a glowing zeal and inviolable attachment to the
religion of Rome. In the month of August the pope conferred upon her the
title of apostolical queen of Hungary, conveyed by a brief, in which he
extolled her piety, and launched out into retrospective eulogiums of her
predecessors, the princes of Hungary, who had been always accustomed to
fight and overcome for the catholic faith under his holy banner. This
compliment, however, she did not derive from the regard of Prosper
Lambertini, who exercised the papal sway under the assumed name of
Benedict XIV. That pontiff, universally esteemed for his good sense,
moderation, and humanity, had breathed his last in the month of April,
in the eighty-fourth year of his age; and in July was succeeded in
the papacy by cardinal Charles Bezzonico, bishop of Padua, by birth a
Venetian. He was formerly auditor of the Rota; afterwards promoted to
the purple by pope Clement XII. at the nomination of the republic of
Venice; was distinguished by the title of St. Maria d'Ara Coeli, the
principal convent of the Cordeliers, and nominated protector of the
Pandours, or Illyrians. When he ascended the papal chair, he assumed the
name of Clement XIII. in gratitude to the last of that name, who was his
benefactor. Though of a disagreeable person, and even deformed in
his body, he enjoyed good health, and a vigorous constitution. As
an ecclesiastic, his life was exemplary; his morals were pure and
unimpeached; in his character he is said to have been learned, diligent,
steady, devout; and, in every respect, worthy to succeed such a
predecessor as Benedict.

KING OF PORTUGAL ASSASSINATED.

The king of Spain wisely persisted in reaping the advantages of a
neutrality, notwithstanding the intrigues of the French partisans at the
court of Madrid, who endeavoured to alarm his jealousy by the conquests
which the English had projected in America. The king of Sardina
sagaciously kept aloof, resolving, in imitation of his predecessors, to
maintain his power on a respectable footing, and be ready to seize all
opportunities to extend and promote the interest of his crown, and the
advantage of his country. As for the king of Portugal, he had prudently
embraced the same system of forbearance; but in the latter end of the
season, his attention was engrossed by a domestic incident of a very
extraordinary nature. Whether he had, by particular instances of
severity, exasperated the minds of certain individuals, a