St. Vincent, by the whole French fleet confifting of 80 fail Ann. C. under the command of Admiral Tourville; and eleven Eng- 1693.lish and Dutch men of war, with above 80 merchant-ships, were taken or deftroyed by the French.

Henry Lord Capel, Sir Cyril Wych, and William Dun-July 11. comb Efq; are conftituted Lords Juftices of Ireland.

And the Lord Viscount Sidney is made Mafter of the Ordnance.

22.

The Confederate army commanded by King William, is 2y. defeated by the French under the command of the Duke of Luxemburg, at Landen. Count de Solms, the Dutch General, had his leg fhot off by a cannon-ball, and died fhortly after; and the Duke of Ormond was wounded and taken prifoner. On the other fide, James Fitz-James, Duke of Berwick, was taken prifoner. The Confederates loft in all about 7000 men; and the French double that number, with at least 2000 officers killed or wounded. King William behaved with great bravery, and escaped no lefs than three mufquet-fhots; one through his peruke, which deafened him for fome time; another through the fleeve of his coat, and a third which carried off the knot of his fcarf, and left a fmall contufion on his fide. The French commanded by M. de Catinat, defeat the Sept. 24. Confederates under the command of the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene, at Marfaglia near Turin. Charles Duke Schomberg who commanded the British troops, being mortally wounded and taken prisoner, dies fhortly after. Of the Confederates there fell 7 or 8000 men; and more on the French fide. This was the first battle where the foot charged with bayonets at the end of their loaded mufkets, to which ftratagem the fuccefs of the French in this battle was attributed.

King William comes to the Hague, and prevails upon Oct. 1. the States to augment their land-forces with 15,000 men, and their navy with feveral fhips.

His Majefty embarks for England, and lands at Harwich the next day, and arrives at Kenfington the day following.

28.

A proclamation is published for a thanksgiving on the Nov. 2. 26th day of November, throughout England. Admiral Ruffel is appointed again Commander of the

feet.

The Parliament meets, and the King in his fpeech acquaints them with the neceffity of increafing our forces, both by fea and land.

6.

7.

Ann. C. St. Maloes is bombarded by a fquadron of men of war, 1693. commanded by Captain Bembow.

19.

24. Dec. 5.

19.

20, 21,

&c.

22.

31.

4

Dr. William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, dies, in the 77th year of his age.

Henry de Ruvigny, Lord Viscount Gallway, is appointed Commander of the British forces in Piedmont, commanded by the late Duke Schomberg.

The French try, in vain, to obtain a peace, and make proposals.

The Commons vote above 5,000,000 for the charges of the enfuing year, and refolve to augment the English forces to 83,000 men and upwards.

Colonel Francis Nicholfon is appointed Governor of Maryland, in the room of Colonel Copley, deceased.

Prince Lewis of Baden, arrives in England.

The Commons refolve, That all the fubjects of England have equal right to trade to the Eaft-Indies, unless prohibited by act of Parliament; and this gives occafion to the erecting of a new Eaft-India Company.

1693-4. His Majefty gives the Royal affent, to an act for granting Jan. 25. him an aid of 4 s. in the pound, for one year, for carrying on a vigorous war against France; and to another act, for repeal of a claufe in the ftatute 34 and 35 Henry VIII, by which Juftices in Wales were limited to 8 in each county.

29.

February.

Reg. 6.

But he refufes again the Royal affent, to a bill touching free and impartial proceedings in Parliament; which the Commons took fo ill, that they refolved the next day, That whoever advised the King not to give the Royal affent to that act, was an enemy to their Majesties and the Kingdom.

The Earl of Bellamont having presented to the Commons articles of impeachment against Thomas, Lord Coningsby, and Sir Charles Porter, two of the late Lords Juftices of Ireland, the Commons, after feveral debates, agree, That they faw no reason to ground an impeachment against them; upon which they are difcharged.

A fund of 140,000l. per annum is fettled, for raising money by way of lottery:

And, among other means to raise a fufficient fupply, the Commons lay a duty upon leather, foap, wine, the tonnage of all fhips and veffels; and alfo upon hackney and ftage-coaches, and upon paper and parchment; and finally grant a poll-tax.

The Commiffioners for taking the public accounts having discovered, that Anthony, Lord Falkland, had begged

and

and received of the King 2000. contrary to the ordinary Ann. C. method of iffuing and beftowing the King's money; the 1693-4. House of Commons, of which he was a Member, refolve, that he was guilty of a high mifdemeanor and breach of truft, and order him to be fent to the Tower.

Sir Francis Wheeler, with three men of war, and several merchant-fhips, are caft away, in a storm, on the eastward of Gibraltar,

17.

19.

Charles Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, is made one of the Mar. 4. Principal Secretaries of State, in the room of Daniel Finch, Earl of Nottingham, removed.

And the Commiffion of Lieutenancy of the City of London is altered.

23.

The following bills receive the Royal affent: 1. An act for granting to their Majefties certain rates and duties upon falt, and upon beer, ale, &c. 2. An act for relief of the orphans, and other creditors in the City of London. 3. An act for the explaining, and for the more effectual execu- 1694. tion of a former act for the relief of poor prifoners, &c. April 16. 4. An act for raifing money by a poll, payable quarterly, for one year. 5. An act for granting to their Majefties 25. feveral duties upon vellum, parchment, and paper, for four years, towards carrying on the war against France. 6. An act for licenfing and regulating hackney-coaches, and ftage-coaches, &c.

The Parliament is adjourned to the 18th day of September following.

Edward Ruffel, Efq; Sir John Lowther, Bart. Henry Prieftman, and Robert Austin, Efqs; Sir Robert Rich, Bart. and Sir George Rooke, and Sir John Houblon, Kts, are appointed Lords of the Admiralty.

Charles Mountague, Efq; is conftituted Chancellor and May 1. Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer, and one of the Commiffioners of the Treafury, jointly with Sidney, Lord Godolphin, Sir Stephen Fox, and Sir William Trumbal, Knights, and John Smith, Efq;

King William embarks at Margate, and lands the next day at Hock near the Briel.

6.

Admiral Ruffel deftroys, in Bertram-Bay, 35 French 18. merchant-fhips, and a man of war with two fhallops, laden with corn and bread, for the army in Flanders.

The Duke of Savoy, at the inftance of England and June 3. Holland, iffues a declaration, allowing the Vaudois the free exercife of their Religion.

Ann. C. A defign having been formed to deftroy the harbour of 1694. Breft, a fleet of 37 English fhips, of all forts, and 19 Dutch, commanded in chief by Peregrine Osborne, Marquifs of May 29, Caermarthen, having on board a large body of forces, unto June der the command of Lieutenant-General Talmash, are

From

15.

June 8.

July 12.

16.

18,

employed in that expedition: They land about 600 men, with great difficulty; but they found fuch batteries, intrenchments, and mighty preparations, that most of them were killed, or drowned, in attempting to retreat, or taken prifoners. About 400 failors were killed, or otherwife detroyed; and, of the land-forces, 700 men. General Talmah himself was mortally wounded, and died at his return to Portsmouth.

Admiral Ruffel goes, with a large fquadron, into the Mediterranean, which keeps all thofe parts in awe, and ftops the conquefts of the French in Catalonia.

The draught of a Charter for the Corporation of the Bank of England, is approved and figned by Queen Mary. James, Lord Berkley, bombards Dieppe, and Havre de Grace; both which places were almoft deftroyed, and two French men of war at Havre were burnt: From thence he fails towards La Hogue and Cherburg, and keeps those coasts in continual alarms.

The Jacobites plot in Lancashire, and other parts of the Kingdom; Colonel John Parker, one of their most confiderable and active leaders, being difcovered, is committed Aug. 11. to the Tower; but he escapes, though a proclamation was published, with a large reward for taking him again. Several other perfons are imprisoned.

14.

Sept. 5.

6.

16.

18.

Nov. 8.

12.

A fire happens at Warwick, which burns down the great Church, and most part of the Town.

Sir Cloudefly Shovel being employed to destroy Dunkirk, if poffible, fires a machine near the Mole-head there, but the fpring-tides being spent, he is forced to quit that place, without having done it any confiderable damage.

Next, he comes before Calais, and bombards it. The Allies take Huy, and the Caftle furrenders the 27th following.

King William embarks for England, and lands at Margate the next day.

The Parliament meets, it being the fixth feffion of this Parliament; and the King obferves, in his fpeech, that this year had put a stop to the progrefs of the French arms, and recommends to their confideration the preparing fome good bill for the encouragement of the feamen.