were very early fent to Tartary and the Ukrane, to purchase 7000 horfes for the ufe of the cavalry; a number which was foon procured in thofe wide Sarmatic and Scythian regions, whofe graffy ubounded plains feem in all ages to have been confidered as the native inheritance ef that generous animal. The demand, however, increafing with the fupply, the fame officers were immediately fent back to procure a ftill greater number. In the mean time, the troops from the moft ditant parts were in motion on their way to Bohemia, whilft clouds of Croats, and other irregular forces, who are only of ufe in actual fervice, were pufhed on in conftant fucceffion towards that kingdom; the hereditary ftates were ordered to furnish 40,000 recruits; Auftria to fupply 300,000 facks of oats; and by the end of February, public prayers were pat up in the churches of Vienna, for fuccefs to the Auftrian arms against all the enemies of that house.

It appears, however, that this point has been controverted; and that the charge of original preparation, and indication of hoftility, has been laid at the King of Pruffia's door. It is indeed a question of little confequence; each fide look every measure in its power to be prepared for every poffible event, whilft it watched with the moft jealous attention all the motions of the other; nor will it be eafily fuppofed, that if any negligence afforded a prompt opportunity of advantage, the occafion would have been overlooked by either. Upon the whole, it does not feem, from his conduft, that the King was by any means defirous of entering into a war, if it could be avoided without giving up the points in conteft; nor does it feem very probable, that the Houfe of Auftria, in the prefent fituation of affairs, carried her immediate views any farther, than to fame undefined extenfion of her dominion on the fide of Bavaria, the limits of which were only to be determined by futare circumftances and events. If the Pruffian monarch was determined to thwart her views in this purfuit, fhe was willing to abide the confequences, and was exceedingly well prepared for a war; but if his ambition fhould coincide with her own, the feemed much more difpofed to enter into fuch an amicable arrangement and partition of territory with him, as fhould, at the expence of fome of the weaker princes, afford him fome equiva

lent in one quarter for what she obtained in another.

It was generally fuppofed, that fome of the neighbouring great powers would have taken a part in this conteft, and from thence apprehended that the war might by degrees become general. The court of Ruffia is faid to have engaged with the King of Pruffia by treaty, to affift him with a ftrong body of auxiliary forces; and it is certain, that her minifter at Vienna expressed the strongest difapprobation of the conduct and pretenfions of that court. It is probable, that the expected Ruffian auxiliaries were in part retarded by the expectation of a Turkish war, and in part by the uncertainty of the event in Germany, from the negociations which we have feen had been opened, under the immediate aufpices, and through the direct correfpondence, of the great contending powers.

On the other fide, the court of Vienna is faid to have opened a negociation with that of Verfailles, for the march of a French army into Weftphalia. Whatever motives might have otherwife ope rated upon the conduct of the latter, it could fcarcely avoid being affected in the prefent inftance by that extraordinary alhance which France entered into in the beginning of the year, with the, once English, American colonies. It may, however, be a matter of doubt, what part France, in any flate of her affairs, would have taken in this business; a for. mal declaration, which her minifter has fince prefented to the diet of the Em pire being by no means favourable to the opinion, that fhe was any wife difpofed to fupport the pretenfions, or even approved of the conduct, of the court of Vienna; but, on the contrary, held out the firm refolution of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, to adhere religiously to his treaties with the Germanic body, and punctually to fulfil his guarantee of the treaty of Weftphalia; giving at the fame time an affurance, that his alliance with that court was founded merely upon thofe principles.

Upon the whole, it does not appear, that the pretenfions and conduct of the court of Vienna have been much more approved of without than within the Empire.

The King of Pruffia, after a review of that part of his army which lay in the neighbourhood of Berlin, April 5. and

which

which was then, as well as himself, on the point of fetting out for Silefia, made a fpeech to his general officers, including his brothers, which, as it was ftrongly marked with the proper character of the veteran hero by whom it was delivered, was not lefs adapted to that of the veteran chiefs to whom it was addreffed. [40. 207.]

The whole fpeech bore an air of foJemnity and ferioufnefs which feemed even to give it a cast of melancholy; but which ferved, however, fufficiently to fhew, that the ideas of war and glory did not now excite those raptures which have fo irrefiftible an impulse on the mind in the fpring of hope, and during the fummer of the paffions.

The King at the fame time ordered a prefent of money to all the officers, rifing in due proportions from the enfigns to the generals, as an affistance towards their camp-equipage, and other charges incident to taking the field. The foldiers were alfo gratified by an augmen tation of one fourth both to their pay and provifions, from the commencement of actual fervice. The artillery ordered for the fervice of the campaign, if the public accounts may be relied on, probably exceeds any thing before known in the hiftory of military tranfactions, and has been rated from 800 to 1000 pieces of cannon, Prodigious as this appears, and unmanageable as it would prove in many fituations of warfare, it was, if we credit fimilar authorities, exceeded by more than one half on the fide of the Auftrians. In a word, the preparations on both fides were fo mighty, that had the fate of the whole empire, or even that of Europe, depended on the issue of the conteft, neither the force employed, nor the means applied to, would have appeared inadequate to the importance of the fubject.

Though the electorate of Saxony had fhewn fome early figns of warlike, or at leaft of defenfive preparation, and that its troops had been affembled and encamped in the month of April towards the confines of Bohemia; yet the Elector, endeavouring to preferve his country from a repetition of that ruin by which it had been laid defolate in the two late wars, proposed to the court of Vienna the obfervation of a ftrict neutrality during the Continuance of the prefent.

This was, however, a measure of feEurity which could fçarcely be expected

That

in the prefent ftate of things. court could not poffibly avoid confidering the Elector as a principal party in the prefent conteft; and must therefore be feufible, that from the particular fitua tion of Saxony, along with the predilection in his favour which a common cause neceffarily infpired, the King of Pruffia would nearly derive every advantage from that electorate under the name of a neutrality, which it was capable of affording as a principal; whilft, under that cover, it was fheltered from many of the confequences, and Auftria cut out from many of the advantages, which might result from a state of absolute war. Nor is it to be fuppofed, that the court of Vienna was not much irritated at the defection of that favourite house from its party and interefts; which now, departing from that intimate union between the two families, so long cemented, and fo often renewed, by all the various ties of affinity, alliance, common views, interefts, and loffes, had all at once thrown itfelf into the arms of the ancient enemy of both, and the ftill hated and dreaded rival of one. The court of Vicana accordingly infifted upon fuch hard conditions as the bafis of a convention, that the confequences of declared enmity could fcarcely be worse than the effects of a neutrality under fuch terms, It was demanded, that the important fortrefs of Koningstein fhould be refigned into the hands, and continue for two years in the poffeffion, of the Auftrians; that they fhould be allowed a free paffage and navigation through every part of the electoral dominions, and that the Saxon forces should be reduced to 4000 men, The rejection of these terms could scarcely excite any furprife; and the Elector, from thence confidering himself as an inevitable party in the war, took his mea fures accordingly,

During the negociations at Berlin and Vienna, the countries of Bohemia, Silefia, Saxony, and Moravia, were gra dually covered with armed men, or o verfpread with the various apparatus and' provision of war; and as all hope of accommodation grew to an end towards the latter end of June, the Pruffian for ces were every where in motion, their Auftrian antagonists having long occupied thofe ftrong fituations in their own countries, wherein they were determi ned to fuftain the firft ruth and fury of the war,

The grand Pruffian army on the fide of Silefia was commanded by the King in perfon, where he was accompanied by his nephew, the Prince fucceffor, who had now an opportunity, not much expated, of acquiring the rudiments of , and the means of defending his fufure dominions, under the eye and tuition of that great mafter, whofe ability had increafed and exalted them to their prefent high pitch of power and fplen dour. As it fcarcely feems more neceffary to temper the rafhness of youth by the wifdom of age, than it does, in matters of war, to add an edge and fervour to the caution of years and experience, by the fpirit, activity, and love of enterprife, which characterise the former stage of life, the King was feconded in this campaign by that accomplished warrior, the hereditary Prince of Brunswick, whofe early military atchievements, and fupeor eminence in thofe qualities, had attracted the admiration of all Europe in lo great a degree during the late war. His brother, the Prince Frederick of Brunswick, and the hereditary Prince of Heffe-Caffel, alfo held commands in the royal army.

The combined army of Pruffians and Saxons, which was affembled in the

neighbourhood of Drefden, and had for its immediate object the protection of that capital and electorate, could scarcely be deemed lefs ably conducted, under the orders of the King's brother, Prince Henry, than the former. This army, fupported by a prodigious artillery, a mounting to no lefs than 400 pieces of cannon, was estimated at about 90,000 men; a force which, under fuch a leader, could hardly acknowledge a fuperiority in any oppofite combination of numbera. A third Proffian army, under the Gens Werner and Stutterheim, was formed on the fide of the Auftrian Silefia. On the other fide, nearly the whole force of the Houfe of Auftria had been drawn from every part of its extenfive dominions, and was now concentered in the kingdom of Bohemia. This force, which was principally thrown into two grand armies, has been rated, upon a loofe and undoubtedly-large calculation, at 250,000 men. The Emperor, in perion, commanded the army on the fide of Silefia, which was deftined to oppofe the enterprises of the King of Pruffia. The other grand army was under the orders of the celebrated Marshal Count Lau,

dohn; who, fpreading his front along the confines of Saxony and Lufatia, poffeffed thofe impracticable pofts and faft-" neffes, of which the mountains that feparate thofe two countries from Bohemia afford fo great a variety. A third army, under the Marquis de Botta, and fome other generals, was appointed to counteract the defigns of the Pruffians in the Upper Silelia, and on the fide of Moravia. Whatever the exact state of these armies might have been in point of numbers, it is faid, that the troops they exhibited, whether confidered with respect to military appearance, or to bodily endowments, were probably never exceeded by any affemblage of mankind.

Such were the combatants that were now to be thrown into action, and fuch the mighty force on both fides to be exhaufted, in the contention for a duchy, the fee-fimple of which, if fold at the market-rate of other eftates, would not difcharge one year's expences of the war; nor its immediate produce, probably, afford fubfiftence to the contending armies only for fo many hours as they contained thousands of fighting men.

The King, &c. [To be continued.] INTELLIGENCE EXTRAORDINARY.

WE are affured by a correfpondent,

that a truly patriotic member of the Houfe of Commons, purposes to move an inquiry into the conduct of Sir G. B. Rodney, for that he the faid Sir G. B. Rodney, being feduced thereto by the inftigation of true bravery and innate courage, and not having the fear of leefhores before his eyes, the faid Sir G. B. Rodney, contrary to the fyftem established by a great Minority Admiral, did, in tempeftuous weather, on the 16th day of January 1780, on the lee-fhore of Portugal, to wit, off Cape St Vincent, most bravely, intrepidly, and vigorously, attack the Spanish fleet commanded by Don Juan Langara, then and there being in the peace of his Moft Catholic Majefty, thereby taking five fhips of the line, deftroying feveral others, and effectually fecuring all their transports and victuallers, without giving them an opportunity of meeting him handsomely [40.387.] the next morning, or of running into their own ports, and contrary to the itatute, by Admiral Lee-fhore, in that cafe made and provided, and against the peace of his Catholic Majefty, his crown, and dignity. Lond. pap.

PAR

ner of making all contracts, and at the fame time to take into confideration what favings can be made, confiftent with public dignity, juftice, and gratitude, by a abolition of old or new created offiC, or reverfion of offices, the duties of which have either ceafed, or fhall on inry prove inadequate to the fees or other emoluments arifing therefrom, or by the reduction of such salaries or other allowances and profits as may appear to be unreasonable, that the fame may be applied to leffen the prefent ruinous expenditure, and to enable us to carry the prefent war againft the Houfe of Bourbon with that decifion and vigour which can alone refult from na final zeal, confidence, and unanimi

ty."

His Lordship faid, there were precedents for the firft refolution; alluding, we believe, to a refolution of the Houle a 1711, against the extraordinaries of the army, when the great Duke of Marl borough was commander in chief: and if the expences of fuch an army, and of fach a renowned general and statesman, were checked and contracted, why not follow the example at a time when every refource of revenue is wanted for the reftoration of the glory and ftrength of Our country? His Lordship profeffed Limfelf the fincere friend of government; for his motion went to enable them to carry on the war we have been forced in to, with vigour. His Lordship faid, he would not enter into a minute detail of the extravagant articles of expenditure under the head of Extraordinaries, but would only mention fome of the most capital.

He began with ftating the progreffive increase of the army-extraordinaries in the prefent war, from what they were in the last; and it appeared, that the armyextraordinaries have increased in the proportion of three millions to one in a comparative degree; that the prefent war has already coft England forty-two millions; that the late war coft France only forty-feven millions: and a melancholy picture for this country he exhibited of the prefent finance-operations of France. For his Lordfhip quoted two edicts; by one of which the French monarch declares, that he has refources in his hands for carrying on the war, without calling tpon his fubjects for any new taxes, not even for the old cuftomary war-taxes, fuch as the additional vingtieme, the

twentieth penny, &c. By the fecond edict a reform will be made in the finances, fomewhat fimilar to what might be eftablished here if his Lordship's motions could be carried. All the public accounts, inftead of paffing through a variety of offices at an immenfe expence, are to be paffed in one general office; by which many abufes will be corrected, and many ufelefs falaries be faved.

His Lordship next opened his complaints of the lavish expenditure of the public money under the following heads: Money remitted to North America, and unaccounted for, to the amount of four millions; Bills of Exchange drawn upon government by governors of foreign fettlements, men who went out not worth a penny, and drew upon government for 20 or 30,cool. and when called to account, had spent the money, and had nothing to refund; Extravagant contracts for rum; A new office appointed in America of Rum-tafter to the army, merely to give a man a falary. In explaining thefe particulars, his Lordship mentioned names; and thus departed from his promife of not being perfonal: which was obferved by the Lords who replied.

Lord Stormont objected to the motion; and though he declared himself ftill unprepared to follow the Noble Lord in all his accurate calculations, he thought himself juftified in his oppofition, becaufe the motion implied a cenfure without inquiry, and without ftating as a fact, that the expenditure of the public money was not already subject to check and controul. His Lordship declared against the precedent alluded to, expreffed his veneration for the character of the Duke of Marlborough, and his firm perfuafion, that, if his great military operations had not been checked by the faid refolution, and the adoption of new political measures, he would have effectually crushed the power of France, and prevented the trouble we have fince had with that ambitious power.

Lord Hillsborough followed nearly the fame line of oppofition to the motion; only adding, that every article of extraordinaries was in confequence of fome grant of parliament, and included in the votes of credit of the other House; he therefore thought the latter part of the first motion falfe in fact. As to the fecond, he confidered it as a measure cal culated to fubvert the constitution, and

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