A History of England, Period III. Constitutional Monarchy

Chapter I: Part 1

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A HISTORY OF ENGLAND

_CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY_

1689-1837

_A HISTORY OF ENGLAND._

_By the_ Rev. J. FRANCK BRIGHT, M.A., _Fellow of University College, and Historical Lecturer in Balliol, New, and University Colleges, Oxford; late Master of the Modern School in Marlborough College_.

With numerous Maps and Plans. _New Editions._ Crown 8vo.

This work is divided into three Periods of convenient and handy size, especially adapted for use in Schools, as well as for Students reading special portions of History for local and other Examinations.

Period I.--MEDIÆVAL MONARCHY: The Departure of the Romans, to Richard III. From A.D. 449 to A.D. 1485. 4_s._ 6_d._

Period II.--PERSONAL MONARCHY: Henry VII. to James II. From A.D. 1485 to A.D. 1688. 5_s._

Period III.--CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY: William and Mary to the Present Time. From A.D. 1689 to A.D. 1837. 7_s._ 6_d._

[_All rights reserved._]

HISTORY OF ENGLAND

BY THE REV.

J. FRANCK BRIGHT, M.A.

FELLOW OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, AND HISTORICAL LECTURER IN BALLIOL,
NEW, AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES, OXFORD; LATE MASTER OF THE MODERN
SCHOOL IN MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE

_PERIOD III._

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

William and Mary to William IV.

1689-1837

With Maps and Plans

RIVINGTONS
_WATERLOO PLACE, LONDON_
Oxford and Cambridge
MDCCCLXXX

[_Third Edition_]

A LIST OF SOME USEFUL AUTHORITIES.

GENERAL HISTORIES.

Macaulay's _History of England_, 1600-1702. Macaulay's _Essays_.
Mahon's _History of England_, 1713-1783. Massey's _History of
England_, 1745-1802. Martineau's _History of the Peace_, 1800-1848.
Erskine May's _Constitutional History_, 1760-1860. Ralph's _History
of England_, 1689-1727. Pauli's _Geschichte Englands_, from 1814.

BOOKS OF GENERAL REFERENCE.

Cobbett's _Parliamentary History_, to 1803. Hansard's _Debates_,
from 1803. _The Monthly Mercury_, from 1690. _The Annual Register_,
from 1758. _State Tracts._ Anderson's _History of Commerce_.
Maculloch's _Commercial Dictionary_. Eden's _State of the Poor_.
Howell's _State Trials_. Macpherson's _State Papers_, 1688-1714.
Hardwicke's _State Papers_, to 1727.

FOREIGN HISTORIES.

_Documens inédits sur l'Histoire de France_ (for the Spanish
succession). Sismondi or Martin's _Histoire de France_, to 1789.
Von Sybel's _French Revolution_. Lanfrey's _Histoire de Napoleon_.
Ranke's _History of Prussia_. Bancroft's _History of the United
States_. Mill's _History of India_. Grant Duff's _History of the
Mahrattas_. The _Despatches_ of Wellesley and Cornwallis. Froude's
_The English in Ireland_, to 1800.

WILLIAM III.

Burnet's _History of his Own Time_, 1660-1713. Kennett's _History
of England_, vol. iii. Defoe's Works are instructive as to the
state of England at this time.

ANNE.

Stanhope's _Reign of Queen Anne_. Coxe's _Life of Marlborough_.
Marlborough's _Letters and Despatches_, 1702-1712. _Bolingbroke's
Correspondence._ _Life of Sacheverel._

GEORGE I.

Swift's _Drapier's Letters_, etc. _The Stuart Papers_, edited by
Glover. Coxe's _Life of Walpole_. Boyer's _Political State of Great
Britain_.

GEORGE II.

Hervey's _Memoirs of the Reign of George II._, 1727-1742. Horace
Walpole's _Memoirs of the Reign of George II._, 1751-1760.
Doddington's _Diary_, 1749-1761. Waldegrave's _Memoirs_, 1754-1758.
Southey's _Life of Wesley_. Philip's _Life and Times of Whitfield_.
Johnstone's _Memoirs of the Rebellion of 1745_.

GEORGE III.

Horace Walpole's _Memoirs of the Reign of George III._, 1760-1771.
_The Letters of Junius._ _The Grenville Papers._ _The Bedford
Correspondence._ Buckingham's _Memoirs of the Court and Cabinet of
George III._ Russell's _Life of Fox_. Thackeray's _Life of
Chatham_. Stanhope's _Life of Pitt_. Wilberforce's _Life_.
Malmesbury's _Diary and Correspondence_. _The Cornwallis
Correspondence, 1770-1805._ Napier's _Peninsula War_. _Life of
Bamford the Radical._ Lord Dudley's _Letters_, 1814-1823. Bell and
Stapleton's _Lives of Canning_.

It is not, however, necessary to give a detailed list of authorities, which would be little more than a catalogue of the lives, letters, and memoirs of most of the important men of the time. Of these the number is constantly being augmented, and it is from them and the contemporary tracts, monographs, pamphlets, and fugitive writings that the details of the History must be drawn.

CONTENTS.

WILLIAM AND MARY. 1689-1702.

PAGE

1689 The Declaration of Right, 806
=Character of the Revolution=, 806
Personal unpopularity of William, 807
Discontent of the clergy and the army, 807
The Convention turned into a Parliament, 808
William's difficulties in forming a ministry, 808
Settlement of the revenue, 810
Settlement of the Church, 810
Oaths of allegiance and supremacy, 811
=The European war breaks out=, 811
Devastation of the Palatinate, 812
=State of Ireland=, 812
Panic among the Englishry, 813
Londonderry and Enniskillen garrisoned, 813
Negotiations with Tyrconnel, 813
James goes to Ireland, 814
Character of the Irish Jacobites, 814
Siege of Londonderry, 815
Wild legislation of the Irish Parliament, 815
Its effect on the English Jacobites, 816
Battle of Newton Butler, 816
=Character of the Revolution in Scotland=, 817
Contrast of the letters from James and William, 818
Highland politics, 819
Dundee in the Highlands, 820
=Battle of Killiecrankie=, 820
Mackay concludes the war, 821
Factions of the English Parliament, 821
=William threatens to leave England=, 824

1690 =William dissolves Parliament, and undertakes
the Irish war=, 824
Tory reaction in the new Parliament, 824
Cause of the venality of Parliament, 824
Settlement of the revenue, 825
The Act of Grace, 825
Discovery of a Jacobite plot, 825
=Battle of Beachy Head=, 826
=Battle of the Boyne=, 827
James's flight from Ireland, 828
Siege of Limerick, 828
William returns to England, 828

1691 Siege of Athlone, 829
=Battle of Aghrim=, 830
Second siege of Limerick, 830
=End of the Irish war=, 830
The Revolution completed in Scotland, 830
Jacobite plots in England, 831
=William's successful policy abroad=, 831
=First crisis of the war over=, 832
James's hopes upheld by the treason of the ministry, 832

1692 Marlborough, suspected of treason, deprived of his
offices, 833
The Queen's quarrel with her sister, 834
Massacre of Glencoe, 834
=Threatened invasion of England=, 836
=Battle of La Hogue=, 837
=Second crisis of the war over=, 838
Fall of Namur, 838
Battle of Steinkirk, 838
The discontent of Parliament, 839

1693 Montague's financial measures, 839
Disastrous campaign, 840
Battle of Landen, 841
Loss of the Smyrna fleet, 841
=Factions in Parliament necessitate the gradual formation
of a united Whig ministry=, 842

1694 Establishment of the Bank of England, 843
The Triennial Act passed, 844
Death of Queen Mary, 844

1695 Expulsion of Trevor and Caermarthen for venality, 845

1694 =Success abroad=, 846
Treachery of Marlborough at Brest, 846

1695 Campaign in Flanders, 847
Surrender of Namur, 848
=William's triumphant return=, 848
=New Whig Parliament=, 848

1696 Re-establishment of the currency, 848
William's want of money, 851
Failure of the Land Bank scheme, 851
The Bank of England supplies the money, 852
The credit of England restored, 853
The Assassination plot, 853
Trial of Sir John Fenwick, 855

1697 =Complete triumph of the Whigs=, 856
=Treaty of Ryswick=, 858
The Parliament reduces the standing army, 859

1698 Coalition of the rival East India Companies, 861
William's attention directed to the Spanish succession, 862
=First Partition Treaty=, 863
=The Country Party in the new Parliament=, 864

1699 William's grief at the dismissal of the Dutch guards, 864
Rivalry between the two Houses, 865
The Darien scheme, 865
Question of Irish forfeitures, 868

1700 The Resumption Bill passed, 868
=Second Partition Treaty=, 869
Unpopularity of William and the ministry, 870
=New Tory ministry=, 870

1701 New Parliament, 870
The Succession Act, 871
Impeachments against the Whigs, 871
The Kentish Petition, 872
The Legion Memorial, 872
The Grand Alliance, 873
Death of James II., 873
Louis rouses English patriotism by acknowledging the
Pretender, 873

1702 New Parliament and changes in the ministry, 874
=Death of William=, 874

ANNE. 1702-1714.

=Marlborough's power=, 875
Work of the first Parliament, 876
Tory ministry, 876
=Beginning of the war=, 877
Marlborough's first campaign, 878
Position of Holland, 878

1703 Savoy and Portugal join the coalition, 880

1704 Critical position of Austria, 882
=Battle of Blenheim=, 885
Progress of the war in Spain, the Cevennes, and Italy, 887

1705 Failure of Marlborough's plans, 888
Peterborough's success in Spain, 889

1706 =Battle of Ramillies=, 892
Results of the victory, 893
French disasters make Louis desire peace, 894
Marlborough rejects his terms, 894

1707 The tide of victory turns, 895

1708 Threatened invasion of Scotland, 896
=Battle of Oudenarde=, 898
Siege of Lille, 900
Capture of Port Mahon, 901

1709 Louis offers to negotiate, 902
He rejects the high demands of the allies, 903
=Battle of Malplaquet=, 903

1702 =Summary of political parties=, 905
=Marlborough seeks the support of all parties for
the war=, 905
Tory Parliament, 906

1703 Dismissal of Rochester, 906
Occasional Conformity Bill rejected, 906
The Methuen Treaty, 907

1704 Disputes on the Aylesbury election, 908
Dismissal of Nottingham, Jersey, and Seymour, 908

1705 =Gradual introduction of Whig ministers=, 910

1707 Weakness of the composite ministry, 911
Harley's intrigues against Marlborough, 911

1708 Harley and his colleagues resign, 912
=A Whig ministry=, 913

1709 Insecurity of Marlborough's position, 913

1710 =Fall of the Whigs=, 914
Dr. Sacheverell's sermons, 914
Dismissal of Sunderland and Godolphin, 914
=Harley's Tory ministry=, 915
Conference at Gertruydenberg, 915
The war in Spain, 915
Harley's policy, 916

1711 Peace negotiations, 917
Attack on Marlborough in Parliament, 919

1712 Ormond given command of the army, 920

1713 =Peace of Utrecht=, 921
Conduct of Harley and Bolingbroke on the succession
question, 922

1714 New Tory Parliament, 922
Jacobite intrigues, 923
The Queen's death, 924

1702 Lengthened negotiations for the Union of England and
Scotland, 924

1707 =The Union completed=, 928

GEORGE I. 1714-1727.

1714 Probability of a restoration of the Stuarts, 929
Council of Regency, 930
=Peaceful accession of the King=, 930
New Whig ministry, 931
=The Hanoverian succession a Whig triumph=, 931
Riots in the country, 931

1715 Impeachment of the late ministers, 932
=The Jacobite rebellion=, 932
Disaffection in Scotland, 933
Failure of the Jacobite hopes of French help, 933
Mar organizes the insurrection in Scotland, 934
Vigorous measures of the Government, 935
Mar's success in the Highlands, 935
Forster defeated at Preston, 936
Mar defeated at Sheriffmuir, 937

1716 The Pretender arrives, but shortly withdraws again, 937
Punishment of the rebels, 938
=The Septennial Act=, 938
=First signs of the disruption of the ministry=, 940
George goes to Hanover with Stanhope, 940
Negotiations with France, 940
Hanover threatened by Charles XII., 941
=Dismissal of Townshend=, 942

1717 =The Triple Alliance=, 942
=Stanhope's ministry=, 942
=Threatening state of Europe=, 942
Danger to England from Charles XII., 943
And from Alberoni, 944

1718 =The Quadruple Alliance=, 945

1719 Fall of Alberoni, 946

1720 European peace, 946

1717 =Stanhope's home policy=, 946
Constant opposition of Walpole, 946
Trial of Oxford, 947

1719 Repeal of the Schism Act, 947
Rejection of the Peerage Bill, 947

1720 Strength of the ministry. Walpole joins it, 948
=The South Sea Bubble=, 949

1711 Formation of the South Sea Company, 950

1720 The South Sea Scheme, 950
Competition of other companies, 951
The rage for stock-jobbing, 952
Bursting of the bubble, 953

1721 Punishment of the directors, 953
=Supremacy of Walpole=, 953
Revival of Jacobite hopes, 954

1722 =Bishop Atterbury's plot=, 954

1723 Quarrel between Carteret and Walpole, 956

1724 Excitement in Ireland, 957

1725 Disturbances in Scotland, 957
=Spanish difficulties=, 958
Intrigues of Ripperda, 959
Treaty of Vienna, 960
The secret treaty, 960

1726 The Treaty of Hanover, 961
Excitement of Europe, 961

1727 =Preliminaries of peace signed at Paris=, 962
Opposition to Walpole headed by Bolingbroke, 962
The King's death, 963
Review of the reign, 963
Increased importance of England abroad, 963
Private and public immorality, 963
Influence of the Hanoverian courtiers, 964

GEORGE II. 1727-1760.

=Walpole retains his position=, 966
Increase of the Civil List, 966
Influence of the Queen, 967
=Character of Walpole's ministry=, 967
Character of the Opposition, 967
Strength of the Government, 969
Depression of the Jacobites, 969
=European complications=, 970

1729 Congress at Soissons, 970
Treaty of Seville, 971
Disappointment of the Emperor, 971

1731 Second Treaty of Vienna, 971
Complete supremacy of Walpole, 972

1730 Rejection of the Pension Bill, 972

1731 =Retirement of Townshend=, 972
=Walpole's home government=, 973

1733 His financial measures, 973
His pacific foreign policy, 975

1734 Refuses to join in the new European war, 975

1738 Definitive Peace of Vienna, 976

1734 Increasing opposition to Walpole, 976
Wyndham's speech against him, 977

1735 Prince of Wales head of the Opposition, 978

1737 Quarrel of George with his son, 979
=Death of the Queen=, 980
=Walpole retains his influence with the King=, 980

1738 The Opposition attacks his pacific policy, 980
George desires war, 981

1739 Negotiations with Spain, 982
=Walpole declares war rather than resign=, 982

1740 Increased vigour of the Opposition, 983
Ill success of the war, 984

1742 =Walpole resigns=, 985
Review of Walpole's ministry, 985
=The new ministry under Wilmington=, 987

1743 =Pelham succeeds Wilmington=, 988
=The question of the Austrian succession=, 989
Ambition of Prussia, 989
Position of Maria Theresa, 990
England supports Austria, 991
The English army in Flanders, 991
=Battle of Dettingen=, 992
Effect of the victory, 994
Negotiations for peace, 994
Treaty of Worms, 995

1744 League of Frankfort, 995
Threatened invasion of England, 995
Progress of the war, 996
Changes in the ministry, 996

1745 German subsidies granted, 997
Campaign in Flanders, 998
=Battle of Fontenoy=, 998
=Charles Edward lands in Scotland=, 999
Cope marches against him, 1001
Charles avoids him, and gains Edinburgh, 1001
Battle of Prestonpans, 1002
Indifference of England, 1002
Charles marches to Derby, 1003
He retreats to the relief of Government, 1004

1746 Charles besieges Stirling, 1005
Battle of Falkirk, 1005
Cumberland takes command of the army, 1006
He defeats Charles at Culloden, 1007
He cruelly suppresses the rebellion, 1008
Charles escapes to France, 1008
Ministerial crisis, 1009

1747 Effect of the rebellion on the continental war, 1010

1748 =Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle=, 1011
Results of the war, 1011
=Pelham's conciliatory government=, 1012

1750 His financial measures, 1012
Increase of wealth and of trade, 1013

1751 Reform of the Calendar, 1014

1753 Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act, 1015
Decay of the Church, 1015

1730 Rise of the Wesleyans, 1016

1754 =Pelham's death gives the Government to Newcastle=, 1018
=Approaching danger from India and America=, 1018
Newcastle tries to confine the war to the colonies, 1019
George's anxiety for Hanover, 1020

1755 His subsidiary treaties against Prussia, 1020

1756 The French capture Minorca, 1021
Newcastle resigns, 1021

1757 =Pitt's vigorous government=, 1022

1754 Europe prepares for war, 1023

1756 =The Seven Years' War begins=, 1023
Alliance between England and Prussia, 1023
Frederick's first campaign, 1023
Foreign policy of the various parties in England, 1024

1757 Disasters of the year, 1025

1758 Change of generals, 1026
Success in America, 1026
Victory of Creveld, 1027
Expeditions to Cherbourg and St. Malo, 1027

1759 Naval victories of Lagos and Quiberon, 1028
Capture of Quebec, 1029
Victory of Minden, 1031

1760 Frederick's campaign, 1032
Battle of Torgau, 1033
Pre-eminence of Pitt, 1033
Death of the King, 1033

GEORGE III. 1760-1820.

=Bute's influence over the young King=, 1035
George's view of royalty, 1036

1761 Signs of a change of ministry, 1037
The campaign of 1761 produces a desire for peace, 1037
Negotiations between France and England, 1038
Pitt, suspecting the Family Compact, opposes peace, 1038
=Pitt resigns. Bute becomes Premier=, 1039

1762 War with Spain, 1039
Peace with France concluded, 1040

1763 =Close of the Seven Years' War=, 1041
Attack on the Whigs, 1041
Bute resigns, 1041
=The Triumvirate ministry=, 1042
=The Bedford ministry=, 1042
=The trial of Wilkes=, 1043
Origin of the American provinces, 1045
Restrictions on colonial trade, 1046

1764 Suppression of smuggling, 1047

1765 =The Stamp Act=, 1047

1765 The King's illness, 1048
The Regency Bill, 1048
Negotiations for a change of ministry, 1049
Pitt retires into private life, 1050
Ministry of the Whig Houses, 1050
The question of American taxation, 1051

1766 =Return of Pitt and his declaration of views=, 1051
The Stamp Act repealed, 1052
Weakness of the Government, 1052
=Pitt becomes Lord Chatham and Prime Minister=, 1053
His comprehensive plans, 1054

1767 =His illness and mental failure=, 1054
Townshend's financial measures, 1054

1768 Corruption of Parliament, 1055
Wilkes elected for Middlesex, 1055

1769 Increase of American difficulties, 1056
The Letters of Junius, 1057
Weakness of the ministry, 1057

1770 Camden, Granby, and Grafton resign, 1058
=North's ministry. Triumph of the King's policy=, 1059
Grenville's reform of election petitions, 1060
Increased irritation in America, 1061
Affair of the Falkland Islands, 1062

1771 The liberty of reporting Parliamentary debates, 1062
North's ministry gathers strength, 1063

1772 Royal Marriage Law, 1064
Fate of the Queen of Denmark, 1064
Division of Poland, 1065
Constitution of Poland, 1065

1773 =Organized opposition in America=, 1067

1774 Dunning's petition rejected, 1068

1772 The India Company's difficulties, 1069

1774 Boston Port Bill, 1070
Massachusetts Government Bill, 1070
Crisis of the quarrel, 1070
Acts of the General Congress, 1071

1775 Chatham's motions for reconciliation, 1071
Skirmish at Lexington, 1072
The Canada Bill, 1072
=The Congress assumes sovereign authority=, 1073
Washington commander-in-chief, 1073
Battle of Bunker's Hill, 1073
The Olive Branch Petition, 1075
Attack on Canada, 1075

1776 Howe retires to Halifax, 1076
Fresh offers of conciliation rejected, 1076
=Declaration of Independence=, 1077
Battle of Brooklyn, 1077

1777 Washington recovers New Jersey, 1079
Threefold plan of the English, 1079
Howe's expedition against Philadelphia, 1080
Battle of Germanstown, 1080
Washington reorganizes the army, 1081
=Burgoyne's disasters=, 1081

1776 =Effect of American affairs in Parliament=, 1082

1777 Increase of the Civil List, 1082
=France acknowledges the independence of America=, 1084
Chatham's energy in Parliament, 1084

1778 North's Conciliation Bill, 1085
Rupture with France, 1085
Death of Chatham, 1086
Laws against Roman Catholics repealed, 1087
=America rejects North's conciliatory offers=, 1087
Effect of the alliance between America and France, 1088
Weakness of North's ministry, 1088

1779 Difficulties in Ireland, 1090

1780 Motions for economical reform, 1091
The Lord George Gordon riots, 1092
Rodney's victory, 1094
Capture of Charleston, 1095
War with the Dutch, 1095
Armed neutrality of the North, 1096
Arnold's treachery, 1096
Death of Major André, 1097
=Campaign in Carolina=, 1097

1781 St. Eustatia captured, 1098
Battle of Guildford Courthouse, 1100
Battle of Hobkirk's Hill, 1100
Battle of Eutaw, 1101
Cornwallis in Virginia, 1101
=Surrender of Yorktown. Close of the war=, 1103
New session of Parliament, 1103

1782 =North's resignation. The Rockingham ministry=, 1104
The agitation in Ireland, 1105
Economical reforms, 1106
=Conclusion of the American War=, 1107
Exorbitant demands of France, 1108
Siege of Gibraltar, 1109
Changed tone of French demands, 1110

1783 Terms of the peace, 1110

1782 =Death of Rockingham. The Shelburne ministry=, 1111

1783 =Shelburne resigns. Return of the Whig ministry=, 1112

* * * * *

=Retrospect of Indian history=, 1113

1600 Foundation of the India Company, 1113

1640 Foundation of Madras (1640), Bombay (1662),
and Calcutta (1698), 1114
Decline of Portuguese and Dutch competition, 1114

1707 Decline of the Mogul Empire, 1115

1744 Competition with the French Company, 1115

1750 Success of Dupleix, 1116

1752 Dupleix defeated by Clive, 1117

1756 The Black Hole of Calcutta, 1118

1757 The Battle of Plassey, 1119

1761 =Overthrow of the French power in India=, 1119
=Contest with the native states=, 1120

1763 Massacre of Patna, 1121

1764 Battle of Buxar, 1121
=Maladministration of the India Company=, 1121

1769 Rise of Hyder Ali, 1122

1770 Famine in Bengal, 1123

1773 =The Regulating Act=, 1123

1774 Death of Clive, 1124
Warren Hastings, 1124

1778 The Mysore war, 1127

1780 Robbery of Cheyte Singh and the Begums, 1128

1781 Parliamentary inquiry, 1129

1783 Dundas's India Bill, 1129
Fox's India Bill, 1129
The King procures its rejection, 1131
=Fall of the Whig ministry. Pitt's first ministry=, 1132

1784 Pitt's victory over the Opposition, 1134
Dissolution of Parliament, 1134
Pitt's Budget, 1134
Pitt's India Bill, 1135
Pitt's Irish policy, 1136
Failure of Pitt's Reform Bill, 1137
Pitt's financial success, 1138

1785 Charges against Warren Hastings, 1139

1787 Conduct of the Prince of Wales, 1140

1788 Trial of Warren Hastings, 1141
First motion against the slave trade, 1142
The King's illness. The Regency Bill, 1142
=Pre-eminence of Pitt=, 1143

* * * * *

=Effect of the French Revolution in England=, 1145
=Pitt's foreign policy=, 1145
=Political development of the country=, 1146

1789 Affair of Nootka Sound, 1146
Alliance with Holland, 1146
Pitt's efforts to oppose Russia, 1147
Alliance with Prussia, Holland, and Sweden, 1148

1790 The Convention of Reichenbach, 1149
=Industrial development of the country=, 1150

1789 =The French Revolution=, 1151
Assembling of the States-General, 1153
Louis XVI. brought to Paris, 1154
=Excitement produced in England=, 1154

1790 =First reactionary movement=, 1154
Rejection of the Abolition of Tests and the
Reform Bill, 1154
Burke's "Reflections," 1155

1791 The Canada Bill, 1155
Breach between Fox and Burke, 1156
The Birmingham riots, 1156
Pitt's policy as yet unchanged, 1156
=Progress of the French Revolution=, 1157
The King's flight to Varennes, 1157

1792 The Girondin ministry declares war, 1158
The King suspended, 1158
Massacres of September, 1159
Declaration of the Republic, 1159
Revolutionary character of the war, 1159
Edict of Fraternity, 1159
=Change of opinion in England as to the Revolution=, 1160
=Formation of a new Tory party=, 1161
Sympathy with the Revolution among the poor, 1161
Revolutionary societies, 1162
Rejection of Grey's Reform Bill, 1162
Proclamation against seditious writings, 1163
Riots in Sheffield and Dundee, 1164
The militia called out, 1164

1793 Signs of approaching war with France, 1165
The Alien Bill, 1165
Death of Louis XVI., 1165
Pitt's efforts to continue peace, 1166
Determination of the French for war, 1166
=Declaration of war with France=, 1167
French successes on the Continent, and against the
royalists in France 1168
Pitt's difficulty in keeping up the coalition, 1170

1795 The French capture Amsterdam, 1172
Indirect advantages gained by England, 1172

1794 Defeat of the French fleet, 1173

1795 Prussia, Spain, and Holland leave the coalition, 1173
Insurrection of La Vendée, 1174
Expedition to Quiberon, 1176
=Confidence of the English in Pitt=, 1177
=His repressive policy=, 1178

1793 The Traitorous Correspondence Bill, 1178
Trials for seditious writings, 1179

1794 Portland joins the ministry, 1181
Desire for peace, 1181

1795 The Prince of Wales' marriage, 1182
Sufferings of the lower classes, 1183
Assault on the King, 1183

1793 =Retrospect of French affairs=, 1184
The Committee of Public Safety, 1184

1794 The Reign of Terror, 1185
Fall of Robespierre, 1186

1795 The Directory established, 1186

1796 =Pitt's first negotiations for peace=, 1186
Napoleon's Italian campaign, 1187
Pitt's second negotiations, 1188
=Preparations to resist a threatened French invasion=, 1190
French expeditions to Ireland and Bristol, 1190
=Critical condition of England=, 1191
Monetary crisis; suspension of cash payments, 1192
Victory of St. Vincent, 1193

1797 The mutiny at Spithead, 1194
The mutiny at the Nore, 1195
Disorganization of the French Government, 1196
Negotiations at Lisle, 1197
Battle of Camperdown, 1198
=Peace of Campo Formio=, 1198

* * * * *

=Ireland=, 1199
Complications attending Irish difficulties, 1199
Necessity for the Union, 1199
Irish opposition to Government, 1200
Grievances of the peasantry, 1201
Weakness of the executive, 1202

1789 =Effect of the French Revolution=, 1202
Formation of the Society of United Irishmen, 1203

1791 Disunion among the Catholics, 1204
=Mismanagement of the Government=, 1205

1793 Catholic Relief Bill passed, 1206
Renewed agitation for reform, 1207

1794 Failure of Fitzwilliam's efforts, 1208

1795 Lord Camden succeeds Fitzwilliam, 1209
The character of the rebellion, 1210

1796 =Defensive measures of Government=, 1210
Arrest of the revolutionary committee, 1211
The expedition to Bantry Bay, 1212

1797 Lake's success in Ulster and Munster, 1212

1798 =Outbreak of the rebellion=, 1214
Cornwallis succeeds Camden, 1215
Humbert's expedition to Killala, 1216

1799 Opposition to the Union, 1217

1800 =The Union completed=, 1219

* * * * *

1797 Desire of France to invade England, 1219

1798 Napoleon's campaign in Egypt, 1220
Battle of the Nile, 1220
=Pitt forms a second coalition=, 1221

1799 Italy regained by the allies, 1222
The allies capture the Dutch fleet, 1223
Napoleon defeated at Acre, 1223
Jealousies and disasters of the allies, 1224
Success in India, 1224
Napoleon made First Consul, 1225

1800 Napoleon's victories in Italy, 1226
Battle of Hohenlinden, 1227

1801 Treaty of Lunéville, 1227
=Dissolution of the coalition=, 1227

1800 Internal condition of England, 1228

1801 Rejection of the Catholic Relief Bill, 1229
=Pitt resigns. Addington made Premier=, 1230
Illness of the King, 1230
The French army in Egypt, 1231
Battle of Alexandria, 1232
Battle of Copenhagen, 1232
Peace between England and Russia, 1233
Napoleon appropriates Holland, Switzerland, and Italy, 1235

1802 =Peace of Amiens=, 1236
Napoleon continues his aggressions, 1237
Demands the repression of the English press, 1237
And the expulsion of the emigrants from England, 1238
Consequent change of feeling in England, 1238
Negotiations for Pitt's return, 1239

1803 Napoleon examines the resources of Egypt, England,
and Ireland, 1239
His interview with Lord Whitworth, 1239
The militia embodied, 1240
Failure of renewed negotiations for Pitt's return, 1240
=Declaration of war with France=, 1241
Character of the war, 1241
Napoleon arrests the English in France, 1241
He excites discontent in Ireland, 1241
Emmett's Rebellion, 1242
Difficulty of Addington's position, 1243

1804 Pitt offers to undertake the Government, 1245
=Addington resigns. Pitt's Tory ministry=, 1245
Preparations to resist the French invasion, 1248
The Additional Force Bill. Increase of the navy, 1248
Napoleon attempts to form a coalition, 1250
His conduct with regard to Georges' conspiracy, 1251
His murder of the Duc d'Enghien, 1251
Napoleon made Emperor, 1252
Harrowby retires. Addington joins the ministry, 1252
Failure of the Catamaran expedition, 1253
=Success in India against the Mahrattas=, 1253

1802 Wellesley's subsidiary system, 1254

1803 The Mahratta war, 1255
Battle of Assye, 1256

1805 Conclusion of the war, 1257
Sad close of Pitt's career, 1257
Attack on Melville's administration, 1258
Sidmouth resigns, 1259
Treaty of St. Petersburg, 1261
=The third coalition formed=, 1261
Napoleon prepares to invade England, 1261
Nelson's pursuit of Villeneuve, 1262
Failure of Napoleon's schemes, 1263
He marches against Austria, 1264
Capitulation of the Austrian army at Ulm, 1264
=Battle of Trafalgar=, 1265
=Battle of Austerlitz=, 1265

1806 =Death of Pitt. Fox's ministry=, 1266

1805 Treaties of Schönbrunn and Presburg, 1269

1806 Napoleon erects dependent kingdoms, 1269
Fox's negotiations with Napoleon, 1270
Death of Fox, 1270
Abolition of the slave trade, 1271

1807 Rejection of the Catholic claims, 1273
Resignation of the Grenville ministry, 1274
=The Perceval ministry=, 1274

1806 Prussia declares war with France, 1276
Battle of Jena, 1276
The Berlin decree, 1277

1807 The orders in Council, 1278
Battle of Eylau, 1280
Incapacity of the Grenville ministry, 1280
Expedition to Buenos Ayres, 1280
Expedition to the Dardanelles, 1281
Expedition to Alexandria, 1282

1806 Expedition to Sicily, 1282

1807 =Dissolution of the third coalition=, 1282
=Treaty of Tilsitt=, 1283
Capture of the Danish fleet, 1285
War between Russia and Sweden, 1285
Continental System acknowledged except in Portugal, 1285
=Condition of the Peninsula=, 1286
Joseph made King of Spain, 1287
Napoleon's armies in Spain, 1288
Invasion of Portugal, 1288

1808 Enthusiasm in England for the Spanish insurrection, 1289
Wellesley sent to Portugal, 1290
Combat of Rorica, 1291
Battle of Vimiero, 1292
Convention of Cintra, 1293
Sir John Moore's march to Salamanca, 1294
Napoleon in Madrid, 1295

1809 =Battle of Corunna=, 1297
Opinion in England concerning the war, 1298
Scandal of the Duke of York, 1299
Charges against Castlereagh, 1299
Opposition to Napoleon in Germany, 1300
Battle of Aspern, 1300
Battle of Wagram, 1301
Peace of Vienna, 1301
The Walcheren expedition, 1301
Wellesley victorious in Portugal, 1303
=Battle of Talavera=, 1304

1810 Wellington fortifies the Lisbon promontory, 1306
Battle of Busaco, 1307

1811 =Battle of Albuera=, 1309
Critical position of the French, 1311
Threatened war between Russia and France, 1313

1812 Capture of Rodrigo and Badajos, 1315
=Battle of Salamanca=, 1316
Wellington in Madrid, 1317
He retreats to Portugal, 1318

1813 =Battle of Vittoria=, 1319

1814 =Battle of Toulouse=, 1321
=Long tenure of power by the Tory party=, 1321

1809 Quarrel of Castlereagh and Canning, 1322

1810 Illness of the King, 1323

1811 The Regency Bill, 1324

1812 =Assassination of Perceval. Liverpool made Premier=, 1325
=War with America=, 1325

1814 Capture of Washington, 1327
=Abdication of Napoleon=, 1328
=Character of the Tory Government=, 1329

1810 Depression of trade, 1331

1811 The Luddite riots, 1332
Misery of the agricultural labourer, 1333

1814 =Difficulties attending the settlement of Europe=, 1333
First Treaty of Paris, 1334
Visit of the monarchs to England, 1335
=Congress at Vienna=, 1335

1815 Compromise agreed upon, 1338
=Escape of Napoleon from Elba=, 1339
Military preparations against Napoleon, 1339
Battle of Ligny, 1340
Battle of Quatre Bras, 1341
=Battle of Waterloo=, 1342
The allies enter Paris, 1346
=Napoleon banished to St. Helena=, 1346
The second Treaty of Paris, 1346

1816 Battle of Algiers, 1347
Opposition in Parliament, 1348
Extravagance of the Government, 1349
=Agricultural and commercial depression=, 1350
=Riots and political meetings=, 1351
Meeting in Spa Fields, 1352
Petition from the Corporation of London, 1353

1817 Attack on the Regent, 1353
=Repressive measures of the Government=, 1354
Secret political meetings, 1354
Suppression of seditious writings, 1355
Mr. Hone's trial, 1355
Strength of the Opposition, 1356

1818 Condition of the royal family, 1357
Dissolution of Parliament, 1358
Evacuation of France by the allies, 1359

1819 Resumption of cash payments, 1359
Rejection of Catholic emancipation, 1360
Reform of Scotch burghs, 1360
The Manchester Massacre, 1362
The Six Acts, 1363

1820 Death of George III., 1363

GEORGE IV. 1820-1830.

1820 Precarious position of the ministry, 1364
Cato Street conspiracy, 1365
=The Queen's trial=, 1366

1821 Consequent alienation between ministry and people, 1368

1822 Peel and Wellesley join the ministry, 1369
=Death of Castlereagh. Canning Foreign Secretary=, 1369
Retrospect of the affairs of Europe, 1370

1816 Position of England abroad, 1370
Effect of Castlereagh's policy, 1371

1820 Insurrections in Spain, Portugal, Naples, 1371
Arbitrary action of the Holy Alliance, 1372
England refuses to join the Congress at Troppau, 1373

1821 Popular anger at Castlereagh's weak policy, 1373
Insurrection in Greece, 1374
Complications between France and Spain, 1374

1822 Congress at Verona, 1375
=Canning's policy=, 1375
Partial success of his diplomacy in Spain, 1375

1823 =Changes in commercial policy effected by Huskisson=, 1376
Change of the Navigation Act, 1379

1824 Improvement in the silk trade, 1380
Improvement in the wool trade, 1381

1823 Discussion on slavery, 1382
Effect of Canning's circular in Jamaica, 1382

1824 Persecution of Mr. Smith, 1383

1825 Disastrous effects of wild speculations, 1383
Success of the healing measures of Government, 1384

1826 Temporary change in the corn laws, 1385
Canning's vigorous policy in Portugal, 1386
Division in the ministry, 1387

1827 =Illness of Lord Liverpool=, 1388
=Difficulties attending the formation of a new
ministry=, 1388
Disturbances in Ireland, 1389
Wellesley's administration, 1389

1823 The Catholic Association, 1390

1826 Rejection of the Catholic Relief Bill, 1390

1827 Rejection of Burdett's resolution, 1391
=Canning Prime Minister=, 1391
Canning's death, 1393
His character and policy, 1393
=Goderich's ministry=, 1394

1828 =Wellington's ministry=, 1395
=Difficulty of the Turkish question=, 1395

1824 Canning's diplomacy on the subject, 1396

1826 Protocol between England and Russia, 1397
Enthusiasm for Greek independence in England, 1397

1827 Turkey refuses the armistice, 1398
The Treaty of London, 1398
Attempt to enforce the armistice, 1399
=Battle of Navarino=, 1399
Goderich's inaction renders the victory nugatory, 1400

1828 Wellington refuses to coerce Turkey by arms, 1400
=Character of Wellington's Government=, 1401
Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, 1401
The Corn Bill passed, 1402
Huskisson and his friends resign, 1402
=The Catholic Emancipation question=, 1402
Renewed agitation in Ireland, 1403
Election of O'Connell for Clare, 1403
Influence of the Association, 1404

1829 Resignation of Lord Anglesey, 1406
Peel and Wellington see the urgency of Catholic
emancipation, 1406
Opposition of the King, 1407
=The Catholic Emancipation Bill passed=, 1408
O'Connell's agitation for repeal, 1409
=Wellington's foreign policy=, 1410

1826 Affairs of Portugal, 1410

1828 Miguel usurps the throne, 1411
Maria acknowledged in England, 1411

1829 Wellington's neutrality, 1411
Non-intervention in the affairs of Greece, 1412
The Revolution in France, 1413
Supposed influence of Wellington in Polignac's
appointment, 1413
Increasing opposition to the French ministry, 1414

1830 Abdication of Charles X., 1416
Death of George IV., 1416

WILLIAM IV. 1830-1837.

1830 Character of the King, 1418
=Effects of the July Revolution=, 1419
=Position of Wellington's ministry=, 1420
Danger from O'Connell's agitations, 1421
And from rick-burning, etc., 1421
Death of Huskisson, 1421
Anxiety felt in Parliament, 1422
=Wellington resigns=, 1422
=Grey's ministry=, 1423
Difficulties attending reform, 1423

1831 =The first Reform Bill=, 1425
The second reading, 1426
Dissolution of Parliament, 1426
The Bill passes in the Commons, 1427
=The Bill rejected in the Lords=, 1427
Consequent riots in the country, 1428
Organized action of the political unions, 1428
Opposition of the King, 1429

1832 The second Bill passes second reading in the Lords, 1429
Preparations during the recess, 1429
The Bill again rejected in the Lords, 1430
The ministers resign, 1430
They return to office, 1430
=The Reform Bill passes=, 1430
Description of the Bill, 1430
Importance of the change, 1432
Anxiety as to the effect of the change, 1433

1833 =Character of the reformed Parliament=, 1434
Critical questions to be settled, 1434
Condition of Ireland, 1434
=Position of the Irish Church=, 1435
Irish Tithe Composition Bill passed, 1436
Althorp's Irish Church Bill, 1436
The Coercion Bill, 1438
Changes in the ministry, 1439
Weakness of the ministry, 1440
Renewal of the Bank charter, 1441
Settlement of the East India Company, 1442
Emancipation of the Slaves, 1442
Condition of trade in the West Indies, 1443

1831 Opposition of planters to the orders in Council, 1444

1833 The Bill passed, 1445

1834 Weakness of the ministry shown in Parliament, 1445
Split in the Cabinet on Ward's motion on the Irish
Church, 1446
Resignation of Stanley, Graham, Richmond, and Ripon, 1447
Difficulties of Grey's position, 1447
=Grey resigns. Lord Melbourne's ministry=, 1449
His Church policy, 1450
=Reform of the Poor Law=, 1451
Discontent and misery of the poor, 1453
Increase of trades unions, 1454
Dispute between Brougham and Durham, 1455
=Dismissal of the Melbourne ministry=, 1455
=Peel's ministry=, 1456

1835 The Tamworth Manifesto, 1456
Irish appropriation clause again introduced, 1457
=Peel resigns. Melbourne's ministry reconstituted=, 1457
Condition of municipal corporations, 1459
=The Municipal Reform Bill=, 1460
=Foreign diplomacy of Palmerston=, 1461

1831 Absorption of Poland, 1461
Formation of Belgium, 1462
Affairs of Portugal, 1463

1832 Affairs of Spain, 1463

1834 The Quadruple Alliance, 1464
=Retrospect of affairs in India=, 1465

1805 Cornwallis Governor-General, 1466
Sir George Barlow, 1466

1807 Lord Minto, 1466

1813 Marquis of Hastings, 1467

1814 War with Nepaul, 1467

1815 War with the Pindaries and Mahrattas, 1468

1823 Lord Amherst, 1471
War with Burmah, 1471

1826 Capture of Bhurtpore, 1472

LIST OF MAPS.

1. COUNTRIES TO THE NORTH OF FRANCE, At end of Book.

2. NORTH AMERICA, " "

3. SPAIN, " "

4. PORTUGAL, " "

5. EUROPE, " "

6. INDIA, " "

7. ENGLISH POSSESSIONS IN INDIA, " "

WILLIAM AND MARY.

1689-1702.

James I.
|
-----------------------------------
| |
Charles I. Elizabeth = Frederick V.,
| | Elector Palatine.
------------------------------------- \
| | | \
Charles II. | | \
| | \
2. Mary of = James II. = 1. Anne Hyde Mary = William Sophia = Ernest
Modena. | | | of Nassau. | Augustus,
| | | | Elector
| | | | of
| ------------- | | Hanover.
| | | | |
James Edward, Anne, Mary = William III. George I.
the old Pretender. b. 1665. b. 1662. b. 1650.
b. 1688, |
d. 1765. |
|
Charles Edward,
the young Pretender, born 1721, died 1788.

CONTEMPORARY PRINCES.

POPES.--Alexander VIII., 1689. Innocent XII., 1691. Clement XI., 1700.

_Archbishops._ | _Chancellors._
William Sancroft, 1678. | (In Commission, 1689.)
John Tillotson, 1691. | Sir John Somers, 1693.
Thomas Tenison, 1694. | Sir Nathan Wright, 1700.

_Secretaries of State._
1689 { Nottingham | 1697 { Shrewsbury
{ Shrewsbury | { Vernon
|
1690 { Nottingham | 1699 { Jersey
{ Sidney | { Vernon
|
1693 { Shrewsbury | 1700 { Hedges
{ Trenchard | { Vernon
|
1695 { Shrewsbury | 1702 { Manchester
{ Trumbal | { Vernon

[Sidenote: The Declaration of Right.]

[Sidenote: Crown accepted by William and Mary.]

Before the Crown was absolutely offered to William, the Convention was eager to reform a number of the most prominent abuses of the last reign. It was shown by the wiser leaders among them that such reforms would entail a mass of legislation which, to be done well, must occupy several years. It was therefore determined that, for the present, a solemn declaration of principles only should be drawn up. This is known as the Declaration of Right. In it, after enumerating the evils from which the country had suffered, the Lords and Commons declared that the dispensing power does not exist, that without grant or consent of Parliament no money can be exacted by the sovereign, and no army kept up in time of peace. They also affirmed the right of petition, the right of free choice of representatives, the right of Parliament to freedom of debate, the right of the nation to a pure administration of justice, and the necessity, in order to secure these things, of frequent Parliaments. This Declaration having been read to William and Mary, the Crown was solemnly offered them by Halifax, and by them accepted. They were immediately proclaimed amid general plaudits.

[Sidenote: Character of the Revolution.]

Thus was consummated, with scarcely any bloodshed, and by what appeared an almost unanimous action on the part of the nation, a complete revolution. It was not the less a revolution because it was held that the whole Constitution of England passed on in its minutest detail unchanged. By it was overthrown for ever the theory which came into existence under the Tudors, and was brought to perfection under the Stuarts; henceforward it was impossible that the King should be regarded either as the proprietor of the country, or as a ruler by divine right, the representative of God upon earth. In the place of this theory was substituted that great Whig theory, which, arising among the Puritans, had enjoyed a brief triumph in the successes of the Great Rebellion, and, violently overthrown at the Restoration, had succeeded in making good its position during the reigns of the two last Stuarts,--the theory which regarded the King as reigning by the will of the people and in virtue of an implied contract with them. As a natural consequence of the position thus taken by the nation as the supreme power in the State, Parliament, its representative, became in its turn supreme, and although the change was not yet fully understood, the representatives of the people were gradually taking to themselves not only the duties of legislation, but also the executive. The ministry, therefore, however much they may have been still regarded as the King's ministers, became by degrees the national ministers, answerable for their conduct in Parliament, and before long became in fact little else than the executive Committee of the majority in Parliament.

[Sidenote: Personal unpopularity of William.]

[Sidenote: Discontent of the clergy]

[Sidenote: and the army.]

The unanimity of parties which had secured the triumph of William was of short duration, nor was his personal popularity long-lived. The apparent coldness of his demeanour, his carelessness of the pomps of the Court, his wretched health, which obliged him to withdraw from London and establish his Court at Kensington, speedily rendered him personally unpopular; while, as soon as the general danger which had caused their union was removed, the fundamental differences which divided political parties at once made themselves obvious. Moreover, the tendency to reaction, visible after all political excitements, began to show itself. Two classes were by no means ready to accept kindly the revolution which had been wrought. These were the clergy and the army. The greater part of the clergy had spent their lives in inculcating the duty of passive obedience. Although that theory had broken down in practice when the attacks of the Crown were directed against themselves, they could not bring themselves to submit without difficulty to a complete reversal of their political creed, nor could they help seeing that the success of William implied nothing short of the substitution of the Whig doctrine for that of monarchy by divine right. A very large portion of them were therefore disaffected. The army, though it had disliked the introduction of Catholics and of Irish among its ranks, and was not prejudiced in favour of any theory of monarchy, felt its professional honour injured by the sorry part it had played in the late events. So deep was the disaffection that one regiment quartered at Ipswich broke out into open mutiny, marched northward in arms, and was only brought to obedience after a skirmish with some Dutch troops under Ginkel, which had been rapidly sent in pursuit. The signs of general disaffection at the same time were so obvious that it was thought necessary to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act.

[Sidenote: The Convention changed into a Parliament.]

Before this happened, William had had to form a ministry and to furnish himself with a Parliament. For this latter purpose, in spite of the opposition of many of the old Tories, who regarded a Parliament not summoned by the King's writ as no Parliament at all, the Convention was changed into a Parliament, and proceeded to act in that capacity. It was not indeed reasonable that a freely elected body, whose choice of a king both sides were willing to allow, should still be regarded upon technical grounds as incapable of settling matters of much less importance. The choice of ministers was a matter of more difficulty.

[Sidenote: William's difficulties in forming a ministry.]

[Sidenote: Ignorance of the constitutional change.]

[Sidenote: The Whigs' desire for vengeance.]

At the present time the choice of ministers is tolerably simple. The House of Commons having obtained the position of both legislature and executive, the administration is placed in the hands of a Committee of that party which is predominant in the Commons; the Crown, in fact, having but little choice in the matter. This theory of government, which is a necessary consequence of the Parliamentary triumph at the Revolution, was in the years immediately succeeding that event not understood. The notion of a king whose duties are rather ornamental than real had scarcely entered men's minds. The King was still expected to have the direction of the executive, to be, in fact, his own Prime Minister, and to nominate as heads of departments such statesmen as he thought best fitted for the employment, without exact regard to their political views. The effect of this was to make the King responsible for the Government; and though the right of impeachment, as exercised in the case of Danby, rested upon the supposition that ministers were responsible to Parliament, the fact was not yet fully recognized. It was this responsibility of the king which had produced the disasters of the Great Rebellion and the late Revolution. The gradual substitution of Parliamentary ministry, which should serve as an intermediate body between the Commons and the Crown, and save the Crown from direct responsibility, is the great constitutional change which was completed on the accession of the Hanoverian house. Such a change becomes absolutely necessary when Parliament has once secured a complete control of the executive; otherwise it is plain that the acts or proposals of the executive, constantly met by a hostile majority in Parliament, could never be brought to a completion. It also of necessity implies a mutual responsibility among the ministers, who upon essential points must all agree with the Parliamentary majority. These necessary consequences of the triumph of the Whig theory of the sovereignty of the people were little understood even by the best English politicians; and William, able as he was as a foreign statesman, had never a clear insight into the working of the English Constitution. Nor was his character such as to fit him to occupy the place of an ornamental king. Thus he both himself intended and was expected by the nation to exercise a supreme influence in the Government, at the same time that the newly won powers of the Parliament were liable constantly to thwart his schemes. Besides the difficulty which this general ignorance of constitutional principles caused, peculiar difficulties, arising from the manner in which he had obtained the Crown, beset William. He had been brought to the throne by the Whigs. By the Whigs he was expected to become a party leader. They looked forward, under his guidance, to a triumphant revenge on the party at whose hands they had suffered so much. On the other hand, William's own wish was to hush the storm of faction, to become King of the whole English nation, not of one party, and to be able to use the resources of England for his great European measures; he therefore had no intention of becoming a mere party leader. Again, his view of the duties and responsibilities of a king was a high one, whereas the Whigs, on whom he might be expected to rely, were pledged to give greater prominence to the influence of Parliament. William's natural tendencies, therefore, when once safeguards for a just Government and personal liberty were secured, inclined him rather to the Tories, whose view of the prerogative was higher.

[Sidenote: William's ministry.]

It was in the midst of these difficulties that William had to select his ministry. He attempted to conciliate all parties, with the exception of the extreme Jacobites, and his ministry was a mixed one. Danby had been mainly instrumental in bringing William to England. He had indeed in the Convention thrown some obstacles in the way of the Parliamentary change of dynasty, but might fairly look for a high reward. He was displeased at being appointed President of the Council, a post of high honour, but not of great political activity. Halifax was appointed Privy Seal. His intellect, which always saw two sides of a question, was not such as to fit him for decided statesmanship. The places of real importance, the Secretaryships, were shared between the Tories and the Whigs; Nottingham, the leader of that class who expressed with perfect honesty their willingness to acknowledge any King _de facto_, and Shrewsbury, a young man of great ability and as yet a consistent Whig, were appointed to those places. Neither Treasury nor Admiralty were intrusted to any single individual, but were placed in Commission, both Whigs and Tories sitting at the Boards. At the Treasury, though only third on the Commission, Godolphin, by his superior skill and knowledge, soon became pre-eminent. The purity of the judgment-seat was secured by a careful selection of the ablest lawyers from a list supplied by the Privy Council, while the great places of the Household, where personal rather than political influence was wanted, were chiefly given to William's personal friends from Holland, the most prominent being Overkirk, Master of the Horse, and Bentinck, subsequently Earl of Portland.

[Sidenote: Settlement of the revenue.]

[Sidenote: Settlement of the Church.]

By the appointment of his ministers, and by the conversion of the Convention into a Parliament, the apparatus of Government was complete. The Whigs were for a time triumphant. The revenue was settled on a peace footing at £1,200,000 a year; the hereditary taxes being given to William for the support of his Crown (a grant which forms the origin of the Civil List), while the Parliamentary taxes intended for the support of Government were granted only for limited periods. The hearth tax, the most obnoxious and unjust of taxes, as it is at once inquisitorial in its action and presses with undue severity upon the poor in comparison with the rich, was abolished. The settlement of the Church, and of the oaths to be taken by the holders of places, at once rendered obvious the strength of faction which still existed, and the difficulties which must beset all attempt at impartial government. Three Bills were produced, a Toleration Bill, a Comprehension Bill, for the purpose of so changing the construction of the Church and its Liturgy as to admit numerous Protestant Dissenters, and a Bill for the removal of the Test Act, for the purpose of enabling the King to employ, as he was most desirous of doing, all Protestants in his service. Of these three, one only, the Toleration Act, was carried. In fact the Comprehension Bill, which was introduced by Nottingham, was no doubt intended, after admitting a certain number of Dissenters, to render the exclusion of the rest more absolute. Fear of this rendered the Dissenters themselves hostile to it, and William's personal efforts to produce at once comprehension and relaxation of the Test Act were in vain; both Bills were thrown out.

[Sidenote: Oaths of allegiance and supremacy.]

There yet remained the question of the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. It was acknowledged on all hands that all lay place-holders and all newly-appointed holders of ecclesiastical preferments should be obliged to take these oaths, slightly altered to suit existing circumstances. The case of the clergy already holding benefices was not so clear. Many were willing to accept the new Government peaceably, and it seemed hard that they should be required to take oaths which gave the lie to all their former political views. With regard to the Bishops too, the High Church Party advanced the doctrine that the Episcopal ordination was indelible, and that it was impossible for any Act either of King or Parliament to prevent a man who had once been a Bishop from being so always. Against the King's wish the party who were for the most stringent application of the oaths carried the day. All the clergy were required to take them by August 1689; if they had not been taken by February 1690, those clergy and Bishops who refused them were to be deprived. Between 300 and 400 refused the oath, and there thus sprang up that section of the clergy known as Nonjurors. The settlement of the country was completed by the Coronation Oath, which declared that the King would uphold the Protestant religion as settled by law. It was a foolish miscomprehension of these words, which obviously did not prevent a Parliamentary change in the arrangements of religion, which subsequently led George III. into his obstinate opposition to Catholic emancipation. When the oath had been arranged, the coronation took place (April 11), and some new titles were given; thus Danby became Lord Caermarthen, Churchill Earl of Marlborough, Bentinck Earl of Portland, and Mordaunt, First Lord of the Treasury, Earl of Monmouth.

[Sidenote: The European war breaks out.]

[Sidenote: Devastation of the Palatinate.]

When the Government of the country was fairly settled it was time for William to receive his reward. Parliament gratified him by a strong declaration against the policy of Louis abroad, and assurance of hearty support should he find it necessary to have recourse to arms. On the 13th of May war with France was therefore declared. William stated that he had no choice in the matter as France had already begun war upon England. This was an allusion to the action of France in Ireland; for Louis, though unable to trust James and his English and Irish friends in that implicit manner which would have rendered his assistance irresistible, was yet so far convinced that the real key to success against the coalition was the neutralization of England, that he had allowed James some assistance in troops. The other great countries of the coalition had already declared war with France. Louis found himself with one ally only, who did him, if possible, more harm than good,--this was the Porte. He succeeded in inducing that power to continue its attacks upon Hungary, which was a constant source of weakness to Austria; but the unnatural alliance between the most Christian King and the great enemies of Christendom gave an opening for the invective of his enemies, which received still further point from his subsequent behaviour. Unable to sustain the forward position which his armies had assumed in Germany the preceding year, especially when some of his forces were required in Ireland, he ordered a retreat. What he could not keep he determined to destroy, and the Palatinate was laid waste with a reckless, unsparing fury, which enabled each country, as it declared war with him, to point out that his conduct was more cruel than even that of his Turkish ally. It had such an effect on the Continent, that war was declared at intervals of about a month by Austria, the Empire, Spain, Brandenburg and Holland. William's primary object was attained; Europe was combined against France. The resources of England were placed in his hands to support that coalition, but there was yet much to be done before he was free to act.

[Sidenote: State of Ireland.]

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A History of England, Period III. Constitutional MonarchyChapter I: Part 1

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