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of Commons, with their petition for the repeal of an act paffed in favour of the Papifts, June 2. 1780 That event followed by the most daring riots, in the cities of London, and in Southwark, for feveral fucceffive days, in which fome Popish chapels are deftroyed, together with the prifons of Newgate, the King's Bench, the Fleet, feveral private houses, &c. Thefe alarming riots are at length fuppreffed by the interpofition of the military, and many of the rioters tried and executed for felony.

Five English Eaft Indiamen, and fifty English merchant fhips bound for the
West Indies, taken by the combined fleets of France and Spain, Aug. 8.
Earl Cornwallis obtains a fignal victory over general Gates, near Camden,..
in South Carolina, in which above 1000 American prisoners are taken,
Aug. 16.

Mr. Laurens, late prefident of the Congrefs, taken in an American packet,
near Newfoundland, Sept. 3.

General Arnold deferts the fervice of the Congress, efcapes to New York, and is made a brigadier-general in the royal fervice, Sept. 24.

Major André, adjutant-general to the British army, hanged as a spy at Tap-. pan, in the province of New York, Oct. 2.

Mr. Laurens is committed prifoner to the Tower, on a charge of high treafon, October 4.

Dreadful hurricanes in the West Indies, by which great devastation is made in Jamaica, Barbadoes, St. Lucia, Dominica, and other Islands, O&. 3

and 10.

A declaration of hoftilities publifhed againft Holland, Dec. 20.

1781 The Dutch island of St. Euftatia taken by admiral Rodney and general Vaughan, Feb. 3. Retaken by the French, Nov. 27.

Earl Cornwallis obtains a victory, but with confiderable lofs, over the Americans under general Green, at Guildford, in North Carolina, March 15. The island of Tobago taken by the French, June 2.

A bloody engagement fought between an English fquadron under the command of admiral Parker, and a Dutch fquadron under the command of admiral Zoutman, off the Dogger-bank, Aug. 5.

Earl Cornwallis, with a confiderable British army, furrendered prisoners of war to the American and French troops, under the command of general Washington, and count Rochambeau, at York-town, in Virginia, O&. 19.

1782 Trincomale, on the island of Ceylon, taken by admiral Hughes, Jan. 11. Minorca furrendered to the arms of the king of Spain, Feb. 5.

The island of St. Chriftopher taken by the French, Feb. 12.

The island of Nevis, in the West Indies, taken by the French, Feb. 14.
Montferrat taken by the French, Feb. 22.

The houfe of commons addrefs the king against any further profecution of
offenfive war on the continent of North America, March 4; and refolve,
That that house would confider all thofe as enemies to his majesty, and
this country, who fhould advife, or by any means attempt, the farther
profecution of offenfive war on the continent of North America, for the
purpofe of reducing the revolted colonies to obedience by force.
Admiral Rodney obtains a fignal victory over the French fleet under the
command of count de Graffe, near Dominica, in the West Indies,
April 12.

Admiral Hughes, with eleven fhips, beat off, near the island of Ceylon, the French admiral Suffrein, with twelve fhips of the line, after a fevere engagement, in which both fleets loft a great number of men, April 13th. The refolution of the houfe of commons relating to John Wilkes, Efq; and the Middlefex election, paffed Feb. 17, 1769, refcinded May 3.

1782 The

1782 The bill to repeal the declaratory act of George I. relative to the legislation of Ireland, received the royal affent June 20.

The French took and destroyed the forts and fettlements in Hudson's Bay,
Aug. 24.

The Spaniards defeated in their grand attack on Gibraltar, Sept. 13.
Treaty concluded betwixt the republic of Holland, and the United States
of America, O&. 8.

Provifional articles of peace figned at Paris between the British and the American commiffioners, by which the Thirteen United American colonies are acknowledged by his Britannic majefty to be free, fovereign, and independent ftates, Nov. 30.

1783 Preliminary articles of peace between his Britannic majefty, and the kings of France and Spain, figned at Versailles Jan. 20.

The order of St. Patrick inftituted, Feb. 5.

Three earthquakes in Calabria Ulterior and Sicily, deftroying a great
number of towns and inhabitants, Feb. 5th, 7th, and 28th.
Armistice betwixt Great Britain and Holland, Feb. 10.

Ratification of the definitive treaty of peace between Great Britain, France,
Spain, and the United States of America, Sept. 3.

1784 The city of London wait on the king, with an addrefs of thanks for dif miffing the coalition miniftry, Jan. 16.

The great feal ftolen from the lord chancellor's houfe in Great Ormondftreet, March 24.

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The ratification of the peace with America arrived, April 7.

The definitive treaty of peace between Great Britain and Holland. May 24. The memory of Handel commemorated by a grand jubilee at Westminster abbey, May 26.

Proclamation for a public thanksgiving, July z.

Mr. Lunardi afcended in a balloon from the Artillery-ground, Moorfields, the first attempt of the kind in England, Sept. 15.

Bef. Ch.

MEN of LEARNING and GENIUS.

907 H Hefied, the Greek poet, fuppofed to live near the time of Homer.Cooke.

TOMER, the first prophane writer and Greek poet, flourished. Pope.

884 Lycurgus, the Spartan lawgiver.

600 Sappho, the Greek lyric poetefs, A. Fawkes.

558 Solon, lawgiver of Athens.

556 Elop, the first Greek fabulist. Croxal.

548 Thales, the first Greek aftronomer and geographer.

497 Pythagoras founder of the Pythagorean philofophy in Greece. Row's, 474 Anacreon, the Greek lyric poet. Fawkes, Addifon.

456 Efchylus, the firft Greek tragic poet.

435 Pindar, the Greek lyric poet. Weft.

Potter.

413 Herodotus, of Greece, the firft writer of prophane history. Littleburg. 407 Ariftophanes, the Greek comic poet, fl. White.

Euripides, the Greek tragic poet. Woodbull.

406 Sophocles, ditto. Franklin, Potter.

Confucius, the Chinese philofopher, f.

400 Socrates, the founder of moral philofophy, in Greece. 391 Thucydides, the Greek hiftorian. Smith, Hobbes.

36. Hippocrates, the Greek phyfician. Clifton.

Democritus, the Greek philofopher.

359 Xenophon,

359 Xenophon, the Greek philofopher and hiftorian. Smith, Spelman, Afhly,

Fielding.

348 Plato, the Greek philofopher, and difciple of Socrates, Sydenham.

336 Ifocrates, the Greek orator. Dimfdale.

332 Ariftotle, the Greek philofopher, and difciple of Plato. Hobbes.

313 Demofthenes, the Athenian orator, poifoned himself. Leland, Francis.
288 Theophraftus, the Greek philofopher, and scholar of Ariftotle. Budgel.
285 Theocritus, the firft Greek paftoral poet, fl. Fawkes.

277 Euclid, of Alexandria, in Egypt, the mathematician, fl. R. Simpson.
270 Epicurus, founder of the Epicurean philofophy in Greece. Digby.
264 Xeno, founder of the Stoic philofophy in Ditto.

244 Callimachus, the Greek elegiac poet.

208 Archimedes, the Greek geometrician.

184 Plautus, the Roman comic poet. Thornton.

159 Terence, of Carthage, the Latin comic poet. Colman.

155 Diogenes, of Babylon, the Stoic philofopher.

124 Polybius, of Greece, the Greek and Roman hiftorian. Hampton.

54 Lucretius, the Roman poet. Creech.

44 Julius Cæfar, the Roman hiftorian and commentator, killed. Duncan.
Diodorus Siculus, of Greece, the univerfal hiftorian, fl. Booth.
Vitruvius, the Roman architect, A.

43 Cicero, the Roman orator and philofopher, put to death. Guthrie, Melmoth.
Cornelius Nepos, the Roman biographer, A. Rowe.

34 Salluft, the Roman hiftorian. Gordon, Rofe.

30 Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus, the Roman hiftorian, fl. Spelman.

19 Virgil, the Roman epic poet. Dryden, Pitt, Warton.

11 Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius, Roman poets. Grainger, Dart.

8 Horace, the Roman lyric and fatiric poet. Francis.

A. C.

17 Livy, the Roman hiftorian. Ray.

19 Ovid, the Roman elegiac poet. Garth.

20 Celfus, the Roman philofopher and phyfician, fl. Grieve.

25 Strabo, the Greek geographer.

33 Phædrus, the Roman fabulift. Smart.

45 Paterculus, the Roman historian, fl. Newcombe.

62 Perfius, the Roman fatir c poet. Brewster.

64 Quintius Curtius, a Roman hi orian of Alexander the Great, fl. Digby.
Seneca, of Spain, the philofopher and tragic poet, put to death. L'Estrange.
Rowe.

65 Lucan, the Roman epic poet, ditto.

79 Pliny the elder, the Roman natural historian. Holland.

93 Jofephus, the Jewifh hiftorian. Whiston.

94 Epictetus, the Greek ttoic philofopher. fl. Mrs. Carter.
95 Qu netilian, the Roman orator and advocate.

96 Statius, the Roman epic poet. Lewis.

Guthrie.

96 Lucius Florus, of Spain, the Roman hiftorian, fl.
99 Tacitus, the Roman historian. Gordon.

104 Martial, of Spain, the epigrammatic poet. Hay.
Valerius Flaccus, the Roman epic poet.

116 Pliny the younger, hiftorical letters.
117 Suetonius, the Roman historian.

Melmoth, Orrery.

Hughes.

119 Plutarch, of Greece, the biographer. Dryden, Langborne.

128 Juvenal, the Roman fatiric poet. Dryden.

140 Ptolemy, the Egyptian geographer, mathematician, and aftronomer, f.
10 Juitin the Roman historian, A. Turni u!.

151 Arrian, the Roman hiftorian and philofopher, A. Roote.

167 Junin, of Samaria, the oldeft Chritian author after the apoftles.

180 Lucian,

180 Lucian, the Roman philologer. Dimfdale, Dryden, Franklin. Marcus Aur. Antoninus, Roman emperor and philofopher. Collier, Elphinstone. 193 Galen, the Greek philofopher and phyfician.

200 Diogenes Laertius, the Greek biographer, fl.

229 Dion Caffius, of Greece, the Roman hiftorian, fl.

254 Origen, a Chriftian father of Alexandria.

Herodian, of Alexandria, the Roman hiftorian, fil. Hart.

258 Cyprian, of Carthage, fuffered martyrdom. Marshal.

273 Longinus, the Greek orator, put to death by Aurelian. Smith.

320 Lactantius, a father of the church, fl.

336 Arius, a priest of Alexandria, founder of the fect of Arians.

342 Eufebius, the ecclefiaftical hiftorian and chronologer. Hanmer. 379 Bazil, Bishop of Cæfarea.

389 Gregory Nazianzen, bishop of Conftantinople.

397 Ambrofe, bishop of Milan.

415 Macrobius, the Roman grammarian.

428 Eutropius, the Roman hiftorian.

524 Boetius, the Roman poet,, and Platonic philofopher. Bellamy, Prefton. 529 Procopius, of Cæfarea, the Roman hiftorian. Holcroft.

Here ends the illuftrious lift of ancient, or, as they are ftyled, Claffic authors, for whom mankind are indebted to Greece and Rome, thofe two great theatres of human glory: but it will ever be regretted, that a small part only of their writings have come to our hands. This was owing to the barbarous policy of those fierce illiterate pagans, who, in the fifth century, fubverted the Roman empire, and in which practices they were joined foon after by the Saracens, or followers of Mahomet. Conftantinople alone had efcaped the ravages of the Barbarians; and to the few literati who fheltered themselves within its walls, is chiefly owing the prefervation of thofe valuable remains of antiquity. To learning, civility, and refinement, fucceeded worfe than Gothic ignorance-the fuperftition and buffoonery of the church of Rome; Europe therefore produces few names worthy of record during the space of a thoufand years; a period which hiftorians, with great propriety, denominate the dark or Gothic ages.

The invention of printing contributed to the revival of learning in the fixteenth century, from which memorable æra a race of men have fprung up in a new foil, France, Germany, and Britain; who, if they do not exceed, at least equal, the greatest geniuses of antiquity. Of thefe our own countrymen have the reputation of the first rank, with whofe names we fhall finish our list. A. C.

735 Bede, a priest of Northumberland; Hiftory of the Saxons, Scots, &c. 901 King Alfred; hiftory, philofophy, and poetry.

1259 Matthew Paris, monk of St. Alban's; Hiftory of England.

1292 Roger Bacon, Somerfetfhire; natural philofophy.

1308 John Fordun, a priest of Mearns-fhire; Hillory of Scotland. 1400 Geoffry Chaucer, London; the father of English poetry. 1402 John Gower, Wales; the poet.

1535 Sir Thomas More, London; hiftory, politics, divinity.

1552 John Leland, London; lives and antiquities.

1568 Roger Afcham, Yorkshire; philology and polite literature.

1572 Rev. John Knox, the Scotch reformer; hillory of the church of Scotland. 1582 George Puchanan, Dumbartonshire; History of Scotland, Pfalms of David,

politics, &c.

1598 Edmund Spenfer, London; Fairy Queen, and other poems.

1615-25 Beaumont and Fletcher; 53 dramatic pieces.

1616 William Shakespeare, Stratford; 42 tragedies and comedies.

1622 John Napier, of Marchefton, Scotland; difcoverer of logarithms.

1623 William

1623 William Camden, London; hiftory and antiquities.

1626 Lord Chancellor Bacon, London; natural philofophy, literature in general. 1634 Lord Chief Justice Coke, Norfolk; laws of England.

1638 Ben Jonson, London; 53 dramatic pieces.

1641 Sir Henry Spelman, Norfolk; laws and antiquities.

1654 John Selden, Suffex; antiquities and laws.

1657 Dr. William Harvey, Kent, difcovered the circulation of the blood.

1667 Abraham Cowley, London; mifcellaneous poetry.

1674 John Milton, London; Paradife Loft, Regained, and various other pieces in verfe and profe..

Hyde, earl of Clarendon, Wiltshire; Hiftory of the Civil Wars in England. 1675 James Gregory, Aberdeen; mathematics, geometry, and optics.'

1677 Reverend Dr. Ifaac Barrow, London; natural philofophy, mathematics, and

fermons.

1680 Samuel Butler, Worcestershire; Hudibras, a burlefque poem,

1685 Thomas Otway, London; To tragedies and comedies, with other poems. 1687 Edmund Waller, Bucks; poems, fpeeches, letters, &c.

1688 Dr. Ralph Cudworth, Somerfetfhire; Intellectual System.

1689 Dr. Thomas Sydenham, Dorfetfhire; Hiftory of Phyfic. 1690 Nathaniel Lee, London; 11 tragedies.

Robert Barclay, Edinburgh; Apology for the Quakers.

1691 Hon. Robert Boyle; natural and experimental philofophy and theology. Sir George McKenzie, Dundee; Antiquities and Laws of Scotland. 1694 John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury, Halifax; 254 fermons. 1697 Sir William Temple, London; politics, and polite literature.

1701 John Dryden, Northamptonshire; 27 tragedies and comedies, fatiric poems, Virgil.

1704 John Locke, Somerfetfhire; philofophy, government, and theology. 1705 John Ray, Effex; botany, natural philofophy, and divinity.

1707 George Farquar, Londonderry; eight comedies.

1713 Ant. Afh. Cooper, earl of Shaftesbury; Characteristics.

1714 Gilbert Burnet, Edinburgh, bishop of Salisbury; history, biography, divinity, &c.

1718 Nicholas Rowe, Devonshire; 7 tragedies, tranflation of Lucan's Pharfalia. 1719 Reverend John Flamfteed, Derbyshire; mathematics and astronomy. Jofeph Addifon, Wiltshire; Spectator, Guardian, poems, politics. Dr. John Keil, Edinburgh; mathematics and attronomy.

1721 Matthew Prior, London; poems and politics.

1724 William Wollafton, Staffordshire; Religion of Nature delineated.

1727 Sir Ifaac Newton, Lincolnshire; mathematics, geometry, aftronomy, optics. 1729 Reverend Dr. Samuel Clarke, Norwich; mathematics, divinity, &c, Sir Richard Steele, Dublin; four comedies, papers in Tatler, &c. William Congreve, Staffordshire; feven dramatic pieces.

1732 John Gay, Exeter; poems, fables, and eleven dramatic pieces. 1734 Dr. John Arbuthnot, Mearns-fhire; medicine, coins, politics. 1742 Dr. Edmund Halley; natural philofophy, a ronomy, navigation. Dr. Richard Bentley, Yorkshire; claffical learning, criticiim. 1744 Alexander Pope, London; poems, letters, tranflation of Homer. 1745 Reverend Dr. Jonathan Swift, Dublin; poems, politics, and letters. 1746 Colin M'Laurin, Argylefhire; Algebra, View of Newton's philofophy. 1748 James Thomfon, Roxburghshire; Seafons, and other poems, five tragedies. Reverend Dr. Ifaac Watts, Southampton; logic, philofophy, pfalms, hymns, fermons, &c.

Dr. Francis Hutchefon, Airfhire; Syftem of Moral Philofophy. 1750 Reverend Dr. Conyers Middleton, Yorkshire; Life of Cicero, &c. Andrew Baxter, Old Aberdeen; metaphyfics, and natural philofophy.

1751 Henry

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