6.They had done their work.Victory no doubt remained with the English.Their object had been to carry the American intrenchments，and they had carried them.But much greater than that was the gain of the Americans.They had proved to themselves and to the world that，with the help of some slight field-works，it was possible for undisciplined patriots to meet on equal termsthe best troops England could send against them.Henceforth the success ofthe Revolution was assured.“Thank God，”said Washington，when he heard of the battle；“the liberties of the country are safe.”
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1.5月，总数将近2万人的美国民兵封锁了波士顿，那里驻扎的盖奇的部队已经增加到了1万人。美国人修筑的工事，在波士顿西北部构成了一条20英里长的防线。在波士顿北边，一条水道将查尔斯顿分成两座小山，高一点的叫做邦克山，矮一点的叫做布瑞德山。由于这两座山完全俯瞰着波士顿城市，因此美国人决心夺占邦克山并在上面构筑防御工事。据说盖奇曾决定在6月18日晚上占领这些高地，但他总是习惯性地动作太迟。
2.在16日的晚上，1200名美国人在普里斯科特将军率领下，聚集在剑桥公地，并悄悄地向山顶进发。他们在仓促间垒起了工事。第二天早上，盖奇惊奇地看到，头一天晚上还是杳无人迹的草地的地方，已经出现了土木工事和密密麻麻的武装人员。
3.盖奇决定通过奇袭拿下工事。17日下午，豪威将军和皮哥特将军率领3000名精干人员离开波士顿，并在半岛上登陆。攻击计划再简单不过了。英军打算直接向山顶挺进，将未经训练的美国人赶走。但是，任务并不像看上去那样简单。这一天“异常地热”。英国士兵背着沉重的军需品和其他装备，以便占领高地之后能够固守。山坡很陡，杂草很高，而敌人既警惕又果敢。
4.尽管还有一段很远的距离，英军的步枪却走了火。美国人的防线那边没有什么回应，因为他们接到命令：直到能看见英国人的眼白时才开枪，然后向山下射击。当英军纵队离防御工事只有150码的距离时，一梭子弹又近又猛地射过来，英军不断有人哀嚎着滚下山坡。
5.他们又一次几乎触摸到美国人的工事，但又一次遭到了对方不计代价的反抗。英军于是脱去外套，将它们与背包一起放在山脚下，并决定用刺刀结束战斗。美国人的子弹已经打光了，他们只能给敌人最后一次齐射。英军云集在工事的矮墙上方。接下来就是短兵相接的肉搏战。美国人逃下山，穿过尼克前往剑桥，而英国人的船只则用霰弹，向他们所到之处扫射。
6.英军完成了自身的使命。胜利无疑留在英国人手里。他们的目标是占领美国人的防御工事，这一点他们做到了。但与之相比，美国人的收获要大得多。他们已经为自己并向全世界证明：只要凭借一些轻型的土木工事，这些未经训练的爱国者就有可能与英国所能派出来与他们作战的最精锐部队分庭抗礼。美国独立革命的成功由此得以确保。“感谢上帝，”华盛顿在听说这次战役时说，“美国的自由安全了。”
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GEORGE III.（PART II.）
乔治三世（二）
admiral，chief commander of the fleet.
bind，unite.
combined，united.
flagship，ship commanded by the admiral，and which bore his flag.
rigging，masts and sails.
scheme，plan.
1.On the death of the King and Queen of France，war was declared against the new Republic by England，Austria，Prussia，and other States The English took Toulon；but they were driven back by the French under NapoleonaBuonaparte，a Corsicanofficer，who soon drew to himself the attention of allEurope by his skill as a general.
2.He drove the Austrian forces out of Italy，and forced Prussia to sue for peace.Thereafter he sailed across the Mediterranean with a great fleet and army to invade Egypt，intending，if possible，to reach and conquer theIndian Empire.
After taking possession of Malta
d
on his way，he landed at Alexandria，
e
marched to
Cairo，
and gained the Battle of the Pyramids.
3.But his fleet was pursued by Nelson，the great English Admiral，and was utterly defeated infAboukir Bay，at the famous Battle of the Nile.
In this battle，which was fought in the night，nineNAPOLEON BUONAPARTE.
French ships were taken，and two burned：the flag-ship was blown up，and the French Admiral，with a crew of one thousand men，perished.Napoleon thena Corsican.-A native of Corsica，an island in the Mediteranean，near the coast of Italy.It belongs to France.
b Indian Empire.-Portion of India ruled over by England.
c Malta.-A small island in the Mediterranean，south of Sicily.
d Alexandria.-A famous city of Egypt，on the Mediterranean，near the western mouth of the Nile.
e Calro.-The chief city of Egypt；on the right bank of the Nile，112miles south-east of Alexandria.ThePyramids are on the opposite side of the Nile.
f Aboukir Bay.-East of Alexandria，between Aboukir Castle and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile.
marched to Syria；but being defeated there，he left his army，and returned to France.He was made Emperor in 1804.
4.The Irish were greatly displeased with the manner in which they were treated by the English Government.Soon after the French Revolution，they attempted a Rebellion；but it was speedily put down.It was felt，however，to be necessary to bind Ireland more closely to the empire.After much opposition in Ireland，the Union of theParliaments was effected.Ireland was to send thirty-two lords and one hundred commoners to the Imperial Parliament.
5.Having now several great armies at his command，Napoleon resolved on the conquest of Europe.He at once made plans for invading England，and collected a number of gun-boats to convey his troops；but he was so closely watched by Nelson that the scheme had to be given up.
6.Lord Nelson then attacked the combined fleets of France and Spain offaCape Trafalgar，and totally defeated them；but he lost his life by a bullet firedfrom the enemy’s rigging.His death caused the nation much grief；and to this sad loss was added in the following year that of the two greatest statesmen of the time；-William Pitt the younger （a son of the great Earl of Chatham）；and Charles James Fox，his rival in eloquence.
7.Napoleon tried to increase his power by filling the thrones of Europe with his relatives.Having craftily taken the King of Spain prisoner，he claimed the crown for his brother Joseph.At this the Spaniards were so enraged that they rose in arms，and called upon England for help.
8.An army of 10，000men was sent to Spain，under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley （afterwards Duke of Wellington）；and thus began thebPeninsular War.
A great number of battles were fought，in almost all of whichthe British troops were victorious.The French armies were step by step drivenacross the Pyrenees.
The last great battle was fought at Vittoria；after whicheWellington entered France，and defeated the French army at Toulouse.
a Trafalgar.-On the south-west coast of Spain；25miles south-east of Cadiz.
b Peninsular War.-So called because it was waged in Spain and Portugal，which form a well-known peninsula，south-west of France.
c Pyrenees.-Mountains between France and Spain.
d Vittoria.-Thirty miles south of Bilbao on the Bay of Biscay.
e Toulouse.-In the south of France；139miles south-east of Bordeaux.
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