me of his captains with misbehaviour, and they
recriminated on his conduct. On their return to England, a court-martial
was the consequence of the mutual accusations. Those who adhered to the
commander, and the others whom he impeached, were inflamed against each
other with the most rancorous resentment. The admiral himself did not
escape uncensured; two of his captains were reprimanded; but captain
Holmes, who had displayed uncommon courage, was honourably acquitted.
Their animosities did not end with the court-martial. A bloodless
encounter happened between the admiral and captain Powlet; but captain
Innes and captain Clarke, meeting by appointment in Hyde-Park with
pistols, the former was mortally wounded, and died next morning; the
latter was tried, and condemned for murder, but indulged with his
majesty's pardon. No naval transaction of any consequence happened in
the European seas during the course of this summer. In January, indeed,
the Magnanime, a French ship of the line, was taken in the channel by two
English cruisers, after an obstinate engagement; and the privateers took
a considerable number of merchant ships from the enemy.

CONCLUSION OF THE DEFINITIVE TREATY AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.

The plenipotentiaries still continued at Aix-la-Cha-pelle, discussing
all the articles of the definitive treaty, which was at length concluded
and signed on the seventh of October. It was founded on former treaties,
which were now expressly confirmed, from that of Westphalia to the last
concluded at London and Vienna. The contracting parties agreed, that all
prisoners on each side should be mutually released, without ransom,
and all conquests restored; that the duchies of Parma, Placentia, and
Guastalla, should be ceded as a settlement to the infant don Philip, and
the heirs male of his body; but in case of his ascending the throne of
Spain, or of the two Sicilies, or his dying without male issue, that
they should revert to the house of Austria; that the king of Great
Britain should, immediately after the ratification of this treaty, send
two persons of rank and distinction, to reside in France, as hostages,
until restitution should be made of Cape Breton, and all the other
conquests which his Britannic majesty should have achieved in the East
or West Indies, before or after the preliminaries were signed; that
the assiento contract, with the article of the annual ship, should be
confirmed for four years, during which the e