Sir John Jennings arrived at Barcelona upon the 20th of March,
1711, in order to assume the command of the British Fleet.
To watch the enemies ports, to distress their trade, and to keep
open the communication of intelligence and supplies for the
detached forces of our Allies, were all that he could now attempt
in the tottering cause of King Charles the Third.
About this time died Joseph, Emperor of Germany, whose bequeath
of all his dominions to our Royal Competitor compensated for past
struggles, and averted that blow to his pride which must soon
have ensued from the desperate state of his affairs, by a total
dereliction of his object.
That event called upon him to fill the throne of his country; to
obey which, his Majesty soon after embarked on board the English
fleet, and was escorted to Italy.
His Royal Consort still remained behind, with a view to inspire
a motive for farther efforts, but the suspension of arms between
Great Britain and France put a period to every active co-operation.
The Empress, with her retinue, embarked at Barcelona, early in
1712, and landed at Genoa upon the 26th of March, from whence she
prosecuted her journey towards the destined seat of her power.
After a tedious negociation, the stages, or the detailed terms,
of which it is not my task to retrace, peace was restored by
the Treaty of Utrecht, on the 31st of March, 1713. We retained
possession of Gibraltar, Minorca, and Nova Scotia; each conquered
by our arms during the war, and in effecting all of which the
Marine forces, established during the reign of Queen Anne, very
essentially contributed.
The extraordinary expences of this long war, notwithstanding
its duration, did not much exceed forty-four millions, which,
considering the immense forces kept on foot, and the subsidies
granted to so many of the Continental Powers, appear but a small
sum.