approbation of the parliament, signified his intention to visit his
German dominions, and ordered the chancellor to prorogue both houses.
His majesty having appointed the queen regent of the realm, set out
for Hanover on the seventeenth day of May, in order to remove a petty
misunderstanding which had happened between that electorate and the
court of Berlin. Some Hanoverian subjects had been pressed or decoyed
into the service of Prussia; and the regents of Hanover had seized
certain Prussian officers by way of reprisal. The whole united kingdom
of Great Britain at this juncture enjoyed uninterrupted repose;
and commerce continued to increase, in spite of all restriction and
discouragement. The people of Ireland found themselves happy under the
government of lord Carteret; and their parliament, assembling in the
month of September, approved themselves the fathers of their country.
They established funds for the discharge of their national debt, and for
maintaining the expense of government: they enacted wholesome laws for
the encouragement of manufactures, trade, and agriculture; and they
formed wise regulations in different branches of civil economy. Some
time after this session, which was conducted with so much harmony and
patriotism, lord Carteret returned to England; and was succeeded by the
duke of Dorset in the government of that kingdom. In the month of May,
Charles lord Townshend resigned the seals, which were given to colonel
Stanhope, now created earl of Harrington; so that sir Robert Walpole
now reigned without a rival. James earl of Waldegrave was appointed
ambassador to the court of France, which about that time was filled with
joy by the birth of a dauphin.

ABDICATION OF THE KING OF SARDINIA.

In the month of September, Victor Amadeus king of Sardinia, resigned
his crown to his son Charles Emanuel, prince of Piedmont. The father
reserved to himself a revenue of one hundred thousand pistoles per
annum, retired to the castle of Chamberry, and espoused the countess
dowager of St. Sebastian, who declined the title of queen, but assumed
that of marchioness of Somerive. Though the congress at Soissons
proved abortive, conferences were begun at Seville between the
plenipotentiaries of England, France, and Spain; and a treaty was
concluded on the ninth day of November, not only without the concurrence
of the emperor, but even contrary to his right, as established by
the quadruple alliance. On this subject