counts do not accord with fubfequent well-fupported circumftances; and it seems probable that he only pretended that his new miffion was intended to reform the doctrines, and to fupply the deficiencies of the former, with fuch additions as the prefent ftate of mankind required, and the new lights communicated to him prescribed; but at the fame time affuming greater powers, as the laft prophet, than had been communicated to the former, or to any other; for it is to be remembered that the fcriptures, especially the old, form much of the groundwork for all Mahometan reformers and prophets. It is alfo probable that the impoftor's doctrines and pretenfions varied according to circumftances, the effect which he found they produced, and the condition or temper of his hearers; that the language which he held with the Turkish theologians was probably very different from that ufed to his barbarous followers; and that, even among them, great myfteries were reserved for the chofen few.

The wide and defolate regions bordering on the Cafpian fea were for various caufes, particularly their remoteness, the diverfity and weaknefs of their governments, with the ignorance and fuperftition of the people, the beft chofen fcene for he new prophet's exhibition that perhaps the world in the prefent day could have afforded. He had ac cordingly made a confiderable progrefs in his undertaking before he was heard of at Conftantinople, and then he was reprefented as being already at the head of a multitude of armed enthufiafts, and that he intended nothing lefs than the fubverfion of the established religion.

In the prefent convulfed and dif ordered ftate of the empire this intelligence could not but caufe much alarm to the Porte; they were not ignorant of the effect which a pretended revelation from heaven night produce in countries fo prone to religious delufion; and they knew that the restless temper of thefe barbarous nations rendered them at all times ready to follow any leader, without even the pretence of religion, who held out profpects of war and spoil to them. The innumerable fects into which the Mahometan religion is fplit, and the extraordinary opinions held by many of them, feemed likewise to open the way for any bold innovator, who pretended to new lights, and an extraordinary fanctity, to accomplish a dangerous revolution.

Orders were accordingly dif patched to the Turkish commanders in Armenia and the adjoining countries, to be ftudiously upon their guard against the defigns of the impoftor; and at the fame time that they narrowly watched his motions and conduct, and endeavoured to penetrate into his real character and defigns, to abftain from any wanton outrage against him or his follow

ers.

Turkish divines and theologians were likewife commiffioned to confer with him, to enquire into his religious opinions, and particularly into the objects of his pretended miffion. The remoteness of the fcene, with the difficulties of communication, and of obtaining intelligence in thefe wafte and wide countries, whofe limits are fcarcely known by their immediate rulers, occafioned long anxious expectation at Conftantinople for the refult of thefe enquiries. It however at length appeared, that the prophet

had

had given full fatisfaction to the deputed divines on the fubject of religion, and the orthodoxy of his principles; but what was of infinitely more importance than his religious tenets, it was at the fame time discovered, that all the military fury of his zeal was directed against the Chriftians; they being the infidels, whose converfion being hopeless, rendered their extermination neceffary.

This intelligence was foon farther confirmed, by the new faint's commencing, at the head of his followers, a fierce war against the Georgians; and they being allied with the Ruffians, and his enmity being directed equally againft all Chriftians, this original object of alarm foon became an useful inftrument of the Turkish government. For he founded the alarm among the Leffghis, and all the other nations of Caucafean Tartars (who have in all ages been among the fierceft, braveft, and moft independent of mankind) of the danger to which their religion and liberties were expofed, through the power and near approach of the Ruffians; and thus contributed to the forming of a general combination against them, at a time when the Porte, from the critical fituation of her affairs, however dangerous and fatal fhe knew their progrefs in that quarter would be to her interefts and fafety, could not venture to make any direct oppofition to their defigns.

Among the other extraordinary conceffions which the emperor extorted from the Porte, not as the price of his friendship (for that was not even pretended) but merely of his prefent quiefcence, none could be more fingular in the conception,

or extravagantly unreasonable and unjuft in the demand, than that of his requiring payment at Conftantinople for the loffes which his fubjects had fuftained from the piracies of the Barbary ftates, together with the restoration of the captives; and a peremptory requifition that they fhould in future be entirely freed from their depredations. It was in vain fhewn that the grand fignior held no fuch authority at present over those states as could in any degree enable him to reftrain their piracies, or even warrant his making fuch a demand upon them; that he was not in a condition to compel them to any measures which were contrary to their own interes or likings; but that, if it had been otherwife, it would be as contrary to juftice as to reason, that, having no complaint against them himself, he should enter into fuch a war on the account of another; that the idea of his being anfwerable for their piracies, and making good the loffes fuftained by them, was fo extravagant in its nature, that it could fcarcely be fuppofed it was feriously adopted.

The arrogance of power on the one fide, and a fearful fenfe of it on the other, could not but produce humiliating effects. The Barbary ftates have, of late years, shaken off almost every appearance of depen dance on the Porte, (nor was that at any time fo perfect as to restrain their piracies) and the Algerines not long fince refufed, with the greatest infolence, to pay a fmall cuftomary tribute upon the acceffion of a new dey. Yet the grand fignior found himself under the neceffity of fuing to his old vaffals to afford that fecurity to the emperor's new commerce at Triefte and

[D] 3

Fiume,

Fiume, (who had not a fingle ship or frigate of war for its protection) which the old trading powers of the Mediterranean, poffeffed of confiderable naval force, cannot procure for themselves. It cannot be doubted that fome respect for paft dignity, a regard to the general interefts and fecurity of the Mahometan religion, with a confideration of the fhaken and critical state of the Ottoman empire, were the motives that operated with the piratical ftates of Barbary in granting a peace to the emperor's fubjects.

We have before taken notice of the progrefs which arts and general knowledge are making in Conftantinople, and that the grand fignior had himself ordered the erection of printing-preffes. He has fince gone farther, and has ordered editions of the Ottoman History, and of feveral useful and valuable works, to be printed at his own expence.

It was not, however, to be expected, that the new experiments and phyfical discoveries with respect to air, and the means of human conveyance through it, fhould have yet reached that capital, which had fo long been wrapped in the feemingly impenetrable gloom of-indolence and ignorance, and where a ftupid pride fhut out the means of information, and feemed even to feal up the fources of curiofity. It was as little to be expected, that whenever fuch knowledge was communicated, or its effect difplayed, the artist or adventurer fhould not have been a native of the Western world.

But, contrary to all fpeculation on that fubject, a Perfian phyfician had the honour to be the first aeronaut, who not only attempted but fuccefsfully accomplished the pur

pose of afcending into the regions of the clouds at Conftantinople. Though this Eaftern philofopher, undoubtedly, derived his knowledge from the numberless experiments made in France and England, yet, confidering the frequent failures which occurred in both, and the great expence which conftantly attends thefe projects, the facility with which he conftructed and filled with gas, or air, a balloon of great fize, without fubfcription or fupport of any kind, is not a little furprizing. His ingenuity and courage were, however, amply rewarded in the event. In the prefence of the grand fignior and his principal officers, he, accompanied with two gentlemen of the court, afcended into the air from the grand terrace, which had been elegantly decorated for the purpose. They had previously paid their respects perfonally to the fultan, who prefented each of them with a rich pelice, which they triumphantly wore in the afcent. Nothing could be more flattering to the aeronauts, or more magnificent, than the fight which they had to contemplate; all the inhabitants of that imperial city gazing and loft in admiration, and the forbidden beautiful gardens of the feraglio open to view, and filled with the fultanas and ladies in their richest habits. They paffed over into Afia, and came profperoufly to ground at about 30 leagues diftance from the capital, after furveying one of the most beautiful and most delightful countries in the univerfe. After a knowledge of the terrors which the fight of balloons have impreffed on the minds of the people in the philofophical countries of England and France, we may form fome idea of the effect which this produced on

the

the Afiatic fide of the Hellefpont, at fuch a distance from the capital. But the Mahometans were ftruck with peculiar and inexpreffible dread and horror, under the fuppofition that their prophet was coming to take vengeance for their manifold offences. In this terror they prof. trated themselves every where upon the earth; and it was with the utmoft difficulty that the aeronauts could fo far undeceive a few of the moft fenfible and courageous, as to procare affistance for fecuring the balloon. The aeronauts were treated with the greatest marks of diftinction and honour upon their return to court, and most nobly rewarded, particularly the Perfian phyfician, by the grand fignior; who likewife ordered the balloon to be hung up in the church of St. Sophia as a perpetual memorial of fo wonderful an event.

At the fame time that this adventure excited fo much pleasure, and was fo amply rewarded at Conftantinople, fuch is the difference of tate and opinion, that the proffered exertions of one of the most eminent aerial voyagers were rejected by the emperor of Germany and the Pruffian monarch; and all attempts of the kind were abfolutely forbidden by the empress of Ruffia in any part of her dominions. The refufal of thefe great princes was founded on the inutility of the difcovery, and the fatal confequences to which thefe voyages were liable, and with which they had already been attended. The great expence which they occafioned, and the lofs of time and idleness which they excited among the people, were undoubtedly, though not specified, among the operating caufes of rejection with these prudent princes.

In the beginning of the year 1784, an unexpected ministerial revolution took place in Denmark. It was not, however, attended with any other confequences, than that of a reform or change in the councils and government of that kingdom. The queen dowager, who is a princefs of the houfe of Brunfwick Wolfenbuttle, and who in common with her family is poffeffed of no fmall share of spirit and ability, is almoft neceffarily fond of power, and ftrongly addicted to ftate intrigue. Her being a fecond wife, perhaps, enabled her to acquire the greater degree of influence in the late reign, and other circumstances afforded her an opportunity not only of retaining but increafing it in the prefent. This fondness for power, and the jealoufy atttendant on it, were generally fupposed to have operated principally in producing that fatal revolution, in which the late unfortunate queen Carolina Matilda was the chief victim, but in which two of the ruling minifters and favourites perifhed, under circumftances of fuch inhuman cruelty, as ftruck all Europe with horror. The nation has fince been funk in a degrading state of apathy, and feemed almost entirely to have loft its rank in the estimation and confideration of the other powers of Europe.

That bloody catastrophe ferved to eftablish the power of the queen dowager beyond all controul, and beyond the probability of its being fhaken. She had filled the great offices of ftate with her adherents. and favourites; and the infant fon of the unhappy Matilda being little thought of, and the probabilities against his life at that tender age being confiderable, her fon prince [D] 4 Frederic

Frederic (the king's half brother), who was already arrived at manhood, was looked up to as the prefumptive fucceffor to the throne: fo that all things feemed to concur in fecuring her influence and authority for life; as they feemed firmly fixed for the prefent, and they could not be expected to fuffer any diminution under the future government of an only fon, brought up under her own tuition and maxims.

But time, which, though the great destroyer, is likewife the great renovator of all fublunary things, was preparing to throw a fudden cloud over all these bright and flattering profpects. The late infant prince royal was approaching faft to maturity, and befides thofe pleafing embellishments incident to the vigour of youth and a good conftitution, afforded indications of other qualities which, though highly grateful to the people at large, were particularly flattering to the hopes of the friends and partizans of his mother; and that defcription including all those who had either fuffered themfelves through the confequences of the late revolution, or who refented the injuries of their friends who had, together with all fuch who were diffatisfied, upon whatever account, with the prefent conduct of public affairs, the party could not but be numerous.

Upon the opening Jan. 1784. of his 17th year, the prince appeared with fuch uncommonly early accomplishments, and difplayed fuch forward and manly talents and abilities, that he became the hope and darling object of the nation. We are not fufficiently masters of the fubject, to be able to give any detail of the pre

vious meafures which he pursued for the overthrow of the junto, who, under the name of the cabinet, or council of ftate, were the oftenfible directors of the affairs of the kingdom; the event, however, fhews, that he derived every benefit from his own popularity, and from the odium under which the ruling powers laboured on account of the fate of his mother, for the accomplishment of his purpose; and it is evident that his meafures were judicious, and his councils (from whatever quarter derived) prudent and wife. That darkness which ever prevails in defpotic courts renders us equally incapable of determining whether the king took a previous, or any active share in the bufinefs; or whether he only gave a fanction and confirmation to what was already done.

However these things April 14th. were, the firft great point publicly attained by the prince was his being declared major, and his taking his place at the head of the council-board accordingly. This was the immediate prelude to the diffolution of the junto, who seemed to have no intimation of their approaching fate, until they were informed by the prince, that the king his father had no farther occafion for their fervices. At the same time all the public departments received notice, that they were not to acknowledge or obey any orders from the late cabinet; and an ordinance was immediately published, that no orders from the council of ftate were in future to be received or confidered as valid, which had not been previously reported to the king, figned by him, and counterfigned by the prince royal. This was followed by the late minifters,

the