infolent multitude of people affembled before the parliament houfe, in order, moft illegally and audaciously, to obftruct and infult the members of both houfes of parliament attending the public fervice of the nation, in manifeft violation of the rights and privileges of parliament.* The grand embarkation defigned for Ireland was to be made from Vannes in Lower Britanny. To cover it, a fleet was fitted out at Breft, commanded by M. de Conflans. The execution of this scheme was delayed by Sir Edward Hawke, who blocked up that harbour with twenty-three fhips of the line. But boisterous winds having driven the British fleet off their station, in the month of November, Conflans embraced the opportunity, and failed with twenty-one large fhips and four frigates. On the twentieth, Sir Edward Hawke pursued and came up with the French fleet. He had been reinforced by a few ships under the command of Captain Duff, who had for fome time been cruifing from Port l'Orient in Bretagne to the Point of St. Gilles in Poitou. In the neighbourhood of Belleifle the van of the English engaged the rear of the enemy about two o'clock in the forenoon. Happy for Bri * The Duke of Bedford made the most honorable amends to the Catholics he could on this occafion, by directing Mr. John Ponsonby, the speaker, to read from the chair his answer to their address; which was an approbation of their past conduct, and an affurance of his future favor and protection as long, as they continued in it. Thus clearing them from the foul afperfion in the very place, in which it had been cast upon them. It is remarkable that no trace of this whole transaction is to be found in the journals of the commons. And yet so unusual a proceeding affecting the rights of the bulk of the Irish nation should naturally have found its place in the parliamentary minutes of that day. On the occasion of that malicious attack upon the Catholics, the Prime Sergeant Stannard, who had come in upon the late change, fpoke warmly in reply to some of the high-flying patriots, who moft violently oppofed the Duke of Bedford's adminiftration. Contrafting the riotous conduct of the Lucafians (as they were then called after their chief,) with the quiet and dutiful behaviour of the Roman Catholics, in that and other dangerous conjunctures, he gave the following honorable testimony in favor of the latter. "We have lived amicably and in harmony among ❝ourselves, and without any material party distinctions for several years paft, till within these few months, and during the late wicked rebellion in Scotland, we had the comfort and fatisfaction to "fee that all was quiet here. And to the honor of the Roman Catholics be it remembered, that not a man of them moved tongue, pen, or fword, upon the then, or the present occafion; and I am "glad to find, that they have a grateful and proper sense of the mildness and moderation of our "government. For my part, while they behave with duty and allegiance to the present esta"blishment, I shall hold them as men in equal esteem with others, in every point but one; and "while their private opinion interferes not with public tranquillity, I think their industry and alle"giance ought to be encouraged." tain and to the unspeakable advantage of this country, Providence favored the English fleet with a complete victory. In October, the fquadron defigned for the North of Ireland had failed from Dunkirk: it confifted originally of five fhips: one of forty-eight, two of thirty-fix, and two of twenty-four guns each, and carried a thousand two hundred and feventy land forces. The reputation acquired by M. Thurot, as captain of a privateer, raised him to the command of the naval department employed in this expedition. Adverfe and tempeftuous winds drove the fquadron to Gottenburgh. Having continued here a few days, they fet fail and proceeded to the place of destination. Upon arriving on the coaft of Ireland they were overtaken by a storm, to escape which they attempted to fhelter themfelves in Lough Foyle, but the wind changed and continuing to blow tempeftuously, obliged them to keep the fea, two of the fhips were feparated from the reft by the violence of the ftorm and returned to France. The remaining three directed their courfe to the island of Ilay, where they anchored, repaired fome damages they had fuftained, took in a fmall quantity of fresh provifions, and to procure a fupply more adequate to their neceffities, failed for Carrickfergus. They arrived here on the twenty-firft of February, and about two miles from the town, landed their forces now reduced to fix hundred men. Mean while an officer belonging to the small number of troops of which the garrison consisted, advanced with a reconnoitring party, and took post on a rifing ground to obferve the motions of the enemy. Having made the beft difpofition of his men which the time and circumftances would permit, and ordered them to make every effort to retard the approaches of the French, he returned to communicate the neceffary information to the commanding officer. The troops were on parade, from whom detachments were fent to defend the gates and all the avenues leading to the town. A number of French prifoners, then in Carrickfergus, were fent off to Belfast with all poffible expedition. By this time the fire had begun betwixt the reconnoitring party and the enemy, which killed feveral of them, and wounded Brigadier General Clobert, their commanding officer. This accident threw them into confufion, and for fome time retarded their approach. The reconnoitring party having expended their powder and ball were forced to retreat to their garrifon, who, after having attempted in vain to prevent the enemy from entering the town, fhut themfelves up within the caftle. Though they were not in any refpect prepared for fuch an attack, a number of them being quite undifci piined, and there being a breach in the wall fifty feet long, they defended themfelves with fpirit until their ammunition was expended. They were now obliged to capitulate: it is fuppofed, that, previous to the furrender of the castle, a hundred of the French were killed, among whom were four officers, one of them a person of diftinction, much regretted for his courage and amiable qualities. Of the garrifon not more than three loft their lives. When intelligence of the landing of the enemy reached different parts of the country, volunteer companies flocked to Belfast from all quarters. By the willingness which they difcovered to rifk their lives in the service of their country they acquired much honor, but they were ftrangers to difcipline, and numbers of them unprovided with arms. Had they proceeded to attack the enemy, as was propofed by fome, many would have been facrificed, and the probability of fuccefs was much against them. However the French were alarmed and would have left Carrickfergus without delay, had they not been detained by unfavorable winds: having plundered the town, they re-embarked on Tuesday the twenty-fixth of February. To avoid the imminent danger to which they were exposed from the English ships of war, they wished to return by the North of Ireland, but the wind was adverse, and compelled them to attempt a paffage through the Channel. Very foon their hopes of escaping vanished. The day on which they re-embarked, Captain Elliot, of his majesty's fhip Eolus of thirty-two guns, received information from government of the arrival of the French at Carrickfergus. Taking with him the Pallas and Brilliant, each of them with the fame force, with respect to guns, he fet fail in queft of the enemy. The twenty-eighth he difcovered them, gave chace, and came up with them near the Ifle of Man. Having engaged with them about an hour and a half, they ftruck, being much injured in their mafts and rigging, and three hundred of their men killed. Thurot loft his life in the action. Thurot had in the course of the preceding year fignalized his courage and conduct in a large privateer, called the Belleifle, which had fcoured the North feas, taken a number of ships and at one time, maintained an obftinate battle against two English frigates, which were obliged to defift after having received confiderable damage.* In *4 Smol. p. 460. The ideal approximation of circumstances trivial and remote, frequently leads to confequences of great importance and peculiar relevancy. On account of the penal laws then In confequence of thefe events, it was refolved by the House of Commons, "that the thanks of that house should be given to Lieutenant Colonel Jennings, for his prudent and refolute conduct at Carrickfergus, and for the "gallant ftand he made there against a much fuperior force, by which he "gained time for the militia to affemble, and preferved Belfaft from being "plundered." It was alfo refolved, "that the zeal, courage, and activity, "exerted on the landing of the French in this kingdom, by the counties of Antrim, Armagh, and Down, and by the citizens of the city of London"derry, were highly honorable and beneficial to themselves, and their country." The inhabitants of Belfast presented Lieutenant Colonel Higginson of the 62d regiment of foot, with a large and elegant filver cup, having an inscription expreffive of their gratitude for the exertion of his great military knowledge, vigilance and activity, for the fecurity of the town then exifting, the author and several other children of Catholic parents being fent abroad for a foreign education in July 1759 were taken in the packet by Thurot, between Dunkirk and Oftend: and were actually prisoners on board the Belleifle when the was attacked by what Mr. Smollet calls English frigates: the Belleifle mounted 40 guns, and had another privateer in company with her of 36 guns. On the very day of the capture of the packet three small English veffels mounting 20, 12 and 8 guns gave chace to and came up with the French privateers about midnight, and engaged them briskly till about four o'clock in the morning, when they were obliged to sheer off. Thurot's ship suffered so much, that it put in to Flushing to repair; where his prifoners lay for feveral weeks before they were exchanged. Here a mutiny happened on board the Belleisle, which Thurot quelled by killing two of the ringleaders with his own hands, and cutting off the cheek of a third. The three English veffels were commanded by Captain (afterwards Commodore) Boys, upon which a marine mufe produced the following lines. Conflans, De la Clue, and fuch brave men as those, We think it fufficient to send only Boys. With unspeakable gratitude does the author contraft thofe times, when under a borrowed name he was neceffitated to fly to a foreign country for education, with the prefent, in which through the liberality of government he has the happiness of giving that fame education to his own children in their native soil. As this descent of Thurot was the only attempt of an enemy to land in Ireland for upwards of two centuries every particular concerning it may be interesting to the Irish reader: we have therefore inferted in the Appendix No. LXVI. the official letter of General Strode, who then commanded at Belfast, dated February the 23d, 1760, to the lord lieutenant. of Belfast, on the landing of the French troops at Carrickfergus, the like compliment was paid to Colonel Jennings. ** On the 25th of October, 1760, his late majefty George II. died at Kenfington at the advanced age of 77 years; none of his predeceffors on the throne lived to fo great an age; none enjoyed a more happy or glorious reign; it was a peculiar bleffing to this monarch, that the love and affection of his fubjects encreafed conftantly to the clofe of his reign. He was a prince of perfonal intrepidity: upright and honorable in his conduct, though not diftinguished for any extraordinary brilliancy of talent: he was particularly fortunate in the choice of his laft miniftry, under Mr. Pitt. His British fubjects ill-relished his marked predilection for his German dominions, and complained, that he vifited them more frequently, than was confiftent with the welfare of the state. * A Lift of the Militia that marched against the French on this occafion. |