to distress the trade of
England. He was the more encouraged to pursue these measures, by
the correspondence which his ministers carried on with some wretches
belonging to the admiralty, and other officers, who basely betrayed
their country in transmitting to France such intelligence concerning the
convoys appointed for the protection of commerce, as enabled the enemy
to attack them at advantage. In the course of this year the French
fishery, stages, ships, and vessels in Newfoundland were taken, burned,
and destroyed, by captain John Underdown, of the Falkland.]

[Footnote 153: Note 2 D, p. 153. Three Camisars, or protestants,
from the Cevennois, having made their escape, and repaired to London,
acquired about this time the appellation of French prophets, from their
enthusiastic gesticulations, effusions, and convulsions; and even formed
a sect of their countrymen. The French refugees, scandalized at their
behaviour, and authorized by the bishop of London, as superior of the
French congregations, resolved to inquire into the mission of these
pretended prophets, whose names were Elias Marion, John Cavalier,
and Durand Rage. They were declared impostors and counterfeits.
Notwithstanding this decision, which was confirmed by the bishops, they
continued their assemblies in Soho, under the countenance of sir Richard
Bulkeley and John Lacy. They reviled the ministers of the established
church; they denounced judgments against the city of London, and the
whole British nation; and published their predictions, composed of
unintelligible jargon. Then they were prosecuted at the expense of the
French churches, as disturbers of the public peace, and false prophets.
They were sentenced to pay a fine of twenty marks each, and stand twice
on a scaffold, with papers on their breasts, denoting their offence; a
sentence which was executed accordingly at Charing-Cross, and the Royal
Exchange.

In the course of this year, Mr. Stanhope, who was resident from the
queen at the court of Charles, concluded a treaty of commerce with
this monarch, which would have proved extremely advantageous to Great
Britain, had he been firmly established on the throne of Spain. It was
stipulated that the English merchants should enjoy the privilege of
importing all kinds of merchandise from the coast of Barbary into the
maritime places of Spain, without paying any higher duty than if that
merchandise had been the produce of Great Britain; and that even th