The Sun.
London, England, 1802-01-28 00:00:00

YORK, JAN. 23.

Early on Thursday morning, the most tremend_
ous gale of wind came en at this place that has
been experienced for a number of years. It con-
tinued without intermission until a late hour in
the evening. The damage it has done to the
buildings, &c. in many parts of the City is con-
siderable. Our letters mention, that its severity
has been felt in almost every District of the King_
dom. Our accounts from Hull state, that the ap-
pearance on the side of the River was most tre-
mendous. From the extreme violence of the wind,
the Humber appeared like a vast field of smoke.—
A small sloop belonging to Mr. Joseph Howard,
Of that place, unloaded, sunk opposite the garrison,
fortunately none of the crew were on board, and
the Vessel has been got up with little damage. Ap-
prehensions were entertained for two Brigs lying
at anchor opposite the Garrison, but they rode out
the gale in safety. A Brig was driven ashore be-
tween that place and Paul, but has since been got
off. A Sloop was sunk off Bessie, and two out of
three of the crew drowned ; the third reached the
land with great difficulty. Of the crew of another
Sloop in great distress off that place, one perished
upon deck by the cold ; another was drowned, and
the third was, by great exertion, got on shore and
carried into Bessie.

A reputed thief was discharged from the Public
Office, Bow-street, last Saturday : and, in about
half an hour after his discharge, being detected
stealing a silver milk-pot, front the house of Mr.
Bishop, a Stable-keeper, in Broad-street, St. Giles's,
he was secured, retaken to Bow-street, and corn.
mitred.

1,1)NOON : Printca by BUCHANAN NI'MILLAN, (of Bow-Street, Covent-Garden)
P.: the SuN-Oirica, No. tlz, Strand ; where Advertisements, Grders

WE-LAST CB)

FROM THE GAZETTE'LIE FRANCE.

THE history of the last century presents five'
principal epochs which merit observation, and which.
serve to discover how these events were brought.
about which are to signalize the age in which we
live. The first epoch, which comes down to the
year 1720, is remarkable for. the disasters which
befell Louis XIV. in consequence of the efforts
made by the Po,vers of Europe to preserve the poli-
ticalequilibrium, and to reduce it to that system
which it :has preserved down to our times. it was
Prince EUGENE who determined the Emperor
LEOPOLD to oppose France ; he made him perceive,
what in fat came to pass, that the Powers of the
West and of the middle of Europe would speedily
unite themselves with him. The War soon became
general. Holland and England, Italy, Austria, and
thesEmpire of Germanv, firmed a coalition against
LEWIS XIV. That Monarch made use of every
means to disunite his enemies ; but in spite of his
address and courage, he saw himself obliged to
yield to their efforts, and to offer, at Gertruydenberg,
in 1710, to renounce his claims on spain, to
acknowledge the Archduke CHARLES' as Sovereign
of that kingdom, and to surrender Strasburg to the
Empire. In the mean time, while these Negotia-
tions were pending, France at length succeeded in
detaching England from the coalition and in treating
separately with her. The death of josEeu, the
successor of LEOrOLD, also produced some happy
' changes during the negotiations at Utrecht. Ap-
prehensions began to be entertained lest Austria
should in her turn seize upon the preponderance
which was about to be torn from her rival. Europe
began, in part, to repose ; and the Peace of Utrecht
and that of Rastadt began to restore her to tran-
villity. But War still desolated the North of
Europe : CHARLES XII. who saw the Powers in
that quarter combined against him as those in the
South and \Vest had been against France, wanted
the policy of the latter kingdom : he only under-
stood how to fight. His death reestablished the
Peace, and left Sweden in a state of debility, from
which she has not yet recovered.
The second epoch of the eighteenth century,
which commences about the year 1720, will always
recall the most pleasing recolleaions, on account of
the repose then enjoyed during a period of twenty
years. The celebrated Quadruple Alliance secured
this tranquillity. The Turkish War, and that for
the succession to the Throne of Portugal were short
•and partial.

The third epoch is to he dated from 1740 ; at
that time a phenomenon, for ever remarkable, begins
to make its appearance in the political world. The
system of Europe is changed. A new genius ap-
pears and raises to the first rank an infant Monarch),
which possessed only two millions and a half of in-
habitants, and 70,000 troops. Alone, he rends
from Austria a part of her dominions ; he secures
himself by a Peace ; he gives Laws to his Nation,
and makes himself equally feared and admired by
the other Powers of Europe. It was then demon-
strated what Genius. is capable of effeding in op-
position to strength, what unity of action can
atchieve against multiplicity of designs. It was
then that France, by an unaccountable derelidion of
all her ancient principles, formed an alliance. with
Austria her rival, to reduce a Power which it was
her interest to support. Russia, Saxony, Sweden,
a part of Germany, Poland, and France united
themselves against FREDERICK. But that great
man, sustained by England alone, which had con-
stantly remained stedfast to her ancient principles ;
favoured by sc-Jse accidental circumstances, such
as the death of the EMPEROR of RvssiA. , was
:enabled, partly by negotiations, and partly by vic-
'tories, to re-conquer his own territories, and also to
establish himself in his former conquests. The
Peace of 1763 put the seal to FREDERICK'S glory,
and began a new order of things with regard to
Prussia and to Europe.
The political system which signalised the fourth
epoch, was, without doubt, the most solid which Eu_ •
rope had hitherto enjoyed. Divided betwixt Prussia
and Austria, the great Continental Powers consent-
ed themselves, during a space of z 6 years, with
discussing, negotiating,- and sometimes threatening
one another, as happened in 1770, when the Suc-
cession of Bavaria was agitated : but they did not
come to an open rupture. Many great events how-
ever distinguish that long period, so remarkable for
long-continued Continental Peace. A part of Poland
was shared among the three great Powers which sur-
round it ; and that partition -was made with such
mutual good understanding, as to deter any other ,
Power from opposing it. France appeared to have
a more immediate interest in supporting the Ameri-
cans : Tire rivalship of England, and the success of
this Power during the seven years war, gave her
more umbrage 'than the changes which had happened
in a part of Europe where she had ceased, for many
years, to haveeny influence. FREDERICK, satiated
with glory and contented with the prosperity of his
subjeds, chose to live in peace till the end of his
days. His successor reestablished tranquillity in
Holland, and iormed an Alliance with that Repub.
lie and with England. This Alliance was the means
of giving Peace to the Turks, and of setting bounds
to the conquests of Austria and Russia on the
Ottoman Empire. The genius of Peace seemed
more than ever desirous of establishing itself in our
hemisphere, when our Revolution came to scatter
new seeds of discord among the Powers of Europe.
Many causes, no doubt concurred to produce that
epoch, the most remarkable of the last century, and
one of the greatest events its, the history of the
world. Those who were the authors of it, did not,
without doubt, foresee its consequences. They
alone, who are charged with its termination, will
have it in their power to comprehend the details and
results of a catastrophe, the consequences of which
will long be felt. France at the commencement of
the Revolution became isolated horn all the rest of
Europe : All her ancient political connexions became
for some time annihilated ; and we might predk
that the Revolution was approaching to its termi-
nation in proportion as these connections were re-
established. As at this moment Fiance maintains
relations with all the States of Europe, we may

`condole that the et dcg(..n. cd to signali/e
the termination of the Revolution have already
taken place ;• it will not be so easy to point out
those which produced its commencement.