Cape Breton, which had been taken from the French during the preceding war, had been reftored at the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. It was not till the English had been put in poffeffion of that island, that they began to perceive its advantageous fituation, and the convenience of its harbour for annoying the British trade with impunity. It was also a convenient port for carrying on their fishery, a branch of commerce of the utmoft benefit to that nation. The wrefting it, therefore, once more from the hands of the French was a measure ardently defired by the whole nation. The fortrefs of Louisbourg, by which it was defended, had been ftrengthened by the affiftance of art, and was ftill beter fortified from the nature of its fituation. The garrifon alfo was numerous, the commander vigilant, and every precaution taken to oppofe a landing. An account of the operations of the fiege can give but little pleasure in abridgement; be it fufficient to say, that the English furmounted every obstacle with great intrepidity. Their former timidity and irrefolution feemed to vanish, their natural courage and confidence returned, and the place furrendered by capitulation. The fortifications were foon after demolished, and rendered unfit for future protection.

The expedition to Fort du Quefne was equally fuccefsful, but that against Crown Point was once more defeated. This was now the fecond time that the English army had attempted to penetrate into thofe hideous wilds by which nature had fecured the French poffeffions in that part of the world. Braddock fell in the attempt, a martyr to his impetuofity: too much caution was equally injurious to his fucceffor. Abercrombie spent much time in marching to the place of action, and the enemy were thus perfectly prepared to give him a fevere reception. As he approached Ticonderago, he found them deeply intrenched at the foot of the fort, and ftill farther fecured by fallen trees, with their branches pointing against him. Thefe difficulties the English ardour attempted to furmount; but as the enemy, being fecure in themfelves, took aim at leifure, a terrible carnage of the affailants enfued; and the General, after repeated efforts, was obliged to order a retreat. The English army, however, were ftill fupe

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rior, and it was fuppofed that when the artillery was arrived, fomething more fuccefsful might be performed; but the General felt too sensibly the terror of the late defeat to remain in the neighbourhood of a triumphant enemy. He therefore withdrew his troops, and returned to his camp at Lake George, from whence he had taken his departure.

But though in this refpect the English arms were unfuccessful, yet upon the whole the campaign was greatly in their favour. The taking of Fort du Quefne ferved to remove from their colonies the terror of the incurfions of the Indians, while it interrupted that correfpondence which ran along a chain of forts, with which the French had environed the English fettlements in America. This, therefore, promised a fortunate campaign the next year, and vigorous measures were taken to enfure fuccefs.

Accordingly, on the opening of the following year, the miniftry, fenfible that a fingle effort carried on in fuch an extenfive country could never reduce the enemy, they refolved to attack them in feveral parts of their empire at once. Preparations were alfo made, and expeditions driven forward against three different parts of North America at the fame time. General Amhurst, the commander in chief, with a body of twelve thousand men, was to attack Crown Point, that had hitherto been the reproach of the English army. General Wolfe was at the oppofite quarter to enter the river St. Lawrence, and undertake the fiege of Quebec, the capital of the French dominions in America; while General Prideaux and Sir William Johnson were to attempt a French fort near the cataracts of Niagara.

The last named expedition was the firft that fucceeded. The fort of Niagara was a place of great importance, and ferved to command all the communication between the northern and western French fettlements. The fiege was begun with vigour, and promifed an eafy conqueft, but General Prideaux was killed in the trenches by the bursting of a mortar; fo that the whole command of the expe. dition devolved upon General Johnfon, who omitted nothing to push forward the vigorous operations of his predeceffor, to which also he added his own popularity with

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the foldiers under him. A body of French troops, whe. were fenfible of the importance of this fort, attempted to relieve it; but Johnfon attacked them with intrepidity: and fuccefs, for in less than an hour their whole army was put to the rout. The garrifon foon after perceiving the fate of their countrymen, furrendered prifoners of war. The fuccefs of General Amherst was lefs fplendid, though. not lefs ferviceable: upon arriving at the deftined place, he found the forts both of Crown Point and Ticonderago deferted and destroyed.

There now, therefore, remained but one grand and decifive blow to put all North America into the poffeffion of the English; and this was the taking of Quebec, the capital of Canada, a city handfomely built, populous, and flourishing. Admiral Saunders was appointed to commánd the naval part of the expedition; the fiege by land was committed to the conduct of General Wolfe, of whom the nation had great expectations. This young foldier, who was not yet thirty-five, had distinguished himself on many former occafions, particularly at the fiege of Louisburg; a part of the fuccefs of which was juftly

afcribed to him, who, without being indebted to A. D. family or connexions, had raised himself by merit 1759. to his prefent command.

The war in this part of the world had been hitherto carried on with extreme barbarity; and retaliating murders were continued without any one's knowing who first began. Wolfe, however, difdaining to imitate an example that had been fet him even by fome of his associate officers, carried on the war with all the fpirit of humanity which it admits of. It is not our aim to enter into a minute detail of the fiege of this city, which could at beft only give, amufement to a few; it will be fufficient to fay, that when we confider the fituation of a town on the fide of a great river, the fortifications with which it was fecured, the natural strength of the country, the great number of veffels and floating batteries the enemy had provided for the defence of the river, the numerous bodies of favages continually hovering round the English army, we must own there was such a combination of difficulties as might difcourage and perplex the moft refolute com

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mander. The General himself feemed perfectly fenfible of the difficulty of the undertaking. After ftating, in a letter to the miniftry, the dangers that prefented, "I "know,” "faid he, "that the affairs of Great Britain re"quire the moft vigorous meafures. But then the cou" rage of a handful of brave men fhould be exerted only "where there is fome hope of a favourable event. "prefent the difficulties are fo various, that I am at a lofs how to determine." The only profpect of attempting the town with fuccefs was by landing a body of troops in the night below the town, who were to clamber up the banks of the river, and take poffeffion of the ground on the back of the city. This attempt, however, appeared peculiarly difcouraging. The ftream was rapid, the fhore fhelving, the bank above lined with centinels, the landing place fo narrow as to be eafily miffed in the dark, and the fteepness of the ground fuch as hardly to be furmounted in the day-time. All thefe difficulties, however, were furmounted by the conduct of the General, and the bravery of the men. Colonel Howe, with the light infantry and the Highlanders, afcended the woody precipices with admirable courage and activity, and diflodged a fmall body of troops that defended a narrow path-way up the bank: thus a few mounting, the General drew the reft up in order as they arrived. Monfieur de Montcalm, the French commander, was no fooner apprized that the English had gained thefe heights, which he had confidently deemed inacceffible, than he refolved to hazard a battle; and a furious encounter quickly began. This was one of the most defperate engagements during this war. The French General was flain; the fecond in command 'fhared the fame fate, General Wolfe was ftationed on the right, where the attack was moft warm; as he ftood confpicuous in the front line, he had been aimed at by the enemies marksmen, and received a shot in the wrift, which, however, did not oblige him to quit. the field. Having wrapped an handkerchief round his hand, he continued giving orders without the leaft emotion, and advanced at the head of the grenadiers with their bayonets fixed; but a fecond ball, more fatal, pierced his breaft; fo that, unable to proceed, he leaned

the fhoulder of a foldier that was next him. Now, ftruggling in the agonies of death, and juft expiring, he heard a voice cry, "They run!" Upon which he seemed for a moment to revive, and asking who ran, was informed the French. Expreffing his wonder that they ran fo foon, and unable to gaze any longer, he funk on the foldier's breaft, and his laft words were, "I die happy." Perhaps the lofs of the English that day was greater than the conqueft of Canada was advantageous. But it is the lot of mankind only to know true merit on that dreadful occafion, when they are going to lofe it.

The furrender of Quebec was the confequence of this victory; and with it foon after the total ceffion of all Ca. nada. The French indeed the following feafon made a vigorous effort to retake the city; but by the refolution of Governor Murray, and the appearance of an English fleet under the command of lord Colville, they were obliged to abandon the enterprife. The whole province was foon after reduced by the prudence and activity of General Amhurft, who obliged the French army to capi tulate, and it has fince remained annexed to the British empire. To thefe conquefts about the fame time was added the reduction of the island of Guadaloupe, under Commodore More, and General Hopfon, an acquifition of great importance; but which was restored at the fucceeding peace.

Thefe fucceffes in India and America were great, though achieved by no very expenfive efforts: on the contrary, the efforts the English made in Europe, and the operations of their great ally, the king of Pruffia, were aftonishing, yet produced no fignal advantages.

England was all this time happily retired from the miferies which oppreffed the reft of Europe; yet from her natural military ardour fhe feemed defirous of sharing thofe dangers of which he was only a spectator. This paffion for fharing in a continental war was not lefs pleafing to the king of England, from his native attachments, than from a defire of revenge upon the plunderers of his country. As foon therefore as it was known that prince Ferdinand had put himself at the head of the Hanoverian army, to affift the king of Pruffia, his Britannic majefty,