A. D, 1683. 6ir 



The EngliOi Interlopers to Eaft-Tndia becoming fo very numerous, 

 our Eafl-India company this vear obtained a new charter from King 

 Charles II, (being his tlfth charter to them) whereby all former charters 

 were confirmed, and they were empowered, to feize the fhips and mer- 

 chandize of the interlopers, with the forfeiture of one half to the king, 

 and the other half to the company, who were thereby empowered to 

 raife, train, and muller, fuch military forces, as they Ihould judge requi- 

 fite ; and at their forts, factories &c. to exercife martial law. More- 

 over, for redrefling injuries and wrongs committed on the high leas with- 

 in their limits, a court of judicature might be erected by the company, 

 to confift of one civilian and two merchants, who were to determine all 

 cafes of forfeitures and feizures of fliips and goods within their limits, 

 and all maritime and mercantile bargains, policies of infurance, bills, 

 bonds, contracts, charter-parties, wages of mariners, trelpaflts on the 

 high feas, &c. 



The people of the ifleof St. Helena being this year in a ftate of rebel- 

 lion and infurredion, and the company bemg enabled by their new" 

 charter to reduce them to obedience, executed lome perlons who tu- 

 multuoufly refufed to pay certain taxes, which they alleged to be con- 

 trary to their contrad with the company when they went to fettle there: 

 a great clamiour was thereupon raifed by their widows and relations, 

 whofe cafe being laid before the houfe of commons in the year 1685, 

 that houfe voted what the company had thereby done to be arbitrary 

 and illegal, which created the company many enemies. Iheir ftock, 

 however, at this time fold from 360 to 500 per cent. 



This year the Turks, infligated by Louis XIV of France, and by the 

 Hungarian malcontents, and encouraged by the feeblenefs of the empe- 

 Tor Leopold, made their way through Hungary, and lat down betore 

 Vienna with 150,000 men. The taking of this city would have open- 

 ed a way for the Turks and French to conquer much, if not all Ger- 

 many ; the appreheniion whereof made moil part of Europe tremble, 

 and England, in particular, while her monarch cared for nothing but his 

 pleafures and arbitrary power. Providence, however, fruflrated thofe 

 great enterprifes, by the jimdion of John Sobielky, king of Poland, with 

 the duke of Lorrain and the imperial army, whereby the liege was- 

 railed, and the Turks forced to retreat precipitately through Hungary, 

 with the lofs of all that they had conquered n\ that kingdom. The im- 

 perialifts loon reduced all Tranfylvaaia, as the Venetians did all the 

 Morea, the city and territory of Athens, and the ifle of Scio, which, 

 however, they again loft in the year follo\\mg. Could they have held 

 that ifland, it would in fome meafure have tut off the Turks trom a 

 maritime communication with their territories in the Archipelago, Alia, 

 and Egypt. Thus the Turks, who, for two centuries paft, had extended 

 their boundaries as far as, and in lome parts farther than, the Roman. 



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