was placed at the head of affairs; the ministers of the late king, counts Bernstorf, Holke, &c. being previoufly disgraced. With the rash presumption incident to sudden and unmerited profperity, this man attempted to introduce many innovations into the government and police of the kingdom, by which he made himself univerfally odious. The very high favor in which he evidently stood with the queen, also gave rise to imputations little to the advantage of her majesty's character. At length, by an unexpected and extraordinary court-revolution, conducted by the queen dowager and her son prince Frederic, Struenfee and his principal partisans were arrested under the fanction of a warrant compulsorily figned by the king. The queen herself was committed close prisoner to the castle of Cronenburg, January 1772. In the sequel, Struenfee suffered on a public scaffold; and the queen, against whom it was for fome time a subject of doubt whether a capital process should not be instituted, was allowed, through the powerful interpofition of England, to retire from the Danish dominions, and found an asylum in the city of Zell, where after residing some years, she died in neglect and obscurity.

The events which passed nearly at the same time in Sweden, were of a nature in a political view far more important and interesting. High disputes had for many years subsisted between the king and the senate. At length, in consequence of a refusal of the senate to convoke an extraordinary diet, which the king declared to be absolutely necessary to remedy the evils which distracted the state, an instrument was figned by the king, and delivered by the prince royal to the different colleges of justice, of finance, and of war, by which the king notified to them in form, that until the states were convoked he found himself under the neceffity of abdicating the goveenment. This was a measure of deep policy, and at the same time

of great popularity, the fenate having rendered themselves univerfally odious by the abuse of the powers entrusted to them by the conftitution. The different executive departments of the state refusing to act after this notification, the senate moit reluctantly convened the diet, which met at Norkioping in the month of April 1769. The fecret committee in a short time brought twenty-four articles of accusation against the fenators, and allowed them fortyeight hours only to prepare for their defence; and they were in the refult degraded from their offices. The court nevertheless failed in the grand point of effecting an extension of its powers. On the question being put, "Whether it be proper to make any innovations in the fundamental constitution of the kingdom," it was carried in the negative, in the order of nobles, by 457 to 431 voices. The orders of burghers and peasants also severally decided against any alterations of the existing political system. Things continued therefore nearly in the same state till the death of the king, which took place early in the year 1771. He was succeeded by his son Gustavus the third, who was at that period abfent at the court of Versailles. On his return to Sweden, he passed some days at Berlin; and at these two courts the project of a revolution in the government of Sweden was undoubtedly concerted, although the king, in his letter to the states, gave them the most folemn afsurances, that he would inviolably adhere to the constitution or formula of government settled in the year 1720. In his speech at the opening of the diet in June, he declared, that he confidered it as his greatest glory to be the first citizen of a free country; and at his coronation, which took place in the month of February 1772, he not only took the customary oath, but by a voluntary declaration, he formally abfolved the states from their allegiance, should he ever attempt any infringement of the capitulations to which he had then sworn. All this however was the refult of a studied and confummate hypocriVOL. I.

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fy. After a long train of the most artful preparations, he at length determined, on the morning of the 19th of August 1772, to throw off the mask. Summoning the officers of the royal guard, he infinuated to them that his life was in danger from the machinations of the senatorspainted in strong colors the wretched state of the kingdom, and declared that his only design was to banish corruption, establish true liberty, and revive the antient luftre of the Swedish name. "Will you," said he, "be faithful to me, as your forefathers were to Gustavus Vasa and Gustavus Adolphus ? I will then risk my life for your welfare and that of my country." The officers expressing in warm terms their attachment to the king, and their readiness to concur in his designs, a detachment of grenadiers was posted with bayonets fixed at the door of the council chamber, where the senators were actually engaged in deliberation, to prevent all ingress or egrefs. Other principal leaders of the aristocratic party were also at the fame time put under an arrest, and the king, mounting his horfe, followed by his officers and soldiers, rode through the streets of Stockholm, addressing himself to the innumerable crowds which were gathered together, and protesting "that he only meant to defend them, and fave the country from ruin, and that if they could not confide in him, he would resign his fceptre and kingdom." The deluded people, with loud acclamations, applauded his patriotifm, and entreated him not to abandon them. No symptom of resistance any where appeared; and the diet being in a few days convened, the king addressed the states in a long harangue, in which, after defcribing in forcible language the disorders and misfortunes in which party divifions had plunged the nation, he ordered the new formula of government to be read, which he now propofed for their acceptance. By one article of the constitution, the king was vested with the power of affembling and diffolving the states at pleasure. By another, he was

to

to have the fole disposal of the army, the navy, the finances, and all employments civil and military. By a third, all existing taxes were made perpetual; and the king, in case of preffing neceffity, might impose new taxes till the states should be affembled. And by a fourth, the states, when affembled, were to deliberate only on those questions which the king thought proper to refer to them. The instrument of government being read, the king demanded whether they approved of it? Cannon being planted in the court facing the hall where the states were affembled, and matrosses standing over them with lighted matches, the affembly declared with one voice their entire affent to these articles; and the oath of fidelity was immediately administered to them. After which te Deum was sung by his majesty and the assembly, in devout commemoration of this happy event. And thus was a revolution accomplished, which converted one of the most limited monarchies in Europe into one of the most absolute, without shedding a single drop of blood; and the nation at large, which had been grievously oppressed under the former aristocratic constitution, and which had never attained to true and rational ideas of liberty, were delighted with the present change of government, from which they hoped to enjoy tranquillity and security at least, if not the felicity and advantages of political freedom.

It is now high time to revert to the more proper fubject of the present history, and to refume the narration of military operations in America. It has been before remarked, that the siege or blockade of Quebec, notwithstanding the disastrous issue of general Montgomery's attempt, was continued through the winter with astonishing resolution by colonel Arnold, who was afterwards superseded by general Sullivan. Early in the spring, before the Americans could be joined by their expected reinforcements, a naval armament of Great Britain, consisting of the Isis of 54 guns, accompanied by the Surprise frigate and

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and the Martin floop, forced their passage through the ice before the navigation of the St. Lawrence was deemed practicable. General Carleton, animated no less than ftrengthened by the welcome and seasonable fuccors they brought, immediately marched out in force, in order to attack the American camp; but the besiegers, weakened by hardship and disease, and now altogether despairing of fuccess, had already begun their retreat, abandoning their baggage, artillery and stores, and directing their march towards Sorel, which they reached in a few days in a very ill condition. Towards the end of May, all the reinforcements being now arrived from England, a very great force was collected in Canada; the general rendezvous of which was appointed at Trois Rivieres, half way between Montreal and Quebec, about ninety miles from each. General Burgoyne, who was second in command, had orders to pursue the continental army up the Sorel to St. John's. This post was now abandoned by the Americans, who retreated in confufion to Ifle aux Noix, and from thence to Crown Point. Montreal and Chamblée had been also previously evacuated, and the garrifons with difficulty avoided being entirely cut off. Still the Americans were mafters of Lake Champlain, and the greatest exertions were made by the generals Carleton and Burgoyne, to conftruct a number of veffels of fufficient force to give them that fuperiority which was effential to the fuccess of the expedition now meditated to the fouthward; and, till this purpose was effected, military operations were entirely fufpended in the province of Canada.

A ftrong squadron, commanded by Sir Peter Parker, with about 3000 land forces on board, failed from Cork in the month of February, on an expedition to the middle or fouthern colonies. The departure of this fleet was delayed by a fingular circumstance. The lord lieutenant of Ireland, lord Harcourt, doubting his power to permit the troops to leave the kingdom, a clause expressly authorifing