reality a very disadvantageous one. Still Lord Bute was far from being popular. "He certainly at no time"-says the writer of an excellent series of papers on the changes of administration and history of parties in the Companion to the Newspaper'-" had any party in the country; and disclosures which have been since made would go to show, that he stood almost equally without support in the cabinet of which he appeared to be the head. He possessed the king's favour, and that seems to have been nearly the whole strength with which he attempted to wield the government. Every thing connected with him contributed to make him an object of dislike to the bulk of the nation,—his birth,—his pompous, haughty, and repulsive deportment,-his arbitrary politics,-the undeserved share he enjoyed of the king's confidence, the rewards and honours which he had in this way secured to himself, the absurd vanity and insolence of his attempt, without either commanding talents, or natural power, or influence of any other kind, to found, as it were, and build up a new system of government, in defiance alike of the whole peerage and the whole people, and with the aid of the prerogative alone. The feelings which were thus engendered waited only for an occasion on which to break out into a flame. This was afforded by a bill which was, in the course of the session, brought into parliament for imposing a tax upon cider, and subjecting the manufacture of that article to all the laws of the excise. Against this measure the opposition in parliament took their ground in the most determined spirit. That body had about this time become consolidated and strengthened by the union of its several sections; the leaders of which, in order to show the public their force, and the cordiality and concert with which they were disposed to act, agreed to dine together once a week at each other's houses. The first of these dinners was given by Lord Temple at his house in Pall Mall, about the end of February, 1763; the second by the duke of Newcastle in the beginning of March. Besides these two noblemen, the principal persons who were thus associated were, the dukes of Bolton, Devonshire, Grafton, and Portland, the marquess of Rockingham, the earls of Albemarle, Ashburnham, Besborough, Cornwallis, Hardwicke, Scarborough, and Spencer; Lords Abergavenny, Dacre, Fortescue, Grantham, Sondes, Walpole, and Villiers; Mr Pitt, Sir George Saville, Mr Charles Townshend, &c. Notwithstanding the opposition which it encountered at every step, the cider bill was carried through both houses. Except upon this single question, also, the ministerial majorities had yet suffered but little if any diminution. But while things were in this state, on the 8th of April, Lord Bute suddenly resigned. The true reasons

which induced him to take this unexpected step are most probably those assigned by himself in a letter to a friend, which has been published by Mr Adolphus in his History of the Reign of George III.' 'Single,' he says in that letter, 'in a cabinet of my own forming-no aid in the house of lords to support me except two peers, (Denbigh and Pomfret,) both the secretaries of state silent, and the lord-chief-justice, whom I brought myself into office, voting for me, yet speaking against me—the ground I tread upon is so hollow, that I am afraid not only of falling myself, but of involving my royal master in my ruin. It is time for me to retire.' When the favourite retired from office, however, he probably did not retire from power, but continued, while lurking behind the throne, to be nearly as much prime minister as he had been while stand

ing before it. His resignation at all events brought with it little immediate change either of measures or of men."

On the 3d of August, 1764, we find Horace Walpole writing: "The royal family reside chiefly at Richmond, whither scarce necessary servants attend them, and no mortal else but Lord Bute." Again, under date 9th September, he says: "The court, independent of politics, makes a strange figure. The recluse life led here at Richmond, which is carried to such an excess of privacy and economy, that the queen's friseur waits on them at dinner, and that four pounds only of beef are allowed for their soup, disgusts all sorts of people. The drawing-rooms are abandoned; Lady Buckingham was the only woman there on Sunday se'nnight. In short, one hears of nothing but dissatisfaction, which, in the city, rises almost to treason." Again, on the 3d November: "Our politics are all at a stand. The duke of Devonshire's death, I concluded, would make the ministry all-powerful, all-triumphant, and all-insolent. It does not appear to have done so. They are, I believe, extremely ill among themselves, and not better in their affairs, foreign or domestic. The unpopularity of the court is very great indeed-still I shall not be surprised if they maintain their ground a little longer." On the 22d January, 1765, he writes: "Lord Bute and George Gren ville are so ill together, that decency is scarce observed between their adherents; and the moment the former has an opportunity, or resolution enough, he will remove the latter."

Lord Bute did not again resume office from his retirement in April, 1763; but the above extracts sufficiently intimate the all-prevailing influence which continued to lead the sovereign's mind for some years at least after his lordship's professed retirement from public life. Lord Bute died on the 10th of March, 1792. He was warmly attached to literature, and patronized Dr Johnson and several of his literary contemporaries.

Lieutenant-General Burgoyne.

BORN A. D. 1730.-DIED A. D. 1792.

THIS officer was a natural son of Lord Bingley. He entered the army at an early age, and while yet a very young man succeeded in gaining the affections of Lady Charlotte Stanley, daughter of the earl of Derby. This alliance secured his professional success.

In 1762 he accompanied the British troops, sent to the assistance of Portugal, under Lord Tyrawley. In this service he greatly distinguished himself. The Count de la Lippe formed a design of attacking an advanced party of Spaniards in a town on the frontiers, called Va lencia d'Alcantara, where he heard they had amassed considerable magazines. The conduct of this enterprise was committed to Brigadiergeneral Burgoyne, who, though at a distance of five days' march, effected a complete surprise of the enemy on the morning of the 27th of August. He hoped to have reached the place the night before, and had made his dispositions for attack accordingly; but finding himself overtaken by day-light, he altered his plan, and advancing suddenly with his own dragoons and a small party of irregular cavalry at full

gallop, he entered the town of Valencia sword in hand, dispersed the guards that were in the great square, and secured the entrances with very little difficulty. The rest of his forces soon came up to support their gallant leader; and the Spanish general who was to have commanded in the intended invasion, and a great quantity of arms and ammunition fell into the hands of the victor, who brought away hostages for the care of the wounded, and the payment of the king's revenue for one year, in consideration of his having spared the town and convents. This important service was performed with very little loss on the part of the British troops; while the enemy had to lament the total destruction of one of the best regiments in the Spanish service. To prevent the entry of the Bourbon army into Alentejo was to the allies an object of the highest moment. General Burgoyne, by this expedition into the Spanish territories, had already prevented it on one side; and the vigilance and activity of the same officer had no small share in preventing it also on the other. That part of the Bourbon army which acted in the territory of Castel-Branco had made themselves masters of several important passes, and nothing remained but the passage of the Tagus to enable them to take up their quarters in Alentejo. General Burgoyne, who was posted with an intention to obstruct them in their passage, lay in the neighbourhood, and within view of a detached camp composed of a considerable body of their cavalry, near a village called Villa-Velha. Observing that the enemy kept no very soldierly guard in this post, and were uncovered in their rear and their flanks, he conceived a design of falling on them by surprise. He confided the execution of this design to Colonel Lee, who turned their camp, fell upon their rear in the night of the 6th of October, made a considerable slaughter, dispersed the whole party, destroyed their magazines, and returned with scarcely any loss. Burgoyne, in the mean time, supported him by a feint attack in another quarter, which prevented the enemy's being relieved from the adjacent posts.

In 1775 Burgoyne was appointed to a military command in North America. He returned to England the following year, and, after long conferences with the king and ministers, resumed his post in Canada in 1777. In the campaign of that year, Burgoyne's efforts were directed to the opening up of a communication between New York and Canada. For this service he had been furnished with upwards of 7000 regular troops, and an excellent train of artillery. The plan was that Burgoyne himself should advance, by way of Lake Champlain, upon Albany, or at least as far as might be necessary to effect a junction with Sir William Howe. A detachment was also to ascend the St Lawrence, as far as Lake Ontario, and from that quarter to penetrate towards Albany, by the Mohawk river. This was put under the command of Lieutenant-colonel St Leger. Burgoyne arrived in Quebec on the 6th of May, and on the 20th of June proceeded up Lake Champlain. At Crown Point he met the Indian auxiliaries, gave them a war-feast, and made a speech to them, well-calculated to excite them to take part with the royal army, but at the same time to repress their barbarity. At this place he issued orders, of which the following words are a part:- "The army embarks to-morrow to approach the enemy. The services required on this expedition are critical and conspicuous. During our progress occasions may occur, in which, nor difficulty, nor

labour, nor life, are to be regarded. This army must not retreat." From Crown Point the royal army proceeded to invest Ticonderoga. On their approach to it, they advanced with caution and order on both sides of the lake, while their naval force kept in its centre. Within a few days they had surrounded three-fourths of the American works at Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. In these circumstances General St Clair, the commanding officer, resolved to evacuate the post. The evacuation was completed with so much secrecy and expedition, that a considerable part of the public stores was saved, and the whole would have been embarked, had not a violent gale of wind which sprung up in the night prevented the boats from reaching their station. The British were no sooner apprized of the retreat of the Americans than they pursued them. General Frazer, at the head of the light troops, advanced on their main body. General Burgoyne in person conducted the pursuit by water. These efforts were all crowned with success, and the royalists cleared every thing before them as far as Skenesborough. From Skenesborough, Burgoyne directed his course across the country to Fort Edward on Hudson's river. Though the distance in a right line from the one point to the other is but a few miles, yet such is the impracticable nature of the country, and such were the artificial difficulties thrown in his way, that many days were consumed in effecting this march. The Americans, under the direction of General Schuyler had cut large trees on both sides of the road, so as to fall across with their branches interwoven. The face of the country was likewise so broken with creeks and marshes, that they had no less than forty bridges to construct, one of which was a log-work over a morass two miles in extent. This difficult march might have been avoided, had Burgoyne fallen back from Skenesborough to Ticonderoga, and thence proceeded by Lake George; but he declined this route, from an apprehension that a retrograde motion on his part would abate the panic of the enemy. At length, on the 30th of July, after incredible fatigue and labour, Burgoyne and the army under his command reached Fort Edward. A few days after the evacuation of Ticonderoga, General Schuyler had issued a proclamation, calling to mind the late barbarities and desolations committed by the royal army in Jersey, warning the people that they would be dealt with as traitors if they joined the British, and requiring them with their arms to repair to the American standard. Numerous parties were also employed in bringing off public stores, and in felling trees, and throwing obstructions in the way of the advancing royal army. The terror excited by the Indians, instead of disposing the inhabitants to court British protection, had a contrary effect. All the feeble aid which the royal army received from their Indian auxiliaries, was entirely overbalanced by the odium it brought on their cause, and by that determined spirit of opposition which the dread of their savage cruelties excited. An army was speedily poured forth from the woods and mountains, which hung around Burgoyne's troops, and impeded all their movements.

While Burgoyne was forcing his way down towards Albany, St Leger had ascended the St Lawrence, crossed Lake Ontario, and commenced the siege of Fort Schuyler. While the fate of Fort Schuyler was in suspense, it occurred to Burgoyne that a sudden and rapid movement forward would be of the utmost consequence. As the principal

force of his adversaries was in front, between him and Albany, he hoped, by advancing on them, to reduce them to the necessity of fighting, or of retreating into New England. After the evacuation of Ticonderoga, the Americans had fallen back from one place to another, till they at last reached Vanshaick's island. Soon after the retreating system was adopted, congress recalled their general officers, and put General Gates at the head of their northern army. His arrival gave fresh vigour to the exertions of the inhabitants. The militia collected in great numbers to his standard, and soon began to be animated with the hope of capturing the whole British army. When the necessary stores for thirty days' subsistence had been brought forward from Lake George, Burgoyne gave up all communication with the magazines in the rear, and on the 13th of September crossed Hudson's river. The rapid advance of Burgoyne, and especially his passage of the North river, added much to the impracticability of his future retreat, and in conjunction with subsequent events, made the total ruin of his army in a great degree unavoidable. General Burgoyne, after crossing the Hudson, advanced along its side, and in four days encamped on the heights, about two miles from General Gates' camp, which was three miles above Stillwater. The Americans came out to meet the advancing British, and engaged them with firmness and resolution. The attack began a little before mid-day, on the 19th of September, between the scouting parties of the two armies. The commanders on both sides reinforced their respective parties. The conflict was only partial for an hour and a half; but after a short pause it became general, and continued for three hours without intermission. Few actions have been characterised by more obstinacy in attack or defence; the British repeatedly tried the bayonet, but without their usual success in the use of that weapon. At length night put an end to the effusion of blood. This hard-fought battle decided nothing; but nevertheless was followed by important consequences. The Indian auxiliaries, disappointed of the plunder they expected, and beholding nothing before them but hardships and danger, began to desert in the season when their aid would have been most useful. Very little more perseverance was exhibited by the Canadians and other British provincials: they also abandoned the British standard, when they found that, instead of a flying and dispirited enemy, they had a numerous and resolute force opposed to them. These desertions were not the only disappointment which General Burgoyne experienced. From the commencement of the expedition, he had promised himself a strong reinforcement from that part of the British army which was stationed at New York; he depended on its being able to force its way to Albany, and to join him there, or in the vicinity. This co-operation, though attempted, failed in the execution, while the expectation of it contributed to involve him in difficulties to which he would not have otherwise been exposed. While Burgoyne was pushing on towards Albany, an unsuccessful attempt to relieve him was made by the British commander in New York. For this purpose, Sir Henry Clinton conducted an expedition up Hudson's river, of about 3000 men, accompanied by a suitable naval force; after making many feints he landed at Stoney Point, marched over the mountains to Fort Montgomery, and attacked the different redoubts. The reduction of this post furnished the British with an opportunity for opening a pass