Remarks on the clofe of the campaign in the Netherlands in 1744. General Ligonier affembles the British gene- rals to a council of war at Ghent, it's refolutions. An- other revolution in the British miniftry parliamentary proceedings. The DUKE of CUMBERLAND appointed Captain-general of the British forces: other military promotions. The earl of Chefterfield's ambafly to the States General. The demife of the emperor Charles VII. on which occafion his Britannic majefty goes to Hano- ver. Lifts of the French and Auftrian armies to serve in 1745. throughout Europe. The French army affemble in the Netherlands, under the command of marfhal Saxe; and the allied army affemble at Bruffels, under the command of the DUKE of CUMBERLAND, who is appointed commander in chief of the whole confederate troops. The rife of the rebellion in Scotland in 1745; its pro- grefs and the fuppreffion of it by the victory obtained by his Royal Highness the DUKE of CUMBERLAND establishment of his Royal Highness's houfhold. Con- ftitutional queries publicly burnt. The prince of Wales The DUKE of CUMBERLAND farther characterized. The commencement of hoftilities in North America in 1754. War declared between Great Britain and France in 1756; and the rife of the war in Germany. The DUKE of CUMBERLAND commands the army of observation in Weftphalia: the battle of Haftenbeck; the retreat of his Royal Highnefs to Stade: the treaty of Clofter-Severn in September, 1757; and it's confe- quences. Other military and naval tranfactions. The CHA P. XII. The acceffion of king George III; his marriage: coro- nation in 1761. Minifterial tranfactions: Mr. Pitt refigns. War between Great Britain and Spain. The reduction of the Havannah, and alfo of Manila. Con- duct of lord Bute. Peace concluded at Paris the roth of February, 1763. Minifterial and parliamentary LIFE O F HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS WILLIAM AUGUSTUS, DUKE of CUMBERLAND. С НА Р. Ї. The Rife of the SPANISH WAR in 1739, and of the GERMAN WAR in 1741. The DUKE of CUMBERLAND goes a Volunteer on board the Fleet under the Command of Sir JOHN NORRIS, upon a Secret Expedition against the SPANIARDS. His Military Promotions. The BRITISH Troops embark for FLANDERS, and are joined by the HANOVERIANS and HESSIANS in BRITISH Pay, to aflift the Queen of HUNGARY. T HE Reformation, which was began in Ger many in 1612, broke the chain of popery, and introduced a new fyftem of power, by establishing the protestant religion, and raifing another union of political interefts. Trade has co-operated with religion; while confanguinity has frequently given place to confederacy, and human nature to unnatural policy, whereby public affairs have been rendered fo precarious and complicated, as to occafion forty bloody wars in lefs than one hundred and fifty years. Moft of the princes and states of Europe are connected with one another by birth, marriage, or treaties, and may be confidered as one great republic, or general state, like the Grecian powers formerly, whofe common and reciprocal interefts have frequently been broke or neglected; fo that the wars carried on by thofe powers may be confidered as a kind of civil wars. The balance of power has fluctuated backwards and forwards between the houfes of Auftria and Bourbon ever fince the reign of Henry VIII. of England, who interfered to preferve the balance even; as alfo did queen Elizabeth, who proteaed Henry IV. of France. England afterwards affifted fometimes the houfe of Auftria, and fometimes that of Bourbon: other powers have likewife been fortuitoufly engaged, either by intereft or neceffity; by which means Europe has been involved in fo many Wars. The houfe of Auftria, in 1711, was precluded from acceding to the Spanish monarchy, which was given to a Bourbon prince, and was difinembered by the treaties of Raflad and Baden in 1714. Spain afterwards attempted to wreft her provinces back; but ineffectually: though the war of 1734, in which Great Britain and Holland left the house of Auftria to fhift for itself, was still ductive of greater alterations than the will of Charles II. king of Spain, who left his crown to the grandfon of Louis XIV. notwithstanding he was himself a younger branch of the house of Auftria. His will altered the whole fyftem of Europe; and by the peace which ter pro minated minated the war of 1734, a Polish king was transplanted to Lorrain, the reigning family of Lorrain to Tuscany, and the second son of the king of Spain to Naples. The flames of war were renewed in Europe, on the death of the emperor Charles VI. in October 1740; for the electors of Bavaria and Saxony, as alfo the kings of Spain and Pruffia, difputed the Auftrian fucceffion with the queen of Hungary; while the kings of Great Britain and Spain were profecuting a war entirely on a commercial account. It is neceffary to lay before the reader a retrospect of those transactions, as they naturally lead to the military history of the DUKE of CUMBERLAND. The many unjust feizures which had been made, and depredations carried on for feveral years in the West Indies, by Spanish guarda coftas and other ships, acting under the king of Spain, or his governors, contrary to the treaties fubfifting between the crowns of Great Britain and Spain, and to the law of nations, to the great prejudice of the lawful trade and commerce of the British fubjects, at last exasperated the nation to call loudly upon a pufillanimous minifter for a declaration of war against Spain. Great cruelties and barbarities had been exercifed upon the perfons of British fubjects, whofe veffels had been fo feized; and the British colours had been infulted in the most ignominious manner. His Britannic majefty caufed frequent complaints to be made to the king of Spain, of thofe violent and unjuft proceedings; but no fatisfaction or redrefs was given for the fame. It appeared, that thofe evils were principally occafioned by an unwarrantable claim and pretenfion, fet up on the part of Spain, that the guarda coftas, and other fhips, authorized B 2 |