HISTORY OF EUROPE 
.. To all the other circtimstances 
that tended to encourage the hopes, 
and inflame the ambition of the 
French republic, is to be added the 
death of the empress of Russia. 
hough it might seem to a sound 
politician, unwarped by prejudice or 
passion, that an emperor of Russia 
could not-be other than hostile to 
the friends of Sweden and the Porte, 
and the patrons of revolution in 
- Poland; yet there was generally in 
Sovereign princes, as. well as in 
prime ministers and governors of 
all kinds, a jealousy of the very shade, 
and a disposition to recede in their 
conduct, from the measures and 
maxims of their predecessors. Nei- 
ther the temper and genius of Paul I. 
nor the terms on which he had lived 
with his illustrious mother, gave 
any reason to expect that he 
would strictly adhere to her plans, 
and adopt her intentions. In fact, 
hehad no sooner mounted the throne 
of Russia, than he countermanded 
the orders that had-been given for 
the march of the troops to Gallicia. 
He entered into a negoctation for a 
settlement of anold debt, due by the 
ussian government, to the Seven 
United Provinces, and for the esta- 
blishment of a treaty of commerce. 
He shewed a disposition to become 
a mediator for peace, in danger of 
being broken, between the Austri- 
ans and Prussians, and seemed even. 
_ ambitious of being the arbiter of a 
general peace in Europe. 
‘Thus Great Britain and Austria 
were thesole adversaries that France 
had now to encounter. But the 
“successes of its arms had so com- 
pletely defeated all the -projects 
they had jointly engaged in against 
it, that no apprehensions were en- 
tertained of ee being able to turn 
the scale of fortune by any subse- 
rs 
quent efforts. The efftcacy of these 
must naturally be diminished pro» 
portionably to the losses and discom- 
fitures they had met with, and 
would, probably, still experience, if 
they were to persist in a contest, in 
which, being only the remainder of 
the coalition, they could not hope 
to be less unsuccessful than it had 
proved in the united strength of its 
whole power. 
In addition to the maritime force 
of Spain, France relied, with still 
more confidence on that of the Ba- 
tavian republic. The numerous sea- 
men, employed in its extensive com= 
merce, had always borne the charac- 
ter ofa brave and hardy race of men, 
completely skilled in their profes- 
sion, and incomparably preferable, in 
every respect, to the Spanish mari- 
ners. That republic was now ex- 
erting itselfto fit out as many ships 
of war as were lying in its ports, 
and of adding them to those of its 
Frenchand Spanish confederates, in 
hopes of depriving the English of 
the empire of the sea. 
This hope had not been diminish- 
ed by the failure of the attempt 
against Ireland, which the French 
attributed solely to the unpropitious 
weather that had constantly attend- 
ed the expedition. It had been 
planned, in their opinion, on the 
best of all grounds; the noted dis- 
contents of a people ill-treated, and 
weary ofa yokethat had for centus 
ries kept them in a state of depres 
sion. They were all ripe for a vi- 
gorous resistance, and required only 
‘a moderate assistance to deliver 
themselves from the tyrrany of Engs 
land. Though the first essay to re- 
lieve them had failed, from causes 
that could not, in the nature of 
things, be obviated, it was not to 
be imagined, that these would al- 
[B 2). . ways 
