fifting of twenty-nine ships of the line, and almoft an equal number of frigates, furnished with all kinds of warlike ftores, near fifteen thousand feamen, and as many land-forces. Never was a fleet more completely equipped, nor ever had the nation more fanguine hopes of fuccefs. Lord Cathcart was appointed to command the land-forces; but he dying on the paffage, the command devolved upon general Wentworth, whose abilities were fuppofed to be unequal to the truft repofed in him. The miniftry, without any visible reason, detained the fleet in England, until the season for action in America was nearly over. In the country where they were to carry on their operations, periodical rains begin about the end of April, and this change in the climate as furely brings on epidemical and contagious difeafes. Having at length. arrived on the coafts of New Spain, before the wealthy city of Carthagena, they landed their forces, in order to form the fiege of this important fortification. This city, which lies within fixty miles of Panama, ferves as a magazine for the merchandize of Spain, which is conveyed from Europe thither, and from thence tranfported by land to Panama, to be exchanged for the native commodities of the new world. The taking of Carthagena, therefore, would have obftructed the whole trade between Old Spain and the New.

To carry on the fiege with fafety, the troops were landed on the island Tierra Bomba, near the mouth of the harbour, which had been previously fortified by all the arts of engineering. The landforces erected a battery on fhore, with which they made a breach in the principal fort, while Vernon, who commanded the fleet, fent a number of fhips into the harbour, to divide the fire of the enemy, and to co-operate with the army on fhore. The breach being deemed practicable, a body of troops

were commanded to storm; but the Spaniards deferted the forts, which, if poffeffed of courage, they might have defended with fuccefs. The troops, upon gaining this advantage, were advanced a good deal nearer the city; but they there met a much greater opposition than they had expected. It was found, or afferted, that the fleet could not lie near enough to batter the town, and that nothing remained but to attempt one of the forts by scaling. The leaders of the fleet and the army began mutually to accufe each other, each afferting the probability of what the other denied. At length, Wentworth stimulated by the admiral's reproach, refolved to try the dangerous experiment, and ordered that fort St. Lazare fhould be attempted by fcalade. Nothing could be more unfortunate than this undertaking; the forces marching up to the attack, their guides were flain, and they miftook their way. Inftead of attempting the weakest part of the fort, they advanced to where it was ftrongeft, and where they were exposed to the fire of the town. Colonel Grant, who commanded the grenadiers, was killed in the beginning. Soon after it was found that their fcaling ladders were too short; the officers were perplexed for want of orders, and the troops ftood expofed to the whole fire of the enemy, without knowing how to proceed. After bearing a dreadful fire for fome hours with great intrepidity, they at length retreated, leaving fix hundred men dead on the spot. The terrors of the climate foon began to be more dreadful than thofe of war; the rainy feafon began with fuch violence, that it was impoffible for the troops to continue encamped; and the mortality of the feafon now began to attack them in all its frightful varieties. To thefe calamities, fufficient to quell any enterprize, was added the diffenfion between the land and fea commanders, who

blamed

blamed each other for every failure, and became frantic with mutual recrimination. They only, therefore, at laft could be brought to agree in one mortifying meafure, which was to reimbark the troops, and to withdraw them as quick as possible from this fcene of flaughter and contagion.

The fortifications near the harbour being demolifhed, the troops were conveyed back to Jamaica, and this island, which of itfelf is fufficiently unhealthy, was confidered as a paradise to that from which they had juft efcaped. This fatal mifcarriage, which tarnifhed the British glory, was no fooner known in England, than the kingdom was filled with murmurs and difcontent. The loudeft burft of indignation was directed at the minifter and they who once praised him for fucceffes he did not merit, condemned him now for a failure, of which he was guiltless.

;

To this cause of complaint, feveral others were added. The inactivity of the English fleet at home was among the principal. Sir John Norris had twice failed to the coafts of Spain, at the head of a very powerful fquadron, without taking any effectual ftep to annoy the enemy. The Spanish privateers, become numerous and enterprizing, annoyed commerce with great fuccefs, having taken fince the commencement of the war, four hundred and seven ships belonging to the subjects of Great Britain. The English, though at an immenfe expence in equipping fleets, feemed to lie down unrevenged under every blow, and fuffered one lofs after another without reprifal. This univerfal discontent had a manifeft influence upon the A. D. general election which followed foon

after; and the complaints against the 1741. minifter became fo general, that he began to tremble for his fafety. All the adherents of the prince of Wales, who continued to live

retired

retired from court, as private gentlemen, concurred in the oppofition. Obftinate ftruggles were maintained in all parts of the kingdom; and fuch a national spirit prevailed, that the country intereft now at last feemed ready to preponderate.

In this fituation, the minifter finding the ftrength of the house of commons turned against him, tried every art to break that confederacy, which he knew he had not ftrength to oppose. His firft attempt was by endeavouring to difengage the prince from his party, by promises of royal favour, and other emoluments. The bishop of Oxford was accordingly fent to him, with an offer, that if he would write a letter of fubmiffion to the king, he and all his counsellors fhould be taken into favour ; fifty thousand pounds fhould be added to his revenue, two hundred thousand should be granted him to pay his debts, and fuitable provision should be made in due time for all his followers.. This, to a perfon already involved in debt, from the fcantinefs of his penfion, and the neceffity of keeping up his dignity, was a tempting offer. However, the prince generously difdained it, declaring he would accept of no conditions dictated to him under the influence of a minifter, whofe measures he difapproved.

Walpole now faw that his power was at an end; but he still feared more for his perfon. The refentment of the people had been raised against him to an extravagant height; and their leaders taught them to expect very fignal juftice on their fuppofed oppreffor. The firft occafion he had to find the house of commons turned against him was in debating upon fome difputed elections. In the first of these, which was heard at the bar of the house, he carried his point by a majority of fix only, and. this he looked upon as a defeat, rather than a victory. The inconfiderable majority that appeared VOL. IV.

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on

on his fide, which had long been used to carry every queftion with eafe, plainly proved that his friends were no longer able to protect him. A petition, prefented by the electors of Westminster, complaining of an undue election, which had been carried on by the unjuft influence of the miniftry, and which they begged to fet afide, was presented to the house. Sir Robert laboured with all his art to over-rule their petition; the house entered into the difcuffion, and carried it against him by a majority of four voices. He refolved to try his ftrength once more in another disputed election, and had the mortification to fee the majority against him augmented to fixteen. He then declared he would never fit more in that house; and the next day the king adjourned both houfes of parliament for a few days, and in the interim Sir Robert Walpole, was created earl of Orford, and refigned all his employments.

Nothing could give the people more general fatisfaction than this minifter's depofition. It was now univerfally expected that his power being abridged, his punishment was to follow; and mankind prepared themfelves for fome tragical event with vindictive fatisfaction. Every perfon now flattered himself, that every domeftic grievance would be redreffed; that commerce would be protected abroad; that the expensive fubfidies to foreign ftates would be retrenched, and that the houfe of commons would be unanimous in every popular meafure. But they foon found themselves miferably deceived. Those who clamoured most against him, when put into power, began exactly to adopt alt his measures.

At no time of life did this minifter acquit himself with fuch art as on the present occafion. The country party confifted of Tories, reinforced by difcontented Whigs; the former, implacable in