b o o k f o r the public good. The faireft hopes were conceived of
- his future reign; but thefe flattering prefages at firft realifed,
were foon dilappointed by the factions of a turbulent people,
fomented by the intrigues of the neighbouring powers: thus
the reign of the moft amiable among the Poliih fovereigns
was doomed to experience the dreadful effedts of that excef-
iive liberty, which is almoft inconfiftent with the exigence of
government.
The firft adts of his Majefty’s reign were highly adapted to
introduce order and regularity into the interior adminiftration,
and to refcue his country from her dependence upon foreign
powers. The tendency of thefe excellent regulations to in-
creafe the power and confequence of Poland gave umbrage
to the adjacent ftates ; and were like wife vigoroufly oppofed
by a ftrong party within the kingdom : at this crifis too religious
difputes blending themfelves with political cabals, the
flame of civil difcord burft forth with a violence which had
not hitherto raged even in Poland.
The body of Poliih religionifts, termed Diffidents, make a
principal figure in the fubfequent commotions ; their concerns
being the real or pretended object of attention in every
material tranfadtion. The hiftory of this party is thus
fketched by the Poliih hiftorians.
The reformation made its way into Poland under Sigif-
• mond II who perfecuted its followers : their number however
gaining ground, his ion Sigifmond Auguftus ^ not
only indulged them in the moft liberal exercife of their
worihip; but admitted them together with the Greeks,
and all other lefts then fubfifting in Poland, to a feat
* Sigifmond Auguftus gave fuch evident to change his religion, “ ut etiam de ipfo
m a r k s o f f a v o u r to the proteftant confeflion, “ rumor elfet ac ft avita facra renuntiare
that he was even fufpeded o f being inclined % v e lk t .’* Lengnich, Jus Publ. IT. p. S S4-
in
in the diet, and to all the honours and privileges before ex- fcFjjvpclufively
confined to the catholics. Thefe maxims of un- <— £ i
limited toleration were fo generally adopted by the nation at
large; that the members of the diet, which aflembled upon
the deeeafe of Sigifmond Auguftus, being of different per-
fuafions, determined on a reciprocal indulgence of their
réfpeftive tenets : in order fo avoid any hateful diftirtdtions,
they called themfelves indiferiminately “ diffidents iff rèli-
“ gion Mjf: a phrafe intimating, not, according to our notion's,
feparatifts from an eftablillied church, but fimply perfons
holding a diverfity Of opinions in religious matters. It was at
the fame time enafted, that this difference o f religious fenti-
ments fhould create no difference in civil rights ; and accordingly
in the Pacìa Conventa formed by the diet, the following
claufe was inferted as part of the coronation oath to be tendered
to the new fovereign. “ I will keep peace among the
* This remarkable decree is as follpws: “ téxtu decreti, aut alicujus proceiTus judi-
“ Et quoniam, aiunt ordines, in noftràRe- “ ciarii facete voluerit a Pàèta Cohventa
“ pubi, non parum eft diflìdium in caufà “ Augufti I I I .” p. 20.
“ Religionis Chriftiarité, occorrendo nè ex We need not be furprized at this general
“ hàc caufà inter homines damnofa quadam fenfe o f tl^e diet, fo contrary to the ge-
“ feditio oriatur, uti in aliis Regnis clare neral principles o f the catholics, when we
“ videmus, fpondemus hoc nobis invicem, confider that the catholic nuntios were in-
“ pro nobis & fuccefloribus noftrjg, in per- ferior in number to tliofe o f the other per-
tC petuum, fub vinculo juramenti, fide, ho- fuafions, fo that the former were w ell fatisfied
<l nore & confcientiis noftris quod, qui ju - to obtain an equality with the others. T h e
** mus diffidentes de religione^ pacem inter proteftant party in the nation was at this
44 hoS confervare, & propter diverfam fidem, period fo ftrong, that it was even taken into
“ & mutationes in eccleiiis, fanguinem non confideration to eleèt for their king a Poliih
44 effundere, neque multare pecunià, infa- nobleman, who had embraced the reformed
“ mià, ^ carceribus & exilio, & fuperioritati religion. “ Cum in fenatu fi non majorem,
“ alicui aut officio ad ejufmodi proceflum “ parem tamen catholicis partem efficerent,
“ nullo modo auxilium dare : quin imo, fi “ inter equites autem praiV^lerent.” Leno--
“ quis fanguinem effundere voluerit, ex iftà nich, Jus Pub. v. II. p. 555. See alfo Lind’ s
“ caxiffa opponere nos omnes erimus ob- Letters on the State o f Poland, p . 82.
“ Arièti, licet etiam id alioquin fub prie-
D a « diffi