might attend his Election : But these last bore no great Figure in the Dispute, and it may be reasonably prefumed, their Opinion was judg'd not of Consequence enough to answer the Purpose of the Republick, whose main View was, and appears still to be, to be able to support their Independency against the Incroachments of Neighbouring Powers. Mean while, the Dyettines went on with as little Interruption as could be expected; Prince Lubomirski, Palatine of Cracovia, gave some Uneasiness, but was appeas'd. However, the Primate, to fettle the Minds of the People, sent a Circular Letter to the several Palatinates and Districts, setting forth the Points that were to be confider'd on in the ensuing Dyet of Convocation, an Extract whereof follows: 'First, Whereas, during the last Interregnum, all the Dyettines petitioned, that every Native commonly 'call'd Piaste, should be excluded from the Right of pretending to the Crown; their main Business now ' must be, to concert all Means to seclude a Foreigner, more-especially one whose Possessions lie out of the Kingdom; because such a Prince would be more Intent on the Welfare of his own State, than that of the Republick. Secondly, All Hereticks must be remov'd from Employments, especially in the Army of the Crown, and Lithuania; but above all, those ' concern'd in Post-Offices, left the Republick suffer by ⚫ their Correspondence. Thirdly, Persons suspected of private Attachments to a Foreign Prince, must retire, not only from Warsaw, but the Kingdom. Fourthly, Care must be taken, that Foreign Minifters have no Guards; because, if that were permitted, Warsaw < would be fill'd with foreign Soldiers, which might have ill Consequences.' His Serene Highness wrote also to the several Powers of Europe, to entreat their Protection; and to the Emperor and Czarina in particular, begging they would not interfere in the Election, and cramp the Liberties of the Republick in so effential an Article. Meanwhile the Imperial and Russian Troops hover'd on the Frontiers, and certain Foreign Minifters began to bustle, Animosities were reviv'd, and the Primate impeach'd of Partiality in Favour of King Stanislaus. Here the Stanislaists, though far the moft confiderable Party, then appearing, found themselves much embarrass'd. They complain'd aloud of the Russian Ministers, who declar'd against Stanislaus, fuch Proceedings were contrary to the Liberty of the Nation,

:

Nation, and their innate Right to a Free Election, The latter made Anfwer, that their Conduct in Question was founded on the Treaty of Peace concluded Nov. 8, 1716, between the Confederates and Saxon Troops, which was afterwards ratify'd by the whole Republick at an extraordinary Dyet held at Warsaw, Feb. 1, 1717, and again confirm'd by that of Grodno held the same Year. Adding, that the late Emperor Peter I. having been Mediator and Guarantee of that Treaty, the Empress of Ruffia had not only a Right, but an indispensable Obligation, to hinder whatever might be done contrary to the Tenor of the said Treaty, and moreover would do it with all her Force, if Occafion requir'd; her Imperial Majesty being resolved, as well as obliged, to fee that nothing be done contrary to the Laws of the Kingdom. The Marquess de Monti was not idle on this Occafion, and affur'd the Republick on the Part of his Moft Christian Majesty, that France would not fail to assist her, and maintain her Rights, with Regard to the Election, with all her Force, and at all Events. The Imperial Minifter, tho he acted in concert with those of Ruffia, yet behaved with more Reserve. During these Heats, the following Letter came out from the Emperor, to the Serene Primate of Poland, dated the 25th of April, calculated chiefly to wipe off the Reflection of attempting on the Liberties of the Repub. lick.

Emperor's Letter to the Primate of Poland.

W HEREAS there has been for many Ages, be tween the Imperial Family of Austria, their Hereditary Kingdoms and Provinces, on the one Side, and the most Serene Kings of Poland and the Polish Republick on the other, a strict Union and Alliance, by mutual and folemn Treaties contracted and renew'd; it cannot but be evidently known to you, Right Reverend Father, how my glorious Predecessors have always been the Support and Defence of the Republick of Poland, and of their Liberty, on the most dangerous Occa

fions.

It is by following my Ancestors Example, that I not only entred into the same strict Union, so advantageous to both Parties, but even took all Care also, and offer'd with Readiness to act in whatever might shew myself in Effect a true Friend; particularly last Year, when

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you and many of the Polish Peers were mightily concern'd at their Liberties being exposed to imminent Dan. ger: A Danger so evident and so near, that all Lovers of their Country in Poland, and all the Afferters of their own Dignity, did earnestly implore my Assistance.

My Intention was then, and shall ever be, to act the Part of a friendly Neighbour and faithful Confederate; and thus being fatisfy'd with the glorious Task, let the Republick reap all the good Effects which might have ensued therefrom: The very constant Friendship, the very provident Care, which you yourself desired of me during the Life of the late King, made fuch an Impression on me, that they are still the fame towards the Welfare of the Widow Republick.

I should then neglect my particular Obligation, if with the utmost of that Power which God Almighty has imparted to me, I did not countenance and defend the Polish Right of a free Election of a King, against all Enemies whatsoever, or if I should not, with all my Endeavours, prevent any Scandal which might obftruct their free and quiet Proceeding to the Royal Election, according to the Laws of the Kingdom.

So far is it, then, from me to entertain any Thought of leffening any Part of the incontestable Right of the Polish free Election, that I do folemnly declare, that no Candidate whatsoever (even such as could be cherish'd by me) shall ever be agreeable to my Mind, but he who aspires to that high Honour through the strictest Lawfulness of its Conflitutions: For my firm Mind is, that no other King be duly elected, but what may reach the Throne with free and unanimous Votes of the Nation, and invested with the lawful Authority of the Constitutions of the Kingdom: Infomuch, that no Sufpicion should remain of any Danger to the Liberty of the Republick, or of the least Disturbance to the Neighbouring Princes.

I do, moreover, acquaint you, that such also is the Mind of my Confederates, and that to no other End would be fubfervient any Forces which might be placed on the Borders of the Polish Dominions: For fuch ought to be the Duty required by the folemn Conventions I am inviolably bound to, and which are the Basis, Foundation, and Preservation of the present Safety, of the old Constitutions, and of the free Election of the Re publick.

Your

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Your indefatigable Care and Fatherly Zeal for the Profperity and Advantages of your own Country, shewn through the Course of many Years, leave me no Doubt, but that all your Endeavours and Actions tend to the very fame and so glorious an End. Thus you will fulfil both the Duty of a Christian, and that of a Father; and thus you will deserve more and more the Names of Worthy Primate, and best Patriot; and I shall be very much obliged to you for all your good Offices, wherein the Interest of your Country is concerned far more than my

own,

On the 27th of April, the Dyettines being happily concluded, the Interregnum Dyet was open'd with usual Solemnity. As soon as the Nuncio's had enter'd their Chamber, M. Ozarowski, who, as being Marshal of the last Dyet, held the Staff in this, assigned to the respective Nuncio's the Places they ought to fit in, according to the Rank of their Palatinates. The Nuncio's being all placed, M. Ozarowski would have opened the Dyet, but M. Lubienieski, one of the Nuncio's of Czernichovia, opposed it, and complained, that at the laft Dyet he was turned out of the Chamber, under Pretence that he was chofen over and above the Number which his Palatinate had a Right to send to the Dyets; and added, that as he had protested against the Election of a Marshal at the last Dyet, that which was then made in Favour of M. Ozarowski, could not be accounted lawful, and confequently he could not hold the Staff ad interim in that new Dyet: This Oppofition, if he had infifted on it, would have brought on a good deal of Confufion, but M. Ozarowski, and some of his Friends, 'rose from their Seats, went up to him in the Place where he sat, and gave him so powerful Arguments, that they prevailed with him to drop his Objection; after which, M. Ozarowski opened the Dyet with an elegant Speech, recommending Union and Publick Spirit to the Nuncio's, and praying them to proceed immediately to the Election of a Marshal. As soon as his Speech was ended, M. Oginski, a Lithuanian Nuncio, stood up and faid, that it was his Opinion, they could not go upon any Bufiness, 'till the Dissidents (so they call those who are not Roman Catholicks) who were among them, were turned out, alledging, that the Church would be in Danger, if any but Catholicks were admitted into the Affairs of Government: Upon this Point, he was so warm as to fay, fay, that if the Dissidents would not walk out on their own Accord, they ought to be thrown out of the Windows. To this the Stolnitz of the Crown, a Nuncio of Great Poland, made Answer, that he was too hasty, and that he ought to confider, that no Man could throw another out of the Window, without being pretty near it himself: At last, the Debates upon this Subject be ing like to grow too warm, the Dyet was adjourned 'till next Morning.

There were afterwards very great and warm Contests upon the fame Subject, and at last, before they proceeded to any other Business, the Diffident Nuncio's were excluded, after which came on the Election of a Marshal, which took them up several Days. The two principal Candidates who at first appeared, were the Count Sapeiha and M. Scipion; but at laft, all the contending Parties yielded up their Pretensions in Favour of M. Maschalski, Staroft and a Nuncio of Grodno, who was a Person well known to be devoted to Stanislaus; and thereby it appeared that that Party was by far the most numerous in the Dyet. The Diffident Nuncio's were not so much as present at this Election, and their Exclusion was complain'd of by the Minifters both of Great Britain and Prufia, but was most highly resented by the Minifter of the Czarina of Muscovy, who infifted on it that his Mistress had by former Treaties a Right to intermeddle in that Affair, and that the certainly would fee Justice done to the Protestants of that Kingdom, according to the Rights and Privileges which had been stipulated for them in those Treaties of which she was one of the Guarantees. These Instances, however, could not prevail against the Zeal of the bigotted Roman Catholicks of that Kingdom, so that the Dissidents remained excluded during the whole Course of that Dyet.

From the Election of their Marshal to the 12th Seffion of the Dyet, there was nothing of any great Moment done; but in the 12th Session, which was held May the 12th, the Nuncio's of Wilna and Pofnania proposed, 1. That all Foreigners should be excluded the Rank of Competitors for the Crown. 2. That the Senators should swear, as the Nuncio's had done, that they had taken no Bribe nor Present. And 3. That the Knights should lay aside the Ensigns of their Orders. But to every one of these Points there was great Oppofition made, and without coming to any Conclufion upon either, the Chamber of Nuncio's was at last prevailed on about