tacked by Voltaire, in his 'Candide,' | king of Poland, having engaged in an with that writer's usual ingenuity. Sir Richard Steele, son of the duke of Ormond's secretary, whose comedy of 'The Conscious Lovers' is his best dramatic production. But the fame of Steele rests on his invention of periodical essay-writing; and his fund of original wit is copiously poured forth in the pages of the Tatler and Spectator. He was an improvident person, notwithstanding great patronage, two wealthy marriages, and success as a writer; and he died almost a poor man, 1729, aged fifty-eight. Peter the Great, of Russia, shared the throne at first with his brother Iwan; and, to gain the army to his interests, enlisted as a private soldier, gradually rising to command. He became sole emperor when Iwan died 1696; and seeing he had no navy, he went in disguise to Amsterdam to learn the process of ship-building, working in the arsenal as a carpenter. He then came to England, on the same errand, and laboured in the same manner at Deptford; taking back with him to Russia a party of shipwrights, by William's permission. Having founded his new capital, St. Petersburg, he invited the learned and skilful of all nations to reside there and after the battle of Pultowa, induced 3000 Swedish officers to settle in his dominions, and instruct his people. The breaking of the alliance with Charles XII. by the Turks, was occasioned by Peter's empress, Catherine, who succeeded him; she sent a large sum of money to the grand vizier, and thus saved her husband's life, to commemorate which he founded the order of St. Catherine. After establishing an army of 100,000 men, building colleges, and founding schools of science in every department, Peter died 1725, aged fifty three. : Mazeppa, page to John Casimir, intrigue with a married lady, was fastened by her husband to the back of a wild horse, and left to his fate. The animal having been bred in the deserts of the Ukraine, directed his course thither; and expiring at length with fatigue, dropped beneath his miserable rider, who was found by the Cossacks half-dead. His talents and knowledge soon raised him to eminence among a people where all power was elective; and when their hetman was deposed, 1687, Mazeppa was chosen to fill his place. In this post he acquired the confidence of Peter the Great; but becoming tired of his dependance on the czar, he entered into a secret league against him with Charles XII. When Peter discovered the affair, he took Batourin, the capital of the Ukraine; and Mazeppa fled thereupon to the king of Sweden. The issue of that alliance has been shown. Parnell, an Irish divine and poet, who obtained preferment through dean Swift. Elegance, delicacy, and grace, rather than energy, mark his works; his Hermit,' for its piety, morality, and didactic sweetness, is one of the most admirable poems in our language. He died 1717, aged thirtyeight. Matthew Prior, the poet, was a joiner's son, whom lord Dorset, his schoolfellow at Westminster, sent to St. John's, Cambridge, and introduced to king William, who made him secretary of state in Ireland. He was next member for East Grinstead ; and Anne sent him as ambassador to France. He quarrelled with the parliament after this, and was imprisoned; but, on his release, he retired to his seat, Downhall, Essex, where he died 1721, aged fifty-seven. Prior's great poetical power lay in telling a tale with an ease and vivacity scarcely equalled by any other votary of the muses. INVENTIONS, DISCOVERIES, INSTITUTIONS AND USAGES. St. Petersburg founded 1704, by the czar Peter, and made the capital of the Russian dominions, in lieu of Moscow. St. Paul's Cathedral, London, completed by the son of Sir Christopher Wren, the illustrious founder of it, 1710. This noble structure occupies above two acres of ground, and cost one-and-half million of public money: the railing round it cost 11,000l. cellor of the exchequer, to offer the owners of them six per cent. per year, and allow them to form a trading company to the South Sea and the coast of America, to promote the fisheries, and general commerce. Interest on money in England limited to five per cent., 1714. SOVEREIGNS. Turkey. 1695, Mustapha II.; 1703, Achmet III. Popes. 1700, Clement XI. France. English South Sea Company insti- 1643, Louis XIV. Russia. 1696, tuted 1710. The payment of the Peter I. Sweden. 1697, Charles XII. sailors of the royal navy had been Denmark and Norway. 1699, Freneglected during the long war with derick IV. Portugal. 1683, Pedro Louis XIV.; and promissory tickets II.; 1705, John V. Spain. 1700, being given to the men in lieu of Philip V. Germany. 1658, Leopold money, they were constantly sold by I.; 1705, Joseph I.; 1711, Charles the poor fellows to usurers, who dis- VI. Poland. 1696, Frederick Aucounted them at forty and fifty per gustus I.; 1704, Stanislaus Leccent., until they all fell into their zinski; 1709, Frederick Augustus hands, to the amount of nine-and-half restored. Prussia. 1701, Frederick millions. These unprovided debts of I.; 1713, Frederick William I. the nation induced Mr. Harley, chan ENGLAND UNDER THE STUARTS. The rule of the first members of this Reformation, the progress therefrom to unfortunate house was a continued the overthrow of monarchy, and thence struggle between privilege and prero to the Revolution, was facile, and, gative. But it is observable that, how- without a prodigious share of tact on ever jealous the Stuarts were of their the part of the ruler, politically naturights as kings, they seem to have ral. The latter event was hailed by a acted in mere self-defence, and with large portion in the now enlightened a full conviction that it was their duty nation, not so much because it ensured to maintain inviolable that authority civil and religious liberty, as that it which, during the most regular course established the popular power, in the of English government in former times, great precedent of deposing one king had been exercised without dispute or and setting up another.-The_comcontroversy. The Tudors were far merce and riches of England had more tyrannical than the Stuarts; and never, during any previous period, what was no error in Elizabeth, was increased with so great rapidity as regarded in the first Charles (though between the restoration and revoluthe constitution continued unaltered) tion; and the sun of science burst forth as an unpardonable aggression, The in meridian splendour, ushered into the English had been distinguished for world by the illustrious philosophers their apathy towards state-matters; Bacon, Newton, and Locke. but when the art of printing had enabled opinion to become active, the people began to concern themselves with the doings of their superiors, and stimulated to inquiry as the public mind had been by the events of the The peaceful disposition of the first James, associated as it was with (whatever may have been advanced in derision of his pedantry) a highly cultivated mind,proved beyond a doubt by his still existing writings, had contributed to Personal History. George I. great-grandson of James I. through the female line, and eldest son of the first elector of Hanover, who was also duke of Brunswick, was born 1660. His person was that of a German, his countenance sedate, approaching to solemnity: he was affable, though ceremonious, and was seldom cheerful but in the presence of his German adherents. He displayed a marked preference on all occasions for his continental dominions, and for German persons and things. Having been noted for a strict economy in the management of his Hanoverian state, he was fully capable, at the age of fifty-four, when he succeeded to the British throne, of understanding how best he might pursue its interests, without neglecting the glory of his acquired sovereignty. He married Sophia, daughter of George duke of Zell, by whom he had-1. George II.; 2. Sophia, who married Frederick William, king of Prussia, father of Frederick the Great. The marriage of George I. proved very unhappy: the pair were divorced before his coming to England, and the queen was imprisoned in the castle of Ahlen thirty-two years, until her death in 1726. Political History. King George landed from Germany at Greenwich, and walked to his residence in the park, accompanied by the duke of Northumberland and the lords of the regency. Before he went to bed on the night of his arrival, he sent for such peers as had supported his claim, especially the duke of Marlborough; and declared that his maxim was to do justice to all the world; never to abandon his friends, and to fear no man.' It was soon how ever seen that the whigs alone were his friends; and under the changed titles of Hanoverians and Jacobites, the two great parties, therefore, stood prepared for the fight with greater acrimony than ever. George's new parliament began with impeaching the tory ministry of the late reign; and the earl of Oxford was sent to the Tower. As tumults of the people became every day more frequent, every movement served only to increase the severity of the legislature; and an act was now passed declaring that if any persons, to the number of twelve, should continue together one hour after being required to disperse by a proper officer, they should be deemed guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy; (an ancient privilege granted to the clergy, who, being accused of felony, might appeal to go before their respective bishops to be cleared. The benefit sometimes extended to the church itself; and felons taking refuge within its consecrated aisles, could not be arrested.) Such vindictive proceedings excited the indignation of the people, and a rebellion was the consequence in Scotland; where, to their other grievances, they joined that of the Union. Some of the tories hereupon began to associate with the partisan's of James II.'s son, commonly termed the Pretender; and in a short time, the earl of Mar proclaimed him king of Scotland at Castleton. Two ships arrived from France with arms, and the earl was soon at the head of 10,000 well-provided men. The duke of Argyle, commander of all king George's northern troops, attacked the earl near Dumblane, and claimed the victory; while another party of the insurgents was defeated more decidedly at Preston, November, 1715. The prince landed from France soon after; and, having been crowned at Scone, returned to the continent with some of his most ardent supporters. Other parties of the pretender sounded the south; but they also were put down, and great severity was instantly practised upon the officers who had been taken prisoners. These, amongst whom were many Scottish peers, were paraded through the streets of London, pinioned and bound together, to intimidate their friends; and in a few days lords Derwentwater, Nithsdale, and Kenmuir, were ordered to be executed on Tower-hill, Nithsdale, however, escaping by the intrepidity of his wife. The danger in which the state had been placed, was now made a pretext by the whigs for the continuance of the parliament for seven years, instead of being dissolved in three, as heretofore this was passed into a law, and all objections made to it were considered as the result of disaffection. The injustice, however, of the proceeding is evident enough; for no delegated body can have a right to extend its power in this way: if the commons could sit for seven years, by their own mere consent, they could sit perpetually, without even the shadow of a nomination. Meanwhile Charles XII. of Sweden, highly provoked that the English ministry had joined the Russians and Danes in a confederacy against him while at Bender, had been maintaining a close correspondence with the pretender's party in England; and had himself resolved to land with an army somewhere on the island. But his death at Frederickshall put an end to George's fears; and the king became a party to the celebrated quadruple alliance. Germany, France, Holland, and England, bound themselves by this treaty to make certain exchanges for the emperor, who was to give up his right to Spain, and take Sicily from the duke of Savoy. The arrangement, however, displeasing the king of Spain, a rupture ensued between that power and the emperor, which rendered Spain hostile to Britain, and served to raise again the declining hopes of the pretender and his adherents. It was hoped that, by the assistance of cardinal Alberoni, the Spanish minister, a new insurrection might be raised in England; and the duke of Ormond was therefore granted by Alberoni ten ships of war and transports, having on board 6000 regular troops, wherewith to make a descent. A violent storm, however, disabled the fleet entirely off cape Finisterre; and this misfortune, together with the ill success of the Spanish arms in Sicily, induced king Philip to sigu the quadruple alliance. An act of parliament, which made the Irish senate dependant on the British, gave great concern at this period to the Irish people; but the South Sea Bubble, as it was called, caused all minor evils to be disregarded; and the whole nation was stupified by the ruin brought upon it, through a phrensied desire to amass boundless wealth. When the effects of this calamity were beginning to wear off, a new war with Spain commenced; and admiral Hosier attempted to seize the Spanish galleons, or ships which conveyed the silver from the South American mines to European Spain. He failed, however, in his enterprise; and the climate cutting off his men by thousands, Hosier fell sick, and died of a broken heart. By the French mediation, peace was renewed; and George now determined on a visit to his continental dominions. Having appointed a regency, 1727, he crossed to Voet, in Holland; next day he proceeded on his journey, and in two days more, between ten and eleven at night, arrived at Delden, to all appearance in perfect health. He supped there very heartily, and continued his journey early next morning; but between eight and nine o'clock ordered his coach to be stopped. It being perceived that one of his hands lay motionless, M. Fabricius his attendant (who had been about the person of Charles XII.) attempted to quicken the circulation, by chafing it between his own; but the king soon after fell into his arms, and never spoke again. At eleven the next morning he expired; and his body was conveyed to Hanover for interment. He was sixty-seven years of age. CHIEF DOMESTIC EVENTS. The Pretender's Invasion, 1715, as in the History. be supposed to possess sufficient money to buy up the debts of the nation, The South Sea Bubble, 1720. The they were empowered to raise it by nature of the South Sea stock has opening a subscription to an imaginary before been shown. Sir Robert Wal- scheme for trading in the South Seas; pole, the minister, formed a design in from which immense advantages were 1721 of lessening the national debts; promised, and still greater expected by and as this was not the only associa- the rapacious credulity of the people. tion to which the state owed money, The directors' books were no sooner he offered to all the national creditors opened, than crowds came to make the five per cent. interest, instead of six, or exchange of government stock for that agreed to pay them the principal. The of South Sea. The plan succeeded bedifferent companies chose rather to re- yond the projectors' hopes, the stock ceive the diminished interest than the increased to nearly ten times the value principal; whereupon one Blount, a of what it was first bought for, and the scrivener, proposed to the ministry, in whole nation was infected with a spirit the name of the South Sea company, of avaricious enterprise. A few months to buy up all the debts of the various passed away, however, and the delusion companies, so that the South Sea was at an end: and thousands of famimight become the sole creditors of the lies, which had been living in comfort state. As the terms offered to the go- and even splendour, were involved in vernment were highly advantageous, one common ruin. The directors were involving a reduction of interest, after stripped of their unjust gains; such as six years, of one per cent., &c., a bill had seats in parliament, or places under passed both houses to allow the trans-government, were deprived of them, action; but now came the part of the and even some of the ministry were scheme big with fraud and ruin. As disgraced on the same account. the directors of the company could not Rise of Hutchinsonianism. John |