The treaty which effected the union stipulated that the succession to the United Kingdom should be vested in the house of Hanover; that England and Scotland should be represented by one parliament; that all the subjects of what was now to be called Great Britain, should enjoy a communion of privileges; that Scotland should be represented in the parliament by sixteen peers and forty-five commoners; that all peers of Scotland should be considered as peers of Great Britain; and that the courts of law in Scotland should remain with the same authority and privileges as before the Union. So important a measure was not carried without a considerable display of violence in the English house of commons. The Scots at the same time complained of the loss of their commercial influence, and of the consequent ruin of their trade.

Meanwhile the duke of Marlborough, in concert with his allies, pushed matters against the French, and at Oudenarde and Malplaquet defeated them with immense slaughter, compelling Villars to give up, without striking a blow, a strong line of intrenchments. His last enterprise was the taking of Bouchain, 1711, which opened a way into the heart of France. On the duke's return from this campaign, he was accused of having taken a bribe of 6000l. a-year from a Jew, who had contracted to supply the army with bread ; and the queen thought proper to dismiss him from all his employments. This suspension led to a change in general politics, and peace was made with the French 1713, by the treaty of Utrecht; whereupon vast numbers of French protestants, who had been imprisoned for their opinions, were set free.

The whigs and tories were now more than ever in arms against each other on the Union question, as well as on that of an unbroken hereditary succession to the crown; the tories, on the latter point, evidently desiring, though they never openly averred it, that Anne's brother, afterwards known as the pretender, should succeed her, in preference to a prince of the house of Hanover. The queen, however, who had been much affected by the violence of the factions, suddenly became ill, and fell into a lethargic insensibility; and her distemper gained ground so fast, that her life was in one day from the attack despaired of. On the 30th of July she appeared to be somewhat better, and was enabled to rise: being supported across her room, she fixed her eyes upon a clock which stood there, and continued gazing at it, until one of her ladies asked her what she saw more than usual? to which her majesty only answered by turning upon her a dying look. She was soon after seized with apoplexy; and never spoke, to the period of her death, August 1, 1714. She died in the fiftieth year of her age, and was buried in Westminster-abbey.

As Anne never acted in political matters, without consulting one or more persons, in whose judgment she placed a blind confidence, it is curious that females were usually her most influential counsellors. These, of course, were the mere tools of the two factions; but with so much spirit did Sarah, duchess of Marlborough, advocate and keep up the war against Louis XIV., and with so much skill did Mrs. Masham bring about the treaty of Utrecht, which terminated the whig policy, that they appeared to be acting upon their own responsibility. From the surprising number of learned characters existing throughout this reign, it is usually called the Augustan age of England; not that the queen was a great patron of literature, but it was her singular fortune to have, even amongst her statesmen, minds of the highest cast, and polished by the most refined taste.

CHIEF DOMESTIC EVENTS.

The Union of Scotland with Eng-tempest occurred in the south of England, 1706; as in the history. land, November 27, 1703, which a The great Storm. A tremendous writer of the period thus describes:

The Succession War in Spain. This Spain, except the province of Catacontest (before alluded to) lasted from lonia, returned to its duty to Philip. 1701 to 1714. Philip V. having been The war, however, was continued by acknowledged sovereign by the Spa- Charles, though without the aid of niards, Charles, son of the emperor the English; but after the treaty of Leopold, and afterwards emperor him- Utrecht (having succeeded his brother self, as Charles VI., who, by a former Joseph as emperor, 1711), he was glad treaty of the European powers, had to give up the contest, 1714, that he been appointed heir to the crown, ac- might attend the progress of the Turks cepted the invitation of the insurgent in Hungary. Catalonians, and, by the aid of the Poland under Frederick Augustus I. Portuguese and English, mustered a Most violent contests took place about force of 12,000 soldiers, commanded the succession, on the death of John by the earl of Peterborough. Barce- Sobieski; but at last Frederick Aulona, with a garrison of 5000 men, in- gustus, elector of Saxony, prevailed, stantly fell to the earl; and in conse- 1696. As, however, the primate had quence of this success, Valencia, Ar- refused to perform the ceremony of his ragon, and Granada, declared for coronation in all its details, the Poles Charles; while Peterborough entering scarcely regarded him as their king; Madrid, proclaimed him king of Spain and his difficulties were greatly inwithout opposition, 1706. But when creased by the consequences of a lord Galway was placed in the earl's league he had entered into against room, as general in chief, the state of affairs was lamentably changed. This nobleman, on hearing that the duke of Berwick was at the head of Philip's troops at Almanza, advanced thither to give him battle; but the Portuguese, by whom the English were supported, betaking themselves to flight on the first charge, the soldiers of Lord Galway were flanked, and surrounded on every side. In this dreadful emergency they formed themselves into a square, and retired to an eminence; where, being ignorant of the country, and destitute of all supplies, they were obliged to surrender prisoners of war, to the number of 10,000 men. This victory was decisive; and all

Sweden, in conjunction with Denmark and Russia. Charles XII., the young monarch of Sweden, attacked him with irresistible fury; and Frederick, beaten at Riga, Clisson, and Frawstadt, was stripped of his dominions, 1704, and consented to see his crown placed on the head of Stanislaus. The defeat of the Swedes at Pultowa, 1709, however, proved favourable to him: he recovered the Polish throne, and maintained his power and independence until his death in 1734. Frederick was notorious for his personal strength; and his court was, for a long time, one of the most brilliant in Europe.

France under Louis XIV. This The king's religious advisers, Père

was

the longest reign in French la Chaise and Louvois, having urged annals, extending over 72 years, from the extirpation of the Huguenots, 1643 to 1715, and comprising the Louis revoked the edict of Nantes, period from Charles I. to George I. and allowed the most cruel butchery in English history. Anne of Aus- of those conscientious persons. The tria, as regent for her infant son, Spanish succession war next followed; selected Cardinal Mazarin for her and Louis was enabled, by various inminister. France was engaged, at the trigues, to place his grandson on the time of Louis XIII.'s death, in wars throne of Spain, with the title of Phiwith Germany and Spain; and it was lip V. As Louis supported the claim in the former country that the prince of the Pretender to the English throne, of Condé began to display his talent for war, and brought the Austrians to request a peace. The civil faction of the Fronde broke out at this period. De Retz, afterwards a cardinal, opposed Mazarin in his attempt to levy some taxes; and as he was supported by the duke of Longueville and other powerful noblemen, arms were resorted to, and the royal family driven from the capital. Condé played a dubious part during the dispute, and passing into Spain, levied a force, with which he marched into Paris; soon after which the king was recalled, and De Retz banished.

:

the duke of Marlborough took the command of queen Anne's armies, and joined the Germans in their vigorous attempts to crush a power, which had robbed them, in seizing Spain, of their richest possession. While Marlborough was driving the French from Germany, and taking the Spanish Netherlands, prince Eugene was obtaining like advantage over Louis in Italy; and in a few months, all that had been gained by the valour of Turenne and Condé, and by the skill of Mazarin, was irretrievably lost to France. The king, after witnessing the death of his sons the dauphin and duke of Burgundy, and of his grandson, by the smallpox, died, respected for his spirited efforts to maintain the honour of his country, and for his deference to men of superior judgment and excellence. In his domestic character he was early inclined to libertinism: his attachment to Mademoiselle de Vallière, a woman of many virtues, was soon shifted to Madame de Montespan, and Madame de Maintenon; to all of whom, it is affirmed, he was successively married.

Louis, now of age, commanded an army against the Spaniards, who were led on by his own subject and relative Condé the result was favourable to the allied English and French; Dunkirk was taken, and given to the English, and Condé soon after received pardon from his sovereign. Upon the death of Mazarin, Colbert succeeded as finance minister; and he not only relieved the people from the burden of many taxes, but greatly added to the revenue of the country. The fine arts were encouraged, and the Louvre The Stadtholdership abolished, 1702. built as a national gallery for their dis- Seizure of Hungary. Ragotski, a play; the manufactures of porcelain Polish noble, being accused by the and lace were especially advanced in emperor of Germany of an attempt character; and the Gobelines tapestry to revolutionise Hungary, declared was worked. When the triple al- himself protector of that country, and liance was formed by England, Hol- prince of Transylvania, 1703. land, and Sweden, Louis drew off his maintained his power until 1713, when forces from Spain; and he subse- the Austrians compelled him to retire; quently joined the English in their war and he died near Constantinople, with the Dutch under the prince of 1735. His memoirs of the revoluOrange, who afterwards ascended the tions of Hungary are highly inteBritish throne.

resting.

He

The Man with the Iron Mask died 1703. For many years the curious of all countries were busied in their endeavours to ascertain who this person was. Soon after the death of cardinal Mazarin, the court of France ordered a young man of dignified mien to be guarded, first in one prison, and then in others, with peculiar strictness; and, in order to prevent his face being seen, he was compelled to wear a mask, composed principally of iron. The utmost deference was ordered to be paid by all concerned in his detention, as if attendant upon a prince of the blood; but loaded muskets were constantly in the hands of those who watched him in his walks, and death was denounced against any one who should aid his escape. He eat off plate, and was sumptuously lodged and apparelled. At length he died in the Bastille, aged, according to his own account, sixty, but according to that of the gaolers forty. He never told who he was, though he often secretly attempted so to do, by writing on the walls and windows of his rooms. As he was alleged to be the duke of Monmouth, and various other important characters presumed to have forfeited their lives to the laws of their country, it can only now be surmised that he was some scion of the royal house of France, whose claim to the throne, if urged, might have endangered the safety of the existing powers.

raltar, which may now be termed an impregnable fortress, has ever since remained in the hands of the British, though thrice besieged by the Spaniards with a view to its recovery. It is probably the most perfect fortress in the world, the natural rock allowing room for excavating long galleries and guard-rooms, wherein the cannon are planted as on board ship, loopholes being bored for their muzzles towards the sea; and range above range of those deadly engines being pointed in all directions, so as to scour the sea beneath, and prevent an entrance, if requisite, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The Roman name of this rocky mount was Calpe, and it formed one of the pillars of Hercules with the opposite mount Abyla, in Africa.

The Treaty of Utrecht 1713, which put an end to the long war with Louis XIV., and gave to England the important island of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Britain, and Hudson's Bay in North America, besides confirming to the same crown the possession of Gibraltar and Minorca.

The Pragmatic Sanction, 1713, was made by the emperor Charles VI.; who, having no sons, settled his dominions on his eldest daughter, Maria Theresa. The word pragmatic is from the Greek pragma (bnsiness); and in civil law, a pragmatic sanction implies the answer of a sovereign, with consent of his council, to some college or comGibraltar taken by the English ad-munity of persons, who or which may miral, Sir George Rooke, 1704. The have consulted him in some case of whig ministers disregarded this gallant their society. The like answer when man, who died in retirement 1709, given to an individual is called a observing, as he made his will, that rescript. the little he should leave had been honestly gotten, had never cost a sailor a tear, nor the nation a farthing! Gib

Herculaneum accidentally discovered, 1713. (See Pompeii.)

EMINENT PERSONS.

Joseph Addison, the son of a clergy-velled over Italy, and described what man, after a liberal education, com- he saw, in an elegant epistle to lord pleted at Oxford, wrote a Latin poem on the peace of Ryswick; on the appearance of which, Montague, chancellor of the exchequer, gave him a pension of 300l. a-year. He then tra

Halifax. Godolphin appointed him to celebrate the victory of Blenheim ; and was so delighted with only the commencement of the production, that he made him commissioner of appeals.

larger than their own, were at hand. In the action which ensued, Charles received a bullet in his left shoulder; presently after, his horse was wounded and fell; and he had no mounted another, when its head was carried off by a cannon-ball. As he was leaping into the saddle of a third,

sooner

Devoting all his leisure hours to literature, Addison passed many years in performing the duties of various honourable offices, until he was, in 1717, made secretary of state. His fame had been established by his tragedy of 'Cato' long before this period; but his papers in the Spectator' will be the basis of his celebrity as a writer; and These fellows,' said he, give one he has the great merit of being the first exercise,' and proceeded, regardless of to throw off the stiffness which per- his wound, to urge the carrying of the vaded our language, written and spo- intrenchments, which in three hours ken, up to this period. Addison is was effected. With 4000 men the king also highly estimable for his assiduous pursued 50,000 Russians towards the labours to strip vice of her meretricious | bridge, which broke under the pressure; attire, and to robe religion and virtue so that the river was filled in an instant, with their own attractive and exalting and thousands perished under the ice. graces. This excellent man married, Thirty thousand prisoners here surren1716, the countess dowager of War-dered to not a sixth-part of their numwick, an union which in no way in- ber; and on the general-in-chief and creased his happiness; and died, other officers of the Muscovites giving aged 57, 1729. up their swords, Charles graciously returned them, and even supplied their leader, the duke of Croy, with 1000 ducats, and every officer with 500.

Charles XII., King of Sweden, finding his country threatened with invasion by the sovereigns of Russia, Denmark, and Poland, though only sixteen years old, resolved, with all the fire of an Alexander, to attack his enemies one by one, before they could put their armies in motion. Sailing to Copenhagen, he landed at the head of his troops, in spite of the opposition on the shore; and speedily put the panic-struck Danes to flight. Having become master of the intrenchments, Charles fell upon his knees before his army, to thank God for this first signal success of his arms. A peace being the result, he proceeded to find the czar Peter, who was ravaging Ingria, on the pretence of having been slighted by the Swedes when he passed incognito through their country. Narva he came up with him, Peter having invested that place with 100,000 men in the depth of winter, the cold being 50 degrees below zero. Charles had not more than 20,000 soldiers, and only 8000 of those were actually in advance when he first at tacked the Muscovite outposts, who, retreating upon the main body, astonished the czar's officers by assuring them that the Swedes, with an army

At

This great victory occurred 1700; and Charles thereupon hastened to attack his third foe, the king of Poland. Charles determined on dethroning Frederick Augustus, if possible, for declaring himself his enemy without cause; and having routed his troops at Clissau, near Warsaw, 1702, the cardinal primate was forced to declare James Sobieski, son of the late sovereign, king of Poland; Augustus, however, contrived to seize Sobieski's person; whereupon Charles, struck with the talents and activity of Stanislaus Leczinski, the young palatine of Posnania, proposed him to the Polish Diet; and as he attended that assembly himself on the day of election, was the first in the crowd to cry out

Vivat' when Stanislaus was nominated. The people instantly threw up their hats in the air, and received their new monarch with apparent joy. As the czar was now mustering his forces, with a view to surround the Swedes in Poland, Charles posted with very few men to Borislau, on the Beresina, where the Russians intended to dis