654 A. D. 1^93. 



poration, by the name of the company of merchants of London trad- 

 ing to Greenhmd, with the ufual powers of fucceflion, &c. this com- 

 pany having already fubfcribed L4o,ooo for that end : the mafter and 

 only one third of the mariners to be Englifli *, and the fliips to be 

 EngliOi-built. All contrafts, agreements, and bargains, for their ftock 

 to be void, unlefs transferred within ten days after. This corporation 

 to exifl only for fourteen years from the ift of Odober 1693.' [4, 5 

 €ul. et Mar. r. 17.] 



The Englifli and Dutch naval exploits in this year proved almoft as 

 unfortunate as they had been profperous in the preceding one : for Sir 

 George Rooke, with 2^^ fliips of war, having the Turkey fleet under his 

 convoy, was attacked by the grand fleet of France, commanded in chief 

 by Tourville, oif Cape St. Vincent, who took or defl:royed 12 Englifli 

 find Dutch fliips of war, together with 80 merchant fliips, Englifli and 

 Dutch ; which was a fevere lofs to both nations. 



The French, we have feen, having, even in time of peace, feized on 

 all the forts of England in Hudfon's bay, excepting that at Port-Nelfon, 

 in the year 1686, King William now fent out fuch a force as retook 

 them all. Nevertheleis, foon after, the French, with a flronger force^ 

 ^gain took all the forts in that bay. 



1694. — The revenues of the city of London having in fome former 

 times been under bad or negligent management, the fund for the orphans 

 of freemen was fufFered to run fo far in arrear, that the chamber of Lon- 

 don (where that fund was and is flill kept) was fliut up for feveral years. 

 •Hereof great complaints were made at difl'erent times, infomuch that 

 this fliutting up was compared to the fliutting up of the exchequer in 

 the year 1672. After three or four years folicitation, the magifl:racy 

 coming into better hands, they obtained an ad of parliament [5, 6 GuL 

 et Mar. c. i o] for reUef of the orphans and other creditors of the city 

 of London, purporting, * that whereas the mayor, commonalty, and ci- 

 ' tizens, are anlwerable for all monies of their orphans ; but that, by 

 ' reafon of fundry accidents and calamities, they are now indebted to 

 ' the faid orphans and other creditors, for principal and interefl:, in a 

 ^ much greater fum than they are able to fatisfy, (viz. L6oo,ooo) un- 

 ' lefs fome afllfl:ance be given them. It was therefor enaded, ifl:, that 

 ' towards raifing a perpetual fund to pay the yearly intereft of 4 per 

 ' cent for the whole debt, to any orphans, or their afligns, or other cre- 

 ' ditors, of the city of London, all the manors, meflliages, markets, 

 ' fairs, aqueduds, and revenues, of the city, (excepting the public hoi- 

 ' pitals and the revenues of London bridge) fliould be charged forever, 

 ' from midfummer 1694, towards raifing the clear yearly fum of L8000 

 -' .forever, and L2000 more per annum to be raifed on perfonal eflates. 



* The want of EngliQi harpooneers, &c. being at this time fo great. jI. 



