Auguft, lord Nelfon gained a fignal victory over the French fleet at the mouth of the Nile.

In 1799, the question of the union of Great Britain and Ireland was carried in both the Irifh houfes, viz. in the lords by a majority of thirty-two, and in the commons by a majority of two. In the course of the following year it was agreed to in Britain.

In September, 14,000 troops embarked at Deal, for Holland, as did alfo the duke of York, prince William of Gloucefter, and lord Chatham. The expedition, however, was unsuccessful.

In 1800, the Ruffian ambassador left this country under the paffport granted for a courier. An embargo on Englifh fhips foon after took place at Cronstadt, when 130 veffels were feized. In reference to this extraordinary conduct, the Petersburgh court gazette publifhed the following order: "Whereas we have learned that the ifland of Malta, lately in the poffeffion of the French, has been furrendered to the English troops, but as it is yet uncertain whether the agreement entered into on the 30th of December, 1798, will be fulfilled, according to which this ifland, after its capture, is to be restored to the order of St. John of Jerufalem, of which his majefty, the emperor of all the Ruffias, is grand mafter, his imperial majefty, being determined to defend his rights, has been pleased to command that an embargo fhall be laid on all English fhips in the ports of his empire, till the above-mentioned convention fhall be fulfilled."

Much about the fame time an attempt was made on the life of Bonaparte, as he was going to the opera, by an expiofion of gunpowder, when fome of the confpirators were put to death, and 120 banished.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. A. D. 1688-1803.

D

URING the reign of queen Anne, a complaint was made to the houfe of commons of two fermons preached and publifhed by Dr. Sacheverel, rector of St. Saviour's, Southwark, as containing pofitions contrary to the principles of the revolution, to the prefent government, and to the proteftant fucceffion. Sacheverel was a clergyman, of narrow intellects, and an over-heated imagination. He had acquired fome popularity among those who diftinguifhed themselves by the name of high churchmen, and took all occafions to vent his animofity against the diffenters. The houfe having confidered of the complaint, ordered the doctor to be taken into cuftody, and impeached him at the bar of the house of lords. Upon this occafion, the tories were not idle. They boldly affirmed that the whigs, who, they faid, had formed a design to pull down the church, only intended by the prefent profecution to try their ftrength before they would proceed openly to the execution of their project, and the doctor was confequently confidered as the champion of the high party. The eyes of the whole kingdom were turned upon this extraordinary trial. It lafted three weeks, during which all other business was fuf pended; and the queen herself was every day present, though in quality of a private fpectator. A vaft multitude conftantly attended him to and from Weftminfter-hall, ftriving to kifs his hand, and praying for his deliverance, as if he had been a martyr and confeffor. The queen's fedan was befet by the populace, exclaiming, "God blefs your majefty and the church. We hope your majefty is for Dr. Sachéverel." The mob deftroyed feveral meeting houses, and plundered the dwelling houfes of many eminent diffenters. After obftinate difputes, and much virulent altercation, Sacheverel

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Sacheverel was found guilty. Several peers, however, entered a proteft against the decifion, which was, he fhould be prohibited from preaching for three years, and his two fermons be burnt by the hands of the common hangman. The lenity of the fentence was in a great measure owing to the dread of popular refentment. The doctor's friends confidered it as a victory obtained over the whig faction, and they celebrated their triumph with bonfires and illuminations.

In 1780, in confequence of some indulgencies lately granted by the parliament to Roman Catholics, a great concourfe of people, amounting, it is fuppofed, to 60,000, wearing blue cockades, affembled in St. George's fields, in order to petition the two houses against these marks of lenity. From thence they proceeded by different routs, in a quiet and orderly man. ner, to Palace-yard, where, being augmented by a great number of defperadoes, and evil defigning perfons, who put cockades in their hats, and cried, "No popery," with an intent to rob and commit outrages, under the fan&tion of the affociations, a riot enfued. A lawless mob, for feveral days, paraded the ftreets, pulling down houfes, fetting open prifons, releafing the prifoners, burning houses, stealing the effects, and extorting money from the inhabitants; till the military put a stop to their outrages, by firing upon them, and taking great numbers into cuftody. The ringleaders were afterwards tried, condemned, and hanged upon the several spots where they had committed their depredations. The most fingular of these transactions, was their fetting fire to the prifons of the fleet, the king's bench, and Newgate; and the moft alarming of their attempts was, that which they made on the bank of England, with an avowed design to plunder it, and to deftroy the books. Lord George Gordon was afterwards tried for having collected this affembly; but as it appeared that he was actuated merely by religious principles, and had never encouraged the mob to commit, nor even expected they would commit, any outrage, he was acquitted.

Fana

Fanaticism is not yet wholly banished from the earth,. and ambition still lefs. This infurrection is a proof, that it is easy to stir up the people with the cry, Religion is in danger. Who knows what the confequence of fuch a tumult might have been, if, inftead of a lord George Gordon, it had been headed by another Cromwell!

This obfervation is corroborated by the late riots of Birmingham, when the cry, Great is Diana of the Ephefians, excited the mob to burn the houses of inoffenfive citizens, deftroy their meeting-houses, and offer violence to their perfons..

The established religion in Scotland was formerly of a rigid nature, and partook of all the aufterities of Calvinifm, and of too much of the intolerance of popery. At present it is mild and gentle; and the fermons, and other theological writings, of many of the modern Scottish divines, are equally distinguished by good fenfe and moderation. It is to be wifhed, however, that this moderation was not too often interrupted by the fanaticifm not only of lay feceders, but of regular minifters.

Scotland, during the time of epifcopacy, contained two archbishopricks, St. Andrew's and Glafgow; and twelve bishopricks, namely, Edinburgh, Dunkeld, Aberdeen, Murray, Brechin, Dumblain, Rofs, Caithnefs, Orkney, Gallaway, Argyle, and the Ifles..

CHAP. III.

GOVERNMENT. A. D. 1688-1803.

N the reign of William, the perpetual oppofition between the whigs and tories, and the neceffity of large fupplies to fupport the war on the continent, gave rife to two great and growing evils, intimately connected with each other; national debt, and the corruption of the house of commons. At the fame time that the king, by a pernicious funding fyftem, was loading the state with immenfe fums, borrowed to

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maintain his continental connections, he was libered of the public money to his fervants at home; and employed it with little ceremony, to bring over his enemies, or to procure a majority in parliament.

In order to put a ftop to this corruption, fo far as it affected the reprefentatives of the people, a bill was brought in for triennial parliaments; and William found himself under the neceffity of paffing it, or of lofing the vote of fupply, with which it was made to go hand in hand. He was befides afraid to exert the influence of the crown, in defeating a bill of fo much confequence to the nation; more efpecially as the queen, whofe death he was fenfible would weaken his authority, was then indifpofed. A fimilar bill was extorted from Charles I. but repealed, foon after the refloration, in compliment to Charles II. To this imprudent compliance may be afcribed the principal diforders during that and the fubfequent reign. A house of commons, elected every three years, would have formed fuch a ftrong bulwark to liberty, as muft have baffled and difcouraged all the attacks of arbitrary power. The more honeft and independent part of the community, therefore, zealoufly promoted the prefent law; which, while it continued in force, certainly contributed to ftem the tide of corruption, and to produce a more fair reprefentation of the people.

The fpeedy and fortunate fuppreffion of that rebellion, in 1715, as muft ever be the cafe in all free governments, increased the influence of the crown. The whig miniftry, no longer under any apprehenfions from the encroachments of arbitrary power, and willing utterly to crush their political enemies, without forefeeing the confequences as to public liberty, framed a bill for repealing the triennial act, lately thought effential, by their own party, to the freedom of the English conftitution, and for extending the duration of parlaments to the term of feven years. This bill, though warmly oppofed by the tories, (who now, in contradiction to their principles, took the popular fide of all queftions,) and by many independent and unprejudiced

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