overturn the bafis of public deliberations, and on the ruins of Poland erect trophies of glory to foreign nations, whofe intereft it may be to foment and keep up these divifions. Zeal for the public good alone, the motive that has always influenced our actions hitherto, will direct and animate all our deliberations at the approaching dyet. And without infiiting now upon any particular propofitions, we are ready even to go contrary to natural fubordination, in conforming ourselves, though we are the father of the country, to the defires of its dear children, provided that, laying afide every other fentiment, the three eftates of the republic will unanimoufly concur in every thing that fhall be found for the good of the country." Memorial concerning the deftroy- town, both by their prodigious height, being fix or feven ftories high, and by their proximity to the rampart. From this confideration Count Schmettau caufed it to be declared to the court by M. de Bofe, chief Cup-bearer, that as foon as the enemy fhould make a fhew of attacking Drefden, he should find himself under the difagreeable neceflity of burning the fuburbs, and that for that end he had just put combustible matters in the highest houses, and thofe next to the rampart, that his orders for that purpofe might be speedily executed, whenever the reasons of war obliged him to iffue them in his own defence. The fame declaration was made to the magiftrates, the governor having fent for the burgo-mafter to come to him. The court and the city earnestly implored, that this miffortune might be averted from the inhabitants; but the Governor infifted that it would be indifpenfably neceflary to come to that extremity, if the enemy themselves would pay no respect to the Royal refidence; and caufed every thing to be got ready for the execution or his threats Meanwhile, the city, as well as the fates of Saxony, who were then affembled at Drefden, fent a deputation to M. de Borcke, the King's minifter, to intreat him to intercede with the Governor in their behalf. M. de Borcke, after conferring with Count Schmettau, answered them, that it depended on the court and the city themfelves, to prevent the attacking of Drefden; but that if the Autrians fhould attack it, it would be impoffible to fpare the fuburbs, the houfes of which commanded the M 4 ram rampart, the Governor having exprefs orders to defend himself till the last extremity. The minifter at the fame time pointed out to them the imminent danger to which the city and the caftle, and even the royal family, would be expofed, if he should be forced to come to that extremity, as the fire of the fuburbs could not fail, without a miracle, to reach the town, and make terrible havock: He at the fame time conjured the deputies of the States, to ufe their utmost endeavours to divert the ftorm, and not to confider the Governor's declaration as a vain threat, for he could affure them upon his honour, that upon the firing of the first cannon against the town, they would fee the fub. urbs on fire. Marshal Daun happily changed his refolution upon the King's approach, who was returning victorious from Zorndorff; and the Governor of Drefden, yielding to the intreaties of the inhabitants, ordered the combustible matters with which he had filled the houfes to be removed. But Marshal Daun returning a fecond time into Saxony, appeared again, namely on the 6th of November, within fight of Dresden, with a formidable army. This army having made a motion on the 7th, and taken a camp on this fide Lockowitz, the Governor, who could no longer doubt that his views were against the capital, caufed the combuftible matters to be quickly replaced in the houses of the fuburbs which furrounded the town ditch, and command the rampart. The court was immediately informed of it by M. de Bofe, the chief Capbearer, whom Count Schmettau charged to represent again to his court, that if the enemy's army fhould approach the fuburbs, he would that initant fet fire to them. It was anfwered, that as the court, its hands being tied, was obliged to acquiefce in all, and wait the laft extremities, the Governor was free to do whatever he thought he could answer. and The fame day (Nov. 8.) at noon the enemy's advanced troops attacked the huffars and independent battalions which were posted at Streiffen and Gruene-Wiefe. This fkirmish continued till night came on, and made the Governor judge that it might have confequences, as the enemy might eafily repulfe thofe advanced pofts, and enter pell-mell with them into the fuburb, He therefore detached next day (the 9th) in the morning Colonel Itzenplitz with 700 men, fome pieces of cannon, and posted them himself in the redoubts that furrounded the fuburb, that, in cafe of need, they might fupport the huffars and the independent battalions. About noon he fent for the Magiftrates of the town; put them in mind of what he had faid to them in the month of July laft; and told them, that the enemy having evidently a real defign against Drefden, he gave them notice for the last time, that on the first appearance of an Auftrian in the fuburbs, they would be fet on fire. The Magiftrates anfwered by only fhrugging their fhoulders, and deploring the miffortune of their fellow citizens. The Governor told them, that they had nothing to do but to apply to the court, who alone could avert the calamity. About noon the Auftrian vanguard attacked the advanced posts, re repelled the huffars, whofe number was too fmall to make refiftance, and even forced them, as well as Monjou's independent battalion, to quit the great garden and gain the fuburbs. The enemy immediately attacked the small redoubts where 700 men of the garrifon had been posted, forced three of them, and penetrated to Zinzendorf-houfe, and even made fuch progrefs, that an Auftrian foldier was killed on the draw-bridge of Pirna-gate, and 5 fome cannon were obliged to be fired on Zinzendorf-houfe to drive e out the Auftrians. During this attack, the enemy's cannon played into the town, and feveral fixpounders fell in the arfenal, in the Princes hotel, and in the houfes of Loos, Mnifceck, and Counsellor Fritfch. One ball even fell before the house of Marfhal Count Rutowsky. Notwithstanding this declared attack against the town and fuburbs, no house was yet on fire; a plain proof that there was little inclination to proceed to that extremity. The cannon of the rampart forced the enemy to retire; and before night even all the redoubts of which they had got poffeflion were retaken. Mean while the army of General Itzenplitz marched through the town, paffed the Elbe, and encamped under the cannon of the new town; and General Meyer was ordered to defend the fuburbs with his independent battalions, and four others, and to fet fire to them after giving notice to the inhabitants. One of this General's officers told the Governor, about midnight, that he heard men at work, and that the enemy feemed to be erecting batteries and planting cannon; accordingly, all who were fent out beyond the barriers to reconnoitre, had a fmart fire to fuftain. These preparations, added to the preceding affair, giving room to think that at day-break the enemy would make a vigorous attack, and make themfelves masters of the fuburbs, into which the cannon of the town could not difpute their entrance, by reafon of the height of the houfes, the Governor had no other measures to take but those which the intereft of his Master, reafons of war, and his own honour, dictated. The fignal was given by General Meyer, and immediately, at three in the morning of the 10th, the greatest part of the suburbs of Pirna, the houses adjoining to the ditch, and two in the fuburb of Wilfdorff, were in flames. The fix battalions with the 700 men, entered the town by the three gates, which were immediately barricaded; and after fix in the morn ing there was not a Pruffian in the fuburbs, as the inhabitants of the town can testify. The ftory of the frequent fallies of the Pruffians to light up what was not yet confumed, is void of all foundation. is likewise abfolutely falfe that the inhabitants had not timely notice given them. These atrocious calumnies are fufficiently confuted by the annexed certificates of the chief Cup-bearer de Bofe, and of the Magiftrates. As to the red-hot bullets fired upon the inhabitants, the lighted waggon, the children thrown into the fire, thefe are fo many horrible lies, which will fall of themselves, when the aforefaid certificates of the Court, the Magiftrates, and the Judges of the fuburbs are feen. The order given to the burghers to remain quiet in their houfes was intimated only to the Magiftrates of the city, in the It month month of July; and not to thofe of the Governor would defend himself the fuburbs; and there was nothing in this but what is ufual. What hath been faid to the contrary, is, in fhort, fo falfe, that the court of Drefden was pleafed to thank the Governor for the good order he caused to be observed during those troubles; as will appear by the annexed letter of De Bofe the chief Cup-bearer. It only remains that we should fay fomething of the meffages that paffed between Marthal Daun and Count Schmettau, by the intervention of Colonel Sawoifky. After the first compliments, M. de Sawoifky told the Governor, that Marshal Daun was extremely furprized at the burning of the fuburbs: that he (Sawoisky) was defired to enquire whether it was by order that this was done in a royal refidence, which was a thing unheard of among Chriftians; and that he hoped the city of Drefden would not be treated in the fame manner. The Marshal then made his compliments to the Court; and added, that the Governor fhould be refponfible in his perfon for what had been done, or for what might be done, against this royal refidence. The Colonel received for anfwer, in prefence of Lieutenant-general Itzenplitz, That the Governor had the honour to be known to the Marshal; that he had orders to defend the town to the laft man : that his Excellency was too well acquainted with war, to be ignorant that the deftruction of the fuburbs, which the Marshal had attacked, was according to rule: that as to what concerned the town, it depended upon his Excellency, fince if he attacked it, from houfe to houfe, and from street to ftreet; and that the whole infantry of the army was ready to defend the city. On the 11th, the Governor haveing learnt from feveral burghers of the fuburbs, who, at their own request, had been brought into the town with their effects by water, that the enemy had thrown into the flames, or maffacred without pity, fome defenceless people belonging to the Pruffian army, who had remained behind, particularly a furgeon; fent at noon Captain Collas with a trumpet to the Marfhal, with orders to tell him, that his Excellency's well-known character did not permit it to be be lieved that fuch cruelties were committed by his order; and therefore to demand to whom they were to be afcribed: that as to the deftruction of the fuburbs, Colonel Sawoifky had already carried an anfwer on that head to the Marshal, but that this opportunity was taken to declare to his Excellency, that if he defired to fave the rest of the fuburbs, he must hinder his troops from appearing in them; that no body had the preservation of the town and fuburbs more at heart, than the Governor, as far as was confiftent with his duty, and his honour: that the houfes would not have been fet on fire, had not the troops of his army forced their way into the fuburbs, and even fired feveral cannon into the town (which M. Daun pretended not to know; faying, that it had been done without his orders ;) and that the combuftible matters were ready to confume what was left of the fuburb, in cafe his troops fhould again enter it. The court took advantage of amazing tranquillity. C. Count de Schmettau. No. I. Letter from M. de Bofe, I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency, in answer to what you wrote me this day, I muft own that ever fince you had the government of Drefden, I informed you of all that his Royal Highness charged me to tell you in his name, and I have likewife reported to his Highness your Excellency's anfwers. of this meffage to afk a paffport the enemy's army retired, paffed in from M. Daun for bringing fome fheep and fire-wood into the town. His Excellency anfwered to thefe three heads, That he had no irregular troops with him; and that he had forbid any perfon of his army to approach the fuburbs ; that he did not apprehend any exceffes had been committed; but in cafe there had, he defired to know the number of the perfons maffacred; that he was the more aftonished at thofe complaints, as he never fuffered fuch diforders; that he abhorred them, and that perhaps the burghers had no foundation for what they had faid. As to the fuburbs, M. Daun anfwered that he would not fuffer rules to be prefcribed to him; that it depended upon him to fend troops into the fuburbs, as he fhould judge proper, and the Governor might do as he pleafed; but that he hoped that in the mean while no more families would be made wretched; and that he had forbid his troops, on fevere penalties, to enter the fuburbs to pillage. As to the demand made by the court, he answered, that he would particularly attend to it; and affured them of his profound refpects. On the 12th his Excellency fent an officer with a permit to deliver the fheep and fire-wood for the court, which were to be brought into the town by Pruffians; and Captain Collas was fent to regulate this affair. The Captain, in paffing through the fuburbs, fhewed the Lieutenant fent by M. Daun the maroders of his troops, both foot and huffars, who exceeded 200; and the officer promised to make a report of it to the Martha'. The rest of the time, to the 26th, that As to the first point, I also remember very well that your Excellency charged me, in the month of July, to reprefent in your name to his Royal Highnefs, that if Marfhal Daun fhould attack the city, you must fet fire to the fuburbs, particularly the houses that adjoined to the ditch; into which houses your Excellency immediately ordered combustibles to be put. I alfo remember, that upon the follicitations which his Royal Highnefs made, by me, to your Excellency, you ordered them to be removed when Marshal Daun retired; and of this alfo I made an humble report. It is alfo true, that when Marfhal Daun was at Lockowitz, on the 8th of November last, your Excellency charged me to acquaint his Royal Highness in your name, that if the Marshal should approach nearer the town and attack it, you fhould be obliged to burn the fuburbs, and the houfes adjoining to the town ditch. Although I made feveral remonftrances to your Excellency from the court, you de clared, |