1779 St. Vincent's taken by the French.

Grenada taken by the French, July 3.

1780 Torture in courts of juftice abolished in France.

The Inquifition abolished in the duke of Modena's dominions.
Admiral Rodney takes twenty-two fail of Spanish fhips, Jan. 8.

The fame admiral alfo engages a Spanish fleet under the command of Don Juan
de Langara, near Cape St. Vincent, and takes five fhips of the line, one more
being driven on fhore, and another blown up, Jan. 16.

Three actions between admiral Rodney and the count de Guichen, in the Weft
Indies, in the months of April and May; but none of them decifive.
Charles Town, South Carolina, furrenders to Sir Henry Clinton, May 4.

Penfacola, and the whole province of West Florida, furrender to the arms of the
king of Spain, May 9.

The Proteftant Affociation, to the number of 50,000, go up to the House of Commons, with their petition for the repeal of an act paffed in favour of the Papifts, June 2.

That event followed by the most daring riots, in the city of London, and in
Southwark, for feveral fucceffive days, in which fome Popifh chapels are de-
ftroyed, together with the prifons of Newgate, the King's Bench, the Fleet,
feveral private houfes, &c. Thefe alarming riots are at length fuppreffed by
the interpofition of the military, and many of the rioters tried and executed
for felony.

Five English Eaft Indiamen, and fifty English merchant fhips bound for the Weft
Indies, taken by the combined fleets of France and Spain, Aug. 8.

Earl Cornwallis obtains a fignal victory over general Gates, near Camden, in
South Carolina, in which above 1000 American prifoners are taken, Aug. 16.
Mr. Laurens, late prefident of the Congrefs, taken in an American packet, near
Newfoundland, Sept. 3.

General Arnold deferts the fervice of the Congrefs, efcapes to New York, and is
made a brigadier-general in the royal fervice, Sept. 24.

Major André, adjutant-general to the British army, hanged as a fpy at Tappan,
in the province of New York, Oct. 2.

Mr. Laurens is committed prifoner to the Tower, on a charge of high treafon,
October 4.

Dreadful hurricanes in the West Indies, by which great devaftation is made in
Jamaica, Barbadoes, St. Lucia, Dominica, and other islands, Oct. 3 and 10.
A declaration of hoftilities published against Holland, Dec. 20.

1781 The Dutch island of St. Euitatia taken by admiral Rodney and general Vaughan, Feb. 3. Retaken by the French, Nov. 27.

Earl Cornwallis obtains a victory, but with confiderable lofs, over the Americans under general Green, at Guildford, in North Carolina, March 15.

The island of Tobago taken by the French, June 2.

A bloody engagement fought between an English fquadron under the command of admiral Parker, and a Dutch fquadron under the command of admiral Zoutman, off the Dogger-bank, Aug. 5.

Earl Cornwallis, with a confiderable British army, furrendered prifoners of war to
the American and French troops, under the command of general Washington
and count Rochambeau, at York-town, in Virginia, Oct. 19.

1782 Trincomale, on the island of Ceylon, taken by admiral Hughes, Jan. 11.
Minorca furrendered to the arms of the king of Spain, Feb. 5.
The island of St. Chriftopher taken by the French, Feb. 12,

The island of Nevis, in the West Indies, taken by the French, Feb. 14.
Montferrat taken by the French, Feb. 22.

The house of commons addrefs the king against any further profecution of offen-
five war on the continent of North America, Mar. 4; and refolve, That that
houfe would confider all thofe as enemies to his majefty, and this country,
who fhould advise, or by any means attempt, the farther profecution of offen-
five war on the continent of North America, for the purpofe of reducing the
revolted colonies to obedience by force.

1782 Admiral

1782 Admiral Rodney obtains a fignal victory over the French fleet under the command of count de Graffe, near Dominica, in the West Indies, April 12. Admiral Hughes, with eleven fhips, beat off, near the island of Ceylon, by the French admiral Suffrein, with twelve fhips of the line, after a fevere engagement, in which both fleets loft a great number of men, April 13.

The refolution of the house of commons relating to John Wilkes, Efq; and the
Middlesex election, paffed Feb. 17, 1769, refcinded, May 3.

The bill to repeal the declaratory act of George I. relative to the legislation of
Ireland, received the royal affent, June 20.

The French took and destroyed the forts and fettlements in Hudson's Bay,
Aug. 24.

The Spaniards defeated in their grand attack on Gibraltar, Sept. 13.

Treaty concluded betwixt the republic of Holland and the United States of America, Oct. 8.

Provifional articles of peace figned at Paris between the British and the American commiffioners, by which the Thirteen United American colonies are acknowledged by his Britannic majesty to be free, fovereign, and independent states, Nov. 30.

1783 Preliminary articles of peace between his Britannic majefty and the kings of France and Spain, figned at Verfailles, Jan. 20.

The order of St. Patrick inftituted, Feb. 5.

Three earthquakes in Calabria Ulterior and Sicily, deftroying a great number of towns and inhabitants, Feb. 5th, 7th, and 28th.

Armistice betwixt Great Britain and Holland, Feb. 10.

Ratification of the definitive treaty of peace between Great Britain, France, Spain, and the United States of America, Sept. 3.

1784 The city of London wait on the king, with an address of thanks for dismissing the coalition miniftry, Jan. 16.

The great
feal ftolen from the lord chancellor's houfe in Great Ormond-street,
March 24:

The ratification of the peace with America arrived, April 7.

The definitive treaty of peace between Great Britain and Holland, May 24.

The memory of Handel commemorated by a grand jubilee at Westminster-abbey,
May 26.-Continued annually for decayed muficians, &c.

Proclamation for a public thanksgiving, July 2,

Mr. Lunardi afcended in a balloon from the Artillery-ground, Moorfields, the first attempt of the kind in England, Sept. 15.

1785 Dr. Seabury, an American miffionary, was confecrated bishop of Connecticut by five nonjuring Scotch prelates, Nov.

1786 The king of Sweden prohibited the ufe of torture in his dominions.

Cardinal Turlone, high inquifitor at Rome, was publicly dragged out of his carriage by an incenfed multitude, for his cruelty, and hung on a gibbet 50 feet high.

Sept. 26. Commercial treaty figned between England and France.

Nov. 21. £.471,CoO 3 per cent. stock transferred to the landgrave of Heffe, for Heffian foldiers loft in the American war, at . 30 a man.

Dec. 4. Mr. Adams, the American ambaffador, prefented to the archbishop of Canterbury Dr. White, of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Provoft, of New York, to be confecrated bishops for the United States.-They were confecrated Feb. 4, 1787.

1787 May 21. Mr. Burke, at the bar of the house of lords, in the name of all the commons of Great Britain, impeached Warren Haftings, late governor-general of Bengal, of high crimes and mifdemeanors.

Aug. 11. The king, by letters patent, erected the province of Nova Scotia into a bishop's fee, and appointed Dr. Charles Inglis to be the bishop.

1788 In the early part of October, the firft fymptoms appeared of a fevere diforder which afflicted our gracious Sovereign. On the 6th of November they were very alarming, and on the 13th a form of prayer for his recovery was ordered by the privy council.

1789 Feb.

1789 Feb. 17. His Majefty was pronounced to be in a state of convalefcence, and on the 26th to be free from complaint.

April 23. A general thanksgiving for the King's recovery, who attended the fervice at St. Paul's with a great proceffion.

July 14. Revolution in France-capture of the Baftile, execution of the gover

nor, &c.

1790 July 14. Grand French confederation in the Champ de Mars.

MEN of LEARNING and GENIUS.

Bef. Ch. 997

Hi

OMER, the first prophane writer and Greek poet, flourished. Pope. Hefiod, the Greek poet, fuppofed to live near the time of Homer. Cooke. 884 Lycurgus, the Spartan lawgiver.

600 Sappho, the Greek lyric poetefs, fl. Fawkes. 558 Solon, lawgiver of Athens.

556 fop, the firft Greek fabulift. Croxal.

548 Thales, the first Greek aftronomer and geographer.

497 Pythagoras, founder of the Pythagorean philofophy in Greece. Rozve.

474 Anacreon, the Greek lyric poet. Fawkes, Addison.

456 Æfchylus, the first Greek tragic poet. Potter.

435 Pindar, the Greek lyric poet. Weft.

413 Herodotus, of Greece, the firft writer of prophane hiftory. Littlebury. 407 Ariftophanes, the Greek comic poet, fl. White.

Euripides, the Greek tragic poet. Woodhull.

406 Sophocles, ditto. Franklin, Potter.

Confucius, the Chinese philofopher, A.

400 Socrates, the founder of moral philofophy in Greece. 391 Thucydides, the Greek hiftorian. Smith, Hobbes.

361 Hippocrates, the Greek phyfician. Clifton.

Democritus, the Greek philofopher.

359 Xenophon, the Greek philofopher and hiftorian. Smith, Spelman, Afbly, Fielding. 348 Plato, the Greek philofopher, and difciple of Socrates. Sydenham.

336 Ifocrates, the Greek orator. Dimsdale.

332 Aristotle, the Greek philofopher, and difciple of Plato. Hobbes.

313 Demofthenes, the Athenian orator, poifoned himself. Leland, Francis. 288 Theophraftus, the Greek philofopher, and fcholar of Ariftotle. Budgel

285 Theocritus, the firft Greek paftoral poet, fl. Fawkes.

277 Euclid, of Alexandria, in Egypt, the mathematician, A. R. Simpson. 270 Epicurus, founder of the Epicurean philofophy in Greece. Digby. 264 Xeno, founder of the Stoic philofophy in ditto.

244 Callimachus, the Greek elegiac poet.

208 Archimedes, the Greek geometrician.

184 Plautus, the Roman comic poet. Thornton.

159 Terence, of Carthage, the Latin comic poet. Colman.

155 Diogenes, of Babylon, the Stoic philofopher.

124 Polybius, of Greece, the Greek and Roman hiftorian. Hampton.

54 Lucretius, the Roman poet.

Creech.

44 Julius Cæfar, the Roman hiftorian and commentator, killed. Duncan. Diodorus Siculus, of Greece, the universal hiftorian, fl. Booth. Vitruvius, the Roman architect, A.

43 Cicero, the Roman orator and philofopher, put to death. Guthrie, Melmoth. Cornelius Nepos, the Roman biographer, fl. Rowe.

34 Salluft, the Roman niftorian. Gordon, Refe.

30 Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus, the Roman hiftorian, fl. Spelman.

19 Virgil,

19 Virgil, the Roman epic poet. Dryden, Pitt, Warton.

11 Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius, Roman poets. Grainger, Dart. 8 Horace, the Roman lyric and fatyric poet. Francis.

A. C.

17 Livy, the Roman hiftorian. Ray.

19 Ovid, the Roman elegiac poet. Garth.

20 Celfus, the Roman philofopher and physician, fl. Grieve.

25 Strabo, the Greek geographer.

33 Phædrus, the Roman fabulift. Smart.

45 Paterculus, the Roman hiftorian, fl. Newcombe.

62 Perfius, the Roman fatiric poet. Brewster.

64 Quintius Curtius, a Roman, hiftorian of Alexander the Great, fl. Digby. Seneca, of Spain, the philofopher and tragic poet, put to death. L'Estrange. 65 Lucan, the Roman epic poet, ditto. Rowe.

79 Pliny the elder, the Roman natural hiftorian. Holland.

93 Jofephus, the Jewish hiftorian. Whilon.

94 Epictetus, the Greek ftoic philofopher, fl. Mrs. Carter. 95 Quinctilian, the Roman orator and advocate. Guthrie. 96 Statius, the Roman epic poet. Lewis.

Lucius Florus, of Spain, the Roman historian, f.

99 Tacitus, the Roman hiftorian.

Gordon.

104 Martial, of Spain, the epigrammatic poet. Hay. Valerius Flaccus, the Roman epic poet.

116 Pliny the younger, hiftorical letters. Melmoth, Orrery. 117 Suetonius, the Roman historian. Hughese

119 Plutarch, of Greece, the biographer.

Dryden, Langhorne.

128 Juvenal, the Roman fatiric poet. Dryden.

140 Ptolemy, the Egyptian geographer, mathematician, and astronomer, fi. 150 Juftin, the Roman hiftorian, fl. Turnbul.

161 Arrian, the Roman hiftorian and philofopher, fl. Rooke.

167 Juftin, of Samaria, the oldest Christian author after the apoftles.

180 Lucian, the Roman philologer. Dimsdale, Dryden, Franklin.

Marcus Aur. Antoninus, Roman emperor and philofopher. Collier, Elphinftent.

193 Galen, the Greek philofopher and phyfician.

200 Diogenes Laertius, the Greek biographer, fl.

229 Dion Caffius, of Greece, the Roman hiftorian, fil.

254 Origen, a Chriftian father of Alexandria.

Herodian, of Alexandria, the Roman hiftorian, fl. Hart.

258 Cyprian, of Carthage, fuffered martyrdom. Marshal.

273 Longinus, the Greek orator, put to death by Aurelian. Smith.

320 Lactantius, a father of the church, fl.

336 Arius, a prieft of Alexandria, founder of the fect of Arians.

342 Eufebius, the ecclefiaftical hiftorian and chronologer. Hanmer.

379 Bazil, bishop of Cæfaria.

389 Gregory Nazianzen, bishop of Conftantinople.

397 Ambrofe, bishop of Milan.

415 Macrobius, the Roman grammarian."

428 Eutropius, the Roman hiftorian.

524 Boethius, the Roman poet, and Platonic philofopher. Bellamy, Prefion. 529 Procopius of Cæfarea, the Roman historian. Halcroft.

Here ends the illuftrious lift of ancient, or, as they are ftyled, Claffic authors, for whom mankind are indebted to Greece and Rome, thofe two great theatres of human glory: but it will ever be regretted, that a small part only of their writings have come to our hands. This was owing to the barbarous policy of those fierce illiterate pagans, who, in the fifth century, fubverted the Roman empire, and in which practices they were joined foon after by the Saracens, or followers of Mahomet. Conftantinople alone had efcaped the ravages of the Barbarians; and to the few literati who fheltered themfelves within its walls, is chiefly owing the prefervation of thofe valuable remains of antiquity. To learning, civility, and refinement, fucceeded

4

fucceeded worfe than Gothic ignorance-the fuperftition and buffoonery of the church of Rome: Europe therefore produces few names worthy of record during the space of a thoufand years; a period which hiftorians, with great propriety, de nominate the dark or Gothic ages,

The invention of printing contributed to the revival of learning in the fixteenth century, from which memorable æra a race of men have fprung up in a new foil, France, Germany, and Britain; who, if they do not exceed, at least equal, the greatest geniufes of antiquity. Of these our own countrymen have the reputation of the first rank, with whofe names we shall finish our list.

A. C.

735 Bede, a prieft of Northumberland; Hiftory of the Saxons, Scots, &c. 901 King Alfred; hiftory, philofophy, and poetry.

1259 Matthew Paris, monk of St. Alban's; Hiftory of England.

1292 Roger Bacon, Somerfetfhire; natural philofophy.

1308 John Fordun, a priest of Mearns-fhire; Hiftory of Scotland. 1400 Geoffry Chaucer, London; the father of English poetry. 1402 John Gower, Wales; the poet.

1535 Sir Thomas More, London; hiftory, politics, divinity.

1552 John Leland, London; lives and antiquities.

1568 Roger Afcham, Yorkshire; philology and polite literature.

1572 Rev. John Knox, the Scotch reformer; hiftory of the church of Scotland.

1582 George Buchanan, Dumbartonshire; Hiftory of Scotland, Pfalms of David, poli

tics, &c.

1598 Edmund Spenfer, London; Fairy Queen, and other poems.

1615-25 Beaumont and Fletcher; 53 dramatic pieces.

1616 William Shakespeare, Stratford; 42 tragedies and comedies.

1622 John Napier, of Marchefton, Scotland; difcoverer of logarithms.

1623 William Camden, London; history and antiquities.

1626 Lord Chancellor Bacon, London; natural philofophy, literature in general

1634 Lord Chief Juftice Coke, Norfolk; laws of England.

1638 Ben Jonfon, London; 53 dramatic pieces.

1641 Sir Henry Spelman, Norfolk; laws and antiquities.

1654 John Selden, Suffex; antiquities and laws.

1657 Dr. William Harvey, Kent, difcovered the circulation of the blood.

1667 Abraham Cowley, London; mifcellaneous poetry.

1674 John Milton, London; Paradife Loft, Regained, and various other pieces in verse and profe.

Hyde, earl of Clarendon, Wiltshire; Hiftory of the Civil Wars in England.

1675 James Gregory, Aberdeen; mathematics, geometry, and optics.

1677 Reverend Dr. Ifaac Barrow, London; natural philofophy, mathematics, and fer,

mons:

1680 Samuel Butler, Worcesterfhire; Hudibras, a burlefque poem.

1685 Thomas Otway, London; 10 tragedies and comedies, with other poems.

1687 Edmund Waller, Bucks; poems, fpeeches, letters, &c.

1688 Dr. Ralph Cudworth, Somerfetfhire; Intellectual System.

1689 Dr. Thomas Sydenham, Dorfetfhire; History of Phyfic.

1690 Nathaniel Lee, London; 11 tragedies.

Robert Barclay, Edinburgh; Apology for the Quakers.

1691 Hon. Robert Boyle; natural and experimental philofophy and theology. Sir George McKenzie, Dundee; Antiquities and Laws of Scotland.

1694 John Tillotfon, archbishop of Canterbury, Halifax; 254 fermons.

1697 Sir William Temple, London; politics, and polite literature.

1701 John Dryden, Northamptonshire; 27 tragedies and comedies, fatiric poems, Virgil.

1704 John Locke, Somerfetfhire; philofophy, government, and theology.

1705 John Ray, Effex; botany, natural philofophy, and divinity.

1707 George Farquhar, Londonderry; eight comedies.

1713 Ant. Afh. Cowper, earl of Shaftesbury; Characteristics.

1714 Gilbert Burnet, Edinburgh, bishop of Salisbury; hiftory, biography, divinity, &c.

3 U

1718 Nicholas