670 A. D. 1780. 



Spain; and a civil anfwer, with profcflions of frienclfhip, wns returned 

 by the king of Great Britain. The king of Denmark fent declarations 

 to the courts of London, Verfailles, and Madrid, wherein he adopted 

 ahnofl the very words ufcd by the emprefs : and the king of Sweden 

 fent a fnnilar declaration to the fame courts, and alfo, in concert with 

 the emprefs, improved the plan of an alliance comprehending the three 

 northern powers, and inviting the acceflion of all others, the operations 

 of which, they declared, were to be confined to the fea, and were to be 

 enforced againft all nations, who fliould prefume to violate the articles 

 agreed upon by the contrading powers, who immediately put in com- 

 miflion a very refpedable fleet confifl;ing of above eighty fliips of war. 

 Such was the commencement of the armed neutrality, which hence- 

 forward detached a naval force to protect each fleet of the merchant 

 fhips belonging to the powers united in the confederacy. And it was 

 not long before a new phoenomenon appeared on the fouth coafl; of 

 England. A Ruflian fquadron of five fliips of the line and a frigate 

 adually arrived in the Channel, in order to give efficacy to the regula- 

 tions of the emprefs and her allies, or, indeed, to rule the Britifli fea. 



The Dutch muft have been very well pleafed to behold thefe pro- 



-eeedings of the northern powers, as they were at leaft as much inter- 



efl:ed in the object: of their alliance as any of them ; yet, fuch is the 



chara6leriflic tardinefs of their refolutions, that they did not accede to 



the armed neutrality till the 20"" of November. 



The treaty between the American fl:ates and the Dutch, figned in 

 September 1778, which had ever fince been moft cautioufly kept fecret, 

 was accidentally difcovered by the capture of an American veflel, 

 (September T780) onboard which Mr. Laurens, late prefident of the 

 congrefs, had taken his pafllige in the quality of ambaflador to the 

 States-general. A flrong memorial was thereupon given in to the 

 States-general by the Britifli ambaflador (November 10'''), demanding 

 that an exemplary punifliment fliould be inflided on the penfionary 

 Van-Berkel and his accomplices, as diflurbers of the public peace, and 

 violators of the rights of nations. But the States-general being in no 

 hurry to comply with the ambaflfador's demand, the Britifli government 

 immediately dgiermined on hoftilities ; and a manifeflo was publiflied 

 (December 20 h), which, after charging them with many acts of enmity, 

 gave notice, that'' fuch vigorous nieafures, as the occafion fully jufti- 

 ' fies,' fliould immediately be purfued. Accordingly commifllons of 

 reprifals againfl: the Dutch were ifTued at the fame time. All their 

 veflxils in our harbours were detained : and in a few days, many of their 

 fliips, imapprifed of the commencement of hoftilities, were taken in the 

 adjacent narrow feas. 



Thus was Great Britain involved in hoftilities with no lefs than four 

 £rcat maritime powers, each one of whom pofl'efl'ed a greater marine 



