or Chefs, in which laft Game the meanest Ruffians excel; in a third Room there is commonly Company fmoking, and difcourfing together; and in the fourth are Ladies and Gentlemen, diverting themfelves with Queftions and Commands, Crofs-purposes, and fuch like little Plays that promote good Humour and Laughter. Although none of the Company are obliged to drink more Wine or Brandy than what they afk for, except on tranfgreffing the established Rules or Laws of the Affembly, which happens very often ; yet there are many Ruffians, who lay hold of that Opportunity of making much of themfelves at other Mens Coft, and look upon Affemblies as one of the most laudable of the late Czar's Innovations. It falls to the Turn of every great Man of the Court to keep an Affembly once in a Winter at leaft; and if the Czar pitches upon a particular Perfon for it, Notice is given to him by the Master of the Police.

Plays and Opera's are now brought to fome tolerable Degree of Perfection at Petersburgh, but were performed in a very rude and aukward Manner in the Czar Peter's Time, who had no Relifh for Entertainments of that kind; but, however, was for encouraging them, as he thought they might help to foften the natural Morofenefs of his People.

1719.

All the great Defigns of his Czarish Maje- Falls dangefty had this Year like to have been finished, roufly ill. by a violent Fit of the Cholick, that threatened the Life of this mighty Prince, while he was at Revel, whither he went to haften

1719.

the Equipment of his Fleet, and complete the Fortifications of that Place, which he intended to render one of the best Fortreffes in Europe; but the Vigour of his Conftitution, and And recovers. the Help of Medicine, once more reftored him to add more Glories to a Reign already replete with Wonders.

End of the Second Book.

THE

THE

HISTORY

OF

PETER I.

CZAR of Muscovy.

BOOK III.

The CONTENTS.

The Czar prepares for War. Negotiations in Poland. Queen of Sweden refigns ber Crown to her Husband. The Czar's Minister preJents a Memorial to the King of Great-Britain, and is ordered to depart that Kingdom. The British Fleet arrives in the Sound. Admiral Norris's Letter to Prince Dolgoruki, and his Anfwer. The Czar declines the Mediation of the King of Great Britain. An Officer arrives from Sweden, to notify the Acceffion of the

1720.

The Czar's Preparations for War.

Negotiations in Poland.

Prince of Heffe-Caffel to the Throne; who is defirous of Peace. The Swedish Vice-Admiral attacks the Czar's Fleet and is beaten. A Naval Triumph at Petersburgh on that Account. The Ruffians commit great Ravages in Sweden. The Czar makes fome Propofals for a Sufpenfion of Arms, and an Exchange of Prisoners, which are rejected; upon which he continues his Preparations for the War. Receives the Duke of Holftein under his Protection. Offers to ascept of the Mediation of France. A Congress is appointed at Nieftadt in Finland. The Czar fends a new Chart of the Cafpian-Sea to the Royal Academy at Paris. Peace concluded between Ruffia and Sweden. The Swedish Prifoners fet at Liberty. The Czar is requested to take upon him the Title of Emperor. A folemn Thanksgiving for the Peace.

ITH the New Year his Czarish Majefty began to make new Preparations for the Campaign, feeing himfelf abandoned by all his Allies, and forced to maintain alone the War with Sweden, fupported by an English Fleet, favoured by the Kings of Pruffia and Denmark, and ready to make her Peace with Poland. Thefe Pre

parations began with calling together a very confiderable Army on the Side of Finland, and endeavouring with a numerous Fleet to make himself Mafter of the Bothnick-Gulph.

The Diet of Poland being affembled, fent the Palatine of Mazovia Ambaffador to his Czarish Majefty, with Inftructions to demand Satisfaction for the Damages done to feveral Provinces by the Marches and Counter-marches of the Ruffian

Ruffian Troops; by the Contributions they had raised; the Horfes and Cattle they had carried off, and other Exactions, of which his Czarish Majefty had ordered Informations to be given, that he might punish the Officers who had done or fuffered thefe Disorders. He likewise reprefented, that the Republick had carried their Patience as far as poffible, by contenting themfelves only to make their Complaints, while the Nobility were for getting on Horseback, to rid themselves of the Injuries that were done them by the Ruffians.

The Czar, who had fome Pretenfions on Poland that he did not care to relinquish, and who knew, on the other Side, the Interest which the Emperor took in the Affairs of King Auguftus, was obliged to act with great Caution, for fear the Poles fhould also think of reconciling themselves to Sweden, in which Cafe they might unite their Arms against Ruffia, and infift on the Reftitution of Courland and Livonia. He left the Management of this important Negotiation to Prince Dolgoruki, who had been many Years Ambaffador in Poland: This Minifter had therefore feveral Conferences with the Deputies of the Nobility, approved of by the King and the Senate. He gave them to underftand, that the Czar his Mafter was very well inclined to enter into an Union and good Intelligence with Poland; but he defired first, to know whether the Letters that were fent in Anfwer to his were approved of by the Body of the Republick, fince they were in fuch Terms as looked like a Declaration of War; Secondly, Whether the Treaty concluded at Vienna, between the Emperor and the King of Poland, was made by Confent of the Repub

1720.