He had often wished to breathe his last at Battersea; an event which happened on the 15th of November, 1751, on the verge of four-score years of age. His remains were interred, with those of his ancestors, in that church; where there is a marble monument erected to his memory, with this inscription: Here lies HENRY ST. JOHN ; In the reign of queen Anne Exposed him to a long and severe persecution, 'The enemy of no national party, The friend of no faction. Distinguished under the cloud of a proscription, He survived all his brothers; so that the estate and honor descended to his nephew, the present lord viscount Bolingbroke and St. John, whom he constituted likewise the testamentary-heir and as his lady died many years before him, so the disputes in law about her fortune happening to be finally determined about the time of his decease, by that lucky event the nephew reaped the whole benefit of his uncle's kindness immediately. His lordship left the care and advantage of his manuscripts to Mr. Mallet, who published three tracts, in one volume 8vo. in 1753, and four volumes more the following year; in which the trustee, it seems, consulted his own profit, more than his noble benefactor's fame; as appears from a presentment of the grand-jury of Westminister, made on the 16th of October the same year, 1754, of these posthumous works in four volumes, " as tending in the general scope of several pieces therein contained, as well as many particular expressions which had been laid before them, to the subversion of religion, government and morality: and being also against his majesty's peace." Indeed it is almost needless to tell the world now, that in respect to his religion, he was undoubtedly a professed deist; but ignorance and malice carried the charge farther, and the theological dissertations in his posthumous works have been branded as athestical, without the least shadow of reason or evidence. In a word, with all his passions, and with all his faults, he will perhaps, says the writer of his life," be acknowledged by posterity in general, as I think he is by the majority of the present age, to have been in many respects, one of the most extraordinary persons who adorned it." ** Authorities. fixed to his works. Memoirs of the life of lord Bolingbroke pre- Annals of Geo. 1. vol. 1. and 2. THE LIFE OF MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES WOLFE. [A. D. 1726, to 1759.] No era of the British history exhibits brighter examples of milita ry glory, than that in which the immortal Wolfe stood forth to rival the greatest characters of antiquity. In his time, an animated love of their country, and an ardent zeal in its service, prevailed amongst the land and sea officers, which communicated the influence of example to the private men, and, under providence, pro. duced such a series of rapid and signal successes as can scarcely be paralleled in the annals of any nation. The lustre they reflected on the sovereign, on the able minister who had the chief management of public affairs, and on the whole mation, is still fresh in the memories of most of our countrymen. May similar circumstances in future times call forth the exertions of equal wisdom in the cabinet, and of as signal valour in the field, and on the ocean! but till this happens, let us be permitted without meaning to give offence to the powers in being, to recommend to the rising generation an attentive perusal of the great events which distinguish the year 1759, in our history, and the three following years; when Great Britain, like the fabled phoenix, seemed to acquire new life and vigour from the ashes of her beloved hero, and soared to the summit of human grandeur. We shall now lay before our readers the few, but glorious incidents of the short life of a gallant young officer, who had a principal share in forming the national glory of the æra. James Wolfe was the son of lieutenant general Edward Wolfe, an officer of distinguished worth, who served under the duke of Marlborough, and was very active under general Wightman, in suppressing the rebellion of 1715, in Scotland. His renowned son was born at Westerham, in the county of Kent, as it appears by his baptismal register, bearing date the 11th of January, 1726. It is to be lamented that we have no memoirs of his juvenile years; for in the first dawnings of reason, men of superior genius often discover unerring indications of uncommon abilities; perhaps in his very sports and pastimes, we might have traced that amazing for titude, indefatigable assiduity, cool judgment and alacrity, for which he was afterwards so justly famed. He must have been educated for the army almost from his infancy, since honorable mention is made of his personal bravery at the battle of La-Feldt, in Austrian-Flanders, fought in the year 1747, when he was only in the twentieth year of his age. We are not told what rank he held at that time; but his royal highness, the late duke of Cumberland, the commander-in-chief, highlyextolled his behaviour, and took every opportunity to reward him by promotion. The gradations of his rise are not ascertained; we are only informed, that during the whole war, he continued improving his military talents, that he was present at every engage ment, and never passed undistinguished. His promotion, therefore, must have been as rapid as his merit was great, for we find him holding the rank of lieutenant-colonel of Kingsley's regiment Soon after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748. In this station during the peace, he continually cultivated the art of war, and introduced the most exact discipline and regular behaviour into his corps, without exercising any severity; the love his soldiers bore him being manifested in their readiness to obey his orders. In the year 1754, a fresh rupture with France seemed inevitable, from the evasive answers given by that court, to the repeated remon strances made by the British ambassador, against the depredations and encroachments made by their subjects at the back of the British settlements, along the banks of the river Ohio, in North America ; they even went so far as to build forts within two hundred and twenty-five miles of Philadelphia. Hostilities commenced on both sides, in consequence of this violation of the treaty of peace; but war was not formally declared, till 1756; and for a short time nothing but disappointments and losses attended the British arms, till Mr. Pitt afterwards earl of Chatham, being firmly seated at the head of the administration, gave one of the most striking proofs of his superior abilities for conducting an extensive war, by seeking for and employing in the land and sea-service, men of the most enterprising and active genius, who had signalized themselves, upon important occasions, in a manner beyond what could be expected, either from their years or experience. Of this number was colonel Wolfe, who was raised by the minister to the rank of brigadier-general, and sent out under majorgeneral Amherst, upon the grand expedition against Louisbourg, the capital of the island of Cape-breton. At the siege of this important place, he greatly raised his military reputation; for he was the first general officer who landed the left division of the army, amidst the strong and continued fire of the enemy from their batteries on the shore; and notwithstanding an impetuous surf, which overset some of the boats, he calmly gave orders to be rowed to the shore, where he exhibited uncommon valour and activity, by making good his descent, and maintaining his post, till he had covered the debarkation of the middle and the right divisions of the land-forces, commanded by brigadiers Whitmore and Lawrence. He then marched with a strong detachment round the northeast part of the harbour, and took possession of the Light-house point, where he erected several batteries against the ships and the island-fortification; by which dexterous mancevere, the success of the whole enterprize was in a great measure secured. The regular approaches in the town were now conducted by the engineers, under the immediate command and inspection of general Amherst; but still the indefatigable Wolfe, with his detached party, raised seve. ral batteries, wherever he found a proper situation for annoying the enemy; and these did great execution both within the town and upon the shipping in the harbour. On the 27th of July, 1758, Louisbourg surrendered; and captain Amherst, brother to the general, was dispatched in a vessel to carry the joyful news to England; he also carried with him eleven pair of colours taken at the siege, which were carried in great triumph from the palace at Kensington to St. Paul's. The principal share brigadier Wolfe was known to have had in this important conquest, induced Mr. Pitt to make choice of him to command a still more capital expedition the ensuing campaign with this view he was promoted to the rank of major, general. The plan of operation for the campaign of 1759 in North-America was then concerted in the cabinet; and it was resolved that Wolfe, as soon as the season of the year would admit, should sail up the river St. Laurence, with a body of 8000 men, aided by a considerable squadron of ships from England, to undertake the siege of Quebec; that general Amherst, the commander-in-chief, should, with another army of about 12,000 men, reduce Ticonderoga and Crown Point, cross the lake Champlain, proceed along the river Richlieu to the banks of St. Laurence, and join general Wolfe in the siege of Quebec. General Amherst, however, though he succeeded in reducing Ticonderoga and Crown Point, afterwards found himself under a necessity to support that part of the plan which had been entrusted to brigadier Prideaux, who was to attack Niagara; in which attempt he was killed by the bursting of a cohorn, while he was visiting the trenches. Upon receiving the news of this disaster, and that the French had been reinforced, general Amherst sent a large detachment from his army, under brigadier Gage, to join Sir William Johnson, on whom the command devolved, and to sustain the siege. Niagara surrendered, after a victory gained over the French on the 24th of July, 1759; and thus two parts in three of the plan of operations were happily executed; but the time necessarily employed in these services, made it impossible to comply with the general instructions to assist Wolfe in the siege of Quebec, |