Why then should we withhold from a modern the praise so juftly due to him not only as a GENERAL, but as a MAN?

We are now to attend to the Polish partition: a measure, of which the King of Pruffia is faid to have been the projector. As the tranfaction is fufficiently recent, we fhall merely tranfcribe Our Author's concluding reflections on it.

A more flagrant act of injuftice, oppreffion, and tyranny, has feldom appeared in the hiftory of mankind, than the partition of Poland. It was unvarnished by any specious pretences, or plausible appearances. The manifeftos iffued by the ufurping powers on the occafion, were too futile, and too palpably ridiculous, to impofe even on the groffeft understanding. As to the King of Pruffia, the partition was a measure perfectly fuitable to the favourite object of his ambition, the aggrandizement of his dominions; and when this was the point in view, juftice and injuftice were trifling confiderations. Count Hertzberg has afferted that, of thefe claims, that of the King of Pruffia was the beft founded. Of three fuch claims, it may be difficult to determine, which was the most iniquitous. This, however, may be certainly determined, that none of the claims had the leaft foundation in juftice, trath, or reafon. They originated in unprincipled ambition, and were enforced in a manner that ought never to be spoken of but in terms of indignation, while any sense of vice or virtue fhall remain among mankind.'

With regard to the partition of Poland, which our Author exclaims against with fo much vehemence, we must own that the act appears not to be altogether juftifiable. It fhould, however, be remembered, that Polish Pruffia (the district which Frederick pretended to) originally belonged to the Pruffians, who were fucceeded by the Teutonic Knights, to whom the country was affigned by the Pope for their fervices in the Holy Wars;the Prumans being at that time (anno 1200) Pagans; and the See of Rome claiming a right to the difpofal of their eftates. After various revolutions, it was ultimately vefted in the Polish crown. Frederick, however, laid claim to it; and in doing this, the confederacy of the court of Saxony with that of Vienna, and of which we have already fpoken, was probably not forgotten, although the meafure of a former reign.

Thus, having curforily remarked on the principal incidents in the hiftory of the Northern Hero; and which, as they are faid to have been conducive to the troubles fo long fubfifting in Germany, are yet deferving a more particular inveftigation;we have now to express our approbation of the manner in which the ingenious Dr. Towers has arranged the materials of his work, and of the ftyle in which it is compofed. We can only lament,

*The great number of anecdotes, or rather hiftories, of different perfons who were patronized by the K. of P. or with whom he was connected, and which are given in the margin, do indeed fomewhat

inter

lament, that a writer fo well qualified to do juftice to the character of one of the firft among princes, fhould not have examined and inquired into caufes, inftead of fimply reporting or animadverting on known events. He has quoted freely, and by way of authority, from the Memoires de Voltaire, écrits par luimeme; but in this he is rather faulty. Many of the cir cumftances there recorded are known to be falfe, while others, which have fome foundation in truth, are confiderably heightened and aggravated when they make in any fort against the character of Frederick. Voltaire's quarrel with the King of Pruffia was really ferious, and he has given way to the emotions of spleen and rancour whenever he had occafion to speak of him. The grand, the principal object of the Hiftorian is TRUTH. This he thould endeavour to find, though "hid within the centre." It is popularly faid to lie in a well: Dr. Towers feldom defcends to the bottom of the well in fearch of it.

The extracts which we have given from this performance will fufficiently prove to the Reader that almoft every action of the Pruffian monarch is, in the opinion of its writer, to be attributed to a love of conqueft, or the want of a proper sense of juftice and humanity. But though he erected not a temple to Terminus, nor facrificed to that wooden Deity, he yet was not oppreffive toward his neighbours. It is infinuated indeed, that the principles and actions of Frederick were at variance, because he had maintained, in his Anti-Machiavel," that the new con→ quests of a fovereign do not render the dominions he poffeffed before more opulent nor more profperous;" and that "his former fubjects are no way benefited by them." This he certainly faid, and this he as certainly thought. The fact is, he appears not to have been fo fond of making "new conquefts" as of preferving to himself (and when negociation had entirely_failed) territories which were properly his own. But that our Readers may judge for themfelves in what degree the monarch loved, and was beloved by, his people, we will transcribe the account of his return to Berlin, as well at the fettling of the peace of Drefden, as after the feven years German war.

After the peace of Drefden was concluded, the Pruffian troops evacuated Saxony, and Frederick returned immediately to Berlin, where he was received by his fubjects with loud acclamations. On the day that he entered the city, he was met, about fix miles from

interrupt the courfe of the narrative; but this, perhaps, will not be generally objected to, as the people are for the most part of confiderable note either in the world of letters or of arms.

it, by great numbers of citizens of Berlin and others on horfeback, marshalled in companies, who attended him to his palace. The King fat in an open phaeton, and was accompanied by his two brothers, the Prince of Pruffia, and Prince Henry. The number of fpectators who furrounded the carriage was fo great, that the horfes could advance only step by step, and the folemnity of their pace added to the dignity of this triumphant entry. Great numbers of coaches filled with nobility and gentry, who came to meet the King, had now joined the proceffion. The air refounded with the acclamations of the people, who cried out, " Long live the King; long live FREDERICK THE GREAT." Frederick faluted the fpectators on the right and on the left, and faid to thofe who eagerly crowded to fee him, "Do not prefs each other, my children. Take care of yourfelves, that the horfes may not trample on you, and that no accident may happen." In his whole behaviour on this occafion, the King exhibited the utmost mildness, gentlenefs, and affability, and feemed to be under the influence of the greatest affection for his people.'

The following inftance of his tenderness, and friendly attachment, can never be too particularly extolled.

The King now received information, that M. Dahan, who had been one of his preceptors, lay at the point of death. And notwithstanding the general joy and exultation, Frederick quitted the pomp of the court, and the triumph of the city, that he might perform the laft offices of humanity to his old preceptor. He ordered his carriage to be driven to the houfe of M. Dahan, which was fituated in a kind of court, the houfes of which were fo crowded with lamps, in confequence of the general illumination, that when the King and his brothers entered the fick man's chamber, it was found neceffary, on account of the heat, though in the depth of winter, to open the windows. "It was an affecting fight," fays Bielfied, "to fee a dying man, in the midst of a brilliant illumination, furrounded by princes, and vifited by a triumphant monarch, who, in the midst of the inceffant clamour of exultation, fought only to alleviate the fick man's pangs, participating of his diftrefs, and reflecting upon the vanity of all human grandeur."

Peace being now completely eftablished by the treaty of Hubertfburg, Frederick returned once more to his capital, from whick he had been abfent more than fix years. He arrived at his palace at Berlin on the 30th of March 1763. He was received by the princes of the blood, foreign minifters, and principal nobility, who were affembled on the occafion. Rejoicings and illuminations were continued in the city for feveral days after his arrival; and on the 4th of April, at eight o'clock at night, he went through most of the treets of Berlin, in an open chariot, accompanied by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, in order to view the illuminations and the devices that were invented to celebrate his victories. On this occafion, as well as at his arrival, he was every where faluted with loud and general acclamations of "Long live our King and Father," to which he replied, "Long live my dear Subjects, my beloved Children.'

In 1768, Frederick made a donation of three hundred thoufand crowns to the inhabitants of Silefia. This money was diftributed among thofe perfons, who, by the confequences of the late war, or by other unfortunate events, had been reduced to the neceffity of contracting debts, or mortgaging their eftates. From the fettling of the peace of Hubertfburg, indeed, liberality became a fixed principle in the breaft of this magnanimous Prince. He was ever after particularly affiduous (as we gather from Count Hertzberg's Differtation) in the promotion of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce. "The King," fays that noble and excellent Author-" not only rebuilt the villages and farms which had fallen into decay, but alfo caufed new ones to be erected, especially in the neighbourhood of rivers. The greatest part of these rivers having overflowed their banks, and overwhelmed much fertile ground, he found means to confine them within their proper bounds; and by thus preventing inundations, he recovered many acres of excellent arable and pasture land, which he gave to foreign fettlers, on condition that they fhould build and ftock their farms: and to encourage them to do this, he granted them, for a number of years, an exemption from taxes, and from military fervice. This was particularly done along the banks of the rivers Netz and Wartha, from Driefen to Cuftrin; by which 120,000 acres were recovered from the encroachments of those rivers, and in which three thoufand families obtained fettlements. The fame was effected on the banks of the Oder, from Cuftrin to Oderberg, along the Havel and the Elbe, round the great lake of Maduc in Pomerania, and in the marche of Fiener in the province of Magdeburg; and alfo in the environs of Potídam, and in a great number of other places throughout the provinces.-On thefe newly recovered lands the King built between five and fix hundred villages and hamlets, and established more than 42,000 families." It may here be proper to remark, that there was iffued from his treasury, during a period of about five and twenty years, the fum of fifty millions of German crowns; the whole of which was expended in the above related eftablishments, and other acts of munificence truly befitting a king.

We here beg leave to afk;-How do thefe particulars agree with our Author's general account? Will it be admitted by pofterity, that Frederick the Second of Pruffia was more characterized by craft and fubtilty, than by generofity and true dignity of mind: that the taxes impofed by him were for the following pu poles; that he might be enabled to support an enormous army, enflave his own fubjects, and keep his neighbours in perpetual alarm;' or that he could occafionally be guilty of great cruelty?" But there is no neceflity for enlarging on the matter. These affertions are fufficiently confuted by the very narrative which Dr. Towers

Kk 3

himself

himself has given of the laft twenty years of the reign of Fre derick; in which his love of literature and fcience, together with his attention to the peaceful arts, and to the well-being and profperity of the Pruffian nation, are particularly seen.

We have been led into the preceding remarks not from any want of respect for the abilities of Dr. Towers, which we know to be confiderable; but from an earnest defire of rescuing the memory of the Pruffian monarch from the obloquy which would probably be thrown on it by an implicit reliance on this his hiftorian; who, in like manner with Theopompus, is too much given to detraction, and who has taken too many things upon truft +.

Frederick has been compared, by his admirers, with fundry of the heroes of antiquity. To fum up his character in a word, we would liken him, above all others, to Trajan (optimus princeps) both for civil and military virtues. And well, we think, he might repeat with that Emperor, "Am not I, O Jupiter! who was eminently mild to my fubjects and formidable to my enemies, and who revered your divine daughter Philofophy, justly entitled to fuperior honours, and even to the first rank t.'

ART. III. Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, Nos. 43, 44, and 45. 4to. Nichols. 1787.

M

R. Nichols prosecutes this undertaking with a remarkable attention and rapidity. The number now before us (No. 43 $) prefents us, firft, with the hiftory of Afton Flamvile, and Burbach, each of them villages in the county of Leicefter, and not very diftant from the town of Hinckley. The name of the former, Afton or Efton, fignifies, we fuppole, Eaft-town, with the addition of a farther word from the family of the Flamviles, said to be its lords in the 11th century. From Flamwile this manor paffed, in the year 1400, by marriage, to the Turviles, with which name it remained till the beginning of the prefent century, when it was purchased by Jofeph Cradock, Efq. a wealthy hofier of Leicester; from whom it has defcended to its prefent owner Edmund Cradock Hartopp, Efq.

* "Theopompus et Timæus duo maledicentiffimi." Corn. Nep. in Alcib.

+ "Let your manner of diftributing praife and blame be always guarded, impartial, and manly, accompanied with fuitable proofs diftributed briefly and feasonably." Lucian on the manner of writing History.

See the Cefars of the Emperor Julian-In which work, Trajan is feigned to contend with other illuftrious perfonages for pre-emi

nence.

$ Price gs. Mr. Nichols is the author.

The