them were flain. The Polish general, emboldened by this fuccefs, attacked the enemy on the fucceeding day. The Ruffians had been reinforced during the night. Availing themselves of their fuperior numbers, they extended their line, and completely furrounded the Poles: thefe, however, ftood their ground, with the utmoft valour; but after a contest of some hours, found it neceflary to make a retreat. Thofe who were prefent at this action, were less astonished at their giving way, than at their being able to retire from the force that almoft encompaffed them.

Another conflict took place on the fourteenth. Prince Jofeph Poniatowski had received intelligence, that a strong detachment from the Ruffian main army was on its march to feize a large magazine belonging to the Poles. He difpatched inftantly a chofen party of his cavalry, which quickly came up with the enemy. The engagement was long and fevere, and terminated wholly to the advantage of the Poles. The Prince advanced immediately with all the troops under his command, intending to follow up the blow with the capture of the whole Ruffian detachment; but on reaching the ground, and reconnoitering the enemy's pofition, fuch numbers were difcovered to have poured in to their affiftance, that it was judged impracticable to attack them with fuccefs. Their ftrength increafing hourly, the prince broke up his camp, and retired with all expedition. The Ruffians followed with equal fpeed, and came up with his rear, while it was croffing a bridge, which unhappily breaking down, with the weight of the waggons and artillery, a confiderable number

of thofe who formed the rear of the Polish army were left expofed to the Ruffians, who affailed them with both cannon and mufketry. They made a gallant but ineffectual defence, and with difficulty retreated from Vollonna toward Zielim, after lofing many of their braveft officers and foldiers.

During the retreat of the army from Vollonna, five hundred Poles, like the Greeks at Thermopylæ, in order to ftop the progrefs of the enemy, devoted their lives and covered with their dead bodies the ground they had difputed with their arms. Many were the inftances that now appeared in the Polish nation of that generous and undaunted fpirit of liberty and patriotifm that raifes the human foul above all low and felfifh defires, and even the love of life. Patriotic contribu→ tions were made in every district; the foldiers difplayed a fearleffnefs of death in every action.

Prince Jofeph Poniatowski continued to retreat during two days. On the third he met with a confiderable reinforcement. This determined him to halt and hazard a general engagement. The Ruffians were seventeen thousand flrong, and had between twenty and thirty field-pieces. Notwithftanding that they were much inferior in number, the Poles charged this veteran army with a vigour and fpirit that fupplied every want of military fkill and experience. In order to cope with the Polish cavalry, which confifted almoft entirely of gentlemen, full of the higheft fcntiments of honour and patriotifm, the Ruffian generals had collected a numerous and chofen body of horse: it amounted to more than eight thoufand men; but with all thefe advantages on

their

their fide, they were not able to ftand the impetuous valour of the Poles. After a bloody combat of more than twelve hours, every part of the Ruffian army was completely defeated, and obliged to retire from the field of battle, covered with upwards of four thousand of their dead. The lofs of the Poles did not much exceed 1100 men.

The news of this fignal victory, gained by an inferior number of men inexpert in war, and infpired Yolely by patriotic courage, over a fuperior number of troops, excellently difciplined, and long inured to war and victory, filled all Europe with aftonishment and admiration. But thofe members of the dict, who, in concert with the king, had fo ftrenuously infifted on the formation of thofe plans that would have given to Poland a powerful and wellregulated military, could not contain their refentment and indignation at that numerous but contemptible majority of Polish nobles, who had, from the bafeft motives, rejected them. Had they been accepted, it was evident that Poland might have been faved. If the handful of men, now opposed to the Ruffians, could perform fuch wonders, what would hundreds of thousands have done, all aniniated with the fame fpirit, and with far greater hopes of fuccefs! Thefe complaints of the patriotic party, in the diet, were taken up and urged with unreftrained violence by the public at Warfaw. Never, it was aid, had the fpirit of ariftocracy difplayed its malignity fo fatally as in the prefent inftance. The king and his faithful people would have faved the country; but the haughty nobles, rather than part with the privilege of lording it over the nation, had delivered it into the hands of the enemy,

Unfortunately for Poland, there was too much of truth in these complaints. True it was, the nobles had repented of their error; but the day of repentance came too late. The enemy was in the bowels of their country; and to the forrows they muft feel, at the deftruction impending over it, was now added the poignant reflection, that it might have been faved, had they been willing in time to fave it.

In the mean time, the great victory over the Ruffians, though it did the highest honour to the Poles, was of no fervice to their cause. The Ruffian armies continued their irruptions into all parts of Poland. They were mafters of the principal cities in Lithuania, and advancing gradually towards Warfaw. Prince Poniatowski, aflifted by the celebrated Kofciufko, made many a defperate ftand! but the vaft fuperiority of numbers, difcipline, and military knowledge and experience, proved ultimately irrefiftible. The courage difplayed by the Poles, in the many obftinate engagements, daily taking place, was the more heroic, that they fought merely to preferve the honour of their country, and that its liberty might not expire unrevenged.

The virtues of the Poles, overborne by injuftice and a combination of defpots, contrafted with the polluted triumphs of the French republic, awakened throughout Europe a generous fympathy with that noble nation, and indignation against their oppreffors. A fubfcription for their relief and fupport, fet on foot in the metropolis of the British empire, and which was carried on with unexampled and rapid fuccefs, afforded to the Poles the confolation, that their misfortunes were not beheld with infenfibility by their neighbours; and that, with whatever

whatever unconcern their ftruggle against defpotifm and ambition was tewed by fovereign princes, had they been able to continue their reEtance they would have met with all that fupport, from the generofity of Britons, which it was in their power as individuals to beflow. At the fame time that the Ruffian forces poured into Poland, Stanislaus received a letter from Catharine II. written with her own hand, in which the informed him that it would be vain to make farther refiftance, as fhe was determined to duable and even triple her army, in cafe of neceffity, rather than abandon the caufe the had undertaken. She intimated, befides, that the fentiments of the emperor and the king of Pruffia were in unifon with her own, and that a farther oppofition, on his part, would induce thofe powers to give her the most effectual fupport.

The king now faw the inevitable neceflity of yielding to fuperior force. He had applied to the court of Vienna for its interpofition, but was answered in a ftyle that fhewed it acted in conjunction with thofe of Petersburgh and Berlin. Finding all his endeavours to refift the power of Ruffia ineffectual, and that all its neighbours either abetted or did not dare to oppofe it, he confulted with himfelf, it is faid, in this fad extremity, whether he fhould not, in imitation of illuftrious precedents, difdain to furvive the deftruction of his country; and expire fword in hand in its defence. Certain it is, that his words and behaviour indicated fuch an intent: but thofe who were most in his intimacy, reprefented to him that fuch a facrifice of himfelf, though it might contribute to render his name faVOL. XXXVI.

mous to pofterity, would by no means conduce to the good of his country. It would not foften the difpofition of the three partitioning potentates, who, though unwilling to embrue their hands in his blood, would not abate any thing of their pretenfions in confideration of fuch a deed; which either bigotry or hypocrify would reprefent as criminal: the most prudent part he could act in this difficult juncture, would be to terminate a contest to which Poland, in its prefent circumftances, was evidently inade quate, by yielding to the demands of the emprefs; who might be prevailed upon, by a timely fubmiffion, to grant more favourable terms than fhe would probably listen to, were the refiftance to her arms protracted until they had made an entire conqueft of the kingdom: an event abfolutely unavoidable, and that must put an end to all treaty and compromise.

The inutility, or rather, indeed, the detriment that would hence refult to his country, from the defperate refolution of perithing in battle, at the head of his army, were laid before him fo forcibly, that he refolved, however it might prove mortifying, to yield to the irrefiftible deftiny that awaited his country, and to mitigate its rigour, if poffible, by acceding to the imperious requifitions of the empreis, whofe pride, by fubmitting to them with fome degree of acquiefcence, might be foothed into meafures of lefs feverity than was now threatened. In complyance with the advice of the coolest beads in his council, who were of opinion, that no time fhould be loft in a fruitless and ruinous refiftance, all the members of the diet, that could conveni[C]

ently

ently repair to Warfaw, were fummoned to attend on the twentythird of July. He informed them of every particular relating to the melancholy fituation of their country. The total dereliction of the king of Pruffia and the emperor, and the immediate fubmiffion required by the empreis, left them, he obferved, no alternative between obedience to her dictates, and extermination by the word.

The only means remaining to preferve Poland from a total difmemberment, were, to give way to the inaufpicioufnefs of the times, and to appeal to the protection of the empreis herself.

The high spirit of the Polifh nation was feverely hurt by thefe mortifying reprefentations, which, though proceeding from indifpenfable neceffity, were conftrued by thofe who had more refolution than prudence, into difgraceful and unworthy the character and dignity of a great and free people. But after violent altercations between those who adhered to the advice of theking, and those who oppofed it, thefe were out-voted by a numerous majority, that plainly faw the folly of devoting their country to deftruction through unfeasonable and ill-underflood magnanimity. The mandates of the Ruthan court were complied with to their full extent. The new conftitution was annulled, the former one reftored, and what completed this cruel humiliation, the Polish army was required to lay down their arms, and furrender to

the Ruffians.

In the mean time, a confederation had been formed, known by the name of Targowitz, (the place where it was let on foot,) on the

fourteenth of May. To this confederation the king and his adherents were obliged to accede. It was entirely under the controul and direction of thofe noblemen who bad emigrated to Ruffia, on the eftablishment of the new conftitution, and at whofe inftigation, in a great meafure, the emprefs had refolved to employ coercive measures against Poland. As they were in the interefts and pay of Ruffia, they acted fubferviently to all its defigns, and, under the pretext of reftoring the ancient order of things in their country, fubjected it entirely to the will of the court of Peterburgh.

Liberty did not expire without indignation and loud complaint, nor the exiftence of the Polish nation without a tear. The proceedings of the diet were fo difgufting to the public, that numbers flocked from all parts to oppofe them. Four noblemen had the courage to put themfelves at the head of this oppofition, and refolutely protefted against them; thefe were count Malachowki and the princes Radzivil, Sapieha, and Soltoki. They had every one, the first especially, diftinguithed themselves, on various oc cafions, by the moft undaunted patriotifm. The firmness of their behaviour on this critical occurrence fo much revived the fpirits of their countrymen, that upwards of four thousand of the Polifh gentry, and reputable citizens, waited upon them with loud and folemn thanks for not defpairing of their country, and with offers to ftand by them to the laft extremity. They carried them in triumph through the city, which refounded with acclamations. Numbers who difapproved of the king's conduct, as too fubmiffive,

took

took this opportunity of condemning it, by repeatedly exclaiming, the conftitution without the king! The proteft or manifefto of Malachowski, dictated by the livelieft grief and indignation, concludes in the following manner. "Fortified "by the purity of my intentions, I "fubmit to the divine juftice, the "deftinies of my country, and the proceedings of those whofe plea"fure it has been to do hurt to the "republic. Oh! nation that I "bear in my bofom! Oh my dear "compatriots! I partake of your "misfortunes, but I cannot foften "them! Alas! there only remains "for me to offer you tears. My fidelity and my attachment are "known to you. Nothing can di"minish or destroy them. But I cannot give you any more proof

"of them; as they have deprived 66 me of the means."

But this popular effervefcence of the Polish nation, however bold and extenfive, lafted only fome days, during which the arrangements taken by the enemy to fupprefs all refiftance, rendered it wholly impracticable. A filent and fullen acquiefcence in the measures enforced upon them, fucceeded to thofe lively fentiments of national honour and freedom, which had rouzed the Poles to fuch extraordinary exertions for their independence. The whole country was now under the government of Ruffia, which ruled with undifputed fway. Every town of confequence was garrifoned with Ruffian troops, and the Poles now completely experienced the divers infults and mortifications incident to a conquered nation.