FORTlA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.

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how vain fuch poor attempts to prejudice that brave nation! No, Mr. Leveque, fafwhat you will, the Swedes will never be regarded as a rude and barbarous people; theinverfe indeed would have been much more credible. The famous paflage of theDwina in 1701, in face of the Saxon army, is one of the molt brilliant actions of mo-dern warfare. We fhall not follow Charles in his victories. Every one is acquaintedwith the vengeance he took on Auguftus, the King of Poland , by dethroning him. Hisintention was to treat the Czar Peter in the fame manner; but at length, after nineyears fuccefs, fortune forfook his banners at Pultawa. This battle, fought on the 27thJune, (O. S.) 1709, deltroyed the effect of his previous victories. The provinces uponwhich he had feized were retaken, his army annihilated, and the Czar thus faw himfelffreed from a dangerous enemy, and at liberty to dedicate his attention to the civilizationof his people. Charles taking refuge with the Turks, remained five years among them;,vainly endeavouring, by every contrivance, to engage them to affift him with troops.His enemy Peter, finding himfelf in 1711 furrounded £\t the Pruth with his army by the-Turks, Charles was in hopes that he fliould be allowed to profit of his aukward fitua-tion and attack him ; but the Czar had the prudence to capitulate, and thus fruftratedall his plans. In the mean time the Turks, weary of fuch a gueft, ydt unable to ridthemfelves of him, refolved upon attacking him by force: then it was that Charles fuf-tained in his houfe an unexampled fiege, and difplayed fo much intrepidity, that, whilewe can but condemn him for defending himfelf againfl all right and reafon, we yetcannot withhold our admiration.

At length Charles departed in 1714 for his dominions, that is to fay, to continue the 1war. Baron Gcertz, a fpecies of adventurer, but an able politician, having infinuatedhimfelf into the good graces of the Prince, was trufted with the management of his af-fairs. He contrived to bring to conclusion a treaty of alliance between his mafter and'the Czar, tending to re-eftablifh Staniflaus in the throne of Poland , (for this unfortunatePrince, after the defeat of his protestor, had fallen with his fortunes,) and to place thePretender on the throne of England : thefevaft projedts were overturned on the 30thNovember 1718, by the death of Charles at the fiege of Fredericfhall in Norway : hemeditated the conqueft of that kingdom, and every thing leads one to think that hewould have fucceeded, for never had he commanded a finer army. He is blamed byM. de Voltaire for preferring rocks and deferts to the fine provinces of Germany, ,which he left to themfelves; we differ from M. de Voltaire : Norway has other recom-mendations than rocks ; its pofition renders it fufceptible of an immenfe trade; and a&it leans uninterruptedly on Sweden , it appears to us far more defirable to that kingdomthan provinces in Germany , which, however rich, are more diftant, feparated by the fea,and difficult to defend.

It has been faid that all the qualities of Charles bordered on extravagance, and thathe was rather extraordinary than great; this is true : more a foldier than a generalthis may be true alfo : neverthelefs, he poffeiled a fund of military knowledge, which Im-proved on various occafions; but his intrepidity, carried to excefs, leads one to forgetthe general, to regard the foldier alone. Charles poffefTed fome eftiinable qualities} hewas pious, a foe to adulation and luxury, and exempt from foibles; he rewarded merit,particularly valour, which he looked upon as a principal virtue : he may perhaps notunworthily be ftyled a great man, but he was a King, and he was not a great King: he.neglected thofe duties to which a fovereign ought to attend ; agriculture, commerce,the arts, the welfareof his people, thefe were wholly foreign to him, and every thingbut arms: he left his ffatts expofed to his neighbours, deftitute of men and money ;whence we may conclude, that tfeis Prince may in fome points be admired, but that it