arms by sea and land, within the compass of this distinguished and ever memorable year.

The reduction of Fort du Quesne, on the Ohio; of the island of Goree, in Africa; and of Gaudaloupe, with its dependence, in the West Indies; the repulse and defeat of the whole French army by a handful of infantry, in the plains of Minden; the taking of Niagara, Ticonderoga, and Crown Point; the naval victory off Cape Lagos; the advantages gained over the French nation in the East Indies; and above all, the conquest of Quebec, (the capital of the French empire in North America) in a manner so glorious to your majesty's arms, against every ad-. vantage of situation and superior numbers, are such events, as will for ever render your majesty's auspicious reign the favourite æra in the history of Great Britain.

But whilst we reflect with surprise and gratitude upon this last and most important conquest, permit us, most gracious sovereign, to express our regret for the immense (though almost only) loss which has attended it, in the death of that gallant general, whose abilities formed, whose courage attempted, and whose conduct happily effected the glorious enterprise in which he fell, serving tofuture times as an heroic example of military skill, discipline and fortitude.

Measures of such national concern, so invariably pursued, and acquisitions of so much consequence to the power and trade of Great Britain, are the noblest proofs of your majesty's paternal affection and regard for the true interest of your kingdoms, and reflect honour upon those whom your majesty has been pleased to admit into your councils,

mother, are both of a very proper height.

2. His royal highness has some contraction in his joints, though he. can readily move, and make use of them on all occasions.

3. His royal highness is apt to stoop, and to hold down his head, as people of weak eyes often do.

4. The prince most evidently squints, and his eyes frequently water and are gummy, particularly his left eye; though we cannot say he is blind, but are rather certain of the contrary, as his royal highness can without doubt distinguish objects, both as to their colour and situation.

5. In his natural functions, and the most common sensations, he is

is continually changing them, and shifting from one thing to another.

Signed by Don Francis Beniore,

chief physician to the King and kingdom; Don Emanuel della Rosa, physician to the Queen; and the physicians Cæsar Ciribue, Don Thomas Pinto, Don Francis Sarrao, and Don Dominique San Severino.

Act of abdication and settlement of the crown of the Two Sicilies by his most Catholic Majesty, in favour of his third son, and in prejudice to the natural right of the elder.

E CHARLES, &c. &c. &c.

are convenient for him, and at other times is too warm and impetuous. In general, his passions are not restrained by reason.

6. The prince has an obstinate aversion to some kind of common food, such as fruits, sweetmeats, &c. 7. All sorts of noise or sound disturbs and disconcerts him, and it has the same effect whether it be soft and harmonious, or harsh and disagreeable.

8. The impressions that he receives from pain or pleasure, are neither strong nor lasting, and he is utterly unacquainted with all the punctilios of politeness and good breeding.

9. As to facts and places, he sometimes remembers them, and sometimes not; but he seems not to have the least idea of the mysteries of our holy religion.

10. He delights in childish a musements; and those which are most boisterous please him best. He

mind under which the Prince royal, our eldest son, most unhappily labours, has greatly increased the anxiety occasioned by the important affairs and concerns of the monarchy of Spain and the Indies, devolved to us by the death of our well-beloved brother, his Catholic majesty, Ferdinand VI. According to the spirit of the treaties of this age, Europe requires that the sovereignty of Spain should be separated from that of Italy, when it can be effected without transgressing the rules of justice. As we are resolved then to provide a legal successor to our dominions in Italy before we set out for Spain, it is necessary before we proceed to the choice of one of the many sons bestowed on us by heaven, to determine which of our youngest sons shall be found qualified to govern the people, and succeed to the states of the Two Sicilies, without uniting them with

those

?

those of Spain and the Indies. This reason of convenience for the tranquillity of Europe (which we are desirous of adopting, lest it should take the alarm on seeing, by our leaving this affair undecided, the sovereignty of Spain united in our person with the Italian monarchy) demands that we immediately take our resolution, with regard to the succesion of Italy.

A considerable body which we have composed of our counsellors of state, the privy counsellor of Castile, the chamber of St. Clair, the chamber of the finances, and the whole junto of Sicily, to whom we have added six of our most eminent physicians, have reported to us, that, notwithstanding all the examinations, and all the experiments which they have made, they have not been able to find in the unfortunate prince royal, either the principles of reason, reflection, or judgement, and that as he has been in that state ever since his infancy, he is not only incapable of any act of religion or reason, but there is not even the least shadow of hope that he can ever acquire the use of his faculties; unanimously concluding from thence, that we could not think of disposing of it in his favour, though it might be agreeable to nature, and our paternal duty and affection. Being constrained then by the divine will, for this time to pass by the right of our eldest son, in favour of the infant Don Ferdinand, our third son, according to the order of nature, his minority obliges us, when we shall resign the sovereignty of Italy, to vest the management of these realms in a regency, as it is impossible for us to act as a guardian

to a son who shall be King of the Two Sicilies immediately on our departure for Spain.

Having therefore put Don Ferdinand, our third son, in a condition of receiving the cession of the Italian kingdoms, we previously declare, though perhaps it is unnecessary, that we emancipate, and set him at liberty by this present act (which we ordain to be solemnly observed, and have all the force of a legal act, nay even of a law) and that he is, from this time, freed, not only from all obedience to our paternal power, but even from all submision to our supreme and sovereign authority.

In the next place, we establishi and appoint a council of regency, for the time of the minority of our above mentioned third son (who is to be sovereign of our Italian kingdoms, and lord of all the estates formerly possessed by us) in order, that this council may exercise the sovereignty during that time, according to the orders prescribed by us in an ordinance of this day's date, signed with our own hand, sealed with our own seal, and countersigned by our counsellor and secretary of state for the department of state and palace royal; de siring that this ordinance shall be regarded as an essential part of this present act, as if it were inserted therein, and repeated word for word, to the end that it may have equally the force of a law.

In the third place, we fix and determine (according to the perpetual and established law of our estates and demesnes of Italy (that the minority of the princes, who succeed to the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, shall expire when they

have

have accomplished their sixteenth year, and that then they shall act as sovereigns, and have the entire power of the administration.

In the fourth place, we establish likewise as a constant and perpetual law, with regard to the succession of the infant Don Ferdinand, and for the more ample explanation of the foregoing arrangements, that this succession be regulated, according to primogeniture, with right of representation in the masculine line, from male to male. In case the last representative of the direct line should die without children, the eldest of the males of the nearest branch shall succeed to him, whether it be his uncle by the father's, side or his brother; or in a more distant degree, provided he is the eldest of the line, (according to the form before specified) and sprung from that branch, which shall become, or has already become, the nearest to the eldest and direct line of the infant Don Ferdinand, or the immediate preceding reigning prince.

We establish the same order in default of all the male issue of the males of the masculine line of the above mentioned Don Ferdinand (from male to male) in course, to the infant Don Gabril, our son, to whom the succession shall then devolve, and to his descendants from male to male, as it is before set forth. If the said Don Gabril, or his descendants, shall fail of issue, (proceeding from males) the succession shall pass, in the same order as above, to the infant Don Anthony, and to his male descendants (proceeding from males;) and in failure of male issue (proceeding from males) of this last, and his posterity, the succession shall de

volve, always after the same me thod, to the infant Don Xavier, and after him and his masculine descendants, (as before specified) to those infants, which it shall please God hereafter to grant us, according to the order of nature, and, in course, to their issue male.

In case of the extinction, in our posterity, of all the males (proceeding from males) the succession shall belong to the female issue of the same blood, (descending in a di rect male line) who shall be living at the time of this extinction (whe ther it be our daughter, or the daughter of any other prince of our posterity, proceeding from the male line) who shall be nearest to the reigning king, or to the last of the males (descended from males) who fails of issue, or to the immediately preceding prince, who shall die without issue; always understanding, nevertheless, that the right of representation be constantly observed, and that the proxi mity, and quality of the eldest fe male be adjusted accordingly, with respect to the male descent, in re gard to which, as well as the mas culine descendants of the male issue of her who shall succeed, the order above established shall be observed.

In default of all which, the succession shall devolve to the infant Don Phillip, our very dear brother, and to his descendants, from male to male, ad infinitum; and if this branch should likewise fail, the said succession shall likewise pass to our very dear brother the infant Don Lewis, and to his descendants, from male to male; and in short, if these should likewise fail, to the heirs female in direct male line, following therein the order above prescribed; observing always, that

accord

according to the order of succession before set forth, the monarchy of Spain shall never be united with the sovereignty of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

That the males or females descended from us, above specified, may never be admitted to the sovereignty of the states of Italy, in case they shall be, or ought to be declared Kings of Spain or Princes of Asturias, another male must be appointed, who, in virtue of this present disposition, may succeed to the Italian kingdoms; but if such is not to be found, the King of Spain shall be obliged to transfer the dominions in Italy to a younger son, a nephew, or a nephew's son, if any he has.

Having thus established the succession of our descendants in the kingdoms of the Two Sicilies, we humbly recommend to God the infant Don Ferdinand, giving him at the same time our paternal benediction, recommending to him the Catholic religion, justice, clemency, vigilance, and a love for the people, who deserve our sincere acknowledgments for the unfeigned fidelity they have always manifested for us, and for our royal family. We cede, transfer, and make over to the said Don Ferdinand, our third son, according to the order of nature, the kingdoms of the Two Sicilies, and all the

other estates, pretensions, rights, titles, goods, and stocks, which we possess in Italy, making, from this moment, a full and complete delivery, without reservation of the smallest particle; to the end that from the instant of our departure from this capital, the said infant may, with advice of the council of state and the regency, administer

and govern all that which we have just now assigned, transferred, and made over. We hope that this law of emancipation, the constitution for the age of majority, the appointment of the tutelage and curatage for the King, during his minority, the succession of the estates and jurisdictions of Italy, the cession and donation, will turn out for the advantage of the people, the tranquillity of our royal family, and that in short it will contribute to the repose of all Europe.

The present ordinance is signed by us, and by our son the infant Don Ferdinand, and sealed with our arms, and countersigned by the counsellors, and secretary of state, who undersign it likewise, in quality of members of the regency, and tutors of the above-named infant Don Ferdinand.

At Naples, Oct. 6, 1759.

CHARLES FERDINAND.