CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORIAN: RECO11 PUBLIC EVENTS. HISTORICAL POLITICAL, HOGR...RE DURE — L. JESSES. LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN 1526. 746. PREFACE. CHRONOLOGY has justly been considered a useful help to History; and a judicious abstract of the remarkable occurrences in a State, not only impresses on the memory the principal features of its history, but serves as a record to be referred to, as occasion may require, of the Political and Domestic Annals of the Country. FACTS, which lie scattered in various, and frequently expensive books, are collected in one view, under the reigns of the different Monarchs, and are arranged in succession, forming "An Abstract and brief Chronicle of the Times." WORKS of this description have hitherto been too diffuse or too much epitomized: the Compiler of the present work has endeavoured to steer a middle course; by rejecting trifling and unimportant matter, he has retained all such prominent events, whether Political, Literary, or Domestic, as might fairly claim observance in a work of this nature. THOMAS SALMON, a voluminous writer of the last century, compiled a Chronology upon the plan of the present work, comprized in two duodecimo volumes, bringing the events down to the reign of GEO. II.; a subsequent work, published anonymously, (taking the basis of SALMON's labours) extended it to three volumes octavo, thereby adding much to the size, but little to the value of the Original Publication, the events being only recorded to the commencement of the reign of GEO. III., although the work was published many years ii after that period; this work contained long and uninteresting details of coronations, funeral processions, and prolix narratives of events, some of little, and others of no political importance; it has been the study of the present Compiler to omit the unimportant, and condense the material facts, by which means he has been enabled to compress all that, in his opinion, was worth preserving of the 3 vols. in the first Volume of this Work. THE long and eventful reign of his late Majesty, GEO. III., remained to be analyzed, and the whole of the second Volume comprises that interesting period of English History. THE Compiler has, in addition to a narration of facts, interspersed under the various reigns, a Chronological Series of cotemporary Sovereigns, Statesmen, Law and Municipal officers, and numerous Statistical Tables; thereby, he trusts, not only rendering the Work an amusing, but a useful Compendium of Historical data. As the Work professes only to comprise the Chronology of Great Britain, and its Dependencies, foreign affairs are only incidentally noticed, except, when politically connected with the interests of the United Kingdom, of this the French Revolution is a striking example, which, at first confined to its own territory, subsequently involved the safety, not only of this Country, but of the whole civilized World. It would be impossible to aver, with truth, that in a Work, for which so many authorities have been examined, that no inaccuracies will be found, but the Compiler hopes that they are few in number, and not of much importance, it having been his principal care, in doubtful cases, to consult every authentic source of information. THE CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORIAN. GOVERNMENT OF THE ROMANS. ANNO ANTE CHRISTI, 55. JULIUS CÆSAR first invaded Britain with two legions on the 20th of August; he landed at Dover, and the first battle was fought at Deal. He had sent before him Comius, king of the Attrebatii, to invite the Britons to enter into an alliance, but they imprisoned him and refused any negotiation. The Britons being defeated released Comius and sued for peace, which was granted on their giving hostages for their fidelity, and Cæsar reimbarked his troops on the 20th of September. Britain was at this time divided into several petty kingdoms, which were now united under Cassivelaunus. 54. Cæsar made a second descent with a fleet of 600. vessels and twenty-eight gallies, in which he embarked five legions and 2000 horse; he landed without opposition, and advanced to Stour, near Canterbury, where he defeated the Britons, May 20th; he passed the Thames at Cowey Stakes, and penetrated as far as Verulam (St. Albans). Cæsar imposed a tribute of £3000 on the Britons, and Cassivelaunus and the princes of south Britain having submitted, and given hostages, the Romans returned to the continent, 26th September. 23. The first coin made in Britain in the reign of Cunobeline. ANN. DOM. 9. The river Humber overflowed its banks and laid the adjacent country several miles under water. VOL. 1. 46. Claudius, the Roman emperor, sent Plautius into Britain with an army, who attacked and defeated Caractacus in three successive battles, and the emperor following him in person, the next year subdued the greater part of the island, by which he acquired the title of Britannicus. 48. Christianity first introduced into Britain; it is said that the wife of Plautius and a British lady, Claudia Ruffina, were Christians. 50. London was fortified by the Romans, when it was founded seems lost in obscurity. 51. Ostorius Scapula, a Roman general, was sent to Britain in the room of Plautius; he defeated Caractacus king of the Silures (South Wales) and the Ordovices (North Wales), in several battles. Caractacus flying for protection to Cartismandua, queen of the Brigantes (Yorkshire), was delivered up by her to the Romans, but Claudius, in consequence of intrepid behaviour, restored him to liberty. 52. Ostorius routed the Britons, and fixed a camp between Littleborough and Doncaster, near Hatfield Forest, the remains of which are still visible. 53. Ostorius died in Britain, and Claudius sent Aulus Didius in his room, who, the same year, was removed, and Veranius (54) succeeded him, who dying (58), Suetonius Paulinus took the command. 60. The Christian religion is said to have been first publicly preached in Britain. 61. Prasutagus, king of the Iceni, in order to procure the emperor Nero's pro B |