24 i anecdotes of brigadier Resen. April i8. 



degrading the name of that unfortunate incendiary to 

 saj that we behaved as a nation of John the Pain- 

 ters*. 



Laurencekirk, TiMOTHY ThUNDERPROOF. 



j4prU 5. 1792. 



ANECDOTES OF BRIGADIER RESEN, 



AND OF 



PETER THE GREAT, PRESERVED BT HIM. 



As I perceive, Mr Editor, that anecdotes in Britain 

 have lately taken a quarto form, I presume a few of 

 our Trunnion, and of his great master, will not be 

 regarded as the worst part of my paper. 



One trait in the commodore's character, although 

 it may be more or lefs common to other men at an 

 advanced age, afforded much amusement to his 

 friends, which was, his .constantly addrefsing and ad- 

 vising those he had known boys, as if they were 

 still so, although often the most aged and grave se- 

 nators of Rufsia ; this was more particularly the case 

 with the venerable general Betlkoi, blind with age, 



• It is amusing to observe the reward which Britain rece'ved from 

 the emperor. About the year I725> h'.s imperial m.ijesty "prohibited 

 •' the goods and manufictures of Britain from being imported into the 

 •• island of Sicily, of which" (says Dr Campbell) " we had so lately, and 

 •' at sucb a mighty exfcnce tvoursel-veijput him in fofsefsioit ." The dispute 

 e:ided in a personal quarrel, and " the king in his «peech to the parlia- 

 " ment, publicly accused the emperor of a design to place the pretender 

 " on the throne of Britain." (Guthrie edit. xi. p. 366.) Abundance of 

 scurrility, as Dr Smollet informs us, pafsed on bodi sides, a conduct 

 which cannot tend to elevate our general opinion of the characters of so- 

 vereigns. All diee continen.al coniect!ons were undertaken for the 

 s-ke of Hanover: V/ith respect to that electorate, Britain resembled » 

 Bi n of war in th< tow of a bum boat. 



