ON the clofe of our laft volume, we became apprehenfive of a deficiency of materials towards furnishing an hiftory of the fucceeding years. The peace feemed to be fo well fettled, that one might imagine, there could be little room for political difputes amongst the several powers, and none at all for actual war and hoftility. In reality, Europe may be faid to be perfectly quiet but the extent of the commercial empire of Great Britain is fuch, and it engages her in such a vast variety of difficult connections, that it is almost impoffible for any confiderable length of time to pafs over, without producing abundance of events of a very interesting nature; and we heartily wish we could fatter ourselves, that we should be found as equal to our materials of history, as we are likely to be well supplied with them. The favage war, which has unfortunately broke out in America fince the conclufion of the general peace, has been fruitful of events; and it is not yet ended. Since then, troubles of great confequence have likewife arifen in the Eaft Indies, which threaten to afford us VOL. VI. [B] but but too much employment for the ensuing year. As to our domeftic diffentions, we have ftated as fairly as we could the points in contest between parties. Little heated ourselves, we have not endeavoured to inflame others. We have carefully adhered to that neutrality, which, however blameable in an advocate, is neceffary in an hiftorian, and without which he will not represent an image of things, but of his own paffions. We have wholly omitted in the Historical part the legal difputes which arofe on the prosecution of the authors and publishers of the North Briton. The reader will eafily see, that these matters did not properly come within the defign of that part of our work; but we have taken care to infert the beft account, which has appeared, of that whole tranfaction, at the end of the Chronicle. THE |