cardinals, to declare his fentiments afterwards as he fhould fee occafion.

His holiness will speedily promote nine cardinals, to difpofe of the hats vacant in the facred college. His Sicilian majefty is caufing several men of war and frigates to be built, for the fuppreffion of the piratical inhabitants of Barbary. The three men of war belonging to the emperor are returned to Leghorn. The commercial company lately established in the Mode. nefe, has a very promifing afpect; their scheme of traffic having gained the approbation of several British merchants, who have contracted for fhares. Two Venetian ships of war have funk three corfairs of Tripoli near Corfu, and taken two pirates belonging to the fame ftate.

FRANC E.

This power can never be taxed with inactivity, while there is any view of promoting diffentions among the European princes: accordingly, the greatcft part of the troops remaining in the interior parts of the kingdom, have orders to join thofe already upon the frontiers of the empire and of Brabant, to be in readiness to affift the allies of his moft chriftian majefty, in cafe they fhou'd happen to be engaged in any military contentions. The French are vigilantly increafing their marine, having lately put three new men of war on the ftocks at Toulon, where they are likewise building eighteen floops of war of a new invention: from whence the French writers have authority enough to affirm, that, in a fhort time, the world will fee their marine on a very refpectable footing, and directed too by able heads. The great addition to the naval force of France, is too melancholy a truth to escape the obfervation of any honeft Englishman: the French never entertained the thought of rivalling the maritime powers, till their fagacious Colbert convinced Lewis XIV. that it was his indubitable intereft to acquire a degree of potency on the cerulean world: fince which time the French were never able, in the very meridian of their glory, to equip a fleet of more than 45 fhips of the line, 67 frigates, and 55 gallies: thefe were reduced in

the late war to 31 fhips of the line, and 7 frigates, of which feven were old and unferviceable: but we are now told that the navy of France is more numerous than ever; it confifts of 100 fhips of force; and their mercantile veffels are not lefs in number than before the war, though they loft 2185 fhips before the conclufion of the peace. Nor is the political interest of France lefs exerted than her military or naval forces; all calculated for fuppreffing the Auftrian power; all actuated to pave the way for univerfal empire.

The jubilee to be held in the diocese of Paris has been proclaimed, and is to continue from the first Sunday after Eafter to Whitfuntide: though at Vienna, and fome other places, they have no less than fix months allowed them to earn the indulgences or treafure of the church; but French vivacity can dispatch a business of this importance in as many weeks.

The inhabitants of France have been in the utmost confternation, occafioned by a furious hurricane, which began on the 7th of March, and has done incredible damage; particularly at Nantes in Britany, where it began with a tempeftuous wind at fouth-west, and at three o'clock the next morning turned to the north-weft, accompanied with thunder, lightning, and fuch terrible noifes both at fea and land, as feemed to proceed from an earthquake. The rivers were overflowed, and the Loire rushed over its banks in a dreadful inundation; woods were tore up by the roots, and houses overthrown: but the greatest damage that happened was in the road of Paimbœuf, adjacent to Nantes, where, of feventy fhips, there were only four that rode out the tempeft; feveral were left upon the points of the rocks; fome were thrown by the waves upon the Quay; some few were driven out to fea and escaped; fome foundered at their anchors, and others were forced on shore in different places and loft: about 800 failors perifhed in the ftorm: the first chamber of infurance loft 1,200,000 livres in confequence of it; and the whole lofs to the town of Nantes, is computed at ten millions of livres. When the hurricane was over, the land floods rufhed

rufhed down fo precipitately as to fweep every thing before them: feveral perfons were drowned in the Loire, and the prejudice done to the country is fo great, that the inhabitants of Touraine are going to draw up a memorial to the king, to reprefent their loffes, and their inability to pay the taille, or land tax. This hurricane was followed by other calamities in different parts of the kingdom, particularly in the neighbourhood of Paris, where a storm did confiderable damage, and the waters of the Seyne rofe in fuch a prodigious manner that it wanted but two feet of being as high as it was in the year 1740: feveral parts of the metropolis were overflowed; and the inundation fpread fo far in the country, as daily to bring down an abuudance of dead rabbits, hares, and other game, floating in the river the road between Paris and Versailles was rendered impaffable; and the provost of the merchants, ordered all the inhabitants on feveral of the bridges, to remove immediately, with their goods and other effects, to places of fecurity.

It is reported that the ftupendous work of the Provence canal will be fpeedily put into execution: its fource will be from the Durance, and at fome diftance there will be formed a bafon of divifion, from whence are to iffue two canals ; that for navigation, after paffing a little above Aix, will terminate in the fea near Marseilles; the other for irrigation, after a courfe through very extended plains, is to join the Rhone near Tarafcon; and the whole work is agreed, which is conducted by a company, to be carried on, within the space of fix years, to Aix and Marseilles.

NETHERLANDS.

The intelligence from this country, is no more than a repetition of what has been retailed to us, from week to week, for a confiderable time together.

TURKEY.

The Ottoman forces have been almoft enervated by their long inactivity; but a confiderable number of these troops are now affembling in Servia, Beffarabia, and the Circaffian Tartary.

It is uncertain whether this formidable fhew is actually intended to raise this ftorm of war on the frontiers of Ruffia and Hungary; or whether it is only an artifice of the Divan to keep the troops in exercise,, and remove if not fupprefs, the infolence of the turbulent janizaries, That the influence of France is very confiderable at Conftantinople is fufficiently manifeft; but it may be doubted whether this influence is fufficient to rouze the martial genius of the Turks; especially when we confider how pofitively they rejected the follicitations of the marquis de Caftellane, the French ambaffador, when he prefented his memorial on the 10th of February 1746, to the grand Vizir, with a view to prevail on the Porte to make an invafion upon the Auftrian or Ruffian dominions, at a time when the court of Vienna was in the utmost distress. The confultations in the cabinet at Conftantinople are carefully concealed: at this time, it is impoffible to predict what the Turks will actually undertake the late revolution feemed unfavourable to their neighbours, the new high admiral, high treasurer, and fecretary of the grand Vizir, having lefs pacific fentiments, than their predeceffors; but there is now intelligence, that all the great officers, both civil and military, except the grand Vizir, have been depofed; fince which the system of the Porte is altered.

The Algerines, and the other piratical states on the coaft of Barbary, still continue their depredations in the Mediterranean: fuccefs encourages them to acts of audacity in fight of the European ports: nevertheless they are not entirely free from uneafinefs; because they are informed that the chriftian powers are preparing not only to clear the Mediterranean of pirates, but even to attack them in their ports, with powerful fquadrons, and make descents upon their coafts. They hear that Spain in particular is making great armaments in her ports, and marching troops towards the fea coaft; that her men of war are to be joined by several Portuguese, Venetian, and Genoese ships; and this great armament is defigned against Algiers, or Tunis: but as fuch a rumour was fpread last year, and nothing followed, they ftill hope it will

will prove groundless this year. How ever, they take all the neceflary precautions at thofe places, as well as at Tripoli; to which they are the more encouraged by the emperor of Morocco, who has offered them affistance in cafe of neceffity.

SPAIN.

The directions for building new and repairing old fhips, are executed with great alacrity in all the ports of this Kingdom; where the woollen manufactures go on very profperously; Mr. Keene has renewed his complaints, about the British ships vifited and seized in the West Indies, bySpanish privateers or Garda de la Coftas: upon which his moft catholic majefty has fent over orders, for punishing with death the captains of fuch privateers, if it fhall

T is reported, that the Bill for

cheap compound fpirits, propofes an additional duty of 8 1. per ton on all malt fpirits to commence fromLady day laft.

A propofal is delivered to both houses for purchafing the Isle of Man, from the Duke of Athol; in order to annex it to the crown; that ifland in its prefent ftate of independence, ferving as a ftorehouse to the French for wines, teas, andother commodities, whence they are run into the British dominions, by which the lofs to this nation, and the gains to the French are very confiderable.

appear that they feized or flopped fuch English fhips upon illegal pretences. Mr. Keene has alfo propofed to the ministry of Madrid, to confider of some expedient for terminating the difficulties concerning the navigation of British fhips in the bay of Honduras: but we may venture to prophefy that the Spaniards will perpetually vifit our fhips if they are driven on, what they arbitrarily call, their own Latitudes; nor can we ever expect that they will grant the British Logwood cutters an unmolefted navigation: however there is talk of another affair ftill more important, which is to be the fubject of a new negotiation between the courts of London and Madrid; perhaps a new definitive Convention, to explain and amend the laft and former indefinitive ones.

On the 22d of march the royal affent, on account of the death of his royal highness Frederic prince of Wales, was given by commiffion to the mutiny bill; to a bill for enabling his majesty to raise the several fums of money therein mentioned by exchequer bills, to be charged on the finking fund, and for other purposes therein mentioned; to a bill to indemnify persons who have omitted to qualify themselves for offices and employments within the time limitted by laws, and for allowing farther time for that purpofe; to a bill for granting an aid to his majefty of 3 s. in the pound by a land tax, to be raised in Great Britain for the service of

the year 1751, a bill for the better feveral road and private bills.

juries,

On account of the demife of his royal highness the prince of Wales: It was order'd in council, that in all the church service where the royal family are appointed to be particularly prayed for, the following form and order shall be obferved: " their royal highnesses the princefs of Wales, the duke, the princeffes, the iffue of the prince and princess of Wales, and all the royal family."

Both houfes of parliament prefented addreffes of condolement to his majesty on this deplorable occafion.

The lord chamberlain's order was iffued on the 23d for the courts going into mourning on the 31ft on this melancholy occafion: the ladies to wear black bombazine, plain muslin, or long lawn,crapehoods, fhameyshoes andgloves crape fans undreffed, dark Norwich crape.-The men to wear black cloth, without buttons on the fleeves or pockets, plain muflin or long lawn cravats and weepers, fhamey fhoes and gloves, crape hat-bands, and black fwords and buckles,-undressed; dark gray frocks. The fame day the lord marshal's order iffyed, to give notice, that all perfons were expected to put themselves into the deepest mourning And

And, on the 24th, notice was given by order of the lord chamberlain, that the time fixed for deep mourning will end on Sunday June 30th next; that on Sunday July 7th will commence the 2d mourning, and end on Sunday October 6th.

The body of his royal highness was embalmed on the 23d, after which his bowels were put into an urn, and depofited in Henry 7th's chapel on the 26th; the body was removed from Leiçefter houfe to the Jerufalem chamber on the 11th inftant, where it lay in ftate till the 13th, when it was privately interred in the family vault in Henry 7th's chapel. Prince George will foon be created prince of Wales, and, to gether with the princefs and the reft of her children, will refide at St. James's.

The reading the 3d time the bill for naturalizing foreigners, was put off to this day, the time appointed for a call of the house of commons; who have not yet come to any conclufion on the gin act; nor is the alteration of the new-ftile entirely fettled; but they have ordered an infpection to be made into the feveral parochial methods of employing the poor throughout England and Wales.

The play-houses were open'd on the 8th inftant.

We are informed that the British and French commiffaries have at last come to fome definitive refolutions concerning their poffeffions in America: the lords commiffioners of trade and plantations, to whom the memorial of the marquis de Mirepoix was referred, have allowed the claim of France to the property of St. Martin: in confequence of which the earl of Albemarle is to acquaint the miniftry of Versailles, that orders fhall be sent for evacuating that ifland by the English, and procu ring a proper indemnification for the fubjects of his most christian majefty, whenever they repoffefs themselves of their old fettlements. But will the neutral iflands be evacuated by the French before this affair is abfolutely terminated? Are not the French still continuing their invidious practices, and amufing us with an exterior fhew of fettling the limits between Nova Scotia and Canada? by which they will have an opportunity of conveying arms to the Indians and French inhabitants of Acadia, to enable these revolters to retard the colonization of the country.

March 18. Wm. Coventry, earl of Coventry, viscount Deerhurft and baron Coventry; who is fucceeded by his eldeft fon George William lord viscount Deerhurft, now earl of Coventry.

20. Between ten and eleven at night all Britain felt a fatal blow in the death of his royal hignhefs Frederic prince of Wales, which was occafioned by the breaking of an impofthume between the pericardium and diaphragm, which threw the matter contained in

it upon the fubftance of the lungs. Never was a prince more univerfally beloved when living, never was a man more fenfibly lamented when dead. His virtues entitled him to royalty, but in every action of his life, the man ftill rofe fuperior to the prince. Magnificence and oftentation were by him defpifed, for that patriot paffion which delights in promoting the general happinefs of mankind: other princes may receive eulogiums paid more to the refpect of dignity than merit; but the memory of this excellent prince is carved deep in the heart of every honeft Briton ; nor will the glorious image ever be effaced, while the fentiments of virtue are prevalent on the minds of men. For him the British genius weeps o'er the folitary beach: for him public virtue drops the tear of agony: in him each connubial joy is perished; each parental, each domestic worth