views of conquefts, fo contrary to the true fpirit, and the real intereft of these trading establishments; and they concluded by propofing the treaty, formerly fettled between the fieurs Godcheau and Saunders as a bafis for the re-establishment of peace in Afia. It must be remarked, that this treaty had been concluded at a time when the affairs of France in the East Indies made a figure very different from their prefent fituation; and therefore it seemed unfair to make this treaty a standard under circumstances altogether inapplicable.

The war, which has been fo long, with fo much bloodshed, and fo fruitlessly carried on in Weftphalia, the French ftrenuoufly contended, was from the time of (whatthey called) the breach of capitution of Clofter-Seven, a war purely English; and therefore that their conquefts in that part of Germany, formed a proper compenfation for the English conquefts in the other quarters of the world. Our minifters did not attempt formally to to refute this affertion; they rather feemed to admit it; and they agreed accordingly to receive the evacuation of thefe places as an equivalent for ceffions to be made on the footing we have already mentioned. On this point there was little difficulty.

The intricate and knotty part was on what we have ftated as the fifth object; the conduct of the two crowns with regard to their allies. Here was a real, a capital difficulty. From the beginning of the negotiation, England had declared that they would inviolably preferve their faith to the king of Pruffia, and would act ftrenuously in his support. This picqued the French minifters;

who, in their turn, thought themfelves bound to make a declaration equally strong in favour of the emprefs; and they had, moreover, recently conditioned with the court of Vienna, to admit nothing in the treaty to her difadvantage; words of great latitude. However, in this difficulty, they found out a folution, which, it must be confeffed, had a very fair and captivating appearance. They propofed that both armies in Germany should obferve an exact neutrality; and fhould be reciprocally bound to afford no fort of affiftance, nor to give no fort of offence to the allies' of either of the parties. And they propofed further, that as armies in this ftate of inert neutrality must be a dead and useless expence to the power who maintains them, the French king, from the time his Britannic majefty recalled the Englifh forces from Germany, would caufe double the number of French forces from the armies of the Upper and Lower Rhine to return into France; and that no French troops fhould remain in Germany, but in proportion to those which the king of England fhould keep in his pay. It might certainly be urged in confirmation of the propriety of this offer, that in reality thefe armies, whilft they continued in action, though they worried each other abundantly, afforded no kind of affiftance to their allies, and therefore, when they came mutually to entertain pacific fentiments concerning their own particular quarrel, and were to give an example of moderation to the rest of Europe, there feemed to be no reafon why they should make efforts in favour of any ally which they had not made, or been able to

[C] 3

make

make in the hottest time of hof tility.

The laft article had its difficulties alfo. The French infifted, as a point from which they were refolved never to recede, upon the restitution of the captures made before the declaration of war. This demand, they were of opinion, was grounded on the cleareft principles of the law of nations, and the moft exprefs ftipulation of treaties. Without entering into thofe various arguments with which this pofition might be maintained and attacked, it appeared to many, that the honour of both nations was almoft equally concerned, the one to claim, the other, as refolutely to refufe this reftitution.

On the whole, thefe propofals, which the French fent to London in a memorial of the 15th of July, formed, though in fome refpects undoubtedly exceptionable, a very agreeable plan for a treaty of peace. A better could not have been ex pected in the firft project of an enemy, and it might be hoped that a negotiation thus favourably be gun, could not fail of adjusting eafily whatever appeared wrong, or fupplying whatever was defective in this first draught of the propofitions. But fatally, for the repofe of mankind, in the very inftant that this fair propofal was made, at the very moment when thefe ftrong demonftrations were given, an act was done which blew up at one explofion, the whole bafis of the treaty that had been long and carefully laying, fcattered the materials which had been fo induftriously collected, and fo cautiously arranged, and instead of extinguishing, fpread the flames of war more widely, and made them rage with new fury.

From this time forward all the tranfaction was full of animofity, refentment and mistrust. The reader has been apprized of the meafures which France had been invariably pursuing at the court of Madrid, and the arguments the employed to infufe a jealoufy into that court. Hitherto, however, there was no appearance that these meafures had any effect; but to the infinite furprize and indignation of the British minifter, together with the memorial which contained the above recited propofitions. Mr. Buffy, the French agent, delivered a private memorial, fignifying, that in order to establish the peace upon folid foundations, not to be fhaken by the contested interests of a third power, the king of Spain might be invited to accede to guaranty the treaty, and that to prevent the differences which fubfifted between Great Britain and this monarchy from being a means of producing a fresh war in Europe, with the confent and communication of his Catholic majefty, he propofes, that in this negotiation, the three points which had been difputed between the crowns of England and Spain, might be finally fettled. First, the reftitution of fome captures made upon the Spanish flag. Secondly, the privilege of the Spanish nation to fish on the banks of Newfoundland. Thirdly, the demolition of the English fettlements made on the Spanish territories in the bay of Honduras.

It may be easily imagined, from the character of the then fecretary of ftate, in what manner he receiv ed thefe propofals; he rejected with the utmoft fcorn, the offer of negotiating through an enemy humbled, and almoft at his feet, the difputes

of

gotiation to follow the motions of the armies in Germany. It is certain, that the difpofitions of the two courts grew daily more unfavourable: their confidence in each other, and their mutual good-will wore away; and it was to be fear

ed, that this negotiation, if it broke off in an unfatisfactory manner, muft leave impreffions on the minds of the two nations of fuch a nature, as might cause them to wish they had never engaged in it.

the early and ftrenuous effort made by the allies was not fully answered, it nevertheless produced, as we have before obferved a very confiderable and ufeful effect. The deftruction of the French magazines retarded their operations in fuch a manner, that the greatest part of the month of June was spent before their armies found themselves in a condition to act. But as foon as they had taken proper measures for their fubfiftence, the prince of Soubife caufed his troops to pafs the Rhine, and to advance on the fide of Munfter, not far from which city the hereditary prince of Brunfwick was pofted to oppofe him. Marfhal Broglio affembled the forces under his command at Caffel, and moved towards the Dymel, in order to effect a junction with the body under the prince of Soubife. They made no doubt that their conjoined ftrength would foon at tain a decided fupeiority over the allies, who had ended their late enterprife with a lofs which was

circumftances, they could not well bear, nor eafiiy fupply.

Thefe hopes were fupported by the fuccefs of their first encounter. General Sporken, with a strong detachment had been pofted in an advanrageous fituation on the Dymel, and in the front of the allied army. On the approach of Marshal Broglio, he attempted to retire with all that expedition which his inferiority made neceffary. But the French came upon him with fuch rapidity, that 29th June. they overtook and attacked his rear, which was inftantly routed; they took eight hundred prifoners, nineteen pieces of cannon, four hundred horfes, and upwards of an hundred and feventy waggons. The fame day they paffed the Dymel; and whilft prince Ferdinand, difcouraged by this check, full back to the Lippe, they made 2d July. themfelves mafters of Warburg, Dringleburg and Paderborn.

The allies, however, foon recovered their fpirit; and the main

body

body of their army being well fecured, they sent out feveral detachments. Their fmall bodies were conducted by general Luckner, and other able partizans, who under took feveral bold and very diftant enterprizes, attacked the enemy where they were leaft upon their guard, routed their convoys, detroyed feveral of their magazines, carriages and horfes, and carried off their prey even from the gates of Caffel. These lively actions feemed a prelude to fome more important and decifive attempt.

The French became fenfible that a ftroke of fome importance was expected from the greatness of their force, and that it was not for the credit of their arms only, but for their fecurity from the minute, but continual and galling attempts of parties from the allied army.

For fome time prince Ferdinand had been posted to the fouth of the Lippe, between Ham and Lipftadt. This pofition he took, in all probability, because M. Broglio had, by occupying the places on the Dymel, got between him and Hanover. Therefore he judged it expedient for him in his turn to get between the prince de Soubife, and the Rhine. In this fituation, if the enemy attempted any movement towards the king's dominions, he was ready to fall directly on the places they occupied by that river, which, in the prefent circumftances, were full as important to them as the Hanoverian territory was to us. Thus whilft he feemed to retire from that territory, and in a manner to abandon it, he in reality provided with the greater effect for its fecurity.

Marshal Broglio, when he had refolved on the attack of the allied

army, united his troops to thofe of the prince de Soubife, at a place called Soeft, between Lipftadt and Ham. On the other hand, as foon as the general of the allies was apprized of their intention, he posted his army in a very ftrong and ad. vantageous manner.

The river Aeft runs for a confiderable way, almost parallel to the Lippe, from which it is not distant in fome places, much more than half a mile. The high road from Lipftadt to Ham paffes between these rivers; and it was of the utmost moment to prince Ferdinand to fecure that important communication, by which alone he could hope an advantageous retreat, or in any degree propofe to command the adjacent country. With a view therefore to protect that communication, he established his left wing on the Ifthmus between the rivers. The left extremity of that wing under general Wutgeneau, leaning to the Lippe, by which it was perfectly fecured, as the right was fupported by the village of Kirch Denkern, fituated immediately on the Aeft. The marquis of Granby commanded in that wing, with the affiftance of lieutenant gen. Howard and the prince of Anhalt, who were pofted towards the abovementioned village.

At that village and another river called the Saltzbach, small, but very deep, joins the Aeft almost in a right angle. Behind this river on a confiderable eminence was placed the center, commanded by general Conway; and on a continuation of the fame eminence, the right wing, under the here. ditary prince, stretched out wards the village of Werle, and it was well defended on the flank by rugged,

to