France offered her mediation, and fuch a reconciliation as treaties could procure was the confequence; a temporary reconciliation enfued, both fides only watching the occafion to renew hoftilities with advantage.

It was now two years fince the king had vifited his electoral dominions of Hanover. He, A. D. therefore, foon after the breaking up of 1727 the parliament, prepared for a journey thither. Having appointed a regency in his abfence he embarked for Holland, and lay, upon his landing at a little town called Voet. Next day he proceeded on his journey, and in two days more, between ten and eleven at night, arrived at Delden, to all appearance in perfect health. He fupped there very heartily, and continued his progrefs early the next morning, but between eight and nine ordered his coach to ftop. It being perceived that one of his hands lay motionlefs, Monfieur Fabrice, who had formerly been fervant to the king of Sweden, and who now attended king George, attempted to quicken the circulation, by chafing it between his own. As this had no effect, the furgeon who followed on horseback, was called, and he also rubbed it with spirits. Soon after the king's tongue began to fwell, and he had juft ftrength enough to bid them haften to Ofnaburgh. Then falling infenfible into Fabrice's arms, he never recovered, but expired about eleven o'clock the next morning, in the fixty-eighth year of his age, and thirteenth of his reign.

Whatever was good or great in the reign of this monarch ought to be ascribed chiefly to himself; wherever he deviated he might have been mifled by a miniftry, always partial, fometimes corrupt. He was in every inftance attended with good fortune, which was partly owing to accident, and more to prudent affiduity. His fucceffes in life are

the

the strongest instance how much may be atchieved by moderate abilities, exerted with application and uniformity.

He was married to the princefs Sophia, daughter and heiress of the duke of Zell, by whom he had George II. who fucceeded him, and the queen of Pruffia, mother to Frederic, the prefent king. The king's body was conveyed to Hanover, and interred among his ancestors.

IN

N treating of tranfactions fo recent as those of the prefent reign, it is very difficult to fteer between the partialities of mankind. To praise fome, will be confidered as a tacit reproach upon others; to cease entirely from cenfure, will be conftrued into paltry adulation. We stand too near the fubject to be at liberty to declare all; and the hiftorian's own prejudices are not less against him than those prejudices which he would remove in others. In fuch a cafe, therefore, the wifeft, though not the most fatisfactory method, will be to give a flight picture of a very busy reign; rather that part of it which pofterity would with to know, than that part which might ferve to fatisfy the curiofity of contending factions.

Upon the death of George the first, his fon, George the fecond, came to the crown; a man of inferior abilities to the late king, and ftrongly biaffed with a partiality to his dominions on the continent. Upon coming to the throne, the bufinefs of government was chiefly carried on by lord Townshend, a man of extenfive knowledge, and great skill in the interefts of the different ftates of Europe,

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Europe, the duke of Newcastle, a nobleman of large connexion among the great, but rather of inferior abilities, and the earl of Chesterfield, a man of wit, infinuation, and addrefs, though rather averfe to the drudgery of bufinefs. But the chief perfon, and he who shortly after ingroffed the greatest fhare of power, was Sir Robert Walpole, whom we have already feen fo actively employd in fupporting the house of Hanover.

This gentleman had rifen from low beginnings, through two fucceffive reigns into great confideration. He was confidered as a martyr to his cause, in the reign of queen Anne; and when the Tory party could no longer opprefs him, he still preferved that hatred against them with which he fet out. Being raised in the beginning of this reign to the head of the treasury, he probably set off by endeavouring to ferve his country; but foon meeting with ftrong oppofition, his fucceeding endeayours were rather employed in keeping his fituation than in adorning it. To defend the declining prerogative of the crown, might perhaps have been the firft object of his attention; but foon after those very measures, by which he pretended to fecure it, proved the most effectual means to leffen

By corrupting the house of commons, he encreafed their riches and their power; and they were not averfe to voting away thofe millions which he permitted them fo liberally to fhare. As fuch a tendency in him naturally produced oppofition, he was poffeffed of a moft phlegmatic infenfibility to reproach, and a calm difpaffionate manner of reafoning upon fuch topics as he defired fhould be believed. His difcourfe was fluent, but without dignity; and his manner convincing from its apparent want of art.

The houfe, which was hitherto diftinguifhed into Hanoverians and Jacobites, now altered their

names

names with their principles, and the parties on either fide went by the names of the Court and the Country. Both fides had been equally active in bringing in the Hanover family, and confequently neither was much afraid of the reproach of difaffection. The court party, who were lifted under the banners of the miniftry, were for favouring all their fchemes, and for applauding all the meafures of the crown. They were taught to regard foreign alliances, and continental connexions, as conducive to internal fecurity; they confidered England as unable or unfit to be trusted in defending herself, and paid the troops of other countries for their promifes of future affiftance. Of these Sir Robert was the leader; and fuch as he could not convince by his eloquence, he undertook to buy over by places and penfions. The other fide, who went by the name of the Country party, were entirely averse to continental connexions. They complained that immenfe fums were lavished on fubfidies which could never be useful; and that alliances were bought with money from nations that fhould rather contribute to England for her protection. Thefe looked upon the frequent journies of the king to Hanover with a jealous eye, and fometimes hinted at a partiality fhewn in the royal breaft in its favour. These were joined by the high-flying Tories, who now began to perceive their own caufe defperate; and as they were leagued with men who did not fear the reproach of Jacobitifm, they gave and acquired greater confidence. As the court party generally alarmed the house of commons with imaginary dangers and concealed confpiracies; so they, on the country fide, generally declaimed against the encroachments of the crown. The complaints of neither were founded in fact, the kingdom was in no danger of invafions from

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from abroad, or from plots at home; nor was the crown, on the other hand, gaining any acceffion of power, but rather every day lofing fomewhat of its authority by infenfible diminution. The king, chiefly attentive to his foreign dominions, regarded but little his prerogative at home; and he could admit of many limitations in England, to be poffeffed of plenary power in dominions which he probably loved more.

There feem to be two objects of controversy which, during this whole reign, rose up in debate at every feffion, and tried the ftrength of the op ponents; these were the national debt, and the number of forces to be kept in pay. The government at the acceffion of the prefent king, owed more than thirty millions of money; and though there was a long continuance of profound peace, yet this fum was continually found encreafing. It was much wondered at by the country party, how this could happen, and it was as conftantly the bufinefs of the court to give plausible reafons for the encrease; and to furnish a new fubject of wonder to be debated upon the feffion enfuing. Thus demands for new fupplies were made every feffion of parliament, either for the purposes of securing friends upon the continent, of guarding the kingdom from internal confpiracies, or of enabling the miniftry to act vigorously in conjunction with the powers in alliance abroad. It was vainly alleged, that thofe expences were incurred without prefcience or neceffity, and that the encrease of the national debt, by multiplying and encreafing taxes would at laft become an intolerable burden. Thefe arguments were offered, canvaffed, and rejected; the court party was conftantly victorious, and every demand granted with chearfulness and profufion.

The