The  storm  which  demolished  this  noble
edifice  came  from  abroad.  On  the  29th  of
M^Toh,'of  the  preceding  year,  a  treatr  of  alli-
ance had  been  «oncIud^  at  Warsaw  between
the  King  of  Pntaaia  and  the  Republic,  con-
taining, among  others,  the  following  etipula-
tion  : — "  If  any  foreigii  Power,  in  virtue  of
any  preceding  acts  eiid  stipulations  whatso-
ever, should  claim  the  right  of  interfering  in
the  internal  afftiirs  of  the  republic  of  Poland,
at  what  time  or  in  what  manner  soever,  his
Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  will  first  employ
his  good  offices  to  prevent  hostilities  in  con-
sequence of  such  (pretension ;  but,  if  his  good
offices  should  be  inefifectual,  and  that  hostili-


ties against  Poland  thoiild  ensae^  his  Maooity
the  King  of  Prussia,  considenQg  sucq  an
event  as  a  ease  provided  for  in  this  treaty,
wiH  assist  the  republic  according  to  the  tenor
of  the  fourth  article  of  the  present  treaty."*
The  aid  here  referred  to  wa&  on  the  part  of
Prussia,  twenty-two  thousand  or  thirty  thou-
sand men,  or,  in  case  of  necessity,  all  ila  dis-
posable force.  The  undisputed  pnrpoee  of
the  article  had  been  to  guard  Poland  against
an  interference  in  her  affairs  by  Russia,  un-
der pretence  Qf  the  guarantee  of  the  Pblish
constitution  in  1775.
