the same Minister of this equitable and generous Empress
proceeded to say:

I, therefore, inform every person, from the highest to the
lowest, that within one month, they must take the oath
of allegiance before the witnesses whom I shall appoint;
and if any gentlemen, or other ranks possessing real or
immovable property, regardless of their own interest,
should refuse to take the oath prescribed, three months are
allowed for the sale of their immovables, and their free
departure over the borders, after the expiration of which
term, all their remaining property shall be confiscated to
the Crown.

Really after such specimens, one would have supposed, but for the
well-known character of the council of these confederate Powers, they
were actuated under the influence of madness, or they would not thus
think of insulting the feelings of human nature. But this was not
enough: an oath, it seemed, must be taken, for:

The clergy, both high and low, as pastors of their flocks,
are expected to set the example in taking the oath; and
in the daily service in their churches, they must pray for
Her Imperial Majesty, for her successor, Great Duke Paul
Petrovitz, and for all the Imperial Family, according to the
formula which shall be given them.

Here again there was evidence of a great and good mind, for this pious
Empress was determined that perjury should be very general in her
dominions, and that the example should be set by the clergy! Mr.
Sheridan then proceeded to take notice of the great and good King of
Prussia with respect to Dantzic, as specified in what he called his
reason for taking possession of part of Poland with his military
forces.

It would certainly militate against the first rules of a sound
policy, as well as the duties incumbent on us for the preservation
of tranquillity in our State, if in such a state of things in a
neighbouring great kingdom, we remained inactive spectators, and
should wait for the period when the faction feel themselves strong
enough to appear in public; by which our own neighbouring provinces
would be exposed to several dangers, by the consequences of the
anarchy on our frontiers.

We have, therefore, in conjunction with Her Majesty the Empress
of Russia, and with the assent of His Majesty the Roman Emperor,
acknowledged that the safety of our States did require, to set to the
Republic of Poland such boundaries which are more compatible with her