wield the sword of his uncle. Some describe him

as weak and profligate; wavering and irresolute.

1797. Frederic William III., his son, succeeded him.

1806. Prussia was involved in a disastrous war with France. -Jena.

1807. Friedland.-Peace concluded at Tilsit: Prussia reduced to half its former dimensions.

1808, A municipal constitution (called the Stadteordnung) was established, by which the minister Von Stein seems to have intended to lay the foundation of a civil spirit, and to adapt the state of Prussia to the spirit of the age.

1810. Baron Hardenberg the state chancellor, or prime minister. He saw that the time of feudalism was past; his abolition of feudal services and privileges in Prussia will always be remembered in his favour. He munificently patronized the sciences.

1813. The king called on his people to shake off the French yoke and the call was readily obeyed.

1815. The Prussians were defeated at Ligny, but they contributed to the success of the battle of Waterloo.

1840. Frederic William IV. succeeded his father.

14. America.

i. South America.

1492. Columbus: Guanahani, or St. Salvador, the first land he discovered. Then Cuba: then Hispaniola, (Hayti, St. Domingo).-1493. Jamaica.-1498. Trinidad: then the continent, Paria, Cumana.-In 1500 he was sent home in chains: Bobadilla.-1502. His voyage to Darien.-1506. He died at Valladolid, in

1497. Americus Vesputius of Florence: Brazils, and other parts of South America.

1513. Vasco Nuner de Balboa descried, from the mountains of the isthmus, the Pacific Ocean.

1519. The expedition of Cortez.

1520. Magellan, a Portuguese, passed through the straits that bear his name.

1521. The conquest of Mexico by Cortez: Montezuma, emperor. 1526. Pizarro visits Peru in a vessel from Panama.

1530, &c. The conquest of Peru by Pizarro. Atabalipa, king; of the race of the Incas.

ii. North America.

982. Greenland discovered by the Norwegians: a colony planted.

1003. The Norwegians visited Labrador or Newfoundland: a colony was left, which soon perished.

1497. John Cabot, a Venetian, discovered Newfoundland, &c.; he inspected the American shore as far as Virginia. 1500. Corte de Real, a Portuguese captain, discovered Labrador.

1513. Ponce, a Spanish captain, discovered Florida. 1534. Cartier, a French commander, discovered, on the day of St. Lawrence, the gulf and river to which he gave the name of that saint.

1583. Sir Humphrey Gilbert discovered, &c., the harbour of St. John.

1584. Two vessels despatched by Raleigh visited North Caro

lina.

1585. John Davis explored the narrow sea called Davis's Strait.

1607. Chesapeake bay discovered.

1610. Hudson discovered the straits which bear his name.

1616. Baffin's Bay discovered: William Baffin was Captain.

Bilot's pilot.

Settlements in America.

1608. Quebec, by the French.

1610. Virginia, at St. James's Town, by Lord Delawar. Newfoundland, by Governor John Grey.

1614. New York and New Jersey, by the Dutch. 1620. Plymouth, by Mr. Robinson's Congregation. 1623. New Hampshire, a small English colony. 1627. Delaware, by the Swedes and Finlanders.

1628. Massachusett's Bay, by Capt. John Endicot, and Com

pany.

1633. Maryland, by Lord Baltimore, and Romanists. 1635. Connecticut, by Mr. Fenwick, at Saybrook, &c.

Rhode island, by Mr. Roger Williams, &c.

1664. New Jersey, made a distinct government, settled sometime before by the English.

1699. South Carolina, by Governor Sayle.

1682. Pennsylvania, by William Penn and Quakers.

1728. North Carolina, (as new Jersey.)

1732. Georgia, by General Oglethorp.

1773. Kentucky, by Col. Daniel Boon.

1764. Vermont, by Emigrants from Connecticut.

1787. Territory N.W. of Ohio river, by the Ohio and other companies.

Tennassee on the south of Kentucky.

Historical Epochs.

These are their respective origins, as stated above, and the occurrences which led to, and terminated in, the independence of the United States.

1765. The Stamp Act; the first attempt to raise a supply of British revenue from North America.

1773. A British schooner burnt off Rhode island by the Americans: the first act of open outrage.

1774. Deputies met at Philadelphia: the first Congress.

1775. The battle of Bunker's, or Breed's Hill.

1776. The Congress published their solemn declaration of

Independence.

1778. The king of France concluded a treaty with the United

States.

1682. Treaty of peace; the independence of the States acknowledged, after a struggle of seven years.

1789-1796. Washington, president; died 1799.

English Possessions in America.

1608. Quebec settled by the French.

1759. Taken by the English under general Wolf. 1763. Quebec and Canada ceded to the English.

15. England.

1. Ancient History.

This Island has had different names; as Albion, that is, White, or High. The British poets called it Inis Wen, or White Island. It was called Britain, from Brit, "party colour," or, as Bochart says, Baratanac, the land of Tin. England, or land of the Angli, or Angles.

Three languages in Europe are to be noted:

Also

1. The Keltic; Cimmerian: Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Manks, Gaulish.

2. The Gothic; Scythian: Anglo-Saxon, &c., present German, Swedish, English, &c.

3. The Slavonic; Sarmatian: Russian, Polish, &c.

The most ancient inhabitants of the Island were the Cymry; hence Cumberland.-A branch of the Cimmerian stock were the Keltoi, Galatai, Gauls.-The Phonecians had settlements

in Britain.-The Carthaginian Himilco visited it about B.C. 308. -At the time of the Roman invasion the people existed in tribes, of which forty-five are enumerated. The Druids were their priests, &c.: their religion was fierce and sanguinary.— We enter on the History with,

1. The Romans.

B.C. 55, 56. Julius Cæsar invaded Britain: Cassivelaun, Verulam was his capital: peace was granted to him.

A.D. 43. The conquests of Aulus Plautius, governor of Britain: Claudius emperor.

44. Vespasian in Britain: he fought thirty battles; took the Isle of Wight: his son Titus was with him.

51. Ostorius Scapula, governor: he defeated and took Caractacus, who was sent to Rome.

58. Suetonius Paulinus, governor; Nero emperor.

He con

quered Mona, or Anglesey, the chief settlement of the Druids: and in 61, Boadicea, queen of the Iceni; Norfolk, Suffolk.

78-95. Agricola, governor: he conquered and civilised the island, introducing Roman customs and manners:

he built temples, forums, and convenient habitations. In 80 he conquered Galgacus near the Grampian hills. 121. Adrian, emperor, in Britain: he built a wall between Newcastle and Carlisle.

139 Antoninus Pius, the next emperor, built a wall between the firths of Forth and Clyde.-The Roman legions

in Britain now began to support their commanders in their competitions for the empire.

207. Severus, emperor, in Britain. He built an immense wall of stone, 12 feet high and 8 thick, parallel to that of Adrian, but a few paces to the north of it.— He died at York in 211.-Soon after this the Saxons began to molest Britain.