748 FRA 
land had been almofi univerfalty expelled by the rifing in¬ 
dignation of the inhabitants; each day feemed to portend 
more obvioufly the future independence of the hates; 
their privateers overfpread the feas, and captured the rich 
merchant (hips of the Engliff ; and Louis, while he pro- 
fefi’ed to the court of London a drift neutrality, afforded 
to the veffels of America a fecure (belter in his harbours, 
where they bartered their fpoils for arms and ammunition 
to redd the claims of the mother country. See the parti¬ 
culars of this unfortunate war, under the article America, 
vol. i. p. 4.37-465 ; and Eng land, vol. vi. p. 747-770. 
The fuccefs of the Americans gave infinite exultation to 
the court of France. Monfieur Sartine, who prefided 
over the marine department, was impatient to meafure the 
naval drength of France with that of Great Britain ; the 
queen, who had long feconded the views of the Ameri¬ 
cans, now efpoufed their caufe with increafed ardour ; the 
pacific inclinations of Louis were overborne by the fug- 
geftions of his miniders and the infl uence of his royal con- 
fort ; and in 1 77 S, it was determined openly to acknow¬ 
ledge the independence of the United States of America. 
The fituation of Europe at this junfture was peculiarly 
favourable to the determination of the king of France, 
and the ambitious views of his council. Some differences 
between the court of Peterffurgh and the Ottoman Porte, 
refpeCting the Crimea, threatened a revival of thofe hofti- 
lities which had been fo lately adjuded ; and had the 
emprefs of Rnffia been willing, mud have precluded her 
from affording any adidatice to the Englifh. The flames 
of war had been rekindled between the houfesof Auflria 
and Brandenburg ; and the claims of the former to fome 
part of the fuccedion of the electorate of Bavaria, had 
fummoned the rival monarchs to the field. Spain, by the 
fafnily compaCt, was bound to accede to the defigns, and 
to drengthen the arms of France : Portugal, by her late 
treaty with Spain, had formed an intimate union with the 
ho life of Bourbon ; and if her weaknefs prevented her 
from joining the hodile confederacy of that family, her 
neutrality was at lead fecured : while Holland, filently 
occupied in-extending her trade, fecretly rejoiced at thole 
meaiiyes which plunged the red of Europe in war, and 
transferred to her ports the only true intereds of fociety— 
the free commerce of the world. 
Such was the date of the mod confiderable European 
powers, when Louis XVI. entered into a new war with 
England, and injudicioufly fupported the revolt of her 
colonies. Count d’Edaing, who, during the former war, 
had in the Ead Indies maintained the honour of his 
country, failed from Toulon with twelve fliips of the 
line and four frigates. On board this fleet.were embark¬ 
ed a fmall army of feleCt troops, dedined to the Ame¬ 
rican continent. While this armament proceeded on its 
dellination, a more confiderable fleet was aflembled at 
Bred, to difpute the fovereignty of the feas with the 
Englidi. This fleet confided of thirty-two fliips of the 
line; the command was entrufted to count d’Orvil- 
iiers; the van was led by count Chafault, and the rear by 
the duke of Chartres. Off Ufliant d’Orvilliers came up 
with and engaged the Englifh fleet, equal in force, and 
commanded by admiral Keppel. The event of the ac¬ 
tion was indecifive ; the French, on the approach of 
night, withdrew to their own coafls ; and the Englidi, 
loon after, retired within their harbours to refit. But 
though in this engagement France had acquired no ad¬ 
vantage, and by fir ft retreating feemed to yield the glory 
of the day to her rival, yet it afforded no inconfiderable 
triumph to that nation, that (he had been able to face 
without lofs, her powerful adverfary on an element that 
had fo frequently proved fatal to her. In a letter writ¬ 
ten by his own hand, the king bedowed the mod liberal 
commendations on count d’Orvilliers; and added, that 
proper care lliould be taken of the widows of thofe who 
had fallen in fup'porting the honour of his flag. The 
fleet was refuted with all poflible expedition ; and after 
N C E. 
a cruize uninterrupted by the fight of an enemy., It 
triumphantly re-entered the harbour of Bred. 
In the mean time d’Edaing purfued his courfe to Ame¬ 
rica, and deered towards Rhode Ifland, the invafion of 
which he had planned in concert with the United States. 
While the French fleet occupied Newport harbour, lord 
Howe, reinforced by feveral (hips from England, appeared 
in fight ; and d’Edaing, unwilling to be braved by an ene¬ 
my inferior to him in drength, quitted his fituation, and 
determined to give battle to the Englifh. The two fleets 
conteded, during the fird day, the weather-gage with 
rival (kill ; but on the fecond, when every thing indicated 
an immediate aCtion, a violent tempeft arofe which fepa- 
rated all the (hips. It was not till feveral days after that 
the French admiral was able to collect his blattered vef¬ 
fels; and, after tranfiently viliring Rhode Idand, he failed 
to Bodon to repair the damages he had fudained. 
From the continent of America the flame of war rapidly 
extended to the Weft-India iflands. The marquis of 
Bouille, governor-general of Martinieo, was informed of 
the defencelefs (late of the ifland of Dominica, which on 
the late peace had been ceded by France to England. 
Under cover of fome frigates and privateers, the marquis 
landed unexpectedly on that ifland, at the head of two 
thoufand men. The garrifon, incapable of refifiance, 
folicited terms of capitulation ; and the generofity of the 
marquis, belides allowing to the troops all the honours 
ot war, and the liberty of retaining their arms, granted 
to the inhabitants the fulled fecurity for their property 
of every fort. In the fame quarter France was, in her 
turn, taught to regret the viciditudes of war. General 
Clinton had detached from America a body of troops, under 
the command of general Grant; and thefe, in their attack 
on the French ifland of St. Lucia, were feconded by a 
Britifh fleet under admiral Barrington. The chevalier 
de Micoud, the French commandant, with his fmall band 
of regulars and militia, were fuccefiively puffed from 
pod to pod; and his fate appeared inevitable, when his 
hopes were revived by the unexpected appearance of the 
French fleet, commanded by count d’Edaing. His fleet 
confided of twelve (hips of the line, befides frigates; that 
©f admiral Barrington, of one of feventy-fonr, one of 
feventy, one of (ixty-four, two of fifty, and three frigates. 
Yet the French admiral could not conceal his chagrin at 
the precautions that his adverfary had taken, and the fe¬ 
curity he derived from his pofition in the harbour. He 
determined however, to rifle the event; and the Britifh 
commander received the attack of the count with cautious 
intrepidity ; and feconded by the batteries from the ffore, 
in two fucceflive day’s repelled the fury of the affailants. 
The count d’Eftaing, afteran ineffectual attempt on fhore, 
fet fail for Martinieo ; and the chevalier de Micoud, de¬ 
prived of all hopes of fuccour, furrendered to the Englidi. 
In the Ead Indies the fettlements of France were fa¬ 
tally expofed to the enterprifes of her enemies : thefe, in 
the courfe of the lad war had been totally (ubdued ; and 
though redored on the peace, were by the conditions of 
it left in a date of weakRefs and degradation. The inflant 
preparations of the government of Madras could not ef- 
cape the vigilance of de Bellecombe, governor of Pondi¬ 
cherry, and commandant of all the French fettlements in 
the Indies; yet, deftituteof refources, he could only afpire 
to the glory of a gallantdefence. With only three thoufand 
men, fcarcely one-fourth of whom were Europeans, he was 
clofely inveded by general Monro, at the head of fifteen 
hundred Britifli and nine thoufand black troops fupport¬ 
ed by the Englilh admiral fir Edward Vernon. For a 
month they nobly fudained the attacks of the befiegers, 
and protraCfed the hour of f'ubmiflion ; but in that time 
they had lofl, in killed and wounded, one fourth of their 
original number, and the red were worn down by incef- 
fant fatigue. De Bellecombe therefore propofed a capi¬ 
tulation, which was readily granted by the Britifli com¬ 
manders, who gave the mod honourable teftimony to the 
gallantry 
