France, now freed from external war, was threatened with civil commotion, in consequence of religious disputes be tween the Jesuits and the Jansenists. These disputes had existed in the latter end of the reign of Louis XIV. when the bull Unigenitus, by which the opinions of the Jansenists were condemned, threw all France into the most violent commotion. The death of Louis XIV. however, put an end to the dispute ; and as the Duke of Orleans would not allow the bull to be carried into effect, tranquillity was re established. In 1750, the disputes again broke out ; the parliament and the people were inimical to the hull ; the Archbishop of Paris endeavoured to enforce it, and Louis XV. at length prohibited the interposition of the Par liament. This body was not disposed to submit quietly, and the King at last banished the refractory members to different parts of the kingdom. In 1754, however, he found it absolutely necessary to recal them ; and the arch bishop of Paris, and two bishops, were in their turn banish ed. A temporary calm was thus produced ; but the dis pute respecting the bull did not subside, and the King at length referred it to the Pope. The decision of his Holi ness, that the bull ought to be acknowledged as an univer sal law, so enraged the Parliament, that they suppressed the Pope's brief by an arret. This renewed the difference between them and their sovereign, who, in 1756, went to the Parliament with all his guards, and suppressed the 4th and 5th Chambers of Inquest. Upon this, 15 councillors of the Great Chamber, and 124 members of the other courts, resigned ; and the King was again under the neces sity of accommodating matters with the Parliament. Soon afterwards, the Jesuits were expelled, chiefly by the au thority and influence of the Parliament, the members of which, elated at this victory over ecclesiastical tyranny, next attempted to set bounds to the absolute power of the crown. We have brought the history of these ecclesiastical dis putes down beyond the period at which we broke off from the political history, both because it is thus rendered con nected and complete, and because in it we may clearly trace the germ of those causes which afterwards produced the Revolution.
Almost immediately after the establishment of peace by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, France began to discover projects of ambition, both in America and the East Indies. These were so glaring, and prejudicial to Great Britain, that, in 1755, that court began to prepare for hostilities. Preparations were also made by the court of Versailles. In 1756, France threatened the Electorate of Hanover ; in consequence of which, Great Britain united herself with the King of Prussia, while France formed an alliance with the imperial courts of Russia and Sweden. One of the first attempts of the French was the conquest of Minorca, which, not being relieved by Admiral Byng, they succeed ed in reducing. In 1757, a French army of 80,000 men passed the Rhine, in order to invade the Electorate of Ha nover; while a smaller French force joined the imperial army on the Maine. The Duke of Cumberland was in vested with the command of the troops which were to pro tect Hanover ; but, attempting in vain to obstruct the pro gress of the enemy, he was obliged to retire behind the Weser ; and afterwards, on the 8th of September, to sign the convention of Closter-Seven. As soon as the French
general had thus gained possession of the Electorate of IIa !lover, he formed a junction with the Imperialists. Their object was to drive the Prussians out of Saxony ; and, for this purpose, they passed the Saal, and summoned Leipsic. The King of Prussia advanced against them, and fought the battle of Rosbach, on the 5th of November, 1757, which he gained a complete victory. Towards the end of this year, the Hanoverians, roused by the oppressions of the French, and headed by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, succeeded in forcing them to repass the Rhine. In 1758, the Duke of Belleisle was placed at the head of the mili tary department in France ; and the ministers, who had ob tained their situation through female influence, were dis missed. The Duke soon discovered how fit he was for the arduous task that he had undertaken. Ills first object was to strengthen the army on the Rhine; but, notwithstanding this, it was defeated at Crevelt by Prince Ferdinand, and obliged to retire under the cannon of Cologne. In this battle, the son of the Duke of Belleisle was killed,—a young man of great promise, and whose fate was equally lamented by his enemies and his own countrymen. Further reinforcements being sent to the French army, and M. de Coytades having assumed the command, Prince Ferdinand was obliged to act on the defensive for some time: he af terwards joined the British forces, and put his army into winter quarters towards the end of October.
The naval affairs in 1758 belong more properly to the History of BRITAIN : nevertheless, it may be proper very briefly to notice them here. Two French ships of the line were driven on the coast of Spain by Admiral Osborne. The same fate attended a fleet that was bound for North America. But the success of Britain against France, in other respects, was not so great as her naval supremacy fed the inhabitants of the former country to expect, and of the latter to dread ; for an expedition, prepared at conside rable expellee, and from which great expectations were formed, to the coast of France, by no means produced the triumph to Britain, or the loss and degradation to her en emy, which was anticipated. Cherbourg, indeed, was ta ken, and the fortifications demolished ; but in consequence of the accumulating force which the French collected, it was then deemed necessary to retreat: and at St Cas the army suffered severely.
In America, where the war may be said to have origi lated, the French were unsuccessful. Louisburg was be sieged and taken; and the whole island of Cape Breton, as well as that of St John, submitted to the arms of his Bri tannic Majesty. The French settlements on the river Se negal, and the island of Goree, were also wrested from them. In the East Indies, however, the Count de Lally, governor general of their possessions there, was more fortunate, hav ing taken possession of the British factories of Cuddalore and Fort St David's.