TABLE OF CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| STATE OF PARTIES AT THE QUEEN'S DEATH (1714) | [1] |
| PROCLAMATION OF GEORGE I. (1714) | [4] |
| CHARACTER AND PERSON OF GEORGE I. (1660-1727) | [5] |
| PUBLIC FEELING AS TO THE NEW DYNASTY (1714) | [6] |
| THE '15: | |
| I. THE PRETENDER'S DECLARATION | [9] |
| II. THE PROCLAMATION OF JAMES III. | [14] |
| III. FAILURE OF THE EXPEDITION EXPLAINED | [16] |
| THE SEPTENNIAL ACT (1716) | [18] |
| DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH FLEET OFF SICILY BY ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE BYNG, JULY 31, 1718 | [19] |
| THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE (1720): | |
| I. THE PROPOSALS: THE SECOND SCHEME OF THE SOUTH SEA COMPANY | [21] |
| II. THE BUBBLE BURST | [25] |
| SIR ROBERT WALPOLE AS PRIME MINISTER (1721-1741) | [27] |
| WOOD'S HALFPENCE: THE FIRST DRAPIER's LETTER (1724) | [29] |
| CHARACTER OF GEORGE II. (1683-1760) | [36] |
| THE CONDITION OF THE FLEET PRISON, AS REVEALED BY A PARLIAMENTARY ENQUIRY (1729): | |
| (a) DESCRIPTION OF THE WARDEN, THOMAS BAMBRIDGE | [38] |
| (b) HIS CRUELTY | [39] |
| (c) FINDINGS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE | [40] |
| THE EXCISE BILL (1733) | [42] |
| THE PORTEOUS RIOTS (1736) | [45] |
| LORD CHESTERFIELD'S SPEECH ON THE BILL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENSORSHIP OF STAGE PLAYS (1737) | [47] |
| DEATH OF QUEEN CAROLINE (1737): HER CHARACTER DESCRIBED BY GEORGE II. | [49] |
| THE WAR OF JENKINS' EAR (1739) | [51] |
| THE OPPOSITION SUSPECTS WALPOLE OF DOUBLE-DEALING (1739) | [53] |
| ADMIRAL VERNON'S VICTORY AT PORTOBELLO (1740): | |
| I. "ADMIRAL HOSIER'S GHOST" | [55] |
| II. "GREAT BRITAIN'S GLORY; OR, THE STAY-AT-HOME FLEET" | [58] |
| THE NEW MINISTERS (1742): | |
| I. HERVEY'S ACCOUNT OF THE MINISTRY | [58] |
| II. EPIGRAM ON THE MINISTRY | [60] |
| III. EPIGRAM ON PULTENEY'S ACCEPTANCE OF A PEERAGE | [60] |
| THE ORIGIN OF THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR (1741-1748) | [61] |
| THE '45: | |
| I. LANDING OF THE YOUNG PRETENDER; THE RAISING OF THE STANDARD; SURRENDER OF EDINBURGH | [65] |
| II. TREATMENT OF THE VANQUISHED— | |
| (a) AFTER PRESTON PANS | [74] |
| (b) AFTER CULLODEN | [76] |
| III. COLLINS'S "ODE WRITTEN IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 1746" | [79] |
| IV. AN ADVENTURE OF CHARLES EDWARD | [79] |
| TRIAL OF THE REBEL LORDS (1746) | [81] |
| TREATY OF AIX-LA-CHAPELLE (1748): | |
| I. LORD BOLINGBROKE ON THE PRELIMINARIES | [84] |
| II. THE ARTICLES OF PEACE | [86] |
| III. A CONTEMPORARY VIEW OF THE PEACE | [88] |
| LORD CHESTERFIELD'S ACT FOR THE REFORM OF THE CALENDAR (1751): | |
| I. HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE BILL | [89] |
| II. LORD CHESTERFIELD'S OWN ACCOUNT | [93] |
| SMOLLETT'S CHARACTER OF THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE | [94] |
| THE TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF ADMIRAL BYNG (1759): | |
| I. HORACE WALPOLE TO SIR HORACE MANN | [97] |
| II. THOMAS POTTER TO MR. GRENVILLE | [101] |
| THE COALITION GOVERNMENT OF 1757 | [102] |
| THE ENGLISH IN INDIA (1757-1759): | |
| I. THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA DESCRIBED BY A SURVIVOR | [103] |
| II. CLIVE TO PITT ON ENGLAND'S OPPORTUNITY | [105] |
| THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM, SEPTEMBER 13, 1759: | |
| I. THE NIGHT ATTACK | [109] |
| II. THE BATTLE | [110] |
| "THE HEAVEN-BORN MINISTER": HORACE WALPOLE's HOMAGE TO PITT: | |
| I. IN THE GREAT YEAR (1759) | [113] |
| II. CHARACTER OF WILLIAM PITT DESCRIBED IN THE LIGHT OF SUBSEQUENT HISTORY | [114] |
| DEATH OF GEORGE II. (1760) | [115] |
| APPENDIX: LONDON IN 1725-1736: | |
| (a) DEFOE'S DESCRIPTION OF LONDON IN 1725 | [117] |
| (b) PRESENTMENT OF THE MIDDLESEX GRAND JURY (1736) | [119] |
WALPOLE AND CHATHAM
1714-1760
STATE OF PARTIES AT THE QUEEN'S DEATH (1714).
Source.—Letter to Sir William Windham, Bolingbroke's Works, 1754. Vol. i., pp. 28-31.
The thunder had long grumbled in the air, and yet when the bolt [the Queen's death] fell, most of our party appeared as much surprised as if they had had no reason to expect it. There was a perfect calm and universal submission throughout the whole kingdom. The Chevalier indeed set out as if his design had been to gain the coast and to embark for Great Britain, and the Court of France made a merit to themselves of stopping him and obliging him to return. But this, to my certain knowledge, was a farce acted by concert, to keep up an opinion of his character, when all opinion of his cause seemed to be at an end. He owned this concert to me at Bar, on the occasion of my telling him that he would have found no party ready to receive him, and that the enterprise would have been to the last degree extravagant. He was at this time far from having any encouragement: no party, numerous enough to make the least disturbance, was formed in his favour. On the King's arrival the storm arose. The menaces of the Whigs, backed by some very rash declarations, by little circumstances of humor which frequently offend more than real injuries, and by the entire change of all the persons in employment, blew up the coals.
At first many of the tories had been made to entertain some faint hopes that they would be permitted to live in quiet. I have been assured that the King left Hanover in that resolution. Happy had it been for him and for us if he had continued in it; if the moderation of his temper had not been overborne by the violence of party, and his and the national interest sacrificed to the passions of a few. Others there were among the tories who had flattered themselves with much greater expectations than these, and who had depended, not on such imaginary favor and dangerous advancement as was offered them afterwards, but on real credit and substantial power under the new government. Such impressions on the minds of men had rendered the two houses of parliament, which were then sitting, as good courtiers to King George, as ever they had been to queen Anne. But all these hopes being at once and with violence extinguished, despair succeeded in their room.