part of this they are obliged to fend out of the country to purchase corn and foreign commodities.

The Spaniards are not wanting in genius; though learning has flourished very little amongst them, being always difcouraged by the clergy. They are, in general, people of a good deal of wit, and no despicable judgment, which, though flow, in generally fure.

They poffefs fecrecy, conftancy, and patience in adverfity, to a great degree; but, on the other hand, they are haughty, proud and imperious; add to thefe, indolence and floth, which complete the national character.

The kingdom is well defended on all fides. On the fide of France it has a fecure fence in the Pyrenian mountains: the fea-coasts, besides forty five towns, are lined with redoubts, forts, and towers, and were an army to venture far up the country, they would be put to great inconveniencies, particularly the horse, for want of neceffary forage. The strength of Spain confifts more in its navy than its army. In time of peace their navy is principally employed in the protection of their American trade, clearing their coasts of the Barbary corfairs and other pirates, and occafionally in transporting troops to Ame rica. It is also very well provided with feveral forts of naval stores. Arragon, Navarre, Catalonia, and the North

Coast, produce good timber; Biscay and other parts abound in iron. At Lierganes and Ceradà, not far from St. Andero, are founderies for cannon, anchors, &c. and for bombs, granadoes, and all kinds of bullets, at Fugui, Azura, and Iturbiera. Powder is alfo made at feveral places; and Placentia in Guipuzcoa, and Valencia, are famous for all forts of arms; as Puerto Real, which is not far from Čadiz, is for excellent cordage. Cada in Galicia makes both cordage and canvas, being fupplied with hemp from Granada, Murcia, and Valencia, but not in a fufficient quantity for the demand; whence foreigners still have the advantage of fupplying them with the most of their canvas and cordage.-Tar and pitch are made in several parts of Catafonia and Arragon. The Spanish settlements in America have alfo very good ship-timber, pitch, and tar; for which reafon it would be more advan tageous for them to build the greater part of their fhips at the Havannah ; befides, the American wood is more durable than that of Europe.

The Spanish navy received a fevere blow under Philip II. and from that time continued declining till after the peace of Utrecht, when Philip V. was very intent upon reftoring it. In the year 1759, it was in as formidable a state as it had been for feveral years before.

Galley-flaves

Militia, horse and foot

Invalids exclufive of the 2000 detached

Sundry officers and men not included

65,000 15,000

6000

1200

8000

3000

Men

2400

100,600

dragoons.

NAVY.

750,000

23,535,889

State of the Trade between Old and New Spain. Wrote by a Spaniard.

T

HERE will be no want of perfons to object, and say, that as we cannot fupply the demands of the Indies with our own commodities, it is neceffary that foreigners make up the deficiencies; a natural confequence of which is, that as money is always feeking after the proprietors of the merchandize, so much as is equivalent to the value of it must needs país into their hands. I am willing to fuppofe it a fact, and that a remedy cannot be provided; yet even in these circumstances one might think of a way to come in perhaps for a share of the profits of the trade in general; so that as our Indies yield us yearly twelve millions of dollars, foreigners might carry off but fix millions, and the other fix annually enter into the kingdoms of Spain, and continue there. Even this then, or a lefs fhare, would fuffice to render the monarchy rich, populous, powerful, and refpected; but as the cafe now ftands, and one cannot speak of it without grief, that if there comes twelve millions from the Indies, at least eight millions of it pass to foreign kingdoms, directly fhipped off from the ports of Andalufia; and most part of the four reinaining millions that are fuppofed to be introduced into Spain, fcarce enter into it, but, as if they fought only for a paffage, go likewife to other nations in payment for merchandize, we, by our own fault, purchase in larger quantities than we fell. So that of all the twelve

millions we receive yearly, there scarce ftays one hundred thousand dollars in Spain, as may he proved from the thousands of millions we know to have come into Spain fince the difcovery of America, and the great scarcity of gold and filver its inhabitants now labour under, both which I have already proved. And I apprehend it is in our power to rescue ourselves from this lamentable distress and unhappy difpofal of our treasures, and even prevent the rivals and enemies of the monarchy, or any others, from tharing them with us, will we but take care as we ought, and what is in my opinion very practicable, to work up our own wool and filk; by doing which we should provide a fuffi cient quantity of fine clothes and filks to fupply the confumption of these and the kingdoms of America; and have alfo a confiderable furplus of these com modities, which with the wines, oil, and foap, raifins and other fruits we abound with, would not only ferve to barter with foreigners for linen, bacalao, fpicery, and fome other trifles that we must have from them, but also yield us a confiderable balance in money. Indeed as to bacalao and other falt fish, that comes from abraod, and of which the confumption is very great and chargeable to Spain; this might be greatly reduced, without any prejudice to the public. As to fpicery, of which there is alfo a great confumption, and with which the Hollanders fupply both thefe kingdoms, and the Indies, the Dutch by very long and hazardous voy, ages failing from Holland to the aft

D

Indies

Indies to fetch it, and turning back to Holland, afterwards transport it to Andalufia, and from thence to America, a navigation of above thirteen thousand Spanish leagues, and a voyage almoft twice round the globe of the earth; I am convinced, that were it not poffible to reduce the consumption of it in Spain and America, we ourselves might carry on the principal part of the commerce of the said spicery, and fupply both thofe and these kingdoms.

The hiftory of Spain, fince the paffing of that crown into the Family of Bourbon.

T

HE Crown of Spain is now one of the most confiderable Powers of Europe, but it has not always been fo. That great country was formerly divided into feveral kingdoms; and it was not till towards the latter end of the fifteenth century, that most of them came to be united under Ferdinand and Ifabella. That King was reputed the wifeft Prince of his time, and his Queen was really the wifeft crowned head in that age. It was his policy that made the Kings of Spain great; it was her virtue that made the Crown fo.

There were three things that fell out under their reigns, which intirely alter ed the face of affairs in Spain, and thereby changed the fyftem of Europe. The firft was the junction of the Crowns of Caftile and Leon, with the dominions that belonged to each of them; and this was brought about by their marriage. The fecond was the total exclu. fion of the Moors, which was effected by the conqueft of Granada, the laft of thofe principalities which they had erected in that country; and which the union of their dominions put it in the power of these Princes to accomplish. The third was the difcovery of the New World, and the annexing of it, when discovered, to their dominions; by which Spain may be faid to commence her maritime power.

Thus in the compass of about thirty years, Spain became beyond all com

parifon the greatest Power in Europe, which before was very inconsiderable. Charles V, their grandfon, by their only daughter, was at once Emperor of Germany, King of Spain and Naples, Mafter of a great part of Italy, and Lord of the whole Low Countries, as well those that now form the republic of the United Provinces, as those which were ftiled the Spanish Netherlands, and now belong mostly to the Empress Queen of Hungary.

His fon, Philip II, who, if ambitious Princes are to be filed fo, was the wifeft King, at least the greatest politician, that Europe ever faw, and in that quality bid the faireft for univerfal-monarchy.

The mighty power which he establifhed, dwindled away and funk to nothink under his fucceffers; fo that at laft they were protected, in the poffeffion of their dominions, by thofe very Powers that had been raifed upon their ruin.

It was the policy of Lewis XIV. to match both his grandfons the Dukes of Burgundy and Anjou, into the House of Savoy; and though in the first inftance his policy feemed to be disappointed, fince the Duke of Savoy took part with the Allies throughout the whole war, yet his daughter, the Queen of Spain, by her engaging behaviour, acquired the affections of the Spanish Nobility, and thereby contributed not a little to maintain her confort on the throne.

She died the 14th of February, 1714, and left behind her two fons; Don Lewis, born in 1707, who became King of Spain by the refignation of his father; and Don Ferdinand, born the 23d of September, 1713, the late King of Spain. By her deceafe King Philip was left at liberty to ftrengthen his intereft by a fecond marriage, which he concluded in a few months with the Prince's Elifabeth Farnefe, daughter of the Duke of Parma, and heiress not only of that Dutchy, but also expectant heiress of Tuscany; which marriage was made with a view to revive the intereft of the houfe of Bourben in Italy,which had been in a manner extinguished by the peace.

The

The new Queen brought her father's Minifter into power, who was afterwards fo well known by the title of Cardinal Alberoni, who died not long fince. This man, who must be allow ed a great genius, projected the revival of the Spanish power, and the recovery of her Italian dominions, at a time when the former was thought very difficult, and the latter appeared totally impracticable.

It is true, that he did not absolutely fucceed in this scheme; but it is no lefs true, that he came much nearer it than any body could have imagined; for he put the affairs of Spain into fuch order, that he had fleets and armies capable of alarming her neighbours, with which he actually recovered Sardinia, and would have recovered Sicily, if the British naval power had not interpofed, and given fuch a blow at Meflina to his Catholic Majesty's maritime forces, as ruined all his fchemes at once; and, which was ftill more, obliged his Master to part with him,` and to accede to the Quadruple alliance, which was fet on foot to fupply the defects of the treaty of Utrecht, and to fix the tranquillity of Europe upon a more stable basis.

Philip V, in resuming the government, upon the demife of his ion, Don Lewis, began to meditate new and ftrange defigns, or rather fuch were infufed into his mind by the Queen and his Minifters. It is generally believed, and not without good grounds, that Cardinal Alberoni, who was then at Rome, contrived that amazing fcene which astonished all Europe; at least it is certain, that it was managed and transacted by one of his creatures, a man born to make a figure in unquiet times, and who, as he deferted the service of his country, no other Prince ought to have relied on.

This was the famous Ripperda, who negotiated the treaty of Vienna, by which the Emperor Charles VI. and King Philip, in whofe quarrel fuch rivers of blood had been fhed, and fuch immenfe treasures expended, run into a close alliance for the mutual fupport

of each other's intereft, against those very Powers which had facrificed fo much for the aggrandifement of both. The true motives to this fingular meafure are by many held to remain ftill fecret; but it seems to be pretty evident, that the views of the Emperor were immediate, and thofe of Spain more at a distance.

The former thought, that by this aneans he fhould establish his Oftend Company, by which he hoped to revive the trade of the Low-Countries, though at the expence of his old friends the Dutch; the latter confented to the aggrandifing of the Imperial power, from the flattering expectation that Don Carlos, by marrying the eldest archduchess, at present Emprefs and Queen of Hungary, would become the fucceffor to that branch of the house of Austria, as himself had been of the other with France.

To balance this Vienna alliance, France, the Maritime Powers, and Pruffia, entered into the famous treaty of Hanover.

The Emperor and the Catholic King, or rather his Queen (for she was at the bottom of all this) feemed determined to perfift in the execution of schemes, from whence they expected to derive fuch mighty advantages; but the Hanover Allies took their measures so effectually, that they were obliged, after fome fruitless attempts, to submit to the old method of determining all differences by a negociation, which produced the congrefs of Soiffons.

This congrefs was opened the 14th of June, 1728, but to very little purpofe, except that it ferved to flew the afcendency which the French Minifter Cardinal Fleury had gained by an appearance of probity, and an exterior difplay of equity and moderation; which demonftrates, that univerfal monarchy might be attained by any powerful Prince, who really poffeffed thofe virtucs. But, this fituation growing tirefome to the British nation, their Ministers entered into a fecret negociation with the Crown of Spain, ending