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tions lighted up the towns, and cockades were worn on which was inscribed, "Liberty, Property, and no Excise." In the city of London the mob hung Sir Robert Walpole and a fat woman, meant to represent the queen, in effigy.
Feeling that the government was in danger on his account, the prime minister sought the queen, and offered to surrender his office, but she would not permit him to do so. Both she and the king declared that they would not be so cowardly nor so ungrateful as to part with him at such a crisis. George had often called Walpole hard names, but under his wife's influence he had learned to love the man whom he had several times pronounced "a noble fellow" on being told what a firm stand he had made against the enemies of the government.
Walpole had to withdraw his scheme at last, although he felt sure that it would have been most beneficial to the interest of the nation; and at the next meeting of the parliament, when the question of the tax on tea came up, he declared that he would never again engage in anything that bore the least resemblance to excise. King George revenged himself by having the names of the peers who had opposed his minister read to him, and calling each in turn by some angry epithet. The love that George II. bore towards Walpole, whom he had begun his reign by thoroughly hating, is one of the best proofs of Queen Caroline's power over him; but there are many others besides.
We have seen how much enmity existed between Prince Frederick and the king. On New Year's Day there was a grand levee held at the palace, which the prince attended; not because he desired to show proper respect to his royal parents, but for the purpose of appearing in the light of an ill-used son, if, as was usually the case, the king refused to speak to him. He was not to be gratified in this particular however, for Queen Caroline had persuaded her husband to address Frederick kindly in public, and he complied! The ill-feeling remained, however, and the queen always opposed the settlement of an income on her son, whom she did not hesitate to call an extravagant, unprincipled fool. She thought him good-hearted, but weak, easily led, and obstinate. It was said of him that he was more German than English, but so was his mother, for that matter; and she was ever ready to sacrifice the interests of England to those of her native land. But Walpole was determined to preserve peace, though the king told him daily, "that it was with the sword alone he desired to keep the balance of Europe." This was while France, Spain, and Germany were at war, and George could not bear to be left out of the contest; but towards the end of the year he said: "I have followed your advice, Walpole, in keeping quiet,—contrary often to my own opinion, and sometimes, I have thought, contrary even to my honor; but I am convinced you advised me well." It must not be supposed that George II. spoke English as well as this speech makes him appear to have done, for he never lost his strong German accent as long as he lived.
When the Prince of Orange joined his army Princess Anne went to England on a visit. She was as arrogant as ever, and, like her brother Frederick, despised her father, of whom she too frequently spoke with the utmost disrespect. One evening Lord Hervey was escorting her from the drawing-room to her own apartments;—news of the surrender of Phillipsburg had just been received. The princess was speaking on this subject, and then said: Was there ever anything so unaccountable as the temper of papa? He has been snapping and snubbing every mortal for a week, because he began to think Phillipsburg would be taken; and this very day, that he actually hears it is taken, he is in as good humor as I ever saw him in my life. "To tell you the truth," she added, in French, though it was quite as disrespectful as though uttered in German, "I find that so whimsical, and (entre nous) so utterly foolish, that I am more enraged by his good than I was before by his bad humor."
"Perhaps," answered Lord Hervey, "he may be about Phillipsburg as David was about the child, who, whilst it was sick, fasted, lay upon the earth, and covered himself with ashes, but the moment it was dead, got up, shaved his beard, and drank wine."
"Well, it may be like David," said the princess, "but I am sure it is not like Solomon."