NOTES TO CHAPTER X.

ing the river Nore navigable
from the city of Kilkenny to
the town of Innestalge; twen.
ty thousand pounds towards
carrying on an inland naviga-
tion from the city of Dublin
to the river Shannon; four
thousand pounds for making
the river Newry navigable; a
thousand pounds a year for
two years, for the encourage-
ment of English protestant

364

CHAPTER XI.

Letter from M. Rouillé to the Secretary of State-The two Nations recriminate on each other-The French threaten Great Britain with an Invasion-Requisition of six thousand Dutch Troops according to Treaty-Message from the King to the Parliament-A Body of Hessians and Hanoverians transported into England-French Preparations at Toulon-Admiral Byng sails for the Mediterranean— He arrives at Gibraltar-Engages M. de la Galissoniere off Minorca-and returns to Gibraltar-Ferment of the People at Home-Admiral Byng superseded and sent home Prisoner-Account of the Siege of St. Philip's Fort in Minorca-Precautions taken by General Blakeney-Siege commenced-English Squadron appears-General Attack of the Works-The Garrison capitulates-Sir Edward Hawke sails to Minorca-Rejoicings in France, and Clamours in England-Gallantry of Fortunatus Wright -General Blakeney created a Baron-Measures taken for the Defence of Great Britain-Proclamation-Earl of Loudon appointed Commander in Chief in America-His Britannic Majesty's Declara tion of War-Substance of the French King's Declaration-Address of the City of London-Trial of General Fowke-Affairs of America-Colonel Bradstreet defeats a Body of French on the River Onondago-Earl of Loudon arrives at New-York-Oswego reduced by the Enemy-Further Proceedings in America-Naval Operations in that Country-Transactions in the East Indies-Calcutta besieged by the Viceroy of Bengal-Deplorable Fate of those who perished in the Dungeon there-Additional Cruelties exercised on Mr. Holwell- Resolution against Angria-Port of Geriah taken by Ad. miral Watson and Mr. Clive-Their subsequent Proceedings in the River Ganges.

LETTER FROM M. ROUILLE.

IN the month of January Mr. Fox, lately appointed secretary of state, received a letter from Mr. Rouillé, minister and secretary of state for foreign affairs to the king of France, expostulating, in the name of his sovereign, upon the orders and instructions for committing hostilities, which his Britannic majesty had given to general Braddock and admiral Boscawen, in diametrical opposition to the most solemn assurances so often repeated by word of mouth, as well as in writing. He complained of the insult which had been offered to his master's flag in attacking and taking two of his ships in the open sea, without any previous declaration of war; as also by committing depredations on the commerce of his most christian majesty's subjects, in contempt of the law of nations, the faith of treaties, and the usages established among civilized nations. He said, the sentiments and character of his Britannic majesty gave the king his master room to expect, that, at his return to London, he would disavow the conduct of his admiralty; but seeing that, instead of punishing, he rather encouraged those who had been guilty of such depredations, his most christian majesty would be deemed deficient in what he owed to his own glory, the dignity of his crown, and the defence of his people, if he deferred any longer demanding a signal reparation for the outrage done to the French flag, and the damage sustained by his subjects. He, therefore, demanded immediate and full restitution of all the French ships, which, contrary to law and decorum, had been taken by the English navy, to. gether with all the officers, soldiers, mariners, guns, stores, and merchandise. He declared, that should this restitution be made, he should be willing to engage in a negotiation for what further satisfaction he might claim, and continue desirous to see the differences relating to America determined by a solid and equitable accommodation; but if, contrary to all hopes, these demands should be rejected, he would consider such a denial of justice as the most authentic declaration of war, and as a formed design in the court of London to disturb the peace of Europe. To this peremptory remon strance the British secretary was directed to answer, that though the king of England would readily consent to an equitable and solid accommodation, he would not comply with the demand of immediate and full restitution as a preliminary

condition; for his majesty had taken no steps but such as were rendered just and indispensable by the hostilities which the French began in time of profound peace, and a proper regard for his own honour, the rights and possessions of his crown, and the security of his kingdoms.

Without all doubt the late transactions had afforded specious arguments for both nations to imThe French peach the conduct of each other. court, conscious of their encroachments in Nova ticulars belonging to a disputed territory, and to Scotia, affected to draw a shade over these, as pardivert the attention to the banks of the Ohio, where Jamonville and his detachment had been attacked and massacred by the English, without the least provocation. They likewise inveighed against the capture of their ships, before any declaration of powers of Europe seemed to consider them in the war, as flagrant acts of piracy; and some neutral same point of view. It was certainly high time to and surely this might have been as effectually and check the insolence of the French by force of arms, a formal declaration; the omission of which exexpeditiously exerted under the usual sanction of posed the administration to the censure of our neighbours, and fixed the imputation of fraud and free-booting on the beginning of the war. The ministry was said to have delayed the ceremony of denouncing war from political considerations, supposing that, should the French be provoked into the first declaration of this kind, the powers of Europe would consider his most christian majesty as the aggressor, and Great Britain would reap all the fruits of the defensive alliances in which she had engaged. But nothing could be more weak is he who first violates the peace; and every ally and frivolous than such a conjecture. The aggressor The administration interest and convenience. will interpret the aggression according to his own of their hostilities. The merchant ships, of which maintained the appearance of candour in the midst a great number had been taken from the French, were not sold and divided among the captors, according to the practice of war; but carefully seorder to be restored to the right owners, in case questered, with all their cargoes and effects, in the disputes between the two nations should not be productive of an open rupture. In this parti sense had not been blended with their honourable cular, however, it was pity that a little common intention. Great part of the cargoes consisted of

fish, and other perishable commodities, which were left to rot and putrefy, and afterwards thrown overboard to prevent contagion; so that the owners and captors were equally disappointed, and the value of them lost to both nations.

king of England, as it appeared by the declaration of his most christian majesty; that their granting these succours would immediately lay them under the necessity of demanding, in their turn, assistance from Great Britain. From this way of arguing, the English may perceive what they have to

THE FRENCH THREATEN GREAT BRITAIN expect in cases of emergency from the friendship WITH AN INVASION.

THE Court of Versailles, while they presented
remonstrances which they knew would prove inef-
fectual, and exclaimed against the conduct of Great
Britain with all the arts of calumny and exaggera-
tion at every court in Christendom, continued
nevertheless to make such preparations as denoted
a design to prosecute the war with uncommon
vigour. They began to repair and fortify Dunkirk :
orders were published, that all British subjects
should quit the dominions of Frauce: many English
vessels were seized in the different ports of that
kingdom, and their crews sent to prison. At the
same time an edict was issued, inviting the French
subjects to equip privateers, offering a premium of
forty livres for every gun, and as much for every
and pro-
man they should take from the enemy;
mising that, in case a peace should be speedily
concluded, the king would purchase the privateers
at prime cost. They employed great numbers of
artificers and seamen in equipping a formidable
squadron of ships at Brest; and assembling a strong
body of land-forces, as well as a considerable num-
ber of transports, threatened the island of Great
Britain with a dangerous invasion.

REQUISITION OF SIX THOUSAND DUTCH
TROOPS.

THE English people were seized with consterna-
tion: the ministry were alarmed and perplexed.
Colonel Yorke, the British resident at the Hague,
was ordered by his majesty to make a requisition
of the six thousand men whom the States-general
are obliged by treaty to furnish, when Great Britain
shall be threatened with an invasion; and in
February he presented a memorial for this pur-
pose. Monsieur d'Affry, the French king's minis-
ter at the Hague, having received intimation of
this demand, produced a counter-memorial from
his master, charging the English as the aggressors,
and giving the States-general plainly to understand,
that, should they grant the succours demanded by
Great Britain, he would consider their compliance
as an act of hostility against himself. The Dutch,
though divided among themselves by faction, were
unanimously averse to any measure that might
involve them in the approaching war. Their com
merce was in a great measure decayed, and their
finances were too much exhausted to admit of an
iramediate augmentation of their forces, which for
many other reasons they strove to avoid. They
foresaw a great increase of trade in their adhering
to a punctual neutrality: they were afraid of the
French by land, and jealous of the English by sea;
and, perhaps, enjoyed the prospect of seeing these
two proud and powerful nations humble and im-
poverish each other. Certain it is, the States-gen-
eral protracted their answer to Mr. Yorke's me-
morial by such affected delays, that the court of
London perceived their intention, and, in order to
avoid the mortification of a flat denial, the king
ordered his resident to acquaint the princess regent,
that he would not insist upon his demand. The
States, thus freed from their perplexity, at length
delivered an answer to Mr. Yorke, in which they
expatiated on the difficulties they were laid under,
and thanked his Britannic majesty for having freed
them by his declaration from that embarrassment
into which they were thrown by his first demand
and the counter-memorial of the French minister.
The real sentiments of those people, however, more
plainly appeared in the previous resolution deliver-
ed to the States of Holland by the towns of Am-
sterdam, Dort, Haerlam, Gouda, Rotterdam, and
Enckhuysen, declaring flatly that England was un-
controvertibly the aggressor in Europe, by seizing
a considerable number of French vessels: that the
threatened invasion of Great Britain did not affect
the republic's guarantee of the protestant succes
sion, inasmuch as it was only intended to obtain
reparation for the injury sustained by the subjects
of his most christiau majesty; finally, that the suc
cours demanded could be of no advantage to the

of their nearest allies, who must always be furnished with the same excuse, whenever they find it convenient or necessary to their own interest. Such a consideration, joined to other concurring motives, ought to induce the British legislature to withdraw its dependence from all foreign connections, and provide such a constitutional force within itself, as will be fully sufficient to baffle all the efforts of an external enemy. The apprehensions and distraction of the people at this juncture plainly evinced the expediency of such a national force; but different parties were divided in their opinions about the nature of such a provision. Some of the warmest friends of their country proposed a well-regulated militia, as an institution that would effectually answer the purpose of defending a wide extended sea coast from invasion; while, on the other hand, this proposal was ridiculed and refuted as impracticable or useless by all the retainers to the court, and all the officers of the standing army. In the meantime, as the experiment could not be immediately tried, and the present juncture demanded some instant determination, recourse was had to a foreign remedy.

Towards the latter end of March, the king sent a written message to parliament, intimating that be had received repeated advices from different persons and places that a design had been formed by the French court to invade Great Britain or Ire. land; and the great preparations of forces, ships, artillery, and warlike stores, then notoriously making in the ports of France opposite to the British coasts, together with the language of the French ministers in some foreign courts, left little room to doubt the reality of such a design: that his majesty had augmented his forces both by sea and land, and taken proper measures and precautions for putting his kingdom in a posture of defence: that, in order further to strengthen himself, he had made a requisition of a body of Hessian troops, pursuant to the late treaty, to be forthwith brought over, and for that purpose ordered transports to be prepared; that he doubted not of being enabled and supported by his parliament in taking such measures as might be conducive to an end so essential to the honour of his crown, the preservation of the protestant religion, and the laws and liberties of these kingdoms. This message was no sooner received, than both houses voted, composed, and presented very warm and affectionate addresses, in which his majesty was thanked for the requisition he had made of the Hessian troops; a measure which at any other time would have been stigmatized with all the satire and rhetoric of the opposition.

HESSIANS AND HANOVERIANS TRANS

PORTED INTO ENGLAND.

EVEN this precaution was thought not sufficient to secure the island, and quiet the terrors of the people. In a few days Mr. Fox the new minister, encouraged by the unanimity which had appeared so conspicuous in the motions for the late addresses, ventured to move again, in the house of commons, that another address should be presented to the king, beseeching his majesty, that for the more ef fectual defence of this island, and for the better security of the religion and liberties of his subjects, against the threatened attack by a foreign enemy, he would be graciously pleased to order twelve battalions of his electoral troops, together with the usual detachment of artillery, to be forthwith brought into this kingdom. There was a considerable party in the house, to whom such a motion was odious and detestable; but considering the critical situation of affairs, they were afraid that a direct opposition might expose them to a more odious suspicion: they, therefore, moved for the order of the day, and insisted on the question's being put upon that motion; but it was carried in the nega tive by a considerable majority, which also agreed to the other proposal. The resolution of the house was communicated to the lords, who unanimously concurred; and their joint address being presented, his majesty assured them he would immediately

comply with their request. Accordingly, such expedition was used, that in the course of the next month both Hanoverians and Hessians arrived in England, and encamped in different parts of the kingdom. As the fears of an invasion subsided in the minds of the people, their antipathy to these foreign auxiliaries emerged. They were beheld with the eyes of jealousy, suspicion, and disdain. They were treated with contempt, reserve, and rigour. The ministry was execrated for having reduced the nation to such a low circumstance of disgrace, as that they should owe their security to German mercenaries. There were not wanting some incendiaries, who circulated hints and insinu ations, that the kingdom had been purposely left unprovided; and that the natives of South Britain had been formerly subdued and expelled by a body of Saxon auxiliaries, whom they had hired for their preservation. In a word, the doubts and suspicions of a people, naturally blunt and jealous, were inflamed to such a degree of animosity, that nothing would have restrained them from violent acts of outrage, but the most orderly, modest, and inoffensive behaviour by which both the Hanoverians and Hessians were distinguished.

FRENCH PREPARATIONS AT TOULON. UNDER the cloak of an invading armament, which engrossed the attention of the British nation, the French were actually employed in preparations for an expedition, which succeeded according to their wish. In the beginning of the year, advice was received that a French squadron would soon be in a condition to sail from Toulon: this was afterwards confirmed by repeated intelligence, not only from foreign gazettes, but also from English ministers and consuls residing in Spain and Italy. They affirmed that the Toulon squadron consisted of twelve or fifteen ships of the line, with a great number of transports; that they were supplied with provision for two months only, consequently could not be intended for America; and that strong bodies of troops were on their march from different parts of the French dominions to Dauphiné and Provence in order to be embarked. Notwithstanding these particulars of information, which plainly pointed out Minorca as the object of their expedition; notwithstanding the extensive and important commerce carried on by the subjects of Great Britain in the Mediterranean; no care was taken to send thither a squadron of ships capable to protect the trade, and frustrate the designs of the enemy. That great province was left to a few inconsiderable ships and frigates, which could serve no other purpose than that of carrying intelligence from port to port, and euriching their commanders, by making prize of merchant vessels. Nay, the ministry seemed to pay little or no regard to the remonstrances of general Blakeney, deputy governor of Minorca, who, in repeated advices, represented the weakness of the garrison which he commanded in St. Philip's castle, the chief fortress on the island. Far from strengthening the garrison with a proper reinforcement, they did not even send thither the officers belonging to it, who were in England upon leave of absence, uor give directions for any vessel to transport them, until the French armament was ready to make a descent upon that island. [See note Y Y, at the end of this Vol.]

AFTER all the intelligence which had been received, one would imagine the government of England was still ignorant of the enemy's force and destination; for the instructions delivered to admiral Byng, imported, that on his arrival at Gibraltar, he should inquire whether any French squadron had passed through the straits; and that, being certified in the affirmative, as it was probably designed for North America, he should immediately detach rear-admiral West to Louisbourg, on the island of Cape-Breton, with such a number of ships, as, when joined with those at Halifax, would consti tute a force superior to the armament of the enemy. On the second day of May, admiral Byng arrived at Gibraltar, where he found captain Edgecumbe, with the Princess Louisa ship of war, and a sloop, who informed him that the French armament, com manded by M. de la Galissonniere, consisting of thirteen ships of the line, with a great number of transports, having on board a body of fifteen thou sand land forces, had sailed from Toulon on the tenth day of April, and made a descent upon the island of Minorca, from whence he (capt. Edge. cumbe) had been obliged to retire at their approach. General Fowke, who commanded at Gibraltar, had received two successive orders from the secretary at war, with respect to his sparing a battalion of troops to be transported by Mr. Byng, as a reinforcement to Minorca; but as the two orders appeared inconsistent or equivocal, a council of war was consulted, and the majority were of opinion that no troops should be sent from thence to Minor. ca, except a detachment to supply the deficiency in the little squadron of capt. Edgecumbe, who had left a good number of his seamen and mariners, under the command of captain Scroop, to assist in the defence of Fort St. Philip's. These articles of intelligence the admiral despatched by an express to the lords of the admiralty, and in his letter made use of some impolitic expressions, which, in all probability, it would have been well for him had he omitted. He said, if he had been so happy as to have arrived at Mahon before the French had land ed, he flattered himself he should have been able to prevent their getting a footing on that island. He complained, that there were no magazines in Gib raltar for supplying the squadron with necessaries; that the eareening wharfs, pits, and store-houses were entirely decayed, so that he should find the greatest difficulty in cleaning the ships that were foul; and this was the case with some of those he carried out from England, as well as with those which had been for some time cruising in the Medi terranean. He signified his opinion, that, even i it should be found practicable, it would be very impolitic to throw any men into St. Philip's castle which could not be saved without a land force suffi cient to raise the siege; therefore, a small rein forcement would only add so many men to the number which must fall into the hands of the ene my. He observed, that such engineers and artillery; men in Gibraltar, as had been at Minorca, were of opinion, that it would be impossible to throw any number of men into St. Philip's, if the French had Ar length, the destination of the enemy's fleet erected batteries on the two shores near the en being universally known, the ministry seemed to trance of the harbour, so as to bar all passage up rouse from their lethargy, and, like persons sudden- the sally-port of the fortress; and with this opinion ly waked, acted with hurry and precipitation. In-he signified the concurrence of his own sentiments. stead of detaching a squadron that in all respects The first part of this letter was a downright im should be superior to the French fleet in the Medi-peachment of the ministry, for having delayed the terranean, and bestowing the command of it upon an officer of approved courage and activity, they allotted no more than ten ships of the line for this service, vesting the command of them in admiral Byng, who had never met with any occasion to signalize his courage, and whose character was not very popular in the navy; but Mr. West, the second in command, was a gentleman universally respected for his probity, ability, and resolution. The ten ships destined for this expedition, were but in very indifferent order, poorly manned, and unprovided with either hospital or fire-ship. They sailed from Spithead on the seventh day of April, having on

ADMIRAL BYNG SAILS FOR THE MEDI-
TERRANEAN.

to

expedition, for having sent out ships unfit for ser vice, and for having neglected the magazines and wharfs at Gibraltar. In the latter part he seemed to prepare them for the subsequent account of his misconduct and miscarriage. It cannot be supposed that they underwent this accusation without appre hension and resentment; and as they foresaw the loss of Minorca, which would not fail to excite a national clamour, perhaps they now began to take measures for gratifying their resentment, and transferring the blame from themselves to the per son who had presumed to hint a disapprobation of their conduct; for this purpose they could not have

93

a

4

found a fairer opportunity than Mr. Byng's sub
GEORGE II.
sequent behaviour afforded.

HE ENGAGES M. DE LA GALISSONNIERE
OFF MINORCA.

THE admiral being strengthened by Mr. Edge cumbe, and reinforced by a detachment from the garrison, set sail from Gibraltar on the eighth day of May, and was joined off Majorca by his majesty's ship the Phoenix, under the command of captain Hervey, who confirmed the intelligence he had already received, touching the strength and destination of the French squadron. When he approached Minorca, he descried the British colours still flying at the castle of St. Philip's, and several bomb-bat teries playing upon it from different quarters where the French banners were displayed. Thus informed, he detached three ships a-head, with captain Hervey, to reconnoitre the harbour's mouth, and land, if possible, a letter for general Blakeney, giving him to understand the fleet was come to his the French fleet appearing to the south-east, and Before this attempt could be made, the wind blowing strong off shore, he recalled his ships, and formed the line of battle. About six o'clock in the evening, the enemy, to the number of seventeen ships, thirteen of which appeared to be very large, advanced in order; but about seven tacked, with a view to gain the weather-gage. Mr. Byng, in order to preserve that advantage, as well as to make sure of the land-wind in the morning, followed leagues from Cape Mola. At day-light the enemy their example, being then about five could not be descried; but two tartanes appearing close to the rear of the English squadron, they were immediately chased by signal. One escaped, and the other being taken, was found to have on board two French captains, two lieutenants, and about one hundred private soldiers, part of six hundred who had been sent out in tartanes the preceding day, to reinforce the enemy's squadron. This soon re-appearing, the line of battle was formed on each side, and about two o'clock admiral Byng threw out a signal to bear away two points from the wind and engage. At this time his distance from the enemy was so great, that rearadmiral West, perceiving it impossible to comply with both orders, bore away with his division seven dpoints from the wind, and closing down upon the enemy, attacked them with such impetuosity that the ships which opposed him were in a little time driven out of the line. Had he been properly sus tained by the van, in all probability the British fleet would have obtained a complete victory; but the other division did not bear down, and the enemy's centre keeping that station, rear-admiral West could not pursue his advantage without running the risk of seeing his communication with the rest of the line entirely cut off. In the beginning of the action, the Intrepid, in Mr. Byng's division, was so disabled in her rigging, that she could not be managed, and drove on the ship that was next in position; a circumstance which obliged several others to throw all aback, in order to avoid confusion, and for some time retarded the action. Certain it is, that Mr. Byng, though accommodated with a noble ship of ninety guns, made little or no use of his artillery, but kept aloof, either from an overstrained observance of discipline, or timidity. When his captain exhorted him to bear down upon the enemy, he very coolly replied, that he would avoid the error of admiral Matthews, who, in his engagement with the French and Spanish squadrons off Toulon, during the preceding war, had broke the line by his own precipitation, and exposed himself singly to a fire that he could not sustain. Mr. Byng, on the contrary, was determined against acting, except with the line entire; and, on pretence of rectifying the disorder which had happened among some of the ships, hesitated so long, and kept at such a wary distance, that he never was properly engaged, though he received some few shots in his hull. M. de la Galissonniere seemed equally averse to the continuance of the battle; part of his squadron had been fairly obliged to quit the line; and though he was rather superior to the English in number of men and weight of metal, he did not choose to abide the consequence of a closer fight with an enemy so expert in naval operations: he, therefore, took advantage of Mr. Byng's hesitation, and edged away with an easy sail to join

his van, which had been discomfited. The English 367 admiral gave chase; but the French ships being clean, he could not come up and close them again, so they retired at their leisure. Then he put his altogether out of sight. squadron on the other tack, in order to keep the wind of the enemy; and next morning they were

distance of ten leagues from Mahon, he detached
cruisers to look for some missing ships, which
While he lay-to with the rest of his fleet, at the
joined him accordingly, and made an inquiry into
the condition of the squadron. The number of
killed amounted to forty two, including captain
Andrews, of the Defiance, and about one hundred
and sixty-eight were wounded. Three of the ca
pital ships were so damaged in their masts, that
they could not keep the sea, with any regard to
their safety; a great number of the seamen were
ill, and there was no vessel which could be con
In this situation Mr. Byng called a council of war,
at which the land-officers were present. He re-
verted into an hospital for the sick and wounded.
presented to them, that he was much inferior to
the enemy in weight of metal and number of
time they were refreshed and reinforced occasion.
men; that they had the advantage of sending their
ally; that, in his opinion, it was impracticable to
wounded to Minorca, from whence at the same
relieve St. Philip's fort, and, therefore, they ought
unanimously concurred with his sentiments, and
to make the best of their way back to Gibraltar,
which might require immediate protection. They
cability of relieving general Blakeney, it is not easy
thither he directed his course accordingly. How
to determine, as no experiment was made for that
he came to be so well acquainted with the impracti-
duct; for it afterwards appeared, that the officers
purpose. Indeed, the neglect of such a trial seems
to have been the least excusable part of his con-
great risk; and a gentleman, then in the fort,
and soldiers belonging to the garrison might have
actually passed and repassed in a boat, unhurt by
been landed at the sally-port, without running any
any of the enemy's batteries.

detail of this action, is said to have arrived some
Mr. Byng's letter to the admiralty, containing a
peared, was curtailed of divers expressions, and
days before it was made public; and when it ap-
justification, or implied a censure on the conduct of
his superiors.
whole paragraphs, which either tended to his own
public we shall not pretend to explain; but sure it
made of this letter while it remained a secret to the
Whatever use might have been
to Gibraltar, to supersede the admirals Byng and
is, that, on the sixteenth day of June, Sir Edward
West, in the command of the Mediterranean squad-
Hawke and admiral Saunders sailed from Spithead
produced all the effect which that gentleman's
ron; and Mr. Byng's letter was not published till
bitterest enemies could have desired. The popu
the twenty-sixth day of the same month, when it
lace took fire like a train of the most hasty com-
bustibles, and broke out into such a clamour of
rage and indignation against the devoted admiral,
kingdom naked to invasion. This animosity was
as could not have been exceeded if he had lost the
carefully fomented and maintained by artful emis-
whole navy of England, and left the coasts of the
saries, who mingled with all public assemblies,
from the drawing-room at Saint James's to the
mob at Charing-cross. They expatiated upon the
insolence, the folly, the cowardice, and misconduct
of the unhappy admiral. They even presumed to
make their sovereign in some measure an instru-
ment of their calumny, by suggesting, that his ma-
jesty had prognosticated Byng's 1aisbehaviour from
the contents of his first letter, dated at Gibraltar.
They ridiculed and refuted the reasons he had
given for returning to that fortress, after his scan-
dalous rencounter with the French squadron; and,
in order to exasperate them to the most implaca-
ble resentment, they exaggerated the terrible con-
sequences of losing Minorca, which must now be
subdued through his treachery or want of resolu-
tion. In a word, he was devoted as the scape-
goat of the ministry, to whose supine negligence,
ignorance, and misconduct, the loss of that im-
portant fortress was undoubtedly owing. Byng's
miscarriage was thrown out like a barrel to the
whale, in order to engage the attention of the
people, that it might not be attracted by the real
cause of the national misfortune. In order to keep