b©ox paction, its local fituation rendered it highly valuable to
-va— l that monarch ; it lay between his German dominions and
Eallern Pruffia, and while poffeffed by the Poles, cut off, at
their will, all communication between them. During the
courfe of the laft general war, he experienced the moft fatal
effects from this disjoined ftate of his territories. By the ac-
quifition of Weftern Pruffia, his dominions would be rendered
compadl, and his troops in time of war be able to
march from Berlin to Koningiburgh without interruption.
The period was now arrived, when the fituation of Poland
feemed to promife the attainment of this favourite objeCt.
He purfued it, however, with all the caution of an able
politician. On the commencement of the troubles,:
he ihewed no eagernefs -to interfere in the affairs of
this country ; and although he had concurred with the
emprefs of Ruffia in railing Staniilaus Auguftus to the
throne of Poland ; yet he declined taking any a drive part in
his favour againft the confederates. Afterwards, when the
whole kingdom became convulfed throughout with civil
*769* commotions, and defolated likewife by the plague, he,
Under pretence of forming lines to prevent the fpreading of
the infedrion, advanced his troops into Poliih Pruffia, and
occupied that whole diftriCt.
Though now completely mailer of the country, and by
no means apprehenfive of any formidable refiftance from
the difunited and diftra&ed Poles, yet, as he was well aware
that the fecurity of his new aequifition depended upon the
acquiefcence of Pruffia and Auftria, he planned the Partition
of Poland. He communicated the projedl to the emperor,
either upon their interview at Neifs in Silefia, in 1769, or
6 in
in that of the following year, at Neuftadt in Aullria; from ™,AP‘
whom the overture met with a ready concurrence. Jofeph,. . .
.who had before fecretly encouraged the confederates, and
even commenced a negotiation with the Porte againft Ruffia,
now fuddenly altered his meafures, and increafed his army
towards the Poliih frontiers. The plague prefenting to him,
as well as to the king of Pruffia, a fpecious motive for ftati-
oning troops in the dominions of the republic; he gradually
extended his lines, and, in 1772, occupied the whole territory,
which he has fince difmembered. But, notwithftanding.
this change in his fentiments, his real views upon' Poland -
were at firft fo effectually concealed, that the Poliih rebels
conceived that the Auftrian army was advancing to act in
their favour; not fuppofing it poffible, that the rival courts
of Vienna and Berlin could aft in concert.
Nothing more remained towards completing the partition,,
than the acceffion of the emprefs of Ruffia. That great’prin—
cefs was too difcerning a politician not to regard with a jealous -
eye the introduction of foreign powers in Poland. Poffeffing;
an uncontrouled afcendancy over the whole country, Ihe
eouM propofe no material advantage from the formal acqui-
fition of a part; and muft purchafe a moderate addition to
her territory by a cpnfiderable furrerider of authority. The
king of Pruffia, well acquainted with the true interefts o f
Ruffia in regard to Poland,, and with the capacity of the
emprefs to difcern thofe interefts, forbore (it is. faid): opening
any negotiation 011 the fubjeCt of the partition, until (lie
was involved in a Turkiih war. At thatxrifts He difpatchedi
his brother Prince Henry to Peteriburg, who luggefted to the
emprefs thatthehoufeof Auftria was forming an alliance with,
die Porte,, which, if it took place, would create a moft formidable