f the navy; and the earl was wise enough
to avoid further prosecution by resigning his employments. On the fourth
day of May the king closed the session with a short speech, hinting
dissatisfaction at their having neglected to consider some points which
he had recommended to their attention; and the parliament was prorogued
to the first of June.* In a little time after this prorogation, his
majesty appointed a regency; and on the second day of June embarked for
Holland.

* About the latter end of March, the earl of Warwick and
lord Mohun were tried by their peers in Westminster-hall,
for the murder of captain Richard Coote, who had been killed
in a midnight combat of three on each side. Warwick was
found guilty of manslaughter, and Mohun acquitted.

THE SCOTTISH COMPANY MAKE A SETTLEMENT ON THE ISTHMUS OF DARIEN.

In Ireland nothing of moment was transacted. The parliament of that
kingdom passed an act for raising one hundred and twenty thousand
pounds on lands, tenements, and hereditaments, to defray the expense of
maintaining twelve thousand men, who had been voted by the commons of
England; then the assembly was prorogued. A new commission afterwards
arrived at Dublin, constituting the duke of Bolton, the earls of
Berkeley and Galway, lords-justices of Ireland. The clamour in Scotland
increased against the ministry, who had disowned their company, and in
a great measure defeated the design from which they had promised
themselves such heaps of treasure. Notwithstanding the discouragements
to which their company had been exposed, they fitted out two of four
large ships which had been built at Hamburgh for their service. These
were laden with a cargo for traffic, with some artillery and military
stores; and the adventurers embarking to the number of twelve hundred,
they sailed from the Frith of Edinburgh, with some tenders, on the
seventeenth day of July in the preceding year. At Madeira they took in a
supply of wine, and then steered to Crab-island in the neighbourhood of
St. Thomas, lying between Santa-Cruz and Porto Rico. Their design was to
take possession of this little island; but when they entered the road,
they saw a large tent pitched upon the strand, and the Danish colours
flying. Finding themselves anticipated in this quarter, they directed
their course to the coast of Darien, where they treated with the natives
for the establishment of their colony, and taking possession of t