the exportation of woollen manufactures and glafs, and shall have received further indulgencies from the fame authority; and when the fpirit of induftry fhall be infufed, in confequence of it, into the common people; their country will not be inferior to any other on the globe under the fame parallel. It is very difficult to fay, whether foreign or domeftic causes have operated moft powerfully in laying waste this fruitful country; which, by being relieved from their late unnatural prohibitions, will be enabled to furnish a grand proportion of fupplies to Great Britain, and will unavoidably become of vaft importance, by its reciprocal trade, in reftraining the increase of that of France, who cannot carry on this important branch of traffic without the affiftance of Irifh wool. The wool of France is fhort and coarse, being, in the language of THE manufacturers, neither fine in the thread nor long in the ftaple. This obliges them to have recourfe to the wool of Ireland, which poffeffes both thefe qualities. Affitted by a pack of Irifh wool, the French are enabled to manufacture two of their own; which they will no longer be able to procure, as the Irifh will now work up their own wool, which they used to export; great part of which found its way to France, and enabled them to supply other markets, to the great prejudice of Britain. The happy effects of it have been already felt; for notwithftanding it was fo late as December 23, 1789,that the royal affent was given to the taking off their restraints on woollen exports, it appears, that on January 10th following, an exportentry was made at the custom-house at Dublin of 1300 yards of ferge for a foreign market, by W. Worthington, Efq. SIEGE OF WILLIAMSTADT, WITH A FINE PLATE. HE town of Williamstadt will be ever memorable for the gallant defence it made against the violent attacks of the French army under Gene. ral Dumourier. It is fituated in E. long. 4. 20. lat. 51. 54. on the Maese and fea called Hollands-diep, fourteen miles fouth of Rotterdam, and fixteen north-west of Breda. It is ftrongly fortified, and belongs to the Houfe of Orange. It was clofely in vefted by the French, from the 23d of Feb. to the 16th of March, 1793, during which time it was twice fummoned to furrender; but the gallant MajorGeneral Boetzlaar, its governor, gave for anfwer, That he would defend it with the laft drop of his blood. Upon this a most violent bombardment and cannonade took place, with red-hot balls, bombs and granades. Only two houses in the town were burnt by the enemy's fhells; not one however efcaped being pierced through with cannon-fhot. The principal ftreet, leading from the great church to the main guard, was filled on each fide with the ruins of the houses. A 24 pound fhot paffed through the dial on the top of the church, and carried the half of it away. Near a hundred large trees, growing within the ramparts, were hivered to pieces by fhots and fhells. Several red-hot balls paffed through the roof of the governor's houfe. The Prince of Orange's arms were battered down from the infide of the main-guard gate by a 24 pound fhot from a battery on the other fide the town. Nine of the heaviest brafs ordnance on the Dutch ramparts were either difmounted, or the carriages hot to pieces; principally from the inceffant fire of a mafqued battery, which the French had raised behind a fmall wood, on the shore of the Maeze, to the S. E. of the fort. On the 16th of March, about ten in the morning, the French fet fire to their works, and began to retreat, having fuftained a heavy cannonade from the garrifon, and being galled and mowed down by a well-directed fire from the English gun-boats and Syren British frigate, commanded by Capt. Manley, which took them in the flank, and did prodigious execution. At this inftant the brave Governor difpatched a detachment from the garrifon to harrafs their rear, which they fo well effected as to take several pieces of cannon, two mortars, and a great quantity of ammunition and fiege utenfils, which were fafely conveyed into the town. It is remarkable that, during the whole of this tremendous fiege, only twelve inhabitants and eight foldiers were thofe of the Sy- unneceffary to add any thing further -boats, for two on the fubject at prefent. י OF THE FRENCH AT FAMARS. WHITEHALL, May 26, 1793. furd is this day patches from Sir I the 24th instant, ng important in ng of the 23d the ars was attacked -on one fide by g, fupported by he Duke of York Hanoverian troops fide by General gement foon be ontinued through ay; the French ound with great e. The fuperioies, and fpirited troops, maniearly part of the the French were f their redoubts; not taken, and he operations on ck was to be reng; when it was break, that the the night, aban, and carried off Daggage. Their aken poffeffion of acked by four cotroops, one of Led by his Royal of York, whofe object was to turn the right wing of the enemy, which he effected in a masterly manner, without one British officer having fuffered on the occafion. The lofs of the British troops, though much diftinguished on this day, was very trifling indeed, there being no of ficer either killed or wounded, and only 16 non-commiffioned officers and privates killed. The fine Hanoverian regiment, called the Garde du Corps, behaved moft gallantly, and fuffered in proportion, having three of its officers killed, four wounded, and from 60 to 70 privates killed. The remaining lofs amounts to about 300 killed, although General Clairfayt's divifion must have loft many more, having been led on to the most dangerous and difficult attacks. The lofs of the French is not known, but many hundreds were the next day found dead on the field. About 300 of their men were made prifoners, and they loft to pieces of cannon. The Duke of York was on horseback twenty-two hours, during which time his Royal Highnefs difplayed the moft heroic fortitude and cool judg ment. Capt. Crawfurd must be particularly mentioned. It was owing to his zeal and management that a great quantity of the French baggage was taken, and his divifion alfo took about 70 men prifoners, POETRY. Written by GENERAL WOLFE, at I. AT length, too foon, dear creature, Receive my fond adieu ! Thy pangs, oh love, how bitter! Thy joys, how short, how few! No more thofe eyes, fo killing, The melting glance repeat; Nor bofom, gently fwelling, With love's foft tumults beat. II. I go where glory leads me, And dangers point the way; My anxious cares reprove; And points to fame, wealth, glory! Two paffions vainly striving, Then think, where'ere I wander, Whom mutual TRUTH has join'd. JACK AT THE WINDLASS. A FAVOURITE SONG BY MR. DIBDIN. COME, all hands, ahoy, to the anchor. From our friends and relations to go. Poll blubbers and cries-Devil thank her! She'll foon take another in tow. This breeze like the Old One will kick us About on the boisterous main ; And one day, if Death does not trick us, Perhaps we may come back again. With a will-ho then pull away, jolly boys! At the mercy of fortune we go. grog. When he took on his knee Betty Bowzer, And talk'd of her beauty and charms, · Cry'd I, "Which is the way to heav'n now, fir?" "You dog," fays the chaplain, "her arms!". With a will-ho, &c. The gunner's a dev❜l of a bubber, The mafter can't fteer if he's afkt; With a will-ho, &c. . Now, fore and aft having abus'd 'em, 'Twas fun ev'ry word that I spoke; Gentleman's Pocket being pick'd of his WATCH. We are in for't; then, damme, what HE that a watch would wear, thus folly, boys, For to be down-hearted, yo-ho! VOL. I, No. 1. must he do, Pocket his watch, and watch his pocket too. D morning of the 8th to le arrived about fix o of Maulde with the , and a battalion of of Hanoverian infangeneral was by this reinforce himself, at adjoining wood, with ad occupied that im menced about feven directed against the General Clairfayt, n the Scheldt to the ne, and the Pruffian ds the wood in the ad, leading from that ere directed the whole ch army, which had nforced by all they er from every quarter. ff, having been under nding a confiderable O fupport the Auftride Vicogne, his royal ve o'clock, left two camp at Maulde, and Coldstream, the flank t of the third regit. When the battaam, which was upon he enemy had nearly they already comeat degree, by their ached to the battalion t, and by a well-dipported fire kept the oppofed to them in Ederable execution. vanced into the wood, e the enemy before Forward they became ed to the fire of a bathey fuffered feverely. the whole fire of the nd mufquetry, which men; but their conduct upon this occafion has added another laurel to the wreath of British glory. The other battalions received orders to advance, and were pofted in the wood. The French mean-while kept up a very brisk fire upon the road by which they advanced, but fortunately only two men were flightly wounded by it. The British artillery fired with very great effect, and was extremely well ferved. The troops remained at the posts which they had taken in the woods till it was dark, and then marched back to St. Amand. The Pruffians extol greatly the spirit and activity of the British; and General Knobelsdorff, in the handfomeft terms, acknowledged that they faved his pofts, and decided the fate of the day. Major-general Lake commanded the battalions which went into action; and his royal highness declared he was much indebted to him for his exertions. At the Abbaye de Vicogne and the village of Raimes the action continued, with almost equal and unremitting vio lence, till eight o'clock in the evening: Gen. Clairfayt was every where fuccefsful in maintaining his ground; the enemy, however, though baffled and defeated in their purpofe, remained in the woods within a very small distance of his posts. During the action they cannonaded the Pruffian camp near St. Amand.—I am not exactly informed what measures they took in order to keep the Prince of Cobourg in check, but it appears that nothing of moment paffed in that quarter. Upon the following day, the 9th, there was little firing, and it was not known what might be the intention of the enemy. His royal highnef's thought it therefore proper to let the troops remain till the evening at St. Amand and Maulde: every thing being quiet, and intelligence having been received that the troops op. posed to Gen. Knobelsdorff were retreat. ing, ing, they began their march for Tour nay, but he was stopped at the village of Maulde by a message from General Clairfayt, informing him that the enemy had erected batteries all along his front as well as upon fome part of General Knobelfdorff's, which, if they were allow ed to compleat and to poffefs, it would be extremely difficult for him to maintain his pofition. His royal highnefs imme. diately stopped the march of the troops, and went himself to St. Amand, where he was met by Gen. Clairfayt and Gen. Knobelfdorff. It was agreed that the Auftrians and Pruffians fhould affault the whole of the batteries at day-break, whilft his royal highness retained poffeffion of the camp of Maulde. This was done accordingly, and had the defired fuccefs. The enemy had withdrawn their cannon in the night; but they were entirely driven from the batteries, feveral killed, and upwards of 100 prifoners taken, with a very inconsiderable lofs. Thus defeated upon every occafion, the enemy feem to have entirely abandoned their defign: the body, which came from Lifle, has fallen back upon Orchies. There was firing to-day at one of General Clairfayt's pofts, but nothing which had the appearance of a ferious attack. By the account of deferters and prifoners, they lost 4000 men upon the 8th. General Dampierre, who commanded the French, received a cannon-ball in his thigh, and died in confequence of his wound this morning. He was wounded by the British artillery; for at the time that he fell, their cannon only, which were pofted in the wood, were playing upon the French. The Auftrians had upwards of 500 killed and wounded, and the Pruffians 300. The French prifoners, and the deferters, of whom there are a vaft number, fay, that when the English appeared they declared they would not fight. The fame deferters affirm, that, to make them fight, they were put between two fires. The bravery and ardour of the British could not be furpafled. They fupported three days hard fatigue, with very little nourishment, not only without complaint, but with cheerfulness. They had indeed before them the animating example of his royal highnefs the Duke of York, who partook of their hardships, and difplayed the greatest magnanimity and perfeverance. On the night of the 8th, his royal highnefs flept upon ftraw; and we are happy to hear that he, as well as his whole army, is in the highest health and fpirits. The British, by their courage, excited the admiration of the whole combined army. The following authentic letter, dated BAISSEAUX CAMP, May 21, will fhew the relative fituation of the two armies, when the last advices came from that quarter: We are encamped here with troops of almost all nations of Europe, to the number of 80,000, under the command of Prince Cobourg and Prince Hohenloe, and expect daily to make a general affault on the enemy's camp at Famar, about eight miles distant from us, where they are ftrongly entrenched, and defended by various batteries of heavy artillery. The French number 100,000 men, and are prepared for our attack. The confli&t must be a fevere one. We are much in want of provifions, fo that decifive meafures must be adopted, or. we starve in France. The troops, however complain not of their hardships, but feem emulous who fhall endure most without a murmur. Condé, which is within three miles of us and in fight, Aill holds out; nor has Valenciennes. yet furrendered. Our cavalry is, without boast, perhaps, the finest army in the world; it consists of 14,000 men, commanded by officers of great experience and tried valour. We have many princes with us in arms, three of them of our own nation, viz. York, Erneft, and Adolphus. England muft be anxious for the fate of our army at this critical period-I have no doubt of the event of the day-we are animated but with one mind; and victory, though it may be dearly purchased, muit eventually be ours," STOCKHOLM, May 16. The partition and fubjugation of Poland is at length completed. The unfortunate king is gone to Grodno; his departure from Warfaw is faid to have been one of the moft affecting lights that capital ever beheld. His majefty was given to understand by the Ruffian minifter, that unless he at tended the confederation of Grodno, and there confented to the partition treaty, Prince Louis of Wirtemberg would be appointed to fucceed him on the throne. The Empress has published an ukase, or manifefto, in which her new subjects are bound to fwear allegiance within one month to the fceptre of Ruffia, or, in default thereof, all perfons poffeffing real or immovable property are allowed three months for the latter, and their free departure over the borders; after which, all their property becomes a confiscature to the ftate. The Jews are permitted to purfue their public avocations as ufual, and live unmolested for their religious opinions; and the clergy are daily to pray, ace cording to a new formula, for her Impe. rial Majesty, her family, and the great D 2 duke |