fures which must be injurious to the nation, even though attended with defired fuccefs. When the parliament met, his majesty began by informing them of his ftrict adherence to engagements; and that he had fent a body of Englifh forces into the Netherlands, which he had augmented by fixteen thoufand Hanoverians, to make a diverfion upon the dominions of France, in the queen of Hungary's favour. When the fupplies came to be confidered, by which this additional number of Hanoverian troops was to be paid by England for defending their own caufe, it produced moft violent debates in both houses of parliament. It was confidered as an impofition upon the nation, as an attempt to pay foreign. troops for fighting their own battles, and the miniftry were preffed by their own arguments against fuch measures before they came into power. They were not afhamed, however, upon this occafion, boldly to defend what they fo violently impugned; and at length, by the ftrength of numbers, and not of reafon, they carried their caufe. The people now faw, with indignation, their former defenders turned against themselves; patriotifm they began to confider as an empty name, and knew not on whom to rely, fince the boldest profeffors of liberty were puichafed at an easy rate. But however thefe continental measures might injure the real interefts of the nation, they for that time served to retrieve the queen of Hungary's defperate affairs, She foon began to turn the fcale of victory on her fide. The French were driven out of Bohemia. Her general, prince Charles, at the head of a large army, invaded the dominions of Bavaria. Her rival, the nominal. emperor, was obliged to fly before her; and being abandoned by his allies, and ftripped of even his hereditary hereditary dominions, retired to Frankfort, where he lived in obfcurity. The French who had begun as allies, were now obliged to fuftain the whole burden of the war, and accordingly faced their enemies invading them on every fide of their dominions. The troops fent to the queen's affiftance by England were commanded by the earl of Stair, an experienced general, who had learned the art of war under the famous prince Eugene. The chief object which he had in view in the beginning was to effect a junction with the queen's army, commanded by prince Charles of Lorrain, and thus to out-number the enemy in the field. The French, in order to prevent this junction, affembled an army of fixty thousand men upon the river Mayne, under the. command of marthal Noailles, who posted A. D. his troops upon the east fide of that river. The British forces, to the number of 1743. forty thoufand, pufhed forward on the other fide into a country, where they found themselves entirely deftitute of provifions, the French having cut off all means of their being fupplied with any. The king of England arrived at the camp, while his army was in this deplorable fituation, wherefore he refolved to penetrate forward to join twelve thoufand Hanoverians and Heffians, who had reached Hannau. With this view he decamped; but before his army had marched three leagues, he found the enemy had enclofed him on every fide, near a village called Dettingen. Nothing now presented but the most mortifying profpects; if he fought the enemy, it must be at the greatest difadvantage; if he continued inactive, there was a certainty of being ftarved; and as for all retreat that was impoffible. The impetuofity of the French troops faved his whole army. They paffed a defile, which they fhould have been con tented to guard; and under the conduct of the duke of Gramont, their horfe charged the Englifh foot with great fury. They were received, however, with intrepidity and resolution; so that they were obliged to give way, and repass the Mayne with precipitation, with the lofs of about five thousand men. The king of England, with great perfonal courage, exposed himself to a fevere fire of the enemies cannon; and in the midst of the engagement encouraged his troops by his prefence and his example. The English had the honour of the day; but were soon obliged to leave the field of battle, which was taken poffeffion of by the French, who treated the wounded English with a clemency peculiar to that generous nation. Though the English were victorious upon this occafion, yet the earl of Stair, who was commander in chief, did not affume any honour from fuch a victory. He was unwilling to share any glory, which was fo precariously obtained, and fnatched rather from the enemies mistake, than gained by his conduct. He therefore folicited for leave to refign, which obtaining, the troops were led into quarters, and defifted from farther operations that campaign. Mean while the French went on with vigour on every fide. They oppofed prince Charles, and interrupted his attempts to pafs the Rhine. They gained alfo fome fucceffes in Italy; but their chief hopes were placed upon a projected invafion of England. Cardinal Fleury was now dead; and cardinal Tencin, who fucceeded him in power, was a man of a very different character from his predeceffor; being proud, turbulent, and enterprifing France, from the violence of the parlamentary difputes in England, had been perfuaded that the country was long ripe for a revolution, and only wanted the prefence of a pretender to bring about about the change. Several needy adventurers, who wished for a revolution, fome men of broken fortunes and all the Roman catholics of the kingdom, endeavoured to confirm the court of France in these fentiments, of which they themselves were perfuaded. An invafion therefore was actually projected; and Charles, the son of the old pretender, departed from Rome in the difguife of a Spanish courier, for Paris, where he had an audience of the French king. This family had long been the dupes of France; but it was thought at prefent there were ferious refolutions formed in their favour. The troops destined for the expedition amounted to fifteen thousand men, preparations were made for embarking them at Dunkirk, and fome of the nearest ports to Engiand, under the eye of the young pretender. The duke de Roquefuille, with twenty fhips of the line, was to fee them fafely landed in England, and the famous count Saxe was to command them, when put on fhore. But the whole project was difconcerted by the appearance of Sir John Norris, who, with a fuperior fleet, made up to attack them. The French fleet, was thus obliged to put back; a very hard gale of wind da maged their tranfports beyond redrefs; and the French, now truftrated in their scheme of a fudden. defcent, thought fit openly to declare war. But though fortune feemed to favour England on this occafion, yet in other respects the was not equally propitious. The English miniftry had. fent out a powerful fquadron of thips into the Mediterranean to over-awe thofe ftates who might be inclined to lend affiftance to France or Spain.. This fleet had been conducted by Leftock; but admiral Matthews, though a younger officer was fent out to take the fuperior command, which produced a misunderstanding between the commanders. 'i here There was foon an opportunity offered for thefe officers to discover their mutual animofity, to the damage of their country, and their own difgrace. The combined fleets of France and Spain, to the number of four and thirty fail, were seen off Toulon, and a fignal was made by the English admiral to prepare for engaging. It happened that his fignals were not perfectly exact; he had hung out that for forming the line of battle, which at the fame time fhewed the fignal for engaging. This was a fufficient excufe to Leftock for refufing to come up with alacrity; fo that after fome vain efforts to attack the enemy in conjunction, Matthews: refolved to engage as well as he could. One ship of the line belonging to the Spanish fquadron ftruck to captain Hawke; but was next day burned by the admiral's order. Captain Cornwall was killed in the engagement, after continuing to give command even while his leg was fhot off by a cannon. The purfuit was continued for three days, at the end of which time Leftock feemed to come up with fome vigour; but just then Matthews gave orders for discontinuing the purfuit, and failed away for port Mahon to repair the damage he had fuftained. The English fleet was willing to claim the victory; and the French and Spaniards were not lefs pleased with their own good fortune. In England, however, this difputed fuccefs was confidered as the most mortifying defeat, and the complaints of the people knew no bounds. Both admirals upon their return, were tried by a courtmartial. Matthews, who had fought with intrepidity, was declared for the future incapable of ferving in his majesty's navy. Leftock, who had kept at a diftance, was acquitted with honour, having entrenched himself within the punctilios of discipline. He barely did his duty. A man of honour, when his country is at stake, fhould do more. The |