At the commencement of the present reign this sect was become very considerable among the religious denominations of this kingdom; and it has been ever since rapidly increasing, so as to cause no small alarm in some quarters. At present, it seems to be the prevailing opinion that methodism will soon acquire unrivalled preponderance among us, and perhaps become, at last, and at no very distant period, the established religion of England. [937] Should it so happen, it is to be hoped that it will previously undergo a kind of regeneration, so as to prove (among other things) less illiberal and intolerant than it is at present; otherwise neither the dissenting sects, nor the nation at large will have any mighty cause to congratulate themselves on the occasion.—But we will dwell no longer upon this subject at present, as we may have occasion to resume it in another part of the work.—Having now made our way to the year 1760 and the commencement of the present reign, we shall here close this long section.
Section VIII.
Accession of George III—flattering aspect of British affairs at that period—general expectation then of the commencement or approach of halcyon days and a golden age—those expectations have not been yet realized—on the contrary, the nation has witnessed and experienced a very different order or state of things—Views of the affairs of Lynn for the first twenty years of this reign.
Upon the demise of the late king, he was succeeded by his grandson the prince of Wales, under the name of George the third; who was immediately proclaimed, with the usual ceremonies, when he made a most gracious declaration to his privy-council, which gave great satisfaction, and was much applauded. On the 8th of September 1761 he was married to the princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz, and on the 22nd. of the same month their majesties were crowned at Westminster Abbey. The issue of this marriage is more numerous than that of any of our former sovereigns; at least, for many ages past; so that it is not likely that there will happen here soon any dispute about the regal succession.
No prince ever ascended the throne of these realms more with the approbation, or to the satisfaction of the nation at large than did George III; nor do we know of any other of our sovereigns at whose accession there was so fair and bright a prospect of a happy and glorious reign. The people universally expected it, and thought they had a right so to do, on account of that proud and unrivalled preeminence which the nation had lately acquired among the powers of Europe, and of the world. In this expectation, however, we have been disappointed; for those fond and sanguine hopes which were once so confidently entertained and cherished have never yet been realized; and it is not very likely now that they ever will. We live at a most eventful period, so that it is no great wonder that our disasters and disappointments were not foreseen fifty years ago.
Our miscarriages have been so numerous, and the wrongheadedness of our Statesmen and public functionaries so notorious, as to give no small countenance, if not entirely to justify, the opinion of those who assert that the Evil Genius of Britain has presided in its councils, and has had the sole direction of its affairs, with very few exceptions, for the last fifty years, at least. Strong symptoms of political wrongheadedness and ministerial depravity appeared as early as the time when the machine of government was committed to the management of lord Bute, with his coadjutors and underlings. The affair of general warrants, and the project for taxing America, rendered those symptoms still more visible and alarming, while our persisting in our dispute with the Colonists, and undertaking to answer their arguments and silence their complaints by the mouth of our cannon, demonstrated our despotic character and boundless infatuation, and prepared the world to behold, without surprise, the folly and insanity of our subsequent projects and undertakings.
It was hoped by many that the disastrous result of the American war would have brought us to our senses. But it did not so happen. Our subsequent conduct has been for the most part as unwise and senseless as ever it was during our dispute and war with America. Had we been capable of serious reflection, the American war would, doubtless, have brought us to it. Dear-bought experience is said to have been of great use to some people; but it has been in this case quite useless to us; though experience has seldom been more dearly bought than that which Britain has acquired by the American war. In fact, it does not seem that experience is of so much use to mankind, as is generally supposed; not because it is useless in itself, or incapable of making us wiser, but because most people are no way disposed to avail themselves of its aid, and choose to follow their passions rather than their reason. They seemingly hate to look back and recollect former mischances, or to profit by past experience. Both the past and the future appear to be by them equally disregarded. The present employs all their thoughts; and whatsoever errors they may have committed, or inconvenience experienced on that account, little care is generally taken to guard against their repetition or recurrence. Such is the case with nations as well as individuals. So the world goes: and thus, in spite of past experience, every age performs its own folly, and re-acts or repeats the absurdities and crimes of its predecessors.
Sometimes the national errors and follies of one age appear to exceed those of the preceding age, and even of many preceding ages. This has been thought applicable to the present period. Our domestic grievances from different administrations, for the last fifty years, our treatment of the Caribbs of St. Vincent, [941] together with our American and subsequent wars, and also the affair of the Spanish frigates, and of Copenhagen, seem to exceed tenfold all our internal grievances and public ministerial enormities for the preceding fifty, or even seventy years. What addition will be made to this catalogue during the remainder of this reign, it is impossible to foresee; but it is to be hoped that things ere long will take a more favourable turn, as it is surely high time they should.
These observations we shall now conclude, in the words of one of the historians of this reign—“In comparing (says he) the brilliant and auspicious commencement of the reign of the present monarch with the dark and dreadful scenes which ensued (and, it is painful to add, with those which at [this] advanced period seem yet impending) the imagination is led forcibly to advert to the sublime symbolical representations introduced by a poet of the highest order, Mr. Gray, in his celebrated Ode of The Bard, in allusion to the catastrophe terminating the reign of Richard II. in the splendor of its opening dawn, and its subsequent fatal indiscretions, bearing no very distant analogy to the present. [942]
“Fair laughs the morn, and soft the Zephyr blows;
While proudly riding o’er the azure realm
In gallant trim the gilded vessel goes;
Youth at the prow, and Pleasure at the helm;
Regardless of the sweeping whirlwind’s sway.
That hush’d in grim repose expects his evening prey.”