an impediment to peace; but when the french government continued the negotiation without mention of Spain, and proposed terms highly advantageous and even honourable to England, that minister had still rejected them with disdain, and evinced his ill will against Spain, to the great scandal of the british counsels.

At the same time, an abstract of the family compact was published at Paris, accompanied with remarks calculated to throw the blame of aggression on England.*

At this juncture, the king of Spain gave a public proof of his satisfaction with the new alliance, by conferring the honours of a grandee on the duke of Choiseul, who had been the principal instrument in its conclusion.

The british cabinet published a masterly reply to the spanish memorial, repelled the charge of aggression, and employed great ingenuity to prove, that they deserved no other blame than that of becoming the dupes of the two bourbon courts, and of suffering Spain to place herself in a respectable state of defence.

The formal declaration of war was first issued by England, and grounded on the approbation, expressed by the spanish monarch, of the memo

* The account of this memorable negoitation is drawn from the official documents published on both sides, and a few unpublished dispatches from lord Bristol; also from the foreign and english historians.

CHAP. 60.

1761.

Jan. 2,

1762.

1761.

Jan. 18.

CHAP. 60. rial presented by Bussy, in the preceding nego. tiation; his avowal of the principles and sentiments it contained; and his refusal to give a satisfactory explanation relative to his hostile. preparations and engagements with France. On the other hand, the king of Spain, still affecting to avoid the appearance of aggression, did not issue his counter-declaration till after that of Great Britain had become public. He passed over the discussions which had led to the rupture, censured the ambition of the british government, in aspiring to aggrandisement by land and dominion by sea, and represented the imperious demand of the embassador as a declaration of He concluded with stating, that from a love of peace he had waited till the threat had actually been carried into effect, before he adopted a measure so horrible in itself, and so contrary to humanity, as an appeal to the sword.*

war.

Although interest, prejudice, and political artifice, were not unsuccessful in glossing over the transactions of Charles with England, his conduct towards his ally and relative, the king of Portugal, admits of neither excuse or palliation, but appears, in all its native deformity, an act of the most unprovoked violence, and unjust aggression.

Notwithstanding the value of the Portugal * Official papers, as before.

1761.

alliance with England had gradually diminished CHAP. 60. under the administration of Carvalho, the two bourbon sovereigns were too much influenced by a spirit of vengeance to leave in the opposite. scale a country, whose defenceless state appeared to promise an easy conquest. While military preparations were made on the frontier, the bourbon embassadors presented a joint memorial to the court of Lisbon, which was followed by others, requiring the king to concur in the war against England, as the common enemy of all maritime nations. With an indirect but not unequivocal menace, they offered a powerful army to occupy and defend Portugal against aggression, and peremptorily demanded an answer within four days, declaring that any delay would be considered as a negative. On a firm and repeated refusal of the portuguese monarch to submit to this species of subjugation, under the cloak of protection, the ministers withdrew, and their retreat became the signal of instant invasion.*

* Official papers.Portugal, t. 3, p. 191.

-Beccatini, p. 27.- -Silva Historia de

CHAPTER THE SIXTY-FIRST.

1762-1763.

1762-1763.

State of the war in Germany-Reverses of the spanish armsCapture of the Havannah-Surrender of Manilla-The spaniards reduce Sacramento and repel an attack against Buenos Ayres— Unsuccessful campaign in Portugal—Alarm in the spanish nation -Spirited offer of assistance from the nobles of Aragon and its dependencies-Distressed state of France and Spain-Changes in the british administration-Ascendancy of lord Bute-Peace of Paris.

CHAP. 61. ALTHOUGH the change of administration in England was justly hailed, both at Versailles and Madrid, as a fortunate event, the war in Germany continued unfavourable to the cause and views of France. On one hand, the french, embarrassed by internal distresses, and discouraged by repeated reverses, with difficulty prevented prince Ferdinand from carrying hostilities beyond the Rhine; on the other, the king of Prussia, in the midst of the deepest depression, was delivered from a part of his numerous enemies. The death of the empress Elizabeth, and the accession of Peter, changed Russia from an enemy into an ally; and although the deposition of Peter, and the revolution which raised Catherine the second to the throne, speedily

March.

deprived him of this temporary advantage; yet CHAP. 61. this powerful enemy was never again thrown into 1762-1763. the scale against him. Thus relieved, he resumed offensive operations against the austrians, and again prepared to carry the war into Bohemia, the frontier of which was exposed by the defeat of Freyberg. Soon afterwards, Sweden, by accepting an armistice, relieved the prussian dominions from the danger of invasion. on the north; and an irruption of the prussians into Franconia deprived the sinking cause of Austria of the support derived from the germanic body. At the same time disease, and the want of succours and supplies, reduced the austrian army to the most deplorable state.

Spain also entered into the war only to share the misfortunes of France, and to encounter disasters equal to any which she had yet experienced under a bourbon king. Aware that Cuba was likely to be the first object of british enterprise, the spanish government had not neglected the security of this important island, and its capital the Havannah. A squadron of twelve men of war and four frigates, under the command of the marquis of Real Transporte, was collected at this station, the works defending the entrance of the harbour were strengthened, and the garrison, which was commanded by Don Juan de Prado, amounted to 4,600 regular

April 7.