Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/47

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HISTORY OF THE WAR.
33

of Bengal and all its dependencies. This was one of the articles of the treaty. By the other articles, a perpetual alliance offensive and defensive was made between the parties. The territories of the company were enlarged, and upwards of two millions sterling was stipulated to be paid as an indemnification to the East India company, and the sufferers in the taking of Calcutta. The new Nabob, full of gratitude to those to whom he owed his dignity, gave besides the above large sums about 600,000 pounds, as a gratuity to the sea squadron and the troops. However short of expectation our enterprises in America fell this year, those in the Ealt Indies greatly exceeded every thing we could hope from the forces which were employed. And it may be doubted whether all the great powers engaged in the present bloody wars in Europe, in which such torrents of blood are spilled, and so many millions of treasure are wasted, will in the conclusion reap amongst them so much solid profit as the Englilh Eaft-India company did with an handful of men in a short campaign. The joy of the nation at these signal successes was not a little damped by the death of Admiral Watson, Aug. 16. who lost his life by the unwholesomeness of the country, in which he had established a great and lasting reputation. Colonel Clive still lives to enjoy the fortune and honour he has acquired by his gallant actions.


CHAP. VIII.

French retire out of Hanover. The taking of Hoya. Minden taken. Distress of the French. Generosity of the Duke de Randan, The French retire beyond the Rhine. Recovery of Embden by Commodore Hohnes.

1758. All the bloodshed of the last campaign in Germany, and those losses which both the victorious and vanquished felt so very severely, produced no overtures towards peace from any of the powers at war. And perhaps nothing so singular ever happened, as that so many states, united, if not against their real interests, yet against all their former habits of connexion, full of so many occasions of jealousy, abounding with matter of complaint against each other, and even involved in misfortunes which usually destroy a mutual confidence, that not one of these powers either from fear, or hope, or weariness, or levity, desisted from their hostilities against the King of Prussia; nor did that monarch acquire one ally more by the admiration of his successes, than he had formerly gained through compassion to his misfortunes. All the confederates preserved the same attachment to each other, to him the same animosity. It is equally a matter of great admiration, how the resources even of these great states could keep pace with their ambition, and in a few months supply the place of great armies almost wholly destroyed. The King of Prussia by his victories had added to his natural resources. The resources were more considerable than is commonly imagined; and the possession of Saxony, which yielded him great supplies, saved his own revenue. He was indeed not quite so fresh as at the beginning of the war; but then the condition of the enemy was in