University of Virginia Library

His Majesty, in council, deelared he would maintain the religion, laws, and liberties of this realm; as also the alliances entered into by the late King; and his first speech from the throne evinced that his plan with regard to foreign affairs did not vary from that of his late royal sire.

The Crafts man was a celebrated periodical paper, patronised by Mr. W. Pulteney, and often written for by Lord Bolingbroke.

Sir Archibald Sutton and Sir Robert Grant were expelled for iniquitous proceedings in the affairs of the “Charitable Corporation;” a public company which lent money on pledges. Mr. Serjeant Birch, and Dennis Bond, Esq. were disgraced for fraud, in disposing of Lord Derwentwater's forfeited estate.

Sir Robert, on his way to the House, was so much insulted, that had not Mr. Cunningham, a Scotch Member, drawn his sword and dispersed the leaders of the mob, the consequence might have been fatal.

On this occasion, when every public occurrence formed the subject of a street ballad, the following elegant lines were sung through the metropolis:—

On the 16th of April an end was put to the sessions by a most pathetic speech, in which are these remarkable words: “May there be no distinction but such as mean the support of our present happy Constitution in Church and State, and such as wish to subvert both: this is the only distinction that ought to prevail in this country, where the intetest of the king and people is one andthe same, and where they cannot subsist but by being so.”

Vide a comic poem called the last dying words of the 18th century; other authorities place the introduction of innoculation in 1721.

Which then was thought a great evil, amounting to the sum of £47,938,288...3s...3¾o.; the author does not know its amount now to so exact a calculation, but fears the evil is not much lessened.

April 27th, His Royal Highness Frederick Prince of Wales married Augusta, sister to the Duke of Saxe Gotha.

Porteous, Captain of the City Guard, having commanded his men to fire on the mob at a riot, occasioned by the execution of one Wilson, a smuggler, was himself dragged from prison, and hanged by the populace.

Theodore retained so much attachment to regal form and ceremony, that when the amount of a subscription for his support was presented to him, he received the donors with his hat on, while seated under the half-tester of a wretched bed, which served for a throne and canopy.

Last dying words of the eighteenth century.

Admiral Vernon took Porto Bello with only six ships of the line. Admiral Haddock also took a Spanish Register ship, worth £120,000.

Micajah Perry, Esq. the then Lord Mayor, laid the first stone of the Mansion House; and the Charter for instituting the Foundling Hospital was obtained by Captain Coram. Westminster and Blackfriars Bridges were also built in this reign.

Sir Robert Walpole made a very remarkable speech in one of these debates, part of which ran thus:—“Gentlemen have talked a great deal of patriotism; a venerable word, sir, when duly practised. But I am sorry, sir, to say, that of late it has been so much hackneyed about, that it is in danger of falling into disgrace. The very idea of true patriotism is lost, and the term has been prostituted to the very worst of purposes. A patriot! sir! why patriots spring up like mushroons! I could raise fifty of them within the four-and-twenty hours. I have raised many of them, sir, in one night, it is but refusing to gratify an unreasonable or an insolent demand, and up starts a patriot. I have never been afraid of making patriots, sir, but I disdain and despise all they can do!”

He was, on his resignation, created Earl of Orford.

The Duke of Argyle was particularly hostile to the late Minister, and, on Mr. Pulteney's advising moderation, threw up all his employments, while the people exclaimed the nation was betrayed by screening the Earl of Orford.

The King and the Duke of Cumberland fought with the greatest bravery in posts of most imminent danger,—the latter received a wound in the leg.

Marshal Noailles likewise behaved well, but at length sounded a retreat, after loosing 6000 men and many officers;—the loss of the allies was 2,500 and 2 officers.

Sir John Norris, whose superior force drove back the invading fleet, on board of which was the Pretender's son, was charged with want of spirit in not effecting more.

On the 11th of February the combined French and Spanish Fleets resolved to fight their way from Toulon, where they were blocked up by Admiral Mathews. Our fleet was vastly inferior as to number, and the enemy escaped under cover of the night, with the loss of one ship of the line, and 1000 men killed; our killed and wounded amounted to 400—An enquiry was afterwards made into the conduct of our admirals, for letting the enemy escape so well, Mathews and some captains were broke, Lestock and the rest honourably acquitted.

The Young Pretender landed in one of the Western Isles, on the 14th of July, and great numbers flocked to his standard,—he soon proclaimed his father at Perth, and got possession of Edinburgh; defeated Sir John Cope, and obtained a complete victory at Preston Panns, where the celebrated colonel Gardener was killed by the scythe of a Highlander; the Young Pretender then proceeded as far as Manchester, where the preparations made to oppose him, and the march of the Duke of Cumberland, occasioned a retreat of the rebel army, which the Duke finally overtook, and entirely subdued on the Plain of Culloden, April the 16th, the soi disant prince with difficulty escaped to France, and left many of his partizans to pay dearly for their attachment to his supposed rights.

In the East Indies, Commodore Peyton declined engaging the French Admiral de la Bourdonnais, who took Madras; the Spaniards carried their treasures safe to Old Spain;—and Commodore Mitchell, who was ordered to intercept a French fleet, from Martinico, suffered it to escape, for which he was tried and broke— An armament against Quebec, under Admiral Lestock and Gener I Sinclair, sailed too late to effect its purpose, and being then sent to surprise port L'Orient failed also in that attempt.

Admirals Anson and Warren were victorious over the French fleet, on the 3d of May, taking many ships of the line;— 46 merchantmen richly laden were captured in June; Admiral Hawke took 6 ships of the line in October.

The bravery and conduct of Sir John Ligonier at the battle of Val, saved the allied army, altho' himself was taken prisoner while endeavouring to preserve the Duke of Cumberland.

His royal highness died on the 20th of March, 1751.

The Kings of Portugal and Sweden, the Princes of Wales and Orange, and the Queen of Denmark, daughter of George II.

The Duke of Cumberland distinguished himself in every battle he was present at on the Continent. At sea, Admiral Boscawen defeated M. de la Clue, and took or burned four large ships of the line; he also took Louisburgh. General Amherst took Ticonderago, Crown Point, and Montreal. Admiral Hawke gloriously vanquished the French fleet in Quiberon Bay. Sir William Johnson took Nigara; Martinico, Guadaloupe, and Maregalante, were also taken. Lord Howe was killed gallantly fighting near Ticonderago, and succeeded by an Abercrombie. Monckton and Townsend signalized themselves with the immortal Wolfe. In Africa, Senegal was taken by Commodore Marsh, under the direction of Mr. Cumming, a Quaker.

The Rev. Dr. Dingley assisted by Henry Fielding, Esq. and the celebrated, tho' unfortunate, Dr. Dodd, were among the first whose warm-hearted ideas gave birth to this valuable institution.

October 25th, at Kensington, His Majesty had risen early, and anxious for news from Germany, he threw up a window sash to observe the wind, which exertion probably broke a blood vessel; for, very soon after, he fell exclaiming, “Call Amelia!” but was dead before the Princess reached the apartment. He was a soldier, a politician, and the father of his people—a warm temper his only foible; impartial in justice, he administered it with mercy; sincere and open, he disdained deceit, and was never known to break his word. The liberties of Europe, and the constitution of England, were constantly upheld by his wise and resolute conduct; and he died in the fulness of his glory. —Vide Lockman, &c.

Another Author says, “His public character was marked with a predilection for his native country, to which he sacrificed all other motives. If an error, certainly not a very unnatural one” Luffman's Elements of History and Chronology.