when the Emperor of Germany began to execute projects in the north, which at first promifed cxtraordinary success. The Czarina Catharine, Dowager of Peter the Great, had conceived a distaste to the British Court; and had, by Scottish emiffaries about her, been perfuaded that it might prove no difficult matter to set up the son of the late King James II, to overturn the Government of Great Britain: and this scheme had been proposed and countenanced at the Imperial Court. The Spanish Court readily adopted that or any other expedient that might procure them Gibraltar, and facilitate their acquisitions in Italy. Among other measures calculated to disconcert fuch a confederacy, it was refolved to fend a stro a strong fleet into the Baltic, to awe the Czarina, to brin bring round another Power, and to keep fteady a third. The command of this fleet was given to Sir Charles Wager, then Vice-admiral of the Red; and confitted of 20 ships of the Jine, one frigate, two fire-ships, and one hofpital ship. He hoisted his flag, April 13, 1726, anchored at Copenhagen the 23d, presented his British Majesty's letter to the King of Denmark, and dined with him; and entertained the Prince Royal, on board his own ship. May 6, he anchored at Stockholm, where he presented another letter to the King of Sweden, from whom he met with a very gracious reception. A few days after he was joined by a Danish squadron, and failed toward Revel; where he received intelligence of 16 Russian men of war, with three flags flying, in the road at Cronslot: and that a great number of gallies were in readiness there and at Peterburg. Sir Charles Wager took the first opportunity of sending the third letter he had in commission to the Czarina, inclosed in another to her Admiral Apraxin; in which his Majesty freely expoftulated with her on her armaments and intrigues. The Spaniards, notwithstanding our naval equipments, attacked the important fortress of Gibraltar toward the close of the fame year. The trenches were opened in the beginning of February by the Conde De las Torres at the head of 20,000 men. The place was well provided for defence, and the old Earl of Portmore, who was Governor, embarked with a re-inforcement from England, under convoy of Sir Charles Wager; whe landed the troops and stores, and effectually relieved that garrifon from the impending danger. Notwithstanding these variances among the European Powers they were equally averse to engaging in a formal war, so that a pacification put an end to their hoftilities, and to the farther activity of this gallant feaman, who died in an advanced age, at the commencement of the war that took place about fixteen years after. On the elegant monument erected to the memory of Sir Charles Wager in Westmintter-abbey, the principal figure is that of Fame, holding a portrait of the deceased in relief, which is supported by an infant Hercules. The enrichments are naval trophies, inftruments of war, navigation, &c. and on the base is a representation in relief of the taking and destroying the Spanish galleons in the year 1708. The inscription is as follows : To the Memory of Sir CHARLES WAGER, Knt. Admiral of the White, first Commissioner of the Admiralty, and Privy-Counsellor : A Man of great natural Talents, Valiant, prudent, wife, and honeft; Plain and unaffected in his Manners, The The HISTORY of ENGLAND, continued from Page 72. of our last. A Parliament having been called in IreJand, and the Duke of Grafton and the Earl of Galway (who had been appointed Lords Justices, upon the Earl of Sunderland's refignation of the post of Lord-lieutenant of that kingdom) being arrived at Dublin, the two Houses met there on the 12th of November, and Mr. Connolly was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons. The Peers began with a bill for recognizing the King's title to the Crown, and the Commons with several bills for the further security of his person and Government; namely, a bill to attaint the Pretender, and give a reward of fifty thousand pounds for his head; and for attainting the Duke of Ormond, giving the Crown his estate, and ten thousand pounds reward upon his head. These bills were followed by a retrospect upon the Councils of the late reign; and a resolution was unanimously passed against those who advised the Queen to prorogue the late Parliament, at a time when a bill to attaint the Pretender was depending; and they were voted to be enemies to the succeffion, and favourers to the Pretender and Popery. They proceeded, in the next place, to bring in a bill to prevent tumults, rebellions, and riotous afsemblies. All these bills, together with the supplies demanded, went through the Houses in the usual forms, without the least opposition; and, being ratified in England, received the royal affent. But they did not end here: for, on the 17th of November, the Commons, while the public accounts, which were ordered to be laid before them, were preparing, entered into an inquiry, which brought a great many of their Members on their knees. The last House of Commons, in the Queen's time, had addressed her againft Sır Conftantine Phipps, at that time Lord-chancellor of Ireland, and one of the Lords Justices of the kingdom, defiring her to remove him from his employments. But, as this address seemed not to be very acceptable to the Queen, or to the Counsels of that reign, there were many counter addresses procured, and fent up from the several counties and towns in Ireland, in favour of Sir Conftantine, defiring he might not be removed, notwithstanding the address of the Commons. This the House esteemed a breach of the privilege of Parliament, and refolved to thew their resentment against these addressers, especially such as were Members of the fisting Parliament. Accordingly they appointed a Committee to inquire who had figned these addresses and many were censured or brought to acknowledgement upon that account. Then they addressed the Lords Justices for a proclamation againft the Popish opish inhabitants of Limerick and Galway, who presuming upon the construction they thought fit to put upon the articles of capitulation made with King William, for the furrender of those places, had claimed an exemption from the penalties and process upon the other laws against Papifts: upon complaint whereof to the House this address was founded. Whilst the bills were fent to England to be ratified, the Parliament adjourned to the 6th of January. Upon their meeting on that day, the Lord Viscount Dillon came into the House of Peers, and, delivering his writ, took the oath of allegiance; but being asked, Whether he could take the other oaths? He said, 'He would consider of it, and then withdrew. Upon this the Lords resolved, that no Peer should have Parliamentary privilege, till he had taken and subscribed the other oaths, in the act to prevent the further growth of Popery. This done, the Lords entered into an association to defend the King and the Proteftant fucceffion, against the Pretender, and all his open and fecret abettors. The Commons likewise entered into the like afsociation; and also refolved, That, whatever forces the King should think fit to raise, or what expences he should think necessary for the defence of the kingdom, they would enable him to make good the fame. It was strongly reported, that, the day the association was brought into the House of Peers, two Lords, one of whom was the Earl of Anglesey, imbarked for England, to avoid signing it. The Archbishop of Armagh and the Bishop of Corke refused also to fign. Soon after the Commons re folved, That whoever advised the disbanding or breaking a great part of the army, immediately after the unseasonable prorogation of the late Parliament, when a bill to attaint the Pretender was under confideration, were enemies to the Proteftant fucceffion, and designed to bring in the Pretender and Popery. After which it was voted, That the Earl of Anglesey was one of the principal advisers to break the army, and prorogue the Parliament, and was therefore an enemy to the King and kingdom. This was followed with an address for the Earl's being removed from the King's Council and service; which was complied with. The Lords Justices also thought fit, at that juncture, to secure several fufpected perfons, as the Earl of Antrim, the Earl of Westmeath, the Lord Nutterville, the Lord Cahir, the Lord Dillon, and fome others, and then adjourned the two Houses to the 8th of March. The Parliament met in England on the gth of January, when the King made the following speech to both Houses : My Lords and Gentlemen, • The zeal and affection to my Government, and vigilant care for the fafety of the nation, which you have thewn in your refpet tive counties, have not only fully answered 'my expectations, but give me assurances, that you are met together, resolved to act with a fpirit becoming a time of common danger, and with such a vigour as will end in the confufion of all those who have openly engaged in this rebellion, and in the shame and reproach of fuch, as by secret and malicious infinuatious have fomented, or, by an avowed indifference, encouraged this traiterous enterprize. It is, I doubt not, a great fatisfaction to you to have observed, that the powers, you intrulled me with for the preservation of the *public safety, have been employed in the most proper and effectual manner, and madestrictly subservient to those purposes only, for which you intended them. And you must have had the pleasure to reflect with me, that as the measures taken for our defence have been just and necessary; so it has pleased the Divine Providence to bless them with a feries of fuitable success. And I cannot but take this opportunity of doing justice to the Officers and foldiers of the army, whose brave and faithful discharge of their duty has difappointed our enemies, and contributed so much to the safety of the nation, • I did hope, that the directing and preventing the designed insurrection in fome parts of the kingdom, and the defeating in others those, who had taken up armsagainft me, would have put an end to this rebellion. But it is plain, that our enemies, animated by some feciet hopes of af fiftance, are still endeavouring to support this defperate undertaking: and the Pretender, as I have reason to believe, is now landed in Scotland. It is however with pleasure I can acquaint you, that, notwithstanding these in testine commotions, Great Britain has in fome measure recovered its influence and reputation abroad. The treaty for fettling the barrier for the Netherlands is now fully concluded between the Emperor and States-general under my guaranty. The King of Spain has agreed to a treaty, by which that valuable branch of our commerce will be delivered from the new impositions and hardships, to which it was fubjected by the late treaties; and will stand settled for the future, on a foot more advantageous and certain, than it ever did, in the molt flourishing time of any of my predeceffors; and the treaty, for renewing all former alliances between the Crown of Great Britain and the Statesgeneral, is brought very near to its conclufion. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, 'I muft rely on your affection to me, and your care and concern for the fafety of the nation, to grant me such supplies as may enable me to restore, and to secure the peace of the kingdom; and I will order estimates of the neceffary expences to be laid before you.. Among the many unavoidable ill consequences of this rebellion, none affects me more sensibly, than that extraordinary burden, which it has and must create to my faithful subjects. To ease them as far as lies in my power, I take this first opportunity of declaring, that I will freely give up all the estates, that shall become forfeited to the Crown by this rebellion, to be applied towards defraying the extraordinary expences incuried on this occafion. My Lords and Gentlemen, • It is matter of the greatest uneasiness to me, that the first years of my reign, the whole course of which I wished to have tranfmitted to pofterity, distinguisbed by the fair and endearing marks of peace and clemency, thould be clouded and overcaft with so unnatural a rebellion; which, however impotent and unsuccessful a due care may render it in all other respects, does most sensibly afflict me, by the calamities it has brought on many of my faithful fubjects, and by those indispensable returns of feverity, which their sufferings, and the public fafety, do most justly call for. Under this concern my greatest comfort is, that I cannot reproach myself with having given the leaft provocation to that fpirit of discontent and calumny, that has been let Icose against me, or the least pretence for kindling the flame of this rebellion. Let Let those, whose fatal Counsels laid the foundation of all these mischiefs, and those, whose private discontents and difappointments, disguised under false pretences, have betrayed great numbers of deluded people into their own deftruction, answer for the miseries in which they have involved their fellow-subjects. I question not but that, with the continuance of God's bleffing, who alone is able to form good out of evil, and with the chearful assistance of my Parliament, we shall, in a short time, see this rebellion end, not only in restoring the tranquillity of my Government, but in procuring a firm and lasting establishment of that excellent constitution in Church and State, which it was manifestly designed to fubvert; and that this open and flagrant attempt, in favour of Popery, will abolith all other diftinctions among us, but of fuch as are zealous affertors of the liberties of their country, the present establishment, and the Protestant religion, and of fuch as are endeavouring to fubject the nation to the revenge and tyranny of a Popish Pretender.' The Lords and Commons presented severally very loyal addresses of thanks for this speech. this The Commons declared, they thought themselves obliged, in justice to their injured country, to profecute, in the most vigorous and impartial manner, the authors of those destructive Counsels, which bad drawn down those miseries upon the nation. They began with expelling Mr. Forster, General of the Northumbrian rebels, and after a remarkable speech to fhew the neceffity of proceeding by way of im peachment, Mr. Lechmere impeached the Earl of Derwentwater of High-treason, and undertook to make the impeachment good. Mr. Pulteney impeached the Lord Widdrington; Mr. Boscawen, the Earl of Nithisdale; Mr. Hampden, the Earl of Wintoun; the Lord Finch; the Earl of Carnwarth; the Earl of Hertford, Vifcount Kenmure, and Mr. Wortley Mountague, the Lord Nairn. Then Mr. Lechmere, and the reit, were ordered to carry up their several impeachments to the Lords; which being done, a Committee was appointed to draw up the articles against the seven impeached Lords. Mr. Lechmere, Chairman of the Committee, in less than two hours reported, that the articles were drawn up; which, being agreed to, were carried by him to the Lords the fame day. The next day, the impeached Lords were all brought to the bar of the House of The impeachments being lodged, the On the 16th of January a bill was On the 21st of January the King came My Lords and Gentlemen, I had reason to believe, when I spoke last to you, that the Pretender was landed in Scotland. The accounts I have received fince put it beyond all doubt, that he is heading the rebellion there, and does affume the style and title of King of these realms. His adherents do likewife confidently affirm, that affurances are given them of fupport from abroad. This Parliament hath on all occafions expressed so much duty to me, and so true a regard for the religious and civil rights of my people, that I am perfuaded this daring presumption of our enemies will heighten your just indignation against them, and beget fuch further refolutions as, with the bleffing of God, will enable me to defeat their attempts. S Gentlemen : 1 Gentlemen of the House of Commons, The most effectual way to put a speedy end to these troubles will be to make such a provifion as may difcourage any foreign Power from affitting the rebels, I do therefore hope, that every fincere Proteftant, and true Briton, will look opon the extreordinary expence, which a preparation may require, to be the best husbandry; fince it will, in all human probabitty, prevent that defolation, and those calamities, which would unavoidably ensue, if the rebellion should be fuffered to fpread, and be fupported by Popish forces from abroad. My Lords and Gentlemen, The world must be convinced by all you have already done, that you have nothing but the honour and interest of your country at heart: and, for my own part, I rely intirely upon you, and doubt not but you will take fuch refolutions at this juncture, as will be most for the present safety, and future ease of my peop'e." Both Houses prefented addreffes to his Majesty, full of expreflions of duty and affection, and the moft hearty afsurances of their affittance against the daring presumption of the Pretender and his adherents. [To be continued.] From the LONDON GAZETTE. Admiralty-Office, March 4, 1780. Captain Robert Sutton, late Commander of his Majesty's Ship the Sphynx, arrived on the ift Instant from the Leeward Islands, with Difpatches from Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker to Mr. Stephens, of which the following are Extracts and Copies. Extract of a Letter from Rear-Admiral Duplicate, of which the Original is not yet received.] Y laft to you of the 16th of October Macquard Barbadoes with the squadron of his Majefty's ships under my command. On the 24th of October, the Acteon and Proferpine came into Carlifle Bay, with the Alcmene frigate of 28 guns, commanded by Captain de Bonneval: she was chaced by several ships, but ftruck to the Proferpine. From the capture of this ship I first learned with certainty, that the Count d'Estaing was gone with all his fleet to America. Extract of a Letter from Rear-Admiral CAPTAIN Sutton not having yet left the squadron gives me an opportunity to add. a fupplement to my letter of the 9th instant, and to defire you will inform their Lordthips, that on the 18th instant, between eight and nine o'clock in the morning, the Preston being between Martinico and St. Lucia, to windward, made the fignal for a fleet; which was no fooner observed on board the Princefs Royal, than a fignal was thrown out for the ships under my command to flip their cables, and chace to windward. The Captains were then assembled at a Court-martial; and as the ships were in a course of fitting, some lay on the keel, others had their fails unbent, and from all of them great numbers were employed on shore in wooding and watering. Under these circumftances the alertness and dispatch with which the ships put to fea, was furprising even to me, who am no ftranger to the activity and brifkness of the English Officers and feamen. As the squadron ftood over for Port Royal, the enemy's ships were difcovered to be a convoy. Before four in the afternoon nine or ten of them ran themselves on thore on the island Martinico, and were set on fire by our boats, either immediately or the next morning. About the fame time I observed the Boreas engaged with the French frigate in Port Royal Bay; a French Rear-admiral with two other 74 gun ships Gipped their cables, and bore down upon him, which obliged the Boreas to sheer off. This dexterous manœuvre faved their frigate, and some of their merchant-ships. The French Admiral hauled his wind in good time, and kept plying for the road. The ships a-head of the Princess Royal at this time were the Conqueror, Albion, Elifabeth, Vigilant, and Centurion, but the Conqueror a-head and to windward of the reft. About five this ship got within diftance of the French Rear-admiral, who began the cannonade. The steadiness and coolness with which on every tack the Conqueror received the fire of these thiee ships, and returned his own, working his ship with as much exact. ness, as if he had been turning into Spithead, |