found in most libraries of any extent, and will probably always retain a place amongst our lighter literature. Mr. Addison was the author of two beautiful hymns, which must be familiar to most of my young readers ;— "The spacious firmament on high," and "The Lord my pasture shall prepare,”poetic versions of Psalms xix. and xxiii.

Another writer of this period was Daniel Defoe, the author of, perhaps, the most popular story that has ever been written, "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe," and which will, I doubt not, continue to be read long after many graver books are forgotten. This story was founded on the adventures of Alexander Selkirk, who passed some years on the uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez. You are

perhaps familiar with Cowper's verses, supposed to be spoken by Selkirk in his solitude, and beginning"I am monarch of all I survey."

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If you have not read them, you must ask dear mamma to show them to you in Cowper's Poems," as they are too long for insertion here.

You have heard of sir Cloudesley Shovel, who commanded a fleet in the long war which took place in the reign of queen Anne. He was the son of Mrs. Markham's "History of England."

very poor parents in Norfolk, and apprenticed to a cobbler; but having a great passion for the sea, he ran away, and entered as cabin-boy on board a manof-war. During the heat of an engagement, the admiral wanted to send some despatches to another ship, and young Cloudesley swam with them in his mouth, conveying them safely through the enemy's firing. He became noticed by the officers of the fleet in consequence of this exploit. In a short time he was made a lieutenant, and rose rapidly until he became an admiral, and was knighted. He greatly distinguished himself in the war, and was returning to England, in 1707, when his own vessel and three others were wrecked on the Scilly islands, and out of the four ships' crews, only one captain and twenty-four seamen were saved. Sir Cloudesley's body was found by some of the inhabitants, and buried in the sand, but was afterwards disinterred and removed to Westminster Abbey. There were other celebrated characters in the reign of queen Anne, but I will leave you to make acquaintance with them when you read larger books than this, as it is now time to proceed to the reign of the first king of the House of Hanover.

CHAPTER XXXV.

GEORGE THE FIRST-FROM 1714 TO 1727.

QUEEN ANNE was the last of the Stuarts. From her death to the reign of our present beloved queen Victoria, the throne of England has been occupied by the house of Hanover; but you will remember that they too derived their right to it through their connexion with the Stuarts, George the first being greatgrandson of James the first. His mother, the electress Sophia, was daughter of the queen of Bohemia, the youngest child of James. George arrived at Greenwich on the 18th of September, 1714, and was received by many persons of high rank, among whom was the duke of Marlborough, lately returned to England, and whom the king treated with marked distinction during the remainder of his life; and this must have been a great consolation to the good old hero, after the neglect and injustice with which Anne had treated him. The duke died in 1722.

It is strange that George, although he had so long been heir-presumptive to the crown of this country,

had not learnt the language; and, as you may suppose, the people never became much attached to a sovereign who could scarcely speak a word of English, and never took the trouble to make himself acquainted with the manners and customs of his subjects, but on all occasions preferred the Hanoverians.

In the latter part of Anne's reign she had a tory ministry, but George put himself entirely into the hands of the whigs, who showed a sadly vindictive spirit towards their late rivals. Harley, earl of Oxford, was imprisoned in the Tower, and kept there two years; but the new ministry and the parliament quarrelled so fiercely as to what was to be done with him, that at length, without their coming to any decision at all, and without his ever having been tried, the earl was set free. Lords Ormond and Bolingbroke escaped to the continent and joined the Pretender, James Edward, son of James the second. They were then attainted, (or accused of treason,) and their names erased from the peerage; so unjust will partyspirit render men who are strangers to the mild precepts of the Gospel!

The king's unpopularity, and these harsh dealings with the tories, were probably the cause of a strong feeling in favour of the Pretender. In Scotland, the

ESCAPE OF LORD NITHSDALE.

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earl of Mar proclaimed him king, and raised his standard in the Highlands. In the north of England his party was led by Lord Derwentwater and Mr. Foster. They were soon joined by the Scottish lords Wintoun, Nithsdale, and Kenmuir. After an ineffectual attempt on Newcastle, they marched through Cumberland into Lancashire. Here they met the royal forces at Preston, and were defeated. The leaders were brought to trial; lords Derwentwater, Kenmuir, and Nithsdale, were condemned to be beheaded; a sentence which was executed on the two first, but Lord Nithsdale escaped through the affectionate contrivance of his wife. This escape is so well narrated by a lady, to whose interesting history you have been more than once indebted in the course of Aunt Anne's, that I will transcribe, at length, her account of it. Having permission to visit her lord in the Tower, and to bring with her one friend at a time to take leave of him, before his intended execution, she took a Mrs. Mills and another lady in a coach, and left Mrs. Mills waiting in the carriage, while she and the other lady went into lord Nithsdale's apartment. This lady, who was of a slender shape,

*Mrs. Markham.