This treaty, which fome afferted would ferve for a bond of permanent amity, was, properly fpeaking, but a temporary truce; a ceffation from hoftilities, which both fides were unable to continue. Though the war between England and France was actually hushed up in Europe, yet in the Eaft and West Indies it ftill went forward with diminished vehemence. Both fides ftill wil ing to offend, ftill offending, and yet both complaining of the infraction. .

A new colony having been formed in North America, in the province of Nova Scotia, it was thought that thither the wafte of an exuberant nation might well be. drained off; and thofe bold fpirits kept in employment at a distance, who might be dangerous, if suffered to continue in idlenefs at home. Nova Scotia was a place where men might be imprifoned, but not maintained; it was cold, barren, and incapable of fuccefsful cultivation. The new colony therefore was maintained there with some expence to the government in the beginning; and fuch as were permitted foon went fouthward to the milder climates, where they were invited by an untenanted and fertile foil. Thus did the nation ungratefully fend off her hardy veterans to perifh on inhofpitable fhores, and this they were taught to believe would extend their dominion.

However, it was for this barren fpot that the English and French revived the war, which foon after fpread with fuch terrible devaftation over every part of the globe. The native Indians bordering upon the defarts of Nova Scotia, a fierce and favage people, looked from the firft with jealoufy upon thefe new fettlers; and they confidered the vicinity of the English as an encroachment upon their native poffeffions. The French, who were neighbours in like manner, and who were ftill impreffed with national animofity, fomented thefe fufpicions in the natives, and reprefented the English (and with regard to this colony the reprefentation might be true) as enterprifing and fevere. Commiffaries were therefore appointed to meet at Paris, to compromife thefe difputes; but thefe conferences were rendered abortive by the cavil lings of men, who could not be fuppofed to understand the fubject in debate.

As this feemed to be the first place where the diffentions took their rife for a new war, it may be neceffary to be a little more minute. The French had been the firft cultivators of Nova Scotia, and by great induftry and long perfeverance had rendered the foil, naturally barren, fomewhat more fertile, and capable of fuítaining nature, with fome affiftance from Europe. This country, however, had frequently changed mafters, until at length the English were fettled in the poffeffion, and acknowledged as the rightful owners, by the treaty of Utrecht. The poffeffion of this country was reckoned neceffary to defend the English colonies to the north, and to preferve their fuperiority in the fifherie's in that part of the world. The French, however, who had long been fettled in the back parts of the country, refolved to ufe every method to difpoffefs the new comers, and fpirited up the Indians to more open hoftilities, which were reprefented to the English miniftry for fome time without redress.

Soon after this another fource of difpute began to be feen in the fame part of the world, and promised as much uneafinefs as the former. The French pretending firft to have difcovered the mouth of the river Miffiffippi, claimed the whole adjacent country towards new Mexico on the eaft, and quite to the Apalachian mountains on the weft. In order to affert their claims, they found feveral English, who had fettled beyond thefe mountains, from motives of commerce, and alfo invited by the natural beauties of the country, they difpoffeffed them of their new fettlements, and built fuch forts as would command the whole country round about.

Not in America alone, but alfo in Afia, the feeds of a new war were preparing to be expanded. On the coafts of Malabar, the English and French had, in fact, never ceafed from hoftilities.

The ministry, however, in England began now a very vigorous exertion in defence of their colonies, who re fufed to defend themfelves. Four operations were

undertaken in America at the fame time. Of A. D. thefe, one was commanded by Colonel Monckton, 1756. who had orders to drive the French from the en

croachments upon the province of Nova Scotia. The fecond, more to the fouth, was directed against Crownpoint, under the command of General Johnfon. The third, under the conduct of General Shirley, was def tined to Niagara, to fecure the forts on that river; and the fourth was further fouthward ftill, against Fort Du Quefne, under General Braddock.

In thefe expeditions Monckton was fuccefsful: Johnfon alfo was victorious, though he failed in taking the fort against which he was fent; Shirley was thought to have loft the feafon for operation by delay; Braddock was vigorous and active, but fuffered a defeat. This bold commander, who had been recommended to this service, by the duke of Cumberland, fet forward upon this expedition in June, and left the cultivated parts of the country on the tenth, at the head of two thoufand two hundred men, directing his march to that part of the country where Major Washington had been defeated the year before. Being at length within ten miles of the French fortrefs he was appointed to befiege, and marching forward through the forefts with full confidence of fuccefs, on a fudden his whole army was aftonished by a general discharge of arms, both in front and flank, from an enemy that ftill remained unfeen. It was now too late to think of retreating, the troops had paffed into the defile, which the enemy had artfully permitted them to do before they offered to fire. The vanguard of the English, now, therefore, fell back in confternation upon the main body, and the panic foon became general. The officers alone difdained to fly, while Braddock himfelf ftill continued to command his brave affociates, difcovering at once the greateft intrepidity and the greatest imprudence. An enthufiaft to the difcipline of war, he difdained to fly from the field, or to permit his men to quit their ranks, when their only method of treating the Indian army was by a precipitate attack, or an immedi ate defertion of the field of battle. At length Braddock, having received a musket-fhot through the lungs, dropped, and a total confufion enfued. All the artillery, ammunition, and baggage of the army was left to the

enemy;

enemy; and the lofs fuftained by the English army might amount to feven hundred men.

The murmurs, fears, and diffentions which this defeat gave rife to, gave the French an opportunity of carrying on their defigns on another quarter. The island of Minorca, which we had taken from the Spaniards in the reign of queen Anne; was fecured to England by repeated treaties. But the miniftry, at this time, being blinded by domeftic terrors, had neglected to take fut ficient precautions for its defence, fo that the garrifon was weak, and no way fitted to ftand a vigorous fiege. The French, therefore, landed near the fortification of St. Philips, which was reckoned one of the ftrongest in Europe, and commanded by General Blakeney, who was brave, indeed, but rather fuperannuated. The fiege was carried on with great vigour, and for fome time as obftinately defended on the fide of the English, but the place was at length obliged to capitulate.

The miniftry being apprifed of this unexpected attack; refolved to raise the fiege if poffible, and fent out Admiral Byng, with ten fhips of war, with orders to relieve Minorca at any rate. Byng accordingly failed from Gib. raltar, where he was refufed any affiftance of men from the governor of that garrifon, under a pretence that his own fortification was in danger. Upon his approaching the island, he foon faw the French banners difplayed upon the shore, and the English colours ftill flying on the caftle of St. Philip. He had been ordered to throw a body of troops into the garrifon, but this he thought too hazardous an undertaking, nor did he even make an attempt. While he was thus deliberating between his fears and his duty, his attention was quickly called off by the appearance of a French fleet, that seemed of nearly equal force to his own. Confounded by a variety of meafures, he feemed refolved to purfue none, and therefore gave orders to form the line of battle, and act upon the defenfive. Byng had been long praised for his skill in naval tactics; and perhaps valuing moft thofe talents for which he was most praifed, he facrificed all claims to courage, to the applaufe for naval difcipline. The French fleet advanced, a part of the English fleet engaged, the Admiral

Admiral ftill kept aloof, and gave very plaufible reafons for not coming into action. The French fleet therefore flowly failed away, and no other opportunity ever offered of coming to a clofer engagement.

Nothing could exceed the refentment of the nation upon being informed of Byng's conduct. The miniftry were not averfe to throwing from themfelves the blame of those measures which were attended with fuch indifferent fuccefs, and they fecretly fanned the flame. The news which foon after arrived of the furrender of the garrifon to the French, drove the general ferment almost to frenzy. In the mean time Byng continued at Gibraltar, quite fatisfied with his own conduct, and little expecting the dreadful ftorm that was gathering against him at home. Orders, however, were foon fent out for putting him under an arreft, and for carrying him to England. Upon his arrival he was committed to close custody, in Greenwich hofpital, and fome arts used to inflame the populace against him, who want no incentives to injure and condemn their fuperiors. Several addreffes were fent up from different counties, demanding juftice on the delinquent, which the miniftry were willing to fecond. He was foon after tried by a court-martial in the harbour of Portf mouth, where, after a trial which continued feveral days, his judges were agreed that he had not done his utmoft during the engagement to deftroy the enemy, and there. fore they adjudged him to fuffer death by the twelfth article of war. At the fame time, however, they recommended him as an object of mercy, as they confidered his conduct rather as the effects of error than of cowardice. By this fentence they expected to fatisfy at once the refentment of the nation, and yet fcreen themfelves from confcious feverity. The government was refolved upon fhewing him no mercy; the parliament was applied to in his favour; but they found no circumftances in his conduct that could invalidate the former fentence. Being thus abandoned to his fate, he maintained to the last a degree of fortitude and ferenity that no way betrayed any timidity or cowardice. On the day fixed for his execu tion, which was on board a man of war in the harbour of Portfmouth, he advanced from the cabin, where he had

been