726 
ENGLAND. 
fevere, that the army once more rofe to vindicate their 
freedom, and Ferdinand, prince of Brunfwick, put him- 
ielf at their head. Nothing could be more fortunate for 
the interefts of tine king of Pruflia than this event. He 
was now enabled to oppofe the enemy upon more equal 
terms ; he faced them on every fide, often victorious, 
fometimes repulfed, but ever formidable. Never was 
the fcience of military taCtics carried to fuch perfection 
as by Frederic the Great. In this war, Europe faw, with 
aftonifhment, campaigns carried on in the midfl of win¬ 
ter, great and bloody battles fought, yet producing no 
vifible advantage to the viCtors. At no one time fince 
the days of heroifm were fuch numbers deflroyed, fo 
many towns taken, fuch flratagems praCtifed, or fuch in¬ 
trepidity difcovered. Armies were by the German dif- 
cipline confidered as compofing one great machine, or- 
ganifed by one commander, and animated by a fingle will. 
From the commentary of thefe campaigns, fucceeding 
generals will take their leffons of devaftation, and im¬ 
prove upon the arts of increafing human calamity. 
England was all this time happily retired from the 
theatre of war; yet from her natural military ardour the 
feemed defirous of (haring thofe dangers of which (lie 
was only a fpeCtator. This paflion for fharing in a con¬ 
tinental war was not lefs pleafing to the king of England, 
from his native attachments, than from a defire of re¬ 
venge upon the plunderers of his country. As foon, 
therefore, as it was known that prince Ferdinand had put 
himfelf at the head of the Hanoverians, his Britannic 
majefly, in a fpeech to his parliament, obferved that the 
late fuccefTes of his ally in Germany had given a happy 
turn to his affairs, which it would be necelfary to im¬ 
prove. The commons concurred in fentiments, and libe¬ 
rally granted fupplies both for the fervice of the king of 
Pruflia, and for enabling the army formed in Hanover to 
aft vigoroufly in conjunction with him. From fending 
money into Germany, the nation began to extend their, 
benefits by fending men. Mr. Pitt, w’ho had at fir(t come 
into popularity by oppofing fuch meafures,’was now pre¬ 
vailed on to enter into them with even greater ardour 
than any of his predeceffors. The hopes of putting a 
i'peedy end to the war by vigorous meafures, the con¬ 
nections with which he was obliged to co-operate, and 
perhaps the pleafure he found in pleafing the king, all 
incited him eagerly to pufli forward a continental war. 
However, he only confpired with the general inclinations 
of the people at this time, who, allured by the efforts of 
their noble ally, were unwilling to fee him fall a facrifice 
to the united ambition of the continental powers. 
In order to indulge this general inclination of affifling 
the king of Pruflia, the duke of Marlborough was fent 
into Germany with a body of Britifli forces, to join prince 
Ferdinand. After fome fuccelfes gained by the allied 
army at Crevelt, the duke of Marlborough dying, his 
command devolved upon lord George Sackville, who 
was a great favourite with the Englifh army. Flowever, 
a mifunderflanding arofe between him and the commander 
in chief, which too foon manifefted itfelf at the battle of 
Minden. The caufe of this fecret difguft on both fides 
was never known ; it is thought that the extenfive genius 
and enterprifing fpirit of the Englifh general, were by no 
means agreeable to prince Ferdinand, who hoped to reap 
fome advantages which the other was unwilling to per¬ 
mit. Be that as it may, both armies advancing near the 
town of Minden, on the fir ft of Auguft, 1758, the French 
began the attack with great vigour, and a general engage¬ 
ment of the infantry enfued. I.ord George, at the head 
of the Britifh and Hanoverian horfe, was ftationed at fome 
diftance on the right of the infantry, from which they 
were divided by a fcanty wood that bordered on a heath. 
‘The French infantry giving ground, the prince thought 
that this would be a favourable opportunity to pour down 
the horfe among them, and accordingly fent loid George 
orders to advance. Thefe orders were but ill obeyed; 
and whether they were unintelligible, or contradictory, 
dill remains a point for pofterity to decide. Ft is certain, 
that lord George was immediately recalled, tried by a 
court-martial, found guilty, and declared incapable of 
ferving in any military command for the future. The' 
enemy, however, were repulfed with confiderable lofs, 
and, at length giving way, were purfued to the very ram¬ 
parts of Minden. Lord George Sackville being recalled, 
was now fncceeded in his command over the Britifh troops 
in Germany, by the brave and beloved marquis of Granby, 
alike the folaier’s friend, and the enemy’s fcourge in¬ 
battle, yet the mod feeling and generous of men to the 
conquered. His brilliant fuccefTes during the refidue of 
the war gave the higheft luftre to the Britifii arms-. 
The Britifh army in Germany now amounted to above 
thirty thoufand men, and the whole nation was flufhed 
with frefh hopes of conqueft. But thefe hopes were de- 
lufive. The allies were worfled at Corbach, but retrieved 
their honour at. Exdorf. A victory at Warbourg fol¬ 
lowed, and another at Zierenberg; but then they buffered 
a defeat at Compen, after which both armies went into 
winter-quarters. The fuccefTes 011 either fide might be 
confidered as a compaCt by which both engaged to lofe 
much and gain little ; for no advantage whatever fol¬ 
lowed from victory. The Englifh at length began to 
open their eyes to their own intereft, and found that they 
were waging unequal war, and loading themfelves with 
taxes for conquefts that they could neither preferve nor 
enjoy. 
Yet the fuccefsful efforts of the armies of England at 
this time in every part of the globe were amazing, and 
the ex pence of her operations greater than had ever been 
difburfed by any nation before. The k ng of Pruflia re¬ 
ceived a fublidy; a large body of Englifti forces com¬ 
manded the extenfive peninfula of India ; another army of 
twenty thoufand men confirmed their conquefts in North 
America ; independent of thofe employed in Germany, 
and in the different garrifons in various parts of the world ;. 
but all thefe were nothing to the force maintained at fea,. 
which carried victory wherever the Britifh flag was dif- 
played, and almoft annihilated the French power on the 
ocean. The courage and the conduCt of the Englifh ad¬ 
mirals had furpafted whatever had been heard of before ; 
neither fuperior force, nor number, nor even the terrors 
of ftorms and tempefts, could intimidate them. Admiral 
Hawke gained a complete victory over an equal number 
of French fliips, on the coaft of Bretagne, in Qmberon- 
bay, in the midft of a ftorm, during the darknefs of the 
night, and, what a Teaman fears ftill more, upon a rocky 
lee-fliore. 
Such was the luftre of the Britifii arms, both by feaand 
land, in the memorable year 1759, ' n every part of the 
world. But in the midft of thefe glories, an event hap¬ 
pened which configned every generous heart in Britain to 
a ftate of mourning. On the twenty-fifth of October, 
1760, the king, w ithout having complained of any pre¬ 
vious diforder, was found, by his attendants, expiring in 
his chamber. He had rifen at his ufual hour, and ob¬ 
ferved, that as the weather was fine, he would walk in 
the gardens of Kenfington, where he then refided. In a 
few minutes after his return, being left alone, hr was 
heard to fall on the floor. The noife inftantly brought 
his attendants into the room, who lifted him into bed ; 
when he defired, with a faint voice, that the princefs 
Amelia might be fent for; but before flie could reach 
the apartment, he expired. A11 attempt was made to 
bleed him, but without effeCt; and upon opening him, 
it was difcovered that the right ventricle of the heart 
was ruptured, and a great quantity of extravafated blood 
was found in the aperture. 
George II. died encompafled with the unfading laurels 
of many fplendid victories, in the feventy-feventh year of 
his age, and the thirty-third of his reign, jo ft 1 y lamented 
by his (objeCts, and by all his allies. He was in his per- 
fon nearly of the middle fize, well-Ihaped, ereCt, with eyes 
remarkably prominent, a high nofe, and fair complexion. 
