been cut off, if a fresh body had not arrived to their relief. Arms were now taken up in every quarter, and they assumed the title of the UNITED COLONIES OF AMERICA. Their first resolutions were for raising an army, for establish ing an extensive paper-currency, and for stopping all exportations to those places which still retained their obedience. About 240 provincials next took the garrison of Ticonderoga and Crown-point, without any loss of men; and here they found plenty of military stores. Great Britain increased her army, and sent over the generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton.

These inimical proceedings did not terrify the congress, who encouraged the people of Massachusetts Bay to resume their chartered rights, ordered the blockade of Boston to be continued, and that they might secure Charles-town, in one night they raised very considerable works on Bunker's hill. As soon as they were discovered in the morning, a very heavy fire ensued from the ships, from the floating batteries, and from Cop's hill in Boston. The Americans bore this severe fire with great firmness, and appeared to go on with their business, as if no enemy had been near, nor any danger in the service. About noon, general Gage caused a considerable body

of troops to be embarked, under the command of major-general Howe, and brigadier-general Pigot, to drive the provincials from their works. This detachment, together with a reinforcement which it afterwards received, amounted in the whole to more than two thousand men. The attack was begun by a most severe fire of cannon

and howitzers, under which the troops advanced very slowly towards the enemy, and halted several times, to afford an opportunity to the artillery to ruin the works, and to put the Americans into confusion. The latter, however, threw some men into the houses of Charles-town, which covered their right flank; by which means general Pigot, who commanded the left wing of the king's troops, was at once engaged with the lines, and with those of the houses. He attacked the Americans with great ardor, who, on their part, sustained a very heavy and continual fire of small arms and artillery, with remarkable firmness and resolution. They did not return a shot until the king's forces had approached almost to the works, when a most dreadful fire took place, by which great numbers of the British troops fell, and many of their officers. They were thereupon thrown into disorder; but being rallied, and again brought to the charge, they attacked the works of the Americans with fixed bayonets, and irresistible fury, and forced them on every quarter. Many of the provincials were destitute of bayonets, and their ammunition is said to have been expended; however, a number of them fought desperately within the works, from which they were not driven without great difficulty; and at length retreated slowly over Charles-town neck. Charles-town itself, during the action, was set on fire in several places, and burnt to the ground. This was the first settlement made in the colony, and was considered as the mother of Boston; that town owing its birth and nurture to emigrants from the former.

Charles-town was a large, handsome, and wellbuilt town, both in respect to its public and private edifices. It contained about 400 houses, and had a great trade. The loss of the king's troops, in the action of Bunker's hill, amounted to 226 killed, and more than 800 wounded, including many officers.

CHAP. XCIII.

"Of the Riots in London, A. D. 1710.

THE middle of this year was distinguished by one of the most disgraceful exhibitions of religious bigotry that had ever appeared in this country; especially if it be considered, as happening in an age, in which the principles of toleration were well understood, and very prevalent. An act of parliament had been lately passed, "for relieving his majesty's subjects professing the Romish religion, from certain penalties and disabilities, imposed upon them in the eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of king William III." This act was generally approved by men of sense, and of liberal sentiments, by whom the laws against the Papists were justly deemed too severe. The act at first, seemed to give little offence to persons of any class in England; but in Scotland it excited much indignation, though it did not extend to that kingdom. Resolutions were formed to oppose any law for granting indulgences to Papists in Scotland; and a Romish

chapel was burnt, and the houses of several ple demolished, in the city of Edinburgh.

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The contagion of bigotry at length reached England. A number of persons assembled themselves together, with a view of promoting a petition to parliament, for a repeal of the late act in favor of the Papists, and they assumed the title of the Protestant Association. They were chiefly Methodists and bigotted Calvinists, in the lower ranks of life; many of them wellintentioned persons, and having a just dislike to Popery, but not sufficiently enlightened to consider, that a spirit of persecution was one of the worst characteristics of that system of superstition, and that this was, at least, as odious in Protestants as in Papists.

They continued to hold frequent meetings.Lord George Gordon became their president, and they increased in numbers. At a time when the nation was surrounded with real dangers, the heads of these weak men were filled with nothing but the fear of Popery; and they even seemed to fancy that they were contending for religious liberty, when they were laboring to excite the legislature to prevent some of their fellow-sub. jects from worshipping God according to the dictates of their consciences.

The Protestant Association having at length agreed to a petition, which was said to have been subscribed by more than one hundred thousand persons, the utmost industry having been used to procure names to it; it was resolved, in order to give the more weight to the petition, that it should be attended by great numbers of the pe

titioners in person; and a public advertisement was issued for that purpose, signed by Lord George Gordon. Accordingly, at least fifty thousand persons are supposed to have assembled with this view, on Friday, the second of June, in St. George's fields, from whence they proceeded, with blue cockades in their hats, with much order and regularity, to the House of Commons, where their petition was presented by their president.-In the course of the day, several members of both houses of parliament were grossly insulted and ill-treated by the populace; and a mob assembled the same evening, by which the Sardinian chapel in Warwickstreet, Golden-square, was entirely demolished. A party of the guards was then sent for, to put a stop to the farther progress of these violences, and thirteen of the rioters were taken, five of whom were afterwards committed to Newgate, escorted by the military. On the Sunday following, another mob assembled, and destroyed a Popish chapel in Rope-maker's-alley, Moorfields. On the Monday they demolished a school-house; and three dwelling-houses, in the same place, belonging to the Romish priests, with a valuable library of books. They also des troyed all the houshold furniture of Sir George Saville, one of the most respectable men in the kingdom, because he had brought in the bill in favor of the Papists.

On Tuesday, great numbers again assembled about the parliament-house, and behaved so tumultuously, that both houses thought proper to adjourn. In the evening, a most daring and vio