peace, and which was determined on war. As to the reft, the earl of Egre. mont has the honour to acquaint his excellency the count de Fuentes, by the king's order, that the neceffary paffports for him fhall be expedited, and that they will not fail to procure him all poffible. facilities for his paffage to port which he fhall think most convenient. Copy of the king of Spain's orders to the governors of the fea-port towns of that kingdom, for the detention of the Englifh fhips. Tranflated from the original Spanish. Buen Retiro, Dec. 10, 1761. IS majefty is pretty fure that ready, or will, in a few days, declare war, or caufe hoftilities to be commenced againft his majefty's fubjects: on this fuppofition, and until we are informed what conduct the English will obferve in their rupture with Spain, which their injuftice has occafioned, it is his majefty's will, that the fhips of that nation that fhall be found in any of the ports of his dominions fhall be detained, declaring, at the fame time, that this is only done to keep them as a depofit, and which is to be effected with the precaution that all concerned shall think proper to take for the prefervation of the the true object thereof, it is neceffary that your lordship will make feizure of all the English ships, either men of war or merchantmen, that should be found in the ports of your jurifdiction, taking off their rudders, and fecuring their papers, to prevent their putting out to fea: care fhall be taken that no ill treatment is offered to their crews, and that no hurt be done to their cargoes, taking what meafures fhould be requifite to the fatisfaction of their respective owners for their prefervation. It is likewife his majesty's pleafure, that an embargo fhall be laid in all the ports of Spain (till new orders) on all ships or veffels of any nation whatfoever, beginning with the Spanish fhips, in order to hinder any intelligence that might be given to the enemy of this rupture, and to provide against the danger that, by fuch information, the Spanish men of war, or merchantmen, now at fea, would run of being seized by the enemy. This order has no other exception, but that no obftruction or hindrance fhall be put to the departure from this port of any veffel that Don Juan de Arraiga, or the ministers of the marine department, fhall think proper to send out. The king trufts to your prudence and zeal for the due execution of his orders. the king of Spain. GEORGE R. fhips and cargoes, till his majefty His majefy's declaration of war against finds that the king of England begins the war, agreeable to the regulations established among civilized nations, when they will be fet at liberty to put in execution this his majefty's orders, and that nothing may be wanting to obtain 5 HE conftant object of our attention, fince our acceffion to the throne, has been, if poffible, to put an end to the calamities of war, and to fettle the publick been delivered, if it had been forefeen that we should have looked upon it in an offenfive light, and that the king of Spain was at lberty, and ready, to adjuft all his differences with Great Britain, without the intervention, or knowledge, of France; and foon after, we had the fatisfaction to be informed by our ambaffador at Madrid, that the Spanish minifter, taking notice of the reports industriously spread of an approaching rupture, had acquainted him, that the king of Spain had, at no time, been more intent on cultivating a good correfpondence with us; and as the Spanish ambaffador at our court made repeated declarations to the fame effect, we thought ourselves bound, in justice and prudence, to forbear coming to extremities. But the fame tender concern for the welfare of our subjects, which prevented our accelerating precipitately a war with Spain, if it could poffibly be avoided, made it neceffary for us to endeavour to know with certainty, what were the engagements, and real intentions of the court of Spain. There publick tranquillity upon a folid and lafting foundation. To prevent thofe calamities from being extended ftill farther; and because the most perfect harmony between Great Britain and Spain is at all times the mutual intereft of both nations; it has been our earnest defire to maintain the strictest amity with the king of Spain, and to accommodate the difputes between us and that crown in the most amicable manner. This object we have steadily purfued, notwithstanding the many partialities fhewn by the Spaniards to our enemies the French, during the courfe of the present war, inconfiftent with their neutrality; and moft effential proofs have been given of the friendship and regard of the court of Great Britain for the king of Spain and his family. After a conduct fo friendly, and fo full of good faith, on our part, it was matter of great furprise to us, to find a memorial, delivered on the twenty-third day of July laft, by Monfieur Buffy, minifter plenipotentiary of France, to one of our principal fecretaries of ftate, exprefly relating to the difputes before, as we had information, that tween us and the crown of Spain; and declaring that, if thofe objects fhould bring on a war, the French king would be obliged to take part therein. Our furprife was increased, when afterwards, this unprece dented and offenfive ftep, made by a power in open war with us, was avowed by the Spanish minifter to our ambassador at Madrid, to have been taken with the full approbation and confent of the king of Spain. But, as this avowal was accompanied with the moft becoming apologies on the part of the king of Spain, and with affurances, that fuch memorial never would have engagements had been lately contracted between the courts of Madrid and Verfailles; and it was foon after induftriously spread throughout all Europe, by the minifters of France, that the purport of those engagements was hoftile to Great Britain, and that Spain was on the point of entering into the war; we directed our ambaffador to defire, in the most friendly terms, a communication of the treaties lately concluded between France and Spain; or of fuch articles thereof as immediately related to the interefts of Great Britain, if any fuch there were; or, at leaft, an af furance farance that there were none incompatible with the friendship fubfifting between us and the crown of Spain. Our aftonishment and concern was great when we learnt, that fo far from giving fatisfaction upon fo reasonable an application, the Spanish minifters had declined anfwering; with reafonings and infinuations of a very hoftile tendency: and as at the fame time we had intelligence, that great armaments were making in Spain, by fea and land, we thought it abfolutely neceffary to try, once more, if a rupture could be avoided; we therefore directed our ambaffador to afk, in a firm, but friendly manner, whether the court of Madrid intended to join the French, our enemies, to act hoftilely against Great Britain, or to depart from its neutrality; and if he found the Spanish minifters avoided to give a clear anfwer, to infinuate, in the most decent manner, that the refufing, or avoiding to answer a queftion fo reasonable, could only arife from the king of Spain's having already engaged, or refolved to take part against us, and must be looked upon as an avowal of such hostile intention, and equivalent to a declaration of war; and that he had orders immediately to leave the court of Madrid. The peremptory refufal by the court of Spain, to give the leaft fatisfaction, with regard to any of those reasonable demands on our part, and the folemn declaration at the fame time made by the Spanish minifter, that they confidered the war as then actually declared, prove to a demonftration, that their refolution to act offenfively, was fo abfolutely and irrevocably taken, that it could not be any longer diffembled, or denied. The king of Spain therefore, having been induced, without any provocation on our part, to confider the war as already commenced against us, which has in effect been declared at Madrid; we truft, that by the bleffing of Almighty God on the juflice of our caufe, and by the affiftance of our loving fubjects, we fhall be able to defeat the ambitious defigns, which have formed this union between the two branches of the houfe of Bourbon; having now begun a new war; and portend the moft dangerous confequences to all Europe. Therefore, we have thought fit to declare, and do hereby declare, war against the faid king of Spain; and we will, in pursuance of fuch declaration, vigorously profecute the faid war, wherein the honour of our crown, the welfare of our subjects, and the profperity of our nation, which we are determined at all times with our utmost power to preserve and fupport, are fo greatly concerned. And we do hereby will and require our generals and commanders of our forces, our commiffioners for executing the office of our high admiral of Great Britain, our lieutenants of our several counties, governors of our forts and garrifons, and all other officers, and foldiers under them, by fea and land, to do, and execute all acts of hoftility, in the profecution of this war, against the faid king of Spain, his vaffals, and subjects, and to oppose their attempts; willing and requir ing all our fubjects to take notice of the fame, whom we henceforth ftrictly forbid to hold any correfpondence, or communication, with the faid king of Spain, or his fubjects: and we do hereby command our own fubjects, and advertise all other other perfons, of what nations foever, not to tranfport, or carry any foldiers, arms, powder, ammunition, or other contraband goods, to any of the territories, lands, plantations, or countries, of the faid king of Spain; declaring that whatfoever fhip or veffel fhall be met withal, tranfporting, or carrying any foldiers, arms, powder, ammunition, or other contraband goods, to any of the territories, lands, plantations, or countries, of the faid king of Spain, the fame being taken, thall be condemned as good and lawful prize. And whereas there may be remaining in our kingdoms divers of the fubjects of the king of Spain, we do hereby declare our royal intention to be, that all the Spanish fubjects, who shall demean themselves dutifully towards us, shall be safe in their perfons and effects. Given at our court at St. James's the fecond day of January, 1762, in the fecond year of our reign. GOD fave the KING. The king of Spain's declaration of Although I have already taken for a declaration of war by England against Spain, the inconfiderate ftep of lord Bristol, the Britannic king's ambaffador at my court, when he demanded of Don Richard Wall, my minifter of ftate, what engagements I had contracted with France, making this the condition of his demand, or rather adding this threat, That if he did not receive a categorical anfwer, he would leave my court, and take the denial for an aggreffion: and although, before this provocation was received, my patience was tired out with fuffering and beholding, on many occafions, that the Englith government minded no other law, but the aggrandifement of their nation by land, and universal def potifmn by fea; I was nevertheless defirous to fee whether this menace would be carried into execution; or whether the court of England, fenfible of the inefficacy of fuch methods towards my dignity, and that of my crown, would not employ others that should be more fuitable to me, and make me overlook all thofe infults. But the haughtiness of the English was fo far from containing itself within juft bounds, that I have juft learnt, that on the fecond inftant, a refolution was taken by the Britannic king in council, to declare war against Spain. Thus, feeing myself under the hard neceflity of following this example, which I would never have given, because it is fo horrible, and fo contrary to humanity, I have ordered by a decree of the 15th inftant, that war fhould likewife be immediately declared, on my part, against the king of England, his kingdoms, eftates, and fubjects; and that in confequence thereof, proper orders fhould be sent to all parts of my dominions, where it fhould be neceffary, for their defence and that of my fubjects, as well as for acting offenfively against the enemy. For this end, I order my council of war to take the requifite meafures that this declaration of war may be published at my court, and in my kingdoms, with the formali ties ufual upon fuch occafions; and that in confequence all kind of hof tilities tilities may be exercifed towards the English; that thofe of them who are not naturalized in Spain, may leave my kingdoms; that they may carry on no trade there; and that only those who are employed as artizans may be fuffered to remain: that for the future my fubjects may have no dealings with thofe of England, nor with the eftates of that crown, for any of their productions or fisheries particularly cod, or their manufactures or merchandize; fo that the inhibition of this trade may be understood to be, and may be in fact, abfolute and effective, and ftamp a vicious quality, and a prohibition of fale on the aforefaid effects, productions, fisheries, cod, merchandizes, and manufactures of the dominions of England: that no veffels whatsoever, with the above-mentioned effects on board, may be admitted into my harbours, and that they may not be permitted to be brought in by land, being illicit and prohibited in my kingdoms, though they may have been brought or depofited in buildings, baggage, warehoufes, fhops, or houles of merchants, or other private perfons, my fubjects or vaffals, or fubjects or vaffals of provinces and states, with whom I am in peace or alliance, or have a free trade, whom, nevertheless, I intend not to burt, or to infringe the peace, the liberty, and privilege which they enjoy, by treaty, of carrying on the legal trade in my kingdoms with their fhips, and the proper and peculiar productions of their lands, provinces, and conquefts, or the produce of their manufactories. I also command that all merchants who fhall have in their poffeffion any cod, or other fish, or produce of the dominions of EngVOL. IV. land, fhall in the space of fifteen days from the date of this declaration, declare the fame, and deliver an account thereof, either at my court, or elsewhere, to the officers who fhall be appointed by the marquis de Squilace, fuper-intendant-general of my revenues, that the whole may be forthcoming; and fuch of the faid effects of which a lift fhall not be fo delivered in the space of fifteen days, fhall be immediately confifcated; two months, and no more, being allowed, for the confumption of thofe which shall be declared; after which time the merchants fhall be obliged to carry the faid effects to the cuftom-houses, and, where there is no custom-house, to the houses that ferve instead thereof, that they may be publickly fold by an officer or officers nominated for that end, or, if none fhould be appointed, by the judges, who fhould give the produce of the fale to the proprietors; but none of the faid merchandizes, prohibited in the manner just prescribed, fhall return. fhops. to their warehouses or I have given a separate commiffion, with all the neceffary powers, to the marquis de Squilace, fuperintendant-general of my revenues, that in that quality he may fee that this prohibited trade be not fuffered, and that he may immediately iffue fuch orders and inftructions, as he fhall think neceffary for this important end; taking cognizance, in the firft inftance, in person, and by his fub-delegates, of the dif putes which fhall arife on occafion of this contraband, with an appeal to the council of finances in the hall of justice; except however what relates to contraband military ftores, arms, and other effects be[U] longing |