fubject to continual revolutions, and at the mer- CHAP cy of every powerful invader. Inftigated to thefe III. ambitious views by the court of France, the fooner to accelerate the deftiny of her Hungarian ma- 1741. jesty, the court of Spain published a memorial, alledging the pretenfions of that crown to all the dominions poffeffed by the late emperor; and Don Carpentero, fecretary of the Spanish embaffy at Vienna, on the 8th of January delivered, to Count Zintzendorff, a proteft, fetting forth in fubftance, "That his Catholic majefty having a good claim "to the fucceffion of the late emperor, and be

ing refolved to maintain the fame, folemnly "protested against every thing that might be "done contrary thereto." And on the day following the fecretary departed from Vienna on his return to Spain. Thus the unhappy Queen of Hungary, before fhe had been invested with the royal purple, or her head inclosed with the golden diadem, and her hand experienced the incumbrance of a fceptre, was, like a young and beauteous fawn, furrounded with a troop of wolves, all rapacious and eager to devour fo fair a prey. Incompaffed with enemies, the diftreffed queen caft her eyes abroad, to seek that protection fhe had reafon to expect from the good intentions of his Britannic majefty, who by his guarantee of the pragmatic fanction, was obliged to furnish her with 12,000 men; and whose predeceffors made it their glory to holdthe ballance of power, to concenter the intereft of half the princes of Christendom, and be themfelves the life and fpirit that animated and directed the whole confederacy. On this monarch did the heiress of Auftria rely for confolation, fuccour, and deliverance; and having by letter, dated the 29th of December, notified the Pruf

fan

II.

PART fian invafion to the British court, fhe received an anfwer from his Britannic majefty in February following, wherein it was mentioned, "That 1741. there ought not to be the leaft derogation "from the faith of folemn treaties; that his

majefty would endeavour to perfuade the King of Pruffia to defift from his hoftile en"terprizes; and that if he did not, his Britan"nic majefty would faithfully and religiously "perform the treaties that obliged him to affift "the house of Auftria." And the Dutch, through the follicitations of Mr Trevor, the British minifter at the Hague, having expreffed their concurrence to promote the intentions of his Britannic majefty in fupporting the house of Auftria; they both advised the Queen of Hungary by friendly reprefentations, to endeavour to prevail upon the King of Pruffia to defift from his enterprize; and promifed, if that fhould not fucceed,, to deter him from the profecution of it, by declaring their joint refolution to fulfil their engagements to the court of Vienna; and, if neither of thofe methods fhould prove fuffici ent, they affured the queen, that they would proceed to oblige that prince by force of arms to withdraw his troops from Silefia. The Auftrian minister at London was at the fame time informed, that his Britannic majefty was refolved to perform his engagements to the Queen of Hungary, as foon as a proper plan for the mili tary operations could be fettled; and this affurance was repeated by the British minifter at the court of Vienna.

His Britannic majefty, further to manifeft his attachment to the houfe of Auftria, in his fpeech from the throne on the 8th of April, declared to both houfes of Parliament, That at the open

"ing of the feffions, he took notice to them of CHAP. "the death of the late emperor, and of his re- III, "folution to adhere to the engagements he was "under, in order to the maintaining of the bal- 1741. "lance of power, and the liberty of Europe, on that important occafion. That the affurances he received from them, in return to this commu"nication, were perfectly agreeable to the zeal "and vigour which that parliament had always "exerted, in the fupport of the honour and in"tereft of his crown and kingdoms, and of the "common caufe. That the war which had "fince broke out, and been carried on in part "of the Auftrian dominions, and the various " and extenfive claims which were publickly "made on the late, emperor's fucceffion, were

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new events that required the utmost care and "attention, as they might involve all Europe "in a bloody war; and in confequence, expofe "the dominions of fuch princes as fhould take part in fupport of the pragmatic fanction, to "imminent and immediate danger. That the Queen of Hungary had already made a requi"fition of the 12,000 men exprefsly ftipulated by treaty; and thereupon his majefty had de"manded of the King of Denmark, and of the King of Sweden, as Landgrave of Heffe Caf "fel, their refpective bodies of troops, confifting of 6,000 men each, to be in readiness to "march forthwith to the affiftance of her Hungarian majefty. That his majefty was also concerting fuch further measures, as might "obviate and difappoint all dangerous defigns. "and attempts that might be forming or carried on, in favour of any unjust pretenfions, to the prejudice of the house of Auftria. That in "this complicated and uncertain ftate of things,

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"many

PART " many incidents might arife, during the time, "when by reason of the approaching conclufion "of the parliament, it might be impoffible for 1741. " his majefty to have their advice and affiftance, "which might make it neceffary for him to "enter into ftill larger expences for maintaining "the pragmatic fanction. In a juncture fo cri❝tical, his majefty had thought it proper to lay "these important circumstances before them, "and to defire the concurrence of his parlia

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ment, in enabling him to contribute, in the "moft effectual manner, to the support of the

Queen of Hungary, the preventing, by all "reasonable means, the fubverfion of the houfe "of Auftria, and to the maintaining the liberties "and ballance of power in Europe. And his "majefty recommended it to his parliament, to "grant him fuch a fupply as might be requifite "for thefe ends."

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On the 10th of April both houses of parlia ment prefented their refpective addreffes to his majefty, and declared, They were highly fen"fible of his majefty's royal wisdom, in the re"folution he had been pleased to declare for "the maintenance of the pragmatic fanction,

and the affiftance of the Queen of Hungary." Both houses affured his majefty, "That in any "future events, which might arise from such an

uncertain ftate of things, and which might "make it neceffary for his majefty to enter into "ftill larger expences in fo juft a caufe, his ma

..

jesty might depend on their zealous and chear"ful concurrence, in enabling his majefty to " contribute in the most effectual manner to the "fupport of the Queen of Hungary, to prevent "the fubverfion of the house of Auftria, the an"tient and natural ally of the British crown, to

"the

"the maintaining the pragmatic fanction, and CHAP. "the liberties and bailance of Europe." And his III. majefty alfo received the affurances of both houfes, "That if any part of his dominions, although 1741. "not belonging to the crown of Great Britain, "fhould be attacked or infulted by any prince "or power, in refentment of the just and necef"fary measures which his majefty had taken, or "fhould take, for maintaining the pragmatic "fanction; that in juftice, and in vindication "of the honour and diguity of the British "crown, they were determined to exert them"felves to the utmoft, in defending and pro"tecting fuch dominion from any fuch attacks ແ or infults."

On the 13th of April the parliament voted the Queen of Hungary a fupply of 300,000l. and 10,000 of the British forces, with a train of artillery, were ordered to embark for Flanders for her affiftance. On the 6th day of May his Britannic majefty, declaring his intentions of visiting his German dominions, nominated in council, his grace the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, the Dukes of Richmond, Grafton, Bolton, Devonshire, Montagu, Newcastle, and Dorfet; the Earls of Pembroke, Wilmington, and Iflay; the Lords Hervey, and Harrington; Sir Robert Walpole, and Sir Charles Wager, to be lords of the regency in his majefty's abfence; and the fame day his majefty embarked at Gravefend, landed in Holland the 8th, and arrived in his Hanoverian dominions on the 12th.

THE Queen of Hungary, from the refolutions of the British parliament, was elated with the profpect of a speedy relief; and fhe had reafon to expect a formidable affiftance from the court of Ruffia, as the grand duchefs, regent of that VOL. I. Ff

con