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of the very appearance of religion, and a downright spirit of profaneness. The questions now asked were not, what religion is true? or, what interpretation of Scripture is correct? but, is any religion at all true? is Scripture to be reverenced as God's word? Atheism denied the existence of a God; Deism admitted a God of nature, but not a God of Scripture; Arianism and Socinianism denied the Supreme Deity of the Saviour, the one asserting Him only to be a sort of God, the other declaring Him to be a mere man. This began to be called freethinking; and so far from being rebuked, became at length even fashionable. Such a state of things moved the pity and zeal of a few pious members of the Church, and they became the originators of the Societies to which we have alluded. Eventually what were private undertakings were adopted as the organs of the Church.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

ANNE.

Born at St. James's. Buried in Westminster Abbey. Reigned From A.D. 1702 to A.D. 1714. Archbishop of Canterbury.

12 years.

Thomas Tenison, A.D. 1694-1715.

THE Constitution of England had now in great measure assumed the form and character which it still presents. Parliaments were regularly convoked, and the maxim was gradually admitted, that as the ministers of the crown are responsible for the advice which they give to the sovereign, so the sovereign is bound to defer to their advice while they continue in office. In the choice of ministers the will of the sovereign was now greatly influenced by the preponderance in the House of Commons of either of the two parties which are still known as the Whigs and the Tories. The Tories are generally favourable to the monarchical principle in the constitution, and to the full recognition of the Church as the guardian and dispenser of the national religion. The Whigs are more disposed to distrust the executive government, and to contend for a greater regard to the will and voice of the people on the part of the rulers, both in Church and State.

Queen Anne was strongly inclined to favour the Tory party; but Lady Marlborough, by whom she was greatly influenced, was attached to the principles of the Whigs: and though the ministry was at first chosen chiefly from the Tories, it was not long before the Whigs obtained many of the principal offices. The Earls of Godolphin and Marlborough, who acted at first with the Tories, appear to have endeavoured to hold the balance between the two parties; but in the course of the war, which was declared soon after the queen's accession, they became more identified with the Whigs.

This was the war for which the late king had made preparations at the time of his death. It is called the war of the Spanish succession: but was carried on in Flanders and Germany, as well as in Spain. England acted in alliance with the other European states, in support of the Archduke Charles; while the King of France upheld the cause of his grandson Philip. The allied armies were commanded by the earl, who was soon created Duke of Marlborough ; and Prince Eugene, of the house of Savoy, was at the head of a chief division of the forces. In this war, which lasted from 1702 to 1712, the duke completely humbled the pride of France, and acquired for himself and his country a degree of military glory which has never been surpassed; unless by that success with which Divine Providence has in our own age been pleased to crown the efforts of a still greater man, the Duke of Wellington. The first battle in which Marlborough showed himself so consummate a warrior, was at Blenheim, in Germany, in 1704; and in memory of the great victory which he gained, the manor of Woodstock was settled on him and his heirs ; and a magnificent mansion, called Blenheim Palace, was built for him at the expense of the nation. The next great victory was at Ramillies, in 1706, against Marshal Villeroy; and its result was the submission of Brabant to the archduke. In 1708 the battle of Oudenarde gave the allies possession of French Flanders; and the following year was remarkable for the bloody battle of Malplaquet, and the surrender of the town of Mons. In 1711, Marlborough's last campaign opened a passage into the heart of France; and had the war been carried on, the allies would probably have become masters of Paris. Early in the war a naval

armament, under Sir George Rooke, was sent to the coasts of Spain, and the strong fortress of Gibraltar, which has ever since remained in the hands of the English, was taken. English troops distinguished themselves in Spain, under the Earl of Peterborough, a nobleman of romantic character and chivalrous courage. At the siege of Barcelona he greatly signalized himself, and all Catalonia and Valencia rose in favour of Charles; but a battle was gained over the allies at Almanza (1707) by the Duke of Berwick, which restored the cause of Philip. Charles again got the advantage over his rival at Zaragoza, in 1710, where the English troops were commanded by General Stanhope; but it had become plain that the feeling of the Spanish nation was favourable to Philip, and the succession of Charles to the imperial crown of Germany changed the views of all who were engaged in the contest.

England derived little advantage from the victories of Marlborough, beyond the renown which they conferred upon the country; and the people had become generally desirous of peace. The influence of the Duchess of Marlborough over the queen had been weakened, not only by the haughtiness of her own temper, but by the intrigues of Mrs. Masham, a lady whom she had herself introduced to Anne, and who was attached to the Tory party, at the head of which were Harley, afterwards Earl of Oxford, and St. John, afterwards Lord Bolingbroke. The feeling of the people against the Whigs was exasperated by their imprudent prosecution of one Dr. Sacheverell, for preaching in favour of unlimited obedience to the sovereign; and Anne determined to place Harley and St. John at the head of the government. A peace was concluded at Utrecht (1713) by these ministers, which was reckoned highly dishonourable to this country, as most of the objects were abandoned for which so much blood and treasure had been expended. Marlborough himself was unjustly accused of peculation, and withdrew for a time to the continent.

1

The most important domestic measure of this reign was the union of the legislatures of England and Scotland. Great

1 But peace at any sacrifice was considered a great blessing. July 7th, 1713, was appointed by Queen Anne as a day of public thanksgiving, and both Houses of Parliament made a solemn procession to St. Paul's Cathedral.

[H. s. 1.]

H

inconvenience had resulted from the government of two kingdoms so closely connected, by legislative bodies which were independent of each other; and by an act which received the royal assent, May 1, 1707, the two kingdoms were incorporated into one, to be called GREAT BRITAIN. The union was greatly opposed at the time by the Scottish nation, which is now convinced of the important advantages it has derived from this measure. Scotland retained her own laws, and her own presbyterian form of religion.

Queen Anne was always popular with her subjects; and her name is still familiarly spoken of as "good Queen Anne." She was not, indeed, possessed of shining talents, and was too much governed by female favourites in her household. But she was exemplary as a wife and mother, and was a great benefactress to the Church, to which she was sincerely attached. In particular, she did what she could to restore to the Church what had been taken from it at the time of the Reformation. Charles I. had determined upon a similar measure, and had confided his design to Sheldon, who succeeded Juxon on the throne of Canterbury; but death stopped his performance of his wish. His son could do little more than restore what the Rebellion had violently torn away: but Anne carried out successfully a measure of the following description. The firstfruits, which were originally an exaction of the Pope from every new incumbent of a benefice, had been assumed by the crown. These the queen settled on a corporation for the augmentation of small livings. The fund so raised and applied is called Queen Anne's Bounty.

The reign of Anne was one of the most brilliant periods of English literature. Milton and Dryden, indeed, belong to the latter half of the preceding century; but Pope, and Addison, and Swift, with many other writers of much note, gave lustre to the reign of Anne. Sir Isaac Newton, who had published his great work on the system of the universe in the reign of William III., did not die till 1727. The queen's last years were much embittered by the quarrels of Harley and St. John, the ministers for whom she had sacrificed the Duke of Marlborough. She died Aug. 1, 1714, in the forty-ninth year of her life, and the Elector of Hanover was proclaimed king as George I. Anne was the last sovereign of the house of Stuart.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

GEORGE I.

Born at Hanover. Buried at Hanover. Reigned 13 years. From A.D. 1714 to A.D. 1727.

Archbishop of Canterbury.

William Wake, A.D. 1715-1737.

THE new king, who was the son of the Electress Sophia, landed at Greenwich, Sept. 18, 1714. He was a stranger to the language and manners of England, and put himself into the hands of the Whig party; which seems to have enjoyed its triumph with too vindictive a temper against its political rivals. The Earl of Oxford was impeached for his share in the treaty of Utrecht, and kept in prison for about two years. He was then set at liberty, as his prosecutors found that there was not sufficient ground for the charges against him. The Lords Ormond and Bolingbroke withdrew to the continent, and were attainted. They repaired to the court of the Pretender, who was preparing an effort for the overthrow of the new government.

The standard of this prince was raised in the Highlands by the Earl of Mar, in 1715; and he was proclaimed as James III., in the north of England, by the Earl of Derwentwater and Mr. Forster; who were joined by the Scottish Lords Wintoun, Nithisdale, Carnwarth, and Kenmuir. Being reinforced by a body of Highlanders, they advanced to Preston in Lancashire, where they were attacked by the royal forces, and obliged to surrender at discretion. The very same day a battle was fought between Mar and the Duke of Argyle at Sheriff-Muir, near Dumblane in which the latter had the advantage; and the Pretender, who had landed in Scotland, found it necessary to retrace his course, and reached France in safety, with the Lords Mar, Melford, and others. Of the noblemen who surrendered at Preston, Derwentwater, Kenmuir, and Wintoun were beheaded; Nithisdale escaped in women's clothes, brought by his wife the night before the day appointed for his execution: the lives of the rest were spared.

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