the court of Petersburg with fome teftimony of kindness, which may deftroy the unfavourable impreffions exerted against me at that court, by the bafeft intrigue and the blackeft ingratitude; and which would become very painful to me, fhould they de prive me of any means of ferving your royal highneffes.

I must inform you, that the Neapolitan envoy has communi cated to the Porte a letter from M, D'Alton, in which that minifter, informing him of the nomination of Semonville, de, lineates his character under the blackest and most deteftable colours. I fhall not enter into a farther detail of the means I have employed to fupport thofe combined measures, as the agents of them are known to your royal highneffes, and as the plan they must purfue depends upon the manners of the Turks, and the ufages of the Ottoman empire.

Chalgrain will arrive to-day or to-morrow-but I fhall cer tainly not yield up my place to him, and, in any event, I fhall not take leave until I have received orders from your highneffes.

If we can cause the national ambaffador to the Porte to be rejected, or if we can only retard his admiffion for fome months, by removing all fear of a formidable divertion, we should gain a'real victory, and acquire time to obtain a moft brilliant one over thofe villians who threaten Europe with general fubvers fion.

I am, with most profound refpect, your most humble and most bedient fervant,

Memorial Prefented to the Porte by the Imperial Internuncio.

THE fanguinary faction of the Jacobins, wishing to diffufe every-where that fpirit of difcord and anarchy by which they are animated, have dispatched to Conftantinople one of their moft dangerous members, named Semonville, a man fo. notorious for the perverfity of his priniciples, that feveral courts have already refused to receive him as an ambasador, or to admit him into their territories. The execrable projects of this emiffary, known to the imperial and royal courts, tend to nothing lefs than to destroy that perfect harmony, fo happily established between the two empires, in order to prepare a diverfion favourable to those hordes of villains, whom his auguft allies are endeavouring to deprive of the power of fubverting all Europe. The underfigned internuncio has too often had an opportunity of admiring in the proceedings of the Sublime Porte its exalted wisdom and its juft fentiments of its dignity, to dare fuffer himfelf for a moment to think it will fo far debase itself, as to receive, in a public capacity, before that throne where honour fits

with majefty, the moft worthlefs of thefe factious men, tommiffioned to offer the most infidious propofals; but as evil-minded or ill-informed perfons affect to reprefent, the admiffion of Semonville as a thing indifferent in itfelf, it is the ftrict duty of the undersigned to extinguifh their voice by a formal remon ftrance, and to declare, that if, contrary to the intention of the allied powers, and contrary to all probability, Semonville fhould be admitted, the court muft fuppofe that the most powerful intereft, awakened by deceitful offers, has prevailed over the only course prescribed to the Sublime Porte by the extreme delicacy of its honour, that of abfolutely rejecting an emiffary, fent abroad by the enemies, not only of the allied powers, but of the whole human race. In fhort, the underfigned flatters himself, that the explanation which he has had the honour of officially requiring by the prefent memorial wil ferve to Strengthen the confidence which his Imperial Majesty already has in the valuable friendship and exalted fentiments of the Sublime Porte.

After this information on my part, will not his Imperial Majefty have reafon to fufpect the greatest coolnefs on the part of his friend, fhould he not hesitate to receive and acknowledge as ambaffador one of the principal members of that fect who are his enemies? Will not thofe powers who are neighbours to the Ottoman Empire, be alarmed at the poffibility of the success of a negociation, the intention of which is to make the Porte again take up arms against them? Thefe alarms will give rife to measures which prudence prefcribes, and to fufpicions which muft neceffarily affect that harmony which has been just happily eftablished by a peace.

When I propose to the Sublime Porte to reject M. Semonville, I do not mean that it should reject every other minifter whom France may fend: This would be declaring myself an enemy to the new conftitution; but as a minifter is only the agent, who maintains the bonds of amity between two courts, a court, which may find in an individual qualities difagreeable to it, has a right to reject him, and to require another. By refusing to receive M. Semonville, the Sublime Porte will, in no manner, break its connection with France.

Aug. 9, 1792.

KNOBELSDORFF.

Memorial Prefented to the Porte by the Pruffian Envoy.

S foon as the underfigned learnt that M. Semonville was appointed ambaffador from France to the Ottoman Porte, he thought it his duty, and of the utmost importance to the Sub lime Porte, to communicate to it fome information on that fub

ject

jeet. He made the ftrongest remonftrances, in order that it might oppofe his arrival; but as thefe remonftrances had no effect, he has been induced to prefent, in this memorial, a detail of the reafons which made him purfue thofe fteps.

· M. Semonville, appointed fome time ago minifter of the court of France at the court of Turin, was rejected, because he was known to be a zealous Jacobin in his conduct at Genoa, where he ftirred up the people against the government, an ufual and favourite conduct of the Jacobins, who, after having fhaken the throne of France, and fpread licentioufnefs and diforder throughout the whole kingdom, have refolved to feduce the people of all countries, to preach up revolt to them, and to inftigate them to murder their Sovereigns.

The existence of M. Semonville in any country is dangerous, for he is a Jacobin, that is to fay, a member of a villainous fect, compofed of mad fanatics, infpired with democratic rage, fworn enemies and avowed affaffins of all fovereigns, against whom they employ perfidy, treachery, poniards, and poifon: All means are equal to them, provided they can deliver the earth from defpots, an injurious title which they give to lawful fovereigns. Such is their language, and fuch their morality-an infernal morality, which they have the impudence to propagate in the face of the whole world. Such are all the Jacobins-fuch is M. Semonville; and fhall fuch a monfter approach the foot of the facred throne of the emperor of the Ottomans? This idea fills me with horror; my heart, alarmed for days which are precious to him, has fpoken; but fhould it be poffible that this true language of my heart is not heard, I can ftill add that of policy. In the first place, it is contrary to the dignity of fo great a fovereign to receive as a minister a man already rejected and defpifed by another court; but the King my master, now at war, not against France, but against the Jacobins and the unhappy people whom they have feduced, &c.

-This memorial, which is very long, concludes, like that of the Im perial Internuncio, by formally demanding" that the Porte will refust to receive Semonville as ambaffador."

Extract from the Dispatch of the Minister of the Ottoman Porte.

Ο

UR most dear and fincere friends, whofe end we wish may be happy, it is evident, that in order to preserve the good harmony which fubfifts between France and our Sublime Porte, the ambafladors fent by France fhould be men diftinguished for their talents, wifdom, and judgment. Hitherto the Sublime Porte has had reafon to commend the ambaffadors fent to it by that power. We have now learnt, that the ambaffador refiding

at

at prefent at the Sublime Porte has been recalled; and that one named Semonville, who has obferved an imprudent conduct in other courts, has been chosen to fucceed him; we have, therefore written you this friendly letter, to inform you, that it is our defire that you would appoint another perfon, more capable of difcharging this important and ufeful miffion to the greatest advantage of the two powers. When this letter fhall reach you, by the grace of God, our defire will be fully known to you. At Conftantinople, the well-guarded.

Memorial prefented by order of the Grand Seignior to the Minifters of the Chriftian Princes refident at Conftantinople.

S the prefent war between France and the powers of Pruffia, Auftria, England, and Holland, will give rife to battles and attacks, both by fea and land, whilft it is well known that the faid powers are connected by friendship with the Sublime Porte, and that the latter is neutral in this war, it becomes neceffary to renew an ancient regulation of the year 1194 (which answers to 1780) when fome of thefe powers were at war, in virtue of which the veffels of these powers were to abstain from engaging in the ports of Turkey, near its coafts, under the cannon of its fortreffes, and in places lying within three miles of the fhores of the White Sea, both in Afia and Europe, &c. In cafe of an engagement in the open fea, be tween fhips of the belligerent powers, none of the Captains of the Ottoman fleet, nor any other naval officers or commanders fhall intermeddle, or give any marks of partiality in favour of either party, &c.

THE

Inftructions to the Captain Pacha.

HE prefent war between France and the powers of Pruffia, Germany, England, and Holland, and the hoftilities which are now carrying on, making it manifeftly evident that battles and mutual attacks will take place both by fea and land; and the faid powers being connected by friendship with the Sublime Porte, which is entirely neutral; and as in times past, and particularly during the years 1194 and 1195 (which correfpond with the years 1780 and 1781 of the Chriftian æra) when fome of the faid powers were at war, a regulation was made, which was then communicated and prefented in a memorial to the Minifters of the belligerent powers, in order that they might execute it with all diligence; and as orders were iffued, addreffed to the Grand Admiral of this empire, for protecting trading

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veffels,

veffels, which navigated the feas under my jurifdiction in the Archipelago, both on the coafts of Afia and of Europe-according to this regulation, it was established that the veffels of the faid powers which might be under the cannon of fortreffes at the entrance of harbours near trading ports, and within three miles of them, fhould abftain from molefting each other, or committing mutual hoftilities; and that thofe who might tranfgrefs in this refpect fhould be repulsed, and amicably reprehended by their refpective confuls.

That fuch of his fubjects as might wish to enter themselves as failors, with a view of privateering, fhould be feized and punished.

That none of our Muffulmen fubjects, or others, fhould take charge of merchandize and effects, in fhips belonging to the faid powers at war, without having a document or act from the confuls.

That in cafe any battle or action should take place between the fhips of the faid powers in the open fea, none of the commanders of my Imperial fleet, naval captains, or officers, fhould dare to interfere, or to give marks of partiality, by fupporting any of the parties.

Having, therefore, found it neceffary at prefent to iffue the fame Imperial order concerning the above regulations, these prefents are expedited to you by the Captain Pacha, the tenor of which is as follows:

The fhips belonging to the powers at war fhall abstain from molefting each other, from committing hoftilities, and from giving each other battle at the entrance of harbours, and near the trading ports in my jurifdiction, under the cannon of fortreffes, and within three miles of them. In confequence of this, memorials have been delivered on the part of the Sublime Porte to each of the Minifters, and to the Charge d'Affaires of the faid powers, who refide at my port of felicity, the contents of which they muft communicate to their respective courts in writing, and to all those whom it may concern, in order that the faid naval regulation may be obferved, and that they may give an anfwer, by memorial, to my Sublime Porte, to be registered in its department.

As all the powers engaged in the prefent war are connected in friendship with my Sublime Porte, you will take care to give. orders, by your particular mandates, and to recommend to all the naval commanders who are in the islands of the Archipelago, and to all others whom it may concern, that on account of our neutrality they muft abftain from any act contrary to anterior orders, and to the regulations above fpecified; and that they muft be careful not to make the least movement in favour of either party.

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