We wish that he could be induced to act in a manner equally worthy the monarch of a free people, in prohibiting all his subjects, under the severest penalties, from engagining the Slave Trade, which is carried on to a more fearful extent, and under circumstances of greater atrocity by the Portuguese, than by any other European nation. A day of reckoning will, however, come, and fearful will be the vengeance taken for the cruelty which, in two vessels alone, could doom 360 human beings to a lingering death. The establishment of trial by jury in criminal as in civil cases, promises well for the continuance of the liberties of the Portuguese people; we only fear for the liberty of the King, whose situation seems not to be a very enviable

one.

The NEAPOLITANS complain, and not, it would seem, without abundant reason, of the influence of Austria at their Court, to which several rigorous measures, lately resorted to, are principally ascribed. The troops of the Emperor in Italy have not been reduced, but, on the contrary, are expected to be increased. Naples and Sicily have followed the example of the Austrian Government in Italy, in forbidding any of its subjects to join the standard of the Greeks. The King has, by a royal decree, re-established the order of Jesuits, which his predecessor, or rather the usurper of his throne, had rather more wisely suppressed throughout his dominions. We do not anticipate any great benefit from confiding the education of the Sicilian youth chiefly, if not entirely, to this crafty order.

The PAPAL TERRITORIES seem likewise to be placed under the protection of the Austrian Government, a treaty having been entered into for the occupation, for an indefinite period, of the city of Rome, by three thousand of the Imperial troops; who are also, it is said, to garrison in the same manner some other towns of the Papal dominions. The utter insufficiency of this anomalous State to preserve any thing like order, even amongst its own subjects, may render such a measure desirable; but we question much, whether in suggesting or acceding to it, Austria has not an end to answer, which it would not be politic to avow. The Pope, it will be remembered, is an old man, almost on his death-bed; one of the Archdukes of Austria is a Cardinal, and we doubt not, but that a strong effort will be made to exchange his hat for the tiara; a measure which this occupation of the Papal capital by his brother's troops, will materially facilitate, should the other Catholic States oppose his election, as their own interest, and the fear of the aggrandisement of Austria in Italy, will, we should imagine, naturally prompt them to do.

In the Italian Dominions of the House of AUSTRIA, proceedings have been taken against several individuals, accused as having been concerned as Carbonari, in conspiracies against the Government of Lombardy; and their sentences give us additional reason to rejoice that we are Englishmen, and subjected to a very different code of laws. Under the strange misnomer of a pardon, three of them, who had been condemned to death, are sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment in irons in the castle of Spielberg, a fate to which, we should apprehend, their former condemnation was merciful. Austria is still pursuing measures of the most despotic character. All journals, whatever their political opinions, are prohibited entrance into her dominions; and the Emperor is said to be employing the whole weight of his influence to procure the adoption of a measure so destructive of every liberal sentiment of government, in all the German

F

States; though we hope that they will have the spirit to resist such an infringement of their rights.

The Sovereign of the NETHERLANDS is extremely unpopular in the part of his dominions from which he takes his title, and whose government he seems to be endeavouring to assimilate to that of Holland, without sufficiently considering how cordially this portion of his subjects hate every thing that is Dutch, though recently compelled to hear a language so odious to them, adopted by authority in their courts of justice.

PRUSSIA has as yet profited little or nothing by the important lessons read to some of the despotic Governments of the South of Europe. The censorship of the press is there rigid, almost beyond example, officers being appointed to inspect the works published by particular booksellers; and all books brought into the Prussian dominions undergo a fresh inspection, from the censorship of other States not being considered sufficiently vigilant.

The King of SWEDEN has, with the concurrence of the Norwegian Diet, abolished in the latter kingdom all hereditary nobility, after the death of the present possessors of that rank; establishing, in lieu of the old regime, a new nobility, inheritable, as with us, by the eldest son only, and not descending to all the children. Would the other European Courts but follow so good an example, they would not be pestered by so many penniless marquises and counts, little better than vagrants and vagabonds on the face of the earth. A good old English' squire is worth a dozen of them.

The RUSSIANS and TURKS are prepared for war, but still seem inclined for peace. The Empress Dowager, the Archdukes, and Cabinet of Russia, are said to be for war; but the Emperor has declared his own earnest desire for peace; which seems to be met by a correspondent spirit in the Turkish Divan, by whom the navigation of the Dardanelles has again been freely opened to the corn vessels of the European nations. A firman has also been directed to the civil and military authorities, regretting, that in suppressing the late insurrections, popular indignation had not sufficiently distinguished between the innocent and the guilty; and commanding, for the future, not only forbearance, but protection to be extended to such of the Greeks as are not actually implicated in them. The other great Courts of Europe are acting the part of mediators, and seemingly with success. Austria has rigorously prohibited the inhabitants of her extensive territories, from taking up arms in the cause of Greece, with whose revolted provinces all intercourse seems about to be prohibited. Prussia has, however, given permission to her subjects to join the Greek standard; but the Austrian course has been too closely adopted in the Ionian Isles, in some of which, for the public demonstration of a spirit, natural and honourable at the present crisis to Greeks, martial law has, we regret to find, been proclaimed and acted upon, by the English Commissioner. Such protectors, we fear, the Ionian Islanders would rather be without, than with. After the manifestation of so favourable a disposition towards the Porte, we wonder not at our Ambassador being in high credit there, and only hope that his influence will be successfully exerted to preserve the peace of Europe, without leaving the poor Greeks at the mercy of their tyrannical oppressors. But, even should the present desultory warfare between these unequal parties be speedily terminated, we have no doubt but that the Turks will have work VOL. IV. No. 8.

2 K

enough to employ them in other quarters; the Persians having commenced an attack on their territory upon one side, whilst the enterprising rebel Ali Pacha is secretly strengthening himself on another. Turkey, at all events, we should imagine, cannot hold its vast empire long undismembered. Its present head is a man of firmness; but as he has begun executing the Janizaries by the dozen, for refusing to adopt the European discipline, we should not be surprised if, ere long, they were in return to bring, in the shape of a bowstring, as severe a discipline upon him. His Vizir seems to be in disgrace for negociating with Ali on too advantageous terms, and strangle or be strangled may, according to the horrid notions and customs of the country, soon be his only choice. Whatever may be the ultimate fate of the Turkish empire (and that it is rapidly tottering to its fall, we firmly believe) every friend of humanity must wish for a speedy termination of the present contest with the Greeks, distinguished, asit has been on both sides, by ferocities, to which human nature, depraved as it is, we should have hoped, would never have been driven by any provocations, however great. Greeks, and Greek bishops, impaled alive-Turks, in revenge, roasted to death at slow fires, after their ears and noses had been cut off-women violated under every possible aggravation of indignity, and afterwards sold, with their children, as slaves:-thes are atrocities to which every good man must wish to see an end.

The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA have at length obtained possession of the Floridas, long since ceded to them by treaty with the Spanish Government. The acquisition is important, and seems to be duly estimated by those who have made it. We rejoice to find this transatlantic Government giving additional proofs of the sincerity of its professions to abolish the Slave Trade abroad, by despatching to the African coast, a vessel of peculiarly light construction, drawing very little water, and therefore well calculated to pursue in-shore the unprincipled traffickers in human blood. Would not this however have been done, we cannot but ask, with a much better grace, after the American Legislature had abolished slavery at home? To a people who pride themselves so highly upon their Christianity, we need do no more than hint at the beam and the mote; though we fear that our hint will not very speedily be attended to.

INDEX

THE FOURTH VOLUME.

ACADEMIES,proceedings of Rug-Burney, Rear Admiral, account