724 
ENG 
againft which city their operations were principally in¬ 
tended. But this expedition totally failed ; and the ar¬ 
mament returned to England without attempting any one 
objedt of their deftination. 
1 rom this expedition, therefore, the king of PrufTia re¬ 
ceived no advantage; and the defpondence among the 
Englifh was fo great, that the miniftry had thoughts of 
giving up his caufe entirely. It was even fuppofed that 
no military efforts could fave him ; and that the only hope 
remaining was to make the bcft terms poffible for him 
with his enemies. The king of England was actually 
meditating a negociation of this nature, when Frederic the 
Great expoftulated with him to the following purpofe : 
x ‘ Is it poflible that your majefly can have fo little forti¬ 
tude and conftancy, as to be difpirited by a friiall reverfe 
<pf fortune ? Are our affairs fo ruinous that they cannot 
be retrieved ? Confider the (lep you have made me un¬ 
dertake ; and remember you are the caufe of all my mif- 
fortunes. I (liould never have abandoned my former al¬ 
liances but for your flattering affurances. I do not now 
repent of the treaty concluded between us; but I entreat 
that you will not inglorioufly leave me at the mercy of 
my enemies, after having brought upon me all the pow¬ 
ers of Europe.” In this arduous fituation, England re- 
folved, more from motives of generofity than of intereft, 
to fupport him ; and fuccefs began to return with double 
fplendour. 
The war in the Eaft Indies had, in the mean time, been 
carried on with doubtful fuccefs ; but at length the affairs 
of the Englifh feemed to gain the afcendancy, through 
the heroic condudl of Mr. Clive. The fir ft advantage 
that was obtained from bis activity and courage, was the 
clearing the province of Arcot. Soon after which the 
French general was taken prifoner, and the nabob, whom 
the Englifh fupported, was reinflated in the government, 
■of which he had been deprived. The French, difcou- 
raged by thefe misfortunes, and fenfible of their own in¬ 
feriority in Hindooftan, fent over a commiflary to Europe 
to reftore peace. A convention between the two compa¬ 
nies was accordingly concluded, importing that the terri¬ 
tories taken on either fide fince the conclufion of the laft 
peace fhould be mutually reftored ; that the nabobs ad¬ 
vanced by the influence of either party fhould be acknow¬ 
ledged by both ; and that for the future neither fhould 
interfere in the differences that fhould arife between the 
princes of the country. This ceflation, which promifed 
lading tranquillity, was, neverthelefs, but of fhort dura¬ 
tion. In a few months, both Tides renewed their opera¬ 
tions, no longer under the name of auxiliaries, but as ri¬ 
vals in arms, in government, and in commerce. What the 
motives to this infraction were, are not fufflciently afcer- 
tained ; but wherever there is trade there is avarice ; and 
that is a paffion which too frequently overleaps the bounds 
of equity. Certain it is that the prince of the greatefl 
power in that country declared war againft the Englifh 
from motives of perfonal refentment, and, levying a nu¬ 
merous army, laid liege to Calcutta, one of the principal 
Britiflt forts in that part of the world. The fort was 
taken, having been deferted by the commander; and the 
garrifon, to the number of an hundred and forty-fix per¬ 
sons, were made prifoners; and afterwards (hut up to ex¬ 
pire miferably in a dungeon, for want of air and refpira- 
tion, on June i S, 1756. See an account of this fhocking 
event, under Calcutta, vol.iii. p.610. 
The deftruftion of this important fortrefs ferved to 
interrupt the fucceftes of the Englifh company. But the 
fortune o£ Mr. Clive, backed by the activity of an Eng- 
lifti fleet under admiral Watfon, (till turned the fcale in 
their favour. After depoling the nabob of Arcot, colo¬ 
nel Clive turned to the humbling of the French, who 
had long difputed with us the empire in that part of the 
world. Chandenagore, a French fettlement higher up 
the Ganges than Calcutta, was compelled to fubmit to 
the Englifh arms. The goods and money found in this 
place were confiderable ; but the chief damage the French 
a A N a 
fuftained was from the ruin of this their fettlement on 
the Ganges, by which they engroffed the commerce of 
this part of the continent. Thus in one campaign, which 
was carried on by the activity of Clive, feconded by the 
operations of admirals Watfon and Pococke, the Englifh 
became poflefled of a territory fuperior in we-alth, ferti¬ 
lity, extent, and the number of its inhabitants, to any 
empire in Europe. Above two millions fterling were 
paid to the company and the furvivors of thofe who were 
imprifoned at Calcutta; the' foldiers and Teamen fhared 
fix hundred thoufand pounds, and the Englifh fovereignty 
became irrefiftible in that part of the world. See parti¬ 
culars of the Indian wars, and theirconfequentevents, un¬ 
der Hindoostan ; and East-India Company, vol. iv. 
p. 875—883. 
In the mean time, while conqueft ftiined upon England 
from the eaft, it was ftill more fplendid in the weftern 
world. Some alterations in the miniftry led to thofe fuc¬ 
ceftes which had been long wifhed for by the nation, and 
were at length obtained. At the head of the newly found 
miniftry was the celebrated Mr. Pitt, afterwards lord 
Chatham, who was made principal fecretary of ftate, and 
his coadjutor, the lion. Mr. Legge, chancellor of the ex¬ 
chequer; from whofe united vigour the nation formed 
great expectations; and they were not deceived. The 
firft important operations took place in America; to 
which part of the world three feveral commanders were 
appointed at the head of feparate expeditions. General 
Amherft commanded that defigned againft the ifland of 
Cape Breton ; the other was configned to the brave gene¬ 
ral Abercrombie, againft Crown Point and Ticonderoga; 
and the third againft Fort du Quefne, commanded by bri¬ 
gadier-general Forbes. 
^gpe Breton, which had been taken from the French 
during the preceding war, had been reftored at the treaty 
of Aix-la-Chapelle. It was not till the Englifh had been 
put in pofteffion of that ifland that they began to perceive 
its advantageous fituation, and the convenience of its har¬ 
bour for annoying the Britifh trade. It was alfo a con¬ 
venient port for carrying on their fifhery, a branch of 
commerce of the utmoft benefit to that nation. The wreft- 
ing it, therefore, from the hands of the French, was a 
meafure ardently defired by the whole nation. The for¬ 
trefs of Louifbourg, by which it was defended, had been 
ftrengthened by the affiftance of art, and was ftill better 
defended from the nature of its fituation. The garrifon 
alfo was numerous, the commander vigilant, and every 
precaution taken to oppofe a landing. But the Englifh 
iurmounted every obftacle with great intrepidity, and the 
garrifon furrendered to general Amherft by capitulation. 
The expedition to Fort du Quefne was equally fuccelf- 
ful; but that againft Crown Point was once more de¬ 
feated. This was the fecond time that the Englifh had 
attempted to penetrate the French poffeflions in that part 
of the world. Braddock fell in the firft attempt, a martyr 
to his impetuofity; while too much caution was injurious 
to his fucceflbr. Abercrombie fpent much time in march¬ 
ing to the place of aftion; and the enemy was thus pre¬ 
pared to give him a fevere reception. As he approached 
Ticonderoga, he found the enemy deeply intrenched at 
the foot of the fort, and ftill further fecured by fallen 
trees, with their branches pointing againft him. Thefe 
difficulties the Englifh veteran attempted to furmount; 
but as the enemy, being fecure themfelves, took aim at 
leifure, a terrible carnage of the aflailants enfued ; and 
the general, after repeated efforts, was obliged to retreat. 
But though in this refpedt the Englifh arms were un- 
fuccefsful, yet upon the whole the campaign was greatly 
in their favour. The taking of Fort du Quefne ferved 
to remove from their colonies the terror of the incurfions 
of the Indians, while it interrupted that correfpondence 
which ran along a chain of forts with which the French 
had environed the Englifh fettlements in America. This, 
therefore, promifed a fortunate campaign the next year, 
and vigorous meafures were taken to enfure fuccefs. Ac- 
1 cording ly. 
