they will become truly difaffected: and though that difaffection may not produce any immediately visible effect; nay, though the indifcreet expreffions of anger and political alienation on their part, in confequence of great and recent provocations, fhould expose them to the temporary warmth of general refentment; yet in the ceafelefs viciffitudes of human affairs an impreffion may, at some crifis favorable to a fudden and unexpected change of fentiment, be made on the public mind, which shall strikingly demonftrate this odious system of policy to be as devoid of wisdom, as it is of juftice

ration Act with great wisdom and juflice hath provided for the perpetual exclufion of the Non-conformifts.-It matters little what might be the original purpose of the Test Act. It now ftands in the Statute-book a declared provifion against the Disfenters. This argument (the inefficacy of the Teft) proves the expediency of Queen Anne's ftatute against occafional conformity. The NON-CONFORMISTS have no claim upon the GRATITUDE, the JUSTICE, or the IMPARTIALITY of the British Government. Should the Teft Laws be repealed, the work of Reformation will go on till one ftone will not be left standing upon another of the admired fabric of the British Conftitution.” Such are the maxims which conftitute the wisdom and policy of the prefent reign with regard to the Diffenters; and yet it is made a fubject of wonder and reproach that the Diffenters are become difcontented and indignant-as if Diffenters did not participate of the common paffions and feelings of human nature. "REST, REST, IMMORTAL SPIRITS of LOCKE, HOADLEY and SOMERS! Seek not to know by what improvements on your exploded principles the Houfe of Brunfwic now governs the Empire of Britain."

and

and magnanimity. On thefe general axioms the History of the prefent Reign will afford in many refpects an inftructive and mournful comment.

In the month of March (1761) while the Parliament was yet fitting, very alarming commotions took place in feveral of the northern counties, in confequence of the expiration of the three years term of fervice prefcribed by the Militia Act, and the new ballot now about to take place. At Hexham in the county of Northumberland, the Juftices being affembled for the purpofe of enforcing the Act, the populace, regarding this military compulfion as a tyrannical and infupportable grievance, collected to the number of many thousands, armed with clubs and other of fenfive weapons, with which they affaulted the guard of foldiers ftationed for the protection of the Magiftrates. The Riot Act was read without effect, and they were proceeding to ftill greater outrages, when the military received orders to fire upon the affailants, five-and-forty of whom were killed on the spot, and no less than three hundred miferably wounded, amongft whom were many women and children; and various of the rioters were in the fequel apprehended, tried, and executed. By a refolute exertion of military force, a general and fullen fubmiffion to the Act was at length obtained; but the wifdom and humanity of those by whom the Bill was originally framed, ftill

remained

remained at leaft as problematic as before. In the courfe of the fummer the King declared in Council his refolution to demand in marriage the Princess Charlotte-Sophia of Mecklenburg Strelitz and the Earl of Harcourt being appointed Ambaffador Plenipotentiary to the Court of Strelitz, the contract of marriage, after a negotiation not very tedious, was figned, and the Princess conducted to Stade, where the embarked on board one of the royal yachts, and arrived at the Palace of St. James's, September 8, the nuptial ceremony being the fame evening performed in the Chapel Royal. And on the 22d of September the coronation of their Majefties was celebrated with much pomp and magnificence. The new Queen foon acquired great popularity by the sweetness and affability of her manners, which by the prudence and propriety of her conduct fhe has invariably retained.

The operations of the war were ftill carried on with the accustomed vigor and fuccefs. In the month of June, the island of Dominique, important from its fituation between the iflands of Martinico and Guadaloupe, was reduced with little difficulty or lofs by an armament commanded by Sir James Douglas and a body of troops under Lord Rollo. A far more hazardous enterprise was undertaken about the fame time against the island of Belleifle, fituated oppofite the harbor of Vannes on the coaft of Bretagne. The island was defended

*

by

by a ftrong fortrefs, conftructed by the famous Vauban, near the town of Palais. On the first difembarkment of the troops, they met with a very severe repulfe, being compelled precipitately to retreat, with the lofs of near 500 men. But the English commanders, General Hodgson and Commodore Keppel, fecure of the zeal and ardor of their troops, rendered bold and fanguine by a long continuance of profperity, determined to make another effort, which was attended with happier fuccefs-and a body of marines and grenadiers, making good their landing on the craggy point of Lomeria, sustained their pofition with wonderful intrepidity against a very fuperior force, till joined by the remaining troops amounting to eight or ten thousand men. M. de St. Croix the French commander then recalled his detachments, and prepared for a vigorous defence of the citadel, the avenues to which he had fortified with fix additional redoubts, which, with much effufion of blood, were fucceffively attacked and carried by the English, who now urged, with the most perfevering ardor, the fiege of the citadel. On the 7th of June, a practicable breach being made, and a general affault apprehended on the part of M. de St. Croix, that officer demanded a capitulation, which was granted on the moft honorable conditions. Thus, at the expence of two thousand lives, and an enormous fum expended in naval and

military

military preparations, the English achieved the conqueft of a barren rock, affording no produce excepting the laurels of victory.

At the termination of the fuccefsful campaign of 1759, overtures had been made, agreeably to the intimation in the Speech from the Throne, by the Kings of Great Britain and Pruffia to the Courts of Vienna and Verfailles, for a general accommodation of differences, which did not appear wholly unacceptable; and after fome communications through the medium of Prince Lewis of Brunfwic, refiding at the Hague in quality of Commander in Chief of the Armies of the Republic, and Guardian of the young Stadtholder, it was agreed to open a general congrefs at Augfburg. Various caufes of delay however concurred to prevent the execution of this project*, and the Court of Vienna

* The principal obftruction to the meeting of this Congrefs, the object of which was to reflore tranquillity to fo many kingdoms, arofe, as the Royal Hiftorian tells us, from this curious punctilio-It was objected by England and Pruffia, that as no war was waged against the Emperor, but only against the Emprefs as Queen of Hungary, &c. his Imperial Majefty had no right to fend an Ambaffador to the Congrefs. But the Emperor not choosing to defift from his pretenfions, and being in fact a party concerned as Head of the Empire, under the BAN of which the King of Pruffia in his capacity of Elector had been put by the Diet, and the validity of which would have been thus virtually confirmed, the whole plan of pacification proved abortive. Hiftoire de la Guerre de Sept Ans.