House of Commons. On the part of Scotland, the proposed union at first awoke jealousy and alarm, but it was carried in the Scotch Parliament. With the experience of the increasing benefits arising from it, all regrets at its accomplishment died gradually away. The inhabitants of the two countries, although retaining several marked peculiarities in habits and belief, are now one in purpose and sympathy.

The close alliance which Marlborough found it necessary to form with the Whigs, had gradually weakened his influence with the Queen. She had never become reconciled to the Act of Settlement,26 her ardent wish being that her brother the Pretender 27 should succeed her on the throne. Her pleasant and amiable temper in some degree restrained her from violent action, but it spoke volumes for her attachment to the Marlboroughs that she was induced to sanction the appointment of so many leading Whigs to high office.28

The final break was caused by a personal quarrel between the Queen and Marlborough's wife. Anne had gradually become weary of the domineering temper of the Duchess; and began to seek solace in the gentle submissiveness of Abigail Hill, a cousin of the Duchess, who on her recommendation had been made lady of the bedchamber.

29

The new favourite, who now became Mrs. Masham," had formed a close friendship with Harley, the leader of the Tory party and a most accomplished courtier.

While the influence of Godolphin and Marlborough was thus being completely undermined at court, the former was so foolish as to engage in a religious prosecution. Dr. Sacheverell, a conspicuous High Church preacher, had attacked the principles of the Revolution

30

in a sermon preached in St. Paul's. He was impeached before the House of Lords, and found guilty, but was only sentenced to abstain from preaching for three years. Such a sentence was regarded by the Tories as a virtual triumph; and, on learning the result, the people gave expression to their rejoicing by the lighting of bonfires.

This prosecution violently offended the Queen, who dismissed Godolphin and the leading Whigs from office even before the dissolution of Parliament. In the new Parliament, the Tory majority was very decided; and, in the Ministry that followed its election, Harley became Lord High Treasurer, having a short time previously been created Earl of Oxford. With him was associated St. John, whom the Queen created Viscount Bolingbroke, and who became Secretary of State. St. John was unrivalled as an orator, and afterwards acquired considerable fame as a philosophical writer.

31

Marlborough was dismissed from his command on 1st January 1712; and in the following year the treaty of Utrecht was signed,31 permitting the Duke of Anjou to succeed to the throne of Spain as Philip V., but securing to England Minorca and Gibraltar; while France. promised to cease to shelter the Pretender.

The remaining years of Anne's reign were uneventful, being remarkable chiefly for the jealousies of the two Ministers, their plots against each other, and the intrigues of Bolingbroke on behalf of the Pretender. Anne died before the schemes of Bolingbroke had time to attain fruition, but not before Oxford had been dismissed from office on account of his supposed leaning to the House of Hanover. Immediately before his dismissal, Oxford and Mrs. Masham had a violent quarrel in the presence of the Queen, from which she retired in the utmost agita

tion and exhaustion, saying that she would never outlive the scene. Three days afterwards she was seized with apoplexy, which gradually passed into stupor and death.32

1. The Reign. Anne reigned from 1702-1714.
2. Newton (1642-1727), the celebrated mathe-
matician, Sir Isaac Newton; his greatest
discovery was the Law of Gravitation.

remains in British possession, almost the sole relic of her former Continental possessions. It was taken August 3rd, 1704. 16. To march into France. This indicates how complete a change Marlborough's genius had effected. Formerly the French had always invaded and almost overrun the Netherlands; Marlborough is now ready to march into France.'

3. It is remarkable that the three most brilliant
epochs in English Literature have been
under her Queens-Elizabeth, Anne, Vic-
toria. The most famous poets in Anne's
reign were Dryden and Pope; the princi-
pal prose writers were Addison, Steele, 17.
Swift, and Defoe.

Ramilies, in Belgium, 26 miles S.E. of Brussels. The victory was won May 23rd, 1706.

4. Wits. Witty conversation was specially 18. The Duke of Berwick, the natural son of

cultivated in the reign of Anne, even
among some of the nobility.

5. Godolphin, an admirable man of business'

whom Marlborough got made Lord High Treasurer-a post equivalent to our five Lords of the Treasury, of whom the Prime

James II. and Anne Churchill. He was thus Marlborough's nephew by blood, although he was fighting on the side of France.

19. Oudenarde, Belgium, on the Scheldt, 33 miles
west of Brussels.

Minister is one and the Chancellor of the 20. Lille, in France, on the north-eastern fron-
Exchequer another.

6. The Grand Alliance included, besides Eng

land and Holland, the Emperor of Ger- 21.
many, Prussia, several minor princes, and
ultimately Savoy and Portugal.

7. Chesterfield, a courtier or statesman of the
succeeding generation, who, in his Letters
to his Son,' insists much on the importance
of cultivating the external graces.

22.

tier. Marlborough had at last carried the
war into the enemy's country.

The first and third of these are in the north-
east of France, Mons is on the borders of
Belgium.
Malplaquet, a town in the north-east of
France, close to the Belgian frontier. The
battle was fought 11th September, 1709.

23. Saragossa, on the Ebro, in the north-east of
Spain. The victory of Saragossa was gained
20th August, 1710.

8. Spanish Succession. The purpose of this
war was to preserve the Balance of Power
by preventing a grandson of Louis XIV. 24.
(Philip) from becoming King of Spain. The
allies supported the Archduke Charles of
Austria.

9. Dutch deputies, who accompanied the army, 25.
and whose consent was necessary before
any important movements could be
effected.

26.

The grandson of Louis XIV. He was estab lished as King of Spain after the war, so that the French gained the main point contended for.

The Union was effected on the 6th March, 1707.

Act of Settlement, see p. 109.

27. The young Prince James Edward Stuart, her half-brother.

10. The Other Forces of the Allies. There were really four theatres of war in this Euro- 28. The political history of the parties in this pean conflict:-(1) The Netherlands, (2) The Middle Rhine and Upper Danube, (3) Italy, (4) Spain.

11. Led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, one of the
greatest generals of his time.

12. The allied troops may fairly be estimated at
50,000, of which 36,000 were commanded by
Marlborough; and the number of the
French may be set down at 60,000.
13. Blenheim, a village in the west of Bavaria
on the Danube, 33 miles below Ulm. The
battle was fought on the 13th August 1704.
14. Tactical skill, skill in manoeuvring. It in-
cludes skill both in planning a campaign
and in directing the troops in actual battle.
15. Gibraltar, the key of the Mediterranean, still

reign may be summed up as follows: (1)
At the beginning of the reign, the Tories
were in power; (2) The influence of Marl-
borough led to the gradual introduction of
Whig ministers; (3) At last, Harley the
Tory leader resigned, and a Whig ministry
was constituted (1708); (4) Finally, the fall
of the Whigs and the formation of a Tory
ministry took place in 1710.

29. Mrs. Masham, by her marriage with a
gentleman of the Queen's household.
He was charged with sedition.
13th July, 1713.

30.

31.

32. Aune died on 1st August (12th August by the

New Style) 1713.

GEORGE 1.

HARACTER of the Period and of the Sovereign.'With the Georges, there commences a new epoch in our history: we now enter upon the eighteenth century-the era of the French Revolution; and from the very outset we can trace the causes which led to that terrible rising of the oppressed masses against their tyrants.

"As one views Europe, in the early part of the last

K