ENGLAND. 
73 ? 
and efFeft, fhevved that the fpirit of Mr. Pitt, againft 
whom rather than the king of Great Britain the declara¬ 
tion of the king of Spain teemed to be directed, ftill in¬ 
fluenced and animated the public counfels. T. he grand 
machine of government, once put into motion, continued 
for a time its progrefs wr'h the fame force and velocity 
as if (till guided by the powerful hand which fir ft urged 
it into action. Letters of marque were iffued, and corn- 
millions granted for privateers to aft againft the fubjefts 
of his Catholic majefty ; and at length, on the 4th -of 
January, 1762, war was declared againft Spain with the 
accuftomed formalities. 
The new parliament was opened by a well-timed fpeech 
from the throne, in which his majefty' expreffed “ his 
regret at the unfuccefsful termination of the late nego- 
ciation for peace, and his refolution to profecute the war 
in the mod effectual manner, till the enemies of Great 
Britain, moved by their own Ioffes, and touched with the 
miferies of fo many nations, (hall yield to the equitable 
conditions of an honourable peace.” Very loyal addreftes 
were returned. About two hundred and forty 1 thoufand 
feamen, landmen, and marines, including the German 
mercenaries, were voted for the fervice of the year; and 
twelve millions borrowed to make up the deficiency of 
the regular means of fupply. ITis majefty had already 
been voted the clear income of eight hundred thoufand 
pounds per annum, for the maintenance of the lioufehold 
and the fupport of the royal dignity, in lieu of the civil 
lift revenues, which had been formerly appropriated for 
the fovereigns of this country ; and a jointure of one 
hundred thoufand pounds per annum was now fettled on 
the queen, with tire palaces of Richmond Old-park and 
Somerfet-houfe. 
Towards the conclufton of the preceding year, a plan 
had been formed for the conqueft of Martinico, the prin¬ 
cipal of the French Caribbee iflands, and the rCfidence 
of the governor-general and council, whofe jurifdiftion 
extends over all the French Antilles. The armament 
deftined for this expedition confided of eighteen (hips of 
the line, and as many battalions of troops, under general 
Monckton and admiral fir George Rodney, who, rendez- 
voufing at Barbadoes, proceeded early in the month of 
January, 1762, to Martinique; and on the 16th landed, 
after (ilencing the batteries erefted on the coaft in the 
vicinity of the town of Fort Royal, defended by a ftrorig 
citadel, and various military works erefted on the Morne 
Tortuefon and the Morne Gamier, neighbouring heights 
which commanded the town. Thefe were foon forced 
by the intrepidity of the Englifti troops, which on no 
occafion difplayed itfelf more confpicuoufly than in the 
attack of this ifland. On the 4th of February, the com¬ 
mandant of the citadel ordered the chamade to be beat, 
and the garrifon was permitted to march out with the 
honours of war. But the governor-general, M. de la 
Touche, retreated to the ftrong’ fortrefs of St. Pierre, 
fituated to the leeward of Fort Royal, which he at firft 
feemed difpofed to defend with vigour; but on the 14th, 
deputies arrived with propofals of capitulation for the 
whole ifland, and this important conqueft was achieved 
with inconfiderable lofs. in the mean time, commodore 
Swanton was detached from the fleet, with a force luffi- 
cient for the reduction of the ifland of Grenada and the 
Grenadines; which fubmitted without refill nice, and 
proved in the hands of the Engliflt a very valuable acqui- 
fition. At the fame time, the Englifli took pofl’eflion of 
the iflands of St. Lucia, Tobago, and St. Vincent, which, 
though declared neutral by former treaties, had been for 
fome tifne occupied by the French. 
Spain, who meant certainly nothing further than by 
the weight of her influence and too partial mediation, to 
procure for France more favourable terms of accommo¬ 
dation than were otherwife obtainable, found herfelf un- 
exp,eftedly engaged as a principal in the war, for which 
(lie was extremely unprepared. The marine of France, 
by repeated defeats, was broken and ruined ; whilft the 
numerous fleets of Britain feemed to cover the ocean, and 
rode triumphant from the Ganges to the Mifliflippi, front 
the rifing to the fetting fun. The naval power of Spain 
was utterly unable to cope with this prodigious force. 
In one quarter only could England be confidercd asvul- 
-nerabie. By an attack qn Portugal, a kingdom in clofe 
alliance with Great Britain, very open to invalion, feeble, 
opulent, d»fencelefs,~ Spain might reafonably hope fully 
to indemnify herfelf for any lo'ffes (he might elfewhere 
fuftain. The military and heroic fpirit by whjch the 
-Portuguefc nation had been formerly characterized, was 
now no more : her privileged orders were funk in luxury ; 
her people in (loth, ignorance, and bigotry; her troops 
-were deftitute of difeipline, and her fortreffes of artillery 
and ammunition. The recent deftruftion of her capital, 
by the memorable earthquake, the myfterious confpiracy 
againft the life of the monarch, the confequent execution 
of her moft diftrnguifhed and popular nobles, the forcible 
expulfion of the jefuits, and the entire alienation of the 
court of Lifbon from the fee of Rome ; all thefe caufes, 
conjoined, had filled the kingdom with confulion and dif- 
content. In this fituation, it was doubtlefs imagined that 
Portugal would fall an eafy prey to the arms of Spain, 
and great ryilitary preparations were made, and a large 
body of forces a (Tern bled on the frontiers of that kingdom. 
On the 16th of March, 1762, a joint memorial was pre- 
fented by the ambafladors of Fiance and Spain at the 
court of Lifbon, “ inviting the king of Portugal to re¬ 
nounce his conneftion with Great Britain, and engage in 
the' offenfive and defenfive alliance which they had formed 
againft that infolent and dangerous power.” The Catho¬ 
lic king profefnng “ the molt cordial attachment to the 
interefts of liis moft Faithful majefty, to whom he was fo 
nearly allied, infilled that the Englifli fubjefts refident 
in Portugal ftiould be compelled to depart the kingdom, 
and the Englifli (hipping no longer be allowed Ihelter in 
her ports; declaring, that he ftiould immediately occupy 
with his troops the fortreffes and maritime places belong¬ 
ing to his moft Faithful majefty, to protect them from 
the refentment of England.” To this extraordinary re- 
quifition, the ambafladors of the two courts demanded a 
categorical anfwer in four days. The king of Portugal 
replied, in very moderate and conciliatory language, 
“ That he was (incerely difpofed to aft as mediator in 
compromifing the prelent; differences, but that the unfor¬ 
tunate ftate of his kingdom would not allow him, were 
he fo inclined, to engage as a principal in the war ; that 
the honour of his crown, and the faith of folemn treaties, 
would not permit him to abandon the alliance of Eng¬ 
land ; aiid that he was determined to obferve a drift neu¬ 
trality, making thole preparations only which were ne- 
ceifary for his own defence.” 
In a fecond memorial, dated April 1, the confederate 
powers declared, in a tone (till more imperious, “ that 
his moft Faithful majefty’s alliance with England became 
in effect an offenfive alliance, from tlie fituation of the 
Portuguefe dominions, and the nature of the Englifti 
power; that the Britilh fquadrons could not keep the fea 
without the ufe of the ports of his moft Faithful majefty ; 
that the riches of Portugal palled into the hands of the 
Englillf; and they again invited him, fince the differences 
between the crowns of Spain and Portugal, which had 
laid the foundation of the alliance with England, had 
beer, long fince happily accommodated, to abandon that 
alliance, and enter into a drift league of friendfhip with 
their Chriftian and Catholic majefties.” The king of 
Portugal perfifting in his refufal of thefe overtures, the 
ambafladors of the tw.o courts, after the delivery of a 
third memorial (fill more infolent and infulting than the 
former, were ordered to leave the kingdom. 
On the 23d of May, 1762, war was declared by Por¬ 
tugal againft Spain, the Spanifli army having already 
palled the frontier. His molt Faithful majefty having 
made previous and urgent folicitation to the court of Lon¬ 
don for afiiftance, it was determined to grant him the 
mod 
