than this, that he fufpected his own 'dominions would be again attacked, as they accordingly were, in the most unlikely feafon of the year, by the French and Spaniards in conjunction.

His majefty took the command of the army upon this occafion in perfon, in the month of October; and, though he was feized with a violent cold, fo that his head and face were fwelled to a great degree, yet he vifited his intrenchments himself, and contributed not a little, by his princely prefence, to the defeat of the enemy at the village of Pont, where they loft five thousand of their beft troops, and were obliged to abandon all hopes of penetrating into Piedmont for that year.

It was about this time that his Sardinian majefty, as the ftrongest proof of his conftant and unalterable refolution to fupport the common caufe, and the Auftrian do. minions in Italy, concluded with that princefs, and his Britannic majefty,the famous treaty of Worms, the only clear and explicit alliance entered into during the war; by the eighth article of which he obtained certain conceffions in return for what he had already done, and in confideration of what, by that treaty, he undertook to do, and which he afterwards moft punctually and faithfully performed. The campaign of 1744, afforded new proofs of his Sardinian majefty's abilities, and of the fignificancy of his friendship. In the very beginning of the year, the Spanish and French army, commanded by the Infant Don Philip and the prince of Conti, affembled on the frontiers, and, as foon as the feafon would permit, paffed the Varr,

and took poffeffion of the town of Nice, upon the first of April. His Sardinian majefty's forces, under the command of the marquis de Suza, remained in the intrenchments thrown up in the neighbourhood of Montalban, where, on the 22d of the fame month, the enemy attacked them, and bought, at a very dear rate, viz. the lofs of fix thousand men, exclufive of officers, a very small advantage. But, however, this enabled them to penetrate into Piedmont, and to lay all the country waste in their paffage; and yet they found fo many difficulties in this expedition, that when they seemed to have in a manner accomplished it, they were glad to abandon all they had taken, rather than venture a battle: and, turning off into the French territories, took the route of Chateau Dauphine, which, in five feveral attacks, from the 17th to the 19th of July, they could hardly master; after which, however, they reduced Demont, and fo forced a paffage on that fide into Piedmont, in which country, when once they came into it, they lived with all the humanity and politeness of Tartars.

After a variety of military operations, Emanuel, by his prudent conduct, drove the enemy from all the posts they had poffeffed themfelves of; and, at the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which was figned the 28th of October, 1748, was established in all the territories they made pretenfions to. From this period the happiness of his fubjects was the conftant object of his care; nothing, which could contribute to the improvement of the kingdom, appeared unworthy his attention: he reftored order to the funds for paying the public debts,

and

and convinced his neighbours, from the excellent schemes of ceconomy which he adopted, that he was a perfect master of finance. One great art of governing is to produce felicity to the fubjects, without retrenching the expences neceffary to fupport the throne with dignity. The king of Sardinia was eminently killed in this art; and his administration was a model for the neighbouring potentates.

A ftriking proof of his wisdom was the exact neutrality which he preferved during the laft war: this circumstance procured his fubjects ease and tranquillity in the midst of the great convulfions in Europe. This wife king not only prevented the bloodfhed of his fubjects, but put an end to the rage of war, by becoming a mediator between the belligerant powers,

The remaining years of his life he paffed with his people, like a father in the bofom of his family. His throne was open to the approach of the meanest citizen; every national matter was tranfacted under his own infpection, and the ftrictest juftice was done to all. His manner of living was fimple and modeft, but fuch as did not leffen the confequence of a monarch. He loved and encouraged letters, and cultivated the fine arts with great affiduity. He was a found philofopher and a good chriftian. He died at Turin, the 20th day of Feb. 1773, highly esteemed by all the crowned heads of Europe, and univeríally lamented by his own fub. jects.

in September, 1695, and received his academical education atTrinity. hall, Cambridge. He left the univerfity in the year 1714, at the age of 19, where, by his own account, he was an abfolute pedant. When he talked his beft, he quoted Horace; when he aimed at being facetious, he quoted Martial; andwhen he had a mind to be a fine gentleman, he talked Ovid. He was convinced, that none but the ancients had common fenfe, and that the classics contained every thing that was either neceffary, ufeful, or ornamental. With these notions he first went to the Hague, where, being introduced into all the beft company, he foon discovered that he was totally mistaken in almost every notion he entertained. He had a ftrong defire to please (the mixed refult of good nature and a laudable vanity), and was fenfible that he had nothing but the defire. He therefore refolved, if poffible, to acquire the means too. And this he accomplished, by attentively ftudying and copying the dress, the air, the manner, the addrefs, and the turn of conversation of all thofe whom he found to be the people in fashion, and moft generally allowed to please.

Before he came of age, being then ftiled Lord Stanhope, he was chofen, in the first parliament of King George the firft, for the borough of St. Germain, and in the next for Leftwithiel, both in Cornwall. He tells us himself, that "he spoke in parliament the first month he was in it, and, from the day he was elected to the day he thing but fpeaking." On the prince fpoke, thought and dreamed of noof Wales's first arrival in England, he was made one of the Lords of his bed-chamber, in which poit he

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was retained, when his royal highnefs was difmiffed the court of St. James's, in 1717. In 1723, he was appointed captain of the yeomen of the guard. In Jan. 1726, on his father's death, he fucceeded him in his titles and eftates; and, in 1728, foon after the acceffion of King George II. his lordship was fworn of his Majesty's privy council, and appointed ambaffador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Holland, which high character he fupported with the greateft dignity, doing fervice to his own country, and gaining the esteem of the States General. In 1730, he was elected and inftalled a knight of the garter and appointed lord fteward of his majefty's houfhold; and, in the fame year, he returned to his embaffy in Holland. On March 6, 1733, his lord fhip, in a debate on the mutiny-bill, oppofed the reduction of the army from 18,000 to 12,000 men. On April 13, the day which gave the finishing ftroke to the excife bill in the house of commons, his lordship was difmiffed from his poft of lord fteward, and the next day fent his ftaff, with a very respectful letter, to his majefty. On May 3, he feconded the motion for ordering the directors of the South fea company to lay before the houfe an account of the difpofal of the forfeited eftates of the directors in the year 1720, which was carried in the affirmative; and, when the account was brought in, May 24, he joined in the motion for a farther and more diftinct ac count. On May 30, he expofed the impropriety of including the princess royal's marriage portion in a bill of items; and, on June 2, he joined in the motion for appointing a committee of enquiry to ex

amine into the management of the affairs of the South Sea company ever fince the year 1720; which paffing in the negative, his lordship was one of the protestors. In September following, he married the Right Hon. Melefina de Schulemburgh, Countess of Walfingham, natural daughter of George I. by the celebrated Duchefs of Kendal and Munfter; and, foon after, as that prince had left her lady fhip a legacy, which his fucceffor did not think proper to deliver, the earl, it is faid, was determined to recover it by a fuit in Chancery, had not his majesty, on queftioning the lord chancellor on the fubject, and being answered that he could give no opinion extra-judicially, thought proper to fulfil the bequeft.

On February 13, 1733-4, the Duke of Bolton and Lord Cobham having been juft removed from their refpective regiments, on account of their votes in parliament, the earl warmly feconded the Duke of Marlborough's bill for better fecuring the conftitution, by preventing offi cers being deprived of their commiffions otherwife than by judgment of a court martial, and alio for addreffing his majesty to know who advised thofe removals. Hé spoke alfo against the vote of credit, March 28, 1734. On Feb. 13, 1734 5, he fupported the petition of fix Scotch peers, complaining of undue practices at the laft election.

On January 23, 1735-6, his lordship fupported an amendment, propofed by lord Carteret, in the addrefs to the king on his fpeech.. On May 13, 1736, he diftinguished himself in the debate in favour of the quakers tythe-bill. On Feb. 25, 1736-7, he spoke and protefted

in favour of the motion to address

his majefty to fettle 100,000l. per ann. on the prince of Wales; and, in the fame feffion, his speech against the bill for licenfing plays was received with the higheft applaufe by the public, being printed in all the papers. Against this abridgement of freedom, the British Cicero exerted all the powers of his eloquence, though without fuccefs. On May 1, he gave his opinion for examining the Scotch judges at the bar, and not fitting on the wool-facks, on the affair of Capt. Porteus.

In 1738, he spoke with his ufual eloquence against the augmentation of the army, and took a fpirited part in the debate on the Spanish depredations. With equal fpirit, he oppofed' and protefted against the Spanish convention, March 1, 1738-9. In the fame feffion he alfo opposed the settlement-bill and the vote of credit; and, in a debate on the ftate of the nation, earnestly advised the laying it truly before his majefty, and acting with spirit against Spain.

War having been declared against that crown, his lordship, at the meeting of the parliament, Nov. 15, 1739, expofed the mifconduct of the miniftry in the management of it; as he did, in December following, the impropriety and unparliamentary step of his majefty's fending a meffage for a fupply to the house of commons only. On March 19, 1739-40, the earl spoke in favour of the penfion-bill (we need not add ineffectually). On Nov. 18, 1740, he concurred in the form of an addrefs proposed by the Duke of Argyle. At the meeting of the new parliament, December 4, 1741, his lordship fpoke against the addrefs propofed in anfwer to his majefty's fpeech. In the

fame feffion, he was a ftrong advocate for the bill for indemnifying the evidence relating to the conduct of the Earl of Orford, and he promoted the bill for protecting and fecuring trade and navigation. On November 16, 1742. the address of thanks to the throne, for his majefty's fpeech, was, by his lordfhip, propofed to be poftponed; and, in the motion for dimiffing the Hanoverian troops, Feb. 1, 1742-3 he warmly concurred, and, in the course of the debate, let fall some expreffions against that electorate, which were never forgotten at St. James's. On Feb. 22, the gin bill met with a vigorous, though fruitlefs oppofition from his lordship; on which occafion, he faid, that the miniftry fhould be celebrated as the authors of the drinking fund; and there being ten bishops in the house, who all divided against the bill, Lord Chesterfield, feeing them come towards him, faid, he feared he had mistaken the fide, not having had the honour of their company for many years.

At the opening of the feffion in 1743, Dec. 1, on the motion for an addrefs of thanks to the king for his fpeech, &c. his lordship objected against congratulating his majefty on his fuccefs in the late campaign, diftinguishing between the king's conduct and behaviour. On Dec. 9, and on Jan. 27, 1743-4, he again fupported, with all the powers of oratory, two other mo. tions against the Hanoverian troops, and joined in two fpirited protests, on that occafion. On April 27,

1744, he warmly oppofed a claufe for continuing attainders, not thinking children justly punishable for treafon. At the clofe of that year, the ministry being changed, the C 3

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earl was a fecond time appointed ambaffador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Holland, and fet out for the Hague, Jan. 11, 1744-5. His bufinefs there was to engage the Dutch to enter roundly into the war, and to ftipulate their quota of troops, &c. The Abbé de la Ville was there on the part of France, to hinder them from entering into the war at all. They could not vifit; but the first time the earl met him at a third place, he procured fome one to introduce him, and told the abbé, that "though they were to be national enemies, he flattered himself, they might, however, be perfonal friends;" which the Frenchman returned as politely. Two days afterwards, the English ambaffador went, early in the morning, to folicit the deputies of Amfterdam, where he found the abbé, who had been before-hand with him; upon which he addressed himfelf to the deputies, and faid, with a smile, "I am very forry, Gentle men, to find my enemy with you; my knowledge of his capacity is already fufficient to make me fear him; we are not upon equal terms; but I truft to your own intereft against his talents. IfI have not to day had the first word, I fhall, I hope, have the laft." They fmiled; the abbé was pleased with the compliment, and the manner of it, ftaid about a quarter of an hour, and then left his lordship to the deputies, with whom he continued upon the fame tone, though in a very ferious manner, and told them that he was only come to ftate their own true interefts, plainly and fimply, without any of thofe arts which it was very neceffary for his friend to make ufe of o deceive them. He carried his point, and continued his procedé

with the abbé; and, by this easy and polite commerce with him at third places, often found means to fish out from him whereabouts he was.

Soon after the battle of Fontenoy, his excellency wrote a fpirited letter to the Abbé de la Ville, on the edict against publishing news-papers in France, and on the favage behaviour of the French at that battle in firing pieces of glass, &c. a fact which, if we remember right, M. de Voltaire has fomewhere abfolutely denied.

His lordship took leave of their High Mightineffes, May 6, 1745, and the letter which they wrote to the king on that occafion fhews the juft fenfe they had of his merit and abilities. He arrived in London, May 11, having concluded a treaty with the States, by which they engaged to affift the common caufe with 60,000 men in the field and garrifons. During his abfence, in Holland, he was appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland; and, on the king's going to Hanover, was nominated one of the lords juftices. His adminiftration in Ireland will long be remembered with gratitude and admiration by that kingdom, where he met the parliament, O&. 8, 1745; and, during that critical period, the rebellion then raging in Scotland, he gave general fatisfaction both to Proteftants and Papifts. He left Dublin in April, 1746, to the general regret of the whole nation; and, on Oct. 29, fucceeded the earl of Harrington as fecretary of state. He held the feals till Feb. 6, 1747-8.

As an ornament and honour to the title he poffeffed, the moft eminent writers of the age appealed to Lord Chesterfield's determination. He was, from the brightnefs of his parts, the folidity of his judgment,

and