than 10,000,000l. voted almoft without the formality of a debate-fir Francis Dashwood only venturing to express his total diffent from, and disapprobation of, the measure now adopted. How the proteftant religion was concerned in the disputes of the prefent belligerent powers, it seemed, in particular, far beyond the reach of men of common underStandings to comprehend. It was notorious that Saxony, long accounted the firft proteftant power in Germany, was ruined and defolated by the Proteftant Hero; that the Swedes, who have ever diftinguifhed themselves by their zeal in defence of the proteftant faith, were themselves parties in this pretended confederacy against protestantism; that Denmark and Holland difcovered no particular fymptoms of alarm on this occafion, though as little inclined to advance the interefts, or extend the power, of popery, as Great Britain itself.

The refentment of Holland was, at this period, inflamed in a very high degree against England, in confequence of the numerous feizures made by the English of Dutch veffels, employed in carrying naval ftores and transporting merchandize, the produce of the French islands, to Europe. A memorial, to which was affixed a prodigious number of commercial fignatures of the first confequence, was prefented to the states-general, in which their high mightineffes are strongly urged to protect the commerce and navigation of the republic by an armed force. The king of England,

In a debate of the house of commons feveral years fubfequent to this period, Mr. Pitt declared, that every feffion during his administration he called out, "Has any body any objection to the German war? Nobody would object to it, one gentleman only excepted, fince removed to the upper house by fucceffion to an ancient barony (fir Francis Dashwood, now lord Le Defpencer); he told me he did not like a German war: I honored the man for it, and was forry when he was turned out of his poft." On another occafion, he affirmed, "that it was impoffible, after the treaties made with the king of Pruffia, to leave that monarch to the mercy of his enemies; and that he entered into office with the German war tied like a mill-stone about his neck."

England, on the other hand, declared, by his ambaffador, that he would not suffer an illicit and injurious trade to be carried on under the fpecious pretext of neutrality. And the wisdom and moderation of the princefs Governante fcarcely fufficed to prevent an open rupture. The death of that princess, which took place at the beginning of the enfuing year, was the fubject of real and equal regret to both nations.

In the month of August, 1758, a decree of the aulic council was published, enjoining all directories of circles, imperial cities, &c. to transmit to Vienna an exact account of those who had difobeyed the avocatoria of the empire, and adhered to the REBELLION raised by the elector of Brandenburg, that their revenues might be fequeftered, and themselves punished in their honors, perfons, and effects. The king of England, knowing himfelf to be chiefly aimed at in this decree, prefented by his minifter baron Gemmingen, a fpirited memorial to the diet of the empire, enumerating the important fervices which he had rendered to the house of Austria, for which he had even expofed his life in the field of battle; in return for which the emprefs-queen had formed an alliance with France for the invafion of his electorate: and the duke of Cumberland, who had been wounded at Dettingen in the cause of her imperial majefty, was compelled to fight at Haftenbeck against the troops of that princefs, in defence of his father's dominions; that the king of England was threatened with the ban of the empire for not complying with the refolutions of the diet for affembling an army, although the conduct of the imperial court rendered it indispensable to his fafety to retain his troops for the protection of his fubjects. He acknowledged that, in quality of king of England, and for just reafons,' he had fent over English troops to Germany, and had taken poffeffion of Embden; for which he was accountable to no power upon earth. And he expreffed his hope that the diet would, upon deliberate advice, not only exhort the emperor to recal or

annul

annul his recent mandates, but inftitute fuch proceedings against the emprefs-queen, in the quality of arch-duchefs of Austria, as fhe wished to enforce against the king of England, as elector of Hanover." The original aggreffion of the laws of the empire refted, after all, folely and plainly with the king of Pruffia, who was as clearly fupported and defended in his contumacy by the king of, England; and if these two monarchs, as members of the Germanic body, were at liberty to disobey and contemn the decrees of the diet, the Germanic conftitution was no more; no common centre of union remained, by which that vaft body could exercise its fovereign authority, or even demonftrate its political exiftence. The diet, however, wifely chose to refrain, in prefent circumftances, from the affumption of a prerogative which they were in no condition to enforce; and the numberless memorials, and counter-memorials, publifhed in the courfe of this war, ferved to little other purpose than to fhew the extraordinary degree of animofity and rancor by which the belligerent powers were univerfally actuated.

In the course of this year died the celebrated Profper Lambertini, who, on his elevation to the papal chair, A. D. 1740, affumed the name of Benedict XIV. The good fenfe, candor, and moderation of this amiable pontiff made him fcarcely lefs the fubject of esteem and veneration in the protestant than the catholic ftates of Europe. But, unfortunately, his political influence was too weak to enable him to compofe thofe differences by which Christendom had been fo long difgraced and desolated. He was fucceeded in the papacy by cardinal Rezzonico, bishop of Padua, who took the name of Clement XIII. And the new pope found an early opportunity of difplaying his weakness and bigotry, by fending a confecrated banner, accompanied with his apoftolic benediction, to the Austrian general count Daun. A recent attempt, fcarcely worthy of hiftoric notice, as neither arifing from

any

any political cause, nor producing any political effect, had been made on the life of the king of France, by an infane fanatic of the name of Damien, who, in confequence of this crime, expired in torments; the national fufferance, and much more the national approval, of which, in the view of reason and humanity, degraded the character of the most polished and civilized country on the globe to a temporary level with that of the Onondagas and Cherokees. In the autumn of the present year, a royal affaffination in all its circumftances much more extraordinary and interefting, the full extent and mysterious nature of which have never been perfectly developed, was attempted on the per-. son of his most faithful majesty, who paffing, September 3, in his carriage over a folitary spot near the palace of Belem, was fired at and dangerously wounded by two villains on horfeback, one of whom made his escape; the other being put to the question, impeached the duc d'Aveiro, president of the palace, the marquis and marchionefs of Tavora, the count d'Atouguia, and several other persons of the highest rank, as parties in this confpiracy, who were accordingly tried, convicted, and fuffered death on the scaffold. It appearing from undoubted evidence, that the jefuits, who had been for fome time paft in disgrace at court, were the principal instigators to this wicked attempt, the effects and property of the whole order were fequeftered, and a decree of banishment finally iffued against them.

The parliament of England being convened in November, 1758, the lord-keeper Henley made a speech to both houses, by command of his majesty, in which the fucceffes of the year were oftentatiously enumerated; and the commons were anew exhorted vigorously to fupport the king of Pruffia, and the rest of his majesty's allies. The expenfe incurred by England at this time for the payment of fubfidies, and the maintenance of armies in Germany alone, exceeded three millions fterling; which immenfe

fum,

fum, as well as all the other fupplies demanded by the minifter, were now voted almost as a matter of courfe. Towards the termination of the feffion, May 1759, the king informed the two houses, by meffages delivered by lord Holderness and Mr. Pitt, the two fecretaries of ftate, that he had received authentic advice of preparations making by the French court with a defign to invade Great Britain and both houses, in return, affured his majesty of their determination to fupport, with their lives and fortunes, his person and government against all attempts whatever. Directions also were issued to the lords lieutenants of the refpective counties of the kingdom to use their utmost diligence and attention in executing the feveral acts of parliament made for the better ordering the militia. This alarm, however, after the defeat of the French fleet by admiral Hawke, entirely fubfided.

In the month of Auguft, an event of great political importance took place in the death of Ferdinand, king of Spain, who, in confequence of the lofs of the queen his confort, had for many months, renounced all company, neglected all bufinefs, and indulged in the utmost exceffes of forrow, under the weight of which he languished, without relief or intermiffion, to the final termination of his life. He was fucceeded by his brother don Carlos, king of the Sicilies-a prince by no means fo favorably difpofed as his predeceffor to the English nation; and who still harbored a deep refentment of the infult offered to his crown and dignity in the former war, by the threatened bombardment of his capital, and the humiliating treaty of neutrality to which he was compelled to accede. This monarch, previous to his departure from Naples, by a solemn edict, refigned the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily to his younger fon, don Ferdinand, in contravention and contempt of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which exprefsly declares, "that, if the infant, don Carlos, fhall fucceed to the throne of Spain, the duchies of Parma, Placentia, and

Guastalla