Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/181

 STATE PAPERS.

567

overturn the bans of public deli- berations, and on the ruins of Poland trecl trophies of glory to ■foreign nations, whoie intereft it may be to foment and keep up thcfe divifions.

Zeal for the public good alone, the motive that has sl^vays influenced our adions hitherio, will dirtft and animate all our •deliberations at the approaching dyet. And without infilling now •upon any .particular proportions, we are ready even to go contrary to natural fubordination, in con- forming ourfelves, though we are .the father of the country, to the .defires of its dear children, pro- vided that, laying afide every other feRtiment, the three cftates of the republic will unanimoufly concur in every thing that iliall be found for the good ©f the -country,"

iyiemorial concerning the dcrtrcy" ing of the fuburb of Drefdcn. ■advantage of the king's abfence., ■who was gone to £ght the Rufiianf, to fall upon Saxony with all his forces, in the month of lu!y lall, the army of the empire having entered it on another fide by Peterfwalde, Count Schmettau, .governor of Drefden J thought that place in fuch imminent danger, -that he found himfelf indifpen- ■fably ohliged to take every pof- fible meafure to guard againti a furprife, and to hinder the Aaf- trians from carrying the place by a c(Kip de main. An enterprise of this nature would have been the mor-e eafy, as raoft of the houfes -of the fuburb-s from th^ gate of Pima to that of Wilfdorf, ab- jfbl'U-iely cemmand i^ie body cf the
 * ' Marlhal Daun having taken

tov/n, both by their prodigious height, being fix or fcven ftories high, and by their proximity to the rampart. From this confider- ation Count Schmettau caufed it to be declared to the court by M. de ■Bofe, chief cup-bearer, _ that as foon as the enemy Ihculd make a fhewofattacking'tDrefden-hefhou'd nnd himfelf ^under the dlfagreeable neceflity of burning the fuburbi., and that for that end he had juft put combuftible matters in the highefl houfes, and thofe next to the rampart, that his orders for that parpofe migh: be fpeedily executed, whenever the reafons of war, obliged him to iiTue the;n ia his own defence. The fame de- claration was made to the magi- ftrate.3, the governor having fent \iii the burgo- mailer to coaie to him. The court and the city earnedly implored., that this mif- •forturte might be averied from the inhabitants ; but the governoi" infiiied that it would be indifpen- fably neceliary to come to that ex- tremity, if the enemy ihemielves would pay no refpedl to the royal refidcnce,j and caufed every thing- to be got ready for the e>:ecution •of his threats.

Meanv/hile, the city as well a^ the Rates of Saxony, who v.ere then affembied at Drefden, fent a deputation to M. de Borcke, the king's rainifter, to intreat him to intercede with the governor ia their behalf. M. dcEorcke, after conferring with Count Schmettau, anfvvered thcai, that it depended on the court and the city iheui- felvesj, to prevent the attacking of Drefden; but that if the Aultri- ans fhould attack it, it would be impclilble to fpare the fuburbs, the houfes of v/hich coinmanued tiie

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