under the command of that nobleman. He
had not remained above three days in his confinement, when he gave
the French ministry to understand that he would conform himself to the
king's intentions; and was immediately enlarged, upon giving his word
and honour that he would, without delay, retire from the dominions
of France. Accordingly, he set out in four days from Fountainbleau,
attended by three officers, who conducted him as far as Pont-Bauvosin
on the frontiers, where they took their leave of him and returned to
Versailles. He proceeded for some time in the road to Chamberri; but
soon returned into the French dominions, and, passing through Dauphine,
repaired to Avignon, where he was received with extraordinary honours by
the pope's legate. In the meantime, his arrest excited great murmurings
at Paris; the inhabitants blaming, without scruple, their king's conduct
in this instance, as a scandalous breach of hospitality, as well as
a mean proof of condescension to the king of England; and many severe
pasquinades, relating to this transaction, were fixed up in the most
public places of that metropolis.

APPEARANCE OF A RUPTURE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND SWEDEN.

Although peace was now re-established among the principal powers of the
continent, yet another storm seemed ready to burst upon the northern
parts of Europe, in a fresh rupture between Russia and Sweden. Whether
the czarina had actually obtained information that the French faction
meditated some revolution of government at Stockholm, or she wanted a
pretence of annexing Finland to her empire; certain it is, she affected
to apprehend that the prince-successor of Sweden waited only for the
decease of the reigning king, who was very old and infirm, to change the
form of government, and resume that absolute authority which some of
the monarchs, his predecessors, had enjoyed. She seemed to think that a
prince thus vested with arbitrary power, and guided by the councils
of France and Prussia, with which Sweden had lately engaged in close
alliance, might become a very troublesome and dangerous neighbour to
her in the Baltic; she therefore recruited her armies, repaired her
fortifications, filled her magazines, ordered a strong body of troops to
advance towards the frontiers of Finland, and declared in plain terms
to the court of Stockholm, that if any step should be taken to alter
the government, which she had bound herself by treaty to maintain, her
troops should ente