EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. (1700-1800.) FRANCE holds about the same position till near the close of the century, when the Revolution breaks out, and the Republic makes large accessions of territory in the Austrian Netherlands, Savoy, Piedmont, and the islands of the Mediterranean. GREAT BRITAIN is engaged in foreign wars, and loses a large part of her American colonies, which win their independence in 1783. Her dominion in India is greatly extended during this period. SPAIN rises very considerably in importance. The UNITED PROVINCES become in the last years of the century a dependency of France. The TURKISH dominion, though with occasional successes, is on the decline. PRUSSIA becomes an important European state under her king, Frederick the Great. AUSTRIA is engaged in frequent wars, which somewhat diminish her power. The GERMAN EMPIRE, though still in existence, is more a dignity than a power, its functions being wielded chiefly by the great kingdoms of Austria and Prussia. RUSSIA, under Peter the Great, rises to a front rank among the states of Europe and makes large gains of territory. The UNITED STATES of America come into being as an independent nation in 1783. ITALY makes some progress toward freedom, but her territory is still divided among foreign princes. The republic of VENICE comes to an end. The kingdom of POLAND is partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and destroyed in 1795. The NORTHERN kingdoms sink to an inferior position, but without much geographical change. SWITZERLAND, in 1798, becomes a league of states, under the name of the Helvetic Republic. PORTUGAL is of little account at this time. 1713. Treaty of Utrecht, between the Allies and France. 1733. Georgia settled by the English. 1739. Nadir Shah takes Delhi. 1740-1742. First Silesian war. 1743. Battle of Dettingen. 1745. The French victorious at Fontenoy. 1755. Great earthquake in Lisbon. 1759. Capture of Quebec by the English. 1765. The Stamp Act passed. 1767. The spinning -jenny invented in 1769. Steam-engine patented by James 1772. First partition of Poland. 1775. Battle of Lexington. 1776. Declaration of American Indepen- 1777. Burgoyne's army surrenders at Sara- . 1781. Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown. 1789. Storming of the Bastile. States. 1792. Kentucky admitted into the United 1792. Second partition of Poland. 1793. Cotton-gin invented by Eli Whitney. States. 1796. Vaccination successfully tried in 1798. Battle of the Nile. French fleet de- 1799. Napoleon becomes First Consul. PROMINENT NAMES OF THE CENTURY. Kings. Louis XIV., Louis XV., Louis XVI., the Republic. GREAT BRITAIN. Kings. William and Mary, Anne, George I., George II., George III. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. George Washington, John Adams. Dryden, Locke, Bayle, Bossuet, Boileau, Fénelon, Burnet, Leibnitz, Addison, Marlborough, Newton, Steele, De Foe, Pope, Swift, Le Sage, Montesquieu, Jonathan Edwards, Handel, Wolfe, Gray, Swedenborg, Goldsmith, Hume, Voltaire, Rousseau, Chatham, Linnæus, Lessing, D'Alembert, Johnson, Buffon, Franklin, Arkwright, Wesley, Mozart, Lavoisier, Gibbon, Burns, Burke, Galvani, Marmontel, Washington, Cowper, Samuel Adams, Priestley, Kant, Nelson, Schiller, Paley, Fox, Pitt, Fisher Ames, Haydn, Wieland, Madame de Staël, Watt, Grattan, Canova, Béranger, Herschel, Erskine, Richter, Hamilton, Jefferson, Eli Whitney, Beethoven, Canning, Laplace, Hegel, Goethe, Scott, Cuvier, Coleridge, Thorwaldsen, John Quincy Adams, Wordsworth, Wellington, Humboldt. ILLUSTRATIONS. THERE HERE is hardly any century in history which began by opening so great a scene as the century wherein we live. - LORD BOLINGBROKE, 1735. THE AGE OF LOUIS XIV. SEE the preceding century, page 389. WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION. THE throne of Spain became vacant in the year 1700, after the death of Charles II., who left no children, but who had declared Philip, Duke of Anjou and grandson of Louis XIV., his sole heir. The Emperor Leopold of Germany also claimed the crown for his second son, Charles. The nations of Europe dreaded the practical union of the crowns of France and Spain, and the consequent increase in the power of Louis XIV. which would result if the throne of Spain were held by Philip of Anjou; and this led to the formation of a Grand Alliance, or league (1701), in which the claims of the German Emperor were supported by England, the United Provinces, and Prussia, against Louis XIV. Various battles were fought. The Duke of Marlborough (English) and Prince Eugene (of Savoy) gained memorable victories over the French at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), Turin (1706), Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709). England acquired Gibraltar (which she has kept ever since) in 1704. The war was finally ended by the treaties of Utrecht (1713), and in 1714 (Peace of Radstadt) the French prince was recognized as King of Spain and the Indies. Louis XIV. was, however, overcome in all his other schemes, and his power was completely broken. The decisive blow struck at Blenheim resounded through every part of Europe; it at once destroyed the vast fabric of power which it had taken Louis XIV., aided by the talents of Turenne and the genius of Vauban, so long to construct. - ALISON. THE EMPIRE OF NADIR SHAH. THE sceptre of Persia was held, from 1736 to 1747, by Nadir Shah (or Koolee Khan), who gave to that country a transitory greatness. He reconquered provinces from the Turks, invaded India and entered Delhi in 1739, making immense booty, and conquered a considerable part of the Mogul empire. The reign of Nadir Shah was marked by great cruelty. His empire broke up upon his death, in 1747. THE GREATNESS OF PRUSSIA. FREDERICK THE GREAT. A GREAT European power arose in Prussia under Frederick the Great. His father, Frederick William (1713– |