the ties of our antient union and friendship, in fuch a manner as may render the peace fecure and durable.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "My particular thanks are due to you, for the ample provifion you have made for the fervice of the current year. Nothing could have contributed fo much to the putting an end to the calamities of war, and reducing our future expences, as thefe welljudged fupplies. The most prudent economy shall be made ufe of in the application of them and you may be affured, nothing will give me more real pleafure, than to take the first opportunity of lessening the prefent burthens of my people.

"My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"I cannot fufficiently exprefs my entire fatisfaction in your whole conduct, during this feffion; and I must recommend it to you, to promote in your feveral counties a right fenfe of those measures, which have been fo neceffarily taken for the fecurity and ease of my people. As it is the earnest defire of my heart to fee the crown of Great-Britain maintain that figure, ftrength, and weight, in making war and peace, which juftly belong to it, it is equally fo, to fee my good fubjects enjoy the bleffings of tranquility and profperity.

About four in the afternoon, his Majefty fet out from St. James's to embark for Holland, in order to proceed for his German dominions. He remained windbound at Harwich till the 19th, when he failed from thence about two in the afternoon with the wind at S. by W. Lord Anson commanded the squadron that convoyed his Majefty.

May 16. This night a messenger arrived from the earl of Sandwich, his Majesty's minifter plenipotentiary at Aix-la-Chapelle, with the ratifications of the preliminary articles, which were exchanged on the 21st inftant, N. S. between the minifters of his Britannic Majefty, the moft Chriftian King, and the States General of the United Provinces.

May 19. An order was iffued out from the Lords of the Admiralty to capt. Lloyd, commander of the Glasgow man of war, at Sheerness, to fail with all expedition to Newfoundland and North America, and to advertise all captains and commanders he meets, belonging to Great-Britain, to cease hoftilities against the French.

May 20. Mr. Dick, one of his Majefty's meffengers, arrived at his grace the duke of Newcastle's office, with the act of aç

ceffion of the empress queen of Hungary to the preliminary articles, which were signed at Aix-la-Chapelle by count Kauntix the 25th of this inftant May. N. S.

May 22. The general affembly at Edinburgh was diffolved by his grace the High Commiffioner, with the ufual folemnity; after having made an act, that every minifter of the church of Scotland, fhall preach the first fabbath of every quarter, upon revolution principles, and against popery, &c.

May 26. Upon advice of his Majesty's landing in Holland, on Sunday last, the lords juftices opened their commiffion, when they appointed Richard Nevil Aldworth, and Jobn Potter, efgrs to be their secretaries.

May 28. A meffenger arrived from the earl of Sandwich, at Aix-la-Chapelle, with the acts of acceffion of the king of Sardinia, and his moft ferene highness the duke of Modena, to the preliminary articles.

The people in France were become fo mutinous for want of bread and other neceflary provifions, that dangerous infurections had happened in feveral parts of that kingdom, particularly at Bourdeaux, from whence arrived the following accounts "The benefit which peace is likely to bring to this kingdom, began to manifeft itself here, on the arrival of thirty fhips laden with wheat from England. The Intendant immediately caufed their cargoes to be diftributed to the people, who were in the greatest diftrefs, bread being fold for 12d. a pound, and for eleven days together there was none to be had; but the arrival of these fhips foon filled the town with plenty and joy, and instantly occafioned the price to fall to gd. per pound."

Another good effect for that kingdom was, that the ceflation raised their Eaft-India ftock at once from below 1200 to 1600 per cent. and in order to revive their ruined trade, his moft Chriftian Majefty by an arret, gave them leave to make a lottery for 1,200,000 livres.

June 2. His Britannic majesty having arrived at Helvoetfluys early in the morning fet out at fix the fame morning on his journey to Hanover, had an interview with the princess of Orange at Maeflandfluys, another with the prince of Orange at Utrecht, and on the 4th arrived at Herenbaufen.

June 4. The Swallow packet, capt. Phillips, arrived at Falmouth from Jamaica, and brought the following account, viz. that after the reduction of Port Louis, admiral Knowles failed immediately for St. Jago de Cuba,

where

AN

$748. N exprefs arrived from FalJan. 7. mouth with advice, that M. de la Bourdenaye, late commander in chief of the French king's fhips in India, was feized the 4th inftant, on board a Dutch fhip, called the Statianfe Friendship, captain Decker, bound from St. Euftatia to Holland. The above hip put into Falmouth the 22d paft, by contrary winds, and it being difcovered that this gentleman was on board her, application was made to captain Blad well, commander of his Majefty's ship the Mercury, who went, with a proper number of men, to fearch the fhip for him the commodore at first denied himself, but on examining his packets he was discovered, and, with his fecretary and another officer, was brought athore; and, on their parole, had the liberty of the town of Falmouth.

:

He was the commanding officer when the French took Madrass or Fort St. George, where he got great riches, which he put on board a Portuguese fhip at St. Paul de Loagana, where he put in to victual and water the French men of war, on his voyage tom India to Martinico; at which island

he arrived with the French fquadron of five men of war, the beginning of September laft, and quitted his command, and went to St. Euftatia to get a paffage for Holland.

The reafon of this his conduct was faid to be, that having been formerly employed on fome confiderable ftation by the French Eaft-India company, he had embezzled a large fum, to the amount, of a million of livres; but by the influence of his brotherin-law, who was then a perfon of great confequence in the direction of the faid company, he was fo far from suffering difgrace, that he was continued in employment, and promoted from time to time, till at length he was appointed to command the fquadron that failed to take Fort St. George. However, before he could finish his expedition and return home, his friend loft his influence, and even his employment in the Eaft-India company: and fo fearing the ftorm would again break out against him, having before converted all the spoil of Fort St. George into diamonds, he took the course above-mentioned, towards the end of the month, he was brought up to London.

money by annuities and a lottery, to be charged on the faid fubfidy: and an act to revive and make perpetual two acts of parliament, to prevent frivolous and vexatious arrefts.

His grace Jobn duke of Bedford, was appointed one of his Majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate.

The earl of Sandwich, lord Vere Beauelerk, lord Ansen, vi count Barrington, lord Duncannon, Welhore Ellis, and Jcbn Stanhope, efqrs. lords commiflioners of the admiralty.

Roger Townfbend, efq. made receivergeneral of the customs.

John Eckerfall, efq. made regifter-general of all trading fhips belonging to GreatBritain.

Jeremiah Dyfon, efq. made under-clerk of the parliaments, to attend upon the Houfe of Commons, in the room of

Nicholas Hardinge, efq. who refigned.

Dr. Thomas Gooch, lord bishop of Norwich, tranflated to the fee of Ely, vacant by the death of Dr. Butts.

Feb. 20. The honourable Mr. Bentinck, brother to count Bentinck, and one of the deputy ftates of Holland, arrived here from that country, on affairs of great impor

tance.

A proclamation was published, ftri&tly forbidding all commerce, of what nature foever, with the fubjects of the French king; and to direct all officers of the revenue, and others, in the fervice of the public, to aflift in the execution thereof to the utmost of their power.

Feb. 24. This morning his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Cumberland, accompanied by feveral officers of distinction, fet out from his apartments at St. James's for Harwich, in order to embaik for Flanders, and take on him the command of the

army.

Feb. 25. Sir Jen Ligonier and lord

Cathcart, let out for Harwich, in order to embark for Flanders.

The Magnanimous, a French man of war, was taken by the Nottingham and Portland, two of admiral Hareke's iquadron.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland arrived at the Hague on Saturday, Feb. 27. He was thirty-feven hours going to Helland before he landed, and was in great danger by the large quantities of ice which interrupted his paffage.

Accounts were received, in a letter from captain Pocock, the commanding officer of his Majefty's faips at Barbadoes and

the Leeward Islands, dated Jan, 12, that his Majesty's fhips in those parts had taken about thirty fail of the convoy that failed from France with the French men of war which Sir Edward Hawke fell in with; and that about ten more of that convoy had also been taken by the privateers of the faid iflands: that a French privateer had been taken by his Majesty's ship the Ludlow Caffle, and that five French privateers had alfo been taken by his Majefty's fhip the Centaur.

March 8. Abstract of the refolution of the court of feffion, concerning the value of the heretable jurifdictions in Scotland.

Total £. 164,232 16

An order of council was published, d recting that all the rules and regulatio relating to the distempered cattle, fhou remain in full force for the fpace of t days longer, to commence from the 14 inftant, The two preceding orders wer the first for a month, and the other f fourteen days.

March 11. His Majefty received t compliments of the nobility and gentry account of the fafe delivery of her Roy Highnefs the Princess of Orange of a Princ when their Royal Highneffes the Prin and Princess of Wales likewife paid th compliments on the fame occafion. E Majefty ordered one hundred guineas to t meffenger who brought the news.

A perpetuity paffed the great feal abo this time, granted to the mafters and f lows of Gonvil and Caius college, Cambrid and their fucceffors, to hold in mortm for ever any lands, tenements, &c.

A bill to indemnify perfons who have omitted to qualify themselves for offices according to law, and for allowing farther time for that purpose:

And to feveral road and private bills.

About one o'clock in the morning, a fire broke out at Mr. Eldridge's a perriwigmaker in Exchange-alley, Cornbill, which proved one of the most terrible, before it was extinguished, that had happened fince the fire of London in 1666. The flames in a few minutes fpread themfelves three different ways, and before noon confumed, according to the best computation that could be made, very near one hundred houses, about twenty of which fronted Cornbill, and the reft were in Birchin-lane, Exchangealley, George-yard, and all the avenues thereabouts, notwithstanding all poffible means were used to ftop them; there being upwards of fifty engines, which were well manned by the populace, and in general pretty well fupplied with water; but the wind being fouth fouth weft, all the bankers houfes in Lombard-ftreet, and their effects, were preferved. No public office was burnt, except the London Affurance, who had time to fave all their effects, and fuffered only in the lofs of their house. By the great care of the right honourable the Lord Mayor, and feveral other magiftrates, who were prefent, by the diligence and dexterity of the firemen and officers, and by the affiftance of the guards from St. James's and the Tower, the greateft part of the goods and valuable effects of the fufferers were faved.

Garrawey's, the Jerufalem and Jonathan's coffee-houfes, the Swan tavern,

Mr. Young's a woollen-draper, with the reft of the houses in Change-alley, were destroyed, except Baker's and Sam's coffee-houses, which were greatly damaged. The flames extended themfelves into Cornhill, and burnt down the houses of Mr. Aftley, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Strahan, Mr. Waltboe, and Mr. Brotberten, bookfellers; Mr. Dep. Cleve, a pewterer; Mr. Warner, a ftationer; Tom's and the Rainbow coffee-houses, the Fleece and Three-tuns taverns, a milliner's next the Three tuns, and a cabinet maker's the corner of Birchin-lane; Mr. Legg's, a woollen-draper, the other corner, a fhoe-maker's, with another woollen-dra per's adjoining; the London Affurance of fice, the widow Harrison's, Mr. Vaughan's, a haberdasher, Mrs. Sarrazin's, the corner of Michael's-alley; in the faid alley, Mr. Knight's fhoe-ware-houfe, the Cock and Lion, a public-houfe, the houfe of Mr. Guyther, a perriwig-maker, Mr. Oldis, a fadler; the Jamaica coffee-house was but little damaged, as was likewife St. Michael's church: the houfes in Caftle-court and White-lion-court, Birchin-lane, were all confumed; the back part of the George and Vulture tavern, Helford's coffee-houfe, and the house of Mr. Willmore, a hofier, in George-Yard, were confumed, and great damages done to other houfes in the faid yard; the Penfylvania, Carolina and Georgia coffee-houfe, the Marine coffee-house, the Savord-blade and Cole's coffee-houses, the houfe of Mr. Shaw, a fhoe-maker, Mr. Wilfon, a ftationer, and all the others in Birchin-lane, excepting eight towards Lombard-ftreet, were likewife confumed.

Mr. Eldridge, his wife and two daughters, and a journeyman perished in the flames; the two apprentices and the fervant-maid only efcaping, Mr. Cooke, a merchant, that lodged in the house, jumped out of a two pair of flairs window, broke his back, and died foon after.

Several perfons were detected in feloniously carrying off goods in the general confufion, and committed to the Compter. The goods of the fufferers were most of them fecured in the Royal-exchange.

A foldier on guard at the fire ftabbed a man who refused to aflift in carrying water to the engines, in fo dangerous a manner that his life was defpaired of the foldier was committed to the Compter.

It was obferved, that the fire communicated itself chiefly by the tops of the houses, over the party walls; which it is prefumed, fhewed the neceffity of building thofe walls

B 2