in their natural colours. Below the furbafe the ground was of rofe-pink, with drapery festooned in blue. Thefe decorations were heightened by eighty-five mirrors, decked with rofe-pink filk ribands, and artificial flowers; and in the intermediate spaces were thirty-four branches with wax-lights, ornamented in a fimilar manner. On the fame floor were four drawing. rooms, with hide-boards of refreshments, decorated and lighted in the fame ftyle and taste as the ball-room. The ball was opened by the Knights and their Ladies; and the dances continued till ten o'clock; when the windows were thrown open, and a magnificent bouquet of rockets began the fire-works. These were planned by Capt. Montrefor, the chief engineer; and confifted of twenty different exhibitions, difplayed under his direction with the happieft fuccefs, and in the higheft ftyle of beauty. To. wards the conclufion, the interior part of the triumphal arch was illuminated amidst an uninterrupted flight of rockets and bursting of baloons. The military trophies on each fide affumed a variety of tranfparent colours. The fhell and flaming heart on the wings fent forth Chinese fountains, fucceeded by firepots. Fame appeared at top, fpangled with ftars, and from her trumpet blowing the following device in letters of light, Tes lauriers font immortels [360.] A fauteur of rockets, burting from the pediment, concluded the feu d'artifice. At twelve fupper was announced, and large folding doors, hitherto artfully concealed, being fuddenly thrown open, discovered a magnificent faloon of 210 feet by 40, and 22 feet in height, with three alcoves on each fide, which ferved for fide-boards. The cieling was the fegment of a circle, and the fides were painted of a light ftraw-colour, with vine leaves and feftoon flowers, fome in a bright, some in a darkish green. Fiftyfix large pier-glaffes, ornamented with green filk artificial flowers and ribands; 100 branches with three lights in each, trimmed in the fame manner as the mirrors; 18 luftres, each with 24 lights, fufpended from the cieling, and ornamented as the branches; 300 wax-tapers, difpofed along the fupper-tables; 430 covers, 1200 dishes; 24 black flaves, in Oriental dreffes, with filver collars and bracelets, ranged in two lines, and bending to the ground as the General and Admiral approached the faloon: all thefe, forming together the moft brilliant affemblage of gay objects, and ap pearing at once as we entered by an eafy defcent, exhibited a coup d'oeil beyond description magnificent. Towards the end of fupper, the Herald of the Blended Rofe, in his habit of ceremony, attended by his trumpets, en tered the faloon, and proclaimed the King's health, the Queen, and Royal Family, the Army and Navy, with their refpective Commanders, the Knights and their Ladies, the Ladies in general: each of these toafts was followed by a flourish of mufic. After fupper we're turned to the ball-room, and continged to dance till four o'clock. Such, my dear friend, is the defcrip tion, though a very faint one, of the moft fplendid entertainment, I believe, ever given by an army to their General. But what must be moft grateful to Sir W. Howe, is the fpirit and motives from which it was given. He goes from this place to-morrow; but, as I under ftand he means to stay a day or two with his brother on board the Eagle at Billingfport, I fhall not feal this letter til I fee him depart from Philadelphia. Sunday 24th. I am juft returned from conducting our beloved General to the water-fide, and have feen him receive a more flattering teftimony of the love and attachment of his army, than all the pomp and fplendor of the Mifchiass could convey to him. I have feen the moft gallant of our officers, and thofe whom I leaft fufpected of giving fuch inftances of their affection, fhed tear while they bid him farewel. The gal lant and affectionate General of the Hei fians, Knyphaufen, was fo moved, that he could not finish a compliment. he be gan to pay him, in his own name, and that of his officers who attended him. Sir Henry Clinton attended him to the wharf, where Lord Howe received him into his barge, and they are both gone down to Billingsport. On my return, I faw nothing but dejected countenan ces, Adieu, &c. SELECT MAXIMS. Where there is Here there is the greatest flourish of greatest blemish of vanity. He who dwelleth with a cripple will eafly learn to halt; and he that is converfant with an hypocrite will foon endeavour to diffemble. HI HISTORICAL AFFAIR S. UNITED PROVINCES. [627.] The British ambaffador prefented the following memorial to the States-General on the 26th of November. "High and Mighty Lords, THE King cannot without furprise fee the filence that has been obferved, with regard to the memorial which the under written had the honour to present upwards of four months ago [385.] to your High Mightineffes, requiring the fucCours ftipulated by treaty. His Majefty would not have claimed the affiftance of his allies, if he had not been fully authorised to it by the menaces, the preparations, and even the atacks of his enemies, and if he had not thought your High Mightineffes as much nterested in the preservation of Great Britain as in their own. The spirit and the letter of the treaties confirm this truth. Your High Mightinesses are too wife, and too juft, to difpenfe with the obfervance of them, aving particularly yourselves folicited he addition of the feparate article of the treaty of 1716, in which the cafus fœderis s ftipulated in a clear and inconteftable manner. The hoftile declaration made at Lonlon by the Marquis de Noailles, the atack of Jersey, the fiege of Gibraltar, and all the other notorious enterprises, re fo many clear proofs of a manifeft ggreffion. Befides which your High lightineffes have feen, during the paft ummer, that the combined forces of the Houfe of Bourbon were evidently directd against his Majefly's kingdoms. And Ithough the vigorous measures of the Cing, the zealous and patriotic efforts of he nation, crowned with the bleffing of Providence, have happily hitherto frutrated their ambitious defigns; yet the anger exists ftill, and the enemy contiues ftill to announce their intended atacks and invafions under the protection f their naval forces. The King can never imagine, that the ifdom of your High Mightineffes can ermit them to remain indifferent in inerefts fo folid, and fo common to both ountries; and ftill lefs that they should ot be convinced of the juftice of the otives which have determined his Mafty to claim that fuccour which is his ue on fo many accounts. His Majefty ould rather perfuade himself, that your High Might ineffes having refolved to augment their navy, had through prudence kept back their answer till they were better able to furnish the fuccour required. It is for this reafon that, in renewing this fubject in the most preffing manner, I have orders to request your High Mightineffes moft amicably, not to defer the concerting of measures in order to fulfil their engagements on this head. The decifion of your High Mightineffes is fo neceffary, and fo important in its confequences, that the King would think himself wanting to himself, his fubjects, and the republic, if his Majefty did not recommend this affair immediately to the moft ferious deliberation of your High Might ineffes. It is of infinite import to the King to have matters made clear by a speedy and immediate answer to so etfential an object. His Majefty hopes, from the equity of your High Mightineffes, that your anfwer will be conformable to the treaties, and the fentiments of friendship he has always had for the republic; and it will be according to the refolutions of your High Mightineffes that his Majefty proposes to take fuch future measures as may be moft adapted to circumstances, and moft proper for the fecurity of his eftates, the welfare of his people, and the dignity of his crown. Done at the Hague, Nov. 26. 1779. JOSEPH YORKE." "Hague, Dec. 10. On the 26th of November, the States-General received a letter from the Prince Stadtholder, informing them, "That, conformable to their refolution of Nov. 19. [626.], he had fent the neceffary orders to ViceAdm. Rynft, who commands in the road of the Texel, that he should use every means, not excepting forcible ones, to oblige Paul Jones to put to fea with the firft fair wind; and that Paul Jones had declared he was ready to obey the orders of their High Mightineffes, and would fail as foon as he was provided with every thing neceffary: but that it fince happened, that on the 25th of November when Adm, Rynft fent Capt. Van Overmeer on board the Serapis, to give notice to the commanding officer, that he must provide himself with a pilot and fail, he was anfwered, that that ship was no longer commanded by Paul Jones, but by the French captain Cotenfau de Cofgelin, who had taken poffeffion of her in the name name of the King of France." — The Prince then refers to Vice-Adm. Rynft's letter; and adds, "that till he received the further orders of their High Mightineffes, he had wrote to Adm. Rynft not to use any forcible means till further orders with regard to the fhips in queftion, and that their commanders fhould prove they had French commiffions; but that the former orders fhould neverthelefs remain in force with regard to the fhip called the Alliance, actually commanded by Paul Jones.' And his Se rene Highness at the fame time ".charged the Vice-Admiral to take care, that, conformable to the treaty of the 3d of Nov. 1756, none of the prifoners who were not brought into the road on board that veffel, fhould be carried on board her." The Prince further hopes, that the States will approve his conduct in this affair. Their High Mightineffes having deliberated upon this, they immediately thanked the Prince Stadtholder for what he had communicated to them, and entirely approved of his proceedings in the affair in queftion, and they mean to deliberate upon what is further to be done in it." Amfterdam, Dec. 24. A diforder has carried off a number of people in this city; 500 have died of it in a week. It was a fore throat and a fever. The air is fo foggy and heavy, that few people have escaped the influenza." ENGLAND. [629.] To thefe, by his Majefty, Dec. 15. An act for granting an aid to his Majefty by a land-tax [4 s. in the pound] to be rai fed in G. Britain for the fervice of the year 1780. An all for continuing and granting to lu Majefty certain duties upon malt, mum, tj. der, and perry, for the fervice of the your 1780. An act for further continuing an ad 19′′ Geo. III. " to impower his Majesty to fe cure and detain perfons charged with, Jufpected of, the crime of high treafon, con mitted in any of his Majesty's colonies plantations in America, or on the high fia, or the crime of piracy. An act for continuing an aft made in the last feffion of parliament, for allowing its importation of fine organzined Italian thrown filk in any ships or vessels, for a limited tima, To thefe, by his Majefty, Dec. 13. An act to repeal certain acts made in Grid Britain, which refrain the trade and com merce of Ireland with foreign parts. [665.] An act to amend an ad 18° Go. I. "to explain and amend so much of as að 40 Geo. III. as relates to the preventing t clandeftine conveyance of fugar, and panel, from the British colonies and plantations in America, into Great Britain. An act to indemnify fuch officers of the militia as have not tranfmitted to the cr of the peace defcriptions of their qualifiestions, and certificates of their having ha the oaths as required; and for allowing fir ther time for the delivery of defcriptions of qualifications by fuch officers of the mi and for obliging the captain-lieutenant to de liver in a defcription of his qualification. And to two private bills. By an order of council, of Dec. 1 the bounties to feamen or landmen whe enter voluntarily to ferve in the na and the rewards for difcovering feames who fecrete themselves, are continued three months from the 31ft of December John Paul Jones gave the following The Royal affent was given to the fol- account of his engagement with the Se lowing bills. To one, by commiffion, Dec. 7. viz. An act for holding the ensuing election of a knight of the fhire for the county of Southampton at the town of New Alresford in the faid county, [inftead of Winchefter, the ufual place; from which it was thought dangerous to remove the troops, on account of the number of French and Spa. nish prisoners confined in Winchester ca rapis, in a letter, dated on board the Serapis, in the Texel, Oct. 3. to D Franklin, at Paffy. "On the 23d of September, we pr ceived a fleet, ftill keeping my fatica d Flamborough-head, to the N. E. 1 determined to abandon the fhips wi lay at anchor in Burlington bay, hoifted the fignal for a general cha The fleet itfeif now very well percent that we bore towards it, the mercha men belonging to it made all their init fhore; whilft the two fhips of war t attended them for convoy, drew off in the coaft, and put themselves in a iofition for commencing an attack. we approached the enemy, with our s out, I made the fignal for forming line of battle; but with all my ea nefs to bring about an engagement, I ld not come up with the Commo'e's veffel till near seven in the even When I came within piftol-fhot, hailed the Bon Homme Richard; ich I answered with a complete broad 2. The engagement immediately comnced, and was carried on on each fide th equal violence and fury, each parufing the while every poffible mancu. to work himself into the most advan eous pofition for annoying the enemy. m compelled to acknowledge, that the my's veffel, by various manoeuvres, initely_fuperior to those of the Bon omme Richard, gained fometimes the vantage of fituation, in spite of every ort I could make to the contrary. Be g engaged with an enemy very much y fuperior, 1 found myself under a nefity of being as clote as I could, to mpenfate as much as poffible for the feriority of my ftrength. My intention as to place the Bon Homme Richard ump in front of the enemy's veffel: it as this operation required much ad ́efs in the manner of managing and go. erning our fails, and as fome of our ard-arms were by that time gone, I ould not fucceed in this fcheme in the all extent Þat first intended. The bowrit of the enemy happening, however, o come within a little of the ftern of the Son Homme Richard, I availed myself of this opportunity to faften the two vefeis together; and the wind at the fame ime upon the enemy's fhip, having her tern plump abreast of the Bon Homme Richard, the two fhips met, almoft in all their parts, their yards blended with each other, and the mouths of their canon refpectively touched the decks of each veffel. It was about eight in the evening when this circumftance took place. At this time the Bon Homme Richard had received feveral eighteenpounders under water, and confequently leaked confiderably. My battery of twelve - pounders, upon which I built moft, being ferved by French and American failors, were entirely filenced and abandoned. As for the fix old elevenpounders, which formed the battery of VOL. XLI. my firft deck, they did me little fervice: they only fired eight times in all; and at their being firft fired two of them burft, and killed almoft all the men appointed for their fervice. Before this, Col. de Chamillard, who commanded a party of twenty foldiers placed on the poop, had abandoned his pof, after having loft all his men except five. I had now only two nine-pounders that were in condition to fire; these were placed on the poop, and during the whole of the action we made ufe of but one large cannon. Mr Mease, the purfer. who had the charge of the guns on the poop, having received a dangerous wound on the head, I was obliged to officiate in his ftead. I had a great difficulty in rallying fome of our men; but having fucceeded in drawing our cannon from the leeward battery, we had now three nine-pounders to play upon the enemy. During the whole engagement, the fire from this small battery was feconded only by that of our men from the mafts, where Lieut. Stock commanded. I directed the fire of one of the three cannon, charged with bullets, against the enemy's main-maft; while the two others, which were well fupplied with cafe fhot," were employed in endeavouring to filence their mufketry, and clear their decks; which they at laft effected. I learn, that at this inftant the enemy was upon the point of afking quarter, when the cowardice or perfidy of three of my fubaltern officers induced them at the same time to afk it of the enemy. The English commander afked me if I demanded quarter; and upon being answered in the moft determined manner in the negative, the combat was renewed with redoubled fury. They were not able to keep their decks; but the fire of their cannon, particularly of their lower tier, confifting entirely of eighteen-pounders, was inceffant. Both vessels were on fire in feveral places, and the fpectacle which they exhibited was frightful beyond defcription. In order to account in fome measure for the timidity of the fubaltern officers, that is to fay of the mafter, carpenter, the head gunner, and the captain of the foldiers, I ought to observe, that the two firft were dangerously wounded; and as the fhip had received feveral fhot below water, fo that they were obliged to keep pumping almoft inceffantly, the carpenter was apprehenfive of her 4 2 finking, finking, in which opinion the two others concurring, the head gunner ran, with out my knowledge, to the poop, in order to ftrike the flag: happily for me a fhot long before had done the office in carrying away the enfign, fo that he was obliged to call for quarter. During all this time le Bon Homme Richard fuftained the engagement alone, and the enemy's fhip being far fuperior in force, could eafily have difengaged herself at firft, as appeared by their own acknowledgement; and which they could have effected at laft, had I not taken care to lafh it firmly to the Bon Homme Richard. At length, between nine and ten in the evening, the Alliance appeared, and I concluded the engagement at an end, when, to my great astonishment, she fired a broadfide in the rear of our fhip. We then intreated them for God's fake to defift: she nevertheless continued her fire. We then threw out fignals, three lanthorns in a horizontal line, one in the front, one in the rear, and one in the middle of the ship. We all cried with one voice to inform them of their miftake. But nothing had any effect: the paffed us, ftill continuing firing; one of her broadfides killed eleven of my beft men, and wounded a good officer. My, fituation was now deplorable indeed: the Bon Homme Richard received feveral fhots below water from the Alliance; the pumps were not fufficient to carry off the water; and the flames kept increafing on board the two veffels. Some of ficers, of whofe courage and integrity I had no doubt, attempted to perfuade me to yield; the Captain, unknown to me, releafed all the prisoners; and it must be confeffed that my profpect began to be truly dreadful but I was determined not to fubmit. The enemy's main maft began to totter, the fire on board their fhip began to abate, while on the contrary our's gained ground. At laft, how ever, between ten and eleven in the evening their fhip ftruck her colours. The fhip was the Serapis man of war, commanded by the brave Commodore Pear. fon, a new veffel, mounting 44 guns, built in the new style, having two batteries, the lowest of which confifted entirely of eighteen-pounders. I had now remaining two enemies yet more formidable than the English, fire and water. The Serapis was attacked only by the firft, but my fhip was affailed by them both. There was fix feet of water in the bold; and though the wine was moderate, we could hardly, with the three pumps we had left, prevent from increafing; while the fire, in fpite of all our efforts, extended itself till it reached the powder-room. I caufed the powder to be carried upon deck, that it might be ready to throw overboard in cafe we were driven to extremities. It was not till the next day that the fir could be got under. As to the condition of the ship in o ther respects, the rudder was entirely carried away, the bars of the ship were nearly thot away, and all the woodwork in general, from the main-mat to the ftern-poft, which had been previou ly confiderably damaged by the weather, were so broken, that it was impoffible to determine the actual degree of injury they all together sustained, and nothing lefs than ocular teftimony could give true idea of all the various ruin and deftruction which this fingle day had pro duced. Humanity fhudders at the profpect of such peculiar horrors, and iffus a groan at the reflection of the fad and terrible effects which arise from war. When the carpenters, and others of judgement in these matters, had infpett ed the veffel, which operation was per formed about five in the evening, they gave their report unanimoufly, that it was impoffible to keep the Bon Home Richard afloat for such a time as would be neceffary for making any harbour coaft, and that the attempt would be dangerous, should the wind increase the smallest degree in the world. I however, determined, if it was poffibi, to keep the Bon Homme Richard affes, and to conduct it into fome port: wh that view the Lieutenant of the Pala was placed with a party of men, to fe the pump, and with boats in readins to receive the crew, in case it was ¤› practible to fave it. In the mean t the wind increased during the night, and on the morning of the 25th it appear plainly impoffible to hinder this g hip from going to the bottom. T men did not abandon it till nine o'clo The water then rofe to the upper cr and a little after ten, with a conc which no words can exprefs, I en loft fight of her. No perfon perih with the veffel, but it was imposible fave any of the provifions. I loft her the greatest part of my cloaths, ney, and papers. Moft of my offen have loft their cloaths and effects, |