whilft he with a detachment of his indefatigable regiment, and a large body of Indians, was making an incurfion to the very gates of St. Auguftine, one Preber, a German jefuit, as he afterwards appeared to be, was fent prifoner to Frederica, by captain Kent, who commanded at Fort Augufta, on the main. Captain Kent had, for fome time before, perceived a remarkable intractability in the Creek Indians, in matters of trade, and a fulkiness in that generous nation that betokened no good to the English. After a wife and fecret enquiry, and from proper intelligence, he had great reafon to imagine fome ill-humours were ftirred up in these people, by a white man, who had refided fome time in the upper towns, after having been many years among the Cherokees, who always fhewed him the utmoft deference. Upon these advices, he got him privately feized, and eonveyed (without noife or buftle) to Frederica, as aforefaid, little imagining the importance of his capture: though the Indians miffing him, made it very apparent by their clamours, that they were not a little interested in his fafety. The general, at his return, was furprised, upon examination, to find in this prifoner, who appeared in his dress a perfect Indian, a man of politenefs and gentility, who fpoke Latin, French, Spanish, and German fluently, and English brokenly. What paffed at his feveral examinations, it is not in my power to determine; but the confequence was, that he was detained a prifoner, and fo remained when I left the colony at the beginning of the year 1744, which was after his excellency returned to England.

Preber, as to his perfon, was a

fhort dapper man, with a pleafing, open countenance, and a moft penetrating look. His drefs was a deerfkin jacket, a flap before and behind his privities, with morgiffons, or deer-fkin pumps, or fandals, which were laced, in the Indian manner, on his feet and ancles. The place of his confinement was the barracks, where he had a room, and a centry at his door, day and night. The philofophical eafe, with which he bore his confinement, the commu◄ nicative difpofition he seemed poffeffed of, and his politenefs, which drefs or imprisonment could not difguife, attracted the notice of every gentleman at Frederica, and gained him the favour of many vifits and converfations.

His economy was admirable; from his allowance of fish, flesh, and bread, he always fpared, till he had by him a quantity on which he could regale, even with glut tony, when he allowed himfelf that liberty. "It is folly," he would fay, to repine at one's lot in life:

my mind foars above misfortune: in this cell I can enjoy more real happiness, than it is poffible to do in the bufy fcenes of life. Reflec tions upon paft events, digesting former ftudies, keep me fully employed, whilft health and abundant fpirits allow me no anxious, no uneafy moments;-I fuffer, though a friend to the natural rights of mankind-though an enemy to tyranny, ufurpation, and oppreffion; -and what is more, I can forgive and pray for those that injure me;-I am a Christian—and Chrif, tian principles always promote internal felicity."

Sentiments like thefe, often expreffed, attracted my particular notice; and I endeavoured to cultivate C4

сола

a confidence he feemed to repofe in me, more especially, by every kind office in my power. Indeed, had nothing elfe been my reward, the pleafing entertainment his converfation imparted would have been a fufficient recompence. He had read much, was converfant in moft arts and fciences; but in all greatly wedded to fyftem and hypothefis.

After fome months intercourfe, I had from his own mouth a confeffion of his defigus in America, which were neither more nor lefs, than to bring about a confederation amongst all the fouthern Indians, to infpire them with induftry, to inftruct them in the arts neceffary to the commodity of life, and in fhort, to engage them to throw off the yoke of their European allies, of all nations. For this purpose he had, for many years, accommodated himself to their opinions, prejudices and practices, had been their leader in war, and their priest and legiflator in peace, interlarding (like his brethren in China) fome of the moft alluring Romish rites with their own fuperftitions, and inculcating fuch maxims of policy as were not utterly repugnant to their own, and yet were admirably calculated to fubferve the views he had upon them. Hence they began, already, to be more acute in their dealings with the English and French, and to look down upon those nations as interlopers, and invaders of their jun rights. The Spaniards, I found, he looked upon with a more favourable eye: "They, fays he, are good Chriftians, that is (with a fmiling fneer) fuch fubjects as may be worked upon to do any thing for the fake of converting their neighbours with them my people would incorporate and become one

nation;a bull, a difpenfation or a brief, will bring them to any thing." When I hinted, though at a distance, the bloodshed his fcheme would produce, the difficulties he had to encounter, and the many years it would require to eftablish his government over the Indians, he anfwered in this remarkable manner : "Proceeding properly, many of thefe evils may be avoided, and, as to length of time, -we have a fucceffion of agents to take up the work as faft as others leave it. We never lofe fight of a favourite point, nor are we bound by the ftrict rules of morality, in the means, when the end we pursue is laudable. If we err, our general is to blame, and we have a merciful God to pardon. But, believe me, before this century is past, the Europeans will have a very small footing on this continent." Thus the father, or nearly in these words, expreffed himself, and often hinted that there were many more of his brethren, that were yet labouring amongst the Indians for the fame purpofes. The adventures of this remarkable man, which he imparted to me, are fo extraordinary, that Ifhall, the first opportunity, confign them to your hands for publication, if you will accept of them; and, at prefent, fhall conclude this letter with one ftriking inftance of his presence of mind and fortitude.

On the 22d of March 1744, the large magazine of bombs, and a fmall magazine of powder, at Frederica, by fome accident, were fet on fire, and blew up with a dreadful explofion. In a moment the town wore all the appearance of a bombardment, the inhabitants left their houfes, and filed with the utmoft confternation into the adjacent woods

and

and favannahs, whilft the splinters of the bursting fhells flew in the air to an amazing diftance, confidering they were not projected from the ufual inftruments of deftruction. The worthy and humane captain Mackay, who then commanded in the garrifon, immediately opened the doors of the prisons to all the captive Spaniards and Indians, and bid them fhift for themselves. A meffage was fent to Preber to the fame purpose, which he politely refufed to comply with, and in the hurry he was foon forgotten. The bombs were well bedded, as it providentially happened, and, at intervals, were fome hours in difcharging themselves. When the explofion began to languish, fome of us thought of the jefuit, and went to his apartment, which, by the bye, was not twenty paces from the bomb-house: after calling fome time, he put forth his head from under his feather-bed, with which he had prudently covered himself, and cried, "Gentlemen, I fuppofe all's over;-for my. part, I reafoned thus: the bombs will rife perpendicularly, and, if the fufee fails, fall again in the fame direction, but the fplinters will fly off horizontally; therefore, with this trufty covering, I thought I had better ftand the ftorm here, than hazard a knock in the pate by flying further." This was faid with the fame eafe that he would have expreffed himself at a banquet, and he continued the converfation, with his ufual vein of pleasantry, to the end of an explosion, that was enough to firike terror to the firmest breaft. I am, Sir, your conftant reader and humble fervant,

Bristol, Sept. 19, 1760,

AMERICUS.

The Life of Theodore, King of Corfica, published in Bibliotheca Biographica, or Synopfis of univerfal biography; a new work. In the account we must obferve, that the baron's character is reprefented in the most favourable light.

T

Heodore I. king of Corfica,

It was

baron Niewhoff, grandee of Spain, baronof England, peer of France, baron of the holy Empire, prince of the papal throne; for thus he ftiled himfelf. 'A man whofe claim to royalty,' fays an ingenious author, was as indifputable as the most ancient titles to any monarchy can pretend to be; that is, the choice of his fubjects; the voluntary election of an injured people, who had the common right of mankind to freedom, and the uncommon refolution of determining to be free.' on March 15, 1736, whilst the Corfican malecontents were fitting in 'council, that an English veffel from Tunis with a paffport from our conful there, arrived at a port then in poffeffion of the male'contents. A ftranger on board this veffel, who had the appearance of a perfon of diftinction, no fooner went on fhore, but he was received with fingular honours by the principal perfons, who faluted him with the titles of excellency, and viceroy of Corfica. His attendants confifted of two officers, a fecretary, a chaplain, a few domeftic and Morocco flaves. He was conducted to the bifhop's palace; called himself lord Theodore; whilft the chiefs knew more about him than they thought convenient to-declare.From this veffel that brought him, were debarked 10 pieces of cannon, 4000 firelocks, 3000 pair of flioes, a great quantity of provifions, and coin

coin to the amount of 200,000 ducats. Two pieces of cannon were placed before his door, and he had 400 foldiers pofted for his guard. He created officers, formed 24 companies of foldiers, diftributed among the malecontents the arms and the fhoes he had brought with him, conferred knighthood on one of the chiefs, appointed another his treafurer, and profeffed the Roman catholic religion. Various conjectures were formed in different courts concerning him; the eldest son of the Pretender, prince Ragotfki, the duke de Ripperda, count de Bonneval, were each in their turns fuppofed to be this ftranger. All Europe was puzzled; but the country of our ftranger was foon difcovered: he was in fact a Pruffian, well known by the name of Theodore Anthony, baron Niewhoff. Theodore was a knight of the Teutonic order, had fucceffively been in the fervice of feveral German princes, had seen Holland, England, France, Portugal; gained the confidence of the great at Lifbon, and paffed there for a charge d'affaires from the emperor. This extraordinary man, with an agreeable perfon, had refolution, and strong natural parts, and was capable of any enterprize. He was about 50 years of age. Upon his firft landing, the chiefs of the Corficans publicly declared to the people, that it was to him they were to be indebted for their liberties; that he was arrived in order to deliver the inland from the tyrannical oppreffion of the Genoefe. The general affembly offered him the crown, not as any fudden act into which they had been furprized, but with all the precaution that people could take to fecure their freedom and felicity under it. Theodore,

however, contented himself with the title of governor-general. In this quality he affembled the people, and administered an bath for preferving eternal peace among themfelves; and feverely did he exact obedience to this law. He was again offered the title of King, he accepted it, Sunday April 15, 1736, was crowned king of Corfica, and received the oath of fidelity from his principal fubjects, and the acclamations of all the people. The Genoefe, alarmed at these proceedings, publicly declared him and his adherents guilty of high. treafon; caused it to be reported, that he governed in the most defpotic manner, even to the putting to death many principal inhabitants, merely because they were Genoese; than which nothing could be more falfe, as appears from his manifefto, in answer to the edict. Theodore, however, having got together near 25,000 men, found himself mafter of a country where the Genoefe durft not appear; he carried Porte Vecchio, and on May 3d blocked up the city of Baftia, but was foon obliged to retire. He then feparated his force, and was fuccessful in his conquefts, and came again before Baftia, which foon fubmitted to him. His court became brilliant; and he conferred titles of nobility upon his principal courtiers. Towards the month of July, murmurs were fpread of great diffatisfactions arifing from the want of Theodore's promised fuccours: on the other hand, a confiderable armament failed from Barce lona, as was fuppofed in his favour. At the fame time France and England ftrictly forbid their fubjects to affift in any way the malecontepts. Sept. 2d, Theodore prefided at a general affembly, and affured his

fubjects

fubjects anew of the speedy arrival of the fo much wanted fuccours. Debates ran high, and Theodore was given to understand, that before the end of October he muft refign fovereign authority, or make good his promife. Theodore, in the mean time, received large fums, but nobody knew from whence they came: he armed fome barques, and chafed thofe of the Genoefe which lay near the island. He now inftituted the order of the Deliverance, in memory of his delivering the country from the dominion of the Genoefe. The monies he had received he caused to be new coined, and his affairs feemed to have a promifing afpect; but the fcene presently changed. In the beginhing of November he affembled the chiefs, and declared that he would not keep them any longer in a ftate of uncertainty, their fidelity and confidence demanding of him the utmost efforts in their favour: that he had determined to find out in perfon the fuccours he had fo long expected. The chiefs affured him of their determined adherence to his interefts. He named the principal among them to take the -government in his abfence, made all the neceffary provifions, and recommended to them union in the ftrongest terms. The chiefs, to the number of 47, attended him with the utmoft refpect on the day of his departure to the water fide, and even on board his veffel; where, after affectionately embracing them, he took his leave, and they returned on fhore, and went immediately to their respective pofts, which he had affigned them; a demonftrative proof this, that he was not forced out of the ifland, did not quit it in difguft, or leave it in a

manner inconfiftent with his royal character. Thus ended the reign of Theodore; who arrived in a few days, difguifed in the habit of an abbé, at Livonia, and from thence, after a fhort ftay, conveyed himself nobody knew whither. The next year however, he appeared at Paris; but was ordered to depart the kingdom in 48 hours; he precipitately embarked at Rouen, and arrived at Amfterdam, attended by four Italian domeftics; he took up his quarters at an inn; and there two citizens arrested him, on a claim of 16,000 florins, but he foon obtained a protection, and found fome merchants who engaged to furnish him with a great quantity of ammunition for his faithful iflanders. He accordingly went on board a frigate of 52 guns, and 250 men; but was foon afterwards, with two of his relations, feized at Naples, in the house of the Dutch conful, and fent prifoner to the fortress of Gaieta. This unhappy monarch, whofe courage had raised him to a throne, not by a fucceffion of bloody acts, but by the free choice of an oppreffed nation, for many years ftruggled with fortune, and left no means untried, which indefatigable policy, or folicitation of fuccours could attempt, to reco ver his crown at length he chose for his retirement a country, where he might enjoy the participation of that liberty which he had fo vainly endeavoured to fix to his Corficans: but his fituation here by degrees grew wretched, and he was reduced fo low, as to be feveral years before his death a prifoner for debt in the King's-bench. To the honour of fome private perfons, a charitable contribution was fet on foot for him in 1753. And in 1757, at

the