y, whom thinks the reader?
That same "Conte di Spinelli," who is Charles Edward the Young
Pretender,--Comte de Saxe commanding under him! This is no fable; it is
a fact, somewhat formidable; brought about, they say, by one Cardinal
Tencin, an Official Person of celebrity in the then Versailles world;
who owes his red hat (whatever such debt really be) to old Jacobite
influence, exerted for him at Rome; and takes this method of paying
his debt and his court at once. Gets, namely, his proposal, of a
Charles-Edward Invasion of England, to dovetail in with the other wide
artilleries now bent on little George in the way we see. Had not little
George better have stayed at home out of these Pragmatic Wars? Fifteen
thousand, aided by the native Jacobite hosts, under command of Saxe,--a
Saxe against a Wade is fearful odds,--may make some figure in England!
We hope always they will not be able to land. Imagination may conceive
the flurry, if not of Britannic mankind, at least of Britannic Majesty
and his Official People, and what a stir and din they made:--of which
this is the compressed upshot.

"SATURDAY, 1st MARCH, 1744. For nearly a week past, there has been seen
hanging about in the Channel, and dangerously hovering to and fro [had
entered by the Land's-End, was first noticed on Sunday last "nigh the
Eddistone"] a considerable French Fleet, sixteen great ships; with four
or five more, probably belonging to it, which now lie off Dunkirk: the
intention of which is too well known in high quarters. This is the grand
Brest Fleet, Admiral Roquefeuille's; which believes it can command the
Channel, in present circumstances, the English Channel-Fleets being in
a disjoined condition,--till Comte de Saxe, with his Charles-Edward
and 15,000, do ship themselves across! Great alarm in consequence; our
War-forces, 40,000 of them, all in Germany; not the least preparation
to receive an Invasive Armament. Comte de Saxe is veritably at Dunkirk,
since Saturday, March 1st: busy shipping his 15,000; equipments
mostly shipped, and about 10,000 of the men: all is activity there;
Roquefeuille hanging about Dungeness, with four of his twenty great
ships detached for more immediate protection of Saxe and those Dunkirk
industries. To meet which, old Admiral Norris, off and on towards the
Nore and the Forelands, has been doing his best to rally force about
him; hopes he will now be match for Roquefeuille:--but if he should not?

"THURSDAY, 6th MARCH.