Few countries have experienced more revolutions than Sicily; the richness of the soil and the temperature of the climate, added to its commanding situation, having always made it an object of attraction. After the dark ages it was successively possessed by the Greeks, and the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Goths, and the Saracens. In later times, it has generally shared the fate of Naples; but by the Treaty of Utrecht, it was given to the Duke of Savoy, who, however, was soon obliged, by the Quadruple Alliance, to return it to the Emperor, in exchange for Sardinia. The Spaniards seized this opportunity of renewing their claims, and sent a large armament, which had subdued the whole island, except Messina, which they were besieging, when Sir George Byng appeared with the British fleet. [Sidenote: April 11th, 1718.] The Spanish squadron, apprized of his approach, passed through the straits, and stood to the southward; Sir George pursued and brought it to action. Our fleet consisted of twenty-one sail of the line, carrying 1400 guns, the enemy's of eighteen, carrying 992 guns. Both sides fought bravely, but our superior numbers soon prevailed. Don Antonio de Casteneta, the Spanish Admiral, was taken prisoner, and only seven of his two-deckers escaped, of which the greater part were afterwards burnt at Messina, and one was lost in the Gulf of Tarento. Many of the frigates were also taken. Six line of battle ships, and as many smaller men of war, which separated from the main body of the Spanish fleet, at the commencement of the action, were pursued by Commodore Walton, and every one taken or burnt; on which occasion he wrote this famous letter. "We have taken or destroyed all the enemy's ships and vessels on the coast, as per margin." After this victory, Sir George Byng convoyed an army from the continent, and besieged the citadel of Messina, which the enemy's troops had now taken; and when the place was nearly reduced, a dispute arising among the allies on shore, about the Spanish men of war in the mole, Sir George, knowing that it is more our interest to reduce the navy of the rest of Europe, than to increase our own, caused batteries to be erected for shells and red-hot shot, and ended the contention, by destroying the cause. The loss of their fleet, and many other disasters, obliged the Spaniards to accede to the Quadruple Alliance in 1720, and to relinquish their claim to Sicily and Sardinia. But the Emperor having forfeited the protection of England, the Spaniards, about fifteen years after this treaty, made themselves masters of Sicily and Naples, as I have already related.