FRANCE

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HE first publick Step we find taken by this Court, ....on the Polish Affairs, was on the 17th of March, when the King call'd a Council extraordinary at Verfailles, at which all the State Minifters were fummon'd to attend, on the Subject of a Treaty concluded between certain Powers, touching the enfuing Election of a So vereign to the Crown of Poland. Herein it was refolv'd to acquaint the faid Powers with the Intentions of his Moft Christian Majesty, by a publick Declaration, purporting, That the King, for his Part, had no Inten tion to take the leaft Step in Oppofition to the Free Election of a new King of Poland; but as Guarantee ' of the Treaty of Oliva, should be highly concerned to fee other European Powers attempt to influence the faid Election, and check the Liberty inherent in the Republick: In which Cafe his Majesty conceives he cannot make better Use of the Power with which • God has intrusted him, than to hinder any other Power's taking Advantage from its fuperior Force to oppress a Free People, and restrain them in an Affair which ought folely to depend on their own unanimous Confent.' 'Twas observ'd that his Majesty, to give no Room for Reflection on his Conduct, made not the leaft Mention of King Stanislaus throughout his Declaration, only took proper Notice of the Imperial Camp in Silefia. Twas no fooner drawn up, but Duplicates thereof were deliver'd to all the Foreign Minifters, and Couriers dispatch'd away to the respective Courts, with Inftructions to the French Ministers, to press for a fpeedy and definitive Answer. Which, however, could not be obtain'd before the fifth of May following; on which Day the Imperial Secretary, M. Wafner, deliver'd the following Answer from his Imperial Majesty.

THE

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E Most Serene Emperor did not think t nuations worthy his Attention, which have been groundlesly spreadlin Poland, to take off the wellmeaning Citizens and Inhabitants of the Kingdom from their ancient Confidence in a Prince, who is their Friend, Neighbour, and Ally; and who, following the Exam

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ple of his Most Serene Ancestors, very far from fuffering the least Blow to be given to the Liberty of the Republick and its Constitution as it is now established and limited by the Law, will always be the strongest Support, and the surest Protector of that Liberty, and of the publick Tranquility; and withall, the most powerful Defender, according to his Engagements of the Patta Conventa, Conventions and Agreements, which have subsisted almost two Centuries between the Moft Serene House Auftria and the Kings and Republick' of Poland, against all those who, without Regard to the faid Engagements, shall offer to break in upon that Liberty, those Laws and Conftitutions, which his Imperial Majefty has very much at Heart. Wherefore, the Imperial Ministers, far from following the Example of those who endeavour to limit the Suffrages of a Free Nation to the narrow Bounds of one single Person, have declared from the very Beginning of the Inter-regnum, that the Most Serene Emperor would never fuffer any Methods whatsoever to be employ'd, which did not quadrate with the Rights of a Free Election, and with the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom, but might disturb the Publick Tranquility; and his Imperial Majesty is fo far from entertaining a Thought of breaking in upon or curtailing that Liberty, that he should not even approve of the Choice of a Candidate that is agreeable to him by any other Means than what are confiftent with the Rights of a Free Election, and the Conftitutions of the Kingdom.

These are the Moft Serene Emperor's real Sentiments, and his constant Resolution; and in Regard the Powers in Friendship and Alliance with him are in the fame Way of Thinking, it could not but be very furprizing, and contrary to all Expectation, to fee a Declaration, full of Reproaches, couch'd in very unbecoming Terms, and made with an Affectation not at all fuitable to the Imperial Dignity: Reproaches which belong by a much better Right to those who act by Methods and Maxims directly contrary to the Sentiments above mention'd. And whereas a Declaration has been made to the Imperial Minifter in France, that the King "could not look upon the affembling of a Body of Imperial Troops in Silefia, otherwise than as a formal Design to strike at the Freedom of Election in Poland; his Imperial Majesty declares, that being Sovereign and abfolute Master in

his own Kingdoms and Hereditary Countries, he is

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obliged obliged to give an Account to any Person, of the March and Encampment of his Troops in Silefia; but that Equity, which is the constant Rule of all his Actions, whether publick or private, will not leave any Doubt remaining as to his Views; and that on this, as well as on all other Occasions, that Most Serene Prince will shew as true Faith, Reason, and Justice in what concerns the Rights of others, as Courage and Firmness in defending his own Interests, and those of his Allies.

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Several Councils were held to confider on the Imperial Answer, which the Court appear'd no Ways fatisfy'd with. At length Cardinal de Fleuri gave M. Wafner, Imperial Secretary of the Embaffy, the following Reply to the Emperor's Counter Declaration, by Word of Mouth : First, That the Emperor seemed to affect believing the Moft Chriftian King found Fault with the March of his Troops into Silefia, which was a Mistake, his Majefty having done the fame Thing on the Frontiers of his Dominions, and was far from blaming in another what he did himself. 2d. That the Charge of Indecency lay at their Door who suggested it, and made an Handle of it, and that fuch Terms were not to be made Ufe of between Sovereigns. 3d. That his Most Chriftian Majefty was very glad to find the Emperor did not intend to permit any Violence to be offer'd to the Freedom of Suffrages in Poland, but on the contrary to defend it; because he so far conformed to 'the Intentions of the Most Christian King, who would not discontinue the Measures he was taking for that Purpose.' In Token whereof, Orders were renew'd for the marching of Troops to the Rhine and the Moselle, and other Warlike Preparations carry'd on with the utmost Vigour.

On the 19th of August, the Duke of Berwick arriv'd at Metz, and immediately held a Council of War, at which the Count de Belle Isle, and all the other General Officers affilled, to concert Measures for entring Germany, in cafe the Imperialists in Silefia decamp'd for Poland.

On the 22d, King Stanislaus fet out for Poland. The artful contrivance made Ufe of to disguife his Journey, was executed in the following Manner. His Majesty, Kaving taken Leave of the Children of France at Meudon, went away with M. Dandelot, and a few Attendants, for the Castle of Chaville, where he had an Interview of two Hours with the Keeper of the Seals; from thence to the いい

the Duke of Main's at Sceaux, where he staid about half an Hour: Here began the Mystery of his Journey.

The King feem'd at first to be going to Chambord, but after a little Way, and as it were by Reflection, he order'd his Conductor to drive him to Berney to fee the Cardinal de Biffy. Every Thing was disposed here to render the King's Journey and all his Actions impenetrable; for as foon as he alighted, the Commander of Thiange, whose Arrival preceded that of the King's, prepared to take the Part of Royalty upon him; for this Purpose, he dress'd himself in a f in a fuitable Habit, put on the Blue Ribband, and with a mysterious kind of Air gets into the King's Chaise. The Attendants taking him for his Majesty, at least acknowledging him for such, conduct him the Road for Bretaigne. Being arrived at Brest, M. Thiange ordered Notice immediately. to be given of it, acting the Part of King Stanislaus: The Cannon were fir'd both by Sea and Land, and at Night he embark'd, as has been already known. As foon as the Wind permitted, the Fleet made Sail for Dantzick; and this Feint so well fucceeded, that every Body believed the King to be on Board, even the Officers and Sailors, that made up the Crews of the Ships..

We come now to the next Scene, wherein the King appears in a plain course Cloth Suit, and a short black Peruke. M. Dandelot put himself in a little neater Dress of the two, and getting both into a bad Chaise, very dirty with Post Horses, they went went away, it being then Night, taking the Road to Metz; M. Dandelot play'd the Part of a Merchant, and the King was a Servant entrusted with his Affairs; and thus the Comedy went on. But it was too great a Rifque to travel through Germany with a French Chaise, and therefore, on the Frontiers of the Empire, it became neceffary to change the Voiture, at least it was a good Precaution. Accordingly, at the first Town they came to in Ger many, M. Dandelot, the Merchant, pretends to be to be very much fatigu'd with his bad Chaise, and not being able to ride on Horseback, had Occafion for a German Chaife. The Landlord of the Inn went up and down about the Town, and at at length finds out of one that feemed likely to do the B the Business; he acquaints M. Dandelot of the Affair, and he immediately orders his Servant, King Stanislaus, to go look at it, and ask the Price. In short, Having rendred an Account to his Mafter, the King bought and paid for it.

Th

This Acquifition, as one might

think, was luckily made; but a Thing of this Confequence was not left to the Work of Chance, for the Chaife was prepared for this Occafion, it having been left there by a Person who seemed to have no more Need of it, and order'd it to be fold to the firft Chap that offer'd himself. In this Equipage they made the Rout of Germany without any Difficulty, M. Dandelot as a Merchant, and the King as a Servant in whom he confided, his Majefty rendering him all the Services throughout the Journey, which might be required from a Person in the like Place, as bargaining, paying, &c.

When they came to the Gates of Berlin, they were ftopp'd by the Guard, because of five Perfons that ac

mpany'd them. The Officer examined them as to their Profeffions, the Place from whence they came, whither they were going, and why they travelled with fuch a Number of Persons. Our Travellers answer'd That they were Merchants of Warsaw, and that they had been in France and Germany, upon the Business of their Commerce, and were now returning home; that as to the five Perfons, they knew nothing of them they had join'd them but a few Hours ago upon the Road, and as they were going to Warsaw, they were making the Journey together. The Officer having asked them for their Passports, the King drew out of his Pocket a large Cafe, filled with Letters and Invoices, and from thence took out the Passport, and gave it the Officer, which, having examin'd, he returned to the King, and fo let them pass.

Being arriv'd at Francfort upon the Oder, the Merchant and Servant pretend to be much fatigued, so much that they could not pursue their Journey in such a hard jolting Chaife; the King therefore was order'd by his Mafter to feek for an eafier Voiture in the Town, along with the Landlord of the House; but their Enquiry was to no Purpose. The Landlord, perceiving the Diffculty the Merchant was in as to a more convenient Way of travelling, told him, that there was a Coach in the House, but it belonged to a young Stranger of Quality who had been there three or four Days, accompany'd by an Ecclefiaftick, and he was just now fetting out for Warsaw. This Stranger was the Nephew of the 'Marquess de Montt, who had been fent to Francfort, with a Canon of Cracovia, his Governor, under the Pretext of travelling 'till the Time of Election drew near, but in Reality, to wait their for the King. The young Stran

ger