alliance with France and Spain; but at the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle no mention was made of those brave and unfortunate iflanders, who ftill continued to defend their liberties with invincible refolution and fortitude. A certain German adventurer, known under the title of Baron Neuhoff, a man poffeffed of plausible and popular talents, had found means to obtain their confidence, and was actually elected, A. D. 1736, Sovereign of the island, under the appellation of Theodore king of Corfica. But being found utterly incompetent to make good his magnificent boafts and promises, he was compelled to abdicate his fovereignty, and retired to England, where, being deeply involved in debt, he at length died in a forlorn and obfcure fituation. The Corficans, after the banishment of Theodore, transferred their regards, and in fome measure their allegiance, to a native chief, of the name of Giacinto Paoli, whom they elected General of their armies, and Prefident of their councils, and under whofe direction and guidance they gained very fignal advantages over the troops of the Republic; so that, had no other power interfered, there exifted a strong probability that they would ultimately fucceed in the establishment of their liberty and independence,

England, during the high tide of her fucceffes, had demonftrated her regard to the pretended rights of the Republic, by fcrupulously refraining

from all intercourfe with the Corficans; though it would furely have been highly becoming her dignity, and that paffionate attachment to freedom by which she was herself characterized, to have interpofed her powerful influence in order to fecure, as with the most perfect eafe fhe might incontrovertibly have done, to these heroic iflanders the bleffings of peace and liberty. But never, never hath an inftance of national generofity fimilar to this found a place in the records of hiftory. On the contrary, a proclamation was iffued under the adminiftration of Lord Bute, ftrictly prohibiting the fubjects of England from granting aid or af fiftance to the Corfican REBELS; and the Republic of Genoa ftill perfifted in her fruitlefs and ruinous efforts to reduce them to abfolute fubmiffion. At length, General Matra, the Genoefe Commander, being defeated with great lofs in an engagement with the infurgents near Furiani; and Bastia, the capital of the island, appearing in imminent danger of falling into the hands of the Corficans (who in July 1755 had elected, as their chief, Pafcal Paoli, fon of Giacinto); the Senate of Genoa was compelled to make a formal application for affiftance to the Moft Chriftian King, the ally of the Republic; and in August 1764 a convention was figned at Compeigne, importing that his Moft Chriftian Majefty, in confideration of a certain ftipulated fubfidy, fhould fend a confiderable force

both

both naval and military to the island of Corfica--the latter there to remain for the term of four years if needful; and on the restoration of peace his Moft Chriftian Majefty confented to guaranty the island to the Republic. The Corficans, however juftly alarmed at this interference, refolved with inflexible conftancy to defend their liberties at whatever risk, fully and immoveably determined to endure every extremity rather than fubmit themfelves and their pofterity to the infupportable yoke of Genoefe tyranny and flavery. At the fame time General Paoli was commiffioned, refpectfully to represent to his Moft Chriftian Majesty, in the name of the Corfican nation, the injury he was doing to the free Corficans, by fending his troops thither at the time they were upon the point of driving their enemies out of their ifland. And well knowing how unavailing this representation would probably prove, they charged their Chief to folicit at the different Courts of Europe, particularly those of Vienna and London, their mediation with his Most Christian Majefty, and to implore their protection in defence of their rights and liberties. These applications, however, were doubtlefs received with coldnefs or contempt; for the French troops under the Marquis de Marboeuf arrived without any impediment at the place of their deftination within or about the end of the year, and were immediately put into poffeffion of the princi

pal

pal fortreffes of Corfica yet remaining in the hands of the Genoefe.

In this general review of foreign politics, scarcely can be accounted worthy of mention the dispute fubfifting between his Britannic Majesty, as Elector of Hanover, and the Chapter of Ofnaburg, to the bishopric of which the King of England had, agreeably to the provifions of the treaty of Weftphalia, nominated his fecond fon Prince Frederic; during the minority of whom it became a fubject of doubt and difcuffion, to whom belonged the administration of the temporalties of the See, and the comitial fuffrage in the Diet of the Empire-the appointment of an infant bishop being a new case in ecclefiaftical hiftory. In a conteft fo unequal it will eafily be fuppofed that, on an appeal to the Diet now affembled at Ratifbon, a decifion was given without hefitation in favor of the Monarch.

It remains only to remark, that on the 30th of December 1765 died at Rome, in a far advanced age, the famous Chevalier de St. George, only fon of the late King James II. Born with the prospect of inheriting three powerful kingdoms, he experienced during the courfe of a long life only a fucceffion of misfortunes. So entirely had he furvived his political confequence, that the intelligence of his death was received in Great Britain. with the utmoft coldness and indifference; though

his pretenfions to the British Crown had, within the memory of the majority of perfons living, excited the highest apprehenfions and alarm. And thefe claims, however futile in themselves, or with whatever ferious mifchief to the ftate attended, were at least productive of this good confequence, that they compelled the reigning family perpetually to recur to thofe great principles of liberty civil and religious on which their own title to the crown was founded. But the annihilation of all competition will too naturally lead to the revival of those high and lofty ideas of regal authority fo flattering to the pride and ambition of kings, but which in this country at least cannot be acted upon but at their utmost peril. The Chevalier left two fons, upon the eldest of whom devolved that fhadow of a fhade, the divine and indefeafible right of fucceffion to the throne of Great Britain. The younger, educated an ecclefiaftic, had been advanced to the purple under the appellation of Cardinal of York; and he is at this moment the last furviving male of the ancient and royal houfe of Stuart, which, having been precipitated from the height of regal fovereignty in confequence of its attachment to the Catholic faith, thus, to close and confummate its glories, " pays the last tribute of a faint to Heaven."

The Parliament of England was convened at the ufual period of the enfuing winter, and early in the

year