3d-7th Sept. 1770.

'at their ease again, in Navarino Bay. But the 15,000 modern

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Spartans had nothing to retire to,-these had to retire into extinction, expulsion, and the throat of Moslem vengeance, which was frightfully bloody and inexorable on them.

"Greece having failed, the Russian Fleet, now in complete tale, made for Turkey, for Constantinople itself. "Into the very Dardanelles" they say they will go; an Englishman among them, Captain Elphinstone, a dashing seaman, if perhaps rather noisy, whom Rulhière is not blind to,-has been heard to declare, 'at least in his cups: "Dardanelles impossible? Pshaw, I will 'do it, as easily as drink this glass of wine!" Alexei Orlof ' is a Sham-Admiral; but under him are real Sea-Officers, one or two.

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'In the Turkish Fleet, it seems, there is an Ex-Algerine, 'Hassan-Bey, of some capacity in sea-matters; but he is not in 'chief command, only in second; and can accomplish nothing. "The Turkish Fleet, numerous but rotten, retires daily,-through the famed Cyclades, and Isles of Greece, Paros, Naxos, apoca'lyptic Patmos, on to Scio (old Chios of the wines); and on July 5th, takes refuge behind Scio, between Scio and the Coast ' of Smyrna, in Tchesme Bay. "Safe here!" thinks the chief "Turk Admiral. "Very far from safe!" remonstrates Hassan; though to no purpose. And privately puts the question to him'self, "Have these Giaours a real Admiral among them, or, like us, a sham one?"

Tchesme Bay, 7th July 1770. Nothing can be more imaginary than Alexei Orlof as an Admiral: but he has a Cap'tain Elphinstone, a Captain Gregg, a Lieutenant Dugdale; and 'these determine to burn poor Hassan and his whole Fleet in Tchesme here:-and do it totally, night of July 7th; with one single fireship; Dugdale steering it; Gregg behind him, 'to support with broadsides; Elphinstone ruling and, contriving, still farther to rear; helpless Turk Fleet able to make no 'debate whatever. Such a blaze of conflagration on the help'less Turks as shone over all the world—one of Rulhière's finest 'fireworks, with little shot;—the light of which was still dazzling 'mankind while the Interview at Neustadt took place. Turk Fleet, fifteen ships, nine frigates, and above 8,000 men, gone

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3d-7th Sept. 1770. 'to gases and to black cinders,-Hassan hardly escaping with I forget how many score of wounds and bruises.28

"Now for the Dardanelles," said Elphinstone: "bombard 'Constantinople, starve it,—to death, or to what terms you "will" "Cannot be done; too dangerous; impossible!" answered the sham Admiral, quite in a tremor, they say;'which at length filled the measure of Elphinstone's disgusts ' with such a Fleet and Admiral. Indignant Elphinstone with'drew to his own ship, "Adieu, Sham-Admiral!"-sailed with 'his own ship, through the impossible Dardanelles (Turk batte'ries firing one huge block of granite at him, which missed; then needing about forty minutes to load again); feat as easy to 'Elphinstone as this glass of wine. In sight of Constantinople, 'Elphinstone, furthermore, called for his tea; took his tea on deck, under flourishing of all his drums and all his trumpets: 'tea done, sailed out again scathless; instantly threw up his 'command, and at Petersburg, soon after, in taking leave of 'the Czarina, signified to her, in language perhaps too plain, or 'perhaps only too painfully true, some Naval facts which were 'not welcome in that high quarter.'29 This remarkable Elphinstone I take to be some junior or irregular Balmerino scion; but could never much hear of him except in Rulhière, where, on vague, somewhat theatrical terms, he figures as above.

August 1st, Romanzow has a "Battle of Kaghul," so they call it; though it is a "Slaughtery" or Schlachterei, rather than "a "Slaught" or Schlacht, say my German friends. Kaghul is 'not a specific place, but a longish river, a branch of the Pruth; ' under screen of which the Grand Turk Army, 100,000 strong, 'with 100,000 Tartars as second line, has finally taken position, and fortified itself with earthworks and abundant cannon. ‹ August 1st, 1770, Romanzow, after study and advising, feels 'prepared for this Grand Army and its earthworks: with a 'select 20,000, under select captains, Romanzow, after night'fall, bursts in upon it, simultaneously on three different points; and gains, gratis or nearly so, such a victory as was never heard ' of before. The Turks, on their earthworks, had 140 cannons; these the Turk gunners fired off two times, and fled, leaving

29 Hermann, v. 623.

29

Rulhière, iii. 476-509.

3d-7th Sept. 1770.

them for Romanzow's uses. The Turk cavalry then tried if they could not make some attempt at charging; found they 'could not; whirled back upon their infantry; set it also whirling and in a word, the whole 200,000 whirled, without blow 'struck; and it was a universal panic rout, and delirious stam'pede of flight, which never paused (the very garrisons emptying 'themselves, and joining in it) till it got across the Donau again, and drew breath there, not to rally or stand, but to run rather 'slower. And had left Wallachia, Bessarabia, Dniester river, 'Donau river, swept clear of Turks; all Romanzow's hence'forth. To such astonishment of an invincible Grand Turk, and ' of his Moslem Populations, fallen on such a set of Giaours,— ("Allah Kerim, And cannot we abolish them, then?" Not we 'them, it would appear!),-as every reader can imagine.' Which shall suffice every reader here, in regard to the Turk War, and what concern he has in the extremely brutish phenomenon.

Tchesme fell out, July 7th; Elphinstone has hardly done his tea in the Dardanelles, when (August 1st) this of Kaghul follows: both would be fresh news blazing in every head, while the Dialogues between Friedrich and Kaunitz were going on. For they had many dialogues,' Friedrich says; and one of the days' (probably September 6th) was mainly devoted to Politics, to deep private Colloquy with Kaunitz. Of which, and of the great things that followed out of it, I will now give, from Friedrich's own hand, the one entirely credible account I have anywhere met with in writing.

Friedrich's account of Kaunitz himself is altogether life-like: A solemn, arrogant, mouthing, brow-beating kind of man,-embarrassed at present by the necessity not to browbeat, and by the consciousness that "King "Friedrich is the only man who refuses to acknowledge my claims to distinction :"30-a Kaunitz whose arro

so Rulhière (somewhere) has heard this, as an utterance of Kaunitz's in some plaintive moment.

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3d-7th Sept. 1770.

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gances, qualities and claims, this King is not here to notice, except as they concern business on hand. He says, 'Kaunitz had a clear intellect, greatly twisted by perversities of temper (un sens droit, l'esprit rempli 'de travers), especially by a self-conceit and arrogance 'which were boundless. He did not talk, but preach. 'At the smallest interruption, he would stop short in indignant surprise: it has happened that, at the Coun'cil-Board in Schönbrunn, when Imperial Majesty herself asked some explanation of a word or thing not understood by her, Kaunitz made his bow (lui tira sa révérence), and quitted the room.' Good to know the nature of the beast. Listen to him, then, on those terms, since it is necessary. The Kaunitz Sermon was of great length, imbedded in circumlocutions, innuendos and diplomatic cautions; but the gist of it we gather to have been (abridged into dialogue form) essentially as follows:

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Kaunitz. "Dangerous to the repose of Europe, those Russian encroachments on the Turk. Never will Imperial Majesty consent that Russia possess Moldavia or Wallachia; War sooner, -all things sooner! These views of Russia are infinitely dangerous to everybody. To your Majesty as well, if I may say so; and no remedy conceivable against them, conceivable, -but this only, That Prussia and Austria join frankly in protest and absolute prohibition of them."

to me none

Friedrich. "I have nothing more at heart than to stand well with Austria; and always to be her ally, never her enemy. But the Prince sees how I am situated: bound by express Treaty with Czarish Majesty; must go with Russia in any War! What can I do? I can, and will with all industry, labour to conciliate

3d-7th Sept. 1770.

Czarish Majesty and Imperial; to produce, at Petersburg, such a Peace with the Turks as may meet the wishes of Vienna. Let us hope it can be done. By faithful endeavouring, on my part and on yours, I persuade myself it can. Meanwhile, steadfastly together, we two! All our little rubs, customhouse squabbles on the Frontier, and suchlike, why not settle them here, and now?" (and does so with his Highness.) "That there be nothing but amity, helpfulness and mutual effort towards an object so momentous to us both, and to all mankind!”

Kaunitz. "Good so far. And may a not intolerable Turk-Russian Peace prove possible, without our fighting for it! Meanwhile, Imperial Majesty" (as she has been visibly doing for some time) "must continue massing troops and requisites on the Hungarian Frontier, lest the contrary happen!"

This was the result arrived at. Of which Friedrich 'judged it but polite to inform the young Kaiser; who appeared to be grateful for this mark of attention, being much held down by Kaunitz in his present state 'of tutelage.'31

And by a singular chance, on the very morrow there arrived from the Divan (dated August 12th) an Express to Friedrich: "Mediate a Peace for us, with Russia; not you alone, as we have often asked, but Austria and you!" For the Kaghul Slaughtery has come on us; Giaour Elphinstone has taken tea in the Dardanelles; and we know not to what hand to turn!- The young 'Kaiser did not hide his joy at this Overture, as Kaunitz 'did his, which was perhaps still greater:' the Kaiser warmly expressed his thanks to Friedrich as the Author of it; Kaunitz, with a lofty indifference (morgue), and

31 Euvres de Frédéric, xxvi. 30.