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All Things being agreed on, and all Prelimina ries fettled, the Treaty was finally ratified and confirmed by Sultan Amurath on one Part, and Uladiflaus on the other, who mutually fwore folemnly, the firft on the Alcoran, the latter on the Evangelifts, to obferve it inviolably. Accordingly, the Turk, as had been ftipulated, fent away Orders forthwith for withdrawing his Garrifons out of the several For treffes that were to be delivered up, and the Money was already paid; when young Uladislaus, by the Inftigation of the Cardinal de Medicis, and Cardinal Julian, the latter of whom, by virtue of his Authority as Legate to the Pope, undertook to abfolve him from his Oath, is perfwaded to break the Peace; which they reprefented to him as not fufficiently beneficial, nor even lawful, inafmuch as no Peace ought to have been made with Infidels by any Prince who was a Chriftian.

Thus inftigated by these Emiffaries of his Holy Father, who pretended to fanctify Perjury, and incited alfo by fome other Chriftian, or rather Antichriftian Princes, who expected to find their own Account in the Continuance of the War, the young King again takes the Field, and renews Hoftilities with more Fury than ever, against an Enemy, who relying on the Faith of Treaties, and far from expecting any fuch Perfidy, had paffed over in full Security into Afia, where fome Affairs of Importance required his Prefence. News, however, of this Rupture, being foon fent thither after him, he again croffes over into Europe, with all Expedition, highly exafperated at such a notorious Violation of public Faith, and fully determined, if poffible, to take ample Revenge for it. Accordingly, he marches forwards, at the Head of a numerous Army against Uladislaus, who by this Time was advanced as far as Varna,

There

There the two Powers coming within Sight of each other, a bloody Battle enfued, which was for fome Time obftinately difputed on both Sides; however, the Hungarians at length got the better, drove the Infidels every where before them, and a total Overthrow was on the Point of following. This Amurath perceiving, and obferving the Reprefentation of Chrift Crucified in the waving Colours of the Hungarians, drew the Treaty fo lately fworn to, and fo perfidioufly broken, out of his Bofom, and cafting up his Eyes to Heaven, Behold, thou crucified CHRIST, faid he, this League, which thy Chriftians have made with me lately in thy Name, and now violated without any Caufe. If thou art, therefore, a God, as they affirm thee to be, and as we our felves have fome faint Idea, revenge the Affront offered to thy Name, and the Injustice done to me, by fhewing thy Power upon thy perjured People, who by their Actions openly deny thee.

Scarce had the Sultan uttered this pathetic and powerful Adjuration, when the Face of Affairs was vifibly changed in an Inftant; the flying Turks rally, and returning to the Onfet with a fupernatural Fury, not only repulfe their Conquerors, but carry all before them, and give the Hungarians a total Defeat, but few of them elcaping from the Field of Battle. Amongst the Slain was not only Uladislaus himself, whofe lead was cut off by a Janizary, and ftuck upon the End of a Spear, but Cardinal Julian alfo, that wicked Legate, who by his impious Sollicitations, and audacious Profaneness, in pretending to difpenfe with folemn Vows, had been' the Occafion of fo much Blood and Slaughter. An inftructive Leffon this, to all Chriftian Princes, to be careful how they trifle with Oaths, left they fhould meet with the like deplorable End.

Nor have we been without Examples, even in

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Our

our Days, of the Danger of being guilty of this heinous Sin, in the Perfon of the late Emperor Charles the VI. of the Queen of Spain, of the prefent Empress, of the King of Poland, and of certain other European Powers. Firft, then, as to the Emperor Charles the VI. that great Prince, who was endued with many good Qualities, but unfortunately tainted with that common Vice of Sovereigns, an Ambition of extending his Territories, had put an honourable End to a long and fuccefsful War by the Treaty of Radftadt; which, though by reafon of Great Britain's having clapped up a feparate Peace, it was not near fo advantageous as might have been obtained before that unfortunate Event; or would indeed have been concluded, (had it not been for the infatiable Avarice of the Duke of Marlborough, and the inordinate Defire of the Dutch to enlarge their Barrier unreasonably at the Ex-pence of this Nation,) fo long before as at Gertruydeng, left him in quiet Poffeffion of wide extended Dominions, and fufficiently powerful, by the Help of his Allies, not only to make Head againft his Enemies, but even to humble them effectually, and carry the War into their own Countries, fhould they offer to attack him in any Part.

In effect, fo fenfible was his Imperial Majefty of his own Strength, that it proved fatal to him, by lulling him into a falfe Security, and inducing him to throw off that Regard to his old Ailies they had well deferved at his Hands, which was the first Step towards his Ruin Firft, He impolitically dif obliged the King of Sardinia, by forcing him in a manner to a disadvantageous Exchange of Sicily, which had been procured for him at the Treaty of Utrecht, for Sardinia, This Incroachment on the Right of another, laid the Foundation for a formidable Invafion of Sicily foon after by the Spaniards, when that Ifland would have fallen into their Hands, had not we stood in the Gap, and put an End to

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their Conquefts, by the total Defeat of their Fleet in 1718.

But notwithstanding this narrow Efcape, the Em peror, as if infatuated, inftead of taking Warning thereby, proceeds yet further, and by an unfeafo nable Stiffness, in refufing a certain Inveftiture, which was but a Matter of mere Form, and fetting up the Oflend Company, not only difobliged our Sovereign, but the whole British Nation, together with the States of Holland, and the King of France. And to fay the Truth, it was but a fcurvy Return, for all the Blood and Treasure lavished by the Englife in his Quarret in Queen Anne's Reign, befides the recent Service he had received from them, in recovering for him the fertile Ifland of Sicily, and thereby fecuring to him the Kingdom of Naples, which must have followed of course.

In fhort, it was an irretrievable Miftake, for tho the Affair of the Company was foon given up, it was too late to regain our intire Confidence; for the Minifter who then had the Direction of Affairs, and who, if he was not an actual Penfioner of France, which there is great Reafon to fufpect, was, at leaft, fo much afraid of a Rupture with her, or fo much the Dupe of Cardinal Fleury's Profeffions, that he ferved him to all Intents and Purpofes as effectually as if he was fo, not only made ufe of the Pretence of the formidable Power of the Houfe of Auftria, to avoid affording them that Affiftance to which we were bound by folemn Trea. ties, but even to enter into a Confederacy with France against them. The Dutch likewife, being cooled in their Affection for that Family, by the late Attempt to fet up an East India Company in the Auftrian Dominions, became intirely indifferent as to what befel them, infomuch that they were left deftitute of any Allies, to fupport themselves fingly against all their Enemies. H 3

This

This was an Opportunity that had long been carneftly wished for; it was, therefore, no Wonder it was readily and even greedily laid hold on, the firft plaufible Pretence that offered; which was in the Year 1733, upon the Death of the late King Auguftus of Poland: An Event which had been long expected, and for which France had been accordingly long providing. And, in effect, the firft Step that Court took thereupon, was to fet up Stanislaus, Father-in-law to Lewis XV. as a Candidate for the Polish Crown. Now hereby they laid an almoft inevitable Snare for the Emperor, into which it was fcarce poffible for him to avoid falling. On one hand, if he opposed the Election of Stanislaus, now fo nearly allied to the French King, it was to be reprefented as an unpardonable Affront, which that Monarch could not in Honour put up: On the other hand, if he fuffered him to be quietly chofen, and advanced to that Throne, he would be hemmed in, in a manner, by France, and her Allies, who would at any Time have an Opportunity of pouring their Troops in upon him on every Side. What could the Emperor do in fo perplexing an Alternative? He wifely chofe the jufteft and most prudent, which was, to leave the Poles in Poffeffion of their native Right of electing their own Monarhs, without intermeddling therewith, any otherwife than by revailing on Prince Lubomirski, to throw, his Intereft into the Scale of the other Candidate, namely, Auguftus, the prefent Sovereign of Poland, and Son to the late King.

France, therefore, being left at Liberty to promote the Advancement of Stanislaus as much as fhe pleased, without Oppofition from the Emperor, it was plain fhe could have no reasonable Ground of Complaint against him, whether the fucceeded therein or not. Nevertheless, on the Cza rina's interpofing in Behalf of Auguftus, and backing that Interpofition with a ftrong Body of Troops,

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