Accordingly he fet out from Dresden; but upon the 12th of January, in getting out of his Travelling Coach, in the Evening, he had the Misfortune to hurt his lame Foot, in the very Place where his old Sore was, which thereupon open'd again, and he loft a great Quantity of Blood. The Wound was instantly dressed; but the King was in excessive Pain, and had a very bad Night. This Accident, however, did not hinder his Majesty from proceeding on his Journey: He arriv'd at Warsaw the 211t, but very much indisposed. The next Day and the Day after, he found himself somewhat better; and there were great Hopes, that the unhappy Accident which befel him at Croffen, would not be attended with any dangerous Confequence: His Majesty even flatter'd himself with those Hopes; and that his Malady might not be thought worse than it was, he appear'd every Day for fome Hours at the Window, to see the Guards perform their Exercise. The 28th and 29th, the King found himself worse: His Majesty could not admit to an Audience the Deputies of the Nuncio's who were come into the Antichamber for that Purpose, because the Condition he was in, did not permit him to receive so numerous a Deputation in his Chamber; whereupon the Deputies retir'd. The Fever increasing, and the Sore beginning to mortify, his Majesty dismiss'd his confident Ministers and Attendants, after having talked to them in private for fome Time; and finding that the fatal Hour was at Hand, he resolved to abandon the Affairs of this World, in order to give his whole Attention to Eternity. The Abbot de S. Germain, the King's Confeffor, was very affiduous in attending his Majesty, administring to him all the Spiritual Comfort he could, and fortifying in him the Chriftian Disposition his Majesty shewed in his last Moments. The Abbot having asked his Majesty, if he had any Thing to communicate and confide unto him, the King return'd for Answer, That during the Course of his Life he had frequently offended God; that the Weakness he was under, did not permit him to enter into the Particulars of his Offences; but as he was truly penitent, and sorrowful for his Sins, he hoped that the Almighty would forgive them. Upon this Declaration, the Abbot gave his Majesty the Abfolution. A little before the King expired, he laid one of his Hands upon his Eyes, and in that Posture departed this Life, Feb. 1, N. S. 1733.

Immediately after the King's Death, the Primate fent for all the Senators and Ministers who were at Warfaw, in order to deliberate upon the Situation of the Affairs of the Kingdom. That Prelate, in a pathetick Discourse suitable to the Occafion, admonished them to divest themselves of all Hatred and Partiality, and to have no other View than the Welfare of the Kingdom; and his Speech had the defired Success.

The illuftrious House of Potocki, was reconciled to that of Sartoriski; M. Poniatowski, Regimentary of the Crown, addressed the Palatine of Kiow in the following Words: The Post of Great General, with which the late King had the Goodness to honour me, has caused some Difference between us; now his Majesty is dead, we are upon the level; the new King will dispose of it in Favour of the Man he thinks most deferving; let us forget what is paft, and become good Friends. The Palatine immediately consented to it, and those two Lords embraced each other with great Marks of Friendship. There happen'd, indeed, some high Words between Prince Wiesnowski and the Count de Tarlo, Palatine of Lublin; the former offer'd even to draw his Sabre upon the Palatine; but the Primate found Means to appease and reconcile them. M. Thioli, whom the late King constituted Post-MasterGeneral, was admitted to that Conference, where he declared feveral Things to the Satisfaction of the Senators, and was continu'd in the Possession of that Office.

On the 2d, the Senators and Ministers' being affembled at the Primate's, it was resolved to summon the Petty Dyets for the 23d of March next, and the general Dyet for the 27th of April ensuing; but we are assured, that the latter will only fettle the Preliminaries, and that the Election will not take Effect 'till the Month of August. The 3d, the Deputies or Nuncio's being affembled, the Primate notify'd to them the King's Death. They named Deputies to go and view the King's Corpfe, and were introduced for that Purpose into his Majesty's Apartment; and being returned to their Chamber, they reported what they had seen, upon which the Marshal dismissed the Dyet.

Frederick Augußus, King of Poland, Great Duke of Lithuania, &c. Elector of Saxony, &c. was born the 12th of May 1670. He was Son to John George III. Elector of Saxony, of the Albertine Branch, who dy'd the 12th of September 1691; by Anne-Sophia, Daughter of Frederick King of Denmark. He fucceeded to the Electorate of Saxor y

1

Saxony, May 7, 1694, after the Decease of John-George IV. his eldest Brother, who then dy'd without Issue. He was elected King of Poland the 17th of June 1697, and crown'd the 15th of September following. He marry'd the roth of January 1693, Chriftiana-Everhardina of Brandenburg-Bareith, who dy'd the 5th of September 1727, aged 56 Years, and left one only Son, who is FrederickAuguftus, who was during his Father's Life Prince Royal of Poland, and Electoral Prince of Saxony, and is now Elector of Saxony. He was born the 7th of October 1696, and was marry'd August 20, 1719, to Maria-Josephina, Arch-dutchess of Auftria, being the eldeft Daughter of the late Emperor Joseph.

The Personal Character of this deceased King was very remarkable: His Person and Presence were to an uncommon Degree charming, noble, and majestick; he had besides, such a prodigious Strength of Rody, that he could twist a Horse Shoe with his Hands. It was no uncommon Thing with him to take a Silver Vessel, and squeeze the two Sides flat, by pressing them between his two Hands 'till they met. He was brave, politick, magnificent, good-natur'd and generous. But with these good Qualities, he was at the same Time without the least Senfe of Religion or Duty; as may be judged from his turning Papitt for the sake of the Name of King; it being very little more that the Kings of Poland have. He had long given up himself without Rein or Controul to the most abandon'd Course of Debauchery and Voluptuousness; and was one of the most exquisite Artificers of Luxury that ever was. This Conduct in Life made him fubject to such uneasy Thoughts, that a Quarter of an Hour's Solitude was Death to him; and he was never fatisfy'd but when some particular Amusement or Pleasure came before him. In short, if there were no other World but this, he would have been one of the most accomplished and happy Men that ever liv'd; having had his full swing of the present Life, to as great a Degree, as Pleasures, Riches, and outward Splendor could c furnish a Man with. He met, indeed, with a very fevere Reverse of Fortune, when the Succeffes of the King of Sweden obliged him to relinquish the Crown of Poland, with several grating Circumftances, by the Treaty of Alt Ranstadt, in 1707. But the wild Conduct of that Prince, who lost all at the Battle of Pultawa, foon gave him an Opportunity to recover that Crown. Several Things above written relating to this

this Prince, are not, that we know of, in Print; but the Writer having accidentally received them in Conversation from several ingenious Foreigners, he thought himself obliged to give Part of the same to his Readers, it being an Entertainment they may not find elsewhere.

A short Account of the present State of the Kingdom of

P

Poland.

OLAND, together with the Great Dutchy of Li thuania, is now bounded on the North by Muscovy, Pomerania, and the Baltick Sea; on the South by Walachia, Transilvania, Hungary, and Moravia; on the East by Muscovy and Ukrania; and on the West by Bohemia, Silefia, and Brandenburg. Its Extent from South to North is about 6 or 700 Miles, and from East to West about 7 or 800, fo that it is almost of a circular Figure, and was formerly much larger.

This Kingdom is now divided into eight great Provinces, every one of these into a certain Number of Palatinates, and every Palatinate into so many Caftellanies, The Provinces are,

Great Poland, or Low Poland, is divided into twe Parts, the first being called Great Poland, and the second Cujavia. Great Poland contains five Palatinates, viz. Pofnania, Kalish, Siradia, Rava, and Lanschit. CuJavia contains two Palatinates, viz. Brefly and Inowlocz. The second Province called Leffer or Higher Poland, is divided into three Palatinates, viz Cracovia, Sendomir and Lublin. The third Province called Pruffia, has four Palatinates, viz. Pomerania, Cum, Marienberg, and Varmia. The fourth Province called Russia or Red Russia, has seven Palatinates, viz. Russia, Podolia, Brastaw, Kiovia, Volhynia, Belsko, and Chelm. The fifth Province called Masovia, is divided into three Palatinates, viz. Mafovia, Ploczkow, and Dobrina. The fixth Province called Samogitia, has no Palatinate, nor is it governed by a Palatine, but by a Starosta who is a Senator. The feventh Province called Volhynia, is but one Palatinate; as also the eighth Province called Podlachia.

The

Divifion of
Lithuania.

The Great Dutchy of Lithuania began to be united with Poland in the Year 1386, when Jagello Great Duke thereof, marry'd Hedwigis Queen of Poland as above mention'd; but this Union was not absolutely compleated 'till the Year 1569, when it was agreed at a Dyet held at Lublin, that Lithuania should for the future be a Part of the Polish Commonwealth, and send its Nuncio's to the General Dyets of the Kingdom, as the other Parts of Poland did; but it was to enjoy, and still does enjoy its own peculiar Laws and Customs. Lithuania is divided into two Provinces, viz. Lithuania, and Lithuanick or White Russia. The Province of Lithuania contains three Palatinates; viz. Vilna, Troki, and Briescia or Polefia; and the Province of Lithuanick Russia contains five Palatinates, viz. Novogrodock, Mscislaw, Witebsko, Minski, and Polocz. Thus the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania contain or are divided into 34 Palatinates, besides the Great Starosta of Samogitia.

Power of their King.

The Power of the Kings of Poland confifts chiefly in these three Branches, ist, He only, after he is once elected, can convoke the General Dyet of the Kingdom; he may call them to meet when and where he pleases, and no new Law or Constitution can be made without his Confent, 2dly, When he is in the Army in Person, he has the fupreme Command of the whole Army, and may give Battle when he pleases, besiege what Towns he thinks fit, or do whatever else seems to him most proper. 3dly, He has the fole Nomination to all the great Civil, Military, and Ecclesiastical Dignities, Benefices, and Employments. In all Places he has a great Respest shewn to him; for the chief Senators ferve him at Table, and all Perfons must stand uncover'd in his Presence, except in the Dyet, where the Senators are allow'd to fit covered. None but his Queen and Children, and such Foreign Ministers as he pleases to invite, are admitted to eat at his Table, except when he is out a hunting, and then the Nobles that attend him are generally invited and dine at his Table. The current Coin of the Kingdom is all stamp'd with his Image and Name; and a confiderable Sum is yearly allow'd him for supporting the Dignity and Splendor of his Court. He has his Polish, German, and Hungarian Guards, and the fame Officers of his Houshold as other Kings have.

But