722 ENG 
now fell back in conflernation upon the main body, and 
the panic foon became general. The officers alone dif- 
dained to fly, while Braddock himfelf dill continued to 
command his brave all'ociates, difcovering at once the 
greated intrepidity and the greateft imprudence. An en- 
tluifiafl to the difcipline of war, he difdained to quit the 
field, or to permit his men to leave their ranks, when 
their only .method of treating the Indian army was by a 
precipitate attack, or by an immediate defertion of the 
field of battle. At length Braddock, having received a 
mulket-fhot through the lungs, dropped, and a total con- 
fufion enfued. All the artillery, ammunition, and bag¬ 
gage, of the army, were left to the enemy ; and the lofs 
fudained by the Englifli amounted to feven hundred men. 
The ('nattered remains of the army returned by their for¬ 
mer route, and arrived to fpread the general confterna- 
tion among the provincials of Philadelphia. 
The general indignation that was raifed by thefe de¬ 
feats, drove the Englifli into a fpirit of retaliation by fea, 
where they were more fure of fuccefs. Orders were given 
to make prize of the French (hipping wherever found, 
though no formal declaration of war had yet been made. 
With this order the naval commanders readily complied; 
the Englifli ports were foon filled with veflels taken from 
the enemy, and kept as an indemnification for tliofe forts 
of which the French had unjuftly po (Felled themfelves in 
America. The benefit of this meafure was much more 
obvious than its juffice ; it (truck fuch a blow, that the 
navy of France was unable to recover itfelf during the 
war, which was now formally declared on both hides. 
The fil'd political manoeuvre fet on foot by Louis XV. 
was that of intimidating England with the threats of a 
formidable invafion. Several bodies of their troops occu¬ 
pied the coads that lay oppofite the Britifli fliores; and 
thefe were inftrufted in the difcipline of embarking and 
difembarking from flat-bottomed boats, which were con- 
ffrufted in great numbers for that purpofe. The troops 
dedined for this enterprife amounted to fifty thoufand : 
but they difcovered the utmod reluftance to engage in 
this forlorn hope. Whether thefe preparations were really 
intended for aftual defcent, or made only to terrify the 
Englifli, is uncertain; but it is manifed that they anfwered 
the latter purpofe entirely. In this exigence the king 
applied to the Dutch for fix thoufand men, which they 
were bound to furnifli by treaty in cafe of invafion. But 
the wary Dutch refufed the fupply, alleging that their 
treaty was only to fend troops in cafe of an aElucil , and not 
a threatened, invafion. The king, difappointed of this 
aflidance, looked over the continent, to find where falva- 
tion might be had. A body of Heflians and Hanoverians, 
amounting to about ten thoufand men, was to be pur- 
chafed ; and thefe were brought over into England, and 
encamped at Wincheder, during the fummer of 1756, to 
protect about as many millions of Engliflimen, who were 
fuppofed, like children, incapable of defending them¬ 
felves. “ But the remedy was worfe than the difeafe.” 
The minidry was reviled for having reduced the nation 
to fuch a difgraceful condefcenfion; and the people were 
loud in demanding a vigorous exertion of their own in¬ 
ternal drength, fearing no force that could be led to in¬ 
vade them. 
Thefe murmurs and diflenfions among the Englifli, gave 
the French an opportunity of carrying on their defigns in 
another quarter; and, while the minidry were employed 
in o-uarding againd an invafion at home, they were at¬ 
tacked in the Mediterranean, where they lead expected 
an enemy. The i-fland of Minorca, which had been taken 
from the Spaniards in the reign of queen Anne, was fe- 
cured to England by repeated treaties. But the minidry 
had neglefted its defence ; fo that the garrifon was weak, 
and no way fitted to fland a vigorous fiege. The French, 
therefore, landed near the fortification of St. Philip, which 
was reckoned one of the flronged in Europe, and command¬ 
ed by general Blakeney, who was brave indeed, but fuper- 
annuated. The miniftry were no fooner apprifed of this 
LAND. 
unexpected attack, than they refolved to raife the fiege, 
and fent out admiral Byng with ten (hips of war exprefsly 
for that purpofe. Upon his approaching the ifland, hs 
faw the French banners difplayed upon the fliore, and 
the Englifli colours dill flying on the cadle of St. Philip, 
He had been ordered to throw a body of troops into the 
garrifon ; but this he thought too hazardous an under¬ 
taking ; nor did he even make the attempt. While he 
was thus deliberating between his fears and his duty, iiis 
attention was called off by the appearance of a French 
fleet, that feemed of nearly equal force to his own. Con¬ 
founded by a variety of meafures, he feemed refolved to 
purfue none ; and therefore gave orders to form the line 
of battle, and aft upon the defenfive. Byng had been 
long praifed for his (kill in naval taftics ; and perhaps, 
valuing mod tliofe talents for which he was mod praifed, 
he facrificed all claims to courage to an applaufe for na¬ 
val difcipline. The French fleet advanced ; a part of the 
Englifli fleet engaged ; the admiral kept aloof, and gave 
very planfible reafons for not coming into aftion. The 
French fleet, therefore, (lowly failed away; and no other 
opportunity ever offered of coming to a clofer engage¬ 
ment. This caution was carried dill further ; a council 
of war was called on-board the admiral’s (hip, which de¬ 
prived the Englifli garrifon of all hopes of fuccour. It 
was determined to fail away to Gibraltar, to refit the 
fleet, it having been previoufly decided that the relief of 
Minorca was imprafticable ! 
Nothing could exceed the refentment of the nation up¬ 
on Byng’s conduft ; and the news which foon arrived of 
the furrender of the garrifon to the French, increafed the 
general ferment almod to phrenfy. In the mean time, 
Byng continued at Gibraltar, quite fatisfied with his own 
conduft, and little expedited the dorm that was gathering, 
over his head. Orders were fent out for putting him 
under an arred, and for bringing him to England. Ho 
was foon after tried by a court-martial at Portfmouth,. 
found guilty on the twelfth article of war,, and fentenced 
to be (hot. His judges, however, recommended him to 
the king as an objeft of mercy; dating that they confi- 
dered his conduft rather as the effefts of error than of 
cowardice. By this lentence, they hoped to fatisfy at 
once the refentment of the nation, and yet fcreen them¬ 
felves from confcious feverity. The government was re¬ 
folved upon (hewing him no mercy ; the parliament was 
applied to in the admiral’s favour; but they found no 
circumdances in his conduct that could invalidate the 
fentence. Being thus abandoned to his fate, he main¬ 
tained to the lad a degree of fortitude and ferenity, that 
no way betrayed either timidity or cowardice. On the 
day fixed for his execution, which was on-board the 
Monarque man of war in Portfmouth-harbour, he ad¬ 
vanced from the cabin, and after delivering a paper, con. 
tabling the (tronged alfertions of his innocence, he came 
forward to the place where he was to kneel down, and 
for fome time perfided in not covering his face; but his 
friends reprefenting that his looks would poflibly intimi¬ 
date the foldiers who were to (hoot him, and prevent 
their taking proper aim, he had his eyes bound with a 
handkerchief; and then giving the foldiers the fignal to- 
fire, he was (hot, on March 14, 1757. There appears fome 
feverity in Byng’s punifliment ; but it certainly had a. 
powerful effeft upon the fubfequent operations of the war. 
In the mean time the French, who were now maders o£ 
Minorca, made a public declaration that they would re¬ 
taliate all injuries which they miyht fudain in their colo¬ 
nies, upon the king of England’s territories in Germany. 
The court of London, dreading the confequence, and 
anxious for the fafety of Hanover, entered into a treaty 
with the court of Ruflia, by which it was dipulated, that 
.a body of fifty thoufand Ruffians, (liould be ready to aft 
in the Englifli fervice, in cafe Hanover (liould be invaded; 
and for this the czarina was to receive a hundred, thoufand 
pounds annually , to be paid in advance! 
This treaty, which, was confidered as a mafter-droke of 
politics 
