Names. The name of Anglia or England originated from the Angles, a nation who settled in the northern parts in the fifth century.

Extent. The island of Great-Britain extends from 50° to 58" N. lat. '588 miles in length. Its greatest breadth, from the Land's End to the North-Foreland in Kent, is 370 miles. Its extent in square miles is 77,243.

England is bounded E. by the German Ocean; S. by the English Channel; W. by St. George's Channel; N. by Scotland. The extent of England and Wales in square miles is computed at 49,450; and the population being estimated at 8,400,000, the number of in habitants to a square mile will of course be 169.

Drvisions. England is divided into 40 counties, and the principality of Wales into 12; total in South Britain 52; of which the following is a list, together with their respective number of inhabitants, and chief towns.

Twelve Midland

Warwickshire

Northamptonshire 131,757 Northampton

208,190 Warwick Worcestershire 139,333 Worcester

Gloucestershire 250,809 Gloucester

Oxfordshire

Buckinghamshire

109,620 Oxford
107,444 Aylesbury

Glamorganshire 71,525 Caerdiff

Historical epochs. 1. The population of England by the Celts. The Belgic colonies, who introduced agriculture.

2.

sar.

3. The Roman conquest. Britain was only seen by Julius CæThe Roman conquest began in the reign of Claudius, and in that of Domitian the Roman eagle had been displayed as far as the Grampian mountains.

4. The arrival of the Saxons and Angles in the fifth century. 5. The Danish conquest A. D. 1016. The Danish monarchs of England were Canute, Harold, and Hardicanute; but the sceptre returned to the Saxon line A. D. 1042.

6. The Norman conquest, A. D. 1066.

7. The great charter granted by John at Runnymede.

8. Not to mention the conquest of Wales and the temporary subjugation of Scotland, the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster may be regarded as the next memorable epoch. 9. The reformation introduced by Edward VI. and Elizabeth. The civil wars under Charles I.

10.
11. The Revolution.

12. The war with the American colonies forms not only an epoch of singular novelty, but of the most important consequences. Religion. The king is supreme head of the national church. Next in dignity and power are the archbishops of Canterbury and York: the first being styled Primate of all England; and the second Primate of England. Next to these are the bishops; of whom all, except the bishop of Sodor and Man, are members of the house of lords. The bishop of London, as presiding over the capital, has the precedence of all the others. The bishop of Durham is second, and the bishop of Winchester the third in dignity. These three bishops precede all the rest, who take place according to the seniority of consecration.

To every cathedral in England belong several prebendaries as canons, and a dean. The dean and chapter of prebendaries assist the bishop in ccclesiastic affairs.

The next order is that of the archdeacons, amounting in all to

about sixty; their office is to inspect the moveables of the churches, to reform slight abuses, and to induct into benefices.

Of the clergy in general, the lowest order is that of deacons, whose office is restricted to baptism, to reading in the church, and assisting the priest at the communion by handing the cup only. The curate is a clergyman appointed to officiate for another, and is so named from his having the cure of souls. The church-wardens superintend the repairs and decorations of the church, and the requisites for divine service, and collect the alms of the parishioners. Those who differ in tenets or forms from the established church may, in general, be styled Dissenters, though the term be more strictly applied to the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Independents. The other principal classes of the dissidents are the Papists, Methodists, Quakers, the Anabaptists, the Swedenborgians, and the Unitarians; the last class, denying the Trinity, is now intermingled with the two first, and in considerable numbers with the established church.

The Methodists are numerous and respectable. Their numbers in Great-Britain and Ireland, in July, 1809, amounted to 157,921. In the other British dominions they amounted to 1,121. These added to the Methodists of the United States, 159,500 in number, makes a total of 331,082 Methodists then on the globe.

Government. The English constitution is a limited monarchy, counterpoised by two senates, one of hereditary peers, the other of representatives chosen by the people.

The king of England at his coronation solemnly swears to gov. ern his people according to parliamentary statutes, and the law of the country; to maintain the Protestant religion; and to preserve the legal rights and privileges of the bishops, clergy, and church.

His acknowledged prerogatives are chiefly to declare war and to make peace, a power upon which the whole of public prosperity may be said to depend; to form alliances and treaties; to grant commission for levying men and arms; and even for pressing mariners. His prerogative likewise extends to the assembling, adjournment, prorogation, and dissolution of parliament, and to its removal to any place. He also enjoys the nomination of all officers on sea or land; of all magistrates, counsellors, and officers of state; of all bishops and other great ecclesiastical dignitaries; and is not only the fountain of honor but of justice, as he may pardon any offence, or mitigate the penalty. As the head of the church he may call a national or provincial synod, and with its consent enact canons either relating to faith or practice. He cannot enact new laws or impose new taxes without the consent of both houses of parliament.

The grand national council claims the next consideration. The HOUSE OF LORDS consists of the spiritual and temporal peers. The former are the bishops. The latter are hereditary senators in their several degrees of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. The HOUSE OF COMMONS consists of knights, citizens, and burgesses, chosen by counties, cities, and burghs, in consequence of royal writs directed to the sheriff.

The Privy Council is chiefly employed in deliberation on affairs of sudden emergence, on peace and war, and special provinces of the royal prerogative. The members are chosen by the king.

Judicature. The judicature of England is worthy of the highest applause with regard to precision and purity. The trial by jury is another admirable feature of English jurisprudence, handed down from the Saxon times, and is justly respected as the very safeguard of the lives, liberties, and properties of the nation.

Among the courts of law the next in dignity to the House of Lords is the Court of King's Bench so called, because the sovereign was understood to judge in person; and its jurisdiction of course extends to the whole kingdom, the presiding judge being denominated Lord Chief Justice of England. The Court of Chancery judges causes in equity to moderate the rigor of the law, and defend the helpless from oppression, and especially to extend relief in three cases, accident, fraud, and breach of trust. The Court of Common Pleas determines, as the name imports, the common suits between subject and subject, and tries all civil causes, real, personal, or mingled, according to the precise precepts of the law. The Court of Exchequer decides all causes relating to the royal treasury or revenue.

The judges perform their circuits in the spring and autumn. Population. According to a census taken in 1801, there were In ENGLAND, Males 3,987,935