mand for the three fucceeding years, attached to the fleets annually collected at Spithead under the command of fir Charles Wager. He is faid, by Lediard, to have attended that admiral to the Mediterranean in 1731, but in this circumftance that hiftorian is undoubtedly miftaken, the Advice having remained at home as guardship during the above period.

On the 29th of November 1733, he was appointed captain of the Sunderland, of fixty guns. During the two following years he ferved in the fleets, collected under fir John Norris, which, in the first of those seasons, never quitted Spithead, but in the fecond proceeded to Lifbon for the protection of the Portuguese, who were then grievously threatened by their Spanish neighbours. When the body of the fleet returned to England, after having effected its purpose of protecting the impotent, captain Martin was ordered to remain behind on the Mediterranean station. He continued there till the year 1737, and after his return to England does not appear to have received any fubfequent commiffion till the 16th of May 1738, when he was appointed to the Ipfwich, of feventy guns, and ordered for his former ftation, the Mediterranean, as a part of the fquadron sent thither under Mr. Haddock. Here he continued without any extraor dinary occurrence presenting itself till the 23d of January 1740, when, by the admiral's orders, he hoifted a broad pendant as commodore on board the Ipswich, and was fent with a fquadron to cruife off Cadiz, after which time he appears never to have again ferved as a private captain. He is not known, however, to have been employed on any confpicuous fervice till after the arrival of vice-admiral Mathews, who appointed him, on the 25th of July 1742, to command the expedition against Naples. As this tranfaction not only forms a very interefting part of Mr. Martin's life, but also makes à confpicuous figure in hiftory itself, it may not, perhaps, be unentertaining, to give a detail at length, which is so much the more curious as being copied from Mr. Martin's own account, with which we have been favoured,

"Monday, the 9th of August 1742.

"This afternoon we turned into the bay of Naples, the wind easterly, fometimes blowing pretty fresh and fhifting continually between the N. E. and S. E. fo that no two-fhips had the fame wind together; we could not get the bombs anchored till paft five in the evening, nor all their tenders till it was dark. About two in the afternoon the conful came on board to tell me that the first minister of the king of the Two Sicilies had sent for him to let him know, that an English fquadron was coming into the bay, which he defired he would go on board of, and ask if they came in a friendly manner or not. The bombs not being near in, nor their tenders, I deferred fending afhore an officer till five, not being able to put my orders in execution for want of them. At that time, finding the bombs would get in, and I might begin to act by the time my meffage would reach the king, I fent captain De Langle and the conful afhore with the following meffage.

"That as the king of the Two Sicilies has joined his forces with thofe of the king of Spain, the declared enemy of the king my mafter and his faithful allies, and is at this inftant engaged in a war with the queen of Hungary, and the king of Sardinia, in order to drive the faid queen of Hungary out of Italy, and to put Don Philip, a prince of Spain, in poffeffion of her faid majesty's territories in breach of all treaties, I am fent here to demand that the king of the Two Sicilies does agree forthwith, not only to withdraw his troops now acting in conjunction with thofe of the king of Spain, in Italy, but to forbear giving for the future any affiftance of what kind foever."

For the performance of this I demanded a categorical answer to be given in half an hour; and that in the mean tithe they thould not directly nor indirectly make preparations of any kind for acting offenfively or defenfively against me; directing captain De Langle to acquaint them, that upon a refufal to comply with thefe most just and reasonable demands of the king my mafter and his faithful allies, I fhould act with what force I had against them, and endeavour to compel them; but that if it fhould be faid the king was near at hand at any place, or feat in the country, and a few hours was defired

to

འ

to acquaint him, he was then to let them know that it would be granted upon giving their word, that in the mean time no motion fhould be made of troops or cannon, or any measures taken for enabling themselves to ac against me. Of this he was to return and acquaint me immediately, or I fhould look upon his stay a a detention, and any preparations they made as a refusal of compliance.

"Captain De Langle having delivered this message to the duke De Monteallegre, the prime minister, he told him that the king was gone out, but would be back again in twenty-four hours, when he fhould have an anfwer; but in the mean time he could affure him, that his majesty was not to be threatened into a compliance with any thing that was not reasonable, and would facrifice every thing rather than be guilty of a breach of faith, or do any thing that might tarnish his honour. That as to his withdrawing his troops, he had already given orders for it, to fecure his own dominions: but defired to know, if his majefty was prevailed upon to promise to give no farther affiftance to the Spaniards, what fecurity he should have not to be molefted by the English, but be fuffered peaceably and quietly to poffefs his territories. He defired captain De Langle would go off again with the conful to acquaint me; and by the time he returned he fhould have the king's anfwer, saying, it was but reasonable he should have fome fatisfaction on that head. I fent him word I had no power to treat; nor could I give any answer farther than for myfelf, who had orders to make fuch demands, and did infift upon an answer being given to it in half an hour. That if captain De Langle was not admitted to the king, I did infift that he, the minifter, should give it under his hand, in the name of the king his master- that he did promise he would forthwith withdraw his troops, acting in conjunction with those of Spain, and give no farther affistance of any kind whatfoever. Upon this meffage captain De Langle returned again with the conful to let me know fuch a promise should be given in writing, and in the mean time no preparations made either offenfive or defenfive against me. The minifter defired alfo that he would bring off general Bourk, to talk to me while he

was

was preparing the letter, which should be ready against his

return.

"General Bourk told me he was fent off by the king, to know whether if his majesty promised to withdraw his troops and give no farther affiftance to the Spaniards (as I demanded), I would affure him that the English fhould not moleft him in his dominions-that it was but equitable, if he complied, he fhould at least be fatisfied I would not now, nor hereafter should any of the British fleet, commit hoftilities against him, as it would weaken him fhould he break with his allies, from whom after he could expect no affiftance, but would be expofed to his enemies in the moft defencelefs ftate. I told him I was fent as an officer to act, and not a minister to treat, and could fay nothing with authority on that head: but that I was defired to put my orders in execution, except the king of the Two Sicilies did agree to thofe moft juft and reafonable demands of the king my mafter, and his moft faithful allies, which certainly did imply I was not to execute them if he did. He faid I demanded a promife in writing; and if I would give them no fecurity, how could the king be certain, that when I brought him to break with his allies, and deprived him of their affiftance, I would not take the advantage of it, and with this very force I had with me, act against him. This indicated a fufpicion of my dealing perfidioufly, which made me repeat to him again, " that as I was directed to put my orders in execution, if the king of Sicily did not comply, it did imply I was not to do it if he did; that I was not fent there to betray him, but to make this demand, which was plain; and to which I required as plain an anfwer, I infifted on a direct one to it in half an hour, afking him, Do you understand me, fir?" To which he replied, Yes, fir, I do, I understand you very well. Then turning to captain De Langle and the conful, I faid, firs, do you go afhore, and infift upon an answer being given to your meffage-Yes, or no, in half an hour, or return without one, which I fhall look upon as a refusal of compliance, and put my orders in execution. General Bourk then went away with captain De Langle, and the conful, who returned again fometime after with a letter from the minister, in which he told him the king had promised to comply with all I demanded: and when captain De Langle faid

there

there were fome expreffions in it that he was fure would not be fatisfactory, he promised him they fhould be altered in the morning, if I difliked them; and expreffed in whatsoever manner I would have them, or, (though it was very late) if he infifted on it, that he would itay up till his return. This letter captain De Langle brought off to me; and having made fome alterations in it, I fent it back to him in the morning; and, agreeable to these alterations, the minifter wrote the following.

"Monfieur,

“Au Palais, 20 Août, 1742.

"Le Roy avoit deja refolû et ordonné que fes troupes que font unies a celles d'Efpagne fe retiraffent, pour eveieller á la fureté des fes eftats et fa majefté m'ordonné de vous promettre en fon nomme qu'elle va reiterer fes ordres pour que fes troupes rentrent inceffament dans ce Royaume, en fe retirant de la Romagne, ou elles fe trouvent a prefent et qu'elle n'aidera, n'y affiftera plus celles d'Efpagne en aucune maniere dans la present guerre en Italie j'ay l'honneur, &c.

"Le marquis de Salas.*

"This letter general Bourk brought off himself, and told me, when he delivered it, that, as his Sicilian majefty had complied with every thing demanded, he hoped he fhould now continue in friendship and undisturbed: that the king very much defired to see me on fhore, where, he affured me, I fhould be received with all the marks of respect, and all compliments paid me that I could defire; and that his majesty would fend his coaches to wait on me; the minister alfo, by captain De Langle, preffed it very much. But as I believed the defign of all their civilities was to perfuade the people that a good harmony and friendship fubfifted between the courts, and to take off any thoughts or inclinations they might have of declaring, upon a favourable opportunity, for the queen of Hungary, I excufed myself by saying, I was tied up by form, which would not admit of my going out of the fhip, when fent upon any particular fervice of confequence, but where that fervice immediately required my prefence and directions. That I was likewife reftricted by admiral

7

Mathews's