rom their station by severe weather
on the fourteenth day of March, the French squadron sailed on the
seventeenth from the road of Dunkirk; but the wind shifting, it anchored
in Newport-pits till the nineteenth in the evening, when they set sail
again with a fair breeze, steering their course to Scotland. Sir George
Byng having received advice of their departure, from an Ostend vessel
sent out for that purpose by major-general Cadogan, gave chase to the
enemy, after having detached a squadron, under admiral Baker, to convoy
the troops that were embarked at Ostend for England. On the tenth day of
March the queen went to the house of peers, where, in a speech to both
houses, she told them that the French fleet had sailed; that sir George
Byng was in pursuit of them; and that ten battalions of her troops were
expected every day in England. This intimation was followed by two very
warm addresses from the lords and commons, in which they repeated their
assurances of standing by her against all her enemies. They exhorted her
to persevere in supporting the common cause, notwithstanding this petty
attempt to disturb her dominions; and levelled some severe insinuations
against those who endeavoured to foment jealousies between her majesty
and her most faithful servants. Addresses on the same occasion were sent
up from different parts of the kingdom; so that the queen seemed to look
with contempt upon the designs of the enemy. Several regiments of foot,
with some squadrons of cavalry, began their march for Scotland; the earl
of Leven, commander-in-chief of the forces in that country, and governor
of the castle of Edinburgh, hastened thither to put that fortress in a
posture of defence, and to make the proper dispositions to oppose the
pretender at his landing. But the vigilance of sir George Byng rendered
all these precautions unnecessary. He sailed directly to the Frith of
Edinburgh, where he arrived almost as soon as the enemy, who immediately
took the advantage of a land breeze, and bore away with all the sail
they could carry. The English admiral gave chase; and the Salisbury,
one of their ships, was boarded and taken. At night monsieur de Fourbin
altered his course, so that next day they were out of reach of the
English squadron. The pretender desired they would proceed to the
northward, and land him at Inverness, and Fourbin seemed willing to
gratify his request; but the wind changing, and blowing in their
teeth with great vi