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Under fuch a mafter he foon attained a confiderable degree of knowledge in the art of war, and on all occafions exhibited that indifference for exiftence which was the characteristic of his hero.

He is also faid to have distinguished himself early in life by his genius and capacity for public affairs. This, at length, introduced him to the notice of the celebrated baron de Gortz, who directed all the political concerns of the Swedish cabinet. By that minister he was employed in feveral difficult negociations, and acquitted himself to his entire fatisfaction. He is reported to have been dispatched fecretly into Spain, in order to concert with the minifters of that country relative to the best mode of reftoring the abdicated branch of the houfe of Stuart to the throne of their ancestors. Alberoni, perceiving the promise of great talents in the young man, conceived an attachment to him*, and prefented him to his Catholic Majefty, who received him most graciously; in fhort, he left Madrid with many marks of favour from the court.

Soon after his return to Sweden, he accompanied the baron de Gortz to the Hague, whither he repaired with a view of being nearer the scene of action. During his refidence there, Newhoff was fent feveral times to England, with dispatches and private messages from Gortz to count Gillenbourg, at that time ambassador from the king of Sweden to the court of St. James's. He is even faid to have had feveral conferences with the leaders of the jacobite party. The plot, as is well known, was at length discovered and fruftrated. The count de Gillenbourg, notwithstanding his diplomatic character, was arrested under pretext of his having conspired against the prince to whom he was fent on miffion. Newhoff, however, had the good fortune to escape to Holland; but even that country afforded no profpect of fafety, as the States General, in confequence of proceedings that have been fince confidered as trenching on the law of nations, caufed the baron de Gortz to be seized at Deventer.

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His confident, who had every reason to apprehend a fimilar lot, in this dilemma took refuge in the hotel of the Spanish am

* Memoires pour fervir, &c, p. 93.

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bassador, who now complained loudly against the conduct of the States in refpect to a minifter whofe machinations had not extended to them, and even threatened the Dutch with the vengeance of his court: the czar Peter the Great, however, at length interpofed his mediation, and the breach was clofed, but not until the imprisoned minifter had been fet at liberty.

The moment the baron de Gortz was released, he returned to Sweden, accompanied by the baron de Newhoff. Charles XII. was foon after killed at Frederickfhall; on which his favourite was immediately feized, and impeached as the cause of all the miferies of his country. His trial was not long, for both the fenate and people were incenfed against him, and his head, in conformity to the sentence, was cut off at the foot of the gallows of Stockholm.

Newhoff, who thought his own life in danger, instantly fled from Sweden, repaired to Madrid, and obtained the rank of colonel in the Spanish fervice. Soon after this he married an Irith lady of rank, who, in confequence of the misfortunes of her family, had taken refuge in a foreign country. This perfonage was called lady Sarsfield; fhe was daughter of lord Kilmalock, and lady of honour to the queen.

The Baron conceived great expectations from this alliance, but they were never realized; and we learn that he was, at length, constrained by misfortunes to abandon his lady, while pregnant with a fon, born in 1725, who is fuppofed to have been the unfortunate gentleman afterwards known in this country by the name of Colonel Frederick *.

He now repaired to France, and became connected with John Law, the famous Scotch adventurer, with whom he embarked in the memorable Miffiffippi fcheme, which was afterwards productive of so much mifery. Thence, on the catastrophe that enfued, he fet out for Florence, got introduced to the Emperor, most probably by means of prince Maximilian of Wirtemberg, with whom he had served under Charles XII. and was retained

An account of colonel Frederick, by one who knew him long and intimately, will be found in another part of this volume.

in his fervice. It was during this period that his connexion with his future fubjects commenced.

Corfica, like the neighbouring islands, had fucceffively fubmitted to the Carthaginians and Romans. In the seventh century it paffed under the dominion of the Saracens; and Lanza Anciza, of the family of the caliph Valid Almanzor, established himself there with the title of king, a diftinction borne by five of his fucceffors; the laft of whom, Nugolo, was contemporary with Charlemagne.

Audemar, who then governed Genoa, in the name of the emperor feized upon Corfica for himself; and the inhabitants, changing their religion with their mafter, ceased to be Mufful.men in order to become Christians.

No fooner had the Genoefe thrown off the Imperial yoke, than they attempted to impofe their own on these islanders; and, as they were imbued with the fuperftition common to new converts, the authority of the Catholic church was called in to rivet their bondage. But the Pope, who affected to confider this kingdom as a fief appertaining to the church, in virtue of a pretended donation from king Pepin, refused his affent, and granted the investiture of it to the republic of Pifa, on condition of receiving a nominal acknowledgment of fifty livres a year! This occafioned a war between the Genoefe and Pifans, in 1125, which ended in a truce. Hoftilities, however, recommencing in 1280, and the Pifans having loft part of their fleet, Corfica was ceded to the victors.

But the dominion of that nation was ever odious to the natives, and they called into their affiftance, by turns, the kings of Naples, of Arragon, and the Pope. Nicolas V. being born in Genoa, at length granted the inveftiture of Corfica to his countrymen; and they, by way of consolidating their power, "purchased the claims of the kings of Naples and of Arragon with a fum of money. This was borrowed from the bank of St. George, and the ifland was pledged as a fecurity for repayment: from that period the doge has always been crowned king of Corfica.

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The Genoefe, as ufual, abufed their power, on which a native, of the name of Sampiero, put himself at the head of a body of infurgents, and fet them for fome time at defiance; but he was bafely murdered by an affaffin, who being put to death by the people, was honoured as a martyr by the fenate of Genoa.

In the mean time the oppreffions they endured exceeded all bounds. They were loaded with imposts of every kind: they paid a tenth of all their produce to their cruel mafters, befides a capitation, and a hearth tax. That they might be more dependent on Genoa, they were prohibited from erecting manufactures; and they could fell their commodities to her merchants alone. In addition to this, her rapacious governors had feized on the estates of the noble families of Ciaccaldi and Raffelli; while Pinelli, the commiffary-general, a hungry noble, wishing to enrich himself speedily, levied exorbitant fums by means of fifcal arts and military contributions.

The Corficans on this once more erected the standard of revolt, and endeavoured to burft their chains. Animated by their fufferings and their revenge, they now got the better both of their foreign taskmasters, and the domeftic traitors who efpoused their caufe, and feem to have driven them out of the island.

The fenate of Genoa finding itself inadequate to quell fo formidable an infurrection, invoked the affiftance of the Emperor. On this his Imperial majefty, in confequence of a fubfidy, difpatched 6000 troops under the direction of baron de Wachtendonck; and foon after added 4000 more, commanded by prince Louis de Wirtemberg: but these proved unable to extinguish the love of liberty. On this an armiftice enfucd, under the mediation of that monarch, and a negociation was foon after entered into, in May 1732; Corte being appointed for the meeting of the deputies on both fides. The Coifican commiffioners are faid to have difplayed great powers of mind during the conference, and to have defended the cause of their country with

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with a manly boldness*. After infifting on their right to re'fift oppreffion, they at length were prevailed upon to confent to

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The arguments made ufe of upon this occafion, would have done honour to the greatest writers on the law of nature and nations :

'Le difcours des Corfes fut auffi fimple que l'efprit qui le dicta. Ils parlérent comme des hommes qui avoient pris leçon de la nature, et non des livres. Sa voix facrée leur paroiffoit préfixable à toute autre. Perfuadés que tout ce qu'elle fait est bien fait, et que ce n'eft qu'en la contredifant que nous fommes ouvert la fource de tant de maux ; ils s'efforcérent à en reclamer le droit primitif fi defiguré par des inftitutions particuliéres.

Ils dirent, que la liberté étant und on, que la nature a accordé en partage à tous les hommes, les Corfes, à bon titre fe regardoient comme un peuple libre et par conféquent qu'ils ne relevoient de perfonne. Que ce même droit étoit inalienable, et nullement sujet à prescription; qu'ainfi ils ne pouvoient pas l'avoir perdu pour avoir été vendus malgré eux aux Génois, ou pour avoir été tenuis par force dans l'efclavage depuis quelques fiécles. Par là ils rejettérent le droit d'achat, que les Génois faifoient refulter de leurs tranfactions avec les rois de Naples et d'Arragon, difant, que l'achat des hommes était repugnant a la loi naturelle, loi immuable et éternelle, qui ne peut être alterée par aucune convention humaine, puisque Dieu même ne peut changer une loi qu'il a gravée de fa propre main en caractéres ineffaçables dans le cœur de l'homme.

"Quant au droit que les Génois etabliffoient fur le concordat, ils dirent, qu'il n'avoit pas été approuvé par le corps de royaume, et que quand même il l'eut été, ce concordat n'etant qu'une liaison conditionelle et reciproque entre les Génois et les Corses, il n'etait d'aucune force, par fon infraction totale de le part des Génois.

Ils conclarent que la republique de Génes s'etant emparée de la Corfe fans aucune titre ; aïant profané la fainteté du contrat qui seul en quelque façon auroit pû lui donner quelque droit fur elle, l'aiant gouvernée d'une manière injufte, et abufé de l'autorité, dont tout au plus elle n'etoit que la depofitaire; la republique avoit perdu toutes ses prétentions à la fouverainete de cette ifle ; que par conféquent les Corfes étoient rentrés dans leur état primitif, et pouvoient le gouverner à leur gré.

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• Mais nonobftant tant de raifons qui font pour nous,' continuérent-ils, tant de maux que nous avons fouffert, trop connus pour en faire ici le detail, nons fommes préts à devenir les fujets de la Republique, puifque les circonftances l'exigent, et que s. M. Impériale le veut; mais ce fera à condition qu'elle change de conduite à notre égard, agisse en fouveraine envers nous, et non pas en tiran; qu'elle veüille observer les conventions renfermées dans le concordat, &c. qu'elle veüille reconnoitre l'erreur et l'atrocité de ces maximes qu'elle a fi long tems adoptées; favoir, que plus les peuples font dans la misére, plus ils font dans la foumiffion; et qu'il faut imprimer de la terreur aux fujets pour les rendre obeifans.

Qu'elle etablisse de bonnes loix, et faffe enforti que ces loix foient bien executées ; qu'elle garde un jufte temperament dans la determination, et dans la mesure des peines, &c. qu'elle éxige les impôts dune maniére convenable, car elle dont on fe fert pour les lever,

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