Part 1

A HISTORY OF ENGLAND

_CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY_

1689-1837

_A HISTORY OF ENGLAND._

_By the_ Rev. J. FRANCK BRIGHT, M.A., _Fellow of University College, and Historical Lecturer in Balliol, New, and University Colleges, Oxford; late Master of the Modern School in Marlborough College_.

With numerous Maps and Plans. _New Editions._ Crown 8vo.

This work is divided into three Periods of convenient and handy size, especially adapted for use in Schools, as well as for Students reading special portions of History for local and other Examinations.

Period I.--MEDIÆVAL MONARCHY: The Departure of the Romans, to Richard III. From A.D. 449 to A.D. 1485. 4_s._ 6_d._

Period II.--PERSONAL MONARCHY: Henry VII. to James II. From A.D. 1485 to A.D. 1688. 5_s._

Period III.--CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY: William and Mary to the Present Time. From A.D. 1689 to A.D. 1837. 7_s._ 6_d._

[_All rights reserved._]

A

HISTORY OF ENGLAND

BY THE REV.

J. FRANCK BRIGHT, M.A.

FELLOW OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, AND HISTORICAL LECTURER IN BALLIOL, NEW, AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES, OXFORD; LATE MASTER OF THE MODERN SCHOOL IN MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE

_PERIOD III._

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

William and Mary to William IV.

1689-1837

With Maps and Plans

RIVINGTONS _WATERLOO PLACE, LONDON_ Oxford and Cambridge MDCCCLXXX

[_Third Edition_]

A LIST OF SOME USEFUL AUTHORITIES.

GENERAL HISTORIES.

Macaulay's _History of England_, 1600-1702. Macaulay's _Essays_. Mahon's _History of England_, 1713-1783. Massey's _History of England_, 1745-1802. Martineau's _History of the Peace_, 1800-1848. Erskine May's _Constitutional History_, 1760-1860. Ralph's _History of England_, 1689-1727. Pauli's _Geschichte Englands_, from 1814.

BOOKS OF GENERAL REFERENCE.

Cobbett's _Parliamentary History_, to 1803. Hansard's _Debates_, from 1803. _The Monthly Mercury_, from 1690. _The Annual Register_, from 1758. _State Tracts._ Anderson's _History of Commerce_. Maculloch's _Commercial Dictionary_. Eden's _State of the Poor_. Howell's _State Trials_. Macpherson's _State Papers_, 1688-1714. Hardwicke's _State Papers_, to 1727.

FOREIGN HISTORIES.

_Documens inédits sur l'Histoire de France_ (for the Spanish succession). Sismondi or Martin's _Histoire de France_, to 1789. Von Sybel's _French Revolution_. Lanfrey's _Histoire de Napoleon_. Ranke's _History of Prussia_. Bancroft's _History of the United States_. Mill's _History of India_. Grant Duff's _History of the Mahrattas_. The _Despatches_ of Wellesley and Cornwallis. Froude's _The English in Ireland_, to 1800.

WILLIAM III.

Burnet's _History of his Own Time_, 1660-1713. Kennett's _History of England_, vol. iii. Defoe's Works are instructive as to the state of England at this time.

ANNE.

Stanhope's _Reign of Queen Anne_. Coxe's _Life of Marlborough_. Marlborough's _Letters and Despatches_, 1702-1712. _Bolingbroke's Correspondence._ _Life of Sacheverel._

GEORGE I.

Swift's _Drapier's Letters_, etc. _The Stuart Papers_, edited by Glover. Coxe's _Life of Walpole_. Boyer's _Political State of Great Britain_.

GEORGE II.

Hervey's _Memoirs of the Reign of George II._, 1727-1742. Horace Walpole's _Memoirs of the Reign of George II._, 1751-1760. Doddington's _Diary_, 1749-1761. Waldegrave's _Memoirs_, 1754-1758. Southey's _Life of Wesley_. Philip's _Life and Times of Whitfield_. Johnstone's _Memoirs of the Rebellion of 1745_.

GEORGE III.

Horace Walpole's _Memoirs of the Reign of George III._, 1760-1771. _The Letters of Junius._ _The Grenville Papers._ _The Bedford Correspondence._ Buckingham's _Memoirs of the Court and Cabinet of George III._ Russell's _Life of Fox_. Thackeray's _Life of Chatham_. Stanhope's _Life of Pitt_. Wilberforce's _Life_. Malmesbury's _Diary and Correspondence_. _The Cornwallis Correspondence, 1770-1805._ Napier's _Peninsula War_. _Life of Bamford the Radical._ Lord Dudley's _Letters_, 1814-1823. Bell and Stapleton's _Lives of Canning_.

It is not, however, necessary to give a detailed list of authorities, which would be little more than a catalogue of the lives, letters, and memoirs of most of the important men of the time. Of these the number is constantly being augmented, and it is from them and the contemporary tracts, monographs, pamphlets, and fugitive writings that the details of the History must be drawn.

CONTENTS.

WILLIAM AND MARY. 1689-1702.

PAGE

1689 The Declaration of Right, 806 =Character of the Revolution=, 806 Personal unpopularity of William, 807 Discontent of the clergy and the army, 807 The Convention turned into a Parliament, 808 William's difficulties in forming a ministry, 808 Settlement of the revenue, 810 Settlement of the Church, 810 Oaths of allegiance and supremacy, 811 =The European war breaks out=, 811 Devastation of the Palatinate, 812 =State of Ireland=, 812 Panic among the Englishry, 813 Londonderry and Enniskillen garrisoned, 813 Negotiations with Tyrconnel, 813 James goes to Ireland, 814 Character of the Irish Jacobites, 814 Siege of Londonderry, 815 Wild legislation of the Irish Parliament, 815 Its effect on the English Jacobites, 816 Battle of Newton Butler, 816 =Character of the Revolution in Scotland=, 817 Contrast of the letters from James and William, 818 Highland politics, 819 Dundee in the Highlands, 820 =Battle of Killiecrankie=, 820 Mackay concludes the war, 821 Factions of the English Parliament, 821 =William threatens to leave England=, 824

1690 =William dissolves Parliament, and undertakes the Irish war=, 824 Tory reaction in the new Parliament, 824 Cause of the venality of Parliament, 824 Settlement of the revenue, 825 The Act of Grace, 825 Discovery of a Jacobite plot, 825 =Battle of Beachy Head=, 826 =Battle of the Boyne=, 827 James's flight from Ireland, 828 Siege of Limerick, 828 William returns to England, 828

1691 Siege of Athlone, 829 =Battle of Aghrim=, 830 Second siege of Limerick, 830 =End of the Irish war=, 830 The Revolution completed in Scotland, 830 Jacobite plots in England, 831 =William's successful policy abroad=, 831 =First crisis of the war over=, 832 James's hopes upheld by the treason of the ministry, 832

1692 Marlborough, suspected of treason, deprived of his offices, 833 The Queen's quarrel with her sister, 834 Massacre of Glencoe, 834 =Threatened invasion of England=, 836 =Battle of La Hogue=, 837 =Second crisis of the war over=, 838 Fall of Namur, 838 Battle of Steinkirk, 838 The discontent of Parliament, 839

1693 Montague's financial measures, 839 Disastrous campaign, 840 Battle of Landen, 841 Loss of the Smyrna fleet, 841 =Factions in Parliament necessitate the gradual formation of a united Whig ministry=, 842

1694 Establishment of the Bank of England, 843 The Triennial Act passed, 844 Death of Queen Mary, 844

1695 Expulsion of Trevor and Caermarthen for venality, 845

1694 =Success abroad=, 846 Treachery of Marlborough at Brest, 846

1695 Campaign in Flanders, 847 Surrender of Namur, 848 =William's triumphant return=, 848 =New Whig Parliament=, 848

1696 Re-establishment of the currency, 848 William's want of money, 851 Failure of the Land Bank scheme, 851 The Bank of England supplies the money, 852 The credit of England restored, 853 The Assassination plot, 853 Trial of Sir John Fenwick, 855

1697 =Complete triumph of the Whigs=, 856 =Treaty of Ryswick=, 858 The Parliament reduces the standing army, 859

1698 Coalition of the rival East India Companies, 861 William's attention directed to the Spanish succession, 862 =First Partition Treaty=, 863 =The Country Party in the new Parliament=, 864

1699 William's grief at the dismissal of the Dutch guards, 864 Rivalry between the two Houses, 865 The Darien scheme, 865 Question of Irish forfeitures, 868

1700 The Resumption Bill passed, 868 =Second Partition Treaty=, 869 Unpopularity of William and the ministry, 870 =New Tory ministry=, 870

1701 New Parliament, 870 The Succession Act, 871 Impeachments against the Whigs, 871 The Kentish Petition, 872 The Legion Memorial, 872 The Grand Alliance, 873 Death of James II., 873 Louis rouses English patriotism by acknowledging the Pretender, 873

1702 New Parliament and changes in the ministry, 874 =Death of William=, 874

ANNE. 1702-1714.

=Marlborough's power=, 875 Work of the first Parliament, 876 Tory ministry, 876 =Beginning of the war=, 877 Marlborough's first campaign, 878 Position of Holland, 878

1703 Savoy and Portugal join the coalition, 880

1704 Critical position of Austria, 882 =Battle of Blenheim=, 885 Progress of the war in Spain, the Cevennes, and Italy, 887

1705 Failure of Marlborough's plans, 888 Peterborough's success in Spain, 889

1706 =Battle of Ramillies=, 892 Results of the victory, 893 French disasters make Louis desire peace, 894 Marlborough rejects his terms, 894

1707 The tide of victory turns, 895

1708 Threatened invasion of Scotland, 896 =Battle of Oudenarde=, 898 Siege of Lille, 900 Capture of Port Mahon, 901

1709 Louis offers to negotiate, 902 He rejects the high demands of the allies, 903 =Battle of Malplaquet=, 903

1702 =Summary of political parties=, 905 =Marlborough seeks the support of all parties for the war=, 905 Tory Parliament, 906

1703 Dismissal of Rochester, 906 Occasional Conformity Bill rejected, 906 The Methuen Treaty, 907

1704 Disputes on the Aylesbury election, 908 Dismissal of Nottingham, Jersey, and Seymour, 908

1705 =Gradual introduction of Whig ministers=, 910

1707 Weakness of the composite ministry, 911 Harley's intrigues against Marlborough, 911

1708 Harley and his colleagues resign, 912 =A Whig ministry=, 913

1709 Insecurity of Marlborough's position, 913

1710 =Fall of the Whigs=, 914 Dr. Sacheverell's sermons, 914 Dismissal of Sunderland and Godolphin, 914 =Harley's Tory ministry=, 915 Conference at Gertruydenberg, 915 The war in Spain, 915 Harley's policy, 916

1711 Peace negotiations, 917 Attack on Marlborough in Parliament, 919

1712 Ormond given command of the army, 920

1713 =Peace of Utrecht=, 921 Conduct of Harley and Bolingbroke on the succession question, 922

1714 New Tory Parliament, 922 Jacobite intrigues, 923 The Queen's death, 924

1702 Lengthened negotiations for the Union of England and Scotland, 924

1707 =The Union completed=, 928

GEORGE I. 1714-1727.

1714 Probability of a restoration of the Stuarts, 929 Council of Regency, 930 =Peaceful accession of the King=, 930 New Whig ministry, 931 =The Hanoverian succession a Whig triumph=, 931 Riots in the country, 931

1715 Impeachment of the late ministers, 932 =The Jacobite rebellion=, 932 Disaffection in Scotland, 933 Failure of the Jacobite hopes of French help, 933 Mar organizes the insurrection in Scotland, 934 Vigorous measures of the Government, 935 Mar's success in the Highlands, 935 Forster defeated at Preston, 936 Mar defeated at Sheriffmuir, 937

1716 The Pretender arrives, but shortly withdraws again, 937 Punishment of the rebels, 938 =The Septennial Act=, 938 =First signs of the disruption of the ministry=, 940 George goes to Hanover with Stanhope, 940 Negotiations with France, 940 Hanover threatened by Charles XII., 941 =Dismissal of Townshend=, 942

1717 =The Triple Alliance=, 942 =Stanhope's ministry=, 942 =Threatening state of Europe=, 942 Danger to England from Charles XII., 943 And from Alberoni, 944

1718 =The Quadruple Alliance=, 945

1719 Fall of Alberoni, 946

1720 European peace, 946

1717 =Stanhope's home policy=, 946 Constant opposition of Walpole, 946 Trial of Oxford, 947

1719 Repeal of the Schism Act, 947 Rejection of the Peerage Bill, 947

1720 Strength of the ministry. Walpole joins it, 948 =The South Sea Bubble=, 949

1711 Formation of the South Sea Company, 950

1720 The South Sea Scheme, 950 Competition of other companies, 951 The rage for stock-jobbing, 952 Bursting of the bubble, 953

1721 Punishment of the directors, 953 =Supremacy of Walpole=, 953 Revival of Jacobite hopes, 954

1722 =Bishop Atterbury's plot=, 954

1723 Quarrel between Carteret and Walpole, 956

1724 Excitement in Ireland, 957

1725 Disturbances in Scotland, 957 =Spanish difficulties=, 958 Intrigues of Ripperda, 959 Treaty of Vienna, 960 The secret treaty, 960

1726 The Treaty of Hanover, 961 Excitement of Europe, 961

1727 =Preliminaries of peace signed at Paris=, 962 Opposition to Walpole headed by Bolingbroke, 962 The King's death, 963 Review of the reign, 963 Increased importance of England abroad, 963 Private and public immorality, 963 Influence of the Hanoverian courtiers, 964

GEORGE II. 1727-1760.

=Walpole retains his position=, 966 Increase of the Civil List, 966 Influence of the Queen, 967 =Character of Walpole's ministry=, 967 Character of the Opposition, 967 Strength of the Government, 969 Depression of the Jacobites, 969 =European complications=, 970

1729 Congress at Soissons, 970 Treaty of Seville, 971 Disappointment of the Emperor, 971

1731 Second Treaty of Vienna, 971 Complete supremacy of Walpole, 972

1730 Rejection of the Pension Bill, 972

1731 =Retirement of Townshend=, 972 =Walpole's home government=, 973

1733 His financial measures, 973 His pacific foreign policy, 975

1734 Refuses to join in the new European war, 975

1738 Definitive Peace of Vienna, 976

1734 Increasing opposition to Walpole, 976 Wyndham's speech against him, 977

1735 Prince of Wales head of the Opposition, 978

1737 Quarrel of George with his son, 979 =Death of the Queen=, 980 =Walpole retains his influence with the King=, 980

1738 The Opposition attacks his pacific policy, 980 George desires war, 981

1739 Negotiations with Spain, 982 =Walpole declares war rather than resign=, 982

1740 Increased vigour of the Opposition, 983 Ill success of the war, 984

1742 =Walpole resigns=, 985 Review of Walpole's ministry, 985 =The new ministry under Wilmington=, 987

1743 =Pelham succeeds Wilmington=, 988 =The question of the Austrian succession=, 989 Ambition of Prussia, 989 Position of Maria Theresa, 990 England supports Austria, 991 The English army in Flanders, 991 =Battle of Dettingen=, 992 Effect of the victory, 994 Negotiations for peace, 994 Treaty of Worms, 995

1744 League of Frankfort, 995 Threatened invasion of England, 995 Progress of the war, 996 Changes in the ministry, 996