The War in Germany at the commencement of the year 1760--Prince Ferdinand detaches 12,000 men to the assistance of the King of Prussia--Value of contemporary Memoirs--Lord Bath’s Letter--Macklyn’s _Love à la Mode_--Lord George Sackville demands a Court-Martial--Earl Ferrers murders his Steward--Smollett punished for a Libel--Thurot’s Expedition to Ireland--Takes Carrickfergus--Re-embarks, and is intercepted--He is killed, and his Vessels captured--Court-Martial on Lord George Sackville--Reference to the Judges--Sentence--Trial and Execution of Earl Ferrers--Qualification Bill--Militia Bills. The year began, as the last had concluded, with severe weather and hard frost; yet the Armies in Germany kept the field. Glory was not the object of that war. Mutual animosity excluded all confidence, and neither side would retire a foot, while both were impatient to bring things to a conclusion, and while the Empress Queen, especially, flattered herself with hopes of crushing her enemy. What the country suffered from that bitterness is not to be expressed--but when are the number considered? None suffered more than the Saxons. While their King and his criminal favourite were wearing out their inglorious lives in Poland, without power or esteem, Dresden endured the worst consequences of Bruhl’s impertinent ambition. Bread was risen there to elevenpence a pound. Our Army suffered no less hardships: one day in December they were fourteen hours under arms, expecting to be attacked by the French, which was threatened by Broglio, whose natural vivacity was encouraged by Prince Ferdinand weakening our Army. Without waiting for permission from England, he had detached 12,000 men, under the Hereditary Prince, to the assistance of the King of Prussia; a step that highly and justly offended King George; and the more provoking, as there was reason to believe the measure concerted with the King of Prussia to involve both Hanoverians and English in actual war with the Empress Queen; a declaration which the British Monarch, both as King and Elector, had hitherto carefully avoided. The first question Frederic put to the Prince of Brunswick was, “What English have you brought to me?” There were both Highlanders and Hanoverians. Broglio did, indeed, make an attack on Prince Ferdinand, who retreated, but repulsed the French to their loss.