But the gallantry and success of our seamen formed, during this year, a brilliant contrast to their temporary dereliction of duty. On the 14th of February, Admiral Jervis, while cruizing off Cape St Vincent, on the coast of Portugal, with fifteen sail of the line, received intelli gence of the approach of a powerful Spanish fleet, which was found to consist of twenty-seven ships of the line. Unintimidated by superior numbers, the British admiral bore down upon the enemy A% ith a press of sail, and, after passing with electric celerity through their line before it was yet formed, tacked about, and separated one-third zf them from the main body. After a furious engage ment of four hours, he captured two ships of 112 guns each, one of 84, and one of 74. Only 300 of the victors were lost in this memorable battle ; while the loss of the Spaniards, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, could not be less than 6000. The honour of a peerage was deserv edly bestowed on Sir J. Jervis, and the title of St Vin cent commemorated the scene of his glory.
In the course of the summer, an unsuccessful attempt was made upon the island of Tencriffe, by a body of men that were landed from the squadron of Nelson, who had eminently distinguished himself in the late action. Af ter an ineffectual attempt to storm the fort of Santa Cruz, the assailants were suffered to retire to their ships, rather from the respect than the fear which the Spaniards felt for their rash valour. But the affair cost nearly as many lives as the splendid victory of St Vin cent, besides the lives of some brave officers, and the arm of Nelson.
The Dutch fleet, which had long been blocked up in the Texel by Admiral Duncamventured out in the month of October, when the British had retired for the pur pose of refitting. But Duncan hastily returned from Yarmouth, and found the Dutch fleet, under De Winter, amounting to fifteen sail of the line, drawn up of the coast, adjacent to the village of Camperdown. By the accustomed manoeuvre of breaking the hostile line, he engaged the main body under De Winter alone, and pre vented his retreat ; while Storey, the Dutch vice-admi ral, fled basely, with the greater part of his division, soon after the commencement of the action, and entered the Texel in safety. De Winter, with all his remaining crews, fought with desperation, but at length was com pelled to strike, with eight others of his line, and two frigates, to the overwhelming force of the British. The carnage on both sides was great, but on the side of the Dutch it was terrible, five hundred men being killed or wounded on board two of their ships only.
Early in this year, Trinidad was captured by a force under Sir Ralph Abercromby, and a fleet under Admiral Harvey. In the Gulf of Pavia, the Spaniards set fire to a fleet of four ships of the line, to prevent their falling into the hands of the captors, but one of them escaped the conflagration.
After the last disastrous campaign of 1796, the Aus trian armies in Italy were reinforced with astonishing promptitude, and the imperial general, Alvingi, had even forced the French to fall back. It was then that Bona
pane assumed the command of the army in Italy, and completely beat the Austrians at Rivoli. Mantua was by the issue of this engagement compelled to capitu late, and the shattered remains of the Austrians retired across the Adige,or retreated to Trent. Bonaparte then advanced against the Papal forces, and carrying his arms to Tolentino, reduced his holiness to sign a humi liating peace at that place, as the price of which he paid 3000°,000 livres, and the most valuable manuscripts, statues, and pictures, in his dominions.
In the northern parts of Italy, the Austrians were again enabled to take the field, in considerable force, under the Archduke Charles. But in the face of their reinforced army, Bonaparte passed the Tagliamento, and gaining a succession of victories, compelled the Arch duke to retreat towards the Venetian territory, leaving Palma, Nuova, Udine, and the adjacent territory, to the mercy of the French. The main body of the French soon after entered the Austrian dominions. Friuli, and the garrison of Gradisca, having surrendered, Tricst, the chief town ol Carniola, and the whole province of Istria, bordering on the Adriatic, were added to the republican conquests. The French armies continued to advance to within 120 miles of Vienna, when the Archduke accept ed a suspension of arms. The preliminaries of a peace between France and Austria were signed at Lcoben in Stiria, in April, and a definitive treaty in the following October. By this treaty, the emperor completely re nounced the Netherlands, and acknowledged the Cisal pine republic, erected on the French conquests in By this event, England was left to combat alone with an enemy which had, by force or intimidation, withdrawn Prussia, Germany, Spain,Holland, and the Italian States, from our alliance. Ministers, either intimidated at the alarming solitude in which we now stood as the oppo nents of France, or desiring to throw the odium of the war upon our enemies, announced, for the third their inclination for peace. An answer was returned by the French Directory, expressing an equal desire for peace, but requiring that the negotiation should be for a definitive treaty. Lord Malmesbury arrived at Lisle, and was there met by three French plenipotentiaries, (Messrs Latourneur, Maret, and Pleville.) By accept ing French passports, purporting that he was received for the purpose of negotiating a definitive treaty, the British government certainly had virtually acknowledg ed that his Lordship was invested with powers for more than a preliminary treaty. After a residence of two months at Lisle, the negotiation was broken off by an or der from the Directory for his Lordship to depart. The French complaining that he was not invested with suffi cient powers, and the British complaining that the Di rectory had demanded a restitution of all that we had conquered from them and their allies in the course of the war.