methods to be adopted. Bolingbroke, himself a bitter unbeliever, introduced the Schism Bill in a despairing effort to please the extreme Tories, forbidding schoolmasters to teach without license from the Bishop. Harley opposed this and was driven from office by his unscrupulous colleague. The quarrel was fatal to themselves and their party, for before 5. Death of Anne Bolingbroke could rearrange his schemes the Queen died. The Privy Council, a Whig body, by clever policy on the day

1714.

of her death, filled the chief offices with Whigs. Bolingbroke 6. Triumph of Whigs lacked nerve for the prompt action which alone could have brought back the Stuarts; and no open opposition was shown

to the succession of the Elector of Hanover as King George I. of England.

3. NOTE ON LITERATURE.

(cf Age of Anne 215-31)

In Anne's reign Literature was popular and was much patronised by politicians.

(L. Stephen's Pope.)

Pope 1688-1744-Deformed and irritable: of precocious intellect: copied Dryden in style. His verse was not original or inspired but graceful, smooth and correct. The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic Epic. The Essay on Man is philosophy on man's place in nature. His other works include a Translation of Homer, etc.

(L. Stephen's Swift.)

Swift 1667-1745-As a pamphleteer rendered services to Will. III., who died before he could promote him. He was in consequence disliked by Tories, and fell between two stools, but ultimately became Dean of St. Patrick's. His Tale of a Tub is a satire on religious differences. His Conduct of Allies is a party pamphlet against Whigs and the war of the Spanish Succession. Gulliver's Travels is a satire upon Humanity. He outlived his genius and became sordid and bitter, and at last sank into idiocy.

(Minto's Defoe.)

Defoe 1661-1731-Implicated in Monmouth's Rebellion and wrote in favour of William III. and the Revolution, e.g. The True-Born Englishman. His Shortest way with Dissenters is a sarcastic pamphlet against the Occasional Conformity Bill and is really a plea for toleration. He also wrote Robinson Crusoe and a Journal of the Plague.

Addison 1672-1719-Made his fortune with The Campaign which is a description of Blenheim. Then he was appointed to various (Courthope's Addison.) offices. He was modest and religious. Cato is a semipolitical play. He wrote Essays in Spectator e.g. those on Sir Roger de Coverley, who is a typical country gentleman of the period honest, religious, patriotic, but obstinate and old-fashioned.

Steele 1675-1728—A friend of Addison: good-hearted, but spent his life

"sinning and repenting.'

Started the Tatler and Specta

tor which added an essay to the usual news, and was the forerunner of the modern newspaper. His Christian Hero is full of deep piety.

i1. Transfer of power to Whigs. Causes:

1. King's withdrawal from politics

2. The Hanoverian Accession was a Whig triumph
3. They had the support of the commercial classes

4. Also of Protestant Dissenters

5. And of House of Lords

6. They made a selfish use of their power to strengthen themselves
e.g. (a) in appointment of Bishops

(b) and Peers

(c) Bribery and corruption

7. H. of Commons not representative

8. Meanwhile the Tories were weak

a in spite of many elements of strength.

b They were defeated

c and against the law

b and divided in opinions

iii. Repressive measures of Whigs against Tories

iv.

V.

vi.

1. Riot Act 1715

Community of Interests leads to temporary Alliance with France. T. of

Westminster 1716.

Opposition to Spanish aggression. B. of Cape Passaro 1718

Rise of Walpole

"South Sea Bubble" 1720 brought him to power

George I. a, His Title.

b, His character.

(Thackeray's Four Georges.)

II. Transfer of
power to Whigs:
1. King's withdrawal
from politics.
(Lecky i, 271-278)

George I.'s title to be King was given him entirely by Parliament. It rested on :

(i.) The Bill of Rights, 1689, which banned Roman Catholics
and thus excluded the Stuarts;

(ii.) The Act of Settlement, 1701, which gave the throne
of England to the Electress Sophia (his mother);
(iii.) The Act of Union with Scotland, 1707, which gave
the throne of Scotland to the same family.

He was also Elector of Hanover, and this personal union with
the small German State lasted till 1837, often influencing
English politics.

His wife was Sophia Dorothea of Zell, but she never came to England. He himself received a welcome in which absurd flattery mingled with the most savage abuse. One poet wrote: "Great George, like Phosphor from afar,

Decked with resplendent beams arises bright

To cheer the expectant world with more prevailing light." Another described him as "Godlike in beauty":

Such Majesty, at its full length to draw,

Might the best master of the pencil awe.

But others saw things differently, and spoke of him as

The jest of Europe, and the factions' tool.”

One of the most popular ballads of the time ran as follows :-
If Queen Anne had done justice, George had still

O'er slaves and German boobies reigned;

On leeks and garlics still regaled his fast,

In dirty Dowlas shirt and fustians dressed."

As a matter of fact, he was coarse and vulgar; but he was sensible enough to know it, and to know that Englishmen cared as little for him as he did for them. They took him because he served their turn, and saved them from Popery and wooden shoes." He took their loyalty for what it was worth. His aim was to lay hands on what he could, but otherwise to leave the country and its concerns to itself.

Under such circumstances, we may be sure the ideals of the period would not be high. The age of enthusiasm had passed away, and George I., with his vulgar habits, his indifference to the country to which he was called, and his mean intelligence, not inaptly represents the characteristics of the time. 'In private life he would have been called an honest blockhead said Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. He spoke no English, and his Ministers as a rule no German. The King became therefore a mere figurehead, and all power was monopolised by the Whigs.

They were the Party which had secured the Hanoverian 2, Hanoverian suc- accession, and George consequently was bound to be on their cession, a Whig side. They, for their part, looked on the business as merely a party triumph-as indeed it was-and did all in their power

triumph.

3,

(Lecky i, 259.)

Support of com(Lecky i, 233-251.)

mercial classes.

tant Dissenters. (Lecky i, 23, 252-257.)

5. H. of Lords

power.

to reap the fruits of victory and to punish the Tories. Ormond, Oxford, and Bolingbroke were impeached on account of their Treaty of Utrecht, and the Privy Council was confined to Whigs. Other causes contributed to the power of the same party. The Bank of England depended for its stability on their remaining in office: the Jacobite accession would assuredly have meant its ruin. The commercial classes, who were daily becoming more important as trade increased, were indifferent to politics, and readily supported the party in power so long as it governed tolerably well. Protestant 4, Support of ProtesDissenters were, of course, Whigs. The House of Lords was composed largely of Whig landowners, who shared the offices of state amongst themselves for many years. The Bishops, (Lecky i, 212-232.) like other people whom they appointed, were men who would 6. Selfish use of still further increase the Whig majority in Parliament. Stan- a, Bishops. hope indeed tried to secure a permanent Whig majority in the b, Peers. House of Lords by his Peerage Bill, which was to prevent the future creation of new Peers in case a Tory majority might be elected in the Commons. This was too bare-faced an attempt at the creation of a Whig oligarchy even for those days, and Walpole saw that the better plan was to maintain power by systematic patronage, which was bribery in all but name. The House of Commons merely echoed the opinions of the aristocracy, for most of the constituencies were pocket boroughs whose representatives were nominated by noble or wealthy owners or by the Ministry, and the rest were 'rotten boroughs which openly set themselves up to public auction. The franchise was much restricted, and places of recent growth, such as Leeds and Manchester, had no representatives at all. The people were in consequence almost unrepresented in Parliament.

66

(1719.)

(Lecky, i, 230).

c,

7.

bribery.

Patronage and (Green 723-765.) Unrepresentative

character of House of Commons.

Tories. (Wakeman 424.) a, Their strength.

law.

The Tories were in a difficult position. They were not 8. Weakness of without strength; they almost monopolised whatever enthusiasm there was in the country as well as whatever religion there was in the English Church. The Roman Catholics were naturally Jacobites; so were the Highlanders and the Irish; so were the clergy and country gentry. They had much of the literary ability of the country on their side. But they b but defeated. were in the position of a party which was not merely defeated c, and against the but discredited, for the law of the land was against the King d. divided in of their choice, and the natural instinct of England has always opinions. been strong in support of law. Moreover they lacked unity (Lecky i, 163-172.) whereas the Whigs presented a compact front. Finally, the rightful heirs being Roman Catholics and the Tories as a Party being stalwart upholders of the Church of England, they were in the position of men who halt between two opinions. Trying to stand on two stools, they were unable to maintain themselves. They fell badly, and could not rise for many years.