8vo. [2], xiii, [1], 56pp. Modern buff paper boards, contrasting red morocco lettering-piece to spine. Title page browned.

An anthology of letters addressed to the heads of state from numerous county officials occasioned by the conquest of the British controlled Mediterranean island of Minorca by French forces in 1756. The naval battle was the opening maritime engagement of the Seven Years' War in the European theatre. The failure of the Royal Navy to defend the territory led to the court-martial and execution of commanding officer Admiral John Byng. The defeat led to nationwide consternation that the French would press their advantage to capture British possessions in America and perhaps countenance an invasion of England.