wounded men. By this victory, Jamaica was saved and the French naval power completely broken. This decisive blow was followed some months later by the failure of the siege of Gibraltar, which had occupied the Spaniards for three years. 17 FOR ELEVEN HOURS THE COMBAT RAGED. The final assault took place on the 13th September 1782. There were ten battering ships, forty-seven ships of the line, and a countless number of minor vessels. During the whole day a cannonade, unexampled in warfare, was kept up from land batteries and sea batteries against the fortress. The besieged replied with red-hot balls. The roar of 400 guns rent the air. At last the moveable battering-rams took fire, and when night had fallen they supplied light by which the combat was continued. In the morning it was seen how completely the attack had failed, and the British "devoted all their efforts to saving their now helpless enemies from the waves and the burning ships." These events effectually changed the tone of the French and Spanish Governments, and they were glad to agree to a termination of the war into which they had so eagerly entered. By this treaty,18 as has been said, American independence was recognised, and some trifling acquisitions of territory made no recompense to France and Spain for the enormous waste of blood and treasure which they had incurred.19 1. Colonial System, which may be dated from 4. After Grenville's administration came the 5. Boston, chief town in Massachusetts, now the intellectual capital of the United States. The attack on the tea-ships took place in December 1773. 6. Chatham. Pitt was made Earl of Chatham in 1766. 7. February 20, 1775. 8. Concord, chief town in New Hampshire. 10. This took place in the beginning of the 11. The reader should carefully follow the different movements of the war upon the accompanying map. 12. Successful attacks, viz., at Trenton and 13. Saratoga, 17th October 1777. 15. By the Treaty of Versailles. 17. From 1779-1783. 18. The Treaty of Versailles, January 20, 1783. 19. The American war added £100,000,000 to our national debt. THE MINISTRY OF THE YOUNGER PITT. WILLIAM PITT. EGINNING of Pitt's B Ministry: The French Revolution.-Shortly af ter the close of the American war, the second son of the great Chatham became Prime Minister of England at the age of twenty-four, and proved himself to be a statesman no less illustrious than his father. He had something of Chatham's eloquence and courage, had all his patriotism and contempt for low actions and selfish gains, while he had more self-control and geniality. To his high and noble spirit, England owed much of its success in the long struggle against France; and to him it was due that no invading army desecrated her shores, and that alone she was able to confront Napoleon at the very summit of his glory. We must now turn aside for a little from the history of England itself, to notice a great revolution in France, which had vast influence on our own country and on all the nations of Europe. The course of French history had resulted in the establishment of a despotic government centred in Paris. All the privileges and enjoyments of life were in the hands of the few, while the great majority of the nation were wretched and oppressed.2 For more than two centuries no representative assembly had been held.3 But now the wars in which France had so freely engaged had thrown the finances of the country into hopeless confusion; and at last it was determined to convoke the States-General-a body remotely resembling our own Parliament. The representatives, declaring themselves to be a National Assembly, abolished the special privileges of the nobility, and confiscated the property of the Church. Finally, on the memorable 14th of July 1789, the Bastile-that gloomy prison in which so many unhappy victims of tyranny had languished-was destroyed by an infuriated mob. 5 6 From step to step the work of revolution now rapidly advanced. At first only the aristocracy were attacked, and the office of king was retained but with very limited power. Next, fearing foreign interference, the Assembly declared war against Austria and Prussia, and then suspended the king. Massacres of royalists followed, and a month afterwards the National Democratic Convention proclaimed a Republic. They then declared themselves the enemies of all governments and the allies of all peoples. Finally the king, Louis XVI., was executed; and war was declared against England. 8 9 England and the French Republic.-Ten years had now elapsed since the close of the great war of American Independence. During that time, Pitt's policy had been devoted to raise England from the exhausted state in which that struggle had left her. In this he had been successful; for England, notwithstanding the loss of her colonies, was once more feared and respected. Although he had striven to keep peace with France, the action of the Republic forced war upon him; and he prepared to carry it on with a vigour not unworthy of his great father. The struggle consisted of a series of great campaigns on land, and a continuous naval contest between England and France for supremacy at sea. In the first of these the French were almost uniformly successful their victories being due to the courage and energy of their soldiers, to the ability of their generals, and very specially to the splendid military genius of Napoleon Buonaparte. Within four years all the continental allies of this country had been forced to make peace with the triumphant democracy, and England was left to cope with France alone.10 It was at this time thought that Napoleon intended to attempt the invasion of England; but, instead of doing so, he persuaded the French Government that a blow could be best struck at this country in the East, and astonished the world by his Egyptian expedition." After gaining several brilliant victories he returned to France 12 and was made first consul. His army had been left behind him; and, after having been totally defeated at the battle of Alexandria, it was forced to capitulate to the British.13 Meanwhile, Pitt's energy had reunited the European 14 powers against their conqueror. But the presence of Napoleon gave victory to the arms of France; and he not only re-conquered Italy, but, by the victory of Hohenlinden, threatened Vienna itself, and forced Austria to seek for peace. 15 16 English Naval Victories: The Battle of the Nile.If Napoleon, however, triumphed on the continent, this country had been no less successful at sea, in India, and in Egypt. One can only enumerate a few of the great naval victories of this war, but the gallant admirals who preceded Nelson deserve their country's praise. The defeat of the French off Brest" by Lord Howe, the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Cape St. Vincent by Admiral Jervis, and the annihilation of 18 17 |