2 Junii, 1592. 34 Eliz. it was prefented by a jury neere London before the clerk of the market of her majefty's houfhold, that the

increafe, cannot but on this occafion excite curiofity.

cond at 18 s. 8 d. and the third
at 16 s. the quarter; and that the
bakers fhould have allowed unto
them for the baking of a quarter
of wheat in and neere about Lon-
don 6 s. 10d. which was then
allowed by the faid clerk of the
market to be fo, in regard of the
great charges and prifes of every
thing, which was then much more
than in former times, the faid al-
lowance being made as followeth,
miz.
s.d.
Fuel
o 6

Two journeymen and
two boys

1 8

I O

04

Himfelfe, his wife, chil-
dren, and house rent 2 o
The miller's tole
I 4

In all 6 10

Dunkirk, for many centuries paft, bas been confidered as a place of great importance, and the poffeffion of it is difputed at the expence of much blood and treajure. Since it fell into the hands of France it has been one of the principal objects of feveral treaties; and the demolition of its fortifications made an effential article in that of Utrecht in 1713; in that of the Hague in 1717; in that of Vienna in 1738; in that of Aixla-Chapelle in 1748; and in the prefent treaty of Paris. 4 hort bus comprehenfive history, therefore, of its rife, and gradual

UNKIRK is the most eaferly harbour on that fide of France which is next to Great Britain.

It was originally a mean hamlet, confifting only of a few fishermens huts; but a church being built there, it was from that, and from its fituation, which is a fandy eminence, called Dunkirk, Dun fignifying, in the old Gallic language, a hill; and kirk being the old Flemish name for church.

About the year 960, Baldwin, earl of Flanders, thinking the fituation convenient, enlarged it into a kind of town, and furrounded it with a kind of wall.

In the year 1322, Robert of Flanders, who held it as an ap pendage, built a caftle for its defence, which was afterwards demolished by the revolters of Flanders.

Robert of Bar erected a fortifi cation round it, the remains of which are visible on the fide next the harbour.

The emperor Charles V. who held it as part of Flanders, built another caftle to defend the harbour: but this was alfo demolish. ed foon afterwards,

In 1558 the French, under Marthal de Thermes, took Dung kirk by ftorm, and almost ruined the place; the Spaniards recovered it again in about a fortnight, and put all the French to

the fword.

fifted by privateers fitted out against the Dutch; and at length, growing rich by these hoftilities, they fortified their town and harbour, and fitted out no less than fifteen thips of war at their own charge.

In 1634, the Dunkirkers agreed with the inhabitants of Bergues, to dig a canal, at their joint expence, for a communication be. tween the two towns, which was fome time afterwards effected.

By this time, Dunkirk was bécome the best harbour the Spaniards poffeffed in Flanders, which induced many foreigners to fettle there; and it being neceffary to enlarge the town for their accommodation, a new fortified wall was built at a confiderable distance from the former.

In 1646, it was befieged and taken by the prince of Condé.

In 1652, it was retaken by the archduke Leopold, then governor of the Netherlands.

France entering into a treaty with England, in 1655, the Dunkirkers, with views of pecuniary advantage, fitted out privateers against both thofe powers; the confequence of which was, that the French, affifted by Cromwell, attacked and took it, and it was put into the hands of the English, in confequence of a treaty between them and the French.

To the English it was even then of very great importance; for, during the war in which it was taken, the Dunkirkers had taken no less than 250 of their fhips, many of which were of great value. They therefore improved the fortifications, and built a citadel; yet they kept it

only four years; for in 1662, two years after the restoration, Charles the Ifd, to his eternal infamy, fold this valuable acquifition to France, for the paltry fum of 500,000l.

In confequence of this fale, the town was taken poffeffion of for the French king, Lewis XIV. by the count d'Eftrades, on the 29th of November, 1662. Lewis having acquainted the celebrated engineer, monfieur Vauban, that he intended to make Dunkirk one of the strongeft places in Europe, Vauban drew up a plan with that view, which was gradually executed. An arfe nal was erected, large enough to contain all the ftores neceffary for fitting out and maintaining a large fleet of men of war; the fortifi cations on the land-fide were conftructed in a manner that was thought to render them impregnable; and towards the fea, the entrance of the harbour being properly formed, it was fortiñed by the jetties, and the two forts called Green Fort, and the fort of Good Hope, at their extremities; the famous Rifbank was alfo erected on one fide of the jetties, and Fort Galliard on the other, to fecure the town.

Thefe works were all compleated in 1683; and in 1685, the whole circumference of the bafon was faced with masonry, and the keys ́ completely formed; at the fame time, care was taken to build at the entrance of this bafon a fluice, almost 45 feet wide, that the fhips within might be conftantly afloat,

In 1689, the fort called the Cornichon, und fome other works, were completed.

But though 30 years had been now employed in improving the 9 fortifications

not yet in the ftate which Lewis intended to put it; and therefore, in 1701, he caused a new Risbank to be built, called Fort Blanc.

At the treaty of Utrecht, it having been made appear that the privateers of Dunkirk had, during the war then clofing, taken from the English no less than 1614 prizes, valued at 1,334,3751. fterling, it was ftipulated, that the fortifications of the city and port of Dunkirk should be entirely demolished, and the harbour filled up, fo as never to be an harbour again.

The treaty, of which this demolition of Dunkirk was an article, was figned on the 28th of April, 1713; but the demolition did not take place till the September fol. lowing, when the queen deputed colonel Armstrong and colonel Clayton to overfee the execution of the treaty as far as concerned the works and harbour of Dunkirk.

Under the infpection of thefe gentlemen, the places of arms were broken down, the ditches filled up, and the demi-lunes, baftions, and covered way, totally destroyed; the citadel was razed, and the harbour and bafon filled up; the jetties were alo levelled with the ftrand, and all the forts which defended the entrance into the harbour were de molished. A large dam, or bar, was alfo built across the mouth of the harbour between the jetties and the town, by which all communication between the harbour and the canal, which formed its entrance, as entirely cut off. The fluices were alfo broken up, and the mate. rials of them broken to pieces.

than Lewis XIV. ordered 30,000 men to work inceffantly upon a new canal, the canal of Mardick, which in a fhort time they accomplished; by which the harbour was rendered almost as com modious as ever; but in 1717, this likewife was rendered unterviceable.

In the year 1720, during a great form, the fea broke up the bar, or dam, and restored to the Dunkiskers the use of the harbour in a very confiderable degree.

In the year 1740, when Great Britain was engaged in a war with Spain, Lewis XV. fet about improving the advantage which Dunkirk had derived from the form in 1720, by restoring the works, and repairing the harbour. Re rebuilt the jetties, and erected new forts in the place of thofe which had been deftroyed, and foon afterwards he efpoufed the cause of Spain, and became a principal in the war againit us.

But at the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, it was ftipulated, that all the works towards the fea should be deftroyed a fecond time; yet, before the war just now concluded was declared, the place was in as good a ftate of defence towards the fea as it was at any time during the war which was concluded by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

Thus have the French conftantly endeavoured to elude the demolition of this fortification ; but how far they may now be forced to complete it, time will fhew."

MISCEL