JAMES I. of England, arrived at London
May 7, 1603, and the feast of St. James following was fixed for his
coronation. In 1604, Nov. 5, the powder plot was
discovered, the memory whereof has been hitherto religiously observed
[Guy Fawkes' Night; Wikipedia mentions
the quote "the only man to ever enter parliament with honourable
intentions"]. Among the remarkable things of this
reign, may be reckoned the two visits his Majesty received from
Christian IV. King of Denmark, whose sister Ann was King James's
consort: the creation of a new order called Baronets, next to a Baron,
and made hereditary: the fall of Lord Chancellor Bacon, and of Sir
Walter Raleigh, at the instigation of the Spanish Ambassador: the
office of the
(32)
master of the ceremonies was first established. As to the
character of this Prince, it must be confessed, that he was too much of
a scholar, and too little of the soldier. Though he was brought
up in the Scotch presbytery, he thought episcopacy so necessary for the
support of his crown, that he often used to say,
No Bishop, No King. He died at
Theobalds, March 27, 1625, in the 23rd year of his reign, and 59th year
of his age. Thus ended a peaceable but inglorious, a plentiful
but luxurious reign, to make room for another more turbulent and
tragical.
CHARLES I. the only son of King James, succeeded next: he was born at
Dumferling, in Scotland, 1600, and crowned at Westminster, 1625.
His crown may be called a crown of thorns, as his reign ended in
blood. He married Henrietta, daughter to Henry IV. King of
France, who was bigotted to the catholic religion, and gained the
ascendancy over him. His wonderful compliance with the Queen
caused him to act in many respects contrary to the laws of the kingdom,
and his unbounded favour to the Duke of Buckingham, incensed the people
to that degree, that this favourite was afterwards stabbed by Felton,
merely for the public good. These, and such like weaknesses, made
him continually at variance with the parliament, which at last broke
out into a civil war. Several battles were fought between the
royalists and republicans or
(33)
rumps
[see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rump_Parliament]. The King
was taken prisoner by the Scots, who sold him to
the parliament for 200,000l
[pounds
sterling]. Hereupon the parliament erected a high court of
justice, and gave them power to try the King; and though the
generality of the people were against such arbitrary proceedings, yet
they arraigned him of high-treason. The King maintained his
dignity, and refusing to acknowledge the authority of these pretended
judges, had sentence of death passed upon him, and was accordingly
beheaded on a scaffold erected for that purpose, before the palace,
Jan. 30, 1648. In this reign two great ministers, viz.
Archbishop Laud, and the Earl of Strafford, were beheaded.
CROMWELL, one of the most considerable members of the high court who
condemned King Charles, was now sent to subdue Ireland. After
which he marched against the Scots, who had taken up arms in favour of
the late King. The Dutch also, who had sent a fleet to assist the
King, having met with many losses and disappointments, sued for peace,
which Cromwell sold them at an exorbitant price. Now Cromwell was
made Lord Protector to the British dominions, and acted with the same
authority as if he had been King. He was a terror both to France
and Spain, and died Sept. 3, 1658. His son indeed succeeded to
that high station, which his father filled with universal applause; but
having neither an equal share of ambition, nor a head turned for
government, modestly resigned to the right heir
(34)
CHARLES II.
[referred to as the
"Merry Monarch"] son of Charles I. succeeded his father, but was
kept from
the crown above eleven years, during which time England was reduced to
a commonwealth. The King was at the Hague when his father was
beheaded. But on his yielding to some conditions imposed on him
by the kirk of Scotland, he was received by the Scots, and being
crowned at Scoon
[or Scone],
they sent an army with him into England to recover
that kingdom; which being totally defeated at Worcester, he wandered
about for six weeks, and made his escape to France, then to Spain, but
without any hopes of restoration, till the death of Oliver
Cromwell: when a free parliament, having met in April 1660, voted
the return of King Charles II. as lawful heir to the crown. The
power of the Rump Parliament, by the conduct and courage of General
Monk, had been on the decline for some time, and the King's interest
greatly increased, especially in the city of London, where he was
proclaimed May 8. He landed at Dover, and made a most magnificent
entry, May 29, 1660, being his birthday; and the 23d
[sic] of April following, being
St. George's day, he was crowned at Westminster with great state and
solemnity. Among the remarkable things of this reign, we may
reckon the parting with Dunkirk to France for a paltry sum; the blowing
up Tangier in the Streights, after immense sums had been expended to
repair and keep it
[Wikipedia: In
1679, the sultan Moulay Ismail
of Morocco made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the town and
maintained a crippling blockade which ultimately led to a British
retreat. The British destroyed the town and its port facilities prior
to their departure in 1684]; the shutting up the Exchequer when
full of loans,
to the
(35)
ruin of numerous families
[eh.net
encyclopedia explains: ... to free the money needed to launch his
scheme [joining France against the Dutch], Charles stopped servicing
many of his debts in an act called the Stop of the Exchequer, and, in
Machiavellian fashion, Charles isolated a few bankers to take the loss
(Roseveare 1991)]; the two Dutch wars, which ended with no
advantage on either side, but served only to promote the French
interest; the great plague with which this nation was visited during
the first Dutch war; the fire of London that happened soon after; and
the Popish plot, for which many suffered death. On the 2d of Feb.
1684, the King fell sick of an apoplexy; he died four days after, in
the 37th year of his reign, and was privately buried at Westminster.
JAMES II. succeeded his brother Charles, but proved very unfortunate to
himself and his people, on account of his zeal for the Romish
religion. He invaded the rights of the universities, and made
Magdalen
[pronounced Maudlin]
College in Oxford a prey to his violence. He sent seven bishops
as criminals to the tower, who upon trial were honourably
acquitted. Father Peters, a Jesuit, and several Popish Lords, sat
in the Privy Council, and some Popish Judges on the bench.
The Pope sent a Nuncio from Rome, who was suffered to make his public
entry in defiance of our constitution. These barefaced practices
made the Protestant party think it high time to check the growth of
popery. Hereupon the Prince of Orange was requested to vindicate
his consort's right, and that of the three nations. In the
beginning of this reign the Duke of Monmouth was proclaimed King in the
West, in opposition to King James; but his party being defeated, he was
beheaded July 15, 1685. Judge Jeffries
(36)
[later known as "the Hanging
Judge"] was afterwards sent by the King to try those who had
assisted the Duke, of whom he hanged no less than 600, glorying in his
cruelty, and affirming, that he had hanged more than all the Judges
since William the Conqueror. The Chevalier St. George
[James Francis Edward Stuart (son of
James II.), called "The (Old) Pretender"]
was born July 10, 1688, two days after the bishops were imprisoned. --
The Prince of Orange landed at Torbay Nov. 5, and King James abdicated
the crown, and went over to France, Dec. 23. Hereupon an
interregnum ensued till the 13th of February, 1688-9, when William and
Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange, were offered the Crown, and
accepted it.
The
House of ORANGE.
WILLIAM III. and MARY II. succeeded James II. upon the vote of the
Convention. The day after their arrival in London, which was Feb.
13, 1688-9, they were seated under a canopy of state in the
Banqueting-house, and both Houses of Convocation waited upon them,
proffering them the crown in the names of the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal, and the Commons, assembled at Westminster: Accordingly they
were proclaimed King and Queen of Great-Britain the following day, and
solemnly crowned at the Abbey on the 21st of April. Several plots
were formed against the King, but all of them proved abortive. He
carried out a war with France,
(37)
and with King James's party in Ireland, for nine years successively,
till at last France was obliged to acknowledge him lawful King of
Great-Britain, in the peace of Ryswic, 1697. He died March 8,
1701, aged 51, after he had survived his consort Mary Stuart, daughter
to James II. five years, who died Dec. 21, 1696, and whose funeral was
performed with great elegance and solemnity. July 2, 1700,
William Duke of Gloucester, the only surviving issue of Princess Anne
of Denmark, departed this life at Windsor, aged twelve years. And
King James died at St. Germains in Sept. 1721.
ANNE, second daughter to James II. succeeded King William, whose
death was joy to France, but a great misfortune to England. -- Anne was
born Feb. 6, 1664, and married George Prince of Denmark, who was High
Admiral of England, and a happy assistant to her in steering the ship
of state. She was crowned Queen of Great-Britain April 23,
1702. On the 4th of May following war was proclaimed at
London, Vienna, and the Hague, against France and Spain. The
success of this war is worthy admiration
[sic], and almost
incredible. The conquest of the Spanish Guelderland
[province in E. central Netherlands],
the Electorate of Cologn
[sic],
and the Bishopric of Liege; the prodigious
victory over the French and Bavarians at Blenheim, under the surprising
conduct of the Duke of Marlborough; the retaking of Landau; the
conquering all the estates of the Duke of
(38)
Bavaria in Germany; the forcing the French and Bavarians out of their
lines in Brabant, which was deemed a thing impracticable; the battle of
Ramillies; the victory at Oudenard; the taking of Lisle and Tournay;
the defeat of the French army at Blarenies; the reducing of Mons,
&c. &c. are such events as will render her Majesty's reign
famous to all posterity. If we look towards Spain, how bold and
successful was our attempt upon Vigo, where we took and destroyed their
whole plate fleet, both men of war and others, to the amount of 38
sail, of which not one escaped: Did we not also take Gibraltar
with a small force in one morning, and keep possession of it against
the joint strength of France and Spain? Barcelona likewise being
taken by the English and Dutch, under the conduct of the Earl of
Peterborough, was soon after besieged by King Philip with a great army,
which was soon forced to a shameful retreat into France. Hereupon
Catalonia, Arragon, Valencia, and other provinces, submitted to Charles
III.
[Archduke Charles of
Austria, styling himself Charles III. of Spain; not to be confused with
Charles III. of Spain, who came later] by the influence of her
Majesty's arms. Who could have expected the dismal turn of the
affairs of France and Italy, which happened in 1707, by the powerful
interest of England? -- A numerous army of French and Spaniards were
destroyed before the walls of Turin, by the Duke of Savoy and Prince
Eugene. Thus Piedmont was abandoned, the Mantuan, the Milanese,
the Modenese, Parmasan, and Montferrat, yielded up.
(39)
This Queen also brought about the strict union between England and
Scotland, after sundry fruitless attempts of the same kind for a
century past. In short, the successes of her reign justly
denominate her one of the most triumphant Monarchs of former ages, and
her piety and virtue will ever be acknowledged by the British nation.
The four last years of Queen Anne's reign were attended with much
perplexity, which was owing to her Ministers, who prevailed upon her to
consent to the peace of Utrecht; and, 'tis said, her death was
occasioned by her ill conduct, which she laid too much to heart
[Wikipedia says it was gout, ending in
erysipelas]. She died Aug. 1, 1714; and in her the
succession of the Stuart line ended.
The
House of HANOVER.
GEORGE I. who was heir-apparent to the crown of Great-Britain on the
death of Queen Anne, and which had been confirmed to him some years
before by various Acts of Parliament, and by a special article in the
peace of Utrecht, was born 1666, and proclaimed King the very day Queen
Anne expired. He landed at Greenwich Sept. 18, 1714, and was
crowned Oct. 20. A thorough change in the ministry was made on
his accession, wherein he distinguished his friends from his enemies
[sounds familiar, doesn't it?].
-- Among the latter the chief were the Duke of Ormond, the Earl
of Oxford, and the Viscount Bolingbroke, who were deemed to be firmly
(40)
attached to the interest of the Pretender. In 1715 a plot was
supposed to be brooding in the West, where several gentlemen were
suspected of having a design to bring in the Pretender, and to place
him on the throne of his ancestors. He had already been
proclaimed King of Scotland, by the Earl of Mar, against whom the Duke
of Argyle marched. On the 13th of November they came to a
decisive battle near Dumblain, where the rebels were defeated, and put
to flight. At the same time a body of 5000 rebels assembled at
Preston in Lancashire, headed by the Earl of Derwentwater, of whom
General Wills, who commanded some of his Majesty's troops on the
borders of Scotland, being informed, he marched directly against them,
and obliged them to surrender prisoners of war. They were
afterwards sent up to London, and many of the ringleaders tried and
condemned. Among these were the Earls of Derwentwater and
Kenmure, who were beheaded on Tower-Hill; several others were executed
at Tyburn, and the remainder pardoned. Some other conspiracies
were formed against the King's person; but, by timely discovery,
prevented from being carried into execution. Aug. 2, 1718, the
quadruple alliance was signed between their Imperial, Christian, and
Britannic Majesties
[encyclopedia.com
lists these as Great Britain, France, the Holy Roman
emperor, and the Netherlands];
and the Spanish fleet was destroyed in the Mediterranean by the
English. In 1720 Spain acceded to the quadruple alliance, and a
fleet was sent into the Baltic in favour of Sweden. This year
(41)
was also remarkable for the South-Sea scheme
[the infamous "South-Sea Bubble", which
historyhouse.com calls "the greatest of many stock market bubbles"],
by which many families were deluded and entirely ruined; and the
government was obliged to interpose, to prevent the ill consequences of
the people's despair. On enquiry into the affair it appeared,
that besides stock-jobbers and directors some persons of distinction
were concerned in it. This fatal stroke to the British trade was
in some measure remedied by the assiento
[tiscali.co.uk gives the meaning as
"contract; treaty, especially with Spain for supplying slaves to
Spanish America"] contract, concluded at Madrid in 1722.
In the same year, the funeral of the Duke of Marlborough, who, since
the accession of King George, had been restored to the honours he so
justly deserved, was solemnized with great pomp. In 1723, a
conspiracy for raising an insurrection was discovered; hereupon the
Duke of Norfolk, Lord North and Grey, the Bishop of Rochester, and
Counsellor Layer, were taken into custody; after a long trial the
Bishop was banished, and Layer was hanged. In 1724, the Ostend
East-India Company was established. In 1725 the Hanover treaty
was agreed to, between France, Great-Britain, and Prussia. -- June 11,
1727, George I. died at Osnaburgh, in the very chamber where he
was born, in the 67th year of his age, and the 13th year of his reign.
GEORGE II. was proclaimed as soon as as the news of his father's death
came to London, and his coronation was solemnized in October
following. The new Parliament met on the 2d of January, and chose
for their Speaker
(42)
Arthur Onslow, Esq. and loyal and affectionate addresses were presented
to the King by both houses. The land forces were fixed at 22,950
men, and the number of seamen at 15,000. -- An enquiry was made
into the state of the public gaols, and from this it appeared that
great cruelties and oppressions had been exercised on the prisoners,
particularly on Sir William Rich, Baronet, who was found in the fleet
prison loaded with irons, by order of the Warden. For these and
the like barbarities, Thomas Bambridge, the Warden, and several of his
accomplices, were committed to Newgate. In May, 1729, his Majesty
declared his intentions of visiting his German dominions, and leaving
the Queen as Regent. His design in going to Germany was to
compromise some differences that had lately arisen between the Regency
of Hanover and the King of Prussia; and about this time the Duke of
Mecklenburgh was deposed by the Emperor, for his cruelty, tyranny, and
oppression. By the fall of Emperors and Kings it is that we learn
the Omnipotence of the Almighty, whose arm strengthens and supports the
crown of the righteous and takes away the kingdom from unjust
Princes. About this time great licentiousness prevailed among all
ranks of people, particularly among those of the lower class, who
indulged themselves in every kind of wickedness; and among other
methods of injuring their fellow subjects, circulated incendiary
letters, demanding sums of money of
(43)
certain individuals, on pain of reducing their houses to ashes
[see also
www.infopt.demon.co.uk/grub/arson.htm]; this species of
villainy had never been known before in England. In the course of
the summer seven Indian Chiefs were brought over to England. In
1731 a duel was fought in the Green Park, between Sir William Pulteney
and Lord Hervey, on account of a remarkable political pamphlet
[see also
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pulteney,_1st_Earl_of_Bath].--
Lord Hervey was wounded, and narrowly escaped with his life. The
Latin tongue was abolished in all law proceedings, which were ordered
for the future to be in English. Rich. Norton, Esq. of Southwick,
in Hampshire, left his estate of 600l.
[600 pounds sterling] per annum,
and a personal estate of 60,000l.
[60,000
pounds sterling] to be disposed of in charitable uses by the
Parliament. One Smith, a book-binder, and his wife, being reduced
to extreme poverty, hanged themselves at the same time, and by common
consent, after having made away with their only child.
On the 27th of April, 1736, his Royal Highness Frederic, Prince of
Wales, espoused Augusta, sister to the Duke of Saxe Gotha. -- In
the course of this year a remarkable riot happened at Edinburgh,
occasioned by the execution of one Wilson, a smuggler. Porteus,
captain of the city guard, a man of a brutal disposition, and abandoned
morals, being provoked by the insults of the mob, commanded his
soldiers to fire upon the crowd, by which precipitate orders several
innocent persons were killed; Porteus was tried and condemned to
die, but obtained a reprieve from the Queen,
(44)
who was then Regent. The mob, however, were
[sic] determined to execute the
sentence; they accordingly rose in a tumultuous manner, forced open the
prison doors, dragged forth Porteus, and hanged him on a dyer's pole;
after which they quietly dispersed. On the 24th of May,
1738, the Princess of Wales was delivered of a Prince, who was
christened by the name of George, now our most gracious
Sovereign. One Buchanan, a sailor, who had been condemned for
murder, was cut down from the gallows by his companions, who actually
brought him to life, and carried him off in triumph.
War was declared in form against Spain, at London and Westminster, Oct.
23, 1739.-- The same year Admiral Vernon destroyed Porto Bello, and the
March following demolished Fort Chagre. In 1740 there was a
severe and lasting frost, which extended all over Europe, and
occasioned a fair to be kept on the River Thames. In 1741 Admiral
Vernon, with a strong fleet, joined with General Wentworth, who had a
considerable number of forces under his command, made an unsuccessful
attempt on Carthagena
[sic];
the greater part of the land forces being either killed or cut off by
an epidemical distemper. In 1742, Captain Middleton made a
fruitless attempt to discover the North West passage into the South
Seas. The year following the battle of Dettingen was
fought. There was also this year a bloody engagement before
Toulon, between the English
(45)
fleet and that of the French and Spaniards; when that brave commander
Captain Cornwall was killed in the Marlborough, after a most resolute
and surprising resistance. Commodore Anson returned to England,
having made a voyage round the globe; and war was mutually declared
between England and France.
In 1745 the battle of Fontenoy was fought, in which the French had the
advantage, which was followed by the taking of Tournay. A
rebellion broke out in Scotland; the rebels defeated Sir John Cope, at
Preston Pans, came forward into England, took Carlisle, and marched to
Derby, from whence they were obliged to make a precipitate retreat,
being closely pursued by the Duke of Cumberland, who retook
Carlisle. When the rebels were returned into Scotland, they
defeated the King's forces under General Hawley, near Falkirk, and laid
siege to Stirling, but raised it on the Duke's approach. This
year Cape-Breton was taken by Admiral Warren. In 1746 the
memorable battle of Culloden, in Scotland, was fought, wherein the
rebels were totally destroyed: The Earls of Balmerino and Kilmarnock,
with Mr. Ratcliff, brother to the late Earl of Derwentwater, were taken
prisoners, and beheaded on Tower-Hill; as was Lord Lovat in the year
following. Now also the French took all Dutch Flanders, and there
was a battle between them and part of the allied army, after which the
latter retreated under the cannon of Maestricht. Admirals
(46)
Anson and Warren, after a hot engagement, took several French men of
war in the Mediterranean, among which was the ship in which their
Admiral sailed. In 1748 a Congress was held at Aix-la-Chapelle
for a general pacification, and the articles of peace therein agreed to
were signed in April.
A Bill was passed for the encouragement of the British herring fishery;
and a proclamation issued for inciting disbanded soldiers and sailors
to settle in Nova Scotia. Mr. Pelham now lowered the interest of
money in the funds, first to three and a half per cent.
[sic] afterwards to three.
The importation of iron from America was allowed; and the African trade
laid open.
In the year 1752, the French spirited up the Indians against our
colonies of Nova Scotia, and built a chain of forts on the back of our
American settlements. This occasioned a new war, carried on with
great cruelty in those parts. Monckton drove the French from
their encroachments in Nova Scotia; and General Johnson gave them a
defeat; but Braddock, through his own rashness, was defeated and
slain. The English took many ships from the enemy, without
declaring war.
In 1756, the Hessians and Hanoverians were brought over, to the number
of ten thousand. Presently after Minorca was taken by the French;
and Admiral Byng was shot at Portsmouth for not having relieved
it. On the 17th of May, war was declared in form
, and the
(47)
King entered into a treaty with the Empress of Russia
[Elizabeth Petrovna] for the
security of Hanover; and afterwards into an alliance with
Prussia. This was followed by an unnatural
[sic] treaty
between France and the
Queen of Hungary, to which the Empress of Russia acceded. And a
war
[The Seven Years' War;
according to Wikipedia, Winston Churchill described it as the "first
world war"] was kindled by the intrigues of France
between Prussia and
Sweden; while the Elector of Saxony favoured the Austrians. The
King of Prussia therefore entered Saxony, and obliged the Saxon troops
at Pirna to surrender prisoners of war. He invaded Bohemia,
defeated the Austrian General, and gained another victory near
Prague. But attacking the Austrians at a disadvantage near Kolin
, he was defeated, and obliged
to raise
the siege of Prague.
The French now passed the Weser, and drove the Hanoverians before
them. They made a stand however at Hastenbeck, under the Duke of
Cumberland
[Prince William
Augustus, a younger son of George II], where they were attacked,
and forced to retreat towards Stade, and laid down their arms in
consequence of the treaty of Closterseven.
In the East-Indies we were also successful; for, by Colonel Clive's
vigilance and courage, the province of Arcot
[sometimes called Carnatic, near
Chennai, in Tamil Nadu] was cleared of the enemy, the French
general taken prisoner, and the favourite Nabob, whom we supported, was
reinstated in his government. But some months after, the Viceroy
of Bengal declared against the English, and took Calcutta by
assault. Here one hundred and forty-six persons were crowded into
a narrow prison, called
(48)
the Black-Hole, where they were suffocated for want of air, only
twenty-three surviving; several of whom died by putrid fevers, after
they were set free.
The Dutch at Batavia now dispatched seven armed ships to Bengal, having
eleven hundred land forces, with orders strongly to fortify their
settlement at Chincura, and secure the salt-petre trade to
themselves. But the ships were all taken by three English
East-India ships, which were in the river, and their troops were
totally defeated at land by Colonel Ford.
Colonel Coote also took the city of Wandewash
[now Wandiwash], reduced the
fortress of Carangoly, and defeated Lally
[Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally].
This was followed by the surrender of the city of Arcot.
Pondicherry now sustained a siege in turn, and the French therein were
reduced to feed on dogs and cats. Eight crowns were given for the
flesh of a dog. At length the English took possession of the
place. And this conquest terminated the power of France in India.
Mr. Pitt was at the head of the English Ministry, when Louisbourg in
Cape Breton was besieged by General Amherst, and surrendered by
capitulation. The French lost a fine navy in the harbour.
Fort Du Quesne
[Pennsylvania]
also was taken. But the operations against Crown Point
and Ticonderoga
[both in New York] miscarried.
The year 1759 was remarkable for the conquest of Canada. The
French deserted Crown Point and Ticonderoga, which were possessed by
General Amherst. Sir William Johnson
(49)
defeated them, and became master of the Fort of Niagara. And the
Admirals Saunders, Holmes, and Durel, sailed for Quebec, attended by a
land army, under General Wolfe. In the battle which ensued, both
Wolfe and Montcalm, the chief commanders on each side, were slain, and
Quebec surrendered.
In 1760 the French forces endeavoured to recover Quebec, but the place
was relieved by an English fleet under Lord Colvill. Montreal
submitted to General Amherst, and that extensive country fell totally
under the power of Great Britain; a larger territory than ever was
subject to the Roman empire. The prodigious march of Amherst, on
this occasion, can be compared only to that of Jenghiz Can
[now usually written Genghis Khan],
or Tamerlane, who over-ran all Asia with their Tartars.
In Europe the operations of war were astonishing, and the great efforts
of the King of Prussia secured his safety beyond all human
expectation. Almost the whole power of the Continent was united
against him. The King of Great Britain, his only ally, seemed
inclined to forsake him. In this terrible situation he relied on
his natural subjects, and still adhered to his fortitude. Yet he
expostulated warmly, and his expostulations at last succeeded.
The French forces, and those of the Imperialists, had made a successful
campaign in the summer; yet seemed determined that the rigour of the
winter should not interrupt their proceedings. In the depth of
it, they laid siege
(50)
to Leipsic
[Leipzig], and
were confident of carrying that important city. This greatly
alarmed his Prussian Majesty. He contrived his measures so
artfully, as to appear before the place when he was least
expected. Vanquished as he was, the terror of his arms raised the
siege. The French army, though greatly superior in number, rose
and retreated with precipitation.
His Prussian Majesty, not satisfied with having raised the siege of
Leipsic, followed the French army, whose fears, he imagined, would
befriend him. He came up with them near a little village, called
Rosbach
[Rossbach, where
Wikipedia says that "Frederick the Great defeated the
allied armies of France and the Holy Roman Empire"]. An action
came
on, and he obtained one of the most signal victories recorded in
history. Had not the night saved them, their whole army had been
devoted to destruction.
In another part of the empire the Austrians were again victorious, and
took the Prince of Bevern, the King of Prussia's Generalissimo,
prisoner. The King himself, in the depth of winter, made a march
of two hundred miles, and engaged the enemy in the neighbourhood of
Breslau, the capital of Silesia. He was much inferior in
strength, but his forces were disposed with such admirable
judgment
[sic], that he
gained a compleat
[sic]
victory, in which he took
fifteen thousand prisoners. Breslau itself, after the battle,
surrendered to the Conqueror, tho' it had a garrison of ten thousand
men. These successes disheartened his enemies, and raised the
spirit of his friends.
(51)
The magnanimous King of Prussia now began to fight with his enemies
upon more equal terms. He attacked them every where, was attended
for the most part with remarkable success, and rarely met with any
considerable disadvantage. He carried on the campaign throughout
the winter, escaped many dangers, was exhausted by no fatigues, nor
terrified by any numbers.
England is so happily situated, that she has little need to concern
herself with the disturbances on the Continent. Yet the people in
general at this time seemed in a disposition to encourage and assist
the German subjects of their King.
At the meeting of the Parliament, the reasonableness of engaging in a
war upon the Continent was taken into consideration, and
admitted. Liberal supplies were granted, to enable the army, now
collected in the King's Hanoverian dominions, to act with vigour, in
conjunction with the King of Prussia. Supplies were also granted
to his Prussian Majesty.
A spirit of enterprise now seemed to animate all ranks of people.
A body of British forces was sent into Germany, under the command of
the Duke of Marlborough, to assist Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and
the Hanoverians; and who afterwards behaved with great bravery.
The English fleet in the mean time invaded France, and burnt the French
shipping at St. Malo's. It then moved towards Cherburgh
[now written Cherbourg],
(52)
but was obliged by the weather to return home.
On the 1st of August, 1758, the fleet under Commodore Howe, with the
transports, again set sail for Cherburgh. They landed with little
opposition from the French, and entered the town. Immense sums
had been there laid out upon the fortifications, and the harbour was
one of the strongest in Europe. The work of all this labour and
expence
[sic] was now
totally destroyed by the English, who found more difficulty in
demolishing than in conquering the place. All the ships in the
harbour were burnt, and a contribution raised upon the town.
On the 16th of August, the British fleet and army having remained in
France unmolested for ten days, set sail for Cherburgh, and carried off
all the brass cannon and mortars taken there.
The English troops landed again in the Bay of St. Lunar, in the
neighbourhood of St. Malo, but found it impracticable to make any
impression upon the place. While the troops were ashore the
Commodore found himself obliged, from the danger of the coast, to move
up to the Bay of St. Cas, about three leagues to the westward; while
the army marched over land to the same place, where they all embarked,
except the last division, consisting of the grenadiers of the army, and
the first regiment of guards. These were attacked by the Duke
d'Aiguillon, Governor of Brittany,
(53)
at the head of twelve battalions, and six squadrons of regulars,
besides two regiments of militia, against whom, though they made a most
gallant resistance, about six hundred of them were killed, and four
hundred taken prisoners, not being able to reach the boats.
The English had already made themselves masters of Senegal and Goree
[Gorée], in Africa; and
though they had
now lost Minorca, yet they remained victorious in the Mediterranean,
and continued to ruin the French marine.
Towards the end of the year, a squadron of nine ships of the line, with
sixty transports, containing six regiments of foot, was fitting out for
the conquest of Martinico
[now
written Martinique]. But tho' a conquest of that island was
judged, after a slight attempt, to be impracticable, they achieved the
more important reduction of Guadaloupe
[now written Guadeloupe].
On the 28th of July, the Hereditary Prince was detached with six
thousand men to cut off the enemy's communication with Paderborn.
And on the 29th, Prince Ferdinand advanced from his camp on the Weser,
leaving a body of troops under Wangenheim, on the borders of that river.
The next day was fought the battle of Minden, as glorious to the
English, as those of Cressy
[Crécy]
and Agincourt had been to their ancestors. The centre of the
French was entirely composed of horse, who attacked six English
regiments, supported by two battalions of Hanoverian guards.
These sustained the whole
(54)
shock of the battle, and, to the amazement of the German General
himself, obtained a compleat victory. The French lost seven
thousand men, and the English twelve hundred.
The French were greatly disappointed in their views by sea this
year. Thurot, a marine freebooter
[www.isle-of-man.com describes him as
"French naval captain and one time smuggler with
Manx connections"], with three ships and a considerable body of
land forces, landed in Ireland, and alarmed the people of Carrickfergus
[he attacked it and held it for 7
days] . Putting to sea again, he was met by three British
frigates, of a force inferior to his own, and after a severe encounter
he was killed, and his ships led in triumph by the English commanders
to the Isle of Man.
A grand fleet was intended to invade England, under Marshal Conflans
and the Duke d'Aiguillon; but this fleet was ruined by Admiral Hawke on
the 20th of November.
In the year 1760, Lord George Sackville was tried by a court-martial
for his conduct in the battle of Minden, and declared incapable of
serving his Majesty for the future in any military capacity whatever
[Wikipedia calls this "one of the
strangest or strongest verdicts ever rendered against a general
officer"]; he was however afterwards raised to the highest civil
employments, being secretary of state to George III. and having a
considerable share in those unfortunate councils, which severed for
ever thirteen provinces from the crown of England. On the 5th of
May, Lawrence Shirley, Earl Ferrers, was hanged at Tyburn for the
murder of Mr. Johnson, his steward. On the 25th of October,
between seven and eight o'clock in the morning, died King George II. in
the 77th
(55)
year of his age, and the 34th of his reign. He had risen at his
usual hour, called his page, drunk his chocolate, and inquired about
the wind, as if anxious for the arrival of foreign mails; soon after
which he fell speechless on the ground, and being laid on his bed,
expired in a few minutes.
GEORGE III. grandson of George II. and eldest son of the late Frederick
Prince of Wales, succeeded to the throne, and was proclaimed King on
the day after the death of his grand father. He was married on
the 8th of September, 1761, to his Queen, Charlotte, Princess of
Mecklenburgh Strelitz, and they were solemnly crowned together on the
22d of the same month.
The war was still carried on betwixt France and England, in Germany,
when Augsburgh was pitched upon by both parties as a proper place to
negociate
[sic] a peace
in; and, with respect to the disputes in America, Mr. Bussey was named
by the French Court to repair to London, as Mr. Stanley was by the
English to treat at Paris.
The former of these offers a memorial
[I assume we would say 'memoir' today]
to the British minister, importing that the King of Spain apprehended a
new war, unless the British court would make satisfaction to Spain for
ships taken under Spanish colours; permit the claim of Spain to a share
in the Newfoundland fishery; and destroy the English fortifications in
the bay of Honduras. This put an end to the negociation.
(56)
The French and Spanish courts now entered into a Family Compact, in
which the two Sicilies were included; the most extraordinary treaty
which this age can produce; it being a consolidation of the rights and
interests of the two crowns and their subjects in all respects, but
those relating to the Spanish American commerce.
Mr. Pitt, the British minster, gained intelligence of the family
compact, and made strong remonstrances at the council-board for an
immediate declaration of war against Spain, which were not
relished. On this Mr. Pitt resigned.
The flota
[www.suite101.com
translates this as 'treasure fleet'] arrived in the bay of
Cadiz, and the Spaniards resolved on a war with England.
January 2, 1762, his Britannic Majesty's proclamation of war against
Spain was published in London. And the King of Spain proclaimed
war against England on the 16th of the same month.
The French and Spaniards insisted upon the King of Portugal's taking
part in the war against England. He declined the invitation, and
vindicated his alliance with England.
The Spanish army marched towards the frontiers of Portugal, and all
commerce between the two kingdoms was prohibited. And war was
declared by the King of Spain against that kingdom on the 15th of June.
Many English officers repaired to the assistance of the King of
Portugal, and were followed by large supplies of troops, artillery,
arms, provisions, and money.
(57)
A small army of English and Portuguese take the field. Count La
Lippe is sent over to command them. Brigadier Burgoyne
[now written Bourgoyne]
surprizes
[sic] Valenca
d'Alcantara in Spain, and destroys one of their best regiments
there. A sejeant
[sic]
and six men only engage a Spanish subaltern with twenty-five dragoons,
unbroken, kill six of their men, and bring in the rest prisoners, with
every horse of the party. Soon after Brigadier Burgoyne and
Colonel Lee surprize the Spanish camp at Villa Vehla
[should be Vila Velha]; and the
Spaniards are obliged to leave Portugal, and to make winter quarters in
their own country.
On the 12th of August, his Royal Highness George Augustus-Frederick,
Prince of Wales, was born.
The English take Martinico and Granada
[now written Grenada] from the
French, and the city of Havannah
[Havana],
in the island of Cuba, from the Spaniards. This induces both
powers to think of peace, for which a negociation was set on foot; and
the negociators on all sides having adjusted the points in dispute
between Great Britain and Portugal on the one side, and France
and Spain on the other, a definitive treaty was signed at Paris on the
10th of Feb. 1763; by which peace was once more restored to Europe.
