seas, and even Ireland itself, must be an eafy conquest to the increated numbers and ftrength of our enemies; becaurfe it will be impoffible for Great Britain, with an inferior and enfeebled novy, to relieve them in time of invation and no man of fenfe will affert the poffibility of means by which the Eatt-In fies can be faved.

In short, it does not require the spirit of divination to perceive, that Great Britain, thus robbed of her foreign dominions and her commerce, her nurseries of feamen thus loft, her navy thus weakened, and the power of her ambitious neighbours thus strengthened and increased, will not be able to

maintain her independence among nations. For tuppose, what is scarcely poffible, that the people of this nation, from their prefent luxurious and diffipated state, bould fuddenly return to the hardy vistues of their an ceftors, and be thence led to make the utmost exertions for their internal defence; yet fo great a diminution of her Arength, and so great an increate of that of her enemies, mult render the coafts and her territory liable (as in the times of the Danes and Saxons) to their incessant ravages, which must end in her conquest and fubor. dination to fome neighbouring Power.

We

Madrid, April 27, 1776. E perceived a very fevere alterain the climate as foon as we defcended the Sierra Morena, and entered the Mancha: from the beginning of fummer we were in a manner thrown back to the last months of winter. In Andalusia, the vines were all in leaf, and their fruit fet; the flowers of the thrubs falling off to make way for the feed. On the northern fide of the mountains scarce a fresh leaf was to be feen, or a bud in the vineyards; the poor ftarved bushes, with just a flower or two blown; the weather cold and raw : in a word, it is difficult to conceive so fudden and so thorough a change of feafons as that which we experienced in this journey.

The Mancha is an immense plain, interfected by different ridges of low hills and rocks: not an inclosure of any kind, except-mud-walls about the villages: and really I can not almost say, there is not a tree to be seen from the Sierra Morena to To'edo, nor from the banks of the Tagus to Madrid: a few dwarfish evergreen oaks, huddled together in nooks of hills, and some stumpy olive-plants, scarce deserve the name of trees, All this vast tract of open country is cultivated in corn or vines: there cannot be an uglier. The villages are large; few or no single houses; and not a venta that I could fix upon for the scene of any action in Don Quixot. We lay at Puertolapiche, a finall village men. tioned by Cervantes; but I think he omits telling us what adventure was atchieved there. In short, with all the help of ima gination, and reading the book all the way, the country did not raise one agreeable idea, nor tempt me to take a single Retch of any part of it. The houses are

built with mud and gravel. Then women cover their heads with coloured handkerchiefs, and their necks with laced pålatines.

Val de Penas produces a very pleasant red wine, the moft drinkable, for common use, of any in Spain. The provision of wine for the King is kept in hogsheads; the remainder of the vintage in skins. The best wine fells at the rate of twenty reals the arroba.

The badness of the weather hindered us from riding a few miles out of the road to vifit Los Ojos dela Guadiana, where that river, after running eight leagues under ground, rises up today, and thence takes its course towards Estremadura. We paffed over the fubterraneous river at the Venta de Quesada, where the well in the yard communicates with it. Straw, or any kind of light stoff, dropped into the well, is hurried away with fuch rapidity by the stream, that you will not bring up a fingle straw, though you let down the bucket almost instantaneously. The incurious Spaniards have made so few experiments upon this phænomenon, that we could procure no further intelligence on this head. The Manchegos have a pretty fong about these eyes of the Guadiana, which, however, they declare to be much less wonderful than those of their mistress. At Consuegra, a most beautiful gipsy girl, with the sweeteft eyes in the world, fung it to us, and danced fequidillas to the tune with ad. mirable agility and expreffion. She was quite Preciofa the little gipsy, with her foft voice and affected lifp. It is a pity her beauty was much impaired by her mode of dreffing, which gave her a most prominent belly, a defect few Spanish women are free from, and a flat low breaft, which they efteem

eileem a great perfection in a Lady's shape.

Toledo is the strangest city you can imagine in point of fituation; something like Durham, or Richmond in Yorkshire, but not equal to either in beauty, as it is totally bare of wood.

The Tagus, after winding at large through a fine plain, which a little more wood would render very agreeable to the eye, comes at last to be wedged in between two ramparts of high steep rocks: the paffage is very narrow, and before the river gets out again into a broad bed and open ground, it almost returns to the place where it entered the defile. On this rocky peninsula stands the city, exceedingly ill built, poor, and ugly. The streets are so steep, that no stranger in his sober senses would venture up or down them in a carriage.

The Alcazar, or ancient Palace which was burnt down by the allied army in the beginning of the century, is placed on the highest point of all. It is a noble extenfive building, and has just undergone a thorough repair, at the expence of the Archbishop, who has fortunately taken a turn towards employing some portion of his great revenues in works of public utility, fuch as this Palace, a new road to Aranjuez, and a street in the town. It is supposed that the Alcazar will be converted into an hospital or orphan houfe. The architecture is chaste and unaffected; the inner court is very grand; its colonnade of granite columns, of the Corinthian order, makes a noble appearance; the Chapel is lofty and narrow, which renders it convenient to attend divine service, as there is a balcony in each story of the house that leads into it. The stables are under the kitchens and offices, and are large enough to contain a very confiderable number of horses. The garret story is one open gallery for playing in, above eighty yards in length. In the middle ftories are several large halls, the most spacious of which measures about one hundred and fixty feet by thirty-fix.

The Cathedral has nothing particularly beautiful on the outside above the common run of Gothic Churches: it is not to be compared with many we have in England. The steeple is in the ugly style yle of the Flemish and German spires, a heap of blue turrets piled one upon another. The infide is well lighted and chearful, neither heavy, nor confused with too many ornaments: the decorations added of late years are not in the best of taftes, but in richness of gilding without a competitor. The

wealth of the Archbishop and Chapter difplays itself in the profusion of gold lavished on the walls; they have gilded the iron rails, the Gothic arches, and even drawn ines of gold to mark the join's of the ftones with which the pillars of the choir are built.

The group of angels, called El tranfparente, which is fixed behind the choir, and esteemed by the Toledans the glory of their church, is at best but a clumsy, ill-defigned monument, remarkable for nothing but the fineness of the marble and other materials.

One of the greatest vexations a curious person experiences in travelling through Spain, is the scarcity, the non-existence of tolerable Ciceroni; those you meet are generally coblers, who throw a brown cloak over their ragged apparel, and conduct you to a church or two, where they cannot give you the least satisfactory information concerning its antiquities or curiofities. This is literally the cafe at Toledo : but to make you amends, they lead you to a bole in a pillar, where the host was hidden all the time that the Saracens were in poffeffion of the city, though the whole fabric has been built from the ground fince the expusion of the Moors; for Saint Eerdinand laid the first stone of the present church in 1226. They also shew you the stone on which the Virgin Mary stood, when the came to pay a visit to Saint Ildephonsus, and which is worn through by the fingers of the pilgrims. Ask them any thing about the Mosarabic chapel, and what is done there, they will tell you, as they did us, that mass is faid there in Greek.

Toledo has lain in the route of most of those travellers that have written on Spain; and in them you will find ample accounts of every thing remarkable. As I hate repetitions, and would willingly avoid them whenever it is possible, give me leave to refer you to the works of those Gentlemen. One circumstance oply I cannot refuse myself the fatisfaction of acquainting you with, though I make no doubt but it is an anecdote to be met with in twenty books of travels. In the Convent of St. Francis, founded by Ferdinand and Isabella, the first novice received was Ximenes, who, in the course of the same reign, rose to be Cardinal, Archbishop of Toledo, and Prime Minister of Spain. His hiftory, as well as that of Don Juan de Padilla, have lately acquired redoubled luftre from the pen of Dr. Robertfon; in whose admirable

T

December 1.

HERE was a numerous and

re

spectable Common-hall, for the purpose of declaring Mr. Wilkes duly elected Chamberlain of this City; the numbers

ftood For

Malority 1972

Mr. Wilkes then addressed the Livery as follows:

Gentlemen of the Livery,

The fpirited and generous efforts of my friends, at the late election of Chamberlain, demand from me the warmest returns of gratitude. By their zeal and animated conduct I am so happy as to fucceed to an office of high repute, truft, and dignity. I hope that my punctual discharge of its various and complicated duties will not only justify their kind partiality, but reflect honour on a choice which has laid me under the greatest obligations.

The Committee of Friendship, which irreproachably conducted the whole canvas and election on my part during the poll, are intitled in a particular manner to every acknowledgement in my power. A bove all, I must beg leave to thank one of your Representatives in Parliament, with whom I am connected by the tie of confanguinity, and the most intimate friendThip; a friendship, which has for many years been followed by effential fervices to me, and the most liberal marks of affection. I have been exceedingly fortunate in the fupport and patronage of fuch Gentlemen, who, fuperior to all the little, low, mean arts of electioneering, by an unexceptionable conduct as men of honour, have merited the esteem of all their brother liverymen, and the unfeigned gratitude of the fucceff

ful Candidate.

I

public peace, the freedom of polling, and perfect order. They succeeded under difficulties, which perhaps never occurred before, from the circumstance of the State Lottery being drawn at Guildhall during the election of a Chamberlain and Bridgemaster. The candour, impartiality, and juttice of the Sheriffs cannot be too much applauded. I intreat them to accept my fincere thanks, and I heartily with that their example may be followed by all the Returning Officers of this kingdom at the enfuing General election."

Admiralty-office, Dec. 7, 1779

By a letter received from Capt. Salter, of his Majesty's Huffar of 28 guns, which arrived at Spithead the 4th inst. it appears, that on the 19th of November in the evening, being in company with his Majesty's ship Chatham of 50 guns, convoy to the homeward bound trade from Lifbon, he perceived a fstrange ship standing out of the fleet, which he took to be either a privatecr, or one of the convoy that had been captured; upon which he immediately gave chace, and coming up with her in the night, and finding her to be a two-decked ship, stuck close to her till day-light, when the hoitted Spanith colours, and began an engagement, which lotted three quarters of an hour: the then ftruck her colours, and proved to be the Noftra Senora del Buen Confejo, commanded by Don Juan Joseph Ezpeleta, a ship of about or 1200 tons, pierced for 64, but mounting only 26 twelve-pounder guns, with about 170 men. She was bound from Lima to Cadiz, but lait from Fayal, where the had landed her bullion to a very confiderable amount, having received information there of a war with Great Britain: the remainder of her cargo confifts of copper, pewter, cacao, a very large quantity of jefuits-bark, fome beaver and minerals, minerals, befides private ventures. The Huffar had four men killed, and ten wounded: the enemy, by the beft accounts that could be obtained, had about 27 killed, and 8 wounded.

Capt. Salter fent his prize to Lifben, and immediately proceeded in queft of the convoy, from which he had feparated.

Commodore Johnstone, in his letter dated on board his Majesty's ship Romney, at Lifbon, the 211t of November, relates, that on the 11th of November, ftanding towards Cape Finitterre, with the squadron under his command, ha difcerned a fail, to

which he gave chace; and the Tartar, one of his frigates, of 28 guns and 200 men, coming up with her, and perceiving the had Spanish colours hoitted, began a close engagement; the enemy, after exchanging one broadfide, and firing some irregular shot, ftruck to the Tartar. She proved to be the Santa Margarita frigate of war, of 26 twelve-pounders, and 2 fix-pounders, carrying 277 men, and commanded by Captain Andres de Viana. The enemy had one man killed, and three wounded: the Tartar none.

Captain Pafley, of his Majesty's ship the Sybil, in bis letter dated in the Tagus, the 20th of November, 1779, gives an account of his having taken and brought in with him the Rambler, a privateer of Salem, of 14 guns and go men; and the Patagon, a Spanish packet, bound from the ifland of Teneriff to Corunna, armed with 16 carriage guns and 55 men, commanded by a King's Officer.

Rear Admiral Edwards, in his letter dated the 13th of October, from St. John's, Newfoundland, mentions, that Captain Reeve, of his Majesty's ship Surprize, had lately taken, and brought into that port, the Jason, and Monmouth, American privateers; the former a ship of 20 guns, nine and fix pounders, and 120 men, commanded by John Manley; the latter, a brig of 14 guns, 6 pounders, and 65 men, commanded by John Ravil.

December 11.

The Seffions ended at the Old-Bailey, when fix persons received judgment of death, nine were ordered and adjudged to be kept to hard labour for the benefit of the navigation of the river Thames, four to be kept to hard labour in the house of correction, and 13 discharged by proclamation.

December 13.

On Saturday last the Committee appointed by the Court of Common-council on the 12th of February, to present the freedom of this City to the Honourable Augustus Keppel, Admiral of the Blue, in a box made of Heart of Oak, ornamented and embellished with gold, met at Guildhall at three o'clock, in the afternoon, and proceeded from thence in coaches, attended by the Chamberlain, Town clerk, and City Remembrancer (preceded by the two City Marshals on horseback) to the Admiral's house in Audley-square, when, on being introduced to the Admiral, Mr. Alderman Crosby, as fenior Alderman of the Committee, addressed him to the following ef

fect:

ADMIRAL KEPPEL,

I am ordered by the Committee, who

have the honour to wait on you from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council afsembled, to present you the freedom of that City in this box, made of Heart of Oak, ornamented and embellished with gold, agreeable to the unanimous vote of the Court of Common Council, on the 12th day of February last, for your long and faithful services to your country; for your ready acceptance at the call of your Sovereign, of the important charge of Commander of the British fleet, in time of imminent danger, for the anxious attention thewed by you in every initance of your conduct to the safety of this country; for your judicious, able, and spirited behaviour on the 27th of July, 1778, in your attack on the French fleet; for your glorious and gallant efforts to renew the engagement in the afternoon of that day; efforts rendered unfuccefsful though he want of obedience to your orders by the Vice Admiral of the Blue; for the great protection given to our trade, to which we were interely indebted to you for the fafe arrival of the Eatt and West India fleets; for your animating conduct and example, happily followed by fuch signal exertion of spirit and intrepidity in the Officers and feamen of the British fleet, as conveyed terror to our enemies, and obliged them to feek shelter in their own ports, by an ignominious flight.

The Committee, Sir, think they should be wanting in their duty, if they did not, upon this occafion, express their warmest wishes, that whenever you are called upon by your Sovereign to draw your fword against the enemies of the happy conftitution, you may return victorious, and that you may long, very long live, an honour and an ornament to your country.'

To which address the Admiral made the following answer :

• I receive, with the warmest gratitude, the valuable mark of the regard of the City of London, testified by their unanimous vote of the 12th of February last; and I beg you to affure them, that the fincere zeal for the public, which has animated me during my forty years service, is in no shape altered by events which comp-lled me to retire from the high honour of the command of a British fleet.'

The Committee were received very politely, and entertained in a most elegant manner at the Admiral's house; there were present at dinner, Lord Richard Cavendish, General Keppel, Admirals Pigot and Campbell, the Hon. Capt. Berkley, wah Mr. Rogers, the Admiral's Secretary, and feveral

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