pelled to depart the kingdom, and the English fhipping no longer be allowed fhelter in her ports; declaring, that he fhould immediately occupy with his troops the fortreffes and maritime places belonging to his most faithful majefty, to protect them from the refentment of England." To this extraordinary requifition, the ambaffadors of the two courts demanded a categorical anfwer in four days. The king of Portugal replied, in very moderate and conciliatory language, "That he was fincerely difpofed to act as mediator in compromifing the prefent differences, but that the unfortunate ftate of his kingdom would not allow him, were he fo inclined, to engage as a principal in the war; that the honor of his crown, and the faith of folemn treaties, would not permit him to abandon the alliance of England; and that he was determined to obferve a strict neutrality, making those preparations only which were neceffary for his own defence." In a fecond memorial, dated April 1, the confederate powers declared, in a tone still more imperious," that his molt faithful majefty's alliance with England became in effect an offenfive alliance, from the fituation of the Portuguefe dominions, and the nature of the English power; that the British fquadrons could not keep the fea without the ufe of the ports of his moft faithful majesty; that the riches of Portugal paffed into the hands of the English; and they again invited him, fince the differences between the crowns of Spain and Portugal, which had laid the foundation of the alliance with England, had been long fince happily accommodated, to abandon that alliance, and enter into a ftrict league of friendship with their christian and catholic majefties." The king of Portugal perfifting in his refufal of thefe overtures, the ambaffadors of the two courts, after the delivery of a third memorial still more infolent and in fulting fulting than the former, were ordered to leave the kingdom.* On the 23d of May, 1762, war was declared by Portugal against Spain, the Spanish army having already passed the frontier, His most faithful majesty having made previous and urgent folicitation to the court of London for affiftance, it was determined to grant him the moft speedy and efficacious fuccor, by the embarkation of a large body of troops under lord Tyrawley, a veteran officer, who had formerly refided with high reputation as ambaflador at the court of Lisbon, and who now united the different characters of plenipotentiary and general. The king of Portugal had conferred, at the recommendation of the king of England, the fupreme command of his armies on the famous count de la Lippe Buckebourg, mafter-general of the artillery under prince Ferdinand of Brunfwick, a man whose military talents were of the highest class, and who poffeffed all the heroic and romantic qualities which diftinguished and adorned the ages of chivalry. Lord Tyrawley returning foon to England, perhaps in disgust at this fuperior appointment, the command of the English auxiliaries devolved on the earl of Loudon, under whom ferved. the generals Burgoyne, Crawford, Townshend, and other officers of diftinguifhed merit and reputation, In the beginning of May, 1762, the Spanish army under the marquis de Sarria paffed the Douro, and invefted the important city of Miranda. Unfortunately, at the very com The political and moral reflections of the king of Pruffia, in fpeaking of this procedure of the kings of France and Spain refpecting Portugal, must be acknowledged very edifying; and it is unfortunate that the fame mode of reafoning did not happen to occur to him previous to his fucceffive invafions of Silefia, Saxony, and Poland. "Pourquoi," fays the Royal Hiftorian, "attaquer le Roi de Portugal, qui n'avoit offenfe perfonne fur le royaume duquel Li l'Espagne ni la France n'avoient des droits ? C'étoit le commerce lucratif que l'Angleterre faifoit en Portugal que la France vouloit ruiner. D'ailleurs elle étoit perfuadée que les Anglois auroient rendu la meilleure partie de leur conquêts pour faire reftituer ce royaume au Roi de Portugal. Mais eft-ce une raifon pour attaquer un Souverain qui n'en donne aucune raifon legitime? Q droit public, que ton étude eft vain et inutile!"-HISTOIRE DE LA GUER, RE DE SEPT ANS. commencement of the fiege, before the parallels were formed, or the batteries planted, the grand magazine of the fortress, taking fire by accident, blew up with a tremendous explosion, occafioning the lofs of near 500 lives, and making moreover two large and practicable breaches in the walls. In confequence of this misfortune, the city was immediately given up, and the garrifon made prisoners of war. Braganza was next attacked; but fuch was the confternation of the Portugueze, that the keys of the town were prefented without any attempt at refiftance to the Spanish commander. The city of Chaves, though provided with all the means of defence, was furprised at the fame time by a feparate detachment under count O'Reilly. The Southern army, commanded by the count d'Aranda, being joined by 8000 French auxiliaries, entered the province of Eftremadura, and opened the trenches before Almedia in July: after a much better defence than had hitherto been made, that city was compelled to capitulate on the 25th of Auguft. On the arrival of the count de la Lippe, Lisbon the metropolis, and Oporto the fecond city of the kingdom, were expofed to imminent danger. But that general, knowing the most effectual mode of waging a defenfive war to be the converting it as far as poffible into an offenfive one, determined to carry the arms of Portugal into the kingdom of Spain. An enterprize against the city of Alcantara, 'where confiderable magazines were forming, was refolved upon, and brigadier-general Burgoyne was appointed to the command of the entire force collected for this purpose. This officer paffing the Tagus at midnight, reached Alcantara at the dawn of day, and, attacking with great resolution the enemy posted in the vicinity, and unsuspicious of danger, totally routed them with very inconfiderable lofs. A great quantity of arms and ammunition fell into the hands of the victors. Amongst the prifoners was the Spanish major-general Don Miguel D'Iruniberri, who was preparing for an expedition into the Portugueze province of Alentejo. The count d'Aranda, having having reduced, after the furrender of Almedia, the fortreffes of Caftel Rodrigo and Caftel Branco, attempted to force a paffage through the mountains, intending to cross the Tagus at Villa Velha, a post defended by general Burgoyne, who lay encamped on the fouthern bank of the river. The old Moorish castle of Villa Velha, on the northern bank, though gallantly defended, was at length compelled to furrender, and the paffes of the mountains gained. But the enemy having weakened their force at Villa Velha, in order to pursue their advantage in the oppofite quarter, general Burgoyne ordered a detachment under lieutenant colonel Lee to ford the Tagus in the night, and attack the Spaniards in their camp. This enterprize was executed with equal spirit and fuccefs. A great number of the Spanish Officers were flain in attempting to rally their troops; their cannon were fpiked, their magazines deftroyed, and much valuable plunder became the property of the affailants. The Spaniards being repeatedly foiled in their defigns of paffing the Tagus, by the skill and vigilance of the commander, count de la Lippe, and embarraffed alfo in their operations by the heavy rains which fell at this period, at length repassed the mountains, and entirely evacuated the province of Eftremadura, first disinantling the fortifications of Almeida and Caftel Rodrigo. No fooner was war declared by England againft Spain, than preparations began to be made for a grand, but as yet unknown enterprize; and in the beginning of March 1762, a very powerful armament failed from Portsmouth, under the conduct of admiral Sir George Pococke, the earl of Albemarle commanding the land forces on board. At the beginning of June, they arrived off the island of Cuba, and the troops were landed fix miles to the eastward of the Havanna, a city of the utmost importance to the fecurity and almost the existence of the Spanish empire in America, as being the port where the galleons and flota loaded with the riches of Mexico and Peru conftantly rendezvoufed on their return return to Spain, and, from its situation, absolutely commanding the only commodious paffage by which these ships could fail from the bay of Mexico to Europe; the windward pasfage, by Carthagena, not being practicable without infinite trouble, lofs of time, and danger from an enemy who is decidedly fuperior at fea. This city was protected, exclufive of other works, by a very strong caftle called the Moro, against which the principal attack of the earl of Albemarle was directed. It was however bravely defended by the Spanish governor Don Lewis de Velafco; and the fiege being protracted beyond expectation, fickness began to make its ravages amongst the befiegers. On the 30th of July, therefore, although he breaches made were deemed scarcely practicable, an affault was determined upon, and the troops mounting with the utmost intrepidity, drove the enemy from the ramparts; and after a fhort but fierce and bloody conflict, the Spaniards were compelled to lay down their arms and petition for quarter. Don Velafco, animated with all the genuine Caftilian heroifm, fell by a promiscuous fhot, whilst inciting his troops, both by his exhortation and example, to fupport the glory of the Spanish arms. Notwithstanding the conqueft of the Moro, the city held out till the 13th of Auguft, when the governor capitulated, on condition of being allowed to march out with all the honors of war, and to have, with his whole garrifon, a free and unmolested conveyance to Spain. In the capitulation was included twelve line-of-battle fhips then lying in the harbor of the Havanna; great quantities of ammunition, and warlike ftores likewife fell into the hands of the victors, who found in the city prodigious quantities of merchandize of various kinds and an immenfe treasure in fpecie. This therefore was a blow, which, at the very commencement of the war, ftruck deep into the vitals of the Spanish power. No fooner was the intelligence of the Spanish war conveyed to the East Indies, than an armament speedily equipped, under the conduct of admiral Cornish and Sir William Draper, |