the rest in that bay for the
protection of our commerce, which, in those parts, soon began to suffer
extremely from French privateers that now swarmed in the Mediterranean.
General Blakeney had arrived, with the garrison of Minorca, at
Portsmouth, in the month of November, and been received with expressions
of tumultuous joy: every place through which he passed celebrated his
return with bonfires, illuminations, bell-ringing, and acclamations:
every mouth was opened in his praise, extolling him for the gallant
defence he had made in the castle of St. Philip. In a word, the people's
veneration for Blakeney increased in proportion to their abhorrence of
Byng: the first was lifted into an idol of admiration, while the other
sunk into an object of reproach; and they were viewed at different ends
of a false perspective, through the medium of prejudice and passion; of
a perspective artfully contrived, and applied by certain ministers for
the purposes of self-interest and deceit. The sovereign is said to have
been influenced by the prepossession of the secret. Mr. Blakeney met
with a gracious reception from his majesty, who raised him to the rank
of an Irish baron in consideration of his faithful services, while
some malcontents murmured at this mark of favour, as an unreasonable
sacrifice to popular misapprehension.

MEASURES TAKEN FOR THE DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

In the beginning of the year, the measures taken by the government in
England seem to have been chiefly dictated by the dread of an invasion,
from which the ministers did not think themselves secured by the
guard-ships and cruisers on different parts of the coast, or the
standing army of the kingdom, though reinforced by the two bodies of
German auxiliaries. A considerable number of new troops was levied;
the success of recruiting was not only promoted by the land-holders
throughout the kingdom, who thought their estates were at stake, and for
that reason encouraged their dependents to engage in the service; but
also in a great measure owing to a dearth of corn, which reduced the
lower class of labourers to such distress, that some insurrections were
raised, and many enlisted with a view to obtain a livelihood, which
otherwise they could not earn. New ships of war were built, and daily
put in commission; but it was found impracticable to man them, without
having recourse to the odious and illegal practice of impressing
sailors, which must always be a reproa