majesty spoke of the general tranquillity of
Europe; but lamented the unhappy dissensions which prevailed in the
United Provinces.

CONTINENTAL AFFAIRS.

At this time the attention of government was particularly called to
the troubled state of Holland. The dissensions which had long subsisted
between the stadtholder and the states had arisen to an alarming height,
and demanded the interposition of foreign powers. The French were
favourable to the States of Holland; but, on the other hand, the
cause of the stadtholder was warmly espoused by the King of Prussia in
conjunction with Great Britain. Frequent skirmishes took place between
the Orangists and the democrats ef Utrecht; and in the midst of these
contests, the Princess of Orange, who had more courage than her husband,
the stadtholder, set eff from Nimeguen for the Hague, accompanied
by only a few domestics, with a view of negociating with the
States-general. It is thought that the King of Prussia recommended
this journey, with a view of drawing from it some plausible ground of
interfering in behalf of the House of Orange, and if he did, it fully
answered his purpose. The princess, who was of the royal house of
Prussia, advanced as far as Schoonhoven where she was surrounded by a
party of armed burghers, who conducted her to a small town, there
to await the further will of those who governed the democrats.
Commissioners soon arrived from head-quarters; and they not only refused
her permission to proceed to the Hague, but conducted her back to
Schoonhoven as a prisoner. She remained there two nights and a day,
when, after experiencing insolent treatment from the soldiers who had
her in custody, she was directed to return to Nimeguen. While a prisoner
the princess had written letters to her brother, the King of Prussia;
and on hearing of the insult offered to her, his rage knew no bounds.
He insisted that immediate satisfaction should be made, and exemplary
punishment inflicted on those who had committed the outrage; declaring
at the same time, in some public manifestoes, that this cause was
in itself sufficient to justify an armed intervention. The States of
Holland, however, cherishing a hope that the French, who had led them
on, would not abandon their cause, passed a resolution, justifying
and approving the conduct of their commissioners in the arrest of the
Princess of Orange; and plainly told Frederic William, in their reply to
his demand, that the objec