacy between Austria and Ruffia, originating in the causes and directed to the objects which have been already commemorated, had been long engaged in maturing its plans. Ever fince the conqueft of the Crimea, Catharine was occupied in defultory war with the Tartar tribes, adjoining her frontiers. Immenfely fuperior as the Ruffians were in force and discipline to these hordes, yet rapid irruptions annoyed those who could have eafily repelled regular warfare. Catharine propofed either to conciliate the hoftile Tartars by proffered kindness, to dazzle them by displayed magnificence, or to intimidate them by manifefted power*. The reduction, however, or pacification of thefe hordes was but a fmall part of the mighty designs, to promote which fhe deemed it expedient to vifit her late acquifition the Cherfon. This journey, planned in 1786, was executed in 1787, but before that time the Tartars produced a change in her original intention. As foon as the intended progress was known, and its believed object was reported, instead of either dazzling or ter rifying the Tartars, it became a fignal of general and immediate danger, to cement their union in the strongest manner, and urge them to the greatest poffible exertion, and determined refiftance. Catharine diminished a confiderable part of her def

Hiftory of the Reign of Catharine, vol. ii. book x.

tined fplendor, when not likely to answer her pur-
pofe, and a great portion of her military force,
which, in the war with the Tartars, could be fo
much more usefully employed elsewhere; fhe ftill
had various purposes to accomplish, by visiting the
confines of her own and the Turkish empire. She
had employed by her agents very skilful, inceffant,
and extenfive efforts, to feduce the chriftian fub-
jects of the Ottoman Porte. Mistress of the prin-
cipal country in which the Grecian faith prevails,
fhe had declared herself the friend and protectress
of the Greek church in all parts of the world; her
partizans were very numerous in the heart of the
Turkish empire, and she did not doubt, by a near
approach, to ftimulate their zeal, and roufe them
to schemes of ready co-operation *. Aware of the
imbecility of her fon and heir, fhe had refted the
hopes of talents, fimilar to her own, on the puerile
promise of her two grandfons. The fecond of these
princes received the name of Constantine, was
dreffed and educated from his childhood according
to the manner of the Greeks, and always attended
by a guard of Grecian youth, who were formed into
a corps for that purpose: in fhort, fhe endeavoured
to excite the wishes and hopes of the Greek chrif-
tians, that the empire of the east should be restored
under a prince who bore the name of its founder,
This youth fhe proposed to carry with her to the
frontiers of Turkey, but indifpofition prevented his
attendance: fhe farther defigned to infpect her new
dominions, to estimate their value, both as actual
poffeffions, and the means of farther acquifition,
While the emprefs thus pursued her grand project,
• See Annual Register, 1787.
ន 3

fhe

XL.

1788.

At Cherfon. the meets

her confede

CHAP. fhe was anxious to concert measures with Joseph, at once her confederate and tool; and for that purpose invited him to meet her at Cherfon: the king of Poland too was prefent at this congrefs. Though rate Jofeph. Stanislaus was far from being able to yield active affistance to the confederates, yet, by the pofition of his kingdom, he could afford the two empires important aid against the Ottomans, by enabling them to unite their force, and act in perfect concert along the whole line of frontier belonging to European Turkey. At this congrefs the fyftem of aggreffion appears to have been completely adjusted, although farther preparations were refolved before it fhould actually commence.

Meanwhile, report had carried to Conftantinople the intended progrefs to the Cherfon, and had represented with her ufual exaggeration the superb fplendor which was originally defigned. Catharine, it was faid, was about to be crowned emprefs of Taurida, and to be declared protectrefs or autocratrix of the nations of Tartars*. A chriftian was, by oftentatious triumph, to infult muffulmen, whom fhe had outraged by ufurpation. Were Turks fo degenerate from their ancestors, as to fuffer fuch infolence and fpoliations with impunity? Were thofe Ottomans who had kept the whole christian world in awe, now to be trampled by a power, till within this century fcarcely known in Europe? These confiderations influenced the Turks to hoftilities, in which they might have appeared precipitate, if it had not been evident that they fpeedily either must attack or be attacked themfelves. War

* Annual Register, 1786.

:

was

XL.

1788. State of the

Turkish

empire.

was now, undoubtedly, the purpose of Catharine CHA P. and Jofeph the queftion, therefore, with the Turks was, which was the wifeft time for commencement? Various circumftances in the fituation of the Turkish empire were unfavourable to war: in the northern part of the grand feignior's territories the influence of the Ruffians was not only generally great, but confpiracies were with ftrong reafon fufpected to have been formed by the governors of the two principal provinces, Moldavia and Wallachia, to join the combined empires. In the east the prince of Georgia had renounced his allegiance, and even made fuccefsful inroads into Afia Minor. The Perfians attempted hoftilities on the

fide of Baffora. In the fouth, the turbulent beys Commotions involved Egypt in civil commotions*. Thefe infur- in Egypt. rections were believed to have been fomented by the Ruffian conful at Alexandria, and were headed by Murat Bey, a Mameluke chieftain. The dreadful contests almost defolated that fertile country before any affiftance could arrive from Conftantinople. Haffan Bey, the grand admiral of the Turkish empire, being confulted, formed a project for not only crushing the prefent infurrection, but annihilating as a separate class the Mamelukes, whofe ferocity and rapacity had fo long oppreffed and plundered Egypt; and for this purpose to extinguish the order of the beys which had headed and directed these outrages, When this effential refolution fhould be effected, he intended to divide the country into five diftinct governments, under the immediate authority of the Porte, and all the officers of its new

See Annual Regifter 1786, chap. viii.

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appoint.