Kings & rulers > History of Charles XII. King of Sweden

34 THE HISTORY OF
James Sobiefky, the civil war of Lithuania, the gefi
neral difaffedions of all mens minds to king Auguflul
gave the cardinal hopes that the time was now cornl
when he might be able to lend back Auguftus int-ji
Saxony; and open to the fon of king John the wall
to the throne. This prince, before, the innocen
objefl of the-Poles hate, was now become their idci.
from the time that king Augudus grew out of favour „
but he durft not indulge himfelf in the thoughts o
fo great a revolution ; and yet the cardinal had in- 5
fenhbly hid the foundations of it.
He at firfl feemed defirous of reconciling the kinf ».
with the republic : he fentcircular letters dilated it
appearance by the fpirk of concord and charity, ufua L"
and noted Inares, but fuch as never fail to entrap ;
he wrote a pathetic letter to the king of Sweden '1:
conjuring him in the name of him, whom all Chri",
ftians equally adore, to give peace to Poland, and
her king. Charles XII. anfwered the cardinal’s in* i
tentions, more than his words. In the mean time h«..
remained in the great duchy of Lithuania with hit.
vidlorious army, declaring that he would not difturb
the diet; that he made war againft Auguftus and the .
Saxons, and not againft Poland; and that far from i
defigning any thing againft the republic, he came tor
refcue it from oppreflion. Thefe letters and thefet
anfwers were for the publick. The emiflaries which
went and came continually from the cardinal to Count
Piper, and the private aflemblies held at the prelate* .
houfe, were the fprings that moved the diet. They
propofed to fend an embafty to Charles XII. and re¬
quired with one confent of the king, that he Ihould
bring no more Mufcovites upon their frontiers, and
that he Ihould fend back the Saxon troops. >
The bad fortune of Auguftus had already don^
what the diet demanded of him. The league fecret-
ly concluded with the Mufcovites at Birfen was be¬
come as infignificant, as at firft it had appeared for-4