abjure the principles that are now in vogue in their coun try....... It fhall be clearly reprefented to them, that their abjuration shall be inferted in the ruffian and foreign gazettes, together with the names of those who shall have fworn and fubfcribed it.

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Form of the abjuration." I, the underwritten, fwear by Almighty God, and by his holy gospel, that, as I have never, wittingly or willingly, given my approbation to "the impious and feditious principles that have been intro"duced into France, and that I confefs the government "which has just been established there to be unlawful and "ufurped, in violation of all laws....... That I am "convinced, in my confcience, of the excellence of that "religion which has been tranfmitted to me by my an. "ceftors........ I promife, and bind myfelf, in confe "quence, fo long as I fhall enjoy the fecure protection "which her imperial majefty of all the Ruffias has graciously "vouchsafed to grant me, to live in the obfervance of the "precepts of the religion in which I was born; to be fub"miffive to the laws and to the government of her imperial "majefty; to break off all correfpondence in my native "country with the French who acknowledge the monftrous "form of government now exifting in France. . . .

"And in cafe I fhould ever be guilty of a violation of this ❝oath, I fubmit myself to all the feverity of the laws in "this life, and, for that which is to come, to the tremen"dous judgment of God. And in confirmation of this "oath, I kifs the holy gospel and the crofs of my Saviour."

No. X.

ABOLITION of the MESSAGES relative to FAMILY EVENTS between SWEDEN and RUSSIA.

THE king of Sweden thought it his duty, on occafion of the recent refolution of his marriage, to give a princess [the empress of Ruffia], who is his relation and his ally, the fame mark of attention which he has already given to their pruffian and danifh majefties, to whom he is equally attached by the bands of amity and good neighbourhood. It is therefore with the utmost astonishment, that his majesty has feen that the emprefs of Ruffia in no refpect correfponded with this attention. The king has, in confequence, refolved in future to receive none of those private miffions which have relation to family events, and which have hitherto been customary between the two courts, but which the king has now abolished for ever.

No. XI.

ACT by which COURLAND, SEMIGALLIA, and the CIRCLE of PILTEN, furrendered themselves to the EMPRESS of

RUSSIA.

I. WE fubmit ourselves for ourselves and our pofterity, ourfelves and the duchies of Courland and Semigallia, to her imperial majefty Catharine II. emprefs of all the Ruffias, gloriously reigning, and to her fovereign fceptre.

II. We know by experience the great inconvenience of the feudal fyftem which attached us to the paramount sovereignty of Poland, and how greatly it opposed the general profperity of the country. We imitate our ancestors of that part of Livonia beyond the Dvina, who, in 1561, renouncing

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cing the fupremacy of the emperor and of the empire, confequently the feudal fyftem of that time, and the mediate government of the teutonic order, fubmitted themselves immediately to Poland. We renounce for ourfelves and our pofterity the feudal fyftem which has fubfifted hitherto under the polifh fupremacy, and the mediate government resulting from it. We fubmit ourselves immediately to her imperial majefty of all the Ruffias and to her fceptre. We refign to her, with the more confidence and respect, the more particular decifion of our lot, as her said majefty has hitherto fhewn herfelf the generous protectrefs and guarantee of all our rights, of our laws, of our customs, of our immunities, of our privileges, and of our poffeffions. She will certainly be difpofed, according to her magnanimous and benevolent way of thinking, to ameliorate, in her maternal folicitude, the future lot of a country which fubmits itself to her with the most respectful and the most unlimited confidence.

III. A deputation of fix perfons fhall go to Petersburg, to follicit her imperial majefty to deign to accept of our en tire fubmiffion; and in that cafe, to take there to her im, perial majesty the oath of fidelity and obedience,

No. XII.

FORM of the INDIVIDUAL OATH exacted of the LITHUANIANS and the POLES,

"I N. N. promife and fwear to God Almighty, by his "holy gofpel, to be always ready to ferve, faithfully and loyally, her imperial majefty the moft ferene emprefs,

* Witnefs, when the ruffian troops re-inftated Biren by open force.

"grand

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"grand lady, Catharine Alexievna, autocratrix of all the "Ruffias, and her well-beloved fon, grand duke Paul "Petrovitch, her lawful fucceffor, to go for that purpose "to yield up my life, and to fhed the laft drop of my "blood; to pay due and perfect obedience to the commands already issued, or hereafter to iffue, from the authorities appointed by her; to fulfil and maintain them all confci"entiously to the best of my power; to contribute, with "all my ftrength, to the maintenance of the peace and quiet "which her majefty has established in my country, and to "have no communication or intelligence whatever with the "disturbers of that quiet, either mediately or immediately, "either publicly or privately, either by actions or by advice, " and whatever be the particular occafion, circumftance, or caufe that may lead to it.

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"In cafe, on the contrary, any thing fhould come to my "knowledge prejudicial to the interefts of her imperial majesty, or to the general welfare, I will not only strive "to remove at the time, but I will oppofe it with all the "means that shall be in my power, to hinder it from coming "to pafs. I will fo conduct myfelf in all my actions as it "behoves me, like a faithful citizen, to behave towards the "authorities which her majesty has fet over me, and as I

muft anfwer for it to God and to his terrible judgment. "So may God help me, as well in my body as in my soul. "In confirmation of the profeffion made by this oath, I "kifs the holy word and the crofs of my Saviour."

No. XIII.

RUSSIAN DECLARATION.

THE intentions which her majefty the empress of all the Ruffias has caufed to be announced in the declaration deli

vered on the 7-18th May, laft year, by her minifter at Warsaw, upon the occafion of her troops entering Poland, were without contradiction of a nature for obtaining the fuffrage, deference, and one might even add, thankfulness of the whole polish nation. However, all Europe has seen in what manner they have been received and appropriated.

To open to the confederation of Targovich the road by which they might attain the exercife of their rights and legal power, it was necessary to take up arms, and the authors of the revolution of the 3d of May 1791, and their adherents, have not quitted the career by which they have provoked the ruffian troops, until after they were vanquished by their efforts.

But if open refistance ceased, it was only to make room for fecret machinations, whofe developed fprings are the more dangerous, as they often escape the most attentive vigilance, and even the reach of the law.

The fpirit of faction and disturbance has fhot fuch deep roots, that those who mifchievously foment and propagate them, after having been unfuccefsful in their cabals at foreign courts, to render the views of Ruffia fufpicious to them, have endeavoured to delude the multitude, always cafy to be overtaken, and fucceeded in making them share in the hatred and animofity they have conceived against this empire, for having fruftrated them in their criminal expectations.

Without fpeaking about feveral facts of public notoriety, that prove the mifchievous difpofition of the greatest number of the Polanders, let it fuffice to mention, that they have been known to abufe even the principles of humanity and of moderation, to which the generals and officers of the emprefs's army, pursuant to the express orders they had received, conformed their conduct and actions; and to burst out against them in all manner of infults and bad proceedings, infomuch that the most audacious durft to make mention of Sicilian Vefpers, and threaten to make them undergo

the fame.

Such