after a fhort interval, an answer from his catholic majesty, in which the ambassador is told, " that the spirit of haughtinefs and difcord which dictated this inconfiderate ftep, and which for the misfortune of mankind ftill reigns fo much in the British government, is what made in the fame instant the declaration of war and attacked the king's dignityYour excellency may think of retiring when and in the manner convenient to you, which is the only answer his majefty has directed me to give." Orders were fent from Madrid to the count de Fuentes inftantly to leave the court and kingdom of England, delivering first a memorial to the ministers of the king of England, in which the war that the Spanish and English nations were about to plunge into, is attributed to the pride and immeafurable ambition of him who lately held the reins of government in Great Britain. "If," faid the memorial, " his catholic majefty excufed himself from making the explanations required, it was to manifeft his just resentment of the infulting manner in which the affairs of Spain have been treated during Mr. Pitt's administration, who, when the justice of his catholic majesty's claims had been incontrovertibly proved, gave as his final anfwer, that he would not relax in any thing till the Tower of London was taken fword in hand-If the respect due to royal majesty had been regarded, explanations it was affirmed might have been had without difficulty. The minifters of Spain might have faid frankly to those of England, what the count de Fuentes by the king's express orders declares publicly-That the faid treaty is only a convention between the family of Bourbon, wherein is nothing which has the leaft relation to the prefent war.-That there is in it an article for the mutual guarantee of the dominions of the two sovereigns, but it is specified therein that this guarantee is not to be understood but of the dominions which shall remain to France after the present war shall be ended-That although his catholic majefty might have had reafon to think himself offended by the irregular manner in which the mẹVOL. I. morial D morial for terminating the differences between Spain and England at the fame time with the war betwixt this laft and France, was returned to M. Buffy, the king of Spain diffembled, and from his love of peace caufed a memorial to be delivered to lord Bristol, wherein it is evidently demonstrated, that the step of France which put the minister Pitt into fo bad humour, did not at all offend either the laws of neutrality or the fincerity of the two fovereigns-That as a fresh proof of his pacific fpirit, the king of Spain wrote to the king of France his coufin, that if the union of interest in any manner retarded the peace with England, he confented to feparate himself from it, not to put any obstacle to fo great a happiness. But it was foon feen this was only a pretence on the part of the English minifter: for that of France continuing his negotiations without making any mention of Spain, and propofing conditions very advantageous and honorable for England, the minifter Pitt, to the great astonishment of the univerfe, rejected them with dislain, and fhewed at the fame time his ill will against Spain, to the fcandal of the fame British council; and unfortunately he has fucceeded but too far in his pernicious defign.” This memorial ferved to demonftrate the fuperior fegacity of lord Bristol, who declared, in the course of this negotiation, his firm belief that the treaty in queftion contained no article injurious to the interests of England, although the prepofterous pride of the Spanish court prevented any positive or fatisfactory affurance being given or this head;-and the two nations, from an obftinate adherence to a falfe and foolish punctilio of honor, found themselves at length involved in a war, which they equally and anxioufly wifhed to avoid. The preparations made for conducting the war against the united force of the houfe of Bourbon with vigor and effect, fhewed that the fpirit of Mr. Pitt, againft whom rather than the king of Great Britain the declaration of the king of Spain feemed to be directed, ftill influenced and animated the pubfic counfels. The grand machine of government, once put into motion, continued for a time its progrefs with the fame force and velocity as if ftill guided by the powerful hand which first urged it into action. Letters of marque were issued and commiffions granted for privateers to act against the subjects of his catholic majefty; and at length, on the 4th January 1762, war was declared against Spain with the accustomed formalities. The new parliament had been convened in the preceding month of November, and had chofen Sir John Cuft, Bart. for their speaker; a man not unworthy, from his extensive knowledge and distinguished probity, to fill the chair vacated by Mr. Onflow. The choice being approved by the king, the feffion was opened by a well-compofed fpeech from the throne, in which his majesty expreffed "his regret at the unfuccessful termination of the late negotiation for peace, and his resolution to prosecute the war in the most effectual manner, till the enemies of Great Britain, moved by their, own loffes, and touched with the miseries of fo many nations, shall yield to the equitable conditions of an honorable peace." Very loyal addreffes were returned. About 240,000 feamen, landmen, and marines, including the German mercenaries, were voted for the fervice of the year; and twelve millions borrowed to make up the deficiency of the regular means of supply. A jointure of 100,000l. per ann. was fettled on the Queen, with the palaces of Richmond Old Park and Somerset House; and after paffing a variety of acts not distinguished for their peculiar merit or importance, the parliament was prorogued June 2, 1762. Towards the conclufion of the preceding year, a plan had been formed for the conqueft of the important island of Martinico, the principal of the French Caribbee islands, and the refidence of the governor general and council, whofe jurisdiction extends over all the French Antilles. This island is about 130 miles in circumference, and though the climate is fultry, the foil is fertile, and the country pleasantly diverfified with hill and dale, fhaded with thick woods, and watered with numerous streams. Its produce confifts of fugar, indigo, coffee, cotton, ginger, aloes, and pimento; fo that, with the exception of St. Domingo, it was at this period accounted the most populous and flourishing colony belonging to France in America. The armament deftined for this expedition confifted of 18 fhips of the line, and as many battalions of troops, under general Monckton and admiral Sir G. Rodney, who, rendezvousing at Barbadoes, proceeded early in the month of January 1762 to Martinique; and on the 16th landed, after filencing the batteries erected on the coaft in the vicinity of the town of Fort Royal, defended by a strong citadel and various military works erected on the Morne Tortuefon and the Morne Garnier, neighboring heights which commanded the town. These were foon forced by the intrepidity of the English troops, which on no occafion displayed itself more confpicuously than in the attack of this ifland. On the 4th of February, the commandant of the citadel ordered the chamade to be beat, and the garrifon was permitted to march out with the honors of war. But the governor general, M. de la Touche, retreated to the strong fortrefs of St. Pierre, fituated to the leeward of Fort Royal, which he at firft feemed difpofed to defend with vigor; but on the 14th, deputies, arrived with propofals of capitulation for the whole ifland, and this important conqueft was achieved with inconfiderable lofs. In the mean time commodore Swanton was detached from the feet with a force fufficient for the reduction of the ifland of Grenada and the Grenadines, which fubmitted without refiftance, and proved in the hands of the English a very valuable acquifition. At the fame time, the English took poffeffion of the islands of St. Lucia, Tobago, and St. Vincent, which, though declared neutral by former treaties, had been for fome time occupied by the French. SPAIN, who meant certainly nothing farther than by the weight of her influence and too partial mediation, to procure for France more favorable terms of accommodation than were otherwife obtainable, found herself unexpectedly en gaged gaged as a principal in the war, for which he was extremely unprepared. The marine of France, by repeated defeats, was broken, and almoft ruined; whilft the numerous fleets of Britain feemed to cover the ocean, and rode triumphant from the Ganges to the Miffiffippi-from the rifing to the fetting fun. The naval power of Spain was utterly unable to cope with this prodigious force. In one quarter only could England be confidered as vulnerable. By an attack on Portugal, a kingdom in close alliance with Great Britain, very open to invafion, feeble, opulent, defencelefs, Spain might reasonably hope fully to indemnify herfelf for any loffes fhe might elsewhere fuftain. The military and heroic spirit by which the Portuguese nation had been formerly characterized, was now no more; her privileged orders were funk in luxury -her people in floth, ignorance, and bigotry; her troops were deftitute of difcipline, her fortreffes of artillery and ammunition. The recent deftruction of her capital, the myfterious confpiracy againft the life of the monarch, the confequent execution of her most distinguished and popular nobles, the forcible expulfion of the jesuits, and the entire alienation of the court of Lifbon from the fee of Romeall these causes, conjoined, had filled the kingdom with confufion and discontent. In this fituation it was doubtless imagined that Portugal would fall an eafy prey to the arms of Spain, and great military preparations were made, and a large body of forces affembled on the frontiers of that kingdom. On the 16th of March, 1762, a joint memorial was prefented by the ambaffadors of France and Spain at the court of Lisbon," inviting the king of Portugal to renounce his connection with Great Britain, and engage in the offenfive and defensive alliance which they had formed against that infolent and dangerous power." The catholic king profeffing "the moft cordial attachment to the interefts of his moft faithful majefty, to whom he was fo nearly allied, infisted that the English fubjects refident in Portugal should be com pelled |