the empire; and his throne was threatened with all the violence of civil war. Schemes were consequently meditated for deposing him, and the event was accelerated by the disclosure of his intention to divorce his consort Catherine, whom he had long slighted. The dissatisfied part of the nobility, clergy, and officers of the army, taking advantage of that domestic dissension, assembled in his absence, formally deposed him, and invested Catherine with the imperial ensigns. The new empress marched at the head of the malcontents in quest of her husband, who was dallying with his mistress at one of his houses of pleasure, and expressed great surprise on being told the sceptre had departed from him. When convinced of the fatal truth, he attempted to escape to Holstein, but was seized and thrown into prison, where, in a few days after, he expired.

The empress Catherine had no sooner assumed the imperial dignity than she confirmed the clergy in the enjoyment of their images, beads, and revenues, and discharged the German guard. A manifesto was published, in which the empress proclaimed the danger to which the holy traditions of the church had been exposed by the conduct of her predecessor; that the honour of the Russian army had been compromised by a hasty peace with Prussia; that Peter the Third had been so ungrateful as not to weep for the death of his very dear aunt, the empress Elizabeth; so ungodly as not to attend sermons; and so absurd as to clothe the troops in different uniforms, as though they had more than one master; and lastly, this singular piece of finesse adverted to the fate which Catherine herself had narrowly escaped when" it pleased Providence to take away the emperor Peter by an hemorrhoidal colick✨."

+ Universal History, translated from the German of John Von Müller, vol. iii.

It was now feared by one part of Europe, and hoped by another, that Catherine would introduce a total change of system in regard to foreign politics, and Frederick had good reason to apprehend that she would become the ally of Austria. She assured him, however, that she was resolved to observe inviolably the peace concluded under the preceding reign; but that she had thought proper to order back to Russia all her troops then in Silesia, Prussia, and Pomerania, which was actually done. The order for the withdrawing of the Russian troops from their allies arrived at the camp on the 21st July; and Frederick, with his usual promptness and vigour, resolved to attack the Austrian general before he could be apprized of the circumstance. Falling upon their right wing, he drove the Austrians from their post with considerable loss, and retook the strong town of Schweidznitz, which enabled him to transfer hostilities to Saxony. Here numerous partial actions took place with various success; but on the 29th October prince Henry of Prussia obtained a complete victory, which enabled the Prussian detachments to ravage the countries of Bohemia, Franconia, and Suabia, levying exorbitant contributions, and spreading terror on every side. And such was the state of continental operations, when, in the midst of the most splendid conquests, peace was in a train of adjustment.

Experience had now convinced France, that she was not likely to derive from the Family Compact all those brilliant advantages which she had figured to her imagination; and she was now heartily inclined to those pacific sentiments which she had formerly only counterfeited. The little progress of the French and Spanish troops in Portugal, the retrograde motion of the allies in Germany, the conquest of Martinico and its dependencies, with the loss of the Havanah, added to various other unto

ward circumstances that had befallen the common cause, had operated this pacific change. England, though able to carry on the war, was not averse to peace, because she was not intoxicated with success. Victory was become so familiar to the people, that it could no longer dazzle their eyes. But though all ranks were disposed to pacific measures, they desired to have only such a peace as was honourable to the country, and adequate to its success in prosecuting the war. Unfortunately, the men who now directed the vessel of the state were not equal to their stations, or in a capacity to improve all the advantages that the fortune of war had thrown into their scale, so as to turn them to their country's account. Besides, symptoms of disunion had begun to manifest themselves in the cabinet. The preponderating influence of the earl of Bute over the mind of George III. was sensibly felt by his colleagues in office, and the public clamour began to be loud against this favourite. The duke of Newcastle found his influence daily diminishing; and he accordingly resigned the seals of office, May 26. The retreat of this nobleman, who to his high station united great parliamentary interest, drew after it the resignation of many of his friends, who were persons of rank and eminence: among these were the duke of Devonshire, the earl of Hardwicke, and others. These vacant seats were filled with the personal friends of the earl of Bute, all of whom readily came into his

measures.

No wonder that the popular clamour was loud against the minister, who now began to be aware of the necessity of resigning his post, or of procuring peace to Europe; and, fortunately for him, all things were favourable to his views among the belligerent powers on the continent. The British ministry, accordingly, engaged the king of Sardinia, who was a neutral power, to propose to the court of France a

cessation of hostilities, which was readily listened to. The duke of Bedford was sent over to Paris to treat on the part of his Britannic majesty; and the duke de Nivernois came to London on the part of the most Christian king; and on November the 3d, preliminaries of peace were signed.

By these articles it was stipulated, that " France shall cede to Great Britain, Canada in its utmost extent, with the islands of St. John and Cape Breton, and all that part of Louisiana which lies on this side of the Mississippi, except New Orleans and its territory that Minorca shall be restored to Great Britain, and Martinique, Guadaloupe, Goree, and Belleisle to France: that Florida be ceded to Great Britain, as a compensation for the restoration of Cuba to Spain: that France shall cede to Great Britain the forts and factories she has lost on the river Senegal, the island of Grenada, and the Grenadines, and give up all claim to the neutral islands of St. Vincent, Dominica, and Tobago." But St. Lucia, the most valuable of the neutral islands, was delivered up in full right to France; and the French East India Company were placed on the same footing as after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, by the restitution of Pondicherry and other places. In return for so many indulgences, France agreed to destroy the harbour, and demolish the fortifications of Dunkirk.

Before the close of the year, a treaty of peace was signed at Hubertsburg, between Austria and Prussia, by which the latter power was left in possession of all the territories which had belonged to her at the commencement of the war.

5 Dodsley's Annual Register. London Gazette. Printed Papers published by Authority. Anecdotes of the Life of Lord Chatham. Thackary's Life of William Pitt, earl of Chatham. Berlin Gazette, Oct. 13th, 1762.

CHAP. II.

Meeting of Parliament....Examination of the Articles of Peace. ...Powerful Opposition against the Minister....Tax on Cider. ...Resignation of the Earl of Bute...who is succeeded by Mr. G. Grenville....The North Briton, and John Wilkes....Committal of Wilkes to the Tower....General Warrants...declared illegal by Chief Justice Pratt....Death of the Earl of Egremont. ...Duke of Bedford's Ministry.... Wilkes is expelled the House of Commons, and outlawed....Military Transactions in India. ...Proposal for taxing the North American Colonies.... Parliamentary Opposition to the Measure....Speech of Colonel Barré....Stamp Act carried.... Changes in the Ministry....The Americans resist the Stamp Act....Petitions to Parliament for a Repeal of the Act....Mr. Pitt and General Conway condemn the Act and justify the Colonists....Ministers repeal the Stamp Act, and withdraw the Duty on Cider....A new Ministry formed, which includes Mr. Pitt, now created Earl of Chatham....Riots occasioned by a scarcity of Corn.... Affairs of the East India Company....Fresh Attempt to tax the Colonists....Opposition to Lord Chatham's Ministry.... Lord North made Chancellor of the Exchequer....Reflections.

1762.

PARLIAMENT met for the dispatch of business on the 25th November, 1762; and the speech from the throne amply dilated on the benefits likely to result from the peace, at the same time that it paid a due tribute of approbation to the valour of our troops both by land and sea, whose victories had enabled us to conclude terms so honourable as those would be found to be, which should shortly be submitted to the consideration of the house. On the 9th December the articles of peace were accordingly laid before the house of commons, and underwent a severe and rigorous scrutiny, particularly from Mr. Pitt, who declared that the treaty met with his most decided disapprobation. He saw in the conditions of it the seeds of a future war. The peace he pro