The reign of George VI. 1900-1925; a forecast written in the year 1763, republished

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THE

REIGN OF GEORGE VI

1900 1925

A FORECAST WRITTEN
IN THE YEAR 1763

REPUBLISHED, WITH PREFACE AND NOTES
BY

C. OMAN

FELLOW OF ALL SOULS* COLLEGE, OXFORD

PRINTED FOR W. NICCOLL AT THE PAPER-MILL

IN ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD IN 1763

REPRINTED BY RIVINGTONS, 34, KING STREET

COVENT GARDEN, W.C., IN 1899

CONTENTS

I'AGE

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE vii

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE xxvii

INTRODUCTION .... i

CHAPTER I.

A.D. IQOO.

Accession and first acts of George VI. — Ministerial changes.

—National Debt. — State of Europe 5

CHAPTER II.

A.D. IQOO-IQOI.

War with Russia.— Naval defeat off the Dutch coast. — Intre-
pidity of the King. — Transactions in Parliament. —
Invasion. — Sack of Durham. — Battle of Wetherby. —
Naval engagement 12

CHAPTER III.

A.D. I90I-I902.

Military and naval preparations of the King. — War with
France. — Invasion of Flanders. — Battle of Winox. — Rapid
successes. — The Russians defeated at sea. — Peace of
Beauvais ...... ; • 24

495861

•

iv CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

A.D. 1902-1916.

PAGE

Interest of the National Debt reduced. — The building of the
palace and city of Stanley. — The Royal Academies. —
George VI. encourages the Arts, Sciences, and Literature 31

CHAPTER V.

A.D. 1917-1918.

Russians and French attack the Empire. — Battle of Augsburg.
— Battle of Lutzen. — Siege of Vienna. — George VI. assists
the Emperor Frederick. — Famous march. — Battle of
Vienna. — Russians and French driven out of Germany. —
George attacks France, and enters Paris. — Battle of Melun 43

CHAPTER VI.

A.D. 1919.

War renewed. — Siege and relief of Orleans. — The King
wounded. — Battle of Arleux. — Battle of Alenfon. — Death
of Charles X. — George re-enters Paris. — Leaves France,
.and returns to England 51

CHAPTER VII.

A.D. 1919-1920.

Foreign affairs. — Spain and Russia intervene in the war. —
Treaty of Madrid. — Preparations of Great-Britain. —
Parliament meets. — Duke of Devonshire conquers Flanders
and Holland 62

CONTENTS. v

CHAPTER VIII.

A.D. 1920.

I'AGE

Naval victories. — Duke of Lerma marches into France. —
Motions of the British and French armies. — Celebrated
march. — Philip arrives at Paris. — Battle of Espalio n. —
Battle of Paris. — The conquest of France. — Conquest of
Mexico. — Philippine Islands reduced. — Duke of Devon-
shire enters Spain. — General peace signed at Paris,
Nov. i, 1920 70

CHAPTER IX.

A.D. I92I-I922.

State of the kingdom — The parliament meets. — Arts,
Sciences, and Literature. — Academy of Literature. — Uni-
versity.— Gardens of Stanley. — Public works. — Manu-
factures.— Prosperity of the American Colonies ... 90

CHAPTER X.

A.D. 1922-1925.

George VI. visits France. — Government in France. — New
laws. — Buildings. — Encouragement of arts and sciences.
— George gives freedom and happiness to France.— Finis 101

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE

OF late years it has been common enough for authors
to comment on the political and social tendencies of
their own day, by drawing fancy pictures of the state
of the world many generations hence, when these
tendencies have been worked out to their full develop-
ment. From Lord Lytton's " Coming Race," published
in 1871, down to Mr. Bellamy's "Looking Backward,"
and Mr. Wells's " When the Sleeper wakes," at least
a dozen books have been written on these lines. But
till last year I was not aware how far back the catena of
this prophetical literature could be followed. Work-
ing through the wrecks of an eighteenth-century library
in the old-world town of Burford, I came on " The Reign
of George VI.," a little book of 192 pages, issued anony-
mously as long ago as 1763. As it deals with the years
1900-1925, there seems to be a special appropriateness
in republishing it just as the period of which it treats is
coming upon us. The reader will, I think, allow that the
interest of its contents is sufficient to justify its reissue
for his benefit. There is a good deal of amusement,
as well as of instruction, to be got from studying this
forecast of the history of our own time, drawn four
generations ago by an acute political thinker of the
early years of George III.

via THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

Like all books of its kind, " The Reign of George VI."
has two sides. The author was not merely exercising
the faculty of prophecy according to his lights, but
was intending to influence the men of his own day by
pointing out, in the actions of his puppets — George VI.,
the Dukes of Bedford and Suffolk, and the rest — what
ought to be done and what avoided in the Year of
Grace 1763. In domestic politics he was a Tory ; his
nightmare was the perpetuation of that " battle of the
kites and crows " — the objectless strife of the Whig
factions — which had endured for the last two genera-
tions. His panacea was the more active interference
of the king with his ministers, and the recent doings
of George III. had much encouraged him. Like the
monarch whom he would fain advise, he must have
been reading Bolingbroke's " Patriot King," and dream-
ing of the realization of its ideals. Unfortunately, the
young sovereign from whom he hoped so much is not
the " Farmer George " of reality, but a sort of more
amiable Frederick the Great — a Heaven-sent general,
who is also an enthusiastic patron of arts and letters.
Did our author, we wonder, survive to learn the modesty
of King George's military aspirations, or to hear of his
interesting literary criticism as to Shakespeare's works
being " sad stuff — only one must not say so " ?

In foreign affairs we find, from the first page of the
book to the last, only two main ideas. Russia is the bug-
bear of the future ; unless her wings are clipped, she will
dominate all Northern and Eastern Europe, and become

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. ix

the bully of the world. We find that in 1900 she has
not only devoured Poland and Finland and the Crimea,
and all her actual conquests, but has also annexed the
two Scandinavian monarchies — a thing that appeared
by no means impossible to an observer of 1763, when
Gustavus III. had not yet arisen to put an end to the
internal factions of the larger Northern realm. But if
Russia is the great danger of the future to our author,
France is the great danger of the present. She is
unteachable and irreconcilable, — and she must be
smashed. There is no other way of dealing with her ;
and after two of her gratuitous attacks, George VI.
accomplishes — with what seems to us astounding ease —
the complete conquest of the Bourbon realm. We leave
France held down by English garrisons, and governed by
an Anglo-French regency, as she had been in the days
of Henry V. and his unfortunate son. Apparently our
author finds finality in the carrying out of this rather
drastic policy ! He had so badly gauged French
patriotic sentiment, that he imagined that the nation
could be bribed into acquiescence in foreign conquest
by a liberal dose of trial by jury, habeas corpus, and
the liberty of the press (pp. 102-105). " The French
seemed to enjoy these benefits with a particular exul-
tation, as they came from the hand of their conqueror ;
happy for France, that it was conquered by such a
patriot King ! "

There is a strangely modern touch in the insistence
of our author on the fact that England's greatest danger

x THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

lies in the combination against her of Russia and France.
It argues considerable penetration that he should have
worked out for 1901 a crisis of this kind — a thing that
is quite within the limits of the probable. In 1763
Russian politics were unscrupulous enough, but it was
not very obvious that they would lead to the building
up of the great empire which has since arisen. For
when our author wrote, Catherine II. had but just come
to her ill-gotten throne, and had given no clear promise
of her after-career ; while her predecessors, since Peter
the Great, had been creatures of very common clay.
Nevertheless, the future of Russia is accurately foreseen ;
indeed, her coming greatness is even overstated, for in
1900 she is made the second, instead of the third, naval
power in Europe, and her land dominions — as we have
already remarked — are made to extend to the North
Sea, instead of merely to the Gulf of Finland.

Looking round the rest of Europe, we find in our
prophecy much that has been fulfilled, as well as
much that is hopelessly wrong. The Turk is still at
Constantinople, though his northern borders have been
clipped close by Russia (p. 28). The supremacy
in Germany has passed from the Hapsburgs to
the house of Brandenburg, and Frederick IX. of
Hohenzollern, " a weak Prince, governed by his
Queen," holds the Imperial title in 1900. A political
prophet, fresh from witnessing the glories of Frederick
the Great, might venture on such a forecast ; but he
is not happy in making it the result of a marriage —

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xi

a thing most unlikely to occur between the heir of
the Protestant Hohenzollerns and the heiress of the
Catholic Hapsburgs. No one could possibly have
foreseen the actual details of the great change in
Central Europe — the suppression, in 1805, of the old
" Holy Roman Empire " by Napoleon (born six years
after our book was written), and the creation, sixty-
five years later, of the new Deutsches Reich under
William I. of Prussia. The Germany of 1900, as our
author sees it, is a perpetuation of the elder empire,
not a newly formed state. Electors of Bavaria and
Hanover, Dukes of Saxony, and similar princes of the
eighteenth-century sort, are its chief moving powers.
How, by the way, Hanover has got separated from
England, and has an elector again, while yet the male
line of the Guelfs survives on this side of the Channel, we
are never told. Presumably it is a result of some of the
unfortunate wars of George V., vaguely hinted at on p. 3.
Italian unity was another of the events of the future
which our author foresaw. Nearly all the Peninsula
is under one king in 1900 : Turin, Milan, Rome, and
Naples all obey the same master. " The patrimony of
St. Peter had long been wrested from the Church," and
the temporal power of the Popes is over. But two
unfortunate forecasts are made in sketching the Italy
of 1900. Its king is not a member of the house of
Savoy, but a descendant of Charles of Naples, the
bustling and well-served " Don Carlos," whose successes
our author must have had in his head, when he conceived

xii THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

the idea — so grotesquely impossible to us — of a Sicilian
Bourbon seated on the Roman throne. The other
failure in his prophecy is the survival of a small
Venetian state in North-Eastern Italy: a king (of
uncertain origin) rules instead of a doge at Venice,
and his existence has been prolonged by the aid of
France, "who has always found her account in inter-
meddling with the affairs of Italy" (p. n).

The history of the Iberian Peninsula has not been
so happily foreshadowed by our author as that of
the Italian. It was permissible for a contemporary of
our vigorous enemy, Charles III. — who did as much for
Spain as he did for Naples — to believe that the realm of
the younger Bourbon house had still some possibilities
of revival in her. So the nineteenth-century history of
Spain is no miserable story of Godoys and Esparteros,
but fairly prosperous. Portugal is conquered and
absorbed somewhere early in the century, and Sardinia
has returned to the Spanish allegiance, apparently when
the rest of the dominions of the house of Savoy, in
common with the other Italian states, were annexed by
the victorious Bourbon king of the Two Sicilies. It will
strike the reader as strange to find that Spain has also
contrived to recover Gibraltar (p. 85), and apparently
Minorca also, so that Great Britain has no foothold left
in the Mediterranean. Moreover, the whole of Spain's
American empire is intact : Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela
are not the spawning-ground of dictators and Pronun-
ciamentos, but peaceful and supine viceroyalties under

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xiii

the Bourbon crown, with little fighting power in them.
Brazil, in consequence of the conquest of Portugal, has
become a Spanish province, like the great lands to the
west and south of it. It is hard for us, to whom the
rebellion of colonies is an only too well-known
phenomenon, to conceive how unlikely it must have
appeared, to an observer of 1763, that the great posses-
sions in the New World would ever develop a national
spirit, and cut themselves adrift from their mother-
countries. Spain, it is to be noted, is not only still
dominant in America, but has retained the Philippines,
which form the goal of an English invasion in 1920.

Of the minor states of Europe, as they stood in 1763,
our author has allowed few to survive. He was a
consistent believer in the idea that they were destined
to be absorbed by their larger neighbours. The Swiss
Confederation is still in existence (p. 64), but no other
third-rate power, save the imaginary kingdom of Venice.
Portugal has been devoured by Spain ; Sweden, Denmark,
and Norway (no less than Poland), by Russia ; while
France, somewhere about 1850, has overrun and annexed
the Austrian Netherlands and Holland. " The Dutch,
whose spirits were sunk in their slavery, had no inclina-
tion to assist their cruel masters. But they were kept
too much in awe by the French garrisons in their several
fortresses to listen to a deliverer." The minor Italian
states, save Venice, have been incorporated, long ere
1900, in the enlarged kingdom ruled by the Neapolitan
Bourbons. That the nineteenth century would see the

xiv THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

creation of half a dozen new principalities in the Balkan
Peninsula our author did not dream. He makes the
Sultan still master of all the lands as far as the
Danube.

We have left the description of France to the last, as
it is the continental state on which most attention is
bestowed. The French Revolution is an event of which
our author has not the 'remotest foreboding. The
France of 1900 is to him still the centralized, ill-governed
despotism of his own day. " The nobility were absolute
lords on their own estates, but the slaves of their monarch,
and the first to bear his fury" (p. 104). "The Parle-
ments had formerly raised commotions in this kingdomr
by their obstinacy in refusing to register the royal
edicts: but this appearance of liberty was now entirely at
an end." " Superstition and enthusiam " rule the lower
classes, only tempered after 1920 by "the great number of
books that swarmed from the press, which ridiculed and
subverted the Roman Catholic religion." The towns
had, in many provinces, fallen into decay, the state was
half ruined, but " a cunning and political prince," King
Charles X. is still pursuing the aggressive policy of his
ancestor Louis XIV., keeping Italy astir, preying on the
ill-compacted German Empire, and oppressing millions
of discontented Netherlanders. In alliance with his con-
federate Czar Peter IV., he is able to dominate Europe,
till, engaging in an unprovoked war with England, he
loses both his life and his crown in 1919. Finally,
national spirit is so dead, as we have already remarked,

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xv

that at the end of the disastrous struggle with George VI.,
the French monarchy is content to endure a permanent
foreign garrison, and to be governed by a foreign
regency. Let us hope that our author was still a
young man in 1763, and survived for a quarter of a
century to witness the outburst of 1789 and the wars

of 1792-97.

Turning from the Continent to our own realm, we
find much to astonish us in the England of 1900. The
feature which will most amuse the reader is the state
of our domestic politics. We are still in the midst of
eighteenth-century factions and parliamentary corruption.
The fate of ministries depends on the intrigues of a
knot of Whig dukes, each provided with his following
in the Lower House. The most objectionable and un-
patriotic of them is the Duke of Bedford, a personage
obviously modelled on that prince of jobbers, Thomas
Holies, Duke of Newcastle, whom a Tory writer of the
early years of George III. might well take as his bete
noire. Like Newcastle in 1762, this nobleman sticks at
the head of the Treasury, in a cabinet which is anxious
to get rid of him, but has to endure him, because of his
"prodigious parliamentary interest." He intrigues
against his colleagues, sets his hirelings in the Commons
to vote against the ministry, and finally chooses the
moment of an invasion of England to force the dismissal
of his rivals on the king (p. 17). This is the precise
line of conduct which Newcastle adopted in 1745-46,
when he bullied Gecrge II. into getting rid of Carteret ;

xvi THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

by resigning his office, just as the Jacobite rising was at
its height and the French were reported to be embarking
at Dunkirk. It ultimately requires a sort of coup (Tetat
on the king's part to get rid of the baneful influence of
this unpatriotic statesman. His Majesty descends on
the Commons, much as Charles I. attempted to do on
January 4, 1642, and gives them a sound rating, accom-
panied by many vague threats. Thereupon the overawed
assembly forget their terror of the duke, and grant his
irate master the subsidies that he demands. A beautiful
side light on the possibilities of eighteenth-century
politics is given by the fact that before declaring war on
England, Czar Peter IV. " had conveyed immense sums
into the kingdom, and had most politically distributed
them to the most advantageous purposes ; he had secured
a large party, and this . . . obstructed every measure
proposed for coming to some speedy resolutions " (p. 17).
Reading this, we fancy that we are in the days of
Charles II. rather than those of George III. But
evidently a hot partisan in 1763 might still believe that
those who differed from him on external politics had
been bought with foreign gold. French politicians of
the more excitable sort are under the same impression
to-day.

Looking through the lists of the old cabinets of the
eighteenth century, we are often surprised to note the
enormous proportion of the ministers who sat in the
Upper House. But we are bound to say that our author
overdoes the matter in absolutely raining dukes upon

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xvii

us. In the first ministry of George VI. (1900), "the
Duke of Bedford was continued as Lord High Treasurer.
The Duke of Northumberland was removed from being
president of the council, and succeeded by the Earl of
Surrey (son of the Duke of Norfolk). The Duke of Marl-
borough was made Secretary of State for the Southern
department, and the Duke of Suffolk Lord Privy-Seal,
in the room of the Duke of St. Albans, while the Duke
of Grafton became first Lord of the Admiralty, a
post just vacant by the death of the Duke of Athol "
(p. 6).

On a first reading of this book I had fancied that the
Duke of Suffolk, the right-hand man of King George VI.,
was a reflection of Lord Bute. But I fancy that this
cannot be so : our author, though a sincere Tory, is very
bitter against Bute's Peace of Paris, concluded a few
months before he wrote his pamphlet : " our late peace,"
he writes, " was not altogetJier so advantageous as minis-
terial writers would have us think, and our moderation
was rather a little ill-timed" (Preface, p. xxxi.). Nor was
Bute either " originally of a mean family," or " one who
had travelled through the principal courts of Europe, and
understood all their interests and connections with
abundance of ease and perspicuity " (p. 7). I conclude,
then, that Suffolk represents the minister whom George
III. otight to have met, rather than the one who was
actually in power when this book was written.

It is very strange to find no trace of William Pitt in
our author's prophecy ; all the more so that his policy

b

xviii THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

is entirely inspired by that of the Great Commoner.
The entire beating down of France, the seizure of the
Spanish possessions in the East and West Indies, the
development of the American colonies, the perpetual
increase of the fleet, are all Pitt's ideas. Yet among
the ministers of George VI. there is certainly no one
who in the least adumbrates the great statesman who
had been thrust from power only a year before this book
appeared. Was the author under the impression that
George III. disliked his mighty subject to such an
extent that it would be useless to urge a reconciliation ?
Or was he content that Pitt's ideas should be carried
out, even if Pitt himself should not be entrusted with
their realization ?

That the political England of 1900 is practically that
of 1763, is most clearly visible in the budgets which the
ministers of George VI. present to their Parliaments.
Our author has no conception of the enormous increase
of national wealth which was to swell our revenue, within
a century, to eight or ten times that of his own day.
Or rather, he foresaw a large development both of trade
and of .manufactures, but forgot that such a movement
would translate itself into figures. He is perpetually
harping on the dangerous swelling of the national
debt all through the nineteenth century, and more
especially in the reign of George IV. (p. 3). But when
we examine the " enormous burden " which must very
soon drive the nation to " come to the spunge," we find
that it amounted in 1900 to no more than £21 1,000,000.

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xix

In 1763 it was standing at about £140,000,000, so that
our author imagined that the addition of some £70,000,000
more would be a fair estimate for the next century.
What would he have said if he had been informed that
in January, 1816, it would amount to over £900,000,000,
and that the mere interest on it in that year would be
more than double his total estimate for the annual
revenue of the United Kingdom ?

The very modest total to which the receipts of the
exchequer were to amount in 1900 is £14,000,000 — "a
sum that would have astonished all the world, had we
not been in possession of such a flourishing commerce."
As a matter of fact, it seems probable that the real
estimates for that year will amount to between eight
and nine times our author's calculation. Looking into
the details, the army, navy, and civil service, each cost,
in 1899, just about eight times the sum indicated in the
detailed budget set forth on page 33. On the other
hand, the money required for the management of the
national debt is less than six times the £4,250,000 which
our author allows for it in 1900. He had estimated
that financial stress would have cut down the 4 per
cents of his own day to 2 per cents by the time of George
VI. As a matter of fact, we have come down to 2| per
cent., but by the peaceful method of Conversion, and
not by the violent shock of the repudiation of half the
covenanted interest.

' Our author, like most eighteenth-century writers, was
a great exponent of the all-importance of trade and

xx THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

colonization. The financial salvation of Great Britain,
he tells us, is bound up with the development of our
North American colonies : " The immense region of
country which the English there possess was what most
extended and forwarded the British manufactures." Of
Australia and South Africa there is, naturally enough,
no mention in the book. The first settlement in the
former was a quarter of a century in the future (1788) ;
in the latter, there was only an obscure Dutch colony
at the Cape. The East India Company is still flourish-
ing, but the limits of its territories are nowhere stated.
We only know that in the reign of George VI. they
comprised not only Indian possessions, but Batavia and
the former Dutch settlements in Java. The company
is found in 1920 aiding the King with a fleet as well as
with a powerful land army (p. 86). But North America
was to be the great Land of Promise : " By the year 1920
there were 11,000,000 of souls in the British- American
dominions : they were in possession of perhaps the finest
country in the world, and yet had never made the least
attempt to shake off the authority of Great-Britain " (p.
100). It is a minor point to note that the United States
have now about 70,000,000 inhabitants, and the dominion
of Canada well over 5,000,000. The really interesting
fact in our author's picture is to see that he had just
conceived of the possibility of a revolt of the United
Colonies, and then rejected it. George Grenville's unhappy
legislation was still in the future, though quite close at
hand ; it began, indeed, less than a twelvemonth after

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xxi

our pamphlet was printed. Other American grievances
were already in existence, but our author gives his
reasons for thinking that they would never grow
dangerous. " The constitutions of the several divisions
of this vast monarchy were admirably designed to keep
the whole in continual dependence on the mother
country. . . . The multiplicity of governments which
prevailed over the whole country rendered the execution
of such a scheme [combined rebellion] absolutely im-
possible " (p. 100). Alas for paper guarantees ! It was,
in all probability, well within our author's lifetime that
the spectacle of an intercolonial Congress was to give
his speculations the lie. The chances are that he
survived to hear of Saratoga and Yorktown, and to see
an envoy of the United States of North America walk-
ing in the streets of London. He must have sighed to
think of his own enthusiastic picture of ten British men-
of-war on the stocks at once in Boston Harbour (p. 65),
and of the militia of New Orleans co-operating with our
red-coats in the capture of the city of Mexico (p. 86).

The great development of British commerce and
manufactures which our author foresaw was to be
accomplished — of course — without the aid of steam.
Three- deckers fight our naval battles, huge East-
Indiamen bring us the wealth of Calcutta and Batavia.
Internal communications are facilitated by splendidly
kept high-roads and numberless canals, not by the
locomotive or the steamer. Living in the heyday of
canals (the great " Bridgewater " Canal started work in

xxii THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

1761), our author looked on them as the great highways
of the future. "Rivers that formerly were almost useless
were now navigated by large barges, which increased the
trade of innumerable towns, and raised in many places
new ones. The canals which were cut joined rivers, and
formed a communication between every part of the
kingdom. Villages grew into towns, and towns became
cities " (p. 99).

But the growth of great towns, though it gratified the
economical side of our author's mind, did not please the
artistic side. Accordingly, we find that George VI., like
the Reverend Robert Spalding, " did not like London."
" Its prodigious size was its only boast : it contained few
buildings that did honour to the nation. The meanness
of his Majesty's palace disgusted him. In a word, he
thought London a city finely calculated for trade, but
not for the residence of the polite arts." Accordingly,
he built a sort of Versailles in the Midlands, to which
he removed the law courts, the Parliament, and all the
public offices. Our author waxes enthusiastic over the
beauties of the new city of Stanley, which was laid out
by the royal architects on a regular and symmetrical
plan. The facade of each street was carefully settled,
and the erectors of houses were compelled to conform
to the design. In 1763 we were in the full tide of
classical architecture, and Stanley must be conceived
as filled entirely with domes and pediments and peri-
styles ; its cathedral " far exceeded St. Peter's Rome,"
its forty-three parish churches were no doubt in the style

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xxiii

of St. George's, Hanover Square, its colleges on the
lines of Queen's College, Oxford, its enormous palace
modelled on that of a German resident. We fear that
to the real denizen of the year 1900 the city would be
a nightmare, with its monotonous thoroughfares and its
public buildings all in one single style. The description
of the great gardens running down to the Welland, and
looking out on Rockingham Forest, sounds more
promising, though we cannot but smile when we read
of the landscape " in which the appearance of art was
entirely banished." For our author's idea of " nature
unadorned " included artificial mountains crowned with
little temples and pinnacles, a prodigious quantity of
masonry, and " many cascades tumbling down artificial
rocks, till they lost themselves in meandering currents
through the embrowning shades " (p. 96).

From the fact that the imaginary city of Stanley is
reared in Rutland, not far from Uppingham, and close
by the banks of the Welland, I conclude that our author
must have been a native, or at least a denizen, of that
part of the Midlands. This fact may be of assistance
in the identification of his personalty, which I have
not been able to discover. Literary men interested
in the county of Rutland can never have been very
numerous.

The reader will notice with interest, on pp. 37 and
94, the account of the creation and endowment, by
George VI., of Royal Academies not only of Arts and
Architecture, but of Literature. Our author has been

xxiv THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

good enough to give us a list of the original members
of these institutions, which is not without interest.
Oddly enough, his leading poet bears the name of
Reynolds, which in 1763 (one would have thought)
must have been already associated with art rather than
with literature. " That great man united the elegance
of Mason with the genius of Shakespeare." His
colleague Pine, " to the inventive imagination of Milton
added the correctness and harmony of Pope." Third
among the writers was Young, " whose comedies far
exceeded those of the celebrated Symonds." We should
gladly have welcomed a few screeds and excerpts from
the works of these masters of the pen, but our author
does not indulge us with a single quotation. It is to
be feared that, if he had done so, we should have found
that they were written in the highest classical style of
the eighteenth century : the romantic revival was still in
the future when "The Reign of George VI." was written.
The only authors who are quoted in the book are
historians — Stephenson, who apparently wrote on
Continental politics, and is cited for the foreign relations
of Switzerland (p. 64), and Du Chanq, a French writer,
who seems to have dealt with the military aspect of
the great struggle of 1917-20. It must suffice us to
know, in a general way, that the " Royal Academy
of Polite Learning" "refined the English language,
and promoted literature in all its branches. The prizes
given every year for the best tragedies, comedies, and
essays, at the same time that they raised a spirit of

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. xxv

emulation, were a means of enriching the votaries of
genius."

It remains to add a few words concerning the military
operations which occupy so great a space in " The Reign
of George VI." The reader will find that they are
entirely modelled on the tactics of Frederick the Great,
which have evidently been most carefully studied. The
usual advance in two lines of infantry, with the cavalry
massed on the wings — the use of the oblique order — and
the regular turning of one of the adversary's flanks, are
all copied from the great Hohenzollern. In his one
disaster, his surprise by the French in front of Orleans,
in May, 1919, George VI. does Frederick the honour
of copying him, even in defeat ; for the battle seems
modelled on that of Hochkirch. The marches of the
English army are very carefully worked out, and can
be easily verified on the map. That to relieve Vienna,
in 1918, is a careful reproduction of Marlborough's
march to Blenheim, which was the sole precedent
that lay before our author for an operation extending
over such a vast stretch of country. The movements
about Lyons and Clermont, ending in the battle of
Espalion (pp. 75-79), will all bear careful verification,
both for the roads traversed, and for the time taken.
But there can be no doubt that in some of the campaigns
the limit of days allowed for long and complicated
operations is too small. George VI. contrives to move
with a rapidity that would have astonished Napoleon
himself. Having, for example, won the battle of Espalion

xxvi THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

on June 23, 1920, it is quite impossible that he should
have cleared the French out of Languedoc, Guienne,
Gascony, Provence, and Dauphine, and occupied Paris
by the 24th of July. Our author states that he met
practically no opposition in subduing the southern
provinces ; but as we are told that the King of France
was waiting before him with an unbeaten army of some
80,000 men during the latter part of these operations,
it is certain that such incredible speed could not have
been reached (p. 83).

I regret that I have been able to make no plausible
guess as to the identity of the author of this little book.
It was " Printed for W. Niccoll, at the Paper-Mill, in St.
Paul's Churchyard," late in 1763. That it achieved
some popularity in its day is shown by the fact that an
enterprising German publisher thought it worth while
to have the pamphlet translated and reprinted at
Leipzig as " Die Regierung Georg des Sechsten." I had
hoped that the translator might have added a preface
giving some information as to the author. But he has
contented himself with making a very literal rendering
of the English, without adding a single note or remark
of his own. If any reader can put me on the track of a
literary man of strong imperialistic proclivities, who
flourished in 1763, and had a connection with the county
of Rutland, and more especially the town of Uppingham,
I should be much obliged for the information.

C. OMAN.

OXFORD,

June 20, 1899.

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE

A PREFACE, like a Master of the Ceremonies, intro-
duces two Strangers to an interview, and upon occa-
sions of this nature, the bookseller usually officiates

as Sir Clement Cotterel1 to the reader. If we

were to go on with our similes, we should compare
an author to a convict at the place of execution, for
let him have talked never so much, he has still a last
word to say to the public.

With regard to the tendency of the following history,
as it is taken up at a what's-to-come period, and begun
at an sera that will not begin these hundred years, it
may be necessary to say a few words, whether critical
or explanatory, whimsical or elaborate, shall be entirely
submitted to the determination of the reader.

The kingdom of Great-Britain was divided into two
powerful parties, as we are informed by our annals,
when the great Doctor Swift, took it into his head to
write the history of Captain Lemuel Gulliver. The

1 [Master of the Ceremonies to George II. and George III., from
1758 to 1774.]

xxviii THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

political tendency of that celebrated performance is too
generally known to require any comment in this place.
The Dean, with the greatest concern, had long seen
the Distractions of the state, and knew that it would
be utterly impossible in a direct chain of reasoning, to
combat with the force of popular opinion, or to con-
tend with those obstinate prejudices which in a course
of ill-judged education are too often and too fatally
imbibed.

Sensible of this ineffectuality, that great man set
about an undertaking, which would produce all the
consequences he desired, without seeming to labour for
any, and fully expose the principles of faction, without
appearing the least solicitous to detect them at all.. He
wrote, he published, and succeeded, and the work is at
this day one of the most masterly pieces of its kind in
any language, and held in the highest estimation by
the most sensible and judicious part of the kingdom.

The modesty which is ever the companion of true
merit, would by no means admit your author to think
of a parallel between this history and the travels of
Captain Gulliver. Even to say he does not, is a sort
of presumption, as it is tacitly acknowledging the
possibility of such a comparison. — But the very same
modesty induces him to hope, that in the course of the
following sheets, the reader will not sit down to an
entertainment utterly contemptible, for then it would
be an unpardonable piece of ill-breeding to think of
setting it before a guest. The generality of modern

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. xxix

writers have a mighty trick of saying — " to be sure
they themselves are sensible the performance is trivial,
poor, wants merit, and all that ; " but why, if they are
sensible their productions are so very despicable, do
they insolently think of offering them to the public ?
Why do they think of printing these very poor, trivial,
and contemptible performances ? Why — why — Because,
because, they neither think them poor, trivial, nor con-
temptible ; their very humility is nothing but an aggra-
vation of their arrogance, for the greatest vanity a man
was ever guilty of, was to say, he had no vanity at all.

In the history of George the sixth, we find few or
none of those episodes, or particular circumstances that
might happen among the great men of his time ; the
historian has confined himself to the actions of the
Prince alone. And in the account of the exploits, he
little more than names any principal Commander,
directing his whole attention to the conduct of the
King. He paints him resolute, wise, and magnani-
mous at home, vigilant, intrepid, and fortunate abroad,
successful against domestic factions, and victorious over
foreign enemies, a promoter of arts and sciences, an
encourager of religion and virtue, and in short, draws
him a very great King, and a truly good man. We
shall not offer so poor a compliment to the reader as
to mention any personage of the present age of English
growth, who deserves the character given to the Hero of
the future ; but we shall very much pity his understand-
ing, if he meets with any difficulty in finding him out.

xxx THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

In the course of the following sheets, the reader's own
reflection must frequently assist him in the elucidation of
particular circumstances, — for in performances of this
nature, it is totally impossible to be always as clear as
a person could wish. There are such things as an
Attorney, and Solicitor General, a Court of King's
Bench, and pains and penalties, it might be rather
dangerous for the author to write with more perspicuity
on some points, but there is no law hitherto established
against thinking, so that while he is secure from the
acquaintance of a Messenger, our author in any passage
which may carry the appearance of obscure, gives the
reader leave to think just what he pleases of the relation.

The great contest that has long subsisted between
two powerful factions, affords the fairest opportunity
for a satyrical reader to exert himself, and to lash any
error that may be found in the principles of either, even
while he writes with a laudable view of reconciling
both. Our historian, in the gloomy portrait which
he draws of the nation, at the beginning of his work,
aludes very strongly to a late dangerous crisis, when
the kingdom was torn with party feuds and animosities,
and when some of the greatest people risqued their own
properties without any concern, to enjoy the malevolent
satisfaction of injuring other people. The character
of the future Duke of Bedford will easily lead us to
think of a nobleman of the present times, who has
headed an opposition to the government of his King ;
and the parliamentry proceedings in the reign of George

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. xxxi

the sixth, may be considered as a well turned compli-
ment to the legislature of George the third.

In the perusal of the ensuing history, the author
has dwelt with a particular satisfaction on the en-
couragement given to men of genius, and the noble
provisions which his Hero allowed for cultivating the
politer arts and sciences. The Academy which he estab-
lished for that purpose, endears the Monarch impercep-
tibly to the reader of taste, and was not injudiciously
introduced to enhance the character of George, and to
inspire an emulation of the most generous kind in the
bosom of his predecessors. Learning indeed, not-
withstanding the eulogium which has been paid to
some great names, has not found a sufficient encourage-
ment hitherto in England ; and it is rather surprising,
that every nation in Europe should have academies for
promoting it but our own.

Not to take up the reader's time, however, with
reflections, which in the perusal of the following sheets
must naturally occur to himself, it will be only necessary
to observe further, that the author, by making his Hero
conquer all France, and establishing him in the possesion
of ^hat kingdom, seems to hint that our late treaty of
peace was not altogether so advantageous as ministerial
writers would have us think it ; and that the moderation
which we showed on that occasion, was rather a little
ill-timed. Upon the whole, it is presumed, that the
history of George the sixth will merit the approbation
of the candid ; and that the reader of sense, will

xxxii THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

himself comment upon passages that would not be
so safe for our author to explain, and make proper
allowances, from the nature of the subject, for any seem-
ing heaviness of style which accidentally arises in the
narrative.

INTRODUCTION

CONTAINING

A REVIEW OF BRITISH HISTORY

A.D. I66O-I9OO.

ALTHOUGH the period in our history, of which these
sheets contain an account, is one of the most singular
and remarkable, and more detached from the general
arrangement of our annals than perhaps any other
reign; yet it is necessary to sketch the outlines of
the preceding times, that the reader may comprehend
the whole picture at once in his imagination, without the
pain of continued recollection.

The splendor of the English nation ought to take
its date from the civil wars in the seventeenth century,
which at the same time that they ruined individuals,
and threw the kingdom into a temporary state of con-
fusion, laid the foundation for that immense fabric which
has since been erected. It has been justly remarked,
that nations display their internal resources more, and
produce great men more abundantly after a civil war,
than at any other period ; the observation is drawn

B

2 INTRODUCTION.

from history, and needs no philosophical enquiries to
establish it. But most certainly the English nation
made those prodigious acquisitions of trade, within half
a century after the death of Cromwell, that prepared
the way for still greater increase. During the supine
reigns of Charles II. and James II. we were gaining on
our neighbours.

The Revolution threw us into a new scene of action,
and the wars we carried on on the continent, at the
same time that they secured the independency of
Europe, opened new channels for our trade to flow in :
but the most remarkable event of King William's reign
was the beginning of a public debt, which has since
been attended with such wonderful consequences.

The reign of Queen Anne was a period in which the
English arms made a respectable figure in Europe
during the continuance of the war, and her councils
like those of a succeeding reign, a very pitiful one at
the end ; * our trade still increased, and with it, our
public debt. The greatest part of the reigns of the
two first Georges contained little remarkable. In read-
ing their histories we meet with none of those actions
that raise and elevate the soul, and make us wonder at
the power that executed them. The period of our
history that is graced with the name of George III. is
more splendid ; it forms a remarkable aera in the annals
of Europe ; not from the number of great geniuses that
adorned his court, but from the multitude of virtues

1 [An allusion, of course, to the great sacrifices made by Lord
Bute at the Peace of Paris in Feb. 1863, just before the publi-
cation of this pamphlet.]

INTRODUCTION. 3

which constituted the character of the sovereign of a
happy people. Yet even so great an assemblage of
excellencies was not attended with a-fortunate influence
over the manners of his court ; the great men of those
days served but as a foil to set off the lustre of royal
virtues. Indeed, few endeavoured to arrive at that
summit of virtue which they considered impossible to
attain, and therefore they prudently beheld the merit
without any wish of imitation.

In the reign of George IV. (1810-1848) were many
remarkable events, but the most material occurrence,
which continued throughout that period, was the amaz-
ing increase of the National Debt.

George V. was a wise and virtuous prince, but the
kingdom suffered from the want of capacity in his
ministers, and felt a very severe shock in the conquest
of Holland.1 He came to the crown in one of the most
critical moments that it is possible one Prince can
succeed another ; his kingdom was in the greatest
confusion, occasioned by a long and unfortunate war
with Russia. In vain had his predecessors endea-
voured at an immense expense to prevent the fatal
aggrandizement of that empire ; in vain had the
parliament granted every necessary supply to prevent
the Northern Kingdoms from being swallowed into one
prodigious monarchy ; every effort which the fifth
grand alliance Europe had seen, could make, was in-
effectual. Sweden and Denmark, notwithstanding their
being so powerfully assisted, were unable to defend
themselves ; every thing submitted to the rapidity of
1 [By the French, in or about 1850.]

4 INTRODUCTION.

Peter's arms, and the first maritime power in the
world, who had so long possessed the dominion of the
sea, saw its fleets beaten, and its coasts insulted. The
ministry was unsettled, and the violent agitation of the
whole kingdom, owing to the sad state of the public
funds, conspired to form one of those critical situations
which require great judgement and abilities in the
Prince, and a unanimous concurrence of his parliament,
to guide the helm with success.

The King in part effected it ; but during his long
reign, the nation was far from being in a flourishing
situation, and the dismal prospect of national bank-
ruptcy, which the most penetrating politicians clearly
foresaw must soon come to pass, cast a general damp
on the spirits of the people. In the end of the nine-
teenth century a certain languor in the administration
foretold some terrible crisis was at hand. In the
midst of this general despondency the King died, and
was succeeded by George VI. the history of whose reign
is the subject of the following sheets ; a period the most
remarkable, and abounding in the most astonishing
events, that have ever been recorded in modern history.

CHAPTER I.

£

A.D. IQOO.

First acts of this Prince's reign. — Ministerial changes. —
National Debt. — State of Europe.

THE very first acts of this Prince's reign l were such as
caught the attention of all Europe ; they indicated not
only a soaring genius, but a judgement far beyond his
years. The nation had formed the most ardent hopes
of their young Sovereign ; in his education and very
youth he had given signs of what was one day to be
expected of him ; and all ranks of people turned their
weary eyes on him, as their pilot through that sea of
troubles which it was too evident was rising to over-
whelm them. The King, in all his actions, showed him-
self worthy of their confidence. His father's ministry
was composed of a set of men, who, though they did not
want abilities, were not such as he chose to employ ; but
his inclinations in this point could not be fully indulged,
from several circumstances. The Duke of Bedford,
Lord High Treasurer, had such prodigious interest in
the parliament, owing more to his immense riches than
his personal merit, that his removal would have been
1 He ascended the throne the i6th of February, 1900.

6 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

dangerous, so he continued him in his post till a more
favourable opportunity should offer itself. The Duke
of Northumberland was removed from being president
of the council, and was succeeded by the Earl of Surrey.
The Duke of Marlborough was made Secretary of State
for the Southern department, and the Marquis of Kildare
for the Northern ;l Lord Sands and Mr. Stevens, retiring
with pensions. The Duke of Suffolk, Lord Privy-Seal,
in the room of the Duke of St. Albans, and the Duke
of Grafton first Lord of the Admiralty, which then
happened to be vacant by the death of the Duke of
Athol. These were the principal alterations which were
made in great offices of state.'2

But the above personages were not possessed of
equal authority, or entrusted with the same confidence
by the king. It was at first foreseen that the principal
share of power would rest in the Duke of Suffolk, who
possessed his Majesty's ear more than any of his other
servants, and was designed to succeed the Duke of
Bedford as soon as he could be removed with safety.
This young nobleman was of a disposition congenial
with his Sovereign's : he had improved his mind by
reading the most celebrated authors, and possessed that

1 '[In the Eighteenth Century the two Secretaries of State bore
these names, and were supposed to divide the cognizance of foreign
affairs between them. The Northern Secretary, in addition to
superintending the affairs of Northern Europe, was also supposed
to keep an eye on Ireland. This clumsy arrangement was
abolished in 1782, when Home and Foreign Secretaries were
created.]

2 These changes took place in February and the beginning of
March, 1900.

THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK. 7

penetrating genius, which easily comprehends, and
fully attains, the objects of its study. He had travelled
through the principal courts of Europe, and understood
their different interests and connections, with abundance
of ease and perspicuity. He possessed the confidence
and friendship of the King, who loved him ; but his
promotion gave offence to many, and caused great envy,
as he was originally of a mean family,1 and, besides,
was sometimes apt to behave rather haughtily to his
superiors.

The ceremony of the late King's burial was no sooner
over, and the ministry settled for the present, than writs
were issued for the meeting of a new parliament ; which
assembled2 with the highest opinion of their new
Sovereign deeply impressed on their minds, and a
unanimity of design to be expeditious in every public
business that should come under their consideration. It
would be tedious to the reader, and is below the dignity
of history, to enter minutely into the debates of the two
houses, and to describe the numberless little circum-
stances that attend the inferior motions of the legis-
lature ; these matters are proper for the annals of the
times ; but it is our business to exhibit only those out-
lines, and stronger strokes of colouring, that characterise
the manners of the age, and give the boldest ideas of
the history of the period.

1 [This Dukedom of Suffolk must therefore be- supposed to be a
new creation of the reign of George V., and not connected with the
Earldom of the same name held by the Howards in the eighteenth
century. In writing of a duke of Suffolk of mean family our
author may have been remembering Michael de la Pole.]

2 1 3th of April, 1900.

8 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

The first affair of consequence that came before them
was the Civil List. There was a debt contracted on it of
above five hundred thousand pounds, this was paid off ;
and with a liberality boundless, and, perhaps, in its con-
sequences, dangerous, they augmented that branch of
the grants by half a million yearly ; so that the Civil List
was now two millions a year : a prodigious sum ! in-
creased by degrees for near four centuries. But what
made this act of generosity imprudent to the highest
degree, was their settling it for life ; it is true, their
opinion of their new Sovereign was not groundless, but
dangerous precedents ought never to be established.
Nothing was of greater importance than their debates
on the public debt : the amount of it was astonishing ;
although the fatal year thirty-four 1 had spunged eighty
millions of it, it was now above two hundred and ten
millions. The interest of this enormous sum alone
amounted to eight millions five hundred thousand
pounds ; and as the principal was every year increasing
to pay off the interest, it was evident that it must very
soon come to a spunge.2 To prevent the dreadful con-
sequences such an event must be attended with, the
parliament laid a tax of ten per cent on stock, for one
year : but this was only a temporary expedient, and
ruined numbers whose property in the public funds was
fluctuating. They voted five hundred thousand pounds
to be expended in repairing the navy and building new

1 1834-

2 [The actual amount of the National Debt in 1899 is
^638,200,000, and the interest on it, with the cost of management
added, is about ,£25,000,000.]

THREATENING ATTITUDE OF RUSSIA. 9

ships — a service most necessary and advantageous, for
the Russian fleet threatened that of Britain with utter
destruction in case of a new war. This it was feared
was not far off; for the truce which had been signed
was almost expired, without having as yet produced its
desired effect, a lasting peace. The grants on the whole
amounted to fourteen millions,1 a sum which would have
astonished all the world had we not been in possession
of such a flourishing commerce ; but it was a time of
peace, and had we been engaged in an expensive war,
we could have added very little to our income. But it
will be necessary to present the reader with a view of
the state of Europe at the time this Monarch came to
the crown.

The nations that formed what we call the North
having been overturned by the immense power of the
Russians, made one vast monarchy, which compre-
hended Moscovy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and
Lithuania, now called the empire of Russia. Peter
the IVth was the Monarch that swayed the imperial
sceptre ; a Prince whose martial feats were hardly ever
exceeded, if we consider his barbarous courage and
successful temerity ; the acquisitions he had made
were the effects of mere personal courage in himself,
that excited an ardour in his troops, and not the
consequence of policy or design ; he was an indifferent
statesman, and a savage man. No sooner were his
own and his predecessors' arms successful in the attacks
which they made on their neighbours, than he turned

1 [The actual sum voted for 1899 is ^112,900,000, just eight
times the amount of our author's estimate.]

io THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

all his efforts on raising a maritime power superior to
that of Britain : for above eleven years all the ports of
the Baltic were filled with preparations, and in the year
1897 Peter saw himself in possession of a naval force
of two hundred men-of-war of the line, besides an
innumerable number of frigates and smaller vessels.
The greater part of this prodigious fleet was manned ;
the amazing trade of his extensive dominions produced
him seamen in abundance ; in a word, he was superior
to England by sea, and the British coasts were open to
his invasions, when a truce was patched up between the
two nations.

The marriage which had transferred the dominions of
the house of Austria to that of Prussia, and with them
the imperial title, seemed to have extinguished that
generous bravery, and political reputation which the
kings of Prussia had enjoyed for so many centuries.
The Emperor Frederic IX. was in every respect a weak-
Prince ; he was governed by his Queen ; and she by the
intriguing Count Buckeburg,1 Prime Minister, a man of
abilities, but who was suspected of holding a corre-
spondence with his master's enemies. The Prince of
Baden had gained great reputation in the last war with
France, and by his victories had enabled Frederic to
conclude an advantageous peace with that kingdom ;
but being Buckeburg's enemy had lately been dis-
graced, and was entered into the English service, the
late King receiving him with many marks of satis-
faction.

1 [Presumably a member of the princely house of Lippe-Bucke-
burg ;Lippe-Schaumburg) still existing.]

THE RUSSO-FRENCH ALLIANCE. II

Charles the Xth sat this time on the throne of
France : he had the reputation of being a most cunning
and politic prince ; was brave, and had had some success
at the head of his army against the Imperialists. He
had just entered into a close alliance with Russia : had
the phantom of a balance of power been the foible of
these days, such an alliance would have alarmed all
Europe ; but it had no other effect than making the
King of Great Britain very jealous of his neighbour.
Spain was in profound peace, excepting a temporary
disturbance, which arose from a third rebellion of the
Portuguese,1 but it was quelled with very little trouble ;
and the conquered nation saw not the least hopes of
regaining their independence.

The peace of Italy was almost at an end : the prepa-
rations that were making by the two Kings of Venice
and Sicily prognosticated the renewal of their quarrel.
The patrimony of St. Peter, which had so long been
wrested from the church, was again likely to be the
scene of devastation. It was supposed that Venice
would have the assistance of France, who has always
found her account in intermeddling with the affairs of
Italy.2 Such was the situation of affairs in Europe at

the time George VI. came to the crown.

•

1 [We are, unfortunately, not given any date for this conquest of
Portugal by Spain, somewhere in the early nineteenth century.]

2 [The Kingdom of Venice must have been very small compared
'with that of the Two Sicilies, as we find on p. 64 that Milan was
in the hands of the latter. Presumably the Kingdom of Venice
only comprised the dominions of the old Venetian republic.]

CHAPTER II.
1900-1901.

War with Russia. — Naval defeat off the Dutch Coast. — Intrepidity
of the King. — Transactions in Parliament. — Invasion. — Battle
of Wetherby. — Naval engagement.

As there were but a few months of the truce with
Russia unexpired, the King hastened the preparations
for war with redoubled vigour. He had many obstacles
to overcome, but the greatest was the want of money ;
the National Debt was a bottomless gulf that swallowed
up every thing. The navy was much behind hand in
arrears, and many little mutinies had been raised by the
sailors for the want of their pay, but at last, after a
thousand difficulties a formidable fleet was fitted out
at the ports of Harwich, Hull, and Edinburgh ; it con-
sisted of fifty-five sail of the line, and two and twenty
frigates. The Russians were later in their preparations ;
so that when the truce was expired, which was the 8th
of September, their fleet was not ready to sail. The
command of the British squadron was given to the
Duke of Grafton, the First Lord of the Admiralty :
Admiral Philips and Sir Charles Montague commanded
the rear and van divisions under him. It is impossible
to express the consternation of all ranks of people on

A DISASTER AT SEA. 13

the sailing of this fleet ; the fate of the war depended
not only on its success in the action, but on its being
able to keep the enemy within the Sound. Thirty
thousand Russians were embarked on board their
squadron, which consisted of seventy sail of the line,
besides frigates and a large fleet of transports, as they
designed to attempt an invasion : their land-forces were
commanded by the Marshal Schmettau, and the fleet
by the Prince of PhiligrofF. Their superiority was for-
midable, not only in number of ships, but they were in
general larger than the English ; and their sailors had
former successes imprinted on their minds. The Duke
of Grafton having collected the British squadrons set
sail with a fair wind for the Baltic, but the third day he
was blown by a storm on the coast of Holland ; unfor-
tunately the enemy's fleet was out of the Sound before
the wind changed, and the same storm brought them in
sight of the British fleet. It blew very hard when the
engagement began,1 which was about four in the after-
noon, with great fury. The Duke and the Prince both
exerted themselves with great vigour, and fought with
the most heroic bravery. The Royal George of 100
guns, the English Admiral's ship, was disabled by three
Russian men of war, each of 80 guns. About six the
Duke shifted his flag to the Blenheim, and in half an
hour after the Royal George sunk. The Russian
Admiral shifted his flag three times before the morning ;
for the battle lasted all night with the utmost fury. Sir
Charles Montague was killed in the beginning of the
engagement ; and at last the Duke himself was wounded,
1 November 3, 1900.

H THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

and carried under deck ; Philips continued the action
with the greatest bravery and conduct, and had it
pleased God that the wind had been less violent, he
would, in all probability, have been the conqueror ; but
the storm increasing, the two fleets were obliged to
separate. The Russians' loss was very considerable, their
Vice Admiral was killed, they had three ships taken, one
sunk, and two blown up ; with about 7000 men killed
and wounded. The loss of the English was much less
in number, but they had several ships quite disabled.

The day after this fatal engagement the British fleet
kept in sight of the Russians, but without having it
in their power to attack them ; they were too much
weakened by their loss ; and the enemy making some
motions which indicated a design to renew the engage-
ment, Philips thought it most for the King's service to
retire into port and refit.

The King was at the council when the news of the
action was brought him ; he was undismayed, and
replied, " The Lord's will be done ; " but it was a clap
of thunder to every mortal besides. It was every
moment expected that the Russian General would make
a descent ; the whole nation was in the utmost confusion ;
a sudden run upon the Bank was near occasioning a
stop, and the stocks, which bore four per cent, fell down
to thirty-five. In this critical moment all eyes were
turned on the King, as the only pilot in so terrible a
storm. It was impossible to be guided by a better ;
and had not Britain possessed a Sovereign of such
singular intrepidity and prudence, she would have seen
her last days. His Majesty, when he found the turn

LANDING OF RUSSIANS IN ENGLAND. 15

affairs were likely to take, prudently ventured to send
an order to the Bank to stop payment till the kingdom
was more secure, and, at the same time, issued out a
proclamation, assuring his subjects that this was but
a temporary measure, till the affairs of the nation would
permit of more regularity. He immediately assembled
the Parliament by proclamation, and went himself to
the Admiralty, where he sat three hours dictating orders;
dispatches were sent to every port in England, to hasten
the equipment of a new fleet ; troops were marching
from all parts to the capital ; in short, this young
Monarch was, at this critical moment, the very life and
soul of the state ; he managed every thing himself, and
almost without assistance ; for his ministry and the
council were so divided in their opinions and debates,
that he put very little faith in any of them. In the
midst of this scene of confusion, advice was brought,
that the Russians, to the amount of 25,000 men, had
landed on the coast of Durham, and their fleet soon
after disappeared, it was supposed, in order to convey
a second embarkation.

The affairs of Britain were now arrived at a most
dangerous crisis, more terrible in appearance than any
she had ever seen ; and many circumstances combined
to render her state really dreadful. The army was
weak and ill paid, the formidable naval power of the
Russians having obliged the administration to turn all
their efforts towards the fleet. The general despondence
which prevailed throughout the nation, upon account
of the Debt, increased the shades of this sad picture.
The riches of individuals were now found to be of but

16 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

little avail to the good of the state, and while we en-
joyed a more extensive trade than ever, the nation was
upon the brink of ruin. The Russians threw all their
force into their royal navy, so that our commerce had
suffered very little from privateers.

The Parliament being assembled in the greatest
haste and confusion, the king went to the house, and,
in a sensible and nervous speech, laid before them the
dangerous situation of the nation, and painted to them,
in the strongest colours, the absolute necessity for
vigorous measures to preserve them from their impending
ruin. He informed them the enemy was landed, and
on the march to York ; that the only defence they had
now to trust to was the army, which was itself weak, and
discontented for want of pay ; that the late misfortune
at sea must be speedily repaired. In short, that the
urgency of the times required every moment to be
made use of. He told them that money was wanted
for a varity of uses, and that instantly — that the time
was too short to raise it, and their credit too weak to
borrow it — that, as circumstances were thus situated,
he saw no expedient but their enabling him to make
use of the money in the hands of the Bank-trustees,
which was designed for the interest of the public debt,
for more public and immediate necessities.

George made little doubt but that the parliament
would readily come into any measures, at so critical a
juncture, for the good of their country ; but in this he
was fatally mistaken. Peter had conveyed immense
sums into England, and had most politically distributed
them to the most advantageous purposes ; he had

HIS MAJESTY HARANGUES COMMONS i;

secured a large party, and this with the influence of
the Duke of Bedford (for that nobleman was against
the court in every debate, owing to his being debarred
of that share of power usually given to a Lord High-
Treasurer), obstructed every measure proposed for
coming to some speedy resolutions. At last, after the
greatest heats, and the warmest debates ever known,
it was determined to reject the King's proposal, and
address him to remove from his councils and service
the Duke of Suffolk, who they apprehended was the
adviser of those measures.

The King's indignation at receiving this address is
not to be expressed. He had expected the most hearty
concurrence in every national measure he could have
proposed ; but when he found how much he was mis-
taken, he broke out into a violent exclamation against
his enemies in the parliament, and flew in a violent
passion to the House. He turned the Speaker out of the
chair, and, seating himself in it, " I flattered myself,"
said he, " that a British parliament would have acted on
British principles ; but, to your great dishonour, I find
myself mistaken. A powerful enemy is landed, and on
the march : that time which you would waste in sense-
less disputes, is too precious for me to follow so pernicious
an example : I shall place myself at the head of my
troops, and act for the honour and good of my country :
but let those traitors, that dare form machinations against
the public peace, dread the indignation of an injured
and enraged Sovereign." He had no sooner thundered
out these words than he left the House, with very visible
marks of anger.

C

i8 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

As none knew the King's intentions, all were terrified ;
those who had so violently opposed his former pro-
posal, dreaded his discovering their guilt, and were dis-
mayed ; they now offered to address his Majesty to
take the state under his protection. This resolution was
quickly agreed to ; but before it could be concluded
the House was alarmed with a violent mob, who had
broke into the anti-chambers, and threatened destruction
to every man who should oppose the King's will. Terror
now sat in every countenance. Nothing less than im-
mediate ruin was the object of every one's fears. With-
out much altercation, however, they hastily drew up an
act, by which the King was enabled to apply all the
money in the hands of the Bank Trustees to public
service, in such manner as he thought most expedient.1

This was a dreadful stroke to the public credit ; stocks
sunk almost to nothing, and the consequences were an
immediate stop in the payment of the public interest.
However, in violent disorders, violent remedies are
necessary. The King no sooner possessed this money,
which amounted to some millions, than he paid off all
the arrears of the army, and gave orders for the same
in the navy. Nothing could exceed the rapidity of his
measures. His troops were rendezvoused at Bucking-
ham ; and in a few days he put himself at the head
of them. The whole army, when collected, amounted
to near thirty thousand men, five thousand of which
were horse.

In the mean time, the enemy under Count Schmettau
had made little or no progress, considering the time they
1 i st of December, 1900.

THE RUSSIANS SACK DURHAM. 19

had been landed. Had they marched immediately for
London the moment they were debarked, George would
have had much less time to collect his forces ; but
Schmettau having taken Durham by storm, he most
imprudently gave his troops three days to plunder ; this
conduct was madness itself. The Russians broke into
all the houses, and were guilty of every species of excess.
Their cruelties were unheard of and unparalleled ; the
most tender age was no defence against these merciless
monsters ; old men, women, and children were butchered
in cold blood, in the most shocking manner. It would
make humanity recoil to relate their horrid barbarities ;
but their soldiers were soon intoxicated with liquor and
cruelty, and all discipline and order were at an end.

The King being informed of the condition of the
enemy, hastened his marches with all the expedition
that was possible. He reached Lincoln in five days ;
and there understood that Schmettau, on the advice
of his approach, had drawn out his men from Durham,
though not without great difficulty, and was on the march
to York. His Majesty pushed on to meet him before
he could reach that city ; but as it was too strong to
be taken by surprise, Schmettau encamped between
York and Wetherby,1 and prepared to fight the King,
who was within five miles of him. There were several
circumstances that induced George to determine on
hazarding an action immediately : he expected soon
to hear of another army of Russians landing ; and he
thought that avoiding a battle would damp the spirits
of his soldiers ; add to this, the barbarous ravages of
1 [*>. some eight miles due west of York;]

20 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

the savage enemy called aloud on his humanity to put
a stop to the miseries of his suffering subjects. He
accordingly drew near to the enemy, and reconnoitred
their situation, and prepared to attack them the next
day, the 23rd of December.

Schmettau drew up his army on the side of a hill, with
a rivulet in his front, a wood on each wing, and a village
in his rear, which he had slightly fortified, and threw
some battalions into the houses. All the King's
motions seemed to indicate a design of attacking him in
his front, and he had therefore raised several batteries
that commanded the passage of the rivulet : his Majesty,
however, finding that all the attention of the enemy was
carried to their front, determined to make only a feint
there, and attack them in their rear. Accordingly,
about three o'clock in the morning, he gave General
Sommers the command of ten thousand men, with
orders to remain in the field, ready for action at a
moment's warning, and as soon as he heard a signal
they agreed on, to pass the rivulet, and make an attack
on the enemy's front, while the King himself would pass
the river higher up and fall on their rear.

This scheme had all the success that could have been
wished for. General Sommers had no sooner made his
attack than Schmettau gave into the snare : he con-
cluded immediately that the whole English army was at
his front, and, placing himself at the head of his first
line, which included the choice of his army, he repulsed
the English, but by the unparalleled bravery of the British
troops was obliged to give way himself in his turn. Just
at that critical moment the King made his attack on his

VICTORY AT WETHERBY. 21

rear, with a fury that at once threw the Russians into
confusion ; and Schmettau, finding himself between two
fires, would have made his retreat had it been in his
power : he made every effort to recover his oversight,
and thrice rallied and led his troops to the charge ; but
the unconquerable fury of the King's attacks overcame
every thing ; never man performed greater feats of
personal valour; he had three horses killed under him,
and as he was going to mount a fourth was near being
shot by a Russian grenadier, but his carbine missing fire
the King shot him dead. What concluded the day was
Schmettau's being killed by a cannon ball : his death
dispirited his men, and they soon gave way ; the
situation of the ground would permit but a few to
escape, and those in small bodies through the woods.
About twelve o'clock the battle was over. Ten thousand
Russians were killed and wounded, and seven thousand
made prisoners. The loss of the English was not incon-
siderable ; it amounted to about three thousand killed
and wounded. The Dukes of Rutland and Newcastle,
the Earl of Winchelsea, and Generals Howard, Chales,
Lord, and French, were killed, besides which many
officers of distinction were wounded.

This victory raised the spirits of the people ; and it
was particularly pleasing to them, as their young and
next to adored Monarch gained it. The shouts of the
army were equal to the applauses of the people ; and
where a Prince had given such uncommon instances of
prudence as well as bravery, it was impossible but that
he should be universally beloved.

The King had discovered a disposition which no

22 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

dangers could intimidate or difficulties depress. He had
no sooner fought the Russian army, than he was in-
formed a fresh fleet, more powerful than their former,
was on the coast of Suffolk. This news, which cast a
fresh alarm on the minds of the people, only quickened
the rapidity of the King's motions. The English fleet
was collected in the Thames and Medway, and by means
of the greatest expedition, was ready to sail, but waited
for a fair wind. It consisted of sixty-four sail of the
line and thirty-two frigates ; George was no sooner in-
formed of the enemy than he determined to command
his fleet himself. He rode with all expedition to
Chatham, and took the command from the Duke of
Grafton, who was recovered of his late wounds, but his
Grace continued in the ship with his Majesty to give
him his advice. The Britannia, on board of which was
the King, was, without exception, the finest ship in the
world ; she carried 120 brass guns, and, in the opinion
of the best judges, was so well built and manned, that
no single ship could live near her. Nothing could
exceed the joy of the sailors at having their young
victorious Sovereign at their head ; they expressed the
greatest impatience to attack the enemy ; and the wind
fortunately shifting, in two days gave them their
desire.

The Russian fleet consisted of eighty-nine sail of the
line besides frigates, and a fleet of transports which it
was supposed might contain about ten thousand soldiers.
About eight in the morning : the battle begun ; the
enemy's Admiral, Steinhold, in a ship of 80 guns, and
1 Jan. 10, 1901.

THE RUSSIAN FLEET DEFEATED. 23

another of 70 bore down on the Britannia ; the King
met them, and singly engaged them. At one broadside
the Russian Admiral was sunk to the bottom, — a
dreadful stroke, which threw their fleet into disorder.
The other 70 gun-ship sheered off in a few minutes, and
the Britannia was left without an enemy. The
Marlborough was engaged with two Russian ships, who
were too strong for her, but the King pouring a broad-
side into one of them, immediately turned the supe-
riority in favour of the Marlborough : by eleven o'clock
the Russian fleet sheered off, and his Majesty chaced.
Nine of their line of battle ships were taken, three sunk,
and two burnt ; forty transports were also taken, and
several sunk. Thus did this young and gallant
Monarch, with all the courage, conduct, and skill of an
experienced Admiral, defeat the enemy's fleet, which ,
was so much superior to his own. This second victory
raised the fame of the King to the highest pitch, changed
the face of affairs, and spread a general joy through the
breasts of all his subjects.

CHAPTER III.

A.D. I9OI-I902.

Military and Naval preparations of the King. — War with France.
— Invasion of Flanders. — Battle of Winox. — Rapid successes.
—The Russians defeated at sea.— Peace of Beauvais.

Two such glorious victories seated George with security
on the throne. But his success did not occasion the
least neglect in his military preparations ; he was now
superior to the enemy at sea, and was determined, at all
events, to preserve his superiority. Ten sail were fitting
out with all expedition at Milford Haven, and other
squadrons were getting ready at Portsmouth, Plymouth,
Chatham, Hull, and Lynn. The King had particular
reasons for not suffering his preparations to relax. The
King of France was at this time busied in fitting out a
large fleet, and all the ports of that kingdom, from
Amsterdam to Bayonne, resounded with naval arma-
ments. George looked on them with a very jealous
eye ; the Court of Versailles, indeed, gave out that they
were intended against the Emperor of Morocco, who
had lately insulted a French Ambassador ; but it was
evident that preparations so very great indicated some
further design in view : however, a trifling accident soon
explained the views of the French King.

FRANCE DECLARES WAR. 25

An English privateer in the Channel having attacked
another carrying Russian colours, and disabled her, she
hung out French colours. It seems a merchant at
Rotterdam had fitted her out to cruise upon the
English, and gave the Captain orders, if he met
with an enemy too strong for him, to show French
colours. This affair, in which the French were evidently
aggressors, was made a pretence for a quarrel ; the
French Ambassador at London demanded satisfaction
for the damage done the French ship ; the King
returned a most spirited answer : and in short, after
many memorials and replies, the King of France
declared war against Great Britain, and was answered
by his Britannic Majesty.1 Charles, jealous of the
British power, had entered into an offensive and de-
fensive treaty with Peter, and had agreed to receive
the Russian ships into the ports of France ; and by
combining their respective fleets, to overpower the
naval force of George at once.

Fortunately for the King, Peter was dilatory in his
preparations ; the British fleet, to the amount of ninety
sail of the line, was ready for action, and saw no enemy
that could look it in the face. But the King was
determined to lose no time ; collecting a large fleet of
transports, he embarked twenty thousand men on board
them, and resolved to form an invasion of France. He
gave out that he designed to attack Brest ; and to
deceive the enemy the better, sent vessels to sound the
depth of water on several parts of the coasts of Britany.
The enemy marched down troops from all parts of
1 May 6th, 1901.

26 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

France to defend themselves where they thought the
descent was intended ; but the King's plan was well
laid, and unsuspected by the Court of Versailles. In-
stead of steering to the coast of Britany he directed his
course to that of Flanders, and, without the least
opposition, landed his whole army on the beach of
Blankenburg.

He immediately published and dispersed a memorial
to the Dutch, exhorting them to take this favourable
opportunity of regaining their liberty, promising to do
everything for them that could be any way conducive
to so salutary an end. But their spirits were too much
depressed, and they were kept too much in awe by the
garrisons that were in their several fortresses to listen to
a deliverer. George marched towards Bruges, which capi-
tulated without the firing of a gun. Ostend, Ypres, and
Newport cost him some days ; but his progress was so
rapid, before the French had an army to oppose him,
that his difficulty in these conquests was not very great.
The Marshal Duke de Vivionne at last appeared near
Dunkirk, after a forced march, at the head of forty
thousand men. The King was no sooner informed of
his approach than he determined to fight him directly ;
delays to him were dangerous ; whereas, the enemy
would every day increase in strength. Vivionne was
encamped at Winox, and entrenching himself, waited
for reinforcements ; but George, having sent spies to
reconnoitre his situation, found that his piquets were
placed in a very negligent manner, and that it would be
no difficult circumstance to surprise him in the night.
In pursuance of this opinion, about one in the

A BATTLE IN FLANDERS. 27

morning, of the loth of September, at the head of ten
regiments, forming the first line of his army, he attacked
the enemy's entrenchments. The onset was no sooner
made than they were forced ; the French soldiers ran
naked to their arms ; several of their Generals did all in
their power to rally them, but in vain. The Duke de
Vivionne had his head shot off by a cannon-ball in the
beginning of the attack, and before daylight their army
was defeated and totally dispersed. The enemy being
pursued, and great numbers made prisoners, the King
presented himself before Dunkirk, and the cowardly
Governor gave up the town, to his astonishment, without
attempting any thing for its defence. Calais opened its
gates to the conqueror, and St. Omer surrendered after
a week's siege.

These rapid successes terrified the court of Charles ;
they were surprised at the boldness of George's attempt,
to make a regular attack on so powerful a monarchy as
that of France, with such a handful of men. But it was
a maxim with the King to despise numerous armies :
forty thousand men, he often said, under a good General,
were a match for any number ; and with some favour-
able circumstances even twenty-five or thirty thousand.
Charles, to stop the progress of his Britannic Majesty,
placed the Duke of Ventadour at the head of a pro-
digious army (collected from all parts of France) of near
one hundred thousand men ; a force, if well managed,
by being divided into two or three armies, strong enough
to overwhelm George at once. But numerous as this
body of troops were, they came only to be spectators of
the success of the King of England. Without a single

28 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

blow his Majesty made himself master of Boulogne, and,
slipping by the French army in the night, surprised
Montreuil. The road to Paris was now open to him ;
the Royal family retired from Versailles ; Charles would
have tried the fortune of the war himself, but a violent
fit of the gout confined him to his palace. The Duke
de Ventadour, by his injudicious motions, was incapable
of stopping the King's progress ; he laid siege to Amiens,
and it surrendered before the Duke could arrive to
protect it. Neufchatel had the same fate ; and the
King, astonished at his own success, had thoughts of
making a flying march to Paris. The French army
formed such an unwieldy body, that it was for ever
exposed to the sudden attacks of the English. Venta-
dour was but an indifferent General, and had to oppose
a young Monarch, whose late actions rendered him the
most celebrated commander in Europe.

In the mean time the attention of Peter was called off,
in a great measure, from the English war, by a new
enemy, that had made a formidable attack upon his
dominions. Bajazet, Emperor of the Turks, an old
enemy of the Czar's, thought this a fair opportunity to
recover Crim Tartary, which the Russian Monarch had
conquered from him in the last war.1 In this situation
he listened, with pleasure to the remonstrances of the
English Ambassador, who left no stone unturned that
could engage the Emperor in the war. Bajazet thought
the moment so fair, when Peter was engaged in a most

1 [This is not a very happy forecast : the Crimea was conquered
by Russia as early as 1783, instead of in the end of the nineteenth
century.]

THE SULTAN INTERVENES. 29

expensive war with Great Britain, that the Grand Vizier,
Selim, at the head of two hundred thousand men marched
into Russia. The Czar collected his forces to oppose
this inundation of Turks ; and just as the two armies
were beginning the war, the Russian fleet of near one
hundred sail of the line appeared in the Channel.

The British fleet, under the Duke of Grafton (who,
though he had sometimes met with ill success, was one
of the greatest Admirals Britain had ever produced), was
about equal in force to that of the Russians. It was not
long before the two Admirals found an opportunity to
engage. It would be tedious to give the particulars of
this furious battle ; it lasted a whole day without being
decisive ; the Russians lost five ships of the line, and
the English four ; if any thing, the advantage was for
the latter ; but before morning the two fleets parted,
and, the wind blowing a violent storm for the two next
days, nineteen Russian men of war were driven ashore
on the coast of Norfolk, and were there burnt ; the
English lost only two, but had several dismasted.

This stroke secured to George his superiority at sea.
This navy was so powerful that the French fleets were
blocked up in their ports, and were not strong enough
to look the English in the face ; so that Charles now saw
all his hopes blasted, and the King of England at the
head of a victorious army ready to march to Paris itself.
In this critical situation he determined to sue for peace.
George, whose conduct was guided by justice, not by in-
ordinate ambition, readily listened to the proposal. He
appointed ambassadors to meet those of France at
Beauvais, where a peace was soon agreed to. The Czar

30 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

sent an ambassador on his part, so it became general
between the three nations. The principal article was,
That Charles should cause to be paid to the King of
Great Britain two millions of pounds sterling, for the
expences of the war, at three equal payments, six
months between each. The treaty being signed by the
two Monarchs and the Russian Ambassador,1 George
withdrew his forces out of France, and evacuated all
his conquests.

1 ii Jan., 1902.

CHAPTER IV.

A.D. 1902-1916.

Interest of the National Debt reduced.— The building of the palace
and city of Stanley. — The Royal Academies. — George VI.
encourages the Arts, Sciences, and Literature.

NEVER was any quarrel concluded more gloriously.
George now found himself at peace with all the world ;
he had been victorious against the most potent mon-
archy on earth, and another formidable kingdom. These
successes secured him abroad, but at home all was con-
fusion. The stopping payment of the interest of the
public debt had thrown innumerable families into
extreme indigence ; yet the measure was absolutely
necessary, and the very existence of the nation had
been preserved by it. But as the war was now at an
end, the Parliament took under their consideration the
state of the National Debt ; and, after a multitude of
proposals, calculations, and debates, they agreed, by a
small majority, that the interest, at the rate it then
stood, was a burthen too great for the nation to bear,
and appointed a committee to draw up a bill for reducing
it. The preamble to this bill set forth the sad internal
state of the nation — painted, in the strongest colours,

32 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

the impossibility of paying the interest on the national
funds — showed that an attempt to go on in doing it
must end in a total bankruptcy, and the utter ruin of
all concerned — that under these circumstances half the
present interest would be of more real value than the
whole, in the dangerous situation they were now in ;
and the bill accordingly enacted, that the interest on
every fund of which the national fund was composed
should be reduced one half.1

History cannot produce an instance of such an event
as this being effected with so little disturbance. All
ranks of people seemed content with their half; they
had lately seen the extreme danger to which the nation
was reduced for want of money, and they cheerfully
considered, that, if they lost a half of their income, it
was to preserve their lives, their liberties, and the
remainder of their fortunes. This great event would
not have been brought about with so much ease and
expedition, but the path was sketched out by the bill,
which was drawn up for the same (but which miscarried)
in the reign of George IV. But it no sooner passed
into a law now, than its good consequences were
immediately felt by the nation in general. Such an
enormous incumbrance was no sooner removed, than
George found his kingdom vigorous and more formidable
than ever.

1 [That is from 4 to 2 per cent. That the former rate prevailed
in 1900 is shown by the figures on p. 8, giving ^8,500,000 as the
interest on ,£211,000,000 or thereabouts. As the interest for 1903
was, after the change, just ^4,250,000, we must conclude that the
King had somehow contrived to fight through the war of 1900-1902
without any further borrowing.]

THE BUDGET OF 1903.

33

It may not be unentertaining to the reader, here to
lay before him the particulars of the grants of the year
1903, after the peace had taken place.

50,000 seamen, including marines and ordnance \

for sea service J

45,000 men, land-forces, in Colonies and Great ^

Britain, etc., and ordnance for ditto /

Greenwich Hospital
Milford Hospital
Building, rebuilding, and repairing his Majesty's )

ships )

To the nine Foundling Hospitals
Adding new fortifications to Batavia, etc.
To his Majesty for fortifying other places in the

East Indies
Deepening and enlarging the harbour of Hull, )

and docks j

Civil List

Interest of the national debt

£

2,900,000

2,250,000

35,000
40,000

600,000
90,000

100,000

50,000
200,000

2,000,000

8,235,000
4,250,000

: 2,485,000!

A young monarch of his active spirit, was not likely
to waste the time which peace left on his hands in idle
dissipation. He understood many arts perfectly, and
was tolerably well acquainted with most. His favourite,
the Duke of Suffolk, was also a lover of literature, and

1 [Putting the actual estimates for 1898-9 beside these figures,
we find them eight times as great. An army of 250,000 regulars
(excluding India, militia, and volunteers) costs us ,£20,000,000.
A navy of 93,000 men requires ^25,000,000. The Civil Service
estimates run to about ^22,000,000.]

D

34 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

spent a great part of his time in the conversation of
men of letters. The Arts and Sciences at this period,
in England, wanted nothing but encouragement to
raise them to a very splendid height, and to make the
age of George VI. rival any of those remote ones that
are so celebrated in history. It is both entertaining and
curious to reflect on their state during this reign, and
compare it with the present ; those great men whose
names alone would have immortalized the age of George
VI. are now gone, and have left none to succeed them.
Indeed they still live in their admirable works, but have
left few successors to their genius and abilities. But to
leave this digression, let us take a view of the arts in
the period of which we are speaking.

George had a natural taste for them ; and what was
of equal consequence to their success, was rich, liberal,
and magnificent. Hitherto his time had been engrossed
by more weighty concerns ; but now that peace left him
the master of his time, he displayed a taste and genius
in more arts than that of war. London, though the
wonder of the world, never pleased the King. Its
prodigious size was its only boast ; it contained few
buildings that did honour to the nation ; in a word, it
was a city finely calculated for trade, but not for the
residence of the polite arts. The meanness of his
Majesty's palace disgusted him ; he had a taste for
architecture, and determined to exert it in raising an
edifice, that should at once do honour to his kingdom,
and add splendour to his court.

In Rutlandshire, near Uppingham, was a small hunt-
ing box of the late King's, which George admired ; not

THE KING AT STANLEY. 35

for the building, but its beautiful situation. In his
hours of rural amusements the king formed the design
of raising a palace. Few parts of his dominions could
afford a more desirable spot for such a purpose. The
old seat stood on an elevated situation, which com-
manded an extensive prospect over the adjacent country.
It was almost surrounded with extensive woods ; which,
having been artfully planted, added the greatest beauty
to the prospect, without intercepting the view. On one
side there was an easy descent of about three miles,
which led into an extensive plain, through which a river
took its meandering course. Many villages seemed to
rise here and there from out the woods, which gave a
great variety to the scene, and the fertile plain was one
continued prospect of villages, groves, meadows, and
rivulets, and all was in the neighbourhood of a noble
and capacious forest.1

This charming situation must have struck any person
of less taste than the King ; he was charmed with it at ,
the first sight, and soon after thought of building a
palace on so advantageous a situation. The famous
Gilbert, whose name is immortalized by so many works
of genius, was, at that time, architect to the King. He
drew the plans of several palaces, out of which his
Majesty chose one ; and immediately set him about
the work. Many difficulties were to be overcome,
before even the first stone could be laid ; the fabric was
to be built with Portland stone, which could not be

1 [There is no place of the name of Stanley near Uppingham.
The situation described is that of Stoke Dry or Glaston. The
river is the Welland, and the distant forest that of Rockingham.]

36 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

brought to the spot without an infinite expence over-
land. To remedy this inconvenience, the parliament
passed an act to make the river Welland navigable to
the very plain, at the bottom of the hill on which the
intended palace was to be raised. The same session
also granted his Majesty a million sterling towards the
expence of building this magnificent pile. The King
spared no cost to render this edifice the most magnificent
and superb palace in the universe. Gilbert had an un-
limited power granted him to follow his genius in every
particular, without the least restraint. Fleets of ships
were continually passing from Portland to Hull and
Lynn with cargos of stone, which were conveyed in
barges to the place where the palace was to be built.
Ten sail were sent to the different ports of Italy, to load
the finest marbles. In short, nothing was spared to
make this palace the wonder of the world ; * but the
erection of it was only a part of the King's design.

In the plain above described his Majesty formed the
scheme of raising a city, but was staggered at the
thoughts of the expence. However, Moor the architect
hinted to him, that if his Majesty was to raise a few
public edifices, and remove some of the courts from
London thither, they would alone occasion numbers
to build near their residence ; that his Majesty's fixing
his own residence there, would also occasion a vast
increase of building. — The King was pleased with the
thought, and determined to execute it. The great
Gilbert drew the ground plot of that part which
now reaches from St. Mary's church quite to Great
1 It was founded in 1907.

THE ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE. 37

Hollis-Street and Scotland Square. St. Stephen's
was his work too, and is a beautiful monument of his
taste and genius ; that church and the Academy for
Architecture l were the two first public buildings that
were raised ; Moor was the artist who erected the latter ;
but this deserves a more particular mention.

Architecture was one of the King's favourite studies ;
but its being an art was recommendation enough for
that great Monarch to encourage it. The plan on which
this Academy was formed, was finely imagined to secure
a perpetual protection. It consisted of a President, with
a salary of two thousand pounds a year ; Gilbert was
the first. Six2 senior and twelve3 junior professors had,
the former five, and the latter three hundred pounds a
year each. What a noble institution was this ! Worthy
the Monarch who formed the outline, and the Minister
that finished the design.4 George had the satisfaction of
seeing Stanley increased beyond what his most ardent
wishes could have desired. Most of the nobility, and
many of the rich commoners, in imitation of their
Sovereign, erected magnificent palaces ; it grew the
fashion among the higher order of his subjects to erect
houses at Stanley. The Dukes of Suffolk, Buckingham,
Richmond, Kent, and Bridgewater, the Earls of Surrey,
Winchelsea, Middleton and Bury, and Mr. Molesworth,
particularly distinguished themselves by the splendour

1 Both erected in 1909.

2 The first instituted were Comins, Holt, Moor, Brown, Salviola
the Spaniard, and Stevens.

:! James, Philipson, Padrao an Italian, Rickson, Manly, Hare,
Thompson, Johnson, Weal, Place, Richards, and Stephenson.
4 The Duke of Suffolk.

38 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

of their palaces, amongst many others. But what gave
a prodigious increase to this noble city was the erection
of the Senate House : that noble building, which is now
the admiration of all Europe, was the master-piece of
the celebrated Moor. The front is certainly one of the
finest pieces of architecture in the world. It was
finished in 1913. The same year the Parliament
assembled in it ; and here I cannot help quoting a
passage in their address, as the praise it contains was
perfectly merited by this great Monarch. — " Assembled
in this edifice, which is one of the many marks of your
Majesty's magnificence, and princely encouragement
of the arts and sciences, we cannot omit congratulating
your Majesty on the completion of so noble a monument
of your grandeur and the nation's glory. And we
return your Majesty our most dutiful acknowledge-
ments, for so splendid a mark of your esteem for
your Parliament, which led you to erect so magnifi-
cent a Senate House out of your private revenue.
We join \vith the rest of your Majesty's subjects in
expressing our admiration of your royal and princely
virtues ; your noble encouragement of the arts and
sciences, adds a fresh lustre to the title of hero, which
your Majesty's great actions had before most justly
conferred." — This session 'voted the King a million
sterling for the senate house, and granted five hundred
thousand pounds a year till Ms Majesty's building should
be finislied.

Nothing could exceed the magnificence of Gilbert's plan
for this glorious city. The houses were all built to form
one general front on each side of every street. Nothing

HIS MAJESTY TURNS ARCHITECT. 39

was used but Portland stone. The streets were broad,
well paved, and the buildings not too high. Many
noble squares were marked out, and some finished.
The theatre was the work of his Majesty himself, who
drew the plan, and showing it to Gilbert, that great
man told the King it had not a single fault ; but this
compliment had not sincerity enough in it. It certainly
contains some blemishes, but is undoubtedly a work of
genius. The three centuries before his Majesty's reign
did not produce so fine a building. Its simplicity and
grandeur are admirable.

The Academy of Painting was another institution
which would alone have rendered the memory of any
Monarch dear to the arts and sciences. It was reserved
for the age of George VI. to be graced with a list of
great artists in this country, whose works should render
their own names as well as his immortal. From the
foundation of the English monarchy to the age of
George, Britain had never seen a painter that could
rank with the first class of foreign artists.1 But though
this great King could not create, yet he drew by his
encouragements and rewards, artists from their retire-
ments, and set them to work. No genius ever met with
even a rebuke from George; merit was sure to be
rewarded ; the excellence in any art the certain road to
fortune. Gilbert was the architect of the building, and
its grandeur is well known ; the president of this
academy had a salary of two thousand pounds a year ;
ten seats, each five hundred ; and forty young artists

1 [This is rather hard on Reynolds and Gainsborough, both well-
known men by 1763.]

4o THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

were maintained, and had apartments allotted them
with pensions of one hundred pounds a year each.
Nothing was ever better planned to promote the
progress of this delightful art ; and its success in
England under this reign was accordingly prodigious.
Nicholson, an English artist, and one whose name will
for ever stand foremost in the list of painters, was the
President of the Academy. Besides this appointment
he was loaded with riches, and created a Baronet. The
Battle of the Angels, in the saloon of the palace, which
this great man painted, is second to no picture in the
world. Tomkins, Vere, and Norton, were all English
artists, and not inferior to the celebrated Italians of the
age of Leo X. The first was equal to Correggio him-
self, and the last exceeded Dominichino and Guido. Who
does not glow with ardour at the rememberance of the
works of these divine masters ? Who does not regret
their loss ? — they are gone, and have left but few behind
them that can pretend to any degree of competition.
The other artists that had seats in the academy are
well known : Simpson painted the Jupiter Olympius in
the saloon of Apollo, a picture which would alone have
immortalised him. The most splendid court in Europe
was sure to be attended with a multitude of foreign
artists. Spinoza, Martileat, and Carviante, were received
in the most distinguished manner by the King, and had
each pensions of five hundred pounds granted them,
besides being liberally paid for their works. Never was
any art so much obliged to a Sovereign, as that of
painting to George VI.

The Palace itself, which has for so many years been

DECORATIONS OF THE PALACE. 41

the delight and wonder of Britain, was finished in 1915,
eight years after its foundation. Never was any building
raised so expeditiously. It was, indeed, astonishing ;
but, the King sparing no expense, Gilbert finished this
superb edifice in so short a time, by means of the
infinite number of hands he kept constantly employed
on it. It would be endless to describe this amazing pile
of building ; and it has already been done in all the
languages of Europe. The famous Escurial of Philip the
Second of Spain, and Versailles of Lewis XIV. of France,
of both which we read such pompous accounts, were
infinitely exceeded by Stanley. The shell of the building
alone cost the King above eight millions sterling. The
adorning and furnishing it was the work of above fifty
years, and the expense infinite. The ceilings and
apartments were painted by Nicholson, Tomkins, Vere,
Norton, and many other celebrated artists. The King
had no sooner begun to build than he sent connoisseurs
through all Europe to collect paintings, statues, rarities,
books, and manuscripts, and in these commissions he
spared no expense. He even dispatched Ambassadors
to Constantinople, and throughout all Asia, to make
collections ; and always choosing the properest men for
executing his commands, he succeeded better than any
Monarch that ever attempted to tread in his footsteps.
The palace of Stanley thus became the repository of all
the curiosities which the world afforded. No wonder
his palace became so celebrated, and drew such numbers
of foreigners into England, when the collection of
pictures and statues it contained were almost equal in
value, and number of capital pieces, to what remained

42 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

throughout all Europe ; and his library contained above
thirteen hundred thousand valuable books and manu-
scripts.

This glorious building was not only the residence of
royalty, but might properly be called the Temple of the
Muses. In his hours of relaxation from business the
King here conversed with Reynolds, that great genius,
who united the elegance of Mason and the genius of
Shakespeare : with Young, whose comedies far exceeded
those of the celebrated Symonds : with Pine, who, to
the inventive imagination of Milton, added the correct-
ness and harmony of Pope. What a memorable epoch
was it in history, when a George VI. conversed with
three great poets, in a palace built by Gilbert, and
painted by Nicholson !

But an event happened that, for a while, turned off
the attention of the King from these sublime employ-
ments.

CHAPTER V.

A.D. 1917-1918.

Russians and French attack the Empire. — Battle of Augsburg.—
Battle of Lutzen. — Siege of Vienna. — George VI. assists the
Emperor Frederick. — Famous march. — Battle of Vienna. —
Russians and French driven out of Germany. — George attacks
France, and enters Paris. — Battle of Melun.

WHEN we consider the dispositions of the three princi-
pal Sovereigns at this period on the Continent, it will not
appear wonderful that the peace between them should
not t>e lasting. The ambition of Peter, the cunning
policy of Charles, and the weakness of Frederick,
formed such contrasts as must necessarily produce no
long friendship among them. The Emperor of Russia,
ever restless and weary of peace, looked with envious
eyes on the fair provinces of Germany. The weakness
of the reigning Emperor gave him a fair opportunity to
attempt the execution of his schemes. He entered into
a negotiation with Charles, which ended in a treaty,
aimed at Frederic. It was agreed that Mecklenbourg,
Pomerania, and some other of the northern provinces,
should be conquered and ceded to Peter, and the
southern Austrian duchies to Charles. This flagrant
treaty was no sooner signed, than pretences were sought

44 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

for, to break with the unsuspecting Frederic. Between
ambitious Princes these are seldom wanted long. It
would be endless to repeat even the titles of the
memorials, answers, and rejoinders that were pub-
lished between the parties ; but the Emperor, rinding
his enemies were determined to attack him, prepared
for his defense. The Duke of Saxony, his General,
collected his troops, and found himself at the head of
seventy thousand men ; with these he marched against
the King of France, who, at the head of near one
hundred thousand men, had begun the war. The
Duke attacked the King near Augsburg ; and, after
a desperate and bloody battle, defeated him.1 This
victory stopped the progress of the French arms, and
enabled the Duke to direct his march towards Branden-
burg, which was being over-run by the Russians. Peter,
at the head of ninety thousand men, had taken Berlin,
and two other Russian armies were making a rapid pro-
gress. The Duke of Saxony, with his victorious army,
made flying marches to repel these invaders. It was not
long before he had an opportunity of righting the Czar.
About four o'clock in the morning the two armies joined
battle, in the very plain where Gustavus Adolphus the
Great fought the battle of Lutzen. Success hung
quivering over each army for a considerable time ;
at last the Duke was killed, and his death was followed
by the total defeat of his whole army.2 This great
victory was hardly gained when Peter was informed
that his ally, the King of France, had recovered his late
disgrace by gaining a signal victory over the Electors
1 Sept. 14, 1917. ~ Oct. ii, 1917.

FREDERICK IX. BESIEGED IN VIENNA. 45

of Hanover and Bavaria, who, with fifty thousand men,
had taken arms in defence of the Empire.

Frederick's affairs were now fast advancing to ruin ;
the Russians on one side and the French on the other
pressed him so hard, that he determined, with a strong
garrison and plenty of provisions, to shut himself up in
Vienna, one of the strongest cities in Europe. He sent
Ambassadors to George VI. to implore his protection,
and after seeing his enemies in possession of his domi-
nions, shut himself up in his capital ; which Peter, with
one hundred and fifty thousand men, immediately
invested.

The King of England, who panted for glory when
honour pointed out the path, was now moved by
humanity : he pitied the condition of the unhappy
Emperor, and determined to assist him. He laid
before the Parliament, ever ready to concur with their
Monarch in prosecuting the interest and honour of
their country, the state of Europe ; displayed the sad
situation of the house of Brandenburg, and asked
their concurrence in supporting it. The wishes of the
whole kingdom attended the King in this demand ; and
the Commons having granted the necessary supplies,
George increased his forces to eighty thousand men,
while his fleet was manned and ready for service in case
of necessity. Very soon after a vast fleet of transports
wafted the King, at the head of sixty thousand of the
bravest troops in the world, to the coast of Flanders.
Had the Emperor been in a less critical situation, he
could have drawn one of his enemies off by marching
to Paris ; but nothing could save Frederic except

46 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

raising the siege of Vienna. George, therefore, lost no
time, but began a long and dangerous march, through
a country wholely possessed by the enemy. He had
with him a vast train of artillery, and a multitude of
baggage waggons, yet, thus incumbered, he ventured on
one of the most dangerous expeditions that ever was
known. All the passes, quite from Flanders to Austria,
were in the hands of the French and Russians : he had
many fortresses to pass by ; and a prodigious number
of rivers to cross. Yet all these difficulties so far from
slackening the activity of the King, served only to
spur him more eagerly on. The particulars of this cele-
brated march are well known. George, almost without
the loss of a man, arrived in Austria, on the banks of
the Danube, after one of the most expeditious marches
ever known. He slipped by three armies, whose
only business was to intercept him ; he passed every
river in safety, and, to the astonishment of all the
world, was in a condition to fight the Czar of Moscovy,
almost as soon as that Monarch had heard of his
approach.

Peter immediately raised the siege, and, drawing up
his forces in the plains of Vienna, prepared to fight the
King of England, who was also engaged in the same
employment. The Russian army had a superiority of
above sixty thousand men, consequently their numbers
were two to one ; but no dangers could depress the
heart of George. Having, with moving batteries, secured
the rear and wings of his army from being surrounded,
he placed his artillery in the most advantageous manner ;
and dividing his front into two lines, at the head of the

GEORGE VI. RELIEVES VIENNA. 47

first he began the attack, after his artillery had played
on the enemy an hour, with great success. The Russian
infantry, animated by the presence of their Czar, under
whom they had so often conquered, repulsed him with
some loss. The King hereupon made a second and
still more furious attack, but yet without success. At
that critical moment the Duke of Devonshire, who com-
manded his left wing, sent for immediate assistance, as
he was hard pressed by the superior numbers of the
enemy. George flew like lightning to his weakened
troops, and placing himself at the head of six regiments
of dragoons, made such a furious attack on the eager
Russians as threw them into disorder, and following his
advantage, pushed them with great success. Thus,
having given his left time to rally and renew the attack,
he returned to the centre, where his presence was
equally wanted. The Czar, having repulsed his two
first attacks, and finding the English at a stand, not
knowing the reason, made a most violent and well-directed
assault on them, which being repulsed, he renewed it
with still greater vigour. The King of England coming
up at that moment, and placing himself at the head of
fifteen thousand horse, attacked the centre of the Russian
army with such irresistable impetuosity that he bore
down all before him. Every effort the Czar could make
proved ineffectual ; the King pursuing his success, re-
newed his attacks on the broken enemy, which threw
their whole army into the utmost confusion. The Czar
ordered a retreat, but it was made in miserable order ;
the King dispatched the Duke of Devonshire to pursue
the enemy with thirty thousand men, who made a

48 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

prodigious slaughter ; the vast numbers of the Russians
only increasing their confusion.1

Thus did this magnanimous Monarch gain this
glorious victory, against double his own number, over
some of the best troops in Europe, who had been used
to victory. Never could General show more dis-
tinguishing proofs of a most heroic courage, than the
King in this great day. This victory was thoroughly
complete ; thirty-five thousand Russians were left dead
in the field of battle, twenty-four thousand made
prisoners, and thirteen thousand wounded ; in short,
the Czar, before he arrived in Denmark, had lost above
eighty thousand men, a loss in one battle almost un-
paralleled. The trophies were two hundred pieces of
brass cannon, besides colours and drums, &c. without
number ; and their military chest was taken, containing
above thirty millions of roubles, a prodigious sum.

But the greatness of the King's victory was best seen
in its consequences ; the Emperor Frederick embraced
him as his deliverer, and Germany was entirely cleared
of both Russians and French ; for Charles, on the news
of the battle of Vienna, which was like a thunder-bolt
to him, had abandoned all his hasty acquisitions, and
retired into France, to prepare for King George's recep-
tion, as he every day expected an attack. Nor was he
mistaken ; the King had no sooner seen the Emperor
firm on his late tottering throne, than he directed his
march towards France, determining to punish Charles
for his unjust attack on Frederick. He met with no
opposition, and entered France, as he would have
1 May 20, 1918.

GEORGE VI. CAPTURES PARIS. 49

entered England. In three weeks the whole duchy of
Lorraine was subdued ; and Rheims opened its gates to
the conqueror. George advanced towards Paris with
hasty marches ; the Court in the greatest terror retired
to Orleans, and on the sixth of September, 1918, the
King of England entered Paris at the head of his
victorious army.

The whole French nation were astonished at the
success of George, and a general despondency ensued
every where, but in the breast of Charles. That Prince
was in the neighbourhood of Lyons, at the head of
a powerful army, but in doubt whether he should fight
the English or no. His very crown was at stake ; a
defeat must inevitably strip him of his dominions ; and
on the other hand, a pusillanimous conduct could not
but sink the spirits of his people still lower, and be
attended with perhaps as fatal consequences. But the
rapid success of the King of England, hardly allowed
him time to think : that Monarch had divided his
army into two parts ; with one he was over-running
Normandy, while the Duke of Devonshire with the
other was conquering Picardie, the Isle of France, and
Champagne ; by the end of October all the northern
provinces of France were in the hands of the English.
In the mean time, Charles had increased his army to
one hundred and thirty thousand men, but the greater
part were but indifferently disciplined. A large body of
French troops were in the service of the King of Venice,
and were now on their march home ; but without staying
for these, Charles advanced towards Paris. George
immediately collected his forces, and prudently en-

E

50 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

trenched himself in a very advantageous spot ; here the
King of France attacked him, and fought in that
desperate manner which might be expected from a
brave man, whose kingdom was at stake. But the
genius of George prevailed. The English cannon were
placed so advantageously, and so well served, that every
attack the French could make, served but to increase
the prodigious number of their slain. Charles at last
drew off his men from the attack, when the King of
England, letting loose ten thousand horse, on the
weakened, and almost vanquished enemy, completed
his victory, with the total defeat of the French.1 Orlea-
nois, Britany, and Burgundy, were immediately over-run
by the English troops. But winter coming on, the
King left the command in France to the Duke of Devon-
shire ; and crossing the water, landed in England ; where
he was received by all his expecting subjects with the
loudest acclamations of unfeigned joy.

1 Nov. 7, 1918.

CHAPTER VI.

A.D. 1919-1920.

War renewed. — Siege and Relief of Orleans. —The King wounded.
—Battle of Arleux. — Battle of Alengon. — Death of King
Charles. — George re-enters Paris. — Leaves France, and returns
to England.

THE King of England, who thought he had done
nothing while he had any thing to do, was soon in
France ; his troops having enjoyed every necessary
refreshment, were collected very early in the spring,
and rendezvoused in the neighbourhood of Paris.
Charles, on his side, did everything that industry,
artifice, or bravery could effect, to retrieve the terrible
condition of his affairs. He had applied to the Court
of Madrid for succours, and met with success ; the
King of Spain furnished him with money, and by his
great vigilance he had collected his army as soon as
his enemy. George opened the campaign by besieging
Orleans, a city of the greatest importance ; and Charles
determined to attempt relieving it. He formed a scheme
for surprising the King in his entrenchments ; one dark
night, about twelve o'clock, he advanced with near
thirty thousand men, through a hollow way which led to

52 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

the King's lines : by some well conducted motions, he
cut off the advanced guards, and knocking down several
sentinels, made a vigorous attack on the English en-
trenchments ; the troops, unprepared for action, ran
hastily to their arms ; the king flew to the quarter
where Charles made his attack, and found General
Shipton at the head of four regiments, which were by
that time half formed, sustaining the vigorous efforts of
the French ; he rallied and formed his men as fast as
possible, but with all the coolness imaginable : no effort
was left untried by our young Monarch, to repulse the
enemy ; he drove them back twice, but still they renewed
the attack ; at last, George unfortunately was wounded
in the side by a musket ball, and carried off the field.
No other stroke could be half so despairing to his
troops ; they gave way almost immediately ; but yet
the Earl of Bury retired with tolerable good order.
The English commanders greatly distinguished them-
selves in this action, particularly the Earl who con-
ducted the retreat.1

Charles fought with the greatest bravery, and led on
his troops with the most heroic firmness : he showed
equal conduct and courage in the scheming, and exe-
cuting his plan. He revived by this action the spirits of
his whole kingdom. It was indeed no inconsiderable
honour to triumph over the King of England ; though the
wound that young hero received was Charles's best friend.
But the victory greatly raised his reputation. — The
English were obliged to raise the siege immediately, and
the King was carried to Mayenne ; his wound was

i May 7, 1919,

PARIS RECOVERED BY THE FRENCH. 53

not dangerous, but was not likely to be healed soon.
Nothing could exceed the sorrow of the whole army
at this unhappy accident ; they loved the King as a
father, and never fought under him but with an eager
certainty of victory. All his dominions wept on receiving
the news, and offered up the most fervent prayers to
heaven for his recovery. The Duke of Devonshire
commanded a small army in Paris, and hearing of the
King's defeat, was at some difficulty to know how to
proceed. Charles was on the full march to his capital,
and his troops were too few to oppose him yet he
could not quit the city without orders. However, he
soon received them from the King, to join the troops
under the Earl of Bury. It was with some difficulty
that he effected this, for Charles was bent on making
him and his whole army prisoners. But slipping by
him, he made three forced marches, and joined the
royal army, of which he then took the command.

Touraine, Berry, Nivernois, the Isle of France, Cham-
pagne, and part of Normandy, were soon over-run by
the French troops; Charles found his army was in-
creased to near two hundred thousand men, in high
spirits at his late victory. But what chiefly increased
his reputation, was the possession of Paris. Flushed
at the fair appearance his affairs wore, he thought of
giving battle to the Duke of Devonshire, before George
was well enough to command in person.

His generals indeed all advised him against the
scheme ; and represented to him that the English army
would decrease every day ; that his subjects were so
inspirited with his late success, that they would rise

54 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

•

against his enemies wherever they still possessed the
command ; but that in hazarding a battle, he put all his
advantages to the stake at once, at a time when a
defeat must be attended with the most fatal conse-
quences.— These representations had little effect on
Charles ; impatient for a complete victory, he collected
one hundred and twenty thousand men, and at the
head of that vast army began his march to attack the
English.

The King had been some days removed to Caen, when
he was informed of the motions of Charles. He sent
immediate orders to the Duke of Devonshire, to fortify
himself in the strongest manner, and to choose the best
situation for a camp for that purpose. His Grace
obeyed the command without delay, and fixed on an
admirable situation at Conlie ; l he soon rendered his
camp impregnable, and was at the same time able to
receive all sorts of supplies from the country behind
him. The Earl of Bury, with eight thousand men, was
at Alehgon ; and General Villiers, with ten thousand, at
Rennes, so that the three armies formed a line, which
perfectly secured them. On the third of June,2 Charles
arrived in sight of the English camp ; but was sur-
prised to find how admirably every thing was disposed
for his reception ; he found it was impossible to attack
the Duke with the least prospect of success : he assaulted

1 [Oddly enough Conlie was to see a great camp in the nine-
teenth century. It was the place chosen for the mobilization of
the Breton Garde Mobile in the autumn of 1870 during the
Franco- German War.]

OPERATIONS IN FLANDERS. 55

several of his posts, but always met such a reception, as
convinced him that nothing could be effected. He
turned off towards Paris, after this ineffectual march, and
laid siege to Chartres, a strong fortress, and nearer to
the capital than any other in the hands of the English.

The King of France had hardly undertaken the siege,
before he had intelligence of an event, which both
obliged him to raise it, and gave him great uneasiness.
General Sommers had commanded an army of twenty
thousand English in Flanders, from the opening of the
war; Charles had lately detached the Marquis de
Senetraire, at the head of forty thousand men, to give
him battle, or prevent his joining the Duke of Devon-
shire, as he had made some motions which indicated a
design to undertake that dangerous expedition. Sene-
traire, with all the rashness of a young soldier, for he
was but twenty-two, attacked Sommers in his strong
entrenchments, and after a sharp engagement was totally
defeated. The English General made the best use of
so fortunate an affair ; the battle was fought near
Arleux, and quitting the field, he made a flying march
with his victorious troops to Amiens, from thence he
flew towards Rouen ; when the King of France, being
alarmed at the celerity of his marches, determined to
raise the siege of Chartres, and hasten himself to meet
him.

George, whose wound now began to heal, was in pain
for his brave General, and finding himself pretty well
recovered, resolved to place himself at the head of his
army. He was advised against it by his surgeons, but in
vain : the impetuosity of his courage, could not be

56 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

stopped ; and he arrived at the camp the 2Qth of June.
He immediately drew his forces out of their entrench-
ments, and, calling in the detachments commanded by
the Earl of Bury, and General Villiers, he again found
himself at the head of a gallant army, of seventy
thousand men in good spirits, and who longed to wipe
off their late disgrace. Charles had marched to Breteuil,
to intercept Sommers, and he had stationed his troops
in so judicious a manner, that the Englishmen could not
pass him. The King of England having drawn in all
his scattered troops, moved towards the French King ;
who prepared to receive him in the most vigorous
manner. It was plainly foreseen that a general engage-
ment must quickly ensue, for Charles drew up his army,
to the amount of one hundred and twenty thousand men,
in order of battle, on the plains of Alengon : George
came in sight of him the fourth of July, and prepared
that night to give him battle. The French army was
posted in the most advantageous manner. In their
front was a rivulet, behind which were nine redoubts
mounted with cannon ; their wings were defended in
the same manner, and every approach guarded with
artillery.

The King having reconnoitred the enemy's position,
drew up his troops on the same plain, at some distance
in their front. As the French army outspread his, he
disposed his cannon in his wings, in such a manner as to
prevent his being surrounded ; himself commanded the
centre, the Duke of Devonshire the right, and the Earl
of Bury the left. Every thing being prepared for the
engagement, the King ordered the signal to be made for

DECISIVE BATTLE NEAR ALENgON. 57

beginning it, and about nine in the morning that battle
began which was at once to decide the fate of two
mighty kingdoms. The French army was the most
numerous ; and commanded by their King. The
Monarch of the English also headed them, and they
were eager to engage, and obliterate by their bravery
the memory of their late defeat. The fire of the
artillery was the beginning of this great action ; as the
British troops advanced under cover of their own
cannon, that of the enemy played on them with great
fury, and some effect. But the skill of the English
engineers so well directed their fire, that several
batteries of the enemy were thrown into confusion.
The King however soon brought on warmer ,work ; at the
head of the first line of his centre he began the attack,
which was received with firmness. The Earl of Bury at
the same time with the left, fell on the right of the
French. For about an hour the success of the day was
doubtful ; but the right of the English army then
beginning the attack, threw the French into a little con-
fusion. Charles, however, flying with great celerity from
his centre, repulsed the Duke of Devonshire, and attacked
him in his turn, drawing off a part of his centre to
sustain his left ; the Duke repelled his attack, but it was
renewed with such vigour, that he found it necessary to
send an Aid de Camp to the King for assistance.
George drew twenty battalions from his centre, and all
his horse from his left. This was a most masterly and
rapid motion ; just as the Duke was thinking of a
retreat, the King came up at the head of his fresh
troops : the field of battle was now almost changed ; the

58 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

French had been so often repulsed in their attacks, that
it was even dangerous to pursue their advantage after
the great loss they had suffered, but Charles, contrary to
the advice of his generals, renewed his attack after
George was arrived. The French troops fatigued with
fighting almost three hours, in a hot day, made but a
faint impression, the King easily repulsed them, and
placing himself at the head of his cavalry, made a most
furious attack on his almost defeated enemies. Nothing
resisted him, the whole French army was broke through
in a moment ; and the slaughter that ensued was terrible.
While the King burst through every battalion of
French, with the irresistable fury of his cavalry,
General Young brought up sixty pieces of cannon,
which played on their broken troops near an hour. All
the efforts of Charles were in vain ; the battle was lost
beyond the power of recovery ; and to complete the
misfortunes of the French, their King, as he was
endeavouring to rally his men, was killed by a cannon
ball. The Earl of Bury, with twenty thousand men
pursued the flying enemy, and made a vast multitude of
prisoners.

Never was any battle more critically won. The
English army was on the point of being defeated, which
would certainly have been its fate, had not the King
recovered all, by one of the most masterly strokes of
generalship recorded in history. Never was there a
braver soldier, or a more complete commander ; both
characters he equally displayed in this celebrated
battle : he received a slight wound in his left arm ;
had three horses killed under him ; and during the

RESULTS OF BATTLE OF ALENgON. 59

whole action, exposed his person in the hottest fire. In
killed and wounded he lost seven thousand men, but
what is remarkable, not one officer of great note. The
French nation never sustained a more terrible blow —
never one more decisive. Besides the King they lost
thirty-two thousand men killed, nine thousand wounded,
and twelve thousand prisoners ; in all fifty-three thousand,
an amazing number ; among whom were the Princes of
Conde, and Charlerois of the blood royal ; the Dukes of
St. Omer, Rochefoucault, Ventadour, Amiens, and
D'Elieu, many other Nobility of great rank, thirteen
Lieutenant Generals, and five Major Generals, all
killed. Among the prisoners were the Dukes of
Bourdeaux, Rennes, St. Clair, D'Oyonne ; the Marshal
Swyvione, and three Major Generals, besides many
others of rank. One hundred and fifty pieces of
cannon ; seventy mortars, and all the baggage of the
army, with drums, standards, and colours without
number were taken.

But the prodigious consequences of this victory best
proved its decisiveness. The road was open to Paris ;
George, at the head of his victorious army took it ; his
detachments over-run the whole province of Orleanois,
even to Nevers : himself made a triumphant entry
into Paris, and Philip V1L, the new French King, hardly
reigned in his capital, before he was obliged to fly
from it. All Picardie was immediately conquered ;
the English themselves were amazed at the rapidity
of their own success. Montargis, Sens, Troyes, and
Auxerre, opened their gates to the Conqueror. The
strongest fortresses held out but a few days, so

60 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

universal was the terror which spread over all
France. They had no prospect of relief; King
Charles, who just before the battle of Alengon, which
robbed him of his crown and his life, saw himself
at the head of two hundred thousand men, left a
successor who had even not ten thousand about his own
person ; and yet half France was in his possession. But
the English prosecuted their success with so much
vigour, that every moment brought him tidings of their
conquests.

The rapidity with which George followed his blow
surprised all Europe. By the beginning of August he
was in the entire possession of Normandy, Brittany, the
whole province of Orleanois, the Isle of France, Cham-
pagne, Picardie, and Flanders. He had small detach-
ments making important conquests in other provinces.
The Duke of Devonshire acted in Lorraine, the Earl of
Bury in Burgundy, General Sommers in Hainault, and
General Villiers watched the motions of Philip, who had
retired to Lyons. Thus the English were in possession
of near half France. These wonderful successes, while
they called to mind the remote days of Edward the
Third and Henry the Fifth, yet totally eclipsed them ;
and though a very great share of admiration was paid to
the names of those celebrated heroes, a degree con-
siderably higher attended the name of George.

This heroic Monarch (who was at Paris) found himself
much disordered after his late fatigues ; his wound had
not received sufficient indulgence to complete a cure, so
that his physicians by all means advised him to return
for a short time to England, and repose himself after

THE KING RETURNS TO ENGLAND. 61

the vast fatigues he had undergone. The King, who
found himself very indifferent, followed their advice,
and leaving the command in France to the Duke of
Devonshire, with orders to prosecute the war with the
utmost vigour, he left that kingdom, and arrived at
London the first of September, 1919.

CHAPTER VII.

A.D. 1919-1920.

Foreign affairs. — Spain and Russia intervene in the war. — Treaty
of Madrid. — Preparations in Great-Britain. — Parliament meets.
— An allied army mobilized in Switzerland. — Duke of Devon-
shire conquers Flanders and Holland.

GEORGE could not have left France at a more critical
time. His prodigious successes had kindled the jealousy
of several of his neighbours, who wished to see the
rapidity of his conquests stopped. A series of victories
had raised his character as a commander to an extreme
high pitch ; he possessed the reputation of not only
being the greatest General of his time, but even one of
the most celebrated that ever existed. He was the
sovereign of a powerful kingdom, and was equally
formidable, both by sea and land. He had given
France a terrible blow by one successful battle, and
bid fair to conquer the whole kingdom in another
campaign ; these circumstances, at the same time that
they raised the jealousy of his neighbours, equally
occasioned a dread of his power : all wished to clip his
soaring wings, but no one singly dared to attempt it.
His old enemy, the Czar Peter, was engaged in a

INTERVENTION OF SPAIN AND RUSSIA. 63

second war with the Turkish Emperor Bajazet, which
had been carried on with various success for two cam-
paigns ; and a late rebellion of the Danes, under Count
Stormer, had obliged him to divide his land forces. Yet
engaged as he was, he was ready to come into any
alliance against the King of Great Britain. Indeed, he
could no longer be the enemy he formerly proved ; for
the Russian fleet, as its rise was swift, so its declension
was rapid ; and powerful as Peter had lately been at
sea, yet he was now by no means in a condition of
making any naval opposition of consequence to the
fleets of England.

Charles the Fifth, who at this time sat on the throne
of Spain, was a weak Prince, but governed by the Count
de Leon, a Minister of great abilities and unbounded
ambition. From the moment George distinguished
himself on the continent of Europe, he became his
enemy professed, and by his intrigues endeavoured to
unite the whole force of Europe against him. He had
supplied the late King of France with immense sums of
money, he had put the whole force of Spain in motion,
and waited only for a proper opportunity to declare
openly against the King of Great Britain. Spain was
in a flourishing condition ; the acquisition of Portugal
and Brazil was very considerable ; and having been so
fortunate as to possess a succession of able ministers,
her revenues were in good order, and her forces well
disciplined and numerous : she had a fleet of forty sail
of the line ready manned, besides frigates.

Italy at this time enjoyed a profound peace, the Kings
of Sicily and Venice having for some time compromised

64 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

all their disputes. The Emperor Frederick IX. was in
close alliance with George, and the German Princes
neutral, but ready to let their troops to whoever would
hire them. The Swiss cantons was also in friendship
with Great Britain.1

Such was the state of Europe, when the battle of
Alen^on struck a terror into most of its Sovereigns.
The Count de Leon had sometime before entered into
a negotiation with the Czar, to form an alliance against
George. This battle hastened their proceedings, and
a treaty was soon agreed on between them, for the pro-
tection of Philip, and signed at Madrid. Peter engaged
to join the Spanish fleet with sixty sail of the line, and
to send ten thousand foot and five thousand horse to
assist Philip. Spain was to march an army of sixty
thousand men into France, to act against the English.
In return, Philip engaged as soon as George was driven
out of his dominions, to assist Charles with all his forces,
and to recover Milan from the King of Sicily.2 The last
article was secret; but his Sicilian Majesty found means
to come at the designs of his enemies. The first of
October the King of Spain declared war against Great
Britain, and on the ninth he was followed by the Czar.

George in the mean time was not dilatory in opposing
both preparations and negotiations against those of his
enemies. He no sooner arrived in England, than he
despatched orders to Milford, for a squadron of twenty
ships of the line, and fourteen frigates, to be equipped

1 Stephenson, vol. i. p. 63.

2 [Was this for the benefit of the King of Venice ? Or was
Spain dreamir of recovering Milan, lost since 1712?]

NAVAL PREPARATIONS. 65

with all expedition ; another of ten sail, and eleven
frigates, at Portsmouth ; twenty line of battle ships, and
nine frigates, at Hull ; fifteen sail were almost ready for
sea at Plymouth ; nine at Cork in Ireland, and five at
Lynn ; in all, seventy-nine sail of the line, besides frigates.
He had a squadron of fifteen sail off Toulon, under
Admiral Tonson ; and ten in the Channel, commanded
by Philips. The Duke of Grafton hasted down to Hull,
to quicken the preparations for fitting out the grand
squadron, which was to sail for the Baltic from thence.
Orders were given for the fleets at Plymouth, Ports-
mouth, and Lynn, with the squadron in the Channel,
to rendezvous at Hull, as fast as they were got ready
for service, that a powerful fleet might sail from thence
early in the spring, before a Russian one could come out
of the Baltic. Never were such prodigious preparations
carryed on in a more spirited manner. New ships were
building at all the ports of Great-Britain and Ireland,
and even in the immense colonies of America ; four
ships of 40 guns each, were on the stocks at Quebeck ;
ten at Boston, and five at Philadelphia. Nor was the
King's attention only carried towards his navy ; twenty
new regiments were raised in Great-Britain, and eight
in Ireland. All sorts of military preparations went on
with equal vigour.

The Parliament meeting in the beginning of winter,
the session was opened with a very sensible speech from
the throne, in which his Majesty laid before them the
state of affairs, both at home and abroad ; he explained
the necessity of prosecuting the war in the most vigorous
manner, and repelling all attacks that mig^t be made

F

66 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

by the members of the alliance which was formed
against him. There were two parties at this time in
the Parliament ; the one was for making a peace as soon
as possible, to avoid a war with all Europe. These urged,
that the conquests his Majesty had made in France,
however glorious they might seem, were certainly con-
trary to the interest of the kingdom, as it would be
highly absurd to think of keeping them, even if it was
in our power. This was their chief argument, and the
Duke of Bedford, who was in disgrace, was at their
head. But as the opposite party, who were entirely
guided by the pleasure of the King (so great was his
reputation, and so universal was the good opinion en-
tertained of him), were much the strongest, after a few
debates, it was determined to address his Majesty, and
to thank him for his design of prosecuting the war with
vigour ; and before they were prorogued, they granted
him thirteen millions, every shilling of which was raised
by taxes within the year, to the surprise of all Europe,
so extensive was the British trade at this time.

His Majesty's negotiations were as spirited as his
military preparations : he sent the Earl of Chesterfield
as Ambassador to the Emperor Frederick ; the Duke
of Marlborough to the King of Sicily ; and Mr. Wharton
to the states of Switzerland. A treaty was soon signed
between himself, the Emperor, and his Sicilian Majesty,
in opposition to the alliance. Frederick engaged to
attack the Russians, if they entered the Empire, and
George took ten thousand of his men into his pay. The
King of Sicily furnished him with ten thousand more
at his own expence, on condition, that they should be

AN ALLIED ARMY AT ZURICH. 67

recalled if that Monarch was attacked himself, and
that the King of Great Britain should send an army
of twenty thousand men to his assistance : moreover,
George hired eight thousand Bavarians, and six thousand
Swiss infantry. Such were the measures this vigilant
Monarch took to repulse the attempts of his powerful
enemies.

No sooner was these treaties signed, than the ten
thousand troops furnished by the King of Sicily, marched
from the neighbourhood of Turin, and crossing the Alps
near Bornico,1 joined the Swiss troops, and remained
ejicamped till the Imperialists and Bavarians arrived,
when they formed an army of thirty-four thousand men.
The King sent the Duke of Devonshire orders to detach
the Earl of Bury with five thousand men, to put himself
at their head, and lead them into France. This was
no easy task. Philip, who had recruited his army, and
was re-inforced with fifteen thousand Spaniards, lay in his
way to intercept him. Franche Comte", part of Lorraine,
and Alsace, were in his possession ; so that the road to
Switzerland was entirely blocked up : but this able
General, deceived the French King (or rather the
Marshal Siletta, who had the command) and making
a flying march, passed by his army, and entered Switzer-
land in safety. The allied troops were in the neigh-
bourhood of Zurich : Bury placing himself at their head,
entered Franche Comte without opposition, for Siletta

1 [This is an unintelligible march. Does the author mean
Bormio ? If so, the army followed the Valtellire route. But this
would be a bad one for reaching Zurich, its ultimate goal. Per-
haps Giornico is meant, and the St. Gotthgjd line was taken.]

68 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

was too weak, though far superior in numbers, to prevent
him. Perceiving the weakness of the enemy, Bury
laid siege to Besangon, expecting an easy conquest : but
a brave governour commanding in it, he was obliged to
open the trenches against it.

In the mean time, his Grace of Devonshire was not
idle ; he had collected forty thousand men to drive
Philip from Lyons, and attack that city; but an un-
foreseen event changed his design. General Sommers,
who commanded ten thousand men in Hainault, was
unfortunately surprised in a dark night, by a small body
of the enemies troops in that province, and the Frenchr
man pursuing his blow, was attended with some success.
This affair called off the attention of the Duke from the
southern parts, and pointed out the necessity of first
reducing all the northern provinces. Instead therefore
of marching to Lyons, he moved with his army towards
Flanders. The French troops, although elated with their
success, did not dare to stand their ground : their Com-
mander very prudently gave up all thoughts of keeping
the field against the Duke, and conjecturing that his
Grace would not make so long a march, without attempt-
ing to reduce the country, he divided his troops into
small parties, and threw them into the strong towns
in the Flemish provinces. The sea coast was already
in the hands of the English, quite to Blankenburgh,
with the whole province of Artois. Devonshire being
joined by General Sommers and his scattered troops,
divided his army into two parts ; with one, Sommers
advanced towards Namur, with design to take that City,
and afterwards to reduce all the adjacent provinces.

THE ENGLISH OVER-RUN HOLLAND. 69

The Duke at the head of the other, made a flying march
to Antwerp, and surprised that city. His detachments
by the way conquered all Dutch Brabant, and Dutch
Flanders : this country, so famous in history, was
no longer the strongest spot in Europe ; many of
that vast list of fortresses, which in the great Marl-
borough's day, took so much time to master, now
opened their gates to the Duke of Devonshire on the
first summons. — Having secured the provinces in his
rear, he advanced into Lie'ge, and coasting along the
Meuse, took Nimeguen ; nothing now opposed the most
rapid conquests ; whole provinces were over-run in a
few days. The French garrisons in Holland were weak
to the last degree, and the Dutch, whose spirits were
sunk in their slavery, had no inclination to assist their
cruel masters. Rotterdam, the Hague, Utrecht, and
even Amsterdam itself, opened its gates to the con-
queror. In one word, all the Seven Provinces were
in the hands of the English by the end of the
campaign (Dec., igiQ-Jan., 1920).

General Sommers had no less success in his expedition ;
Namur surrendered in five days, and Luxemburg, part of
Champagne, and Lorraine, were immediately conquered.
This prodigious success, struck a damp into George's
enemies. While Philip was lieing inactive, and waiting
for reinforcements, the English had conquered an im-
mense territory, and were every day extending their
possessions. The Duke, leaving twenty thousand men
under Sommers, to take up their quarters in the con-
quered country, returned with the rest of his army to
winter in Paris.

CHAPTER VIII.

A.D. 1920.

Naval victories over the Russians. — Duke of Lerma marches into
France. — Motions of the British and French armies. —
Celebrated march to St. Flour. — Philip arrives at Paris. —
Battle of Espalion.— Battle of Paris.— The conquest of France.
— Conquest of Mexico. — Philippine Islands reduced. — Duke
of Devonshire enters Spain. — General peace signed at Paris
Nov. i, 1920.

THE enterprising disposition of George, would not
suffer him to defer opening the campaign the moment
he was able : in the beginning of April,1 the Duke
of Grafton sailed from Hull with sixty ships of the
line, and thirty-five frigates, to the mouth of the Baltic.
He soon learned that the Russian fleet was not even
collected : thirty sail of the line were anchored off
Stockholm, in expectation of being joined by twenty
more from Petersburg, when they were to rendezvous at
Copenhagen, where twenty sail were ready for the sea.2
The Duke no sooner gained this intelligence, than he
immediately entered the Baltic, and steering towards

1 1920.

2 [This reads very like the state of affairs in the Baltic in 1801,
when Nelson made his great stroke, to keep apart the squadrons
isolated at Stockholm, Cronstadt, and Copenhagen.]

BOMBARDMENT OF ST. PETERSBURG. 71

Stockholm, designed to fall on the Russian fleet before
they had advice of his approach. He executed his
scheme with all imaginable success. In a dark night,
he sent in six fire ships among their squadron. The
effect was terrible, and fatal to the enemy ; eleven ships
of the line were burnt, and seven frigates, four sunk,
and seven taken : the rest were greatly damaged and
totally dispersed.

This decisive blow, which at once disabled the
enemy from appearing at sea during the war, was a
thunderbolt to Peter, who was then with his army,
over-running Denmark, which had rebelled against him.
However, rather to make a parade of power, than in
hope of retrieving the misfortune, he gave orders that
the loss should be instantly repaired, and all endeavours
seemed to be directed to raising his navy. But it was in
vain : the Duke of Grafton following his blow, sailed
to Petersburg ; he bombarded the city three days, to
the utter ruin of every thing but the fortifications : and
by a bold and well conducted attempt, he landed three
thousand men to attack the fort that defended the
bason ; it was carried in a moment ; and this glorious
expedition ended with burning the whole Russian
fleet of twenty sail, after a defence, indeed which did
great honour to the enemies courage. After two such
decisive strokes, the presence of the duke was no longer
necessary in the Baltic ; he left it, and setting sail for
England, anchored at Hull with his victorious fleet.

The King with his own hand wrote a most friendly
letter to the Duke, thanking him for his great and
eminent services, particularly in this signal success.

72 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

He soon after ordered him to sail for the coast of Spain,
and gave him orders to annoy the enemy in whatever
manner should seem best to himself; he was limited
only to the coast of that kingdom. His Majesty before
he left England, gave orders for a fleet of ten sail of
the line, and eight frigates, to sail for the West Indies,
to prosecute the war in that part of the world ;
they were to convoy transports with three thousand
infantry on board, who were designed to attack Mexico,
under General Cannon ; these were to land at New
Orleans : l the fleet was commanded by Admiral New-
port. Another squadron was ordered to be got ready
with all expedition for the East Indies, to attack the
Spanish possessions in that quarter, under Admiral
Clinton. The preparations of the King had been
prodigious ; yet ships were still wanting, and were fitting
out every day. It was indeed surprising how this
active Monarch could give his attention equally to
every object of such a prodigious extensive war.

Before the Duke of Grafton had destroyed the
Russian fleet, George was landed in France ; He carried
with him eight regiments of foot, and three of dragoons,
who had been but lately raised. He found the Duke of
Devonshire drawing his troops out of their winter
quarters, and collecting them near Nevers ; this business
the King hastened with all expedition, for he designed
to take the field before the Spanish army under the
Duke of Lerma had joined Philip ; it consisted of
fifty thousand men, and was in full march for France.

1 [An odd place to choose for landing to attack Mexico. But our
author's geography is not at its best in America."'

GEORGE VI. MARCHES ON LYONS. 73

Philip himself had spared no pains to augment his
troops : he had thro.wn strong garrisons into all his
fortresses, and his army designed for the field, amounted
to seventy thousand men ; which he was collecting with
all expedition. The King of England by the latter end
of April, found himself at the head of sixty thousand
conquering troops ; he had besides twenty thousand
in garrisons, twenty thousand in Flanders under Som-
mers, and five thousand encamped near Saintes, com-
manded by General Young, who watched ten thousand
of Philip's troops, that had been detached to penetrate
into Orleanois, but without effect.

Dijon, Macon, and Bourg, were now the only places
in Burgundy in the possession of the French. George
detached ten thousand men under General Cleveland,
to reduce those fortresses, which it was expected would
prove an easy task, as the two first were cut off from
all communication with Philip's army ; after performing
this service, he was to join the King in the neighbour-
hood of Lyons. His Majesty on the third of May left
Nevers, and marched to Moulins ; the Governour, du
Roquet, deserted it at his approach. The King leaving
a garrison in it, directed his march to Bourbon, with
design to reduce all the places on the Loire ; and
joining General Cleveland, lay siege to Lyons, which
he made no doubt would draw Philip to a battle, as
the loss of that city would be fatal to his affairs.1 This
excellent plan showed the genius of the King, and the
execution was equal to the design. By a happy expedi-
tion, which always threw his enemy into confusion,
1 Du Chanq. torn. VI. p. 47.

74 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

George became master of Digoin, Semeur, Boissy, and a
strong fort which commanded an important pass at
Tarare, which opened to him the road to Lyons. General
Cleveland had met with equal success in his expedi-
tion. Philip detached two thousand men to oppose
him, but the English General, by making a flying
march, deceived him, and conquered the three towns1
almost as soon as he had attacked them : having
thus performed the chief end of his expedition, he
marched to join his master with little or no opposition ;
and effected it with as little loss. The French were
but spectators of their enemy's success.

The King of France, who was guided in all his
military operations by Marshall Siletta, was terrified
at the sudden approach of his victorious enemy. The
Duke of Lerma had not yet entered France ; he was
perplexed what course to take. Determined not to
hazard a battle, he was in great fear of the King's
attacking Lyons : there was in that city a garrison of
eight thousand men, yet he depended but little on their
defence. If he encamped under its walls, he knew it
would be safe, but then it would be in George's power
to cut off his junction with the Spanish army. On the
contrary, if he marched towards Spain to join it, Lyons
he gave up as lost, and perhaps other places of great
importance might partake its fate. Thus confused
between different opinions, he at last was guided by his
General, who urged him to entrench himself strongly
under the walls of Lyons ; as George he supposed
through his impetuosity, would aim at taking him and
1 Dijon, Macon, and Bourg.

GEORGE MARCHES AGAINST SPANIARDS. 75

his army prisoners ; and would neglect to cut off his
communication with Spain.

George, whose camp was near Boissy, immediately
perceived the oversight of the enemy ; he took no time
to spend in tedious consideration, but seeing that the
whole fortune of the war depended on his preventing
the junction of the French and Spaniards, he deter-
mined to exert every effort to cut off all their communi-
cations. There was the greater necessity for expedition,
as the Duke of Lerma had entered France, and was
arrived at Foix.1 The scheme was difficult to execute,
for all the country before him was full of strong towns
with garrisons in them. His plan was to march to St.
Flour, but Riom, Clermont, and Issoirre, lay so near his
road, that it would be extremely difficult to pass, with-
out reducing them ; without losing a moment's time,
therefore, he made a flying march to Riom, and present-
ing himself before it, required the governour to sur-
render immediately at discretion. Terrified at George's
approach, he surrendered without firing a gun ; but his
cowardice however cost him dear, for he was afterwards
shot for his behaviour, by the command of his master.
George having thrown a garrison into Riom, marched with
no less expedition to Clermont, and expected the same
speedy success ; but the Prince of that name being Lord
of the town, commanded in it, and returned a haughty
answer to George. His Majesty immediately surrounded

1 [An unlikely point for him to appear at, as it would seem that
he must have crossed the Pyrenees at one of their least accessible
points in order to reach it. He would really have marched by
Figueras and Perpignan.]

;6 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

the town, and at night about ten o'clock, made three
violent attacks on it in different quarters. Never was
action more obstinately fought, but some scaling ladders
breaking at the principal attack, and the bravery of the
French throwing his men into confusion, he was obliged
to draw off his troops with the loss of two thousand five
hundred men. The King, who expected that Philip
would march with all expedition to join the Spanish
army in time, resolved to lose none ; and quitting the
attack on Clermont, determined, as Riom was in his
possession, to pass on without it. His Majesty using
the same expedition, advanced to Issoirre, which to his
utter astonishment, he found deserted ; pursuing his
march therefore, he arrived at St Flour, and was hardly
in sight of the town, before he ordered it to be attacked.
The fury of this attack, which was made at once in five
places, only seemed to raise the courage of the
governour ; but nothing could resist the English : after
four hours hot action, they carried it by storm.

This celebrated march, which was one of the most
expeditious ever known, was performed in eight days ;
a rapidity that was astonishing. The King, by such
prodigious celerity, however, prevented the two armies
of French and Spaniards from joining. He expected
indeed, that Philip would take a different course as fast
as possible to effect the junction : but herein he was
mistaken ; Philip, or rather Siletta, no sooner saw how
far George had got the start of him, than he perceived
the extreme difficulty of joining the Spaniards ; and
knowing that the operation of the whole campaign must
be greatly retarded by waiting for the Duke of Lerma,

PHILIP VII. COUNTERMARCHES ON PARIS. 77

he determined to make a resolute push, to recover the
capital, and the northern provinces of his kingdom. The
attempt must necessarily be attended with great
difficulty, but he was nevertheless determined in his
resolution.

Had it been possible, he would have taken the
straight road to Paris, but the English possessed a
multitude of garrisons in his way, that rendered such a
march impracticable. Therefore breaking up his camp
with very little noise, he took the route of Bourg,
designing to make a great detour through Franche
Comte and Champagne. Bourg surrendered without one
blow ; from thence he marched with great expedition
to D61e ; his plan in this march was the same as that of
George in his southern one ; he determined to leave
every town behind him that made any great resistance.
The governour of Dole refused to surrender, and Philip
despairing of taking it by storm, passed on to Langres :
the officer who commanded there had not the same
courage, but left the town an easy conquest to the
French ; Sezanne gave him as little trouble ; from
whence, after a very rapid march, he arrived at Paris,
which was never able to resist an army (May 29, 1920).

Nothing could raise the spirits of his subjects more
than this stroke ; he expected to be soon master of
all the northern provinces, as he depended on the Duke
of Lerma's finding the King of England employment in
the south. But we shall leave him here a little while, to
take a view of the operations between George and the
Spaniards. The Duke had advanced to Toulouse, and
hearing that Philip was marching to Paris, he exclaimed

78 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

against this perfidy of the French in the highest terms.
He reproached them with breaking their engagements,
as they were to join him, and to act in concert with his
army. The Spanish minister was no less loud in his com-
plaints ; but it was too late for Philip to change his plan :
and the Duke with all possible caution advanced to Tou-
louse. He knew the genius of the man that commanded
against him, and was determined to leave nothing to
fortune ; to hazard no action of consequence, but to
keep advancing, and find the King of England an
employment, while Philip was over-running the northern
provinces. His plan was the most prudent he could
have chosen, and he had a genius proper to execute it.
When he arrived at that city, he learnt of George's
being at Mende, upon which, he still advanced to Alby
and Rodez, and from the situation of the King, was in
hopes of being able to make a flying march, and yet
join Philip.

But the King of Great Britain knew it was impossible
for the Duke to take advantage of his motion, from the
situation of his outposts, the passes of which were all in
his command. Lerma was at Espalion, and just as his
army was beginning to move, one of his Aides de Camp
brought him intelligence, that the King was at Albrac,
in his front, but four miles from him. Alarmed at this
news, and dreading a battle, he instantly ordered his
troops to arms, and they moved forthwith into their
camp, at the same time receiving orders to raise new
entrenchments and redoubts. The King had made this
sudden and rapid motion with design to bring on a
battle, judging it a favourable opportunity when the

MANCEUVRES OF GEORGE AND LERMA. 79

Spaniards were on the march. However, finding that the
Duke was taking every precaution that was possible, he
gave over the design, and the two armies continued in
the same position a week, during which time George
was incessantly attacking the out parties and convoys
of the Duke, and trying to provoke him to a battle ; but
it was in vain, for the cautious Spaniard kept close in
his camp, and very quietly saw the King victorious in
every skirmish.

But this petite guerre was the King's aversion, though
he understood it well ; he loved hazardous actions in
which fortune played a part ; he was tired if a continued
series of battles, rapid marches, or towns stormed, did
not succeed quickly to each other ; never more pleased,
or more calm, than in the midst of all. As may be
supposed this disposition made him long for an engage-
ment with the Spaniards, and form a variety of projects
to bring one about, but knowing the prudent enemy he
had to deal with, he determined to surprise him by
night. Previous to the execution of his project, he had
detached parties to secure all the country round him.
The Earl of Bury, with twenty thousand men had taken
Aurillac, Figeac, Cahors, and Ville Franche, so that all
the country behind him was secure ; and the enemy
possessed the route by which they advanced. Having
prepared every thing, by calling in all his detachments,
the better to deceive the Duke, he gave out, that he
should march immediately to succour Rouen, which was
besieged by the French King ; he accordingly provided
a vast quantity of baggage, ammunition, and artillery
waggons ; pressed all the horses of the country into his

8o THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

service, and in short, gave directions in such a manner,
that every one fully believed he was on the point of
departing.

When the day came on which he meditated the
attack, (the 23rd of June) the troops were all directed to
wait for orders ; and it was expected that the next
morning they would begin their march ; but about ten
o'clock they were all drawn up in order of battle ; and
George dividing them into two bodies, placed one under
the command of the Duke of Devonshire, and headed
the other himself; the Duke was to make a little
detour of a mile and a half, through some woods, which
led to the Spanish camp, while the King himself took
the same direction through the plain : both parties were
to meet and make the attack in concert. Nothing could
be executed in a better order ; the troops to their great
surprise, filed off without beat of drum, or sound of
trumpet ; and by half an hour after eleven arrived at the
very verge of the enemies camp.

The King joining his forces, and giving orders to the
Duke, the Earl of Bury, and General Young, who were
to command the three attacks, while himself overlooked
all at the head of a chosen body of troops, directed
them to advance, with orders not to fire a musket, till
they were in the midst of the camp. The three
divisions moved at the same instant, and had advanced
a considerable way in the camp before they were dis-
covered, the Spaniards being all asleep in their tents. A
grenadier attempting to knock down a sentinel, was
resisted, where upon he fired at him ; and the noise
immediately roused some contiguous tents, who upon

BATTLE OF ESP ALIGN. 81

this, spread a general alarm, and ran half naked to their
arms, but found the English advancing to the very
centre of their camp. They attempted to resist, but were
broke and dispersed in an instant : the Duke of Lerma
himself, by this time, was at the head of a confused
party, and attempting to form them. But five and
twenty field pieces, which the King had brought with
him, were placed so advantageously, that every attempt
of such a nature was ineffectual. The Duke flew like
lightening through his camp, to bring his men to some
order ; all the Spanish Generals exerted themselves, but
their stand was momentary ; terror stalked before the
English wherever they moved — nothing could resist the
impetuosity of their attacks. All was one scene of horror
and confusion, the enemy were every where dispersed in
the utmost disorder about their camp, and cut to
pieces in regiments. To complete the carnage, the Earl
of Bury, turning the cannon of three redoubts on the
flying troops, mowed them down in squadrons. By break
of day the action was over, the whole Spanish army was
totally dispersed, with incredible slaughter, and the loss
of their General, who was killed in the confusion that
necessarily attended such an action.

Never was victory more complete ; twenty-two
thousand Spaniards were killed, and ten thousand
made prisoners ; all their camp baggage and artillery,
standards, colours, drums, and other trophies without
number were taken, besides their military chest. They
suffered great loss in their retreat, so that out of
fifty thousand who came out, scarce ten thousand
returned to their own country. This decisive victory

G

82 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

was a fatal stroke to Spain, and almost ruined Philip's
affairs : the news of it was as a thunderbolt to him.
After gaining so great a victory in such advantageous
circumstances, and with the most trifling loss, there was
nothing to stop the rapidity of the King's conquests.
He divided his army into three divisions, and all
Languedoc, Provence, Dauphine, Gascogne, Guienne,
Quercy, Perigord, Limosin, and Saintonge, were con-
quered ; comprehending near four hundred miles of
territory. But it is time to take a view of Philip's
operations, which will exhibit a very different picture.

He was no sooner master of Paris, than he marched
into Normandy, and laid siege to Rouen, expecting to
be master of it in a few days ; but his hopes of such
speedy success were blasted : for he found the brave
Governor, General Stanley, returned a haughty answer
to his demand of surrendering. But as it was absolutely
necessary that the city should be taken before he
attempted any thing farther, and as no time was to be
lost, he opened nine batteries against it at once, in
expectation of obliging the Governor to surrender by
the fury of his fire ; but after a week's dreadful
cannonade, he was not nearer his point than when he
first began the attack ; with much vexation he was at
last obliged to open the trenches : and a slow siege
could not but be fatal to his affairs. Yet he trusted to
the Duke of Lerma's keeping George engaged till he
was master of it. In this situation, he continued his
approaches for some time, but saw little prospect of his
being able to carry the city. At last advice was brought,
that the King of England had totally defeated the

THE KING STORMS THE LINES OF PARIS. 83

Spaniards, a terrible blow to Philip. He was at first
struck dumb with surprise ; but recovering himself,
ordered the siege to be raised immediately, and falling
back to Paris, entrenched his army under the walls of
his capital. Every day brought him accounts of whole
provinces over-run by George, and seeing that his affairs
were on the brink of ruin, he determined to sue for
peace, and accordingly sent two ambassadors to the
British Monarch ; but he was answered, u That it was
" now too late for a peace — That France had been the

" aggressor in the war and that he must expect

" no other terms but those his sword procured him."

His Majesty quickly followed this answer with all his
forces, he left Rodez in the beginning of July, and moved
with great expedition towards Paris.1 In fifteen days he
reached its neighbourhood, and encamping at Dampierre,
went immediately to reconnoitre Philip's entrenchments.
Siletta had done every thing in his power to make them
as strong as possible ; but their extent rendered them
weak, although they contained eighty thousand men,
entrenched to the teeth. George, drawing nearer,
determined to attack them without delay ; he pointed
out three places to his Generals, at which to make the
principal efforts. At one he commanded himself, and
the Duke of Devonshire, and the Earl of Bury the other
two. The prodigious boldness of the attempt made
some advise the King against it ; but his ardent

1 [The battle of Espalion was fought on June 23rd. The King
moved on Paris about July 5. How did he find time in ten days
to conquer Provence, Languedoc, and other remote provinces ?
The chronology needs recasting.]

84 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

temper made him reject their opinion : it was expected,
that this action would be one of the bloodiest ever
fought. The King made the attack at three o'clock in
the morning of the 24th of July, but it could be hardly
called a battle. In half an hour, the whole French army
gave way : dispirited by so many defeats, and engaging
in expectation of being conquered, instead of fighting
like men, they fled like sheep. Philip, with the Dauphin
his brother on one side of him, and Siletta on the other,
attempted to rally his men, but it was impossible, and
in the flight he was taken prisoner by the Earl of Bury,
to whom he delivered his sword : the Dauphin was also
taken, and Marshal Siletta. The loss of the French
amounted to about fifteen thousand men, in killed and
prisoners, and the whole army was totally dispersed.

This victory threw the whole kingdom of France
into George's possession ; he had now no long marches
to make, his enemy had no resource. All was lost.
From the frontiers of Spain, to the extremities of
Holland, the whole territory was in his hands. The
King of Spain, or rather his haughty minister, was
seized with terror ; they repented having provoked a
Prince, whom they were in fear would take a severe
revenge. All Europe trembled at the name of George ;
and it was next to evident, that he was now become
invincible. But the same success attended his arms in
the remotest corners of the world.

We before mentioned the Duke of Grafton's sailing
with his victorious fleet to the coast of Spain ; his Grace's
actions on that station were not so brilliant as those in
the Baltic, but almost equally ruinous to the Spaniards.

GRAFTON ON THE COAST OF SPAIN. 85

Too weak to face the English squadron, the Spanish
fleet kept in port. Thirty sail of the line, besides
frigates and other ships, were at anchor in the harbour
of Cadiz. The Duke, rinding there was no probability of
the enemy's venturing out, formed the design of attack-
ing the forts of the city, and burning the Spanish fleet.
There was a vastness in all this nobleman's schemes, that
showed a great and daring genius. During the reign of
George III. Admirals watched the fleets of their
enemies, and spent whole months ineffectually, and yet
that was a brilliant period. But now in the age of
George VI. the British Admirals did not watch, but
force the ports of their enemies. The Duke executed
his plan with great success ; with the loss of only one
ship, he burnt nine sail of the line, fifteen frigates, and
sixty-four merchantmen. He then entered the Straits,
and falling in with a small Spanish squadron, going
from Alicant to Gibraltar,1 to take in their guns, he took
four sail of the line, and three frigates, dispersing the
rest.

In the West Indies, Admiral Newport met with yet
greater successes : having landed General Cannon and
his men at New Orleans, he sailed to the island of Cuba,
and without any assistance reduced it. That immense
island once more2 came under the dominion of Great-
Britain, and with it a prodigious sugar trade. The

1 [Gibraltar, then, was no longer in British hands, but a Spanish
arsenal. Presumably it had been lost during the unfortunate wars
of George V.]

2 [Havana had been in our hands in 1762, at the end of the
Seven Years' War, but was surrendered at the peace of 1763.]

86 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

General having collected the troops of the colony of
Louisiana, to the amount of fifteen thousand men,
began a very long march towards Mexico.1 But as the
country through which he proceeded was tolerably well
cultivated, and having the advantage of conveying his
artillery, &c. by several noble rivers,2 he soon entered
the Spanish Colonies ; where the weakness of their
government was very visible ; he met with no resistance,
but proceeding on his march, he arrived at the opulent
city of Mexico. It surrendered on the first summons,
and in three months he conquered the whole country,
together with the isthmus, across from La Vera Cruz to
Acapulco. Nothing could be more fatal to the Spaniards
than the loss of these immense regions : the trade of
them was a great and valuable increase to that of Great
Britain ; but these operations were performed in concert

with another in the East Indies. The end of Admiral

Clinton's expedition was the conquest of the Philippine
Islands. This fleet being rendezvoused at Batavia, was
joined by fifteen sail of the line of the Company's ships,3
and ten thousand of their land forces. They proceeded
immediately for the object of their enterprise : so great a
force in that part of the world could meet with little or

1 [An incredible way of invading Mexico. Any invader with
possession of the sea would have landed at Vera Cruz, as did the
Americans in 1846.]

2 [It is difficult to see how the Rio Grande or any other stream
would thus help a force marching on Mexico. All the great rivers
run across, not parallel to, the invaders' road.]

3 [The East India Company, then, was still in full existence in
1920, and Batavia was English. Presumably we had taken the
Dutch East Indies when the French conquered Holland.]

MANILLA CONQUERED. 87

no resistance ; Manilla was taken after an attack of two
hours, and all the islands were successively reduced to
obedience. The government of them his Majesty
entrusted to the Company. The accession of wealth was
immense, since these distant conquests concurred to
command a vast and open trade, which was carried on,
almost immediately, from Acapulco to Manilla. In
short, all the riches of the Spaniards, or their most
valuable riches, their trade, (for the mines of Mexico
were exhausted long before)1 fell into the hands of the
English. But events were happening in Europe, which
drew the attention of all the world.

The King of Great-Britain, no longer seeing an enemy
in the field, entered Paris with great pomp, and placed
his head quarters in the Louvre. He sent the Duke of
Devonshire at the head of forty thousand men to attack
Spain, and distributed thirty thousand more in garrisons
throughout France ; the remainder of his army, which
amounted to thirty-two thousand, was part encamped
in the neighbourhood of Paris, and part distributed in
that city ; he had besides, twenty thousand more in
Holland, under General Sommers. He left this army in
the same position, on account of the neighbourhood of
the Russians. The Czar Peter was yet engaged in a
skirmishing tedious war, with small parties of the
Danes, whom he found it impossible to quell at once.
Besides, he could use but a small part of his power, for
he was at war with the Turks, and finding so much
business on his hands, was utterly unable to attack
George.
1 [In 1898 they still gave 70 per cent, of Mexico's total exports.]

88 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

The Duke of Devonshire had no sooner passed the
Appenines,1 than he broke into Catalonia, and over-
running the whole province, sat down before Barcelona.
All Spain was alarmed : terrified at the attack, the
haughty minister himself saw the immediate necessity
of appeasing George. He sent Ambassadors to Paris,
to sue for peace, who met with no very favourable
reception. They made many proposals, which the King
rejected ; at last, George in a memorial, informed their
court, that he would make peace on no other terms than
the following : i. That the King of Spain shall cede all
the conquests of the English in the East and West-
Indies to Great-Britain, as an indemnification for the
expences of the war.2 2. That the King of Spain shall
acknowledge the King of Great Britain as King of France.
3. That the King of Great-Britain shall relinquish his
conquests in Catalonia, in consideration of the King
of Spain's ceding the island of Sardinia3 to Philip of
France, which he shall enjoy for ever, with the title of
King. For some time the Court of Madrid refused to
accede to these conditions, but finding the King's deter-
mination fixed, and Barcelona in the Duke of Devon-
shire's possession, and dreading to see George at the
head of his army in Spain, they at last agreed to them.
The Czar Peter and Philip were both invited to accede to
the treaty, and the latter had his liberty promised him,

1 [A curious slip for the Pyrenees.]

- [This would leave Spain South America, but no other part of
her colonial empire.]

3 [How and when Sardinia had become Spanish we cannot tell.
Presumably when the Sicilians overran Italy.]

PEACE OF PARIS. 89

and the island of Sardinia if he did. The difference that
subsisted between Great Britain and Russia did not
prove the least obstacle, and Philip, tired out with ill
fortune, and seeing the impossibility of recovering either
his kingdom or his liberty, agreed to the conditions
prescribed by George. An English fleet wafted him,
his brother, and many of the French nobility to the
island of Sardinia, which he took possession of. The
King of Great-Britain generously made him a present
of fifty thousand pounds to settle his court, and treated
him during his captivity, with all the politeness imagin-
able.— The peace was no 'sooner signed, than it was
proclaimed at London and Paris, and his Majesty was
crowned King of France, at Rheims, the i6th of Novem-
ber, 1920, before an immense concourse of British and
French nobility, &c. After leaving the Duke of Devon-
shire to command in that kingdom, in December he
embarked at Calais, and arrived in England.

CHAPTER IX.

A.D. 1921-1922.

State of the kingdom. — The parliament meets. — Arts, sciences, and
literature. — Academy of Literature. — University. — Gardens of
Stanley. — Public Works. — Manufactures. — Prosperity of the
American colonies.

AFTER such great fatigue as the King had suffered in
the last campaign, it may be supposed that he longed
to enjoy a situation of peace and tranquillity. And it is
very remarkable that no man ever knew better how to
taste the hurry and noise of war, or the ease of retire-
ment. He was equally calculated for both. But he
was too good a politician to disarm himself as soon as
the peace was signed — a conduct which has often been
fatal to conquerors. Never were measures taken with
greater prudence, to secure possession of the kingdom
he had conquered. He knew that all Europe looked at
his victories with the utmost jealousy, and sickened at
the verdure of his laurels : he was fully persuaded, that
the late peace had only given time to his enemies to
prepare more effectually for a fresh war : the Spanish
Monarch, at once inveterate and formidable, he foresaw
would aim at a second alliance against him. There-
fore as his situation was so critical, he determined to

"SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM." 91

leave as little as possible to chance, but to keep himself
always ready for action. This plan was most easily
executed ; for although Great. Britain still felt the burthen
of a prodigious National Debt, yet the parliament granted
him very ample supplies, both to carry on the war
in France, and to build new ships, repair others, to
sink docks, and make harbours. The King's designs on
France, indeed, had raised some heats in the House of
Commons, but these were all blown over : the vast
splendor of success reconciled every mind to the
measure ; and what had no little influence was, the
oeconomy of the King ; they found, that the supplies
they granted were applied with the utmost fidelity to
the uses they were intended. They expected at the
opening of the session, after their congratulatory
addresses were past, to have many demands for securing
the vast conquests which the King had made ; but
they were much surprised, when they found none
made. The Lord High Treasurer informed them, by
the King's order, that the establishment in France
would fully support itself, and pay off all the arrears
of the army ; this was most agreeable news to all who
feared the immense expence of keeping that kingdom.
Only forty thousand men were voted, therefore, as the
standing troops of Great-Britain ; and ten thousand in
Ireland ; thirty thousand seamen were demanded, and
agreed to without opposition ; and five thousand in
Ireland. The other services were all supplied with ease,
chearfulness and alacrity.

But there was one circumstance which pleased the
King in this, as in some other sessions — its meeting at

92 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

Stanley ; where he had summoned them. He there
found himself in the midst of his own creation ; and was
never so well pleased, as when he was engaged in raising
noble piles of architecture, in conversing with men of
genius, and planning future establishments in favour of
the arts and sciences. Had the other Princes of Europe
been possessed of such a philosophic disposition, George
would never have attacked his neighbours ; he was far
more pleased to be at the head of an academy at Stanley,
than of a victorious army, conquering a great kingdom.
Four years were now l elapsed since George had been
able to attend to his buildings at this noble city with
that care and oversight which he desired. His residence
there was but by snatches ; he now and then caught
a month flying, but the city was much enlarged in his
absence. He had entrusted the management of the
buildings to Gilbert ; but every one who built houses,
was left at liberty in every point but the front. The
side of every street formed a regular one, and fancy
itself could not form an idea of any thing more truly
magnificent than all the streets of Stanley : they ex-
hibited all that was great and elegant, with the utmost
variety that genius could invent ; and as this superb
city was evidently become the metropolis of the three,
or rather four, kingdoms, 'the streets increased pro-
digiously : most of the nobility and gentry spent their
winters at Stanley, the seat of every thing that could
charm the wise, the rich, and the luxurious. London
was already degenerated into a mere trading capital ;
and the King was every day planning the removal of

1 1921.

GROWTH OF THE CITY OF STANLEY. 93

those offices, which it was in his power to transport to
his favourite city.

His Majesty ordered Comins, the architect, to draw
the plan of an edifice designed for the Chancery : that
ingenious designer brought him the sketch of the build-
ing as it now remains ; but it was not equal to some
other works at Stanley, nor indeed to several churches
of Comins's raising, in which he was peculiarly excel-
lent—Yet the Chancery is a very noble building, and
does honour to its author. It contains immense apart-
ments for the several courts of law. But the grand
design, which drew the attention of the whole kingdom,
was the cathedral of St. John, now building under the
care of Gilbert; — that great man, whose invention perhaps N<
was never exceeded, was indebted to nothing but his
imagination for the design of that astonishing edifice.
Its architecture, grandeur, and extent, far exceeds St.
Peter's at Rome, and it is certainly one of the greatest
monuments of George's magnificence, and even a wonder
of the world. In the year 1921, Stanley, besides this
superb cathedral, contained forty-three parish churches,
many of them famous over the whole world for their
architecture. The city had grown to be four miles in
length, and near as much in breadth.

Among those glorious establishments, which reflect
so bright a lustre on the reign of this great King, one
of the most distinguished was the Academy of Polite
Learning. It was certainly very wonderful that all the
kingdoms in Europe should have their academies near
four centuries before Great-Britain, but George supplied
the want of every thing that reflected an honour on his

94 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

country. This noble institution consisted of a president,
and of a number of members which was not fixed. The
former had two thousand pounds a year, and the latter
three hundred each. The first creation was of twenty-
three members : and perhaps no period of time can
display a brighter union of geniuses. The most dis-
tinguished were, How, whose essays, letters, discourses,
and poetical pieces, gained him such a great reputation
both for his learning and genius ; he was the president.
Reynolds, whose tragedies are so famous. — Young, the
comic writer. — Price, the author of our British epic. —
Minors, Wilson, and Philipson, all wrote both admirable
tragedies and comedies, — Walpole, whose sketches on
many subjects are so elegant and pleasing — Grouse,
Charlton, and Earle, in history : Charlton's History of
Britain was perhaps never exceeded. — But it would be
tedious to name all their celebrated works, which are
now in every body's hands. Never was any institution
better calculated for refining the English language, or
for promoting literature in all its branches. The prizes
which were every year given for the best tragedies,
comedies, and essays, on a variety of subjects, at the
same time that they raised a spirit of emulation, were
a means of enriching the votaries of genius.

George was solely bent on rendering the city of
Stanley the seat of every thing that was either useful
or elegant ; the Duke of Suffolk, his favourite Minister,
hinted to him one day in conversation, the foundation
of a university. The King considered of the scheme,
and liking a plan that would adorn the city with so
many noble buildings as the colleges, determined at

FOUNDATION OF THE UNIVERSITY. 95

last to put it in execution. The Academy of Architecture
furnished plans, and the King gave each member a
noble opportunity of rivalling each other. The author
of each plan that was approved, was permitted by the
King to be the architect. Nothing could excel the
magnificent establishments which were made in favour
of this new university. The professors, masters, &c.
were all appointed with the utmost consideration ; none
but men of unblemished morals, and great learning,
were advanced to any posts in it. Scholars, not only
from all parts of the King's dominions, but from all
Europe, flocked to be admitted in the university of
Stanley, which had many advantages, that could be
enjoyed by no other. What still increased their ardour
was its ceconomy : the bounty of the King made
it one of the cheapest seminaries for the education of
youth, in the world. — No plan could have ornamented
Stanley with a greater number of noble edifices : all
the colleges, but particularly St. George's, are admirable,
and perhaps the world cannot boast such a number of
buildings, with so few faults. St. John's is the worst ;
but St. George's, of which Gilbert was the architect, is
inferior to no edifice of its kind in the world.

But while these celebrated piles of magnificence were
raising, the King was employed some part of his time
in laying out the gardens of his palace ; he neglected
any such additions for some years, the woods which
almost surrounded him were of themselves so beauti-
ful. But at last he formed the scheme of sketching
gardens equal to his palace : he drew several plans
himself; these amusements and employments were

96 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

worthy such a Monarch as George, and no man could
succeed in them better. Behind the palace, the vast
woods of oak and beech, almost joined the building.
The King laid out a grass lawn, to the back front,
half a mile long, and a quarter broad, and round
it to a considerable distance, made it beautifully
picturesque. The appearance of art was entirely banished ;
nature was never forced, but assisted : he dug an
immense piece of water, of one hundred acres, and
raised a mountain by it, which is certainly one of the
most beautiful spots in the world. By means of a pro-
digious quantity of masonry, he formed many precipices,
which in some places, almost hung over the water ;
these were covered with mould to a great depth, and
the whole hill presented the view of one beautiful hang-
ing wood of beech, here and there adorned with a little
temple or spire, peeping just above the trees ; which
made the whole most bea^tifullyLromantic. From off the
hill was seen, at some distance, a noble prospect, and
you looked down on the lake, surrounded with woods
and lawns. — Nothing unnatural was seen throughout
the whole garden : no studied magnificence : very few
fountains, but many cascades, which tumbling down
artificial rocks, lost themselves in meandering currents,
through the embrowning shades. In this beautiful gar-
den, there was scarcely one straight walk, except the
grand lawn above mentioned : every thing was irregular
and natural. In many places sheep, and other cattle
were feeding ; and as many foreign birds, and harmless
beasts as possible were procured to run about the
woods, which were full of hares, rabbits, and pheasants.

THE ROYAL HOSPITALS. 97

In short, this garden, which may be considered as a
work of eminent genius, was formed on the mere plan
of guiding nature : the grass was almost every where
kept in excellent order ; but the woods had no other
improvement but the intermixing of the most beautiful
flowering shrubs irregularly among the trees ; and
instead of letting the surface be generally flat, hills i
and a thousand imperceptible variations were made |
to render it more pleasing. The water naturally ran
in one channel, but the King threw it into many, and it
fell down a variety of cascades ; but all without any
appearance of art. Never was any thing on the whole
more beautiful, or more truly picturesque ; these gardens,
which were about five miles in circuit, may be considered
as the finest in the world, and far beyond those cele-
brated ones of Versailles, of which historians speak so
highly.

But it was at the same time highly to this great
King's honour that his amusements did not enroach on
his more important occupations. George was not only
magnificent but humane ; his attention to those estab-
lishments that only advanced the national glory, did
not call him off from such as were dictated merely by
his benevolence and humanity. The unhappy found in
him their best comforter ; the poor and needy their surest
support. At the time that he was raising palaces, and
founding academies, hospitals of all kinds were reared
with liberality and magnificence throughout the king-
dom : the scheme and execution of the county hospitals
were the effects of his goodness, nay, the very plan was
his own thought. Whatever county would raise half the

H

98 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

necessary sum for any of those seminaries of the poor
or miserable, the King granted the other half. Happy
nation ! to have such amiable qualities mixt with the more
dazzling brightness of their Monarch's mind ! Twenty
foundling hospitals were erected at his sole expence,
in different parts of Great-Britain and Ireland : the
hint of these useful foundations, was taken from one
that was established for a few years in the reign of
George II. but it came to nothing, for want of proper
care : however, those raised by the King, proved to
be, and now continue, most excellent establish-
ments. Before the year 1925, his Majesty had built,
and either wholely, or in part, endowed thirty-five
hospitals.

Nothing was omitted by George that added to the
strength and security of his kingdom, which he con-
sidered equally with its ornament. Vast works were
raised at all the sea-port towns in Great-Britain and
Ireland, to defend the coast from all insult. Docks
for building ships were made at every place where there
was a sufficient depth of water : new men of war were
constantly building in them, and old ones repairing ; so
that he was at all times prepared to wage war on any
sudden emergency. Vast arsenals and magazines were
erected at all the most distinguished harbours ; Plymouth,
Milford, Chatham, Hull, Edinburgh,1 and Cork, might
separately be considered as real wonders of strength and
greatness : each of them was capable of fitting out a
greater fleet than any single kingdom in the world :

1 [This does not argue much topographical kno\vledge of the
Scottish capital ! But Leith is no doubt meant.]

THE NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES. 99

besides these, there were many ports of less consequence,
for the building and rendezvous of small men of war
and frigates : the coasts of the two islands were almost
entirely surrounded with works which were at once
their ornament and defence.

Rivers that formerly were almost useless were now
navigated by large barges, which increased the trade
of innumerable towns, and raised in many places new
ones. Canals were cut, which joined rivers and formed
a communication from one part of the kingdom to the
other : the spirit of trade attended these prodigious
works : villages grew into towns, and towns became
cities. An infinite number of manufactures flourished
all over the kingdom ; none were so inconsiderable, as
not to enjoy the King's patronage, who examined into
the minutest branches, and by the vast, and penetrating
capacity of his genius, attained a full comprehension of
most arts ; he understood their interests, and knew
when and how to promote them. By these means, he
raised and supported them at a small expence ; and did
as much real service to trade with one hundred thousand
pounds, as many Princes, and even great ones, have
performed with treble the sum.

But the immense region of country which the English
possessed in North America, was what most extended
and forwarded the British manufactures. The Kin^

t>

was there sovereign of a tract of much greater extent
than all Europe. The constitution of the several divisions
of that vast monarchy was admirably designed to keep
the whole in continual dependance on the mother
country. There were eleven millions of souls in the

ioo THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

British American dominions in the year 1920 : l they
were in possession of perhaps the finest country in the
world, and yet had never made the least attempt to
shake off the authority of Great Britain. Indeed, the
multiplicity of governments which prevailed over the

whole country the various constitutions of them,

rendered the execution of such a scheme absolutely
impossible.2 This wide extended region which increased
its people so surprisingly fast, was far from being for-
got by the King ; many noble harbours were surrounded
with towns, and made naval magazines ; a prodigious
number of ships were built by order from Great
Britain ; and the royal navy itself boasted many very
fine vessels that were launched in America.

In a word, this was the Augustan age of Great
Britain : the fictitious times which received their being
only from the imagination of poets, were realized in
this happy country. It seldom or never happens that
a period in which military glory is carried to its greatest
height, is also the age of happiness and plenty ; but
this was the case in the reign of George VI. Britain,
at this golden aera, was at once glorious and happy.

1 [In 1899 the population of Canada and the United States is
about 75,000,000.]

- [Sad words to read when we consider that the colonies were to
be goaded into revolt within fifteen years, and to be an independent
state ere twenty had elapsed.]

CHAPTER X.

A.D. 1922-1925.

George VI. visits France. — Government in France. — New laws. —
Buildings. — Encouragement of arts and sciences. — George
gives both freedom and happiness to France. — Finis.

A TRULY benevolent disposition knows no bounds to
the desire of diffusing happiness : George VI. longed
to see France in possession of that ease and plenty
which were now the distinguished characteristics of
Great-Britain. The Duke of Devonshire, it is true, had
governed in that kingdom with abilities and integrity,
but it was not in his power to execute the designs of
the King, nor was his genius adapted to the business.
His Majesty determined therefore to make a trip
thither ; and to increase the splendour of his court, he
took with him great part of the nobility of the king-
dom. On his arrival at Paris, he fixed his residence at
the Louvre, but was disappointed in finding that very
few of the first nobility of France waited on him : his
court was crowded with Frenchmen, but not men of
great importance. George could not condemn this
mark of their affection for their former sovereign ; but
like a wise and benevolent Prince, resolved to conquer
their disaffection by his clemency and the mildness of
his government.

102 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

The Kings of France had been absolute Monarchs for
many centuries : the parliament of Paris had formerly
raised commotions in the kingdom, by their obstinacy in
refusing to register the royal edicts ; but this appearance
of liberty was now entirely at an end. George determined
to make the French love him ; and he knew that would
be impossible, if he did not give them more happiness
than his predecessors, and make them no longer regret
the loss of their former Kings. His management in
France was certainly admirable : at the same time that
he secured himself against all insurrections, he gratified
the conquered people. He raised many French regi-
ments ; he promoted a multitude of French officers in
English and German corps ; he made a mixture of the
two nations, in almost every thing except religion ; but
he never shocked the people with any innovations in
that tender point. He had, indeed, long laid the plan
of rooting superstition and enthusiasm out of the king-
dom, but never thought of changing the established
religion. By an edict, which was registered in parlia-
ment, he gave all his French subjects the privilege of
both reading and publishing any books, with the same
limitations as in England : this edict contained the
substance of the English laws on that head, and was

declared irrevocable. It is difficult to conceive the

effect which this change had at Paris. A sullen silence
had reigned throughout the kingdom ; but almost at
once, it was succeeded by a boundless torrent of flattery
and invective. The King looked on with calmness, and
was highly satisfied at the pleasure the whole nation
experienced in this new liberty. A multitude of in-

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN FRANCE. 103

direct libels on him were printed ; but many ingenious
men defended George, and gave him excessive praise
for this instance of his clemency, and philosophic dis-
position. The lower people were shocked at the great
number of books that swarmed from the press, which
ridiculed and subverted the Roman Catholic religion ;
but the sensible part of the nation rejoiced to find that
no subject was so sacred as to bar common sense from
the consideration of it : every man published his senti-
ments with the utmost freedom on all subjects. The
King, who had a sublime notion of morals and religion,
ordered a vast number of the best English books to
be translated into French, and printed at the Louvre :
these spread with the other publications over all
France, opened the eyes of the more sensible, and even
awakened some of the ignorant to a sense of the
absurdities of popery. The Abbe de Mansiere, par-
ticularly, by his Majesty's directions, composed a most
elaborate dissertation to prove that monasteries and
nunneries were most pernicious to the state : the King
seemed an enemy to no part of religion, but that
which was prejudicial to the civil state of the kingdom.
This noble freedom, which the French had so long
lost, gave rise to a thousand useful and excellent
treatises, both in morals and politics : all other arts
were also benefited by it. But it was not in this article
alone that George showed his desire of making the
conquered nation happy: by an edict, which will be
immortal, he introduced the laws of England into France,
with no changes, but such as respected religion and
his own authority. He even gave up every prerogative

104 THE REIGN OF GEORGE VI.

which he did not possess in England, except the raising
of money : parting with that would have been danger-
ous, so soon after his possession. As the French nation
had always preserved a notion of liberty, and had never
fallen absolutely into slavery, the effect of these changes
was surprising ; they seemed to enjoy them with par-
ticular exultation, as they came from the hand of their
conqueror ; happy for France, that it was conquered by
such a patriot King !

The only set of men who at first appeared dis-
contented with these changes was the nobility ; they
were no longer the absolute Lords on their own
estates they had heretofore been : the meanest peasant
was now free, and could not suffer but by judgement
of his peers. But, in return for the loss of that power
which it was dishonourable to use, they had many
noble privileges confirmed to them, unknown to their
ancestors : they were no longer the slaves of their
Monarch, and the first to bear his fury ; the King him-
self had no more authority over them, than over the
lowest mechanic. How unusual was it in France, to
see uncorrupt judges going the circuits of the provinces,
who enjoyed their salaries fixed for life, and had no
inducement to favour either side !

During this residence in France, so happy for that
kingdom, the King built a very noble palace at Fontaine-
bleau,1 and another on the banks of the Rhone ; he also
repaired the Louvre, and many other public buildings ;
and neglected nothing that could add to the ornament of

1 [Apparently our author is ignorant of the " very noble palace "
already existing there since the time of Francis I.]

REVIVING PROSPERITY IN FRANCE. 105

the kingdom. The fortifications of the frontier towns,
from the north of Holland to the Mediterranean, which
had in many provinces fallen into decay, were repaired,
and even augmented. The royal ports were filled with
workmen of all sorts : great numbers of ships, from
men of war to merchantmen, were built : his Majesty's
navy was continually augmenting ; and as the two
nations now possessed an immense trade, there was no
danger of ever finding a scarcity of sailors.

The Monarch, who in England had been so great
and magnificent a protector of the arts and sciences, acted
worthy of himself in France. The French nation had
enjoyed more establishments in favour of literature, such
as academies, than Great-Britain ; but they were in
general only honourary : men of the greatest genius were
often members of many academies, but almost starving
for want. George therefore found no want of fresh
establishments, but only the fixing certain salaries on
the seats of those already in being. This he did with
a liberality unknown in France, and greatly to his
honour : few conquerors were ever celebrated for such
excellencies as this great Monarch ; the panegyrics on
him, which were numerous and just, did not turn on
his victories, but his philosophic disposition, and his
civil virtues.

Prejudice and partiality — which so often throw a
veil over the real characters of princes — can find few
faults with this great king's administration. His con-
duct, especially in France, has been blamed by many
politicians, but no philosophers. In fact, George ought
rather to be considered as a philosophical king, than

io8

INDEX.

army in France, 49, 50, 53-
57, 61, 67-69 ; in Spain, 80,
»3, 88 ; regent of France, 89
Dunkirk captured by British, 27
Durham sacked by the Russians,
19

EAST India Company, aids in the

conquest of Manilla, 86
Espalion, battle of, 78-82

F

FLEET, development of the British,
24, 65, 98

France, alliance of, with Russia,
II ; declares war on Britain,
25 ; disasters of, 26-29 ; makes
peace of Beauvais, 29, 30 ; war
of, with Germany, 44; renewed
war of George VI. with, 49, 50,
51-61, 67, 69, 72-77, 83, 84;
conquered by George VI., 87, 89;
government of, under George
VI., 100-106

Frederic IX., Emperor of Germany,
his character, 10 ; war of, with
France and Russia, 43-45 ;
aided by George VI., 45-48 ; his
alliance with George VI., 66

Freedom of the Press established
in France, 102, 103

G

GEORGE III., reign of, 2

George IV., reign of, 3

George V., reign of, 3-4

George VI., accession of, 5 ; his
war with Russia, 12-30 ; his
action in Parliament, 16, 17;
takes command of the army,
18 wins battle of Wetherby,

21 takes command of the fleet,

22 .wins naval victory, 23;
invades Flanders, 26 ; wins

battle of Winox, 26 ; invades
France, 27-29 ; makes peace
with France and Russia, 29,
30 ; literary and artistic tastes
°f> 34, 37, 39, 42 ; his palace of
Stanley, 35, 95 ; aids Germany
against France and Russia, 46 ;
wins battle of Vienna, 47; enters
Paris, 49 ; defeats King Charles
X., 50 ; defeated and wounded
at Orleans, 52 ; wins battle of
Alencon, 56-59 ; enters Paris,
59 ; renewed war of, against
Russia and Spain, 64 ; his treaty
with Germany, Sicily, and
Switzerland, 66 ; leads army in
France, 72, 73 ; victorious over
Spaniards, 81 ; again enters Paris,
87 ; crowned King of France,
89 ; peaceful occupations of, 90,
100 ; his government of France,
101-105 > reflections on his
character and institutions, 105,
106

Germany, war of, with France and
Russia, 44-48 ; alliance of, with
Britain, 66.

Gilbert, architect, 35-39, 92, 93
Grafton, duke of, naval defeat of,
13, 14 ; naval victory of, 29 ;
victorious over Russians, 70,
71 ; over Spaniards, 84, 85

H

HAVANA captured by the British,

85
Holland, oppressed by the French,

26 ; conquered by the British,

69
Hospitals, establishment of Royal,

97,98

How, president of the Academy
of Letters, 94

ITALY, internal condition of, II,
49, 63, 67

INDEX.

109

LAW courts moved to Stanley, 93
Leon, Count of, Spanish prime

minister, 63, 64, 88
Lerma, Duke of, leads Spanish

army against. George VI., 72,

75» 77 J defeated and slain at

Espalion, 81
Literature. See Academy of

Letters

Lutzen, Germans defeated at, 44
Lyons, operations round, 73, 74

M

MADRID, treaty of, 64

Manilla conquered by Admiral

Clinton, 86
Mansiere, the Abbe, French

author, 103
Mexico conquered by General

Cannon, 86
Moor, British architect, 36

NATIONAL Debt, increased under
George V., 3; under George
VJ., 8 ; conversion of the, 31

Navy, the, of Britain, 4 ; achieve-
ments of, under George VI., 12,
15, 1 8, 22, 23, 25, 29, 65, 70,
72, 85, 86

Newport, Admiral, his successes
in the West Indies, 72, 83

Nicholson, Sir J., painter, 40

North American Colonies, pros-
perity of, 99, 100

O

ORLEANS, siege of, 51 ; battle of,
52

PARIS, taken by .George VI., 49 ;
recovered by French, 77 ; lines
of, stormed, 84 ; treaty of, 88

Parliament, factious conduct of
the, 1 6, 17; overawed by the
king, 17 ; votes the conversion
of the National Debt, 31 ; meets
at Stanley, 38 ; session of, 1919,
65, 66 ; of 1921, 91, 92

Peter IV. of Russia, his martial
renown, 9 ; makes war on
England, 3, 13-19, 29, 30 ; on
Turkey, 28, 63 j against
Germany, 44; defeated at
Vienna, 47 ; signs treaty of
Madrid, 64; naval disasters
of, 71

Petersburg, St., bombarded by
the British fleet, 71

Philigroff, Russian admiral, 13

Philip VII., King of France, 59 ;
military operations of, 59-88 ;
recovers Paris, 77; defeated
and captured, 84 ; deposed, 88 ;
becomes King of Sardinia, 89

Pine, British Poet, 42

Portugal conquered by Spain, 1 1,
63

R

REYNOLDS, British poet, 42, 94

Rouen, siege of, 82

Russia, war of George V. with,
3 ; vast empire of, 9 ; war of,
with Britain, 13-30 ; wars of,
with Turkey, 28, 63 ; war of,
with England, 64-71

SARDINIA given to Philip VII.,

89
Saxony, Duke of, German general,

his victory at Augsburg, 44 ;

defeat and death of at Lutzen,

44
Schmettau, Russian general, 13 ;

invades England, 15, 19 ;

defeated and slain at Wetherby,

20, 21

110

INDEX.

Senetraire, Marquis de, defeated
at Arleux, 55

Sicily, kingdom of, II, 63, 64;
alliance of, with Britain, 66

Siletta, Marshal de, commands
French army, 67, 74, 76, 84

Sommers, English general, at
Wetherby, 21 ; wins battle of
Arleux, 55 ; in Hainault. 60,
68, 69 ; in Holland, 87

Spain, war of, against Britain,
64-88

Stanley, palace of George VI. at,
35. 37, 4i ; city of, 92-95 ;
meeting of Parliament at, 38,
92 ; University of, 94, 95

Steinhold, Russian admiral, 22, 23

Stormer, Count, leads rebellion of
Danes against Russia, 63

Suffolk, Duke of, influence of, with
George VI., 6, 7 ; literary tastes
°f» 33» 34 > takes part in founda-
tion of University of Stanley,
94, 95

Switzerland allied to Britain, 64,
66

TURKEY, wars of, with Russia. 28,
63

UNIVERSITY, the, of Stanley, 94,
95

VENTADOUR, Duke of, French

general, 27, 28, 59
Vienna, siege of, 45 : battle of,

47, 48
Vivionne, Duke of, French

general, 26, 27

W

WETHERBY, battle of, 19-21
Winox, battle of, 26, 27

YOUNG, British poet, 42, 94

FINIS.

By C. W. C. OMAN, M.A., Fellow of All Souls' College,
Oxford.

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A SELECTION

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The following list comprise

MESSRS. RIVINGTONS'

LATEST BOOKS AND EDITIONS

BROOKE, C. E., This Church and Realm 3

HANDLEY, H., A Short Way out of Materialism. ... 3

DUKES, DR., Needless Injury to Children 3

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The Way of Happiness 4

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fust published. Small Crown 8v0. 2s. 6d.

This Church and Realm

Some Difficulties of the Day Examined.

By the REV. C. E. BROOKE, M.A.,
Vicar of St. John the Divine, Brixton.

CONTENTS. — Canonical Obedience and Church Courts— The Ornaments
Rubric — The Eastward Position — Vestments — Incense — Reservation.

For the instruction of his people the Rev. C. E. Brooke gave on the
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points in the Church's system, and it is hoped that their publication at the
present moment in book form will be of advantage to the cause of the
Catholic Movement.

Just Published. Royal^vo. is.net.

A Short Way out of Materialism

By HUBERT HANDLEY, M.A.,

Vicar of St. Thomas's, Camden Town.

A brief essay useful for clergy or others to give to seekers after truth
troubled by Materialism or to opponents vain of it.

1 I think it admirably adapted to rid men
of a crude materialism.' — The Bishop of
Manchester.

' Something more profitable. ' —
The Spectator.

' I have read it through twice, with
great approval.' — The Dean of Durham.

' Mr. Handley makes much of the relative
appearance of material things. From this
he rises to higher realities, and he sets his

readers a-thinking in a profitable way." —
The Guardian.

'A popular and exceedingly well put
statement of the relativity of human know-
ledge.'— The Glasgow Herald.

' I am sure it will arrest many thinkers
who may be on the onward course to
agnosticism.' — Rev. E. McClure (Sec.
S.P.C.K.).

Just Published. Demy 8v0. is.

Remedies for the Needless Injury

to Children involved in the present

system of School Education

An Address delivered before the Incorporated Association of Headmasters
at their Annual Meeting, held in London January I3th and I4th, 1899.

By CLEMENT DUKES, M.D. Lond., J.P., M.R.C.P., London.
Physician to Rugby School and Senior Physician to Rugby Hospital, etc.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Clariora Cariora

Or, Lights and Shades of Greek Texts, with Prayers.

By the REV. CANON. H. PERCY SMITH, M.A.,

Late Chaplain of Christ Church, Cannes.

The purpose of this book is simply devotional, not in any strict
sense, critical. It is hoped that an explanation of some words of
the Greek Testament may be helpful to English readers by
bringing out some details which a knowledge of the English alone
would not supply.

Small Fcap. 8vo. is.

The Way of Happiness

Or, The Art of being Happy and making others so.

Translated and Adapted from the French
By CATHERINE M. WELBY,

With a Preface by W. H. HUTTON, B.D.

Fellow and Tutor of S. John's College, Oxford;

Examining Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Ely.

Just Published. Second Edition. Demy 8vo. is.

Reflections on the Course from the Goal

An Essay on Life, its Character and Aspirations.
By LORD NORTON.

' We think this one of the ablest and best
little books of the year.'— Church Bells.

' Lord Norton makes a specially useful
contribution to the current of lay thought.1
— Spectator.

' Any one reading this book in a right
spirit will certainly get from it an edifying

iper in which
the solemn possibilities of each human life

iple of the spirit and tem
,olemn possibilities of eac

ou

ight to be regarded.' — Guardian.

' The book is studded with many a rich
gem of thought, and should be read by all
for whom religion is a reality of life.' —
Aberdeen Journal.

Crown 8vo. 2s.

God and Prayer

By BOYD VINCENT,

Bishop-Coadjutor of Southern Ohio.

CONTENTS. — Introduction, dealing with the Difficulties connected with
Prayer — How can God hear Prayer? — How can God answer Prayer? —
Prayers, Why not Answered ?

London: 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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The Early History of the Hebrews

By the REV. A. H. SAYCE,

Professor of Assyriology at Oxford ;
Author of ' The Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos. '

CONTENTS— The Hebrew Patriarchs— The Composition of the
Pentateuch— The Exodus out of Egypt— The Conquest of Canaan
— The Age of the Judges — The Establishment of the Monarchy
— Index.

which Professor Sayce marshals his facts
and draws his conclusions makes the book
of great value to students.' —
Western Morning News.

' In this extremely interesting volume
Professor Sayce has done the Church a
service by writing the early history of the
Hebrews from a purely archaeological
point of view. ... In its own line it is
unique and indispensable." — Church Bells.

'Mr. Sayce has placed Bible students
under a deep obligation in this masterly
work, with its keen arguments and its
abundance of facts.'—
Birmingham Daily Gazette.

1 The work is of extreme importance and
value to the intelligent student of the Old
Testament record.' —
Asiatic Quarterly Review.

' We leave his book with the hope that
he may have done something to check the
spirit of too hasty acceptance of the new
critical assertions which seems to be
abroad, and with the expectation that he
will do yet more in the same direction.' —
Church Quarterly Review.

'A fascinating book.' — Standard.

1 Is charged with mental stimulus on
every page.' — Expository Times.

' Every page of the book reveals the
scholar, and the fascinating manner in

Second Edition. Crown 8v0. *js. 6d.

The Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos

By the REV. A. H. SAYCE,
Professor of Assyriology at Oxford.

CONTENTS. — The Patriarchal Age— The Age of Moses— The Exodus
— The Hebrew Settlement in Canaan— The Age of the Israelitish
Monarchies— The Age of the Ptolemies— Herodotos in Egypt — In the
Steps of Herodotos — Memphis and the Fayyum— Appendices— Index.

' Professor Sayce has written a charm- ' On the whole, we know of no more

ing work, which every lover of Egypt will useful handbook to Egyptian history,

fly to.' — Church Bells. summing up in a popular form in a short

1 Professor Sayce has a story of singular compass the results of Egyptian research

fascination to tell.' — Yorkshire Post. down to the present time.' — Church Times.

London: 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Oxford Church Text Books

General Editor, The REV. LEIGHTON PULLAN, M.A.,

Fellow of St. John's College, and Lecturer in Theology

at St. John's, Oriel, and Queen's Colleges, Oxford.

A Comprehensive Series of Cheap and Scholarly Manuals deal-
ing with the more important branches of Religious Knowledge.

It is felt that there is a decided need for such manuals for the
use of students of Theology, candidates for Ordination, higher
classes in Schools, and for Church Guilds. The Manuals will be
written in full sympathy with definite Anglican doctrine, and thus,
it is hoped, will meet a widely-felt and expressed want.

The Series will include books on Biblical, Doctrinal, Liturgical,
and Historical subjects. Attention will be devoted to Scottish
ecclesiastical history, as well as English, so that members both
of the Church of England and of the Episcopal Church of
Scotland will be provided with manuals written in accordance
with their own convictions.

The Hebrew Prophets.

The Rev. R. L. OTTLEY. M.A., Rector of Winterbourne Bassett ;
formerly Principal of Pusey House, and Dean of Divinity of
Magdalen College, Oxford. {Published.

Outlines of Old Testament Theology.

The Rev. C. F. BURNEY, M.A., Lecturer in Hebrew at and Librarian
of St. John's College, Oxford, Denyer and Johnson Scholar, 1893.

[In June.
Old Testament History.

W. C. ROBERTS, B.A., St. John's College, Oxford, Deyner and John
son Scholar, 1898. [In preparation.

An Introduction to the New Testament.

The Rev. W. C. ALLEN, M.A., Fellow, Lecturer and Librarian of
Exeter College, Oxford. [In preparation.

The Text of the New Testament.

The Rev. K. LAKE, M.A., Lincoln College, Oxford. [In preparation.

The Teaching- of St. Paul.

The Rev. E. W. M. O. DE LA HEY, M.A., Tutor of Keble College,
Oxford. [In preparation.

Evidences of Christianity.

The Rev. LOXSDALE RAGG, M.A., Warden of the Bishop's Hostel,
Lincoln, and Vice-Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral.

[In preparation.

London: 34 King: Street, Covent Garden.

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Early Christian Doctrine.

The GENERAL EDITOR. [Just published.

The Apostles' Creed.

The Rev. H. F. D. MACKAY, M.A., Merton College, and Pusey
House, Oxford. [In preparation.

Medieval Church Missions.

C. R. BEAZLEY, M.A., Fellow of Merton College, Oxford.

[In preparation .
A History of the Church to 325.

The Rev. H. N. BATE, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.

[In preparation.
A Church History of Great Britain.

The Rev. W. H. HUTTON, B.D., Fellow, Tutor, Precentor and
Librarian of St. John's College, Oxford. [In July.

The Reformation on the Continent.

The Rev. B. J. KIDD, B.D., Keble College, Tutor of Non-Collegiate
Students, Oxford. [In preparation.

The Reformation in Great Britain.

H. O. WAKEMAN, M.A., Fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford.

[In preparation.
A Comparative History of Religions.

The GENERAL EDITOR. [In preparation.

The Prayer Book.

The Rev. J. H. MAUDE, M.A., Fellow, Dean and Lecturer of Hert-
ford College, Oxford. [In June.

The Articles of the Church of England. In Two Volumes.

Vol. I. — History and Explanation of Articles i.-viii. [Just published.
Vol. II. — Explanation of Articles ix.-xxxix. [In the press.

The Rev. B. J. KIDD, B.D., Keble College, Oxford.

A History of the Rites of the Church.

The Rev. F. E. BRIGHTMAN, M.A., Pusey House, Oxford.

[In preparation.
Instructions in Christian Doctrine.

The Rev. V. S. S. COLES, M.A., Balliol College, Principal of Pusey
House, Oxford. [In preparation.

A Manual for Confirmation.

The Rev. T. FIELD, M. A., Warden of Radley College.

[In preparation,
Holy Communion.

The Rev. B. W. RANDOLPH, M.A., Principal of Ely Theological
College, and Hon. Canon of Ely Cathedral.

[In preparation.

The Future State.

The Rev. S. C. GAYFORD, M.A., Vice-Principal of Cuddesdon College.

[In preparation.

London: 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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The Christian's Manual

Containing the chief things which a Christian
ought to Know, Believe, and Do to his Soul's Health.

By the REV. W. H. H. JERVOIS, M.A.,
Vicar of St. Mary Magdalene's, Munster Square.

With a Preface by the Right Rev. C. C. GRAFTON, D.D.,
Bishop of Fond-du-Lac.

This book is intended to be a Complete Manual of private and public
Devotion, following, in the public services, the order of ' The Book of
Common Prayer,' so that a lay Churchman will have here, in small
compass, all he needs both for his private and public approaches to God.
Each section is begun by a short, plain instruction, in order to make
devotion as intelligent as possible.

CONTENTS. — Daily Prayers — Acts of Faith, Hope, etc. — Bible Reading
— Public Worship — The Creeds — Almsgiving — Fasting — Grace — Faith —
Sin — Forgiveness of Sin — Repentance — Communion — The Sacraments —
Baptism — The Catechism — Confirmation — Matrimony — Visitation of the
Sick — Communion of the Sick — Spiritual Communion — Commendation of
a Departing Soul — Burial of the Dead — Churching of Women— Commina-
tion Service— Ordination Services — Feasts and Fasts of the Church—
Rules to Keep— The Psalter.

c Mr. Jervois has succeeded in his task Jervois's method, offers a substitute for

of providing a Manual which answers to formal meditation which is likely to be

all the needs of average Christians, and useful to a great number of people. The

the man or woman who translates its private prayers for morning and evening

teaching into life will glorify God and pro- supply the very best short form we have

mote righteousness among men. With- met with.' — Guardian.

out hesitation we recommend this as a
valuable gift-book to lads about to be
confirmed ; they will not readily forsake
it for any other guide to holy living. The
get-up of the book is excellent." —
Church Times.

1 This is the most complete book of the
kind that has been published. . . . There

' As a compani.on to the Prayer Book
and a Manual of practical religion, the
book would make an admirable gift to a
young Churchman or Churchwoman.' —
Scottish Guardian.

' There is plenty of room for the Manual
before us ; the special feature is that it
makes the Book of Common Prayer the

is also a specially excellent instruction on j centre round which it groups special private
Bible reading, which, when done on Mr. I devotions.'— School Guardian.

London: 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Fifth Edition. Crown Svo. 7s. 6d.

An Introduction to the History
of the Church of England

From the Earliest Times to the Present Day

By H. O. WAKEMAN, M.A.,

Fellow of All Souls' College, and Tutor of Keble College, Oxford.

Author of ' The Ascendancy of France '

(Periods of European History).

'Mr. Wakeman's book is not only
scholarly and thoughtful, but is also
written so easily and clearly that it will
be read with interest by the large class of
general readers who are interested in its
subject. It is the first book which has
succeeded in presenting the history of the
Church of England in a clear and intel-
ligible form. ' — The Bishop of London.

'Will at once and satisfactorily fill up
a long-felt void.'— The Eev. Canon Bright,
Christ Church, Oxford.

I Mr. Wakeman's ' History of the
English Church' was the book that we
wanted. No Churchman of average
education has now any excuse for ignor-
ance of the history of his Church ; nor
any school master or mistress for omitting
to teach it to their boys and girls.' —

The Rev. Canon Gore, Westminster.

'I find it a fascinating book, marked
by fairness of mind and a just sense of
proportion.' — The Rev. W. 0. Burrows,
Principal of the Clergy School, Leeds.

'I fully recognise the value of Mr.
Wakeman's work.'— The Bishop of Lichfleld.

I 1 shall be happy to recommend it to
my classes. . . . I cannot speak too highly
of this work,'— The Rev. E. Elmer Harding,
Principal of St. Aidan's College, Birkenhead.

' I think Mr. Wakeman's work is excel-
lently done, and I am quite sure the book
will be found most useful by theological
students. I shall mention it wherever I
can.' — The Rev. Dr. Maclear, Warden of
8. Augustine's College, Canterbury.

1 It is just what was wanted. ... —
The Rev. H. L. Thompson, Vicar of St. Mary's,
Oxford.

' Will have much pleasure in making it
known. — The Rev. Canon Worlledge, Truro.

' I have recommended it as a text-book
to the students of this college.' —
The Rev. J. 8. Teulon, Principal of the
Theological College, Chichester.

' It does not often fall to the reviewer's
lot to be able to give such unreserved
praise as can be given to this most charm-
ing book.' — Guardian.

'Mr. Wakeman lays particular stress
upon the most critical periods, and treats
them with great ability.' — Times.

' Will succeed not only in satisfying a
great and admitted want, but will also
occupy a foremost place as an accredited
text-book.'— Church Times.

' It is written in a broader spirit than
the ordinary manuals of Church history,
and should prove attractive as well as
instructive to students of its subject.'
— Scotsman.

London: 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

A2

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The Teaching of the Russian Church,

Particularly on those Questions in which its Teaching

differs from that of the Western Church, and on which

controversy and discussion have been raised.

By ARTHUR C. HEADLAM, B.D.,
Rector of Welwyn, Herts.

Published for the Eastern Church Association.
Crown 8vo. JS. 6d.

Russia and the English Church
during the last Fifty Years

Volume I., Containing a Correspondence between Mr. William
Palmer, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and M. Khomiakoff,
in the years 1844-1854.

Edited by \V. J. BIRKBECK, M.A., F.S.A.,
Magdalen College, Oxford.

Published for the Eastern Church Association.
Crown 8vo. 8s. 6d.

East Syrian Daily Offices

Translated from the Syriac, with Introduction,

Notes and Indices,
And an Appendix containing the Lectionary and Glossary

By ARTHUR JOHN MACLEAN, M.A.,
Dean of Argyll and the Isles,

Joint- Author of ' The Catholicos of the East and his People.'
Published for the Eastern Church Association.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Thoughts on the Hopes and Duties of
Churchmen under Present Circumstances

Being the Substance of an Address
to the Rochester Diocesan Conference, 1898.

By the RIGHT REV. E. S. TALBOT, D.D.,
Lord Bishop of Rochester.

Demy %vo. ^d.

The Trusteeship of Life for the World

A Sermon preached in St. Paul's Cathedral,
on the Occasion of the iQyth Anniversary of the Society

for the Propagation of the Gospel.
By the RIGHT REV. E. S. TALBOT, D.D.,
Lord Bishop of Rochester.

Crown 8vo. $s.

Sermons Preached in the Parish Church
of Leeds 1889-1895

By the RIGHT REV. E. S. TALBOT, D.D.,
Lord Bishop of Rochester.

'They are sermons apart, sermons which I 'These are plain sermons, admirably
take the hearer or the reader up to a table- representing both the doctrinal and ethical

land of thought where the air is keen and
pure.' — Church Times.

principles which the Church of England
would see followed by her children.'—

Yorkshire Post.
Second Impression. Crown 8vo. is. 6d.

Some Titles and Aspects of the Eucharist

By the RIGHT REV. E. S. TALBOT, D.D.,
Lord Bishop of Rochester.

'The work deserves a wide circulation.' — Church Bella
' Models of teaching.' — Church Times

London: 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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The Mystery of the Cross

Being Eight Addresses on the Atonement

By the REV. W. O. BURROWS, M.A.
Principal of the Clergy School, Leeds.

Such sermons as the eight in this
volume are rare indeed. . . . The whole
volume deserves, and will repay, close

study, and priest or layman who masters
it will find his theology enriched and his
devotion quickened by it.' — Church Times.

Second and Cheaper Edition. Crown 8vo. 3*. 6d.

From Advent to Advent

Sermons preached at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall.
By the late AUBREY L. MOORE, M.A.

With a new Preface by the REV. WALTER LOCK, D.D.,
Warden of Keble College, Oxford.

•

Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 3*. 6d.

Some Aspects of Sin

Three Courses of Sermons.
By the late AUBREY L. MOORE, M.A

Crown Svc. %s. 6d.

The Message of the Gospel

Addresses to Candidates for Ordination,

and Sermons preached chiefly before the University of Oxford.

By the late AUBREY L. MOORE, M.A.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Holy Matrimony

A Treatise on the Divine Laws of Marriage.

By OSCAR D. WATKINS, M.A.

Archdeacon of Lucknow.

Crown 8vo. $s.

Outlines for Meditations upon the King's
Highway of the Holy Cross

By One who would Fain Tread in It.

With a Preface by the VERY REV. H. B. BROMBY,
Vicar of All Saints', Clifton ; sometime Dean of Hobart, Tasmania.

Crown 8v0. $s.

The Power of an Endless Life

And Other Sermons

By DAVID WRIGHT, M.A.,
Late Vicar of Stoke Bishop, Bristol.

With a Preface by the REV. CANON AINGER, M.A., LL.D.,
Master of the Temple.

Demy 8vo. 12s.

A New Natural Theology

Based upon the Doctrine of Evolution.

By the REV. J. MORRIS, M.A.,

Vicar of Westoe, South Shields.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Second Edition. Royal ^mo. One Vol. 2s.

Or in 2 vols. (the * h 'ours ' and ' Mirror ' separately'). 2s. 6d.

[Copies may also be had in sheets, complete, is. 6d.]

The Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary

According to the Sarum Breviary, together with
a brief Commentary from ' The Mirror of our Lady.'

Just Published. Royal 32/7/0. 2s. 6d. , or in leather, 3 s. 6d.
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The Little Book of Death and Rest Eternal

Containing the Office of the Dead, with the Commendation of Souls,
according to the Sarum Breviary, Manchester al Mondo, or a Contempla-
tion of Death and Immortality, and the Contakion for the Departed, as
sung in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, by Her Majesty's special command.

This book contains the old English Office of the Dead, the celebrated
treatise of Henry Montagu, Earl of Manchester, on Death and Immortality
(first printed in 1631, and deservedly reckoned as one of the choicest
monuments of Anglican piety) and the Contakion, or Anthem from the
Russian Office for the Departed, with its proper musical setting, as sung
in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The little volume has been specially
designed to serve as a memorial-book for departed friends. It contains a
Kalendar with blank pages for entering obits, and a form with spaces for
filling in name, date, and place of burial is supplied for pasting inside the
cover when it is desired to distribute copies amongst mourners at a funeral.
No expense has been spared in the production of the book. The Office
of the Dead is printed in red and black, and a copy of an old engraving is
inserted as a frontispiece.

Royal Quarto. £2, 2s. net, in sheets only.

An Altar Book

Containing the Order for the Administration of the Holy Communion,
according to the Book of Common Prayer, together with additional matter
translated from the English Missals of the earlier part of the Sixteenth
Century. Edited by A COMMITTEE OF PRIESTS.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Gardeo.

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Why we are Churchmen

Seven Plain Reasons.

By A. L, OLDHAM, M.A., Prebendary of Hereford,
Rector of St. Leonard's, Bridgnorth, and Rural Dean.
With a Preface by EDGAR C. S. GIBSON, M.A.,
Vicar of Leeds.

' Seven plain reasons why we are Church-
men form the divisions of the subject. ...
The skill and charity with which these
reasons are worked out is highly laudable.
There is no false charity, for issues are
very clearly stated, but there are the good
temper and patience on every page which
conies from the conscious strength of a
righteous cause.' — Guardian.

' We must place the work by Mr. Old-
ham amongst the very best of the many
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manly, Christian spirit. . . . We suggest
that it might be given as a prize in many
of our schools.' — Church Bells.

' The whole book is a valuable manual of
the subject, fit to lend to weak or faltering
Churchmen or to inquiring Dissenters. It
gives a full reply to all the ordinary
questions a parish priest may find from
enquirers.' — Church Review.

' We can heartily recommend the book.'
National Church.

Small Fcap. Svo. 35. 6d.

Daily Footsteps in the Church's Path

Being Daily Readings in Prose and Verse

arranged in the Order of the Church's Year,

from Advent to All Saints' Day.

Compiled by E. L. B. C., and M. B.

With a Preface by the REV. THOMAS B. DOVER, M.A.,
Vicar of Old Maiden, Surrey.

'This is an excellent example of its
class, and contains some features not
commonly found in similar books.' —
Guardian.

' The selections are wisely chosen from
a wide and varied set of writers, and

afford good and wholesome food for daily
thought.'— Church Bell*.

'An attractive manual of devotional
reading, which will be all the more wel-
come to many because it is introduced by
a preface from the pen of the Rev. Thomas
B. Dover.' — Scotsman.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

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Second Edition. Crown 8vo.- is.net.

The Prayer Book

Notes and Questions intended to help towards its teaching

in Middle Forms of Public Schools.

By E. C. WICKHAM, D.D.,

Dean of Lincoln.

Third Edition. Crown Svo. is.net.

The Church Catechism

Notes and Questions intended to help towards its teaching

in Middle Forms of Public Schools.

By E. C. WICKHAM, D.D.,

Dean of Lincoln.

Third Edition. Crown Svo. 2s. 6d.

A Continuous Narrative of
The Life of Christ

In the Words of the Four Gospels.

With Maps, Introduction, and Notes, arranged by

The REV. A. E. HILLARD, M.A.,

Assistant Master at Clifton College.

' A vade mecum for any one wishing to
gain a connected "and practical knowledge
of the life and work of Christ, and the
social and other conditions under which
He lived. The introduction, or rather
introductions, are models of clear and
concise exposition, and quite reliable.
The system of indices is so perfect as to
render everything in the book available
with the smallest expenditure of time and

patience. Just the right notes are given at
the foot of the pages.' — Aberdeen Journal.

' It should serve its purpose admirably.
. . . The whole work is done in a scholarly
fashion, and has the farther merit of being
moderate both in size and price. Teachers
and others will probably find it more help-
ful than many elaborate commentaries.' —
Glasgow Herald.

London : 34 King Street, Covent Garden.

RECENT P UBL1CA TIONS 1 7

Crown Svo. is. 6d. each.

The Books of the Bible

[Rivington's Edition.]
With Introduction, Notes, Maps, and Plans.

General Editor— The REV. A. E. HILLARD, M.A.,
Assistant Master at Clifton College.

The Book of Genesis. By the Rev. A. E. HILLARD, M. A.

[In preparation.
The Book of Joshua. By the Rev. F. W. SPURLING, M.A.,

Keble College, Oxford. [In preparation.

The Book of Judges. By the Rev. H. F. STEWART, M.A.,

Vice-Principal of Theological College, Salisbury. [Just published.
The Book of Ruth and the First Book of Samuel.

By the Rev. P. W. H. KETTLE WELL, M.A., Assistant Master at

Clifton College. [Already ptiblished.

The Second Book of Samuel. By the Rev. LONSDALE RAGG, M.A.,

Warden of the Bishop's Hostel, Lincoln. [Already published.

The First Book of Kings. By the Rev. W. O. BURROWS, M.A.,

Principal of the Clergy School, Leeds. [Already published.

The Second Book of Kings. By the Rev. W. O. BURROWS, M.A.

[Already published.
The Books of Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, and Daniel, I. -VI.

In One Volume. By the Rev. P. W. H. KETTLEWELL, M.A.

[In preparation.

The Book of Amos. By the Rev. W. O. BURROWS, M.A. [Just published.
St. Matthew's Gospel. By the Rev. A. E. HILLARD, M.A. ^j
St Mark's Gospel. By the Rev. A. E. HILLARD, M.A. I
St. Luke's Gospel. By the Rev. A. E. HILLARD, M.A. J

The Acts of the Apostles. By C. H. SPENCE, M.A.,

Assistant Master at Clifton College. [In preparation.

1 We warmly welcome this first instal-
ment of a series that promises to afford
much help to teachers in what is per-
haps the most difficult, as well as certainly
the most honourable, part of their work.'
— Journal of Education.

' It is difficult, indeed, to conceive that
anything better could be provided for the
purpose.'— Glasgow Herald.

' If the series is kept up to the level of the
first specimen, it will do much to promote
the intelligent and really reverent studyof
the New Testament.' — Schoolmaster.

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