intense severity of the winter, proved awfully disastrous. More than half-a-million of men are said to have perished in this campaign.

In 1813 Wellington vanquished Jourdan at VITTORIA (June 21), and in October he led his conquering troops into France. He triumphed over Soult at ORTHES (Feb. 27, 1814), and at TOULOUSE (April 10). Meanwhile the other allies (Russia, Austria, and Prussia) invaded France on the side of the Rhine, and entering Paris they compelled Napoleon to abdicate (April 11), and assigned him the Island of Elba for his residence. The Americans declared war against England in 1812, on account of our government claiming the right to search their vessels to discover whether any British deserting seamen were on board. The contest was without much interest, and peace was concluded (Dec. 24, 1814).

Napoleon escaped from Elba in February, 1815, and landed in France. Most of the soldiers went over to him, and he recovered the throne; but the allies (the English, Austrians, Russians, and Prussians) collected their forces, and on the field of WATERLOO the emperor was utterly defeated by Wellington, aided towards the end of the contest by the Prussians under Blucher (June 18). The emperor was unable to collect another army, and he was again required to surrender the crown. To ensure his safe custody he was sent to the isle of St. Helena, where he died (May 5, 1821).

A Corn Bill was passed in 1815; and in the ensuing year there were many disturbances, chiefly caused by the arbitrary proceedings of the government and the badness of trade. In 1819 there was considerable political agitation, which the ministry made the pretext for passing the well-known SixActs.

The first English navigable canal (the Sankey Brook) completed (1760). Admiral Kempenfelt sunk in the Royal George, off Portsmouth (1782). System of mail coaches introduced (1784). Tooke and Thelwall tried for high treason and acquitted

ELEMENTS OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

(1794). Vaccination introduced by Dr. Jenner (1796). Colonel Despard and six of his accomplices executed for conspiracy against the king (1803). Perceval, the prime minister, assassínated by Bellingham (1812).

[The Jesuits banished from France, 1762. Corsica conquered by the French, 1769. First partition of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, 1772. The Society of the Jesuits suppressed by Clement XIV, 1773. Death of the Pretender, 1788. The States-general assembled in France; Taking of the Bastile, 1789. Gustavus, King of Sweden, assassinated, 1792. Louis XVI beheaded, 1793. Battle of Warsaw, 1794. Final partition of Poland, 1795. The French victorious on the continent; Battle of Lodi, 1796. Malta taken from the Knights of St. John, 1798. Battles of Marengo and Hohenlinden; Malta taken by the English, 1800. 1804. Battle of Austerlitz, 1805. Battle of Maida; Battle Murder of the Duke d'Enghien, of Jena, 1806. Battles of Eylau and Friedland, 1807. Battles of Abensberg, Landshut, Echmühl, and Ratisbon; Heroic resistance of the Tyrolese under Hofer and Spechbacher; Battles of Aspern, Raab, and Wagram, 1809. Bernadotte chosen Crown Prince of Sweden, 1810. Napoleon invades Russia, 1812. The German war, and battles of Lützen, Bautzen, Dresden, Katzbach, Gross Beeren, Dennewitz, Leipsic, and Hanau, 1813. Abdication of Napoleon; Congress of Vienna, 1814. Battles of Ligny, Quatre Bras, and Waterloo; Murat, ex-king of Naples, and Marshal Ney shot, 1815. The army of occupation withdraw from France, 1818.]

Death. From the year 1811 George III was the victim of confirmed insanity, and his son, the prince regent, exercised the functions of government. The aged king died at Windsor, Jan. 29, 1820.

Notes on the reigns of George I, II, III.

The labours of Wesley and Whitfield indirectly influenced other sections of the Christian church, and much solicitude was exhibited towards the close of the eighteenth century for the spread of the truths of the gospel both at home and abroad. Sabbath Schools were founded by Robert Raikes about 1781; the Religious Tract Society in 1799; one or two Missionary Societies about the same time; and the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804

The first motion made in parliament for the abolition of the slave-trade was in 1776; but it was not till 1807 that an act was passed, chiefly through the labours of Wilberforce, for the cessation of the iniquitous traffic with our colonies.

The reign of George III is particularly memorable for those important inventions in machinery which have rendered England the first manufacturing country in the world. It was then that Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton, Cartwright, and Watt made those wonderful discoveries "which in their final results are destined to overspread and civilize the globe."

The earliest English painter of eminence was Hogarth; following him we have Reynolds, Gainsborough, West, Wilson, and other artists too numerous to mention. The Royal Academy was founded in 1768.

Rapid progress was made during the reign of George III in most branches of science, and among the most distinguished investigators were Black (1728-1799); Cavendish (17311810); Hunter (1728-1793); Wollaston (1776-1828); Priestley (1733-1804); Sir William Herschel (1738-1822); Sir John Leslie (1766-1832); and Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829).

The most noted poets of the three reigns were Pope (16881744); Gay (1688-1732); Young (1681-1765); Savage (1698 --1743); Thomson (1700-1748); Shenstone (1714-1763);

Mahon's "History of England."

Gray (1716-1771); Collins (1720-1756); Akenside (17211770); Goldsmith (1728-1774); Cowper (1731-1800); Beattie (1735-1803); Chatterton (1752-1770); Burns (1759-1796); Crabbe (1754-1832); Rogers (1762-1855); Bloomfield (1766 -1823); Coleridge (1772-1834); Wordsworth (1770-1850); Scott (1771-1832); Montgomery (1771-1854); Southey (1774 -1843); Campbell (1777-1844); Moore (1779-1852); Kirke White (1785-1806); Byron (1788-1824); and Keats (1796 -1820)..

Among the principal theological writers were Bishop Butler (1692-1752); Bishop Warburton (1698-1779); Doddridge (1702-1751); Blair (1718-1800); Bishop Watson (17371816); Paley (1743-1805); Robert Hall (1764-1831); John Foster (1770-1843); and Chalmers (1780-1847).

The historians were Hume (1711-1776); Henry (1718-1790); Robertson (1721-1793); Gibbon (1737-1794); and Mackintosh (1765-1832). The imaginative prose writers were Richardson (1689-1761); Fielding (1707-1754); Smollett (1721-1771); Miss Burney (1752-1840); Mrs. Radcliffe (1764 -1823); and Sir Walter Scott. The chief miscellaneous writers were Johnson (1709–1784); Adam Smith (1723-1790); Blackstone (1723–1780); Burke (1730-1797); Horne Tooke (1736 -1812); Hannah More (1745-1833); Bentham (1749-1832); and Sydney Smith (1771--1845).

GEORGE IV.

Reigned from 1820 to 1830.

Birth.—George IV was born at St. James's Palace, Aug. 12,

1762.

Descent. He was the eldest son of his predecessor.

Marriage. He espoused Princess Caroline of Brunswick. Child.-Princess Charlotte, who married Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg, and died in 1817.

Important Events.-A few days after the king's accession, a

plot, known as the Cato-street conspiracy, was formed to assassinate the cabinet ministers; but the traitors were detected, and five of them, including Thistlewood the principal, were executed (May 1, 1820).

In June, Queen Caroline, who for some years had resided abroad, returned to England to claim the rights of her station. On the alleged ground that she had been guilty of unchaste conduct, a bill of pains and penalties was introduced against her, but after a long trial it was abandoned. The unfortunate queen, who, whatever were her faults, had been cruelly treated by her husband, died in the following year.

In 1825 much distress resulted from a commercial panic which had been caused by excessive speculation; and in 1826 a war, which had for some time been going on in Burmah, was brought to a successful close.

In 1821 the Greeks rebelled against the Turkish government, and the contest continued for several years. Much sympathy was shown in England for the insurgents; and in 1827 the French, Russian, and British fleet, under Sir Edward Codrington, nearly destroyed the Turco-Egyptian fleet at NAVARINO (Oct. 20).

Lord Liverpool, who had been prime minister for fifteen years, was attacked by apoplexy in 1827, and Canning occupied his post; but the latter died in a few months. After a brief interval, the Duke of Wellington was placed at the helm of affairs. The Test and Corporation Acts, which imposed civil disabilities on Protestant dissenters, were repealed in 1828, and in the succeeding year the Roman Catholics secured nearly equal political privileges by the Catholic Emancipation Bill.

The severity of the criminal code was diminished in this reign; and the new police force was established in the metropolis. The London Mechanics' Institute was founded (1823), and the London University opened (1828). Menai Suspension Bridge was completed (1826). A part of York Minster was burned by Martin, a fanatic (1829).

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