France was making peace with its enemies, one by one, and it could easily be foreseen that, very shortly, England would have to bear all the brunt of the war; therefore, on the 1st June, a note from Lord Grenville was presented to M. de la Croix, the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which was expressed the wish of the English Government to negotiate preliminaries of peace. Of course there was some diplomatic fence; but, finally, it was settled that Lord Malmesbury should again go as Plenipotentiary. He arrived at Lisle on 6th July, but the demands of the French were outrageous, and, after, in vain, combating their absurd requirements, he demanded his passports, and left Lisle on 18th September. On 11th October, Admiral Duncan attacked the Dutch fleet off Camperdown, and, after a terrible action, defeated it, capturing eleven vessels, and sinking one. About the last event of national interest, occurring in this year, is the formation of the French "Army of England," which was destined for our invasion, and which was to be under the command of General Buonaparte, which is about the first time our great enemy came into active collision with us. * * * * * At the commencement of 1798, the financial pressure on the nation, caused by the war, was very great. A triple assessed tax, a loan of £15,000,000, additional duties on salt, tea, dogs, horses and carriages, and a tax on armorial bearings, came home to every one. Yet, English patriotism was sound to the core, and the people helped the Government nobly, by means of voluntary contributions. A few examples will show how every class vied with each other in subscribing. They are taken from the _Times_. _February 7th._--"Yesterday the Marquis of Buckingham subscribed at the Bank, the profits of one year's income from his Tellership of the Exchequer. On Monday the Duke of Marlborough subscribed £5000 at the Bank. The city of Oxford has subscribed £500 as a voluntary donation, to be continued for three years, if the war lasts so long." _February 8th._--"The subscriptions yesterday at the Bank amounted to upwards of £30,000. Among the subscribers were--the Earl of Carlisle £4000, and the Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry £1000. But the largest individual subscriptions are expected from Manchester, from whence letters were yesterday received, stating that three mercantile houses in that opulent town had subscribed Thirty-five Thousand Pounds, and that Mr. Peele's house gave £20,000."