PREFACE. HE year which is the fubject of this TH volume, is not without interesting events, especially with regard to our internal politics. Among thefe, the decifions of the parliament, upon a fubject of the highest importance to the peace, wealth, and prosperity of the whole British empire, naturally claim the preference. We have therefore been particularly attentive to this part of the work, and have spared no pains to render it as clear and inftructive as poffible; at the fame time strictly obferving that impartiality which we have hitherto profeffed, and to which we shall always inviolably adhere. Whilst we bestowed on this part the extraordinary attention which it juftly meritted, we have not however been negligent in our relation of the tranfactions of other parts of Europe; of these we have given a full, and we hope not an unfatisfactory account. In this volume we have clofed our account of the war in the Eaft Indies; but have purposely omitted entering into any of the difputes which arofe at home, in confequence of the affairs of that company. Thefe difputes, it is true, arofe in the year of which we treat; but they were confined to, and within the company itself during the course of that period. They have now a wider extent; are continued on a more confpicuous theatre; and are become a very great and interesting object. But thefe difputes, as well as their final determination, if they fhall happen to be foon determined, muft naturally fall into the accounts of the year now begun, and will be part of the fubject of our next volume. Upon the whole, we have fpared neither diligence nor labour, and this is all we pretend to, to render this volume worthy of the fame favour with which the former were received. THE THE ANNUAL REGISTER, For the YEAR 1766. THE HISTORY O F EUROPE. CHA P. I. General afpect of affairs at the beginning of the year. Commotions and infurrections in various parts of the world. State of Europe. France. Clofe union of the houfe of Bourbon ftill continues. Proteftant fyftem Strengthened, by the Prince of Orange's being of age, as well as by the late marriages. Denmark. Rufia. Germany. Italy. Prefent appearance of things in general pacific. T HOUGH the great changes in the general political fyftem have not taken place, which the afpect of the times feemed to indicate, when we clofed the hif torical part of our laft volume; yet it will be allowed, that the beginning of the year 1766 appeared to teem with the most interefting events, and threatened VOL. IX. to be an era of great revolutions. A fpirit of liberty, which no time nor oppreffion can entirely efface in the human breaft, dawned forth in regions and amongst people, where, it might have been imagined, the term was fcarce ever heard, much less understood. The diffatisfactions which had unhappily fubfifted between Great [B] Britain Britain and her colonies, were not 1ubfided, when difturbances of a most alarming nature, and which might have been attended with the moft dangerous confequences, happened in Spain. Thefe difturThefe difturbances appeared the more ferious, as they were fo very unusual in a nation, which has been always characterized by the moft inviolable loyalty and attachment to its monarchs. Before the general furprise which this event naturally occafioned, could wear off, an account was publicly circulated throughout all Europe, of a revolution in the Spanish dominions in South America. A report had been fpread, circumftantial enough to gain no flight degree of credit, that the colonifts inhabiting those vaft countries, had entirely thrown off the yoke of their European mafters, and even proceeded to the eftablishment of a regular form of government amongst themfelves. It is fcarcely neceffary to be obferved, if fuch a revolution had really taken place, what a total change it must have introduced in the political fyftem of power and commerce, in the old, as well as the new world. Had the defection been fo univerfal as it was at firft reprefented, there is great reafon to fuppofe, that in the prefent ftate of the Spanish monarchy, that crown would have found the greateft difficulty in reducing the rebels to obedience. The immense distance of the fcene of action, the difficulty of tranfporting troops, together with the various changes of climate and food, which European foldiers must undergo, before they could at all act, would appear infurmountable obftacles to fuch an attempt. To which may be added, the vast extent of the countries in queftion; the numbers of their inhabitants, infpirited by the defire of liberty, as well as by a consciousness of their natural advantages; covered, as they are by immeasurable feas, or by deferts, almoft as boundless, and more impaffable. It is poffible too, that in fuch an event they might have fome foreign fupport. The commercial world would fcarcely, it is to be feared, have on this occafion fhewn an inftance of difinterestedness, which the hiftory of mankind has not yet afforded, in refufing fo many lucrative branches of commerce, from which they have hitherto, with fo extreme a jealoufy, been fhut out. About the fame period of time, accounts were received every day, of infurrections among the French in St. Domingo; provoked, as it was faid, by the tyranny of the Count d'Estaing, their Governor. Thofe who look back upon the narratives of the late war in the East Indies, will fee, with fome indignation, the court of France rewarding with one of its best governments, a perfon fo juftly obnoxious for violating one of the most facred obligations of the laws of war between civilized nations. The disturbances in their colonies might feem naturally and juftly enough the effects of fuch a proceeding. Infurrections were not confined to the western parts of the old and the new world. The fpirit of liberty feemed to have walked forth over the face of the earth, and to threaten revolutions in every part. In the east, which had 3 ever ever been the natural foil of defpotifm, the martial Georgian Prince Heraclius, famous fome years fince for his victories over the Perfians, formed the glorious project of attempting to deliver his country from the bondage of the Turks. The Georgians (who are a Chriftian nation) had long fubmitted to an ignominious tribute, of delivering up every year for the ufe of the Turkish feraglios, a great number of their nobleft and most beautiful virgins ; their country having in all ages been famous for producing the finest women in the world. The Georgians, fpirited by Heraclius, refufed to continue this fhameful tribute, and offered to commute for it, by paying a certain fum of money; which propofal was rejected by the Turks. In the war which ensued, Heraclius bravely afferted the rights of mankind in the liberties of his country, and is faid to have defeated the Turks in many battles. Our accounts of these transactions, paffing through a barbarous and confufed medium, are hitherto, and will probably continue for fome time, imperfect and inaccu rate. There are no authentic accounts of national affairs published in Turkey. The ftories of the victories obtained by this prince, were probably fomething exaggerated, and the great confequences which were fuppofed to be the refult of them much more fo. It was faid, that Heraclius having fubdued feveral of the neighbouring countries, had extended his conquefts to the coafts of the Blackfea, had taken the imperial city of Trebifonde, and, at the head of a vaft army, threatened nothing lefs than the fubverfion of the whole Ottoman empire. as come The infurrections which happened in Egypt and Cyprus, feemed to confirm, that the dif temper was epidemical throughout the greatest part of the globe. We fhall, under their respective heads, give the beft accounts we have been able to collect, of fuch of thefe commotions within the plan of our obfervation and as the clouds are now dispersed without any confiderable effects, which, from fo many different quarters, feemed to darken the political hemifphere; we fhall now confider the general state of affairs, as they appear at prefent. the No Europe, ftill fore with wounds it received in the last war, feems as yet defirous of reft and peace. There have been in different periods of history, and different parts of the world, fome ve ry poor, and very military nations, who had no other road to riches or confideration but war. experience of the mischiefs attending it, can affect people of that character; it would be ridiculous to caution a man against danger, wounds, or even death, who had no poffible manner of living, but by encountering them. To the happinefs of mankind, Providence has now circumfcribed these hungry nations within very narrow bounds; like the birds and beafts of prey, their numbers are far from being confiderable, and Europe at present is infefted with but few of them. On a review of the wars of this century in Europe, and their confequences, it would be difficult to prove any nation at all a gainer by them. Ambition indeed is not very at[B] a tentive |