reat sums of money which wore distributed
among the Polish nobility. The emperor had at first declared for the
son of the late king; but finding the French party too strong for his
competitor, he entered into a negotiation with the elector of Saxony,
who agreed to change his religion, to distribute eight millions of
florins among the Poles, to confirm their privileges, and advance with
his troops to the frontiers of that kingdom. Having performed these
articles, he declared himself a candidate, and was publicly espoused
by the Imperialists. The duke of Lorraine, the prince of Baden, and don
Livio Odeschalchi, nephew to pope Innocent, were likewise competitors;
but finding their interest insufficient, they united their influence
with that of the elector, who was proclaimed king of Poland. He
forthwith took the oath required, procured an attestation from the
Imperial court of his having changed his religion, and marched with his
army to Cracow, where he was crowned with the usual solemnity. Louis
persisted in maintaining the pretensions of the prince of Conti, and
equipped a fleet at Dunkirk for his convoy to Dantzick in his way to
Poland. But the magistrates of that city, who had declared for the new
king, would not suffer his men to land, though they offered to
admit himself with a small retinue. He therefore went on shore at
Marien-burgh, where he was met by some chiefs of his own party; but
the new king Augustus acted with such vigilance, that he found it
impracticable to form an army; besides he suspected the fidelity of his
own Polish partizans; he therefore refused to part with the treasure he
had brought, and in the beginning of winter returned to Dunkirk.

THE CZAR OF MUSCOVY TrAVELS IN DISGUISE.

The establishment of Augustus on the throne of Poland was in some
measure owing to the conduct of Peter the czar of Muscovy, who having
formed great designs against the Ottoman Porte, was very unwilling to
see the crown of Poland possessed by a partizan of France, which was in
alliance with the grand seignor. He therefore interested himself warmly
in the dispute, and ordered his general to assemble an army on the
frontiers of Lithuania, which by over-awing the Poles that were in the
interest of the prince of Conti, considerably influenced the election.
This extraordinary legislator, who was a strange compound of heroism and
barbarity, conscious of the defects in his education, and of the gross
ignorance that over