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Altho' PERSIA be fituated in Afia, yet will it be proper to begin with that Kingdom, not because 'tis at prefent a Seat of Action, and Theatre of War; but becaufe that War will very much affect several European Powers, and influence and alter their Measures. This Kingdom had long been in a flourishing Condition; its most powerful Enemies were the Turks, who had often wag'd war against it; but the Perfians generally were Conquerors, and had taken feveral confiderable Places from the Ottomans, and this had fecured to 'em a glorious Peace. But Pride and Ambition fired the Breaft of Meriweys, a Perfian General, who arm'd himself against the Sophi his Master; and the better to colour his Designs, made use of the common Cloak, Religion. The Generality of the Perfians, and amongst 'em the Royal Family, are not of the Mahometan Sect followed by the Turks, but are Diffenters of the Sect of Hali; and Meriweys, to engage the Turks on his Side, fet up for a Muffulman, and fucceeded fo far in his Defign, that he defeated and destroy'd the old Sophi, and the greateft Part of his Family; but one of his Sons, Schab Tamas, efcap'd, who rais'd a fmall Army, and fent to beg the Affiftance of the victorious Czar of Muscovy, offering him for his Succour feveral Places in Perfia, which he readily accepted. The Turks, on the other hand, march'd an Army into Perfia under Pretence of oppofing the Muscovites, but with an Intent chiefly to retake thofe Places that had formerly been conquer'd from them, and to make what farther Progrefs they could. In the interim, the Czar dies, and the Czarina, unable to pursue her Conquefts on the other Side the Cafpian Sea, is forced to abandon the farther Designs of the late Emperor on that Side. Meriweys is put to death by some of his own Party, with Efref, who fucceeds him in Command at the Head of 'em. From hence arife new Confufions. The divided Perfians become an easy Prey to their powerful Neighbours. Every thing falls before the victorious Arms of the Ottomans; Cities furrender, and Provinces are conquer'd. They are now marching towards Ifpahan, in hopes of reducing that Metropolis, and fhortly after the whole Kingdom. The Grand Mogul is arming for its Relief; but in all Probability his Forces will come too late. This additional Power will make the Grand Signior a more formidable Prince; and the Turks flufh'd with their Succefs, and looking upon their Work in Perfia as good as finish'd, call out for the hold

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ing a Grand Divan to concert proper Measures for the carrying on a War in Europe. Which of the Imperial Powers their Deligns are againft, is unknown; but the Apprehenfion of their Arms has already alter'd the Face of Affairs in Europe, as will appear by the Sequel.

From hence let us turn our Eyes on POLAND, as on a Scene without which we neither can understand, nor unravel the Plot. Auguftus, Elector of Saxony, renounces his Religion to gain that Crown; but it proves to him a real Crown of Thorns. An unfortunate War begun against the late King of Sweden brings that Monarch with his victorious Army into Poland; and nothing lefs could fatisfy him than the dethroning King Auguftus: The Throne is declared vacant, and Stanislaus Leczinski, a Grandee of the Kingdom, is elected to fill it; but his Fortune falls with that of his Patron, and whilst the one is Prifoner at Bender, the other is forced to feek Refuge in a foreign Country. Auguftus reafcends the Throne. From hence follow perpetual Divifions, Cabals and Plots to disturb the Quiet of the Kingdom, and to make the reigning Monarch odious to his Subjects and Neighbours. The Poles are naturally very great Bigots, and notwithstanding that by feveral Treaties, efpecially by that of Oliva, they have engag'd themselves to protect the Protestants in their Rights, and the Exercise of their Religion; yet has their chief Study been to exterminate them. A religious Quarrel happens at Thorn; the Jefuits are a Party concern'd, who never fail of compaffing Revenge. The Zealots are influenc'd, and the difcontented Politicians blow the Coals. A cruel and unheard- of Sentence is pronounced against a Number of Perfons, whofe only Guilt is their being of a different Religion. The Proteftant Powers immediately appear for their innocent fuffering Brethren, and apply in their Behalf to the Emperor as a Mediator; and to the King of Poland. Both promise to do whatever lies in their Power: but fpite of that, the Sentence is executed, and that even before the Time appointed. In vain the Kings of England, Pruffia and Sweden,the States of Holland,and the late Czar of Muscovy intercede and threaten; their Bigotry makes 'em deaf to every thing; it blinds 'em, and they cannot fee the approaching Danger. On a fudden the Poles take Courage, they threaten in their turn, they make Reprifals, they

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defpife the Laws of Hofpitality, and the Refpect due to the facred Character of Ambaffadors; the Minifter of one of the most powerful Monarchs in Europe is fcarce fafe in their Court; they will make no Conceffions to the Reformed Princes, but defy 'em to do their worst.

Some late Transactions at the Court of FRANCE muft fhew us the rest of the fecret Springs which move all Europe. During the present King's Minority, he was married to the Infanta of Spain, then but three Years old; in which it is generally thought private Views were more confider'd than publick Good; and befides, the Regent had an Opportunity, by the fame Treaty with Spain, of providing for two of his Daughters; marrying the one to the Prince of Afturias, the other to Don Carlos, Infant of Spain, and Heir to the Dukedom of Parma and Placentia. But the Regent's Death breaks all thefe Measures; the Duke of Bourbon, who fucceeded him as Prime Minister, knowing of what Importance it was that the King fhou'd have Heirs, determines to provide him a more fuitable Match; and fpite of all that Spain can do, the Infanta Queen is fent back, and the Duke of Bourborn, willing to fhew more regard to the Merit and Virtues than the Fortunes of a Queen, pitches upon the Princess Mary Leczinski, the only Daughter of King Stanislaus.

SPAIN, enraged at this Affront, meditates nothing but Revenge; the Prince of Afturias, who by the voluntary Refignation of his Father had afcended the Throne of Spain, being dead, the Young Queen Dowger obtains Leave to return to her native Country. Whilft fhe is upon her Journey the Infanta is fent back; upon which the Queen receives a Meffage from the King her Father in Law requiring her to make fome Stay where fhe is, till her Sifter Madamoifelle Beaujolois the contracted Wife of the Infant Don Carlos can reach her. Thefe Princeffes are conducted to the Frontiers by fome Spanish Troops, and are exchanged there with the Infanta, who had been guarded thither by French Forces. The Princeffes proceed forwards, but the Troops remain on the Frontiers, and every Body's Eyes are fix'd upon them, expecting fome Action there; but the Commanders have an Interview, and

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come to an Agreement about fending back Deferters on both Sides: However, both the French and Spaniards continue to fortify the Frontier Places, and feem to threaten each other with Preparati ons of War.

As the Alliances between the French and Spaniards are now entirely broken, the latter feek to ftrengthen themfelves by new ones; and weary with the delay of the Congress of Cambray, and no longer caring for the Mediation of France or England (the former of whofe Ufage they very much refented, and the latter they were forming Pretenfions upon) they pitch upon a Perfon, whofe Secrefy and Fidelity they can rely upon, and fend him to the Court of Vienna, with Inftructions to conclude an Alliance with the Emperor at any rate; and it is accordingly done before any one knows there is fuch a Treaty on Foot. 'Tis uncertain whether there are any fecret Articles favourable to Spain, which time may bring to light; but by those which have been made Publick, the Emperor feems the only Gainer. The Succeffion to the Dominions in Italy and the Netherlands, is fecured to the Houfe of Auftria by a folemn Renunciation on the Part of Spain. Freedom of Commerce is granted to all the Imperialists in the Harbours of Spain, which is chiefly calculated for the Service of the Oftend India Company; and Don Carlos is to receive the eventual Inveftiture of Tuscany, Parma and Placentia, from the Emperor, as Fiefs of the Empire. Shortly after, a double Treaty of Marriage is propofed between the Crowns of Spain and Portugal, the Infanta who had been fent back by the King of France being contracted to the Prince of Brafil, and the Infanta of Portugal to the Prince of the Afturias; and this double Match threatens an Alliance ftill more dangerous: the King of Portugal is invited to come into the Treaty concluded at Vienna, which would fortify the Spanish Intereft, and extent further the Commerce of the Imperialists; but that Prince has not yet declared himself.

This Alliance feems to alarm Europe, and makes it abfolutely neceffary that fome other fhould be concluded to balance it. His Britannic Majefty goes abroad, and has an Interview with the King of Pruffia, the French Minifter attends him, and at Hanover an Alliance is concluded between thofe three Crowns; the main Design of which is a mutual Guarantee for the Defence of all the Dominions now in Poffeffion of any of the Allies, and of all their Rights, &c. And if any one of the contracting Powers fuffers

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from any Hoftility committed by another Power, they are all to join in procuring him Satisfaction and Juftice. And as to the Treaty of Oliva, the three Powers being Guarantees, they all promise to use the strongest Remonftrances poffible to obtain Satisfaction for what has been done contrary to that Treaty.

To these two Treaties are all the Powers of Europe invited. Had the Czar lived till then, 'tis eafily known to which of 'em he would have acceded; but his Death caus'd a confiderable Altera-tion in the Affairs of Europe. At firft the Czarina appears very warm in the Proteftant Intereft; fhe threatens, fhe arms, and every body thinks her in Earneft; but foon after she grows cool, her Threats end in an Alliance with Poland and the Emperor, and her warlike Preparations are now turn'd for the Defence of that Kingdom, against which they were at first thought to be defign'd. The Reasons of the Czar's joining with the Proteftants, and the Czarina's forfaking 'em, are very vifible. The Czar was a powerful Prince; he had made an Alliance with Turky; this, join'd to his Victories on the Cafpian Sea, left him nothing to fear on that Side; his Navy was prodigiously increas'd; which made him not doubt but he was able to reftore his future Son-in-Law to the Dutchy of Holftein, and one Day to fet him upon the Throne of Sweden. He had fome Pretenfions upon Poland, and had Forces enough to fupport 'em; but in the midst of all this he dies. Affairs take a new Turn in Perfia; the Muscovites remain on the Defenfive and the Turks make great Progreffes. What has she not to fear from 'em after the Reduction of Perfia? And what Alliance can be of fo great Service to her against the Turks, as one with Poland and the Emperor. Befides, in the late War the Czar conquer❜d many Places, which to balance the Power of the North ought to have been restored: Who knows, but that fome of the Proteftant Powers, after having reduced the Poles to Reafon, might have turn'd their Arms against her, to retake thofe Places, which feem'd very neceffary for fecuring a more lafting Peace on that Side? Nor are indeed her Pretenfions upon Poland the most important; those upon Holftein in Favour of her Son-in-law, and the Defire fhe has of obtaining a free Paffage thro' the Sound, seem at prefent to require all her Attention.

As for the King of DEN MARK, 'tis probable he'll accede to neither of the Treaties; the Czarina's whole Design feeming to

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