HISTOR 
‘whatever unconcern their strugole 
ainst despotism and ambition was 
viewed by sovereign princes, had 
they been able to continue their re- 
sistance they would have met with all 
that support, from the generosity of 
Britons, which it was in their power 
as individuals to bestow. At the 
same time that the Russian forces 
poured into Poland, Stanislaus re- 
ceived a letter from Gatharine ih 
written with her own hand, in 
which she informed . him cae it 
would be vain to make farther re- 
sistance, as she was determined to 
double and even triple her army, 
in case of necessity, rather than 
abandon the cause she had under- 
taken. She intimated, besides, that 
the sentiments of the emperor and 
the king of Prussia were in unison 
with her own, and that a farther 
opposition; on his part, would in- 
duce those powers to give her the 
most effectual support. 
The king now.saw the inevitable 
necessity of yielding to superior 
force. He had applied to the court 
of Vienna for its interposition, but 
was answered inastyle that shewed 
it atted in conjunétion with those 
of Petersburghand Berlin. Finding 
all his endeavours to resist the pow- 
er of Russia ineffectual, 
its neighbours either abetted or did 
not dare to oppose it, he consulted 
with himself, it is said, in this sad 
extremity, whether he ‘should not, 
in imitation of illustrious precedents, 
disdain to survive the destructionof 
his country ; and expire sword in 
hand in its defence. Certain it is, 
that his words and behaviour indi- 
cated such an intent: but those 
who were most in his intimacy, re- 
presented to him that such a sacri- 
fice of himself, though it might 
contribute to render his name fa. 
Vor. XXXVI. 
OF EUROPE. 
and that all” 
[t7 
mous to posterity, would by no 
means conduce to the good of his 
country. It would not soften the 
disposition of the three partitioning 
potentates, who, though unwilling 
to embrue their hands in his blood, 
would not abate any thing of their 
pretensions in consideration of such 
a deed; which either bigotry or 
hypocrisy would represent as crimi- 
nal: the most prudent part he 
could a& in this difficult junéture, 
would be to terminate a contest to 
which Poland, in its present cir. 
cumstances, was evidently inade. 
quate, by yielding to the demands 
of the empress ; who might be pre. 
vailed upon, by a timely submission, 
to grant more favourable terms 
than she would probably listen to, 
were the resistance to her arms 
protracted until they had made an 
entire conquest of the kingdom : 
an event absolutely unavoidable, 
and that must put an end to all 
treaty and compromise. 
The inutility, or rather, indeed, 
the detriment that would hence re- 
sult to his country, from the des- 
perate resolution of perishing in 
battle, at the head of his army, 
were laid before him so forcibly, 
that he resolved, however it might 
prove mortifying, to yield to the 
irresistibye destiny that awaited his 
country, and to mitigate its rigour, 
if possible, by acceding to the im- 
perious requisitions of the empress, 
whase pride, by submitting to them 
with some degree of acquiescence, 
miyht be soothed into measures of 
less severity than was now threat- 
ened. Incompliance with the ad- 
vice of the coolest heads inhis coun- 
cil, who were of opinion, that no 
time should be lost ina fruitless.and 
ruinous resistance, all the members 
of the dict, that could conveni. 
[Ce] ently, 
