utter violation of the faith of treaties; the difturbing of his Majefty's fubjects in their trade and navigation, under the moft abfurd pretences; the affuming of a tyrannic empire over the feas; the prefcribing of arbitrary laws, unknown and inadmiffible; the infulting of his Majefty's flag in more inftances than one; in fine, the feizing on his territories in Europe and America in the most point ed and insulting manner. Had his Majefty paid less respect to the laws of humanity; had he been more prodigal of the blood of his fubjects; in fhort, had he, inftead of following the impulfe of his own inclination, been ru led by the dictates of his infulted dig nity, he would not have hesitated an inftant to retaliate and repel the infults by force of arms. But his Majefty deferred his juft refentment. He was willing to continue his good offices, having ftill fo favour able an opinion of his enemies, as to hope, that, by his amicable interpofition, he fhould be able to produce a reconciliation, which it was their own intereft to wish for. During this time his Majefty made the moft ferious reprefentations to the King of England, that he might have no doubt of his firm intention to maintain his rights and dignities, and the honour of his flag. But the court of London kept the moft jafulting filence to the greatest part of the propofals made by his ambassador; and in those particulars which they condefcended to speak of, they made no fcruple to deny the moft pofitive facts, to advance principles contrary to all treaties and customs, and to encourage judgements and confifcations with the greateft injuftice, excluding even the privilege of appeal. While the court of London was treated with fo much moderation, they made armaments and preparations which evidently could not be on account of America: their motive was too plain for a poffibility of mistake; and from thence it became an indifpenfable duty on his Majefty to make fuch difpofitions as might defeat the evil defigns of the enemy, and prevent depredations and infults fimilar to thofe experienced in 1755. Matters stood thus, when the King, who till then, in oppofition to his own intereft, had rejected all overtures from the United States of America, judged that there was not a moment to be loft is forming an alliance with them. By that act their independence was pronoun ced and established, and it had in fome fort been acknowledged by England herfelf, in permitting feveral acts to fubfift which tended towards fovereignty. If it had been his Majefty's intention to have deceived the King of England, he would have concealed his engagements with his new allies; but, acting upon principles of justice, and a fincere defire of preferving peace, he determined to behave with the most noble frankness, and confidered it as a duty to himself, to declare openly to the King of England his engagements with the United States. Nothing could be more fimple or mo❤ derate than the declaration delivered by his Majefty's ambassador to the British minifter [40. 451.]. But the council of St James's judged differently; and the King of England, after breaking the peace, by recalling his ambassador, announced this proceeding of his Majefty to the parliament as an act of hoftility, as a formal and premeditated infult. Nevertheless his Majefty cannot suppose that it was his acknowledging the independ ence of North America which irritated his Britannic Majefty: that prince cannot certainly be ignorant of many examples of this kind in the British annals, and even in his own reign : his refentment proceeded from a different cause. The treaty of France destroyed the plan formed at London of a momentary and precarious coalition with America, and entirely overturned the secret projects which influenced his Britannic Majefty to fuch a proceeding; and the true caufe of the animofity which the King of England manifested and communicated to his parliament was, that he could not reunite the Americans to his crown, in order to arm them against France. So extraordinary a conduct fufficiently indicated to his Majefty what he was to expect from the court of London; and if there had remained the leaft doubt, his Majesty bad shortly a full confirmation of his opinion in the immense warlike preparations which were carried on with most astonishing speed in all the English ports. Demonftrations fo manifeftly hoftile to France, determined the King to put himself in such a state as to repel force by force. With that view he haftened the armament of his ports, and difpatched a fquadron to America under Comte d'Eftaigu. X X 2 It It is notorious that the forces of France 'were ready for action first ; —it was in the King's power to have given an unexpected and fevere blow to England. His Majefty avows that it was his defign, his schemes were on the point of being put into execution, when the voice of peace ftopped him.—The King of Spain fignified to him the defire which the court of London fhewed towards a conciliation through the mediation of Spain. That monarch would not however appear as a mediator, without a previous affurance of a clear and pofitive acceptation of his friendly offices, and without knowing the principal objects which were to form the bafis of the negotiation. The King received the overture with a fatisfaction proportioned to the profeffions he has always made of his pacific intentions. Although the King of Spain declared that it was a matter of indifference to him, whether they accepted of or refufed his mediation, and that, notwithstanding his overtures, he left the King his nephew entirely at li berty to act as he judged proper, his Majefty not only accepted of his offers, but immediately fufpended the failing of the Breft fleet, and confented to communicate the conditions of peace as foon as England had expreffed in a pofitive manner her defire for a reconciliation, in which the United States of America were included, France being determined not to abandon them. . Certainly nothing could be more conformable to the apparent intentions of the court of London than this determination. His Catholic Majefty loft not a moment to act in conjunction with the King of England and his minifter; but he foon convinced the court of Madrid that his overtures of peace were infincere. — The British minifter anfwered, without hesitation, that there could be no ftep taken towards a reconciliation till France had retracted the declaration of the 13th of March, laft year. This anfwer was as injurious to Spain as France, and difclofed, in the moft evident manner, the hoftile views of England. Both the monarchs faw it in that light; and though the King, animated by a love of peace, left his Catholic Majefty at his difpofal to continue his mediation, he neverthelefs commanded his charge d'affaires at London to obferve a profound filence on the fubject in future. Notwithstanding all appearances, how ever, the hope of a reconciliation till flattered the heart of the King. When the failing of the fleets under the command of the Admirals Keppel and Byron, entirely rent the thin veil under which the court of London endeavoured to hide their real designs, it was not poffible to credit any longer their infidions infinuations, nor to admit a doubt any longer of their aggreffive fchemes: and, in this fituation of things, bis Majefty found it abfolutely neceffary to give directions for changing those measures which he had previously taken for the fe- " curity of his poffeffions, and the prefervation of his fubjects commerce. The event has fhewn how juft the precaution has been. All the world is acquainted with the manner in which the Belle Poule was treated by an English frigate in fight of the French coaft. It is no lefs notorious that two other frigates and a smaller veffel were intercepted by fur prife, and conducted to the English ports. [40. 325, 384.] The failing of the naval armament which the King has fent out under the conduct of the Comte d'Orvilliers, b came neceffary for oppofing the defigus of the enemies of his crown, and for avenging the infults which had been put · upon the Gallic flag. Providence fa voured the arms of his Majesty, and he triumphed. Comte d'Orvilliers was attacked by the English fleet: - he fought with it, and compelled it to retreat be fore him with confiderable lofs. — Since that period, hostilities have continued between the two crowns without a declaration of war. - The court of London has not made any, beaufe the wanted the means of a juftification for it: fhe did not, moreover, dare to accufe France of being the aggreffor, after the capture which the English fquadrons made of three veffels of his Majefty's fleet; but felt that she had too much to blush for, when the execution of the orders which fhe had issued clandestinely to the Indies, had manifefted to Europe what reliance was to be placed in her pacific difpofitions, and had put all the powers in the ability of deciding to which of the two, to France or England, the appellation of perfidious (an appellation which the Euglish minifter has omitted no opportunity of beftowing upon France) ought moft juflly to be afcribed. As for his Majefty, if he has thus far delayed to commun cate to all the nations an intel ligence ligence of the various grievances he has fuffered from the court of London, and to demonstrate to them the abfolute neceffity under which he lay of having recourfe to arms, it was, because he flattered himself that the English minifter might, at laft, have been brought to reflection; and that juftice, and more particularly the critical fituation to which he has reduced his country, might have induced him to change the fyftem of his political management. This expectation appeared to have fo much the better foundation, as the Eng lith minifters continued to detach their emiffaries to found the temper and difpofition of the King, whilft his Catholic Majesty still held the language of peace. -His Majefty, fo far from having acted in contradiction to the fentiments he has always uniformly maintained, liftened with the greatest readiness and zeal to the various exhortations of the King his uncle; and to convince this prince of his fincerity and perfeverance, he fubmitted, without referve, to his infpection, the very moderate conditions, on the compliance with which he was ready to lay down his arms. The King of Spain communicated to the court of London those affurances which he had received from his Majefty, and preffed that court to effectuate on their part that ultimate pacification which his Majesty on his had hewn fo ftrong an inclination to produce:- but the British minifter, under the perpetual affectation of wishing for peace, never returned any other anfwer to the official proceedings of the court of Spain, than by urging negative and inadmiffible propofitions, There was the most complete evidence, that England was averfe to peace, and that all her view was to gain, by procraftination, that time which her military preparations demanded. The King of Spain felt this truth, and felt no lefs the infult it threw upon his dignity. This prince, in the mean time, was fo touched by the reflection of all the calamities infeparably incident to war, and so filled with the hope that all these effects might yet be prevented, that he overlooked all the offenfive conduct of the court of London with respect to Spain, and neglected himself in his endeavours to accomplish a general pacification. It was under the iofuence of this difpofition that his Catholic Majefty propofed again a new plan the King, for the purpofe of effecting between the belligerent powers a truce of several years from their hoftilities. This plan was agreed to by his Majefty, under the condition that the United States fhould be included, and that they fhould be confidered and acted with, during that time, as an independent power; and to induce the King of England to acquiefce in this effential promise with the more alacrity, his Majefly confented, that that prince fhould treat with the Congrefs, either directly, or under the intervention of his Moft Catholic Majefty. In confequence of this overture, the King of Spain prefented these propofitions, after having carefully digefted them, to the court of London. Independently of an unlimited truce, during which the United States were to be regarded as perfectly independent, this prince, willing to adopt every measure that might ftop the effufion of human blood, took upon himself to propofe, with regard to America, that every individual thould continue in the poffeffion of all the property that he occupied or owned at the time of the ratification of this truce*. There was not a doubt with any one that thefe conditions would have been acceded to; they were, however, refuted. The court of London rejected them in a manner the most formal, and which did not carry with it any indication of a difpofition towards peace, unlefs on condition that the King would abandon the Americans to themselves. After a declaration fo blunt, the continuation of the war became inevitable, and his Majefty from thence thought it expedient to invite the King of Spain to a junction with him in virtue of their engagements, that they might avenge their refpective grievances, and put a period to that tyranny which England had ufurped, and ftill pretended to maintain, over the empire of the ocean. This brief expofition which has been given of the political views of the proceedings, and the fucceffive events which have occafioned the rupture between the courts of Verfailles and London, will give Europe an opportunity of forming a parallel between the conduct of his Majefty, and the King of England, of doing juftice to the purity and rectitude of the intentions which have influenced his [Had this been agreed to, our corres fpondent's propofal for the relief of loyal Americans [40. 452.] might poflib y have been adopted.] Majefty, The Mirror: Nancy 350 Majesty, and of judging which of the two fovereigns is the true author of the war which afflicts their states, and which of the two will be ultimately refponfible for all the calamities which must ensue from it. The MIRROR, N° 49. July 13. 1779. AS I walked one evening, about a fort. night ago, through St Andrew's fquare, I obferved a girl, meanly dreffed, coming along the pavement at a flow pace. When I paffed her, she turned a little toward me, and made a fort of halt; but faid nothing. I am ill at look ing any body full in the face; fo I went on a few steps before I turned my eye to obferve her. She had, by this time, refumed her former pace. I remarked a certain elegance in her form which the poorness of her garb could not altogether evercome: her perfon was thin and genteel, and there was fomething not ungraceful in the ftoop of her head, and the feeming feebleness with which the walked. I could not refift the defire which her appearance gave me of knowing fomewhat of her fituation and circumftances: I therefore walked back, and repaffed her with fuch a look (for I could bring myself to nothing more) as might induce her to speak what the feemed defirous to fay at hirft. This had the effect I wished." Pity a poor orphan!" said she, in a voice tremulous and weak. I ftopped, and put my hand in my pocket. I had now a better opportunity of obferving her. Her face was thin and pale; part of it was fhaded by her hair, of a light brown colour, which was parted, in a difordered manner, at her forehead, and hung loofe upon her fhoulders; round them was caft a piece of tattered cloak, which, with one hand, The held across her bofom, while the o ther was half-outfretched to receive the bounty I intended for her. Her large blue eyes were caft on the ground; the was drawing back her hand as I put a trifle into it; on receiving which, the turned them up to me, muttered fomething which I could not bear, and then letting go her cloak, and preffing her hands together, burst into tears. It was not the action of an ordinary beggar, and my curiofity was ftrongly excited by it. I defired her to follow me to the house of a friend hard by, whofe beneficence I have often had occa Collins's affecting story. Vol. 41. fion to know. When the arrived there she was so fatigued and worn out, that it was not till after fome means used to reftore her, that she was able to give us an account of her misfortunes. Her name, he told us, was Collins; the place of her birth one of the northern counties of England. Her father, who had died several years ago, left her remaining parent with the charge of her, then a child, and one brother, a lad of feventeen. By his induftry, however, joined to that of her mother, they were tolerably fupported, their father having died poffeffed of a small farm, with the right of patturage on an adjoining common, from which they obtained a decent livelihood: That, laft fummer, her brother having become acquainted with a recruiting ferjeant, who was quartered in a neighbouring village, was by him enticed to enlift as a foldier, and foon after was marched off, along with fome other recruits, to join his regiment: That this, the believed, broke her mother's heart, for that she had never afterwards had a day's health, and, at length, had died about three weeks ago: That immediately after her death, the steward employed by the squire, of whom their farm was held, took every thing for the arrears of their rent: That, as the bad heard her brother's regiment was in Scotland when he enlifted, she had wandered hither in queft of him, as the bad no other relation in the world to own her! But the found, on arriving here, that the regiment had embarked several months before, and was gone a great way off, the could not tell whither. "This news," faid the, "laid hold of my heart, and I have had something wrong here," putting her hand to her bofom, "ever fince. I got a bed and fome victuals in the houfe of a woman here in town, to whom I told my story, and who seemed to pity me. I had then a little bundle of things which I had been allowed to take with me after my mother's death; but the night before laft fomebody stole it from me while I flept; and fo the woman faid she would keep me no longer, and turned me out into the street, where I have fince remained, and am almost famished for want!" She was now in better hands; but our affiftance had come too late. A frame, naturally delicate, had yielded to the fatigues of her journey, and the hard faips fhips of her fituation. She declined by flow, but uninterrupted degrees, and yesterday breathed her last. A fhort while before the expired, the asked to fee me, and taking from her bofom a little filver locket, which fhe told me had been her mother's, and which all her diftreffes could not make her part with, begged I would keep it for her dear bro⚫ ther, and give it him, if ever he should return home, as a token of her remembrance. I felt this poor girl's fate strongly; but I tell not her ftory merely to indulge my feelings; I would make the reflections it may excite in my readers ufeful to others who may fuffer from fimilar caules. There are many, I fear, from whom their country has called brothers, fons, or fathers, to bleed in her service, forlorn like poor Nancy Collins, with "no relation in the world to own them." Their fufferings are often unknown, when they are fuch as moft demand compaffion. The mind that cannot obtrude its diftreffes on the ear of pity, is formed to feel their poignancy the deepcft. In our idea of military operations, we are too apt to forget the misfortunes of the people. In defeat, we think of the fall, and in victory, of the glory of com manders: we seldom allow ourselves to confider how many, in a lower rank, both events make wretched. How many, amidft the acclamations of national triumph, are left to the helpless mifery of the widowed and the orphan, and, while victory celebrates her feftival, feel, in their diftant hovels, the extremities of want and wretchedness! It was with pleasure I faw, among the refolutions of a late patriotic affembly in this city, an agreement to affift the poor families of our abfent foldiers and feamen. With no less fatisfaction I read, in fome late newspapers, a benevolent advertisement for a meeting of gentlemen to confider of a subscription for the fame purpose. At this feafon of general and laudable exertion, I am perfuaded such a scheme cannot fail of patronage and fuccefs. The benevolence of this country requires not argument to awaken it; yet the pleasures of its exertion muft be increased by the thought, that pity to fuch objects is patriotism; that, here, private compaffion becomes public virtue. Bounties for the encouragement of recruits to our fleets and armies are highly meritorious donations; these, however, may fometimes bribe the covetous and allure the needy: but that charity which gives fupport and protection to the families they leave behind, addreffes more generous feelings, feelings which have always been held congenial to bravery and to heroifm. It endears to them that home which their fwords are to defend, and strengthens those ties which fhould ever bind the foldier of a free state to his country. Nor will such a provifion be of lefs advantage to pofterity than to the prefent times. It will fave to the state many useful subjects which those families thus fupported may produce, whofe lives have formerly been often nurtured by penury to vice, and rendered not only ufelefs, but baneful to the communi❤ ty, which, under a more kindly influ ence, they might, like their fathers, have enriched by their industry, and protected by their valour. On the Knowledge of the World. THE firft index of mankind is the phyfiognomy, or the complexion and features of the face; the next, the vivacity, air, and motion of the body; then, action, the tone of voice, the aspect and manners. Indeed, there is not a perfon we fee, but we are instantly struck with their perfonal appearance, either in his behalf or to his prejudice. Every man makes a certain impreffion the first time he is beheld; but as thefe precipitate impreffions are not always well-founded, repeated converfations eftablish a com plete knowledge of him. Listen to a man with whom you are in company, give him full fcope for speak ing, and you will eafily discover whether his notions are exalted or mean; whether he is polite or rude; his difpofition towards vice or virtue, and what are his predominant vices or virtues; whether he is a man of veracity, or fpecious and deceitful; whether he exaggerates in his relations; whether he is a liar or a stickler for truth; whether he is proud or mean: and you will alfo trace the limite of his good or bad qualities. Study thofe perfons who behave familiarly, and without any apparent circumfpection; examine them in their various difpofitions, when they endeavour to be obliging, when they are choleric, when they are contemptuous, and when they are whimfical, when they are provoked to ire, and when they are flattered: observe them |