cold and referved. He fpoke Dutch, French, English, and German, equally well; and he understood Latin, Spanish and Italian. His memory was exact and tenacious, and he was a profound obferver of men and things. He perfectly understood and poffeffed a moft extenfive influence over the political concerns and interests of Europe. Though far above vanity or flattery, he was pertinacious in his opinions; and, from a clear perception or perfuafion of their rectitude, was too impatient of cenfure or control. He attained not to the praise of habitual generosity, from his frequent and apparently capricious deviations into the extremes of profufion and parfimony. His love of secrecy was perhaps too nearly allied to difsimulation and suspicion; and his fidelity in friendship to partiality and prejudice. Though refentful and irritable by nature, he harbored no malice, and difdained the meannefs of revenge. He believed firmly in the truth of religion, and entertained an high sense of its importance. But his tolerant spirit, and his indifference to the forms of church government, made him very obnoxious to the great body of the clergy. He appeared born for the purpose of opposing tyranny, persecution, and oppreffion: and for the space of thirty years it is not too much to affirm that he fuftained the greatest and moft-truly-glorious character of any prince whose name is recorded in hiftory. In his days, and by his means, the firft firm and folid foundations were laid of all that is moft valuable in civil fociety. Every vindication of the natural and unalienable rights of mankind was, till he afcended the throne of Great Britain, penal and criminal. To him. we owe the affertion and the final eftablifhment of our conftitutional privileges. To him the intellectual world is indebted for the full freedom of difcuffion, and the unrestrained avowal of their fentiments on fubjects of the highest magnitude and importance. To fum up all, his character was diftinguished by virtues rarely found

amongst

amongst princes-moderation, integrity, fimplicity, beneficence, magnanimity. Time, which has caft a veil over his imperfections, has added luftre to his many great and admirable qualities. His political views were in the highest degree laudable and upright. He had true ideas of the nature and ends of government: and the beneficial effects of his noble and heroic exertions will probably descend to the latest generations, rendering his name juftly dear to the friends of civil and religious liberty, and his memory ever GLORIOUS and IMMORtal.

BOOK

A N N E.

BOOK V.

Cam

State of Europe on the acceffion of queen Anne. Her refolution to join the grand alliance. Seffion of parliament. Ministerial arrangements. War declared against France. Impious fermon of Binckes. Affairs of Scotland. First treaty of Union. Campaign in Flanders, 1702. Capture of Liege. Extraordinary escape of the duke of Marlborough. Defection of the elector of Bavaria. Campaign in Italy. Battle of Luzzara. Unfuccessful attempt on Cadiz. Capture of Vigo. Session of parliament. Afcendency of the tories. Occafional Conformity Bill thrown out by the lords. Proceedings of the Convocation. Naval tranfactions in the Weft Indies. Memorable engagement of Benbow. paign in Flanders, &c. 1703. Tremendous form. Seffion of Parliament. Occafional Conformity Bill a fecond time rejected by the lords. Firft fruits and tenths reftored to the clergy. Whigs gain ground at court. Earl of Nottingham refigns. Memorial of count Wrattiflau. Campaign in Germany, &c. 1704. Naval operations. Gibraltar taken. laga. Affairs of Scotland. Order of the Thiftle revived. Act of Security paffed. Seffion of Parliament. Occafional Conformity Bill a third time rejected. Alarm taken at the Scottish Act of Security. Cafe of Afbby and White. Intrigues of the court of St. Germaine's in England and Scotland. Campaign of 1705. Capture of Barcelona.

Frafer's plot.

Battle of Blenheim.

Engagement off Ma

Death of the emperor Leopold, Rapid fucceffes of the archduke, Sefon

Seffion of parliament. The whigs recover their afcendency. Obnoxious motion of the tories to bring over the princess Sophia. Church declared to be not in danger., Articles of the treaty of union agreed upon. Campaign A. D. 1706,

in Flanders. Battle of Ramillies. Military transactions in Spain-and in Italy. Advances made by France for obtaining peace. Affairs of Scotland. Articles of the Union debated. Seffion of Parliament in England. Articles of the Union ratified by both Parliaments. Intrigues at Court. Difmiffion of Sir Charles Hedges.

NEVER did the death of any monarch, that of Guf

tavus Adolphus in the midst of his career of victories against the house of Auftria perhaps excepted, excite throughout the kingdoms of Europe more general grief and confternation than that of King WILLIAM. Though the grand alliance against France was now completed, the different powers of which this vaft body was compofed, deprived, by this unexpected ftroke, of the hero in whofe wisdom and rectitude they confided, and under whofe banners they had been accustomed to engage, no longer exhibited any symptoms of animation and vigor. Such was the prevailing dread of the power of France, which, from the commencement of the administration of cardinal Richelieu, had been elevated to the present alarming height by an almost uninterrupted series of military triumphs, that the alliance now formed was confidered as by no means adequate to the accomplishment of its object, in cafe of the defection of England. And how far Anne of Denmark, who now fwayed the Sceptre of that powerful kingdom, was difpofed to adopt the councils, or to pursue the mighty projects formed by her illuftrious predeceffor, was confidered as a question highly problematical. The doubt however was quickly and happily refolved. By an act paffed fome years previous to the death of the king, the parliament,

parliament, notwithstanding that eyent, ftill continued to fit. Three days after her acceffion, the queen, repairing in person to the house of peers with the usual folemnity, made a fpeech from the throne, purporting "her fixed refolution to prosecute the measures concerted by the late king, whom she styled the great support not only of these kingdoms but of all Europe." And the declared, "that too much could not be done for the encouragement of our allies, to reduce the exorbitant power of France." An expreffion which occurred in the conclufion of her speech," that her heart was entirely English," was thought, by those who regarded the proceedings of the new fovereign with jealousy, to glance obliquely upon the honor of the late monarch, and was resented accordingly. To the Address of the Clergy, presented by the archbishop of Canterbury, the expressed her high regard and attachment to the church; and to that of the diffenters fhe gave affurances of protection, and protefted "that she would do nothing to forfeit her intereft in their affections."

These primary measures of the new reign were chiefly influenced by the representations of the lords Marlborough and Godolphin, who demonftrated the imminent danger to which the liberties of Europe would be exposed, were England to act with indifference or indecifion in the prefent crifis. And to give efficacy to a fyftem fo opposite to the hopes and expectations of the tories, lord Godolphin was advanced to the office of lord high treasurer; and the earl of Marlborough declared captain-general of the forces of Great Britain at home and abroad, and at the fame time appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the states-general.

That affembly had been ftruck with amazement at the unexpected intelligence of the death of the late king. Lamenting in moving terms their irreparable lofs, they embraced each other and promised mutually to adhere, at whatever rifque, to the interefts of their country. And they