vi historical chronicle. 



General Montesquiou has contrived to take himself out of a very disagree, 

 able situation with much addrefs. He made his escape many months a;;o 

 from his army along the lake of Geneva : and has never more been heard of/ 

 Probably by changing his name, and living a retired life in some obscure 

 corner, he may escape detection till the present storm be fairly overblown. 



The emprefs of Rufsia, taking advantage of the disturbances in the we^t 

 of Europe, has carried matters forward with very a high hand in Poland. A 

 few weeks ago every thing bore the appearance there of an absolute sul- 

 mifsiontothe imperial requisitions. Some appearances now begin to indic^it'? 

 that the flame though smothered is not entirely extingmiflied ; but there is 

 little reason to expect that such unanimity can prevail in that unhappy 

 country, as to give sufficient energy to the opposition to her will to mal;e 

 it effectual. 



Three Britifli fleets of considerable strength are now at sea ; but nothing 

 of imp»rtance has been done by any of them. Lord Howe's squadron consta- 

 ting of fifteen fliips of the line, seven frigates, one sloop, and a hrefhip, sailed 

 from Portsmouth on the 15th instant; but the place of its destination is not 

 yet known. . It is generally supposed to be bound for the coast of Jbrittany 

 to favour the operations of the insurgents there ; but from what circumstance 

 this conjecture originates we know not. It does not appear that any extra 

 land forces are on board ; nor have v/e learned that any preparations for faci- 

 litating ?. descent have been observable in the equipment of that fleet. 



In the mean while, the attention of government seems to have been ?a 

 fully fixed on the equipment of these great squadrons for the southward, as 

 to occasion a great and very alarming neglect of the trade in the northern 

 seas. Few cruisers have been able to be spared for the northefn coasts of 

 Scotland and the German ocean ; so that many captures of unarmed n;cr- 

 chant velsels have been there made ; and the trade has been so long delay- 

 ed for want of convoy as to subject the merchants to very serious lolses. In 

 consequence of the infrequcncy of convoys from the sound, the Thames ami 

 the Race horse were obliged to take under their convoy at one time no Itls 

 than 150 velsels, which is a number far too great for any two vefsels to convoy 

 with safety, let the vigilance of the commanders be even unimpeachable 

 In consequence of this, information that seems to be authentic, has been r, - 

 ceived, thatfifte'-n sail of this fleet have beencaptuicd at once by three Frein.h 

 privatCtTS and carried into Bergen. And that these privateers have a- 

 gain sailed in h.opcs of being able to come up with and to capture some 

 more of the dullest sailing vefsels of that unwieldy fleet. 



Though war must ever be accounted the most grievous scourge that c 1 

 ojiprcfs the human race ; yet it is one of those evils that mu.st necefsarily : 

 submitted to on some occ asions. Such a necelsity, in the opinion of a gi t 

 majority of tlie di^pafidonate part of the people of Great J!ritain did actual 

 e.vist at the beginning of this year; and Britain was constrained to draw li 

 Sword in order to guard against more serious evils. The inconveniences oft!; 

 war have been already decjjiy felt in this island as well as other parts of K; 

 lOpe, "ud even m America itself, if we can give faith to the reportsfrom th 

 connfy- It is therefore the general wifii of the great body of the peo] 

 ^l^j^j jome mode consistent with the honour and safety of this nation coui 

 be devised, for putting as speedy a termination to the war as can be don 

 Coiuiuc-t is by no means the present wifli of the great bulk of the pcoj)! 

 nor \rc they desirous of aggrandising any power v^hatcver, to the dcgrad. 

 tiun of France or any other kingdom ; but they wifh for some reasonable s- 

 tiirily tl-.at they themselves fhail not be disturbed in the peaceable pioscc: 

 tion of tli'eir own manufactures and trade, foreign and domestic. This th' 

 arl* enclincd to hope, from the situation of things on the continent at pi 



