102

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

the absurd, and imprudently insulting measures taken by the sovereign himself.His anger appeared feminine and impotent; and, as though resolved to irritate agovernment whose power he would not but stand in awe of, he attached himselfso warmly to the cause of the supposed descendant from the house of Stuart, thathe is said to have actually had it in contemplation to attempt the invasion ofBritain with a formidaole army ; and to have resolved on taking the command ofit himself, in the hope of rendering its operations more effectual. The British com-mander, and those under whose orders he acted, seemed as though they compassion-ated this fallen state, and were unwilling to throw into a greater paroxysm of distressa nation apparently involved in almost irretrievable ruin. No hostilities whatevertook place, and the dispute, though not compromised, even during the year,rather seemed referred to the decision of the ministers pens, than the cannon ofthe fleets belonging to the different countries. During the two ensuing years, arepetition of the same measures continued to preserve a remembrance that thedispute existed, without displaying any decisive measures taken, toward bringingit to an issue. The death of Charles concluded the dispute ; but even before thatevent took place, it appeared, far as attention could be paid to the schemes andintrigues of politicians, to be in a fair and regular train of adjustment.

’Ere, however, this long impending, though far from dangerous cloud hadbeen dispelled, the supposed ambitious views of the cardinal Alberoni, with re-spect to Italy, rendered it expedient to send into the Mediterranean an armamentunder the orders of Sir George Byng, not inferior to that which, as successor taSir John Norris, he had commanded in the Baltic. His Eminence appears to-have been either fatally presumptuous in regard to his own strength, or to havetrusted, perhaps, to alliances or diversions from Sweden which were never carriedinto effect. Notwithstanding every dispassionate and cool representation of theabsurdity of his conduct was made to him, yet such was his obstinacy, that he choserather the fleet of his sovereign should rush into certain destruction, than alter thosemeasures and opinions which he had very hastily and imprudently adopted. Thealmost total destruction of the fleet under admiral Castaneta closed the scene ofnaval contest: for although hostilities were not actually declared in form, tillfour months after that event had taken place, which might have been consideredas having put a period to their existence, yet Spain, having little or no naval forcein reserve, that of Britain, of course, had no occupation left it, except of paradingin triumph over the Mediterranean sea, without meeting a foe to contend with.Various less consequential attempts, indeed, were made by the Spaniards to dis-tract