FORTIA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.

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men we are far from being aftonifhed at this fort of ingratitude. Some among the la-dies, deftrous of qualifying their opinion, reafon right and wrong on governments, ad-miniftration, the power of Kings, &c. But they are unwilling to declare the real mo-tive of their hatred, which is merely the preference they give to a government in whichthey have, a chance of feeing their hufband, their brother, or their coufin, take part inthe adminiftration, to one in which there may be but one efficient *. Egotifm glidesinto the heads of the fair as well as our own. Yet fhould the nobility refleft and ceafeto murmur, without the King they would be nothing not only in Sweden but in anymonarchical ftate whatever. The moll opulent gentleman in the kingdom, enrichedby the bounty of ‘former Kings to his anceftors, inhabits the capital; here he ought to-pafs for fomebody, but here, unlefs when fpoken of as one of the^chiefs of the partyoppofed to the King, arrefted in 1789, infulted by the people, and recommended, afteralking advice of the police, to leave Stockholm , none ever fpeak of him j the world infhort fcarce knows of his exiftence.

Let us refume: the King had not the power of declaring war, except by fir ft obferv-ing thofe forms he is blamed for having negledted, by compliance with them he gavenotice to the enemy of his intention, and time to put himfelf in a pofture of defence.The general approbation of the war on the part of the diet proves that his motives fordeclaring war were not fo deftitute of juftice as has been aflerted. Had this prince giventhe enemy an opportunity to prepare his defence, he would have had attributed to fuchconduct the whole of the consequent mif-chances, and with reafon. In war the nicetiesof the 'drawing-room are difregarded. (England has almoft conftantly began her attackon us before any declaration of war. In 1756, two ftiips were taken by them Le Lys,and UAlcide, before we knew of the commencement of hoftilities.) Sweden is notftrong enough to ftand againft Ruffia, when that power is at liberty to oppofe her withher whole force. Guftavus took advantage of the ftate of fecurity in which that powerwas wrapped, to endeavour to regain a part of the provinces wrefted from his prede-ceffors. In thefe difmemberments, it cannot be difguifed, juftice was feldom regarded ;they were the refult of the wars of Charles XII. and no one but knows that Peter theGreat in alliance with two other princes, attacked this Prince without the fmalleft fha-dowof equity, juft at his leaving his cradle. The Ruffians exclaim againft the King ofSweden for attacking them without notice; but had he informed them of his defign fourmonths before, undoubtedly they would have laughed at him. The Ruffians had com-mitted a great fault in leaving their frontiers unguarded. They fay they had no miftrultof the King of Sweden ; thofe neighbours with whom a nation has before been at warit ought always to miftruft. Their overfight was (hameful: thanks to their roubles they-efcaped its puniffiment. Let them profit by the leffon f. They knew how little was-wanting to have made it a terrible one. The carriages of the Emprefs were in readinefs,every thing was prepared for flying to Mofcow. " There were not five hundred cof-facks on the whole of the fouthern banks of the gulph between the Swedes and Peterf-burgh. The fcarcity of men was fuch, that three regiments were fent poll from thearmy of Prince Potemkin , feven or eight foldiers on a kibiek, by two hundred at atime.

As it is right that all fhould be laid open, we fhall mention to our readers a very ex-traordinary opinion, but which was communicated to us as well founded ; it will ferv®

* The fame reafon caufes the Ruffians to difapprove of the revolution in Sweden , as well as the la ft inPoland . They found it fo pleafant to be mailers in other countries !

f Since this war they have 1 fortified the frontiers, particularly the mouth of the Kimen. Hencefo rt ^there will always be kept from 18 to 20,000 men in this part of Finland .

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