WILLIAM III. and MARY II. succeeded James II. upon the vote of the Convention. The day after their arrival in London, which was Feb. 13, 1688-9, they were seated under a canopy of state in the Banqueting-house, and both Houses of Convocation waited upon them, proffering them the crown in the names of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, assembled at Westminster: Accordingly they were proclaimed King and Queen of Great-Britain the following day, and solemnly crowned at the Abbey on the 21st of April. Several plots were formed against the King, but all of them proved abortive. He carried out a war with France, and with King James's party in Ireland, for nine years successively, till at last France was obliged to acknowledge him lawful King of Great-Britain, in the peace of Ryswic, 1697. He died March 8, 1701, aged 51, after he had survived his consort Mary Stuart, daughter to James II. five years, who died Dec. 21, 1696, and whose funeral was performed with great elegance and solemnity. July 2, 1700, William Duke of Gloucester, the only surviving issue of Princess Anne of Denmark, departed this life at Windsor, aged twelve years. And King James died at St. Germains in Sept. 1721.
ANNE, second daughter to James II. succeeded King William, whose death was joy to France, but a great misfortune to England. Anne was born Feb. 6, 1664, and married George Prince of Denmark, who was High Admiral of England, and a happy assistant to her in steering the ship of state. She was crowned Queen of Great-Britain April 23, 1702. On the 4th of May following war was proclaimed at London, Vienna, and the Hague, against France and Spain. The success of this war is worthy admiration
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, and almost incredible. The conquest of the Spanish Guelderland, the Electorate of Cologn
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, and the Bishopric of Liege; the prodigious victory over the French and Bavarians at Blenheim, under the surprising conduct of the Duke of Marlborough; the retaking of Landau; the conquering all the estates of the Duke of Bavaria in Germany; the forcing the French and Bavarians out of their lines in Brabant, which was deemed a thing impracticable; the battle of Ramillies; the victory at Oudenard; the taking of Lisle and Tournay; the defeat of the French army at Blarenies; the reducing of Mons, &c. &c. are such events as will render her Majesty's reign famous to all posterity. If we look towards Spain, how bold and successful was our attempt upon Vigo, where we took and destroyed their whole plate fleet, both men of war and others, to the amount of 38 sail, of which not one escaped: Did we not also take Gibraltar with a small force in one morning, and keep possession of it against the joint strength of France and Spain? Barcelona likewise being taken by the English and Dutch, under the conduct of the Earl of Peterborough, was soon after besieged by King Philip with a great army, which was soon forced to a shameful retreat into France. Hereupon Catalonia, Arragon, Valencia, and other provinces, submitted to Charles III. by the influence of her Majesty's arms. Who could have expected the dismal turn of the affairs of France and Italy, which happened in 1707, by the powerful interest of England? A numerous army of French and Spaniards were destroyed before the walls of Turin, by the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene. Thus Piedmont was abandoned, the Mantuan, the Milanese, the Modenese, Parmasan, and Montferrat, yielded up.
This Queen also brought about the strict union between England and Scotland, after sundry fruitless attempts of the same kind for a century past. In short, the successes of her reign justly denominate her one of the most triumphant Monarchs of former ages, and her piety and virtue will ever be acknowledged by the British nation. The four last years of Queen Anne's reign were attended with much perplexity, which was owing to her Ministers, who prevailed upon her to consent to the peace of Utrecht; and, 'tis said, her death was occasioned by her ill conduct, which she laid too much to heart
. She died Aug. 1, 1714; and in her the succession of the Stuart line ended.
The House of HANOVER.
GEORGE I. who was heir-apparent to the crown of Great-Britain on the death of Queen Anne, and which had been confirmed to him some years before by various Acts of Parliament, and by a special article in the peace of Utrecht, was born 1666, and proclaimed King the very day Queen Anne expired. He landed at Greenwich Sept. 18, 1714, and was crowned Oct. 20. A thorough change in the ministry was made on his accession, wherein he distinguished his friends from his enemies