only thought of making good his retreat to Ostend; which at one time, it seemed very doubtful if he would be able to effect. At that critical moment, General Beaulieu flew to their aid; and upon the 8th attacked the French near Lisle, and obtained a complete victory, as it was first said, dispersing them with a great slaughter, and taking about thirty pieces of cannon. This has enabled the Duke of York's army to recover from the dismay into which they had been thrown. A second victory was said to be obtained by Beaulieu; butlater accounts render this doubtful; and it is now known, that the French have obtained pofsefsion of Ypres, the Dutch having been driven back to Bruges and Ghent, and thus will indeavour to prevent a junction between Beaulieu and the duke of York's army, which at the present moment appears to be in a situation extremely perilous. On the 15th, the Duke's army was encamped at Thoroute, a small village between Dixmude and Bruges, in hourly expectation of being attacked.

During the course of these operations, many attacks have been made upon the French lines near Wifsemburg on the Rhine by the Prussians, who have not yet been able to force them. In the mean while Strafbourgh is said to be in a state of insurrection; and Quesnoy has been obliged to surrender prisoners of war to the victorious arms of the prince of Saxe Cobourg, who took pofsefsion of it on the 13th. It is also reported that St Quentin surrendered to him without resistance: and that on his way from thence to besiege Cambray he also took a valuable convoy going for that place of 200 waggons of provisions, and 14 of ammunition, besides 700 head of cattle and 200 horses.

The French having weakened their forces towards Savoy to oppose the Marseilloise, they now also talk of withdrawing their arms from before Nice, that they may have the benefit of these troops to forward their operations in Provence. It is scarcely to be doubted that they will try if pofsible to recover Toulon from the English and the royalists.

Naval affairs.

In consequence of the surrender and disarming of seventeen French fhips of the line, and seventeen frigates, in the harbour of Toulon; the whole naval power of the French in the Mediterranean must be, for the present, totally annihilated: and their commerce in those seas, unless from the ports that submit to the combined powers, entirely cut off. This must prove peculiarly distrefsiug to the inhabitants of the southern provinces of France, where the large towns of Marseilles, Aix, Avignon, Lyons, &c. containing much people, and the country producing little corn, depend upon foreign supplies for about three fourths of their subsistence.

Our fleet in the channel under lord Howe has hitherto done nothing of consequence; he is still lying at Torbay, and collecting all the force he can from every quarter, as if he dreaded the attack of a superior foe. It is in

deed reported that the French fleet, consisting of 33 sail of the line, is in the .channel; but no person has yet seen them. The nation in general do not Look upon Lord Howe's conduct at present with a favourable eye. Time will discover if he has had sufficient reason for this scrupulous caution. From the representations that are given to the convention of the state of Brest, it would seem that they are under great apprehensions that neither the officers of the navy, nor the people of that place, are to be depended upon; and fhould it happen that the insurgents in Vendée in imitation of those of TouIon, fhould apply for the aid of Britain in support of Louis XVII, and should a navy appear before Brest of superior force, and a negociation be conducted with equal moderation as that entered into by lord Hood, it does not seem beyond the bounds of pofsibility that Brest might be delivered up on nearly the same terms with Toulon. But so long as Gaston, whose views seem to be at least doubtful, shall have the principal sway in those parts, a steady unanimity on this head needs perhaps not be expected.

As a strong detachment from lord Hood's squadron may be soon expected home, it may be reasonably thought that should the present tempest be weathered without any material damage, the operations in the channel will be carried on with greater vigour than heretofore. Britain has derived hitherto scarcely any aisistance in her naval operations either from the Ruf. sians or Dutch, and none from the Portuguese ;-and though the Spaniards have a numerous squadron in the Mediterranean, we have heard of nothing they have done. Lord Hood commands on that station no less than 20 Britifh fhips of the line; besides the Romney of 50, and Dolphin of 44 guns, 16 frigates and sloops of war, and 2 firefhips; in all 40 fhips of war; a force that one would think, even independent of the Spanish fleet, much more than could be wanted in those seas.

The following is the declaration of the inhabitants of Toulon, and the conditions on which they agreed to put lord Hood in possession of that place. Declaration made to Adm. Lord Hood.

The General Committee of the Sections of Toulon having read the procla mation of Adıniral Lord Hood, Commander in Chief of his Britannic Majesty's squadron, together with his primary declaration; and, after having communicated these two papers to all the citizens of the town of Toulon, united in sections.

Considering that France is torn by anarchy, and that it is impofsible to exist longer a prey to the factions with which the country is agitated, without its total destruction:

Considering that the southern departments, after having made long ef forts to sist the opprefsion of a party of factious men, who have conspired to ruin them, find themselves drained and deprived of all resources to annihilate this coalition of the evil-disposed:

Cous.dering, in fhort, that determined not to submit to the tyranny of a Convention that has sworn to ruin the nation, the people of Toulon, and those of Marseilles, would rather have recourse to the generosity of a loyal

people, who has manifested the desire of protecting the true Frenchmen against the anarchists who wish to ruin them:

Declare to Admiral Hood,

I. That the unanimous wifh of the inhabitants of Toulon, is to reject a consti tution which does not promote their happiness, to adopt a Monarchic Government such as it was originally by the Constituent Afsemb'y of 1789; and in consequence, they have proclaimed Louis XVII. son to Louis XVI. KING, and have sworn to acknowledge him, and no longer suffer the despotism of the tyrants which at this time govern France.

II. That the white flag fhall be hoisted the instant the English squadron anchors in the road of Toulon, and it will there meet the most friendly reception.

III. That the fhips of war now in the road will be disarmed, according to Admiral Hood's wishes.

IV. That the citadel and the forts of the coast fhall be provisionally at the disposal of the said admiral; but for the better establishing the union which ought to exist between the two people, it is requested that the garrison fhall be composed of an equal number of French and English, and that nevertheless the command shall devolve to the English.

V. The people of Toulon trust the English nation will furnish speedily a force sufficient to afsist in repelling the attacks with which they are at this moment threatened by the army of Italy, which marches towards Toulon, and by that of General CARTEAU, who directs his forces against Marfeilles.

VI. That the people of Toulon, full of confidence in the generous offers of Admiral Hood, trust that all those who held civil and military employments shall be continued in their places, and fhall not be annoyed in their respective occupations.

VII. That the subsistence and succours of every kind, of which Toulon stands so much in need, will be assured to the inhabitants by the combined fleet of the powers coalesced.

VIII. That when peace will have been re-established in France, the ships and forts which fhall be put into the hands of the Englifh fhall be restored to the French nation, in the same state they were in when the inventory was delivered.

It is according to this declaration, if approved by Admiral Hood, that the Toulonese will regard themselves, with good heart and will, as belonging to the English and the other powers coalesced, and by whose succour will be brought about that peace after which they have panted so long.

(Signed)

BEAUDEAL, President, and 28 of the principal inhabitants.

Lord Hood was put into possession of the town on the 28 Aug. when he immediarely delivered the following proclamation.

PROCLAMATION

By the right hon. SAMUEL LORD HOOD, vice admiral of the red, and commander in chief of his Britannic Majesty's squadron in the Mediterranean, &c. &c.

Whereas the sections of Toulon have, by their commifsioners to me, made a solemn declaration in favour of monarchy, have proclaimed Louis XVII. son of the late Louis xvI. their lawful king, and have sworn to acknowledge him, and no longer suffer the despotisin of the tyrants which at this time govern France, but will do their utmost to establish monarchy, as accepted by their late sovereign in 1789, and restore peace to their distracted and calamitous country.

I do hereby repeat, what I have already declared to the people of the South of France, that I take pofsefsion of Toulon, and hold it in trust only for Louis XVII. until peace fhall be re-established in France, which I hope and trust will be soon.

(Signed)

Given on Board his Britannic Majesty's fhip Victory, off Toulon, the 28th of August 1793 HOOD. A memorial has been presented to the court of Sweden, by Mr Keene, ambassador from the court of Great Britain, desiring that Sweden will not permit any British fhips that may be captured and brought into the Swedish ports to be sold, but that it would give orders to release the ships, cargoes, and crews; and that the enemy's fhips may not be permitted to remain in the Swedish harbours, The duke regent has complied with this request; afsuring his Britannic majesty that the most vigorous orders will be given for that purpose, still farther to cement the harmony betwixt the two courts, so advantageous to both.

POSTSCRIPT.

Edinburgh Sept. 24th, by the last accounts from the combined army, our fears for the safety of the troops under the command of the duke of York, are in a great measure removed. It now seems to be pretty certain that he has advanced towards Menin to form a junction with Beaulieu,-that these two generals had attacked the French there, and obliged them to retire; and that in several other places, the French parties had been beat back with considerable iofs; and every thing resumed its wonted appearance in that army.

Letters are in town also, specifying that General Carteau had advanced towards Toulon, with a view to attack it; and for that purpose had occa, pied some of the adjacent heights, and begun to fortify them, that captain Elphingston had made a sally with the troops under his command, consisting of British, Spanish, and French, and had beat back Carteau with the lofs of all his artillery, &c. But this news is not so well authenticated as to be considered as certain.

It now appears, that the fleet which, in the channel, had been mistaken, by the cautious Howe, for the Brest squadron, was only a Dutch fleet of merchantmen under convoy of some fhips of war. Whether this phantom being vanished, lord Howe will think it prudent to slip his spring cables and put to sea, or if he will be detained there by another phantom of the same kind, it is not easy to say.

So far is the French squadron at Brest from being dreaded, that it would seem probable they are now planning a revolution of the same kind with that of Toulon. An emigrant who made his escape in a boat from Brittanny, says, that when he left that place difsention prevailed so much in Brest, that a great part of the sailors refused to act; and that a vefsel bearing a flag of truce had been sent off from that harbour before he left it, but what the in tention of it was, he could not with certainty say. It is probably this circumstance which has given rise to the report which has prevalled in London, for some days past, that proposals had been received by lord Howe, from the people of Brest, of the same tendency with the overtures from Toulonto lord Hood; but that lord Howe, from the superabundance of his caution had thought it necessary to receive instructions from London before he could venture to determine how he should act on this singularly difficult and critical occasion. All this wants confirmation. But the reports respec ting Brest in the national convention, give some countenance to the story. There also it has been stated that the insurgents in Vendèe instead of being baeten, continue to wax stronger and stronger every day.

W

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16.

FOREIGN.

Retrospective view of the progress of the allied armies, &c.

HEN the Duke of Brunswick invaded France, it seems to have been the decided opinion of the allied powers, that nothing more was wanted for establishing royalty in France than to bring together an armed force that might serve as a rallying point to give countenance to the Royalists, who they imagined would rise in great bodies, and effect a revolution without trouble or much bloodshed. But if such were their expectations, the event showed they were miserably deceived; and indeed the measures adopted by the Duke were the best calculated to throw bars in his way, that could have been conceived. The manifestos he published were so insulting, and so utterly the reverse of being conciliatory, that they rather served to unite than to disjoin the party he opposed; and by impressing the favourers of the royal cause with a mean opinion of those who pretended to support it, deterred them from declaring their sentiments, or coming forward in his support, lest they should be abandoned to their fate by the capriciousness of men who seemed to be so little capable of judging rightly, or of acting steadily in their support.

The event showed that they judged rightly in this respect; and the conduct of the allies to Fayette completely annihilated every expectation they could have formed from that quarter.

These events, with the gasconading manifesto published by the Duke at the moment he found himself obliged, from sickness and want of provisions, to make a precipitate retreat before an army led on by an active general, who knew that nothing could save him from destruction but success at that moment, completely removed any remains of confidence in the allied powers, that had been suffered to exist till that period. Every person who seemed to be within the reach of danger made haste to abandon a cause that was supported by men who seemed to be so little capable of affording them protection. In consequence of this, the secret abettors of royalty were eager to come forward in support of the Republican cause, in order to remove suspicions that they thought must prove destructive to them; and all who were unfixed in their principles were induced to espouse the democratical cause, and heartily to co-operate in its s pport. By these means Dumourier was enabled to make a winter campaign, which, for brilliancy of succefs, was unequalled in the annals of past times. In a few months he over-ran the

VOL. XVII.