ENGLAND, 
750 
Britain, was nominated prefident of the council, in the 
room of earl Gower. The great feal had been configned, 
in the cotirfe of the preceding year, to the attorney-gene¬ 
ral Tluirlow, created baron Thurlow, a man endowed by 
nature with uncommon talents, which were concealed, 
and in efieiSt loft to the world, under an almoft impervious 
veil of niorofenefs. Under this miniftry the war broke 
cut with Spain. 
In the Weft Indies, foon after the failure of d’Eftaing 
on St. Lucie, admiral Barrington was joined by admiral 
Byron ; and the Engliih fleet being now fuperior to that 
of the French, endeavours were ufed to force the enemy 
to a general engagement; but they chofe, rather than en¬ 
counter this rifk, to remain inaftive in the harbour of 
Fort Royal. Admiral Byron, however, deeming it expe¬ 
dient to convoy the trade-fhips collected at St. Chrifto- 
p’ner’s in June, part of their voyage ; count d’Eftaing 
took the opportunity of detaching a confiderable force to 
the ifland of St. Vincent, which furrendered, though gar- 
rifoned by feven companies of regular troops, without 
firing a (hot. This is afcribed to the dread entertained 
of an infurredtion of the Caribbs, who ftill entertained a 
deep refentment of the injuries they had fuftained. The 
French commander, being now joined by a large rein¬ 
forcement of (hips and troops, failed with twenty-fix (hips 
of the line from Fort Royal, in the beginning of July, 
and (leered his courfe to the ifland of Grenada, which, 
though bravely defended by the governor, lord Macart¬ 
ney, was compelled in a (liort time to furrender at difcre- 
tion. Admiral Byron, on his return, receiving intelligence 
of the capture of St. Vincent’s, immediately determined 
to make an effort for its recovery ; but, on his paffage 
thither, heard the ftill more unwelcome tidings of the 
attack of Grenada, of which he now refolved to attempt 
the relief. On the 6th of July the two fleets came in 
fight; but the French, having already effedled their pur- 
pofe, were little inclined, notwithftanding their prefent 
fuperiority, to rifk a clofe engagement. A warm but in- 
decifive action enfued between the van divifions of the 
two fleets, in the courfe of which the Englifh firft difco. 
vered the French colours flying on the fortrefs of St. 
George. In the refult, the Englifh fleet bore away for 
Antigua, and the French returned to Grenada. 
Count d’Eftaing being fully informed of the critical 
fituation of the fouthern provinces of America, now, un¬ 
expectedly directing his courfe to Georgia, made an eafy 
capture of the Experiment, of fifty guns, with fupplies 
of various kinds on-board for Savannah, and three othef 
frigates, which he fell in with on his way. On the 9th 
of September he anchored off" the mouth of the Savannah, 
to which general Prevoft had again retired, and fent a 
haughty fummons to that officer to furrender to the arms 
of his mod Chriftian majefty ; to which a fpirited anfwer 
was returned. The count d’Eftaing being joined by ge¬ 
neral Lincoln, the allies advanced to the attack of the 
Britifti lines on the morning of the 9th of October. They 
were every where repuifed with heroic valour. Count 
d’Eftaing himfelf being wounded in the aCtion, and the 
troops having fuftained great lofs, the liege was raifed. 
The count now retired to the Weft Indies; whence he 
quickly returned to France, much chagrined at the final 
difappointment of the vaft hopes and projects which he 
had originally formed. 
During tilde tranfaCtions, much alarm had been created 
in England by the junction of the fleets of France and 
Spain, which took place very foon after the delivery of 
the Spanilh manifefto. In Auguft, 1779, they entered 
the channel to the amount of (ixty-five (hips of the line, 
accompanied by a cloud of frigates, (loops, and fire-(hips. 
The Engliffi fleet, commanded by fir Charles Hardy, who 
had received no inftruCtions to prevent this formidable 
junction, being utterly unable to encounter fo prodigious 
a force, was compelled to retire, whilft the flags of France 
and Spain menaced and infulted the Englifh coafts, whilft 
their (hips rode triumphant in the Engliih channel, Ply¬ 
mouth was, by the unaccountable negligence of the mf- 
nifters, left fo entirely deftitute of the means of defence, 
that the docks and lhipping in the harbour might have 
been deftroyed without difficulty. Fortunately this was 
not known to the confederate commanders; and on the 
approach of the equinox, count d’Orvilliers (leered his 
courfe back to Bred, without effecting any tiling further 
than the capture of the Ardent man of war, which had 
failed into the midft_of the combined fleets while at an¬ 
chor off Plymouth, miftaking them for the Englifh fqua- 
dron. But the mod remarkable confequence refulting 
from the appearance of this vaft armament in the Britifh 
feas, was the extraordinary vigour and refolution with 
which it fuddenly infpired the inhabitants of the kingdom 
of Ireland, who had hitherto contented themfelves with 
feeble lamentations and unavailing complaints. Seeing 
themfelves in a manner abandoned by England, their 
troops withdrawn, their commerce unprotected, their 
grievances unredreffed, military and mercantile affocia- 
tions began every where to be formed ; and in a (hort 
time, to the aftonifhment of the world, an army of fifty 
thoufand volunteers, as if by magic, was created, difei- 
plined, and equipped ; and refolutions almoft univerfally 
paffed againft the life of Britifti manufactures. 
The Englifh minifters, whofe fears and apprelienfions 
on this occafion happily fupplred their deficiency in in¬ 
formation, inftead of oppofing this national rage, furniftied 
the new-raifed army with arms from the royal magazines; 
and thus gave a lanCtion to a meafure which had been 
adopted without any regard to their confent or approba¬ 
tion. The Irifli parliament met on the izth of October*, 
and to the ufual addrefs brought forward by the courtiers,, 
ail amendment was moved, and adopted by a great majo¬ 
rity, to infert in the body of the addrefs the following 
words: “We beg leave humbly to reprefent to your 
majefty, that it is not by temporary expedients, but by a 
free trade, that this nation is now to be faved from im¬ 
pending ruin.” In this the lords concurred, and the ad- 
dreftes were carried up to the lord lieutenant with great 
parade arnidft the acclamations of the people; the duke of 
Leinfter, who commanded the Dublin volunteers, efcort- 
ing the fpeaker in perfon; and the thanks of both houfes 
were unanimoufly voted to the volunteer corps through¬ 
out the kingdom, for their patriotic exertions; and a fix 
months money bill palled the commons, in order to pre¬ 
vent a fudden prorogation. 
Before we inveftigate the confequences of this alarming 
fpirit, it may be proper to notice a further occafion of 
mifunderftanding between the courts of London and the 
Hague, from an encounter which took place in the courfe 
of the prefent fummer between fir Richard Pearfon of the 
Serapis man of war, accompanied by the Scarborough 
frigate, having under their convoy the trade from the 
Baltic, and captain Paul Jones, an adventurer of defperate 
fortune and defperate courage, who was commander of a 
final! American fquadron, which had for fome time paft 
infefted the Britifh feas. After a very fierce and bloody 
attion, both the Serapis and Scarborough, the convoy 
being firft fecured, were compelled to (trike their colours, 
and were carried by their captors to the Texel. On this 
a very ftrong memorial was prefented to the ftates-general 
by fir Jofepli Yorke, who urged in the moft preifing terms, 
“ That thofe drips and their crews may be (topped and 
delivered up, which the pirate Paul Jones, who is a rebel 
fubje£t, and a criminal of the (late, has taken.” But 
their high mightineffes anfwered, “ That they will in no 
refpe£t whatever pretend to judge of the legality or ille¬ 
gality of the actions of thofe who have on the open feas 
taken any veflels which do not belong to this country, 
and bring them into any ports of the republic ; and that 
they are not authorized to pafs judgment either on thofe 
prizes, or on the perfon of Paul Jones.” This was an an¬ 
fwer hard of digeftion to the Englifh, and which indeed 
clearly indicated the partiality of the republic to the caufe 
of America; but the quarrel between the two countries, 
though 
